of those yâ— say that the wil of God in willing or not willing â–ª is either of efficacy or remisse his wil doubtles he permitteth it not for nothing can be done against gods wil wherefore he willingly permitteth it And therefore his will is that sinne should not be letted Some to auoyde this appoint in God a double will the one of efficacy the other remisse And the signe of his will of efficacy they say are commaundemeÌ„tes preceptes and lawes but of his remisse wil they put counsels and exhortacions to be the signe They adde also that God will not sometymes with efficacy somtimes remissedly And the signe of his not willing with efficacy they say is prohibitioÌ„ but of his not willing remissedly they put permission to be the signe And after this maner they say that God willeth not sinne But because they sée that if God with efficacy willed not sinne it could by no meanes be committed they say that he in dede willeth not sinne but yet remissedly This is in dede a witty distinction but I am somwhat in doubt whether We can not put in the will of God either increace or diminishing it can in such sort take place in God But that we shoulde not in vayne contend graunt that it were so yet for all that they auoyde not but that God may be sayde after a sort to wil sinne For how commeth it that he in dede willeth not sinne but yet remissedly Here they haue nothing to answere but that he after a sort willeth it For reiection is not remisse vnles something of the contrary be mixed with it namely of the wil as water froÌ„ whote water is not made luke warme vnles some cold be mingled with it Wherefore in that they say that God willeth not sinne but yet remissedly that can be by no other meanes but that he after a sort willeth it wherefore this permission which they imagine is at the lengthe reduced to the will But it is a thing ridiculous that they should be aferd least God by this meanes should seeme to be vniust for thâ— will of God is the first and chiefe iustice so that whatsoeuer he willeth the same Permission is reduced to the will The wil of God is the first iustice God when he will punish sinnes by sinnes withdraweth hys grace straight way is of necessity iust And one and the selfe same action as it is in vs and commeth from vs forasmuch as it proceedeth from a corrupt ground is sinne but as it commeth from God it is iust These men seke some way to satisfie humane reason which yet they can not by this meanes attayne vnto For they are compelled to graunt that God when he wyll punishe sinnes by sinnes withdraweth his grace by which stay only our will may be vpholden that it sinne not Wherefore if of purpose he remoue away that by which onelye sinne is prohibited although he doo not vniustly how can he be sayde vtterly not to will sinne which of necessity followeth the withdrawing of grace Wherefore we say that God in dede willeth the action which is by nature produced for vnles God would it coulde by no meanes be produced but the deformitie and priuation of iustice whereby that action faileth and straieth froÌ„ his rule he in consideration of it selfe willeth not â–ª but so farforth onely as it is a punishement of sinne and as we haue sayd an instrument to declare the iustice of God Yea also Augustine sayth That God will not onely remoue awaye his grace but also hiddenly worketh in the mindes of sinners no les then he vseth to worke in the bodyes and inclineth their wils either to good according to his mercy or to euill according to hys iudgement being in dede iust but yet hidden And this sentence he hath against Iulianus in his 5. booke and 3. chapiter And in his booke de Gracia libero arbitrio the 21. chapter and he proueth it by sundry and many testimonies of the scriptures But in that God is said not to will and to hate sinne that is to be vnderstand as touching the law and the Scriptures and the rule of lyfe reueled vnto vs He is said also to hate sinne because he punisheth it and because he willeth it not for his owne sake but as we haue sayde in consideration of an other thing Wherefore in that he worketh sinne he hateth it not and in that he hateth it he worketh it not â—n suÌ„me if we will speake properly Election reiection depend of the wil of God We are not wonne but by those things which please vs and simply we cannot say yâ— God ether willeth sin or is the author therof Thus much by the way but now to returne to August He goeth on to declare that both election reiection depeÌ„d of the wil of God He saith in dede yâ— we haue free will but what auayleth that to these things For who caÌ„ beleue vnles his will be moued But it is not in our power that we should be moued by those things which are offred for we are not allured takeÌ„ but by those things which please vs. But that preaching reading coÌ„teÌ„placioÌ„ vpoÌ„ things diuine do please vs it coÌ„meth by the breathing of the holy gost And August addeth that as touching the masse or loÌ„p of al humane nature By the spirit of God â—â— commeth to passe â–ª that thinges in very deede good do please vs. wherof all we are brought forth there is no difference wherby God mought be moued to elect this maÌ„ rather then that yea rather if setting aside the grace of Christ we consider only the nature of men there can come no difference at all but that one is more witty then an other or contaminated with fewer wicked factes or endewed with better artes But if any man would say that God in election or reiection hath a respect to these things he shall playnly speake agaynst the holy scripture For Paul to the Corrinthians thus writeth Be hold your calling brethern for not many wise men not many noble men not many mighty men are called but the folish thinges of the world hath God elected c. There haue bene moreouer a greate many philosophers endewed with most excellent wittes and other men of singular grauity as Socrates Cato and Scipio who if they be compared with others may seme to haue bene enfected but with a very few vices There haue bene others endued with most excellent artes and sciences whom God yet hath ouerpassed and hath called vnto him men vnlerned sinners and wicked men wherefore this only remayneth that if God haue not a respect vnto these thinges they must say that he hath notwithstanding a consideration to the will But neither doubtles can that be affirmed For as we haue sayd it lieth not in the power of our will to be moued with good and holy perswasions For An example of Paul what maner of will had Paul at that selfe
thinges both that euill lusts should be cut of out of the minde and also that the children of Israell should be seperated from other nations Farther it was the seale of the will and promise of God which was offred vnto Abraham concerning righteousnes the remissiō of sinnes thorough Christ and the league with God and a greate many mo such like good things This promise I say was sealed with the signe of circumcision And besides these significations of the sacraments ar two other cōmodityes not to be cōtemned For the things which ar so marked Sacramentes also are notes whereby we are knowen to pertaine vnto God as vnto our owner and Lord. By these notes also is shewed how muche God maketh of vs. are therby appoynted to be theyrs who are their owners as in horses oxen other suche like thinges the markes and notes which ar burnte in them declare vnto whome they pertayne So the Sacraments when they are receaued do beare witnes that we belong vnto God Farther such outward notes declare of what value and estimation the thinge that is sealed ought to be counted as it is manifest in coynes of gold and also in horses For the best and excellent horses are marked with one marke and dull Iades with an other marke Farthermore the sacramentes which God hath commended vnto vs declare how much God setteth by vs For the notes and markes of circumcision and of other sacramentes are as it were admonishers of the will and promises of God For forasmuch as we are weake neyther do we easely beleue the promises of God it was nedefull that his good will towardes vs shoulde not only be signified by wordes but also shoulde be sealed by thinges which might be offred to our senses Wherefore Augustine very aptly sayth that the Sacramentes are visible wordes And Chrisostome vpon this place writeth that circumcision preached righteousnes Wherefore God would that we should both haue his wordes in the holy scriptures which should be set forth vnto vs whilest the misteryes were in doing and also that vnto them should outwardly be added visible notes that we might the more firmely resist if at any tyme the minde should beginne to doubt By these thinges it is manifest how they are deceaued which thinke that by the power of the action or as they vse to speake by the worke wrought The worke wrought is excluded the sacramentes bring saluation Vndoubtedly euen as the wordes of the scripture nothing profit without fayth so also nothing profit the sacramentes vnles fayth be present Nether is that opinion to be allowed whereof Augustine in his booke De ciuitate dei maketh mēcion namely that they can not be damned They are deceaued which thinke that no man after he hath once receaued the sacraments can be damned In this place abone all other is is expressed the nature of Sacramentes Sacraments are not onely markes notes which haue once receaued the sacramēts of Christ I thinke there is scarse any place in the holy scriptures wherein is so briefely and so expressedly set forth the nature of the sacramentes as in these wordes of Paule wherein circumcision is called a seale And to the ende we should vnderstand that it is not the seale of euery thinge there is added of righteousnes that is of the forgeuenes of sinnes which pertayneth vnto the will of God Lastly he addeth of fayth to geue vs to vnderstand what maner of thinge that is whereby we may take hold of that righteousnes And that is fayth Wherefore euery man may see how much they are deceaued whiche thinke the sacramentes to be but onlye markes and notes of religion whereby men may knowe one an other For so should they attribute no more vnto sacramentes then vnto garments or coulors whereby familyes and sectes are descerned one from an other Nether is this sufficiente whiche others say which thinke that in sacramentes are shewed forth the signes only and professions of those thinges and actions which are required of vs which are initiated into Christ so that circumcision they make to signifye the mortifying of wicked affection and baptisme to signifie that we must stoutely and with a valiant courage suffer losses iniuries aduersities What is the chiefest and principallest thing in the Sacramentes Graeca Scolia Three significations of circumcision because in it is signified that we are crucified and buried together with Christ And that the supper of the Lord is only a signe of Christian beneuolēce of duties of mutuall charity We deny not but that all these thinges are in the sacramentes But the hed and summe of theyr signification we say consisteth herein that they seale vnto vs the giftes and promises of God which he offreth vnto vs to be taken holde of by fayth The Greeke Scholies haue in this place most expressedly put that Circumcision was for three causes geuen that it should be a signe of fayth and of righteousnes that it should seperate the kyndred of Abraham from other nations and that it should be a note and manifest token of a pure and vndefiled conuersacion This place most manifestly declareth y◠which Augustine writeth to Bonifacius namely that Sacramēts haue the names of those thinges which they signifie And that thing he proueth by many stmilitudes amongest which he maketh mencion also of the Eucharist bicause Circumcision because it was the signe of the couenant therefore it had the name of the thinge It is Paul which teacheth that sacraments do signify seale things promised That we call sacramentes are signes we say it out of the holy scriptures Sacramentes not after iustification vnprofitably receaued Sacramentes stirre not vp faith but the holy ghost stirreth it vp A similitude Our righteousnes hath much vncleanes mingled with it The resurrection shal be a perfect regeneration we call it the body of Christ when as it is only the sacrament thereof And wee also teache that the bread in the holy misteryes is therfore the body of Christ bycause it is the signe thereof These things some cānot abide But they ought to remember that in the boke of Genesis Circumcision is called the couenaunt of the Lord which is nothing ells then the promise of righteousnes and of the forgeuenes of sinnes throughe Christ And this couenaunt the Lord commaunded that the Iewes shoulde carye aboute with them in theyr fleshe That thing Paule now expoundeth namely that it was the signe of that righteousnes and couenaunt Wherefore it manifestly appeareth that this kind of interpretatiōs which we vse was brought in by the Apostle and that to follow those interpretations is nothing els then to follow the steps of the Apostles If thou demaūd that for as much as we haue remissiō of sinnes haue by fayth obteined righteousnes what commodity then bringe the sacramentes vnto vs we answere very much for that they offer themselues before our eyes and so doo admonish vs. For our fayth is stirred vp not
indéede by them but by the power of the holy ghost who vseth this instrument of the sacraments euen as he doth the instrument of the woord which is preached And faith being stirred vp more and more embraseth righteousnes and remission of sinnes For these things are not in atomo or in an indiuisible point but they haue in them some breadth For if sinne were in this life perfectly remoued from vs we should neuer sinne any more But many euilles oftentimes offer them selues vnto vs which haue nede of forgeuenes and remission So although we be regenerated and renewed yet there neuer wanteth in vs somwhat which must be regenerated and renued And to make this the playner I will bringe this similitude That which is most perfect white hath mixed with it no blacknes or darknes at all But our righteousnes hath mixed with it much vnpurenes vnclenes which must nedes be made clene wherefore in the resurrection we shall haue a perfect and absolute regeneratioÌ„ And therefore Christ called the resurrection by that name when he sayd vnto his Apostles that they should sit in the Regeneration vpon xij seates and iudge the twelue tribes of Israell For that selfe same cause Paul when he was alredy iustefied was commaunded to be baptised And AbrahaÌ„ of whom we now speake after that righteousnes was imputed vnto him was commaunded to be circumcised and that not in vayne but for that cause which we haue alredy declared Now the matter moueth or rather requireth vs somewhat to speake of circumcision But because we can certaynely affirme nothing touching it vnles we thoroughlye knowe the nature of sacramentes therefore I thoughte it beste first to declare what in my iudgement is to be thought of them in generall The word which signifieth a sacrament is in Hebrue Sod Razi The fyrst of A place toâ—ching sacramentes Of the Hebrue and Greeke woorde these wordes is common vnto all secretes and hid thinges and is more in vse And the other Esay vsed in the 24. chapter wheÌ„ he sayd Razi li Razi li that is Asecret vnto me a secret vnto me Daniell also in his 2. chapter when he entreateth of the knowledge of the mistery vseth the selfe same worde Such is the nature and condition of sacramentes that they contayne thinges hidde vnto some indede knowen but not vnto all And from this Etimology the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 differeth not much which is deriued of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is we ought diligently to kepe thinges close inwardly Of that maner were the misteries of Ceres of Eleusis in the countrey of Athenes which were The misteries of Ceres of Eleusis opened vnto none but vnto those that were initiated And they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which haue these thinges sealed and shut vp in them Chrisostome when he enterpreteth the xi chapter of this epistle where Paule sayth that he writeth a mistery of the Israelites partly blynded and partly to be restored sayth that a mistery signifieth a thing vnknowen and vnspeakeable and which hath in it much admiration and which is aboue our opinion The same father when he enterpreteth the second chapiter of the first epistle to the Corrinthyans where we reade we speake wisedome in a mistery thus writeth It should be no diuine or perfect mystery if thou shouldest adde any thing of thy selfe By which words it is manifest how Nothing ought to be added vnto the misteries of god much they are to be blamed which at their owne pleasure and iudgement make sacramentes and from those which Christ himselfe hath ordained plucke away what pleaseth them These wordes of Chrisostome do manifestly reproue them Neyther let them thinke that this any thing helpeth theyr case to say that he speaketh of that mistery which is found in the holy scriptures vnto which he sayth nothinge is to be added neyther any thinge to be taken awaye from it Forasmuch as the sacramentes whereof we entreate are of no lesse wayght The sacraments are equall with the holy scriptures then the holy scripture it selfe For they as Augustine very aptly sayth are the visible wordes of God Farther Chrisostome expounding the place before alleadged sayth that we in the sacramentes see one thing beleue an other thing behold with our sence one thinge vnderstand in our mynde an other thinge Whereof it followeth that all are not after one and the selfe same maner affected towardes these misteries For an infidell when he heareth that Iesus Christ was crucified thinketh it to be a thing The faythfull and the vnfaythfull are diuersly affected towardes the sacramentes foolishe and of no valew But the faythfull man acknowledgeth in that mistery the exceding great power and wisedome of God If an Ethnike heare that Christ was raysed vp from the dead he will thinke it to be a fable But a Christian will not only beleue that so but also will not doubt but that he himselfe as a member of Christ shall one day be raysed vp from the dead Chrisostome commeth afterward to the visible sacrament and sayth If an infidell see baptisme he will iudge that there is but water onely But the the faythfull beboldeth the washing of the soule by the bloud of Christ. And in the Eucharist by the senses is knowen only the bread and the wine But the beleuers referre their myndes vnto the body of Christ Hereunto he applieth a similitude of a booke For A similitude if an vnlearned rude man that can not reade a word should light vpoÌ„ a booke he can only behold woÌ„der at the prikes figures colours but the sense and vnderstanding of them he can not find out but be which is learned learneth out of it ether histories or other thinges worthy to be knowen and pleasant Now that we haue declared the interpretecion of the Greke and Hebrue name there resteth that we speake somewhat of the lattin word Among the elders sacramentum that is a sacrament What the Latines signifie by this worde Sacramentum signified a bond which passed by an oth Wherefore we are accustomed to say Sacramento cum aliquo contendere that is by an othe to contend wyth a man and Sacramentum militare that is an othe which a man taketh when he goeth to warfare And paraduenture these our misteryes are therefore called sacramentes because in them God byndeth himselfe with couenantes and promises being after a sort sealed and we on the other side binde our selues vnto him Wherefore we entreate not of a mistery or sacrament generally wherby Now is not entreated vniuersally of sacramentes is signified as Chrisostome sayth any thing that is vnknowen and vnspeakable which hath in it much admiration and is aboue our opinion For after that maner there are an infinite number of sacramentes For so may we call sacramentes the natiuity of Christ his resurrection the Gospell the blinding of the Iewes the calling of the Gentles and many other
of the thing it selfe and of the thing signified Neither let any man here lay to our charge that we affirme that sacraments depend of our faith For neither teach we any such thing yea rather we affirme that the sacraments are sacramentes although thy faith be either weake or els none at all And Augustines iudgement is very good concerning him which onely carnally receiueth the sacrament when he sayth It doth not therefore cease to be spirituall but vnto them it is not spirituall And now at length to make an ende we must neuer come to this point to thinke that grace and our saluation is conteined in the sacramentes as in certaine sackes or bagges which may be poured out vpon the communicantes and receiuers For the sacramentes are as certaine tidyng bringers of our saluation whom he that beleueth shall obtaine saluation And thus much hitherto haue I sufficiently spoken of sacraments generally Now resteth for vs somwhat to speake of circumcision for the better vnderstanding wherof we haue spoken these things the more largely and with more words But here we shall not nede so long a treatise For if we remēber all those things which haue bene generally spoken of sacraments it shall be no hard matter to vnstand all that which may be spoken of circumcision And circumcision not to go from the wordes of the Apostle was the seale of y◠What circumcision is How circumcisyon is sayd to haue brought remission of synnes Whether remission be had of sinnes to come righteousnes of faith bicause it preached and confirmed the promise concernyng righteousnes which the elders receiued by faith And hereof it followeth that the elders by it had remission of sinnes For forasmuch as righteousnes as we haue be fore more at large debated consisteth chiefly in the remission of sinnes whosoeuer beleued the promise set forth and by circumcision sealed it followeth of necessitie that he was pertaker of the remission of sinnes Some demaund whether circumcision and baptisme which succeded it bring remissiō onely of those sins which are alredy past or also of those which are afterward cōmitted Let these mē cōsider y◠the vse of Circumcision and of Baptisme is not for a tyme but perpetuall For as the faithfull oftentimes fal so when they forthwith come againe vnto themselues they thinke vpon the promise of the Gospell which is of the remission of sinnes Wherin also euen for this cause they are confirmed for that they remember them In erroure of those which would not be baptised but in the last houre selues to be either baptised or circumcised and so by putting to of faith they are deliuered from sinnes and are reconciled vnto God Hereby it is manifest how they wer in the old time deceiued which would not be baptised but euē now whē death approched that they were in a maner geuing vp y◠ghoste Neither let any man thinke y◠this is repugnant vnto the kayes of the Church by which are receiued the penitent For that they may the better vnderstande the matter this they must nedes graunt that those kayes of the church are nothing els but the preachyng of the Gospell wherby the ministers do perswade the beleuers that their sinnes are forgeuen them But they which are to be perswaded are by the benefite of the holy ghost persuaded their faith concerninge the promise is also hereby confirmed for that they call to memory the signe of Baptisme or of Circumcision whiche in times past they receiued And Paule when he said For the remission of the sinnes going before ment y◠iustification when it is applied vnto vs alwayes putteth away those sinnes which we haue before committed But that nothing letteth but that the promise of the remission of sinnes and the sealing therof may oftentimes with profite be called to our memory But so oftentimes as sinne is so forgeuen it followeth of necessitie that the same sinne went before but that which we speake of tendeth to this to declare that the vtilitie of the sacraments is not for a tyme but pertaineth to the whole course of our life Circumcision differed from other sacramentes for that it was the beginning and first steppe and visible entrance to the couenaunt of God But what maner ones the vncircumcised were counted the Apostle declareth in the epistle to the Ephesians Remember saith he that ye wer somtymes Gentiles in the flesh which were called vncircumcision of circumcision in the flesh made wyth hāds ye were sometimes without Christ aliants frō the cōmon wealth of the Israelites straungers from the couenantes of the promises without hope in the world and without God And in the epistle vnto the Phil. he teacheth which is the true spirituall What i◠the spirituall circumcision circumcision For we saith he are circumcision which serue the Lord in spirite and glory in Christ and haue no confidence in the flesh And vnto the Coloss he writeth In whom saith he ye are circumcised with circumcision not made with handes by the puttyng of the sinfull body of the flesh By whiche place we sée as we haue before also noted that forgeuenes of sinnes is to be put as well in Circumcision as in Baptisme Wherfore Augustine in his booke against Iulianus the Pelagian in that part wherin he heapeth vp a great many authorities of the fathers reproueth the Pelagians by these wordes of the Apostle for that notwithstanding they denied original sinne yet they baptised their infāts for forasmuch as they affirmed y◠in them is no sinne how could that Baptisme as Paule saith be circumcision not made with handes by the putting of of the sinful flesh These places of the Apostle serue very much to the explication of the proprietie and nature of circumcision And in Deut. the x. chap. the Lord saith Thou shalt circumcise the vncircumcision of thyne hart neither shalt thou harden thy necke In stede of vncircumcision the Chaldey interpreter hath Tephaschoth that is foolishnes therby signifieng y◠the first ground of sinne herein consisteth that we are blinde to all thinges pertaining to God and that we The first ground of sinne The promyse which circumcisiō sealed are wonderfully infected with the ignoraunce of God The 70. interpreters haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is hardnes of hart The promises which are offred vnto them y◠are circumcised are these that God is made our God and the God of our séede in which onely thing we haue the horne of plenty that is the sūme of all good things Hereof also springeth our felicitie consolatiō in all afflictiō They were therbye also put in mind of y◠mortifiēg of y◠flesh y◠is of y◠cutting away of superfluous plesures moreouer by it they professed pure religiō And in sum therby was signified y◠couenāt made with god These wer y◠things signified the matter of this sacramēt and pertayne truly vnto the nature and substance therof In baptisme also all those selfe same thinges are
of the giltines and of the offence and also grace What is to be attributed vnto baptisme and the holy ghost and our graftyng into Christ and also our right to eternall lyfe And yet doth it not therof follow that by it is abolished the corruption of nature or continuall nourishment of sinne Wherfore Paul rightly fayth That we are by hope saued But it is much to be meruailed at how yâ— Pelagians can deny that there is originall sin in infantes seyng they see that they daily dye For Sinne and death are knit together the scripture manifestly teacheth that the stipend of sinne is death and the stinge of death is sinne Wherfore from whomsoeuer we seclude sinne from him also must we nedes seclude death For by the testimony of the scripture these are compared In Christâ— onely was death with our sinne together as the cause and the effect But here we ought to except Christ onely who although he knew not sinne yet died he for our fakes But death had not dominion ouer him for he of his owne accord suffred it for our sakes But to say that there are some without sinne although all men dye were to ioyne Testimonies that proue that infantes want not sinne together thinges repugnant and contrary one to an other But besides thys place there are a great many other places also which proue that infantes are not without sinne for Dauid sayth Beholde in iniquities was I conceaued and in sinne hath my mother conceaued me And Paul to the Ephesians calleth vs the children of wrath by nature And in Genesis it is written the hart of man is euen from his infancy prone to euill There are also to coÌ„firme this sentence a great many other places besides which we will alleadge wheÌ„ we entreate of originall sin apart by it selfe Now seing I haue declared what the Apostle meaneth by sinne by which one maÌ„ it entred into the world there remaineth to coÌ„sider by what means it was spred abroade This is a matter obscure very hard therefore I do not The manner of the propagatioÌ„ of originall sinne is obscure thinke to stand long about it But forasmuch as the word of God most plainely techeth that such a sin there is that it desceÌ„deth into our posterity although we vnderstand not the maner way how it is powred into theÌ„ yet we ought to geue place vnto the truth not to be to much careful or to trouble our selues more theÌ„ nedes touching the way and maner which is hard to be knoweÌ„ and may with out daunger be vnknowen Howbeit I thinke it not amisse to declare those waies and meanes which I haue obserued amoÌ„gst yâ— ecclesticall writers whose opinions touching this matter are fower in number The first is of those which thought that we receaue of our parents the souls together with the bodies that euen as God by humane sede createth the body so also of the same createth he the soule This sentence doth Augustine make mencion of in his tenth booke vpon Genesis ad literam and in many other places nether hath he at any time that I can remember of disalowed the same yea rather he saith that by this senteÌ„ce may be dissolued this knotte touching originall sinne Tertullian and many others Tertullian leaneth to traduction What is brought out of the scriptures for the traduction of the soule of the old writers fauored this sentence Whose argumentes when I diligently peyse I iudge in dede probable but yet not of necessitie For the whiche they bring out of the 46. chapter of Genesis of the 66. soules which came out of the thigh of Iacob may nor vnaptly be expounded by the figure Synecdoche so that by the soule which is the principallest part of the man is vnderstand the body which is without all controuersie procreated of the seede of the parents We may also by the soule vnderstand the grosser partes of the soule as the vegetatiue part and the sensitiue part which no man doubteth but that they are procreated of the sede And that the holy scriptures sometimes vse this word soule in that sence Christe testifieth in the Gosple where he sayth He which loseth his soule for my sake shall finde it An other of theyr reasons as Augustine writeth in his 10. booke vpon Genesis is this In the creation of the woman it is not written that God breathed into her a liuing soule whereby they gather that she had of Adam not only her body but also her soule But this reason Augustine iudgeth Whether God breathed a soule into Euâ— to be weake For a man mought reply vpon it and say that it had bene once alredy said that God breathed a soule into Adam and therefore there was no nede to repete the same agayne For if God had brought in a new manner of procreation of soules the scripture would not haue passed it ouer in silence But seing the scripture maketh no mencion at all of any new maner we ought to vse that which it had before expressed especially seing that we se that Adam sayd of hys wife This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my fleshe but added not and soule of my soule which vndoubtedly had bene more sweter and had more serued to expresse the 〈…〉 tion of 〈…〉 But Augustine confesseth that the doubt is not thereby diss 〈…〉 For if 〈◊〉 affâ—rmâ— that soules are euery day created and so created that in the bodies theâ—â— goeth before no 〈◊〉 alis ratio as he Whither God ceassed from all woorkes the seuenth day speaketh that is no substance of sede then God shall not seme to haue perfectly seased froÌ„ all workes the seuenth day when as he still euery day createth soules of nothing But vnto this argument may 〈…〉 aduenture be answered that in the body traduced of the parentes it is sufficient if there be found such qualities and conditioÌ„s whereby it is able to receaue a reasonable soule and that this is that seminalis ratio before spoken of But whatsoeuer is to be sayd of these arguments and theyr answeres once Augustine wholy enclineth this way that at the least he thinketh that the soule of Christ came not from the blessed virgine The soule of Christ semeth not to be traduced from the blessed virgin by propagation of which iudgement he sayth that others as well as he were and that they auouched that it moughte be proued by the epistle vnto the Hebrues For there it is sayd that the priesthode of Christ excelled the priesthede of Aaron for that Christ was a priest according to the order of Melchifedech And the priesthode of Melchisedech was more excellenter then the priesthode of Aaron for that Leuy gaue tenthes vnto Melchisedech for he was in the loynes of Abraham who payd tithes vnto Melchisedech But Christ also should haue bene no lesse in the loynes of Abraham then was Leui if he had had both his bodye and
of body and affections of the flesh but also and that much more of mind will and reason it followeth of necessity that these thinges also were corrupte in him For otherwise what nede haue they to be renewed Neither is yâ— of so great Thinges which are to be renued ought first to haue ben corrupt force if a man say that these thinges ought to be vnderstand of those which are of full age which thorough their owne choyse and voluntary sinnes haue corrupted these thinges in themselues For I would aske why all men vniuersally that are not regenerate haue so contaminated themselues that there is not one of them all found innocent Vndoubtedly vnto this question can nothyng els be aunswered but that in them euen streight way from the beginnyng the first groundes were corrupted and defiled Augustine also teacheth that we are onely so far forth regenerate as we are made like vnto Christ For in that we are vnlike vnto him in the same we are not regenerate but retaine still in vs the olde man Wherfore let vs sée whether euen from the very beginning our minde will and reason be lyke vnto Christ For if they be found vnlike we must néedes conclude that they are corrupt and pertaine vnto the olde man And as touching the corruption of the inferiour partes of the minde daily experience sufficiently teacheth vs. Farther The inferiour partes of the mind are dispersed in the members this is proper to the inferiour partes of the minde to be dispersed into the members and to poure themselues thoroughout all the partes of the fleshe which cannot agrée with the minde and reasonable part which are spirituall and vndeuisible The bodye also hath fallen from his nature so that it is rebellious and repugnante vnto the minde Whiche thyng also Paul teacheth when he cryeth out O vnhappy man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death And again Thinges that are good ought not to be denied Our sentence agreeth with Augustine and Anselmus Whâ—ther guiltines be the formal part in this sinne The battaâ—l strife against the law of God semeth to be the form of this sin How our nature is good and not good The flesh is in suche sort good that in it dwelleth no good thing when he saith I feele an other law in my members Lastly that the whole man with all his strengthes is vtterly corrupte the commaundement of Christ sufficiently proueth in that he commaundeth vs to denye our selues If that our nature were innocent and perfect we should not nede to deny it For good thinges are to be retained and not to be put away With this our definition of originall sinne wel agréeth the want of originall iustice Also with it agréeth the description of Augustine wherin he saith that it is the concupiscence of the flesh so that either of them be rightly vnderstanded The chiefe of the scholemen acknowledged this doctrine as Thomas Scotus and in especiall Bonauentura These appoint for the materiall part in this sinne the corruption of nature or concupiscence and for the formal part the want of originall righteousnes and so of these two opinions which we haue now rehersed they make but one But yet some of our men will haue guiltines or imputation of God to be the formall part But forasmuch as that thing is vtterly seperated from sinne I rather leane to that sentence which putteth for the forme the battaile and rebellion against the law of God For that is the principall cause why the vices of nature are to be called sinnes Neither ought we to geue eare vnto them which continually cry out that our nature is good For we graunt that to be true concerning nature as it was first instituted but not after that it fell For it is in déede good but yet so that it hath some corruption ioyned with it But wheÌ„ these men say that concupiscence is also good they must pardon vs if we rather beleue Paul then them But he saith I know that there dwelleth no good in me that is in my flesh And streight way when I would do good I finde by the law that euill is adioyned vnto me Here he calleth concupiscence euill To the Galathians also he sufficiently Naturall lust desireth not alwaies thinges profitable proueth it to be euill when he admonisheth vs to crucifie it It is false also which they say namely that it alwayes desireth thinges profitable and preseruatiue for we haue experience that it is euermore prone to thinges hurtfull and to those things which chiefly are enemies vnto life Farther if nature were so innocent and good as these men fayne it to be why should God so greuously punish it An argument taken from the punishments and diseases of men Amongst all kinde of creatures we sée none in a maner more full of misery then man if we looke vpon his natiuity infancy childhode education and discipline All things are ful of teares sorrow sighyng infirmity and labours With the body he must labour to get his liuyng the mind is perpetually vexed with troublesome affections the hart is moued with sundry mocions and the body afflicted with diuers diseases All which things when some diligently weighed they sayd That Nature is not a mother but a stepmother I will not speake how the bodies and mindes of infantes and children are sometymes deliuered vnto the deuill to be vexed For so Infantes are sometimes deliuered vnto the Deuill to be vexed we read in the Gospell that a child was so vexed of the Deuill that he somtymes threw hym into the fire and somtymes into the water Wherfore the seuerity of God doth in such sort count the nature of man to be innocent that it greuously punisheth it Farther the Ethnikes it should seme saw more in this thing then these deuines For Plato in his 2. booke of a publike wealth saith That men are of nature euill as which can not be led to kepe iustice of theyr owne accord but onely not to suffer iniury And Socrates sheweth that vertues cannot be had vnles men as it is sayde the Poetes were be inspired with some deuine power And Cicero in his 3. booke of a publike wealth as Augustine citeth him in his 4. booke against Iulianus sayth That man is borne into the world of nature his stepmother beyng naked frayle and weake of body hauyng a mynde vexed wyth grieues subiect to feares weake to labors prone to lustes wherby is ouer whelmed the loue of God and also the wyt and mynde Ecclesiasticall writers also leaned to this opinioÌ„ whose consentes being many Augustine gathereth Consentes of the fathers together in his first boke against Iulianus Of Ireneus and Tertullian we haue already spoken Ciprianus also sayth that Christe hath healed the woundes whyche Adam inflicted and the poysons wherewith the Deuil had infected our nature Cyprianus acknowledgeth the infirmitye deriued from the synne of the fyrste parente wherebye
hath of it felfe a certayne naturall integritye whereunto were added those supernaturall giftes geuen vnto the first parent But after sinne whē those gifts were taken away man fell into his olde estate But this is a mere dreame for the nature of man was instituted of God in such sort as was conuenient for it Therefore the giftes being taken away it is corrupted and hurt and forasmuch as it strayeth from his constitution it is subiect vnto sinne Farther we say not that originall sinne is only this priuation but also it comprehendeth thinges positiue as pronesse to euill violence of nature agaynst the worde of God and such other like And therefore Bernhardus sayth that in the coniunction of the soule with the body it is euen as if it shoulde fall vpon an heape of most sharpe poteshardes and hurting stones But among y◠Schoolemen Gulielmus Parisiensis in his booke called Summa de vitiis virtutibus bringeth this similitude That the soule is in such maner let down into the body as if a man should fall into a myry depe and stony place and so shoulde both be drowned be arayed with myre and also be hurt So saith he by originall sinne we are drowned into the darkenes of ignorance we are defiled with lustes and as touching the powers and facultyes of the mynde we are wounded But in that Pigghius saith that both the body and the soule are good things and haue God for their author I graunt that And when he afterward demandeth how thē should they be corrupted I answere with Paul By one man which fell and that by procreation as a little here afterward shal be declared But whereas he sayth that they can by no meanes be corrupted for that God is the author of them to is no strong reason For they which are of full age haue both body and soule which are the workes of God and are continually preserued by his power but yet may they be vitiated and corrupted If he say that that commeth of mans will and free choyse so also answere we that the same may A false argument of Pigghius It is false that men cānot be corrupted but by will and free electiō come of other causes namely through propagation sede Wherfore Pigghius argueth frō that which is not the cause as though it were the cause For this is his meaning if men be corrupted y◠can not be done but by will free election whiche thing is not true All the argumentes which he obiecteth agaynst vs do springe of this that he sayth that he vnderstandeth not how this corruption should be deriued into our posterity and how it is possible that infantes should be bounde by any lawe and how there can be a law geuen of that thing which we can not auoyd But forasmuch as the holy scriptures do speake testefy and teach these thinges it is no matter how much Pigghius ether vnderstandeth or not vnderstandeth For we beleue many thinges which we perceaue not nor know by any sure reason Which yet ought not to be of any such force that euery man shoulde obtrude vnto vs thinges to beleue whatsoeuer they thinke good vpon this pretence because although they can not be vnderstand by reason yet they ought to be cōprehended by faith forasmuch as God can bring to passe farre greater thinges For first that thinge which we seke to be beleued ought to be proued by the holye scriptures And then althoughe we can not attayne vnto In humane nature and in Ethnikes there is left some goodnes it yet let vs leane to fayth and laye aside reason And by our difinition it followeth not that in nature or in Ethnikes there is left no goodnes Only thys we affirme that this vice woulde destroye all if God by Christ brought not a remedye in the regenerate Also in those whiche are not regenerate God is sometymes present and illustrateth them with excellent and heroicall vertues wherwith original sinne is brideled and publike wealths God suffreth not Originall sin to wast and destroy so much as it might or so much as Sathan de desireth Empires are retained at the leaste in some ciuill order Socrates woulde not goe out of prison when he moughte Aristides when he was exiled wished vnto his citisens that they might neuer be in such euill case to haue any cause to remember him Phocion euen now going to his death and being demaunded if he would any thing vnto his sonne I would said he that he neuer remember the iniury done to me The publike wealth of Rome had Curtians Scipios Catos men full of ciuill honesty and great louers of vertue Which dueties although as they were in men which knew not God they were sinnes yet were they bridels of originall sin of nature corrupted lest all thinges should be turned vpside down good lawes should fall to ruine and the lighte of nature in a manner shoulde be extinguished Now séeyng we haue confirmed Originall synne by the testimonies of the scriptures and haue confuted the opinion of Pigghius and haue reiected their opinion which thinke originall sinne to be onely a guiltines and obligation contracted thorough the sinne of Adam and seing we haue alleaged Augustines definition that originall sinne is the concupiscence of the flesh and Anselmus definition that it is the want of originall iustice and lastly seing we haue proued our definition largely and by many testimonies now resteth for vs to prosecute those thinges which we put forth in the thirde place namely of the conditions and proprieties of originall What are the conditions and proprieties of original sinne sinne how it is spred abrode how it is abolished in what sorte the remnants therof are in men regenerate and what payne is due thereunto And concernyng the maner how it spreadeth into our posteritie we haue before rehersed sundry opinions The first of those opinions was of the traduction of soules which we shewed by Augustines iudgement to be easier then the rest althoughe it be not receiued of all men An other opinion was which Augustine followeth namely that originall sinne is traduced by the lust and inordinate plesure of such as procreate This opinion hath two errours First because it putteth this euill in procreation as if it were of necessity which yet may be seperated from it And euen the scholemen thēselues graunt that he which should be begotten without the corrupt affection of y◠parentes should yet neuertheles contract originall sinne For to it they say it is sufficient that he was in Adam as in his first séede An other error is for that then originall sinne should consist onely in the filthy affection of lust when as in verye déede as it is saide it comprehendeth the corruption of the whole nature Others thought that God created the soule euill because it should be a part of a man execrated and set vnder the curse But because this semeth to be repugnant vnto the nature
is no more I that do it I delight in the Law of God Vnhapyy man that I am who shall deliuer me frō the body of this death There is no condemnation to those which are in Christ Iesus Agayne We also grone which haue receaued the first fruites of the spirite Ambrose in his booke de Paradiso is of the same iudgemēt And to the same purpose is he cited of Augustine in his 6. booke agaynst Iulianus in his booke de philosophia or de Sacramento which booke is not at this day extant But sinne that dvvelleth in me This metaphore of dwelling is very much The Metaphore of dwelling vsed in y◠holy scriptures nether signifieth it vnto vs any thing els but a true mighty presēce In this sēce it is said The word was made flesh dwelt amongst vs. And in the old testament is oftentimes red that God dwelt amōgst the children of Israell And Paul to the Corrinthians sayth That we are the temple of God that the holy ghost dwelleth in vs. But here we must beware of the error of y◠Maniches which hold that man consisteth of two natures the one good and the other euill and y◠they are both mingled together but thorough Christ it is come An error of the Manichies to passe that the euill is seperated from the good and thrust out to the people of darkenes For they saw not that y◠euil was the corruptiō of nature which nature otherwise was good but they sayd that it doth by it selfe exist hath a certayne substaunce and that it is seperated from the good by thrustinge forth and by flyinge away and not that it ceasseth to be But the truth teacheth that Christe healeth sinne and the effect or want and so healeth thē y◠they haue no more any being The Apostle in thys place entreateth not of our cōmon euils but of our chiefest euils whiche pertayne to the strife betwene the spirite and the flesh and doo trouble and confound both whatsoeuer we haue inwardly or outwardlye For whē we do any thing we not only not do so much as both we our selues desire also is required of y◠law but we haue also y◠flesh by all maner of meanes raging fighting and striuing against the will of God Neither do we y◠good which What is the good which we would do do not What is the euell which we would not do and yet do All our woorkes haue nede of forgeuenes The flesh the members the mind and the inwards man how they are to be taken we would but that euill which we hate If thou demaūd what that good is which we would we can aunswer nothyng els but y◠it is y◠which the law cōmaundeth vs. For it is the onely maistres of all that which is good Hereby it is plaine that we do not that which is commaunded in the law Againe the euill which we hate is nothing els but that which by the law is prohibited Wherfore we cannot deny but that by our euill motions and wicked desires the law of God is violated Neither ought we to denye but that they are sinnes which yet our aduersaries will not graunt Moreouer hereby we gather that in all the things which we do we haue nede of forgeuenes and that our workes are not of so great waight that for them we should be made acceptable vnto God and merite the eternall kyngdome In this place are vsed the names of the flesh and of the members and on the the other side of the minde and of the inward man Which are not to be distinguished touching the partes of the body and of the mynde But on the one side is signified the whole man as he is not regenerate neither hath yet perfectly and vniuersally put of the prauity of nature On the other side also is vnderstande the whole man as he is now regenerate and hath receiued at the least some parte of spirituall regeneration They are farre deceiued which thinke that although we beleue not in Christ yet the minde and will in vs is wholy perfect in nature For they remember not what Paul writeth to the Corinthians The naturall man vnderstandeth not the thynges which are of the spirite of God For these wordes plainly declare that our vnderstanding hath in it much darkenes corruption whē as we are so vnapt to the vnderstanding of thinges spiritual And that thou shouldst not thinke that these thinges pertaine vnto them only that are not regenerate which are yet straungers from Christ Augustine declareth that they belong also vnto the beleuers both by those thinges which go before and by those also which follow For that Paul there entreateth of them that are baptised is by that proued which he before wrote Are ye baptised in the name of Paul It is proued also by that which followeth after Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that his spirite dwelleth in you And if they are pronounced to be such which are of the vnperfecter sort amongst the beleuers what is to affirmed of those which are vtterly straungers from Christ Doubtles seyng they haue receiued no part of iustification there can dwell in them no good Let them go now which bable that before regeneration Against workes preparatory may be done of vs some good workes which may please God wherby we may as they speake merite of congruity Let them also consider how wisely they are wont to say that if men do that which lieth in them God will graunt vnto them his grace For if they do that which lieth in them they shal do nothing He which doth that which lieth in hym doth but euill but that which is euill For as Paul sayth there dwelleth in them no good Wherfore seyng they are moued only by the ground of their corrupt nature doubtles they commit sinne And that the Apostle speaketh not of the nature of y◠outward flesh and of the visible body it is hereby proued for that when as in the epistle to the Corinthians he admonisheth them to eschew fornications he sayth that our bodies are the temples of the holy ghost Wherfore it should be false that in our flesh dwelleth no good if flesh should be taken in that signification Wherfore in thys place as we haue sayd flesh is taken for the whole nature infected wyth sinne Of this Paul pronounceth that he knoweth that in it dwelleth no good Neither wanteth this an emphasis that he sayth that he assuredly knoweth For he saw that others and in a maner the most part of mē felt not this And I would to God y◠we once thorough felt it For to will is present with me but I finde no abilitie to do that whiche is good Neither doubtles had he this power to wil but so farre forth as he had it of the spirite which renueth vs. This he proueth in the epistle to the Philippians We haue not of our selues to
These heauens were after the floud put in their place againe and restored by the word of God and now are reserued for fire Yea Peter afterward addeth that we according to the promise shall haue a new heaueÌ„ a new earth That promise was made in the 65. chapter of Esay and repeted in the 21. chapter of the Apocalipse Although it there be written of the sea that it shall haue no more being But Augustine in the 16. chapter which we haue now cited doubteth whether those wordes are so to be vnderstand as though the sea should vtterly cease to be as being now with the burninges sucked and dried vp or whether it shall remayne still but yet renued and changed Augustine in the same place saith that no man that he can tel of knoweth touching that burning fire Of the burning fire which shal be in the last daye what maner of thing it shal be or from whence it shall come when as yet our schoolemen at this day are not touching that matter ashamed to faine and imagine infinite thinges For some say that that fyre shal be elemental fyre which shall at the commaundement of God discend downe and burne all thinges some faine that the beames of the Sunne shall by reuerberation be multiplied that by them all thinges may be kindled as we sée it commeth to passe that when the Sunne beames do strick â–ª vpon a glasse of stele if there be put vnto it a little flaxe it will kindle and be set on fire Augustine addeth that the elementes shall then put of those qualityes which wer before agreeable vnto our corruptible bodies shal put on other qualityes which may be agreeable vnto our immortall and gloryfied bodyes that the world beyng made new may be aptly applyed vnto men made new by immortalyty But here I would gladly demaund of Augustine whether he thought that the bodyes of the saintes shall after the iudgement liue in this world or no Which thing if he affirme he shall séeme to make with the sect called Millenarij But if he deny and holde that which we beleue that our bodies shall be rapt vp into heauen what shal nede this application of the qualities of elements vnto our immortall bodies Vnles peraduenture he will say that although these thinges shall nothing conduce vnto our immortality yet there shal be a certaine analogy and prâ—portion betwéene them being now made immortall and our bodies glorified For if they as Chrisostome sayth were for our sinnes made obnoxious vnto corruption it is A place of Genesis declared mete that we being deliuered from death they also be deliuered from the burthen of corruption Neither vndoubtedly is that which is written in the booke of Genesis any let vnto this innouation where God sayde vnto Nohe That all the dayes of the earth shall be sowyng and haruest cold and heate sommer and wynter day and night For these thinges he saith shall come to passe in the dayes of the earth But those dayes shal be the dayes of heauen and as Esay saith a Sabaoth of Sabaoths Ieremy also in his 33. chapiter saith Can I make frustrate the couenant which I haue made wyth day and nyght As though hée woulde saye it can not be made frustrate So sayth he shall the couenaunte whiche I haue made wyth the house of Iuda and wyth the house of Dauyd be ratefyed The couenaunte whereof the Prophete now speaketh of the sendynge of the Messias in hys appoynted tyme is not to bée drawen beyonde the tyme of the present estate But Christ when in the Gospel he saith Heauen and earth shall passe away but my words shall not passe away How heauen and earth shall passe away taketh not passing away for destruction but foretelleth yâ— there shall one day come a certaine chaunge which yet can neuer happen vnto his wordes For they shal alwayes abide vnmoueable and the truth of them shall neuer be peruerted Of this interpretation Dauid is the author in his 102. Psalme The workes saith he of thine handes are the heauens They shall perishe but thou abidest as a garment shalt thou chaunge them and they shall be chaunged Hereunto also agréeth Peter for when he had said that the heauens shall perish and the elements shall melt away with heat straight way he added that we accordyng to the promise shall haue a new heauen and a new earth And Ierome expounding the 65. chap. of Esay alledgeth in this sence a sentence of Paul out of the latter epistle to the Cor. the 7. chapter For he sayth That the figure of thys world passeth away as though he would not say that the nature of thynges or the world it selfe shall perish but onely the figure that is the state and forme of thys tyme. And he proueth that the innouation which we put signifieth not corruption of nature by a similitude taken of the degrées of our age For when of children A similitude we are made yong men of yong men meÌ„ of meÌ„ olde men we are not as touching the nature of man destroyed but by those changes we are transferred froÌ„ a lower estate to that which is more excellent Wherfore when that last burning shall come which the scriptures plainly teach shall come the whole world shall be set on fire and as gold and siluer when they are melted in the fire perish not but are made more pure so the world shall not by that fire be destroyed but be renued Of this minde also were some of the Ethnike writers as Heraclitus Ephesius and Empedocles Siculus and others which peraduenture had receiued these things of their elders but had corrupted them with wicked opinioÌ„s There haue bene also many of the Christians in the olde time which thought that the creatures shall remaine after the comming of the Lord and that they shall serue the elect in some stede For they thought that when Christ shall returne there shall then be onely The opinioÌ„ of the secâ—e called Millenaru The first second resurrection the resurrection of the godly which also they called the first resurrection Betwene which and the last resurrection wherin the wicked also shall be raysed vp shall be a thousand yeares and all this time Christ shall in this world raigne together with the saintes and all this space the deuill shall be bound as it is described in the boke of the Apoc. And they seme to haue taken an occasion of their opinion not only out of the reuelation of Iohn but also out of the prophets For they when they prophecy of the kingdome of Christ make mencion of many thinges which seme to pertaine to the kingdomes of this world and vnto pleasures and delights And those which were in this errour were of the Grecians called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of the latines Some men of notable learning were Millenarâ—â— Millenarij Neither vndoubtedly were there only common or vulgare men patrones of this sentence but also
neither dealeth he with them rashly Of this example here alleaged the Apostle concludeth Wherefore he hath mercy on whome he will and whome he will he hardeneth Some contend that this is an obiection vnder the person of the aduersary but the order and course of the wordes if it be diligently considered will not suffer this interpretacion For straight way after these wordes the Apostle himselfe addeth an obiection when he thus writeth Thou wilt say then vnto me why do we yet complayne For who can resist his will Seing therefore that the Apostle himselfe distinctly and playnly sheweth the obiection why should we preuent and of purpose confound the order of his wordes â–ª Any man that is not willingly blind and will not sée may perceaue that this last obiection is brought agaynst those thinges which were now concluded But in these wordes being taken in that order that they ought to be this is worthy of noting that the holy scripture when it entreateth of the iudgementes of God vseth harrible and sharpe words as are these Hebrew words there touching Pharao Caschah hokib bad And in other places to make to erre to The sharpe wordes which God vseth against the reprobate seduce to blynde to make fat the hart to deliuer into a reprobate sense and into shamefull affectes and other such like by which wordes forasmuch as the holy ghosts wil is to cause men with great terror and daunting of the mynde to be aferd of the iustice and vengeance of God they which séeke by fayned interpretations to extenuate and to lenefie them as though God doth nothing touching these thinges but onely as they say suffreth and permitteth do seme of purpose to be enemies to the counsell and decrée of God Goddes will is to shewe forth how horrible and God inflicteth most greuous punishmentes not only vpon the bodies of the wicked but also vpon their minds miserable punishementes â–ª he vseth to inflict not onely vpon the bodyes but also vpon the mindes of the wicked but these men as much as lieth in them wonderfully darken these things It is true in déede that we reade in the booke of Exodus that not only God hardened and aggrauated the hart of Pharao but also that Pharao himselfe hardened his hart but this maketh very much to the explication of the matter so farre is it of that these thinges are repugnant the one to the other For ech part is true both that God hardened the hart of Pharao and also that Pharao himself hardened his hart For Pharao had as al other men also haue Both God hardened Pharao also Pharao hardened himselfe Note diligently this explication God instilleth no new malice into men a peruerse and corrupt nature wherout as out of a spring when occasion is offred burst forth all kindes of sinnes Wherefore when God maketh men destitute of his helpe and leueth them in so corrupt an estate if afterward he lay before them occasions whereby the minde is prouoked it can not be denied but that he after a sort but yet not properly is the cause of the actions that burste forth Wherefore when God is sayd to harden or to deliuer vp into lustes we do not thereby meane that he of his owne instilleth into men any new malice or sinne Some when they heare such wordes imagine that God doth that which men are wont somtimes to do when they fill empty vessels as though man hath no sin but God powreth it from without into him but the case is farre otherwise For man is borne and conceaued in iniquities who then can be without sinne This foundacion Man is borne in iniquity and sinne as firme and founded by the holy scripturs we ought by all maner of means to defend Now forasmuch as man is in this estate namely the childe of wrath and set vnder yâ— curse vnles he be by a peculiar grace and help of the spirit through Christ made whole he hath in himself aboundance of sins wickednes We haue also an other argument which euen the philosophers saw namely that God forasmuch God suffreth nothing in the world to be idle as he is a simple pure act perpetually moueth all things neither suffreth he any thing to be idle But forasmuch as he gouerneth all things most wisely he moueth not things but according to the coÌ„ditioÌ„ of the nature which euery thing hath if we speake of the common and vsuall gouernment of the world He maketh the heauens to moue circle wise for that that motion is most aptest for them and after the selfe same maner he moueth and impelleth other creatures Man is moued of God according to his nature So must we confesse that man is moued of God according to his nature namely to worke by reason and will and that in such sort that his choyce or will is not coÌ„pelled but whatsoeuer he doth he doth it willinglye and of his owne accord whether the same be good or whether it be euill Wherfore forasmuch as in mankinde some are deliuered and by grace and by the spirite red â—med from the corruption of that masse which is contaminated in Adam and forasmuch also as other some are left in sinnes and obnoxious vnto vice therfore GOD séeing that by his perpetuall mouing he moueth all thinges impelleth either of these kindes of men to worke neither suffreth he either of them to be idle Wherfore men iustified and endued with the spirite of God are moued rightly and do thinges acceptable vnto God so much as the condition of this life suffreth by their nature being amended by the power of grace and of faith But they also which are not regenerate are perpetually Aliantes from God in all their doinges sin moued and althoughe sometimes they morallye and ciuilly do some good thinges yet can they do nothinge whiche maye be acceptable vnto God yea rather whatsoeuer they do they alwayes sinne But how that sin procéedeth both of God and of them I thinke I haue sufficiently declared Wherefore it is true both that God hardened the harte of Pharao and also that he himselfe hardened his owne hart And to make this more plaine we wil declare it by this similitude which D. A similitude Luther also vsed Suppose that there were a carter hauing many horses which he continually whippeth forward neither suffreth he them to stande still they beinge driuen forward must néedes moue and as many as are whole and sound of legges and féete do go vprightly but if there be any amongst them that hath lame and diseased fete or legges they also goe when they are whipped forward but yet slowly and euill fauoredly for they halt But that halting should not be vnles they were driuen forward For when the horses stand stil the halting is not perceiued but the beginning of haltinge that is the disease or lamenes of the legges the horses haue in themselues and receaued it not at the carters hande So God
boweng but to that parte only which God hath foreknoweÌ„ Wherfore the necessity falleth vpon the connexion and coniunction of the predestination of God with our workes â–ª which thing they ment by the composed sence and by the necessity of the consequence For our workes if they be considered a parte and if we only haue a respect vnto theyr niest ground or beginning that is vnto the will are not of necessitye Here also is confessed necessity of certainty or of infalliblenes for that God can neyther be changed nor be deceaued Neyther do we playnly graunt that predestination bringeth necessity of coaction for coaction The will can not bee gouerned and violence is agaynst the nature of the will For if it should vnwillingly do any thing it should not now be called will but rather nill if a man may so terme it which were to destroy will I knowe that the Scholmen striue amongest themselues whether God foreknoweth those thinges which he foreknoweth necessarily or contingently But in this contencion I will not entermedle my selfe for that there is no such matter set forth in the scriptures It is Proues of necessity by supposition sufficient vnto me to discharge God from all maner of change and alteration for the contingence and newnes is in the thinges but God alwayes and perpetually abideth one and the selfe same But that there is such a necessity namely of the consequence or of the composed sence or of infallibility found in the holy scriptures we wil alledge certayne places which euidently proue the same lest any should thinke it to be but a fayned inuencion Christ sayd It must nedeâ— be that he should be deliuered vnto the Iewes to be mocked This necessity can be of no other thing inferred but of the definite counsell of God â–ª which thing Peter teacheth in his sermon in the actes of the Apostles Christ also sayd that it must nedes be that the scriptures should be fulfilled In Iohn it is written The scripture can not be broken that is It is not possible but that it must needes be fulfilled Vnto yâ— Hebrues It is impossible that they which once being illuminated c. In which place is entreated of sinne agaynst the holy ghost that it is impossible that they which are guilty of it should escape for that God hath vtterly decred perpetually to forsake those which haue so sinned Christ also sayd of the temptacions of the latter times That the elect also if it were possible should be deceaued Agayne Heauen and earth shall passe away but my wordes shall not passe away In which wordes is signified that all those thinges which God hath spoken eyther in the Scriptures or in his eternall determination can not be by anye meanes made frustrate He answered also vnto his parentes Did ye not know that it behoueth me to worke those thinges which pertayne to my father Vnto Timothe Paul writteth The foundation standeth firme God knoweth who are his And in Iohn Whome the father hath geuen vnto me no man can take out of my hand Lastly All things whatsoeuer he would be made both in heauen and in earth Wherfore of all these thinges is gathered how euidently this necessity of certainty and infalliblenes is set forthe in the holy scriptures nether is it as some thinke a deuise of man And these thinges which we haue spoken of foreknowledge pertaine also Thesâ— thinges pertain also to prouidence to prouidence for although in this vniuersality of things many things are said to be done by chance yet notwithstanding bycause that there is nothing be it neuer so small but it is subiect vnto the prouidence of God therefore also hath it necessity which we call necessity of certainty and others call necessitye of consequence And if thou wilt aske that forasmuch as thinges may be called partly necessary and partly also contingent or free as we haue declared whither Whether our actions are to be called neceâ—sarye or contingent of these conditions most agree vnto them I answere that that most agreeth vnto them which is natural and inward Wherefore forasmuch as the necessity whereof we nowe entreate commeth outwardly and is onely by supposition therefore thinges ought in no wise to be estemed according to it but according to those principles or groundes which are vnderstanded of vs and so our workes which procede of the will shall be sayd to be free and those thinges which are so produced in nature that also theyr contrary may come to passe are be counted contingeÌ„t Howbeit that necessity of certaynty or of consequeÌ„ce which we put is neuer to be denied nether must we plucke away our workes eyther from nature or froÌ„ foreknowledge or from the prouidence of God And as touching the will of God we must thinke that it in very dede gouerneth and moderateth all thinges which thing is of all men commonly graunted For although meÌ„ perceaue and fele that they by the will decree and elect those things which they are minded to do yet if they be men godly they will alwayes saye This or that will I do if God wil permitte But if they be men that are yet without the religion of Christ as were the Ethnikes yet notwithstanding they alwayes make mencion of Fate or destiny of the three sisters called Parcae or of lot which thing is oftentimes red in the Poets Who if as we haue before sayd by the word Fate or such like wordes they vndestode the connexion of causes ouer which God himselfe is the ruler and moderateth and gouerneth it then is there no hurte in that opinion although by reason of the abuse of the word it be better vtterly to abstayne froÌ„ it There are some also which dreame of a certayne fatall mighty and strong necessity afflicted vnto the starres and vnto naturall causes Which God himselfe can not change which opinion is erronius impious and also strange from the wise men of old time who expressedly declare that by Fate they vnderstoode the will and gouernment of God The verses of Cleanthes the Stoike which he wrote touching thys matter Seneca in his 18. booke of Epistles hath turned into Latine Whose sentence in Englishe is thus Leade me o soueraigne Sire and Lord that rulest the heauens hye Verses of Cleanthes touching desteny Where pleaseth thee for I obey to follow spedely Lo prest I am without delay Though loth thou makest me Yet groning forward shall I go And euill while I be What being good I might haue done to do I shal be fayne The willing persons fates doo leade vnwilling they constrayne Although in these verses be auoutched fate or destinie yet is the gouernement thereof put in the hand of God for he calleth vpon the moste high father and desireth to be led of him Whose will notwithstanding he affirmeth to be both certain and infallible The selfe same thing séemeth Homer in his Odisea to haue ment in these verses which are thus in English Such is
sonnes of Abraham are two testamentes These I say forasmuch as they are found in the holy scripturs may in no wise be reiected but are firme places wherby when nede requireth may be proued doctrines There are other allegoryes which men through their owne iudgement and reason find out whoÌ„ indéede we confesse yâ— they may follow their owne fantasie so that they beware of two things First that they deuise nothing that is repugnant vnto sound doctrine secondly yâ— they obtrude not those their deuises as naturall proper senses of the holy scripture There is also a third kind of allegories which is when the scripture vseth a trope or figure neither hath any other sence but that allegoricall sence as we now graunt is in the words of Dauid And then the allegory is the only sence of the words as Cicero in his oration for Marcus Celius called Clodia by the name of Medea Palatina But what I besech you hath this kinde of allegories common with Origens allegories And whereas he interpreteth the imprecation of Dauid as though he should pray that the Iewes should not sée that things which are euill and hurtfull it is most farre of from the purpose of Paul for he entreated of incredulity and said that the cause thereof is for that the Hebrues were made blind and then he cited the words of Dauid Now there is none which séeth not that faith hath a respect vnto good sound doctrine and if he pray that they might not sée such sound doctrine then doubtles he wished not vnto them good thinges but euill And I wonder that Augustine should fall in a maner into the like interpretacion when he entreateth of a place in the 1. chapter to the Galathians in his 16. booke and 22. chapter against Faustus The place is I woulde to God they which trouble you were cut of The sence whereof he saith is vtinam euirentur yâ— is I would to God they were gelded for the kingdom of heauens sake These meÌ„ without doubt were moued to those expositions for that they thought it a thing not Of imprecations and cursinges mete for Dauid or the Prophetes or Christ to pray for the euill thinges against any man for that semeth straunge from the gentlenes and lenity which we are in the scriptures commaunded to shew eueÌ„ towards our enemies But forasmuch as we are fallen into such matter it shall not be amisse somewhat to speake of imprecations and cursings This maner of execration and euill speaking is in the ExecratioÌ„s much vsed in the scriptures scriptures a thing tyme out of mynd vsed Nohe cursed his nephew Chanaan Cursed be Chanaan let hym be a seruaunt to his brethern Baalake also the sonne of Zippor called Balam to curse Israel In Deut we rede Cursed shalt thou be in the town â–ª and in the field in the barne and in all other thinges cursed be the fruite of thy body These execrations were recited vpon mount Heball The law of ieolosy hath also in the booke of nombers his imprecations that the wombe should swell and rent in sonder and the thighes rotte all which things could not hurt the woman if she were innocent but vnto an adulteresse they were not without vertue and efficacy recited Iosua cursed him which should réedifie Iericho namely that he should do it with the death of his children which thinge happened vnder Achab as the historye of the kinges mencioneth And Nehemias saith that he not onelye reproued them which had maried straunge wiues but also cursed them In the newe testamentâ— also there wante not examples whiche we will hereafter bring yea and the Ethnikes also vsed cursinges Acteius a Tribune of the people of Rome as Plutarche declareth in the life of M. Crassus wheÌ„ he could by no other meanes dissuade Crassus from his expedition into Parthia at the length in the way which Crassus should go foorth at he set on fire the city of Crates and there with horrible and bitter curses he cursed the Generall Captaine and his host and that these execrations were not vaine the euent plainely and manifestly declareth Oedipus also as the Poets tell with banninges cursed his Sonnes Adrastes and Polynices namely that they might be without citie and house that they might be beggers and wanderers abroade and haue such discord betwéene themselues that the one shoulde kill the other whiche thinges according to his wishe came to passe And Horace saith I will banne you and let not my banning be put away or purged by any sacrifice Neyther is that to be passed ouer which Augustine meÌ„cioneth of Paulus and Palladia for they being cursed of their mother miserably wandred about from country to country vntill at the last they were deliuered at the tombe of Sainte Stephan Wherefore séeing that alwayes both amongst the Iewes and amongst the Gentils there hath bene so great plenty of cursinges and banninges is it possible that it should vtterly be vniust and sinne to curse or to wish euill vnto any man so that at no time it should be lawfull Augustine without doubt was of this minde yâ— it is not lawful ExecratioÌ„s â—n the Prophetes are foretellings and entreateth of this matter towardes the ende of his first booke de sermone Domini in monte and writeth that those imprecations which are red in the Prophetes perâ—â—yne onely to prophesies so that vnder that forme of prayer they onelye foretolde the thinges which they saw should come to passe And whereas they vse the optatiue moode in steade of the indicatiue moode that he sayth amongest the Hebrues is not to be wondred at when as they oftentimes vse such figures in theyr speache for manye times they vse one tempse or an other wheÌ„ they put the time past for the time to come Why haue the Gentils sinned the people imagined vayne things Againe They deuided my garmeÌ„ts These thinges were to come and were forespoken of Christ when yet they are written as already paste Howbeit he confesseth that sometimes men praye for punishmentes and chastisementes to come vnto some that they may be corrected whiche is not saith he to pray against them but for them And he citeth a place out of the Apocalipse in the It is lawful to pray for punishmeÌ„ts to light vpoÌ„ some meÌ„ to the end they may be corrected A place of yâ— Apocalips Sinne may be destrâ—ied two maner of wayes The soules of the martyrs pray for the ende of the world 6. chapter where the Martyrs cry vnder the alter Take vengeaunce vpon the earth for our bloud which is shed and he thinketh that therebye is mente that these martyrs pray against the kingdome of sinne And sinne may be destroyed two maner of wais First by bringing in a contrary qualitye so that sinne beinge excluded do succéede mortification of lustes and do followe righteousnes honesty and all kindes of vertues Againe sinne is subdued vnto GOD when vpon it is inflicted punishment for so longe as