iustifyed by faithe i Christ is asmouche to say as we optayne remission of sinne and ar acceptyd into the fauor of god by the merites of Christ to be iustied by workes is asmouche to say as to deserue remissiō of sine by workes Paule declarythe that for the dethe and merites of Christ we be sauyd and not by oure awne uertewes so that faythe doothe not only shew us Christ that died and now sittithe at the right hand of God but also applyythe the merites of this deathe unto us and makyth Christ oures faythe layng nothyng to gayge unto the iustice of God but the deathe of Christ and there upō clemythe marci and Godes promes the remission of sinne and desyrythe God to iustyfye and delyuer the soule from the accusacion of the law and right of the deuill whiche he is bound to do for his promesse sak Ezech. 33. Matth. 17. and altowghe withe this remission of sinne he yeuithe like wice the holy goost to work the will of God to loue boothe God and his neyghbowr not withstōding the conscience burdenyd and chargyd with sinne fyrst sekythe remission therof For this thyng the conscience laborythe and contendithe in all feres and terrours of sorow and cōtrycion it disputithe not what uertewes it bringith wreachid soule to accleme this promis of mercy but for sakyng here awne iustice ofrithe Christ ded upon the crosse and sitting at Godes right hand Nothyng makithe it the cause wherfore this mercy shuld be yeuen sauyng only the deathe of Christ which is ton litron the only sufficient price and gayge for sinne And althowghe it be necessary and requysyt that in the iustification of â synner contricion to be present and that necessaryly cherite and uertews lieffe moost folow yet dothe the scripture attribute thonly remission of syn̄e unto the mercy of god wliche is yeuyne only for the merites of Christe and receauid soly by faythe Paule doothe not Exclude those uertewes to be present but he excludith the merites of these uertews and deryuithe the cause of our acceptation in to the grace of god only for Christ And Mark this maner of speache fide iustificamur Hoc est fiducia misericordie sumus iusti This word faythe doth cōprehēd as well à perswacion and confidence that the promese of god appertaynith unto him for Christes sakeas the knolege of god for faith thowghe it desyre the cōpany of Contricion and sorow for synne yet contendith it not in iudgmen upon the merites of no workes but only for the merites of Christes deathe in case it dyd it auaylithe nothing For if a aman desyre to be delyūid from the law the law must be satisfied Whiche saithe diliges do minum deum tuum ex tota mente toto corde ex omnibus uiribus Deuteron 6. Now there is nor neuer was ony man born of the stoke of Adame in originall synne that feryd god asmouche as the law requirithe nor neuer had souche constant faythe as ys requiryd nor souche ardent loue as it requirithe seyng those uertewes that the law requiryd be infirm and debile for there merites we can optayne nothing of god we must therfore only trust to the merites of Christ whiche satisfied the extreme iot and uttermust point of the lawe for us and this his iustice and perfection he imputithe and cōmunicatithe withe us by faythe souche as say that only faythe iustifiethe not because other uertewes be present they cānot tell what they say euery man that will haue his cōscience appesyd moost Marke those too thynges How remission of synne is optaynid and wherfore it is optaynid faythe is the meane wherby it is optaynid and the cause wherfore it is receuid is the merites of Christ althowgh faythe by the meanes wherby it is receauid yet hathe nether faythe ner cherite ner contricion ner the word of god nor all those knyt to gather sufficient merites wherfore we shuld optayne this remission of synne But the only cause wherfore synne is for yeuing is the deathe of Christ Now Mark the wordes of Paule ffrely saythe he wear iustified by his grace Let the man byrst his hart withe contricion belyue that god is godd athowsand tymes burn in cherite yet shall not all these satisfie the law nor delyuer man from the Ire of god untill souch tyme as faythe lettithe fall all hope and confidence in the merites of souche uertewes as be in man and say lord behold thy unfrutefull seruant only for the merites of Christes blud yeue me remission of synnes for I know no man can be iustified other wyce beforethe as Dauid sayth Non iustificabitur in conspectu tuo omnis uiuens Psal 143. agayne Beatus uir cui Dominus non imputat peccatum Psal 32. He that would marke Christes communication wythe that Noble man and great Clerk Nicodemus Ioan. 3. Shuld be satisfyed how and wherfore man is iustified so plainly that no aduersary of the truithe shuld hurt this infallible uerite sole faythe to iustifie Nicodemus hauing â good opinion althow not â sufficiēt knolege of Christ Came unto hym by night and confessyd hym to be sent from God and that because of souche workes and miracles as he had wrowght Christ made answer Trewly Nicodemus Isay unto the Noman can se the kyngdon of God except he be born from â boue Nicodemus not undrestonding what Christ ment Askid him how an old mā could be born agayne and whether he could entre his mothers belye and then be born agayne Christe bringithe hym yet ner unto the light that he might know the meanes and saythe I tell the treuly Nicodemus that noman can entre the kyngdon of God Except he be born of the water and the holy gost c. Nicodemus confessyd yet agayne his ignorancy and desyryd to be father instructyd sayng How may these thynges be Christ answerid Thow art the great Master and Rabbi in Israel and yet ignorant of these thynges Meanyng that great and horrible must the ignorancy of the people be when there doctors know not the trewthe Nicodemus confessing his ignorancye and receauing reproche at Christes hand because he toke upon hym to teache other and yet â fole hym selfe in the religiō of god Might for shame haue lefte Christ and his gospell yke because he now is made â scholer that before was for his prudence and lerning the cheffe of the Iewes A pharise of moost notable estimacion Christ streight way confortithe hym all other lernid and unlernid and saythe Noman ascendithe into heauen Except he that descendyd from heauen the sonne of man Whiche is in heauen as thowghe Christ had sayd thus discomfort not thy selfe Nycodemus that althowghe thow be agreat lernyd man and yet ignoraunt of the wayes unto euer lasting lief for I promesse the there is noman lernyd nor unlernid that can of his awne wit and lerning ascend unto the knolege of lief euer lasting but only he that descendyd from heauen the sone
as shuld and awght to folow eueri iustified mā and disciple of Christ it is no meruell for there is no discipline and ponyshment for sinne and wher so euer the gospell be preachid and this correctiō not usid as wel agaīst the high is as the lowist there shalbe neuer agodly churche as à kynges armye towghthe hartes be neuer so good cannot resist the forse of his Ennymyes withe out weapon and artillery necessary for men of war nomore can the kīges maiesti the magistrates and preachers preseruethe churche agaynst the deuill and sinne with out thexcommunication of souche as openly offend the deuine maiesti of god and his word for by this meanes the sinner is tawght by the scripture to know hīselfe 1. Cor. 5. cōgregatis uobis meo spiritu una cū potestate domini nostri Iesu Christi ut is qui hoc patrauit tradatur sathanae ad interitum carnis ut spiritus saluus sit in die domini nostri Iesu Christi God would not only the fideles but also the infideles to be kept `in an order by the discipline of the law as Paule saithe Lex est iniustis posita lik wyce Deut. 19. Auferes malum ut audientes reliqui timorem habeant non miseriaris eius This politicall and ciuile use of the law teachith man to know his faultes and this discipline of the law exterior and ciuile is necessary for man for diuerse causes ffyrst to declare our obedience unto god Then to auoyed the punishement that allwaies god or else the magistrat reuengithe the transgression Thyrdly because of apuplike peace in euery commune wealthe that thone shuld not do iniuries to the other nether in body ner in godes There is yet an other cause why this discipline of the law is necessary whiche few men regard Paule saithe that it is à scole mystres Pedagogia unto Christ because souche as leuithe not to sinne and to do the thing contrary unto the expresse word of god to those Christ is not profetable this use teachite Paule 1. Cor. 6. Fornicatores Idolatre adulteri c. regnum dei nō possidebunt And so saith Iohan Omnis qui peccat exdiabolo est He that knowithe himselfe must refrayne from doing of yle Hyre the gospel and lern the gospell that the sprit of god may be efficatious in hym whiche cānot be as long as he hathe à purpose to continew in doing of yle Ezechiel spekyth of this use ciuile and politike of the law and likwyce of the second use therof whiche is as I sayd before to shew man his sinne to accuse man before God to fere hym and to damme man playnly capit 33 Viuo ego nolo mortem peccatoris sed ut uiuat conuertatur These wordes declare that as God would not the death of à sinner so he requirythe the sinner to cease from doyng of yle and to be conuertyd unto uertew as for the secōd use of the law whiche is to declare what sinne is I shewid before that it manifestith the greatnys and uilnys there of as Paule writithe it damnith synne and deliuerythe not from sinne per legem inquit cognitio peccati Lex iram efficit per legem peccatum fit excellenter reum Ro. 7 aculeus mortis peccatū uirtus autem peccati lex est 1. Cor. 15. In men that be addict unto the pleasure of this worold the law hath not this use say the preacher what he list let the word of God thretyne deathe eternall for sin̄e it auaylithe not he thinkithe that God is à slepe ād will at last be pleacid with afygg for sinne we shall find the contrary to oure great payne as other hathe before oure tyme that would not belyue the word till the felt the uengēce and punishment of god as Caim the drownyd world with the flud the burning of Sodoma with other It is agreat and horrible offence to hide or extenuat the iudgment of god against sinne and the uoyce of the law that cōdemnit the same God willith his pleasure to be knowyn openly Hier. 1. Eccededi uerba mea in ore tuo Ecce constitui te super gentes ut euellas destruas This use and office of the law none felithe nether perceuithe as wel as souche as be godes frendes Adam Abraam Iacob Dauid Ezechias c. Dauid sayde that the fere of godes didispleasure and Ire was no lesse payne unto him then thowgh the fyrse lyon had rent and dismembrid his body in peces sicut Leo contriuit omnia ossa mea Psalm 22. So saithe Paule O infelix ego homo quis me eripiet ab hoc corpore morti obnoxio He that befote saide Ego aliquando uiuebam sine lege id est fui securus non sentiens irā dei Now conuertid from à Pharisie to be and Apostell and browght to à knolege of hymselfe He confessythe his inbecillite and faultes and saith Noui quod non habitet in me hoc est in carne mea bonum yet Paule confessith that the law makyth us not à ferd to be damnyd because we cannot satisfie it but that we shuld com to Christ withe these confortabe wordes Conclusit omnes sub peccato ut omnium miseratur Agreat cōsolation for euery troblyd conscience thus man may know hymselfe to be as he is à uery wrecchid and damnable creature were not the uertew of Christes deathe Caput XIII WHat thoffice of à iustified man is Paule declarithe Tit. 2. Apparuit enim gratia salutifera omnibus hominibus erudiens nos ut abnega impietate mundanis cōcupiscentijs sobrie pie ac iuste uiuamus in hoc saeculo Be these wordes Paule for biddithe all impiete and dishonest lief and shewithe man that is iustified what he shuld do Not to lyue after the concupiscens of the fleshe but soberlye Not uniustly and doing wronges unto other but rather to Prophet and do well unto all men It sufficithe not man iustli to kepe his goddes But he is bound iustly to dispence his goddes with other whether they be of the body or of the mind religiously and not superstitiousli anotable word pie inquit as the word of god teachith and not as mānes lawes cōtrary unto godes law teachithe Expectantes beatam spem c. he prouokith men to lyue well and takithe his reason of the profet and cōmodite that folowith agodly lief whiche is immortall lief at the cumming of Christ to iudgmēt Likewyce with an other argument à liberatione Christ petitum ab honesto dedit semetipsum pro nobis c. the son̄e of god gaue nether gold nor syluer for our purgacion but his awnebody and precions bludd it is therfore an unwourthie thing and not becōming à Christiane man that by fay the hathe receuid this purgation to lyue à uitious and ungodli liefe But we shuld be an holy people and folowers of good workes There is a great uertew in this word zeloten it is not sufficient to worke well Except the iustified man with agodly zeale and ardent desire folow this godd worke be gon Therefore Paule saithe zelotē calō ergō etnō operatorē bonorū operū wherby we know that all thowgh we be delyuerid frō the malediction course and dānation of the law so that we reteyne à trew faythe and withe confidence in Christ repugne sinne and ouer com the terrours therof yet ar we boūd to the obedience of the law whiche is Godes will to kepe us from lyuyng ille and the more the iustified man beholdithe the law the more incresithe the knolege of sinne the more he beholdithe the mercy of God in Christ the more is his fay the incresith the lawis also necessarie for theiustified mā to teache hī withewhat workes he shuld exetcise his faythe withe all and obediēce ūto God We may not chose workes of our awne wysdom to serue withe all But would us to be gouernyd by his word as Dauid saythe Lucerna pedibus meis uerbum tuum Also Frustra me colunt mandatis hominum The wysdom of man not gouernyd by the word of God doothe sone erre It is caryd for the most part withe affections and chosithe the workes that be contrary to the law of god There fore this is trew that the ordinance of God still remanithe in the iustified man immutable that he must obey the law and serue in his uocacion according to the scripture that the exterior factes may bare testimonye of the inward reconciliacion The scripture is more diligent and more ample in teaching the Christiane iustified man the obedience unto God and uertews liefe then it is to shew us our saluacion in Christ for this purpose only that we shuld not by oure licētious liberty receaue the grace of god inuayne it is more hard for mā to know the gospell thē to folow the liefe of the gospell an other mā may preache Christ but the auditour must folow Christ the sciens of the scripture is practiue and not speculatiue it requirithe à doer and not à speaker only there be many that dissemblith faythe and hathe à certayne shew of religion when indede in the inward man is nofaithe at all let euery man therfore sarche his awne conscience withe what faithe he is indued and remembre that Christ sayd it is à strayght waye and narow that ledithe to liefe Math. 7. and but à few that walkithe there in therfore oure only remedye is to pray for grace and amend PRYNTYD IN ZVRYCH BY AVgustyne Fries Anno M. +D XLVII
in this law it is prescribid Of wbat degre uocation or calling so euer he be his dewty is shewid unto hym in the scripture And in this it differith from mannes lawes because it is absolute perfeit and neuer to be Chaungid Nothing addid unto it nor taken from it And the churche of Christ the more it was and is burdenyd withe mannis lawes the farther it is from the trew and syncere uerite of godes word The more man presumith and takith authorite to interpretat the scripture after his awne brayne and subtill wytt and not as the uerite of text requirith the more he dishonorith the scripture and blasphemith god thauctor therof It is the office of â good man to teach the churche as Christ tawght to reuoke all Errours and souch as Er unto the fold of Christe only by the word of Christ For the water at the foyntaynce hed is more halsom and pure then when it is caryd abrode in roten pypes or styn king diches I had rather folow the shadow of Christ then the body of all generall conselles or doctors sith the death of Christe The deuille neuer slept but allways by his ministres attemptyd to destroy the uerite of Christes relligion and cleane to put out the ligth of truithe Which was perfet in Christes tyme and in the tyme of the Apostelles Nonne sith that tyme so pure Saynct hieromein uita malchi sayth that his tyme was darkenys in the respect of the Apostelles tyme. The antiquite of the worold doth darken the uerite of godes word As Varro sayth truith uetustatem multa deprauare Multa etiam tollere Et tercium seculum inquit non uidet eum hominem quem uidit primum The truith of godes uerite the more it is usidd practysid and taught aster the wisdom of man the more is the glory and perfection therof darkenyd it is the contrary in all Humane artes as Cicero sayth in humanis nihil simul inuentum perfectum fuit usuque exercitatione factum sit Vt hoc praestantiores artes quaedam fuerint quo longius ab origine sua inuentoribus essent deducte The churche of god must therfore be bound to none other authorite thē unto the uoyce of the gospel and unto the ministery therof as Esa sayth cap. 8. Obsigna legem in discipulis meis the Prophete spekith of souch darkenis as shuld folow his tyme conserning the comming of Messias the trew Doctor of the churche therfore prayd to preserue the trew heres of the Prophetes and that it would pleac hym to confirm the doctrine of truth in there hartes lest the word and trew undrestonding of the word by the deuille shuld be put out and seing the church is bound unto this infallible truith the only word of God it is â false and usurpyd authorite that men attribute unto the clerge and bynd the word of God and Christis church to the successiō of byshoppes or ony coleige of Cardinalles Scoles minystres or Cathedrall churches Paule would noman to yeue fayth to ony person or minystre in the church of God but when he preachith the word of God trewli Gal. 1. Men may haue the gyfft of God to undrestond and interpretat the scripture unto other But neuer authorite to interpretat it other wyse then it interpretatithe it selfe whiche the godly mynd of mā by study meditacion and conferryng of one place therof withe the other may fynd how be it some more some lesse as God yeuith his grace For the ponyshement of our synnes God leuithe in all men à great imperfection and souche as were induyd withe excellent wytt and lernyng saw not allwayes the truithe As it is to be seen in Basilius Ambrose Epiphanius Augustyne Bernerd and other thowghe they stayed them selfes in the knolege of Christ and Erryd not in ony Principall article of the faythe yet they did inordinatly and more then Inowghe extolle the doctrine and tradicion of men and after the deathe of the Apostellis euery doctors tyme was subiect unto souche ceremonye and mannes decrees that was nether profetable ner necessari therefore diligently exortyd Paule the churche of Christ principalto consider and regard the fundacion of all ueryte Menyng that Doctors of the chnrche had there imperfectiō and faultes Fundamentum inquit non potest poni aliud praeter id quod positum est quod est Iesus Christus In the se few wordes is stablyshe al oure faythe and all false religion reprehendyd upon this foundacion sommen buld gold to say godly and necessari doctrine as Policarpus that confutyd the he resy of marcion de essencia Dei of the causis of sinne that the deuyll and mā is the cause of sinne and not god nor fatall destiny nor the influens or respectes of the planetes He meynteinid the trew religion of god and gouernyd the church As the scripture tawght whiche he lernyd of Iohan euangelist and defendyd this truith withe woūderfull cōstāce and martyrdō Basilius and many other reteynid the articles of the faythe but they institutyd the lieffe and rule off monkes and preferryd that kynd of lief before the lief of souche as gouern in the comune wealth the people of god and persuadyd men that souche kynd of lieffe was auery deuyne and acceptable honoryng of god After hym folowyd souche as augmentid this yle and said it was not only acceptable unto God but also that men might deserue therwithe remission of sinne thus alitle and alitle the deuill augmentid supersticion and deminyshyd the trewth of Godes glory so that we se no where the churche of Christ as it was in the Apostelles tyme thowghe mani and godly uerites hathe byn browght unto light in our tyme by men of diuerse graces yet is not the truithe of necessary uerites playnly sheuyd by them lest man shuld to mouche glorye in hymselfe he permyttyd them to ar in certayne poyntes As Luther of ablyssyd memorie which wrote and preachyd the gospell of iustificacion nomā better yet in the cause of the sacramēt he arrithe concerning the corporall precens of Christes naturall body that there is no man can ar more I shall haue occasion to writ the truith concerning this mater herafter it is no reproche of the did man but myne opinion unto all the worold that the scripture soly and the Apostelles churche is to be folowyd and nomans authorite Be he Augustine Tertullian or other Cherubim or Cherabim unto the rules and Canones of the scripture must man trust and reforme his errores therby or else he shall not reform him selfe but rather deform his consciens The churche of the Romaynes Corin thiōs and other the seuē churches that Ioā writithe of in the Apocalipses were in all thinges reformyd unto the rule and form prescribyd by the euerlasting God the ymayge of these churches I allwayes prynt in my mynd And wher so euer I com I lok how nere they resemble the afore rehersid and whether there prechers
of man whiche is in heauen Now Nicodemus being destitute of all worldly and humane prudence and fynding him selfe full unhable by wytt or lerning to folow theffect of Christes preaching coÌ„serning the meanes of saluacion dependith only of the mouth of Christe and disputithe nomore the mater then Christe shewithe hym the way and makithe â ladder for Nicodemus wher withe he may ascend into heauen and saythe this wayes thow mayst understond the thing I spek of Sicut Moses exaltauit serpentem in deserto ita exaltari oportet filium hominis as Moses lifft upp the serpent in the desert so must the sonne of man belyfft uppe This history of the serpent was not unknowyn unto this lernid man albe it he consyderid not the mystery and sacrament that it figurid Now Christ teachithe hym in this place to understoÌ„d the lawe and because this oration of Christ wroten by sanct Iohan is obscure and lackith â declaracion somwhat of the purpose that Christ would proue omittit Ebreorum more alteram similitudinis partem I will annex the type and figure withe theffect and mystery of the figure and make the text playne Sicut Moses exaltauit serpentem in deserto sic exaltari oportet filiuÌ„ hominis Moses was commaundid to lifft upp this serpent in the wildernes for this cause that who so euer was stong or uenemyd withe the poyson of the serpentes if he lokyd upon the serpent of brasse might be helyd Here is the cause and theffect declaryd Why the serpent was lifft upp Now to the wordes of Christ Ita exaltari oportet filium hominis ut omnis qui credit in illum noÌ„ pereat sed habeat uitam aeternam So must Christ belyfft upp that as many as beliue in him shal haue euer lasting lieffe Here is Nicodemus tawght the way unto euer lastiÌ„g lief and because he was adoctor of Moses law Christ by the law made open the mater unto hym and browght hym from the shadow unto the trew body and from the letter unto the understonding of the letter sayng as those that by fayth beheld the serpent were helyd of the stynges of the serpent so souche as behold me in faythe hanging upon the crosse shalbe helid from there sykenis and sinne that the deuyll by the serpeÌ„t infectyd man kynd with all Now let us repet the text of Moses againe that we may trewly undrestond our sauiours wordes Fac tibi Serpentem urentem pone eum in palum in subli me sublatum fietque si serpens aliquem momorderit intueatur eum incolumis erit In these wordes is declaryd thre thynges Fyrst why the serpent was set upp The cause the people were stong withe serpentes Second theffectt the healthe of the people Thyrd the use that they shuld loke upoÌ„ hym so Iohan declarythe whi Christ was made man thuse and theffect of his humanite in these wordes Sic Deus dilexst mundum ut filium suum unigenitum daret ut omnis qui credit in eum non pereat sed habeat uitam aeternam The cause of his cummyng was the sinne and sikens of maÌ„ betyn by the serpent in paradyse theffect of his cumming was the healhe of this sikenis the use of his cumming was to belyue that his deathe upoÌ„ the crosse was and is sufficient for the remission of sinne and to optayne eternall lief Here is the iustification of maÌ„ lyuely expressyd and how many thinges concur as necessary unto the remission of sinne and yet man only iustified by faythe The word of God the preacher of the word Christ himselfe the coÌ„tricion of Nicodemus the holy goost that mouyd Nicodemusto cum by night unto Christ the consentyng wil of Nicodemus untho the wordes of Christ Yet only was hedelyueryd from sinne by the fayth that he had in the deathe of Christ as Christ saith sic oportet exaltari filium hominis ut omnis qui credit in illum non pereat sed habeat uitam aeternam This must be diligently markyd For as the fathers of the old church usid the serpent so must those of our church use the precious body of Christ they lokyd upon him only withe the yees of faithe they kyssyd hym not they cast no water upon hym and so wayshyd there yeys therwith all they touchyd hym not with there handes they eat hym not nor corporally nor really nor substancially yet by there belyue they optaynid healthe so Christ him selfe teachit us the use of his precious body to belyue and loke upon the merites of his passioÌ„ suffryd upon the crosse and so to use his precious body against the stynge of originall and actuall sinne Not to eat his body transformid into the form of bred or in the bred with the bread under the bread behind the bred or be fore the bread corporally or bodely substancially or realli inuisible or ani souch wayes as mani men to the great iniurijs of Christes body dooth teach but as the children of Israel only by fayth eat the body spiritually not yet born so by faythe dooth the Christianes eat hym now being ascendyd into heauen and none other wice as Christ saythe unto Nicodemus omnis qui credit in eum non pereat grauÌ„t that we could as well eat his carnall body as we eat other meat yet the eatyng therof nothing auaylyd And if the Apostelles had corporally eatin hym in his last supper it had profetyd nothing For he toke not his body of the holy uirgine to that use to be eatin for the remission sinne Or to sanctifie hym that eat him but to dye for synne and that wayes to sanctifie his churche as he saith himselfe that only by deathe the frute of his incarnacion shuld be dispersyd into the worold Nisi granuÌ„ frumenti deiectum in terram mortuum fuerit ipsum solum manet mortua prodest caro noÌ„ comesa But of this Iwill speake farther in the chapiter that folowithe This example of Nicodemus declarithe that nethâ—r the workes that go before iustificacion nether those that folow iustification deserue remission of synne Thoughe sole faythe exclude not other uertews to be present at the conuersion of euery sinner yet dooth sole fayth and only exclude the merites of other uertews and optaynith soly remission of sinne for Christes sake herselfe alone as paule saythe Ephes 2. Gratia saluati estis per fidem idque non ex uobis Dei donum est non ex operi bus ne quis glorietur Wher as playnly he excludith the dignite of workes and affirmith us to be reconcilid by faythe so dooth Iohan. cap. 1. attribut those too singuler yefftes unto Christ grace and uerite sayng lex per Mosen data est gratia ueritas per Iesum Christum facta est Here grace signifieth fre remission of sinne for the merites of Christ Verite is the trew knolege of god and the gyfftes off the holy gost that folowithe the remission of sinne Therfore souche as say they be not
person in Trinite Because the scripture prouithe him to be god Deus erat uerbuÌ„ Also Pater meus usque modo operatur ego operor sine me nihil potestis facere Item domine Iesu accipe spiritum meum The aduersarijs of the truithe defend many à false errour under the Name of the holy churche therfore thefe treasons and secreat conspirisis must be taken hed of And when the churche is Namyd diligently to consider when the articles thei wold defend were acceptid of the churche by whom and who was thauctor of them leaue not till the mater be brought unto the first originall and most perfet churche of the Aposteles if thow find by there wrytinges that there churche usid the thing that the preachet would proue then accept it or else not be not amasid thow the speake of neuer many yers nor name neuer so many doctors Christ and his Aposteles be graunt fathers in ayge to the doctors and masters in lerning repose thy selfe only the churche that thei haue tawght the by the scripture fere nether of the ordinary pore or succession of bishopes ner of the greater part For if ether the auctorite of bishopes or the greater part shuld haue pore to interpretat the scripture the sentence of the pharises shuld haue byn preferrid before the sentence of Zacharie Simion Elizabet or the blyssid uirgine consider that many time the trew churche is but à smale coÌ„gregation as Esay saith Nisi deus reliquisset nobis semen sicut Sodoma essemus Therfore is not the interpretation of the scripture obligatid unto an ordinarie pore ner the most part As Noe Abraam Moses Samuel Dauid and Christes time testifieth Beware of decete when thow he rist the name of the churche The uerite is then assaultyd they call the churche of the deuill the holy churche many times As Korahe and the rest of the people sayd unto Moses many times why haue ye deceauid the people of god and browght them out of Egypt They were the churche of god nothiÌ„g the rather thowghe it was pentyd with this holy title but the church of the deuill and à congregation of rebellious and seditious persones as god declaryd both by word aÌ„d fact Moses callid not theÌ„ the churche of god but the church of Korahe not the people of god but rebellions and godes Ennymies as god declarid theÌ„ to be by his cruell reuenging of them so many times had the moost part byn preferrid theÌ„ the truithe had byn confundid and Moses and Aron put to deathe Remembre Christiane reader that the yeste of interpretation of the scripture is the light of the holy gost yeuen unto the humble and penitent person that sekethe it only to honor god and not unto those persones that accleme it by title or place by cause he his à bishope or folowid by succession Peter or Paule Examine there lawes by the scripture and then shalte thow perceaue they be the Ennymyes of Christes churche and the uery churche of Korahe Remembre the refore to examine all kind of doctrine by the word of god For souch as preache it aright hathe there infirmites and ignorancy they may depart from the truithe or else buld some superstition and false doctrine upon the gospell of Christ superstitioÌ„ is to be auoy did false doctrine to be abhorrid who so euer be thauctor ther of prince magistrate or bishope As the Apostelis made answer Acto 5. Oportet magis obedire deo quaÌ„ hominibus The superiour poure hath autorite and maye make what lawes the list for the wealthe and preseruation of there subiectes so it repugnat the law of nature nor the law of god but as touching the churche of Christ whiche gouernith the soule of man only the law of god must be obedied The ceremonies ordeinid for à godd order to be obseruid in the churche shuld not be neglectid as the assemblauÌ„s of people in the sabboth day and other festes wherin the word of god is preachid and he sacramentes rightly ministrid But â—ese ceremonies that partly supersticion partly auaryce partly tyranny hath browght into the church ar to be eschuyed as the sayng of priuat masses blessing of water bowgh bread bell or candell with souch like As for the prayng unto dead saynctes or to haue there imagis in te churche it is not à ceremony mater But uery playne and manifest Idolatrie coÌ„trary uÌ„to the expresse word of god who forbid dith to make ony ymagie and he that prayth unto God in the name of ony ded saynct is an Ethnick and knowith not god For he folowith his imagination and not the word of god who teachith and commaundith that we shuld booth know and pray unto him in his sonnes name Ioan. 14. the neglecting of this commaundement deseruith eternall paynes Souch as hath à knolege of Christ from hensforthe let them yeue him his right honor and leaue this Idolatrie and supersticion Considering that with great payne he wan the churche out of the handes of the deuill defendith it with his holy sprit and gouernith it with the lawes of his only word And consider whether these iniuries blasphemis troble unquietnis and destruction of godes people by the law of the bishopes be to be permittid thowghe they cry till they be horse agaiÌ„e the holy churche the holi churche Were the like troble in ony realme among the kynges subiectes by the occacion and abuse of the kynges maiestis lawes doutles could they not shew under the kynges seale there law to be of auctorite they shuld as right is sonne be put to silence and there adulterous lawes and sophisticall glosses remouid out of the way thus I know that Christ knew best all the histories of the old lawe was the present teacher himselff of all uerite and moost wyse to prouide for the churche souch lawes as shuld preserue it in his absens NOw that we know what Christe and his office is in the churche of god It is likewyce necessary for euery man that is Amembre of this churche to know what manne is and his office towardes Christ for as god hath bound hymselfe by his promes to be our god and helper for Christ so hathe he bound man by his coÌ„maundement to be his seruaÌ„t and in his worde to folow Christ and in Christ god for the commaundementes sake untill souche tyme as thend wherfore man was made be optaynid whiche is eternall foelicite and man restoryd and made like unto the ymayge of god as he was at the begynning full of iustice obedience and loue towardes his creator and maker I will not studing breuite and to be short wret particulerli of euery membre and office therof where withe all the hole masse and substannce of man is framyd that I refer unto the lernid phisicions that wrytithe diligently of the partes of man and unto Lactantius de opificio dei Nethere what man was at his beginning before he sinnid full of godly knolege Allwaies