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
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
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
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
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
the Faith and religion of one God by Baptysme we must nedes thinke him the true God in whose name we ar baptised And it is not to be douted but that in this solemne protestacion Christ meant to testifie that the perfect light of Faith was already deliuered when he said Baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne of the Holy ghost For it is as much in effect as to be baptised in the name of the one god which with perfect bryghtnesse hath appeared in the Father the Sonne the Holy ghost Wherby is euidente that in the essence of God abide thre Persons in which the one God is knowen And surely forasmuch as our Fayth ought not to loke hether and thether nor diuersly to waÌ„der about but to haue regard to the one God to be applied to him and to sticke fast in him it is hereby easily proued that if there be diuerse kindes of faith there must also bee many Gods Now wheras baptisme is a Sacrament of faith it proueth vnto vs the vnitie of God because it is but one And herof also foloweth that it is not lawful to be baptised but into one God bicause we embrace the Faith of him into whose name we are baptised What meant Christe then when he commaunded to be baptised in the name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy gost but that we ought with one Faith to beleue in the Father Sonne and the Holy ghost Therfore sithe this remaineth certayn that there is but one God and not many we determine that the Worde and the Spirite are nothyng els but the very selfe essence of God And very foolishly did the Arrians prate which confessyng the godhed of the Sonne did take from him the substance of God And suche a like rage vexed the Macedonians whiche woulde haue to be vnderstanded by the Spirite only the gyftes of grace that are poured foorth into men For as wisdome vnderstandyng prudence fortititude feare of God doo procede from hym so he onely is the spirite of wisedome prudence fortitude and godlinesse Yet is not he diuided accordyng to the distribution of his graces but howe â—oeuer they bee dyuersely dealt abroade yet he remaineth one and the same as the Apostle saithe Agayn there is shewed in the Scriptures a certain distinction of the Father from the Woorde and of the Worde from the Spirite In discussyng wherof howe greate religiousnesse and sobrietie we oughte to vse the greatnesse of the mysterie it selfe dooth admonishe vs. And I very well like that saying of Gregorie Nazianzene I can not thynke vpon the one but by and by I am compassed about with the brightnesse of the thre And I can not seuerally discerne the three but I am sodeinly dryuen backe to one Wherfore lette it not come in our myndes ones to imagine suche a Trinitie of Persons as may hold our thought withdrawen into seueralties and doothe not foorthewith brynge vs agayn to that vnitie The names of Father Sonne and Holy ghost doo proue a true distinction that no man should thynke them to be bare names of addition wherby God accordyng to his woorkes is diuersly entitled but yet it is a distinction not a diuision The places that wee haue already cited doo shewe that the Sonne hath a propretie distincte from the Father because the Worde had not ben with God if he hadde not ben an other thyng than the Father neyther had he had his glorye with the Father but beyng distinct from hym Lykewise he doothe distinguisshe hym selfe from the Father when he saythe that there is an other whyche beareth hym witnesse And for this purpose maketh that whiche in an other place is sayd that the Father created all thinges by the Worde whiche he coulde not but beyng after a certaine maner distinct from hym Moreouer the Father came not downe into the earth but he that came out from the Father The Father died not nor roase agayne but he that was sent by him Neither yet did this distinction beginne at the takynge of fleshe but it is manifest that he was also before the onely begotten in the bosom of the Father For who can abide to say that then the Sonne entred into the bosome of the father when he descended from heauen to take manhode vpon hym He was therefore before in the bosome of the Father and enioyed his glorie with the Father As for the distinction of the Holye ghoste frome the Father Christe speaketh of it when he saith that it procedeth from the Father And howe oft doothe he shewe it to be an other beside himself as when he promyseth that he wyll sende an other confortoure and often in other places But to borow similitudes from matters of meÌ„ to expresse the force of this distinction I knowe not whether it be expedient In dede the olde fathers are wont so to doo somtyme but withall they doo confesse that what soeuer they bryng foorth for like doothe muche differ For which cause I am muche afrayd to be any waye bolde least if I bryng foorth any thyng vnfittly it shuld geue occasion either to the malicious to cauill or to the vnskilfull to be deceiued Yet suche distinction as we haue marked to be sette out in scriptures it is not good to haue left vnspokeÌ„ And that is this that to the Father is geuen the begynnynge of woorkyng the fountayne and spryng of all thynges to the Sonne wysedome counsell and the very disposition in the doyng of thinges to the Holy ghost is assigned power effectual working And although eternitie belong vnto the Father and eternitie to the Sonne and to the Holy ghost also for as much as God coulde neuer haue ben without his wisdom power in eternitie is not to be sought which was fyrst or last yet this obseruation of order is not vayne or superfluous wherein the Father is reckened fyrst and then of hym the Sonne and after of them both the Holy ghost For euery mans mynde of it self enclineth to this fyrst to consider God then the wisedome risyng out of hym and laste of all the power wherwith he putteth the decrees of his purpose in execution In what sort the Sonne is said to be of the Father only and the Holy ghoste bothe of the Father and the Sonne is shewed in many places but no where more playnely than in the .viii. chapiter to the Romayns where the same Spirite is without difference somtyme called the Spirite of Christe somtime of him that raised vp Christ from the dead and that not without cause For Peter dothe also testifie that it was the Spirite of Christe wherewith the Prophetes did prophecie where as the Scripture so often teacheth that it was the Spirite of God the Father Now this distinction doth so not stand against the single vnitie of God that therby we may proue that the Son is one God with the father because he hath one Spirit
with hym and that the Holy Spirite is not a thyng diuers from the Father the Son For in eche Hypostasis is vnderstanded the whole substance with this that euery one hath his own propretie The Father is whole in the Sonne the Sonne is whole in the Father as hymselfe affirmeth I am in the Father and the Father is in me And the Ecclesiasticall writers doo not graunt the one to be seuered from the other by any difference of essence By these names that betoken distinction sayth Augustin that is ment wherby they haue relation one to an other and not the very substance whereby they are all one By whiche meanynge are the sayinges of the olde writers to bee made agree whiche otherwise would seeme not a little to disagree For sometyme they saye that the Father is the beginnyng of the Sonne and somtyme that the Sonne hath bothe godhead and essence of hymselfe and is all one begynnynge with the Father The cause of this diuersitie Augustine doothe in an other place well and planelye declare when he sayeth CHRIST hauynge respect to him selfe is called God and to his Father is called the Sonne And agayne ▪ the Father as to hymselfe is called God as to his Sonne is called the Father where hauynge respecte to the Sonne he is called the Father he is not the Sonne where as to the Father he is called the Son he is not the Father and where he is called as to hym self the Father and as to hymselfe the Sonne it is all one God Therfore when we simply speake of the Sonne without hauyng respect to the Father we do well and proprely say that he is of hym selfe and therfore we call hym but one beginnyng but when we make mention of the relation betweene him and his Father then we rightly make the Father the beginning of the Sonne All the whole fifth boke of Augustine concernyng the Trinitie dooth nothyng but sette foorth this matter And muche safer it is to reste in that relation that he speaketh of than into suttletle pearcyng vnto the hye mysterie to wander abroade by many vayne speculations Let them therfore that are pleased with sobrenesse cōtented with measure of Faith shortly learne so muche as is profitable to bee knowen that is when we professe that we beleue in one God vnder the name of God we vnderstande the one onely and single essence in whiche we comprehende thre Persons or hypostases And therfore so oft as we doo indefinitely speake of the name of God we meane no lesse the Sonne and the Holy ghost than the Father But when the Sonne is ioyned to the Father then commeth in a relation and so we make distinction betwene y◠Persons And because the propreties in the Persons bring an order with them so as the beginnyng and orginall is in the Father so ofte as mencion is made of the Father and the Son or the Holy ghost together the name of God is peculiarly geuen to the Father By this meane is reteined the vnitie of the essence and regarde is hadde to the order whiche yet dothe minishe nothyng of the godhead of the Sonne and of the Holy ghoste And where as we haue already seene that the Apostles doo affirme that the Sonne of God is he whom Moses and the prophetes doo testifie to be Iehouah the Lorde we must of necessitie alwaye come to the vnitie of the essences Wherefore it is a detestable sacrilege for vs to call the Sonne a seuerall God from the Father bycause the symple name of God doothe admytte no relation and God in respecte of hym selfe can not bee saide to be this or that Now that the name of Iehouah the Lorde indefinitely taken is applied to Christe appereth by the wordes of Paul wher he sayth Therfore I haue thryse praied the Lorde because that after he hadde receyued the aunswere of Christ. My grace is sufficient for the he sayeth by and by that the power of Christ may dwell in me It is certayne that the name Lorde is there set for Iehouah and therfore to restraine it to the person of the Mediatour were very fonde and childyshe for somuch as it is an absolute sentence that compareth not the Father with the Sonne And we knowe that after the accustomed maner of the Greekes the Apostles doo commonly sette the worde Kyrios Lord in stede of Iehouah And not to fetche an example farre of Paule dydde in no other sense pray to the Lorde than in the same sense that Peter citethe the place of Ioell who soeuer calleth vppon the name of the Lorde shall be saued But where this name is peculiarly geuen to the Sonne we shall se that there is an other reason therof when we com to a place fitte for it Nowe it is enough to haue in mynde when Paule had absolutely praied to God he by and by bryngeth in the name of Christ. Euen so is the whole God called by Christ hymselfe the Spirite For there is no cause agaynst it but that the whole essence of God may bee spirituall wherin the Father the Sonne and the Holy ghoste be comprehended Whiche is very playne by the Scripture For euen as there we heare God to be made a Spirite so we do here the Holy ghost for so muche as it is an Hypostasis of the whole essence to bee called bothe God and procedyng from God But for as muche as Satan to the ende to roote out our Faith hath alway moued great cōtentions partly concernyng the diuine essence of the Sonne and of the Holy ghost and partly cōcernyng their distinction of Persones And as in a maner in all ages he hath stirred vp wicked spirites to trouble the true teachers in this behalfe so at this day he trauaileth out of the olde embres to kyndle a new fyre therfore here it is good to answere the peruerse foolishe errours of some Hitherto it hath ben our purpose to leade as it were by the hande those that ar willyng to learne and not to striue hande to hande with the obstinate and contentious But nowe the truthe which we haue already peasably shewed must be reskued from the cauillations of the wicked All be it my chiefe trauayle shall yet be applied to this ende that they whyche geue gentill and open eares to the woord of God may haue whervpon stedfastly to rest their foote In this poynt if any where at all in the secrete mysteries of Scripture we ought to dispute sobrely and with greate moderation and to take great hede that neyther oure thought nor oure tongue procede any further than the boundes of Goddes woorde dooe extende For howe may the mynde of man by his capacitie define the immeasurable essence of God whiche neuer yet coulde certainly determine howe great is the body of the Son which yet he daily seeth with his eyes yea howe may she by her owne guidyng atteyn to discusse the substaunce of God that can not
glory of God For this cause also they are called Thrones thoughe of this last name I wil not certainly say because an other exposition doeth either as wel or better agree with it But speakyng nothing of that name the Holy ghost often vseth those other former names to auaunce the dignitie of the ministerie of angels For it were not reason that those instruments should be let passe without honor by whom God dooth specially shewe the presence of his maiestie Yea for that reason they are many tymes called Gods because in their ministery as in a loking glasse they partly represent vnto vs the godhead Although in dede I myslike not this that the olde writers doo expound that Christ was the Angel wher the Scripture saith that the angel of God appered to AbrahaÌ„ Iacob Moses other yet ofteÌ„times where meÌ„tion is made of al the Angels in dede this name is geueÌ„ vnto them And the ought to seme no meruaile For if this honour be geueÌ„ to princes gouernors that in their office they staÌ„d in the stede of God that is soueraigne kynge iudge muche greater cause there is why it shuld be geueÌ„ to the Angels in whom the brightnes of the glory of God much more abundaÌ„tly shineth But the Scripture standeth moste vpon reachyng vs that whyche myght moste make to our comforte and confirmacion of Faithe that is to wete that the Angels are the distributers and administratours of Goddes bountie towarde vs. And therfore the Scripture reciteth that they watche for our safetie they take vpon them the defence of vs they direct our waies they take care that no hurtfull thyng beâ—ide vnto vs. The sentences are vniuersall which principally pertayne to Christ the head of the churche and then to all the faithful He hath geuen his angels charge of thee to kepe thee in all thy waies They shall beare thee vp in their handes least thou chaunce to hitte thy feete agaynst a stone Agayne The angell of the Lorde standeth rounde about them that feare hym and he doothe delyuer them Wherby God sheweth that he apoynteth to his angels the defence of them whom he hath taken in hand to kepe After this order the angel of the Lord doth comfort Agar when she fled away coÌ„mandeth her to be reconciled to her maistresse God promiseth to Abraham his seruant an Angel to be the guide of his iourneye Iacob in blessynge of Ephraim and Manasses praieth that the Angell of the Lorde by whom he himselfe had bene deliuered from all euell may make them prosper So the Angell was set to defende the tentes of the people of Israell And so ofte as it pleased God to reskue Israell out of the handes of their enemies he raised vp reuengers by the ministerie of Angels So finally to the ende I nede not to reherse many mo the Angels mynistred to Christ and were ready assistent to hym in all necessities They brought tydynges to the women of his resurrection and to the disciples of his glorious commyng And so to fulfill their office of defendyng vs they fyght agaynste the deuill and all enemies and doo execute the vengeaunce of God vpon them that are bent against vs. As we reade that the angell of God to deliuer Hierusalem from siege slewe in one nyghte a hundred fowerscore and fiue thousande in the campe of the kyng of Assyria But whether to euery of the faithfull bee a seuerall Angell assigned for their defence I dare not certainely affirme Surely when Daniell bryngeth in the angel of the Persians and the Angel of the Grecians he sheweth that he mente that there are to kyngdomes and prouinces certayn angels appointed as gouernours And when Christ saith that the angels of children doo alway beholde the face of the Father he seemeth to meane that there are certaine angels to whom the preseruation of them is geuen in charge But I can not tell whether we oughte therby to gather that euery one hath his Angell set ouer him But this is to be holden for certaintie that not one angell onely hath care of euery one of vs but that they all by one consent doo watche for oure safetie For it is spoken of all the angels togither that they more reioyce of one sinner conuerted to repentance than of nyntie and nyne iust that haue stande styll in their ryghtuousnesse And it is sayd of mo angels than one that they conueyed the soule of Lazarus into the bosome of Abraham And not without cause did Elizeus shewe to his seruant so many fyery chariots that were peculiarly appointed for hym But one place there is that seemeth more playne than the rest to proue this poynt For when Peter being brought out of prison knocked at the doores of the house where the brethren were assembled when they coulde not imagine that it was he they said it was Angel It shuld seme that this came in their mynde by the common opinion that to euery of the faithfull are assigned their angels for gouernours Albeit yet here it maye be answered that it may wel be not withstandyng any thyng that there appeareth that we may thinke it was any one Angell to whome God had geuen charge of Peter for that time and yet not to be his continuall keeper as the common people do imagin that there are appointed to euery one two Angels as it were diuers ghostes a good Angell and a badde But it is not worthe trauaile curiously to searche for that which dooth not muche importe vs to knowe For if this doo not contente a man that all degrees of the army of heauen do watche for his safetie â–ª I doo not see what he can be the better if he vnderstande that there is one Angell peculiarly appointed to kepe hym And they which restrain vnto one Angell the care that God hath to euery one of vs doo greate wronge to them selues and to all the membres of the church as if that power to succour vs had ben vainely promised vs wherwith beyng enuironed and defended we should fight the more boldly They that dare take vpon theim to define of the multitude and degrees of Angels let them looke well what fundation they haue I graunt Michael is called in Daniel the Great prince and with Iude the Archangell And Paule sayth it shall be an Archangell that shall with sounde of trumpet call men to the Iudgement But who can therby appoynt the degrees of honours betweene Angels or discerne one from an other by speciall markes and appoynt euery one his place and standyng For the two names that are in Scripture Michaell and Gabriell and if you list to adde the thirde out of the hystorie of Thobie may by their signification seme to be geuen to the Angels accordyng to the capacitie of our weakenesse although I had rather leaue that exposition at large As for the numbre of theym wee heare by Christes mouthe of many Legions by Daniell many companies of
And we cal chauÌ„ce in things nothing els but that whereof the reasoÌ„ cause is vnknowen I said this in dede but it repenteth me that I did there so name Fortune Forasmuch as I se that meÌ„ haue a very euil custome that where they ought to say thus it pleased God they say thus it pleased fortune Finally he doth commonly in his bokes teach that the world should be vnorderly whirled about if any thyng wer left vnto Fortune And although in an other place he determineth that al thyngs are done partly by the free wil of maÌ„ partly by the ProuideÌ„ce of God yet doth he a little after sufficiently shew that men are subiecte vnto ruled by Prouidence taking this for a principle that nothing is more agaynst conuenience of reason than to say that any thyng chaunceth but by the ordinance of God for els it should happeÌ„ without cause or order by whiche reason he also excludeth that happening that hangeth vppon the will of men and by and by after he playnlyer sayeth that we oughte not to seke a cause of the will of God And so ofte as he maketh mention of sufferaunce howe that is to be vnderstanded shall very well appeare by one place where he proueth that the wyll of God is the soueraigne and first cause of al thinges because nothing happeneth but by his commaundemente or sufferaunce Surely he faineth not God to sit stil idle in a watch toure when it is hys pleasure to suffer any thyng whereas he vseth an actuall wyll as I may so cal it whiche otherwyse could not be called a cause But forasmuch as the dullnesse of our vnderstaÌ„ding can not by a great way atteine to the height of gods prouideÌ„ce we must vse a distinctioÌ„ to helpe to lift it vp I say therfore how soeuer al thinges are ordeined by the purpose and certayne disposition of God yet to vs they are chaunsable not that we thynke that fortune ruleth the world and men and vnaduisedly tosseth all thynges vp and down for suche beastlynesse ought to be farre from a Chrystyan harte but because the order meane ende and necessitie of those thynges that happen doeth for the moste parte lye secrecte in the purpose of God and is not comprehended wyth opinion of man therfore those thinges are as it were chauÌ„sable which yet it is certaine to come to passe by the wil of God For they seme no otherwise whether we coÌ„sider them in their own nature or whether we esteme them according to our knowledge and iudgement As for an example let vs put the case that a merchaunte being entred into a wod in company of true men doeth vnwisely stray away from his felowes and â—n his wandring chauÌ„ceth vpon a denne of robbers lighteth amoÌ„g theues and is killed his death was not only foreseen with goddes eye but also determined by his decree For it is not saied that he did foresee how farre ech mans life should extende buâ— that he hath set and appointed markes which can not be passed And yet so farre as the capacitie of our minde conceiueth all thinges herein seme happening by chaunce What shall a Christian here thinke euen this whatsoeuer happened in such a death he wil thinke it in nature chauncing by fortune as it is in dede but yet he will not doubt that the prouidence of God did gouerne to directe fortune to her ende In like manner are the happeninges of thynges to come For as al thinges that be to come are vncertaine vnto vs so we hang them in suspense as if they might fal on either parte yet this remaineth settled in our hartes that nothing shall happen but that which God hath already foreseen In this meaning is the name of chaunce oft repeted in Ecclesiastes because at the first sight men doe not atteine to see the first cause which is farre hidden from them And yet that which is declared in the Scriptures concerning the secret prouidence of God was neuer so blotted out of the hartes of men but that euen in the darkenesse there alway shined some sparkes therof So the sothsayers of the Philistians although they wauer in doutfulnesse yet they ascrybe aduersitie partly to God partly to fortune If say they the arke go that way we shal know that it is God that hath strykeÌ„ vs but if it go the other way then a chaunce hath light vpon vs. In dede they did folishly when their conning of soth saying deceiued them to flee to fortune but in the meane whyle we see them constrayned so that they dare not thinke that the euil happe which chaunced vnto them did come of fortune But how God with the brydle of hys prouidence turneth al successes whether pleaseth him may appeare by one notable example Beholde euen at one moment of time wheÌ„ Dauid was founde out and nere taken in the desert of Mahon euen then the Philistines inuaded the land and Saul was compelled to depart If God meaning to prouide for the safetie of his seruaunt did cast this let in Sauls way surely although the Philistines going to armes were sodein and beside the expectation of men yet may we not say that it came by chaunce But those thynges that seme to vs to happen by chaune fayth wil acknowledge to haue been a secret mouing of God I graunt there doth not alwaye appeare the like reason but vndoutedly we ought to beleue that whatsoeuer changes of thinges are seen in the worlde they come by the secret sturring of the hand of God But that which God purposeth is so of necessitie to com to passe that yet it is not of necessitie precisely nor by the nature of it self As therof is a familiar exaÌ„ple in the bones of Christ Forasmuch as he had put on a bodie like vnto ours no wise maÌ„ will deny that his bones were naturally able to be broken yet was it impossible that they shuld be broken whereby we see againe that not without cause were in scholes inuented the distinctions of necessitie in respect and necessitie absolute of consequent and consequence where as God had subiect to bricklenesse the bones of his sonne which he had exempted from beyng able to be broken and so brought to necessitie by reason of his owne purpose that that thyng coulde not bee whiche naturally myght haue ben The .xvii. Chapter Wherto and to what ende this doctrine is to be applied that we may be certaine of the profite therof NOwe forasmuche as mens wits are bent to vaine curious suttleties it is scarcely possible but that they shall encombre themselues with entangled doubtes who soeuer doo not knowe the true and right vse of this Doctrine Therfore it shall be expedient here to touche shortly to what ende the Scripture teacheth that all thynges are ordred by God And fyrste of all is to be noted that the ProuideÌ„ce of God ought to be considered as wel for the tyme to come as for the tyme past secondarily that
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
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
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
his prerogatiue for asmuch as nowe he should be borne man only by an accident cause that is to restore mankinde beyng loste and so it might be gathered thereupon that Christ was created after the image of Adam For why should he so muche abhorre that whiche the Scripture so openly teacheth that he was made like vnto vs in all thinges except sinne Whereupon Luke doubteth not to recken hâ—m the sonne of Adam in his Genealogye And I would fayne know why Paule calleth Christ the seconde Adam but bycause the estate of manne was apointed for him that he might rayse vp the posteritie of Adam out of their ruine For if he were in order before that creatioÌ„ he should haue ben called the firste Adam Osiander boldly affirmeth that bycause Christ was alredy before knoweÌ„ man in the minde of God men were formed after the same paterne But Paule in namyng him the second Adam setteth meane betwene the first beginnyng of man the restitution which we obteine by Christ the fall of man whereby grew the necessitie to haue nature restored to her first degree Wherupon it foloweth that this same was the cause why the sonne of God was borne to become man In the meane time Osiander reasoneth ill and vnsauorily that Adam so longe as he had stande without fallyng should haue ben the ymage of himselfe and not of Christ. I aunswere by the contrarie bycause though the sonne of God had neuer put on fleshe neuerthelesse both in the body and in the soule of manne should haue shyned the image of God in the bright beames whereof it alwaye appered that Christ is verily the head and hath the soueraigne supremicie in all And so is that foolishe suttletie assoyled whiche Osiander bloweth abroade that the Angels shoulde haue lacked this head vnlesse it had ben purposed by God to clothe his sonne with fleshe yea though there had ben no fault of Adam For he doth to rashly snatche holde of that whyche no manne in his right wit will graunt that Christ hath no supremicie ouer Angels that they shoulde haue him for their Prince but in so muche as he is manne But it is easily gathered by the wordes of Paule that in as muche as he is the eternall worde of God he is the firste begotten of all creatures not that he is create or ought to be reckened amonge creatures but bycause the state of the worlde in integritie suche as it was at the begynnynge garnished wyth excellentt beautie had no other originall and then that in as much as he was made manne he was the firste begotten of the dead For the Apostle in one shorte clause setteth forth bothe these poinctes to bee considered that all thynges were create by the sonne that he mighte beare rule ouer Angels and that he was made manne that he might begynne to be the redemer Of lyke ignoraunce is it that he sayth that men should not haue had Christ to their kyng yf he had not ben man As though the kyngdome of God coulde not staÌ„d yf the eternal sonne of God although not clothed with the flesh of man gatheryng together both Angels men into the felowship of his heauenly glorie and life should himselfe beare the soueraintie But in this false principle he is alwaye deceiued or rather deceyueth himself that the Church should haue beÌ„ without a head vnlesse Christ had appered in the flesh As though euen as the Angeles enioyed him their head he could not likewise by his diuine power rule ouer menne and by the secret force of his spirit quickeÌ„ and nourish them like his owne body till beyng gathered vp into heauen they might enioy al one lite with the Angels These trifles that I haue hether to confuted Osiander accompteth for most strong oracles eueÌ„ so as beyng dronke with the swetenesse of his owne speculations he vseth to blowe out fonde Bacchâ—s cries of matters of nothyng But this one that he bringeth after he â—â—yth is much more stroÌ„g that is the prophecie of AdaÌ„ which seyng his wife sayd this nowe is a bone of my bones and fleshe of my flesh But how proueth he that to be a prophecie Bicause in Matthew Christ geueth the same sayeng to God As though that what so euer God hath spoken by men conteyneth some prophecie Let OsiaÌ„der seke prophecies in euery commaundement of the lawe whiche it is certaine to haue come from God the author of them Biside that Christ should haue ben grosse and earthly yf he had rested vpon the â—â—erall sense Bycause he speaketh not of the mistical viâ—on wherunto he hath vouchesaued to receyue his churche but only of faithfulnesse betwene man and wife for this cause he reacheth that God pronounced that man and wife shal be one flesh that no man should attempâ— to breake thaâ— insoluble knot by diuorce If Osiander lothe this simplicitie let him blame Christ for that he led not his disciples further to a misterie â–ª in more suttelly expouÌ„ding the sayeng of his father Neyther yet doth Paule mameteyne his errour whiche after he had sayd that we are flesh of the flesh of Christ â–ª by by addeth that this is a great misterie for his purpose was not to tel in what meaning Adam spake it but vnder the figure and similitude of mariage to set forth the holy couplyng together that maketh vs one with Christ. And so doe the wordes sound Bicause when he geueth warnyng that he speaketh this of Christ and his church he doth as it were by way of correction seuer the spirituall ioynyng of Christ and his church from the law of mariage Wherfore this fickle reason easily vanisheth awaye And I thinke I nede no more to shake vp any more of that sort of chaffe bicause the vanitie of them all is sone found out by this short confutation But this sobrietie shall aboundantly suffice to â—eede soundly the children of God that when the fulnesse of tunes was come the sonne of God was sent made of woman made vnder the lawe to redeme them that were vnder the lawe The .xiii. Chapter ¶ That Christ toke vpon him the true substance of the flesh of man NOW vnlesse I be deceiued it were superfluous to entreate agayne of the godhed of Christ whiche hath alredy man other place ben proued with playne strong testimonies It remayneth therefore to be seene how he beyng clothed with our flesh hath fulfilled the office of Mediatour The truth of his humaine nature hath in the olde time ben impugned both by the Manichees and the Marcionites of whome the Marcionites fained a ghost in stede of the body of Christ and the Manichees dreamed that he had a heauenly flesh But bothe many and strong testimonies of the Scripture do stand against them both For the blessing is promised neyther in a heauenly seede nor in the counâ—erfaite shape of man but in the sede of Abraham and Iacob Neither is the eternal throne promised to a man
forraine nations whiche had ben transplanted into Samaria and the places borderynge there about feared the fayned Gods and the God of Israell whiche is as much as to mingle heauen and earth together But now our question is What is that fayth whiche maketh the chyldren of God different from the vnbeleuers by which we call vpon God by the name of our Father by whyche we passe from death to life and by which Christ the eternall saluacion and â—he dwelleth in vs. The force and nature thereof I thinke I haue shortly and plainely declared Now let vs againe goe through all the partes of it euen from the beginning which beyng diligently examined as I thinke there shal remaine nothing doubtefull When in defining faith we cal it a knowledge we meane not thereby a coÌ„prehendyng such as men vse to haue of those thinges that are subiect to mans vnderstandyng For it is so far aboue it that maÌ„s wit must goe beyond surmount it self to come vnto it yea and when it is come vnto it yet doth it not atteyne that whiche it feleth but while it is persuaded of that whiche it conceiueth not it vnderstandeth more by the very assurednesse of persuasion than yf it did with maÌ„s owne capacitie throughly perceyue any thing familiar to man Therefore Paule sayth very well where he calleth it to comprehende what is the length bredth depth and heighth and to knowe the loue of Christ that farre surmounteth knowledge For his meanynge was to signifie that the thynge whiche our mynde conceyueth by faythe is euery waye infinite and that this kinde of knowledge is farre hyer than all vnderstandynge But yet bycause the Lorde hath disclosed to his Saintes the secret of his will whiche was hidden from ages and generations therefore by good reason fayth is in Scripture sometime called an acknowledging and Iohn calleth it a certayne knowledge where he testifieth that the faithfull doe certainely knowe that they are the children of God And vndoutedly they knowe it assuredly but rather by beyng confirmed by persuasion of Gods truthe than by beyng informed by naturall demonstration And his also the wordes of Paule doe declare sayeng that while we â—well in the body we are wanderyng abrode from the lord bycause we walke by fayth and not by sighte whereby he sheweth that those thynges whiche we vnderstande by fayth are yet absente from vs and are hidden from our sight And hereupon we determine that the knowledge of fayth staÌ„deth rather in certaintie than in comprehendyng We further call it a sure and stedfaste knowledge to expresse thereby a more sound constantie of persuasion For as faith is not contented with a doubtefull and rowling opinion so is it also not coÌ„tented with a darke and entangled vnderstaÌ„ding but requireth a ful and fixed assurednesse â–ª such as men are wont to haue of thinges fouÌ„d by experience and proued For vnbelefe sticketh so faste and is so depe rooted in our heartes and we are so bent vnto it that this which all men confesse with their mouth to be true that God is faithfull no maÌ„ is without great contention persuaded in his heart Specially when it coÌ„meth to the profe then the waueryng of all menne discloseth the fault â—hat â—â—ore was hidden And not without cause the Scripture with so nâ—â—â—ble citâ—es of coÌ„mendacion maineteyneth the authoritie of the worde of God but endeuoreth to geue remedie for the aforesayde disease that God maye obteyne to be fully beleued of vs in his promises The wordes of the Lorde sayth Dauid are pure wordes as the Sâ—â—â—eâ—â—ryed in a fornace of earth fined seuen times Agayne The worde oâ— the Lorde fined is a shielde to all that truste in him And Salomon confirmynge the same and in a manner in the same wordes sayth Euery worde of God is pure But sithe the whole .cxix. Psalme entreateth only in a manner vpon the same it weare superfluous to allege any moe places Truely so oft as God doth so coÌ„mend his word vnto vs he doth therein by the waye reproche vs with our vnbeleuingnesse bycause that commendacioÌ„ tendeth to no other end but to roote vp all peruerse doubtinges out of our heartes There be also many which so coÌ„ceiue the mercie of God that they take litle coÌ„fort thereof For they be euen therewithall pinched with a miserable carefulnesse while they doubte whether he will be mercifull to them or noe bicause they enclose within to narrow boundes the very same mercifulnesse of whiche they thinke themselues moste assuredly perswaded For thus they thinke with themselues that his mercie is in deede greate and plentiefull poured out vpon many offrynge it selfe and ready for all menne but that it is not certayne whether it will extende vnto them or no or rather whether they shal atteyne vnto it or no. This thought when it so stayeth in the midde race is but a halfe Therefore it doth not so confirme the spirite with assured quietnesse as it dothe trouble it with vnquiet doubtefulnesse But there is a far other felyng of full assurednesse whiche in the Scriptures is alwaye assigned to fayth euen suche a one as playnely settynge before vs the goodnesse of God dothe clearely put it out of doubte And that can not be but that we muste needes truely feele and proue in our selues the swetenesse thereof And therefore the Apostle out of fayth deriueth assured confidence and out of it agayne boldenesse For thus he sayeth that by Christe we haue boldenesse and an entrance with confidence whiche is through fayth in him By whiche wordes truely he sheweth that it is no right fayth but when we are bolde with quiet mindes to shewe our selues in the presence of God Which boldnesse procedeth not but of assured confidence of Gods good will and our saluation Whiche is so true that many times this word Faith is vsed for Confidence But herupon hangeth the chiefe staye of our faith that we do not think the promises of mercie which the Lord offreth to be true only in other biside vs not at all in our selues but rather that in inwardly embracing theÌ„ we make them our owne FroÌ„ hense procedeth that coÌ„fidence which the same Paule in an other place calleth peace vnlesse some had rather say that peace is deriued of it It is an assurednesse that maketh the conscieÌ„ce quiet cherefull before God without which the coÌ„science must of necessitie be vexed in a manner torne in peces with troublesome trembling vnlesse parhappes it do forget God it selfe so sloÌ„ber a litle while I may truely say For a litle while for it doth not loÌ„g enioy that miserable forgetfulnesse but is with often recourse of the remembrance of Gods iudgement sharply tormented Briefly there is none truely faithful but he that beyng persuaded with a souÌ„d assurednesse that God is his mercyfull louyng father doth promise himselfe all thinges vpon trust of Gods goodnesse and none but he that trustyng
Repentance they assigne to satisfaction wherof all that euer they babble may be ouerthrowen with one worde They say that it is not enough for him that repenteth to absteyne from his former euels and chaunge his behauior into better vnlesse he make satisfaction to God for those things that he hath done And that there be many helpes by whiche we maye redeme sinnes as wepinges fastinges oblatioÌ„s the workes of charitie With these we must winne the Lord to be fauorable with these we muste paye our dettes to the righteousnesse of God with these we must make amendes for our defaultes with these we must deserue pardoÌ„ For although by the largesse of his mercie he hath forgeuen our faulte yet by the discipline of his iustice he reteineth the peine that this is the peyne that must be redemed with satisfactions But in effect al that they say coÌ„meth to this point that we do in deede obteine pardoÌ„ of our sinnes at the mercifulnesse of God but by meanes of the deseruing of our workes by whiche the offense of our sinnes may be recoÌ„pensed that due satisfaction may be fully made to Gods righteousnesse Against such lies I set the free forgeuenesse of sinnes than whiche there is nothing more euidently spokeÌ„ of in the Scripture First what is forgeuenesse but a gift of mere liberalitie For the creditour is not sayd to forgeue that acknowlegeth by acquitance that the monye is payed but he that without any paymeÌ„t willingly of his owne liberalitie cancelleth the detters bond SecoÌ„dly why is this word Freely added but to take away al opinion of satisfaction With what coÌ„fidence therfore do they yet set vp their satisfactioÌ„s that are strickeÌ„ downe with so mighty a thuÌ„derbolt But what when the lord crieth out by Esaie It is I it is I that do put away iniquities for mine owne sake and will not be mindefull of thy sinnes dothe he not openly declare that he fetcheth the cause and fundation of forgeuenesse only from his owne goodnesse Moreouer whereas the whole Scripture beareth this witnesse of Christe that forgeuenesse of sinnes is to be receyued by his name doth it not thereby exclude all other names Nowe then do they teache that it is receyued by the name of satisfactions Neyther can they denie that they geue this to satisfactions although they saye that the same bee vsed as helpes by waye of meanes For whereas the Scripture sayth By the name of Christ it meaneth that we bryng nothyng we allege nothyng of our owne but reste vpon the only commendation of Christ. As Paule where he affirmeth that God is reconcilyng the world to him selfe in Christ for his sake not imputyng to men their sinnes he immediatly sheweth the meane and manner how bycause he that was without sinne was made sinne for vs. But suche is their peruersnesse they saye that bothe forgeuenesse of sinnes and reconciliation are performed bothe at one time when we are in Baptisme receyued into the fauour of God by Christ that after baptisme we muste rise agayne by satisfactions and that the bloud of Christ profiteth nothyng but so far as it is distributed by the keyes of the Churche Neither doe I speake of a doubtefull matter for asmuche as they haue in moste euident writinges bewrayed their owne filthynesse and not one or two of them but all the Scholemen vniuersally For their Maister after that he had confessed that Christ had payed the penaltie of sinnes vpon the tree accordyng to the doctrine of Peter immediately correcteth his sayeng with adding this exception that in baptisme all temporall penalties of sinnes are released but after baptisme they are minished by the help of penance that so the crosse of Christe and our penaunce maye worke together But Iohn sayth far otherwise yf any sinne we haue an aduocate with the Father euen Iesus Christ whiche is the propitiation for our sinnes I wryte vnto you children bycause your sinnes are forgeuen you for his names sake Truely he speaketh to the faythfull to whome when he setteth foorth Christe to bee the propitiation of sinnes he sheweth that there is no other satisfaction by whiche God beyng displeased maye bee made fauorable and appeased He doth not saye God was ones reconciled vnto you by Christe nowe seâ—ke you other meanes but he maketh hym a perpetuall aduocate alwaye to restore vs by his intercession into the fauour of his father a perpetuall propitiation by whiche our sinnes maye be cleansed awaye For this is euer true that the other Iohn sayd Beholde the Lambe of God beholde him that taketh awaye the sinnes of the worlde He taketh them awaye sayth he hymself and none other that is to say for asmuch as he alone is the Lambe of God he alone also is the oblation for sinnes he alone the propitiation sacrifice he alone the satisfactioÌ„ For wheras the right power to forgeue belongeth proprely to the father in the respect that he is distinguished from the sonne as we haue alredy sene Christ is here set in an other degree that taking vpoÌ„ himself the peine due vnto vs he hath taken away our giltinesse before the iugemeÌ„t of God WherupoÌ„ foloweth that we shal no otherwise be partakers of the satisfaction made by Christ vnlesse the same honour remayne whole with him whiche they doe wrongfully take to themselues that goe about to appease God with their owne recompensinges And here it is good to consider two thinges that Christ may haue his due honour kepte vnto hym whole and vnminished and that the consciences beyng assured of the forgeuenesse of sinne maye haue peace with God Esaie sayth that the father hath layed the iniquities of vs all vpoÌ„ his sonne that we should be healed by his stripes Which thing Peter rehearsyng in other wordes sayth that Christ did in his body beare our sinnes vpon the tree Paule wryteth that sinne was condemned in his flesh when he was made sinne for vs. That is to saye that the force and curse of sinne was slayne in his fleshe when he was geuen to bee a sacrifice vpon whiche the whole heape of our sinnes with all their malediction and curse with the dredfull iudgement of God and condemnation of death should be caste Here those trislynges are in no case to be heard that after the firste purgyng euery one of vs doth none otherwise fele the effectualnesse of the passion of Christ than after the measure of satisfactorie repentance but so oft as we fall we be called backe to the onely satisfactioÌ„ of Christ. Nowe set before thee their pestilent follies as for example That the grace of God worketh alone in the firste forgeuenesse of sinnes that yf we afterwarde fall to the obteynyng of a seconde forgeuenesse our workes doe worke with it If these thynges maye haue place do these thynges that are here before assigned to Christ remayne safe vnto him It is a maruellous greate difference betwene this that
from all manner of affiance when they teache that our righteousnesses do stinke in the sight of God vnlesse they receiue a good sauor from the innocence of Christ that they can do nothing but prouoke the vengeance of God vnlesse they be susteined by the tendernes of his mercie Moreouer they so leaue nothing to vs but that we shold traue the mercie of our iudge with that confessioÌ„ of Dauid that none shall be iustified before him if he require accoÌ„pt of his seruantes But where Iob saythe If I haue done wickedly wo to me but if I doe righteously yet I wyll not so lyfte vp my head though he meane of that most hie righteousnes of God wherunto the very Angels answer not yet he therwithal sheweth that wheÌ„ thei come to the iudgement of God there remaineth nothing for al mortal men but to holde their peace as duÌ„me For it teÌ„deth not only to this purpose that he had rather willingly yeld thaÌ„ daÌ„gerously striue with the rigorousnes of God but he meaneth that he felt no other righteousnes in him self thaÌ„ such as at the first moment shold fall before the sight of God When affiance is driuen away al glorieng must also necessarely depart For who can geue the praise of righteousnes to these workes the affiaÌ„ce wherof treÌ„bleth before the sight of God We must therfore come whether Esaie calleth vs that al the seede of Israel may be praised glorie in God because it is most true whiche he saith in an other place that we ar the planting of the glorie of God Our mynde therfore shall then be rightly purged wheÌ„ it shal neither in any behalf rest vpon the coÌ„fidence of workes nor reioise in the glory of theÌ„ But this errour encouraged folish men to the puffing vp of this false a lying affiance that they alway set the cause of their saluatioÌ„ in workes But if we loke to the fower kindes of causes which the phylosophers â—eache vs to coÌ„sider in the effect of thinges we shal find that none of them doth accord with workes in the stablishing of our saluatioÌ„ For the Scripture doth euery where report that the cause of procuring the eternall life to vs is the mercie of the heauenly father his free loue towarde vs that the Material cause is Christ with his obedience by which he purchaced righteousnesse for vs. What also shal we say to be the formal or instrumeÌ„tal cause but faith And these thre causes Iohn coÌ„prehendeth together in one senteÌ„ce when he saith God so loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that euery one which beleueth in him may not perish but may haue euerlastiÌ„g life Now the final cause the Apostle testifieth to be both the shewing of the righteousnesse of God the praise of his goodnes wher he reherseth also the other thre in expresse wordes For he satih thus to the Romains al haue sined do nede the glory of god but they are iustified frely by his grace Here thou hast the head first fountain namely that God embraced vs with his free mercie Then foloweth By the redeÌ„ptioÌ„ which is in Christ Iesu. Here thou hast as it were the matter wherof righteousnesse is made for vs through faith in his bloude Here is shewed the instrumeÌ„tall cause wherby the righteousnes of Christ is applied to vs. Last of al he ioyneth the end when he saithe vnto the shewyng of his righteousnesse that he may be righteous the righteousmaker of him that is of the faithe of Christe And to touche by the way that this righteousnes standeth of reconciliatioÌ„ he setteth expressely by name the Christ was geuen to vs for reconciliatioÌ„ So in the first chap. also to the Ephesians he teacheth the we are receiued of God into fauour by mear mercie that the same is wrought by the intercession of Christ receiued by faithe all to this ende that the glorie of the goodnesse of God may fully shyne When we see that all the partes of our saluation are so without vs what cause is there that wee shoulde now either haue affiance or glorie in workes Neither can euen the most sworne ennemies of the grace of God moue any controuersie with vs about the efficient or fynall cause vnlesse they wyll denye the whole Scripture In the Materiall and Formall cause the caste a false colour as though our workes haue a half place with faithe and the righteousnesse of Christ. But this also they teache the Scripture criynge out against them whiche simply affirmeth both that Christ is to vs for righteousnesse and life and that this benefit of righteousnesse is possesed by only faith But where as the holy men do oftentimes strengthen and comforte them selues with remembrance of their owne innocencie and vprightnesse and somtime also forbeare not to report of it with prayse that is done twoo wayes either that in comparing their good cause with the euell cause of the wicked they conceiue thereby assured trust of victory not so muche for commending of their own righteousnes as for the iust deserued condemning of their aduersaries or that euen without comparison of other while thei recorde theÌ„selues before God the purenesse of their own conscience bringeth to them both some comfort affiance Of the first of these two wayes we shall se hereafter now let vs brefely declare of the latter how it agreeth with that whiche we haue aboue said that in the iudgemeÌ„t of God we must rest vpoÌ„ no affiance of workes and glorie vpon no opinion of them This is the agrement that the holy ones when it concerneth the founding and stablishinge of their saluation do without respect of workes bend their eies to the only goodnesse of God And they do not only bend them selues to it afore al thinges as to the beginning of blessednesse but do rest therin as in the fulfilling of it A conscience so founded raised stablished is also stablished with consideration of workes namely so far as they are the witnessings of God dwelling reigning in vs. Sithe therfore this affiance of workes hath no place vnlesse thou haue first cast the whole affiance of thy mynde vpon the mercie of God it ought not to seme coÌ„trary to the wherupon it hangeth Wherfore wheÌ„ we exclude the affiance of workes we meane only this that a Christian mind may not bowe to the merit of workes as to the succour of saluation but should throughly rest in the free promise of righteousnesse But we forbid it not to vnderprop strengthen this faith with the signes of the good will of God toward it selfe For if al the good giftes whiche God hath bestowed vpon vs wheÌ„ theâ— be recorded in remeÌ„brance are to vs after a certaine manner as it were beames of the face of God by whiche we ar enlightened to behold that soueraigne light of goodnesse much more is the grace of good workes whiche sheweth that the Spirite of adoption is geuen
boasted concernyng the merites of workes do ouerthrow as well the praise of God in geuing of righteousnesse as also the assurednesse of saluation NOw we haue declared that which is the chefe point in this matter that bycause yf righteousnesse be vpholden with workes it must needes by by fal downe before the sight of God it is conteined in the only mercie of God the only coÌ„municating of Christ therefore in only faith But let vs diligeÌ„tly mark that this is the chefe stay of the matter least we be entangled with that general error not only of the coÌ„mon people but also of learned meÌ„ For so sone as question is moued of the iustificatioÌ„ of faith workes they flee to those places which seme to geue to workes some merit in the sight of God as though the iustification of workes were fully wonne if it be ones proued that they be of any value with God But we haue aboue plainely shewed that the righteousnesse of workes coÌ„sisteth only in the perfect and ful keping of the law Wherupon foloweth that no maÌ„ is iustified by workes but he that hauyng climbed vp to the hiest top of perfection can not be proued gilty of any offense be it neuer so litle Therefore it is an other a seueral questioÌ„ Howsoeuer workes suffice not to iustifie a man whether yet do they not deserue fauour with God First of the name of merit I must needes say this afore hand yâ— whosoeuer first applied it to workes of meÌ„ coÌ„pared to the iugemeÌ„t of God he did very ill prouide for the purenesse of faith Truely I do by my good wil absteine froÌ„ striues about words but I wold with that this sobrietie bad alway beÌ„ vsed amoÌ„g Christian writers that they wold not haue fouÌ„d in their heartes to vse words strange froÌ„ the Scriptures which engeÌ„dred much offense no frute For whereto I beseche you was it needeful to haue the name of Merit brought in when the price of good workes might be fittly expressed by an other name wtout offense But how much offense the word coÌ„teineth in it is euident with the great hurt of the world Surely as it is most proude it caÌ„ do nothing but darkeÌ„ the grace of God and fill meÌ„ with froward pride The old writers of the Church I grauÌ„t haue coÌ„monly vsed it I wold to God they had not with the abusyng of one litle word geueÌ„ to posteritie matter of error Howbeit they theÌ„selues also do in many places testifie how in no case thei meant to geue any preiudice against the truth For thus sayth Augustine in one place Let Merites of men here hold their peace which haue perished by AdaÌ„ let the grace of God reigne by Iesus Christ. Againe The saintes geue nothing to their owne Merites they will geue al to none but to thy mercie O God In an other place WheÌ„ maÌ„ seeth that whatsoeuer good he hath he hath it not froÌ„ himself but froÌ„ his God he seeth that al that which is praised in him is not of his own Merites but of the mercie of God You see how taking froÌ„ men the power of doing wel he also throweth downe the dignitie of Merit And Chrysostome sayth Our workes if there be any which folow the free calling of God are repayment det but the gâ—â—tes of God are grace bouÌ„tifulnesse the greatnesse of liberall geuing But leauing the name let vs rather loke vpoÌ„ the thing I haue verily before alledged a sentence out of Bernard â–ª As it sufficeth to Merit not to presume of Merites so to want Merites sufficeth to iudgemeÌ„t But by adding forth with an expositioÌ„ he sufficieÌ„tly mitigateth the hardinesse of the word where he sayth Therfore care thou to haue Merites wheÌ„ thou hast theÌ„ know yâ— thei are geueÌ„ hope for frute the mercie of God so thou hast escaped al daÌ„ger of pouertie vnthaÌ„kfulnesse presumptioÌ„ Happy is the church which neither waÌ„teth Merites without presumptioÌ„ nor presumptioÌ„ without merites And a litle before he had largely shewed how godly a meaning he vsed For of Merites saith he why shold the Church be careful which hath a stedfaster surer cause to glorie of the purpose of God God caÌ„ not denie himself he wil do that which he hath promised If there be no cause why the shuldest aske by what merites may we hope for good thinges specially sith yâ— hearest it sayd Not for your sakes but for my sake it sufficeth to Merit to know that Merites suffice not What al our workes deserue the scripture sheweth wheÌ„ it saith that thei can not abide the sight of God bicause thei are ful of vncleannesse then what the perfect obseruing of the law if any such could be found shal deserue wheÌ„ it teacheth that we should think ourselues vnprofitable seruaÌ„tes when we haue done al thinges that are coÌ„maunded vs bicause we shal haue geueÌ„ nothing freely to the Lord but only haue performed our due seruices to whiche there is no thanke to be geuen But those good workes which he himself hath geuen vs the Lord both calleth oures testifieth that thei are not only acceptable to him but also that they shal haue reward It is our duetie againe for our part to be encouraged with so great a promise to gather vp our heartes that we be not weried with wel doyng to yeld true thankfulnesse to so great bouÌ„tifulnesse of God It is vndouted that it is the grace of God what soeuer there is in workes that deserueth prayse that there is not one droppe which we ought properly to ascribe to our selues This if we do truely earnestly acknowlege there vanisheth away not only all affiance but also opinion of Merit We I say do not part the prayse of good workes as the Sophisters do betwene god maÌ„ but we reserue it whole perfect vnminished to the lord Only this we assigne to man that eueÌ„ the self same workes that were good he by his vncleannes corrupteth defileth For nothing coÌ„meth out of maÌ„ how perfect so euer he be that is not defiled with some spot Therefore let the Lord cal into iudgement eueÌ„ these things that are best in the workes of meÌ„ he shal verily espie in them his owne righteousnesse but mans dishonestie shame Good workes therfore do please God are not vnprofitable to the doers of them but rather they receiue for reward the most large benefites of God not bicause thei so deserue but bicause the goodnesse of god hath of it self apointed this price vnto theÌ„ But what spitefulnesse is this that men not contented with that liberalitie of God which geueth vndue rewardes to workes that deserue no such thing do with ambitioÌ„ full of sacrilege endeuor further that that which is wholly of the liberalitie of God maye seme to be reÌ„dred to the merites of meÌ„ Here I appelle to the coÌ„mon iudgement of euery man If any
them hereunto but it dothe not stirre them as it were in a present case to aske relefe of their neede Nowe what thynke we to be more hatefull or more detestable to God than this faynyng when a manne asketh forgeuenesse of sinnes in the meane tyme eyther thynkynge that he is not a sinner or not thynkyng vpon this that he is a sinner euen where with God himselfe is playnely mocked But of suche peruersnesse as I haue sayde mankinde is full that for manners sake they many tymes aske many thynges of God whyche they certaynely Iudge that without his liberalitie to come to them from some other where or that they haue them already remaynyng with them The faulte of some other semeth to bee lighter and yet not tolerable that they whiche haue only conceyued this principle that we muste sacrifice to God with prayers doe mumble vp prayers without any musyng of minde vpon them But the Godly muste principally take heede that they neuer coâ—e into the sight of God to aske any thyng but bycause they doe both boyle with earnest affection of heart and do therewithall desire to obteyne it of him Yea and also though in those thinges which we aske only to the glorie of God we seme not at the first sight to prouide for our owne necessitie yet the same ought to be asked with no lesse feruentnesse and vehementnesse of desire As when we praye that his name be hallowed we must as I maye so speake feruently hunger and thirst for that hallowyng If any man obiect that we are not alway dryuen with like necessitie to praye I graunt the same in deede and this difference is profitably taught vs of Iames Is any man heauy amonge you Let him praye Whoe so is mery let him sing Therefore euen common felyng teacheth vs that bicause we are to slouthfull therfore as the matter requireth we are the more sharply pricked forward of God to pray earnestly And this Dauid calleth the fit time bicause as he teacheth in many other places how much more hardly troubles discommodities feares and other kindes of tentations do presse vs so much freer accesse is open for vs as though God did call vs vnto him But yet no lesse true is that sayeng of Paule that we muste pray at all times bicause howsoeuer things prosperously flowe according to our heartes desire and matter of mirth doth compasse vs on euery side yet there is no minute of time wherein our neede doth not exhorte vs to praye If a man haue abundance of wine and wheate yet sithe he can not enioye one morsel of bread but by the coÌ„tinual grace of God whole cellars or barnesful shal be no let why he should not craue dayly bread Nowe yf we call to minde howe many daungers doe euery moment hange ouer vs the very feare it selfe wil teache vs that we haue no time free from prayer But this we may better perceiue in spiritual things For when shall so many sinnes whereof we knowe our selues gilty suffer vs to sit still without care and not in humble wise craue pardon bothe of the fault and the peine When do tentations graunt vs truce so that we neede not to hast vnto helpe Moreouer the desire of the kingdome and glorie of God ought so to plucke vs to it selfe not by fittes but continually that it should alwaye bee fit time for vs. Therefore not without cause we are so oft commaunded to pray continually I doe not yet speake of perseuerance in prayer wherof mention shal be made herafter but when the Scripture warneth vs that we ought to pray continually it accuseth our slouthâ—ulnesse bicause we do not perceiue howe necessarie this care and diligence is for vs. By this rule all hypocrisie craftinesse of lyeng to God is debarred yea driuen far away from prayer God promiseth that he will be nere to al them that cal vpon him in truth he pronounceth that thei shal finde him which seke him with their whole heart But they aspire not thether which please themselues in their owne filthinesse Therfore a right prayer requireth repeÌ„taÌ„ce WherupoÌ„ this is coÌ„monly said in the scriptures that God heareth not wicked doers that their prayers are accursed like as their sacrifices also be bicause it is rightful that thei find the eares of God shut which do lock vp their own hearts that they shold not finde God easy to vow which do with their own hardnesse prouoke his stiffenesse In Esaie he threatneth after this maÌ„ner When ye shal multiplie your praiers I will not heare you for your hands are full of bloode Againe in Ieremie I haue cried they haue refused to heare thei shall likewise crie and I will not heare bycause he taketh it for a most hie dishonoure that wicked men shold boast of his couenant whiche do in al their life defile his holy name Wherfore in Esaie he coÌ„playneth that when the Iewes come neare to him with their lippes theyr heart is farre from him He speaketh not this of only praiers but affirmeth that he abhorreth fayninge in al the partes of whorshipinge him To which purpose maketh that saieng of Iames. Ye ask receiue not bicause ye aske il that ye may spende it vpon your pleasures It is true in dede as we shal againe shewe a little herafter that the praiers of yâ— godly which thei poure out do not rest vpon their own worthinesse yet is not yâ— admonition of Ihon superfluous If we ask any thing we shal receiue it of him bicause we kepe his commaundements forasmuch as an euel conscience shutteth the gate againste vs. Wherevpon foloweth that none do rightly praie nor are hearde but the pure worshippers of God Therefore whosoeuer prepareth himself to praie let him be lothful to himself in his own euels whiche can not be done with out repentance let him put on the person and minde of a begger Hereunto let the third rule be ioyned that whosoeuer presenteth himself before God to praie shold forsake al thinking of his own glorie put of al opinion of worthinesse finally geue ouer al trust of himselfe geuing in the avacing of himself the glorie wholi to God least if we take any thing be it neuer so little to our selues we do with our own swellinge fal away from his face Of this submission which throweth downe all heighth we haue often exaumples in the seruantes of God amonge whom the holyer yâ— euery one is so much the more he is throweÌ„ downe when he commeth into the sight of the Lord. So Daniel whome the Lord himself commended with so great a title of praise saide Wee poure not out our praiers before thee in our righteousnesses but in thy great mercies Heare vs Lord Lord be mercifull to vs Heare vs doe these things that we aske for thine owne sake bycause thy name is called vpoÌ„ ouer the people ouer thy holy place Neither doth he by
might be of force to holde them in is a certayne meane thyng betwene the forsaking of whole mankinde and the election of a small nomber of the godly The whole people of Israell was called the inheritance of GOD of whome yet there were many strangers But because GOD had not for nothing made couenant with them that he woulde bee their Father and redemer he rather hath respecte to hys owne free fauor than to the vnfaythfull falling away of many by whom also hys truthe was not abolished because where he reserued any remnante it appeared that hys calling was without repentance For whereas GOD did from tyme to tyme choose vnto hymselfe a Chirche rather out of the children of Abraham than out of the prophane nations he had regarde to hys couenante which beyng broken of the whole multitude he restrayned to a fewe that it shoulde not vtterly fall awaye Fynally the common adoption of the sede of Abraham was a certayne visible image of a greater benefite whiche God hath vouchesaued to graunt to fewe out of many Thys is the reason why Paule so diligently putteth difference betwene the children of Abraham according to the fleshe and hys spirituall children which were called after the example of Isaac Not that it was a vayne and vnfrutefull thing simply to be the chylde of Abraham whiche mighte not be sayd without dishonor of the couenante but because the vnchangeable counsell of GOD wherby he hath predestinate whom he would is by it selfe effectual only to this later sort vnto saluatiō But I warne the reders y◠they bring not a foreconceiued iugement on either side til it appeare by the places of Scripture broughte fourth what is to be thoughte That therefore which the Scripture clerely sheweth we saye that God by eternall and vnchangeable counsel hath ones appointed whom in tyme to come he would take to saluatiō and on the other syde whō he would condemne to destruction Thys counsel as touching the elect we say to be groūded vpon his free mercie without any respect of the worthinesse of man but whom he appointeth to damnatiō to them by hys iugement which is in dede iust and irreprehensible but also incōprehensible y◠entrie of lyfe is forclosed Now in the elect we set vocation to be the testimonie of Election then iustification to be an other signe of the manifest shewing of it til they come to glorie wherin is the fulfilling of it But as by vocatiō and election God maketh his elect so by shutting out y◠reprobate eyther from the knowlege of hys name or from the sanctification of his Spirite he doth as it were by these markes open what iugemēt abideth for them I wil here passe ouer many fayned inuentions which foolish mē haue forged to ouerthrowe predestination For they nede no confutation which so sone as they are brought fourth doe largely bewraye their owne falsnesse I wil tarry only vpon those which either are in controuersie amōg the learned or which may bryng any hardinesse to the simple or which vngodlinesse with faire seming showe pretendeth to scoffe at the righteousnesse of God ¶ The .xxii. Chapiter A confirmation of this doctrine by testimonies of the Scripture AL these things which we haue set are not without controuersie among many specially the free election of the faithfull which yet can not be weakened For the common sort do thinke that God as he foreseeth that euery mans deseruinges shal be so maketh difference betwene men that therefore whō he foreknoweth that they shal be not vnworthy of hys grace them he adopteth into place of children and whoe 's natures he espyeth that they wil be bent to wickednesse and vngodlinesse them he appointeth to the damnation of death So by cloking it with the veile of foreknowlege they do not only darken election but faine that it hath beginning from ells where And this opinion receiued of the commō sort is not the opinion of the common sorte alone for in al ages it hath had greate mainteiners Whiche I doe plainly confesse to the entent that no mā should trust that it shall muche hurte our cause if their names be obiected against vs. For the truthe of God herein is more certaine than that it may be shaken more clere than that it maye be darkened with y◠authoritie of men But some other neyther exercised in the Scripture nor worthy of any voyce doo rayle at thys doctrine wyth greater maliciousnesse than that their frowarde pryde oughte to be suffered Because God choosing some after hys owne wyl leaueth other some they picke a quarel against hym But if the thing it selfe be knowē for true what shal they preuaile with brawling against God We teach nothing but that which is approued by experience that it was alway at libertie for God to bestowe hys grace to whome he will I will not enquire wherby the posteritie of Abraham excelled other but by that vouchesauing wherof there is foūde no cause ellswhere than in God Let them answere why they be men rather than oxen or asses Whē it was in the hande of God to make them dogges he fashioned them after hys own image Wyll they geue leaue to brute beastes to quarell wyth God for their estate as thoughe the difference were vnrighteous Truely it is no more righteous that they should enioy the prerogatiue whiche they haue obteined by no deseruinges thā for God diuersly to deale abrode his benefites according to the measure of hys own iugement If they skippe ouer to persones where the inequalitie is more hateful to them at the least at the example of Christe they oughte to be afrayed to prate so boldly of so hye a mysterie He is conceiued of the sede of Dauid a mortall man by what vertues wyll they say that he deserued to be in the very wombe made the hed of Angels the onely begotten sonne of GOD the image and glorie of the Father the lyghte righteousnesse and saluation of the worlde Thys thing Augustine wisely noted that in the very hed of the Chirche is a moste clere mirror of free election lest it should troble vs in the members and that he was not by ryghteously liuing made the sonne of God but that he had so great honor freely geuen hym that he myght afterwarde make other partakers of hys gyftes Here if any man aske why other were not the same that he was or why all we are so farr distante from hym why all we be corrupte and he purenesse suche a man shall bewraye not onely hys madnesse but therewithall also hys shamelessnesse But if they goe forward to labor to take from GOD the free power to choose and refuse let them also take away that whiche is geuen to Christe Nowe it is worth the trauayle to consider what the Scripture pronounceth of euery one Paule verily when he teacheth that we were chosen in Christe taketh away all respecte of our owne worthinesse For it is al one as if he had sayd
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
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
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
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
than eche one seuerally neither is it my meaning that thys is so spoken in common to the faithful as though they were al alike endued with the Spirite of vnderstanding and doctrine but because it is not to be graunted to the aduersaries of Christ that they should for the defense of an euill cause wrest the Scripture to a wrong sense But omitting this I simply cōfesse that which is true that the lord is perpetually presēt with his ruleth them with his Spirite And that this Spirite is not the Spirite of error ignorance lyeng or darkenesse but of sure reuelation wisedome trueth light of whō they not deceitfully may learne those thinges that are geuē them that is to say what is the hope of their calling what be the richesse of the glory of the inheritaunce of God in the saintes But wheras the faythful euen they that are endued with more excellent giftes aboue the rest do in thys fleshe receiue onely the firste frutes a certaine tast of that Spirite there remaineth nothing leeuer to them thā knowing their own weakenesse to hold themselues carefully within the boundes of the worde of God least if they wander farr after their own sense they by by stray out of the right waie in so much as they be yet voide of that Spirite by whoe 's only teaching truth is discerned from falshode For all men do confesse with Paule that they haue not yet atteined to the marke Therfore they more endeuor to daily profiting than glory of perfection But they wil take exception say that whatsoeuer is particularly attributed to euery one of the holy ones the same doth throughly fully belong to the Chirche it selfe Although this hath some seming of truth yet I deney it to be true God doth in dede so distribute to euery one of the members the giftes of his Spirite by measure that the whole body wanteth nothing necessarie whē the giftes are geuē in cōmon But the richesse of the Chirche are alway such that there euer wāteth much of that hiest perfection which our aduersaries do bost of Yet the Chirche is not therefore so lefte destitute in any behalf but that she alway hath so much as is enough For the Lord knoweth what her necessitie requireth But to holde her vnder humilitie and godly modestie he geueth her no more than he knoweth to be expedient I know what here also they are wont to obiecte that is that the Chirche is clensed with the washing of water in the worde of life that it might be without wrincle and spot and that therfore in an other place it is called the piller and stay of truth But in the first of these two places is rather taught what Christ daily worketh in it than what he hath allredy done For if he daily sanctifieth purgeth polysheth wypeth from spottes all them that be his truely it is certayne that they are yet besprinkled with some spottes and wrincles and that there wanteth somwhat of their sanctificatiō But how vayne and fabulous is it to iudge the Chirch alredy in euery part holy and spottlesse wherof all the members are spotty and very vncleane It is true therefore that the Chirche is sanctified of Christe But onely the beginning of that sanctifieng is here seen but the ende and full accomplishment shall be when Christe the holiest of holy ones shall truely and fully fill it with his holinesse It is true also that the spottes and wrincles of it are wiped awaye but so that they be daily in wiping awaye vntill Christe with his comming dooe vtterlye take awaye all that remaineth For vnlesse we graunt this we must of necessitie affirme with the Pelagians that the righteousnesse of the faithfull is perfect in this life and with the Cathani and Donatistes we muste suffer no infirmitie in the Chirch The other place as we haue ells where seen hath a sense vtterly differing from that which they pretende For when Paule hath instructed Timothee and framed him to the true office of a Bishop he sayeth that he did it to this purpose that he should knowe how he ought to be haue himselfe in the Chirch And that he should with the greater religiousnesse and endeuor bend himselfe thereunto he addeth that the Chirch is the very piller stay of truth For what ells do these wordes meane but that the truth of God is preserued in the Chirch namely by the ministerie of preaching As in an other place he teacheth that Christ gaue Apostles Pastors and Teachers that we should no more be caried about with euery winde of doctrine or be morked of men but that being enlightened with the true knowledge of the Sonne of God we should altogether mete in vnitie of Faith Wheras therfore the truth is not extinguished in the world but remayneth safe that same cōmeth to passe because it hath the Chirche a faithful keper of it by whoe 's helpe ministerie it is susteined But if this keping standeth in the ministerie of the Prophetes and Apostles it foloweth that it hangeth wholy herupō if the word of the Lord be faithfully preserued doe kepe hys puritie But that the reders may better vnderstande vpon what pointe thys question chefely standeth I wil in fewe wordes declare what our aduersaries require and wherin we stande against them Where they say that the Chirche can not erre it tendeth herunto thus they expounde it that forasmuch as it is gouerned by the Spirite of God it may goe safely without the worde that whether soeuer it goeth it can not thinke nor speake any thing but truth that therfore if it determine any thing wtout or beside Gods worde the same is no otherwise to be estemed than as a certaine Oracle of God If we graūt that first point that the Chirche can not erre in thinges necessarie to saluation this is our meaning that this is therfore because forsaking al her own wisdome she suffreth her selfe to be taught of the Holy ghost by the word of God This therfore is the difference They set the authoritie of the Chirch without the worde of God but we wil that it be annexed to the worde and suffer it not to be seuered from it And what maruel is it if the spouse and scholar of Christ be subiect to her husbande scholemaister that the cōtinually and ernestly hāgeth of his mouth For this is the order of a wel gouerned house that the wife should obey the authoritie of the husbande thys is the rule of a wel ordered schoole that the teaching of the scholemaster alone should there be heard Wherfore let the Chirche not be wise of her selfe not thinke any thing of her selfe but determine the ende of her wisdōe where he hath made an ende of speaking After thys maner she shal also distruste all the inuentions of her owne reason but in those thinges wherin it stādeth vpō the word of God she shall wauer
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
receiue teaching Afterwarde he addeth that such when they are instructed ought to be Baptised adioyning a promise that they which beleue and are baptised shal be saued Is there in al that sayeng so much as one syllable of infantes What forme therefore of reasoning shal thys be wherewith they assaile vs they which are of growen age must first be instructed that they may beleue ere they be baptised therfore it is vnlawful to make Baptisme common to infantes Althoughe they would burst themselues they shall proue nothing ells by this place but that the Gospell must be preached to them that are of capacitie able to heare it before that they be Baptised forasmuch as he there speaketh of such only Let them herof if they can make a stopp to debarre infantes from Baptisme But that euen blynde men also may with gropyng fynde out their deceites I wil poynt them out with a very cleare similitude If any mā cauil that infantes ought to haue meate taken from them vppon thys pretense that the Apostle suffreth none to eate but them that labor shal he not be worthy that al men should spit at hym Why so Because he without differēce draweth that to al men which was spoken of one kinde and one certayne age of men No whit handsomer is their handeling in thys present cause For that which euery man seeth to belong to one age alone they draw to infantes that thys age also may be subiect to the rule which was made for none but them that were more growen in yeres As for the example of Christ it nothing vpholdeth their side He was not baptised before that he was thirty yeres olde That is in dede true but there is a reason therof redy to be shewed because he thē purposed by hys preaching to lay a sounde fundatiō of Baptisme or rather to stablish the fundation which had ben before laied of Iohn Therfore when he mynded with hys doctrine to institute Baptisme to procure the greater authoritie to his institution he Sanctified it with his owne body and that in such fitnesse of tyme as was most conuenient namely when he began his preaching Finally they shall gather nothing ells herof but that Baptisme toke hys original and beginning at the preaching of the Gospell If they list to appoint the thirtith yere why doe they not kepe it but doe receiue euery one to Baptisme as he hath in their iugemente sufficiently profited yea and Seruettus one of their maisters when he stiffly required thys tyme yet began at the .xxi. yere of his age to boste himselfe to be a Prophet As though he were to bee suffred that taketh vpon himselfe the place of a teacher in the Chirch before that he be a member of the Chirch At the last they obiect that there is no greater cause why Baptisme should be geuen to infantes than the Lordes Supper which yet is not graunted them As though the Scripture did not euery way expresse a large differēce The same was in dede vsually done in the olde Chirch as it appeareth by Cypriane and Augustine but that maner is worthily growen out of vse For if we consider the nature and propertie of Baptisme it is truely an entrie into the Chirch and as it were a forme of admission wherby we are adnūbred into the people of God a signe of our spirituall regeneration by which we are borne agayne into the children of God wheras on the other syde the Supper is geuē to them that be more growen in age which hauing passed tender infantie are now able to beare strong meate Which difference is very euidently shewed in the Scripture For there the Lorde so muche as perteineth to Baptisme maketh no choise of ages But he doth not likewise geue the Supper to al to take part of it but only to them which are fit to discerne the body and blood of the Lord to examine their own conscience to declare the Lordes death to weye the power therof Would we haue any thing plainer than that which the Apostle teacheth when he exhorteth that euery man should proue and examine hymselfe and then eate of thys bred and drynke of thys cup Therfore examination must goe before which should in vaine be loked for of infantes Agayne he that eateth vnworthily eateth and drynketh damnation to hymselfe not discerning the Lordes body If none can partake worthily but they that can well discerne the holinesse of the Lordes body why should we geue to our tender children poison in stede of liuely foode What is that commaundement of the Lord ye shal do it in remembrance of me what is that other which the Apostle deriueth from the same So oft as ye shall eate of this bread ye shal declare the Lordes death til he come What remembrance I beseche you shal we require at our infantes of the thyng which they neuer atteined with vnderstanding what preaching of the crosse of Christ ▪ the force and benefite whereof they do not yet comprehende in mind None of these things is prescribed in Baptisme Therfore betwene these twoo signes is great difference whiche we note also in like signes in the olde testament Circumcision which is knowen to answere to our Baptisme was appointed for infantes But the passeouer into whoe 's place the Supper hath now succeded did not receiue al maner of gestes without difference but was rightly eaten of them only that myght by age enquire of the signification of it If these men had remayning one crumme of sounde brayne woulde they be blynde at a thing so clere and offring it selfe to sight Although it greueth me to lode the reders with a heape of trifles yet it shal be worth the trauail brefely to wype away suche gay reasons as Seruettus not the least of the Anabaptistes yea the great glory of that company thought himselfe to bring when he prepared himselfe to conflict He allegeth that Christes signes as they be perfect so doe require them that be perfect or able to conceiue perfection But the solution is easy that the perfection of Baptisme which extendeth euen to death is wrongfully restrayned to one point of time I say yet further that perfection is foolyshly required in man at the first day wherunto Baptisme allureth vs al our life long by continuall degrees He obiecteth that Christes signes wer ordeined for remembrance that euery man should remember that he was buried together with Christ. I answer that that which he hath fained of his owne head nedeth no confutation yea tha◠which he draweth to Baptisme Paules wordes shew to be propre to the holy Supper that euery man should examine himself but of Baptisme there is no where any such thing Wherupon we gather that they be rightly baptised which for their smalnesse of age ar not yet able to receiue examination Wheras he thirdly allegeth that all they abide in death whiche beleue not the Sonne of God that the wrath of God abideth vppon them therfore
of Christ which is done when he is broughte vnder the corruptible elements of this world or is bound to any earthly creatures The other that nothyng be by fainyng applied to his body that agreeth not with the nature of man whiche is done when it is either saide to bee infinite or is sett in many places at ones But these absurdities being taken away I willyngly receiue what soeuer may auaile to expresse the true and substantiall communicatyng of the Body and Blood of the Lord which cōmunicatyng is deliuered to the faithfull vnder the holy signes of the Supper so that they may be thought not to receyue it by imagination onely or vnderstandyng of mynde but to enioy it in dede to the foode of eternall lyfe Why this sentence is so hatefull to the worlde and all defence taken away from it by the vniust iudgementes of many there is no cause at all but for that the deuell hath with horrible bewitchyng madded their myndes Truely that which we teache dothe in all pointes very well agree with the Scriptures it conteineth neither any absurditie nor darknesse nor doutfulnesse it is not agaynst true godlynesse and sounde edification finally it hath nothing in it that may offend sauyng that in certaine ages past when that ignorance and barbarousnesse of Sophisters reigned in the Chirche so clere light and open truthe hath ben vnworthily oppressed Yet because Satā at this day also trauayleth by troublesome Spirites to spot it with all the sclanders and reproches that he can and bendeth himselfe to no other thyng with greater endeuor it is profitable the more diligently to defende and rescue it Nowe before that we goe any further we must entreate of the selfe institution of Christe specially because this is the most glorious obiection that our aduersaries haue that we departe from the woordes of Christe Therfore that we may be discharged of the false cause of malice wherwith they burden vs our fittest beginnyng shall be at the exposition of the woordes Three Euangelistes and Paule rehearse that Christe tooke bread when he had geuen thankes he brake it gaue it to his disciples and sayde Take eate this is my Body whiche is delyuered or broken for you Of the cuppe Mathew and Marke saye thus This cuppe is the blood of the newe testament whiche shal be shedde for many vnto forgeuenesse of synnes But Paule and Luke say thus This cuppe is the newe testament in my blood The patrones of transubstantiation will haue by the pronoune this the forme of bread to be signified because the consecration is made in the whole contente of the sentence and there is no substance that can be shewed But if they be holden with religious care of the woordes because Christ testified that that whiche he reached into the disciples handes was his bodye truely this their deuise that that whiche was bread is nowe the bodie is moste farre from the propre meanyng of them That which Christe tooke into his handes and gaue the Apostles he affirmeth to be his body but he toke bread who therfore can not vnderstande that bread is yet shewed and therfore there is no greater absurditie than to remoue that to the forme whiche is spoken of the bread Other when they expounde this woorde is for to be transubstantiate doo flee to a more enforced and violently wrasted glose Therefore there is no cause why they should pretende that they be moued with reuerence of wordes For this was vnheard of among all nations and languages that the word is should be taken in this sense namely for to be tourned into an other thyng As for them that leaue breade in the Supper and affirme that there is the body of Christ they muche differ among themselues They whiche speake more modestly althoughe they precisely exact the letter This is my body yet afterwarde swarue from theyr precisenesse and say that it is as muche in effect as that the body of Christ is with bread in bread and vnder bread Of the mater it selfe which they affirme we haue already touched somwhat and we shal by and by haue occasion yet to speake more Nowe I dispute only of the wordes by which they say they are restrained that they can not admitte bred to be called the body because it is a signe of the body But if they shunne all figures why do they leape away from the plaine shewing of Christ to their owne maners of speaking farr differing from it For there is great difference betwene this that bread is the body and this that the body is with bread But because they sawe it to bee impossible that this simple proposition might stande that bread is the body they haue attempted to scape away by those formes of speche as it were by croked turnyngs Some more bolde sticke not to affirme that euen in propre speakyng bread is the body and by this meane they truely proue themselues to be litteral mē If it be obiected that therfore the bread is Christ and is God this verily they will denie because it is not expressed in the wordes of Christ. But they shall nothyng preuayle by denyeng it forasmuche as all doo agree that whole Christ is offred vs in the Supper But it is an intolerable blasphemie that it be without figure spoken of a fraile and corruptible element that it is Christ. Now I aske of them whether these twoo propositions be bothe of one effect Christe is the Sonne of God and bread is the body of Christe If they graunt that they are diuers which we will enforce them to graunte whether they will or no then lett them answere whens commeth the difference I thynke they wyll bryng none other but that the bread is after the sacramentall maner called the body Wherupon foloweth that Christes wordes are not subiecte to the common rule nor oughte to bee tried by Grammer Also I aske of all the precise and stiffe requirers of the letter where Luke and Paule do call the cuppe the testament in the blood whether they do not expresse the same thyng which they dyd in the first parte where they call bread the bodye Truely the same religion was in the one parte of the mysterie that was in the other and because shortnesse is darke longer speche dothe better open the meanyng So oft therfore as they shall affirme by one word that the bread is the body I will out of mo wordes bryng a fitt exposition that it is the Testament in the bodye For why Shall we nede to seke a more faithfull or surer expositor than Paule Luke Neither yet doo I tende herunto to diminishe any thing of that communicating of the body of Christ which I haue confessed onely my purpose is to confute that folish waiwardnesse wherby they do so hatefully brawle about words I vnderstand by the authoritie of Paul and Luke that the bread is the body of Christ because it is the couenant in the body If they fight against
mater Also in an other place entreating of the eatyng and the frute therof he concludeth thus Then shall the body and blood of Christ be life to euery man if that which in the Sacrament is visibly receiued be in the truth it selfe spiritually eaten spiritually drōk Therfore whoso make vnbeleuers partakers of the fleshe and blood of Christ that they may agree with Augustine let them shewe vs the visible body of Christ forasmuche as by his iudgement the whole truthe is spirituall And it is certainly gathered out of his wordes that the Sacramentall eatyng when vnbelefe closeth vp the entrie to truthe is as much in effect as visible or outward eatyng If the body of Christ might be eaten truely and yet not spiritually what shold that meane whiche he sayth in an other place Ye shall not eate this body which ye see drinke the blood which they shall shedde that shall crucifie me I haue commēded a certaine sacrament vnto you beeyng spiritually vnderstanded it shall quicken you Uerily he woulde not denie but that the same body which Christ offred for sacrifice is deliuered in the Supper but he dyd set out the maner of eatyng namely that being receiued into heauenly glorie by the secrete power of the Spirite it breatheth lyfe into vs. I graunt in dede that there is oftentymes founde in hym this maner of speakyng that the body of Christ is eaten of the vnbeleuers but he expoundeth himselfe addyng In Sacramente And in an other place he describeth spirituall eating in whiche out biringes consume not grace And least myne aduersaries should saye that I fighte with them with a heape of places I wold know of them how they can vnwynde themselues from one saieng of his where he saith that Sacraments do worke in the only elect that which they figure Truely they dare not denye but that the bred in the Supper figureth the body of Christ. Wherupon foloweth that the reprobate are debarred from the partakyng of it That Cyrill also thought none otherwise these wordes doo declare As if a man vpon molten waxe do poure other waxe he wholly tempereth the one waxe with the other so is it necessary if any man receiue the fleshe and blood of the Lorde that he be ioyned with hym that Christe may be founde in hym and he in Christ. By these wordes I thinke it is euident that they ar bereued of the true and real eatyng that do but sacramentally eate the body of Christ which can not be seuered from his power and that therfore faileth not the faith of the promises of god which cesseth not to rayne from heauen although the stones and rockes conceiue not the liquor of the raine This knowledge shall also easily drawe vs away from the carnal worshipping whiche some haue with peruerse rashnesse erected in the Sacrament because they made accompt with themselues in this maner If it be the body then bothe the soule and the godhead are together with the body which now can not be seuered therfore Christe is there to be worshipped First if their accompanieng whiche thei pretende be denied them what will they do For how much soeuer they crie out vpon an absurditie if the body be seuered from the soule and the godhed yet what soūdwitted and sobre man can persuade himself that the body of Christ is Christ They thinke themselues in dede gaily to proue it with their logicall argumentes But sith Christ speaketh distinctly of his body and blood but describeth not the maner of presence how will they of a doutfull thing gather certainly that which they would What then If their consciences chance to be exercised with any more greuous felyng shal not they by and by with their logicall arguments be dissolued melt namely when they shall see themselues destitute of the certaine word of God vpon which alone our soules do stand fast when they are called to accompt without which they faint at euery first moment when thei shal call to mynde that the doctrine and exāples of the Apostles are against them and that themselues alone ar to themselues the authors of it To suche motions shal be added other not small prickynges What Shall it be a mater of no importance to worship God in this forme where nothyng was prescribed vnto vs When it concerned the true worshyp of God ought they with so great lightnesse to haue attēpted that of which there is no where red any one word But if they had with such humblenesse as they ought holden all their thoughtes vnder the word of God they wold truly haue harkened to that which he said Take eate drinke and wold haue obeyed this cōmaundement wherin he biddeth the Sacrament to be receiued not to be worshipped But they which as it is cōmaunded of God do receiue it without worshippyng are assured that they do not swarue from Gods cōmaūdement than which assurednesse there is nothing better when we take any worke in hande They haue the example of the Apostles whom we reade not to haue fallen downe flatt worshipped it but euen as they were sitting to haue receiued it eaten it They haue the vse of the Apostolike Chirch wherin Luke reporteth that the faithfull did communicate not in woorshyppyng but in breakyng of bread They haue the Apostles doctrine wherwith Paule instructed the Chirch of the Corynthians professyng that he had receiued of the Lorde that whiche he deliuered And these thyngs verily tend to this end that the godly readers shold wey how perillous it is in so hye matters to wander frō the simple worde of God to the dreames of our owne braine But those thyngs that are aboue said ought to deliuer vs from all doute in this behalfe For that godly soules may therin rightly take hold of Christ they must nedes be lifted vp to heauen If this be the office of a sacrament to help the mynd of man whiche otherwise is weake that it may rise vpwarde to reache the height of spirituall mysteries then they which are holden downe in the outwarde signe do stray from the right way of sekyng Christ. What then Shall we denie that it is a superstitious worshippyng when men do throwe themselues downe before bread to worship Christe therein Doutlesse the Nicene Synode meant to mete with this mischiefe whē it forbade vs to be hūbly intentiue to the signes set before vs. And for none other cause was it in olde tyme ordeined that before the consecration the people shold with a loude voice be put in mynde to haue their hartes lifted vpward The Scripture it selfe also beside that it diligently declareth vnto vs the ascension of Christ wherby he conueyed away the presence of his body from our sight conuersation to shake away from vs all carnal thinkyng of hym so oft as it maketh mention of him cōmaūdeth vs to be in myndes raised vpward to seke him in heauen sittyng at the right hand of the
fault or defaulte of men maketh that it is safer and more tolerable that many should haue the gouernement that they may mutually one helpe an other one teache and admonish an other and if any aduaunce himselfe â—â—er than is mete there may be ouerseers and maisters to restraine his wilfulnesse Thys both hath alway ben approued by experience and the lord also hath confirmed it with his authoritie when he ordeined among the Israelites a gouernement of the best men very nere vnto common gouernement at such tyme as he mynded to haue them in best estate tyll he brought fourth an image of Christ in Dauid And as I willingly grauÌ„t that no kynde of gouernement is more blessed than thys where libertie is framed to such moderation as it ought to be and is orderly stablished to continuance so I compt them also most blessed that may enioy thys estate and if they stoutely and constantly trauail in preseruing and reteining it â–ª I graunt that they do nothing against their dutie Yea and the magistrates ought with most great diligence to bende theÌ„selues herunto that they suffer not the libertie of the people of which they are appointed gouernors to be in any part minished muche lesse to be dissolued if they be negligent and litle careful therin they are false Faith-breakers in their office and betrayers of their contree But if they would bryng this kinde to themselues to whoÌ„ the Lord hath appointed an other forme of gouernement so that therby they be moued to desire a change the very thinking therof shal not only be foolish and superfluous but also hurtfull But if thou bende not thyne eyes onely to one citie but loke about or beholde the whole world together or at least sprede abrode thy sight into farther distances of contrees without dout thou shalt fynde that this is not vnprofitablye appointed by the prouidence of GOD that diuerse contrees shoulde be ruled by diuerse kyndes of gouernemente For as the elementes hang together but by an vnegall temperature so contrees also are with their certaine inequalitie veri wel kept in order Howbeit al these things also are spoken in vaine to them whom the wil of the Lord shal satisfie For if it be hys pleasure to set kynges ouer kyngdomes Senates or officers ouer free cities whomsoeuer he maketh rulers in the places where we are conuersant it is our dutie to shewe our selues yelding and obedient vnto them Now the office of Magistrates is in this place to be declared by the way of what sort it is described by the word of God in what thinges it consisteth If the Scripture did not teache that it extendeth to both the tables of the law we might learne it out of the prophane writers For none hath entreated of the dutie of magistrates of making of lawes of the publike weale that hath not begon at religion and the worshipping of God And so haue they al confessed that no policie can be happily framed vnlesse the firste care be of godlinesse and that those lawes be preposterous which neglecting the right of God do prouide only for men Sith therfore with al the Philosophers religion hath the firste place sithe thesame hath alway ben obserued by that vniuersal coÌ„sent of al nations Let Christian Princes and magistrates be ashamed of their slouthfulnesse if they endeuor not theÌ„selues to this care And we haue alredy shewed that this dutie is specially enioyned them of God as it is mete that they shoulde employ their trauail to defende maintaine his honor whoe 's vicegerentes they be by whoe 's benefit they gouerne For thys cause also chefely are the holy kinges praysed in Scripture for that they restored the worship of God being corrupted or ouerthrowen or toke care of religion that it might flourishe pure and safe vnder them But contrarywise the holy hystorie reckeneth states wtout gouernors among faultes sayeng that there was no kyng in Israell and that therfore euery man did what pleased hymselfe Wherby their follie is confuted whiche would haue them neglecting the care of God only to apply themselues to be iudges of law among men As though God appointed gouernors in his name to decise controuersies omitted that which was of muche weightier importance that he hymselfe should be worshipped according to the prescribed rule of his law But a desire to innouate al thinges wtout punishment moueth troblesome meÌ„ to this point that they wishe al reuengers of the breache of peace to be takeÌ„ away As for so muche as perteineth to the seconde table Ieremie warneth kinges to do iugemeÌ„t and righteousnesse to deliuer the forceably oppressed froÌ„ the haÌ„d of the false accuser not to greue the straÌ„ger widow not to do wrong and not to shed innocent blood To the same purpose maketh the exhortatioÌ„ which is red in the .82 Psalme that they shuld render right to the poore nedy acquite the poore nedy deliuer the poore nedy froÌ„ the hande of the oppressor And Moses geueth charge to the Princes whom he had set in his stede lett them heare the cause of their brethreÌ„ and iudge betwene a maÌ„ his brother and a stranger not know faces in iugemeÌ„t let them heare as wel the litle as the great be not afraied of any maÌ„ because it is the iugemeÌ„t of God But I speake not of these thinges the kinges shoulde not get to themselues multitudes of horses not cast their minds to couetousnesse not be lifted vp aboue their brethren that they may be coÌ„tinually busied in studieng vpoÌ„ the law of the lord al the dayes of their life the Iudges swarue not to the one side nor receiue giftes because in declaring here the office of magistrates my purpose is not so much to instruct the magistrates themselues as to teache other what Magistrates be and to what ende they are set of God We se therfore that they be ordeined defenders and reuengers of innocence modestie honestie and quietnesse whoe 's only endeuor shoulde be to prouide for the common safetie and peace of all men Of which vertues Dauid professeth that he will be an exemplar when he shall be aduauÌ„ced to the royall seate that is that he will not consent to any euell doynges but abhorre wicked men sclanderers and proude men and get to hymselfe from echewhere honest and faithful men But sithe they can not performe this vnlesse they defend good men from the wronges of the euill let them helpe the good with succor and defense let them also be armed with power whereby thei may seuerely suppresse open euill doers and wicked men by whoe 's lewdnesse the common quiet is trobled or vexed For we throughly fynde thys by experience which Solon sayd the common weales consist of rewarde punishment and that when those be taken away the whole discipline of cities faileth and is dissolued For the care of equitie and iustice waxeth colde in the myndes of many vnlesse
fayth of the godly is grounded vpon the authoritie of the church nor meaneth that the certaintie of the gospel doth hang therupon but simplye and onely that there should be no assurednesse of the gospel to the infidels wherby they might be wonne to Chryst vnlesse the consent of the church did driue them vnto it And the same meanyng a litle before he doth plainly confirme in this saying When I shall praise that which I beleue and scorne that which thou beleuest what thiÌ„kest thou mete for vs to iudge or do but that we forsake such men as first call vs to come and knowe certaine truethes and after commaunde vs to beeleue thinges vncertaine and that we folowe theÌ„ that require vs first to beleue that which we are not yet able to see that being made strong by beleuing we may atteine to vnderstande the thing that we beleue not menne nowe but God himselfe inwardly strengthning and geuing lighte to oure minde These are the very words of Augustine wherby euery man may easely gather that the holy man had not this meaning to hang the credite that we haue to the Scriptures vpon the wil and awardemente of the churche but onely to shewe this which we our selues also do confesse to be true that they which are not yet lightened with the spirite of god are brought by the reuerence of the churche vnto a willyngnesse to bee taught so as they can finde in their hartes to learne the faith of Christ by the gospel and that thus by this meane the authoritie of the church is an introduction wherby we are prepared to beleue the gospel For as we see his minde is that the assuraunce of the godly be staied vpon a farre other foundacion Otherwise I do not deny but that he often presseth the Manichees with the consent of the whole churche when he seketh to proue the same Scripture which they refused And from hence it came that he so reproched Faustus for that he did not yelde hymselfe to the trueth of the gospel so grounded â–ª so stablished so gloriously renomed from the very time of the Apostles by certaine successions perpetuallye commended But he neuer trauaileth to this ende to teach that the authoritie which we acknowledge to be in the Scripture hangeth vppon the determinacion or decree of men But onely this which made much for him in the mater that he disputed of he bringeth forth the vniuersal iudgemeÌ„t of the church wherein he had the auauÌ„tage of his aduersaries If any desire a fuller proufe herof let him reade his boke concernynge the profit of beleuing Where he shall finde that there is no other redinesse of beliefe commended vnto vs by him but that which only geueth vs an entrie and is vnto vs a conuenient beginning to enquire as he termeth it and yet not that we ought to rest vpon bare opinion but to leane to the certaine and sounde trueth We ought to holde as I before sayd that the credit of this doctrine is not established in vs vntil such time as we be vndoutedly perswaded that God is the author therof Therfore the principal profe of the Scripture is coÌ„monly taken of the person of God the speaker of it The Prophetes and Apostles bost not of their own sharpe wit or any such thigs as procure credit to mâ—n that speake neither stande they vpon proues by reason but they bring forth the holy name of God therby to compell the whole world to obedience Now we haue to see howe not onely by probable opinion but by apparant truth it is euideÌ„t that in this behalfe the name of God is not without cause nor deceitfully preteÌ„ded If then we wil prouide wel for consciences that they be not continually caryed about with vnstedfast douting nor many wauer nor stay at euery small stop this maner of perswasion must be fetched deper then from either the reasons iudgementes or the coniectures of men euen from the secrete testimony of the holy ghoste True in dede it is that if we lysted to worke by way of argumeÌ„tes many thinges might be alleged that may easily proue if there be any God in heauen that the law the prophecies and the gospell came from hym Yea although men learned and of depe iudgemente would stande vp to to the contrary and would employ and shew forth the whole force of their wittes in this disputacion yet if they be not so hardened as to become desperatly shamelesse they woulde be compelled to confesse that there are seen in the Scripture manifest tokens that it is God that speaketh therin wherby it maye appeare that the doctrine therof is froÌ„ heaueÌ„ And shortly hereafter we shal se that al the bokes of the holy Scripture do farre excel al other writinges what soeuer they be Yea if we bring thether pure eies and vncorrupted senses we shal forthwith finde there the maiestie of God which shall subdue al hardnesse of gainesaying and enforce vs to obey him But yet they do disorderly that by disputacion trauaile to establishe the perfecte credit of the Scripture And truely although I am not furnished with great dexteritie nor eloquence yet if I were to contende with the moste luttle despisers of God that haue a desier to shew themselues wytty and plesaunt in febling the authoritie of Scripture I trust it should not be harde for me to put to silence their bablinges And if it 〈◊〉 profitable to spende labor in confuting their cauillations I would with no great businesse shake in sunder the bragges that they mutter in corners But though a man do deliuer the sounde word of God from the reproches of men yet that sufficeth not fourthwith to fasten in theyr hartes that assurednesse that godlynesse requireth Prophane men because they thynke religion standeth onely in opinion to the ende they woulde beleue nothing fondly or lightly do couet and require to haue it proued to them by reason that Moises and the Prophetes spake from God But I answere that the testimonie of the holy ghost is better thaÌ„ all reason For as onely God is a conueniente witnesse of hymselfe in hys owne worde so shal the same worde neuer finde credit in the hartes of men vntil it be sealed vp with the inwarde witnesse of the holy ghost It behoueth therfore of necessitie that the same holy ghost whiche spake by the mouth of the Prophetes do entre into our hartes to perswade vs that they faythfully vttered that which was by God commaunded them And this order is very aptly set fourth by Esay in these words My spirite which is in thee and the wordes that I haue to put in thy mouth and in the mouth of thy sede shal not faile for euer It greueth some good men that they haue not ready at hande some cleare proufe to allege when the wicked do without punishment murmure against the worde of God As though the holy ghost were not for this cause called both a seale and a
pledge because vntill he do lighten mens minds they do alway wauer among many doutinges Let this therfore stande for a certainly perswaded trueth that they whom the holy ghost hath inwardly taught doe wholy reste vppon the Scripture and that the same Scripture is to be credited for it selfsake ought not to be made subiect to demonstracioÌ„ and reasons but yet that the certaintie which it getteth among vs it atteineth by the witnesse of the holy ghost For though by the only maiestie of it selfe it procureth reuerence to be geuen to it yet then only it throughly perceth our affectioÌ„s when it is sealed in our hartes by the holy gost So being lightened by his vertue we do then beleue not by our own iudgemeÌ„t or other meÌ„s that the Scripture is froÌ„ God but aboue al mans iudgement we holde it most certainly determined euen as if we behelde the maiestie of God himselfe there present that by the ministery of men it came to vs from the very mouth of God We seke not for argumentes and likelhodes to rest our iudgement vpon but as to a thing without al compasse of consideracion we submit our iudgement and wit vnto it And that not in such sort as some are wont sometime hastily to take holde of a thing vnknowen which after being throughly perceiued displeaseth them but because we are in our consciences wel assured that we hold an inuincible truth Neither in such sort as silly men ar wont to yelde their mynde in thraldom to superstitions but because we vndoutedly perceiue therin the strength and breathing of the diuine maiestie wherewith we are drawen and stirred to obey both wittingly and willingly and yet more liuely and effectually than mans wil or wit can attaine And therefore for good cause doth God cry out by Esay that the Prophetes wyth the whole people do beare him witnesse because being taughte by the prophecies they did vndoutedly beleue without guile or vncertaintie that God himselfe had spoken Such therfore is our perswasion as requireth no reasons such is our knowledge as hath a righte good reason to maintaine it euen such a one wherin the minde more assuredly and stedfastly resteth than vpon any reasons suche is oure feling as cannot procede but by reuelacion from heauen I speake nowe of none other thing but that which euery one of the faithful doth by experieÌ„ce find in himselfe sauing that my wordes do much want of a full declaratioÌ„ of it I leaue here many thinges vnspoken because there wil be els where againe a conuenient place to entreate of this matter Onely now let vs know that onely that is the true faith which the spirite of God doth seale in our hartes Yea with this onely reason wil the sobre reder and willing to learne be contented Esay promeseth that al the childreÌ„ of the renewed churche shal be the scholars of God A singular priuilege therin doth God vouchsaue to graunt to his elect onely whom he seuereth from all the rest of mankinde For what is the beginning of true doctrine but a redy cherefulnesse to heare the voice of God But God requireth to be heard by the mouth of Moises as it is written say not in thy harte who shal ascende into heauen or who shal descende into the depe the worde is euen in thine own mouth If it be the pleasure of God that this treasure of vnderstanding be layed vp in store for hys chyldren it is no marueil nor vnlikely that in the common multitude of meÌ„ is seen such ignoraunce and dullnesse The common multitude I call euen the most excellent of them vntil such time as they be graffed into the bodye of the church Moreouer Esay geuing warning that the Prophetes doctrine should seme incredible not onely to straungers but also to the Iewes that woulde be accompted of the householde of God addeth this reason because the arme of God shall not be reueled to al men So oft therfore as the smallnesse of nuÌ„ber of the beleuers doth trouble vs on the other side let vs call to minde that none can comprehende the misteries of God but they to whom it is geuen ¶ The .viii. Chapter That so farre as mans reason may beare there are sufficient proues to stablyshe the credite of Scripture VNlesse we haue this assuraunce whiche is bothe more excellent and of more force than any iudgement of man in vayne shall the authorytie of Scripture eyther bee strengthened with argumentes or stablished with consente of the churche or confyrmed with any other meanes of defence For vnlesse this fundation bee layde it still remayneth hangynge in doubte As on the other syde when exemptynge it from the common state of thynges we haue embraced it deuoutely and accordyng to the worthynesse of it then these thynges become very fitte helpes which before were but of small force to graffe and fasten the assurance therof in our myndes For it is meruaylous howe greate establishemente groweth herof when with earnest studye we consider howe orderly and well framed a disposition of the diuine wisedom appereth therin howe heauenly a doctrine in euery place of it and nothyng sauoryng of earthlynesse howe beautyful an agreement of all the partes amonge theym selues and suche other thynges as auayle to procure a maiestie to writynges But more perfectly are oure hartes confirmed when we consyder howe we are euen violently caried to an admiration of it rather with dignitie of matter than with grace of woords For this also was not done without the singular prouidence of God that the hye misteries of the heauenly kingdome should for the moste part be vttered vnder a contemptible basenesse of words least if it hadde ben beautified with more glorious speache the wicked shoulde cauill that the onely force of eloquence doeth reigne therein But when that roughe and in a maner rude simplicitie dooeth rayse vp a greater reuerence of it selfe than any rhetoricians eloquence what may we iudge but that there is a more myghty strength of truthe in the holye Scripture than that it nedeth any art of wordes Not withoute cause therefore the Apostle maketh his argument to proue that the faythe of the Corinthians was grounded vpon the power of God and not vpon mans wysedom bycauâ—e his preachyng among them was set foorth not with enticyng speche of mans wisedom but in playne euidence of the spirite and of power For the truthe is then sette free from all doubtyng when not vpholden by forayne aides it selfe alone suffiseth to susteyne it self But how this power is proprely alone belongyng to the scripture hereby appereth that of all the writynges of menne be they neuer so connyngly garnyshed no one is so farre able to pearce our affections Reade Demosthenes or Cicero reade Plato Aristotle or any other of all that sorte I graunt they shall meruailously allure delite moue and rauishe thee But if from them thou come to this holy readyng of Scriptures wylte thou or not it shall
the gētils it was necessary to haue god more expresly painted out vnto thē For wheras that saying that God is the minde of the world which is cōpted the most tolerable descripcion that is founde among the Philosophers is but vaine it behoueth vs more familiarly to know hym least we alway wauer in doutfulnesse Therfore it was his pleasure to haue an history of the creaciō remaining wherupō the Fayth of the church might rest seke for no other God but hym whō Moses hath declared to be the maker bilder of the world There is first set forth the tyme that by continual proceding of yeres the faithfull myghte come to the first original of mankinde and of al thinges Which knowledge is very necessary not only to confute those monstrous fables that somtyme were spred in Egipte and other partes of the worlde but also that the beginning of the worlde ones beyng knowen the eternitie of God may more clerely shine forth and rauishe vs in admiracion of it Neyther oughte we to be any thyng moued wyth that vngodly mocke that it is maruel why it came no soner in the mind of God to make the heauen the earth why he syttīg idle did suffer so immesurable a space to passe away sith he mought haue made it many thousande ages before wheras the whole continuaunce of the world that now draweth to an end is not yet come to sixe thousande yeres For why God so long differred it is nether lawful nor expediēt for vs to enquire Because if mans mynd wil trauaile to attaine thereunto it shal faile a hundred tymes by the way nether wer it profitable for vs to know that thing which God hymselfe to proue the modestie of our Fayth hath of purpose wylled to be hydden And wel did that godly olde man speake whiche when a wanton felowe did in scorne demaunde of hym what God had done before the creacion of the worlde aunswered that he builded hell for curious fooles let this graue and seuere warning represse the wantonnesse that tickleth many yea and dryueth them to euill and hurtfull speculacions Finally lette vs remember that the same inuisible God whoe 's wisedome power and iustice is incomprehensyble doth sette before vs the historye of Moses as a lokyng glasse wherein hys liuely image appeareth For as the eyes that eyther are growen dimme with age or dulled wyth any disease doe not discerne any thyng playnly vnlesse they be holpen with spectacles so suche is oure weakenesse that vnlesse the Scripture directe vs in sekyng of God we do forthwith runne out into vanitie And they that folowe their owne wantonnesse because they be nowe warned in vaine shall all to late fele with horrible destruccion howe muche it had ben better for them reuerently to receiue the secrete counsels of God than to vomite oute blasphemies to obscure the heauen with all And ryghtly doeth Augustyne complayne that wrong is done to God whē further cause of thinges is sought for than his onely will The same mā in an other place doth wisely warne vs that it is no lesse euel to moue question of immeasurable spaces of tymes than of places For howe brode soeuer the circuit of the heauen is yet is there some measure of it Nowe if one shoulde quarell wyth God for that the emptynesse wherein nothyng is conteyned is a hundred tymes more shall not all the godly abhore suche wantonnesse Into lyke madnesse runne they that busy them selues aboute Gods sitting stil because at their apointment he made not the world innumerable ages soner To satisfie their own gredinesse of minde they couer to passe wtout the cōpasse of the world as though in so large a circuite of heauen earth they could not finde things enough that with their inestimable brightnesse may ouerwhelme al our senses as though in six thousād yeres God hath not shewed examples in cōtinual cōsideracion wherof our myndes may be exercised Let vs therfore willingly abide enclosed within those boundes wherw t it pleased God to enuirō vs as it were to pen vp our mindes that they shold not stray abrod with liberty of wādrīg For like resō is it that Moses declareth y◠the work of God was not ended in a momēt but in .vi. dayes For by this circūstāce we ar wtdrawen frō forged inuencions to the one onely God that deuyded hys worke into vi dayes that it should not greue vs to be occupyed all the tyme of our lyfe in considering of it For thoughe oure eyes what waye soeuer we turne them are compelled to loke vpon the workes of God yet see we howe fyckle oure hede is and if any godly thoughtes doe touche vs. howe sone they passe away Here againe mans reason murmureth as though suche procedinges were disagreing from the power of God vntil suche time as being made subiecte to the obedience of Fayth she learne to kepe that rest wherunto the hollowing of the .vii. day calleth vs. But in the very order of thinges is diligently to bee considered the Fatherly loue of God towarde mankinde in this that he did not create Adam vntill he had stored the worlde with al plenty of good thinges For if he had placed him in the earth while it was yet barren and emptie if he had geuen him life before that there was any lighte he should haue semed not so wel to prouide for his commoditie But nowe where he first disposed the motions of the Sunne and the Planets for the vse of man and furnished the earth the waters and the aire wyth liuing creatures and brought forth aboundaunce of fruites to suffyce for fode taking vpon him the care of a diligent prouidēt householder he shewed his maruellous bountie towarde vs. If a man do more hedefully weye with himselfe those thinges that I doe but shortly touche it shall appeare that Moses was the sure witnesse and publisher of the one God the creator I omitt here that which I haue already declared that he speaketh not there onely of the bare essence of God but also setteth forth vnto vs his eternall Wisedome and Spirite to the ende we should not dreame that God is any other than such as he wil be knowē by the image that he hath there expressed But before that I begin to speake more at large of the nature of mā I must say somwhat of Angels Because though Moses applying himselfe to the rudenesse of the common people reciteth in his history of the creacion no other workes of God but such as are seen with oure eyes yet wheras afterwarde he bryngeth in Angels for ministers of God we may easily gather that he was the creator of them in whoe 's seruyce they employ their trauaile and offices Though therefore Moses speaking after the capacitie of the people doth not at the very beginning rehearse the Angels among the creatures of God yet that is no cause to the contrary but that we may plainly and expresly speake those thinges of
them which in other places the Scripture commonly teacheth Because if we desire to knowe God by his workes so noble and excellente an example is not to be omitted Beside that this pointe of doctryne is very necessary for the confutyng of many errors The excellence of the nature of Angels hath so daselled yâ— myndes of many that they thought the Angels had wrong offred them if they should be made subiect to the authoritie of one God and brought as it were in obedience And herevpon were they fained to be Gods There rose vp also one Manicheus with his secte whiche made themselues two originall beginninges of thinges God and the Deuell and to God he assigned the beginning of good thinges and of thinges of euil nature he determined the Deuil to be the author If our mindes should be entangled with this error God should not kepe whole hys glory in the creacion of the world For wher as nothing is more proper to God than eternitie and a being of hymselfe as I maye so terme it they which geue that vnto the Deuill dooe they not in a maner geue hym the tytle of Godhead Now where is the almightinesse of God become if such authoritie be grauÌ„ted to the deuil that he may put in execucioÌ„ what he wil though God say nay withstaÌ„de it As for the onely fundation that the Manichees haue that it is vnlawfull to ascribe vnto God that is good the creation of any thyng that is euyll that nothyng hurteth the true Faith whiche admitteth not that ther is any thing naturally euil in the whole vniuersalitie of the world because neither the frowardnesse and malice bothe of man and the deuell nor the sinnes that procede therof ar of nature but of the corruption of nature Neyther was there any thyng from the begynnyng wherin God hath not shewed an example bothe of his wisedome and iustice Therfore to answere these peruerse deuises it behoueth vs to lifte vp our myndes hyer than our eyes can atteyne to see For whiche cause it is likely that where in the Nicene crede God is called the creatour of all thynges thinges inuisible are expressed Yet will we be carefull to kepe the measure that the rule of godlynesse appointeth least the readers with searchyng to vnderstande further than is expedient shuld wander abroade beyng ledde away from the simplicitie of Faith And surely for as muche as the Holy ghoste teacheth vs alway for oure profite and suche thynges as are finally auaylable to edifie he doothe eyther leaue wholly vnspoken or but lightly as it were ouerrunningly touche them it shall be also our duetie to be content not to know those thynges that doo not profite vs. That the Angels for as muche as they are the ministers of God ordeyned to execute his coÌ„maundementes are also his creatures it ought to be certainly out of all question To moue doute of the tyme and order that they were created in shoulde it not rather be a busy waywardnesse than diligence Moses declareth that the earthe was made and the heauens were made with all theyr armies to what purpose than is it curiously to search what day the other more secrete armies of heauen beside the starres and planettes fyrst began to be But because I will not be long let vs as in the whole doctrine of religion so here also remembre that we ought to kepe one rule of modestie and sobrietie that of obscure thynges we neither speake nor thynke nor yet desyre to knowe any other thynges than that hath ben taught vs by the woorde of God and an other poynt that in readyng of Scripture we continually rest vpon the searchyng and studying of suche thynges as pertaine to edification and not geue our selues to curiositie or study of thynges vnprofitable And because it was Gods pleasure to instructe vs not in â—riflyng questions but in sounde godlynesse feare of his name true confidence and duties of holynesse let vs rest vpon suche knowledge Wherfore if we wil be rightly wise we must leaue those vanities that ydle men haue taught without warrant of the woorde of God concernyng the nature degrees and multitude of Angels I knowe that suche matters as this are by many more gredily taken holde of and are more pleasant vnto them than suche thynges as lye in dayely vse But if it greue vs not to be the scholers of Christe let it not greue vs to folowe that order of learnyng that he hath appoynted So shall it so come to passe that beyng contented with his scholyng we shall not onely forbeare but also abhorre superfluous speculations from whyche he calleth vs away No man can deny that the same Denyse what soeuer maÌ„ he was hath disputed many thynges bothe subtilly and wittyly in his Hierarchie of heauen but yf a man examine it more neerely he shall fynde that for the moste parte it is but mere babblyng But the dutifull purpose of a diuine is not to delite eares with pratyng but to stablishe consciences with teachyng thynges true certayne and profitable If one should reade that boke he would thinke that the man were slypped downe from heauen did tell of things not that he had lerned by heresay but that he had seen with his eies But Paule whiche was rauished aboue the thirde heauen hath vttered no suche thynge but also protesteth that it is not lawfull for man to speake the secretes that he had sene Therfore bidding farewell to that triflyng wisedome lette vs consider by the simple doctrine of the Scripture what the Lorde wold haue vs knowe concernyng his angels It is commonly red in the Scripture that the Angels are heauenly Spirites whose ministration and seruice God vseth for putting in execution of those thinges that he hath decreed For which reason the name is geuen them because God vseth them as messangers to shewe hym selfe vnto men And vpon like reason are deriued the other names that they are called by They are named armies because they do like a garde enuiron their prince and doo adorne and set forth the honourable shew of his maiestie and like souldiours they are alway attendyng vpon the ensigne of their capitain and are euer so prepared and in readynesse to do his commaundementes that so soone as he doth but becken to them they prepare them selues to worke or rather be at their worke alredy Suche an image of the throne of God to set out his roialtie the other prophetes doo describe but principally Daniel wher he saith that when God sate him downe in his throne of iudgement there stode by a thousande thousande and ten thousand companies of ten thousands of angels And because God doth by theÌ„ meruailously shewe foorth declare the might and streÌ„gth of his hand therfore they are named strengths bicause he exerciseth and vseth his authorite in the world by them therfore they are somtime called Principalities somtime powers somtime DominioÌ„s Finally because in them as it wer sitteth the