hande and boweth whether he wyll the hearte of the kynge as the streames of waters truely vnder the example of one speciall sorte he comprehendeth the whole generaltie For it the wyll of any man be free from subiection that preeminence principally belongeth to the wyll of a Kyng whiche vseth as it were a kyngdome vpon the wylles of other but if the wyll of the Kynge be ruled with the hande of God no more shall our wyll be exempted frō the same estate Upon this point there is a notable sayinge of Augustine The Scripture if it be diligently loked vpon dothe shewe that not only the good willes of men whiche he of euyll maketh good and so beyng made by hym selfe dothe direct to good doinges and to eternall lyfe but also these willes that preserue the creature of the world are so in the power of God that he maketh them to be inclined whether he wyll and when he wyll either to doe benefites or to execute punishementes by a iudgement moste secrete in deede but the same moste righteous Here let the Readers remember that the power of mans wyll is not to be weyed by the successe of thynges whiche some vnskylfull men are vnorderly wont to doe For they seme to them selues to proue trimly and wittely that mans wyll is in bondage because euen the hyest Monarches haue not all thynges flowyng after their owne desire But this power wherof we speake is to be considered within man and not be measured by outwarde successe For in the disputacion of freewyll this is not the question whether man may for outwarde impedimentes perfourme and put in execution all those thinges that he hath purposed in mynde but whether he haue in euery thyng bothe a free election of iudgement and a free affection of wyll whiche bothe if man haue then Attilius Regulus enclosed in the narrowenesse of a tonne set full of sharp prickes shall no lesse haue free wyll than Augustus Cesar gouerning a great part of the worlde with the beck of his countenaunce The fift Chapter ¶ A confutacion of the obiections that are wont to be brought for defence of Free wyll YT myght seme that we haue saide enough already concerning the bondage of mans wyll if they that with false opinion of libertie labour to throwe it downe hedlong did not on the contrary part pretende certayne reasons to assaile our meanyng First they heape vp together diuerse absurdities whereby they may bryng it in hatred as a thing abhorring from common reason afterward they set vpon it with testimonies of scripture Bothe these enginse we shall beate back in order If say they Synne be of necessitie then cesseth it to be synne if it be voluntarie then may it be auoyded These were also the weapons of Pelagius to assaile Augustine with whose name we wyl not yet haue them oppressed till we haue satisfied them concerning the matter it selfe I denie therfore that sinne ought the lesse to be imputed because it is necessary I denie agayne that this dothe followe whiche they conclude that it may be auoyded because it is voluntarie For if any man will dispute with God and seeke to escape from his iudgement by this pretense because he coulde none otherwyse do God hath that aunswere ready whiche we in an other place haue spoken of that it is not of creation but of the corruption of nature that men being made bondeslaues to synne can wyll nothing but euell For whence cometh this want of power whiche the wycked would gladly pretende but vpon this that Adam of his owne accorde made hym selfe subiect to the tyrannie of the Deuell Hereupon therfore grewe the corruption with the bondes wherof we are holden fast tyed for that the fyrst man fell from his creatour If all men be iustly holden gylty of this fallynge away let them not thinke them selues excused by necessitie in whiche it selfe they haue a moste euident cause of their dampnation And this I haue aboue plainely set fourth and I haue geuē an example in the Deuel hym selfe wherby it might appeare that he whiche necessarely synneth dothe neuerthelesse wyllyngly sinne as agayne in the electe aungels where as their wyll can not be declyne from good yet it cesseth not to be a will Whiche same thinge Bernard also aptly teacheth that we are therfore the more miserable because our necessitie is voluntarie whiche yet holdeth vs so subiect vnto it that we be the bond slaues of synne as we haue before reheased The second part of theyr argument is faulty because from voluntarie it streightway leapeth to free but we haue before proued that it is voluntarely done whiche yet is not subiect to free election They further say that if bothe vertues and vices procede not of fre choyse of wyll it is not reasonable that either punishement should bee layde vpon man or rewarde geuen to hym This argument although it be Aristoteles yet I graunt is in some places vsed by Chrysostome and Hierome But that it was a commone argument with the Pelagians Hierome him selfe hideth not and also reherseth it in their own wordes If the grace of God worke in vs then it not we that labour shal be crowned Of punishementes I aunswere that they are iustlye layde vpon vs from whome the gyltinesse of sinne procedeth For what matter maketh it whether sinne be done by free or bonde iudgement so it bee done by voluntarye luste specially syth manne is hereby proued a synner for that hee is vnder the bondage of synne As to the rewardes of ryghteousnesse a greate absurditie forsoothe it is yf wee confesse that thei hange rather vpon Gods bountifullnesse than vpon oure owne deseruynges Howe ofte fynde wee thys thynge repeted in Augustine that God crouneth not oure deseruynges but hys owne gyftes and that they are called rewardes not as due to oure deseruinges but suche as are rendred to the graces already bestowed vpon vs Wisely in deede thei note thys that nowe ther remaineth no place for deseruynges if thei come not oute of the fountaine of free wyll but wher they recken that whiche we saye so farre differynge from trueth thei are muche deceiued For Augustine doubteth not commonly to teache for necessarie that which they thinke so vnlawefull to confesse as where he saithe What bee the merites of any menne what so euer thei bee when hee commeth not wyth due rewarde but with free grace then he alone beynge free and that maketh free from synne He findeth all menne sinners Agayne If that shall bee rendred to thee that is due to thee thou arte to be punyshed what ys done then God hathe not geuen thee punyshement whyche ys due butte geueth thee grace whyche ys not due If thou wylte bee estraunged from grace boaste of thy deseruynges Agayne Thou arte nothynge by thy selfe Synnes are thyne butte deseruynges are Gods punyshemente ys due to thee and when rewarde commeth hee shall crowne hys owne gyftes and not thy deseruynges
so corrupted that it needeth not onely to be healed but in manner to put on a newe nature Howe farre synne possesseth bothe the vnderstandinge mynde the hearte we wyll see hereafter Here I onely purposed shortely to touche that the whole man from the heade to the foote is so ouerwhelmed as wyth an ouerflowinge of water that no parte of hym is lâ—te from synne and that therefore what soeuer procedeth frome hym ys accompted for synne as Paule sayth that all the affections of the fleshe or thoughtes are enmities againste God and therefore deathe Nowe lette them gooe that presume to make God author of theyr sinnes bicause we say that men are naturally synful Thei do wrongfully seeke the woorke of God in their owne fylthynesse whyche they ought rather to haue sought in the nature of Adam whyle it was yet sounde and vncorrupted Therefore oure destruction commeth of the faulte of oure own fleshe not of God for asmuche as we perished by no other meane but by this that we degendred from our fyrst estaâ—e But yet let not any man here murmure say that God might haue better foreseen for oure saluation if he had prouided that Adam shold not haue fallen For this obiectioÌ„ both is to be abhorred of al godly mindes for the to muche presumptuous curiositie of it also perteineth to the secret of predestination whiche shal after be entreated of in place coÌ„uenient Wherefore let vs remembre that oure fall is to be imputed to the corruption of nature that we accuse not God himselfe the author of nature True in deede it is that the same deadely wounde sticketh fast in nature but it is muche materiall to knowe whether it came into nature from ells where or from the beginning hathe rested in it But it is euydent that the wounde was geuen by synne Therfore there is no cause why we shoulde complaine but of oure selues whiche thynge the Scripture hath dyligently noted For Ecclesiastes saieth This haue I founde that God hathe made manne righteous but thei haue soughte many inuentions It appeareth that the destructioÌ„ of man is to be imputed onely to him selfe for asmuche as hauing gotten vpryghtnesse by the goodnesse of God he by hys owne madnesse is fallen into vanitie We saye therfore that man is corrupted with faultienesse naturall but suche as proceded not from nature Wee denye that it proceded from nature to make appeare that it is rather a qualytye come from some other thynge whyche ys happened to man than a substantiall propretie that hathe ben putte into him from the begynninge Yet we call yt Naturall that no man shoulde thinke that euery man getteth it by euell custome wheras it holdeth all men bounde by inheritably descendinge righte And this we do not of oure owne heads withoute authoritie For for the same cause the Apostle teacheth that we are all by nature the chyldren of wrathe How coulde God whome all his meanest woorkes do please be wrathefull againste the noblest of all his creatures But he is rather wrathefull againste the corruption of his worke than againste his worke it selfe Therfore if for that mans nature is corrupted manne is not vnfitly saide to bee by nature abhominable to God it shal be also not vnaptely called naturally peruerse corrupted As Augustine feareth not in respecte of nature corrupted to call the synnes naturall whyche doe necessaryly reigne in ourâ— fleshe where the grace of God is absente So vanysheth away the foolyshe tryfelynge deuise of the Maniches whiche when they imagined an euellnesse hauinge substaunce in man presumed to forge for hym a newe creatour leaste they shoulde seeme to assigne to the ryghteous God the cause and begynnynge of euell The seconde Chapter That man is newe spoyled of the Freedome of wyll and made subiecte to myserable bondage SYthe we haue seen that the dominion of sinne sins the tyme that it helde the firste man bounde vnto it doothe not onely reigne in all mankinde but also wholy possesseth euerye soule nowe muste we more nerely examine sins we are broughte into that bondage whether we be spoyled of all freedome or no And yf yet there remayne any parcell howe farre the force thereof procedeth But to the ende that the trueth of this question maye more easyly appeare vnto vs I wyll by the waye sette vp a marke where vnto the whole summe maye bee dyrected And thys shal be the best waye to auoyde erroure if the daungers be considered that are lyke to fall on boothe sides For when man ys putte from all vpryghtnesse by and by he thereby taketh occasion of slouthfullnesse â—nd bicause it is saide that by hymselfe he canne dooe nothinge to the studye of righteousnesse fourth with hee neglecteth yt wholly as if yt pertained nothinge vnto hym Againe he can presume to take nothing vpon hymselfe be yt neuer so little but that bothe Gods honore shall bee thereby taken frome hym and man hymselfe bee ouerthrowen wyth rashe confydence Therfore to the ende we strike not vpon these rockes this course ys to bee kepte that man beynge enfourmed that there remaineth in hym no goodnesse and beynge on euerye syde compassed aboute wyth moste miserable necessitie may yet be taught to aspire to the goodnesse wherof he is voide and to the libertie wherof he is depriued and may be more sharpelye styrred vp from slouthfullnesse than if it were fained that he is furnished with greatest power Howe necessarye this seconde poynte is euery man seeth The fyrste I see is doubted of by moe than yt oughte to bee For this beynge sette oute of controuersye it oughte then plainely to stande for trueth that nothing is to be taken away from man of his owne so farre as it behoueth that he be throwen downe from false boastinge of him selfe For if it were not graunted to man to glorye in hymselfe euen at that time when by the bountefulnesse of God he was garnished with moste singular ornamentes howe muche oughte he nowe to be humbled sythe for his vnthankefulnes hee is thruste downe froÌ„ hye glorye into extreeme shame At that time I say when he was aduaunced to the hyghest degree of honoure the Scripture attributeth nothynge ells vnto hym but that he was created after the image of God whereby it secretly teacheth that man was blessed not by his owne good thinges but by the partakynge of God What therefore remayneth nowe but that he beyng naked and destitute of all glorye do acknoweledge God to whose liberalitie he coulde not be thankefull when he flowed full of the richesse of his grace and that nowe at length wyth confession of hys owne pouertie he glorifie hym whome in the acknoleging of his good gyftes he dyd not gloryfye Also it is as muche oure profyte that all prayse of wysedome and strengthe be taken from vs as yt pertayneth to the glorye of God that thei ioyne oure ruine with the robberie of God that geue vnto vs any thynge more than that
the gētils it was necessary to haue god more expresly painted out vnto thē For wheras that saying that God is the minde of the world which is cōpted the most tolerable descripcion that is founde among the Philosophers is but vaine it behoueth vs more familiarly to know hym least we alway wauer in doutfulnesse Therfore it was his pleasure to haue an history of the creaciō remaining wherupō the Fayth of the church might rest seke for no other God but hym whō Moses hath declared to be the maker bilder of the world There is first set forth the tyme that by continual proceding of yeres the faithfull myghte come to the first original of mankinde and of al thinges Which knowledge is very necessary not only to confute those monstrous fables that somtyme were spred in Egipte and other partes of the worlde but also that the beginning of the worlde ones beyng knowen the eternitie of God may more clerely shine forth and rauishe vs in admiracion of it Neyther oughte we to be any thyng moued wyth that vngodly mocke that it is maruel why it came no soner in the mind of God to make the heauen the earth why he syttīg idle did suffer so immesurable a space to passe away sith he mought haue made it many thousande ages before wheras the whole continuaunce of the world that now draweth to an end is not yet come to sixe thousande yeres For why God so long differred it is nether lawful nor expediēt for vs to enquire Because if mans mynd wil trauaile to attaine thereunto it shal faile a hundred tymes by the way nether wer it profitable for vs to know that thing which God hymselfe to proue the modestie of our Fayth hath of purpose wylled to be hydden And wel did that godly olde man speake whiche when a wanton felowe did in scorne demaunde of hym what God had done before the creacion of the worlde aunswered that he builded hell for curious fooles let this graue and seuere warning represse the wantonnesse that tickleth many yea and dryueth them to euill and hurtfull speculacions Finally lette vs remember that the same inuisible God whoe 's wisedome power and iustice is incomprehensyble doth sette before vs the historye of Moses as a lokyng glasse wherein hys liuely image appeareth For as the eyes that eyther are growen dimme with age or dulled wyth any disease doe not discerne any thyng playnly vnlesse they be holpen with spectacles so suche is oure weakenesse that vnlesse the Scripture directe vs in sekyng of God we do forthwith runne out into vanitie And they that folowe their owne wantonnesse because they be nowe warned in vaine shall all to late fele with horrible destruccion howe muche it had ben better for them reuerently to receiue the secrete counsels of God than to vomite oute blasphemies to obscure the heauen with all And ryghtly doeth Augustyne complayne that wrong is done to God whē further cause of thinges is sought for than his onely will The same mā in an other place doth wisely warne vs that it is no lesse euel to moue question of immeasurable spaces of tymes than of places For howe brode soeuer the circuit of the heauen is yet is there some measure of it Nowe if one shoulde quarell wyth God for that the emptynesse wherein nothyng is conteyned is a hundred tymes more shall not all the godly abhore suche wantonnesse Into lyke madnesse runne they that busy them selues aboute Gods sitting stil because at their apointment he made not the world innumerable ages soner To satisfie their own gredinesse of minde they couer to passe wtout the cōpasse of the world as though in so large a circuite of heauen earth they could not finde things enough that with their inestimable brightnesse may ouerwhelme al our senses as though in six thousād yeres God hath not shewed examples in cōtinual cōsideracion wherof our myndes may be exercised Let vs therfore willingly abide enclosed within those boundes wherw t it pleased God to enuirō vs as it were to pen vp our mindes that they shold not stray abrod with liberty of wādrīg For like resō is it that Moses declareth y◠the work of God was not ended in a momēt but in .vi. dayes For by this circūstāce we ar wtdrawen frō forged inuencions to the one onely God that deuyded hys worke into vi dayes that it should not greue vs to be occupyed all the tyme of our lyfe in considering of it For thoughe oure eyes what waye soeuer we turne them are compelled to loke vpon the workes of God yet see we howe fyckle oure hede is and if any godly thoughtes doe touche vs. howe sone they passe away Here againe mans reason murmureth as though suche procedinges were disagreing from the power of God vntil suche time as being made subiecte to the obedience of Fayth she learne to kepe that rest wherunto the hollowing of the .vii. day calleth vs. But in the very order of thinges is diligently to bee considered the Fatherly loue of God towarde mankinde in this that he did not create Adam vntill he had stored the worlde with al plenty of good thinges For if he had placed him in the earth while it was yet barren and emptie if he had geuen him life before that there was any lighte he should haue semed not so wel to prouide for his commoditie But nowe where he first disposed the motions of the Sunne and the Planets for the vse of man and furnished the earth the waters and the aire wyth liuing creatures and brought forth aboundaunce of fruites to suffyce for fode taking vpon him the care of a diligent prouidēt householder he shewed his maruellous bountie towarde vs. If a man do more hedefully weye with himselfe those thinges that I doe but shortly touche it shall appeare that Moses was the sure witnesse and publisher of the one God the creator I omitt here that which I haue already declared that he speaketh not there onely of the bare essence of God but also setteth forth vnto vs his eternall Wisedome and Spirite to the ende we should not dreame that God is any other than such as he wil be knowē by the image that he hath there expressed But before that I begin to speake more at large of the nature of mā I must say somwhat of Angels Because though Moses applying himselfe to the rudenesse of the common people reciteth in his history of the creacion no other workes of God but such as are seen with oure eyes yet wheras afterwarde he bryngeth in Angels for ministers of God we may easily gather that he was the creator of them in whoe 's seruyce they employ their trauaile and offices Though therefore Moses speaking after the capacitie of the people doth not at the very beginning rehearse the Angels among the creatures of God yet that is no cause to the contrary but that we may plainly and expresly speake those thinges of
our force to bende our selues against hym that goeth about to extinguishe it If we be affectioned to maintain the kingdome of Christ as we ought then must we nedes haue an vnappeasable wat with him that coÌ„spireth the ruine therof Again if any care of our own safetie do touch vs then ought we to haue neither peace nor truce with hym that continually lieth in waite for the destruction of it Such a one is he described in the .iii. chap. of Genesis where he leadeth man awaye from the obedience that he did owe to God that he bothe robbeth God of his due honor and throweth man him self headlong into destruction Suche a one also is he set foorth in the Euangelistes where he is called an enemy and is said to scatter tares to corrupt the sede of eternall life In a summe that whiche Christe testifieth of hym that from the begynnyng he was a murtherer and a lyer we fynde by experience in al his doynges For he assaileth the trueth of God with lies obscureth the light with darknesse entangleth the mindes of men with errors raiseth vp hatredes kindleth contentions and strifes doeth all thynges to this ende to ouerthrow the kingdome of God and drown men with himself in eternall destruction Wherby appereth that he is of nature froward spitefull and malicious For nedes must there be great frowardnesse in that wit that is made to assaile the glory of God and saluation of men And that doeth Iohn speake of in his epistle when he writeth that he sinneth from the beginnyng For he meaneth that he is the author captaine and principall workman of all malice and wickednesse But forasmuch as the deuil was created by God let vs remembre that this malice which we assigne in his nature is not by creation but by deprauation For what so euer damnable thyng he hath he hath gotten to him selfe by his owne reuoltyng and fall Whiche the scripture therefore gâ—â—eth vs warnyng of least thinkyng that he came out suche a one froÌ„ God we shulde ascribe that to God himselfe whiche is farthest froÌ„ him For this reason doeth Christ say that Satan speketh of his owne wheÌ„ he speketh lies addeth a cause why for that he stode not stil in the trueth Now wheÌ„ he sayth that he stode not stil in the truth he sheweth that ones he had ben in the trueth And when he maketh him the Father of lyeng he taketh thys from him that he can not say that fault to God whereof he hymselfe is cause to himselfe Although these thinges be but shortlye and not very plainly spoken yet this is enough for this purpose to deliuer the maiestie of God from al sclaunder And what maketh it matter to vs to know more or to any other purpose concerning deuils Many perhaps doo grudge that the Scripture doth not orderly and distinctly in many places set forth that fall and the cause manner time and fashion thereof But because these thinges do nothing perteine to vs it was better if not to be suppressed wholly yet to be but lightly touched and that partly because it was not beseming for the Holy ghost to fede curiositie with vaine histories without any frute and we se that it was the Lordes purpose to put nothing in his holy oracles but that whiche we should learne to edification Therfore lest we our selues should tary long vpon things superfluous let vs be conteÌ„t shortly to know thus much concerning the nature of deuils that at the first creatioÌ„ they wer the Angels of God but by swaruing out of kinde they both destroyed themselues and are become instrumentes of destruction to other Thus much because it was profitable to be knowen is playnly taught in Peter and Iude. God spared not say they his Angels which had synned and not kept their beginning but had forsakeÌ„ their dwelling place And Paule naming the elect Angels doth without dout secretly by implication set the reprobate Angels in comparison against them As for the discorde and strife that we saye is betwene God and Satan we muste so take it that styll we holde thys for certayne that he can doe nothyng but by the wyll and sufferaunce of God For we rede in the historye of Iob that he presented hymselfe before God to receyue hys commaundementes and durst not goe forwarde to doe any enterprise till he had obtained license So when Achab was to be deceiued he toke vpon him that he woulde be the Spirite of lying in the mouth of all the Prophetes and so being sente of God he performed it For thys reason is he called the euill Spirite of the Lord that tormented Saul because by him as with a scourge the sinnes of the wicked king wer punished And in an other place it is written that the plages were laied vpon the Egyptians by the euil Angels According to these particular examples Paule doeth generally testifie that the blinding of the wycked is the worke of God wheras before he had called it the working of Satan It is euident therfore that Satan is vnder the power of God and so gouerned by his authoritie that he is coÌ„pelled to do him seruice Nowe when we say that SataÌ„ resisteth God that the workes of Satan disagree with the workes of God we do therewithall affirme that this disagremente and strife hangeth vpon the sufferaunce of God I speake not now of his wil nor of his endeuour but of the effecte onely For sith the deuill is wicked of nature he is not enclined to obeye the wyll of God but is wholly carryed to stubbornesse and rebellion This therefore he hath of hymselfe and of hys owne wyckednesse that of Desire and purpose he wythstandeth God And by this wickednesse he is stirred vp to the enterprising of those thinges that he knoweth to be most against God But because God holdeth him fast tied restrayned with the bridle of his power he executeth only those thinges that ar graunted him from God And so doth he obey his creator whether he wil or no because he is constrained to applie his seruice whether soeuer God compelleth him Now because God boweth the vncleane Spirites hether thether as pleaseth him he so teÌ„pereth this gouernemeÌ„t that they exercyse the faithful with battail they set vpon theÌ„ out of ambushes they assaile them wyth inuasions they presse them with fighting and oftentimes werry them trouble them make theÌ„ afraied somtime wouÌ„de theÌ„ but neuer ouercome nor oppresse theÌ„ But the wicked they subdue and drawe awaye they reigne vpon their soules and bodies and abuse theÌ„ as bondslaues to al mischeuous doinges As for the faythful because they are vnquieted of such enemies therfore they heare these exhortations Dooe not geue place to the deuel The deuil your enemie goeth about as a roring lion sekyng whom he may deuoure whoÌ„ resist ye beyng strong in faith and suche like Paule confesseth that he him selfe was not fre from this kynde of
to speake moste plainely doo diuide the soule into Appetite and Understandyng but eyther of these they make of two sortes Understandyng they saye is sometyme Contemplatiue which beyng contented with onely knowlege hath no mouyng of action whiche thyng Cicero thynketh to be expressed by this worde ingenium witte Sometyme they saye it is practicall whiche by conceyuyng of good or euill doeth diuersely moue the Will And appetite they doo diuide into Will and Lust. Will they cal that when Appetite which they call Horme obeyeth to reason and Lust thei call that when the appetite shakyng of the yoke of reason runneth out◠to intemperance So alwais they imagine reason to be that in man wherby man may rightly gouerne hym selfe But we are constrayned somwhat to swarue from this maner of teachyng because the philosophers whiche knewe not the corruption of mans nature whiche came for punishement of his fall doo wrongfully confounde the two very diuers states of man Lette vs therefore thus thynke of it that there are in the soule of man two partes whiche shall serue at this tyme for our present purpose that is to say Understāding and Wil. And let it be the office of Understandyng to discerne betwene obiectes or thynges sette before it as eche of them shall seme worthy to be liked or misliked and the office of Will to choose and folow that whiche Understandyng sayth to be good and to refuse and flee that whiche Understandyng shall disalowe Let vs not here bee staied at all with the mee suttelties of Aristotle that the mynde hath of it selfe no mouyng but that it is choise whiche moueth it whiche choise he calleth the desiryng vnderstandyng But to the ende we bee not entangled with superfluous questions let this suffise vs that the Understanding is as it were the guide and gouernor of the soule and that Will hath alwais regarde to the appointment of Understandyng and abideth the iugement therof in her desires Accordyng wherevnto Aristotle hym selfe hath truely sayde that fleeyng or folowyng is in Appetite suche a lyke thyng as in the vnderstandng mynde is affirming and denying Now howe certaine the gouernement of Understandyng is to direct the Wil that we will consider in an other place Here we meane onely to shewe that there can be founde no power in the soule but that may wel be said to belong to the one of these two membres And in this sort vnder Understandyng we comprehende Sense whiche other doo so distinguishe that they say Sense is enclined to pleasure for whiche Understanding foloweth that which is good and that so it cometh to passe that the Appetite of sense is Concupiscence and Lust the affection of vnderstandyng is Will. Agayne in stede of the name of Appetite whyche they better like I sett the name of Will whiche is more commonly vsed God therfore hath furnished the soule of mā with an vnderstanding mynde wherby he might discerne good frō euill and right from wrong and hauing the light of reason going before him might se what is to be folowed or forsake For which cause the Philosophers haue called this directing part the Guider To this he hath adioyned will to which belongeth choise With these noble gyftes the first state of man excelled so that he not onely had enough of reason vnderstandyng wisedome and iudgement for the gouernemēt of this erthly life but also to clime vp euen to God and to eternal felicitie Then to haue Choise added vnto it whiche myght directe the appetites and order all the instrumental motions and that so the Will myght be altogither agreable to the gouernement of reason In this Integritie man had freewill wherby if he would he myght haue atteined eternall life For here it is oute of place to moue question of the secrete predestination of God because we are not nowe about to discusse what myght haue chaunced or not but what at that tyme was the nature of man Adam therfore might haue stande if he wold because he fell not but by his owne wil. But because his will was pliable to either side and there was not geuen hym constancie to continue therfore he so easily fell Yet his Choise of good and euill was free And not that only but also in his vnderstāding mynde in his will was most great vprightnesse and all his instrumētall parts orderly framed to obedience vntill by destroying himselfe he corrupted the good thynges that were in hym From hense cometh it that all the Philosophers wer so blynded for that in a ruine they sought for an vpright buildyng and for strong ioyntes in an vnioynted ouerthrowe This principle they helde that man could not be a liuyng creature endued with reason vnlesse there were in hym a free choise of good and euill and they considered that otherwise all the difference should be taken away betwene vertues and vices vnlesse man dyd order his owne lyfe by his owne aduise Thus farre had they said well if there had ben no chaunge in man whiche chaunge because they knewe not of it is no meruaile though they confounde heauen and earthe togyther But as for them whiche professyng them selues to be the disciples of Christ doo yet seeke for free will in man that hath bene loste and drowned in spiritual destructiō they in going meane betwene the Philosophers opinions the heauenly doctrine are plainly deceyued so that they touche neither heauen nor earth But of these thynges we shal better speake in place fitte for them nowe onely this we haue to holde in mynde that man at his fyrst creation was farre other than his posteritie euer sins whiche takyng their beginnyng from hym beyng corrupted hath from him receiued an infection deriued to them as it were by inheritaunce For then all the partes of hys soule were framed to ryghte order then stoode safe the soundenesse of his vnderstandyng mynde and his will free to choose the good If any doo obiecte that it stoode but in slippry state because his power was but weake I answere that that state was yet such as sufficed to take from him all excuse neither was it resonable to restraine God to this point to make man suche a one as either coulde not or would not sinne at all I graunt suche a nature had bene better but therfore precisely to quarel with god as though it had ben his dutie to haue geuen that vnto man is to muche vniustice forasmuche as it was in his owne choise to geue howe muche pleased hym But why he dyd not vpholde him with the strength of stedfast continuance that resteth hidden in his owne secrete counsell it is our parte onely to bee so farre wise as with sobrietie we may Man receaued in dede to bee able if he wolde but he had not to will that he might be able For of this will shuld haue folowed stedfast continuance Yet is he not excusable which receiued so much that of his owne will he hath wroughte his owne
And we cal chauÌ„ce in things nothing els but that whereof the reasoÌ„ cause is vnknowen I said this in dede but it repenteth me that I did there so name Fortune Forasmuch as I se that meÌ„ haue a very euil custome that where they ought to say thus it pleased God they say thus it pleased fortune Finally he doth commonly in his bokes teach that the world should be vnorderly whirled about if any thyng wer left vnto Fortune And although in an other place he determineth that al thyngs are done partly by the free wil of maÌ„ partly by the ProuideÌ„ce of God yet doth he a little after sufficiently shew that men are subiecte vnto ruled by Prouidence taking this for a principle that nothing is more agaynst conuenience of reason than to say that any thyng chaunceth but by the ordinance of God for els it should happeÌ„ without cause or order by whiche reason he also excludeth that happening that hangeth vppon the will of men and by and by after he playnlyer sayeth that we oughte not to seke a cause of the will of God And so ofte as he maketh mention of sufferaunce howe that is to be vnderstanded shall very well appeare by one place where he proueth that the wyll of God is the soueraigne and first cause of al thinges because nothing happeneth but by his commaundemente or sufferaunce Surely he faineth not God to sit stil idle in a watch toure when it is hys pleasure to suffer any thyng whereas he vseth an actuall wyll as I may so cal it whiche otherwyse could not be called a cause But forasmuch as the dullnesse of our vnderstaÌ„ding can not by a great way atteine to the height of gods prouideÌ„ce we must vse a distinctioÌ„ to helpe to lift it vp I say therfore how soeuer al thinges are ordeined by the purpose and certayne disposition of God yet to vs they are chaunsable not that we thynke that fortune ruleth the world and men and vnaduisedly tosseth all thynges vp and down for suche beastlynesse ought to be farre from a Chrystyan harte but because the order meane ende and necessitie of those thynges that happen doeth for the moste parte lye secrecte in the purpose of God and is not comprehended wyth opinion of man therfore those thinges are as it were chauÌ„sable which yet it is certaine to come to passe by the wil of God For they seme no otherwise whether we coÌ„sider them in their own nature or whether we esteme them according to our knowledge and iudgement As for an example let vs put the case that a merchaunte being entred into a wod in company of true men doeth vnwisely stray away from his felowes and â—n his wandring chauÌ„ceth vpon a denne of robbers lighteth amoÌ„g theues and is killed his death was not only foreseen with goddes eye but also determined by his decree For it is not saied that he did foresee how farre ech mans life should extende buâ— that he hath set and appointed markes which can not be passed And yet so farre as the capacitie of our minde conceiueth all thinges herein seme happening by chaunce What shall a Christian here thinke euen this whatsoeuer happened in such a death he wil thinke it in nature chauncing by fortune as it is in dede but yet he will not doubt that the prouidence of God did gouerne to directe fortune to her ende In like manner are the happeninges of thynges to come For as al thinges that be to come are vncertaine vnto vs so we hang them in suspense as if they might fal on either parte yet this remaineth settled in our hartes that nothing shall happen but that which God hath already foreseen In this meaning is the name of chaunce oft repeted in Ecclesiastes because at the first sight men doe not atteine to see the first cause which is farre hidden from them And yet that which is declared in the Scriptures concerning the secret prouidence of God was neuer so blotted out of the hartes of men but that euen in the darkenesse there alway shined some sparkes therof So the sothsayers of the Philistians although they wauer in doutfulnesse yet they ascrybe aduersitie partly to God partly to fortune If say they the arke go that way we shal know that it is God that hath strykeÌ„ vs but if it go the other way then a chaunce hath light vpon vs. In dede they did folishly when their conning of soth saying deceiued them to flee to fortune but in the meane whyle we see them constrayned so that they dare not thinke that the euil happe which chaunced vnto them did come of fortune But how God with the brydle of hys prouidence turneth al successes whether pleaseth him may appeare by one notable example Beholde euen at one moment of time wheÌ„ Dauid was founde out and nere taken in the desert of Mahon euen then the Philistines inuaded the land and Saul was compelled to depart If God meaning to prouide for the safetie of his seruaunt did cast this let in Sauls way surely although the Philistines going to armes were sodein and beside the expectation of men yet may we not say that it came by chaunce But those thynges that seme to vs to happen by chaune fayth wil acknowledge to haue been a secret mouing of God I graunt there doth not alwaye appeare the like reason but vndoutedly we ought to beleue that whatsoeuer changes of thinges are seen in the worlde they come by the secret sturring of the hand of God But that which God purposeth is so of necessitie to com to passe that yet it is not of necessitie precisely nor by the nature of it self As therof is a familiar exaÌ„ple in the bones of Christ Forasmuch as he had put on a bodie like vnto ours no wise maÌ„ will deny that his bones were naturally able to be broken yet was it impossible that they shuld be broken whereby we see againe that not without cause were in scholes inuented the distinctions of necessitie in respect and necessitie absolute of consequent and consequence where as God had subiect to bricklenesse the bones of his sonne which he had exempted from beyng able to be broken and so brought to necessitie by reason of his owne purpose that that thyng coulde not bee whiche naturally myght haue ben The .xvii. Chapter Wherto and to what ende this doctrine is to be applied that we may be certaine of the profite therof NOwe forasmuche as mens wits are bent to vaine curious suttleties it is scarcely possible but that they shall encombre themselues with entangled doubtes who soeuer doo not knowe the true and right vse of this Doctrine Therfore it shall be expedient here to touche shortly to what ende the Scripture teacheth that all thynges are ordred by God And fyrste of all is to be noted that the ProuideÌ„ce of God ought to be considered as wel for the tyme to come as for the tyme past secondarily that
of that boke in surueying vp and downe the frame of the worlde had honourably entreated of the woorkes of God at length he addeth Lo these be part of his waies but howe littel a portion heare we of hym Accordyng to whiche reason in an other place he maketh difference betwene the wisedom that remaineth with God and the measure of wisedome that he hath appointed for men For after he hath preached of the secretes of nature he sayth that wisedome is knowen to God onely and is hidden from the eies of all liuyng creatures But by and by after he saieth further that it is published to the ende it should be serched out because it is sayd vnto man beholde the feare of God is wisedom For this purpose maketh the sayeng of Augustine Bycause we knowe not all thynges whiche God doeth concernyng vs in moste good order that therfore in onely good wil we do accordyng to the law because his Prouidence is an vnchaungeable lawe Therefore sithe God dooth claime vnto hym selfe the power to rule the worlde whiche is to vs vnknowen let this be to vs a lawe of sobrenesse and modestie quietly to obey his soueraigne authoritie that his wyll maye be to vs the only rule of iustice and the most iust cause of all thynges I meane not that absolute will of whiche the Sophisters doo babble separatyng by wicked and prophane disagremente his iustice from his power but I meane that Prouidence whyche is the gouernesse of all thynges from whiche procedeth nothyng but right although the causes therof be hidden from vs. Whosoeuer shal be framed to this modestie they neyther for the time paste wil murmure against God for their aduersities nor lay vpon him the blame of wicked dooynges as Agamemnon in Homer dyd saying I am not the cause but Iupiter and Destenie nor yet agayn as caried awaie with Destenies they wil by desperation throwe them selues into destruction as that yong man in Plautus whiche saide Unitable is the chaunce of thynges the Destenies driue men at their pleasure I will get me to some rocke there to make an ende of my goodes and life togither Neither yet as an other did they will pretende the name of God to couer their owne mischeuous dooynges for so saith Lyconides in an other comedie God was the mouer I beleeue it was the will of the gods for if it had not ben their will I knowe it should not so come to passe But rather they will searche and learne out of the Scripture what pleaseth God that by the guiding of the Holy ghost they may trauayle to atteyne thervnto And also beyng ready to folowe God whether soeuer he calleth they shewe in dede that nothyng is more profitable then the knowledge of his doctrine Uery foolishly doo prophane men turmoile with their fondnesses so that thei in maner cōfound heauen earthe together as the saying is If God haue marked the point of our death we can not escape it then it is laboure vainely loste in takyng hede to our selues Therfore where as one man dareth not venture to go the way that he heareth to bee daungerous least he be murthered of theues an other sendeth for Phisitians and werieth himselfe with medicines to succour his life an other forbeareth grosse meates for feare of appeiryng his feble healthe an other dreadeth to dwell in a ruinous house Finally where as men deuise all waies and endeuour with all diligence of mynde wherby they may atteyne that whiche they desire either all these remedies are vaine whiche are sought as to reforme the will of God or ells life and death health and sicknesse peace and warre and other thyngs whiche men as they couete or hate them doo by their trauaile endeuour to obteyne or escape are not determined by his certain decree And further they gather that the praiers of the faithfull are disordered or at the least superfluous wherin petition is made that it will please the Lorde to prouide for those thynges whiche he hath already decreed from eternitie To be short they destroy all coūsels that men doo take for tyme to come as thynges agaynst the Prouiuidence of God whiche hath determined what he woulde haue doone without callyng them to counsell And then what soeuer is alredy hapned they so impute it to the Prouidence of God that they winke at the man whom they knowe to haue done it As hath a ruffian slaine an honest citezen he hath executed the say they the purpose of God Hathe one stollen or committed fornication because he hath doen the thyng that was forseene and ordeined by the Lorde he is a minister of his Prouidence Hath the sonne carelessely neglectyng all remedies wayted for the death of his father he coulde not resist God that had so before appointed from eternitie So all mischeuous dooynges they call vertues because they obey the ordinance of God But as touching things to come Salomon doth well bring in agrement togither the purposes of men with the Prouidence of God For as he laugheth to scorne their follye whiche boldely doo enterprise any thyng without the Lorde as though they were not ruled by his hande so in an other place he speaketh in this maner The harte of man purposeth his waie but the Lorde doeth direct his steppes meanyng that we are not hyndered by the eternall Decrees of God but that vnder his will we may both prouide for our selues and dispose all thynges belongyng to vs. And that is not without a manifest reason For he that hath limitted our life within appointed boundes hath therwithall left with vs the care thereof hath furnished vs with meanes and healpes to preserue it hath made vs to haue knowledge before hande of daungers and that they shoulde not oppresse vs vnware he hath geuen vs prouisions and remedies Nowe it is plaine to see what is our duetie that is to say If God hath committed to vs our owne lyfe to defende our duetie is to defende it If he offer vs helpes our duetie is to vse theim If he shew vs daungers before our duetie is not to runne rashly into theim If he minister vs remedies our duetie is not to neglect them But no daunger shall hurt vnlesse it be fatall which by al remedies can not be ouercome But what if daungers be therefore not fatal because God hath assigned thee remedies to repulse ouercom thē See how thy maner of reasoning agreeth with the order of Gods disposition Thou gatherest that daunger is not to bee taken heede of because forasmuch as it is not fatal we shal escape it without takyng hede at all but the Lorde doeth therfore enioyne thee to take hede of it because he will not haue it fatall vnto thee These madde men do not consyder that whiche is plaine before their eyes that the skil of taking coūsell and hede is enspired into men by God whereby they may serue his Prouidence in preseruing of their owne life as on the other
from God hymself to make them beleue lyes that refuse to obey the truthe After the first maner of speakyng it is said If any Prophet shal speake lyingly I God haue deceiued him According to the other maner of speche it is said that he geueth men into a reprobate mynde and to cast them into filthy desires because he is the chiefe author of his owne iuste vengeance and Satan is but onely a minister therof But because we must entreate of this matter againe in the second boke where we shall discourse of free or bonde wil of man I thinke I haue already shortely spoken so muche as this place required Let this be the summe of all that for as muche as the will of God is sayd to be the cause of all thynges his Prouidence is thought the gouernesse in all purposes and workes of men so as it sheweth foorth her force not onely in the elect whiche are gouerned by the holye Spirite but also compelleth the reprobate to obedience Forasmuche as hetherto I haue recited onely suche thynges as are writtē in the Scriptures plainly and not doubtfully let them that feare not wrongfully to sclander the heauenly oracles take hede what maner of iudgement they take vpon them For if by fained pretendyng of ignorance they seeke a praise of modestie what can be imagined more proudely doon than to sette one small woorde against the authoritie of God as I think otherwise I like not to haue this touched But if they openly speake euill what preuaile they with spittyng against the heauen But this is no newe example of waiwardnesse because there haue ben in al ages wicked and vngodly men that with ragyng mouth barked against this point of doctrine But they shal fele that thyng in dede to be true which long ago the Holy ghost spake by the mouth of Dauid that God may ouercome when he is iudged Dauid doth by the way rebuke the madnesse of men in this so vnbridled licenciousnesse that of their owne filthynesse they doo not onely argue againste God but also take vpon them power to condemne hym In the meane time he shortly admonisheth that the blasphemies whiche they vomite vp against the heauen doo not reache vnto God but that he driuyng away the cloudes of cauillations doeth brightly shewe foorth his righteousnesse and also our faithe because beyng grounded vpon the worde of God it is aboue all the worlde doeth from her hye place contemptuously looke downe vppon these mystes For first where they obiect that if nothyng happen but by the will of God then are there in hym two contrary willes because he decreeth those thynges by secrete purpose which he hath openly forbidden by his lawe that is easily wiped away But before I answere it I will ones again geue the reders warnyng that this cauillation is throwen out not against me but against the Holy ghoste which taught the holy man Iob this confession As it pleased God so it came to passe When he was spoiled by theues he acknowledged in the iniurie hurt that they did him the iust scourge of God What saieth the Scripture in other places The sonnes of Hely obeyed not their Father because it was Gods will to kill them Also an other Prophete crieth out that God which sitteth in heauen doeth what so euer he will And nowe I haue shewed plainly enough that God is the author of al those thinges whiche these iudges wold haue to happen only by his idle sufferāce He testifieth that he createth light and darknesse that he formeth good and euill that no euill happeneth which he himselfe hath not made Let theim tell me I beseche them whether he doo willyngly or against his will execute his owne iudgementes But as Moses teacheth that he whiche is slaine by the falling of an axe by chance is deliuered by God into the hande of the striker so the whole churche saieth in Luke that Herode and Pilate conspired to doo those thynges which the hand and purpose of God had decreed And truly if Christ wer not crucified with the will of God whense cam redemption to vs And yet the wil of God neither doeth striue with it selfe nor is chaunged nor fayneth that he willeth not the thyng that he will but where it is but one and simple in hym it semeth to vs manyfolde because accordyng to the weakenesse of oure witte wee conceiue not howe God in diuers maner willeth and willeth not one self thyng Paule after that he hath said that the calling of the Gentiles is a hidden mysterie within a litle after saieth further that it was manifestly shewed the manyfolde wisedom of God because for the dullnesse of our witte the wisedom of God seemeth to vs manifolde or as the olde interpretour hath translated it of many fashions shall we therfore dreame that there is any varietie in God himself as though he either chaungeth his purpose or dissenteth from himself Rather when we conceiue not howe God will haue the thyng to be done whiche he forbiddeth to doo let vs call to mynde our owne weakenesse and therwithal consider that the light wherin he dwelleth is not without cause called Inaccessible bicause it is couered with darknesse Therfore all godlye and sobre men will easyly agree to this sentence of Augustine that sometyme man with good will willeth that whiche God willeth not As if a good sonne willeth to haue his father to liue whom God will haue to dye Agayne it may come to passe that man may wyll the same thyng with an euill wyll which God willeth with a good will As if an euyll sonne willeth to haue his father to die and God also willeth the same Nowe the fyrst of these two sonnes wylleth that whyche God willeth not and the other sonne willeth that whyche God also willeth and yet the naturalnesse of the first sonne doeth better agree with the will of God although he willeth a contrary thing than the vnnaturalnesse of the other sonne that willeth the same thyng So great a difference is there what to wyll doeth belong to man and what to God and to what ende the will of euery one is to be applied to haue it either allowed or disalowed For those thynges whiche God willeth well he bringeth to passe by the euill wylles of euyl men But a littel before he had said that the Angels apostataes in their fallyng away and all the reprobate in as muche as concerneth theim selues did that which God would not but in respecte of the omnipotencie of God they coulde by no meanes so do because while they didde against the will of God the will of God was doone vpon them Whervpon he crieth out Great ar the workes of God ought to be sought out of al them that loue them that in meruailous maner the same thing is not doon without his will which is also done against his will because it coulde not be done if he did not
whyche ys true For what is els done when wee are taught to â—yght of oure owne force but that wee bee lyfted vp on hye on a staffe of a reede that it maye by and by breake and wee fall to the grounde Albeit oure forces are yet to muche coÌ„mended when thei are compared to the staffe of a reede For it is but smoke all that vaine men haue imagined do babble of them Wherfore not wtout cause is this excellence sentence ofte repeted by Augustine that free wil is rather throweÌ„ down hedlonge than stablished by them that defend it This I thought nedeful to speake before as by waie of preface for many mennes sakes which whan thei heare mans power ouerthrowen froÌ„ the grounde that the power of God may be builded in man do muche hate this manner of disputing as dangerous â–ª much more superfluus whiche yet appeareth to be bothe in religion necessarie and for vs moste profitable Whereas we haue a lyttle before sayde that in the vnderstandynge mynde and in the heart are placed the powers of the soule nowe lette vs consyder what they bothe are able to dooe The Phylosophers in deede with great consente do imagin that in the vnderstanding mynde sitteth reason whiche like a lampe geueth lighte to al counsells like a Queene gouerneth the will for they saye that it is so endued wyth Diuine lighte that it canne geue good counsell so excelleth in liuely force that it is able well to gouerne On the other syde that Sense is dulle and bleareâ—yed that it alway creepeth on the grounde and walloweth in grosse obiectes and neuer lyfteth vp it selfe to true insyght That the Appetite if it canne abide to obey reason and do not yelde it selfe to Sense to be subdued is carried on to the studye of vertues holdeth on the ryght waye and is transfourmed into Wyll but yf yt geue it selfe subiect into the bondage of Sense it is by it corrupted peruerted so that it degendreth into Luste And wheras by their opinion there dooe sitte in the soule those powers that I haue spoken of before vnderstandinge sense appetite or wyll whiche woorde Will is nowe more commonly vsed thei say that vnderstandinge is endued with reason the best gouernesse towarde good and blessed lyfe so that it doe holde it selfe within his owne excellence shew forth the force that is naturally geuen it But that inferioure motion of it whiche is called Sense wherewith man is drawen to erroure deceite thei say to bee suche that it may be tamed with the rodde of reason by little little bee vanquished They place Wyll in the myddest betwene reason and Sense as a thinge at her owne orderinge and hauinge libertie whether it liste to obey to reason or geue foorthe it selfe to bee rauyshed by Sense Sometime in deede they do not denye beynge ouercome by verye experience how hardely man stablisheth reason to reigne as Queene wythin hymselfe while sometyme he is tickeled with inticementes of pleasures sometime deceiued with false semblance of good thynges sometime importunatelye striken with immoderate affections vyolently haled oute of the waye as it were with ropes of stringes of synowes as Plato saieth For whiche reason Cicero saith that these sparkes geuen by nature are with peruerse opinions euell manners by by quenched But when suche diseases haue ones gotten places in the mindes of men thei graunt that they do more outragiously ouerflowe than that they easily may be restrayned they sticke not to compare them to wylde horses whyche throwinge away reason as it were castynge the Charyote dryuer dooe range vnrulyly and wythout measure But thys they make no question of that vertues and vices are in oure owne power For if saie thei it be in oure choise to do this or that then ys it also in oure choyse not to dooe Nowe if it bee in oure choyse not to dooe then ys yt also to dooe but of free choyse we seeme to do those thinges that we doo to forbeare those thinges that we forbeare Therefor if we do any good thing when we liste we may likewise leaue it vndone if we do any euell we may also eschewe the same Yea some of them haue burste forthe into so great licentiousnes that they haue bosted that it is in dede that Gods gifte that we liue but oure owne that we liue wel holily And thense commeth that saying of Cicero in the person of Cotta bycause euery man him selfe getteth vertue to hymselfe therefore neuer any of the wyse men dyd thanke God for it For sayth hee for vertue we be praised and in vertue wee glorye whyche shoulde not bee yf yt were the gyfte of God and not of oure selues And a lyttle after Thys ys the iudgemente of all menne that fortune is to be asked of God but wysedome to bee taken of himselfe This therfore is the suÌ„me of the opinion of al the Philosophers that the reason of mans vnderstandinge is suffycyente for ryghte gouernaunce that Wyll beynge subiecte to yt ys in deede moued by Sense to euell thynges But euen as it hathe free election so canne it not be stopped but that it folowe reason for her guide in al thinges Among the ecclesiasticall wryters al be it ther haue ben none that dyd not acknowledge bothe that the soundenesse of reason in manne hathe been sore wounded by synne and hys wyll excedingly entangled with peruerse desyres yet many of them haue to muche assented to the Philosophers of whiche the auncient as I thinke did so much aduaunce the strength of man vpon this consideration lest if thei sholde haue expressly confessed his weakenesse firste thei sholde haue made the Philosophers with whome thei then contended to laugh at them then least thei shoulde geue to the fleshe whiche of yt selfe was dull to goodnesse a newe occasion of slouthfullnesse Therefore bycause they woulde not teache any thinge that were an absurditie in the common iudgemente of men theyr study was to make the doctrine of the Scripture halfe to agree with the teachinges of the Philosophers But that thei principally regarded that seconde pointe not to make place for slouthfullnesse appereth by their owne woordes Chrysostome hathe in one place Bicause God hathe putte bothe good and euell thinges in oure owne power hee hathe geuen vs Freedome of election and he wythholdeth not the vnwilling but embraceth the willing Againe Oftentymes he that is euell yf hee wyll is tourned into good and he that ys good by slouthfullnesse falleth and becommeth euell bycause God made oure nature to haue free wyll and hee layeth not necessytye vpon vs but geuynge conuenient remedies suffreth all to lye in the mynde of the paciente Againe As vnlesse wee bee holpen by the grace of God wee canne neuer dooe any thynge well so vnlesse wee brynge that whiche is oure owne we canne not obtaine the fauoure of god And he had saide before that
it shold not be all of gods helpe but wee muste also brynge somewhat And thys ys commonly a famylyar woorde with him lette vs brynge that whiche is oures god wil supplie the reste Wherwith agreeth that whiche Hieremye saith that it is oure part to beginne but gods to make an ende oure part to offer what wee canne hys to fullfyll what we canne not Yow see nowe that in these sayinges they gaue to man towarde the studye of vertue more than was meete bycause they thought that they coulde not otherwise awake the dulnesse that was naturally in vs but yf they dyd proue that in it onely we synned With what apt handeling thei haue done the same wee shall after see Surely that the sayinges whyche wee haue rehersed are mooste false shall by and by appeare Nowe althoughe the Grecians more than other and amonge them principally Chrysostome haue passed measure in aduancinge the power of mans will yet all the olde writers except Augustine do in this point so eyther varie or wauer or speake doubtefully that in manner no certaintie canne bee gathered of theyr writynges Therefore we will not tarrye vpon exacte reckenynge of euerye one of theyr sayinges but heare and there wee wyll touche oute of euerye one of them so muche as the playne declaration of the matter shall seeme to require As for them that folowed after whyle euery one for hymselfe soughte prayse of wyttte in defending of mans nature they fel continually by little and litle one after an other into worse and worse till it came so farre that man was commonly thoughte to bee corrupted onely in hys sensuall parte and to haue reason altogether and wil for the more parte vncorrupted In the meane time thys flewe aboute in all mens mouthes that the naturall giftes were corrupted in man and the supernaturall were taken awaye But to what meanynge that tended scarsely the hundredth man did euen slightly vnderstaÌ„d As for my parte if I woulde plainely shewe of what sorte is the corruption of nature I could be easely contented with these wordes But it is muche materiall that it be hedefully weyed what a manne beyng in all partes of his nature corrupted and spoyled of his supernaturall gyftes is able to dooe They therefore whyche boasted them selues to bee the Disciples of Christe spake of thys matter to muche like Phylosophers For the name of Freewill still remayned amonge the Larines as if manne hadde styll abiden in vncorrupted state And the Grecians were not ashamed to vse the worde muche more arrogantly For they called it Autexousion that is to say of her owne power as if man had the power of him selfe Bycause therfore all euen to the commune people hadde receiued this principle that man was endued wyth Free wyll and manye of them that woulde seeme excellente can not tell howe farre it extendeth fyrste lette vs searche out the force of the woorde it self and then lette vs procede on by the simplicitie of the Scripture to shewe what man is able to do of his owne nature towarde good or euell What Free wyll is where as it is a woorde commonly founde in all mens wrytynges yet fewe haue defined yet it semeth that Origen rehersed that thynge where of they were all agreed when he sayde that it is a power of reason to discerâ—e good or euell and a power of will to choose eyther of them And Augustine varyeth not from hym when he teacheth that yt is a power of reason and wyll whereby good is chosen while grace assisteth and euell when grace cesseth Bernarde while hee meaneth to speake more suttlely speaketh more darkely whyche sayeth that it is a consent by reason of the libertie of wyll that canne not be loste and the iudgemente of reason that can be auoyded And the definition of Anselmus is not familiar enoughe whiche sayth that it is a powere to kepe vprightenesse for it selfe Therefore Peter Lombarde and the other Schoolemen haue rather embraced Augustines defynytyon by cause yt bothe was playner and dyd not exclude the grace of God withoute the whyche they sawe that Wyll was not sufficient for yt selfe But they brynge also of theyr owne suche thynges as they thought eyther to be better or to serue for playner declaration Fyrste they agree that the name of Arbitrium that is free choyse is rather to bee referred to reason whose parte is to discerne betwene good and Euell thynges and the adiectiue Free pertayneth properly to wyll whyche may be tourned to eyther of both Wherefore sythe freedome proprely belongeth to wyll Thomas sayeth that it would very well agree yf Free will be called a power of chosyng whyche beinge mixt of vnderstanding and appetite dothe more incline to appetite Nowe haue we in what thinges they reache that the power of Free wyll consysteth that is to saye in reason and wyll Nowe remaineth that we shortly see howe muche they geue to either parte They are commonly wonte to make subiecte to the free determination of man thynges meane that is whyche belonge not to the kingedome of God but they do referre true ryghteousnesse to the speciall grace of God spiritual regeneration Whiche thinge while the author of the booke Of the callynge of the Gentyles meaneth to shewe hee reckeneth vp three sortes of Wylles the fyrste Sensitiue the seconde Naturall the thyrde Spyrytuall of whiche he saith that man hath the fyrste twoo at hys owne lybertye the laste is the woorke of the holly ghoste in man Whyche whether it be true or no shall be entreated in place fytte for it for nowe my purpose is but shortely to reherse the opynyons of other and not to confute them Hereby it commeth to passe that when wryters speake of free wil thei pryncipally seke not what yt is able to doe to ciuile or outewarde doinges but what it can do to the obedience of the lawe of God Whiche latter poynt I thinke so to be the pryncipall that yet I thynke the other is not to bee neglected Of whyche meanynge I truste I shall shewe a good reason There hathe been a distinction receyued in Schooles that reckeneth vp three sortes of freedomes the fyrste from necessytye the seconde from synne the thyrde from mysery Of whiche the fyrste so naturally stycketh faste in man that yt can by no meane be taken awaye the other twoo are loste by synne Thys dystinction I wyllingly receyue sauynge that there necessytye is wrongefully confounded with compulsion betwene whyche twoo howe muche dyfference there ys and howe necessary that dyfference is to be considered shal appeare in an other place If this be receyued then shall it be out of controuersie that man hathe not free will to do good workes vnlesse he be holpen by grace and that by speciall grace whiche is geuen to the onely electe by regeneracioÌ„ For I do not passe vpon these phrenetike men whiche babble that grace is offered generally without difference But this is not yet
made plaine whether he be altogither depriued of power to do well or whether he haue yet some power althoughe it be but litle weake whyche by it selfe in dede can do nothynge but by helpe of grace dothe also her part While the Master of the Sentences goeth about to make that playne he sayth there are two sortes of grace necessary for vs whereby we may be made mete to do a good worke the one thei call a Working grace wherby we effectually wil to do good the other a Together workinge grace whiche foloweth good will in helpinge it In whiche diuision this I mislike that while he geueth to the grace of God an effectuall desyre of good he secretly sheweth his meaninge that man alredy of his owne nature after a certaine māner desireth good though vneffectually As Bernarde affirminge that good will is in dede the worke of God yet this he graunteth to man that of his own motion hee desireth that good wil. But this is farre frō the meaning of Augustine frō whome yet Lombard wold seeme to haue borowed this divisiō In the seconde part of the divisiō the doubtfulnes of speache offendeth me whiche hathe bredde a wronge exposition For they thought that we do therefore worke togither with the Seconde grace fo God bicause it lieth in our power either to make voide the First grace by refusing it or to confirme it by obedientlye folowinge it Whereas the author of the boke Of the calling of the Gentiles dothe thus expresse it that it is free for them that vse the iudgement of reason to depart frō grace that it may be worthy rewarde not to haue departed that the thing whiche coulde not be done but by the workynge togither of the holly ghoste may be imputed to their merites by whose wyll it was possible to haue not ben done These two things I had will to note by the waye that nowe reader thou maist see how muche I dissent from the soundest forte of the Scholemē For I do much farther differ from the later sophisters euen so muche as they be farther gone from the auncient tyme. But yet somwhat after suche a sorte as it is we perceaue by this diuision after what manner thei haue geuen Free wil to man For at length Lombard sayth that we haue not free will therfore bycause we are alyke able eyther to do or to thynke good and euell but onely that we are free from compulsion whiche freedome is not hindered althoughe we be peruerse and the bondemen of sinne and can doe nothinge but sinne Therfore man shal be saide to haue free will after this sorte not bycause he hath a free choise as well of good as of euell but because he dothe euell by Wyll and not by compulsion That is very well saide but to what purpose was yt to garnyshe so smale a matter wyth so proude a title A goodly libertie forsooth if man be not compelled to serue sinne so is he yet a wyllynge seruaunte that hys wyll is holden fast bounde with the setters of sinne Truely I do abhorre striuinge about woordes wherewith the Churche is vainely wearied but I thinke that suche wordes are with greate religious carefulnes to be taken hede of whiche sounde of any absurditie specially wher the errour is hurtefull How few I praye you are there whyche when they heare that Free wil is assigned to man do not by and by conceaue that he is lorde bothe of his owne mynde and wyll and that he is able of hym selfe to turne hym selfe to whether parte he will But some one wyll saye this perill shal be taken awaye if the people be dylygentlye warned of the meaninge of it But rather forasmuche as the witte of man is naturally bent to falsitie he will soner conceiue an errour out of one little worde than a truth out of a longe tale Of whiche thing we haue a more certaine experience in this very worde than is to be wished For omittinge that exposition of the olde wryters all thei in manner that came after while thei sticke vpon the naturall signification of the woorde haue ben carried into a truste of them selues that bringeth them to distruction But if the authoritie of the fathers do move vs they haue in dede continually the worde in their mouth but thei do withal declare how muche thei esteme y◠vse of it Fyrst of all Augustine whiche sticketh not to call it Bonde wyll In one place he is angry with them that denye free wil but he declareth his chiefe reasō why when he saith onely Let not any man be so bolde to denye the freedome of wyll that he go aboute to excuse sinne But surely in an other place he confesseth that the wyll of manne is not free wythoute the holye ghooste for as muche as yt is subiecte to lustes that doe bynde and conquere yt Agayne that when wyll was ouercome wyth synne whereinto it fell nature begane to wante freedome Agayne that man hauynge yll vsed hys free wyll loste bothe hymselfe and yt Agayne Free wyll is become captiue that it can do nothinge towarde ryghteousnesse Againe that it canne not be free whyche the grace of God hathe not made free Againe that the iustice of God is not fullfylled when the lawe commaundeth and man dothe as of hys owne strength but when the holy ghoste helpeth and mans will not free but made free by God obeyeth And of all these thynges he shortely rendreth a cause when in an other place he writeth that man receiued greate force of free will when he was created but he loste it by sinninge Therfore in an other place after that he had shewed that free will is stablished by grace he sharply inueieth against them that take it vpon them without grace Why therfore sayth he dare wretched men either be proude of freewil before that they be made free or of their owne strength yf they be allready made free And they marke not that in the very name of Freewyll is mention of freedome But where the spirite of the Lorde is there is freedome If then they be the bondemen of sinne why do thei boste them of free wyll For of whome a manne is ouercome to hym hee ys made bonde But yf they bee made free why do they boaste them as of theyr owne woorke Are they so free that they wyll not bee his bondseruauntes whyche sayeth Wythoute me ye canne do nothynge Besyde that also in an other place hee seemeth sportyngly to mocke at the vse of that woorde when hee sayde that wyll was in deede free butte not made free free to righteousnesse but the bondeseruaunt of synne Whyche sayinge in an other place hee repeteth and expoundeth that manne ys not free from ryghteousnesse but by choyse of will and from synne hee ys not free but by grace of the Sauyoure Hee that doothe testifie that the freedome of manne ys nothynge ells but a
by the tenor of the text wher it by by after foloweth that we are his people the flocke of his pastures we see now howe he not contended simply to haue geuen to God the praise of our saluation doth expresly exclude vs froÌ„ all felowshipe with him as if he would saye that ther resteth no pece be it neuer so lyttle for man to glorie in bicause it is all of God But ther will be some peraduenture that will graunt that Will beynge of her owne nature turned away from good is conuerted by the only power of the Lord but so that beinge prepared before it hath also her owne parte in doinge as Augustin teacheth that grace goeth before euerye good worke but so that will dothe accompanie it and not leade it as a waytinge maide after it not a forgoer Whiche thynge beinge not euell spoken by the holy man Peter Lombarde doth disordrely wriâ—he to this purpose But I affirme that as wel in the wordes of the Prophete whiche I haue alleged as in the other places these two thinges be plainely signified that the Lorde dothe bothe correcte oure corrupted will or rather destroie it also of himselfe putteth in place thereof of a good will In as muche as it is preuented by grace in that respect I geue you leaue to call it a Wayting maide but for that beinge reformed it is the worke of the Lord this is wrongfully geuen to man that he doth with wil comming after obey grace going before Therfore it is not well written of Chrysostome that neither grace wtout will nor will without grace can worke any thing as if grace did not worke very will it selfe as euen nowe we haue seen by Paule Neither was it Augustines purpose when he called mans will the wayting mayde of grace to assigne vnto her a certaine second office in doing a good worke but bicause this only was his entent to confute the wicked doctrine of Pelagius whiche did set the principal cause of saluation in mans deseruing therfore he stode only vpoÌ„ this point that grace was before al deseruing which was sufficiente for the matter that he then had in hand not medlinge in the meane time with the other question coÌ„cerning the perpetuall effect of grace which yet in an other place be excellently wel handleth For sometimes when he saith that the lord doth preuent the vnwilling that hee maye will and foloweth the wyllynge that he wyll not in vayne he maketh him altogether the whole authour of the good worke Albeit his senteÌ„ces touchyng this matter are to plaine to neede any loÌ„g arguyng vpon them Men sayeth he doe labour to finde in our will something that is our owne not of God but how it may be founde I know not And in his first boke against Pelagius Celestius where he doth expound that saying of Christ â–ª Euery one that hath hearde of my father cometh to me he sayth Freewill is so holpen not only that it maye knowe what is to be done but also maye doe it when it hath knoweÌ„ it And so when God teacheth not by the letter of the law but by the grace of the spirit he so teacheth that he that hath learned doth not only see it in knowyng but also desire it in willing and performe it in doyng And bicause we are now in hand with the chiefe point wherupon the mater hangeth let vs go forward proue the summe therof to the reders only with a fewe the most playne testimonies of the scripture And then leaste any man should accuse vs of wrongfull wresting the Scripture let vs shew that the trueth which we affirme beyng takeÌ„ out of the Scripture wanteth not the testimonie of this holy man I meane Augustine For I thinke it not expedient that all the thinges be rehersed that may be brought out of the Scriptures for coÌ„firmation of our meanyng so that by the moste chosen that shal be brought forth the way may be prepared to vnderstand al the rest that are here and there coÌ„monly red And agayne I thinke it shall not be vnfitly done if I openly shewe that I agree well with that man whom worthyly the consent of godly men doth much esteme Surely it is euideÌ„t by plaine certaine profe that the beginning of goodnesse is from no where els but only from God for there can not be founde a will bent to good but in the elect But the cause of election is to be sought out of man Whereupon foloweth that man hath not right Will of him selfe but it procedeth from the same good pleasure whereby we are electe before the creatioÌ„ of the world There is also an other reason not vnlike vnto yt. For wheras the beginning of willing doyng wel is of faith it is to be seene whense saith it self cometh For asmuch as the whole Scripture crieth out that it is a free gift of God it foloweth that it is of the mere grace of God when we which are with al our minde naturally bent to euell beginne to will that which is good Therefore the lord when he nameth these two thinges in the coÌ„uersioÌ„ of his people to take away from them a stony heart and to geue theÌ„ a heart of flesh plainly testifieth that that which is of our selues must be done away that we may be conuerted to righteousnesse and that what so euer cometh in place therof is from himself And he vttereth not this in one place only For he sayth in Ieremie I wil geue them one heart one way that they maye feare me al their dayes And a litle after I will geue the feare of my name into their heart that they departe not froÌ„ me Agayne in Ezechiel I wil geue them one heart and I wil geue a newe spirite in their bowels I will take away the stony heart out of their flesh and I will geue them a heart of flesh He coulde not more euidently clayme to himselfe and take from vs what so euer is good and right in our will than when he declareth that our conuersion is a creation of a newe spirite and of a newe heart For it followeth alwaye that bothe out of our will proceedeth no goodnesse till it be reformed and that after reformation so muche as it is good is of God and not of vs. And so reade we the prayers of holy meÌ„ne made to that effecte as The Lorde incline our heart to him sayeth Salomon that we maye kepe his commaundementes He sheweth the frowardenesse of our heart whiche naturally reioyseth to rebell agaynste the lawe of God if it be not boowed And the same thyng is in the Psalme Lorde incline my heart to thy testimonies For the comparison of contrarietie is alwaye to be noted whyche is betwene the peruerse motion of the heart whereby it is carried to obstinatie and this correction whereby it is led to obedience When David feelyng him selfe for a tyme
by him it is not mente thereby that man as it were striuing agaynst it and resistyng is compelled to obeye as we compell bondeslaues agaynst their wil by reason of beyng their lordes to do our coÌ„maundementes but that beyng bewitched with the deceites of Satan it of necessitie yeldeth it selfe obedient to euery leadyng of him For whome the Lord vouchesaueth not to rule with his spirite them by iust iudgement he sendeth away to be moued of Satan Wherfore the Apostle sayth that the god of this world hath blinded the mindes of the vnbeleuers ordeyned to destruction that they should not see the light of the Gospell And in an other place That he worketh in the disobedient children The blindynge of the wicked and as the wicked deedes that followe thereupon are called the workes of Satan of whiche yet the cause is not to bee sought elswhere than in the will of man out of which ariseth the roote of euell wherin resteth the fundation of the kingdome of Satan whiche is Sinne. But farre other is the order of Gods doyng in such thinges And that the same may appere more certainly vnto vs let the hurt done to the holy man Iob by the Chaldees be an exaÌ„ple The Chaldees killed his herdemen and like enemies in warre droue awaye his cattle for booties Nowe is their wicked deede plainely seene and in that worke Satan is not idle from whome the Historie sayeth that all this dyd procede But Iob himself did acknowledge the worke of the lord in it whome he saith to haue take away from him those things that were taken away by the Chaldees How can we referre the selfe same work to God as authour to Sathan as authour and to maÌ„ as authour of it but that we must either excuse Sathan by the company of God or report God to be the authour of euill Uery easely if first we loke vpon the ende why it was done and then the manner how The purpose of the Lorde is by calamitie to exercise the patience of his seruant The deuil goeth about to driue him to despeir The Chaldees against right and lawe seke gaine of that whiche is an other mans Suche diuersitie in purposes maketh great difference in the worke And in the maner of doing there is no lesse diuersitie The Lord leaueth his seruant to Sathan to be afflicted and the Chaldees whome he did chose for ministers to execute it he did leaue and deliuer to him to be driuen to it Sathan with his venemous stinges pricked forward the myndes of the Chaldees whiche otherwyse were peruerse of them selues to do that mischief they furiously runne to do wrong and do bynde and defile all their membres with wicked doing Therfore it is properly said that Sathan doth worke in the reprobate in whome he exerciseth his kingdome that is to say the kingdome of wickednesse It is also sayd that God worketh in them after his maner because SathaÌ„ him selfe for as muche as he is the instrument of his wrath according to his bidding and commaundement turneth him self hether thither to execute his iust iudgementes I speake not here of Gods vniuersall mouing wherby as al creatures are susteined so from thence thei take their effectuall power of doing any thing I speake only of that special doing whiche appeareth in euery special act We see therfore that it is no absurditie that one selfe acte be ascribed to God to Satan and to man but the diuersitie in the ende and maner of doing causeth that therin appeareth the iustice of God to be without fault and also the wickednesse of Sathan and man bewrayeth it selfe to their reproche The olde wryters in this point also are somtime to precisely afraid simply to confesse the truthe because they feare least they should so open a wyndowe to wickednesse to speake irreuerently of the workes of God Whiche sobrietie as I embrace so I thinke it nothing daungerous if we simply holde what the Scripture teacheth Augustine hym selfe sometime was not free from that superstition as where he saith that hardening and blynding perteine not to the worke of God but to his foreknowledge But the phrases of scripture allowe not these subtilties whiche phrases do plainly shew that there is therin somwhat els of God besides his forknowledge And Augustine himselfe in his v. boke against Iulianus goeth earnestly about with a long processe to proue that sinnes are not only of the permissioÌ„ or sufferaâ—ce of God but also of his power that so former sinnes might be punished Lykewyse that whiche they being fourth concerning permission is to weake to stande It is oftentimes sayd that God blyndeth and hardeneth the reprobate that he turneth boweth moueth their heartes as I haue els where taught more at large But of what maner that is it is neuer expressed if we flee to free forknowledge or sufferance Therfore we answere that it is done after two maners For first where as when his light is taken away there remaineth nothing but darknesse and blyndnesse where as when his spirite is taken away our heartes ware hard and become stones where as when his direction cesseth they are wrasted into crokednesse it is well sayd that he doeth blinde harden bowe them from whome he taketh away the power to se obey and do rightly The second manner whiche commeth nere to the propertie of the wordes is that for the executing of his iudgementes by Sathan the minister of his wrath he bothe appointeth their purposes to what ende it pleaseth hym and stirreth vp their willes streÌ„gtheneth their endeuors So wheÌ„ Moses reherseth that king Sehon did not geue passage to the people because God had hardened his spirite and made his heart obstinate he by and by adioyneth the ende of his purpose that he might saith he geue him into our handes Therfore because it was Gods will to haue him destroied the making of his heart obstinate was Gods preparation to his destruction After the firste manner this seemeth to bee spoken He taketh away the lyppe from the speakers of truth and taketh away reason from the Elders He taketh the heart away from them that are set ouer the people hee maketh then to waÌ„der where no way is Again Lord why haste thou made vs mad and hardened oure hearte that wee shoulde not feare theeâ— Because they iudge rather of what sorte God maketh men by forsaking them than how he perfourmeth his worke in them But there are other testimonies that goe further as are these of the hardening of Pharao I wyll harden the heart of Pharao that he do not heare you and let the people go Afterward he saith that he hath made heauy and hardened his heart Did he harden it in not susteining it That is true in deede but he did somwhat more that he committed his heart to Sathan to be confirmed with obstinacie Where vpon he had before sayd I wyll holde his heart The people went out of Egypt
And in the same meaninge in an other place hee teacheth that grace is not of deseruynge butte deseruynge of grace And a lyttle after hee concludeth that God wyth hys gyftes goeth before all deseruynges that oute of the same hee maye gather hys owne deseruinges and doothe geue alltogether freelye bycause hee fyndeth nothynge wherevpon to saue Butte what neede is yt to make a longer regyster when suche sentences are often founde in hys wrytynges But the Apostle shall yet better deliuer them from thys erroure yf they heare from what begynnynge hee conueieth the glorie of the Saintes Whome he hathe chosen them he hathe called whome hee hathe called them hee hathe iustified whome hee hathe iustified them hee hathe gloryfyed Why then as witnesseth the Apostle are the faythefull crowned bycause by the Lordes mercye and not by theyr owne endeuoure they are boothe choosen and called and iustyfyed Awaye therefore wyth thys vayne feare that there shall noâ—e more bee anye deseruynges yf free wyll shall not stonde For yt ys mooste foolyshe to bee frayed awaye and to flee from that to whyche the Scrypture calleth vs. If saythe hee thou haste receyued all thynges why gloryest thou as yf thou haddest not receyued them Thou seest that for the same cause hee taketh all thynges from free wyll to leaue no place for deseruynges butte as the bountiefullnesse and lyberalytye of God ys manyfolde and impossible to bee spente oute those graces whyche hee bestoweth on vs bycause he maketh them oures hee rewardeth as yf they were oure owne vertues Moreouer they brynge fourthe that whyche maye seeme to bee taken oute of Chrysostome If thys bee not the power of oure wyll to choose good or euell then they that are partakers of the same nature muste eyther all be euell or all bee good And not farre from that ys he what soeuer hee was that wrote the booke Of the callyng of the Gentyles whyche ys carryed aboute vnder the name of Ambrose when hee maketh thys argumente that no manne should euer departe from the faythe vnlesse the grace of God dyd leaue vnto vs the state of mutabylyte wherein yt ys marueyle that so excellente menne fell besyde them selues For howe chaunseth yt came not in Chrysostomes mynde that yt ys Gods election that so maketh dyfference betweene menne As for vs wee feare not to graunte that whyche Paule wyth greate earnestnesse affyrmeth that all togyther are peruerse and geuen to wyckednesse butte wyth hym we adioyne thys that by Gods mercye yt commeth to passe that all abyde not in peruersenesse Therefore whereas naturally wee are all sycke of one desease they onely recouer healthe vpon whome yt hathe pleased God to laye hys healynge hande The reste whome by iuste iudgemente hee passeth ouer pyne awaye in theyr owne rottenesse tyll they bee consumed Neyther ys yt of any other cause that some contynewe to the ende and some fall in theyr course begonne For contynuaunce yt selfe ys the gyfte of God whyche hee geueth not to all indyfferently butte dealeth yt to whome yt pleaseth hym selfe If a manne aske for a cause of the dyfference why some contynewe constantly and some fayle by vnstedfastenesse wee knowe none other cause butte that God susteyneth the one sorte strengthened wyth hys power that they perysh not and doth not geue the same strengthe to the other sorte that they maye bee exaumples of inconstancie Further they presse vs sayinge that exhortations are vaynelye taken in hande that the vse of admonitions ys superfluous that yt ys a fonde thynge to rebuke yf yt bee not in the power of the synner to obey When the lyke thynges in tyme paste were obiected agaynste Augustyne hee was compelled to wryte the booke of Corruption and grace Where althoughe hee largely reipe them away yet hee bryngeth hys aduersaryes to thys summe O manne in the commaundemente learne what thou oughtest to dooe in correction learne that by thyne owne faulte thou haste yt not in prayer learne whense thou mayste receyue that whyche thou wolddeste haue Of the same argumente in a manner ys the booke of the Spyryte and Letter where hee teacheth that God measureth not the commaundementes of hys lawe by the strengthe of manne but when hee hathe commaunded that whiche ys ryghte hee freelye geueth to hys electe power to fullfyll yt And thys is no matter of longe dysputacion Fyrste wee are not onely in thys cause butte also Christe and all the Apostles Nowe let the other looke howe they wyll gette the maysterie in stryuynge that matche them selues wyth suche aduersaries Dothe Christe whyche testyfyeth that wee canne do nothynge wythoute hym any thynge the lesse rebuke and chastyce them that wythoute hym dyd euell Dothe hee lesse exhorte euery manne to applye hym selfe to good woorkes Howe seuerely dothe Paule inuey agaynste the Corynthians for neglectynge of charytye and yet he prayeth for charitie to bee geuen to the same menne from God Hee testifieth in the Epistle to the Romaines that it is neither of hym that wylleth nor of hym that runneth but of God that hathe mercye and yet hee cesseth not afterwarde to admonishe to exhorte and to rebuke Why do they not therefore speake to the Lorde that hee do not so lose hys laboure in requyrynge of menne those thynges whyche hee hymselfe alone canne geue and in punyshynge those thynges whyche are done for wante of hys grace Why do they not admonyshe Paule to spare them in whose power it is not to wyll or to runne butte in the mercie of God goynge before them whiche nowe hath forsaken them As if the Lorde had not a verye good reason of hys doctryne whyche offreth yt selfe redily to be founde of them that reuerently seeke yt but howe muche doctrine exhortation and rebukynge do woorke of themselues to the chaungynge of the mynde Paule declareth when he wryteth that neither he that planteth is any thynge nor hee that watereth but the Lorde that geueth the encrease onely effectually woorketh So wee see that Moses seuerely stabelysheth the commaundementes of the lawe and the Prophetes do sharpely call vpon them and threaten the transgressors whereas they yet confesse that menne do then onely waxe wyse when a hearte is geuen them to vnderstande that it is the propre woorke of God to circumcise the heartes and in steede of stony heartes to geue heartes of fleshe to writ his lawe in the bowells of menne fynally in renewynge of soules to make that hys doctryne may be effectuall Wherfore then serue exhortations For thys purpose if thei be dispysed of the wycked wyth an obstynate hearte they shall be for a witenesse vnto them when they shall come to the iudgemente seate of the Lorde yea and euen nowe alreadye they beate and strike their conscience for howesoeuer the moste frowarde manne laugheth them to scorne yet canne he not disproue them but thou wilte saie what may sylly miserable menne do yf the softenesse of heart whyche was necessarily
thy God and obserue and do all hys commaundementes whiche I commaunde thee thys daye then the Lorde thy God wyll set the on hye aboue all the nations of the earth And other lyke Thei do inconueniently as it wer in mockerie thinke that these benefites whiche the Lorde dothe offer in hys promises are assigned to oure owne wyll vnlesse it were in vs to stablyshe them or make them voyde And ryght easye yt is to amplifie thys matter wyth eloquent complaintes that the Lorde dothe cruelly mocke vs when he pronounceth that his fauoure hangeth vpon oure wyll yf the same wyll be not in oure power And that this liberalitie of God should bee a goodly thynge forsoothe yf hee so sette his benefytes before vs that wee haue no power to vse them and a merueylous assurednesse of his promyses whiche hange vpon a thinge impossyble so as they myghte neuer be fulfylled But of suche promises as haue a condition adioined we will speake in an other place so that it shall be plaine that there is no absurditie in the impossyble fullfyllynge of them And for so muche as concerneth this place I denye that God dothe vngently mocke vs. when he moueth vs to deserue hys benefytes whome hee knoweth to be vtterly vnable to do it For whereas the promyses are offered both to the faythefull and to the wycked they haue theyr vse wyth boothe sortes As God wyth hys commaundementes prycketh the consciens of the wycked that they shoulde not to swetely take pleasure in theyr synnes wythout any remembrance of hys iudgementes so in his promyses he dothe in a manner take them to wytnesse howe vnwoorthye they are of hys goodnesse For who canne denye that it is moste ryghtfull and conuenyente that the Lorde do good to them of whome he ys honored and punyshe the despysers of hys Maiestye accordinge to his seueritie Therefore God dothe well and ordrely when in his promyses hee adioyneth thys condytyon to the wicked that are bounde with the fetters of synne that they shall then onely enioye hys benefytes yf they departe from their wyckednesse or for thys purpose onelye that they maye vnderstande that they are woorthylye excluded from these thynges that are due to the true woorshyppers of God Againe bycause hee seeketh by all meanes to styrre vp the faythefull to call vpon hys grace yt shall not bee inconuenyente yf hee attempte the same thynge also by promysses whyche wee haue shewed that hee hathe donne to greate profyte wyth commaundementes towarde them Beynge enfourmed of the wyll of God by hys commaundementes we are put in minde of our miserie whiche do withal our heart so farre dissent frō the same we be therwithal pricked forward to call vpon his spirite whereby we may be directed into the ryght waye ◠But because our sluggishnesse is not sufficientlie sharpened with commaundementes there are added promises whiche with a certayne swetenesse may allure vs to the loue of them And that the more desyre that we haue of rightuousnesse we may bee the more seruent to seeke the fauour of God Loe howe in these requestes If you wyll If you shall heare the Lorde neyther geueth vs power to wyll nor to heare and yet mocketh vs not for our want of power The thyrd sort of their argumentes hath also great affinitie with the twoo fourmer For they bryng fourth the places wherein God reprocheth the vnthankefull people and sayeth that they them selues onlye were the cause that they receyued not of his tender loue all kyndes of good thynges Of whiche sorte are these places Amaleck and the Chananee are before you with whose swerde you shall fal because ye would not obeye the Lorde because I called and ye aunswered not I wyll doe to this house as I did to Silo. Agayne this nation hath not hearde the voyce of the Lorde their God nor hathe receyued discipline therfore it is cast away from the Lorde Agayne because ye haue hardened your hearte and would not obey the Lord all these euilles are happened vnto you Howe saye they could suche reproches be layde agaynst them whiche myght redely aunswere As for vs we loued prosperitie and feared aduersitie But where as for to obteyne the one and auoyde the other we obeyed not the Lorde nor hearkened to his voyce this was the cause therof for that it was not at our lybertie so to doe because we were subiect to the dominion of synne Uaynly therfore are these euylles layde to our charge which it was not in our power to auoyde But leuyng the pretense of necessitie wherein they haue but a weake and sickly defence I aske of them whether they can purge them selues of all fault For if they be founde gylty of any faulte then the Lorde doeth not without cause reproche them that it came to passe by their peruesnesse that they felt not the fruite of his clemencie Let them aunswere therfore whether they can denie that theyr frawarde wyll was the cause of theyr stubbournesse If they fynde the spryng head of the euyll within them selues why gape they to fynde out foreine causes that they myght seme not to haue bene authours of their owne destruction But if it be true that by their owne faulte and none others synners are bothe depriued of the benefites of God and chastised with punishementes then is there great reason why they should heare these reproches at the mouthe of God that if they goe obstinatly forwarde in their faultes they maye learne in their miseries rather to accuse and abhorre their owne wickednesse than to blame God of vniust crueltie that if they haue not cast of all wyllyngnesse to learne they may be wery of theyr synnes by the deseruynges whereof they see them selues miserable and vndone and maye retourne into the waye and acknowledge the same wyth earnest confession whyche the Lorde rehearseth in chydynge them ▪ For whyche purpose it appeareth by the solempne prayer of Daniel whyche is in the ninth Chapter that those chydinges of the Prophetes whiche are alledged did auayle with the Godlye Of the fyrst vse wee see an example in the Iewes to whome Hieremie is commaunded to declare the cause of their miseries wheras yet it shold not haue fallen otherwise than the Lorde had foresaide Thou shalte speake vnto them all these woordes and they shall not heare thee thou shalte call them and they shall not aunswere thee To what ende then did thei singe to deafe men that beinge euen lothe and vnwillynge yet thei sholde vnderstande that it was true that thei hearde that it were wicked sacrilege if thei shold lay vpon God the blame of their euels which rested in them selues By these fewe solutions thou maist easily deliuer thy selfe from the infinite heape of testimonies whiche for to erecte an image of free will the enemies of the grace of God are wont to gather together as well oute of the commaundementes as oute of the protestations againste the professors of the lawe
the inferioure manner of exercising whyche he vsed with the Israelites They that marke not this purpose of God doe not thynke that the olde people clymbed any hyer than to the good thynges promised to the bodye Thei so often heare the lande of Chanaan named as the excellent or rather only reward for the kepers of Gods lawe Thei heare that God threatneth nothing more seuerely to the transgressors of the same law than that they shal be dryuen out of the possession of the same lande and scattered abroad into strange regions Thei see that in a manner to this effect come all the blessinges curses that are pronounced by Moses Herby they do vndoubtedly determine that the Iewes not for their owne sakes but for others were seuered from other nations that is that the Churche of Christ might haue an image in whose outwarde forme shee might see exaumples of spirituall thinges But fith the Scripture dothe sometimes shew that God himselfe directed all the earthly benefites that hee did for them to this ende that so he might leade them by the hande to the hope of heauenly benefites It was to muche vnskilfulnesse I wyll not sate blockishnesse not to consider this ordre of disposition The issue or pointe of oure controuersie with this sorte of men is thys that they teache that the possession of the land of Chanaan was to the Israelites their chefe and last blessednesse and that to vs after the reuelinge of Christ it doth but figuratiuely signifie the heauenly inheritaunce On the other syde we affirme that thei dyd in the earthly possession whiche they enioyed as in a lokinge glasse beholde the inheritance to come whiche they beleued to be prepared for them in heauen That shall better appeare by the similitude that Paule vsed to the Galatians He compareth the nation of the Iewes to an hyer wythin age whiche being not yet able to gouerne hym selfe foloweth the guydinge of the tutor or schoolemaister to whose custodie hee is committed And whereas he applieth that similitude to the ceremonies that nothinge hindereth but that it may also very fittly serue to this purpose The same inheritance was apoynted for them that was apoynted for vs but suche as yet for want of age thei were not of capacitie to enter vpon and vse The same Churche was among them but whereof the age was yet but childyshe Therefore the Lorde kepte them vnder this schooling that hee gaue them not the spirituall promises so naked and openly but as it wer shadowed with earthly promises Therfore wher he called Abraham Isaac and Iacob and their posteritie vnto hope of immortalitie he promised them the lande of Chanaan to be their inheritance not to determine their hopes vpon it but that in beholdynge of it they shoulde exercise and confirme them selues in the hope of that true inheritance that did not yet appeare And that they myghte not be deceiued there was geuen them a hyer promyse to testifie that that lande was not the hyest benefite of God So Abraham was not suffred to fâ—ye slouthefull in the promyse receyued of the lande but hys minde was with a greater promise raised vp vnto that Lorde For Abraham hearde this saide vnto him I am thy protector and thy rewarde exceedinge greate Here we see that Abraham hathe the ende of his reward set fourth in the Lorde that he shoulde not accompte vpon a transitorie and slippery reward in the elementes of this worlde but rather thinke it to be suche as canne not wither away Afterwarde he adioyneth the promise of the lande to no other entent but that it sholde be a token of the good will of God a figure of the heauenly inheritance And that the holy men had this meaning their owne sayenges do declare So Dauid riseth vpwarde from temporall blessinges to that same highest and last blessing My hearte saith he and my fleshe fainte for desire of thee God is my portion for euer Againe The Lorde is the parte of my inheritance and of my cuppe thou art he that sauest mine heritage for me Againe I haue cryed vnto thee O Lorde I have saide Thou art my hope my portion in the lande of the liuing Truly thei that dare so speake do withoute doubt professe that with their hope thei climbe aboue the worlde and all the good thinges here presente But the Prophetes do ofte describe this blessednesse of the worlde to come vnder that figure that thei had receiued of the Lorde And so are these saienges to be vnderstanded That the Godly shal possesse the land by inheritance and the wycked shal be destroied out of it That Hierusalem shal aboud with all kinde of richesse and Syon ouerflowe with plentie of al thinges All whiche we see can not proprely be spoken of the lande of oure wayfaringe or the earthly Ierusalem but of the true contrey of the faithfull and that heauenly citie wherein the Lorde hathe commaunded blessinge and life for euer This is the reason why it is reade that the holy men in time of the olde testament did esteme the mortal life and the blessinges therof more than is nowe meete to do For although thei knewe wel that thei shold not rest in it as in the ende of their race yet when thei called to mynde what markes of his grace the lord had pointed therin to exercise them according to the small rate of their tendernesse thei felte a greater swetnesse of it than if they had considered it by it selfe But as the Lorde in testifyinge his good will toward the faithful by present good thinges did as in shadowe expresse the spirituall felicitie by suche figures and signes so on the other side he did in corporal paines shewe exaumples of hys iudgement againste the reprobate Therefore as the benefytes of God wer to be seen in earthly thinges so wer also his punishmeÌ„tes Whyle the vnskilfull do not weye thys comparison or agreement as I may call it betweene the punishmentes and the rewardes thei marueâ—l at so muche alteration in God that in olde time was so sodeinely ready to take vengeance on euery offence of man with sterue and horrible punishmentes and nowe as if he had layed awaye the affection of his old angrienesse he punisheth bothe muche more gentlie and seldomer yea and for the same cause they doe almoste imagine severall gods of the olde and newe testament whiche the Manichees did in deede Butte we shal easily be delivered from suche doubtes if we laye our mindes to consider this ordrely disposition of God that I haue spoken of whose will was for the tyme to signifie and set forthe in figure both the grace of the eternal felicitie to come by temporall benefites and the greuousnesse of the spirituall deathe by corporall peines Whereby hee deliuered hys Testament to the Israelites as yet after a certaine manner folded vp An other difference of the olde and newe Testament is sayde to bee in the fygures for that
of peyne he had ben only a redemer for bodies But it behoued that he should wrastle to rayse vp them that laye throwen downe And his heauenly glorie is so nothyng appeired thereby that euen herein gloriously shineth his goodnesse whyche is neuer sufficiently praysed that he refused not to take our weakenesses vpon him From whense is also that comforte of oure anguishes and sorrowes whiche the Apostle setteth before vs that this Mediatour dyd feele our infirmities that he might bee the more earnestly bente to succour vs in miserie They saye that that thynge whiche is euell of it selfe is vnworthily ascribed to Christ. As though they were wiser than the spirit of God whiche ioyneth these two thinges together that Christe was in all thynges tempted as we are and yet that he was without sinne Therfore there is no cause that the weakenesse of Christ should make vs afrayde whereunto he was not by violence or necessitie cōpelled but by mere loue of vs and by mercie was led to submit himselfe And what so euer he of his owne will suffred for vs diminisheth nothyng of his power But in this one poynte are these backebiters deceyued that they do not perceyue in Christ an infirmitie cleane and free from all faulte and spot bycause he kepte himselfe within the boundes of obedience For whereas there can be founde no moderation in our corrput nature where al our affections do with troublesome violence excede all measure they doe wronge to measure the forme of God by that standard But when man was in his vncorrupted state then there was a moderation hauyng force in all his affections to restrayne excesse Wherby he might well be that he was like vnto vs in sorrowe dread and fearefulnesse yet that by this marke he differed from vs. Beyng so confuted thei leape to an other cauillation that though Christ feared death yet he feared not the curse and wrath of God frō which he knew himself to be safe But let the godly readers weye how honorable this is for Christ that he was more tēder and more fearefull than the most part of the very rascall sort of men Theues other euell doers do obstinately hast to death many do with haute courage despise it some other do midly suffer it But what constācie or stoute courage were it for the sonne of God to be astonished in a maner striken dead with feare of it For euen that whiche among the common sort might be accompted miraculous is reported of him that for vehemencie of griefe very droppes of bloud did fal from his face Neither did he this to make a shew to the eyes of other but whē in a secret corner whether he was gone out of companie he groned vnto his father And this putteth it out of all dout the it was needeful that he should haue Angels to come downe frō heauen to relieue him with an vnwonted maner of cōforting How shameful a tēdernesse as I sayd should this haue ben to be so far tormented for feare of cōmon death as to melt in bloudy sweate and not to be able to be comforted but by sight of Angels What doth not that prayer thryse repeted Father if it be possible let this cuppe departe from me proceding frō an incredible bitternesse of heart shewe that Christ had a more cruell and harder battell than with common death Whereby appereth that those triflers agaynst whome I nowe dispute doe boldly babble vpon thynges that they knowe not bicause they neuer earnestly considered what it is or of howe great importance it is that we be redemed from the iudgement of God But this is our wisedome well to vnderstand how deere our saluation dyd cost the sonne of God Now yf a man should aske me if Christ went then downe to hell when he prayed to escape that death I answere that then was the beginnyng of it whereby may be gathered how greuous and terrible tormentes he suffred whē he knew himself to stand to be arrayned for our cause before the iudgement seate of God But although for a moment of time the diuine power of the spirit did hide it selfe to geue place to the weakenesse of the fleshe yet muste we know that the tentation by felyng of sorrowe and feare was suche as was not agaynst fayth And so was that fulfilled whiche is in the Sermon of Peter that he could not be holden of the sorrowes of death bycause when he felt himselfe as it were forsaken of God yet he did nothyng at all swarue from the trust of his goodnesse Whiche is proued by that his notable callyng vpon God when for extremitie of peyne he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me For though he was aboue measure greued yet he cesseth not to call him his God of whome he cryeth out that he was forsaken Moreouer hereby is confuted as well the errour of Apollinaris as theirs that were called Monothelites Apollinaris fayned that Christ had an eternall spirit in stede of a soule so that he was only but half a mā As though he could cleanse our sinnes any other way but by obeyeng his father But where is the affectiō or will of obedience but in the soule whiche soule of his we knowe was troubled for this purpose to driue awaye feare and bryng peace and quietnesse to our soule Agayne for confusion of the Monothelites we see how nowe he willed not that thinge accordyng to his nature of manhode whiche he willed according to his nature of godhed I omit to speake howe he did subdue the aforesayd feare with a contrarie affection For herein is a playne shewe of contrarietie Father deliuer me from this houre But euen herefore I came euen into this houre Father glorifie my name In whiche perplexitie yet was there no such outrage in him as is seen in vs euen then when we must of al endeuour to subdue our selues Nowe foloweth his resurrection from the dead without which al that we haue hetherto were but vnperfect For sithe there appereth in the crosse death buriall of Christ nothyng but weakenesse faith must passe beyond all those thinges that it maye be furnished with ful strength Therfore although we haue in his death a full accomplishment of saluation bicause by it bothe we are reconciled to God and his iust iudgement is satisfied and the curse taken awaye and the penaltie fully payed yet we are sayd to be regenerate into a liuing hope not by his death but by his risyng agayne For as he in risyng againe rose vp the vanquisher of death so the victorie of our fayth consisteth in the very resurrection but howe this is is better expressed in the wordes of Paule For he sayth that Christ died for our sinnes and was raysed vp agayne for our iustification as if he should haue sayd that by his death sinne was taken awaye and by his risyng agayne righteousnesse was renewed and restored For how
God Let therfore appere in our head the very fountayne of grace froÌ„ whome according to the mesure of euery one it floweth abrode into all his members By that grace euery one from the beginnynge of his fayth is made a Christian. by whiche that same man from his beginnyng was made Christ. Agayne in an other place there is no playner example of predestination than the Mediatour himselfe For he that made of the seede of Dauid a man righteous that neuer should be vnrighteous without any deseruynge of his will goynge before euen the same he dothe of vnrighteous make them righteous that are the membres of that hed and so forth as there foloweth Therefore when we speake of Christes deseruyng we doe not say that in him is the beginnyng of deseruyng but we clymbe vp to the ordinance of God whiche is the firste cause thereof bycause God of his owne mere good will apointed him Mediatour to purchace saluation for vs. And so is the deseruyng of Christ vnfitly set agaynst the mercie of God For it is a common rule that thinges orderly one vnder an other doe not disagree And therefore it maye well stande together that mans iustification is free by the mere mercie of God and that there also the deseruyng of Christ come betwene which is conteyned vnder the mercie of God But agaynst our workes are aptly set as directly contrarie both the free fauour of God and the obedience of Christ either of them in their degree For Christ could not deserue any thyng but by the good pleasure of God and but bycause he was apointed to this purpose with his sacrifice to appease the wrath of God and with his obedience to put away our offences Finally in a summe bicause the deseruynge of Christ hangeth vpon the only grace of God whiche apointed vs this meane of saluatioÌ„ therfore as well the same deseruing as that grace is fitly set against all the workes of men This distinction is gathered out of many places of the Scripture God so loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that who so euer beleueth him shall not perish We see how the loue of God holdeth the first place as the soueraigne cause or original theÌ„ foloweth fayth in Christ as the second or nerer cause If any man take exception and saye that Christ is but the formal cause he doth more diminish his power than the wordes may beare For yf we obteine righteousnesse by fayth that resteth vpon him then is the matter of our saluation to be sought in him whiche is in many places playnely proued Not that we first loued him but he firste loued vs and sente his sonne to be the appeasyng for our sinnes In these wordes is clerely shewed that God to the ende that nothing should withstand his loue toward vs apointed vs a meane to be reconciled in Christ. And this worde Appeasyng is of great weight bycause God after a certayne vnspeakeable manner euen the same time that he loued vs was also angry with vs vntil he was reconciled in Christ. And to this purpose serue all those sayenges He is the satisfactioÌ„ for our sinnes Againe It pleased God by hym to reconcile all thinges to hymself appeasyng himselfe through the bloud of the crosse by him c. Agayne God was in Christ reconcilyng the worlde to himselfe not impuâ—yng to men their sinnes Agayne He accepted vs in his beloued sonne Agayne That he might reconcile theÌ„ bothe to God into one man by the crouÌ„e The reason of this mysterie is to be fetched out of the first chapter to the Ephesians where Paule after that he had taught that we were chosen in Christ addeth therwithal that we haue obteined fauour in him How did God beginne to embrace with his fauour them whoÌ„ he loued before the making of the world but bicause he vttered his loue when he was reconciled by the bloud of Christ For sithe God is the fountaine of al righteousnesse it must needes be that maÌ„ so long as he is a sinner haue God his enemie his iudge Wherfore the beginning of his loue is righteousnesse such as is described by Paule He made him that had done no sinne to be sinne for vs that we might be the righteousnesse of God in him For he meaneth that we haue obteyned free righteousnesse by the sacrifice of Christ that we should please God which by nature are the children of wrath by sinne estranged from him But this distinction is also meante so oft as the grace of Christ is ioyned to the loue of God WherupoÌ„ foloweth that he geueth vs of his owne that which he hath purchaced For otherwise it would not agree with him that this prayse is geuen him seuerally from his father that it is his grace and procedeth from him But it is truely and perfectly gathered by many places of the Scripture that Christ by his obedience hath purchaced vs fauour with his father For this I take for a thyng confessed that if Christ hath satisfied for our sinnes if he hath suffred the punishmeÌ„t due vnto vs if by his obedieÌ„ce he hath appeased God finally if he beyng righteous hath suffred for the vnrighteous then is saluation purchaced for vs by his righteousnesse whiche is as much in effecte as to deserue it But as Paule witnesseth we are reconciled and haue receiued reconciliation by his death But recoÌ„ciliation hath no place but where there went offence before Therefore the meanyng is that God to whome we were hateful be reasoÌ„ of sinne is by the death of his sonne appeased so that he might be fauorable vnto vs. And the comparison of contraries that foloweth a litle after is diligently to be noted As by the traÌ„sgression of one man many were made sinners so also by the obedieÌ„ce of one many are made righteous For the meaning is thus As by the sinne of AdaÌ„ we were enstranged from God ordeined to destruction so by the obedience of Christ we are receiued into fauour as rigteous And the future time of the verbe doth not exclude present righteousnesse as appereth by the processe of the texte For he had sayd before that the free gift was of many sinnes vnto iustification But when we saye that grace is purchaced vs by the deseruyng of Christ we meane this that we are cleansed by his bloud and that his death was a satisfactioÌ„ for our sinnes His bloud cleaÌ„seth vs froÌ„ sinne This bloud is it that is shed for remission of sinne If this be the effect of his bloud shed that sinnes be not imputed vnto vs it foloweth that with that price the iudgemeÌ„t of God is satisfied To which purpose serueth that sayeng of Iohn the Baptist Beholde the lambe of God that taketh awaye the sinne of the worlde For he setteth in comparison Christ agaynst all the sacrifices of the law to teache that in him only was fulfilled that whiche those figures shewed
for whereas this is the extremest matter of despeire to the holy ones to â—ele according to the coÌ„sideracion of present thinges the hande of God bent to their destructioÌ„ yet Iob affirmeth that his hope shall procede so far â–ª that though God do kill him yet he wil not therfore cesse to trust in him This is the truthe therefore Vnbelefe reigneth not within the heartes of the godly but outwardly assayleth them neither doth she deadly wound them with her wepons but only troubleth them or so hurteth them that yet the wound is curable for fayth as Paule teacheth serueth vs for a sheld that beyng holden vp agaynst weapoÌ„s doth so receiue the force of them that it either vtterly driueth them backe or at least so breaketh their violeÌ„ce that thei can not pearce them to danger of life Therefore when fayth is shaken it is like as if a stroÌ„g souldior with the violent stroke of a darte be compelled to remoue his foote and geue ground a litle and when faith it self is wounded that is like as if his buckler by some stroke be in some part brokeÌ„ but yet so that it is not strikeÌ„ through For alway the godly minde will atteine to rise thus hie as to say with Dauid If I walke in the middest of the shadow of death I wil feare none euel bicause thou art with me It is in deede terrible to walke in the darknesse of death it can not be but that the faithfull how much strength soeuer they haue must be afrayde of it Yet bicause this thought surmounteth it that they haue God present with them and prouidynge for their safetie that feare is ouercome with assurednesse For as Augustine sayth how great engines so euer the deuell raiseth vp against vs so loÌ„g as he possesseth not the place of the heart where faith dwelleth he is cast out of the dores And so if we may iudge by the successe the faithfull not only escape safe from euery battel so that by and by receyuyng fresh courage they are redy to come againe into the field but also that is fulfilled whiche Iohn sayth in his canonical Epistle This is the victorie that ouercometh the world eueÌ„ your faith For he affirmeth that it shal not only winne the victorie in one or fewe battels or against some one assault but also that it shal get the ouerhande of the whole world although it be a thousand times assayled There is an other kinde of feare tremblyng but such a one as by it the assurednesse of faith is so nothing at all diminished the thereby it is the more soundely stablished That is when the faithfull either in thinking that the exaÌ„ples of Gods vengeance against the wicked are shewed for lessons for theÌ„ to learne by do carefully beware that they happen not to prouoke gods wrath against theÌ„selues with the same offenses or recording with theÌ„selues their owne miserie do learne to hang altogether vpon the Lord without whoÌ„ thei see theÌ„selues to be more fickle soner vanishing than any blast of winde For when the Apostle in setting forth the scourges wherwith the Lord in old time had punished yâ— people of Israel putteth the Corinthians in feare that they entaÌ„gle not theÌ„selues with like euels he doth not therby abate their affiaÌ„ce â–ª but only shaketh away the dulnesse of the flesh by whiche faith is wont more to be oppressed thaÌ„ streÌ„gthened And wheÌ„ he taketh occasioÌ„ of that Iewes fal to exhort him the standeth to take heede that he fal not he doth not therby bidde vs to wauer as though we were not fully assured of our stedfastnesse but only he taketh away arrogaÌ„t presumptioÌ„ rash trusting to much in our owne streÌ„gth that after the thrusting out of the Iewes the Gentiles being receyued into their place shuld not to much outragiously triumph agaynst them Albeit he speaketh there not only to the faithfull but also in the same sayeng comprehendeth the Hypocrites that gloried only in outward shewe For neyther doth he admonish euery man particularly but makyng a coÌ„parison betwene the Iewes and the Gentiles after that he had shewed that the Iewes in this that they were reiected did suffer iuste punishment for their vnbelefe and vnthankfulnesse he also exhorted the Gentiles that they should not by beyng prowde and extollyng themselues lose the grace of adoption lately conueyed vnto them But as in that generall reiectyng of the Iewes there remained yet some that were not fallen from the couenant of adoptioÌ„ so out of the Gentiles there might arise some which without true faith should be puffed vp only with foolish confidence of the flesh and so abuse Gods louyng kindnesse to their owne destruction But although you take this as spoken to the elect faithfull yet thereupon shall follow no inconuenience For it is one thyng to holde downe the rash presumption whiche out of the remnantes of the fleshe crepeth sometime euen into the holy ones that with vayne confidence it waxe not outragiously wanton and an other thyng to strike the conscience with feare that it rest not with full assurednesse in the mercie of God Then when he teacheth that with feare and trembling we should worke our owne saluacioÌ„ he requireth nothing els but that we shuld accustome vs with much abacyng of our selues reuerently to loke vp vnto the mightinesse of God For truely nothyng doth so much awake vs to cast all our confidence and assurance of mynde vpon the Lorde as doth the distrust of our selues and carefulnesse coÌ„ceyued by knowledge in conscience of our owne wretchednesse And accordyng to this meanyng is that sayeng in the Prophet to be takeÌ„ In the multitude of thy goodnesse I will entre into thy temple I will worship in feare Where he comely conioyneth the boldnesse of fayth that leaneth vpon Gods mercie with a reuerent feare whiche we muste needes fele so oft as coÌ„myng into the sight of Gods maiestie we perceyue by the glorious bryghtnesse thereof howe greate is our owne filthinesse And Salomon sayth truely where he pronounceth the man blessed that continually maketh his owne heart afrayde for by hardening thereof men fall hedlong into euell But such feare he meaneth as maye make vs more heedefull not such wherby we shuld be troubled and vtterly fall euen such a feare as when the minde confounded in it self dothe recouer it selfe agayne in God when despeiryng it self it reuiueth by trust in him Therefore there is no cause to the contrarie but that the faythfull maye at one time bothe be in feare and also enioye moste assured comfort in respect that somtime they turne their eyes to behold their owne vanitie and somtime they cast the thought of their minde vpon the truthe of God But how will some man saye shal feare and fayth dwell bothe in one minde euen thus as contrarily vnsensible dulnesse and carefulnesse For wheras the wicked trauaile to procure to themselues a want of
in shame no horrour in death what valiaÌ„tnesse or temperance were it to beare them indifferently But when euery one of these doth with the natural bitternesse therof bitte the heartes of vs all herein doth the valiantnesse of a faythfull man shewe it self if beyng assayed with the felyng of such bitternesse how greuously so euer he be troubled with it yet with valiantly resistyng he ouercommeth it his patience vttereth it selfe herein yf beyng sharply prouoked he is yet so bridled with the feare of God that he bursteth not out into any disteÌ„per His cherefulnesse appereth herein yf beyng wounded with sadnesse and sorrowe he resteth vpon the spirituall comfort of God This conflict whiche the faithfull do susteyne agaynst the natural felyng of sorrow while they studie for patience and temperance Paul hath very wel described in these wordes We are put to distresse in al thinges but we are not made sorrowfull we labour but we are not lefte destitute we suffer persecution but we are not forsaken in it we are throweÌ„ downe but we perish not You see how to beare the crosse patiently is not to be altogether astonished and without al felyng of sorrow As the Stoikes in olde time did foolishly describe a valiant hearted man to be such a one as puttyng of all nature of man was a like moued in prosperitie and in aduersitie in sorrowfull and ioyefull state yea suche a one as like a stone was moâ—ed with nothyng And what haue they profited with this hye wisedome Forsothe they haue painted out such an image of wisedome as neuer was found and neuer can herafter be among meÌ„ But rather while they coueted to haue to exact and precise a patience they haue taken awaye all the vse of patience out of mans life And at this day also amoÌ„g Christians there are newe Stoikes that recken it a fault not only to grone and wâ—pe but also to be sad and carefull But these strange conclusions do commonly procede from idle men whiche busieng themselues rather in speculation than doyng can do nothyng but brede vs such new found doctrines But we haue nothyng to do with that stony Philosophie whiche our maister and Lord hath condemned not only by his worde but also by his example For he mourned and wept both at his owne and other mens aduersities The worlde sayth he shall reioyse but you shall mourne and wepe And bicause no man should finde faulte therewith by his open proclamation he hath pronounced them blessed that mourne And no maruell For if all wepyng be blamed what shal we iudge of the Lord himself out of whose body dropped blouddy teares If euery feare be noted of infidelitie what shall we iudge of that quakyng feare wherewith we reade that he was not sclenderly striken If all sadnesse be mislyked how shal we like this that he confesseth his soule to be sad euen to the death This I thought good to speake to this ende to cal godly mindes from despear that they should not therfore altogether forsake the studie of patience bycause they can not put of the naturall affection of sorrow whiche must needes happen to them that make of patience a senslesse dulnesse and of a valiant and constant man a stocke For the Scripture geueth to the holy ones the prayse of patience when they are so troubled with hardnesse of aduersities that yet thei be not ouercome nor throweÌ„ downe with it when they be so pricked with bitternesse that they be also delited with spirituall ioye when they be so distressed with grefe that yet they receyue courage againe beyng cheared with the comfort of God Yet in the meane time that repugnancie abideth still in their heartes that naturall sense eschueth and dredeth those thinges that it knoweth to be against it but the affection of godlinesse trauaileth euen through all those difficulties to the obeyeng of Gods will This repugnancie the Lord expressed when he sayd thus to Peter WheÌ„ thou waste yong thou didst gird thy self didst walke whether thou woldest But when thou art old an other shall gyrde thee and leade thee whither thou shalt not be willyng Neyther is it likely that Peter when the time came that he must glorifie God by his death was drawen vnwillyngly and resistyng vnto it Els his martyrdome should haue but small prayse But howe so euer he did with great cherefulnesse of heart obeye the ordinance of God yet bicause he had not put of the nature of manne he was doubly strayned with two sortes of willes For when he dyd by himselfe coÌ„sider the bloudly death that he should suffer beyng stryken with horrour thereof he would gladly haue escaped it On the other side when it came in his minde that he was called vnto it by the commauÌ„dement of God then conqueryng and treadyng downe feare he gladly yea and cherefully toke it upon him This therefore we must endeuour yf we will be the Disciples of Christ that our mindes be inwardly filled with so great a reuerence and obedience to God as may tame and subdue to his ordinance all contrarie affections So shall it come to passe that with whatsoeuer kinde of crosse we be vexed eueÌ„ in the greatest anguishes of minde we shall constantly kepe patience For aduersities shal haue their sharpnesse wherwith we shal be bitten so when we are afflicted with sicknesse we shal bothe grone and be disquieted desire health so beyng pressed with pouertie we shal be pricked with the sâ—inges of carefulnesse and sorrowe so shall we be striken with grefe of shame contempt and iniurie so shall we yelde due teares to nature at the burial of our frendes but this alway shal be the conclusion But the lord willed so therefore let vs folow his will Yea euen in the middest of the prickynges of sorrow in the middest of mourning and teares this thought must needes come betwene to incline our heart to take cherefully the very same thinges by reason whereof it is so moued But for asmuche as we haue taken the chefe cause of bearyng the crosse out of the coÌ„sideratioÌ„ of the wil of God we must in few wordes define what difference is betwene Phylosophical Christian patieÌ„ce Truely very fewe of the Phylosophers climbed to so hie a reason to vnderstand that the hand of God doth exercise vs by afflictions and to thinke that God is in this behalf to be obeyed But they bryng no other reason but bicause we must so doe of necessitie What is this els but to say that thou must yeld vnto God bicause thou shalt trauail in vaine to wrastle against him For if we obey God only bicause we so must of necessitie then if we might escape we would cesse to obey But the Scripture biddeth vs to consider a far other thing in the wil of God that is to say first iustice and equitie then the care of our saluatioÌ„ These therfore be the Christian exhortations to patience whether pouertie or banishmeÌ„t or
though it were of no more force that whatsoeuer is done without faith is sinne as though there may be good frutes of an euell tree But what haue these moste pestilent Sophisters left to Christ wherein he may shewe forth his power They saye that he hath deserued for vs the first grace namely the occasion of deseruyng that it is nowe our part not to faile the occasion offred O desperate shamelesnesse of vngodlinesse Whoe would haue thought that men professing the name of Christ durst so strippe him naked of his power in a manner treade him vnder foote This testimonie is eche where spoken of him that all they are iustified that beleue in him these felowes teache that there coÌ„meth from him no other benefit but this that the way is opened to euery man to iustifie himselfe But I would to God they tasted what these sayenges meane that all they haue life that haue the Sonne of God that whosoeuer beleueth is already passed from death into life that we are iustified by his grace that we might be made heires of eternal life that the faithful haue Christ abidyng in them by whome they cleaue fast to God that they whiche are partakers of his life do sit with him in heaueÌ„ly places that they are transplanted into the kingdome of God haue obteined saluatioÌ„ innumerable other such For they do not declare that there coÌ„meth by the fayth of Christ nothing but the power to obteine righteousnesse or saluatioÌ„ but that they are bothe geuen to vs. Therfore so sone as thou art by fayth engraffed into Christ thou art already made the sonne of God the heire of heauÌ„e partaker of righteousnesse possessor of life and that their lies may be better coÌ„futed thou hast not obteyned the fit abilitie to deserue but euen all the deseruinges of Christ for they are coÌ„municated to thee So the Sorbonical schooles the mothers of al errors haue takeÌ„ froÌ„ vs the iustificatioÌ„ of faith which is the suÌ„me of al godlinesse They grauÌ„t verily in word that maÌ„ is iustified by formed faith but this they afterward expound bicause good workes haue of faith this that they auayle to righteousnesse that thei seme in a manner to name faith in mockage sithe wtout great enuiousnesse it could not be passed ouer in silence seyng it is so oft repeted of the Scripture And not yet coÌ„teÌ„ted they do in the prayse of good workes priuilie steale froÌ„ God somwhat to geue away to maÌ„ Bicause thei see that good workes litle auaile to aduauÌ„ce maÌ„ that they can not be properly called Merites if they be accompted the frutes of the grace of God they picke them out of the strength of free will oyle forsothe out of a stone And they denye not in deede that the principal cause of theÌ„ is in grace but they affirme that thereby is not excluded free will by whiche is all merit And this not only the later Sopisters do teach but also their Pythagoras LoÌ„bard whom if you coÌ„pare with these men you may say to be sound witted and sobre It was truely a point of maruelous blindenesse that wheÌ„ they had Augustine so oft in their mouth thei saw not with how great carefulnesse that maÌ„ prouided that no pece of the glorie of good workes were it neuer so litle shold be coÌ„ueyed to men Here before whe we entreated of free will we recited certaine testimonies of his to his purspose of whiche sort there are often times found many like in his writinges as wheÌ„ he forbiddeth vs that we should no where boste of our merites bicause eueÌ„ thei also are the giftes of God And when he writeth that all our merit is only of grace that it is not gotten by our sufficience but is al made by grace c. It is no maruell that Lombard was blinde at the light of the Scripture in which it appereth that he was not so wel practised Yet nothing could be desired more plaine against him his disciples than this word of the Apostle For wheÌ„ he forbiddeth ChristiaÌ„s al glorieng he adioyneth a reason why it is not lawfull to glorie bicause we are the handyworke of God created to al good workes that we should walk in theÌ„ Sithe therfore there coÌ„meth out of vs no good thing but in so much as we be regenerate our regeneratioÌ„ is whole of God without exceptioÌ„ there is no right why we shold claime to our selues one ounce in good workes Finally whereas they coÌ„tinually call vpoÌ„ good workes in the meane time they so instruct coÌ„sciences that they neuer dare haue affiaÌ„ce that they haue God wel pleased fauorable to their workes But coÌ„trarywise we without makyng any meÌ„tion of Merit do yet by our doctrine raise vp the courages of the faithful with singular coÌ„fort wheÌ„ we teach them that in their workes they please God are vndoutedly accepted vnto him Yea also here we require that no maÌ„ atteÌ„pt or goe about any worke without faith that is to say vnlesse he do first with assured confidence of minde determine that he shall please God Wherfore let vs not suffer our selues to be led so much as one heare bredth away froÌ„ this only fundatioÌ„ which beyng layed wise bulders do afterward wel orderly bulde vpon it For if there be neede of doctrine exhortatioÌ„ thei put men in minde that the Sonne of God hath appered to this end that he may destroy the workes of the deuel that they should not sinne which are of God that the time past is enough for the fulfilling of the desires of the Gentiles that the elect of God are velleis of mercie chosen out vnto honour whiche ought to be made cleane from al filthinesse But al is spoken at ones when it is shewed that Christ wil haue such disciples which forsaking themselues taking vp their crosse do follow him He that hath forsakeÌ„ himself hath cut of the roote of al euels that he maye no more seke those thinges yâ— are his owne He that hath taken vp his crosse hath framed himself to all patience mildenesse But the example of Christ conieâ—neth both these and al other duties of godlinesse holinesse He shewed himself obedieÌ„t to his father euen to the death he was wholly occupied in doyng the workes of God he with his whole heart breathed out the glorie of his father he gaue his soule for his brethren he bothe did good wished good to his enemies If there be neede of coÌ„fort these wil bryng maruelous comfort that we be in affliction but we are not made careful that we labour but we are not forsaken we are brought lowe but we are not coÌ„founded we are throweÌ„ downe but we do not perish alway bearing about with vs in our body the mortifieng of Iesus Christ that the life of Iesus may be manifestly shewed in vs that if we be dead with him we shall also liue together with him if
pledge and earneste of our adoption but also he geueth vs the Spirite for witnesse of the same adoption through whom we may with a free and lowde voyce crie Abba Father So ofte therfore as any delay shal withâ—arde vs let vs remembre to aske of hym that correctyng our fearefulnesse he will sette before vs that Spirite of coragiousnesse to be our guide to pray boldly Whereas we are not so taught that euery one shoulde seuerally call hym his owne father but rather that we should all in common together call hym Our Father therby we are put in mynde howe great affection of brotherly loue ought to be among vs whiche are altogether by one same right of mercy and liberalitie the children of suche a Father For we all haue one common Father from whom cometh whatsoeuer good thyng may betide vnto vs there ought to be nothyng seuerall among vs whiche we are not ready with great cherefulnesse of mynde to communicate one to an other so muche as nede requireth Now if we be so desirous as we oughte to be to reache our hande and helpe one to an other there is nothyng wherin we may more profite our brethren than to commende them to the care and prouidence of the most good Father who beyng well pleased fauoring nothing at al can be waÌ„ted And verily euen this same we owe to our Father For as he that truely hartily loueth any Father of household doth also embrace his whole housholde with loue and good will likewise what loue affection we beare to this heauenly Father we must shewe towarde his people his householde and his inheritance which he hath so honored that he hath called it the fullnesse of his only begotten Sonne Let a christian man therfore frame his prayers by this rule that they be common and may comprehend all them that be brethren in Christe with hym and not onely those whom he presently seeth and knoweth to be suche but al men that lyue vpon earth of whom what God hath determined it is out of our knowlege sauyng that it is no lesse godly then naturall to wish the best to them and hope the beste of them Howbeit we ought with a certayne singular affection to beare a special inclination to them of the household of faith whom the Apostle hath in euery thing peculiarly commended vnto vs. In a suÌ„me Al our praiers ought to be so made that they haue respect to that communitie which our Lord hath stablished in his kyngdome and his house Yet this withstandeth not but that we may specially pray both for our selues and for certaine other so that yet our mynde depart not from hauyng an eye to this communitie nor ones swarue from it but applie all thynges vnto it For though they be singularly spoken in forme yet because they are directed to that marke they cesse not to be common All this may be easily vnderstoode by a like example The commaundemeÌ„t of God is generall to relieue the nede of all poore and yet they obey this commaundement which to this ende do helpe their pouertie whom they knowe or see to be in nede although they passe ouer many whome they see to be pressed with no lesse necessitie either because they can not know all or be not able to helpe all After this maner they also doo not against the will of God which hauyng regard vnto and thinkyng vppon this common felowship of the Chirche doo make suche particular prayers by whiche they doo with a common mynde in particular wordes commende to God themselves or other whoe 's necessitie God willed to be more nereiy knowen to them Howbeit all thyngs are not like in praier and in bestowyng of goodes For the liberalitie of geuing can not be vsed but toward them whoe 's nede we haue perceyued but with prayers we may helpe euen them that are most strange and moste vnknowen to vs by howe greate a space of ground soeuer they be distant from vs. This is done by that generall forme of praier wherin all the children of God are conteined among whom they also are Hereto we may applie that which Paule exhorteth the faithfull of his tyme that they lift vp euery where pure handes without stryfe because when he warneth them yâ— strife shutteth the gate against praiers he willeth them with one mynde to lay their petitions in common together It is added that he is in heauen Wherupon it is not by and by to be gathered that he is bounde faste enclosed and compassed with the circle of heauen as within certayne barres For Salomon also confesseth that the heauens of heauens can not conteyne hym And he hymselfe faith by the Prophet that heauen is his seate and the earthe his footestoole Wherby verily he signifieth that he is not limited in any certaine coaste but is spread abroade throughout all thynges But because our mynde suche is the grossenesse of it coulde not otherwyse conceiue his vnspeakable glorie it is signified to vs by the heauen than which there can nothing come vnder our sight more ample or fuller of maiesty Sith therfore wheresoeuer our senses comprehende any thyng there they vse to fasten it God is sett out of all place that when we will seke hym we should be raised vp aboue all sense bothe of body and soule Agayne by this maner of speakyng he is lifted vp aboue all chaunce of corruption and change finally it is signified that he comprehendeth and coÌ„temeth the whole worlde and gouerneth it with his power Wherfore this is al one as if he had ben called of infinite greatnesse or height of incomprehensible substance of vnmeasurable power of euerlastyng immortalitie But while we haue this we must lift vp our mynde hier when God is spoken of that we dreame not any earthly or fleshly thyng of hym that we measure hym not by our small proportions nor drawe his will to the rule of our affections And therwithall is to be raysed vp our affiance in him by whose prouidence and power we vnderstande heauen and earth to be gouerned Let this be the summe that vnder the name of Father is sett before vs that God which hath in his owne image appeared to vs that he may be called vpon with assured faith and that the familiar name of Father is not onely applied to stablishe affiance but also auaileth to holde fast our myndes that they be not drawen to doutfull or fained Gods but shoulde from the onely begotten sonne clymbe vp to the onely father of Angels and of the Chirche then that because his seate is placed in heauen we are by the gouernance of the worlde put in mynd that not without cause we come to hym which with present care cometh of his owne will to mete vs. Who so come to God saith the Apostle they must first beleue that there is a God then that he is a rewarder to all them that seke hym Bothe these thyngs Christ affirmeth
it may will leaue to God no secrete which it will not searche and turne ouer Into this boldnesse and importunacie forasmuch as we commonly se many to runne headlong and among those that are otherwise not euell men here is fit occasion to warne them what is in this behalfe the due measure of theyr duetie First therfore let them remembre that when they enquire vpon Predestination they pearce into the secrete closets of the wisedome of God wherinto if any man doo carelesly and boldly breake in he shall bothe not atteyne wherwith to satisfie his curiousnesse and he shal entre into a mase wherof he shall fynde no way to get out again For neither is it mete that man shoulde freely search those thynges which God hath willed to be hidden in himselfe and to turne ouer from very eternitie the height of wisedome which he willed to be honored and not to be conceiued that by it also he mought be meruailous vnto vs. Those secretes of his will whiche he hath determined to be opened vnto vs he hath disclosed in his worde and he hath determined so farre as he forsawe to pertayne to vs and to be profitable for vs. We are come sayth Augustine into the way of Faithe let vs stedfastly holde it It bringeth into the Kynges chamber in whiche all the treasures of knowlege and wisedome are hidden For the Lorde himselfe Christ did not enuie his excellent and moste chosen disciples when he said I haue many thynges to be sayde to you but ye can not beare them nowe We must walke we must profit we must encreasce that our hartes may be able to conceiue those thynges which now we can not coÌ„ceiue If the last day find vs profityng there we shal learne that whiche here we coulde not If this thought be of force with vs that the worde of the Lorde is the onely way that may leade vs to searche whatsoeuer is lawfull to be learned of him that it is the only light which may geue vs light to see whatsoeuer we ought to see of hym it shall easily holde backe and restraine vs from all rashenesse For we shall knowe that so soone as we be gone out of the boundes of the worde we runne oute of the waie and in darkenesse in which race we must needes oftentymes stray slippe and stumble First therfore let this be before our eyes that to couet any other knowlege of Predestination than that whiche is set foorth by the woorde of God is a poynt of no lesse madnesse than if a man haue a will to go by an vnpassable waie or to se in darknesse Neither lett vs be ashamed to be ignorant of somewhat in it wherein there is some learned ignorance But rather lett vs willyngly absteine from the serchyng of that Knowlege wherof the excessyue couetyng is both foolishe and pâ—rillous yea and deadly But if the wantonnesse of witt prouoke vs it shal be profitable alwaye to sett this agaynst it whereby it may be beaten backe that as to much of honey is not good so the serchyng of glorie dothe not turne vnto glorie to the curious For there is good cause why we shoulde be frayed away from that boldnesse whiche can do nothing but throwe vs downe headlong into ruine There be other which when they haue a will to remedy this euell doo commaunde all mention of Predestination to bee in a maner buried at the least they teache men to flee from euery maner of questionyng therof as from a rocke Although the moderation of these men bee herein worthily to be praysed that they iudge that mysteries shoulde be tasted of with suche sobrietie yet because they descende to muche beneath the meane they little preuaile with the witte of manne whiche doothe not lyghtly suffre it selfe to be restrained Therfore that in this behalf also we maie kepe a right ende we must returne to the worde of the Lorde in whiche we haue a sure rule of vnderstanding For the Scripture is the schoole of the Holy ghoste in whiche as nothyng is lefte out which is bothe necessarie profitable to be knowen so nothyng is taught but that whiche is behouefull to learne Whatsoeuer therfore is vttered in the Scripture concernyng Predestination we muste beware that we debarre not the faithfull from it least we should seme either enuiously to defraude them of the benefite of their God or to blame and accuse the Holy ghoste who hath published those thynges whyche it is in any wyse profitable to be suppressed Let vs I say geue leaue to a christian man to open his mynde and his eares to all the sayenges of God whiche are directed to hym so that it be doone with this temperance that so soone as the Lorde hath closed his holy mouth he may also forclose to himselfe all the way to enquire further This shall be the beste bouÌ„de of sobrietie if not only in learnyng we alway follow the Lord goyng before vs but also wheÌ„ he maketh an ende of teaching we ceasse to will to learne Neither is the danger which they feare of so greate importance that we ought therfore to turne awaye our myndes from the oracles of God Notable is the sayeng of Salomon that the glorie of God is to concele a word But sithe bothe godlinesse and common reason teacheth that this is not generally meant of euery thyng we muste seke a difference least brutishe ignorance shoulde please vs vnder color of modestie and sobrietie That difference is in fewe woordes playnly sett out by Moses To the Lord our God sayth he belong his secretes bâ—t to vs and to our children he hath disclosed these thynges For we see how he commendeth to the people the studie of the doctrine of the law onely by reason of the decree of God because it pleased God to publish it â–ª and howe he withholdeth the people within those bouÌ„des by this only reason because it is not lawfull for mortall men to thrust themselues into the secretes of God Prophane men I graunt do in the mater of Predestination sodenly catche hold of somewhat which they may carpe or cauill or barke or scoffe at But if their waywardnesse doo fray vs away from it the chefe articles of the faith must be kept secrete of whiche there is almost none which thei or such as thei be do leaue vntouched with blasphemie A frowarde wytt will no lesse prowdly outrage when he heareth that in the essence of God there are three persones than if he heare that God forsawe what shoulde becomme of man when he created hym Neyther will they absteyne from laughyng when they shall vnderstande that there is lyttell more than fiue thousande yeares passed sins the creation of the worlde for they wyll aske why the power of God was so long idell and asleape Fynally there can be nothyng brought foorthe whych they will not scoffe at For the restrainynge of these sacrileges must we holde our peace of the Godhead of
because in the whole sede of Adam the heaueÌ„ly father founde nothing worthy of his election he turned hys eyes vnto hys Christ to thoose as it were members out of hys body them whome he would take into the felowship of lyfe Lett thys reson then be of force among the faythfull that we were therefore adopted in Christe into the heauenly inheritance because in our selues we were not able to receiue so greate excellence Whiche also he toucheth in an other place wheÌ„ he exhorteth the Colossians to geuing of thankes for thys that they were by God made fytt to be partakers of the estate of the holy If electioÌ„ goe before thys grace of God that we be made fitt to obteyne the glorie of the life to come what shall God hymselfe nowe fynde in vs wherby he maye be moued to elect vs My meaning shal yet be more openly expressed by an other sayeng of hys He hath chosen vs sayeth he ere the fundacioÌ„s of the world were layed according to the good pleasure of his will that we might be holy and vnspotted and vnreprouable in his sight where he setteth the good pleasure of God against al our deseruinges whatsoeuer they be That the profe may be more strong it is worth the labor to note al the partes of that place which being coupled together doe leaue no doute Where he nameth the elect it is no dout that he speaketh to the faithful as he also by and by afterwarde affirmeth Wherefore they doe with to fowle a glose abuse that name whiche wrest it to the age where in the Gospel was first published Where he sayth that they were elect before the beginning of the world he taketh away all respect of worthinesse For what reason of difference is there betwene them whiche yet were not and those which afterwarde should in Adam be egall Now if they be elect in Christ it foloweth that not only euery man is seuered without hymselfe but also one of them from an other forasmuch as we see that not al are the members of Christ. That which is added that they were elect that they might be holy plainly coÌ„futeth the error which deriueth election from foreknowlege forasmuch as Paule cryeth out against it and sayth that whatsoeuer vertue appeareth in men it is the effecte of electioÌ„ Now if a hyer cause be sought Paul answereth that God hath so predestinate yea and that according to the good pleasure of his will In which wordes he ouerthroweth whatsoeuer meanes of their electioÌ„ men do imagine in themselues For he also teacheth that whatsoeuer thinges God geueth towarde spirituall lyfe they flowe out of thys one fountaine because God hath chosen whom he would and ere they wer borne he had seuerally layed vp for them the grace which he vouchesaued to geue them But whersoeuer this pleasure of God reigneth there no works come to be considered He doth not here in dede pursue the comparison of coÌ„traries but it is to be vnderstanded such as he himselfe declareth He hath called vs sayth he with a holy calling not according to our workes but according to hys purpose and the grace which is geuen vs of Christ before the tymes of the world And we haue alredy shewed that al dout is takeÌ„ away in this which foloweth that we might be holy and vnspotted For if thou say because he foresawe that we should be holy therefore he chose vs thou shalt peruert the order of Paule Thus therefore thou mayest safely gather If he chose vs that we might be holy then he chose vs not because he foresawe that we would be such For these two thinges are contrarie the one to the other that the godly haue it of election that they be holy and that they come to it by meane of woorkes Neyther is their cauillation here any thing worth to which they commonly flee that the Lord doth not render the grace of election to any workes going before but yet graunteth it to workes to come For wheÌ„ it is sayd that the faythfull were chosen that they might be holy therewithall is signified that the holinesse which was to come in them toke beginning at election And how shall thys sayeng agree together that those thinges which are deriued from election gaue cause to election The same thing which he sayd he semeth afterwarde to confirme more strongly where he sayth According to the purpose of his wil whiche he had purposed in himselfe For to say that God purposed in hymselfe is as much in effect as if it had ben said that without himselfe he considered nothing wherof he had any regarde in decreing Therfore he by by addeth that the whole summe of our election tendeth to this ende that we shoulde be to the prayse of the grace of God Truely the grace of God deserueth not to be praysed alone in our electioÌ„ vnlesse our election be free But free it shal not be if God in electing his doe consider what shal be the workes of euery one Therfore we fynde that the whiche Christ sayd to hys disciples hath place vniuersally among al the faythful Ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you Where he not onely excludeth deseruinges past but also signifieth that they had nothing in themselues why they should be chosen if he had not preuented them then with hys mercie Lyke as thys sayeng of Paul is also to be vnderstode Who first gaue to him and shal receiue recompense For he meaneth to shewe that the goodnesse of God so preuenteth men that it fyndeth nothing in them neither past nor to come wherby he may be wonne to be fauourable to them Now to the Romaines where he fetcheth thys questioÌ„ further of and foloweth it more largely he denyeth that al they are Israelites which are issued of Israel because although by ryght of inheritance they were all blessed yet the succession did not egally passe to them al. The beginning of thys disputation proceded of the pryde and deceitful glorieng of the Iewishe people For wheÌ„ they claimed to themselues the name of the Chirch they would haue the credit of the Gospell to hang vpoÌ„ their wil as the Papistes at thys day would gladly wyth thys fained color thrust themselues into the place of God Paul although he graunt that the ofspryng of Abraham is holy by reson of the couenauÌ„t yet affirmeth that the most parte of them are strangers in it and that not onely because they â—warue out of kynde so that of lawful children they become bastardes but because the speciall election of God standeth aboue and reigneth in the hyest top which alone maketh the adoption therof sure If their owne godlinesse stablished some in the hope of saluation and their owne fallyng away alone disherited other some Paul verely should both fondly and vnconueniently lift vp the reders euen to the secrete election Now if the wil of of God the cause wherof neither appeareth nor is to be
sought without hymselfe maketh the one sorte differing from the other so that not al the children of Israel be true Israelites it is vainly fayned that euery mans estate hath beginning in hymselfe Then he further foloweth the mater vnder the example of Iacob and Eâ—au For when they bothe were the sonnes of Abraham bothe together enclosed in one mothers wombe it was a monsterlyke change that the honor of firste birth was remoued to Iacob by whiche change Paul affirmeth that there was testified the election of the one and the reprobation of the other The originall and cause of it is enquired whiche the Teachers of foreknowlege wyll haue to be sett out in the vertues and vices of men For thys is an easy shorte way wyth them that God shewed in the persone of Iacob that he chooseth the worthy of hys grace and in the persone of Esau he refuseth them whom he foreseeth to be vnworthy Thus they saye boldly But what sayeth Paule when they were not yet borne and had not done any good or euell that according to election the purpose of GOD mighte abyde not of workes but of hym that calleth it is sayed The elder shall serue the yonger as it is written Iacob I haue loued but Esau I haue hated If foreknowlege were of any force in this difference of the brethren then verily mention were vnfittly made of the tyme. Let vs graunt that Iacob was chosen because he had worthinesse gotteÌ„ by workes to come to what purpose should Paul say that he was not yet borne And this now should be vnaduisedly added that he had yet done no good because this shal be a redy answer that nothiÌ„g is hidden from God and that so the godlinesse of Iacob was presente before hym If workes do win grace they shold then worthily haue had their price before that Iacob was borne as if he had ben growen to full age But the Apostle goeth forwarde in vndoing this knot and teacheth that the adoption of Iacob was not made of workes but of the calling of God In works he enterlaceth not the time to come or time past then he directly setteth them against the calling of God meaning by stablishiÌ„g of the one expresly to ouerthrow the other as if he had sayd that it is to be considered what hath pleased God not what men haue brought of themselues Last of al it is certayne that by the wordes of Election and Purpose al causes whatsoeuer men are wont to faine ellswhere than in the secret counsel of God are quite remoued from thys mater What color wil they bring to darkeÌ„ these things who in electioÌ„ assigne some place to workes either past or to come For this is vtterly to mocke out that which the Apostle affirmeth that the difference of the brethreÌ„ hangeth not vpon any consideration of works but vpon the mere calling of God because it was put betwene them wheÌ„ they wer not yet borne Neither had he ben ignorant of this their sutteltie if it had had any soundnesse in it but because he very wel knewe that God can foresee no goodnesse in man but that which he hath first determined by the benefit of his election to geue him he fleeth not to that vnorderly order to set good workes before the cause of theÌ„selues Thus haue we by the words of the Apostle that the saluation of the faythful is founded vpon the wil of the only electioÌ„ of God and that the same fauor is not gotten by workes but cometh of free calling We haue also as it were an image of that thing sett before vs. Esau and Iacob are brethreÌ„ issuing bothe of one the same pareÌ„tes enclosed yet bothe in one wombe not yet brought out into the world In them al thinges are egal yet of them the iugement of God is diuerse For he taketh the one and forsaketh the other There was nothing but the only first birth by right wherof the one excelled the other But this also being passed ouer that thyng is geuen to the yonger which is denied to the elder Yea and in other also God semeth alway as of set purpose to haue despised first birth to cutt of from the fleshe al mater of gloryeng Refusing Ismaell he cast hys mynde to Isaac Plucking backe Manasse he more honored Ephraim If any maÌ„ interrupt me with sayeng that we must not by these inferior smal benefites determine of the summe of the lyfe to come that he which hath ben aduaunced to the honor of first birth should therefore be reckned to be adopted into the inheritance of heauen for there be some which spare not Paul himselfe as though in alleging these testimonies he had wrested the Scripture to a strange sense I answere as I haue done herebefore that the Apostle nether slipped by vnaduisednesse nor wilfully abused the testimonies of the Scripture But he sawe whiche they can not abide to consider that God minded by an earthly signe to declare the spiritual election of Iacob which otherwise was hidden in his inaccessible throne For vnlesse we refer the first birth graunted to him vnto the worlde to come it shoulde be a vaine and fonde forme of blessyng wherby he obteined nothyng but manyfolde miseries discommoties grefefull banishement and many bitternesse of sorow and cares Therefore when Paule sawe without douting that God by outwarde blessyng testified the blessing whiche he had in his kyngdome prepared spirituall and neuer decayeng for his seruant he douted not for profe of this spirituall blessyng to fetche an argument from that outward blessyng This also we must remembre that to the land of Canaan was adioyned the pledge of the heauenly dwellyng so that it ought not at al to be douted that Iacob was graffed with the Angels into the body of Christ that he might be partaker of the same lyfe Iacob therefore is chosen when Esau is reiected and by the Predestination of God is made different from hym from whom he differed not in any deseruyngs If you aske a cause the Apostle rendreth this because it is sayde to Moses I wyll haue mercie vpon whom I will haue mercie and I wil vouchsaue to graunt mercie to whome soeuer I will vouchsaue to graunt mercie And what I beseche you meaneth this Uerily the Lord himself most plainly pronouÌ„ceth that men haue in themselues no cause why he shold do good to them but he fetcheth the cause from his owne mercie onely and therfore that the saluation of his is his own worke When God setteth thy saluation in himselfe alone why wilt thou descende to thy self When he appointeth to thee his mercie alone why wilte thou runne to thyne owne deseruinges When he holdeth thy thoughte wholly in his merciefulnesse alone why wilt thou turne part to the beholding of thyne owne works Therfore we must nedes come to that lesser people which Paule in an other place saith to haue ben foreknowen to God not in suche sort as these men imagine to
he had sayde that the Gospell is maliciously and frowardlye despised because many doo stubbornly refuse to heare peraduenture this color touchyng vniuersall callyng should preuayle Neither is it the purpose of the Prophet to dymynyshe the faulte of men when he teacheth that the fountayne of blyndnesse is that God vouchsaueth not to open his arme to them onely he geueth warnyng that because fayth is a singular gift the eares are beaten in vayne with outwarde doctrine But I woulde fayne know of these doctors whether onely preachyng or fayth make the chyldren of God Certainly when it is sayde in the fyrste chapiter of Iohn Whosoeuer beleue in the only begotten Sonne of God are themselues also made the children of God there is not in that place a coÌ„fused heape iumbled vp together but a speciall order is geuen to the faithfull whiche are borne not of blood nor of the wil of the fleshe nor of the will of man but of God But say they there is a mutuall consent of faith with the word Namely whersoeuer is faith But it is no newe thyng that seede fall among thornes or in stonie places not only because the greater part appeareth in dede obstinate against God but also because not al men haue eies and eares How then shall it agree that God calleth to him them who he knoweth will not come Let Augustine answere for me Wilt thou dispute with me Meruaile with me and crie out O depthe Lett vs bothe agree in feare least we perishe in error Moreouer if election as Paule witnesseth be the mother of faith I turne back the argumeÌ„t vpon their owne head that Faith is therfore not general because election is speciall For by the orderly hangyng together of causes and effectes it is easily gathered that where Paul saith that we are full of al spirituall blessing as God had chosen vs before the creation of the worlde therefore these richesse are not common to all because God hath chosen onely whome he woulde This is the reason why in an other place he commendeth the faith of the electe least it should be thought that any man doeth by hys own motion get faith to himself but that this glorie may remaine with God that they are freely enlightned of hym whome he had chosen before For Bernarde saith rightly Frendes do seuerally heare to whom he also saith Feare not thou small flocke for to you it is geuen to know the mysterie of the kyngdom of heauen Who be theseâ— euen they whom he hath foreknowen and predestinate to be fashioned like to the image of his Sonne A great and secrete counsel is made knowen The Lord knew who be his but that which was knowen to God is made manyâ—est to men neither doth he vouchsafe to make any other partakers of so great a mysterie but those selfe same men whome he hath forknowen and predestinate to be his A little after he concludeth The mercie of God is from eternitie euen to eternitie vpon them that feare hym â–ª from eternitie by reason of predestination to eternitie by reason of blessed makyng the one without beginnyng the other without endyng But what nede I to cite Bernarde for witnesse when we heare of the masters owne mouthe that none doo see but they whiche are of God By which wordes he signifieth that all they which are not begotten agayn of God do dasell at the brightnesse of his countenance And to election faith in dede is fittly ioyned so that it kepe the second degree Which order the wordes of Christ doo clerely expresse in an other place This is the wil of my Father that I lose not that which he hath geuen For this is his will that whosoeuer beleueth in the Sonne shall not perishe If he would haue all saued he would appoint ouer them his Sonne to be their keper and would graffe them all into his body with the holy bond of Faith Now it is certain that faith is a singular pledge of his fatherly loue laâ—ed vp for his childreÌ„ whom he hath adopted Therfore Christ in an other place faith that the shepe folow the shepherd because they know his voice but they folow not a straÌ„ger because they know not the voice of strangers Whense coÌ„meth his difference but because their eares are boared by God For no maÌ„ maketh himselfe a shepe but he is made one by the heaueÌ„ly grace For which cause also the Lord teacheth that our safetie shall alway be certaine and free from danger because it is kepte by the inuincible power of God Wherfore he concludeth that the vnbeleuers are not of his shepe namely because they are not of the nuÌ„ber of them whom God hath promised by Esaie that they shal be his disciples Nowe because in the testimonies which I haue alleged is expressed perseuerance they do therwithal testifie the vnmouable stedfastnesse of electioÌ„ â–ª Now let vs speake of the reprobate whoÌ„ the Apostle ioineth there together For as Iacob hauing yet with good works deserued nothing is taken into grace so Esau beyng yet defiled with no wicked dooyng is hated If we turne our eies to workes we do wrong to the Apostle as though he sawe not the same thyng whiche we clerely see It is proued that he sawe it not â–ª forasmuch as he expresly enforceth this pointe that when they had not yet done any good or euell the one was chosen and the other refused to proue that the fundation of the predestination of God is not in workes Agayne when he moued the obiection whether God be vnrighteous he allegeth not that which had ben the moste certaine and plaine defence of his righteousnesse namely that God reduced to Esau according to his euellnesse but he was coÌ„tent with an other solution that the reprobate are stirred vp to this ende that the glorie of God may be sett foorth by them Last of all he adioyneth a concluding sentence that God hath mercie vpon whom he will hardeneth whom he will See you not howe he imputeth bothe to the onely will of God Therfore if we can not declare a reason why he vouchsaueth to graunt mercie to them that be his but because it so pleseth him neither also shal we haue any other cause in reiectyng of other than his owne will For when it is sayd that God hardeneth or sheweth mercie to whom he wil men are therby warned to seke no cause ells where than in his will ¶ The .xxiii. Chapiter A Confutation of the sclaunders wherwith this doctrine hath alwaye been wrongfully burdened BUt when the witt of man heareth these thynges the frowardness therof can not be restrained but that by and by as at the bloody blast of a trumpet soundyng to battaile it diuersly and excessiuely turmoyleth And many in deede as thoughe they would driue away the malice from God doo so graunte election that they denye that any man is reprobate but they do to ignorantly childishely forasmuche as election
it selfe coulde not stande vnlesse it were set contrary to reprobation God is said to seuer them whome he adopteth vnto saluation it should be more than foolishly said that other doo either by chaunce or by their owne endeuor obteyne that whiche onely election geueth to a few Therefore whom God passeth ouer he reiecteth and for none other cause but for that he will exclude them from the inheritance which he dothe predestinate to his children Neither is the waiwardnesse of the men tolerable if it suffre not it selfe to be bridled with the word of God where the incomprehensible counsell of God is entreated of whiche the Angels themselues do worship But we haue already heard that hardening is no lesse in the hand and will of God than mercie Neither dothe Paule as these men doo that I haue spokē of busily labor to excuse God with a lyeng defence but only he teacheth that it is not lawfull for the thing formed to quarell with him that formed it Nowe who so do not admitt that any are reiected of God how wil they vncombre themselues from that sayeng of Christe Euery tree which my father hath not planted shal be plucked vp by the roote They plainly heare that all they are adiudged auowed to destruction whom the heauenly Father hath not vouchsaued to plant as holy trees in his ground If they denie this to be a signe of reprobatiō then is there nothing so clere the it may be proued to thē But if they cesse not to wrāgle let the sobrietie of Faith be contented with this admonition of Paule that there is no cause to quarel with God if he willyng on the one syde to shewe his wrath and to make his power knowen doo with dumme sufferance and lenitie beare wyth the vessels of wrathe prepared to destruction and on the other side he make knowē the richesse of his glorie toward the vessels of mercye which he hath prepared to glorie Let the Reders marke how Paule to cutte of occasion from whisperinges and backbitinges geueth the chiefe rule to the wrath and power of God bicause it is vniust that those depe iudgementes which swallow vp all our senses should be made subiect to our determination Our aduersaries aunswer is very triflyng that God doth not vtterly reiect them whome he suffreth in lenitie but abideth with a mynde hanging in suspence towarde them if peraduenture they may repente As thoughe Paule geueth to God a patience to loke for their turning whome he sayeth to be made to destruction For Augustine sayth rightly where he expoundeth this place where power is ioyned to sufferāce God doth not suffer but gouerne with his power They further say also that it is not for nothing said that the vessels of wrath are prepared to destruction but that God hathe prepared the vessels of mercie bicause by this meane he ascribeth and chalengeth the prayse of saluation to God but the blame of destruction he casteth vpon them which by their owne will doo bring it vpon themselues But although I graunt to them that Paul by the diuerse maner of speaking didde soften the rowghnesse of the first part of the sentence yet it is not mete to assigne the preparing vnto destruction to any other thing than to the secret counsel of God which also is affirmed a little before in the rest of the texte That God stirred vp Pharao Then that he hardneth whome he will Wherupō foloweth that the hidden coūsel of god is the cause of hardning This at the lest I get which Augustine saith that whē God of wolues maketh shepe he doth with a mightier grace reforme thē that their hardnes may be tamed therefore god for this cause doth not cōuert the obstinate bicause he doth not shew forth in the thē the mightier grace which he wāteth not if he wold shew it forth These sayenges in dede shoulde be sufficient for the godly and sobre and them which remembre themselues to be men But forasmuche as these venemous dogges do cast vp not only one sort of venime against God we will as the mater shal serue answer to euery one particularly Foolishe men doo diuers waies quarell with God as though they had hym subiect to their accusations First therfore they aske by what right the Lorde is angry with his creatures of whome he hath not been first prouoked by any offence for to condemne to destruction whom he will agreeth rather with the wilfulnesse of a tyrant than the lawful sentēce of a iudge Therfore they say that there is cause why mē shold charge God if by his bare will without their owne deseruyng they be predestinate to eternal death If such thoughts do at any time com into the mynd of the godly to breake their violent assaultes they shal be sufficiently armed with this although they had no more if they consider howe greate wickednesse it is euen so muche as to enquire of the causes of the wil of God sith of all thinges that are it is the cause worthily so ought to be For if it haue any cause then somwhat must go before it wherto it must be as it were boūd which it is vnlawful ones to imagine For the will of God is so the highest rule of righteousnesse that whatsoeuer he willeth euē for this that he willeth it it ought to be takē for righteous When therfore it is asked why the Lord did it it is to be answered bicause he willed it But if thou goe further in asking why he willed it thou askest some greater hier thing than the will of God which cānot be foūd Let therefore the rashnesse of man restrayne it self not seke which is not least paraduenture it may not finde that whiche is With this bridle I say he shal be wel withholden whosoeuer he be that wil dispute of the secretes of God with reuerence As for the boldenesse of the wicked which drede not openly to speake euel of God against it the lord with his owne righteousnesse without any our defense shal sufficiētly defend himself when he shal take al shiftyng frō their cōsciences hold them fast conuinced and condemne them Neither do we yet thrust in the fained deuise of absolute power which as it is prophane so worthily ought to be abhorted of vs. We faine not God lawlesse who is a law to himself bicause as Plato sayth men stand in neede of lawes whoe are troubled with vnlawful lustes but the wil of God is not only pure from al fault but also is the hiest rule of perfectiō yea the law of all lawes But we denie that he is subiect to yelde accompt We denie also that we are mete iudges which wold pronoūce of this cause after our owne sense Wherfore if we attēpt further than we lawfully may let that threatenyng of the Psalme bryng vs in feare that God shal ouercome so oft as he is iudged of any mortall man So can God in
therfore with mad searchyng to plunge your selues into the bottoÌ„lesse depth which reason it self teacheth you that it shal be to your destruction Why are ye not at the least restrained with some feare of that whiche both the historie of Iob and the bookes of the Prophetes do report of the iâ—comprehensible wisedome terrible power of God If thy minde be vnquieted let it not greue thee to embrace the counsell of Augustine Thou beyng a man lokest for an answer at my hand and I also am a maÌ„ Therfore let vs both heare him that sayth O maÌ„ what art thou â–ª Better is a faithfull ignorance than rash knowledge Seke merites thou shalt finde nothing but peine O depth Peter denieth the theâ—e beleueth O depth Sekest thou a reason I wil treÌ„ble at the depth Reason thou I will wonder dispute thou I will beleue I see depth but I reache not the bottome Paule rested bicause he found wondering He calleth the iudgementes of God vnsearchable art thou come to search them He sayth that his wayes are impossible to be traced ouâ— and doest thou trace them with procedyng further we shall nothyng profit For neyther we shall satisfie their waye wanton curiousnesse neyther doth the Lord neede any other defense than whiche he hath vsed by his Spirit whiche spake by the mouth of Paule we forget to speake well when we cesse to speake with God Their other obiection also ariseth out of vngodlinesse which yet â—oÌ„deth not so directly to the accusing of God as to the excusing of the sinner Howebeit the sinner which is condeÌ„ned of God can not be iustified without dishonor of the iudge Thus therefore prophane tonges do bark agaynst God sayeng why shold God impute those things for sinne to men wherof he hath by his predestinatioÌ„ layed necessitie vpoÌ„ men For what should thei do Should thei wrastle with his decrees â–ª But so should thei do it in vaine sithe they caÌ„ not do it at al. Therfore they are not rightfully punished for those things whereof ytâ—heâ—e cause is in Gods predestinatioÌ„ Here I will absteine froÌ„ that defense wherunto the Ecclesiastical writers do coÌ„monly flee namely that the fore knowlege of God withstaÌ„deth not but the maÌ„ may be accoÌ„pted the sinner bicause God foreseeth the euels of man not his owne For so yâ— cauillatioÌ„ wold not stay here but will rather presse vs further with sayeng that God might if he had would haue prouided remedie for those euels which he foresaw and that sithe he hath not so done he hath of determined purpose created men to that end that he should so behaue himself in earth and if by the prouidence of God man was created to this condition that he should do al those thinges that he doeth theÌ„ he is not to be blamed for that which he can not auoyde which he enterprised by the wil of God Therfore let vs see how this knot ought to be well loosed First of all this ought to be holdeÌ„ certaine among al men whiche SalomoÌ„ sayth yâ— God hath created all thinges for himself the wicked maÌ„ to an euel day Behold when the dispising of al things is in the haÌ„d of God wheÌ„ in his power remaineth the rule of safetie death he so ordereth theÌ„ by his couÌ„sel beck that among men there are borne some adiudged eueÌ„ from their mothers woÌ„be to death which with their destructioÌ„ may glorifie his name If any man answer that there is no necessitie layed vpon them by the prouidence of God but rather that he created them in suche estate bicause he foresaw their peruersnesse to come he neither sayth nothing at al nor altogether The old writers are wont in deede somtimes to vse this solutioÌ„ but as it were doubtingly But the Scholemen rest vpon it as though nothing could be obiected agaynst it In deede I wil willingly graunt that foreknowlege alone bryngeth no necessitie to creatures although al men do not so agree for there be some that wil haue it also to be the cause of things But it semeth to me that Ualla a maÌ„ otherwise not much practised in holy writings saw both more depely and more wisely which shewed that this coÌ„tention is superfluous bicause bothe life death are rather the doynges of Gods will that of his foreknowlege If God did but foresee the successes of meÌ„ did not also dispose order them by his wil theÌ„ this questioÌ„ shold not wtout cause be moued whether his foreseyng any thing auailed to the necessitie of them But sith he doth none otherwise fortee the things that shal come to passe than bicause he hath decreed that they shold so come to passe it is vaine to moue coÌ„trouersie about foreknowlege where it is certaine that al things do happeÌ„ rather by ordinaÌ„ce comaÌ„demeÌ„t Thei say that this is not writteÌ„ in expresse wordes that it was decreed of God that Adam shold perish by his falling away As though the same God whoÌ„ the Scripture reporteth to do whatsoeuer he wil created the noblest of all his creatures to an vncertaine end Thei say he had freewill that he might shape to himself his owne fortune that God decreed nothing but to haÌ„dle him according to his deseruing If so cold a deuise be receyued where shal be that almightinesse of God whereby he gouerneth al thinges according to his secret couÌ„sel which hangeth vpon none other thing than it self But predestination whether they wil or no sheweth himself in Adams posteritie For it came not to passe naturally that all men should lose saluation by the fault of one parent What hindereth them to coÌ„fesse of one man that which agaynst their willes they coÌ„fesse of all maÌ„kinde For why should they lose their labour with dallyeng shiftes The Scripture crieth out yâ— all meÌ„ were in the persone of one man made bonde to eternall death Sithe this can not be imputed to nature it is playne that it proceded from the wonderous couÌ„sell of God But it is to much absurditie that these good Patrones of the righteousnesse of God doe so stumble at a strawe and leape ouer great beames Againe I aske how came it to passe that the fall of Adam did wrappe vp in eternall death so many nations with their children beyng infantes without remedie but bicause it so pleased God Here their tonges whiche are otherwise so pratlyng must of necessitie be duÌ„me It is a terrible decree I graunt yet no man shal be able to denie but that God foreknew what end maÌ„ should haue ere he created him and therefore foreknew it bycause he had so ordeyned by his decree If any man here inuey agaynste the foreknowledge of God he rashly and vndiscretely stuÌ„bleth For what matter is there I beseche you why the heauenly iudge should be accused for that he was not ignorant of that which was to come Therfore if there be any eyther iuste or colorable complaynt it toucheth predestination Neyther ought
vnto iniquitie now yeld them in bondage to righteousnesse For what frute had you of those thinges in whiche ye are nowe worthily ashamed c. What manner of seede of election I praie you dyd then budde in them whiche bring manifoldly defiled in all their life as it were wyth desperate wickednesse wallowed in the most abhominable and accursed sinne of all If he woulde haue spoken after their opinion he shold haue shewed how much thei were bound to the bountifulnesse of God by which thei had ben preserued from slyding into so great filthinesse So Peter also shoulde haue exhorted his to thankefulnesse for the perpetual sede of election But hee contrary wise putteth them in mynde that the time past sufficed to make an ende of the lustes of the Gentiles What ende of the lustes of the Gentiles What if we come to examples What budde of righteousnesse was there in Rahab the harlot before faith in Manasse when Hierusalem was dipped and in a manner drowned in the bloode of the Prophetes in the Thefe which amonge his laste gaspinges beganne to thinke of repentance Away therfore with these argumentes whiche silly curious men do rashely deuise to themselues without the Scripture But let that abide certaine with vs which the Scripture hathe that all haue straied like loste shepe euery one hathe swarued into his owne waye that is perdition Out of this goulfe of perdition whome the Lorde hath determined ones to plucke forthe them he differreth tyl hys fyt time onely he preserueth them that they fall not vnto vnpardonable blaspheme As the Lorde by the effectualnesse of hys callinge towarde the electe maketh perfecte the saluation wherevnto he hadde by eternall counsell appoynted them so he hathe hys iudgementes againste the reprobate whereby he executeth his counsel of them Whome therefore he hath created vnto the shame of life and destruction of deathe that thei shoulde be instrumentes of his wrathe examples of his seâ—eritie froÌ„ theÌ„ that they may com to their end somtime he taketh awaie the power to heare his word somtime by the preachinge of it hee more blyndeth amaseth theÌ„ Of the fyrst maÌ„ner wheras there be innumerable examples lette vs choose out one more cleare and notable than all the reste There passed awaye about fower thousande yeares afore Christe in whyche hee hydde from all the Gentiles the lyghte of hys healthe bringing doctrine If any maÌ„ aunswer that he therefore made them not to enioye so greate a benefit bycause he iudged them vnworthy they whiche come after shall not be proued any more woorthy Of whiche thynge byside the experience Malachie is a substantiall wytnesse wich reprouinge infidelitie mingled with grosse blasphemies yet declareth that there shall come a redeemer Why therefore is hee rather geuen to these than to those He shal trouble hymselfe in vaine that shal here search for a cause hyer than the secret vnsearchable counsell of God Neither is it to bee feared least any scholer of Porphirie shoulde freely gnaw at the righteousnesse of God while we answer nothing in defense of it For when we say that none perishe vndeseruing and that it is of the free bountyfulnesse of God that some be deliuered ther is largely enoughe saide for the setting forth of his glorie so that it needeth not our shyftinge The soueraigne iudge therefore maketh awaie for his predestination when whom he hath ones reiected them beinge depriued of the communicatinge of his lyghte hee leaueth in blindenesse Of the other manner there are bothe dayly examples and also many conteined in the Scripture One selfe same preachinge is commonly made to a hundred twenty receiue it with ready obedience of faith the rest do either set naught by it or scorne it or hisse it out or abhorre it If any man aunswer that this diuersitie proceedeth of theyr malice and peruersnesse he shall not yet satisfie vs bycause the others witte also shoulde be possessed with the same malice vnlesse God dyd amende it with his goodnesse Therfore we shal still be encombred vnlesse we call to mynde that whiche Paule saith Who maketh thee to differ Wherby he signifieth that some excell other some not by theyr owne vertue but by the onely grace of God Why therfore dothe he in graunting grace to those passe ouer these Of those Luke sheweth a cause Bycause they are ordeined to life Of these what shal we think but bicause thei are the vessels of wrath vnto dishonor Wherfore let it not greue vs to saye with Augustine God sayth he might turne the will of the euell into good bicause he is almighty He mighte in dede Why therefore doth he it not bicause he wold not Why he wold not is in himself For we ought to be no more wise than we ought to be And that is much better than to shift with Chrysostome and say that he draweth him that is willing reacheth his hand that the difference may not seme to stand in the iudgemeÌ„t of God but in the only wil of men Truely it so standeth not in the propre motion of man that euen the godly they that feare God haue neede of a singular instruction of that Spirit Lydia the purple seller feared God and yet it behoued that her heart shold be opened that she might harken to the doctrine of Paul profit in it This is not spokeÌ„ of one woman alone but that we shold know that the profiting of euery man in godlinesse is the secret worke of the Spirit This verily can not be brought in questioÌ„ that the lord sendeth his word to many whose blindnesse he will haue to be more enforced For to what purpose doth he hidde so many coÌ„mauÌ„dements to be carried to Pharao was it bicause he hoped that with often repeted messages he wold be appeased No but before he beganne he foreknew foretolde the end Goe sayd he to Moses declare to him my wil but I wil harden his heart that he obey not So when he stirreth vp Ezechiel he warneth him aforehand that he sendeth him to a rebellious and stubborne people to the end that he should not be afrayde if he perceiue himself to singe to defmen So he foretelleth to Ieremie that his doctrine shold become a fier to destroye wast the people like stuble But the prophecie of Esaye yet more enforceth it For he is thus sent of the Lord Goe and saye to the children of Israell With hearyng heare ye and vnderstande not With seyng see ye and know not Make obstinate the heart of this people make heauy their eares and ouer playster their eyes least paraduenture they maye see with their eyes and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their heart that beyng turned they may be healed Behold he directeth his voice to them but that they maye waxe more deff he lighteth a light but that they maye be made more blinde he sheweth forth doctrine
I saye that euery one of their assemblies and the whole body wanteth the lawfull forme of a Chirch ¶ The .iii. Chapter ¶ Of the teachers and ministers of the Chirche and of theyr election and office NOwe it is mete that we speake of the order by which it was the Lordes will to haue his Chirche gouerned For although in his Chirche he onely muste rule and reigne yea and beare preeminence or excelle in it and this gouernement to bee vsed or executed by his onely word yet because he dwelleth not among vs in visible presence so that he can presently with his owne mouth declare his will vnto vs we haue saied that in this he vseth the ministerie of men and as it were the trauaile of deputies not in transferryng his right and honour vnto them but onely that by their mouthe he might do hys owne worke like as a workeman to doo his worke vseth hys instrument I am compelled to repete agayne those thynges that I haue already declared He might in dede do it eyther by hymselfe without any other helpe or instrumente or also by meane of Angelles but there are many causes why he had rather doo it by men For by this meane first he declareth hys good wyll toward vs when he taketh out of men them that shall doo his message in the world that shal be the interpreters of hys secrete wyll finally that shall represent his owne person And so by experience he proueth that it is not vayne that commonlye he calleth vs hys temples when out of the mouthes of men as oute of his sanctuarye he geueth answeres to men Secondly thys is the best and most profitable exercise to humilitie when he accustometh vs to obey hys worde howsoeuer it be preached by men like vnto vs yea sometime our inferiors in dignitie If he him selfe spake from heauen it were no maruell if his holy Oracles were without delaye reuerently receiued wyth the eares and myndes of all men For who woulde not drede his power beyng in presence who woulde not be throwen downe at the first sight of so great maiesty who would not be confounded with the infinite brightnesse But when some silly man risen out of the dust speaketh in the name of God here with very good testimony we declare our godlinesse and reuerent obedience toward God hymselfe if to his minister we yelde our selues willyng to learne whiche yet in nothyng excelleth vs. Therfore for this cause also he hath hidden the treasure of hys heauenly wisedome in brickle and earthen vessels that he mighte haue the certainer profe how much he is estemed of vs. Moreouer there was nothyng fitter for the cherishyng of mutual charitie than that mē shold be bounde together one to an other with this bonde when one is made a pastor to teache the rest and they that are commaunded to be scholars receiue al one doctrine at one mouth For if euery mā were able enough to serue himselfe and neded not the helpe of an other suche is the pride of mans nature that euery one would despise other and should againe be despised of them Therfore the Lorde hath bounde his Chirch with that knotte whiche he forsawe to be the strongest knotte to holde vnitie togither when he hath lefte with men the doctrine of saluation and of eternall life that by their handes he might communicate it to the reste Herunto Paul had respect when he wrote to the Ephesians One body one spirite as also ye be called in one hope of your callyng One Lorde one Faith one Baptisme One God and the Father of all whiche is aboue all and by all in vs al. But vnto euery one of vs grace is geuē accordyng to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherfore he saith Whē he was gone vp on hye he ledde captiuitie captiue he gaue giftes to men He that wente downe is the selfe same hee that wente vp that he might fulfill all thynges And the same hath geuen some to be Apostles and some Prophetes and some Euangelistes and other some Pastors and teachers vnto the restoryng of the holy ones to the worke of ministration to the edifying of the body of Christ vntill we com all into the vnitie of Faithe and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God into a perfect man into the measure of full growen age that we bee no more children that may be caried about with euery wynde of doctrine but folowyng truthe in charitie let vs in all thynges growe into him that is the hed euen Christ in whom the whole body conioyned and compacted together by all the ioynt of subministration accordyng to the workyng in measure of euery parte maketh encrease of the body vnto the edifiyng of it selfe by charitie By these wordes he sheweth that that ministerie of men which God vseth in gouernyng his Chirche is the chiefe synew wherby the faithfull cleaue together in one body and also he sheweth that the Chirche can not otherwise be preserued safe but if it be vpholden by these stays in whyche it pleased the LORDE to repose the saluation of it CHRIST saieth he is gone vp on hye that he myght fulfill all thinges This is the maner of fulfillyng that by his ministers to whom he hath committed that office and hath geuen the grace to execute that woorke he disposeth and distributeth his giftes to the Chirche yea and after a certayne maner geueth hym selfe present with extendyng the power of his spirite in this institution that it should not be vain or idle So is the restoryng of the holy ones performed so is the body of Christ edified so doo we by all thinges growe into hym that is the hed and doo growe together among our selues so are we all brought into the vnitie of Christ if prophecie flourishe among vs if we receyue the Apostles if we refuse not the doctrine ministred vnto vs. Therfore he goeth about the dissipation or rather the ruine and destruction of the Chirche whosoeuer he be that either endeuoureth to abolishe this Order of whom we speake and this kynde of gouernement or minisheth the estimation of it as a thyng not so necessary For neither the lighte and heate of the sunne nor meate and drynke are so necessary to nourishe and susteine this present life as the office of Apostles and pastors is necessarie to preserue the Chirche in earthe Therefore I haue aboue admonished that God hath oftentymes with suche titles as he coulde commended the dignitie thereof vnto vs that we should haue it in moste hye honour and price as the moste excellent thyng of all He testifieth that he geueth to men a singular benefite in raisyng them vp teachers where he commaundeth the Prophete to crye oute that faire are the feete and blessed is the commyng of them that bring tidyngs of peace and when he calleth the Apostles the lyght of the worlde and salte of the earthe Neither coulde this office bee more honourably
aduaunced than it was when he sayde He that heareth you heareth me He that despiseth you despiseth me But there is no place more playne than in Paule in his seconde Epistle to the Corinthians where he as it were of purpose entreateth of this matter He affirmeth therefore that there is nothyng in the Chirche more excellent or glorious than the ministerie of the Gospell forasmuche as it is the administration of the Spirite and of righteousnesse and of eternal life These and like sayenges serue to this purpose that that order of gouerning and preseruing the Chirch by ministers which the Lord hath stablished for euer should not growe oute of estimation among vs and so at length by very contempt grow out of vse And howe greate is the necessitie therof he hath declared not onely by wordes but also by examples When his wil was to shine more fully to Cornelius with the light of his trueth he sente an Angell from heauen to sende Peter vnto him When his will was to call Paule to the knowlege of himselfe and to engraffe him into the Chirch he spake not to him with his own voice but sente him to a man of whom he shoulde receiue both the doctrine of saluation and the sanctification of Baptisme If it be not done without cause that an Angell which is the interpreter of God doe himselfe absteine from declaring the wil of God but commaundeth that a man be sente for to declare it and not withoute cause that Christ the onely scholemaister of the faithfull commytteth Paule to the schooling of a man yea euen that same Paule whom he had determined to take vp into the thirde heauen and to vouchsaue to graunt him miraculous reuelation of thinges vnspeakable whoe is there now that dare despise that ministerie or passe it ouer as a thyng superfluous the vse wherof it hath pleased God to make approued by such examples They that haue rule of the gouernement of the Chirche according to the institution of Christ are named of Paule first Apostles then Prophetes thirdly Euangelistes fourthly Pastors laste of all Teachers Of which the twoo last alone haue ordinarie office in the Chirche the other three the Lord raised vp at the beginning of hys kingdome and sometime yet also rayseth vp as the necessitie of times requireth What is the Apostles office appeareth by that commaundemente go preache the Gospell to euery creature There are not certaine boundes appointed vnto them but the whole worlde is assigned them to be brought into the obedience of Christe that in spreading the Gospell among all nations whersoeuer they shall be able they maye eche where raise vp his kingdome Therefore Paule when he wente aboute to proue his Apostleship rehearseth that he hath gotten to Christ not some one citie but hath farre and wide spred abrode the Gospell and that he hath not layed his handes to an other mans fundation but planted Chirches where the name of the Lorde had neuer ben heard of Therfore the Apostles were sente to bring backe the world from falling awaye vnto true obedience of God and eche where to stablish his kingdome by preaching of the Gospell or if you like that better as the first bilders of the Chirche to laye the fundations therof in all the worlde Prophetes he calleth not all expositors of Gods will whatsoeuer they be but those that by singular reuelation excelled suche as at this tyme either be none or are lesse notable By Euangelistes I vnderstande those whiche when in dignitie they were lesse than the Apostles yet in office were nexte vnto them yea and occupied their roomes Suche were Luke Timothee Titus and other lyke and paraduenture also the seuentie Disciples whom Christ appointed in the seconde place after the Apostles According to this exposition which semeth to me agreable both with the woordes and meaning of Paule those three offices were not ordeined in the Chirche to this ende that they should be perpetuall but onely to serue for that tyme wherein Chirches were to be erected where were none before or at least to be remoued from Moses to Chryst. Albeit I denie not but the afterwarde also the Lord hath somtyme raysed vp Apostles or at least in their places Euangelistes as it hath ben done in our time For it was nedefull to haue such to bryng backe the Chirche from the falling away of Antichrist Yet the office it selfe I do neuerthelesse call extraordinarie because it hath no place in the Chirches already well set in order Next after these are Pastors and Teachers whom the Chirche may neuer lacke betwene whom I thynke that there is thys difference that the Teachers are not appoynted to beare rule of discipline nor for the ministration of Sacramentes nor admonishmentes or exhortations but onely to expounde the Scripture that pure and sounde doctrine may be kept among the faithfull But the office of Pastor conteineth al these thynges within it Now we haue which were those ministeries in the Chirch that continued but for a tyme and which were those that were ordeined to endure perpetually If we ioyne the Euangelistes with the Apostles we shall haue remayning two couples after a certayne maner answeryng the one to the other For as oure Teachers are lyke to the olde Prophetes in such sort are our Pastors lyke to the Apostles The office of Prophetes was more excellent by reson of the singular gifte that they had of reuelation but the office of Teachers hath in a manner lyke order and altogether the same ende So those .xii. whom the Lorde dyd choose that they should publish abrode to the world the new preaching of the Gospel in degre and dignitie went before the rest For although by the meanyng and propertie of the worde all the ministers of the Chirche maye be ryghtly called Apostles because they are sente of the Lorde and are hys messengers yet because it was muche behouefull that there should be a certayne knowledge had of the sendyng of them that should bring a thing new and vnheard of it was necessarie that those xii to whoe 's number Paule was afterwarde added should be garnished with some peculiar title aboue the rest Paule hymselfe in dede in â—â—e place geueth thys name to Andronicus and Iunias whom he saieth to haue been notable among the Apostles but when he meaneth to speake properly he referreth it to none other but to that principal degree And this is the common vse of the Scripture Yet the Pastors sauing that eche of them do gouerne seueral Chirches appointed to them haue al one charge with the Apostles Now what maner of thing that is let vs yet heare it more playnly The Lord when he sent the Apostles gaue them commaundemente as we sayd euen now to preache the Gospell and to baptise them that beleue vnto forgeuenesse of synnes He had before commaunded that they should distribute the holy signes of his body and bloud as
dominion ouer the whole Chirche For we denie not that he was one of the chief but we will not graunt that which the Romanistes nowe affirme that he had a dominion ouer all Nowe remaineth the fowerth kynde of power which standeth in appealles It is euident that he hath the chief power to whoe 's iudgement seate appellation is made Many oftentimes appelled to the Bishop of Rome and he him self also went about to draw the hearyng of causes to himselfe but he was alway laughed to scorne when he passed his owne boundes I will speake nothyng of the East and of Grecia but it is certain that the Bishops of Fraunce stoutely withstode hym when he semed to take to himselfe an empire ouer theim In Affrica there was long debate about that mater For where at the Mileuitane Councell at whiche Augustine was present they were excōmunicate that appealled beiond the sea the Bishop of Rome trauailed to bring to passe that that decree might be amended He sente his legates to shewe that that priuiledge was geuen to hym by the Nicene Councell The Legates brought foorth the actes of the Nicene Councell whiche they had fetched out of the storehouse of their owne Chirch The Affricans withstode it and denied that the Bishopes of Rome ought to bee credited in their owne cause and said that therfore they would sende to Constantinople into other cities of Grecia where copies were to be had that were lesse suspicious It was found that therin was no such thyng written as the Romains had pretended So was that decree confirmed which tooke the chiefe hearing of causes from the Bishop of Rome In whiche doyng the lewde shamelesnesse of the Bishop of Rome hymself appeared For when he guilefully did thrust in the Synode at Sardes in stede of the Nicene Synode he was shamefully taken in a manifeste falsehoode But yet greater and more shamelesse was their wickednesse that added a forged Epistle to the Councell wherein I wote not what bishop of Carthage condemnyng the arrogance of Aurelius his predecessour for that he was so bolde to withdrawe himselfe from the obedience of the see Apostolike and yeldyng himselfe and his Chirche humbly craueth pardon These be the goodly monumentes of antiquitie whervppon the maiestie of the see of Rome is founded while they so childishlye vnder the pretence of Antiquitie that very blind men may fynde it oute by gropyng Aurelius saieth he puffed vp with deuelishe boldenesse and stubbornesse rebelled against Christe and saint Peter and therfore to be condemned with curse What said Augustine But what saide so many Fathers that were present at the Mileuitane Councell But what nede is it to spend many words in confutyng that foolishe writyng whiche the Romanistes themselues if they haue any face left can not looke vpon without great shame So Gratian I can not tell whether of malice or of ignorance where he rehersed that decree that they should be excommunicate that appealle beyonde the see addeth an exception Unlesse peraduenture they appealle to the see of Rome What may a man do to these beasts which are so voide of cōmon reason that they except that only thing out of the law for whoe 's cause euery man seeth that the law was made For the Councel when it condemneth appealles beyōd the sea forbiddeth only this that none should appelle to Rome Here the good expositor excepteth Rome out of the cōmon lawe But to determine this questiō at ones one historie shal make plaine what maner of iurisdiction the bishop of Rome had in old time Donate of the blacke houses had Cecilian bishop of Carthage The mā accused was condemned his cause not heard For when he knew that the bishops had conspired against him he would not appeare Then the mater came to the Emperour Constantine He forasmuche as he willed to haue the mater ended by ecclesiasticall iudgement cōmitted the hearing of it to Melciades bishop of Rome To whom he adioyned felow commissioners many bishops of Italie Fraunce and Spaine If that belonged to the ordinarie iurisdiction of the see of Rome to heare an appeale in an ecclesiasticall cause why doeth he suffre other to be ioyned with him at the will of the Emperour Yea why did he himselfe take the iudgement vpon him rather by the Emperors cōmaūdement than by his own office But let vs heare what hapned afterward There Ceciliā got the victorie Donate of the blacke houses was cōdemned for sclaūder he appelled Constātine cōmitted the iudgemēt of the appelle to the bishop of Orleance He sate as iudge to pronounce what he thought after the bishop of Rome If the see of Rome hath the chief power without appellation why doth Melciades suffer himself to receiue so great a shame that the bishop of Orleāce should be preferred aboue him And what Emperor doeth this euen Constantine of whom they boast that he employed not only all his endeuor but in a maner all the richesse of the empire to encrease the dignitie of their see Wee se therefore now howe farre the Bishop of Rome was at that tyme by all meanes from that supreme dominion whiche he affirmeth to be geuen vnto hym by Christe ouer all Chirches and whiche he lyengly saieth that he hath in all ages possessed by the consent of the whole worlde I know how many epistles there be how many writings decrees wherin the bishops doo geue muche and boldly chalenge much vnto it But this also al men that haue but a very little wit lerning do know that the most part of those are so vnsauerie that by the first tast of them a man may soone find out of what ship they cam For what man of soūd wit and sobre wil thinke that that goodly interpretation is Anacletus his owne which is in Gratian reported vnder the name of Anacletus that is that Cephas is a head The Romanists doo at this day abuse for defence of their see many suche trifles which Gratian hath patched together without iudgement and yet still in so great light they will sell suche smokes wherwith in olde time they were wont to mocke out the ignorant in darknesse But I will not bestow much labor in confutyng those things which do openly cōfute them selues by reason of their vnsauory folie I graūt that there remain also true epistles of the old bishops wherin they set foorth the honor of their see with glorious titles of which sort are some epistles of Leo. For that man as he was learned and eloquent so was he also aboue measure desirous of glory dominion but whether the Chirches then beleued his testimonie when he so aduaūced himself that in dede is it that is in cōtrouersie But it appereth that many offended with his ambition did also withstand his gredie desire Somtimes he appointed in his steede the bishop of Thessalonica throughout Grecia other contrees adioyning somtime he appointed the bishop of Orleance or som other throughout Fraūce
therin many infirmities though I speake of nothyng more greuous And Leo bishop of Rome sticketh not to charge with ambition and vnaduised rashnesse the Synode of Chalcedon which yet he confesseth to be sounde in doctrines He doeth in dede not denie that it was a lawfull Synode but he openly affirmeth that it might erre Some man peraduenture will thinke me fonde for that I busy my selfe in shewyng suche errors forasmuche as our aduersaries do confesse that Councels may erre in those thyngs that ar not necessary to saluation But this labor is not yet superfluous For althoughe because they are compelled they do in dede confesse it in worde yet when they thrust vnto vs the determination of al councels in euery mater whatsoeuer it be for an oracle of the Holy ghost they do therein require more than they toke at the beginnyng In so doing what do they affirme but that Coūcels can not erre or if they erre yet it is not lawfull for vs to see the truthe or not to soothe their errors And I intend nothyng ells but that it may therby be gathered that the Holy ghost so gouerned the godly and holy Synodes that in the mean tyme he suffred somwhat to happen to them by the nature of men lest we shold to muche trust to men This is a muche better sentence than that of Gregorie Nazianzene that he neuer sawe a good end of any Councel For he that affirmeth that al without exception ended ill doth not leaue them much authoritie It is now nothyng nedefull to make mention seuerally of prouinciall Councells forasmuche as it is easy to iudge by the general how much authoritie they ought to haue to make newe articles of Faithe and to receiue what kynde of doctrine soeuer it pleaseth them But our Romanistes when they see that in defence of their cause all helpe of reason doth faile them do resort to that extreme and miserable shift that although the men themselues be blockishe in wit and coūsell and moste wicked in mynde and will yet the word of God remaineth whiche cōmaundeth to obey Rulers Is it so what if I denie that they be rulers that ar such For they ought to take vpon themselues no more than Iosua had which was bothe a Prophet of the Lord an excellent pastor But let vs heare with what wordes he is set by the Lorde into his office Let not saieth he the volume of this lawe depart from thy mouth but thou shalt studie vpon it daies nights Thou shalt neither bow to the right hand nor to the left then shalt thou direct thy way vnderstād it They therfore shal be to vs spiritual rulers which shal not bowe frō the law of the Lord neither to the one side nor to the other But if the doctrine of al pastors whatsoeuer they be is to be receiued wtout any douting to what purpose was it that we shold so oft so earnestly be admonished not to harken to the speche of false prophets Heare not saith he by Hieremie the words of the prophets that prophecie to you For they teach you vanitie not out of the mouth of the Lord. Again Beware you of false prophets that come vnto you in shepes clothing but inwardly are rauening wolues And Iohn should in vaine exhort vs that we should proue the Spirits whether they be of God From which iudgement the very Angels are not exēpted much lesse Satan with all his lyes What is to be said of this saying if the blind lead the blind they shal both fall into the diche Doth it not sufficiently declare that it is of great importance what maner of prophets be heard and that not all are rashely to be heard Wherfore there is no reason that they should make vs afraid with their titles therby to draw vs into partakyng of their blyndnesse forasmuche as we see on the other side that the Lorde hadde a singular care to fray vs away from suffring our selues to be led with other mens error vnder what visor of name soeuer it lurketh For if the answer of Christ be true then al blynd guides whether they be called fathers of the Chirch or prelates or bishops can do nothing but draw their partners into the same headlong downfall Wherfore let no names of Councels Pastors Bishops which may as well be falsely pretended as truely vsed hinder vs but that beyng taught by lessons both of words and examples we may examine all spirites of all men by the rule of the word of God that we may proue whether they be of God or no. Forasmuche as we haue proued that there is not geuen to the Chirch a power to set vp a newe doctrine now let vs speake of the power whiche they attribute vnto it in expoundyng of Scripture Truely we doo willingly graunt that if there happen debate about any doctrine there is no better nor surer remedy than if a Synode of true bishops assemble together where the doctrine in controuersie maie be discussed For suche a determination wherunto the Pastors of Chirches shall agree in common together calling vpon the Spirite of Christ shall haue muche greater force than if euery one seuerally should conceiue it at home so teach it to the people or if a few priuate men shold make it Again when bishops are gathered together in one they doo the more cōmodiously take aduise in cōmon what in what forme they ought to teach least diuersitie shold brede offence Thirdely Paule prescribeth this order in discerning of doctrines For wheras he geueth to euery seuerall Chirche a power to discerne he sheweth what is the order of doyng in weightier causes that is that the Chirches shold take vpon them a cōmon tryall of the mater together And so doth the very feeling of godlinesse instructe vs that if any man trouble the Chirch with an vnwonted doctrine the mater procede so farre that there be peril of greater dissention the Chirches shold first mete together and examine the question propounded at last after iuste discussing had bryng foorthe a determination taken out of the Scripture suche as may both take away doutyng out of the people and stoppe the mouthes of wicked and gredy men that they may not bee so hardy to procede any further So when Arrius was risen the Nicene Synode was gathered together whiche with the authoritie therof bothe did breake the wicked endeuors of the vngodly man and restored peace to the Chirches whiche he had vexed and defended the eternall godhead of Christ againste his blasphemous doctrine When afterward Eunonius and Macedonius stirred vp new troubles their madnesse was resisted with like remedie by the Synode of Constantinople In the Coūsel at Ephesus the wickednesse of Nestorius was banished Finally this hath ben from the beginning the ordinarie meane in the Chirch to preserue vnitie so ofte as Satan began to worke any thyng But let vs remembre that not in all ages or in all places
Paule For if we must obeye Princes not onely for penalties sake but also for cōsciēce it semeth thereupō to folowe that Princes lawes haue also dominiō ouer cōscīce If this be true thē thesame also ought to be said of the lawes of the Chirch I answere that first here we must put a differēce betwene the generaltie the specialtie For though al special lawes do not touch the cōsciēce yet we are boūde by the general cōmaundemēt of god which cōmēdeth vnto vs the authoritie of magistrates And vpō this point stādeth the disputatiō of Paul that magistrates are to be honored because they ar ordeined of god In the meane time he teacheth not that those lawes that are prescribed by thē do belōg to the inward gouernemēt of the soule wheras he eche where extolleth both the worshipping of God the spiritual rule of liuīg righteously aboue al the ordināces of mē whatsoeuer they be In other thīg also is worthy to be noted which yet hāgeth vpon the former that the lawes of men whether they be made by the magistrate or by the Chirch although they be necessarie to be kepte I speake of the good and righteous lawes yet therefore do not by themselues binde conscience because the whole necessitie of keping them is referred to the general ende but cōsisteth not in the things commaūded Frō this sort do far differ both those that prescribe a new forme of the worshipping of God those that appoint necessitie in things that be at libertie But such are those that at this day be called Ecclesiastical cōstitutiōs in the Papacie which are thrust in in stede of the true and necessarie worshipping of God And as they be innumerable so are there infinite bondes to catch and snare soules But although in the declaration of the law we haue somwhat touched them yet because this place was fitter to entreate fully of them I will nowe trauaile to gather together the whole summe in the best order that I can And because we haue already discoursed so much as semed to be sufficient concerning the tyranny which the false Bishops do take vpon themselues in libertie to teache whatsoeuer they list I wil now omitt al that parte I wil here tarry only vpō declaring the power which they say they haue to make lawes Our false Bishops therfore do burden consciences with newe lawes vnder this pretense that they are ordeined of the Lord spiritual lawmakers sins the gouernement of the Chirch is committed vnto them Therefore they affirme that whatsoeuer they commaunde prescribe oughte necessarily to be obserued of the Christian people and that he that breaketh it is giltie of double disobediēce for that he is rebellious both to God to the Chirch Certainly if they were true Bishops I would in this behalfe graunt to them some authoritie not so much as they require but so much as is requisite to the wel ordering of the police of the Chirche Now sith they are nothing lesse than that which they woulde be accompted they can not take any thing to them be it neuer so little but that they shall take to much But because this hath ben ells where considered let vs graunt them at this present that whatsoeuer power true Bishops haue the same rightly belongeth to them also yet I deny that they be therfore appointed lawmakers ouer the faythfull that may of themselues prescribe a rule to liue by or compell to their ordināces that people committed vnto them When I say this I meane that it is not lawfull for them to deliuer to the Chirch to be obserued of necessitie that which they haue deuised of themselues without the word of God Forasmuch as that authoritie both was vnknowen to the Apostles and so oft taken away from the ministers of the Chirch by the Lordes owne mouth I maruel who haue ben so bolde to take it vpon them at this daye are so bolde to defende it beside the example of the Apostles and against the manifest prohibition of God As touchīg that that perteined to the perfect rule of wel liuing the lord hath so conteined al that in his law that he hath left nothing for men that they might adde to that summe And this he did first for this purpose that because the whole vprightnesse of liuing stādeth in this point if all workes be gouerned by his wil as by a rule he should be holden of vs the only maister and directer of lyfe thē to declare that he requireth of vs nothing more than obedience For this reason Iames sayth he that iudgeth his brother iudgeth the law he that iudgeth the law is not an obseruer of the law but a iudge But there is one onely lawmaker that can both saue and destroy We heare that God doth claime this one thing as proper to himselfe to rule vs with the gouernement and lawes of his word And the same thing was spoken before of Esay although somwhat more darkly the Lord is our king the lord is our lawmaker the Lord is our iudge he shal saue vs. Truly in both these places is shewed that he that hath power ouer the soule hath the iugement of life and death Yea Iames pronounceth this plainly Now no man can take that vpō him Therfore God must be acknowleged to be the only king of soules to whom alone belongeth the power to saue and destroy as those words of Esaye expresse and to be the king and iudge and lawmaker Sauior Therfore Peter when he admonisheth the Pastors of their dutie exhorteth them so to fede the flocke not as vsing a Lordship ouer the Clergie by whiche worde Clergie he signifieth the inheritance of God that is to saye the faithfull people This if we rightly weye that it is not lawfull that that should be transferred to man which God maketh his owne onely we shal vnderstande that so al the power is cut of whatsoeuer it be that they chalenge which aduaunce themselues to commaunde any thing in the Chirche without the worde of God Now forasmuch as the whole cause hangeth therupon that if God be the only lawmaker it is not lawful for men to take that honor to themselues it is mete also therewithall to kepe in minde those twoo reasons which we haue spoken why the Lord claimeth that to himselfe alone The first is that his wil may be to vs a perfect rule of al righteousnesse and holinesse and that so in the knowing of him may be the perfecte knowlege to liue wel The other is that when the manner is soughte how to worship him rightly and wel he only may haue authoritie ouer our soules whom we ought to obeye and vpon whoe 's beck we oughte to hang. These twoo reasōs being wel marked it shal be easye to iudge what ordinances of men are contrary to the word of God Of that sort be al those which are fained to belong to the true worshipping of God and to the obseruing
commaundement of God The Altar of Achaz the paterne whereof was broughte out of Samaria might haue semed to encrease the garnishment of the tēple wheras his deuise was to offre Sacrifices therupō to God only which he should do more honorably than vpon the first olde Altar yet we see how the Spirite detesteth the boldnesse for none other cause but for that the inuentions of mē in the worshipping of God are vnclene corruptions And how much more clerely the will of God is opened vnto vs so much the lesse excusable is our frowardnesse to attempt any thīg And therfore worthily with this circumstance the crime of Manasses is enforced for that he bilded a new altar in Ierusalem of which God had pronounced I wil there set my name because the authoritie of God is now as it were of set purpose refused Many do maruel why God so sharply threteneth y◠he wil do thinges to be wondred at to the people of whō he was worshipped with the cōmaundemētes of men pronounceth that he is worshipped in vaine with the preceptes of mē But if they cōsidered what it is in the cause of religion that is to say of heauēly wisdome to hāg vpō the only mouth of God they would therewtal se that it is no sclēder resō why God so abhorreth such peruerse seruices that are done to him accordīg to the lust of mās wit For althoughe they that obey such lawes for the worshipping of God haue a certaine shewe of humilitie in this their obedience yet they are not hūble before God to whō they prescribe the same lawes which they thēselues do kepe This is the reson why Paul willeth vs so diligently to beware that we be not deceiued by the traditions of mē that which he calleth ethelothreskian that is Wilworship inuēted of mē beside the doctrine of God This is verily true both our own wisdom al mens wisdom must be foolish vnto vs that we may suffer him alone to be wise Which way they kepe not which do studie with pety obseruations fayned by the wil of men to cōmend themselues vnto hym do thrust vnto hym as it were against his will a transgressing obedience towarde hym whiche is in dede geuen to mē As it hath ben done both in many ages heretofore and in the tyme within our owne remembrance and is also at thys daye done in those places where the authoritie of the creature is more estemed thā of the creator where religion if yet the same be worthy to be called religion 〈◊〉 defiled with moe and more vnsauorie superstitions than euer was any Paynime wickednesse For what could the witt of men brede but al thynges carnal and foolishe and such as truely resemble theyr authors Whereas also the Patrones of superstitions allege that Samuell Sacrificed in Ramatha and although the same was done beside the law yet it pleased God the solution is easy that it was not a certayne seconde altar to set against the one onely altar but because the place was not yet appointed for the arke of couenant he appointed the towne where he dwelled for Sacrifices as the most conuenient place Truely the minde of the holy Prophete was not to make any innouation in holy thinges whereas God had so streightly forbidden any thing to be added or minished As for the example of Menoha I say that it was an extraordinarie and singular case He being a priuate man offered sacrifice to God not without the allowāce of God verily because he enterprised it not of a rash motion of his own minde but by a heauenlye instinction But how much the Lord abhorreth those thinges that men deuise of themselues to worship hym withall an other not inferior to Gedeon is a notable example whoe 's Ephod turned to destruction not only to hym and hys familie but to the whole people Finally euery new founde inuention wherewith mē couet to worship God is nothing ells but a defiling of true holinesse Why then saye they did Christ will that those intollerable burdens should be borne which the Scribes and Pharisees bounde vpon men But why in an other place did the same Christ wil that men should beware of the leuen of the Pharisees calling leuen as Mathew the Euangelist expoundeth it all their own doctrine that they mingled with the purenesse of the worde of God What would we haue more playne thā that we be commaunded to flee and beware of al their doctrine Whereby it is made most certaine vnto vs that in the other place also the Lorde willed not that the cōsciences of his shoulde be vexed with the Pharisees own traditiōs And the very wordes if they be not wrested soūde of no such thing For the Lord purposing there to enuey sharply againste the maners of the Pharisees did first simply instruct them that heard hym that although they saw nothing in their life mete for them to folow yet they should not cesse to do those thyngs which they taught in wordes whyle they sate in the chaire of Moses that is to declare the law Therefore he meant nothing ells but to prouide that the cōmon people should not with the euil exāples of the teachers be brought to despise the doctrine But forasmuch as many are nothing at al moued with resons but alwaye require authoritie I wil allege Augustines wordes in whiche the very same thing is spoken The Lordes shepefolde hath gouernoures some faithfull and some hirelinges The gouernours that are faithfull are true Pastors but heare ye that the hireliges also are necessarie for many in the Chirch folowing earthly profites do preach Christe and by them the voice of Christ is heard and the shepe do folowe not a hireling but the Pastor by the meanes of a hireling Heare ye that hirelinges are shewed by the Lord himselfe The Scribes saith he the Pharisees sitt in the chaire of Moses Doe ye those thinges that they saye but do not those thinges that they do What other thing said he but heare the voice of the Pastor by the hirelinges For in sitting in the chaire they teache the law of God therfore God teacheth by thē But if they wil teache their owne heare it not do it not This saith Augustine But wheras many vnskilfull men when they heare that consciences are wickedly boūde and God worshipped in vaine with the traditions of men do at ones blott out altogether al lawes whereby the order of the Chirch is set in Frame therefore it is conuenient also to mete with their error Uerily in this point it is easy to be deceiued because at the first sight it doeth not by and by appeare what differēce is betwene the one sort and the other But I will so plainly in few wordes sett out the whole mater that the likenesse may deceiue no man First let vs holde this that if we see in euery felowship of men some policie to be necessarie that may
beloued Sōne which only can manifestly shew the Father and in dede he hath manifestly shewed hym to the full so much as behoueth vs whyle we nowe beholde hym by a glasse As therefore thys is now taken awaye from men that they can not make newe Sacramentes in the Chirch of God so it were to be wished that as litle as were possible of mans inuētion might be myngled with those Sacramentes that are of God For lyke as when water is poured in the wyne departeth and is delayed as with leauen scattered among it the whole lumpe of done waxeth sower so the purenesse of the mysteries of God is nothyng ells but defyled when man addeth any thyng of hys owne And yet we see how farr the Sacramentes are swarued out of kynde from their naturall purenesse as they be handled at thys day There is echewhere to muche of pompes ceremonies and gesturinges but of the woorde of God in the meane tyme there is neither any consideration nor mention withoute which euen the Sacramentes themselues are not Sacramentes Yea and the very ceremonies that are ordeined of God in so greate a route can not ones lift vp their hed but lye as it were oppressed How litle is that seen in Baptisme which only ought there to haue shyned and been loked vpon as we haue in an other place rightfully complained euen Baptisme it selfe As for the Supper it is vtterly buried sins that it hath ben turned into the Masse sauing that it is seen ones euery yere but in a mangled and halfe torne fashion The .xix. Chapter Of the fiue falsly named Sacramentes where is declared that the other fyue which haue ben hetherto commonly taken for Sacramentes are not Sacramentes and then is shewed what manner of thinges they be OUr former discourse concerning Sacramentes myghte haue obteined thys with the sobre and willing to learne that they should not ouer curiously procede any further nor shold without the word of God embrace any other Sacraments beside those twoo which they knewe to be ordeined of the Lord. But forasmuch as that opinion of the seuen Sacramentes being commonly vsed in al mens take hauing wādered through all scholes and preachinges hath by very auncientie gathered rootes and is yet styll settled in the myndes of men I thought that I should do a thing worth the trauail if I should seuerally and more nerely searche those other fyue that are commonly adnumbred among the true and naturall Sacramentes of the Lorde and wyping away al deceitfull color shoulde set them fourth to be seen of the simple suche as they be and how falsly they haue ben hetherto taken for Sacramentes First I here protest to al the godly that I doe not take in hande this contention aboute the name for any desire of striuing but that I am by weighty causes led to fight againste the abuse of it I am not ignorante that Christians are Lordes as of wordes so of al thinges also therfore may at their wil apply wordes to thinges so that a godly sense be kept although there be some vnproprenesse in the speaking Al thys I graunt although it were better that the woordes shoulde be made subiect to thinges than thinges to the wordes But in the name of Sacrament there is an other consideratiō For they which make seuen Sacramentes do therewithal geue to them al this definition that they be visible formes of inuisible grace they make them altogether vessells of the Holy ghost instrumentes of geuing of righteousnesse causes of the obteining of grace Yea and the Maister of the sentences himselfe denyeth that the Sacramentes of the lawe of Moses are properly called by this name because they did not deliuer in dede the thing that they figured Is it I beseche you to be suffred that those signes which the Lord hath hallowed with his own mouth which he hath garnished with excellent promises should not be accompted for Sacramentes and in the meane time this honor shoulde be conueyed away to those vsages which men either haue deuised of themselues or at least do obserue without expresse commaundement of God Therefore either let them change the definition or let them absteine from the wrongfull vsing of this worde which doth afterwarde engender false opinions and ful os absurditie Extreme anointing say they is a figure and cause of inuisible grace because it is a Sacrament If we ought in no wise to graunt that which they gather vpon it then truely we must resist them in the name it selfe least therby we admitt that it maye geue occasion to such an error Againe when they would proue it to be a Sacrament they adde thys cause for that it consisteth of the outwarde signe and the worde If we finde neither commaundement nor promise of it what can we do ells but crye out against them Now appeareth that we brawle not about the worde but do moue a cōtrouersie not superfluous cōcerning the thing it selfe Therfore this we must strongly hold fast which we haue with inuincible reson before cōfirmed that the power to institute a Sacrament is in the hande of none but of God only For a Sacrament ought with a certaine promise to raise vp cōfort the cōsciēces of the faythful which could neuer receiue this certaintie from man A Sacrament ought to be to vs a witnessing of the good wil of God towarde vs wherof none of all men or Angels can be witnesse forasmuch as none hath ben of Gods counsell Therefore it is he alone which doth with right authoritie testifie of himself to vs by his worde A Sacramēt is a seale wherw t the testament or promise of God is sealed But it could not be sealed with bodily thinges and elementes of thys worlde vnlesse they be by the power of God framed and appoynted therunto Therfore mā can not ordeine a Sacrament because this is not in the power of man to make that so great mysteries of God should lye hidden vnder so base thynges The worde of God muste goe before which maye make a Sacrament to be a Sacrament as Augustine very well teacheth Moreouer it is profitable that there be kepte some difference betwene the Sacramentes and other ceremonies vnlesse we will fall into many absurdities The Apostles prayed kneling therfore men shall not kneele without a Sacrament It is sayd that the disciples prayed toward the East therfore the loking into the East shal be a Sacrament Paule willeth men in euery place to lift vp pure handes and it is rehearsed that holy mē oftentimes prayed with their handes lifted vp then let the lifting vp of hands also be made a Sacramēt Finally let all the gestures of the holy ones turne into Sacramentes Howbeit I would not also muche passe vppon these thinges if so that they were not ioyned with those other greater discommodities If they will presse vs with the authoritie of the olde Chirche I saye that they pretende a false color For this number of
quiete and assured lyfe If he be in vaine geuen vs of the Lorde for defence vnlesse it be lawfull for vs to vse suche benefite it sufficiently appereth that he may also without vngodlinesse be called vpon and sued vnto But here I muste haue to doo with twoo kyndes of men For there be many men that boyle with so great rage of quarellyng at the lawe that they neuer haue quiete with themselues vnlesse they haue strife with other And their controuersies they exercise with deadly sharpnesse of hatred and with mad gredinesse to reuenge and hurt and do pursue them with vnappeasable stiffenesse euen to the verye destruction of their aduersarie In the meane tyme that they may not be thought to doo any thyng but rightefully they defende suche peruersnesse with color of lawe But though it be graunted thee to go to lawe with thy brother yet thou mayste not by and by hate hym not be carried againste hym with furious desyre to hurt hym not stubbornely to pursue hym Let this therfore be said to such men that the vse of lawes is lawful if a man doo rightly vse it And that the right vse bothe for the pleintife to sue and for the defendant to defende is if the defendant beeyng summoned doo appere at an appointed day and dothe with such exception as he can defēd his cause without bitternesse but only with this affection to defend that whiche is his owne by law and if the pleintif beyng vnworthily oppressed either in his person or his goodes do resort to the defence of the Magistrate make his complainte and require that which is equitie and conscience but farre from all gredy will to hurte or reuenge farre from sharpnesse and hatred farre from burnyng heate of contention but rather redy to yeld of his owne and to suffer any thing than to be caried with an enemylike mynd against his aduersarie Contrarywise when beyng filled with malice of mynde corrupted with enuie kindled with wrath breathyng out reuenge or finally so enflamed with the heate of the contention they geue ouer any parte of charitie the whole procedyng euen of a moste iuste cause can not but be wicked For this ought to be a determined principle to all christians that a controuersie though it be neuer so righteous can neuer be rightly pursued of any man vnlesse he beare as good will and loue to his aduersarie as if the matter whiche is in controuersie were already concluded and ended by composition Some man will here peraduenture say that suche moderation is so neuer vsed in goyng to lawe that it shoulde be lyke a miracle if any suche were founde I graunt in dede as the maners of these tymes be that there is seldome sene an example of a good contender in lawe yet the thyng it selfe beyng defiled with addition of no euel ceasseth not to be good and pure But when we heare that the helpe of the Magistrate is a holy gift of God we must so muche the more diligently take hede that it be not defiled by our faulte As for them that precisely condemne all contendings at lawe lett them vnderstande that they do therwithall despise the holy ordinance of God and a gifte of that kynde of giftes whiche maye be cleane to the cleane vnlesse peraduenture they will accuse Paule of wicked doyng whiche did bothe put away from himselfe the sclanders of his accusers with declaryng also their deceite and maliciousnesse and in iudgement claimed for hymselfe the prerogatiue of the citie of Rome and when nede was he appelled from an vnrighteous gouernor to the Emperors iudgement seate Neither withstandeth it that all Christians are forbidden to desire reuenge which we also do driue farre away from Christian iudgemente seates For if the contention be about a commō case he goeth not the right way that doth not with innocent simplicitie commit his cause to the iudge as to a common defender thynking nothing lesse than to rēder mutual recōpence of euill which is the affection of reuenge or if any matter of life and death or any greate criminall action be commenced we require that the accuser be suche a one as commeth into the courte beyng taken with no boylyng heate of reuenge and touched with no displeasure of priuate iniurie but only hauyng in mynde to withstande the enterprises of a mischeuous manne that they may not hurt the common weale But if thou take away a reuengyng mynde there is no offence done against that cōmaundement whereby reuenge is forbidden to Christians But they are not only for bidden to desire reuenge but they are also commaunded to wayt for the hande of the Lord which promiseth that he wil be a present reuenger for the oppressed and aflicted but they do preuent all reuenge of the heauēlye defendor which require helpe at the Magistrates hande either for themselues or other Not so For we muste thinke that the Magistrates reuenge is not the reuenge of man but of God which as Paule sayth he extēdeth and exerciseth by the ministerie of man for our good And no more do we disagree with the wordes of Christ by which he forbiddeth to resist euell and commaundeth to turne the righte cheke to him that hath geuen a blowe on the left and to suffer him to take away thy cloke that taketh awaye thy coate He willeth in dede there that the myndes of his should so much abhorre from desire of recompensing like for like that they should soner suffer doble iniurie to be done to themselues than desire to reacquite it from which patience neither do we also leade them awaye For Christians truely oughte to bee a kinde of men made to beare reproches and iniuries open to the malice deceites and mockages of noughty men and not that onely but also they muste bee bearers of al these euilles that is to say so framed with al their hartes that hauing receiued one displeasure they make themselues redy for an other promysyng to them selues nothyng in their whole lyfe but the bearing of a continuall Crosse. In the meane tyme also they muste doo good to them that doo them wrong and wyshe well to those that curse them and whyche is their onely victorie stryue to ouercome euyll with good Being so minded they wil not seke eie for eie tooth for tooth as the Pharises taught their disciples to desire reuenge but as we are taught of Christ they will so suffer their body to be mangled and their goodes to be maliciously taken from them that they will forgeue and of their owne accorde pardon those euels so soone as they are done to them Yet this euennesse and moderation of mindes shall not withstād but that the frendshyp toward their ennemies remaining safe they may vse the helpe of the magistrate to the preseruyng of their goodes or for zele of publike commoditie may sue a giltie and pestilent man to be punished whom they know that he can not be amended but by death For