vppon his name and yelde him thanks P. That should be sufficiente as towards God. For so much as he knoweth well what is in the heart of man withoute any néede of other testimonie M. Wherefore is it then that he yet requireth that man yelde outwarde testimonie P. He doth it chiefly for two causes M. Which is the firste P. It is to that ende that man deceiue not himselfe making himselfe to beléeue that he hath true faith in God when he hath none at all M. How may he know whether he haue faith or no by that meane whiche thou speakest of P. Euē as the trée is knowne by his frutes and the workeman by hys worke and the cause by his effecte M. It seemeth to me that whiche thou saist is a better meane to cause others to knowe whether he haue faith or no then hymselfe P. If others maye knowe it by this meane there is no doubte but such a testimonie whiche he yeldeth to others may well serue him for a proofe and greater confirmation of his faith when he shall sée these frutes himselfe M. Which is the other reason that thou hast also to thys purpose P. It is to the ende that God be glorified also before men by the confession and testimonie of the faith that is in the heart of the beléeuing man. Of the meanes ordeyned to man by God vvhereby they may make profession of their faith M. WHat meanes hath he ordeyned to make confession and to yelde testimonie P. The chiefe are the assemblies of the faithfull in the whiche he doth precide by his holy spirite and by the ministerie of his worde for whose causes he hath chiefly ordeyned the daye of rest M. What means are there in such asemblies to make there this confession P. There are thrée chiefly M. Which is the first P. The allowing and confession of Lordes doctrine whiche is there set foorth by the preaching of the Gospell M Whiche is the second P. The publique and common prayers of the Churche M. Which is the thirde P. It is the communion of the Sacramēts administred by the ordinance of God in those assemblies M. I would willingly learne of thée whiche be these Sacramentes P. It were better that we deferred this matter to an other time to the ende that we continued the purpose which we haue in hand at this presente touching the matters comprised in these commandementes of the lawe of God. Of the charitie tovvards our neyghboure M. WE haue alredy handled two points touching the frutes of faith tell me now which is the thirde and last P. It is the charitie that God requireth of euery man one to another M. Seing that faith hath his proper regarde to God only and to the commandements of the first table and charitie hath his regarde to our neyboure and to the commaundementes of the second table as thou hast saide heretofore Tell me nowe what agréements there is betwene faith and charitie P. Seing that faith hath regarde to God he can not be without perfecte loue of him neyther the perfect loue towards him maye be but forthwith it extendeth to all hys children and to all those that he recommendeth vnto vs. A diuision of the matters conteyned in the second table M. WHat doth this charitie towards our neyghboure comprehende P. All the commaundements of the second table of the law M. Which be the principal points of this charitie whereof thou speakest P. We maye likewise bring them all into two M. What doth GOD require in the firste P. The honoure and the obedience that he willeth all inferiors to yelde to their superiors whom he hath giuen vnto them for leaders and gouernors in what estate soeuer they be euen as the fifth commaundement of the lawe doth conteyne M. What requireth he in the seconde P. The dutie wherevnto he hath egally and generally bounde al men one to another and the honestie and iustice that all men oughte to kepe in theyr conuersation in this world towards their God. M. What vnderstādest thou by that iustice and honestie P. That man kepe himselfe pure and sounde as well in hys soule as in his body to the ende he be not defiled either by any violence or wrong that he shall do to his neyghboure in any thing that may be nor by any whoredome or filthinesse whatsoeuer Of the points vvherein euery one is bounde to his neyghbour M. DEclare to me more exactly what our dutie towards our neyghboure importeth P. That we haue the same care for all men in generall that we haue for our selues M. But wherein ought we to haue this care for others P. There are two pointes to be considered herein M. Which is the first P. That we take héede that we do them no dishonour nor hurte in any wise be it in the soule body goods or name M. Which is the other P. That we procure their health honoure and profite with all our power in all thinges as the other fiue commaundemēts folowing do declare Of the vveaknesse defaulte of povver that is in man to accomplishe the lavve of God. M. AL that is very iust and very reasonable but is it in the power of mā to yelde to God so sounde and perfect obedience as he requireth of him P. He hath not only not that power but contrarily it is fully impossible for him to yelde vnto God such an obedience For according to his nature he hath no pleasure but to resiste against his holy will. Of the fall and restoring of man The third Dialogue Of mans Freevvill M. HAth man no frée will where by he maye doe the good that God commaundeth him and refuse the euill which he forbyddeth him P. He hath frée will without any power to do good But on the contrarie so prompt to all euill that he desireth not neyther can he any other thing but to do euill for the tyme that he remayneth in his corrupt nature Of sinne and of the nature of it and what originall sinne is properly M. WHat is the cause of this vnhappinesse P. Sinne wherevnto he became subiect thorowe his owne faulte in such sorte that he is as a seruaunt and slaue to sinne M. How is sinne the cause Peter Bycause that it bringeth to him two euilles the greateste that maye be M. Whiche is the first P. It is the wrath and curse of God whereof sinne maketh man guiltie M. Whiche is the seconde P. It is that corruption of nature whereof I haue already spoken whiche maketh man so enclined to euill that he cannot of himselfe thinke speake nor doe anye good but procure dayly more and more the wrath of God vppon him by all that whiche he can thinke speake or doe M. That corruption of nature ought it to be accompted for sin P. It is properly that which is commonly called original sinne whiche is the spring and fountaine from whence all the others do
their profite and that they ought most willingly to receyue and embrace the same as well for the great good will and frendship that God did beare towarde them and had declared vnto them as for the right of Lordship which he had double ouer them of their owne parte bicause of their creation on thother bicause of the deliuerance which was as a newe conquest by the which he had as it were conquered them a new deliuering them from the subiection of a most cruell tyraunt to make them a well beloued people to him selfe and as the first borne of all people And therfore he doth plainly say which haue brought thee out and none other by my only power strēgth and not by thine owne nor of any creature else and to make them yet more willing as of right they ought not béeing contente to haue made mention of the countrey of Egypte but he addeth vnto it from the house of bondage to put them in minde of the great trauels wherwith they were oppressed and to giue them to vnderstande that they had béen holden as a slaue in harde and cruell bondage liuing in the bitter and tyrannous subiection of an other without hauing any shewe or fashion of a people in respect of that which was afterward giuen thē by the lawe and pollicie which the Lorde gaue vnto them T. That is worthy to be noted Hovv that this remembraunce of the going foorth out of Egypte is a marke to separate the true God from the false Goddes D. ON the other side this remēbrance of the going foorth of the people out of the lande of Egypt doth comprehende not onely the benefites which this nation did at that time receiue at the hād of God when they were brought out of Egypt by his power and vertue but also all the other works and wonders which he did among them and by the which he did declare and shewe him selfe not only to be the true God but also to be the guid and gouernour of this people And therefore for so muche as he can not be séene nor vnderstoode by any bodily sense it pleased him to giue these visible witnesses and testimonies of him selfe wherby he may be certenly séene in spirite and fayth and discerned from false Gods and chéefly in Iesus Christ our Lord in whō he hath yet more familiarly and plainly shewed him selfe Wherefore we are assured that when we direct our selues to this God which brought the people of Israell out of Egypte which is also the very same which hath shewed him selfe in Christe we do not direct our selues to any Idoll nor yet to a false God but to the true God who hath so declared hym selfe by his works For what people is it that may say of the Goddes which they worship that which we may say in déede of our God the true God of Israell and father of oure Lorde Iesus Christe And for so muche as men be so vnkinde towarde God and that there is nothing more ready and common among them than to forgette his graces and benefites as the spirite of God doth oftentimes lay to the charge of this people he gaue vnto Israell the sacramente of the Paschall Lambe and vnto vs that of his supper to make vs mindefull Of the sundry tytles which haue bene giuen to God in the holy scriptures as well before the going foorth out of Egypt as after and cheefly sithe the comming of Christe in the fleshe and for vvhat causes they haue bene giuen T. THis poynt that maketh mention of the going foorth out of Egypte is euen the most harde of all the Preface Wherfore I would gladly vnderstande for what cause God did so expresly take to him selfe this title and that he did not rather take some other which was more common to all nations séeing that that lawe should serue vnto all D. God might well haue taken greater more redoubted titles but it pleased him rather to vse those that were more fauourable and lesse fearfull which do set him foorth to vs more gracious and mercyfull than sharpe and rigorous to the ende that he would not make vs to flée from him fearing vs with the greatnesse of his maiestie but rather that he would drawe vs vnto him by the swéetenesse of his mercy On the other side he hath also taken the names and titles according to the tyme the places and people vnto whom he shewed him selfe and according to the maners and fashiōs that he vsed and bicause that he would declare him selfe more familiarly he did take those titles that were moste speciall to make him selfe the better knowen vnto vs to the ende we should not be ouermuch discouraged if he had left vs in an ouer-large contemplation of him selfe without giuing any terme or ende to our spirite to cause him selfe to be knowne to it by some benefite more particular and more worthy of his louing kindnesse Before that departure Iacob bicause of the promise and aliance the God of Abraham of Isahac and of out of Egypt he was oftentimes called made with them wheras before he was commonly called the maker of heauen and earth And from the departure out of Egypte he hath taken this title euen to the comming of Chryst of whom it was sayde by the Prophets that he should no more be called the God whiche hath brought vs out of Egypt but the Lorde which hath drawen vs out from al parts and countreys wherein we were dispersed euen from the time that he was called God Father of Iesus Christe who hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessing and heauenly things in Christ and hath redéemed and deliuered vs from all euill which thing was not done without good and iust cause And also we muste beside all this consider that which hath bene already spoken to wit that that cōmemoration of the deliuery out of Egypt is taken for a rememberaunce of all the benefites of God towarde his people bicause that it was the beginning wherby he did more excellently and more apparantly declare what care he had for hys people dothe helpe them in a more authorised and authentike maner than he did before and afterwarde he hath alwayes continued his mercy vpon them and vpon all those which by Christ haue ben woon ioined to this people Wherin Moyses did vse a maner of speach which was very cōmō to him which was to signifie cōprehēd the whole by a part therof Of the true knovvledge and manifestatiō of God and to vvhat ende the titles serue vvhich are giuen to him to guyde and leade vs to the same T. DEclare this to me more plainly D. Thou must know that it is not sufficient for a man to haue a certen generall conceite or imagination or opinion and knowledge of God in his vnderstanding but it is méete that he do know him to be such a one as he hath declared him selfe by his word chéefly in
blyndenesse that synne hathe engendred in the vnderstandyng of man which is the cause that he cannot so well discerne the good from the euill nor iudge of the one and the other as he should haue done if he had continued in the state of innocencie and grace in the whiche he was created beside that there is this other greate mischiefe that man doth willingly supporte that wherin hee would himselfe be supported and that he neuer hath so great care for that which concerneth the honoure of God as for that whiche concerneth his owne bodie It is the cause why men doe rather punishe yea and that more gréeuousely those faultes whiche touche their honor or dishonor or their profit or hindrance than they doe those whiche make warres directly against the honour and maiestie of God but it is not so with God for he is not contented with the only work that appeareth outwardly but he requireth the hearte and beholdeth the fountayne from whence the woork springeth which can not please him howe faire a shewe so euer it haue but only so farre foorth as it procéedeth from the heart and that the heart doe please him the whiche in déede can in no wise please him but so farforth as he doth drawe néere to his nature and that he is reformed and made new lyke to his image and regenerate by his holy spirite For there is no worke good nor pleasant to God but that whiche procéedeth from him and that he himself doth for euen as there is none good but onely he so is ther no good thing but that which procedeth frō him alone therfore the work which procéedeth from vs can not please him but so farre as hée worketh in vs by his holy spirite and that our spirite is gouerned by his For he whiche is a spirite is then serued by his like In vvhat sorte the vvordes of the lavve of God ought to be vnderstode and hovve that God dothe not onely beholde the outvvarde vvorkes but the origiginal of them also vvhat be the things that God doth allovv or cōdemne in man. T. SO farre foorth as I may vnderstand by thy woordes that lawe doth well deserue to be otherwyse weyed and considered of than it is D. It is euen so For when God dothe require of vs a thing that séemeth to belong to the outewarde woorke wée oughte to vnderstande the whole by a parte and the cause by the effecte and the roote and the whole herbe by the fruict and the woorkeman by the woorke and all the circumstaunces and dependances of the one and the other And when he forbiddeth a thyng we muste also knowe that he commaundeth his contrarie and likewise when he commaundeth hée forbiddeth the contrarie of that whiche he commaundeth For he beholdeth man thorowly both endlong and ouerthwarte and dothe sounde the hearte and all the thoughts and affections of him and alloweth nothyng in hym but that whiche he fyndeth to bée his and hathe himselfe commaunded and disalloweth nothing but that which man hath receiued of others than of him that which he hath forbidden him Wherfore he doth not only condemne that worke whiche séemeth outwardly to bée euill but also the spring from whence the same procedeth doth not onely condemne it when his frute is come to light but he doth alwais condemn it albeit that it doe continually lie hidde in secrete in the darke bottomlesse pittes of ignoraunce of the hearte of man vnsearcheable to man but knowne and open to god Therfore Dauid sayeth thou haste proued and knowne mée thou haste knowne mée sitting and standing going and commyng within and without For howe may it be that the workeman which made man shoulde not know him whiche did know him before he was begotten and made Shall not the workman know his worke T. Who shoulde then know him if he should not Of the consideration of those things which in dede displease God in man and first of all in his vvorke and in vvhat sort it ought to be cōsidered as commaunded or forbidden by God. D. SEeing then that hée whyche is the workeman and hath framed made the substance it selfe wherof he is fashioned and that he him selfe is the giuer of the fashion it is not to bee doubted but that hée doothe verye well knowe all that euer is in hym and that whyche hée hath of his owne put into hym and what man hath of others to destroy his worke Wée must therfore note here that there are in vs foure things that can not please God and euery of them dothe in his behalfe deserue death and eternal damnation Nowe if any one of them being taken aparte if it were possible to separate them the one from the other be so abhominable of his owne nature and worthye of so gréeuous punyshemente what may it then be when they are all ioyned togither T. There must néedes be muche filthinesse but which be these things D. First there is concupiscence for the seconde the affection begotten of him for the third the consent of the wil to this affection for the fourthe the execution of the same by déede But I will begin my declaration by this last which is to say by the work that apeareth outwardly to the ende that by the same wée maye haue the better vnderstanding of the other thynges that doe goe before which are more hidden and more secret In this poynt I will begin by the moste apparaunt and open frute whereby wée easily iudge of the nature of all trées For in setting foorthe firste the worke the workeman shal not only be knowne therby but also the forge and shoppe wherein that worke hath bin wrought As concerning the worke we oughte to consider it first two wais The one as commaunded of God the other as forbidden by hym That which is commaunded by God can neuer be euill being vnderstoode in that sense and meaning that he hath cōmaunded it and being applyed to that end that it oughte to bée On the other side that which he hath forbidden being weyed in the same sorte may neuer in any wise be good By what rule the vvorks of men ought to be examined and hovv daungerous a thing it is to follovve the iudgemente of mans reason T. WE ought then to be well aduised and to take good héede how we do establish iudgement vppon mans reason and vpon the opinions of men in such matters D. It is very true For it is often times séene that men iudge that good which is euil and do disalowe that which God aloweth and alowe that whiche he disaloweth for the causes before mentioned For in the iudgement of god the sentence shall not be giuen according to the iudgement of mans reason and of the opinions of men but according to the pronuntiation whiche God hath alredy pronounced by his worde and by his lawe which shall be the weights the ballaunce and the rule wherein and whereby al the thoughts words and
Wherin he hathe shewed the difference that is betwéene the creator and the creature and betwéene the nature and goodnesse of the one and the other For if God had created the Angels of such perfection as he is and of a goodnesse so vnchangeable of his nature that it coulde neuer haue ben changed into malice no more thā his own nature goodnesse mought what difference should there be betwéen God his angels The creature by this mean should be no more a creature if his nature wer such as is the nature of his creator but he should be very God which it can not be For ther is nothing that may be both maker creature vnles we will attribute the same to our lord Iesus Chryst who béeing very God very man in one only person is both maker creature togither Maker inasmuch as he is God eternal creature in that that he is mā which was cōceiued in the wombe of the virgin born in his time ordeined by god but this belōgeth vnto him by sundry respects by meane of the two diuers natures that ar ioyned togither in one person in him Wherfore although he be both the one the other in one very person yet is he not so in one nature but creator by reason of the one creature by mean of the other but the like is not of angels for as they haue but only one nature so may they be therein but very creatures greatly differēt from their creator as the fall of those that are fallen hath plainly declared For in falling frō the state wherin they wer they haue shewed in déed that they were not such of themselues nor Gods vnchaungeable of their owne nature that they could not so continue of their owne power Of the maruelous counsel of God vvhich was declared in the fal of the angels which are fallen from their first estate and in the preseruation of those which did continue firme and stedfast and how he hath declared the iustice of his iudgement towards the one sort the riches of his grace towards the others T. IF the men which ar so troubled with the doctrine of Predestination did well consider that which thou sayst they should not haue in my opinion occasion so to trouble themselues ▪ for these things wherof thou speakest did not come to passe withoute the knowledge counsell foresyghte and ordinaunce of god What wil mans reason say then therof wil it say that God hath done wrong to those that are falne bicause that he did not sustain confirm thē as he did the others but if that had bin done this wherof thou speakest had not ben so manifestly declared nor yet the nature and the maiestie and the excellencie that he hath ouer all creatures yea the most noble and moste excellent that are shoulde not haue ben so well set foorth D. It is very true On the other syde if they had all fallen indifferently the excellencie of the nature wherin god had created them nor yet the power wherby god did make them shold not haue ben so well knowne nor yet his grace toward them as it is knowne For in considering the difference that is betwéen the diuels the Angels of heauen we sée how excellent the nature of Angels is also that which they haue receiued of God in his creation we see on the other side in the deuils what it is that the creature can do of himself how excellent soeuer it be except it be preserued by god who hath created it on the contrary wée sée in the other angels the double grace that God hath bestowed vpon them The first in their creation which they had cōmon with the rest that are fallen before they did fal The second is in the conseruation of the nature whiche was first giuen vnto them in the confirmation in the same through his grace which the others wanted which is the very cause of the diuersitie that now is betwéen them which diuersitie doth not let notwithstāding but that the diuels do continue still angels in the same substaunce that they were created in but the difference is great in the qualitie that is to say in that that the one sort are not only angels but are good angels perseuering in the firste goodnesse that they receiued of God in the beginning in their creatiō frō which notwithstanding they mought as well haue fallen as the others if that God by his special grace had not sustained them had not otherwise disposed ordeined Wherfore it is not writtē without cause that all is restored by Iesus Chryste aswel in heauē as in earth that all consist by him in him The other on the other side are called not only angels but wicked angels deuils bicause that they did not perseuere in the first goodnes wherin they were created but turning from him frō whence the same proceeded they were put frō it in the stead of the same malice wickednes is come in place whiche is nothing else but lack priuation of goodnes which is changed into an euil qualitie which doth corrupt the creature that was created good maketh the natures contrary which wer before like For the same cause Iesus christ hath sayd that the diuel is a lier from the beginning that is to say euē frō the time that he was first a diuel and not fom the time that he was first made an angel that when he doth speak lies he speaketh that which is his own And therfore he addeth vnto it that he did not abyde still in the truth for he hath nothing of God which is truth but that whiche he now hath of euill is of himselfe Howe that the diuel may not impute the fault and fall of his damnation but to him selfe and how it is manifest by that fal that ther is no vnchangeable veritie nor constancie but in the nature of God. T. THen is there no faulte that procéedeth from God in the fall of the angels nor any thing therof which is apparant to men out of his eternall coūsel but that when the diuel wold turne from him of his own proper motion God who had not created him vnchaungeable did suffer him to change to folow his wil and permitted him to fall did not let him hold him nor pluck him back which thing not withstanding he could wel haue done if his good will and pleasure had ben suche and that hée had not otherwise determined in his eternall counsel for good iust causes for the which he is not bounde to giue vs an accompte the which he dothe know better than we doe But he hathe not thrust him forward nor constrayned him of force so to do albeeit that it is not done without his prouidence and eternal ordinaunce Wherfore he may not attribute the faulte of his euill acte to any other than to himselfe whiche thyng wée must séeke as thou haste
the same satisfaction whiche Iesus Christe hath made to God his father may be communicated and appiled to vs. THE FOVRTH dialogue is of the iustification and sanctification of man. Of the faith in Iesus Christ and of the Iustification thereby MATHEVV WHyche is the meane whereby to comme to that Communycation wherof thou hast euen nowe spoken and by the whiche wée muste communicate with Iesus Christ Pe. There is none other but the only faith in Iesus Christ For by the same we are iustified before God and not by our workes neyther in all nor in parte M. What is it to be iustified before God P. It is to be accoumpted for iust at his iudgemente as if we had neuer sinned M. How maye this be done by the mean of faith P. Bycause that the spirite of God by whome it is giuen vs doth ioyne vs with Christ as members of his body by the meanes of the same faith in such sorte that the iustice of Christe and all that euer he hath done for vs is imputed and ascribed to vs as though it were our owne proper Of the iustificatiō by faith by vvorks M. WHy is this honoure rather giuen to faith than to works P. Bycause there is no iustice that may satisfie the iudgement of God vnlesse it be perfecte as is that of Iesus Christe M. Why may not that of Iesus Christ be as well allowed vnto vs by our works as by faith P. Bycause that they are things altogither cōtrary to be iustified by faith to be iustified by a mans owne works M. What contrarietie is there in that P. If that man could find iustice in himselfe and in his owne workes whereby he mighte satisfie vnto God he should then haue no neede of that of Iesus Christ Of the satisfactiō tovvards god by works M. ANd if he may not satisfie in euery pointe maye he not yet at the least satisfie in parte P. If he cannot satisfie him in the whole no more can he in parte M. For what cause P. Chiefly for two causes M. Whiche is the firste P. It is that God receyueth no iustice for satisfaction if it be not sound and perfect and worthie of his maiestie as wee haue alreadie touched M. Which is the other P. It is that man being naught and vniust of his nature can doe no worke that may be iust as we haue also sayd if he be not first made good and iust Of the works wherby man may satisfie at the iudgement of God. M. DOest thou meane by this that the good and iuste worke maketh not the man good and iust P. I doe not altogether denie but that the good iust work maketh the man good and iust but I say that mans worke can not doe this bycause there procéedeth none suche from him M. Which is then the work that may doe this P. That of Iesus Christ wherof wée haue spoken heretofore whiche bringeth vnto vs this commoditie when wée are made partakers of hym by the meane of Faythe as wée haue alreadie sayd Of the causes why iustification is attributed to faith only M. SHEwe me nowe for full resolution what is the chiefe cause why iustification is ascribed to faith P. Bicause that in stead of bringing to God any thing that is of man he bringeth him to Iesus christ to receiue of him therby that whiche hée can not fynde in himselfe M. For what cause is this done P. To the ende that man may be founde iust before God not by his owne iustice for he can not but by that of Iesus Christe Of the satisfaction by faith M. THy meaning is then that this iustice of Iesus Christ maketh a man iust before God as though he were wholly innocent forsomuche as GOD estéemeth him for such an one accepting the Iustice of his sonne Iesus Chryste for full satisfaction P. It is so and it bringeth yet beside that an other very great commodity M. What is it P. It is that where as before hée coulde doe nothyng but euill this fayth dothe sanctifie him disposing him to the obedience of the will of God and to all good works to the ende that he may serue to iustice to holynesse where as before he serued to iniustice and to sinne M. How is it that faith doth sanctifie man according to thy saying P. There be two things to consider in this sanctification M. Which is the first P. It is that Iesus Christe hauing taken our owne flesh in the wombe of the Virgin in the which he was conceiued by the working of the holy Ghost hath also sanctified it in his Of which thing beside the testimonie that we haue of the Angell in the holy Scriptures the holy Ghost hath yet yelded more ample testimonie in the baptisme of Iesus Christ when in fourme of a doue he did descend vppon him whiche is our head in whome all his members were foorthwith sanctified M. Which is the other pointe P. It is that faith whiche embraceth and receyueth wholly Iesus Christ with al his gifts and graces is neuer in man without the spirite of him nor the spirite of him without his frutes whiche are altogither contrary to the works of the flesh to witte of the corrupted man that is not regenerate by the spirite of God. Of the true spring of good vvorks M DEclare vnto me if thou vnderstandest by this that faith is the fountaine of all good works and the good roote whiche maketh man a good trée to beare good frute wher as before he was an euil trée and bare euill frute P. It cannot bée otherwise M. I thinke then it is the cause why Sainct Paule speaking of the true Christian faith doth call it the liuing and working saith thorough charitie and why Saincte Iames saith that the faith that is withoute works is dead P. There is no doubte of it Of the accomplishing of the lavve in Iesus Christ and of the difference that is betvvene the iustification and sanctification of a Christian man. M. SEing then that man is so refourmed by the meane of faythe thou wilte then saye that he is otherwise disposed to obey the lawe of God than he was before whē he was yet in his owne naturall P. It is easie to vnderstande by that which we haue already said M. May we then in no wise obey the lawe of god excepte that we be first regenerate by his spirite and refourmed to his Image P. No in déede M. If we cā in no sorte obey we are then farre off from yelding perfecte obedience to the whole lawe P. It is true M. What is the cause thereof P. It is for that that our regeneration and reformation is neuer fully perfecte in vs so long as we are wrapped in this corruptable flesh in this worlde M. What other remedy is there then P. It is to haue recourse to the iustification which we haue alredy obteyned thorough the faith in Iesus Christe by the
paide the last mayle he maye as well do it for a little summe as for a great and for a parte as for the whole Mathevv I graunte the same But in the meane time thou must confesse that the debter is lesse bound than before Wherfore is it then that this hathe not as well please with God as with men and that he doth not alwayes accoumpte that which is payed and go in hande to rebate so muche as hath bin payde vnto him P. There be thrée pointes to consider in the same M. Which is the firste P. It is that he whiche is faultie in one pointe of the lawe is faultie in the whole M. And whiche is the second P. The impuritie of the works of man. M. And the thirde P. The obligation by the which they are alredy of right by their nature boūd to god VVhy one only sinne maketh a man guiltie of all the lavve and of damnation M. I Do well vnderstand thy meaning For firste it séemeth to me by thy words that it should folow that he who hath committed but one sinne is as guiltie as he that hath committed many or hath committed all P. Saincte Iames whose opinion I haue followed saith not so M. What saith he then P. Who soeuer breaketh one pointe of the lawe the same committeth high treason againste God from whence it followeth that by the same he deserueth eternall damnation albeit he had committed but that one only M. Howe vnderstandest thou it P. Séeing that God is an eternall Prince and king euery sinne committed against his maiestie whiche is eternall doth merite also eternall punishmente If those vvhiche haue most sinned shal be most punished by Gods iudgemente M. IF he then be also damned that shall haue committed few sinnes as well as he that shall haue committed many it is then as good for a man to excéede as it were with the raines layde on his necke as to refraine and abstayne from many from the whiche a man might kepe hym selfe P. That followeth not M. What reason can you alleadge to the contrary P. It is that albeit there be eternall dānation for all the reprobates yet notwithstanding he that shall haue moste sinned shal not faile to be most punished for so muche as it is written euery man shall receiue his hire according to hys works M. Haste thou none other passages of the Scriptures more euidente to proue that whiche thou sayest P. Iesus Christe him selfe doth saye to that same purpose that the seruant which knoweth the will of his master and doth it not shal be beaten with mo stripes than he that hath not done it being ignorante of it M. This passage is very playne Pet. Thou hast also that which Iesus Christ himself hath said that those of Sodome Gomorre shal be more softly delt with at the day of iudgement than these which shal haue cast off the Gospell from them Of the impuritie of mens vvorks and hovv God iudgeth of them M. I Do now vnderstand this point wel wherefore thou maist proceede to the other which is concerning the impuritie of mens workes P. That is that séeing men are corrupted by sinne there cā procéede from them no worke whatsoeuer it be haue it neuer so faire a shewe before men whiche is not so foule as nothing may be more M. It followeth then that they cā do no good work and the best that they can do are all euill of their nature if God will examine them according to the rule of his iustice and perfection P. Thou saist very truth wherefore so farre is it off frō being able to apease Gods wrath but that they dayly prouoke the same more more so lōg as he beholdeth them such as they be of their nature for god iudgeth not as mē do M. What differēce is there then Doth he not iudge that to be good which is good and euil that which is euil P. If he should iudge otherwise he should not be iust nor good but bycause he is a good iust iudge he iudgeth of mēs works as they ought to be iudged of in déede and not as men which do not iudge but acording to the outward apparance M. What is the cause thereof Pe. There be two The first is that they cannot knowe and found the harts as God can The other is also bycause that they be so blind in theyr owne workes wherefore they cannot sée in them that whiche God séeth in them bycause they do not consider their naturall corruption as they oughte to do neyther do they know it as it is requisite Of the obligation vvherby mā is bound to God and for vvhat cause he cannot make recompence by the good vvorks vvhich he doth for the euill vvorks vvhich he hath committed M. COme nowe to the third pointe which is concerning mans obligation towardes God. P. Euen as men are bounde not to do that which God forbiddeth euē so be they boūd to do that which he commaundeth them M. What followeth of that P. For somuche as there is double obligation the one cannot abolish the other For if I do one parte of that which God commandeth me I remaine alwayes yet bounde for that which is yet to do M. But in the meane time the same is alredy done and in that respecte thou hast alredy satisfied for that parte P. Albeit that my harte were so perfecte that there were nothing in it to be blamed before God that notwithstanding it coulde not serue me for satisfaction for bycause I remaine a debter séeing that I oughte alredy that which I haue payed M. I graunt thée that P. Now if the good works done may not satisfie for those which be vndon how shal they satisfie for the euill works which I shal haue done against the expresse cōmandement of God M. I haue no more to replie For I sée well that I cannot recompence an euill worke with a good and that for two causes The firste bicause that I can not do any which is verily good The other bycause I owe the good whiche I shoulde doe and yet I am still guiltie for the euill whiche I haue committed P. And therfore Iesus Christ hath sayd When you shall haue done al that whiche is commaunded you say ye We are vnprofitable seruantes we haue done that whiche we ought to do For what cause there is nothyng but the only sacrifice of Iesus Christ which may satisfie at the iudgement of God. M I Do nowe knowe more manifestly what thou wilte conclude by thys whole discourse and by that whiche thou hast alreadie sayde concerning this purpose that there is none but Iesus Christ which may do sacrifice or any worke acceptable vnto God. P. If that mē mought doe it of themselues he then should haue ben giuen to vs in vaine by the Father to doe that whiche an other mought haue done beside him For as Saincte Paule sayeth he should haue died in vayn if we mought
fallen into an other necessitie wholy cōtrary to the first For in the stead that before he did necessarily good was wholy giuen to God for that of his nature he coulde not then will nor do otherwise through constraint hauing changed both nature will he can not but folow his nature wherefore this necessitie of wel doing did not procéede of any wāt that was in him as it séemeth vnto vs that the woorde doth signifie for when wée speake of good things we doe not in that behalfe take necessitie for néede or lacks but for a dispositiō of things which cā not be other but such as she is hir self according to the declaration that hath bene already made if wée speake of euill wée may well then say that the necessitie whereof wée speake is ioyned with lacke of goodnesse contrarie to this euill For the euill which man doth is not done but for wante of goodnesse which ought to be in him in the steade of the euill into the which the good was chaunged the which euill of his nature engēdreth euill where as the good engendreth good Wée sée the like againe of this in some other thing as in the darkenesses whiche the night doth bring vnto vs in that which foloweth for what is the cause of the night but only the shadow of the earth whiche taketh from vs the light of the sunne bringeth vnto vs darknesses cōtrary to that light by meanes whereof we haue the day turned into night and then when we are couered all ouer with the night we can not doe that which we doe in the day nor go forth right but clean contrarie and that bicause that wée haue darknesse in the steade of light without the which we can not walke directly yet all this while is the necessitie without constraint For albeit that the lacke which may be in a mā the which we cal necessitie be by chaūce an occasion to make him to steale yet notwithstāding he cannot iustly say that he was constrained to steale for if he had bene an honest man and not a théefe he would rather haue endured all kinde of miseries necessities than to haue stolen but for so much as he had rather liue at his ease than he would endure paine misery according to the will of God he had rather steale than to obey God. Hovv that the necessitie that is here spoken of is free and commendable in good things and hovv it ought to be othervvise considered in God than in Creatures T. THen by as much as I can vnderstand of such matters if this necessitie be sound in a good thing it is cōmendable ioined with great libertie D. We doe sée it in the nature of God as it hath bene already touched For that which God can not bée necessarily but all mighty all wise all iust all good al perfect infinite eternal immortall doth not carrie with it a necessitie of lacke nor constraint nor yet doth in any respect diminish the power the glory maiestie of him but on the cōtrary it doth magnifie declare the great excellencie perfection of his nature For it is not a true libertie cōmendation to be able to sinne to doe euill but it is a token of an excellent nature to be so perfect in goodnesse that it doth holde in it cōtinually that goodnesse which it naturally hath in such sorte that it cā not by any accident whatsoeuer it be be chaunged diminished or abolished it is as if we shold say that it is impossible that God should not be God good and iuste Who would not cōclude thē by that same that God is not all mighty that there is something impossible to him Are we more stronge than he bicause we may be wicked vntrue vniust liers the which he cā not be For goodnes is in him a thing which hath subiect substāce the accidēts agreable to the same as we do sée in the sunne in his light which doth light all the world for the euil is nothing els but a priuatiō lacke want of the good which ought to be euen as the darkenesses are nothing els than priuation lacke of light Or if thou haddest rather to haue it spoken in other termes it is nothing but a corrupted qualitie a vicious accident which are come vpō a good substance creature of God haue corrupted it the faute whereof may not be sought in God albeit that nothing cā come to passe without his prouidence his eternal counsell but it must be sought in causes more neare vnto vs leauing a parte the secrete counselles iudgments of God which is in such sorte the cause of causes that no fault may be imputed vnto him or that he cā do any thing other than iustly For he hath in such sort disposed the secōd causes that when the euil is a doing the wicked will either of the Deuill or man cōmeth betwéene in such sorte that that fault resteth in thē albeit that God doth cause their wicked worke and will to serue him and make the worker good in so much as God is serued therewith As touching the reste thou oughtest to note that there is none which of his own nature is of such an vnchaungeable and infinite goodnesse but God only which is onely vnchangeable and the most frée of all others and doth giue a law to al creatures is aboue all lawes himselfe being a lawe to all creatures For the same cause our Lorde Iesus Christe hath saide that none is good but the onely God bicause that goodnesse is to him naturall essentiall and substantiall and it is inseparable with him and not accidentall and separable which may be ioyned vnto him or taken away from him by any manner of meanes But the like is not of creatures how excellent so euer they be as we may sée first in the Angels and afterwarde in man. T. I shall also very gladly vnderstand this point Of the creation and fall of the Angels and hovv that God in the same hath declared the difference that is betvveene the Creator and the Creature and hovv it is onely he that is perfect and vnchaungeable D. WHen he did create the Angells he created them all good for he could make them none other for somuch as he is in suche sorte good that he can do nothing but well otherwyse he shoulde not be god Wherfore we may not imagine two Gods with the Manichees the one good and the author and Creator of good things and the other euill and the author and creator of euill For the euill can not bée God nor any other than the deuill himselfe which is a creature and not a Creator although he be the author of all euill who notwithstandyng was not created suche an one of God but is become suche of his owne malice when he turned away from God and renounced the goodnesse that he receyued of him
same neyther thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter neyther thy manseruant nor thy woman seruant nor thy cattell nor the straunger that is within thy gates for in sixe dayes the Eternall made the heauen and the earth and the sea and all the things that are in them and he rested the seuenth day And therfore the Eternall blessed the daye of rest and sanctified it The second Table Honour thy father and thy mother to the ende that thy dayes may be prolonged vpon the earth the which the Eternal thy God giueth thée The sixth Thou shalte not kill The seuenth Thou shalte not committe whooredome The eyght Thou shalte not steale The nynth Thou shalt not beare false witnesse agaynst thy neyghbour The tenth Thou shalt not couet thy neyghbours house nor his wyfe neyther his manseruant nor his woman seruaunt nor hys oxe ne yet his asse neyther any thyng that is his Behold these ar the very words which Moyses receyued of the Lorde ingraued in two Tables of stone in the fulfilling wherof he doth not regarde the outward worke onely but chiefly the affection of the heart according to the whiche he iudgeth of the works be they good or euill Of the Summarie that Iesus Christe hathe made of the law of god Chap. 25. ANd bicause that God hath bréefly cōprehended in the firste Table of the law those things whiche he requireth of men towardes his owne person and in the seconde that which he requireth also of them towardes their neighboures for his sake our Lord Iesus hath made an other Summarie yet more bréefe in the whiche he comprehendeth in two points all that whiche is conteyned in these two tables in manner folowing being taken out of the bookes of Moyses Hearken O Israell The Eternal thy God is one God only Thou shalte loue the Eternall thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with al thy vnderstanding and mynde It is the firste and greate commaundement And the second is like to the same Thou shalt loue thy neyghbour as thy self Of these two commaundementes depende all the lawe and the Prophetes And all that whiche you woulde that men shoulde doe to you the lyke do you to them Of the true fulfilling of the lawe of god Chap. 27. BVt euen as no man can serue God a ryght according to his will excepte he be well instructed first in his lawe and in his worde euen so it is not sufficiente to haue bene well instructed if it be not put in vse And therefore the knowledge of the same serueth but to greater condemnation if there be nothing else And bycause that man of his nature is so corrupted thorowe synne that not onely he can not of himselfe accomplishe perfectly any one of the commaundements of God but on the contrary can doe nothing else but continually resist his holy will Therfore he hath néede of Iesus Chryst chiefly for two causes The fyrste to satisfye for man in that wherein he is not able to the ende that Iesus Chryst thorowe his obedience mought recompence the fault that is in man thoroughe his rebellion The seconde is to the ende that manne béeing Iustifyed thorough Faythe in Iesus Chryste as is alreadye sayde and so foorthewyth regenerated by hys Spirite and refourmed to the very image of GOD moughte bee the better disposed to obey his holie will to dedicate and consecrate hymselfe wholly to his seruice Of good works which are the frutes of true fayth Chap. 28. IT is then easy to iudge by these things if they be well vnderstode that so much is wanting that the faith in Iesus Christ and the iustification that men obtayne by the same without their workes doe abolishe good workes and the affection of the true and faithfull to the same that there is nothyng that dothe more establyshe and confirme them and that dothe more enflame men to do them For as the soule can not be without life nor the fire without heate and light nor the good trée without bringing forth good frute euen so faith can not be a true faithe if she be not a lyuing faith and she can not be liuing but is dead if she be without good works whiche are the true frutes and the true signes of faith But to the end that none may be deceyued in the matter of good woorkes he must vnderstande that God dothe not estéeme nor doth allowe for suche any other than those whiche are commaunded by him in his worde Of the principall pointes conteined in the holie Scriptures whiche doe summarily comprehend all that which is required in the true seruice of god Chapter 29. THen if we shall speake of the true seruice of God we may reduce into foure pointes all that whiche he requireth in the same according to the declaratiō whiche he hath made in his holy Scriptures The firste is that man put all his whole truste in him alone awayting for all his saluation of him alone thorowe Iesus Christe The seconde that he call vppon him in all his necessities for all things as well corporall as spirituall according to the rule which he himself gaue vnto him The third is that he render graces thanks to him for al the benefites that he hath receiued that he doth daily receue of him The fourth that he yelde himselfe obedient vnto him in all thyngs that he shall commaunde him as well in respect of his owne person as in respect of his neighbor Of the true seruice of God whiche is spirituall Chap. 30. ANd for so muche as it concerneth the substance of the true seruice of God séeing that he is a spirite he requireth also to be serued and honored in spirite and veritie and not in visible things such as are material and corruptible as are images alters temples pilgrimages and other suche lyke superstitions and idolatries inuēted by man For if his good pleasure were that the auncient ceremonies of the lawe should be abolished in the cōming of Iesus Christ of whom they were figures to bring men to this true spirituall seruice it is easy thē to iudge how he mought endure that men shuld forge new ceremonies thorow great presumption according to their owne fantasie to serue hym after their pleasure and not after his Of the ministerie of the Gospell and of the principall partes of the same and of the true vse of the sacraments Chapter 31. FOr that cause he hath ordeyned the ministerie of the Gospell in hys Churche to teache all men according to that doctrine thoroughe the preachyng of the same Wherevnto hée hath adoyned his holye Sacramentes for many causes The fyrste is that they shoulde be vnto vs for greater confirmation of the doctrine of the whiche they are as the seales and in lyke sorte of the sayth which procéedeth of the same The seconde cause is to the ende that they may serue vs for aduertisementes to bring vs to acknowledge the benefites the whyche we haue
by good order THE ENDE A FAMILIAR exposition of the principall points of the Cathechisme and of the Christian doctrine made in forme of Dialogue Of the true seruice of God and of good intents The first Dialogue Of the chiefe felicitie of man and of the ende for the vvhich he vvas created of God. MATHEVV WHat is that whiche naturally men do most desire in this world Peter To be happie M What is it to be happie P. It is to be exempte deliuered from all euils to liue in perpetuall rest and ioy and to enioy al good things M. And wherin consisteth the true and chiefest felicitie of man whereby he may be happie in such sorte as thou hast declared Peter It consisteth in that wherefore GOD hath chéefly created him to his image and likenesse and hath put him into the worlde M. Which is then the principal cause for the which he hath created and placed him in the worlde P. It is to be glorified in him and by him M. Whiche is the verie true meane whereby God maye bée glorified in mā by man P. By the true knowledge of him which causeth man to honour him as his God and creator with that honour whiche is due vnto him and that he requireth of him Of the true honor and seruice of God. M. What is that honour which God requireth of man P. That he doe him homage and submit him wholly to him thorough true obedience towardes his holye will. M. By what meane maye a man knowe that will of God P By the declaration that God him selfe hathe made by his word Of the summe of all the Doctrine conteyned in the holy scriptures M. Whiche be the principall poyntes to consider in that word reueled by God. P. There be two to the whiche a man maye applie in general all the doctrine that it cōteyneth setteth forth to man. M. Which be they P. The lawe and the Gospell Of the lawe of God and of the office of the same M. Vnderstandest thou by the law those cōmandements only which God gaue to Moyses in two tables of stone P. I do cōprehēd thē vnder this name of law but I do cōprehend in the same also al the rest of the doctrine of God conteined in the holy scriptures whereby he setteth forth to vs the very same things that he cōmandeth vs in those two tables M. Declare the same somwhat more plainly P. I comprehend vnder the name of lawe all the doctrine by the whiche God hath shewed vnto vs the good which he alloweth requireth of vs as by right we are boūd thervnto in like sort the euil which displeaseth him from the whiche he willeth that we kepe our selues for his sake to the end that in al things thorowly wée yelde vnto him that perfect obediēce which we owe vnto him M. Hath the law of God none other office P. It hath this office also that by the same mean it sheweth vs our offēces sinnes by the which we stande detters to the iudgement of God and preacheth to vs forthwith the wrath and curse of him that wée haue deserued in offending of him Of the Gospell and of his office M. What vnderstandest thou by the Gospell P. I vnderstand all the doctrine of the holy Scriptures by the whiche God declareth vnto vs the grace that he will shewe vs by his sonne Iesus Chryst and the meanes whereby we are made partakers M. Doest thou vnderstande that doctrine to be conteyned in any other bookes of the holy Scriptures than in those of the foure Euangelistes Pe. I vnderstande that it is conteyned in all the holy Bible and chiefly in the Bookes of the new Testament Of the difference that is to bee considered betwene the law and the Gospell M. What difference doest thou then put betwéene the lawe and the Gospell P. I take the law as a Proctor fiscall or a criminall iudge which doth accuse vs and maketh our proces before God in suche sort as it yeldeth vs all condemned before the iudgement of God as transgressours of all his commaundements and by that meane declareth vs all worthie of death and eternall damnation M. If it be so the lawe serueth vs rather to condemnation than to saluation P. It is true but it is not by the faulte of the law but by our fault for the law of his nature is good holy and iust but bicause that of our nature we are wicked and doe not accomplishe it at all it dothe in steade of iustifying of vs condemne vs. M. And the Gospell what newes bringeth it vnto vs P. Very good and much better for vs than the law as also his name declareth M. what then dothe Gospell signifie P. A message of good happie and ioyefull newes M. Hold me no longer in doubt but tel them me P. It sheweth to vs the grace by the which we are discharged and sette frée before the iudgement of God and deliuered from that death and eternall damnation to the which we are iustly condemned by the lawe and it declareth vnto vs by and by the meanes whereby wée obtaine that grace and of whom Of the couenant and agreement of the lawe and the Gospell M. Séeing that the lawe as thou sayest is to vs a messenger of death and damnation wherto doth it then serue vs but only to condemne vs P. It serueth vs in such sort to condemne vs that if it did not condemne vs in this poynte the Gospell coulde not bring vs so greate wealth as it doth M. How dost thou vnderstand this P. If we vnderstande not of oure disease we wil not repaire to the phisition which onely may deliuer vs for we woulde not thinke that we had any neede Likewyse if we should not knowe our condemnation we shoulde thinke we had no néede of grace therfore we should not demaund it M. Wilt thou then say that the law is as it wer a phisition which sheweth vs plainly our disease and how dangerous it is but he can not heale vs but sendeth vs to an other P. It is euen so And for that cause Sainct Paule saith that the lawe is giuen vs as a schoolemaster of little children to directe vs to the Gospell and by the same meane to Iesus Christ which is the chiefe and great master which is also set forth to vs in the Gospell as the chiefe Phisition For there is but he only that can heale vs of that deadly disease to wit to deliuer vs from that eternall deathe which the lawe sheweth vs. Of the cause for the vvhich God vvoulde him selfe declare his vvill vnto man by his vvorde M. I vnderstād now wel that God would himselfe declare his will vnto man by his owne worde whiche comprehendeth all the doctrine of the law and of the Gospel but for what cause hath he done it P. Bycause he will not be serued according to the fantasies of men but according to hys owne
procéede Wherfore if there be any sinne that deserueth to be accompted sinne it is that same Of the meane vvhereby man maye be deliuered from sinne and from the vvrathe of God vvhiche sinne bringeth to him M SEing then that mā can find in himselfe no remedie to with-holde him from that bottomlesse pitte of perdition where is it that he shal fynd it elsewhere P. In God only who only canne reforme hym to his Image as at the fyrste hee did and formed him according to the same M. But by what meane may he obtayne so greate a good thing of God considering that he hath so greatly offended him and procured his wrath P. It is certaine that no man may haue accesse to God to obteyne saluation of him without a mediatoure by whome he may be made at one with him Of the causes for the vvhich there is neyther man nor Angell sufficiente to the office of mediatoure betvvene God and man and of the greatnesse of the vvrath of God against sinne M. ANd who is this mediatoure which may make this appointmente P. For so much as all men are in like faulte and condemnation there is none among them sufficient for that office of what holynesse and qualitie soeuer he be Mat. Where must he then be sought Shall it be among the Angells whiche haue no sinne P. The very Angells can not be sufficiente therevnto M. Why not P. Chiefly for two causes M. Whiche is the first P. It is that the wrath and cursse of God is so heauie a burden that there is no creature whatsoeuer he be neyther in heauen nor in the earth that may beare it but that he shall be beaten downe with it vtterly M. What is the cause there P. It is bicause that the offence through sinne committed is done against God which is infinite and an eternall prince and king wherefore it deserueth also paines infinite and eternall M. Haue we any testimonie of the same P. The angells which haue sinned may be sure testimonies vnto vs. M. In what sorte P. If that they which were so excellent creatures coulde not themselues beare that which they had deserued for their parte how may one amongst them beare all that that all mankind hath deserued togither M. This reason is very plaine But which is the other cause that maketh that the very Angells are not sufficient to such an office P. For so much as seing that the offence was cōmitted by mā it must also be repaired in him by him M. For what cause P. To the ende that God may be founde true and iust and also mercifull togither Of the setting forth of the iust iudgemēt of the mercy of god in the redēptiō of mā M. HOw doste thou vnderstande the same P. If god did not punish mā acording to the desert of his transgression and according to the threatnings that he himself hath giuen vnto him the sentence that he hath giuen against him where should the truth iustice of God be M. I vnderstand well this point but what wilt thou say of his mercy P. In like sort if he punished man according to his desert where should then this mercy be by the which he sheweth forth his infinit goodnesse more than by any other vertue whatsoeuer that is in him Of the only true mediator Iesus Christ M. If there be neyther man nor Angel sufficient to that office what other mean resteth then by the which that fault of man may be repaired by him in him P. Bycause that man could not among all the creatures find any God hath prouided according to the pietie compassion that he had of him being moued by his only mercy and inestimable charitie M. Which is this mean P. It is that he hath giuen his only sonne Iesus Christe to do this office M. And what mean hath he obserued in this worke P. It is that Iesus Christ being the Eternal true God of one only essence with the father toke humain flesh in the womb of the virgin Marie by the very ordināce of God his father M. What néed was there that he should take humain fleshe vpon him to execute that office P. It was euen so necessarie to the ende that in the same he might satisfie the iust iudgement of God for all men Of the vnion of the diuine and humaine nature in the person of Iesus Chryst and of the causes of the same M. Was it necessary that the same mediator should be very God and very man togither in one very person P. It is euen so chiefly for thrée causes M. Which is the first P. It is that if he had not bene very man he could not haue suffred in our flesh nature that which he hath suffered was to suffer for vs. M. And if he had not suffred the same what incōuenience shuld ther haue ben P. That he shuld not haue born for vs in our nature fleshe the wrath curse of God which we had deserued and then he should not haue satisfied the iudgement of God thorowe his obedience to put away by the same in our own flesh and nature the rebellion by the whiche we haue deserued this iudgemente M. Which is the other cause P. It is that if he had ben but only man and that he had not ben vnited with God being very God and very man in one very person he could not haue ben able to beare this burden of the wrath of god which is so greate and so importable but that he shoulde haue ben swallowed vp how iust or innocent soeuer he shulde haue ben M. Which is the thirde P. It is that he shoulde not haue ben able also to haue brought saluation and life to man if he had not had the fountaine in him selfe by meane of his diuine nature Of the sacrifice and satisfaction of Iesus Christ and of the vertue therof M. WHich is then the meane whereby Iesus Christe hath satisfied for vs in his humaine nature and fleshe P. It is the sacrifice that he himselfe hath made of his owne body and bloud by his passion and death M. Howe is the sacrifice of Iesus Christ of such vertue P. For two principall causes M. Whiche is the first P. The paine the which he béeing innocent hath endured for vs whiche were culpable by the which payne he who had not deserued it hath deliuered vs from it which we haue deserued M. Which is the seconde P. It is the perfecte obedience whiche he hath yelded to God his father in recompence of the transgression and rebellion which was founde in vs. Of the communication in the benefites of Iesus Christ M. IS it sufficiente that he is deade and that he hath yelded to God his father one such an obedience P. If that same were ynough all shoulde be saued indifferently as well infidels as faithfull men M. What is more required then P. That
M. Is that the cause why Saint Paule did write to the Ephesians that the Pagans wer without God P. Ther is no doubte thereof For albeit they had many by name and by fantasie yet notwithstanding they had none in déede seeing they were ignorant of the true God. Of the summarie of the christian faith and for what cause it is called the Symbole of the Apostles M. SEing it is so as thou saist it séemeth to me then to be wel doone very néedfull to consider yet some thing more néere the principall poyntes that thys christian fayth doth comprehende whiche is of so great vertue as thou haste sayde P. They are conteyned in the fourme of the ordinarie confession whiche the christians make dayly the which is cōmonly called The Symbole of the Apostles M. What signifieth this word symbole P. It is taken of the Gréekes of whome the Latines haue borrowed it to signifie an enseigne of acknowledging and the part that is gathered of euery mā in any thing as whē euery man giueth his shot M. Why is this confession of faythe called by that name P. Chéefly for two causes M. Whiche is the first P. It is bycause that it conteyneth as chosen and gathered togither into a summe the chief pointes of the doctrine sette foorth by the Apostles whome Iesus Chryst hath giuen and sent as vniuersall doctours of all the worlde M. Which is the seconde P. It is for that this doctrin is the true mark whereby euery man that voucheth the same yeldeth certain testimonie that he is a membre of the Christian Churche as the men of warre declare by the enseigne whiche they beare what prince they belong vnto and serue The Symbole of the Apostles M. WHich is the summe of thys faith the whiche thou callest Symbole P. I beléeue in God the Father almightie maker of heauen and of earthe And in Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lorde whiche was conceyued by the holie Ghost borne of the virgin Mary suffered vnder Ponce Pylate was crucified deade and buryed he went downe into hell the third day he arose from the deade ascended into heauen he sitteth at the right hande of God the Father almightie and from thence shall he come to iudge the liuing and the deade I beléeue in the holie Ghoste I beléeue the holie vniuersall Churche the communion of Sainctes the forgiuenesse of sinnes the resurrection of the bodie and the eternall lyfe Of the generall diuision of the principall pointes conteined in the Symbole of the Apostles M. HOw many articles and principall pointes bée there in this summe P. Men do commonly distinguish them in twelue but me thinketh we may reduce them all into two generally out of the whiche men may drawe the others afterwarde M. Whiche be these two pointes P. The first is touching our faith towards God the seconde concerneth his Churche which is builded vppon the same faith Of the faith that a Christian man oughte to haue in God. M. WHat ought we to beleue of god P. There are first two principal thinges to be considered in this matter M. Which is the first P. That whiche he hath declared vnto vs of his diuine nature by his worde M. Whiche is then the second P. That whiche we oughte to beleeue of his works by the whiche he hath declared vnto man what was his power his wisedome and goodnesse and the other vertues proprieties whiche are in him of the whiche we can haue no knowledge but by his works Of the vnitie and trinitie that is in the essence of God. M. WHat thinges ought we to consider concerning his diuine nature according as he hath declared vnto vs in his worde P. There be two principall M. Which is the firste P. It is the vnitie whiche is in his diuine essence whereby we are taughte that there is but one God in whome we beléeue M. Whiche is the seconde P. It is the trinitie of persons that is in that vnitie of the diuine essence the whiche we do confesse when we saye that we beléeue in the Father in the Sonne and in the holy Ghost Of the difficultie that is in this matter M. IT séemeth to me that there is great contrarietie in this matter Peter Wherein M. In that that it séemeth that it is as muche as if one should saye that there is but one only God and that there be three P. We ought not so to take thē séeing that we confesse but one only diuine essence albeit that we acknowledge in the same the father the sonne and the holy Ghost in such sorte distincte in proprieties of persons that yet for all that these thrée persons are but one only and very God. M. Canst thou expounde the same vnto me something more plainely by some similitude P. As there is but one Sunne in the world no more is there but one only God and as the Sunne sheweth himselfe by his beames euen so God as father doth shewe himselfe by his sonne Iesus Christ which is his worde and Eternall wisedome and as the Sunne by his heate doth make vs féele his force euen so God maketh vs to féele his vertue by his holy spirite whiche is his infinite power Of the principall vvorks of God vvhereof mention is made in the Simbole of the Apostles M. SEing that we haue spoken of the things that we ought to consider in the essence of God and in his diuine nature declare vnto me nowe that which thou hast to say concerning his workes by the whiche he hath declared himselfe to man suche as it hathe pleased him to be knowen of him Peter The Simbole of the Apostles doth comprehende chiefly thrée out of the which a man may drawe all the rest M. Which be they P. The first is the works of the creation of al things M. And the second P. The works of the redemption of man. M. And the thirde P. The worke of vinification the which we may also cal the works of sanctification M What dost thou vnderstand by that worke of viuification and sanctification P. I vnderstande the vertue that the holy Ghost hath to make vs wholly partakers of Iesus Christ and of all hys benefites Of the vnion that is betvvene the father the sonne and the holy Ghost in their vvorks M. ACcording to this purpose the father the sonne and the holy Ghost haue they any thing particuler concerning their works or else haue they them all common togither and chiefly those whereof thou hast now spoken P. Seing they are but one only God it is certaine that they can do no worke wherein they may be separated the one from the other M. It séemeth to me notwithstanding that in this summe of the faith men doe attribute as proper to the Father the worke of the creation and to the sonne that of the redemption and to the holy Ghost that which thou callest viuification and sanctification P. That must not be vnderstande as though
haue ben iustified by the workes of the lawe M. Thou wilte then saye in effecte that there is none other true and perfecte sacrificer which may offer vnto God perfecte sacrifice to make an agréement betwene him mankynde but Iesus Chryst only forsomuch as he is perfect and without sin P. Beside this reason thou haste yet to note that which we haue alreadie heretofore said that euen as the paine due to our sinnes is infinite euen so the sacrifice of Iesus Christe is of merite and vertue infinite Math. And what is the cause therof P. It is not only bicause he is without synne and without spotte as wée haue alreadie hearde but also bycause hee is the true and naturall Sonne of God and that his humane nature is ioyned to his diuine nature which is infinite of the which the humane nature taketh his vertue Ma. If this diuine nature were not ioyned with hys humane nature coulde it not giue lyfe of it self except it tooke it of the diuine nature Peter Thou haste alreadie hearde howe that his diuine nature is the fountaine And therfore Iesus Chryste hath sayde The fleshe profiteth nothyng to wit if it be considered as separate from hys diuyne nature and from hys holye Spirite but it is the Spirite whiche gyueth lyfe M. What meaneth hee by that spirit giuyng life Pe. It is the God dwelling in Iesus Chryste corporally as S. Paule sayeth to witte really and in déede reconciling the worlde to himselfe Of the perfecte obedience of Iesus Christe vvhiche maketh his office so perfecte M. WHiche is the principall cause that maketh thys Sacrifice of Iesus Chryste so perfecte in suche sorte as it hathe power to reconcile vs vnto God and to satisfie fully for vs at his iudgement Pe. The perfect obedience whiche he yelded to God his Father in the same the whiche is muche more greate and infinite than the rebellion and transgression in recompence wherof he hath yelded to GOD so perfecte an obedience Math. When was it that he made this sacrifice whereby hée hathe yelded suche obedience vnto God his father Peter When by the Eternall Spirite he offered himselfe vppon the trée of the Crosse in the whyche hée hathe borne the cursse and iudgement of God which we had deserued by oure sinnes and he hath turned that cursse to vs into a blessing bicause it is the séede of Abraham by whome GOD hathe promised blessing to all the nations of the earth M. Is it then the cause why we confesse that he hath suffered vnder Ponce Pylate and that he was crucified dead and buryed P. It is euen the same Of the office of intercessor and of Aduocate of Iesus Chryst and of the vertue of the same M. ANd when he offered vp this Sacrifice did he also then the office of intercessor praying the father for vs P. The one of the workes is not without the other For he became not pledge and suretie for vs but forthwith he was also oure aduocate and did fully handle our cause to obtaine for vs pardon of our sinnes of his father whereof he had no néede for himselfe And therfore he hathe demaunded that pardon for vs the whiche is not only graunted vs but also his iustice his innocencie his obedience and satisfactiō are accompted ours as though they were ours and as though they procéeded frō vs. M. Doth he at this present that office of mediator and aduocate P. Thinke not that he hath done it only for one time but thou oughtest to vnderstād that he maketh intercession withoute cease for vs. M. That notwithstanding he was sacrifised but once and can be no more euen as he coulde but once dye P. It followeth not therefore but that the vertue of his sacrifice which he hath once offered for vs and also his prayer which he made in the same be such considering they be infinite that they do extend from the one end euen to the other ende of the worlde and from the beginning euen to the ende of the same For Iesus is before yesterday and to day and for euer M. If Iesus Christ do make incessantly intercession for vs in such sorte as thou sayst it is then requisite that he be perpetually in Heauen before the Father not onely in hys diuine nature but also in his humane nature in the whiche he hath satisfied for vs and for whose cause he is our intercessor mediatoure and aduocate P. If he were not risen againe and ascended into Heauen we mighte not onely not hold him for our mediator and aduocate but also we mought not accompt him for oure lorde and oure king M. For what cause P. For that that he shoulde not haue ben victorious of our enimies whiche are the world the fleshe sinne death the diuell and hell and shoulde not haue deliuered vs but shoulde himselfe haue ben vāquished by them M. We are then assured of this victorie wherof thou speakest by the resurrection and ascention of Iesus Christ P. We ar not only assured but also the victorie is the frute which commeth vnto vs by that resurrection and ascention as also the perpetuall intercession by the whiche wee are assured that we haue the sonne of God in Heauen for our intercessor and aduocate Of the two commings of Iesus Christ M. HAue we yet any other pointes to cōsider vpon the work of redemption done by Iesus Christ Pet. We haue also therin to cōsider the two commings of him M. Which is the firste P. It is this same whereof we nowe speake in the which he toke our flesh to accomplish in the same all the workes whereof wée haue spoken vntill this presente Math. Whyche is the seconde Peter That wherein he shall come not in the basenesse and infirmitie of the fleshe to suffer for vs as he did in his firste comming but in glorie and maiestie to glorifye with him all those whiche thorough saith shal haue receyued him for their sauiour and redemer when he was set forth vnto them by the Gospell condemne as iudge of the liuing and of the deade all these whiche woulde not haue receyued him acknowledge him for such an one and to make al his enimies his footstoole ¶ Of the person of the holie Ghost The tenth Dialogue Of the vvoorke of viuification and of the principall pointes to bee considered concerning the holie Ghoste MATHEVV WHat is there now to be doon in the matters that we haue yet to hādle folowing those whiche wée haue already heretofore hādled P. Seing that we haue alredy sufficiently spoken of the work of redemption we may now speake of the worke of viuification and sanctification whiche is properly attributed to the holy Ghoste M. Whiche be the principall points to consider in the same P. There be chiefly two M. Which is the firste P. It is concerning the person and the nature of the holy Gost M. And the second P. Concerning his gifts and graces and the distribution of
manner whiche is also very agréeable to the pointe vppon the whiche wée are the which hath a certaine agréement with that before cited Mathevv Whiche is it Peter It is among the thinges that are in suche sorte of one very nature that the one cannot be withoute the other and yet for all that the one is as the spring of the other and the other as a dependaunce of the same Mathevv Gyue me an example of the same Peter The lighte and the shyning or brightnesse cannot be the one withoute the other For the lighte doth engender and bring foorthe the shyning And albeit that the one be not before the other yet we gyue the lyghte the firste place as though it were before the shyning as the mother of it euen as also we consider the sunne before his beames and his heate albeit they be all at once Mathevv Thou meanest then that God hathe so declared himselfe to vs in his workes and in his worde and by such meane and in suche order Pet. It cannot bée otherwise vnderstoode without ouerthrowing of al that which is set foorth to vs in the holy scriptures of the vnitie of god and of the Trinitie of persons in the essence of the same P. Séeing that it is so the which thou saist agréeth alway w that which I euē now said to wit the that whiche we place firste second and thirde amongst the persons whiche are in the diuine essence is more in respect of our vnderstanding than of the diuine nature wherein to speake properly there is neyther firste seconde nor thirde seing there is no difference neyther of time nor of dignitie nor of nature but only in the order according to the whiche God hath manifested himselfe to vs in his word according as our capacitie may best comprehend him P. Seeing that God is eternall and infinite in hymselfe and that we cannot comprehende him in that infinitenesse and eternitie it hath pleased him so to shewe himselfe to vs making himselfe méete as thou haste alredy said to the rudenesse of our vnderstandings And therefore he will that we know him and that we speake in suche sorte in the whiche he hath declared hymselfe to vs by his worde and by hys works and not otherwise Of the difference that must be put betwene the essence and the giftes of the holie Ghoste M. I Do now sufficientlye vnderstande thy meaning touching this poynte of the nature and diuinitie of the holye Ghoste come to the other which is concerning his giftes Pe. Thou hast to note firste that bycause the Father doth communicate to vs by the vertue of the holie Ghoste the graces the whiche he doth offer and present vnto vs in his Sonne Iesus Chryst these graces are called by the name of the holy Ghost And therfore in the Scripture it is spoken of the holie Ghost as thoughe there were sundry of them M. Giue mée an example of that which thou sayest Peter Esay speaking of the graces whiche shoulde be in Iesus Chryst and of the excellent giftes of god wherwith he should be indued in his humane nature hath sayde The spirite of the Lorde shall repose vpon him the spirite of wisedome and vnderstanding the spirite of counsell and of force the spirite of knowledge and of feare of the Lorde There is also mention made in other places of the holie Scriptures and chiefly in the Epistles of Sainct Paule of the Spirite of adoption and of faythe and of 〈…〉 prophecie of other such like gifts whiche we must vnderstād not of the essence of the holy Ghost but of his workes and effects M. Thy meaning is then that we must distinguishe betweene the nature of the holy Ghost and his gifts graces P. We must so vnderstand For when wée say according to the testimonies of the holy scriptures that the holie Ghost dwelleth in vs we do not mean that he dwelleth in vs in his nature and proper person vnited with vs as the diuine nature was vnited in Iesus Christe with the humane but that he there dwelleth by his vertue by his gifts and graces wherof he makech vs partakers The eleuenth Dialogue is of the gifts of the holie Ghoste belonging to the only elect Of the number of the gifts of the holy ghost of the distributiō of them MATHEVV HOwe manye be the giftes of the holy Ghost P. If then couldest number all the graces whyche God giueth vnto men thou moughtest also number al the gifts of the holy ghost M. It foloweth then that there is no number certain P. No in deede excepte we wil presume to number that which is infinite M. That notwithstanding it seemeth to me that the Theologians accompte ordinarily seauen giftes and graces of the holy Ghoste Peter These Theologians of whom thou speakest are Papisticall Theologians whiche knowe neyther what is the holye Ghoste nor yet his giftes and therefore lesse the numbre of them But bycause they haue read neare suche a number of giftes of the holie Ghoste in the passage of Esaiah which I euen nowe alledged they haue concluded that they were all comprehended in that number or at the least they saye so M. Thou hast yet for all that a number of others whiche are not there comprehended Saincte Paule speaketh yet of many others chéefly in the Epistles written to the Romans to the Corinths which ar not comprehended in this nūber as ar the gifts of tōgs of prophecie of healing suche like which he saith are all of one selfe spirite whiche giueth and distributeth to euery man according as is expedient for him M. He dothe not then distribute them all to euery man. P. Séeing he dothe distribute them according as it is expedient it followeth that he distributeth to euery man so much as is necessarie Of the diuersitie of the giftes of the holie Ghoste and of the difference of them M. SEing hée distributeth them not to all it followeth then that they bée not all necessarie to mans saluation For if they were all necessarie therevnto no man coulde be saued except he had them all P. Thou hast here to note that albeit there is but one onely and one very spirite of God whiche distributeth all hys giftes yet notwithstanding his giftes bée diuers Wherefore there muste be difference put betwene them M. How takest thou this difference P. In that that ther be some that are so necessarie to euerye mans saluation that no man can be saued except he be made partaker of them in his proper person M. Be there others without the whiche we may well be P. There is none but they be verye profitable and necessarie to the Churche For if they were not profitable and necessarye they shoulde be superfluous and vaine whiche thing we may not thinke of god For he hath not doone and ordeyned any thing without good and iust cause without necessitie or greate profite and commoditie M. I doe well vnderstand it so P. And therefore
without the whiche no man may euer obtaine pardone M. I woulde gladly that thou diddest expounde vnto me some thing more familiarly what this sinne of the holy Ghost is for there be verye fewe that are fully resolued therin P. I woulde shewe thée myne opinion but the matter would be too long for this present wherfore let vs folow our purpose which we haue begon Of the comparison betwene those which offende of malice and those whiche offende through ignorance M. I Iudge these last which offēd of malice to be much worse than the first and further off frō the kingdom of God. P. Thou iudgest right well For ther is yet better séede of Religion and greater testimonie of the feare of God and of loue toward him in those which sin of ignorāce and thorow zeale without knowledge than in them whiche sin as of purpose determined and against their owne conscience which testifieth vnto them of the good which they will not folowe and condemneth the euil which they do M. It séemeth to mee also that they whiche offend more of malice than of ignorāce be further of from the nature of God that they haue more of the nature of the diuell than the others P. It is euen so for the diuell hath muche more malice than ignorance M. I thinke in déede that he doth not often offende of ignorance but only of malice that is in him P. And therfore I said heretofore that there was nothing wherein man didde more resemble God and wherein he did better expresse his image than in goodnesse For it is a vertue the whiche God doth neuer communicate but to his elect Of the difference which God vseth in the dispensation of his gifts betwene the elect and the reprobates and how the wicked corrupt and abuse the giftes of God. M. ANd doth he communicate his other vertues to the reprobates P. To speake proprely God doth not cōmunicate his vertues to the wicked and to the reprobate For albeit he bestowed vpon them of his gifts and of his graces yet are they not vertues in their person as they be in God and in his electe M. Why so P. Bycause they doe abuse and peruert them as dothe the diuell in such sorte that whereas they should serue to the honor of God it is no thank to thē that they dishonor him not by them And on the other side bicause they do so foule thē not reporting thē to the glorie of god as they ought to do but do cleane contrarie they do infect and enpoyson them as muche as in them is by the venim which the diuell hath put into their heartes and vnderstandings in suche sorte that they be in them so farre as concerneth theyr person as a meate whiche of his nature béeing good mought be corrupted by poyson M. Declare this to mée some thing more easily and giue mée some examples P. We consider in God chiefly his power his wisedome and his goodnesse whiche are thrée excellent vertues to the whiche all the others may be referred Nowe if his goodnesse were not ioyned with his power and his wisedome his power should be tyrannie and his wisedome cautele craft as it is in the diuell But the goodnesse that is in him is the cause that hée neuer abuseth his power his wisedome but maketh it alway to serue his iustice and clemencie his mercie and charitie and all his other like vertues which procéede al from that infinite goodnesse whiche is in him whiche is the fountayne and which is goodnesse it selfe M. Wilte thou say by this that God doth communicate of his power of his knowledge and of his wisedome to the wicked and reprobates P. I say more than that for I say he communicateth of it ouer to the very deuilis but not of his goodnesse nor the true vertues which procéede of the same M. How vnderstandest thou it P. We cannot denie but that the deuills he maruellous strong and mightie muche wiser than are all men No more may we in like sorte denie but that they haue receyued this power knowledge and vnderstanding of God wherefore we maye call them mightie and wise in the sense that men take these names M. It séemeth to me that we may saye the like of Tyrants and of many other men of whome the one sorte are mightie and strong the others skilfull wise graue according to the world an other sort haue both these qualities togither and yet for al that they be not honest and vertuous men but vicious and wicked P. It is bycause they do abuse these giftes of God and therefore their power is violence and tyrannie and their wisedome and vnderstanding cautele and malice For the true power and wisedome maye neuer be separate from goodnesse and other vertues VVhat cause men haue to glory of the gifts of God and of vvhat qualitie and vvhiche be those men that ought to be most esteemed M. I Sée nowe well that men haue no greate occasion to glory in the giftes of God which they haue receyued if they haue not receyued those same whereby they may be made the children of God and made like to him in goodnesse iustice and holynesse and by whose meanes they are fashioned and framed to make all the others to serue to his glory who hath giuen them vnto them cōsidering that they serue them not but to greater condemnation if that they haue not those which are the principall P. There is yet this more that withoute these giftes whereof thou speakest the most excellente and most of estimation in the world may not greatly glory in any thing whatsoeuer wherein the deuill hath not more iust occasion to glory than they yea verily if they should prophecie or shoulde do miracles M. And yet mē do muche more estéeme those same gifts and power knowledge wisedome eloquence and such like gifts than they do goodnesse iustice holynesse innocencie such other vertues which followe and accompanie them For if a man be but an honest and vertuous man not hauing those other gifts which are of more great shewe before men and whiche men haue in greater admiration he shall not bée estéemed but shall bée contemned as a poore vile and abiecte man On the contrarye if a man haue these other giftes althoughe he bée otherwyse vyciouse and wicked yet shall hée bée euermore estéemed and aduaunced among men Peter I confesse that whiche thou sayest And so by the same verye meane the Deuyll myghte bée preferred vnto the honestest manne of the worlde For as I haue alredy sayd he is more excellente than any man in all those thinges wherof the most braue and most excellente of the world may glory and vaunte them M. I sée well they do greatly deceiue thēselues therein that an honest man which hath the true feare of God and liueth holy is much more to be estéemed than al the most mightie skilfull wise experimented and discréete and all the most excellent
that a man mought finde in all things if the feare of God goodnesse iustice and holynesse be wanting P. Thou concludest very well And therfore Iesus Christ sayd to hys Apostles whiche did glory bycause the deuills were subiect to them by meane of the gifte of miracle which was giuē to them Reioice not saide he in that that the spirites are subiecte to you but reioyce in that that your names are writtē in Heauen M. What meaneth he thereby Pe. That they should much more estéeme the fauoure whiche God had shewed vnto them in that that he had chosen them to bée his children and heires and that hée had made them partakers of the giftes by meane whereof they haue obtayned such a benefite than in that that he gaue them the gifte of miracles yea indéede than in that that he made them Apostles For Iudas was chosen an Apostle and had the gifte of prophecie and of miracles as we haue alredy sayde but for that he was not of the true chosen which were chosen to be the children of God the gifts which he had receiued of him serued him not but only to more greiuous condemnation And therefore Iesus Christe did call hym Deuill bycause he had not those other more excellente giftes of God by whiche he moughte haue béene reformed to hys Image as the other Apostles were M. Thou touchest here thinges whyche doo well deserue to be noted to the ende that we please not our selues nor glory at all but in the grace that God doth shewe vs in Iesus Christe Peter For that cause Saincte Paule dothe also witnesse that if a man had the gifte of tongues in so great perfection that he could speake the very language of Angells and although he coulde by the gyfte of miracle remoue mountaines from one place to an other yet notwithstanding it should be nothing if he had not charitie the which doth testifie that there is true faith in the man that hath it but also maketh the man like vnto God insomuch as Sainct Iohn saith he is charitie it selfe The thirtenth Dialogue is of the Churche and of the ministerie of the same MATHEVV I Do now well vnderstande the difference that thou puttest betwene the giftes of the holye Ghost and how much some are more excellent and more necessarie and more to be desired than others And therefore if thou haue no more to saye at this presente neyther concerning his person ne yet his gyftes it séemeth to me that it shall be good that we speake nowe of the Churche whereof wée haue not yet spoken Peter It is one of the chiefe pointes whiche we haue yet to handle For the Churche is the same wherein God dothe open all the treasures of hys graces and gyftes whereof we haue euen nowe spoken and for whose sake he giueth them to whome he giueth them Mathevv Shewe me then what the Churche is Peter If wée take the name of the Churche in generall it signifieth assemblie or companie but when we speake of the Churche of God we take it not only for an assemblie and companie of all sortes of people but for a companie and assemblie of men the whiche GOD hathe chosen from others and hathe consecrated and sanctifyed them vnto himselfe in his Sonne Iesus Chryste by hys holye Spirite Mathevve Is that the cause why she is called holye Peter Yea and why she is also called the Communyon and Communaltye of Sainctes For there is none other communaltie or companie whiche is holye and is gouerned and guyded by the Hollye Ghoste but onelye thys whyche dothe acknowledge Iesus Chryste for hir onelye Heade King Sauioure and redéemer M. Which be those Sainctes whereof she is called the communion P. They be all the true faithfull whiche by faith are made members of Iesus Christe whiche is the holy one of holy ones the whiche hath giuen his holy spirite to his Churche to sanctifie it And therefore Saincte Paule dothe call all Christians Saincts Of the sanctifieng of the Church and of the members of the same M. BY what meane is it that God dothe sanctifie hys Churche to hymselfe by his holy Spirite P. By faith in hys Sonne Iesus Christ by the whiche she is vnited and ioyned to him as is the body to his head Wherefore she is also a partaker of the same very soule which is in the head the whiche giueth it corporall life For the head liueth not by one soule and the rest of the body by an other but do lyue bothe by one very soule forsomuche as the head and all the members of the body are but one body and not sundrye Mathevve Séeing it is so none maye then bée of that holy companie and assemblie but those which haue true faithe in Iesus Christe and whiche for that cause are called faithfull Peter It is easie to vnderstand M. Séeing that they haue faithe they are all then also made partakers of the giftes of the holie Ghost the whiche thou hast sayd are proper to the only electe of God and without the which men maye not be accompted for gods children and be heires of the heauenly glorie Pe. Thou mayst thereof iudge by that whiche we haue alreadie heretofore sayde to this purpose and by consequent thou mayste also iudge what is the estate of such which by their incredulitie are withoute and shut from that holie assemblie and companie Of the ministerie of the Churche and of the gifts necessarie to the same M ANd which is the meane to attaine to that faithe by whiche the faithful are receiued into that holy companie and be in the same incorporate into the body of Iesus Christ as mēbres of him P. It is by the ministerie of the word of God according to the saying of Saincte Paule that faith is giuen by the hearing of the same M. Is that the cause why the same Apostle sayde that God hath giuen to his Church some Apostles some Prophets others Euangelists and others pastors and Doctors for the establishment of the Saintes to the worke of administration for the buylding vp of the bodie of Chryst vnto the tyme that wée come all into the vnitie of the faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God to be a perfect man according to the measure of the full age of Chryste P. Beside that whyche thou sayest thou hast yet to note that S. Paule meaneth not by these words that Chryst giueth only men to his Churche whiche maye haue these offices but also that he giueth them gifts méete for them wherby they may wel exercise them M. Séeing it is so these guiftes of the holie Ghost which thou hast sayd that God did distribute not only to the faithful but also oftentymes to the vnfaithfull are necessarie for his Churche Peter There be of them that are so necessarie vnto it that the Churche can not be a Churche without them and therfore they be euer in hir But there be others without the
to the children or people of Israel as though he gaue his lawe but to them onely the whiche notwithstanding euen as it hath bene sayde heretofore doth no lesse belōg to vs than to that people Wherfore I would gladly vnderstād the meaning of it and the causes and reasons for the which God did so set it forth wherein it belongeth to vs. D. You doe know well that when Kinges Princes make any Lawes and doe cause any statutes or ordinaunces to be published in their name they doe accustome to put some preface to it cōtayning their name and the titles wherby they declare what their Maiestie Lordship power is Seing then that God whiche is the chiefe King Prince of al creatures would publishe his Lawe was it not then méete that he shoulde declare that he was the Lawmaker and what was his maiestie power And therefore did he say I am the lorde thy God whiche haue brought thee out of the lande of Egipte from the house of bondage Then is it requisite before all other things to knowe in this lawe who is the true God and by what meanes he may be knowen and discerned and seperated from false Goddes that this knowledge goe before all the cōmandements folowing For who shall call vpon God who shall feare him who shall loue him who shal put his truste in him if that first he do not know him and not in such sorte as the heathen doe who although they had a certayne opinion that there was a God vpon whome it behoued them to call to feare to loue and to honour yet for all that they did not know who he was nor where to finde him And for so much as wée can not sée him nor discerne him with eyes nor with any other corporal sense yet notwithstanding wée must beholde him embrase him and speake vnto him from the harte and frō the spirite Of the name Eternal vvhich is Jehoua in Hebrevve giuen to God. T. WHerefore dothe he first call him selfe the Eternal D. He dothe declare in the Hebrewe tongue in the which Moyses hath writtē these things by the woorde of Iehoua the which we do so translate what is his beyng his nature that he is the Creatour of al creatures the first the last without beginning and without end and hath his being of none other but of him self of him all things haue their beyng are come from him and doe returne into him It is he by whom we liue moue are Thē may he lawfully say I am the whiche none els may iustly say Wherefore seyng that he is our Creatour so by consequent our guide gouerner that we haue of him our soule body and goodes is it not méete that we doe acknowledge him to be our King Prince Lord render to him the homage of soule of body goodes of all things els that we haue receyued of him to yelde vnto him perfect obedience For this cause the holy Scripture putteth vs in minde oftētimes of these things giueth to God the title of maker of heauen and earth Wherfore it must néedes be graūted that none other be our God but onely he vnto whom this name and title belongeth which is that Eternall essence that can doe all things and is the beginning the conseruation the end of all things In vvhat sorte God is generally called the God of all men and chiefely the God of his chosen people T. WHerefore doth he also say beside that Thy God D. Bicause that this first benefite is cōmon to all men to al creatures according to their nature in as much as he is creatour of thē all he addeth vnto it also this title to make him more amiable and fauourable vnto vs to the end that by that meane he may make his doctrine more acceptable vnto vs that he may make vs the more willing to receyue it as the doctrine of our father who by the same procureth nothing but onely our cōmoditie and saluation And therefore he doth not onely say God but thy God which is a maner of speach that according to the phrase of the holy Scripture carieth with it fauour grace For first the name of God the which Moyses here doth vse doth signifie in Hebrewe force forces to declare vnto vs that he hath the power to aide and helpe vs and that he is not onely God for him selfe to witte that he will kéepe in him selfe the good things that in him are and not to bestow distribute them but that his very office is to bestow thē vpō men to shewe him self gratious fauourable towardes thē When he doth the contrary being prouoked thereunto by their frowardnesse wickednesse he doth by his prophets call that worke a straūge worke Wherefore when he calleth him selfe the God of any people he declareth therby that he is not only their God as he is generally the God of all creatures as Creatour of them but that he is their God not seuere rigorous as a iudge toward euill doers but curteous louing fauourable merciful as a good father to his childrē When then he sayeth Thy God he doth then put thē in minde of that which he spake before that he had chosen this people as his own enheritance as a precious Iewell among all the rest And therefore it is not without cause sayd by the Prophete he hath done so to none other nation And therefore he sayth by Esaie And now saith the Lord thus which hath created thée Iacob who hath fashioned thée Israell feare not for I haue bought thée I haue named thy name Thou art mine When thou shalt passe by water I will be with thee the floudes shall not swallow thée vp When thou shalt passe through the fire thou shalt not be burnt For I am the Lord thy God the holy one of Israell thy Sauiour c. T. There is a goodly declaration of that which thou hast now spoken and a very apparant testimonie D. It is euen so For thou séest that after that he calleth him self the God the maker fashioner of Israell the Eternall he addeth vnto it immediatly Thy Sauiour whiche haue redéemed thée For vvhat cause God doth make expresse mention in the preface of his Lavve of the deliuerance of Israell out of Egipte T. ANd why doeth he adde yet which haue brought thée out of the lande of Egipt D. To put thē in minde of the great benefite the which not long before they had receiued of him and whereby he had plainely declared vnto them that he was their God and that he esteemed them for his people in an other sorte than he did the Egiptians wherefore they had good occasion to thinke that so good a God and so louing a father would not set forth vnto thē any doctrine but such as should be greatly for
if it be a worke whereby thy neyghboure receyueth any comforte or helpe in hys person it is then so muche the more profitable Wherefore albeit that the worke be not such as God requireth yet forsomuch as it serueth somewhat to the glory of God and to the edification of our neyboure God is so good that he will not suffer it to be vnrecompenced T. What recompence will he then giue him D. That whiche the worker requireth he desireth glory among men and his particular cōmoditie which things he doth often times receiue for his hire which extend no further than his life for he hathe no further regard at all T. By this accoumpte then thou wouldest conclude that it were better yet that a man should assist the worde of god and his Church and also the poore and that he should do such like works although that his harte were not throughly such as it ought to be rather thā to do nothing at all or to the contrary so that he do it not in any wise to the intente to dishonor God and of a determinate purpose or else rather to hurte his neyghbor than to profite him D. It is true for we haue in the holy Scriptures many examples whiche declare that God hath often times in this worlde done greate good to many that haue not had suche hartes as they ought to haue had bycause that their workes did serue somewhat to his glory and to the reléefe of his people In vvhat sorte the harte of man maye fulfill the lavve of God or no and may be condemned or absolued by the same vvithout the vvorks which god requireth of him in the same T. SEing that the worke which séemeth to be good cannot please God but so farre foorth as the hart from whence they do procéede doth please him and that the harte doth make the worke to be accepted or refused at his hande I do firste aske thée if GOD can contente him selfe without the worke with the harte alone The other is if the worke which of him selfe is euill may please him or else may be suffered by him when he that doth it doth it not for any euill purpose but doth it of force against his harte or else bicause he thinketh it not to be euill The thirde to know in déede if GOD do condemne the wicked thoughte although it be not put in execution and whether it doe as muche displease him as if the effect were ioyned with it D. As touching the firste it is sure that if God haue the harte of man he hath the whole therefore it cannot be but that the harte doth offer and presente vnto him the worke that he requireth of hym wherefore the worke may not be separated from the harte no more than the frute from the trée for euē so as the good trée neuer fayleth to bring foorthe hys frute in his due time and season so doth the good harte at all times and in all seasons that GOD requireth it if he do it not the cause is for that hée wanteth meane to do it and also power or else that he hath not a will to do it if he haue a will and haue no power and meanes to do it that wyll béeing good God dothe accepte and estéemeth it as well as if the facte were done The lyke dothe hée also if the wyll be wicked albeit that it haue not the power to put his wicked thought in execution Wherfore the wicked worke doth not only displease God but also the wicked will and affection in sorte that if it do procéede so farre that it is not long of hir that she doth not execute hir euill purpose and that there is nothing doth hinder it but want of power there is no doubte but that God accompteth the wickednesse done For that cause our Lord Iesus Christ and Sainte Iohn following his doctrine doth compare to a murtherer him that hateth hys brother and estéemeth him an adulterer that behouldeth an other mans wife coueting hir We must vnderstand the like of all other vices according to the interpretation that oure Lorde Iesus Christe himselfe and after him his Apostles gaue vs of the lawe of God but if the hart had the meane the power to do that whiche was commaunded him to do and hathe not only lefte it vndone but hath also not employed him selfe by al meanes possible to vse those occasions wherby he mought do them it is a certaine testimonie and an assured signe that it is not good and that there is no good will in it for if it were good that the will were such as it ought to be it should not be more desirous of any thing than to yeld vnto God that obedience honoure and seruice which is due vnto him and that he requireth of hym wherefore God cannot be pleased wyth such an hart for it is fayned and vntrue Hovve that men do glory in vayne of their good harte and of their faithe if their vvorkes beare not vvitnesse of it and for vvhat cause the iudgement shal be giuen by God according to theyr vvorks and vvhy the Prophets do so ernestly require them exhorting the people of God to repentaunce T. WE do then in vayne glory of the hart if the worke beare not good witnesse of the same D. Yea as well as of the faithe Wherefore we may well here saye with Saincte Iames shewe me thy harte and thy faith by thy workes for as the faith that is without works is not a true faith but onely a vayne and fayned faith and dead and a false shewe of faith hauing nothing of true faith sauing only the name without the effect no more doth the harte liue to God nor is dedicated vnto him that doth not declare himselfe by good works For the fire how litle soeuer it be cannot be without light without heate and at the least without some litle smoke for this cause in the manner of Gods iudgement which is set foorth to vs by our Lord Iesus Christ there is in manner no mention made but onely of works by the which euery man is iudged forsomuch as they shall beare witnesse of the harte and faith of euery man Likewise when the Prophets exhorte men to true repentaunce they doe euer prayse works and namely suche as do concerne our neyghboure forsomuche as hipocrisie may least be therein cloked and that mā doth declare by that whiche he doth concerning the commaundements of the second table and toward his neyghboure what harte he beareth toward God and in what reuerence he hath the commandements of the first table for it is an easie matter for a man to boast himselfe to haue a sound and perfecte harte towarde God and to make a shew by the obseruation of the outward ceremonies but whē he must in déede lay hande to the worke which is to say to the true charitie which is the ende and fulfilling of the lawe and to the workes
him and the more straitly that he shall be forbiddē it the more earnestly shal he desire it And yet may he not complaine and saye that he was constrained so to doe either by the phisition or others which haue forbidden him the same and that his will was inforced by anye other than by himself which perisheth willinglye for that he is so delicate that he cannot vanquishe his affections his corrupted nature T. The matter is plaine Of the maruellous counsel of God which is declared in the fall and the restoring of man and wherin it is different or like to that which he hath declared in the fall of the euill Angels and in the conseruation of the good D. THat which thou saiest is true and there is no doubt but that man shold haue bene euen like vnto the deuill vnto whom he did ioyne himselfe if God had cleane left him and forsaken him in that estate wherevnto throughe hys ingratitude and rebellion hée had brought hymselfe as he dyd leaue and forsake the deuell But GOD hath agayne in thys vsed a maruellous counsell and meane he dyd not suffer in the nature of Angels that he had created that al should fall but dyd preserue a parte in suche sorte that they dyd not part take of the transgression and corruption of the others And as hee doth so conserue those which doe contynue in their fyrste estate that they can not fall euen so hathe hée in suche sorte lefte the others which are fallen that neuer after they were able to rise agayne nor neuer shall On the other syde he hath suffered all mankynde to fall and bée corrupted and all the nature of man in the firste man that hée made which is to saye in the spring of the same But on the other side hée hath vsed such moderation that hée hath not willed not withstanding that all those whych were comprehended in this fall shoulde perishe eternallye as shall hée that was the firste cause thereof to witte the Deuill who dyd drawe the fyrste manne into suche perdition wyth hym But as soone as the faulte was commytted throughe the Deuylles intycing God foorthe wyth dydde fynde remedye for this great mischiefe and a meane to repare his worke and his creature which his aduersarie had destroyed The which remedy he had already prepared through the eternall counsell and firme purpose of his election through the which he dyd chose prepare in his sonne Iesus Christ the vessels of mercie not onely before the wounde was giuen to the whole bodye person of all mankinde but also before the creation of the worlde wherein hée sitteth forth the iustice of his iudgement and his grace and mercy together how that he is the author of all goodnes euen as his aduersarie is author of al euil For if God shoulde haue restored the nature of the Angels whiche was fallen as hee did repare the nature of man it mought haue bene thought that the Angels which were fallen had raised vp themselues againe or els that their fall had not ben so great and horrible as it is nor the offence so odiouse and so detestable before god Also his iustice his grace and his mercy had not bene so wel declared For it was requisite that the Angels which dyd offend should carry vpon them a perpetual testimonie of their transgression and rebellion and that they shoulde know howe good a thing it was to dwell vnited with God and how euill to be separated from him Afterwarde man maye iudge what force and power he may haue of himselfe to raise vp himselfe and to saue himselfe cōsidering what the burthen of the wrath of God is that the Deuills beare For if these creatures which were created so excellent cannot beare such a burthen nor of themselues discharge them of it but that they must be swallowed vp euen into hell how shall man then beare it that is but a worme of the earth and how shal he deliuer himselfe Further if that God haue not spared that Angelicall nature and those heauenly creatures how doth he thinke to escape his iudgement if it be not only through his grace and mercie On the contrary if he had as well suffered the one sorte as the other to fall and had lefte them all in like damnation his grace his power and his mercie shoulde not haue bin so knowne as it is and if he shoulde haue restored the one sorte and lefte the other it moughte haue séemed that he had wanted power to conserue his creatures in that estate wherein he had created them or else that he had not had so great a care for them that he would so do if he should haue done the like in man it shuld haue séemed on the other side that it had not bin in his power or else that he had not had the care and the will to repare the creature that should haue offended but only to haue cōserued and mainteyned him in his first estate so long as he should perseuer in the same But he hath declared by the meane that he hath obserued all these things togither The firste that there is no creature whatsoeuer he be that can of himselfe be mainteyned how excellēt so euer he be Further that he hath alway power to preserue them al in their estate if it please him and to restore them althogh they had offended and transgressed the whiche can be done by none other meane but by his only power and grace Then euen as mā may be recouered and restored to his firste estate through his grace and mercie euen so on the contrary abiding still in his nature suche as it is at this presente he may by meane of his wicked will do nothing else but euill withoute any constrainte other than of his owne malice Hovv that al that vvhich hath bin don as vvell in the fall and conseruation of the Angells as in the fall and restoring of man tendeth to the glory of God and hovv that same only reason ought to content vs in the doctrine of predestination T. BY that whiche I may vnderstande all that which was done in all these thinges tendeth still to the glory of God to the whiche we must referre all the ordinaunces of his prouidence as to the principal end whervnto he hath chiefe regard aboue al in all his works wherevnto it behoueth to frame all other purposes D. Thou hast wel vnderstood it wel cōcluded Therfore it is writē that the Lord hath made all thing for himselfe yea the wicked for the euil day S. Paule speaking of the eternall election of God saith who hathe before ordeyned vs for to be adopted vnto himselfe through Iesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace wherewith he hath made vs accepted in the beloued Seing it is so what iust occasion maye men haue of offence in the doctrine of predestination for ought not
alreadie sayd in the seconde and nearest causes leauing the iudgement consideration of the first to the secrete counsell of God whiche is to vs vnknowne Dan. It is true And to come againe to oure purpose the Diuell biâ—ing depriued from thys goodnesse the which he hath lost can be none other thaÌ„ he is nor haue any other wil thaÌ„ wicked But yet notwithstanding it is stil a wil that which he doth is doon voluntarily Ther is no difference in this matter but in stead that before his wil was good and did willingly that which was good by the same now is it euil doth willingly that which is euill that which he can not otherwise doe procéedeth not but onely of that that he can haue of himselfe none other wil but that which is wicked the fault whereof maye be imputed to none other but to him For if he haue bin vnthaÌ„kful toward God hath through his vnkindnesse and pride contemned that which he hath receyued of him God is not bounde to giue him that whiche he thorough his own fault and vnkindnesse hath lost neither doth he him any wrong to leaue him in that state into the which he hath brought himself for if he were not bound neither to create the Angels nor yet to preserue to confirme theÌ„ in their estate but hath done what he hath don of his méere goodnesse liberalitie what dutie oweth hée else to repaire restore those that are falne vnlesse it please him and except he think and know it to be agréeable to his glory maiestie which he declareth in shewing himselfe a iust iudge in punnishing so greuously such a pride and such an arrogancie and ingratitude and likewise hée doth shewe his great glorye and power declaring in a creature so excellently by him created what difference there is betwene him that is the Creator and the creature and betwene dwelling in hym and abandoning or leauing of him And by the same meane he doth also giue vs the better to knowe the great grace that he hath bestowed vpon the other Angels the which hée conserueth in their fyrste estate For they may vnderstande by that which happened to their felowes that which mought also haue happened to theÌ„ if that God of speciall grace had not holden them vp and conserued them considering that they were created of one very nature which is now of an vnchangeable goodnesse through his grace without the which it mought be chaungeable as well as that of the others And therfore it is not without cause writteÌ„ in the booke of Iob that God hath founde no prayse nor perfection in his very Angels For if we shuld compare God and the perfection of him with that of his Angels it shuld fare as it doth wyth the starres whych loose their light in the presence of the sunne or as it doth with a candle that is lighted at a faire noone tyde On the other syde we may not properly call true firme and constant any but only he that hath hys being of himselfe may say I am to wit God vnto whom this same belongeth Of the comparison and agreement of the first estate and of the fal of man with that of the Angels and their first estate and in to what necessitie man hath brought himselfe throughe his sinne T. J Vnderstand wel by that which thou hast said what the nature wyll of man should haue byn if he had continued in the first estate in which God did create him For as concerning his wil it should necessarily haue byn ruled by the will of god as that of the Angels which haue remained stedfast is at this pesent in such sort that he shold haue byn no more able to sinne than they and so should not at al haue loste the libertye of his wyll nor done anye thyng by constrainte And euen so shoulde hée haue béene in a good necessitye whych shoulde haue procéeded from the riches of the goodnesse and grace wherewith GOD had endued him and made him a part taker of it But when he turned from this way it came to passe wyth hym as it dyd wyth the Angels when they turned from GOD and hath declared thereby that hee was in suche sorte created of GOD good and iuste and of a good and holy will and yet was he notwythstandyng not so created that he shoulde or mought bée vnchangeable of hys own nature and force for the causes which haue bene already alleged which in their behalfe doe as much pertayne to man as to the Angels Wherefore séeyng that manne throughe the intycing and counsell of the Deuil which was the fyrste trangessor is turned awaye from the wyll and obedyence of GOD hys Creatour and dyd make an aliance with the firste offender who made himself enimy to God through his pride and ingratitude he hath ben parte taker of his iniquitie with whome hée made an aliance From whence it foloweth that his good and holye nature will hath bene corrupted and peruerted and made like to the same of him to whoÌ„ he hath ioined himself that he hath takeÌ„ hym not onely for his felow but for his guide his leader his maister his lord Wherfore euen as before abiding vnited and ioyned to God and hauing God in him and being gouerned by hys holie spirit he could do nothing but good and that without enforcemeÌ„t or constraint eueÌ„ so by the contrarie being separated froÌ„ god ioyned with the deuill being lead and gouerned by him he can doe nothing but euill and doth it of his owne wyll without conconstraint of any but only of him selfe onely bycause his nature is such by reason whereof he taketh as great pleasure in doyng of euill as he did in well doing when he was in his firste state of innocency Now this necessity is greatly different from the first For in steade that the first did procéede from the aboundant riches of the grace of god this other procéedeth from the lacke and faulte of the same Wherefore that is as wicked as the firste is blessed It séemeth to me that I haue touched the very same thing that thou woldest haue concluded vpoÌ„ D. Yet shalt thou more plainly vnderstande it by the comparison of a whole man and a sicke man Note well a man that is whole of body and minde bicause that he hath his appetite sound and not corrupted by any naughty humors he doth couet nor desire to eate drinke any thing but that which is good and agréeable to hys nature and health and in such qualitie and quantitie as his nature and health doth require bycause he is so disposed Consider againe the same being sicke he will do al things contrary to that which he did being hole bycause he is wholly otherwise disposed That will he moste couet and desyre which is most contrary to him and can not refraine from the vse of it and the more the thing shal be contrary and hurtfull for