mooste perfecte and vnfayned loue as Let him kisse me with the swete kysse of hys mouth as Plucke me after the. as Come hyther my beloued as Shewe to me hym whome my soule doeth loue wyth suche other lyke sayinges The sinagoge of Antichriste in the daye whych is dedicated and hallowed to the natiuitie of the Lorde do graunt thys pronoūcynge wyth theyr owne lyppes The prayer of the church on Christmas daye the holye prayer of the churche of God sayinge after thys wyse Graunte to vs good Lorde we pray the that thys newe natiuitie of thy son in fleshe maye deliuer vs and make vs fre whom the olde seruitude and bondage doth hold fast bownd vnder the yoke of sinne The yoke of synne c. The yoke of synne is the yoke of concupiscence As Paule in manie places but speciallye to the Romayns communelye vseth to speake By synne cōcupiscence sayeth he c. The whyche concupiscence maye well be named a yoke bycause it holdeth manne in moste cruell seruitude in so muche that excepte he be fyrste deliuered from that he can do nothynge that canne be pleasaunte to the Lorde Thys is the yoke of bondage to the beleuynge people Thys is the rod of hys shoulder and the scepter whych the litle child borne into thys worlde and geuen vnto vs hath ouercome The names of god Whose empyre is aboue his shoulder which is called by these names The marueilouse the counseler The strōge and myghty Lord. The father of the world to come The prince of peace Esai ix As Esay ix O moste ioyfull libertie to the electe which is annexed ioyned vnseperablye wyth the most blessed seruitude bōdage of the Lord. This libertie is far from the power of Satan most miserable sinagoge of Antichrist whyche is departed fallen from the Lorde and sauiour The sinagog of antichriste hath not this lybertie that the faythfull maye do seruice to the Lorde without impedimente and afterward one to an other for Christes sake This holy and sacrete seruitude bōdage of the Lord is not a bitter hard or heauy yoke Math. xi it is lyghte amiable and swete As Christe wytnesseth Mathew xi Chap. My yoke is swete my burthen is lyghte By thys yoke whyche is to be coueted of all men and by thys bonde al men do kepe the commaundementes of the Lord frely gladly diligentlye For they be neuer wythout the spirite of the Lord and hys gyftes whyche are these Wisedome vnderstandyng counsel strēgth of the spirite knowledge Godlines feare of the Lorde ioyfulnesse peace of conscience a sure and certayne hope c. After these thinges foloweth the loue of the Lorde Confidence in hym onelye charitie and loue towarde thy neyghboure pouertie and lowlines of the spirite mournyng and lamenting thy neyghboures hurt griefe full of compassion and all other goodnesse Wyth thys yoke very necessarie for vs wyth these amiable bondes it pleaseth the goodnesse of the Lorde to bynde vs so that therby we should attayne to perfecte libertie in him ⧠The fourthe parte wherein you are taughte howe to vnderstande those textes and places of the scriptures whyche do applie to permit and geue libertye to the wyll of man WE haue sufficiētly taught and proued to you what the wyll of man is Secondelye that it is verye captiue and bond Thyrdly that it is in Christe boeth fre and also moste ioyfully and pleasauntly bonde You haue sene and learned in the same thyrd parte how and in what thinges the wyll of man is fre and howe likewyse it is bonde Nowe there remaineth nothynge els behynde but to make playne certayne places and textes that you maye vnderstande them The which textes the maisters and founders of free wyll do falselye alledge and as them thynketh do sufficiently proue theyr purpose and entent ⧠The fyrste text IT is wryten in the boke of Iesus Syrach the .xv chap after thys wyse The Lorde from the begynnynge dyd make man and left hym in the hande of hys owne counsell and minde he hathe gyuen him cōmaundementes and preceptes sayinge if thou wilt obserue my commaundemētes and kepe acceptable faythfulnes for euer they shall preserue the. He hathe set water and fyer before the reache out thy hand to which thou wilte Before man is life and death good and euel that whiche dothe lyke and please hym beste shal be gyuen to hym By this authoritie they do thinke that they can proue man to haue fre will from his first creation If they wyll vnderstande and also graunt that the holy spirit was also at the beginning geuē to mā we wyll striue no lēger wythe them ther in But if they do saye that god made the nature of manne to be alwaye fre of hir owne selfe and at lybertie it is altogether agaynste god and his honour that they do speake wherfore in fewe wordes we wyl declare and open to your eares the plain and true vnderstandynge of thys texte The lorde from the begynnynge created manne deckyng and adornynge hym wyth hys spirite this do I graunt to them though we be be not able to proue it leauinge man before he dyd fall in the hand of hys owne counsell that is to saye to hys own selfe to his owne nature whyche is the most greuouse fearfull iudgement that can be For he whyche is so lefte in the hande of hys owne counsell is forsaken and made a straunger to the spirite and counsel of the Lorde And so becommeth strayght waye indurate blynded and brought into temtatiō c. and can not chuse but erre from the waye of the Lorde Therefore as sone as oure fathers were lefte to theyr selues in the handes of theyr owne counsell they strayghte waye traunsgressed the commaundemente of the Lorde Mankynde dyd fall by little and little to synne Wherfore the lawe is gyuen in so muche that synne so increased that they could not deserue and iudge good frome euyll For the whyche cause that men myght haue the knowledge of synne and of that whyche is euyll and naughty the Lord gaue to theym a lawe or preceptes whyche lawe was and is vnpossible to be kepte and obserued of vs but wyth hys spirite it is made not onelye possible but also easye and lyghte The lawe is spirituall What is the worke of the lawe For the lawe beynge spirituall can not be kept but by the strēgth of the spirite The lawe teacheth what is euyl what is good what we ought to do and what wee ought to refuse But the lawe doth not gyue to vs a spirit to do that whiche it commaundeth It doth sende vs to Christe that we beleuyng in hym maye be made parteners of his spirit The lawe sendeth vs to Christe for helpe The kepyng of the lawe wythout the spirit of god is hypocrisie by the whiche spirit we maye kepe the lawe Wherfore if we do kepe these cōmaundementes and preceptes by the spirite of God then they
aboundaunt and plentifull fulnes of ryches in al goodnes to whom only euery good gyft and euery perfect gifte from heauen aboue from the father of lyght is to be attributed ascribed as witnesseth Ia .i. Thou must be also in this case lyke a man which through long sicknes is so feble and weeke and brought so low that he is not able to stand without a staffe fearynge to set his foote to the ground least he shoulde fall doune not able to ryse agayne of hymselfe without the helpe of another This mā getteth to him a staffe to stande vp or to go by or els he leueth on another mās arme which is stronger than he and so goth furth by lytle and lytel euer fearing to fal So doyng thou shalt not fal nay though thou dost stōble or trippest a litle with thi fote that is the carnalconcupiscēce of the flesh yet shalt thou not fal to the ground the spirite of the Lord is so strong that he wyll holde the vp But if thy staffe be weake or rotten or that man whom thou dost trust be not altogether thy frynd thou canst not chose but fall and that miserably to thine vtter confusion with out another takyng compassion and pitie on the of his goodnes wyll come and take the vp Lykewise is thy doyng whē thou dost trust and put thy confidence in thyne owne merites in thyne owne workes in thyne owne strength in thyne owne wit and power thē is thy fall moost greatest when the truste of thyne owne power semeth moost strongest and when thou art most inflamed wyth the loue of thy selfe that is of thyne owne deades and workes which are altogether flesh if they be not wroughte by the spirite of the Lord the which spirite of the Lorde being in the the Lord doeth make althy wayes godly straight be fore his eyes so that thi sinne is not imputed to the nor thou art not fleshly yea though the fleshe hath some pryckyng in the. For to the iust man the lawe is not made as witnesseth Paul that man I saye whose iustice is Christes iustice which alredy in his hert hath done al that thing which the law requireth not of hymself but by the power of the spirit of the Lord which worketh his wil in hym What hast thou saith Paull that thou hast not receiued if thou hast receiued wherfore art thou proud of it as thoughe thou hast not receiued it but as it were thyne owne of thy self For asmuch then as al godlines is receiued we must cōsider cōfesse that ther is a geuer in whose hande and power it dothe rest whether he wil geue it yea or nay so that we must say not vnto vs Lord not to vs. but to thi name be glory prayse What worke dyd Paull worke to optayne the fauoure of the Lorde When he was most strongest in persecutiō and sheddyng of the christian bloud sodenly he was taken from hym selfe that is to say the Lord alterid him of his owne goodnes and mere mercy his cruel affectiōs and in the steade of the spirite of persecution he put in hym the spirite of mekenes the spirit of loue of preaching his glory of preaching Iesu Christ crucified and in the steade of a persecutour of Christ he became a sufferer for Christ When Peter was most stronge to fyght wyth dente of sworde as appered by his bolde and manly deades and great crakes how sodenly became he in the stead of a defēder a denier And wher as he wold dye with Christ he would not so much as once knowe hym nay he denied him vtterly Who did subdue the naughtie spirite of Paul when he was in his most rage fury agaynst the preachers of Christes glory Was it ani other thā the power of the lord vnder whose fete all thynges are made subiect yea from the reasonable to the vnreasonable as oxen and sheepe At the whiche tyme of persecution Paull was in durate because he had not in hym the spirite of the Lord and therefore he coulde not chose but with al extremitie persecute the lord as far as the fleshe woulde geue hym leaue The flesh alway as Paul wytnesseth resystyng and strinyng agaynst the spirit The cause then why that Paull had not the spirite of the Lord was only the pleasure of the Lord whiche taketh mercye on whom it pleaseth him selfe Paul myndyng nothing lesse thā to be called it pleased the Lorde to cal hym frō dishonour to honor to the setting furth of his glory Paull for this tyme of persecution was indurate none otherwyse than was Pharao in the persecution of the children of Israel If it had pleased the Lord to haue taken Paull as he dyd take Pharao the one shulde haue perished as well as the other Yf the Lord had lefte Peter in his deniall and styll to hym selfe if he had not loked on hym wyth the eye of fauoure it had ben euyll with hym as it was with Pharao But to declare that all men are lyars and God only true as the prophet saith The Lord toke the spirit of stedfastnes and knowledgyng of God from hym leauyng hym to hymselfe to fraylenes to the verye counsel and motion of the flesh which flesh had rather lyue a whyle and dye for euer than to suffre a smal temporal death and al way after to lyue Therfore if any manne do fall let not hym dispayre for the Lorde is merciful It is not the fall whiche declareth induration it is the contempte of the Lord when thou dost delyght in thy synne not fearyng the Lordes iudgement that is a fearful token of induration What canst thou tel whether the Lorde wyl take the in this tyme of thy wyckednes and vnfaythfulnes yea or nay as he dyd Pharao in the mydest of hys madnes If he so doo what shall become of the Thou caust not denye but that he may if it please hym so to doo Thou hast a good cause therfore alway to fear and mystrust thy wayes for thou arte altogether of thy selfe fleshe thou canst do nothyng of thy selfe but synne And lykewyse as the trust of the mercy of God promysed for Christes sake whiche foloweth streyghtway the hatred of vyce and synne with ful intent and purpose to liue after the wyll of the father is a certayn token of election and of the fauour of God wherin so long as thou doste remayne and continue thou art sure that thou art of the ryght fort Euen so the loue to lyue vngodly to wallow in all kynde of vyce and to lye styll in impuritie of lyfe declareth to the that for that same season thou art nothing ells than the chyld of wrath curssed of God indurat as was Pharao This is a good cause to make the to be alway in feare to make the suspect thyne owne selfe and begyn to hate synne the deuyl and the fleshe with al concupiscence then the spirit of God beginneth to worke his worke in the to crucifie thi spiritual
The mînde and iudgement of maister FrauÌ„ces Lambert of Auenna of the wyll of man declarynge and prouynge howe and after what sorte it is captyne and bonde and not free taken out of hys commentaries vpon Osee the Prophete wherin vpoÌ„ the .iiii. Chapter of the sayd prophet he most Godly plain lye and learnedly entreateth and writeth of the same as hereafter euideÌ„tly shal appere Newelye traÌ„slated into Englishe by N.L. Anno Do. M.D. xlviii the xviii day of DeceÌ„bre Philippians .ii. ¶ It is God that worcketh both the wil the perfourmaunce DIEV ET MON DROâ—T To the most gratiouse and vertuouse Ladye Anne douthesse of Somerset c. Hyr most fayethfull and dayle Oratoure Nicholas Lesse desireth the swete blessing of god wyth a ioyfull and earneste loue to read hys worde and folowe the same WHat tyme my little worcke entituled the iustificatioÌ„ of faith only was in the handes of the Printer moste gentyl Ladye it fortuned me to reade in a certayne exposition whyche Frances Lambert of Auenna dyd wryte vpon Osee the Prophet that the wyll of man naturally is captyue to sinne as the Apostle ryght wel witnesseth sayinge He whyche doeth syn is the seruaunt of synne There is not one iust maÌ„ there is not one whyche seketh after God All men haue erred gone forth of the way and are altogither made vnprofitable Ther is not one manne whych doeth good no not so muche as one and also bonde frome doynge of any good thynge of it selfe as witnesseth the Apostle Iames with these words Euery good and perfecte gyfte is frome aboue discendinge downe from the father of lyght whyche article beynge very well discussed and wyth the file and touchstone of the scriptures proued and made playne I thoughte it necessarie and expediente that it shoulde be broughte forthe of the Latin into oure vulgar tonge Partlye bycause the contrarye erroure that man hathe power to do good of hym selfe beyng the doctrine of the Papystes of the Anabaptistes of the PelagioÌ„s is so inueterated and roted in the stomakes of moste men that almoste they can skante fynde in theyr herte to geue to God any parte of the praise of good worckes but ascribynge the worthynes thereof to theym selues do make claime and title vnto heaueÌ„ for theyr owne deseruynges This errour hath caused them to forsake the workes prescribed to vs of God and to inuent newe worckes on their owne braine Thys erroure caused them to builde monasteries to go on pilgrimages to set vp candels before stockes and stones to make holy water and holye breade to weare thys or that disguised cote to faste thys or that prescribed daye to synge masses for the deade and quicke to make of the blessed supper of the Lord a sacrifice for the quicke dead to make of breade and wyne as they moste falselye do affirme the naturall fleshe and bloude of oure sauioure Iesus Christe and to be shorte to applye the mooste fruitefull benefitial fruites of hys passioÌ„ to the health of bruite beastes as shepe oxen and swyne as wel as to the soule of man Wher hadde they any of thys beggery in the scriptuers Thys is a foule and a detestable erroure whyche bringeth man into so many whyrlepoles of dishonouring of God that there is almost nothinge at all lefte vnto hym but a bare name of God none otherwyse then as they had vsed in times paste to make kinges and quenes in maye games Into so greate and palpable darckenesse are they fallen for theyr vnthankefulnes The seconde cause whyche moued me to the traunslation of thys smale worke is that thys erroure of fre wyl to do good in man standynge styll and not remoued forthe of the hertes and consciences of menne the contrary Article for iustification by fayeth onely muste nedes be infringed and broken For if we do wel of our own propre streÌ„gth theÌ„ do our owne workes make vs good and rightuouse whiche is directlye contrarye to the scriptures to the wordes of Christe sayinge No man can come to me except my father drawe hym These wordes do declare that all men are alwaye so stubourne and so muche agaynste God that excepte they be drawen they can not come to Christ Christ doeth saye also Of those whyche thou hast geuen me I haue not loste one It folowethe therfore that god was the gyuer Christ the keper of theÌ„ They were not the geuers nor the kepers of theÌ„ selues no more then they were the callars of theim selues what tyme that Peter hys felowes at the callynge of Christe forsoke theyr ship and netes and folowed hym But contrary wyse if al menne be liars as wytnesseth the Apostle Paule If all the imaginations of man from hys youthe be euyll and nothing but synne as it is wrytten in the Genese .vi. Chapte then are we not made good rightuouse by our dedes Then must thys Article by fayth onely we are iustified stande faste that is to saye for the confidence and sure truste whyche we haue in the promises of God for hys swete sonne Iesus Christes sake by the whyche sonne we haue bouldnes and fre passage to come to god as teacheth vs the Apostle Peter For so much therfore as these .ii. Articles manne can worke any goodnes of hym selfe and the iustification of man frely by fayeth only are so faste and nighe lincked togither that either they muste boeth stande togither or boeth be destroyed and broken togyther the people beinge I truste what with learned preachers what wyth writers suffitieÌ„tlye instructed and taughte the waye of theyr iustification I toke on me to traunslate this into our mother tonge and wyth like audacitie as I dedicated the worcke of iustification vnto your moste dearly beloued husbaÌ„de my Lordes Protectours grace so I haue bene so bolde to name youre grace a mooste Godly mother setter forth of this worcke vnder whose name it cometh abrode into the handes of the people to whom nexte vnto God they shall yelde thankes for the fruite therof Whose graces boeth togyther I desire the Lorde longe to preserue with a ioyfull continuaunce to the shynynge of his glorye and settynge forthe of hys word wyth increase of al Godlines therto correspoÌ„deÌ„t Amen Q.L. to the gentle reader HEre in this worke moost gentle reader thou hast set before thyne eyes the wil of man so playnely so liuely that no Appelles coulde with al his craft in a table with his colours set furth the phisiouomie of anye man lyke Thou dost perceiue and behold him in this boke as he is in his owne propernature and kynde altogether nakid altogether myserable wretched and bound Not that there by thou shouldest thynke thy self more at libertie to offend bycause thy wyl is bound and captiue or elles that thou cast not chose but offend but that rather thyne owne wekenes and pouerte being known thou sholdest knowledge â–ª prayse and glorifie the myghtie and infinit power and strength of the Lord with the
called flesh The wicked are called fleh after the maner of speakyng of Paul in many places of hys Epistles For the wicked with al their cogitations affections and workes are nothyng elles but fleshe because they want and lacke the holy spirit Yea the very spirit of manne is fleshe bycause it cannot beholde the spirit of God but al carnal thynges therto beyng geuen and addicte This sens and meanynge of this texte which I haue declared is not true sayth he bycause this texte of Genesis doth not pertayne to al men as he sayth but to those meÌ„ only which liued in the time of Noe. What thyng can be more aslycke spoken and sayd than this Were not those men also fleshe which lyued after the floud as well as thei which were before the floud Verely so was Cam the sonne of Noe whiche did mocke scorne his father as was Cain and Iudas the traiters as Lamech which did slei Cain Peraduenture this manne doth thynke and coniecture in his mynd that ther was an other maner of spirit of fornication in manne before the floud then was after or elles he fantasieth in his brayne that God hath altered and chaunged the nature of man other wyse then it was from the begynnyng makynge an other nature differente from that which he hath made with his most mightie and strong hand in them which do beleue on hym The nature of man of it selfe hath ben alwaye lyke We do reade and fynde that the yeres and tymes hath bene chaunged and altered but we fynd not that the nature of man was euer altered I do graunt that those wordes were spoken at that tyme of those which lyued in the tyme of Noe. But not onely of them but also of them which came after the floud For al men of them selfes are flesh all fleshe haye and the glory of it as the floure of the fielde Esay xi Al the children of AdaÌ„ of their selfe ar of an heuy and sad hert thei do loue vanitie thei do seeke after lyes and vntruth Psal iiii Omnes declinauerunt simulâ—â—utiles facti sunt Non est qui faciat bonum non est vsque ad vnum All men without exceptioÌ„ haue gone out of the rightwaye and are become vnprofitable There is none that can do any good no not one in the world Ps xii If he wyl not he satisfyed with this answer but wyll contende that this text of the iudgement spoken and written in Geneses pertaineth to the time of Noe. I wil demaÌ„de this question of hym For what cause were those men of Noes tyme rather called flesh then thei which folowed after Noe and lyued after hym Syns now a dayes ar mor greuous and detestable theÌ„ were in the tyme of Noe. Truely of muche more greuous vices and offeÌ„ces haue we read of many other men yea and with oure eyes haue sene in our tyme then was written of those men in those dayes of whom the wordes were first written and spoken Of them we do read in Genesis the .vi. these words The sonnes of God did see perceiue the daughters of men that thei were fayre and bewtiful CoÌ„pare oure smale fautes and dayly vsed vices with this offence of the sonnes of God it shal be no vice but a singuler vertue For they dyd take the Maydens to their wyues in Matrimony and not to make theÌ„ harlotes in whordome and they toke to theÌ„ wyues from amoÌ„g them those which thei had chosen Thei did not seke after those daughters whiche were good but for those which were goodly and fayre the children of whom became myghtie men and of greate renowme The Lorde sayd then that the malice of man was great in the earth and all the imaginations and thoughtes of his hert were euyl euery daye The which wordes are to be vnderstande not onely of that age and tyme but of al meÌ„ in al tymes of ages as in the .viii. Chapi in the same booke apereth The imaginacions of mans hert are euil from his youth Therfore it is vngodly done to wrieth and wrest those wordes to the tyme of Noe onely Yet thei doe go further saiynge and reasoning on this maner The propens and redy inclinatioÌ„ and towardnes to euyl whiche is in many men as though it were not in al men doth not take away al together the lybertie and fredome of maÌ„s wil yea though the said naughtie inclination cannot be ouer come and cleane subdued without the helpe as thei confesse of the grace of God Is it not a great bondage and captiuitie not to be able to ouercome and subdue that thynge which we would fame haue furth of vs By these premisses it dooth folowe that we are seruauntes to that coÌ„cupiscence and naughtie inclination to euyl tyl the tyme that we be deliuered and made fre in dede by Christ The .iii. profe by the scripture It is said in the Prouerbes xvi The Lord doth al thynges for his owne sake yea wheÌ„ he reserueth the vngodlye for the daye of wrath This place is manifest and open declaryng to vs that the Lorde hath alredye iudged the reprobate and outcast persones from the begynnyng to eternal punishmeÌ„t Ther be many which contrary to all ryghteousnes do inquire busely search to know those thinges which do partain to the onely maiestie of God in this place and such other lyke A ful wicked question puttyng furth this question Wherfore did the Lorde make the wicked man sâ—eâ—h he hath decreed from the begynnyng that the wicked shal peryshe Wherfore did not the Lorde reuoke and plucke hym from hys impietie and wickednes after â—hat he had made hym Wherfore hath he not geuen to al men of his spirit With these scrupulous and curious questions more then nedeth The great in conuenience and foule absurditie whiche foloweth these questioÌ„s thei are blynded and deceiued beynge at the last by such reasonyng brought to that poynt that they do make the Lorde not to be a merciful Lorde but a cruel Lorde and as it were a tiraunt I wyl desire and exhort all men that wyth al reuerence they haue in fear and sted fastly beleue the iudgementes of the highest that he is in all his workes iust faythfull true and that we be of oure selues myserable false vniust and synnefull The Lorde then hath made the wicked man for the euil day beyng hymselfe iust and ful of clemencie The wicked man of himselfe tan do nothyng that is pleasaunt and exceptable to God O the profound depnes of the iudgementes of the Lorde howe vnsearcheable how incomprehensible are his wayes For of hym by hym and in hym are all thynges To him therfore be only glory and empire for euer and euer Amen The .iiii. profe by the scriptures IT is written in the Prouer. The kynges herte is in the handes of the lorde xxi Lyke as the riuers of the waters euen so the herte of a kyng is in the hand of
as it is more to his glorye and to the profit of the electe people howe so euer the spirite of fornication doeth iudge and take it otherwyse Many men do thinke in them selues that they coulde fynde the causes of al these thinges why and wherfore the Lorde doeth this thynge or that But verelie as it is saied before What man doth knowe the cause of the lordes workes the spirite of fornication hathe receyued them and bounde them in hys wynges For what so euer they can saye it is muche lesse then the trueth in dede They do saye furthermore that it is permitted to the fleshe to beare some rule in a man bycause that man knowelegynge hys owne frailtie The fleshe doth hynder the electe frō the perfetnes that they desyre and that by the ordynaunce of the lorde should meake and lowly hym selfe I do knowe that it is neadfull that we be meke and lowlye but for all that it is not well sayd that for that cause the fleshe is not extinguished in vs bicause we shoulde meke and submit our selues For the true and perfecte mekenes lowlines and humilitie commeth from the spirite of God But the fleshe doeth plucke them somewhat backe making them lesse obedient meke then they should or woulde be For if the fleshe were cleane abolished and subdued in vs that it shoulde haue no maner of styrring then should ther be in vs no pride nor none other corrupt affection but a true humilitie a perfecte iustice and ryghtuousnes No man doeth knowe thys misterie but the Lorde onelye and to whome it pleaseth hym to open it He wyll reueyle and open it to hys electes in time to theyr glorye and then we shal knowe howe maruailouse are the iudgemētes of the Lord aboue mans reason Those whiche do subuerte the right sences of Gods word do suppose that the wordes whyche the spouse in the Gospell dyd speake sayinge Drawe me after the those whyche the yonge women did speake in the Canty-sayinge We wyll runne do make muche for theyr purpose to confyrme theyr blynde forged libertie of mans wyll saying that the desyre of the yonge man and to be drawen after him and of the yonge women for to runne doeth come of theyr owne propre endeuoure and fre wyll But if they do loke well on the matter they shall fynd that it is cleane contrarie and that these wordes do proue strongely the miserable captiuitie and bondage of mannes wyll as in that place of the Canti by that whych we haue declared alreadye doeth appeare ⧠The .xiii. proufe PAule writeth to the corhinthians the second Epistle and .iii. chapter The lorde doth worke in vs both to wyll and to do the ded Not that we sayeth he be suffitiente of oure selues to thynke anye thynge as of oure selues But all our suffitiency is of the Lord This texte and suche other the defenders of fre wyll do expound by thys worde Potest that is in Englyshe to saye can or maye as it maye or can be vnderstande thus or thus it maye be true in thys sence We wyll not consent and graunte that they shall wryth wreste the scriptures makynge diuers senses and vnderstandynges whyche are vnpossible to be true we wyl that the scripture be taken in hys owne kynde naturall meanynge For the more simple and playne the declaratiō is made the more neare it is to the trueth Truly of our selfe we can thinke nothinge that is pleasaunt to the Lorde Thou wylt saye peraduenture I do graunte that we can thynke no Godly thynge of oure selues muche lesse perfourme any such thinge But to applye our selues to his wyll which doeth put suche thynges in our mindes that is in oure owne power and wyll As witnesseth Paule to the Rom. the .vii. chap. saying To wyll I haue in my power but to perfourme my wyll that I can not by no meanes The whyche authoritie of Paule maketh nothynge agaynste vs beynge takē as it ought for to be expoundynge as before I haue declared after thys maner To wyl is in my power that is to saye by the spirite of God But to perfourme it I can not bicause that no man can perfourme the wil whyche the Lord doth gyue except the Lord do gyue the spirit aswell to perfourme it as he did to wyll it Philip. ii The selfe fame thyng teacheth Paul to the Philip. the second Chapt. declarynge that to wyll cometh of God sayinge these wordes The Lord doeth worcke in vs both for to wyll and to perfourme Forsoth if we can not of our selues wyll to do good howe can we saye it at our owne libertie we maye chuse to do thys or that at our own pleasure Yet will not they forsake thys opinion of fre will For if a man wold aske thē howe and by what reasō they cā proue affirme theyr sayinge to be true they do answer that the wil of man worketh with the spirite of god You may se how darkely they do teach Nay they wyll leaue out this worde spirite and say The wil worketh with grace workinge in vs. They thinke that thys vocable grace is an habite or affection of the minde as other affections be being in dede nothing lesse For grace is the fauoure of God For ther is no man whych is indued wyth grace but he onelye whyche is pleasaunte to the Lord or whō the Lorde doth fauour Grace I do not regard or pas much for that grace which is a qualitie of the mind for ther is no such grace But I would fayne haue those gyftes which be by the grace of God that is to saye those giftes whiche he vseth to geue to his electe people bycause it pleaseth hym of his goodnes first to fauoure and loue thē and so thorowe the fauour of God they become pleasaunt acceptable to hym To be short that man hathe the grace of God whō the Lorde doth fauour according to his owne pleasure whō he doth accept Who hath the grace of god It were better said therfore that the will of man worcketh wyth the spirite working in vs thē to say that it worketh with grace For to that oure wil worcketh with the spirite I do agre cōsent well therto The lybertie of the children of god consideringe that we do worcke not frely at our own libertie but by the libertie of the holye spirite And that is called the libertie of the childrē of god to the whiche libertie we are led by the spirite after that he hath drawē vs. But what do we meane whē we do say that the sainctes haue done manie thinges the godly mē thē selues haue said that they haue preached praied laboured c. And in other places they do saye againe that God hath done all thinge as Paule to the Corhin the .i. Epistle and .xv. Chap. I haue laboured more fruitefully sayeth Paule not I but the grace of God whyche is present wyth me That is
made the sonnes of god For as sone as a manne beleueth straight waye he is made the sonne of God so that whē they do beleue they do receyue the said power to be therbi without delaie made etc. Then is the spirite of fornication and all vncleannes crucified in theym and bounde that he shall not playe the tyrante anye more nor presume to rule in the herte of manne where the spirite of God oughte to be ruler and gouernour The fayethfull manne is deliuered from the wycked and deceyuable spirite and the sens of the fleshe wherto he was before subiecte and bonde and nowe is gone to serue and folowe the commaundemente of the spirite of God whyche hath bounde man with the swete and pleasaunte bondes of charitie Thys text therfore of Iohn doth make full littel for theyr purpose to confyrme and stablyshe that thing whyche they do go aboute ⧠The .x profe THe Lorde demaunded thys questian of hys Apostles sayinge Wyll ye also depart and go from me By the which wordes they do reason that it had bene a uery foleish demaund of Christe if they were not at libertie and at choise whether they woulde go frome hym or byde and styke by hym styll I answere that God had bound thē with hys spirite and therefore they coulde not go from hym but rather sayed Lorde to whom shoulde we go Thou haste the wordes of eternall lyfe There were other whyche beynge also bounde with the euyll spirite that wroughte in theym sayed These are verye hard wordes what man can heare him So at the laste they dyd forsake hym I doubte not but that Christ did demaūd this questian of them whether they would depart c. Principally bycause that after it was suffitiently perceiued what the wycked spirite had wrought in the vnfaithful that men I saye myghte perceyue and se what the spirite of God had wroughte in the fayethfull that it shoulde be putte in writyng to the instruction and learnynge of other men in tyme to come Thys texte maketh little or nothinge for theyr libertie by the whyche texte it is made open how these .ii. spirites do alwaies worcke cōtrary thynges one to the other in the fayethfull and in the vnfayethfull ⧠The .xi. texte HE shall render and geue to euerye man after hys worcke Psalm lxi Whereby they wyl cōfyrme stablishe not onelye the fredome of mans wyll but also the iustice of workes which is light to be answered Eyther our worckes be of oure owne naughtye and deceyuable spirite and then they are wycked and dānable worckes or els they be of the spirite of God and not of oure fleshlye and carnal spirite wher fore they are good worckes beinge vnpossible to be any otherwyse You se that by this texte they do proue nothynge lesse then that which they do purpose pretēd The whych wordes do declare nothing els then that the Lorde doeth geue euerlastynge lyfe to them whyche haue the worckes of fayeth and of the spirit of God and those whych haue the worckes of fleshe he rewardeth with euerlastynge paines and punishment ⧠The .xii. profe IT is wrytten the .i. Epistle and syxt cha to Timothe Fayght a good fayght Laboure as a good souldiour of Iesu christ the seconde Epistle to Timothe .ii. Cha. To hym that ouercommeth I wyll geue c. Reuelation of Iohn the seconde thyrd Chapt. We saye that thys fayght againste wyckednes and thys laboure in the war of the Lorde and thys Victorye canne not be but by the spirite of God Ergo not by our owne wyll and industrye Then canne not thys libertie be proued and stablished by thys texte of the scripture ¶ The threttenth text IN the seconde Epistle and fyrste Chap. of Peter Bryngynge al diligence se that you do minister in your fayth vertue c. Wherfore brethrē rather endeuour your selues to make stronge and affirme youre vocation and election If you do thys you shall neuer fal By thys place they do proue that Peter would our industrie and diligēce should worcke with the spirit If they do vnderstād by this industrie diligēce that diligence whyche the spirite of God worcketh in vs then they do make a good exposition For of hys greate goodnes he calleth those dedes our dedes whyche he worketh in vs. The which spirite of him doeth worcke and draw our wil making it obediēt agreable to the cōmaundemētes of the Lord. The wil of vs beynge so drawē cānot chuse but run straight way after the Lorde not of it selfe that is to say of mans wil but by the wil of God If they do hold opiniō that this place is to be vnderstand of our propre industrye or natural inclanation motiō as though a mā of him selfe might worke any thing at al or be coadiutor with god it is boeth a wicked also a pernitiouse opiniō For of hym selfe mā is altogither flesh therfore he can not rise vp to those thinges which are of the spirite of god wherefore these textes whiche are rehearsed for frewyl in this place muste be thus takē vnderstād You brethen beynge adourned and decked with the spirite of God by God made partakers of hys veritye in that fayeth whyche you receyued of the Lorde minister wyth al diligence and vertue c. And endeuoure to make your vocation and election stable and fyrme that is to saye do all that you maye to declare wyth good worckes that youre vocation election is substanciall stronge ¶ The .xiiii. texte OVt of the thyrtye Chapter of the fyfte boke of Moyses they do obiecte Wher as the Lorde had laied before Israell good bad life and death It was sayd Electe and chuse to you lyfe cete Whyche wordes they do thynke verye slender and of small effecte if mannes wyl were not fre We haue oft tymes saied that the lawe doth require of vs thinges vnpossible to be done for oure owne strengthe whyche the spirite of God doeth make possible For Christe is the fulfillynge and perfectnes of the lawe Therefore lyke as it is vnpossible to obserue and kepe the commaūdementes wythoute the spirite of God so is it impossible for vs to chuse life with out the spirit of god For we can not chuse life except the spirit of perfecte libertie were in vs that is to saye of Christe and where as often tymes wee do offende and cleane to the euyll oure election whereby we be elected of God is not the cause thereof but the workynge of our captyue and bond nature ⧠To diuers obiections whyche are obiected and layed for the defence of free wil we haue answered somthing briefly but so that hereby anye man maye dissolue and put a syde all maner of obiectiōs whiche for this matter the defēders of frewyll can deuise Therefore with fewe wordes we wil cōclud al the whole matter so procede further ¶ The fyrste conclution OVr opinion and certayne beliefe is that the wyll of man is