constraint although such is this necessitie as it hath no compulsion ioined therewith God is of necessitie good and cannot sinne by anie meanes and yet is he not driuen by force to be good Which thing Augustine in his 22. booke De ciuitate Dei and thirtie chapter dooth verie well declare Bicause God himselfe saith he cannot sinne therefore shall we denie that he hath frée will Ambrose in his second booke and third chapter De fide vnto Gratian the Emperour testifieth that God is frée when he saith 1. Co. 12 11 that One and the same spirit worketh all things diuiding vnto all as pleaseth him according to the choise of his frée will and not for to obeie necessitie In these sentences of these fathers frée will is so taken Freedome is contrarie vnto compulsion not vnto necessitie that it is contrarie vnto violence and compulsion not that it is equallie bent to either part Whervpon Ierom in his homilie of the prodigall sonne which he wrote vnto Damasus bicause he tooke frée will in another sense therefore he wrote otherwise It is onelie God saith he on whom sinne falleth not nor can fall but others forsomuch as they haue frée will may be bowed euerie waie Also it is agréeable vnto blessed spirits and angels that they cannot sinne séeing their felicitie is alreadie confirmed Wherefore Augustine in his 22. booke De ciuitate Dei and thirtie chapter saith A similitude Euen as the first immortalitie which Adam through sinne lost was that it was possible he should not die euen so the first frée will was that it was possible he should not sinne but the last frée will shall be that he shall not possiblie sinne Yet neuertheles there is granted a certeine kind of libertie vnto them not wherby they can be bowed to either part but such as although that which they doo is of necessitie yet thereby they be not compelled or violentlie driuen For euen as there be certeine true things so manifest as the mind cannot but consent vnto them Why the blessed cannot sinne so the presence of God now reuealed and made manifest is so good a thing as the saints cannot faile or forsake the same So likewise although we of necessitie doo sinne before we be regenerated in Christ yet are not therefore the powers of the will violated for whatsoeuer we doo both we doo it willinglie and also we are led to doo it vpon some hope And yet we must not be therefore accounted to differ nothing from brute beasts for they The not regenerate differ from brute beasts notwithstanding they be moued with a certeine kind of iudgement yet it is not by a frée iudgement But in men although they be not yet renewed there is as we haue said much libertie remaining as touching ciuill morall works Further among the verie sinnes wherein they be of necessitie conuersant they haue a choise to choose one and refuse an other though they cannot atteine vnto those things which please God These things doo not accord with brute beasts for they be rather driuen by the force of nature than that they can doo anie thing by anie libertie or frée choise Men may be said to be frée Three maner of freedoms either in respect of compulsion or in respect of sinne or in respect of miserie The first libertie from compulsion is giuen vnto all men howbeit vnto sinne and miserie all men which haue not atteined vnto Christ are altogether subiect But after what sort men which be regenerate be subiect either to sinne or to miserie while they liue here I will afterward declare In the meane time we ought to be sure that the will is not constrained to sinne through this necessitie which we speake of 7 But that we may with the more perspicuitie and plainenesse declare all this whole matter it must be first determined what these words Free Violent and Willing doo signifie We call that Frée What is Free Violent and Willing which hauing two or more things set before it can choose as it lusteth what it will And therefore we denie that the will of men not regenerate is vniuersallie frée A definition of Free for it cannot choose those things which doo belong to saluation The will of the not regenerate is greatlie restrained Violent is that which is so mooued of an outward beginning that it of it selfe nothing helpeth vnto that motion but rather resisteth it as when a stone is cast on high That is said to worke of his owne accord or willinglie What they cannot choose which hath an inward beginning inclining to that motion wherby it is driuen By these things it is manifest that to doo of his owne accord and to doo of necessitie are not contrarie one to another for they may be ioined together as it is plaine in our will which of necessitie embraceth felicitie yet it embraceth it not against his will or by compulsion but of his owne accord and gladlie Neither is it possible The will cannot be compelled that the will should be compelled to will that which it will not Yea Augustine thinketh it to be so absurd that a man should will that which he will not as if one should say that anie thing can be hot without heate The necessitie of sinning is not absolute in the wicked But yet that necessitie whereby the wicked are said to sinne is not absolute and perfect so as it cannot be otherwise for so soone as the grace and spirit of Christ commeth that necessitie is straitwaie loosed Wherefore Augustine saith Augustine saith that it is of nature to be able to haue faith that it is of nature to be able to haue faith hope and charitie but to haue them indéed is altogether the gift of grace for that power or abilitie breaketh not foorth into act vnlesse grace be giuen from God Herein Augustine agréed with the Pelagians that To be able is of nature The opinion of Augustine compared with the Pelagians But this Augustine added which Pelagius did not allow that To will well and to liue vprightlie is to be attributed vnto grace onelie But I thinke that as touching this power of nature there must be made a distinction for if they meane this that our nature is so made of God as neither faith nor hope nor charitie doo striue with the same if they be giuen of God but rather accomplish it make it perfect and adorne it I confesse it to be true that they saie What manner of power vnto faith is in nature but if they will haue the power of nature to signifie some strength of the same whereby it can challenge to it selfe these things I yéeld not to them in anie wise for it is a wicked and damnable opinion We saie therefore that the will of man hath respect both vnto good and vnto euill How the will of man hath respect vnto good and euill but after
saith he were the promises made and vnto his seed He saith not And vnto the seeds as speaking of manie but as it were of one and in thy seed which is Christ And this testament I saie was confirmed by GOD towards Christ Let Pighius now yet beléeue Paule that in that séed which was promised vnto Abraham was Christ comprehended and meant neither let him from hencefoorth with such malapertnesse and desire of victorie take vpon him to saie that the faith whereby Abraham was iustified was not faith in Christ But as touching the remission of sinnes forsomuch as vnto vs is promised the blessing we ought to remember that the chiefe and principall point thereof consisteth in this that we should be receiued of God into fauour and that our sinnes should be forgiuen vs. But Pighius goeth on manifestlie to oppugne the doctrine of the apostle touching the iustification of Abraham for he saith that Before Abraham was circumcised had a testimonie of the scripture that his faith was imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes He beléeued God verse 4. as it is manifest in the 12. chapter of Genesis wherefore saith he according to this opinion of yours he was then iustified neither was his righteousnes differred vntill that historie which is written in the 15. chapter It is woonderfull to sée how much he attributeth vnto these his arguments as though by them were taken awaie from vs all possibilitie to answer What time Abraham was iustified What I beséech you letted but that Abraham might be iustified at that first time when God spake vnto him first to go out of his countrie and from his kinred For euen in the selfe-same place at the beginning of the 12. chapter wée read the selfe-same promises which are in the 15. chapter For thus God promised him I will make of thee a great nation and will blesse thee and will make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing I will also blesse those that blesse thee and will curse those that curse thee and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed Vndoubtedlie in these words is conteined the promise of Christ and the remission of sinnes And therefore there shall be no absurditie if we saie that Abraham by beléeuing of those words was also iustified But bicause the scripture in that chapter did not plainlie set foorth this therefore Paule with great wisedome hath cited those words which are spoken in the 15. chap. where it is expresselie written that Faith was imputed to him for righteousnes which saieng was most necessarie to confirme the sentence of the apostle namelie Why God would renew the selfe-same promises that A man is iustified by faith But why God would renew the selfe-same promises it is not hard to sée so weake is our mind that except the words of God be repeated and againe and againe driuen into vs it easilie starteth backe from faith Neither doutles is iustification once onlie taken hold of but is so often apprehended as we trulie mightilie assent vnto the promises of God for séeing we continuallie slide and fall into sinnes we haue néed euermore that our iustification should be renewed 62 Afterward he cauilleth that in the epistle vnto the Hebrues Heb. 11. are manie things found touching faith and manie woonderfull acts spoken of which haue béene obteined by it but yet not one word spoken that iustification is to be ascribed thereto But this man with an vniust paire of balance weieth the words of the holie scripture neither sufficientlie considereth what those words meane Ibidem 33. The iust haue by faith ouercome kingdoms haue wrought righteousnesse haue obteined the promises for these are so to be resolued that from the last effect we must returne vnto the first The last is To ouercome kingdoms the next To worke righteousnes the first To obteine the promises among which promises are reckoned blessing life remission of sinnes and such other like which serue to iustification Wherefore that which is first made mention of faith apprehendeth by it we are iustified afterward followe good works In the 11. chap. to the Hebrues faith is said to iustifie and therfore it is said And they wrought righteousnes lastlie by the selfe-same faith we obteine temporall good things for that cause it is said They haue ouercome kingdoms So then Pighius falslie affirmeth that in the epistle vnto the Hebrues among the effects of faith is no mention made of iustification for although that word be not there read yet it is of necessitie and manifestlie gathered of those things that are there written For we verilie are not Arrians as some wickedlie béelie vs that we will grant nothing but that which is by plaine and expresse words read in the holie scriptures for we grant those things also which are by euident and plaine arguments gathered out of them But Pighius afterward demandeth Why we take awaie from works the power of iustifieng Vnto this wée could make answer in one word that we doo it bicause the holie Ghost in the scriptures so teacheth vs namelie that Men are iustified by faith without works But to the end we should not so brieflie dispatch it he hath laid a blocke in our waie for he answereth vnto himselfe that the cause thereof is for that our works are vnperfect neither satisfie they the lawe of God neither also can they stand sure before the iudgement seat of God But by this means also saith he we may affirme that iustification is not of faith for it also is vnperfect for there is no man beléeueth so much as he should doo But vnto this we answer as we haue in other places oftentimes answered that faith as it is a worke iustifieth not Faith as it is a worke iustifieth not for it hath that effect and fruit not by anie power of his owne but by his obiect that is by that which it doth regard and laieth hold vpon for from the death of Christ the promises of God is righteousnes deriued vnto vs. So a begger receiueth almes with a leprous weake and sore hand A similitude and yet not in that respect that his hand is in such sort weake and leprous But thou wilt saie Why doo not other good works also by their obiect namelie by God for whose sake they are done apprehend righteousnes as well as faith I answer Why rather faith than other works iustifieth that faith was to this vse made and instituted by God for euen so in the bodie of a man although it haue diuers and sundrie members yet the hand onelie taketh hold and receiueth And so is easilie dissolued that common lewd false reason We are iustified by faith Faith is a worke Ergo we are iustified for works sake Here in the conclusion is stuffed in this word For which was not in the former propositions and therefore the collection is not good Further the forme of the reason is as they
And Paule in the 1. to the Corinthians verse 8. the 12. chapter Vnto one saith he is giuen the word of wisedome vnto another the word of knowlege vnto another faith and vnto another the grace of healing And then he addeth that It is one the selfe-same spirit which worketh all these things diuiding vnto euerie man as pleaseth him And if thou wilt saie that this place and the foresaid petition of the apostles perteineth vnto the particular faith by which are wrought miracles doubtles I will not be much against it And yet if thou wilt néeds haue it so I will reason A minori that is From the lesse for if these frée gifts are not had but from the spirit of God much lesse can that vniuersall effectuall faith whereby we are iustified be had from else where Further Paule vnto the Romans Rom. 12 3. Vnto euerie one saith he as God hath diuided the measure of faith And in the last to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 4 13. Hauing saith he the selfe-same spirit of faith euen as it is written I haue beleeued for which cause also I speake We also beleeue and speake that God which raised vp Iesus from the dead shall through Iesus raise vp our bodies also Vnto the Galathians are reckoned vp the fruits of the spirit Charitie ioie peace patience lowlines Gal. 5 22. gentlenes faith meekenes and temperance Faith here is numbered among the fruits of the spirit wherefore it procéedeth of the spirit But vnto the Ephesians he saith more manifestlie Eph. 2 8. By grace ye are saued through faith that not of your selues for it is the gift of God And in the Acts of the apostles it is thus written Acts. 16 14. The Lord opened the hart of the woman that sold silks to giue heed vnto those things which Paule spake And in the 13. chapter They beleeued Acts. 13 48. as manie as were predestinate vnto eternall life Wherefore it is not to be doubted How the holie Ghost is in men not regeâ—erate but that faith is ingendered in our harts by the holie Ghost who in déed may for all that be had of them which beléeue not but yet as persuading onlie and not as sanctifieng them And although into the elect he suddenlie powreth in faith yet forsomuch as he is the cause of faith he is therefore before it both in dignitie and in order 67 Now let vs sée what absurdities Pighius gathereth out of this our sentence iudgement If the spirit saith he be the author of our faith and vseth the instrument of the word of God and may be also in them that beléeue not how commeth this to passe How it commeth that at one verie sermon part of the hearers beleeue and part not that when as there are manie at one and the selfe-same sermon where as both the spirit is present and the word preached yet part doo beléeue and part beléeue not We answer in one word that that commeth bicause the spirit is not of like efficacie in all men neither doth after one and the selfe-same maner teach all men inwardlie in the mind But of his will we cannot render anie cause although we nothing doubt but that it is most iust If the matter be so saith he the hearers will easilie content themselues neither will they put to their indeuor or studie for they knowe that that is in vaine when as it wholie dependeth of the spirit of God This is not onelie a verie common but also an enuious obiection But we answer that all men are bound to beléeue the word of God and therefore their bounden dutie is diligentlie and attentiuelie to hearken therevnto with all their strength to assent vnto it and if they so doo not they shall then incur the punishments of the lawe Neither are they to be hearkened vnto if they shall saie that they could not obeie it or if they would haue gone about to haue prooued what their strength could haue done their indeuor for that they were not as yet iustified should haue béene in vaine and sinne A similitude As if a maister should bid his seruant which is lame to walke and he would excuse himselfe and saie that he were lame and could not go without great deformitie it is not to be thought All sinnes are not alike that therefore he is excused We are not of that mind to thinke that all sinnes are alike naie rather we teach that they which omit or neglect those outward works which they might performe and put not to their indeuor and studie to doo well doo much more gréeuouslie sinne than they which according to their strength and power obserue some outward discipline And as Augustine saith Cato and Scipio shall be much more tollerablie delt with than Catiline or Caligula But I would haue Pighius himselfe whom our opinion so much misliketh to declare when he thinketh that the holie Ghost is giuen vnto men He will answer when as now these preparations haue gone before when a man hath beléeued feared hoped repented and sincerelie loued What thing else would Pelagius saie As though to beléeue to loue and such other like doo spring of mans strength He alledgeth this also thinketh it to make for his purpose Mat. 11 28. Come vnto me all ye which labour and are laden and I will refresh you For he thinketh that labours burthens contrition confession and as they call it satisfaction fastings teares and such other like doo make to the obteinement of iustification But this place is to be vnderstood farre otherwise for Christ calleth them labouring and loden which were oppressed with the lawe and felt their owne infirmitie and the burthen of their sinnes and which had now long time laboured vnder humane traditions These men being now wearie and in a maner without all hope the Lord calleth vnto him for they are more apt and fit for the kingdom of heauen than are other blessed and quiet men which by their owne works and good déeds doo thinke themselues verie iust God saith Pighius requireth works preparatorie and then he promiseth not to faile them of his grace This was wholie the opinion of the Pelagians Against which the holie scriptures are vtterlie repugnant for they teach that It is God which giueth both to will Phil. 2 13. to performe according to his good will that it is God which beginneth in vs the good worke and accomplisheth it euen vnto his owne daie Phil. 1 6. that it is God from whom onlie we haue sufficiencie when as otherwise we are not able to thinke anie thing of our selues as of our selues Wherefore it is manifest that Pighius confoundeth the lawes of God describeth those things which are well set foorth in the holie scriptures 68 Further when as we saie that vnto iustification it is not sufficient to haue an historicall faith he faineth himselfe to maruell what
the mind verse 17. in the darknes of the hart c. And yet will they haue that such kind of contritions and attritions should please God The epistle to the Hebrues saith Heb. 11 6. that It is vnpossible without faith to please God Vnto the Ephesians we are said to be dead in sinne Ephes 2 1. And what can dead men bring for their regeneration that they should liue againe They be the children of wrath and Whatsoeuer is not of faith Rom. 14 13 is sinne as the same apostle hath most manifestlie testified This I will shall be sufficient to shew that this attrition is sinne 22 The same Scotus procéedeth further in the fourth of sentences distinction 14. quest 2. and saith Scotus opinion touching attrition that Sometimes a man of his owne méere naturall gift onelie adding the common influence of God is able to repent him of his sinnes and to detest sinne by considering how farre it is against the lawe of God how farre it hindereth his saluation and how great punishment and paine of euerlasting damnation it bringeth This he calleth attrition wherevnto if the stirring grace of God be added which may prouoke this act hée saith that contrition is doone and that remission of sinnes and iustification is obteined But whether that grace be giuen foorthwith or with some delaie they doo not all agrée and so the whole matter is made vncerteine First The absurdities of this opinion as touching the time bicause men knowe not at what time they are to be receiued into grace Further the cause of the diligence required bicause they knowe not whether they be trulie contrite or no. And they will that a man which is trulie contrite should hate sinne more than anie hatefull and detestable thing They make him that is attrite to hate sinne but not with so great extremitie not aboue euerie hatefull and detestable thing And they put a difference betwéene these two not indéed according to the vehemencie of sorrowe for sometimes it may be that a man will sorrowe more for his owne sinne than for offending of GOD. But a distinction must be made by some equall consideration and therefore they distinguish on this sort that that motion be made through grace and for Gods cause Further that there be a present purpose of not sinning although all the pleasures of the world should be offered But this thing hath not he which sorroweth onelie for punishment sake for if sinne onelie be set before his eies and the punishments taken awaie when the punishments be remooued he will make a choise of his owne pleasures Vndoubtedlie these men deliuer manie absurdities for they place charitie before iustification and remission of sinnes Christ being minded to shew that the woman which was a sinner had obteined remission of hir sinnes shewed the same by the consequents Hir sinnes be forgiuen hir Luk. 7 47. bicause shee loued much They turne it and make the antecedents She loued much therefore hir sinnes are forgiuen hir But what iudge they of that attrition which they haue described which is doone onlie for punishment sake and by the instinct of nature They saie that it is good bicause it is the waie vnto iustification so that there be no actuall exception whereby they saie Vnlesse that punishment were before mine eies I should surelie sinne 23 There be some also among them The opinion of the Nominals touching this matter being called Nominals who were of the opinion that a purpose not to sinne is not necessarilie required in contrition and they dare â—enter to sâ—…e that in the holie scriptures there is no mention made of such a purpose But yet the name of repentance should haue admonished them for what is repentance but a change of the mind whereby we procéed from euill vnto good so far as the infirmitie of man will suffer And it behooueth that therein be a desire of righteousnes Ezechiel saith Eze. 18 21. If so be he shall repent him of his wickednes and shall keepe my commandements c. And Christ required of them Iohn 5 14 and 11. whom he had healed that they should not sinne anie more Wherefore these men doo but cauill And the verie detestation of sinne ought to haue respect not onelie vnto the time that is present and past but vnto that also which is to come wherefore we must exclude these sort of men Some of them saie that It may be that there is attrition which commeth of mans owne naturall power with the common influence of God so that a man may be sorie that he hath offended euen for Gods cause They proue it For if I can be sorrowfull for offending a certeine fréend wherefore is it not also lawfull to grant it in humane actions that men may naturallie sorowe bicause they haue offended God whose goodnes they might acknowledge in his creation and in the multitude of his benefits So these men put a difference betwéene contrition and attrition not by reason of the obiect for that the one repenteth bicause of God and the other for feare of punishment but in respect of the efficient cause for that they will then haue it to be contrition when the grace of God prouoketh the same The one they deriue from our owne naturall abilitie and the other from grace which preuenteth What will they haue then to be doone when a man is attrite Let him come saie they to the sacrament of repentance and then that vnperfectnes of attrition shal be taken awaie and he shall please God by vertue of the keies alwaies prouided that he haue thought himselfe to be contrite and haue vsed all diligence otherwise absolution can nothing profit him But to what end deale these men so subtilie He that sorroweth for his sinnes can scarselie discerne at anie time whether he doo it for Gods sake or else for feare of punishment He that heareth these things how shall he know Of an attrite man he is become a contrite man saie they by the power of the keies When If he vse all diligence How shall he vnderstand this Surelie he will neuer vse that diligence so great is the infirmitie of our strength Yet these Nominals saie that he which applieth all diligence shall receiue forgiuenes of sinnes euen before he goeth to confession otherwise that he is driuen into desperation if he haue not the helpe of a priest If they would saie that contrition it selfe is repentance so that it spring of faith they should speake rightlie but as concerning those attritions of theirs which be doone by the force and strength of man which were no other than the repentance of Caine Saule and Iudas we be so farre from allowing of them as we saie What is to be iudged concerning contritions that it is no other thing but a doubting of the forgiuenesse of sinnes They make the promises of God to be of none effect and they call vs vnto works whereas Paule
would namelie that he might be iustified when he condemneth and punisheth The doctrine that Iudas the traitour receiued of Christ did thus much profit him that at the length he condemned himselfe Matth. 27 4. saieng I haue sinned in betraieng the innocent bloud For to this passe are the wicked driuen that at the length they are condemned by their owne iudgement And they which should haue taken profit by the doctrine are gréeuouslie hurt by the same as we read in the prophet Esaie the sixt chapter when it is said Esaie 6 10. Make blind the hart of this people dull their eares and shut vp their eies least peraduenture they should see heare vnderstand and be conuerted and I shuld heale them Euen so by the words of Moses Exod. 7 13. was the hart of Pharao euer more and more hardened In Rom. 1 18. 9 And the cause why they are inexcusable is declared in these words Which withhold the truth in vnrighteousnes They attained vnto so much truth as thereby they vnderstood how to behaue themselues towards God and towards their neighbors and yet withheld they the truth in vnrighteousnes The verie which thing did the Hebrues as touching the truth which God reuealed vnto them by the lawe Séeing therefore that both these Hebrues and those Gentils haue béene so gréeuouslie punished what ought men that be christians in profession to hope for which withhold to themselues so great a light of the Gospell without fruit Doubtles they shall become most wretched of all And the thing it selfe teacheth that they which boast of Christ and liue dishonestly doo at the length excéed all men be they neuer so wicked in naughtines and dishonestie The truth is after a sort withheld captiue in them In whom the truth is withheld captiue which vnderstand the same and yet expresse it not in work and life And it is bound and tied with the chaines of naughtie lusts the which With what bonds the truth is bound when they breath out from the inferiour parts of our mind they darken the vnderstanding and close vp the knowen truth in a darke dungeon God doth lighten it in our minds but through naughtie lusts it is woonderfullie darkened We must not thinke as Chrysostome warneth vs that the truth of his owne nature can suffer anie thing For the truth of his owne nature is vnchangable But what discommoditie soeuer happeneth The truth suffereth nothing in it selfe the same hurteth our mind and soule Paule in two words toucheth those things which Aristotle in his Ethicks when he disputeth of the incontinent person vttereth at large Aristotle in his Ethicks For he demandeth by what meanes the incontinent person declineth vnto vices since that in his mind he hath a right opinion And hée answereth that this happeneth by reason hée is too much affected to the particular good which is obiected presentlie to the sense by the weight wherof the better part also is oppressed so as he giueth place vnto the lusts neither doth he his part in effectuall considering of the truth which before he knew Ouid of Medea Which also the Poet affirmeth of Medea I see the best which I allow But yet the woorst I doo insue All this dooth Paule teach vs when he saith that The wicked withhold the truth in vnrighteousnes The truth doth alwaies as much as can be indeuour to breake foorth into act but it is hindered by concupiscence or lust And this is it which is written in the first booke of the Ethicks that the best part of the soule doth alwaies exhort and prouoke to the best things The better part of the soule exhorteth to the better things For so hath God and nature framed vs that the thing which wée knowe we desire to expresse in act which being not doone we are reprooued by our owne iudgement And herein appéereth the woonderfull force of the conscience which in the more gréeuous sort of offences can neuer be perfectlie setled 10 To withhold the truth in vnrighteousnes is properlie to refuse the calling of God which continuallie by his truth calleth vs backe vnto himselfe Wherefore it shall be verie profitable for vs if whensoeuer we haue attained vnto anie truth either through studie or obseruation of things we reckon straitwaie with our selues wherevnto God calleth vs through that truth which he laieth before our minds By this word vnrighteousnes the Apostle vnderstood generallie whatsoeuer sinne we commit either against God or against men Wherefore Paule speaketh of that truth which is naturallie ingraffed in vs also of that which we attaine vnto by our owne studie For either of those instructeth vs of most excellent things touching God Neither is the vnrighteousnes which we commit able to blot it out of our minds Which thing neuertheles the Academicall philosophers indeuoured to teach The error of the Academicks séeing they earnestlie affirme that there can be nothing certainlie taught by vs and so would not haue vs to imbrace anie thing as being sure therof that it is true but would haue vs account all things as vncertaine and doubtfull Likewise the Epicures go about to pull out of our minds those things The error of the Epicures which by a naturall former conceit are printed in our hart◠concerning God And yet neither of these were able to bring to passe that which they indeuoured For will they nill they these truthes remaine still in the minds of men Whether truth bee stronger in it selfe as it is laid hold on by faith or as it is ingraffed by nature Wherin the difference consisteth but which is to be lamented they are withholden in vnrighteousnes 11 Perhaps thou wilt demand how it commeth to passe that the truth which we haue by faith is of more strength to breake out into act than is the truth which we naturallie perceiue This vndoubtedlie commeth not for this cause that one truth by it selfe and seuerallie vnderstood is of more force than another For truth on both parts hath the selfe-same nature but the difference commeth by the meane and instrument whereby the same is perceiued The strength of nature is corrupt féeble and defiled through sinne and therefore the truth which it taketh hold of it hath not effectuallie But faith hath ioined with it the inspiration of God and the power of the holie Ghost and therefore it taketh hold of the truth effectuallie wherefore the diuersitie is not in the truth it selfe but in the meane and instrument whereby we imbrace the same Hereof it commeth that there we be changed but here we remaine the selfe-same that we were before Sundrie examples of apprehension of the truth Matt. 19 22. Of which thing we haue a cléere testimonie in the Gospell Christ set forth vnto the yoong man what he should doo to obtaine saluation the which he hearing was not persuaded to giue place but went awaie sorowfull He trusted vnto naturall strength and
a good intent is required that both the end and meanes be good that We must neuer doo euill to the intent that good may come thereof Wherfore an intent is euill two maner of waies to wit either by the naughtines of the end or else of the meanes But the intent can neuer be good vnles both the end and the means be good Thus far the philosophers schoole-diuines agrée with vs. Now let vs sée how they differ from vs. 2 The philosophers thinke that the rightnes of the end and meanes dependeth of mans reason or naturall vnderstanding as though that should suffice to knowe the difference betwéene things iust and vniust But this we denie and in anie wise require faith and the word of God as sure rules Augustine which Augustine in manie places testifieth and especiallie in his treatise vpon the 31. psalme where he saith Account not thy works good before faith which me thinketh are nothing else A similitude but great strength and hastie spéed out of the waie and he which maketh such haste runneth headlong into destruction Wherefore a good intent maketh a good action but faith directeth that intent so that when we purpose anie worke we must take héed that our hart haue regard vnto faith whereby it may direct his indeuors Faith rules the intent The schoole-diuines will easilie grant that faith gouerneth the intent and maketh it good But we differ from them in thrée respects first bicause we affirme that faith dependeth onlie of the word of God Faith cannot be tied to the fathers and councels but they will haue it depend both vpon the fathers and councels which may in no wise be granted them forsomuch as faith must be constant altogither void of error which two things are not found in the fathers and councels for they speake one contrarie vnto another Fathers doo verie oftentimes differ from fathers and councels from councels And few are the fathers yea almost none which haue not sometimes erred and that in most weightie matters And verie manie of the councels haue néed of correction Dooth not the holie scripture in expresse words testifie Rom. 3 4. that All men are liers The second thing wherein we cannot assent vnto the Schoolemen is bicause they affirme that by a good intent our works are made meritorious yea and that of eternall life Our works by a good intent cannot be meritorious But how contrarie this is vnto truth the nature of merit may teach of the which I mind not at this present to intreate Thirdlie we disagrée from the Schoolemen in that they affirme that the worke is made good as they speake by an habituall good intent that is to saie The worke cannot be made good by an habituall intention doone without anie good motion of the hart They feigne that our actions such as be praiers reading of psalmes and giuing of almes doo please God although indéed we thinke nothing vpon God at all and they suppose that this habituall intent which they place in him is sufficient enough So that if thou shalt aske of him that worketh why he dooth so he may be readie to answere that he dooth them to the glorie of God especiallie when in the dooing he hath not a contrarie mind or will repugnant But this doubtles we may not grant them séeing that in this carelesnes wherby we in working thinke not of God nor of his glorie the commandement of God is broken Deut. 6 5. Matt. 22 37. which commandeth vs to loue God with all our hart with all our mind with all our strength Wherefore we counsell rather that this bée acknowledged a sinne than to be accounted a good worke 3 But bicause they perceiued that their saiengs are not without absurditie they added So that in the beginning of the worke it selfe there be some thinking of God and of his glorie in such sort that the thing purposed be directed vnto him But no man doubteth that it is néedfull to haue a good beginning of those things which we doo But afterward if faith accompanie not those things which we haue well begun and we while we are working doo not respect God and his glorie we shall run headlong into sinne which ought not to haue béene dissembled Further if we should worke as we ought to doo and as the lawe requireth yet should We still as Christ saith be vnprofitable seruants so far off is it Luk. 17 1◠that we should attribute vnto our selues anie merits Wherefore while we giue ouer to thinke vpon the honour and glorie of God we fall neither are such fals to be dissembled but we must rather craue pardon for them séeing in their owne nature they be sinnes although bicause of Christ they are not imputed as deadlie vnto the beléeuers And so let a good intent be ioined vnto our works A good intent must be ioined with faith and action Matth. 6 22. but yet such as is adorned with faith and let vs performe the same not in habit but in act Wherefore the Lord in the gospell of Matthew the sixt chapter saith The light of thy bodie is thine eie and if thine eie be single all thy bodie shall be light but if the light that is in thee become darkenes how great shall the darkenes then be These things doth Augustine in his second booke of questions vpon the gospels quest 15. and against Iulian in the fourth booke the 20. chapter iudge to be vnderstood of a good intent And in like manner writeth he in his tenth Tome the second sermon where hée treateth vpon this place Matth. 6. Let vs not doo righteousnes before men to the intent we may be seene of them The intent saith he must alwaies be had vnto the glorie of God but the desire to haue it knowne vnto men must be laid apart sauing so far as it may appéere to appertaine to Gods honor And thither tendeth that which was said of Christ Matth. 7 18. that A good tree cannot bring foorth euill fruit nor an euill tree good fruit for the trée betokeneth the intent So as those things being true which we haue said the act of Gedeon done of a good intent séeing faith did not gouerne the same can not be excused Of zeale In Rom. 10 verse 3. What zeale doth signifie 4 But now to declare what is zeale let vs first consider the etymologie therof The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is zeale is a Gréeke word deriued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth To loue but yet vehemētlie so that after loue followeth admiration after admiration imitation and a gréefe if wée may not enioie the thing we loue or else if others be admitted into our companie and this is the proper signification of the word Wherefore we may thus define it A definition of zeale Zeale is an affection which abideth in that part of the mind which lusteth or desireth after
obserued the same houre which the Iewes had appointed for common praier for it saith that At the ninth houre he sawe an angel standing by him which gaue him to vnderstand that his praier was heard But out of the first chapter of Esaie and 15. of Prouerbs and manie other places we be taught that The vngodlie and sinfull sort be not heard of God How it is to be vnderstood that sinners are not heard of God Which neuertheles must be vnderstood so long as they would be sinners and reteine with them a will to sinne 11 Neither is that which Augustine writeth against the Donatists repugnant to this doctrine namelie that The praiers of wicked priests be heard of God Why God heareth the the praiers of ill ministers for he addeth that it so commeth to passe by reason of the peoples deuotion But Cornelius when he praid was holpen by his owne faith and not through the faith of others which stood by And Augustine in his epistle vnto Sixtus saith that God in iustifieng of a man is woont to giue his spirit whereby he may pray for those things which be profitable for saluation Rom. 12 14 And séeing Cornelius praid for those things there can be no doubt but he was iustified Herevnto adde that no man can rightlie praie vnto God vnlesse he haue faith And that we be iustified by faith it hath bin sufficientlie testified and declared alreadie Peter also before he began to preach vnto him saith that He perceiued in verie truth that God is no accepter of persons Acts. 10 34. but that he is accepted by him of what nation so euer he be which worketh righteousnesse which words teach vs plainelie enough that Cornelius was euen alreadie accepted of God before Peter came vnto him But I maruell that there be anie which dare affirme that he had not the faith of Christ when as Christ himselfe in the eight chapter of Iohn saith that He knoweth not God which beleeueth not in the sonne of God Iohn 14 1. And in the 14. chapter he admonisheth his disciples If ye beleeue in God beleeue also in me Iohn 5 46. and if so be ye beleeued Moses ye would also beleeue in me These things assure vs that Cornelius beléeued verelie in God and therefore did also beléeue in the Messias which should come euen as he had bin instructed by the Iewes although he knew not that he was alreadie come and that IESVS of Nazareth whom the Iewes had crucified was the same Messias He had the same faith Cornelius had the faith of the fathers in the old testament Iohn 1 48. The example of Nathaniel wherewith the fathers beléeued that Christ should come wherefore séeing they were iustifie◠by the same faith how dare we be so bold as denie the verie same vnto Cornelius Nathaniel which beléeued that Messias should come and thought that he was not yet come is by Christ pronounced to be a true Israelit in whom there was no guile which two things cannot concurre in a man not yet iustified But Peter was therefore sent to Cornelius that he might more plainelie and expressedlie knowe that thing which he had before intricatlie beléeued of Christ Of this mind was Gregorie in his 19. homilie vpon Ezechiel A similitude for he saith that Faith is the entrie whereby we come to good works but not contrariwise that by good works we can come vnto faith And so he concludeth that Cornelius did first beléeue before he could bring foorth anie laudable workes And he citeth that place vnto the Hebrues It is vnpossible without faith to please God Which sentence Heb. 11 6. as it appeareth by the selfe-same place cannot be otherwise vnderstood than of faith iustifieng Beda expounding the third chapter of the acts is of the same mind and citeth the words of Gregorie Neither is the Maister of the sentences of anie other iudgement in his second booke and 25. distinction But our aduersaries obiect vnto vs Augustine in his 7. chapter De praedestinatione sanctorum where he reasoneth against those which taught that faith is of our selues when yet in the meane time they confessed that the works which followe be of God but yet obteined by faith Indéed Augustine confesseth that the works Faith is not of our selues Ephe. 2 8. which followe faith be of God but denieth that faith is of our selues For he saith that Paule writeth to the Ephesians By grace ye are saued through faith and that not of your selues for it is the gift of God But that is a hard saieng which he addeth namelie that the praiers and almes of Cornelius were accepted of God before he beléeued in Christ But we must here weigh the things which followe for he addeth And yet praied he not neither gaue he almes without some faith for how did he call vpon him in whom he beléeued not Cornelius had faith in Christ but not distinct and vnfolden These words doo plainelie declare that Augustine tooke not awaie from Cornelius all maner of faith in Christ but onelie an vnfolden and distinct faith Which thing that place chéeflie declareth which is cited out of the epistle to the Romans verse 13. How shall they call vpon him in whom they haue not beleeued For those words be written of the faith and inuocation of men regenerate as the next sentence following plainelie declareth Euerie one which calleth vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued for we cannot attribute saluation but to them which be iustified Peter was sent to edifie Cornelius not to laie the ground of his faith But Peter was sent vnto Cornelius to build vp and not to laie the foundation for the foundations of faith were laid in him before 12 But those things which Augustine addeth séeme to bring a greater difficultie for he saith But if he could without the faith namelie of Christ be saued that singular workeman the apostle should not haue béene sent to edifie him But séeing he alreadie before attributed vnto him faith and inuocation after which of necessitie followeth saluation whereof the apostle speaketh in the epistle to the Romans The saluation which we haue in this life is not perfect how can he take saluation from him vnlesse we peraduenture vnderstand that faith and saluation in men iustified is not perfect while they liue here For our saluation commeth not in this life to that degrée nor to that quantitie which Christ requireth in his elect for no man maie doubt but that we shall not atteine to perfect saluation before the resurrection and eternall saluation although we haue begun to enioie the same alreadie after a sort Paule to the Ephesians affirmeth Ephes 2 8. that We be now saued by faith And yet vnto the Philippians he exhorteth vs With feare and trembling to worke our owne saluation Phil. 2 12. Which places cannot be brought to one consent Saluation begun by iustification is
the molten calfe Exod. 32 20 Other good princes also and Serenus the bishop of Massilia Neither haue we euer perceiued that the scripture condemned ouerthrowers of images but the workers of images The first perhaps Who first painted churches which painted the church was Paulinus the bishop of Nola which yéelded this reason for the fact When the faithfull sort met togither vpon the holie daie to celebrate the memorie of Felix the martyr they were interteined with a religious banket and when they were more giuen to féeding of their bodie than reason would that father deuised to paint vpon the wall the histories of the old testament of the new to the end that the people by beholding of them might the more soberlie behaue themselues in their banket But howsoeuer that holie and godlie father ment in other matters yet in this matter he offended double For first he should not haue banketed the people in the church séeing we know that in the church of the Corinths there were manie things found fault withall by the apostle 1. Co. 11 22 concerning those feasts Moreouer he did amisse in that he thought men were more instructed by dumbe pictures than by the liuelie word of God Wherfore did he not rather teach them by a liuelie voice that they should temperatlie and soberlie spend out the time of the holie feast This had béene the ordinarie waie and meanes and most void of all danger Prudentius Prudentius also which liued in the time of Honorius and Theodosius singing the passion of Cassianus the martyr said that The historie of him was pictured in the church And in the seuenth Synod which was holden vnder Constantius and Hiren Nilus a bishop one Nilus a bishop is brought in which counselleth him that should build a new church to garnish the wals on euerie side with images and pictures But what bishop this was it is not knowen a martyr indéed he is called in this respect that he so became for Christ in the time of Dioclesian But it can not be he bicause it was not then permitted vnto the christians to build churches publikelie Further in that second Synod of Nice we read manie feined things and those things which were cited by those fathers for the most part are not extant in the booke of those men which were of sound iudgement There also it is reported that Gregorius Nissenus wept at such time as he passed by the image of Abraham but whether that image were in the waie or in the temple it appéereth not There also it is read that the martyrdome of Euphemia the virgine was painted out in the temple of the citie of Calcedonia howbeit so farre as I can gather these pictures were in the church-porch Augustins temple had no images But that Augustine had no images in his temple it appéereth hereby that he expounding those words of the 113. psalme The images of the Gentiles be siluer and gold euen the works of mens hands he writeth The works of mens hands for they worship that which they themselues made of gold and of siluer Doubtlesse we also haue manie instruments and vessels of such kind of matter or metall for the vse of celebrating the sacraments the which vessels being consecrated to the ministerie it selfe are called holie in the honor of him whom hereby we serue for our saluation And these vessels I beséech you are they anie other thing than the works of mens hands Yet notwithstanding haue they a mouth speake not Haue they eies yet will not sée Doo we praie to them bicause through them we make supplications vnto God That is a verie mad cause of impietie Wherefore it is manifest that images were not there for otherwise he would haue confessed himselfe inexcusable 24 Moreouer in the same Synod they cite Basil in his oration of the fortie martyrs A place in an oration of Basil expounded But that which they alledge maketh nothing to the matter now in hand For Basil affirmeth not that the acts of these martyrs were described in the temple but in the commending of them in his oration he saith that he would doo rightlie and orderlie whereby others might againe and againe be strengthened in faith For painters while they paint foorth the acts of valiant men they stirre vp others vnto laudable enterprises Men began euen at the first vpon a readie good will borne vnto Christ and to his apostles to haue some of their images at home with them Afterward being not satisfied with the priuate vse of them they set them not within the temples but in the porches Againe they considered with themselues What if they should be put in churches would they not bring such and such things vnto our memorie And finallie there insued an adoration Constantine with his sonne Iustinian at the temple of Sophia made pictures the which afterward Philippicus tooke awaie for which cause there followed afterward verie fierce contentions And séeing Paule saith 2. Cor. 6 16. How agreeth the temple of God with idols Is it not a shame at this daie that churches should be fraught with images How the ancient Christians ordered themselues in praiers Tertullian expresseth in his Apologetico the 30. chapter We saith he honor GOD with our eies lifted vp to the heauens and not vnto pictures Lib. Instit 2 cap. 2. Lactantius reproouing the Ethniks saith If ye thinke that those whom the images doo represent be in heauen whie doo you not lift vp your eies vnto heauen Wherefore it is lawfull so to saie vnto our aduersaries If ye thinke that the saints be in heauen whie doo ye not lift vp your eies vnto them which ye turne vnto the images in the temples Also we may prooue by an other argument Other arguments to proue that the Christians had no images that Christians had no images in their temples For Aelius Lampridius describing the liues of the thirtie tyrants among other things saith that Adrianus the emperor had decréed to appoint churches vnto the Christians but that there was one which did dissuade him that he should not doo it For he said If thou doo this the temples and images will be forsaken and all men will become Christians For those churches which the emperor was minded to giue them he builded without images Insomuch as those churches which were afterward erected without images were called the temples of Adrian Moreouer it must be considered that those things ought not to be had in the churches which call men backe from the religion of Christ Vndoubtedlie verie manie as well of the Turks as Iewes would be content to become christians were it not that they be greatlie offended at our images Paulus Ricius a learned Hebrue Wherevpon Paulus Ricius a verie learned Hebrue which was christened at Pauia said It was verie expedient that images should be remooued out of churches bicause manie of the Hebrues by the meanes of them be called
awaie from the confessing of Christ Erasmus opinion touching images And Erasmus in his catechisme wrote manie things to this purpose and finallie determined that those are not to be accompted heretiks which want images and will not receiue them And in his booke called Ecclesiastes he alloweth not of those preachers who while they deale with the people in the pulpit doo vse pictures and images for that as he saith is not decent for that place 1. Cor. ◠.10 Paule vndoubtedlie in the first to the Corinthians exhorteth the faithfull and that with manie words that they should beware of offending the weake Wherefore although there be manie which saie that they know that images must not be worshipped yet let them thinke this that euerie one dooth not sufficientlie knowe it And surelie the consideration séemeth to be all one of images and of things dedicated vnto idols Which the wise men of Corinth said they knew what they were 1. Co. 10 19 And yet neuerthelesse Paule commanded that they should not eate them and he said Ibidem 25. Buy ye meate in the market eate at home and not in places appointed for idols Euen so may we saie If ye will haue images haue ye them at home and not in the temples Neither doo images placed in the temples lesse harme vnto the church than did the dissembling of Peter Gal. 2 13. For he in suffering the ceremonies of the Iewes nourished an euill opinion of them In like maner is the fall of the weake and peruerse adoration confirmed when images are suffered to be in churches We haue saie they a right iudgement of them Why doo ye not then remooue them A right faith must be testified by déeds And when as they be at anie time remooued out of the temples I thinke it good to beware that they be not kept sound and whole for if the state change Images must as well be broken in peeces as remooued out of the temples they may easilie be restored againe into their places When Constantine the great was conuerted vnto Christ he shut vp the temples of the idols but he destroied them not Afterward came Iulianus the Apostata and opened them againe The which if they had béene subuerted they could not so easilie haue béene made anew Which thing afterward Theodosius and other christian princes noting they either destroied them vtterlie or else granted them to the vse of christians Whose part it is to destroie images 25 But we must vnderstand that it is not the part of priuate men to cast downe images therefore it must be doone by the publike authoritie of a magistrate Sozomenus in his fift booke writeth that vnder the reigne of Iulian when he had opened the temples of the idols certeine christians threw downe images in so much that emperours officers apprehended some who were suspected of that crime and put them vnder torments and examination when they neuerthelesse were innocent But when the authors of the fact repented themselues and sorrowed for the torments of others they confessed that they did it and were burned Of this matter Augustine in his sixt homilie De sermone Domini in monte wrot verie well where he bringeth the place out of the seuenth chapter of Deuteronomie When the land shall be yours verse 5. A place of Deuteronomie verie well expounded yee shall subuert the altars and images of them First saith he it behooued them to possesse the land and to haue it in their power before they could subuert the images thereof And it is euident that temples be publike places and not the possessions of priuate men Wherefore it is not euerie mans part there either to cast out or to destroie anie thing They then which beare rule as well in ciuill as ecclesiasticall causes ought not to suffer those images in churches Otherwise the simpler sort when they perceiue them to be suffred euen for that cause they attribute the more vnto them for that they sée the princes bishops and pastors doo not cast them awaie And it is verie friuolous that they haue alwaies in their mouth Whether idols helpe the faith of the ignorant Rom. 10 17 that images are certeine visible words of God which helpe the faith of them that be ignorant For Paule testifieth that Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God not by pictures or images If anie be desirous to haue Christ pictured let him read the holie scriptures let him haue in his hands the gospels the apostolicall epistles and the Acts of the apostles and let him be oftentimes present at godlie sermons Wherefore Paule vnto the Galathians saith Gal. 3 1. How Christ was painted by the apostles that Christ was painted before their eies namelie through the preaching of him and others whereby they so faithfullie cleaued vnto Christ as it séemed vnto them that they beheld him fastened vnto the crosse Yet they are woont to saie that If these signes be remooued the mind◠of them which be weake are offended But they sée not that while they studie to shunne the lesse euill they fall into the greater For while they suffer images in temples the weake be offended and both the vngodlie are confirmed in their vngodlinesse and the godlie are damnified Furthermore it is to be considered that our aduersaries doo importunatelie without ceasing vrge that it is an ecclesiasticall tradition and that therefore it neither may nor ought to be changed But it is farre otherwise séeing that ecclesiasticall traditions may be changed and taken awaie if edifieng doo so require Wherefore if they would suffer it to be an ecclesiasticall tradition it should be lawfull to change the same Thrise dipping in baptisme In times past children were baptised with thrise dipping which custome or tradition as Gregorie writeth vnto Leander was taken awaie bicause of certeine heretiks which affirmed that without those thrée dippings children were not baptised By the same reason why are not images cast out of the temples least we should séeme to consent with idolaters Peresius reason But Peresius saith that By taking awaie of images we be against the sense of humane nature and also against God himselfe But we haue alreadie answered that all kinds of images are not taken awaie by vs but we would not haue them worshipped nor to be in the temples where adoration might easilie be doone vnto them Moreouer if the reason of Peresius were firme we might prooue God to doo against himselfe who forbad by his lawe that men should not prostrate themselues before images Why the fathers suffered not images There be others which saie that the fathers in the primitiue church suffered not images bicause men were then prone vnto idolatrie But who I beséech you is able to knowe or affirme this Is not now mans corruption the same that then it was Are not images in this our age worshipped and honoured euerie where 26 At the last they come
an other difference in that the fellowship is with that flesh which is bound vnto an other by the faith of matrimonie Why is it said Not vnto it selfe but vnto an other To the intent we may vnderstand that in the polygamie which was in old time there was no plaine adulterie For one of the wiues when she was ioined with a husband was ioined with that flesh which was also tied to another woman Therfore it is said Which is not ioined vnto it selfe but vnto an other by the faith of matrimonie Further if we will more narrowlie examine that péece of the sentence To haue carnall fellowship may be vnderstood to be either in act or cogitation For Christ saith Matt. 5 28 He that shall looke on an other mans wife to lust after hir hath alreadie committed adulterie in his hart But héere we speake of adulterie that breaketh out into act not of that which as yet is within the hart 34 Moreouer it was said to be more shamefull for women to haue bastards than it is for men This also hath procéeded of mans reason a shame it is both to the one and to the other but perhaps it appéereth more in women than in men Those places of Ecclesiasticus which vrge parents to kéepe their daughters or the bodies of their daughters haue not respect vnto this place No rather the wise man dooth consider that if daughters be corrupted they are to bring great harme ignominie to their fathers house and the father is accused of negligence But men children must also be well brought vp howbeit the fowlnes of this fact in this crime appéereth else-where not in the fathers house Neuertheles these things bring not to passe but that they both commit sin An other argument But wiues loose their dowrie whereas adulterers be not so punished That is false for euen as if matrimonie be vndoone by the fault of the woman she looseth hir dowrie and donations giuen in respect of marriage so if it be doone through the mans fault he looseth the dowrie it selfe and donations also and must restore them vnto hir Againe somwhat was said of Adam and Eue that they were in the like fault yet Eue was more gréeuouslie punished than Adam A comparison of the sinne of Adam and Eue. Here may either of both be said either that the sinne was not of like weight or else that the punishment of Eue was not more gréeuous It is excused by some that the mans fault was the greater For it is said Curssed is the earth for thy sake in sorrowe shalt thou eate of it thorne and thistle shall it bring foorth vnto thee and thou shalt eate of the herbe of the feeld in the sweate of thy face shalt thou eate thy bread c. These euils were continuall vnto man he should labour he should eate in great sweat and trauell and the earth gaue not vnto him the fruit that he looked for Women séeme to be lesse punished onelie the paines of child-birth and conceiuing are laid vpon them the which be not perpetuall but the labours of men doo alwaies continue Further the man ought to prouide not onelie for himselfe but also for his wife children and for his whole familie But if thou wilt saie that the wife is subiect vnto the husband and must be vnder his gouernement this importeth not much for by the verie constitution it selfe she is inferiour vnto man Wherefore it might by this meanes be denied that woman is more gréeuouslie punished than man But if we would grant vnto this we might also saie on the other part that the sinne in woman was somewhat more gréeuous namelie bicause she was seduced by the diuell and so seduced as she thought she should become equall vnto God and this she verie much desired Neuerthelesse Adam beléeued it not bicause he sawe it was not possible to be and therefore the apostle saith that he was not seduced but did onelie eate to the intent he might obeie his wiues mind and made more account of his wife than of God therefore he was not deceiued with the same kind of errour Moreouer the woman did not onelie sinne but she also induced hir husband to sinne But on the other part she is somewhat lightened bicause she was the vnperfecter and was seduced Howbeit if anie of their sinnes were more gréeuous than other the womans sinne was to be weighed the greater This is the opinion of the Maister of the sentences in the second booke distinction the 12 and he alledgeth manie places out of Augustine But I for my part would saie that the mans sinne was more gréeuous and that his punishment was the greater by reason of his perfection and excellencie Wherefore this argument maketh nothing to the purpose either the punishment was of equalitie or else the circumstances were not alike gréeuous to be aggrauated to them both The circumstances were manie some were more gréeuous in Adam and some in Eue. 35 Also it was alledged on the contrarie part that the sinne is lesse in women Why a consideration must be had of the sex for a consideration should be had of the sex Indéed this is to be granted yet the cause must be searched out why those lawes be fauourable vnto the sex And there is a cause brought by the lawes themselues namelie that women are not driuen to haue the knowledge of all lawes and customs and therefore may the more easilie erre and the error dooth somewhat mitigate the fault But here this erring hath no place for there is no woman so foolish but she knoweth that she ought to kéepe hir faith and promise with hir husband But in incest they rather forgaue vnto women than vnto men bicause they knew not those degrées wherein it was lawfull or not lawfull to be married and therefore they were not so gréeuouslie punished Whether adulteries of men must be punished by adulteries of women And wheras it was alledged that the adulteries of the men are oftentimes punished by the adulteries of the women as it hath béene said of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra We answer that such reuenges are not to be allowed for that they are repugnant to the word of God and therefore we allow no such forms of reuenging True indéed it is that sinnes are punished with sinnes and he that kéepeth not faith himselfe must not looke to haue another kéepe the same with him neuerthelesse this is doone by the order and prouidence of God It is not lawfull for anie man to doo ill bicause another hath sinned for by that meanes euill would growe till it were infinite In that women are somewhat forborne in the great offense of treason it is no maruell for Why in case of treason children are punished for the parents the cause why that the sonnes of conspirators which haue sinned against the prince are punished in such sort as they be is least that if they should reteine the authoritie and riches of
expoundeth of those which vow vnto God certeine sharpe and hard things which serue to the subduing of the flesh change not that which they haue promised But the sentence me thinketh séemeth more plaine if it be largelie taken namelie of an oth that is hurtfull vnto vs which a good and godlie man will not breake or change Ierom. Ierom also vpon Ezechiel the 17. chapter is of this opinion For there the Lord saith that he was verie angrie with Zedechias verse 15. bicause he brake the oth which he had made with Nabuchadnezar king of Babylon For though the Iewes counted him as an enimie yet as Ierom declareth he was now a friend when he had by oth promised his faith vnto Zedechias Séeing it belongeth vnto friends one to be faithfull vnto another so as euill guile ought not there to haue béene vsed Augustine And Augustine in the 32. cause question the first the chapter Noli existimare writing vnto Bonifacius admonished him to kéepe faith euen with his enimie Ambrose Ambrose also in the 22. cause question the fourth the chapter Innocens dooth so aduise And the same sentence he hath in his booke De officijs where he bringeth the example of Iosua Iosua 9 4. towards the Gabaonites who notwithstanding that he ought to haue made the oth void and of no force yet by the consent of God he caused it to be kept and ratified Neither suffered he the Gabaonites to be slaine whom neuerthelesse he punished bicause of the guile which they vsed But if an oth be giuen for fulfilling of an vniust or vngodlie thing An oth giuen for an vniust cause must be cut off it must wholie be made frustrate bicause an oth ought not to be a bond of iniquitie Neither is it necessarie therevnto that anie man should come before a iudge to be absolued of this kind of oth Which I therefore speake bicause the Pope claimeth this right to himselfe namelie to release such kind of oths and as they commonlie saie to dispense with them As it appéereth in the 15. cause question the sixt where Nicholas absolueth the bishop of Triers The Pope cutteth off oths both lawfull and vnlawfull And his pride and arrogancie hath now at length brought his lawe and power to that passe that he not onelie breaketh vnlawfull oths but also abrogateth iust and lawfull oths when it séemeth good to himselfe So Pope Zacharie loosed the French men from their oth wherein they were bound vnto their king and he deposed the king from his kingdome and placed Pipin in his stéed But this is not to be maruelled at A prouerbe in the court of Rome séeing it is commonlie said at this daie in the Court of Rome that It is not méet for kings and great personages but for merchants to kéepe their oths 19 So then if there be an oth made guile must not be vsed vnlesse perhaps the one partie to whom the oth is made shall first depart from couenants and conditions for then the common saieng must take place He that breaketh faith let faith also be broken with him Wherefore Ierom to Nepotianus Ierom. commendeth the saieng of Domitius the Orator vnto Philip Séeing thou accountest not me for a Senator I also doo not take thée for a Consul But hereof we haue testimonies also in holie scriptures For Paule in the first to the Corinthians the seuenth chapter as touching faith giuen in matrimonie writeth that If an infidell depart verse 15. let him depart a brother or a sister is not in subiection vnto such but God hath called vs in peace And those things which are alledged of an oth I vnderstand them to be of like force in promises and couenants In which promises and couenants I affirme that iust and godlie men ought both to vse simple and plaine words A sophisticall act of the Thracians and also to liue with a good conscience The Thracians therfore are iustlie and woorthilie condemned who after truce had béene made to continue for the space of thirtie daies robbed spoiled by night excusing their act in that that their truce was made for the daie and not for the night Neither did the legat of the Romans plainlie A guile of the Romane legat against Antiochus but subtilie with Antiochus who hauing decréed that she one halfe of the ships should be giuen vnto the Romans and the other halfe vnto the king commanded them all in verie déed to be diuided and cut in sunder But he did it to the end the king might be vtterlie destitute of a nauie for the warres Therefore whatsoeuer a godlie man will promise he ought déeplie to weigh with him selfe before hand whether he be able to stand to his words and promises Ierom. Wherefore Ierom hath written vnto Celantia Whatsoeuer thou speakest thinke that thou hast sworne it 20 As touching the end of the question there remaine certeine doubts to be examined that the thing maie be the more manifest First if a man promise armor and succour to anie man for the space of thrée or foure yéeres and in the meane time hée becommeth a traitour to his countrie and maketh warre against it whether in this case he ought to performe his faith or else by euill guile to breake it I answer that neither in this case nor in the like is faith to be kept séeing as it is euident a mischéeuous act happeneth in the meane time which with a safe conscience we may not aid And in verie déed neither euill guile or periurie is here committed For he which hath sworne is not changed but he is changed An oth dissolueth not former bonds to whom the oth was made For oths can plucke away or diminish nothing of those bonds which went before Séeing then euerie man is bound to the word of God and to the preseruation of his countrie before he take any oth that which afterward is sworne must be vnderstood conditionallie that if the first bonds be kept vnuiolate The same also must take place in vowes that be vowed For although a man vow sole life yet forsomuch as he was before bound to the word of God wherein it is said that It is better to marrie 1. Cor. 7 9. than to burne and They which cannot keepe themselues chast let them marrie he dooth not take awaie the first bond for the vow which followeth Wherefore if he can not kéepe himselfe chast or if he burne he ought by the commandement of GOD to marrie Neither can any oth or vow that happeneth herein take awaie the power and force of the commandement of God Whether faith must be kept with Heretiks 21 Another doubt commeth to my remembrance touching those princes which haue giuen their publike faith and safe conduct vnto heretikes for their comming vnto Councelles or to conferences whether they ought to stand to their promises or else violating their oth to kéepe still the
and discerning them from other writings They will answer that bicause it is gouerned by the holie Ghost But I beséech you how knowe ye that Bicause they will saie Christ hath promised Matt. 28. 20 that Hee will be with it euen to the end of the world And bicause he hath also said Matt. 19 18. Where soeuer shall be two or three gathered togither in my name there am I in the middest of them And againe I will send the holie Ghost the comforter Iohn 16 13 which shall lead you into all truth These are the things saie they which persuade vs of the authoritie of the church but I would faine knowe from whence ye receiued these things The church hath hir authoritie of the scriptures but out of the holie scriptures wherefore we may contrariwise conclude that the church hath hir authoritie of the scriptures 4 Further by that place of Paule is declared another difference of faith Faith is a sinne assent Rom. 4 20. namelie that it is a firme assent For he pronounceth of Abraham that he nothing doubted and he vseth this verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth To reason with himselfe and to put doubts In which signification Luke in the Acts vseth the selfe-same word for so it is said vnto Peter Acts. 10 20. that he should go vnto Cornelius the centurion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Doubting nothing Abraham had a respect vnto the will and power of God which made the promise and not vnto his owne infirmitie or to the infirmitie of his wife Without God he had nothing whereby he could promise himselfe anie such thing wherefore as saith the apostle he was strengthened in faith neither doubted he through vnbeléefe which is all one as if he had said Else-where on euerie side were offered vnto him incredulitie and doubting Neither ought this sentence to be reprooued as though we doo féele no such experience in our selues for there is none in whose mind there riseth not at anie time some doubt touching those things which we beléeue for this commeth not of faith but of our infirmitie Of which thing we may be easilie instructed by that which we sée to happen in the habit of anie science especiallie of the mathematicall science for therein is certeintie and that verie great certeintie for there the conclusions doo necessarilie and most euidentlie followe of the premisses But if a man haue not perfectlie learned or perfectlie attained vnto the science hée shall sometimes doubt and this commeth to passe not by meanes of the science but by reason of the fault of him that vseth the science Euen so we bicause so long as we liue here we be weake neither can haue a full and perfect faith Why douts doo sometimes arise in vs euen against our wils therefore doubts doo oftentimes arise vnto vs yea euen against our wils But touching the nature of an opinion thou maiest perceiue it to be otherwise the which is such as there can be no blame laid vnto vs if we somewhat incline to the other part from that which we thinke to be true But the infirmitie which happeneth to vs concerning faith may come two waies for sometimes we firmelie cleaue vnto those things which we beléeue howbeit there are other things behind which are to be beléeued the which as yet we perceiue not And after this maner they which togither with the Gospell obserued choise of meates and other ceremonies are called by Paule in his epistle to the Romans Weake in faith Rom. 14 1. for they knew not as yet that the ceremonies of the lawe were abrogated Sometimes it commeth to passe that we sée indéed the things which are to be beléeued but yet we are not so perfect in faith that wée can firmelie and constantlie cleaue vnto them So Christ called the apostles Men of little faith and especiallie Peter Matt. 8 26 14 31. We must praie vnto God to increase our faith when through doubting hée was almost drowned with the waues of the sea Wherefore as touching each part we must alwaies praie vnto God to increase our faith It is also to be noted that the power of beléeuing commeth of the holie Ghost when as we yéeld not vnto so manie and so dangerous flouds of doubting which doo inuade the mind but doo in the end ouercome them which thing cannot be doone without a heauenlie and supernaturall power But in this assent of the faith What things we are to examine in the assent of the faith we must diligentlie examine both what he is that hath spoken and also what it is that is said and is set before vs to beléeue bicause the diuell dooth studie nothing more than to cause vs to beléeue that God hath spoken that which hée spake not Oftentimes also those things which be spoken by God himselfe are by false deceiuers wrested to a wrong sense are corrupted and so forced vpon vs to be beléeued Wherefore We must praie vnto God that he will not suffer vs to be deceiued séeing we haue néed of reuelation concerning each part we must praie vnto God that he will not suffer vs to be deceiued One of them which writeth vpon the sentences is of this opinion that If it were most assuredlie knowne that God spake anie thing faith therein could take no place for straitwaie saith he by the light of nature we should knowe that it ought to be true which GOD hath spoken vnles we will thinke him to be a lier But this man is woonderfull far out of the waie for we doubt not but that the prophets assuredlie knew that GOD spake in them yet they beléeued those things which they foretold We also assuredlie knowe that God spake those things Whether it followeth that they beleeue which knowe assuredlie that God hath spoken anie thing which are read in the holie scriptures and yet we beléeue them The apostles knew that they had receiued the holie Ghost and yet were they not therefore destitute of faith But that which is spoken of this man should then be true if we could knowe euidentlie by reason or sense that God spake these things which thing can in no wise be doone for they come not to our knowledge otherwise than by reuelation But this man in stead of euidence did put certeintie The last part which is in the definition wherein it is said that this assent wrestleth with the sense and wisedome of the flesh may manifestlie be declared Examples not onlie by the example of Abraham but also by a great manie of other examples God promised deliuerance vnto the children of Israel Exod. 3 8. Exod. 5 6. and yet in the meane time increased their affliction they were charged with a great number of bricks they had no strawe giuen them for their worke they were sharplie and cruellie beaten and when they were alreadie departed out of Aegypt the sea came against them on the
formes thereof Also they obiect that charitie hath therfore the nature of a forme bicause it is the end of the precept and whatsoeuer is done without that cannot please God but is condemned as sinne But if this argument be of force wée also will prooue thereby that faith is the forme of other vertues Rom. 14 23. séeing Paule hath said Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Out of the which sentence Augustine in his 4. booke and 4. chap. against Iulian taught that all the workes of the infidels are sinnes These men also bring the saieng of Iames Iames. 2 22. that Faith is made perfect by workes the which maketh nothing against vs for it onlie teacheth that faith is then perfect when it worketh Euen as the Philosophers teach that a forme is not perfect when it is taken as the first act for so they speake but when it is respected as a second act for in working it putteth foorth his strength declareth it selfe Wherefore wée grant How faith is made perfect by workes that after this maner faith is made perfect by workes not that it is either increased or made more earnest by the vertue of workes but through the more effectuall operation of the holie Ghost the which in working declareth it selfe but in time of idlenes laie hid And this is not the propertie of charitie alone but is common vnto all other vertues for vnto this end are vertues giuen vnto the mind that out of them actions might be drawen 30 Moreouer they saie that charitie is therefore the forme of faith bicause by it is the first beginning whereby the godly are known from the wicked And this they prooue by that place of the Gospell where Christ is brought in to saie at the daie of iudgement I was hungrie Mat. 25 35. and ye fed me I thirsted and ye gaue me drinke c. Vnto these things wée answer that the discerning and knowledge of things is sometimes had by the causes by the beginnings of them which they commonlie call A priori that is The knowledge of things commeth partly by the beginnings and partlie by the effects By that which went before and an other is vnderstood by the effects and properties which they name A posteriori to wit By that which cōmeth after Wherfore I willingly admit that charitie is that whereby the godly are discerned from the wicked by the latter knowledge and by the effects but this knowledge pertaineth to vs. Christ otherwise without the same very well knoweth them that be his and setteth them apart namelie by election and predestination the which be in a maner the beginnings causes of our saluation Wherefore that knowledge is had by the effects out of the forme of things which they take as granted we must not grant Neither is there anie doubt but in the last iudgment the saints shall be discerned from the wicked by the workes and effects according as the words which these men bring doo declare The sentence of the last iudgement Ibidem 34. Howbeit if they will haue respect vnto those wordes which the iudge pronounced before time when he said Come ye blessed of my father take the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world they shall easilie vnderstand that there is a more noble excellent knowledge set forth of saluation to be giuen than that knowledge which is afterward added through workes As for the forme of faith if anie shuld be brought in which properly is not lawfull to be done The spirit if anie thing be should be the forme of faith the same should be the spirit For we haue faith according to the portion thereof the more there is of the spirit the more ample faith is present and the more scarsitie there is of the spirit the weaker is faith How Faith excelleth Charitie and so likewise on the contrarie 31 Now lastly there remaineth to sée wherein faith is preferred before charitie and againe what is attributed vnto charitie rather than vnto faith First vnto faith iustification is agréeable the which we affirme ought not to be granted vnto charitie for while we liue here Why faith iustifieth and not charitie charitie is alwaies vnperfect Therefore we cannot in respect of the iudgement of God cleaue either vnto charitie or vnto the good workes which procéed from the same in respect of being iustified and absolued by them Further in the epistles of Paule to the Romans and to the Galathians it is most plainly declared that We be iustified by faith and not by workes The verie which thing the nature as well of faith as of charitie if it be well considered dooth shew for faith dooth further the mind of godlie men toward Christ and toward the vnderstanding and admitting of the promises made concerning him which thing is manifest to be done by the assent of the mind and while that we knowe or vnderstand anie thing the very same we receiue into our selues But on the contrarie part the office of charitie is that it may prouoke and driue the will to shew foorth in action and expresse in sight of the world that which the mind hath receiued And this herein consisteth that those things which we haue we impart and communicate them with others And séeing to iustified is to receiue righteousnesse by imputation it may sufficientlie appéere that the same commeth rather by faith than by charitie Herevnto must be added that if we should appoint charitie to be that whereby righteousnes is comprehended it ought to be granted that we when we returne into fauour with God are not enimies as the epistle to the Romans teacheth For charitie maketh the fréends of God Rom. 5 10. whom soeuer it adorneth and None dooth loue God but he hath first beene belooued of him Wherefore faith in this is to be preferred before charitie that we are by faith iustified We may adde those things Charitie is ingendred of faith not faith of charitie Charitie followeth the measure of faith which we recited before namelie that charitie is ingendred of faith but on the other side not faith of charitie Besides this charitie followeth the measure of faith and is estéemed to be the measure thereof As Gregorie said that So much as we loue so much we beléeue 32. Those things which we haue now recited are more agréeable vnto faith than vnto charitie now let vs sée what things charitie dooth chalenge vnto it aboue faith First it indureth euen in the life to come at which time faith shall haue no place And that is it that faith bringeth vs no cléere knowlege 1. Co. 13 12. but an obscure for now we knowe darkelie and in part but the knowledge which we shall haue in the kingdome of heauen shall be throughlie perfect Wherefore faith shall giue place to a better state but charitie shall most of all appere in the world to come as well towards God as towards
spirit before that we can either will or thinke anie thing that is good But herein is an error if we thinke that men are indued with the grace of Christ when they are not yet regenerate nor renewed in Christ Certeine illuminations giuen vnto the Infidels Indéed there be illuminations sometimes giuen vnto them but if those be not so vehement and so effectuall as they change their minds then serue they vnto their iudgement and condemnation and not vnto their saluation which thing we must thinke that euen the sinnes of them which are so illuminated doo deserue And least that anie man should be ignorant what these mens meaning is it must be vnderstood that they affirme that Paule excluded from iustification such works onelie as are doone of them by frée will alone and by the helpe of the lawe But I would faine knowe of these men what maner of works those be which are so doone of men In verie déed they are not grosse and shamefull sinnes such as are murthers fornications adulteries thefts and such other like for these are not doone by the helpe of the lawe but rather by the impulsion of the flesh and of the diuell Neither are they naturall works as to plaie or pastime to plough to reape and to saile for as touching those things there is nothing commanded in the lawe Then there remaineth onelie honest ciuill or morall works as to honour the parents to helpe the poore to be sorie for wicked acts committed for these things are both commanded in the lawe and may as these men thinke be performed by frée will from all these saie they Paule taketh awaie the power of iustifieng But what other good works then are there remaining Vndoubtedlie I sée none vnlesse peraduenture they vnderstand those which are doone of men alreadie iustified for before iustification other works haue we none besides those which we haue now rehearsed Séeing therefore these men exclude both sinnes and also works naturall and these morall works which the lawe commandeth vndoubtedlie they exclude all works Let them shew then by what works they would haue men to be iustified If they had anie consideration they would haue this saieng alwaies before their eies If of grace Rom. 11. 6. then not of works if of works then not of grace Neither would they flie to this fond false vaine cauillation to saie that Paule must be vnderstood as touching those works onelie which are destitute of anie faith or grace whatsoeuer they be How dare these men speake this séeing they cannot abide that anie man should saie that men are iustified by faith onelie Ye adde saie they that same word Onlie of your owne head it is not found in the holie scriptures If they laie this iustlie rightlie against vs why doo they themselues commit the same fault Why will they allow that in themselues which they will not admit in others Séeing therefore Paule taketh awaie the power of iustifieng from works not adding thereto this word Onlie by what autoritie might they then adde that word vnto them Why we are said to be iustified by faith onlie But for the adding of the word Onlie vnto Faith we haue most firme arguments out of the holie scriptures and we vse that kind of speach which as we shall declare is receiued and vsed of all the fathers But let vs heare what they babble as touching this matter Paule saie they had most adoo with the Iewes which thought they might so be iustified by works and especiallie by the works of the lawe that they had no néed of Christ wherefore the apostle bendeth himselfe to that onlie But I am of that mind that whatsoeuer things he wrote he wrote them vnto the church which did consist both of the Iewes and also of the Gentiles which with one assent confessed Christ Doo they thinke that there were anie among all these which promised vnto themselues saluation without Christ Vndoubtedlie if there had béene anie such the church would not haue suffered them But yet there were some which togither with Christ would haue reteined ceremonies vnto which they attributed ouer much but that there were anie which excluded Christ it is not to be thoght Further Paul wrote of iustification to the whole church which consisted both of Iewes and of Gentiles Eph. 2. 8 and 9. Paule when he teacheth these things instructed not onlie the Iewes but also the Gentiles as it most manifestlie appéereth by the epistle vnto the Ephesians where he saith that A man is iustified by faith and that saith he not of your selues least anie man should boast And in that place he calleth those Gentiles by name vnto whom he writeth and especiallie in the second chapter Wherefore this fond inuention of theirs is vaine and ridiculous Looke In Rom. 2 6. Meritum congrui meritum condigni 25 But now let vs come to their sacred and strong anchor-hold There are two kinds of merits saie they one of congruitie the other of woorthines And they confesse that the works which go before iustification merit not iustification of woorthines but onlie of congruitie If thou demand of them what they meane when they saie merit of congruitie they will answer that they ascribe it vnto those works which in verie déed of their owne nature deserue not saluation but so farre foorth as promise is made to them through a certeine goodnes of God and such saie they are those morall acts which are done by manie before iustification But the merit of woorthines they call that for whose sake altogither the reward is due And this doo they ascribe vnto those works which are done of the godlie after regeneration And by this distinction they thinke that they haue gotten the victorie But forsomuch as they haue it not out of the holie scriptures there is no cause why they shuld so much delight themselues therein What if we on the contrarie side teach that the same distinction is manifest and directlie repugnant vnto the word of God Will they not grant that this their so notorious inuention was by them found out and deuised onlie to shift awaie our arguments Paule when he spake of men iustified yea euen of the martyrs of Christ which at that time suffered persecutions and most gréeuous calamities for their consolation wrote these words Rom. 8 18. The sufferings of this time are not woorthie of the glorie to come which shall be reuealed in vs. These men saie that such sufferings are woorthie but Paule denieth them to be woorthie How agrée these things togither Or rather how manifestlie are they repugnant one to an other And bicause they saie that in the merit of congruitie are regarded onelie the promises of God and not the dignitie or nature of the action let them shew what euer God promised vnto those works which are done without faith and the religion of Christ Further who séeth not how foolish this kind of speach is Vndoubtedlie they which
26. Ye are all the children of God by the faith of Iesus Christ For what is it to be the sonnes of God but bicause we haue alredie obteined adoption which we obteine onelie by regeneration or iustification And in the fourth chapter Rom. 4 28. Brethren saith he we are after the maner of Isaac children of the promise But to be children of the promise is nothing else but to beléeue those things which God promiseth whereby we are made his children according as he hath promised we should be For so was Isaac borne vnto Abraham not by the strength of nature but by the benefit of the promise of God In the fift chapter he writeth Rom. 5 5. We in the spirit looke for the hope of righteousnesse by faith In this place are two things touched the spirit of God whereby we are new fashioned and renewed vnto saluation and faith whereby we apprehend righteousnes Wherefore in this matter of our iustification although there be in our minds manie other works of the holie Ghost yet none of them except faith helpe to iustification Wherevpon the apostle concludeth Circumcision is nothing Ibidem 6. and vncircumcision is nothing but onelie faith which worketh through loue Hereof onelie dependeth iustification of this faith I saie not being dead but liuing and of force And for that cause Paule addeth Which worketh by loue Which yet ought not so to be vnderstood as though faith should depend of loue or hath of it as they vse to speake hir forme but for that when it bursteth foorth into act and will shew foorth it selfe it must of necessitie doo this by loue So the knowledge of anie man dependeth not hereon for that he teacheth other men but by that meanes it is most of all declared But if anie perfection of these actions of louing and teaching redound vnto faith and knowledge that commeth of another cause and not for that they depend of it or thereof haue their forme as manie Sophisters haue dreamed Ephes 2 8. 52 In the epistle to the Ephesians the 2. chapter it is thus written By grace ye are made safe through faith and that not of your selues for it is the gift of God And after that in the third chapter Eph. 3 16. That according to the riches of his glorie he would grant you that ye may be strengthened with might in the inward man by the spirit that Christ may dwell in your hart by faith He that hath Christ in him the same hath without all doubt righteousnes for of him Paule thus writeth vnto the Corinthians in the former epistle 1. Cor. 1 30. and the first chapter Who is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnes holines and redemption Here therefore it is shewed by what meanes Christ dwelleth in our harts namelie by faith Againe Paule in the third chapter to the Philippians Phil. 3 9. That I might be found saith he in him not hauing mine owne righteousnesse which is of the lawe but that which is of the faith of Iesus Christ Here that righteousnes which is of works and of the lawe he calleth His but that which is of faith and which he most of all desireth he calleth The righteousnes of Iesus Christ Heb. 11 33. Vnto the Hebrues also it is written in the eleuenth chapter The saints by faith haue ouercome kingdoms haue wrought righteousnesse and haue obteined the promises These words declare how much is to be attributed vnto faith for by it the saints are said not onelie to haue possessed outward kingdoms but also to haue exercised the works of righteousnesse namelie to haue liued holilie and without blame and to haue obteined the promises of God verse 5. And Peter in his first epistle and first chapter By the power of God saith he are ye kept vnto saluation through faith In these words are signified two principall grounds of our saluation the one is the might and power of God which is wholie necessarie for vs to obteine saluation the other is faith whereby as by an instrument saluation is applied vnto vs. Iohn in his first epistle and fift chapter verse 1. Euerie one saith he which beleeueth that Iesus is Christ is borne of God but To be borne of God is nothing else than to be iustified or to be borne againe in Christ If followeth in the same chapter Ibidem ◠This is the victorie which ouercommeth the world euen our faith By which testimonie is declared that the tyrannie of the diuell of sinne of death and of hell is by no other thing driuen awaie from vs but by faith onelie And toward the end of the selfe-same chapter it is said And these things haue I written vnto you verse 3. which beleeue in the name of the sonne of God that ye might knowe that ye haue eternall life and that ye should beleeue in the name of the sonne of God 53 Now let vs gather out of the euangelists as much as shall serue for this present question Matthew in his eight chapter saith Mat. 8 19 That Christ exceedinglie wondred at the faith of the Centurion and confessed that he had not found such faith in Israel and turning vnto him said Euen as thou hast beleeued so be it vnto thee Here some replie that This historie and such other like intreate not of iustification but onelie of the outward benefits of the bodie giuen by GOD. Howbeit these men ought to consider that sinnes which are in vs are the causes of the gréefes and the afflictions of the bodie For onelie Christ excepted who vtterlie died an innocent all other forsomuch as they are subiect vnto sinne doo suffer no aduersitie without iust desert And although God in laieng of his calamities vpon vs hath not alwaies a respect herevnto for oftentimes he sendeth aduersities to shew foorth his glorie and to the triall of all those that are his yet none whilest he is so vexed can complaine that he is vniustlie dealt withall for there is none so holie but that in himselfe he hath sinnes which are woorthie of such like or else of greater punishments And where the cause is not taken awaie neither is nor can the effect be remooued Wherfore Christ forsomuch as he deliuereth man from diseases of the bodie manifestlie declareth that it was he which should iustifie men from sinnes And that this is true the selfe-same euangelist teacheth vs in the .9 chapter verse 2 for when he that was sicke of the palsie was brought vnto Christ to be healed he saith that Christ answered Be of good cheare my sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee At which saieng when as the Scribes and Pharisies were offended to the end they should vnderstand that the cause of euils being taken awaie euen the euils them selues are taken awaie He commanded him that was sicke of the palsie to arise and take vp his bed and to walke Wherefore it manifestlie appeareth that Christ by the healings of the bodies
Paule toward the end of the chapter compareth charitie with true faith it is most likelie that he did not so before But if we should fullie grant this vnto Pighius that that faith whereof Paule speaketh is the generall faith whereby men are iustified yet neither so vndoubtedlie should he obteine his purpose For the apostle going about by all maner of meanes to set foorth charitie thought to amplifie that same by a fiction or feining which is a figure of Rhetorike knowne euen vnto children Figura fictionis And yet doth not Paule therefore bring a false proposition for he vseth a conditionall proposition which may not resolue into a categoricall proposition and yet notwithstanding is the truth in the meane time kept As if I should saie vnto anie man A similitude If thou haddest the life or vse of the reasonable soule without the life or vse of the sensible soule thou shouldest not be troubled with perturbations of the mind No man could reprooue this kind of speach as false and yet it is not possible that in a man the life and vse of the reasonable soule should be seuered from the sensible Such kind of speaches also are found in the holie scriptures as for example Psal 139 ver 7 8 c If I shall ascend vp into heauen thou art there if I descend downe into hell thou art present and if I take the fethers of the morning and dwell in the vttermost ends of the sea thither shall thy right hand lead me These sentences are true yet it is not possible that a man should take vnto him the fethers of the morning After the same maner we saie If a man should separate faith from charitie he should make it vnprofitable though in verie déed it cannot be separated from charitie And that Paule in that place vsed such an excesse of speach or fiction that euidentlie declareth which he a little before spake 1. Cor. 13 ◠Though I should speake with the toongs of men and of angels haue not charitie I am like to sounding brasse or a tingling cymball But wée knowe that angels haue neither bodies nor toongs and yet notwithstanding Paule speaketh truth that If they had toongs and I should speake with them yet that should nothing profit me without charitie And this exposition Basilius confirmeth in an epistle Ad Neocaesarienses for he saith that The apostle minded in this place to commend charitie and he saith that he vseth those reasons not that all those things which he here maketh mention of can be separated from charitie Wherefore of the former interpretation we haue Chrysostome for an author and the later interpretation Basilius confirmeth Let Pighius go now and of this saieng of the apostle conclude if he can that which he contendeth so much about 58 But as touching those words of Matthew Lord haue we not in thy name prophesied and in thy name cast out diuels c. Matt. 7 22. Which things Pighius denieth can be doone without faith and yet they which haue doone them are not iustified séeing they are excluded from the kingdome of heauen We maie answer with the selfe-same solution which we haue now brought namelie that they whome Matthew maketh mention of had the faith of signes or a dead faith but not a true and iustifieng faith Moreouer I sée not how true this is that miracles cannot be doone without faith Miracles are not alwaies doon for faiths sake for God sometimes worketh miracles not for his faiths sake by whome they are doone but either to aduance his glorie or to giue testimonie vnto true doctrine Vndoubtedlie Moses and Aaron when they stroke water out of the rocke of strife Num. 10 12 Psa 106 32. wauered in faith and yet God that he might stand to his promise with a great miracle gaue water vnto the people and reprooued Moses and Aaron of infidelitie And Naaman the Syrian doubted of recouering his health in the waters of Iordan yea also he would haue gone his waie for that he said that the riuers of his countrie were much better than Iordan and yet notwithstanding GOD left not his miracle vndoone And when the dead bodie was cast into the sepulchre of Elizaeus 2. Kin. 13 21 by a great miracle it came to passe that at the touching of the dead bones of the prophet life was restored vnto it But there was no faith there neither in the dead corps nor in the bones of the prophet nor in them which brought the dead man thither And yet not alwaies is it granted vnto them that desire to doo miracles that they should doo them when faith is absent for in the Acts we reade that when the Exorcists which were the sonnes of Scaeua the high priest would haue cast out diuels in the name of Christ whome Paule preached Acts. 19 15. the diuell answered Iesus I knowe Paule I knowe but who are ye And straitway he ran vpon them Here we sée that God would not giue a miracle when it was asked as it is most likelie by wicked and vnbeléeuing men Howbeit contrariewise in Marke the 9. chapter that a certeine man did cast out diuels verse 38. in the name of Christ who yet followed not Christ and when Iohn would haue reprooued him Christ suffered not Iohn so to doo By this Pighius might haue séene that to the working of miracles is not alwaies required faith And yet if I should grant him that faith is of necessitie required therevnto were sufficient either the faith of signes or else a dead faith Wherefore Pighius in his second confirmation prooueth nothing for it hath nothing in it that is found 59 Now let vs examine his third proofe Iohn saith Manie of the princes beleeued in him but they confessed him not Iohn 12 42. for feare they should be cast out of the synagog and therefore they were not iustified by faith This reason is but a waterish reason and not so strong as he thinketh it to be for we denie that they beléeued trulie For that assent of theirs was nothing but an humane assent for when they sawe that by Christ were wrought woonderfull works and that his doctrine was confirmed by most euident signes they began by a certeine humane persuasion to giue credit vnto him The diuell also for that he certeinlie knoweth manie things doone by God assenteth vnto the truth There is a certeine humane faith not inspired by God and beléeueth it and yet it is not to be thought that he is by a true faith induced to beléeue And that these rulers had not the true and liuelie faith hereby it is manifest that Christ said vnto them How can ye beleeue when ye seeke for glorie at mans hand Iohn 5 44. By which words we vnderstand that they which more estéeme humane glorie than godlinesse cannot beléeue trulie in God And those princes were to be numbred amongst them for they so
afterward is made perfect and full when other good works come vnto it But how vaine this is Rom. 3 28. Paule himselfe sufficientlie teacheth for he dooth not onelie saie that We are iustified by faith onelie but also he addeth without works Further this also maketh against these men which is written in the booke of Wisedome To knowe God is full righteousnesse Wisd 15 3. In which place it is a sport to sée how Smith wringeth himselfe First he dares not denie the sentence for he counteth that booke for canonicall but as he is of a sharpe wit at the last this he deuiseth that God is not knowen by faith onelie but also by loue But who euer would so saie but onelie this man Vndoubtedlie by loue we doo not knowe but we doo loue But that which is spoken in the booke of Wisdome which yet with me is not of so great authoritie Christ himselfe hath most manifestlie testified in the Gospell saieng Iohn 17 3. This is eternall life that they knowe thee the onelie true God Although of this saieng also of our sauiour Gardiner the Bishop of Winchester Gardiner deuised of late I wot not what namelie that to knowe God is not properlie eternall life although it somewhat helpe forward therevnto But forsomuch as neither the Fathers nor Paule nor Christ himselfe can satisfie these men there is no hope that we shall anie thing preuaile with our reasons They adde moreouer that the Fathers saie that onelie faith iustifieth that is it is the principallest thing whereby we are iustified I confesse in déed This word Onelie sometime signifieth Principall 1. Cor. 13 13 that Onelie sometimes signifieth Principall But this sense cannot agrée with Paules purpose for if charitie be compared with faith charitie as Paule saith is more excellent and better Wherefore if both of them iustifie as these men will haue it then should charitie haue the chéefest part and not faith And this also is a great let vnto these men which I haue oftentimes spoken of that Paule so ascribeth iustification vnto faith that he saith Without works Augustine But Augustine saie they vnto Simplicianus writeth that By faith we begin to be iustified Vnto this we maie answer two maner of waies first that that beginning is such that in verie déed it hath the verie full and whole iustification So that Augustines meaning is that we are iustified so soone as we haue faith Or if this please them not we will saie as the truth is in déed that Augustine ment of the righteousnesse which sticketh in vs. They cite also Ambrose vpon the fift chapter vnto the Galathians In Christ c. For saith he we haue néed of faith onelie in charitie to iustification Behold saie they vnto iustification we haue no lesse néed of charitie than of faith But they are far deceiued for by those words Ambrose ment nothing else but to make a distinction betwéene true faith and vaine opinion therefore he saith that we haue néed of faith onelie namelie that which is ioined with charitie But Ierom vpon the fift chapter vnto the Galathians saith that It is charitie onelie Gala. 5 6. which maketh cleane the hart What other thing else shall we here answer but that this his saieng if it be sharplie and sincerelie vrged is false For it is faith also which purifieth the harts as it written in the Acts of the apostles And Paule vnto Timothie saith 1. Tim. 1 5. Charitie out of a pure hart and a good conscience c. By which words it is plaine that the hart must of necessitie first be pure before charitie can come Wherfore we will interpret that sentence by the effect and as touching our knowledge for then it is most certeine that we are regenerate and haue a cleane hart when we be indued with charitie After this maner also haue we before expounded this Manie sinnes are forgiuen hir bicause she loued much 89 And by the selfe-same meanes also may that saieng of Augustine in his booke De natura gratia the 38. chapter be answered vnto It is the charitie of God saith he by which onelie he is iust whosoeuer is iust But this séemeth also best vnto me to vnderstand such saiengs of the fathers to concerne that righteousnes which abideth and sticketh in vs for that consisteth not onelie of faith but also of all vertues good works Why our righteousnes is somtime attributed vnto charitie alone Now bicause amongst all vertues charitie is the principall therfore the fathers somtimes attribute righteousnes vnto it onlie And that which our aduersaries haue most vniustlie vsurped to expound this word Onelie for Principall or cheefe may in this place most iustlie serue vs for here we intreate not of that iustification which is had by imputation but of that which we atteine to after regeneration Wherefore in this our proposition we exclude not from a man that is iustified hope charitie and other good works but this onelie we saie that they haue not the power or cause or merit of iustifieng And when we saie that a man is iustified by faith onelie we saie nothing else vndoubtedlie but that a man is iustified onelie by the mercie of God and by the merit of Christ onelie which cannot be apprehended by anie other instrument than by faith onelie We must not desist from vsing this word Onelie Neither must we giue place vnto our aduersaries not to vse this word Onelie though they crie out neuer so much that of it springeth great offense and mens minds are by this persuasion somewhat weakened in the exercise of vertues For by sound doctrine we doo easilie remedie these discommodities for we alwaies teach that it is not iustification or true faith which wanteth the fruits of good life But we see the subtile and craftie deuise of these men for if we should saie that a man is simplie iustified by faith leauing out this word Onelie straitwaie they would adde of their owne that a man indéed is iustified by faith but yet he is no lesse iustified by hope and charitie and other good works For this verie cause the Catholikes in times past would not permit vnto the Arrians this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A like example that is Consubstantial or Of like substance bicause they would straitwaie haue said that The sonne indéed by appellation or name is God like vnto the father and in a maner equall vnto him but yet not of one and the selfe-same nature and substance Wherefore they did with tooth and naile defend and kéepe still this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Consubstantiall or Of one and the selfe-same substance as a word most apt to expresse the truth of that controuersie Which they might also by good right doo and chéefelie for that they sawe that that word was of necessitie concluded out of the holie scriptures out of which also is most euidentlie concluded this our word
obteinement of his owne saluation Now it shall be declared particularlie The generall word is Change and changes Change is the generall word of repentance according to the philosophers are of manie sorts For if it be vnderstood in substance they saie it is a generation if in quantitie they call it an increase and decrease if thou go from place to place they name it a locall motion If this change be made in qualities in passing from one contrarie to another this fourth change they call an alteration Herevnto belongeth repentance we doo not cast our mind nor our bodie from vs but there is made a certeine alteration in qualities from vncleannesse to purenesse from a corrupt to a sincere life The subiect thereof Touching the subiect thereof we are to consider that the whole man is changed in respect of qualities but especiallie the will in which part of the mind repentance is placed for in the power thereof consisteth the rule gouernement of other powers Others haue supposed that this repentance is placed in the angrie part bicause it concerneth an high loftie matter Wherefore the will admitteth this change not fainedlie but vehementlie in such sort as there is great sorrowe for sinnes committed Passion or sorrowe is a certeine affection therefore I did not saie that it is a sorrowe bicause it is doone with reason Notwithstanding this sorrowe is foorthwith present it helpeth it worketh togither as appeareth in the seuenth chapter of the second to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 7 9. 10. Godlie sorrowe worketh repentance in you vnto the honor of God for some may sorrowe in respect of their owne losse We sée here now that from faith which is the gift of God FroÌ„ whence coÌ„meth the efficient cause of repentance procéedeth the efficient cause of repentance As God giueth faith so also dooth he giue repentance otherwise if there be no faith True faith and tempâ—rall faith repentance were not auailable But faith otherwhile is a true faith and otherwhile it is but a temporall faith such as the faith is such is the repentance that dooth insue if it be a true faith true repentance followeth Of what sinnes then must we repent vs Doubtles we ought to repent of all sinnes Of what sinnes we must repent vs. so as Tertullian rightlie said in his booke De poenitentia Whether it be in word or in déed that we haue offended he saith that euen he which by his iudgement hath appointed punishment for all those things hath also promised pardon through repentance A breefe declaration of the definition Some of those things which be placed in the definition belong vnto the generall word and some perteine vnto the differences the generall word is Change the difference is Alteration of life Another difference is that it be willinglie taken in hand for there be some things doone which we be not willing vnto Another difference is it may be taken in hand for sinnes committed The formall cause is conuersion and change the materiall cause is the will it selfe the obiects are the sinnes for which we sorrowe and the vertues which we striue to atteine the efficient cause is faith and God the end is the honour of God our owne saluation Thus the definition being declared let vs come to the distinctions Distinctions of repentance 4 Tertullian distinguished repentance into good and euill he saith it is euill repentance if we repent our selues of the déeds that be doone well namelie of almes-déeds of forgiuing our enimies of receiuing the sacraments but it is a good repentance when we change vnto better It is said to be either good or euill in respect of the end wherevnto we refer it Another distinction one kind of repentance is rude and without forme and another is perfect and absolute Whereby shall we gather this Bicause that it is the will which taketh in hand and that the same in hir owne nature is blind it behooueth that vnderstanding go before What shineth in those men The Ethnike repentance which be without Christ Somtimes there appéereth in them a certeine humane honestie the which as the philosophers saie is a life according to nature They read the Ethiks or morals of the philosophers they sée Ideas or forms of vertues when their vnderstanding taketh anie hold of this honestie they perceiue how far off they be from the same and for that cause they finding themselues by experience to be blamed are stirred vp with a certeine repentance Laertius teacheth that a certeine yoong man that was lewd and loose of life at a certeine time being droonk himselfe with droonken companions and wearing a garland rushed into the schoole of Xenocrates But the philosopher being not disquieted with their comming in procéeded in his treatise he spake so earnestlie of temperance that by little and little the words entered into the hart This yoong man laid awaie his garland and began to dispute of philosophie Howbeit such a maner of conuersion is not altogither to be commended it may be commended in his kind But it is nothing at all christianlike whereof we speake which ought to be according to faith and towards God as Paule witnesseth in the twentie of the Acts verse 21. that he preached repentance towards God and faith in Iesus Christ There be others which bring foorth this rude and vnperfect repentance in another sort When it is taken in hand by the will and the same followeth reason there must néeds be some thing which ought to giue light vnto reason They haue a generall faith or opinion Repentance comming of a generall faith or opinion that God is both a reuenger of euill and a rewarder of good They also behold that which he hath commanded in the lawe when they perceiue that they be commanded to doo such things as they doo not they be vexed with feare and after a sort repent themselues Some bring a place out of the 26. chapter of Esaie We haue beene with child of thy care verse 26. and haue brought foorth the wind of saluation But it maketh not to the purpose howbeit true it is that repentance with some is begun in this sort This may be hurtfull for vnlesse it haue some helpe besides it bréedeth desperation After this sort did Caine Iudas and Esau repent themselues Séeing the matter standeth thus then in the elect children of God faith is added forgiuenes is preached and they imbrace the same thorough Christ True repentance then dooth true and perfect repentance followe When the will vndertaketh this repentance Christ himselfe lighteneth the vnderstanding with the remission of sinnes then commeth the holie Ghost by whom strength is giuen to cast off sinne and the fruits of repentance doo followe that in sted of wicked acts good déeds are shewed foorth The holie Fathers said that this is to doo repentance What is to doo repentance and the holie scriptures doo declare
else ye doo doo it vnto Gods glorie So maie we saie of sléepe for we obeie the Lord who hath so ordered our nature If we obserue this we sinne not Brieflie all the works of godlie men are repentance for they alwais depart from euill bicause their works be certeine renewings and new obediences of God to be dutifull vnto him and if they be not yet they ought to be And for this conuersion the godlie doo alwaies praie Ps 119 176. Mat. 6 12. I haue gone astraie like a sheepe that is lost ô seeke thy seruant Forgiue vs our trespasses Be mercifull vnto me a sinner and such like These be the vowes of godlie men in all their actions I meane as touching continuall renouation Wherefore let vs leaue that idle vertue vnto Philosophers and Sophisticall diuines but we knowe that it is commanded vs to repent 18 Now let vs go forward and consider of the parts of repentance Of the parts of repentance Those men haue made their parts of repentance to be contrition confession and satisfaction but how well and trulie we will afterward sée and therewithall will shew the true parts of repentance Some haue named two namelie contrition and faith By contrition they saie we sorrowe for the multitude of sinnes that be past therein we are after a sort astonished and sore afraid But by faith we imbrace the comfort of remission of sinnes and they saie that they doo this for instructing sake Whether faith be a part of repentance Others denie that faith is a part of repentance but they which affirme it to be a part alledge this cause speciallie bicause in repentance there is most doone as touching the forgiuenesse of sinnes and that standeth most of all by faith Wherefore if we shall not alwaies applie faith repentance can not stand Others saie that this is no good argument namelie Repentance without faith is vnprofitable Therfore faith is a part of repentance For then should it be a part of the supper of the Lord and of baptisme This will no man saie why then is it rather made a part of repentance Further they saie that the holie scriptures when they make mention of repentance and of faith doo speake as of two distinct things Christ saith Repent ye and beleeue the Gospell Paule in the 20. of the Acts Matt. 4 17. verse 21. said that he preached repentance vnto the Ephesians and faith in Christ Iesus These two he set downe as distinct and seuerall things I my selfe vpon the consideration of each part Faith is no part of repentance but is ioined thereto would saie that faith is no part of repentance but is ioined thereto We sée in a man that the soule and the bodie are ioined togither yet the bodie is no part of the soule nor yet contrariwise the soule a part of the bodie in like maner must we saie of faith and of repentance The same thing doo we sée in the sinne therein is a figure of a bodie round A similitude and like vnto a globe and also light and shining and yet being ioined togither as they be neither is the figure a part of the light neither the light a part of the figure euen so faith and repentance are ioined togither in them that be godlie and yet is not the one a part of the other Faith hope and charitie be thrée vertues alwaies ioined togither and yet is not one of these vertues a part of the other How faith is ioined with repentance but they are seuerall How then shall faith be ioined with repentance It is as it were a beginning thereof as I haue said and it is méet for the same to giue light vnto the mind of him that is penitent And when the mind hath imbrased the goodnes of God and the remission of sinnes through Christ then followeth a renewing so as we lay aside our old life and take a new Wherefore faith is not a part but a certeine entrance into repentance and repentance is a consequent ioined vnto it as an effect 19 In my iudgement The true parts of repentance there shall be two parts of repentance the one a going backe from euill and the other an accesse vnto good And this is rightlie said for séeing repentance is assigned to be a changing and that all changing consisteth of two ends or limits namelie from whom and to whom it followeth also that repentance hath these ends perteining vnto it And certeinlie this is the rule of contraries that when the one is remooued the other followeth let naughtines be remooued holines must néeds followe And the holie scriptures reckon in this order verse 16. Esaie saith in the first chapter Be ye washed be ye cleane put awaie the euill of your hands from out of my sight cease from dooing wickedlie learne to doo well And in the psalme Depart from euill and doo good Psal 34 15. The apostle Paule giueth a testimonie of those parts and he would haue vs euermore to cast awaie the old man and to put on the new Ephe. 4 23. Be ye renewed saith he in the spirit of your mind and put on the new man which is made according to God in righteousnesse and holinesse of truth saith Paule vnto the Ephesians the fourth chapter Wherefore faith is alwaies ioined with repentance otherwise repentance should be vnprofitable 20 Now let vs examine those thrée papisticall parts contrition confession Of contrition and satisfaction As touching contrition it is woont so to be handled by the Schoole-men as they saie that it is a sorrowe receiued in the will by reason of sinnes And in verie déed whosoeuer shall diligentlie consider of this part shall perceiue the verie same to be whole repentance whose beginning is faith But these men doo hold far otherwise they séeme to haue taken the name out of the holie scriptures In the 51. psalme it is read Psal 51 19. A sacrifice to God is a troubled spirit a contrite hart In the 147. psalme verse 3. Who healeth them that be broken in hart and bindeth vp their contritions Esaie in the 66. chapter saith Esai 66 2. that God will haue respect vnto them that be of an humble and contrite spirit They acknowlege it to be a metaphor and they saie that the man which is a stranger from God is as it were stiffe and obstinate in his purpose for obteining of saluation they saie that it behooueth him that his hart after a sort should be broken and that he should vse this contrition Howbeit bicause they make it a part of a sacrament they adde that therein must be the purpose both of confessing and satisfieng how trulie it shall afterward be declared The difference betweene contrition and attrition Here they abiding in the same metaphor haue put a difference betwéene attrition and contrition for some hard things are so broken as they be sundred into small péeces and some so
whether this penance inioined after confession Who may performe these punishments ought to be rendered vnto God by innocents or may be also performed of the residue Scotus affirmeth it Bicause saith he that these be onelie punishments and temporall things whether they be doone by one that is woorthie or vnwoorthie so they be doone it sufficeth Others denie this and saie that no works can satisfie God vnlesse they be acceptable but the works of them that continue in sinne please not God therefore they make no satisfaction They leaue the matter vnperfect but yet in effect they agrée that a man may make satisfaction to God for sinnes The difference betweene Christs satisfaction and ours They distinguish the satisfaction of Christ from our satisfaction they ascribe vnto him the greater perfection For saie they he was God man and was one person and there the diuinitie wrought by the humanitie But men though not so fullie doo satisfie notwithstanding through the grace that is bestowed vpon them They conclude that the actions of perfect men doo merit of condignitie so as the punishments which should haue béene suffered are taken awaie They saie that Christ satisfied for the fault and that satisfactions are in force for the residue of punishments If thou demand How can ye satisfie How our actions may satisfie they being alreadie tied vnto Christ when as all your actions be alreadie bound vnto Christ They will answer that God might haue bound a man so that all his acts should haue béene of dutie yet that hée would not but of his owne goodnes left manie things at libertie Neither vnderstand they that séeing God commanded Deut. 6 5. that we should loue him with all our hart with all our mind and with all our strength that there is nothing more for vs left at libertie They procéed further and saie They saie that we can satisfie for others that We be able to satisfie God for punishments euen in those actions which be commanded by the lawe of God bicause he indéed commanded these actions but we be lords ouer our actions when we doo them with a frée will we satisfie God with a frée action And they saie that we not onelie may satisfie for our selues but for others also as in ciuill matters one man may paie for another And to the intent they may séeme to cloke their opinion by scriptures they bring a place to the Colossians I reioise in my sufferings for you Col. 1 24. and supplie that which wanted of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bodie which is the church They saie that Paule was a man and said that with his sufferings he fulfilled that which was wanting They adde We saie not that there was anie thing that wanted in the passion of Christ but bicause we are the members of Christ the good things that we doo are said to be Christs From whence pardons did spring From hence had pardons their originall They saie that the Pope is the disposer of the sufferings of Christ and of the bloud of the martyrs and of the labours of other saints Vndoubtedlie they make a great gaine thereof for the matter is brought to that passe that they communicate of their owne works vnto others which be of their owne companie Yea and they saie that it may be that a man may first satisfie for another man before he satisfie for himselfe But Paule said that he supplied those things which were lacking vnto the passion of Christ bicause it behooued that the same should be preached vnto the Gentils this did not Christ by himselfe he was minister of the circumcision but this could not be doon without afflictions That punishments are sometime forgiuen without satisfaction And Paule sorrowed not in them but saith that he reioised in them Notwithstanding they saie that sometimes it may be that satisfaction is not required to be made for these punishments but they are fréelie remitted namelie in baptisme For that they sawe that the primitiue church appointed not publike confession vnto those which came to baptisme they framed this reason Bicause saie they in baptisme the death of Christ worketh by it selfe without our will but not in repentance I maruell how these men dare vtter such things as though they which come vnto baptisme come not of their owne accord and professe their faith willinglie They saie that therein is no néed of dispositions that it is sufficient that there be no hinderance that is that we be not delighted with the act of sinne In the other case they saie that punishments are remitted when a man is preuented by martyrdome Works of satisfaction They appoint verie manie works of satisfaction but they reduce them vnto thrée points namelie fastings praiers and almes-déeds otherwhiles they adde lieng on the ground and pilgrimages And least they should séeme to deale without the scriptures they bring foorth a place out of Daniel Redeeme thy sinnes with almes-deeds Dan. 4 24 And out of Luke Giue almes Luk. 11 41. and all things shall be cleane vnto you In the second of Ioel Turne vnto me with all your hart with fasting Ioel. 2 12 with weeping and with moorning They bring manie examples of praiers which were vsuall among the prophets 31 Now that we haue heard their opinion let vs argue against them A confutation of the aduersaries First we must be assured that lewd concupiscence corruption of nature and contamination whereby men are let from doing of perfect works is not taken awaie after iustification Rom. 7 23. Paule saith that he féeleth an other lawe in his members Vnto the Galathians Gala. 5 17. The flesh so striueth against the spirit as ye doo those things which ye would not doo Séeing therefore we doo no perfect works how shall works satisfie GOD Matt. 19 17. Christ said If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandements but these must be perfectlie kept otherwise wée cannot haue life by desert of these works Let them consider moreouer that if they doo anie good thing they doo it not of themselues but by the grace of God The good which we doo is of the grace of God therefore we doo not satisfie by our owne worke If God would deale with men in the rigor of his iustice vndoubtedlie he should doo no iniurie to them if he should throwe downe all the saints which be in heauen but he cannot bicause he hath bound himselfe by his promise Dauid said that God crowneth vs in mercie Psal 103 4. and louing kindnesse not in satisfactions Psal 143 3. There shall no man liuing saith the same Prophet be iustified in thy sight Suppose we that God sitting in place of iudgement one of these that iustifie themselues should come vnto him God will saie vnto him What hast thou brought that I haue not giuen vnto thee In the 17. of Luke it is said When ye haue doone
and strong let them take valiant things in hand let them renounce and confute idolatrie in frée and open spéech let them not dissemble at all and let them speake the truth with great boldnesse of spéech but if they will be weake and vnexpert soldiers let them not enter into perils which they are not able to heare God must not be tempted neither must we presume aboue the strength that is giuen vs. And thus farre touching this argument of the Nicodemites 17 But now perhaps some man will demand Whereto the words of Naaman haue respect whether the words of Naaman doo belong vnto repentance or perhaps haue respect to anie other matter Some saie that these saiengs cannot be drawen vnto repentance bicause none doth repent of sinnes that are to come Further bicause that true and sound repentance hath alwaies ioined therewith a strong and constant mind or a purpose of not committing such things againe whereof we doo earnestlie repent which was not in Naaman séeing he testifieth that he would bow himselfe before the idoll Rimmon Howbeit such words doo not disagrée all maner of waies from repentance bicause they doo not onelie respect the sinne that should come but also the present infirmitie whereby he perceiued himselfe prone to fall into sinne Therefore it gréeued him that his faith was not so firme as he might altogither striue against the sinfull act It greeueth the godlie that their faith is not strong enough to resist their corrupt nature Euen as it dooth not a little repent all godlie men of their vicious and corrupt nature that is of their originall sinne whereby it cōmeth to passe that we be redie bent to commit sinne and to be bitter enimies of vertues But I would more absolutelie answer namelie that it was an humble speach of Naaman whereby he earnestlie implored the helpe of God and the praiers of Elizaeus Last of all this remaineth to be inquired whie the prophet warneth not Naaman Whie the prophet warnd not Naaman to go to Ierusalem that he should conueie himselfe to Ierusalem where not onelie he might auoid that fault which he feared but also that he might worship the true God in the temple of Salomon Of this question there maie be thrée reasons assigned One bicause the prophet would teach that God may be worshipped in all parts of the world neither that he had tied saluation vnto certeine places and lands Secondlie that it furthered verie much the glorie of God that his name should be celebrated not onelie in Iurie but in Syria also for bringing of which thing to passe the returne of Naaman into his countrie did greatlie helpe Moreouer it was profitable for Naaman to be absent from Ierusalem for bicause that sound religion and perfect godlinesse was now fallen there in decaie whereby he being newlie conuerted vnto God might haue béene infected so farre is it off that he should there haue béene reformed Neither was he to feare so great a danger in Syria where their idolatrie was so grosse as euerie godlie man might easilie beware of the same but at Ierusalem a nouice in religion could not easilie haue auoided the superstitions which were ioined togither with lawfull ceremonies ¶ Of the fall in time of persecution looke epistle second whose beginning is Since we togither That the possession of riches is lawfull for godlie men how they must be vsed also of the induring of pouertie 18 Séeing we read that Abraham a man of God was verie rich and plentifullie indued with all kind of wealth In Gen. 13 2. looke the second epistle as also verie manie other godlie men haue béene it is good to speake somewhat of the lawfull vse of riches in godlie men Wherfore let this be the proposition The possession of riches is not forbidden by God vnto godlie men It is prooued Bicause that riches be the gifts of God Therefore they be conuenient for godlie men That riches are the gifts of God whom we must not thinke that God would driue from his gifts These I prooue to be the gifts of God bicause they are called his blessing neither dooth blessing there betoken anie other thing but a gift Further a promise of them is made to the people of God therefore they are not euill bicause God dooth not promise euill vnlawfull things They be instruments of vertues namelie of liberalitie and almes-déeds Further God is said to make his sunne to rise vpon the good and euill and vpon the iust and vniust Matt. 5 45. But by rising of the sunne and by raine euen all those fruits be vnderstood which be deriued from those beginnings wherefore substance and the abundance of things are giuen by God as well to the iust as vniust to the good as well as to the euill Wherefore it commeth to passe hereby that it is lawfull for the good and godlie sort to haue riches séeing vnto them God is the authour of those things But if it be obiected that a christian man must leaue all that he hath as it is said that the apostles did in the 19. of Matthew Matt. 19 27 Mark 10 28 and tenth of Marke it must be so vnderstood that a godlie man must attend to his vocation with a mind that is frée and alienated from carefulnesse in such sort How a christian man dooth leaue all as with the loue of those things he be not drawne from the same But it must not be inferred hereby that a man is constrained to cast awaie his goods neither doo we read that the apostles did so Leui who is said in the fift chapter of Luke to haue left all that he had verse 28 29. yet did he afterward make a great and fine banket vnto the Lord and that doubtlesse of his owne proper goods Peter in like maner hauing now followed Christ had a house at Capernaum into the which he brought Christ Matt. 18 14. in like maner after the resurrection of Christ he had a ship nets Iohn 21 3. and did fish together with the other apostles So that the substance riches which is possessed by godlie men is not condemned but the affection wherby they cleaue thervnto more than is conuenient Wherefore the disciples of Christ when they followe him are ment to forsake that which they haue bicause they ought so to be affected that they will foorthwith cast awaie the same if at anie time the profession of the Gospell shall so require As if a tyrant would saie Either renounce thou Christ or else thou shalt forgo all thy goods thou must straitwaie forsake all those things In like maner if God call thée vnto anie function or vnto anie place wherby it shall be necessarie for thée to forsake thy goods thou must straitwaie leaue them otherwise it is lawfull for thée to reteine them Neither obiect thou vnto me that saieng of Christ to the yong man If thou wilt be perfect go thy waies
We for our part haue an Oracle farre more certeine namelie that They are not to be feared Matt. 10 28. which kill the bodie but cannot kill the soule The Decij vowed themselues to the death that their legions of soldiers might be preserued and get the victorie Our martyrs also when they shed their bloud rather than they will be plucked awaie from the religion of Christ cannot boast that they take an enterprise in hand which hath not béene heard of M. Puluillus when he should consecrate a temple vnto Iupiter in the meane time word was brought him by enuious persons of the death of his son was not one whit abashed in mind neither left he off that which he had begun but commandded that his sonne being dead should be carried out and buried With what mind then ought a christian man to suffer séeing he heareth the Lord saie Suffer the dead to burie their dead Matth. 8 22. Regulus when he had sworne that he would returne vnto Carthage although he knew that most gréeuous torments were prouided for him yet would he not commit the crime of violating his faith Wherefore we also séeing in baptisme wée haue publikelie giuen our faith vnto Christ although for the kéeping thereof we should suffer all things yet ought we not to violate the same Some will boast of the contempt they haue of riches and of voluntarie pouertie taken vpon them for Christ but let these boasters call to remembrance Cincinnatus who after he had behaued himselfe honourable and doone notable acts in his Dictatorship of his owne accord returned againe to till husband his foure acres of ground Let them remember that Valerius Publicola after he had passinglie well gouerned his Consulship died so poore as he left not wherewith to burie himselfe but was buried at the common charge of the citie And Fabritius so little repented him of his pouertie as he despised the gold of king Pyrrhus These so great and notable acts did these men onlie as I haue said to get the praises of men and to preserue that earthlie publike weale But we if we enter into anie dangers haue God himselfe to be our inheritance and our reward and shal be heires togither with Christ Before vs as a prise is set the kingdome of heauen and eternall felowship with the angels Wherefore it is manifest The notable acts of the Ethniks passed their expected ends but our rewards far passe our works that the notable facts of those heathen farre passed the ends and rewards set before them but our works are infinitelie excelled of the rewards that are before vs. I grant indéed that their works are not to be reckoned among the true vertues for they were rather shadowes and images of vertues And their works although they were excellent if we consider them after a ciuill maner Their works before God were glistering sinnes yet before God they were nothing else but glorious and glistering sinnes for they were not mooued to worke either by faith or by the loue of God neither yet did they direct their works to a iust end Wherefore Augustine in his fift booke De ciuitate Dei and 18. chapter when he had made mention of these and such like things prudentlie added Either we perceiue these things to be in vs or else we féele our selues to be void of them If at anie time we doo the selfe-same things there is no cause whie we should be puffed vp séeing they for lesser rewards haue doone the like but if we knowe our selues to be so weake and féeble that we dare not enterprise anie such things our minds ought excéedinglie to be pressed and touched especiallie séeing we be found weaker than the verie Ethniks were Moreouer God hath not respect to the gretnes heape of works these comparisons declare that God hath not respect to the quantitie and heape of works for else he would giue vnto them the rewards which he promiseth vnto vs. But GOD chéeflie respecteth this whether by faith we are ioined togither vnto Christ and whether we direct all that we doo to the praise and glorie of his name But to haue the power and abilitie to doo excellent acts he of his mercie ministreth abundantlie vnto vs when he iudgeth the time méet In the meane time let vs giue thanks vnto him for that he hath made our lot better than theirs In Rom 5 verse 3. 10 Furhter of so great force is the reioising of godlie men that those things which men especiallie vngodlie men reckon to be a rebuke and which they séeke to auoid through which they iudge them selues vnhappie the Christians doo turne the same vnto praise doo willinglie imbrace A similitude and doo most of all reioise in them For euen as the planets direct their course farre otherwise than dooth the eight sphere for that is mooued from the east vnto the west but the planets from the west vnto the east euen so godlie men doo willinglie imbrace those things and in them doo reioise which the wicked doo shunne and iudge reprochfull A rare thing trulie and woorthie of admiration For it is no woonder if a man glorie as concerning the promises and obteinment of the glorie of God but in afflictions to reioise passeth all humane reson Further bicause there is no reioising but of principall and singular good things which now we so assuredlie possesse as they can not be taken from vs for otherwise it should be no true reioising but rather a boasting least our reioising for the hope of the glorie of God should séeme to be vaine séeing in verie déed we haue not yet the fruition of it Rom. 5 3. Paule teacheth in the fift to the Romans with what good things God dooth in the meane time indue vs while we doo liue héere namelie Tribulations patience experience and hope which confoundeth not An excellēt gradation Vndoubtedlie an excellent and most profitable procéeding by degrées and woorthie to be obserued of vs all against doubtfull and fearefull times But godlie men sometimes sigh are sad and are heauie It is not repugnant that godlie men doo both sigh and reioise at one and the selfe same time 2. Sam. 15 7. and 16. 5. An example and complaine when they fall into afflictions how then doo they reioise Here is no contradiction at all For our outward man sigheth is heauie is sad the flesh complaineth but the spirit and our inward man reioiseth and is glad When Dauid went foorth of the citie from the face of Absolon bare footed his head vncouered and with manie teares outwardlie there appéered in him no signification but of miserie and sorowes for Semie who vpbraided vnto him this miserie sawe nothing in him but that which was lamentable and miserable Yet who doubteth but that he as touching faith and the inward man reioised excéedinglie for the fatherlie correction of God For therevnto was his mind bent and therefore he spared
knit vs together in a more straiter bonde of charitie for that we doe all take vppon vs the selfe-same mysteries And to those maie two other effectes also be added for by the sacraments we both are separated from other sectes By the Sacraments we are separated from other sects and also are admonished to lead an holie life But touching grace whether it be giuen by the Sacraments or no we shall afterwarde sée These things being thus set downe there are two things which are contrarie repugnaunt vnto the nature of the Sacraments Two things repugnant vnto Sacraments The first is if we attribute too much vnto them for by that meanes is Idolatrie easilie brought in when that which belongeth vnto GOD onelie is ascribed vnto a creature And if at anie time the sacraments are saide either to saue or to remitte sinnes or anie such like things the same ought to bee vnderstoode of the thing signified not of the signes for these things onelie procéede of the promise and liberalitie of God which is sealed vnto vs by visible signes Vnto the sacraments are sometime attributed those things which belong vnto the thing Who be sacramētaries And oftentimes it happeneth that both the scriptures the fathers séeme to attribute vnto the signes those thinges which onelie belong vnto the promises But nowe they which after this maner attribute more than is meet vnto the sacraments maie be called Sacramentaries because they put too much affiance in them They are not bare signes The other thing which we saide is repugnant vnto the nature of Sacramentes is when we count them to be nothing but bare naked signes For by that meanes they shoulde nothing differ from Tragicall and Comicall significations and from colours and garments Neither are they onelie signes of our actions but also of the promise and of the will of GOD and are sealings thereof And the holie Ghost doth no lesse vse these signes to stirre vp our heartes than hee vseth the words of God which are in the holie scriptures The differēce betwéen a sacrament a sacrifice And hereby also we maie sée that they likewise are against the Sacramentes which will haue them to be sacrifices for the nature of a sacrifice is to bee offered of vs vnto God but the nature of a sacrament vs to be offered of God vnto vs. I confesse in déede that in the celebration of the Supper of the Lord are contained thanksgiuing almes praiers other such like things which may haue the consideration of a sacrifice But we denie that the verie sacrament of the Eucharist may properly be called a sacrifice The sacrificers offer not vp Christ vnto God the Father and much lesse is that to be borne withall which the sacrificing Priests make their boast of namely that they offer vp vnto God the body of Christ Our Lord hath offered vp himselfe neyther hath he néede of any other to offer him vp 6 Now that we haue well considered all these things we néede not manie words to expresse the instrument whereby the thing of the Sacrament is receiued Rom. 4. 11. For Paul hath most manifestlie declared it when hée said That circumcision is the seale of the righteousnesse of faith for it is faith By what instrument the thing of the sacrament is receiued Iohn 15. 3. whereby the righteousnesse which is signified in the Sacrament is receiued of vs for neither can our sense or reason thereunto attaine Augustine expounding those words of Iohn Augustine Nowe ye are cleane because of my worde saith that in that the Sacraments do make vs cleane they haue it of the word of GOD for if thou take awaie saith he from the element the word there wil nothing remaine but water onelie The word commeth vnto the element and it is made a Sacrament For howe commeth it saith he that water toucheth the bodie We are washed by the power of the word not because it is spoken but for that it is beléeued and washeth the heart He aunswereth that the same commeth to passe through the force and power of the worde not because it is spoken but because it is beléeued By these thinges it is manifest that faith is it whereby wee receiue cleansing and sanctification Acts. 15. 9. Which thing also is written in the Actes of the Apostles By faith purifying their hearts And Paul to the Ephesians saith Ephe. 5. 26 that Christ loued the Church and clensed it with the washing of Water But there is added In the word that is by the worde The benefits of God are not giuē by pronounciation of the words which as Augustine saith is vnderstoode to be doone because it is beléeued and not because it is spoken for by the pronunciation of the words are neither chaunged the natures of of the signes nor the benefites of GOD giuen for so it might séeme an enchauntment Faith I saie is the instrument whereby we receaue the words of God and let them downe into our mindes The Sacraments must be administred as Christ hath commaunded them But now touching the manner of administring the sacramentes there ought none other manner to be brought in than that which Christ him selfe the authour of the Sacraments hath commaunded vnto vs. For if the Iewes durst not deale otherwise in their Ceremonies of the olde lawe than was prescribed them of God much more ought wee to obserue those Ceremonies which Christ hath prescribed vnto vs after the selfe same maner that he prescribed them Further for as much as those signes came from the will of God and of their owne nature signifie nothing what is more reasonable than to refer al things vnto his wil which hath giuē them But his wil can by no other meanes be knowen but by the holie Scripture And vndoubtedlie no man will presume to alter the letters patents of kings graunts much more ought the same to be taken héede of in the Sacraments of God And the minister by whom these things ought to be exercised distributed although it be conuenient that he be godlie of an honest life For such a one is to be maintained when he behaueth himselfe otherwise The naughtines of the Minister defileth not the Sacraments and is knowen so to do he ought no longer to be suffered yet though he be wicked so long as he kéepeth still that function he cannot hurt the Sacraments so he do those things which Christ commanded to be doone Augustine hath a verie trim similitude A similitude Looke In 1. Cor. 4. verse 7. of a pipe of stone through which water is brought into a garden For although the Pipe be made nothing the more fertile by meanes of the running through of the water yet is the garden by it watred and made fruitfull The dignitie of the sacraments dependeth not of the minister but of the institution of God which the Donatistes not vnderstanding
obserue as I said a little before which haue heads of Cattel For they haue not bin accustomed to set their burnt signe or marke vppon either horses or Oxen that belong not vnto themselues A similitude So dooth the Church baptise them whom it supposeth to belong vnto it First it behooueth to be of Christ his flocke and then to be signed with his marke Act. 10. 44. 48. and which be not strangers from the same Neither is it otherwise in a kings letters patents First we obtaine the gift and bill assigned and then we cause it to be sealed Cornelius the Centurion first receaued the holy ghost afterward was giuen water wherewith he was baptised Acts. 8. 38. The same happened vnto the Eunuch which was baptised by Philip. And finally all they which be of ripe age doe first by faith take possession of Christ before they be marked with his badge vnlesse that as we said before they come in hypocrisie vnto baptisme 14 They were woont to obiect that there is one consideratiō to be had of infants an other of them which be of ripe age because they that be of yeares may haue faith whereby they belong to the flocke of God which cannot be attributed vnto infants séeing they haue not the vse of vnderstāding and reason by which they may giue consent to the promises of God Their opinion which thought that Infants haue fayth I know it hath bin thought of some and those of no small estimation that infants haue faith as though God woonderfully beyond the course of nature worketh in them whose opinion to say the trueth I do not verie readilie imbrace not that I iudge this to be vnpossible vnto God that either he may powre in vertues into what age soeuer he wil or that he can euē bring foorth a sense of the minde or reason in the soules of Infantes by preuenting the time of nature or else bring to passe that although they themselues neither vnderstand nor know what is to be belieued yet the holy ghost apprehendeth the same in them and consenteth vnto them euen as he is sayd to doe in them that be of age in the Epistle to the Romans Rom. 8. 25. when we require thinges that we knowe not whether they be profitable or no but the spirit it selfe maketh intercession for vs when we know not of it and prayeth as it behooueth and God for so much as he knoweth his meaning heareth him And these thinges I say as touching God may easily be doone But séeing the holy scripture telleth me not that yong children doe belieue or that these miracles be doone in them neither that I doe sée this to be of necessitie vnto their saluation I iudge it sufficient to affirme that they which shall be saued It is sufficient for the saluation of Infants if they be indued with the holie Ghost for so much as by election and predestination they belong vnto the treasure of God are indued with the spirit of God which is the roote ot faith hope charitie and of all vertues which he afterward sheweth foorth and declareth in the children of God when through age it may be doone Howbeit by a certaine kinde of speach Our infants may after a sort be called faithful such yong children may be called faithfull euen as otherwhile we call Infantes reasonable not that they in very déede are able to reason but because they haue a soule the which so soone as their age shall giue them leaue will both reason and exercise them in sundrie arts and and faculties And that that age may be adorned with the holy ghost Luke 1. 15. Ierem. 1. 5. Iohn and Ieremie may witnesse who were inspired with the spirit of God euen frō their mothers womb Which thing also Ierom vnto Marcella writeth of Asella Ierom. that she was sanctifyed by the holy Ghost euen from her mothers womb which sanctification must not be thought repugnant to originall sinne For doutlesse they haue it as we aboue declared but it is not imputed If originall sin should be imputed vnto infāts those of thē which die before baptisme should be damned For if it should be imputed vnto them it would be altogether of necessitie that so many yong children of the faithfull parents as died without baptisme or circumcision should be damned séeing that none with originall sinne are admitted into the kingdome of heauen 15 But the cause why our aduersaries are so loath to allowe of this opinion is for that they attribute vnto the Sacramentes more than they ought to do For they thinke that by the power and efficacie of the worke of baptisme sinne is forgiuen Neither do they acknowledge that by the Sacraments forgiuenesse is rather sealed which they of perfect age obtaine by beléeuing and the young children of the faithfull which belong vnto election haue it alreadie by the holie Ghost and by grace And when thou shalt demaund of them Why we baptize Infants when as they vnderstand not what is said nor yet doe consent vnto the couenant wherefore they baptise Infantes knowing that they perceiue not those things which are spoken nor yet doe consent vnto the couenant which is pronounced to them in baptisme perhappes they will aunswere according to the opinion of Augustine that they bee saued by other mens faith that is by the faith of their Parentes But the Prophet saith Abac. 2. 4. that euerie one is saued by his owne faith and not by an other mans Euery one is saued by his owne faith not by others Wherefore we maie more fitlie make aunswere that as touching them which bée of ripe age we require a faith expressed and in Act but in the young children of Christians which are offered to be baptised we saie that the same is beganne I meane in their beginning and roote because they haue the holie Ghost from whence aswell faith as all other vertues doe flowe And that it maie the better appeare that young children which are baptised and not onelie they which haue bin alreadie baptised doe pertaine vnto the Church we will declare it euidentlie enough by the Epistle to the Ephesians where it is said Ephe. 5. 25 Ye men loue your wiues euen as Christ loued the Church gaue himself for it that he might Sanctifie it being cleansed by the washing of water through the worde c. By this place thou séest It is the Church that is baptized that it is the Church which is washed and baptised So then so long as yong children be baptised it is manifest that they belong vnto the Church and they cannot truelie be partes of the Church vnlesse they be adorned with the spirite of Christ Wherfore yong childrē which verily belong vnto the electiō of God before they can be baptised are instructed by the spirit of the Lord other wise as we alledged before they cannot be saued if they died before
vndoubtedly Iames doeth right well admonish vs when he saieth Praie hauing faith Iame. 5. 15 To conclude that sentence is firme and perfect wherein it is said Whatsoeuer is offered vnto God for a sacrifice the same is acceptable vnto him if faith and iustification of him that offereth goeth before A subtile cauillation Some cauill as touching the first act of faith whereby we begin first to assent vnto GOD And they doubt whether it be acceptable vnto God or no. Certainly before it he which now beginneth to beléeue is an enemie Then say they if that first consent be acceptable vnto GOD then accepteth he the gift of an enemie but if it be not acceptable then it iustifieth not To this I answere two wayes first that men are not iustified through the worthines of the act of faith but by the firme promise of God which faith imbraceth Further when any man first assenteth and beléeueth then is he first of an enemie made a friend And although before he was an enemie yet so soone as he beléeueth he is made a friend and ceaseth to be an enemie But that which wée haue before concluded that he which offereth is more acceptable vnto God than the gift the Ethnickes themselues sawe For Plato in Alcibiade maketh mention that the Athenians vpon a time made warre against the Lacedemonians and when they were ouercome they sent messengers vnto Iupiter Ammon by whom they said that they maruelled for what cause séeing they had offered so great giftes vnto the goddes and contrariwise that their enemies had sacrificed sparingly and nigardly and yet had the victorie ouer them Ammon answered that the goddes more estéemed the prayers of the Lacedemonians than the most fat sacrifices of the Athenians For when they burnt Oxen vnto their goddes in the meane time they thought nothing of their soules So in Homer Iupiter speaketh that the goddes are not mooued with the smooke and smell of sacrifices séeing they hated Priamus and the Troians Wherefore the Ethnicks vnderstoode that which the Papists at this day sée not who thinke that their blinde sacrificer though he be neuer so vnpure and vngodly doeth yet with his handes offer vp Christ vnto GOD the Father Of Altars In 1. King 1. 50. 21 In the olde time there were two sorts of Altars one of whole burnt offerings and an other of incense Two sortes of Altars To the first doubtlesse the Pristes onely had accesse but to the latter the laitie did also go Neither did they repaire thither for any other cause but for their safetie And that men were sometimes saued there when they were in danger In 1. Kings 13. it is sufficientlie shewed in the 12. of Exodus I suppose that in the first of Kings the xiij Chapter an Altar by the figure Synecdoche betokeneth all that same peruerse worshiping or else that vnder the name of the Instrument is signified the effect For no man is ignorant but that an altar at that time was the principall instrument of the diuine seruice Yea and Paule vseth that word in this sense 1. Cor. 9. 13 when vnto the Corinthians he saieth They which waite at the Altar are partakers of the Altar Which thing is nothing else but that it is méete that they which are occupied in the seruice of God Cyprian Augustine should haue their liuing thereof Also Cyprian and Augustine disagrée not from that sense when they say y◠Schismatiks or Heretickes erect an altar against an altar that is they institute in the Church diuers and contrarie seruices of God Albeit to say what I thinke the fathers should not with so much libertie in the new Testament haue séemed héere and there to abuse the name of Altar For Altar is referred to an outward sacrifice but séeing this hath place no more among vs because we offer no more outward sacrifices of slaine beastes The sacrifices of the Newe Testament and that our sacrifices be nothing else than prayers prayses thankesgiuings mortification of the flesh and Almes déeds therefore the correlatiue as the Logitians speake of an Altar being taken away neither can it selfe be extant or had That there be no Altars among vs Byshop Tonstale Against this opinion Bishop Tonstall now lately in England would néedes oppose him selfe prooue that the Christians also haue Altars among them He brought a saying out of the Epistle to the Hebrews Heb. 13. 10 We haue an Altar whereof it is not lawfull for them to eate which Minister in the tabernacle And when it was said to him that Altar in that place was nothing else but Christ himselfe What saith he but is it not lawfull to eate Christ Little considering those whom the Apostle draue from eating of Christ namelie they which refusing the Gospell altogether claue to the Iewish seruices for how could such manner of men beeing enuious vnto Christ eate of him Petrus Alexandrinus But Petrus Alexandrinus in a certaine Epistle of his which is extant in Theodoretus the 4. booke 22. Chapter went so farre that he attributed more to the outward Altar than to the liuelie Temples of Christ For when hee had complained that the wicked in the time of Valens the Emperour in the Church of Alexandria had drawen the virgins naked through the Citie and had most shamefully violated them and also beaten and slaine them he added that they being not satisfied with those heynous déeds deuised more gréeuous things to wit that they violated and polluted the Altar of the Temple Also Optatus Mileuitanus in the 6. Optatus Mileuitanus booke against Parmenianus What is an Altar saieth he Euen the seate of the bodie bloud of Christ Such sayings as these edified not the people but rather draue them to the Ethnicke and Iewish Rites when as of a certaine foolishe blinde zeale they borrowed both Altars and other Rites as well of the Iewes as of the Ethnickes Origen Origen also in the 10. Homilie vpon Iosuah maketh mention of an Altar Likewise Tertulliā in his booke De Poenitētia writeth that there were woont to be certain knéelings about the Altar Tertullian Much more sincerelie and wiselie did some of the fathers in stead of Altar put Table or in gréeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which the faithful tooke signes of the Eucharist Of the liturgies of Basill and Chrysostome looke in the defence against Gardiner Page 2. The thirteenth Chapter Of a Magistrate and of the difference betweene Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall power In Iud. 19. at the end Looke in Iud. 8. 23. NOw it remaineth that I intreate of a Magistrate who in my iudgement may thus be described Namely A person chosen by the institution of God The definition to kéepe the lawes as touching outward discipline in punishing of transgressors with punishment of the bodie and to defend and make much of the good There are vndoubtedly many persons elected by the institution of God
weigh with your selues déepelie and in due time from whence ye depart namelie from God from Christ from the brethren and from the swéet food of excellent charitie These things if ye will faithfullie consider perhaps ye will come againe to your selues and into the right waie Which that ye may obteine through the mercie of God we will here praie while we shall communicate togither To the excellent and worthie men the gouernors of the schoole of Straâ—brough my most reuerend maisters grace and peace from God through Iesus Christ our Lord. BIcause there is some doubt risen as touching the matter of the sacrament and that the ministers of this church be afraid left by me should arise some contention about that matter therfore haue I thought good that those things which a few daies past I mainteind in your presence now to repeate the same by writing First that I willinglie imbrace and confesse the confession made at Augusta and other confessions whatsoeuer not differing from the same so they he rightlie and profitablie vnderstood Secondlie that there shall be no contentions raised by me naie rather if there be anie place to be handled in the scriptures or that anie other necessitie shall require that I should declare my opinion about such a question I promise that I will doo it with all modestie and without anie bitter inuectiue But what my opinion is 〈◊〉 he séene by the bookes which I haue alreadie published from which I will haue nothing either taken out or altered by this my writing as promise vntill being taught by the scriptures and the spirit of God An agreement betweene Bucer and Luther I be persuaded to the contrarie And whereas I haue not subscribed as the agréement made betwéen D. Martin Bucer and D. Luther his fellowe ministers the 〈◊〉 is that I cannot in respect of the word of God nor for my conscience sake grant that they which are without faith doo in receiuing of the sacrament receiue the bodie of Christ And it is no meruell that I would not agrée to this article since Bucer himselfe in this our schoole I being present did openlie teach otherwise when he expounded the Acts of the apostles And euen he when he was in England wrote far otherwise as I can shew by diuerse of his articles And without doubt his opinion was true since faith is the onelie instrument whereby Christ his bodie and blood is receiued of vs which saith being remooued the mouth of the bodie receiueth nothing but the sacraments of the bodie and bloud of Christ Christ receiued by faith the bread I meane and the wine consecrated by the officer of the church or the minister Euen as if a man which is of full age should come without faith vnto baptisme we would saie he receiueth nothing besides the sacrament that is besides water for not beléeuing he could not receiue the grace of regeneration so without faith no man is admitted vnto the communion of the bodie and bloud of Christ Lastlie I am afraid least by subscribing vnto this agréement before rehearsed I might séeme to condemne the churches of Zuricke Basil Berne Geneua and England all the brethren dispersed through Italie and France which assuredlie I doo not thinke by the word of God to be lawfull Therefore as I both honour and reuerence the churches of Saxonie euen so doo I imbrace and loue heartilie in the Lord those other churches which I haue rehearsed God as he is the author of peace grant vs that we may once iudge and speake all one thing And to you my maisters whom I verie much honour for the courtesie and goodnesse which you shew vnto me I tender most heartie thanks since I haue no other thing to requite you withall And I beséech our good God for Iesus Christ his sake that he will alwaies be mercifull to you From my lodging in Strasbrough this 27 of Decem. The confession or opinion of D. Peter Martyr Vermillius as touching the Supper of the Lord exhibited vnto the most noble Senat of Strasbrough when he was called to Zuricke in the yeere of the Lord 155â— One person in Christ consisting of diuers natures OVr sauiour Iesus Christ consisteth of 〈◊〉 natures ioined togither into one and 〈◊〉 same person or substance and those 〈◊〉 not confounded of mingled togither but the properties and conditions of both being safe and entire Wherefore vnto the Godhead of Christ which is infinite and is limited by no measures or bounds That the humanitie of Christ is not euerie-where it is granted without controuersie to be euerie where but vnto the humanitie by reason of the nature and truth thereof circumscription limits and bounds doo so belong as neither it can be euerie-where neither can it be without some certeine place vndoubtedlie not for the weakenesse of the diuine power but for the perpetuall and vnchangeable condition of mans nature For as it cannot be that either the number of thrée can be the number of six or that the thing yesterdaie doone can be vndoone so is it not possible that that which is an humane bodie shuld not be a bodie humane whose definition of necessitie comprehendeth quantitie parts distinguished and members Therefore whatsoeuer they be that spred the same and will haue it to extend so largelie as the word of God and therefore to be either euerie-where or else in manie places at once they affirme that that which is a humane bodie is not a humane bodie and that that which is created is not a creature For it is not conuenient for anie creature being limited to be in manie places at one and the selfe-same time But that Christ as touching his humane nature is a creature the church neuer doubted to affirme out of the word of God Wherefore Christ in respect that he is a man left the world we haue him not present at bodie for with it he ascended into heauen which must conteine or receiue him vntill the times of the restitution of all things as Peter in the Acts of the apostles hath taught Acts. 3 21. The sacrament of the Eucharist I confesse is so instituted by Christ our sauiour What presence there is of Christ in the sacraments as his words being vsed which promise a true communion of the faithfull with him and therwithall adding the signes of bread and wine which be effectuall instruments of the holie Ghost as touching the faithfull while the holie supper is celebrated faith is wrought whereby we trulie and vnfeinedlie apprehend at our mind both his bodie and bloud euen as they were deliuered vnto death and to the crosse for vs vnto the remission of sinnes Which receiuing in verie déed although it be of things absent and doone in the mind yet dooth it not profit the mind it selfe onelie but it redoundeth also vnto the bodie of them that receiue so as by a certeine power of sanctification and spirituall coniunction it is made capable
than from the soule the which if it happen to depart the bodie straightway becommeth a horrible deade carcase which stinketh and with wormes and putrefaction is dissolued on euerie side which euerie man doth auoide So the holy scriptures when the spirit is absent from him that readeth them they be loathsome dead carcases they offende they displease and doe marueilously alienate from the reading of them the minds of those which vse them Wherefore let vs desire God that euen as hee sent out his worde at the beginning when he made the worlde yea and that he sent it downe into the bowels of the earth whereby there sprang out so great an abundance of grasse herbes springs plants and fruits hee will in like manner penetrate our heartes whereby we may execute thoughts words and déedes worthie of our calling Neither maruell yée if I so greatly perswade you to pray for the fruite of the worde because this is the state of the worde of God that it doth not continually fall after a happie sort For as it is taught in the parable of the séede which is set foorth in the Gospell a part falleth vpon the way a part in stonie places a part among thornes and finally that which is committed vnto good grounde doeth not bring foorth fruite generally after one manner but a part thyrtie folde a part sixtie fold and a part an hundreth folde A Prayer Wherefore I beséech God that he will so prepare you and me with his spirite that we receiue not the diuine séede like vnto the high way or the thornes or stonie grounde Let euen he himselfe who is able make our heartes good grounde which may bring foorth fruite an hundreth folde vnto eternall life Amen A prayse of the worde of God taught in the scriptures and an exhortation to the study of them IF after manie daies silence I shoulde take in hande againe to declare the wordes of Paul as I beganne and shoulde not after my accustomed manner exhort you to renew your studies intermitted you might not onelie maruell at my determination but also finde iust fault at the breach of custom Howbeit since I haue this doone euerie yeare it is to be doubted least I shoulde bee constrained to vtter againe the same thinges among you which I haue at other times declared vnto you or else to digresse vnto those things which are not much pertinent to our purpose Yet doth it much comfort and refresh me that I vnderstande ye are so manifolde and sundrie wayes stirred vp to the knowledge of the holie Scriptures that I hope although my wit be slender and my eloquence small I shall not depart from the laudable and receiued custome neither yet digresse vnto those things which be not of much force to cal backe your minds to the studie of diuinitie And to holde you with proheme no longer than Christian synceritie requireth it shall not bee amisse this to thinke speciallie with our selues that there was not a man created by God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ As man â—as made by the word so he is restored by the word but through the worde of God and therefore wee must not looke that he being falen and ouerthrowen can be restored by anie other meanes thaÌ„ by the same worde Hereunto was Adam the prince of man kinde created by God that he shoulde bee a faithfull Scholer of Gods word From which excellent institution hée so farre swarned Gen. 3. 6. that he gaue credite to the perswasion of the serpent not to the worde of God And looke what the diuell did then worke in Paradise by the wordes of the serpent he nowe doeth the same in the Church through superstitions and wicked traditions of men Wherefore he that will beware of death and destruction let him not giue eare vnto the inuentions of men but let him faith fullie beléeue the holie Scripture onelie Let vs set Adam before our eyes so long as hée was obedient to the worde of God we shall perceiue hee was Lorde of all thinges Gen. 1. 28. and the husbandman of most pleasant Paradise But on the otherside we shall acknowledge that the same man when hee mistrusted the worde of God became the seruant of death and sinne subiect to the curse of God a laborer in the continual sweat of his face Gen. 3. 17. striuing with thornes thistles The selfe same daunger remaineth doubtles to so manie as neglecting the worde of God followe the promises of knowledge wronglie so named as though they might be Gods and Masters of their owne selues O woulde to God that that happie garden had not had a serpent and that at this daie there were not in the Church such as woulde call men awaie from the holie scriptures vnto the wisdome of the fleshe And not onelie maie we learne by the bringing foorth and originall of mankinde howe wee ought to be studious in the worde of God but the mysterie also of our redemption doth most plainelie testifie the same For when the natures of God and man were distant an infinite space one from an other yet were they coupled together by the worde into one and the selfe same person Wherefore wée also are to hope of a returne vnto the father if we shal with great indeuor of faith imbrace his word What I beséech you do you thinke of the bookes of the holie Scriptures They are nothing else in verie déede than schoolemasters of the elect giuen most profitablie vnto them by God God vseth weake instruments And séeing they bee instrumentes of our saluation we must not frowardlie looke vppon the nature habit and ornament of them séeing al the worthinesse and excellencie of them must be measured by the power which God vseth in them What more vanitie is there in the nature of thinges than dreames Dreames And yet when God vseth them he instructeth in most weightie matters Gen. 41. 1. c. Dan. 2. 1. Gen. 37. 5. Iud. 7. 13. Dan. 7. 1. Pharao and Nabuchadnezar being the mightiest Monarches of the worlde and confirmeth the faith of Ioseph Gedeon and Daniel Hereby is knowen the excellent power of God whenas by abiect and vile instruments he sheweth foorth incredible actes Euen as a Carpenter should for that cause be counted famous and notable A similitude if he coulde with a corde thréede or haires hewe or cut in sunder most harde wood So Christ with claie healed a blinde man and God in the signes of water and in the outwarde elements of bread and wine stirreth vp the faith of those that be his Iohn 9. 6. and sealeth the promises of heauenlie things The vse of the holie scriptures Therefore the holie Scriptures which be full of dignitie and maiestie being more inwardlie beheld wheras at the first sight they may séeme rude and barbarous weigh thou with thy selfe that they be the instrumeÌ„ts of the holy ghost and looke not for a pleasantnesse of
his sonne although he had the promise of the kingdome and knewe that the same promise coulde not be made voide If ye will say that the controuersie was not about faith or religion but as touching the kingdom I knowing what your reasons be will aunswere that he ought to haue giuen credite to the promises of God and to haue prayed but not to haue forsaken the kingdome which he knewe by the worde of God to belong vnto him Neuerthelesse he fled but yet beléeued that he shoulde be restored againe according to the promises A godlie man flying after this manner beléeueth that God will kéepe him in the faith and will bring to passe that he shall not abiure which also he craueth of him from the bottome of his heart But yet if in the meane time he vse that flight which both GOD hath opened vnto him and the holie Scriptures and examples of the sainctes do allowe he sinneth not nay rather he after a right manner confesseth his faith Others thinke that flying awaie is vtterlie condemned because Paul in the second Epistle to Timothie complayneth that in his first defence he was forsaken of all men 2. Tim. 4. 6. For that they had committed sinne in this matter thereby it appeareth in that the Apostle prayeth that it might not bee imputed vnto them for thinges that bee well doone haue no néede of pardon Howbeit these thinges if they be well weighed I iudge must not be transferred vnto fleying awaie They are rather written against them which either through a blameworthie feare or else for the care they haue of their worldly goods did neglect those duties which Christian charitie requireth It is not likelie that Paul complaineth of them which at that time were not in Rome although persequution waxing hotte they had fledde awaie not long before for this ought not to be laide to their charge vnlesse they had therefore fledde because they loued this worlde as Demas had doone 2. Tim. 4. 10. The Apostle therefore complaineth not of them that were absent but of those brethreÌ„ which indéede were at Rome but yet so pretermitted the dueties of charitie either because they were ashamed to confesse Christ or for that they were giuen to wearinesse or blameworthie feare as in the first defence no man assisted him Verilie the Romane Church delt most shamefullie which after such a manner forsooke their Apostle Wherefore it is no maruell if this did verie much gréeue Paul if also he prayed that this might not be imputed vnto him Wherefore in the former wordes Paul speaketh not of a iust flying awaie which we a little before set foorth discribed with his owne properties but he onelie reprehendeth those who bestowed not those benefites which both they might and ought to haue doone vpon them which were oppressed for Christes cause But here will be obiected that which Iohn writeth Iohn 3. 16. That euerie man ought to laie downe his life for his brethren Therefore when we knowe and sée that the members of Christ are shut vp in prisons it is not lawfull to forsake them by flying awaie while wee séeke our owne safetie Howe farre foorth we must laie downe out life for our brethren and are not touched with the miserie of our afflicted brethren In this place there is no néede of a distinction For the death of our neighbour is either bodilie or spirituall If we speake of the bodilie and outwarde death of our neighbor I iudge that we must not alwaies laie downe our bodilie life for him which I might confirme aswell by manie examples as also by reasons But if we meane as touching the spirituall death of our brother if a man maie by his owne bodilie death so helpe him as hee shall not perish euerlastinglie vndoubtedly he ought to die For Christ after this manner died for vs and it shall be the Disciples part to imitate the master himselfe So that if a man hope assuredlie that he by his presence exhortation and comfort can helpe his brother from falling into euerlasting destruction he ought to abide still although he doe it with the perill of his life and to lay downe as the scripture requireth his bodilie life for the eternall saluation of his brethren But this good part cannot alwayes be doone of them since the crueltie of our enemies is so enraged as whom they holde in bondes for the Gospels sake they for the most part admit no man to talke with them except inquisitors and others which bee able to perswade them in thinges contrarie vnto the faith for so many as they suspect to fauour the pure religion which the aduersaries call Lutheranisme those they exclude from them More fauourably did they deale in olde time with Paul for so soone as he was come to Rome as we reade in the Actes Acts. 28. 16 it was lawfull for him to abide in his owne hiered house yet vnder the custodie of one souldiour in which state he preached the Gospell with great constancie vnto all those which came to sée him Also out of the Ecclesiasticall histories it appeareth that in old time it was lawfull for the brethren to talke with the Martyrs which were in bondes and to refresh their bodies with meate and their mindes with comfort exhortation Wherefore it is no maruell if Paule and his like complained when of the brethren through faint courage and coldnesse they were so foulie forsaken that not so much as one assisted them in iudgements which otherwise was frée at that time Further whereas Iohn commaunded that wée shoulde laie downe our bodilie life for the spirituall saluation of our brother that must not so be vnderstoode as though it may binde vs in euerie case euen when we come into manifest daunger of taking a false othe and of eternall damnation For hereof there would followe two discommodities One that the brethren in bandes by the fall of them which had committed themselues into perils shoulde take a greater griefe and shoulde be offended and perhaps themselues also woulde fall awaie For which cause it was prouided by the law of God that when the Israelites went foorth vnto battaile the fearefull and faint hearted shoulde be sent home least at any time by their feare they might quaile the heartes of the valiant men The other discommoditie is that no remedie or comfort shoulde be giuen to the miseries of the Captiues Martyrs of Christ nay rather to the rest of the calamities woulde be added that the weake brethren would both fal and perish So as in desiring to preuent one euill we should fall into two Wherefore they of whom Paul complaineth did not forsake him for that cause which we haue in hande but rather because they too much loued the worlde and their owne commodities or else because they were wearie and finallie ashamed of the Gospell of Christ according as we declared before Furthermore manie â—…e obiect that it cannot bee but that the Churches of Italie
in the doctrine of the Lordes Supper he was gone from the opinion of the confession of Augusta and that therefore it was to be feared least he would make some troubles in the Church Hereof he being admonished of his friendes purged himselfe by a writing presented to the Senate and taught that the Confession of Augusta and other confessions not disagreeing from the same if they bee rightly and profitably vnderstoode hee willingly embraced and that if neede should require he would willingly defende them to his power he promised moreouer that for his part there should be no contentions raised but rather if any place were to bee handled in the Scriptures or any other necessitie should require he would declare his opinion about this question he affirmed that he woulde doe this with all modestie and without any bitter contradiction And what his opinion was he saide it might bee easilie knowen by his Bookes alreadie set foorth from which he woulde not by that his writing or promise that any thing should bee plucked awaie or chaunged vntill such time as by the holie Scriptures he should bee otherwise perswaded And for so much as besides the Confession of Augusta there was brought foorth the concorde betweene D. Bucer and D. Luther and their fellowe Ministers he answered that he subscribed not hereunto because he could not for the worde of God and conscience sake graunt that they which bee destitute of the true faith shoulde in receiuing of the Sacramentes receiue the bodie of Christ And he added that this ought to seeme no maruell vnto them that he woulde not assent thereunto since D. Bucer himselfe in the Schoole of Strasborough while he expounded the Actes of the Apostles taught otherwise and that he wrote farre otherwise when he was in England which might be shewed by diuers of his Articles and that verie rightly for since faith is the onelie instrument whereby Christ himselfe his bodie and bloud bee receiued the same being remooued the mouth receiueth nothing but a sacrament of his bodie and bloud to wit bread and wine things consecrated by the Lordes institution Euen as a man of ripe age if he goe vnto Baptisme without faith is said to haue nothing besides the Sacrament that is to wit water the prayers of the Church For euen as no man while he beleeueth not obtaineth not the grace of regeneration so without faith none haue any waie to the Communion of the bodie and bloud of Christ For as Augustine saieth To eate and to drinke is nothing else than to beleeue Lastly he added that he feared least in subscribing to this concorde offered vnto him he should seeme to condemne the Churches of Tygure Berne Basill Geneua Lausanna England and all the brethren dispersed in Italie and Fraunce which doubtlesse should not bee lawfull for him to doe by the word of God and charitie towardes them And therefore he saide that as he reuerenced and honoured all the Churches of Saxonie and all those which consented vnto them so did he embrace in the Lorde and heartilie loue the others also which he made mention of for because he said that question was not of so great importaunce as it shoulde breake the Communion and charitie betweene the faithfull By this writing of his or promise the Senate of Strasborough which maruellouslie well loued Martyr was satisfied reiecting the priuie accusations of others So nowe being restored to his former office he interpreted the Booke of Iudges And because the schoole wanted at that time a meete reader of Aristotles Philosophie it was determined that as two Diuines reade the holie Scriptures so they shoulde likewise weekely by turnes teache Aristotles Philosophie And therefore Martyr not refusing this labour beganne to interprete Aristotles Ethickes Ad Nichomachum and in expounding the same proceeded vnto the thirde booke And his Collegue was D. Hieronymus Zanchus a verie louing friend of Martyr and who followed him as wee haue saide out of Italie he tooke vnto him to interprete the Bookes of Aristotles Phisickes But Martyrs aduersaries and ill willers of whom wee spake before although they opposed not themselues openly against him yet did they not cease dayly in secrete and as it were vndermining to withstand him For both by letters and by their readings and sermons they so gall him as there wanted nothing to the accusing of Martyr but the naming of him yea and one of the studients made an Oration openly in the Schoole touching the Eucharist made to this ende that he might of set purpose condemne Martyr and his doctrine Wherefore since he perceiued that his aduersaries did dayly make more open warre against him and that they did by name reprooue him in their Bookes as also Sleidan in his historie maketh mention hee beganne to deliberate with himselfe of his departure when vppon the sodaine a most fitte occasion was offered him For when there died with vs at that time that good and godlie man Conradus Pellicanus the honourable Senate of the commonweale of Zuricke with the good will of the ministers of the Church appointed Martyr to succeede in his place and concerning that matter they wrote letters aswell vnto him as vnto the honorable Senate of Strasborough wherein they desired that hee might be sent to Zuricke This calling was verie well accepted of Martyr For albeit hee loued the commonweale of Strasborough and acknowledged him much beholding thereunto yet because he sawe that this controuersie of the sacrament was dailie stirred vp with more bitternesse of mindes hee reioysed that there was an occasion offered whereby hee might ridde himselfe from the troubles Therefore when he was demanded by the magnificall and noble Senate what his mind was hee nothing dissembled but shewed that leaue to depart woulde be verie welcome to him and hee testified at large of his good will towardes the common weale and he saide that the cause why hee might not tarie with them was that he sawe he coulde not at that time inioy that libertie of teaching disputing writing which hee desired And to be desirous of this leaue first hee said he was vrged by his vocation and then moued by threates and comminations Besides that he feared the iudgementes of the grauest men who had read his writinges and had heard him teach if by his silence hee shoulde seeme not onelie to forsake but also as it were to betray the truth at other times defended with the perill of his life and nowe manie and sundrie waies priuilie and openly oppugned For of these men of whome some of them either for the verie same cause woulde be burned with fire or else remaining yet aliue did to great purpose beare rule in the Churches of Christ he saide he might not choose but bee greeuouslie reprooued as he that either departed from his vpright iudgement which crime of inconstancie is not to bee suffered in a Christian man or else who woulde in silence let slippe those thinges which hee knewe to be
b In such thinges God doth not alwaies graunt that which wee thinke good for our selues 3 201 b Of exceptions in them 3 164 b Of offence by them in the Church 3 164 a.b 165 a In them an intent maie be of some force 2 388 b Of certaine to bee vsed at the communion 2 324 b The vse of them sometime to be obserued sometimes to be discontinued 2 320 b In them magistrates must bee obeyed 4 323 b 324 a Ecclesiasticall lawes touching thinges indifferent 4 42 b Incredulitie The nature of incredulitie 3 93 a An Antithesis betwéene it faith 3 127 b The rewarde thereof most miserable 2 621 a Platos opinion thereof and the inconuenience thereof 1 53 b Of Zacharie and Moses gréeuously punished 2 364 a 3 61 b ¶ Looke Infidelitie Incubi Of the Incubi and what Augustine saith of them 1 90 a ¶ Looke Spirites Indignation Of the affect called Nemesis of some Indignation and howe it is in the godlie 2 413 ab ¶ Looke Nemesis Infamie The infamie of Lot perpetuall so long as the worlde lasteth 2 500 a The infamie that adulterers susteyned by the ciuill lawes 2 486 b Infantes Whether the infantes of Christians dying vnbaptisid bee saued 4 â—20 b 121 ab 110 ab 136 ab 119 a 2 233 b How they belong to the Church 4 114 b 115 a 120 b Dying not regenerate adiudged to hell fire by Augustine 2 233 b Howe they may be called though infected with originall sinne 4 117 a Whether all belong to the couenaunt 4 136 ab Whether they maie receiue the Eucharist 4 51 ab 45 a Whether they may be indued with the holie ghost 4 120 a Of necessitie subiect vnto sin 4 115 b 111 b 2 244 a Not exempted froÌ„ damnation 3 96b They perish vnlesse they bee renewed by Christ 3 25 a What holinesse is in them of Christian parentes 4 115 ab Baptisme of them no newe thing in the Church 4 114 b 115 a It may bee saide that they bee innocent as touching sinnes aduisedly committed 2 228 b Whether they haue faith 4 119 b 120 a ¶ Looke Children Infidelitie Infidelitie comprehendeth all other sinnes 3 153 b The cause of the Iewes reiection and what wee are taught thereby 2 329 a Achaz to his infidelitie ioyned hypocrisie and how 1 70 b 71 a ¶ Looke Incredulitie and vnbeleefe Infidels Whether it be lawfull for Christians to dwell or haue conuersation with Infidels 2 309 b The argumentes brought to prooue it 2 327 b 328. Reasons out of holie scripture to disallowe it 2 312 ab 313 a Certaine cautions to be vsed of Princes for the suffering of the faithfull to haue conuersation with Infidels 2 32â— ab 325 a It is a let to the saluation of the godlie 2 313 b The weake and vnlearned must not dwell with such 2 311 a It is not lawfull to dwell with such if men bee forced to communicate with vngodly ceremonies 2 314 b The Israelites corrupted by conuersation with them 2 313 a Forbidden and taught by signes to haue no dealing with them but in case of necessitie 2 3â—4 a Examples of holy men that had dealing with such 2 309 b 310 b The complaint of Dauid when hee was forced to dwell among them 2 314 b CommandemeÌ„t of God forbidding vs to haue companie with them 4 86 b Whether it bee lawfull for Christians to haue peace with them 4 294b 195 a Whether Christians may desire helpe of them 4 295 b Who are in worse state than Infidels 3 105 b Whether their workes be sinnes 3 106 a 243 b 244a They and al Christians are both in one state of perdition 2 556 a Certeine illuminations giuen vnto them 3 â—07b Whether they haue faith or no. 3 106 ab Whether they can doe a woâ—ke pleasing God 3 118 a Whether their chastitie be true chastitie 3 119 a They that be learned and constant may dwell with them 2 310 a Why we pray to God for their conuersion 3 29a Foure cautions to be vsed in hauing conuersation with them 2 310 ab They shall not be examined at Christes iudgement 2 626b ¶ Looke Vnbeleeuers Ingratitude Of the crime of Ingratitude and a punishment for the same 1 435 b Inheritance temporall Howe the lawyers define Inheritance 3 82 b What the Romane lawes decréed touching the children of concubines in the case of Inheritance 2 419 ab Bastards secluded from Inheritance 2 476 b 477 a The children of concubines not vtterly excluded among the Iewes an instance of Ismael 2 476 ab Of alienating the same and in what cases it was lawfull and not lawfull among the Iewes 4 243 a Inheritance eternall The nature of the heauenly Inheritance 3 79 b 80 a By what meanes we come to the same 3 274. 81 b 82 a Who obteine it 2 612 b 613 a And who haue it shut vp against men 3 82 a Iniquitie Whether the children shal be punished for the parents iniquitie 2 362 a ¶ Looke Sinne Vnrighteousnesse Innouations Against innouations specially concerning religion 1 99 ab Iniuries Whether all iniuries are to bee suffered 2 530 ab Howe farre they must be forgiuen 4 285 b Christ teacheth vs how they are to be forborne 4 289 ab Iniustice A likely reason of iniustice in God 3 286 a Inspiration Heauenly inspiration was not communicated to all the Prophets alike 1 19 b Instrument One instrument for one worke 4 18 a Instruments A distinction of instruments 3 335 a How they be affected to the efficient cause 1 164 a Wherein they and the matter doe differ 1 164b Creatures be the instruments of God but not all after one sort 1 182 b Intelligences What the schoole diuines and others haue thought of the intelligences 1 112 b â—08 b 109 a They be things separated from matter 1 103 a 78 a Of the intelligences which driue about the spheres 1 77 a Howe their worke should be hindered 1 79 b ¶ Looke Angels Spirites Intent Of the word intent and what the same signifieth 1 92 b 93 a A good intent maketh not an euill worke to be good 2 388 b It maketh a worke good if faith guide that intent 2 259 a It is not sufficient to make a worke good 1 95 a 2 539b What is chiefely required thereto 1 93 a Condemned and in what cases 2 336 a Our workes thereby cannot bee meritorious 1 93 b It must bee ioyned with faith and action or else it is nought worth 1 93 b 94 a An intent is euill two manner of wayes how 1 93 a Of an habitual intent which maketh a worke good as the schoolemen say 1 93 b The act of Gedeon done of a good intent condemned and why 1 93a 94 a The reason of the Nicodemites drawen from Naaman the Syrian for the approuing of a good intent disabled 1 94b The mischeefes that insue the papisticall doctrine of a good intent 3 311 a The Intent