filthie traitors the murder both of the quene and of Cardinall Poole a most noble godlie and wisemaÌ„ what nede I to reherse vnto you the rebellioÌ„ of the freÌ„ch meÌ„ the disloialty the cruelty the wast aÌ„d spoile of churches and holy thinges in FraÌ„ce what should I say of the king of ScotlaÌ„d who was by most cruel vil lanie murdered and slaine Now they that haue stirred vp such great broiâ—es and tumultes they that haue committed such barbarous and horrible actes froÌ„ whens haue they their originall or begynning Is it not euident to the wordle that the verie fountaine and spring of al these mischiefes was in Luther And yet it liketh you to cal him the man of God one sent from heauen for the saluation of mankind Tel me I praie you what vertues appeared in him so great that you should conceiue such opinion of him as you doe what continencie of life what grauitie of maÌ„ners What seueritie what gentlenes what contempte of wordlie thinges what contemplation of heauenly thinges what time spent in coÌ„tinnual praiers what daies and nightes passed ouer in weeping and teares for the health of the people What fasting what groniÌ„g and sighing Finally what deedes of most ferueÌ„t charitie hath coÌ„mended this man vnto you so much that you dare saie of him that he maie wel be compared for his excellencie in vertue and godlines with Basile and Athanasius and al other holie men First of all he was as his owne paiges do confesse of nature crewel in his talke rough wrathful haughtie and prowde yea so muche that he esteemed not Melanchton to be a man Then his vowe solempnely made vnto Christ he brake it and like a most filthie ribaude coupled him selfe with a woman whiche had in like manner vowed perpetual chastitie vnto Christ in a monasterie of Vrgines and by this example shewed him selfe to be a captaine and ringleader to al suche as would doe the like To be short he was infamous for many other most heinouse vices and detestable crimes But least his commendable qualities might seeme to be vtterly defaced with the blemish of manie vices I coÌ„fesse he could with a goodlie shew of humanity somtimes hide his rough and boisteous mad nature and so set forth hiÌ„self to the simple people For he was a pleasant coÌ„pagnioÌ„ and at a baÌ„ket a iolie prater in al kind of myrth verie fine if reprochful tauÌ„ting may be called ciuil finenes He pleasured much in scoffing and tauÌ„ting in reuiling the Princes and gouerners of the Church in mockiÌ„g and scorniÌ„g of honest plain folkes such as were true ChristiaÌ„ meÌ„ â–ª But our lord saith SalomoÌ„ abhorreth scorners and coÌ„municateth the secretes of his couÌ„sel with the simple Wherby it may be gathered that Luther was not replenished with the light of heaueÌ„ And yet you thiÌ„k hiÌ„ worthy to be coÌ„pared with the most holy fathers Of felow ship tel me which of al the auncieÌ„t fathers disteined himselfe with ribaudrie and incest Which of them brought the coÌ„moÌ„ people in hope of liceÌ„tious liuing Which of them stirred vp with his sermons sedition and hurly burly in diuers and sundrie places which of them taught meÌ„ to put the hope of their saluatioÌ„ in faith that is to say in a only rash and folish presumptioÌ„ Which of them tied vp the wil of maÌ„ which god wold haue to be free with I caÌ„ not tel what baÌ„des of destenie which of them durst euer affirme that God was the author or chief cause of al sinne which of theÌ„ euer held that al good works wrought and done of holy meÌ„ by the grace and instinct of the holy ghost were vnclean and spotted with sinne which of them euer toke away the true iustice which by the grace and goodnes of Christ iâ— ascribed vnto faithful meÌ„ and coÌ„sisteth in clean life innoceÌ„t coÌ„uersation and exercise of holy workes and in steede of it substituted a newly deuised iustice such as was neuer heard of before For wheÌ„ Luther denied that syn was quite blotted out in holy meÌ„ by the grace of Christ he affirmed that ther was none other iustice but onely the singular iustice of Christe applied to euerie particular man by faith were he neuer so synnefull and wicked the whiche being but one in all men it was impossible that there shoulde be anie difference in the worlde betwene the iustice of anie common man and the iustice of Paule or Peter yea or of the most holie Virgine mother of God And you demaund of me what those monsters of religion are Al these thinges whiche I haue here most briefely comprised I saie are the most horrible monsters of religion and the father of them is not villanous but villanie it selfe not frantike and madde but verie frantikenes and madnes it selfe What shew of bashfulnes honestie or modestie could you see in this man being the ouerthrower of all honestie continencie and modestie What glimse of vertue could he so dasel your eyes withal that you woulde suffer your selfe to be so daungerously deceiued in him And yet wil you continewe in your errour as you haue begonne And yet wil you acquite suche a pestileÌ„t secte as blamelesse and without faulte And yet will you liken the good holie Fathers to Luther a moste vile and infamous caitiue But you triumph excedingly that he stoode so stiffe thirtie yeares together and was neuer punished for his naughtines and owtrage Can you imagin anie greater punishment in the worlde then the remembrance of a synneful and filthie life The remorse of his heinouse offences made him terribly afraied The feendes of hell tormenters of damned sowles vexed his mind The ennemie the diuel shooke him vp and would not suffer him once to breath or rest him selfe Truth it is he woulde banket and make good cheere with his freendes and therewith somewhat relent his intensifâ— cares But neither chambering nor baÌ„ketting is of that force that it is able to raise vp a mans hart weied downe with the peise of synne But what kind of death died this noble holie Father Being at supper with his frinds ouer night he quaffed somewhat freely and the nexte morning was founde dead You saie afterward that there were brought into England by the goodnes of God a golden couple of olde men Martin Bucere and Peter Martyr whose vertues you coÌ„mend aboue the skies Of them I haue nothing elles to say but that I thinke them to be verie lewde and naughtie felowes if for nothing els yet for this cause onely that you so highly commend them for he that commendeth Luther it is not possible that he should coÌ„mend any thing that is godly honest or holy Whereas you put me in mind that I should somewhat temper my style and not cal such men arrogaÌ„t and prowde as you esteeme for gentle and modest signifying withal after a sort the daunger that by them might ensewe towardes me I woulde ye would aduisedly consider howe illfauouredly your woordes hang together
weaned from the acqueintaunce of the bodie so much as it were to be wisshed we coulde bicause we vnderstande that the beginning of mans miserie procedeth of negligence and forgetfulnes what so euer thing mai bring vs to remember the bowntifulnes and mercy of God we vse it very diligētly Therfore euen as we make the signe of the Crosse vpon our forehead the which manner S. Basile referreth to a tradition of the Apostles so doe we set vp Crosses not onely in Churches but also in our howses and highwaies to the end that the remembraunce of so great a benefite should neuer depart out of our minde For if God when he deliuered the peple of Israel by the diligence of Moyses out of the weake dominion of Pharao gaue order vnto them that they shoulde alwaies haue before their eyes in their handes and in such places of their howses as were in sight some monument of that benefit how much more diligently ought we to doe it which are redeemed not by the meane of Moyses but hy the benefite of that most bountifull Lord which was offred vp for vs from euerlasting darkenes and damnation into euerlasting light libertie and glorie For the same cause were the Images of holy men set vp of olde time as it is declared before that men beholding them should be moued the oftener to bend their mindes to thinke vppon those men whiche walked more feruently in the steppes of Christ and to dispose them selues the soner to folow their godlines and vertue For in holie men we doe not so much reuerence the men them selues as the maiestie of Christe whiche dwelleth in their heartes For they are the sonnes of God the brothers of Christe the heires of the euerlasting and heauenlie kingdome the whiche state all suche haue atteined by the benefit of Christ as haue so nailed their senses vpon the Crosse that there liueth none other thing in them but only the spirit will and pleasure of Christ as S. Paule said I liue now not I but Christ liueth in me And so we honour in holy men a most excellent gift of God a verie expresse Image of God yea after a maner of spech certain Gods in the brightnes of whome we extol and praise for euermore the moste high and euerlasting benefite of God Now the faith in the which we liue is such that it doth neither minish our hope in attempting any good woorke neither wipe away quite all feare or doubt of saluation but it bringeth the wel disposed mindes in hope of godlines and vertue and it driueth withall now and then a certaine feare into all such as think vpon the rigour of Gods iudgementes For Christe which by his bloud hath drowned synne as it is writen into the deapth and hath furnished all suche as are come vnto him with a liuely and true faith with the giftes of holines puritie and iustice hath appointed euerlasting damnation to them that refuse to obeie his commaundemente For he was made the cause of euerlastinge saluation not to euerie man that boasteth of faith but to suche as obeie him as Sainct Paul◠saieth Wherefore we beleeue that the woorkes of holie menne are not disteyned with anie vncleanes of synne for that were a derogation and dishonour to Christe for so muche as they are donne by his grace and power and we knowe for certaine that suche as thinke not that the lyfe of manne is to be spente in doing holie woorkes if they continue in that lewde opinion shalbe tormēted in hel for euermore We confesse that men being destitute of the aide and grace of Christe can neither doe nor endeuour no nor thinke any thing that is auaileable to euerlasting saluation and therfore we beleeue that all hope of saluation all the meane to atteine vnto true honour all the staie of lyfe euerlasting resteth in the mercie of God And yet we beleeue this assuredlie that it lieth in vs either to refuse or els to accept thankefully this benefite when it is offered vnto vs. And as we doe not deface neither the signes of the holie Crosse neither the Images of Christe neither the monumentes of holy men so do we thinke that the reuerent ordre of al ceremonies and the religious vsage of holie Sacramentes I meane not any newefourmed ordre deuised and trimmed by the witte of fine M. Haddon but that most old and auncient vsage whiche was approoued by the ful agreement of the holy Fathers as it may easily appeare by their writinges is moste reuerently and inuiolably to be obserued and kept When we fall we thinke it expedient foorth with to haue recourse to the Churche and to the iudgement of the Priest There is made a due examination of the sinne and it is seene howe great the deformitie of it was whervpon the mind which is now ashamed of such vncleanes doth the more earnestlie hate and detest the offence cōmitted and a◠keth pardon humbly and is absolued by the sentēce of the Priest whiche representeth the personne of Christ but yet so that he must discretly submit him selfe to such order as the Priest will inioyne him He that heareth you saith our Sauiour Christ heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me After this we come with feare and trembling and with a good affiance of the mercie of God vnto that most holy and dreadful Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ in the which banket we are so refreshed and strengthened that we doe withstand the tyrannie of bodily lustes with a greater force and courage And bicause it were a daungerouse matter to leaue all this to the wil and discretiō of euery man for there are many sicke men which will not be healed and the life of the common sorte is not so well gouerned by will as by lawe and discipline it hath ben ordeined vpon great considerations that all Christian men should be constreined to laie this so soueraigne a salue to their wounds at the least once euerie yeare There are many which come vnto this Sacramente oftentimes but yet so that they examine them selues before diligently as Sainct Paule teacheth and endeuoure them selues to wassh out all the spottes of synne by the merite of Christ which they may most easilie obteine if they will confesse and forsake their foremer lyfe It is a wonder to see what a multitude of menne is fedde enerie Sonnedaie and Holie daie in the yeare with this Diuine and heauenly foode and howe by the helpe of it they are stirred more earnestlie to seeke after heauenly richesse For we see in them that are oftentimes refreshed with the moste holy bodie of Christe that the darkenes of sinne is driuen away the light of heauen riseth vertue and godlinesse are planted in them the moste goodlie fruictes of iustice are powred vpon them abundantly Bishops such as are able to preach the which hath ben litle regarded of some to the
A LEARNED AND VERY ELOQVENT Treatie writen in Latin by the famouse man Hieronymus Osorius Bishop of Sylua in Portugal wherein he confuteth a certayne Aunswere made by M. Walter Haddon against the Epistle of the said Bishoppe vnto the Queenes Maiestie Translated into English by Iohn Fen student of Diuinitie in the Vniuersitie of Louen LOVANII Apud Ioannem Foulerum Anno 1568. Cum Gratia Priuilegio TO THE CATHOlike Reader I Was moued gentle Reader to translate this Booke into our mother tongue for diuers and sundrie causes First the fame of the authour prouoked me thereunto who is not in my priuate opinion but in the estimation of alsuch as know gim a vertuous Prieste and godly Bishoppe in the iudgement of the world for grauitie wisedome eloquence and profound knowledge in al kinde of learning in these our daies a singular yea an odde man Then I thought it expedient to impart the benefit therof vnto my vnlearned countrey men bicause as it was writen generally for the commoditie of al the Churche of Christ so it was especially meant and as it were dedicated to the Churche and cōmon weal of Englād vnto the which as it may appeere both by the epistle which he wrot before vnto the Queenes Maiestie as also by this Booke he bare siugular good will Moreouer I iudged that mylabour in translating it shuld be the more profitably emploied bicause there are in it many goodly exhortations to stirre a mā vp to the loue and feare of God many holesome lessons by the whiche a Christian man may direct and order his life many points of Catholike doctrine whiche are in these dayes called in controuersie by our Aduersaries so plainly set out that the vnlearned maie take great profit therof so lernedly disputed that such as are wel exercised in Diuinitie may find wherwith to increase their knowlege To be short the thing that most moued me to take these paines was bicause it conteineth a briefe confutation of manie erroneous opinions of much heretical and pestilēt doctrine comprised in a litle booke set out these late yeares in the name of M. Haddon wherin was pretended an answere to the Epistle of Osorius which I spake of before but in effecte was nothing els but a numbre of stout assertions faintly prooued be sprinkled here and there with bitter tauntes vnsauerie gyrdes and other the like scomme or froth of vndigested affections These were the things that cawsed me to spare some time from my study to trāslate this booke into Englishe for the commoditie of suche as vnderstande not the Latine tongue wherof if thou shalt receiue any profit as thou maist very much if thou reade it with diligence and good iudgement thanke God of it and with mindful hart acknowledge his great mercy and goodnes towards vs in that it hath pleased him in this perilous time not only to send vs at home in our owne countrie most vertuous godlie and learned men to be vnto vs a perfecte rule both of good life and true beleefe but also to moue the heart of this graue Father and reuerēt Bishop whose learned writinges haue deseruedly obteined so great authoritie thoroughout al the Church of Christ to pitie the lamentable state of our most miserably decaied Church and to laie his helping hand to the repairing of it employing thervnto the rare gyftes and graces of God with the which as thou shalt perceiue by reading this booke he is most beawtifully adourned and decked And thus I bid the heartily farewell commending my selfe to thy deuout praiers and thee to Almightie God whome thou shalt most humbly besech that it maie please him either of his mercie to turne the heartes of such as are maliciously bent against the true faith of Christe or els of his iustice to turne the wicked deuises and diuelish practises of Achitophel and all his confederacie to the glorie of his holie name and aduaunceme◠of the Catholike Churche From Louen the fyrst of Nouember Anno Domini 1568. John Fen. THE FIRST BOOKE I Thinke it a great grace and benefite of God M. Haddon that your booke which ye sette out against me a fewe yeres past with much a doe at the length this last daie came vnto my handes Such care hath God put into the hart of Henrie the Cardinal who is a most godly Prince and wise gouernour to vse al possible diligēce that no such bookes as may disteine the purenes of godly Religion be brought in emongest vs. Had it not benne that Emanuel Almada Bisshoppe of Angra a man excellently wel furnished with al good qualities and vertues to me moste intiere both for the streight friendshippe as also for the long acqueintaunce betwene vs begone and continued euen from our Auncestours had accompaigned the most vertuous Ladie Marie Princesse of Parma into the low Coūtries of Flaūders I had not as yet heard any thing either of the booke or of the Writer But he after his arriual into those parties chauncing vppon the booke thought he could no lesse doe of friendshippe but take vpon him my cause and confute your reprocheful wordes Howbeit in the worke which he wrote with singular diligence he tooke vppon him the defence not so muche of me as of Religion of pietie of godlinesse After his returne into his countrie whiche was much later then we hoped it was rumored foorthwith that an English man whose name was vnknowen had writen against Hieronymus Osorius and that the Bishoppe of Angra had earnestly taken vpon him the defence of Osorius and this much was signified vnto me by my friendes letters At the same time I was painfully occupied in visiting my Diocese the which notwithstanding I was not so letted but that I found a time to salute my frind and welcome him home by my letters in the which I required of him that he woulde send me your booke together with his defence He answered me to euery point of my letters as humanitie courtesie and frindship required But as touching your booke he said he was moued in conscience not to send it vntil he had obteined licence of the Cardinal whereby ye may perceiue how heinouse and wicked offence it is emongest vs to reade the bookes of such men as haue with many errours infected Religion This wise man albeit he had had very exact and perfect tryal of my Religion by long experience and saw that I was placed in the roome and dignitie of a Bishop and therefore might of mine owne authoritie search and trie out what soeuer wilines or craft laie hiddē vnder the couert of your writings yet durst he in no wise make me partaker of your booke before he vnderstoode our Cardinalles pleasure You wil here peraduenture scorne and laugh at his ouermuch superstition But I shal neuer thinke any diligēce that is employed to put away the contagion of such a deadlie or mortal pestilence to be ouermuch After many moneths at the length when he vnderstoode the Cardinals pleasure he
truth of other or els to find it our selues If we can not atteine vnto this yet at the lest wise we must haue great regard emongest the reasons of diuers men to take some one that seemeth better and surer with the which as it were with a boate we maie gouerne our life in these waues with some daunger vntil we may either find an other ship of more assurance and lesse daunger or els be instructed by the wordes and aduise of God him selfe how to directe our course without anie errour Thus much said he But to what purpose say you haue you alleaged this place out of Plato That you may vnderstand that men of excellent wits did euen in those daies perceiue how litle we ought to trust to mās reason and how earnestly we ought to praie that our life might be gouerned not by the staie of our owne wit but by the rule of the woorde of God So we doe say you Would God ye did But it is not so But rather when it is lest cōuenient you wil weakē reason and take it awaie quite and runne like mad mē into darkenes againe whē reason is to be bridled by the faith of Christ you yeald so much to reason that what so euer reason is not able to atteyne you will foorth with geaue it ouer Now for somuch as reason is driuen into a narrowe and streight roome and the boundes of Christian faith are passing great and endles it is a token not onely of a naughtie and wicked man but also of a blunt and dul wit to directe his life not by faith but by reason For what man a liue is able to trie out perfectly the causes of the lest thinges in the worlde to describe exactely the first spring the increase the varietie the beawtie the fruict the profitte and vse of trees and plātes to expresse in wordes the ordre and waie by the which eche thing in his kinde is holdē together and made to cōtinue what man in the world is able to atteine by wit to search out the secret force and cause how a liuing thīg is made nourished and knit together with bones and sinewes by what cūning or subtilty the vaines are spread through the whole body how the arteries are so wonderfully wouen one within an other and how they do cōuey the spirite of life to al the partes of the body being so meruelously accorded the one to serueth ' other ▪ ād so finely cōpacted together within thēselues Then to come to the nourishment increase mouīg goīg diuersity ād multitude of liuing thinges and the naturall knowledge and pollicie that ech thing hath to keepe and defend it selfe what man was euer able to find out by vndoubted reasons the very ground and perfecte knowledge of these thinges Great learned men haue disputed verie much as touching the mind of mā of the nature disposition wit reason inuention memorie and other powers of it but of al this disputation we receiue none other commoditie but this that we may wel perceiue by their long studie and diligent search howe great darkenes and ignoraunce there is in mans reason For we see in them a goodlie endeuour of mind to consider the nature of mans mind but of the perfecte knowledge of the thing which thev seeke for we are neuer the neere Wherevpon it is gathered that no man is able to know him selfe perfectly And yet there are some men so hard that if a thing be tolde them which is wont to grow or to be done in farre Countries they wil not beleue it as though the thinges whiche they see with their eyes and yet are ignorant of the causes were lesse to be wōdred at then those thinges which are reported to be done in other places But now to omit to speake of the firmnes of the earth the passing great widnes of the sea the nature of the ayer that enuironeth vs the burning of the skie the due proportion and agreemēt of these bodies the chaunge and alteration of one nature into an other as it were by course and order of Lawe What shall we saie of the brightnesse bewtie hugenes and compasse of the heauen You if ye leane vnto reason onely what woulde you haue done in this case Ymagine you had ben borne and bred in the darke countries of Cimeria as the Poetes feine and some man had tolde you that there were a huge greate frame conteining within his compasse al the whole world meruelouslie decked and garnished with many fiers of such hugenes that al the landes and seas in comparison of it are but as a pinnes point of such swiftnes in mouinge that within the space of fower and twentie howers it turneth the whole bodie round about of such force and violence that seuen other huge bodies of the same nature which are conteined within his compasse hauinge a contrarye course it beareth them al backe with his onely mouing if a manne shoulde tell you this tale would you beleeue him No truly if you trust onely to reason and senses For so would you perswade your selues that the thinges the causes wherof vou are not able to conceiue were impossible before you see them with your eyes What if he shoulde tell you of the sonne shine a thing both healthful and comfortable to al liuing creatures and of the goodly order which the sonne keepeth in goinge by litle and litle towards the North and again how he returneth by the same way to the south casting his bright beames vpō al things in the world What if he should report how the moone with her increase and decrease diuideth the times of the yere and how she geueth ripenes to al thīgs which the land and sea bringeth forth What if he should declare how diuerslie the heauenly bodies aboue are moued and tourned and how notwithstanding they are all reduced to a most perfecte harmonie and agreemente Would you beleeue it No truely if you can be perswaded in nothing except it may either be proued by reason or perceiued by sense It is surely a token of a base mind to esteme the knowlege of things by the narrow and streight measure of mans vnderstanding and not according to the almighty power of him that made them And out of this dulnes or weaknes of nature procedeth al such opinions as are contrary to holy Religion For all heretikes either they esteeme the almightie power of God by their owne weakenes or els they measure the infinite mercie of God by their own naughtines As though thei were able to make any resemblance in the world of the power of God or vnderstand how great the goodnes is of that moste bountifull Father whiche doth with special regard as it were walke vp and downe throughout al his creatures and prouidētly mainteineth eche thing in his kinde and nature And to passe ouer all other thinges me thinketh that in that last geuing of shape and fourme to euery liuing thing I see a miracle which
Whereas you saie that I doe fight or contend against an errour it soundeth to my commendacion For what goodlier thing can I doe them to plucke vp pestilent opinions by the roote But when you bring in vpō this that of the selfe same errour which I contēd against ther is none other authour bisides myne owne selfe we had nede of Oedipus to expound it You haue a meruelous liking in darke sayinges Heard you it euer reported that I should say that the workes of holie menne were defiled and spotted with synne and that for this cause no man could atteine iustice by holy workes This is the errour whiche I doe stand against But you wil not once say so and yet you are so babish that you can not vtter what you thinke But the fambling of your tongue we wil lette passe and consider howe fowly you are ouerseene in weightie matters You saie that woorkes are not auaileable to iustification and yet you say that workes are not to be despised for so much as we haue both these opinions grounded vpon the authoritie of S. Paul The principal deuisours and Archbuylders of your newe gospell whome you worshippe as Goddes of whome you learned these mysteries went further then so and said plainly that al the workes the which holy mē doe are not only vnprofitable but also vncleane and spotted through the contagion of originall synne For they doe not beleeue that originall or engraffed synne the whiche we tooke from the spring is quite blotted out in the baptisme of life but that it groweth still and casteth out such a deale of vncleane vice that all the doinges of holy men although thei be done by the mocion and instincte of the holie Ghost yea and referred to the glorie of Christ yet they are deadlie synnes and deserue of iustice the punishment of euerlasting damnation without the great goodnes and mercie of Christ If it be but litle ciuilitie as you saie and as yt pleaseth your great lawier to write also to iudge of a lawe vnlesse it be thoroughly weighed and considered reade diligently the bookes of Luther Melanchthon Caluine and other your learned men and you shall see that this was their opinion or rather that the whole somme of the doctrine whiche they professed stoode vpon this opinion that they condemned al workes as wicked and synfull You see here an extreme desperation of atteining vnto iustice For if no man can be iust but he only that keepeth the law as S. Paule saith if not he that saith Lord Lord shal enter into the kingdome of heauen as our Lord him selfe declareth plainely but he that doth the wil of the Father if iustice as the Prophetes witnesse is a shunning of all vices and an earnest desire to folowe vertue and honestie if iustice cōsisteth in cleanes of life in innocencio in good and seemelie ordre of the mind in holy conuersation in newnes of heauenly life and in the cōtinual exercise of charity and we be able neither to keepe the commaundementes of God neither to forsake vice neither to folowe honestie neither to doe the woorkes of charitie if it be so that wil we nil we we must needes beare the yoke of synne by what meanes in the worlde shall we be able to assure our selues of the state of iustice through the grace and mercie of Christe if Christe hath not yet broken the force of synne in vs by the merite of his bloude as your maisters say You see here after what sort that man that was as you say sent from heauen hath cut of by his deuises all hope of atteining vnto iustice But see on the other side how wittily he hath deuised a remedie and how al the rest haue folowed him He saieth that no man hath anie particular iustice through the grace of Christ but that the iustice of Christe him selfe is applied to all beleeuers by faith in such sorte that the iustice of Christ is no lesse accōpted and esteemed in euerie faithfull man be he neuer so wicked then if it were that mās owne iustice that staieth vppon faith onely He sayth therefore that it cometh to passe through this faith by the which euerie Christian man assureth him selfe that he is in the fauour of God that the iustice of Christ is imputed to be the iustice of that man that beleeueth You haue here the law of Luther so muche as concerneth this present place thoroughly scanned so that you can not iustly complaine of any wrong done vnto Luther Nowe consider you on the other side what a meruelouse easie waie he hath deuised to atteyne vnto iustice For to whome shal it not be a very easie matter if he wil beleeue Luther to say thus with him selfe This geare goeth gaily wel with me I am in high fauour with God for my faithes sake It is so that the iustice of Christ is become mine owne iustice I am therefore as iuste as Paule as Peter yea 〈◊〉 the moste blessed mother of God her selfe for so much as no man hath the cōmendation of any particulare iustice through the grace of Christ but there is one only iustice applied indifferētly to al such as keepe the faith the which bicause it can not be higher or lower greater or lesser it foloweth that I am so iuste my selfe although there remaine synne in me as he that is most iust You see now how by the diligence of this excellent felow all feare is put to flight presumption set on tip toe boldhardinesse confirmed in her full strēgth and force For so much as therfore a man can not be earnestly prouoked to doe any vertuouse acte being either in extreme despaire or elles in extreme presumption and Luther hath in parte cutte of all hope of iustice and in parte hath brought his disciples into a moste presumpteous affiaunce of atteyning vnto it by deuising an other iustice that was neuer hearde of before is it not euident although to eschewe enuie he spake sometymes manie thinges concerning the woorkes of iustice that he quenched all loue and desire of well doing For I praye you by what meanes wil you encourage a faint man to doe anie honest thing if he haue learned before of some graue person that such as endeuour them selues to doe anie vertuouse acte doe but loose their labour Agayne howe will you driue the feare of euerlasting damnation into them that are altogether carelesse and presume so muche of their owne iustice that they beleeue that no man doth passe them in any excellencie of iustice Wherefore no man in the worlde wil euer bend him selfe to doe holie woorkes if he hearken to the Doctrine of Luther for so much as it is impossible that any man being either in extreme despaire of honestie or elles in extreme presumption of saluation should earnestly endeuour him selfe to folow godlines But you wil say that it may be that Luther did exhorte his countrey men to good workes in his Bookes and sermons I know that
are al so wellinked within them selues the one dependeth of an other so aptly they are knit together so finely the seconde cometh in vppon the first the last answereth vnto the middelmost so necessarily he chaineth all the whole discourse in one with such an excellent order and cunning that it is not possible to finde any one pointe in al his talke that agreeth not wonderfully wel with his meaning expressed in any other place before It is therfore gathered by the reason it self of S. Paule which concludeth verie aptly what workes of the Law those are by the which he saieth no man is made iust They are those workes the which S. Paule plucketh at euermore in his disputatioÌ„ against the which he contendeth moste earnestly from the afsiance of the which he endeuoureth to withdraw the Iewes for the cause of the which he was cruelly assaulted of the Iewes and oftentimes put in great peril of his life Now if you desire to know wherfore these sacrifices of the Lawe are called the woorkes of the lawe howe those workes also which are done by the strength of reason only vnto the which men leane and trust to muche and therefore require against al reason a reward for them not accordinge to grace but of duetie are to be accounted emongest the workes of the Law how the workes of godlines charitie humanitie and vertue are to be referred vnto the power and holinesse of faith in how great blindenes thei are the whiche not vnderstandinge these places of S. Paule and wresting them from their true meaning abuse them to proue that the workes of holy men are not only vnprofitable but also wic ked I haue declared these thinges plainely ynough in my bookes writen of iustice which are now abroad and therefore I thinke it not nedefull to repete them againe in this place I doe not therefore pul in sunder such things as are ioyned together by reason but the things that are disagreable and coÌ„trary the one to the other I can noâ—â—bide to see them hudled vp together without reason For seing that S. Paule doth most earnestly exhorte vs to the loue of vertue innoceÌ„cy and charitie saying that euery maÌ„ shalbe rewarded according to his workes seing that he affirmeth that al such as are ioyned vn to Christ are washed and clensed of al vncleanes of syn and are become holy yea and that they are for cleannes of life and brightnes of vertue comparable to the sterres what thing in the world could haue beÌ„ spokeÌ„ more coÌ„trary to this saying so ofteÌ„ and so coÌ„stantly repeted then to affirme that suche as the Apostle reporteth to be cleane holy cleere most excelleÌ„tly beutified with the brightnes of heaueÌ„ly vertues are spotted with sinnes and that their workes are not only nothing auailable towards the heap and perfection of iustice but also that thei are vnclene sinful and disteined with the contagious infection of our corrupted nature But let vs coÌ„fider the place of S. Paul it selfe which you alleage S. Paule say you waraÌ„teth that there is no danger of daÌ„nation in such as are eÌ„graffed in Christ But we take that withal that foloweth in the same place such as liue not accordiÌ„g to the flesh but according to the spirit You doe wel to take in that withal But let vs see â–ª what are they that walke as S. Paul saith accordiÌ„g to the flesh Doutlesse thei are those which are as S. Paul writing to the Galathians saith corrupted and defiled with auoutrie with the filthie pleasure of the bodie with vncleanes of life with cursed superstition with hatred with making debate and strife betweene men with stirring vppe troubles and discorde with pestilente sectes with enuie murder and creweltie with drunkenes and glottonie with these and other the like vices of the which saieth the Apostle I tel you now as I haue also told you before that who soeuer doth such thinges shal neuer possesse the inheritaunce of God He excepteth no man he saied not vnlesse they haue faith for it is like that this light of the new Gospell had not yet shined in his eyes And what they are that liue according to the Spirit the Apostle declarerh saying that they are suche is enioye the most sweete and plesaune fruit of the Spirite Nowe the fruit of the spirit as he saith is charity gladnes peace constancie in vertue gentlenes bowntifulnes faith not meaning that slacke faith but such a faith as is ioyned with obedience mekenes continencie and other the like commendable vertues against the whiche no man can procede by law And yet a manne might doe it in case they were spotted and defiled with any sinne S. Paule therfore doth in no wise promise the inheritance of the euerlasting kingdom to them that leane to the only faith of Luther but to suches as doe good workes and direct all the doings of their life to the glorie of Christ Here wil you crie out againe and protest the faith of Gods and men that this is a notable slaunder and not to be borne and that you did not put suche affiaunce in onely Faith but that you determined withal that good workes were also necessarie vnto saluation I will not as now dispute howe farre from al reason it is to put any hope or affiaunce of saluation in a thing that is vncleane and wicked And therfore if al workes as Luther saith are defiled with sinne then are thei not to be wrought diligeÌ„tly but to be neglected and despised But omitting this matter we wil consider how these works be they neuer so euil yet must thei nedes be had of you for this pointe haue I searched out with much diligeÌ„ce Bicause say they they folow faith of necessitie not for that that workes doe make the way vnto saluation for as of them selues they came not into iudgement but bicause there is in them a certaine fruit of Faith For as a tree of it self bringeth forth fruit by the stregth of nature so dothe faith of necessitie bring forth workes These two points of doctrine do your maisters teach butboth the one and the other is false For first of al the works themselues do deserue either saluatioÌ„ or daÌ„nation and the workes shalbe weied by them selues in the balaÌ„ce of Gods iudgemeÌ„t Otherwise Dauid woulde neuer haue said that God wil â—eÌ„der vnto euery maÌ„ according to his workes S Paul would neuer haue said that God wil rewarde euery man according to the qualitie of his worke good or il he would neuer haue staied men with that threat that we must all stand before the iudgemeÌ„t seat of Christ â–ª to make account euery man of what so euer good or euill he hath cmoÌ„itted in this life and that euery mans own works shalbe most exactly tryed to make short for so much as the testimonies that may be alleaged are infinite the most holy iudge himselfe would neuer haue said that such as haue done well shal goe into life
â–ª â—he fault is not so much in her herâ—â—â— in hâ—â— teachers who had the bringing vp of her when shee was of age tender and weake and therefore the more meete to be abused by such subtile and craftie felowes Last of all it is not as yet euidently seene so long as shee is not free from your tyrannie which vnder her name as men saie doe possesse the kingdom what waie she woulde take in al these matters Of thys I am righte well assured that her singular wit is not by nature so obstinately bente to mainteine an opinion once conceiued or so muche geauen to naughtie and false doctrine that it is not very flexible to yealde vnto good reason and verie willing to forsake false doctrine and to folowe that which is true and incorrupted Wherefore I doubte not if she be so wittie as you say shee is but that shee will so soone as euer shee may doe it for your importunitie turne from this your wicked doctrine to the honest godly and profitable doctrine of the Church And wheras you adde these words In the which shee hath found God so merciful vnto her Me thinketh you vnderstand not in what thing the testimonie or proufe of Gods mercy standeth â–ª For it standeth not so much in the glory of the people or in the prosperouse successe of worldli matters as in the peace â—d quietnes of coÌ„scieÌ„ce in a mind beutifully decked with the giftes and graces of God in faith and vpright coÌ„uerâ—atioÌ„ in true and vncorrupted doctrine â—n that state of life which is abundantly â—â—rnished with heauenly vertues Furâ—hermore if shee haue had God very â—erciful vnto her and haue not tryed â—r fealt as yet his iudgement she ought â—o be so muche the more carefull that â—e do not offend him and that she doe â—ot abuse his mercy and clemencie to â—e contempt of his most pure and holy â—eligion And to make so much of fiue yeares prosperitie it argueth a'â—â—erueilouse great rashnes in you When Solon warned Cresus that he shoulde not trust to much to prosperouse fortune he taught him that the prosperitie not of fiue yeares but of manie yeares is to be feared and he shewed withal that no man is to be accounted happie so long as he liueth This Cresus being afterward ouercome by Cyrus and set vppon a pile of wood to be burned called with a lowd voice vpoÌ„ Solon by whome he had ben warned before of the coÌ„dition of mans frailtie and of the sodaine alteration of worldlie felicitie Cyrus hearing the name of Solon demauÌ„ded of Cresus what that Solon had ben To whome Cresus answered that he had ben the wisest man in al Greece of whom he had learned this lesson that it is the greatest madnes in the worlde to be lifted vppe to much with prosperitie Cyrus foorthwith caused Cresus to be taken doune from the pile and vsed him very honourably and him selfe in all his prosperitie held a goodly meane These and the like examples are so wel knowen and daily experience geueth vs such occasioÌ„ to know the vncertaintie of this our condition that there can not be any greater token of madnes or folie then to waxe proude when the worlde serueth vs at will For who so euer is puffed vp with the prosperouse successe of things neither doth he vnderstand how sodainlie all the wealth of the worlde vanisheth awaie and from howe high a griese or step many of the greatest Princes haue sallen to the great wonder of al men neither doth he consider what a violent kinde of seueritie that supreame Iudge vseth wheÌ„ he mindeth to shake as it were with a whirle winde and throw down the estate of such as trust to much to them selues Who is able to saie that al things shal prosper with him euen vntil his dying daie Who is able to assure him selfe of one daie yea of one hower voide of all calamitie or mishappe For as darkenes enseweth vppon lighte as the tempest is wonte to come vppon the watermen and mariners vnwares euen so doth heauy chaunces oftetimes marre the flourishing state of fortunate men and ouerwhelme them in the waues of al aduersity and driue them against the rockes of euerlasting thraldome and miserie And the more carelesse men are the more grieuously are they pained when any suche calamitie falleth vpon them Wherefore it is the parte af a wise man to consider long time before all suche mischaunces as maie happen euery daie and hower yea euerie minute of an hower but it is a token of a foolish and madde felowe in prosperitie to forget the weakenesse of manne especiallie whereas we see oftentimes that almightie God nowe and then suffereth suche as he is most offended withall to haue the longer enioying of their apparente felicitie that he maie of a sodaine strike them that will not repente and geue them the deeper wounde And therefore our Lorde warneth vs that we be not like vnto them which in the daies of Noe liued a rechelesse life and so coÌ„tinued eueÌ„ vnto the time in the which they were oppressed sodainly with the floud which they could not possiblie auoid He teacheth vs also by the sodaine fiering of those Cities that his iudgement catcheth improuideÌ„t men as it were with secrete grynnes or snares in such sort that they can not escape from euerlasting pounishment and tormentes If these thinges be true what a madnes was that in you for fiue yeres prosperitie to vaunt your selfe so arrogantly and vainely To triumph so insolently to build so great an argument of Gods fauour towardes you vpon so slender a ground See you not howe manie nations there are in the worlde vtterly voide of the faith of Christe whose estate is a great deale more flourishing then yours is If this argument were any thing woorth see how easily the Turkes shall be able to auouche their pestilent secte wherein they are drowned You mainteine your cause with fiue yeares felicitie but they wil proue their Religion to be true by their great victories and by the very prosperouse successe which they haue had in all their affaires for the space of many yeares Last of al are you wel ascerteined what alteration one day or rather one hower may bring vnto your state Wherefore are you then so bragge Wherefore do you vaunt your selfe so farre beyonde all modestie as though you were free and past al daunger yea as though you were altogether exempted from the bondes of the condition of man in suche sorte that you coulde not possibly be ouertaken with any sodaine mishap As for the agreement of your councel in bringing the auncient Religion to be set at naught and forgotten if it be so as you saie and in makinge the Quenes Maiestie Superintendent in al spiritual matters I haue already declared that neither of them both coulde be donne without incurringe the grieuouse displeasure of God If you think that you shall escape vnpunished bicause it is delaied take hede if you repeÌ„t