edification and profit of his bodye and membres whiche so doynge we be seruauntes faithfull and profitable for him and to other as the scripture calleth vs and thus we sanctifye and celebrate and magnifye his holye name as he commaundeth it Then ye chopin this text of zachary Vtsine timore c. To proue your merits to deserue deliueraunce from our enemyes and so to lyue and serue him in holynes and well doynge But ye sleyghtly leaue out hym by whose merits we be thus delyuered Ye shulde haue redde the verses before and then ye shulde haue seene that GOD the father hadde erected oure myghty helthe euen christ that by hym and his power and merites we delyuered from oure enemies myghte serue hym withoute feare in holy lyuynge But suche peces ye can omytte as impertinente to youre euyll purpose And these be the hatchets ye bringe in to open your lewde lockes And after this sorte thei vse predestinacion which being signified to vs for our counforte do declare what care god hathe of vs whereby we shulde be the more encouraged to worke hauynge god to oure helpe c. Why then in your boke of necessarie enstruccions commande ye the people to beware of predestinacion and not to medle therwith leste they fall into any vayne trust in it these be your wordes and teache that no man shulde be sewer therof ne of his election Nowe ye saye it is writen for oure counforte and anon ye feare men from it nowe it is a vaine trust and then it is a counfortable adsewraunce and anon ye put all men in dout therof and of their election in Christe makinge faith no faith but a waueringe doute ne gods promise of no effecte So inconstant and waueringe is youre doctrine Whiche predestinacion ye saye we vse it as your hatchet to open lockes And I say your selfe vse it as a nose of waxe against the fier But now I returne to you maister Ioye Ioye And I to you my lorde And where ye appose me whether when I considered theffecte of christes passion I beleued it or no I professe I beleued Then ye aske whether I beleued it to be effectuall to me To this I aunswere you That first I beleued it was and is effectual to me in my baptisme wherein I obtained remission of my synnes and renouacion of lyfe I perceiue ye lete great skorne to be apposed of me But yet I wolde ye aunswered me directely to my question For I asked you whether now seen your baptisme when ye taughte your scolers this conclusion then beinge a synner as euery mā is whē ye firste considered your sinnes in your self and loked vpon your effect that is remission in christes passion whether then I saye ere ye loked to any other condicion thē vpon onely faith whiche is your fyrste condicion ye beleued Christes passion to be effectuouse to you or not If ye dydde so muste ye neades be iustified by only faith by no other cōdiciō which ye must nedis graunt magry your tethe For as ye beleue accordīg to gods promise so must it infallibly cōe to you But in your answer fearing lest ye shuld be iustified by faith only ye shift frō this tyme to your baptism wher ye wold couple your faith diuided part to christ parte to your baptysme by bothe to gither to be iustifyed as though not faith only in christe ne christes deathe were sufficient But I wil stoppe ye in from that stertinge hole therby not so to escape And muste by your leaue appose ye yet agen aske you whether before your body was doped into the fonte with the wordis of baptisme ye beleued or no. If ye saye no so make ye your godfathers and god mother lyers and your selfe to which all affirmed in your person Credo I beleue or els the preist had chrystened an infidele For the order of Christis doctrine is y t the doctrine and profession shulde go before the baptisme as ye see it bothe in infantes and waxen If one shuld come to you to be baptized ye wold first enstructe him in our faith and heare him openly professe it ere ye put him into the water as chryste taught and commanded his apostles to do sayinge Go and teache all nacions my gospell and whatsoeuer els I haue taught you them that beleue baptize into the name of the father and c. This order obserued the apostles in their actes first preachinge y e lawe to shew them their sinnes and then the gospell of remissiō in christ whiche thinge beleued the hearers be iustifyed before god regenered of the spirit of faith therby obsigned and sealed certifyed of their eleccion in christe And then is the exterior obsignacion of baptisme with water the testificaciō to the chirche added to certifye them the same persone to haue had receyued y e spirit of faith and to be regenered before of god so that as circumcision was to the Iewes chirch signaculum iusticie fidei that is the exterior seal testimoniall of the iustification by faith lo is baptisme with water the exterior seal testifienge to vs that the baptized is iustified also by faith and certifieth the congregacion as a testification of the beneuolence of God towarde the baptized and of his spiritual giftes receiued For the water saith Austen is but an elemente and nothing withoute the worde of promise whiche is the worde of faith iustifienge before the persone be baptized Baptizme with water therfore is the testificacion and seal certifyenge the hole congregation of his incorporation and member of christes chirch to be admitted into their societe to praye to heare the worde with them and to receiue the lordes supper Besides that baptisme in figure is y e perpetuall custodi of y e christen life by mortificaciō repētaūce signified by the dopinge into the water in the death and burial of christe and his resurrection vs to ryse vp continually into a new lyfe as Paul teacheth vs. Rom. vi Thus did Philip first enstruct the queens courtyer of Candace and then asked him whether he beleued with al his hert that is constantly and purelye before he wold baptise him And Paule and Silas obserued the same order with the keper of the presone when the keper beinge in a desperate mynde for feare they had ben fled wolde haue slaine him selfe but otherwise aduertised by Paule he comen to hym selfe saide Maysters what must I do to be saued whiche aunswered Beleue into the LORDE Iesu and thou with all thy house shalte be saued After whiche beleife they were baptized This is sufficient to declare the vse of oure baptisme with water that we be iustifyed by faith only before it ere we can repent frutfully thus is al your popish trysh trash contayned in your other second condicion cleane wypt awaye frō thatainment of iustificacion And if ye haue any workes els in your condicion
So that fayth iustifieng them went euer before the baptime of water as it is to see in the actes of the apostles Albeit I see howe falselye and howe vnlearnedly ye bringe in your Baptizetur unusquisque uestrum in remissionem peccatorum for the contrarye as I shall declare your ignoraunce and falsifieng of y e scriptures when I come to the place And here note it christen reader that so longe as we see our synnes in the lawe and in our consciences accusing and condempnynge vs behold them not by faith in the promysed forgeuenes in the gospel of Christes death to haue suffered for the remission of them thus our faith rechinge the mercy of god our father vnto Christes passyon suffred for them Chryste thus made of hym oure ryghtwysenes and oure satisfaccion all oure heuinesse and sorowes contricions and attricions are but suche repentaunce and heauynes as toke Cayne Saule Achitophel and Iudas whiche call it an extorted legall heuines and ye wyl contrarye to the wyllynge euangely call heauynes and holesome repentaunce whyche legall heauynes is lyke the extorted heauynes and heuye fearefull paynefull repentaunce that is wrested out of the racked and pyned Malefactours confessynge their synnes for very fear and payne onely which vnholsom repentaunce after the worlde Paule teachethe it to be repented and caste of But the true holesom repentaunce after god beinge his gyfte begynnethe at the contemplacyon of oure synnes by faith forgiuen in Christes death and resurreccion hys ryghtuousnes hys satisfaccion and merites felte and tasted by our fayth certaynelye and fermely to be communicated vnto vs. In the boke of nombers we read that the chyldren of Israell were not healed ne delyuered from the hotte styngynge serpentes so longe as they looked vpon them but rather with feare and payne the more vexed with thir venome But when thei turned their eyes from those serpentes stinging them and behelde the brasen serpent exalted and hanged vpon the tre then were they healed And lykewyse so longe as we behold our sinnes in our owne consciences accusinge vs or in the lawe forbiddinge sinne workinge wrathe and makinge sinne the more to abound we maye well feare be heauy ful of horrour for payne dread of dampnacion but as for any quietnes rest and peace of conscience we fele none vntyl we conuerte turne our eyes by faith lyftinge them vp beholding the brason stronge serpēt christ god and mā exalted vpon the crosse there sufferinge for our sins appeacinge the fathers wrathe makinge the satisfacion withe the oblacion and sacrifice of his blessed bodie wherefore your repentance before our sinnes be here knowen sene with the eyes of our faith in christ lyfted vpon the crosse there sufferinge for them and purgynge or wasshynge them away is but Iudas his repentaunce Also it is to be noted that as there be dyuers degrees to ascende frome vnder the lawe vnto the grace of the gospell of remyssyon so be there dyuerse heauynesses ere we come to the holesome and frutefull repentaunce vnder the gospel perpetuallye and gladlye to be Practysed For we muste fyrste fele and taste of a desperate state deduced to hel ere we be reduced to heauen mortyfyed ere we be reuyued Paul entering to clyme these degrees of the lawe in lyke heauines and mortificacyon sayde that synne was then deade when he lyued wythoute the lawe shewynge hym hys synne but when the lawe was comen and had shewed hym hys synne then was he deade his sin aliue For sinne now knowne by the lawe the lawe worketh wrathe euen her lyuelye offyce to feare and to condempne the synner to make synne the more aboundaunte thrustynge man to hell and slayeth hym And here maye we see wyth Esaye the prophete God to worke in vs a straunge worke to do his owne In whyche straunge worke workynge yet we knowe hym not for he wyl be for a lytle space a hydden god no more then dyd Iosephes bretherne knowe hym for their brether Ioseph but toke hym for some cruell straunger al that whyle he dissembled with them feared them threatened them and troubled them whyles he hydynge hys face from his owne brethren so vexed them with greate heauines feare or he wold be knowne to them yea and all that whiles in so workynge that straunge worke it was greate paine to Ioseph to hold in his teares for that he muste haue wroughte so straunge a worke with them to worke his owne bretherly louyng worke at last to open hym self to them This worke also god fygured to Moyses when he dydde sette hym in the clyffe of the rocke telling hym hys hynder partes he shulde se but not his face The former compunction and heauynes euen gods straunge worke in vs before faythe iustifienge his heuye hande yet coueringe our face we knowe it not to be his work ne as yet beleue we god to be oure sauyoure and forgeuer in Chryste vntyll he shewe vs his hinder partes that is the incarnacion of Chryst sent and suffrynge for oure synnes Adam as sone as he hadde synned hadde an heuye conscience horryblye feared with the wrath of god vnto deathe and dampnacyon flyenge from his voyce and presence euen in the midde daye whiche heauynes was but a desperate repentaunce and farre of to merite anye grace as it appeareth by his flyenge awaye frome God callynge hym But yet the myghty mercyful voice of god so staied him and rubbed hys synne into his remembraunce that at laste the gospell of the blessed promysed seade preached Adam conceyued faythe by the hearinge therof and beganne trewelye to repente for nowe he sawe his synnes not in hys owne naked gyltye conscyence accusynge hym ne in the precepte condempnynge hym but in the blessed seade Chryste forgeuynge hym And then to confyrme and to testifye as it were wyth seall oblygatorye that GOD hadde iustyfyed hym for hys faythe onelye in that seade to come he added hys sacred sealled Sacramente euen the skynnes of the slayne sheepe to kouer Adam and Eues naked shamefastnes signyfyenge to them that blessed seade to be offered vp an innocente lambe wyth hys ryghtewysenes to couer their transgression and with his blessynge to couer their malediccion vpon thys his bloudy sheepes peltch when so euer Adam loked he myght well wepe and repente him selfe that euer he hadde committed that synne whych as it shoulde brynge so innocente a lambe to so gylteles a death so coulde it neuer haue bene forgeuen wythoute the sheddynge of so innocente precyouse bloude And here at the contemplation of hys synne in Chrystes death to come beganne he frutefullye to repente doynge on dayly that coote puttynge hym into a perpetual remembraunce and into repentaunce the contynual custodye of hys lyfe euermore seynge his synnes purged in the sead to come euen in the lambe of God that takethe awaye the synnes of the worlde But nowe I retourne to youre booke wherein ye adde thus sayenge And nowe
your selfe where ye set thē with Paule to be so contrary causes y t it is impossible for these two rightwisnesses to be concurrant into this one effect of iustificatiō iustificaciō of faith workes be so contrary that whereas is y e one y e other must nedes auoyde and geue place as Paule in contencion comparinge them togither estemed his own rightwisnes of the lawe as donge and dirte in respecte of the rightwysnes of faith before God and said that our rightwisnes which cometh of the lawe was the fall of the iews because thei goinge about to seke to stablish their own rightwisnes therfore were thei not subiect to y e rightwisens of god Agen sithe your doctryne is noman to be sewer certain of his forgeuenes by your text not wel vnderstanden nescit homo an dignus sit odio uelamore And our best workes as Isay saith be so sinful and spotted and therfore not to quiete and certifye our consciences and agene faith to be the ferme certitude that excludeth al dubitacion and vncertainte seing now that faith and workes be of so contrary effectes it must nedis be impossible these two inconsistents repugnātes to sich an effect to may go together into one the same effect and accion of our iustificacion And by this means of your merits yf ye coulde ye wold make Christ no hole intiere perfit sauiour contrarye to your sainge before Now if your condicion so ful of your good workes be in any of the .iiii. kinde of causes to serue your effect put it in formallye like a philosopher I shal by gods worde displace it But I can neuer thinke it that ye beleue your owne doctrine of workes to iustifye for if ye did sewrely ye wolde worke beter workes then ye do For what els do ye then wryte and striue against the gospoll yea ye worke your brother Cains worke slaieng your brothern for the truth ye preson ye persecute ye burne ye banish ye condempne al good bokes professours of gods word to set vp your own antichristē articles dāpnable popish doctrine Thē ye say The scripture requiret of a christē mā y t he be baptized wherby to be incorporated into christ it is true For noman wil baptize him tyll he hear his belif and know him to professe faithfully the Christē religion For the onely vtwarde baptisme maketh not a christian be fore God as ye se it in Iudas and Simon mago For a very christian must be first by his regeneracion of the spirit of faith incorpored into christ ere he by baptisme of water be incorpored into the congregacion for y e visible incorporacion auayleth not Saith austen without thinuisible incorporacion and sanctificaciō by faith At last ye bringe in this texte Baptizetur vnusquisque in remissionē peccatorum whiche as I remember is the frist scripture I haue herde ye allege yet for your false doctryne ye brought in a colet and a versicle out of your porteus to proue your parte besydis your participacion in dede And yet in this text ye make so great haste into remissionem peccatorum to be conioyned to baptizetur that ye leaue out .v. wordis and euen the chefe mater betwixt your first worde the last For the text is Resipiscite baptizetur vnusquisque vestrum sub nomine Iesu Christi in remissionem c. Repente ye let euery one of you be baptized in the name of Iesu Christe into the remission of sinnes Nowe ye know that noman wil be baptized and ther by professe the name of Iesu Christ but he first beleue knowe what is Iesu christ and his name which is the anoynted sauiour which who so beleueth him sichone to be to him he is iustifyed by that same faith onely in Christe Iesu to be his sauiour But I will not gretly steke with you for this litle ouerskippe ye speke of a good rule in your boke How y e scriptures albeit thei seme contrary yet is the◠but one veritie and al one trwe word which muste be gathered out by the conference of y e places notinge what gothe before and what folowth which your own lesson if ye had ther diligently obserued ye had sene this text to haue made iustly against you For note first what went before preached of Peter in that longe sermone and ye shall see that he preached to them bothe the lawe shewinge them their sinnes in putting to deth the innocent blod christe author of lyfe quitinge a murtherer and also y e gospell of remission and saluacion in Iesu Christe as it standeth in euerye place of that sermon and playne it is that these men beleued that sermon whilis it was in preachinge as many as were predestined vnto lyfe wherefore thei were iustified first by their faith ere thei were baptized And to confirme this lette vs see what foloweth and conserre all together When Peter had all done his exhortation the texte saith Qui ergo libenter acceperunt sermonem eius baptizatisunt And thē All that hadde gladly receiued his sermon were baptized gladly to receiue his sermon what els is it then to beleue his sermō which receiuing by beleif ye see went before their baptisme But yet wherfore saith the text into the remission of sinnes verely Baptisme is the visible sygne of the former regeneration of y e spirit by faith and testificacion to the congregacyon that the baptized hathe hys synnes forgeuen hym and therefore to certifie the Churche that he is a member of them and hathe receiued signaclum iustitie fidei that is the seall and obsygnacyon of the ryghtewysenes of faith to be incorporated into them to pray to heare the worde in their societe is it added in remissionem peccatorum that thei nowe doute not of remissyon of hys synnes And therfore it foloweth immediatly Et accesserunt in die illo And there were commen into that cōgregaciō ī that daye aboute thre thousand soulis For before thei were thus certifyed of their religion and faith and remission of their sinnes by that externe seall testimoneall of baptisme with water they were not receiued into the chirche of the faithful So that to be baptized into the name of Iesu Christe into the remission of sinnes be fore the hole congregacion is by baptisme as by the visible sygne openly our professiō into christes religion to be declared and testifyed to the chirche and that we be conseigned with the seall and testimonye of the rightwysmakyng and remissyon by faithe A lyke phrase is vsed where it is writen Ioan preached repentaunce into the remission of sinnes he saithe not preached repentaunce as for or by the whiche dede they deserued or shuld deserue remission but that therby openly sene and knowen the congregacion shuld be certifyed as by a ferme and infallible testimony such repentant persōs to haue their forgeuenes not for their doinge penaunce as the papist teach for that false
geueth me ferme faith to beleue it wryting his promise w t his own haÌ„d sealled with Christis death and most preciouse blode yea and geueth me thernest and pledge of this promise euen his own sone Christe and his holy spirit the pledge as Paul saith and ernest of our forgeuenes and saluacion testifyinge vnto my spirit that I am his chosen beloued predestined childe in christe commandinge me to call and beleue him to be my merciful father shuld I not beleue in him be assewered of my saluacioÌ„ forgeuenes perseuerance in hope al dubitacion and dout excluded If I did not beleue constantly hope for it so shuld I dishonor gods vecite which syn be satte fro me wherfore hathe God geuen me the certitude and vndouted assewrance but in hope to abyde paciently waitinge certainly for his performance wyll ye beleue beter men then God And to excercise this owr assewerd faith and hope he sendeth vs continuall crosse and affliccions And we haue the continual reading hearing of his holy scripturs vt permaneamus fide fundati ac stabiles that we perseueringe grounded and faste roted in faith shuld not swarue from the hope of y e gospel And al be it in y e straight and narow path of charite I swarue and fall by y e waye yet haue I gods promyse apprehended by my faithe that I shal not so fall as to hurte me be broken but to ryse agene For y e Lord hath promised to put his hand vnder me to lyft me vp ayen w t an c. lyke counfortable promyses to reduce repentant sinners into the waye which promises humbly with reuerence and fear and thanks I enbrace It is thou oh lorde that assewerest me to perseuer certainly and settest me in assewerance Howe many promises haue we God to be our strength our rok bulwerk castel tower defence helper for Christ our intercessour and reconciler his sake with a thou said lyk confortable excercises of our faith to strengthen and confirme our hope and expectacion in sewerty and perseuerance But your doutful doctryne knoweth nether God ne Chryst ne faith But to confirme ours yet aftir this a fore said obsignacion of the holy spirit God assewerth also his congregacion therof with the visible seals of baptism his holy souper to put vs in mynde of his beneuolence towerd vs of his testameÌ„t couenaÌ„t iÌ„ chrstis blod In baptisme dewli ministred I remeÌ„ber se his deth burial resurreccioÌ„ wherin also I am taught to be mortifyed my sinnes buried in his woundis and to ryse agene into a newe lyf And in the holy souper of the Lorde dewly ministred I remember and see with the eyes of my faith in the breakinge and geuinge of the holy bread his bodi brokeÌ„ crucified geueÌ„ me into the remission of my sinnes And in the holy wyne lykewyse powered forthe and geueÌ„ me I remember and see his most preciouse blode shed for me into the remission of my synnes And euen these be holy sacred adsewerances in my faith and hope of my saluacion thus dayly excercisinge my faith and hope into a perpetuall perseuerance in the same adsewerance while I lyue which asâ—werances ye saye ye cannot tell of A shameles ignorance in a bishop great infidelite and blasphemy is it in you if ye will not know this so manifest a sewerance offered and geuen into euery faithfull Christianes hand herte and mouthe Thus haue I lerned iÌ„ scripturs If we turne when god turneth to vs. If we beleue when god illumineth vs If we loue as god kindleth vs. If we be baptized as god commandeth vs we shall be iustified Ye iugle with your Iffes and half turnes For as there is no man turned to god with frutefull repentance but he first knowe gods merciable forgeuenes in christ by his faith iustifienge him so is there none but thei first knowe God in christe ere thei loue him beleue iÌ„ god thorow Iesu Christ ere thei be baptized into his name For who professeth god y e father the sonne and the holy ghoste and the christen religion onlesse he knowe it It were a backward order and an vpsidowne preposterouse plaÌ„tynge the profession to go before the doctrine and knowledge of the religion as it hath ben a longe season vsed and therefore all suche preposterouse religions as ye see degenered into apostacye and into all the most filthy abominacions and idolatrye be now come to naught as christ prophecied of all such backward plantacions And therfore your Iffes staÌ„d in a wrong place For your baptisme with water is such a condicion that as al thei that be baptized therwith be not therfore saued so were not all they that beleued in christ and al the chosen infantes conteined vnder the promise dyinge before circumcision or baptisme dampned but withoute circumcision and baptisme of water saued by election and their beleif And therefore your doctrine of your Iffes holdeth not And if the quene of Candaces courtman so enstructe of Philip in the wagen â–ª had died in that faithe before his baptisme with water yet had his onelye faith saued him by christes own wordes sainge who so beleue in me hath life eternal It is not y e baptisme with water ne your penaunce y t saueth vs as ye dreame for no element ne creature ne mans work may do that thing It is god only in christ that regenereth with the spirit of faith and by that inuisible baptisme be we saued of god thorowe Iesu christe If you shulde tarye till ye haue fulfilled all your conditions for your saluacion ye shulde come to short of the gates shuttinge And therefore merciablye saith the lorde in Isay. He wyl make short his word of rightwismakinge and finish it in a plenteous abouÌ„daÌ„t rightwisenes euen in christ made of him our rightwisnes holden by faith onely Children by your popish doctrine that dye before baptime and y e infantes in Moses law diyng before the aight day shulde be dampned as ye teache whiche is to harde for you to proue when the scripture is plain agenst you as I am able to proue it and can shewe it plainely The baptisme therfore with water wasshethe onely the body and the minister bringeth the water and wordes onelye no saluacion nether as causes efficientes ne formall So that baptisme with water is but the visible seall instituted of god and ferme token of the former iustification by faythe in the regeneration of the spirit y e seall I say testifienge to the congregation that he is incorpored into them For thus it correspondeth sayth Peter the newe byrth wherby the spottes of the soule be taken awaye And thus is baptisme with water signaculum iustitie fidei the seal and testimony of the rightwisnes of faith as was circumcision and not y e selfe same rightwisnes it selfe as ye teach ye may make it signum iustitie operis
operati siue iustitie baptismi after your scole men that is the sacrament or seall of the rightwisenes of workes or of the rightwisnes of baptism with water and man thereby to be iustified as ye dreame and so Christ in vaine to haue dyed Besydes this it is the fygure of our perpetuall mortificacion and repentance as I haue oâ—ten declared the vse therof before And as touchinge the imperfeccion of faith and charitie in man as ye saye Albeit our faith I saye be as litle as the mustarde sead and as imperfit as was his that saide lorde I beleue but yet helpe my vnbeleif yet god accepteth it for our iustificatioÌ„ for christes sake bidding vs daylye to praye for thencreace therof Then ye saye all our workes be imperfitte ' It is truthe that ye saye And in so sayeng ye haue condempned al your own doctrine of merits satisfaccioÌ„s and condicions of workes to deserue remission For no imperfitte workes may deserue perfit remission ne make perfit satisâ—accioÌ„ as ye well know it And for this cause of our imperfeccion indignitie impossibilite by workes to merit our remission saluacioÌ„ god hath taken it out of our handes and from our workes layd it vpon christ as ye se in the prophete Isaye him by his perfit fulfilling of the law by his so perfit workes to merit to satisfye fully and perfitlye and so to obtaine vs y e remission and saluation for our faith into him And thus is he made of his father ours for vs our iustificacion our rightwisnes redeÌ„ptioÌ„ our holines our wisdom our satisfaccioÌ„ our implecion of y e law whiche all we by faith receiue as our owne for that he is geuen to vs holy with al his that he ether dyd or suffred in his blessed innocent body and soul. And euen these be our elder brothers clothes done vpon vs by faith so swetely sauouring which so delite and please our celestial father as did Iacobs elder brothers fragrant vestures sauor in his father Isaac his nose that he gaue him his brothers blessing as shal our father for y e same doing on by faith not for your participatioÌ„ of our elder brother christe his swete clothes of his rightwisnes merits c. For who so euer be baptized of the spirite by regeneration of faith they haue done christ thus vpoÌ„ them And thus w t Iacob be we made Israelites And thus be we all made y e sonnes of god for that we haue beleued in Iesu christ saith Paul not as ye say for y t ye haue done youre good works fulâ—illed your coÌ„dicioÌ„ Thus ye se how Paul IoaÌ„ Peter christ speke of y e baptism of y e spirite not of y e visible baptism of water to geue remissioÌ„ saluacion ye geue imperâ—eccion to our works to faith to loue it is truth But yet muste ye coÌ„sider y t thimperfeccioÌ„ in our works so minisheth takethe so awaye the goodnes dignite or worthines of theÌ„ that thei may not be called good ne meritoriouse But faith Isaye â— being imperfit as litle as the mustersede or as weke as his y t said help lord my vnbeleif yea or so matched in perel with temptacion w t feare dubitacioÌ„ as was peters faith so boldly leaping into y e sea to mete his maister christe when the sourges arose agenst him so highe that with his litle weake faith he began to sinke yet as litle as it was it was y e good gift of god saued hiÌ„ for christes sake froÌ„ drowninge For it is our perpetuall byshop and onely intercessour in heuen that continually prayeth as he dyd for Peter his felowes lest our faith faile vs euen in the middes of the stormye tempestiouse floudes of the troublous sea of this world For the giftes calling of god be sich as it cannot repent him of them in hys chosen Then ye say Iob sayd I feared al my workes in which faith ye say may be comprehended But it appereth that ye vnderstand not Iobs wordes for he neuer feared his faith but his works only which were euil imperfit And the ebrw or chaldie worde signifieth erumnas and labores meos omnes that is to saye I feared al my miserable workes and laboriouse miseries which he called his own euil workes for it foloweth sciens quod noÌ„ parceres delinquenti knowing that thou woldst not spare the trespasser So that here ye see how that ye manakle and rende oute by patches the textes for youre wicked purpose not consideringe what gothe before ne foloweth nor yet what the wordes properly signifye If ye coulde comprehende faithe in Iobs works so wolde ye make faith no gift of god ne beleif gods worke but Iobs worke so feared of him self And all the scriptures agre w t Iob so speaking of his owne workes only and not of faith For manye holye men fearing y e same desired god not to enter into iugement w t them ne to iuge them after their workes Then ye take in hand to describe the sinfull nature of man as borne out of Adam and Eue sayeng that the powers of our soule properly receiue faith and loue and vpon the occasion of the worlde and the flesh suggestion of the deuil be redy to rebellion c. In whiche saienge ye speke not truelye of maÌ„ in his corrupt nature as borne out of Adam conceiued in synne roted in his soule called altogether in scripture flesh the olde man the body of sinne and deathe inimitie ageÌ„st God naturallye the childe of wrath a contynuall rebellyon agaynste gods spirit For occasion or no occasion geuen sich one is he before he be regenered as god painteth him saienge after the hebrewe verite Euery imaginacion of mannes harte is onlye euyll is sayth the texte and not prone or redye as ye terme it yea and that at all times euen from hys youthe withoute the spirite of God regeneringe hym he is brydeles runnynge into the free felde of all carnall lustes Of the power of this corrupt mans nature ye speake as by his fre choise to receiue faith with loue c. Uerilye this man hathe no suche a Pelagianes power of hym selfe to receiue faithe no more then hadde ADAM him selfe power to come to God when he fled from his voice in paradise so ferefullye with shame sekinge where to hyde him froÌ„ his presence There is no sich proper power properly as ye terme it in maÌ„ to receiue faith or any grace except that naturall proper powr be properly taken a waye and pourged with the spirit of libertie by faithe purifyeng the herte so makinge in him a newe hert prepared to receiue faith makinge a new and free powr from his naturall bondage to synne So that your fre choice to receiue grace may not here be placed withe pelagians errour enimie to grace to set vp your fre choice bonde libertie to syn For
althoughe the gylt of originall sinne be tâ—ken away in baptime yet the skarre of it and as it were the mater of it dothe remayne whiche as it trobleth and letteth manis perfection in vertew and therby is maintained a continuall stryfe debate so is it not to be accompted our syn tyl we conceiue it by enbracinge agre in to sich carnal mocionâ— In this your bare sayings without any scripture be contayned many errours as it must nedis come to theÌ„ y t teache out of their own headis First false it is that baptisme with water taketh away the gylte of any synne For it is God onely yea and that by Chryst onely that taketh a waye the gilte of synne And therfore Paule saith playnly that the original synne whiche entred into y e worlde by only one man Adam is taken awaye he speketh there of y e gylte by y e grace of God euen by that only one man fre gifte geuen vs Iesus Christ and not by any creature ether of water worde or minister as cause withoute which the gilt is not taken awaye For ther Paul in a longe contencioÌ„ w t many wordis setteth onely chryst his gift grace his iustificacion and his obedience ayenst the gylte of original synne of that onely one Adam And where ye saye The skarre as it were y e mater yet remaineth ye speke very fondly and grossely yea falsely so to teache and so to diuyde it as thoughe there were in synne a physik and naâ—urall corporal composicion ex materia forma as ye dreame of the simple giftis of faith hope and loue which all your dead dremes ye imagine to stablesh your popish doctryne with the aristotilyk scolemen The scripture austen and ambrose call playnly your skarre as ye terme it euil concupiscence euil lusâ—e and desyer forboden in the laste precept and Paul calleth it the law of sinne the body of synne the body of death and euen syn it self And your owne wordis folowinge say the same in that ye affirme it to trouble and lette manis perfeccion in vertewe c. For that as dothe and worketh siche vngodly impediments so troublinge manis soul hindringe it froÌ„ vertew and fightinge ayenst the holy spirit of god that wold make him perfit must nedis be the mother of synne sinne it self stryuinge agenst the wyl of God Paul speking of this concupiscence whiche ye cal y e skarre saith he had not known it to haue had ben synne had not the lawe sayd Thou shalt not haue siche lust or desire in the. This synne originall although it be not imputed ether to the chosen infants for their eleccion in christ or to the faithful waxen for their faith in Christ yet is it not so roted out of the childerne of Adam but that it lyeth lurkinge in vs as longe as we lyue as doth heat or fier in y e flynt chalke and as venome iÌ„ the serpent and is not sene tyll either water be cast vpon the chalke or the serpent angred For man is pacient enough tyl occasion of wrath be geuen him wel pleased so longe as he hathe his desyre mind fulfiled so of alother sinnes ye say this skarre or rather concupiscence syn as y e scriptur calleth it is not to be accoÌ„pted our syn tyl we coÌ„ceiue it by coÌ„seÌ„t which saing is plain false For whose sin els shuld it be then his in whose soul it lyeth Is not maÌ„ conceiued borne therin and therewith It is saith austen by traduccion drawne out of Adam in a perpetual ysew iÌ„to al his posterite was daugher of y e synne in AdaÌ„ is mother of al the synnes in vs. ye say It is not ours tyl we conceiue it by enbracinge agreinge by consent to our carnal mocioÌ„s And therfore ye say s. Iames saith y t concupisceÌ„ce lo here your self is coÌ„pelled to cal your skarre mater concupiscence which is synne wheÌ„ it conceiueth bringeth forth synne ye vnderstand not what Iames saithe For he presupposeth concupiscence to be iÌ„ man as Dauid and Paul saye from his concepcion as an euil sead or plant ingraffed in to y e nature soul of man as Austen declareth it to bring forth opeÌ„ly euil frut and therfore Iames saith not as ye saye that we coÌ„ceiue it not tyl we enâ—race agre to it by consent But he saith if ye loked a litle before thus Euery man is plukt awaye and as it were with a baight taken holden of his own proper natural concupiscence And thence forth he saith coÌ„cupiscence aftir she hath conceiued by coÌ„sent synne is brought forth into light meaninge sin actuall not original where ye see your skarre or rather concupiscence firste to be conceiued into the soul ere she enbrace by consent any syne actual as is the woman a woman and apte to conceyue before she conceyueth and as is the mother before hir daughter if the daughter be syn nedis must the mother goiÌ„ge grat w t the daughter be sinful TheÌ„ ye compare as wysely Concupiscence to a baron woman without a man so makinge hir man the agrement of his frewil coÌ„senting to the yll mocion of whiche as out of man she conceiueth ye shulde haue loked beter of your baron woman noted wether she coÌ„seÌ„teth not as wel as hir man and so in the woman also to be a mutual consent lust and concupiscence as well to be the mother of syn as hir man to be father therof But concupiscence hir self ere she coÌ„ceiue and consent to commit actual syn is as Paul tell you sin it self euen the daugher as austen saith of sinne ere she be y e mother of actual synne in sighte and ere she conceyue as ye say of hir man And although she concupisence I mean conseÌ„teth not but lyeth secretly in the soul so sone as it is created ioyned to the bodye not yet stering yet is she an hidde venome and preuey heat as it were in the chalke or spark hid vnder the ashes not aperinge vnto y e which hid sinne the prophete loked when he said who vnderstandeth or seeth his synnes and fro my hid sinnes clense me And shreud and vnserchable is manes herte said Iere. wherof Ioan said If we shulde saye that we haue not sin in vs we deceiue our selues y e truth is not iÌ„ vs. And therfore said Dauyd Blessed is he to whom god imputeth not his sinne he saith not blessed is he that hath no synne but he that hath synne is not imputed ne rekened to him for his faith Paul commaunded the Roma that synne reigned not ne shuld haue dominion ouer them so that thei obeied not it by hir concupiscence But to be clene without concupiscence he could not so be him selfe as ye se in the .vii. cha complaining of it saieng I am solde a bonde man vnder sinne to do y t euil which I wold not do c And as for your
pareÌ„thesis although meÌ„ might by grace be without syn it is so rare a byrde as was ne neuer shal be sene but only christ as the scripture Austen affirme it Nowe haue I shewed it to you clerely by scriptures yours as it were the skar and mater of originall syn to be no skar but sinne it self ne to be none so healed a wounde but that we must be regenered of the spirit and taught by the baptisme of water to mortifie that concupiscence that it is in mortifying neuer mortified tyl at the last breath out of our bodies Paul him selfe al faithfull felt this coÌ„cupiscence dwelling in theÌ„ striuing against the renouacion of y e spirit whiles they lyued It is therefore so blody and so skabby a skar in the soule that it is euer in cure in the wouÌ„ded half dead half a liue whoÌ„ the samaritane committed to the inholder luc â–ª x. and not so cleaue a skar as ye go about to cure it by baptism And so maister Ioye to returne to our mater yf ye wolde for policie fle from the worke of loue to the work of faith because ye wolde be assewred ye be no more assewered in respect by your own worke by faith then ye be by charitie but all oure asseweraunce is in gods promise quia deus verax omnis homo mendar No my lorde I fly not froÌ„ the work of loue to the worke of faith as ye do froÌ„ faith to loue thei both flyinge froÌ„ you But I do enbrace them bothe But in the worke of my iustificacion I obserue the order and doctryne of the scripture onely by faith to be iustified and so to procede to y e workes of loue first assewered by my faithe which assewerance loue can not geue me into Christe that he hath forgeuen me my sinnes Nether speke I of any other asseweraÌ„ce by my nowne works as ye wolde falsely impinge it vnto me but onely by the worke of faith into Christe which is not my worke but gods worke and his gift in me But I spake plainly of faith it self which is the very self certitude vndouted adseweraunce ioined to gods infallible promise sealled with his holy sprit my pledge pant and ernest peny geuen me in Christs promyse with which my faith thus sealed I am assewered of my remission and saluacion thorow hope But all our adsewerance say you is in gods promise Ioye But what asewerance haue ye in gods promise except ye beleue it Euen here haue ye condempned your self and of purpose left out faith the assewered certitude of gods promise and not charite ye wil vtter the trwth and bewraye your self vnwares the infallible prouidence of God so bringinge into light by your selues the same thinge ye contende to kouer and to suppresse For this my former boke ayenst you I dare saye ye wold haue punished him y t shuld haue brought it first into the realme and now haue ye made lawes y t none siche bokis be openly redde ne solde in the realme but haue condempned them And yet hathe God so blindened and infatuated you in your own false tyranye as to make your self to printe the same boke agene and yet agen to to be openly frely redd w t yours and sold in the realme And for one secret C. by your own blynd procurement are there now openly a M. distributed in y e realme into many haÌ„des that neuer had theÌ„ before And therfore how soeuer ye and yours wyll test at it I wyll retourne to my common collet a prayer in the churche Omnipotens sempiterne deus da nobis fidei spei charitatis augmentuÌ„ ut mereamur assequi quod promiâ—tiâ— fac nos amare quod precipis Now I pray ye returne to it againe and into the popes portewes youre versicles litanies matens euensoÌ„g and misse to that yet prayethe in the same to merit to obtayne remission of sinnes and saluacion by their popish workes pardous and pilgrimages For in deed ye be drouen froÌ„ the scriptures and compelled as euerye man seeth to flye to your popysh portews and missale to begge your false and beggarly autorities to coÌ„firme your doutfull doctryne I dare saye yf ye had knowen the scriptures to haue confirmed it ye wolde neuer haue sought suche shiftes Wherfore the some of our helth beginneth continueth and is accomplysshed by gods mercye Quia neque volentis neque currentissed miserentis dei est so the seweraunce of our helth depeÌ„deth vpon gods promyse I am afrayde lest as ye iugled w t your bare beleife so wolde ye do with gods promise ye shuld haue therfore added to it saying playnely The asseweraunce of our helth dependethe vpon goddes promyse of remission saluacion in Christ apprehended by faythe Mary quod you and that is truthe And here you wyll clappe your handes extoll the strength of treuth Ioye yea and of fayth to As though we pharseis as ye saduces call vs wolt oppresse it The promise of god is all Et ideo ex fide say you Ioye And therefore oute of faithe saith Paule is the heretage geuen Geuen he saith and not deserued vt firma sit promissio that by grace and not by Wynchesters workes it be geuen that ferme and sewer myghte be the promise I think there was neuer haithen gentyle or Iewe that so spightfully and so blasphemously mocketh out gods holy word as here do you of a sette proposed malice sinning agenst the holy goste For here because ye shuld not erre of ignorance god hath suâ—fred you to fall into the place of S. Paul which vtterly conuinceth destroieth all your dampnable doctryne Here Paul setting the lawe against the promise of the gospel as one contrary to the tother in the acte of iustificacion maketh .vii. mighty arguments to proue onely faith w tout the workes of the lawe to iustifye because the rightwysnes of workis and of the lawe cannot stand togither For that as cometh to vs by the promise he saith it cannot come to vs out of the lawe but the heretage cometh to vs by the promise ergo not out of the lawe emonge the whiche arguments this is one If our iustificacion shulde depende of the works of the law no man were sewer of his iustificacion bothe for thimperfeccion of his works also for thimpossibilite of the lawe to be performed of maÌ„ And agen the lawe worketh wrath and maketh sinne the more breeme to abounde Onely that thinge iustifyeth which settleth maketh sewer and fast our consciences out of doute but that is the fre promise of God receiued by our faith not the werkis of the lawe wherfore our faith onely staid vpon gods fre and vndouted promise iustifyeth Then he argueth agen thus Euery fre merciable promise of god in christ to forgeue vs our sinnes is receiued by onely fayth our iustificacion is the free merciful promise of God in Christ wherfore it must