conuersion is also required the helpe of God And by this meanes they diuide the whole matter betwéene GOD and man But Augustine and manie other of the fathers ascribe the whole act of our iustificaon vnto GOD onelie But as touching this place of Zacharie it may be expounded two maner of waies first that those are the words of the lawe commanding and yet by them cannot be prooued An exposition of a place in Zacharie that a man may be conuerted vnlesse God conuert him For of it Augustine thus writeth Lord giue that which thou commandest and command what thou wilt Another exposition is this In iustification are two inward motions whereof the one perteineth vnto reason which as we haue said hath néed not onelie to be taught What are the inward motions of iustification but also to be persuaded and to be forced to yéeld to the intent of the holie Ghost the other motion perteineth vnto the will that the same may be bowed to receiue all those things which the holie Ghost promiseth and offereth And this is the faith by which we are iustified and whereby our sinnes are forgiuen vs. But forsomuch as these things were doone secretlie in the inward parts of the mind the prophet speaketh not of them but rather spake of those that followe for man after he is once iustified beginneth to be conuerted vnto good works Wherefore he which before liued dissolutelie and wickedlie now behaueth himselfe well and orderlie and being renewed with grace and the spirit worketh togither with the power of God Of this conuersion the prophet speaketh when he saith Be conuerted vnto me And God promiseth to heape vp great benefits vpon them which is signified by this And I will be conuerted vnto you For before when he withdrew from them his benefits and afflicted them with captiuities and other miseries he séemed to be turned awaie from them Wherefore the prophet spake not of the inward iustification but of the outward conuersion vnto good works But Ieremie when he said Conuert vs Lord and we shall be conuerted had a respect to this inward motions of the mind which we haue now described But our men of Trent when they thus saie although they feigne that they differ from the Pelagians yet in verie déed they can neuer prooue it They saie that they denie not grace but in verie déed they meane such a grace as the Pelagians would neuer haue denied Degrees of iustification appointed by the Syned of Trent 46 But let vs sée what degrées and what preparations these men appoint to iustification First saie they a man which is to be iustified called and stirred vp by the grace of God beginneth to beléeue those things which are written in the holie scripture then is he both smitten with the feare of sinnes which he hath committed afterward looking vpon the mercie of God he beginneth to hope well this hope being conceiued he loueth God which loue bréedeth in him a certeine detestation of sinnes and a purpose to liue well lastlie he receiueth baptisme or the sacrament of penance and herein saie they consisteth iustification For other things which went before were onelie preparations But these men sée not that we ought far otherwise to iudge of baptisme For the holie scriptures doo teach Rom. 4 10. that Abraham was first iustified by faith in vncircumcision and then he receiued circumcision as a seale of righteousnes alredie receiued This selfesame consideration according to the analogie must be kept in baptisme for our baptisme answereth vnto the circumcision of the fathers of the old testament A confutation of these degrees When these men say that faith the feare of God hope charitie detestation of sinne a new purpose of honest life are onelie certeine preparations vnto iustification they decrée that a man may be perfect before he be iustified Then they adde the causes of our iustification and begin at the finall cause What causes of iustification they of Trent assigne and that saie they is the glorie of God and our saluation The efficient cause they saie is God himselfe of his méere mercie The meritorious cause as they call it they adde to be Christ Iesus by his death vpon the crosse and the shedding of his bloud and hitherto indéed not amisse The formall cause they saie is the iustice of God not that iustice wherby he himselfe is iust but that which he communicateth vnto vs whereby we trulie both are counted iust and also are so indéed By which words they vnderstand the renewing of a man now regenerate his new forming by grace and the holie Ghost The which things that they are doone in a man alreadie iustified we denie not but that iustification consisteth therein we cannot grant Rom. 3 4 and .6 For Paule hath affirmed it to stand in this point that Our sinnes are forgiuen vs and that they are no more imputed vnto vs. And to confirme this Psal 32 1. In whom properlie iustification consisteth Gen. 15 6. he citeth a testimonie out of Dauid Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen And also that saieng in Genesis Abraham beleeued God and it was counted vnto him for righteousnes And to the end he might expresse the thing more plainelie he oftentimes in the selfe-same place vseth this word Imputation And therfore we saie that in that righteousnes instauration wherby we are fashioned anew by God cannot consist iustificatiō bicause the same through our corruption is vnperfect so that we cannot stand therewith before the iudgement seate of Christ Further they saie that this righteousnesse wherby they wil haue vs to be iustified is distributed vnto euerie man by the holie Ghost as it pleaseth him This indéed may be for the holie Ghost is the disposer as it were th'administrator in the distribution of the gifts of God Iustification consisteth not in that righteousnes which cleaneth in vs. But they go on further and saie According to the measure of the preparation but this can by no meanes be borne withall For we haue before shewed out of the fathers and chéefelie out of the holie scriptures that all those things which are doone before iustification are sinnes so far is it off that they can merit and prepare vnto iustification Further these men doo teach that if iustification be receiued men can neuer be sure and certeine of the same but must néeds be euermore doubting and full of care And when we obiect that this is to derogate from the truth of the promises of God the dignitie of grace they denie that to be true For they saie that they doubt not of the promises of God but when they looke vpon their owne indispositions as they call them then at the length they begin of necessitie to doubt Certeinelie this is not to be maruelled at for if a man haue a regard to his owne vnwoorthines he shall not only doubt of the promises of God but also shall be
that men ought to haue in forbearing wicked workes 2 573 b Intercession Who maketh Intercession for vs in heauen 3 306 b 308 b How it is meant that it is Christ 3 308 b Necessarie to the holiest of all 3 308 a Howe it is the cause of the intercession of the holy ghost 3 307 b 308 a Of the Intercession of sainctes 3 308 a Whether it be auaileable for them in Purgatorie 3 243 a 308 ab Interpretations False Interpretations of scriptures 4 74 b Christ reiected them 4 75 a Inuentions The Ceremonies of the law must not be compared with the Inuentions of men as the Nicodemus doe 2 320 b Inuocation The Inuocation of sainctes vsed by the Papistes is ydolatrous 2 307 b 308 a A good exposition of a place in Iohn against the Inuocation of saincts 2 347 b Io. Iohn Baptist Howe Iohn Baptist came in the spirite of Elias 3 384 b Ioy. Of the Ioy that is ioyned with hope 3 86 a The Ioy which Plato ascribeth vnto the minde defined 1 134 b Is Israelites A difference of Israelites 3 354 a What manner of cause they had against the Chanaanits 4 299 a ¶ Looke Ievves Iu. Iudge Iudge not and yee shal not be iudged expounded 4 259a b 289b Iudges It greatlie auaileth iudges of the lawes because of giuing punishments and rewards to knowe what is done voluntarie and not voluntarie 2 28 a ¶ Looke magistrates Iudgement of God What wee haue to learne by the particular examples of Gods Iudgement 3 386 b It beginneth at Gods owne house 3 286 ab Repentance doth not alwaies chaunge it no not in the godlie 1 207 b A difference of it in one thing and in diuers things one iudgment noted by Augustine 1 198 b Iudgment of the last day of doome Of the chaunge of all things at the last Iudgement 3 393a b what thing shall be then immortall 3 397 ab A certaine foreknowledge thereof naturallie planted in vs. 3 388 a How all shall sée Christ then 2 603 b Thrée markes thereof 3 388 b Who shall come to be examined there 2 626 b How Christ hath knowledge thereof and howe not 3 385 b 386 a Why Christ will then make mention of outward workes 3 113 a It is called mercie 3 53 b 54 a Whether the substance and nature of things shall remaine after the same 3 394 ab 395 a A description thereof 2 625 ab Iudgement of men The parts of right Iudgement in magistrates 4 246 ab Peruerse vsed against Christ and his members 2 625 b 626 a How farre it doth extend 2 626 a Ecclesiastical not taken away by the Gospel 2 532a A distinction of Iudgement 3 63 a Priuate and publike 2 532 a Priuate of two sorts 2 532a From whence priuate Iudgement springeth 2 532a Publike and of going to lawe 4 276b 277 ab After what sort Paul forbiddeth it 2 531 b Not to be giuen vpon all actions and why 2 533 a What Iudgement resisteth faith 3 63 a Why it must not be giuen of men according to first sight 3 13 ab What Iudgement we should haue of our neighbour 3 48 a Thrée thinges whereof we ought not to giue our Iudgement 2 532 b Necessarie in Church Common-weale and housholde and howe 2 531 b 532 a A kinde of Iudgement in brute beasts but not a frée iudgement 2 256 b 257 a What thing should withdrawe vs from rash Iudgement 2 532 a Of the error of Iudgement in it owne obiects 2 407 b What we must obserue in giuing of Iudgement 2 532 a Iudgement without mercie remaineth to him that hath not shewed mercie expounded 4 254 b Iulian. Iulian the Apostataes vaine glorie 2 383 a The confession that he made of Christ 1 13 b Iust Of diuerse that were called Iust whereupon 2 569 b ¶ Looke Righteous Iustice of God and Christ The Iustice of God noted in appointing some to be saued and some to be damned 2 220 b 221 a 3 11 b 387 ab It must not be blamed if the fathers sinnes be powred into the children 2 240 a Whether we abolish it by taking away of Purgatorie 3 245 a It hath no néede of our defence 2 221 b How the Iustice of God is blamed and defended 3 21 ab A time when Christ Iustice was hidden and when it shal be knowne 2 626 b Iustice of man Whether Iustice haue his name of Ius right 4 245 b 246 a Whether right or it be first and foremost 4 246 a Nothing must be doone for teare against it 4 299 b How it is to be ministred 4 246 a Whereto it serueth and the ende of the same 1 1 b Friendship consisteth therein and what if that faile 2 423 b It is as well his good that iudgeth as his also who is iudged 1 142 b The parts thereof rightly executed 4 246 ab Why friendship is more conuenient than it 3 258 a Ciuill Iustice among men but not before God is sufficient 2 408 b Iustifie The signification of this worde to Iustifie 3 89 ab An analogie betwéene the two words to beléeue and to Iustifie 3 89 b To Iustifie from sinnes is the worke of Christ 3 129 b 130 a What grace we ought to confesse to iustifie vs. 3 152 b Whether grace and a weake faith haue the power to Iustifie 2 261 b Wherein grace following works agréeth and differeth from grace before going and that they both iustifie 2 261b God is said to Iustifie two manner of wayes 3 89 ab Iustified To be iustified what it is 3 76 a Whether we are iustified by faith onely 3 108 a Proofes that wée are 3 125 ab How it appeareth 3 142 a Whether fréely before baptisme 3 236 b 237 a What it is to be iustified by grace and by the grace of Christ 3 48 b Whether all the forefathers were iustified by the same faith that wée are 3 151 b Euen to the iustified the vse of the lawe is necessarie 2 576b Why they that be doe pray still for their sinnes 2 266 a Séeing wee be wherfore are we subiect vnto death 3 315 a At what time Abraham was iustified 3 136 a To the not iustified nothing is remitted of the rigor of the lawe 3 140a Not the hearers but the dooers of the lawe shal be iustified expounded 3 116 b Iustification Whereof Iustification commeth 3 99 a The efficient cause the ende and instrument of our iustification 3 125 b What thinges are required thereto 3 105 b Whether it consist in faith onely 3 154 b Auouched by Chrysostome 2 262 b The nature thereof and of prouidence all one 3 98 a Why it is ascribed to faith not to charitie 3 75 b Saluation began thereby 2 260. all 261 a By faith and not by faith 3 60 b Iustification euen in the catechumenie and conceiued sonnes of God 2 261 a Euen after it sinne remaineth in vs. 2 266 a Whether hope and charitie bee excluded
our minds for thus it is written Why art thou so heauie ô my soule Psal 42 12. Why art thou so discouraged Hope in God for I will yet make my confession vnto him my safetie is in his countenance Why God disappointeth vs of the outward aid Neither dooth God commonlie for anie other cause disappoint his people of the outward aids and helps of this world but to gather their scattered hope and not to suffer it to leane vnto too manie aids and these sundrie and manifold aids he changeth for one principall aid and the same most firme to the end we should depend vpon him By this difference of a firme hope the christians doo much differ from the Epicures and Ethniks A great difference betweene the hope of the Christians and of the Ethniks for the Ethniks if there come anie great calamitie to them straitwaie they exclame and crie out If there be a God that hath a care of these things if there be a God that séeth these things So they call not vpon God but being in despaire vtterlie discourage themselues But contrariwise godlie men most constantlie crie vnto God neither doubt they but that their praiers reach vp euen vnto heauen and that God hath a care both ouer them and also ouer all that they haue The fourth Chapter Of Iustification Vpon the epistle to the Romans at the end of the 11. chapter This place is also treated of vpon the 1. to the Cor. 1. about the end and vpon Genesis 15. verse 6. IT shall now be a profitable thing to intreat of iustification which is the scope and end of all that Paule teacheth in the epistle to the Romans Let this question be put foorth after this sort namelie whether men be iustified by works or by faith The question is put faith But first of all it shall be good to discusse the words of the question proposed and we will begin with this word iustification This verbe Tsadac The signification â—f this word To iustifie with the Hebrues in the first coniugation signifieth To be iust but if it be transferred vnto the third coniugation it signifieth To transferre righteousnes into an other and to make iust For this is the efficacie of the forme of those verbes which they call Hiphil Euen as Amad signifieth To stand so Heemid signifieth To appoint that is To make an other thing to stand Wherefore Hitsdic in the Hebrue signifieth To iustifie that is To make one iust which thing when it is done of God Two maner of waies God is said to iustifie it is done of him two maner of waies For somtimes he doth assuredlie bring foorth righteousnes in men First when God with his holie spirit frameth them againe wholie reneweth them in restoring the strength of their minds deliuering the powers of man from a great part of his naturall corruption and this is the first righteousnes which sticketh cleaueth to our minds by the benefit of God through Christ Secondlie when he hath so restored and made them new againe he giueth iust and holie workes by the vse and continuance of which works a qualitie or as they call it an habit is ingendered in our minds whereby we are made pliant to liue honestlie and godlie and we denie not but this kind of righteousnes is in the harts of the regenerate But sometimes God iustifieth in absoluing vs from sinnes and ascribing and imputing righteousnes and then this word Hitsdic is a word taken of the law which perteineth to iudgment as also this word Hâ—…schiah which signifieth To declare one to be an offender a wicked person And to iustifie in iudgement is by words testimonies and affirmation to count one for iust And forsomuch as these are the two significations of this word To iustifie namelie either in déed or in account and estimation and God is the author of either of them whether of these two shall we followe in the disputation proposed Forsooth the latter We now intreat of the latter foâ—me of iustifieng and that for bicause the renouation inspired by the spirit of God and our righteousnes as touching the habit gotten by good works are whilest we liue here so vnperfect and maimed that if iudgement should be giuen by them we might not be able to stand before the iudgement seate of God Besides that Paule disputing of this matter Rom. 4 3. after he had brought foorth the authoritie of Dauid and a testimonie of the historie of Abraham in Genesis vseth this word of imputing and by the proper signification thereof he reasoneth touching this present cause or question And this I suppose to be sufficient as touching the declaration of the first word namelie Iustification 2 Now let vs intreat of Faith Aman among the Hebrues in the first coniugation signifieth What this word Faith signifieth To be firme the verie which verbe in the third coniugation being called as I haue said Hiphil signifieth To giue constancie and assurednes to anie promise or thing Wherefore the Latines saie Fidem homini aut verbis tribuâ—re which is in English To giue faith or credit vnto a man or vnto words and it signifieth euen as much as if a man should saie To beleeue Wherfore this Hebrue verbe Heemin signifieth none other thing than To suppose or thinke a thing to be firme constant and true And as touching God he which beléeueth not him maketh him a lier for Iohn saith in his first epistle the 5. chapter He which beleeueth not God verse 10 maketh him a lier Which thing how gréeuous a sinne it is let euerie man consider with himselfe Contrariwise he which beléeueth God adorneth him with glorie honor Rom. 4 20. for in the epistle to the Romans it is written of Abraham that he staggered not through doubting through the consideration of his owne bodie or of the wombe of Sara being in a maner past child bearing but gaue the glorie vnto God being strong in faith An analogie between the two words To beleeue and to iustifie and fullie persuaded that he was able to performe whatsoeuer he would Wherefore there séemeth to be a certeine analogie or proportion betwéene this word To beleeue and that To iustifie as we in this place take it for as To iustifie is by waie of iudging accounting to ascribe righteousnes to a man and not to make him to be in verie déed iust so To beleeue is not in verie déed to make the words and promises of anie man sure and firme but to thinke and determine with our selues that so they are But this act of beléeuing whereof we now entreate hath two maner of firmnes and certeintie First of the things namelie of the words and promises of God which abide much more firmlie than heauen and earth A double certeintie of faith Secondlie as touching the persuasion it selfe which séeing it is wrought by the power of God it is also
verie much deceiued for vnles they deuise some new Grammar vnto themselues vndoutedlie this word According signifieth not the cause But Christ saie they in his last iudgement séemeth to expresse these to be as it were causes for the which the kingdome of heauen is giuen vnto them for thus will he saie I was hungrie Mat. 25 35. and ye fed me I was thirstie and ye gaue me drinke But Christ doth not in verie déed rehearse these things as causes but rather those things which went before Why Christ in the last iudgment will make mention of outward works Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome which was prepared for you from the beginning of the world For the true cause of our felicitie is bicause we are elected and predestinate of God to the eternall inheritance for they which are in this number are in their time adorned with faith whereby they being iustified haue right vnto eternall life But bicause this faith is hidden neither can it be séene and that Christ will haue all men to vnderstand that none but the iust are receiued into the kingdome of heauen therfore reherseth he these outward works that by them it might plainlie be perceiued that righteousnes is giuen vnto men by faith For there is no man which can be so ignorant There be two manie of principles of things 1. Sam. 2 3◠but that he knoweth that there are two foundations and principles of things the one wherby they are the other whereby they are knowne Againe they obiect out of the first of Samuel Those that honour me I honour and those that loue me I loue Here saie they the promise is made vnto the worke But if they would make a distinction betwéene the promise of the gospell and the promises of the lawe they should easilie vnderstand that that place is nothing repugnant vnto our saieng For if we could of our selues satisfie the commandements of the lawe then might it be the cause why the promise shuld be giuen vnto vs but forsomuch as no man is able to performe it all men flie vnto Christ and are through faith in him iustified Then by a certeine obedience begun we begin to worke which although it be not exactlie done according vnto the rule of the commandement yet it pleaseth God and he of his méere liberalitie performeth the promise which was adioined vnto that worke And so those conditions which are adioined vnto the precepts are not vnprofitable for they that are iustified atteine vnto them Neither are these men ashamed to cite these words out of the 25. psalme verse 18. Looke vpon my humilitie my labour and forgiue me all my sins as though our labours and afflictions are the causes of the remission of sinnes But in this place Dauid being in most gréeuous calamities desireth of God to forgiue him all his sins that if he were angrie for his sinnes the cause of punishments might be taken awaie For here is not intreated of labours which a man taketh vpon him of his owne voluntarie will but of punishments laid vpon men by God A similitude We sée also that children whilest they are beaten of their maisters doo desire forgiuenes and pardon If thou giue an almes vnto one that is leprous the leprosie cannot properlie be called the cause of thy compassion or mercie for otherwise all that passed by the leper should doo the same but the true cause thereof is the louing affection in thy mind 32 But they saie moreouer that in the holie scriptures much is attributed vnto repentance which thing we denie not But we on the other side would haue them to vnderstand that repentance is the fruit of faith and that no man can profitablie repent him of his sinnes vnlesse he first beléeue They also boast of manie things touching confession A distinction of confession But thereof we make a distinction for either it is separated from hope and faith as it was in Iudas which confessed that he had sinned Matt. 27 4. in béetraieng the iust bloud and that confession is so farre off from bringing anie profit that it is a preparatiue vnto desperation and also to destruction Or else it is ioined with faith and hope as it was in Dauid and Peter and so it is not the cause but the effect of iustification for it followeth faith Auricular confession and goeth not before it The auricular confession also of the papists is altogither superstitious wherefore we vtterlie contemne it for they obtrude it as a thing necessarie vnto saluation and a cause why sinnes should be forgiuen which they are neuer able to prooue by anie testimonie of the holie scriptures They violentlie wrest this also out of the Lords praier Matt. 6 12. Forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. verse 14. Againe Forgiue and it shal be forgiuen you Ergo saie they the forgiuenesse of iniuries is the cause why our sinnes are forgiuen vs. Forgiue vs our trespasses expounded This their reason as the cōmon saieng is with the one hand stroketh the head with the other giueth a blowe For if the forgiuenes of iniuries should as these men would haue it deserue remission of sinnes then that remission should be no remission for after thou hast once paid the price there is nothing can be forgiuen thée but then hath remission place when the price is not paid And as touching that place we first desire that our sinnes should be forgiuen vs. And bicause that by benefits receiued men are incouraged to hope that they shall receiue other greater benefits therfore this is the meaning of that sentence O Father which hast of thy fatherlie goodnes giuen vs grace to forgiue iniuries vnto our trespassours forgiue vnto vs also our sinnes Now by these words is not signified a cause but a similitude although that similitude be not perfect absolute For none that is wise would haue his sinnes so forgiuen him of God as he hath forgiuen his neighbour the iniuries that he hath doone vnto him For euerie one by reason of the flesh and that infirmitie which it carieth about forgiueth much lesse vnto his brother than he ought for there sticketh alwaies in his mind some offense which although it burst not foorth yet his owne conscience is a sufficient witnesse vnto himselfe that his mind is not verie perfect and entire towards him by whome he hath béene hurt But the former exposition teacheth that the similitude is to be referred not vnto remission but vnto the liberalitie of GOD that euen as he hath giuen the one so also he will vouchsafe to giue the other But whereas it is said Forgiue and it shal be forgiuen that is a commandement and therefore it perteineth to the lawe But thou wilt obiect that this sentence was writen in the Gospell and not in the lawe That maketh no matter The lawe and the Gospell are not separated by
most assured that he cannot be iustified But the holie scriptures teach far otherwise for they set foorth vnto vs the example of Abraham Rom. 4 18. A man being iustified doubteth not of his iustification how that He contrarie to hope beleeued in hope and that he when now he was well-néere an hundred yéeres of age had no regard either to the barrenesse of his owne bodie or else vnto the wombe of Sara being past child-bearing that he stood not in a mamering through distrust but was by faith confirmed and most certeinelie persuaded that God was able to performe whatsoeuer he had promised This example teacheth vs that we ought not to haue regard vnto those things which either may or séeme to hinder our iustification but out faith ought vtterlie to be fixed in the words and promises of GOD. But contrariwise these men will call vs backe to our owne indispositions as they call them and will haue vs therefore alwaies to be in doubt of our iustification Indéed we ought not to dissemble whatsoeuer imperfection or fault is in vs and that bicause it may be daily corrected amended yet ought we not therefore to be in doubt and wauering touching our iustification and the grace of God 47 Now haue we to prooue the second proposition A confirmation that we are iustified by faith namelie that a man is iustified by faith which we intend first to prooue by testimonies of the holie scriptures Paule in the 1. chapter of the epistle to the Romans defineth the Gospell that It is the power of GOD to saluation to euery one that beleeueth Rom 1 16. In these words is touched the efficient cause of our iustification namelie The power of God and the end which is Our saluation and also the instrument whereby it is receiued namelie Faith for he addeth Vnto euerie one that beleeueth And this he confirmeth by a testimonie of Abacuke the prophet Abac. 2 4. in which sentence he was so much delighted that he vseth it both to the Galathians Gala. 3 11. Heb. 10 38. and also to the Hebrues in the selfe-same sense He addeth moreouer The wrath of God was reuealed from heauen Rom. 1 18. by reason of the knowledge of the philosophers which did with-hold the truth of God in vnrighteousnes and who at such time as they knew God glorified him not as God but fell to the worshipping of idols But contrariwise Ibid. 17. in the Gospell is reuealed the righteousnes of God namelie that righteousnes whereby men are iustified from faith to faith which phrase of speach we haue in his due place sufficientlie expounded Vpon the third chapter Now is the righteousnesse of God saith he made manifest without the lawe Rom. 3 21. the righteousnesse I saie of God by the faith of Iesus Christ in all and vpon all them which beleeue in him And a little afterward Wherefore being iustified freelie by his grace Ibid. 24. by the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whome God hath set foorth to be a reconciliation through faith in his bloud Here also is not onelie shewed the grace by which God fréelie iustifieth vs but also Christ and his death is set foorth that it may manifestlie appéere that he is the reconciliator and the mediator Wherevnto is added faith whereby we receiue the fruit of his redemption for the setting foorth also of his righteousnes in this time that he himselfe might be iust iustifieng him which is of the faith of Iesus Christ If men could by their works get vnto themselues righteousnes the righteousnes of God should not then in such sort be declared but séeing we perceiue it is communicated to vs by faith without anie preparation of works it must néeds séeme vnto vs verie great And amongst other things which God requireth of men this is the chéefest that they should not anie thing glorie of themselues But if iustificatiō consist of works men might boast of their own trauell indeuor but seing we are fréelie iustified by faith there is no place left for boasting Wherfore Paule saith Thy boasting is excluded By what lawe Rom. 3 27. By the lawe of works No but by the lawe of faith Wherefore he concludeth after this maner verse 28. We iudge that a man is iustified by faith without works And that we should not thinke that proposition to be particular he declareth that it is vniuersall verse 29. God saith he is he the God of the Iewes onlie Is he not also the God of the Gentils Yes of the Gentils also for it is one God which iustifieth vncircumcision through faith and circumcision by faith Wherefore euen as there is but one God ouer all men so iustifieth he all men by one and the selfe-same waie Rom. 4. 48 And in the fourth chapter he saith But vnto him that worketh not but beleeueth in him which iustifieth the wicked faith is imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes By this sentence both works are excluded and also faith is set foorth by which is imputed righteousnes vnto men And straitwaie he addeth of Abraham that He is the father of all them that beleeue Ibid. 11. being vncircumcised that it might also be imputed vnto them and that he is the father of circumcision not onelie vnto them which are of circumcision but also vnto them which walke in the steps of faith which was in the vncircumcision of Abraham our father Afterward by the nature of the promise he sheweth that iustification is by faith Ibid. 13. for he saith By the lawe was not the promise made vnto Abraham and vnto his seed to be the heire of the world but by the righteousnes of faith for if those which are of the lawe should be heires then should faith be abolished and the promise made void In these words are two excellent things to be noted The first is that the promise is frée neither it is ioined with the condition of works and therefore séeing faith as a correlatiue is referred vnto the promise it must néeds followe that it is such as the promise is and therefore it hath a respect vnto the promise by it selfe and not to the condition of our vntowardnesse or indisposition as the holie Fathers of Trent doo teach The second is that if the inheritance and righteousnes should depend of that condition of works then had there béene no néed of the promise for men might haue said Why is that fréelie promised vnto vs which we maie claime vnto our selues by our owne endeuour and labour Or why is it so necessarie that we should beléeue séeing by our owne works we can atteine vnto righteousnes Afterward Paule addeth the finall cause why iustification commeth by faith By grace saith he that the promise might be firme verse 17. for if by our owne works and preparations we could be iustified the promise should alwaies be vnstedfast neither could we appoint anie certeintie of it Afterward
Pighius bicause our aduersaries count him for their Achilles or chéefe champion and thinke that he onelie by his subtill sharpe wit hath pearsed euen into the secretest mysteries of the truth And this man vseth this cauillation A Cauillaton Ye are not iustified by that from which this iustification maie be separated for it is not possible that the causes should be pulled awaie or separated from their effects But faith is separated from iustification Whether iustification maie be separated from faith for manie that beléeue doo notwithstanding liue most shamefullie so farre is it off that they séeme to be iustified But bicause he thinketh that this maie be denied he bringeth a reason to prooue that it is not against the nature and definition of faith but that iustification maie be separated from it And he maketh an obiection out of the 13. chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians verse 3. If I haue all faith so that I can remooue mountaines and haue not charitie I am nothing By these words he concludeth that faith maie be separated from charitie and therefore from all good works He citeth this also out of Matthew Matt. 7 22. Manie shall come in that daie and shall saie Lord in thy name we haue prophesied and haue cast out diuels and haue wrought signes But vnto them shall answer be made I knowe you not These signes saith Pighius can not be doone without faith Wherefore séeing that they are shut foorth from the kingdome of heauen which doo yet these things it is cleare that they were not iustified wherefore in them faith was separated from righteousnes But this he thinketh is much more plainlie confirmed by Iohn for he saith That manie rulers of the priests beleeued in Christ Iohn 12 4◠which yet durst not openlie professe him But they which flie from the confession of the name of Christ are farre from saluation for Christ himselfe saith Mark 8 28. He that is ashamed of me before men of him will I be ashamed before my father These arguments although at the first sight they séeme to haue some shew yet if a man more narrowlie examine them he shall sée that that well agréeth with them The iudgement of Epictetus touching his owne books which Epictetus pronounceth of his books 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is These are but sights or ghosts of the dreames of hell Wherfore we must diligentlie ponder these reasons and not iudge of them by the first sight And euen as in coines of monie we vse not so much to haue a regard vnto the inscriptions A similitude or images as to the goodnesse and weight of the matter so also in arguments ought we to weigh and regard not so much the shew and colour of them as the thing it selfe and the strength of them We first denie that faith can be separated from iustification And whereas Pighius saith That that is not repugnant vnto the nature and definition of faith we in no wise admit it for against that opinion are all the holie scriptures and the true sense of the definition of faith and also the Fathers For as touching the scriptures Iohn saith He that beleeueth that Iesus is Christ 1. Iohn 5 1. the sonne of God is borne of God and he which is borne of God sinneth not For so long as faith beareth swaie in our harts we commit not those sinnes which destroie the conscience and alienate vs from GOD. How then saith Pighius that it is not against the nature of faith to be separated from iustification and from good works especiallie séeing Iohn saith Iohn 3 6. He which sinneth knoweth not God This thing also sawe the Fathers for Cyprian Cyprian De simplicitate praelatorum where he complaineth of the vngratiousnesse of his time for that charitie feare good works and such like were waxen verie cold thus writeth No man thinketh vpon the feare of things to come no man considereth the daie of the Lord and the wrath of God and that vpon the vnbeléeuers shall come punishments and that euerlasting torments are appointed for the vnfaithfull of which things our conscience would be afraid if it beléeued but bicause it beléeueth not therefore is it vtterlie without feare and if it beléeued then also would it beware and if it did beware then also should it escape These words declare that with true faith is ioined the feare of God and the eschewing of eternall punishments and auoiding of sinnes Now let Pighius go and saie that true faith can be separated from holie motions of the mind and from good works This selfe-same thing doth Ierome togither with Cyprian affirme against the Luciferians Ierome And if saith he I beléeued trulie I would cleanse that hart wherewith GOD is séene I would with my hands knocke my brest I would with teares water my chéekes I would haue in my bodie a horror I would be pale in mouth I would lie at the féete of my Lord and would wash them with wéeping and wipe them with my haires I would vndoubtedlie cleaue fast vnto the stocke of the crosse neither would I let go my hold thereof before I had obteined mercie Hereby also it is manifest that with true faith are ioined good works and repentance The definition of faith declareth that it can not be separated from iustification A similitude 56 But as touching the definition and nature of faith it may easilie be prooued that it can not be separated from iustification and from good works that is from his effects For faith is no common but a firme and vehement assent and that procéeding from the holie Ghost And if a poore caitife being condemned to die should receiue a promise onelie at the hand of a man that he should be deliuered and should giue credit vnto those words straitwaie his mind would wholie be changed to mirth and would begin inwardlie to loue the man that promised him such things and would pleasure him in what thing so euer laie in his power How much more is to be attributed to the true faith which is giuen to the word of God and is inspired by the spirit of God Wherfore if that humane faith doo drawe with it woonderfull motions of the mind how can we saie that the true and christian faith is naked without good works and destitute and alone Wherefore we now plainlie sée both by the holie scriptures and by the fathers and by the definition and nature of faith that it cannot be separated from righteousnes from godlie works Now let vs come to Paule he saith 1. Cor. 13 3. If I haue all faith c. But how knoweth Pighius that Paule there speaketh of that generall faith which cleaueth vnto the promise of God and iustifieth and not rather of a particular faith whereby are wrought miracles and which is a frée or gratious gift of the holy Ghost This faith is not applied to all things
saith he were the promises made and vnto his seed He saith not And vnto the seeds as speaking of manie but as it were of one and in thy seed which is Christ And this testament I saie was confirmed by GOD towards Christ Let Pighius now yet beléeue Paule that in that séed which was promised vnto Abraham was Christ comprehended and meant neither let him from hencefoorth with such malapertnesse and desire of victorie take vpon him to saie that the faith whereby Abraham was iustified was not faith in Christ But as touching the remission of sinnes forsomuch as vnto vs is promised the blessing we ought to remember that the chiefe and principall point thereof consisteth in this that we should be receiued of God into fauour and that our sinnes should be forgiuen vs. But Pighius goeth on manifestlie to oppugne the doctrine of the apostle touching the iustification of Abraham for he saith that Before Abraham was circumcised had a testimonie of the scripture that his faith was imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes He beléeued God verse 4. as it is manifest in the 12. chapter of Genesis wherefore saith he according to this opinion of yours he was then iustified neither was his righteousnes differred vntill that historie which is written in the 15. chapter It is woonderfull to sée how much he attributeth vnto these his arguments as though by them were taken awaie from vs all possibilitie to answer What time Abraham was iustified What I beséech you letted but that Abraham might be iustified at that first time when God spake vnto him first to go out of his countrie and from his kinred For euen in the selfe-same place at the beginning of the 12. chapter wée read the selfe-same promises which are in the 15. chapter For thus God promised him I will make of thee a great nation and will blesse thee and will make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing I will also blesse those that blesse thee and will curse those that curse thee and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed Vndoubtedlie in these words is conteined the promise of Christ and the remission of sinnes And therefore there shall be no absurditie if we saie that Abraham by beléeuing of those words was also iustified But bicause the scripture in that chapter did not plainlie set foorth this therefore Paule with great wisedome hath cited those words which are spoken in the 15. chap. where it is expresselie written that Faith was imputed to him for righteousnes which saieng was most necessarie to confirme the sentence of the apostle namelie Why God would renew the selfe-same promises that A man is iustified by faith But why God would renew the selfe-same promises it is not hard to sée so weake is our mind that except the words of God be repeated and againe and againe driuen into vs it easilie starteth backe from faith Neither doutles is iustification once onlie taken hold of but is so often apprehended as we trulie mightilie assent vnto the promises of God for séeing we continuallie slide and fall into sinnes we haue néed euermore that our iustification should be renewed 62 Afterward he cauilleth that in the epistle vnto the Hebrues Heb. 11. are manie things found touching faith and manie woonderfull acts spoken of which haue béene obteined by it but yet not one word spoken that iustification is to be ascribed thereto But this man with an vniust paire of balance weieth the words of the holie scripture neither sufficientlie considereth what those words meane Ibidem 33. The iust haue by faith ouercome kingdoms haue wrought righteousnesse haue obteined the promises for these are so to be resolued that from the last effect we must returne vnto the first The last is To ouercome kingdoms the next To worke righteousnes the first To obteine the promises among which promises are reckoned blessing life remission of sinnes and such other like which serue to iustification Wherefore that which is first made mention of faith apprehendeth by it we are iustified afterward followe good works In the 11. chap. to the Hebrues faith is said to iustifie and therfore it is said And they wrought righteousnes lastlie by the selfe-same faith we obteine temporall good things for that cause it is said They haue ouercome kingdoms So then Pighius falslie affirmeth that in the epistle vnto the Hebrues among the effects of faith is no mention made of iustification for although that word be not there read yet it is of necessitie and manifestlie gathered of those things that are there written For we verilie are not Arrians as some wickedlie béelie vs that we will grant nothing but that which is by plaine and expresse words read in the holie scriptures for we grant those things also which are by euident and plaine arguments gathered out of them But Pighius afterward demandeth Why we take awaie from works the power of iustifieng Vnto this wée could make answer in one word that we doo it bicause the holie Ghost in the scriptures so teacheth vs namelie that Men are iustified by faith without works But to the end we should not so brieflie dispatch it he hath laid a blocke in our waie for he answereth vnto himselfe that the cause thereof is for that our works are vnperfect neither satisfie they the lawe of God neither also can they stand sure before the iudgement seat of God But by this means also saith he we may affirme that iustification is not of faith for it also is vnperfect for there is no man beléeueth so much as he should doo But vnto this we answer as we haue in other places oftentimes answered that faith as it is a worke iustifieth not Faith as it is a worke iustifieth not for it hath that effect and fruit not by anie power of his owne but by his obiect that is by that which it doth regard and laieth hold vpon for from the death of Christ the promises of God is righteousnes deriued vnto vs. So a begger receiueth almes with a leprous weake and sore hand A similitude and yet not in that respect that his hand is in such sort weake and leprous But thou wilt saie Why doo not other good works also by their obiect namelie by God for whose sake they are done apprehend righteousnes as well as faith I answer Why rather faith than other works iustifieth that faith was to this vse made and instituted by God for euen so in the bodie of a man although it haue diuers and sundrie members yet the hand onelie taketh hold and receiueth And so is easilie dissolued that common lewd false reason We are iustified by faith Faith is a worke Ergo we are iustified for works sake Here in the conclusion is stuffed in this word For which was not in the former propositions and therefore the collection is not good Further the forme of the reason is as they
But none which is faithfull ought in anie wise to doubt of himselfe but to beléeue that the promise is particular as touching himselfe when he perceiueth himselfe to beléeue trulie Further when promises are set foorth in a generall proposition we may most assuredlie of them gather their particular proposition And Christ saith in Iohn Iohn 6 40. This is the will of my father that euerie one that seeth the sonne and beleeueth in him should haue eternall life Wherefore we thus inferre But I beléeue in the sonne of God Therefore I haue now and shall haue that which he hath promised 73 Pighius still goeth on and to prooue that the faith of euerie other article and not that onlie which is referred vnto Christ touching remission of sinnes iustifieth he vseth the example of Noe for he saith Heb. 11 7. that He beleeued onelie those things which perteined to the safegard of his familie and to the destruction of the world and by that faith he saith he was iustified Here saith he is no mention made of Christ or of the remission of sinnes But it séemeth vnto me that this man hath not verie diligentlie read that which Peter writeth in his first epistle and third chapter for Peter saith verse 20. When once the long suffering of God expected in the daies of Noe while the arke was preparing wherein few that is eight soules were saued through the water vnto the figure whereof baptisme now agreeing maketh vs also safe whereby not the filth of the flesh is put awaie but thereby is brought to passe that a good conscience is well answering vnto God That which Peter sawe was signified by the arke and by those things which Noe did can we thinke Noe was iustified by faith in Christ that the patriarch himselfe sawe not This vndoubtedlie were too much derogation vnto him and if he sawe those things which Peter maketh mention of he beléeued not onelie those things which were then doone but also those which were looked for to be accomplished by Christ And therefore of good right it is written vnto the Hebrues that He was by such a faith made the heire of righteousnesse Heb. 11 7. But Pighius nothing passeth vpon this who so that he may be against vs is nothing afraid to fight euen against the apostles themselues for he is not afraid to affirme that our first father Adam was iustified but yet not with that faith which we speake of which concerneth the remission of sinnes through Christ for he saith that thereof he had no promise as touching that so farre as may be gathered out of the scriptures But doubtlesse this man is both farre deceiued Adam was iustified by faith wherby he beleeued the remission of sinnes through Christ Gen. 3 15. and also hath forgotten his fathers whom he would séeme to make so much of Was not the selfe-same thing said vnto Adam which was by God promised vnto Eue his wife namelie that his séed should bruise the head of the serpent Christ was that séed and he hath so broken the head and strength of the diuell that now neither sinne nor death nor hell can anie thing hurt his members This place all the fathers in a maner thus interpret But Pighius which yet is lesse to be borne withall is not afraid to saie that iustification is not giuen vnto vs by the promise In which thing doubtles he is manifestlie against Paule for he vnto the Galathians thus writeth God gaue vnto Abraham by the promise Gen. 3 18. And there is no doubt but that vnto vs it is giuen after the selfe-same maner that it was vnto Abraham But this is to be knowne that this word Promise Promise vnderstood two maner of waies is taken two maner of waies either for the thing promised and so it is not to be doubted but that we are iustified by the promise that is by Christ and by the forgiuenesse of sinnes which is promised vnto them that beléeue or else it is taken for the verie words of God in which he through Christ promiseth vnto vs remission of sinnes And in this maner also we maie be said to be iustified by the promise for although the cause of our iustification be the méere will and mercie of God yet is not the same offered or signified vnto vs but by the words of the promises and by the sacraments for these haue we as sure testimonies of the will of GOD towards vs. And so vnlesse faith be wanting whereby we apprehend the things that are offered we are iustified by the promises A place in the 5. of Genesis expounded 74 Afterward Pighius to prooue that God attributeth more vnto works than vnto faith citeth a place out of the 22. chapter of Genesis There is described that excellent worke of Abraham that he refused not to slaie his onelie sonne to offer him vnto God and therefore God said vnto him from heauen Bicause thou hast doone this thing verse 19. I haue sworne by my selfe that in blessing I will blesse thee and in multiplieng I will multiplie thy seed that it shall be as the starres of heauen and as the sand of the sea It shall possesse the gates of his enimies and in thee shall all nations be blessed Behold here saith he are promises giuen for works sake and therevnto is added a most faithfull oath but there is no mention at all made of faith wherfore saith he God hath more regard vnto works than vnto faith This speaketh he with a wide mouth but according to that prouerbe The mountaines will be brought a bed and out will spring a sielie mouse For if you aske what I thinke as touching this matter I will answer that it is a notable and most excellent historie whereout that cannot yet be gathered which this man exclaimeth First here is no mention made of iustification what serueth it then to that matter whereof we now intreat So often as anie thing is called in controuersie we must run to such certeine and assured places in which the selfe-same thing is intreated of and not vnto those places wherein it maie be answered that they intreate of another matter Of this nature is that place which Paule citeth Gene. 15 6. Rom. 4 3. as touching this thing Abraham beleeued in God and it was imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes But as concerning this historie I willinglie grant that Abraham by that worke obteined a certeine more ample benefit than he before had by faith howbeit not in substance or number or quantitie of the promises but in a sound and firme certeintie For although he doubted not but that whatsoeuer things he beleeued God would faithfullie render vnto him yet afterward when he had doone those excellent déeds he was more fullie persuaded of the veritie of his faith and constancie of the promise and strength of the righteousnes imputed vnto him I denie not but that by that excellent worke
affirme not that that faith whereby we are iustified is in our minds without good works though we saie that the same onelie is it which taketh hold of iustification and remission of sinnes A similitude So the eie cannot be without a head braines hart liuer and other parts of the bodie and yet the eie onelie apprehendeth colour and the light Wherefore they which after this maner reason against vs Faith as ye say iustifieth But faith is not alone Ergo faith alone iustifieth not they commit the fault of a false argument As if a man should thus conclude A false argument A similitude Onelie the will willeth But the will is not alone in the mind Ergo not the will alone willeth Here euen little children may sée the fallace or deceit which they call Of composition and of diuision And is it not a foule thing that so great Diuines should not sée it Smith But here Smith the light forsooth of diuinitie setteth himselfe against vs. He of late cried out euen till he was hoarse that we falselie affirme that those places of the scripture which testifie that we are iustified Gratis that is fréelie should signifie all one with this to be iustified by faith Onelie for this word Gratis is not all one with Solùm Of the adâ—erbe Gratis that is freelie that is Onelie O dull Grammatians that we are which without this good maister could not vnderstand this aduerbe so much vsed Howbeit this Grammaticall Aristarchus least that he should séeme without some reason to plaie the foole It is written saith he in Genesis that Laban said vnto Iacob Gen. 29 15. Bicause thou art my kinseman shalt thou therfore serue me Gratis Here saith he put this word Onelie and thou shalt sée what an absurd kind of speach it will be And in the booke of Numbers Num. 11 5. The people said that in Aegypt they did eate fishes Gratis and in the Psalme They haue hated me Gratis Psal 69 4. Here saith he cannot be put this aduerbe Onelie Wherefore we rashlie and verie weakelie conclude that bicause in the scriptures a man is said to be iustified Gratis he is therefore straitwaie iustified by faith Onelie But this sharpe witted man and one so well exercised in the concordance of the Bible should haue remembred that this word Gratis signifieth without a cause or without a reward and price and therefore we rightlie saie that iustification consisteth of faith Onelie bicause it is said to be giuen Gratis For if works were required there should be a cause or a reward or a price to the obteinement of righteousnes But forsomuch as Gratis excludeth all these things of that word is rightlie and trulie inferred Onelie faith And those places which this man hath alleadged are not hard to confute for Laban saith Shalt thou serue me Gratis that is without this couenant that I should giue thée some thing which is onelie to take and nothing to repaie And the Israelits when they said that they did eate fishes Gratis meant that they did eate them without anie price paid And that saieng They haue hated me Gratis is nothing else than without a cause or without anie my desart So that if this word Gratis take awaie price and merit forsomuch as Paule saith that we are iustified Gratis we must néeds vnderstand that it is doone without anie our price or merits which doubtlesse might not be true if works should be required as causes and merits And bicause we once brought a place out of the epistle to the Galathians Gala. 2 16. But seeing we knowe that man is not iustified by the works of the lawe except it be by the faith of Iesus Christ and of this particle Except concluded Of the aduerbe Except that iustification consisteth of faith Onelie this man therefore according to his wisedome rageth and saith that this word Except is not all one with Onelie For he saith Gene. 43 5. that Ioseph in Genesis said vnto his brethren Ye shall not see my face except ye bring your yoongest brother and Christ saith he saith Iohn 6 53. Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man ye shall not haue life in you Who saith he will saie that life is had onlie by eating of the sacraments Wherefore saith he these things cannot be expounded by this word Onelie Yes doubtles but they maie for in Genesis what other thing meant Ioseph than to admonish his brethren that they should vpon this condition onelie come againe into his sight to wit if they brought their yoongest brother with them And Christ in the sixt of Iohn intreated not of the eating of the sacrament for he had not as yet instituted it wherefore by this word To eate he signifieth To beléeue And he saith that they which are of full age herein onelie haue life if they eate his flesh and drinke his blood that is if they beléeue that the sonne of God was deliuered for them for the remission of their sinnes and that this is the onelie waie whereby they maie be saued 84 But Smith addeth that from iustification is not to be excluded hope charitie and other good works I grant indéed that those are not to be excluded from a man that is iustified howbeit I doo not attribute vnto them the power of iustifieng For that which Paule saith Rom. 3 20. that A man is not iustified by works should not be true if we should be iustified by anie kind of works for if a man should saie A similitude that an artificer worketh not with his fingers and afterward should grant that he to that worke which he dooth vseth his fingers he were woorthie to be laughed at although being conuict he would saie that he excepted onelie the little finger and not the thumbe forefinger or middlefinger for he which vseth thrée fingers vndoubtedlie vseth fingers But why dooth this man saie that hope and charitie are not excluded Bicause saith he euen ye your selues will haue vs to be iustified by a liuelie faith which certeinlie is not without these We grant that these vertues are alwaies ioined with true faith but yet in them we put no part of our iustification before God A fallace of the accident In this argument is a fallace or deceit of the accident for vnto those things which are adioined is attributed that which is proper to the same wherevnto they are ioined As if a man should saie The sunne is round and high Ergo the roundnes and hight of the sunne doo make vs warme What works then dooth Smith exclude from iustification when as he includeth hope and charitie I suppose surelie that he excludeth outward works fastings almes and such like But with what face can he so saie or teach séeing he appointeth and defendeth works preparatorie But this sharpe witted man thinketh that he hath trimlie escaped for that he saith that these things are not of necessitie required
afterward is made perfect and full when other good works come vnto it But how vaine this is Rom. 3 28. Paule himselfe sufficientlie teacheth for he dooth not onelie saie that We are iustified by faith onelie but also he addeth without works Further this also maketh against these men which is written in the booke of Wisedome To knowe God is full righteousnesse Wisd 15 3. In which place it is a sport to sée how Smith wringeth himselfe First he dares not denie the sentence for he counteth that booke for canonicall but as he is of a sharpe wit at the last this he deuiseth that God is not knowen by faith onelie but also by loue But who euer would so saie but onelie this man Vndoubtedlie by loue we doo not knowe but we doo loue But that which is spoken in the booke of Wisdome which yet with me is not of so great authoritie Christ himselfe hath most manifestlie testified in the Gospell saieng Iohn 17 3. This is eternall life that they knowe thee the onelie true God Although of this saieng also of our sauiour Gardiner the Bishop of Winchester Gardiner deuised of late I wot not what namelie that to knowe God is not properlie eternall life although it somewhat helpe forward therevnto But forsomuch as neither the Fathers nor Paule nor Christ himselfe can satisfie these men there is no hope that we shall anie thing preuaile with our reasons They adde moreouer that the Fathers saie that onelie faith iustifieth that is it is the principallest thing whereby we are iustified I confesse in déed This word Onelie sometime signifieth Principall 1. Cor. 13 13 that Onelie sometimes signifieth Principall But this sense cannot agrée with Paules purpose for if charitie be compared with faith charitie as Paule saith is more excellent and better Wherefore if both of them iustifie as these men will haue it then should charitie haue the chéefest part and not faith And this also is a great let vnto these men which I haue oftentimes spoken of that Paule so ascribeth iustification vnto faith that he saith Without works Augustine But Augustine saie they vnto Simplicianus writeth that By faith we begin to be iustified Vnto this we maie answer two maner of waies first that that beginning is such that in verie déed it hath the verie full and whole iustification So that Augustines meaning is that we are iustified so soone as we haue faith Or if this please them not we will saie as the truth is in déed that Augustine ment of the righteousnesse which sticketh in vs. They cite also Ambrose vpon the fift chapter vnto the Galathians In Christ c. For saith he we haue néed of faith onelie in charitie to iustification Behold saie they vnto iustification we haue no lesse néed of charitie than of faith But they are far deceiued for by those words Ambrose ment nothing else but to make a distinction betwéene true faith and vaine opinion therefore he saith that we haue néed of faith onelie namelie that which is ioined with charitie But Ierom vpon the fift chapter vnto the Galathians saith that It is charitie onelie Gala. 5 6. which maketh cleane the hart What other thing else shall we here answer but that this his saieng if it be sharplie and sincerelie vrged is false For it is faith also which purifieth the harts as it written in the Acts of the apostles And Paule vnto Timothie saith 1. Tim. 1 5. Charitie out of a pure hart and a good conscience c. By which words it is plaine that the hart must of necessitie first be pure before charitie can come Wherfore we will interpret that sentence by the effect and as touching our knowledge for then it is most certeine that we are regenerate and haue a cleane hart when we be indued with charitie After this maner also haue we before expounded this Manie sinnes are forgiuen hir bicause she loued much 89 And by the selfe-same meanes also may that saieng of Augustine in his booke De natura gratia the 38. chapter be answered vnto It is the charitie of God saith he by which onelie he is iust whosoeuer is iust But this séemeth also best vnto me to vnderstand such saiengs of the fathers to concerne that righteousnes which abideth and sticketh in vs for that consisteth not onelie of faith but also of all vertues good works Why our righteousnes is somtime attributed vnto charitie alone Now bicause amongst all vertues charitie is the principall therfore the fathers somtimes attribute righteousnes vnto it onlie And that which our aduersaries haue most vniustlie vsurped to expound this word Onelie for Principall or cheefe may in this place most iustlie serue vs for here we intreate not of that iustification which is had by imputation but of that which we atteine to after regeneration Wherefore in this our proposition we exclude not from a man that is iustified hope charitie and other good works but this onelie we saie that they haue not the power or cause or merit of iustifieng And when we saie that a man is iustified by faith onelie we saie nothing else vndoubtedlie but that a man is iustified onelie by the mercie of God and by the merit of Christ onelie which cannot be apprehended by anie other instrument than by faith onelie We must not desist from vsing this word Onelie Neither must we giue place vnto our aduersaries not to vse this word Onelie though they crie out neuer so much that of it springeth great offense and mens minds are by this persuasion somewhat weakened in the exercise of vertues For by sound doctrine we doo easilie remedie these discommodities for we alwaies teach that it is not iustification or true faith which wanteth the fruits of good life But we see the subtile and craftie deuise of these men for if we should saie that a man is simplie iustified by faith leauing out this word Onelie straitwaie they would adde of their owne that a man indéed is iustified by faith but yet he is no lesse iustified by hope and charitie and other good works For this verie cause the Catholikes in times past would not permit vnto the Arrians this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A like example that is Consubstantial or Of like substance bicause they would straitwaie haue said that The sonne indéed by appellation or name is God like vnto the father and in a maner equall vnto him but yet not of one and the selfe-same nature and substance Wherefore they did with tooth and naile defend and kéepe still this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Consubstantiall or Of one and the selfe-same substance as a word most apt to expresse the truth of that controuersie Which they might also by good right doo and chéefelie for that they sawe that that word was of necessitie concluded out of the holie scriptures out of which also is most euidentlie concluded this our word
reprooue all the wicked And soone after Looking for the mercie of our Lord Iesus Christ vnto eternall life Let it be sufficient that we haue brought these things out of the new testament vnto the which adde the article of the apostles Créed wherin we confesse our selues to beléeue the resurrection of the flesh Further all those places wherein Christ is said that he shall be iudge of the quicke and the dead haue relation vnto this 55 Now that we haue séene the signification of the word and also the definition and haue sought whether this resurrection may be plainlie set foorth by naturall reasons and further haue brought testimonies Of the causes of the resurrection verse 4â— as well of the old as new scriptures now it foloweth that we speake somewhat of the causes thereof It is the effect of faith and it followeth iustification Whervpon it is said in the sixt chapter of Iohn He that beleeueth in me hath life euerlasting and I will raise him vp at the last daie So as God by his power is the efficient cause thereof For which cause Christ said vnto the Saduces Matt. 2â— 15. Yee erre being ignorant of the scriptures and of the power of God And not onelie God the father himselfe but also the holie Ghost is cause of the resurrection For as we haue alreadie said it is written in the epistle to the Romans If the spirit of him Rom. 8 11. which hath raised vp Christ from the dead dwell in you c. Yea moreouer the sonne himselfe which is Christ Iesus is a cause of this resurrection for in the Gospell of Iohn he said Iohn 6 40. I will raise him vp at the last daie And againe Euen as the father raiseth vp and quickeneth Iohn 5 21. euen so also the sonne quickeneth c Further Ibidem 28. They which be in the graues shall heare the voice of the sonne of God and shall come foorth Iohn 11 25. c. In the eleuenth of Iohn I am the resurrection and the life Moreouer there is an argument taken hereof that Christ by his death tooke awaie sinne which was the cause of death Verelie no man doubteth but that the cause being remooued the effect is taken awaie In the first to the Corinthians 1. Co. 15 22 the 15. chapter In Adam all men are dead in Christ all men shall be reuiued as by one man came death so by one man came the resurrection from the dead The finall cause of resurrection is assigned to be 2. Cor. 5 10. That the whole and entire man should be iudged at the tribunall seate of God and should receiue rewards or punishments according as he hath behaued himselfe But the angels although they shall be ministers of the resurrection yet can they be no causes Among the causes of the resurrection to come the resurrection also of Christ is numbered for Paule in the first to the Corinthians verse 13. the 15. chapter saith If the dead rise not againe neither is Christ risen againe and if Christ be not risen our preaching is in vaine But we may argue on the other side Christ rose againe Therefore we also shall rise againe So then the resurrection of Christ séemeth to be the cause of our resurrection which indéed is to be granted but yet not so as that verie action wherein Christ was raised vp and which is now past is the efficient cause that performeth or dooth anie thing which should bring foorth our resurrection but bicause the diuine power and might which is in Christ séeing he is God is reteined still euen as he raised him vp from the dead so will he also quicken vs in due time This we sée come to passe in humane things A similitude For he that is a white man begetteth also a white sonne not that the colour it selfe can procreate but that those beginnings or causes which wrought the begetter to be white do make him also white which is begotten by him Euen so our resurrection shall not be vnlike to the resurrection of Christ Further this must be noted that the diuine actions and heauenlie benefits which are imploied vpon men be as Damascenus saith deriued vnto vs by the flesh of Christ which now should be none at all vnlesse he had béene raised from the dead Wherefore by this meanes the resurrection of Christ may be also called ours bicause without that we might not haue obteined ours Againe if we should like philosophers followe Plato adiecting vnto the foure kinds of causes an Idea or paterne we might saie that the resurrection of Christ was the exemplar cause of our resurrection The finall cause of resurrection is assigned to be that The whole and entire man should be iudged at the tribunall seate of God and should receiue rewards or punishments according as he behaued himselfe And thus much of the causes 56 It followeth that we should speake of the properties and conditions of the bodies Of the condition and propertie of bodies when they shall rise which shall be raised vp The Schoolemen called them indowments or qualities neither can I disallow of those which they haue reckoned bicause I perceiue them to be gathered out of the holie scriptures Howbeit I thinke not that all the properties were gathered by them neither yet may it be for in this life we cannot haue experience of the glorie of the saints but we shall then perfectlie and absolutelie knowe it when we shall come vnto it Immortalitie the first propertie The first condition that commeth to my remembrance of the blessed is immortalitie And assuredlie in the diuine scriptures so often as there is mention of the life to come the same is said to be eternall as being that which shall haue no end Paule saith This mortall must put on haue immortalitie 1. Co. 15 53 and this corruptible bodie must put on incorruption And séeing the punishments rewards which shall be rendered according to the nature of works be sempiternall the subiect or nature which shall be giuen them must néeds be immortall also Furthermore séeing it is no doubt but that Christ destroied sinne and death it remaineth that the life of the saints should be immortall And in the sixt chapter to the Romans it is written verse 9. Christ rising againe from the dead dieth no more neither shall death haue anie more power ouer him Besides in the first to the Corinthians the 15. chapter verse 50. Flesh and bloud shall not inherit the kingdome of God Yet must not these things be taken for the verie nature and substance of flesh and bloud fâ—… they which shall rise againe shall be wholie indued with these things But the apostle hath respect vnto corruption vnto the which flesh and bloud in this life are subiect wherfore he added Ibidem Incorruption And corruption shall not inherit incorruption 57 Vpon this propertie followeth an other namelie that after
vnto the Romans it is written Beware of them which bring discordes and offences among you Ro. 16. 17. besides the doctrine which ye haue learned and shun ye them Gal. 1. 8. It is also said vnto the Galathians He that shall preach any other Gospell than that which wee haue preached let him be accursed Vnto Titus After one or two admonitions auoide an Hereticke Tit. 3. 10. The selfe same thing also hath Iohn 2. Ioh. v. 10 whom we alleaged a little before that for false and corrupt doctrine sake we shoulde not saie vnto him that coÌ„meth vnto vs God speede And vnto this haue all those vices respect of the which Paul saieth 1. Cor. 6. 10 They that doe such things shall not possesse the kingdome of Heauen of the which thou hast a particular enumeration aswell to the Corinthians Ephe. 5. 3. Col. 3. 5. as also vnto the Ephesians and Colossians and else where And when thou hearest reckoned vp euill speakers drunkardes couetous c. Vnder these names vnderstand them who are not penitent at all but be of an obstinate minde neither will amend those things which they haue committed but rather make vaunt and boast of these vices But in the Epistle which is written vnto the Thessalonians when he had spoken of them which labour not with their handes but be idle and deale curiously he added a generall particle when he saieth And euerie man walking inordinatelie 2. Thess 3. ver 10 11 And he is said to walke inordinatelie which dealeth against the word of God Howe one must not be excommunicated for an other Neither must it be suffered that one should be excommunicated for another vnlesse perhaps he also haue offended and is intangled in the same vice or gaue his consent vnto him that offended Augustine Augustine in an Epistle vnto Auxinus a Bishop wrote The whole house must not be comprehended within the curse for the sinne of the goodmaÌ„ of the house as the same Auxinus vnwiselie did Gal. 6. 5. Vnto the Galathians it is said Euerie man shall beare his owne burthen 6 Now presently will we shew from what things he who is seuered from the Church by excommunication is excluded From what things the partie excoÌ„municated is excluded This if we shall expresse in a worde is the fellowship of the faithfull among whom there is a coniunction forsomuch as company is not eschued in respect of Religion But it is méete that we distinguish what fellowship is CoÌ„mâ—…al distinguished One is inward and as touching God vnto whom we are coupled by our spirit in faith hope charitie and all vertues together with all the beléeuers in Christ But an other is outward whereby we are partakers aswell of the Sacraments as also of the conuersation with the members of the Church ExcommunicatioÌ„ doth not separâ—te vs from God but declareth vs to be separate From that first coniunction excommunication doeth not cast vs out as the first and principall cause but from thence euerie man falleth awaie by his owne sinne while he doeth against faith is enemie vnto charitie and resisteth other vertues But from the latter excommunication driueth vs least we should be partakers of the Sacraments and fellowship of the faithfull and the latter dependeth altogether of the first For a man is excommunicated for no other cause but that he is now for some grieuous sinne that is knowen and manifest declared a straunger from God and from the charitie of his neighbours But because Paul wrote 1. Cor. 5. 10 For then ye should goÌ„e out of the world he signified that all fellowship with excommunicates is not taken awaie Excommunication taketh not away all fellowship because it is lawfull to communicate with them in those things without which we cannot liue For if by chaunce a Magistrate should be excommunicate and something in the meane time shoulde happen wherby there ought to be treating dealing with him we must not refuse to deale with him least the Common weale should be troubled And the verie same must be iudged if a father or a husband shall be excommunicated The wife or children are not for this cause set a part from liuing with him neither be they excommunicated by reason of the conuersation with him vnlesse they consent and be partakers all in one crime Neither is it to be otherwise iudged of the buying of Marchandise of them that be excommunicate if that necessaries vnto life cannot otherwise be had for if all euill men should be auoided in bargains and ciuill contracts we shoulde of necessitie goe foorth of the world Albeit I confesse that séeing at this daie the Churches be most large we are not so greatlie vrged with this necessitie For that which we cannot get of some we shall easilie attaine of others 7 And when we be demaunded to what purpose the excommunicats be driuen foorth We will aunswere not doubtlesse to the intent they should despaire or think themselues to be without remedie of saluation For while we be in this life we must neuer laie awaie the hope of saluation vnlesse the sinne against the holie Ghost shall happen Sinne against the holie ghost which séeing it is not vnderstood vnles it be shewed by a certaine priuate reuelation hope must not be cast away In auncient time the Church had the gift of trying of spirites The gift of tryall of spirits sealed in the Church whereby peraduenture this kinde of sin was knowen But at this daie séeing we haue no tryall when anie man is detained therewith we must hope well of all men And albeit that the excommunicate man as touching himselfe is deuided from the Church yet the Church is not destitute of that which it should deale towards him The dutie of the Church towards the excommunicate For it will exhort him comfort him and pray for the conuersion of him And finallie as being desirous of his saluation doth beare great charitie towards him The causes of excommunication But the degrées of them which be renewed from the Sacraments are found sundrie and manifolde among the Fathers Abstinents Cyprian maketh mention of Abstinentes For so he calleth them which for a certaine time are driuen from the Sacraments They also be excommunicate who doe not yet repent vnto whome the Sacraments are forbidden not for a definite time as to the abstinents Thirdlie there be those which be accursed of whose saluation there is no more hope Chrysostom of a man accursed Chrysostome wrote an Homelie of the accursed and shewed that neither the liuing nor the dead shall be punished with this kinde of punishment That the dead stand now at the tribunall seate For of the liuing we must perpetuallie hope well and the dead stande nowe at the tribunall seat of God It is lawfull saith he to curse opinions but not men A part of this saying we willinglie allow wherein it is
would woonderfullie maruell if they should nowe see men being not indued with that grace so boldlie and impudently commaund the Diuels as at this daie it is doone by Priestes and feigned exorcistes But those things that were afterward spoken by the latter writers of the Church as touching the ioyning of exorcismes with Baptisme seeing they bee alleadged without Scriptures and sauour of superstition neither are doone with any fruit nor ought to be receiued But from whence the errour sprang it was declared before when we handled a certaine place of Cyprian 3. c. Further an other cause of the error was for that men had begunne to attribute ouer much vnto Sacramentes In which thing Augustine otherwise a man of a sharpe wit and incomparable learning was verie much deceiued For he thought that the Infantes did then first goe out of the power of the Diuell when they were baptised But seeing it hath beene declared that this is not so I thinke it good not to vse anie newe confutation Onelie this I will say that the Sacraments must not be contemned but on the other side wee must not attribute vnto them that which belongeth onelie vnto God An answere to the arguments of the Exorcists 22 And thus much as concerning the Testimonies of the Fathers Nowe come we to confute the reasons alleadged First it was taken as graunted that wee out of the kingdome of darkenesse shall be translated into the kingdome of light That we willinglie graunt but we denie that to bee first doone by receiuing of Baptisme seeing Infants obtaine this by the predestination and promise of GOD and also in right of inheritaunce of the couenant So that there is no cause why place should therefore bee giuen to exorcismes And they which were of ripe age obtaine this translation by faith For by the same they receyue iustification Wherefore they must not be adiured seeing they belong alreadie vnto Christ We confesse also that by the desert of sinne it is come to passe that men are come into the power of the Diuell but yet that the same is taken away and euacuated by Christ through the holie Ghost and the word of God and as concerning men of ripe age by fayth not by adiurations and exorcismes And whereas otherwhyle when adiurations be vsed the ill spirites crie out that they be wrung tormented and vexed it maie be doone by collusion namelie that the father of lies doeth faine such things to the intent that superstitions may increase and may be longer time nourished in the Church And wheras they say that they do not blow out or exorcise the mans nature made by God which is therfore good but onelie indeuour by their adiurations to make féeble the power of the diuel original corruption least then it should as much hurt as it did before We aunswere that this may much more iustlie and religiouslie bee obtained by prayers Further if this were their mind men ought to exorcise not onelie at Baptisme but also in a maner through out their whole life seeing men are indangered all their life long by the violence and temptations of the Diuell and also by the naughtie originall corruption which doeth perpetuallie remaine in them 1. Tim. 4. 5. But after what manner meates and those thinges which we vse for defending the life of the bodie are sanctified by the worde of GOD and by prayers their is no néede now to expresse séeing of that matter we haue spoken largelie enough before They added that in times past the earth was cursed by GOD by reason of the first fault of Adam and that therefore it is needfull that the fruites thereof should by adiurations be plucked out of the power of the diuell This doe wee not denie but we adde that the curse was through Christ either mitigated or turned into blessing and that therefore exorcismes should be counted for superfluous and vnprofitable séeing that the vse of the earth and the fruits thereof so that thankesgiuing and prayers be vsed therein are made cleane and pure vnto the faithfull Also the words of the Apostle were alleadged wherein hee sayth That our wrestling is not against fleshe and bloud Eph. 6. 12. but against spirituall wickednesses What this maketh for the present purpose I cannot so much as imagine much lesse perceiue The Apostle in that place instructed vs with a woonderfull complete armour against spirituall enemies and against celestiall things yet spake he not of exorcismes and exsufflations To conclude they said that before regeneration bee wrought the impediments must be remooued namelie the forces of the Diuel That which they first take vnto them let vs graunt them but we must adde that such obstacles are remooued by the might of Christ and also by the power of the holie Ghost by the promise of God by the right of the couenaunt and in men of riper age by the preaching of the worde by faith and by prayers and therefore there is no place left vnto adiurations vnlesse perhappes in some one man that shall be indued peculiarlie from God with the gift of healing Which power or facultie we iudge not that it can be giuen by the bishoppes to whomsoeuer they wil by laying on of hands séeing it is the holie Ghost which distributeth these giftes of his vppon whomsoeuer he will And thus much haue we spoken as concerning the question propounded Of Papisticall holie VVater 23 The fact of Elizeus In 2. kings 2. ver 21. wherein he applied sault to helpe the waters of Ierico doe the priests of the Pope imitate of a certaine * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 peruerse zeale who not onely vse sault in the baptising of infantes but doe also powre it into their holy waters Aqua lustralis piacularis which may rather be called haynous waters I maruell that they sometimes vse not figges since that Esai once applied them in healing the sore of Ezechias 4. Kings 20. 7. Howbeit so great is the boldnesse of these men that in their fainings and inuētions they not onelie exercise these thinges which Christ and his Prophets vsed but they also take those things which they neuer vsed For they say that they mingle the holy oyle with Balme But they make a notable lye séeing Balme hath not bin brought vnto vs of long time And séeing they so bountifullie abuse sault they bewray themselues that the sault is become vnsauourie Cardinall Caietanus Which Cardinall Caietanus manifestlie confessed when he interpreted the wordes of Christ wherein he said Matt. 5. 13. But if the sault be made vnsauourie it is nothing else woorth but to bee cast foorth and to be trodden vnder foote by men When he wrote these thinges the Citie of Rome was sacked by the Spanyardes vnder Pope Clement the vij Rome sacked Whereupon he said Because we are now become vnsauorie sault therefore are we cast foorth and trodden vnder foote Wherefore wée must pray vnto
WHatsoeuer iustice is found in the lawes of men is conteined either in the Ethnike writers or else in the table of the ten commandements proposition 2 All iust and vniust actions maie be reduced vnto the table of the ten commandements euen as all things which be are to the ten predicaments proposition 3 In the table of the ten commandements are taught in few words those things which be most plaine for principles should both be bréefe and euident proposition 4 All things which be commanded in the table of the ten commandements doo verie well agrée with the light of nature proposition 5 The table of the ten commandements is vnderstood of all those which be indued with reason concerning those things which are laid before vs in it at the first vew but those things which it hath in secret are not perceiued except of them which are lightened with the spirit of God proposition 6 In both the tables there are handled thrée kinds of actions namelie of the heart of the toong and of the worke proposition 7 Certeine precepts of the ten commandements were not then first commanded by God when he gaue the lawe vpon mount Sina but long before but in the lawe they are repeated and plainlie set downe for the better expressing of them proposition 8 There are two causes alledged why the sabboth was commanded whereof the one is of the whole commandement and the other is of a part proposition 9 Although that these words Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart c. And thy neighbour as thy selfe be not expresselie had in anie of the ten precepts yet are they the forme and measure of them all proposition 10 Albeit that he which loueth his neighbour hath fulfilled the lawe yet are not so manie commandements of the table superfluous Probable proposition 1 IN the first table we place foure precepts first that he which is the true God should be alone accounted for God The second precept that no other gods or anie images should be placed togither with him The third that his name should be accounted holie The fourth that the sabboth daie be kept But in the second table there are taught six precepts namelie Thou shalt honour thy parents Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not commit adulterie Thou shalt not steale Thou shalt not beare false witnesse Thou shalt not lust proposition 2 The last precept wherein is spoken of concupiscence is to be comprehended in one not to be diuided into two proposition 3 Onelie two kinds of coueting are recited therein bicause those be the grosser kind and doo more commonlie happen proposition 4 The first commandement and the last doo after an excellent maner answer one to another for both of them giue precept as touching the spirituall motions of the mind for the first requireth good motions and in the last we are forbidden euill motions proposition 5 He that offendeth in one is made guiltie of all for no lesse are the commandements of God ioined one with another than are the vertues of the philosophers Propositions out of the xx chapter of the booke of Exodus Necessarie proposition 1 IN the holie scriptures there séemeth contrarietie attributed to the lawe of God according as it is taken either by it selfe or by the accident or else as it is considered perfect whole or otherwise maimed and vnperfect When it is taken by it selfe and perfect that is not without Christ and faith then it is said to be spirituall quickening and comfortable but contrariewise if it be vnderstood as it dooth happen and not whole that is without faith and Christ it is said to bring damnation death the wrath of God and such like euils proposition 2 The works of the lawe must not be vtterlie denied to be the causes of our righteousnes and saluation but it must be denied that they be the principall and whole causes of these good things the mercie of God in verie déed is the chéefe and verie true cause of our iustification proposition 3 The works of the lawe yea and faith it selfe when it is vnderstood by it selfe that is seuerallie from Christ and the mercie of God as they procéed from vs they haue alwaies sinne ioined with them yea and they be sinnes proposition 4 If we take the lawe without Christ there shall we sée commanded vs things vnpossible and such as stir vp ill affections proposition 5 Séeing God ioined the Gospell with the lawe it behooueth vs that we receiue the same in such wise as it is giuen vs by him so that we separate not the one from the other proposition 6 Albeit that the lawe cannot be fullie kept of anie mortall man in this life yet must not the promises of the lawe be accounted vaine proposition 7 The works of the lawe declare righteousnesse by that which followeth that is by an argument which bringeth in the cause by the effect and by the continuall vse of those works we obteine righteousnesse whereby nature is restored and made perfect but yet are we not iustified before God with it by it selfe proposition 8 Albeit that the works of the lawe are said to iustifie by another thing that is by faith annexed therevnto yet is it not accidentallie bicause the knitting togither of faith with works is of it selfe proposition 9 The ciuill and morall lawes of the old people be abrogated not as touching the substance but as touching the maner obseruations or circumstances but the morall part remaineth simplie in his owne strength yet may it in some respect be said to be abrogated bicause it condemneth not the faithfull secondlie bicause it is not gréeuous vnto them séeing willinglie and of their owne accord they bend themselues therevnto proposition 10 Euerie faithfull man according to the proportion of his faith is partaker of this deliuerance from the lawe proposition 11 Such is the vse of the lawe among the faithfull as they preach the same vnto the vnbeléeuers further that by it they stir vp themselues to repentance and renew themselues to good works and to a better life proposition 12 The law of God requireth thrée maner of perfections in our works First that what we doo outwardlie it be honest secondlie that we doo this willinglie and of our owne accord lastlie that by a good and spirituall motion we refer all this vnto God proposition 13 We must by the discretion of the law of God not by our owne iudgement determine of that which is honest and that which is dishonest or of the goodnesse and naughtinesse of our owne actions Probable proposition 1 THose before God are counted the dooers of the lawe which hauing faith in Christ doo earnestlie exercise themselues in the obedience of his commandements proposition 2 In that sentence of Daniel Thou shalt redeeme thy sinnes with almes he meaneth the punishment and paine which is due for sinnes proposition 3 They which by their owne iudgement not by the word and lawe of God will
by God But we confesse and acknowledge that man was created frée and in that he hath now lost his fréedome we ascribe not God to be the authour thereof but mans owne fault They which denie fréewill haue bin called heretiks by the church Why they are called heretiks which denie freewill But this must be vnderstood concerning the first creation of our nature for otherwise there is not one of the fathers which if the truth be well weighed bewaileth not the calamitie of man whereinto he fell through sinne Our aduersaries rather come néere vnto the Manicheis which affirme Our aduersaries come somewhat nigh vnto the Manicheis that Our corrupt affects as they are now were so created by God for so they affirme that he created them euill But we forsomuch as we perceiue that these troublesome affections be not void of sinne denie that they were so created by God but that through our owne default they are become vnbridled and be repugnant to the word of God Certeine it is that man at the beginning was made vnto the image of God and there is nothing more beséeming vnto it than libertie But séeing that image was in a maner blotted out in vs so as there was néed to haue the same restored by Christ what maruell is it if our libertie be also for the most part taken awaie from it When they reason that man is frée A similitude they doo euen as if they should saie that man is a two-footed creature and therefore he is able to go vpright But if they would so conclude of a lame man it should easilie appeere how much they be deceiued for the properties of man which would be agréeable vnto his nature being perfect when they be applied vnto the same nature being corrupt doo not agrée A comparison of our aduersaries with the Pelagians Neither be the opinions of our aduersaries much dissenting from the Pelagians for they taught that nature being holpen by the grace of creation and doctrine of the lawe may liue vprightlie And these men saie that nature being holpen by grace preuenting and knocking is able to doo good works which may please God The catholike church resisted the Pelagians neither did it contend about the grace of creation or of the lawe neither about the grace preuenting but it taught that without the grace of Christ wherewith we be iustified none is able to worke aright To be with out faith in Christ and without grace in Augustines iudgement is all one thing And by the iudgement of Augustine who vehementlie contended against these men there is no difference betwéene dooing rightlie without grace and dooing rightlie without the faith of Christ He vpon the 31. psalme to shew that there is no good worke without faith writeth thus A good intent maketh the worke good but faith guideth that intent wherefore consider not what a man dooth but what he hath respect vnto while he is dooing 10 And whereas in all the holie scriptures there is not one sentence repugnant to our doctrine yet they continuallie obiect vnto vs the example of Cornelius Acts. 10 2 and 3 4 who being not yet as they thinke regenerate neither beléeuing in Christ yet did such works as were acceptable vnto GOD. Of Cornelius and his works Indéed we grant that both the almes and praiers of Cornelius were pleasing vnto God for the angel affirmed the same But these men adde of their owne Cornelius beleeued before baptisme that Cornelius when he did these things was not yet iustified nor yet beléeued in Christ But they marke not that the scripture in that place called him religious and one that feared God wherefore Cornelius beléeued and in Messias beléeued he being instructed in the Iewes learning but whether IESVS of Nazareth were that Messias he knew not for a certeintie and therefore Peter was sent to instruct him more fullie But here to bleare our eies verse 23. they saie that Paule in the 17. of the Acts attributeth some godlines vnto the people of Athens when as notwithstanding they were idolaters for thus he saith Ye men of Athens I shew vnto you that God whom you ignorantlie worship But euen as if a man that can handsomlie drawe some one letter A similitude shall not therefore be straitwaie counted a good writer neither he that can sing one or two verses shall for that cause be taken for a singing man for these names require consideration and art and it may come to passe by chance that a man may drawe well or sing well once or twise euen so none is to be counted verelie and out of doubt good which setteth foorth one good worke or two that haue some shew of godlines But Paule called not the Atheniens godlie without adding some termes of spéech which should diminish godlines True godlines cannot be ioined with ignorance Whom ye ignorantlie saith he worship But what pietie can that be which is ioined with the ignorance of the true GOD Moreouer a little before he had called them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Verie superstitious by these two words hée much diminished their pietie verse 22. But Luke absolutelie calleth Cornelius religious and addeth that He feared God Iob. 1 1. which addition is of so great force How great a dignitie it is to feare God that in the booke of Iob a man fearing God is translated of the seuentie interpretors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is A true and religious man And Dauid saith Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord. Psal 112 1. And if so be he be blessed which feareth God how is not the same man also iustified But besides these things which after a sort by the causes declare the iustification of Cornelius Acts. 10. we haue also another testimonie of the effects The effects are a testimonie of Cornelius iustification for that he gaue almes which were acceptable vnto God But we haue alreadie by manie reasons prooued that none can doo works acceptable vnto God but he which is iustified and regenerate Further he distributed these almes vpon the people of the Iewes as of whom he hauing béene instructed in the skill of godlines would impart vnto them in like maner some of his temporall goods For It is meet as Paule saith vnto the Galathians that he which is instructed Galat. 6 6. should communicate vnto him which dooth instruct him in all good things Moreouer that soldier which was sent vnto Peter declareth Acts. 10 22. that he had a good testimonie of all the Iewes All which things doo sufficientlie shew that although we read not that he was circumcised yet he came so néere vnto the doctrine of the people of God as that all men commended his pietie verse 30. He praie◠continuallie It is written besides that he praied and that continuallie And if so be we diligentlie weigh the whole historie we shall find that he
I am led by the Hebrue phrase wherein one signifieth the first as in the booke of Genesis And the euening morning were one daie that is The first daie Also in another place when it is written Looke In the booke De votis pag. 76. set foorth at Basil In one of the moneth it is ment The first daie of the moneth And when it is written One moneth it must be vnderstood The first moneth Also we read in the Gospell of Marke the 16. chapter verse 2. And earlie in the morning in one of the sabboths they came vnto the sepulchre the sun being now risen where manifestlie by one of the sabboths is vnderstood the Lords daie Matt. the 28 In the euening of the sabboth when the first daie of the weeke began to dawne verse 1. So it is also written in the 24. chapter of Luke verse 1. verse 1. and in the 20. of Iohn And to inflame our minds to giue almes vnto the poore Paule did verie fitlie choose the daie of the holie congregation Why Paule chooseth for almes the daie of the holie congregation bicause of the word of God publike praiers and godlie lessons which be vsed vpon that daie through all which things we be put in remembrance of the benefits which God for his mercie sake hath bestowed vpon vs. Also we receiue the sacraments wherby is renewed the memorie of that most excellent benefit I meane the death of our Lord Iesus Christ And what christian mind is not persuaded to benefite his neighbour by the godlie remembrance of so great a good turne Who is it that will not when he reuolueth in himselfe with a godlie mind that the sonne of God gaue himselfe vnto death euen to the death of the crosse for his sake that will not I saie alonelie impart some of that earthlie riches which is bestowed vpon him but rather giue himselfe for his brethren We confesse also the communion of saints which will be either verie slender or none at all vnlesse it be confirmed by liberalitie towards the poore But there is no token of godlinesse or communion of Christians more excellent than is charitie Neither are we for this cause to be accused as obseruers of daies and of times Gal. 4 10. as were the Galathians as though we attribute more holinesse to one daie than to an other We onelie for order sake and a certeine ciuill custome of the church doo méet togither vpon that daie rather than vpon an other But in the epistle to the Galathians either they are reprehended by Paule which renewed the Iewish feast daies or else the Ethniks which superstitiouslie obserued the daies of the Aegyptians or of those that professed the Mathematicall sciences In 1. Sam. 1. verse 3. 5 Moreouer there may be manie causes reckoned whie GOD would haue the people yéerelie besides the sabboth daie to ascend to the place which he had chosen for religion sake Exo. 23 15. First he appointed the same bicause the remembrance of his benefits should not be forgotten but should be reuiued by yéerelie peregrinations For in the feast of Passeouer was celebrated the memorie of their deliuerance out of Aegypt and in the Pentecost the remembrance of the lawe giuen by Moses Further in both the solemnities there was thanks giuen for the new fruits receiued Three principall feast daies of the Iewes For in the feast of Easter they offered the first fruits of barlie and at Pentecost they offered bread made of new wheat Lastlie in the feast of Tabernacles was remembred the benefit whereby God sustained the fathers by the space of fortie yéeres in the wildernesse and thanks were giuen bicause they had now gathered in all the sorts of fruits And rightlie were these thrée principall parts of the gifts of God called to remembrance in these thrée peregrinations for they be speciall good things wherein consisteth the societie of man For the first felicitie of anie nation is that there be a common-weale and that it be frée and this the Iewes obteined when they were deliuered out of the hard bondage of Aegypt The second felicitie is to haue lawes and religion proper to themselues for no common-weale consisteth without lawes and religion The third is that there be no want of things necessarie for life Wherefore the remembrance of these benefits was yéerelie renewed by the commandement of God Further an other cause of this ascending to the feasts at Ierusalem was that the mutuall concord of the people in diuine seruice and religion might be preserued For when the Iewes were once gathered togither and did their sacrifices all after one and the selfe-same order it was most prudentlie prouided that sundrie religions should not arise The first cause was that the priests and Leuits might openlie teach them concerning the lawe and holie seruice whereby the people returned home much better instructed than when they came thither There is also a sixt cause alledged that in such an assemblie and mutuall beholding of one another charitie might the more growe and increase among the tribes For they sawe and talked one with another they kept their feasts togither and that which was most of all they ioined in publike and solemne praiers togither Furthermore by these peregrinations there insued a necessarie sustentation of the holie ministerie For the oblations and sacrifices were multiplied the greatest part whereof came to the priests and Leuits Besides this the minds of them that praied was confirmed that God would heare their praiers for he promised that in that place he would fulfill the praiers of the people Which cause vndoubtedlie should mooue vs to celebrate holie congregations for notwithstanding that we may praie at home yet séeing he promised that he will allow of our praiers Matt. 18 19 where two or thrée shall be gathered togither in his name therefore the appointed celebrations of the méeting togither in the church must not be neglected Moreouer God would that by such godlie peregrinations they shuld testifie their obedience especiallie in that they did not choose the place wherevnto they had accesse but it was appointed by the will of God And it must not be omitted that that place did represent Messias vnto the fathers without whom no works of men though they be trim and goodlie in shew can please God Lastlie that worke was a notable exercise of faith for so often as they were to go vp vnto the place which was assigned for diuine seruice the Hebrues were compelled to leaue all vacant and without gard at home For the enimies were at libertie in the meane time to breake foorth to waste and destroie althings Howbeit they obeied the word of God and little regarded whatsoeuer should happen committing all that euer they had to the safegard of God And so great a confidence had they towards God as they doubted not but he would defend their borders although they were desolate Thrée times euerie yéere it behooued
Achitophell But whether Dauid followed this counsell let Ben Gerson sée to it But the more likelihood is that Dauid when he sawe himselfe now out of danger did the more confidentlie professe there things of himselfe For whereas he was ignorant that Saule should so soone die and sawe that it might be that the Philistines should be ouercome and that he should be constrained to remaine longer in exile thought it altogither conuenient that the fauour of king Achis should be reteined The ninth Chapter Wherein is treated vpon the sixt precept and first of Friendship THis woord Amicitia In. 1. Sam. 18. verse 1. Of friendship that is Friendship is so called of Amor that is Loue as saith Augustine against an epistle of Parmenianus the first booke and first chapter And this is faithfull and continuall in Christ onelie It behooueth that the bond of friendship be stedfast and durable But it behooueth that there be a reconciler of friends to lead them vnto felicitie and that an eternall and true felicitie for other felicities are vncerteine and transitorie Howbeit these things can no man performe but Christ Now let vs sée what is properlie To loue Aristotle saith that To loue is To will well The definition of loue and if thou canst to doo well vnto anie man for his sake not for thine owne This definition although it may séeme probable yet must it be amended for we ought to will well to no man for his owne sake but for Gods But the philosophers staied vpon the second causes as if so be that they sawe a man godlie and good they said that he ought to be beloued for his owne sake But it behooueth vs to ascend higher and to place the causes of things in God A definition of friendship Cicero defineth friendship to be an agréement of diuine and humane things through good will and charitie But Aristotle in his Ethiks speaketh somewhat more distinctlie for he saith that friendship is a goodwill But it happeneth oftentimes that some man loueth an vngratefull person and is not loued againe and for that cause he addeth Mutuall Howbeit some men doo mutuallie loue one an other who neuerthelesse knowe not that they are mutuallie loued againe Wherefore it behooueth that either of them doo reueale their friendship one to an other Furthermore it is requisite The ends of true and false friendship that this good-will be stirred vp in respect of some good thing For we doo not loue without it be for some certeine cause and the good things are referred either vnto profit or vnto pleasure or vnto honestie But they which are induced to loue either of pleasure or of profit they loue vnaduisedlie and accidentallie For if the cause of pleasure or of gaine should cease the friendship would straitwaie be loosed But the friendship which vertue hath ioined togither is stedfast neuer dissolued for vertue is an habit gotten by long custome which cannot be remooued Such a constant amitie was betwéen Dauid and Ionathas Seneca A reprehension of Epicurus in his ninth epistle vnto Lucillus reprooueth Epicurus bicause he had said that A friend must be sought to the intent that if thou haue néed thou maist haue one to helpe thée if thou be sicke thou maist haue one to sit by thée For a far more swéet friendship is it saith Seneca which dooth helpe another than that which is holpen of another Wherefore saith he a friend must be sought that thou maist haue whom to help whom to sit by if thou be sicke For Apelles saith he and Praxiteles tooke greater pleasure of their owne works when they were working them and had them in hand than afterward when they had them made and finished in their chamber euen so a true friend is more delited if he himselfe doo anie good turne to another than if he receiue a benefit of another So did Ionathas not refuse anie danger that was to be taken in hand for Dauids sake Saule also loued Dauid but far otherwise than did Ionathas Neither vndoubtedlie did Ionathas loue Dauid onelie in respect of that generall commandement Dauid loued Ionathas not in respect of the generall commandement onlie Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe but bicause of that notable indeuour which he found in him towards the Common-weale and godlinesse Further he sawe that the kingdome should be plucked awaie from Saule and be giuen to one better than he and he suspected that the same other man should be Dauid as we may gather by the historie Yet did he loue him so feruentlie as he did not for this cause hate him anie thing at all Of Homicide or Manslaughter In Iudges 9 verse 24. 2 Here will I treate of two things the first what maner of man-slaughter is condemned by the word of God and to be punished by the magistrates secondlie who are guiltie of this crime As touching the first we must vnderstand that not euerie slaughter of man is condemned For if one kill a man by chance in exercising of an honest and lawfull thing he incurreth not the punishment of man-slaughter Wherefore in the old lawe there were granted cities of refuge Numb 35 6. For in verie déed he killeth not but as it is there written God without whose will nothing is doone by chance deliuered him that he should so be killed A iudge also and a magistrate when he punisheth heinous offenders is not to be accounted a man-slear for it is not he that killeth but the lawe yea rather God himselfe who would haue it so doone and so commanded it Furthermore he that in a desolate place or where he cannot be holpen by others is set vpon by théeues or enimies if in defending himselfe according to the lawes by repelling violence by violence he slaie a robber or théefe which inuadeth him he is not guiltie of man-slaughter forsomuch as in that case he is armed both by the lawes the magistrates For the Common-weale would not that a subiect should so perish therfore it giueth him leaue to defend himselfe by weapons For this cause Cicero defended Milo Cicero bicause he had killed Clodius who first by a secret lieng in wait set vpon him 2. Sam. 14 6 Also the woman of Thecua obteined of Dauid that the magistrate should not kill hir sonne who had slaine his brother being at variance with him in the féeld They were alone saith she and therefore it is not knowne which of them first inuaded the other Soldiers also when in a iust war they slea their enimie commit no vniust thing Wherefore that man-slaughter which must be punished and is condemned by lawes is then iudged to be doone when a man of set purpose is killed by priuate men And they which are to be condemned of this crime by the Romane lawes are not called man-stears but murtherers In the lawe Cornelia the title is De sicarijs and not De homicidis Who be
men in déed might giue certeine gifts vnto their wiues Iointures called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before the marriages which were called iointures as some certeiye recompensings of the dowrie Yet neuerthelesse when they were once married togither the Romane lawes permitted not that they should giue gifts one to an other Plutarch Whereof Plutarch also hath made mention out of whom neuerthelesse is brought an other reason than that which I declared to be taken of the verie laws These be the words in the 35. and 36. precept of matrimonie Certeine bodies are said to consist of seuered things as an armie and a nauie other bodies of things ioined togither as a house and a ship and other some are vnited and compact togither as all liuing creatures are Wherefore matrimonie which consisteth of liuing creatures is vnited and compact but the matrimonie which is made either for dowrie sake or for children belongeth to bodies ioined togither And that which consisteth for pleasure or carnall copulation thou maist number among the seuered bodies for there man and wife may be said to dwell togither but not to liue togither And as in liuing creatures the temperatures of humors runne through all parts so marriage must mingle bodies monie friends and kinsfolke togither And the maker of the Romane lawes forbad persons coupled in matrimonie to take or to giue gifts one to an other not to the intent they should not be partakers of anie one thing but that they should thinke all things to be common Howbeit these things are to be vnderstood of frée gifts and not of dowries Dowries of maides giuen out of the common treasurie which otherwise were both lawfull and much vsed in the Romane publike we le For the daughters of Scipio Curius and Cincinnatus had dowries out of the treasurie bicause of the pouertie of their parents to the intent they should not be married without dowries The councell of Arls made a false decree Yea and the generall Councell of Arls as it is rehearsed in the thirtie question the fift chapter Nullum sine decréed that no matrimonie should be contracted without a dowrie Let the dowrie saith it be according to the abilitie neither let anie woman presume to take a husband or anie husband a wife without publike marriage This canon I willinglie allow in that it condemneth secret marriages but where it decréeth that marriages cannot be contracted without a dowrie séeing that is not confirmed by the testimonie of Gods word I cannot admit For there are and haue béene verie manie which haue married wiues altogither without dowrie yea and these men of so great honestie and authoritie as it should séeme a rash part to condemne their dooing séeing the holie scriptures are not against it Neither doo I iudge that matrimonie should by anie meanes be denied to those women which are without a dowrie if marriage be necessarie for them Moreouer Paule testifieth Ephes 5 23. that matrimonie dooth shadowe the coniunction that Christ hath with his church Wherfore if the truth of the matter be well considered the church had nothing to offer vnto Christ in the name of a dowrie naie rather as Ezechiel teacheth the same was found wrapped in bloud and mire Ezec. 16 30 Also the fathers in the old testament séeme sometimes to haue had wiues without dowries So then it séemeth méet to be decréed that men may and that it is lawfull to receiue dowries when they are giuen and that the same custome is honest so that a iust measure be not excéeded and that he which marrieth be not allured therevnto through the name of the dowrie as being the principall cause The maners and godlinesse of the wife ought chéeflie to be regarded Neither ought anie man foorthwith to persuade himselfe If I shall marrie a wife without a dowrie I shall therefore haue hir the better and the more at quiet Ierom. sith as Ierom declareth in his first booke against Iouinian Cato Censorius had Actoria Paula to wife The wife of Cato borne of a base kindred who was poore also and without a dowrie and yet neuerthelesse she was a droonkard impotent and behaued hir selfe proudlie toward Cato Of Diuorsements and putting awaie of wiues In 1. Cor. 7 verse 10. 52 Vnto the Hebrues and Ethniks it was but a light matter to put away their wiues and it was lawfull vpon euerie occasion but vnto the Christians it ought not so to be This hath Christ declared in the 5. and 19. of Matthew Matth. 5 31 and 19 7. There when he saith Moses gaue you a bill of diuorsement it ought not so to be vnderstood as though Moses did this of himselfe without the commandement of God for he was most faithfull Heb. 3 2. as GOD beareth record of him And that which is decréed in the lawe Deut. 24 1. touching diuorsement afterward is commanded in Malachie to wit Mal. 2 16. If thou hate thy wife put hir awale For the Lord would not that hatred and enimitie should be reteined in so néere fréendship Wherfore Christ calleth vs hom vnto the first institution in the new testament Christ calleth vs home vnto the first institution For insomuch as now the spirit is more plentifull and grace more abundant men ought to vse greater patience and charitie towards their wiues and not so to deale against them as they should reiect them for euerie cause In like maner there is required of the wiues a greater obedience and modestie 53 Here thou wilt saie vnto me What if thou shalt find at this daie among Christians such as be so hard-harted and so obstinate in reteining of hatred and enimitie in wedlocke as they be not onelie equall to the Iewes but also go beyond them therein Séeing then the disease is all one why is not the same remedie left Vnto whom we answer that they which be of such sort be strangers from Christ wherfore we commit them to the Common-weale to determine of them as it shall séeme most expedient For when they cannot be amended by the church let vs count them for Ethniks and Publicans let vs deale with them by the ciuill lawes Why Paule intermitteth the exception of adulterie 1. Cor. 7. We haue it plainelie enough declared by the word of Christ that a diuorse ought not to be doone vnlesse it be for the cause of adulterie The which exception if it be intermitted by Paule it is no maruell for when Paule saith that he speketh not these things but the Lord he sendeth vs to the Lords owne words neither dooth he plucke anie thing awaie from his commandement And when he saith that he commandeth not but the Lord he maketh not those things of small force which he taught before when they are not read to be expresselie spoken of Christ sith euen those things are of the Lord for he saith And I thinke that I also haue the spirit of God 1. Cor. 7
mind will be the lesse by this alteration of persons thou shalt perceiue how greatlie thou art infected with the loue of thy selfe Also for the retaining of charitie it furthereth to call verie often to mind that the whole lawe is fulfilled thereby It helpeth forward also to repeate in our memorie how manie and how great debts we our selues are bound to performe And hereof let vs not be forgetfull that in departing from charitie we shall be nothing 11 By these and such other like means there is a great helpe for the kéeping and preseruing of charitie towards our neighbours although the same procéed from the méere liberalitie of God Of this charitie spake Paule in the twelfe chapter of the first to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 12 13. And I will yet shew you a more excellent waie It is all one as if he had said I sée you are possessed with a certeine desire to excell other now will I shew you the waie the same is charitie which as concerning the word hath affinitie with fauour and with loue What difference is betweene fauour loue and charitie The abiding place of charitie From the which neuerthelesse it so differeth as fauour is the meaner and lesser affect and loue is the more vehement affect But charitie is appointed to be where a certeine knitting togither and néere fréendship happeneth betwéene the parties So as we call that charitie which is towards parents towards the countrie and towards kindred which selfe thing is verie correspondent to christian loue For all we which are beléeuers haue one father which is God and one brother the first begotten which is Christ wherefore we be knit togither with a most néere fréendship Now that we knowe what the word meaneth there resteth that wée declare somewhat although rudelie Aristotle of the nature thereof Aristotle in his Ethiks taught manie things concerning fréendship and in his Rhetorikes he intreated at large concerning the same And in effect his iudgement is that to loue a man consisteth in this Wherein loue consisteth namelie that when we wish well vnto him then we doo well vnto him and that for himselfe not for our owne sake Here dooth humane wisdome staie but christian godlinesse is lifted higher For such a one both willeth well dooth well vnto his neighbour and not for his owne proper commoditie but for God and Christ his sake bicause he knoweth that his neighbour is created by God the father and is redéemed by the bloud of Christ The definition of charitie Let charitie then be thus defined that It is a power inspired into our minds by the heauenlie spirit whereby we wish well vnto our neighbours and doo good vnto them according to our power and that for God and Christ his sake Augustine 12 Augustine in his 29. Epistle vnto Ierom saith that This knowledge he hath of vertue that it is charitie to loue those things that ought to be beloued And the same he saith is greater in some but lesse in other some and in some none at all But the most perfect charitie wherevnto nothing can be added must not be ascribed vnto anie while we liue in this world And he addeth that there may be somewhat added thereto while we liue here bicause somewhat is wanting therevnto which dooth testifie both the fault and imperfection thereof and thereby it cōmeth to passe as he saith Psal 14 2. that There is not a man that dooth good and sinneth not 1. Ioh. 1 10. And if we shall saie that we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. And it is written of Dauid Psal 143 3. Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant And we saie all in the Lords praier Forgiue vs our trespasses Mat. 6 12. It appeareth therefore that this man of God ascribeth perfect charitie to no man in this life nay rather there is somewhat euer to be added therevnto so long as we liue which declareth both the corruption and imperfection thereof The verie same we may assure our selues to be in all the good woorkes that we doo But it must be considered that those things which be spoken of Paule concerning charitie and the definition which we haue brought doo perteine vnto that charitie which we haue towards our neighbour And when he commendeth that loue he by an Antithesis condemneth hatred factions disagréements and finallie all sinnes which are contrarie vnto the same Why Paule called charitie an excellent way Vpon good consideration he calleth the waie thereof excellent bicause thereby we ought to doo well vnto the wicked though they be vngratefull and vnwilling in the amending of whom godlie men for reward and good will doo suffer hatred and persecutions 13 Now In Rom. 9 3. at the beginning as touching the degrées in charitie oftentimes the kindred of the flesh is the cause of louing our neighbour and that according vnto charitie Paule saith vnto Timothie 1. Tim. 5 8. He that hath not a care of his owne and especiallie of his familie renounceth his faith and is woorse than an infidell bicause vnder pretence of religion he liueth woorse than infidels who by the onlie guide of nature shew beneuolence towards their owne kindred and prouide necessarie things for them So then we must iudge that the ioining of flesh and kindred is giuen vnto vs by God for to stir vs vp vnto charitie not to haue respect vnto those things as our owne but as ioined vnto vs by God For otherwise there is none that shall make a choise vnto himselfe of parents brothers or countrie We ought therefore to care for those things which be giuen vnto vs by God and not to spend our labour after our owne pleasure without making of choise Not but that we ought to extend our good will and charitie vpon all men whatsoeuer they be but now we onelie speake of the degrées and shew of the ordinarie and vsuall charitie where we ought to beginne vnlesse some other occasion drawe vs to that which is more néedfull In Rom. 10 verse 2. 14 Howbeit séeing Paule séemeth to be mooued with a desire and good will towards the Iewes for the zeale that they had without knowledge there ariseth a question whether anie sins may so please vs as of them we should take a delight or that therefore should be ingendered anie good will We must put a difference betwéene sinnes A distinction of sinnes For there are certeine grosse and vnmeasurable sinnes which all men vnderstand to be sinnes And there be other sinnes which although they be condemned before GOD and are sinnes in verie déed for that they be committed by men not regenerate who be as yet euill trées neither direct they their works vnto God as they ought to doo yet are they morallie good Wherefore if we meane of grosse sinnes and speake of sinnes properlie and truelie as they are of their owne nature then
other side he saith Iohn 14 1. Iohn 6 44. that No man can com vnto him but he whom the father shall drawe Matt. 13 9. He also saith He which hath eares to heare let him heare And yet God saith in the scriptures Deut. 30 6. that He would giue them an hart from aboue to vnderstand eies to see eares to heare Wherefore these things are not repugnant one to the other namelie that the appointment of good works lieth in God and that the gift of them is to be hoped for at Gods hands onelie and that we also must put our care and endeuor to liue vprightlie and godlie for as we haue before said the holie scriptures teach both Moreouer As well the fore-knowlege of God as predestination is certeine if for this cause we should denie predestination séeing after the selfe-same maner the fore-knowledge of God is certeine and can not be deceiued shall we therefore denie that God fore-knoweth all things if peraduenture there be some which may be offended with this doctrine An example brought by Augustine And in his booke De bono perseuerantiae the 15. chapter he bringeth an example which happened in his time He saith that in the same monasterie that he was in was a certeine man of a loose life who when he was admonished of his fault was accustomed to saie Such a one shall I be as God hath fore-knowne me And when he so spake saith Augustine he spake indéed the truth but although his iudgement was true yet became he euerie daie woorse woorse at the last also he saith that he returned to his old vomit howbeit saith he what maner of one he shall in time to come be God onelie knoweth Though this man abused the truth A thing is not made euill by the abuse thereof yet will not therefore anie godlie man denie that God fore-knoweth all things And that this fore-knowledge of God is no let vnto good works Christ declared when he commanded his disciples to praie Matth. 6 9. when as yet in the meane time he plainlie told them Ibidem 32. that God knew right well what they had néed of So then The fore-knowledge of GOD ought not to call vs backe from the indeuor of praieng fore-knowledge of God dooth not call vs backe from desire to praie for the things profitable and necessarie which God hath decréed to giue vs he hath decréed to giue them by this meane They also are deceiued which thinke that this doctrine is an vnprofitable doctrine yea their sight is but small and they vnderstand not the profite thereof Vnto the godlie it is verie profitable to the end they should not put anie confidence either in themselues or in anie other men but should fixe all their whole hart and confidence in God alone Which thing vndoubtedlie none can trulie and from the hart doo but those which are fullie persuaded both that their saluation and also their good works depend not vpon themselues but of God No We cannot acknowlege the gifts of God without wee knowe frō whence they spring we cannot acknowledge the gifts of God except we vnderstand from what fountaine they spring But that fountaine is the frée purpose and mercie of God giuen vnto them whom he hath elected before the constitution of the world He which séeth not this séeth not the goodnes of God towards him By this doctrine may men be brought What that fountaine is not to glorie in themselues but in the Lord which they cannot doo that ascribe vnto their owne frée will that little whatsoeuer it be for the which they saie they are chosen of God for they haue in themselues whereof to glorie Ouer this the scriptures will haue vs to be mortified and to behaue our selues lowelie which thing nothing more easilie bringeth to passe than dooth this doctrine The certeintie also of saluation which we defend is by no other means made more manifest And in the latter epistle to the Thessalonians 2. Thes 2 13 Paule willeth vs for this cause to giue thanks vnto GOD We are willed to giue thanks for our election that we are elected of God but this can we not doo vnlesse this also be wholie made plaine and knowne vnto vs. Neither without this doctrine can the grace of God be sufficientlie defended against the Pelagians for they taught that the election of God commeth by our merits Predestination confirmeth the doctrine of iustification It is no new doctrine seeing it is set foorth in the holie scriptures Heresies the cause why doctrines were the more diligentlie searched out Frée iustification also should perish except we be rightlie taught of predestination Séeing therefore this doctrine being soundlie vnderstood is vnto so manie things so profitable no man ought to count it vnfruitfull and sithence it is set foorth in the holie scriptures it cannot vndoubtedlie be called a new doctrine 4 But if the fathers before Augustines time haue not so diligentlie spoken of it it ought not to be maruelled at for the occasions wherefore doctrines were the more diligentlie discussed and searched out were new heresies which often sproong vp in the church And for that before Pelagius time no man had spoken against the grace of God there was no néed that anie man should defend it but when there arose vp a new error it was necessarie that this doctrine should the more diligentlie be examined And yet did not the fathers which were before Augustine alwaies leaue this thing vnspoken of The Fathers before Augustines time taught this doctrine For Augustine himselfe prooueth that in the 19. chapter of his booke De bono perseuerantiae Ambrose vpon Luke saith that God could if he would of vndeuout persons make deuout And againe he saith that God calleth them whom he vouchsafeth and whom he will he maketh religious These things writeth he vpon that place wherein it is written that the Samaritans would not receiue Christ He citeth also Gregorius Nazianzenus who saith that God granteth that the faithfull both beléeue the blessed trinitie and also confesse it But whereas they quarell that this doctrine is verie obscure and cannot be vnderstood but rather bringeth men to be vncerteine of the will of God he answereth that indéed it is an obscurenes vnserchable How predestination is obscure and how not obscure if anie man go about to séeke out reasons of the iudgements of God why other men being reiected this or that man is chosen But if so much be taught of predestination as the holie scriptures doo set foorth vnto vs those things are not so obscure but that they might be manifest inough vnto our faith When we will do anie thing we must not haue an eie to predestination but to the scripture The certeine number of the elect hindreth not preaching Neither counsell we that when a man dooth anie thing he should deliberate with himselfe of predestination but rather
that God hath purposed that he will not haue mercie howbeit they are the cause of damnation which followeth in the last time but not of reprobation which was from the beginning The last end of reprobation is the declaration of the mightie iustice of God as Paule hath taught Rom. 9 17. namelie that These vessels are prepared vnto wrath bicause GOD would shew in them his power And God answereth of Pharao Exod. 9 16. Euen vnto this end haue I raised thee vp that I might shew in thee my power A néerer end is damnation which as it is iust so also is it allowed of God And yet the néerest end are sinnes Esaie 6 10. for God commanded that the people should be made blind that they should not vnderstand that they should not heare Least peraduenture saith he they may be conuerted and I should heale them For sinnes although as they are sinnes they are by God in his lawes condemned yet as they are iust punishments they are by him laid vpon the vngodlie for their ill deserts But we must not staie in these néerer ends we must go further that we may at the length come to that end which Paule hath set foorth namelie that The iustice of God should be declared And thus much hitherto as touching the first article 16 Now let vs come to the second wherein must be sought the cause of predestination The cause of predestination Forsomuch as predestination is the purpose or will of God and the same will is the first cause of all things which is one and the selfe-same with the substance of God it is not possible that there should be anie cause thereof Of the will of God may somtime be giuen a reason but neuer anie cause Howbeit we doo not therefore denie but that sometimes may be shewed some reason of the will of God which although they may be called reasons yet ought they not to be called causes especiallie efficient causes But that in the scriptures are somtimes assigned reasons of the will of God may by manie places be gathered The Lord saith that He therefore did leade about the children of Israel through the desert Exo. 13 17. rather than through shorter passages through which he could haue lead them bicause they should not suddenlie méet with their enimies Gen. 2 8. Adam also was placed in paradise to husband it kéepe it And God testified Gen. 15 16. that He would not then expell the Cananites out of the land of Canaan bicause they had not as yet filled the measure of their sins Howbeit although as we haue said the scriptures vse sometimes to bring reasons of the will of God yet no man ought to take vpon him No reasons to be giuen of gods will but out of the scriptures to render a certeine reason of that certeine will of God but that which he hath gathered out of the scriptures For as we are dull of vnderstanding so we might easilie vsurpe our owne dreames in stead of true reasons But that there are finall causes of the predestination of God we denie not There is a finall cause of predestination for they are expreslie set downe by Paule and especiallie when he citeth that of Pharao Euen to this end haue I stirred thee vp Rom. 9 17. that I might shew vpon thee my power but of the elect he saith that God would in them shew foorth his glorie Ibidem 23. The materiall cause also may after a sort be assigned The materiall cause of predestination may after a sort be shewed For men which are predestinate and those things which God hath decréed to giue vnto the elect by predestination as are these calling iustification and glorification may be called the matter about which predestination is occupied This moreouer is to be noted The end thereof is taken two maner of waies that the end may sometimes be taken as it is of vs in mind and desire conceiued and then it hath the consideration of an efficient cause for being so conceiued in the mind it forceth men to worke Somtimes also it is taken as it is in the things and as we atteine vnto it after our labours and then properlie it is called the end bicause the worke is then finished and we are at quiet as now hauing obteined the end of our purpose But we therefore put this distinction that if at anie time we should be asked Whether God doo predestinate men for works or no We should not rashlie either by affirming or by denieng giue hastie sentence for the ambiguitie is in this word For how it is to be vnderstood It may be both true and false that we be predestinated by woorks Ephes 1 4. and 2 10. For if good works be taken as they are in verie déed and are wrought bicause God predestinateth vs to this end that we should liue vprightlie as we reade in the epistle vnto the Ephesians to wit that We are elected to be holie and immaculate and that God hath prepared good works that we should walke in them As touching this sentence or meaning the proposition is to be affirmed But if that word For be referred vnto the efficient cause as though the good works which God foresawe we should doo are as certeine merits and causes which should mooue God to predestinate vs this sense is by no meanes to be admitted It is possible in déed that the effects of predestination may so be compared togither that one may be the cause of the other but they can not be causes of the purpose of God One effect of predestination may be the cause of another but they can not be causes of the purpose of God For calling which is the effect of predestination is the cause that we are iustified iustification also is the cause of good works and good works although they be not causes yet are they means whereby GOD bringeth vs vnto eternall life Howbeit none of all these is the cause or the meane why we are chosen of God As contrariwise sinnes are indéed the causes why we are damned but yet not why we are reprobate of God If sins were the cause of reprobation no man might be elected For if they were the cause of reprobation no man might be chosen For the condition and estate of all men is alike since we are all borne in sin And when at anie time Augustine saith that Men are iustlie reprobate for their sins he vnderstandeth togither with reprobation the last effect thereof namelie damnation But we may not so speake if by reprobation The purpose of God not to haue mercie is as free as the purpose to haue mercie Why the good works foreseene are not the cause of predestination A place out of the second epistle to Timoth. 2. Tim. 2 20. we vnderstand the purpose of God not to haue mercie for that purpose is no lesse frée than the other purpose of
followe in that chapter you shall sée that the apostle draweth those things Vnto what principall points the predestination of God is reduced Rom. 9 21. Ephes 1 9. Rom. 9 18. Ibidem 16. which he teacheth of predestination to these principall points namelie vnto power for he saith Hath not the potter power Vnto purpose or good pleasure for vnto the Ephesians he vseth both words Vnto will for he saith He hath mercie on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth Vnto mercie or loue for he saith It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that hath mercie Ibidem 13. Also Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated Séeing Paule what cause soeuer either here or in anie other place he giueth of predestination reduceth the same to these foure principall points can we doubt of his meaning Or shall we take vpon vs to giue sentence otherwise But as touching works hée speaketh not so much as one word wheresoeuer he intreateth of this matter but onelie to exclude them Further consider this If election should depend of works foreseene then iustification should come by works that there is nothing more against the scope and meaning of Paule than to put works foreséene to be the causes of predestination for by that meanes works should be the causes of iustification but that doctrine the apostle dooth by all maner of meanes oppugne And hereby I prooue this reason to be firme Predestination the cause of vocation and vocation the cause of iustification bicause the apostle maketh predestination the cause of calling and calling the cause of iustification Wherfore if works be the causes of predestination they shall also be causes of iustification For this is a firme rule among the Logicians Whatsoeuer is the cause of anie cause is also cause of the effect Further no man can denie but that good works procéed of predestination for We are said to be predestinate Ephes 1 4. that we should be holie blameles And God by predestination hath prepared good works Ephes 2 10. in which we should walke And Paule himselfe confesseth that He obteined mercie 1. Cor. 7 25. to the end hee should be faithfull Wherefore if works be the effects of predestination how can we then saie Works be the effects of predestination not the causes thereof that they are the causes thereof and chéeflie those kind of causes which are called efficient causes For that vse of frée will is nothing woorth which they so often brag of as though we haue it of our selues and not of the mercie of God For Paule saith that It is God which worketh in vs both to will and to performe Phil. 2 13. And God in Ezechiel saith Eze. 11 19. I will take awaie from them their stonie hart and will giue them a hart of flesh We cannot saith Paule thinke anie good thing of our selues as of our selues 2. Cor. 3 5. And if we had in our selues that good vse which they speake of what should let but that we might glorie thereof Vndoubtedlie the Lord saith No man commeth vnto me Iohn 6 44 vnlesse my father drawe him And Ierom against the Pelagians verie well writeth that they which are said to be drawne are by that word signified They which be drawne were before vnwilling to haue béen before froward resisting and vnwilling but afterward GOD so worketh that he changeth them This selfe-same thing also dooth the nature of grace prooue for Paule saith that The remnants might be saued Rom. 11 5. according to the free election of grace which is to saie according to frée election for so is the genetiue case after the Hebrue phrase to be resolued 19 Further in the definition of predestination in the first place we haue put this word purpose which séeing it signifieth nothing else as we haue taught out of the epistle vnto the Ephesians but the good pleasure of God Ephes 1 9. thereby it euidentlie appéereth that we may not elsewhere séeke the cause of predestination Moreouer Good works are not the cause of our calling works cannot be the causes of our calling and much lesse of our predestination for predestination goeth before calling And that works are not the causes of calling it is declared by the epistle vnto Timothie God hath called vs saith Paule with his holie calling 2. Tim. 1 9. not by our works but according to his purpose the grace which we haue in Christ before the world was Hereby it most manifestlie appeareth that works are not the causes of our calling Yea neither also are works the causes of our saluation which yet were far more likelie for by good works God bringeth vs to felicitie Titus 3 4. If we should be predestinated by good works the exclamation of Paule were to no purpose Rom. 11 33. But Paule to Titus saith that God hath saued vs not by the works of righteousnes but according to his mercie Further what néeded Paule after this disputation to crie out O the depth of the riches of the wisedome and knowledge of God! How vnsercheable are his iudgements and his waies past finding out For if he would haue followed these mens opinion he might with one poore word haue dispatched the whole matter haue said that some are predestinate and othersome reiected bicause of the works which God foresawe should be in both of them Those men Augustine in mockage called sharpe witted men which so trimlie and so easilie sawe those things that Paule could not sée But saie they The Apostle in this place assoileth this question But it is absurd so to saie especiallie séeing that he brought it in of purpose and the solution thereof serued very much vnto that which he had in hand The questi is assoiled when it is brought to the highest cause Exo. 19 13. And how in Gods name can he séeme not to haue assoiled the question when he reduced that euen vnto the highest cause namelie vnto the will of God and therewithall sheweth that we ought not to go anie further When God had appointed limits at the foote of the mount Sina if anie man had gone beyond those limits he was by the lawe punished Wherefore let these men beware with what boldnes they presume to go further than Paule would they should But they say that the apostle here rebuketh the impudent Be it so but yet this rebuking is a most true solution of the question for Paule by this reprehension prohibiteth vs not to inquire anie thing beyond the mercie and will of God How the question may be said to be assoiled and not assoiled If these men vnderstand such a solution as mans reason may resolue vpon I will easilie grant that the question is not so assoiled but if they séeke that solution which faith ought to imbrace and to rest vpon they are blind if they sée not the solution 20 But let
predestinated are so to be taken as they are foreséene of God and by this meanes they cannot séeme to be temporall Be it so That which is the latter cannot bee the efficient cause of that which went before take them in that maner yet can it not be denied but that they are after predestination for they depend of it and are the effects thereof as wée haue before taught Wherefore after these mens doctrine that which commeth after should be the efficient cause of that which went before which how absurd it is euerie man may easilie vnderstand Further the efficient cause is of his owne nature more woorthie and of more excellencie than the effect speciallie in respect it is such a cause So then Our works cannot be of more woorthines than predestination if works be the causes of predestination they are also more woorthie and of more excellencie than predestination Ouer this predestination is sure constant and infallible how then shall we appoint that it dependeth vpon works of frée will which are vncerteine and vnconstant Things constant and certeine depend not of things vnconstant and vnterteine and may be wrested to and fro if a man consider them particularlie For men are alike prone vnto this or that kind of sinne as occasions are offered for otherwise if we will speake generallie frée will before regeneration can doo nothing else but sinne by reason of the corruption that commeth by our first parents So as according to the mind of these men it must néeds followe that the predestination of God which is certeine dependeth of the works of men which are not onelie vncerteine but sinnes also Neither can they saie that they meane as touching those works which followe regeneration for those as we haue taught spring of grace and of predestination We must not so defend mans libertie that wee spoile God of his libertie Neither doo these men consider that they to satisfie mans reason and to attribute a libertie I knowe not what to men doo rob God of his due power and libertie in election which power and libertie yet the apostle setteth foorth and saith that God hath no lesse power ouer men than hath the potter ouer the vessels which hée maketh But after these mens opinion God cannot elect but him onelie whom he knoweth shall behaue himselfe well neither can he reiect anie man but whome he séeth shall be euill But this is to go about to ouer-rule God and to make him subiect vnto the lawes of our reason As for Erasmus he in vaine speaketh against this reason for he saith that It is not absurd to take awaie from God that power which he himselfe will not haue attributed vnto him namelie to doo anie thing vniustlie For we saie that Paule hath in vaine yea rather falselie set foorth this libertie of God if hée neither haue it We must attributed vnto God that libertie which the scripture sheweth of him nor will that it should be attributed vnto him But how Paule hath prooued this libertie of God that place which we haue cited most manifestlie declareth They also to no purpose obiect vnto vs the iustice of God for héere is intreated onlie of his mercie Neither can they denie but that they by this their opinion doo derogate much the loue and good will of God towards men For the holie scripture when it would commend vnto vs the fatherlie loue of God Rom. 5 8. affirmeth that He gaue his son and that vnto the death and at that time when we were yet sinners enimies and children of wrath But they will haue no man to be predestinated which hath not good works foreséene in the mind of God And so euerie man may saie with himselfe If I be predestinated the cause thereof dependeth of my selfe But another which féeleth trulie in his hart Loue towards God is kindled by the true feele of predestination that he is fréelie elected of God for Christ sake when as he of himselfe was all maner of waies vnworthie of so great loue will without all doubt be woonderfullie inflamed to loue God againe 23 It is also profitable vnto vs that our saluation should not depend of our works For we oftentimes wauer and in liuing vprightlie are not constant Doubtles if we should put confidence in our owne strength we should vtterlie despaire but if we beléeue that our saluation abideth in God fixed and assured for Christ sake we cannot but be of good comfort Further if predestination should come vnto vs by our works foreséene the beginning of our saluation should be of our selues against which opinion the scriptures euerie-where crie out for that were to raise vp an idoll in our selues Moreouer the iustice of God should then haue néed of the externall rule of our works But Christ saith Ye haue not chosen me Iohn 15 16. but I haue chosen you Neither is that consideration in God which is in men The same consideration is not of Gods choise that is of mans choise when they begin to fauour a man or to loue a fréend for men are mooued by excellent gifts wherewith they sée a man adorned but God can find nothing good in vs which first procéedeth not from him And Cyprian saith as Augustine oftentimes citeth him that we therefore can not glorie for that we haue nothing that is our owne and therefore Augustine concludeth that we ought not to part stakes betwéene God and vs to giue one part to him and to kéepe another vnto our selues to obteine saluation Touching saluation the whole must be ascribed vnto God for all wholie is without doubt to be ascribed vnto him The Apostle when he writeth of predestination hath alwaies this end before him to confirme our confidence and especiallie in afflictions out of which he saith that God will deliuer vs. If predestination should depend of works it wold make vs not to hope but to despaire But if the reason of Gods purpose should be referred vnto our works as vnto causes then could we by no meanes conceiue anie such confidence for we oftentimes fall and the righteousnes of our works is so small as it can not stand before the iudgement seate of God And that the Apostle for this cause chéefelie made mention of predestination we may vnderstand by the eight chapter of the Epistle to the Romanes Rom. 8 1. and 8 c. For when he described the effects of iustification amongst other things he saith that we by it haue obteined the adoption of children and that we are mooued by the spirit of God as the sons of God and therefore with a valiant mind we suffer aduersities and for that cause euerie creature groneth and earnestlie desireth that we at the length be deliuered and the spirit it selfe maketh intercession for vs. And at the last he addeth Ibidem 27. That vnto them that loue God all things worke to good And who they be that loue God
lawe by the bodie of Christ that ye should be coupled to another namelie to him which is risen againe frō the dead that we should bring foorth fruit vnto God Paule would by this reason declare that before our faith in Christ we as it were to husbands were coupled to the lawe and to the flesh of which copulation could come no fruits but such as are pernicious and deadlie but now being deliuered by the grace of God we are coupled vnto Christ by the spirit vnto Christ I saie being raised from the dead by which copulation we shall now bring foorth fruit vnto God and not anie more to death and damnation And the selfe-same thing he affirmeth or rather expoundeth verse 5. when he addeth For when we were in the flesh the lusts of sinnes which are by the lawe tooke effect in our members to bring foorth fruit vnto death Here let vs note that so long as we were in the flesh we were subiect vnto wicked affections which by the lawe were of force in our members how then could we be iustified by our works Further in the same chapter it is written For that which I doo I allow not The 18. reason for what I would that I doo not but what I hate that doo I. If now I doo that which I would not verse 15. then it is not I that doo it but sinne that dwelleth in me For I knowe that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing Here as it manfestlie appéereth he dooth intreat of the works of men And although that in interpreting of these words I haue effectuallie prooued that they are to be vnderstood of those works which are doone of the godlie which haue alreadie obteined iustification yet now I leaue it frée vnto the aduersaries to take whether part they will And if they grant that these things ought to be vnderstood of works doone before iustification then forsomuch as they are neither allowed nor good how shall they deserue righteousnes For they are called euill and no man is iustified by an euill action But if we vnderstand works which are here described to be the works of those that are iustified then will I make my argument A maiori that is From the greater If those works which might séeme most acceptable iust and holie to God are called euill by the iudgement of reason now renewed are not allowed how can we affirme then that those works which are of sinners are such as they be able to iustifie 13 And least anie man should saie that we take our argument onelie of that which happeneth through the slouthfulnes of men when as the disputation is of that which may be doone if men would put to their good will for manie are not iustified by their good works when as they might be iustified by them if they would Herevnto we answer with the apostle in the eight chapter The 19. reason who saith For that which the lawe could not performe insomuch as it was weake bicause of the flesh Rom. 8 3. that performed God by his owne sonne being sent vnder the similitude of flesh subiect vnto sinne and for sinne condemned sinne through the flesh This place admonisheth vs that the righteousnes which God commanded in the commandements could not be performed by the helpe of the lawe by reason of the corruption and infirmitie of the flesh and for that cause was Christ sent by the father to performe that which could not be accomplished of vs. The same thing also teacheth he a little after for when he had said The 20. reason that The lust of the flesh is death he addeth moreouer that It is enimitie against God Ibidem 6. for it is not subiect to the lawe of God neither indeed can be Wherefore whatsoeuer we doo of our owne naturall strength and power which is called flesh the same resisteth God for our corrupted nature cannot be subdued vnder the lawe of God And forsomuch as it is so The 21. reason then can we not be iustified by the déeds thereof In the same chapter also we read Vnto those that loue God verse 27. all things worke to good vnto those I saie which are called of his purpose In which words the apostle touched the beginning and chéefe point of all our goodnes namelie the purpose of God which is so the cause of our saluation that all our goodnes dependeth thereof but it is not mooued by anie of our goodnes But the verie causes of mans felicitie are afterward orderlie and distinctlie described among which there is no mention at all of our good works Those which he knew before verse 28 he also predestinated and whom he hath predestinated those hath he also called and whom he hath called them also hath he iustified and whom he hath iustified them also will he glorifie This chaine is linked togither with all the meanes and helps whereby God bringeth vs vnto saluation But séeing there is no mention made of the works of the lawe and of merits it sufficientlie appéereth that by them we are not iustified Further when it is said The 22. reason Who shall accuse the elect of God It is God which iustifieth who shall condemne verse 33 and 34. It is Christ which died yea which also is risen againe which also sitteth at the right hand of God which also maketh intercession for vs. If by the iudgement of God we should be iustified by works it had béene sufficient to haue said The elect shall be accused in vaine forsomuch as they haue good merits and séeing by their vertuous and holie works they shall obteine absolution He saith not so But saith he it is God which iustifieth And it might haue béene answered No man shall condemne the elect séeing that their works be such as they deserue both absolution and a reward But he maketh no such answer but saith It is Christ that died c. Why then should we take vpon vs to mingle our works therewithall séeing the scripture willeth vs in no case so to doo 14 Now come we to the ninth chapter wherin is intreated of the prouidence of God which directeth and ordereth all things not for anie other cause vndoubtedlie but that we should thinke that the nature of it and of iustification is all one for either of them is giuen fréelie and not of works The 23. reason For the apostle writeth that Of two brethren which were not yet borne and when they had doone neither good nor euill Rom. 9 11. to the end the election of God should abide according to his purpose not of works but of him that calleth it is said The elder shall serue the yoonger as it is written Iacob haue I loued and Esau haue I hated Here as we sée are works most manifestlie excluded The 24. reason Also vnto Moses it was answered I will shew mercie to whom soeuer I shew mercie Exod. 33
worketh it in them Moreouer also all that whatsoeuer it be was alreadie before wholie due vnto God neither can we doo anie thing that is good or giue anie thing vnto him which is not his Wherfore we must take awaie all merit not onelie in them which are not as yet iustified All merit is taken both from the iustified and not iustified but also in them that are iustified But Pighius the easilier to persuade putteth forth a similitude of a certeine maister which hath manie seruants vnto whom to the end they should the more diligentlie and spéedilie accomplishe some worke which he setteth them to doo A similitude he appointeth a reward Who saith he will denie but that those seruants which spéedilie and diligentlie haue finished their worke haue deserued the reward that was promised We will bréeflie examine what may be concluded by this similitude If by seruants we vnderstand men regenerate in Christ we will grant that God setteth foorth prices rewards whereby we are stirred vp to liue holilie Neither will we denie but that such may be said to receiue a reward but yet we will not grant that they trulie and properlie merit the crowne of eternall felicitie And certeine of our writers to declare that this thing perteineth vnto the iustified doo vse a similitude A similitude not of a maister and his seruants but of a father his children For fathers are woont oftentimes with some certeine condition to promise a gowne a cap or monie vnto their children which although otherwise they would fréelie giue vnto them yet with some condition they doo it to quicken their endeuour as for example that they shall haue this or that thing after they haue once throughlie learned this or that booke Héere no man that will speake as he should doo and properlie will say that these children when they haue finished their worke haue deserued the gifts which were promised vnto them for the father fréelie and of his frée liberalitie giueth bestoweth the same vpon them But Pighius entreateth of seruants that is of men not as yet regenerate But that vnto such are by God set foorth anie rewards of good things I maruell out of what place he can declare it or wherby will he prooue that the works of such men séeing they are yet as we haue taught sinnes can please God And séeing the matter is so vnto them is set foorth not a reward but a punishment Howbeit to make the thing more plaine let vs compare children and seruants together Children though they doo nothing A comparison between children and seruants yet they enter vpon their fathers inheritance onelie if that they will receiue it but seruants though they labour neuer so much yet they haue no inheritance with the children This is so plaine that it néedeth no further declaration 70 But to wrest from vs that which we doo affirme namelie that if works be required vnto iustification the honour of Christ should be diminished as though his merit alone could not be sufficient to reconcile vs vnto God I saith he doo take awaie nothing from Christ but doo leaue vnto him his honour whole and safe But I beséech thée how doost thou take away nothing when as thou requirest works vnto our iustification and so requirest them as thou saiest that GOD more regardeth them than faith But he thus expoundeth his owne subtill ridle that Christ in that order of his is a sufficient cause as if he should haue said If we speake of the reconciliator and of that sacrifice whereby we are reconciled vnto God Christ onlie is sufficient But we cannot be prepared and be made apt vnto that benefit but by manie works I cannot doubtlesse but maruell where is become the wit of this so great a Sophister As though they forsooth against whome the apostle disputeth euer said that works are required vnto iustification as outward principles or grounds Vndoubtedlie they also went about the same which Pighius dooth that works are certeine purgings and preparations of the minds Further who séeth not that a generall proposition being true it is lawfull to applie vnto all the particular propositions thereof that which is either affirmed or denied in it Wherefore séeing Paule denieth that a man is iustified by works he excludeth all kinds of works in what order soeuer they be put But Pighius saith further that God requireth these works that he maie fréelie impute vnto vs iustification Whosoeuer is but euen slenderlie exercised in the holie scriptures shall easilie sée that this man is euen directlie repugnant vnto Paule for he in the epistle to the Romans saith Rom. 4 4. Vnto him which worketh not a reward is imputed according to grace But Pighius saith Vnto him which worketh God imputeth righteousnes fréelie But to impute fréelie and not to impute fréelie euerie child maie sée that they are contradictorie But weigh gentle reader this reason of two contrarie branches These works which he speaketh of either profit to iustification or els profit not if they profit not why calleth he them preperations For amongst causes are reckoned also causes preparatorie But if he will say that they profit and are in verie déed causes preparatorie with what face can he affirme that he plucketh awaie nothing from the honour of Christ but appointeth him to be the whole and absolute cause of our iustification But peraduenture this two-membred argument a man will turne vpon vs touching those works which followe iustification For he will saie either they are profitable to obteine saluation or they are not profitable if they be not profitable why are they required Wherevnto good works profit after iustification and why are promises made vnto them But if they be why doo we not allow merit to be in them I answer that such works are profitable vnto men regenerate for that they liuing vprightlie orderlie be renewed and made more perfect But that is nothing els but a certeine inchoation and as it were a participation of eternall life Further it hath séemed good vnto God by such meanes or rather by such spaces to bring men to eternall felicitie But we cannot call these works merits for Paule expressedlie teacheth that The reward of sinne is death Rom. 6 23. but eternall life is grace But that which is giuen fréelie That which is freelie giuen excludeth merit vtterlie excludeth merit And in the meane time we ought to remember that there is a great difference as we haue oftentimes taught betwéene their works which are as yet strangers from Christ and from God and their works which are now by grace graffed in Christ and made his members 71 Afterward also he goeth about to confute that which we say that a man is iustified by that faith which hath a respect vnto the promises of Christ and of the remission of sinnes as though we hold that faith is the proper correlatiue of such promises For he saith that
it trulie then make they on our side And why dooth this man so much impugne it But if falselie this good end nothing helpeth them to represse the insolencie of men Rom. 3 8. For euen as Euill must not be committed that good may insue so false doctrine must not be auouched to supplant other false doctrine But this man vndoubtedlie is so farre besides himselfe as he saith that this was lawfull for the fathers to doo For in his booke De votis which not manie yéeres ago he set abroad he saith that Augustine De bono viduitatis wheras he writeth that Their matrimonies which had vowed a vow of virginitie or of sole life are true marriages and not adulteries wrote the same for no other end but to persuade Iuliana the widowe vnto whom he wrote the booke that marriages in generall are not euill And so a Gods name he confesseth that Augustine setteth foorth one false doctrine to ouerthrowe another false doctrine And with the like wisdome in the same booke he feigneth that Clement Alexandrinus wrote that Paule had a wife which he thinketh to be most false onelie to prooue that marriage is good and honourable And if it be lawfull so to mingle true things with false and to confound all things when then shall we beléeue the fathers What thing can at anie time be certeine vnto vs but that we may be deceiued thereby Further he feigneth that Paule excluded from iustification onelie the works of the lawe But this we haue before abundantlie confuted and haue taught that the reasons of Paule are generall Yea the fathers sawe euen this also Augustine for Augustine in manie places affirmeth that Paule intreateth not onelie of ceremoniall works but also of morall works But bicause the authoritie of Augustine is I knowe not how suspected vnto our aduersaries let vs sée what Ierom saith He vnto Ctesiphon against the Pelagians vpon these words Rom 3 20. By the works of the lawe no flesh shall be iustified thus writeth Ierom was of the opinion that not alone the ceremoniall works are to be excluded from iustification Rom. 7 16. Bicause thou thinkest this to be spoken of the lawe of Moses onelie and not of all the commandements which are conteined vnder this one name of the lawe the selfe-same apostle saith I consent vnto the lawe of God There are others also of the fathers which teach the same but I now ouerpasse them Let it suffice to shew that this other feigned inuention of Smith is vaine and trifling 87 Thirdlie he saith that they ment to exclude works as he calleth them penall those works I suppose which repentant men doo But to shew how ridiculous this is also shall néed no long declaration For first such works were required of men not that by them they should be iustified before God but onelie to approoue themselues vnto the church that is least they by a feigned and dissembled repentance should séeke to be reconciled Further it is not likelie that Paule spake of anie such works for they were not at that time in vse Indéed Ambrose when he excludeth works from iustification hath herevnto once or twise a respect But we ought not so much to consider what one or two of the fathers doo saie but what agréeth with the holie scriptures Smith addeth moreouer God requireth of men more than faith Mark 1 15. that it is certeine that God requireth much more of vs than faith for in Marke it is thus written Repent and beleeue Here saith he vnto faith is adioined repentance And in another place He that beleeueth and is baptised Mar. 16 14. shall be saued He addeth also that in the epistle to the Ephesians Eph. 5 25. The church is said to be sanctified by the washing of water in the word And that Peter in his third chapter of his first epistle saith that Baptisme hath made vs safe Peter 3 21. And that Ierom also thus writeth vpon the first chapter of Esaie The washing of regeneration dooth onelie remit sinnes Behold saith he iustification and remission of sinnes is ascribed not onelie vnto faith but also vnto the sacraments As touching the first we grant that Christ requireth more of vs than faith for who doubteth but that he will haue men that are iustified to liue vprightlie and to exercise themselues in all kinds of vertues otherwise they shall no◠come vnto eternall saluation Howbeit these are fruits of faith and effects of iustification and not causes But as touching the sacraments we haue manie times taught how iustification is to be attributed vnto them for they are in the same respect vnto iustification as is the preaching of the Gospell and the promise concerning Christ which is offered vnto vs to saluation And verie oftentimes in the scriptures that which belongeth vnto the thing is ascribed to the sacrament or signe And because baptisme promiseth remission of sinnes by Christ and signifieth it and sealeth it in them which are washed therefore Ierom of all other sacraments attributeth this vnto it onelie Wherefore the words of the Fathers ought nothing to mooue vs when as they write thus that Faith alone is not sufficient to saluation for they vnderstand this A rule as touching the writings of the fathers of that eternall saluation vnto which we come not except some fruit followe our faith But of their saiengs we ought not to gather that a man is not iustified by faith onelie And though at anie time the verie same fathers séeme to referre their words vnto iustification yet are they to be vnderstood that their meaning was to expresse the nature of the true and iustifieng faith for it in verie déed is neuer alone but hath euer hope and charitie and other good works The righteousnesse that sticketh in vs consisteth not of faith onelie as companions Sometimes also by iustification they vnderstand that righteousnes which sticketh in vs the which without all doubt dooth not consist or depend of faith onelie 88 They thinke also that this maketh against vs Rom. 8 23. for that Paule writeth vnto the Romans By hope we are made safe Neither doo they sée that hope is there taken for the last regeneration which we hope we shall one daie obteine in the heauenlie countrie for the apostle a little before spake of it And vndoubtedlie we possesse that saluation onelie in hope not as yet in verie déed If there be anie peraduenture whom this most iust and most true answer will not suffice let him followe the interpretation of Origin for he vpon that place saith that Hope is there put for faith which is no rare thing in the holie scriptures But they haue found out yet another fond deuise whereby as much as lieth in them they doo go about to qualifie this word Onelie which is so often vsed of the Fathers namelie that faith onelie hath the beginning and as it were the first degrée of iustification which
so soone iudged or more rashlie condemned Whence procéedeth it that there is at this daie so manie iudgments concerning meats In the same epistle it is written Whatsoeuer is sold in the market eate ye making no question for conscience sake 1. Co. 10 25. But more plainelie in the second chapter to the Colossians Col. 2 16. Let no man condemne you in meat and drinke or in a peece of a holie daie or of the new moone or of the sabboth daies which were shadowes of things to come but the bodie is of Christ In the lawe many kinds of meats are forbidken Those things which he spake hitherto doo belong vnto the ceremonies of the lawe and to the feast daies of Moses Immediatelie he passeth to other obseruations not procéeding from the lawe but from men when he addeth Take ye heed verse 18. that no man beguile you of the victorie by humblenes of mind and worshipping of angels aduancing himselfe in those things which he neuer sawe puft vp rashlie with his fleshlie mind and holdeth not the head whereof all the bodie being furnished knit togither by ioints and bands increaseth with the increasing of God verse 20. And if ye be dead with Christ from the ordinances of the world why as though ye liued in the world are ye still held with traditions as Touch not Taste not Handle not all which perish with the vsing and are after the doctrine and commandements of men which things indeed haue a shew of wisedome in voluntarie religion and humblenes of mind and in not sparing of the bodie which are things of no value seing they perteine to the satisfieng of the flesh These words doo most manifestlie testifie that the place must be vnderstood touching the superstitious obseruation of mans inuentions And in the first epistle to Timothie it is written In the last daies manie shall fall awaie from the faith 1. Tim. 4 5. and shall giue heed vnto spirits of errour and doctrines of diuels which speake lies thorough hypocrisie haue their consciences burned with an hot iron forbidding to marrie and commanding to absteine from meates which God hath created to be receiued with giuing of thanks by them which beleeue and knowe the truth bicause euerie creature of God is good and nothing ought to be refused if it be receiued with thanks-giuing for it is sanctified by the word of God and by praier Titus 1 15. And to Titus Vnto the pure all things are pure but vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing nothing is pure for their minds and consciences are defiled Also vnto the Romans Rom. 14 14 I knowe and am perfectlie persuaded that by Christ nothing is common but vnto him which shall saie it is common Vnto the Hebrues Heb. 13 9. It is an excellent thing to establish the hart by grace not by meats which haue profited nothing And in the Acts of the apostles it is said vnto Peter when he refused to eate of those creatures which were let downe from heauen Acts. 10 15. That which God hath sanctified doo not thou call common All these testimonies declare that euerie kind of meate is now through Christ made lawfull and pure 13 But against these things much is obiected First concerning that which Christ saith What things are alledged against this libertie of meate Matt. 15 11 That which entereth into the mouth defileth not a man they answer that the question was then whether meate receiued with vnwashen hands could defile a man And séeing the question was priuate they saie that which was answered ought not to be wrested in such sort as it should be vnderstood of all meates in generall For if saie they Christ had answered that generallie no kind of meats doo defile then should we also make things offered vnto idols lawfull neither should it be a fault to drinke poison and they had not sinned which in the primitiue church had eaten blood and flesh strangled Hervnto we answer that an occasion indéed was giuen vnto that sentence of Christ through a priuate question Whether we be contaminated by receiuing meate with hands vnwashen but the Lord when he denied that made a generall answer And that Christ in that place speaketh generallie the cause which he added vnto his sentence dooth make it plaine for That which entereth into the mouth is let downe into the bellie and is cast into the draught Which being incident to all kind of meats it cannot be doubted but that his sentence was generall Wherefore Christ prooued that meats doo not pollute Why meats doo not pollute forsomuch as they doo not touch the mind nor abide in vs but are digested and so auoided Neither is hereby ment that meate offered to idols or poison are lawfull for we are bound by the lawe of God to auoid such things I meane by the precept of charitie The circumstances cause that some meats must sometimes be forbidden not by the commandements of men For the circumstances doo cause that somtimes we must absteine from sundrie things either bicause there followeth offense in them that be weake or else bicause the health is impaired 14 But they saie againe that they also doo not affirme that meates in their owne nature Looke In 1. Sam. 9 verse 13. are vncleane but bicause the church hath commanded that the faithfull sort should vpon certeine daies refraine themselues from eating of flesh to the intent the flesh may be bridled Therefore if we obeie not they affirme that men are defiled not as though meats were euill or vnpure but bicause men deale intemperatelie An answer to the Papists that excuse their superstition in meats by the commandement of the church by violating the ordinance of the church Vnto this we saie that it is not sufficient to grant that meats in their owne nature be not euill and defiled for both the Scribes the Pharisies had knowledge thereof though they were neither Marcionites nor yet Manicheis for they allowed of the lawe of God Wherefore they were constreined to confesse out of Genesis that All things which God hath made are verie good But Christ vrgeth this that they did not well in ordeining of such decrées and declared that it was not well doone to take such carefull héed about washing of hands and in the meane time to suffer the commandements of God to be contemned and neglected bicause they made a religion and worship of God there where God had made none And yet neuertheles that lawe of the Pharisies although it now séeme friuolous might haue a goodlie pretensed shew as who should saie they would by the washing of hands as by a signe haue men to be admonished of the purenesse of the mind which they ought to procure through praiers and repentance And if so be they themselues had kept themselues cleane from sinnes then should the meats haue béene cleane vnto them and they might haue said in their
first fruits of the captiuitie For this is not in the Hebrue and from whence the Gréeks deriue it I knowe not yet doo I thinke that the Rechabites were therefore called the first fruits of the captiues bicause while they wandered through the plains and fields it is likelie that they were the first which were taken and afflicted by the host of the Chaldaeans 28 But here ariseth a great doubt Whether Ionadab did well to bind his posteritie to these precepts whether Ionadab did well thus to bind his posterite to precepts and to charge them with heauie commandements Certeinlie wine lands houses cities and vineyards be good things the which GOD hath made for the vse of man why then would he haue his posteritie to absteine altogither from them especiallie séeing so great seueritie is sometimes repugnant vnto charitie Also there maie happen a weakenesse of health and such an infirmitie of the bodie that wine must be vsed 2. Tim. 5 13. euen as Paule counselled his Timothie Herevnto I answer that the causes as I shewed before which led this man to institute such things were honest but yet this we must adde that the obseruance hereof was not commanded by him with such seueritie that there could be no exception therein For not onelie the precepts of men but those also which God himselfe hath made must be seasoned and tempered by the lawe of charitie according to the rule appointed by God I will haue mercie Os◠6 6. and not sacrifice Vndoubtedlie he commanded sacrifices but yet if at anie time they were a hinderance of shewing mercie vnto our neighbours they were to be laid aside for a time and season So then the precepts of Ionadab were to be vnderstood that they should not bind his children if by chance anie necessitie had vrged which necessitie as it is commonlie said is the mother of dispensations or releasements For this cause are the Charter-house Moonks to be blamed The strict rigour of the Carthusians which so strictlie professe an abstinence from flesh as if one should be at the point of death they would not minister the same vnto him Wherefore when anie Rechabite had néed of wine in respect of his health he might vse the same notwithstanding the commandement of Ionadab euen as now also bicause they were compelled by necessitie they went into the citie of Ierusalem and were not accused of disobedience Yea and God testifieth with them on this maner Iere. 35 18. Bicause yee haue obeied the voice of your father and haue fulfilled all things that he commanded you c. He saith that they fulfilled all things when as now neuerthelesse they were abiding in the citie Besides this Ionadab did not so command as though he thought these things in their owne nature to be vncleane the vse of which he forbad vnto his posteritie The peuishnes of the Manicheis This was the péeuishnes of the Manicheis which thought that wine flesh and other like things were vncleane as those that were created by some euill god So did not Ionadab thinke but forbad them to his posteritie for the causes now alledged Furthermore the Rechabites were not bound by vow to performe them but they onelie absteined bicause they would obeie their father And bicause the commandement whereby wine was forbidden might séeme at the first view to be somewhat strict In the vse of meats drinks the condition of the regions must be obserued therefore it must be considered that the condition of all countries and regions is not all one For to refraine altogither from wine in this climat of ours it would be a great discommoditie for the most part of men neither might it be abidden But it is not so in Syria or Palestine where men are troubled with great heate and the waters there are verie excellent and are not vnprofitable to be droonke for which cause both there are and may be in that place men in great number absteining from wine And that thus it is the lawe of God concerning the Nazarites confirmeth it the which lawe vtterlie forbad them the vse of wine all the time wherein they were bound by their vow And we are not to beléeue that God would deale so hardlie with his Nazarites to charge them with things intollerable Now then séeing the precept might be vndoone vpon a cause of necessitie and that it was no difficult thing to be obserued in those regions Ionadab in making of such a precept is to be borne withall Wherevnto may be added that such a precept was verie conuenient for them for they were wandering people and ran about in chariots togither with their herds of cattell vsing milke for their meate and whaie in sted of drinke So then he commanded them nothing but that they were accustomed vnto and yet neuerthelesse The Rechabites not forbidden to marrie in so strict a discipline he forbad them not to marrie But contrariewise the Moonks doo abundantlie enioie all pleasures and thinke that they haue performed all godlines if they absteine from marriages In Iudges 1 verse 16. What be the best causes of peregrination Looke In 2. King 2 1. and 8 1. 29 But we ought to remember with our selues the verie good cause of peregrination of these men for all good men trauell not into strange countries for one and the selfe-same purpose Manie there be which oftentimes leaue their countrie bicause they may not worship God there after the sincere and lawfull kind of worshipping yea they are gréeuouslie troubled if they indeuour themselues therevnto So Abraham was called out of his land Gen. 12 1. and from his kindred least he should still haue procéeded in contaminating himselfe with his forefathers in idolatrie And so was it said of Christ that If they haue persecuted vs in one citie Mat. 10 23. let vs flie vnto another But there be others which although they be not hindered at home from true godlines yet will they visit those places wherein they thinke to atteine more profit and be more instructed in things diuine and necessarie for saluation Platos peregrination commended For which cause Plato is commended bicause he trauelled to the Aegyptians and went to a part of Italie named Magna Graecia he went also into diuers nations as though he had followed wisedome flieng from him 1. Kin. 10 1. So likewise is the Quéene of Saba commended in the holie scriptures which trauelled from so farre countries to heare Salomon After this maner the Kenites in the first of Iudges followed the people of Israel for although at home they knew and worshipped one God whose priest also their father was yet neuertheles they desired to be still more instructed and more absolutelie to receiue the lawes the ordinances and worship of God They also are verie much woorthie of praise that trauell into strange countries onlie for the intent to profit others to deliuer them from the miseries wherewith they be
the tradition of Iohn the Apostle The Romanes did otherwise and made vaunt of an olde institution of Peter their Apostle Vndoubtedlie the Canons of the Apostles if they had bin nowe sprong vp had defined this vaine question Hereby this commeth to my minde that as the selfe same Canon cyteth they make mention both of the readers singers as though in the time of the Apostles eyther readers or singers were reckoned among the holie orders these orders beléeue me were brought in after the Apostles There is neuer anie mention made of these orders in the holie Scriptures of the new Testament What orders in the Clergie mē the scriptures acknowlege Thou maiest finde Bishops Elders and Deacons The rest be put in and inuented by men not that there were not in the Apostles time those which read or recited something in the holie congregation or those which did sing somewhat but thou canst neuer shew that these things belonged to the holie orders Wherefore séeing the Apostolicall Canons haue made mention of these orders The Canōs of the Apostles are feined they bewraie themselues to be counterfeit Further I passe ouer that Zepherinus the Bishoppe of Rome in his decretall Epistle Zepherinus maketh these Canons of the Apostle to be seuentie when as there are onelie reckoned fiftie Which so great a diuersitie of number declareth them not to be of the right sort For if they had bin properlie and lawfullie set forth by the Apostles we should haue them preserued with singular diligence and there would be a certeintie of their number according as the Canonicall Epistles of the Apostles are extant neither is there anie doubt of their number The fifth Chapter Of discipline gouernment of the Church and namelie of Excommunication Of order Ecclesiasticall Of Temples and their ornaments In 1. Cor. 10. verse 9. A definition of ecclesiastical discipline Look the 18 Epistle whose beginning is Sum plané ECclesiastical discipline is nothing else but a power graūted to the Church by GOD by which the willes and actions of the faithful are made conformable to the lawe of GOD which is done by doctrine admonitions correction and finallie by punishments and also by excommunicatiō if néede require They that cannot abide this kinde of medicine speake ill of their Pastors for dooing well their office Howbeit of God whose messengers they be they are not nor euer shall bée forsaken Wherefore let vs set before our eyes what things must be obserued in brotherlie correction Two extremities in brotherlie correctiō to be auoided In 2 Sa. 12. at the beginning We must take héede that we auoide two extremities and kéepe the meane On the one part that we vse not a faire and flattering spéeche whereby we rather nourish vices than remooue them On the other part that we vse not ouer rough rawe admonition least we rather turne a man from saluation than leade him vnto it The meane must be kept which Christ will haue to be kept in the 18. Chapter of Matthew Verse 15. If thy brother trespasse against thee saieth he goe and reprooue him betweene thee and him onelie But if he shall not heare thee take yet with thee one or two And if he refuse to heare them tell the Church In 1. Sam. 2 verse 22. the which is verie necessarie aswell in the Church as in the Common weale and in euerie familie forsomuch as the same being taken awaie all goeth to wrack For euen as there shall neuer want poore folkes whom we may helpe with our liberalitie Mat. 26. 11. so there will neuer lacke vices of men Of reproouing the which by reproouing we maie heale so as reproouing is an action pertaining to discipline A definition of reproouing whereby of charitie we are earnest with them that are fallen as touching their sinnes warning them to repent according to the manner and forme set forth by Christ to the intent that euill maie be taken awaie from among vs. In this definition action is placed as the generall worde the efficient cause is charitie for that it is no iust correction if it procéede of hatred wrath or iniurie But the matter wherein it is occupied be sinnes and those grieuous sinnes séeing lighter faultes pertaine not to this kinde of correction The forme is the maner prescribed by God The ende is that euill maie be taken awaie from among the faithfull which is euerie godlie mans part to haue a care of in the Church so much as possiblie maie be Correction comprehendeth not discipline generallie Yet neuerthelesse correction containeth not discipline generallie because neither a Father neither an Ecclesiasticall Pastor nor yet a ciuill Magistrate ought to suffer sinnes to passe for that there be manie with whom brotherlie admonition is of no force Wherefore the father if his offending sonne and the Magistrate if stubborne Citizens will not amend their liues ought to punish them more sharplie than by admonitions A Pastor shall correct with the greater discipline a brother that goeth foreward in disordinate life This discipline is no inuention of man Neither is this kinde of Action inuented by men but established by the lawe of God Christ as it is written in the Gospell saieth Mat. 18. 15 If thy brother trespasse against thee reprooue him betweene thee and him alone And Paule vnto the Galathians Gal. 6. 1. If thy brother be suddenly taken in anie offence ye that be spirituall instruct him with all gentlenesse And in the 2. to the Thessalonians 2. Thess 3. 15. Yee shall not esteeme them as enemies but admonish yee them as brethren Verse 17. And in Leuiticus the xix Chapter it is written Hate not thy neighbour but beare with him correct him when he sinneth least thou beare his sinne Reuenge not nor keepe hatred against him but thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe So we are commaunded not onelie by the Gospell but also by the lawe to admonish and rebuke our brother Exod. 25. 5. And vndoubtedlie if we be commaunded to lift vp the asse of our enemie falling downe vnder his burden howe much more is it commaunded that we should helpe our brother when he falleth Leui. 19. 14 Also in an other place to wit in the 19. Chapter of Leuiticus God hath charged by the lawe that a man should not laie a stumbling block in his waie that is blinde but shoulde rather bring him into the waie againe but brethren which do sinne grieuouslie are blinded with couetousnesse and doe straie out of the waie so as they cannot be ouerpassed of vs without a fault Of Excommunication In 1. Cor. 5 at the end 2 Excommunication as concerning the Etimologie of the word is that whereby we make anie voide of the fellowship of communion The Grecians call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And vnder that name is signified some thing seuered from common things for Religions sake that aswell in
Christ and his disciples Iohn 9. 21. and as manie as followed him to bee cast foorth of the Synagogue But excommunications of this kinde Vniust excōmunications are no harme to innocents séeing they be wicked and vnwise are not preiudiciall vnto the godlie and innocent but they doe excéedinglie hurt the Ministers and executors of them who in doing peruerslie doe harme vnto God to Christ to the Church and to themselues and at length so farre as in them lyeth they murder the little flocke of Christ For although God be present with him that is vniustlie excommunicated yet the authors of this vnrighteousnesse for their part driue him out of the Church being oppressed with slaunders and cast him foorth to bee deuoured of wolues for whom Christ died But against the crueltie of these men Christ comforteth vs when he saith Feare yee not them which kill the bodie Mat. 10. 28 seeing they cannot kill the soule Let these men excommunicate as much as they wil they shall not separate vs from GOD from Christ and from the Church A certaine foolish Suffragan An exāple disgraded as they speake a certaine Priest after a while to be bounde because he preached the Gospell and said that he did separate him from the Church of Christ militant and triumphant Vnto whom that prudent and constant Martyr answered What shewest thou me of the triumphant and militant Church of Christ No creature can plucke me from thence Rom. 8. 37. And thou hauing the roome of a Bishop in vaine attemptest to cut me off from the bodie of Christ against the word of God 18 Lastlie it shall not bee hard by these things which we haue spoken to sée how we ought to behaue our selues towardes him Howe we ought to behaue our selues towards an excommunicate which is already excommunicate The familiar conuersation which is doone for affection sake must be withdrawne from him yet so as children wife and subiects be not exempted from their due obedience towardes the Magistrat least al things be confounded But in the meane time let héed be takē least in this conuersatiō they giue assent vnto the same crime But as to others let the excommunicates be auoided let not meat be eaten with them let it not be said vnto them God spéede but let them be accounted as Ethnicks and Publicans Yet must we not cease from admonishing teaching and reproouing neither from giuing meat and drinke if necessitie shall vrge Because excommunication can no further be extended than charitie and other holie commaundements of God will suffer We néede not to feare the hatred of him that is excommunicate For if he wil iustlie weigh what is doone towards him he shall perceiue that the faithfull are stirred vp against him not through enuie but through charitie Theodosius Theodosius being corrected by Ambrose ceased not to loue him to honour him and to commend him And againe they which be excommunicate ought not for that cause to steppe backe from the Gospell or to desist from the faith thereof Further when they shall repent he which was separated from the Church let him be reconciled as Paul exhorteth in the seconde Epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 2. 8. which thing should be doone mildlie with great good will and charitie These things I ment to saie as touching excommunication being alwaies readie to heare better matter For I perceiue that manie things herein be obscure which do oftentimes trouble the weake And for this am I very sorie that it séemeth to me I haue spoken of Vtopia and the common weale of Plato the which although of manie they be praised as goodlie things yet are they no where to be found Of Comelinesse and order in the Church In 1. Co. 14 at the end 19 But Paule in the first to the Corinthians the 14. Chapter added a verie excellent conclusion to wit That all things be done decently and in order But that particle Decently must be rightly vnderstood least we should thinke that this comelinesse consisteth in instruments of silke in vessels of golde and siluer in cuppes set with precious stones in the ringing of Bels in swéete perfumes in the shining of lights They which boast of these things as decent fall into the false argument which Aristotle calleth A secundum quid ad simpliciter A false argument that is From that which is in some respect to that which is absolute Comelie we graunt these things to be howbeit vnto the eyes of the bodie vnto the sense of the flesh and to the iudgement of the world which things we must rather denie than follow What comelinesse is required in the seruice of God The comelinesse which in these things is required consisteth in mortification holines modestie contempt of the world and especially in edification Let it not be obiected vnto vs Exod. 25. that God in the old Testament required of vs these outward ornaments The ornaments of gold siluer c. were conuenient for the olde law why as golde siluer precious stones c. For these things were conuenient for that time and age when the people of God was vnskilfull and were detained as infants vnder the rudiments of this world Nowe hath Christ brought a more perfect state therefore in his Church we must retaine those things which of themselues be decent not those which for some certaine time were méete for the people of God being newlie sprong vp Also he willeth that all things should be done in order that is without confusion For it is order where some things doe fitlie goe before and follow one another A definition of order by Augustine For Augustine De Ciuitate Dei defined it Order is a disposing of things that be like and vnlike giuing to euerie one their proper places In a Church let there be Doctors Disciples People a Pastor Elders And in rites let some things be set before and other things follow after so that in euery place nothing be done vnorderly or confusedlie Of Temples or Churches 20 Dauid although he be commended to be an acceptable and godlie King In 1. Cor. 3 verse 16. yet is he forbidden by God that he should not builde a Temple vnto him because he was exercised in warlike affaires and had put his handes to the bloud and slaughter of manie men Let vs further consider that God shewed marueilous vengeance vpon the Philistians 1. Sam. 5. in vexing them with most foule diseases for that they toke awaie the Arcke of the couenant Neither did it well happen vnto the Chaldeans at the length for that they burned the Temple and tooke away the holie vessels into captiuitie forsomuch as their Monarchie not long after was ouerthrowen The Macedonians also who most contemptuouslie violated the temple repaired had an euill ende And that we passe not ouer the holie houses of the Christians Augustine Augustine giueth warning who declareth in the first Booke
that receiueth the sacraments as touching the substance of them otherwise than they were instituted by God it is dangerous vnto him and an abhomination vnto God proposition 6 As God called sacrifices abhomination when they were doone without faith so may we truelie determine of other good works in generall which be doone without faith Probable proposition 1 THe originall of lights in the Church procéeded hereof that the temples in old time were darke and the christians watched there in the night proposition 2 The eleuation and motion of the bread in the Masse which is doone by the massing priests is taken out of Leuiticus by reason of the lifting vp and moouing of those things which were offered vnto God Propositions out of the eleuenth chapter of the booke of the Iudges And the brethren cast foorth Ieptha and said Thou shalt be no heire in our fathers house for thou art the sonne of a strange woman proposition 1 As touching the punishments of eternall damnation Deut. 24 16 Eze. c. 18 20 euerie one shall beare his own burthen not another mans proposition 2 Whereas some are said to suffer temporall punishments for others they cannot complaine but themselues haue deserued the same proposition 3 GOD committeth no iniustice if at anie time he punish the children with temporall punishments for the safetie of their parents proposition 4 It must not onelie be attributed to the iustice but also to the mercie of GOD that he punisheth the sinnes of the parents vnto the third and fourth generation proposition 5 Séeing that good men are bewrapped in the temporall punishments of the wicked GOD hath appointed a discipline vpon the earth proposition 6 This is proper vnto GOD and must not be vsed of men to punish children for the sinnes of their parents when they consent not to their parents crimes Thus end the Propositions of Doctor Peter Martyr out of the bookes of Genesis Exodus Leuiticus and Iudges A disputation of the Sacrament of the Eucharist held within the famous Vniuersitie of Oxford betweene D. Peter Martyr and other Diuines of that Vniuersitie Peter Martyr to the Christian reader THere be two causes that haue moued me to write of the Eucharist namelie the slanders of euill men and the desires of my freends The one whereof to contemne had beene a point of vncurtesie and the other to neglect were vngodlie since I perceiued that thereof depended no small hinderance to the religion of GOD. For if onelie mine owne cause were heere dealt withall I might easilie haue contemned these things sith I make not so great an account of mine owne estimation that I thinke I ought to be mooued with the slanders of aduersaries and with the vaine rumors of enimies I knowe it is a wise mans part to dissemble verie manie things and especiallie such as be of this sort and that Christian charitie endureth all things that it seeketh not his owne but those things that be Iesus Christs howbeit not mine owne cause but Christs is here in hand not my name but the word of God is ill reported of For the danger of the authoritie of the ministerie is so ioined with the word of God as it reacheth euen to himselfe for so we see it come to passe that albeit good and godlie things be neuer so godlie and learnedlie handled yet if he that handleth them shall want authoritie speciallie if he be defaced or disgraced by anie blemish they proceed with little or no fruit at all But what the impudencie of some hath spred abroad as concerning the disputation had by me at Oxford the summer last past and how they slandered me to all sorts of men both princes noble men commonaltie citizens and countrie men I will not saie for they haue doone nothing in secret but euerie corner street house shop and tauerne doo still sound of their lieng triumphs and victories And I doubt not but that these ill reports are come also into other nations Wherefore one cause that vrged mee to set foorth these disputations was this and another as I said at the beginning is the requests of freends which in verie deed I denied vntill this present time as well for that I knew there were bookes enow extant of this matter wherein euerie godlie man might be sufficientlie instructed as also for that no man knoweth mine owne dooings better than my selfe which hitherto I haue so accounted of as I would not gentle reader hinder thee by them from the reading of better bookes But now these my freends being mooued and that not a little with the false reports of euill men haue so vrged me that granting to the requests of some compelled by the authoritie of others at the length I yeelded For what could I denie vnto the most reuerend Archbishop of Canturburie vnto whom I am most of all beholding Or what could I denie to the kings visitors which were not onelie present at these disputations but were also presidents thereof Wherfore I deliuer vnto thee this disputation Looke this treatise before part 4 chap. 10. togither with a treatise of the same matter for the plainer declaration thereof All which things I haue written in simple sort and as I may saie without anie stile neuerthelesse faithfullie For as concerning the disputation I compared mine owne with the examples of the aduersaries Which when I had diligentlie read those things which I sawe I had omitted that were of some importance I indeuoured as much as the truth of the matter would suffer to restore againe out of their writings and whereas I perceiued them otherwhile to haue expounded their reasons more largelie and in writing to haue handled them more artificiallie than they were vttered in the time of disputing I also reteining the truth of the matter haue expounded the same somewhat more largelie which neuerthelesse happeneth verie seldome But as concerning the effect the principall points and substance of the arguments and of the confutations or answers I haue not so far as I knowe changed or inuerted anie thing wherein I might doo wrong to them which disputed with me yea and I haue caused that oftentimes and in a maner alwaies the selfe-same words might be set downe which we vsed on either side when we disputed togither so far as either my memorie would serue me or their notes which gathered would giue me to vnderstand Whosoeuer therefore was present at our disputation shall perceiue that in truth there was no argument omitted nor added and shall vnderstand that I haue no where fled from the summe and sense of those things that were spoken But and if anie ill disposed persons shall for such is their nature complaine that I haue omitted or wrested anie thing those things let them put in writing and let them not deale against me by words which maketh no matter if they be spent in vaine but let them deale by written reasons which sith men may both read and well consider this kind of disputation
and now they would remaine if they were so instructed by their captaine God would not that all his faithfull ones should die at once No man lawfullie flying away goeth vnto the enemies campe neither for this cause dooth he flie that he may escape the hand of God Nay rather he cōmitteth himself vnto him firmelie assuring himselfe that whensoeuer néede shal require he will lay downe his life and bloud for Christ his cause And then they beléeue that néede requireth when they are come into the Magistrates power when they are mooued by God to tarie still when by reason of any vocation they are so tyed as they may not in any wise flie awaie But so long as none of these things shall presse them they doubt not but in flying they serue God séeing they are taught of the Lorde both by commaundement and by example the examples also of the Apostles Prophets and fathers agréeing thereunto Neither is there any cause why any should except that these are particular priuileges or extraordinarie prerogatiues because this then hath place in the actions of the saincts when they are commended by testimonie of the scripture although they be doone against some generall precept which thinges must not bee imitated of vs who are tyed to the generall commaundements An example whereof is the fact of Abraham when hee would kill his sonne which hee did against that lawe of God Thou shalt not kill And this déede is commended Gen. 22. 2. because Abraham was driuen thereunto by a peculiar motion and he obaied without delay Which neuerthelesse behooued him alone to do others being straitlie bounde to the common precept But the example of flying by holie men set before vs séeing we know that it is not repugnant but rather agréeable to holy writ we may not condemne them which iudge that they themselues ought to followe the same for Christian charitie is neither violated nor yet receiueth any detriment by flying away because it oftentimes happeneth that men flie where neither our presence can profite them that tarie nor yet our absence hurt them euen as it was saide before Mar. 16. 15. Furthermore if the Apostles were commaunded to goe into all the world and to preach the Gospell that the faith might be spred farre and wide why shall it not bée lawfull to change place for the preseruation of faith alreadie receiued obtained It belongeth no lesse vnto charitie to preserue faith receiued the same being the pledge of holy doctrine than it doeth to increase the same neither is it against charitie to leaue them that be néere vnto vs after such a maner and fashion as we haue abooue declared For Christ taught in the 10. of Matthew Verse 37. that father and mother and brethren and such like must be left if they bee a let vnto our saluation or faith The same did Christ teach by his precepts in the 5. of Matthew Verse 29. that there is no member in one bodie so noble which must not be cut off if it be offensiue that is if it be a hinderance to our saluation Wherefore if in flying we obserue due circūstances we shal no manner of way violate Christian charitie Neither is there any cause why a man should obiect that charitie is therefore violated by flying away That flight is not against charitie because wee haue lesse care of our neighbours soules than of their bodies For to whom shall it bee lawfull without sinne to lay open an other mans bodie vnto the perill of death or to leaue it to be torne of woolues théeues murtherers Assuredly charitie heere requireth that wee should be present with our neighbours and to helpe them Which being certaine it sufficiently appeareth that by flying charitie is broken for in flying wee forsake our neighbours and lay open their soules vnto the daunger of damnation while we leaue them in the power of Pharisées hipocrites and false teachers of whom they being depriued of our helpe are easily seduced and lost Héereunto first I answere the they which flie doe not offer vnto perils the soules of them that tarrie behinde For persecution being begunne they are alreadie laide open thereto whereunto their flying away gaue no occasion Further this must be considered that they which flie are not alwayes apt to helpe and saue them that remaine in triall Héere many be deceiued thinking that all they which refuse to flie are fit for to helpe the brethrē not considering that they themselues which tarie whereas otherwise they might flie doe oftentimes by taking a false oth procure themselues great euill who if they had fledde away shoulde haue borne no discommoditie at all For if they tarie they themselues being weake haue néede rather of other mens labour and helpe so as they haue more néede to be confirmed themselues than they be able to confirme others Wherfore the flying of these men nothing at all hurteth the weake and to the strong that remaine it is also profitable because they are ridde of the charge and care of their saluation reioycing excéedinglie that they haue escaped that they are gone thither where by consolation and good examples they maie be more confirmed and strengthened that if at anie time there shall bee anie néede they maie returne whence they departed renewing battaile with the aduersaries and succéeding in the place of them which by glorious Martyrdom are departed vnto Christ For this is woont to be doone in Cities beseiged that they which bee the weake sort otherwise men of good hope and noble maie be sent into some safe place for a time that being made more strong through age and industrie maie afterwarde in due time bee a succour vnto their Countrie and that in the meane time they being safe from daungers maie through the feare that is had of them deliuer those strong men which valiantlie fight for their countrie As touching them which so greatlie excell in learning valiaunt courage and magnanimitie as they be fitte both to builde vp and also to defende godlinesse it séemes we maie two maner of waies aunswere First if they certainelie perceiue that by their tarying they maie bring fruit and by their going awaie offence and ruine vndoubtedly they ought to tary But if they vnderstande as manie times they doe that if they be taken of tyrantes they shall priuilie die or that they shall be depriued of the vse of their mouth and tongue as they may not with one small worde edifie the Church but contrariwise doe thinke that if they flie they shall by their writinges and spéeches verie much further the cause of the Church and are hereunto called by the motion of the spirite they ought to take their flight if the waie of flying bee open without offence Which I therefore adde because we ought not to flie if either we bee cast in prison or else that we ought to appeare before the magistrate vpon promise or suretie for in these cases we are
in the power of an other man Neither is there anie further waie open of flying honestlie away But this must be vnderstoode according to the lawes prescribed For if God shoulde bring thée out of prison as in olde time he did Peter by his Angell Acts. 12. 7. that shoulde be a speciall act whereof wee at this time speake not But all this disputation of ours hath respect vnto this onelie to let thée vnderstand that the flying which is contained within the compasse of due meanes and circumstance is not repugnant to the rule of charitie but doeth rather verie well agrée therewith I haue for this cause disputed so largelie of this matter because I sée manie They that condemne flight doe it for the safetie of their goods and especiallie in our countrie of Italie which being indued with some light of the trueth are like vnto contentious aduocats For euen as they if they defend an vniust cause search out with all diligence for some lawe which maie anie manner of waie leane to their ill purpose to the intent they may séeme to defende their cause vnder the zeale of iustice so those our men doe tarie at home where they dare not come in sight for the faith and truth sake and whereas they first leaue this vndoone this other also doe they omit to wit by not flying awaie which might be a cleare testimonie of their syncere faith which they doe being detained by the linkes of commodities and benefites of this worlde Vnto whom we cannot do a greater pleasure than if by our writings and sermons wee shoulde teach that flying awaie is not lawfull vnto Christians that vnder this pretence they maie commodiouslie inioye their goods After the same manner also are the foolishe sort which be sicke affected who if they be sicke either of a wound or impostume when they will not admit either searing or launcing they most loue and giue eare vnto those Phisitians which by the testimonie of some excellent writer reprooue such a way of healing that they may séeme to refuse those remedies not because themselues are ouer-nice but because the remedies agrée not with their diseases Howbeit euen as these sicke men at the length miserablie die and as those vniust aduocates before a wise and prudent Iudge fall in their cause so these men of ours refusing the best remedie for their griefe doe defile their consciences with dissimulation superstitious ceremonies and déepe silence or else which is woorst of all by detestable abiuration For all they which in the reformed and godlie Churches doe rightlie iudge of things vnderstand that the vniust and vnbridled desires of the goods of this life haue bin the cause hereof Wherefore since the intent of their minde is euill it is no maruell if they haue a woorse end He that will not denie himselfe certainlie he shall neuer liue according to the rule of the Gospell He that will liue vnto himselfe and retaine Christian profession is like vnto him that will build without cost or make warre without anie armie Luk. 14. 28. or ouercome enemies without forces He that is not dead to himselfe nor flyeth from himselfe shall neuer confirme the Christian trueth either by triumph of martyrdome or by laudable godlie or Christian flying away Wherefore I beséech you my most déere brethren in the Lord that at the length you will deale in good earnest dissimulations and faininges must be left vnto hypocrites and stage players If Christ and his Gospell which you by the benefit of God haue both imbrased and confessed be a trueth why doe you execute his commaundementes so coldlie But if you iudge it but a Poets woorke or a fable why delay you it to speake it openlie Why make you semblance to beléeue it God suffereth not himselfe to be mocked Mal. 6. 7. Matt. 6. 24. He requireth all the strength of man No man can serue him and Mammon both together nor yet obey two Lordes commaunding contrarie things If the Gospell be true it must be preferred before life and other our worldlie thinges Souldiers dare ieopard their life for them whose partes they take A great manie of Marchants spēd all their life long in strange countries to make themselues rich They which saile by shippe enter day and night into extreme perils of sea for purposes full of vncertaintie And are we vnto whome the kingdome of heauen eternall life and true felicitie is surelie promised of God so dull slothful and slacke in laying downe this mortall life and these miserable goods for his sake when occasion is offered that we should not denie the trueth The Lord at the length take away so great offence reproch and contumelie from his children make them all faithfull constant valiant prompt and readie and perswade that they which die for this truth sake doe passe into eternall life and they which leaue this their temporall countrie doe flie from hell and doe mount to the kingdome of heauen To the College of Saint Thomas in Strasborough IT would right reuerend Sirs deare beloued brethren haue bin much more to my liking to send you rather ioyfull than discomfortable newes But since it hath thus séemed good vnto the prouidence of God which is neuer to be accused it behooueth that I also doe beare that which hath happened with as good a minde as I can Hitherto perhaps I might bee suspected of negligence that I haue not written vnto you but because I knewe that this was diligently doone by Maister Bucer I thought there was no néede of my letters for that I am sure ye did sometimes vnderstande what we both did and what expectation of things might be looked for But nowe is he departed in peace to his and our Lorde Iesus Christ euen the last day of Februarie to the great sorrowe of all godly men and most of all to mée Neither doe I doubt but that yée my reuerend associates wil take great griefe since the Church the Schoole and our College hath lost so worthie a man This man had now ouercome the greatest difficulties and troubles which are woont to hinder beginnings so that he was nowe accepted in a manner of all the godly and learned sort of that Vniuersitie wherin he professed Therefore God would that he shoulde now reape the fruite of his labours and that his long tyred warfare shoulde be adorned with the honour of triumph He is well prouided for we are to bee accounted miserable or rather vnhappie who are yet tossed in the stormes of calamities Wherefore I desire the immortall God who for his mercie sake hath made him to rest in peace will also deliuer vs from the scourges hanging ouer our heades And no lesse doe I wishe that our Chapter may bee prouided of a Deane and gouernour which may be compared in learning and godlinesse with his predecessor I bid ye all farewell in the Lorde From Oxford in England the 8. of March 1551. To the Widowe of D.
the meane time they should not for the diuersitie of opinion breake brotherlie charitie nor call one another hereticks The counsel which I gaue she verie much allowed I added further But for because the Church men as it manifestlie appeareth are onelie for this cause against the trueth that they may vpholde riches and defende their power your maiestie may make them certaine and sure that all things shall remaine vnto them and that in peaceable possession during their life Of this if they can perswade thēselues they will become much more tractable And this shee also allowed When these things were saide shee went to the fire side where Beza was with the king of Nauarre the prince of Condie the Admyrall and she prayed him together with me to applie all our iudeuour and diligence that if it were possible there might be made an agréement which thing we promised to do so farre as should be lawfull by the word of God Some of the bishops which be of the better iudgement would haue vs to agrée to the consubstantiation of Luther and Brentius We denie that this may bee doone And herein doe wée constantlie persist that the bodie of Christ is in heauen not elsewhere But we doe graunt that in the holie supper the Godly communicants do receiue the true bodie and bloud of the Lord but yet by faith and the spirite and that the distance of places doth not hinder the coniunction it selfe séeing it is a thing altogether spiritual They say moreouer that they wish that the same consubstantiation of the breade and wine with the bodie of Christ may not be spoken of when we shall conferre together There we saide that if they will vrge it we will not hold our peace They say it shall not bée vrged and they thinke that this article will easilie be left frée vnto the Churches What will follow I know not The day is not yet set downe nor the Colloquutors appointed In the meane time our Ambassadour behaueth himselfe verie curteouslie towards vs he saluteth me and oftentimes commeth to séeme And when hee vnderstoode that our horses were not héere well vsed by reason of the incredible multitude of horses and in a manner the infinite couetousnesse of the hostes he meaneth to haue them brought to his own house out of Paris where he hath his owne horses There they shal be no lesse wel and diligentlie looked vnto than his owne Truelie he pretendeth great curtesie vnto our Senate Assist vs as much as you can with your prayers Beza together with the other brethren doe heartily salute you and the residue of our fellowe ministers which thing also doth my Iulius and Stuccius And I would haue you to salute in my name euerie one of yours and also my verie deare brethren and fellowe ministers Since I doe write somewhat briefelie vnto our most honorable magistrate you may by your wisedome supplie with your aduertismēts those things that you shall thinke good Farewell right reuerend and most déere Gossip The 19. of September 1561. in S. Germans Nowe is come the Cardinal of Ferrara in most great pompe Among others he hath brought with him as they bragge most learned men who haue determined in this disputation to deuoure vs like a morsell of bread Among them is Paulus Sadoletus bishop of Carpenthoratum There is also a Gréeke Bishop whom they affirme to bée a most learned man in that tongue and in the Gréeke Fathers There is also a Dominican Frier being a principall Rabbin of the schoole Diuinitie The names of the rest I knowe not sauing that they boast that there is also in his companie a great captaine of the Iesuites Pray yée that God who is a mightie man of warre will vouchsafe of his diuine power to scatter this maine battaile of the Romane Goliath To the same man 54. VNto your letters right excellent man and most louing Gossip which I receiued at the handes of my L. Ambassadour I answere somewhat slowlie because I coulde not before haue any carier But nowe woulde I haue you to vnderstand that wée are all in good health And as touching the matter the 24. day of December I came to Poyssi there Beza in many thinges confuted the Cardinals Oration First he treated of the Church and shewed that wee affirme it not to bee inuisible as we are accused Moreouer the authoritie of the scripture and of the Church was handled and it was prooued that in the scripture is contained all things necessarie to saluation And because the Cardinall had laide to the charge of our Ministerie that we haue no imposition of handes and iust succession manie things were brought of that matter And as touching the Eucharist saide Beza the bodie of Christ is in déede truely eaten but yet spiritually and by faith Further it was declared out of the sayings of Augustine that Councels may erre The Cardinall stoode much and in a manner wholie vppon the written worde and vnwritten word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as touching the article of the Eucharist he protested he woulde no further procéede to deale with vs vnlesse we woulde agrée together with him as touching the Supper of the Lorde Neither did he cease to obtrude vnto vs the Confession of Augusta albeit that he and his sort doe mislike of the same Wherefore our men demaunded of him whether he himselfe woulde receiue the same He saide No but that he would stād vnto it as touching the Article of the presence of the Lordes bodie Then was laid foorth a iust complaint expostulation that they would driue vs vnto those things which they themselues woulde not vndertake But the Confession which hée spake of he affirmed was sent him by certaine Princes of Germanie and from thence he gathered this briefe sentence that in the most excellent Sacrament of the Eucharist is present the flesh of the Lorde corporallie substantiallie and reallie and so it is giuen and receiued and he willed vs that either wee shoulde assent thereunto or else that we shoulde procéede to conferre no further But it was aunswered that this might not bee doone This imperious speach of the Cardinall both the Quéene the Prince of Condie and the Admirall tooke in ill part For they sawe that they delayed the conference and that they sought a readie occasion to haue it broken off therefore meant to begin with this Article wherein they knewe for a certaintie that wée would not agrée with them Also Beza complained that they would with that Article beginne the conference appointed The Cardinall thereunto answered that for good cause it was so doone séeing he in his first Oration cast the first stone of offence saying that the bodie and bloud of Christ is more distant from the bread and wine than heauen is from the earth and that therefore he woulde with al spéede that the people and flocke committed vnto him should be deliuered from such a cogitation All these
in the iudgement of all men But hee neuer instructed more nor was more to bee maruelled at than in publike disputations For if anie disputers were to be moderated hee shewed himselfe so equall a iudge and was mooued with those reasons onely which were of force to perswade as no man coulde euer suspect him to bee parciall he depressed not the sounde argumentes of aduersaries he winked not at the errors false argumentes of friends if they would wander out of the bounds of disputation he reuoked thē courteously to the matter propounded but if the matter proceeded to braules he quieted them by his authoritie And he so finished those incounters that alwayes at the first hee repeated the thinges that were most necessarie and then at the last pronounced of the whole cause that both trueth might haue the victorie and that thereby also might redounde to the hearers no small commoditie And if so he it came to his part to dispute he alwayes so behaued himselfe both in propounding and aunswering as there was no suspition of anie desire either of chiding or of carying away the victorie from an ouerthrowen aduersarie but his minde being free from affections hee rather taught that which was the trueth than contended with anie about wordes And therefore when oftentimes afterwarde he encountered with the stout defenders of the Popes Religion neither was hee mooued to anger at anie time by their rayling speeches neither yet by the acclamations and prayses of our side was he made anie thing the loftier by vayne glory but he perpetuallie kept one and the same modestie equalitie of mind And what perspicuitie of speaking he vsed in publike readings the same did he followe much more diligently in disputing For he iudged that a darkenesse of speech and ambiguitie of wordes is the cause of verie manie contentions And hereof doe his writinges giue a manifest testimonie For whereas he wrote manie things of the iustification of man of Gods predestination not a litle verilie he wrote most of all of the Supper of the Lorde in the explication whereof verie manie learned men vse a certaine affected obscuritie but in his writinges there is nothing read but that which is proper plaine and manifest And when Bucer whom he honoured and greatly esteemed woulde oftentimes exhort him that in the question of the Lordes supper he woulde vse some certaine obscure and doubtfull kinde of speaking which hee himselfe therefore vsed because the good man perswaded himselfe that by this meanes might be taken away the great controuersie which is about this matter and so the long desired peace to be restored to the Church at the length he gaue place to him and vsed the selfe same formes of speaking that hee did But perceyuing within a while the daunger that woulde ensue he chaunged his minde for hee sawe that they coulde not be satisfied by this meanes which affirme the grosse and carnall presence of the bodie of Christ in the supper vnlesse that also their grosse kinde of speech be receaued with a full and grosse interpretation And againe hee had tryed that the weaker brethren by this doubtfulnesse of speech were in part greatly offended and in part so intangled troubled as they scarcely knew what they were to iudge in this matter Wherfore leauing to Bucer his owne phrase of speech he folowed also in this doctrine the selfe same perspicuitie which he did in other things and yet neuerthelesse betweene them remained a firme and constant friendship for neither did Bucer disallow of Martyrs iudgement neither was Martyr ignorant of Bucers meaning although he vsed doubtful speeches so that although the maner of their teaching in this matter was diuerse yet was there a ful consent of them in al the doctrine of Religion and a perpetuall friendshippe and coniunction of life which if I woulde expresse and rehearse all the pleasures whereby they declared their mutuall loue rather wordes woulde frayle than matter Wherefore leauing these thinges I will come to priuate matters and speake of his domesticall life For at Strasborough hee first beganne to haue a house and familie And first he liued without a wife all in one house with his friendes that followed him out of Italie being content with a meane or rather a verie small stipende which neuerthelesse was afterwarde augmented For since he left his countrie and great riches and high honours for Christ his sake hee thought it woulde not become anie to bee agreeued at the increase of his stipende speciallie since he was of so spare a life that this which hee had was not onelie sufficient for himselfe but that there also remained somewhat for the helping of friendes Nowe since for diuers causes hee disallowed of single life by the counsell of his friends he betrothed himselfe to an honest and noble Virgin Catherin Dampmartin who liuing at Metes and louing true religion was sent for to Strasborough by godlie men and afterwarde was married to Martyr This woman died afterward in Englande without anie issue when shee had liued viii yeares with her husbande Vnto this woman all that knewe her gaue such prayse as is due to a good and excellent Matrone For first shee was one that feared GOD loued her husbande wise and industrious in gouerning of her domesticall affaires bountifull towardes the poore who not onelie ayded them with her substance but also with all the counsell and helpe she could Moreouer in the whole course of her life she was godlie modest and sober It is reported that the common sort in Oxford loued her not onely as a benefactor and as it were a mother of the needie but that they also woondred at her as though shee had bin indued with some diuine power because that in sicknesses and especiallie in childbirth their wiues by her counsell and helpe obtained for the most part vndoubted safetie The dead bodie of this woman Cardinall Pole commaunded to be digged vp and to be cast into a dunghill and that he might seeme to deale iustlie when he had no other thing to accuse her of he ascribed this cause to wit that she was buried hard by the bodie of S. Fridesuide and that she was the wife of an Hereticke Verilie this Cardinall which was sometime a speciall friend of Martyr after his departure out of Italie not onelie forsooke his friendship but he vtterly cast awaie the care of true Religion which for a time he had fained and became an earnest enemie and persecuter of our professors Therefore sith he could not burne Martyr himselfe as he desired and with greater pleasure would haue seene it he shewed his crueltie vpon a dead carkasse which had bin Martyrs wife But after that England vnder the most excellent Queene Elizabeth had receiued the former light of the Gospell to abolish this note of infamie the bodie by the commandement of the Bishops was againe digged out of the filth and dunghill and in a great assemblie of people was solemnlie buried
from it 3 155 b 156 a The lawe is not idle no not after it 2 300 a The order thereof in mans reason howe it behoueth to bee 1 16 b The promise concerning the same is not conditionall 3 136 b Howe often it is taken holde of 3 136 a Life and it are so ioyned that oftentimes one is taken for another 3 130 b Whether it may be separated from faith 3 131 ab 132 ab Whether it be ascribed to the sacramentes 3 157 b 158 a Howe diuerslie the fathers vnderstoode it 3 158 a Who they be that cast away the grace thereof 3 160 a Why the fathers attribute it to charitie onely 3 159 a Whether a man being iustified can doubt thereof 3 135 a The effects of charitie doe followe it 3 237 b Whether it be an effect of faith 3 136 b Whether it depend of attrition 3 214 b 215 ab In whome properly it consisteth 3 124 b 125 a It dependeth not of baptisme 4 136 b 137 a What faith bringeth it 3 57 b Predestination confirmeth the doctrine thereof 3 3 b Howe it is referred to Christes resurrection 2 610 a Wherein it séemeth to be declared 2 609 b It dependeth not of mans will 3 28 b Of two inwarde motions thereof 3 124 a One manner thereof in the time of the lawe and the Gospell 2 586 ab Why God woulde that it shoulde come by faith 3 96 a It is shewed by reason that it is of faith not of charitie 3 137 a Whether it bee giuen vs by the promise 3 145 b 146 a Whether in anie respect it depende vppon man 3 123 b 124 a Whether charitie do worke it 3 77 b Whether it be denied to bee only as touching the ceremonies of the lawe 3 103 ab 104 ab 105 ab Vnto whome Paul wrote the doctrine thereof 3 108 a Whether it be by workes 3 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 106. 107. Attributed by sâ—me both to workes morally good and superstitious 3 102 b Whether it may concurre with workes 3 156 b Howe it is graunted vnto workes 3 147a Goodly works a let or impediment thereunto 1 95 ab Of workes preparatorie thereunto and in whome they bée 2 264 b Howe it would follow that it shoulde come by workes 3 14 b What the Fathers say thereof giuen fréely 3 119 b 120 a.b By faith onelie was proper to the fathers in the law aswel as to vs. 2 584 a It doeth consist of grace not of workes 1 145 b The Pelagian heresie touching iustification without grace 3 107 a Howe Pighius vnderstandeth frée iustification 3 147 b Vnto what thinges hee ascribeth it 3 138 b Howe he prooueth that it is had of loue 3 138 b Smith denieth it by faith 3 147 b 148 a Aristotle vnderstoode not nor beléeued the iustificatioÌ„ through Christ mentioned in scriptures 1 132 ab The difference and order of diuine and humane or Ciuil iustification 2 303 a The iustification of the publicane was not in workes but in prayer 2 266 ab Proofes of Cornelius his iustification when hee prayed 2 260 a The causes and effectes thereof 2 259 ab The doctrine of iustification is the principall point of all godlines 3 93 b 94 a Ke. Keyes What the Keyes of the Church bée 4 108 a 297. 2 a 636 a 3 116 b Diuerslie interpreted 3 218 a Looke Church Ki. Kings Kinges be the heades of common weales 4 35 b Whether they may be deposed by a Bishoppe in a case of offence 4 232 ab Whether they or Bishoppes are superiour 4 22â—b 230 a Why they be consecrated â—y Bishoppes 4 623 b How God reigneth together with the good 4 35 a After what sort the bad must bee obeyed 4 3â— b In what manner we bee all Kings and Priestes 4 12 ab Kingdome terrestiall The Papistes make a diuision of a Kingdome into two partes 4 23â— b The Kingdome was not giuen to Saul by the same couenaunt that it was vnto Dauid and why 1 209 b Two causes why Saul was cast out and Dauid surrogated in his roume 2 209 b Of restoring the Kingdom of Dauid 1 608 b Of the Kingdome of the Iewes and Gods kingdome 3 161 b 162 a Why in olde time the Kingdome and priesthood were committed to one man 4 327 b Kingdomes Whether Empires and Kingdomes are of God 4 228 a Why God by his prouidence transferreth them from nation to nation 2 264a Vnto whome the distribution of them belongeth 4 305 a By what meanes God giueth them 4 306 a What is meant by the distribution of them by Lot 4 305b The cause of their alterations 4 227 b 228 a The Prophets may be a certeine occasion not a cause of the ouerthrowe of Kingdomes 4 237 ab Kingdome of Christ and God Prophesies of Christs Kingdom 2 596 b 597 ab 3 397 a Diuerse errours touching the same in this life 3 396 a Of the Millenaru 3 358 a Whether it shall haue an ende 2 607 a What is meant by his deliuering vp of the same to his father 2 607 a That when it shal be fulfilled the ministeries of Angels and labours of celestiall bodies shall cease and why they now moue 1 120a Who seeke the Kingdome of God 2 598 ab Kingdome of heauen What the Kingdome of heauen signifieth preached by Christ 3 203 b Vnder the name thereof the Church is vnderstood 3 392 a Kinred A definition of Kinred declaring what it is 2 453 a Within what degrees thereof marriage may not be made 447. 448. 449. 450. 451. 452. 453. ¶ Looke Marriage Kisse Of the Kisse of peace and the originall thereof 4 218 b Kn. Knowe How we may Knowe God by the workemanship of the worlde 1 16 a We may Knowe him thrée maner of wayes 1 16 a Two wayes naturally 1 10 b Knowledge physicall Wherein opinion and Knowledge do differ 2 296 a It is either reuealed or gotten by endeuour studie 2 300 b Of certeine affects which follow the Knowledge either of euill or good 2 411 a It breedeth vnquietnesse prooued 1 168 b Wherein the power thereof consisteth 3 137 a Whether the bodie be troublesome thereunto 3 316 b 317 a We are led to the Knowledge of causes by their effects 1 47 a The Knowledge of things commeth partly by causes and partly by effects 3 75 b How particular things ouercom a general Knowledge 3 70 b 71 a Of a Knowledge that may séeme both true and false 3 73 b Of the Knowledge of things to come and to whome the same is graunted 1 81 b Of the Knowledge which spirites haue 1 81 b The Knowledge of the principall end is profitable 1 9 a Our naturall knowledge corrupted 3 166 a Of certeine things which cannot bee gathered thereby 1 17 a The pride of Philosophers noted therein 1 2 a They hid that which they had of God 1 11 a How Philosophie and diuinitie do varie concerning
170 a It is no bare but an efficient knowledge 1 171 a It seemeth to be manifold being in deede mere simple in it selfe and why that is 1 167 b If it gouerne all things what is the cause of such confusion and disorder 1 172 a All things hauing relation thereunto be necessarie but of their owne nature contingent or comming by chance proued 175 ab Second causes are instruments thereof 1 173 ab A similitude proouing that we must not denie it bicause wee see not the causes thereof 1 172 a That God worketh our wil to choose or refuse that his ProuideÌ„ce goeth no further as some say 1 175a The causes thereof as the formall the materiall the finall and that thereof there can be efficient cause 1 71 a Whether necessitie bee a let to it 1 169 b Man is not exempted from the Prouidence of God though the contrary may seeme to be 1 172 b 73 a Melanchthons opinion of free-will and Prouidence 1 200 b What the Peripatetiks thought of it and why they said it was aboue the Moone 1 171a b Damascens distinction of the same into good pleasure and permission 1 200 ab Ierom saieth that nothing be it good or euill happeneth without it 1 182 b Latona signifieth nature Prouidence the midwife reade the fable 1 170 a Prouidence worshipped as a goddesse of the heathen reade how 1 170 a ¶ Looke Predestination Prouident Who is Prouident according to Augustines iudgement 1 170 ab Prudence Prudence diuided by Augustine into vnderstanding memorie and prouidence 1 170 a Ps Psalmes Diuerse sortes of Psalmes and whose Psalmes are not to be vsed 3 314 ab ¶ Looke Hymnes and Songs Pu. Punish Why God doth Punish his own people by nations farre worse than they 3 286 ab How God doth Punish the sins of the fathers vpon the children 2 2 6 b Why God doth Punish some and not all 3 386b Whether to Punish and to forgiue be contraries 4 28â— b How farre foorth the lawe that commaundeth to Punish doeth binds 4 262 a Punishing Men in Punishing and rewarding respect not whether things be doone by nature or by industrie 55a Punishment Punishment may be both in the minde and in the bodie 1 180 b Of like for like 2 4 4b 416 a 324 a 540 b Creatures suffer it together with vs when we sinne 2 250 b Why sinne is said to be a Punishment 2 273 b and how 1 190 a Whether Punishment and fault be all one 1 194 b Whether the children suffer Punishment for the fathers offence 2 â—35 ab 236ab Of Gods Punishment vnto the third and fourth generation 2 365 b 366 a Originall sinne a Punishment also a sinne 1 181 a Of the guiltines of sin or bonds vnto Punishment 1 188 a How it is ment that iudgemeÌ„t and Punishment are not twise vsed 3 387 a Gods sentence touching temporall Punishment is not alwayes chaunged by repentaunce in the godly 1 207 b The schoole diuines thinke that the Punishment of originall sinne shall be without feeling 2 233 b Whether Adams or Eues Punishment was the grieuouser 2 493 ab As touching eternal Punishment euerie one suffereth for his owne sinne 2 3â—7 a Whether the Punishment remaine when the fault is forgiuen 3 224 ab 225 a 221 a 237 a Why ciuill punishment is sometime forgiuen and sometime increased 4 257 b 258 a Punishments Howe Punishments do pertaine to goodnesse and howe they are sinnes 2 231 b Diuerse sortes in hell prooued by Scripture 2 234 a Of this life preparatiues of them to come 2 235 a Temporal take not away eternal from grieuous sinnes 2 234 b 235 a Sometimes sudden sometimes proloÌ„ged for a time as how 2 386b 387 a Euerlasting suffred of no man but for his owne fault â— 362 b Deferred are at last to bee executed 3 3â—6b 387 a God laieth them vpon some for others sinnes 2 363 b 64 a What sins are both sins also the punishments of sins 2 273 ab The afflictions of the godlie are not punishments 3 2 7 a Gods deferring of vengeaunce bringeth greater punishments 3 388 a Reioysing and sorowing in the Punishments of the wicked are in one will of the godlie at once 2 400 a.b God vseth signes as punishments for sinners themselues for punishmeÌ„ts for others 1 197 b 198 a The afflictions of the godlie cannot properly be called punishments 2 366b God doeth not alwayes bring temporall euils as punishments 2 364 a God will not defer Punishments more than is meet least he might seeme to cast away the case of things 2 237 b Men deserue euen the temporall which they suffer 2 3â—4 a In the regenerate God conuerteth them into medicines 2 364 b None shal suffer spirituall and eternall but for his owne sinnes 2 365 b By the grieuousnesse of them the weightinesse of sinnes is knowen 2 482 a By whom they may bee forgiuen and how farre foorth 2 414 a Whether those which God shall lay on the wicked in hel are cruell 2 10. God doeth turne them that wee suffer vnto gooâ— â— 364 b It is lawfull to pray for them to light vpon some and why 398 a Temporall are so moderated of God that they may afflict the wicked and not hurt the good 2 362 ab By temporall are described eternall 2 598 b Whether they are at any time forgiuen without satisfaction 3 221 b Those of the wicked belong not to Christes crosse 3 2â—3b 274 a God forbeareth them for the keeping of outward discipline 2 111 b Punishments of the ciuil Lawes for violent takers away of mens daughters 2 438 ab For sedition 4 122 b 323 a For adulterie and whether they must bee equall both to the man and the woman 2 489 ab 490a b 491a They are to be aggrauated according to the circumstaÌ„ce of the crime 2 414 b Rather to bee diminished than increased 2 414 b Charitie is not violated by the inflicting of them 4 279 b In what cases men may and may not inflict them vpon the children for their parents 2 367 ab Causes for the which Magistrates may sometimes deterre them 4 275 b Whether they are to be released from oftenders 4 246 b 247. 248. 249. 250. 251. 252. 253. 254. 255. 156. 257. 258. 259 and howe 4 60. 26. â—62 2â—3 a How clemencie diminisheth them 4 262a They be medicines of the Common weale 4 256 a To knowe which is voluntarie and not voluntarie may helpe to moderate the punishments which Lawes appoint 2 281 a Purgatorie The originall of Purgatorie 3 323 a 223 b Prooued out of the Machabees â— 74 b Much adoe ere the Church would a â—…t it 3 3 4 a Whether we abolish Gods iustice by taking it away 3 24 a Whence the punishmentes of Purgatorie role 3 23 a A great argument for the disproofe of Purgatorie 3 23â— b â— 52 b Sundrie and variable opinions touching Purgatorie 3 233 ab No mention thereof
67 a Of woodden Priestes and golden Vessels and contrarie 3 239 b Vi. Vices What nature and custome is able to doe about Vices and vertues 1 55 b Why they doe suffice vnto miserie but not vertue vnto felicitie 1 165 a Not necessarilie linked together as vertues be 2 555 a The weightines of them is considered by their obiectes 2 530 a Wherein they and vertues are one and the same and wherein they differ 1 95 a Why they are to be dispraised and vertues to be praised in men 1 56 b Victorie Thrée respectes to be had of Victorie in warre 4 285b Whether the ende of warre be Victorie 1 7 a ¶ Looke VVarre Violence Whether it be lawfull for a man to repell Violence by vyolence 2 397 a 417 b 536 a Looke Reuenge Violent A definition of Violent shewing what it is 2 257 a 286 a What the holie scripture determineth there of 2 291 b What it is according to philosophie and from whence it hath originall 2 281 b Whether such thinges as haue a Violent motion may also haue a dooing 2 282 a Against them that saide that the wicked actions which we commit for pleasure and profite be Violent 2 285 a Virginitie Whether Virginitie be a worke of supererogation 3 227 b The fathers extolled it and single life 2 428 b In what estimation the Ethniks had it 3 192 b The reason of Paules praising of it 2 428 b Whether it is to be preferred before matrimonie 3 202 b 203 a Of the perpetuall Virginitie of the virgin Marie 3 58a b Whether she had vowed it to God 3 62 b Vision Of a Vision and that the same may be in thrée sorts 1 19 b 20 a Why the Vision or sight of God or Angels doth séeme to bring present destruction with it 1 31 b Of God vnto Moses and howe hee shewed himself vnto him face to face 1 17 b Esay put to death as Ierom saith for saying he sawe a Vision of God sitting vpon his throne 1 31 a The Vision of Ieremies hose which hee laide downe by a rocke at the riuer Euphrates 1 25 b The Vision of God vnto Micheas the Prophet 1 27 b The Vision of the breade baked in Oxe doung which Ezechiel sawe 1 25 b Of the Lord to his Apostles vpon mount Tabor 1 31 b Visions How to discerne betwéene the Visions of a good spirit and an euill 1 37 a Of the prophets sometimes imaginatiue 1 117 a What they be according to Saint Augustine which make not Prophets 1 36 b Aristotle thinketh not that they are sent by God and why 1 32 b Thrée kinds of Visions noted by Augustine 1 36 b God sendeth them both sleeping and waking 1 38 a In diuining any thing thereby sent of God two things are required 1 36 a Those of prophets obtaine not their truth from nature 1 38 b Both of God and also of Angels prooued by examples 1 27 ab Great difference betwéene them 1 27. a b 28 a Of the Visions that the Prophets and Patriarchs sawe of God 1 25 a In what sort and howe much God may be séene of men â— 24 a 25a Saint Ambrose his iudgement touching those of the mind 1 26 a The Visions that the Godly saw of God and of Angels did strike them into an excéeding great feare whie 1 31 a 32 a Visitation Howe necessarie the Visitation of Churches is 4 9 a Vn. Vnction Of the signe of outward Vnction 4 14 ab Of extreme Vnction 4 15 b ¶ Looke more in Annointing 4 15 b Oile Vnderstanding The corruptions of the Vnderstanding in man noted 2 225 ab The power thereof can do nothing without the senses and similitudes that we contemplate 2 147 a Referred vnto things present 1 170 a It dependeth of phantasies and formes 1 83b How the power thereof is diuided 3 165 b Whether the bodie be troublesome thereto 3 316 b 317a Actiue and speculatiue 2 301 b Of things diuine how euill it is 1 31 b Not onely our will but our Vnderstanding also must bee conformable to the will of God 1 205 b Whether the will of God be before his vnderstanding or his Vnderstanding before his will 1 170 b Labour in Vnderstanding doth not disquiet God and why 1 168 b ¶ Looke Knovvledge Vnion Of the Vnion of the godly with Christ 3 77 b 78 a ¶ Looke Vnitie Vnitie Of the Vnitie whereby Christ and the Church are coupled 4 144 Represented 4 82 a Whether we or the Papists haue broken it 4 96 a In what things it consisteth 4 96 a 321 ab Abolished by sedition 4 321 a Of the Vnitie of ministers 4 25 a The Vnitie of substance in the Trinitie prooued most notably 1 105 ab 106 a The Philosophers diuided into partes and how 1 11ab Vnmarried Touching the state of such as bee Vnmarried read part 3 pages 191. 192. 193. c. 202 b ¶ Looke Marriage Vnpossible Whether nothing is Vnpossible to God 3 336 a Vnrighteousnes What is properly to withholde the trueth in Vnrighteouâ—nes and what the Apostle meant by that vnrighteousnes 1 15 ab Vnthankful In what maner and sort we may withdrawe our benefites from the Vnthankfull 2 524 a Vnthankfulnes Foure degrées of men noted for Vnthankfulnes 2 524 a Whether benefites are to be withdrawen froÌ„ men therefore 2 524 ab Vo. Vocation How earnestly wee must be bene to our Vocation 2 561 b Of contentment therewith 3 259 b Defined 3 259 b The cause of iustification 3 14 b The Vocation of the Gentiles prophesied 3 346 b ¶ Looke Calling Vocations Whether it be lawfull for Christians to change their Vocations 3 260a The holie Scriptures commaund that wee confounde them not as howe 1 9 b Vnto whom the distribution of them and states belongeth 3 259 b 260 b Voluntarie Voluntarie standeth vpon knowledge and desire 2 281 b A definition thereof 2 257 a 289 a 1 194 b How the holy Scripture determineth thereof 2 291 ab It is not in that which is done by ignorance 2 286 a Voluntarie doeth not properly belong to brute beastes and children why 2 290 b Whether the actions of a drunken and angrie man be Voluntarie 2 286 b 292 b Why some thinke that they are not 2 289 b 290 b 291 a Whether these things that be done for pleasure be not Voluntarie 2 285 a Voluntarie and not voluntarie are referred vnto the will 2 2â—3 b Whether those things be Voluntarie which are done for the feare of greater euils rather than the obteining of some good and honest thing 2 282 a Against them that made Voluntarie actions to be onely those which be rightly consenting vnto reason 2 285 a Whether Voluntarie and without constraint be all one 2 282 a Sinne is Voluntarie if we speake of actuall sinne but not voluntarie if we speake of originall sinne 1 â—98 a That something though it bee of necessitie yet is Voluntarie howe 1
Looke Imprecation Witch Who it was that appeared at the call of the Witch 1 72 ab It was not Samuell saieth Augustine 1 75 a Witches Witches haue no power ouer the godly 1 76 b 77 a Lawes of Princes against them 1 19a And such as repaire vnto them 1 84 b 85 a Witcherie Of the force of Witcherie the cause thereof in olde women and vpon whom it worketh most 1 79 b Witnesse These wordes there be three which beare Witnesse in heauen the father the worde and the spirit expounded 1 105 a The thre things which beare Witnesse of Christ 4 113 a How many wayes God is called to Witnesse 2 372 a What wee are taught by being forbidden to beare false Witnesse 2 553 a Witnesses Two famous Witnesses of the Church in the last age 3 382 b VVo. Woman The state of the Woman farre worse than of the man 2 460 b That she is and is not the Image of God and after what maner 1 124 a Why it is not meete that one Woman should be both a wife and a seruant to any man 2 379 ab Why Paule willed the Woman to keepe silence in the Church 2 242 b Whether before sinne the Woman were subiect to the man 2 379 a Women Whether Women may bee in warrefare 4 288 a They taught the people openly 4 7 ab They must haue their head couered in the congregation and why 2 481 b What Women labour to please men 2 510 a Why Women were commaunded to be silent in the Church 4 7 b Women indued with the spirit of prophesie 4 7 a Women circumcised among the Egyptians 4 111 a Why the Women that prophesie are commaunded to couer their heades 4 8 a Whether Women may teach in the Church 4 7 ab What ornaments Women may vse and not vse 2 513b Looke Women what is spoken concerning painting of the face 2 508 ab and so forward Holy Women maintained and releeued Christ 4 29 a Why we be called men why Women as Augustine allegorically saieth 1 124 a Wooers What kinde of emulation is betwixt wooers 2 417 b Woonders The difference betweene signes and woonders shewed out of diuerse writers 1 71 b Why the scriptures haue so often ioyned these two wordes together 1 71 b ¶ Looke Miracles Word of God The difference of Gods worde and Philosophie 1 58 a The preaching thereof hath all men subiect vnto it 4 230 b Howe miracles win credite to the worde of God 1 63 b. The same thing is offered by the worde that is doone by the sacraments 2 635 a Neither youth nor any other is excepted from hearing the worde of God 1 57 b Of the worde of God and hearing of the same reade all the 7. Chapter of the first part The force of Gods worde in the hearers of the same 1 58 a The difference of Gods worde specially in the Eucharist 4 196 ab 187 b It was the worde or Christ that God spake by to the fathers and Prophets 1 26 b The force of the inwarde worde of God in the minde 3 176 b God vseth the inwarde worde and the outwarde and in whom 2 233 a Whether the outwarde or visible signe of Baptisme be altogether necessarie to regeneration 2 233 a Of the word vnwritten and the word written with the antiquitie of both 1 42 b And how to beleeue it 3 70 a Whether it were written before Moses time 4 72 a Whether Christes bodie bee more worthie than his worde 4 214 a ¶ Looke Scripture Wordes Wordes are partly naturall and partly after the minde of the namers 2 590. 591 a Wordes are the principal signes thereof 2 542a b What they be 3 342 b Aristotles definition of them and who abuse them 2 544 b The vse of them 3 304b 4 144ab Certaine Hebrew wordes receiued into the Church 4 215 ab Worke of God How is it true that God rested from worke the seuenth day since he worketh dayly and hourely 2 374 b How it is a strange worke vnto God to punish euils 3 44a That God doeth worke nowe also and by what meanes and how 1 122b That which the holy Ghost calleth euill is no worke of God as Pighius saith 2 218 a Worke of man Howe the selfe same Worke is produced by God and by vs. 1 189 b 190 a Howe it may bee both of God of the deuill and of euill men 1 183 a Howe it can be the end of an action when it is after the action 1 7 b Sometime that which remaineth is more excellent and sometime the action and why 1 4 b An habite in the minde is no Work though it come of frequented actions 1 4 b Whether there may be any Worke of man found that should throughlie please God 2 572 a None good saith Augustine without faith 2 259 a To the goodnesse thereof it is not enough that the same in his owne nature be not euill what then 2 311 b A Worke cannot be made good by an habituall intent 1 93 b 95a The rule whereby it must bee directed 3 118 a How the conscience may make a Worke good or euill 3 165 a A Worke seeming acceptable vnto God may be sinne prooued 2 267 b Of a Worke of man which is in man and yet breaketh not out from his owne strength 1 132b Howe men are saide to Worke together with God 3 13 b 14 a Faith as it is a Worke cannot iustifie 3 60. Of the Worke wrought which is supposed to merite saluation 4 106 b 194 b Whether an Infidell can doe a Worke pleasing God 3 118a A charitable Worke of an Infidell namelie to cloath the naked is sinne prooued 2 267 ab Works of God Howe and after what sort wee must iudge of the workes of God 1 13b Three sortes of them about his creatures 1 181 b 182 a 184 a They doe helpe one an other 2 599 a Of the particular and common workes of the Trinitie ◠599 b Workes of men No place for good workes in the worlde to come 3 368 a Whether it bee lawfull to doe them for rewardes sake 2 573b 574 a What are turned into sinnes 3 152 b 153 a 26 a Faith goeth necessarilie before them 3 154 ab Faith perfecteth and formeth them 3 149 b Whether true faith and they can bee separated 3 131 b 132 ab How the old Fathers of the Church esteemed them 3 121 a They doe serue both to Predestination and Reprobation 3 34a They bee the effects of Predestination not the causes thereof 3 14b What they that defende merites doe thinke of them 3 54 a They after iustification doe profite 3 144a An ill comparison made betweene them and sinnes 3 22 ab They are not the causes of our calling 3 15 a They depend of GOD yet must we not cast away all care of liuing well 3 3 a Whereof good woorkes are signes and seales 3 95 b In whome they are a beginning to
eternall life 3 56 a Gregories opinion that faith is the entrie whereby wee come to good workes but not contrariwise 2 260 ab Many ioyned with faith prooued 3 72 b Whether they are the cause of eternall life 3 35 b The Pelagians opinion that they come from our freewill c. 3 50 b Pelagius and the schoolemen affirme good workes but not such as further to the kingdome of heauen 2 268 a Why they that are foreseene be not the cause of predestination 3 13 a 15 b 16 b 17. 18 a 19 b Before regeneration there are none 3 118 a They are not sacrifices propitiatorie 3 101 a They are ingendred of faith 3 74 b Whether good workes auaile to the certainetie of hope 3 86 b They are meanes not causes to eternall life 3 13 a Sinnes are mingled euen with our best 3 54 b Good workes after iustification are sacrifices of thankesgiuing 3 101 a Whether good woorkes are giuen to the regenerate by grace 3 54 a What God hath respect vnto in our workes 3 278 a What kind of works are sinnes yea most grieuous sinnes 2 263 b Our workes by a good intent cannot be meritorious 1 93 b Whether free in iustification may concurre with them 3 156 b Why God promiseth many things vnto them 3 223 a How those of the penitent doe satisfie God 3 222 b Those of Christians are not better than the working of them and why 1 8 b Holie workes depend vppon two principles namely knoweledge and appetite 2 254b Augustine accuseth the meane workes which hee did before his conuersion 2 265 b In what respects woorkes may be saide to bee good 2 258 a Augustine confesseth that the works which followe faith bee of God but denieth that faith is of our selues as some hold opinion 2 260 b Blasphemie to say that without the grace of God wee can doe workes acceptable vnto GOD. 2 258 ab Why the libertie of the godlie to doe them is not perfect 2 270 b In such strangers from Christ haue no freedome at all 2 254 b What become christian Churches 4 66. â— In what respect God commendeth the workes of certaine men not good 2 572 b Howe God accepteth of them they being naturallie euill 2 567 b That neither before nor after iustification they doe make righteous 3 97 a They giue iudgement to vs who be saued who not 4 115 b Why faith rather than they iustifieth 3 137 a Whether works before iustification deserue 3 101 b Workes follow iustification 3 100 b Of their nature before regeneration 3 9â— b 97 a Howe God rendereth to euerie man according to them 3 113 a Augustines rule touching righteousnes of them 3 113 b Whether faith can consist without them 3 60 b By what sort some say righteousnesse is recouered 3 105 b Why Christ in the last iudgement will make mention of outwarde Workes 3 113 a Howe the Workes of men may please God 3 113 a God rewardeth those oâ— the faithfull 2 521 b Whether God hath respect to their worthinesse 3 390 b 391a They are no cause of our felicitie 3 52 b Augustines diuision of theÌ„ and of what works we may iudge and not iudge 2 533 a God refuseth them though they seeme godlie and deuout as how 2 265ab Workes be sinnes if they be destitute of their due end 2 265 a Whether those of charitie hope be iust 3 156 b Whereunto Workes without faith are compared and that they cannot saue 3 150 b Who seeke God by faith and who by them 3 142 b They cannot properlie be called merites 3 52 b 53 a In what respects good mens are good and euill 2 562 b Whether God attributeth more vnto them than vnto faith 3 146 a Of actions which followe after them alreadie brought to passe 1 4 b Without faith can neuer saue such as bee the woorkers of them 2 262 b Howe God by them bringeth vs vnto life eternall 3 â—2 b Whereupon the goodnesse of them dependeth 2 389 a Howe they make fayth perfect 3 75 a A distinction of them 3 93 a 55 b Of iudging men according to them â— 48a Whether they shal be called necessarie or contingent 3 35b 36 a Our saluation dependeth not of them 3 17 a The godlie can attaine vnto Workes acceptable vnto God proued 2 270 a 265 b 266 a Of Cornelius and his Workes and whether he were regenerate or no when he wrote them 2 259a 263 a The intent that men ought to haue in forbearing wicked Works 2 573 b Of the Works of the regenerate 3 46 a A distinction of them 3 55 b Of those before and after 3 â—6 b Whether Workes doe iustifie 3 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 117 b 155 b 156 a 143 b 103. 104. 105. Howe Iustification is granted vnto them 3 147 a How the Fathers are to be vnderstood when they attribute righteousnes vnto them 3 148 ab Why we take from them the power of iustifying 3 136 b Vnto what Workes the merits of congruitie and worthinesse are due 1 108 ab 119b 120 a Of Workes due and not due vnto God 3 236 b Howe those of dutie and those of supererogation doe differ 3 227 b Whether Workes ceremoniall doe iustifie 3 156b 157 b Of Workes morallie good and superstitious and whereto some ascribe iustification 3 102 b They iustifie in no case 3 103 ab 104 ab 105 a Euen they are signes and seales of righteousnes imputed 3 95b 96 a Though in shewe neuer so good before God they are sinne â— 257b How we ought to bethinke our selues considering the good morall Workes of men not regenerate 1 96 a Whether penall Workes iustifie 3 157 b Of Workes Preparatorie and in whom they bee 2 264 b 1 95. 3 121 b 141 ab Slenderlie prooued 3 111b 112. 113. 114. 115 116. 1â—7 Whether they doe merite 3 1â—… b 224 b Iustifie not 3 126 ab â— 556 b Woorkes of satisfaction reduced to three points 3 221 b Workes of Supererogation proued and disprooued 3 227. 228. 229. 230. 231. Answeres to the reasons brought for them 3 230b 231. 232. What maner of ones they be 3 230 a Whether Workes wrought doe iustifie 3 116 b Whether the Workes of Infidels bee sinnes 3 106 a 243 b 244 a 2 263 b How they please God 3 111 b That their Workes are sins 2 269 b Whereto Chrysostome compareth such 2 262 b Whether they please GOD. 3 299 a Counted glistering sinnes 3 277 ab Against them that say the wicked may doe good Workes and such as please God and through them can deserue as they say of congruitie 2 264 a Of the notable Workes of the Romanes recompensed of God inferred by way of obiection 2 263 a All the good Workes of the not regenerate are but a robberie to Gods grace 2 264 b How farre they are from them 2 267 a What those bee which the aduersaries so highlie