and be at peace with all creatures Superstition of it selfe is contentious and full of debate but the true worshipping of God is full of tranquillitie peace and quyetnesse Neyther can it bée any maruell at all to sée so muche contention amongest men for kéeping of suche superstition of the Lawe considering the same is neuer at one with God him selfe for it is none other thing but to adhere and sticke faste to the carnall and grosse lawe which God rather would to be made adnichilate and of none effecte amongest men and that by his sonne Iesus Chryst to the ende that in the place thereof shoulde succeede the law Spirituall than to be by suche contention at defiance with God. For he that is affectionate to the lawe whiche so muche dissenteth from the mynde and will of God can not be but cleane repugnaunt and contrary to him for so muche as his onely will and pleasure is wée should altogither folow the contrary Wherfore let no chrystian man thinke it a tryfle or small faulte to wedde him selfe or to be besotted to the kéeping of the lawe and to continue in the same It shall bée founde to be but a fryuolous and vnfruitefull thing to please the will of man and to displease the good will of god The obseruation of the carnall and ceremoniall lawe of Moyses may well please the affections of carnall men but truely the God of all holynesse and truthe will take it in euill parte and very displeasauntly onlesse the same shall ouerpasse the letter of the grosse Lawe and become the follower of the Lawe that is spirituall Therefore let the Iewes to the vttermoste of their mighte and power holde vp and mayntayne if they may their Ceremonies as in example the Ceremonies of the Booke of Moyses called Leuiticus their feastes of the new Moone their washings with all suche lyke of whose sort also be now the garments of the Priests and their fleshly Sacrifices expiations or pourgings consecrations their halowings cursings the difference of meats holydays vowes créepings knéelings knocking 's kyssings crossings with all the rest that they doo extremely vse in their temples yet for all that through the obseruation of all these or any of them they shall neuer be made righteouse although they glory neuer so muche among them selues ouer them All which things therefore appertayne nothing vnto you that are now become spirituall and suche maner of men as Chryst dothe vouchsafe to dwell in euen in the temples of your hearts for he that is but externely or onely baptised in the flesh remayneth yet still in the fleshe onlesse the same be inwardly washed moysted and tempered with the swéete taste and moysture of the spirite of god Wée be not made méete tempâ—â—s for Chryst through our ceremonies but by vertue and power of the spirite which whosoeuer hath not within him is yet carnall and very farre from Chryst And if it so be that Chryst dwell in our hearts then inasmuche as Chryst is nothing else but charitie truthe temperaunce and all other vertues how shoulde there then be any place lefte in a Christian man for the receiuing of any vice into him It beste becommeth him to expresse Chryst in his works that hath him inhabiting within his heart Chryst did once dye in his flesh as is before sayd but now he liueth euerlastingly whom we oughte to expresse in our selues in suche maner that our earthly body that is our carnall and outwarde man which always prouoketh vs to disobedience and sinfulnesse be dead in vs and to forsake all vayne pleasure that offendeth God that the spirite that is our spirituall and inwarde man may liue in vs which alwayes stirreth vs to all honestie to iust and godly things Furthermore if the spirite of God be within vs which restored Chryst from death vnto life it is so frendly and frutefull vnto vs that it will not be idle and vnoccupied in vs for the spirite is louely liuely quicke full of efficacie and vertue Wherefore the same spirite according to our godly natures and inclination will worke with mercy that thing in vs which did most mightily worke in the Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ It restored him agayne from death vnto life and will suffer him to dye no more euen so it will call vs backe agayne from our sinnes which be the grounde of our death and giue vs lighte to auoyde all wickednesse and to lyue hencefoorth a deuoute and moste godly life Therefore all wée liuing to this spirite are bounde to this spirite and owe due obedience therevnto and not to our flesh vnto which wée are already deade For after wée became to bée made one with Iesus Chryste wée became to bée no more debtors to the fleshe God forbidde therefore that wée shoulde hencefoorth leade our lyues after the corrupte desire of our flesh which with all duetie should obey and serue it selfe vnto the spirite and become with all constancie bound vnto it Moreouer al you be called vnto the state of life but if you shal frame your conuersation according to your flesh you shall surely dye And contrarywise if through the strength of the spirite you shall quench the desires of your fleshly lustes then without doubt yée shall be blessed and lyue Neither is the commaundement of the spirite hards to be kepte which although it call men vnto mightie highe and heauenly things yet it calleth all suche as be willing and desirous to serue and obey it And it breatheth suche lyuely force of loue into all their heartes that it causeth them to thynke there is nothing harde nor vnpleasaunt to them whyche haue in them selues that heauenly truste and ready wyll to serue GOD and his holy Gospell And as the body lyueth by hys spirite euen so dothe the soule lyue by hir spirite And agayne if the spirite of the body bée weake and faynte then is also all the body weake and sicke But if it bée healthfull liuely and strong then is all the body lyuely strong and lustie Therefore they that frame their lyues after the spirite of GOD be the dearely beloued and true children of god And they that be truely the children of God will represente and moste ioyfully shewe the naturall conditions of their father and will frankely and fréely doo all suche things as they shall thinke will please their father But seruaunts for asmuch as they be not ioyned to their masters by nature but by law do their seruice vnto them for feare or else for the auoyding of displeasure and punishment and not for onely obedience loue and duetie which thing is proper vnto the Iewes who do obey the law kepe externely the coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts therof with al precisenesse lest they shold fal into bodily punishmeÌ„t But al you are made frée froÌ„ the law to the end you should serue it no more in feare of any punishment but should desire like naturall children moste gladly to
séeth that he wente about this that we should trust to the Lorde and serue him in holinesse and innocencie of life And whereas through the faulte and calamitie which destroyed our nature at the beginning we be so tyed to affections that we doe none of those things which God requireth of vs rightly and as we ought to do It commeth also to passe that the iustice of God feareth vs on the other side For howsoeuer we call him good and mercifull yet are we compelled to acknowledge him to be iust also Neither shoulde it bée truely good that lacked iustice Now that his iustice also might continue inuiolate and yet man which doth nothing worthy of iustice should not euer be depriued of his companie he found a way by the which both his iustice should be satisfied and the poore miser restored again to the company of god He sent his sonne therfore which should be made our iustice sanctification and price of Redemption and for them onely to be so made which being chosen of God and taught within forth by his spirite beléeued this firmly that by one way of the mercy of God for that he pacyfied his iustice by offring his sonne it is lykewise the work of mercie the way should be open vnto eternal blessednesse nowe of this mercie his sonne is made the pledge and suretie For howe shall he not giue vs all things which hath giuen vs his sonne Not being eaten but made the foundation our hope Not in that he is fleshe but in that he is the sonne of God that tooke fleshe Thus thou hast in few wordes howe I knowledge Christe Namely that he is the light and moste high wisedome which hathe so lightned the worlde that he mighte sée God to be pleased with none other seruices than with the seruice of innocencie That heauen is wonne with none other price or tribute but with the redemption of the sonne of god That a man is stirred vp to the exercise of true vertue with none other spurres than by the inflammation of the spirit That true comfort is brought into our soules by no other instruments then by the watring influence of the same spirite Thus I know Christ Nowe if this be not to knowe Christe earnestly I will confesse me not to haue knowne him yet A fewe wordes touching the Couenaunt that God hath made vnto his Churche in Christe translated oute of Huldrich Zuinglie in his Subsidie annexed to the woorke aforesaide THEY bring the woordes of Paule againste me ◠Cor. 11. Where he sayth thus This cup is the newe couenant in my bloud Of which woordes they thus withstand me that which is héere giuen is the newe couenant But the new couenaunt is not any signe but the very bloud of Christ For as muche then as this cuppe is the newe couenant it muste néedes be the corporall bloud of Christ for the bloud is the couenaunt I am glad that this place is laide against me and specially for this cause that the variation of the couenaunte which is found in many places of the scriptures may be a little excussed Couenaunt as in this pointe is nothing else than a condition promised of god As when the Lord stroke a bargaine or couenaunt with Abraham I am God almightie saythe he walke before me and be perfecte and I wil put my couenant betweene me thée and betwéene thy séede after thée in their generations with an euerlasting couenant that I be thy god and the God of thy séede after thee And I will giue to thée and to thy séede after thee the land of thy Pilgrimage and all the land of Canaan in possession for euer and I will be thy god Héere is nothing spoken but the couenaunte which God by fauoure vouchedsafe to make with Abraham But what containeth this couenaunte With what conditions is it made These be then the conditions I will be thy god Thou shalt walke before me moste purely I will make thée a father of many Nations I will géeue the séede of Sara And I wil be the God of that posteritie of thine also which I promise I will giue to thée and to thy séede the lande in the which thou art now a stranger The which cōditions be euen the very couenaunte selfe But to the couenauntes are added signes Which althoughe they be called by the names of the couenaunts be not the couenaunts for all that as it is manifest in the same place For it foloweth on this wise This is my couenant that thou shalt kéepe betwéene me and thee and thy séede after thée Let euery mā childe of you be circumcised Sée howe he calleth the circumcision the couenaunte When for all that it was not the couenant but the signe of the couenant euen as the diuine saying it selfe teacheth on this wise And yée shal circumcise the fleshe of your foreskin that it may be a token or signe betwéene me and you We sée it to be now called the signe of the couenaunt which a little before was called the couenaunt It is therefore euident inoughe that the signes of the couenaunts be not the couenants although they haue sometimes the names of the couenaunts put vpon them As when circumcision is héere called the couenant wheras it is yet but the signe of the couenaunt And Baptisme 1. Pet. 3. is taken for Christ when he saythe that we are saued by baptisme yet are we saued by only Christ This is the text of S. Peter When the long suffering of God was once loked for in the dayes of Noe while the Arke was a preparing wherin fewe that is to say eight soules were saued by the water like as Baptisme nowe saueth vs Not the putting away the filthe of the fleshe but in that a good conscience consenteth to God by the resurrection of Iesus Christe Zuinglie expoundeth this place in his subsidie or helpe as folovveth vve thought it not necessary to repeat any further those things vvhich vve broughte in our commentarie for vve truste that vve haue satisfied them that be godly and somevvhat more grovvne in the faithe vvhich commit them selfe to Christ in this floud that drovvneth this vvorlde none othervvise then Noe did in the olde time committe him selfe and his and the remnaunts of the vvhole vovrld that forthvvith shuld be destroyed to that greate shippe as men borne after the deathe of their father For they that put their confidence in Christe require Christe no more according to the fleshe for they knovve that fleshe profiteth nothing as is vvritten in the sixth of Ihon if thou eate it but then knovv that it profiteth much if thou beleeue Christ to be slaine for thee in the fleshe And that thou put thy confidence in that In this vvinde they svvimme safely to land In this shippe they are saued But Baptisme is as well the signe of the Christian people which haue receiued of God this couenaunt that his sonne is oures As the Circumcision was in the olde
to the frée spirit of Christ which inspireth heauenly giftes where he wil. In which libertie also the consideration of vowes is put Those things that were moste fréely vowed in the lawe were not perpetuall but all suche as might be redéemed when they lusted But ye vowe vowes without the woorde of God and not contented therewith yée promisse the same to be perpetuall both without the lawe and without examples of Gods law But if thou be not able to liue chaste studie that thou doe no violence by thy vowes to this woorde of creation sowne in nature It is not good for man to be alone And also to this It is better to marrie than to burne But thou shalt not bring it to passe the imbecillitie and weakenesse of the fleshe declareth that plainely which thou alwayes ouercommest not endeuor thy self thervnto neuer so much by the feare of God which feare we deny not to be in some of them whom this lacke of knowledge detaineth and holdeth captiue to make vowes partly by the obstinate desire of some men which can by no coloure be defended or that I speake not of more greuous things for my mind is before God to couet the winning of many to Christe by wryting this and not to hurt by my wil any man Therfore as in the lawe were vowed mysticall vowes after the rule of Gods lawe and not rashly all things what so euer they were and after euery sort and in euery place according to Deutronomie and Leuiticus euen so in the state of the gospel vowes ought to be enformed after the example and disposition of the heauenly woord frée from al externe habite or shape of things vnder the sunne which vowes the faith of regeneration may inwardly gouerne and not thine owne presumption guided without the woorde of god And let them be suche vowes as may chaunge the affections which may guid consciences and not bring an externe visure well answering before God but not apparel not meat not shauing of heads not oyles halles golde and stones Al which by the very abuse of an euil handled conscience and with this vaine world waxe olde vanishe away and come to naught Therefore as Salomon sayeth a man must vow and pay his vow But in such order that thou bothe vowe and paie after the prescript of Gods woorde heard in the Temple and not after the doctrines of men which doctrines God speaketh not by his Prophets for suche in déede is the condition and state of man that he only depende vppon the worde of the liuing God his maker that he neither adde nor take away from it according to Deutronomie For as in this visible world that heauenly moouing is a constante and firme rule into all times of all mutations which chaunce in these lowe things and as some knowne and certaine quantitie measureth the other quantities of vncertaine greatnesse and as in the very mindes that are made the generall anticipations and principall guides measure like faithfull rules the other cogitations euen so the only woorde of God is farre the most constant measure rule sure knowledge by which thou maist direct thine own conscience in those things which pertaine to eternall life So that as men from rules neither adde nor diminishe least they may deceiue a man like Lesbies rules euen so by Moses ought nothing to be either added or diminished from the inflexible woord of God which thing let them likewise obserue whome mennes decrées holde yet as captiue If therfore thou makest a vow and hast not the word of God to lead thee to the same binding thy conscience where it ought to be frée making a lawe to thy selfe where as is no lawe of God appointing an obseruation of creatures where as the kingdom of Christ admitteth none who is that king of heauen the iudge sitting vpon the throne of God the father before whome men ought to be well ware and do reuerently that vowe of thine which thou thus makest dwelling sinnefully vppon the earth shall be none voide is it therefore and friuolous and ought not in any wise to be fulfilled but to be broken of thée Thus farre of the vowes of religious men and priestes touching their diuersitie of apparell and the shauing of their heades with such other vaine vowes and obseruances Of the Olde man and the Newe which be compared togither by Martinus Cellarius vpon the seuenth of the Preacher otherwise called Ecclesiastes OF THE OLDE MAN. THe Olde man is made of the earth and fashioned into a liuing soule according to this text And man was made to be a liuing soule In animam viuentem 2 This strengthe is it which doth the works of nature as are to engender to nourishe vp to féele and to iudge of things agréeing or repugning to nature as we read in the firste of Genesis Encrease yée and be yée multiplied 3 In this parte the liuing soule which the Gréekes call Psichin of winde or breathe is common to man with other beastes and with all things that liue as it is also wrytten of them Let the earthe bring forthe Animam viuentem liuing soule in his kinde Reading in both places both about the making of man and beastes one selfe same worde in the Hebrue which is Naphshekeijah and signifieth winde or breth 4 So that this soule is the breth of life by which the naturall body and not the spirituall the earthly and not the heauenly is animated and liueth By which the grosse bodie hath life but not that body which is transformed to be glorified according to the Apostle in the firste to the Corinthes the fiftienth Chapter 5 In which conferment it must be diligently séene what it is that the firste man was made of the earthe and what also the seconde which commeth from heauen Further what it is that the first was made into a natural soule or life and the second into a quickening spirite and what the soule of the first Adam is and what the quickening spirite is and what his function is in the seconde 6 But aboue the degrée of liuing soule the vitall strength of man aduaunceth it selfe by the meanes of the minde to thinges inuisible and to principles vniuersal by which part he is farre discrepant from the rest of liuing things both by nature and operation 7 In which parte also the firste Adam was dipped with the feare of God aboue and besides the nature created by which feare he might haue his Creator in reuerence To which feare all other things that were in him obeyed bothe body sense and minde for he was soundly and rightly created In whom rightnesse was put of which rightnesse Salomon speaketh when he sayth Onely this I founde that God made man right c. 8 Therfore when we call the first Adam olde and earthly olde and earthly is not here put to contrary that which is iuste that is innocente but agaynst that which is to be renued into a better condition In which
Their heart is vayne But how is it vayne bicause they lacke the spirite of god Which spirite if a man haue he hath life and light If he haue him not there is darknesse and death And what is more friuolous or vayne than these things wherfore God is in all poynts the saâ—â—â—â— that hâ— commaundeth For he is the highest god which ought to be loued aboue all things He commaundeth loue which loue he is according to this God is loue He commaundeth truth iustice and clemencie all these things he is Ergo he commaundeth him selfe to all creatures endued with reason as to them who are onely able to receiue him And agayne he onely forbiddeth that which he is not namely the loue of our selfe and of creatures that a man reste not nor put his truste in them and that of the ineuitable order of his wisedome In which order onely the perfecter things haue power to bring another thing to passe And that which is not perfect to doo that which is worse and not that which is perfecter And as the bodies of men liuing hauing life of the soule holde their state righte euen so the reasonable creaturs gouerned by the spirite of Chryst defendeth the degrée of iustice and integritie But béeing destitute of this spirite all things are contrary Rom. 8. Iere. 31. Deut. 30. 30 So that the olde man was called man after his fall by contempt béeing voyde of this spirite of rightnesse that they may know that they be but men that is vanitie Esay lykewise when he would shew Egipt to be of no weight he saith Egypt is a man and no god And Pylate sayde of Chryst Beholde the man hauing respecte to the contented formes of Chryst drawen out of our sinne which formes he bare in his flesh Likewise the Psalme hath What is man And afore Salomon sayth I sayde in mine heart of the children of men why should God chose them 31 All men through vayne desires embracing earth not heauen carnall things not spirituall things the loue of them selues and not the loue of God. 32 And when wée be suche a worthy sentence is giuen vppon the earthly man Of earth thou arte and into earth thou shalte returne Gene. 3. as before in the same Chapter and after in the .13 33 Béeing of equall condition with all men least any man should boast him selfe forasmuche as we be all the dust of the earth all flesh a like all alike in daunger to sinne and to the wrath of God as parteyning to the olde birth 34 Which thyng Chrystes finger writing vppon the ground noted signifieth the earthy stocke of which we come which should infect all men without exception and cleareth no man of sinne 35 Not only the body corrupted with earthy concupiscence béeing counted in the tale for flesh but also the best parte of man namely the mynd which they cal the principal part 36 Not that it is not a good creature a naturall light that séeth the truthe and falsitie good and badde which argueth the consciences of sinne and giueth testimonie of the righteousnesse of God but for that that this light also béeing infected with originall sinne is darkened to many things and not of efficacie to transforme the mindes of them in whom it shineth 37 Whose senses the Scripture adioyneth to the olde man and to the flesh when the minde is not yet borne a new by the spirite of God as parteyning to motions and incitations corrupted 38 Taking for flesh what soeuer is not of the holy ghost and borne a new from aboue that is the whole man with body and minde not yet béeing borne a new by the spirite of God Iohn 3. Rom. 8. 39 Examples are all the wysest of the Gentiles in the light naturall and the Phariseis most righteous in the law whose sinne the Lorde witnesseth to remayne bicause they sayd them selues to sée when in déede they were yet blind 40 But they saw with that parte which was the best part in them namely with the minde yet by which they should héere this who so is without fault among you cast the first stone at hir And this of the Apostle Knowledge maketh a man proude 41 not that the minde of hir substaunce is flesh and of earthly nature for she is a spirite 1. Corinth 1. and to the Rom. 8. approching next to the Deitie no better worke created commyng betwéene Genesis 1. but shee is fleshe for so muche as she is viciated with contagion of the affections of the corrupted body of sinne 42 In the reprobate besides this contagion and infection the minde béeing voyde of the grace of Election addeth of hir owne the neglect of the veritie knowen that is she nourisheth the sinne agaynst the holy ghoste which she carieth with hir into the other world neuer to be forgiuen 43 And so Abel and Cayne Dauid and Iudas that is that they be accursed with the serpent and the blessed electe by the grace of predestination in Chryst before the foundations of the worlde were layde are bothe by nature the olde man aswell the one as the other the children of wrath and of darkenesse The difference is in the election But forasmuche as it pertayneth to the grace of the new man and not to the nature of the olde man it pertaineth not to this place which treateth here of the disposition and nature of the corrupted and earthly man. 44 Now suche is the first Adam with all his posteritie sprong of the séede of the corrupted flesh And suche also is the worlde with his desires made of naughte and gooing to naughte 45 He therefore is damned with his wisedome and foolishnesse with his righteousnesse and vnrighteousnesse in his children with their father Sathan which hath inuented al these euils bringing in that which Salomon so often abhorreth in this booke the vanitie of sinne and death Of the new Man. NOw the matter is otherwise of the new man and seconde Adam Chryst Iesus the blessed sonne of God is he not taken out of the earth but sent downe from heauen 47 And so not made into a liuing soule which thing perteineth to conception but made of his father into a quickening spirite as the Apostle witnesseth in the .1 to the Corinth 15. 48 This spirite viuifieth that is to say maketh vs aliue not with life naturall but spirituall And therefore he dothe not the naturall functions which are to engender and to beget children of the flesh c. for suche worke hath no place in heauen as he béeing man declareth in Marke .12 when he sayth But they are lyke the Aungels which be in heauen by their Resurrection 49 It is therefore the breath of lyfe from aboue whiche God firste bloweth into the seconde Adam and by him into his members whereof is this Take yée the holy Ghoste c. and that with a spirituall breath not with an earthly By which the body is transfigured into an heauenly habite
euery man according to the measure of the giuing of Christ the head agréeing to this For God giueth not the spirit to him by measure And as pertaining to the donation we read this For he shall receyue of mine and shall declare it vnto you In like sorte to the Ephesians 4. But grace is giuen to euery one of vs according to the measure of the gift of Christe 64 And so only the sainctes are partakers of spiritual perfection of part and from member to member of which Christ is fully in possession whome the kingly annoynting of the fathers power glory and maiestie annoynteth without measure to all perfection of God the father Whereunto also this of the Apostle pertaineth you are Christes and Christe is Gods. You I say are Christes as the membres of the head but Christe is Gods as the heade of the vniuersall diuinitie For that perfection of the body which is poured out throughout all the members the same resteth whole in Christe the head Esay 11. 65 This is it which the Apostle calleth corporally and héereunto also pertaineth that woorde the fulnesse or complement whereupon the Psalme sayth of Christ The Lord sayd vnto my lord And an other Psalme sayth of the Sainctes I haue sayd yée are Gods. And Peter sayth ye are partakers of the diuine nature 66 Which places are truely to be vnderstanded as the new borne are truely called the children of god For as there is a true regeneration euen so there is a true participation and possession of the diuine nature and of the diuine lighte wisedome and rightuousnesse This is our hope and vocation in Christ the head of the participation of the substāce of God and of the nature of the father by that we be borne a newe of the spirite of Christ Iohn 3. 1. Pet. 1. Rom. 8. Gal. 4. 67 But we speake héere of Christe as the treating of him pertaineth to the cause of regeneration which commeth of the spirite For what the scripture speaketh of the eternall word we holily woorship and will speake thereof in an other place 68 Therfore we be not called the sonnes of God newe men after the same sort that Christ is For he is the naturall sonne of God and the newe man bothe within and wythout But we be the sonnes of God by adoption and new men only inwardly in this world He is borne the sonne of God and the newe man We are begotten the children of death and of sinne by the first Adam and we are borne the sonnes of God and a newe creature by the second Adam For of the earth we be earthie and in Christ the heauenly man we are taken to grace and to the enheritance of sonnes by newe birth which shall in the day of resurrection put on newe fleshe vppon vs euen of the fleshe of Christe 69 So that héer being renued while we liue in this world we consist of two men of an outwarde and inwarde man of a body corrupted with concupiscence and of a minde repaired with the spirite of the newe couenaunt 70 The body once corrupted is not restored in this world for it is all earthie tending to the earth of his owne will and waight And therefore he also returneth vnto it bicause of the sentence once giuen vppon it when the temprament of this worldes elements is dissolued of which it is made as Salomon oft teacheth in this sermon And is now and then mortified that it folowe not the desires to which he is inclined that firie spirit of the heauenly new birth quite burning them vp 71 The inner man therefore that is the minde which is put into this body to rule it is only renued in this life to the felowship of the diuine light 72 Wherefore they that be regenerate in this fraile life cary men about with them as cōtrary the one to the other as are light and darkenesse death and life and as farre dissident as heauen and earth The outwarde and olde man is visible the inward and new man is inuisible The outwarde man is earthly and the inwarde man is heauenly The outward man is conceiued of carnal seede and the inward man is strengthened with the spiritual séede of the word of the liuing god The outward man is fed with meats that will perish but the inward man groweth with eternal foode The one is made flesh of the flesh of man the other is made a spirit of the spirit of God. 73 The outwarde man is euer polluted and sinneth but the inward and new man neuer neither cannot it sinne as it cannot die 74 And no maruel for as much as thou shalt finde contrary lawes in them The one of sinne which holdeth vs downe to the ground persuading earthy and carnal desires the other calleth vs vpwarde burning in desires of heauenly things where a man may sée the maruellous coniunction of bothe men set together for experience of so great things not without the maruellous councels of the diuine prouidence 75 Further the olde man is created of God and therefore made of nothing the newe man is borne of God so of something namely of his spirite Wherof he neuer dieth he neuer waxeth olde And these are the things which Christ disputeth of the life eternal which true faith bringeth that is to say the spirit of Gods light Vppon this poynt standeth the hope and consolation of Sainctes 76 By this faith the outwarde man obtaineth pardone if the spirite of the inwarde man remurmur against him while we dwel in this life For faithe staide vp with the rightuousnesse of an other that is with Christe which being innocent died for offenders deliuereth the faithfull from dampnatorie sentence of death and sinne and draweth backe the desires of the olde man that he do them not the bridle of the spirit caste in his téethe For it is not obtained that they haue no being in vs and that they wholely be destroyed in this worlde as long as this flesh liueth the resurrection giueth that in which both the body it selfe shall be also raised vp out of the duste of the earth from deathe vnto life to fulfill the body of Christe which as the head to the body went before being the first begotten sonne of the newe creature and the vnspotted firste frutes of the kingdome of the fathers maiestie 77 For what life shal the head haue without the body or the body without the members 78 And the fall of the first man so repaired and amended we shal be restored to that from whence we fel that is to wit to rightuousnesse and innocencie but in a far better state and condition for in this innocencie the earthy life shal be chāged for an heauenly mortalitie for immortalitie and after sinne fall shall be changed for resurrection and the ignomie of the crosse for glory So great is the goodnesse and wisdom of God which thus farre and this way must be reuealed 79
of the Gospell is one of the beloued children of God which saith he chastiseth euery childe that he receiueth and euen for the same cause suffering our troubles patiently heere in this world the same ministreth vnto vs a certain inward tast of our acceptatioÌ„ to God and further to declare vnto vs all as it were the way to come vnto the folowing of the Gospell Gene. â— Iohn 4. Iohn 1. What commoditie we do receyue by the lawe Galat. 5. Gene. 17. Gala. 3. Collos 2. 1. Pet 5. Ephe. 4. Collos 2. 1. Pet 3. 1. Pet. 4. 2 Timo. 2. Reuels 6. A man must imagin to be in him selfe two sorts of men the one olde and earthy the other new and heauenly Our olde man must be slayne and crucified with christ according to the mysterie of holy baptisme The true trust of the mortified christian The example of Christ What it is to liue vnto God. Iohn 8.2 Pet. 2. The due consideration of a godly christiaÌ„ The power of gods grace vnder which only all godly christians are stayed The lawe forsakeÌ„ and why Both Christ and the lawe together cannot be serued The frute of our obedience what coÌ„meth therof Of sinne and innocencie The great shame of a christian what it is Gene. 2. Roma 5. Two masters The rewardes of them boâ—â— 2. Corin. 7. Math. 5. By the comming of christ the lawe touching the ceremonies therof was of no effect The duty of the Churche towardes Christ What the discommodity is to be in bondage to the lawe The lawe is not sinnefull but it is the heraulde and messenger of him Exod. 20. Deut. 5. The law openeth sinne but it geeueth no power to resist sinne Through the lawe sinne and the true record of conscience man feeleth in him selfe no life but death Esay 48. 1. Tim. 2. Esay 5 21. The power of sinne in our earthly bodies Two men are possessed of euery man and how they are called according to the scripture Gene. 6. Sinne alwayes resident in the outward man. The conflicte betwixt reason and concupiscence The coÌ„plaint of the holy apostle why The cause of the apostles reioicing Iohn 8. Gala. 4. Hebr. 7. Two lawes The great mercy of God. 2. Corin. 5. Esay 55. Superstition contentious against God. What it is to be affectionate by the lawe Ceremonies carieth with theÌ„ no righteousenesse We are not made the temples of Christ by ceremones but by Gods spirit He that possesseth Christ expresseth him in his works The spirit of God what it worketh in the godly that possesseth it If we liue to Gods spirit we are in all things bound to obey it The will of the spirit is easie to be obeied The grace of Gods spirit and what it worketh in the elect The godly propertie of the true childe towardes his father Gala. 4. 2. Timo. 1. 2. Cor. 1.5 Ephe. 1. By what meanes we come to the inheritance o God. Math. 5. 2 Cor. 4. 1. Iohn 3. 2. Cor. 5. Iohn 16. Hebr 1. Esay 26. Iere. 17. In what maner the spirit prayeth for vs vnto God. The feite miseries of this life are not to be feared not to withdrawe our harts from prayer We beare our troubles the more paciently in this life because we see before hande the fauour of God for our deliueraunce Nume 14. Esay 50. Gene. 22. Esay 53. Our hope in the constancie of Gods mercy for our sheelde and buckler A godly admonition The people that are blessed of God feare neither the deuell nor any of his ministers Psalm 43. Wel may afflictioÌ„s diuersly happen to the godly that they shall sooner confirme them in the loue of God the ouercome them from the same Exod. 32. Exod. 19. Deut. 7. Roma 2. Gala 4. Gene. 22. Who be the children of Abraham Gene. 18. Gene. 25. Mala. 1. The election of God maketh the children of Abraham but not the neerenesse of birth Exod. 33. Gods great mercy towards the stubborne Iewes Osee 2. 1. Pet. 2. Esay 10. Osee 1. Zacha. 13. Amos. 9. Esay 1. The mercy of God towardes the Gentiles The cause of the Ievves fall The hatred of God against proud men The cause of the Gentiles submission vnto God and to the faith in Christ Esay 28. Esay 28. Roma 9. Two kinds of righteousnesse Christ the end of the lavve Gala. 3. Leuit. 18. Deutero 30. Hovv the vvord of God is in our mouth in our hart Esay 28. Miche 2. Act. 2.22 Esay 52. Esay 53. Iohn 12. Psalm 18. Deutero 3 2. Esay 52.65 Esay 65. Iere. 31. 3 Reg 19. 3. Reg. 19. Deutere 9. What they be that atteine vnto the saluatioÌ„ of God. Esay 9. Act. 7. Psalm 68. The contempt of the Iewes ageinst the Goâ—pell of God and Christ The cause whi Paule discourseth ageinst the Iewes The Gentiles commodity bi the fall of the Iewes Roma 1. 1. Timo. 2. 2. Timo. 1. Paule exhorteth the Gentiles to godliâ—nesse of life exod to be an ample to the Iewes Esay 65. To reioice at anothers fall it is not good but it is greate godlinesse to beware by the punishment of another to fear and amend that which is amisse godlinesse to beware by the punishment of another to fear and amend that which is amiste The Iewes iustly cut of froÌ„ their stock and the Gentiles planted therin without desert 2. Cor. 3. An exhortatioÌ„ to the Gentiles to beware of pride Pride the fall of the Iewes The time of the Iewes conuersion vnto Christ Luk. 21. Psalm 13. Esay 59. The Iewes dearely beloued of God for their parents sake Gods rememberaunce towards the Iewes Gods mercy towards the GeÌ„tiles The Iewes and the Gentiles ioined in one faith to Christ God not being the author of sinne why he suffereth men to fal into sin God beeing cleere of mans fall turneth the same to good Sapi. 17. Sapi. 6. Esay 4 9. 1. Cor. 2. God wold we shold acknowlege his goodnesse depende onely vppon his prouidence and not put any confidence in our owne merites Esay 44. Roma 16. Philip. 4. Philip. 4. What sacrifices the true christians offer to God. The Saboth day Sapi. 6. Esay 4 9. 1. Cor. 2. Ephe. 5. 1. Thessa. 4. Ecclesi 3. Roma 14. 1. Corin. 8. True charity 1. Cor. 15. Ephe. 4. The visible body of maÌ„ with the whole meÌ„bers therof A similitude Howe to vse the giftes of God. 1. Cor. 14 Actes 2. Eccle. 32. Deut. 15. Amos. 5. 2. Pet. 2. Eccle 31 The flesh The Spirit Hebr. 13. Philip. 2. Prouerb 3. Esay 5. Prouerb 20. 1. Pet. 3. 2. Cor 8. To reuenge is the propertie of Iewes The way to true peace as best becoÌ„meth a christian Deut. 32. Prouerb 25. Charitie temperaunce and modesty noble vertues in a christian for the conuersion of others vnto Christ Christian contention Vaine coÌ„tentioÌ„ The christian in the excelleÌ„cie of calling ought to excel all others in vertue The christians warned to beware least thei be compassed and trained from the truth by the
and mightie Prince Edvvarde Duke of Somerset for the seeking and quiet establishing of peace and rightuousnesse in the Churche of Englande immediatly vpon the commotions sodainly raised vp in the VVest partes as also in Suffolke and Nâ—â—â—olke in the yeare of our Lord Christe 1549. 86 ¶ A Paraphrase vpon the Epistle of the holy Apostle S. Paule to the Romanes The first Chapter I Paul whom men heretofore haue called Saule that is to say one which is now become of a busie and troublesome felow or of a very tyrant and persecuter a well stayed peaceable and quiet man and was bound many yeres agone vnder the law of Moyses strayghtly to serue and obey him but now at this tyme â—n made frée from him set at libertie and prefâ—rred to the highe fréedome seruice and dignitie of the great God our Lorde Iesus Chryst yet notwithstanding I am not thereby falne into the corrupte state of Apostacie or a cleane forsaker of Moyses institutions but am called to be Chrystes true messanger and therefore now more highly aduaunced than when I was one of the stoute and mightie dâ—â—â—â—ders of the Pharisies secte against Moyses For the cause thereof was that béeing then not truely godly nor ledde by the spirite of truthe and although learned yet not rightly learned but a wanderer in darkenesse and error I missed very farre from the veritie and from the true vnderstanding of the holy law of god But now I may rightly be called a true Pharisie that is one which by grace am chosen separated and put aparte by the Lorde Iesus Chryst him selfe who hath endued me with the spirite of truth to preach and teache the Gospell of his eternall father which is not any new Gospell of lately inuented but the same that was promised long before by the holy Prophets vppon the sonne of man which at hys tyme appoynted was borne of the stocke of Dauid as touching the fleshe and was also declared of the holy Ghoste to bée the eternall Sonne of the euerlasting God as moste truely appeareth bycause after hys bodily death and buriall in the Sepulchre he triumphantly rose agayne euen with the same very flesh In which mightie and notable mysterie he dyd not only teache vs the resurrection also to come of our fleshe but also him selfe to be the beginner and onely author of the same By whom I am appoynted to the function and high office of an Apostle that like as the Gospell of God hath ben promulgate and taught among the nation of the Iewes so it might also by me be declared vnto the Gentiles Not to any suche intente that they should be burdened with the mightinesse and charges of the law but rather that they shoulde submitte them selues to the onely true fayth in Iesus Chryste and to be brought herevnto not by the vayne gloses of Philosophers of the which sort all you be that are Gentiles but by receiuing the name of Chryst in holy baptisme and so made the children of God by adoption to refrayne your selues from al vayne and fantasticall persuasions paynted and damnable opinions as be now and long hath ben amongst you inasmuche as the adoption it selfe is through grace in Chryst Iesus generally offered to all men Therfore I say to al you that be at Rome the faythfull louers of God and forsakers of your olde iniquities I wish the grace mercy and peace of God not such peace verily as the world giueth but the very true perfect and new peace which onely procéedeth from the father almightie God of heauen And first of all things I thanke the same father of heauen for you that it hath pleased him by his sonne Iesus Chryst to giue this inestimable benefite vnto you Which although you haue ben heretofore al infidels miscreants and idolaters deserued by Gods iustice to be eternally damned yet now he wil that your fayth and profession shuld in such sort be changed made 〈…〉 strong in him that it may most happily redounde to your â—â—â—noume and speciall commendation throughout all the whole world The which thing considering my deare tender loue towards you can not be but most ioyfull and comfortable to me for God the father is my recorde whom I now serue not in vayne and dead Ceremonies but in the powre of his spirite preaching the glad tidings of his deare sonne that always from time to time I haue you in my thought remembraunce praying continually to God that if it be possible I might once come vnto you and sée you at Rome for I thinke very long there to sée you and to be made ioyfull of your godly companies Not séeking therby mine owne profite or singuler aduauntage but most hartily desirous to bestow vpon you some healthsome frute of my Apostleship and to exhibite vnto you not the grosse seruice or dead Ceremonies of Moses but the very delectable yea most swete and spiritual good taste of the sauiour Iesus Christ and to speake vnto you after mine affection familiaritie togither to the ende that one of vs may comfort another in the onely true fayth which wée now haue in our Lord Iesus and to the confirmation establishing one another in the same heauenly gifte All whiche though they be not yet hitherto done as moste rightly behoueth surely for my parte I am in no faulte thereof for I haue most earnestly wished to haue ben among you but alas I haue had many impediments and lets to the contrary And for this cause specially I haue desired to sée you that it might bée my lotte and good happe aswell to profite you and to doo you good as I haue doone vnto other Nations For as God him selfe is an vniuersall God and Lorde of mercy to all men euen so by his mercy is the Gospell vniuersall and in time to be vttered to all nations Wherefore in déede I confesse it my duetie not onely to declare the holy Gospell to the Iew but also to the Gentile not onely to the wise and learned but also to the most barbarous rude vnlearned yea to euery man whatsoeuer he be without exception onlesse he most wickedly and with fixed will withstande and resist the same For which consideration in the zeale of my Lorde Chryst to do you good mine hart melteth within me vntil I preache the Gospell also vnto you that be at Rome And you shall vnderstande that as I feare not at all the state of your great mighty famouse and pompouse Empire so am I not ashamed of the humble and base state or appearaunce of Chrysts kingdome nor of the preaching of his holy Gospell in the simplicitie and plainenesse therof which although it bée to the vnfaythfull but a scoffe a mocke or scorne yet is the same to all the faythfull the moste high mightie and puissaunt vertue of GOD through which onely they bée brought to the hauen of felicitie and to eternall saluation The
to men yet God which knoweth all things and séeth all things in secreate shal giue his iudgement thereafter But this iudgement shall be done of God by his deare sonne which is now our Lord and moste rightuous sauioure and shall be at the iudgement day the iudge of al the worlde which thing is the true saying of the Gospell least it be taken of some for a fable or dreame whereof I now moste reuerently speake Therfore O thou Iew that standest so much in thine owne conceit and arte proud that arte called a Iewe making thy reckening vpon the priuiledge of the lawe which was giuen of God only vnto thée and doest vaunt and boaste God to be the author of thy religion whose minde and pleasure thou knowest by the Scriptures that came from him and arte brought vp and taught in the misteries of the lawe whereby thou doest not only knowe what things are to be auoided and what to be folowed and of all good things what be the best but also thinkest thy selfe able to be a guide vnto the blinde and to shine before them which be in darkenesse that is to be a teacher of them that be rude and to be an instructor of them which haue no knowledge all which things though God haue shewed them vnto thée in giuing the lawe only vnto thée shalt thou therefore thinke thy selfe better than the Gentile No verily but the lawe which God hath giuen thée for good maketh thy cause and matter woorse before the iudgement seat of God except thou directest thy life and conuersation according to the lawe in which thou doest so muche glorie and make thy boaste else the knowledge of the lawe whereof thou so greatly makest thine accompt shall be a very snare to take thée withall to thine vtter ouerthrowe and confusion Therfore O thou vaine man which bostest of the law why doest thou aduance thy selfe on this maner why teachest thou another and leauest thy selfe vntaught why doest thou preache that theft shoulde not be committed and yet thou thy self art a théefe why dost thou commaund other to forsake adultry and thou thy self art defiled therwith why dost thou banish idolatrie in another and art thy selfe polluted with worshipping of images And in conclusion why dost thou glory amongs men in that thou hast receiued the law at Gods haÌ„ds and in transgressing the fame doest dishonoure God For in that thou séekest praise and honoure of men by reason of the lawe thou arte become a vessell of muche dishonoure to God which should by thée only haue all the honor and glory And although no mannes iniquitie can in déede dishonor God yet thou doest as muche as in thée lieth to dishonor him Of the like sort of men the holy Prophets héertofore haue spoken as it is wrytten in Esay and Ezechiel The name of the Lord saye they is slaundered by you and hath through your fault an euill report among the nations that are inclined to idolatrie in as muche as you proudly glory in the only title of the law and yet among your selues do liue most sinnefully and wretchedly against the lawe Neither is it sufficient for thée to be a Jews borne or to be of the Jewes religion for then shall Circumcision only profite thée so farre foorth as thou performest the things for whose cause Circumcision was first giuen and also accomplishing suche things in thy life which thou professest in thy Ceremonies Otherwise if thou transgresse the lawe it shal no more profit thée to be Circumcised before the face of the iust God than though thou werte neuer Circumcised Wherefore like as Circumcision is turned to vncircumcision vnlesse thou also performe the other déedes of the law which appertaineth to good manners and vpright conuersation euen so vncircumcision shal not hurt the Gentile but shall be accepted for circumcision if be leaue and forsake the Ceremonies of the law and performe those things that be in déede the whole summe of the law which is a pure and a cleane life and shall also obey Christ which is the end of all lawes Therefore thou Jewe the Gentile shall be made equall with thée in this behalfe yea he shall be preferred before thée and be better taken than thou bicause he knoweth no Circumcision and his innocencie and cleane life shall make thine iniquitie more damnable bicause he not professing the lawe dothe yet declare the ende of the lawe in the actes of his good and godly life where thou glorying in the wordes and sillables of the lawe and professing Circumcision doest violate that which is the chéefe of the lawe God which iudgeth not after the outwarde appearance of the body but after the godlinesse of the spirite taketh no man for a Jewe except he performe in dede the profession of a iewe And him name not I a Jewe that hathe the manifest note marke of the Jewe neither is he Circumcised that hathe his priuie skin cutte but he is a very Jewe that is rightly a Jewe and circumcised in his hart which God only beholdeth and therafter iudgeth all men To conclude therfore he is Circumcised which rather hath his harte circumcised than he which hath his priuie membre circumcised which also dothe not reioyce in the markes and notes made with a stone as the circumcision of the Iewes was but reioyceth in the spirite and minde of the lawe for he that hath only his fleshe Circumcised may goe for a Iewe amongst men but him worthily God taketh for a Iewe whose hart is purged and clensed from the filthe of vice and sinne and is prest and readie to the loue of Iesus Christ of whome only to be allowed is the most high and chiefe felicitie The third Chapter ¶ Paule shevveth vvhat preferment the Ievves haue and that bothe the Ievves and Gentiles are vnder sinne and are only iustified by the grace of God in Christe BVt héere will some men say séeing the summe of the lawe dependeth vppon godlinesse and innocencie of life and vpon the only faithe in Iesus Christ what preheminence then hath the Iewe more than the Gentile Or what preuailed it the Iewe to be circumcised séeing that godlinesse and faithe maketh the vncircumcised as good with God as the circumcised â—ea and that also more is séeing the circumcision of a Iewe that offendeth maketh his cause worse yes verily the Iewe hath great preheminence First he may reioyce in that he is by nature called a Iewe to whome properly the woorde of God is committed or else bicause that only the lawe and the Prophets were caught to that nation either for this cause that God vouchsaued to be their instructor and teacher him selfe Surely it is an honourable thing to be of that nation which God so highly estéemed And further the Iewe hathe preheminence bicause the same by reason of the saide instructors goodnesse may be the readier to the true faith in Iesus Christe For as he is more neare
flesh or from this body of death which is thus subiecte to so many miseries to so many prouocations enticementes to naughtinesse encombred with so many vices and wel nigh confounded with these daily conflictes that alwayes haleth me pulleth me downe and draweth me forcibly to destruction and death Think not you that he hath iust cause thus to bewaile his state and to crie out that in this manner is daily beséeged assaulted and troubled with so many mischéeues cruell and deadly aduersaries But the remedie heereof considered and the most happie meanes remembred for our deliuerance O what cause of great thankfulnesse by bounden duetie and all humblenesse haue we to giue vnto our God which mercifully hath set vs in moste happie state and safetie and deliuered vs from these noysom miseries euen for the onely loues sake he bare vnto vs not through the lawe of Moses or Circumcision but by his onely and moste deare sonne our Lorde Iesus Christ the which if by him it had not so ben ended and done I my selfe being but one man among others shuld haue bene a runner but in an vnconstant race and drawne in such sorte hither and thither with the impious cordes of inconstancie vanitie that happily now and then I should with ioyfulnesse haue serued the lawe of my God with my spirite in desiring the things that be honest and godly but with my faultie flesh the lawe of sinne in coueting corruptly the things that bée dishonest and by the deadly force thereof my pore spirite alwayes preuailed against and turmoiled with miserie The eight Chapter The lavve of the spirite giueth lyfe The spirite of God maketh vs Gods children and heires with Christ The abundant loue of God can not be separated BVt now although there be yet many blots and stumbling blocks of the old boÌ„dage stil remaining among christen men ther is yet no dout but through their godly study christen endeuer they may easily passe by them and not be so violently drawn vnto such horrible sinnes for they are now entred into the heauenly fréedom of Christ vnited and made one with him through their lyuely faith and true promise made at baptism All whiche by this chaunge haue now cessed to liue again after the illectation or wanton enticing of the sensuall lustes of their flesh in asmuch as the lawe of Christ which is heauenly spiritual and the author of lyfe béeing also strong and full of might hath fréely deliuered them all from the bondage and lawe of sinne from death the famyliar companion of sinne and the iust reward of the same Whiche thing bycause the lawe of Moyses was carnall and in consideration thereof very weake of it selfe God did foresée and prouide for the saluation of man after an other sorte and fashion And lyke as I haue sayde before that in one man there was two menne one carnall and an other spirituall euen so within the precinct of Moses lawe there are two lawes the one grosse and carnall and the other holy and spirituall The fyrst of these two lawes haue Moyses for his auctour and beginner whiche as it was not perpetuall euen so it was not of vertue to giue any saluation to man The seconde lawe is spirituall straunge full of efficacie and immortall whiche Chryste himselfe hath consummate and fulfilled to all suche as beléeue in him Howbeit it was very expedient that one fleshe shoulde abolishe and put awaye an other one sacrifice to preuayle before an other and one death moste mightily to suppresse an other Therfore God the father hungring and thirsting in his mercie after mans saluation sent his onely deare sonne whiche though he were frée from all contagion of sinne yet he toke vpon hym the same fleshe that all other sinners had and became conuersant amongst the wicked as one of them himself for the most precious redemption of man vnto the same saluation And yet verily so vnkyndely he was entreated amongst the sinners so despitefully and cruelly handled that they put him to the moste shamefull death and crucified him among the synfull moste vyle and false théeues Which for mannes sake tooke vpon hym our very body of synne that he might vnder the same fourme and similitude of sinne ouercome sinne and after that abolishe it and putte it cleane awaye Hée was made a sacrifise for oure trespasses and so dying in the fleshe whiche he tooke amongst vs broughte death to subiection and bondage whiche before bare rule ouer vs thorough the lawe and the corrupt affections of our bodies whiche also brought all things to suche a passe that considering the putting away of the grosse and fleshely parte of the Ceremoniall lawe wée shoulde thencefoorthe embrace the seconde part of the lawe whiche is heauenly and spirituall And that ministreth not ire and threatnings as doth the olde parte of the lawe but very rightuousnesse to all suche as doe not leade their liues after the letter and Ceremonies of the Iewes but after the spirite and inwarde minde of the lawe as men regenerate and newe borne againe in Iesus Christ The Iewes in their Ceremonies had as it were but the deade picture and image of rightuousnesse but we haue the verâ—â—â—e liuing and quicke rightuousnesse it selfe and the very perfecte rule of all godlinesse which Christ by his spirit hath wrought in vs Wherfore the true change of our state conditions and fashions of religion declareth the manner of a newe life in vs And we perceiue very euidently that all such of the Iewes which still continue in the rottennesse of their olde forme of religion and in the fleshe or grosenesse of the lawe are delighted and pleased with all suche things as are grose carnall and fleshly Contrariwise all suche as are engrafted into Christ are become spirituall and precise in rightuousnesse vtterly banishing from them all such olde things as appertaine to the fleshe and are constantly rapte in their mindes to all suche things as are spirituall For truely euen suche as the state condition and nature of the man is suche is his desire and common inclination to worke As touching our fleshe we be all mortall but Christe that is immortall hathe nowe called vs to a life in him which is immortall Againe the carnall lawe of the Iewes is alwayes againste Christe and calleth vs from him which for the same cause bringeth death with it in as muche as it contendeth and striueth againste him which is the only author of life By reason whereof the Iewes being stricken with the zeale and loue of the same lawe did put to death the author of their life and iustification But coÌ„trariwise they that set the grosenesse of the lawe at naught and folowe the spirite doe finde most plentuous life in Christe Iesus Neither doe they argue vppon the barren and hungrie obseruances of the lawe but hauing in their hartes the pleasant sauor and taste of charitie be well stayed in them selues liue ioyfully
accomplyshe your fathers commaundementes euen for the loues sake that ye naturally beare vnto hym bicause ye haue now receiued the spirite of God through which you are adopted and numbred hys louing children and not seruaunts And the same spirite also giueth suche an audacitie and boldenesse vnto vs all that when soeuer we haue any necessitie whether for soule or body we shall not feare to call vpon God himselfe and say vnto him father father At which calling euery louing and naturall parent do glory and reioyce Surely if we haue in consideration the glory and highe maiestie of God his mightinesse and heauenly power we should not once dare nor be so bolde to call him father onlesse we were moste perfectly assured through the goodnesse of his holy spirite that we be his very children and he our louing and mercifull father For to this same onely purpose he sente vnto vs his moste holy spirite that it should be a very sure and earnest gage vnto our spirite that we are the vndoubted children of him that gaue vs that heauenly gage Wherefore séeing we be now made the children of God and fully persuaded that he is our father we are no more to be counted seruaunts but rather his very heires For all men that beléeue in Iesus Chryst are the true heires of God and felow heires with Chryst him selfe into whose body béeing engraffed through our Christian profession we haue one father with him and through his onely deseruings we take participation with him of the heauenly inheritaunce The possession of which inheritaunce shall come vnto vs none other wayes than it came vnto Chryst him selfe For he through the afflictions and sufferings of myserable calamities in this lyfe came duely to the possession of thys highe inheritaunce Through his obedience he came to a kingdome through the ignominie and slaunder of the crosse he came to glorie and through the pacient suffering of his death he came to the state of immortalitie Therefore all we muste suffer with him that we may haue the fruition of the inheritaunce with him we muste obey that we may reigne with him we muste paciently beare the slaunders of this worlde that with him we may haue prayse and glory and we muste also dye with him to our sinnes that we may for euermore liue with him After this maner doo we come to our inheritaunce with Chryst which bicause it is euerlasting and of moste high felicitie I thinke that if one onely man him selfe could possibly suffer all the calamities and miseries of thys wretched worlde yet they all should be estéemed but vnworthy light and of no comparison to the great benefite of the glory to come though through the sayde myseries and painfull afflictions he doo séeme dearely to buy the same glory Yea and though we haue receiued the gage of this felicitie and glory to the ende we shoulde not mistruste any thing at all yet for all that our glory can not be consummate and made perfect in vs although our bodies be subiecte to suche sorte of miseries and wretched calamities as be in this present lyfe without we haue our fayth stayed in the onely merites death and passion of our sauiour Iesus Chryst How be it in the meane time through the helpe and comfort of the spirite they are a certayne inwarde taste of the same glory in vs Which glory at the resurrection of the flesh and after the putting away from vs all our mortalitie shall be fully declared and giuen vnto vs At which tyme wée shall all liue immortall with Chryst that is always immortall and euerlasting for our onely faythes sake in his bloud And that is the tyme the which all the godly vniuersally looke continually for as desirous to beholde the comming of the same At that time also shall the full number of the children of God be made and fulfilled and the glory of all these shall be opened vnto them which in this life haue ben afflicted with persecution and imprisonment with thirste hunger sorowes gréefes and other calamities for Chrystes sake And so greatly in subiection are the creatures of this worlde to myseries that the very circuite and compasse of the worlde it selfe séemeth to continue altogither in miserie as in example the ayre the earth the water with all other celestiall bodies yea the very angels them selues are created to none other ende but to set foorth Gods glory and to shew their seruice for the necessities of men For which cause the very buylding of the worlde it selfe shall not be frée from trouble and disquietnesse vntill suche time as perfecte fréedome shall be giuen to the children of god Howbeit the worlde it selfe though it be insensible neither feeleth disquietnesse yet there is in it a certayne naturall taste and desire to come to perfection And in the meane tyme it obeyeth willingly to him for whose pleasure it was to make it in suche wyse subiecte to disquietousnesse Whiche so muche the more paciently abideth his sorowe bicause his naturall inclination dothe recorde to him him selfe that hys sorowe shall not bée perpetuall but vntill suche tyme as the children of God shall fully and plenarily be deliuered from all their gréefe and carefulnesse At whiche tyme shall the whole Cope therof cease from his great vnrest and disquietousnesse Also forasmuche as we sée that all the elements and planets of this worlde do vary at so many and sundry tymes and doo sée likewise the Sunne and the Moone to haue so many Eclipses and Chaunges as also perceyuing by dayly experience what laboures are taken in vayne for the repaire of things in this life which do not continue but fall agayne to their corruption And beholding also the Starres to alter and striue one with another and in conclusion nothing to be in perpetuall reste It can not be chosen but euen the very Angelles also of heauen looking downe by the power of God from an high vpon our infinite miseries and wretchednesse are greatly dismayed of them moued at them and sorowe for them as muche as their creation can suffer them to do Wherfore al the whole number of creatures and things made by the hands of God do euen grone sigh with vs in our misfortunes All which after the maner of women laboring with child wish and long for the ende of their great trauell and sorowes And herein is no maruell though it chaunce to others considering the same happeneth to vs also that firste before all men haue receiued the spirite of Chryst which he gaue moste abundantly vnto vs Yet that notwithstanding we are entangled with thousands of cares and myseries partely for the sustentation of our lyues and partely by the occasion of wycked persons alwayes troubling and conspiring agaynst vs Yea our cares are so many and variable so gréeuous terrible and vnsufferable that we oftentimes doo sorow and lamente our owne wofull causes moste hartily wishing for that happie day when all the
true members of Iesus Chryst shal be set at libertie from all accidents and shall be then made of very lumpish grosse and carnall men moste liuely spiritual and immortal men How be it wée paciently suffer all affliction in the meane tyme for the hopes sake of that felicitie which was promised vs of our Lorde Chryst For the certayntie of which felicitie although he haue giuen vs a sure gage thereof euen the full certifying of his spirite yet he hath not giuen it vnto vs wholly and fully at this tyme but would that it should with pacience be hoped vpon taryed for and looked for in tyme to come vnto vs For our perfect health expected reste and true felicitie are in those things that bée yet for to come the vse whereof wée verily truste and hope vppon For hope is not in thyngs that bée presente and at hande amongst vs but onely in all suche things as doo not yet appeare vnto vs For how can a man say that wée haue hope in that thing which is before our eyes Agayne there shoulde bée no place nor commendation lefte for fayth and hope if those thyngs shoulde bee nowe in our sighte and féelyng whych Chryst hath promysed vnto vs Wherefore considering wée conceyue in Faythe suche thyngs as bée not apparaunte to our bodyly eyes wée doo paciently continue in our gréefes and sorrowes moste stedfastly hoping for the promyse made of Christ Neuerthelesse it is paynfull in the meane while to be in trouble and sorow howbeit the same doth no harme but rather worketh the thing that is good For the spirite taketh al things in good worth and striueth agaynst the weaknesse of the flesh as muche as may be and the spirite of God alwayes helpeth the debilitie of our mortall bodies and dothe happily féede it with the good foode of hope to suffer strongly all offered inconueniences declaring further vnto vs what we should desire to haue holde and retayne and what we shoulde alwayes shunne and put away from vs For all we as touching our flesh can not tell what to craue nor how to desire any thing that belongeth vnto vs by meanes whereof it chaunceth that we oftentimes do desire of God vayne and wicked things in stéede of néedefull honest and holsome things Which selfe same thing happened vnto me at what time not taking well in worth mine afflictions I desired God thrée times that Sathan should be banished from me who at that time very sharply punished me Howbeit I was denied my request and in stéede of pleasant things or things contenting the flesh were giuen vnto me healthfull things Yet verily God heareth the petitions of his people so that they make them not after the will of the flesh but after the will and healthfull motion of the spirite which though we our selues say nothing at all yet it ceasseth not to call vpon God for vs not as men vse to make their sutes and petitions but with vnspeakable feruencie moste déepe sighings and inwarde gronings A man muste demaunde of others in way of communication and so to attayne suche requests as he desireth to be accomplished for him which men know not what is demaunded excepte he aduertise them of it neither can they iudge what is moste expedients for his necessitie But God that knoweth the moste secrete partes of mens hartes foreséeth in suche maner our necessitie that he knoweth what the spirite requireth and what we haue néede of though we our selues as God forbid shoulde holde our peace and make no sute For the spirite as oftentimes as it demaundeth for holy things and sigheth for our miseries it prayeth vnto God not after the affections of flesh and bloud but according to the onely will and pleasure of almyghtie god For it requireth nothing but healthfull things and things appertayning to the glory of god Which things whosoeuer hartily desireth though he lacke in his requests order and forme in the making of them yet vndoubtedly he faileth not in the ende to attaine his purpose God therefore graunteth vs not that which is alwayes required of him but rather that which moste aptly toucheth oure commodities Neither ought we to feare or to cease our praiers vnto God though we sée our selues tossed in the miseries of this wretched world in suche wise as though we were forsaken or vtterly forgotten of God In as muche as we all are certainely persuaded that all kinde of trouble what so euer it be that happeneth vnto good men the same chaunceth vnto them for their great health and welfare for suche is the fauoure of God towardes those which he of his moste godly will and pleasure hathe chosen and called vnto felicitie The purpose is youres but the disposition lieth in the handes of God him selfe which hath not without most high consideration chosen to him selfe his moste dearely beloued people All those that appertaineth properly vnto him he right well knewe them long before he called them And he did not only before knowe them whome he so called but moste secretely with him selfe he did predestinate them to be incorporate into the bodie of his dear sonne our Lord Iesus Christ and to be transformed into the resemblaunce and similitude of him Which as he hath ouercome the power of the flesh death hel and the diuel and is triumphantly ascended into immortalitie so likewise should his members hope to doe bicause they sée the same alreadie don in their head Thus God by this meanes through his onely sonne hathe prouided him selfe of many sonnes amongst whome Christ is the chéefe capitaine and is the first begotten and principall heire of his eternall kingdom which notwithstanding maketh vs partakers of his inheritaunce with him Furthermore all those whome God knew before and did chuse them to himselfe before all times of whome he declared his godly pleasure by his holy Prophetes the same he hathe nowe at length called by his eternal gospel through which calling they are most highly blessed and profited For of wretched and sinnefull liuers he throughe the abundance of his mercie hath made them godly and of wicked disobedient and stubborne seruants his owne most deare and louing children Vnto whom there now lacketh nothing but onely their glory and the most pleasant peace quietnesse of their consciences in the sight of god yet the same at this time want not all kinds of this glory inasmuche as it is a moste pleasaunt satisfaction and comforte to their minds that they in this meane while may liue frée from the threatnings of the law from the daunger of the sting of sinne and death and that so they may conforme them selues to innocencie and honest affections of the soule that they may become one with Chryst and to haue always his spirite that shall satisfie them with this most certayne persuasion to be the heires of God and felow heires with his son Christ which also so confirme them that they do not distruste any thing of the
the deseruings of his circumcision which at that time was not yet borne but rather for the onely merites sake of his fathers fayth Howbeit Abraham begatte other children after that time of other wiues yet the promise was onely made in the name of Isaac And as the thing went with Isaac and the other children of Abraham euen so it also chaunced in Iacob and Esau Which if they should receiue the blessing of God onely for alyaunce and kinreds sake the promise should rather haue appertayned vnto Esau than vnto Iacob in asmuch as he was the eldest sonne of the two Isaac was onely father to them bothe and one onely mother at one time bare them bothe which conceiued them bothe at once caried them bothe togither in hir body and at one time also deliuered them both yet all this notwithstanding God did acknowledge but one of them for a lawfull childe and the other he tooke as it were but for a bastarde saying these words Iacob haue I loued and Esau haue I hated What thing is it then that did thus make separation betwixt these two twinnes Verily not the proximitie or nearenesse of birthe nor the obseruation of the lawe neither yet Circumcision for before either of them was borne or else had done any thing at all either agaynst the law or with the lawe it was sayde of them bothe The elder shal serue the yonger And why did God thus I pray you Or what would he declare vnto vs héereby Certesse none other thing at all but that no creature through his confidence in the law or circumcision should chalenge to him selfe the promise of felicitie but only all suche as haue faythe to come to the societie of the electe of God through his deare sonne Chryst and to be all suche in their exercitations as was Isaac and Iacob For the election of God maketh the children of Abraham and not the propinquitie of birth Wherefore if in case God shall reiecte and caste away the Iewes at this time as he in times paste did Esau it shall profite them nothing at all to haue discended of his lynage Agayne if God do call the Gentiles vnto his promise by vertue of their fayth it shall not hurt them one whit to be of no fleshly kinred with Abraham in as muche as God through grace doth adopte and make them his children And here no man shall take occasion to wreste the Scriptures and say peruersely that men are not in fault them selues of their owne damnation but rather God him selfe bicause he receiueth at his will and pleasure those that do no good and put away from him suche as may séeme to doo no hurte God defende therefore that in reading this saying of Moyses in the Booke of Exodus I will shew mercy vppon whom I shew mercy and will haue compassion vpon whom I haue compassion should thinke therby that God doth any wrong vnto vs in taking away from vs all our owne power and strength to obtayne health and saluation bicause that both our willes and labours are but vayne and to no purpose except the willing God draweth vs which draweth onely all suche as best lyketh him though they had don no good at al. VVe muste vvell consider this place of Scripture in Exodus that God of his ovvne abundant mercy hath made euery man to his ovvne similitude and giuen him in his creation vvitte reason and discretion vvith many other beginnings of vertue and godlynesse All vvhich if man for his parte vvill apply to the vvill of God and call vpon him for the encrease of hys strength and to make in him these vertues fruitefull and to be alvvayes fortified by the spirite of Chryst to godly perfection and true pietie then God for his loue and mercies sake vvill performe the same to his saluation vvhich othervvise his ovvne strength can not bring to passe by any possibilitie Agayne if he do abuse the same giftes of God by any meanes to the committing of sinne and filthynesse and so choke vp his talent in the dirte of the earth to no good vse then vvill God forsake him and suffer him to runne headlong to the diuell The scripture therfore sayth god hath mercy vpon vvhom he hath mercy and vvil haue compassion vpon vvhom he hath compassion that is vpon euery such person as vvil him selfe call for Gods mercy and cōpassion receiueth it thākfully not as thogh he vvere parcial in the bestovving of his loue and mercy for he is vniuersall vnto all creatures and vvould that all men should be saued and come to the truthe in him But the more pitie many of them vvill not vvay this saying nor apply their gifts to this end and therefore they are vvorthily condemned and go to the diuell for their ovvne faulte and vvickednesse sake For vvhych cause no creature can lay the fault or occasion of his condemnation in God but muste needes graunte to proceede onely from him all his goodnesse and saluation It is therefore impossible to come to the saluation of God through our owne endeuour and working but it is only for the abundaunt mercy of God towards vs and that for hys sonnes sake But contrary al we through the filth of original sinne and weaknesse of our nature which happened through Adam and further through the custome to sin in this world and the diuels setting on by temptation are brought to destruction which thing first happeneth vnto vs frō our owne selues Therfore whosoeuer is damned it commeth vnto him from him selfe and he that is saued by the onely benefite and goodnesse of God the which he doth vouchsafe vpon suche as liketh him best to bestow And this he doth not to that ende that a man should complayne or quarell with him but with al humblenesse to submit him selfe most hartily to thanke him for it For it is not God that hardneth mens hearts that they should not beleue the gospel of Chryst but it is their own rusty or cancred stubbornesse stifnecked crokednesse which causeth them so maliciously to refuse it and to haue it in contempt which stubbornesse god ordereth to this purpose that he will therby make manyfest the mightinesse of his benefite towards vs and to declare the glory of his power and might And euen so it is to be vnderstanded whereas it is sayde to Pharao in Exodus ca. 9. For this purpose haue I stirred thée vp that I might by thée shew my puissaunce and might and that my name shoulde be renoumed throughout the whole world Therfore peraduenture here in this place some peruerse felow will wickedly quarell say If it so be that God sheweth mercy to whom he liketh and whom he will he hardeneth what matter is it then that he can iustly lay to our charge Agayne in as muche as his wil and pleasure can not of any be restrayned nor his entent put by or preuented if he purpose to haue his will in any
thing It is therfore méete that he take our faults to him selfe and not lay them to our charge when it shall chaunce vs at any time to doo amisse But I beséeche thée marke diligently and that with reuerence the truthe in this case For albeit that no man is of power nor can once resiste the holy will of God yet for all that his will is neuer so mercilesly bente agaynst vs that he is found the cause of our perdition neither did he harden the heart of the proud Egyptian Pharao to that ende he would in déede make him stubborne and stifnecked and therby wilfully damne him but well foreséeing and knowing by hys omnipotencie and godly wisedome that his heart was already hardened and that through his owne wilfull malice and great pride which though at that tyme it deserued at the hande of God by his iustice shorte and sodayne destruction yet he for a space dyd suffer it to continue in him and in the meane tyme through gentlenesse by lyttle and lyttle dyd punishe and correcte it bothe that Pharao shoulde the better perceyue and knowe in him selfe hys owne wylfull wickednesse throughe hys malyce pryde and stoutenesse and also for the more playne manyfestation vnto all generations of hys owne omnipotencie gentlenesse and great clemencie throughout the whole world The whiche bycause he dyd so abuse the greate gentlenesse then offered hym of GOD and thereby the rather tooke proudely vppon hym further occasion to bée a wylfull repugner of hys Godly wyll then ryghtely obedient or subiect to his seruice God therfore most worthil◠made of his fixed mischeefe pride and malice great glory an◠immortall fame towards him selfe And so that which in one case was of it selfe vtterly nought and so knowen of God procéeding from a contemptuouse proude and maliciouse heart he moste aptely tourned in an other respecte to his owne perpetuall renowme and glory Thus if I woulde I coulde here aunswere other things moste truely in the behalfe of the righteous God but shortly to conclude God hath in any creature all pride and contempt in vtter detestation And I pray you what thing in al this world can be more proude or reprochefull before God than for a man which is of him selfe but a very vile creature to take any matter in hande agaynst God and his maker or to contende and striue with him as one equal vnto a god of such maiestie For what potter or other the like artificer would take it wel at his pottes hande at the hand of his creature to be checkt and reasoned withall saying Why madest thou me thus why hast thou formed me on this wise for suche a purpose Truely it behoueth all creatures of mankinde to consider moste reuerently with thē selues that as the earth and clay is in the hands of the potter and to worke it for his owne prayse to what vse he will euen so are men in the hands of the almightie God our creator to be turned delt withal at his owne pleasure The potter tempereth the clay and maketh therof such kind of vessels as shall beste like him some for seruice at the table and for the like clenly vses and some agayne he maketh to serue for such purposes as be more vncleane and filthy for both must be and are to be vsed of necessitie as it always lieth in the potters arbitriment to make of clay what vessels he will without the controlement of the potte And muche more vile is a man in relation to God than the clay in comparison to the potter Wherfore if it be an argument of gret stubbornesse pride for the clay to endente with his potter and maker for this fashion or that vse muche more monstruous shall be the pride of man vnreuerently to argue and descant vpon the secret counsels of God the creator towards him which be so muche aboue the capacitie of vs wretched creatures that scarsly we be able to attayne to a shadow or once to dreame of them Here is to be noted that the potter maketh not his pottes to the ende he woulde foorthwith haue them broken or caste away from him agayne after he hath once made them but to serue him rather at his commaundement in suche offices as he first appoynteth them with whose seruice he holdeth him selfe wel contented if so be they do it vnto him as he hath taken order and placed them euen so God doth not create man to any suche entente that he should after his creation fall into sinne and be damned but cleane contrary he maketh all men and putteth them in sundry degrees and orders and will that they serue and obey vnto him eche of them in his vocation accordingly as he hath shewed vnto them his godly will and pleasure and not to fall from him and to serue the diuell for that commeth onely of their owne stubborne malice and not of his will and appoyntment Therfore O thou man thou creature thou dust and ashes be stayed in thy selfe towards thy maker apply enforce thy selfe with humblenesse and prayer that the spirite of grace may worke a liuely and true fayth in thée towards him yelde to his will thinke none euill of him and in any wise not to dispute in thy selfe agaynst him and so shalt thou best know him find him always thy louing God reioyce onely in him and extoll from thine hart the holy name of thy maker Yet further way with thy self that the potter in his facultie may chaunce to erre and do amisse but God can not possibly so do Let this then be a sufficient persuasion for thée to beleue that as God euen thy God in his almightinesse omnipotencie can do may do al things at his own good wil and pleasure euen so likewise the same God forasmuch as he is most good moste gentle iuste and bountifull he will do nothing but that which is beste most expedient and profitable vnto mankinde his most deare welbeloued creature neither can we blame god or iustly reproue him though he vse conuert our euils to a speciall good ende purpose yea we should rather worthily count it for an high token of his great loue and benignitie towards vs in that he maketh the missehap or falling of some men to tourne to the good and fortunate ende of others Also reason thus with thy self if thou be deformed and filthy in the fight of God through thine inclination to sinne O miserable creature that I am I must duely acknowledge and confesse that god of his onely great mercy and goodnesse hath miraculously wrought his good worke vpon me beautified me both in soule body with innumerable of his good graces blessings benefits not made me a deformed creature or vessell of dishonor vnto filthinesse vnclennesse but I my selfe through the diuell and mine owne consente haue made my self filthy and vncleane and defiled most lothsomly the beautifull worke of God with the dirte stinch of sinne
this boke of this worlde things manyfestly falling to corruption signified Therefore séeing that euery creature hath his vanitie not onely in his dooing and operation but also of hys moste méere nature wée are héere taught two things very necessarie to the comforting of our selues One is that God prouidently appoynteth the reconcinuation and restoration of all things after the firste workmanshippe by which the thinges that were made by the space of sixe dayes to the perfection which then was conuenient both to their nature and dooings should be new wrought in this recreation to the best state they might haue and that in Chryst and through the reuelation of the sonnes of God by the same Further the condition of man is suche that with him if he be put in a vayne state all things lye subiect to vanitie On the other side he béeing restored to integritie and sounde state of the glory of God all things are also deliuered from their vanitie For man is as it were the knitting togither and head of all creatures In whom all things as members and partes are compact to this perfection which we sée in them For he hath his béeyng with all things and to liue he hath that propertie with rootes he hath his sense with beastes and liuyng wormes he hathe power to vnderstande the truthe and falsitie good and euill with Aungelles and with God himselfe wherevnto pertayneth this worde Microcosmos which is little worlde and this name of euery creature to whom it is sayde to be preached when the worde of God is shewed to man so great a worke of God is man Hym the heauenly myndes doo serue whose administring spirites they be heauen and earth and all that is in them doth seruice vnto him All things therefore pertaine to man as to their lord prince euen so vpon his state dependeth both the vanitie health of al things And so man with the rest of all creatures are in sundry wise vaine For man is vaine as the whole and heade and so chéefly vayne but the rest of creatures as partes included in man For he comprehendeth all and includeth all things in béeing lyfe sense and mynd But the whole is here taken for that which conteineth perfection not for that either which is vniuersal called in latin integrale substantial or predicatorie Therfore the Apostle teacheth rightly for we know that euery creature sigheth with vs as it were traueleth togither with vs for childe euen vntill this time And also for the diligēt expectation of the creature looketh that the sonnes of God be openly shewed For the creature is subiect to vanitie against his wil but for him that brought it subiect vnder hope for the very creature also shall be deliuered from the bondage of corruption into the libertie of the glory of the sonnes of god Which how it shal be brought to passe it shall appeare hereafter Wherefore the Scripture chiefly occupieth it selfe about man it beateth properly about his fall and resurrection his sinne and medicine to heale the same his vanitie and how his saluation should be repaired So that the Apostle graunteth to the Colloss that when man is reconciled by the bloud of Iesus Chryst the heuenly Adam all things are pacified by him whether they be in heauen or in earth And so the reparation of man is prouided by which he and all things in him might be reformed to the best state And this is it that we are héere warned of by the vanitie of all things The other thing that wée are héere taught in this place foloweth of the first namely that all Creatures are vnprofitable for a man to put his confidence in any and in which a man may ascribe his saluation For they haue euery one of them their vanitie of gooing forwards from out of nothing into a better condition vnder a reformator Chryst And therefore that wée may safely be committed to nothing in the worlde else saue onely to one God which onely is vnchangeable agaynst all chaunces sinne death and Sathan in the bloud of Chryst which ouercommeth all Principates and Rulers Thou therefore O king with thy power shalte be to thy selfe but vayne Thou also O wyse man with thy wisedome and thou O iuste man of this worlde wyth thy righteousnesse which shall be as a clothe filthily arayed in the sight of God according to the Prophet Vayne shalte thou be to thy selfe O Philosopher with thy light naturall which is méere darknesse before the light of god Submitte thy selfe to Chryst the wisedome and power of the father the eternall righteousnesse and to that true light which lighteneth to true glory for he onely is stable and subiecte to no vanitie whereas al that euer is thine is not able to saue thée for sinne lyeth vpon thée béeing cruell agaynst thée through the testimonie of the Law if the horrible féeling of death pricke thée and that the power of hell molest thée as Salomon notably prooueth héereafter when he saythe And I sawe vnder the Sunne that there was no running of the swifte nor warre of the strong nor riches of the rich that can helpe What remaineth therefore the only feare of God now resteth which deliuereth vs from vanitie euen as it is not vaine it selfe For it is the power of God the spirite of our Lord Iesus Christe initiating and beginning the mindes of the godly with the loue of God from aboue which bringeth true life after vaine life namely the life of god Of which it is the perpetuall well spring according to the Prouerbes It bringeth also beames of true light after the darkenesse of the light naturall namely of the vnapprocheable light of god The séedes of which light are sowen in godly in this feare as the Psalmographe witnesseth Light is sowen to the iust man That signifieth Salomon where he so oftentimes stirreth vs vp in this booke to the feare of God after mention made of the Vanitie of all things Of Vowes by Martinus Cellarius in the fifth of Ecclesiastes As folovveth in this Text. If thou haste vowed any thing to God deferre not to pay it TO note bréefly of vowes it shall be méete for vs to begin at the definition When we séeke therfore what a vow is firste offereth it selfe the gender which is promisse For they that make a vowe promisse either them selues or else their goodes And for as much as there be diuers promisses by making a partition we shall sée what a vow is in scripture Promisse is in two sortes One is of men and the other of god That which is of men is made at the arbitrement of men Of which sorte is that which the Gentiles made to their gods without the prescription of the worde of god As are also at this day the promisses made vowed in monasteries which are made without the doctrine of the gospell The other which is of God is that which is made according to the lawe of
god But euery suche promisse is not properly called a vowe for there be certaine promisses in the lawe which although they were made at will yet coulde they not be omitted as was the promisse by which Israell tooke vppon him to doe of his owne will all the things that the lawe commaunded according to the saying of Exodus All things which the Lord hath spoken will we do heare This promisse did the manner of the couenant expresse to Israell as in whose conditions it was expresly put that God woulde be the God of his people if he woulde heare the words of the couenant and obey vnto the law Le. 26. Deu. 28. Nowe a vow is a voluntarie promisse which is in a mannes choise to promisse or not to promisse withoute offence according to this of Deutronomie when thou vowest a vow to the Lord thy God thou shalt not be slacke to pay it for the Lord thy God wil require it And if thou deferre it or slack the time to pay it it shall be reckened to thée for sinne But if thou lust not to promisse thou shalt be without sinne But the matter was otherwise touching solempne oblations or only commaunded for a time according as euery mannes estimation was Exod. 30. Such oblations were voluntarie yet they were no vowes Therefore we must séeke a difference by which a vow may be sundred ▪ from other oblations And that differēce shall be made with a diffinition A vowe is a voluntarie promise made after the example and forme of the lawe which is put in the power to vowe it or not to vowe it as was the law of the Nazarites and also the vowe of the soule of which we reade in Leuit. 27. But in this vowe were two things regarded One principall which was chéefely acceptable to God namely an harte prone and inclined by feare to the glory of God which hart the law required before al things The other not principall which is the externe oblation being but mysticall and figuratiue which was destinate to a certaine ende that is to wit to the kingdome of Christ in which it should be finished that is fulfilled spiritually according to this saying of the Apostle These things are the shadow of things to come but the body is in Christ Therfore as pertaining to this part of vowes a distinction héere offereth it selfe againe that thou put one vowe of the law and an other of the gospell ▪ This to be true the other mystical the first Moses teacheth the latter Christ And that the apostle closely toucheth to the Romanes when he sayeth Therefore are we buried togither with him by Baptisme vnto death that as Christe was raysed vp from the deade by the glory of the Father euen so we also walke in newenesse of life Thys is the true Vowe thys is the true Consecration of the godly by the whiche the Sainctes bynde them selues to God that they will walke in a newe life laying a side the olde by the light of the spirite of Christe being forebrought vnto them not by their owne power but by the power of God by which they are newe borne to the hauing of these desires in them selues and by which they are thus brought to offer them selues vnto god In which power of regeneration who so be therein it is as frée to them bothe to thinke well and to doe well as it is to beastes to goe by the vitall breath of naturall life or as it is to birdes to flie abrode vnder the skie Which vowe of the newe lawe the godly did prefigure in the olde couenaunt by externe oblations as did the Nazarites by the regal bushe of their heades by the auoiding of deade corpses and by abstaining from wine And this performed they according to the measure of the spirit of childhoode So that there is one and an especiall vowe euen as there is one kingdome of God one and principall couenante one Priesthoode which is annoynted with the spirit that oile of heauen one sacrifice one heauenly inheritāce but according to the time Besides all these true and principall things the people that were vnder the lawe prefigured mysticall vowes and sacrifices a mystical couenaunt also shewed in the fleshe and deputed to an earthly inheritaunce and a mysticall kingdome likewise Priesthoode vntil the fulnesse of times Of which things the Apostle sayeth to the Hebrues The law obtaining the shadowe of good things to come but not the image it selfe of things Nowe this image is veritie the fulfiller of the olde lawe by the spirite giuen of the newe lawe In which euen as other things so vowes also only spiritual haue place being attempered to the nature and disposition of the lawe Further this lawe is written by the spirit in the harts of the Sainctes being frée from externe obseruation of time of sacrifice of place of ceremonies and of nation according to this saying of Christ The kingdome of heauen commeth not with obseruation Therfore let cease suche prophane vowe◠of superstitious religions which are taken in apparell in meates in liuing vnmaried in place and to places and to obserue times for they haue neither the lawe nor the gospell to stande on their side As for the lawe pertaining to mysticall things that is externe things 〈◊〉 is abrogated The others kingdome trauaileth not in the externe choise and respecte of things but contrarywise it standeth in peace and ioy of the holy ghost as the Apostle sayth to the Romanes Thou vowest a prescript manner of apparell the gospel prescribeth thée none but maketh it frée Thou segregatest a certaine kinds of meate and drinke to thy selfe but the Gospell segregateth none Thou iudgest thy selfe in meat and drinke contrary to that which the Apostle biddeth which saith Let no man therfore iudge you in meat and drinke Thou maist say If there be none obligation of vowe iudgement hathe no place But thou naughtily vowest and by thy vowe separatest the vse of meate which Christ maketh frée to thée to whose féete and to the feete of his members all things are subiecte by the ordinance of God according to Genesis and to the Psalme The Apostle sharply inueying against you calleth you false Prophets which commaundeth to abstaine from meates which God hathe created to be receiued with thankes giuing of the faithfull Thou furthermore vowest to liue vnmarried being vncertaine with thy selfe of the gifte of chastitie or what successe it will haue with thée which is not mannes gifte nor at our owne arbitrement but the méere gift of God namely to be obtained by prayer at the will of the giuer of none other mannes power according to this saying All are not able to cōprehend this saying but they to whome it is giuen Therefore if thou canste be continent or chaste thou art continent by the benefite of God and not by thine owne Therefore be thou chaste fréely according
sorte scripture speaketh of the olde creature when it treateth that al things are to be renued In Esai 66. and in the Apostle .2 Corinth 2. 9 But yet this rightnesse in the firste man was not a rightnesse of the reuelations of the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen although these things were put in him to be brought foorth in their time but of innocencie which was ioyned with the ignoraunce of the counsels of God touching his saluation and glory 10 And so the expression ef the deuine Image was set in innocencie and not in the manyfestation of the fathers wisdome that then should be made which béeing hidde from time out of minde in a mysterie the Apostle sayth that he speaketh to the Corinthes in the .1 epist. 2. 11 Which wisedome is reuealed onely in Chryst who hathe the keyes to locke and vnlocke the gates of the kingdome of heauen 12 But this Chryst was neither promised nor beganne to be reueled till Adam had fallen Gene. 3. This very séede shall breake thine head 13 Wherof commeth this notable saying of the Apostle God hath shut vp all things vnder sinne that he might haue mercy vppon all Therefore as the first man lacked experimentes of grace and wrathe of falling and rising agayne of ignomie and glorie whylest he stoode euen so the mysterie also of Christ in whom onely the treasures of gods wisdome were layd vp were then vnknowē sinne opening the crosse and the crosse opening glory Rom. 5.11 1. Cor. 4. 14 So that as the first man of the body made of clay by the maker of all things was by nature a weake and frayle worke although that if he had not sinned he shoulde haue bene immortall by the iustice of God who punisheth no man with death without sinne according to thys For the rewarde of sinne is death euen so there lay open vnto him an occasion soone to catche a fall For béeing vnexperte in things although whyle he was yet innocente he mighte soone be brought to eate of the fruite that should be his bane by the subtill Serpente at the enteraunce of concupiscence into him which by viciating the body should bring death and rayse vp warre to the inner man whom the spirite of feare had put in him whereof the Apostle treateth in the seuenth to the Romanes 15 And that is brought to passe by the engines of Sathan who is a murtherer from the beginning a spirite of dissention and not of peace as the heauenly man Christ witnesseth of him in Iohn 8. Chapter By whom it happened that Adam béeing tempted beganne to haue experience by the infection of sinne what the wrathe of God was what grace was what the power of sinne was and what medicine was for the same Chryst Iesus that blessed séede that should be borne of him béeing shewed vnto him 16 Where it muste bée wayed what it is that Adam had hys eyes opened after hys fall and lykewise what is the Trée of the knowledge of good and euill and why it was so called and what occasion was offered and whence it was taken to promyse Chryst what Gods counsell was about the fall and after it about the crosse and what the mysterie of the crosse is to glorie oute of the vndoubted Scriptures 17 But Sathan meditated this fall by a difference First castyng his bayte by the crafte that was in hym at the woman béeing the weaker kinde to the tasting of that cruell apple 18 Whereof also the curse fell vppon him which was the author of so great destruction whom Chryst Iesus the seconde Adam woulde destroy with hys adherentes and would saue the earthy Adam with his posteritie which were written in heauen and had not fallen as dyd the reprobate serpente 19 And so it chanced that the first man enduced by sathan to transgressiō began to haue a delight in erthly things putting vppon him the euill affections of the corrupted fleshe Where the nature of the earth out of which he was taken vttered first it selfe vnder Sathan the mother of the matter 20 For the earth is an element sluggish slouthfull colde dull and full of darkenesse lacking euery acte and motion excepte it be newe chaunged from aboue with spirite and lighte In this sorte is the olde and earthy man And therefore these termes olde earthy haue no prayse in scriptures 21 And suche fruite also came of him by propagation and encrease of the fleshe corrupted fruite of darknesse not of light of death not of life of wrath not of grace of malediction and not of benediction by his owne nature 22 For the order of right state loste by which the liuely body was obedient to the iudgement of the mynde and the mynde obediente to the spirite what other mighte néedes reigne than iniustice in stéede of life wrath in stéede of grace darknesse in the stede of light 33 Which iustice properly is nothing else than a conformitie of all things in the reasonable creature to the lawe of Gods mind by which it is cōmaunded that God be loued aboue al things a man to loue his neighbour as him selfe 24 Of iniustice the matter is cleane contrarie By which Adams posteritie depraued and corrupted follow the disposition of Sathan the author of iniustice 25 For he proudly boasting him selfe of the giftes of nature created glorifieth not God the true life and lighte as he is worthie and hateth the reasonable creature whom it behoued him to loue as béeing nexte creature vnto god And specially he set vpon the innocent Lambe by guyle and deceyte whom he slew in heauen by purpose and counsell from the beginning and driuen downe from thence into these lower parts when he had no more power in heauenly things he likewise deceitfully set vpon man béeing a weake péece of worke made of earth and brought into this worlde vnder the sunne these euils which we sée 26 In consideration whereof he is called the principate and chéefe ruler of darknesse and the father of lyes according to this of Iohn 8. when he speaketh a lye he speaketh properly of his owne for a lyer he is and the father of lying 27 Contrarywise God is the author of Iustice not of iniustice of that which is righte not of naughtinesse of truth not of lyes as Chryste also is comming from aboue who sayth of him selfe But bicause I say the truthe vnto you you beléeue me not Which of you will reproue me of sinne Except a man would say God to be the author of euill priuately for that he giueth not his spirite which onely maketh rightnesse of Iustice But of that spirite I pray thée to whom is God detter 29 Forasmuche therefore as sinne is the priuation of rightnesse which ought to be in man the same in Scripture is worthily called vanitie that is a friuolous thing and a thing of naught And they which followe sinne are counted to follow and goe about vanitie and a thing of naught The Psalme sayth
after this earthly according to this saying It is sowe a naturall body it riseth a spirituall body So that the spirite viâ—ifying is not here taken as which shoulde be oppoâ—ed and layde agaynst that which is innocente and right but agaynst that which animateth with earthly life Wherevpon the first Adam although he were iuste with the spirite of innocencie yet lacked he this viuifying spirite as the Apostle taketh him to the Corinth whose body was natural not spiritual earthly not heauenly Neither could it be transformed into a heauenly body without either the death of it or immutation very like vnto deathe as he clerely signifyeth when he proueth by the mutuall conuersion that the resurrection consisteth not without death alleaging a similitude of the séede of which Chryst had mentioned before in Iohn So that Christ receiued the name of the New man then specially when he was raised vp by resurrection from the dead to the right hand of the glory of God and not before when he had put of mortalitie and the ignomie of the crosse of his fleshe to the which he was borne for vs of the virgine he namely then being declared to be truely the sonne of God by the spirite of power according to this which was begotten of the séede of Dauid after the fleshe which was declared to be the sonne of God with power according to the spirite of sanctification of this that Iesus Christ our Lord rose againe from death To which time also this properly pertaineth in the seconde Psalme Thou art my sonne I haue this day begotten thée the Apostle Paule reciting it for that time in the Actes 50 For as much therfore as the newe man is suche he giueth the nature of heauen from whence he came which heauen is agile ful of vertue and light After this sort is the heauenly man and all the children that come of him 51 And for that there was no way for this Adam to fall namely he which was conceiued by the spirite of God not able to be brought to sliding as he witnesseth of himselfe when he sayeth The Prince of this world commeth and in me he hath nothing at all 52 And the same returned to heauen froÌ„ whence he came downe euen as the earthly returneth to the earth of which he was made al things returning to their beginnings by diuine disposition as he sayth of him selfe in the thirde of Iohn And no man ascendeth into heauen but he which came down from heauen euen the sonne of man which is in heauen 53 Séeing then that the olde man and the nowe are so farre distante in beginning and ending in nature and affections the olde shall not become newe except he lay away from him his affections and desires and put on him the newe affections of the newe man. 54 Which can not be done without a new birth death that the olde man die to him selfe that is to the loue of him selfe and to the contempte of God and that the newe man be borne a newe to heauenly desires that is to loue God aboue al things and our neighbors as our selues for this loue is the ende of the lawe and the summe of all the rightnesse of diuine iustice vnto which we are to be reformed which the very order of creation cléerely teacheth in which he ought to be loued with equal loue which hath taken equall degrée of perfection with thée But such is man made to the similitude of God. 55 For as much therfore as we must be borne again it is a question wherof or by what we be regenerated or what set to the helping hand to the renuing of vs Is it the light of nature which containeth the law wrytten in all mennes hartes and mindes No not that for that light being corrupted with originall sinne howe should it wipe away the spot and place innoceÌ„cie in stead therof Further the light of nature is darknesse if it be compared to the light of God which bringeth eternall life as aboue it is shewed Now what coÌ„munion may be betwéene vice and integritie betwéene darkenesse light By regeneration we are begotten the children of lighte But how shall darknesse procéede to so great light 56 Muche lesse shall the woorkes of the lawe performe so great a woorke which if they be done are too weake in cause as done by the lighte of nature by the rightuousnesse of the law so that all naturall things in man and created strengths take a fall 57 What remaineth then vnto regeneration Only the spirite of Iesus Christe purchased for vs by his bloud which may repurge the childe of olde Adam into a newe man Other thing there is none neither in heauen nor in earth as I haue aboue proued in the rule of iustification 58 And that witnesseth the newe man him selfe being the aucthor of this natiuitie when he saith in Iohn Except a man be newe born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God. 59 Where looke what the naturall winde is in this visible worke of the world in this aire next vnto vs through the light of heauen waters from aboue to make the earth bring forth frute the same the spirite of God the father in Christ his sonne to this Tohu and Vehu that is to this vnformed and rule â—arthe of the godly that is to say to their mindes by the light that no man can come at and spirituall waters to renue their stomackes to bring forth frutes worthy of heauen 60 And for that cause in the mention made of regeneration is ioyned water to the spirit In which and by which the new birth may be wrought And in an other place fire is also taken to company to worke so great a worke when we read He shall baptise you with the spirite and fire 61 In which part respecte is had to the figures of the created worke For as in it the spirit or winde was coupled with the waters which he shuld moue preparing the earthe by the light brought vnto it to the encrease of that which come of hir euen so the work of regeneration offreth it self hir earth first emptie voide hir water of the spirit and of light which is the fire that new regenerateth heauen which in Iohn we spake of a litle before hither also are those things to be called which we read of Helias of the spirit commotion and fire .3 Reg. 19. 62 Whereof it is that the olde and newe Testamentes speake so ofte of the spirite of Messiah by which he testifieth all saluation that pertaineth to man Esay 32.44.61 Ezechiell 36.39 Ioel. 2. c. 63 Notwithstanding this spirituall power of God the father is poured in by a certain order by an order of certentie â–ª For first it is fully resident in Christ as in the head and from thence it floweth into the Church of the elect as into the body and is imparted to his members to
thys presente to bée employed I doubte not but that the greate troubles whiche not long since happened vnto you hathe béene very harde and noysome and moste of all for that many might haue taken occasion of slaunder forasmuche as they were moued in some parte vnder the shadowe of chaunging the Religion Wherfore it can not bée but it hathe béene vnto you a very troublesome and harde assaulte as well for the cares whiche myghte come vnto you as for the mutinies of the maligne and wicked ignoraunt people and also for the feare great daunger and trouble specially of the Prince and of all the whole companie of the honest and godly Truely the brute that I haue heard a farre off hathe caused mée to haue in myne hearte no small gréefe vntill suche time as I had after knowledge that God had begunne to put foorth some remedie Neuerthelesse considering that they be not yet all pacifyed and quiet and that the Diuell may yet renue them agayne yée shall remember that which the holy Hystorie reciteth of the good king Ezechias that is to say when he had abolyshed the superstitions in Iewry and refourmed the state of the Churche according to the lawe of God that then he was so oppressed of hys enemies that he was lykely to be a very loste and desperate man. It is not without great cause O noble Prince that the holy spirite of God so notably expresseth that suche affliction happened vnto him immediately after he had established the true Religion in his perfecte and due order for it was very likely that assoone as he went about to set foorthe the glory of God he should not haue his Realme long quiete so all faythfull Rulers Princes and gouernours of Countreis and common wealthes be aduertised truely by this example that the more they shall employ and endeuour their labours to clense their Countreis and to put out all Idolatries humayne fantasies and vayne superstitions and procure that God be truely worshipped in déede as he ought the more shall their fayth then be proued and tryed with the fyre of diuers temptations euen as golde is tryed in the furnace It is Gods good pleasure so to suffer it and so will he haue it to declare the truth and constancie of all those that be his and by such meanes to exercise them that they should haue regard to a more high and excellent thing than to any transitorious or corruptible thing in this worlde In the meane tyme the Diuell dothe also his office entending by all couert and hidden meane to destroy the good and holesome doctrine bicause he can not openly attayne to his most cursed lothsome purpose But folowing the admonishments of S. Iames which saythe vnto vs that in considering the pacience of Iob we must take héede to the ende We muste also cast our eyes directly vpon the ende which was giuen to the foresaide good king that as God succored him in all his aduersities great troubles so in the ende he remained all quiet and victorious This thing considered and forasmuch as the hand of God is not shorter than it was that he hath at this day in so great recommendation the defence of his people his truth veritie as euer he had doubt not my Lord but that he wil helpe you and not onely for one time or for one quarell but at all times and in as many temptations as he shall sende vnto you yea if the most part of the worlde shall resiste the Gospell and enforce them selues with all rage and violence to impech hinder the setting foorth therof It is the iust quarell of God and he will defend and mayntayne his right Neither ought we to thinke this kind of wickednesse a new strange thing for it is the very corruption of mans nature and his ingratefulnesse which euer hath ben haue therin felt the violence of the wrath of God and shall be hencefoorth enforced to requoyle when God approcheth them And also to stumble agaynst hym when he will charge them with his yoke Moreouer forasmuche as of their nature they be giuen to fayned holynesse to hipocrisie and blindnesse they may not endure to be brought to that most cleare and true light of the worde of God which playnely discouereth their infamie and shame nor to be drawen out of those leud superstitiōs which serueth vnto them as hyding places or to giue them shadow and darkenesse It is then no new thing if there be contradiction when the godly Rulers and ministers goeth about to bring them to the pure and perfecte obedience of god And also we haue aduertisement of our Lorde Iesus which sayth vnto vs that he hath brought the sworde of aduersitie with his Gospell but yet this may not make vs astonied and the worse willing or fearefull for in the ende when men shall haue largely and sufficiently mainteined and put foorth their rancour and malice they shall be confounded in a momente and shall ouerthrow them selues with their owne violence as experience in all rebellions hath well approued It is true which is sayde in the seconde Psalme that God shall but laugh at their raging and vayne stirring that is to say that in dissimuling he shall leaue them a whyle vntroubled as though the thing touched him not but yet in the ende they shall be vtterly driuen backe by his violent force and power euen with the breath of his owne mouth wyth the which if we be armed we haue right good perfect and inuincible Munition agaynst all conspiracies what soeuer the diuell may procure or stirre vp agaynst vs and in the ende we shall know by experience that as the Gospell is the messanger of peace and the reconciliation betwéene God and vs so he can aswell pacifie for vs the breakers of peace and by this meanes also we shall féele that Esai hath not sayde in vayne that when Iesus Chryst shall reigne amongest vs by his doctrine that then swordes shall be conuerted into Ploughe shares and the Speares into Sithes In the meane time albeit that the malice and rebellion of men be the occasion of sedition and mutinies which riseth agaynst the true Gospell of God neuerthelesse it behoueth vs to take héede to our selues and to knowe that God chasteneth our faults by them which otherwise can not serue but to Sathan It hathe béene an auncient complaynt that the Gospell of Chryst hathe béene the meane and worker of all suche euill and calamities as hathe in tymes happened amongest men In déede wée reade in Hystories that not long after Christianitie was spredde in all places there was not almoste a corner in the worlde whiche was not horribly afflicted The motion of the warres was an vniuersall fyre lightened in all Countreis the Floudes on the one side the Pestilences and Famines on the other side and an horrible confusion of all good orders and pollicies In suche wyse
kéepe suche good order by reformation among the people that the slaunderous persons rebellions and séekers of disorder may not haue place through sufferaunce whereby the name of God shoulde be blasphemed And as touching the first I minde not to declare vnto you what doctrine ought to haue place but rather giuing thanks vnto almightie God for that he hath not onely giuen vnto you the lighte of his pure knowledge but that he hath also giuen vnto you good counsell and discretion to cause his pure veritie to be preached So that God bée thanked you bee not to teache what is the true fayth of Christian men and the doctrine which they ought to receiue seing that by your meanes the puritie and truth of the christen fayth is agayne restored that is that wée beléeue God to bée the only gouernour of our soules that wée kéepe his lawe for the onely rule and spirituall gouernaunce of our consciences not to serue him after the fantasticall and foolishe inuentions of men Also that according to his diuine nature he will bée accordingly serued in spirite and in all puritie of heart Of the other parte acknowledging that there is in vs nothing but all euill and wickednesse and that wee be in all our knowledge and affections in such wise corrupted that our soules béeing dispayred in our selues be lyke vnto a bottomlesse pitte or a world of all abhomination and iniquitie And all the presumption of our wisdome dignitie or power to do wel be taken away we may haue free recourse to the fountaine of all goodnesse which is Iesus Christ receiuing that which he giueth vnto vs that is to say the only merites of his death and passion to the end that by the same meane we may be reconciled vnto the Lorde our God that being washed with his bloud we shoulde not feare that our faultes shoulde impéeche vs but to finde grace before his celestiall throne that being assured our sinnes be fréely forgiuen vs and pardoned by the vertue of his moste blessed sacrifice we shall put therin our whole trust and assurance and not to dout at any time of our heauenly comfort and health and that we be sanctified by his spirite in giuing our selues to the obedience of the iustice of God that being fortified by his power and grace we shall be valyant conquerors of Sathan the world and the fleshe and finally that being members of his body we feare not but that God will take vs for his children and that we may haue confidence to call vnto him as vnto our father And that we be aduertised to bring to this ende all that is saide and done in the churche that is being retired from this sinnefull world and other our deadly aduersaries we may be lifted vp to heauen with Christ our head our Lord and sauioure Wherefore then séeing that God hath wrought in you and giuen you the grace to restore againe the knowledge of this moste sounde and holy doctrine which hath bene so long time buryed by curssed Antichriste I leaue to kéepe you with longer purpose and that which I haue touched of the manner of teaching is only for that the people may be rightly instructed and to féele that which the Apostle sayth that is that the woorde of God is a sworde cutting with two edges piercing the thoughts affections euen vnto the marowe of the bone I say this my Lord for that I thinke there is very few liuely preachings in the realme but rather that the moste part reciteth them as it were by lector I wel perceiue the necessitie that constraineth your Lordship therunto for â—â—rst yée haue not commonly as I thinke your Pastors so good and apte as you would lawfully wishe and desire wherfore it is néedefull for you to séeke diligently and to supplie that lacke Secondly there might chance to be many light spirites which would peraduenture leape beyonde their boundes sowing corrupted and foolishe fantasies as oftentimes they doe in newe things But all these considerations impéecheth not but that the ordinaunce of Iesus Christe ought to haue his course as in preaching the gospell Nowe this preaching oughte not to be deade but quicke and liuely bothe for to teache exhorte and to reprehende as S. Paule saith to Timothe in suche sorte as if any infidell do enter he may be wounded ouercome and taken as he saith in another place to giue glory and praise to god You knowe also my Lord how that he speaketh of the liuelynesse the ought to be in the mouthes of them which would approue them selues good and faithfull ministers of the Gospell of Christe that they ought not to haue or vse woordes of Rethoricke or muche curiositie entending therby to be in the greater estimation but that the spirite of God oughte to sounde in their voyces for to woorke in power and vertue All the daungers that are to be feared of men ought not with humaine policies so appeare at any time or in any place that thereby the spirite of God be impeached or let to haue his libertie and due course in them in whome he hath so plentifully distributed of his graces for the edifying of the church of god It is true that in the meane time nothing were better nor more expedient than to stoppe the lightnesse of fantasticall spirites which taketh ouer much licence Also to shutte and close fast the gates of all curiosities and newe wicked doctrines But the best and moste conuenient meane shall be such as God him selfe hath appoynted and shewed vnto vs that first bicause there be some resolute of the doctrine that all oughte to preache the which all Prelates and Curates should sweare to folow that none be receiued into any Ecclesiastical charge onlesse he promisse to obserue the same true concorde and vnion After that to haue a formall and common instruction for to instructe the yong children and the ignorante people which should make them acquainted with the true Doctrine in such wise that they may discerne it from lies and corruptions which else might be brought in To the contrary beléeue me my Lord that the Churche of God shall be neuer well conserued without Cathechisme For it is as the séede to be kept that the good graine perisheth not but that it may growe and encrease from age to age Wherefore if your grace desire to builde a woorke long to endure which shoulde not shortly be in decaie cause that the children in their yonge age be instructed with a good Cathechisme that may learne them bréefely and according to their small capacitie to knowe wherein consisteth the true christianitie or most perfect religion of Christe This Cathechisme shall serue for two purposes that is to say for an introduction to all people to profitte well in that which shall be preached vnto them and also the rather to descerne if the wicked shal at any time presumptuously set forth any vnsound or straunge kindes of Doctrine In the