nature not so much by allurement of will as by very constrainte of necessitie I come now to the vse and handlyng of Ciuill trades and forreine disciplines and to other dutiefull actions and considerations of the same kynde which are dayly frequented in mans lyfe In the whiche albeit Luther will confesse many thynges to be conteined that are subiect vnto Freewill yet will he not otherwise graunt thereunto but that euen in the selfe same the vnderstandyng mynde is many tymes deceaued will defrauded and freédome altogether ouerthrowen And yet doe we not for that cause vtterly extinguishe will or freédome nor wrappe vp and entangle the mynde nor spoyle reason of coūsell nor dispossesse mā frō his aunciēt inheritaunce of choyse or will howsoeuer the cruell outrage of Sinne hath weakened and wasted the sinewes and strength of nature beyng well created at the first yet remayneth neuerthelesse that naturall power of the soule not onely in those that are renewed in spirite but in them also that are not regenerate in respect of those actions especially wherof I made mention before But if the question be remoued to those actions which do not belong to the naturall and common conuersation of life but apperteine to the spirituall worshyppyng of God and concerne the kyngdome of Christ who can not here easily discerne that Freewill before it receaueth Grace though it be garnished with neuer so gorgeous a tittle hath besides a glorious tittle onely nothyng els whereby it may defende it selfe from seruile bondage or rayse it selfe vp to attaine the true freéedome of Saluation I doe not speake here of that freédome Osorius which is properly opposite to constrainte and compulsary violēce wherof we vaunte all in vayne nor of that naturall power of the reasonable soule whiche we seéke not to shake of ne yet of mans will beyng regenerated which we do not disable finally nor yet of those actions wherewith this sensible lyfe is beautified but I speake of those affections which are ascribed to the spirituall lyfe of the person that is regenerate in Christ. Whereupon accordyng to those fiue distinctions afore mentioned as many seuerall kyndes of questions do arise which for auoydyng confusion must be seuerally distinguished First if a question be moued of the freédome of nature being pure and sounde as was before the fall of Adam who doth not know that the state of that will was most pure and freé And it is not to bee doubted that mans Freewill was absolutely perfect in his first creation But that man by sinne lost the same freedome altogether August Secundarely if the question bee remoued ouer to the substaunce and to that part of man wherewith the mynde is endued with vnderstandyng and appetite as if this be the questiō whether mans will which is called freé were after the fall of Adam vtterly extinct and of no substaunce we do aunswere here with Ambrose that the Iudgemēt of will was corrupted in deede but not vtterly taken away And agayne The deuill did not spoyle man of his will vtterly but bereft him of the soundenesse and integritie of will For although mans will and the vnderstandyng parte of his soule was miserably corrupted through originall Sinne yet was it not so altogether abolished but that there remayneth some freédome to doe freé I call it in respect of those thynges which are either naturally carryed to motion without Iudgement as brute beastes or whiche are forced by coaction agaynst nature as stones By this therefore that is spoken it appeareth that will wherewith we are naturally endued in respect of the essentiall and naturall disposition thereof doth alwayes remayne in mans nature how corrupt soeuer it be yea and remayneth in such wise as hauyng alwayes a freé and voluntary operation in naturall causes without all forreine coaction vnlesse it be hindered and a naturall sensibilitie also and capacitie as Iustine tearmeth it in heauenly thynges if it be holpē And this is it that Augustines wordes seéme to emporte to my Iudgement where speakyng in the defence of Freewill vseth these wordes Beleeue sayth hee the holy Scriptures and that will is will and the grace of God without helpe whereof man can neither turne vnto God nor profite in God Agayne in his secōd Epistle to Valentin The Catholicke faith doth neither deny Freewill applyable to good life or badd life nor doth esteeme therof so highly as though it were of any value without the grace of God either to turne frō euill to good or to perseuer stedfast in good or to attaine to euerlasting goodnes whereas it feareth not now left it may fainte and decay c. And agayne in an other place I confesse sayth hee that will is alwayes free in vs but it is not alwayes good But the maner how it is sayd to bee alwayes freé must be learned of the same Augustine It is either free from righteousnesse sayth he when it is the bondslaue of sinne and than is it euill or it is free from Sinne when it is handmayd to righteousnesse and then is it good c. It appeareth therefore by this twofold freédome of Augustine that mans will is alwayes freé both in good thynges and in euill thynges But we ought to conceaue of this freédome in this wise not that she hath power of her owne strength to make choyse of good or euill namely in spirituall matters as our aduersaries doe dreame But accordyng to Augustines interpretation whē will is naught it is of her owne disposition naught when it is good then is it guided by grace not vnwillyngly but voluntaryly without compulsion yet freé notwithstandyng alwayes whether it be good or bad bycause it is alwayes voluntary neuer constrained And this much touchyng the propertie naturall disposition of mās will which who so will deny seemeth in my conceite to do euen all one as if he should deny that man is a reasonable creature for I seé no cause why reason may be more sequestred from man then will ought to be seuered from reason Which two thynges are so vnited together with a certeine naturall affinitie are so mutually linked together with an inseparable knot in the reasonable soule that Reason cā neither performe any exployte without will nor will enterprise any thyng aduisedly without the guidyng of Reason Therefore as Iudgement belongeth properly to Reason so to will and to worke apperteineth properly to will whether it be to good or to euil The one wherof respecteth the substaūce of will the other is peculiar to the disposition therof But as this liuely Reason being enclosed within her certeine limittes boūdes hath her proper peculiar obiectes so that she is vnable to rayse it selfe beyond the cōpasse of naturall vitall causes vnles it be enlightened euē so will beyng straighted wtin the same limittes boūdes of naturall causes hath no power at all in it selfe either to attēpt or to
what sayth Osorius in the Ceremonies of the old law no not so for that were altogether Iewish in Fayth therfore neither yet so in any wise for this is the very doctrine of Luther Uouchsafe therfore a good felowshyp Osorius to escry out one safe Hauen for vs wherein we poore forlorne abiectes may cast Anker saue our selues frō shipwracke Forsooth in workes sayth Osorius and in keépyng the prescribed rules of vertuous lyfe That is to say in Innocencie in chastitie in modestie in abstinence in vprightnesse of mynde in holynesse of Religion in feruentnesse of the spirite in aboūdaunce of the loue of God in earnest endeuour of godlynesse in deédes of righteousnesse dueties of pietie in geuyng much almonesse in obedience in keépyng peacible vnitie and such like ornamentes treasures wherof Osorius in many wordes maketh a long rehearsall Of all whiche vertues there is not so much as one croome or sparckle in these Lutherans and Buceranes and these new Gospellers thē which kynde of people nothyng can bee named more wicked nothyng thought vpon more pestiferous nothyng more troublesome in the common wealth nothyng more readyly armed to rayse maliciousnesse to sow contentious quarelles strife enemitie nothyng more pernicious to procure the destruction of Princes none more geuē to bloudsuckyng and Treason who beyng embrued with all wickednesse licentiousnesse libertie lust with all manner shamelessenesse crueltie and madnesse outragiously rushe into all places whereby they may thrust their Gospell in place and defile all thynges with filthy stenche wheresoeuer they make neuer so litle abode they corrupt the land with trecherous villanies finally they doe poyson the ayre they doe abandone chastitie geue full scope to voluptuousnesse roote out all feare of Gods law and mans law and in all this outrage they promise vnpunishable libertie On the contrary parte I meane in the Court of Rome and in all that most sacred Citie florisheth a farre other maner of countenaunce and Maiestie of seuere discipline and vertuous lyfe And first of all in that most royall hygh and chief Prelate and most renowmed Monarche of all Prelates sittyng in Peters owne chayre In those Reuerend estates of the Tridentine Councell in the worshypfull Massemongers of the Romish Church in the great Doctours of that old Gospel in Monasteries and Dorters the very forgeshops of most pure doctrine in the most chast Selles of holy Nunnes finally in all that sacred Senate and Catholicke people no such Presidentes of wickednesse and abhomination may bee seene no spotte so much of corrupt infection raigneth no ambition no lust no insolencie neither any kynde of malice no quarellyng no crueltie no foule or vnseémely thyng sauoryng of any earthly contagion can be discernable amongest this generation But whole heapes yea huge mountaines of godly and heauealy store doth florishe and abounde no vnquietnesse or molestation of Empires and Princely gouernement no seéde plottes of mortall warres no shew so much of bloudy battell no Treason no ouerthrowe of Kynges and publicke authoritie nor any seditious plātes of cōtentious discorde finally no earthly thyng in the secret closettes of the Romishe Court in so much that if Diogenes would in midday with torche in hād prye neuer so narrowly he should no be able to finde in all the Citie of Rome one Harlot or strumpet so much To conclude it is not possible to heare amōgest that most sacred Catholicke conuenticle any sounde of cauillation at all no mutteryng of outragious slaunders no blaste of cunnyngly forged lyes wherof as all others of that sect are cleare so are these bookes of Osorius chiefly most purely purged wherein appeareth no smatche of brabling distempered affections no lyeng slaunder nor iarre of erronious doctrine no significatiō of a mynde troubled and seuered from the Castle of Reason But all thynges are debated and expounded with peaceble gentlenesse quyet tranquillitie of mynde wonderfull lenitie and mildenesse not with rigorous and malicious wordes not with slaunderous carterlike reproches but with inuincible Argumētes as forcible as the dartes of Achilles or Hector discharged I thinke out of the very guttes of the Troian horse nothyng vttered to the vayne ostentatiō of witte or reuengemēt of spightfull hatred as it were in Triumphe of victory fie beware of that gentle Reader but of a very simple earnest desire to aduaunce vertue pietie for this especiall cause forsooth that those sparkes and Embres of honesty and godlynesse which Luther hath raked vp buryed and vtterly quenched out might once agayne be quickened and florishe in that most sacred Seé of Rome These euen these same bee the workes if ye will neédes know them Catholicke Reader and good deédes of those men wherewith they doe prepare an entyre to true righteousnesse and furnish their iourney to heauen and wherewith as it were with ladders they clymbe by steppe to the purchase of eternall inheritaunce And how els this euen this must bee the right way to heauen But in the meane space with how many foggy and thicke cloudes hath S. Paule the seruaunt of God Apostle of Iesus Christ ouerwhelmed the Christiā people And into how deépe and darkened doungeons hath he drowned our senses Who albeit was rapt into the thyrd heauen had not as yet conceaued this incomprehensible wisedome out of the very forgeshops of mysticall Philosophy Belike he could not escry throughout all the heauens this hidden secret that men are not Iustified by workes but are made righteous by the Fayth of the sonne of God so by fayth that in no respect by workes Finally that the especiall meanes and singular substaunce of our Iustification is in this sorte to bee wayed as that it may not be attayned els where then in Christ onely nor by any other meanes then through Fayth onely in Christ. But if S. Paule had not receaued this doctrine from heauen or had not taught vs the doctrine which he receaued from thence or if you for your part Osorius had disputed after this sort as ye teach now in any Paynyme common wealth or before any Ethnicke Philosophers or amongest the Iewes or Turkes it might happely haue come to passe I suppose that this your Aristotlelike Iustice might haue obteined at the least some resemblaunce of truth or perhappes crept into some credite nay rather it is not to bee doubted but if the Iewes them selues or Turkes were now consederate with you in Portingall in the same Argument they could not scarsely alledge any other proofes then you bryng forth vnto vs at this present neither would I thinke expoūde the same in any other phrase of words then your selfe do vse But now for as much as we contend not together in Tullies Tusculane questions nor in his Academycall probabilities nor in Platoes common wealth nor in the Iewishe Thalmude ne yet in the Turkes Alcaron but in the Churche of Iesu Christ surely ye ought to haue regarded the place chiefly where you were when ye wrate this
Furthermore who be holy vnblameable before God Euen those truly which are voyde of all crime but accordyng to Luthers doctrine you can not bee voyde of crime for hee denyeth that sinne is extinguished and affirmeth that the flames of all abomination do broyle out therof as out of a whotte flamyng Ouē scorching and cōsumyng all things by meanes whereof no man can bee founde vnblameable without spotte The sutteltie of this Sophisticall cauill tendeth at the last to this end God hath chosen vs sayth the Apostle that we should become holy and vnblameable But according to Luthers doctrine no man can be holy and without fault in this lyfe Therfore hereof ensueth an vnauoydeable conclusion Bycause no man liuyng is cleare frō offence therfore neither Haddon nor any of all the Lutheranes can be reckoned amongest Gods Elect. Packe ye hence therefore as banished outlawes all ye vyle Lutheranes packe ye hence with all your torne ragged workes into the helles of Osorius damnable curse For the gate of Election is not opened to any but vnto Popes Osorians Phigianes Hosianes Eckyans and others the like Lordynges in whose most pure and choise behauiour no droppe of filth can be founde worthy of Reproch If Osorius him selfe had not bene so shamelesse beastly as to blaze abroad this trifling Argumēt it would haue loathed me to haue rehearsed the same in this place nor would I vouchsaued any aunswere thereto but that I thought good to geue the Reader a tast of his blockishe ignoraunce that he might smile at it a whiles or at the least learne by this to esteéme of all other his poppet reasons almost in all his booke for scarsely any founder matter is scattered in any part thereof FIrst of all The Apostle both teache that we are elected and chosen that we should become holy This is true Whereby you may perceaue Osorius that whatsoeuer holynes we be endued withall doth neither goe before nor accompany election but that it ought to follow altogether not in order of tyme onely but in respect of the end and effect thereof For the Apostle doth not say GOD hath chosen vs bycause we were holy or should afterwardes proue holy but that we should become holy so that Gods Electiō is now the cause not the effect of our good workes And if good workes do follow Electiō in order of time I seé no cause to the contrary but by the same reason our Iustification should likewise necessaryly follow For as much as the consideration of them both is all one For whom hath chosen the same he hath Iustified and with the same grace that he hath chosen vs hee is sayd also to haue Iustified vs by one selfe same meane and to one selfe same ende For God hath chosen vs if ye aske here the cause of his freé mercy accordyng to the good pleasure of his will if ye seéke the meane In Christ Iesu If ye looke for the ende to worke good deédes not for the good deédes sake not for any our deseruinges but to the prayse of the glory of his grace Truly none otherwise fareth it in the matter of Iustification For whom God of his freé mercy hath chosen the same also he hath freély Iustified not by any other meanes then in Christ Iesu not bycause he foresawe that we would be holy but to that ende that we should walke circumspectly and holyly in his sight But what emporteth this saying that we should become holy and vnblameable paraduenture Osorius bee of the opinion that the Catharres Celestines and Donatifies were imaginyng that herein our full and absolute regeneration of our renewed nature was signified vnto vs and that we should accomplish such a kynde of thyng as the Grecians do call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the which Gods Election and our Iustification could not by any meanes consist Ueryly I could wishe withall my hart that we all could direct the course of our lyfe in such sort accordyng to this Puritanisme of Osorius And that we were all endued with such integritie and Angelicke innocēcie that no part of our life might be defiled with blemish or iust reprehension But what shall we say Such is the condition of mans life such is the weakenesse of the fleshe that euery man hath his infirmitie And we haue not as yet so put of the Nature of man altogether that we should bee forthwith transformed into Angels Goe to then what if it come to passe that in this brickle estate of our frayltie any of vs doe folter and falldowne are we therfore excluded forthwith from our Electiō or haue we by and by lost the benefite of our Iustification I doe not thinke so Osorius For in what sence shall the Electiō of God he sayd to be permanent if it may be cut of and haue an ende or how shall it be called stedfast and assured if it hange vpon the vncerteintie of our frayltie But do not the true elect say you fall at any tyme into deserued rebuke what thē shall euery one that is worthy rebuke be forthwith cast of frō his Electiō A good felowshyp Osorius What if this fall happē before Baptisme You will say that Baptisme doth washe it cleane away What and shall not fayth and Christian Repentaunce clense our offences after Baptisme likewise If there be no forgeuenes of those Trespasses which we Christians doe commit after Baptisme To what ende is that Article in our Christian Creéde wherein we cōfesse remission of Sinnes If no offence be made to what purpose serueth Pardon Surely where nothyng is blame-worthy their Pardon may goe play Let vs seé now will you now dispoyle vs of an Article of our fayth and withall bereue vs of hope of remission that erste bosted so boldly of your strong belief in the wordes of Christ But you say God did chuse vs that we should be vnblameable I do heare you Osorius allow your Obiection if you will likewise accept of myne aunswere Whatsoeuer is forgeuen to the guiltie by Pardon and purged by forgettyng and forgeuyng there is nothyng remaynyng to terrifie that person from Imputatiō or make dismayed for any controllement For that we may so bold to glory as Paule doth What is he that shall accuse the elect of God God is he that doth Iustifie who shall then condemne vs We may lawfully adde hereunto Who shall comptroll vs You seé therfore in what wise Gods elect doe appeare now excusable and righteous not so much through the cleannesse of their deédes as through the bountie of him that Imputeth Not from the begynnyng of vnrighteous nature to speake Augustines own wordes but by conuersion from sinne to righteousnes nothyng blame-worthy but bycause it doth not please the Fatherly clemēcie to exact sharpe and narrow triall of them whom he hath chosen in his Sonne And therefore the Apostle notyng the same thyng sayth Whom he hath chosen in Christ Iesu that they should become holy and
and absolutely And yet neither may this be denyed in any wise that of the generall masse of all the creation any one thyng caÌ„ be without the coÌ„passe of Gods Deuine foreknowledge or done without his will albeit we must neédes confesse with Augustine that many thyngs are done agaynst his will Now therefore encombred as it were betwixt these two whirlepooles how shall we say that he doth either will Sinne which he doth forbyd and punish or that he doth not will sinne whenas nothyng can be done God not beyng wittyng and willyng thereunto Surely as touchyng Sinne God ought not to be named the Authour of Sinne properly Neither as Ambrose truely writeth can iniquitie issue from thence whence floweth all righteousnesse And yet can not God be excluded from the direction rule of Sinne altogether vnlesse we may thinke that somethyng may chauÌ„ce in mans lyfe which the almighty eye of God either seéth not or that his will willeth not If he do not seé it where is then his eternall foreknowledge if the thynges which he seéth be done without his knowledge and will where is his euerlastyng omnipotencie which worketh all in all and wherewith he is sayd to doe all thinges that he will in heaueÌ„ and in earth What shall we say then If God will not haue Sinne why is sinne committed so woÌ„derfully ouerflowyng If he will haue sinne how may it be defeÌ„ded that he is righteous for after this sorte reasoneth Osorius as though the righteousness of God could not be excusable if God may be supposed either to will Sinne or to be any cause or procurour of Sinne. Albeit this drift of Osori whereby he coÌ„cludeth that God willeth not sinne bycause hee is righteous may be in some respect yelded vnto so that it haue relation to the same will of God which hath discouered it selfe vnto vs in his expresse law which will the Schoolemen tearme VoluntateÌ„ sigui or if he argue on this wise God is righteous Ergo He is not a Sinner God is righteousnesse it selfe Ergo He can not sinne This Argument would hold well enough But this other Argument can not be good to say God is righteous and the founteine of all righteousnes Ergo God can not will Sinne in any others without preiudice to his owne righteousnesse As though God could not will Sinne in some respect not sinnefully with that most secrete and vnsearcheable will wherewith he orderâ—in and sweetely disposeth all thynges in heauen and in earth not empayring in the meane space any ioate of his own righteousnes at all Nay rather what if euen for the selfe same cause bycause he is righteous some kynde of actions do sometymes burst out whiche beyng committed of men in respect of mans nature are Sinne but in respect of God are not Sinne but punishementes of Sinne powred fromout his most iust Iudgement for it is not the least office of Iustice to punish sinne by sinne nor is it by and by necessary to Iudge alyke of the causes them selues whenas one selfe same action doth proceéde froÌ„ diuerse causes vnlesse the causes be altogether correspondent in action When the Magistrate doth execute the offendour he is both the cause of his death and doth willyngly cause him to be executed not bycause he delighteth in his death but enduced onely by necessitie of doyng Iustice he doth in that respect both rightfully and necessaryly minister Iustice. But if a priuate maÌ„ or a RussiaÌ„ should willyngly put a maÌ„ to death he should be deémed a murtherer When the parent doth chastize his vnthriftie child with the rodde he doth the same rightfully yea if he dyd it not he should Sinne. But if the brother should beate his brother or the seruaunt his felow seruaunt the same could not but be culpable Wherfore in all maner of actions regarde must be had not onely what is done but how it is done so must the ende and causes also bee considered whiche being in nomber many tymes many diuers not all of one nature do neuerthelesse concurre For it may be as it doth oftentimes come to passe that in causes beyng coÌ„currauÌ„t in one actioÌ„ may be great diuersitie So that one selfe same cause may be in one kynde of actioÌ„ wicked and in another actioÌ„ meére righteousnesse It may so come to passe that a man at a tyme may committe robbery or fall into some other haynous wickednesse where if you seéke for the very cause of executyng that action you may rightly impute it to the frayltie of mans nature If you seéke the procuryng cause that draue him to consent no doubt it was his wicked thought and corrupt mynde which is altogether replenished with sinne neither is it to be doubted but that Sinne is engendred out of the corrupt will of maÌ„ without the which as Anselme doth witnesse no wicked action is committed Whereby appeareth at the length that because no vncleannesse can be founde in the will of God therfore his most sacred nature can by no meanes be defiled with Sinne. But if you be desirous to learne from whence this corruption and euillnesse of the mynde imaginatioÌ„ doth proceéde Caluine him selfe whom you accuse very greéuously shall aunswere you in his owne behalfe This corruption of mynde sayth he commeth partly by the procurement of Sathan partly by the frayltie of nature which man did defile by his owne voluntary fall Whereupon he sayth when the cause of euill is sought for we ought not to seéke it els where then in our selues but the whole blame therof we must lay vpon our selues You will say then and how then will these wordes of Caluine agree with Luthers doctrine seing Luther maketh God the Authour both of good and euill and Caluine maketh man the cause of euill Nay rather by what meanes can you forge vnto vs such a crafty deuise of iarryng in so vniforme an agreement of IudgemeÌ„t betwixt Luther and Caluine Caluine supposeth that the cause of euill ought not to be sought for els where then in man Luther teacheth that no righteousnesse ought to be sought for els where then in God onely And where be these felowes now which either go about to make man excusable or God culpable of vnrighteousnes by any meanes for to this effect teÌ„deth the whole force of Osor. brablyng agaynst Luther as though God could not will sinne by any meanes but that the glory of his Iustice should by and by be blemished And bycause mans will imaginyng or doyng wickedly at any tyme can not imagine or do euill without Sinne therefore Osorius dreameth forthwith that it fareth in lyke maner in Gods will which is most vntrue For nothyng withstandeth at all but that many causes of semblable affections may concurre oftentymes all which nothwithstandyng may not altogether powre out semblable force of operatioÌ„ after one and semblable sorte And therfore this is no good Argument God accordyng to his secrete
Axe of the truth and vtterly rooted out with the vnuanquishable force of Gods scripture Therfore first Let vs heare what discourse he maketh of Gods Iustice and mercy against the Lutheranes For whereas Luther and all good men of Luthers opinion do professe that the regarde of merites is directly cōtrary to Gods libertie and power as touchyng his Election and Predestination Osorius on the cōtrary part doth enforce all his might possible to proue that it is not so vsing these Argumentes especially Whereas we were all wrapped vp in one brake of perdition so that beyng ones defiled with sinne we became all most worthy of euerlastyng destruction for our naturall hatred agaynst Gods law engraffed fast within the nature of our bodies subiect to the outrage of lust God in whō neither any rashnes not vnrighteousnes can fall beyng a most iust Iudge towardes all men indifferently could not of his vnuariable equitie with singular clemēcy so embrace some as he must hate others vnlesse there were some cause or reason to enduce him to extēde his mercy to some and to execute Iudgement agaynst other But God now doth perceaue the whole cause therof to consiste in the maner of liuing and workes not the workes which were already done but which God foresawe should be done For what is there that the wisedome of God in his infinite knowledge doth not comprehende euen as it were present though the same be to be done in the vttermost minute of ages And by this reason it may be that God accordyng to the seuerall conditions of men did of his clemency elect them to eternall life whō he foresawe would be obedient to his Cōmaūdementes And on the other side did exclude them from the fruitiō of his kyngdome which he foresaw would vnthankfully despise his heauenly benefites And by this meanes sayth he Gods Iustice may right well be defended all the defence whereof standeth vpon mercy which otherwise cā not by any meanes deliuered from due reproch What a mockery is this as though if God should follow his owne libertie and will in the order of Predestination without all workes foreseéne before his Iustice could not stand inuiolable nor garded safe enough from all slaunder or suspition of vnrighteousnesse I demaunde then what if God out of this huge lumpe hadd chosen no one man at all whiche he might lawfully haue done if him lysted what if he had duely Iudged to deserued damnation the whole masse of mankynde which did altogether deserue his indignation wrath to speake Augustines wordes could any man cōdemne him of iniustice Goe to May not he that oweth nothyng to any man of his owne meére liberalitie lawfully exempt vndeserued out of this corrupted loste masse whō him listeth or haue mercy on whō he will haue mercy could not hee indurate and reiect whom he would without respect of meritorious workes followyng whenas there was matter more then enough ministred by their former desertes to condemne all to destruction As for example Admitte that a mā haue two debtours whereof the one is indebted vnto him in an exceédyng great summe of money the other oweth not so much by a great deale and the bountyfull creditour vouchsafe to forgeue the greater summe to that first I pray you is there any iust cause here for the other to grudge agaynst the creditour If he doe shall not his mouth be forthwith stopped with that aunswere of Christ in the Gospell Is it not lawfull for me to doe as I will with myne owne is thyne eye euill bycause I am good The very same doth that place of Paule seéme in my simple capacitie to emply where treatyng of the Election of the yoūger and refusall of the elder and of hardenyng Pharaos hart withall he doth annexe immediatly vnto the same what shall we say then is God vnrighteous makyng this Obiection agaynst him selfe as vnder the person of Osorius after this maner If God did not worke after the proportion of foreseene workes and deseruynges Ergo God may seeme to be vnrighteous in his Election and should offend against Iustice distributiue This Argument the Apostle doth forthwith deny saying God forbyd and withall rendreth a reason of his illation negatiue namely that both propositions bee Iustifiable in God Both that God is not vnrighteous And also that God accordyng to the equitie of his Freewill doth take mercy on whom he will haue mercye not in respecte of anye mans deseruynges but of his owne freé bountyfulnesse benignitie and mercy And therfore for the better establishyng of this his defence he doth forthwith cite the same wordes that were spoken to Moyses I will haue compassion on whom I haue compassion and I will shew mercy to whom I do shew mercy So that hereby you seé good Syr that to the worke of Election and Predestinatiō the Apostle iudgeth Gods will onelye though there were no cause els matter sufficient to acquite his Iustice freé from all flaunder and reproch that in my Iudgement now the defence of Gods Iustice which you haue placed in Gods mercy seémeth more aptly applyed to his will For as he can will nothyng but that which is most righteous so nothyng is truly righteous in deéde but that whiche proceédeth from the will of GOD. So that now it shall not be neédefull at all to be inquisitiue accordyng to the coūsell of Augustine after any other principall causes besides Gods good will consideryng that no hygher cause can be founde of greater importaunce But what can be so well spoken but that some will be founde somewhat scrupulous without cause will not in most brightest Sunneshyne seé wtout a candle Therfore this cauillyng colcouerthwart creépeth yet foreward If it be true sayth hee that Gods Election is directed by his will onely in allowyng or makyng hardharted whom he will that no man cā resist his will It seemeth then that Pharao and others who of indurate contumacy of mynde are wicked whereas in that their wickednesse they do execute the will God that they are not the cause of their owne wickednesse nor that they can chuse but do the wickednesse whereunto they are violently thrust necessitie If it be so what iust quarell can God haue then agaynst those whom him selfe hath made to be stiffenecked wherefore he should condemne thē To be short The substaunce of the Obiection is for the most part knitte vp in this Argument If God do harden mens hartes then should not Pharao be the cause of his owne Sinne consideryng no man can resist the will of God Or to reduce this consequent into a Sillogisme No mā hath iust cause to blame him whom him selfe enforceth to offende God doth iustly finde fault with sinners Ergo God doth compell no mā to sinne nor doth make them endurate I do Aunswere First euen by the self same Obiections wh the Apostle vnder the person of the
a whiles Let vs heare Augustine hereupon and make him as it were Iudge of the cause For where question is made Whether God did call all men indifferently by a generall inspiration to fayth and Saluatiō Augustine doth make this aunswere For as much as vocation or callyng is taken two maner of wayes to witte internall and externall true it is sayth he that all men are indifferently called after the maner of that externall calling but all are not as indifferently drawen by this internall vocation And if the cause be sought for why all are not drawen indifferently but that to some it is geuen to others some not geuen He maketh this aunswere Some there be that will say quoth he it is the will of man But we say it is the Grace and Predestination of God But God doth require mē to beleue I confesse sayth he yet is fayth neuerthelesse the gift of God For he that doth require faith doth promise withall that he will bring to passe that they shall performe that which he commaundeth c. And agayne If it be demaunded whether mercy be therefore geuen to man bycause he beleueth or that mercy were therfore bestowed vpon him bycause he should become beleuyng to this questiō he maketh the very aunswere of the Apostles I haue obteined mercy bycause I should be faythfull He doth not say bycause I was faythfull c. And this much hetherto out of Augustine Let vs now come to Pighius And bycause we are happened vpon this place to discourse vpon to witte the equall dispensatiō of Gods mercy It shall not be amisse to consider briefly his opinion herein agreéyng with Osorius altogether For these be the speaches of Pighius God doth offer him selfe sayth he an equall and indifferent father to all persons he ouerspreadeth all mē generally with the one selfe same gladsome beames of mercy and clemency without any difference Now if some through this lenitie become tractable and other some hereby made more indurate this discrepaunce proceédeth frō the corruption of mē There is no vnequallitie of distribution of lenitie and mercy in God For proofe whereof takyng a Similitude out of the Epistle to the Hebrues the iiij Chap. For as not euery land watered with like bountyfulnesse of the heauenly dew doth yeld lyke fruite to the husbandman but one land yeldeth forth corne an other thornes brambles the one wherof is blessed of God the other accursed euen no lesse ioyously doth the mercy of God shyne indifferently with generall and equall largesse and bountie towardes all vniuersally which beyng set wyde open to all alike doth deny it selfe to none but such as will refuse it them selues But some turne to amēdemēt of life through this mercy others some do abuse this mercy to more outragious licentiousnes of sumyng And agayne fetchyng a similitude frō the heate of the Sunne Whereas the Sunne yeldeth one selfe same heate we doe seé that through the same the earth is made more stiffe and hard and the waxe softened and made more plyable Hereupō Pighius gathereth That what soeuer difference is betwixt the good and the reprobate the same wholy to issue out of the corruption of men and not out of the will of God But our Expositours haue sufficiently aunswered this slipper deuise that this Assertion of Pighius and of his mate Osorius that Gods mercy is powred alike into all men is vtterly false and absurde where they do affirme that God maketh no choyse in the dispensation of his Grace that there is great difference betwixt the godly the vngodly in deéde that there is great difference betwixt the good bad we do not deny But where they doe ascribe the principall motion and efficient cause hereof in mans will onely and not in God onely they are altogether deceaued For as concernyng the common nature of mā truly in this we may with more certeintie determine equabilitie of condition in mankynd as that they reteine one semblable condition and qualitie of freé choyse for as much as all beyng created out of one lumpe are alike all poysoned alike with one kynde of infectiō as men that be altogether vnable of them selues to doe any thyng auayleable to Saluation And for as much as this imbecillitie doth infect all mākynde alike as with a generall pestilence It appeareth therfore euidently that this difference standeth not so much vpon the determination of their will or at least if it stand vppon their will yet that it doth not proceéde first from mans will but from the callyng of God whiche offereth it selfe not alike to euery one nor after one maner to all ingenerall but doth diuersly drawe some after one sort and some after an other For as I sayd before The Scriptures haue set downe a double maner of callyng the one wherof is generall and outward The other is inward accordyng to purpose to witte the callyng of them whose willes the holy Ghost doth enspire and enlighten with an inward effectuallnesse But this Similitude of the Clay and Waxe is ridiculous and worthy to be laughed at Bycause that this distinction can not be appliable to Freewill after the fall of Adam For of the whole ofspryng of Adam not some be plyable as Waxe nor some lumpish as hard earth For where God doth fashion vessels of one kynde of Clay as Paule sayth some vnto honour some vnto dishonour no mā is so madd to affirme that the Clay is the cause of this difference but the Potter rather Moreouer to as small purpose serueth that place to the Hebrues which treateth not of Grace Freewill but of the word of God and men whom he doth exhort by way of demonstratiō and cōparison of frutefull grounde to receaue the word of God fruitefull and professe the same with effect The same also is to be vnderstanded of that Parable of the good ground yeldyng to the husbandman plenty and aboundaunce of fruite mentioned in the Gospell But how may these be applyed to Freewill or what will Pighius coyne hereof If Gods word take roote in none but such as be good what auayleth this sentence to establish the doctrine of Freewill For the question is not here whether they onely be good which receaue the word of eternall lyfe effectually But this is the pointe that must be touched From whence men receaue habilitie to be made good of the nymblenesse of their owne will or of the callyng of God And therfore that Parable serueth to no purpose in this case as beyng applied for none other end but to signifie the dispensation and disposition of Gods holy word which in a maner may aptly be compared to seede wh though the husbandman do sow vpon euery ground indifferētly yet it yealdeth forth fruite but in a fewe yea in those also that be good groundes But hauing now rent in sunder these slender and trifling cob webbes The aduersaries notwithstanding be neuer a deale the
agreéd vpon confirmed and published before the whole Councell after the Testimony of Rob. Gagni in hys 10. booke Whereunto Constant. Phrigio addeth further saying which I would to God fayth he had bene hitherto obserued and kept But whatsoeuer hath any smack of sounde doctrine is abolished Thus much he To this also may be annexed that which Thom. Rhedonēs a Frenchman a Carmelite Frier and a Martyr wrate hereof who because he sayd that in Rome were many abhominations and that the Church needed much reformation and the vnlawfull cursinges of the pope ought not to be feared was after many tortures burned at Rome in the tyme of this same Eugenius in the yeare 1436. out of Antonine and other partes 3. title Cap. 10. I suppose that there is no man now that doth not very playnely perceaue and see though I would surcesse here to prosequute any more how men may duely and vprightly esteéme of all this whole Seé and pontificall religion whiche seémeth for no other purpose erected but to some discorde and rayse vppe vproares and Tumultes Whereupon it seemeth so much the more straunge to me that Osorius dare be so shamelesly Impudent to obiect sectes and sedicious troubles to our Churches sithence himselfe cannot with honesty deny so many cruell and mortall diuisions of factions so many contentious Seditions and mutines to haue sprong vp and continued euen in the innermost bowells of that most sacred Seé being also of so lōg continuance and which himselfe cannot by any meanes blotte out to speake nothing in the meane time of those sectes of errors and wicked doctrine moyling and turmoyling one agaynst an other in such an vnmeasurable quantitie skattered abroad that there is skarse any one thing wherein they agreé amongst thēselues and differ from vs but that in the same they flee cleane away not from vs onely but from Christ himselfe also But to let passe these sectes and factions of the Romanistes I will tourne agayne to the obiections that do properly touche vs. For thus doth Osorius contend agaynst vs accusing the Gospell that we professe on this wise as though it yelded none other fruits but sectes troublesome cōmotiōs And thys he affirmeth commeth to passe for none other cause but because we haue shaken of the authoritie of the pope which if had neuer bene banished or if might be restored to her auncient estimation in our Churches These Tumultes either had neuer bene or els might haue easily bene pacified All which tend hereunto at the laste to witte that we should humbly submit our selues to the Bondage of the Pope for this is the pleasaunt bayte whereat Osorius would haue vs fayne to be hooked this is his whole practise and endeuour But before hee shall be able to allure vs to that he must furnishe hys hookes agayne with fresher bayte somewhat more handsomely couched For with this touchangle he may fishe a good while catch a foole at the last But go to Let vs eyther imagyne and confesse vnto him that these sectes and Diuisions of opinions do waxe somewhat rawe in many places after that this romish Authoritie is neglected what shall he winne thereby doth he surmise this to be matter sufficient to make vs forsake the Gospell of Christ and to knitt the romishe halter vpon our neckes agayne or doth he iudge it a reasonable matter because there want not some in some places that are ouer greedely geuen to sectes and deuisions that it may not therefore be lawfull for others which teache sound doctrine to professe boldly before the people the rules and order of good and honest lyfe But where hath Osorius gone to schoole for this Logick or Sophistry rather to frame an argument from that whiche is not the cause as though it were the verye cause and to conclude a meere fallaxe of the Accident for a true and a knowne matter which maner disputation if may be admitted I seé no cause to the contrary but by the same reason the Orator Tertullus might seeme to hane had as good a challenge long sithence agaynst the Apostle as this our Tullian Rhetorician doth now mayntayne agaynst the Lutheranes For in the Apostles tyme neither wāted stoare of false Apostles and false brethren dogges euill workmen Philetians Hermoginistes Simonistes and Nicholaitans neyther was there any lack of faccious Fyrebrāds amōgst the Corinthians which did practize to withdraw the Galathians from the simplicitie of the engraffed word fayning themselues to be Iewes when as in deéde they were nothing lesse After them ensued Chorinthians which denyed that Christ was come in the flesh many Antichristes Libertines Seuerianes Nouatianes Sabellianes Nepotianes Manicheans Arryans Pelagianes Cataphrigianes Donatistes And yet for all this Christiā Religiō ought neuer the worsse to be esteemed by reason of these sects troublesome faccions wherewith it was entangled what one Age of the Church was euer without some such as entruding themselues among the other godly teachers and ministers of the Church would not now and then minister much matter of discention and deuision for as one maner of wheate doth not fructifie alike in euery soyle so can there none so pregnaūt an earth be found in the which the good carefull husbandman shall sow the pure and cleane corne of the Euangelicall wheate neuer so carefully but that the same Enuious man will forthwith creépe in and throw amongst the same noysome Darnell and hurtfull weédes Neither doth the wheate cease therefore to be any more wheate because it is intermedled with Chaffe and Darnell Euen so no more hurtfull is this wilfull and ouerthwart waywardnes of cōtrary sectes to the sound doctrine of the pure truth Nay rather it could not appeare to be a true Church at all vnlesse it were assaulted now then with such kynde of Batterye If it were so that these dissentions of opinions did but nowe onely peepe abroad eyther by Luther as author or by anye hys allowance your obiection perhappes might serue to some purpose But who hath euer more earnestly or more effectually oppugned those Phanaticall faccions of opinious then Luther hath done Let not this accusation of Osorius be filed vppe amongst the other hys false reproches and lyes vnlesse all the writinges and speaches of Luther euery where yea and experience it self do Iustifie my saying to be true Who did euer more sharpely rebuke the seditious vproares of Mūster then Luth. did who did more seriously zelously confute the frantick articles and vnreasonable requests of the Boores of Germany whēas not one of all your generation opened his mouth to the contrary then Luther did who appeased and pacified their Tumultes but the Protestantes Lutheranes what writing can be of more emportaunce then that of Luther agaynst the confederates of Mūster After these sprong vpp also the secte of the Laweles which through Luthers industry trauell and wryting was by and by husht vppe the Author thereof being reclaimed And it
in the remembraunce of Christes death and perseuered in the same Custome The Fathers name it Bread and a Sacrament a mysterie and a figure of Christes body And yet Pope Innocentius commyng lately out of hell with a detestable superstition horrible Sacriledge doth Transubstantiate this mysticall Bread into our Sauiour Iesus Christ. There followed him certeine phantasticall Schoolemen which did most wickedly defile the pure Supper of our Lord with durtie schoole dregges And now at the length starteth by our Osorius a braue champion of this Schoole tromperies Ierome Osorius I say that great Maister in Israell a deépe and incomparable Deuine whō no man exceédeth in witte nor surmounteth in learnyng if a man may beleue him as hee reporteth him selfe Wherfore I would now aske one question good maister Proctour of you of this Transubstātiation whether our Lord Iesus Christ when hee did first institute the Sacrament of the Euchariste did make any mention in his speach of any remouing of the substaunce of Bread of the accidentes that should remayne or whether the substaunce of his body should supply the substaunce of Bread Did Paule touche any of these did the primitiue and Apostolique Churche receiue any such thyng haue the auncient Fathers made mention of any such matter in their bookes Sithence therefore this your wonderfull conuersion of the Substaunce of Bread into the body of Christ whiche your Schoolemen by a more grosse name call Trasubstantiatiō hath bene shapen forged out of these Monasteries whereof not so much as one title can be founde in the holy Scriptures in the Custome of the Apostles in the bookes of auncient Fathers it is a wonderfull straunge matter that a bishop so exquisite in diuinity as you are or would seeme to be would yet vndertake so desperate a cause and obtrude vpon vs such cold schoole dreames in steéde of most apparaūt knowen thynges Ye seé now how pitthily my Peter Martyr hath aunswered you in all thyngs whose soule you would not haue teazed to quarell if you had had any witte For he was worthely esteémed an excellent Deuine amongest the chiefest Deuines of our age whose Scholer you might haue bene in all knowledge and litterature except your eloquence onely in the Latine tounge But you do leaue our Peter now at that length whō if you had neuer prouoked you had done better so neéded you not to doe me so great iniurie as to challēge me for my familiar acquaintaunce with him For if you thinke that ye may with your honesty keépe company and vse frendly familiaritie with that doltish Calfe Angrence hauyng no vtteraunce no witte no sence no vnderstādyng why should not I rather acquainte my selfe with a man not onely excellēt in learnyng but replenished with all comlynesse ciuilitie of maners Make choise of your familiars Osorius as you please Suffer me to enioy myne owne neither is it reason that you should limitte me or I you in this kynde of affaires humanitie cōmon course of mās life requireth that choise be made of frendship as liketh eche mans owne iudgement best not to be ruled by others phantasies Be not you squeymish therfore at the cōmēdations of godly learned men my especiall frendes Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr I loued thē when they lyued I will not forget them beyng dead I frequēted their familiaritie whiles they lyued as much as I might their names remēbraūce of thē though they be dead I will defende as much as I may and if they were now alyue I would esteéme more of a whole yeares conference with them then of one day with you for their conuersation had a certeine discreéte pleasauntnes their conference had a wholesome wisedome the whole course of their demeanour was a most absolute paterne of honestie and godlynesse And I am throughly persuaded that nothing could haue aduaunced my estimation such as it is more then myne acquaintaunce and familiaritie with these two godly Fathers You come at the length to our Church the orders whereof you do captiously snatch at but this ye do so disorderly stāme ringly that all men may iudge that ye did roaue at it in your dreame rather then dispute beyng awake I affirmed that fayth came by hearyng What say you is it no so I sayd also that our Preachers are sent abroad into all the coastes of our Realme to teach the cōmon people their duties in all thynges what will you deny this to be done You can not the matter is manifest But you exclaime and say that our Preachers are Lutherans Bucerans and Caluinistes First of all how know you this to be true then if it be so let the names goe confute their doctrine if you can But this lesson you learned of your Cowled Coockowes to braule alwayes with bare names whē you cā not ouerthrow a sillable of their doctrine Your Maister shyp will not allow that our Parliamēt and publicke assemblie of the Realme should entermedle with matters of Religion for herein ye suppose that the dignitie of Priestes is empayred First what thyng can be publiquely receaued vnlesse it be proclaymed by publique authoritie Then our Prelates and Ecclesiasticall Fathers do propoūde the rules of Religion after that the Prince with the consent of the whole estates do ratifie the same What may be done more orderly or more circumspectly This custome was obserued in the tyme of the kynges of Israell This vsage preuayled in all Counseils vntill that Romishe Ierarche had burst in sunder these lawes with his false ambitious picklockes and had commaūded all thyngs to be subiect to his absolute power I wrate also that there was great reuerence geuen to the holy Scriptures in our Churches and that vnitie and the bonde of peace was wonderfully preserued You demaunde on the other side From whence so troublesome contentions in opinions are raysed in our Churches Shew what contentions there be and we will satisfie your request But if you will not or cā not hold your toūg most wicked rayler require not to be beleued for your onely affirmatiues sake Deale in this maner with your charge of Siluain for ye shall obteine nothyng here but by meare force of Argument I did affirme likewise that our deuine seruice is ministred with vs in the mother and vulgare toūg accordyng to Paules doctrine the approued custome of the Apostolicke Churche what say you to this forsooth you can not like of it bycause it is repugnant to the ordinaūce of Rome and yet you can not well deny so manifest a truth for S. Paule did establish this doctrine of the holy Ghost with so many and so strōg Argumētes as though hee did euen then foreseé in mynde that some such erronious botches would infect our Religion that by such meanes they might blot out vtterly extinguish out of our Churches this most fruitefull worshyppyng of God beyng the very foundation of all Christian godlynes And therfore this godly mā
Sinne do reteyne still that force and strength of freédome in those spirituall thyngs before rehearsed as that it be effectuall of it selfe before Grace or beyng holpen by Grace could preuayle so farreforth inspirituall thynges as that through grace and the naturall force of Freewill workyng together it might become sufficient cause of it selfe to enterprise spirituall motions and with all to put them also in practize For all those thynges must be duely considered Osorius If we will shew our selues vpright and hādsome disputers of Freewill in debatyng of which question if ye will permit our Cōfession to be coupled with the authoritie of the most sacred Scripture we must of necessitie hold this rule fast whiche teacheth that albeit mans nature is fallen from the integritie of that excellent and absolute freédome yet it is not ouerthrowen into that miserable state of seruilitie whiche is proper to brute beastes neither that it is so altogether dispoyled of all the power of the first creation as hauyng no sparkes at all of her aūcient dignitie remaynyng For the nymblenesse of the mynde deuiseth many thynges with vnderstādyng digesteth with Reason comprehēdeth with memory debateth with aduise gathereth in order with wisedome inuenteth Artes learneth Sciences Recordeth thinges past obserueth thynges present and prouideth for thynges to come Semblably will doth chuse and refuse the thynges that seéme either agreable to reason or profitable to the senses So that by those qualities appeareth sufficiently I suppose the difference that is betwixt vs and brute beastes and vnsensible creatures Which actions beyng naturally engraffed within vs yea without grace albeit proceéde from the voluntary motion of the vnderstandyng mynde yet bycause they extende no further then to this present lyfe and perishe together with this mortall body serue but to small purpose yea euen then chiefly when we make our best accompt of them Moreouer although they bee after a sort freé of their owne nature yet stand they not alwayes in such an vnchaūgeable integritie but that reason is many tymes deluded by great errours will ouercharged with waywardnesse the power of the mynde suffereth many defectes Almightie God many tymes by secrete operation communicatyng his handy-worke to gether with these actiōs doth apply the willes of men hether and thether whereunto it pleaseth him confoūdeth their deuises aduaunceth their endeuours not after the freé Imagination of men but according to his own freé decreé and purpose And this much hetherto concernyng those obiectes and externall operatiōs onely which concerne the common preseruation of this present lyfe and which perish together with the same But yet truely as concernyng either the enterprising or accomplishyng of those spirituall motions and operations for as much as they do farre exceéde the capacitie of mans nature the Scripture doth vtterly deny that man beyng not as yet regenerated is naturally endued with any force or abilitie of will sithence the first creatiō but that all those giftes are vtterly lost through the greatnesse of Sinne and that by this meanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imbecillitie and weakenesse of nature is by propagation discended vpon all men and nature it selfe corrupted with miserable faultinesse yea and not with faultynesse onely that doth exclude vs from those euerlastyng good thynges but besides this also that through this corruption of nature hath succeéded in steéde of that auncient integritie a certeine rebellious contumacie and filthy infection of Diabolicall seéde which doth depriue vs of all heauēly knowledge and carry vs headlong into all maner of abhomination whereupon the doctrine of Luther is not vnfitly confirmed wherew t they do conclude with Augustine most truly as agaynst the Romish Doctours that Freewill is not onely weakened in vs but vtterly extinct also and so thoroughly defaced that if we bee any tyme enlightened with any sparcle of Regeneration the same ought wholy be ascribed to the grace of God and not to Freewill nor to any strēgth of ours and to speake the wordes of Augustine neither wholy ne yet of any part For vpon this point chiefly dependeth the whole variaunce betwixt vs and the Papistes touchyng Freewill These thyngs therfore beyng in thus sort discouered which ought in deéde haue bene distinguished at the first for the better demonstration of the manifold diuersitie of questiōs I will now returne agayne to Luthers position who doth professe that Freewill is a thyng of Title onely and a Name or Title without substaunce Wherein if Osorius shall Iudge any worde to be misspoken and blameworthy in him hee must then first aunswere me to this question For as much as Freewill is not all alike in the persons that are regenerate and in them that are not regenerate and for as much as libertie also is to be construed in humane actions after one sort but taken after a contrary cōstruction in spirituall exercizes hee must I say tell me which sorte of Freewill or what maner of actions he doth treate of If he meane that Freewill which is now gouerned by the Spirite of God Surely Luthers position maketh therof no mention at all Or if he meane those naturall obiectes whiche proceéde of common nature or whiche are vsually frequented in the dayly practize of common conuersation after the conduct of Morall reason either in doyng right or executyng wrong So doth not Luthers position tende to these actions in any respect But if the question bee after this maner Of how much force and efficacie the bare choyse of man may be of her owne naturall abilitie either in enterprising or performyng those thynges which doe obteine Gods grace for vs or make an entrey for vs into heauen then will Luther aunswere most truly That there is scarse any substaunce at all in Freewill auayleable to the purchassing of the kyngdome of heauen except a glorious visour of Title onely no more substaunce veryly then is in a dead man who besides the onely shape and denomination of a man hath nothyng in him whereby hee may receaue breath and recouer life to the dead carcasse For of what force is mans Freewill els towardes the thynges that apperteine vnto God before it haue receaued grace then as a dead man without lyfe And for this cause the Scripture in many places expressing our natures in their most liuely and natiue colours calleth vs darkenesse blinde to see deafe to heare vncircumcized of hart wicked in the deuises and imaginatiōs of our conceites stonie harted cast awayes enemies in respect of our fleshly thoughtes Rebelles against the Spirite vnprofitable Seruauntes bondslaues sold vnder Sinne dead vnto iniquitie vnexcusable subiect to wrath S. Paule describyng the callyng of Gods Elect in the first Chap. of his first Epistle to the Corinthes And those thinges whiche were not sayth hee God hath called c. If Paule doe affirme that the thynges which are were not so at the first and that truely How can Osorius Iustifie that will was any thyng worthe in
sayd then either to suffer the thyng whiche he willeth not or to will the thyng wherof him selfe is not after a certeine maner the cause but if you sunder will from Sufferaunce so that Gods Sufferaunce be made opposite to his will That is to say contrary to the determinate coūsell of God in bringyng any thyng to passe Surely this way your bare Sufferaūce will not be sufferable but foolishe false and ridiculous For neither can any thyng be done without Gods Sufferaunce but must be done by his will and agayne nothyng soundeth more agaynst the conuenience of reason that any thyng may be done with his will otherwise thē as him selfe hath decreéd it to be done But if so be that ye set Gods Sufferaunce opposite to his will namely to that will wherewith he vouch safeth and accepteth any thyng veryly it may so be that some one thyng may be executed by Gods Sufferaunce yet altogether agaynst his will so that we forget not in the meane space that this Sufferaunce is not idle fruitelesse but altogether effectuall not much vnlike the orderly proceédynges in Iudgementes whenas the Iudge deliuereth ouer the trespassour to be executed it is cōmonly seéne that the Sufferaunce of the Iudge doth worke more in the execution of the offendour thē the acte of the executioner yet the Iudge is not altogether exempt from beyng the cause of his death though he be cleare of all blame in that respect And therfore to make you conceaue our meanyng more effectually Osorius you may vnderstand by the premisses That the will of God is to be taken two maner of wayes either for that vnsearcheable will not manifested vnto vs wherewith thynges may happen accordyng to to the determined decreé of his purposed coūsell whereunto all thynges are directed And in this sense or signification we doe affirme that God doth will all thynges that are done and that nothyng at all is done in heauen or in earth that he would not haue to be done Or els how should he be called Omnipotent if the successes of thyngs be other then as he hath decreéd them Secundarely the will of God may be takē for that which by expresse word and commaundement he hath reuealed vnto vs and which beyng done he accompteth acceptable in his sight And in this sense The faythfull and godly onely do execute the will of God euen that will wherewith he can not will nor allow anythyng but pure good After this maner is that will fully disclosed and ensealed vnto vs in his Scriptures wherewith God is sayd to be a God that doth not will Sinne. Accordyng to that former will which is hidden from vs and is neuertheles alwayes iust and discouered vnto vs but in part by his word as there is nothing done without his prouidence foreknowledge so in this sense we do affirme that he willeth nothyng at all but that which is of all partes most pure and most righteous be it neuer so secrete For euen as it is hidden frō the knowledge of all men what shall come to passe by the purposed appointement of God so shall nothyng come to passe but that which he hath decreéd vpon before neither should any thyng at all be done if he were altogether vnwillyng thereunto Finally to conclude in few wordes all whatsoeuer concerneth this present discourse God can not be sayd to be properly truely the very cause of sinne accordyng to that will which he would haue to be reuealed vnto vs in his Scriptures And yet if the cōcurraūce of causes must be deriued from the first originall surely God ought not be excluded altogether from the orderyng appointmēt of sinne Frō whence if we respect the meane second causes it is vndoubted true that mākynde doth perish through his owne default For no man liuyng sinneth vnwillyngly But if we tourne our eyes to the first agent principall cause by the which all inferiour causes haue their mouyng Then is this allso true that all second and subordinate causes are subiect to the eternall prouidence and will of GOD. And therefore both these may be true That mans destructiō commeth through his owne default And yet that therein the prouidence of God beareth the sway without any preiudice at all to his Iustice. But this prouidence notwithstandyng is altogether vnslayned for albeit Gods euerlastyng purpose be sayd to be the cause of our sinnesiull actions yet are those Sinnes in respect of Gods acceptaunce meare righteousnesse For GOD in most vpright disposed order doth by Sinne punish Sinne. And therfore with those Sinnes in that they are scourges of Gods Iustice God doth worthely execute his iust Iudgement agaynst mē which although his pleasure be to vse otherwise accordyng to his vnsearcheable counsell either to execute his Iudgement vpō the reprobate or to manifest his mercy towardes his elect neither is he iniurious to the one in exactyng that which is due neither culpable in the other sorte in forgeuyng that which he might haue exacted These two thyngs therfore especially be to be beleued to be inseparable in God though mās capacitie cā scarsely atteine hereunto the first That there is no wickednes with God Secondly That God hath mercy of whom it pleaseth him to haue mercy and doth harden their hartes whō he willeth to be hardened Now that we haue spoken sufficiētly in the defence of Gods Iustice and acquited it cleare from all quarellsome accusation to retourne agayne to our former question If Osorius doe demaunde now if God bee the cause of Sinne Bycause I will protract no tyme I aunswere in two wordes That in seuerall and sundry respectes it is both the cause not the cause Now let vs seé how this will hang together First I call him the cause not bycause he distilleth new poyson into man as water or other liquour is powred into empty caskes from somewhere els for that neédeth not for euery man ouerfloweth more then enough already with faultynes naturall though no new flames of corruption be kyndeled a fresh but bycause hee forsaketh our old nature or bycause he withholdeth him selfe from renewyng vs with grace Bycause nature beyng not holpen waxeth dayly worse and worse of it selfe without measure and without end Whereupon Augustine debatyng of mans induration speaketh not vnfitly on this wise But as touchyng that whiche followeth Hee doth harden whom hee will Here the force of mans capacitie is ouerwhelmed with the straungenesse of the word But it must not be so taken as though God did beginne to harden mās hart which was not infected before For what is hardnesse els then resistaunce of Gods commaundementes which who so thinketh to be the worke of God bycause of this saying He doth harden whom hee will let him beholde the first beginnyng of mans corruption and marke well the commaundemēt of God the disobedience whereof made the hart to offende and let him truely confesse that whatsoeuer
all do not apprehend fayth Agayne we heare also by the testimony of the same Paule That it is neyther of him that runneth nor of him that willeth but of God that taketh mercy finally of theÌ„ which are ordeined sayth Luke to eternall lyfe and whose harts as the same Luke recordeth God doth open to make them know the word of God And agayne the same Paule doth deny them to haue knowne the Lord of glory for if they had knowne hym they would not haue crucified Christ. But what was the cause that they knew him not but because the whole matter thereof rested not in their owne willes but because by Gods secret decreé it was not geuen to them that had eares to heare and eyes to seé For their eares were made deafe that they should not heare and their hartes were blynded that they should not vnderstand And therefore the Lord himself doth openly pronounce that manye were called but fewe are chosen Moreouer in an other place the same Lord calleth his flock a little flocke And why doth he call it a little flocke good sir I beseech you If Gods mercy so largely poured abroad and so freély offered as you seeme to blaze it out doe extend it selfe to all persons indifferently without exception why do not all persons then indeffereÌ„tly repayre vnto Christ at the least why is not the greatest part drawne vnto him forsooth because they will not say you You are come back agayne to the first question For I demaund what the cause is why they will not but because it is not geuen vnto them so that ye may perceaue now the very welspring of this fountayne springeth not from mans will but from the counsell of God Or els how doth Christ name them which be hys to be but few in number but that he foreknew assuredly that it would be so or how did he foreknow it but because it was decreed first of an infallible certeinty And therfore Christ teaching his disciples spake openly and playnly vnto theÌ„ That it was geueÌ„ vnto them to know the misteries of the kingdome but to others in parables that seeing they might not see and hearing they might not heare Likewise Peter confirmed by the same spirite speaking of the rock of offence doth openly denounce not onely what they should do which should be offeÌ„ded at Christ but also that they were ordayned of very purpose so to doe And yet I will not deny that which they teach of the mercy of God I do know and confesse that it is farre and wyde dispersed abroad euery where and that the same mercy of GOD denyeth it selfe to no person as Augustine sayth but to such as will not receaue it But in thys same very mercy neuerthelesse two thinges are to be considered That God doth not onely offer those promises of benefites and blessings of his meére mercy bounteous liberalitie but also that he doth inspire the hart of man inwardly with hys spirite to receaue those thinges that be offered And so after the first maner of speakyng I do confesse that there is a certayne generall grace of God and a certayne freé choyse of Election layed open to all without exception that he may receaue it that hath a will to receaue it so that vnder thys word layd open Gods outward calling be vnderstanded which consisteth in preceptes in exhortatioÌ„s in Rules writteÌ„ either in the tenne CoÌ„maundementes or in the conscience or in preaching of the word And in this sense may we rightly say the Pharao hymself wanted not the grace of God nor Saule no nor any of the rest whom he did oftentimes allure with geÌ„tle promises terrifie with miracles reward with giftes enuyte to repentauÌ„ce with prolonging of punishment suffer with much patience alluring calling all men dayly to amendment of lyfe All which be infallible tokens of hys mercifull will called Voluntas Signi But after the second maner of speakyng if we behold the mercy of GOD and that grace which maketh acceptable or if we respect that will of his wherewith he not onely willeth all to be saued but wherewith hee bringeth to passe that these whom he will shal be saued the matter doth declare it selfe sufficiently that that Mercy and Grace of acceptyng those thyngs whereunto they are called is not layd open for all and euery one indifferently but is distributed through a certeine speciall dispensation and peculiar Election of God whereby they that are called accordyng to the purpose of his grace are drawen to coÌ„sent By meanes wherof it commeth to passe that the same callyng accordyng to Gods purpose fayling euery man hath not in his own hand to chuse or refuse that earnest desire and generall Grace indifferently offered but such as haue either receaued the gift of God or are denyed the gift of God Neither doth the matter so wholy depende vpon the choyse of our will either in chusing or refusing totally for then might it be verified that there was no Predestination before the foundations of the world were layd if our ElectioÌ„ were necessaryly guided by our willes and that our will were the foundation of our SaluatioÌ„ Therfore whereas they say that God doth accept them which will embrace his grace and reiect theÌ„ which will not receaue it is altogether vntrue Nay it rather had bene more coÌ„uenient to fetch our fouÌ„teine froÌ„ the wellspring of Grace then froÌ„ the puddle of our owne will So that we might speake more truly on this wise That God doth endue vs with his grace and fauorable countenaunce bycause we should be willyng to embrace his ordinaunces and Commaundementes on the contrary part as concernyng those that will not receaue his grace offered that such do worthely perish And that the very cause that they will not receaue it doth hereof arise bycause their will is not holpeÌ„ and that they do therfore not receaue it bycause they are not theÌ„ selues receaued first For as touchyng the Obiection vrged out of Chrisostome that God did as much vnto Pharao in deede as hee could doe to saue him if ye referre Gods doyng there to that will which is called Nâ—on signi but to beneplaciti which God could would vtter in those whom he made Vessels of mercy wherof S. Paule maketh mention treatyng of the mercy of Predestination surely the Scripture is quite repugnaunt agaynst it saying God did harden the hart of Pharao For if GOD did harden the hart of Pharao how then did he to Pharao as much as he might But if Pharao did harden his owne hart after that God had not mollified his hart had not tamed his insolencie and not bowed him to godly inclinations which he is accustomed to doe to his elect In what sence then is he sayd to haue done as much to Pharao as to his other Vessels of mercy whom Election had Predestinated to be saued But to let Chrisostome passe
doth geue nothing of set purpose but that he pursueth his owne worke to an end in a certeine perpetuall order and course 9. That man doth not so worke together with God as bringing or adding any thing of his owne but doth worke by measure onely in spirituall thinges by how much he is forced by the cause agent So doth the minde see but being enlightened Iudgement doth discerne and chuse but guided by the direction of the holy Ghost The will is obedient but being first regenerated The hart is willing but being renewed man doth endeuour doth will and doth bring to passe but accordyng to the measure that he hath receaued 10. Moreouer where as it is declared that man hath a will aswell in good thinges as in euill thinges then if question be moued what kinde of thing will is of it selfe they do aunswere with Augustine That will is alwayes naturally euill that of it selfe it can do nothing but frowardly bende it selfe against the Iustice of God and that it is made good through grace onely and so made good that it may then of necessitie loue and sollow righteousnes which it abhorred before 11. They doe confesse with Augustine that men when they sinne do neuer sinne but of their owne accorde and by the proper motion of will and that they doe vaynely that do post ouer the fault therof to any others but to them selues 12. Agayne when they are directed to good thinges by the Spirite of God yet that their will is not excluded here for as much as euen this is the very grace of God namely that their will is enclined to desire good 13. That euen from the first creation nature is so weakened that sinne must cleane thereunto of very Necessitie Whiche Necessitie neuerthelesse proceedeth not from God nor from nature simplie neither from any destinie nor yet any forreine coaction but from the corruption of nature and from euery mans proper and peculiar inclination and is to be ascribed thereunto to which inclinatiō is annexed vnauoydeable Necessitie of sinning as Augustine recordeth 14. Luther Caluine and the others when they seeme to take away Freewill the same is so to be construed as that they doe not wholy take the same away but in that sense onely in the whiche that aduersaries doe establishe the same That is to say wherewith they do establish merite and preuētiō in Freewill 15. Last of all whereas the whole difficultie of this controuersie doth cōsist in three wordes chiefly to witte Will Freedome and Necessitie Our Deuines do distinguishe the same after this maner The will of God is takē ij maner of wayes sometymes for his secret counsell wherwith all things are necessaryly carried to the end whereunto God hath directed them before And so do we say that nothing is done besides this will It is also sometyme taken for that which God approueth and maketh acceptable vnto him selfe And in this sense we do see many things done now and then cōtrary to his will discouered in the scriptures And therfore according to his will God is sayd that he willeth all men to be saued whereas yet not all nay rather but a very few are saued 16. Freedome also which is peculiar to man is discerned by two maner of wayes either as it is set opposite to bondage and this Freedome Luther doth vtterly deny as he may well doe or as it is set contrary to coaction or fatall necessitie And this Freedome Luther neuer gaynesayd For as much as there is no will which can endeuour any thing against her will or the thing which she will not or which will may sinne at any tyme except she will her selfe 17. Likewise Necessitie is to be taken two maner of wayes the one of certeintie and vnchaungeablenesse as hath bene declared before which Osorius cā not deny The other of violent coaction which doth offer force vnto will And the same is imputed to Luther falsely 18. But now that former Necessitie which is called vnchaūgeable albeit it take her beginnyng from the cause of Gods Predestination yet this Predestination doth not cast such a Necessitie vpon thinges which may remoue Freewill no more doth it take away the Iustice of God wherewith he doth render to euery one according to his workes These thinges beyng thus set downe and duly considered it shal be an easie matter not onely to withstand the cauillations and subtelties of Osorius but to confounde the residue of the Sophisticall brables of all other aduersaries also wherewith they practize busily enough but all in vayne to oppresse Luthers cause weuyng their Cobbwebbes as I may tearme them for the more part after this maner hereafter following ¶ The Argumentes of the aduersaries agaynst the foresayd Assertions propounded and confuted If our actions be first determined and decreed vpon two inconueniences doe ensue vpon this Assertion .1 that the Freedome of mans will must vtterly perish .2 that men shal be constrayned by Necessitie as if they were bounde in bondes c. There are so many so manifest testimonies in the Scriptures concernyng the truth of Predestinatiō and the foreknowledge of thyngs to come that they can by no meanes be denyed As to the Obiection of inconueniēces it is vntrue For the Freédome of mans will doth not so perish but that men do alwayes chuse the thyng that they will of their owne accorde and willyngly Then also neither is any such Necessitie layed vpon any man which by force of coaction may driue him to do that which he would not Moreouer although it rest not in our Freédome that we may be chosen or forsaken it followeth not therfore that we haue no Freédome to any other thynges This is therfore a captious Argument falsely concludyng from the proposition Secundum quid ad Simpliciter As if a man would argue in this sort A fleshly man doth not conceaue the thynges that are of God Ergo The force of mans witte doth conceaue nothyng at all in any matter whatsoeuer Osorius maketh Luther worse thē Diagoras and Pighius maketh him worse then the Manichees Pighius Argument is framed in this maner The Manichees bycause they would ascribe wickednes to God did imagine two begynnynges Luther ascribyng wickednes and mischieuousnes to God maketh vs lyke vnto a Sawe whom God doth draw and driue forth and backe whether him lysteth Manichee did appoynt two natures in man th one good the other euill whereof that one could not sinne this other coulde not do well Luther doth neyther affirme two natures in man neyther doth so condēne the same nature of man wholy of it self but as it is corrupted after the fall hee doth affirme that of Necessitie and alwayes it doth resiste Gods Spirite yea euen in the very Saincts thēselues being euen from their very childdhoode enclined to euill Then that wicked men are as Sawes in the hand of God not onely Luther but Esay also doth confesse And agayne
the people to be taught on this wise rather That God of hys goodnes and mercye would haue all men to be saued And that the cause why all are not saued is for that all will not receaue the grace indifferently offered vnto them And this maner of teaching they do suppose to be sound On the contrary that the other doctrine of predestinatiō doth take cleane away all force vse of wholesome preachinges exhortations and disciplines c. If we onely eyther were alone or were the first that were vrged with these slaunders and cauillationes there were lesse cause to wōder at the wickednes of this our age But I do seé now no new thinge here neuer spoken of before nor any other thinge but such as many notable learned men haue bene sundry tymes combred withall long sithence Emongest whom cōmeth first to hand Augustine whom beyng occupyed in thys cause sometyme the Pelagianes but most of all the Massilianes did molest much with the very same obiectiones as appeareth playnely by the transcript of Prosper and Hillary their letters to Augustine euen the which obiections our deuines are now a dayes pressed withall which if were true then might he seeme to haue vndertaken this quarrell not rashly nor altogether in vayne as our men haue done also But let vs aunswere to their complayntes Such as are appoynted teachers in the congregation of God if they should beate into the grosse eares of the rude multitude this part of doctrine which treateth of the secrett predestination of God so nakedly and barren of it selfe as not doyng ought els nor respecting any other thing ne yet applying wtall any wholesome exhortations and allurementes to vertue shold stirre and prouoke none to vertues endeuour honest carefulnes and godly lyfe these reasons might carry some showe of truth perhapps But this matter ought to haue bene foreseene Osor. how these preachers behaue thēselues what they preach how in what maner and to what end they do lay this doctrine open before the people before you should haue burst out into those cruell accusacions and slaunderous reproches If some yoūglings peraduenture may be found not so modestly and soberly to demeane themselues as may beseeme them allured either through delight of noueltie or caryed thereunto through lightnes of witte or to braue out their knowledge and learning it is not conuenient that the lowse and vncircumspect dealing of some particuler persons should be preiudiciall to the truth of the doctrine Godly and modest wittes surely as they conceaue the true reason of this doctrine so doe they Iudge it no lesse necessary to be applyed to the end they may pluck downe that pernicious opinion of yours treating of merites of confidence in workes and of doughtfulnes of Saluation For the ouerthrow whereof what more necessary doctrine to edifie the congregacion withall may be applyed in the Church of Christians And therfore to conclude briefly For asmuch as all the doctrine of Predestination doth tend to this ende chiefly that men may be forewarned not to trust to much to their owne strength but to repose all their hope and affiaunce in God It is vntrue that you do obiect That the doctrine of predestination doth perswade rather to desperation then to godly lyfe For what is this els as Augustine sayth then as that you should say that men do then dispayre of their owne safety when they beginne to learne to repose their hope and affiaunce in God and not in themselues in any wise c Whosoeuer therefore shall instruct the ignoraunt people in the true doctrine of predestination of the holy ones discretly and modestly and in due season when case so requireth and shall ioyne withall godly and wholesome exhortations the same shall he do profitably enough without anye inconuenience seeing that the preaching of both may be well coupled and agree together according to the testimony of Augustine who affirmeth that neyther the preaching of fayth profiting in godly fruits ought to be hindered by the preaching of predestination that they which are taught may learue how to obey And agayne that the preachīg of Predestinatiō ought not to be hindered by the preaching of fayth profiting in godly fruites that they which obey may know in whom they ought to reioyce not in thoir owne obedience but in him of whom it is written he that doth reioyce let him reioyce in the Lord. Will you vnderstand Osorius how the coupling of these too doctrines is not preiudiciall to the preaching of the one to the other Paule the Apostle of the Gentills did many tymes sette forth the doctrine of predestination to the Rom. Ephe. Timot. The same did Luke in the Actes of the Apostles Christ himself likewise doth make often mencion of the same in hys sermons all which did not cease to preach the word of God neuerthelesse and do notwithstanding withal entermixt diuers good and godly exhortations to liue well Paule when he sayd it is God that doth worke in vs to will and to bring to passe according to hys good pleasure did he therefore abate any thing of hys godly lessons to make vs lesse carefull to will and to worke the thinges that are acceptable vnto God In like maner where he sayth he that hath begonne a good worke in you will bring the same to effect euen vntill the day of Christ Iesu Yet did he not cease to perswade them earnestly in the same Epistle written to the Phillippianes that they should not onelye beginne but perseuere vntill the end Beleue sayth Christ in God and beleue in me yet is thys neuerthelesse true that he speaketh in an other place No man commeth vnto me or beleeueth in me vnlesse it be geuen him from the father Christ sayth also he that hath eares to heare let hym heare Yet doth God speake in the scriptures these wordes also that he will geue them a hart frō aboue that they may vnderstand eyes that they may see and eares that they may heare c. And although it were not vnknowne vnto hym who had eares to heare and who had not that is to say the gifte of obedience Yet doth he exhort all men to heare Although Cipriane did both know and wryte that fayth and obedience were the gift of God and that we ought not reioyce in any thing because we haue nothing of our owne yet this was no hindraunce at all vnto his earnest preaching but that he taught Fayth and obedience neuerthelesse and most constantly perswaded to good life When we heare S. Iames teach vs that euery good and perfect gift commeth downe from the father of lightes yet this preaching of grace nothing withstoode but that he continued to rebuke such as troubled the cōgregation saying If you be bitterly zelous and your hartes be full of contencion doe not reioyce nor lye not against the truth for this is not the Wisedome that came from aboue but earthly beastly and diabollicall
doctrine were of such authoritie with you why did you shut vppe your eares from your Masters lessones If you betooke your selues to Armes through occasion of one sentence wrongfully vnderstoode or misconstrued why dyd ye not forsake the field for so many my exhortatiōs and notable exclamations to the contrary But go to Osorius bycause vnder the person of the Boores complaynte you do so vehemently wrest all this false suggestion of mischief agaynst me What if I deny your Assumpsit how will you be able to proue it perhappes by heare say amongest the clownes what of any that be liuyng or that be dead But when the poore clownes lyued and were drawen to execution tormented and stretched out vpon the rackes in which extremitie men are wont for the more part to vtter more thē they know If there were one so much of that whole rable muttered euer halfe a sillable of me such as your Carterlyke and senselesse Imagination hath deuised agaynst me I will willyngly yeld to this accusation of suspitiō But by your occasion say you this tumult might haue bene raysed easily So might the Blacke Moore chaūge his skinne And Osor. also might leaue his lyeng But all thynges are not by and by done that may be done But onward how proue you that it might haue bene so Bycause say you that God worketh all in all in vs accordyng to Luthers Assertion and we be instrumentes onely applyed and wrest with his handes hereupon followeth it therefore sithe God onely raysed vppe these tumultes and was the onely procurour deuisour and accomplisher of this sturre that the Boores of necessitie must be guiltlesse and innocēt hereof Go to And do ye suppose Osorius that these wordes were the whole seédeplotte of all this Rebellion what shall we say thē to that which we read in Paul That it is God that worketh all in all And agayne That worketh all according to the purpose of his will And in the Prophet Amos. There is no euill in the Citie that the Lord hath not done And agayne whē we heare on euery side aswell amongest the Prophetes as the Apostle That men are made blinde of God are deliuered ouer into a Reprobate mynde Why might not the Boores haue taken occasion of these wordes aswell as of myne Go to And what and if I had writtē these wordes also namely That it is in the power of our Freewill to dispose our selues whereunto we lyst either to make our selues earthen vessels or golden vessels in the house of the Lord would the Boores haue the sooner bene quieted for this cause And yet this is the generall proclamation of that notorious Seé of Rome dispersed throughout all Catholicke Nations the same doe all their Recordes and Canons noyse abroad wheresoeuer they crawle yea many yeares before Luther was borne and the very same also doth Osorius write at this day in Portingall and many other of the lyke fraternitie elles where what was there neuer any cōmotions therfore of the rude multitude before Luther was borne in Portingall none in Italy Germany Fraunce England Cycill other Nations Could this or any other portiō of Scripture or doctrine euē so bridle the affections of the vnruly but that they would at one tyme or other burst out into outragious extremities I adde moreouer Admit that my wordes beyng either misconceaued or misconstrued might suggest some matter of euill occasiō shall it be lesse lawfull therfore to beare testimony of the truth bycause there be some that are so beastly brutish that will mishandle the wordes and deédes of others be they neuer so well spoken By this reason away with the Bible bycause out of the same the most parte of heretiques haue sucked their poyson what dyd not Paule therfore not commende the Iustice of God aright by our vnrighteousnesse bycause there wanted not that would abuse his saying to occasion of euill Let vs doe euill say they that good may come thereby The auncient godly Christians were wont to assemble together and sing Psalmes before day light and to receaue the Sacrament of bread wyne Hereupon began rumours to be scattered abroad that the Christiās dyd worshyp the rysing of the Sunne dyd sacrifice to Ceres Bacohus And what hath bene so well spoken or established at any tyme that the peéuishenesse of peruerse and froward persons will not depraue◠if they lyst to pyke a quarell or slaunder the good wordes and well doynges of men The same came to passe with Augustine him selfe through the Pelagians who after had once brought in the name and commendation of grace hereupon forthwith they began to quarell with him as though he should affirme that men are made good by fatall Necessitie And agayne where he denyed that Grace was distributed accordyng to mēs deseruyngs this saying they gnawed at as though he should say That no endeuour ought to be looked for from the will of man contrary that saying in the Gospell where the Lord spake Aske and it shal be geuen you seeke and ye shall finde knocke and it shal be opened vnto you for euery one that doth aske shall receaue c. And all this haue I debated with you euen as it were truth that your counterfaite imagination hath deuised to witte that I should be the originall of all that rebellious insolencie I come now to that pynche of my true defence Namely to deny that there is or euer was any Boore in all Germany that did euer Iustifie this slaunder agaynst me This was neuer the speéche of any Boore but the rude vnshamefastnesse of Osorius voyde of all matter of probabilitie to make me authour of all this mischief The very authour wherof if as yet you do not know and would fayne know him in deéde I will tell him you but briefly yet truly Osorius When Sathan perceaued that the kyngdome of your pride was ready to haue a fall and that the Romishe Prelate could now no longer mainteyne his erroneous sacriledges agaynst the glorious excellency of the gladsome Gospell he entred by a notable pollicie into this deuise vnder the pretence of the Gospell to tickle vppe madd braynes thereby to bryng the Gospell in obloquy and infamy the ouerthrow whereof he perceaued now past his compasse as the which he was now no longer able to withstand Then also vnlesse this lying Osorius had sett him selfe forth as an especiall Instrument of this wyly Serpent vpon whose shauen sconse not so much as a herebreadth may be founde growing of an honest or sober man ye would neuer haue so filthyly infamed the good reporte and credite of honest personages standyng in the defence of the Gospell with so many slaunderous lyes and cursed reproches If Luther should vse this or the lyke counterbuffe accordyng to the frankenes of his speéche agaynst your rusty clownish and illfauored false Diuinitie I do not aske what you could answere him agayne Osorius But I feare this rather least as he should not
c. First I would fayne learne what it was that these men did take vpon them to doe To call backe the life and most corrupt maners of men of that age to the perfect rule of the Gospell Truely they vndertooke a very hard charge farr exceeding all humayne power and abilitie Go to and where did Luther Zuinglius or any of the rest make any such promise of themselues by word or sillable of word so much at any time Surely I haue perused many of their works yet could I neuer finde any such thing hitherto If you haue glaunced vpon anye such thing by chaunce why do you not set down the place openly that the reader may perceaue that you deale not with forged lyes but with good matter not of any desire to cauill but of an vpright Iudgement not coldly and lyengly but simply and playnely not keeping a Iangling with vnsauory speaches and forged vntruthes which many men do blame you for but so and in such wise as you may seeme to haue made plaine demonstration of a true and iust reporte with as true and vpright a minde to haue the truth knowne by true proues and testimonies and not to mock and delude men with fables Surely it were to be wished of all good men that all Christians by profession and name would by all meanes possible leade their lyues truely Christianlike in all poyntes agreable with the doctrine which they professe And it is not to be doughted but that these new Gospellers as you call them did wishe this with all theyr hartes if wishing could haue auayled But to bryng the same to passe as was neuer in their power so did they neuer enter into any such couenaunt nor euer obliged themselues by any promise priuy or aperte that they would accomplishe the same Wherin how much you were not only deceaued in Luther but how much ye speake also against your self do ye but coniecture hereby For whereas Luther did professe that the substaunce of mans saluation did consist not in the life maners of men but in the onely fayth of the Sonne of God how doth this agree together that he whom a little earst you accused to be the subuertour of all honest accions and vertuous endeuour should nowe take vpon him to stoare and enriche the lyues and conuersacions of Christians with aboundance of vertuous plantes and seedes of godlines Albeit there neuer lacked in them a certayne Godly carefullnesse to exhort to all honest endeuours yet were they neuer so franticke as to make so glorious bragges of reformation of lyfe They trauelled earnestly euery one according to his abilitie as beseémed godly and well disposed personages if not as much as they could haue wished yet as much as was geuen them by the holy ghost And if they attayned nought els yet this they atchieued surely that though they coulde not restore the pure simplicitie of the EuaÌ„gelicall life yet they brought to passe that men by reading and comparing the holy scriptures beganne to haue a very euident feeling and a thorough taste of the corrupt and stincking matter of your absurde and filthy pernitious doctrine the durty puddle wherof albeit they mistrusted that they should not be able to clense throughly for the vnmeasurable tyranny of your aucthoritie and power Yet thought they not conuenient for the credite and function that they bare to suffer the same to be any longer cloaked and dissembled wtall And therefore stept forth amongst the rest Martine Luther and yet he was neyther the first nor yet so long agoe neyther so much of his owne voluntary will as necessarily of relieng duety not for hope of lucre ne yet to pamper vp the paunch as Hosius belieth him neyther of any hope at all to purchase any authority as Osorius mistaketh him but forced thereunto by the importunacy of others yea and that not without manifest perill of his lyfe Whereupon if any thinge chaunced afterwardes contrary to your expectations ye can iustly accuse no man but your selues which were the first authors of this flaming Beacon the heate whereof doth parch the very skinnes of your backes And what the very cause and occasion thereof was neither are the histories so obscure but that they tell playnly nor is the tyme so farre spent but you may easily call to minde the very time and season whenas Leo the Pope of Rome sending abroad hys commissioners of receipt and plaÌ„ting his treasories throughout all the Dominions of Europe appoynted a generall marte as it were of raking hys Marchandize together Whereupon diuers holy cloyster Marchauntes arriued into Germany And amongst them a certayne Fryer of S. Dominicks order named Tetcelius but in very deéde a mony marchaunt and a Regrator of the Popes markett laden with pardons and Bulles and proclayming generall fayres for the vtteraunce of them wherein remission of sinnes the kingdome of heauen and freé liberty to feede on fish or flesh were to be bought for a few pence Which proclamation seeming not a little iniurious to the people and tending to the ouerthrow of the Gospell of grace and mouing godly consciences to no small griefe and displeasaunce of mynde and that not without iust cause Luther a man continually exercized with inward agonyes and vnquiet passions of consciences thought it not in any wise tollerable for his part to permit such horrible erroneous impietie so directly a agaynst conscience and the manifest truth of the gladsome Gospell to be husht vppe and past ouer in tymerous and fearfull sâ—ilence Albeit he was well assured that this stincking and contagious weed could not be touched without present perill of life Wherefore he beganne to make a show of himselfe meaning to defend the quarrell of the Gospell but by a very sleÌ„der slight attempt as it were And first he propoundeth certayn propositioÌ„s onely and principles of questions agaynst these gainefull marketts of pardons and Bulles not of any vayne desire to concontend or dispute nor without an humble maner of submission of the cause thincking nothing lesse then that the successe thereof would be such as we now see is come to passe If the contrary part had with like moderation tempered their affections and eyther coÌ„tented themselues by saying nothing to haue yealded to the truth or to haue sought the aduauncement of Christs glory rather then to haue serued the Popes pompe and ambition these smale sparckles had neuer burst out into so great flames But now by the meanes of their owne waywardnes it came to passe in them as for the more part it falleth out with common brabblers who hauing many tymes the worst ende of the staffe and hauing no right in deéde to any part thereof striue so long till at the last they lose euery inche thereof and at the shutting vppe catch a rappe for their labour Agaynst these propositions of Pardones Tetcelius vnmeasurably ragyng not contented with no lesse intollerable arrogancie and insolency to aunswere them him selfe but sturred
vp agaynst Luther a neast of Dominicke hornettes caused his propositions and Assertion of Pardones to be openly burned framed Articles agaynst the man exclamed with open mouth agaynst him that he ought to be burnt like an hereticke And bycause the Popes power should not be destitute of frendes in a matter of so great importaunce immediately started vp one Prierias the Prouost of the Friers who like a Lordlike fellow challengeth Luther into the field After them stept forth a thyrd of the same crew Iames Hochstratus who espyeng a fit tyme to purchase credite and fame would ieopard a ioynte amongest them and as though there wanted furniture sufficient enough to mainteyne the challenge thrust more coales into the fire and teazed vp the Uniuersities of Paris Coleyne and Louaine agaynst poore Luther to condemne him Luther beyng thus vexed through the madd outrage of these Friers was driuen to this issue that of necessitie he must prosecute his propositions with a more large and ample discourse so sent the same to Leo then Pope of Rome with Letters emportyng his humble submission most humbly beseéchyng that he would not geue credite to the slaunderous reportes of his aduersaries alledgyng for his excuse that he published his propositions touchyng Pardons not of any euill will or malice towards his grace but onely by way of disputatiō wherof he hath now treated more at large and therfore would most humbly beseéch him to vouchsaue benyngly to read and accept it As touchyng his owne person he was so affected towardes that Seé that he would willingly submit to the authoritie therof not onely his writings but his sauetie and life also withall in all humilitie and lowlynesse and whatsoeuer his Maiestie should determine thereupon he would no lesse reuerently esteéme of then as a decreé of the chief Uicare of Christ vnto whom he did acknowledge all obedience due in earth next vnder Christ. In this so humble lowly submission of this prostrate person in so weightie a matter and in so wholesome counsell what this Uicare of Christ did and how this heyre and Successour of S. Peter behaued him selfe I doe make no great inquiry after This one thyng I aske and demaunde of you Osorius that you would vouchsafe to aunswere me what thinke you would Christ him selfe or Peter haue done in this case First would not Christ him selfe haue throwen to the grounde those money tables and Bowthes of Choppers and Chaungers and scourged those vagaraunt regrators cruelly byeng and sellyng in the Temple of god with whippes of knotted cordes would he euer haue suffered his Church which was appointed for Prayer and Preachyng to be tourned into a denne of Theéues a Bowthe of brothells and market of auarice what would Peter haue done whose successours these Byshops challenge them selues to be who on a tyme not keépyng the right course of the Gospell and therfore reproued of Paule yelded so humbly would he haue refused the offered obediēce of so humble a submission or would he not haue vouchsaued it very gently or els would he not haue thanked the partie for so gentle a remembraunce and frendly counsell But now what this most humble seruaunt of the seruaūts of God did who vpō earth representeth vnto vs the person of Christ and the Maiesticall chayre of Peter how insolently and outragiously he dealt in this matter what Tragedies he raysed what thunderboltes and wildefire he threw out of his bloudy turrettes agaynst Luthers life is neédelesse to make any mention in this place sithence it is faythfully set downe in Histories and all men remember it well enough Euen such were the begynnynges of this troublesome tempest which ganne spread it selfe abroad in euery coast Whereby you may easily vnderstand I suppose that Luther thought vpō nothyng lesse at the first thē to heare of any innouatiō or alteratiō of customes or ceremonies but enduced partly through the necessitie of the matter partly by the prouocation of some peéuishe waywardes did onely set downe a few propositions wherein he gaue no attempt agaynst the state of the Romishe Seé neither did as yet vtterly abandone all Pardons Bulles but required onely a moderation to be vsed in them And it was not to be doughted but if the vnsatiable greédynesse or the vnspeakeable crueltie of the aduersaries could haue restrayned it selfe within the boundes and limittes of modestie and measure Luther would haue holden his peace As appeareth by his Letters directed both to the Bishop of Rome and to Cardinall Caietane signifieng vnto them his vnfayned scilēce therein so that his aduersaries mouthes might be stopped also which request was not onely reasonable but agreable also to pietie in men of their profession especially for as much as Luthers Assertions conteyned nothyng preiudiciall to the Byshop of Rome and the matter had not as yet gone so farre forth but might haue bene easily husht vp if at least they could not otherwise finde in their hartes to yeld to the manifest truth But the Pontificall courage of the Byshop would not so be daunted neither could the vnmeasurable mawe of his greédy Cormorauntes be so easily satisfied and at the last the old Prouerbe Gold is good chaffer howsoeuer it come bare the Bell away After this hūble maner therfore assoone as Luther had propoūded the sayd question Prierias gaue the first onset agaynst him after him preste in place diuers Coronelles and Captaines of that band Thē rusht in whole routes of Monckes and Friers with their hoeboobe to the people Out flewe Articles Restraintes curses with booke bell and candell countermandes finally the Byshops of Rome his thunderboltes with a terrible Bull linkte thereunto In this perplexitie here would I fayne learne of Osorius if he would vouchsafe to tell me what Luther should do he will say Luther should not haue entermedled in the cause at all But what man of any reasonable Iudgemēt could or ought to endure so horrible impiette But whē he saw he could not preuayle he should haue forsaken his tackle But by this meanes he must haue put his conscience in daūger of drownyng Then yet at the least he should haue behaued him selfe in the matter somewhat more modestly Who could haue expressed more humblenes and modestie He should haue submitted him selfe and his cause to the tribunall seat of the Pope And herein what part of duetie left he vndone if humble submission could haue auayled any thyng at all The truth wherof to the end may be more apparaūt vnto you and to the Reader also harken I pray you to the secōd Letters of Luther written to the Pope as him selfe endited them Euerlasting peace be vnto you most holy Father Necessitie forceth me agayne beyng a poore outcast of men and an abiect of the earth to presume with a word or two to your holynes and the whole Maiestie May it please your holynesse therfore mercyfully to encline your Fatherly eares as the eares of Christes very Uicare
Gospell To Passe ouer withall innumerall infidels Atheistes Paganes counterfaites hypocrites false brethren false Gospellers which vnder pretence of Religion do nothyng els but cast a myste before the eyes of the world and serue their owne turnes to the great daunger and hinderaunce of the godly Now in this so huge a multitude of people and so manifold varietie of affections what people be they agaynst whom you do in so great clusters impute so great wickednesse lust outrage tumultes murthers conspiracies procured agaynst Princes and other more monstruous abhominations vnspeakeable and intollerable Euen such be say you the Auditorie of your Gospell What do I heare haue we then any other Gospell in England then is with you in Portingall is not one selfe same Gospell euery where are not Gods lawes the same in all places is Christ deuided amongest vs or doth any Christian in the world admitte any other Gospell then the Gospell of Christ But you beyng a meéry conceipted mā meant happely to sport your selfe with that nyckname agaynst such as haue harkened to Luther Zuinglius Bucer Caluine and others their lyke as vnto their Schoolemaisters Be it so yet do I seé no cause why you should call their doctrine a new Gospell But go to let vs seé yet how true your slaunder is that you charge these men withall I do confesse that there be now very many and heretofore haue bene many also who with Luther and those others do agrain in the exposition of holy Scripture whose doctrine you are not able to confoūde though ye would whose lyues you cā not iustly charge with any infamous crime no nor able to imitate them Of the liuyng at this day were not so conuenient to speake I will say somewhat of others that are gone And of those chiefly whom that furious swellyng gulfe of Mary lately swallowed vppe which beyng in number many in so fewe yeares Make Inquisition of all their lyues search out their maners studies exercizes functions speaches and deédes whatsoeuer sift them peruse them yea prye into them with that captious head pearcyng eyes of yours as narrowly as ye can And first in Cranmer Archb. of Canterbury who after by that hearyng this Gospell began to sauour of Christian profession what wickednes was euer reported of him with what outrage of lust was he enflamed what murthers what seditious tumults what secret cōspiracies were euer sene or suspected so much to proceéd from him vnlesse ye accompt him blame worthy for this That whea kyng Henry father of the same Mary vpon great displeasure conceaued was for some secret causes determined to strike of her head this Reuerend Archb. did pacifie the wrath of the father with mylde cōtinuall intercession preserued the life of the daughter who for life preserued acquited her patron with death As concernyng his Mariadge if you reprochfully impute that to lust which Paule doth dignifie with so honorable a Title I do aūswere that he was the husband of one wife with whō he cōtinued many yeares more chastly holyly then Osorius in that his stinking sole single lyfe paraduenture one moneth though he fleé neuer so often to his Catholicke Confessions And I seé no cause why the name of a wife shall not be accoumpted in eche respect as holy with the true professours of the Gospell as that name of a Concubine with the Papistes To speake nothyng els of this sort of people more vnseémely yet perhappes truly With Cranmer lyued Nicolas Ridley Byshop of Londō coupled in one partakyng of Religiō and one maner of Martyrdome who ledd such a lyfe alwayes vnmaryed as in the which all his aduersaries were not able to reprehend not onely any notorious crime but also not so much as a blemishe reprocheworthy so farre as I euer heard Not much inferiour to them both in all commendable worthynes and dignitie crowned also with the same crown of Martyrdome did shyne that famous Prelate Ferrar Byshop of S. Dauides what shall I speake of Iohn Hooper Byshop of Worcester and Glocester whose integritie of lyfe voyd of all cause of reprehension vnweryable trauaile in teachyng feédyng visityng might be not onely a notable patterne to all Romish Prelates though neuer so Catholicke but make them also ashamed in their owne behalfes To passe ouer a nomber of the like Taylours Saunders Rogers Philpottes Barnes Ieromes Garrettes whose vertues to rehearse and cōmende with condigne prayses for their vnblameable lyues neither the tyme serueth nor is my simple skill able to expresse accordyngly What one man did this litle Ilād at any time nourish vp or euer shall seé more holy and more chaste then was Thomas Bilney whom no posterity ought euer to forgette after that he beganne to harken vnto and apply his mynde seryously to this doctrine namely to the Gospell of Christ sauing that in all excellency of vertuous life Iohn Bradford seémeth worthy to be ioyned with him who wholly and altogether did so dwell in the feare of the Lord and in a certayne inward earnest meditation of heauenly life that liuing here on earth he seémed to haue bene translated as it were into an heauenly soule before he was violently taken from hence so leane spent and worne out with often abstinence vnmeasureale trauayle and so spare a dyette that he seémed an Anatomy nothing but skinne and boane In earnest prayer so continualy exercised that before he was burnt his kneés in handling seémed almost as hard as Camels hoofes Of all these and many others like vnto these which I could set downe vnto you gathered out of most faythfull hystoryes Report could not certify you but other thinges it could It could report lyes and vntruethes And no maruell If you aske the cause I will tell you For weé are carryed according to the wickednesse of this our age into sundry affections partes and factions We do esteéme of contreuersies not with that reuerence and simplicity of hart as beseémeth vs as we are taught by the prescript word of God but through sinister corrupt affections conceiue an euill opinion of them And wrest and wring the truth it selfe whether it will or no to colour and cleake Sectes and diuisions And therefore as we are for the more part more greédely carryed to harken vnto plausible matters such as concerne our owne commodity and preferment rather then the glory of the Sonne of God so neuer wanteth stoare of notable talebearers skilfull purueyors for such itching eares notorious Sicophantes euen for the same purpose raysed vp by the iust iudgement of God Hetherto haue I spoken of such onely as were famous for their learning doctrine dignity iudgement and ecclesiasticall function Besides these I could recken vppe vnto you of the meaner sort of people sixe hundred more or lesse consumed to Ashes in that fiue yeares persecution vpon whose bodyes although ye Romanists did furiously rage according to your sauadge and brutish
some glymering of dawning day and to refresh the razed Rent of his ruynous Church and to restore a recouery of his auncient recordes of written veritye the Braynesuck beastes of Romyshe rowte ganne fret aud fume and our sweéte shauelinges seéke at the length that we render them a reason of our Noueltye And because veritye Euangelicall oppressed with Tyranny through the Reuell of Sathās raunging abroad these few yeares eyther durst not shewe it selfe into the open world or could not be heard to plead for it selfe through their outragious vilaines being now quickened from aboue beginneth to display her oryent beames she is called to corā before these cloisterers as though Christe and the doctrine Apostolicall were some straunger in the world and commaunded to Iustifie her chalenge of Antiquitye to them which are neither able to render any reason of theyr counterfayt Antiquitie nor Iustify the trueth of their own cause by any recordes or reportes of probable auncienty or by any testimonie or president of the prymatyue Churche whatsoeuer Wherein me seémeth they behaue themselues no more modestly and shamefastly then theéues and murtherers which breakyng in by nyght into an other mans house hauing by violnce and wrong either slayne or thrust the true owner out of dores chalenge vnto themselues a title of possession And so pleadyng in possession by wrongfull disseisin for tearme of certeyne yeares doe plead occupation and prescription of time agaynst the lawfull heire that hath right by lawe to recouer and demaund Iudgement thrusting the true heire out from his true inheritaunce who in ryght equitye demaundeth restitution For what other thing doe they herein who finding their cause to be no way bettered by vouching of Scriptures which make nothing for thē at all fleé ouer forthwith to yt. Fathers Custome continued of olde by long prescription of time crying out agaynst vs with full mouthes that they haue enioyed their possession in the Church more then xv hundreth yeares and commaund vs to tell them where our Church was litle aboue xl yeares sithence And because they aske it I will tell them conditionally that they will distinctly tell me first what they doe meane by this worde Church If they meane the people perhappes we were not all borne then if they vnderstand the Roofes Walls and Tymber of the Churches they stand euen now in the same place where they were wont to stand are enuironed with the same churchyardes where they stood of old But yf they speake of the doctrine verely it was in the word of God and in the Scriptures discernable enough where also it resteth now rested euer heretofore and shall rest hereafter for euer If they demaund of the forme of gouernment It was in the primitiue Church and many yeares after in Asia Greece Affrick Europe dispersed abroad in all Churches at what tyme euery particular Church was gouerned by theyr peculiar Patriarches and not pente vppe and straighted into one hole vnder the commaundement of one man onely when also neither was any Byshoppe called vniuersall Byshoppe no nor my Lord Byshoppe of Rome called as then vniuersall Byshoppe I haue now told where our Church was before these fourtye yeares It remayneth that I be so bold to demaund agayne of them but especially of our Osorius that he vouchsafe to declare vnto vs where this fine Ciceronisme thys braue poolyshed speach where thys exquisited eloquence of writyng and speaking where this gorgeous furniture of fyled toūges this pyked and straunge statelynes of style was fourty yeares agoe where this wonderfull increase of Artes and Mathematicall sciences was will he eyther say that it is newely found out now or restored agayne rather and deliuered long sithence from olde auncient teachers If he will confesse that they be not new nor speciall deuises of our proper wittes but renewed and reuiued rather out of auncient authors let him then so account him selfe satisfied in his question touching the state of the Church not that it is a newe vpstart but reuiued from olde not garnished with new Coapes but returning agayne in her old Fryse gown For we doe not now build a new Church but we bring forth and beautifye the olde Church But now if any man will seéme to maruell what the verye cause reason should be that these artes and disciplines do rather in these dayes now florishe agayne at length after so long scylence and so long continuaunce in exile and banishment and would neédes know the very true naturall cause hereof What better aūswere shall I make him then that it is done by the speciall prouidence of GOD who of his inestimable goodnesse vouchsafed in these latter dayes to discouer abroad into the world the famous Art of Emprinting By meanes wherof aswell the seédes and principles of all liberall sciences as the knowledge of Diuinitye are extant and in dayly exercise not newly begon now but sproughted vppe of the olde Rootes and recouering their olde beauty So that you haue lesse cause to wonder Osorius that our Deuines beyng enlightened thus with so opē a light of the manifest scriptures and furnyshed with so great store of bookes and helpes of learning doe seé much more in matters of Diuinitye than many our Elders haue done Which helpes and furnitures of bookes if had bene so plentifull in those aūcient yeares of Gregory 7. Nicholas 2. and Innocent 3. for the exercise of wittes as we seé them now dayly and hourely handled and frequented beleue me Osorius The Pope of Rome had neuer so long lurcked in his lazye denne nor so long had bewitched the senses of selly ones with his leger demayne and crafty conueyaunce Nor had Osorius euer sturred his stumpes so stoughtly in this quarell agaynst Haddon Nor had Haddon bene forced to this streight to make defence of his Noueltye at this present But here some one of Osorius Impes will say peraduenture For as much as the state condition of the Church is such that wheresoeuer it be it must neédes be visible and apparaunt to be seéne not thrust vnder a bushell but set on hygh vpon an hill that it may shyne clearely vnto all and for as much also as the Churche of Rome was euer euē from the very swathlyng cloutes of Christian Religion of that excellency as to be able to Iustifie her dignitie and renowme by the whole and full agreable consent of all estates times and places euen vnto this day and that none other Church besides this one alone can mainteyne so lōg a continuaunce of yeares and so great a title of authoritie who may dought hereof but that this Seé of Rome is the onely Seé where onely is refiaunt a true face and profession of the true Church And that on the contrary part the Lutheranes Church beyng but of a few yeares continuaunce and neuer heard of before must therfore be accoumpted not worthy of place or name of a Church
nor vndertaken of any ranckor or malice nor supported with earthly treasure but to haue bene furthered and encreased by the speciall prouidence of almighty God Neither is it to be doubted if it had bene a pollicy of man onely and not rather the speciall appoyntment of the heauenly Father but that it could neuer haue bene able to haue endured and proceéded in so prosperous a course agaynst your so great and vnmeasurable Tyranny and agaynst so many conspyring confederates of factious furies Which onely successe if the Testimonies of holy scripture can not otherwise preuayle with you and the conduct of Gods mercy which guideth the stearne together with the prophecies and foreshewings which were apparauntly pronounced before the comming of Luther whereof many tokens sent from aboue are mentioned in the Chronicles of the Abbot of vsperge and in the booke entituled Staurosticon Iohannis Frauncisci and Picus Mirandula might haue bene good presidentes vnto you Osorius to instruct you that this Gospell is not the Gospell of Luther of Zuinglius of Bucer nor of Caluine ne yet of men as you prattle and lye but the Gospell of God and that the preachers were not raised vpp by Sathan as your impiety doth blaspheme but sent from an other founder namely the very same who in S. Iohns Reuelation is called by this name the word of God vpon whose Garment and vpon whose thigh is written King of kings and Lord of Lordes Out of whose mouth issueth a sharpe two edged sword agaynst the which neither all the confederate coūcels of the wicked nor Hell gates themselues shal be able to preuayle But to proceéde of the selfe same stampe is that slaunderous cauillation which this Scourgeluther hath coupled in Rancke Of the continuaunce of thirty yeares of title of prescription of the fiue yeares prosperous Reigne of Queene Elizabeth of the grayheadded auncienty of our doctrine and Religiō Wherein it pleased the hoareheadded Syre of his seémely modesty to trifle most apishly of purpose to represent vnto vs as I suppose that old toothlesse Witch of whom is made mention in a certain Greéke Poett Loe what a dust the old Trotte rayseth with her tayle when she daunceth For what if Uerity Trueth which is called the daughter of time being discouered with a farre more excellent lightsonnesse in these our dayes doe beginne to florish more fresh greéne in a certayn largesse of ouerflowing plenty by the inestimable benefite of God shall it therefore be accompted a newe doctrine in your sight because it is cloathed with flesh colors or because it buddeth out blossomes a fresh and is restored to the auncient beauty will you therefore call it new-hatcht neuer heard of before as though it were neuer seéne nor heard of before thirty yeares sithēce what shall we say of Christ who after three dayes lying in graue returned agayne to life frō out his Tombe was not he therfore the same Christ wh he was before his death We read in the Apocalips of two Prophetes whose bodyes being throwen out into the streétes did reuiue and came to life agayne after theé dayes and a halfe And after iij. dayes and a halfe sayth he the breath of life was breathed into thē by God c. The meanyng whereof cann not be extended any wayes to any thyng els but vnto the doctrine of the Gospell And what if the doctryne of the Gospell of Christ be nowe risen agayne into the open world out of the doungeon of darckenesse and deépe drowned blindenesse wherein it hath bene so long suppressed by you is it not therefore the same Gospell that it was alwayes before What did not Iohn Husse Ierome of Prage and the greater part of all Boheme embrace the same Gospell before Luther was borne was not the same order of Doctrine professed in England many yeares before our dayes in the time of Wiclef Swinderbee Brute and others also and in other places likewise amōgest others namely the Valdenses Albingenses with the Grecians Italians Moskouites in Asye in Affricke and in Europe Betengarius Bertrame Peter de Aliaco Iohn Scotus Peter Iohannes William de sancto amore Robert the frenchman whom the hott zealous Pope raked out of his graue and consumed with fire foure hundred yeares agoe Niemus Ioachimus Sauanarola Veselus many others in their time before theyr time with whose goare the bloudy slaughterhowse of the Tyrannous Pope was throughly embrued Did not all these worshipp the same Christ then that we doe professe at this present did they not confesse the same fayth and the same Articles of the Creéde that we do now professe Barnard in his dyscourse of the freé iustification by fayth did he not teach the same doctrine then that Luther hath vttered in writing Augustine disputyng vpon fayth and grace agaynst freé will doth he not treat vpon the same matter that Zuinglius and Caluine doe treat vpon now Of the vse of Sacramentes we haue extaunt with vs long treatises written in the Saxon toung many hundred yeares before those thirty yeares that you speake of witnesses and professours of the same doctrine and fayth which we Englishmen do acknowledge at this present If this be the cause that doth enduce you to thinke that we are entred vpon a new Gospell because we dare shake frō our shoulders the yoake of subiectiō vsurped by the Papisticall Seé the same did long before our dayes Robert Gostred a mā notably learned and famous who beyng Byshop of Lincolne and commaunded by speciall letters from Innocētius the Pope to enduct a certein boy a kinsman of his owne into a Benefice within the Byshopricke of Lincolne being unlearned and unskillfull of the Language did openly resist him and withall did most sharpely inueigh agaynst the Popes detestable prouisions as they call them But why doe I alledge examples of men for the ratifying of the continuaunce of Christes Gospell◠the creditt whereof doth neither depend vpon the maintenaunce of man nor is streighted within any prescription of tyme howsoeuer humaine actions tosse to an fro and neuer persist in any one setled state certes the Gospell of Christ if it be the Gospel of Christ in deede can not be any new or straunge thing nor can haue any other originall or author but Christ himselfe the very sonne of God But whereas in those latter dayes the tongues and mouthes of godly preachers being stopt and shutt vp through terror and Tyranny of the Pope not daring to manifest themselues in the open congregation be now sett at libertye by the boūtifull mercy of God and restored to their auncient Freédome shall we therefore accuse the Gospell of innouation or shall we rather embrace this great liberalitye of God with thankfulnes of mindes and geue our dutifull attendaunce vpon the trueth wherefore whereas this Portingall Parrot prateth so much of xxx or xl yeares limitation herein he behaueth himselfe very iniuriously He perceaueth now a new face
marke of Circumcision haue glorified your Church carrying the marke of the Beast vpon your crownes that Barbour of Horace whatsoeuer he be will serue for your turne much more fittly Upon which wordes of the Poet you proceéde forewarde But by what meanes doe you know me so well Who did euertell you say you that I haue not bestowed longer tyme vpon the Readyng of holy Scriptures then vpon Cicero Demosthenes Aristotle and Plato Truly if you perfourme in deéde Osorius as your wordes do emporte you are much to be commended But your bookes declare otherwise Howbeit we do nothyng mistrust but that you are busily exercized in readyng the Scriptures as your function and dignitie requireth nor did Haddon obrayde you with any such matter as that you did litle or nothyng at all apply the perusing and conference of Scriptures and so also did he meane nothyng lesse then to forbidd you beyng a Byshop as you say and a Priest from the study and practize of Gods holy Testament Wherein you doe vnhonestlye slaunder him and belye him without cause And therefore I cann not seé to what end these wordes of yours which you inferre hereupon and wherewith you seéme to fight with your owne shadow as it were do preuaile on this wise Is it lawfull for you to geue full liberty to wemen to Porters and Carters to tattle and clatter without Iudgement of matters of Diuinitie and will you presume to prohibite me I do not say a Byshop I do not say a Priest finally I do not say a mā many yeares exercised in the most sacred Scriptures furnished with no small encrease of knowledge but as you doe affirme a man of vnderstandyng and wisedome that I may not medle with this most holy learnyng Abate somewhat of your courage good my Lord Byshop I pray you if you can And lett vs reason together vpon some true allegations Tell vs a good fellowshypp where in what place when and at what tyme in whose presence with what phrase of wordes did Haddon euer forbidd you the study of heauenly Philosophy in speach or in thought If you can not Iustifie agaynst him by any meanes to what purpose then is all this so gorgeous and glorious floorish of wordes about the Mooneshine in the water But this braue Marchaunt would neédes blaze out his bracelettes and Iewells lately transported vnto him from out the Calecutes and therefore on this maner ietteth forth this Buskine Portingall Moreouer by what law by what authoritye by what power may it be lawfull for you being a Cyuilian to pearch so presumptuously to handle Gods booke Renouncing the proctorshipp for old Rotten walles windowes and gutters vyle and base contractes Couenaunts and bargains and pleading with pelting libells and may not I who am called to this function to instruct my flock committed vnto me with the word of God be so bold to employ some labour and diligence vpon the interpreting and expounding thereof without your comptrollement c. You haue heard an accusation tragicall enough if I be not deceaued and a very haynous complaynt of this babler For the rest now harken to the Morall of the Fable You offer me a double iniurye sayth he for you doe both entrude vpon an other mans possession and you dispossesse me from my right with most iniurious prohibitions c. Yea but if a man may be so bold vnder correction by your leaue being so great a Byshop so wise a Priest so great a Clarke to speake as the trueth is your selfe haue made two lyes together Osorius without touch of breath For neither he beyng a Ciuilian forsaking his pleadyng of walles windowes gutters doth entrude vpon any other mans possessions nor yet doth force you out of your owne right nor doth prohibite you with any such kynde of prohibitions but that you may proceéde in that course of studies which beseémeth your age profession best bestow as much trauaile thereupon as you can by all meanes possible Yea rather he doth earnestly perswade your holynesse thereunto Enioy therefore a Gods name those possessions which you clayme as your right as much and as longe as you may Haddon will neuer interrupt your course no more will any Christian man els driue you from your interest therein But in the meane space lett vs behold what maner of possessions these be whereof you speake verely if you meane the knowledge of Christ the word of lyfe holy Scriptures readyng hearing of heauenly Pphilosophye Certes I seé no cause why you should haue any more especiall prerogatiue in these possessiōs then any other Nor why this treasure ought apperteigne more to Osori because he is a Priest then to Haddon being a Ciuiliā for as much as by Godes institution this one learning aboue all other is prescribed to all persons indifferently as the chiefe and principall rule of this lyfe vnlesse we will accompt this saying Search the Scriptures to be spoken to Priestes onely and that for this cause Lawyers and Ciuilians ought not intermedle therein But if it were lawfull for Bartillmew Latomes being a Lawyer to write agaynst M. Bucer in matters of highest Diuinitye If Iulius Phlugius a professed Ciuilian might be warrāted by themperour Charles the 5. to sitt in Synodes and disputations of Deuines If Albert Pius Earle of Carporites writing agaynst Erasmus a Deuine and a Priest If King Henry the 8. doing the lyke agaynst Luther and descending into disputation in matters of Diuinitye being neither a Byshopp nor a Priest was supposed neuerthelesse to doe nothing vnseémely his Regall magnificence nor contrary to order Why is Haddon accused then as an encrocher vpon other mens possessions because being a Ciuilian he dare presume to encounter with a priest in matters of Religion But he should haue yelded ouer the charge of writing against you to Deuines and Byshops rather Truely it is not to be doughted but he would haue done so Osorius If in this kinde of conflict he could haue bene perswaded that he should haue contended agaynst a Deuine But whenas he perceaued by the course of your writing that your whole discourse sauored of nothing but of a Rhetorician and a Philosopher and that in your treaty of Diuinitye you alleadged skarse any one sentence of true Dyuinytye and sound doctrine he being himselfe a Rhetorician and withall throughly studyed in the same kinde of exercizes did conceaue in his minde that there could be no fitter match for him then being a Rhetorician to deale agaynst a Rhetorician as Bithus did in tymes past with Bachius that so with one manner of weapō and one kinde of furniture he might encoūter your lyes wherewith you doe so nimbly seéke the ouerthrow of the verytye In this poynt therefore of Haddons determination touching the debating of this cause he did nothing vncomely or vnseémely for his personage nor did he for this cause relinquish his owne walles and encroch vpon your possession yea so much
smoath Scholemaster that they geue not in the meane tyme to creadulous an eare to the counterfaicte craft of his proper pack but haue allwayes in minde the pythy sentence of Epicharmus the wise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And withall that they take especiall care if they haue a desire to imitate his wryting not to enure themselues in any wise to his sawcy malapertnes of slaundering or cursed speakyng Then which kinde of contagion as there can be no Canker more Pestilent skattered abroad emongest the conuersations of christian men so doe I more hartely wish that the vertuous witts of studious youth may not be polluted with this crawling skabbe And I cann not wonder sufficiently to thinke what frantique fury hath whirled this Prelate into such vnmeasurable outrage of rayling penne But the matter goeth well enough on our side namely that his raunging speéch is agreable to his disordered profession and his Lauish style is coupled with his lewd doctrine for what could haue bene more fitt for this bloudy Religion then bootcherly brawlyng and currish cauilling lyke vnto lyke yet how much more commendable hadd it bene and withall how much more sitting and seémely his personage and dignitye if espying any blemish or wrinckle in mens maners or errors that might haue bene offensiue he hadd as a Priest a Deuine and a Byshopp with friendly and milde application of persuadible Scriptures enduced the ignoraunt to better regard by gentle enstruction rather then with rigorous rayling and to haue geuen a simple demonstration of the soundnesse of his fayth rather then haue bruted abroad the beastely botch of his shamelesse impudencye It is the propertye of vertuous literature and ciuill discipline so called of the ciuilytye thereof to reclayme the raunging riott of wandering wittes to mildenes of maners and to a certein comely ciuilitye of meéke modestye Certes this sauadge sawcynesse wayward wrangling whether may be found emongest tyranous Turkes I know not surely is very vnseémely for learned men much more vncomely for Deuines but altogether blameworthy in Byshopps Moreouer besides the rule of Christian Religion surely reason it selfe would haue required this much at the least that in reproching other mens faults such as can not be mindefull of their owne should reproue no more in others then such as be faultes in deéde not causelesly condēne the innocent with forged crymes and malicious cauillations This also should haue bene foreseéne as an especiall poynt of a graue Deuine that he that of sett purpose will become a prowling pickethanke of other mens eskapes should first peruse their bookes with earnest bent heédefulnes should aduisedly note the maner of the errors and make faythfull report of the same accordingly not foreiudging the thinges which he knoweth not nor carping ouer greédely the thinges that he vnderstandeth not nor corruptly deprauing the rest that is well spoken But our Osorius here doth inueigh agaynst men whom he neuer sawe doth defame their lyfe whom he neuer knew doth with his currishe Eloquence gnaw the bookes that he neuer handled condemning the cause first before both partyes be heard confuting first before he vnderstand what requireth refutation Not much swaruing from the example of some in these dayes Uenetians and Italians especially who being enflamed with canckred malice agaynst the French Hugonoughtes whom they neuer sawe being demaunded of their Paramoures and other vnskilfull young headds concerning the qualyties and disposition of those Hugonoughts doe aunswere that they be not men but certein mōstruous shapes of men hauing Dogges faces glowing eyes Boares Tuskes sprouting along their snoughtes Dragons heads fowle outstretched cheekes lowling eares from the crowne of the headd to the bottome of the shoulders Finally they doe describe them out in most vgly mishapen deformitye not because they be such kinde of people in deéde but because they may by this meanes make them to be more enuyed and more malitiously hated Not much otherwise this good man Osorius here doth besturre himselfe agaynst the Lutherans First wheresoeuer he may heare of any persons that be named Lutherans though he know not the men themselues yet doth he by by conceaue in his brayne by the very name Imagine them to be such as he hath paynted out here in his Bookes to witte Outcastes Churchrobbers Traytours Scorpions Murtherers Leacherous the firebrandes and whirlewindes of all the world Enemies of mankynde Spoylers of Princes Heretiques Scismatickes Botches of Religiō Rooters out of all vertue Finally skarsely men but vnder mens countenaūces nothing but hellhoundes raysed vp of Sathā himselfe Agayne wheresoeuer he doth heare of any mischieuous naughty packes treacherous villanyes common Barretours or any infamed persons reproched for any corruption of opinions errours sectes scysmaticall deuisions heresies or notorious for any other deteitable crime or execrable mischiefe he doth for forthwith conclude all those whatsoeuer vnder the common name of Lutheranes without exception as it were within one predicamēt euen as though there were no contradiction contrariety or diuersity of sectes people iudgemēts and factions in the world but Lutheranes onely Furthermore as though all this sufficed not to procure thē to be maligned enough he hath forged hereunto opinions false horrible blasphemous which neither entred into their thought at any time nor euer eskaped frō out their mouthes or writing which although appeare manifestly in infinite places and manifest tokens euery where yet lett this one be admitted for examples sake What sayth he shall I beleue that I shall recouer health so long as I do not feele my selfe stricken and pynched wyth any such gryefe of sicknesse that I make no force whether any medicine be applied so long as I nourish myne owne sicknesse so long as mine owne wickednesse doth delight me c. No in deéde I do not beleéue it nor doe I thinke it worthy to be beleéued And I pray you what one of all the Lutheranes did euer dreame of any such thing in his sleépe or euer taught it being awake when consciences are shakē with engines of distrust as oftentimes happeneth amongst the faithfull being in affliction whereas the whole force of the mind doth imagine all possible wayes by what meanes it may counteruayle the wrath and indignation of God The Lutheranes here haue sett downe a plaister for this soare taken out of the Phisick of Scripture namely Fayth onely and the merites of Christ Iesu On the contrary part Osor. vrgeth very stoughtly that we are not reconciled vnto God by fayth in Christ onely but by onely righteousnes of workes wherein we doe exercise our selues thorough the ayde assistaūce of grace how true this assertiō of his is I do appeale herein to the secret iudgementes of the learned In the meane space lett the godly Reader consider well with what slaunders and iniurious accusations he doth reproch godly and vertuous personages for whereas they do treate of the greéuous assaultes combates of tormented consciences properly and of sinners