I saye that euery one of their assemblies and the whole body wanteth the lawfull forme of a Chirch ¶ The .iii. Chapter ¶ Of the teachers and ministers of the Chirche and of theyr election and office NOwe it is mete that we speake of the order by which it was the Lordes will to haue his Chirche gouerned For although in his Chirche he onely muste rule and reigne yea and beare preeminence or excelle in it and this gouernement to bee vsed or executed by his onely word yet because he dwelleth not among vs in visible presence so that he can presently with his owne mouth declare his will vnto vs we haue saied that in this he vseth the ministerie of men and as it were the trauaile of deputies not in transferryng his right and honour vnto them but onely that by their mouthe he might do hys owne worke like as a workeman to doo his worke vseth hys instrument I am compelled to repete agayne those thynges that I haue already declared He might in dede do it eyther by hymselfe without any other helpe or instrumente or also by meane of Angelles but there are many causes why he had rather doo it by men For by this meane first he declareth hys good wyll toward vs when he taketh out of men them that shall doo his message in the world that shal be the interpreters of hys secrete wyll finally that shall represent his owne person And so by experience he proueth that it is not vayne that commonlye he calleth vs hys temples when out of the mouthes of men as oute of his sanctuarye he geueth answeres to men Secondly thys is the best and most profitable exercise to humilitie when he accustometh vs to obey hys worde howsoeuer it be preached by men like vnto vs yea sometime our inferiors in dignitie If he him selfe spake from heauen it were no maruell if his holy Oracles were without delaye reuerently receiued wyth the eares and myndes of all men For who woulde not drede his power beyng in presence who woulde not be throwen downe at the first sight of so great maiesty who would not be confounded with the infinite brightnesse But when some silly man risen out of the dust speaketh in the name of God here with very good testimony we declare our godlinesse and reuerent obedience toward God hymselfe if to his minister we yelde our selues willyng to learne whiche yet in nothyng excelleth vs. Therfore for this cause also he hath hidden the treasure of hys heauenly wisedome in brickle and earthen vessels that he mighte haue the certainer profe how much he is estemed of vs. Moreouer there was nothyng fitter for the cherishyng of mutual charitie than that mē shold be bounde together one to an other with this bonde when one is made a pastor to teache the rest and they that are commaunded to be scholars receiue al one doctrine at one mouth For if euery mā were able enough to serue himselfe and neded not the helpe of an other suche is the pride of mans nature that euery one would despise other and should againe be despised of them Therfore the Lorde hath bounde his Chirch with that knotte whiche he forsawe to be the strongest knotte to holde vnitie togither when he hath lefte with men the doctrine of saluation and of eternall life that by their handes he might communicate it to the reste Herunto Paul had respect when he wrote to the Ephesians One body one spirite as also ye be called in one hope of your callyng One Lorde one Faith one Baptisme One God and the Father of all whiche is aboue all and by all in vs al. But vnto euery one of vs grace is geuē accordyng to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherfore he saith Whē he was gone vp on hye he ledde captiuitie captiue he gaue giftes to men He that wente downe is the selfe same hee that wente vp that he might fulfill all thynges And the same hath geuen some to be Apostles and some Prophetes and some Euangelistes and other some Pastors and teachers vnto the restoryng of the holy ones to the worke of ministration to the edifying of the body of Christ vntill we com all into the vnitie of Faithe and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God into a perfect man into the measure of full growen age that we bee no more children that may be caried about with euery wynde of doctrine but folowyng truthe in charitie let vs in all thynges growe into him that is the hed euen Christ in whom the whole body conioyned and compacted together by all the ioynt of subministration accordyng to the workyng in measure of euery parte maketh encrease of the body vnto the edifiyng of it selfe by charitie By these wordes he sheweth that that ministerie of men which God vseth in gouernyng his Chirche is the chiefe synew wherby the faithfull cleaue together in one body and also he sheweth that the Chirche can not otherwise be preserued safe but if it be vpholden by these stays in whyche it pleased the LORDE to repose the saluation of it CHRIST saieth he is gone vp on hye that he myght fulfill all thinges This is the maner of fulfillyng that by his ministers to whom he hath committed that office and hath geuen the grace to execute that woorke he disposeth and distributeth his giftes to the Chirche yea and after a certayne maner geueth hym selfe present with extendyng the power of his spirite in this institution that it should not be vain or idle So is the restoryng of the holy ones performed so is the body of Christ edified so doo we by all thinges growe into hym that is the hed and doo growe together among our selues so are we all brought into the vnitie of Christ if prophecie flourishe among vs if we receyue the Apostles if we refuse not the doctrine ministred vnto vs. Therfore he goeth about the dissipation or rather the ruine and destruction of the Chirche whosoeuer he be that either endeuoureth to abolishe this Order of whom we speake and this kynde of gouernement or minisheth the estimation of it as a thyng not so necessary For neither the lighte and heate of the sunne nor meate and drynke are so necessary to nourishe and susteine this present life as the office of Apostles and pastors is necessarie to preserue the Chirche in earthe Therefore I haue aboue admonished that God hath oftentymes with suche titles as he coulde commended the dignitie thereof vnto vs that we should haue it in moste hye honour and price as the moste excellent thyng of all He testifieth that he geueth to men a singular benefite in raisyng them vp teachers where he commaundeth the Prophete to crye oute that faire are the feete and blessed is the commyng of them that bring tidyngs of peace and when he calleth the Apostles the lyght of the worlde and salte of the earthe Neither coulde this office bee more honourably
where he bryngeth in Wisedom begotten of God before all worldes and bearyng rule in the creation of thynges and in all the workes of God For to say that it was a certayne commaundement of God seruyng but for a tyme were very foolishe and vayne where as in deede it was Goddes pleasure at that tyme to shewe foorth his stedfast and eternall purpose yea and some thyng more secrete To whyche entente also maketh that sayinge of Christe My Father and I doo woorke euen to this daye For in sayinge That from the begynnyng of the worlde he was contynually woorkynge with his Father he doothe more openly declare that whyche Moses hadde more shortely touched We gather then that the meanynge of Goddes speakynge was this that the Worde hadde his office in the doynge of thynges and so they bothe had a common woorkynge togyther But moste playnely of all doothe Iohn speake when he shewethe that the same Woorde whyche from the begynnyng was God with God was togyther God the Father the cause of all thynges For he both geueth to the Worde a perfecte and abydyng essence and also assygneth vnto it some thyng peculiar to it selfe and plainlye sheweth how God in speakyng was the creatour of the worlde Therefore as all reuelacions proceding from God dooe well beare the name of the worde of God so oughte we yet to sette in the hyeste place that substancyall Worde the well spryng of all Oracles whiche being subiecte to no alteracion abideth alwayes one and the selfe same with God and is God hymselfe Here many dogges dooe barke agaynste vs whiche when they dare not openly take from him his Godhead doe secretly steale from him his Eternitie For they saye that the Worde then beganne firste to be when God in the creation of the world opened his holy mouthe But verie vndiscretelye dooe they to imagine a certaine innouacyon of the substaunce of God For as those names of God that haue relacion to his outwarde worke beganne to be geuen vnto hym after the being of his worke as for example thys that he is called the creatour of heauen and earth so doeth Godlynesse knowe or admitte no name that shoulde signifie any newe thinge in hymselfe to haue chaunced vnto God For if any shoulde come to him from ells where than in hymselfe then thys saying of Iames shoulde fayle that euery good geuing and euery perfecte gifte is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father of lightes with whom is no variablenesse neyther shadowing by turning Therfore nothing is lesse to be suffred thā to faine a beginning of that Worde whiche both alwaye was God and afterwarde was creator of the worlde But full suttelly forsoth they reason that Moses in saying that God then first spake doeth secretlye shewe that there was no Worde in him before Whiche is a moste tryfling argumente For it foloweth not because a thyng at some one certaine time beginneth to be shewed openly that therefore it had neuer anye beyng before But I conclude farre otherwyse and saye seyng that in the same momente that God sayed lette lighte be made the power of the worde appeared and shewed it selfe the same Worde was longe before But if a man aske howe long before he shall fynde no beginnyng For he appointed no certayne space of tyme when hym selfe sayed Father glorifie me with the glory which I had wyth thee before the worlde was And thys thyng Iohn also left not vntouched because he fyrst sheweth that in the beginning the worde was with God before that he commeth to the creation of the worlde We saye therefore agayne that the Worde whyche was conceyued of God before any beginning of tyme was contynuallye remayninge wyth hym Whereby bothe hys eternitie true essence and Godhead is proued Althoughe I dooe not yet touche the person of the Mediator but do deferre it to that place where we shall specially entreate of the Redempcion yet because it oughte to be certaynly holden wythoute controuersie amonge al men that Christ is the same Word clad with flesh in this place will be very fitte to recite all those testimonies that proue Chryst to be God When it is sayed in the .xlv. Psalme thy throne O God is for euer and euer the Iewes doe cauill and saye that the name Elohim is also applied to the Angels and soueraigne powers But in all the Scripture there is not a like place that raiseth an eternall throne to any creature For he is here not simplye called God but also the eternall Lorde Againe this tittle is geuen to none but with an addicion as it is saied that Moses shal be for a God to Pharao Some rede it in the Genitiue case which is verye foolishe I graunte in dede that oftentimes a thing is called Diuine or of God that is notable by any singular excellence but here by the tenoure of the texte it appeareth that suche a meaning were harde and forced and will not agree But if their scubbornesse will not so yelde In Esaie is verie plainly broughte in for all one both Christe and God and he that is adorned with the soueraigne power whiche is properly belonging to God alone This saieth he is the name wherby they shall call him the strong God the Father of the world to come c. Here the Iewes barcke againe and turne the texte thus this is the name whereby the stronge God the father of the worlde to come shall call him so that they leaue this onely to the Sonne to bee called the Prince of peace But to what purpose shoulde so many names of addicion in this place bee heaped vpon God the Father seeyng it is the purpose of the Prophete to adorne Chryste with suche speciall notes as maie builde oure Faith vppon him Wherfore it is oute of doute that he is here in like sorte called the stronge God as he is a little before called Immanuell But nothing can be founde plainer than that place of Hieremie where he sayeth that this shall be the name whereby the sede of Dauid shall be called Iehouah oure righteousnesse For where the Iewes themselues doe teach that all other names of God are but adiectiue names of addicion and that this only name Iehouah whiche they call vnspeakable is a substantiue name to expresse hys essence we gather that the Sonne is the onely and eternall God which saith in an other place that he wil not geue his glory to an other But here also they seke to scape away because that Moses gaue that name to the Altare that he bilded and Ezechiel gaue it to the newe citie Hierusalem But who doth not see that the Altare was builded for a monumente that God was the auauncement of Moses And that Hierusalem is not adorned with the name of God but onely to testifie the presence of God For thus sayeth the Prophete The name of the citie from that day shal be Iehouah there And Moses sayth
destruction And there was no necessitie to compell God to geue him any other then a meane will and a fraile will that of mans fall he myghte gather matter for his owne glory ¶ The .xvi. Chapter That God by his power dooth monishe and mainteyne the worlde whiche hym selfe hath created and by his prouidence doeth gouerne al the partes therof BUt it were veray fonde and bare to make God a creatour for a moment which doeth nothyng sins he hath ones made an ende of his worke And in this poynte principally ought we to differ from the prophane men that the presence of the power of God may shine vnto vs no lesse in the continuall state of the world than in the first beginnyng of it For thoughe the myndes of the very wicked in only beholdyng of the heauen earth are compelled to rise vp vnto the creatour yet hath faith a certain peculiar maner by it self wherby it geueth to god â—he whole praise of creation And therfore serueth that saying of the Apostle which we before alleged that we do not vnderstand but by fayth that the world was made by the word of God For vnlesse we passe forward euen vnto his prouidence we do not yet rightly conceiue what this meaneth the God is the creator howe soeuer we do seeme to comprehende it in mynde and confesse it with tongue When the sense of the fleshe hath ones sette before it the power of God in the very creation it resteth there and when it procedeth furthest of all it dooeth nothyng but wey and consider the wysedom power and goodnesse of the workeman in making suche a piece of worke which thinges do of them selues offer and thrust them selues in sight of men whether they will or no a certain generall doyng in preseruyng gouerning the same vpon which dependeth the power of mouyng Finally it thinketh that the liuely force at the beginning put into all things by God doth suffise to sustein them But faith ought to perce deper that is to say whom it hath lerned to be the creatour of al things by and by to gather that the same is the perpetual gouernor preseruer of them and that not by stirryng with an vniuersall motion as wel the whole frame of the worlde as all the partes therof but by susteynyng cherishing caring for with singular prouideÌ„ce euery one of those thinges that he hath created eueÌ„ to the least sparow So Dauid after he had fyrst said that the worlde was created by God by by descendeth to the continuall course of his prouidence By the worde of the Lorde saith he the heauens were stablished all the power therof by the spirite of his mouth By and by he addeth The Lord looked down vpon the sonnes of men so the rest that he saith further to the same effect For although they doo not al reason so orderly yet because it were not likely to be beleued that God had care of mens matters vnlesse he were the maker of the worlde nor any man doeth earnestly beleue that God made the worlde vnlesse he be perswaded that God hath also care of hys workes therefore not without cause Dauid doeth by good order conueye vs from the one to the other Generally in dede both the Philosophers doe teach and mens mindes doe conceiue that all partes of the worlde are quickened wyth the secrete inspiration of God But yet they atteine not so farre as Dauid both hymselfe procedeth and carryeth all the godly wyth hym saying all thynges wayte vpon thee that thou mayest geue them fode in due season Thou geuest it to them and they gather it Thou openest thy hand and they are filled with good things But if thou hide thy face they are troubled If thou take awaye theyr breath they dye and returne to theyr dust Againe if thou sende forth thy Spirite they are created and thou renewest the face of the earth Yea although they agree to the saying of Paul that we haue our being and are moued and do lyue in God yet are they farre from that earnest felyng of grace which he commendeth vnto vs because they taste not of gods speciall care wherby alone his fatherly fauor is knowen That thys difference maye the better appeare it is to be knoweÌ„ that the Prouidence of God suche as it is taughte in the Scripture is in comparison set as contrary to fortune and chaunces that happeÌ„ by aduenture Nowe forasmuche as it hath been commonly beleued in al ages and the same opinion is at thys daye also in a manner in al men that all thynges happen by fortune it is certayne that that which ought to haue been beleued concernyng Prouidence is by that wrong opinion not onely darkened but also in manner buried If a man light among theues or wylde beastes if by wynde sodenly rysen he suffer shipwrack on the sea if he be kylled wyth the fall of a house or of a tree if an other wandryng in deserte places fynde remedy for hys pouertie if hauing been tossed with the waues he atteine to the haueÌ„ if miraculously he escape but a fynger bredth from death all these chaunces as well of prosperitie as of aduersitie the reason of the fleshe doeth ascrybe to fortune But whosoeuer is taught by the mouth of Chryst that all the heares of hys hed are numbred will seke for a cause further of and wyll fyrmelye beleue that all chaunces are gouerned by the secrete councell of God And as concerning thinges without lyfe thys is to be thought that although euery one of them haue hys owne propertie naturally put into it yet doe they not put forth their power but only so farre as they be directed by the present hande of God They are therefore nothing els but instrumentes whereby God continually poureth in so much effecte as pleaseth him and at hys will boweth and turneth them to thys or that doyng Of no creature is the power more maruellous or more glorious than of the sunne For besyde that it geueth lyght to the whole worlde wyth hys bryghtnesse howe greate a thyng is thys that he cherysheth and quickeneth all lyuing creatures wyth hys heate that he breatheth frutefulnesse into the earth wyth hys beames that out of sedes warmed in the bosome of the grounde he draweth a budding grenenesse and susteyning the same wyth new nouryshmentes doth encrease and strengthen it tyll it ryse vp in stalkes That he fedeth it with continuall vapoure till it growe to a floure and from a floure to fruite That then also wyth bakyng it he bryngeth it to rypenesse That trees likewise and vines being warned by him do first budde and shote forth braunches and after sende out a flower and of a flower do engeÌ„der frute But the Lord because he would claime the whole glory of all these thinges to himselfe made the lighte first to be and the earth to be furnished with al kindes of herbes and fruites before
by the tenor of the text wher it by by after foloweth that we are his people the flocke of his pastures we see now howe he not contended simply to haue geuen to God the praise of our saluation doth expresly exclude vs froÌ„ all felowshipe with him as if he would saye that ther resteth no pece be it neuer so lyttle for man to glorie in bicause it is all of God But ther will be some peraduenture that will graunt that Will beynge of her owne nature turned away from good is conuerted by the only power of the Lord but so that beinge prepared before it hath also her owne parte in doinge as Augustin teacheth that grace goeth before euerye good worke but so that will dothe accompanie it and not leade it as a waytinge maide after it not a forgoer Whiche thynge beinge not euell spoken by the holy man Peter Lombarde doth disordrely wriâ—he to this purpose But I affirme that as wel in the wordes of the Prophete whiche I haue alleged as in the other places these two thinges be plainely signified that the Lorde dothe bothe correcte oure corrupted will or rather destroie it also of himselfe putteth in place thereof of a good will In as muche as it is preuented by grace in that respect I geue you leaue to call it a Wayting maide but for that beinge reformed it is the worke of the Lord this is wrongfully geuen to man that he doth with wil comming after obey grace going before Therfore it is not well written of Chrysostome that neither grace wtout will nor will without grace can worke any thing as if grace did not worke very will it selfe as euen nowe we haue seen by Paule Neither was it Augustines purpose when he called mans will the wayting mayde of grace to assigne vnto her a certaine second office in doing a good worke but bicause this only was his entent to confute the wicked doctrine of Pelagius whiche did set the principal cause of saluation in mans deseruing therfore he stode only vpoÌ„ this point that grace was before al deseruing which was sufficiente for the matter that he then had in hand not medlinge in the meane time with the other question coÌ„cerning the perpetuall effect of grace which yet in an other place be excellently wel handleth For sometimes when he saith that the lord doth preuent the vnwilling that hee maye will and foloweth the wyllynge that he wyll not in vayne he maketh him altogether the whole authour of the good worke Albeit his senteÌ„ces touchyng this matter are to plaine to neede any loÌ„g arguyng vpon them Men sayeth he doe labour to finde in our will something that is our owne not of God but how it may be founde I know not And in his first boke against Pelagius Celestius where he doth expound that saying of Christ â–ª Euery one that hath hearde of my father cometh to me he sayth Freewill is so holpen not only that it maye knowe what is to be done but also maye doe it when it hath knoweÌ„ it And so when God teacheth not by the letter of the law but by the grace of the spirit he so teacheth that he that hath learned doth not only see it in knowyng but also desire it in willing and performe it in doyng And bicause we are now in hand with the chiefe point wherupon the mater hangeth let vs go forward proue the summe therof to the reders only with a fewe the most playne testimonies of the scripture And then leaste any man should accuse vs of wrongfull wresting the Scripture let vs shew that the trueth which we affirme beyng takeÌ„ out of the Scripture wanteth not the testimonie of this holy man I meane Augustine For I thinke it not expedient that all the thinges be rehersed that may be brought out of the Scriptures for coÌ„firmation of our meanyng so that by the moste chosen that shal be brought forth the way may be prepared to vnderstand al the rest that are here and there coÌ„monly red And agayne I thinke it shall not be vnfitly done if I openly shewe that I agree well with that man whom worthyly the consent of godly men doth much esteme Surely it is euideÌ„t by plaine certaine profe that the beginning of goodnesse is from no where els but only from God for there can not be founde a will bent to good but in the elect But the cause of election is to be sought out of man Whereupon foloweth that man hath not right Will of him selfe but it procedeth from the same good pleasure whereby we are electe before the creatioÌ„ of the world There is also an other reason not vnlike vnto yt. For wheras the beginning of willing doyng wel is of faith it is to be seene whense saith it self cometh For asmuch as the whole Scripture crieth out that it is a free gift of God it foloweth that it is of the mere grace of God when we which are with al our minde naturally bent to euell beginne to will that which is good Therefore the lord when he nameth these two thinges in the coÌ„uersioÌ„ of his people to take away from them a stony heart and to geue theÌ„ a heart of flesh plainly testifieth that that which is of our selues must be done away that we may be conuerted to righteousnesse and that what so euer cometh in place therof is from himself And he vttereth not this in one place only For he sayth in Ieremie I wil geue them one heart one way that they maye feare me al their dayes And a litle after I will geue the feare of my name into their heart that they departe not froÌ„ me Agayne in Ezechiel I wil geue them one heart and I wil geue a newe spirite in their bowels I will take away the stony heart out of their flesh and I will geue them a heart of flesh He coulde not more euidently clayme to himselfe and take from vs what so euer is good and right in our will than when he declareth that our conuersion is a creation of a newe spirite and of a newe heart For it followeth alwaye that bothe out of our will proceedeth no goodnesse till it be reformed and that after reformation so muche as it is good is of God and not of vs. And so reade we the prayers of holy meÌ„ne made to that effecte as The Lorde incline our heart to him sayeth Salomon that we maye kepe his commaundementes He sheweth the frowardenesse of our heart whiche naturally reioyseth to rebell agaynste the lawe of God if it be not boowed And the same thyng is in the Psalme Lorde incline my heart to thy testimonies For the comparison of contrarietie is alwaye to be noted whyche is betwene the peruerse motion of the heart whereby it is carried to obstinatie and this correction whereby it is led to obedience When David feelyng him selfe for a tyme
from all manner of affiance when they teache that our righteousnesses do stinke in the sight of God vnlesse they receiue a good sauor from the innocence of Christ that they can do nothing but prouoke the vengeance of God vnlesse they be susteined by the tendernes of his mercie Moreouer they so leaue nothing to vs but that we shold traue the mercie of our iudge with that confessioÌ„ of Dauid that none shall be iustified before him if he require accoÌ„pt of his seruantes But where Iob saythe If I haue done wickedly wo to me but if I doe righteously yet I wyll not so lyfte vp my head though he meane of that most hie righteousnes of God wherunto the very Angels answer not yet he therwithal sheweth that wheÌ„ thei come to the iudgement of God there remaineth nothing for al mortal men but to holde their peace as duÌ„me For it teÌ„deth not only to this purpose that he had rather willingly yeld thaÌ„ daÌ„gerously striue with the rigorousnes of God but he meaneth that he felt no other righteousnes in him self thaÌ„ such as at the first moment shold fall before the sight of God When affiance is driuen away al glorieng must also necessarely depart For who can geue the praise of righteousnes to these workes the affiaÌ„ce wherof treÌ„bleth before the sight of God We must therfore come whether Esaie calleth vs that al the seede of Israel may be praised glorie in God because it is most true whiche he saith in an other place that we ar the planting of the glorie of God Our mynde therfore shall then be rightly purged wheÌ„ it shal neither in any behalf rest vpon the coÌ„fidence of workes nor reioise in the glory of theÌ„ But this errour encouraged folish men to the puffing vp of this false a lying affiance that they alway set the cause of their saluatioÌ„ in workes But if we loke to the fower kindes of causes which the phylosophers â—eache vs to coÌ„sider in the effect of thinges we shal find that none of them doth accord with workes in the stablishing of our saluatioÌ„ For the Scripture doth euery where report that the cause of procuring the eternall life to vs is the mercie of the heauenly father his free loue towarde vs that the Material cause is Christ with his obedience by which he purchaced righteousnesse for vs. What also shal we say to be the formal or instrumeÌ„tal cause but faith And these thre causes Iohn coÌ„prehendeth together in one senteÌ„ce when he saith God so loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that euery one which beleueth in him may not perish but may haue euerlastiÌ„g life Now the final cause the Apostle testifieth to be both the shewing of the righteousnesse of God the praise of his goodnes wher he reherseth also the other thre in expresse wordes For he satih thus to the Romains al haue sined do nede the glory of god but they are iustified frely by his grace Here thou hast the head first fountain namely that God embraced vs with his free mercie Then foloweth By the redeÌ„ptioÌ„ which is in Christ Iesu. Here thou hast as it were the matter wherof righteousnesse is made for vs through faith in his bloude Here is shewed the instrumeÌ„tall cause wherby the righteousnes of Christ is applied to vs. Last of al he ioyneth the end when he saithe vnto the shewyng of his righteousnesse that he may be righteous the righteousmaker of him that is of the faithe of Christe And to touche by the way that this righteousnes standeth of reconciliatioÌ„ he setteth expressely by name the Christ was geuen to vs for reconciliatioÌ„ So in the first chap. also to the Ephesians he teacheth the we are receiued of God into fauour by mear mercie that the same is wrought by the intercession of Christ receiued by faithe all to this ende that the glorie of the goodnesse of God may fully shyne When we see that all the partes of our saluation are so without vs what cause is there that wee shoulde now either haue affiance or glorie in workes Neither can euen the most sworne ennemies of the grace of God moue any controuersie with vs about the efficient or fynall cause vnlesse they wyll denye the whole Scripture In the Materiall and Formall cause the caste a false colour as though our workes haue a half place with faithe and the righteousnesse of Christ. But this also they teache the Scripture criynge out against them whiche simply affirmeth both that Christ is to vs for righteousnesse and life and that this benefit of righteousnesse is possesed by only faith But where as the holy men do oftentimes strengthen and comforte them selues with remembrance of their owne innocencie and vprightnesse and somtime also forbeare not to report of it with prayse that is done twoo wayes either that in comparing their good cause with the euell cause of the wicked they conceiue thereby assured trust of victory not so muche for commending of their own righteousnes as for the iust deserued condemning of their aduersaries or that euen without comparison of other while thei recorde theÌ„selues before God the purenesse of their own conscience bringeth to them both some comfort affiance Of the first of these two wayes we shall se hereafter now let vs brefely declare of the latter how it agreeth with that whiche we haue aboue said that in the iudgemeÌ„t of God we must rest vpoÌ„ no affiance of workes and glorie vpon no opinion of them This is the agrement that the holy ones when it concerneth the founding and stablishinge of their saluation do without respect of workes bend their eies to the only goodnesse of God And they do not only bend them selues to it afore al thinges as to the beginning of blessednesse but do rest therin as in the fulfilling of it A conscience so founded raised stablished is also stablished with consideration of workes namely so far as they are the witnessings of God dwelling reigning in vs. Sithe therfore this affiance of workes hath no place vnlesse thou haue first cast the whole affiance of thy mynde vpon the mercie of God it ought not to seme coÌ„trary to the wherupon it hangeth Wherfore wheÌ„ we exclude the affiance of workes we meane only this that a Christian mind may not bowe to the merit of workes as to the succour of saluation but should throughly rest in the free promise of righteousnesse But we forbid it not to vnderprop strengthen this faith with the signes of the good will of God toward it selfe For if al the good giftes whiche God hath bestowed vpon vs wheÌ„ theâ— be recorded in remeÌ„brance are to vs after a certaine manner as it were beames of the face of God by whiche we ar enlightened to behold that soueraigne light of goodnesse much more is the grace of good workes whiche sheweth that the Spirite of adoption is geuen
THE INSTITVTION OF Christian Religion vvrytten in Latine by maister Ihon Caluin and translated into Englysh according to the authors last edition Seen and allowed according to the order appointed in the Quenes maiesties iniunctions Imprinted at London by Reinolde Vvolfe Richarde Harison Anno. 1561. Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum The Printers to the Reders WHeras some men haue thought and reported it to be a fault and negligence in vs for that we haue so long kept backe from you this boke being so profitable a woorke for you namely sithe maister Iohn Dawes had translated it and deliuered it into our handes more than a tweluemoneth past you shall vnderstande for our excuse in that behalfe that we could not wel emprinte it soner For we haue ben by diuerse necessarie causes constrayned with our earnest entreatance to procure an other frende of oures to translate it whole agayn This translation we trust you shal well allow For it hath not only ben faythfully done by the translater himself but also hath ben wholly perused by such men whoe 's iugement and credit al the godly learned in Englande well knowe esteme But sithe it is now come foorth we pray you accept it and vse it If any faultes haue passed vs by ouersight we beseche you let vs haue your patience as you haue had our diligence Ihon Caluin to the Reader AT the first setting out of this worke because I did not loke for that successe which the Lord of his vnmeasurable goodnesse hath geuen I had as men vse to do in small workes for the more parte lightly passed it ouer But when I vnderstode that it was receiued with that fauor of all the godly which I neuer durst haue desired muche lesse haue hoped for as I verily felt in my hart that much more was geuen to me than I had deserued so I thought it should be a great vnthankfulnesse if I should not at the least after my sclender abilite endeuor to answere so fauourable affections towarde me and which of themselues prouoked my diligēce And this I attempted not only in the seconde setting fourth of it but how oft sins that time the worke hath ben emprinted so oft it hath ben enriched with some encreasce But although I did not then repent me of the labor that I had employed yet I neuer helde my selfe contented til it was disposed into that order which is now set before you Now I trust I haue geuen you that whiche may be allowed by all your iugemētes Truely with how great endeuor I haue applied my selfe to the doing of this seruice to the Chirche of God I maye bring fourth for an euident witnesse that this last winter when I thought that the feuer Quartaue had summoned me to death how much more the sickenesse enforced vpon me so much lesse I spared myselfe til I mighte leaue this boke to ouerliue me which might make some part of thankfull recompense to so gentle prouoking of the godly I had rather in dede it had ben done soner but it is sone enough if well enough And I shall then thinke that it is come abrode in good season when I shal perceiue that it hath brought yet more plētiful frute than it hath done heretofore to the Chirch of God This is my only desire And truely ful ill it were with me if I did not holding my selfe contented with the allowance of God alone despise the iugementes of men whether they be the foolishe and frowarde iugementes of the vnskilful or the wrongfull and malicious of the wicked For although God hath throughly settled my minde to the endeuor bothe of enlarging his kingdome and of helping the common profit and though I am clere in myne owne conscience and haue himselfe the Angels to witnesse with me that sins I toke vpon me the office of a teacher in the Chirch I haue tēded to none other purpose but that I might profit the Chirch in mayntayning the pure doctrine of godlynesse yet I thinke there is no man that hath ben snatched at bitten torne in sonder with moe sclaūders thā I. Vuhē my epistle was now in printing I was certainly enformed that at Augsburgh where the assemblie of the states of the Empire was holdē there was a rumor sprede abrode of my reuolting to the Papacie and the same was more gredely receiued in the courtes of Princes than was mete This forsoothe is their thankfulnesse who are not ignorant of many trialls had of my stedfastnesse which trialls as they shake of so fowle a sclander so they should with al indifferent and gentle iudges haue defended me from it But the Deuell with his whole route is deceiued if in oppressing me with filthy lies he thinke that by his vniust dealing I shal be either the more discouraged or made the lesse diligent because I trust that the Lorde of his vnmeasurable goodnesse wil graunt me that I may with euē sufferāce cōtinue in the course of his holy calling Vvhereof I geue to the godly reders a new profe in this setting fourth of this boke Nowe in this trauail this was my purpose so to prepare and furnish them that be studious of holy Diuinitie to the reding of the worde of God that they may bothe haue an easy entrie into it and goe forwarde in it without stombling for I thinke that I haue in all pointes so knitt vp together the summe of religion and disposed the same in suche order that whosoeuer shal wel haue it in minde it shal not be hard for him to determine both what he ought chefely to seke in the Scripture and to what marke to apply whatsoeuer is conteined in it Therefore this as it were a way being ones made plaine if I shal hereafter set fourth any expositiōs of Scripture because I shal not nede to enter into long disputations of articles of doctrine and to wander out into common places I wil alway knitt them vp shortly By this meane the Godly reder shal be eased of great peine ▪ and tediousnesse so that he come furnished aforehand with the knowlege of this present worke as with a necessarie instrumente But because the entente of this purpose doth clerely as in mirrors appeare inso many commentaries of mine I had rather to declare in dede what it is than to set it out in wordes Farewel frendly Reader and if thou receiue any frute of my labors helpe me with thy praiers to God our Father At Geneua the first day of August in the yere 1559. Augustine in his vii Epistle I professe my selfe to be one of the number of them which write in profiting and profit in writing ¶ To the moste mightie and noble Prince Francisce the most Christian kyng the French kyng his soueraigne Lorde Iohn Caluine wisheth peace and saluation in Christ. WHen I did firlie sett my hande to thys woorke I thoughte nothyng lesse moste noble Kyng than to write any thyng that afterwarde should be presented to your
heauens as they be displaied abrode to his roiall pauilion he saieth that he hath framed his parloures in the waters that the cloudes are his chariottes that he rideth vpon the winges of the windes that the winds and lightninges are his swift messengers And because the glorye of his power and wisedome doeth more fully shine aboue therefore commonlye the heauen is called his palace And first of al what way soeuer thou turne thy eyes there is no pece of the world be it neuer so small wherein are not seen at least som sparkles of his glory to shine But as for this most large and beautiful frame thou canst not with one view peruse the wide compasse of it but that thou muste nedes be on euery side ouerwhelmed with the infinite force of the brightnes therof Wherfore the author of the Epistle to the Hebrues doeth very well call the ages of the worlde the spectacles of inuisible thinges for that the so orderly framing of the world serueth vs for a mirror wherin we may beholde God whiche otherwise is inuisible For whiche cause the Prophete assigneth to the heauenlye creatures a language that al nations vnderstande for that in them ther is a more euident testificacion of the Godhead than that it ought to escape the consideration of any nation be they neuer so dull Which thing the Apostle declaring more plainely saieth that there is disclosed vnto men so much as was behouefull to be knowen concernyng God because all men without exception do throughly see his inuisible things euen to his very power and godhead which thei vnderstande by the creation of the worlde As for his wonderful wisedom there are innumerable proues bothe in heauen and in earth that witnesse it I meane not only that secreter sort of thinges for the nerer marking whereof Astrologie Physike and all naturall Philosophie serueth but euen those thinges that thruste them selues in sighte of euery one euen of the rudest vnlerned man so that men can not open their eies but thei muste nedes bee witnesses of them But truely they that haue digested yea or but tasted the liberall artes being holpen by the ayde therof do procede much further to looke into the secretes of Gods wisedome Yet is there no man so hindred by lack of knowledge of those artes but that he throughly seeth abundantly inough of conning workmanship in gods workes to bring him in admiration of the workmaÌ„ therof As for example to the searching out of the mouings of the starres apointing of their places measuring of their distances and noting of their properties there nedeth art and an exacter diligence by which being throughly perceaued as the prouidence of god is the more manifestly disclosed so it is coÌ„uenieÌ„t that the mynde rise somwhat the hier therby to behold his glory But for asmuch as the vnlearned people yea and the rudest sort of them such as ar furnished with the only helpe of their eyes can not be ignorauÌ„t of the excellencie of gods conning workmanship which in this innumerable and yet so seuerally well ordered and disposed varietie doth of it selfe shew forth it selfe it is euident that ther is no man to whom God doth not largely opeÌ„ his wisdom Likewise it requireth a singuler sharpnes of wit to wey with suche cunning as Galen doth the knitting together the proportional agremeÌ„t the beautie vse in the frame of mans body but by all mens confession the body of man doth vtter in very shew of it self so cunning a coÌ„pacting together that for it the maker of it may worthily be iudged wonderfull And therefore certaine of the Philosophers in olde tyme dydde not without cause calle manne a littell worlde because he is a rare representation of the power goodnes and wisedome of god and conteyneth in hym selfe miracles inough to occupie our myndes yf we will be content to marke them And for thys reson Paul after that he had said that the very blinde men may finde out god by groping for him by and by saieth further that he is not to be sought far of because al men do fele vndoutedly wtâ—â— themselues the heauenly grace wherw t they be quickened But if we nede to go no further than our selues to find and take hold of god what pardon shal his slouthfulnes deserue that wil not vouchsafe to descend in to himself to find god And the same is the reason why Dauid when he had shortly spoken in aduauncement of the wonderful name honor of God that do euery where gloriously shine by and by crieth out what is man that thou art mindful of him Again out of the mouth of infantes and suckyng babes thou hast stablished strength for so he pronounceth that not only in the whole kinde of man is a mirrour of the woorkes of God but also that the very infantes whyle they yet hange on their mothers brestes haue tonges eloquent ynough to preache his glory so that there nedeth no other oratours And therfore he douteth not to set theyr mouthes in the vauwarde as beeyng strongly armed to subdue their madnes the would accordyng to their deuilysh pride couet to extinguish the name of God And herevpon riseth that whiche Paule alledgeth out of Aratus that we are the ofsprynge of God because he garnishyng vs with suche excellencie hathe testified that he is oure father Lyke as euen by common reason and as it were by information of experience the prophane Poetes called him the father of men And truelye no man will assentingly and willingly yeld him self to serue God but he that hauing tasted his fatherly loue is mutually allured to loue worship him And here is disclosed the foule vnthankefulnesse of men which while thei haue within them selues a workhouse gloriously furnished with innumerable workes of God and also a shoppe stuffed with inestimable plentie of riches and when they ought to burst forth into praisynge of him are contrarye wise puffed vp and doe swell wyth so much the greater pride They fele how diuersly in marueylous wise God woorketh in them they are taught by experience it self how great varietie of giftes they possesse by his liberalitie whether they wyll or noe they are enforsed to knowe that these are the tokens of his godhead and yet they suppresse it close within them Truely they neede not to goe oute of themselues so that they would not in presumptuously taking vpon theÌ„selues that which is geuen from heauen bury with in the grounde that which brightly giueth light to their mindes to se God But euen at this day the earth beareth many monstreous spirites which sticke not to abuse the whole sede of godhead that is sowen in mans nature and to employ it to oppresse the name of God How detestable I pray you is this madnes that man finding God a hundred times in his body and his soule should by the very same pretense of excelleÌ„ce deny that there is a god They wil not say
of idols as though it were not a litle lighter matter to worship thaÌ„ to serue And yet while they seke a hole to hide theÌ„ in the Greke word they childishly disagre with themselues For seing Latreuein in Greke signifieth nothing but to worship their saying coÌ„meth but to this effect as if they woulde say that they worship in dede their images but without any worshippinge And there is no cause why they shuld say that I seke to catch theÌ„ in words but they theÌ„selues while they seke to cast a mist before the eyes of the simple do bewray their own ignoraunce And yet though they be neuer so eloquent they shal not atteine by their eloquence to proue vnto vs that one selfe same thing is two sondry thinges Let theÌ„ say I shewe me a difference in that thing it selfe wherby they may be thought to differ froÌ„ the old idolaters For as an adulterer or a murderer caÌ„not escape giltinesse of his faulte by geuing his sinne a newe deuised name so is it a verye absurditie to thinke that these men be quitte by newe deuise of a name if in the matter it selfe they nothing differ froÌ„ those idolaters whom they theÌ„selues are coÌ„pelled to condeÌ„ne But so far are they froÌ„ prouing that their case differeth froÌ„ the case of those idolaters that rather the fountaine of al this whole mischiefe is an vnorderly counterfaiting wherin they haue striued with them while both with their own witt they deuise and with their own handes they frame them signifieng formes to expresse them a fashion of God And yet am I not so superstitious that I thinke no images maye be suffred at al. But forasmuch as caruing and painting are the giftes of God I require that they both be purely and lawfully vsed Least these things which god hath geueÌ„ vs for his glory for our own benefite be not only defiled by disordred abuse but also turned to our owne destructioÌ„ We thinke it vnlawful to haue God fashioned oute in visible forme because himselfe hath forbiddeÌ„ it because it cannot be done wythoute some defacemente of hys glory And least they thynke that it is onelye we that are in this opinioÌ„ they that haue ben trauailed in their works shall finde that all sounde writers did alway reproue the same thynge If then it be not lawfull to make any bodily image of God muche lesse shall it be lawfull to worshippe it for God or God in it It remayneth therefore lawfull that onelye those thynges bee painted and grauen whereof our eies are capable but that the maiestie of God which is far aboue the sense of our eies be not abused with vncomly deuised shapes Of this sorte are partly histories and thinges done partly images and fashions of bodies withoute expressing of any thinges done by them The first of these haue some vse in teaching or admonishing a man but what profite the seconde can bring saue only delectacion I see not And yet it is euident that euen such were almost al the images that heretofore haue stande vp in churches Wherby we may iudge that they were there set vp not by discrete iudgemente or choise but by folishe and vnaduised desire I speake not howe muche amisse and vncomely they wer for the moste parte fashione nor howe licentiously paynters and caruers haue in this pointe shewed their wantonnesse whiche thynge I haue alredy touched Only I speake to this end that though there wer no fault in them yet do they nothing auaile to teache But leauing also that difference let vs by the waye consider whether it be expedient in Christian temples to haue any images at al that doe expresse either thinges done or the bodies of men Fyrst if the authoritie of the aunciente churche doe any thyng moue vs let vs remember that for about v. C. yeares together while religion yet better florished and sincere doctrine was in force the Christian churches were vniuersally without images So they were then first brought in for the garnishment of churches when the sinceritie of ministracion was not a lyttle altered I wil not now dispute what reason they had with them that were the first authors therof But if a man compare age with age he shall see that they were muche swarued from that vpryghtnesse of them that were wythoute images What doe we thynke that those holye fathers would haue suffered the church to be so long wythoute the thyng which they iudged profitable and good for them But rather because they saw eyther litle or no profit in it and much daunger to lurke vnderneth it they did rather of purpose and aduisedly reiect it than â—y ignoraunce or negligence omytte it Whyche thyng Augustine doeth also in expresse words testifie When they be set in such places saieth he honorably on hye to be seen of them that pray and doe Sacrifice although they want both sense and lyfe yet with the very likenesse that they haue of liuelye members and senses they so moue the weake mindes that they seeme to liue and breath c. And in an other place For that shape of members doeth worke and in manner enforce thus muche that the minde liuing within a body doeth thynke that body to haue sense whiche he seeth like vnto his own And a litel after Images do more auaile to bow down an vnhappy soule but this that they haue mouth eyes eares and fete than to amend it by this that they neyther speake nor see nor heare nor goe This truely semeth to be the cause why Iohn willed vs to beware not onelye of worshipping of images but also of images themselues And we haue founde it to muche in experience that throughe the horrible madnesse whiche hath heretofore possessed the worlde to the destruccyon in manner of all godlynesse so sone as images be set vp in churches there is as it were a signe sette vp of idolatrie because the folly of men cannot refraine it selfe but it muste foorthwith runne on to supersticious worshippinges But if there were not so muche daunger hanging thereby yet when I consider for what vse temples are ordeined me thinkes it is verie ill beseming the holinesse therof to receiue any other images than these liuely natural images whiche the LORDE by hys woorde hath consecrate I meane Baptisme and the Lordes supper and other ceremonies wherewyth our eies ought both more earnestly to be occupyed and more liuely to be moued than that they should nede any other images framed by the witt of men Loe this is the incomparable commoditie of images whiche can by no value be recompensed if we beleue the papistes I thinke I had spoken enough of this thing alreadye but that the Nicene Synode doeth as it were laye hande on me to enforce me to speake more â–ª I meane not that most famous Synode which CoÌ„staÌ„tine the Great assembled but that which was holden eyght hundred yeares ago by the commaundemente and authoritie of Irene the Empresse For
bynd theÌ„ to a certayn rule that euery man should not geue hymselfe leaue to deuise what forme of worshyp he lyst But because it is not expedieÌ„t to loade the readers with heapyng many matters together I will not touche that poynte yet Onely lette it susâ—ise for this tyme to kepe in mynd that euery cariyng away of the dutyefull behauiours of godlynesse to any other than to God alone is not without robbery of God And fyrste superstition deuysed to geue diuine honours to the Sonne or other starres or idols then folowed ambitious pryde whyche garnyshyng mortall men with spoyles taken from God presumed to prophane all that euer was holy And although this principle remayned among theim to honour the soueraigne deitie yet grewe it in vse indifferently to offer sacrifices to spirites lesser gods or dead meÌ„ of honor So slippery is the way to slide into this fault to make common to a number that whiche God seuerely chalengeth to hym selfe alone The .xiii. Chapter That there is taught in the scriptures one offence of God from the very creation whiche essence conteineth in it thre persons THat which is taught in the scriptures concernyng the incomprehensible and spirituall essence of God oughte to suffise not onely to ouerthrowe the foolisshe errours of the common people but also to confute the fine suttelties of prophane philosophie One of the olde writers semed to haue said very wel That God is al that we do see and all that we doo not see But by this meane he hathe imagined the godhead to be powred out into all the partes of the world Although God to the intent to kepe men in sobre mynde speaketh but sparely of his owne essence yet by those twoo names of addition that I haue rehersed he doothe bothe take away all grosse imaginations and also represse the presumptuous boldnesse of mans mynde For surely his immeasurable greatnesse ought to make vs afrayde that we attempt not to measure hym with our sense and his spirituall nature forbiddeth vs to imagine any thyng earthly or fleshely of hym For the same cause he often assigneth his dwellyng place to be in heauen For though as he is incomprehensible he tilleth the earthe also yet because he seeth oure myndes by reason of their dullnesse to lie still in the earthe for good cause he lifteth vs vp aboue the worlde to shake of our slouth and sluggishnesse And here falleth to grounde the errour of the Manichees which in appointyng two originall beginnynges haue made the diuell in a maner egall with god Surely this was as muche as to breake the vnitie of God and restrayne his vnmeasurablenesse For where they haue presumed to abuse certain testimonies that sheweth a fowle ignoraunce as their errour it selfe sheweth a detestable madnesse And the Anthropomorphites are also easily confuted which haue imagined God to consist of a bodye because oftentymes the scripture ascribeth vnto hym a mouthe eares eyes handes and feete For what man yea though he be sclenderly witted dooth not vnderstande that God dooth so with vs speake as it were childishly as nurses doo with their babes Therefore suche maners of speeche doo not so playnely expresse what God is as they do apply the vnderstandyng of him to our sclender capacitie Whiche to do it behoued of necessitie that he descended a great way beneath his owne heyght But he also setteth out hymselfe by an other speciall marke wherby he may be more nerely knowen For he so declareth hymselfe to bee but one that he yet geueth himselfe distinctly to be considered in three persons whiche except we learne a bare and empty name of god without any true God flieth in our braine And that no man should thinke that he is a threfolde God or that the one essence of God is diuided in three persons we must here seke a short and easy definition to deliuer vs froÌ„ all errour But because many doo make muche a doo about this worde Person as a thyng inuented by man howe iustly they doo so it is beste fyrst to see The apostles namyng the sonne the engraued forme of the Hypostasis of his father he vndoubtedly meaneth that the Father hath some beeyng wherin he differeth from the sonne For to take it for Essence as some expositours haue done as if Christ like a piece of waxe printed with a seale didde represent the substaunce of the Father were not onely harde but also an absurditie For sithe the Essence of God is single or one and vndiuisible he that in hym selfe conteineth it all and not by pecemeale or by deriuation but in whole perfection should very vnproprely yea fondly bee called the engraued forme of hym But because the father although he be in his own propretie distinct hath expressed hymselfe wholly in his sonne it is for good cause sayde that he hath geuen his Hypostasis to be seene in hym Wherwith aptely agreeth that which by and by foloweth that he is the brightnesse of his glory Surely by the Apostles wordes we gather â–ª that there is a certayn propre hypostasis in the father that shineth in the sonne whereby also agayne is easily perceiued the Hypostasis of the sonne that distinguisheth him from the Father Like order is in the holy ghost for we shall by and by proue hym to be God and yet he must nedes be other than the father Yet this distinction is not of the essence whiche it is vnlawfull to make manyfolde Therfore if the Apostles testimonie be credited it foloweth that there be in God thre hypostases This terme seyng the Latines haue expressed with the name of Person it were to muche pride and waywardnesse to brawle about so cleere a matter But if we list worde for worde to translate we may call it Subsistence Many in the same sense haue called it substance And the name of Person hath not ben in vse among the Latins onely but also the Grecians perhaps to declare a consente haue taught that there are three prosopa that is to say Persons in God But they whether they be Grekes or Latins that differ one from an other in the worde doo very well agree in the summe of the matter Nowe howesoeuer the heretikes barke at the name of persone or some ouermuch precise men do carpe that thei like not the worde fained by deuise of men sithe they can not get of vs to say that there be three whereof euery one is wholly God nor yet that there be many goddes what vnreasonablenesse is this to myslyke woordes whiche expresse none other thynge but that whiche is testified and approued by the scriptures It were better say they to restraine not only our meanynges but also oure woordes within the boundes of scripture than to deuyse straunge names that may be the begynnynges of disagrement brawlyng so doo we tyer our selues with strife about woordes so the truthe is loste in contending so charitie is broken by odiousely brawlyng together If they call that a straunge
and therof brought forth all liuing creatures and thinges without lyfe with maruellous order disposed the innumerable varietie of things to euery thīg he gaue the propre nature assigned their offices appointed their places and abidinges and where all things are subiecte to corruption yet hath he so prouided that of all sortes some shal be preserued safe to the last day and therfore some he cherysheth by secrete meanes and poureth now and then as it were a new liuelinesse into them and to some he hath geuen the power to encrease by generation that in their dying that whole kinde should not die together So hath he maruellously garnished the heauen and the earth with so absolutely perfect plentie varietie beauty of al thinges as possibly might be as it were a large and gorgeous house furnished and stored wyth aboundaunce of most finely chosē stuffe last of all how in framing man and adorning him with so godly beautie and with so many and so great giftes he hath shewed in him the most excellent exāple of al his works But because it is not my purpose at this present to set forth at large the creation of the worlde let it suffice to haue ones agayne touched these few thinges by the way For it is better as I haue already warned the readers to fetche a fuller vnderstanding of this matter oute of Moses and other that haue faithfully and diligently conueied the history of the world by writing to perpetuall memory It is to no purpose to make much a do in disputing to what end this consideration of the workes of God ought to tend or to what marke it oughte to be applyed forasmuch as in other places already a great part of this question is declared and so muche as belongeth to our presente purpose maye in fewe wordes be ended Truely if we were minded to set out as it is worthye howe inestimable wisdome power iustice and goodnesse of God appeareth in the framing of the world no eloquence no garnishment of speche could suffice the largenesse of so great a matter And no dout it is gods pleasure that we should be continually occupied in so holy a meditation that while we beholde in his creatures as in loking glasses infinite richesse of his wisedome iustice bountie and power we should not runne ouer them as it were with a fleeing eye or with a vaine wandryng looke as I maye so call it but that we shoulde wyth consideration rest long vpon them cast them vp and downe earnestlye and faythfully in oure myndes and ofte repeate them with remembrance But because we are now busyed in that kinde that perteineth to order of teaching it is mete that we omit those thinges that require long declamations Therefore to be short let the readers knowe that then they haue conceyued by Fayth what thys meaneth that God is the creator of heauen and earth if they firste folowe thys vniuersall rule that they passe not ouer with not considerynge or forgetfulnesse of those vertues that God presenteth to be seen in his creatures then that they so learne to apply them selues that they may therwyth be throughly moued in their hartes The first of those we do when we consider howe excellente a workemans worke it was to place and aptly set in so well disposed order the multitude of the starres that is in heauen that nothyng can be deuised more beautifull to beholde to sette and fasten some of them in theyr standinges so that they can not moue and to other some to graunte a free course but so that in mouing they wander not beyonde theyr appoynted space so to temper the motion of them all that it maye deuide in measure the dayes and nyghtes monethes yeres and seasons of the yere and to bryng thys inequalitie of dayes whiche we dayly see to suche a tempered order that it hath no confusyon Likewyse whē we marke hys power in susteyning so great a body in gouernyng the so swifte whirling aboute of the engyne of heauen and suche lyke For these fewe examples doe sufficientlye declare what it is to recorde the power to God in the creatiō of the world For els if I shoulde trauayle as I sayed to expresse it all in wordes I shoulde neuer make an ende forasmuch as there are so many miracles of the power of God so many tokens of hys goodnesse so many examples of hys wysedome as there be formes of thynges in the worlde yea as there be thynges eyther great or small Now remayneth the other part which commeth nerer to Fayth that whyle we consyder that God hath ordayned all thynges for oure garde and safetie and therewithal doe fele hys power and grace in our selues ▪ and in so great good thynges that he hath bestowed vpon vs we maye thereby stire vp our selues to the trust inuocation prayse and loue of hym Nowe as I haue before sayed God hymselfe hath shewed in the very order of creation ▪ that for mans sake he created al thynges For it is not without cause that he deuided y◠making of the world into six daies wheras it had ben as easy for hym in one moment to haue in al pointes accomplished his whole worke as it was by suche proceding from pece to pece to come to the ende of it But then it pleased hym to shewe hys prouidence and fatherly carefulnesse towarde vs that before he made man he prepared all that he foresaw shoulde be profitable for hym and fyt for hys preseruation Now great vnthankfulnesse now should it bee to dout whether this good Father do care for vs whom we see to haue been careful for vs ere that we wer borne How wycked wer it to tremble for distrust least hys goodnesse woulde at any tyme leaue vs destitute in necessitie which we se was dysplaied for vs being not yet borne wyth great aboundaunce of all good thynges Besyde that we heare by Moses that by hys liberalitie al that euer is in the worlde is made subiecte to vs. Sure it is that he did it not to mocke vs wyth an emptye name of gifte Therfore we shall neuer lacke any thyng so farre as it shall be auaylable for our preseruation Finally to make an end so oft as we name God the creator of heauen and earth let this come in our mindes withall that the disposition of al thinges which he hath create is in his hande and power and that we are his children whom he hath taken into his own charge and keping to foster and bryng vp that we may loke for all good thinges at his hande and assuredly trust that he will neuer suffer vs to lacke thinges nedefull for our safetie to the ende our hope shoulde hang vpon none other that whatsoeuer we desire our praiers may be directed to him of what thing soeuer we receiue profite we may acknowledge it to be his benefite and confesse it with thankes geuing that being allured with so greate swetenesse of his goodnesse and liberalitie we maye
according to the nature planted in hym and mā ordereth his own doinges by his own volūtary aduise Briefely they meane that the world mens matters and mē themselues are gouerned by the power but not by the appointmente of God I speake not of the Epicureans which pestilence the worlde hath alwaye been fylled wyth which dreame of an idle and slouthful God and other as mad as they whiche in old tyme imagined that God did so rule aboue the middle region of the ayre that he left thinges benethe to Fortune for against so euident madnesse the dumme creatures themselues do sufficiently crye out For now my purpose is to confute that opinion that is in a manner commonly beleued which geuing to God a certain blinde and I wote not what vncertayne motion taketh from him the principall thinge that is by his incomprehensible wisedome to directe and dispose al thinges to their ende and so in name onely and not in dede it maketh God a ruler of the world because it taketh from him the gouernement of it For what I beseche you is it els to gouerne but so to be ouer them that are vnder thee that thou mayest rule them by appointed order Yet do I not altogether reiect that which is spokē of the vniuersall Prouidence so that they will agayne graunte me this that the world is ruled by God not onely because he mainteineth the order of nature whiche himselfe hath set but also because he hath a peculiar care of euery one of hys workes Trew it is that al sortes of things are moued by a secret instinct of nature as if they did obey the eternal commaundement of God and that that which God hath ones determyned doth of it selfe procede forwarde And hereunto may that be applied which Christ sayeth that he and his father were euen from the beginning alway workyng And that which Paule teacheth that in him we liue are moued haue our beyng and that which the author of the Epystle to the Hebrues meanyng to proue the Godhead of Christ sayeth that by hys mightie commaundement al thinges are susteyned But they do wrong which by this color do hide darken the speciall Prouidence whiche is cōfirmed by so certain plain testimonies of Scripture that it is maruell that any man could dout of it And surely they thēselues that drawe thesame veile which I speake of to hide it are cōpelled by way of correctiō to adde that many thyngs ar don by the peculiar care of god but then they do wrongfully restrayn thesame onely to peculiar doinges Wherfore we muste proue that God doth so geue hede to the gouernement of the successes of al thyngs and that they al do so procede from his determyned counsell that nothyng happeneth by chaunce If we graūt that the beginning of motiō belōgeth to God but that all things are either of thēselues or by chaūce caried whether the inclination of nature driueth thē the mutual succeding by turnes of daies nightes of winter sōmer shal be the work of God insomuch as he appointing to euery one their duties hath set thē a certaine law that is if they shoulde alway kepe one measure in egal proportiō as wel the dayes that come after the nightes the moneths after monethes yeres after yeres But whē somtime immoderate hetes with drynesse do burne vp al the grain somtime vnseasonable raines do mar the corne when sodein harme cōmeth by hayle tempestes that shal not be the worke of God vnlesse parhap it be because the cloudes or faire wether or colde or heate haue their beginning of the meting of the planetes or other naturall causes But by this meane is there no roume left nether for the fatherly fauour nor for the iudgemēts of God If they say that God is beneficial enough to mankinde because he poureth into the heauē earth an ordinary power wherby they do find him nourishment that is to vaine and prophane an inuention as though the frutefulnesse of one yere wer not the singular blessing of God and dearth and famine wer not his curse vēgeaunce But because it wer to long to gather together al the resons that serue for this purpose let the authoritie of God himselfe suffice vs. In the law in the Prophetes he doth oftētimes pronoūce that so oft as he watereth the earth with deaw rayne he declareth his fauor that whē by his cōmaundemēt the heauen is hardened like irō whē corne is consumed with blasting and other harmes when the fieldes are strykē with hayle tempestes it is a tokē of his certayne special vengeaūce If we graunt these things then is it assured that there falleth not a drop of rain but by the certaine commaundement of God Dauid prayseth the general Prouidēce of God that he geueth meate to the rauens birdes the cal vpon him but when God himselfe threatneth famine to lyuing creatures doth he not sufficiently declare that he fedeth al liuing thinges somtime with scarce and sometime with more plenteful portiō as he thinketh good It is a childish thing as I said before to restrain this to particular doīges wheras Christ speketh wtout exception that not a sparrow of neuer so smal a price doth fal to the groūde wtout the wil of his father Surely if the flyeng of birdes be ruled by the purpose of God thē must we nedes confesse with the Prophet that he so dwelleth on hye that yet he humbleth himself to loke vpō at thinges that chaunce in heauen and earth But because we know that the world was made principally for mākindes sake we must therfore cōsider this end in the gouernāce of man The prophete Hieremy cryeth out I know Lorde that the waye of man is not his own nether belongeth it to man to direct his own steppes And Salomon saieth the steps of man are ruled by the lord and how shall a man dispose his own way Now let thē say that mā is moued by God according to the inclinatiō of his own nature but that man hymselfe doth turne the mouing whether it pleaseth him But if that wer truely sayd then shoulde man haue the free choise of his own wayes Paraduēture they wil deny that because he can do nothing wtout the power of God But seing it is certain that the Prophete and Salomon do geue vnto God not only power but also choise and appointment they can not so escape away But Salomō in an other place doth finely rebuke this rashenesse of men that apoint vnto themselues an other ende wtout respect of God as though they were not led by hys hande The preparations saith he of the hart are in man but the answer of the tong is of the Lord. It is a fonde madnesse that mē wil take vpon thē to doe thinges wtout God which can not so muche as speake but what he wil. And the Scripture to expresse more plaīly that nothing at al is
a bare sufferance of hym to afflicte the holy man yet because that sayeng is true The Lorde hath geuen the Lord hath taken away as it pleased God so is it com to passe We gather that God was the author of that triall of Iob wherof Sathan and the wicked theues were ministers Sathan goeth about to dryue the holy man by desperation to madnesse The Sabees cruelly wickedly doo inuade and robbe his goodes that were none of theirs Iob knowledgeth that he 〈◊〉 by God stripped of all his goodes and made poore because it so pleased God Therfore whatsoeuer men or Satan hymselfe attempt yet God holdeth the sterne to tourne all their trauayles to the executyng of his iudgements It was Gods wil to haue the false kyng Achab deceiued the deuill offered his seruice therevnto he was sent with a certaine commaundement to be a lying spirite in the mouthe of all the Prophetes If the blyndyng and madnesse of Achab be the iudgement of God then the deuise of bare Sufferance is vaine For it were a fond thyng to say that the iudge doeth onely suffre and not also decree what he will haue doone and commaund the ministers to put it in execution It was the Iewes purpose to destroy Christ Pilate and the souldiors doo folowe their ragyng lust and yet in a solemne praier the disciples doo confesse that all the wicked men dyd nothyng els but that whiche the hande and counsell of God had determined euen as Peter had before preached that Christ was by the decreed purpose and foreknowledge of God deliuered to be slayne As if he shuld say that God from whome nothyng is hidden from the beginnyng did wittyngly and willyngly appoynt that whiche the Iewes did execute as in an other place heâ—â—herseth that God whyche shewed before by all his Prophetes that Christ shuld suffer hath so fulfilled it Absolon defilyng his fathers bed with incestuous adulterie committed detestable wickednesse Yet God pronounceth that this was his owne worke For the wordes are these Thou haste doone it secretely but I will doo it openly and before the sunne Hieremie pronounceth that all the crueltie that the Chaldees vsed in Iury was the woorke of God For which cause Nabucadnezer is called the seruant of God God euery where crieth out that with his hissyng with the souÌ„d of his trumpet with his power coÌ„mandement the wicked ar stirred vp to warre He calleth the Assyrian the rod of his wrath the axe that he moueth with his hande The destruction of the holy citie ruine of the Temple he calleth his worke Dauid not murmuring against God but acknowledging him for a rightuous iudge yet confesseth that the cursings of Semei proceded of the coÌ„mauÌ„dement of God The Lord saith he coÌ„maunded him to curse We often finde in the holy historie that what soeuer happeneth it cometh of the Lord as the departing of the ten tribes the death of the sonnes of Hely and very many things of like sort They that be meanly exercised in the Scriptures do see that for shortnesses sake I bring forth of many testimonies but a few by which yet it appereth plainly enough that they do trifle talk fondly that thrust in a bare SufferaÌ„ce in place of the Prouidence of God as though God saie in a watche tower waityng for the chaunces of Fortune and so his iudgementes shoulde hang vppon the will of men Nowe as concerning secrete motions that which SalomoÌ„ speaketh of the hart of a king that it is bowed hether or thether as pleaseth God extendeth surely to all mankind and is as muche in effecte as if he had said what soeuer we conceiue in myndes is by the secret inspiration of God directed to his ende And truly if he did not worke in the myndes of men it were not rightly said that he taketh away the lippe from the true speakers and wisedom from aged men that he taketh the hart froÌ„ the Princes of the earthe that they maye wander where is no beaten waie And hereto belongeth that whyche we ofte reade that men are fearefull so farre foorth as theyr hartes bee taken with his feare So Dauid went out of the campe of Saule and none was ware of it because the slepe of God was come vpon theim all But nothyng can be desyred to be more playnly spoken than where he so oft pronounceth that he blyndeth the eies of men striketh them with giddynesse that he maketh them drunke with the spirite of drowsynesse casteth them into madnesse hardneth their harts These things also many do referre to Sufferance as if in forsaking the reprobate he suffred theÌ„ to be blinded by Satan But that solution is to fonde forasmuch as the Holy ghost in plain words expresseth that they are striken with blindnesse madnesse by the iust iudgmeÌ„t of God It is said that he hardned the hart of Pharao also that he did make dull strengthen it Some do with an vnsauory cauillation mocke out these phrases of speche because where in an other place it is said that Pharao did harden his owne hart there is his owne will set for the cause of his hardenyng As though these thynges did not very well agree together although in diuers maners that man while he is moued in working by God doeth also worke himself And I doo turne back their obiection against them selues For if to harden do signify but a bare Sufferance then the very motion of obstinacie shall not be proprely in Pharao Now how weake and foolishe were it so to expounde as if Pharao did only suffer hym self to be hardened Moreouer the Scripture cutteth of all occasions from suche cauillations For God sayth I will holde his harte So of the inhabitauntes of the land of Canaan Moses saith that thei went forth to bataile because the Lord had hardned their harts Which same thing is repeted by an other Prophet saying He turned their harts that they should hate his people Agayne in Esaie he saieth that he will sende the Assyrians against the deceytfull nation and will commaunde them to cary awaie the spoiles and violently take the praie not meanyng that he will teache wicked and obstinate men to obey willyngly but that he wil bowe them to execute his iudgementes as if they dyd beare his commaundementes grauen in their myndes Wherby appeareth that they were moued by the certaine appointement of God I graunte that God doeth oftentymes worke in the reprobate by Satans seruice as a meane but yet so that Satan doeth his office by Gods mouing procedeth so farre as is geuen hym The euill Spirite troubled Saule but it is sayde that it was of God that wee may knowe that the madnesse of Saule came of the iuste vengeance of God It is also said that the same Satan doth blind the myndes of the vnfaithfull but how so but only because the effectuall workyng of errour cometh
humblenes For what is that first estate of oures euen that from whence we are false What is that ende of oure creation euen the same from whiche we are altogether tourned away so that lothinge oure owne miserable estate we may groâ—e for sorrowe in groninge may also sighe for the losse of that dignitie But nowe when we saye that man ought to beholde nothinge in himselfe that may make hym of bolde courage wee meane that there is nothinge in him vpon affiance whereof he oughte to be proude Wherefore if any liste to heare what knoweledge man oughte to haue of himselfe let vs thus diuide it that firste he consider to what ende he is created and endued with giftes that are not to bee despised by whiche thought he may be styrred vp to the meditation of the hearinge of God and of the lyfe to come Then let him weye hys owne strength or rather needy wante of strengthe by perceiuynge whereof hee maye lye in extreeme confusion as one vtterly broughte to naught The fyrste of these considerations tendeth to thys ende that hee maye knowe what is hys duety and the other howe muche he is able to do towarde the perfourminge of yt We wyll entreate of them bothe as the ordre of teachinge shall requyre But bicause it muste nedes be that it was not a lighte negligence but a detestable wicked acte whiche God so seuerally punyshed wee muste consider the verye fourme of the same in the fall of Adam that kyndeled the horryble vengaunce of God vpon all mankynde It ys a childishe opynyon that hathe commonly been receiued concerninge the intemperaunce of glotonye as though the summe and heade of all vertues consysted in the forbearinge of one onely frute when there flowed on euery syde store of all sortes of deyntyes that were to bee desyred and when in that blessed frutefulnesse of the earthe thâ—re was not onely plentye but also varyetye to make for pleasure Therefore we muste looke further bicause the forbiddinge him 〈◊〉 the tree of the knoweledge of good and euell was the tryall of obedience that Adam in obeyinge myghte proue that he was wyllyngely â—â—â—iect to the gouernement of God And the name of the tree it selfe shewâ—â—â— that the coÌ„maundement was geuen for none other ende than for 〈…〉 he contented with his owne estate should not with wicked lust adueuree himselfe higher But the promise wherby he was biddeÌ„ to hope for eternall life so longe as he did not eate of the tree of life and agayne the horrible threatening of death so sone as he should taste of the tree of knowledge of good and euell serued to proue and exercise his fayth Herof it is not harde to gather by what meanes Adam prouoked the wrathe of God agaynste him selfe Augustine in deede sayeth not amisse when he sayeth that pryde was the beginnyng of all euels For if ambition had not lifted vp man higher than was laweful and than was permitted him he mighte haue continued in his estate but we must fetch a more ful definition from the maner of the tentation that Moses describeth For sithe the woman was with the deceite of the Serpent led awaye by infidelitie now it appereth that disobedience was the beginning of the fall Whiche thing Paule coÌ„firmeth teaching that all men were loste by one mans disobedience But it is withall to be noted that the first man fell from the subiection of God for that he not only was taken with the entisementes of Satan but also despising the trueth did tourne out of the waye to lying And surely Gods worde beyng ones despised all reuerence of God is shaken of Bicause his maiestie doth no other waies abide in honore among vs nor the worshippe of him remaine inuiolate but while we hange vpoÌ„ his mouth Therfore infidelitie was the roote of that falling awaye But thereupon arose ambition and pride to which was adioyned vnthankefulnesse for that Adam in coueting more than was graunted did vnreuerently despise the so greate liberalitie of God wherewyth he was enriched And this was a monstruous wickednesse that the sonne of the earth thoughte it a small thyng that he was made after the likenesse of God vnlesse he mighte also bee made egall with God If Apostasie be a filthy and detestable offense whereby manne withdraweth him selfe from the allegeance of his creatour yea outrageously shaketh of his yoke then it is but vaine to extenuate the Sinne of Adam Albeit it was no simple Apostasie but ioyned with shamefull reproches agaynst God while they assented to the sclaunders of Satan wherein he accused God of lying enuye and niggardly grudgyng Finally infidelitie opened the gate to ambition ambition was the mother of obstinate rebellion to make men caste awaye the feare of God and throwe themselues whether their lust caried them Therfore Bernarde doeth rightly teache that the gate of saluation is opened vnto vs when at this day we receiue the gospel by our eares eueÌ„ as by the same windowes when they stode opeÌ„ to Satan death was let in For Adam would neuer haue ben so bolde as to do agaynst the coÌ„maundement of God but for this that he did not beleue his worde Truely this was the best bridle for the right keping of all affections in good order to thinke that ther is nothyng better than to kepe righteousnesse in obeyenge the coÌ„maundementes of God then that the chiefe ende of happy life is to be beloued of him He therefore beyng carried away with the blasphemies of the Deuell did asmuch as in him lay extinguishe the whole glory of god As the spirituall life of Adam was to abide ioyned and bounde to his creatour so his alienation from him was the death of his soule Neyther is it maruell yf he by his fallynge awaye destroyed all his owne posteritie whiche peruerted the whole order of nature in Heauen and in Earth All the creatures doe grone sayeth Paule beyng made subiecte to corruption agaynst their will If one shoulde aske the cause no doubte it is for that they beare parte of that punishement that manne deserued for whose vse they were created Sythe then the curse that goeth throughoute all the costes of the world proceded from his faulte bothe vpwarde and downeward it is nothing agaynst reason if it spread abroade into all his issue Therefore after that the heauenly image in him was defaced he did not alone suffer this punishment that in place of wisedome strength holinesse truth and iustice with whiche ornamentes he had ben clothed there came in the moste horrible pestilences blindenesse weakenesse filthinesse falsehod and iniustice but also he entangled and drowned his whole ofspryng in the same miseries This is the corruption that cometh by inheritaunce which the olde writers called Originall sinne meaning by this word Sinne the corruptioÌ„ of nature which before was good and pure About which mater they haue had much contention bicause there is nothyng farther of from coÌ„mon reason than all
by him it is not mente thereby that man as it were striuing agaynst it and resistyng is compelled to obeye as we compell bondeslaues agaynst their wil by reason of beyng their lordes to do our coÌ„maundementes but that beyng bewitched with the deceites of Satan it of necessitie yeldeth it selfe obedient to euery leadyng of him For whome the Lord vouchesaueth not to rule with his spirite them by iust iudgement he sendeth away to be moued of Satan Wherfore the Apostle sayth that the god of this world hath blinded the mindes of the vnbeleuers ordeyned to destruction that they should not see the light of the Gospell And in an other place That he worketh in the disobedient children The blindynge of the wicked and as the wicked deedes that followe thereupon are called the workes of Satan of whiche yet the cause is not to bee sought elswhere than in the will of man out of which ariseth the roote of euell wherin resteth the fundation of the kingdome of Satan whiche is Sinne. But farre other is the order of Gods doyng in such thinges And that the same may appere more certainly vnto vs let the hurt done to the holy man Iob by the Chaldees be an exaÌ„ple The Chaldees killed his herdemen and like enemies in warre droue awaye his cattle for booties Nowe is their wicked deede plainely seene and in that worke Satan is not idle from whome the Historie sayeth that all this dyd procede But Iob himself did acknowledge the worke of the lord in it whome he saith to haue take away from him those things that were taken away by the Chaldees How can we referre the selfe same work to God as authour to Sathan as authour and to maÌ„ as authour of it but that we must either excuse Sathan by the company of God or report God to be the authour of euill Uery easely if first we loke vpon the ende why it was done and then the manner how The purpose of the Lorde is by calamitie to exercise the patience of his seruant The deuil goeth about to driue him to despeir The Chaldees against right and lawe seke gaine of that whiche is an other mans Suche diuersitie in purposes maketh great difference in the worke And in the maner of doing there is no lesse diuersitie The Lord leaueth his seruant to Sathan to be afflicted and the Chaldees whome he did chose for ministers to execute it he did leaue and deliuer to him to be driuen to it Sathan with his venemous stinges pricked forward the myndes of the Chaldees whiche otherwyse were peruerse of them selues to do that mischief they furiously runne to do wrong and do bynde and defile all their membres with wicked doing Therfore it is properly said that Sathan doth worke in the reprobate in whome he exerciseth his kingdome that is to say the kingdome of wickednesse It is also sayd that God worketh in them after his maner because SathaÌ„ him selfe for as muche as he is the instrument of his wrath according to his bidding and commaundement turneth him self hether thither to execute his iust iudgementes I speake not here of Gods vniuersall mouing wherby as al creatures are susteined so from thence thei take their effectuall power of doing any thing I speake only of that special doing whiche appeareth in euery special act We see therfore that it is no absurditie that one selfe acte be ascribed to God to Satan and to man but the diuersitie in the ende and maner of doing causeth that therin appeareth the iustice of God to be without fault and also the wickednesse of Sathan and man bewrayeth it selfe to their reproche The olde wryters in this point also are somtime to precisely afraid simply to confesse the truthe because they feare least they should so open a wyndowe to wickednesse to speake irreuerently of the workes of God Whiche sobrietie as I embrace so I thinke it nothing daungerous if we simply holde what the Scripture teacheth Augustine hym selfe sometime was not free from that superstition as where he saith that hardening and blynding perteine not to the worke of God but to his foreknowledge But the phrases of scripture allowe not these subtilties whiche phrases do plainly shew that there is therin somwhat els of God besides his forknowledge And Augustine himselfe in his v. boke against Iulianus goeth earnestly about with a long processe to proue that sinnes are not only of the permissioÌ„ or sufferaâ—ce of God but also of his power that so former sinnes might be punished Lykewyse that whiche they being fourth concerning permission is to weake to stande It is oftentimes sayd that God blyndeth and hardeneth the reprobate that he turneth boweth moueth their heartes as I haue els where taught more at large But of what maner that is it is neuer expressed if we flee to free forknowledge or sufferance Therfore we answere that it is done after two maners For first where as when his light is taken away there remaineth nothing but darknesse and blyndnesse where as when his spirite is taken away our heartes ware hard and become stones where as when his direction cesseth they are wrasted into crokednesse it is well sayd that he doeth blinde harden bowe them from whome he taketh away the power to se obey and do rightly The second manner whiche commeth nere to the propertie of the wordes is that for the executing of his iudgementes by Sathan the minister of his wrath he bothe appointeth their purposes to what ende it pleaseth hym and stirreth vp their willes streÌ„gtheneth their endeuors So wheÌ„ Moses reherseth that king Sehon did not geue passage to the people because God had hardened his spirite and made his heart obstinate he by and by adioyneth the ende of his purpose that he might saith he geue him into our handes Therfore because it was Gods will to haue him destroied the making of his heart obstinate was Gods preparation to his destruction After the firste manner this seemeth to bee spoken He taketh away the lyppe from the speakers of truth and taketh away reason from the Elders He taketh the heart away from them that are set ouer the people hee maketh then to waÌ„der where no way is Again Lord why haste thou made vs mad and hardened oure hearte that wee shoulde not feare theeâ— Because they iudge rather of what sorte God maketh men by forsaking them than how he perfourmeth his worke in them But there are other testimonies that goe further as are these of the hardening of Pharao I wyll harden the heart of Pharao that he do not heare you and let the people go Afterward he saith that he hath made heauy and hardened his heart Did he harden it in not susteining it That is true in deede but he did somwhat more that he committed his heart to Sathan to be confirmed with obstinacie Where vpon he had before sayd I wyll holde his heart The people went out of Egypt
vnthankefulnesse bicause both our mindes as they be blinded do not see the truthe and also as all our senses be peruerse we maliciously defraude God of his glorie Therefore we muste come to that sayeng of Paule bicause in the wisedome of God the world knewe not God by wisedome it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preachyng to saue them that beleue The wisedome of God he calleth this honorable stage of heauen and earth furnished with innumerable miracles by beholdyng whereof we ought wisely to haue knowen God But bicuase we so ill profited therein he calleth vs backe to the fayth of Christ whiche for that it semeth foolish the vnbeleuers doe disdayne Wherfore although the preaching of the crosse do not agree with mās witte yet ought we humbly to embrace it if we desire to returne to God our creatour and maker that he maye beginne agayne to be our father Truely sins the fall of the first manne no knoweledge of God auayled to saluation without the Mediatour For Christe speaketh not of his owne age only but comprehendeth all ages when he sayth that this is the eternal life to know the father the one true God and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ. And so much the fowler is their sluggishnesse which take vpon them to set open heauē to all prophane vnbeleuing men without his grace whō the Scripture eche where teacheth to be the only gate whereby we entre into saluation But yf any wil restraine that sayeng of Christ only to the publishing of the Gospel we haue in redinesse wherwith to confute him For this hath ben a cōmon sentence in all ages and among al nations that without reconciliatiō they that are enstranged from God prononced accursed the children of wrath can not please God And here maye be also alleged that which Christ answered to the woman of Samaria Ye worship what ye know not but we worship that which we know bicause the saluatiō is frō the Iewes In which wordes he both condēneth of falshod all the religions of the Gentiles and also assigneth a reason why for that the Redemer was promised vnder the lawe to the only chosen people Whereupon it foloweth that no worship euer pleased God but that whiche had respect vnto Christ. For whiche cause also Paule affirmeth that al the nations of the Gentiles were without God and voide of the hope of life Nowe whereas Iohn teacheth that life was from the beginnyng in Christ and that all the worlde fell from it we muste nedes returne to the same fountayne Christ. And therefore Christ in so much as he is the reconciler affirmeth him selfe to be the life And truely the inheritance of heauen belongeth to none but to the children of God But it is not mete that they be accompted in the place and degree of children that are not grafted into the body of the only begotten sonne And Iohn plainely testifieth that they which beleue in his name are made the children of God But bycause it is not directly my purpose yet to discourse of faith in Christ therefore it shall for this time be sufficient to haue touched it by the waye And therefore God neuer shewed him selfe mercifull to the olde people nor euer did put them in any hope of grace without the Mediatour I omit to speake of the sacrifices of the lawe wherein the faythfull were openly and plainely taught that saluation is no where els to be sought but in the cleansing which was performed by Christ alone Only this I saye that the blessed and happy state of the church hath ben alwaye grounded vpon the persone of Christ. For though God comprehended all the issue of Abraham in his couenant yet doth Paule wisely reason that Christ is proprely that seede in whome all nations were to be blessed for asmuch as we knowe that not all they were reckened his seede that were begotten of him accordyng to the flesh For to speake nothing of Ismael other howe came it to passe that of the two sonnes of Isaac that is Esau and Iacob brethren borne at one birth while they were yet together in their mothers wombe the one was chosen the other refused Yea howe came it to passe that the elder was reiected and the yōger only toke place And howe also came it to passe that the greater parte should be forsaken It apppereth therefore that the seede of Abraham was principally reckened in one persone and that the promised saluation did neuer stande sure till it came to Christe whose office is to gather together the thinges that were scattred abrode Therefore the firste adoption of the chosen people did hange vpon the grace of the Mediatour Whiche though it be not in so playne woordes expressed by Moses yet it sufficiently appereth that it was commonly knowen to all the godly For before that there was any kyng create amonge the people Hanna the mother of Samuel entreating of the felicitie of the godly euen then sayed thus in her song God shal geue strength to his king and shall exalt the horne of his anointed In whych wordes the meaneth that God shal blesse his church Wherewith also agreeth the oracle that is within a little after adioyned The Priest whome I shall apoint shal walke before myn anoynted Neither is it to be doubted but that the will of the heauenly father was to haue the liuely image of Christ to be seene in Dauid and his posteritie Therefore meanyng to exhorte the godly to the feare of God he biddeth them to kisse the Sonne Wherewith this sayeng of the Gospel also agreeth He that honoreth not the sonne honoreth not the father Therefore although by fallyng awaye of ten tribes the kingdome decayed yet it behoued the couenant to stande whiche God had made in Dauid and his successors as also he sayde by the Prophetes I will not altogether cut of the kingdome for Dauid my seruauntes sake and for Hierusalems sake whome I haue chosen but there shall remayne one tribe to thy sonne Where the same thing is repeted the second and thirde time It is also expresly added I will afflict the seede of Dauid but not for euer Within a litle space of time after it is sayd For Dauid his seruantes sake God hath geuē a light in Hierusalem to rayse vp a sonne and to kepe Hierusalem in sauetie Now when the state grew toward destruction it was said agayne God would not scatter Iuda for Dauid his seruauntes sake bycause he had spoken that he would geue a light to him and his sonnes for euer Finally this is the summe that all other beyng passed ouer only Dauid was chosen vpon whome the good pleasure of God should rest As in an other place it is sayd He hath refused the tabernacle of Silo and the tabernacle of Ioseph he hath not chosen the tribe of Ephraim but he hath chosen the tribe of Iuda the mount Sion whiche he hath
loue To thys exposition Augustine dyd fyrste open mee the waye bycause thou shouldest not thinke that it is without consent of some graue authoritie And though that Lordes purpose was to forbid vs all wrongfull coueting yet in rehersing that same he hath brought forth for example those things that most commonly doe deceyue vs wyth a false image of delyghte bycause hee woulde learne nothynge to concupiscence when he draweth yt from these thinges vpon the whyche yt moste of all rageth and triumpheth Loe here is the seconde Table of the lawe wherein we are taught sufficiently what we owe to men for Gods sake vpon consideration wherof hangeth the whole rule of charitie Wherefore you shall but vaynely call vpon those duetyes that are conteined in thys Table vnlesse your doctrine doe staye vpon the feare and reuerence of God as vpon her foundation As for them whyche seeke for twoo commaundementes in the prohibition of couetinge the wyse reader thoughe I saye nothing wyll iudge that by wronge diuision they teare in sunder that whyche was butte one And it maketh nothinge againste vs that this worde Thou shalt not couet is the seconde time repeted for after that he had fyrste sette the house then hee renteth the partes thereof beginninge at the wyfe whereby it playnely appeareth that as the Hebrues doe very well it ought to bee reade in one whole sentence and that God in effecte commaundeth that all that euery man possesseth shoulde remaine safe and vntouched not onely from wronge and lust to defraude them but also from the very leaste desyre that may moue oure myndes But now to what ende the whole lawe tendeth it shall not be hard to iudge that is to the fulfillinge of ryghteousnesse that yt myghte frame the lyfe of manne after the example of the purenesse of God For God hathe therein so painted oute hys owne nature as if a manne do perfourme in deedes that whiche is there commaunded hee shall in a manner expresse an image of God in hys lyfe Therefore when Moses meante to bring the summe thereof into the myndes of the Israelites hee saide And nowe Israel what dothe the Lorde thy God aske of thee butte that thou feare the Lorde and walke in hys wayes loue hym and serue hym in all thy hearte and in all thy soule and keepe his commaundementes And hee cessed not styll to synge the same songe againe vnto them so ofte as he purposed to shewe the ende of the lawe The doctrine of the lawe hathe suche respect herevnto that it ioyneth man or as Moses in an other place termeth it maketh manne to sticke faste to his God in holynesse of lyfe Nowe the perfection of that holynesse consisteth in the twoo principall pointes allready rehersed That we loue the Lorde God withall oure hearte all oure soule and all oure strengthe and oure neighboure as oure selues And the firste in deede is that oure soule bee in all partes fylled with the loue of God From that by and by of it selfe fourth floweth the loue of oure neighboure Whiche thinge the Apostle sheweth when he wryteth that the ende of the lawe is Loue out of a pure conscience and a farthe not fained You see howe as it were in the heade is set conscience and faith vnfained that is to saye in one worde true Godlynesse and that from thense ys charitie deceyued Therefore hee is deceyued whosoeuer thynketh that in the lawe are taughte onely certayne rudimentes and fyrste Introductions of ryghteousnesse wherewyth menne became to bee taughte theyr fyrste schoolynge butte not yet dyrected to the true marke of good woorkes whereas beyonde that sentence of Moses and thys of Paule youe canne desyre nothynge as wantynge of the hygheste perfection For howe farre I praye youe wyll hee proceede that wyll not bee contented wyth thys institution whereby manne ys instructed to the feare of God to spirituall worshypynge to obeinge of the commaundementes to folowe the vprightnesse of the waye of the Lorde finally to purenesse of conscience syncere faithe and loue Whereby is confirmed that exposition of the lawe whiche searcheth for and findeth out in the commaundementes therof all the dueties of Godlynesse and loue For thei that folow onely the drie and bare principles as if it taught but the one halfe of Gods will know not the ende thereof as the Apostle witnesseth But wheras in rehersing the summe of the law Christ the Apostle do somtime leaue out the first Table many are deceiued therin while thei wold faine draw their wordes to bothe the Tables Christ in Mathew calleth the chiefe pointes of the lawe Mercy Iudgement Faith vnder the worde Faith it is not doubtfull to mee but that he meaneth truth or faithfulnesse towarde men But some that the sentence might be extended to the whole lawe take it for religiousnesse towarde God But thei laboure in vaine For Christe speaketh of those workes wherwith man ought to proue him selfe righteous This reâ—son if we note we will also cesse to maruell why when a yonge man asked hym what be the commaundementes by kepinge wherof we enter into life he answered these thinges onely Thou shalte not kill Thou shalt not committe adulterie Thou shalte not steale Thou shalte beare no false witnesse Honoure thy Father and thy Mother Loue thy neighboure as thy selfe For the obeying of the firste Table consisted in manner all eyther in the affection of the hearte or in ceremonies the affection of the hearte appeared not and as for the ceremonies the hypocrites did continually vse But the workes of charitie are suche as by them we maye declare a perfect righteousnesse But this commeth eche where so ofte in the prophetes that it muste nedes be familiar to a reader but meanly exercised in them For in a manner alwaye when they echorte to repentaunce they leaue oute the firste Table and onely call vpon Faith Iudgment Mercie Equitie And thus thei do not ouerskippe the feare of God but thei require the earnest proofe thereof by the tokens of yt This is wel knowen that when thei speake of the keepinge of the law thei do for the moste parte rest vpon the seconde Table bicause therein the studie of righteousnesse and vprightnesse is most openly seen It ys needlesse to reherse the places bicause euery man will of himselfe easyly marke that whiche I saye But thou wilt say is it then more auailable to the perfection of righteousnesse to liue innocently among men than with true godlynesse to honore God No but bicause a man doth not easilye kepe charitie in all pointes vnlesse he earnestli feare God therfore it is therby proued that he hathe Godlinesse also Biside that for asmuch as the Lord well knoweth that no benifite can come from vs vnto him which thing he doth also testifie by the Prophet therfore he requireth not our dueties to him self but doth exercise vs in good workes toward our neighbour Therfore not wtout cause the
nature of man with the nature of God that he might yelde the one subiect to death to satisfie for sinnes and by the power of the other he might wrastle with death get victorie for vs. They therfore that spoile Christ eyther of his godhed or of his manhode do in deede eyther diminishe his maiestie glory or obscure his goodnesse but on the other side they do no lesse wrong vnto meÌ„ whose faith they do thereby weaken and ouerthrowe which can not stande but restyng vpon this fundation Byside that it was to be hoped that the Redemer should be the sonne of Abraham and Dauid whyche God had promised in the lawe and the Prophetes Wherby the godly mindes do gather this other frute that beyng by the very course of his pedigree brought to Dauid and Abraham they do the more certainely knowe that this is the same Christ that was spoken of by so many oracles But this whiche I euen now declared is principally to beholden in mynde that the common nature betwene him and vs is a pledge of our felowship with the sonne of God that he clothed with our flesh vaÌ„quished death sinne together that the victorie so might be oures and the triuÌ„ph oures that he offred vp for sacrifice the flesh that he receyued of vs that hauyng made satisfaction he might wype away our giltinesse and appease the iust wrath of his father He that shal be diligently hedefull in coÌ„sidering these things as he ought wil easily neglect those waÌ„dryng speculatioÌ„s that â—auish vnto them light spirites desirous of noueltie of which sort is that Christ shuld haue ben maÌ„ although there had ben no neede of remedie to redeme maÌ„kinde I graunt that in the first degree of creation in â—he state of nature vncorrupted he was set as head ouer Angels and meÌ„ For which cause Paule calleth him the first begotten of al creatures 〈◊〉 sithe al the Scripture crieth out that he was clothed with flesh that he might be the Redemer it is to much rashe presumptioÌ„ to imagine any other cause or end To what end Christ was promised froÌ„ the beginning it is well enough knoweÌ„ eue to restore the world falleÌ„ in ruine and to succour men beyng lost Therefore vnder the law the image of him was set forth in sacrifices to make the faythful to hope that God would be mercyfull to them when after satisfaction made for sinne he should be reconciled But whereas in all ages euen when the law was not yet published the Mediatour was neuer promised without blood we gather that he was apointed by the eternal counsell of God to purge the filthinesse of men for that the shedyng of bloud is a tokeÌ„ of expiation The Prophetes so preached of hym that they promised that he should be the recoÌ„ciler of God and men That one specially notable testimonie of Esaye shall suffice vs for all where he fortelleth that he shal be stricken with the hande of God for the sinnes of the people that the chastisement of peace should be vpon him and that he should be a priest that should offer vp himself for sacrifice that of his wouÌ„des should come health to other and that bicause al haue strayed and ben scattered abrode like shepe therfore it pleased God to punish him that he might beare the iniquities of all Sithe we heare that Christe is properly apointed by God to help wretched sinners who so euer passeth beyond these boundes he doth to much follow foolish curiositie Nowe when himself was ones come he affirmed this to be the cause of his coÌ„myng to appease God and gather vs vp from death into life The same thyng did the Apostles testifie of him So Iohn before that he teacheth that the Worde was made fleshe declareth of the fallyng awaye of manne But he himselfe is to be hearde before all when he speaketh thus of his owne office So God loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that who so euer beleueth in him shuld not perish but haue euerlasting life Againe The houre is come that the dead shall heare the voice of the sonne of God and they that heare it shal liue I am the resurrection and life he that beleueth in me although he be dead shall liue Agayne The sonne of maÌ„ cometh to saue that whiche was lost Agayne The whole neede not a Physician I should neuer make an ende if I should reherse all The Apostles do all with one consent call vs to this fountayne And truely if he had not come to reconcile God the honor of the priesthode shoulde haue come to nought For asmuche as the priest apointed meane betwene God and man to make intercessioÌ„ and he should not be our righteousnesse bicause he was made a sacrifice for vs that God should not impute sinnes vnto vs. Finally he shoulde be spoyled of all the honorable titles wherewith the Scripture doth set him out And also that sayeng of Paule should proue vaine that that whiche was impossible to the law God hath sent his owne sonne that in likenesse of the flesh of sinne he shoulde satisfie for vs. Neyther will this stande that he teacheth in an other place that in this glasse appered the goodnesse of God his infinite goodnesse toward men when Christ was geuen to be the Redemer Finally the scripture euery where assigneth no other ende why the sonne of God would take vpon him our fleshe also receiued this coÌ„maundement of his father but to be made a sacrifice to appease his father toward vs. So it is written and so it behoued that Christ should suffer repentance be preached in his name Therfore my father loueth me bycause I geue my lyfe for the shepe this commaundement he gaue me As Moses lifted vp the Serpent in the desert so must the sonne of man be lifted vp In an other place Father saue me froÌ„ this houre But I am therfore come euen to this houre Father glorifie thy sonne Where he plainly speaketh of the end why he toke fleshe that he might be a sacrifice and satisfaction to do awaye sinne After the same sort doth Zacharie pronounce that he came according to the promise geuen to the fathers to geue light to them that sate in the shadow of death Let vs remember that all these thinges are spoken of the sonne of God in whome Paule in an other place testifieth that all the treasures of knowledge and wisedome are hidden and byside whome he glorieth that he knoweth nothing If anye manne take exception and saye that none of all these thinges proue the contrarie but that the same Christ that redemed men beyng daÌ„ned might also in puttyng on their flesh testifie his loue toward theÌ„ beyng preserued safe The answer is short that for asmuch as the holy ghost pronounceth that by the eternal decree of God these two thynges were ioyned together that Christ should be our redemer
of generatioÌ„ from the common maner for that by her Christ was begotten of the seede of Dauid For euen in the same sort that Isaac was begotten of Abraham â–ª Salomon of Dauid and Ioseph of Iacob likewise it is sayd that Christ was begotteÌ„ of his mother For the Euangelist so frameth the order of his speache and willyng to proue that Christ came of Dauid is contented with this one reason that he was begotten of Marie Whereby it foloweth that he toke if for a matter confessed that Marie was of kinne to Ioseph The absurdities wherewith they would charge vs are stuffed ful of childish cauillations Thei thinke it a shame dishonour to Christ if he should haue taken his original of men bicause so he could not be exempt from the vniuersall lawe that encloseth all the ofspryng of Adam without exceptioÌ„ vnder sinne But the comparison that we reade in Paul doth easily assoyle this doubte that as by one maÌ„ came sinne and by sinne death so by the righteousnesse of one man grace hath abounded Wherewith also agreeth an other comparison of his the first Adam of earth earthly and natural the second of heauen heaueÌ„ly Therefore in an other place the same Apostle where he teacheth that Christ was sent in the likenesse of sinfull flesh to satifâ—ie the law doth so expresly seuer him from the common estate of men that he be very man without fault and corruptioÌ„ But very childishly they trifle in reasonyng thus If Christ be free from all spot and was by the secret workyng of the holy ghost begotten of the seede of Marie then is not the womans seede but only the mans seede vncleane For we doe not make Christ free from all spot for this cause that he is only engeÌ„dred of his mother without copulatioÌ„ of man but bicause he is sanctified by the holy ghost that the generation might be pure and vncorrupted such as should haue ben before the fall of Adam And this alway remayned stedfastly determined with vs that so oft as the scripture putteth vs in minde of the clennesse of Christ it is meant of his true nature of manhode bicause it were superfluous to say that God is cleane Also the sanctificatioÌ„ that he speaketh of in the .xvii. of Iohn could haue no place in the nature of God Neyther are their fayned two sedes of AdaÌ„ although there came no infection to Christ bicause the generatioÌ„ of man is not vncleane or vicious of it self but accidentall by his faâ—lyng Therefore it is no maruel if Christ by whome the estate of innocencie was to be restored were exempt from common corruption And whereas also they thrust this vpon vs for an absurditie â–ª that yf the Worde of God did put on flesh then was it enclosed in a narrow pryson of an earthly bodie this is but mere waywardenesse bycause although the infinite essence of the Worde did growe together into one person with the nature of man yet do we fayne no enclosyng of it For the Sonne of God descended maruellously from heauen so as yet he left not heauen it was his will to bee maruelously borne in the Uirgins wombe to be conuersant in earth hange vpon the crosse yet that he alway filled the world euen as at the beginnyng The .xiiii. Chapter ¶ Howe the â—wo natures of the Mediatour do make one persone NOw where it is sayd that the Worde was made flesh that is not so to be vnderstanded as though it were eâ—her turned into flesh â–ª or confusely mingled with flesh but bicause he chose him a temple of the Uirgins wombe to dwell in he that was the Sonne of God became also the sonne of man not by confusion of substance but by vnitie of persone For we so affirme the godhed ioyned vnited to the manhode that eyther of theÌ„ haue their whole propretie remayning and yet of them bothe is made one Christ. If any thyng in all worldly thinges maye be found like to so great a misterie the similitude of man is moste fit whome we see to consist of two substances whereof yet neyther is so myngled with other but that eyther kepeth the propertie of his owne nature For neyther is the soule the body nor the body the soule Wherefore both that thyng maye be seuerally spoken of the soule whiche can no waye agree with the body and likewise of the body that thynge maye be sayd whiche can by no meane agree with the soule and that maye be sayd of the whole man whiche can be but vnfitly taken neyther of the soule nor of the body seuerally Finally the propreties of the soule are sometime attributed to the body and the properties of the body sometime to the soule â–ª and yet he that consisteth of them is but one man and not many But such formes of speache do signiâ—ie bothe that there is one persone in man compounded of two natures knit together and that there are two diuerse natures which do make the same persone And so doe the Scriptures speake of Christ Sometime they geue vnto him those thinges that ought singularly to be referred to his manhode and sometime those thinges that do peculiarly belong to his godhed and sometime those thinges that do comprehend both natures and doe agree with neyther of them seuerally And this conioynynge of the two natures that are in Christ they doe with suche religiousnesse expresse that sometime they do put them in common together which figure is among the olde authors called Communicatyng of propreties These things were but weake vnlesse many phrases of Scripture and such as be eche where redy to finde dyd proue that nothing hereof hath ben deuised by man That same thing whiche Christ spake of himself sayeng Before that AbrahaÌ„ was I am was far disagreyng from his maÌ„hode Neither am I ignorant with what cauillation the erronious spirites do depraue this place for they say that he was before all ages bicause he was alredy foreknowen the Redemer as well in the counsell of the father as in the mindes of the godly But where as he openly distinguissheth the daye of his manifestation from his eternall essence oâ— purpose pronunceâ—h vnto himselfe an authoritie by antiquitie wherin he excelleth aboue AbrahaÌ„ he doth vndoutedly chalenge to himself the which is propre to the godhed Wheras Paule affirmeth that he is the first begotteÌ„ of al creatures which was before al thinges by whom al thinges kepe their beyng wheras he himself reporteth that he was in glorie with the father before the creation of the world that he worketh together with the father these things do nothing more agree with the nature of men It is therfore certaine that these such like are peculiarly ascribed to the godhed But wheras he is called the seruant of the father wheras it is sayd that he grew in age wisedome and fauour with God and men that he seketh not his owne glorie
God Let therfore appere in our head the very fountayne of grace froÌ„ whome according to the mesure of euery one it floweth abrode into all his members By that grace euery one from the beginnynge of his fayth is made a Christian. by whiche that same man from his beginnyng was made Christ. Agayne in an other place there is no playner example of predestination than the Mediatour himselfe For he that made of the seede of Dauid a man righteous that neuer should be vnrighteous without any deseruynge of his will goynge before euen the same he dothe of vnrighteous make them righteous that are the membres of that hed and so forth as there foloweth Therefore when we speake of Christes deseruyng we doe not say that in him is the beginnyng of deseruyng but we clymbe vp to the ordinance of God whiche is the firste cause thereof bycause God of his owne mere good will apointed him Mediatour to purchace saluation for vs. And so is the deseruyng of Christ vnfitly set agaynst the mercie of God For it is a common rule that thinges orderly one vnder an other doe not disagree And therefore it maye well stande together that mans iustification is free by the mere mercie of God and that there also the deseruyng of Christ come betwene which is conteyned vnder the mercie of God But agaynst our workes are aptly set as directly contrarie both the free fauour of God and the obedience of Christ either of them in their degree For Christ could not deserue any thyng but by the good pleasure of God and but bycause he was apointed to this purpose with his sacrifice to appease the wrath of God and with his obedience to put away our offences Finally in a summe bicause the deseruynge of Christ hangeth vpon the only grace of God whiche apointed vs this meane of saluatioÌ„ therfore as well the same deseruing as that grace is fitly set against all the workes of men This distinction is gathered out of many places of the Scripture God so loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that who so euer beleueth him shall not perish We see how the loue of God holdeth the first place as the soueraigne cause or original theÌ„ foloweth fayth in Christ as the second or nerer cause If any man take exception and saye that Christ is but the formal cause he doth more diminish his power than the wordes may beare For yf we obteine righteousnesse by fayth that resteth vpon him then is the matter of our saluation to be sought in him whiche is in many places playnely proued Not that we first loued him but he firste loued vs and sente his sonne to be the appeasyng for our sinnes In these wordes is clerely shewed that God to the ende that nothing should withstand his loue toward vs apointed vs a meane to be reconciled in Christ. And this worde Appeasyng is of great weight bycause God after a certayne vnspeakeable manner euen the same time that he loued vs was also angry with vs vntil he was reconciled in Christ. And to this purpose serue all those sayenges He is the satisfactioÌ„ for our sinnes Againe It pleased God by hym to reconcile all thinges to hymself appeasyng himselfe through the bloud of the crosse by him c. Agayne God was in Christ reconcilyng the worlde to himselfe not impuâ—yng to men their sinnes Agayne He accepted vs in his beloued sonne Agayne That he might reconcile theÌ„ bothe to God into one man by the crouÌ„e The reason of this mysterie is to be fetched out of the first chapter to the Ephesians where Paule after that he had taught that we were chosen in Christ addeth therwithal that we haue obteined fauour in him How did God beginne to embrace with his fauour them whoÌ„ he loued before the making of the world but bicause he vttered his loue when he was reconciled by the bloud of Christ For sithe God is the fountaine of al righteousnesse it must needes be that maÌ„ so long as he is a sinner haue God his enemie his iudge Wherfore the beginning of his loue is righteousnesse such as is described by Paule He made him that had done no sinne to be sinne for vs that we might be the righteousnesse of God in him For he meaneth that we haue obteyned free righteousnesse by the sacrifice of Christ that we should please God which by nature are the children of wrath by sinne estranged from him But this distinction is also meante so oft as the grace of Christ is ioyned to the loue of God WherupoÌ„ foloweth that he geueth vs of his owne that which he hath purchaced For otherwise it would not agree with him that this prayse is geuen him seuerally from his father that it is his grace and procedeth from him But it is truely and perfectly gathered by many places of the Scripture that Christ by his obedience hath purchaced vs fauour with his father For this I take for a thyng confessed that if Christ hath satisfied for our sinnes if he hath suffred the punishmeÌ„t due vnto vs if by his obedieÌ„ce he hath appeased God finally if he beyng righteous hath suffred for the vnrighteous then is saluation purchaced for vs by his righteousnesse whiche is as much in effecte as to deserue it But as Paule witnesseth we are reconciled and haue receiued reconciliation by his death But recoÌ„ciliation hath no place but where there went offence before Therefore the meanyng is that God to whome we were hateful be reasoÌ„ of sinne is by the death of his sonne appeased so that he might be fauorable vnto vs. And the comparison of contraries that foloweth a litle after is diligently to be noted As by the traÌ„sgression of one man many were made sinners so also by the obedieÌ„ce of one many are made righteous For the meaning is thus As by the sinne of AdaÌ„ we were enstranged from God ordeined to destruction so by the obedience of Christ we are receiued into fauour as rigteous And the future time of the verbe doth not exclude present righteousnesse as appereth by the processe of the texte For he had sayd before that the free gift was of many sinnes vnto iustification But when we saye that grace is purchaced vs by the deseruyng of Christ we meane this that we are cleansed by his bloud and that his death was a satisfactioÌ„ for our sinnes His bloud cleaÌ„seth vs froÌ„ sinne This bloud is it that is shed for remission of sinne If this be the effect of his bloud shed that sinnes be not imputed vnto vs it foloweth that with that price the iudgemeÌ„t of God is satisfied To which purpose serueth that sayeng of Iohn the Baptist Beholde the lambe of God that taketh awaye the sinne of the worlde For he setteth in comparison Christ agaynst all the sacrifices of the law to teache that in him only was fulfilled that whiche those figures shewed
the definition of it and the propreties that it hathe are declared BUt al these thinges shal be easy to vnderstand when there is shewed a plaine definitioÌ„ of fayth that the readers may knowe the force and nature thereof But fyrste it is conuenient to call to minde againe these thynges that haue ben already spoken that syth God doth appoint vs by his law what we ought to do if we fall in any point thereof the same terrible iudgement of eternall death that he pronounceth doth rest vpon vs. Againe that forasmuch as it is not only hearde but altogether aboue oure strength and beyond all oure power to fulfill the lawe if we only beholde our selues wâ—ie what estate is worthy for our deseruinges there is no good hope left but we lie cast away from God vnder eternall destruction Thirdly this hath ben declared that there is but one meane of deliuerance to drawe vs out of so wretched calamitie wherin appeareth Christ the Redeemer by whose hand it pleased the heauenly father hauing mercie vpon vs of his infinite goodnesse clemencie to succoure vs so that we wyth sounde faith embrace thys mercie and with constant hope rest vpon it But now it is conuenient for vs to weie this what manner of faith this ought to be by which al thei that are adopted by God to be hys chyldren do enter vpon the possession of the heauenly kingdome forasmuch as it is certaine that not euery opinion nor yet euery perswasion is sufficient to bring to passe so great a thing And with so much the more care study must we loke about for and searche out the natural propretie of faith by how muche the more hurtfull at thys day is the erroure of many in this behalf For a great part of the world hearing the name of faith conceiueth no hier thing but a certaine common assent to the historie of the Gospel Yea when thei dispute of faith in the scholes in barely callynge God the obiecte of faithe thei do nothinge but as we haue saide in an other place by vaine speculation rather draw wretched soules out of the right way thaÌ„ direct them to the true mark For wheras God dwelleth in a light that none can atteine to it behoueth of necessitie that Christe become meane betweene vs and yt For whyche cause he calleth hym selfe the light of the world in an other place The way the Truth the Life bicause no man commeth to the father which is the fountaine of life but by him bicause he onely knoweth the Father by him the faithful to whome it pleaseth him to disclose him According to this reason Paule affirmeth that he accompteth nothing excellent to be knowen but Christ and in the .xx. chapiter of the Actes he saith that he preached faith in Christ c. And in an other place he bringeth in Christ speakeinge after this manner I wil send thee amonge the Gentiles that thei maye receiue forgeuenes of sinnes porâ—ion among holy ones by the faith which is in me And Paule testifieth that the glorie of God is in his person visible vnto vs or whiche is all one in effect that the enlightning of the knowledge of Gods glorie shineth in his face It is true in dede that faith hath respect only to the one God but this also is to be added that it acknowledge him whome he hath sent euen Iesus Chrste Bicause God himselfe shoulde haue lyen secret and hydden farre from vs vnlesse the brightnesse of Christe did cast his beames vpon vs. For this entent the father left al that he had with his onely begotten sonne euen by the coÌ„municatinge of good thynges wyth him to expresse the true image of his glorie For as it is saide that we must be drawen by the spirit that we maie be stirred to seeke Christ so againe we ought to be admonished that the inuisible father is no where els to be sought but in this image Of whiche mater Augustine speaketh excellently well whiche entreating of the marke that faith should shoote at saith that we must know whether we must goe and which waie and then by by after he gathereth that the safest waye against all erroures is he that is both God and man For it is God to whome we go and man by whom we go and bothe these are founde no where but in Christe Neyther dothe Paule when he speaketh of faith in God meane to ouerthrowe that whiche he so ofte repeteth of faith that hath her whole stay vpon Christe And Peter dothe most fittly ioyne them bothe together saieng that by him we beleue in God Therefore thys euell euen as innumerable other is to be imputed to the Scholemen whiche haue hidden Christe as it were with a veile drawen before hym to the beholdyng of whome vnlesse we be dyrectly bent we shall alwaie wander in many vncertaine mazes But bysyde thys that with theyr darke definition they doe deface and in a manner bring to naught the whole force of faithe they haue forged a deuyse of vnexpressed faith wyth which name thei garnyshing theyr most grosse ignorance doe with greate hurte deceyue the silly people yea to saye truely and plainely as the thinge is in deede thys deuyse doth not only burie but vtterly destroye the true faithe Is this to beleue to vnderstand nothing so that thou obediently submitte thy sense to the Churche Faythe standeth not in ignorance but in knoweledge and that not onely of God but of the wyll of God For neither do we obteine saluation by thys that wee eyther are ready to embrace for true whatsoeuer the Churche appoynteth or that we do committe to it all the office of searchyng and knowing but when we acknowledge God to be a mercifull father to vs by the reconciliation made by Christ and that Christe is geuen vs vnto ryghteousnesse sanctification and lyfe By thys knoweledge I saye not by submitting of oure sense we atteine an entrie into the kyngedome of heauen For when the Apostle saith that with the hearte we beleue to righteousnesse and wyth the mouthe confession is made to saluation hee sheweth that it is not enoughe if a man vnexpressedly beleue that whiche he vnderstandeth not nor seeketh to learne but he requyreth an expressed acknowleging of Gods goodnesse in whyche consysteth oure ryghteousnesse In dede I denie not such is the ignorance wherwith we are coÌ„passed that ther now be herafter shal be many thinges wrapped hidden from vs till hauing put of the burden of our flesh we come nerer to the presence of God in which very thinges that be hidden from vs nothing is more profitable than to suspend our iudgment but to stay our mind in determined purpofe to kepe vnitie with the Churche But vnder thys coloure to entitle ignoraunce tempered with humilitie by the name of faith is a great absurditie For faith lieth in knoledg of God of Christ not in reuerence of the
of pardon and reconciliation hee by and by tourneth to an other thing and wandereth about in longe superfluous circumstances rehersinge howe maruelously the Lorde gouerneth the frame of heauen and earth and the whole ordre of nature yet is there nothinge that serueth not fittly for the circumstance of the matter that he speaketh of For vnlesse the power of God wherby he is able to do all thinges be presently set before our eies our eares wil hardly heare the worde or wil not esteme it so much as it is worth Beside that her is declared his effectual power bicause godlinesse as we haue already shewed in an other place doth alwaie applie the power of God to vse and worke specially it setteth before it selfe those workes of God wherby he hath testified himselfe to be a father Herevpon commeth that in the Scriptures is so often mention made of the redemption wherby the Israelites might haue learned that God whiche was ones the author of saluation will be an euerlastinge preseruer thereof And Dauid putteth vs in mynde by hys owne exaumple that those benefites whiche God hathe particularly bestowed vpon euery man doe afterwarde auaile to the confyrmation of his faithe Yea when God seemeth to haue forsaken vs it behoueth vs to stretche oure wittes further that hys aunciente benefites maie recomforte vs as it is saide in an other Psalme I haue ben mindefull of olde daies I haue studied vpon all thy workes c. Againe I will remembre the workes of the Lorde and his meruelles from the beginning But bicause without the word all quickly vanisheth awaie that we conceiue of the power of God and of his woorkes therefore we do not without cause affyrme that there is no faithe vnlesse God geue lighte vnto it with testimonie of hys grace But here a question myghte bee moued what ys to bee thought of Sara and Rebecca bothe which being moued as it semeth with zele of saith passed beyonde the bondes of the word Sara when she feruently desyred the promysed issue gaue her bondmaide to her housbande It can not be denied but that shee many waies sinned but nowe I touche onely thys faulte that beinge carryed awaye wyth her zele she did not restraine herselfe within the bondes of Gods worde yet it is certaine that that desire proceeded of faith Rebecca being certified by the oracle of God of the electiō of her sonne Iacob ▪ procured his blessing by euell crafty meanes she deceued hir husbande the witnesse and minister of the grace of God shee compelled her sonne to lye she by dyuerse guiles and deceites corrupted the trueth of God Fynally in makinge a scorne of hys promise shee dyd as muche as in her laye destroie it And yet thys acte howe muche soeuer it was euell and woorthy of blame was not without faith for it was necessarie that she sholde ouercome many offenses that shee might so earnestly endeuoure to atteine that whiche without hope of earthly profite was ful of greate troubles daungers As wee may not say that the holy Patriarche Isaac was altogether without faithe bicause he beinge by the same oracle of God admonished of the honoure transferred to the yonger sonne yet cessed not to bee more fauourably bente to hys fyrste begotten sonne Esau. Truely these examples do teache that oftetimes erroures are mingled with faithe but yet so that faith if it be a true faith hath alwaie the vpper hande For as the particular erroure of Rebecca did not make void the effect of the blessing so neither did it make voide her faith whyche generally reigned in her mynde and was the beginning and cause of that doynge Neuerthelesse therein Rebecca vttered howe readye mans mynde is to fall so sone as he geueth hym selfe neuer so lyttle lybertie But thoughe mans defaut and weakenesse dothe darken faith yet it doth not quenche it in the meane time it putteth vs in minde how carefully wee oughte to hange vpon the mouthe of God and also confyrmeth that whyche wee haue taughte that faythe vanysheth awaye vnlesse yt bee vpholden by the woorde as the myndes boothe of Sara and Isaac and Rebecca hadde become vaine in theyr croked wanderinges out of the waie vnlesse thei had ben by Gods secret brydle holden in obedience of the worde Againe not without cause we include all the promises in Christ forasmuche as in the knowledge of him the Apostle includeth al the Gospell and in an other place he teacheth that all the promises of God are in him yea and Amen The reason whereof is ready to be shewed For if God promise any thinge he therein sheweth hys good will so that there is no promise of hys that is not a testimonie of his loue Neither maketh it any mater that the wycked when they haue great and continuall benefites of Gods liberalitie heaped vpon them doe thereby wrappe themselues in so much the more greuous iudgement For syth thei do neither thinke nor acknowlege that those things com vnto them frō the hande of God for if thei acknowlege it thei do not with themselues consider his goodnesse therefore thei can not thereby be better taught of his mercie than brute beastes which according to the measure of their estate do receiue the same frute of Gods liberalitie yet they perceiue it not Neither doth it any more make againste vs that many times in refusing the promises apointed for them they do by that occasion procure to them selues the greater vengeance For although the effectuall workinge of the promyses do then onely appeare when they haue founde faith with vs yet the force and natural propretie of them is neuer extinguyshed by oure vnbeleefe or vnthankfulnesse Therefore when the Lorde by hys promyses doth prouoke man not onely to receiue but also to thynke vpon the frutes of hys bountifulnesse hee doth therwith all declare vnto him hys loue Wherevpon we muste returne to thys poynte that euery promyse is a testifieng of Gods loue towarde vs. But it is out of question that no man is loued of God but in Christe he is the beloued Sonne in whome the loue of the Father abydeth and resteth and then from hym poureth it selfe abroade vnto vs as Paule teacheth that wee haue obteyned fauoure in the beloued one Therefore it muste needes bee deryued and come vnto vs by meane of hym For thys cause the Apostle in an other place calleth him oure peace in an other place hee setteth hym oute as a bonde whereby God is with fatherli natural kindenes bound vnto vs. It foloweth then that we must caste our eyes vpon hym so oft as any promyse ys offered vs. And that Paule teacheth no absurditie that all Gods promyses whatsoeuer they bee are confyrmed and fulfilled in hym There be certayne exaumples that make for the contrarie For yf ys not lykely that Naaman the Syrian when hee requyred of the Prophete the manner how to worship God arighte was instructed concerning the
more largely shewed how vnfit men are to beleue Therefore I wil not wery the readers with repeting the same againe Let this be sufficient that the spirit of faith is called of Paule faith it selfe which the spirit geueth vs but not which we haue naturally Therfore he praieth that god fulfil in the Thessalonians al his good pleasure the worke of faith in power Wherin calling faithe the worke of God geuing it that title for a name of additiō calling it by figure of appositiō Gods good pleasure he denieth that it is of mans own motion not contented therwith he addeth further that it is a declaratiō of Gods power writing to the Corynthians where he saith that faithe hangeth not vpon the wisedome of men but is grounded vpon the power of the holy ghoste He speaketh in dede of outewarde miracles but bicause the reprobate are blynde at the beholding of them hee comprehendeth also that inwarde seale wherof he maketh mention in an other place And God the more gloriously to set forthe his liberalitie in so noble a gifte vouchesaueth not to graunt it to al vniuersally without difference but by singular priuilege geueth it to whome he will For proofe whereof we haue alleged testimonies before Of which Augustine being a faithfull expositor crieth out that it woulde please the sauioure to teache him and that the very beleuing it selfe is of gifte and not of deseruing Noman saith he commeth to me vnlesse my father drawe him and to whome it is geuen of my father It is maruellous that twoo do heare the one despyseth the other ascendeth vp Let him that despiseth impute it to himselfe let him that ascende not yt arrogantly assigne to himselfe In an other place Why is it geuen to one and not to an other It greueth me not to say it this is the depth of the crosse Out of I wote not what depth of the iudgmentes of God which we mate not searche procedeth all that we can What I can I see whereby I can I see not sauinge that I see thus farre that it is of God But why hym and not hym That is muche to me It is a bottomelesse depth it is the depth of the crosse I maie crie out with woundering but not shewe it in disputing ▪ Finally the summe commeth to this that Christ when he enlightneth vs vnto faith by the power of hys spirite doth there withall graffe vs into his bodie that wee maie be made partakers of all good thynges Nowe remaineth that that whiche the minde hathe receiued may be further conueied into the heart For the word of God is not throughly receiued by faith if it swimme in the toppe of the braine but when it hath taken roote in the bottome of the heart that it may be an inuincible defense to beare and repulse all the engines of tentations Now if it be true that the true vnderstanding of the mynde is the enlightning thereof then in such confyrmation of the hearte his power much more euidently appeareth euen by so muche as the distrustfulnesse of the hearte is greater than the blindnesse of the witte and as it is harder to haue the mynde furnyshed wyth assurednesse than the witte to bee instructed with thinking Therefore the Spirit perfourmeth the office of a seale to seale vp in our heartes those same promyses the assurance whereof it fyrste emprinted in oure wittes and serueth for an earnest to confyrme and stablyshe them Sithe ye beleued saith the Apostle ye are sealed vp with the holy Spirite of promyse whiche is the earnest of oure inheritance See you not how he teacheth that by the spirit the heartes of the fathfull are grauen as with a seale and how for the same reason he calleth him the Spirite of promise bycause he ratifieth the Gospell vnto vs Lykewyse to the Corynthians he saithe God whiche annoynted vs whiche hath also sealed vs and geuen the earnest of hys Spirite in oure heartes And in an other place when he speaketh of confidence and boldnesse of hopigne well hee maketh the pledge of the Spirite the foundation thereof Neither yet haue I forgotten that whyche I sayde before the remembrance whereof experience continually reneweth that is that faithe is tossed wyth dyuerse doubtynges so that the myndes of the godly are seldome quyet or at least doe not alwaie enioye a peafable state but wyth what soeuer engine they be shaken either thei rise vp out of the very gulfe of temptations or do abide faste in their standing Truely thys assurednesse onely nourisheth and defendeth faithe when we holde fast that whiche is saide in the Psalme The Lorde ys oure protection oure helpe in trouble therefore we will not feare whē the earthe shall tremble and the mountaines shal leape into the heart of the sea Also this moste swete quietnesse is spoken of in an other place I laye downe and slepte and rose againe bycause the Lorde hathe susteined me It is not meante thereby that Dauid was alwaie wyth one vndisturbed course framed to a merry cherefulnesse but in respect that hee tasted the grace of God according to his proportion of faith therefore hee gloryeth that hee wythoute feare despiseth all that euer might disquiet the peace of his minde Therfore the Scripture meaning to exhort vs to faith biddeth vs to be quiet In Esaie it is saide In hope and silence shall be your strength In the Psalme Holde thee stil in the Lorde and waite for him Wherwith agreeth that saieng of the Apostle to the Hebrues Patience is needefull c. Hereby we may iudge how pestilent is that doctrine of the Scholemen that we can no otherwise determine of the grace of God towarde vs than by morall coniecture as euery man thinketh himselfe worthy of it Truely if we shall weie by oure workes howe God is minded towarde vs I graunt that we can atteine yt wyth any coniecture be yt neuer so sclender but sith faithe oughte to haue relation to a simple free promise there is lefte no cause of doubtiong For with what confidence I beseache you shall we be armed if we saie that God is fauourable vnto vs vpon this condition so that the purenesse of oure life do deserue it But bycause I haue appoynted one place proprely for the discussing herof therfore I wil speake no more of them at this present specially for asmuche as it is plaine enoughe that there is nothinge more contrarie to faith than either coniecture or any thinge nere vnto doubting And thei do very ill writhe to this purpose that testimonie of the Preacher whiche thei haue ofte in their mouthes Noman knoweth whether he be worthy of hatred or loue For to speake nothinge how this place is in the common translation corruply turned yet very children can not be ignorant what Salomon meaneth by such words that is that if any man will iudge by the present state of things whom God hateth or whom God
bicause the Lord hath determined to haue mercie vpoÌ„ men to this ende that they shuld repeÌ„t he teacheth men whether they shall trauaile if they will obteine grace Therfore so long as we shall dwell in the pryson of our body we must continually wrastle with the vices of our corrupt flesh yea with our own naturall soule Plato sayth in certayne places that the life of a Phylosopher is a meditation of death but we may more truely say that the life of a Christian maÌ„ is a perpetuall studie and exercise of mortifieng the fleshe till it beyng vtterly slayue the Spirit of God get the dominion in vs. Therefore I thinke that he hath much profited that hath learned much to mislyke himself not that he should sticke faste in â—hat myre and goe no further but rather that he should haste and long toward God that being graffed into the death life of Christ he should studie vpon a continuall repentance as truely they can not otherwise do that haue a naturall hatred of sinne for no man euer hated sinne vnlesse he were first in loue with righteousnesse This doctrine as it was most simple of all other so I thought it beste to agree with thâ— truthe of the Scripture Nowe that Repentance is a singular gift of God I thinke it be so wel knowen by the doctrine aboue taught that I neede not to repete a long discourse to proue it agayne Therfore the church prayseth and hath in admiratioÌ„ the benefit of God that he hath geuen the Gentiles repentance vnto saluation And Paule commaundyng Timothee to be patieÌ„t and milde toward the vnbeleuers sayth If at any time God geue them repentance that they maye repent from the snares of the Deuel God in deede affirmeth that he willeth the conuersion of al meÌ„ and directeth his exhortations generally to all men but the effectual workyng therof hangeth vpon the Spirit of regeneration Bicause it were more easy to create vs men than of our owne power to put on a better nature Therfore in the whole course of regeneration we are not without cause called the worke of God created to good workes which he hath prepared that we should walke in them Whom soeuer the lordes will is to deliuer from death those he quickeneth with the Spirit of regeneration not that repentance is properly the cause of saluation but bycause it is alredy seen that it is vnseparable froÌ„ fayth and from the mercie of God sithe as Esaye testifieth there is a redemer come to him and to those that in Iacob are returned from their wickednesse This truely standeth stedfastly determined that were so euer liueth the feare of God there the Spirite hath wrought vnto the saluation of man Therfore in Esaie when the faithful complaine and lament that they are forsaken of God they recken this as a token of beyng reprobates that their heartes were hardened by God The Apostle also meanyng to exclude apostataes from hope of saluation apointeth this reason that it is impossible for them to be renewed vnto repentance bicause God in renewyng them whom he wil not haue perish sheweth a tokeÌ„ of his fatherly fauour and in a maÌ„ner draweth them vnto him with the beames of his cherefull and mery contenaÌ„ce on the other side with hardenyng them he thundereth agaynst the reprobate whose wickednesse is vnpardonable Whiche kinde of vengeance the Apostle threateneth to wilfull apostataes whiche when they depart from the faith of the Gospell do make a scorne of God reprochefully despise his grace and defile treade vnder feete the bloud of Christ yea as much as in them is they crucifie him agayne For he doth not as some fondly rigorous men would haue it cut of hope of pardon from all wilfull sinnes but teacheth that apostasie is vnworthy of all excuse so that it is no maruell that God doth punish a contempt of himself so full of sacrilege with vnappeasable rigour For he sayth that it is impossible that they which haue ones ben enlightened haue tasted of the heauenly gift haue ben made partakers of the holy ghost haue tasted of the good word of God the powers of the world to come yf they fall shuld be renewed to repeÌ„tance crucifiyng againe of newe and makyng a scorne of the sonne of God Againe in an other place If sayth he we willingly sinne after knowledge of the truth receyued there remayneth no more sacrifice for sinnes but a certayne dreadfull expectation of iudgement c. These also be the places out of the wroÌ„g vnderstandyng wherof the Nouatians in old time haue gathered matter to play the mad men with whose rigorousnesse certaine good meÌ„ beyng offended beleued this to be a counterfait Epistle in the Apostles name whiche yet in all partes doth truely fauour of an Apostolike spirite But bycause we contend with none but with theÌ„ that allowe it it is easy to shewe how these sentences do nothing mainteine their errour Firste it is necessarie that the Apostle agree with his maister whiche affirmeth that all sinne and blasphemie shal be forgeueÌ„ except the sinne agaynst the holy Ghost which is not forgeuen neyther in this world nor in the world to come It is certaine I saye that the Apostle was contented with this exception vnlesse we will make him an aduersarie to the grace of Christ. Whereupon foloweth that pardon is denied to no special offenses but only to one whiche procedyng of a desperate rage can not be ascribed to weakenesse and openly sheweth that a man is possessed of the Deuell But to discusse this it behoueth to enquire what is that same so horrible offense that shall haue no forgeuenesse Whereas Augustine in one place defineth it an obstinate stifnesse euen vnto death with despeire of pardon that doth not well agree with the very wordes of Christ thaâ— it shall not be forgeuen in this world For eyther that is spoken in vaine or it maye be coÌ„mitted in this life But if Augustines definition be true then it is not committed vnlesse it continue euen vnto death Wheras some other saye that he sinneth against the holy ghost that enuieth the grace bestowed vpon his brother I see not froÌ„ whense that is fetched But let vs bring a true definitioÌ„ which beyng ones proued with sure testimonies shall easily by it selâ—e ouerthrowe all the reste I saye therefore that they sinne agaynst the holy ghost which of set purpose resist the truthe of God with brightnesse wherof they are so daseled that they can not pretend ignorance whiche they do only to this ende to resâ—st For Christe meanynge to expounde that whiche he had sayd immediatly addeth He that speaketh a worde agaynst the sonne of man it shal be forgeueÌ„ him but he that blasphemeth agaynst the holy ghost shal not be forgeuen And Matthew for the blasphemie against the holy Spirit putteth the spirit of blasphemie But how can a maÌ„ speake a reproche against the
righteousnesse that is of God by faith coÌ„pting not his righteousnesse that which is by the law but yâ— whiche is by the faith of Iesu Christ. You see that here is also a coÌ„parison of coÌ„traries that here is declared the he which wil obteine the righteousnesse of Christ must for sake his owne righteousnesse Therefore in an other place he sayth that this was the cause of fal to the Iewes yâ— goyng about to stablish their owne righteousnesse they were not subiect to yâ— righteousnesse of God If in stablishyng our owne righteousnesse we shake away the righteousnesse of God therefore to obteine Gods righteousnesse our owne must be vtterly abolished And he sheweth the same thyng when he fayth that our glorieng is not excluded by the law but by faith Wherupon foloweth that so long as there remaineth any righteousnesse of workes how litle soeuer it be there still remaineth to vs some 〈◊〉 to glorie vpoÌ„ Now if faith exclude al glorieng then the righteousnesse of workes can no wise be coupled with the righteousnesse of faith To this effect he speaketh so playnely in the .iiij. chapter to the Romanes that he leaueth no roume for cauillations or shiftes If sayth he Abraham was iustified by workes he hath glorie And immediatly he addeth but he hath no glorie in the sight of God It foloweth therefore that he was not iustified by workes Then he vryngeth an other argument by contraries when reward is rendred to workes that is done of det and not of grace But righteousnesse is geuen to fayth accordyng to grace Therefore it is not of the deseruinges of workes Wherfore farewell their dreame that imagine a righteousnesse made of faith and workes mingled together The Sophisters thinke that they haue a suttle shifte that make to themselues sport and pastime with wrestyng of Scripture and with vayne cauillations For they expoÌ„nd workes in that place to be those which men not yet regenerate doe only literally by the endeuour of free will without the grace of Christ and do saye that it beloÌ„geth not to spiritual workes So by their opinion a man is iustified bothe by faith and by workes so that the workes be not his own but the giftes of Christ and frutes of regeneration For they saye that Paule spake so for none other cause but to conuince the Iewes trusting vpoÌ„ their owne workes that they dyd foolishly presume to clayme righteousnesse to theÌ„selues sithe the only Spirit of Christ doth geue it vs and not any endeuour by our owne motion of nature But they doe not marke the in the coÌ„parison of the righteousnesse of the law the righteousnesse of the gospell which Paule bringeth in in an other place all workes are excluded with what title so euer they be adorned For he teacheth that this is the righteousnesse of the law that he shuld obteâ—â—e saluation that hath performed that whiche the law coÌ„maundeth and that this is the righteousnesse of fayth yf we beleue that Christ died and is risen againe Moreouer we shall her after shewe in place fitioâ— it that sauctification righteousnesse are seuerall benefites of Christ Whereupon foloweth that the very spirituall workes come not into the accompt when the power of iustifieng is ascribed to fayth And where Paule denieth as I eueÌ„ now alleged that Abraham had any thing wherupoÌ„ to glorie before God bicause he was not made righteous by workes this ought not to be restrayned to the literall and outward kinde of vertues or to the endeuour of free will But although the life of the Patriarch Abraham were spirituall and in manner Angelike yet he had not sufficient deseruynges of workes to purchace him righteousnesse before God The Scholemen teach a litle more grosâ—y that mingle their preparations but these do lesse infect the simple and vnskilfull with corrupt doctrine vnder pretense of Spirit and grace hydyng the mercie of God whiche only is able to appease tremblyng consciences But we confesse with Paul that the doers of the law are iustified before God but bicause we are all far from the keping of the law herupon we gather that the workes which should most of al haue auailed to righteousnesse do nothing help vs bicause we lacke them As for the coÌ„mon Papistes or Scholemen they are in this point doubly deceiued both bicause they cal faith an assuredneâ—se of conscieÌ„ce in loking for reward at the hand of God for deseruinges and also bicause they expound the grace of God not to be a free imputation of righteousnesse but the holy ghost helpyng to the endeuour of holinesse They reade in the Apostle that he which coÌ„meth to God muste first beleue that there is a God then that he is a rendrer of reward to them that seke him But they marke not what is the manner of seking And that they are deceyued in the name of grace is plamely proued by their owne writings For Lombarde expoundeth that iustification by Christ is geuen vs two wayes First sayth he the death of Christ doth iustifie vs when by it charitie is stirred vp in our heartes by which we are made righteous Secondly that by the same death sinne is destroyed whereby Satan helde vs captiue so that nowe he hath not whereby to condemne vs. You see how he considereth the grace of God principally in iustification to be so far as we are directed to good workes by the grace of the holy ghost He would forsoth haue folowed the opinion of Augustine but he foloweth him a far of goth far out of the waye froÌ„ rightly folowing him bicause if Augustine haue spokeÌ„ any thing plainly he darkeneth it if there be any thing in Augustine not very vnpure he corrupteth it The Scholemen haue stil strayed from worse to worse till with hedlong fall at length they be rolled downe into a Pelagian errour And the very sentence of Augustine or at least his manner of speakyng is not altogether to be receyued For though he singularly wâ—ll taketh from man all prayse of righteousnesse and assigneth it wholly to the grace of God yet he referreth grace to sanctificatioÌ„ wherby we are renewed into newnesse of life by the holy ghost But the Scripture when it speaketh of the righteousnesse of faith leadeth vs to a far other end that is to say that turnyng away from the loking vpoÌ„ our owne workes we should only loke vnto the mercie of God and perfection of Christ. For it teacheth this order of iustificatioÌ„ that first God vouchsaueth to embrace maÌ„ beyng a sinner with his mere and free goodnesse consideryng nothing in him but miserie whereby he may be moâ—ed to mercie for asmuch as he seeth him altogether naked voide of good workes fetchyng from himself the cause to do him good then that he moueth the sinner himself with feling of his goodnesse which desperyng vpon his owne workes casteth all the summe of his saluation vpon Gods mercie This is the felyng of fayth by
continuall brawling that they know not the very first rules of Logike Do thei thinke that the Apostle doted when he alleged these places to proue his sayeng The man that shal do these thynges shall liue in them and Cursed is euery one that fulfilleth not all thinges that are written in the volume of the lawe Unlesse they be mad they will not saye that life was promised to the kepers of Ceremonies or curse thretened onely to the breakers of them If these places be to bee vnderstanded of the morall lawe it is no doubte that the morall workes also are excluded from the power of iustifieng To the same purpose serue these argumentes that he vseth bycause the knowledge of sinne was by the lawe therefore righteousnesse is not by the lawe Bycause the lawe worketh wrath therefore it worketh not righteousnesse Bycause the lawe can not make conscience assured therefore also it can not geue righteousnesse Bycause fayth is imputed vnto righteousnesse therefore righteousnesse is not a rewarde of worke but is geuen beyng not due Bycause we are iustified by fayth therefore gloryeng is cut of If there had ben a lawe geuen that might geue life then righteousnesse were truely by the lawe but God hath shut vp all vnder sinne that the promise might be geuen to the beleuers Let them nowe fondly saye yf they dare that these thynges are spoken of ceremonies and not of manners but very children would hisse out so great shamelesnesse Therefore let vs hold this for certayne that the whole lawe is spoken of when the power of iustifieng is taken awaye from the lawe But if any manne maruell why the Apostle vsed such an addition not beyng content with only namyng of workes the reason is ready to be shewed for it For although workes be so hiely estemed yet they haue that value by the allowance of God rather than by their owne worthinesse For whoe can booste vnto God of any righteousnesse of workes but that which he hath allowed Whoe dare clayme any reward as due vnto theÌ„ but such as he hath promised They haue therfore this of the bountifulnesse of God that they are compted morthy both of the name and reward of righteousnesse they be of value only for this cause when the purpose of him that doth them is by them to shew his obedience to God Wherfore the Apostle in an other place to proue that Abraham could not be iustified by workes allegeth that the law was geuen almost fower hundred and thirty yeres after the couenant made Unlearned men would laugh at suche an argument bicause there might be righteous workes before the publishyng of the law But bicause he knew that there was no such value in workes but by the testimonie vouchsauing of God therfore he taketh it as a thing coÌ„fessed that before the law thei had no power to iustifie We vnderstaÌ„d why he namely expresseth the worke of the law wheÌ„ he meaneth to take awaye iustification froÌ„ any workes bycause controuersie may be moued of those and none other Albeit sometime he excepteth all workes without any additioÌ„ as when he sayth that by the testimonie of Dauid blessednesse is assigned to that man to whome the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without workes Therfore they can with no cauillatious bryng to passe but that we shall get this generall exclusiue only And they do in vayne seeke that triflyng sutteltie that we are iustified by that only faith whiche worketh by loue so that righteousnesse must stand vpon loue We graunt in deede witn Paule that no other faith iustifieth but that whiche is effectually workyng with chatitie but that faith taketh not her power of iustifiyng from that effectualnesse of charitie Yea it doth by no other meane iustifie but bicause it bryngeth vs into the communicatyng of the righteousnesse of Christ. Or els all that which the Apostle so earnestly presseth should fall to nought To him that worketh sayth he the reward is not teckened accordyng to grace but accordyng to Det. But to him that worketh not but beleueth in him that iustiâ—ieth the vnrighteous his fayth is imputed vnto righteousnesse Could he speake more euidently than in so sayeng that there is no righteousnesse of faith but where there are no workes to whiche any reward is due and that only then fayth is imputed vnto righteousnesse when righteousnesse is geuen by grace that is not due Now let vs examine howe true that is whiche is sayd in the definition that the righteousnesse of fayth is the reconciliation with God whiche consisteth vpon the only forgeuenesse of sinnes We muste alwaye returne to this principle that the wrath of God refteth vpon all men so long as they coÌ„tinue to be sinners That hath Esaye excellently well set out in these wordes The haÌ„d of the Lord is not shortened that he is not able to saue nor his eare dulled that he can not heare but your iniquities haue made disagreement betwene you and your God and your sinnes haue hidden his face from you that he heareth you not We heare that sinne is the diuision betwene man and God and the turnyng awaye of Gods face from the sinner Neyther can it otherwise be For it is disagreyng froÌ„ his righteousnesse to haue any felowship with sinne Wherefore the Apostle teacheth that manne is enemie to God till he be restored into fauour by Christ. Whome therfore the Lord receyueth into ioynyng with him him he is sayd to instifie bycause he can neyther receyue him into fauour nor ioyne him with himselfe but he muste of a sinner make him righteous And we further say that this is done by the forgeuenesse of sinnes For if they whome the Lord hath recoÌ„ciled to himself be iudged by their workes they shal be found still sinners in deede whoe yet must be free cleane from sinne It is certayne therefore that they whom God embraceth are no otherwise made righteous but bicause they are cleansed by hauing the spottes of there sinnes wiped awaye by forgeuenesse thaâ— such a righteousnesse maye in one worde be called the forgeuenesse of sinnes Both these are most clerely to be seene by these wordes of Paule whiche I haue already alleged God was in Christ reconcilyng the world to himself not imputyng their sinnes to man and he hath lette with vs the word of reconciliation And then he addeth the summe of his message that him which knew no sinne he made sinne for vs that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Here he nameth righteousnesse and reconciliation without difference that we maye perceyue that the one is mutually conteyned vnder the other And he teacheth the manner to atteyne this righteousnesse to be when our sinnes are not imputed vnto vs. Wherefore doubte thou not hereafter howe God doth iustifie vs when thou hearest that he doth reconcile vs to himself by not imputyng sinnes So to the Romanes he proueth by the testimonie of
Dauid that righteousnesse is imputed to maÌ„ without workes bycause Dauid pronounceth the man blessed whose iniquities are forgeuen whose sinnes are couered to whom the lord hath not imputed his offenses Without doubt by blessednesse he there meaneth righteousnesse And sithe he affirmeth the same to stande in the forgeuenesse of sinnes there is no cause why we shuld otherwise define it Therefore Zacharie the father of Iohn the Baptist singeth that the knowlege of saluatioÌ„ consisteth in the forgeuenesse of sinnes Whiche rule Paule folowyng in his Sermon whiche he made to the Antiochians concernyng the summe of saluation as Luke reporteth it concluded in this maÌ„ner by him forgeuenesse of sinnes is preached vnto you and euery one that beleueth in him is iustified from all these thinges from whiche ye could not be iustified in the lawe of Moses The Apostle so knitteth the forgeuenesse of sinnes with righteousnesse that he sheweth that they be bothe all one Whereupon he rightfully reasoneth that the righteousnesse is freely geuen vnto vs whiche we obteine by the louyng kindenesse of God Neyther ought it to seme a strange vnused speache that the faithful are righteous before God not by workes but by free acceptation sithe bothe it is so oft found in the Scripture and the old authours also do sometime so speake For Augustine sayth thus in one place The righteousnesse of the saintes in this worlde standeth rather in forgeuenesse of sinnes than in perfection of vertues Wherewith agree thte notable sentences of Bernard Not to sinne is the righteousnesse of God but the righteousnesse of man is the merciful kindenesse of God He had before affirmed that Christ is to vs righteousnesse in absolution and therefore that they only are righteous that haue obteyned pardon by mercie Hereupon also foloweth this that by the only meane of Christes righteousnesse we obteine to be iustified before God Which is asmuch in effect as yf is were sayd that man is not righteous in himselfe but bycause the righteousnesse of Christ is by imputation enterpartened with him whiche thyng is worthy to be heedefully marked For that trifling errour vanisheth away to saye that man is therefore iustified by faith bicause fayth taketh part of the Spirit of God by whiche he is made righteous which is so coÌ„trarie to the doctrine aboue taught that thei can neuer be made to agree together For it is no doubt that he is voyde of his owne righteousnesse that is taught to seke righteousnesse without himselfe This the Apostle affirmeth moste plainely when he writeth that he which knew no sinne was made for vs a propitiatorie sacrifice to cleanse awaye sinne that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him You see that our righteousnesse is not in vs but in Christ and that it belongeth to vs only by this title bicause we be partakers of Christ bicause we possesse all his richesse with him And it maketh nothing to the contrarie that in an other place he teacheth that sinne was condeÌ„ned of sinne in the flesh of Christ that the righteousnesse of the lawe might be fulfilled in vs where he meaneth no other fulâ—illing but that which we obteyne by imputation For the Lord Christ doth in such sort coÌ„municate his righteousnesse with vs that after a certayne maruelous maÌ„ner he poureth the force therof into vs so much as perteineth to the iudgement of God It appereth that he did no otherwise meane by the other sentence which he had spoken a little before As by the disobedieÌ„ce of one man we weare made sinners so by the obedience of one man we are iustified What is it els to set our righteousnesse in the obedieÌ„ce of Christ but to affirme that hereby only we are accompted righteous bicause the obedience of Christ is imputed vnto vs as if it were our owne Therefore me thinkes that Ambrose hath excellently well shewed how there is an example of this righteousnesse in the blessing of Iacob For as Iacob hauing not of himself deserued the preeminencie of the first begotten sonne hid himself in the apparell of his brother beyng clothed with his brothers cote that sauored of a most swete smell he crept into the fauour of his father and receiued the blessing to his owne coÌ„moditie vnder the persone of an other so we doe lie hidden vnder the precious purenesse of Christ our elder brother that we may get a testimonie of righteousnesse in the sight of God The wordes of Ambrose are these Wheras Isaac smelt the sauour of the garmentes paradueÌ„ture this is meant thereby that we are not iustified by workes but by faith bicause fleshly weakenesse hindereth workes but the brightnesse of faith whiche meriteth forgeuenesse of sinnes ouershadoweth the errour of deedes And truely so it is For that we may appere before the face of God vnto saluation it is necessarie for vs to smel swetely with his odour to haue our faultes couered and barred with his perfection The .xii. Chapter ¶ That to the end we may be fully perswaded of the free iustification we muste lift vp our mindes to the iudgement scare of God ALthough it appereth by most euideÌ„t testimonies that all these thinges are true yet we shall not clearely perceiue how necessarie thei be vntill we haue set before our eyes those things that ought to be the groundes of all this disputation First therfore let vs remeÌ„ber this that we purpose not to speake of the righteousnesse of a worldly iudicial court but of the heauenly iudgement seate that we should not measure by our owne small portion by what vprightnesse of workes Gods iudgemeÌ„t maye be satisfied But it is maruelous to see with what rashnesse and boldnesse it is commonly debated Yea and it is to be seen howe none doe more boldely or with fuller mouthes as the sayeng is prate of the righteousnesse of workes than they that are either monstruously sicke of open outwarde diseases or bee ready to burste with inward vices That commeth to passe bicause they thinke not vpon the righteousnesse of God wherof if they had neuer so litle felyng they wold neuer make so greate a mockerie of it And truely it is out of measure lightly regarded wheÌ„ it is not acknowleged to be such and so perfect that nothyng be imputed vnto it but euery waye whole and absolute and defiled with no vncleannesse suche as neuer was and neuer shal be able to be found in man It is in deede easy and redy for euery man in Scholes to talke vaynely vpon the worthynesse of workes to iustifie men But when they come into the sight of God such dalliances must auoide bicause there is earnest doyng vsed and no triflyng strife about wordes To this to this I saye we must apply our minde if we will profitably enquire of true righteousnesse how we maye answere the heauenly iudge when he calleth vs to accompt Let vs thinke him him a to be iudge not such a one as
vs. When therfore the holy ones do by innoceÌ„cie of coÌ„science coÌ„firme their faith gather matter of reioysing they do nothing but cal to minde by the frutes of their calling that they are adopted of the Lord into the place of children This therfore that is taught by Salomon that in the feaâ—e of the Lord is stedfast assurednesse this that somtime the holy ones vse this protestation to the entent that they may be heard of the Lord that thei haue walked before his face in vprightnes simplicititie haue no place in laying the fundatioÌ„ of stablishing of coÌ„science but are theÌ„ only of value if they be taken of the ensuing effect because both the feare is no where whiche may stablish a full assurednesse the holy ones are priuie in their conscience of such an vprightnes wherwith ar yet mingled many reÌ„naÌ„tes of the flesh But forasmuche as of the frutes of regeneration they gather an argumeâ—t of the holy Ghoste dwellynge in them they do there by not sclenderly strengthen them selues to loke for the helpe of God in all their necessities when they by experience finde hym their father in so great a matter And euen this also they canne not doe vnlesse thei haue first conceyued the goodnesse of God sealed with no other assurednesse than of the promyse For if they beginne to weye yt by good workes nothing shal be more vncertaine nor more weake forasmuche as if workes bee considered by them selues thei shall no lesse by theyr imperfection shewe profe of the wrathe of God than thei do with how soeuer vnperfect purenes testifie his good wil. Fynally thei do so set out the benefites of God that yet they tourne not awaie from the free fauoure of God in which Paul testifieth that ther is the length breadth depth and heigth of them as if he shoulde say Whethersoeuer the senses of the godly do tourne themselues howe hie soeuer thei clyme how farre and wide soeuer thei extend them yet thei ought not to goe oute of the loue of Christe but holde them selues wholy in the meditation therof bicause it comprehendeth al kindes of measures in it And therfore he saithe that it excelleth and surmounteth aboue all knowledge and that when we acknowledge howe muche Christe hathe loued vs we are fulfilled into all the fulnesse of God As in an other place when he glorieth that all the Godly are vanquishers in battell he by and by addeth a reason bycause of him that loued vs. We see now that ther ys not in the holy ones that affiance of works whiche either geueth any thinge to the merite of them forasmuche as thei regarde them none otherwise than as the giftes of God whereby thei reknowledg his goodnesse none otherwise than as signes of their calling whereby maie thinke vpon their election or whiche withdraweth not any thing from the free righteousnesse whiche wee obteine in Christe for asmuche as it hangeth vpon it and standeth not withoute it The same thing doth Augustine in few wordes but very wel set out where he writeth I do not saie to the Lorde despise not the workes of my handes or I haue sought the Lorde with my handes and haue not been deceiued But I do not commned the workes of my handes for I feare least when thou haste loked vpon them thou shalt finde moe sinnes than merites Onli this I say this I ask this I desire despise not the workes of thy hands beholde in me thy worke not mine For if thow beholdest mine thou damnest me if thou beholdest thine thou crownest me For also whatsoeuer good workes I haue they are of thee He setteth two causes why he dare not boaste of his workes to God bycause if he haue any good workes he seeth therin nothing his owne secondly bycause the same is also ouerwhelmed wyth multytude of synnes Whereupon commeth to passe that the conscience feleth thereby more feare and dismaieng than assurednesse Therfore he woulde haue God no otherwise to loke on his well doinges than that reknowledging in them the grace of his calling he maie make an ende of the worke which he hathe begonne But furthermore wheras the scripture sheweth that the good workes of the faithfull are causes why the Lorde doth good to them that is so to be vnderstanded that that which we haue before set may stand vnshaken that the Effect of our saluation consisteth in the loue of God the Father the Mater in the obedience of the Sonne the Instrument in the enlightning of the holy ghooste that is to saie in faithe that the end is the glorie of the so great kindenes of God These thinges withstande not but that the Lorde maye embrace workes as inferiour causes But whense coÌ„meth that Namely whome the Lord of his mercie hath apointed to the inheritaÌ„ce of eternal life them with his ordinarie dispeÌ„sation he doth by good workes bring into the possessioÌ„ therof That which goeth before in order of dispensatioÌ„ he calleth the cause of that which foloweth After this maÌ„ner he somtime deriueth eternal life froÌ„ workes not for that is to be ascribed to theÌ„ but bicause whome he hath chosen them he doth iustifie that he may at leÌ„gth glorifie them he maketh the grace that goeth before which is a step toward that which foloweth after a certaine maÌ„ner the cause of it But so oft as he hath occasioÌ„ to assigne the true cause he biddeth vs not to flee to workes but holdeth vs in the only thinking vpon the mercie of God For what manner of thing is this which he teacheth by the Apostle The reward of sinne is death the grace of the Lord is life euerlasting Why doth he not set righteousnesse in coÌ„parison against sinne as he setteth life agaynst death Why doth he not make righteousnesse the cause of life as he maketh sinne the cause of death For so should the comparison of contraries haue stand well together which is much broken by this turning But the Apostle meant by this coÌ„parison to expresse that which was truth that death is due to the deseruings of men that life is reposed in the only mercie of God Finally in these maÌ„ners of speaking is rather expressed the order than the cause bicause God in heaping graces vpon graces taketh cause of the first to adde the second that he may leaue nothing vndone to the enrichyng of his seruantes and he so continually exteÌ„deth his liberalitie that yet he would haue vs alway to looke vnto the free election which is fountaine beginning of it For although he loueth the giftes which he dayly geueth in so much as thei spring out of that fountaine yet it is our part to holde fast that free acceptation whiche alone is able to vpholde our soules as for such giftes of his Spirit as he afterward geueth vs so to adioyne them to the first cause that they minish nothing of it The .xv. Chapter ¶ That those thinges that are commoÌ„ly
maÌ„ that hath a takyng of profit in a pece of ground by an other mans liberall graunt do also claime to himselfe the title of propretie doth he not by such vnthankfulnesse deserue to lose the very self possession whiche he had Likewise if a bondslaue beyng made free of his Lord do hide the basenesse of the estate of a Libertine boaste himself to be a freeman borne is he not worthy to be brought back into his former bondage For this is the right vse of enioyeng a benefite if we neyther clayme to our selues more thaÌ„ is geueÌ„ nor do defraude the author of the benefite of his praise but rather do so behaue our selues that that which he hath geuen froÌ„ himself to vs may seme after a certaine maÌ„ner to remaine with him If this moderation be to be kept toward men let all men loke and consider what manner of moderation is due to God I know that the Sophisters do abuse certain places to proue therby that the name of Merit toward God is fouÌ„d in the Scriptures They allege a senteÌ„ce out of Ecclesiasticus Mercie shall make place to euery man accordyng to the Merit of his workes And out of the Epistle to the Hebrues Forget not doyng good and communicating for with such sacrifices men merite of God As for my right in resistyng the authoritie of Ecclesiasticus I doe now release it Yet I denye that they faithfully allege that which Ecclesiasticus whatsoeuer writer he were hath written For the Greke copie is thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He shal make place to euery mercie and euery man shall finde accordyng to his workes And that this is the true text which is corrupted in the Latine translation appereth both by the framing of these wordes by a loÌ„ger ioyning together of the sentence goyng before In the Epistle to the Hebrues there is no cause why they should snare vs in one litle word when in the Greke wordes of the Apostle is nothing els but that such sacrifices do please are acceptable to God This alone ought largely to suffice to subdue beate downe the outragiousnesse of our pride that we faine not any worthinesse to workes beyoÌ„d the rule of Scripture Now the doctrine of the Scripture is that all our good workes are continually be sprinkled with many filthy spottes wherewith God may be worthily offended and be angry with vs so far is it of that they be able to winne him to vs or to prouoke his liberalitie toward vs Yet bicause he of his teÌ„der kindenesse doth not examine them by extremitie of law he taketh theÌ„ as if they were most pure and therfore though without merite he rewardeth them with infinite benefites bothe of this present life and of the life to come For I do not allow the distinctioÌ„ set by meÌ„ otherwise learned godly that good workes deserue the graces that are geuen vs in this life that eternal life is the reward of faith alone For the Lord doth coÌ„monly alway set in heauen the reward of labors and the crowne of battell Agayne to geue it so to the merit of workes that it be taken away from grace that the Lord heapeth vs with graces vpon graces is against the doctrine of the Scripture For though Christ sayth that to him that hath shal be geuen that the faithful and good seruant which hath shewed himself faithful in few thinges shal be set ouer many yet he also sheweth in an other place that the encreases of the faithful are the giftes of his free goodnesse All ye that thirst sayth he come to the waters ye that haue not monie come and bye milke and honye without monie and without any exchange What so euer therfore is now geuen to the faithfull for help of saluation yea blessedneâ—â—e it selfe is the mere liberalitie of God yet bothe in this and in those he testifieth that he hath consideration of workes bicause to testifie the greatnesse of his loue toward vs he vouchsaueth to graunt such honor not only to vs but also to the giftes which he hath geueÌ„ vs. If these things had in the ages past ben handled disposed in such order as thei ought to haue beÌ„ there had neuer arisen so many trobles dissensions Paul sayth that in the bulding of Christian doctrine we must kepe stil that fundation which he had layed amoÌ„g the CorinthiaÌ„s biside which no other can be layed that the same fundation is Iesus Christ. What maÌ„ner of fundatioÌ„ haue we in Christ is it that he was to vs the beginning of saluatioÌ„ that the fulfillyng therof shold follow of our selues hath he but only opened the way by which we should goe forward of our own streÌ„gth Not so but as he sayd a litle before when we acknowlege him he is geueÌ„ to vs for righteousnesse No maÌ„ therfore is wel founded in Christ but he that hath full righteousnesse in him for asmuch as the Apostle sayth not that he was sent to help vs to obteine righteousnesse but that he himself might be our righteousnesse Namely that we are chosen in him froÌ„ eternitie before the making of the world by no deseruyng of oures but accordyng to the purpose of the good pleasure of God that by his death we are redemed froÌ„ the daÌ„nation of death deliuered froÌ„ destruction that in him we are adopted of the heauenly father into children heires that by his bloud we are recoÌ„ciled to the Father that beyng geuen to him to be kept we are deliuered from peril of perishyng of beyng lost that beyng so engraffed in him we are alredy after a certaine manner partakers of eternall life beyng entred into the kingdome of God by hope and yet more that hauing obteined such partaking of him how so euer we be yet fooles in our selues he is wisdom for vs before God howsoeuer we be sinners he is righteousnesse for vs howsoeuer we be vncleane he is cleannesse for vs howsoeuer we be weake howsoeuer vnarmed lieng open in danger of Satan yet oures is the power which is geueÌ„ him in heaueÌ„ earth whereby he may treade downe SataÌ„ for vs breake the gates of helles howsoeuer we stil cary about with vs the body of death yet he is life for vs brefely that al his things are oures we in him haue all things in our selues nothing vpoÌ„ this foundation I say it behoueth that we be bulded if we wil encrease into a holy temple to the Lord. But the world hath a long time beÌ„ otherwise taught For there haue ben fouÌ„d out I wote not what moral good workes by which meÌ„ may be made acceptable to God before that thei be graffed in christ As though the Scripture lieth wheÌ„ it sayth that they are al in death which haue not possessed the Sonne If they be in death how shold thei bring forth matter of life As
though it were of no more force that whatsoeuer is done without faith is sinne as though there may be good frutes of an euell tree But what haue these moste pestilent Sophisters left to Christ wherein he may shewe forth his power They saye that he hath deserued for vs the first grace namely the occasion of deseruyng that it is nowe our part not to faile the occasion offred O desperate shamelesnesse of vngodlinesse Whoe would haue thought that men professing the name of Christ durst so strippe him naked of his power in a manner treade him vnder foote This testimonie is eche where spoken of him that all they are iustified that beleue in him these felowes teache that there coÌ„meth from him no other benefit but this that the way is opened to euery man to iustifie himselfe But I would to God they tasted what these sayenges meane that all they haue life that haue the Sonne of God that whosoeuer beleueth is already passed from death into life that we are iustified by his grace that we might be made heires of eternal life that the faithful haue Christ abidyng in them by whome they cleaue fast to God that they whiche are partakers of his life do sit with him in heaueÌ„ly places that they are transplanted into the kingdome of God haue obteined saluatioÌ„ innumerable other such For they do not declare that there coÌ„meth by the fayth of Christ nothing but the power to obteine righteousnesse or saluatioÌ„ but that they are bothe geuen to vs. Therfore so sone as thou art by fayth engraffed into Christ thou art already made the sonne of God the heire of heauÌ„e partaker of righteousnesse possessor of life and that their lies may be better coÌ„futed thou hast not obteyned the fit abilitie to deserue but euen all the deseruinges of Christ for they are coÌ„municated to thee So the Sorbonical schooles the mothers of al errors haue takeÌ„ froÌ„ vs the iustificatioÌ„ of faith which is the suÌ„me of al godlinesse They grauÌ„t verily in word that maÌ„ is iustified by formed faith but this they afterward expound bicause good workes haue of faith this that they auayle to righteousnesse that thei seme in a manner to name faith in mockage sithe wtout great enuiousnesse it could not be passed ouer in silence seyng it is so oft repeted of the Scripture And not yet coÌ„teÌ„ted they do in the prayse of good workes priuilie steale froÌ„ God somwhat to geue away to maÌ„ Bicause thei see that good workes litle auaile to aduauÌ„ce maÌ„ that they can not be properly called Merites if they be accompted the frutes of the grace of God they picke them out of the strength of free will oyle forsothe out of a stone And they denye not in deede that the principal cause of theÌ„ is in grace but they affirme that thereby is not excluded free will by whiche is all merit And this not only the later Sopisters do teach but also their Pythagoras LoÌ„bard whom if you coÌ„pare with these men you may say to be sound witted and sobre It was truely a point of maruelous blindenesse that wheÌ„ they had Augustine so oft in their mouth thei saw not with how great carefulnesse that maÌ„ prouided that no pece of the glorie of good workes were it neuer so litle shold be coÌ„ueyed to men Here before whe we entreated of free will we recited certaine testimonies of his to his purspose of whiche sort there are often times found many like in his writinges as wheÌ„ he forbiddeth vs that we should no where boste of our merites bicause eueÌ„ thei also are the giftes of God And when he writeth that all our merit is only of grace that it is not gotten by our sufficience but is al made by grace c. It is no maruell that Lombard was blinde at the light of the Scripture in which it appereth that he was not so wel practised Yet nothing could be desired more plaine against him his disciples than this word of the Apostle For wheÌ„ he forbiddeth ChristiaÌ„s al glorieng he adioyneth a reason why it is not lawfull to glorie bicause we are the handyworke of God created to al good workes that we should walk in theÌ„ Sithe therfore there coÌ„meth out of vs no good thing but in so much as we be regenerate our regeneratioÌ„ is whole of God without exceptioÌ„ there is no right why we shold claime to our selues one ounce in good workes Finally whereas they coÌ„tinually call vpoÌ„ good workes in the meane time they so instruct coÌ„sciences that they neuer dare haue affiaÌ„ce that they haue God wel pleased fauorable to their workes But coÌ„trarywise we without makyng any meÌ„tion of Merit do yet by our doctrine raise vp the courages of the faithful with singular coÌ„fort wheÌ„ we teach them that in their workes they please God are vndoutedly accepted vnto him Yea also here we require that no maÌ„ atteÌ„pt or goe about any worke without faith that is to say vnlesse he do first with assured confidence of minde determine that he shall please God Wherfore let vs not suffer our selues to be led so much as one heare bredth away froÌ„ this only fundatioÌ„ which beyng layed wise bulders do afterward wel orderly bulde vpon it For if there be neede of doctrine exhortatioÌ„ thei put men in minde that the Sonne of God hath appered to this end that he may destroy the workes of the deuel that they should not sinne which are of God that the time past is enough for the fulfilling of the desires of the Gentiles that the elect of God are velleis of mercie chosen out vnto honour whiche ought to be made cleane from al filthinesse But al is spoken at ones when it is shewed that Christ wil haue such disciples which forsaking themselues taking vp their crosse do follow him He that hath forsakeÌ„ himself hath cut of the roote of al euels that he maye no more seke those thinges yâ— are his owne He that hath taken vp his crosse hath framed himself to all patience mildenesse But the example of Christ conieâ—neth both these and al other duties of godlinesse holinesse He shewed himself obedieÌ„t to his father euen to the death he was wholly occupied in doyng the workes of God he with his whole heart breathed out the glorie of his father he gaue his soule for his brethren he bothe did good wished good to his enemies If there be neede of coÌ„fort these wil bryng maruelous comfort that we be in affliction but we are not made careful that we labour but we are not forsaken we are brought lowe but we are not coÌ„founded we are throweÌ„ downe but we do not perish alway bearing about with vs in our body the mortifieng of Iesus Christ that the life of Iesus may be manifestly shewed in vs that if we be dead with him we shall also liue together with him if
Christ the sonne of God is oures and we likewise are in him the sonnes of God and heyers of the heaueÌ„ly kingdome beyng called by the goodnesse of God not by our owne worthinesse into the hope of eternal blessednesse But bicause they do biside these assayle vs as we haue sayd with other engines goe to let vs goe forward in beatyng awaye these also First they come backe to the promises of the lawe which the Lord did set forth to the kepers of his law and they aske whether we wil haue them to be vtterly voyde or effectuall Bycause it were an absurditie and to be scorned to say that they are voyde they take it for confessed that they are of some effectualnesse Hereupon they reason that we are not iustified by only faith For thus sayth the Lord And it shal be yf thou shalt heare these commaundementes and iudgementes and shal kepe them and do them the Lord also shall kepe with thee his couenant and mercie whiche he hath sworne to thy fathers he shall loue thee and multiplie thee and blesse thee c. Agayne If ye shall wel direct your wayes and your endeuors yf ye walke not after strange Gods yf ye do iudgement betwene man and man and goe not backe into malice I will walke in yâ— middest of you I will not recite a thousand peces of the same sorte whiche sithe they nothyng differ in sense shal be declared by the solutioÌ„ of these In a summe Moses testifieth that in the lawe is set forth blessyng and curse death and life Thus therfore they reson that eyther this blessyng is made idle frutelesse or that iustification is not of fayth alone We haue already before shewed how if we sticke faste in the lawe ouer vs beyng destitute of al blessing hangeth only curse which is thretened to al transgressors For the Lord promiseth nothyng but to the perfect kepers of his law such as there is none found This therefore remaineth that all mankinde is by the law accused and subiect to curse the wrath of God from whiche that they maye be loosed they must needes goe out of the power of the law and be as it were brought into libertie from the boÌ„dage therof not that carnall libertie whiche should withdraw vs froÌ„ the kepyng of the law should allure vs to thinke all thinges lawfull and to suffer our lust as it were the stayes beyng broken with loose reynâ—s to runne at riot but the spiritual libertie whiche may comfort and rayse vp a dismayed and ouerthrowen conscience shewyng it to be free from the curse and damnation wherewith the lawe helde it downe bond and fast tied This deliuerance from the subiection of the law and Manâ—mission as I may cal it we obteyne wheÌ„ by fayth we take holde of the mercie of God in Christ whereby we are certified and assured of the forgeuenesse of sinnes with the felyng whereof the law did prick and bite vs. By this reason euen the promises that were offred vs in the lawe should be all vneffectuall voyde vnlesse the goodnesse of God by the Gospell did help For this condition that we kepe the whole law vpoÌ„ which the promises hang and wherby alone thei are to be performed shal neuer be fulfilled And the Lord so helpeth not by leauyng part of righteousnesse in our workes and supplyeng part by his mercieful bearyng with vs but when he setteth only Christ for the fulfillyng of righteousnesse For the Apostle when he had before sayd that he and other Iewes beleued in Iesus Christ knowing that man is not iustified by the workes of the lawe addeth a reason not that they should be holpen to fulnesse of righteousnesse by the fayth of Christ but by it should be iustified not by the workes of the law If the faythfull remoue from the law into fayth that they may in fayth finde righteousnesse which they see to be absent from the law truely they forsake the righteousnesse of the lawe Therefore now let him that list amplifie the rewardinges whiche are sayd to be prepared for the keper of the law so that he therewithall coÌ„sider that it coÌ„meth to passe by our peruersnesse that we fele no frute thereof till we haue obteyned an other righteousnesse of faith So Dauid when he made mention of the rewardyng whiche the Lord hath prepared for his seruantes by and by descendeth to the reknowledging of sinnes wherby that same rewarding is made voyde Also in the xix Psalme he gloriously setteth forth the benefites of the law but he by by crieth out Whoe shall vnderstand his faultes Lord cleanse me froÌ„ my secret faultes This place altogether agreeth with the place before where when he had sayd that all the wayes of the Lord are goodnesse and truth to them that leaue him he addeth For thy names sake Lorde thou shalt be mercifull to my peruersnesse for it is muche So ought we also to reknowledge that there is in deede the good will of God set forth vnto vs in the lawe if we might deserue it by workes but that the same neuer coÌ„meth to vs by the deseruyng of workes How then Are they geuen that they should vanish awaye without frute I haue eueÌ„ now already protested that the same is not my meaning I say verily that they vtter not their effectualnesse toward vs so long as they haue respect to the merit of workes and that therfore if they be considered in themselues they be after a certayne maÌ„ner abolished If the Apostle teacheth that this noble promise I haue geuen you commauÌ„dementes which who so shal do shall liue in them is of no value if we stand still in it and shal neuer a whit more profit than if it had not ben geuen at all bicause it belongeth not euen to the most holy seruauntes of God whiche are all far from the fulfillyng of the lawe but are compassed about with many transgressions But when the promises of the Gospel are put in place of them which do offre free forgeuenesse of sinnes they bryng to passe that not only we our selues be acceptable to God but that our workes also haue their thanke and not this only that the Lord accepteth them but also exteÌ„deth to them the blessinges whiche were by couenant due to the keping of the law I graunt therefore that those thinges whiche the Lord hath promised in his lawe to the folowers of righteousnesse holinesse are rendred to the workes of the faythfull but in this rendryng the cause is alway to be coÌ„sidered that powreth grace to workes Now causes we see that there be three The first is that God turnyng away his sight froÌ„ the workes of his seruaÌ„tes which alway deserue rather reproche than praise embraceth them in Christ and by the only meane of faith reconcileth them to himself without the meane of workes The secoÌ„d that of his fatherly kindnesse and tender mercifulnesse he lifteth vp workes to so great
honour not weyeng the worthinesse of them that he accompteth them of some value The third that he receiueth the very same workes with pardon not imputyng the imperfectiō wherwith they al beyng defiled should otherwise be rather reckened amōg sinnes than vertues And hereby appereth how much the Sophisters haue ben deceiued whiche thought that they had gaylye escaped al absurdities when they sayd that workes do not of their owne inwarde goodnesse auayle to deserue saluation but by the forme of the couenant bicause the Lord hath of his liberalitie so much estemed them But in the meane time they considered not howe far those workes whiche they would haue to be meritorious were from the conditiō of the promises vnlesse there went before bothe iustification grounded vpon only fayth and the forgeuenesse of sinnes by which euē the good workes themselues haue neede to be wiped from spottes Therefore of three causes of Gods liberalitie by which it is brought to passe that the workes of the faythfull are acceptable they noted but one suppressed two yea and those the principall They allege the sayeng of Peter whiche Luke rehearseth in the Actes I finde in truthe that God is not an accepter of persones but in euery nation he that doth righteousnesse is acceptable to him And hereupon they gather that which semeth to be vndouted that if man doth by right endeuors get himselfe the fauor of God it is not the beneficiall gift of God alone that he obteyneth saluation yea that God doth so of his mercie help a sinner that he is by workes bowed to mercie But you can in no wise make the Scriptures agree together vnlesse you note a double acceptyng of man with God For such as man is by nature God findeth nothyng in him whereby he maye be enclined to mercie but only miserie If therfore it be certayne that man is naked and needy of all goodnesse and on the other side full stuffed and loden with al kindes of euels when God first receyueth them for what qualitie I pray you shal we say that he is worthy of the heauēly calling ▪ Away therefore with the vaine imaginyng of merites where God so euidētly setteth out his free mercifulnesse For that which in the same place is sayde by the voice of the Angell to Cornelius that his prayers and almes had ascēded into the sight of God is by these men most lewdly wrested that man by endeuor of good workes is prepared to receiue the grace of God For it muste needes be that Cornelius was already enlightened with the Spirit of wisdome sithe he was endued with true wisdome namely with the feare of God that he was sanctified with the same Spirit sith he was a folower of righteousnesse which the Apostle teacheth to be a most certaine frute therof Al those things therefore whiche are sayd to haue pleased God in him he had of his grace so far is it of that he did by his own endeuor prepare himself to receiue it Truely there cā not one syllable of the Scripture be brought forth that agreeth not with this doctrine that there is none other cause for God to accept man vnto him but bicause he seeth that mā should be euery way lost if he be left to himselfe but bicause he will not haue him lost he vseth his own mercie in deliueryng him Now we see how this accepting hath not regard to the righteousnesse of man but is a mere token of the goodnesse of God toward men beyng miserable and moste vnworthy of so great a benefit But after that the Lord hath brought man out of the bottomlesse depth of destruction and seuered him to himselfe by grace of adoption bicause he hath nowe begotten him and newely formed him into a newe life he nowe embraceth him as a newe creature with the giftes of his Spirit This is that acceptyng whereof Peter maketh mention by whiche the faythfull are after their vocation allured of God euen in respecte also of workes for the Lorde can not but loue and kisse those good thinges whiche he worketh in them by his Spirit But this is alwaye to be remembred that they are none otherwise acceptable to God in respect of workes but in as muche as for their cause and for their sakes whatsoeuer good workes he hath geuen them in encreasyng of his liberalitie he also vouchesaueth to accept For whense haue they good workes ▪ but bicause the Lord as he hath chosen them for vessels vnto honor so will garnish thē with true godlinesse Whereby also are they accompted good as though there were nothing wanting in them but bicause the kinde Father tēderly graunteth pardon to those deformities spottes that cleaue to them Summarily he signifieth nothing els in this place but that to God his children are acceptable louely in whom he seeth the markes and features of his owne face For we haue in an other place taught that regeneratiō is a repairyng of the image of God in vs. For asmuch as therfore wheresoeuer the Lord beholdeth his owne face he both worthily loueth it and hath it in honor it is not without cause sayd that the life of the faithful beyng framed to holinesse righteousnesse pleaseth him but bycause the godly beyng clothed with mortall fleshe are yet sinners and their good workes are but begonne and sauoryng of the faultinesse of the fleshe he can not be fauorable neyther to those nor to these vnlesse he more embrace them in Christ than in themselues After this manner are those places to be taken whiche testifie that God is kinde mercifull to the folowers of righteousnesse Moses sayd to the Israelites The Lord thy God kepeth couenant to a thousand generations which sentēce was afteward vsed of the people for a common manner of speache So Salomon in his solemne prayer sayth Lord God of Israell whiche kepest couenant and mercie to thy seruātes which walke before thee in their whole heart The same wordes are also repeted of Nehemias For as in al the couenātes of his mercie the Lord likewise on their behalues requireth of his seruātes vprightnesse holinesse of life that his goodnesse should not be made a mockerie that no man swelling with vaine reioysing by reason therof should blesse his owne soule walking in the meane time in the peruersnesse of his own heart so his wil is by this way to kepe in their dutie them that are admitted into the cōmuniō of the couenāt yet neuerthelesse the couenāt it self is both made at the beginnyng free perpetually remayneth such After this māner Dauid when he glorieth that there was rēdred to him reward of the cleannesse of his hādes yet omitteth not that fountaine which I haue spoken of that he was drawen out of the wombe bicause God loued him where he so setteth out the goodnesse of his cause that he abateth nothyng from the free mercie whiche goeth before all giftes whereof it is
imputed to him for righteousnesse Sith therfore it is said that the acte done by Phinees was imputed to him for righteousnesse what Paule affirmeth of faith the same may we also conclude of works Whervpon our aduersaries as though thei had wonne the victorie determine that we are in dede not iustified without faith but that we are also not iustified by it alone and that workes accomplish our righteousnesse Therefore here I beseache the godly that if thei knowe that the true rule of righteousnesse is to be taken out of the Scripture only thei will religiously and earnestly weie with me how the Scripture may without cauillations be rightly made to agree with it selfe For asmuch as Paul knewe that the iustificatioÌ„ of faith is the refuge for them that ar destitute of their own righteousnesse he doth boldly coÌ„clude that al thei that ar iustified by faith ar excluded from the righteousnesse of works But sith it is certayne that the iustification of faith is common to all the faithfull he dothe thereof with like boldenesse conclude that no man is iustified by works but rather contrariewise that men are iustified without any helpe of workes But it is one thing to dispute of what value works are by themselues and an other thing what accompt is to be made of them after the stablishing of the righteousnesse of faith If we shal set a price vpon works according to their worthinesse we saie that thei are vnworthy to come into the sight of God and therefore that man hath no workes whereof he may glorie before God then that being spoiled of al helpe of works he is iustified by only faith Now we define righteousnesse thus that a sinner being receiued into the communion of Christ is by hys grace reconciled to God when being cleansed with his bloode he obteineth forgeuenesse of sinnes and being clothed with his righteousnesse as with his own he staÌ„deth assured before the heauenly iudgment â—eate WheÌ„ the forgeuenesse of sinnes is set before the good workes which folowe haue now an other valuation than after their own deseruing bycause whatsoeuer is in them vnperfect is couered with the perfectioÌ„ of Christ whatsoeuer spottes or fylthinesse there is it is wyped away wyth hys cleannesse that it maye not come into the examination of the iudgement of God Therfore when the giltines of al trespasses is blotted out whereby men are hindred that thei can bring forthe nothing acceptable to God and when the faulte of imperfection is buried whiche is wonte also to defile good workes the good workes which the faithful do are compted righteous or which is all one are imputed for righteousnesse Now if any man obiect this against me to assaile the righteousnesse of faithe first I will aske whether a man be compted righteous for one or two holy works being in the rest of the works of his life a trespasser of the law This is more than an absurditie Then I will aske if he be compted righteous for many good works yf he be in any parte founde gilty This also he shal not be so bolde to affirme when the penal ordinaâ—ce of the law crieth oute against it proclameth al them accursed which haue not fulfilled all coÌ„maundementes of the lawe to the vttermost Moreouer I wil go further ask whether ther be any work that deserueth to be accused of no vncleannesse or imperfection And howe could there be any such before those eies to whom eueÌ„ the very starres are not cleane enough nor the Angeles righteous enough So shal he be compelled to graunt that there is no good worke which is not so defiled with transgressions adioyned with it with the corruptnesse of it selfe that it can not haue the honoure of righteousnesse Nowe if it bee certaine that it proceedeth from the righteousnesse of faith that woorkes which are otherwise vnpure vncleane and but halfe workes not worthy of the sight of God much lesse of his loue are imputed to righteousnesse why do thei with boasting of the righteousnesse of workes destroye the iustification of faith wheras if this iustification were not thei shold in vaine boaste of that righteousnes Wyll thei make a vipers birthâ— For therto end the saiengs of the vngodly meÌ„ Thei can not denie that the iustificatioÌ„ of faith is the beginning foundatioÌ„ cause matter substance of the righteousnesse of works yet thei coÌ„clude the man is not iustified by faith bycause good workes also are accoÌ„pted for righteousnesse Therfore let vs let passe these follies confesse as the truth is that if the righteousnesse of works of what sort soever it be accoÌ„pted hangeth vpon the iustificatioÌ„ of faith it is by this not onely nothing minished but also coÌ„firmed namly wherbi the strength therof appeareth more mighty Neither yet let vs think that works ar so coÌ„meÌ„ded after fre iustificatioÌ„ that thei also afterward come into the place of iustifieng a maÌ„ or do parte that office betwene them faithe For vnlesse the iustificatioÌ„ remaine alway whole the vncleannes of workes shal be vncouered And it is no absurditie that a man is so iustified by faith that not only he himself is righteous but also his woorkes are esteemed righteous aboue their worthynesse After this maÌ„ner we wil grauÌ„t in workes not only a righteousnes in parts as our aduersaries theÌ„selues wold haue but also that it is alowed of God as if it wer a perfect ful righteousnesse But if we remeÌ„bre vpoÌ„ what fouÌ„datioÌ„ it is vpholdeÌ„ al the difficultie shal be disolued For then noâ— til their beginneth to be an acceptable worke wheÌ„ it is receiued with pardoÌ„ Now whense coÌ„meth pardoÌ„ but bicause God beholdeth both vs â—amp al our thinges in Christe Therefore as we when we are graffed into Christ do therfore appeare righteous before God bicause our wickednesses are couered with his innocence so our workes are be taken for righteous bicause whatsoeuer faultines is otherwise in theÌ„ being buried in the cleannesse of Christe it is not imputed So we may rightfully sai that bi onli faith not oÌ„ly we but also our works ar iustified Now if this righteousnes of works of what sorte soeuer it be hangeth vpoÌ„ faith tree iustification is made of it it ought to be included vnder it and to he sette vnder it as the effect vnder the cause therof as I may so cal it so farre is it of that it oughte to bee raysed vp either to destroy or darken it So Paule to dryue men to confesse that oure blessednesse coÌ„sisteth of the mercy of God not of works chefli enforceth that saying of Dauid Blessed are thei whose iniquitties are forgeuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is he to whom the Lord hath not imputed sinne If any maÌ„ do thrust in to the contrary innumerable sayings wherin blessednesse seemeth to be geuen to works as are these Blessed is the man whiche feareth the Lord whiche hath pitie on the poore
which hath not walked in the councell of the wicked which beareth temptation Blessed are they which kepe iudgement the vndefiled the poore in Spirit the meeke the mercifull c. they shall not make but that it shall bee true which Paul saith For bicause those thinges that ar ther coÌ„mended are neuer so in man that he is therfore allowed of God it foloweth the man is alwai miserable vnlesse he be deliuered from misery by forgeuenesse of sinnes For asmuch as therfore all the kindes of blessednes which ar extolled in the scriptures do fal down void so the man receiueth frute of none of theÌ„ til he haue obteined blessedness by forgeuenes of sins which mai afterward make place for theÌ„ it foloweth that this is not only the hiest the chefe but also the only blessednes vnlesse paraduenture you will haue that it be weakned of those which consist in it alone Now ther is much lesse reason why the calling of meÌ„ righteous shoulde trouble vs which is coÌ„monli geueÌ„ to the faithful I grauÌ„t verili that thei ar called righteous of the holines of liâ— but for asmuch as thei rather endeuor to the folowiÌ„g of righteousnes than do fulfil righteousnes it self it is mete that this righteousnes suche as it is giue place to the iustification of faith from whence it hath that which it is But thei say that we haue yet more busines with Iames namelye which with opeÌ„ voice fighteth against vs. For he teacheth both that AbrahaÌ„ was iustified by works and also that al we are iustified by workes not by faith only What then wil thei draw Paul to fight with Iames If thei hold Iames for a minister of Christ his saying must be so takeÌ„ that it disagre not froÌ„ Christ speakiÌ„g by the mouth of Paul The holy ghost affirmeth by the mouth of Paul that AbrahaÌ„ obteined righteousnesse by faith not by workes we also do teach that all are iustified by faith without the works of the law The same holy ghost teacheth by Iames that both Abrahams righteousnes and ours consisteth of workes not of only faith It is certain that the holy ghost fighteth not with himselfe What agrement shall ther be therfore of these two It is enough for the aduersaries if thei pluck vp the righteousnes of faith which we wolde haue to be fastened with most depe rootes but to render to consciences their quietnesse thei haue no great care Whereby verily you may see that thei gnaw the iustificatioÌ„ of faith but in the meane tim do apoint no mark of righteousnes wher coÌ„sciences may stay Therfore let them triumph as thei list so that thei may boaste of no other victorie than that thei haue taken away all certainetie of righteousnesse And this wretched victorie thei shal obteine where the light of truth being quenched the lord shal suffer theÌ„ to ouerspred the darknes of lies But whersoeuer the truth of God shal stand thei shall nothing preuaile I deny therefore that the saieng of Iames which thei still coÌ„tinually hold vp against vs as it wer the shelde of Achilles doth any thing at al make for theÌ„ That this may be made plaine first we must loke at the mark that the apostle shooteth at then we must note wher thei be deceiued Bicause there were theÌ„ many whiche mischefe is wont to be continual in the Church which openly bewraied their infidelitie in neglecting omitting al the propre works of the faithful yet cessed not to boaste of the false name of faith Iames doth here mock the folish boldnes of such meÌ„ Therfore it is not his purpose in any point to diminish the force of true faith but to shew how â—ondly those trifles did chalenge so much the vaine image of it that being contented herw t thei carelesly ranne dissolutely abroade into all licentiousnesse of vices This ground being coÌ„ceiued it shal be easy to perceaue where oure aduersaries do misse For thei fal into two deceites in the word the one in the name of faith that other in the word of iustifieng Whereas the Apostle nameth faith a vaine opinion farr distant from the truth of faith it is spokeÌ„ by waie of graunting which is no derogation to the matter whych he sheweth at the beginning in these words What profiteth it my brothreÌ„ If any man say that he hath faith hath no works He doth not say if any haue faith wtout workes but If any man boast More plainely also he speaketh a little after where he in mockerie maketh yt worse than the deuills knowledg last of al when he calleth it dead But by the definition you maye sufficiently perceaue what hee meaneth Thou beleuest saith he that there is a God Truely if nothing be conteined in thys faith but to beleue that there is a God it is now no maruel if it do not iustifie And when this is taken from it let vs not think that any thing is a bared from the Christian faith the nature whereof ys farre otherwise For after what manner doth true faith iustifie vs but when it coÌ„ioyneth vs with Christ that being made one with him we may enioy the partakyng of hys righteousnesse It dothe not therefore iustifie vs by this that it conceiueth a knowledge of the beinge of God but by thys that it resteth vpon the assurednesse of the mercy of God We haue not yet the work vnlesse we examine also the other deceite in the word for asmuche as Iames setteth part of iustificatioÌ„ in works If you wil make Iames agreing both with the rest of the Scriptures in himself you must of necessitie take the word of Iustifieng in an other significatioÌ„ thaÌ„ it is takeÌ„ in Paul For Paul saith that we ar iustified wheÌ„ the remeÌ„brance of our vnrighteousnes being blotted out we ar accoÌ„pted righteous If Iames had ment of that takinge he had wrongefully alleged that out of Moses AbrahaÌ„ beleued God c. For he thus frameth it together AbrahaÌ„ bi works obteined righteousnes bycause he sticked not at the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of God to offer vp his sonne And so the Scriptur was fulfilled whiche saithe that hee beleued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse If it be an absurditie that the effect is before hys cause eyther Moses dothe in that place falsely testifie that faythe was imputed to Abraham for righteousnesse or he deserued not righteousnesse by that obedience whiche he shewed in offering vp of Isaac Abraham was iustified by his faith when Ismael was not yet conceiued whych was nowe growen past childehode before that Isaac was borne Now therfore shal we saie that he got to himself righteousnesse by obedience which folowed long afterward Wherefore either Iames did wrongfully misturne the order which it is a wickednesse to thinke or he meant not to say that he was iustified as though he deserued to be accompted righteous How then Truely it appeareth that he speaketh of the declaration of righteousnesse and not the
dealing which he knew to be pleasing to the merciful kindnes of God agaist al euel speaking of meÌ„ whatsoeuer it be For we se what he saith in an other place that he knoweth no euel by himself but the he is not therby iustified namly bicause he knew that the iudgment of god far surmuÌ„teth the bleareyed sight of meÌ„ Howsoeuer therfore the godly do defend their innoceÌ„ce agaist the hypocrisie of the vngodly by the witnessing iudgmeÌ„t of God yet when thei haue to doe wyth God alone they all crye oute wyth one mouthe If thow marke iniquitie Lorde Lorde who shall abide it Entre not into iudgement with thy seruantes bycause euery one that liueth shall not be iustified in thy sight and distrusting their owne workes thei gladly sing Thy goodnesse is better than life There are also other places not vnlyke to these before in which a man may yet tarry Salomon saith that he whiche walketh in his vprightnesse is righteous Againe That in the path of righteousnesse is life and that in the same is not death After whiche manner Ezechiell reporteth that he shal liue life that doth iudgment and righteousnesse None of these do we either denye or darken But let there come forthe one of the sonnes of Adam with such an vprightnesse If ther be none either thei must perishe at the sighte of God or flee to the sanctuarie of mercie Neither do we in the meane time denie but that to the faithfull their vprightnesse though it be but halfe vnperfect is a step towarde immortalitie But whence commeth that but bicause whome the Lord hathe taken into the couenant of grace he searcheth not their works according to their deseruinges but kisseth them with fatherly kindenes Wherby we do not only vnderstand that which the scholemen do teache that works haue their value of the accepting grace For thei meane that workes which are otherwise in sufficient to purchase righteousnesse by the couenant of the law are by the accepting of God auauÌ„ced to the value of equalitie But I saie that thei being defiled bothe with other trespassinges with their owne spottes are of no other value at al than in so muche as the lord tenderly graunteth pardoÌ„ to bothe that is to say geueth free righteousnesse to maÌ„ Neither are here those praiers of the Apostle seasonaly thrust in place wher he wissheth so great perfectioÌ„ to the faithful that thei may be faultlesse vnblamable in the day of the loâ—â— These wordes in deede the Celestines did in olde tune turmoile to affirme a perfectioÌ„ of righteousnes in this life But which we thinke to be sufficient we answer brefely after Augustine that al the godly oughte in dede to endeuoure toward this mark that thei may one day appeare spotlesse faultlesse before the face of God but bicause the best most excellent maÌ„ner of this life is nothing but a going forward we shal then not til then atteine to this mark when being vnclothed of this flesh of sinne we shall fully cleaue to the lord Yet wil I not stiffely striue with him which will geue the title of perfectioÌ„ to the holy ones so that he also limit the same with the words of Augustine himselfe Whan saich he we wil cal the vertue of the holy ones perfect to the same perfectioÌ„ also belongeth the acknowledging of imperfection bothe in trueth and in humilitie The .xviii. Chapter That of the rewarde the righteousnesse of Workes is ill gathered NOw let vs passe ouer to those saiengs which affirme the God wil rendre to euery man according to his workes of whiche sort are these Euery man shal beare away that which he hath done in the body either good or euel Glory honoure to him that worketh good trouble distresse vpoÌ„ euery soule of him that worketh euel And thei whiche haue done good thinges shall goe into the resurrection of life thei which haue done euell into the resurrection of iudgement Come ye blessed of my father I haue hungred ye gaue me meate I haue thirsted ye gaue me drinke c. And with thâ— let vs also ioine these saiengs which cal eternal life the reward of works Of whithe sort ar these The rendring of the handes of a man shal be restored to him He that feareth the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t shal be rewarded Be glad reioise behold your reward is plentiful in heauen Euery man shal receiue reward according to his labore Wher it is said that God shal rendre to euery man according to his works the same is easily assoiled For that manner of speaking doth rather shew the ordre of folowing than the cause But yt is out of dout that the lord doth accoÌ„plish our saluatioÌ„ by these degrees of his mercy wheÌ„ those whom he hath choseÌ„ he calleth to him those whoÌ„e he hath called he iustifieth those whom he hath iustified he glorifieth Although therfore he do by his only mercie receiue them the be his into life yet bicause hee bringeth them into the possession therof by the race of good works that he may fulfil his work in them by such ordre as he hath apointed it is no maruel if it be said that thei be crowned accordig to their works by which wtout doubt they are prepared to receiue the crowne of immortalitie Yea after this manner it is fittly said that thei worke their own saluation when in applieng themselues to good works they practise theÌ„selues toward eternall life namly as in an other place thei are coÌ„maunded to work the meate which perisheth not when bi beleuing in Christ thei get to theÌ„selues life yet it is by by afterwarde added Which that sonne of man shal geue you Wherby appeareth that the word of Working is not set as contrary to grace but is referred to endeuoure therfore it foloweth not that either the faithful artheÌ„selues authors of their own saluatioÌ„ or that the same proceedeth froÌ„ their works How then So sone as thei are taken into the felowship of Christ by the knowledge of the Gospell the enlightning of the holy ghost eternal life is begone in them Now the same good worke which God hath begonne in them must also be made perfect vntil the day of the lord Iesu. And it is made perfect when resembling the heauenly father in righteousnesse holinesse thei proue theÌ„selues to be his children not swarued out of kinde There is no cause why we shold of the name of reward gather an argument that our works ar the cause of saluacioÌ„ First let this be determined in our hearts that the kingdome of heaueÌ„ is not a reward of seruants but an inheritance of childreÌ„ which thei only shal enjoy that ar adopted of the lord to be his children for no other cause but for this adoptioÌ„ For the sonne of the bond womaÌ„ shal not be heir but the soÌ„ne of the sre woman And in the
very same places in which the holy ghoste promiseth to works eternal glorie for reward in expressing the inheritance bi name he sheweth the it coÌ„meth froÌ„ els where So Christ rehearseth works which he recompenseth with the rewarding of heaueÌ„ when he calleth the elect to the possessioÌ„ therof but he therwtal adioyneth that it must be possessed by right of inheritance So Paul biddeth seruantes which do their duetie faithefully to hope for reward of the lord but he addeth of inheritance We see how thei do as it were by expresse wordes proued that we impute not eternall blessednes to works but â—o the adoptioÌ„ of god Why therfore do thei therwtal together make mentioÌ„ of works This questioÌ„ shal be made plaine with one exaÌ„ple of scripture Before the birth of Isaac ther was promised to Abraham a seede in which al the nations of the earth shold be blessed a multiplieng of his sede which shold match the starres of the skie and the sandes of the sea other like In many yeares afterwarde Abraham as he was coÌ„maunded bi the oracle prepared himself to offer vp his soÌ„ne in sacrifice When he had performed this obedience he receyued a promise I haue sworne by my selfe saith the lorde bicause yâ— hast done thys thing hast not spared thine own only begotteÌ„ sonne I wil blesse thee and multiplie thy sede as the starres of the skie the sandes of the sea thy sede shal possesse the gates of their enemies al the nations of the earth shal be blessed in thy seede bicause yâ— hast obeied my voice What heare we Hathe AbrahaÌ„ by his obedience deserued the blessing the promise wherof he had receiued before that the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t was geuen Here verily we haue it wtout circuÌ„stances shewed that the lord rewardeth the workes of the faithful with those benefites which he had already geuen theÌ„ before that the works were thought of hauing yet no cause why he shoulde do good to them but his owne mercie Yet doth the Lord not deceiue nor mocke vs when he saith that he rendreth for rewarde to workes the same thing which he hadde before workes freely geuen For bicause he will haue vs to be exercised wyth good workes to thinke vpoÌ„ the deliuerie or enioyeng as I may so call it of these things which he hath promised and to runne through them to the blessed hope set before vs in heauen the frute of the promises is also rightly assigned to theÌ„ to the ripenesse wherof thei do not bring vs. The Apostle very fittly expressed both these points when he said that the Colossians applie themselues to the duties of charitie for the pope which is laied vp for them in heauen of which thei had before heard by the word of the true speaking Gospel For wheÌ„ he saith that thei knew by the Gospel that there was hope layed vp for them in heauen he declareth that the same is by Christ only not vnderpropped with any works Wherew t accordeth that saieng of Peter that the godly are kept by the power of God through faith vnto the saluatioÌ„ which is ready to be manifestli shewed at the time appointed for it When he sayth that thei labor for it he signifieth that the faithfull must runne all the time of their life that thei may atteine to it But least we shoulde thinke that the rewarde whiche the lorde promiseth vs is not reduced to the measure of merit he did putte forth a parable in which he made himselfe a householder whiche sent al them that he met to the trimming of his vineyarde some at the first houre of the daye some at the second some at the thirde yea some aâ—o at the xi At euening he payed to euery one egall wages The expositioÌ„ of whiche parable that same olde writer what soeuer he was whose booke is carried abroade vnder the name of Ambrose of the callinge of the Gentiles hathe breefely and truely sette oute I wyll vse rather his woordes than myne owne The Lorde saithe hee by the rule of thys comparison hath stablished the dyuersitie of manifolde calling belonging to one grace where without doubt thei whiche beinge lette in into the vineyard at the xi houre are made egal with them that had wrought the whole day do represeÌ„t the estate of theÌ„ whom for the aduanciÌ„g of the excellency of grace the tender kindenes of the lord hath rewarded at the wauing of the day and at the ending of their life not paieng wages for their labore but pouring out the richesse of his goodnes vpoÌ„ theÌ„ whome he hath chosen wtout works that euen thei also which haue swet in great laboure haue receiued no more than the last may vnderstand that they haue receiued a gift of grace not a reward of works Last of al this also is worthy to be noted in these places wher eternal life is called the rewarde of works that it is not simply takeÌ„ for the communicating which we haue with God to blessed immortalitie wheÌ„ hee embraceth vs with fatherly good wil in Christe but for the possessing or enioying as thei cal it of blessednesse as also that very words of Christ do sound In time to come life euerlasting And in an other place Come possesse the kingdome c. After this manner Paul calleth adoptioÌ„ the reueling of the adoptioÌ„ which shal be made in the resurrectioÌ„ afterward expouÌ„deth it the redeÌ„ptioÌ„ of our body Otherwise as estranging froÌ„ God is eternal death so when man is receiued of God into fauour that he may enioye the coÌ„municating of him be made one with him hee is receiued froÌ„ death to life which is done by the beneficiall meane of adoption onely And if as thei are wonte thei stiffely enforce the reward of works we maie tourne against them that saieng of Peter that eternall life is the rewarde of faith Therfore let vs not think that the holy ghoste doth with such promise set forth the worthinesse of our works as if thei deserued such rewarde For the scripture leaueth nothing to vs wherof we may be aduauÌ„ced in the sight of God But rather it wholy endeuoreth to beate down oure arrogance to humble vs to throwe vs downe altogether to breake vs in peces But our weaknes is so succoured which otherwyse wold by by slippe fal down vnlesse it did susteine it self with this expectation mitigate her tedious greues with coÌ„fort First how harde it is for a man to forsake deny not only al his things but also himselfe let euery man consider for himself And yet with this introduction Christ traineth his schollers that is all the godly Then throughout all their life he so instructeth theÌ„ vnder the discipline of the crosse that thei may not set their hearte eyther to the desire or coÌ„fideÌ„ce of present good things Brefely he so handleth them for the most part that which way so euer they tourne their
witnesse it Butte if any man will leape from the mere goodnesse of God to the worthinesse of workes he shal be nothing holpen by these testimonies to the stablishing of his errour For you caÌ„ gather nothing rightly therof but the mere inclinatioÌ„ of Gods tendernes towarde vs forasmuche as to encourage vs to wel doinge although the seruices whiche we do to him are not worthy of so muche as his onely loking vpon them yet he suffreth none of them to be loste But thei more enforce the woordes of the Apostle whiche when hee comforteth the Thessalomans in troubles reacheth that the same are sent to them that thei maye be accoÌ„pted worthy of the kingedome of God for whiche thei suffer For saith he it is righteous with God to render trouble to theÌ„ that trouble you but to you rest with vs when the lorde Iesus shal be shewed from heauen But the authore of the epistle to the Hebrues saith God is not vnrighteous that he sholde forget your work the loue which you haue shewed in hys name for that you haue ministred to the saintes To the firste place I answer that there is no worthinesse of merit spoken of but bycause God the father willeth that we whome he hathe chosen to be hys chyldren shoulde be made like to Christie his firste begotten sonne as it behoued that hee shoulde firste suffer and then entre into the glorie apointed for him so muste we also by manye tribulations entre into the kingdome of heaueÌ„ Therfore when we suffer tribulations for the name of Christe there are as it were certayne markes printed vpoÌ„ vs wherew t God vseth to marke the shepe of hys stock After this maÌ„ner therfore we are accoÌ„pted worthy of the kingdome of God bicause we beare in oure body the markes of oure lord master which ar the signes of the childreÌ„ of God To this purpose make these saiengs That we beare about in our body the mortificatioÌ„ of Ieâ— Christ that his life maye bee shewed in vs. That we bee fashioned like to his suffringes that we may come to the likenesse of his resurrection from the dead The reason whiche is adioined serueth not to proue any worthinesse but to confirme the hope of the kingdom of God as if he had said As it agreeth with the iust iudgmente of God to take vengeance of your enemies for the vexations that thei haue done to you so agreeth it also to geue to you release and reste from vexations The other place whiche teacheth that it so becommeth the righteousnesse of God not to forgett the obediences of them that be his that it declareth it to be in a maÌ„ner vnrighteous if he shold forget them hath this meaning God to quickeÌ„ our â—outhfulnesse hath geuen vs assurance that the laboure shall not bee vaine which we shal take for his glorie Let vs alwaye remembre that this promise as all other shold bring vs no profit vnlesse the free couenaunt of mercie went before wherevpon the whole assurednesse of our saluacion shold rest But standing vpon that couenant we ought assuredly to trust there shal also not want rewarde of the liberalitie of God to oure workes howsoeuer thei be vnworthy The Apostle to confirme vs in that expectation affirmeth that God is not vnrighteous but wil stand to his promise ones made Therefore thys righteousnesse is rather referred to the truth of Gods promise than to his iustice of rendring due Accordyng to which meaning there is a notable saienge of Augustine which as the holy maÌ„ sticketh not to reherse often as notable so I think it not vnworthy that we should continually remeÌ„bre it The lord saith he is faithful which hath made himself decter to vs not by receyuing any thinge of vs but by promising all thinges to vs. There are also alleged these saienges of Paul If I haue al faithe so that I remoue mouÌ„taines out of their place but haue not charitie I am nothing Again Nowe there remaine hope faith charitie but the greatest amoÌ„g these is charitie Again Aboue all things haue charitie which is the boÌ„d of perfectioÌ„ By the first two places our Pharises affirme that we are rather iustified by charitie than by faith namely by the chefer vertue as thei saie But this fond argument is easily wyped away For we haue in an other place already declared that those things whyche ar spokeÌ„ in the first place perteine nothing to true sayth The other place we also expound of true faith thaÌ„ which he saith that Charitie is greater not that it is more meritorious but bicause it is more fruteful bicause it exteÌ„deth further bicause it serueth mo bicause it remaineth alway iÌ„ force wheras the vse of faith coÌ„tinueth but for a time If we haue regard so excellence the loue of God shold worthily haue the chefe place of whiche Paul here speaketh not For he enforceth this thing onely that we shold with mutuall charitie edifie one an other in the Lord but let vs imagine that charitie dothe euery waie excell faithe yet what man of sounde iudgement yea or of sound braine wil gather thereof that it doth more iustifieâ—punc The power of iustifieng which faith hath consisteth not in the worthinesse of the worke Our iustification standeth vpon the onely mercie of God the deseruing of Christ which iustificatioÌ„ when faith taketh holde of it is said to iustifie Now if you aske our aduersaries in what cause they assign iustification to charitie thei wil answer that bicause it is a dutiefull doing acceptable to God therfore by the deseruing therof righteousnesse is imputed to vs bi the acceptatioÌ„ of the goodnes of God Here you see how wel the argument procedeth We say that faith iustifieth not bicause by the worthinesse of it selfe it deserueth righteousnes to vs but bicause it is an instrument by whyche we freely obteine the ryghteousnesse of Christ. These men omitting the mercy of God and passing ouer Christ where the summe of righteousnesse standeth do affirme that we are iustified by the benifite of charitie bicause it excelleth aboue faith euen as if a man wolde reason that a king is fitter to make a shooe than is a shooemaker bicause he is an infinite way more excellent This only argument is a plaine example that all the Sorbonicall schooles doo not so much as taste with the vttermoste part of their lippes what the iustification of faith is But if any wrangler do yet carpe and aske why in so small distance of place we take the name of faith in Paul so diuersly I haue a weightie cause of this exposition For sithe those giftes whyche Paul rehearseth are after a certaine maÌ„ner vnder faith hope bicause thei perteine to the knowledge of God he contemneth them al by way of recapitulation vnder the name of faith hope as if he shold say by the prophecie tonges the grace knowledg of interpretation tend to this
other sense thought our heart must be cleāsed of al desires al our strēgths must be gathered vp drawē together to this only purpose Thei which haue gone most far before other in the way of the Lord are yet very far from this marke For though they loue God with their minde and with sincere affection of heart yet they haue still a great part of their heart and soule possessed with the desires of the fleshe by which they are drawen back and stayed from goyng forward with hasty course to God They do in deede trauayle forward with great endeuor but the fleshe partly febleth their strengthes and partly draweth them to it self What shall they here do when they fele that thei do nothing lesse thā performe the law They wil thei couet they endeuor but nothing with such perfection as ought to be If they loke vpon the law they see that whatsoeuer worke they attēpt or purpose is accursed Neyther is there any cause why any man should deceiue himself with gathering that the worke is therefore not altogether euell bycause it is vnperfect and therfore that God doth neuerthelesse accept that good which is in it For the law requiring perfect loue condēneth al imperfectiō vnlesse y rigor of it be mitigated Therefore his workes should fal to nought which he wold haue to seme partly good he shal finde that it is a transgression of the law euen in this bicause it is vnperfect Loe how al our workes are subiect to the curse of the law if thei be measured by the rule of the law But how shold thē vnhappy soules cherefully applie thēselues to work for which thei might not trust that they colde get any thing but curse On the otherside if beyng deliuered frō this seuere exacting of the lawe or rather from the whole rigor of the lawe thei heare that they be called of God with fatherly gentlenesse thei wil merily with great cherefulnesse answer his calling folow his guiding In a summe they which are boūd to the yoke of the law ar like to vn̄dseruāts to whō are apointed by their lordes certain taskes of work for euery day These seruāts thinke that thei haue done nothing nor dare come into the sight of their lordes vnlesse they haue performed the ful taske of their workes But childrē which are more liberally more freemālike handled of their fathers stick not to present to them their begonne half vnperfect workes yea those hauing some fault trusting that they wil accept their obedience willingnesse of minde Although thei haue not exactly done so much as their good wil was to do So must we be as may haue sure affiāce that our obediēces shal be allowed of our most kinde father how little soeuer how rude vnperfect soeuer thei be As also he assureth to vs by the prophet I wil spare thē saith he as the father is wont to spare his sonne that serueth him Where this word Spare is set for to beare with al or gētly to winke at faultes forasmuch as he also maketh mention of seruice And this affiance is not a litle necessarie for vs without which we shall go about all thinges in vaine For God accompteth himselfe to be worshipped with no worke of ours but which is truely done of vs for the worshipping of him But how can that be done among these terrors where it is douted whether God be offended or worshipped with oure worke And that is the cause why the author of the Epistle to the Hebrues referreth all the good workes that are red of in the holy fathers to faith and weyeth thē only by fayth Touching this libertie there is a place in the Epistle to the Romaines where Paule resoneth that some oughte not to haue dominion ouer vs bicause we are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace For when he had exhorted the faithfull that sinne should not reygne in their mortal bodie and that they should not geue theyr members to be weapons of wickednesse to sinne but shoulde dedicate them selues to God as they that are alyue from the deade and theyr members weapons of righteousnes to God and whereas they might on the other side obiect that they do yet carry with them the fleshe full of lustes and that sinne dwelleth in them he adioyneth that comforte by the libertie of the law as if he shold say Though they doo not yet throughly fele sin destroyed the righteousnes yet liueth not in thē yet ther is no cause why they shold feare be discouraged as though they had ben alwaidispleased with thē for the remnantes of sin forasmuch as they ar by grace made free from the law that theyr workes shuld not be examined by the rule of the law As for them that gather that we may sinne because we ar not vnder the law let thē know that this libertie perteineth nothing to them the ende wherof is to encourage to God The third part is that we be bound with no conscience before God of outward thinges which are by them selues indifferent but that we may indifferently sometime vse thē and sometime leaue them vnused And the knowledge of this libertie also is very necessary for vs for if it shal be absent there shal be no quiet to our consciences no ende of superstitions Many at this daye do thinke vs fonde to moue disputation about the free eating of fleshe about the free vse of dayes and garmentes and suche other smale trifles as they in dede thinke them but there is more weight in them than is commonlye thoughte For when consciences haue ones cast thē selues into the snare they entre into a long and combersome waye from whence they can afterwarde finde no easy way to get oute If a man beginne to doubt whether he maye occupye linnen in shetes shertes hankercheifes and napkines neither wil he be out of doubt whether he may vse hempe and at the last he wil also fal in doubt of maters for he will waye with himselfe whether he can not suppe without napkins whether he maye not be without handkerchifes If any man thinke deyntye meate to be vnlawful at length he shal not with quietnesse before the Lorde eate either brounebreade or common meates when he remembreth that he may yet susteine his body with bacer fode If he doute of pleasaunte wyne afterwarde he will not drinke deade wine with good peace of conscience last of al he wyl not be so bolde to touche sweter and cleaner water than other Finally at the length he wil come to this point to thinke it vnlawfull as the common sayinge is to treade vppon a strawe lying a crosse For here is begonne no lyghte stryfe but this is in question whether God will haue vs to vse these or those thinges whose will ought to guide al our counsels and doynges Hereby some must needes be carried with desperatiō into a confuse deuouryng pit some must despising God and casting away
because in the whole sede of Adam the heaueÌ„ly father founde nothing worthy of his election he turned hys eyes vnto hys Christ to thoose as it were members out of hys body them whome he would take into the felowship of lyfe Lett thys reson then be of force among the faythfull that we were therefore adopted in Christe into the heauenly inheritance because in our selues we were not able to receiue so greate excellence Whiche also he toucheth in an other place wheÌ„ he exhorteth the Colossians to geuing of thankes for thys that they were by God made fytt to be partakers of the estate of the holy If electioÌ„ goe before thys grace of God that we be made fitt to obteyne the glorie of the life to come what shall God hymselfe nowe fynde in vs wherby he maye be moued to elect vs My meaning shal yet be more openly expressed by an other sayeng of hys He hath chosen vs sayeth he ere the fundacioÌ„s of the world were layed according to the good pleasure of his will that we might be holy and vnspotted and vnreprouable in his sight where he setteth the good pleasure of God against al our deseruinges whatsoeuer they be That the profe may be more strong it is worth the labor to note al the partes of that place which being coupled together doe leaue no doute Where he nameth the elect it is no dout that he speaketh to the faithful as he also by and by afterwarde affirmeth Wherefore they doe with to fowle a glose abuse that name whiche wrest it to the age where in the Gospel was first published Where he sayth that they were elect before the beginning of the world he taketh away all respect of worthinesse For what reason of difference is there betwene them whiche yet were not and those which afterwarde should in Adam be egall Now if they be elect in Christ it foloweth that not only euery man is seuered without hymselfe but also one of them from an other forasmuch as we see that not al are the members of Christ. That which is added that they were elect that they might be holy plainly coÌ„futeth the error which deriueth election from foreknowlege forasmuch as Paule cryeth out against it and sayth that whatsoeuer vertue appeareth in men it is the effecte of electioÌ„ Now if a hyer cause be sought Paul answereth that God hath so predestinate yea and that according to the good pleasure of his will In which wordes he ouerthroweth whatsoeuer meanes of their electioÌ„ men do imagine in themselues For he also teacheth that whatsoeuer thinges God geueth towarde spirituall lyfe they flowe out of thys one fountaine because God hath chosen whom he would and ere they wer borne he had seuerally layed vp for them the grace which he vouchesaued to geue them But whersoeuer this pleasure of God reigneth there no works come to be considered He doth not here in dede pursue the comparison of coÌ„traries but it is to be vnderstanded such as he himselfe declareth He hath called vs sayth he with a holy calling not according to our workes but according to hys purpose and the grace which is geuen vs of Christ before the tymes of the world And we haue alredy shewed that al dout is takeÌ„ away in this which foloweth that we might be holy and vnspotted For if thou say because he foresawe that we should be holy therefore he chose vs thou shalt peruert the order of Paule Thus therefore thou mayest safely gather If he chose vs that we might be holy then he chose vs not because he foresawe that we would be such For these two thinges are contrarie the one to the other that the godly haue it of election that they be holy and that they come to it by meane of woorkes Neyther is their cauillation here any thing worth to which they commonly flee that the Lord doth not render the grace of election to any workes going before but yet graunteth it to workes to come For wheÌ„ it is sayd that the faythfull were chosen that they might be holy therewithall is signified that the holinesse which was to come in them toke beginning at election And how shall thys sayeng agree together that those thinges which are deriued from election gaue cause to election The same thing which he sayd he semeth afterwarde to confirme more strongly where he sayth According to the purpose of his wil whiche he had purposed in himselfe For to say that God purposed in hymselfe is as much in effect as if it had ben said that without himselfe he considered nothing wherof he had any regarde in decreing Therfore he by by addeth that the whole summe of our election tendeth to this ende that we shoulde be to the prayse of the grace of God Truely the grace of God deserueth not to be praysed alone in our electioÌ„ vnlesse our election be free But free it shal not be if God in electing his doe consider what shal be the workes of euery one Therfore we fynde that the whiche Christ sayd to hys disciples hath place vniuersally among al the faythful Ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you Where he not onely excludeth deseruinges past but also signifieth that they had nothing in themselues why they should be chosen if he had not preuented them then with hys mercie Lyke as thys sayeng of Paul is also to be vnderstode Who first gaue to him and shal receiue recompense For he meaneth to shewe that the goodnesse of God so preuenteth men that it fyndeth nothing in them neither past nor to come wherby he may be wonne to be fauourable to them Now to the Romaines where he fetcheth thys questioÌ„ further of and foloweth it more largely he denyeth that al they are Israelites which are issued of Israel because although by ryght of inheritance they were all blessed yet the succession did not egally passe to them al. The beginning of thys disputation proceded of the pryde and deceitful glorieng of the Iewishe people For wheÌ„ they claimed to themselues the name of the Chirch they would haue the credit of the Gospell to hang vpoÌ„ their wil as the Papistes at thys day would gladly wyth thys fained color thrust themselues into the place of God Paul although he graunt that the ofspryng of Abraham is holy by reson of the couenauÌ„t yet affirmeth that the most parte of them are strangers in it and that not onely because they â—warue out of kynde so that of lawful children they become bastardes but because the speciall election of God standeth aboue and reigneth in the hyest top which alone maketh the adoption therof sure If their owne godlinesse stablished some in the hope of saluation and their owne fallyng away alone disherited other some Paul verely should both fondly and vnconueniently lift vp the reders euen to the secrete election Now if the wil of of God the cause wherof neither appeareth nor is to be
sought without hymselfe maketh the one sorte differing from the other so that not al the children of Israel be true Israelites it is vainly fayned that euery mans estate hath beginning in hymselfe Then he further foloweth the mater vnder the example of Iacob and Eâ—au For when they bothe were the sonnes of Abraham bothe together enclosed in one mothers wombe it was a monsterlyke change that the honor of firste birth was remoued to Iacob by whiche change Paul affirmeth that there was testified the election of the one and the reprobation of the other The originall and cause of it is enquired whiche the Teachers of foreknowlege wyll haue to be sett out in the vertues and vices of men For thys is an easy shorte way wyth them that God shewed in the persone of Iacob that he chooseth the worthy of hys grace and in the persone of Esau he refuseth them whom he foreseeth to be vnworthy Thus they saye boldly But what sayeth Paule when they were not yet borne and had not done any good or euell that according to election the purpose of GOD mighte abyde not of workes but of hym that calleth it is sayed The elder shall serue the yonger as it is written Iacob I haue loued but Esau I haue hated If foreknowlege were of any force in this difference of the brethren then verily mention were vnfittly made of the tyme. Let vs graunt that Iacob was chosen because he had worthinesse gotteÌ„ by workes to come to what purpose should Paul say that he was not yet borne And this now should be vnaduisedly added that he had yet done no good because this shal be a redy answer that nothiÌ„g is hidden from God and that so the godlinesse of Iacob was presente before hym If workes do win grace they shold then worthily haue had their price before that Iacob was borne as if he had ben growen to full age But the Apostle goeth forwarde in vndoing this knot and teacheth that the adoption of Iacob was not made of workes but of the calling of God In works he enterlaceth not the time to come or time past then he directly setteth them against the calling of God meaning by stablishiÌ„g of the one expresly to ouerthrow the other as if he had sayd that it is to be considered what hath pleased God not what men haue brought of themselues Last of al it is certayne that by the wordes of Election and Purpose al causes whatsoeuer men are wont to faine ellswhere than in the secret counsel of God are quite remoued from thys mater What color wil they bring to darkeÌ„ these things who in electioÌ„ assigne some place to workes either past or to come For this is vtterly to mocke out that which the Apostle affirmeth that the difference of the brethreÌ„ hangeth not vpon any consideration of works but vpon the mere calling of God because it was put betwene them wheÌ„ they wer not yet borne Neither had he ben ignorant of this their sutteltie if it had had any soundnesse in it but because he very wel knewe that God can foresee no goodnesse in man but that which he hath first determined by the benefit of his election to geue him he fleeth not to that vnorderly order to set good workes before the cause of theÌ„selues Thus haue we by the words of the Apostle that the saluation of the faythful is founded vpon the wil of the only electioÌ„ of God and that the same fauor is not gotten by workes but cometh of free calling We haue also as it were an image of that thing sett before vs. Esau and Iacob are brethreÌ„ issuing bothe of one the same pareÌ„tes enclosed yet bothe in one wombe not yet brought out into the world In them al thinges are egal yet of them the iugement of God is diuerse For he taketh the one and forsaketh the other There was nothing but the only first birth by right wherof the one excelled the other But this also being passed ouer that thyng is geuen to the yonger which is denied to the elder Yea and in other also God semeth alway as of set purpose to haue despised first birth to cutt of from the fleshe al mater of gloryeng Refusing Ismaell he cast hys mynde to Isaac Plucking backe Manasse he more honored Ephraim If any maÌ„ interrupt me with sayeng that we must not by these inferior smal benefites determine of the summe of the lyfe to come that he which hath ben aduaunced to the honor of first birth should therefore be reckned to be adopted into the inheritance of heauen for there be some which spare not Paul himselfe as though in alleging these testimonies he had wrested the Scripture to a strange sense I answere as I haue done herebefore that the Apostle nether slipped by vnaduisednesse nor wilfully abused the testimonies of the Scripture But he sawe whiche they can not abide to consider that God minded by an earthly signe to declare the spiritual election of Iacob which otherwise was hidden in his inaccessible throne For vnlesse we refer the first birth graunted to him vnto the worlde to come it shoulde be a vaine and fonde forme of blessyng wherby he obteined nothyng but manyfolde miseries discommoties grefefull banishement and many bitternesse of sorow and cares Therefore when Paule sawe without douting that God by outwarde blessyng testified the blessing whiche he had in his kyngdome prepared spirituall and neuer decayeng for his seruant he douted not for profe of this spirituall blessyng to fetche an argument from that outward blessyng This also we must remembre that to the land of Canaan was adioyned the pledge of the heauenly dwellyng so that it ought not at al to be douted that Iacob was graffed with the Angels into the body of Christ that he might be partaker of the same lyfe Iacob therefore is chosen when Esau is reiected and by the Predestination of God is made different from hym from whom he differed not in any deseruyngs If you aske a cause the Apostle rendreth this because it is sayde to Moses I wyll haue mercie vpon whom I will haue mercie and I wil vouchsaue to graunt mercie to whome soeuer I will vouchsaue to graunt mercie And what I beseche you meaneth this Uerily the Lord himself most plainly pronouÌ„ceth that men haue in themselues no cause why he shold do good to them but he fetcheth the cause from his owne mercie onely and therfore that the saluation of his is his own worke When God setteth thy saluation in himselfe alone why wilt thou descende to thy self When he appointeth to thee his mercie alone why wilte thou runne to thyne owne deseruinges When he holdeth thy thoughte wholly in his merciefulnesse alone why wilt thou turne part to the beholding of thyne owne works Therfore we must nedes come to that lesser people which Paule in an other place saith to haue ben foreknowen to God not in suche sort as these men imagine to
he had sayde that the Gospell is maliciously and frowardlye despised because many doo stubbornly refuse to heare peraduenture this color touchyng vniuersall callyng should preuayle Neither is it the purpose of the Prophet to dymynyshe the faulte of men when he teacheth that the fountayne of blyndnesse is that God vouchsaueth not to open his arme to them onely he geueth warnyng that because fayth is a singular gift the eares are beaten in vayne with outwarde doctrine But I woulde fayne know of these doctors whether onely preachyng or fayth make the chyldren of God Certainly when it is sayde in the fyrste chapiter of Iohn Whosoeuer beleue in the only begotten Sonne of God are themselues also made the children of God there is not in that place a coÌ„fused heape iumbled vp together but a speciall order is geuen to the faithfull whiche are borne not of blood nor of the wil of the fleshe nor of the will of man but of God But say they there is a mutuall consent of faith with the word Namely whersoeuer is faith But it is no newe thyng that seede fall among thornes or in stonie places not only because the greater part appeareth in dede obstinate against God but also because not al men haue eies and eares How then shall it agree that God calleth to him them who he knoweth will not come Let Augustine answere for me Wilt thou dispute with me Meruaile with me and crie out O depthe Lett vs bothe agree in feare least we perishe in error Moreouer if election as Paule witnesseth be the mother of faith I turne back the argumeÌ„t vpon their owne head that Faith is therfore not general because election is speciall For by the orderly hangyng together of causes and effectes it is easily gathered that where Paul saith that we are full of al spirituall blessing as God had chosen vs before the creation of the worlde therefore these richesse are not common to all because God hath chosen onely whome he woulde This is the reason why in an other place he commendeth the faith of the electe least it should be thought that any man doeth by hys own motion get faith to himself but that this glorie may remaine with God that they are freely enlightned of hym whome he had chosen before For Bernarde saith rightly Frendes do seuerally heare to whom he also saith Feare not thou small flocke for to you it is geuen to know the mysterie of the kyngdom of heauen Who be theseâ— euen they whom he hath foreknowen and predestinate to be fashioned like to the image of his Sonne A great and secrete counsel is made knowen The Lord knew who be his but that which was knowen to God is made manyâ—est to men neither doth he vouchsafe to make any other partakers of so great a mysterie but those selfe same men whome he hath forknowen and predestinate to be his A little after he concludeth The mercie of God is from eternitie euen to eternitie vpon them that feare hym â–ª from eternitie by reason of predestination to eternitie by reason of blessed makyng the one without beginnyng the other without endyng But what nede I to cite Bernarde for witnesse when we heare of the masters owne mouthe that none doo see but they whiche are of God By which wordes he signifieth that all they which are not begotten agayn of God do dasell at the brightnesse of his countenance And to election faith in dede is fittly ioyned so that it kepe the second degree Which order the wordes of Christ doo clerely expresse in an other place This is the wil of my Father that I lose not that which he hath geuen For this is his will that whosoeuer beleueth in the Sonne shall not perishe If he would haue all saued he would appoint ouer them his Sonne to be their keper and would graffe them all into his body with the holy bond of Faith Now it is certain that faith is a singular pledge of his fatherly loue laâ—ed vp for his childreÌ„ whom he hath adopted Therfore Christ in an other place faith that the shepe folow the shepherd because they know his voice but they folow not a straÌ„ger because they know not the voice of strangers Whense coÌ„meth his difference but because their eares are boared by God For no maÌ„ maketh himselfe a shepe but he is made one by the heaueÌ„ly grace For which cause also the Lord teacheth that our safetie shall alway be certaine and free from danger because it is kepte by the inuincible power of God Wherfore he concludeth that the vnbeleuers are not of his shepe namely because they are not of the nuÌ„ber of them whom God hath promised by Esaie that they shal be his disciples Nowe because in the testimonies which I haue alleged is expressed perseuerance they do therwithal testifie the vnmouable stedfastnesse of electioÌ„ â–ª Now let vs speake of the reprobate whoÌ„ the Apostle ioineth there together For as Iacob hauing yet with good works deserued nothing is taken into grace so Esau beyng yet defiled with no wicked dooyng is hated If we turne our eies to workes we do wrong to the Apostle as though he sawe not the same thyng whiche we clerely see It is proued that he sawe it not â–ª forasmuch as he expresly enforceth this pointe that when they had not yet done any good or euell the one was chosen and the other refused to proue that the fundation of the predestination of God is not in workes Agayne when he moued the obiection whether God be vnrighteous he allegeth not that which had ben the moste certaine and plaine defence of his righteousnesse namely that God reduced to Esau according to his euellnesse but he was coÌ„tent with an other solution that the reprobate are stirred vp to this ende that the glorie of God may be sett foorth by them Last of all he adioyneth a concluding sentence that God hath mercie vpon whom he will hardeneth whom he will See you not howe he imputeth bothe to the onely will of God Therfore if we can not declare a reason why he vouchsaueth to graunt mercie to them that be his but because it so pleseth him neither also shal we haue any other cause in reiectyng of other than his owne will For when it is sayd that God hardeneth or sheweth mercie to whom he wil men are therby warned to seke no cause ells where than in his will ¶ The .xxiii. Chapiter A Confutation of the sclaunders wherwith this doctrine hath alwaye been wrongfully burdened BUt when the witt of man heareth these thynges the frowardness therof can not be restrained but that by and by as at the bloody blast of a trumpet soundyng to battaile it diuersly and excessiuely turmoyleth And many in deede as thoughe they would driue away the malice from God doo so graunte election that they denye that any man is reprobate but they do to ignorantly childishely forasmuche as election
declare any thyng at all but frō the Lord. Therfore it is said that the people when thei embraced his doctrine beleued in God and in his seruant Moses Also that the authoritie of the priestes shoulde not growe in contempt it was stablished with most greuous penalties But therwithal the Lord sheweth vpon what cōdition they wer to be heard when he saieth that he hath made his couenant with Leui that the law of truthe shoulde be in his mouth And a little after he addeth The lips of the priest shall kepe knowledge and they shall require the law at his mouth because he is the angell of the God of hostes Therfore if the priest will be heard lette him shewe himself the messinger of God that is let him faithfully report the cōmaundements that he receiued of his author And where it is specially entreated of the hearing of them this is expressely set That they may answer accordyng to the lawe of God What maner of power the Prophetes generally had is very well described in Ezechiell Thou sonne of man saith the Lord I haue geuē thee to be a watcheman to the house of Israell Therefore thou shalte heare the worde out of my mouth and thou shalte declare it to them frō me He that is commaunded to heare out of the mouthe of the Lord is he not forbidden to inuent any thyng of himself But what is to declare from the Lorde but so to speake as he may boldly boast that it is not his owne but the Lordes woorde that he hath broughte The selfe same thyng is in Hieremie in other wordes Let the Prophet saith he with whom is a dreame tell a dreame and let him that hath my woorde speake my worde true Certainly he appointeth a law to them all And that is such that he permitteth not any to teach more than he is cōmanded And after he calleth it chaffe all that is not come from himselfe onely Therfore none of the Prophetes them selues opened his mouth but as the Lord tolde hym the wordes before Wherupon these sayinges are so ofte found among thē the word of the Lord the burden of the Lorde so sayth the Lord the mouth of the Lord hath spoken And worthily For Esaie cryed oute that he had defyled lyppes Ieremie confessed that he coulde not speake because he was a childe What coulde procede from the defiled mouth of the one and the foolishe mouthe of the other but vncleane and vnwise if they had spoken their owne speche But this lyps were holy and pure when they began to be the instruments of the Holy ghost When the Prophetes are boūd with this religion that they deliuer nothyng but that which they haue receiued thē they be garnished with notable power and excellent titles For when the Lorde testifieth that he hath set them ouer nations and kyngdomes to pluck vp and to roote out to destroy and plucke downe to builde and to plant he by and by adioyneth the cause because he hath put his wordes in theyr mouth Nowe if you looke to the Apostles they are in dede commended with many and notable titles that they are the light of the worlde and the salt of the earth that they are to be heard in stede of Christ that whatsoeuer they bynde or lose in earth shal be bounde or loosed in heauen But in their very name they shewe howe muche is permitted theim in their office that is if they be Apostles that they shoulde not prate whatsoeuer they list but shold faithfully report his commaundementes from whom they are sent And the wordes of Christe are playne enough in which he hath determined their embassage when he cōmaūded them to go teach al nations al those thinges that he had cōmaunded Yea he himself also receiued this lawe and laid it vpon himself that it shold be lawful for no man to refuse it My doctrine sayth he is not myne but his that sent me my fathers He that was alway the only and eternall coūseller of the Father he that was appointed by the Father the Lord and scholemaister of all men yet because he executed the ministerie of teaching prescribed by his owne example to all ministers what rule they ought to folow in teaching Therfore the power of the Chirch is not infinite but subiect to the word of the lord and as it were enclosed in it But sith this hath from the beginnyng ben of force in the Chirche at this day ought to be in force that the seruantes of God shold teache nothing whiche they haue not learned of him yet accordyng to the diuersitie of tymes they had diuers orders of learnyng But that order which is nowe muche differeth from those that were before First if it be true whiche Christe saieth that none hath seene the Father but the Sonne and he to whom it hath pleased the Sonne to shewe him it behoued verily that they should be alway directed by that eternal wisdome of the Father whiche wold come to the knowledge of God For howe should they either haue comprehended in mynd or vttered the misteries of God but by his teachyng to whom alone the secretes of the Father ar open Therfore the holy fathers in old time knew GOD no other wise but beholding him in the Sonne as in a glasse When I say this I meane that God did neuer by any other meane disclose hymselfe to men but by the Son that is his only wisdome light and truthe Out of this fountaine did Adam Noe Abraham Isaac Iacob and the other draw all the knowlege that they had of heauenly doctrine Out of the same foūtain haue also al the Prophetes themselues drawē al the heauēly Oracles that they vttered For verily this Wisedome hath alway disclosed 〈◊〉 selfe by moe waies than one To the Patriarches he vsed secrete reuelations but therwithall to confirme their myndes he adioyned suche signes that it coulde not bee doutefull to them that is was God that spake The Patriarches conueied ouer from hand to hand to posteritie that whiche they had receiued For the Lorde left it with them to this entent that they should so sprede it abrode But the children childrens children by God secretely informyng them did knowe that that whiche they heard was from heauen and not from the earth But when it pleased God to raise a more apparāt forme of a Chirche he willed to haue his worde put in writing noted that the prests shold fetch frō thense what thei might deliuer to the people that all the doctrine that shold be taught shold be tried by that rule Therfore after the publishyng of the law when the prestes are comaunded to teach out of the mouth of the Lord the meaning is that they shold teach nothing straūge or differing from that kinde of learning which the Lord cōprehended in the lawe and to adde and diminishe was vnlawful for them Then folowed the Prophets by
vsuall than this wickednesse that the people eche where despising the lawe of God did wholly burne with mad gredinesse to vowe whatsoeuer had pleased them in their dreame I wil not hatefully enforce nor particularly rehearse how hainously how many waies herein men haue offended but I thoughte good to say this by the way that it may the better appeare that we do not moue question of a nedelesse mater when we entreate of vowes Now if we will not erre in iudging which vowes be lawfull and which be wrongfull it behoueth to weye three thinges that is to saye who it is to whom the vowe is made who we be that make the vowe last of all with what minde we vowe The first pointe hath respect to this that we shoulde thynke that we haue to doe with God whome our obedience so muche deliteth that he pronounceth all willworships to be accursed howe gay and glorious soeuer they be in the eyes of mē If all voluntarie worshippes which we our selues deuise without commaundement be abhominable to God it foloweth that no worship can be acceptable to hym but that which is allowed by his worde Therfore let vs not take so great libertie to our selues that we dare vowe to God that which hath no testimonie howe it is estemed of him For whereas that which Paule teacheth that it is sinne whatsoeuer is done without Fayth extendeth to all doinges then verily it chefely hath place when thou directest thy thoughte the streighte waye to God But if we fall and erre euen in the smallest thinges as Paule there disputeth of the difference of meates where certaintie of Faith shineth not before vs howe muche more modestie is to be vsed when we attempte a thyng of greatest weyghte For nothyng oughte to be more earnest vnto vs than the duties of religion Lett thys therefore be the firste consideration in vowes that we neuer come to the vowing of any thing but that conscience haue firste certainly determined that it attempteth nothing rashly But it shall then be free from danger of rashnesse when it shal haue God going before it and as it were enforming it by hys worde what is good or vnprofitable to be done In the other thing which we haue sayd to be here to be cōsidered this is conteyned that we measure our own strengthes that we haue an eie to our vocation that we neglect not the benefite of libertie which God hath geuen vs. For he that voweth that which eyther is not in his power or disagreeth with hys vocation is rash and he that despiseth the boūtifulnesse of God wherby he is appoynted Lord of all thynges is vnthankefull When I say thus I do not meane that any thyng is so sett in our own hande that standing vpon confidence of our own strength we may promise the same to God For it was most truly decreed in the Councell at Arausium that nothyng is ryghtly vowed to God but that which we haue receiued of hys hande forasmuch as all thynges that are offred hym are hys mere gyftes But sith some thynges are by gods goodnesse geuen vs and other some thynges by his equitie denyed vs let euery man as Paule commaundeth haue respect to the measure of grace geuen vnto hym Therefore I do here meane nothyng ells but that vowes must be tempered to the measure which the Lord prescribeth thee in his geuing lest if the attēpt further thā he permitteth thou throw thy selfe down hedlong with takyng to much vpon thee As for example When those murtherers of whom mentiō is made in Luke vowed that they would tast of no meate tyll Paule were slayen although the deuise had not ben wicked yet the rashnesse it selfe was not to be suffered that they made the lyfe and death of a man subiect to their power So Iephthe suffred punishment for hys folly whē with hedlong heate he conceiued an vnaduised vow In which kynde unmaried life hath the chefe place of mad boldnesse For sacrificing Prestes mōkes nonnes forgettyng their own weakenesse thinke themselues able to kepe vnmaryed lyfe But by what Oracle are they taught that they shall haue chastitie throughout al theyr lyfe to the very ende wherof they vowe it They heare the worde of God concernyng the vniuersal state of men It is not good for man to be alone They vnderstande and I would to God that they did not fele that synne remayning in vs is not without moste sharpe prickes Wyth what confidence dare they shake of the general callyng for al their life long wheras the gift of continence is oftener graūted for a certayne time as opportunitie requireth In such stubbornesse let them not loke for God to be their helper but let them rather remember that which is sayd Thou shalt not tēpt the Lord thy God And thys is to tempt God to endeuor agaynst the nature put in vs by hym and to despise his presēt giftes as though they nothyng belonged vnto vs. Which they not only do but also mariage it selfe which God thought it not agaynst his maiestie to institute which he hath pronoūced honorable in al men which Christ our Lord hath sanctified with hys presence which he vouchesaued to honor with his fyrst miracle they dare call defyling only to aduaunce with maruelous commendations a certayne vnmarryed lyfe of what sorte soeuer it be As though they themselues dyd not shewe a clere example in their life that vnmarryed state is one thyng and virginitie an other which their lyfe yet they most shamelesly call Angelyke doyng herein verily to great iniurie to the Angels of God to whom they compare whoremongers adulterers and somwhat ells muche worse and filthier And truely here nede no argumētes when they are openly confuted by the thing it selfe For we playnly se with howe horrible peines the Lord doth commonly take vengeance of suche arrogance and contempt of his giftes by to muche truste in themselues I spare for shame to speake of the more secrete faultes of which euen this that is already perceiued is to much It is out of controuersie that we oughte to vowe nothing that may hinder vs from seruing of our vocation As if a householder should vowe that he will leaue his wife and his children and take other charges in hande or if he that is fi lt to beare office when he is chosen doe vowe that he will be a priuate man But what is meant by this that our libertie shoulde not be despised hath some difficultie if it be not declared Therefore thus in fewe wordes I expounde it Sith God hath made vs Lordes of all things and hath so made them subiect vnto vs that we should vse them all for our commoditie there is no cause why we shoulde hope that it shal be and acceptable worke to God if we yelde our selues into bondage to the outwarde thinges which ought to be a helpe vnto vs. I say thys for this purpose because many
doe hereby seke praise of humilitie if they snare themselues with many obseruations from which God not without cause willed vs to be free and discharged Therefore if we will escape this danger let vs alway remember that we ought not to depart from that order which the Lord hath ordeined in the Christian Chirch Now I come to that whiche I did set in the thirde place that it is muche materiall with what minde thou makest a vowe if thou wilt haue it allowed of God For sith the Lord regardeth the hart not the outwarde shewe it cometh to passe that the selfe same thyng by chāging the purpose of the mind doth somtime please him and is acceptable vnto hym and somtime hyely displeaseth him If thou so vow the absteyning from wyne as though there were any holinesse in it thou art superstitious if thou haue respect to any other ende which is not euell no man can disallow it But in my iudgemente there be fower endes to which our vowes shal be rightly directed of which for teachinges sake I referre twoo to the time past and the other twoo to the tyme to come To the time past belong those vowes wherby we doe either testifie our thankfulnesse to God for benefites receiued or to craue the turning away of his wrath we our selues doe punishe our selues for the offenses that we haue committed Let vs call the firste sort if you will the exercises of thankesgeuing the other of repentance Of the first kinde we haue an example in the tithes whiche Iacob vowed if the Lorde did bring hym home safe out of banishment into his contree Again in the old Sacrifices of the peaceoffringes which godly kinges and capitaines when they toke in hande righteous warre did vowe that they would pay if they had obteyned the victorie or at least when they were oppressed with any great distresse if the Lorde had deliuered them So are all those places in the Psalmes to be vnderstode whiche speake of vowes Suche vowes may at thys day also be in vse among vs so oft as the Lord hath deliuered vs either out of any calamitie or from a hard sicknesse or from any other hanger For it is then not agaynste the dutie of a godly manne to consecrate to God his vowed oblation as a solemne token of his reknowleging least he shoulde seme vnthankful towarde his goodnesse Of what sort the seconde kinde is it shal suffice to shewe with one onely familiar exāple If any by the vice of gluttonie by fallē into any offense nothing withstandeth but that to chastise his intemperance he may for a tune forsake al deinty meates and may do the same with a vow adioined that he may binde himselfe with the streighter bonde Yet I do not so make a perpetuall lawe to them that haue likewise offended but I shewe what is lawfull for them to do which shal thinke such a vow profitable for themselues I do therfore so make such a vow lawful that in the meane tyme I leaue it at libertie The vowes that are applyed to the time to come partly as we haue allredy sayd do tend to this ende that we may be made the warer and partly that as it were by certaine spurres we may be pricked forwarde to our dutie Some man seeth hym selfe to be so inclined to some certaine vice that in a thing which otherwise is not euill he can not temper himselfe from falling fourthwith into an euill he shal doe nothing inconueniently if he do for a tyme by vowe cutt of from himselfe the vse of that thing As if a man knowe that thys or that apparell of body is perilous vnto hym yet entised with desire he earnestly couet it what can he do better than if in putting a bridle vpō himselfe that is in charging himselfe with necessitie of absteining from it he deliuer hymselfe from all doutyng Likewise if a man be forgetfull or slow to necessarie duties of godlynesse why may he not by takyng a vow vpon hym both awake his memorie and shake of hys slouthfulnesse In both I graunt that there is a forme of childishe schooling but euen in this that they are helpes of weakenesse they are not without profit vsed of the rawe and vnperfect Therfore we shall say that those vowes are lawfull whiche haue respect to one of these endes specially in outwarde thinges if they both be vpholdē with the allowance of God and do agree with our vocation and be measured by the power of grace geuen vs of God Now also it is not hard to gather what is generally to be thought of all vowes There is one common vowe of all the faythfull which being made in Baptisme we do confirme and as it were stablish by Catechisme and receiuyng of the Supper For the Sacramentes are as charters by which the Lorde deliuereth to vs hys mercy and therby euerlastyng lyfe and we agayne on our behalfes do promise him obedience But this is the forme or verily the summe of the vowe that forsakyng Satan we yelde our selues into seruice to God to obey hys holy commaundementes and not to followe the peruerse desires of our fleshe It ought not to be douted but that thys vowe sithe it hath testimonie of the Scripture yea and is required of all the children of God is both holy and profitable to saluation And it maketh not to the contrarie that no man in this life performeth the perfect obedience of the law which God requireth of vs. For sith thys forme of couenāting is comprised within the couenante of grace vnder whiche is conteyned bothe forgeuenesse of synnes and the Spirite of Sanctification the promise whiche we there make is ioyned bothe with besechyng of pardon and wyth crauyng of helpe In iudging of particular vowes it is necessarie to kepe in mynde the three former rules wherby we may safely weye of what sorte euery vowe is Neither yet thinke that I so commende the very same vowes whiche I affirme to be holy that I wold haue them to be daily For though I dare teache no certaine rule of the number or tyme yet if any man obey my counsell he shall take vppon him none but sobre and for a tyme. For if thou oftentimes breake foorth into makyng of many vowes all religiousnesse will with very continuance growe out of estimation with thee and thou shalt come to a bendyng readinesse to fall into superstition If thou bynde thy selfe with a perpetuall vowe either for great peyne and tediousnesse thou shalt vndoe it or beyng weried with long continuance thou shalt at one tyme or other be bolde to breake it Now also it is playne with how great superstition in this behalf the worlde hath in certaine ages paste ben possessed One man vowed that he woulde absteyne from wyne as though absteinyng from wyne were of it self a worship acceptable to God An other bound himself to fasting an other to absteinyng from fleshe for certaine daies in which he hadde with