after their death for them bycause they can not then helpe them But if it chaunce any man to lye at the poynt of death then with the wordes of the Gospell wée sende hym to Chryste to pray for the remission of hys sinnes to truste to the grace and mercie of God and so with full consolation hope for eternall lyfe And this and none other was the doctrine of the primatiue Apostolyke Church like as Paule writeth of the dead 1. Thes. 4. And therfore by Gods grace wée will kéepe the same The. xxxvj Question What they say to the glory of Lazarus and his systers Martha and Marie who prayed vnto Chryste for their brother Lykewise of Eutiches whom Paule raysed from the deade whether this were done without prayers and whether that Saint Peter did not rayse Tabitha to life by prayers The Answere I Suppose that Mary Martha Peter Paule prayed vnto God but yet not as our aduersaries teache vs to pray for the dead that is that God would be merciful to their soules and delyuer them from the fire of purgatorie and receiue them into eternall life but they prayed that vnto the glory of god they might be restored to this life And do they thinke that Lazarus Eutiches and Tabitha were in the fire of purgatorie and after their death suffered prayers I suppose they dare not affirme it And therfore they bring vs such examples as serue not their purpose but are onely to blere the eyes of the simple But if they say they were in Purgatory then I pray you howe proue they the same But some of them affirme say If Lazarus were in hell then could he not be deliuered for in hell there is no redemption but if he were in heauen then had he wrong to be brought agayne to this earth of miserie And héere therfore they conclude that there muste néedes bée a thirde or midle place To these I answer first that hereby they haue not proued this midle place to be purgatorie but that it may be as wel some other place only knoweÌ„ vnto god Secondly I say that their whole argument is false vaine Lazarus as the scripture there techeth was Christes frende and therfore his soulo was receiued into the bosome of Abraham after his death like as we may sée in the other Lazarus of whome Luke speketh ca. â—6 Neither had he any iniury offred him when his soule to the setting forth of Gods glory was agayne coupled to his body for all creatures doo of right and dutie serue their creator The Lord said vnto the these hanging on the crosse This day shalt thou be with me in paradise yet the. 3. day he rose agayn dyd not thereby suffer any wrong c. Truely I thinke that if these men which are called the Spiritualtie were compelled tobestow so much money for the dead vpon the laypeople as they for thys matter doo receyue of them their fire of Purgatorie woulde not burns so hotte and their prayers would come downe to a lower pryce But if thys doctrine of Purgatorie bée so necessarie howe commeth it then to passe I beséeche you that the Caste Churches in Grecia dydde neuer receyue it nor knowe of it vntill the tyme of Eugenius the fourth at whiche tyme very shortely after Constantinople was taken by the Turke The. xxxvij Question What they say to this place of the Machabees It is therefore an holy and holesome thoughte to pray for the dead that they may bee delyuered from their sinnes The Answere SAint Hierome Ciprian and Gelasius shall vnto this place aunswere for vs that this secoÌ„d boke of Machabées is read in the Church but hath not like authority with other canonical scriptures of the Bible to take authoritie thence as froÌ„ other scriptures in the controuersies of religion Therfore bycause in al the bookes of the olde new testament there is not one word spokeÌ„ of the sacrifices for the dead we leaue this place as we found it as not béeing able to proue any thing Agayne all the actes of holy meÌ„ are not to be folowed neither are they acceptable to god Geâ—eon for a good inteÌ„t made an Ephod in â—phra which yet had bin better if it had not bin done In the. 14. Chapter of the historie of the Machabées Raazias is praised for killing himself that he might not al into the hands of his enimies yet his act as the whole scripture techeth 〈◊〉 the best of the fathers do iudge deserueth neither prayse nor is thought wel of for euery man touching death ought to abide till God doo call And as touching this Booke I could say more but this is sufficient The ninthe Common place Of Sacramentes The. xxxviij Question How many Sacraments there be also whether those be effectuall signes of Gods grace by the which we receiue the same The Answere THe Romish church hath seuen Sacraments of al the which we do account but two to bée true Sacramentes of Chrystes church and that is Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord and vnto these we attribute so muche as the holie Scripture willeth vs And as touching these two Confirmation Extreme vnction or anoynting as they be now vsed in the church of Rome we do not acknowledge them for any Sacraments of Chryste neither suppose wée that they haue their original from gods word The other thrée that is penance Imposition of hands or Orders Matrimonie although we recken theÌ„ not amongst the Sacramentes of Chrystes church as we do baptisme the supper of the Lorde yet we acknowledge them to be profitable necessarie institutions of God and very holsome for the faythfull if they vse them in such sort and to the end for which they were ordeined and as the Saincts haue vsed them in times paste Neither doo wée allowe or thinke wel of al those things which the church of Rome doth vse in these thrée but we allow that only which is agreable with the worde of god But where we allow baptisme the Lords supper onely for true Sacraments I haue else where more largely taughte shewing that it onely belongeth to God and not to man to institute or ordeine Sacraments the signes of Gods verity and grace but also howe the promisses of God are in the Sacramentes and outwarde signes of his benefites Touching the efficacie and vertue of the Sacraments we answere that all those things which God hath ordeined haue power and vertue to bring to passe and performe al that for the which they were ordeined of God and so haue the Sacraments their power to whome therfore we ought not to attribute any other thing than that the Scriptures do attribute vnto them and for which causes they were ordeined Wherefore if we finde the Sacraments ineffectuall vnto vs that is not to be attributed to them as though the institution of God were of no sorce but it is to be attributed vnto meÌ„ which vse them
beléeued than the worde of God it selfe But if it be otherwyse then is there no aucthoritie of any Councell to bée accepted agaynst the truthe of the holy Scriptures Constantinus the Emperoure in the firste generall Counsell holden at Nâ—câ— offered vnto the fathers there béeing lawfully assembled the Bookes of the olde and newe Testamente commaunding them thereby so iudge and determyne all controuersies The seconde Question is VVhether that Counsels haue erred But their Question is so demaunded as thoughe they mighte neuer erre But bycause all the Councelles that haue béene héeretofore as also those whiche are now were gathered from men and and that men doo and may erre like as in times past they haue often erred for Dauid sayth God is true but euery man is a lyar and saint James sayth In many things we sinne all It foloweth therfore that couÌ„cels may erre On the other side if they folow god his word they caÌ„ not erre as we before haue sufficiently declared That councels haue erred and therby often haue bene quite coÌ„trary one to an other coÌ„demning one an other dothe manyfestly appeare by Hystories For it is not néedefull at large héere to discourse them all sithe I haue onely determined to aunswere the Questions aforesayde briefly The thirde Question is VVhether those thinges whiche are well and sufficiently decreed vppon once in some generall Councell oughte to bee called into question and to bee disputed on agayne To this question I aunswere thus Those thinges whereon the Counselles haue rightely and truely decréed by the woorde of GOD to those muste wée submitte our selues neyther are they to be called into question As the firste generall Counsels holden at Nice Constantinople and Ephesus dyd well and rightely decrée touching the holy Trinitie the Deuine and Humane nature of Chryste the holy Ghoste and of suche thinges whiche dydde héerevnto appertayne They nowe therefore offende not agaynst GOD whiche dispute and set them selues agaynst those that call these thinges agayne into question and make doubte of them but they whych are the causers and authors of these Disputations offende as namely Seruetus the Spaniarde in our age and diuerse others whiche haue done the lyke by their open workes and wrytings We also confesse that the lawes of the godly Emperours and Kinges were and are ryghte profitable and necessarie wherein blasphemouse and wycked disputations are forbydden But the Popishe Prelates can not by this tytle defende or shielde them selues as that nothing ought to bée written or disputed agaynst their late newe holden Counselles whiche thyng in déede they greately desire bycause they knowe them selues giltie of infidelitie For it is tootoo manyfeste and can by no manner of meanes bée denyed that in their Counsels they haue ordeined and decréed many thinges contrary to the custome of the Primatiue Churche and the manyfeste testimonies of the holy Scriptures which by their leaue wée may not leaue vntouched Wherevppon within these fewe hundred yeares many holy learned faythfull valyaunte and sincere Ministers of GOD haue cried out saying that the church of Rome is fraught and full stuffed with all abuses errors sinnes wicked and horrible factes and offences and therefore hathe néede of greate and earneste reformation But these men woulde that all these thinges shoulde bee couered and smered ouer and therefore they say It is not lawefull agayne to speake of or dispute agaynst those things which were once decreed and establyshed by generall Councels But whether this bée righte and iuste before God and men the wyse may easily perceiue Touching this matter Saincte Augustine dothe very well instruct vs for he commaundeth vs without all doubt to beléeue the Scriptures of the holy Bible and to beléeue the writinges of the fathers so farrefoorthe as they bee confirmed and proued by the witnesse of the holy Scripture Epistle 19. 111. 48. agaynst Cresconius Lib. 2. Capitu. 32. ni his Booke De peccatorum meritis remis cont Pelag. Li. 3. Ca. 7. De vera regione Cap. 10. Contra Epist. Pelag. ad Bonifac. Lib. 4. Cap. 8. And in his third Booke agaynst Maximinus he saythe But nowe neyther oughte I to bryng the Councell of Nice nor thou the councell of Arimineus as to be preiudiciall one to an other but let vs dispute by the authoritie of the Scriptures And in his seconde Booke agaynst the Donatistes and thirde Chapter he submitteth Councelles to the authoritie of the Scriptures and saythe that it often commeth to passe that the former Councelles may bée amended by those whiche are holden after Agayne De Vâ—itate Ecclesiae in hys sixetéenthe Chapter he sayth That the Scripture is the foundation and Pyller of the Churche and of all that is therein The. xiij Question Whether that Paule Peter James and the rest of the Apostles in the first Counsell holden at Jerusalem did take into theÌ„ the Heretikes which vrged Circumcision and the obseruing of Moyses lawe vpon the godly or the lay men which were of that secte The Answere THe whole scope and drift of this question is this that if there chance a frée conference or disputation in any counsel wherin they are required to render a reason of their fayth and Religion and so may not refuse the same that then they may haue at the leaste some kinde of prerogatiue to the ende that nothing may bee decréed agaynst theÌ„ that they may not be drawen froÌ„ their sinnes errors other abuses to a vertuous acceptable life before god Therfore séeke they by al meanes that them selues onely may be placed in thâ— councels and that they may not be constrained to admit any lay man or suche as are not of their stampe amongste them but that they alone may haue ful power and aucthoritie to accuse to be witnesses to determine and to iudge and that by this meanes nothing may be done but as it listeth them And eueÌ„ in this sorte haue some of their forefathers nowe a great while holden councels being the readye waye as they thought to prouide for them selues But whether this were acceptable before God vpright before men or profitable to the church the time it selfe the oppressing of the truthe the slaughters of moste godly men and the miserable gouernement of the thurche dothe euidently declare yea and all faithfull and wise men may easely iudge Of this question there is two partes The first is vvhether the Apostles in the firste councell at Ierusalem did take into the same those heretickes which wente about to thrust vpon the godly circumcision and the lawe of Moses Now héere they suppose we must néedes denie the same whereuppon they will conclude that bicause we are Heretickes we neither oughte to be heard nor be admitted into the councel But althoughe there were no place nor licence giuen to the heretickes in the councell at Jerusalem to speake yet it foloweth not that we ought not to be heard or ought not to be admitted into
place he saithe what hast thou that thou hast not receiued wherfore if thou haue receiued it why bostest thou as thoughe thou hadste not receyued it And agayne he sayth It is giuen to you in the things appertayning to Chryst that not onely you shoulde beleeue in him but also suffer affliction for hys names sake Likewise he sayth For it is God that woorketh in you bothe the will and the deede euen of hys owne good will. And although the faythfull doo all that they doo with a frée spirite and willing minde yet neuerthelesse this their fréedome and willingnesse is let and hindered very much through the defectes and infirmities of the flesh whiche alwayes remayneth with vs euen vnto deathe Wherefore Paule greatly complayneth saying The flesh rebelleth agaynst the spirit and the spirite agaynst the flesh so that the things which I would not do that do I. Touching this matter read more Roma 7. And yet in this case doo we not attribute vnto man any more frée will than that which the frée mercy of God worketh by whose holy spirite he is fréely gouerned preserued But as touching the infirmity which dwelleth in vs the operation and working of the spirite is hindred and let thereby so that mans free will can doo nothing that is good and so that good which it is willing to doo and dothe is of the frée grace and holy spirite of god And therfore Paule attributeth not his good workes to hys owne free wil but to the grace of God saying By the grace of God I am that I am and hys grace was not in me in vayne but I labored more than they all and yet not I but the grace of God that was with me 1. Corinth 15. Marke well that he sayth yet not I but the grace of God which was with me But touching euill lyke as wée haue sayde already wée doo it not by compulsion or agaynst our will but willingly and that by reason of the corruption which is grafted in our nature And yet when wee runne headlong to the Deuill God can lette and stoppe vs and giue vs an other manner of mynde whereby wée may bée stirred and drâ—uen as it were to the things wherein before we had no delight The fithe Common place Of Fayth and good Woorkes The. xviij Question What they thinke of fayth hope and charitie The Answere TOuching these thrée being in déede the cheefe poynts of our Christian religion I thinke very wel and truely of them euen as the word of god hathe taughte Fayth is the sure confidence of a man that is lyghtened of God whereby he trusteth in God and in his onely son our Lord Jesus Chryst and his vndoubted worde and that to the remission of sinnes and eternall lyfe Hope is a stedfaste pacient and comfortable looking for of those things whiche we beléeue cheefly if the receiuing of them be deferred and appeare otherwise thaÌ„ they were beléeued to be charitie is poured into our hearts encreased and preserued and is due both to God man so that we should loue God aboue all things and our neighbour as our selfe euen as Chryste also hath loued vs The places of Scripture from whence these descriptions are taken I haue therfore willingly left out least this Booke shoulde grow and encrease vnto an huge volume The. xix Question Whether these three vertues faith hope charity are but one thing or else distinct vertues in the holy Scripture and chiefly whether the one may not be taken for the other The Answere TOuching these thrée singuler giftes of God S. Paule speaketh distinctly giuing to ech of them their peculyar properties 1. Thes. 1. VVe giue thanks vnto God almightie for you all making mention of you in our praiers remembring alwayes your effectuall fayth diligeÌ„t or working loue and stedfast hope in our Lord Iesus Chryst. c. And forasmuche as he giueth thankes and prayers vnto God he teacheth that these vertues are fréely giuen froÌ„ him vnto men and that therefore they ought to pray and render thankes vnto him And vnto faythe he attributeth a certayne effectuall working bicause that from hir all good works yea hope and charitie do spring And he calleth charity diligeÌ„tor working bicause true charitie or loue laboreth and exerciseth hir selfe to please bothe God and man And to hope he attributeth stedfastnesse and pacience bicause Paul in the eight to the Romanes sayth That wee are made safe throughe hope But hope if it be seene is no hope For how can a man hope for that which he seeth But if we hope for the thing whiche we see not by pacience wée looke for them Therefore fayth hope and charitie are distincted vertues and haue eche their proper operations And therefore are they seuerally reckened by S. Paule 1. Corin 1. in which place he sayth that these thrée are Agayne these vertues are so coupled togither and depende so one of an other that they can not in any wise be hadde seuerally For who so rightly beléeueth in God and his word the same also hopeth to receiue the things he looketh for Lyke as Paule teacheth out of the Prophet Abacuc in the Epistle to the Hebrues cap. 10. Againe who so rightly beléeueth in God loueth him as his chefe and euerlasting good and loueth man bicause he is the image of God redéemed by him as S. John teacheth in his Epistle And therfore Paule to the Hebrues Cap. 11. interpreteth fayth by hope saying Fayth is the substance or grounde of thynges which are hoped for And in hys firste Epistle to Timothe he sheweth that charitie springeth from faythe saying Furthermore the end of the commaundementis loue from a pure hart a good conscience and fayth vnfayned Therefore like as there is but one sunne and yet he is not alone so is there but one fayth and yet is she not alone But as from the sunne procéedeth two seuerall things so that thereby three things are in the sunne that is the globe or body of the sunne from whiche procéedeth brightnesse and heate and these thrée are so ioyned in one sunne that by no meanes they can be separated and yet are they three distincted things hauing eche their seuerall properties So lykewise these three vertues faythe hope and charitie are so knytte togither that by no meanes they may bée separated and yet are they seuerally distincted Wherefore euen as from the Globe or substaunce of the sunne as from one spring lighte and heate doo flowe so from faythe also bothe charitie and hope doo spring And as the body of the sunne is not the lyghte or the heate so Fayth is neyther Hope nor Charitie Yet neuerthelesse the bodye of the Sunne is not wythoute Heate and Lyght and Fayth is not without Hope and Charitie And as the sunne shineth by his brightnesse and not by his heate so faythe inasmuche as shée receiueth Chryste iustifieth vs before God and not through charitie Therfore