to men yet God which knoweth all things and séeth all things in secreate shal giue his iudgement thereafter But this iudgement shall be done of God by his deare sonne which is now our Lord and moste rightuous sauioure and shall be at the iudgement day the iudge of al the worlde which thing is the true saying of the Gospell least it be taken of some for a fable or dreame whereof I now moste reuerently speake Therfore O thou Iew that standest so much in thine owne conceit and arte proud that arte called a Iewe making thy reckening vpon the priuiledge of the lawe which was giuen of God only vnto thée and doest vaunt and boaste God to be the author of thy religion whose minde and pleasure thou knowest by the Scriptures that came from him and arte brought vp and taught in the misteries of the lawe whereby thou doest not only knowe what things are to be auoided and what to be folowed and of all good things what be the best but also thinkest thy selfe able to be a guide vnto the blinde and to shine before them which be in darkenesse that is to be a teacher of them that be rude and to be an instructor of them which haue no knowledge all which things though God haue shewed them vnto thée in giuing the lawe only vnto thée shalt thou therefore thinke thy selfe better than the Gentile No verily but the lawe which God hath giuen thée for good maketh thy cause and matter woorse before the iudgement seat of God except thou directest thy life and conuersation according to the lawe in which thou doest so muche glorie and make thy boaste else the knowledge of the lawe whereof thou so greatly makest thine accompt shall be a very snare to take thée withall to thine vtter ouerthrowe and confusion Therfore O thou vaine man which bostest of the law why doest thou aduance thy selfe on this maner why teachest thou another and leauest thy selfe vntaught why doest thou preache that theft shoulde not be committed and yet thou thy self art a théefe why dost thou commaund other to forsake adultry and thou thy self art defiled therwith why dost thou banish idolatrie in another and art thy selfe polluted with worshipping of images And in conclusion why dost thou glory amongs men in that thou hast receiued the law at Gods haÌ„ds and in transgressing the fame doest dishonoure God For in that thou séekest praise and honoure of men by reason of the lawe thou arte become a vessell of muche dishonoure to God which should by thée only haue all the honor and glory And although no mannes iniquitie can in déede dishonor God yet thou doest as muche as in thée lieth to dishonor him Of the like sort of men the holy Prophets héertofore haue spoken as it is wrytten in Esay and Ezechiel The name of the Lord saye they is slaundered by you and hath through your fault an euill report among the nations that are inclined to idolatrie in as muche as you proudly glory in the only title of the law and yet among your selues do liue most sinnefully and wretchedly against the lawe Neither is it sufficient for thée to be a Jews borne or to be of the Jewes religion for then shall Circumcision only profite thée so farre foorth as thou performest the things for whose cause Circumcision was first giuen and also accomplishing suche things in thy life which thou professest in thy Ceremonies Otherwise if thou transgresse the lawe it shal no more profit thée to be Circumcised before the face of the iust God than though thou werte neuer Circumcised Wherefore like as Circumcision is turned to vncircumcision vnlesse thou also performe the other déedes of the law which appertaineth to good manners and vpright conuersation euen so vncircumcision shal not hurt the Gentile but shall be accepted for circumcision if be leaue and forsake the Ceremonies of the law and performe those things that be in déede the whole summe of the law which is a pure and a cleane life and shall also obey Christ which is the end of all lawes Therefore thou Jewe the Gentile shall be made equall with thée in this behalfe yea he shall be preferred before thée and be better taken than thou bicause he knoweth no Circumcision and his innocencie and cleane life shall make thine iniquitie more damnable bicause he not professing the lawe dothe yet declare the ende of the lawe in the actes of his good and godly life where thou glorying in the wordes and sillables of the lawe and professing Circumcision doest violate that which is the chéefe of the lawe God which iudgeth not after the outwarde appearance of the body but after the godlinesse of the spirite taketh no man for a Jewe except he performe in dede the profession of a iewe And him name not I a Jewe that hathe the manifest note marke of the Jewe neither is he Circumcised that hathe his priuie skin cutte but he is a very Jewe that is rightly a Jewe and circumcised in his hart which God only beholdeth and therafter iudgeth all men To conclude therfore he is Circumcised which rather hath his harte circumcised than he which hath his priuie membre circumcised which also dothe not reioyce in the markes and notes made with a stone as the circumcision of the Iewes was but reioyceth in the spirite and minde of the lawe for he that hath only his fleshe Circumcised may goe for a Iewe amongst men but him worthily God taketh for a Iewe whose hart is purged and clensed from the filthe of vice and sinne and is prest and readie to the loue of Iesus Christ of whome only to be allowed is the most high and chiefe felicitie The third Chapter ¶ Paule shevveth vvhat preferment the Ievves haue and that bothe the Ievves and Gentiles are vnder sinne and are only iustified by the grace of God in Christe BVt héere will some men say séeing the summe of the lawe dependeth vppon godlinesse and innocencie of life and vpon the only faithe in Iesus Christ what preheminence then hath the Iewe more than the Gentile Or what preuailed it the Iewe to be circumcised séeing that godlinesse and faithe maketh the vncircumcised as good with God as the circumcised â—ea and that also more is séeing the circumcision of a Iewe that offendeth maketh his cause worse yes verily the Iewe hath great preheminence First he may reioyce in that he is by nature called a Iewe to whome properly the woorde of God is committed or else bicause that only the lawe and the Prophets were caught to that nation either for this cause that God vouchsaued to be their instructor and teacher him selfe Surely it is an honourable thing to be of that nation which God so highly estéemed And further the Iewe hathe preheminence bicause the same by reason of the saide instructors goodnesse may be the readier to the true faith in Iesus Christe For as he is more neare
and to all his ofspring Wée are also by Chryst taken out of the kingdome of darknesse and placed through his onely deserte in the cleare lighte and in the moste gloriouse kingdome of our eternall and louing god In thys maner passing now further on my purpose the gentle Reader shall take the speciall meaning of the holy Apostle in his Epistle on thys wyse whyche is that all true Christian men muste wholly depende vppon the mercy of God throughe hys deare Sonne Iesus Chryst for the fulnesse of their eternall redemption and by hys onely merites to attayne their eternall saluation And that all suche as looke to come vnto it by their owne merites deseruings and woorkinges are in that poynte lyke vnto their father Adam whiche in hys pride and disobedience went about to come to the Maiestie of God through his owne deuises vayne byewayes and very fonde attemptes at what tyme he moste vnlawefully yéelded to eate the fruite that was moste lawfully of God forbidden him All which proud attempters may be wel assured to abide also the like cursse that was giuen to Adam but not a blessing or the saluation that of God was mercyfully promysed and that onely by the merytes of Iesus Chryst onlesse they will beginne to repente of their pride blindenesse and disobedience and onely referre it to our mercyfull God him selfe throughe the onely faythe and beléefe due from them to our Lorde Iesus Chryste who onely satisfieth the truthe and iustice of GOD in thys poynte whiche sayde vnto Adam In what so euer houre thou eatest of the fruyte thou shalte surely dye the death By which onely satisfaction of Chryst all men euen as Adam bée reconciled agayne vnto God the father their sinnes fréely remytted and come boldely agayne to the presence of hys maiestie and not by our owne deuises and foolishe inuentions as the more pitie it is many men moste blindly doo that beareth at this day the names of Chrystians Wherefore in as muche as it was then concluded that Chryst was the very perfecte waye to restore man agayne to his perfect ioy and felicitie which before he had loste It was thought of God almightie méete and necessarie to sende vnto him a lawe before the comming of the sauiour Chryst which might put him daily in mynde of his fall from the ioyes wherein God had once moste happily placed hym as also to lay playne open before his face his abhominable pride disobedience and wretched liuing For which cause many hundreth yeres after the fall of Adam was thys Lawe proclaymed by the Patriarke Moyses written and set foorth in Tables and Bookes to the ende that by the straytenesse thereof all men mighte knowe not onely the great mercy of God ouer them but also their owne naughtie nature weakenesse blyndenesse and myserable state through their disobedience and sinne which before the Lawe came hadde welnighe forgotten their deadly fall and knew not in effecte what sinne was they were so wretchedly blinded in the vanitie of their pride and false imaginations To the ende therefore that all creatures should know their owne case and imperfection their damnable state and condition the laws was proclaymed which besides that it manyfested vnto vs the wonderfull mercy of God towards vs as also the state of Adam our first parent and the filthynesse of all our sinfull and abhominable liuing and the giuing furthermore vnto vs such precepts and commaundements of vertuous conuersation and liuing as alwayes is séemely for godly men to vse by the which all men at all times should haue rectified and amended their vngodly liues It also prescribed certayne Ceremonies which men dayly exercise among them selues taking the same and stedfastely also beléeuing that they dyd but prefigurate the deathe of the same Chryst which was promysed to dye the deathe in the behalfe of Adam and his whole pasteritie wherein if men in tymes passed dyd vse among them selues according to this sense and meaning they were founde righteous before God not for dooing the Ceremonies but onely for their beléefes sake which they conceyued in Chryst to come whom onely the Ceremonies dyd but barely prefigurate Al which ceremonies sayth S. Paule should vtterly now cease and stande no more in effect amongste christen men Inasmuch as nowe the very truthe and thing it selfe is already come and shineth amongste vs which they before only prefigured And euen thus did God most louingly sée to the repairing againe of his decayed Creatures that so muche had offended him in their loosenesse and falling from him And for which only cause his own and only deare sonne was promised toke vpâ—â— him therfore ouâ— flesh and died therin the most sharpe and â—â—uel death Wherfore God now at this time requireth nothing else at our handes but to haue alwayes respect vnto his mercy thorow Iesus Christ and to beholde also his wonderfull loue towardes vs to the ende we should be ashamed of our owne sinfull actes how ofte so euer we turne our mindes from him through the committing of vice which is displeasant abhominable alwayes damnable in his sight Also howe that we should meekely acknowledge and confesse daily vnto him our owne sinnefull liues the miserablenesse of our nature how of our selues we are not able to thinke speake nor do any good thing and not stubbernly to do as Adam did run from the face of God hide our sinnes from him or else couer them from his presence with our own vaine inuentions For Adam at what time he knewe that he had offended and broken his commaundement he perceiued immediately what state he stoode in and by the accusation of his owne conscience he felte in him selfe the pricke of sinne he began then to be trudging and to hide him selfe from him and soughte meanes to couer him selfe althoughe with moste simple and very slender clothing which he then accordingly but litle trusted vnto like as it is all vnprofitable that man of hys owne braine wil deuise to cloke his sinne with all although both he and his make flie neuer so fast from the face of the Lord and seeke meanes to hide them selues But yet notwithstanding all this saide disobedience hautie and proude stubbernesse of Adam which after he had most wretchedly offended chose rather to hide him self from God than meekely to acknowledge his fault before him the louing Lord was stricken so full of compassion and mercy towards man his simple naked and poore creature that he quickely folowed and hastened him self after that fugitiue and runnagate found him quickly but conferred most mildly with him put him in minde of his decay great myserie and the happie life that he miserably had falne from and saide on this wise to him Adam where arte thou which should signifie vnto him O Adam knowest thou what thou hast done hast thou considered wel with thy self of thy present state and what miserie thou art now falne into froÌ„ thine innocencie blissefull state and felicitie by coÌ„tempt of my
it selfe This is then to be considered in asmuche as the Lawe of Moyses was mortall as is the husbande to the wife it can be no wonder to the true christian man to heare that it is dead which so long as it was aliue had full strength and power ouer them that were in subiection to it How be it at thys tyme you Iewes you haue no matter to doo wyth the Lawe in as muche as it is nowe deade to you or at the least wyse you deade to it thoughe it were still aliue For after that Chryst which is the onely truthe came amongest vs all the Lawe of Moyses was abrogate frustrate and of none effecte as touchyng the Letter and Ceremonies thereof Considering therefore you bee all now incorporate into the body of Chryst and maried vnto him as a wife vnto hir husbande béeing set at libertie from hir olde husbande by the death of the lawe and further séeing your husbande now at these dayes is liuing and immortall bicause he dyed for your sakes and rose agayne from death to life and so euermore afterwards to continue aliue it shall be now your parte to compose and confourme your selues a louing and a continuall wife to suche an immortall husbande and neuer afterwards to caste any one tytle or iote of your loue to the remembraunce of your olde good man for so dooing it can not be chosen but offence must be committed to the great sorow and grefe of this your so louing Espouse But alwayes haue in your minds that like as heretofore you shewed your selues seruiseable vnto your firste husbande and to accomplish with good will al his commaundements euen so now you ought to enforce your selues to yéelde suche obedience and seruice at this time that it may be acceptable to God your father and pleasaunte to Chryst your moste deare and swéete spouse For so long as we were vnder the law as vnder our husbande it had gouernement ouer vs which by reason of the many requestes that it made euer charging vs with disobedience and lacke of good seruice was an occasion that we found our selues alwayes distressed alwayes in displeasure agaynst him and neuer to satisfie and fulfill his commaundement by occasion whereof our seruice was euer vnperfect gréeuous and subiect to correction and punishment Therefore now at this time béeing set at libertie from his iurisdiction vnder which bicause we liued alwayes in sinne and displeasure we dyd not liue but were rather all dead vnder the same vntill our time appoynted it shall therefore now well become vs to be no longer obedient to our olde husbande which was carnall and mortall but wholly vnto our new spouse which is heauenly and spirituall And from hencefoorth to yéelde our seruice not to the law in the letter and ceremonies but vnto Iesus Chryst in the spirite of God which spirite we haue receiued from the hande of our spouse for a wedding ring to put vs alwais in remēbrance of our hartie dutie good wil towards him But I stand in dout least some man héere will obiecte against me and say Séeing then that in seruing the lawe we were euer founde in sinne of the same and also subiecte to deathe it shall seeme to conclude that the lawe was sinne and broughte vs to deathe for as it is the propertie of rightuousnesse to bring men to life euen so is it the propertie of sinne to bring men to deathe Wherefore considering the law brought vs to death it may be called sinne or at the least wise ioyned patente to sinne But God forbid that any man shuld thinke so for verily the law is not the author of sinne but the Herauld messenger of sinne which was vnknowne to vs before the lawe was proclaimed at which time euery man folowing his owne sensualitie and lust thought that he might lawfully doe what so euer his hart corruptly desired and thought it also lawfull to desire that which séemed pleasant in his owne conceit For which cause pardoning and flatering my selfe in this behalfe I thoughte it none offence at all to couet that which did belong to another man if the law had not saide vnto me Thou shalt not lust And no man can denie but that the lawe was declared for the coercion and restraint of sinne though the thing it selfe hapned all contrarie vnto vs throughe oure owne vice and imperfection For at what time the lawe did open vnto vs our sinnes and gaue vs not thereto might and strength to resist them it came to passe that our luste to sinne was made the more quicke and readie to it bicause the nature of man is such that it most lusteth after that thing which is moste forbidden it How be it before the knowledge of the law came many of our sinnes we knew not and some of them we knewe after suche a sorte that we persuaded our selues they were not forbidden vs Throughe which reason all we had the lesse regarde to consider what was lust to sinne in as muche as all we by nature set small store by suche things as we thinke we may haue at our will and commaundement Wherefore after the lawe had once set forthe the multitude of sinnes to oure faces and did forbid them to vs then we were the more gréedie to spot and defile our selues with the committing of them By which occasion sinne toke to himself strength and encoragement in vs which before the comming of the lawe lay and slept was as dead At which time I my selfe when I knewe not the lawe I led my life like an outlawe and thoughte within my selfe that I might sinne withoute the committing of any offence to god But when I perceiued the law that did forbid me to sinne thē my sinne began to waxe stout and to aboūd in me and to take the bridle in his téethe Which faring thus foule with me wheras before I thought I liued I became in mine owne cōscience starke dead bicause by the law I perceiued my deadly wound and yet could not abstaine from sinning Whereby it came to passe that the thing which was prouided me of God for my helth was made to me an occasion of my death Which thing was not through any iniurie of the law but it was only through mine owne vice weakenesse imperfection For hauing in me a certain promptnesse and readinesse to sinne and my lust also taking some occasion by the lawe it selfe bicause as I said before men do most cōmonly lust after that which is forbidden them I was then euen full of all gréedinesse to sinne And thus the diuel vsing that wickedly which of it selfe was good enticed me vnto sinne by occasion of the law and by occasion of sinne vnto death to the end I should acknowledge my selfe guiltie therof and to be thrall vnto him for the same Therfore thus you sée then that there is no cause why any mā should contemne or depraue the lawe which as
it was giuen of God who is alwayes perfectely good of him selfe so it proponed and set foorthe vnto al men good and holesome ensignements For it cannot be chosen but that the thing must néedes be good and godly that hateth and forbiddeth sinne and naughtinesse And héer another will say vnto me then séeing the law which is good bringeth with him that which is also good why then shuld I say that it brought death vnto men which is very naught and hath alwais his beginning of sinne and wretchednesse Certesse a mā might safely say thus vnto me If in case the law should engender sinne but the truthe is not so for the law truly is not the author of death but the cause of our death is sinne which is in vs who of it selfe is so wicked that it turneth that thing which is very good into naughte destruction Yet notwithstanding that thing which is good and pure of his owne nature openeth vnto vs howe filthie and vnseemely a thing it is which is naught and vitious for that verily the law wrought declared vnto vs the abhomination of our sinnes and was not the author and cause of them for all men knowe that the lawe is spirituall and alwayes stirreth men to honest things and spirituall actions the which bicause the law dothe not bring to effect that which so much it desireth to do surely to speake of my self I am in the fault therof and not the law For in as much as I am carnal and prone to sinne and by occasion of the long continuance in it am made as bond therunto as a bond man vnto his master and am so blinde drouned in vice and filthinesse that I cannot tel what I ought to do for I doe not that thing which knowledge and reason declareth vnto me to be honest though I my self do couet the same but I rather commit that thing which is vnresonable dishonest the which though I hate detest it yet I do commit the same bicause the vice and power of concupiscence that is in me violently compelleth and draweth me therunto by which reason the offenders them selues will in no case that any fault shuld be imputed vnto the lawe but to our owne fragilitie weakenesse and great imperfection For in as muche as we in oure weakenesse being so compelled to doe that thing through concupiscence which knowledge and reason detesteth escheweth and damneth I do therfore consent to the law that it is holy good bicause it dothe of it selfe forbid the same thing which the inward and spiritual part of my body grudgeth at disaloweth and vtterly dāneth Wherefore the law which so straitly forbiddeth all things that be euill muste néedes be counted holy precious and good Which althoughe I commit suche euill in obeying the motions of my fraile and corrupted fleshe the outwarde parte and moste grose substaunce of man yet I wel perceiue them to be wicked and abhominable that also in mine inwarde man I hate and abhorre them Héere will one then say vnto me why dost thou not then obey to thy spirit and inward man which so consenteth to the law that is good and also stirreth thée to honestie and godly operations I answere For this same cause we must imagine to be in eache one of vs two men the one of them grose and carnall and the other more pure and of lesse corruption The first may be called the outward man and the seconde the inward man The first is procliue and ready to sinne the second hauing in him as it were certaine séedes of honesty is more appliant to embrace vertue And according to his possibilitie and power he gladly shunneth and striueth againste all corrupted motions and the filthie desires of sinne Howe be it that parte of vs is most properly called the man which of it selfe is moste pure and cleane and best inclined Therefore as often as mine inwarde man consenting to the goodnesse of the lawe is stirred and so consenteth to honestie and yet doth the contrarie it séemeth then that it is not I that doth it For what is he which doth the thing that he hateth and wanteth will to doe it But héere is adioyned to mine outwarde man a certaine promptnesse and readinesse to sinne by meanes wherof it chaunceth ofte that when I desire to doe the thing which is honest and good I am constrained to do that which is hurtfull naught In which grose part of me I confesse to be no goodnesse at al. For althoughe I desire to doe that thing which according to reason and knowledge is honest yet I finde in me no power or strength to worke that which I moste gladly estéeme and commend But in as much as this corrupted and carnal concupiscence is in me of much more strength and force to driue me to offend than is reason which calleth me to the estimation of vertue I am forcibly drawne from the good vse thereof which I most specially desire and do daily commit the sinne and iniquitie which I inwardly hate and moste iustly condemne Considering therfore that a man in doing euill dothe it not voluntarily or with glad consent but by enforcement and againste his will then when that thing is committed which mine inward man most gladly repugneth and striueth against it is not truely and properly said that I am the committer of the euill but rather more aptly to be applied to the grose desire promptnesse and readinesse of the outward man in whome alwayes sinne is resident and beareth most deadly sway Which promptnesse to euill the lawe cannot take away from me but so ofte as I yéelde and obay to euill then the lawe openeth and layeth plainely before me by the testimonie of my conscience the iust iudgement of God ouer me and perpetuall condemnation to my soule The good nature of reason and honestie throughe the grace of God in the inward man draweth me to the estimation of loue and vertue wherunto I am truely taught by the law but I finde also an other law in the mēbers of mine outward mā which is clene contrary to the lawe of my inward mā and violently stirreth me to the gréedie embracement of euill Therefore abiding thus alwayes in this case of conflict that reason draweth me one way and concupiscence an other way it commonly thus fortuneth that the woorse parte preuaileth and reason ouer mastred and laid on the ground For the promptnesse I say and readinesse to sinne so muche aboundeth in me as also the accustomed vse thereof through the vsual familiaritie great felowship which it euer hathe with my weake and fraile nature that I am still haled by constrainte like a bonde slaue or prisoner vnto filthinesse and sinne whether I will or will not O miserable wretche that I am which am thus in thraldome to suche filthie slauerie and moste bitter state of bondage who shall deliuer me and make me frée from this
flesh or from this body of death which is thus subiecte to so many miseries to so many prouocations enticementes to naughtinesse encombred with so many vices and wel nigh confounded with these daily conflictes that alwayes haleth me pulleth me downe and draweth me forcibly to destruction and death Think not you that he hath iust cause thus to bewaile his state and to crie out that in this manner is daily beséeged assaulted and troubled with so many mischéeues cruell and deadly aduersaries But the remedie heereof considered and the most happie meanes remembred for our deliuerance O what cause of great thankfulnesse by bounden duetie and all humblenesse haue we to giue vnto our God which mercifully hath set vs in moste happie state and safetie and deliuered vs from these noysom miseries euen for the onely loues sake he bare vnto vs not through the lawe of Moses or Circumcision but by his onely and moste deare sonne our Lorde Iesus Christ the which if by him it had not so ben ended and done I my selfe being but one man among others shuld haue bene a runner but in an vnconstant race and drawne in such sorte hither and thither with the impious cordes of inconstancie vanitie that happily now and then I should with ioyfulnesse haue serued the lawe of my God with my spirite in desiring the things that be honest and godly but with my faultie flesh the lawe of sinne in coueting corruptly the things that bée dishonest and by the deadly force thereof my pore spirite alwayes preuailed against and turmoiled with miserie The eight Chapter The lavve of the spirite giueth lyfe The spirite of God maketh vs Gods children and heires with Christ The abundant loue of God can not be separated BVt now although there be yet many blots and stumbling blocks of the old boÌ„dage stil remaining among christen men ther is yet no dout but through their godly study christen endeuer they may easily passe by them and not be so violently drawn vnto such horrible sinnes for they are now entred into the heauenly fréedom of Christ vnited and made one with him through their lyuely faith and true promise made at baptism All whiche by this chaunge haue now cessed to liue again after the illectation or wanton enticing of the sensuall lustes of their flesh in asmuch as the lawe of Christ which is heauenly spiritual and the author of lyfe béeing also strong and full of might hath fréely deliuered them all from the bondage and lawe of sinne from death the famyliar companion of sinne and the iust reward of the same Whiche thing bycause the lawe of Moyses was carnall and in consideration thereof very weake of it selfe God did foresée and prouide for the saluation of man after an other sorte and fashion And lyke as I haue sayde before that in one man there was two menne one carnall and an other spirituall euen so within the precinct of Moses lawe there are two lawes the one grosse and carnall and the other holy and spirituall The fyrst of these two lawes haue Moyses for his auctour and beginner whiche as it was not perpetuall euen so it was not of vertue to giue any saluation to man The seconde lawe is spirituall straunge full of efficacie and immortall whiche Chryste himselfe hath consummate and fulfilled to all suche as beléeue in him Howbeit it was very expedient that one fleshe shoulde abolishe and put awaye an other one sacrifice to preuayle before an other and one death moste mightily to suppresse an other Therfore God the father hungring and thirsting in his mercie after mans saluation sent his onely deare sonne whiche though he were frée from all contagion of sinne yet he toke vpon hym the same fleshe that all other sinners had and became conuersant amongst the wicked as one of them himself for the most precious redemption of man vnto the same saluation And yet verily so vnkyndely he was entreated amongst the sinners so despitefully and cruelly handled that they put him to the moste shamefull death and crucified him among the synfull moste vyle and false théeues Which for mannes sake tooke vpon hym our very body of synne that he might vnder the same fourme and similitude of sinne ouercome sinne and after that abolishe it and putte it cleane awaye Hée was made a sacrifise for oure trespasses and so dying in the fleshe whiche he tooke amongst vs broughte death to subiection and bondage whiche before bare rule ouer vs thorough the lawe and the corrupt affections of our bodies whiche also brought all things to suche a passe that considering the putting away of the grosse and fleshely parte of the Ceremoniall lawe wée shoulde thencefoorthe embrace the seconde part of the lawe whiche is heauenly and spirituall And that ministreth not ire and threatnings as doth the olde parte of the lawe but very rightuousnesse to all suche as doe not leade their liues after the letter and Ceremonies of the Iewes but after the spirite and inwarde minde of the lawe as men regenerate and newe borne againe in Iesus Christ The Iewes in their Ceremonies had as it were but the deade picture and image of rightuousnesse but we haue the verâ—â—â—e liuing and quicke rightuousnesse it selfe and the very perfecte rule of all godlinesse which Christ by his spirit hath wrought in vs Wherfore the true change of our state conditions and fashions of religion declareth the manner of a newe life in vs And we perceiue very euidently that all such of the Iewes which still continue in the rottennesse of their olde forme of religion and in the fleshe or grosenesse of the lawe are delighted and pleased with all suche things as are grose carnall and fleshly Contrariwise all suche as are engrafted into Christ are become spirituall and precise in rightuousnesse vtterly banishing from them all such olde things as appertaine to the fleshe and are constantly rapte in their mindes to all suche things as are spirituall For truely euen suche as the state condition and nature of the man is suche is his desire and common inclination to worke As touching our fleshe we be all mortall but Christe that is immortall hathe nowe called vs to a life in him which is immortall Againe the carnall lawe of the Iewes is alwayes againste Christe and calleth vs from him which for the same cause bringeth death with it in as muche as it contendeth and striueth againste him which is the only author of life By reason whereof the Iewes being stricken with the zeale and loue of the same lawe did put to death the author of their life and iustification But coÌ„trariwise they that set the grosenesse of the lawe at naught and folowe the spirite doe finde most plentuous life in Christe Iesus Neither doe they argue vppon the barren and hungrie obseruances of the lawe but hauing in their hartes the pleasant sauor and taste of charitie be well stayed in them selues liue ioyfully
religion yea verily yea verily it séemeth vnto me more agréeable vnto reason that of such godly parents shuld spring forth godly childreÌ„ bicause they naturally rather sauor of their beginnings than of reason to the contrary For if the leauen it selfe be holy and swéete it is necessary that al the whole dough besides be holy swéete which is seasoned with the same leauen Again if the roote of the trée be holy it muste néedes folowe that the braunches which come of the same trée be holy also The Iewes for their beginning and first stocke had the Patriarke Abraham whose faithe God did wonderfully allow and approue And what shuld then let but that his posteritie should also represent the faithe of theyr beginner Which if they do not they cease to be his nephewes euen as the braunch ceaseth to be nourished with the iuice of the trée being once broken off and cast aside Furthermore mark wel and consider if it be no maruell to sée that the braunches be broken off from their owne trée in which they had their naturall roote and beginning much lesse maruell shall it then be to sée the braunches broken and againe reiected that were grafted in a straunge stocke For which cause if we sée the Iewes cut off from the roote of their true and naturall Oliue as the natural braÌ„ches of the same for their vnbeléeâ—es sake so that now the roote doth nothing at all profit them It shal be then expedient for all you Gentiles which are but braÌ„ches of the wilde Oliue no naturall braunches of one natural roote and stocke but translated from an vnfrutefull stocke and emplanted into a stocke of muche frute and goodnesse to take diligent héede that you be not proude nor glory in your selues for your good luckie and happy chaunce and so despise the pore Iewes that were cut of from their natural stocke to the ende that you should be grafted in their places And if in consideration héereof it should fortune any of you to be proud and arrogant or that if you waxe insolent hautie and swel in your lustie courage then I woulde you shoulde take this lesson with you which is to haue effectually in your remembrance that you beare not the roote of the tree wherinto you are now emplanted but the roote beareth you Do not in this sort proudly boast among your selues railing vpon the Iewes say They are cut off from their stocke which were naturall braunches therof and are now whorled away from it that all we should be grafted into the same stocke and nourished euen with the same iuice and louely moisture For I say vnto you they wer not of purpose cutte off for your sakes notwithstanding it so pleased God that you shuld be plaÌ„ted in their places to drink to sucke vp and to féede frankely vppon the sweete licor of the same stocke And you do also say truely that they are cutte off which were the true and naturall branches but you must also further debate with your selues wherefore or for what cause they were so cutte off Verily euen for their vnbeleefes sake and so muste you truely be persuaded And for the same only cause doe they nowe lie and are scattered abrode as deade braunches from their roote and be héere and there spurned at without pitie and regarde And you for your faithes sake are planted into their naturall places and doe fructifie with grace in their stocke and roote I gladly wold that none of you shuld reioyce in the misfortunes of an other man but I rather wish with all mine hart that the mischaunces or euil haps of an other man may teach you true obedience softenesse and sobernesse and to learne by their knowne infelicities what alwayes you should dread and feare if you also commit suche like iniquitie For in as muche as all you doe well perceiue that God spared not his owne naturall braunches and that it doth nothing at all profite them to haue sprung of so good and faithfull stockes after they had once forsaken him then muche more you ought with all diligence beware and take héede to your selues that you also doe not offende God with your stubbornesse pride or vnkindenesse which are none of his naturall braunches least he also spare not you but cast you of in like manner as he did those gracelesse and vnhappie Iewes Therefore by their fall learne I say what you shoulde alwayes shunne and auoide For your felicitie and happie chaunce doth not giue occasion vnto you of pride and to be vainly glorious but it rather admonisheth you and putteth you in remembraunce of the great goodnesse and mercies of God towards you All you héereby haue good cause to take comfort vnto your selues that you be the electe children of God and to yéelde therefore vnto him condigne and most hartie thankes and not to mocke or raile vpon them which are now out of his grace and fauoure They were al woorthely cut of and cast from their stocke vpon iust and good occasion and you are emplanted thereinto without one iote of your deseruings Bothe which things I exhorte you to consider among your selues that is bothe the goodnesse of God towardes you and his seueritie and sharpenesse towardes the Iewes Of the which the first may teache you all to be louing and kinde to him againe and the seconde may instructe you to forsake all hautinesse pride and stubbornesse The sharpenesse of God is shewed agaynste the Iewes which sunke so deepe in their darkenesse and erroure that they made a mocke of our sauioure Christ who was promised vnto them so many hundreth yeares before And as for the goodnesse of God you your selues haue had thereof moste ioyfull and large experience In as muche as you are nowe called into the worthy felowship of so great and high felicity and that freely without your deseruings which were once of your selues a kinde of men bothe vtterly vngodly of no estimation with God and fell before him to the state of damnation Once in your liues you haue the sinnes of your former life pardoned and fréely forgiuen you of God And once also in your liues you are numbred amongst the children of God through his only fauoure and wonderfull loue towards you Howe be it you are in suche sorte numbred among his children that it commeth to you only of fauoure without desert neither stande you in your estate so sure but that throughe offence ye may fall from the same againe God will iustly take that from the gratelesse and vnkinde man which before he hath fréely giuen vnto him onlesse he will confesse and thankfully acknowledge the same or otherwise not vsing the goodnesse of God as he ought to doe your vnkindenesse shall destroy and bring that to naught in you which God of his owne goodnesse hath fréely giuen vnto you Your pride shal banishe that quite from you which your obedience hath broughte vnto you For which cause onlesse ye shall earnestly
meane time I say not but that it is good and also necessarie to binde and restraine the Pastoures and Curates to a certaine order and forme wrytten for to supplie the ignoraunce and simplenesse of some of them and for to shew the better conformitie and concorde with all Churches Thirdly for to bridle and ouerthrowe all vaine curiositie and newe inuentions of such as desireth nothing but to runne riotte the sayd Cathechisme as I haue before rehearsed shal serue and be a good bridell for suche folkes And also in suche sorte and order are the ministring of the holy Sacramentes to be giuen and in like manner the publike Prayers And in the meane season your grace muste take héede to auoide suche pollicies as may destroy the strength and vertue that oughte to be in the preaching of the Gospell and that you employ your laboure and diligence as muche as yée can possible that there be liuely and good Trumpettes whose sounde may enter into the déepenesse of their hartes For there is danger and great doutfulnesse that yée shall not sée great profit of such reformation howe great holy so euer it be vnlesse euen at once with it the power and vertue of good preaching be displayed and set foorthe togither It is not without cause which is saide that Iesus Christ shal strike the earth by the scepter of his mouthe and shall destroy the euill by the spirite of his lips It is Gods disposed good way wherby he will ouerthrowe vs in destroying all that which is againste him And for that cause the gospell is also called the power the raigne or kingdome of god And notwithstāding that the ordinances and statues of Princes be good helpes to aduance and maintaine the state of christianitie yet will God haue his soueraigne vertue declared in the spirituall swoorde of his woorde which is set foorthe by his appoynted pastoures And to the ende I will not long trouble your Lordship I wil come to the second point that I haue purposed to shewe vnto you Which is to abolishe and take cleane away the abuses and corruptions that Sathan héeretofore hath mingled with the ordinance of god We know that vnder the Pope there is a bastarde christianitie that God shall disalowe at the laste day for as muche as at this day he hath condemned it by his woorde If we desire to flée backe and retire from the worlde and from suche approued perdition there is nothing better than to folowe the example of S. Paule the which willing to correcte the euill that the Corrinthians had ioyned to the supper of the Lord said vnto them I haue receiued of the Lorde that which I haue giuen vnto you Of that we must al gather one generall instruction that is to returne to the righte and naturall commaundement of God if we will haue a good and an approued reformation of him For as many minglings as men hathe aduaunced of their owne wicked inuentions so many infections be there throughe the which we are turned from the holy vsage of that which God hathe giuen vnto vs for our sauing health Therfore to fall to cropping or cutting off but only half the branches of such rotten abuses it cannot bring again the good things into their perfect pure estate bicause that we shall then haue amongst vs a christianitie continually mixed and counterfayte I say thys bicause that some vnder the colour of moderation be of opinion to suffer many abuses in the Churche without taking them cleane away and they thinke that it is inough to haue taken oute the roote onely of the principall abuses But to the contrarie wée sée howe muche the lothesome séedes of Hypocrisie and lyes are fertile and that one grayne thereof is sufficient to fill and annoy all the worlde within thrée dayes as men bée aptely enclined and giuen thereunto Our Lorde God who is all goodnesse and truthe and vnto whom wée ought onely enclyne giueth vs other instruction For when Dauid speaketh of Idolles he saythe that their names shall not passe by hys mouthe to the entente to declare vnto vs in what detestation and contempte wée oughte alwayes to haue them And if in suche wyckednesse wée oughte to consider well howe greately wée haue offended GOD in the tyme of our ignoraunce howe muche rather oughte wée nowe to remember the eschewing of Sathans inuentions that hathe and dothe yet styll prouoke vs to committe suche euilles as are allurementes whiche serueth not but onely to seduce the poore simple soules On the other side wée sée that although men bée sufficiently warned of their faultes and erroures and bée aduertised of them as muche as is possible yet neuerthelesse they bée so hardened that no man can attayne to their good and perfect ende Then if there shall bée lefte vnto them some Reliques or fonde fantasies to remayne it shall bée a nourishemente in déede of muche more contempte and greater obstinacie and a couerture to darken and hyde all doctrine that may bée proponed vnto them I confesse that as it is conuenient to obserue some moderation and that too greate extremitie is not good nor profitable so likewise it is not vnséemely to vse the Ceremonies according to the time and grosnesse of the people but it may not be that any thing which is of Sathan and of Antechryst should once passe vnder any such colour For that cause the holy Scripture commendeth those good kinges which did destroy the Idolatries neuerthelesse in not plucking away altogither gaue yet vnto them a marke for that they had not destroyed the Chappels and places of vayne and foolish deuotion Wherefore my Lorde séeing that God hathe hitherto preserued you raysed you vp to honoure and hathe broughte you now so farre forwardes in his workes I pray you goe on and continue your dooing without any exception to the ende he may approue you his diligente ouerséer and setter foorth of his temple in suche wise that the time of the king your Nephew may be compared vnto the time of Iosias and that you shall put all things in such good estate as there shall remaine nothing to him but to maintaine the good established order which God shall haue prepared vnto him by your gracious meane I will alleage vnto you an example of suche dregges that may peraduenture reste to be a little leauen which in the ende will make the paaste sowre They vse in your Countrey of Englande some kinde of prayer for the dead when the Communion is receiued I know well that it is not to aduouch the Purgatorie of the Pope I know also that it may be alleaged by auncient custome to doo some remembraunce for the dead to the ende to ioyne togither all the members of the body But there is an apparentorie argumente to the contrarie that the Supper of Iesus Chryst is so holy a thing that it ought not to be defiled by no inuention of
of the Gospell is one of the beloued children of God which saith he chastiseth euery childe that he receiueth and euen for the same cause suffering our troubles patiently heere in this world the same ministreth vnto vs a certain inward tast of our acceptatioÌ„ to God and further to declare vnto vs all as it were the way to come vnto the folowing of the Gospell Gene. â— Iohn 4. Iohn 1. What commoditie we do receyue by the lawe Galat. 5. Gene. 17. Gala. 3. Collos 2. 1. Pet 5. Ephe. 4. Collos 2. 1. Pet 3. 1. Pet. 4. 2 Timo. 2. Reuels 6. A man must imagin to be in him selfe two sorts of men the one olde and earthy the other new and heauenly Our olde man must be slayne and crucified with christ according to the mysterie of holy baptisme The true trust of the mortified christian The example of Christ What it is to liue vnto God. Iohn 8.2 Pet. 2. The due consideration of a godly christiaÌ„ The power of gods grace vnder which only all godly christians are stayed The lawe forsakeÌ„ and why Both Christ and the lawe together cannot be serued The frute of our obedience what coÌ„meth therof Of sinne and innocencie The great shame of a christian what it is Gene. 2. Roma 5. Two masters The rewardes of them boâ—â— 2. Corin. 7. Math. 5. By the comming of christ the lawe touching the ceremonies therof was of no effect The duty of the Churche towardes Christ What the discommodity is to be in bondage to the lawe The lawe is not sinnefull but it is the heraulde and messenger of him Exod. 20. Deut. 5. The law openeth sinne but it geeueth no power to resist sinne Through the lawe sinne and the true record of conscience man feeleth in him selfe no life but death Esay 48. 1. Tim. 2. Esay 5 21. The power of sinne in our earthly bodies Two men are possessed of euery man and how they are called according to the scripture Gene. 6. Sinne alwayes resident in the outward man. The conflicte betwixt reason and concupiscence The coÌ„plaint of the holy apostle why The cause of the apostles reioicing Iohn 8. Gala. 4. Hebr. 7. Two lawes The great mercy of God. 2. Corin. 5. Esay 55. Superstition contentious against God. What it is to be affectionate by the lawe Ceremonies carieth with theÌ„ no righteousenesse We are not made the temples of Christ by ceremones but by Gods spirit He that possesseth Christ expresseth him in his works The spirit of God what it worketh in the godly that possesseth it If we liue to Gods spirit we are in all things bound to obey it The will of the spirit is easie to be obeied The grace of Gods spirit and what it worketh in the elect The godly propertie of the true childe towardes his father Gala. 4. 2. Timo. 1. 2. Cor. 1.5 Ephe. 1. By what meanes we come to the inheritance o God. Math. 5. 2 Cor. 4. 1. Iohn 3. 2. Cor. 5. Iohn 16. Hebr 1. Esay 26. Iere. 17. In what maner the spirit prayeth for vs vnto God. The feite miseries of this life are not to be feared not to withdrawe our harts from prayer We beare our troubles the more paciently in this life because we see before hande the fauour of God for our deliueraunce Nume 14. Esay 50. Gene. 22. Esay 53. Our hope in the constancie of Gods mercy for our sheelde and buckler A godly admonition The people that are blessed of God feare neither the deuell nor any of his ministers Psalm 43. Wel may afflictioÌ„s diuersly happen to the godly that they shall sooner confirme them in the loue of God the ouercome them from the same Exod. 32. Exod. 19. Deut. 7. Roma 2. Gala 4. Gene. 22. Who be the children of Abraham Gene. 18. Gene. 25. Mala. 1. The election of God maketh the children of Abraham but not the neerenesse of birth Exod. 33. Gods great mercy towards the stubborne Iewes Osee 2. 1. Pet. 2. Esay 10. Osee 1. Zacha. 13. Amos. 9. Esay 1. The mercy of God towardes the Gentiles The cause of the Ievves fall The hatred of God against proud men The cause of the Gentiles submission vnto God and to the faith in Christ Esay 28. Esay 28. Roma 9. Two kinds of righteousnesse Christ the end of the lavve Gala. 3. Leuit. 18. Deutero 30. Hovv the vvord of God is in our mouth in our hart Esay 28. Miche 2. Act. 2.22 Esay 52. Esay 53. Iohn 12. Psalm 18. Deutero 3 2. Esay 52.65 Esay 65. Iere. 31. 3 Reg 19. 3. Reg. 19. Deutere 9. What they be that atteine vnto the saluatioÌ„ of God. Esay 9. Act. 7. Psalm 68. The contempt of the Iewes ageinst the Goâ—pell of God and Christ The cause whi Paule discourseth ageinst the Iewes The Gentiles commodity bi the fall of the Iewes Roma 1. 1. Timo. 2. 2. Timo. 1. Paule exhorteth the Gentiles to godliâ—nesse of life exod to be an ample to the Iewes Esay 65. To reioice at anothers fall it is not good but it is greate godlinesse to beware by the punishment of another to fear and amend that which is amisse godlinesse to beware by the punishment of another to fear and amend that which is amiste The Iewes iustly cut of froÌ„ their stock and the Gentiles planted therin without desert 2. Cor. 3. An exhortatioÌ„ to the Gentiles to beware of pride Pride the fall of the Iewes The time of the Iewes conuersion vnto Christ Luk. 21. Psalm 13. Esay 59. The Iewes dearely beloued of God for their parents sake Gods rememberaunce towards the Iewes Gods mercy towards the GeÌ„tiles The Iewes and the Gentiles ioined in one faith to Christ God not being the author of sinne why he suffereth men to fal into sin God beeing cleere of mans fall turneth the same to good Sapi. 17. Sapi. 6. Esay 4 9. 1. Cor. 2. God wold we shold acknowlege his goodnesse depende onely vppon his prouidence and not put any confidence in our owne merites Esay 44. Roma 16. Philip. 4. Philip. 4. What sacrifices the true christians offer to God. The Saboth day Sapi. 6. Esay 4 9. 1. Cor. 2. Ephe. 5. 1. Thessa. 4. Ecclesi 3. Roma 14. 1. Corin. 8. True charity 1. Cor. 15. Ephe. 4. The visible body of maÌ„ with the whole meÌ„bers therof A similitude Howe to vse the giftes of God. 1. Cor. 14 Actes 2. Eccle. 32. Deut. 15. Amos. 5. 2. Pet. 2. Eccle 31 The flesh The Spirit Hebr. 13. Philip. 2. Prouerb 3. Esay 5. Prouerb 20. 1. Pet. 3. 2. Cor 8. To reuenge is the propertie of Iewes The way to true peace as best becoÌ„meth a christian Deut. 32. Prouerb 25. Charitie temperaunce and modesty noble vertues in a christian for the conuersion of others vnto Christ Christian contention Vaine coÌ„tentioÌ„ The christian in the excelleÌ„cie of calling ought to excel all others in vertue The christians warned to beware least thei be compassed and trained from the truth by the
time God truely as a God of mercy did for his parte that which was well séeming to the vttermoste poynt but they woulde not so take it at his mercifull hands Therefore in their sinne of contempt they still slipt from grace they fell farre from their God and denied also his sonne Iesus Chryst that came to redéeme both them and all mankinde as you haue heard before And the effecte of this matter shall the Reader haue more perfectly discussed in his place folowing of this sayde Epistle which I thought héere sufficiente inoughe onely to touche and to put him in minde thereof agaynst he come to the texte it selfe Therefore séeing we haue now brought it vnto this conclusion that God truely is cleare and not to be blamed for any mans fal but saueth him froÌ„ it euen through his great mercy in his onely sonne Iesus Chryst we may not then leaue so muche to our selues nor haue any confidence at all in our owne workes in our owne deuised toyes or vayne imaginations neither yet in the kéeping of any ceremonies whether they be of the law of Moses or otherwise not for Chryst in his comming and by his death hath not onely taken vpon his backe the heauy burthen or most terrible curse of the Law from them which beléeue in him but hath also put cleane away all the Ceremonies thereof inasmuche as by his comming now in our flesh all suche things are clearely finished for whose onely cause they were firste made and had therefore by him their shorter continuaunce The circumcision therefore of the law the feast of the newe Moone the Iewish Sabbat dayes with all the reste of suche obseruances and Ceremonies are vtterly now to be banyshed and neuer henceforth any more to be exercised among christian men in the true Church of God and Chryst For to vpholde by any state that those Ceremonies shoulde still continue amongst men and the professours of Chryst is flatly to deny the comming of Chryst into this worlde in our flesh denying in effecte the vertue of his death and therefore 〈◊〉 worthy the name of Ethnikes thâ—â— Christians 〈◊〉 lesse 〈◊〉 the multitude of â—â—â—â—sh 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 ioyes â—euiled of mortall men be vsed in Châ—â—â—â—e◠〈◊〉 Church among all other Churches 〈◊〉 that the Ceremonies whiche God him selfe appoynted are now made frustrate and to be cleane put away from amongst vs How be it Moyses hath within the limites of his law as it were two lawes which is thus to be vnderstandes one the Table of the commaundements and the other Morall and â—â—ill instructions which Paule calleth a spiritual bâ—â—â—â—e which is still to be looked vpon daily practised and folowed also there be Ceremonies Rites Vsages and Customes which is called a grosse and carnall lawe and is to be banished from euery true christian man And euen héere I would that the gâ—â—tle Reader should diligently remember that the whole law of Moyses was proclaymed onely to the Iewes which God tooke at that time for his owne and onely dearlings and that the Gentiles had no parte thereof but in the â—â—ede thereof the law of nature which is a naturall aptnesse or inclination to follow honest ciuilitie to be gentle and of good behauiour This same lawe of nature was grafted of God in the hearts of the Gentiles at their very beginning and fiâ—tâ—â— creatiâ—â— which hath in it a certayne knowledge of God as many of the Gentiles had a certayne loue towardes him to speake well of him to cal dayly vpon him to feare him to loue their neighbours and not to hurte the simple or their inferiour with many other suche godly vertues of honestie or godly qualities but the moste parte of them did abuse the same ciuile and honest lawe which was giuen vnto them of God to vse it to his glory and honor And many of them also were so blinded in Idolatrie false worshipping and leaning many wayes to their owne damnable imaginations that they could not follow the nature of that lawe Therfore S. Paule sayth Though they had not the written law of Moyses amongest them yet they were all saued or condemned according to their lawe of nature bicause it prescribed that in effecte to the Gentile which the lawe of Moyses did vnto the Iewes and euen so all men were found sinfull and wretched before the face of god But it was prouided through the woÌ„derfull wisedome of God that when the Iewes did forsake their owne profession and denyed the sauioure Christe that came to saue them and all mankinde according to his fathers truth that theÌ„ this same law of Moses and the frute of Christes comming should be turned vnto the Gentiles for their conuersion and saluation Howe be it this benefite of God is not so to be taken as though he had nowe broken promisse with the Iewes or that they shuld vtterly be depriued of his mercie and goodnesse but that they may all haue the profitte and commoditie therof as wel as the Gentiles if they wil forsake in time their pride malice and stoutnesse and submit humbly them selues to the true faithe in Iesus Christe And whereas Paule speaketh against the trust that the Iewes haue in their law and circumcision he meaneth vnder the same all kindes of Ceremonies and customes of religion as yet be nowe vsed among Christen men Thus for the better declaration of all the premisses I do entend to referre the Reader vnto Sainct Paule him self in his Epistle to the Romanes which I haue according to the grace and gift giueÌ„ me of God written more plainly out than appeareth in the very bare text it self which is no commentarie or glose vpon the said text but as it were altogether one vniforme Epistle or Paraphrase like and in suche order so drawne out neare to the nakednesse of the text it selfe euen as though the Apostle him self did wholely write the same aâ—â— euen so the Reader muste consider thereof and take it Whome I beséeche God almightie to assist and further after suche a sort in the reading therof that he may therby take no lesse aduauntage and profite than it should not repente him to receiue the free mercie of God and his eternall saluation through the only merites deathe and Passion of his sonne Iesus Christ Amen ⧠The Contentes of this Booke A Paraphrase vppon the Epistle of Saincte Paule to the Romanes Fol. 1. Huldricke Zuinglius in his friendly exposition to Luther touching the Eucharist confesseth vvhat he acknovvledgeth of Iesus Christe Fol. 68 A fevve vvordes touching the Couenaunt that God made vnto his Church in Christ translated out of Huldrick Zuinglius in his Subsidie annexed to the vvorke aforesaid Fol. 69 Of Vanitie by Martinus Cellarius Fol. 72 Of Vovves by Martinus Cellarius Fol. 75 Of the Olde man and the Nevve vvhich be compared togither by Martinus Cellarius vpon the seuenth of the Preacher 78 An Exhortation sent from a straunger a vvorthie and famous learned man of God to the righte highe
and mightie Prince Edvvarde Duke of Somerset for the seeking and quiet establishing of peace and rightuousnesse in the Churche of Englande immediatly vpon the commotions sodainly raised vp in the VVest partes as also in Suffolke and Nâ—â—â—olke in the yeare of our Lord Christe 1549. 86 ¶ A Paraphrase vpon the Epistle of the holy Apostle S. Paule to the Romanes The first Chapter I Paul whom men heretofore haue called Saule that is to say one which is now become of a busie and troublesome felow or of a very tyrant and persecuter a well stayed peaceable and quiet man and was bound many yeres agone vnder the law of Moyses strayghtly to serue and obey him but now at this tyme â—n made frée from him set at libertie and prefâ—rred to the highe fréedome seruice and dignitie of the great God our Lorde Iesus Chryst yet notwithstanding I am not thereby falne into the corrupte state of Apostacie or a cleane forsaker of Moyses institutions but am called to be Chrystes true messanger and therefore now more highly aduaunced than when I was one of the stoute and mightie dâ—â—â—â—ders of the Pharisies secte against Moyses For the cause thereof was that béeing then not truely godly nor ledde by the spirite of truthe and although learned yet not rightly learned but a wanderer in darkenesse and error I missed very farre from the veritie and from the true vnderstanding of the holy law of god But now I may rightly be called a true Pharisie that is one which by grace am chosen separated and put aparte by the Lorde Iesus Chryst him selfe who hath endued me with the spirite of truth to preach and teache the Gospell of his eternall father which is not any new Gospell of lately inuented but the same that was promised long before by the holy Prophets vppon the sonne of man which at hys tyme appoynted was borne of the stocke of Dauid as touching the fleshe and was also declared of the holy Ghoste to bée the eternall Sonne of the euerlasting God as moste truely appeareth bycause after hys bodily death and buriall in the Sepulchre he triumphantly rose agayne euen with the same very flesh In which mightie and notable mysterie he dyd not only teache vs the resurrection also to come of our fleshe but also him selfe to be the beginner and onely author of the same By whom I am appoynted to the function and high office of an Apostle that like as the Gospell of God hath ben promulgate and taught among the nation of the Iewes so it might also by me be declared vnto the Gentiles Not to any suche intente that they should be burdened with the mightinesse and charges of the law but rather that they shoulde submitte them selues to the onely true fayth in Iesus Chryste and to be brought herevnto not by the vayne gloses of Philosophers of the which sort all you be that are Gentiles but by receiuing the name of Chryst in holy baptisme and so made the children of God by adoption to refrayne your selues from al vayne and fantasticall persuasions paynted and damnable opinions as be now and long hath ben amongst you inasmuche as the adoption it selfe is through grace in Chryst Iesus generally offered to all men Therfore I say to al you that be at Rome the faythfull louers of God and forsakers of your olde iniquities I wish the grace mercy and peace of God not such peace verily as the world giueth but the very true perfect and new peace which onely procéedeth from the father almightie God of heauen And first of all things I thanke the same father of heauen for you that it hath pleased him by his sonne Iesus Chryst to giue this inestimable benefite vnto you Which although you haue ben heretofore al infidels miscreants and idolaters deserued by Gods iustice to be eternally damned yet now he wil that your fayth and profession shuld in such sort be changed made 〈…〉 strong in him that it may most happily redounde to your â—â—â—noume and speciall commendation throughout all the whole world The which thing considering my deare tender loue towards you can not be but most ioyfull and comfortable to me for God the father is my recorde whom I now serue not in vayne and dead Ceremonies but in the powre of his spirite preaching the glad tidings of his deare sonne that always from time to time I haue you in my thought remembraunce praying continually to God that if it be possible I might once come vnto you and sée you at Rome for I thinke very long there to sée you and to be made ioyfull of your godly companies Not séeking therby mine owne profite or singuler aduauntage but most hartily desirous to bestow vpon you some healthsome frute of my Apostleship and to exhibite vnto you not the grosse seruice or dead Ceremonies of Moses but the very delectable yea most swete and spiritual good taste of the sauiour Iesus Christ and to speake vnto you after mine affection familiaritie togither to the ende that one of vs may comfort another in the onely true fayth which wée now haue in our Lord Iesus and to the confirmation establishing one another in the same heauenly gifte All whiche though they be not yet hitherto done as moste rightly behoueth surely for my parte I am in no faulte thereof for I haue most earnestly wished to haue ben among you but alas I haue had many impediments and lets to the contrary And for this cause specially I haue desired to sée you that it might bée my lotte and good happe aswell to profite you and to doo you good as I haue doone vnto other Nations For as God him selfe is an vniuersall God and Lorde of mercy to all men euen so by his mercy is the Gospell vniuersall and in time to be vttered to all nations Wherefore in déede I confesse it my duetie not onely to declare the holy Gospell to the Iew but also to the Gentile not onely to the wise and learned but also to the most barbarous rude vnlearned yea to euery man whatsoeuer he be without exception onlesse he most wickedly and with fixed will withstande and resist the same For which consideration in the zeale of my Lorde Chryst to do you good mine hart melteth within me vntil I preache the Gospell also vnto you that be at Rome And you shall vnderstande that as I feare not at all the state of your great mighty famouse and pompouse Empire so am I not ashamed of the humble and base state or appearaunce of Chrysts kingdome nor of the preaching of his holy Gospell in the simplicitie and plainenesse therof which although it bée to the vnfaythfull but a scoffe a mocke or scorne yet is the same to all the faythfull the moste high mightie and puissaunt vertue of GOD through which onely they bée brought to the hauen of felicitie and to eternall saluation The
Prophets spoken and the law declared And héere peraduenture some man will aske me How dyd it chaunce then that the Iewes did so sodenly forsake and shake off Chryst Verily euen bicause God can not abide the stubborne and proude men but giueth him selfe wholly vnto the méeke gentle and lowely hearted And bicause the Iewes were stubborne proude and wilfull and would not beléeue the Gospell of Chryst and his promises he dyd renounce and forsake them For which cause the Gentiles acknowledging their wretchednesse and submitting them selues to the fayth in Chryst God receiued them to hys grace whereas the Iewes he reiected and caste off bycause they gloried in a false righteousnesse in their holy dayes in their washing in their circumcision and in suche their lyke obserucāes which refused to submit them selues to the faith of Chryst and denied him and put him the author of their life vnto death the which selfe thing Esay did prophecie should come to passe that is that Chryst whom the law before had promised to be a sauiour should be vnto them for their vnfaythfulnesse sake an occasion of their fall and he should also be a stone wherevpon the faythfull should repose them selues and vnto the Iewes it should be turned to their destruction inasmuche as they rather did chose to stumble at it and to be at variaunce among them selues agaynst it than to take their rest vpon it through the vertue of their beléefe For euen so dothe the father of Chryst him selfe speake by the prophet and sayth Beholde I put in Syon a stone to stumble at and a rocke to fall vpon But who soeuer shall beléeue on it shall not be ashamed of his beléefe The .x. Chapter The vnfaythfulnesse of the Iewes Two maner of righteousnesses DEare brethren verily I say this vnto you not without great sorow and heauinesse of harte bicause I inwardly wishe with the same the happie state and prosperitie of the Iewes And if it were in mine abilitie and power I would most gladly reléeue them and ease them of their fal and most wretched mischaunce But of this thing they be all assured and out of doubt that I pray to God dayly and hartily for them that they may yet once agayne turne to repentaunce and not thus alwayes to continue in their damnable blyndnesse Surely I can not excuse them of their vnbeléefe howbeit somewhat may yet be sayde in that behalfe for their comforts for they be not so farre from Chryst as the Gentiles were for asmuche as he is somewhat néerer the truthe that knoweth some parte thereof than he that knoweth yet nothing at all For which cause I would the rather wish that the same thing may now be brought to good effecte in them which they heretofore went about and that they may now obtayne the very truth it selfe wherof long since they haue had but the tipe and shadowe And although they did fall into a moste horrible and lamentable vice in that they so maliciously crucified the Lord which was the fountaine of al glory yet notwithstanding the same I muste néedes confesse that they did it for some loue which they bare towardes God thoughe it were done neither with wisdome nor iudgement For their entent was to call himself the sonne of God which in their opinions was a detestable blasphemie to the Father of heauen but in this pointe their carnall reason was deceyued Wherefore they did not altogither misse in the affection of godlynesse thoughe the same did misse in the ordering and in the right applying therof and better it is to haue some one kinde of religion thā to haue none at all Also they did deserue thoughe they had but little godlinesse in them to haue had more giuen vnto them if they had not bene so stiffe necked in their firste rules of godlinesse hauing in contempte the true godlinesse it selfe when it was once offered vnto them and also if they had not maintained and so stoutly fortified theyr shadowes and only similitudes of truthe and in steade therof to deride and mocke the veritie and perfect truth it selfe And euery of them though they should not then haue caste of from them their lawe of Moses yet they did strius for the fortification thereof without all knowledge or godly iudgement In the doing of which they contended against him for whom the whole lawe was firste made and proclaimed For theyr holy dayes their Circumcision their differences of meates the auoyding from deade carcases their Fastings their Festiuall dayes were all appoynted for this intent that they shoulde passe foorthe for their time in these sortes of beginning and to pretende by the outwarde or worldly rightuousnesse therof a comming at the time appoynted to the true rightuousnesse of almightie God. Howe be it it was not conuenient for them that for the loues sake and affection they then had to their Ceremoniall rightuousnesse to despise cast him away frō them for whose only cause al their lawe Ceremonies were ordained but the more pitie it is that the Iewes though they had in most large and godly maner declared truely vnto them all the righteousnesse of God yet they would not forsake the worldly righteousnesse of their Ceremonies but moste peruersly and without all good order sought to vpholde the continuaunce of them For they so stiffely defended their olde righteousnesse which in déede was made of none effecte and is now rather become to all men which trust therein their deadly wound and sting that they would not once know the true ryghteousnesse of God but stil wasting their liues in Ceremonies they resisted the Gospell of Chryst wherevnto they should haue submitted them selues with all humblenesse and thankesgiuing if in very déede they had ben mindefull to be righteous For we must imagine thus with our selues as though there were before vs two kinde of righteousnesses the one hath Moyses for their author the other hath Chryst The firste standeth in the fulfilling of Ceremonies the seconde consisteth in the fayth of Iesus Chryst and in the obedience to his Gospell The first of these two was but the preamble and first beginning of the seconde euen as a stocke or rough péece of woode is the beginning of the Image that is made thereof or else as the crudding togither of the bloud is the beginning of the issue that commeth therof Therfore it shall be but extreme foolishnesse to sticke to the beginning and to be setled with delight therein when we haue once receiued the perfecte issue and true thing it selfe And euen thus is Chryst the very perfect issue or ende of Moyses law which was in déede but a very weake and vnperfecte beginning of our righteousnesse And this same issue is fedde and nourished to be our helpe and comforte in time to come with the moste delicate deyntie and sweete milke of fayth and not with the da lying toyes of Circumcision or other the like trifling Ceremonies The comming vnto
of their authoritie haue in their hands the sword of iustice the vertue power of God bothe for the praise or punishment of honest and euil doers Wherfore he that disobediently in the error of coÌ„tempt or wilfull ignorance resisteth the power of the Prince or magistrate whether he be beléeuer or infidell the same resisteth God himselfe which appoynted them to that most high dignitie and office and whose person here on erth they most truely represent For like as the shadow of Moses law came of God him self and to be embraced of al the Iewes that professed the lawe which at any time mighte not of them for any certaine space be reiected but to be then obeyed with all reuerent submissiâ—n euen so euery legall iustice princely authoritie amongst men is giuen of God himself that we being called to the state of subiection shuld all for a time most humbly and in Gods feare obey the same In as much as it is the conseruation of our publike order which should of all men moste worthily be estéemed beloued tendred by al possible menes prouided for For euen as God would there should be in oure naturall bodies as is before said an order obserued amongst the members therof euen so he would that the publike weale which standeth of diuers meÌ„bers of some better some worse some mightie and highe in power and some more base and inferior shoulde be alwayes preserued of those same members euen by a mutuall order most louely consent amongst them selues And truely this same order of it selfe besides the appoyntment of God is a very perfecte naturall godly order although of the wicked it be ofteÌ„times shaken against nature spurned at by moste curssed rebellion For which cause sake all they that in such wise do so vnkindely against God and nature vexe and disturbe it they disturbe not only the high state or royall dignitie of man héere on earthe but the magnificent power great maiestie of the moste high and mightie God of heauen And surely as the offence therein so coÌ„mitted against God and nature is most gréeuous horrible and vnsufferable in his sight so the terror of his iustice hangeth worthily ouer them and hastneth vnto them the shortning of their dayes the cursse of the people the iudgement of God to their iust damnation But if thou wilt be frée from such displeasure of God laid iustly vpon thée by the hande of his magistrate not be made subiect to his correction theÌ„ do not think through stubbernes and disobedience to come vnto it but rather with the hart of innoceÌ„cie true obedience a godly life to eschue it For persuade with thy self that the magistrate in the mightinesse of his princely power maiestie hath no such force ouer wel doers but vpon the wicked rebellious disobedieÌ„t sinners his iustice is duely to be exercised Liue thou wel therfore in the vocation wherin God hath called thée persuade thy selfe of assurance that the law shal not craue sharp iustice against thée nether shalt thou féele iust cause in thy self to feare the sword of the magistrate but to reioyce in his power and to liue vnder him as a louing subiect with godly reuerence and peace of conscience For thy knowne conuersation in rightuousnesse enforceth the lawe to estéeme well of thée to further vnto authoritie thy due commendation and praise in as much as it truely pronouÌ„ceth thée not to be any offender but a right honest obedient quiet ciuil subiect Therfore as the magistrate is appointed of God the instrument of his mightie hand to punish the offender eueÌ„ so of him he is ordained to giue coÌ„mendation to the godly and vertuous liuer Thus you hear how frée that man is from the law and how fréendly it dealeth for him that is of good behauior and leadeth an vpright and godly life Now for as much then as the publike order in a common wealth caÌ„not remain in his vprightnesse integritie vnlesse the magistrates therof that are in authoritie be had in due estimation honor It foloweth therfore that euery of you do submit your selues vnto them for necessities sake and not only for that but also for very conscience sake yea though none occasion at al be giueÌ„ to stand in feare of them Which conscience secretely witnesseth vnto euery man that the thing which amongst men is of god appointed to be obserued kept ought to be honored had in al estimation reuerence with them And the magistrates them selues bicause they bear the charge of the publike weale which equally appertaineth vnto al men it is conuenient euen for the same cause that they haue duly paid vnto them their custom tribute Of which though peradueÌ„ture some of them be wicked vngodly yet notwithstanding bicause they are ministers of the publike iustice which is God him self they must be counted gods ministers for they only do execute his office in that they be ministers of such things as they be appointed of God him selfe to do Wherfore if the magistrates shal forbid any thing to be don that is not lawful and right obey most gladly vnto them namely séeing you should of your selues do the same not by coÌ„pulsion or feare but moste willingly for conscience sake Howbeit if the same to the contrary shall prescribe such things to their subiects as be vngodly and disagréeable to the scriptures then also by the bonde of your consciences you ought rather yéeld your obedience vnto god than vnto them Again if at any time they shal be occasioned to demauÌ„d any paiment of your worldly substaÌ„ce the paiing of which if it be not preiudicial to the law of God religion there is no reason why ye shuld stay or withhold your liberalities from them or by suche the like stubbernesse to bring their iust rigor vpon your neckes Pay therfore to eche of them what they do demaund euen as their speciall duetie or due det Christe him selfe that was not subiect nor at commaundement to any magestrate payed vnto Cesar his custome not that he oughte it vnto him but onely bicause he would not offende him or else séeme to giue occasion of any coÌ„tradiction in the publike weals foreséeing alwayes in such wise to be done as therby the procéedings of the gospell be not hindred Do not you therefore commit that thing wherby the magistrates shuld be defrauded of their dueties but if they demaund tribute pay it vnto them and if they demauÌ„d custome pay also vnto them further if they demaund reuerence of you which if you shal deny you shal driue them to thinke euil of you that you haue their authoritie in contempt yéeld the same also vnto them and if they desire to be honored of you coÌ„sidering their great power and dignitie honor them with all humble submission and lowlinesse All which if they throughe the grace of God doe
owne seruaunte from stumbling Neither wyll his Lorde take it for any stumbling at all to mysse herein bicause he séeth that hys faythe and conscience doo kéepe him quiete and safe from all the daungers thereof And euen thus as it is héere spoken of the choyse of meates that enter into a mans body so lykewise it is to be vnderstanded of the obseruation of Holy dayes and feastes of the newe Moone with all other suche Ceremonies which are onely to be suffered for the weaklings sake or else for no cause at all For to obserue them amongest men that are perfecte it is greatly repugning the will of God and the holy Gospell Also the weake man in his fayth maketh difference betwixt day and day as though one day were holy and another vnholy and that it is lawfull to eate that thing vpon one day which may not be eaten vppon another day But contrary he that is strong and sounde in his fayth taketh vnto hym selfe all dayes indifferently and iudgeth the whole tyme of his life to be consecrate and appoynted altogither to godlynesse and true Religion For the disputation or questioning about these matters let not the Christian concord be broken amongest you in any case but let euery man for the tyme follow his owne iudgement and not condemne any other mans opinion inasmuche as either of the parties may be without offence in either of them a time of perfection may be séene to grow to true vnderstanding and godlynesse But that man which iudgeth to him selfe that all days alike be holy and are dedicate to all godly vses he iudgeth aright vnto the Lord neither is it material vnto thée how much it is that he iudgeth Also he that maketh difference of dayes if he doo erre therin he erreth vnto his Lord and it maketh no matter at all vnto thée Further he that without scrupulositie eateth of all kinds of meats the same also eateth for the Lords pleasure inasmuche as he therfore giueth thanks vnto him thorough whose onely benefite he eateth and through whose gracious benignitie al things are created for the vse of mankind Againe he that abstaineth frō sundry meates by reason of his weaknes he abstaineth for the lords pleasure this is nothing materiall vnto thee considering that though he eate but herbs rootes yet notwithstanding he yeldeth his harty thanks vnto the lord euen as thou thy self also doest vnto him Wherin if God shall allow and accept his thanks what hast thou then to do with him for it The cause of this matter is not one but the matter it selfe is one and the minde is one and the Lorde also is one This man is thankfull to God for his bountifull goodnesse hauing libertie by him to eate what him list and that bicause the law of the Gospell maketh rather a difference and choyse of our minds than it dothe of meats And another man thanketh him for his frugality and temperaunce in meates considering that by occasion of his weaknes in this behalfe eschueth surfetting vnnatural contagion by reason hereof kéepeth also him selfe within the limites of chastitie In suche things we be all of like affecte neither oughte we for the vpholding of our fantasticall opinions in these poynts be therfore at variaunce with our brother or one christian man with another It shal be sufficient vnto either partie to be contented if god him self do allow the thing vnto whom onely appertayneth the moste true and iuste iudgemente For the thing it selfe is indifferente and to bée borne withall according to the condition of tyme One Christian man hath no further to doo with another but onely to profite one another Neither dothe any man liue his owne seruaunte or properly to him selfe considering wée be all seruauntes to the Lorde which hathe boughte vs from vyce to godlynesse and from death vnto lyfe Therefore there is no man that either liueth or dyeth his owne seruaunte but the seruaunte of another maister whych hathe power ouer him euen bothe for lyfe and death Thus then if the seruaunt liue he liueth not for his owne pleasure and honour but onely for the Lords honour or otherwise for his dishonour Which if he dye he doth it also to fulfill the wil of the Lorde Wherefore whether he liue or dye if the Lordes will therein bée doone it commeth of him selfe and not of thée neither will he therfore chalenge any thing at thy hand How shamefull a thyng then shall it be for one seruaunts to be comptroller of another seruaunte which is felow seruaunte with him in the seruice of God if he to whom the seruyce is doone bée sufficiently therewith contented And there is no bondeman amongest men so muche bonde vnto hys maister as wée béeing all seruauntes are bounde to our maister Chryst which hathe bought vs and redéemed vs not with siluer nor golde but onely with his most precious bloud Therfore if we fall we fall vnto him and if we stand we stand vnto him Agayne if we liue we liue to him and if we dye we dye vnto him All other bonde men doo ceasse to bée any more bounde to their Lorde and Mayster after they be once dead but all we that haue Chryst to our Lord be in suche case with him that whether we liue or whether we dye we be alwayes his for whose sake all things do◠liue and haue their béeing For Chryst hathe authoritie not onely vppon them that bée aliue but also vppon them that be deade inasmuche as he employeth bothe his life and deathe for our saluation For thy sake he was made man and for thy loue he once dyed and the same rose agayne from his death vnto lyfe to the ende he shoulde bée Lorde bothe of the quicke and of the deade If wée liue vnto godlynesse we may thanke hym for it if wée bee deade to our vyces wée may refer it to his only goodnesse he is the Lorde and he is the Iudge And why then shoulde one seruaunt take authoritie vpon him agaynst another forasmuch as the thing onely appertayneth vnto the lord Thou that art superstitious how darest thou be so bold to iudge him that is stronger than thou thy self which eateth without any questiō of al kind of meats and vseth al daies alike in the seruice of god or else thou that art strong why darest thou haue thy brother in contempte that is weaker than thou thy selfe as though a man woulde say that thou shewest thy selfe rather his Lorde than felowe seruant with him To what end doth either this or that man take vpon him the roume of the Lord preuenteth the iudgements of God which shall be onely at the last day at the glorious appeasaunce of Iesus Christ Wherfore one man may not iudge another but one must helpe and instruct an other in the most holy and perfect state of religion For Christ that is Lorde vnto vs all will giue iudgement vppon all at what tyme wée
after this earthly according to this saying It is sowe a naturall body it riseth a spirituall body So that the spirite viâ—ifying is not here taken as which shoulde be oppoâ—ed and layde agaynst that which is innocente and right but agaynst that which animateth with earthly life Wherevpon the first Adam although he were iuste with the spirite of innocencie yet lacked he this viuifying spirite as the Apostle taketh him to the Corinth whose body was natural not spiritual earthly not heauenly Neither could it be transformed into a heauenly body without either the death of it or immutation very like vnto deathe as he clerely signifyeth when he proueth by the mutuall conuersion that the resurrection consisteth not without death alleaging a similitude of the séede of which Chryst had mentioned before in Iohn So that Christ receiued the name of the New man then specially when he was raised vp by resurrection from the dead to the right hand of the glory of God and not before when he had put of mortalitie and the ignomie of the crosse of his fleshe to the which he was borne for vs of the virgine he namely then being declared to be truely the sonne of God by the spirite of power according to this which was begotten of the séede of Dauid after the fleshe which was declared to be the sonne of God with power according to the spirite of sanctification of this that Iesus Christ our Lord rose againe from death To which time also this properly pertaineth in the seconde Psalme Thou art my sonne I haue this day begotten thée the Apostle Paule reciting it for that time in the Actes 50 For as much therfore as the newe man is suche he giueth the nature of heauen from whence he came which heauen is agile ful of vertue and light After this sort is the heauenly man and all the children that come of him 51 And for that there was no way for this Adam to fall namely he which was conceiued by the spirite of God not able to be brought to sliding as he witnesseth of himselfe when he sayeth The Prince of this world commeth and in me he hath nothing at all 52 And the same returned to heauen froÌ„ whence he came downe euen as the earthly returneth to the earth of which he was made al things returning to their beginnings by diuine disposition as he sayth of him selfe in the thirde of Iohn And no man ascendeth into heauen but he which came down from heauen euen the sonne of man which is in heauen 53 Séeing then that the olde man and the nowe are so farre distante in beginning and ending in nature and affections the olde shall not become newe except he lay away from him his affections and desires and put on him the newe affections of the newe man. 54 Which can not be done without a new birth death that the olde man die to him selfe that is to the loue of him selfe and to the contempte of God and that the newe man be borne a newe to heauenly desires that is to loue God aboue al things and our neighbors as our selues for this loue is the ende of the lawe and the summe of all the rightnesse of diuine iustice vnto which we are to be reformed which the very order of creation cléerely teacheth in which he ought to be loued with equal loue which hath taken equall degrée of perfection with thée But such is man made to the similitude of God. 55 For as much therfore as we must be borne again it is a question wherof or by what we be regenerated or what set to the helping hand to the renuing of vs Is it the light of nature which containeth the law wrytten in all mennes hartes and mindes No not that for that light being corrupted with originall sinne howe should it wipe away the spot and place innoceÌ„cie in stead therof Further the light of nature is darknesse if it be compared to the light of God which bringeth eternall life as aboue it is shewed Now what coÌ„munion may be betwéene vice and integritie betwéene darkenesse light By regeneration we are begotten the children of lighte But how shall darknesse procéede to so great light 56 Muche lesse shall the woorkes of the lawe performe so great a woorke which if they be done are too weake in cause as done by the lighte of nature by the rightuousnesse of the law so that all naturall things in man and created strengths take a fall 57 What remaineth then vnto regeneration Only the spirite of Iesus Christe purchased for vs by his bloud which may repurge the childe of olde Adam into a newe man Other thing there is none neither in heauen nor in earth as I haue aboue proued in the rule of iustification 58 And that witnesseth the newe man him selfe being the aucthor of this natiuitie when he saith in Iohn Except a man be newe born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God. 59 Where looke what the naturall winde is in this visible worke of the world in this aire next vnto vs through the light of heauen waters from aboue to make the earth bring forth frute the same the spirite of God the father in Christ his sonne to this Tohu and Vehu that is to this vnformed and rule â—arthe of the godly that is to say to their mindes by the light that no man can come at and spirituall waters to renue their stomackes to bring forth frutes worthy of heauen 60 And for that cause in the mention made of regeneration is ioyned water to the spirit In which and by which the new birth may be wrought And in an other place fire is also taken to company to worke so great a worke when we read He shall baptise you with the spirite and fire 61 In which part respecte is had to the figures of the created worke For as in it the spirit or winde was coupled with the waters which he shuld moue preparing the earthe by the light brought vnto it to the encrease of that which come of hir euen so the work of regeneration offreth it self hir earth first emptie voide hir water of the spirit and of light which is the fire that new regenerateth heauen which in Iohn we spake of a litle before hither also are those things to be called which we read of Helias of the spirit commotion and fire .3 Reg. 19. 62 Whereof it is that the olde and newe Testamentes speake so ofte of the spirite of Messiah by which he testifieth all saluation that pertaineth to man Esay 32.44.61 Ezechiell 36.39 Ioel. 2. c. 63 Notwithstanding this spirituall power of God the father is poured in by a certain order by an order of certentie â–ª For first it is fully resident in Christ as in the head and from thence it floweth into the Church of the elect as into the body and is imparted to his members to
kéepe suche good order by reformation among the people that the slaunderous persons rebellions and séekers of disorder may not haue place through sufferaunce whereby the name of God shoulde be blasphemed And as touching the first I minde not to declare vnto you what doctrine ought to haue place but rather giuing thanks vnto almightie God for that he hath not onely giuen vnto you the lighte of his pure knowledge but that he hath also giuen vnto you good counsell and discretion to cause his pure veritie to be preached So that God bée thanked you bee not to teache what is the true fayth of Christian men and the doctrine which they ought to receiue seing that by your meanes the puritie and truth of the christen fayth is agayne restored that is that wée beléeue God to bée the only gouernour of our soules that wée kéepe his lawe for the onely rule and spirituall gouernaunce of our consciences not to serue him after the fantasticall and foolishe inuentions of men Also that according to his diuine nature he will bée accordingly serued in spirite and in all puritie of heart Of the other parte acknowledging that there is in vs nothing but all euill and wickednesse and that wee be in all our knowledge and affections in such wise corrupted that our soules béeing dispayred in our selues be lyke vnto a bottomlesse pitte or a world of all abhomination and iniquitie And all the presumption of our wisdome dignitie or power to do wel be taken away we may haue free recourse to the fountaine of all goodnesse which is Iesus Christ receiuing that which he giueth vnto vs that is to say the only merites of his death and passion to the end that by the same meane we may be reconciled vnto the Lorde our God that being washed with his bloud we shoulde not feare that our faultes shoulde impéeche vs but to finde grace before his celestiall throne that being assured our sinnes be fréely forgiuen vs and pardoned by the vertue of his moste blessed sacrifice we shall put therin our whole trust and assurance and not to dout at any time of our heauenly comfort and health and that we be sanctified by his spirite in giuing our selues to the obedience of the iustice of God that being fortified by his power and grace we shall be valyant conquerors of Sathan the world and the fleshe and finally that being members of his body we feare not but that God will take vs for his children and that we may haue confidence to call vnto him as vnto our father And that we be aduertised to bring to this ende all that is saide and done in the churche that is being retired from this sinnefull world and other our deadly aduersaries we may be lifted vp to heauen with Christ our head our Lord and sauioure Wherefore then séeing that God hath wrought in you and giuen you the grace to restore againe the knowledge of this moste sounde and holy doctrine which hath bene so long time buryed by curssed Antichriste I leaue to kéepe you with longer purpose and that which I haue touched of the manner of teaching is only for that the people may be rightly instructed and to féele that which the Apostle sayth that is that the woorde of God is a sworde cutting with two edges piercing the thoughts affections euen vnto the marowe of the bone I say this my Lord for that I thinke there is very few liuely preachings in the realme but rather that the moste part reciteth them as it were by lector I wel perceiue the necessitie that constraineth your Lordship therunto for â—â—rst yée haue not commonly as I thinke your Pastors so good and apte as you would lawfully wishe and desire wherfore it is néedefull for you to séeke diligently and to supplie that lacke Secondly there might chance to be many light spirites which would peraduenture leape beyonde their boundes sowing corrupted and foolishe fantasies as oftentimes they doe in newe things But all these considerations impéecheth not but that the ordinaunce of Iesus Christe ought to haue his course as in preaching the gospell Nowe this preaching oughte not to be deade but quicke and liuely bothe for to teache exhorte and to reprehende as S. Paule saith to Timothe in suche sorte as if any infidell do enter he may be wounded ouercome and taken as he saith in another place to giue glory and praise to god You knowe also my Lord how that he speaketh of the liuelynesse the ought to be in the mouthes of them which would approue them selues good and faithfull ministers of the Gospell of Christe that they ought not to haue or vse woordes of Rethoricke or muche curiositie entending therby to be in the greater estimation but that the spirite of God oughte to sounde in their voyces for to woorke in power and vertue All the daungers that are to be feared of men ought not with humaine policies so appeare at any time or in any place that thereby the spirite of God be impeached or let to haue his libertie and due course in them in whome he hath so plentifully distributed of his graces for the edifying of the church of god It is true that in the meane time nothing were better nor more expedient than to stoppe the lightnesse of fantasticall spirites which taketh ouer much licence Also to shutte and close fast the gates of all curiosities and newe wicked doctrines But the best and moste conuenient meane shall be such as God him selfe hath appoynted and shewed vnto vs that first bicause there be some resolute of the doctrine that all oughte to preache the which all Prelates and Curates should sweare to folow that none be receiued into any Ecclesiastical charge onlesse he promisse to obserue the same true concorde and vnion After that to haue a formall and common instruction for to instructe the yong children and the ignorante people which should make them acquainted with the true Doctrine in such wise that they may discerne it from lies and corruptions which else might be brought in To the contrary beléeue me my Lord that the Churche of God shall be neuer well conserued without Cathechisme For it is as the séede to be kept that the good graine perisheth not but that it may growe and encrease from age to age Wherefore if your grace desire to builde a woorke long to endure which shoulde not shortly be in decaie cause that the children in their yonge age be instructed with a good Cathechisme that may learne them bréefely and according to their small capacitie to knowe wherein consisteth the true christianitie or most perfect religion of Christe This Cathechisme shall serue for two purposes that is to say for an introduction to all people to profitte well in that which shall be preached vnto them and also the rather to descerne if the wicked shal at any time presumptuously set forth any vnsound or straunge kindes of Doctrine In the