Lorde ys bryghte that geueth lyghte to the eyes c. Agayne A launterne to my feete ys thy woorde and a lyghte vnto my pathes â–ª and innumerable other that hee reherseth in all that Psalme Neyther are these thynges agaynste the sayinges of Paule wherein vs shewed not what vse the lawe mynystreth to the regenerate butte what yt ys able to geue to manne of yt selfe Butte here the Prophete reporteth wyth howe greate profyte the Lorde doothe instructe them by readynge of hys lawe to whome hee inwardely inspyreth a readynesse to obeye And hee taketh holde not of the commaundementes onely butte also the promyse of grace annexed to the thynges whyche onely maketh the bytternesse to ware sweete For what were lesse ameable than the lawe yf yt shoulde onely wyth requyringe and threateninge trouble soules carefully wyth feare and vexe them wyth terroure Butte specially Dauid sheweth that hee in the lawe conceyued the Mediatoure wythoute whome there ys no delyte or sweetenesse Whyche whyle some vnskyllfull menne canne not discerne they boldely shake awaye all Moses and bydde the two tables of the lawe farrewell bycause they thynke yt ys not agreable for Christyans to cleaue to that doctrine that conteyneth the minustration of deathe Lette thys prophane opynyon departe farre oute of oure myndes For Moses taughte excellently well that the same Lawe whyche wyth synners canne engendre nothynge butte deathe oughte in the holly to haue a better and more excellente vse For thus when hee was reddy to dye hee openly sayde to the people Laye youre heartes vpon all the woordes that I doe testyfye to youe thys daye that ye maye commytte them to youre chyldren that ye maye teache them to keepe to doe and to fullfyll all the thynges that are wrytten in the volume of thys lawe bycause they are not vaynely commaunded you butte that euerye one shoulde lyue in them butte yf no manne canne denye that there appeareth in yt an absolute paterne of ryghteousnesse then eyther wee muste haue no rule at all to lyue iustely and vpryghtely or els yt ys not lawefull for vs to departe from yt For there are not manye butte one rule of lyfe whyche ys perpetuall and canne not bee bowed Therefore whereas Dauid maketh the lyfe of a ryghteous manne continually busied in the meditation of the lawe let vs not referre that to one age onely bycause it is moste meete for all ages to the cude of the woorlde and lette vs not therefore be frayed awaye or flee from beynge instructed by it bycause yt appoynteth a muche more exacte holynesse than we shall perfourme whylâ— wee shall carry about the parson of our bodie For nowe yt executeth not against vs the office of a rygorous exacter that wyll not be satysfyed but wyth hys full taske perfourmed butte in thys perfection where vnto it exhorteth vs it sheweth vs a marke towarde whyche in all oure lyfe to endeuoure is no lesse profitable for vs than agreable wyth oure dutie In whyche endeuoure if we faâ—le not it is well For all thys lyfe ys a race the space whereof beynge runne cute the Lorde wyll graunte vs to atteine to that marke towarde whyche our endeuoures do trauaile a farre of Nowe therefore whereas the lawe hathe towarde the faythfull a power to exhorte not suche a power as maye bynde theyr consciences with curse butte suche as wyth often callynge on maye shake of sluggyshnesse and pynche imperfection to awake it many when thei meane to expresse thys delyueraunce from the curse thereof do saye that the lawe is abrogate to the faythfull I speake yet of the lawe moral not that it dothe no more commaunde them that whyche is ryghte butte onely that it be no more vnto them that whych it was before that is that it do no more by makynge afrayde and confoundynge their consciences damne and destroye them And truely suche an abrogation of the lawe Paule dothe plainely teache and also that the Lorde himselfe spake of it appeareth by thys that he woulde not haue confuted that opinion that he shoulde dissolue the lawe vnlesse it hadde been commonly receyued amonge the Iewes Butte forasmuche as it could not ryse causelessly and wythoute any coloure it is lykely that it grewe vpon false vnderstandynge of hys doctryne as in a manner all erroures are wonte to take occasion of truthe but leaste we shoulde also stumble at the same stone let vs dylygently make distinction what is abrogate in the lawe and what remayneth yet in force Where the Lorde protesteth that he came not do destroye the lawe butte to fullfill yt and that till heauen and earthe passe awaie no one iote of the lawe sholde passe awaye butte that all shoulde be fullfylled he sufficiently confyuneth that by hys comminge nothinge shoulde be taken awaye from the out keepinge of the lawe And for good cause sithe he came rather for this ende to heale offences Wherefore the doctrine of the lawe remayneth for all Christians inuiolable which by teachynge admonyshynge rebukynge and correctynge maye frame and prepare vs to euerye good woorke As for those thynges that Paule speaketh of the curse it is euident that they belonge not to the verye instruction butte onely to the force of byndynge the conscience For the lawe not onely teacheth butte also wyth authoritie requyreth that whyche yt commaundeth If yt be not perfourmed yea yf duetye be stacked in any parte it bendeth her thunderboulte of curse For thys cause the Apostle sayth that all they that are of the woorkes of the lawe are subiecte to the curse bycause it is wrytten Cursed is euery one that fullfylleth not all And he sayeth that they be vnder the woorkes of the lawe that do not sette ryghteousnesse in the forgeuenesse of synnes by whyche we are loosed from the rigoure of the lawe He teacheth therefore that we muste bee loosed from the bondes of the lawe vnlesse we wyll miserablye peryshe vnder them But from what bondes the bondes of that rigerous and sharpe exactinge that releaseth nothing of the extremitie of the lawe and suffereth not any offense vnpunished From this curse I saye that Christe mighte redeeme vs he was made a curse for vs. For it is wrytten Cursed is euery one that hangeth vpon the tree In the capter folowinge in deede he sayth that Christe was made subiecte to the lawe to redeeme them that were vnder the lawe but all in one meanynge for he by and by addeth that by adoption we mighte receiue the righte of children What is that that we shoulde not be oppressed wyth perpetuall bondage that shoulde holde oure conscience fast strained with anguishe of death In the meane tyme thys alwaye remaineth vnshaken that there is nothinge withdrawen of the authoritie of the lawe but that it oughte styll to bee receyued of vs wyth the same reuerence and obedience Of ceremonies it is otherwise whiche were abrogate not in effecte but in vse onely And this that Christe by hys commynge
When the Lord meant to cut of all hope of Pardon from so haynous wickednesse he thought it not enough to saye that it should neuer be forgeuen but the more to amplifie it he vsed a diuision wherein he comprehended bothe the iudgement that euery mans conscience feleth in this life and the last iudgement that shal be openly pronounced at the resurrection as though he shold haue sayd Beware ye of malicious rebellioÌ„ as of moste present dampnation For he that of set purpose shall endeuour to quenche the light of the holy Ghost shall not obteine pardon neither in this life whiche is geuen to sinners for their conuersion nor in the last daye when the lambes shal be seuered by the angels of God froÌ„ the goates and the kingdome of heauen shal be cleansed from all offenses Then they brynge fourth that parable out of Mathewe Agree with thine aduersarie least he deliuer thee to the Iudge the iudge to the Sargeant and the Sargeant to the pryson from whence thou shalt not get out vntil thou hast payed the uttermoste farthing If in this place the Iudge do signifie God and the aduersarie plentife the Deuil the Sargeant the Angell and the pryson Purgatorie I wyll gladlye yelde vnto them But if it be euident to all men that Christe meant there to showe into howe many daungers and mischeues they caste them selues that had rather obstinatly pursue the extremitie of the lawe than deale according to equitie and good ryght to the ende to exhorte hys disciples the more earnestly to agreement with equitie where then I praye you shall Purgatorie be founde They fetche an argument out of the saying of Paul where he affirmeth that the knees of thynges in heauen earthe and helles shall bowe to Christ. For they take it as confessed that helles can not there be meant of those that are adiudged to eternal damnation Therfore it remayneth that it must be the soules lying in peine in Purgatorie They did not reason very euyll if the Apostle did by knelynge meane the true Godly worshippyng But sithe he teacheth only that there is a dominion geuen to Christ wherby all creatures are to bee subdued what profe is there to the contrary but that we may by helles vnderstande the Deuels that shal be brought before the iudgement of God to acknowledge hym their iudge with feare and tremblyng Lyke as Paul hym selfe expoundeth the same prophecie in an other place All sayeth he shal be brought before the iudgement seate of Christ. For it is wrytten So truly as I lyue euery knee shal bowe to me c. But we maye not so expounde that whiche is in the Reuelation I haue heard all creatures bothe these thynges that are in heauen and those that are vpon the earth and these that are vnder the earth and those that are in the sea and all those that are in them I haue hearde them all saye to hym that sytteth on the Throne and to the Lambe Blessinge and honor and glorie and power for euer and euer That I doe in deede easely graunte but what creatures doe they thynke to be heare rehearsed For it is moste certaine that there are conteined creatures both without reason and without sense Whereby is affirmed nothing els but that all the partes of the world from the hyest toppe of the heauens to the very mydle point of the earth doe in their manner declare the glorie of their creator As for that whiche they alledge out of the historie of the Machabees I will not vouchesaue to answer it least I should seme to recken that worke in the nombre of the holye bookes But Augustine receyued it for Canonicall But first of what sure credit did he receiue it The Iewes sayeth he esteme not the wryting of the Machabees as they doe the lawe the Prophetes and the Psalmes of whiche the Lorde hym selfe hath witnessed as of his witnesses saying It was necessary that all thynges should be fulfylled that are wrytten in the lawe and the Psalmes and Prophetes concerninge me But it hathe bene receiued of the Churche not vnprofitably if it be soberly red or heard And Hierome teacheth without any doubtinge that the authoriâ—ie therof is of no force to prouing of doctrines And it euidently appeareth by that olde booke whiche is entituled vnder the name of Cypriane concerning the exposition of the Crede that it had no place at all in the olde Churche But why doe I here stryue without cause As though the author hym selfe doeth not sufficiently shew how muche he is to be credited when in the ende he craueth pardon 〈◊〉 he haue spoken any thyng not well Truely he that confesseth his writynges to nede pardon sayeth plainly that they are not the oracles of the holy Ghost Besyde that the godlynesse of Iudas is praysed for none other cause but for that he had an assured hope of the last resurrection when he sent an offrynge for the dead to Hierusalem Neither dothe the wryter of that historie referre that whiche Iudas did to be a pryce of redemption but that they myght be partakers of the eternall lyfe with the other faithfull that had died for their contrie and relgioÌ„ This doyng was in dede not without superstition and preposterous zele but they are more than foles that drawe a sacrifice of the lawe so farre as vnto vs for as muche as we knowe that thynges doe cesse by the comming of Christ that then were in vse But they haue an inuincible bulwarke in Paul whiche can not so easely be battered If any man saith he buylde vpon this foundation gold syluer precious stones tynber heye stubble the Lorde shal shewe euery mans worke what it is because it shall be reueled in fier and the fier shall trie euery mans worke what it is If any mans woorke doe burne it shall suffer losse but he shal be safe but as through the fier What fier saye they can that be but the fier of Purgatorie by which the filthinesses of synne are cleansed away that we may enter pure in to the kyngdome of God But the moste parte of the olde wryters thought it to be an other fier that is to saye Trouble or the crosse by whiche the Lorde tryeth them that be his that they should not rest in the filthinesse of the fleshe and that is muche more probable than in fainyng Purgatorie All be it I doe neyther agree with these men because I thynke I haue attained a certaine and muche plainer vnderstandyng of that place But before that I vtter it I wold haue them aunsweare me whether the Apostles and all the sainctes must haue gone through this fier of Purgatorie I knowe they wyll saye nay For it were to muche inconuenient that they must haue neded to be purged whose merites they dreame to ouerflowe aboue measure to all the meÌ„bres of the churche But the Apostle affirmeth it For he dothe not saye that the worke of some
hys flocke so that the departyng from the Churche is alwaye damnable But lette vs procede to prosecute that whiche properly belongeth to this place Paule writeth that Christ that he might fulfill all thynges gaue some Apostles some Prophetes some Euangelistes and some Pastors and teachers to the restoryng of the holy ones into the worke of ministerie vnto the edification of the body of Christe vntill we all come into the vnitie of Fayeth and of the acknowledgyng of the sonne of God vnto a perfecte manne and to the measure of the ful growen age of Chryst. We see how God whiche was able to make theÌ„ that be hys perfecte in a momente yet wyll not haue them growe into manly age but by the brynging vp of the Church We see the meane expressed for that vnto the Pastors is enioyned the preachyng of the heauenly doctrine We see how all not one excepted are broughte into one rule that they shoulde wyth milde Spirite and willing to learne yelde themselues to the teachers appoynted for that vse And by this marke Esaye had longe before sette out the kingdome of Christe where he sayeth My Spirite whiche is in thee and the woordes that I haue putte in thy mouth shall neuer departe neyther oute of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy sede and thy childrens children Wherevpon foloweth that they are worthy to perishe wyth famyne and pining hunger whosoeuer they be that refuse the Spirituall meate of the soule reached vnto them of God by the handes of the Churche God doeth breath Fayth into vs but by the instrumente of his Gospel as Paule sayeth that Fayth is by hearyng As also wyth God remayneth hys power to saue but as the same Paule witnesseth he vttereth and displayeth the same in the preaching of the Gospel For thys reason in olde time he wylled that there shoulde be made holye assemblyes to the sanctuarye that doctryne vttered by the mouth of the Priest shoulde nourishe the consente of Fayth And to no other ende those glorious titles haue respect where the temple is called the rest of God and the sanctuary his house where he is sayed to syt betwene the Cherubins but to bryng estimation loue reuerence and dignitie to the ministerie of the heauenly doctrine whiche otherwyse the syghte of a mortall and despised man would not a little diminishe Therefore that we shoulde knowe that out of earthen vessels is broughte fourth vnto vs inestimable treasure God himselfe commeth fourth and in as much as he is author of this degree so he wil haue himselfe to be acknowledged presente in his institution Therefore after that he hath forbydden his to geue themselues to iudgement by flying of birdes to south sayinges magicall artes necromancie and other superstitions he immediatly addeth that he will geue them that whiche oughte to suffice in steade of al that is to saye that they shal neuer be destitute of Prophetes But like as he seÌ„t not the olde people â—o Angels but raised vp teachers out of the earth whiche mighte truely performe the office of Angels so at thys daie also his will is to teache vs by men And as in the olde time he was not contente with the onely lawe but added Priestes for expositors at whose lippes the people should enquire for the true meaning therof so at thys day he not only willeth vs to be hedefully benâ— to reding but also appointeth maisters ouer vs by whose trauail we may be holpen wherof commeth double profite For on the one parte by a very good tryal it proueth our obedience where we heare his ministers speaking euen as it were himselfe On the other side it also prouydeth for our weakenesse while after the manner of men he had rather speake vnto vs by interpreters to allure vs vnto him than with thondryng driue vs away froÌ„ hym And truely how expedient this familiar maner of teaching is for vs al the godly do fele by the feare wherwith the maiestie of God doth worthily astonish them But they that thynke that the authoritie of the doctrine is abaced by the contempt of the men that are called to teache do be wray their vnthankefulnesse because among so many excellent giftes wherewith God hath garnished mankinde this is a singular prerogatiue that he vouchesaueth to consecrate the mouthes and tonges of men to himselfe that hys owne voyce shoulde sound in them Wherefore on oure behalues lette vs not be greued obedientlie to embrace the doctrine of saluation sette fourth by hys commaundemente and by hys owne mouthe because althoughe the power of God is not bounde to outwarde meanes yet he hath bounde vs to an ordinarye manner of teaching whiche whyle phrentyke menne refuse to kepe they wrappe themselues in many deadly snares Eyther pryde or disdainefulnesse or enuie moueth many to perswade themselues that they can sufficiently profyt by their owne priuate readyng and study and so to despyse publike assemblies and to accompte preaching superfluous But sith they do as muche as in theÌ„ is lose or breake in sonder the holy bonde of vnitie no man escapeth the due punishment of thys diuorce but he bewitcheth hymselfe wyth pestylente errors and moste wicked dotages Wherfore that the pure simplicitie of Faith maye flourishe among vs lette vs not be greued to vse thys exercyse of godlynesse whiche God by his institution hath shewed to be necessarie for vs and so earnestly commendeth But there was neuer yet fouÌ„d any euen of the most wanton dogges whiche woulde say that we ought to stoppe oure eares agaynst God but in all ages the Prophetes and godly teachers haue had a hard strife againste the wicked whoe 's stubbornnesse can neuer come vnder this yoke to be taughte by the mouth and ministerie of menne Whiche is as muche as to blotte oute the face of God whiche shineth vnto vs in doctrine For in olde tyme the faythfull were commaunded to seke the face of God in the Sanctuarye and the same is so ofte repeted in the lawe for no other cause but for that the doctrine of the lawe and the exhortations of the Prophetes were to them a liuely image of God as Paule affirmeth that in hys preaching shineth the glorye of God in the face of Chryste Howe muche the more detestable are the Apostates whiche gredely seeke to deuide Churches as thoughe they did driue shepe from their foldes and caste them into the mouthes of wolues But we must holde that whiche we haue alleged oute of Paule that the Churche is no otherwyse bylded but by outwarde preaching and that the holy ones are holden together wyth no other bonde but when wyth learning and profyting with one consente they kepe the order appointed by God to the Churche To thys ende principally as I haue sayed the faythfull in olde time vnder the lawe were commaunded to resorte to the sanctuarie Because when Moses speaketh of the dwelling place of God he doeth there withall call it the place
traiterous with sclaunders troublesome with seditions least they shuld seme to want the lyght of truth doo pretende a shadowe of rigorous seueritie and those thynges that are in the holy Scriptures commaunded to be done with a gentler kynd of healing sauyng the sinceritie of loue and kepyng the vnitie of peace to correct the faultes of brethren they abuse it to sacrilege of schisme and to occasyon of cuttyng of But to godly and quiet men he geueth this counsell that they mercifully correct that whiche they can and that whiche they can not paciently beare and grone and mourne with loue vntyll God eyther amende and correct them or at the haruest roote vp the tares and fanne out the chaffe Lette the godly trauaile to fortifie theim selues with these armures least while they seme to them selues strong and couragious reuengers of rightuousnesse they departe from the kingdom of heauen which is the only kyngdom of rightuousnesse For sithe it is Gods will to haue the communion of his Churche to be kepte in this outward felowshyp he that for hatred of euill men doth breake the tokeÌ„ of that â—elowship entreth into a waie wherby is a slippery falling froÌ„ the coÌ„munion of saints Let them thinke that in a great multitude there be many truly holy innocent before the eies of the Lord whom they see not Let them think that euen of them that be diseased there be many that doo not please or flatter them selues in their faultes but beyng now and then awakened with earnest feare of God doo aspire to a greater vprightnesse Let them thinke that iudgement ought not to be geuen of a man by one dede forasmuche as the holiest do sometime fall away with a most greuous fal Let them think that to gather a Church there lieth more weight both in the ministerie of the woorde and in the partaking of the holy misteries than that all that force shoulde vanishe away by the fault of some wicked men Last of all lette theim consider that in iudging the Churche the iudgement of God is of greater value than the iudgement of man Where also they pretend that the Churche is not without cause called Holy it is mete to wey with what holinesse it excelleth least if we will admitte no Church but suche a one as is in all pointes perfect we leaue no Churche at all It is true in dede which Paul saith that Christ gaue himself for the Churche to sanctifie it that he clensed it with the lauer of water with the word of life to make her vnto himself a glorious spouse hauyng no spotte or wrinkle c. Yet this is also nothyng lesse true â–ª that the Lord dayly worketh in smoothyng her wrinkles and wipyng away her spottes Whervpon foloweth that her holynesse is not yet fully finished Therfore the Churche is so holy that it dayly profiteth and is not yet perfect daiely procedeth is not yet come to the marke of holinesse as also in an other place shal be more largely declared whereas therfore the Prophetes prophecie that there shal be a holy Hierusalem through whiche straungers shal not passe and a holy temple wherinto vncleane men shall not entre let vs not so take it as if there were no spotte in the membres of the Churche but for that with their whole endeuour they aspire to holinesse souÌ„d purenesse by the goodnesse of God clennesse is ascribed to them whiche they haue not yet fully obteined And although oftentimes there be but rare tokens of such sanctification among men yet we must determine that there hath bene no time sins the creation of the worlde wherin the Lord hath not had his Churche and that there shall also be no tyme to the very ende of the worlde wherin he shall not haue it For albeit immediatly from the beginnyng the whole kynde of men is corrupt and defiled by the sinne of Adam yet out of this as it were a polluted masse God alway sanctifieth som vessels vnto honour that there should be no age without felyng of his mercie Which he hath testified by certayn promises as these I haue ordeined a testament to my elect I haue sworne to Dauid my seruant I will for euer continue thy sede I will builde thy seate in generation and generation Agyan the Lord hath chosen Syon he hath chosen it for a dwelling to himself This is my reste for euer c. Agayne These thynges sayth the Lorde which geueth the Sunne for the lyght of the day the moon and starres for the light of the night If these lawes shall faile before me then the sede of Israell shall also faile Hereof Christ him self the Apostles and in maner all the Prophets haue geuen vs example Horrible are those descriptions wherin Esaie Hieremie Ioel Abacuc and the other doo lament the sicknesses of the Churche of Hierusalem In the common people in the magistrate in the Priestes all things were so corrupt that Esaie douteth not to match Hierusalem with Sodom and Gomorrha Religion was partely despised partly defiled in their maners are coÌ„monly reported theftes extortions breaches of faith murthers and like mischieues Yet therfore the Prophets did neither erect to them selues new Churches nor buyld vp newe altars on whiche they might haue seuerall sacrifices but of what soeuer maner men they were yet because they considered that God had left his word with them ordeined Ceremonies wherby he was there worshipped in the myddest of the assemblie of the wicked they held vp pure handes vnto hym Truely if they had thought that they did gather any infection thereby they would rather haue dyed a hundred tymes than haue suffred them selues to be drawen therevnto Therfore nothing withheld them from departing but desire to the keping of vnitie But if the Prophets thought it against conscience to estrange them selues from the Church for many and great wicked doyngs not of one or two men but in maner of the whole people then we take to muche vpon vs if we dare by and by depart from the coÌ„munion of the Church where not all mens maners doo satisfie eyther our iudgemente yea or the Christian profession Now what maner world was there in the tyme of Christe and the Apostles And yet that desperate vngodlynesse of the Pharisees and yâ— dissolute licenciousnesse of liuing which then eche where reigned could not hynder but that they vsed the same Ceremonies with the people assembled with the rest into one temple to the publike exercises of religion Whereof came that but because they knew that the felowship of euill men did not defile them which with a pure coÌ„science did communicate at the same Ceremonies If any man be litle moued with the Prophets and Apostles let him yet obey the authoritie of Christ. Therfore Cyprian well saieth though there be sene tares or vncleane vessels in the Churche yet there is no cause why we shuld depart from the Churche we must onely labour that we may
maiestie Only my mynde was to teache certaine introductions wherby they that are touched with some zeale of religion myght bee instructed to true godlynesse And this trauayle I tooke principally for my contremen the Frenchemen of whoÌ„ I vnderstode very many to hunger and thirst for Christe but I sawe very fewe that had rightly receiued so much as any litle knowlege of him And that this was my meanyng the boke it selfe declareth beyng framed after a simple and playne maner of teachyng But when I perceyued that the furious rage of some wycked men hath so farre preuailed in your realme that in it there is no roome for sounde doctrine I thought I should doo a thyng worthe my trauayle all in one worke bothe to geue an instruction for them and to declare a confession to you wherby ye may learne what maner of doctrine that is agaynst which those furious men burne in so great rage who at this day trouble your realme with sweard and fyer For I will not feare to confesse that I haue in this woorke comprehended in maner the summe of that selfe same doctrine agaynst which they crie out that it ought to be punished with prisonment banishement condemnation without iudgement and with fyer that it ought to be chaced away by lande and sea I knowe in dede with how haynous informations they haue fylled your mynde and eares to make our cause most hatefull vnto you but this of your clemencie ought you to weye that there shal be no innocence neither in wordes nor dedes if it may be enough to accuse Truely if any to bryng the same in hatred shall allege that this Doctrine whereof I now go about to yelde accompt vnto you hath ben long agoe condemned by consente of all degrees and atteynted by many iugementes allready geuen in iudicial courtes al that he sayth shall amount to no more but that it hath partly ben violently throwen downe by the â—anding and power of the aduersaries therof and partly ben traitorously and fraudulently oppressed with their lyes and suttle practises and sclaunders Herein is violence shewed that without hearyng the cause bloody senteÌ„ces are pronouÌ„ced against it here in is Fraude that it is without deseruyng accused of sedition and euel doyng And that none may thynke that we wrongfully complayne of these thynges you your selfe can beare vs witnesse moste noble Kyng with how lyeng sclaunders it is dayely accused vnto you as that it tendeth to no other ende but to writhe from Kynges their scepters oute of their handes to throwe downe all iudges seates and iudgementes to subuerte all orders and ciuile gouernementes to trouble the peace and quiete of the people to abolish al lawes to vndo all proprieties and possessions finally to turne al thynges vpsyde downe And yet you heare the smallest portion For horrible thynges they spreade abroade among the people whiche if they were true the whole worlde myghte worthily iudge it with the mainteiners therof worthy of a thousande fiers and gallowes Who can now maruell that a common hatred is kindled agaynst it where suche moste wrongfull accusations are beleued Loe thys is the cause that all degrees agree and coÌ„spire to the condemning of vs and our doctrine They that sit to iudge beeing rauished with this affection pronounce for sentences their freconceiued determinations whyche they brought from home with them and thinke that they haue well enough discharged their duties if they commaunde no man to be drawen to execution but suche as are founde gylty eyther by theyr owne confession or by sufficient witnesse But of what fault of that condeÌ„ned doctrine say they But by what law coÌ„demned Herein should haue stande the succor of defense for them not to denie the doctrine it selfe but to mainteine it for true But here is all libertie ones to mutter vtterly cutt of from vs. Wherefore I doe not vniustly require most victorious king that it maye please you to take into your owne hande the whole hearing of the cause whiche hetherto hath ben troblesomly handled or rather carelesly tossed without al order of law more by outragious heate than iudiciall grauitie Neyther yet thynke that I here goe about to make myne owne priuate defense whereby I may procure to my selfe a safe returne into my natiue contree to whiche althoughe I beare such affection of naturall loue as becometh me yet as the case nowe is I not miscontentedly want it But I take vppon me the common cause of all the Godly yea and the cause of Christe himselfe whiche at thys day hauing ben by all meanes torne and troden downe in your kyngdome lyeth as it were in despeired case and that in dede rather by the tyranny of certaine Pharisees than by your owne knowlege But howe that cometh to passe it is not here nedeful to tell truely it lyeth in great distresse For thus farr haue the vngodly preuailed that the truethe of Christ be not destroyed beyng chaced away and scattered abrode yet it lyeth hydden as buried and vnregarded as for the silly poore Chirch it is eyther wasted with cruell slaughters and so dryuen away with banishmentes or dismayed with threatens and terrors that it dare not ones open her mouth And yet stil they continue with such rage and fercenesse as they are wont thruâ—ting strongly against the wall alredy bending and the ruine whiche themselues haue made In the meane tyme no maÌ„ steppeth fourth to set hymselfe in defense agaynst suche furies And they if there be any suche that will moste of all seme to fauor the truthe say no more but that it were good to pardon the error and vnskilfulnesse of ignorante men For thus the good natured men forsoothe do speake calling that error and vnskilfulnesse whiche they knowe to be the most certaine trueth of God calling them ignorante men whoe 's witt they see that Christe hath not so despised but that he hath vouchesaued to communicate to them the mysteries of hys heauenly wysedome So muche are all ashamed of the Gospell It shal be your office most noble King not to turne away your eares nor youre mynde fâ—oÌ„ so iust a defense specially when so great a mater is in question namely how the glorie of God may be mainteined safe in earth how the trueth of God may kepe her honor how Christ may haue hys kyngdome preserued whole among vs. Thys is a mater worthy for your eares worthy for your iugement worthy for your royall throne For euen this thoughte maketh a true King to acknowlege hymselfe in the gouernance of hys kyngdome to be the minister of God Neyther doth he now vse a kyngdome but a robberie which reigneth not to thys ende that he may serue the glorie of God And he is deceiued that loketh for a long prosperitie of that kyngdome whiche is not ruled by the scepter of God that is by hys holy worde forasmuche as the heauenly Oracle can not proue vayne whereby it is proclaymed that the people shal be scattered
and corrupcion of nature I will omit also to entreate of the remedy therof Therefore let the readers remember that I do not yet speake of the couenaunt whereby God hath adopted to hymselfe the children of Abraham and of that specyal parte of doctrine wherby the faithful haue alway been peculiarly seuered frō the prophane nations because that doctrine was founded vpon Christ but I speake how we ought to learne by the Scripture that god which is the creator of the world is by certaine markes seuerallye discerned from the counterfait multitude of false gods And thē the order it selfe shal conueniently bring vs to the redemer But although we shal allege may testimonies out of the new testamēt some also out of the law and the Prophetes wherin is expresse menciō made of Christ yet they shall al tende to this ende to proue that in the Scripture is disclosed vnto vs God the creator of the world and in the scripture is set foorth what we ought to thinke of him to the end that we should not seke about the busy for an vncertaine godhead But whether God were knowen to the fathers by oracles and visions or whether by the mean and ministraciō of men he informed them of that which they should from hande to hand deliuer to their posterity yet it is vndoutedly true that in their hartes was engrauen a stedfaste certaintie of doctrin so as they might be perswaded and vnderstand that it which they had learned came from God For God alwaies made vndouted assuraunce for credit of his worde which farre exceaded all vncertaine opinion At length that by continual proceding of doctrine the trueth suruiuing in al ages might stil remaine in the world the same oracles which he had left with the fathers his pleasure was to haue as it were enrolled in publike tables For this entent was the law publyshed wherunto after were added the Prophetes for expositors For though there were diuerse vses of the law as hereafter shal better appeare in place conuenient and specially the principall purpose of Moises and al the Prophetes was to teach the maner of reconciliacion beetwene God and men for which cause also Paule calleth Christ the end of the law yet as I say once againe beside the proper doctrine of faith and repētance which sheweth forth Christe the mediatour the Scripture doth by certaine markes and tokens paint out the onelye and true God in that that he hath created and doeth gouerne the worlde to the ende he should be seuerally knowen and not reckened in the false nomber of fained gods Therefore although it behoueth man earnestlye to bend his eies to consider the workes of God forasmuch as he is set as it were in this gorgeous stage to be a beholder of them yet pryncipally ought he to bende his eares to the word that he may better profit therby And therfore it is no maruel that they which ar borne in darkenesse do more and more waxe hard in their amased dulnesse because verye fewe of them do geue themselues pliable to learne of the word of God whereby to kepe them within their boundes but they rather reioyse in their own vanity Thus then ought we to holde that to the ende true religion may shyne among vs we must take our beginning at the heauenly doctrine And that no man can haue any tast be it neuer so little of true and sounde doctrine vnlesse he haue ben scholer to the Scrypture And from hense groweth the original of true vnderstanding that we reuerently embrace whatsoeuer it pleaseth God therin to testifye of himselfe For not onely the perfect and in al pointes absolute faith but also al right knowledge of God springeth from obedience And truelye in thys behalfe God of his singular prouidence hath prouided for men in and for al ages For if we consider how slipperye an inclinacion mans minde hath to slide into forgetfulnes of God how great a redinesse to fal into al kind of errors how great a lust to forge oftentimes new counterfayt religions we may therby perceiue how necessarie it was to haue the heauenly doctrine so put in writing that it should not either perish by forgetfulnes or grow vaine by errour or be corrupted by boldnes of men Sith therfore it is manifest that God hath alway vsed the helpe of hys word toward al those whom it pleased him at any time frutefully to instruct because he foresaw that his image emprinted in the most beautifull forme of the world was not sufficiently effectual Therfore it behoueth vs to trauaile this straight way if we earnestly couet to attayne to the true beholding of God We must I say come to his word wherin God is well and liuely set out by his workes when his workes be weyed not after the peruersuesse of our own iudgemēt but according to the rule of the eternall trueth If we swarue from that worde as I saied euen now although we runne neuer so fast yet we shall neuer attaine to the marke because the course of our running is out of the way For thus we must thinke that the brightnesse of the face of God which the Apostle calleth such as cannot be atteined vnto is vnto vs like a maze out of which we cannot vnwrappe our selues vnlesse we be by the line of the word guided into it so that it is much better for vs to halt in this way than to runne neuer so fast in an other And therfore Dauid oftē times when he teacheth that supersticions are to be taken away out of the world that pure religion maye floryshe bringeth in God reigning meaninge by this worde reigning not the power that he hath but the doctryne wherby he chalengeth to himselfe a lawfull gouernement because errors can neuer be rooted out of the hartes of men till the true knowledge of God be planted Therfore the same Prophete after that he hath recited that the heauens declare the glory of God that the firmament sheweth fourth the woorkes of his handes that the orderly succeding course of daies and nightes preacheth his maiestie then descendeth to make mentiō of his worde The law of the Lord saieth he is vndefiled conuerting soules the witnesse of the Lord is faithful geuing wisedome to little ones the righteousnesses of the Lord are vpryght makyng hartes cherefull the commaundemēt of the Lord is bryght geuing light to the eies For although he comprehendeth also the other vses of the law yet in generalitie he meaneth that forasmuch as God doeth in vaine call vnto hym al nations by the beholdyng of the heauen and earth therfore this is the peculiar schole of the children of God The same meanyng hath the xxix Psalme where the Prophet hauing preached of the terrible voice of God whiche in thunder windes showres whirlewindes stormes shaketh the earth maketh the mountains to tremble and breaketh the cedre trees in the ende at last he goeth further and sayth that his praises are
so lyuely moue thy affections it shall so pearce thy hearte it shall so settle within thy bones that in comparison of the efficacie of this feelyng all that force of Rhetoricians and Philosophers shall in maner vanysshe awaie so that it is easy to perceyue that the scriptures whiche doo farre excell all gyftes and graces of mans industrie doo in deede breathe oute a certayne diuinitie I graunt in deede that som of the Prophetes haue an elegant cleare yea and a beautifull phrase of speeche so as their eloquence geueth not place to the prophane writers and by suche examples it pleased the holy ghost to shewe that he wanted not eloquence though in the reste he vsed a rude and grosse stile But whether a man reade Dauid Esaie and such lyke who haue a swete and pleasant flowyng speche or Amos the heardman Hieremie and zacharye whose rougher talke sauoureth of countrey rudenesse in euery one of theim shall appeare that maiestie of the holy ghoste that I spake of Yet am I not ignorant that as Sathan is in many thynges a counterfaiter of God that with deceitfull resemblance he myght the better crepe into simple mens myndes so hath he craftily spreade abroade with rude and in maner barbarous speche those wicked errours wherwith he deceyued sely men and hath ofte tymes vsed discontinued phrases that vnder suche visour he might hyde his deceites But howe vayn and vncleanly is that curious counterfaityng all men that haue but meane vnderstandynge doo playnely see As for the holy scripture although frowarde men labour to byte at many thynges yet is it full of suche sentences as coulde not be conceyued by man Let all the prophetes be loked vpon there shall not one be founde among them but he hath farre excelled all mans capacitie in suche sorte that those are to be thought to haue no iudgement of tast to whome their doctrine is vnsauorie Other menne haue largely entreated of this argument wherfore at this tyme it suffiseth to touche but a fewe thyngs that chiefly make for the principall summe of the whole matter Besyde these poyntes that I haue already towched the very antiquitie of the scripture is of great weight For howe soeuer the Greke writers tell many fables of the Egyptian diuinitie yet there remaineth no monument of any religion but that is farre inferiour to the age of Moses And Moses deuiseth not a newe God but setteth foorth the same thyng whiche the Israelites had receyued in longe processe of tyme conueyed to them by theyr fathers as it wer from hand to hand concernyng the euerlastyng God For what doth he els but labour to cal thē backe to the couenaunt made with Abraham If he had brought a thyng neuer hearde of before he had had no entrie to begynne But it muste nedes be that the deliueraunce from bondage wherin they were deteyned was a thynge well and commonly knowen among them so that the hearynge of the mention thereof dyd foorthwith raise vp all their myndes It is also likely that they were informed of the numbre of the CCCC yeares Nowe is it to be consydered if Moses whiche hym selfe by so long distance of tyme was before al other writers do from a begynnyng so long before hym selfe fetche the originall deliuerance of his doctrine howe muche the holy scripture then is beyonde all other writynges in antiquitie Unlesse perhappe some liste to beleue the Egyptians that stretche their auncientie to sixe thousand yeres before the creation of the world But sithe their vayne babblyng hath ben alway scorned euen of all the prophane writers themselues there is no cause why I shoulde spende labour in confutyng of it But Iosephus agaynst Appion alledge the testimonies worthy to be remembred out of auncient writers wherby may be gathered that by consent of all nations the doctrine that is in the lawe hath ben famous euen from the fyrst ages although it were neither redde nor truely knowen Nowe that neyther there shoulde remaine to the malicious any cause of suspicion nor to the wicked any occasion to cauill God hath for bothe these daungers prouided good remedies When Moses reherseth what Iacob almoste thre hundred yeares before had by heauenly inspiration pronounced vppon his owne posteritie howe dooth he sette foorth his owne tribe yea in the persone of Leui he spotteth it with eternall infamie Symeon fayth he and Leui the vessels of wickednesse My soule come not into their counsell nor my tong into their secrete Truely he myghte haue passed ouer that blot with silence in so doyng not only to please his father but also not to staine him selfe and his whole family with parte of the same shame Howe can that writer be suspected whiche vnconstrainedly publishing by the oracle of the holy ghost that the principall auncester of the familie wherof hymselfe descended was an abhominable doer neither priuately prouided for his owne honor nor refused to enter in displeasure of all his owne kynsemen whom vndoutedly this matter grened When also he reherseth the wicked murmuryng of Aaron his owne brother and Mary his sister shall we say that he spake after the meanyng of the fleshe or rather that he wrote it obeyng the commaundement of the holy ghoste Moreouer sithe hymselfe was hyest in authoritie why did he not leaue at least the office of the hye priesthode to his owne sonnes but appointeth theim to the basest place I touche here onely a fewe thynges of many But in the lawe it selfe a man shal eche where mete with many argumentes that are able to bryng full profe to make men beleue that Moses without all question commeth from heauen as an Angel of God Nowe these so many and so notable myracles that he recompteth ar euen as many establishementes of the lawe that he deliuered and the doctrine that he published For this that he was caried in a clowde vp into the mountayne that there euen to the fortyeth daye he continued without company of menne that in the very publishing of the lawe his face dydde shyne as it were besette with sonnebeames that lightenynges flashed rounde aboute that thunders and noyses were hearde eche where in the ayre that a trompette sounded beeyng not blowen with any mouth of man that the entrie of the tabernacle by a clowde set betwene was kept frō the sight of the people that his authoritie was so miraculously reuenged with the horrible destruction of Chore Dathan and Abiron and all that wycked faction that the rocke stryken with a rodde dyd by and by powre foorth a ryuer that at his prayer it rayned Manna from heauen did not God herein commende him from heauen as an vndoubted prophet If any man obiect agaynst me that I take these thynges as confessed whiche are not out of controuersy it is easy to answer this cauillacion For seyng that Moses in opē assembly published all these thynges what place was there to fayne before those witnesses that had themselues sene the
of that boke in surueying vp and downe the frame of the worlde had honourably entreated of the woorkes of God at length he addeth Lo these be part of his waies but howe littel a portion heare we of hym Accordyng to whiche reason in an other place he maketh difference betwene the wisedom that remaineth with God and the measure of wisedome that he hath appointed for men For after he hath preached of the secretes of nature he sayth that wisedome is knowen to God onely and is hidden from the eies of all liuyng creatures But by and by after he saieth further that it is published to the ende it should be serched out because it is sayd vnto man beholde the feare of God is wisedom For this purpose maketh the sayeng of Augustine Bycause we knowe not all thynges whiche God doeth concernyng vs in moste good order that therfore in onely good wil we do accordyng to the law because his Prouidence is an vnchaungeable lawe Therefore sithe God dooth claime vnto hym selfe the power to rule the worlde whiche is to vs vnknowen let this be to vs a lawe of sobrenesse and modestie quietly to obey his soueraigne authoritie that his wyll maye be to vs the only rule of iustice and the most iust cause of all thynges I meane not that absolute will of whiche the Sophisters doo babble separatyng by wicked and prophane disagremente his iustice from his power but I meane that Prouidence whyche is the gouernesse of all thynges from whiche procedeth nothyng but right although the causes therof be hidden from vs. Whosoeuer shal be framed to this modestie they neyther for the time paste wil murmure against God for their aduersities nor lay vpon him the blame of wicked dooynges as Agamemnon in Homer dyd saying I am not the cause but Iupiter and Destenie nor yet agayn as caried awaie with Destenies they wil by desperation throwe them selues into destruction as that yong man in Plautus whiche saide Unitable is the chaunce of thynges the Destenies driue men at their pleasure I will get me to some rocke there to make an ende of my goodes and life togither Neither yet as an other did they will pretende the name of God to couer their owne mischeuous dooynges for so saith Lyconides in an other comedie God was the mouer I beleeue it was the will of the gods for if it had not ben their will I knowe it should not so come to passe But rather they will searche and learne out of the Scripture what pleaseth God that by the guiding of the Holy ghost they may trauayle to atteyne thervnto And also beyng ready to folowe God whether soeuer he calleth they shewe in dede that nothyng is more profitable then the knowledge of his doctrine Uery foolishly doo prophane men turmoile with their fondnesses so that thei in maner cōfound heauen earthe together as the saying is If God haue marked the point of our death we can not escape it then it is laboure vainely loste in takyng hede to our selues Therfore where as one man dareth not venture to go the way that he heareth to bee daungerous least he be murthered of theues an other sendeth for Phisitians and werieth himselfe with medicines to succour his life an other forbeareth grosse meates for feare of appeiryng his feble healthe an other dreadeth to dwell in a ruinous house Finally where as men deuise all waies and endeuour with all diligence of mynde wherby they may atteyne that whiche they desire either all these remedies are vaine whiche are sought as to reforme the will of God or ells life and death health and sicknesse peace and warre and other thyngs whiche men as they couete or hate them doo by their trauaile endeuour to obteyne or escape are not determined by his certain decree And further they gather that the praiers of the faithfull are disordered or at the least superfluous wherin petition is made that it will please the Lorde to prouide for those thynges whiche he hath already decreed from eternitie To be short they destroy all coūsels that men doo take for tyme to come as thynges agaynst the Prouiuidence of God whiche hath determined what he woulde haue doone without callyng them to counsell And then what soeuer is alredy hapned they so impute it to the Prouidence of God that they winke at the man whom they knowe to haue done it As hath a ruffian slaine an honest citezen he hath executed the say they the purpose of God Hathe one stollen or committed fornication because he hath doen the thyng that was forseene and ordeined by the Lorde he is a minister of his Prouidence Hath the sonne carelessely neglectyng all remedies wayted for the death of his father he coulde not resist God that had so before appointed from eternitie So all mischeuous dooynges they call vertues because they obey the ordinance of God But as touching things to come Salomon doth well bring in agrement togither the purposes of men with the Prouidence of God For as he laugheth to scorne their follye whiche boldely doo enterprise any thyng without the Lorde as though they were not ruled by his hande so in an other place he speaketh in this maner The harte of man purposeth his waie but the Lorde doeth direct his steppes meanyng that we are not hyndered by the eternall Decrees of God but that vnder his will we may both prouide for our selues and dispose all thynges belongyng to vs. And that is not without a manifest reason For he that hath limitted our life within appointed boundes hath therwithall left with vs the care thereof hath furnished vs with meanes and healpes to preserue it hath made vs to haue knowledge before hande of daungers and that they shoulde not oppresse vs vnware he hath geuen vs prouisions and remedies Nowe it is plaine to see what is our duetie that is to say If God hath committed to vs our owne lyfe to defende our duetie is to defende it If he offer vs helpes our duetie is to vse theim If he shew vs daungers before our duetie is not to runne rashly into theim If he minister vs remedies our duetie is not to neglect them But no daunger shall hurt vnlesse it be fatall which by al remedies can not be ouercome But what if daungers be therefore not fatal because God hath assigned thee remedies to repulse ouercom thē See how thy maner of reasoning agreeth with the order of Gods disposition Thou gatherest that daunger is not to bee taken heede of because forasmuch as it is not fatal we shal escape it without takyng hede at all but the Lorde doeth therfore enioyne thee to take hede of it because he will not haue it fatall vnto thee These madde men do not consyder that whiche is plaine before their eyes that the skil of taking coūsell and hede is enspired into men by God whereby they may serue his Prouidence in preseruing of their owne life as on the other
so corrupted that it needeth not onely to be healed but in manner to put on a newe nature Howe farre synne possesseth bothe the vnderstandinge mynde the hearte we wyll see hereafter Here I onely purposed shortely to touche that the whole man from the heade to the foote is so ouerwhelmed as wyth an ouerflowinge of water that no parte of hym is lâ—te from synne and that therefore what soeuer procedeth frome hym ys accompted for synne as Paule sayth that all the affections of the fleshe or thoughtes are enmities againste God and therefore deathe Nowe lette them gooe that presume to make God author of theyr sinnes bicause we say that men are naturally synful Thei do wrongfully seeke the woorke of God in their owne fylthynesse whyche they ought rather to haue sought in the nature of Adam whyle it was yet sounde and vncorrupted Therefore oure destruction commeth of the faulte of oure own fleshe not of God for asmuche as we perished by no other meane but by this that we degendred from our fyrst estaâ—e But yet let not any man here murmure say that God might haue better foreseen for oure saluation if he had prouided that Adam shold not haue fallen For this obiectioÌ„ both is to be abhorred of al godly mindes for the to muche presumptuous curiositie of it also perteineth to the secret of predestination whiche shal after be entreated of in place coÌ„uenient Wherefore let vs remembre that oure fall is to be imputed to the corruption of nature that we accuse not God himselfe the author of nature True in deede it is that the same deadely wounde sticketh fast in nature but it is muche materiall to knowe whether it came into nature from ells where or from the beginning hathe rested in it But it is euydent that the wounde was geuen by synne Therfore there is no cause why we shoulde complaine but of oure selues whiche thynge the Scripture hath dyligently noted For Ecclesiastes saieth This haue I founde that God hathe made manne righteous but thei haue soughte many inuentions It appeareth that the destructioÌ„ of man is to be imputed onely to him selfe for asmuche as hauing gotten vpryghtnesse by the goodnesse of God he by hys owne madnesse is fallen into vanitie We saye therfore that man is corrupted with faultienesse naturall but suche as proceded not from nature Wee denye that it proceded from nature to make appeare that it is rather a qualytye come from some other thynge whyche ys happened to man than a substantiall propretie that hathe ben putte into him from the begynninge Yet we call yt Naturall that no man shoulde thinke that euery man getteth it by euell custome wheras it holdeth all men bounde by inheritably descendinge righte And this we do not of oure owne heads withoute authoritie For for the same cause the Apostle teacheth that we are all by nature the chyldren of wrathe How coulde God whome all his meanest woorkes do please be wrathefull againste the noblest of all his creatures But he is rather wrathefull againste the corruption of his worke than againste his worke it selfe Therfore if for that mans nature is corrupted manne is not vnfitly saide to bee by nature abhominable to God it shal be also not vnaptely called naturally peruerse corrupted As Augustine feareth not in respecte of nature corrupted to call the synnes naturall whyche doe necessaryly reigne in ourâ— fleshe where the grace of God is absente So vanysheth away the foolyshe tryfelynge deuise of the Maniches whiche when they imagined an euellnesse hauinge substaunce in man presumed to forge for hym a newe creatour leaste they shoulde seeme to assigne to the ryghteous God the cause and begynnynge of euell The seconde Chapter That man is newe spoyled of the Freedome of wyll and made subiecte to myserable bondage SYthe we haue seen that the dominion of sinne sins the tyme that it helde the firste man bounde vnto it doothe not onely reigne in all mankinde but also wholy possesseth euerye soule nowe muste we more nerely examine sins we are broughte into that bondage whether we be spoyled of all freedome or no And yf yet there remayne any parcell howe farre the force thereof procedeth But to the ende that the trueth of this question maye more easyly appeare vnto vs I wyll by the waye sette vp a marke where vnto the whole summe maye bee dyrected And thys shal be the best waye to auoyde erroure if the daungers be considered that are lyke to fall on boothe sides For when man ys putte from all vpryghtnesse by and by he thereby taketh occasion of slouthfullnesse â—nd bicause it is saide that by hymselfe he canne dooe nothinge to the studye of righteousnesse fourth with hee neglecteth yt wholly as if yt pertained nothinge vnto hym Againe he can presume to take nothing vpon hymselfe be yt neuer so little but that bothe Gods honore shall bee thereby taken frome hym and man hymselfe bee ouerthrowen wyth rashe confydence Therfore to the ende we strike not vpon these rockes this course ys to bee kepte that man beynge enfourmed that there remaineth in hym no goodnesse and beynge on euerye syde compassed aboute wyth moste miserable necessitie may yet be taught to aspire to the goodnesse wherof he is voide and to the libertie wherof he is depriued and may be more sharpelye styrred vp from slouthfullnesse than if it were fained that he is furnished with greatest power Howe necessarye this seconde poynte is euery man seeth The fyrste I see is doubted of by moe than yt oughte to bee For this beynge sette oute of controuersye it oughte then plainely to stande for trueth that nothing is to be taken away from man of his owne so farre as it behoueth that he be throwen downe from false boastinge of him selfe For if it were not graunted to man to glorye in hymselfe euen at that time when by the bountefulnesse of God he was garnished with moste singular ornamentes howe muche oughte he nowe to be humbled sythe for his vnthankefulnes hee is thruste downe froÌ„ hye glorye into extreeme shame At that time I say when he was aduaunced to the hyghest degree of honoure the Scripture attributeth nothynge ells vnto hym but that he was created after the image of God whereby it secretly teacheth that man was blessed not by his owne good thinges but by the partakynge of God What therefore remayneth nowe but that he beyng naked and destitute of all glorye do acknoweledge God to whose liberalitie he coulde not be thankefull when he flowed full of the richesse of his grace and that nowe at length wyth confession of hys owne pouertie he glorifie hym whome in the acknoleging of his good gyftes he dyd not gloryfye Also it is as muche oure profyte that all prayse of wysedome and strengthe be taken from vs as yt pertayneth to the glorye of God that thei ioyne oure ruine with the robberie of God that geue vnto vs any thynge more than that
For though to speake properly fayth climeth vp from Christ to the father yet he meaneth that the same faith albeit it reste vpō God doth by litle and litle vanish away vnlesse he become a meane to holde it in assured stedfastnesse Otherwise the maiestie of God is to hie for mortall menne whiche crepe vpon the ground like wormes to atteine vnto it Wherefore I allowe that common sayeng that God is the obiecte of fayth but in such sorte that it nedeth correction Bycause Christ is not in vaine called the inuisible Image of God but by this title we are put in minde that yf we finde not God in Christ saluation can not be knowē vnto vs. For although among the Iewes the Scribes and Pharisees had darkened with false inuentions that which the Prophetes had spoken concernyng the Redemer yet Christ toke it for a thing confessed as receiued by common consent that there was none other remedie despered case and no other meane of deliueryng the church but by geuyng the Mediatour In deede that was not commonly knowen amonge the people as it ought to haue ben whiche Paule teacheth that Christ is the ende of the lawe But howe true and assured it is doth plainely appere by the lawe and the Prophetes I speake not yet of fayth bicause there shal be els where a more conuenient place for it Only let the reders holde this as faste stablished that the firste degree of godlinesse be to acknoweledge God to be a Father vnto vs to defende gouerne and cherishe vs till he gather vs together into the euerlastyng inheritaunce of his kingedome and that hereby it plainely appereth which we sayde euen nowe that the knowledge of God which bringeth saluation standeth not without Christ and that therefore from the beginnyng he hath ben set forth vnto al the elect that they should loke vpon him and that in him should rest al their affiance According to this meanyng writeth Ireneus that the Father whiche is vnmesurable is in his Sonne measured bycause he hath applied him selfe to the measure of our capacitie least he shuld drowne our mindes with the vnmeasurablenesse of his glory Whiche thing the phrentike men not consideryng do wrest a profitable sentence to a wicked fantasie as though there were in Christ but a portion of the godhed deriued from the whole perfection whereas it meaneth nothing els but that God is cōprehēded in Christ alone That sayeug of Iohn hath alway ben true He that hath not the Sonne neither hath he the father For though in old time many did boste that thei worshipped the soueraigne God the maker of heauen and earth yet bicause they had no Mediatour it was impossible that they should truely taste of the mercie of God and so be persuaded that he was their father Therefore bicause they knew not the head that is Christ the knowledge of God was but vayne among them wherby also it came to passe that at length falling into grosse filthy superstitions they bewrayed their owne ignorāce As at this day the Turkes although they report with ful mouth that the creatour of heauen and earth is their God yet doe they thrust an idole in place of the true God while they swarue from Christ. The seuenth Chapter ¶ That the lawe was geuen not to holde still the people in it but to nourish the hope of saluation in Christ vntill his comyng BY this continual processe that we haue rehearsed may be gathered that the lawe was added about foure hundred yeres after the death of Abraham not for this entent to leade awaye the chosen people frō Christ but rather to kepe their mindes in expectation vntill his cōmyng to kindle a desire of him to confirme them in loking for him that they should not waxe faint with long tarriance I meane by this word Law not only the ten cōmaundementes which prescribe a rule how to liue godlyly and righteously but also the forme of religiō deliuered by the hand of Moses For Moses was not made a lawgeuer to abolish the blessyng promised to the kinred of Abraham but rather we see howe euery where he putteth the Iewes in remembrance of that free couenant made with their fathers whose heires they were as if he had ben sent to renewe the same That was most plainely set forth by the ceremonies For what were more vaine and fond than for mē to offer vp lothesome stinke of the fatte of cattel to reconcile thēselues to God thereby to flee to the sprinkling of water or bloud to wash away their filthinesse Finally al the seruice of God apointed in the lawe if it be considered by it self and do not conteine shadowes and figures which the truthe should answer vnto shal be but a very morkerie Wherefore not without a cause bothe in Stephens sermon and in the Epistle to the Hebrewes is that place so diligently weyed where God cōmaundeth Moses to make all thinges perteinyng to the tabernacle according to the paterne that had ben shewed him in the moūt For if there had not ben some spiritual thing apointed that they should tend vnto the Iewes shuld no lesse haue fondly spent their labour in them than the Gentiles did in their trifles Prophane men that neuer earnestly applied the studie of godlinesse cannot without lothsome tediousnesse abide to here so many sondry fashions of vsages they not only maruell why God wearied his people with suche a heape of ceremonies but also they despise them scorne them as childrens playes And the cause is for that they consider not the ende frō which if the figures of the law be seuered they muste needes be condemned of vanitie But that same figure sheweth that God did not therefore cōmaunde sacrifices bicause he wold occupie them that worshipped him with earthly exercises but rather to raise vp their mindes hier Whiche may also plainely appere by his nature for as he is spirituall so he is delited with no other worshipping but spiritual This do the sayenges of the Prophetes testifie wherein they rebuke the Iewes of sluggishnesse for that thei thought that any sacrifices were of any value with God Is that bicause their purpose is to derogate any thing from the law No but accordyng as they were true expositours of the lawe so they would by this meane haue mens eyes directed to the marke frō which the common people strayed Now by the grace offred to the Iewes it is certainly gathered that the law was not voide of Christ. For Moses did set forth vnto them this ende of the adoption that they should become a prestly kingdome to God Whiche they coulde not obieine vnlesse there were had for the meane therof a greater and more excellent recōciliation than by the bloud of beastes For what is lesse likely than Adams children which by inheritably descendyng infection are al borne the bondslaues of sinne to be aduaunced to royal dignitie and so to become partakers of the glorie
our workes vnlesse we do embrace by faith the same goodnesse geueÌ„ vs by the Gospel then want they not their effectualnesse yea with their condition annexed For then he doth so freely geue al things vnto vs that he addeth this also to the heape of his bountifulnesse that not refusing our half ful obedience and remitting so much as it wanteth of ful performance he so maketh vs to enioy the frute of the promises of the law as if we our selues had fulfilled the coÌ„dytion But we wil at this preseÌ„t procede no further in this matter bicause it shal be more largely to be entreated of when we shal speake of the IustificatioÌ„ of faith Wheras we sayd that it is impossible to kepe the law that is in few wordes to be both expounded and proued For it is wont among the people commonly to be accompted an opinion of great absurditie so far that Hierome doubted not to pronouÌ„ce it accursed what Hierome thought I doe nothing staye vpon as for vs let vs searche what is truthe I will not here make longe circumstances of diuerse sortes of possibilities I call that impossible which both neuer had ben also is hindered by the ordinance decree of God that it neuer herafter maye be If we recorde from the farthest time of memorie I saye that there hath none of the holy meÌ„ that beyng clothed with the bodie of death hath euer atteyned to that full perfection of loue to loue God with all his heart with al his minde with al his soule with all his power Againe that there hath ben none that hath not ben troubled with concupiscence Who can saye Naye I see in deede what maner holy men foolish superstition doth imagine vnto vs euen such whose purenesse the heauenly angels do scarcely counteruaile but against bothe the Scripture profe of experience I saye also that there shall none herafter be that shall come to the marke of true perfection vnlesse he be loosed from the burden of his bodye For this point there are open testimonies of Scripture Salomon said there is not a righteous maÌ„ vpon the earth that sinneth not And Dauid sayd euery liuing manne shal not be iustified in thy sight Iob in many places affirmeth the same But Paul most plainly of all that the flesh lusteth agaynste the spirit and the Spirit against the flesh And by no other reson he proueth that all that are vnder the law are subject to the curse But bycause it is written that cursed are al they that doe not abide in al the coÌ„maundementes therof meanyng or rather taking it as a thing confessed that no man can abide in them And what soeuer is forespoke by the Scriptures that must be holden for perpetual yea necessarie With such sutteltie did the Pelagians trouble Augustine sayeng that there is wrong done to God to say that he doth coÌ„maund more thaÌ„ the faithful are able by his grace to performe Augustine to auoide their cauillation coÌ„fessed that the lord might in deede if he wold aduauÌ„ce a mortal man to the purenesse of Angels but that he neither hath done so at any time nor wil do bicause he hath otherwise affirmed in the Scriptures And that do I also not denie But I adde further that it is incoÌ„uenieÌ„t to dispute of his power against his truthe and that therfore this sentence is not subiect to cauillations if a man should saye that that thing is impossible to be wherof the Scriptures do pronounce that it shal not be But if thei dispute of the word when the Disciples asked the lord who may be saued he answered with men in deede it is impossible but with God al things are possible Also Augustine with a most stroÌ„g reason stiffly defendeth that in this flesh we neuer yelde to God the due loue that we owe him Loue saith he so foloweth knowledge that no man can perfectly loue God but he that hath first fully knoweÌ„ his goodnesse We while we waÌ„der in this world see by a glasse and in a darke speach it foloweth therfore that our loue is vnperfect Let this therefore remaine out of controuersie that in this flesh it is impossible to fulfil the law if we behold the weakenesse of our owne nature as it shal yet also in an other place be proued by Paule But that the whole mater may be more plainly set forth let vs in a compendious order gather vp together the office and vse of the lawe which they cal Morall Now as far as I vnderstand it is coÌ„teined in these three partes The first is that while it sheweth to euery man the righteousnesse of God the is the righteousnesse which only is acceptable to God it admonish certifie proue gilty yea condemne euery maÌ„ of his owne vnrightousnesse For so is it nedeful that man blinded dronke with loue of himself be driuen both to the knowledge the confession of his own weakenesse vncleannesse for asmuch as if his vanitie be not euidently conuinced he swelleth with mad affiance of his owne strength can neuer be brought to think of the scleÌ„dernesse therof so long as he measureth it by the proportion of his owne wil. But so sone as he beginneth to coÌ„pare his streÌ„gth to the hardnesse of the lawe there he findeth matter to abate his courage For how so euer he before conceiued a great opinion of it yet by and by he feleth it to pante vnder so great a burden then to shake folter at laste euen to fall downe and faint So being taught by the scholing of the lawe he putteth of that arrogaÌ„cie wherwith before he was blinded Likewise he is to be healed of an other disease of pride wherof we haue said that he is sick So long as he is suffred to stand to his own iudgemeÌ„t he deuiseth Hypoâ—â—iâ—e in stede of rightousnesse wherwith beyng coÌ„teÌ„ted he riseth vp in courage by I whote not what forged rightousnesses against the grace of God But so soue as he is coÌ„pelled to trie his life by the balaunce of the law theÌ„ leauing the presumption of that counterfait righteousnesse he seeth himself to be an infinite space distaÌ„t froÌ„ holinesse againe that he floweth full of infinite vices wherof before he seemed cleane For the euels of luste are hidden in so deepe and crooked priuie corners that they easily deceiue the sighte of man And not withoute cause the Apostle saith that he knew not luste except the lawe had saide Thou shalte not luste bicause except it be by the lawe disclosed out of her lurking holes it destroyeth miserable manne so secretly that he feeleth not the deadly darte thereof So the lawe is like a certaine lookinge glasse wherein we beholde fyrste oure weakenesse by that oure wickednesse laste of all by them boothe oure accursednesse euen as a glasse representeth vnto vs the spottes of our face For when power fayleth man to folowe righteousnesse then
to the puttinge awaye of them The eyghte Chapter An exposition of the Morall lawe HEre I thinke it shall not bee from the purpose to enterlace the ten Commaundementes of the lawe wyth a shorte exposition of them bycause thereby both that shall better appeare which I haue touched that the same keping of them whiche God hathe ones appoynted remaineth yet in force and then also we shall haue besides that a profe of the seconde poynte that the Iewes dyd not onely learne by it what was the true force of godlines but also by the terroure of the iudgement syth thei sawe theÌ„ selues vnable to keepe it they were compelled whether they woulde or no to be drawen to the Mediatore Nowe in the setting forth the suÌ„me of thofe thinges that are requyred in the true knowledge of God wee haue already taught that we can not conceyue hym accordynge to hys greatnesse butte that by and by his maiestie presenteth it selfe vnto vs to binde vs to the worship of him In the knowledge of our selues we haue set this for the chiefe pointe that beynge voyde of the opinion of oure owne strength and cleane stripped of the truste of our owne righteousnesse and on the other side discouraged and beaten downe wyth conscience of our owne needynesse we shoulde learne perfect humilitie and abacement of oure selues The Lorde setteth fourth bothe these poyntes in his lawe where firste chalenging to himselfe due power to gouerne hee calleth vs to the reuerence of hys diuine maiestie and appoynteth oute vnto vs wherein it standeth and consisteth then publyshyng a rule of his righteousnesse againste the righteousnesse where of oure nature as yt ys peruerse croked doth alway striue beneth the perfectioÌ„ wherof our power as of it selfe it is weake feble to do good lieth a great way bylowe he reproueth vs both of weakenesse and vnrighteousnesse Moreouer that inwarde lawe whyche we haue beforesaide to bee grauen and as it were imprinted in the heartes of all men doth after a certaine manner enforme vs of the same thinges that are to be learned of the two tables For oure conscience doth not suffer vs to stepe a perpetuall slepe withoute feelynge but that it inwardly is a wytnesse and admonysher of those thynges that we owe to God and layeth before vs the difference of good and euell and so accuseth vs when we swarue from oure dutie But manne beinge wrapped in such darkenesse of erroures as he is scarse euen sclenderly tasteth by that lawe of nature what worship pleaseth God but truly he is very farre distante from the righte knoweledge thereof Byside that hee is so swollen with arrogancie and ambition so blinded with selfeloue that he can not yet loke vpon and as it wer descende into himself to learne to submitte and humble himselfe and confesse his owne myserie Therfore as it was necessarie bothe for oure dulnesse and stubbornesse the Lorde hathe set vs a lawe wrytten whyche shoulde bothe more certainely testifie that whyche in the lawe naturall was to obscure and also shoulde shake awaye oure drousenesse and more liuely touche oure mynde and remembrance Nowe it is easye to vnderstande what is to be learned of the lawe that is that as God is oure creatoure so of ryght he hathe the place of oure father and Lorde and that by thys reason we owe to him glorie reuerence loue feare Yea and also that we are not at oure owne lyberty to folowe whether soeuer the luste of oure minde doth moue vs but that we oughte to hange vpon hys backe and to reste onely vpon that whyche pleaseth hym Then we learne that he deliteth in ryghteousnesse and vpryghtnesse that he abhorreth wyckednesse and therfore that vnlesse we wyll wyth wycked vnthankfullnesse fall awaye from oure creatoure wee muste necessarily obserne ryghteousnesse all oure life longe For if then onely we yelde vnto him the reuerence that we owe when we preferre his will before oure owne it foloweth that there is no other due worship of him but the obseruation of righteousnesse holynesse and cleannesse Neither maye we pretende this excuse that wee wante power and lyke wasted detters be not able to paye For it is not conueniente that wee shoulde measure the glorye of God by oure owne power for whatsoeuer we bee he alwaye abydeth lyke to hym selfe a louer of ryghteousnesse a hater of wickedesse Whatsoeuer he requyreth of vs bycause he caâ—ne requyre nothynge butte that whyche is ryghte by bonde of nature we muste of necessitie obey but that we are not able is oure owne faulte For if we be holden bounde of oure owne luste wherein sinne reighneth so that we are not loose at libertie to obey oure father there is no cause why we shoulde allege necessitie for oure defense the euell whereof is bothe within vs and to be imputed vnto oure selues When we haue thus farre profited by the teaching of the lawe then muste we by the teachinge of the same lawe also descend vnto ourselues whereby at lengthe we may carry away two thynges The firste is by comparing the righteousnesse of the law with our life to learne that we are farr of from being able to satisfie the will of God that therfore we are not worthy to haue place among his creatoures much lesse to be reckned among his children The second is in considering oure strength to learn that it is not onli insufficieÌ„t to fulfil the law but also vtterli none at al. Hervpon foloweth bothe a distruste of oure owne strength a care and fearefullnesse of mynde For conscience canne not beare the burden of iniquitie but that by and by the iudgement of God is present before it and the iudgemente of God canne not bee felte butte that it stryketh into vs a dreadefull horroure of deathe And lykewise beynge constrained wyth proues of her owne weakenesse it canne not choose butte by and by fall into despere of her owne strength Both these affections do engendre humilitie and abatemente of courage So at lengthe it commeth to passe that man made afrayde wyth felinge of eternall death which he seeth to hange ouer him by the deseruinge of his own vnrighteousnesse turneth hym selfe to the onely mercy of God as to the onely hauen of saluation that feelynge that it is not in hys power to paye that he oweth vnto the lawe desperinge in hym selfe hee maye take breathe againe and beginne to craue and looke for helpe from els where Butte the Lorde not contented to haue procured a reuerence of hys righteousnesse hathe also added promyses and threatnynges to fyll oure heartes wyth loue of hym and wyth hatred of wyckednesse For bicause oure mynde is to blynde to be moued with the onely beautie of goodnesse it pleased the mooste mercyfull Father of hys tendre kyndnesse to allure vs wyth sweetenesse of rewardes to loue and longe for hym He pronounceth therefore that wyth hym are rewardes layed vp for vertue and that hee shall not spende
when euell thinges are forbidden the contrarie dueties are commaunded It is an vniuersall opinion that vertues are commended when the contrarie vices are condemned But we require somwhat more than those formes of speache do signifie commonly amonge the people For thei for the moste part take the vertue contrary to any vice to be the absteining from the same vice we say that it procedeth farther that is to contrarie duties doinges Therfore in this commaundement Thou shalt not kyll the common sense of men will consider nothing ells but that we must absteine from all hurt doing or lust to do hurte I say that there is further conteined that we shold by all the helpes that we may succoure the life of oure neigheboure And leaste I speake without a reason I proue it thus God forbiddeth that our brother be hurte or missused bicause he willeth that our neighebours life be deare precious vnto vs he doth therfore require withall those dueties of loue that may be done by vs for the preseruatiō of it And so may we see how the ende of the cōmaundement doth alwai disclose vnto vs al that we are therin cōmaunded or forbiddē to do But why God in suche as it were halfe commaundements hath by figures rather secretli signified than expressed what his wil was wher as ther are wonte to be many reasons rendred thereof this one reason pleaseth me aboue the rest Bicause the flesh alway endeuoreth to extenuate the fylthinesse of sinne to coloure it with faire pretenses sauinge where it is euen palpable for grossenesse he hathe set forthe for an example in euery kinde of offence that whiche was moste wicked and abhominable at the hearinge whereof oure very senses might be moued with horroure therby to emprinte in oure myndes a more haynous detesting of euery sorte of sinne This manie times deceiueth vs in weyinge of vices that if thei be any thinge secret we make them seme small These deceites the Lorde dothe disclose when hee accustometh vs to referre al the whole multitude of vices to these principall heads which do best of all shewe how muche euery kinde is abhominable As for example wrathe and hatred are not thoughte so heynous euells when thei are called by their owne names but when they are forbidden vs vnder the name of man slaughter we better vnderstande how abhominable they are before God by whose worde they are set in the degree of so horrible an offence and we moued by his iudgement do accustome oure selues better to weye the haynousenesse of those faultes that before seemed but lyghte vnto vs. Thyrdely is to be consydered what meaneth the dyuidynge of the lawe of God into twoo tables whereof all wisemen wyll iudge that there is somtime mention made not vnfitly from the purpose nor with oute cause And we haue a cause ready that dothe not suffer vs to remaine in doubte of this matter For God so diuided his lawe into two◠partes in whiche is conteined the whole righteousnesse that he hath assigned the fyrste to the dueties of religion that do peculiarly pertaine to the worshipinge of his Godheade the other to the dueties of Charitie whiche belonge vnto men The first foundation of righteousnesse is the worship of God whiche beinge ones ouerthrowen all the other membres of righteousenesse are torne in sunder and dissolued like to the partes of a house vnioynted and fallen downe For what manner of righteousnesse wylte thowe call yt that thou vexest not men wyth robberye and extorcious if in the meane time by wicked sacrilege thou spoylest Gods maiestie of his glorie that thou defilest not thy bodye with fornication if with thy blasphemies thou prophanely abuse the sacred name of God that thou murtherest no man if thou trauaile to destroye and extinguishe the memorie of God Wherefore righteousenesse is vainely bosted of without religion and maketh no better shew than if a mangeled bodye with the heade cutte of shoulde be broughte fourth for a beautifull syghte And religion is not onely the principall part of righteousnesse but also the very soule wherwith it breatheth and is quickened for men keepe not equitie and loue amonge them selues without the feare of God Therfore we saye that the worshipe of God is the beginning and foundation of righteousenesse bicause when it is taken awaie al the equitie continence and temperance that men vse amonge them selues is vaine and tryflinge before God We saye also that it is the springe heade and liuely breathe of righteousnesse bicause hereby men do learne to lyue among them selues temperately and wythoute hurte doynge one to an other if they reuerence God as the iudge of right and wrong Wherefore in the first table he instructeth vs to godlinesse and the propre duties of religion wherwith his maiestie is to be worshipped in the other he prescribeth home for the feares sake of his name we ought to behaue our selues in the felowship of men And for this reason our Lord as the Euāgelistes reherse it did in a summe gather the whole law into two principall pointes the one that we should loue God with al our heart with al our soule with all our strength the other that we loue our neighbour as our selues Thus thou seest how of the two partes wherein he concludeth the whole lawe he directeth the one toward God and apointeth the other toward men But although the whole law be cōteined in two principal pointes yet to the ende to take away al pretense of excuse it pleased our God to declare in the ten commaundementes more largely and plainly al thinges that belong both to the honour feare and loue of himself and also to that charitie whiche he cōmaundeth vs to beare to men for his sake And thy studie is not ill spent to knowe the diuision of the commaundementes so that thou remember that it is such a matter wherin euery man ought to haue his iudgement free for whiche we ought not contentiously to striue with him that thinketh otherwise But we must needes touche this point least the readers shoulde eyther scorne or maruell at the diuision that we shall vse as newe and lately deuised That the law is diuided in ten wordes bicause it is oft approued by the authoritie of God himselfe it is out of controuersie wherefore there is no doubt of the number but of the manner of diuiding They that so diuide them that thei geue three cōmaundementes to the first table and put other .vij. into the second do wipe out of the number the cōmaundement concernyng images or at least they hide it vnder the first whereas without doubt it is seuerally set by the Lord for a commaundement and the tenth commaundement of not couetyng the thinges of his neighbour they do sendly teare into two Biside that it shal by and by be done to vnderstande that suche manner of diuidyng was vnknowen in the purer age Other do reckē as we do fower seuerall cōmaundementes in the first table but in
vnto him And we least we should thinke that the same nothyng belongeth to vs ought to consider that the bondage of Egypt is a figure of the spiritual captiuitie wherin we are al holden bound vntil our heueÌ„ly deliuerer do make vs free by the power of his arme conuey vs into the kingdome of libertie As therfore when in the olde time he minded to gather together the Israelites that were scattered abrode to the worshipping of his name he deliuered them out of the intolerable dominion of Pharao wherewith thei were oppressed so al those to whoÌ„ at this daye he professeth him self a God he doth nowe deliuer from the deadly power of the Deuell whyche was in a shadowe signified by that corpâ—ral bondage Wherefore there is no man but his minde ought to be inflamed to harken to the lawe whyche he heareth to haue proceded from the soueraigne king From whome as al thinges take their beginnynge so is it mete that they haue also their ende appointed and directed to him There is no manne I saye but he ought to bee rauished to embrace the lawemaker to the kepynge of whose commaundementes he is taught that he is peculiarly chosen from whose bountie he loketh bothe for flowynge store of all good thinges and also the glory of immortall life by whose maruellous power and mercie he knoweth himself to be deliuered out of the iawes of death After that he hath grounded and stablished the authoritie of his lawe he setteth forth that first coÌ„maundement That we haue no strauÌ„g Gods before him The end of this commaundement is that God wil only haue preeminencie wholly enioy his owne authoritie amoÌ„g his people And that it maye so be he coÌ„maundeth that there be farre froÌ„ vs all vngodlinesse superstitioÌ„ wherby the glory of his godhed is either diminished or obscured and by the same reason he coÌ„maundeth that we worship and honour him with true endeuour of godlinesse And the very simplicitie of the wordes themselues do in a manner expresse the same For we can not haue God but we muste also comprehended therein al thinges that properly belong to him Whereas therfore he forbiddeth vs to haue other Gods he meaneth thereby that we should not geue awaye els where that whiche is propre to him For although the thinges that we owe vnto God be innumerable yet not vnfitly they may be brought vnto fower principall pointes AdoratioÌ„ wherunto as a thing hanging vpon it is adioyned spiritual obedience of coÌ„science Affiance Inuocation Thankesgeuing Adoration I cal the reuerence worship whiche euery one of vs yeldeth vnto him when he submitteth himself vnto his greatnesse wherfore I do not without cause make this a part therof that we yeld our consciences in subiection to his lawe Affiance is an assurednesse of restyng in him by reknowleging of his powers wheÌ„ reposing al wisedome righteousnesse power truthe goodnesse in him we thinke our selues blessed with only partakyng of him InuocatioÌ„ is a resortyng of our minde to his faith and help as to our only succour so oft as any necessitie presseth vs. Thankesgeuyng is a certayne thankefulnesse whereby the prayse of all good thinges is geuen vnto him Of these as God suffreth nothyng to be conueyed awaye els where so he commaunded all to be wholly geuen to him self Neither shall if be enough to absteyme from hauyng any straunge God vnlesse thou restrayne thy self in this that many wicked contemners ar wonte which thinke the rediest way to scorne all religions but true religion muste goe before whereby our mindes may be directed to the liuyng God with knowledge whereof they beyng endued maye aspire to reuerence feare and worshyp his maiestie to embrace the communicatyng of all his good thinges euery where to seke for his helpe to reknowledge and aduaunce with coÌ„fession of prayse the magnificence of his workes as to the only marke in al the doynges of our life Then that we beware of peruerse superstition whereby our mindes swaruyng from the true God are draweÌ„ hether and thether as it were vnto diuerse gods Wherefore if we be contented with one God let vs call to remembrance that whiche is beforesayd that all forged gods are to be dryuen farre awaye and that the worship is not to be torne in sonder whiche he alone claymeth to himself For it is not lawfull to take awaye any thing froÌ„ his glorie be it neuer so litle but that all thinges that belong to him may wholly remayne with him The percell of sentence that foloweth Before my face encreaseth the hainousnesse for that God is prouoked to ialousie so oft as we thrust our owne inueÌ„tions in his place as if an vnchaste wonlan by bringyng in an adulterer openly before her husbaÌ„des eyes should the more vexe his minde Therefore when God testified that with his present power and grace he loked vpoÌ„ the people that he had chosen the more to fray them from the wicked act of falling from him he geueth them warnyng that there can be no new gods brought in but that he is witnesse and beholder of their sacrilege For this boldenesse is encreased with much wickednesse that man thinketh that in his fleynges away he can begile the eyes of God On the other side God cryeth out that what so euer we purpose what so euer we goe about what so euer we practise it cometh in his sight Let therefore our conscience be cleane euen from the most secret thoughtes of swaruyng from him if we will haue our religion to please the Lord. For he requireth to haue the glory of his godhed whole and vncorrupted not only in outward confession but also in his eyes whiche do behold the most secret corners of heartes The Second Commaundement Thou shalt not make to thee any grauen image nor any similitude of those thinges that are in heaueÌ„ aboue or in earth beneth or in the waters vnder the earth Thou shalt not worship them nor serue them As in the first coÌ„maundement he pronouÌ„ced that he is the one God byside whom there are no others gods to be deuised or had â–ª so now he more openly declareth what maner of God he is with what kinde of worship he is to be honored that we maye not presume to forge any carnal thing for him The ende therefore of this commaundement is that he will not haue the lawefull worship of him to be prophaned with superstitious vsages Wherfore in summe he calleth and draweth vs away from the carnal obseruations which our foolish minde is wont to inuent when it conceiueth God accordyng to her owne grosnesse And therefore he frameth vs to the lawful worship of him that is the spirituall worship and which is apointed by him He speaketh of the grossest faulte that is in this offense namely outward idolatrie And there be two partes of this commauÌ„dement The first restrayneth our libertie that we doe not presume to make subiect to our senses or by any forme to represent God
Wherfore we must fetche the exposition of it farther of And as I think I haue marked yâ— there are three causes to be coÌ„sidered wherupoÌ„ this coÌ„maundement consisteth For first the heauenly lawmaker meant vnder the rest of the seuenth daye to set out in figure to the people of Israel the spirituall rest whereby the faithfull ought to â—esse from their owne workes that they might suffer God to worke in them Secondarily his wil was to haue one apointed daye wherein they should mere together to heare the lawe and execute the ceremonies or at leest bestowe it peculiarly to the meditation of his workes that by such callyng to remembrance they might be exercised to godlinesse Thirdly he thought good to haue a day of rest graunted to seruants and such as liued vnder the gouernement of other wherin theâ— might haue some cessyng from their labour But we are many wayes taught that the same shadoweng of the spiritual rest was the principal point in the Sabbat For yâ— Lorde required the keping of no coÌ„mauÌ„dement in a maner more seuerely than this when his meaning is in the Prophetes to declare that al religioÌ„ is ouerthrowen then he coÌ„plaineth that his Sabbates are polluted defiled not kept not sanctified as though that pece of seruice beyng omitted there remained no more wherin he might be honored He did set forth the obseruing therof with hie praises For whiche cause the faithful did among other oracles maruelously esteme the reuelyng of the Sabbat For in Nehemiah thus spake the Leuites in a solemne coÌ„uocation Thou hast shewed to our fathers thy holy Sabbat hast geuen them the coÌ„maundementes the ceremonies the law by the hand of Moses You see howe it is had in singular estimation among al the coÌ„maundementes of the law All whiche thinges do serue to set forth the dignitie of the misterie which is very wel expressed by Moses and Ezechiel Thus you haue in Exodus See that ye kepe my Sabbat day bicause it is a token betwene me you in your generations that you maye know that I am the Lord that sanctifie you kepe my Sabbat for it is holy vnto you Let the children of Israell kepe the Sabbat and celebrate it in their generations it is an euerlastyng couenaÌ„t betwene me the children of Israel and a perpetual token Yet Ezechiel speaketh more at large But the summe therof cometh to this effect that it is for a token wherby Israell should knowe that God is their sanctifier If our sanctification be the mortifiyng of our owne will then appereth a most apt relation of the outward signe with the inward thing it self we must altogether rest that God may worke in vs we must depart from our owne wil we must resigne vp our heart we must banish all lustes of the â—â—esh Finally we muste cesse from all the doynges of our owne witte that we maye haue God workyng in vs that we maye reste in him as the Apostle also teacheth This perpetual cessyng was represented to the Iewes by the kepyng of one daye among seuen whiche daye to make it be obserued with greater deuotion the Lord commaunded with his owne exaÌ„ple For it auaileth not a litle to stirre vp mans endeuour that he maye know that he tendeth to the folowyng of his creatour If any man searche for a secret signification in the number of seuen For asmuch as that nomber is in the Scripture the nomber of perfection it was not without cause chosen to signifie euerlastyng continuance Wherwith this also agreeth that Moses in the day that he declared that the Lord did rest from his workes maketh an ende of describyng the succeding of dayes nightes There maye be also brought an other probable note of the number that the Lord thereby meant to shewe that the Sabbat should neuer 〈◊〉 perfectly ended til it came to the last day For in it we beginne our blessed rest in it we doe dayly procede in profityng more and more But bicause we haue still a continuall warre with the flesh it shall not be ended vntill that sayeng of Esaye be fulfilled concernyng the continuyng of newe Moone with newe moone of Sabbat with Sabbat euen theâ— when God shal be all in all It may seme therfore that the Lord hath by the .vij. day set forth to his people the perfection to come of his Sabbat at the laste daye that our whole lite might by coÌ„tinuall meditation of the Sabbat aspire to this perfection If any man mislyke this obseruation of the number as a matter to curious I am not agaynst him â–ª but that he maye more simply take it that the Lorde ordeyned one certaine day wherein his people might vnder the scholyng of the lawe bee exercised to the continuall meditation of the spirituall reste And that he assigned the seuenth daye eyther bycause he thought it sufficient or that by settynge forth the likenâ—â—se of his owne example he might the better moue the people to kepe it or at leaste to put them in mynde that the Sabbat tended to no other ende but that they should become like vnto their Creatour For it maketh small matter so that the misterie remayne whiche is therein principally set forth concernynge the perpetuall reste of ouâ— workes To consideration whereof the Prophetes did nowe and thâ—â— call backe the Iewes that they shoulde not thynke themselues 〈◊〉 charged by carnall takyng of their rest Bysâ—de the places alredy â—â—leged you haue thus in Esaye If thou turne awaye thy â—oote from the Sabbat that thou doe not thine owne will in my holy daye and shalt call the Sabbat delicate and holy of the glorious Lorde and shalt glorifie him while thou doest not thyne owne wayes and sekâ—st not thine owne will to speake the worde then shalt thou be deâ—â—ted in the Lord c. But it is no doubte that by the commyng of our Lord Christ so muche as was ceremoniall herein was abrugate For he is the truthe by whose presence all figures do vanish awaye he is the bodie of sight whereof the shadowes are leite He I sâ—ye is the â—rue fulfillyng of the Sabbat we beyng buryed with hym by â—â—ptiâ—me are grafted into the felowship of his death that we beyng made partakers of the resurrection we maye walke in newnesse oâ— life Therfore in an other place the Apostle writeth that the Sabbat was a shadowe of a thing to come and that the true bodie that is to saye the perfect substance of truthe is in Christ whiche in the same place he hath well declared That is not coÌ„teyned in one day but in the whole course of our life vntill that we beyng vtterly dead to our selues be filled with the life of God Therefore superstitious obseruing of daies ought to be far from Christians But for asmuche as the two later causes ought not to be reckened among the olde shadowes but doe belong a like to all ages sins the Sabbat is abrogate
tus which wheÌ„ he goeth about or at least faineth that he goeth about to extoll the greatnesse of the grace of Christ vtterly abolissheth the promises as if they were ended together with the lawe He layeth for him that by the fayth of the Gospell there is brought vnto vs the accomplishment of all the promises as though there were no difference betwene vs and Christ. I did in deede euen nowe declare that Christ left nothyng vnperformed of the whole summe of our saluatioÌ„ but it is wrongfully gathered thereupon that we do alredy enioye the benefites purchaced by him as though that sayeng of Paule were false that our saluation is hidde in hope I graunt in deede that we by beleuyng in Christ do also passe froÌ„ death to life But in the meane season we muste holde this sayeng of Iohn that although we knowe we be the children of God yet it hath not as yet appered till we shal be like vnto him that is till we shall see him suche as he is Therefore although Christ offer vnto vs in his Gospell present fulnesse of spirituall good thinges yet the enioyeng thereof lieth still hidde vnder the kepyng of hope till beyng vnclothed of the corruptible fleshe we be transfigured into the glorie of him that goeth before vs. In the meane time the holy ghoste biddeth vs to reste vpon the promises whose authoritie ought with vs to put to sileÌ„ce all the barkinges of that filthy dogge For as Paule witnesseth godlynesse hath a promise as well of the life to come as of the life present For which reason he boasteth that he is an Apostle of Christ accordynge to the promise of life that is in him And in an other place he putteth vs in minde that we haue the same promises whiche in the olde time were geuen to the holy men Finally he setteth this for the summe of felicitie that we are sealed vp with the holy spirit of promise but yet we do no otherwise enioye Christe but so farre as we embrace him clothed with his promises Whereby it cometh to passe that he in dede dwelleth in our heartes and yet we wander in yourney abrode from him bicause we walke by fayth and not by sight And these two thinges do not ill agree together that we possesse in Christ all that perteineth to the perfection of the heauenly life and yet that faith is a beholdyng of good thinges that are not seene Only there is a difference to be noted in the nature or qualitie of the promises bicause the Gospell sheweth with her finger that thing which the lawe did shadow vnder figures And hereby also is their errour conuinced whiche do neuer otherwise compare the lawe with the Gospell but as they compare the merites of workes with the free imputation of righteousnesse Although in deede this comparison of contraries be not to be reiected bycause Paule doth oftentimes vnderstand by the name of the lawe a rule to liue righteously wherin God requireth of vs that whiche is his not geuing vs any hope of life vnlesse we in al pointes obeye it on the other side adding a curse if we do neuer so litle swarme froÌ„ it that is in such places as he disputeth that we do freely please God are by pardon reckened righteous bicause the obseruation of the law wherunto the reward is promised is no where found Therfore Paule doth fitly make the righteousnesse of the law of the gospel contrarie the one to the other But the gospell did not so succede in place of that whole lawe that it shoulde brynge any diuerse meane of saluation but rather to confirme and proue to be of force what so euer the law had promised and to ioyne the body to the shadowes For when Christ sayth that the lawe and the Prophetes were vntill Iohn he maketh not the fathers subiect to the curse whiche the bound seruantes of the lawe can not escape but rather only that they were instructed with certayne â—udimentes so as they stayed a great way beneath the heygheth of the doctrine of the Gospell Therefore Paule callyng the Gospell the power of God to saluation to euery beleuer by and by addeth that it hath witnesse of the lawe and the Prophetes But in the ende of the same Epistle although he shew that the litle of praise of Iesus Christ is the reuelation of the misterie kepte secret in euerlastyng times yet he doth qualifye that sayeng with adding an expositioÌ„ teachyng that he is openly shewed by the writynges of the Prophetes Wherupon we gather that when we are to entreate of the whole lawe the Gospell differeth from the lawe only in respecte of the playne disclosyng thereof But yet for the inestimable flowyng store of grace whiche hath ben layed open for vs in Christ it is not without cause sayde that at his commyng the heauenly kingdome of God was erected in earth Nowe betwene the lawe and the Gospell came Iohn whiche had an osfice that was meane and of affinitie to them bothe For though when he called Christ the lambe of God and the sacrifice for the cleansyng of sinnes he shewed forth the summe of the Gospell yet bicause he dyd not expresse that same incomparable streÌ„gth and glorie which at length appered in his resurrection therefore Christ sayeth that he was not egal to the Apostles For so do those wordes of his meane yâ— though Iohn excell amonge the sonnes of womeÌ„ yet he that is least in the kingdome of heauen is greater than he Bicause he doeth not there commend the persones of men but after he had preferred Iohn before all the Prophetes he auaunceth the preachyng of the Gospell to the hiest degree whiche preachyng we see in an other place signified by the kyngdome of heauen But whereas Iohn himselfe dothe answere that he is but a voice as though he were inferiour to the prophetes he dothe not that for fayned humilities sake but meaneth to teache that the propre office of the Embassadour was not committed to him but that he only executeth the office of an apparitor as it was forespoken by Malachie Beholde I sende Elias the prophet before that the great and terrible daye of the Lorde doe come And truely he dyd nothing els in the whole course of his ministerie but endeuour to get disciples to Christ as also Esaye proueth that this was enioyned hym from God And in this sense Christ is called a candell burnyng and shinyng bycause the broade daye had not yet appered And yet this is no let but that he maye be reckened among the publishers of the Gospell like as he vsed the same Baptisme whiche was afterwarde deliuered to the Apostles But that whyche he beganne was not fulfilled but by the Apostles with free procedynge after that Christ was taken vp from them into the heauenly glorie The. x. Chapter ¶ Of the likenesse of the olde and newe Testamenâ— BY the thinges aforesaide it may now appere euideÌ„tly that all
haue desired to see the thinges that ye see and haue not seen them and to heare the thynges that ye heare and haue not hearde them Therefore blessed are your eyes bicause they see and your eares bicause they heare And truely it was meete that the presence of Christ sholde haue this excellencye of prerogatiue that from it shoulde arise the clere reuelinge of the heauenly mysteries And for this purpose also maketh that which euen we nowe alleaged out of the firste epistle of Peter that yt was opened to them that their trauaile was profitable principally for oure age Nowe I come to the thirde dyfference whiche is taken oute of Ieremie whose woordes are these Beholde the dayes shall come saithe the Lorde and I wyll make a newe couenant with the house of Israel and the house of Iuda not accordinge to the couenant that I made wyth your Fathers in the daye when I toke them by the hand to leade them oute of the launde of Egypt the couenant that thei made voyde althoughe I ruled ouer them But thys shall be the couenant that I will make with the house of Israel I wyl put my lawe in theyr bowelles and I wyll wryte it in their heartes and I will be mercifull to their iniquitie And no man shall teache hys neighboure and no man his brother For they shall al knowe me from the leaste vnto the moste Of whyche wordes the Apostle tooke occasion to make thys comparison betweene the lawe and the Gospell that hee called the lawe a literall and Gospel a spiritual doctrine the lawe he sayde was fashioned oute in Tables of stone the Gospell wrytten in heartes that the lawe was the preachinge of deathe the Gospell the preachinge of lyfe the lawe the preachinge of damnation the Gospel the preachinge of righteousnesse that the lawe is made voyde that the Gospell abydeth Sithe the Apostles purpose was butte to declare the meanynge of the Prophete it shall bee suffycient that wee weye the woordes of one of them to atteyne the meanynge of them bothe All bee it there is some vnlyâ—enesse betweene them For the Apostle speaketh more odiouslye of the lawe than the Prophete dothe and that not in symple respecte of the â—â—we but bycause there were certayne naughty menne hauinge a wronge zeale to the lawe whyche did with peruerse loue of the ceremonies obscure the brightnesse of the Gospel He disputeth of the nature of the lawe accordinge to their erroure foolish affection Therefore it shall be good to note that peculiarly in Paule But both of them bycause they do by comparison sette the olde and the newe testament the one against the other do consider nothing in the law but that whiche proprely belongeth vnto it As for example The lawe dothe commonly in euery place containe promises of mercie but bycause they are borowed from ells where therfore they are not reckened as part of the lawe when the mere nature of the lawe is spoken of The onely thing they ascribe vnto it to commaunde thinges that are right to forbidde wicked doynges to promyse reward to the folowers of righteousnesse to threaten punishmente to the transgressors but in the meane time neither to change nor amende the peruersenesse of heart yâ— is naturally in all men Nowe let vs expounde the Apostles comparison one peece after an other The olde testament is literall bicause it was published without the effectuall workinge of the spirit The newe is spiritual whyche the Lorde hathe spiritually grauen in the heartes of men Therefore the seconde diuersitie is as it were a declaration of the fyrste The olde is deadly bicause it can do nothinge but wrappe all mankinde within the curse The newe is the instrumente of lyfe bycause it deliuereth from curse and restoreth into fauoure with God The olde is the ministerie of damnation bycause it condemneth all Adams children of vnrighteousnesse The newe is the ministerie of ryghteousnesse bicause it reueâ—eth the mercie of God by whyche we are made ryghteous The last diuersitie is to be referred to the ceremonies Bycause the olde testament had an â—mage of thynges absent it behoued that it shoulde in tyme deâ—aye and vanyshe away but the Gospell bycause it geueth the true bodye in deede kepeth styll a fyrme and perpetuall stedfastâ—esse Ieremie in dede calleth euen the morall lawes a weake and fraile couenant but that is for an other reason bycause by the sodeine fallynge away of the vnthankfull people it was by and by broken but forasmuche as suche breakynge of it was the faulte of the people it can not proprely be layed vpon the testamente But the ceremonies forasmuche as by theyr owne weakenesse were dissolued by the comminge of Christe had the cause of their weakenesse within them selues Nowe that dyfference of the letter and spirite is not so to be taken as thoughe the Lorde hadde geuen his lawes to the Iewes wythout any frute at all hauyng none of them conuerted vnto hym But it is spoken by waye of comparison to aduaunce the abundance of grace wherewyth the same lawemaker as it were puttinge on a newe personage did honorably sette forth the preachinge of the Gospell For yf wee recken vp the multitude of these whome the Lorde oute of al peoples hath by the preaching of the Gospell regenerate wyth hys spirite and gathered into the communion of his Churche we shall saye that there were very fewe or in a manner none in the olde time in Israell that wyth affection of mynde and entirely from their heart embraced the couenant of the Lorde whoe yet were very many yf they bee reckened in theyr owne numbre wythoute comparison Out of the third difference riseth the fourth For the Scripture calleth the old testament the testament of bondage for that it ingendreth feare in mens myndes but the newe testament the testament of libertie bycause it rayseth them vp to confydence and assurednesse So sayth Paule in the eyght to the Romames Ye haue not receyued the spirit of bondage agayne to feare but the spirite of adoption by whiche we crie Abba father â–ª Hervnto serueth that in the epistle to the Hebrues that the faithefull are not nowe come to the bodyly mount and to kind led fyre an whirlewinde darkenesse and tempest where nothing can be heard or seen but that striketh menns mindes with terrore in so much that Moses hym selfe quaked for feare when the terryble voyce sounded whyche they all besoughte that they myghte not heare Butte that wee are come to the Mounte Syon and the Cytye of the syâ—ynge God the heauenly Hierusalem Butte that whyche Paule shortly toucheth in the sentence that we haue alleged out of the epistle to the Romaines he setteth out more largely in the Epistle to the Galatians when he maketh an allegoâ—â—e of the twoo sonnes of Abraham after this manner that Agar the bondwoman is a fygure of the mount Sinai where the people of Israel receiued the lawe Sara the
nature of man with the nature of God that he might yelde the one subiect to death to satisfie for sinnes and by the power of the other he might wrastle with death get victorie for vs. They therfore that spoile Christ eyther of his godhed or of his manhode do in deede eyther diminishe his maiestie glory or obscure his goodnesse but on the other side they do no lesse wrong vnto meÌ„ whose faith they do thereby weaken and ouerthrowe which can not stande but restyng vpon this fundation Byside that it was to be hoped that the Redemer should be the sonne of Abraham and Dauid whyche God had promised in the lawe and the Prophetes Wherby the godly mindes do gather this other frute that beyng by the very course of his pedigree brought to Dauid and Abraham they do the more certainely knowe that this is the same Christ that was spoken of by so many oracles But this whiche I euen now declared is principally to beholden in mynde that the common nature betwene him and vs is a pledge of our felowship with the sonne of God that he clothed with our flesh vaÌ„quished death sinne together that the victorie so might be oures and the triuÌ„ph oures that he offred vp for sacrifice the flesh that he receyued of vs that hauyng made satisfaction he might wype away our giltinesse and appease the iust wrath of his father He that shal be diligently hedefull in coÌ„sidering these things as he ought wil easily neglect those waÌ„dryng speculatioÌ„s that â—auish vnto them light spirites desirous of noueltie of which sort is that Christ shuld haue ben maÌ„ although there had ben no neede of remedie to redeme maÌ„kinde I graunt that in the first degree of creation in â—he state of nature vncorrupted he was set as head ouer Angels and meÌ„ For which cause Paule calleth him the first begotten of al creatures 〈◊〉 sithe al the Scripture crieth out that he was clothed with flesh that he might be the Redemer it is to much rashe presumptioÌ„ to imagine any other cause or end To what end Christ was promised froÌ„ the beginning it is well enough knoweÌ„ eue to restore the world falleÌ„ in ruine and to succour men beyng lost Therefore vnder the law the image of him was set forth in sacrifices to make the faythful to hope that God would be mercyfull to them when after satisfaction made for sinne he should be reconciled But whereas in all ages euen when the law was not yet published the Mediatour was neuer promised without blood we gather that he was apointed by the eternal counsell of God to purge the filthinesse of men for that the shedyng of bloud is a tokeÌ„ of expiation The Prophetes so preached of hym that they promised that he should be the recoÌ„ciler of God and men That one specially notable testimonie of Esaye shall suffice vs for all where he fortelleth that he shal be stricken with the hande of God for the sinnes of the people that the chastisement of peace should be vpon him and that he should be a priest that should offer vp himself for sacrifice that of his wouÌ„des should come health to other and that bicause al haue strayed and ben scattered abrode like shepe therfore it pleased God to punish him that he might beare the iniquities of all Sithe we heare that Christe is properly apointed by God to help wretched sinners who so euer passeth beyond these boundes he doth to much follow foolish curiositie Nowe when himself was ones come he affirmed this to be the cause of his coÌ„myng to appease God and gather vs vp from death into life The same thyng did the Apostles testifie of him So Iohn before that he teacheth that the Worde was made fleshe declareth of the fallyng awaye of manne But he himselfe is to be hearde before all when he speaketh thus of his owne office So God loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that who so euer beleueth in him shuld not perish but haue euerlasting life Againe The houre is come that the dead shall heare the voice of the sonne of God and they that heare it shal liue I am the resurrection and life he that beleueth in me although he be dead shall liue Agayne The sonne of maÌ„ cometh to saue that whiche was lost Agayne The whole neede not a Physician I should neuer make an ende if I should reherse all The Apostles do all with one consent call vs to this fountayne And truely if he had not come to reconcile God the honor of the priesthode shoulde haue come to nought For asmuche as the priest apointed meane betwene God and man to make intercessioÌ„ and he should not be our righteousnesse bicause he was made a sacrifice for vs that God should not impute sinnes vnto vs. Finally he shoulde be spoyled of all the honorable titles wherewith the Scripture doth set him out And also that sayeng of Paule should proue vaine that that whiche was impossible to the law God hath sent his owne sonne that in likenesse of the flesh of sinne he shoulde satisfie for vs. Neyther will this stande that he teacheth in an other place that in this glasse appered the goodnesse of God his infinite goodnesse toward men when Christ was geuen to be the Redemer Finally the scripture euery where assigneth no other ende why the sonne of God would take vpon him our fleshe also receiued this coÌ„maundement of his father but to be made a sacrifice to appease his father toward vs. So it is written and so it behoued that Christ should suffer repentance be preached in his name Therfore my father loueth me bycause I geue my lyfe for the shepe this commaundement he gaue me As Moses lifted vp the Serpent in the desert so must the sonne of man be lifted vp In an other place Father saue me froÌ„ this houre But I am therfore come euen to this houre Father glorifie thy sonne Where he plainly speaketh of the end why he toke fleshe that he might be a sacrifice and satisfaction to do awaye sinne After the same sort doth Zacharie pronounce that he came according to the promise geuen to the fathers to geue light to them that sate in the shadow of death Let vs remember that all these thinges are spoken of the sonne of God in whome Paule in an other place testifieth that all the treasures of knowledge and wisedome are hidden and byside whome he glorieth that he knoweth nothing If anye manne take exception and saye that none of all these thinges proue the contrarie but that the same Christ that redemed men beyng daÌ„ned might also in puttyng on their flesh testifie his loue toward theÌ„ beyng preserued safe The answer is short that for asmuch as the holy ghost pronounceth that by the eternal decree of God these two thynges were ioyned together that Christ should be our redemer
those places of Scripture to accorde very well together where it is saide that God declared his loue towarde vs in this that he gaue hys onely begotten sonne to deathe and yet that he was oure enemie till he was made fauourable againe to vs by the deathe of Christe But that they maie be more strongly proued to them that require the testament of the olde Churche I will allege one place of Augustine where he teacheth the very same that we do The loue of God saith he is incomprehensible and vnchangeable For he beganne not to loue vs sins the time that wee weare reconciled to him by the bloode of his sonne But before the making of the worlde he loued vs euen before that we weare any thynge at all that we myght also be his children wyth hys onely begotten Sonne Therefore whereas wee are reconciled by the deathe of Christe it is not so to be taken as thoughe the Sonne dyd therefore reconcile vs vnto hym that he myghte nowe beginne to loue vs whome he hated before but we are reconciled to him that already loued vs to whome we weare enemies by reason of sinne An whether this be true or no that I saie let the Apostle bâ—are witnesse Hee dothe commende saith he his loue towarde vs bicause when wee were yet sinners Christ died for vs. He therfore had a loue to vs euen theÌ„ when we weare enemies to hym and wroughte wickednesse Therefore after a maruellous and deuine mannner he loued vs euen then when he hated vs. For he hated vs in that we weare suche as he had not made vs and bicause oure wickednesse had on euery syde wasted awaie hys woorke he knewe howe in euery one of vs bothe to hate that whiche we oure selues had made and to loue that whiche he had made These be the wordes of Augustine Nowe where it is demaunded howe Christe hathe done away our sinnes and taken away the strife betwene vs and God and purchased suche righteousnesse as mighte make him fauourable and well willing towarde vs it maie be generally answered that he hathe brought yt to passe by the whole course of hys obedience Whiche is proued by the testimonie of Paule As by one mans offense many wer made synners so by one mans obedience wee are made righteous And in an other place he extendeth the cause of the pardon that deliuereth vs from the curse of the lawe to the whole life of Christe saying When the fulnesse of tyme was come God sente his sonne made of a woman subiecte to the lawe to redeeme them that were vnder the lawe And so affirmed that in his very baptisme was fulfilled one part of righteousnesse that he obediently dyd the coÌ„maundement of his father Finally from the time that he toke vpon him the person of a seruant he beganne to paye the raunsome to redeeme vs. Butte the Scripture to sette oute the manner of oure saluation more certainely doothe ascribe this as peculiar and proprely belonginge to the deathe of Christe Hee hym selfe pronounced that hee gaue hys lyfe to bee a redemption for many Paule teacheth that hee dyed for oure synnes Ihon the Baptiste cryed oute that Christe came to take awaye the synnes of the woorlde bycause hee was the Lambe of God In an other place Paule saith that we are iustified freely by the redemption that is in Christ bycause he is set forth the reconciler in his owne bloode Againe that we are iustified in his bloode and reconciled by his deathe Againe â–ª He that knewe no sinne was made sinne for vs that we might be the ryghteousnesse of God in him I will not recite all the testimonies bicause the mimbre woulde be infinite and many of them muste bee hereafter alleged in their order Therefore in the summe of belefe whiche thei call the Apostles creede it is very ordrely passed immediatly from the byrthe of Christe to his deathe and resurrection wherein consisteth the summe of perfecte saluation And yet is not the reste of his obedience excluded whiche hee perfourmed in his life as Paule comprehendeth it wholye from the beginninge to the ende in sayinge that he abaced him selfe taking vpon him the forme of a seruant was obedient to his father to death euen the death of the crosse And truely euen in the same death his willing submission hath the firste degree bicause the sacrifice vnlesse it had ben willingly offred had nothing profited toward righteousnesse Therfore where the Lord testified that he gaue his soule for his shepe he expressly addeth this no man taketh it awaye from my â—elfe According to that which meaning Esaie saith that he helde his peace like a lambe before the sherer And the historie of the Gospel reherseth that he went forth and met the souldiers and before Pilate he left defending of him selfe and stode still to yelde him selfe to iudgement to be pronounced vpon him But that not without some strife for bothe he had taken our infirmities vpon him and it behoued that his obedience to his father shoulde be this way tried And this was no sclender shew of his incomparable loue towarde vs to wrastle with horrible feare in the middest of these cruell tormentes to cast awaie all care of hymselfe that he might prouide for vs. And this is to be beleued that there could no sacrifice bee well offered to God any otherwise but by this that Christe forsaking all his owne affection did submitte and wholy yelde himself to his fathers will For proofe whereof the Apostle dothe fyttly allege that testimonie of the Psalme In the booke of the lawe it is written of me that I may doe thy will O God I will thy lawe is in the middest of my heate Then I saide Loe I come But bicause trembling consciences finde no reste but in sacrifice and washing whereby sinnes are cleansed therefore for good cause we are directed thither and in the deathe of Christe is a appointed for vs the matter of lyfe Nowe forasmuche as by oure owne gyltinesse curse was due vnto vs before the heauenly iudgement seate of God therefore fyrste of all is recited howe hee was condenmed before Ponce Pilate presidente of Iurie that wee shoulde know that the punishement wherunto we weere subiecte was iustely layde vpon vs. Wee could not escape the dreadfull iudgement of God Christe to deliuer vs from it suffred himselfe to be condemned before a mortall man yea a wicked and heathen man For the name of the president is expressed not onely to procure credit to the historie but that we shoulde learne that whiche Esaie teacheth that yâ— chastisemente of our peace was vpon him and that by his stripes wee weare healed For to take awaie oure damnation euery kinde of deathe sufficed not for him to suffer but to satisfye oure redemption one speciall kynde of deathe was to bee chosen wherein bothe drawinge away oure damnation to himselfe and takyng
wilt not be put away from the inheritance c. Knowe ye brethren that all this miserie of mankinde when the world groneth is a medicinall sorrow and not a penall sentence c. These sentences I haue therefore thought good to alleage that the manner of speche that I haue aboue writen shuld not seme to any man newe and vnused And hereunto serue all the coÌ„plaintes full of indignation wherein the Lord oftentimes doth expostulate of the vnkindenesse of the people for that thei stiffly despised al punishmentes In Esaye he saith To what purpose should I strike you any more from the sole of the foote to the crowne of the hed there is no whole place But bicause the Prophetes are ful of such sayenges it shal be sufficient to haue briefly shewed that God do the punish his churche for none other intent but that it should be tamed and ameÌ„d Therefore when he did caste Saul out of the kingdome he punished him to reuengement When he toke from Dauid his yonge sonne he corrected him to amendement Accordyng to this meanyng is that to be taken which Paule sayth when we are iudged of the Lord we are corrected that we should not be damned with this worlde That is when we that be the children of God are afflicted with the hande of our heauenly father this is no peyne wherewith we should be confounded but only a chastisement wherwith we should be instructed In whiche pointe Augustine is plainely on our side For he teacheth that the peynes wherwith meÌ„ are a like chastised by God ar diuersly to be considered bycause to the holy ones they are battels and exercises after the forgeuenesse of their sinnes to the reprobate they are without forgeuenesse peynes of wickednesse In whiche place he rehearseth how peynes were layed vpon Dauid and other godly men and sayth that the same tended to this end that their godlinesse shold by such humbling of them be exercised and proued And where Esaie sayth that the Iewishe people had their iniquitie forgeuen them bycause they had receyued full chastisement at the Lordes hande this proueth not that the pardon of sinnes hangeth vpon the full paymeÌ„t of the peyne but it is in effect asmuch as if he had sayd Bycause ye haue alredy suffred peynes enough and by the greuousnesse and multitude thereof haue ben nowe pyned awaye with long mournyng sorrow therefore it is nowe time that receyuing the tidynges of full mercie your heartes should reioyce and fele me to be your father For there God did take vpon him the person of a father whiche repenteth him euen of his iuste seueritie when he was compelled sharply to correct his sonne With these thoughtes it is necessarie that the faithful be furnished in bitternesse of afflictions It is time that the iudgement beganne at the house of the Lord in which his name is called vpon What shuld the children of God do if thei did beleue the seueritie of God that they fele to be his vengeance For he that beyng stryken with the hand of God imagineth God a punishyng iudge can not coÌ„ceyue him but angry and enemie vnto him detest the very scourge of God as a curse and damnation Finally he can neuer be perswaded that God loueth him that shall thinke him so minded toward him that he is still minded to punish him But he only profiteth vnder the rod of God that thinketh him to bee angry with his sinnes but merciefull and louynge to himself For otherwise that muste needes happen whiche the Prophet complayneth that he felt where he sayth Thy wrathes O God haue passed ouer me thy terrors haue oppressed me Also that which Moses writeth bycause we haue faynted in thy wrath and we haue ben troubled in thy indignatioÌ„ thou hast set our iniquities in thy sight and our secretes in the light of thy countenance bicause all our dayes are gone awaye in thy wrath our yeres are consumed as the worde that is passed out of a mouth On the other side Dauid sayth thus of his fatherly chastisementes to teache that the faythfull are rather holpen than oppressed thereby Blessed is the man whome thou haste corrected O Lord hast instructed in thy law to geue him quiet froÌ„ euell dayes while a pit is digged for the sinner Truely it is a harde tentation when God sparyng the vnbeleuers and winkyng at their faultes semeth more rigorous agaynst them that be his Therefore he gaue them a cause of comfort the admonishment of the law wherby they should learne that it is done to prouide for their saluation when they are called agayne into the waye and the wicked are caried hedlong into their errours whose ende is the pit And it is no difference whether the peyne be euerlastyng or duryng for a time For as well warre famine pestilence and sickenesse as the iudgemeÌ„t of eternall death are the curses of God when they are layed vpon menne to this ende to be instrumentes of the Lordes wrath and vengeance agaynst the reprobate Nowe as I thinke all men doe perceyue whereunto tended that chastisement of the Lord vpon Dauid euen to be an instruction that God is greuously displeased with manslaughter adulterie agaynst which he had shewed so great an indignation in his beloued â—aithful seruant that Dauid should be taught to be no more so bolde to do the like deede and not to be a peyne wherby he shuld make a certaine recompense to God And so is to be iudged of the other kinde of correction whereby the Lord punished his people with a sore pestilence for Dauids disobedience whereinto he was fallen in numbryng the people For he did in deede freely forgeue to Dauid the giltinesse of his sinne but bicause it perteined bothe to the publike example of all ages and also to the humbling of Dauid that such a haynous offense should not remayne vnpunished therefore he moste sharply chastised him with his rodde Whiche marke also we ought to haue before our eyes in the vniuersal curse of mankinde For whereas after pardon obteined we do all yet suffer the miseries that weare layed vpon our first parent for peyne of sinne we perceyue our selues by suche exercises to be admonished how greuously God is displeased with the transgression of his law that beyng throwen downe huÌ„bled with knowledge in conscience of our owne miserable estate we may the more â—erueÌ„tly aspire to true blessednesse But he shal be most foolish that shal thinke that the calamities of this present life are layed vpon vs for the giltinesse of sinne And that I thinke was the meanyng of Chrysostome when he wrote thus If God do therfore laye peines vpoÌ„ vs that he should cal vs perseuering in euels to repentance then when repentance is ones shewed the peine shal be superflâ—ous Therefore as he knoweth it to be expedient for euery mans nature so he handleth one man more roughly and an other with
which felyng the sinner commeth into possession of his saluatioÌ„ when he acknowlegeth by the doctrine of the Gospel that he is reconciled to God that obteyning forgeuenesse of sinnes by meanes of the righteousnesse of Christ â—e is iustified and although he be regenerate by the Spirit of God he thinketh vpon continuall righteousnesse layed vp for him not in the good workes to which he applieth himself but in yâ— only righteousnesse of Christ. When these thinges shal be euery one particularly weyed they shal geue a perfect declaratioÌ„ of our senteÌ„ce Albeit thei might be better disposed in an other order than they are set forth But it maketh litle mater so that they hang together in such sort that we may haue the whole mater truely declared surely proued Here it is good to remember the relation that we haue before sayd to be betwene faith and the Gospell bycause it is sayd for this cause that faith iustifieth for that it recemeth embraceth the righteousnesse offred in the gospel And whereas it is sayd to be offred by the gospel therby al coÌ„sideratioÌ„ of workes is excluded Which thing Paule declareth many times els where but most plainly in two places For to the Romanes comparing the lawe and the gospell together he sayth the righteousnesse that is by the law is thus the man that doth these thinges shal liue in them But the righteousnesse that is of faith offreth saluation if thou beleue in thy heart and confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and that the father hath raysed him vp from the dead See you not how he maketh this the difference of the law and the Gospel that the lawe geueth righteousnesse to workes and the Gospel geueth tree righteousnesse without helpe of workes It is a notable place and that maye deliuer vs out of many harde doubtes yf we vnderstande that the same righteousnesse that is geuen vs by the Gospell is free from all conditions of the lawe This is the reason why he doth more than ones with great seming of contrarietie set the promise by way of opposition against the law as it the inheritance be of the law then is it not of the promise all the rest in the same chapter to the same effect Truely the lawe it selfe hath also her promises Therefore there must needes be in the promises of the gospel somthing different diuerse froÌ„ the promises of the lawe vnlesse we will confesse that the comparison is very sond But what diuersitie shall this bee vnlesse it be that they are freely geuen and vpholden by the only mercie of God whereas the promises of the lawe hange vpon the condition of workes Neyther let any manne here carp agaynst me and saye that in this place the righteousnesse is reiected whiche menne of their owne force and freewill would compell God to receiue for asmuch as Paule without exception teacheth that the law in coÌ„maunding profiteth nothing bicause there is none not only of the coÌ„mon multitude but also of the perfectest that fulfilleth it Loue vndoubtedly is the chefe point of the law when the Spirit of God frameth vs vnto it why is it not to vs a cause of righteousnesse but for that euen in the holy ones it is vnperfect and therefore of it self deserueth no reward The second place is this It is manifest that no man is iustified by the lawe before God Bicause the righteous man shall liue by fayth But the law is not of faith but the man that doth these thynges shall liue in them Howe coulde this argument otherwise stande together vnlesse we agree vpon this point that workes come not into the accompt of faith but are vtterly to be seuered from it The lawe sayth he differeth from fayth Why so bicause workes are required to the righteousnesse thereof Therefore it foloweth that workes are not required to the righteousnesse of faith By this relation it appereth that they which are iustified by faith are iustified byside the deseruing of workes yea without the deseruyng of workes bycause faith receyueth that righteousnesse which the Gospel geueth And the gospel differeth from the law in this point that it bindeth not righteousnesse to workes but setteth it in the only mercy of God Like herunto is that whiche he affirmeth to the Romanes that Abraham had nothyng to glorie vpon bycause fayth was imputed to him vnto righteousnesse he addeth a confirmation bycause then there is place for the righteousnesse of faith when there are no workes to whiche a rewarde is due Where bee workes sayth he due rewarde is rendred vnto them that whiche is geuen to faith is freely geuen For the very meanyng of the wordes that he vseth in that place serue to proue the same Wheras he adioyneth within a litle after that therefore we obteyne the inheritance by fayth as accordynge to grace hereupon he gathereth that the inheritance is of free gift bicause it is receyued by fayth and how commeth that but bicause fayth without any help of workes leaneth wholy vpon the mercie of God And in the same meanyng without dout he teacheth in an other place that the righteousnesse of God was openly shewed without the law although it haue witnesse borne of it by the law the Prophetes bicause excludyng the lawe he sayth that it is not holpen by workes and that we obteyne it not by workyng but come empty that we maye receyue it By this time the reader perceiueth with what equitie the Sophisters do at this daye cauill at our Doctrine when we saye that man is iustified by faith only They dare not denie that man is iustified by faith bicause it is so often fouÌ„d in Scripture but bicause this word Only is neuer expressed they can not abide to haue such an addition made Is it so But what will they answer to these wordes of Paule where he affirmeth that righteousnesse is not of fayth except it be freely geuen Howe can free gift agree with workes And with what cauillations will they mocke out that whiche he sayth in an other place that the righteousnesse of God is manifestly shewed in the Gospell If righteousnesse be manifestly shewed in the Gospell surely therein is conteyned not a torne or halfe righteousnesse but full and perfect Therefore the lawe hath no place therein And they stande vpon not only a false but also a foolish shifte about this exclusine word Only Doth not he perfectly enough geue al things to only faith that taketh al thinges from workes What I praye you meane these sayenges that righteousnesse was manifestly shewed without the law that maÌ„ is iustified freely and without the workes of the law Here they haue a witty shifte to escape withall whiche although they deuised it not themselues but borowed it of Origene certaine of the old writers yet is very foolish They prate that the ceremoniall workes of the law not the moral are excluded They profit so with
continuall brawling that they know not the very first rules of Logike Do thei thinke that the Apostle doted when he alleged these places to proue his sayeng The man that shal do these thynges shall liue in them and Cursed is euery one that fulfilleth not all thinges that are written in the volume of the lawe Unlesse they be mad they will not saye that life was promised to the kepers of Ceremonies or curse thretened onely to the breakers of them If these places be to bee vnderstanded of the morall lawe it is no doubte that the morall workes also are excluded from the power of iustifieng To the same purpose serue these argumentes that he vseth bycause the knowledge of sinne was by the lawe therefore righteousnesse is not by the lawe Bycause the lawe worketh wrath therefore it worketh not righteousnesse Bycause the lawe can not make conscience assured therefore also it can not geue righteousnesse Bycause fayth is imputed vnto righteousnesse therefore righteousnesse is not a rewarde of worke but is geuen beyng not due Bycause we are iustified by fayth therefore gloryeng is cut of If there had ben a lawe geuen that might geue life then righteousnesse were truely by the lawe but God hath shut vp all vnder sinne that the promise might be geuen to the beleuers Let them nowe fondly saye yf they dare that these thynges are spoken of ceremonies and not of manners but very children would hisse out so great shamelesnesse Therefore let vs hold this for certayne that the whole lawe is spoken of when the power of iustifieng is taken awaye from the lawe But if any manne maruell why the Apostle vsed such an addition not beyng content with only namyng of workes the reason is ready to be shewed for it For although workes be so hiely estemed yet they haue that value by the allowance of God rather than by their owne worthinesse For whoe can booste vnto God of any righteousnesse of workes but that which he hath allowed Whoe dare clayme any reward as due vnto theÌ„ but such as he hath promised They haue therfore this of the bountifulnesse of God that they are compted morthy both of the name and reward of righteousnesse they be of value only for this cause when the purpose of him that doth them is by them to shew his obedience to God Wherfore the Apostle in an other place to proue that Abraham could not be iustified by workes allegeth that the law was geuen almost fower hundred and thirty yeres after the couenant made Unlearned men would laugh at suche an argument bicause there might be righteous workes before the publishyng of the law But bicause he knew that there was no such value in workes but by the testimonie vouchsauing of God therfore he taketh it as a thing coÌ„fessed that before the law thei had no power to iustifie We vnderstaÌ„d why he namely expresseth the worke of the law wheÌ„ he meaneth to take awaye iustification froÌ„ any workes bycause controuersie may be moued of those and none other Albeit sometime he excepteth all workes without any additioÌ„ as when he sayth that by the testimonie of Dauid blessednesse is assigned to that man to whome the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without workes Therfore they can with no cauillatious bryng to passe but that we shall get this generall exclusiue only And they do in vayne seeke that triflyng sutteltie that we are iustified by that only faith whiche worketh by loue so that righteousnesse must stand vpon loue We graunt in deede witn Paule that no other faith iustifieth but that whiche is effectually workyng with chatitie but that faith taketh not her power of iustifiyng from that effectualnesse of charitie Yea it doth by no other meane iustifie but bicause it bryngeth vs into the communicatyng of the righteousnesse of Christ. Or els all that which the Apostle so earnestly presseth should fall to nought To him that worketh sayth he the reward is not teckened accordyng to grace but accordyng to Det. But to him that worketh not but beleueth in him that iustiâ—ieth the vnrighteous his fayth is imputed vnto righteousnesse Could he speake more euidently than in so sayeng that there is no righteousnesse of faith but where there are no workes to whiche any reward is due and that only then fayth is imputed vnto righteousnesse when righteousnesse is geuen by grace that is not due Now let vs examine howe true that is whiche is sayd in the definition that the righteousnesse of fayth is the reconciliation with God whiche consisteth vpon the only forgeuenesse of sinnes We muste alwaye returne to this principle that the wrath of God refteth vpon all men so long as they coÌ„tinue to be sinners That hath Esaye excellently well set out in these wordes The haÌ„d of the Lord is not shortened that he is not able to saue nor his eare dulled that he can not heare but your iniquities haue made disagreement betwene you and your God and your sinnes haue hidden his face from you that he heareth you not We heare that sinne is the diuision betwene man and God and the turnyng awaye of Gods face from the sinner Neyther can it otherwise be For it is disagreyng froÌ„ his righteousnesse to haue any felowship with sinne Wherefore the Apostle teacheth that manne is enemie to God till he be restored into fauour by Christ. Whome therfore the Lord receyueth into ioynyng with him him he is sayd to instifie bycause he can neyther receyue him into fauour nor ioyne him with himselfe but he muste of a sinner make him righteous And we further say that this is done by the forgeuenesse of sinnes For if they whome the Lord hath recoÌ„ciled to himself be iudged by their workes they shal be found still sinners in deede whoe yet must be free cleane from sinne It is certayne therefore that they whom God embraceth are no otherwise made righteous but bicause they are cleansed by hauing the spottes of there sinnes wiped awaye by forgeuenesse thaâ— such a righteousnesse maye in one worde be called the forgeuenesse of sinnes Both these are most clerely to be seene by these wordes of Paule whiche I haue already alleged God was in Christ reconcilyng the world to himself not imputyng their sinnes to man and he hath lette with vs the word of reconciliation And then he addeth the summe of his message that him which knew no sinne he made sinne for vs that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Here he nameth righteousnesse and reconciliation without difference that we maye perceyue that the one is mutually conteyned vnder the other And he teacheth the manner to atteyne this righteousnesse to be when our sinnes are not imputed vnto vs. Wherefore doubte thou not hereafter howe God doth iustifie vs when thou hearest that he doth reconcile vs to himself by not imputyng sinnes So to the Romanes he proueth by the testimonie of
So in Ezechiel he teacheth how muche we glorifie his name by reknowleging of our own wickednesse You shall remember sayeth he the wayes and al the wicked doinges wherewith ye haue been defiled And ye shall be displeased with your selues in your owne syght in all the euels that ye haue cōmitted And ye shall knowe that I am the Lorde when I shall do good to you for myne owne names sake and not according to your moste wicked offences If these thinges be conteined in the true knowledge of God that we being broosed with knowledge of our owne iniquitie should cōsider that he doth good to vs where as we be vnworthy therof why then do we to our great hurt attempt to steale awaye from the Lorde any parcell be it neuer so small of the prayse of his free goodnesse Like wise Ieremie when he crieth out Let not the wise man glorie in his wisdome or the riche man in his richesse or the strong man in his strēgth but let him that glorieth glorie in the Lorde doth he not there declare that somwhat is diminished from Gods glorie if mā glorie in him self To this purpose truely doth Paule apply those wordes when he teacheth that all the partes of our saluation are reposed in Christ that we should not glory but in the Lord. For his meaning is that he riseth vp against God darkeneth his glorie whosoeuer thinketh that he hathe any thing be it neuer so litle of his owne This is the truthe we neuer truely glorie in him vnlesse we be vtterly put from our own glorie On the other side this is to be holdē for a catholike principle that all they glorie against God that glorie in thē selues For Paul iudgeth that only by this meane the worlde is made subiect to God when all matter to glorie vpō is vtterly taken frō men Therfore Esaie when he declareth that Israel shall haue their iustification in God sith also that they shall there also haue their praise as though he should say that the Lord to this end iustifieth the elect that they should glorie in him and in nothing els But howe we ought to be praised in the Lorde he had taught in the verse next before that is that we should sweare that our righteousnesses strength are in the Lord. Note that there is not required a bare confession but cōfirmed with an othe that a mā shold not thinke that he shal be discharged with I wote not what fained humilitie And let no man here allege for excuse that he doth not glorie when without arrogance he reknowlegeth his own righteousnesse for there can be no such estimation but it engendreth cōfidence nor cōfidence but it bredeth glorie Therfore let vs remēber that in all the disputatiō of righteousnes we must haue regard to this end that the praise therof remaine with the Lorde whole perfect For as muche as for declaratiō of his righteousnesse as the Apostle testifieth he hath poured out his grace vpon vs that he might be iust iustifiyng him that is of the faith of Christe Wherfore in an other place when he had taught that the Lord gaue vs saluation to set out the glorie of his name afterward as it were repeting the same thing he addeth ye ar saued by grace by the gift of God not by workes that none shold glorie And when Peter telleth that we are called vnto hope of saluation that we shold declare the powers of him that hath called vs out of darkenesse into his maruelous light without doubt his meaning is so to make the only praises of God to sound in the eares of the faithful that they shold with depe silence oppresse al arrogancie of the fleshe In a summe man can not without robberie of God chalēge to him self any one crum of righteousnesse because euen so muche is plucked and taken away from the glorie of Gods righteousnesse Now if we aske by what meane the conscience may be quited before God we shall finde no other meane but if free righteousnesse be geuen vs by the gift of God Let vs alway thinke vpon this saying of Salomon Who shall say I haue cleansed my heart I am made cleane from my sinne Truely there is no man that shall not be ouerwhelmed with infinite filthinesse Therfore let euen the perfectest man descende into his own conscience call his doinges to accōpt what end shal he haue Shal he swetely rest as though al things were in good order betwene him God shall he not rather be vexed with terrible tormentes whē he shall fele matter of damnation abiding in him selfe if he be iudged according to his workes The conscience if it loke vpon God must of necessitie either haue assured peace with his iudgement or be beseged with the terrors of hell Therfore we profit nothyng in disputing of righteousnesse vnlesse we stablyshe suche a righteousnesse with the stedfastnesse wherof our soule may bee staied in the iudgement of God When our soule shall haue whereby it may bothe without feare appeare before the face of God receiue his iudgement vnshaken then not till then let vs knowe that we haue found an vnfained righteousnesse Therfore not without cause the Apostle standeth so muche vpon this point with whose wordes I had rather expresse it than with mine owne If saith he the promise of inheritance be of the law faith is made voide the promise is made abolished He first inferreth that faith is disanulled and made voide yf the promisse of righteousnes haue respect to the deseruinges of our workes or do hang vpon the keping of the law For so could neuer any man assuredlye rest in it because it could neuer come to passe that any mā might assuredly determine with him self that he had satisfied the law as in dede neuer any man doth by workes fully satisfie it Wherof that we should not nede to seke far for testimonies to proue it euery man may be a witnesse to him selfe that will with a right eye behold himself And hereby appereth in how depe darke corners hypocrisie buried the mindes of mē while they so carelesly beare with thē selues that they stick not to set their own flatteries against the iudgegement of God as though thei would binde to a stay of his iudicial proceding but the faithfull that do sincerely examine them selues are greued tormented with a far other māner of carefulnesse Therfore ther should so entre into all mindes a doubting at length a very despeire where eche man for him selfe should make accompt with howe great a burden of det he is still ouerpressed and how far he is from the conditiō wherw t he is charged Loe how faith is by this meane already expressed extinguished For to wauer to varie to be carried vp downe to stick fast in doubting to be holden in suspense to stagger at length to despeire is not to trust
notable curse agaīst all thē that continue not in al things Wherby the deuise of righteousnesse in part is largely confuted sithe no other righteousnes is admitted into heauē but a whole obseruing of the law And no whit soūder is that which they are wōt to babble of supplieng of recōpense by works of Superero gatiō For why Do thei not still returne to the same place frō whēse thei ar alredy shut out that he which kepeth the law in part is by workes so far righteous That which no man of sound iugement wil graunt thē thei do to shamelesly take for cōfessed So oft the Lord testifieth that he acknowlegeth no righteousnesse of works but in the perfect obseruing of his law What obstinatie is it that we whē we are destitute of that obseruing leaste we shold seme spoiled of al glorie that is to haue altogether geuē place to God do boste our selues of I wote not what small peces of a few workes go about by satisfactions to redeme that which wanteth Satisfactiōs haue already before been sufficiētly ouerthrowē that we ought not now so much as to dreame of thē Only this I say that thei which so play the fooles do not wey how detestable a thing sin is before God for truly thei shold vnderstād that the whole righteousnes of men being laid vpō a heap is not sufficient to make recōpence for one sinne For we se that mā was by one offence so cast awai abādoned of God that he therwithal lost al mean to recouer saluatiō Therfore the power of Satisfaction is taken away wherw t they flatter thē selues but surely shal neuer satisfy God to whō nothīg is pleasant or acceptable that procedeth frō his enemies And his enemies are al they to whō he purposeth to impute sinnes Therfore our sinnes must be couered forgiuē before that the lord haue respect to any worke of ours Whervpon foloweth that the forgiuenesse of sinnes is of fre grace which they do wickedly blaspheme that thrust in any satisfactiōs Let vs therfore after the exāple of the Apostle forgettīg those things that ar behind vs and hasting forward to those thinges that are before vs run in our race endeuouring to the price of the highe calling c. But how doth the bosting of the works of supererogation agre with that rule which is taught vs that whē we haue done all things that ar cōmaunded vs we should say that we are vnprofitable seruantes that we haue done no more then we ought To say before God is not to fain or to lye but to determine with thy self that which thou arte assured of The lord therfore cōmandeth vs vnfainedly to think consider with our selues that we do not any fre beneficiall doings to hī but to render due seruice And worthily For we ar seruantes endetted in so many seruices as we ar no able to discharge although al our thoughts all our membres wer turned into dutieful deeds of the law And therfore that which he saithe Whē ye haue done all things that are cōmāded you c. is as much in effect as if the righteousnesse of one man were more thā al the righteousnes of men How therfore may we of whom there is none that is not moste farre distant frō this marke bee so bolde as to boste that we haue added a heap to the ful measure Neither is ther any cause why any mā may take exceptiō say that nothing withstādeth but that his endeuour mai procede beyōd necessary duties which in som behalf ceasseth those that be frō necessary For this we must altogither hold that we cā imagin nothing that auaileth either to the worship or the loue of God which is not comprehedēd vnder the law of God If it be a part of the law let vs not boaste of voluntary liberalitie where we are bound to neccessitie And for this purpose that glorieng of Paul is out of season alledged That among the Corinthians he did of his owne wil yeld of his right which otherwise he might haue vsed if he had wold that he hath employed vpon thē not only so muche as he ought of dutie but also hath geuen them his free trauail beyond the boundes of duties But they shold haue marked the reason there expressed that he did this least he shold be an offense to the weake For false deceitful workemen did boste thē selues with this alluring shew of liberalitie wherby they might bothe procure fauour to their poisonous doctrines raise vp hatred to y◠Gospel so that Paul was driuē of necessitie either to bring the doctrine of Christ into danger or to mere with suche craftes Go to if it be to a christian man an indifferent thing to runne into offense when he may refraine it then I graunt that the Apostle did somthing of Supererogation for the Lord. But if this were by right required or a wise distributer of the Gospel then I say that he did that whiche was his dutie to doe Finally although there appere no suche cause yet this saying of Chrysostome is alway true that al our thinges are in the same case wherin are the propre possessions of bondmen whiche it is certaine by the law to be due to their Lord. And Christ bath vttered the same in the parable For he asked what thanke we wil geue to a bondseruant when hauing ben all the day trauailed with sondry labours he returneth home to vs in the euening But it is possible that he hath labored with greater diligence than we durst haue required Be it so yet he hath done no thing but that which by his estate of bōdage he ought for he with his whole abilitie is ours I speake not of what sort their Supererogatiōs are whiche these men wil boste of to God for they be trifles suche as he neither hath at any tyme cōmanded nor doth approue thē nor wyl allowe thē when accōpt shal be to be made before him In this significatiō only we will graunt that they are workes of Supererogation namely of whiche it is spoken in the Prophet who hath required these things at your handes But let thē remēber what is in an other place also spoken of these thinges Wherfore do ye wey your siluer not in bread Ye spend in labour not in being satisfied It is in dede not very hard for these idle Rabbines to dispute vnder the shadowe in a soft chaire but when the soueraigne iudge shal sit in his iudgement seate suche windy decrees shall of necessitie vanishe away This this was to be sought what affiāce of defense we may bring to his iudgemēt seate not what we may talke of in scholes and corners In this behalf there are chefely two pestilences to be driuen out of our myndes that we put no affiance in the righteousnesse of workes And that we ascribe no part of glorie to thē The Scriptures do euery where thrust vs
other sense thought our heart must be cleāsed of al desires al our strēgths must be gathered vp drawē together to this only purpose Thei which haue gone most far before other in the way of the Lord are yet very far from this marke For though they loue God with their minde and with sincere affection of heart yet they haue still a great part of their heart and soule possessed with the desires of the fleshe by which they are drawen back and stayed from goyng forward with hasty course to God They do in deede trauayle forward with great endeuor but the fleshe partly febleth their strengthes and partly draweth them to it self What shall they here do when they fele that thei do nothing lesse thā performe the law They wil thei couet they endeuor but nothing with such perfection as ought to be If they loke vpon the law they see that whatsoeuer worke they attēpt or purpose is accursed Neyther is there any cause why any man should deceiue himself with gathering that the worke is therefore not altogether euell bycause it is vnperfect and therfore that God doth neuerthelesse accept that good which is in it For the law requiring perfect loue condēneth al imperfectiō vnlesse y rigor of it be mitigated Therefore his workes should fal to nought which he wold haue to seme partly good he shal finde that it is a transgression of the law euen in this bicause it is vnperfect Loe how al our workes are subiect to the curse of the law if thei be measured by the rule of the law But how shold thē vnhappy soules cherefully applie thēselues to work for which thei might not trust that they colde get any thing but curse On the otherside if beyng deliuered frō this seuere exacting of the lawe or rather from the whole rigor of the lawe thei heare that they be called of God with fatherly gentlenesse thei wil merily with great cherefulnesse answer his calling folow his guiding In a summe they which are boūd to the yoke of the law ar like to vn̄dseruāts to whō are apointed by their lordes certain taskes of work for euery day These seruāts thinke that thei haue done nothing nor dare come into the sight of their lordes vnlesse they haue performed the ful taske of their workes But childrē which are more liberally more freemālike handled of their fathers stick not to present to them their begonne half vnperfect workes yea those hauing some fault trusting that they wil accept their obedience willingnesse of minde Although thei haue not exactly done so much as their good wil was to do So must we be as may haue sure affiāce that our obediēces shal be allowed of our most kinde father how little soeuer how rude vnperfect soeuer thei be As also he assureth to vs by the prophet I wil spare thē saith he as the father is wont to spare his sonne that serueth him Where this word Spare is set for to beare with al or gētly to winke at faultes forasmuch as he also maketh mention of seruice And this affiance is not a litle necessarie for vs without which we shall go about all thinges in vaine For God accompteth himselfe to be worshipped with no worke of ours but which is truely done of vs for the worshipping of him But how can that be done among these terrors where it is douted whether God be offended or worshipped with oure worke And that is the cause why the author of the Epistle to the Hebrues referreth all the good workes that are red of in the holy fathers to faith and weyeth thē only by fayth Touching this libertie there is a place in the Epistle to the Romaines where Paule resoneth that some oughte not to haue dominion ouer vs bicause we are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace For when he had exhorted the faithfull that sinne should not reygne in their mortal bodie and that they should not geue theyr members to be weapons of wickednesse to sinne but shoulde dedicate them selues to God as they that are alyue from the deade and theyr members weapons of righteousnes to God and whereas they might on the other side obiect that they do yet carry with them the fleshe full of lustes and that sinne dwelleth in them he adioyneth that comforte by the libertie of the law as if he shold say Though they doo not yet throughly fele sin destroyed the righteousnes yet liueth not in thē yet ther is no cause why they shold feare be discouraged as though they had ben alwaidispleased with thē for the remnantes of sin forasmuch as they ar by grace made free from the law that theyr workes shuld not be examined by the rule of the law As for them that gather that we may sinne because we ar not vnder the law let thē know that this libertie perteineth nothing to them the ende wherof is to encourage to God The third part is that we be bound with no conscience before God of outward thinges which are by them selues indifferent but that we may indifferently sometime vse thē and sometime leaue them vnused And the knowledge of this libertie also is very necessary for vs for if it shal be absent there shal be no quiet to our consciences no ende of superstitions Many at this daye do thinke vs fonde to moue disputation about the free eating of fleshe about the free vse of dayes and garmentes and suche other smale trifles as they in dede thinke them but there is more weight in them than is commonlye thoughte For when consciences haue ones cast thē selues into the snare they entre into a long and combersome waye from whence they can afterwarde finde no easy way to get oute If a man beginne to doubt whether he maye occupye linnen in shetes shertes hankercheifes and napkines neither wil he be out of doubt whether he may vse hempe and at the last he wil also fal in doubt of maters for he will waye with himselfe whether he can not suppe without napkins whether he maye not be without handkerchifes If any man thinke deyntye meate to be vnlawful at length he shal not with quietnesse before the Lorde eate either brounebreade or common meates when he remembreth that he may yet susteine his body with bacer fode If he doute of pleasaunte wyne afterwarde he will not drinke deade wine with good peace of conscience last of al he wyl not be so bolde to touche sweter and cleaner water than other Finally at the length he wil come to this point to thinke it vnlawfull as the common sayinge is to treade vppon a strawe lying a crosse For here is begonne no lyghte stryfe but this is in question whether God will haue vs to vse these or those thinges whose will ought to guide al our counsels and doynges Hereby some must needes be carried with desperatiō into a confuse deuouryng pit some must despising God and casting away
a crooked figure as men sometime speake mingle him selfe with the multitude as one of the people but rather seuerally confesseth his owne gyltinesse humbly fleeth to the sanctuarie of forgeuenesse as he expresly sayth When I coÌ„fessed my sinnes the sinnes of my people And thys humblenesse Dauid also setteth out with his own example when he saith Entre not into iudgement with thy seruant bicause in thy sight euery one that liueth shall nat bee iustified In suche manner Esaie prayeth Loe thou art angry bicause wee haue sinned the worlde is founded in thy waies therefore we shal be saâ—ed And we haue been all filled with vncleannesse al our righteousnesses as a defiled cloth and wee haue al withered away as a leafe our iniquities do scatter vs abroade as the winde and there is none that calleth vpon thy name that rayseth vp himselfe to take holde of thee bycause thou hast hidde thy face froÌ„ vs and hast made vs to pine awaie in the hande of oure wyckednesse Now therfore O Lord thou art our father we are claye thou art our fasshioner we are the worke of thy hand Be not angry O Lord neither remembre wickednes for euer Behold loke vpon vs we ar al thy people Loe how thei stand vpoÌ„ no affiance at al but vpon this onely that thinking vpon this that thei be Gods thei despire not that he wil haue care of them Likewise Ieremie If our iniquities answer against vs do thou for thy names sake For it is bothe most truely most holyly written of whome soeuer it be which being written by an vnknoweÌ„ author is fathered vpon the Prophet Baruch A soule heauy deosolate for the greatnes of euel croked weake a hungrye soule fainting eies geue glorie to thee O Lord. Not according to the righteousnesses of our fathers doe we poure out praiers in thy sight aske mercie before thy face O Lord our God but bicause thou art merciful haue mercie vpon vs bicause we haue sinned before thee Finally the beginning also the preparing of praieng rightly is crauing of pardoÌ„ with an humble plaine confession of fault For neither is it to be hoped that euen the holiest man may obteine any thinge of God vntil hee bee freely reconciled to him neither is it possible that God may be fauourable to any but theÌ„ whom he pardoneth Wherfore it is no maruel if the faithful do with this keie opeÌ„ to theÌ„selues the dore to pray Which we learne out of many places of the Psalmes For Dauid wheÌ„ he asketh an other thing saith Remembre not the sinnes of my youthe remember me according to thy mercie for thy goodnesses sake O lord Again Loke vpoÌ„ my afflictioÌ„ my labore forgeue al my sinnes Wher we also see that it is not enough if we euery seuerall day do cal our selues accoÌ„pt for our new sinnes if we do not also remeÌ„bre those sinnes which might seeme to haue been long agoe forgotten For the same Prophet in an other place hauing coÌ„fessed one haynous offense by this occasioÌ„ returneth eueÌ„ to his mothers wombe wherin he had gathered the infectioÌ„ not to make the faulte seme lesse by the corruptioÌ„ of nature but the heaping together the sinnes of his whole life how much more rigorous he ys in coÌ„demning himself so much more easy he maye finde God to entreate But although the holy ones do not alwaye in expresse woordes aske forgeuenesse of sinnes yet if we diligently weie their praiers whiche the Scripture rehearseth we shal easily finde that which I say that thei gathered a minde to praie of the only mercy of God so alwaye toke their beginning at appeasing him bicause if euery man examine his owne conscience so far is he froÌ„ being bold to open his cares familiarlie with God yâ— he trembleth at euery coÌ„ming toward him except that he standeth vpoÌ„ trust of mercie pardon Ther is also an other special confession wher thei aske release of peines that thei also praie to haue their sinnes forgeuen bicause it weare an absurditie to will that the effecte to be takeÌ„ awaye while the cause abideth For we muste beware that God be fauourable vnto vs before that he testifye hys fauoure wyth outwarde signes bycause boothe hee hymselfe wyll keepe thys ordre and yt should lytle profyte vs to haue hym benefytiall vnlesse oure conscience feelynge hym appeased shoulde througely make hym louelye vnto vs. Whyche wee are also taughte by the aunswere of Christe For when hee hadde decreed to heale the manne sycke of the Palsey hee sayde Thy sinnes are forgeuen thee lifting vp our mindes therby to that which is chefely to be wisshed that God first receiue vs into fauoure and then shew forth the frute of reconciliation in helping vs. But byside that speciall confession of present gyltynesse wherby the faithful make supplication to obteine pardon of euery speciall faulte peine that general preface which procureth fauour to praiers is neuer to be omitted bicause vnlesse thei be grounded vpon the free mercie of God they shall neuer obteine any thing of God Whereunto maye be referred that sayeng of Ihon If we confesse oure sinnes he is faithfull righteous to forgeue vs and cleanse vs from al iniquitie For which cause it behoued praiers in the time of the law to be hallowed with expiatioÌ„ of bloode that they might be acceptable and that so the people sholde be put in minde that thei are vnworthy of so great a prerogotiue of honour til being cleansed from their defilinges thei shold of the onely mercie of God conceiue affiance to praye But wheras the holy ones seme somtime for the entreating of God to allege the helpe of their owne righteousnes as when Dauid saith Kepe my soule bicause I am good Again Ezechias RemeÌ„bre lord I beseche thee that I haue walked before thee in truthe haue done good in thyne eyes by such formes of speaking thei meane nothing els than by their very regeneratioÌ„ to testifie theÌ„selues to be the seruants childreÌ„ of God to whom he himselfe pronounceth that he wil be mercifull He teacheth by that prophet as we haue already seen that his eies are vpon the righteous his cares vnto their praiers Againe by the apostle that we shal obteine whatsoeuer we ask if we kepe his coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts In which sayenges he doth not value praier by the worthines of works but his will is so to stablish their affiance whose own coÌ„scieÌ„ce wel assureth theÌ„ of an unâ—ayned vprightnes inocenci such as al the faithful ought to be For the same is taken out of the very truth of God which the blindeman that had his sight restored saith in Ihon that God heareth not sinners if wee vnderstaÌ„d sinners after the coÌ„moÌ„ vse of the scripture for such as wtout al desire of righteousnesse do altogether slepe rest vpoÌ„ their sinnes forasmuch as no heart can
therfore faulti gredines of vengeaÌ„ce did beare rule therin God graÌ„ted it WherupoÌ„ it semeth that it mai be gathered that although the praiers be not framed accordiÌ„g to the prescribed rule of the word yet thei obteine their effect I answer first that a general law is not takeÌ„ away by singular examples again that soÌ„time special motioÌ„s haue ben put into a few meÌ„ wherby it came to passe that ther was an other coÌ„sideratioÌ„ of theÌ„ thaÌ„ of the coÌ„moÌ„ people For the answer of Christ is to be noted wheÌ„ the disciples did vndiscretly desire to couÌ„terfait the exaÌ„ple of Elias that thei knew not with what spirit thei were endued But we must go yet further say that the praiers do not alwai please god which he graÌ„teth but that so much as serueth for exaÌ„ple that is by clere praise made plaine which the scripture teaceth namely yâ— he succoureth the miserable heareth the gronings of theÌ„ which being vniustli trobled do craue his help that therfor he executeth his iudgmeÌ„ts wheÌ„ the coÌ„plaints of the poore rise vp to hiÌ„ although thei be vnworthy to obtein anithiÌ„g be it neuer so litle For how oft hath he taking veÌ„geance of the cruelties robberies violeÌ„ce silthi lustes other wicked doings of the vngodly subduiÌ„g their boldnes rage also ouerthrowiÌ„g their tyraÌ„nous power testified that he helpeth the vnworthili oppressed which yet did beat the aire with praieng to an vncertaine godhed And one psalme plainly teacheth that the praiers want not effect which yet do not pearce into heauen by faith For he gathereth together those praiers which necessitie wringeth no lesse out of the vnbeleuers thaÌ„ out of the godly by the very feliÌ„g of nature to which yet he proueth by the effect that god is fauourable Is it bicause he dothe with such gentlenes testifie that that thei be pleasing to him No. but to enlarge or to set out his mercie by this circumstance for yâ— euen to vnbeleuers their praiers ar not denied then the more to pricke forward his true worshipers to pray when thei see that profaine wailiÌ„gs somtime waÌ„t not their effect Yet ther is no cause why the faith ful shold swarue froÌ„ the law laid vpoÌ„ theÌ„ by God or shold enuie the vnbeleuers as though thei had gotten som great gaine wheÌ„ thei haue obteined their desire After this maÌ„ner we haue said that the lord was bowed with the repeÌ„tance of Achab that he might shew by this exaÌ„ple how easy he is to entreat toward his elect when true turning is brought to appease him Therfore in the psalme he blameth the Iewes that thei hauing bi experieÌ„ce proued him so easy to grant their praiers yet wtin a litle after returned to the stubbornes of their nature Which also plainely appeareth by the historie of the Iudges namely that so oft as thei wept although their teares were deceitful â–ª yet thei were deliuered out of the hands or their enemies As therfore the lord indifferently bringeth forth his sunne vpoÌ„ the good the euel so doth he also not despise their weepinges whose cause is righteous their miseries woorthy of helpe In the meane time he no more heareth these to saluation thaÌ„ herein ministreth foode to the despisers of his goodnes The questioÌ„ semeth to be somwhat harder of AbrahaÌ„ Samuel of whom the one being warraÌ„ted by no word of god praied for the Sodomites the other agaiÌ„st a manifest forbiddiÌ„g praied for Saul Likewise is iâ— of Ieremie which praied that the citie might not be destroied For though their requestes were denied yet it semeth harde to take faith from them Butte this solution shall as I truste satisfie sober readers that tâ—ei being instructed with the general principles whereby God coÌ„mauÌ„deth theÌ„ to be merciful eueÌ„ also to the vnworthy wer not altogether wtout faith although in a speciall case their opinion deceyued theÌ„ Augustine writeth wisely in a certaine place How sayth he do the holy ones praie by faith to ask of God contrarie to that which he hath decreed Euen bicause thei pray according to his wil not that hidden an vncheaÌ„geable wil but the wil which he inspireth into them that he mai heare them after an other maÌ„ner as he wisely maketh differeÌ„ce This is wel said bicause after his incoÌ„prehensible couÌ„sel he so teÌ„pereth the successes of things that the praiers of the holy ones be not voide which ar wrapped both with faith errore together Neither yet ought this more to auayle to be an exaÌ„ple to folow thaÌ„ it excuseth the holy ones theÌ„selues whome I denie not to haue passed measure Wherfore wher appeareth no certaine promise we must ask of God with a coÌ„ditioÌ„ adioined To which purpose serueth the saieng of Dauid Watch to the iudgment which that hast coÌ„maunded bicause he telleth that he was warranted by a special oracle to aske a temporall benefite This also it is profitable to note that those things which I haue spokeÌ„ of the fower rules of right praier are not so exactly required with extreeme rigor that God refuseth the praiers in which he shal not finde either perfect faith or perfect repentaÌ„ce together with a feruentnesse of zele wel ordered requestes We haue said that although praier be a familiar talke of the godly with God yet we must kepe a reuerence modestie that we geue not loose reines to all requestes whatsoeuer thei be that we desire no more thaÌ„ God geueth leaue theÌ„ least the maiestie of God shold growe in contempt with vs that we must lift our mindes vpward to a pure and vndefiled worshiping of him This no maÌ„ hath euer performed with such purenesse as it ought to be For to speak nothing of the coÌ„mon sort how many coÌ„plaintes of Dauid do sauore of vnteÌ„perance not that he meant of purpose to quarel with God or carpe against his iudgments but bicause he fainting for weakenesse found no other better comfort than to cast his sorrowes into his bosome Yea God beareth with our childish speache and pardoneth our ignoraÌ„ce so oft as any thing vnaduisedly escapeth vs as truely wtout this teÌ„der bearing ther shold be no libertie of praieng But although Dauids mind was to submit himself wholly to the wil of God he praied with no lesse patieÌ„ce thaÌ„ desire to obteine yet there arise yea boile out somtimes troublous affections which are much disagreing from the first rule that we haue set Specially we maye perceaue by the conclusion of the xxxix psalme with how great vehemence of sorrow that holy man was carried away that he cold not kepe measure Cesse saith he froÌ„ me til I go away be not A man wold saye that he like a desperate man desireth nothing els but that the hand of God cessing he might rot in his euels He saith it not for that he with an auowed minde runneth into such outrage or as the reprobate ar wont wold haue God
these words The sede of Abraham are his seruantes the children of Iacob his elect And after that he hath rehearsed the continuall benefites of God as frutes of the election at length he concludeth that he dealt so liberally because he remembred hys couenant With which doctrine agreeth the song of the whole Chirche Thy right hande and the light of thy countenance gaue the lande to our Fathers because thou wast pleased in them But it is to be noted that where mētion is made of the land it is a visible signe of the secret seuering wherin the adoption is conteined To the same thankefulnesse Dauid in an other place exhorteth the people sayeng Blessed is the nation whoe 's God the Lorde is the people whiche he hath chosen for an inheritance to himselfe And Samuell encourageth them to good hope sayeng The Lorde wyll not forsake you for hys owne great names sake because it pleased him to create you for a people to himselfe Likewise Dauid when his faith is assailed armeth himselfe to fight sayeng Blessed is he whome thou haste chosen he shal dwel in thy courtes But forasmuche as the election hidden in GOD was stablished as well by the first deliuerance as by the seconde and other meane benefites in Esaie the worde of Electing is transferred to this God shal haue mercie on Iacob and he shall yet choose out of Israell because he signifieng the tyme to come sayeth that the gathering together of the remnante of the people which he semed to haue forsaken shal be a signe of the stable and stedfaste election whiche ones semed to haue ben fallen awaye When also it is sayed in an other place I haue chosen thee and haue not caste thee awaye he setteth oute the continuall course of the notable liberalitie of hys fatherly good wyll And yet more playnly the Aungell sayeth in zacharie GOD shall yet choose Ierusalem as though in hardly chasting it he had reiected it or a◠though the exile were an interrupting of the election which yet remaineth inuiolable although the signes therof do not alway appeare There is to be added a seconde degree more narowly restrained or in which was seen a more special grace of God when of the same kinred of Abraham God refused some and other some by nourishing them in the Chirche he shewed that he reteined among his childrē Ismael had at the beginning obteined egall degree with his brother Isaac because the spirituall couenante had ben no lesse sealed in hym by the signe of Circumcision He is cutt of and then Esay at the last an innumerable multitude and almost Israell In Isaac was the sede called the same calling endured in Iacob A lyke example God shewed in reiecting Saule whiche thing is also gloriously sett fourth in the Psalme He hath putt backe the tribe of Ioseph and the tribe of Ephraim he hath not chosen but he hath chosen the tribe of Iuda Which the holy historie diuerse times repeteth that the wonderfull secret of the grace maye the better appeare in this change Ismaell Esau and suche other I graunt fell from the adoption by their owne faulte and gyltynesse because there was a condition adioyned that they should faythfully kepe the couenant of God whiche they falsly brake But this was yet a singular benefit of God that he vouchesaued to preferre them aboue the other Gētiles as it is sayd in the Psalme He hath not so done to other nations nor hath opened hys iugementes to them But here I haue not without cause sayd that there be twoo degrees to be noted because nowe in the choosing of the whole nation GOD shewed that he is in his owne mere liberalitie bounde to no lawes but he is free so that egall portion of grace is not to be required at hys hande the vnequalitie wherof sheweth that it is truely of free gifte Therefore Malachie amplifieth the vnthankfulnesse of Israell because they being not onely chosen out of all mankinde but also seuered out of a holy house to be a peculiar people doo vnfaythfully and wickedly despise GOD so beneficiall a Father Was not Esau the brother of Iacob sayth he and yet Iacob I loued but Esau I hated For GOD taketh it for confessed that when eyther of them was borne of a holy Father and successor of the couenant finally a braunch of the holy roote nowe the childrē of Iacob were more than commonly bonde which were taken into that dignitie But whē Esau the first begotten being refused their Father which was by nature inferior was made the heyre he proueth them doblely vnthankfull and complayneth that they were not holden wyth that doble bonde Althoughe it be allredy sufficiently euidente that GOD doth by hys secrete counsell freely chose whome he wyll reiecting other yet hys free election is hetherto but halfe shewed tyll we come to all particular persones to whome GOD not onely offereth saluation but so assigneth it that the certaintie of the effect thereof is not in suspense or doutefull For these are accompted in that onely sede whereof Paule maketh mention For althoughe the adoption was left in the hande of Abraham yet because many of his posteritie were cutt of as rotten members that the election maye be effectuall and truely stedfast we must nedes ascende to the hed in whō the heauenly Father hath bounde together his electe one with one other and hath knit them to hymselfe with a knott impossible to be loosed So in the adoption of y◠kinred of Abraham shined the liberall fauor of God which he denied to other men yet in the members of Christe appeareth a muche more excellente strength of grace because they being graffed into their hed doe neuer fall awaye from saluation Therefore Paule doth fittly reason out of the place of Malachie which I euen nowe alleged that where God with making a couenant of eternal life calleth any people to hymselfe there is in parte a speciall manner of election that he doth not choose all effectually with common grace Whereas it is sayed I haue loued Iacob this perteineth to the whole issue of the Patriarch which the Prophete there setteth in comparisō against the posteritie of Esau. Yet this withstandeth not but that in the persone of one man was sete fourth to vs an example of the election whiche can not slippe away but muste come to the marke that it tendeth to These Paule doth not vainely note to be called remnantes because experience teacheth that of a greate multitude many slide and vanishe away so that oftentimes there remaineth but a small portion But why the generall election of a people is not alway fyrme and stedfast there is a reason offring it selfe in redinesse because with whome GOD couenanteth he doeth not by and by geue to them the Spirite of regeneration by the power whereof they maye continue in the couenante to the ende but the outwarde changing without the inwarde effectualnesse of grace which
iudgement to them when they had determined he folowed and obeyed When he writeth to the Pastors he doth not commaunde them by authoritie as Superior but he maketh them his companions and gently exhorteth them as egalles are wont to doe When he was accused for that he had gone in to the Gentiles although it were without cause yet he answered and purged hym selfe When he was commaunded by hys felowes to goe with Iohn into Samaria he refused not Wheras the Apostles did send hym they did therby declare that they helde hym not for their superior Wheras he obeyed and toke vpon hym the embassage committed to him he did therby confesse that he had a felowship with them and not an authoritie ouer them If none of these thynges were yet the onely Epistle to the Galathians may easily take al doutyng from vs where almost in twoo whole Chapters together Paul trauayleth to proue nothyng ells but that he hymselfe was egall to Peter in honor of Apostleship Then he rehearseth that he came to Peter not to professe subiection but onely to make their consent of doctrine approued by testimonie to all men and that Peter himselfe required no such thyng but gaue hym hys ryghte hande of felowship to worke in common together in the Lordes vineyarde and that there was no lesser grace geuen to hym among the Gentiles than to Peter among the Iewes Finally that when Peter dealt not very faithfully he was corrected by him and obeyed his reprouing All these thynges doe make playne either that there was an equalitie betwene Paule and Peter or at least that Peter had no more power ouer the rest than they had ouer hym And as I haue already sayed Paule of purpose laboureth about this that none shoulde preferre before him in the Apostleship either Peter or Iohn which wer fellowes not Lordes But to graunte them that whiche they require concerning Peter that is that he was the Prince of the Apostles and excelled the reste in dignitie yet there is no cause why they shoulde of a singular example make an vniuersal rule and draw to perpetuitie that which hath been ones done sith there is a farre differing reasō One was chiefe among the Apostles forsoth because they were fewe in number If one were the chiefe of .xii. men shall it therfore folow that one oughte to be made ruler of a hundred thousande men It is no maruell that .xii. had one among them that should rule them al For nature beareth thys the wit of men requireth this that in euery assembly although they be all egall in power yet there be one as a gouernour whom the rest may haue regard vnto There is no court wythout a Consul no session of iudges wtout a pretor or propoūder no company wtout a ruler no felowship wtout a master So should it be no absurditie if we cōfessed that the Apostles gaue to Peter such a Supremicie But the which is of force among fewe is not by by to be drawē to the whole worlde to the ruling wherof no one mā is sufficiēt But sai thei this hath place no lesse in the whole vniuersalitie of nature thā in al the partes that there be one soueraigne hed of al. And herof and God wil they fetch a profe frō cranes and bees which alway choose to themselues one guide not many I allowe in dede the examples which they bryng forth but do bees resort together out of all the world to choose thē one kyng euery seueral kyng is content with hys own hyue So among cranes euery heard hath their own king What ells shall they proue hereby but that euery Chirche ought to haue their own seueral Bishop appoynted them Then they cal vs to ciuile examples They allege that saying of Homere It is not good to haue many gouernours such thynges as in like sense are red in prophane wryters to the cōmēdation of Monarchie The answer is easy For Monarchie is not praysed of Ulysses in Homere or of any other in this meanyng as though one ought to be Emperor of the whole world but they meane to shewe that one kingdome can not holde twoo kynges and that power as he calleth it can abide no companion But let it be as they wil that it is good profitable that the whole worlde be holdē vnder Monarchie which yet is a very great absurditie but let it be so yet I wil not therfore graūt that the same should take place in the gouernement of the Chirch For the Chirche hath Christ her onely head vnder whoe 's dominiō we al cleaue together acording to that order and the forme of policie which he hath prescribed Therefore they doe a great wrong to Christ when by the pretense they wil haue one mā to be ruler of the vniuersal Christ because it cā not be wtout a hed For Christ is the hed of whom the whole body coupled knit together in euery ioint wher with one ministreth to an other according to the working of euery member in the measure therof maketh encrease of the body Se you not how he setteth all men wythout exception in the body leaueth the honor name of hed to Christ alone Se you not how he geueth to euery member a certayne measure a determined and limited function whereby both the perfection of the grace the soueraigne power of gouernance may remayne wyth Christ onely Neyther am I ignorante what they are wont to cauill when this is obiected against them they say that Christ is properly called the only hed because he alone reigneth by hys owne authoritie in hys own name but that thys nothyng wtstandeth but that there may be vnder hym an other ministerial hed as they terme it that may be his vicegerent in earth But by this cauillatiō they preuaile nothing vnlesse they first shew that this ministerie was ordeined by Christe For the Apostle teacheth that the whole ministratiō is dispersed through the members that the power floweth frō that one heauēly hed Or if they will haue it any plainlier spokē sith the Scripture testifieth the Christ is the hed and claimeth that honor to him alone it ought not to be transferred to any other but whō Christ himselfe hath made his vicar But that is not onely no where redde but also may be largely confuted by many places Paule somtimes depainteth vnto vs a liuely image of the Chirche of one head he maketh there no mention But rather by hys description we maye gather that it is disagreing from the institution of Christe Christe at his ascending toke from vs the visible presence of hymselfe yet he went vp to fulfill all thynges Now therefore the Chirche hath hym yet presente and alway shall haue When Paule goeth aboute to shewe the meane wherby he presenteth hymselfe he calleth vs backe to the ministeries which he vseth The Lorde sayeth he is in vs al according to the
measure of grace that he hath geuen to euery meÌ„ber Therfore he hath appointed some Apostles some Pastors some Euangelistes other some Teachers c. Why doth he not say that he hath set one ouer all to be his vicegerente For the place require 〈◊〉 principally and it could by no meanes haue been omitted if it haâ—â—â—â—n true Christ saieth he is with vs. Howe by the ministerie of men whom he hath appointed to gouerne the Chirche Why not rather by the ministeriall hed to whom he hath committed his stede He nameth vnâ—â—â— but in God and in the fayth of Christe He assigneth to meÌ„ nothing but common ministerie and to euery one a particular measure In thaâ— commendation of vnitie after that he had saied that there is one body one Spirite one hope of calling one God one Faith one Baptisme why hath he not also immediatly added one chiefe Bishop that may holde the Chirche together in vnitie For nothing could haue been more fytly spoken if it had been true Lette that place be diligently weyed It is no doute but that he meante there altogether to represente the holye and spirituall gouernemente of the Chirche whiche they that came after called Hierachie As for Monarchie among ministers he not only nameth none but also sheweth that there is none It is also no doute but that he meant to expresse the manner of conioyning whereby the faythful cleaue together with Christ their hed There he not only speaketh of no ministerial hed but appointeth to euery of the meÌ„bers a particular working according to the measure of grace distributed to euery one Neither is there any reason why they should suttelly dispute of the comparison of the heauenly and earthly Hierarchie For it is not safe to know beyonde measure of it And in framing thys gouernemente we must folow no other figure thaÌ„ the Lord himselfe hath painted out in his worde Now although I graunt them an other thing which thei shal neuer winne by profe before sober men that the supremicie of the Chirche was so stablished in Peter that it should alway remayne by perpetuall succession yet how wil they proue that his seate was so placed at Rome that whosoeuer is Bishop of that Chirche should be set ouer the whole worlde By what right do they binde this dignitie to the place which is geuen without mention of place Peter say they liued died at Rome What did Christ himselfe Did not he while he liued exercise his Bishoprike and in dyeng fulfill the office of Priesthode at Hierusalem The Prince of Pastors the soueraigne Bishop the hed of the Chirche could not purchase honor to the place and could Peter that was farre inferior to him Are not these follies more than childishe Christe gaue the honor of supremicie to Peter Peter sate at Rome therfore he there placed the see of Supremicie By thys reason the Israelites in olde tyme myght haue set the seate of Supremicie in the desert where Moses the chiefe Teacher and Prince of Prophetes executed his ministerie and dyed Lette vs see howe trimly they reason Peter saye they hadde the Supremicie among the Apostles therefore the Chirche where he sate oughte to haue that priuilege But where sate he firste At Antioche saye they Therfore the Chirche of Antioche doth rightly claime to it selfe the supremicie They coÌ„fesse that it was in old time the first but they say that in remouing thense he remoued to Rome the honor that he had brought with hym For there is an Epistle vnder the name of Pope Marcellus to the Bishops of Antioche where he saieth thus Peters seate was at the beginning with you which afterward by the Lordes commaundement was remoued hether So the Chirch of Antioche which was ones the chiefe hath geueÌ„ place to the see of Rome But by what Oracle had that good man learned that the Lord so commauÌ„ded For if this cause be to be determined by the law it is necessary that they answere whether they wil haue this priuilege to be personal or real or mirt For it must be one of these three If they say that it is personal then it belongeth nothing to the place If they say that it is real theÌ„ wheÌ„ it is ones geueÌ„ to the place it is not takeÌ„ away by resoÌ„ either of the death or departure of the persoÌ„ It remaineth therfore that thei must sai it is mixt but theÌ„ that place shal not be simply to be coÌ„sidered vnlesse the persoÌ„ do also agre Let them choose which soeuer they wil I will by by inferre easily proue that Rome can by no meane take the supremicie vpon it selfe But be it that as they triflingly say the supremecie was remoued from Antioche to Rome yet why did not Antioche kepe the secoÌ„de place For if Rome haue therfore the first place because Peter sate there to the ende of his life to whoÌ„ shal the seconde place rather be grauÌ„ted thaÌ„ where he had his first seate How came it to passe then that Alexandria went before Antioche How agreeth it that the Chirch of one disciple should be aboue the seate of Peter If honor be due to euery Chirche according to the worthinesse of the founder what shal we say also of the other Chirches Paul nameth three that semed to be pillers Iames Peter and Iohn If the first place wer geueÌ„ to the see of Rome in the honor of Peter dooe not the sees of Ephesus HierusaleÌ„ where Iohn Iames sate deserue the seconde and thirde place But among the Patriarches HierusaleÌ„ had the laste place Ephesus could not sit so much as in the vttermost corner And other Chirches wer left out both al those that Paule founded those that the other Apostles wer rulers of The seate of Marke which was but one of their disciples obteined the honor Therfore they must either coÌ„fesse that that was a preposterous order or they must graunt vs that this is not a perpetual rule that there be due to euery Chirche the same degree of honor which the founder had Howbeit as for that which they report of Peters sitting in the Chirch of Rome I see not what credit it oughte to haue Truely that whiche is in Eusebius that he ruled there fyue and twenty yeares is very easily confuted For it is euident by the firste and seconde Chapter to the Galathians that about .xx. yeares after the death of Christ he was at Hierusalem and that theÌ„ he went to Antioche where howe long he was is vncertayne Gregorie reckeneth seuen yeares and Eusebius twentie and fyue But from the death of Christ to the ende of Neroes Empire in whoe 's tyme they say that he was slayne there shal be founde but thirty and seuen yeres For the Lord suffered vnder Tiberius the eightenthe yeare of his Empire If you rebate twentie yeares duryng the whiche Paule is wytnesse that Peter dwelte at Hierusalem there wyll remayne but seuentene yeres at the
most which must now be deuided betwene twoo Bishoprykes If he taried long at Antioche he coulde not sitte at Rome but a very little while Whiche thyng we maye yet also more plainely proue Paule wrote to the Romaines when he was in his iourney going to Hierusalem where he was taken and from thense broughte to Rome It is likely that this Epistle was written fower yeres before that he came to Rome Therein is yet no mention of Peter which should not haue been left out if Peter had ruled that Chirche Yea and in the ende also when he rehearseth a greate number of the Godly whom he biddeth to be saluted where verily he gathereth together all those that he knewe he yet sayth vtterly nothing of Peter Neither is it nedefull here to make a long or curious demonstration to men of sounde iudgement for the mater it selfe and the whole argument of the Epistle crieth out that he should not haue ouerpassed Peter if he had been at Rome Then Paule was brought prisoner to Rome Luke reporteth that he was receiued of the brethren of Peter he saieth nothing He wrote from thense to many Chirches and in some places also he writeth salutatiōs in the names of certaine but he doth not in one worde shewe that Peter was there at that tyme. Who I praye you shal thinke it likely that he could haue passed him ouer with silence if he had been present Yea to the Philippians where he sayed that he had none that so faythfully loked vnto the worke of the Lord as Timothee he complayned that they did all seke their owne And to the same Timothee he maketh a more greuous complaynte that none was with him at hys fyrst defense but all forsoke hym where therefore was Peter then For if they saye that he was then at Rome how greate a shame doeth Paule charge him with that he was a forsaker of the Gospell For he speaketh of the beleuers because he addeth God impute it not vnto them Howe long therefore and in what tyme dyd Peter kepe that seate But it is a constant opinion of writers that he gouerned that Chirche euen to his death But among the writers themselues it is not certayne who was hys successor because some saye Linus and other some saye Clement And they tell many fonde fables of the disputation had betwene him and Simon the magician And Augustine sticketh not to confesse when he entreateth of Superstitions that by reason of an opinion rashly conceiued there was a custome growen in vse at Rome that they shoulde not faste that daye that Peter gott the victory of Simon the magician Finally the doinges of that tyme are so entangled with diuersitie of opinions that we ought not rashly to beleue where we finde any thyng wrytten And yet by reason of thys consente of writers I stryue not agaynst thys that he dyed there but yet that he was Bishop there and specially a long tyme I can not be perswaded neither do I muche passe vpon that also forasmuche as Paule testifieth that Peters Apostleshyp did peculiarly belong to the Iewes and hys owne to vs. Therefore that that felowship which they couenanted betwene themselues maye be confirmed with vs or rather that the ordinance of the Holy ghost may stande in force among vs we oughte to haue respecte rather to the Apostleship of Paule than of Peter For the Holy ghost so diuided the prouinces betwene them that he appointed Peter to the Iewes and Paule to vs. Now therefore let the Romanistes goe and seke their supremicie ells where than in the worde of God where it is founde not to be grounded Now let vs come to the olde Chirche that it may also be made to appeare plainly that our aduersaries doe no lesse causelesly falsly boast of the consent therof than they doe of the witnesse of the word of God When therefore they bragg of that principle of theirs that the vnitie of the Chirche can not otherwise be kept together but if there be one supreme hed in earth to whom all the members may obey and that therfore the Lorde gaue the supremicie to Peter and from thense forth to the see of Rome by right of succession that the same should remaine in it to the ende they affirme that thys hath been alwaye obserued from the beginning But forasmuch as they wrōgfully wrest many testimonies I wil first say this aforehande that I deny not but that the olde writers do eche where geue great honor to the Chirche of Rome and dooe speake reuerētly of it Which I thinke to be done specially for thre causes For that same opinion which I wote not how was growen in force that it was founded ordeined by the ministerie of Peter much auailed to procure fauor estimation vnto it Therfore in the Easte partes it was for honors sake called the see Apostolike Secondlye when the hed of the Empire was there and that therefore it was likely that in that place were men more excellente both in learning and wisedome and skill and experience of many thynges than any where ells there was worthily consideration had therof that both the honor of the citie and also the other more excellent giftes of God should not seme to be despised There was beside these also a thirde thing that when the Chirches of the Easte and of Grecia yea and of Africa were in tumultes among themselues with disagrementes of opinions y◠Chirch of Rome was quieter and lesse full of troubles than the rest So came it to passe that the godly and holy Byshops being driuē out of their seates did oftentimes flee thether as into a Sanctuarie or certaine hauen For as the Westerne men are of lesse sharpenesse swiftnesse of witt than the Asians or Africans be so much are they lesse desirous of alteratiōs Thys therfore added much authoritie to the Chirch of Rome that in those doutefull times it was not so troubled as the reste and did holde the doctrine ones deliuered them faster than al the rest as we shal by and by better declare For these three causes I say it was had in no small honor and commended with many notable testimonies of the olde writers But when oure aduersaries will thereupon gather that it hath a supremicie and soueraigne power ouer other Chirches they do to much amisse as I haue already said And that the same maye the better appeare I will firste brefely shewe what the olde fathers thought of this vnitie which they enforce so earnestly Hierome writīg to Nepotianus after that he had recited many examples of vnitie at the laste descended to the Hierarchie of the Chirch Eche Bishop of euery seueral Chirch eche Archepriest eche Archedeacon and al the ecclesiastical order do rest vpon their own rulers Here a Romaine Priest speaketh he cōmendeth vnitie in the ecclesiastical order why doeth he not rehearse that al Chirches are knit together with one hed as with one bonde
Athanasius the chief defendour there of the true faith was driuen out of his see such calamitie cōpelled him to come to Rome that with that authoritie of the see of Rome he might both after a sort represse the rage of his enemies and confirme the godly that were in distresse He was honourably receiued of Iulius then Bishop and obteined that the Bishops of the west toke vpon them the defence of his cause Therfore when the godly stoode in great neede of foreyn aide and sawe that there was very good succour for them in the Chirche of Rome they willyngly gaue vnto it the most authoritie that they coulde But all that was nothyng els but that the cōmunion therof should be hiely estemed it should be compted a great shame to be excommunicate of it Afterward euill and wicked men also added much vnto it For to escape lawfull iudgementes they fledde to this sanctuarie Therfore if any priest were condemned by his bishop or any Bishop by the Synode of his prouince they by and by appelled to Rome And the Bishops of Rome receiued suche appellations more gredily than was mete because it semed to be a forme of extraordinarie power so to entermedle with maters farre and wide aboute them So when Eutiches was condemned by Flauianus Bishop of Constantinople he complained to Leo that he had wrong doone vnto hym Leo without delay no lesse vndiscretely then sodeinly toke in hande the defence of an euill cause he greuousely inueyed againste Flauianus as though he had without hearyng the cause condemned an innocent and by this his ambition he caused that the vngodlynesse of Eutiches was for a certaine space of time strengthned In Affrica it is euidēt that this oftentimes chaunced For so soone as any lewde man had taken a foile in ordinarie iudgement he by and by flewe to Rome and charged his contreemen with many sclaunderous reports and the see of Rome was alway ready to entermedle Whiche lewdnesse compelled the Bishops of Affrica to make a lawe that none vnder peyn of excōmunication should appelle beyond the sea But what soeuer it were let vs see what authoritie or power the see of Rome then hadde Ecclesiasticall power is conteined in these fower pointes orderyng of Byshops summonyng of Councels hearing of Appealles or iurisdiction Chastisyng admonitions or censures All the olde Synodes commaunde Bishops to be consecrate by their owne Metropolitanes and they neuer bid the bishop of Rome to bee called vnto it but in his owne Patriarchie But by litle and litle it grewe in vse that all the Bishops of Italie came to Rome to fetche their consetration except the Metropolitans which suffred not themselues to bee brought into suche bondage but when any Metropolitane was to be consecrate the bishop of Rome sent thether one of his priestes whiche should onely be present but not president Of whiche thyng there is an example in Gregorie at the consecration of Constantius Bishoppe of Millain after the death of Laurence Howbeit I dooe not thinke that that was a very auncient institution but when at the beginning for honor and good willes sake they sent one to an other their Legates to be witnesses of the cōsecration and to testifie cōmunion with them afterward that whiche was voluntarie beganne to be holden for necessarie Howe soeuer it be it is euident that in olde tyme the Bishop of Rome had not the power of consecratyng but in the prouince of his owne Patriarchie that is to say in the Chirches adioynyng to the citie as the canon of the Nicene Synode sayth To the Consecration was annexed the sendyng of a Synodicall Epistle in which he was nothing aboue the reste For the Patriarches were wont immediatly after their consecration by solemne writyng to declare their faithe whereby they professed that they subscribed to the holy and catholike Councelles So rendryng an accompt of their Faith they did approue them selues one to an other If the Bishop of Rome had receiued of other and not him selfe geuen this confession he had thereby been acknowleged superior but when he was no lesse bounde to geue it than to require it of other and to be subiect to the common lawe truely that was a token of felowship not of dominion Of this thyng there is an example in Gregories epistle to Anastasius and to Cyriacus of Constantinople and in other places to all the Patriaches together Then folowe admonitions or censures whiche as in olde tyme the Bishops of Rome vsed toward other so they dyd agayne suffer them of other Ireneus greuously reproued Uictor because he vndiscretely for a thyng of no value troubled the Chirche with a pernicious dissention Uictor obeyed and spurned not against it Such a libertie was then in vre among the holy Byshops that they vsed a brotherly authoritie toward the Bishop of Rome in admonishyng and chastisyng hym if he at any tyme offended He agayn when occasion required did admonishe other of their duetie and if there were any fault rebuked it For Cyprian when he exhorteth Stephen to admonishe the bishops of Fraunce fetcheth not his argument frō the greater power but from the cōmon right that priestes haue among themselues I beseche you if Stephen had then ben ruler ouer Fraunce would not Cyprian haue saide Restraine them because they be thyne but he saieth farre otherwise This saieth he the brotherly felowshyp wherwith we be bounde one to an other requireth that we should admonishe one an other And we see also with how great sharpnes of words he being otherwise a mā of a mild nature inueyeth against Stephē himself whē he thinketh him to be to insolēt Therfore in this behalfe also there appereth not yet that the Bishop of Rome had any iurisdictiō ouer them that wer not of his own prouince As concernyng the callyng together of Synodes this was the office of euery Metropolitane at certaine appointed tymes to assemble a Prouinciall Synode There the Bishop of Rome had no authoritie But a General coūsel the Emperour only might sūmō For if any of the Bishops had attēpted it not only they that wer out of his prouince would not haue obeyed his callyng but also there would by and by haue risē an vprore Therfore the Emperour indifferētly warned them all to be present Socrates in dede reporteth that Iulius dyd expostulate with the bishops of the East because they called hym not to the Synode of Antioche whereas it was forbidden by the Canons that any thyng shoulde be decreed without the knowledge of the Bishop of Rome But whoe doeth not see that this is to be vnderstanded of suche decrees as bynde the whole vniuersall Chirche Nowe it is no meruayle if thus muche be graunted bothe to the antiquitie and honor of the citie and to the dignitie of the see that there should be no generall decree made of religion in the absence of the Bishop of Rome if he refuse not to bee present But what is this to the
dominion ouer the whole Chirche For we denie not that he was one of the chief but we will not graunt that which the Romanistes nowe affirme that he had a dominion ouer all Nowe remaineth the fowerth kynde of power which standeth in appealles It is euident that he hath the chief power to whoe 's iudgement seate appellation is made Many oftentimes appelled to the Bishop of Rome and he him self also went about to draw the hearyng of causes to himselfe but he was alway laughed to scorne when he passed his owne boundes I will speake nothyng of the East and of Grecia but it is certain that the Bishops of Fraunce stoutely withstode hym when he semed to take to himselfe an empire ouer theim In Affrica there was long debate about that mater For where at the Mileuitane Councell at whiche Augustine was present they were excōmunicate that appealled beiond the sea the Bishop of Rome trauailed to bring to passe that that decree might be amended He sente his legates to shewe that that priuiledge was geuen to hym by the Nicene Councell The Legates brought foorth the actes of the Nicene Councell whiche they had fetched out of the storehouse of their owne Chirch The Affricans withstode it and denied that the Bishopes of Rome ought to bee credited in their owne cause and said that therfore they would sende to Constantinople into other cities of Grecia where copies were to be had that were lesse suspicious It was found that therin was no such thyng written as the Romains had pretended So was that decree confirmed which tooke the chiefe hearing of causes from the Bishop of Rome In whiche doyng the lewde shamelesnesse of the Bishop of Rome hymself appeared For when he guilefully did thrust in the Synode at Sardes in stede of the Nicene Synode he was shamefully taken in a manifeste falsehoode But yet greater and more shamelesse was their wickednesse that added a forged Epistle to the Councell wherein I wote not what bishop of Carthage condemnyng the arrogance of Aurelius his predecessour for that he was so bolde to withdrawe himselfe from the obedience of the see Apostolike and yeldyng himselfe and his Chirche humbly craueth pardon These be the goodly monumentes of antiquitie whervppon the maiestie of the see of Rome is founded while they so childishlye vnder the pretence of Antiquitie that very blind men may fynde it oute by gropyng Aurelius saieth he puffed vp with deuelishe boldenesse and stubbornesse rebelled against Christe and saint Peter and therfore to be condemned with curse What said Augustine But what saide so many Fathers that were present at the Mileuitane Councell But what nede is it to spend many words in confutyng that foolishe writyng whiche the Romanistes themselues if they haue any face left can not looke vpon without great shame So Gratian I can not tell whether of malice or of ignorance where he rehersed that decree that they should be excommunicate that appealle beyonde the see addeth an exception Unlesse peraduenture they appealle to the see of Rome What may a man do to these beasts which are so voide of cōmon reason that they except that only thing out of the law for whoe 's cause euery man seeth that the law was made For the Councel when it condemneth appealles beyōd the sea forbiddeth only this that none should appelle to Rome Here the good expositor excepteth Rome out of the cōmon lawe But to determine this questiō at ones one historie shal make plaine what maner of iurisdiction the bishop of Rome had in old time Donate of the blacke houses had Cecilian bishop of Carthage The mā accused was condemned his cause not heard For when he knew that the bishops had conspired against him he would not appeare Then the mater came to the Emperour Constantine He forasmuche as he willed to haue the mater ended by ecclesiasticall iudgement cōmitted the hearing of it to Melciades bishop of Rome To whom he adioyned felow commissioners many bishops of Italie Fraunce and Spaine If that belonged to the ordinarie iurisdiction of the see of Rome to heare an appeale in an ecclesiasticall cause why doeth he suffre other to be ioyned with him at the will of the Emperour Yea why did he himselfe take the iudgement vpon him rather by the Emperors cōmaūdement than by his own office But let vs heare what hapned afterward There Ceciliā got the victorie Donate of the blacke houses was cōdemned for sclaūder he appelled Constātine cōmitted the iudgemēt of the appelle to the bishop of Orleance He sate as iudge to pronounce what he thought after the bishop of Rome If the see of Rome hath the chief power without appellation why doth Melciades suffer himself to receiue so great a shame that the bishop of Orleāce should be preferred aboue him And what Emperor doeth this euen Constantine of whom they boast that he employed not only all his endeuor but in a maner all the richesse of the empire to encrease the dignitie of their see Wee se therefore now howe farre the Bishop of Rome was at that tyme by all meanes from that supreme dominion whiche he affirmeth to be geuen vnto hym by Christe ouer all Chirches and whiche he lyengly saieth that he hath in all ages possessed by the consent of the whole worlde I know how many epistles there be how many writings decrees wherin the bishops doo geue muche and boldly chalenge much vnto it But this also al men that haue but a very little wit lerning do know that the most part of those are so vnsauerie that by the first tast of them a man may soone find out of what ship they cam For what man of soūd wit and sobre wil thinke that that goodly interpretation is Anacletus his owne which is in Gratian reported vnder the name of Anacletus that is that Cephas is a head The Romanists doo at this day abuse for defence of their see many suche trifles which Gratian hath patched together without iudgement and yet still in so great light they will sell suche smokes wherwith in olde time they were wont to mocke out the ignorant in darknesse But I will not bestow much labor in confutyng those things which do openly cōfute them selues by reason of their vnsauory folie I graūt that there remain also true epistles of the old bishops wherin they set foorth the honor of their see with glorious titles of which sort are some epistles of Leo. For that man as he was learned and eloquent so was he also aboue measure desirous of glory dominion but whether the Chirches then beleued his testimonie when he so aduaūced himself that in dede is it that is in cōtrouersie But it appereth that many offended with his ambition did also withstand his gredie desire Somtimes he appointed in his steede the bishop of Thessalonica throughout Grecia other contrees adioyning somtime he appointed the bishop of Orleance or som other throughout Fraūce
euery prouince should be the chefe sees of Bishops And if it happened the honor of the ciuile gouernement to be remoued frō one citie to an other that thē the right of the Metropolitane citie should therwtal be remoued thether But Innocentius Bishop of Rome whē he saw the aunciēt dignitie of his citie to grow in decay after that the seate of the Empire was remoued to Constantinople fearing the abacemēt of his see made a contrary law wherein he denyeth it to be necessary that the ecclesiastical mother cities should be chāged as the Imperial mother cities change But the authoritie of a Synode ought of right to be preferred aboue one mans sentēce Also we ought to suspecte Innocentius himselfe in his owne cause Howsoeuer it be yet by his owne prouiso he sheweth that from the beginning it was so ordered that the Metropolitane cities should be disposed according to the outwarde order of the Empire According to this auncient ordināce it was decreed in the first Coūcell at Constantinople that the Bishop of that citie should haue the priuileges of honor next after the Bishop of Rome because it was a new Rome But a long time after when a like decree was made at Chalcedō Leo stoutly cried out against it And he not only gaue himselfe leaue to esteme as nothing that which sixe hundred Bishops or moe had decreed but also bitterly taunted them for that they toke frō other sees that honor which they were so bolde to geue to the Chirche of Constantinople I besech you what other thing could moue a mā to trouble the world for so smal a mater but mere ambition He sayeth y◠that ought to be inuiolable whiche the Nicene Sinode hath ones decreed As though forsooth the Christian faith wer endangered if one Chirch be preferred before an other or as though Patriarchies wer there diuided to any other ende but for policies But we knowe that policie receiueth yea requireth diuerse chaunges according to the diuersitie of times Therefore it is fonde that Leo pretendeth that the honor which by the authoritie of the Nicene Sinode was geuen to the see of Alexandria ought not to be geuē to the see of Constantinople For cōmon reason telleth this that it was such a decree as myght be takē away according to the respect of times Yea none of the Bishops of the East withstode it whō that thing most of all concerned Truely Proterius was present whom they had made Bishop of Alexandria in the place of Dioscorus There were presente other Patriarches whoe 's honor was diminished It was their parte to withstand it not Leos which remained safe in his owne place But when all they holde their peace yea assent vnto it and only the Bishop of Rome resisteth it is easy to iudge what moueth hym that is he foresaw that which not long after happened that it would come to passe that the glory of olde Rome decaying Constantinople not contented with the seconde place would stryue with Rome for the Supremicie And yet with his crying out he did not so much preuaile but that the decree of the Councell was confirmed Therfore his successors whē they saw themselues ouercome quietly gaue ouer that stiffenesse for they suffred that he should be accompted the seconde Patriarche But within a litle after Iohn which in Gregories tyme ruled the Chirche of Constantinople brake forth so farre that he called himselfe the vniuersall Patriarche Here Gregorie lest he should in a very good cause fayle to defende his own see did constantly set hymselfe againste him And truely both the pride and madnesse of Iohn was intolerable whiche desired to make the boundes of his Bishoprike egall wyth the boundes of the Empire And yet Gregorie doth not claime to himselfe that which he denieth to an other but abhorreth that name as wicked and vngodly and abhominable whosoeuer take it vpon him Yea and also in one place he is angry wyth Eulolius Bishop of Alexandria whiche had honored hym with suche a tittle Beholde sayeth he in the preface of the Epistle which ye directed to my selfe that haue forbidden it ye haue cared to emprinte the woorde of proude callyng in manyng me vniuersall Pope Whiche I praye that your holinesse wil no more do because that is withdrawen from you whiche is geuen to an other more than reason requireth I compt it no honor wherin I se the honor of my brethren to be diminished For my honor is the honor of the vniuersall Chirche and the sounde strength of my brethren But if your holinesse call me the vniuersall Pope it denyeth it selfe to be that which it confesseth me to be wholly Truely Gregorie stode in a good and honest cause But Ihon holpen by the fauor of Maurice the Emperor could neuer be remoued from his purpose Ciriacus also his successor neuer suffered himselfe to be entreated in that behalfe At the last Phocais which when Maurice was slaine was set in his place I wote not for what cause being more frendly to the Romaines but because he was there crowned without stryfe graūted to Boniface the third that which Gregorie neuer required that Rome should be the hed of all Chirches After thys maner was the controuersy ended And yet this benefite of the Emperor could not so much haue profited the see of Rome vnlesse other thinges also had afterwarde happened For Gretia and all Asia were within a litle after cut of frō the communion of Rome Fraunce so much reuerenced him that it obeyed no further than it lysted But it was thē first brought into bondage when Pipine vsurped the kyngdome For whē zacharie Bishop of Rome had ben his helper to the breache of his faith and to robbery that thrusting out the lawful kyng he might violently enter vpon the kyngdome as layed open for a pray he receiued thys rewarde that the see of Rome shoulde haue iurisdiction ouer the Chirches of Fraūce As robbers are wonted in parting to deuide the commō spoyle so these good men ordered the mater betwene themselues that Pipine should haue the earthly and ciuile dominion spoiling the true king and zacharye should be made hed of all Bishops and haue the spirituall power which when at the beginning it was weake as it is wont to be in new thynges was afterwarde confirmed by the authoritie of Charles in maner for a lyke cause For he was also indetted to the Bishop of Rome for that by hys endeuor he had atteined to the honor of the Empire But although it be credible that Chirches eche where were before that tyme muche deformed yet it is certayn that the old forme of the Chirch was thē fyrst vtterly defaced in Fraūce and Germanie There remayne yet in the recordes of the court of Parise brefe notes of these tymes which where they entreate of the maters of the Chirche make mention of the couenant both of Pipine and of Charles wyth the Bishop of Rome Therby we may gather that thē was
an alteration made of the olde state Sins that tyme when thynges did eche where daily fal from worse to worse the tyranny of the see of Rome was now and then also stablyshed encreased and that partly by the ignorāce and partly by the slouthfulnesse of the Bishops For when one mā toke all thynges vpō him and without measure proceded more and more to aduaunce hymselfe against law right the Bishops did not with such zele as thei ought endeuor themselues to restrayne his lust and though they wāted not courage yet they were destitute of true learning and knowledge so that they were nothing fytt to attempte so greate a mater Therefore we see what and howe Monstruous an vnholy defyling of all holy thinges and a scattering abrode of the whole order of the Chirche was in Bernardes tyme. He cōplayneth that there resort by heapes to Rome out of al the world ambitious men couetous Simonians robbers of God kepers of concubines cōmitters of incest and all such monsters to obtein or reteine ecclesiastical honors by the Apostolike authoritie and the fraud and vndermining violence were growē in force He sayth that that maner of iudging which thē was vsed was abhominable vnsemely not only for the Chirche but also for a iudicial court He cryeth oute that the Chirche is ful of ambitious men and that there is none that more dredeth to commit mischeuous Actes than robbers do in their caue when they deuide the spoyles of wayfairing men Few sayeth he do loke vnto the mouth of the lawgeuer but vnto his hands But not without cause For those handes do all the Popes businesse What a thing is thys that they are bought of the spoiles of Chirches that say to thee oh well done well done The life of the poore is sowē in the stretes of the riche siluer glistereth in the myre mē run to it frō al places not the poore but the strāger taketh it vp or he paraduēture the runneth fastest before But thys maner or rather thys death came not of thee I would to God it might end in thee Among these thynges thou a Pastor goest forwarde compassed with much and precious aray If I durst say it these are rather the Pastors of deuils than of shepe Forsoth Peter did thus Paule played thus Thy courte is more accustomed to receiue men good thā to make them good For the ill do not there profit but the good do decaye Nowe as for the abuses of appealles that he rehearseth no godly man can rede them wtout great horror At the last he thus concludeth of the vnbrideled gredinesse of the see of Rome in the vsurping of iurisdiction I speak the murmour and commō complaynt of the Chirches They crie out that they be mangled and dismembred There are either none or fewe that do not either bewaile or feare this plage Askest thou what plage The Abbotes are plucked frō the Bishops the Bishops frō the Archebishops c. It is maruelous if this mai be excused In so doing ye proue that ye haue fulnesse of power but not of righteousnesse Ye do thys because ye can do it but whether ye also ought to do it is a question Ye are sett to preserue not to enuye to euery man hys honor and hys owne degree These fewe thynges of many I listed to rehearse partly that the reders may see how sore the Chirche was then decayed and partly that they may know in how great sorowe and mourning thys calamitie helde al the godly But nowe albeit that we graunte to the Bishop of Rome at thys day that preeminence and largenesse of iurisdiction which that see had in the meane tymes as in the tymes of Leo and of Gregory what is that to the presēt state of the Papacie I do not yet speake of the earthly dominion nor of the ciuile power therof whiche we will afterwarde consider in place fit for it but the very spiritual gouernemēt that they bost of what hath it like to the state of those tymes For they define the Pope none otherwyse than the Supreme hed of the Chirche in earth the vniuersal Bishop of the whole world And the Bishops themselues whē they speake of their owne authoritie do wyth great stoutenesse of countenance pronounce that to them belongeth the power to cōmaūde other are boūde to the necessitie to obey that so al their decrees are to be holden as confirmed with the diuine voice of Peter that the prouincial Sinodes are without force because they want the presence of the Pope that they may order clerkes of any Chirche that they will and may cal them to their see that haue ben ordered ells where Innumerable of y◠sorte are in Gratiās packe which I do not now rehearse least I should be to tedious to the Reders But this is the summe of them that onely the Bishop of Rome hath the Supreme hearing and determining of all ecclesiastical causes whether it be in iudging and defining of doctrines or in making of lawes or in stablishing of discipline or in executyng of iudgemētes It were also long and superfluous to rehearse the priuileges that they take to thēselues in reseruatiōs as they cal them But which is most intollerable of al other they leaue no iudgemente in earth to restraine and brydle their outragious lust if they abuse so immeasurable power It is lawful for no mā say they to reuoke the iudgement of that see because of the Supremicie of the Chirche of Rome Againe The iudge shal be iudged neither by the Emperor nor by kīges nor by al the Clergie nor of the people That is in dede to imperiously done that one man maketh hymselfe iudge of al men and suffreth himselfe to obey the iudgement of no mā But what if he vse tyranny ouer the people of God if he scatter abrode and wast the kingdom of Christ if he trouble the whole Chirch if he turne the office of Pastor into robberie Yea thoughe he be neuer so mischeuous he sayeth that he is not bounde to yelde accompte For these be the sayinges of the Bishops gods will was to determine the causes of other men by mē but he hath wtout questiō reserued y◠Bishop of this see to his own iudgemēt Again The doinges of subiectes are iudged of vs but oures of God only And that such decrees might haue the more weight they haue falsly thrust in the names of the old Bishops as though thinges had ben so ordeined from the beginning wheras it is most certaine that it is new and lately forged whatsoeuer the Bishop of Rome geueth to hymselfe more than we haue rehearsed to be geuen him by the aunciēt Coūcels Yea they are come to so greate shamelesnesse that they haue set forth a wryting vnder the name of Anastasius Patriarche of Cōstantinople wherin he testifieth that it was decreed by the olde rules that nothing should be done euen in the furthest prouinces that
Bishop which may beare these priuileges of dignitie Admit therfore al those things to be true which yet we haue already wroong from them that Peter was by the mouth of Christe appointed hed of the vniuersal Chirche and that he left the honor that was geuen hym in the see of Rome that the same was stablished by the authoritie of the auncient Chirch and confirmed with long continuaunce that the Supreme power hath been alway by one consent geuen of all men to the Bishop of Rome that he hath ben the iudge of al both causes and men and himselfe subiect to the iudgement of none let them haue also more if they wil yet I answere in one word that none of these things auaile vnlesse there be at Rome a Chirch a Bishop This they must nedes grauÌ„t me that it can not be the mother of Chirches which is not it selfe a Chirche that he can not be chiefe of Bishops which is not himselfe a Bishop Will they therfore haue the see Apostolike at Rome Then let them shewe me a true and lawfull Apostleship Will they haue the chief Bishop Then let them shewe me a Bishop But what where will they shewe vs any face of a Chirch They name one in dede and haue it oft in their mouth Truly the Chirche is knowen by her certaine markes and Bishoprike is a name of office I speake not here of the people but of the gouernemente it selfe which ought continually to shine in the Chirche Where is the ministerie in their Chirche such as Christes institution requireth Let vs cal to remembrance that which hath before ben spoken of the office of Priestes and of a Bishop If we shall bryng the office of Cardinals to be tried by that rule we shal confesse that they are nothyng lesse than Priests As for the chief bishop himself I would faine know what one thing at all he hath bishoplike First it is the principal point in the office of a Bishop to teach the people with the word of God an other and the next point to that is to minister the sacraments the third is to admonish and exhort yea and to correct them that offend and to hold the people together in holy discipline What of these thyngs doeth he yea what doeth he faine himselfe to doo Let theim tell therfore by what meane they would haue him to be compted a Bishop that doeth not with his little fynger no not ones so muche as in outewarde shewe touche any part of a bishops office It is not so of a Bishop as it is of a king For a king although he do not execute that which beloÌ„geth to a king doth neuerthelesse retein the honor and title But in iudging of a bishop respect is had to Christes comauÌ„dement which alway ought to be of force in the Chirche Therfore let the Romanistes lose me this knot I denye that their hye Bishop is the chiefe of Bishops forasmuche as he is no Bishop They must nedes proue this last point to be false if they will haue the victorie in the first But howe say they to this that he not onely hath no propertie of a Bishop but rather all thinges contrarie But here O God where at shall I begynne at his learning or at his maners What shal I say or what shall I leaue vnsayde where shall I make an ende This I saye that whereas the worlde is at this daye stuffed with so many peruerse and wicked doctrines full of so many kyndes of superstitions blynded with so many errors drowned in so great idolatry there is none of these any where that hathe not either flowed from thense or at least bene there confirmed Neither is there any other cause why the Bishops are caried with so greate rage against the doctrine of the Gospell newly springing vp agayne why they bend all their strengthes to oppresse it why they kindle vp kings and princes to crueltie but bicause they see yâ— their whole kingdom decaieth falleth down so sone as the Gospel of Christ cometh in place Leo was cruell Clement was bloudie Paul is a fierce murtherer But nature hath not so much moued them to fight against the truthe as for that this was their only meane to mayntain their power Therfore sithe they can not be safe till they haue driuen awaye Christ they trauaile in this cause as if they dyd syght for their religion and contrees and for their owne lyues What then Shall that bee to vs the see Apostolike where we see nothyng but horrible Apostasie Shall he be Christes vicar which by persecuting the Gospell with furious enterprises doth openly professe him self to be Antichrist Shal he be Peters successour that rangeth with swerd and fyre to destroy all that euer Peter hath builded Shall he bee hed of the Chirch that cutting of and dismembryng the Chirche from Christe the onely true head therof doeth in it selfe plucke and teare it in pieces Admitte verily that in the olde time Rome was the mother of all Chirches yet sins it hath begon to be the seate of Antichriste it hath cessed to be that which it was We seme to be to muche euill speakers and railers when we call the bishop of Rome Antichrist But they that so thinke doo not vnderstand that they accuse Paule of immodestie after whom we so speake yea out of whoe 's mouth we so speake And least any man obiecte that we doo wrongfully wrest against the bishop of Rome these words of Paul that are spoken to an other intent I will brefely shew that they can not be otherwise vnderstanded but of the Papacie Paule writeth that Antichrist shal sit in the temple of God In an other place also the Holy ghost describyng his image in the person of Antiochus sheweth that his kingdome shall consist in hautinesse of speche and blasphemyngs of God Hereupon we gather that it is rather a tyrannie ouer soules than ouer bodies that is raised vp against the spiritual kingdome of Christ. Then that it is suche as doeth not abolish the name of Christ and the Chirch but rather should abuse the preâ—ence of Christ and lurke vnder the title of the Chirche as vnder a disguised visour But although all the heresies and sectes that haue ben from the beginnyng belong to the kingdome of Antichrist yet where as Paule prophecieth that there shal com a departing by this description he signifieth that that seate of abhomination shal then be raised vp when a certain vniuersall departyng shal possesse the Chirche howsoeuer many membres of the Chirch here and there continue in the true vnitie of Faith But where he addeth that in his time he began in a misterie to set vp the worke of iniquitie which he would afterward shew openly therby we vnderstand that this calamitie was neither to be brought in by one maÌ„ nor to be ended in one man Now wher as he doeth set out Antichrist by this marke that he should plucke awaye from God his
decree of any Councel is brought foorth I would haue it first to be diligently weyed at what tyme it was holden for what cause it was holden what maner of men were present and then the very thyng that is entreated of to be examined by the rule of the Scripture and that in suche sorte as the determination of the Councell may haue his force and be as a foreiudged sentence and yet not hinder the aforesaid examination I wold to God all men did kepe that moderation which Augustine prescribeth in the third boke against Maximinus For when he mynded brefely to put to silence this heretike contendyng about the Decrees of Councels Neither sayeth he ought I to obiect against thee the Synod of Nice nor thou against me the Synode of Ariminum as to the entent to conclude one an other by foreiudged sentēce neither am I bound by the authoritie of the one nor thou of the other By authorities of Scriptures not such as are propre to either one but suche as are common to both let there striue mater with mater cause with cause reason with reason So should it come to passe that Coūcels should haue the maiestie that they ought but in the meane season the Scripture should be alone in the hier place that there might be nothing that shold not be subiect to the rule therof So these old Synods as of Nice of Constantinople the first of Ephesus of Chalcedon and such other which were holdē for confutyng of errors we willyngly embrace and reuerēce as holy so much as belongeth to the doctrines of faith for they conteine nothyng but the pure and naturall exposition of Scripture whiche the holy fathers with spirituall wisdome applied to the subduyng of the enemies of religion that then rose vp In some of the later Councels also we se to appere a true zele of godlinesse and plaine tokens of witt learning and wisdom But as thinges ar wonte commonly to growe to worse we maye se by the later Councells howe muche the Chirch hath nowe and then degenerate from the purenesse of that golden age And I doute not but that in these corrupter ages also Councells haue had some Bishoppes of the better sorte But in these the same happened which the Senators themselues complained to be not well doone in makyng of ordinances of the senate at Rome For while the sentences are numbred not weyed it is of necessitie that oftētimes the better part is ouercom of the greater Truly they brought foorth many wicked sentences Neither is it here nedefull to gather the speciall examples either because it should be to long or because other haue doon it so diligently that there can not muche be added Now what nede I to reherse Councels disagreyng with Councels And it is no cause that any should murmure against me and say that of those Councels that disagree the one is not lawfull For howe shall we iudge that By this if I be not deceiued that we shall iudge by the Scriptures that the decrees thereof are not agreable with true doctrine For this is the onely certaine law to discerne them by It is now about nine hundred yeares agoe sins the Synode of Constantinople gathered together vnder Leo the Emperour iudged that images sette vp in Chirches should be ouerthrowen and broken in pieces A lyttell afterward the Councell of Nice which Irene the Empresse assembled in spite of him decreed that they shoulde bee restored Whether of these two shall we acknowledge for a lawful Counsell The later which gaue images a place in Chirches hath preuailed among the people But Augustine saith that that can not be doone without moste present perill of idolatrie Epiphanius whiche was before in tyme speaketh much more sharply for he saith that it is wickednesse abhomination to haue images seen in a Chirche of Christians Wold they that so speake allowe that Councell if they were aliue at this day But if bothe the hystorians tell truth and the very actes be beleued not only images them selues but also the worshipping of them was there receiued But it is euident that suche a decree came from Satan How say you to this that in deprauing and tearing the Scripture they shew that they made a mocking stocke of it Whiche thyng I haue before sufficiently made open Howsoeuer it be we shall no otherwise be able to discerne betwene contrarye and disagreyng Synodes whiche were many vnlesse we trie them all by that balance of all men and angels that is by the worde of the Lord. So we embrace the Synode of Chalcedon refusyng the seconde Synode of Ephesus because in this latter one the wickednesse of Eutyches was confirmed which the other former condemned This thing holy mē haue iudged none otherwise but by the Scripture whom we so folowe in iudgyng that the woorde of God which gaue light to them doeth also nowe geue light to vs. Nowe let the Romanistes goe and boast as they are wont that the Holy ghost is fastned and bound to their Councells Howbeit there is also somwhat which a man may well thinke to bee wantyng in those auncient and purer Councels either because thei that then were at them beyng otherwise learned and wise men wholly bent to the businesse then in hande did not foresee many other thyngs or for that many thynges of lighter importance escaped them beeyng busied with weightier and more earnest maters or for that simply as beeyng menne they myghte bee deceiued with vnskilfulnesse or for that they were sometyme caried headlong with to muche affection Of this laste point whiche semeth the hardest of all there was a plaine example in the Nicene Synode the dignitie whereof hath by consent of all men as it was worthy ben receiued with most hye reuerence For when the principall article of our faith was there in daunger Arrius the enemie was present in redinesse with whom they must fyght hande to hande and the chief emportance lay in the agrement of them that came prepared to fight againste the error of Arrius this not withstandyng they carelesse of so great daūgers yea as it were hauyng forgotten grauitie modestie all humanitie leauyng the battel that they had in hand as if they had com thether of purpose to do Arrius a pleasure began to woūd themselues with inward dissentions and to tourne against themselues the stile that should haue ben bent against Arrius There were hearde fowle obiectyngs of crimes there were scattered bokes of accusations and there would haue ben no ende made of contentions vntill they had with mutuall woundes one destroied an other vnlesse the Emperor Constantine had preuēted it which professyng that the examinyng of their life was a mater aboue his knowledge and chastised suche intemperance rather with praise than with rebukyng How many waies is it credible that the other Councels also failed whiche folowed afterward Neither doeth this mater nede long profe For if a man reade ouer the actes of the Councels he shall note
therin many infirmities though I speake of nothyng more greuous And Leo bishop of Rome sticketh not to charge with ambition and vnaduised rashnesse the Synode of Chalcedon which yet he confesseth to be sounde in doctrines He doeth in dede not denie that it was a lawfull Synode but he openly affirmeth that it might erre Some man peraduenture will thinke me fonde for that I busy my selfe in shewyng suche errors forasmuche as our aduersaries do confesse that Councels may erre in those thyngs that ar not necessary to saluation But this labor is not yet superfluous For althoughe because they are compelled they do in dede confesse it in worde yet when they thrust vnto vs the determination of al councels in euery mater whatsoeuer it be for an oracle of the Holy ghost they do therein require more than they toke at the beginnyng In so doing what do they affirme but that Coūcels can not erre or if they erre yet it is not lawfull for vs to see the truthe or not to soothe their errors And I intend nothyng ells but that it may therby be gathered that the Holy ghost so gouerned the godly and holy Synodes that in the mean tyme he suffred somwhat to happen to them by the nature of men lest we shold to muche trust to men This is a muche better sentence than that of Gregorie Nazianzene that he neuer sawe a good end of any Councel For he that affirmeth that al without exception ended ill doth not leaue them much authoritie It is now nothyng nedefull to make mention seuerally of prouinciall Councells forasmuche as it is easy to iudge by the general how much authoritie they ought to haue to make newe articles of Faithe and to receiue what kynde of doctrine soeuer it pleaseth them But our Romanistes when they see that in defence of their cause all helpe of reason doth faile them do resort to that extreme and miserable shift that although the men themselues be blockishe in wit and coūsell and moste wicked in mynde and will yet the word of God remaineth whiche cōmaundeth to obey Rulers Is it so what if I denie that they be rulers that ar such For they ought to take vpon themselues no more than Iosua had which was bothe a Prophet of the Lord an excellent pastor But let vs heare with what wordes he is set by the Lorde into his office Let not saieth he the volume of this lawe depart from thy mouth but thou shalt studie vpon it daies nights Thou shalt neither bow to the right hand nor to the left then shalt thou direct thy way vnderstād it They therfore shal be to vs spiritual rulers which shal not bowe frō the law of the Lord neither to the one side nor to the other But if the doctrine of al pastors whatsoeuer they be is to be receiued wtout any douting to what purpose was it that we shold so oft so earnestly be admonished not to harken to the speche of false prophets Heare not saith he by Hieremie the words of the prophets that prophecie to you For they teach you vanitie not out of the mouth of the Lord. Again Beware you of false prophets that come vnto you in shepes clothing but inwardly are rauening wolues And Iohn should in vaine exhort vs that we should proue the Spirits whether they be of God From which iudgement the very Angels are not exēpted much lesse Satan with all his lyes What is to be said of this saying if the blind lead the blind they shal both fall into the diche Doth it not sufficiently declare that it is of great importance what maner of prophets be heard and that not all are rashely to be heard Wherfore there is no reason that they should make vs afraid with their titles therby to draw vs into partakyng of their blyndnesse forasmuche as we see on the other side that the Lorde hadde a singular care to fray vs away from suffring our selues to be led with other mens error vnder what visor of name soeuer it lurketh For if the answer of Christ be true then al blynd guides whether they be called fathers of the Chirch or prelates or bishops can do nothing but draw their partners into the same headlong downfall Wherfore let no names of Councels Pastors Bishops which may as well be falsely pretended as truely vsed hinder vs but that beyng taught by lessons both of words and examples we may examine all spirites of all men by the rule of the word of God that we may proue whether they be of God or no. Forasmuche as we haue proued that there is not geuen to the Chirch a power to set vp a newe doctrine now let vs speake of the power whiche they attribute vnto it in expoundyng of Scripture Truely we doo willingly graunt that if there happen debate about any doctrine there is no better nor surer remedy than if a Synode of true bishops assemble together where the doctrine in controuersie maie be discussed For suche a determination wherunto the Pastors of Chirches shall agree in common together calling vpon the Spirite of Christ shall haue muche greater force than if euery one seuerally should conceiue it at home so teach it to the people or if a few priuate men shold make it Again when bishops are gathered together in one they doo the more cōmodiously take aduise in cōmon what in what forme they ought to teach least diuersitie shold brede offence Thirdely Paule prescribeth this order in discerning of doctrines For wheras he geueth to euery seuerall Chirche a power to discerne he sheweth what is the order of doyng in weightier causes that is that the Chirches shold take vpon them a cōmon tryall of the mater together And so doth the very feeling of godlinesse instructe vs that if any man trouble the Chirch with an vnwonted doctrine the mater procede so farre that there be peril of greater dissention the Chirches shold first mete together and examine the question propounded at last after iuste discussing had bryng foorthe a determination taken out of the Scripture suche as may both take away doutyng out of the people and stoppe the mouthes of wicked and gredy men that they may not bee so hardy to procede any further So when Arrius was risen the Nicene Synode was gathered together whiche with the authoritie therof bothe did breake the wicked endeuors of the vngodly man and restored peace to the Chirches whiche he had vexed and defended the eternall godhead of Christ againste his blasphemous doctrine When afterward Eunonius and Macedonius stirred vp new troubles their madnesse was resisted with like remedie by the Synode of Constantinople In the Coūsel at Ephesus the wickednesse of Nestorius was banished Finally this hath ben from the beginning the ordinarie meane in the Chirch to preserue vnitie so ofte as Satan began to worke any thyng But let vs remembre that not in all ages or in all places
power which they haue at this day and for the obteining or encreasing wherof they haue so troubled Christendome by the space of twoo hundred yeres for they began before that they toke to them the dominion of the citie that they haue almost destroyed it In the olde tyme whē vnder Gregorie the kepers of the goods of the Chirch did take possessiō of the landes which they reckened to belong to the Chirch and after the maner of seising to the vse of the Prince did sett tittles vpon them for token of claime Gregorie assembling a Councell of Bishops inueying sore against that prophane maner asked whether they did not iudge the Clerke accursed which did of his own will by wryting of any title attempt to entre vpon any possession They al pronoūced accursed If to claime a pece to groūde by wryting of a title be in a Clerke an offense worthy of accursing when whole twoo hundred yeres together Popes do practise nothing ells but battells sheding of blood destructions of armies sackinges of some cities racing of other ouerthrowes of natiōs wastinges of kingdomes only they that might catch hold of other mens possessions what cursinges can be enough to punish such examples Truly it is very plaine that they seke nothing lesse that the glory of Christ. For if they of their own wil do wholy resigne al the secular power that they haue therin is no danger to the glory of God no danger to sounde doctrine no danger to the safetie of the Chirch but they are carryed blinde and hedlong with only gredinesse of dominion because they thinke nothing safe vnlesse they may beare rule with rigorousnesse as the Prophete sayth and with power To iurisdictiō is annexed immunitie which the Romish Clergie toke to themselues For they thinke it against their dignitie if they answere in personal causes before a tēporal iudge therin they think both the libertie dignitie of the Chirch to consist if they be exēpt frō cōmō iugemētes and lawes But the old Bishops which otherwise were most rigorous in defēding the right of the Chirch iudged themselues their order to be nothing hurt if they were subiect to them And the godly Emperours wtout gaine saying of any man did alway call Clerkes to their iugemēt seates so oft as nede required For thus saith Constantine in hys Epistle to the Nicomedians If any of the Bishops shall vndiscretly disorder hymselfe his boldnesse shal be restrained by the execution of the minister of God that is by my execution And Valentinian saith good Bishops do not speake againste the power of the Emperor but doe sincerely both kepe the cōmaundemētes of God the great king also obey our lawes At that tyme all men were persuaded of thys without controuersy But ecclesiasticall causes were referred to the iugemente of the Bishop As if any Clerke had offended nothing against the lawes but onely was accused by the Canons he was not cited to the commō iugement seate but in that cause had the Bishop for hys iudge Lykewyse if there were a question of Fayth in controuersie or such a mater as properly perteined to the Chirch the iugement therof was committed to the Chirch So is that to be vnderstanded which Ambrose wryteth to Ualentinian Your father of honorable memory not only answered in worde but also decreed by lawes that in a cause of Fayth he ought to be iudge that is neither vnfit in office nor vnlike in ryght Agayne If we haue regarde to the Scriptures or olde examples who is there that can denye that in a cause of Faith in a cause I say of Fayth Bishops are wonte to iudge of Christian Emperours and not Emperours of Bishops Agayne I would haue come O Emperor to your consistorie if either the Bishops or the people would haue suffred me to goe saying that the cause of Fayth ought to be debated in the Chirch before the people He affirmeth verily that a spiritual cause that is to say the cause of religiō ought not to be drawen into the temporal court where prophane causes are pleaded Worthily do all men prayse hys constance in thys behalfe And yet in a good cause he procedeth but thus farr that if it come to violence and strong hande he sayeth that he wyll geue place Willingly sayth he I will not forsake the place committed vnto me but when I am enforced I knowe not howe to resist for our armure are prayers and teares Let vs note the singular modestie and wisdome of the holy man ioyned with stoutenesse of courage and boldnesse Iustina the Emperours mother because she could not drawe hym to the Arrians side practised to dryue hym from the gouernement of the Chirche And so should it haue come to passe if he had come when he was called to the palace to pleade hys cause Therefore he denyeth the Emperor to be a competent iudge of so great a controuersie Which maner of doing both the necessitie of that tyme and the continual nature of the mater required For he iudged that he ought rather to dye than that suche an example should by his consent be geuen to posteritie and yet if violence be offered he thynketh not of resistance For he denyeth it to be Bishiplike to defende the Fayth and ryght of the Chirch with armes But in other causes he sheweth hymselfe redy to do whatsoeuer the Emperor shall commaunde hym If he demaunde tribute sayth he we denye it not the landes of the Chirch do pay tribute If he aske landes he hath power to claime them none of vs resisteth After the same manner also speaketh Gregorie I am not ignorant sayeth he of the mynde of our most noble soueraigne Lorde that he vseth not to entermeddle in causes perteining to prestes least he should in any thyng be burdened with our synnes He doth not generally exclude the Emperor from iudgyng of Prestes but he sayth that there be certayne causes which he oughte to leaue to the iugement of the Chirch And by thys very exception the holy men soughte nothing ells but that Prynces lesse zelous of religion should not wyth tyrannous violence and wilfulnesse interrupte the Chirch in doyng her offyce For neither did they disallowe if Prynces somtyme dyd vse their authoritie in ecclesiastical maters so that it were done to preserue the order of the Chirch not to trouble it to stablishe discipline not to dissolue it For sith the Chirch hath not the power of compelling nor oughte to require it I speake of ciuile constrayning it is the office of Godly kynges and Princes to mainteine religion with lawes proclemations and iudicial procedinges After thys maner when the Emperor Maurice had commaunded certaine Bishops that they should receiue their fellowe Bishops that were their neighbors and driuen oute by the barbarous nations Gregorie confirmeth that commaundemente and exhorteth them to obeye it And when he himselfe is admonished by the same Emperor to come to atonement with
they should haste to sacke cloth and ashes to wepyng and fasting that is that they should also with outwarde testifiengs throwe themselues downe before the Lorde Sacke cloth and ashes paraduenture did more agree with those tymes but there is no dout that the calling together and weping and fastyng and suche lyke do likewise perteyne also to our age so oft as the state of our thynges doeth so require For sithe it is a holy exercise bothe to humble men and to confesse humilitie why should we lesse vse it than the olde people dyd in like necessitie We reade that not only the people of Israell which were informed and instructed by the word of God but also the Niniuites which had no doctrine but the preaching of Ionas fasted in token of sorowe What cause is there therfore why we should not do the same But it is an outward ceremonie which was with the rest ended in Christ. Yea rather euen at this daye it is as it alway hath ben a very good helpe to the faithfull and a profitable admonition to stirre vp them selues that they should not with to great carelesnesse and sluggyshnesse more and more prouoke God when they are chastised with his scourges Therfore Christ when he excuseth his apostles for that they fast not doth not say that fastyng is abrogate but he appointeth it to times of calamitie and ioyneth it with mournyng The tyme shall come sayth he when the bridegrome shall be taken awaye from them But that there should be no error in the name let vs define what fastyng is For we do not here vnderstand by it only abstinēce and sparyng in meate drinke but a certaine other thing The life of the godly ought in dede to be tempered with honest sparyng and sobrietie that so nere as is possible it may in the whole course therof beare a certaine resemblance of fasting But beside this there is an other fasting for a time when we withdrawe any thing of our wonted diet either for one daye or for a certaine time and do charge our selues with a streighter seuerer abstinence in diet than ordinarie This consisteth in thre thyngs in tyme in qualitie of meates and in smallnesse of quantitie I meane by tyme that we should vse those doyngs fastyng for which fasting is ordeined As for example if a man fast for common praier that he come emptie vnto it Qualitie standeth in this that all deyntinesse should be absent and beyng content with common and baser meates we shoulde not stirre vp appetite with delicates The rule of quantitie is in this that we eate more sparingly and lesse than we be wont onely for necessitie and not also for pleasure But we must alway principally beware that no superstition crepe vpon vs as it hath heretofore happened to the great hurt of the Chirch For it were muche better that there were no vse at all of fastyng than that it shold be diligently kepte and in the meane tyme bee corrupted with false and hurtfull opinions wherunto the worlde sometyme falleth vnlesse the Pastors do with great faithefulnesse and wisdome preuent it The fyrst point therfore is that they should alway enforce that which Ioel teacheth that they should cutt their hartes and not theyr garmentes that is that they shold admonish the people that God doth not greatly esteme fastyng of it selfe vnlesse there be an inwarde affection of the harte a true myslykyng of sinne and of hymselfe true humblyng and true sorowe through the feare of God yea that fastyng is profitable for no other cause but for that it is ioyned to these as an inferior helpe For God abhorreth nothing more than when men in settyng signes and an outward shew in stede of innocence of hart do labor with false color to deceiue themselues Therfore Esaie most sharply inueyeth against this hypocrisie that the Iewes thought that they had satisfied God when they had only fasted howsoeuer they did norish vngodlynesse and vncleane thoughts in their hart Is it saith he such a fastyng which the Lord requireth and so foorth as foloweth Therefore the hypocriticall fastyng is not only an vnprofitable and superfluous werying but also a great abhomination An other euell nere vnto this is chiefly to be taken hede of that it be not taken for a meritorious worke or a forme of worshippyng God For sithe it is a thyng of it selfe indifferent and hath no value but by reson of those ends which it ought to haue respect vnto it is a moste hurtfull superstition to confounde it with the works cōmaunded of God and necessarie of themselues without other respect Such was in old tyme the dotage of the Manichees whom when Augustine confuteth he dothe plainly enough teache that fastyng is to be iudged by no other endes than those which I haue spoken of and is no otherwyse allowed of God vnlesse it be referred to the same The thirde error is in dede not so vngodly yet it is perillous to require the kepyng of it more precisely and rigorously as it were one of the chiefe dueties and so to aduaunce it with immeasurable praises that men shold thinke they haue done some excellent thyng when they haue fasted In which behalfe I dare not altogether excuse the olde fathers but that they haue sowed some sedes of superstition and geuen occasion to the tyranny whiche hathe risen sins There are founde in dede sometymes in them sounde and wise sentences of fastyng but afterwarde we now and then mete with immeasurable praises of fastyng which aduaunce it among the chief vertues And at that tyme the superstitious obseruyng of lent was eche where growen in vse because both the common people thought that they did therin some notable seruice to God and the pastors dyd commend it for a holy folowyng of Christ wheras it is plaine that Christ dyd not fast to prescribe an example to other but that in so beginnyng the preaching of the Gospel he myght in very dede proue that it was not a doctrine of men but descended from heauē And it is meruailous that so grosse an error which is cōfuted with so many so euidēt resons could crepe into men of so sharpe iudgement For Christ did not fast oft which he must nedes haue done if he wold haue set foorth a law of yerely fastyng but only ones when he prepared himselfe to the publishyng of the Gospell And he fasted not after the manner of menne as it was mete that he should haue done if he would haue prouoked men to folow him but rather he sheweth an example whereby he may rather draw men to wōder at him than stirre them vp to folow him Finally there is none other cause of this fasting than of that which Moses fasted when he receiued the law at the hand of the Lord. For sith the miracle was shewed in Moses to stablishe the authoritie of the law it ought not to haue ben omitted in Christ least the
As when he promised euerlastyng blessednesse to his seruant Abraham that he myght sett before his eies a manifest token of his fauor he addeth an other promise concernyng the possession of the lande of Chanaan After this maner we ought to vnderstande al the earthly promises that are geuen to the Iewiche nation that the spirituall promise as the hed wherunto they are directed shold alway haue the chefe place But sithe I haue more largely entreated of these thynges in the difference of the newe and olde testament therfore nowe I do the more slightly knitte it vp In the namyng of the children they finde this diuersitie that in the olde testament they were called the children of Abraham whiche issued of his sede but that nowe they are called by that name whiche follow his faith And that therfore that carnall infantie which was by circuÌ„cision graffed into the felowship of the couenant figured the infantes of the newe testament whyche are regenerate by the worde of God to immortall lyfe In whych woordes we beholde in dede a smalle sparcle of truthe but herin these lyghte spirites greuously offende that when they catche holde of that whyche fyrste commeth to theyr hande when they should go further and compare many thynges together they stand slytly vpon one worde Wherby it can not otherwyse bee but that they must somtyme be deceiued whych rest vpon the sounde knowlege of nothyng We graunt in dede that the carnall seede of Abraham did for a tyme holde the place of the spirituall sede whiche is by faith graffed into hym For we be called his children howsoever there is no naturall kinred betwene hym and vs. But if they meane as they playnly shew that they doo that there was neuer spirituall blessing promised to the carnal sede of Abraham herein they are muche deceiued Wherfore we muste leuell to a better marke whereunto we are directed by the moste certaine guidyng of the Scripture The Lorde therefore promised to Abraham that he shoulde haue a seede wherein all nations of the earthe shall be blessed and therwithall assureth hym that he would be a God to hym and his sede Whosoeuer do by Faith receiue Christe the author of blessyng are heires of this promise and therefore are called the children of Abraham But althoughe sins the resurrection of Christe the boundes of the kingdome of God haue begonne to be farre and wide enlarged into all nations without difference that according to the saying of Christ faithfull ones should be gathered from euery part to sit downe in the heaueÌ„ly glorie with Abraham Isaac and Iacob yet he had many ages before extended that same so great mercie to the Iewes And because passing ouer all other he had chosen out that only nation in which he wold restraine his grace for a tyme called them his peculiar possessioÌ„ his purchased people For testifiyng of suche liberalitie Circumcision was geuen by the signe wherof the Iewes might be taught that God is to them the author of saluation by which knowledge their myndes were raised into hope of eternal life For what shal he want whoÌ„ God hath ons receiued into his charge Wherfore the Apostle meaning to proue that the Gentiles were the children of Abraham as well as the Iewes speaketh in this maner Abraham saith he was iustified by faith in vncircuÌ„cision Afterward he receiued the signe of circumcision the seale of the righteousnesse of faith that he should be the father of all the faithfull both of vncircumcision and of circumcision not of them that glorie of only circumcision but of them that folow the fâ—â—th which our father Abraham had in vncircumcision Do not we see that both sortes are made egall in dignitie â–ª For during the tyme appointed by the decree of God he was the father of circumcision When the wall being plucked downe as the Apostle writeth in an other place by which the Iewes wer seuered from the Gentiles the entrie was made open to them also into the kingdome of God he was made their father and that without the signe of circumcision because they haue Baptisme in stede of circumcision But wher he expresly by name denyeth that Abraham is father to them which are of circumcision only that same was spoken to abate the pride of certaine which omittyng the care of godlynesse did bost themselues of only Ceremonies After which maner at this day also their vanitie may be confuted which seke in Baptisme nothyng but water But an other place of the Apostle out of the .ix. Chapiter of the Epistle to the Romaines shal be alleged to the contrary where he teacheth that they whiche are of the fleshe are not the children of Abraham but they onely are compted his sede whiche are the children of promise For he seemeth to signifie that the carnall kynred of Abraham is nothyng which yet we do set in some degre But it is more diligeÌ„tly to be marked what mater the Apostle there entreateth of For meaning to shew to the Iewes how much the goodnesse of god was not bouÌ„d to the sede of AbrahaÌ„ yea howe it nothyng auayleth of it selfe he bringeth forth Ismael and Esau for example proue it whome beeyng refused as if they were strangers although they were accordyng to the fleshe the naturall ofspryng of Abraham the blessing rested in Isaac and Iacob Wherupon is gathered that which he afterwarde affirmeth that saluation hangeth of the mercie of God whiche he extendeth to whome it pleaseth hym and that there is no cause why the Iewes shold stand in their own conceite or boast vpon the name of the couenaÌ„t vnlesse they kepe the law of the couenant that is to say do obey the worde Agayne when he hath throwen them downe from vaine confidence of their kinred yet because on the other side he sawe that the couenant which was ones made of God with the posteritie of Abraham coulde in no wyse be made voyd in the xi chapiter he argueth that the carnall kinred is not to be spoyled of his due dignitie by the beneficiall meane wherof he teacheth that the Iewes are the first and naturall heires of the Gospell but in respecte that by their vnthankfulnesse they were forsaken as vnworthy yet so that the heuenly blessyng is not vtterly remoued from their nation For whiche reason howe muche soeuer they were stubborne and couenant breakers neuerthelesse he calleth them holye so muche honor he geueth to the holy generation with whom God had vouchsaued to make his holy couenant but calleth vs if we be compared with them as it were after borne yea or the vntimely borne children of Abraham and that by adoption not by nature as if a twigg broken of from his naturall tree should be graffed into a strange stocke Therefore that they should not be defrauded of their prerogatiue it behoued that the Gospel should be first preached to them for they be in the household of God as it were the first begotten children
name of water For after that Christ had declared to Nicodemus the corruption of nature and taught hym that men must be borne of newe because Nicodemus dreamed of a bodily newe birth he there shewed the maner how God doth regenerate vs namely by water and the Spirite as though he should say by the Spirite which in cleansing and watering faithfull soules doth the office of water Therefore I take water and the Spirite simply for the Spirite which is water Neither is this a new forme of speche for it altogether agreeth with the same which is in the thirde Chapter of Mathewe He that foloweth me it is he that Baptiseth in the Holy ghost and fier Therfore as to Baptise in the Holy ghost and fier is to geue the Holy ghost which hath the office and nature of fier so to be borne againe of water and the Spirite is nothing ells but to receiue that power of the holy Spirite which doth the same thing in the soule that water doth in the body I knowe that other do otherwise expounde it but I am oute of doute that thys is the naturall meaning because the purpose of Christ is none other but to teache that all they must put of their owne nature which aspire to the heauenly kingdome Howebit if we list to cauil vnsauoryly as they do it were easy for vs when we haue graunted as they woulde haue it to inferre vpon them that Baptisme is before Fayth and repentance forasmuch as in the wordes of Christe it goeth before the Spirite It is certaine that this is vnderstanded of Spirituall giftes which if they come after Baptisme I haue obteined what I require But leauing cauillations we must holde fast the playne exposition which I haue brought that no mā til he haue ben renewed with liuing water that is with the Spirite can enter into the kingdome of God Nowe hereby also it is euident that their fayned inuention is to be hissed out which adiudge al the vnbaptised to eternal death Therfore let vs according to their request imagine Baptisme to be ministred to none but to them that be growen in age what will they saye shall become of a childe whiche is rightly and well instructed with the introductions of godlynesse if when the day of Baptising is at hande he happen to be taken away with soden death beside all mennes hope The Lordes promise is cleare that whosoever hath beleued in the Sonne shall not see death nor shall come into iugemente but is allredy passed from death into life and it is no where founde that he euer damned him that was not yet Baptised Whiche I would not haue so taken of me as though I meant that Baptisme might freely be despised by which despising I affirme that the Lordes couenant is defiled so much lesse can I abide to excuse it onely it is enough for me to proue that it is not so necessarie that he should be immediatly thought to be lost from whome power is taken away to obteine it But if we agree to their fained deuise we shall damne all them without exception whom any chaunce withholdeth from Baptisme with how great Faith soeuer by which Christ himself is possessed otherwise they are endued Moreouer they make all infantes giltye of eternall death to whome they deny Baptisme which by their own confession is necessarie to saluation Now let them loke how trimly they agree with the wordes of Christ by which the kingdome of heauen is adiudged to that age But to graunte them euery thing so much as perteineth to the vnderstanding of thys place yet they shall gather nothing thereof vnlesse they ouerthrowe the former doctrine which we haue stablished concernyng the regeneration of infantes But they glory that they haue the strongest holde of all in the very institutiō of Baptisme which they fetch out of the last Chapter of Mathew where Christ sending fourth hys Apostles to all nations geueth them the first commaundement to teache them and the seconde to Baptise them Then also out of the last of Marke they adioine this He that beleueth and is Baptised shal be saued What seke we further saye they when the Lordes owne wordes doe openly sounde that we must firste teach ere we Baptise and do assigne to Baptisme the seconde state after Faith Of which order the Lord also shewed an example in himself which would be Baptised not tyll the thirtyth yere But here O good God how many wayes doe they both entangle thēselues and bewraye their owne ignorance For herein they now more than childishly erre that they fetche the firste institution of Baptisme from thense whiche Christ had from the beginning of his preaching geuen in charge to hys Apostles to minister Therfore there is no cause why they shoulde affirme that the law and rule of Baptisme is to be fetched out of these places as though they conteined the first institution therof But to beare with them for thys fault yet how strong is thys manner of reasoning Truly if I listed to dally with them there is not a litle lurking hole but a most wyde felde offreth it selfe open for vs to escape them For when they sticke so fast to the order of wordes that they gather that because it is sayd Goe preach and Baptise Againe he that beleueth and is Baptised therfore they must preach before that they Baptise and beleue before that they require Baptisme why may not we agayn answere them with sayeng that we must Baptise before that we muste teache the keping of those thinges that Christ hath commaunded namely sithe it is sayd Baptise ye teaching them to kepe whatsoeuer thinges I haue commaunded you whiche same thing we haue noted in that sayeng of Christ which hath ben euen now alleged concerning the regeneration of water and the Spirite For if it be so vnderstode as they would haue it verily in that place Baptisme must be before spiritual regeneration because it is named in the first place for Christ doth teach that we must be regenerate not of the Spirite and water but of water and the Spirite Nowe this inuincible reason whereupon they beare themselues so bolde semeth to be somwhat shaken but because truth hath defense enough in simplicitie I wil not escape away with such light argumentes Therfore let them take with them a ful answer Christ in this place geueth the chefe commaundement concerning preaching of the Gospell whereunto he adioyneth the ministerie of Baptisme as an additiō hāging vpon it Againe he speaketh none otherwise of Baptisme but so farr as the ministration of it is vnder the office of teaching For Christ sendeth the Apostles to publishe the Gospel to al the natiōs of the world that they should from eche where with the doctrine of saluation gather together into hys kyngdome men that before were lost But whom or what maner of men It is certaine that there is no mentiō but of them that are able to
beloued Sōne which only can manifestly shew the Father and in dede he hath manifestly shewed hym to the full so much as behoueth vs whyle we nowe beholde hym by a glasse As therefore thys is now taken awaye from men that they can not make newe Sacramentes in the Chirch of God so it were to be wished that as litle as were possible of mans inuētion might be myngled with those Sacramentes that are of God For lyke as when water is poured in the wyne departeth and is delayed as with leauen scattered among it the whole lumpe of done waxeth sower so the purenesse of the mysteries of God is nothyng ells but defyled when man addeth any thyng of hys owne And yet we see how farr the Sacramentes are swarued out of kynde from their naturall purenesse as they be handled at thys day There is echewhere to muche of pompes ceremonies and gesturinges but of the woorde of God in the meane tyme there is neither any consideration nor mention withoute which euen the Sacramentes themselues are not Sacramentes Yea and the very ceremonies that are ordeined of God in so greate a route can not ones lift vp their hed but lye as it were oppressed How litle is that seen in Baptisme which only ought there to haue shyned and been loked vpon as we haue in an other place rightfully complained euen Baptisme it selfe As for the Supper it is vtterly buried sins that it hath ben turned into the Masse sauing that it is seen ones euery yere but in a mangled and halfe torne fashion The .xix. Chapter Of the fiue falsly named Sacramentes where is declared that the other fyue which haue ben hetherto commonly taken for Sacramentes are not Sacramentes and then is shewed what manner of thinges they be OUr former discourse concerning Sacramentes myghte haue obteined thys with the sobre and willing to learne that they should not ouer curiously procede any further nor shold without the word of God embrace any other Sacraments beside those twoo which they knewe to be ordeined of the Lord. But forasmuch as that opinion of the seuen Sacramentes being commonly vsed in al mens take hauing wādered through all scholes and preachinges hath by very auncientie gathered rootes and is yet styll settled in the myndes of men I thought that I should do a thing worth the trauail if I should seuerally and more nerely searche those other fyue that are commonly adnumbred among the true and naturall Sacramentes of the Lorde and wyping away al deceitfull color shoulde set them fourth to be seen of the simple suche as they be and how falsly they haue ben hetherto taken for Sacramentes First I here protest to al the godly that I doe not take in hande this contention aboute the name for any desire of striuing but that I am by weighty causes led to fight againste the abuse of it I am not ignorante that Christians are Lordes as of wordes so of al thinges also therfore may at their wil apply wordes to thinges so that a godly sense be kept although there be some vnproprenesse in the speaking Al thys I graunt although it were better that the woordes shoulde be made subiect to thinges than thinges to the wordes But in the name of Sacrament there is an other consideratiō For they which make seuen Sacramentes do therewithal geue to them al this definition that they be visible formes of inuisible grace they make them altogether vessells of the Holy ghost instrumentes of geuing of righteousnesse causes of the obteining of grace Yea and the Maister of the sentences himselfe denyeth that the Sacramentes of the lawe of Moses are properly called by this name because they did not deliuer in dede the thing that they figured Is it I beseche you to be suffred that those signes which the Lord hath hallowed with his own mouth which he hath garnished with excellent promises should not be accompted for Sacramentes and in the meane time this honor shoulde be conueyed away to those vsages which men either haue deuised of themselues or at least do obserue without expresse commaundement of God Therefore either let them change the definition or let them absteine from the wrongfull vsing of this worde which doth afterwarde engender false opinions and ful os absurditie Extreme anointing say they is a figure and cause of inuisible grace because it is a Sacrament If we ought in no wise to graunt that which they gather vpon it then truely we must resist them in the name it selfe least therby we admitt that it maye geue occasion to such an error Againe when they would proue it to be a Sacrament they adde thys cause for that it consisteth of the outwarde signe and the worde If we finde neither commaundement nor promise of it what can we do ells but crye out against them Now appeareth that we brawle not about the worde but do moue a cōtrouersie not superfluous cōcerning the thing it selfe Therfore this we must strongly hold fast which we haue with inuincible reson before cōfirmed that the power to institute a Sacrament is in the hande of none but of God only For a Sacrament ought with a certaine promise to raise vp cōfort the cōsciēces of the faythful which could neuer receiue this certaintie from man A Sacrament ought to be to vs a witnessing of the good wil of God towarde vs wherof none of all men or Angels can be witnesse forasmuch as none hath ben of Gods counsell Therefore it is he alone which doth with right authoritie testifie of himself to vs by his worde A Sacramēt is a seale wherw t the testament or promise of God is sealed But it could not be sealed with bodily thinges and elementes of thys worlde vnlesse they be by the power of God framed and appoynted therunto Therfore mā can not ordeine a Sacrament because this is not in the power of man to make that so great mysteries of God should lye hidden vnder so base thynges The worde of God muste goe before which maye make a Sacrament to be a Sacrament as Augustine very well teacheth Moreouer it is profitable that there be kepte some difference betwene the Sacramentes and other ceremonies vnlesse we will fall into many absurdities The Apostles prayed kneling therfore men shall not kneele without a Sacrament It is sayd that the disciples prayed toward the East therfore the loking into the East shal be a Sacrament Paule willeth men in euery place to lift vp pure handes and it is rehearsed that holy mē oftentimes prayed with their handes lifted vp then let the lifting vp of hands also be made a Sacramēt Finally let all the gestures of the holy ones turne into Sacramentes Howbeit I would not also muche passe vppon these thinges if so that they were not ioyned with those other greater discommodities If they will presse vs with the authoritie of the olde Chirche I saye that they pretende a false color For this number of
is at any tyme present And because they would not simply mocke the Chirch howe long a roaw of errors lyes deceites and wickednesses haue they knitte to one error so that a mā may say that they did nothing but seke a denn of abhominations when they made of matrimonie a Sacrament For when they ones obteyned this they drew to themselues the hearing of causes of matrimony for it was a spiritual mater which profane iudges might not medle with Then they made lawes whereby they stablished their tyrannie but those partlye manifestly wicked against God and partlye most vniust toward men As are these That mariages made beetwene yong persones without consent of their parentes shoulde remayne of force and stablished That the mariages be not lawfull betweene kinsfolkes to the seuenth degree and if any suche be made that they be diuorced And the very degrees they faine against the lawes of all nations and against the ciuile gouernement of Moses That it be not lawfull for a manne that hath putte awaye an adulteresse to mary an other That spirituall kinsfolkes maye not bee coupled in mariage That there be no mariages celebrate from Septuagesime to the vtas of Easter in three weekes before Midsommer nor from Aduent to Twelftide And innumerable other like which it were long to reherse At length we must crepe out of their myre wherein our talk hath nowe taried longer than I woulde Yet I thinke I haue somewhat profited that I haue partly plucked the lyons skynnes from these asses The .xx. Chapter Of ciuile Gouernement NOw whereas we haue aboue set twoo kindes of gouernement in man and whereas we haue spoken enough of the one kinde which cōsisteth in the soule or in the inward man and hath respect to eternal life this place requireth that we speake somwhat also of the other which perteineth only to the ciuile and outward righteousnesse of manners For the course of this matter semeth to be seuered from the spiritual doctrine of faith which I toke in hande to entreate of yet the proceding shal shew that I do rightfully ioyne them together yea that I am of necessitie compelled to doo it specially sithe on the one side mad and barbarous men doo furiously goe aboute to ouerthrowe this order stablished by God and on the other side the flatterers of princes aduauncing their power without measure sticke not to set it against the empire of God himself Unlesse both these mischeues be met withall the purenesse of faith shal be lost Beside that it is no smally for our behofe to know how louingly God hath in this behalf prouided for mankinde that there may florishe in vs a greater desire of godlinesse to witnesse our thankfulnesse First ere we enter into the thing it selfe we must hold fast that distinction which we haue aboue set least as it commonly happeneth to many we vnwisely mingle these two things together which haue altogether diuerse consideration For when they heare that libertie is promised by the Gospell whiche acknowlegeth among men no king and no magistrate but hath regarde to Christe alone they thinke that they can take no fruite of their libertie so long as they see any power to haue preeminence ouer them Therfore they think that nothing shal be safe vnlesse the whole world be reformed into a new fashion where may neither be iudgementes nor lawes nor magistrates nor any such thing which they thinke to withstande their libertie But whosoeuer can put difference betwene the body and the soule betwene thys present and transitorie life and that life to come and eternal he shal not hardlye vnderstande that the spiritual kingdome of Christ and the ciuile gouernemēt ar thyngs far a sonder Sith therfore that is a Iewish vanitie to seke and enclose the kingdome of Christ vnder the elementes of this worlde let vs rather thinking as the Scripture plainely teacheth that it is a spirituall fruite whiche is gathered of the benefite of Christ remember to kepe within the boūdes thereof thys whole libertie which is promised and offred vs in him For what is the cause why the same Apostle which biddeth vs to stand and not to be made subiecte to the yoke of bondage in an other place for biddeth bond seruantes to be carefull of their state but bicause spirituall libertie may very wel agree with ciuile bondage In which sense also these his sayenges are to be taken In the kingdome of God there is no Iew nor Grecian no male nor female no bondeman nor freeman Againe There is no Iew nor Grecian Circūcision Uncircūcision Barbarian Scythian Bondman Freman but Christe is all in all Whereby he signifieth that it maketh no mater in what estate thou be among men nor vnder the lawes of what nation thou lyuest forasmuche as in these thynges consisteth not the kyngdome of Christ. Yet dothe not this distinction tende hereunto that we shoulde thynke that the whole order of policie is an vncleane thyng not perteyning at all to christian men So in deede doo the phrentike men that are delited with vnbridled licentiousnesse crie out and boste For sithe we bee dead by Christ to the elementes of this worlde and being remoued into the kyngdome of God do sitte among the heauenly ones they thinke that it is vnworthy for vs and farre benethe our excellence to be occupied with these prophane and vncleane cares that are busied about affaires not perteinyng to a christian man To what purpose saye they are lawes without iudgements and iudgement seates But what hath a Christian man to do with iudgements themselues yea if it be not lawfull to kill wherto serue lawes and iudgementes among vs But as we haue euen nowe geuen warning that this kynde of gouernement is seuerall from that spirituall and inward kyngdome of Christ so it is also to be knowen that they nothyng disagree together For the Ciuile gouernement dothe nowe beginne in vs vpon carth certaine beginnyngs of the heauenly kyngdome and in this mortall and vanishyng life doth as it were entre vpon an immortall and incorruptible blessednesse but the entent of this spirituall gouernement is so long as we shall lyue among mē to cherish mainteyne the outward worshippyng of God to defend the sound doctrine of godlinesse and the state of the Chirche to frame our lyfe to the felowship of men to fashion our maners to ciuile righteousnesse to procure vs into frendship one with an other to norish common peace and quietnesse all whiche I graunt to be superfluous if the kyngdome of God suche as it is nowe among vs do destroy this present life But if the will of God be so that we while we long toward the heauenly countree should be wayfaryng from home vpon the earth and sithe the vse of such waifaryng nedeth such helpes they whiche take them from man do take from him his very nature of man For wheras they allege that there is so great perfection in the Chirche of God that her
indicial punishmentes but also to defende with warre the dominions committed to their charge if at any tyme they be enuielike assailed And suche warres the Holy ghost by many testimonies of Scripture declareth to be lawful If it be obiected against me that in the new Testamēt is neither witnesse nor exāple which teacheth that warre is a thyng lawful for Christiās first I answer that the same rule of makyng warre whiche was in old time remaineth also at this daye and that on the contrary syde there is no cause that may debarre magistrates from defendyng of their subiectes Secondly that an expresse declaration of these maters is not to bee sought in the writynges of the Apostles where their purpose is not to frame a ciuile state but to stablishe the spirituall kingdome of Christe Last of all I say that in them also is shewed by the waye that Christe hath by his commyng chaunged nothyng in this behalf For if christian doctrine that I may speake in Augustines owne wordes condemned all warres he would rather haue said this to soldiars when they asked counsell of saluation that they shold cast away their weapons vtterly withdraw themselues from the warre But it was said to them strike no man do no man wrong let your wages suffise you Whome he taughte that their wages ought to suffise them he did veryly not forbidde them to be warriers But all magistrates ought here to take great hede that they nothing at all folowe their owne desyres but rather if they muste punish let them not be born away with a hedlong angrinesse let thē not be violētly caried with hatred let them not broile with vnappeasable rigor yea let them as Augustin saith pity cōmon nature in him in whom they punishe his priuate fault Or if they must put on armure against the enemie that is the armed robber let them not lightly seke occasiō therof nor take it beyng offred vnlesse they be driuen to it by extreme necessitie For if we ought to performe much more than that heathen man required which would haue warre to seme a seking of peace truely we oughte firste to attempte all thinges ere we ought to trye the matter by warre Finally in both kindes let them not suffer themselues to be caried with any priuate affection but be led only with cōmō feling Otherwise they doe very ill abuse their power which is geuen them not for their own commodity but for others benefit and ministerie Moreouer of the same rightful rule of making warre hangeth the order bothe of garrisons and leagues and other ciuile fortifications Garrisons I cal those that are placed in townes to defende the borders of the comree Leagues which are made with Princes adioyning for this couenante that if any troble happen in their lādes they may mutually helpe them and ioyne their forces in common together to suppresse the common enemies of mankinde Ciuile fortifications whoe 's vse is in the arte of warre Thys also I wil last of al adde that tributes and taxes are the lawfull reuenues of princes which they may chefely employ to susteine the cōmon charges of their office whiche yet they maye likewise vse to their priuate royaltie which is after a certayne manner conioyned with honor of the princely state that they beare As we se that Dauid Ezechias Iosias Iosaphat and other holy Kynges and Ioseph also and Daniel according to the state of the person that they did beare were without offense of godlinesse sumptuous of the common charge and we rede in Ezechiel that there was a very large portion of lande assigned to the kinges Where although he paint out the spiritual kingdome of Christ yet he fetcheth the exāplar of hys similitude from the lawful kingdome of men But yet so that Princes agayne on their behalues should remember that their treasure chambers are not so muche their owne priuate cofers as the treasuries of the whole people for so Paul testifieth which they may not without manifest wrong prodigally wast or spoile or rather that it is the very blood of the people whiche not to spare is most cruel vnnaturalnesse and let them thinke that their impositions and subsidies and other kindes of tributes ar nothyng but the supportes of publike necessitie wherewyth to wery the poore communaltie wythout cause is tyrannicall extortion These thynges doe not encourage Princes to wasteful expense and ryot as verily there is no nede to adde a fyerbrand to theyr lustes that are of themselues to much alredy kyndled but sythe it much behoueth that they shoulde with pure conscience before God be bolde to do al that they are bolde to do least with wycked boldnesse come into despising of God they must be taught how much is lawful for them Neyther is thys doctrine superfluous for priuate men that they shoulde not rashly and stubbornly geue themselues leaue to grudge at any expenses of Princes although they excede common and ciuile measure Nexte to the magistrate in ciuile states are lawes the moste strong sinewes of common weales or as Cicero calleth them accordyng to Plato the soules without which the Magistrate can not stand as they agayn without the Magistrate haue no liuely force Therfore nothing coulde be more truely said than that the lawe is a dumme Magistrate and that the Magistrate is a lyuyng lawe But whereas I promised to speake with what lawes a Christian ciuile state ought to bee ordered there is no cause why any man shold loke for a long discourse of the best kynde of lawes which bothe shold be infinite and perteined not to this present purpose and place yet in a fewe wordes and as it were by the way I will touche what lawes it may vse godlily before God and bee rightly gouerned by them among men Which selfe thyng I had rather to haue vtterly passed ouer with silence if I dyd not vnderstande that many do herein verillously erre For there be some that denye that a cōmon weale is well ordered whiche neglectyng the ciuile lawes of Moses is gouerned by the common lawes of nations Howe dangerous troublesome this sentence is let other men consider it shall be enough for me to haue shewed that it is false and foolish That common diuision is to be kept which diuideth the whole lawe of God published into morall ceremoniall and iudiciall lawes and all the partes are to be seuerally considered that we maye knowe what of them perteyneth to vs and what not Neither in the meane time let any man be combred with this dout that iudicials and ceremonials also perteyne to the moral lawes For although the olde writers whiche haue taught this diuision were not ignorant that these two later partes had their vse about maners yet because they myght be changed and abrogate the morals remaining safe they did not call them morals They called that fyrst part peculiarly by that name withoute whiche can not stande the true holynesse of maners and the vnchangeable
rule of lyuyng rightly Therfore the Morall lawe that I may first beginne the rat sith it is conteined in two chefe pointes of which the one commaundeth simply to worship God with pure faith and godlynesse the other to embrace men with vnfained loue is the true and eternall rule of righteousnesse prescribed to the men of al ages and tymes that wil be willyng to frame their lyfe to the will of God For this is his eternall and vnchangeable will that he hymselfe should be worshipped of vs all and that we shold mutually loue one an other The Ceremoniall lawe was the schooling of the Iewes wherwith it pleased the Lord to exercise the certain childhode of that people tyll that tyme of fullnesse come wherin he would to the full manifestly shewe his wisdome to the earth and delyuer the truthe of those thynges which then were shadowed with figures The iudiciall lawe geuen to them for an order of ciuile state gaue certayne rules of equitie and righteousnesse by whiche they myght behaue them selues harmlessely and quietly together And as that exercise of ceremonies proprely perteyned in dede to the doctrine of godlynesse namely which kept the Chirch of the Iewes in the worship religion of God yet it might be distinguished from godlynesse it self so this forme of iudiciall orders although it tended to no other ende but howe the selfe same charitie might best be kept whiche is commaunded by the eternall lawe of God yet had a certayne thyng differyng from the very cōmaūdement of louyng As therefore the Ceremonies myghte be abrogate godlinesse remaynyng safe and vndestroyed so these iudiciall ordinances also beyng taken away the perpetuall dueties and commaundemētes of charitie may continue If this be true verily there is libertie left to euery nation to make suche lawes as they shall forsee to be profitable for them whiche yet must be framed after that perpetuall rule of charitie that they may in dede vary in forme but haue the same reason For I thinke that those barbarous sauage lawes as were those that gaue honor to theues that alowed common copulations and other both muche more filthy and more against reason are not to be taken for lawes forasmuche as they are not onely against all rightuousnesse but also against naturall gentylnesse and kyndnesse of men This which I haue sayde shal be playne if in all lawes we beholde these two thynges as we ought the makyng and the equitie of the law vpon the reason wherof the makyng it selfe is founded stayeth Equitie because it is naturall can be but one of all lawes and therfore one lawe accordyng to the kynde of mater oughte to be the propounded ende to all lawes As for makyngs of Lawes because they haue certaine circumstances vpon which they partly hang if so that they tende all together to one marke of equitie though they be diuerse it maketh no mater Nowe sithe it is certayne that the lawe of God whiche we call morall is nothyng ells but a testimonie of the naturall law and of that conscience which is engrauen of God in the myndes of men the whole rule of this equitie wherof we nowe speake is set foorth therin Therfore it alone also must be bothe the marke and rule and ende of all lawes Whatsoeuer lawes shal be framed after that rule directed to that marke and limited in that ende there is no cause why we should disalowe them howsoeuer they otherwise differ from the Iewishe lawe or one from an other The lawe of God forbiddeth to steale What peyne was appoynted for theftes in the ciuile state of the Iewes is to be sene in Exodus The most auncient lawes of other nations punished thefte with recompence of double the lawes that folowed afterwarde made difference betwene manifest theft and no manifest Some proceded to banishemente some to whippyng some at last to the punishmente of death False witnesse was among the Iewes punished with recompēce of egall paine in some places onely with greate shame in some places with hangyng in other some with the Crosse. Manslaughter all lawes vniuersally doo reuenge with blood yet with dyuers kyndes of deathe Agaynst adulterers in some places were ordeined seuerer peynes in some places lighter Yet we see howe with suche diuersitie all tend to the same ende For with one mouthe they all together pronounce punishement against all the offences which haue ben condemned by the eternal law of God as manslaughters theftes adulterie false witnessings but in the maner of punishement they agree not Neither is the same nedefull nor yet expedient There is some contree which vnlesse it shewe rigor with horrible examples against mansleyers should immediately be destroied with murders and robberies There is some tyme that requireth the sharpnesse of peynes to be encreased If there aryse any trouble in a common weale the euils that are wont to growe therof muste be amended with newe ordinances In tyme of warre all humanitie would in the noyse of armure fall away vnlesse there were caste into men an vnwonted feare of punishementes In barennesse in pestilēce vnlesse greater seueritie be vsed all thyngs will come to ruine Some nation is more bent to some certaine vice vnlesse it be most sharply suppressed Howe malicious and enuious shall he be againste the publike profite that shal be offended with suche diuersitie whiche is most fitte to holde fast the obseruyng of the lawe of God For that whyche some saye that the Lawe of God geuen by Moses is dishonored when it beyng abrogate newe are preferred aboue it is moste vaine For neither are other preferred aboue it when they are more allowed not in simple comparison but in respect of the estate of the tymes place and nation neither is that abrogate which was neuer made for vs. For the LORDE gaue not that lawe by the hande of Moses which should be published into all nations and florishe euery where but when he had receiued the nation of the Iewes into his faith defence and protection he willed to be a lawemaker peculiarly to them and lyke a wise lawmaker he hadde in making of hys lawes a certaine singular consideration of them Now remayneth that we consider that which we haue set in the last place what profit of lawes iudicial orders and magistrates cometh to the common felowship of Christians Wherwith also is coupled an other question how much priuate men ought to yeld to magistrates and how farre their obedience ought to procede Many thought the office of magistrat to be superfluous among Christiās because forsoth thei can not godlily craue their ayde namely sithe they are forbidden to reuenge to sue in the law and to haue any controuersie But whereas Paule contrarywise plainly testifieth that he is the minister of God to vs for good we thereby vnderstand that he is so ordeined of God that we being defended by his hande and succours agaynst the maliciousnesse and iniuries of mischeuous men may lyue a
quiete and assured lyfe If he be in vaine geuen vs of the Lorde for defence vnlesse it be lawfull for vs to vse suche benefite it sufficiently appereth that he may also without vngodlinesse be called vpon and sued vnto But here I muste haue to doo with twoo kyndes of men For there be many men that boyle with so great rage of quarellyng at the lawe that they neuer haue quiete with themselues vnlesse they haue strife with other And their controuersies they exercise with deadly sharpnesse of hatred and with mad gredinesse to reuenge and hurt and do pursue them with vnappeasable stiffenesse euen to the verye destruction of their aduersarie In the meane tyme that they may not be thought to doo any thyng but rightefully they defende suche peruersnesse with color of lawe But though it be graunted thee to go to lawe with thy brother yet thou mayste not by and by hate hym not be carried againste hym with furious desyre to hurt hym not stubbornely to pursue hym Let this therfore be said to such men that the vse of lawes is lawful if a man doo rightly vse it And that the right vse bothe for the pleintife to sue and for the defendant to defende is if the defendant beeyng summoned doo appere at an appointed day and dothe with such exception as he can defēd his cause without bitternesse but only with this affection to defend that whiche is his owne by law and if the pleintif beyng vnworthily oppressed either in his person or his goodes do resort to the defence of the Magistrate make his complainte and require that which is equitie and conscience but farre from all gredy will to hurte or reuenge farre from sharpnesse and hatred farre from burnyng heate of contention but rather redy to yeld of his owne and to suffer any thing than to be caried with an enemylike mynd against his aduersarie Contrarywise when beyng filled with malice of mynde corrupted with enuie kindled with wrath breathyng out reuenge or finally so enflamed with the heate of the contention they geue ouer any parte of charitie the whole procedyng euen of a moste iuste cause can not but be wicked For this ought to be a determined principle to all christians that a controuersie though it be neuer so righteous can neuer be rightly pursued of any man vnlesse he beare as good will and loue to his aduersarie as if the matter whiche is in controuersie were already concluded and ended by composition Some man will here peraduenture say that suche moderation is so neuer vsed in goyng to lawe that it shoulde be lyke a miracle if any suche were founde I graunt in dede as the maners of these tymes be that there is seldome sene an example of a good contender in lawe yet the thyng it selfe beyng defiled with addition of no euel ceasseth not to be good and pure But when we heare that the helpe of the Magistrate is a holy gift of God we must so muche the more diligently take hede that it be not defiled by our faulte As for them that precisely condemne all contendings at lawe lett them vnderstande that they do therwithall despise the holy ordinance of God and a gifte of that kynde of giftes whiche maye be cleane to the cleane vnlesse peraduenture they will accuse Paule of wicked doyng whiche did bothe put away from himselfe the sclanders of his accusers with declaryng also their deceite and maliciousnesse and in iudgement claimed for hymselfe the prerogatiue of the citie of Rome and when nede was he appelled from an vnrighteous gouernor to the Emperors iudgement seate Neither withstandeth it that all Christians are forbidden to desire reuenge which we also do driue farre away from Christian iudgemente seates For if the contention be about a commō case he goeth not the right way that doth not with innocent simplicitie commit his cause to the iudge as to a common defender thynking nothing lesse than to rēder mutual recōpence of euill which is the affection of reuenge or if any matter of life and death or any greate criminall action be commenced we require that the accuser be suche a one as commeth into the courte beyng taken with no boylyng heate of reuenge and touched with no displeasure of priuate iniurie but only hauyng in mynde to withstande the enterprises of a mischeuous manne that they may not hurt the common weale But if thou take away a reuengyng mynde there is no offence done against that cōmaundement whereby reuenge is forbidden to Christians But they are not only for bidden to desire reuenge but they are also commaunded to wayt for the hande of the Lord which promiseth that he wil be a present reuenger for the oppressed and aflicted but they do preuent all reuenge of the heauēlye defendor which require helpe at the Magistrates hande either for themselues or other Not so For we muste thinke that the Magistrates reuenge is not the reuenge of man but of God which as Paule sayth he extēdeth and exerciseth by the ministerie of man for our good And no more do we disagree with the wordes of Christ by which he forbiddeth to resist euell and commaundeth to turne the righte cheke to him that hath geuen a blowe on the left and to suffer him to take away thy cloke that taketh awaye thy coate He willeth in dede there that the myndes of his should so much abhorre from desire of recompensing like for like that they should soner suffer doble iniurie to be done to themselues than desire to reacquite it from which patience neither do we also leade them awaye For Christians truely oughte to bee a kinde of men made to beare reproches and iniuries open to the malice deceites and mockages of noughty men and not that onely but also they muste bee bearers of al these euilles that is to say so framed with al their hartes that hauing receiued one displeasure they make themselues redy for an other promysyng to them selues nothyng in their whole lyfe but the bearing of a continuall Crosse. In the meane tyme also they muste doo good to them that doo them wrong and wyshe well to those that curse them and whyche is their onely victorie stryue to ouercome euyll with good Being so minded they wil not seke eie for eie tooth for tooth as the Pharises taught their disciples to desire reuenge but as we are taught of Christ they will so suffer their body to be mangled and their goodes to be maliciously taken from them that they will forgeue and of their owne accorde pardon those euels so soone as they are done to them Yet this euennesse and moderation of mindes shall not withstād but that the frendshyp toward their ennemies remaining safe they may vse the helpe of the magistrate to the preseruyng of their goodes or for zele of publike commoditie may sue a giltie and pestilent man to be punished whom they know that he can not be amended but by death For
Augustine truely expoundeth that all these commaundementes tend to this ende that a righteous and godly man should be ready to beare patiently the malice of them whome he seeketh to haue made good men that rather the number of the good maye encrease not that he shoulde with like malice adde himselfe also to the numbre of the euell then that they more perteyne to the preparation of the hart which is inwardely than to the worke which is done openly that in secrete may be kept patience of mynde with goood will but openly that may be doone whiche we see may be profitable to them to whom we ought to beare good will But this whiche is wonte to be obiected that contendynges in lawe are altogether condemned of Paule is also false It may easily be perceiued by his wordes that there was an immeasurable rage of striuing at lawe in the Chirch of the Corynthians so farre foorth that they did make the gospell of Christ and the whole religion which they professed open to the cauillations and euell speakyng of the wycked This is the fyrst thyng that Paule blameth in them that by their intemperance of contentiōs they brought the Gospel in sclander among the vnbeleuers And then this point also that in suche sort they striued among themselues brethren with brethren For they were so farre from bearyng of wronges that they gredily gaped one for an others goodes prouoked one an other and beyng vnprouoked did hurte Therfore he inueyeth agaynst that rage of contendyng and not simply agaynste all controuersies But he pronoūceth that it is a fault or a weakenesse that they dyd not rather suffer losse of their goodes than to trauayle euen to contentions for the preseruyng of them namely when they were so easily moued with euery damage and for moste small causes did runne to the court of lawe and to controuersies he sayth that this is a profe that they were of a mynde to ready to anger and not well framed to patiēce Christians verily ought to do this that they had alway rather to yelde of their owne right than to go to lawe from whens they can scarcely get out agayne but with a mynd to muche moued and kindled to hatred of their brother But when a man seeth that without losse of charitie he may defend his owne the losse whereof shoulde be a sore hindrance vnto him if he do so he offendeth nothing against this sayeng of Paul Finally as we haue taught in the beginnyng charitie shall geue euery man best counsell without whiche whatsoeuer controuersies are taken in hande and beyonde which whatsoeuer do procede we holde it out of controuersie that they be vniust and wicked The fyrst duetie of subiectes toward their magistrates is to thynke moste honorably of their office namely which they acknowlege to be a iurisdiction committed of God and therefore to esteme them and reuerence them as the ministers and deputies of God For a man may fynd some whiche yelde themselues very obedient to their magistrates and would not that there were not some whome they should obeye because they so know it to be expedient for the common benefite but of the magistrates themselues they thinke no otherwise than of certaine necessarie euills But Peter requireth somewhat more of vs when he commaūdeth that the kyng be honored Salomon when he commaūdeth God and the kyng to be feared For Peter vnder the worde of Honoryng conteineth a sincere and well demyng estimation and Salomon ioynyng the kyng with God sheweth that he is full of a certaine holye reuerence and dignitie This is also a notable commendation in Paul that we obey not onely for wrathe but for conscience Wherby he meaneth that subiectes ought to be ledde not onely with feare of princes and rulers to be holden in their subiection as they are wont to yeld to their armed enemie which see that vengeance shal redily be taken vpon them if they resist but because the obediences that are shewed to them are shewed to God himselfe forasmuch as their power is of God I speake not of the men as if the visor of dignitie dyd couer foolishenesse or sluggishnesse or cruelties or wicked maners and full of mischeuous doyng but I say that the degree it self is worthy of honor and reuerence that whosoeuer be rulers may be estemed with vs and haue reuerence in respecte of their beyng rulers Of this then also foloweth an other thyng that with myndes bente to the honoring of them declare their obedience in profe to them whether it be to obey their proclamations or to paye tribute or to take in hande publike offices and charges that serue for common defence or to doo any other of their commaūdementes Let euery soule saith Paul be subiect to the hyer powers For he that resisteth the power resisteth the ordināce of God The same Paule writeth to Titus Warne them that they be subiecte to rulers and powers that they obey the Magistrates that they be redy to euery good worke And Peter saith Be ye subiect to euery humaine creature or rather as I translate it Ordinance for the Lordes sake either to the kyng as moste excellent or to the rulers that are sent by hym to the punishement in dede of euell dooers but to the praise of well doers Moreouer that they shoulde testifie that they doo not fayne subiection but are sincerely and hartily subiect Paule addeth that they should commende to God the safetie and prosperitie of them vnder whom they lyue I exhorte sayth he that there be made praiers besechynges intercessions thankesgeuynges for all men for Kynges and for all that be set in superioritie that we may liue a peasable quiet life with all godlynesse and honestie Neither let any man here deceiue himselfe For sithe the magistrate can not be resisted but that God himselfe must also be resisted although it may be thought that an vnarmed magistrate may frely be despised yet God is armed whiche will strongly take vengeance on the dispisyng of hymselfe Moreouer vnder this obedience I contemne moderation which priuate men ought to bynde themselues to kepe in cases touchyng the publike state that they do not of their owne head entermedle in publike businesses or rashely breake into the office of the Magistrate and enterprise nothyng publikely If any thyng shall in a publike ordinance be behouefull to be amended let not themselues rayse vprores nor put their handes to the doyng of it whiche they all ought to haue fast bounde in this behalfe but let them cōmit it to the iudgement of the magistrate whose hand alone is here in at libertie I meane that they presume to do nothing vncōmaunded For when the commaundement of the ruler is adioyned then are they also furnished with publike authoritie For as they are wont to call the coūsellers of a king his eares and eies so not vnfittly a man may cal them the handes of the prince whome by his
loue To thys exposition Augustine dyd fyrste open mee the waye bycause thou shouldest not thinke that it is without consent of some graue authoritie And though that Lordes purpose was to forbid vs all wrongfull coueting yet in rehersing that same he hath brought forth for example those things that most commonly doe deceyue vs wyth a false image of delyghte bycause hee woulde learne nothynge to concupiscence when he draweth yt from these thinges vpon the whyche yt moste of all rageth and triumpheth Loe here is the seconde Table of the lawe wherein we are taught sufficiently what we owe to men for Gods sake vpon consideration wherof hangeth the whole rule of charitie Wherefore you shall but vaynely call vpon those duetyes that are conteined in thys Table vnlesse your doctrine doe staye vpon the feare and reuerence of God as vpon her foundation As for them whyche seeke for twoo commaundementes in the prohibition of couetinge the wyse reader thoughe I saye nothing wyll iudge that by wronge diuision they teare in sunder that whyche was butte one And it maketh nothinge againste vs that this worde Thou shalt not couet is the seconde time repeted for after that he had fyrste sette the house then hee renteth the partes thereof beginninge at the wyfe whereby it playnely appeareth that as the Hebrues doe very well it ought to bee reade in one whole sentence and that God in effecte commaundeth that all that euery man possesseth shoulde remaine safe and vntouched not onely from wronge and lust to defraude them but also from the very leaste desyre that may moue oure myndes But now to what ende the whole lawe tendeth it shall not be hard to iudge that is to the fulfillinge of ryghteousnesse that yt myghte frame the lyfe of manne after the example of the purenesse of God For God hathe therein so painted oute hys owne nature as if a manne do perfourme in deedes that whiche is there commaunded hee shall in a manner expresse an image of God in hys lyfe Therefore when Moses meante to bring the summe thereof into the myndes of the Israelites hee saide And nowe Israel what dothe the Lorde thy God aske of thee butte that thou feare the Lorde and walke in hys wayes loue hym and serue hym in all thy hearte and in all thy soule and keepe his commaundementes And hee cessed not styll to synge the same songe againe vnto them so ofte as he purposed to shewe the ende of the lawe The doctrine of the lawe hathe suche respect herevnto that it ioyneth man or as Moses in an other place termeth it maketh manne to sticke faste to his God in holynesse of lyfe Nowe the perfection of that holynesse consisteth in the twoo principall pointes allready rehersed That we loue the Lorde God withall oure hearte all oure soule and all oure strengthe and oure neighboure as oure selues And the firste in deede is that oure soule bee in all partes fylled with the loue of God From that by and by of it selfe fourth floweth the loue of oure neighboure Whiche thinge the Apostle sheweth when he wryteth that the ende of the lawe is Loue out of a pure conscience and a farthe not fained You see howe as it were in the heade is set conscience and faith vnfained that is to saye in one worde true Godlynesse and that from thense ys charitie deceyued Therefore hee is deceyued whosoeuer thynketh that in the lawe are taughte onely certayne rudimentes and fyrste Introductions of ryghteousnesse wherewyth menne became to bee taughte theyr fyrste schoolynge butte not yet dyrected to the true marke of good woorkes whereas beyonde that sentence of Moses and thys of Paule youe canne desyre nothynge as wantynge of the hygheste perfection For howe farre I praye youe wyll hee proceede that wyll not bee contented wyth thys institution whereby manne ys instructed to the feare of God to spirituall worshypynge to obeinge of the commaundementes to folowe the vprightnesse of the waye of the Lorde finally to purenesse of conscience syncere faithe and loue Whereby is confirmed that exposition of the lawe whiche searcheth for and findeth out in the commaundementes therof all the dueties of Godlynesse and loue For thei that folow onely the drie and bare principles as if it taught but the one halfe of Gods will know not the ende thereof as the Apostle witnesseth But wheras in rehersing the summe of the law Christ the Apostle do somtime leaue out the first Table many are deceiued therin while thei wold faine draw their wordes to bothe the Tables Christ in Mathew calleth the chiefe pointes of the lawe Mercy Iudgement Faith vnder the worde Faith it is not doubtfull to mee but that he meaneth truth or faithfulnesse towarde men But some that the sentence might be extended to the whole lawe take it for religiousnesse towarde God But thei laboure in vaine For Christe speaketh of those workes wherwith man ought to proue him selfe righteous This reâ—son if we note we will also cesse to maruell why when a yonge man asked hym what be the commaundementes by kepinge wherof we enter into life he answered these thinges onely Thou shalte not kill Thou shalt not committe adulterie Thou shalte not steale Thou shalte beare no false witnesse Honoure thy Father and thy Mother Loue thy neighboure as thy selfe For the obeying of the firste Table consisted in manner all eyther in the affection of the hearte or in ceremonies the affection of the hearte appeared not and as for the ceremonies the hypocrites did continually vse But the workes of charitie are suche as by them we maye declare a perfect righteousnesse But this commeth eche where so ofte in the prophetes that it muste nedes be familiar to a reader but meanly exercised in them For in a manner alwaye when they echorte to repentaunce they leaue oute the firste Table and onely call vpon Faith Iudgment Mercie Equitie And thus thei do not ouerskippe the feare of God but thei require the earnest proofe thereof by the tokens of yt This is wel knowen that when thei speake of the keepinge of the law thei do for the moste parte rest vpon the seconde Table bicause therein the studie of righteousnesse and vprightnesse is most openly seen It ys needlesse to reherse the places bicause euery man will of himselfe easyly marke that whiche I saye But thou wilt say is it then more auailable to the perfection of righteousnesse to liue innocently among men than with true godlynesse to honore God No but bicause a man doth not easilye kepe charitie in all pointes vnlesse he earnestli feare God therfore it is therby proued that he hathe Godlinesse also Biside that for asmuch as the Lord well knoweth that no benifite can come from vs vnto him which thing he doth also testifie by the Prophet therfore he requireth not our dueties to him self but doth exercise vs in good workes toward our neighbour Therfore not wtout cause the
Apostle setteth the whole perfectioÌ„ of the holy ones in charitie And not inconuenientlye in an other place he calleth the same the fullfillinge of the lawe adding that he hathe perfourmed the lawe that loueth his neighboure Againe That all the lawe is comprehended in one worde Loue thy neighboure as thy selfe For he teacheth no other thing but the same which Christe doth when he saith Whatsoeuer ye will that men do to you do ye the same to them For thys is the law and the Prophetes It is certaine that in the lawe and the Prophetes Faith all that belongeth to the true worship of God holdeth the principal place and that Loue is beneth it in a lower degree but the Lordes meaning is that in the lawe is only prescribed vnto vs an obseruation of right and equitie wherein we be exercised to testifie our Godlye feare of him if there be any in vs. Here therefore let vs sticke faste that then oure lyfe shal be best framed to Gods will and the rule of his lawe when it shall be euery waye most profitable to oure brothren Butte in the whole lawe there is not redde one syllable that apoynteth to man any râ—le of suche thynges as he shall do or leaue vndone to the commoditie of his owne fleshe And surely sith men are so borne of such disposition naturalli that thei be to much carried all hedlong to the loue of them selues how much soeuer thei fall from the truthe yet still thei keepe that selfe loue there needed no lawe any more to enflame that loue that was naturally of it selfe to much beyonde measure Whereby it plainly appeareth that not the loue of oure selues but the loue of God and of oure neighboure is the keping of the commaundements and that he liueth best and moste holyly that so nere as maie be liueth and trauileth leaste for him selfe that no man liueth worse and more wyckedly than hee that liueth and trauileth for himselfe only thinketh vpon seketh for thinges of hys owne And the Lord the more to expresse with howe greate ernestnes we ought to be led to the loue of oure neighboures apointed it to bee measured by the loue of our selues as by a rule bicause he had no other more vehement or stronger affection to measure it by And the force of the manner of speaking is diligently to be weyed For he doth not as certaine Sophisters haue foolishly dreamed geue the first degree to the loue of our selues and the seconde to charitie but rather that affection of loue which we do all naturally drawe to our selues he geueth away vnto other wherevpoÌ„ the Apostle saith that Charitie seketh not her own And their reasoÌ„ is not to be estemed worth a heare that the thing ruled is euer inferiore to his Rule For God doth not make the loue of our selues a rule whervnto charitie toward other shold be subiect but whereas by peruersnesse of nature the affectioÌ„ of loue was wont to rest in our selues he sheweth that now it ought to be els wher spred abroade that we shold with no lesse cherefulnesse feruentnesse and carefulnesse be ready to do good to oure neighboure than to oure selues Now sith Christe hath shewed in the parable of the Samaritane the vnder the name of Neighboure euery man is conteined be he neuer so strange vnto vs ther is no cause whi we shold restraine the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t of loue within the bondes of our owne frendshippes acquaintances I deny not that the nerer that any man is vnto vs the more familiarli he is to be holpen with our endeuours to do him good For so the ordie of humaâ—itie reqâ—ireth the so many moe dueties of friendship men shold coÌ„municate togither as they are bounde togither wyth streighter bondes of kyâ—red familiaritie or neighebourehoode and that wythout any offense of God by whose prouidence we are in a manner driuen thervnto But I say that al mankinde without exception is to be embraced with one affection of charitie that in thys behalfe is no dyfference of Barbarous or Grecian of woorthy or vnwoorthy of friende or foe bicause thei are to be considered in God and not in them selues from whyche consideration when we tourne away it is no maruell if we be entangled with many erroures Wherefore if we wyll keepe the true trade of louinge we muste not tourne oure eyes vnto man the sighte of whome woulde ofter enforce vs to hate than to loue but vnto God which commaundeth that the loue which we offer him be poured abroade among all menne that this be a perpetuall foundation that whatsoeuer the man be yet he ought to be loued bicause God is loued Wherefore it was a moste pestilent either ignoraunce or malice that the Schoolemen of these commaundementes touching not desyringe of reuengmente and louinge oure enemies whiche in the olde time bothe were geuen to the Iewes and at the same tyme were commonly geuen to all Christians haue made Councels whiche it is in our libertie to obey or not obey And the necessarie obeyinge of them thei haue posted ouer to Monkes which wer though but in this one poynt forsoothe more righteous than simple Christians that thei willingelye bound them selues to keepe the Councels And thei rendre a reason why thei receiue them not for lawes for that they seeme to burdenous and heauy specially for Christians that are vnder the lawe of grace So dare thei presume to repel the eternall law of God touching the louing of oure neighvoures Is there any suche dyfference in any leafe of the lawe and are not therein rather in it eche where founde commaundementes that do moste seuerely require of vs to loue oure enemies For what manner of sayinge is that where wee are commaunded to feede oure enemie when he is hungry to set into the right way his Oxen or Asses strayinge out of the waye or to ease them when thei faint vnder their burden Shall we do good to his beastes for his sake without any good will to him selfe What is not the worde of the Lorde euerlastinge Leaue vengeance to me and I will requite it Whiche also is spoken more plainely at large in an other place Seke not vengeance neither be mindefull of the iniurie of thy Citizens Either let them blot these thynges oute of the lawe or let them acknoweledge that the Lorde was a lawemaker and not lieingly faine that he was a councell geuer And what I praye you meane these thynges that thei haue presumed to mocke withall in their vnsauorie glose Loue your enemies doe good to them that hate youe praie for them that persecute youe blesse them that curse you that ye may be the chyldren of youre father which is in heauen Who can not heare reason wyth Chrysostome that by so necessarie a cause it plainely appeareth that they are no exhortations but commaundementes What remayneth more when we be blotted out of the numbre of the
church And we se what a maze thei haue framed with this their hidden implication that any thinge whatsoeuer it be wythoute any choise so that it bee thrust in vnder title of the Church is gredy receiued of the ignorant as it wer an oracle ye sometime also most monsterous erroures Whyche vnaduysed lyghtnesse of beleefe wheras yt is a mooste certayne downefall to ruyne is yet excused by them for that yt beleueth nothynge determynately but wyth this coÌ„dition adioyned yf the faith of the Church be suche So do they faine that truth is holden in erroure light in blindnes true knowledg in ignorance But bicause we wil not tarry long in confuting them we doe only warne the readers to coÌ„pare their doctrine wyth oures For the very pleanesse of the trueth it sefe wil of it selfe minister a confutation ready enough For this ys not the question among them whether fayth be yet wrapped wyth many remnauntes of ignoraunce but they definitiuely say that thei beleue aryght which stande amased in their ignorance yea and doe â—â—atter them selues therein so that they doe agree to the authoritie iudgement of the Churche concerning things vnknowen As though the Scripture did not euerywhere teache that with fayth is ioyned knoweledge But we do graunt that so longe as we wander from home in thys worlde oure faith is not fully expressed not onely bicause many things are yet hidden from vs but bicause being compassed with many mistes of erroures wee atteine not all thinges For the hyghest wysedome of the moste perfect is thys to profite more and proceede on further forwarde with gentill willingnesse to learne Therfore Paule exhorteth the faithfull if vpon any thinge thei differ one from an other to abide for reuelation And truely experience teaceth that till we be vnclothed of oure fleshe we atteine to knowe lesse than were to be wisshed and dayly in reading we light vpon many darke places whiche do conuince vs of ignorance And with this brydle God holdeth vs in modestie assigning to euery one a measure of faith that euen the very best teacher may be ready to learne And notable exaumples of thys vnexpressed faithe we may marke in the Disciples of Christ before that thei hadde obteined to be fully enlightned We see how thei hardly tasted the very fyrste introductions how thei did sticke euen in the smallest pointes howe they hanginge at the mouthe of their maister did not yet muche proceede yea when at the womens information they ranne to the graue the Resurrection of their master was lyke a dreame vnto them Sithe Christe dyd before beare wytnesse of theyr faythe we may not saie that they were vtterly without faith but rather if they dad not been perswaded that Christe shoulde ryse agayne all care of him wold haue perished in them For it was not superstition that dyd drawe the women to embalme with spices the corpes of a deade man of whome ther was no hope of life but although thei beleued his words whome thei knewe to be a speaker of trueth yet the grosnesse that styll possessed their myndes so wrapped theyr faithe in darkenesse that thei were in a manner amased at it Wherevpon it is saide that thei then at the last beleued when thei hadde by tryall of the thinge it selfe proued the truethe of the wordes of Christ not that they then beganne to beleue but bycause the seede of hidden fayth whiche was as it were deade in their heartes then receiuing liuelynesse dyd sprynge vp There was therefore a true fayth in them but an vnexpressed faythe bicause they reuerently embraced Christe for their onely teacher and then beynge taught of him they determined that he was the author of their saluation fynally they beleued that he came from heauen by the grace of his father to gather his Disciples to heauen And we neede not to seke any more familiar poofe hereof than this that in al thinges alway vnbelefe is mingled with faith We may also call it an vnexpressed faithe whiche yet in deede is nothinge but a preparation of faithe The Euangelistes do reherse that many beleued whiche onely beinge rauished to admiration wyth myracles proceded no further but that Christe was the Messias whyche had ben promysed albeit thei tasted not so much as any sclender learning of the Gospell Such obedience which brought them in subiectioÌ„ willingly to submitt them selues to Christe beareth the name of faith where it was in deede but the beginning of faithe So the courtieâ— that beleued Christes promise concerninge the healinge of his sonne when he came home as the Euangelist testifieth beleued againe bycause he receiued as an oracle that whiche he hearde of the mouthe of Christe and then submitted hym selfe to his authoritie to receiue hys doctrine Albeit it is to be knowen that he was so tractable and ready to learne that yet in the fyrste place the woorde of beleninge signifieth a particular beleefe and in the seconde place maketh hym of the numbre of the Disciples that professed to bee the scholers of Christe Alyke exaumple dothe Ihon sette forthe in the Samaritanes whiche so beleued the womans reporte that they ranne earnestly to Christe whiche yet when they hadde hearde hym saide thus Now we beleue not bycause of thy report but we haue hearde him and we know that he is the sauioure of the worlde Hereby appeareth that they whyche are not yet instructed in the fyrste introductions so that they be disposed to obedyence are called faithfull in deede not proprely but in thys respect that God of hys tender kyndenesse voutchesaueth to graunte so greate honoure to that godly affection but this willingnesse to learne with a desire to procede further differeth farr from that grosse ignorâ—â—ce wherein they lye dull that are content wyth the vnexpressed saith suche as the Papistes haue imagined For if Paule seuerely condemneth them whiche alwaie learning yet neuer come to the knowledge of trueth howe muche more greuous reproche do they deserue that of purpose stadie to know nothing This therfore is the true knowledge of Christ if we receiue him such as he is offered of his Father that is to saye clothed with his Gospel For as he is appoynted to be the marke of oure faith so we can not go the right waie to him but by the Gospell going before to guide vs. And truely ther are opened to vs the treasures of grace which being shut vp Christ should litle proâ—ite vs. So Paule ioyneth faithe an vnseparable companion to doctrine wher he saithe Ye haue not so learned Christ for ye haue been taught what is the trueth in Christe Yet do I not so restraine faith to the Gospell but that I confesse that there hath been so much taught by Moses and the Prophetes as suffised to the edification of faith but bicause ther hath ben deliuered in the Gospel a fuller opening of faith therefore it is woorthyly called of Paule the doctrine of saith For which cause also
he saithe in an other place that by the comming of faith the lawe is taken awaie meaning by this word faith yeâ—ewe vnaccustomed manner of teaching wherby Christ sins he appeared our scholemaster hath more plainlâ— set forth the mercy of his father more certainly testified of our saluation Albeit it shal be the more easye more conuenient ordre if we descend by degrees from the generaltie to the specialtie First we must be put in minde that there is a general relation of faith to the word that faith can no more be seuered from the word than the sun beames from the sume froÌ„ whome thei procede Therfore in Esaie God cryeth out Heare me and your soule shall lyue And that the same is the fountaine of faythe Ihon sheweth in these woordes These thinges are written that ye may beleue And the prophete meaninge to exhorte the people to beleefe saythe This daie yiÌ„ ye shall heare hys voyce And to heare is commmonly taken for to Beleue Moreouer God dothe not wythout cause in Esaie sette thys marke of difference betwene the children of the Churche and straungers that he will instructe them all that thei maie be taught of him For if it were a benefite vniuersall to all why shoulde he direct hys woordes to a fewe Wherewith agreeth thys that the Euangelistes do commonly vse the woordes Faithfull and Disciples as seuerall wordes expressing one thing specially Luke very oft in the Actes of the Apostles Yea and he stretcheth that name euen to a woman in the ninthe chapiter of the Actes Wherefore if faith do swerue neuer so little from this marke to which it ought to be directly leuelled it kepeth not her owne nature butte becometh an vncertaine lightnesse of belefe and wandring erroure of mynde The same Worde is the foundation wherwith faith is vpholden susteined from which if it swarue it falleth downe Therfore take awaie the Worde then there shal remaine no faith We do not here dispute whether the ministerie of man be necessarie to sowe the worde of God that faithe may be conceiued thereby which question we will els where entreate of but we saie that the worde it self howesoeuer it be conueied to vs is like a mirroure when faith may beholde God Whether God dothe therein vse the seruice of man or worke it by his owne onely power yet he doth alwaie shewe him selfe by his worde to those whome his will is to drawe vnto him wherevpon Paule defineth faithe to be an obedience that is geuen to the Gospell Rom. i. And in an other place he praiseth the obedience of faithe in the Philippians For this is not the onely purpose in the vnderstanding of faithe that we knowe that there is a God but this also yea this chefely that we vnderstande what wil he beareth toward vs. For it not so muche behoueth vs to knowe what he is in himself but what a one he will be to vs. Nowe therefore we are come to thys point that faithe is a knoweledge of the will of God perceyued by his worde And the foundation hereof is a foreconceiued persuasion of the truthe of God Of the assurednesse whereof so longe as thy minde shal dispute with it selfe the worde shall be but of doubtful and weake credit yea rather no credit at all But also it sufficeth not to beleue that God is a true speaker whiche can neither deceiue nor lie vnlesse thow further holde this for vndoubtedly determined that whatsoeuer procedeth from him is the sacred and inuiolable truthe But bicause not at euery word of God mans hearte is raised vp to faith we must yet further search what this faith in the word hath proprely respecte vnto It was the saieng of God to Adam Thou shalte die the death It was the saienge of God to Cain The bloode of thy brother crieth to me out of the earth Yet these are suche saiengs as of them selues canne doe nothynge butte shake faythe so muche lesse are they able to stablyshe faythe We denye not in the meane season that yt ys the offyce of faythe to agree to the truthe of God howe ofte soeuer what soeuer and in what sorte soeuer yt speaketh butte nowe oure question is onely what faythe fyndeth in the woorde of the Lorde to leane and rest vpon When oure conscience beholdeth onely indignation and vengeance howe canne it butte tremble and quake for feare And howe shoulde yt butte flee God of whome yt is afraide But faythe oughte to seeke God and not to flee from him It is plaine therefore that we haue not yet a full definition of faythe bycause it is not to be accompted for faithe to knowe the wyll of God of what sorte so euer it be But what yf in the place of wyll whereof many tymes the message is sorrowefull and the declaration dreadful we putte kindenesse or mercie Truely so we shal come nerer to the nature of faithe For wee are then allured to seeke God after that wee haue learned that saluation is laied vp in store with him for vs. Whyche thynge is confyrmed vnto vs when he declareth that he hath care and loue of vs. Therefore there needeth a promise of grace whereby he maie testifie that he is oure mercifull father for that otherwise wee canne not approche vnto hym and vpon that alone the hearte of man maie safely rest For thys reason commonly in the Psalmes these two thinges Mercie and Truth do cleaue together bicause neither should it any thynge profite vs to know that God is true vnlesse he did mercifully allure vs vnto him neither were it in our power to embrace his mercie vnlesse he did with his owne mouthe offer it I haue reported thy truth and thy saluation I haue not hidden thy goodnesse and thy truthe Thy goodnesse and thy trueth keepe me In an other place Thy mercie to the heauens thy trueth euen to the cloudes Againe All the wayes of the Lorde are mercie and trueth to them that keepe his couenant Againe His mercie is multiplied vpon vs and the truth of the Lorde abydeth for euer Againe I will singe to thy name vpon thy mercie and trueth I omitte that whiche is in the Prophetes to the same meaninge that God is mercifull and faythfull in hys promyses For wee shall rashly determine that God is merciefull vnto vs vnlesse himselfe do testifie of himselfe and preuent vs wyth his callinge leaste his wil shoulde be doubtful and vnknowen But we haue already seen that Christ is the onely pledge of his loue without whome on euery side appeare the tokens of hatred and wrath Nowe forasmuche as the knoweledge of Gods goodnesse shall not muche preuayle vnlesse he make vs to rest in it therefore suche an vnderstanding is to be banished as is mingled with doubting and doth not soundli agree in it selfe but as it were disputeth with it selfe But mans witte as yt is blinde and darkened is farre from
honour not weyeng the worthinesse of them that he accompteth them of some value The third that he receiueth the very same workes with pardon not imputyng the imperfectiō wherwith they al beyng defiled should otherwise be rather reckened amōg sinnes than vertues And hereby appereth how much the Sophisters haue ben deceiued whiche thought that they had gaylye escaped al absurdities when they sayd that workes do not of their owne inwarde goodnesse auayle to deserue saluation but by the forme of the couenant bicause the Lord hath of his liberalitie so much estemed them But in the meane time they considered not howe far those workes whiche they would haue to be meritorious were from the conditiō of the promises vnlesse there went before bothe iustification grounded vpon only fayth and the forgeuenesse of sinnes by which euē the good workes themselues haue neede to be wiped from spottes Therefore of three causes of Gods liberalitie by which it is brought to passe that the workes of the faythfull are acceptable they noted but one suppressed two yea and those the principall They allege the sayeng of Peter whiche Luke rehearseth in the Actes I finde in truthe that God is not an accepter of persones but in euery nation he that doth righteousnesse is acceptable to him And hereupon they gather that which semeth to be vndouted that if man doth by right endeuors get himselfe the fauor of God it is not the beneficiall gift of God alone that he obteyneth saluation yea that God doth so of his mercie help a sinner that he is by workes bowed to mercie But you can in no wise make the Scriptures agree together vnlesse you note a double acceptyng of man with God For such as man is by nature God findeth nothyng in him whereby he maye be enclined to mercie but only miserie If therfore it be certayne that man is naked and needy of all goodnesse and on the other side full stuffed and loden with al kindes of euels when God first receyueth them for what qualitie I pray you shal we say that he is worthy of the heauēly calling ▪ Away therefore with the vaine imaginyng of merites where God so euidētly setteth out his free mercifulnesse For that which in the same place is sayde by the voice of the Angell to Cornelius that his prayers and almes had ascēded into the sight of God is by these men most lewdly wrested that man by endeuor of good workes is prepared to receiue the grace of God For it muste needes be that Cornelius was already enlightened with the Spirit of wisdome sithe he was endued with true wisdome namely with the feare of God that he was sanctified with the same Spirit sith he was a folower of righteousnesse which the Apostle teacheth to be a most certaine frute therof Al those things therefore whiche are sayd to haue pleased God in him he had of his grace so far is it of that he did by his own endeuor prepare himself to receiue it Truely there cā not one syllable of the Scripture be brought forth that agreeth not with this doctrine that there is none other cause for God to accept man vnto him but bicause he seeth that mā should be euery way lost if he be left to himselfe but bicause he will not haue him lost he vseth his own mercie in deliueryng him Now we see how this accepting hath not regard to the righteousnesse of man but is a mere token of the goodnesse of God toward men beyng miserable and moste vnworthy of so great a benefit But after that the Lord hath brought man out of the bottomlesse depth of destruction and seuered him to himselfe by grace of adoption bicause he hath nowe begotten him and newely formed him into a newe life he nowe embraceth him as a newe creature with the giftes of his Spirit This is that acceptyng whereof Peter maketh mention by whiche the faythfull are after their vocation allured of God euen in respecte also of workes for the Lorde can not but loue and kisse those good thinges whiche he worketh in them by his Spirit But this is alwaye to be remembred that they are none otherwise acceptable to God in respect of workes but in as muche as for their cause and for their sakes whatsoeuer good workes he hath geuen them in encreasyng of his liberalitie he also vouchesaueth to accept For whense haue they good workes ▪ but bicause the Lord as he hath chosen them for vessels vnto honor so will garnish thē with true godlinesse Whereby also are they accompted good as though there were nothing wanting in them but bicause the kinde Father tēderly graunteth pardon to those deformities spottes that cleaue to them Summarily he signifieth nothing els in this place but that to God his children are acceptable louely in whom he seeth the markes and features of his owne face For we haue in an other place taught that regeneratiō is a repairyng of the image of God in vs. For asmuch as therfore wheresoeuer the Lord beholdeth his owne face he both worthily loueth it and hath it in honor it is not without cause sayd that the life of the faithful beyng framed to holinesse righteousnesse pleaseth him but bycause the godly beyng clothed with mortall fleshe are yet sinners and their good workes are but begonne and sauoryng of the faultinesse of the fleshe he can not be fauorable neyther to those nor to these vnlesse he more embrace them in Christ than in themselues After this manner are those places to be taken whiche testifie that God is kinde mercifull to the folowers of righteousnesse Moses sayd to the Israelites The Lord thy God kepeth couenant to a thousand generations which sentēce was afteward vsed of the people for a common manner of speache So Salomon in his solemne prayer sayth Lord God of Israell whiche kepest couenant and mercie to thy seruātes which walke before thee in their whole heart The same wordes are also repeted of Nehemias For as in al the couenātes of his mercie the Lord likewise on their behalues requireth of his seruātes vprightnesse holinesse of life that his goodnesse should not be made a mockerie that no man swelling with vaine reioysing by reason therof should blesse his owne soule walking in the meane time in the peruersnesse of his own heart so his wil is by this way to kepe in their dutie them that are admitted into the cōmuniō of the couenāt yet neuerthelesse the couenāt it self is both made at the beginnyng free perpetually remayneth such After this māner Dauid when he glorieth that there was rēdred to him reward of the cleannesse of his hādes yet omitteth not that fountaine which I haue spoken of that he was drawen out of the wombe bicause God loued him where he so setteth out the goodnesse of his cause that he abateth nothyng from the free mercie whiche goeth before all giftes whereof it is
the beginning And here by the way it shal be profitable to touch what these formes of speakyng do differ from the promises of the law I cal promises of the law not those which are eche where coÌ„monly writteÌ„ in the bokes of Moses for as much as in them also are found many promises of the Gospel but those which properly belong to the ministerie of the law Such promises by what name so euer you list to cal them do declare that there is reward redy vpon condition if thou do that which is coÌ„maunded thee But when it is sayd that the Lord kepeth the couenaÌ„t of mercie to theÌ„ which loue him therin is rather shewed what maÌ„ner of men be his seruantes which haue faithfully receiued his couenant than the cause is expressed why the lord should do good to them Now this is the manner of shewyng it As the Lord vouchsaueth to graunt vs the grace of eternal life to this end that he should be loued feared honored of vs so whatsoeuer promises there are of his mercie in the Scriptures they are rightfully directed to this and that we should reuerence and worship the author of the benefites So ofte therefore as we heare that he doth good to them that kepe his law let vs remeÌ„ber that the children of God are there signified by the dutie whiche ought to be continual in them that we are for this cause adopted that we should honor him for our Father Therfore lest we should disherite our selues from the right of adoptioÌ„ we must alway endeuor to this wherunto our calling tendeth But let vs againe kepe this in minde that the accoÌ„plishment of the mercie of God hangeth not vpoÌ„ the workes of the faithfull but that he therfore fulfilleth the promise of saluation to them whiche answer to their callyng in vprightnesse of life bicause in them he acknoweth the natural tokeÌ„s of his children which are ruled with his Spirit vnto good Herunto let that be referred which is in the xv Psalme spoken of the Citezens of the Church Lord whoe shal dwel in thy tabernacle and whoe shal rest in thy holy hill The innocent in haÌ„des of a cleane heart c. Agayne in Esaie Whoe shall dwel with deuouring fire He that doth righteousnesse he that speaketh right thinges c. For there is not described the staye whereupon the faythfull may stand before the Lord but the manner wherewith the most merciful father bringeth theÌ„ into his felowship therein defendeth streÌ„gtheneth them For bicause he abhorreth sinne he loueth righteousnesse whoÌ„ he ioyneth to himself them he cleanseth with his spirit that he may make theÌ„ of like fashion to himself his kingdome Therfore if the question be of the first cause wherby the entrie is made open to the holy ones into the kingdome of God froÌ„ whense they haue that thei may stand fast abide in it we haue this answer ready bicause the Lord by his mercie both hath ones adopted them perpetually defendeth them But if the question be of the manner then we must come downe to regeneration and the frutes therof which are rehersed in that Psalme But there semeth to be much more hardnesse in these places which do both garnish good workes with the titiÌ„e of righteousnesse affirme that man is iustified by them Of the first sort there be very many places where the obseruinges of the coÌ„maundementes are called iustifications or righteousnesses Of the other sort that is an exaÌ„ple which is in Moses This shal be our righteousnesse if we kepe all these commauÌ„dementes And if thou take exception say that this is a promise of the law which being knit to a coÌ„dition impossible proueth nothing There be other of which you caÌ„ not make the same answer as this And that shal be to thee for righteousnesse before the Lord to redeliuer to the poore man his pledge c. Againe that which the Prophet sayth that the zele in reuenging the shame of Israell was imputed to Phinees for righteousnesse Therfore the Pharisees of our time thinke that here they haue a large matter to triuÌ„ph vpon For when we say that when the righteousnesse of faith is set vp the iustificatioÌ„ of workes geueth place by the same right they make this argument If righteousnesse bee of workes then it is false that we are iustified by faith only Though I graunt that the commaundementes of the law are called righteousnesses it is no maruell for they are so in deede Howebeit we muste warne the readers that the Grecians haue not fittly translated the Hebrue word Hucmi Dikaiomata righteousnesses for coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts But for the worde I willingly release my quarell For neyther doe we denie this to the law of God that it conteineth perfect righteousnesse For although bycause we are detters of all the thinges that it commaundeth therfore euen when we haue performed ful obedience therof we are vnprofitable seruaÌ„tes yet bicause the lord hath vouchsaued to graunt it the honor of righteousnesse we take not away that whiche he hath geuen Therefore we willingly confesse that the full obedience of the lawe is righteousnesse that the kepyng of euery coÌ„mauÌ„dement is a part of righteousnesse yf so be that the whole summe of righteousnesse were had in the other partes also But we denie that there is any where any suche forme of righteousnesse And therefore we take away the righteousnesse of the law not for that it is maymed and vnperfect of it felfe but for that by reason of the weakenesse of our flesh it is no where seene But the Scripture not only calleth simply the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of the Lord righteousnesses but it also geueth this name to the workes of the holy ones As when it reporteth that Zacharie his wife walked in the righteousnesses of the Lord truely wheÌ„ it so speaketh it weyeth workes rather by the nature of the law thaÌ„ by their owne propre estate Howbeit here againe is that to be noted which I eueÌ„ now sayd that of the negligence of the Greke translator is not a law to be made But for asmuch as Luke wold alter nothing in the receiued traslation I will also not striue about it For God hath commaunded these thinges that are in the lawe to men for righteousnesse but this righteousnes we performe not but in keping the whole lawe for by euery transgression it is broken Wheras therfore the law doth nothing but prescribe righteousnesse if we haue respecte to it all the seueral coÌ„maundementes therof are righteousnes if we haue respect to men of whome thei are done thei do not obteine the praise of righteousnesse by one worke beinge trespassers in many and by that same worke whiche is euer partly faulty by reason of imperfection But now I come to the second kinde in which is the chefe hardnes Paul hath nothing more strong to proue the righteousnesse of faiâ—he than that whiche is written of Abraham that his faithe was