that God hath purposed that he will not haue mercie howbeit they are the cause of damnation which followeth in the last time but not of reprobation which was from the beginning The last end of reprobation is the declaration of the mightie iustice of God as Paule hath taught Rom. 9 17. namelie that These vessels are prepared vnto wrath bicause GOD would shew in them his power And God answereth of Pharao Exod. 9 16. Euen vnto this end haue I raised thee vp that I might shew in thee my power A néerer end is damnation which as it is iust so also is it allowed of God And yet the néerest end are sinnes Esaie 6 10. for God commanded that the people should be made blind that they should not vnderstand that they should not heare Least peraduenture saith he they may be conuerted and I should heale them For sinnes although as they are sinnes they are by God in his lawes condemned yet as they are iust punishments they are by him laid vpon the vngodlie for their ill deserts But we must not staie in these néerer ends we must go further that we may at the length come to that end which Paule hath set foorth namelie that The iustice of God should be declared And thus much hitherto as touching the first article 16 Now let vs come to the second wherein must be sought the cause of predestination The cause of predestination Forsomuch as predestination is the purpose or will of God and the same will is the first cause of all things which is one and the selfe-same with the substance of God it is not possible that there should be anie cause thereof Of the will of God may somtime be giuen a reason but neuer anie cause Howbeit we doo not therefore denie but that sometimes may be shewed some reason of the will of God which although they may be called reasons yet ought they not to be called causes especiallie efficient causes But that in the scriptures are somtimes assigned reasons of the will of God may by manie places be gathered The Lord saith that He therefore did leade about the children of Israel through the desert Exo. 13 17. rather than through shorter passages through which he could haue lead them bicause they should not suddenlie méet with their enimies Gen. 2 8. Adam also was placed in paradise to husband it kéepe it And God testified Gen. 15 16. that He would not then expell the Cananites out of the land of Canaan bicause they had not as yet filled the measure of their sins Howbeit although as we haue said the scriptures vse sometimes to bring reasons of the will of God yet no man ought to take vpon him No reasons to be giuen of gods will but out of the scriptures to render a certeine reason of that certeine will of God but that which he hath gathered out of the scriptures For as we are dull of vnderstanding so we might easilie vsurpe our owne dreames in stead of true reasons But that there are finall causes of the predestination of God we denie not There is a finall cause of predestination for they are expreslie set downe by Paule and especiallie when he citeth that of Pharao Euen to this end haue I stirred thee vp Rom. 9 17. that I might shew vpon thee my power but of the elect he saith that God would in them shew foorth his glorie Ibidem 23. The materiall cause also may after a sort be assigned The materiall cause of predestination may after a sort be shewed For men which are predestinate and those things which God hath decréed to giue vnto the elect by predestination as are these calling iustification and glorification may be called the matter about which predestination is occupied This moreouer is to be noted The end thereof is taken two maner of waies that the end may sometimes be taken as it is of vs in mind and desire conceiued and then it hath the consideration of an efficient cause for being so conceiued in the mind it forceth men to worke Somtimes also it is taken as it is in the things and as we atteine vnto it after our labours and then properlie it is called the end bicause the worke is then finished and we are at quiet as now hauing obteined the end of our purpose But we therefore put this distinction that if at anie time we should be asked Whether God doo predestinate men for works or no We should not rashlie either by affirming or by denieng giue hastie sentence for the ambiguitie is in this word For how it is to be vnderstood It may be both true and false that we be predestinated by woorks Ephes 1 4. and 2 10. For if good works be taken as they are in verie déed and are wrought bicause God predestinateth vs to this end that we should liue vprightlie as we reade in the epistle vnto the Ephesians to wit that We are elected to be holie and immaculate and that God hath prepared good works that we should walke in them As touching this sentence or meaning the proposition is to be affirmed But if that word For be referred vnto the efficient cause as though the good works which God foresawe we should doo are as certeine merits and causes which should mooue God to predestinate vs this sense is by no meanes to be admitted It is possible in déed that the effects of predestination may so be compared togither that one may be the cause of the other but they can not be causes of the purpose of God One effect of predestination may be the cause of another but they can not be causes of the purpose of God For calling which is the effect of predestination is the cause that we are iustified iustification also is the cause of good works and good works although they be not causes yet are they means whereby GOD bringeth vs vnto eternall life Howbeit none of all these is the cause or the meane why we are chosen of God As contrariwise sinnes are indéed the causes why we are damned but yet not why we are reprobate of God If sins were the cause of reprobation no man might be elected For if they were the cause of reprobation no man might be chosen For the condition and estate of all men is alike since we are all borne in sin And when at anie time Augustine saith that Men are iustlie reprobate for their sins he vnderstandeth togither with reprobation the last effect thereof namelie damnation But we may not so speake if by reprobation The purpose of God not to haue mercie is as free as the purpose to haue mercie Why the good works foreseene are not the cause of predestination A place out of the second epistle to Timoth. 2. Tim. 2 20. we vnderstand the purpose of God not to haue mercie for that purpose is no lesse frée than the other purpose of
people but what shall come to passe that lieth in the pleasure of God They in déed prepare the hart but God ordereth the answer of the toong according to his prouidence Such another weightie reason they cite out of the 10. psalme verse 17. The preparation of the hart of the poore The Lord hath heard the desire of the poore thine eare hath heard the preparation of their hart But in this place these good maisters make two flat errors for first they vnderstand not that which they speake secondlie they cite not the place according to the truth of the Hebrue For the sense is the God despiseth not the praiers of the poore but according to his great goodnes accomplisheth those things for them which they had determined in their mind to desire of him What is the preparation of the hart and this is the preparation of the hart For none that is godlie desireth anie thing of GOD but first he deliberateth in his hart that the same thing is to be desired otherwise he should come rashlie vnto God and should praie foolishlie But these men wheresoeuer they find in the holie scriptures this word To prepare straitway they snatch it vp euen against the nature thereof to establish works preparatorie But now let vs sée what the sentence is after the Hebrue veritie Thaauath anauimschamata Iehoua takin libbam tacschif ozneeca that is Thou Lord hast heard the desire of the poore thou hast prepared or shalt prepare their hart thine eare shall heare Here we sée Dauid doth affirme that God heareth the desires of the saints whom he calleth poore And he addeth a cause namelie because God prepareth their harts God prepareth the harts of the saints to require those things which may serue for their saluation and which please God But by whom God worketh such a preparation in the harts of the faithfull Paule teacheth in his epistle to the Romans and thus he writteth Rom. 8 25. What we should aske as we ought we knowe not but the spirit praieth for vs with vnspeakeable sighes But God who searcheth the harts séeth what the spirit will aske for the saints We sée therefore both by Dauid and also by Paule that God heareth those praiers which are by the impulsion of his spirit stirred vp in them that praie vnto him We learne also of the Ethnike philosophers God prepareth the harts by the holie ghost and that in mo places than one that those are reprooued which without consideration and rashlie doo require anie thing of God But they which professe Christ euen as they beléeue that he is the author of their praiers so also doo they close vp their praiers in this sentence Mat. 6 10. Thy will be done 30 But saie they Ezechiel saith in his 18. chapter Walke in my waies verse 13. and make ye a new hart And Ieremie Be ye conuerted vnto me saith the Lord. Wherefore a man saie they may of himselfe prepare himselfe to the obteining of righteousnes But these men should remember that it is no vpright dealing A conciliation of the place of Ieremie and Ezechiel verse 26. to cite some places of the holie scriptures and to ouerhip and leaue other some vnspoken Let them go therefore and sée what Ezechiel writeth in the 36. chapter I saith the Lord will bring to passe that ye shall walke in my waies And I will giue vnto you a fleshie hart and will take awaie from you your stonie hart Ieremie also in the 31. chapter Conuert me ô Lord verse 18. and I shall be conuerted Wherefore Augustine verie well said Giue what thou commandest command what thou wilt They abuse also an other place out of the prophet Ionas to confirme their error Ion. 3 10. for there it is written that God regarded the works of the Niniuites Of the fact of the Niniuites Behold saie they the afflictions of the Niniuites whereby they afflicted themselues with fastings and cried vnto the Lord the Lord prepared their minds and made them apt to obteine pardon As though it behooued not the Niniuites first to beléeue the word of God before they could either praie effectuallie or else repent them Séeing therefore they beléeued before they did anie works they were iustified by faith and not by works which followed afterwards And God is said to haue regarded their works bicause they pleased him Neither did we euer denie that the works of men being now iustified are acceptable vnto God So often as we find in the scriptures such places which serue to attribute righteousnes vnto our works wée must according to the doctrine of Augustine haue a consideration A rule of Augustine out of what foundation those works procéed And when we perceiue that they spring out of faith we ought to ascribe vnto that root that which afterward is added as touching righteousnes And how fowlie these men erre in their reasoning hereby we may perceiue for that they take vpon them to transferre those things which are proper to one kind of men vnto another Which thing humane lawes will not suffer to be done for A similitude as we find in the Code as touching testaments or last willes If rusticall vnlearned men which dwell out of cities and haue not store of wise and learned men doo make their last willes without a solemnitie required thervnto and without a sufficient number of witnesses prescribed which yet otherwise should be necessarie such testaments ought to be allowed Now if a man would transferre this prerogatiue vnto citizens who for that they haue their abiding in cities haue store of men of vnderstanding he should excéedinglie erre for if their testaments be so made they are refused neither are they counted firme So we saie that the works of men iustified may please God but this notwithstanding neither can nor ought to be granted vnto them which are without faith and without Christ 31 Further let vs marke the accustomed sophisticall and deceitfull kind of reasoning of the aduersaries which the Logicians doo terme A non causa vt causa to wit From that which is not the cause as though it were the cause For they alwaies appoint good works to be the causes of righteousnes when as in verie déed they are effects of righteousnes and not causes For it is as though a man should saie A similitude The fire is therfore hot bicause it maketh hot but it is cleane contrarie for therefore it maketh hot bicause it is hot So also we bicause we are iustified therefore we doo iust things and not bicause wée doo iust things therefore we are iustified Sometimes also they obiect 2. Cor. 5 10. How is to be vnderstood God rendereth to euerie man according to his works that God will render vnto euerie man according to his works wherfore works saie they are the cause of our felicitie But here also as their woonted maner is they are
fragrant and such as resemble the common purenes and vsuall forme or face of things Neither are these things neglected of the physicians For euen they themselues as Hippocrates and Galen report doo verie diligentlie examine their patients touching them bicause thereby they can find out the temperature of those humors which lie hidden within the bodie But the cause why men doo perceiue the nature of these motions by vision when they are asléepe and not waking is this for that they are alwaies but small and the sense of them vanisheth as soone as we awake For outward things which are still in our eies drawe vs to stronger motions another waies but being quiet from outward busines we surcease and are frée from the grosser things which occupied our senses Wherefore our phantasie dooth apprehend those sights and likenesses of things Likenesses are rather perceiued in sleepe than waking which humors alwaies raise in vs rather while we are asléepe than when we are waking And that we perceiue small things far better when we be asléepe than when we be awake it appéereth hereby in that we iudge euerie smal noise to be great thunders And if there happen but a little swéet flegme to remaine vpon the toong or roofe of the mouth we thinke that wée taste either honie or sugar or swéet wine or some daintie meates and sometime that wée eate and drinke verie liberallie Wherefore those that be but small motions of humors doo appéere in the time of sléepe to be excéeding great For which cause the physicians may hereby knowe the beginnings and occasions of verie manie diseases Dreames also are certeine signes of the affections of the mind as of desires hope ioie Dreames be signes of the affections of the mind and mirth and also of perfect qualities Wherefore fearfull men doo sée other maner of things than men of courage couetous men other things than they which be in hope also the learned are woont to haue far other maner of dreames than the countrie man or crafts-man hath For euen when we sléepe the mind is occupied about those things which we are continuallie or commonlie dooing There is also another thing to be considered as we are well admonished by Galen Galen that there be certeine kinds of meats which being naturallie cholerike flegmatike or melancholike doo by reason of their qualitie stir vp about the phantasie of men in their sléepe The qualitie of meate and drinke dooth alter the similitudes of dreames as it were shapes and similitudes of things agréeable to those humors although the temperature of the bodies of such doo not of it selfe offend by those humors Which thing also a physician must obserue in dreames namelie to sée what maner of meate the sicke man vsed Yea and wine as teacheth Aristotle being immoderatelie taken dooth in the time of sléepe make manie deformed shapes of things When a dreame is a signe it is referred to the cause namely to those superfluous humors which it betokeneth And then it may also be called a signe of some euent to followe for that from the selfe-same cause that is from the humors which are betokened either health or sicknes may bée deriued Wherefore a dreame as it is a signe of the humor so it giueth also a token of the effect that shall arise of it For of the same cause to wit of the humor ariseth as well the disease as the dreame But yet haue they not relation semblablie one of another For sicknes or health be no tokens of dreames 3 But now let vs sée how dreames may somtimes be called causes that happeneth Dreames are sometimes the causes of those things that we do when one is mooued by a dreame either to doo or to make triall of anie thing As when one is cured of the splene bicause he bled vpon the back of his hand for so he was taught to doo in his dreame And somtimes it comes to passe in learned men that they find out those things which they be in doubt of in such bookes where they sawe themselues in their dreame both to find and to read them But let vs consider the third part of the distinction which we brought Somtimes dreames happilie betoken those things which com to passe namelie when dreames doo happilie or by chance betoken things which afterward fall out That takes place in such matters the cause whereof consisteth not in our selues but is rather distant far remooued As if we should sée a victorie or an ouerthrowe giuen in a campe a great waie off from him or else one that is absent to be aduanced to excéeding great honour These things are ioined togither as the Peripateticks saie by chance and cannot be compared togither either as causes or as signes Euen as when we talke of anie man if happilie the same partie come in the meane while we saie Lupus in fabula The woolfe is in presence And yet the talking with him was neither cause nor token of his comming So therefore these things are said to be ioined by chance and also seldome haue successe For this is the nature of things that come by chance to happen but seldome Who do naturallie for the moste part see true dreames 4 Moreouer Aristotle hath taught who they be that before others knowe manie things aforehand by dreames and this he ascribeth chéeflie vnto such as are idle and full of words next to melancholike and phrentike persons alienated both from their mind and senses Somewhat also he séemeth to grant vnto kinsfolke and fréends For these kinds of men dreame verie much in their sléepe Pratlers in verie déed and idle persons be altogither in their muses whereby they are fraughted inwardly with phantasies and visions And those which are troubled much with melancholie doo by reason of the strength nature of that humor dreame of verie manie things and moreouer are woont to be much giuen to priuate cogitations The phrentike sort also bicause their mind is void both of the knowledge of the outward senses and eke of the vse of reason therefore they be wholie giuen vp to idle imaginations Lastlie fréends doo therfore in their dreames sée manie things of their fréends bicause they be full of thought and care for them All these now rehearsed are woont to foretell sundrie things by their dreames bicause in such a diuers and in a maner infinite sort of dreames and visions it is not possible but that some things should otherwhile happen true A similitude They that exercise themselues all daie long in shooting oftener hit the marke than others which doo shoote but now and then and they which spend the whole daie in plaieng at tables or dice cast manie more happie chances than they which seldome or little sport themselues in that kind of pastime But it is to be vnderstood that those signes The necessitie of effects must not be gathered of dreames which be signes A similitude which be
which by reason of the vehemencie there followeth sorrowe as well bicause of the concurrence of other things as for want of the thing that it desireth But the nature of zeale is not of one sort A good zeale and an euill zeale Looke In 2. Sa. 12 1. 2. Cor. 11 2. 1. Cor. 14 1. For there is one zeale that is good and another that is bad Of the good Paule spake when he said I am zealous ouer you with a godly zealousie for I haue betrothed you to one man to present you a chast virgin to Christ And in the first to the Corinths Desire you then the best gifts Yea and God himselfe as the scripture often teacheth hath a most perfect zeale towards vs although affections cannot properlie be attributed vnto him But of naughtie zeale Paule vnto the Galathians thus speaketh Gal. 4 17. The false apostles are zealous ouer them that they may glorie in their flesh and to leade them from Christ vnto the bondage of the lawe and in manie other places there is mention made of it But the cause why this zeale either good or bad doth come may thus be assigned the manner is alike in this affection as it is in others The cause of a good and of an euill zeale Wherefore euen as boldnes lust and anger be either good or bad according as they kéepe or excéed the bounds prescribed by wisedome so doth it come to passe in zeale But it must be vnderstood that according to morall doctrine prudence commeth by naturall vse or discipline But the same in verie déed as it hath respect in this place can not be gathered but out of the holie scriptures through the inspiration of the holy Ghost Wherfore it shall then be good zeale when through faith it is brideled by a iust and godlie knowledge and it is euill if it be not restrained by such a knowledge euen as a ship A similitude when the maister is present is preserued but he being absent it sinketh Therfore Paule vnto the Romans spake verie wiselie Rom. 10 2. for when as he condemned the zeale of the Iewes he declared the same to be void of knowledge and by one word noted that to be a vice yea verelie and a dangerous vice which otherwise might haue bin an excellent vertue And as there is a great difference betwéene good and euill zeale The effects of a good and of an euill zeale Iohn 2 17. so the effects which procéed from the one and the other are of excéeding great diuersitie With a good zeale was Christ kindled when he purged the temple of biers and sellers by ouerthrowing their tables and chaires With the same zeale Phinees being led he thrust them both through the bodies Num. 25 7. which committed most shamefull whoredome On the other part what effects procéed of a naughtie zeale we may perceiue by Paule Philip. 3 6. who for zeales sake persecuted the church of Christ And in Iohn it is written Iohn 16 2. The time will come when they shall thinke they doo God good seruice which afflict the faithfull people of Christ Also Peter kindled with an immoderate zeale Iohn 18 10 drue out his sword to strike those which laid hands vpon Christ There is yet another difference betwéene the zeales for euill zeale bréedeth hatred but good zeale doth most of all ioine with charitie For although Samuel woorshipped God with verie great zeale 1. Sam. 16 1. yet he moorned too long a time for Saule And there is nothing more an enimie vnto naughtie zeale than is charitie euen as selfe-loue is chiefelie repugnant vnto a good zeale They also are contrariwise affected which either be so blockish as they bée not stirred vp with anie indeuour of good things or else so corrupt as they feare not to boast of their sinnes and wickednes 5 Wherefore the Nicodemits of our time are to be woondred at In Rom. 10 verse 1. The Nicodemits of our time The fact of Naaman the Syrian verie ill cited which obiect the historie of Elizeus and of Naaman the Syrian to prooue that it is lawfull for them so that they thinke well in their heart to be present at vngodlie superstitions For Naaman the Syrian although he were newly conuerted yet he vnderstood that to be sinne and for that he had not as yet profited so well as to depart from his commodities he desired of the prophet that he would praie for him 4. King 5 18 which declareth that he iudged such a sinne to haue néed of pardon Wherefore we conclude that that zeale of the Iewes whereof the apostle giueth a testimonie was in verie déed sin And although it haue a shew of vertue yet is it far from it For as it is plaine by morall philosophie Vices and vertues are occupied about one the same matter that vertues vices are one and the same as touching the things whereabout they be occupied but in forme doo much differ as fortitude and feare temperance and intemperance iustice and iniustice For one and the selfe-same affects when they are by right reason bridled to a mediocritie and when through vice they either want or excéed differ not in matter although the habits or qualities which are occupied about them are much differing And that which the philosophers speake of vertues and of vpright reason we ought also to transfer vnto the holie Ghost and faith giuen vnto the scriptures And although in a good and euill zeale the affect be one the same yet is the difference most great when it is gouerned by true knowledge and faith and when it is gouerned of it selfe and wanteth true knowledge A similitude As the water of the sea and raine water although they agrée togither in matter of moisture yet are they sundred by very manie properties and differences These things haue I therefore alleadged A good intent is not sufficient to make the word good to confute those which oftentimes defend wicked acts for that they are doone of a good mind and purpose or as they saie intent as though euerie zeale were sufficient to make the worke good Whose opinion if it were true might easilie excuse the Iewes in that they killed Christ afflicted his apostles For they beléeued that by these meanes they defended the lawes of God and ceremonies of their fathers But the apostle saith otherwise when he attributeth vnto them a zeale but yet a zeale ioined with error But when error lighteth in matters of faith it is deadlie sinne Errors in matters of faith is deadly sin Wherefore let them well aduise themselues what to saie which so stoutlie defend works preparatorie Doubtlesse their meaning is nothing else but that men although before iustification they absolutely worke not good works yet by reason of a certeine vpright purpose and zeale of congruitie they deserue grace Such works forsomuch as they want true knowledge which is faith it
followeth that they be such a zeale as the apostle speaketh of We denie not but that God sometimes vseth such our wicked works to bring vs at length by them to iustification but that we our selues through them doo deserue iustification it is far from the truth Goodlie works are somtimes a let vnto saluation Naie rather it oftentimes commeth to passe that such works are a great let to saluation For the philosophers and Phariseis being dronken and glutted with those goodlie works were ouermuch puffed vp and for that they were maruelouslie delited in themselues they setled themselues in those works neither indeuored they to ascend vnto the true degrées of righteousnes Wherfore we are admonished by the doctrine of Paule that we should not straitwaie giue place vnto zeale We must not streight waie giue place vnto zeale We must first trie and diligentlie examine it for oftentimes vnder the goodlie shew thereof lieth hidden verie great impietie as it is manifest in the Iewes which slue Christ and persecuted the apostles 6 The Apostle giueth a rule A rule to trie zeale whereby we may be able to trie and examine our zeale and that rule is this to sée whether we will be subiect vnto God whether we can abide that all things should be attributed vnto God and claime nothing vnto our selues as the true knowledge of God requireth There be a great manie in our daies which as it were by a certaine zeale labour to defend woorshipping of images pilgrimages and other such superstitious acts vnto whome if a man manifestlie declare that those things are repugnant to the word of God they will not be subiect vnto it but straitwaie flie to the custome of their elders and to the helps of humane traditions There be some also which are mooued with a zeale to defend sole life of the ministers of the church vnto whom if a man doo shew that the bed of matrimonie ought to be vndefiled in all men Hebr. 13 4 1. Cor. 7. as it is said vnto the Hebrues and it is written to the Corinthians It is better to marrie than to burne They which cannot liue continent let them marrie Let euerie man haue his owne wife and euerie wife hir owne husband to auoid fornication they will not be subiect to this knowledge of the lawes of God but doo bring foorth the fathers councels and humane inuentions Whereby is plaine what we are to iudge of this zeale of theirs Doubtlesse it is a verie euill zeale and onlie leaneth vnto selfeloue and giueth it selfe vnto his owne things and nothing regardeth the things that pertaine vnto God Such are the Monks which preferre their institutions rules and works before all other things which are commonlie doone of christians and much delight in contemning all others in respect of themselues With this blind zeale are the miserable people euerie-where infected whom the pastors and preachers ought to succour and helpe in discouering their want of knowledge setting before them the true knowledge of the scriptures and that of a singular affection true christian mercie wherewith they ought throughlie to be touched in so great dissipation of churches which of no man can be sufficientlie lamented It were néedfull to haue Ieremie to bewaile the calamities of the church And from this mercie we should go forward vnto praiers We must euen of mercie be mooued to fall to praiers Rom. 10 2. Luk. 23 34. An example of Christ as Paule saith he did and in imploring the aid of God we ought to record before GOD that which Paule hath written They haue zeale but not according to knowledge The verie which thing our Sauiour did vpon the crosse when he praied Father forgiue them for they knowe not what they doo Further séeing we delight in the good morall works of men not yet regenerate and are sorie that they are not doone as they ought to be doon we may thus gather If these men displease God and are condemned which yet of a good intent as they speake doo these so honest things when yet notwithstanding they be void of true knowledge what shall at the length become of vs which being indued with knowledge liue shamefullie yea euen against our owne conscience They can pretend a zeale but we wretches what excuse shall we make séeing we professe the gospell The Iewes had not the zeale of God Howbeit this must not be ouerpassed that the Iewes of whom the apostle speaketh had not if we shall speake properlie the zeale of God For there hath not béene at anie time nor euer shall be anie true God which will haue the lawe of Moses to be defended against Christ and his gospell Wherefore they abused the name of God when as they defended not him but rather their owne opinions The Turks worship not the true God and why As the Turks also although they boast that they worship and call vpon the true God yet they lie For there is no where such a God which hath not one Lord Iesus Christ and the holie Ghost of one and the same substance with him which forsomuch as they take awaie from the God whom they worship they worship their owne inuention for God and doo fight and are zealous for it and not for the true God The scriptures oftentimes name things not as they are but as they seeme to be But Paule spake according to the accustomed maner of the scriptures which oftentimes name things not as they are but as they séeme to be Séeing therefore that those thought that they were mooued with the zeale of the true God and that they did not for anie other cause enter into these zeales but for that they thought them to be acceptable vnto God therfore Paule saith that they had the zeale of GOD when yet they were deceiued For if they had béene kindeled with the zeale of the true God they would neuer haue resisted Christ Wherfore in Iohn the Lord said excellentlie well vnto those which boasted that they would beléeue Moses and not him If ye beleeued Moses Iohn 5 46. ye would beleeue me also for he wrote of me Wherefore Chrysostome hath wiselie noted that Paule gratified the Iewes but yet in words onelie Of Prescription and Custome 7 We gather out of the historie of the Iudges that the right of prescription is no new thing In Iud 11 verse 12. but hath béene planted in the harts of men by GOD himselfe and for what cause it was found out I will declare in few words Why the law of prescription was broght in It may be that a man vnwittinglie possesseth the goods of another man as for example There is an heire which succéedeth him that is dead among his goods hée findeth some things that were wrongfullie held of him or kept in pawne while he liued which he not knowing of possesseth all those things with a safe conscience and thus ignorantlie vnwittinglie he holdeth other
open to all men as though it were in euerie man either to receiue it or to put it from him And when they be asked who dooth giue grace to them which accept it in such sort as they both desire it and receiue it when it is offered to them they flie vnto frée will and of all these is Pighius the standerd-bearer Wherefore if either thou aske of Aristotle or of them Since felicitie is thus common as ye say how coms it to passe that so few obteine the same Bicause few saie they will learne few will labour few will accustome themselues to honest and good exercises But we will here note a generall and a certeine proposition To euerie nature or kind there is a purposed end the which all that be comprehended in it may atteine And surelie that which Aristotle answered as touching them that haue not their perfect senses be lame and féeble why they cannot be partakers of felicitie namelie bicause of their naturall defect that proposition may be vnderstood when the powers shall be perfect so doo we answer that men cannot now by themselues be perfect bicause nature was corrupted euen from the beginning and that we haue not the powers as well of the mind as of the bodie perfect So that now when we heare these things let vs thinke that we heare Aristotle not Paule or Christ Here haue we thrée things that are spoken of felicitie It is a diuine thing Three things spoken of felicitie it may be obtained by the thrée principall things which he haue alreadie rehearsed and it is common in a maner to all men 29 There remaineth fortune which Aristotle remooueth from the causes of felicitie bicause it is thought vnwoorthie that it should be admitted to open so excellent a gift vnto men But before I shew the reason brought by Aristotle A plaine declaratiō what fortune is I will indeuour to declare what fortune is As it is written in the second booke of naturall philosophie It is an accidentall cause and then it commeth in place when anie thing is ioined to anie man which is author of the effect following vnto the producing of which effect that which is ioined therevnto worketh nothing but onlie giueth sometimes an occasion and the effect may well come to passe without it This is made plaine by a similitude If a man by reason of an ague become temperate we will saie that this fell out by fortune for temperance commeth of the will as of hir own proper cause which will bridleth the affection of lust The ague might haue bin the occasion whereby this came to passe but the cause it could not be And bicause these things to wit the will of temperate gouernement and the ague méete by fortune in one and the same man therefore doth temperance spring by fortune from the ague But it appeareth plainelie inough that the feauer is not by it selfe the cause of the temperance otherwise all that be gréeued with a feauer would become temperate According to this maner of speaking must the sentence of Paule be examined and vnderstood 1. Cor. 8 1. Knowledge puffeth vp Pride which immediatelie preferreth our owne things aboue other mens procéedeth from the will héereby we become vaine and puffed vp And bicause knowledge giueth an occasion vnto some that this is done therefore knowledge is said to puffe vp but yet by fortune bicause in one selfe man are ioined together by chance these two things to wit the desire of passing and excelling others and also some knowledge of things And as these things be ioined together at all aduentures so doth vaine puffing vp procéed by fortune from knowledge Also it hapneth that when vnto that effect which we desire by it selfe and by our owne aduise another effect by chance is ioined therewith then the same commeth of fortune not purposelie whereas we in verie déed sought for another thing As otherwhile it hapneth vnto them that be diggers that they in labouring doo finde treasure when as they onlie intended the trimming of their vines and trées this I saie happeneth by fortune when as the digger sought for another matter neither is the digging the proper and true cause of finding out the treasure for if a man should affirme this he must of necessitie auouch that all diggers doo finde treasures Adde moreouer that all the effects of fortune doo verie seldome come to passe and that contrariwise than falleth out in the true and proper causes which verie seldome are hindred from bringing foorth their effects Which things being so it appeareth and that manifestlie that fortune is repugnant to reason and counsell That fortune is not the cause of felicitie Wherefore it is not méete to attribute vnto it that it bringeth foorth felicitie And so Aristotle concludeth that séeing felicitie is better deriued from the causes before mentioned than from fortune it is méete that wée should determine it so to be bicause it ought to be in the best maner that it can One reason whereby Aristotle prooueth fortune to be no cause of felicitie is this The chéefest good ought not to be referred vnto a vile and abiect cause Felicitie is the chéefest good fortune is but vile among the causes Wherefore blessednes ought not to be reduced vnto fortune being a cause lesse woorthie than others And hereof dependeth the force of this argument for although a noble cause doo otherwhile bring foorth a vile effect as we knowe that the sunne dooth not onelie bréed a man but also frogs fleas and flies yet excellent effects cannot procéed but of noble causes Here we sée that by euident and most manifest words Aristotle excludeth fortune as he that would not number the same among the causes of felicitie and taketh propositions as well out of his booke of naturall philosophie as also out of his metaphysicks the verie which certeinlie he might haue doone in affirming God to be the cause of mans blessednes So that he excludeth from this number both God and fortune GOD as ouer-woorthie and too high but fortune as an vnwoorthie and a more vile cause For it is a most inconstant thing and hath no substantiall ground-worke which neuertheles is so excluded as it can doo nothing about the nature and substance of felicitie and yet vndoubtedlie it can doo somewhat about those good things which helpe vnto felicitie be the instruments therof But if it be of power concerning riches and honours and such like which as it hath béene said doo not a little further vnto felicitie why doo they denie them to be the cause thereof We grant indéed that these things doo accomplish and doo seruice vnto felicitie and doo such seruice as it may not be without them but we denie that it dooth properlie cause the same For it so fareth not that as the lacke of these things may hinder blessednes so if they be present they can performe and bring the same to passe For thou shalt sée manie
God taketh awaie his spirit from weake men who without this be not able to go dooth he not after some sort séeme to be the cause of their fall Wherefore that which they bring will be a weake defense when they saie that God forsaketh men While we would séeme to excuse GOD we laie as gréeuous things vnto him to wit that he is no more a God and while we shun the smoke we fall into the fire If anie things be doone besides the will of God whether he will or no if there be anie effects wherof he is not the cause he is not then the vniuersall cause of all nor yet God An obiection But he compelleth not to fall the excuse will not serue A similitude Admit there be some good man of the house whose familie behaueth it selfe verie ill if he be reprooued he will excuse himselfe saieng I bad them not I commanded them not that excuse shall not be counted lawfull for he ought not to permit that which he could haue hindered Manie times the good man of the house cannot let wicked acts but the power of God is inuincible There be no wils so euill and corrupt but he can amend and make them good Anselmus in his booke De casu diaboli the 91. chapter Why saith he doo we account it absurd that God dooth particular actions by a naughtie will séeing we knowe that he maketh sundrie substances which are brought foorth by an vnhonest action A similitude As when a child is procreated by adulterie That adulterie is euill no man doubteth but that child is the creature of God This séemeth twise to be affirmed in the Acts of the apostles In the second chapter Act. 2 23. Peter saith of Iesus the sonne of God that The Iewes had taken him and deliuered him to be slaine by the determinate will and counsell of God Afterward in the fourth chapter Act. 4 27. when the church gaue thanks vnto God it praieth on this wise Against thy holie sonne Iesus both Herod and Pontius Pilat with the gentiles and people of Israel gathered them selues togither to doo those things that thy hand and thy counsell had determined to be doone With these arguments wherevnto others might be added I will hold my selfe content Of the question 5 Now that we haue set downe the reasons for ech part there remaineth that the question it selfe be expounded Three opinions The first of the Libertines I find thrée opinions the first is to be detested namelie of the Libertins which saie that God is all wholie the cause of sinne and so saie as they affirme all sinnes to be excusable and not to be reprooued because they be the works of God and if anie fault should be they would laie it vpon God This one thing they indeuour namelie to take awaie from all men the féeling of sinne If anie man haue committed murther it is not he saie they that hath committed it God hath doone it And vnlesse that a man so thinke they saie that he is vnperfect and can not allow of all Gods works What can be more wickedlie imagined The diuell could not haue found out a readier waie to hell Let these men go to perdition séeing we can not mend them let vs praie vnto God that he will take awaie these pestilent persons out of the church The second opinion The second opinion is of certeine learned men who mislike not that sense which the scriptures appeare to haue at the first sight They saie that God hardeneth that he punisheth sinnes with sinnes and finallie they grant him to be the cause of sinne but they adde that these actions séeing they procéed from the verie corrupt nature of men so farre foorth as they be of God haue a respect to iustice and that men be not excused because they be inclined vnto these things they laie not the blame vnto God who dooth his part rightlie If saie they it can not be comprehended by reason how he dooth iustlie and we vniustlie we must referre our selues to the iudgement of the scriptures There be manie other things which by mans reason we can not knowe which neuertheles we doo beléeue The third opinion is of them The third opinion which interprete all these places of the scripture by the words He suffered He gaue leaue He permitted or according to the Gréeke He did not hinder it and such like So they thinke that all dangers are auoided 6 But what my iudgement is The definition or hādling of the question I will not be loth to declare afterward your owne selues shall iudge And that the matter may be the more easilie knowen it shall be good to examine it the more déeplie and somewhat I will saie of Euill vnder which generall word sinne is conteined Euill is a certein priuation What euill is of good I meane yet not of euerie good but of such a good thing as is requisite for the perfection of euerie creature which I saie belongeth to the perfection of the thing despoiled A similitude For if we take awaie sight from a stone it shall haue no hurt for that qualitie of nature is not méete for it Euill being a priuation can not consist without good for it must haue a subiect A subiect séeing it is a substance is a good thing wherefore euill can not be but in good euen as blindnes is a priuation of sight it hangeth not in the aire but it sticketh in the eie So may it be shewed by manie other examples But not to depart from that which we haue in hand sinne it selfe depriueth mans action of dutifulnes and obedience towards the word of God These things ought to be in action but when we sinne action is bereft of those good things And action séeing it is a certeine thing it is in his owne nature good wherefore euill can not be but in good Moreouer euill is not desired for it selfe but men doo sinne in consideration of good for vnlesse there appeared some likenesse of good they would not depart from goodnes So great therefore is the power of good as euill can not be except in good and vnto good Wherefore rightlie haue the wise men said that we may grant there is the chéefest good but not affirme that there is the chéefest euill which can depriue good altogither for then it should destroie it selfe It might haue no subiect wherin it should be nor yet outward shew whereby it should be desired To speake now of euill it is distinguished into punishment and fault Fault is called that which we commit against the lawe of God punishment is that which is laid vpon vs for sinne and that also hath a priuation of some commoditie as when God sendeth sicknesse sicknesse is the priuation of health and hath place in the bodie of a liuing creature He sendeth famine and barennesse which is the priuation of fertilitie and it is in the earth it selfe
nothing either past or to come But we alledge nothing strange from the scriptures Paule saith that God hath predestinated vs before the foundations of the world were laid Ephes 1 4. If they beléeue not vs let them looke vpon the prophesies Iacob fore-shewed that Dauid should be king Gen 49 10. How might this haue béene vnlesse the will of God haue respect vnto the time to come But Paule in the 11. to the Romans saith The gifts and calling of God are without repentance But the sentences of the scriptures must not be more largelie vnderstood than the place it selfe wherein they be written may beare for otherwise we may be sooner lead to error Paule intreated in that place of the couenant which God made with the Iewes and saith that these promises cannot be void and that it cannot be but that manie of the Iewes should bée at length conuerted vnto Christ bicause The gifts and calling of God are without repentance Although others vnderstand that place as touching the gifts which depend vpon the eternall predestination of God for that they be sure and stedfast Indéed other gifts whether they belong to the iustice of this life or to things which be temporall may both bée giuen and taken awaie For there be manie who hauing once beléeued doo afterward fall to destruction Theodoretus saith Gifts be without repentance if the nature of the things themselues be considered but if men fall from them and be depriued of them the fault is their owne How it could be said to Saule that his kingdome should be established for euer the same being before appointed to the tribe of Iuda 4 But let vs sée how Samuel said In 1. Sam. 13 vers 13. The Lord would haue established thy kingdom for euer For how could the kingdome haue remained for euer in the familie of Saule séeing it was fore-told before of Iacob that the kingdome should be in the tribe of Iuda and that God decréed from all eternitie that he would giue the kinglie right vnto the house of Dauid Here we may not answer that God indéed had so decréed at the first but that he afterward changed his mind for God is not changed Rabbi Leui Ben Gerson thinketh that this Hebrue word Adolam signifieth not eternitie but some certeine space of time and that so Saule might reigne according to the meaning of that word Adolam that is for a long time and afterward that Dauid might succéed him But this iudgement I doo not much allow for Dauid was now not onelie borne but was also of ripe age so as Saule might not reigne for anie long time But that God is not changed all men confesse yet all men not after one and the same maner for some saie that we feigne that God dooth predestinate somewhat from euerlasting which yet he executeth afterward That saie they is absurd for all things are present vnto God Howbeit we saie not that God is mooued for a time but his counsels are from euerlasting But this we saie that when a thing is come to passe he dooth not appoint anie new counsels Paule saith Ephes 1 4. that He was chosen from his mothers wombe and that we were predestinated before the foundations of the world These things no doubt are euerlasting in God but in the things themselues they were predestinate long before they were made But if they will cauill as touching predestination we will obiect prophesies in the which they cannot cauill When they had doone neither good nor euill Rom. 9 11. Malac. 1 2. that the purpose of God according to the election might abide it was said Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated So as touching the kingdome to be established in the tribe of Iuda it was fore-shewed long before Dauid was borne who first reigned in that tribe How then dooth Samuel saie 1. Sa. 13 13. God would haue established thy kingdome for euer It is a potentiall maner of speaking But what potencie is this There be also manie such formes of speaking in the holie scriptures 1 Cor. 2 8. If they had knowne saith Paule they would neuer haue crucified the Lord of glorie but it was predestinated from the beginning that Christ should die So are they commonlie woont to saie If Adam had not sinned Christ had not suffered But let vs passe ouer those things and let vs examine that sentence which we haue in hand whereby the same being well vnderstood all other like may be vnderstood 5 And first let vs sée whether the predestination of God touching Dauid were the cause why Saule was cast out of the kingdome It séemes to me that there were two causes of that casting out one the prouoking of God to wit the sinne of Saule and the other was the will of God but prouoked stirred vp by sinne to which of these causes therefore shall we rather ascribe the casting out Certeinlie vnto sinne for it was méet that he which had behaued himselfe ill should be remooued from his place Therefore Oseas saith Of the ô Israel commeth thy euill Indéed we cannot denie but that the will of God was after some maner the cause but the true and certeine cause was sin Also another no small difference it shall be if we compare our sinnes vnto the punishments and our good works vnto the reward That sinnes deserue puâ—…shment 〈◊〉 good 〈…〉 no 〈…〉 Rom. â— 18. for our sinnes deserue punishment but good works deserue no reward Why so wilt thou saie Bicause there is a proportion betwéene sin punishment but betwéene good works and reward there is none for The passions of this life are not woorthie of the glorie to come which shall be reuealed vnto vs. Moreouer ill works are properlie of our selues but good works are not but of God Wherefore eternall death may be called the reward of sinne but contrariwise eternall life cannot be called the reward of our righteousnes So that we saie that the sinne of Saule was the true cause why he fell from the kingdome but his good works could neuer haue béene a cause for him to haue continued But whether did this counsell and decrée laie a necessitie vpon Saule Hereof there was no absolute necessitie in him for as touching the inward originall of sinning that had Saule in himselfe and that which he did he did it willinglie and of his owne accord Indéed God decréed the kingdome vnto Dauid and to the tribe of Iuda but yet so as the same should be first taken from him iustlie And if God fore-sawe that Dauid should be king he also fore-sawe the sinne of Saule wherefore he sawe the one thing and the other both that the one should sinne and the other should reigne in this order there is no sinne committed by God True indéed it is that God might in such sort haue punished Saule as he would not take the kingdome from him For he manie waies punished the posteritie of Dauid when
saith that they can by no meanes be corrupted bicause God is the author of them it is no firme reason For euen they which be of ripe yéeres haue both a bodie and a soule which be the works of God and are continuallie preserued by his power and yet may they be defiled and corrupted But if he shall saie that this commeth of mans will and frée choise so will we answer that the same may come of other causes to wit through propagation and séed A false syllogisme of Pighius And so Pighius reasoneth from that which is not the cause as though it were the cause for his meaning is that if men be corrupted It is false that men cannot be contaminated but by the will and free choise it cannot otherwise be than by the will and frée choise which is not true All the arguments which he obiecteth against vs arise hereof that he saith he vnderstands not how this corruption can be deriued to the posteritie and how it is possible that infants should bée bound by anie lawe and how a lawe can be made of that which we are not able to auoid But séeing the holie scriptures declare teach and testifie these things it maketh no matter how much Pighius either vnderstandeth or not vnderstandeth for we beléeue manie things which we perceiue not nor knowe not by anie certeine reason Which neuertheles ought not to be of anie such force as euerie man should obtrude vnto vs to beléeue what things soeuer they shall thinke good vnder this pretence that although they cannot be perceiued by reason yet they ought to be comprehended by faith séeing God is also able to make things which be far greater For first that which we would haue to be beléeued ought to be shewed out of the holie scriptures then afterward if we cannot atteine vnto it let vs cleane vnto faith and set reason aside But it followeth not by our definition In humane nature and in Ethnike men some good thing is left that there is no good thing lest either in nature or in Ethnike men Onelie this we affirme that this sinne would destroie all if God through Christ brought not a remedie vnto the regenerate Also God is present somtime in them which be not regenerate and adorneth them with excellent noble vertues whereby originall sinne is restrained and Common-weales and empires are kept at the least-wise in some ciuill order Socrates would not go foorth of prison when he might Aristides being driuen into banishment wished vnto his citizens that they might neuer be in so ill case as they should call him to their remembrance Phocion being demanded a little before his death whether he would haue anie message to be doone vnto his sonne Let him neuer saith he remember the iniurie doone vnto me The Common-weale of Rome had his Curtios Scipios and Catos God suffereth not originall sinne to rage as much as it might nor the diuell so much as he desireth men of ciuill honestie and verie great louers of vpright dealing Which duties albeit as they were in men which knew not God were sinnes yet were they bridles of originall sinne and of nature corrupted least all things should be confounded and good lawes fall to ruine and the light of nature be in a maner extinguished 26 Now séeing we haue confirmed originall sinne by the testimonie of the scriptures and haue confuted the opinion of Pighius and haue reiected the opinion of them which thinke originall sinne to be a guiltines and bond procured through the sinne of Adam and haue alledged the definition of Augustine that Originall sinne is concupiscence of the flesh and of Anshelme that It is a want of originall righteousnes and last of all séeing we haue largelie and by manie testimonies prooued our owne definition now it remaineth that we prosecute those things What be the conditions and properties of originall sinne which we purposed to intreate of in the third place namelie of the conditions and properties of originall sinne how it is spred abroad how it is abolished how the remnants thereof are in men renewed and also what punishment is due therevnto Indéed as touching the maner how it is powred thorough into the posteritie manie opinions are recited The first of them is of the propagation of soules which we will shew by the iudgement of Augustine to be a more readie waie than the rest although it be not receiued of all men Another opinion is which Augustine followeth to wit that originall sinne is conueied from one to another by the lust and inordinate delight of the parents This reason hath twoo errors first bicause it saith that this euill is in procreation as a matter of necessitie which neuertheles may be separated from the same And the School-men themselues confesse that he which should be begotten without a vicious desire of the parents yet shall he drawe originall sinne for they saie that it is sufficient therevnto that it was in Adam as in the first principall séed Another absurditie is that then originall sinne should onelie consist in the fowle affection of the lust where in verie déed it comprehendeth as hath béene said the whole corrupting of nature Others haue thought that the soule was created euill by God bicause it should be a part of man execrated and put vnder the curse But bicause this séemeth to be against the nature of creation that it should be called a deprauation therefore that opinion is also reiected The last opinion is commonlie receiued namelie that The soule gathereth originall sinne through coniunction with the bodie that is alreadie infected and corrupted by the parents What the seate is of originall sinne Whervpon if it be demanded what is the seate thereof or as they commonlie speake what is the subiect We answere that it hath place in the flesh as in the root and beginning then out of that fountaine it also possesseth the soule so is extended throughout the whole man Seed is the instrument to conueie this sinne so as the séed is the instrument wherby this sinne is conueied from the parents vnto their children Pighius obiecteth that Vices cannot be deriued by séed vnto the posteritie vnlesse perhaps those vices which cleaue and sticke in the bodie of the parents as we sée happeneth in the leprosie in the falling sickenes In the sedd is not the sinne and other diseases of the bodie neither dooth nature suffer that sinne should take place in the verie substance of the séed so as it can be conueied by it vnto the children Here we answer Not onlie the diseases of the bodie but of the mind also are deriued from the parents to the children first that it is not true that onelie the diseases of the bodie of the parents are deriued vnto the children For we also sée that manie conditions of the mind are deriued from the parents vnto their children as wit furie ambition gentlenes pride and
to be found more repugnant If he be God he foreseeth things to come than of the one side to affirme God to be and on the other side to take from him the prescience of things to come The prophet Esaie would these things to be so firmelie knit togither as he said Shew vs what things shall come to passe Esai 41 23. and we will declare you to be gods But that Cicero had small knowledge and no good iudgement of God it appéereth by his booke which he intituled De natura deorum wherein disputing vnder the person of Cotta he striueth vtterlie to take awaie the nature of God And surelie it is to be lamented that so notable a man is to be charged with that which the psalme of Dauid ascribeth vnto fooles for there it is written Psal 14 1. that The foolish man hath said in his hart There is no God Vpon what occasion he appointed those parts in the dialog vnto Cotta which was a bishop I doo not well vnderstand vnlesse perhaps he considered that none in a maner are to be found which both more fréelie speake and woorse doo estéeme of God than they doo to whose trust are committed ceremonies and holie things And bicause it was not hidden to Tullius Cicero that it is a verie odious thing to professe an opinion whereby God should be denied therefore when he had disputed as much as he thought good in the end of his booke he shewed his opinion yet in the behalfe of Lucius Balbus and so as he saith to Velleius that the opinion of Cotta is to be allowed Cicero was a man verie studious as well of all kind of learning as speciallie of the ciuill lawe And whereas he thought What draue Cicero so earnestlie to stand with free will that the state of mans dooings should be ouerthrowne if frée will were denied and he not knowing by what meanes this libertie might be reteined with a prescience of things to come he rather yéelded that Gods wisedome should be taken from him than that we should be depriued of the fréedome of our will Wherevpon it may be gathered into what darknesse and obscuritie of things the sinne of the first man hath driuen mankind for what a madnes is it to go about to throwe GOD the creator of all things out of the fortresse of his wisedome Selfe-loue is the originall of impietie that thou maist preserue man This is that ouer selfe-loue which euerie-where in the scriptures is condemned we would that all things should perish rather than our selues This dooth not godlinesse require Wherfore we which be taught by the spirit of God declare that both must be confessed namelie that both God dooth foreknow all things and also that the fréedome of our mind as we haue shewed before must be reteined So doo the holie scriptures instruct vs wherein we read Rom. 8 29. Whom he foreknew them hath he predestinate to be made conformable to the image of his sonne and that We were chosen by God before the foundations of the world were laid Ephes 1 4. In them doo we learne that The heares of our head euerie one are numbered Matt. 10 29. and 30. that The little sparrowes light not without the will of our heauenlie father And séeing we iudge that God dooth all things rightlie and iustlie we cannot thinke that he dealeth without reason and vnderstanding 34 But go to let vs more néerelie consider the maner of Ciceros reasoning Ciceros maner of reasoning If saith he things to come are certeinlie knowne before things among themselues shall haue some certeine order and forsomuch as nothing is doone without a cause of necessitie also it shall be granted that there is an order and knitting togither of causes Whereby will come to passe that all things which be doone be doone of necessitie by which meanes iust and wholsome lawes shall perish and no admonitions or rebukings will be left neither can there be anie place for religion or praiers Wherefore thou must choose whether of these two euils thou wilt either that there is diuination and prescience of God or else to maintaine the frée power of mans will Both togither cannot be had they be repugnant one with another as he thinketh Wherefore vnto him it séemeth altogither necessarie that one of these be mainteined and defended and that the other be refused as false and vnprofitable Which deliberation being taken Augustine as Augustine no lesse wittilie than godlie said Cicero otherwise a verie prudent man while he coueteth to make vs frée maketh vs impious and wicked persons who should rob God of the knowledge which he hath of things to come And we must diligentlie marke that his arguments make no lesse against the foretellings of our prophets than they impugne the diuinations of the Ethniks whereof he at that time disputed Wherefore thus I thinke best to answer his curious reasons Let vs grant him what he would to wit that for the establishing of Gods prescience we agrée that there is a certeine and determinate order before GOD It is granted that before God is a necessitie of causes things as well of things as of causes But that which he bringeth in at last namelie that all things will therefore come to passe of necessitie that will we denie For though there be an order of causes appointed yet dooth it not followe therof that there cannot be som causes found among them which may kéepe their libertie or as they call it their contingence And in this point Cicero séemeth to erre more than the Stoiks for he Cicero erreth more than the Stoiks to saue the libertie of man would that all order of causes and foreshewing of things to come should be vtterlie taken awaie which things take so sure hold of the nature of God that the same being spoiled of them it cannot séeme to consist But the Stoiks bicause they would take nothing from the nature of GOD The Stoiks remoue our will frō the order of causes doo bring in their destinie and that our entire and perfect will may haue a place they altogither remooue the same from the order of causes ioined togither 35 But here let vs ioine issue with him that we may stedfastlie denie that the knowledge of GOD dooth nothing at all hinder our will although it comprehend the things which are to come for neuer shall the will of man bring anie thing to effect vnlesse GOD haue both foreknowne it and wild it to be brought to effect When he shall knowe before hand that to morrowe I will either runne or read indéed I shall runne and read yet not driuen thereto of anie necessitie but as they speake contingentlie for as farre as belongeth to my selfe I might doo neither one nor other But if thou vrge further and saie Yet neuerthelesse thou shalt doo it in such sort as God knew that thou shouldst doo it I grant but thereof it followeth
they are verie much to be commended which stand fast in their sound determination and in their good purpose And on the other part they which shall fall from their sound determination are to be dispraised Themistocles is maruellouslie commended who would rather die than beare armes against his countrie But they on the contrarie side are most worthie of dispraise which would rather denie godlinesse than to suffer torments or death Whether those things that be doone for pleasure or vtilitie sake be not voluntarie 49 When Aristotle had set downe two kinds of the things which be Not voluntarie then he confuted their opinion which made a third kind of the same For they said that the wicked actions which we commit for atteining of pleasure and profit are violent and they made onelie those to be voluntarie actions which be rightlie consenting vnto reason By these reasons they are confuted The first is bicause then all our actions would be violent for whatsoeuer we doo we doo for these causes namelie for delectation and commoditie The second reason is bicause that which is violent is ioined with sadnesse but they which deale for pleasure sake are glad not sad so as it appeareth that those actions are not violent The third reason is that then euerie euill man would excuse his euill actions transferring his fault vnto outward things that is to wit such as are pleasant and profitable and he would saie that he were constrained by these things which is a matter to be laughed at The fourth reason There is no greater cause whie these men should make themselues authors of honest actions than pleasant profitable things to be the cause of shamefull actions bicause they haue in them selues the originall as well of these as of those Bréeflie if these mens opinion were true there would be no sinnes nor wickednesses of men which might not be excused vnder pretence that the same is doone against their will or violentlie The reason is alleged bicause all men deale for these causes namelie for delight and profit Which in verie déed is true if also vnder the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou comprehend honest things for there be manie which for honestie sake doo manie things But thou wilt saie that the aduersaries doo not so vse that word as thereby they haue noted onelie delightfull profitable things I knowe it But thus dooth Aristotle argue and saith that They which will rather blame delightfull and profitable things than themselues which yéeld themselues so readilie to be allured thereby deserue to be laughed at This is it that they are iustlie to be blamed for that they suffer themselues so soone to be caught by these things and to be called away from iust actions Why should they attribute vnto themselues honest things and ascribe that which is dishonest vnto outward things séeing that those also are in our power Euen as it appéereth in men that be temperate and continent which doo soone temper themselues from these things And furthermore it may be woondered at why they doo not in like maner saie that they are constreined by honest things séeing that they choose them and since those be no lesse outward than be pleasures and commodities Vndoubtedlie if we of good right ascribe to our selues honest things the dishonest also shall belong vnto vs for contraries doo both belong to the selfe-same generall kind and are to be measured by the selfe-same rule Aristotle séemeth to speake those things against Plato for * In Mnemone Plato said that Good men are not made good by nature as if he should saie they are good by will and by their owne election And on the other side of euill men in his ninth booke of lawes he said that they are all and in all respects euill but yet vnwillinglie But Aristotle affirmed that as well good men as euill are led by their owne accord and with voluntarie actions For as well of goodnes as of naughtinesse there be originals which doo mooue outwardlie to wit things which doo offer themselues to our vnderstanding but since they be both in the one and the other there is an helpe and aid giuen therevnto by vs which doo choose and discerne the same 50 Now that we haue spoken of Not voluntarie which is doone by violence let vs sée what can be said of Not voluntarie procéeding from them that be ignorant And first Aristotle taketh awaie Voluntarie from that which is doone by ignorance for nothing done by him that is ignorant can be called Voluntarie séeing this requireth a knowledge of that which is doone But Aristotle noteth a certein diffrence of those men Two kinds of ignorance which doo anie thing of ignorance for some of them when they haue afterward perceiued what they haue doone it repenteth them and there be others which repent them not but rather confirme that which hath béene doone These two kind of ignorant men bicause they differ much one from another doo make diuers forms and kinds of ignorance and bicause they differ one from another in matter it is méet also that they be called by sundrie names Wherefore he that repenteth him after he hath perceiued his error shall be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is One that dooth against his will And he which repenteth him not shall be said to haue doone it being not willing for he reteineth still the name of the generall word to wit of Not voluntarie At the beginning our actions were diuided that some of them are Voluntarie some Not voluntarie We began the discourse of the parts of this diuision with that which is Not voluntarie that Not voluntarie we distinguished againe into that which is against the will or violent which is doone by force and into that which is doone by ignorance Violent was defined to be that whose beginning is from without vs and wherin that which is the dooer or sufferer giueth no helpe therevnto Now is shewed the other part of Not voluntarie wherby a thing is doone thorough ignorance and this is shewed to be of two sorts namelie with repentance or without repentance That which is with repentance is simplie against the will but that which is without repentance is at the beginning Not voluntarie but after the acknowledging of the fact bicause he dooth not repent him he séemeth to be somwhat yea to be verie far from dooing of it against his will naie rather that he hath somewhat Voluntarie therein These things therfore in name must be thus distinguished The first shall be called he that dooth against his will and the other shall be called he that dooth not with his will Examples of both sorts of ignorance Oedipus is said in the fables to haue slaine his father and to haue married his mother against his will for vnderstanding what he had doone he so repented him as he put out both his eies And on the other side Tiberius racked his host of Rhodes ignorantlie
point to disagrée from the Pelagians But Augustine so farre disagréed from these kind of opinions as vnto those which be regenerate while they liue in this flesh he granteth not a perfect obseruation of the commandements of God which euidentlie appéereth by his retractations And that his iudgement therin is most true Paule declareth in the epistle to the Romans Rom. 7. Doubtles if the matter were so The Pelagians make the death of Christ of none effect as the Pelagians taught there was no néed of Christs comming and of the sacrifice of the crosse for these things were therefore giuen bicause by our owne strength we could not atteine to the righteousnesse of works Rom 8 3 Which Paule plainlie testifieth saieng That which was vnpossible to the lawe forsomuch as it was made weake by the flesh c. These things doo manifestlie teach that man by reason of the infirmitie of the flesh might not fulfill the lawe Further he saith The wisedome of the flesh is enimitie towards God Rom. 8 7. for it is not subiect vnto the lawe of God neither can it be For although the lawe hath power to teach and to giue light vnto the mind yet doth it not therefore minister strength or change the will Wherefore Ambrose in his booke De fuga saeculi saith that The lawe can stop the mouth of all men but yet cannot conuert the mind And a little after The lawe in déed maketh the fault euident but taketh not awaie the naughtinesse Wherefore grace must be added therevnto the which bicause the Pelagians contemned they wandered from saluation and were iustlie condemned of the church The office of the lawe 4 As concerning then the office of the lawe these few things must be obserued first that the same is not altogither vnprofitable euen without regeneration for it may be auaileable to some ciuill discipline For if men doo the outward works of the lawe in such sort as they may although they be sinnes vnto them which doo them yet through them ciuill order may be preserued For where there is no obseruation of these things all things are confounded wrongs be doone naughtie lust rageth out of measure the wrath of God is kindled so as he suffereth those common-weales which be thus corrupted not long to continue Also there is an other worke of the lawe which is inward apperteining to the conscience that it should perpetuallie accuse vex whip and condemne the same And by this meane as we haue said God dooth at the length bring men to iustification After regeneration the lawe is not idle which iustification being obteined the lawe dooth not yet lie idle but is like vnto a glasse wherein the regenerate behold what fruits of faith they ought to bring foorth how much they ought euerie daie to profit what they haue to giue thanks for and how much they want of the iust restitution whereby they may the more earnestlie praie vnto God therefore Also the lawe setteth a marke before our eies whervnto they ought to leuell in all their actions vnto the which although they cannot atteine in this life yet they must applie their indeuour to depart but a little from it By these things it appéereth how much the lawe dooth auaile in outward works what it worketh in the conscience and how much it helpeth them which be regenerate Of Philosophie and of the comparison hereof especiallie morall with Diuinitie taken out of the beginning of the Commentaries vpon Aristotles Ethiks 5 All the knowledge that we haue is either reuealed or gotten by indeuour in the former part is diuinitie and in the latter is philosophie The name of philosophie is compounded Wisedome of some is called a knowledge of all the things that be extant How farre wisdomâ— knowledge extendeth But since that wisdome comprehendeth nothing but a certeine and vndoubted knowledge it cannot be as concerning all things for some certeine things are vnknowne things that come by chance and casuallie cannot be knowne bicause of their vncerteintie Others saie that the same is a knowledge of diuine and humane things howbeit betwéene diuine and humane there are found manie things namelie the circles of heauen starres elements meteors stones mines plants herbes and brute beasts But they referre heauen vnto God bicause it is a thing immortall but inferiour things they saie belong vnto men forsomuch as they be corruptible But in what place will they account the science Mathematicall Howbeit it séemeth méet that it be defined to wit A definition of wisdome that It is an habit giuen to mens minds by God increased by diligence exercise wherby althings that be are comprehended so far foorth as they can certeinlie by firme reason be comprehended that man maie attaine vnto felicitie And héere be all the kinds of causes The forme which is the habit The matter wherein it cleaueth that is to wit The causes of wisdome the mind and reason of man and those things about which as about obiects the same is occupied namelie about all things that be extant yet not simplie and absolutelie but so far foorth as they can be certeinelie knowne The worker is specified namelie in that God is appointed to be the author for he hath planted light in our minds and hath sowen in vs the séeds which are the originals of all sciences Whervpon Cicero in the first booke of his Tusculane questions saith that Philosophie is the gift and inuention of the gods And this dooth Lucretius also grant although he were an Epicure And forsomuch as an assured knowledge of all things may rather be desired than hoped for and is sooner loued than possessed and that the more we giue our selues to the same so much the more are we stirred vp towards it therfore it is called philosophie The author of this name was Pythagoras he when he was come to Philonta and had spoken with Leontes which in this place was a tyrant maruelling at the wit and eloquence of the man demanded of him what art or science he would professe who would not saie that he was a wise man but one that desired wisedome that is a philosopher 6 And this being defined on this wise it is diuided into the part actiue and contemplatiue A diuision of philosophie both which Aristotle intreated of according as the subiect required These doo so differ as contemplatiue aloneâ—ie beholdeth and actiue practiseth those things that be knowen So as they differ in their ends for contemplatiue reposeth it selfe in the verie contemplation of things for it is not able to exercise them But actiue dooth therefore behold that it may in worke expresse the thing which it knoweth And we sée vndoubtedlie that in man there be two works for he vnderstandeth and afterward he worketh And euen as God not onelie vnderstandeth himselfe and is happie and perfect to himselfe but also by his prouidence dooth create things being brought foorth gouerneth them so likewise is
sacrificing priests and monks séeking after gaine doo spread abroad manie things altogither false which were neuer anie where doone or spoken But whie the elders as we haue aboue said signed their forehead with a crosse it is no easie matter to alledge the certeine cause Before in art 14. But I thinke that there were two respects first to testifie themselues to be Christians as though they were not ashamed of the crosse of Christ And this I gather by Augustine De verbis apostoli the eight sermon for the Ethniks triumphed ouer the Christians casting their follie in their téeth bicause they worshipped Christ that was nailed on the crosse To whom that father maketh answer A hart in déed we haue but yet no such as ye haue neither are we ashamed of him that was crucified but in that part where the signe of shamefastnesse is there haue we the signe of his crosse An other cause is that they would of a certeine euill and preposterous zeale imitate the legall ceremonies and bicause it might not be lawfull after the comming of Christ to sacrifice after the maner of the Hebrues Exod. 12 22 who were bidden to besprinkle the doore-posts of their houses with the blood of the paschall lambe our Christians in semblance thereof signed their foreheads with the crosse As Augustine dooth testifie in the 20. chapter De catechizandis rudibus Moreouer they persuaded themselues as it is alreadie shewed that the euill spirits were by such a signe chased awaie Yea and Gregorius Romanus also in his third booke of Dialogs writeth A wonderfull historie of a Iew that came by night into the temple of the idols that A Iew entering by night into a temple of an idoll there to take his rest and being greatlie astonished with the sight of verie manie wicked spirits which were in that place armed himselfe by the signe of the crosse And when the prince of the euill spirits vnderstood that a man was present he commanded one of the diuels that he should go vnto him and trie him what he was Who after he had beheld him returned and said Trulie I found an emptie vessell but it was marked and he left the Iew quite and cleane without anie harme Which thing he considering with himselfe came to the religion of Christ But Gregorie in that booke heaped vp togither manie vaine fabulous things the which not onlie may mooue the readers of them vnto laughter but also they are verie much against the religion of Christ The signe of the crosse is worne by princes vpon their crownes without superstition bicause by that signe they onelie testifie and professe that they honor and mainteine the religion of Christ Further if it be lawfull for a man to beare in armes the badge of his owne familie it is also lawfull for him by the signe of the crosse to professe Christian religion The signe of the crosse appeered vnto Constantine And in times past there appeared in heauen the signe of the crosse vnto Constantine the great and an inscription was added In this signe shalt thou ouercome For God was minded by a miracle to cōfirme him in the religion of Christ which he had latelie receiued Neither may he be condemned for that he caused that signe to be expressed in the banner which he ment to vse But that he afterward made such a maner of signe in gold that I allow not bicause by the dooing thereof he opened no small gap to superstition Concerning the finding of the Lords owne crosse by Helen wise men maruell that Eusebius Caesariensis who was verie familiar with Constantine and set foorth his life wrote nothing of it But Theodoretus Sozomenus indéed write somwhat of that matter Howbeit rather of the report of others than by the certeintie of their owne knowledge Yet in the reading of that historie there is found no mention of worshipping neuerthelesse it is said that it was placed in the temple Moreouer what great estimation Helen made of the nailes which the report is that she found it appéereth in that it is written that she put one of them in the bridle of that horsse which hir sonne vsed an other into his helmet and the third she cast into the sea for appeasing of tempests The speare which pearsed Christs side At this daie also they worship and honour at Rome with singular adoration the speare wherewithall they saie the Lords side was pearsed vpon the crosse This is the wilinesse of the diuell that he may perpetuallie driue men forward till at length they be throwne downe headlong into the bottomlesse gulfe of impietie An other obiection 21 Our aduersaries blame vs as being ouer hard and bitter and they saie If one walking by chance shall espie a faire plant not onelie gréene but loden with fruit and he being inflamed with an earnest affection towards the most bountifull goodnesse of God and féeling his mind stirred to worship God the author of so beautifull a worke what should let but that he may prostrate himselfe néere vnto that pleasant trée and there worship God and render thanks vnto him for his singular benefits bestowed on men Nothing as I thinke So in like maner if one shall behold the image of Christ and is earnestlie affected to the benefit of Christ his death wherefore may he not worship Christ the author of his life néere vnto the same Héerevnto I answer that the word of God must alwaies be before our eies whereby it is forbidden for religion sake to prostrate before a creature This ought to remaine alwais firme and sure and to be in force that neither we prostrate our selues vnto a trée nor yet vnto an image Neither is it lawfull to excuse these things by saieng that they doo not worship the outward matter neither the figure nor the lineaments What then doo they honour They saie they honour the thing signified So might the Ethniks likewise haue excused their idolatrie that they did not worship stones wood and metall but onelie the properties which were represented by those signes The epistle of Symmachus of restoring images confuted by Ambrose Verelie Symmachus wrote an epistle to the emperours that they would at length restore the images of the Romans and there he vseth such and such like arguments verie Rhetoricallie but Ambrose most stronglie hath confuted them all The writings on both parts are yet at this daie to be séene in the epistles of Ambrose God commanded absolutelie that images should not be worshipped wherefore we must rather obey his words than the subtill sophistications of men Augustine vpon the 113. psalme wrote this argument By the iudgement of Paule it is said Rom. 1 25. They turned the glorie and truth of GOD into a lie and they desired rather to worship the creature than the creator The first part of Pauls saieng condemneth images bicause they be lies which are repugnant vnto the truth and glorie of God and the other
had them to make peace with the Chananites of their owne accord but it is added Vnlesse they had demanded peace but they alone desired it This therefore is not against the commandement of God especiallie séeing they not onlie did receiue the religion of the Israelites but also were appointed for perpetuall seruice vnto the tabernacle Also the Israelites thought themselues to be deceiued by their owne fault bicause they had not taken counsell from the mouth of the Lord. The promise which Dauid made was not lawfull namelie that a wicked man should be spared Therefore it is no maruell if afterward he warned Salomon that this euill might be amended 13 But verie manie doo doubt In 1. kin 8. verse 31. Whether an oth must be giuen vnto him that is suspected of periurie whether it be lawfull to offer an oth vnto him which is suspected of periurie and by great coniectures is thought that he will be forsworne For not onelie sinnes must be auoided but also there must be no occasions of sinning offered vnto our neighbours To this I answer It is necessarie for vs to ponder that they which offer an oth be not all of one sort Wherfore if they be iudges that doo it and that the order of lawe require that an oth should be offered in obeieng of the lawe they sinne not Let them commit the matter vnto God and diligentlie warne him of his dutie vnto whom they offer the oth For as it hath béene said the lawe of God in Exodus commanded that in certeine cases an oth should be taken This if the iudge obserue it can not rightlie be said that he giueth a true occasion of periurie But if so be the oth shall be voluntarie to wit betwéene priuate persons it must not be offered to such a man as vpon iust cause is suspected of periurie For it is not lawfull to anie man for his owne aduantage sake to prouoke an other man vnto sinne As touching priuate conclusions bargains and couenants let them be omitted rather than for our sakes the name of God should be made a iesting stocke 1. kin 8 31. Wherefore that which Salomon desireth is holie and iust namelie that euill may be taken awaie from the people and that men may be terrified from taking of the name of the Lord in vaine either by denieng of a truth or affirming a falsehood by the testimonie of his name King Salomon desired nothing but that he knew God himselfe did like of For in the ten commandements it is written Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for God will not account him innocent that so dooth but will gréeuouslie punish him as one that is guiltie That this might come to passe Salomon desired and especiallie vnto them that forsware themselues in that house which he had latelie builded The oths which as I said were taken were accustomed to be doone ouer against the altar of sacrifice that is in the court of those men that were cleane But the oth of prophane persons which commonlie they call the laitie was doone at the wall whereby the court of the priests was seuered from the same Whie an oth was inuented and how inuiolablie it should be kept Certeinelie an oth was inuented for the honour and glorie of the name of God and was commanded in the lawe So then it is the part of a good prince to be verie circumspect that it fall not out otherwise namelie to the contumelie and iniurie of God And therfore Salomon is to be commended when he praieth that the honour due vnto the name of GOD might remaine entire and that euerie mans owne so far foorth as is possible might be rendered vnto him and that the lawe of laieng to pledge or of stealing or of dooing harme might be kept inuiolate But at the first shew it séemeth that Salomon did not the office of a godlie king bicause he desireth iustice and damnation vnto sinners To this may be answered that he likewise on the other side desireth good things vnto those that were innocent namelie that right iudgement might be ministred vnto them and that God would defend their cause Further it must be considered that the glorie of God and publike safetie is to be preferred before the commodities of priuate men But God hath delt much more seuerelie against periurie The seuere chastisement of periurie verse 3. as it is in the sixt chapter of Leuiticus for there he not onelie condemned the periured man but also all those which being priuie of the periurie held their peace For the lawe commanded that they which for a certeintie knew that an oth was falslie taken shuld in stepping forth reueale the same that the name of God might not be had in derision Wherefore Salomon praieth God that he will heare it out of heauen The seuenth Chapter The fourth precept of sanctifieng the sabboth daie In Gen. 2 at the beginning IN the seuenth daie God finished his worke which he had made not that he created anie thing the seuenth daie but that so farre forth as our vnderstanding reacheth it might be knowne that he finished all things the seuenth daie when as we knowe that there was nothing made by him vpon that daie Some thinke that the letter Caph which is added vnto Iod dooth signifie Before and they cite the place out of the 25. chapter of Deuteronomie verse 4. Thou shalt not moosill the oxe before the treading out of the corne But it prooueth it not bicause héere we may also vnderstand it in the treading out Howbeit héere in verie déed there is no question for the same consummation perfection or finishing of cretures is not anie worke added to things created the sixt daie but that on this seuenth daie the things are noted to haue béene finished and made perfect In that he rested the seuenth daie vnderstand it not from labour but from the worke of creating For Rest may betoken two things How the word rest is to be vnderstood either the end and termination of that which is doone and so it is taken in this place or else as a refreshing after labour which thing must not be ascribed vnto God for without anie maner of labour did he create the world But as the Hebrues saie in the letter He which is vttered with a breth onelie By the word of the Lord were the heauens made and all the hoste of them with the breath of his mouth verse 6. The number of seuen Psalme 33. Let vs héere passe ouer the mysteries of the number of seuen wherewith vndoubtedlie God is delighted séeing he hath comprised in that number the great and noble things which he made and commanded And this onelie let vs note that of euerie seuen daies one must be reserued vnto God How did God cease from working Ioh. 5 17. séeing he now also worketh Yea and he is a pure and méere act neither is that most
forme of praier they onelie foretold the things which they sawe should come to passe And wheras they vse the Optatiue mood in stéed of the Indicatiue that he saith is not to be woondered at among the Hebrues séeing they often times vse such figures in their spéeches For manie times they vse one Tense for an other putting the time past for the time to come as Wherefore haue the Gentils raged Psalm 2 1. and the people imagined vaine things Psal 22 29. Againe They diuided my garments among them These things were for to come and were forespoken concerning Christ when as neuerthelesse they were written as things alreadie past Howbeit he confesseth that otherwhile we praie that some may be punished and chastised for their amendement which is not saith he to praie against them A place out of the Apocalypse Apoc. 6 10. but for them And he citeth a place out of the Apocalypse the sixt chapter where the martyrs crie vnder the altar Take vengeance vpon the earth for our bloud which is shed And it séemeth vnto him that thereby is ment that these martyrs praied against the kingdome of sinne And sinne may be destroied two maner of waies Sinne two maner of waies destroied First if a contrarie disposition be induced so that sinne being excluded there succéedeth mortification of lusts righteousnesse honestie and all kind of vertues Againe sinne is subdued vnto God when punishment is applied vnto the same for while it is vnpunished it hath nothing in it that is good but so soone as it is punished forsomuch as that punishment is a part of iustice sinne is at the least wise somewhat restreined and bridled thereby from ranging anie further abroad And this also is profitable vnto wretched sinners Wherefore if we will iudge vprightlie The martyrs praie for the end of the world the martyrs in so praieng praied rather for them than against them Neither also were it absurd if they should praie for the end of the world wherein they haue suffered so gréeuous things that vngodlinesse may once haue an end Although I thinke not that all the elder fathers are of this mind that we should praie for the end of the world séeing rather on the contrarie part Tertullian in his apollogie saith that the christians in their congregations praie for prolonging of the end of the world And in the same place he writeth that our men by the determinate rule of the holie scriptures praied not onelie for emperours but also for the long preseruation of the world For after this monarchie of the Romans as Paule writeth to the Thessalonians shall come Antichrist and the end 2. Thes 2 8. Wherefore some of the godlie sort praied that the time might be prolonged partlie that the tribulation which should come through Antichrist might be deferred partlie that the children of the election might be gathered togither The Gréeke Scholies write that those holie martyrs praied against the diuell that his power might be bridled and brought to an end And thus much of Augustines opinion who was also of the same mind against Faustus who saith These words of execration which we read in the prophets séeme to be the words of those which fore-speake not desires of them that accursse But as touching this matter I would thinke it should thus be determined to wit that when there is an enimie which both wisheth euill vnto vs and also to the vttermost of his power worketh euill against vs we first of all should make a distinction of the cause for the which he hateth vs. For either it is our owne proper cause humane and ciuill or else it is bicause he hateth God and his truth Next that A distinction of the men that cursse we make a distinction as touching men for some are led by an accustomed affection of their owne and other some are mooued by God who reuealeth to them both what he will doo or what is the state of the wicked stirreth them vp to speake the things A distinction of the euils which we praie for which they doo speake Neither is this in the meane time to be passed ouer that the euils which we praie for are either temporall or eternall After these distinctions I thinke we ought thus to saie That if our owne cause onelie be in hand therein we ought to be patient In our owne cause we must be patient Rom. 12 14 long suffering and gentle Blesse and cursse not thus the scripture commandeth We must also praie for them that persecute vs. We are by God created men let vs not spit out the venom of serpents and forsomuch as we are men let vs not suffer ourselues to be changed into brute beasts They which hurt vs are mad and are forced by furie and therefore are rather woorthie of compassion than of reuenge or curssings A mouth is giuen vnto vs by it to helpe and remedie and not that we should cursse and ban with the same Otherwise God saith of such execrations I commanded thée that thou shouldest praie for thine enimies why dooest thou prouoke me now against them Wilt thou haue me to be a helper of thée to transgresse my lawes and to be thine executioner A certeine priest of Athens could not be induced to cursse Alcibiades for he said An example of a priest of Athens that he was made a priest to praie for men and not to cursse them And among the Romans it was not lawfull for the high priest of Iupiter to sweare for that oftentimes the end and conclusion of an oth is execration For they saie Let these or those things fall vpon me vnlesse I performe this or that And séeing it was not lawfull for the priest to cursse himselfe much lesse was it lawfull for him to cursse others Wherefore if our owne cause be in hand we ought not to vse cursings but rather praiers compassions and blessings But when Gods cause is in hand and that this indignation commeth on vs by reason of sinnes and wicked acts In Gods cause imprecations are sometime lawfull there is nothing to let but that we may somtime vse imprecations in such maner as we shall expresse And it oftentimes happeneth that our owne cause is ioined with the glorie of God and is so ioined as it cannot be distinctlie iudged of but onelie by a diligent and attentiue consideration As if a minister of the church sée himselfe contemned and derided although he often times regard not his owne dignitie yet notwithstanding neither can he nor ought he quietlie suffer the word of God which he ministreth to be cōtemned For this cause the prophets séemed manie times to be verie angrie for that their messages and prophesies were derided Wherefore I grant that in this case both imprecations and curssings were iustlie admitted In imprecations we must beware that the flesh be not stirred vp 22 Howbeit this I thinke necessarie to admonish you of that we
For euen as those things which be sodden haue a pleasant taste so haue rawe things an vnpleasantnesse ioined with them togither with a certeine taste that is horrible Those be sauage and cruell which doo torment without a cause as though they were delited with the torments of other men euen as beasts that knowe not goodnesse and honestie but haue onelie respect vnto swéetnesse and commoditie either for that the sight of bloud is delitefull or else bicause they will be fed with flesh Now since crueltie consisteth in this that therein is a going beyond the measure of right reason let vs sée whether Dauid and others haue passed the bounds of reason Certes they followed a mediocritie and those things which they did belonged vnto punishing iustice for those were woorthie of the greatest punishments Dauid followed reason but yet a diuine reason the which reason alone is called good God stirred him vp vnto these things not without a cause And it was necessarie for him since he was a grand capteine to followe that reason which God had shewed vnto him 53 That the Ammonites were most wicked men we may knowe it by manie causes First of all they against the lawe of nations shamed the ambassadors of Dauid in cutting short their beards and garments They gaue an ill iudgement of the most godlie king Dauid namelie that he had sent that ambassage with a feigned hart not to comfort the sonne of the king of the Ammonites which was dead but to destroie him Againe when the head citie was besieged and that they had slaine Vrias and other valiant men they also vaunted against God This did Nathan declare 2. Sa. 12 14. Bicause thou hast prouoked mine enimies saith he to speake euill of me the child which is borne of thee shall be slaine If God slue the child of Dauid bicause Dauid had giuen an occasion of blaspheming God how much more gréeuouslie were they to be punished which did this thing And further wheras they had doone iniuries vnto Dauid yet did they first mooue war against him And neither would they onelie hurt Dauid but they also solicited others of his subiects and tributaries to forsake him They disquieted all those regions of Syria and Mesopotamia and that which is most of all they burned their sonnes and daughters for their idoll sake which they worshipped And what maruell was it if they were throwne into the same fornaces The punishment of like for like wherein they threw their owne children This was a punishment of like for like And alwaies in those punishments which are not reprooued in the scriptures we must flie vnto this namelie that God gouerned those fathers Some to make these punishments the lesse saie that all were not so handled but the seigniors and princes onelie which were as the staie and succour of the people But Iosephus saith that they were all rid out of the waie And the scriptures also séeme to make it a generall punishment Howbeit I would thinke that some were excepted for in the 17. chapter of the second booke of Samuel we read 2. Sa. 17 37. that Sobi the sonne of king Nahas did helpe Dauid when he was driuen out of the kingdome by Absolom Wherevpon it is gathered that the one sonne of king Nahas was slaine and that the other was by Dauid made ruler of the countrie These things are not so much to be woondered at in him séeing he was a figure of the true Dauid which at the last daie shall saie vnto all men Go ye curssed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his angels Those punishments which God shall laie vpon the wicked in hell are not cruell They shall be as it were intollerable punishments but yet they procéed of a right punishing iustice He saith in the Gospell Matt. 25. 41. Bring ye vnto me all them which would not haue me reigne ouer them and slaie them in my sight Here let magistrates learne to haue a regard vnto right reason when the guiltie are deliuered to them to be punished It must not gréeue their mind to execute those punishments which are iust and commanded to be doone Of Enuie 54 Now come we to enuie In Iudg. 8 verse 1. the same did Cicero thinke should rather be called Inuidentia than Inuidia the which word Inuidentia we may in English call Enuieng or Enuiousnesse Wherein enuie and enuiousnes doo differ bicause among the Latinists those that are enuied are said to suffer enuie But enuieng belongeth to them which pine awaie with this kind of gréefe And therefore he thinketh that enuie or enuieng is so called bicause they which be enuious doo looke too narrowlie to other mens prosperitie Wherefore A definition of enuie enuie is a gréefe taken at the prosperitie of other men especiallie of them which haue béene of like degrée with vs. For a poore man enuieth not a king nor yet beggers noble men Enuie is of equals and such as be like vnto our selues And likenesse is considered in kindred riches beautie age wit dignitie and such like The cause of enuieng is not in respect that we be afraid of harme to come vnto vs by such men as we doo enuie for that were feare but that men of a certeine hatred and stomach cannot abide the prosperitie of others especiallie of their like and equals this worketh enuie Enuie is alwaies had in euill things and it is gréeuouslie reprehended in the holie scriptures bicause it is most plainelie repugnant vnto charitie it selfe For in the first epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 13 4. the 13. chapter the apostle said Charitie enuieth not For Paule in that place did not take this Gréeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his proper signification But vnto the Galathians he hath more plainlie forbidden enuie Gal. 5 26. saieng Be not desirous of vaine glorie prouoking one another and enuieng one another In which place not onelie enuie is reprooued but also the mother thereof is shewed Looke In Gen. 26 24. and In 2. King 6 16. Iudg. 8 1. that is to wit the desire of glorie And this may we also note in the historie of the Iudges for the Ephraits enuied Gedeon bicause the glorie of so great a victorie séemed to haue come vnto him And this affect beareth rule in all those things wherein we desire to excell Neither yet dooth it forbeare vertues for he that is enuious would not haue his equals and such as be like vnto him to excell in anie ornament of vertue And the reason why enuie is conuersant among such as be alike is that although the prosperous fortune of our equals and them that be like vs dooth not plucke anie of our goods from vs nor maketh vs lesse than we be yet the enuious man dooth so conceiue of other mens goods as if by them his honour and dignitie his gaine and other ornaments should be diminished An enuious man is called a
he that he who from the beginning made them said vnto them For this cause shall a man leaue father and mother and shall cleaue to his wife and they shal be two in one flesh Whom God therefore hath ioined togither let not man separate By these words the former lawe of God is repeated and newlie established And if so be that Christ would not suffer that the first wife being put awaie an other should be married how lesse credible is it that he would suffer anie man to haue manie wiues at one time Naie rather he speaketh more sharplie that He which marrieth an other committeth adulterie Neither is the matter which some here obiect of anie great force that Marke saith He committeth adulterie against hir Ibidem 11. as though he were not an absolute adulterer but onelie that he dooth iniurie to his first wife Yes trulie he committeth double sinne first bicause he is an adulterer secondlie for that he dooth iniurie to his wife Ierom in manie places dooth ponder these words Gen. 2 23. The shall be two in one flesh They shall be two in one flesh Against Iouinian he saith It is written In one flesh not in two or thrée And he addeth that Lamech was a naughtie man which diuided one rib into two but saith he he suffered the punishment of his naughtinesse in the flood The same thing he saith in an epistle vnto Saluina Although I must néeds grant this that these reasons prooue not Ieroms purpose for vnto Saluina and Geruntia he inueiheth against second marriages Into the which error Tertullian also fell when as he erred with the Montanists Neuerthelesse these reasons doo verie well serue vs in this place But Ierom addeth And he shall cleaue vnto his wife Not vnto wiues saith he I verelie when I ponder with my selfe these words In one flesh I perceiue a great emphasis or force in them For One flesh is either by colligation as when all the members be knit one with an other or else by continuation Both the waies make that all the parts of the bodie doo serue one an other So the hand dooth his indeuour vnto the mouth the mouth vnto the bellie the bellie vnto the whole bodie as it is more at large described by Galen De vsu partium Such kind of flesh is not possible to be cōmunicated so as it cannot passe from one liuing creature to an other liuing creature We sée therefore that by the force of these words both adulterie and polygamie are taken awaie An obiection But thou wilt obiect Whie then in a diuorse by reason of adulterie is it permitted to haue an other marriage I answer for that the cause of the vnitie is taken awaie and that is the fastening togither In what cases married parties be free Wherefore it is said And he shall cleaue vnto his wife and they shal be two in one flesh But he which committeth adulterie cleaueth not vnto his wife and so he is not one flesh with hir The verie same is to be iudged if a faithfull wife for hir faith sake be cast off hir husband being an infidell for there also is their cleauing togither taken awaie that is to wit the cause of vnitie Wherefore Paule saith 1. Cor. 7 15. The Lord hath not called vs to bondage Neither must it be anie let vnto vs that the name of Two is not expressed in Genesis it is sufficient that Christ hath added that word And the same must be fullie supplied in Genesis sith when those things were spoken there were onelie two Adam and Eue. An other obieccion But héere is a great doubt put for if that reason concerning vnitie of flesh should be of force it will also be of force in fornication and adulterie so as it should not be lawfull for a lewd man to be plucked from hir with whom he hath committed fornication Looke par ◠pla 1. art 4. In so much as Paule when he disputed against fornication saith 1. Cor. 6 15 Shall I take the member of Christ and make it the member of an harlot For it is written saith he They shall be two in one flesh Now is that reason either firme or not firme if it be firme it shall also be of force in fornication if it be not of force neither shall it be firme in matrimonie Some answer that Paule saith that indéed the flesh of them which commit fornication togither is all one yet not perpetuallie but for a time onelie Howbeit this is nothing for Paule citeth the same place out of Genesis Neither dooth he speake of one houre or another but absolutelie It séemeth that a better answer may be made on this wise that so far as belongeth to the nature of the thing it selfe the flesh is altogither one but séeing that whooremongers come not togither according to the Lords institution that coniunction is not firme but may be dissolued Indéed they are made one and the same flesh as concerning the fact as they vse to saie howbeit by stealth not lawfullie But in matrimonie both are good as well the coniunction as the prescript of the Lord. That did Paule laie hold of bicause he sawe it made to the purpose for this hath whooredome common with matrimonie Which hereby appéereth for that through such a conuersation with harlots there ariseth an affinitie so as it may not be lawfull afterward to contract matrimonie with the parents or children or brethren of such a one as thou hast before vnlawfullie kept companie with This is euident by the scriptures 2. Sam. 20 3 for when Absolom had kept vnlawfull companie with the wiues of his father Dauid when he was afterward restored would not receiue them vnto him bicause he did perceiue that by reason of that ill companie there was now some affinitie contracted Howbeit no lawe is by that meanes procured whereby the whooremonger may compell the harlot to remaine with him The fourth argument 7 Paule vnto the Corinthians writeth verie well of this matter For first he saith 1. Cor. 7 2. Let euerie man for auoiding fornication haue his owne wife and euerie woman haue hir owne husband But Hir owne is contrarie vnto Him that is common to another Againe if the husband haue manie wiues the wife of necessitie must haue a husband common to others and not proper to hir selfe The Logicians haue verie well defined that to be proper which alwaies and onlie agréeth vnto one alone Paule addeth verse 5. I would not haue you to defraud one another But in polygamie one or other must of necessitie be defrauded for the husband cannot kéepe companie with them all at once Wherefore Iacob was constreined so to decide the matter as he by turnes was sometime with Rachel Gen. 30 15. and sometime with Lea séeing hereof there arise perpetuall contentions and bralles betwixt women For we sée no liuing creature that is so void of courage but both in
the Authentiks where it is intreated of women taken awaie which marrie the raptor was compelled to make the lawe anew bicause there were some which cauilled that if she that was taken awaie did consent to be married she might possesse the goods of the raptor For so they interpreted the first lawe that the goods of the raptor ought to come vnto hir that was taken awaie if she married him or if he in his will made hir his heire But we saith Iustinian ment no such thing for our lawes doo not appoint rewards for a wicked crime Besides neither can he make anie will forsomuch as he is now condemned to die Neither doo anie of our lawes suffer anie such matrimonies to be in force And if it be no matrimonie how then can she possesse the goods of the raptor in the name of the dowrie And so he decréed that such matrimonies should not be ratified What then shall become of the goods of the raptor If the maid saith he haue parents which haue not therevnto consented those goods shall come vnto them but if they haue consented as I haue alreadie said they were banished without anie proprietie of goods or lands Which kind of punishment was much more gréeuous than plaine exile But if the maiden had no parents or had those which consented the goods of the raptor were confiscate to the cōmon treasurie By these things it appéereth that in those times rauine was counted detestable Wherevnto I will also adde this If anie daughter had married against the will of hir parents or otherwise behaued hir selfe wantonlie and vnchastlie it was lawfull for the parents to disherit hir as appéereth in the Code De inofficioso testamento in the lawe Si filiam This one thing is excepted If the father knew that the iust time of matrimonie was past and would not bestowe his daughter then hath he nothing to deale against hir if she marrie without his knowledge or against his will naie rather he is compelled to giue hir a dowrie as appéereth in the Code in the same place in the lawe Si post viginti quinque annos Whereby it appéereth that 25. yéeres was the furthest time that matrimonie should be driuen off The same is mentioned in the Digests De ritu nuptiarum in the lawe Qui liberos Other lawiers determine the same thing if a woman take awaie a man by violence although they saie that happeneth but seldome 30 Now must be added the opinion of the Canonists The opinion of the Canonists and what they bring out of the scriptures In the 36. cause question the first Gratian bringeth that definition of rapt which we haue before confuted But this he addeth that in rauine iniurie is sometime doone to the maiden and not to the parents and sometime to the parents and not to the maiden and sometime to them both For if the maiden will be taken awaie of hir owne frée will there is no iniurie doone vnto hir but vnto hir parents howbeit if the parents giue the man power to take awaie their daughter bicause she will not consent to marrie him then there is no iniurie doone vnto them but vnto the daughter Yet there is iniurie doone to both of them when the daughter is led awaie from hir parents against their will And in the same place he bringeth the Councell of Orleance The Councell of Orleance in the chapter De raptoribus where also he confesseth that rauine was woont to be punished with death But it is further said that If the raptor take the church he escapeth the punishment of death How then If the maiden saith he consented vnto the raptor first she shall be taken from him and restored to hir parents Neuerthelesse she being excused to wit a caution being accepted let hir not be slaine or disherited but if she consented not she is by hir selfe sufficientlie purged yet shall the raptor be compelled to publike penance as it appéereth in the 36. cause question the second chapter Raptores The Councell of Chalcedon and Cabylon But what if he will not doo penance He shall be excommunicated according to the Cabylon and Chalcedon Councell Notwithstanding if he doo penance he shall be punished by the pursse And herein they saie that they followe the word of God which is written in Deuteronomie the 22. chapter Deut. 22 28 If a man dishonest a maiden he shall giue vnto hir father fiftie sickles and shall take hir to wife And so they condemne the raptor to paie a certeine summe of monie vnto the parents of the maiden the which summe if he will not paie or hath not wherewithall he is driuen to serue the father of the maiden for certeine yéeres which the Glosser contriueth into fiue vpon this condition that in the meane time he may redéeme himselfe if he will It is added also If they consent togither the matrimonie is firme so that the father agrée therevnto And that these matrimonies may be firme betwixt the raptor and hir that is taken awaie It also appéereth by the Decretals De raptoribus incendiarijs in the chapter Cùm causa and in the chapter following which without doubt is against the ciuill lawes and against the Canons of the better sort But the Councell Meldenum decréed far otherwise The Councell Meldenum for first it ordeined that the raptor and she that is taken awaie should doo publike penance afterward it permitteth matrimonie but yet not betwéene themselues but with other And it is added that If the husband or wife of either of them die he which hath committed the rauine or consented vnto the raptor cannot contract new matrimonie except the bishop release him Besides this it is decréed that by no meanes anie such matrimonie should be firme no not although the parents consent therevnto Yea and the same Gratian confesseth that the same thing was decréed in the Councell which was held at Aquisgrane The Councell of Aquisgrane yet afterward both he himselfe otherwise defineth and also the Decretals of the Popes What then make they of those Councels They answer that those Councels ment this that it should not be lawfull to contract matrimonie in that case vnlesse open penance be first doone and the consent of the parents had And to prooue that sentence Gratian in the 36. cause question 2. chapter Tria Ierom. citeth Ierom who séemeth to acknowledge thrée kinds of matrimonie to be lawfull One when a maiden is giuen in matrimonie to a husband by hir parents or tutors An other if a maiden be oppressed of a man and hir father afterward consent to giue hir to him in matrimonie The third is if the father consent not to such marriages but giue hir vnto an other man These thrée matrimonies he saith are lawfull in the holie scriptures But in the 27. cause question 2. chapter Additur by the testimonie of Ierom there is added an other lawfull kind of matrimonie namelie when a
40 But he therefore speaketh of the commandement of Christ to mitigate the sharpenesse of his spéech for it séemeth intollerable to the flesh that matrimonie cannot be dissolued It is euen as much as if Paule had said I set not before you strange or new things and such as haue not béene heard of before my time this the Lord hath commanded Else both this and those things which the apostle wrote before are firme and full of authoritie But this is the difference that these things the Lord spake by his owne selfe and repeateth them by Paule but those other he would to be vttered by the apostle onelie And touching his sentence that matrimonie should not be dissolued A reason of Christ why matrimonie must not be dissolued Gen. 2 24. Christ allowed it by a testimonie out of the booke of Genesis where it is said For this cause a man shall leaue his father and mother and shall cleaue vnto his wife Two néere fréendships are laid togither in these words the one is betwéene parents and their children the other betwéene the husband and the wife And séeing the bond of the father or of the children is such as it cannot be sundered and shaken off by anie meanes much lesse this bond betwéene man and wife And as the bond of amitie betwéene the child and the parents endureth perpetuallie so dooth the coniunction betwéene the husband and the wife This is Christs interpretation of that place and the reason that he bringeth thereof but yet he will haue the cause of adulterie to be excepted And Paule by whom Christ speaketh excepteth another thing namelie if one of the married persons in that he is an infidell will not dwell with the other being faithfull as it shall be declared in place conuenient 54 But as touching the cause of adulterie Whether onelie the cause of adulterie doo make a diuorse which Christ excepted some doubt whether that be the onelie cause and they are bold to saie that Christs meaning was to comprehend therin all other wickednesse which is either equall or more heinous than adulterie and they saie that the maner of the holie scriptures is that in one cause rehearsed they include others like vnto it Euen as we read in Deuteronomie Deut. 19 5. of man-slaughter which is committed by chance and against a mans will where one onelie reason is described namelie when the hatchet flieth off the helme But what Shall we not iudge the verie same if in building or carrieng of anie thing one man shall kill an other vnwillinglie Euen so saie they there are presentlie manie faults equall and perhaps more gréeuous than adulterie so as they iudge that those offenses doo also make a cause of diuorsement Lawes of the emperours for causes of diuorse Which meaning perhaps caused manie emperours otherwise godlie and studious of Christianitis to expresse manie crimes in their lawes for the which it should be lawfull to make a diuorse bicause they iudged them to be no lesse than adulterie And that other causes also besides the crime of adulterie are to be admitted héereby it may appéere 1. Cor. 7 15 for that Paule added as touching the vnfaithfull spouse which will not dwell with the other being faithfull which case Christ spake not of Coldnesse a cause of diuorse Yea and at this daie if a coldnesse as they terme it or other like impediment be perceiued in the parties which be alreadie married a iust diuorse is permitted And yet neuertheles Christ excepted onelie the cause of adulterie Yea and if we will throughlie consider what licence the bishops of Rome haue giuen to themselues héerein we shall perceiue that they haue openlie arrogated vnto themselues the power to dissolue matrimonie alreadie contracted so that there followed not copulation as they call it Yea moreouer it is reported that there hath béene a Popes dispensation séene which hath taken awaie matrimonie not onelie contracted but as they saie finished Note a licence of Pope Zacharie And Pope Zacharie as it is written in the fourth booke of sentences when a certeine man had committed adulterie with his wiues sister wrote thus vnto him Séeing thou hast committed this horrible act thou shalt haue neither of them to wife both thou and she whom thou hast defiled with adulterie shall remaine without hope of marriage and thine owne wife shall marrie in the Lord with whom she will In which case thou séest it manifestlie iudged by this bishop that a diuorsement made for the cause of adulterie dooth admit a marriage afterward They will that a mistaking of the person dissolueth matrimonie They will moreouer haue matrimonie dissolued if there be an error or a mistaking of the person or condition as if a woman shall thinke that she hath a certeine husband and shall afterward prooue the same to be an other than she ment to haue or else if she had taken him to be a frée man and of an honest stocke whom she findeth to be a bondman There is added also the cause of the degrée of kindred euen of the degrée not forbidden by the lawe of God when they would haue the matrimonie that is contracted to be cut off So it appéereth that it was not so straitlie iudged that the same onlie cause which Christ dooth expresse maketh a diuorse Otherwise séeing Christ expressed one onlie cause how commeth it to passe that emperours being christians and men also which be of the church haue added so manie other causes Certeinlie it was euen this that they thought that in that one onlie cause Christ ment to be conteined both the offenses which be equall and those which be more gréeuous Erasmus Erasmus who treated héereof at large added When the Lord commandeth that thou sweare not that thou be not angrie that thou saie not Racha Matt. 5. if a man shall strike thée vpon the one chéeke turne vnto him the other if one will take awaie thy cloke giue him also thy cote and such like we admit interpretations that we may vnderstand these things to be spoken oftentimes of the preparation of the mind to wit that it be not doone rashlie or lightlie nor without a iust cause and shall we be héere so hard and precise that we cannot admit anie interpretation or exposition 55 And the reason whie Christ did expresse but one onelie cause of adulterie séemeth to be Why Christ expressed onelie the cause of adulterie Gen. 2 24. for that there is nothing so great an enimie vnto matrimonie as this mischéefe is They shall saith the scripture be one flesh But he that committeth whoredome dooth so ioine himselfe to other flesh as he is plucked awaie from his owne wife for 1. Cor. 6 15. Shall I saith Paule take the member of Christ and make it the member of an harlot This as I haue declared is the opinion of some which although it be not wicked and perhaps it cannot easilie be confuted
bicause there be verie manie intemperate men which being blamed for their droonkennesse are woont to excuse their sinne otherwise most shamefull saieng that They abuse not wine forsomuch as they vse it to that end for the which it was appointed and ordeined by God to wit that mortall men might thereby make themselues merrie For this cause I thought it good to reprooue their impudencie Wherefore I will first declare the true vse of wine Afterward I will shew the abuse thereof A diuision of the treaâ—ise teaching it to be against the lawe of God Then will I bring examples manifestlie to open that the abuse of it is as well damnable as fowle and detestable After this I will rehearse the horrible effects of this euill And lastlie I will answer to those ciuillations and sophisticall arguments whereby droonkennesse and abuse of wine is defended by the Epicures Good and hâ—…est vses of wine As touching the first I denie not but that wine hath excellent properties for it quencheth the thirst which might also be doone with water howbeit not so commodiouslie Bicause wine in quenching thirst maketh a man strong and quickeneth the spirits whereby nature is verie much refreshed Further it is medicinable for cold and weakenesse both of the stomach and also of the powers which serue for the life of man Wherevpon Paule writeth vnto Timothie 1. Tim. 5 23. that he should vse wine for the stomach and often diseases thereof It is occupied sometimes also not vnprofitablie for wounds For which cause in the tenth of Luke it is written verse 34. that the Samaritane bound vp the wounds of him whom he found halfe dead and powred wine and oile into them Moreouer wine maketh merrie and helpeth not a little to driue awaie sadnesse and heauinesse of mind And therefore Salomon in his Prouerbes the 31. chapter writeth verse 6 Giue strong drinke to them that are heauie and wine to the sorrowfull of hart let them drinke and forget their pouertie and remember their sorrowe no more And we read in the 104. psalme verse 15. Wine reioiseth the hart of man For so great hath béene the goodnesse of God towards man that he would giue vnto them The maruelous goodnes of God towards men not onlie things necessarie for their sustenance but he also bestowed large deinties vpon them For properlie and of himselfe he delighteth not in the languishing sadnesse and heauinesse of men but desireth to haue them liue in godlie and honest merinesse of the hart Wherefore he hath granted vnto them not onelie the vse of wine but also of oile and most fragrant smels flesh likewise and also diuerse and manifold kinds of meats Assuredlie the vse of wine now and then is profitable for them which are recouered from diseases and must be restored to their former health and as a certeine Philosopher shewed the heauinesse and certeine bitternesse of old men is thereby mitigated and asswaged as hops which otherwise are most bitter become swéete being stéeped in water Moderation in drinking of wine But we must take héed that we kéepe a measure otherwise the reioising that is atteined by wine is soone turned into verie great heauinesse For the vntemperatnesse of wine dooth easilie loose his vtilitie yea and if men come to droonkennesse the vse of wine is most lamentable and hurtfull So then it is necessarie to put a difference betwéene the vse and abuse thereof Droonkennesse distinguished 43 Héerewithall we saie that to haue too much drinke or to be droonke may two waies be taken either properlie or metaphoricallie This difference did Marsilius Ficinus plainelie teach in the argument of his second dialog De iusto and he maketh one kind of droonkennesse aboue the moone or a celesticall droonkennesse stirred vp by drinking of heauenlie drinke wherby the mind being set without it selfe and aboue it selfe forgetteth all mortall diseases and onelie considereth things diuine by the brightnesse whereof first it waxeth dimme but after that it tasteth the sauour of the same it is by a new heat changed from his first habit or qualitie whereby within a while it cléerelie beholdeth spirituall things and while it sauourlie tasteth them it is fruitfullie nourished Wherefore it is written in the psalme Psal 36 9. We shall be made droonken with the fruitfulnesse of thy house Yea and Musaeus an ancient Poet saith Musaeus that the reward of vertue is perpetuall droonkennesse Orpheus And Orpheus before Musaeus said that the same was signified by the ceremonies and holie seruices of Dionysius The other kind of droonkennesse he saith is vnder the moone and is worldlie which is stirred vp of drinke taken out of the fountaine Lethes that is carnall drinke whereby the mind being set without it selfe and vnder it selfe forgetteth diuine things and doteth Neither is it to be doubted but that this kind of droonkennesse is vtterlie to be auoided Of the first kind of droonkennesse which is metaphoricall there is plaine mention made in the Prouerbes of Salomon Prou. 9 5. where wisdome stirreth vp men to drinke wine which she hath set foorth vpon hir table plentifullie and abundantlie Matt. 26 29 Yea and Christ our sauiour which is the true wisdome promiseth vs such wine in the kingdome of heauen By translation also is described the wine of compunction and furie which God will giue vnto the wicked to drinke whereby they shall become mad and for their deserts be turned into starke furie But setting aside these metaphors let vs returne vnto droonkennesse properlie taken whereof we now intreate And let vs declare by testimonies of the holie scriptures that such abuse of wine is forbidden Droonkennesse forbidden by the holie scriptures Ephe. 5 18. and the contrarie inioined vs. To the Ephesians Paule saith Be yee not made droonken with wine wherein is intemperance but be ye filled with the spirit speaking to your selues by psalms hymnes and spirituall songs Vpon which place Ierom saith We cannot at one time be filled with wine and with the holie Ghost For the apostle placeth these things as contraries euen as we cannot serue two maisters He that is filled with the spirit hath wisdome méekenesse shamefastnesse and chastitie and he which is filled with wine hath foolishnesse furiousnesse malapertnesse and shamefull lust They which be not filled with wine can easilie sing psalmes hymmes and spirituall songs which they cannot doo that haue filled their gorge with wine The like also Paule writeth Rom. 13 14 Care ye not for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof But Christ by expresse words said vnto his disciples Luke 21 34 Take heed that your harts be not ouercome with surfetting and droonkennesse And in the old testament in the Prouerbs the 31. chapter it is written Prou. 31 4 verse 31. Giue not wine vnto kings And in the 23. chapter Looke not vpon the wine when it is red and when it sheweth his
to the people of the dansing of the daughter of Herodias And among other things he saith At this daie the Christians deliuer to destruction not halfe their kingdome not an other mans head but euen their owne soules And he addeth that Where wanton dansing is there the diuell danseth togither with them In the councell of Laodicea it is written The Councell of Laodicea It is not méet for Christian men to danse at their marriage Let them dine and sup grauelie and moderatelie giuing thanks vnto God for the benefit of marriage We read also in the same Councell Let not the Clergie come vnto shewes either vpon the stage or at weddings They may indéed be present at marriages but afterward when there come in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is singers or plaiers vpon instruments which serue for dansing let them rise and go their waies least by their presence they should séeme to allow that wantonnesse The Councell of Ilerden In the Ilerden Councell which was held vnder the Popes Symmachus and Hormisda and vnder Theodoricus the king the same is decréed namelie that Christians should not danse at marriages The Councell of Alliciodoren In the Alliciodoren Councell which was held vnder Pope Deus dedit this restraint séemeth to be made for the Clergie For there it is forbidden that anie of the Clergie should at a feast either sing or danse as though in a sort that might be lawfull for others The schoolmen Of the same opinion are certeine Schoole-diuines vpon the third booke of sentences distinct 37. who referre these prohibitions onelie vnto the holie daies Richardus De media villa saith that To danse on the holie daies is a sinne most gréeuous as though on other daies it might be permitted But the opinion of the fathers and sound councels is farre more seuere than the opinion of these men who perniciouslie leaue those things at libertie which should be restrained séeing therewith is ioined a danger vnto soules and not a danger onelie but offenses gréeuouslie to be lamented Howbeit it séemeth that these men borrowed this their doctrine wherein they forbid dansing on the holie daies out of the ciuill lawes For in the Code in the title De ferijs in the lawe Dies festos In déed we release idlenes on the feast daies but we will not haue men giue themselues vnto voluptuousnesse Wherefore it shall not be lawfull on the feast daies to vse dansings whether they be doone for lusts sake or for pleasure 56 But let vs sée what opinion the Ethniks had of this matter Aemilius Probus Aemilius Probus in the life of Epaminondas saith that To sing and danse was not verie honourable among the Romans when as the Graecians had it in estimation Salust Salust in his oration against Catiline wrote that Sempronia a certeine lasciuious and vnchast woman was taught to sing and danse more delicatelie than became an honest matrone And there he calleth those two things the instruments of lecherie Cicero Cicero in his third booke of Offices writeth that An honest and good man will not danse in the market place although by that meanes he might atteine to great possessions And in his oration which he made after his returne into the senate he in reproch calleth Aulus Gabinius his enimie Saltatorem calamistratum that is A dansing dizard It was obiected to L. Muraena for a fault bicause he had dansed in Asia And euen this also was obiected against king Deiotarus Cicero answereth for Muraena No man being sober danseth either in the wildernesse or at an honest and moderate banket vnlesse perhaps he be out of his wits The same Cicero in his Philippiks among other vices vpbraideth Anthonie with dansing But it appeareth that the nature and disposition of the men of the East and of the West parts was not all one They are chéerfull of mind and nimble of bodie and for that cause delight in dansings 2. Sam. 6 16 For to omit other examples Dauid the king dansed publikelie And they which come now vnto vs out of Syria doo affirme that the Christians which liue in those regions doo vpon the resurrection daie and also vpon other famous feast daies come into the temple with harps viols sing psalms among themselues danse togither For their spirits are verie light and ours more sad heauie Howbeit they saie they danse soberlie and modestlie the men apart by themselues and the women by themselues Of Garments and Apparell 57 We sée that the Lord did first giue vnto men decent and thriftie garments In Gen. 3 verse 21. such as haue respect vnto a vse and not vnto a delicatenesse and prodigalitie And séeing that in all men iustice comelinesse and modestie ought to be obserued we be taught héere to vse the same in our garments the end whereof is profit and honestie This must be obserued that therein we passe not our bounds either as touching the stuffe or as touching the maner and fashion That these limits are appointed for garments it appeareth in that Adam first made himselfe bréeches for he was ashamed of his nakednesse Therefore an honestie must be regarded God for this cause apparelled man for that he would cast him out of the distemperature of the weather therefore vtilitie is to be respected The Iewes had their frindges and the priests their proper kind of garments Further herein it is conuenient that there be a diligent consideration had of the custome age and sex that there be no rash alteration from the maner of the countrie And what custome must be obserued the sundrie garments which were appointed vnto priests doo declare and in that the prophets were clothed after another maner than the common people The sex also must be considered Deut. 22 5. for a woman must not weare the apparell of a man nor the man of a woman Touching age the youth must go after one sort and the elder people after another The vse of the countrie must be regarded for the Iewes ware frindges on their garments Matt. 23 5. How greatlie men doo sinne by wearing of wanton apparell we may gesse by the apostles Peter and Paule 1. Pet. 3 3. 1. Tim. 2 9. who forbad women to weare pretious garments and superfluous decking of their haire that should be trimmed or braided with gold or pearle who neuerthelesse haue a colourable excuse namelie to please their husbands Wherefore how much more must these things be reprooued in men Wherefore the vse of garments was giuen vs. If then the vse of garments was deuised to withstand the prouocation vnto wantonnesse whereof a shamefastnesse was giuen vs by God they are greatlie to be blamed which prouoke the same euill by the curious fashion finenesse and nicenesse or vanitie of apparell Also let all superstitiousnesse be auoided neither let there be anie vertue or holinesse attributed vnto garments And let here the goodnesse of GOD be considered
none that is godlie will delight in this kind of sinne For if a man loue God with all his heart it is necessarie that he refraine and detest all sinnes which are manifestlie repugnant vnto the will of GOD We take pleasure in sinnes by chance and vnto his lawe But accidentallie or indirectlie it is possible that some pleasure may be taken in them Morall good works doo delight vs though they be sinnes As if we be now set at libertie the more and more gréeuous acts they be which we haue committed the more shall we reioise And if a man haue béene before time proud and arrogant and after some fall being repentant doo behaue himselfe more modestlie he will somewhat reioise by reason of his sinne Which also happeneth if after faults be committed good lawes be made and an order appointed that such faults be not afterward committed For we reioise that such an occasion was offered And bicause that as Paule saith Where sinne hath abounded grace also hath more abounded and vnto them that loue GOD althings worke to good we will grant that by a phrase of spéech although not proper but by accidents the godlie may sometime take pleasure of sinnes But in speaking of morall workes which are doone by them that are not regenerate if we looke perfectlie into them A similitude we cannot but reioise in them For euen as it is a pleasure and that not small to behold the vertues of hearbs the properties of liuing creatures of pretious stones and of the starres so also it is a delight to sée the acts of notable men which acts GOD would haue to be in the nature of man for the preseruation of Common-weales and of ciuill discipline Who taketh not pleasure when he readeth the honest life and vertuous acts of Socrates Or when he weigheth with himselfe the notable acts doone by Scipio Aphricanus And also when he séeth the things that be doone in our time of notable men that are euen void of Christian religion Yea for so much as they haue a certeine shew and countenance of sound vertues the godlie are so much delighted with them as they are often times stirred vp to praie earnestlie for the saluation of those men thus thinking with themselues If God vouchsafe to change these men and to draw them vnto Christ they would be a great ornament and helpe vnto the church neither do they easilie despaire of their saluation Euen as a skilfull husbandman A similitude if perhaps he sée a ground verie ranke with brakes and wéeds desireth to buy the same thinking with himselfe that if the naughtie hearbs were wéeded out and the brakes with a plough rooted vp fruits would plentifullie growe thereon And so also will he doo if he sée wild vine trées or wild oliue trées spring in anie place of their owne accord for he will thereby iudge the ground to be méet both for vine trées and for fat oliue trées if it might be well husbanded Also Christ our sauiour when a yong man had asked him what he should doo to atteine to euerlasting life and he had answered him Matt. 19 16. Keepe the commandements and when the yong man had replied that he indeuoured himselfe therevnto euen from his youth which neuerthelesse was not true Iesus for all that delighted in that indeuour of his whatsoeuer it was touching the inquirie of saluation and of obeieng the commandements of God as much as in him laie For this is the meaning of that which Marke writeth in the tenth chapter that Christ loued him to wit that considering his present calamitie he was mooued with mercie for that he labouring and going about to atteine vnto the righteousnesse of works fell awaie from it The same Lord also when he had made answer that the greatest commandement is To loue God with all our heart with all our soule Mark 12 34 and with all our strength and that the next commandement is To loue our neighbour as our selues and that a certeine Scribe had commended the answer of the Lord the Lord said Thou art not far from the kingdome of heauen although he yet beléeued not neither was he iustified by Christ But the Lord would declare that this his assent to the truth resembled some shew of dutie and godlinesse Wherefore in such works as morallie be called good the mind of the godlie sort is delited although it be also gréeued that those works be not doone as they ought to be And as touching the saieng of the apostle we must not gather Rom. 10 2 that he of sinne that is of zeale without true knowledge conceiued a loue and good will towards the Iewes For he reasoneth not from the cause naie rather by the effect he declareth his loue towards them namelie in that he not onelie praieth for the saluation of them but also for that he aggrauateth not the crime which they were guiltie of but rather excuseth it so far as the matter will permit It should be a false argument A non causa vt causa that is taking that for the cause which is not the cause if a man would hereby prooue that Paule was delited in the sinnes of the Iewes But if a man will néeds contend that this argument is taken from the cause we will saie that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in English is Harts desire is in this place an affect The zeale of the Iews was sinne which perteineth vnto mercie And so Paule had compassion of the Iewes bicause he sawe them so miserablie deceiued Of Salutations In 2. King 5 verse 29. 15 That which in the scriptures is commanded of forbidding salutations one towards another séeme to be a verie hard vnvsuall thing forsomuch as a salutation is nothing else What is a salutation but a luckie and happie praieng and it is not the least worke of charitie towards our neighbours Among the Hebrues it is expressed in the word Beraca which is as they commonlie call it a benediction or a good and gladsome praieng and of the Gréeks it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Further to salute againe commeth of a gratefull mind and belongeth vnto exchanging or recompensing iustice For it is méet and good right that we should in like maner wish good things to them which haue first wished well to vs. And there is no doubt but that mutuall salutations doo verie much further vnto the ioining togither of minds Which coniunctions how necessarie and profitable they be in a christian Common-wele and in the church of Christ all men doo knowe Augustine Augustine in his 42. sermon De sanctis If anie doo not salute a man whom he méeteth or vse not salutations againe vnto him that hath saluted him he shall not be taken of the traueller for a man but for a stocke a stone or for Mercurie who standing by the waie directeth the iournie and speaketh not a word Neither can mutuall salutation be
15 25 51 Wherefore let euerie one ponder in his mind what a felicitie remaineth for vs séeing it is admitted that we shall sée him and shall haue experience of our first begotten brother in that glorie and triumph where we shall not onlie be one with him but with the eternall father also with whome he shall make vs firmelie to abide as a kingdome woone by his owne conquest and gouerned in an excellent sort Ibidem 28. That the same God the father as Paule testifieth in that place may be all in vs all Now then my brethren what better thing can we desire How profitable pleasant glorious honest beautifull and in euerie respect good shall it be that that father and blessed God shall be all in all These things are not else-where to be fought séeing they be not else-where to be atteined Some shadowe proofe and little sparke of that blessednesse of ours did Peter taste vpon the mount Mat. 17 4. and therefore he wished there to haue his perpetuall habitation Therof had Paule a triall when he was rapt into the third heauen where hée heard great mysteries so farre remooued from the sense of man as they were vnspeakable 2 Cor 2 2. The face of Moses so glistered by reason of the conuersation which he had with the diuine glorie as the Israelites were not able by anie meanes to behold him Exod. 34 35 What shall happen therefore vnto vs when we haue obteined with him the place of children and house-dwellers If so be at anie time it happen here that we by anie motion of the spirit read the scriptures if we powre out our earnest praiers before God if we lament before him with great zeale for the euill which we suffer or else be mooued inwardlie through the effectuall preching of the word doo we not conceiue a ioie delectation and consolation which passeth all delights pastimes and pleasures of this world But this is onelie a beginning of eternall life whereby neuerthelesse yet we may coniecture how pure perfect and vnmeasureable happinesse that shall be which is in the life to come Touching the which manie more things might be disputed but it is more méet to leaue these amplifications to the faith of the godlie reader The which felicitie séeing it is the gift of God which procéedeth not from our selues in that God maketh vs capable thereof so are we woont to conceiue much more according to the measure which commeth into vs. And these swéet conceits of the mind doo comfort and refresh vs in the calamities of this life they shewing vnto vs euen in the middest of the storms of this world the hauen of so great a felicitie Vnto the which we beséech him to bring vs that by his pretious death hath procured it for vs. And that it will please him through his holie spirit to bring therevnto all such as through him are regenerated by the eternall father with whom he liueth triumpheth and reigneth for euer Amen ¶ Heere brethren ye haue a short exposition of the particular things belonging to our faith And as touching those things which shall be perceiued of you to want I beseech you to allow of these excuses One is that my abilitie is but small and slender the other is for that I meane in the booke which I haue in hand touching the true worshipping of God to supplie manie wants which for breuitie sake I haue omitted God and the Father make you partakers more and more of his grace in Christ Iesu our Lord Amen The end of the Second Part. THE Third Part of the Common Places of PETER MARTYR In the which is treated of the causes and generall meanes whereby we are let into the possession of Christ and of saluation and as touching the effects of Christ remaining in vs. The first Chapter Of Predestination Vpon the ninth chapter to the Romans at the latter end of the chapter Looke In Gen. 25 vpon the whole 9. chapter to the Rom. and In 11 vers 8 c. LEast in disputing our talke might straie too farre which might easilie come to passe in so large a féeld of Gods predestination the tract wherof is verie intricate all that we mind to saie wée will diuide into foure principall points that is to wit A diuision of the question I will first diligentlie search out the nature and definition thereof Secondlie what are the causes of it for nothing can perfectlie be knowne which is not knowne by causes Thirdlie what are the effects which predestination bringeth foorth in men for there are manie things which by their effects are most plainlie vnderstood and perceiued Lastlie whether the power or force thereof be such that it bringeth vnto men necessitie and whether it either taketh awaie or hindereth the libertie of the will of man and whether it may be altered or changed These parts being diligentlie discussed we will then make an end of this discourse And yet will I not promise of this matter to speake all that were to be spoken for there are infinite things which come to their mind that consider of this matter onelie those things will I touch at this present which shall séeme most necessarie and are in greatest controuersie which being so compacted it shall not be hard for others to gather else-where to themselues much more matter But before we go to the definition of predestination I am to dispatch two matters The one is Whether it stand with true pietie to dispute of predestination whether it stand with true christian religion either to dispute or to preach of predestination least that if it be not lawfull we should séeme to doo wickedlie The other forasmuch as the Logicians teach that the question whether a thing be or no naturallie goeth before that question whereby is demanded what a thing is that we breake not that order let vs first consider whether there be anie predestination or no to the end we may afterward the more safelie define it As touching the former question this is to be vâ—…rstood that there are sundrie elections of God For there are some The elections of God are diuerse which serue for the executing of some certeine office as to a kingdom or to an apostleship and others there are vnto eternall life And these elections are sometimes separated asunder for it happeneth oftentimes that he which is chosen vnto a kingdome is not straitwaie chosen vnto eternall life which also happeneth of the apostleship as in Iudas Howbeit Iohn 6 70. sometimes they are ioined togither so that whereas wée speake of temporall election wée may also vnderstand that the same is ment of the eternall And after this sort Paule saith Gal. 1 15. that he was called to be an apostle and seuered from his mothers wombe namelie to the apostleship and preaching of the gospell and yet togither therewithall he vnderstandeth that he was predestinate to eternall saluation Christ also said Iohn 15
that doubteth of saluation hath not the hope belonging to a christian or else if they haue that hope they must néeds be assured of their saluation But if a man will saie What if I shall be vnwoorthie and therefore God will not bestowe vpon me the chéefe reward I answer that this is a wrestling of the conscience and must be ouercome by hope for the obteinement whereof let vs cleaue fast vnto the word of God such as is this God is faithfull 1. Co. 10 13 which will not suffer you to be tempted aboue your power but togither with the temptation will make a waie out and such like places of the holie scripture wherein God promiseth that he will giue perseuerance vnto his euen vnto the end And to speake bréeflie the hope of the godlie leaneth onelie vnto the goodnes power and mercie of the onelie God This thing Basilius verie well vnderstood in his exposition vpon the 33. psalme when de interpreteth these words Psal 33 18. Hoping in his mercie He which putteth not saith he confidence in his owne proper déeds neither hopeth to be iustified by works hath his hope of saluation onelie in the mercie of God for when he shall consider these things with himselfe Behold God and his reward c. 44 But the Schoole-men haue taught farre otherwise for the Maister of the sentences in his third booke The school-mens definition of hope thus defineth hope Hope is an assured expectation of the blessednes to come comming of the grace of God and of merits going before Which definition how absurd it is especiallie touching the latter part it is manifest in those which are newlie from most heinous and horrible sinnes conuerted to Christ for they vndoubtedlie can haue no good merits séeing before they were void of charitie from which all our works procéed Yet can there be nothing more certeine than that they They that be conuerted vnto Christ cannot be without hope though they haue no merits and works They that be most wicked ought not to cast awaie all hope which be conuerted vnto Christ cannot be without hope Yea Augustine vpon the psalme From the depth haue I called vpon thee ô Lord exhorteth them that fall and those which liue in the depth of euils not to cast awaie hope and that by the example of the théefe and of manie others It may now be demanded of them by what merits hope is confirmed in these men They commonlie answer that merits doo not alwaies go before hope but alwaies go before the thing hoped for And they declare their opinion touching this matter in such sort as they teach that merits go before hope either in verie déed or else doubtles in thought For men newlie conuerted commonlie while they conceiue hope of saluation determine both in their mind and in their cogitation to doo good works whereby they thinke to merit the last reward But what certeine hope can these good works imagined in the mind produce which are not yet wrought For of a cause which yet is not cannot be produced an effect which alreadie is We should rather affirme the contrarie to wit that this godlie will springeth of faith and of hope than that faith or hope should procéed of it as from the cause But it is a world to sée how these men turne themselues when on the one side they saie that hope is an assured expectation and yet on the other side they will haue this to be a most firme doctrine that no man can be assured of his saluation vnles it be speciallie reuealed vnto him by God Here they perceiue themselues to be fast tied and they confesse that it is a hard matter to vnderstand what maner of certeintie the certeintie of hope is Here these miserable men sweat and go to worke and feigne and imagine manie things First they teach The certeintie of hope come of the certeintie of faith that all certeintie of hope commeth of the certeintie of faith and this indéed is not amisse for therfore we certeinlie hope bicause by faith we imbrace the most certeine promise of God But they go on further and saie that by faith we generallie and absolutelie beléeue that all the elect and predestinated shall be saued but that hope maketh vs to haue a confidence that we are of the number of the elect as though hope had a particular knowledge vnder faith that that which was generallie apprehended by faith is by hope applied vnto euerie one of vs apart Wherefore they affirme that this certeintie of hope is by supposition if we be of the number of the elect and doo persist euen vnto the end And this kind of certeintie they will haue to consist of verie likelie coniectures And at length they conclude that the certeintie of hope is lesse than the certeintie of faith 45 But contrariwise we make the certeintie of either of them to be alike The certeintie of faith and hope is alike for looke how much faith we haue so much hope also we haue for faith retaineth not with it selfe anie part of certeinetie which it deliuereth not ouer vnto hope That is a fond deuise which they bring touching application Faith applieth those things which it beleeueth vnto him in whom it is in that by hope they applie vnto vs those things which we haue by faith generallie and absolutelie beléeued For we doo not onelie beléeue that God is good or the father and author of mans felicitie but also euerie godlie man by faith assureth himselfe that God both is and will be vnto him good is and will be vnto him a father is and will be vnto him the author of felicitie Hereof commeth that certeintie of hope And for this cause it is that Paul writeth that It cannot confound And séeing faith hath a respect vnto God as to one that speaketh the truth and hope hath respect vnto him as vnto one that is faithfull and most redie to performe his promises and God himselfe is no lesse faithfull in performing than true in promising we may manifestlie conclude that hope hath as much certeintie as hath faith Certeintie as touching the obiect and subiect Neither can that anie thing more helpe them which they cauill at the length namelie that hope hath certeintie as touching the obiect but not as touching the subiect for when saie they it hath a respect vnto the clemencie goodnes grace and power of God there is no let in those things but that euerie one may be saued and therefore on that behalfe they appoint a grounded certeintie but if a man consider the subiect the mind I meane and will of him that hopeth forsomuch as it is pliable and wauereth and may be changed it can neuer be certeine or sure of saluation But these men séeme vnto me to deale euen as they doo A similitude which in a siege defending their citie diligentlie shut and defend all other gates sauing one which they leaue
Pighius bicause our aduersaries count him for their Achilles or chéefe champion and thinke that he onelie by his subtill sharpe wit hath pearsed euen into the secretest mysteries of the truth And this man vseth this cauillation A Cauillaton Ye are not iustified by that from which this iustification maie be separated for it is not possible that the causes should be pulled awaie or separated from their effects But faith is separated from iustification Whether iustification maie be separated from faith for manie that beléeue doo notwithstanding liue most shamefullie so farre is it off that they séeme to be iustified But bicause he thinketh that this maie be denied he bringeth a reason to prooue that it is not against the nature and definition of faith but that iustification maie be separated from it And he maketh an obiection out of the 13. chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians verse 3. If I haue all faith so that I can remooue mountaines and haue not charitie I am nothing By these words he concludeth that faith maie be separated from charitie and therefore from all good works He citeth this also out of Matthew Matt. 7 22. Manie shall come in that daie and shall saie Lord in thy name we haue prophesied and haue cast out diuels and haue wrought signes But vnto them shall answer be made I knowe you not These signes saith Pighius can not be doone without faith Wherefore séeing that they are shut foorth from the kingdome of heauen which doo yet these things it is cleare that they were not iustified wherefore in them faith was separated from righteousnes But this he thinketh is much more plainlie confirmed by Iohn for he saith That manie rulers of the priests beleeued in Christ Iohn 12 4◠which yet durst not openlie professe him But they which flie from the confession of the name of Christ are farre from saluation for Christ himselfe saith Mark 8 28. He that is ashamed of me before men of him will I be ashamed before my father These arguments although at the first sight they séeme to haue some shew yet if a man more narrowlie examine them he shall sée that that well agréeth with them The iudgement of Epictetus touching his owne books which Epictetus pronounceth of his books 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is These are but sights or ghosts of the dreames of hell Wherfore we must diligentlie ponder these reasons and not iudge of them by the first sight And euen as in coines of monie we vse not so much to haue a regard vnto the inscriptions A similitude or images as to the goodnesse and weight of the matter so also in arguments ought we to weigh and regard not so much the shew and colour of them as the thing it selfe and the strength of them We first denie that faith can be separated from iustification And whereas Pighius saith That that is not repugnant vnto the nature and definition of faith we in no wise admit it for against that opinion are all the holie scriptures and the true sense of the definition of faith and also the Fathers For as touching the scriptures Iohn saith He that beleeueth that Iesus is Christ 1. Iohn 5 1. the sonne of God is borne of God and he which is borne of God sinneth not For so long as faith beareth swaie in our harts we commit not those sinnes which destroie the conscience and alienate vs from GOD. How then saith Pighius that it is not against the nature of faith to be separated from iustification and from good works especiallie séeing Iohn saith Iohn 3 6. He which sinneth knoweth not God This thing also sawe the Fathers for Cyprian Cyprian De simplicitate praelatorum where he complaineth of the vngratiousnesse of his time for that charitie feare good works and such like were waxen verie cold thus writeth No man thinketh vpon the feare of things to come no man considereth the daie of the Lord and the wrath of God and that vpon the vnbeléeuers shall come punishments and that euerlasting torments are appointed for the vnfaithfull of which things our conscience would be afraid if it beléeued but bicause it beléeueth not therefore is it vtterlie without feare and if it beléeued then also would it beware and if it did beware then also should it escape These words declare that with true faith is ioined the feare of God and the eschewing of eternall punishments and auoiding of sinnes Now let Pighius go and saie that true faith can be separated from holie motions of the mind and from good works This selfe-same thing doth Ierome togither with Cyprian affirme against the Luciferians Ierome And if saith he I beléeued trulie I would cleanse that hart wherewith GOD is séene I would with my hands knocke my brest I would with teares water my chéekes I would haue in my bodie a horror I would be pale in mouth I would lie at the féete of my Lord and would wash them with wéeping and wipe them with my haires I would vndoubtedlie cleaue fast vnto the stocke of the crosse neither would I let go my hold thereof before I had obteined mercie Hereby also it is manifest that with true faith are ioined good works and repentance The definition of faith declareth that it can not be separated from iustification A similitude 56 But as touching the definition and nature of faith it may easilie be prooued that it can not be separated from iustification and from good works that is from his effects For faith is no common but a firme and vehement assent and that procéeding from the holie Ghost And if a poore caitife being condemned to die should receiue a promise onelie at the hand of a man that he should be deliuered and should giue credit vnto those words straitwaie his mind would wholie be changed to mirth and would begin inwardlie to loue the man that promised him such things and would pleasure him in what thing so euer laie in his power How much more is to be attributed to the true faith which is giuen to the word of God and is inspired by the spirit of God Wherfore if that humane faith doo drawe with it woonderfull motions of the mind how can we saie that the true and christian faith is naked without good works and destitute and alone Wherefore we now plainlie sée both by the holie scriptures and by the fathers and by the definition and nature of faith that it cannot be separated from righteousnes from godlie works Now let vs come to Paule he saith 1. Cor. 13 3. If I haue all faith c. But how knoweth Pighius that Paule there speaketh of that generall faith which cleaueth vnto the promise of God and iustifieth and not rather of a particular faith whereby are wrought miracles and which is a frée or gratious gift of the holy Ghost This faith is not applied to all things
beléeue that the ascension happened vpon a thursdaie We must not attribute ouermuch to traditions Wherefore let the Papists take héed how much credit they would haue to be giuen vnto their traditions for there be manie of them which the Papists them selues cannot denie but that they be ridiculous and vaine I knowe in déed that there be traditions which are necessarilie gathered out of the holie scriptures and for that cause they ought not to be abrogated But other traditions which be indifferent must not be augmented in number lest the church shuld be oppressed neither must they be thought so necessarie as though they may not be abolished And we must beware that the seruice of God be not thought to rest in them But as for those which are against the word of God they must not in anie wise be admitted In the distinction 76. in the first chapter Why the ember daies were inuented are added the ember daies or the foure quarterlie fasts The cause whie these haue béene distributed on this sort can hardlie be perceiued They cite Ierom vpon Zacharie who maketh mention of the fourth moneth the fift the seuenth and the tenth And they séeme to be mooued of a naughtie zeale to distribute these fasts into foure parts of the yéere And the fasts which the Iewes receiued euerie yéere for the calamities which they had suffered those also haue our men made yéerelie fasts But others haue inuented an other cause namelie bicause in those foure times of the yéere bishops are woont to promote Clerks vnto the ministerie and orders wherefore they saie that the people ought then most of all to fast and praie that God would grant them good pastors Fasting and praiers should be vsed at the time of ordering of ministers But I would demand of the bishops whie they ordeine ministers onlie at these foure times of the yéere Vndoubtedlie they can not shew anie certeine and iust cause whie 14 Augustine in his booke De haeresibus saith Augustine that Arrius contemned oblations for the dead Arrius the heretike and ordinarie times of fast bicause Christians were not vnder the lawe but vnder grace but he would that euerie man should fast at his owne pleasure when he himselfe would Certeinlie I allow not Arrius in that he was an Arrian but as concerning oblations and sacrifices for the dead he held that which is good and godlie Also touching ordinarie times of fasting I sée not whie he should be blamed vnlesse peraduenture he thought that fasts might not be proclaimed by the magistrate and by the church according as the danger of the time required The reason also which he vseth that Christians are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace is weake for we are not so deliuered from the lawe that we be fréed from all order Augustine also writeth Iouinian the heretike that Iouinian contemned abstinences and fasts as things vaine and vnprofitable wherein if he spake of bare fasts onelie and such as were appointed at certeine daies and certeine times of the yéere he iudged not ill For vnlesse they be adioined with faith and repentance and also with vehement praiers they nothing at all profit In the 58. chapter of Esaie the people complained We haue fasted verse 3. and thou hast not looked vpon vs. Which words doo shew that fasts without those circumstances which be requisite are not acceptable vnto God but if they be ioined with such things as are incident to them they be not vnprofitable Liberius By the decrée of Liberius who liued in the time of Constantius it may be perceiued that when the aire was vntemperat or when there was anie famine or pestilence or warre then they assembled togither to denounce a fast thereby to mitigate the wrath of God Augustine Augustine when he sawe his citie besieged by the Vandals gaue himselfe vnto fasting and praiers and in that siege died as Possidonius testifieth And generallie when we attempt anie great weightie matter as when we denounce war create Magistrates or ordeine Ministers of the church we haue most néed of feruent praiers for the feruentnesse whereof Matt. 4 2. fasting verie much auaileth Christ when he was to beginne his preaching went into the wildernesse and fasted A widow when hir husband is dead is left in a dangerous state therfore praiers fastings are verie méet for hir Luk. 2 36. Anna the daughter of Phanuel lead hir life in the temple where she gaue hir self to praier fasting 1. Tim. 5 5. Paule to Timothie saith A widow which is a true widow and desolate putteth hir confidence in the Lord and daie and night applieth hir selfe to praiers and fastings Acts. 10 3. Cornelius when as he was not sufficientlie instructed of Christ and was disquieted with a sorrowfull and heauie mind was in fasting and praiers at the ninth houre Acts. 3 10. to whom as we read in the Acts of the apostles the angell of the Lord appeared Whether fastings rightlie denounced must be obeied 15 But it maie be demanded that when fasts are commanded by princes and by the church whether men are bound to obey them or no Vndoubtedlie they are bound by the lawe of faith and by obedience For when fasts are set foorth which be agréeable vnto the word of God how can he that beléeueth in God refuse to doo them Assuredlie he cannot Howbeit this is to be vnderstood touching them which be of that state and condition that they be able to fast for if a man be hindred either by age or disease or labours Osc 6 6. The Gangrense councell in such a case that ought to be of force which the scripture saith I will haue mercie and not sacrifice But they which are not hindered ought to obeie In the Gangrense councell chapter 30. It is ordeined that if a man obeie not the fasts which are commanded him by the church hauing no bodilie necessitie howsoeuer he boast of perfection and proudlie contemneth the decrées of the church The canons of the apostles let him be accursed In the Canons of the apostles although they be Apocryphall conteine certeine strange things neither is the number of them sufficientlie agréed vpon I saie in the 86. Canon it is commanded that the clergie which fast not hauing no bodilie necessitie should be deposed Let infants in no wise be vrged and compelled to fast for that would be a hurt to their health Ioel. 2 16. Yet Ioel saith Sanctifie a fast gather togither old men and sucking children Iohn 3 7. And the Niniuits at the preaching of Ionas compelled beasts and infants to fast These were extraordinarie things neither are they set foorth to that end that we should imitate them 16 As for priuate fasts Augustine most men will haue them to be frée Wherefore saith Augustine to Cassulanus We knowe that we must fast when we are commanded but what daies we should fast
Semie when as Abisai would haue killed him Ibidem 10. for How knowest thou saith he whether the Lord hath commanded him to cursse me That one and the selfe-same man may haue contrarie affections Dauid declareth when he saith Psal 2 11. Serue the Lord with feare and reioise in him with trembling But thou wilt saie that afflictions are euill how then can we reioise in them That they be euill no man will denie for they be punishments of sinne ministers of death the last enimie that shall be driuen out of the world and at length from godlie men be vtterlie remooued Apoc. 21 4 For God shall wipe awaie all teares from the eies of the saints We grant that afflictions of their owne nature are euill howbeit we saie Afflictions of their owne nature art euill Rom. 8 28. that vnto the godlie and to the elect of God of whom we héere speake they are by the clemencie of God made good and profitable for Vnto them all things worke togither for the best For neither doo they suffer these things to their hurt but to their triumph And these things are like vnto the red sea wherein Pharao is drowned A similitude but Israel is saued for in the wicked they stirre vp desperation but in the godlie a most assured hope They are instruments whereby as we haue said is shewed foorth the goodnesse and might of God both in comforting vs and also in erecting vs. They are occasions euen of most excellent good things The power of God is made perfect in our infirmitie By these things as by a fatherlie chastisement our dailie falles are repaired hautinesse and pride kept vntder the flesh and wantonnesse restrained our old man corrupted but our inward man renewed sluggishnes and slouthfulnes is shaken off the confession of faith is expressed the weaknes of our strength is discouered and we are prouoked more earnestlie to praie and call for the fauour of God and dailie doo better vnderstand the peruersenesse of our owne nature Besides through afflictions we are made like vnto Christ for It behooued Christ to suffer Luke 22 26 and so to obteine his kingdome we also ought to followe the verie same steps Matt. 11 12. Matt. 7 13. Phil. 2 7. For the kingdome of God suffereth violence and strait is the waie that leadeth vnto life But Euen as he after the obedience of the crosse was exalted 2. Tim. 2 12. and had giuen him a name aboue all names so we also if we suffer with him we shall reigne togither with him And it is a swéet thing for a louer euen to suffer for the thing that he loueth By this meanes also we accustome our selues vnto patience that being become as it were the Diamond stone we shall rather wearie them that strike vs than we our selues be broken For these things be as exercises in a humane bodie whereby rather the health is confirmed and the strength recouered than taken awaie or weakned through them Rom. 5 3. 11 Wherefore the godlie vpon good cause reioise in afflictions knowing that Affliction worketh patience And héere is to be noted a phrase of spéech much vsed in the holie scripture whereby that which belongeth vnto the thing That which belongeth vnto the thing is attributed vnto the instrument is attributed vnto the instrument or signe And that this is oftentimes vsed in the sacraments we haue prooued by the saieng of Augustine albeit that our aduersaries are earnestlie against it Héere Paule attributeth vnto afflictions that which is the worke of God of the holie Ghost namelie Afflictions of their owne nature woorke not patience to worke patience by which afflictions forsomuch as they are of their owne nature euill and odious patience is not gotten but rather shaken off And this doo we perceiue to be manifest in the wicked who at such time as they be somewhat gréeuouslie afflicted doo burst foorth into blasphemies and also fall oftentimes into desperation A similitude But as the physician of things venemous and hurtfull maketh most healthfull medicines euen so almightie God by his wisdome out of afflictions although they be euill things bringeth foorth most excellent vertues among which patience is one This vertue belongeth to fortitude wherevnto are referred all those things Patience belongeth vnto fortitude which the saints doo suffer whether it be in couragious abiding of afflictions of the bodie or else in subduing of reason and mortifieng of the wisdome of the flesh Manie Ethniks also suffered manie things with a valiant mind but yet indured them not with a me sound consolation Onelie they said that by sorrowe they could neither change them nor let them for they ascribed those things vnto the necessitie of the matter Wherefore they said that this is our lot that euen as it were in a banket we must either drinke or depart And if we chance to die either we shall haue no féeling after death or if anie féeling be we shall be in a better state In this maner did they frame themselues after a sort to beare all aduersities But in godlie men the consideration of fortitude and patience is farre otherwise The consolations of the godlie they haue other causes and other meanes whereby they confirme themselues For they beare not those things with a good courage as though they should happen at all aduentures but bicause they knowe that by singular prouidence they come from the most louing and almightie God from God I saie their father who with a louing mind and by his right hand Psal 119 17 sendeth vpon them those afflictions to wit Iames. 1 2. vnto the saluation of the elect And for the same cause they also with their right hand that is to saie patientlie doo receiue them and take them in good part crieng with Dauid It is good for me that thou hast humbled me and with Iames They reckon that all ioie consisteth in those aduersities which the most good and the most wise God their father sendeth They alwaies lift vp the eies of their mind to those promises of Christ Matt. 5 4. Blessed are they which moorne for they shall receiue comfort Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Blessed are ye when men reuile you and persecute you and saie maner of euill against you for my sake falslie reioise and be glad for great is your reward in heauen They doo beare all things with a good courage not bicause in sorrowing they cannot be changed but bicause they knowe that in valiant suffering they offer themselues an acceptable sacrifice vnto God and persuade themselues that they shall one daie be deliuered from those euils in the stéed whereof are laid vp for them most ample ioies and quietnesse wherewith no fortune be it neuer so aduerse may be compared For The sufferings of this life Rom. 8 18. are not woorthie of
1. kin 17. 10 Yea and the children of the Prophets which hid themselues in the dennes by fiftie and fiftie 1. king 18. 4 receiued dailie sustenance of that godlie man Abdias which was the steward of Achab the King Wherefore we haue examples and testimonies ynowe in the holie Scriptures whereby it is confirmed that it is lawful for Prophets Ministers of the worde of God to take a liuing of them whom they bring vp and instruct in godlie doctrine Hitherto also pertaineth the Law giuen by God as concerning the honoring of parents Exo. 20. 12. Num. 18. 24 and the maintenāce of the whole Tribe of Leuie by tythes Lastlie the reason that persuadeth this is verie plaine all men know that the ministerie of the Church is a thing verie laboursome which exerciseth and requireth the whole man if he will doe his duetie So that he hath no leisure to exercise other Arts and functions whereby he might get his liuing For the which cause vnlesse he should receiue a liuing of his flocke he shoulde be constrained to die with hunger Neither must he rashlie attempt so to doe least while he séeke to liue by anie other meanes the flocke of Christ should be defrauded of spirituall nourishment 2 But thou wilt saie what if peraduenture he shall haue whereof to liue either by Patrimonie or by inheritance Whether ministers hauing wherewithall otherwise may take stipends or that he hath ynough wherewithall both by occupation to maintaine himselfe and by ministerie to gouerne and féede well the Church Which the Ecclesiasticall historie teacheth to haue happened vnto some For they saie that Spiridion receiued litle or nothing of his Church when as neuerthelesse he executed the office of a Bishop and therewithall exercised the Art of a Pastor Which also Paul and Barnabas sometime did 1. Cor. 9. 6. The matter is hard to be iudged for daungers are not wanting of each side For if he take a liuing of the Church such a one perhaps shall offend his flocke which will thinke him to be too much addicted vnto gain for that he séeketh to liue by other meanes when he can be maintained of his owne charges But on the other part if he receiue not the ordinarie profite he shall grieue and cause to be enuied such as receiue stipend of the Church to liue by And it will easilie come to passe that men of his Parish when they haue not yéelded vnto him the accustomed stipend they being allured by such a custome would afterward denie the same to the successour So that such a man in my iudgement maie receiue the vsuall profits but to bestowe the same among the poore and conuert it into good vses that it may be prouided as much as is possible that the weaker sort take no offence Besides this I thinke it méete to consider that Christ himselfe séeing he was God Luke 8. 3. might easilie haue taken both offices vpon him namelie to execute perfectlie the office of preaching Christ and the Apostles liued at the charges of the godly and therewithall also to haue gotten his liuing with his handes which neuerthelesse he did not but as we saide before liued vpon the Almes of the godlie 1. Cor. 9. 6. Yea and the Apostles which were plentifully replenished with the holie Ghost nor néeded great studie might easilie haue taken both charges vpon them yet they did it not Which I suppose was therefore doone because it should not bée thought that this custome ought to be required of ministers Séeing therefore it hath bin shewed that it is lawfull for them 1. Cor. 9. 7. both to inioy their right and to receiue foode and raiment it is to be added Pastors must doe their duetie with a good courage that they on the otherside with a good courage ought to doe their duetie least they be iustlie accused of negligence For Paul tooke his arguments from those dueties and artes which be verie laboursome namelie from warfare husbandrie and from shepheards craft No man is ignorant how manie and howe great be the labours of warfare And the troubles which shepheards haue Gen. 31. 40 Iacob expressed when he was at variance with Laban his father in law For there he made mention of the watchings cold heat violence of Lions Wolues and theeues But as touching husbandrie how hard that is we haue no neede to declare séeing we haue the afflictions and vexations thereof continuallie before our eyes So as Prophets and ministers are hereby admonished that they receiuing foode and sustenance should not be daintie of their labours but should diligentlie and with courage behaue themselues while that they be able in respect of their age and health which thing I therefore speake because that euen they which haue lost their strength and who are vexed with grieuous diseases ought to be excused nourished and cherished as though they laboured The ministers may not without great offence be denied their stipends 3 These things thus concluded it is requisite to sée how gréeuously they sinne which either denie or vnwillinglie yéeld sustenance vnto the Prophetes and ministers of God Which not onelie some of the Anabaptistes doe but also verie manie of them which would séeme Gospellers And of the causes of this enuie I will not saie vngratiousnes towardes ministers of the Church I sée that there be manie rootes For some be mooued with couetousnesse and thinke it to be lost whatsoeuer is giuen to the ministers of the Church Others séeme to be moued of an vnskilfull zeale 1. Cor. 9. 6. Ibid. 15. for they hearing that Paul and Barnabas laboured and receiued no reliefe of the faithfull are of the opinion that all the ministers of the Church should doe the same But the argument is naught for of a particular and priuate fact they bring in an vniuersall lawe when as rather it should bée concluded on the contrarie neither should all ministers be charged by one example So it is said to be done at this daie in that part of Polonia where the Waldensian brethren do gouerne the Churches The brethren of Waldensis for they put the people to no charges for their liuing but they liue of their owne labours and those things that remaine they bestowe vpon the poore Hereof it commeth that the noble men of that prouince which triumph ouer others haue Euangelicall Pastors and as méete it is doe maintaine them saying that they haue true Pastors and that others be rather bellie gods than ministers of the Church The third roote is that certaine hypocrites crept into the Churches and the more to allure the mindes of the people they faine that they would yéelde of their owne right and that neither they would haue yéerelie rentes nor certaine reuenues Which doubtlesse at the first shew abused simple men for they were persuaded that they would liue of their own But the craftie men began afterward to beg from doore to doore
the Bishops Councels To conclude this controuersie is betwéene vs and our aduersaries namelie whether the Church can erre We ioyne thereunto the worde of God by which if it deale and define we will graunt that the same doeth not erre But the Papists iudge that it is so greatly ruled by the holie Ghost that although it decrée anie thing besides or against the worde of God it doeth not erre and therefore they will that the same should rather be beléeued than the Scriptures of God But while they stand to that opinion they dissent the whole world ouer from the fathers who alwayes in their Councels confirmed their decrées by diuine Oracles 11 Our aduersaries procéede and craftily assault the trueth with a certaine saying of Augustin Contra Epistolam Fundamenti The saying of Augustin I should not beléeue the Gospell except c. expounded Look part 1. pl 6. Act. 7. part 4. pl. 4. Act. 12. There the man of God writ I shoulde not beléeue the Gospel vnlesse the authoritie of the Church mooued me withall Vnto these wordes they adde a rule of Logicke wherein it is saide that for the which euerie thing is like that thing it selfe is more like But they ought to haue knowen that if we shoulde deale by Logick that rule is true onelie in finall causes For if a man for healthes sake vse a medicine health is rather desired of him than the medicine But in efficient causes nothing is this waie concluded vnlesse the whole and full cause shall be brought For if one will saie that a man is made drunken with wine he cannot thereby prooue that the wine is more drunke because the whole cause of drunkennesse is not in the wine For it is required that it should be digested in the stomacke and that vapours bee stirred vp to trouble the braine Further if one shoulde learne of his maister the eloquence of an Orator it shoulde not therefore be concluded that his maister is better than he in making of Orations because the maister is not the whole cause of his learning There is besides required a wit and also a studie and diligence But the Church of which we nowe speake is not the whole cause of our faith it onelie publisheth preacheth and teacheth Also there is néede of the holie Ghost to lighten the mindes of the hearers and to bend their willes to imbrace those things which bee spoken Therefore Augustine wiselie wrote Vnlesse the authoritie of the Church had mooued mee withall and did not put simplie mooued What is to be affirmed of that that the Church hath giuen iudgement touching the holie Bookes 12 They are woont also to prattle vnto vs that the Church hath giuen iudgement of holie writ allowing some part and reiecting other some For it disallowed the Gospell of Nicodemus the Acts of Peter diuers Reuelations of the Apostles the Booke of the shepheard and such like And on the other side it imbraced the foure Euangelists which we now haue the writings of the Apostles which are at this daie read in the Churches By which iudgement they decrée that the authoritie of the Church excelleth the holie scriptures Howbeit this kinde of reasoning deriued from iudgement is weake because there be men of sharpe wit found which can discerne betwéene the right verses of Virgill and the wrong and betwéene the naturall workes of Aristotle and the counterfeit who neuerthelesse are a great deale lesse learned than Virgill or Aristotle 1. Iohn 4. 1 We are also commaunded To trie the spirites and to put a difference betweene God and the diuell and yet we be not equall or greater than God Howe then doeth the Church of God behaue it selfe towardes the words of God put in writing It preserueth and faithfullie kéepeth them it publisheth defendeth maintaineth them it is like a Notarie which faithfullie retaineth testaments with him whereas he is able to doe nothing beyond the last will of the Testator for if he should chaunge or inuert the same he should not be counted a faithfull Notarie but a falsifier and counterfeiter of testaments The Church in no otherwise hath and preserueth with it the holie Scriptures when as neuerthelesse it maie not either change or inuert or amplifie them But séeing they contend with an obstinate minde that the authoritie of the Scriptures dependeth of the Church why doe they not produce some Canon or decree of some Councel by which the holie Scriptures be ratified The holie scriptures haue not béene ratified by any decrée of Councels The primatiue Church of the Christians found the writings of the olde Testament to be firme and by them allowed and established the articles of our faith After this succéeded the Bookes of the Apostles written by the inspiration of God the which Bookes no decrée of men hath fortified For the wordes of God are not subiect to the will of men but on the other side whatsoeuer thing the Coūcels of the Church haue decréed they alwaies were careful to confirme them by the words of God euen as it may be prooued by all the Synodes which were of best note I am not ignorant that certaine Councels made rehearsall of the Bookes of God which also some of the olde Fathers did howbeit the faith of the diuine Scriptures was of force among the Christians long before the recital which they made Moreouer in their Catalogue are founde certaine bookes either past or abolished the which our enemies affirme to be most Canonicall The Books of the Machabées For out of the historie of the Machabees they séeke to prooue their Purgatorie when as neuerthelesse it is easilie shewed out of the writings of the old Fathers that that booke is not in the holie Canon 13 Some being ouercome by the force and power of the trueth preferre the worde of God aboue the Church but they will ouerrule tyrant like and retyre themselues to interpretations which they will haue to belong onelie vnto the Church Whether the exposition of the Scriptures belong to the Church namelie the Romane Church so that in verie déede they are not subiect to the word of God but doe account it to bée subiect vnto their decrées But howe faithfull interpretours they be and how iust expositions they make euerie one maie perceiue by these things which I will here adde Anacletus saide Interpretations of the scriptures Iohn 1. 41. that Peter was called Caephas of the Gréeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he was head of the Church But how straunge a thing it is that the Hebrew or Syrian worde should take his deriuation of the Gréeke tongue all men perceiue Christ reaching out the cup in his supper Drinke ye all of this saieth he Mat. 26. 27. The Romanists in their interpretation saie Drinke not ye all of this Let the laie men or vnlearned be content with the bread let onelie the Priests receiue both kindes In the Epistle to the Hebrewes Matrimonie is
wit in Asia in Greece in Egypt At Rome it was decreed afterward that the Images of the Emperours should be sanctuaries Wherefore Philostratus saith The kindes of Sanctuaries The Sanctuarie of the Image of Tiberius Furthermore such an immunitie was translated vnto the temples of Christians vnto Abbeis and Monasteries For when Princes had dedicated their name vnto Christ they gaue vnto holy houses those priuiledges which sometimes had belonged to Idolatrous Temples and Idols because they thought that Sanctuaries bee so necessarie a thing vnto the societie of men as without them the Common weale might not consist Then séeing it behooued to haue those they committed that honour vnto Churches The originall of sanctuaries must be sought frō Moses But if antiquitie of time should be sought foorth we must rather goe vnto Moses than vnto the Nephewes of Hercules For Moses was of more auncient time than they He doubtlesse in manie places of his lawes hath made mention of Cities of refuge And in Exodus the 21. Verse 14. Chapter he commaunded in the name of God that manslayers which willingly and of set purpose had slaine anie man should be plucked from the verie Altar But if any man had vnwittingly and vnwillingly slaine a man he promised to giue them Cities of refuge which in the 25. Num. 35. 1. Chapter of Numbers he perfourmed when as now the Israelites had occupied the kingdomes of Og and Seon and had giuen them to the Tribe of Gad Ruben and to the halfe tribe of Manasses Moreouer thrée Sanctuaries were there appointed to wit one in the Tribe of Gad another in the Tribe of Ruben and the thirde in the halfe Tribe of Manasses Whereof in like maner there is plaine mention made in the fourth Chapter of Deuteronomie Further Verse 14. when they were past ouer Iordan other thrée sanctuaries were opened by Iosua Iosua 20. 7. that is to wit in the Tribe of Naphthali Iuda and Ephraim But in those they obtained not impunitie except such as by chaūce and vnwittingly had killed a man The Cities were called Hamiclat because they to whom such a thing had happened did gather and assemble there together For the verbe Calat signifieth to drawe together and to drawe to Whether the Sanctuaries of the Ethnicks had a prescribed time wherein they flying thither might there remaine it appeareth not to mée Howbeit I thinke they were to remaine there vntill matters were taken vp betwéene the parties Numb 35. 28. But the Sanctuaries of Moses prescribed that it should not be lawfull for such as fled thither to returne home vnlesse it were at the death of the high Priest Which ordinaunce no doubt was mysticall For thereby was shadowed that our returne into the heauenly countrie happeneth to vs by no other meanes than by the death of Christ 36 Now let vs recite the causes for which the vse of sanctuaries hath bin thought profitable and on the otherside The causes of Sanctuaries the harmes and impediments of them For those things being knowen we shall perceiue whether it be profitable that Sanctuaries should be open in our times Verie manie causes of the commoditie of them are reckoned The first cause and those no slight causes First it commeth sometime to passe that the cause is doubtfull and that the interpretours of lawes doe followe rigour more than is méete and he that is in the state of iudgement sometimes perceiueth that the Iudge is angrie with them and that his aduersarie is verie mightie Héereuppon the guiltie man feareth least that either by the wrath of the Iudge or by the power of the aduersarie he should be oppressed and so it is better that he should lie secrete for a time vntill mens mindes bee appeased and the lawes somewhat more gentlie interpreted that if it should be otherwise doone the guiltie man might straightwaie be apprehended and rid out of his life vpon no verie iust causes The second cause Furthermore seruaunts by that ordinaunce found a great commoditie For Masters which had bought thē did otherwhiles rage most cruellie against them So that when they perceiued them to be kindled with wrath against them they fled vnto Sanctuaries and there called for the helpe of Magistrates The cause was inquired of and a Caueat of immunitie being put in they were reconciled vnto their Maisters Or if a maister had bin founde ouer cruel or of vnchast life who would indeuour to constraine his bondman or maideseruaunt vnto dishonest things he was constrained to sell his bondseruaunts and so he lost not the value but the dominion ouer them And those were not accounted fugitiue seruants as we reade in the Digestes De Edicto Edilitio in the law Fugitiuus The third cause Moreouer Sanctuaries were profitable in the time of warre for when a Citie was to be taken and that there appeared no aide those that were besieged did flie vnto the Temples and that did no small deale profite the Romanes when the Citie was taken forceably by Alaricus sith all those which fled vnto the Temples of Peter and Paule were saued The fourth cause Num. 35. 1. Deut. 19 2. Moreouer the commoditie is manifest which is gathered out of the lawes of Moses as touching manslaughter comming by chaunce The cause might not straightwaie bee tried therefore it rested that it might be knowen that the Iudges might decrée whether the homicide were wilfull or whether it were committed by chaunce But if so be that Cities of refuge had not bin giuen the daunger was least the reuenger of bloud to wit the next of kin vnto him that was dead should slaie the mankiller before the cause were lawfully knowē Yea and some also bee farre in other mens debt and haue not wherewith to pay The fift cause And some lawes be verie straite and decrée that where he hath not to pay in money he should bide punishment in bodie Wherefore they cast those poore wretches into bonds and prisons So that it is profitable to haue a sanctuarie to the intent the matter may be moderately agréed vpon by certaine conditions I will not forget that in the time of Basill it happened as Gregorius Nazianzenus reporteth thereof in his funerall Oration that a headruler of Valence the Emperour The sixt cause had an associate who loued inordinately a certaine noble woman and was desirous to marrie her but she refused The ruler assisted his associate Whereupon violence was prepared to be doone vnto the afflicted woman and therefore she fled vnto the Church Basill protected her by right of Sanctuarie which was graunted to Churches and Altars Princes hauing a respect vnto these commodities not onely graunted these priuiledges vnto Churches but they also prouided by lawes that whosoeuer shoulde violently drawe awaie any from thence they should incurre the crime of Treason as wée haue it in the Code De ijs qui confugiunt ad Ecclesias in the lawe Fideli Wherefore they
argument is not answered Moreouer you ought to weigh that it is here said that the Eucharist dooth consist of two things to wit earthlie and heauenlie Wherevpon it followeth that the bread dooth remaine the which is called an earthlie thing D. Tresham This sacrament consisteth of two things Therefore two things remaine in the same I denie this argument It is made indéed of an earthlie matter not that it so remaineth but bicause it was so before it was blessed but after consecration there remaine no longer two things but one D. Martyr That which you prooue to your selfe is verie absurd namelie The sacrament consisteth not of two things before blessing for then it is not a sacrament that the sacrament standeth of two natures before it is blessed for then before the blessing it is neither a sacrament nor yet the bodie of Christ Wherefore Irenaeus speaketh of the Eucharist which now is the Eucharist neither will I admit that anie thing dooth consist of those things that haue no being And to your similitude touching the nourishment of our bodie I saie that the meate is digested in the stomach and that a part thereof is cast foorth by the draught and other excrements I denie not but yet vnlesse that the substance thereof should remaine and be reteined in the bodie we could not be nourished howbeit all these things perteine smallie to the matter For I still affirme that Irenaeus dooth appoint such a change to be of the bread into the Eucharist as the change of our bodies is into an incorruptible state vnto which obiection you haue not yet answered D. Tresham To the first point I answer In what sort elements be in compounded bodies that a bodie mixt dooth consist of elements and yet the elements in the mixed bodie are not extant To the other point I saie that an argument taken from a similitude is of no force D. Martyr You answer likewise absurdlie when you affirme anie thing to consist of that which is not And that which you produce as touching a bodie which you call mixed you must vnderstand that elements are so extant therein as it consisteth of them For if it consist of them in act as they speake they be there extant in act if it consist of them in power or in strength so they are extant in them And whereas you make much a doo that an argument from a similitude is of no force I shewed you before that I neither feigne here anie similitude I onelie inforce that which Irenaeus said D. Tresham I answer againe that an argument taken from a similitude is nothing woorth D. Martyr What Is this to answer an argument I my selfe brought not the reason from a similitude but I vrge the similitude of Irenaeus If I my selfe had brought the similitude you might iustlie haue refused it D. Tresham I saie that those similitudes also which we find written else-where and our selues haue not deuised them are likewise of no force in arguments and this will I shew out of the holie scriptures The Lord said Father cause that they may be all one euen as thou Father art in me and I in thee Now is it nothing worth if a man should argue The father and the sonne be of one substance Therefore Christ and we be of one substance D. Martyr That your answer is no answer Hilarie testifieth who in his eight booke De trinitate teacheth that it dooth very fitlie agrée and that it is a very firme argument which you doo bring of the similitude taken out of the scriptures You thinke that the argument is of no force but he saith that it dooth altogither conclude and he confesseth by the power of that argument that we be of one substance and naturallie ioined with Christ by his humanitie wherewith our humane nature as Cyrill speaketh is consubstantiall In his book De rectafide ad reginas that is togither of one substance And so you sée that the similitude which you haue drawne out of the holie scriptures dooth make the argument to be true D. Tresham I maruell that you flie to Hilarie for he maketh against you and hereof Bucer shall be a witnesse who saith that we are ioined with Christ in the holie communion not onelie by will but also by a naturall participation as Hilarie writeth D. Martyr First I cited not Hilarie for the question of the Eucharist but to shew that an argument deriued from a similitude taken out of the holie scriptures which you denied standeth firme And now you shew that Hilarie by Bucers iudgement saith that we are ioined to Christ not onelie by will but also by a naturall participation which as you thought is not trulie concluded Trulie I denie not that that same participation of Christ with vs is also naturall which Hilarie putteth But here we dispute not of the coniunction of Christ with vs but with the bread And you shall perciue that the same Hilarie a little before maketh the very same coniunction to be with vs in baptisme that is to wit a naturall coniunction and not by the will And so there would followe a transubstantiation in baptisme which if you grant not to be there I sée no cause whie it should be vrged here of you But if you will obiect the place vnto me when you oppose me you shall plainelie perceiue that it maketh nothing at all against me The state of the question is not of the coniunction of Christ with vs but with the bread The coniunction is declared that we haue with Christ For here we dispute as I haue said against transubstantiation and reall coniunction of Christ with the bread but not of the true coniunction of Christ with vs which I doo not denie And as concerning Bucer what he iudgeth or how he agréeth with me I will shew else-where Bréeflie we haue a coniunction with Christ and that without doubt naturall for he trulie tooke vpon him our nature of the virgine Furthermore by faith our flesh and nature is the more conformed to the immortalitie of Christes nature and is dailie increased while we vse the sacraments but this coniunction and participation which I confes we haue with Christ is naturall But these things shall be declared more at large when we come to the place of Hilarie Wherefore leauing this argument out of Irenaeus which hath not béene sufficientlie answered I will obiect vnto you Gregorie the bishop of Rome who saith in Registro thus But yet while we receiue as well the vnleuened as the leuened bread we are made one bread of the Lord our sauiour but vnleuened and leuened bread doo manifestlie shew that bread dooth still remaine for those be properties of bread which haue no place if you take awaie bread D. Tresham Gregorie conuerteth all into allegories and hath respect vnto manners warning vs to be vnleuened and sincere as Paule said 1. Cor 5 8. In the vnleuened bread of sinceritie and truth And so the
in the power of an other man Neither is there anie further waie open of flying honestlie away But this must be vnderstoode according to the lawes prescribed For if God shoulde bring thée out of prison as in olde time he did Peter by his Angell Acts. 12. 7. that shoulde be a speciall act whereof wee at this time speake not But all this disputation of ours hath respect vnto this onelie to let thée vnderstand that the flying which is contained within the compasse of due meanes and circumstance is not repugnant to the rule of charitie but doeth rather verie well agrée therewith I haue for this cause disputed so largelie of this matter because I sée manie They that condemne flight doe it for the safetie of their goods and especiallie in our countrie of Italie which being indued with some light of the trueth are like vnto contentious aduocats For euen as they if they defend an vniust cause search out with all diligence for some lawe which maie anie manner of waie leane to their ill purpose to the intent they may séeme to defende their cause vnder the zeale of iustice so those our men doe tarie at home where they dare not come in sight for the faith and truth sake and whereas they first leaue this vndoone this other also doe they omit to wit by not flying awaie which might be a cleare testimonie of their syncere faith which they doe being detained by the linkes of commodities and benefites of this worlde Vnto whom we cannot do a greater pleasure than if by our writings and sermons wee shoulde teach that flying awaie is not lawfull vnto Christians that vnder this pretence they maie commodiouslie inioye their goods After the same manner also are the foolishe sort which be sicke affected who if they be sicke either of a wound or impostume when they will not admit either searing or launcing they most loue and giue eare vnto those Phisitians which by the testimonie of some excellent writer reprooue such a way of healing that they may séeme to refuse those remedies not because themselues are ouer-nice but because the remedies agrée not with their diseases Howbeit euen as these sicke men at the length miserablie die and as those vniust aduocates before a wise and prudent Iudge fall in their cause so these men of ours refusing the best remedie for their griefe doe defile their consciences with dissimulation superstitious ceremonies and déepe silence or else which is woorst of all by detestable abiuration For all they which in the reformed and godlie Churches doe rightlie iudge of things vnderstand that the vniust and vnbridled desires of the goods of this life haue bin the cause hereof Wherefore since the intent of their minde is euill it is no maruell if they haue a woorse end He that will not denie himselfe certainlie he shall neuer liue according to the rule of the Gospell He that will liue vnto himselfe and retaine Christian profession is like vnto him that will build without cost or make warre without anie armie Luk. 14. 28. or ouercome enemies without forces He that is not dead to himselfe nor flyeth from himselfe shall neuer confirme the Christian trueth either by triumph of martyrdome or by laudable godlie or Christian flying away Wherefore I beséech you my most déere brethren in the Lord that at the length you will deale in good earnest dissimulations and faininges must be left vnto hypocrites and stage players If Christ and his Gospell which you by the benefit of God haue both imbrased and confessed be a trueth why doe you execute his commaundementes so coldlie But if you iudge it but a Poets woorke or a fable why delay you it to speake it openlie Why make you semblance to beléeue it God suffereth not himselfe to be mocked Mal. 6. 7. Matt. 6. 24. He requireth all the strength of man No man can serue him and Mammon both together nor yet obey two Lordes commaunding contrarie things If the Gospell be true it must be preferred before life and other our worldlie thinges Souldiers dare ieopard their life for them whose partes they take A great manie of Marchants spēd all their life long in strange countries to make themselues rich They which saile by shippe enter day and night into extreme perils of sea for purposes full of vncertaintie And are we vnto whome the kingdome of heauen eternall life and true felicitie is surelie promised of God so dull slothful and slacke in laying downe this mortall life and these miserable goods for his sake when occasion is offered that we should not denie the trueth The Lord at the length take away so great offence reproch and contumelie from his children make them all faithfull constant valiant prompt and readie and perswade that they which die for this truth sake doe passe into eternall life and they which leaue this their temporall countrie doe flie from hell and doe mount to the kingdome of heauen To the College of Saint Thomas in Strasborough IT would right reuerend Sirs deare beloued brethren haue bin much more to my liking to send you rather ioyfull than discomfortable newes But since it hath thus séemed good vnto the prouidence of God which is neuer to be accused it behooueth that I also doe beare that which hath happened with as good a minde as I can Hitherto perhaps I might bee suspected of negligence that I haue not written vnto you but because I knewe that this was diligently doone by Maister Bucer I thought there was no néede of my letters for that I am sure ye did sometimes vnderstande what we both did and what expectation of things might be looked for But nowe is he departed in peace to his and our Lorde Iesus Christ euen the last day of Februarie to the great sorrowe of all godly men and most of all to mée Neither doe I doubt but that yée my reuerend associates wil take great griefe since the Church the Schoole and our College hath lost so worthie a man This man had now ouercome the greatest difficulties and troubles which are woont to hinder beginnings so that he was nowe accepted in a manner of all the godly and learned sort of that Vniuersitie wherin he professed Therefore God would that he shoulde now reape the fruite of his labours and that his long tyred warfare shoulde be adorned with the honour of triumph He is well prouided for we are to bee accounted miserable or rather vnhappie who are yet tossed in the stormes of calamities Wherefore I desire the immortall God who for his mercie sake hath made him to rest in peace will also deliuer vs from the scourges hanging ouer our heades And no lesse doe I wishe that our Chapter may bee prouided of a Deane and gouernour which may be compared in learning and godlinesse with his predecessor I bid ye all farewell in the Lorde From Oxford in England the 8. of March 1551. To the Widowe of D.
wéeping it maie be sufficientlie lamented But I trust it wil come to passe that we shall see things in better state God grant that I be not deceaued of this my hope Howbeit so long as the Pastors of Churches doe leaue off the function which God hath appointed thē both indeuor you to confirme your selfe through the words of God and to your power be a furtherance to your householde which if you doe you shall gouerne your familie not onelie in the fleshe but also in the spirite And these things I write not that I thinke you to be slouthfull but that I maie incourage you to the more earnest doing of that which I iudge to belong vnto you As touching the controuersie which you would haue me to declare I thinke there is not much to be said for somuch as you your selfe haue by your owne iudgement declared so sound and godlie an opinion as I doe wholie condescend vnto that which you haue allowed Garments in the exercise of diuine seruice counted amōg things indifferent Wherefore since these bee thinges indifferent they by themselues make no man either godlie or vngodly yet euen as you also iudge I thinke it more expedient that this garment and others more of that kinde shoulde be taken awaie when it maie conuenientlie be doone to the end that ecclesiasticall matters maie bée most sincerelie executed For while that the signes which be not supported by the worde of God be defended and retained with so obstinate a minde there you maie verie often times sée that men are not desirous of things themselues And where that which is but a vaine shewe is holde in great price it comes oftentimes to passe that the thing which is of great importaunce is greatlie neglected O immortall God howe manie Ecclesiasticall men as they woulde séeme to bée are there at this daie who if you shall pull from them the garment and the cappe haue vndoubtedly nothing that representeth a minister of the Church But if we shoulde giue place vnto wrath there woulde be no ende of quarels The young man of whome you write vnto mee I will as faithfullie and earnestlie as I can commende vnto Doctor Cookes when he commeth And if there be anie other thing that you woulde haue with me be bolde to commaund me you shal haue me readie at your commandement Fare you well and loue me as you do in the Lord. Since I haue no newes that I iudge worthie for you to knowe this onelie I signifie vnto you that all thinges are in the same state that they were when you were here present From Oxforde the first of Iulie 1550. To a certaine friend of his 36. Whereas I write not againe vnto you by Abels seruaunt a fewe daies since I would not haue you so to take it as if your letters were not greatlie to my liking Truely I was minded to write but being let by the shortnesse of time because he made ouermuch haste I was constrayned to put ouer vnto this day which I determined then to doe It was verie welcome vnto me to heare that which you wrote as concerning our friende Maister Cheeke For considering the vnhappinesse of fortune those thinges may after a sort be bornewithal so he shewe it in déede that his faith rather staggereth than is broken or extinguished which is in a manner vncredible vnto mée that he can perfourme so long as he remayneth in Englande For my part I will desire God the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ and that with most feruent prayers that he will so by his spirite repaire his shipwracke as he may at the length with as small losse as is possible ariue at the hauen of saluation Concerning my Lorde of Canterburie his booke against Antonie which as you write is nowe in the presse I reioyce so farre is it off that I should be anie thing mooued for that cause séeing I looke for nothing to come from that man but such as is exact wittie and diligently handled But I feare least that which you haue heard be not true so great a desire thereof haue you kindled in mée I haue no newes at this time to write vnto you We are all in good health and I teach here as I was woont before time to doe with you God graunt that I may not labor without fruite Italie is nowe in part troubled with gréeuous warres and in part séemes that it will héereafter be miserablie handled and that through the displeasure of the Pope alone But God almightie which gouerneth all things by his prouidence will perhappes by this meanes waste the kingdome of Antichrist and will so diminishe it in this age as he will one daie giue the same to the godlie to be derided and hissed at which I beséech Iesus Christ may come quicklie to passe Fare you well and loue mee as you doe and salute in my name euerie one of the English brethren From Zuricke the 15 of March 1557. This Epistle seemes to bee vvritten to the reuerend Father Iohn Hooper Bishop of Glocester although in the Authors owne copie there is no name put thereto 37. RIght reuerend and welbeloued in Christ Iesus the letters which you sent vnto mée a fewe dayes since I determined before this time to haue aunswered but I haue bin hindred by so great and manifolde businesse that til this present I could neither satisfie mine owne will nor perhaps your desire Wherefore it is in your good nature and wisedome to take this delay in good part Those things which you haue put in writing touching the controuersie risen betwéene you and the reuerend Lord Bishop of London concerning the garmentes of the Ministers of the Church I haue both read them as you desired and according to the shortnesse of time haue considered of them as héedefully as I could Which I therefore say because I could not kéepe your writing any longer than one night For the messenger by whom I receiued the same departed vnto Cambridge the next day verie earelie in the morning whither you wished that by the same mā I should send that I had read vnto Maister Bucer Which I did with diligence and without delay In that short space of time which then was giuen I so comprehended with myself the whole cause as first I was not a little delighted with your singular and ardent zeale whereby you indeuour that Christian Religion may againe aspire to the vncorrupt and plaine purenesse For what ought to bee more desired of all godlie men than that all things may by litle and litle be cut off which haue but litle or nothing at all that can be referred vnto sounde edifying and which of godlie mindes are iudged to bee ouerchargeable and superfluous Verilie to saie as touching mine owne selfe I take it grieuouslie to bee plucked awaie from that plaine and pure custome which you knowe all we vsed a great while together at Argentine where the varietie of garments about holie seruices were taken
these daies hath béene set foorth more perfectlie I greatlie reioyce for the excellencie of your wit for this edifying of the Church and for this honor of England and I beséech you that you will procéede to treade with your steppes in the way wherein you haue entered For although the cause that we haue be good yet in comparison of our enemies number they are but few that defende the same and they séeme so to bée awakened as by the goodnesse of their stile and by their sophisticall Argumentes they giue themselues much credite among the vnlearned multitude I speake of Staphilus Hosius and manie other writers of this sect which at this daie be strong Patrons of the Popes lies Wherfore since in that most learned and eloquent Apologie of yours you haue stirred vp so great a hope of you knowe you for a certeintie that all good and learned men doe nowe assure them selues that the euangelicall trueth while you are aliue shall not bee wronged of the enemies without reuenge Doubtlesse I doe verie much reioyce that I haue séene that daie wherein you are made the Father of so noble and excellent a childe God our heauenlie Father of his bountifull goodnesse grant that you maie oftentimes multiplie the like séede But as touching other thinges that your are there doing I am as ignoraunt as is the Parthian or Indian of the affaires of Germanie But I perswade my selfe that your affaires are in a good or else in an indifferent state For we haue experience of the thing it selfe that there is no messenger swifter than he which bringeth tydinges of the miseries calamities and destruction of friendes but their felicitie ioy prosperous state is much long kept secrete froÌ„ vs. But whatsoeuer it is we ought to hope the best one of an other séeing it is a most certaine thing that God is continuallie present in al places and that after a gratiou manner vnto those that bée his of which number are we But as touching me if you bée desirous to know throughlie howe I doe vnderstande that in minde I am merie in Christ and am occupied in the verie same labors wherin I applied my selfe when you were present but in bodie I am not so strong and lustie as I haue béene for the burthen of age waxeth euerie daie more heauie than other Nowe by the space of a yeare and a halfe I am waxen altogether to the lesse neither doeth my stomacke serue me whereby I might haue an appetite to my meale Furthermore I am troubled with the Rume vnto which euils happen no small griefes of my legges because of two vlcers wherewith I am otherwhile greatlie disquieted Wherein though the bodie properlie and by it selfe be vexed yet by reason of the consent which the Gretians call Sympathia the minde also cannot choose but be afflicted These thinges which I am sure for the good will you beare me you will bee sorie to heare I would not haue inserted in these my letters sauing that I shoulde haue verie great néede of your prayers which I haue perswaded my selfe that I shall obtaine to bee more earnest because of the necessitie wherewith I am vrged Of the French affaires I write nothing because I assure my selfe that they are no lesse knowen vnto you than vnto me The Synode of â—rent seigneth as though it woulde procéede but it goeth so flowlie forwarde as in these fiue Sessions thereof it hath decréed nothing that maie serue to the purpose Those thinges that it doeth define bee olde and mouldie so as they cannot séeme to doe the part of fathers but of beetles which alwaies turne ouer the selfe same dongue of traditions Fare you well most worthie prelate and more than one half of my soule God loÌ„g maintain you kéep you and increase you in al kinde of goodnes both to the Church to the Commonweale All friendes and learned men doe salute you From Zuricke the 24. of August 1562. The Commentarie of Lauater vpon the Prouerbes Lauater hath set foorth his Commentaries vppon the booke of the Prouerbes To the Church of straungers at London 45. IT séemes that Hadrian hath dealt verie vnprofitablie who hath disquieted the Church in moouing of that controuersie whereof our aduise of late was asked Further herein is he the lesse to be allowed because hee defendeth that opinion whereby the hearers are rather destroyed than edified in the true and right doctrine of faith Whether obstinate heresie as touching the person of Christ exclude the Anabaptists from saluation For whereas he affirmed that the peruerse opinion touching the flesh of Christ brought from heauen and not taken of the blessed virgin doeth not depriue the Anabaptists of saluation they continuing obstinatelie therein but that they being yet of that opinion belong as well vnto Christ as vnto the Church doeth not this extenuate both the weight and mischiefe of that heresie And doth it not confirme those wretched men in their errours And doth it not call backe others from the carefulnesse to shunne and auoide that errour But he saith They which are touched with the feare of God will giue place to those which shewe them that they liue in a great and daungerous errour Howbeit I would faine knowe how grieuous an errour or how horrible a daunger that is which plucketh not men from eternall saluation but suffereth them still to be both members of Christ and also parts of the Church The Apostle when he would exaggerate certaine sinnes aboue others saith 1. Cor. 6. 8. They that commit such things shall not possesse the kingdome of God If the faithfull ministers of Christ although they by assured testimonies of the worde of God confute earnestly speake against this opinion namely that such as so erre shall perish vnlesse they repent bring not to passe that they will yéeld vnto the trueth shall we beléeue that they will sooner yéelde and bee healed when they heare that their opinion though it be false and against the word of God doth not exclude them either from saluation or from Christ It is not likelie nay rather when they shall be taught things which bée true and contrarie vnto their dreames they will saie vnto a sounde teacher thou loosest thy time and thy labour I depart not from that opinion which I haue taken vpon me to defend wherof I alow because it doth not separate men from eternall life Furthermore the faithfull men will saie Whie doe we so diligentlie shunne and auoide these men since to kéepe them companie is not pernitious For if we shoulde bee infected with their contagion we shal be in no daunger at all in the end Hadrian who otherwise is against the Anabaptistes and as we haue heard is commended for sinceritie of life did negligentlie consider of these thinges therefore he supposeth that it is answered by that his Dilemma He with whom we deale either feareth God or else is destitute of his feare If he doe not feare
praise in them 2 264 b 265 a The metaphor of a good and euill tree inferred for the proofe of them in the not regenerate explaned 2 267 ab Two Works in man first to vnderstand and then to practise 2 301 a Three kindes in vs to bee noted 2 253 ab All euill cannot be made good by an intent 2 388 b Whereof it commeth that they so bee 3 55 b When they shal be actuallie perfect 2 566 b Working Of Working together with good 3 51 a Howe and in what sort 1 207 b 208 a Howe wee are made able to Worke togither with the holie Ghost and with grace 2 â—70 ab 271 a World How the world shall perish and not perish 3 381 a Nothing found therein so vile and base but giueth a testimonie of God 1 12 b How Christ is said to haue left it c. 4 156 b 157 a Of the change of all things at the ende of the same 3 393 a The Philosophers errour touching the beginning of it 110 b 111 a How long as some say it shoulde endure 3 386 ab Two principall conditions of the renewing thereof 3 397 a Of praying and not praying for the ende thereof 2 398 a Of comprehending the creatioÌ„ of it by faith 1 16 b No certeintie of the continuance of it in the scriptures 3 385 b Whether it shal vtterly perish 3 397 a Of the fire which shall consume and burne it 3 395 ab 396 a Worship One manner of Worship giuen vnto God another vnto men 2 342 b A difference is to be obserued betweene ciuill and diuine 2 309 a With what God must be serued and of the Papisticall 2 315 a. Of the inward and outward and wherein they both consist 2 316 b To worshippe God otherwise than he hath appointed is idolatrie 2 309 b After what maner wee shoulde Worship the flesh of Christ 4 177 b The Turkes Worship not the true God though they be zealous in their worship 4 96a The true Worship of GOD where and how 4 67 b In what thinges it doeth consist 3 305 ab 2 385a It must not bee done to holy men 2 345 a Done to Christ prooueth his diuinitie 2 601 a We must Worship God in that he is felicitie 2 574 b What earth that is which ought iustly to haue Worship done to it 4 177 b The nature and propertie of such Worship as consisteth in outwarde signes doone to Princes and states c. 2 307 b What P. Martyr concludeth of that which the Centurion did to Peter and Iohn to the Angell and whether it were idolatrous 2 309 a If to Worship angels bee not lawfull why were they worshipped in the olde Testament 2 347 a What Worship that is which we must do vnto saints 2 348 a What the Papists alleage for the maintenance of their idolatrous Worship 2 315 b Of being present thereat 3 265 ab What it is to Worship images 2 344b Ieroboams purpose of establishing an idolatrous Worship to God 2 315 b False Worship of God is not to be suffered in a kingdome howe God punished it 2 324. 325. Of such as allowed images but not their Worship 2 344 b Peresius attributeth a kind of Worship to the Crosse 2 343 b 344 a Who Worship their owne phansies 1 612 b Worshipping Two kindes of religious Worshipping the one inward the other outward and wherein they consist 2 307 ab ¶ Looke seruice Worthie Howe the more Worthie thing is sometime ordained for the lesse worthie 1 6 b VVr Wrath. Wrath taken in Scripture foâ— vengeance 3 388 b Gods is not stirred vp but vpon iust cause 2 218 a Pighius interpretation howe wee bee the children of Wrath by nature 2 217 b 218 a What things doe make vs so 2 218 a What and when the day of Wrath is 3 388 b Wrestling Two sorts of Wrestling 3 234 a Of Iacobs Wrestling with the Angell 3 283 b 284 a Wrong What we must doe in cases of Wrong 2 557b ¶ Looke Iniurie Ye Yeare Of the reuolution of the great Yeare 3 328 b 329 a Yeares When dayes are to be takeÌ„ for Yeares the scripture teacheth 3 324 b 325 a The same manner of them were at the beginning that bee nowe though Plinie say the contrarie 1 128 a What the thousand Yeares that Christ shal reigne with his saints doe signifie 3 358 ab Yesterday Christ Yesterday and to day how it is expounded 3 325a Yo. Youth What things Youth are not to be admitted to heare or reade 2 550 b The testimonies of diuers writers touching their vntowardnes 1 53 ab Their faults must be no cause to keepe theÌ„ froÌ„ hearing of wholsome doctrine 1 54 a How they behaue theÌ„selues in hearing 1 53 b May heare good doctrine with profit why reade the proofes 1 53 a Not excepted from hearing the worde of God 1 57 b Ze. Zeale Of Zeale and what the etymon of the worde teacheth 1 94 a Fond in the Apostles to imitate Elias 2 387 a Wherein they agree and wherein they differ is taught by a proper similitude 1 95 a It must first be well tried before we giue place vnto it and why 1 95 b A verie euill and blinde Zeale noted in some which is ioyned with selfeloue 1 95 b The Zeale of Iehu was not iust 2 572 b A Zeale without knowledge in the Iewes 2 560 a 1 94 b 95 a 96 a FINIS propositi laus Christo nescia FINIS A breefe Table Collected out of the additions shewing effectuallie such matters as are therein conteined Where also the Reader for his further resolution may turne backe to the former Table ABrahams fact in defending Saraes chastitie 149 a What we haue to note in his seruant prescribing himselfe a signe to knowe Isaacs wife by 152 a His faith in respect of that of the new testament 248 a.b Whether his bowing to the angels were idolatrie 150 b What the promises of God vnto him doo teach vs. 149 b Whether he sinned when he laie with his handmaid 150 b. Accidents and whether they may be in manie places or in two subiects at one time 192 a That our bodies are not nourished by them 196 a Actions and how they are iudged iust and vniust 161 a A distinction of them and their subiects 131 b Of the good morall ones of infidels 104 a The will commandeth them 105 b Thrée kinds of them handled in the ten commandements 164 b Adam and to what end he was created c. 37 a Diuers things concerning him spoken 145 a Aduersities and what we are to consider in them 159 b 157 a How Christ by his afflictions did sanctifie them all 3 b 4 a Adulterie and that it ought to be punished with death 167 a Affections that are faultie and not faultie 68 b 69 a Diuersitie of them by turnes in mans will 105 b We must not be void of them and why 66 b Touching their vse