fledd away Againe when the fire of the Lord deuoured the vttmost parts of the tents of Israel they cried vnto Moses and Moses againe cried vnto the lord and soudeinly the fire that deuoured them was consumed Againe the people murmured against the Lord and vengeaunce is prepared but Moses by milde continuall prayer quencheth the wrath of god For it is said vnto him I haue let them goe according to thy word Anon after when the people began a fresh to murmur against Moses and Aaron and that the vengeaunce of God had alreadie consumed foureteene thousand seuen hundred men Aaron at the commaundement of Moses burneth incense and standing betwéne the dead and those that were liuing howbeit néere and appointed to death hee pleadeth for and obteineth pardon by prayers Innumerable other of this kinde are read of Moses Iosue Moses successour by prayers made the course of the sunne and moone so long to stay vntil he had reuenged himselfe vpon his enimies Anna without any voyce heard by prayer putteth from her the reproche of barrennes and forthwith is made a fruitfull mother of verie many children Samuel the most godly sonne of godly Anna by prayer vanquisheth the Philistinâ—s and soudeinely in the time of Haruest raised vpp a mightie tempest of thunder and raine Wée doe also read things not vnlike of Helias Ionas in like manner prayed in the Whales bellie and was cast on the shore safe Iosaphat and Ezechias most religious kinges by prayers powred foorth vnto God by faith doe triumphe ouer their most puissaunt enimies Nehemias asked nothing of his king before hee had first prayed to the Lord of heauen therefore hée obteined all thinges The most valiaunt and man-like stomacht Iudith by prayer ouerthrew and slue Holophernes the most proud enimie of Gods people and the terrour of all nations And as Daniel brought all his affaires to passe by prayers vnto God so Hester tooke a déede in hand that was necessarie for Gods people and with thrée dayes fasting and daily prayers bringeth it to an happie end In the most blessed and most desired birth of our Lord IESVS companies of angels are heard singing praises together vnto god What and did not oure Lord when his life was in extreme daunger beetake him selfe to prayer and by and by heard the voice of an angel comforting him The Apostles together with the rest of the church pray with one accord about the third houre of the day and anon they receiue the holy Ghost And when the Apostles were in daungers the church crieth suppliantly for Gods help and presently without delay findeth succour They receiue much libertie to speake woorke very great signes and myracles among the people Peter by an Angel of God is brought out of a verie strong and fenced prison What should I speake of Paule and Silas praying and praysing the Lord in prison Is it not read that the foundations of the prison were all shaken with an earthquake and by that occasion the kéeper of the prison was turned vnto God Examples of which sort truely I could bring innumerable but that I am persuaded that to the Godly these are sufficient And faithfull men doe not attribute these forces effects or vertues to prayer as to a worke of ours but as procéeding from faith and so to God himselfe whiche promiseth these thinges and perfourmeth them to the faithful For the iudgement of Paul touching these is knowen in the 11. to the Hebrues and that all glorie is due to one god Who vouchsafe so to illuminate all our mindes that our prayer may alwayes please him Amen ¶ Of signes and the manner of signes of Sacramentall signes what a Sacrament is of whome for what causes and howe many Sacramentes were instituted of Christe for the Christian Churche Of what things they do consist how these are coÌ„secrated how the signe and the thing signified in the Sacraments are either ioyned together or distinguished of the kind of speeches vsed in the Sacraments ¶ The sixt Sermon THE treatise vppon the sacramentes remaineth which wée heard is ioyned to the woord of God and prayer But in speking of sacraments deliuered by Christ our king and high priest and receiued and lawfully vsed of his holy and catholique Churche I will by Gods grace and assistance obserue this order first to entreate of them generally and thaÌ„ particularly or seuerally And heere before hand I wil determine vppon the certeine signification of a signe or Sacrament wherein if I shal be somewhat longe or tedious I craue pardon déerly beloued therefore for I hope it shal not be altogether fruitlesse Signum a signe the Latine writers call a token a representing a marke and shew of some thing that hath signification So say Tullie and Fabius Fabius sayeth Some call Signum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thoughe some terme it Indicium other some Vestigium a marke or token whereby a thing is vnderstood as slaughter by bloud S. Aurelius Augustine the famous Ecclestastical writer Cap. 4. De magistro sayth We generally call all those things signes which signifie somewhat where also we finde words to bee Againe Lib. 2. de doctrina Christiana cap. 1. he saith A signe is a thing beside the semblance whiche it layeth before our senses making of it selfe somethinge to come into oure mind or thought as by seeing smoke we beleue there is fire The said Aur. August doth diuide signes into signes naturall and signes giuen Naturall he calleth those whiche without any wil or affection to signifie beside theÌ„selues make something else to be knowen as is smoke signifying fire For smoke hath not any will in it selfe to signifie Signes giuen are those which all liuing creatures do giue one to an other to declare as well as they caÌ„ the affections of their mind or any thing which they coÌ„ceiue meane or vnderstand And signes giuen hee diuideth againe by the senses For some belong to the eyes as the ensignes or banners of Capteines mouing of the hands all the members Some againe belong to the eares as the trumpet and other instruments of musicke yea words themselues which are chiefe principall among men when they intend to make their meaning knowen Vnto smelling hee referreth that sweete sauour of oyntment meÌ„tioned in the Gospel whereby it pleaseth the Lord to signifie somewhat To the tast hee referreth the supper of the Lord For saith he by the tasting of the sacrament of his bodie and bloud he gaue or made a signe of his will. He addeth also an exaÌ„ple of touching And wheÌ„ the woman by touching the hemme of his vesture is made whole that is not a signe of nothing but signifieth somewhat In this manner hath Augustine entreated of the kinds differences of signes Other also whose opinioÌ„ doth not much differ from hiâ— distinguish signes according to the order of times For of signes say they some are of thinges present some of thinges past and
intricate places of the holie scripturs which it is hard to coÌ„prehend or define in any certeine order both that many things are vnknowen without the perill of Christian faith and also that in some points men do erre with out any crime of hereticall doctrine But concerning the two men by the one of whoÌ„ wee are sold vnder sinne by the other redeemed from sinne by one we are cast headlong into death by the other wee are made free vnto life because that man did in himselfâ— destroye vs by doing his owne will and not the will of him that madâ— him but this man hath in himselfe saued vs by doing not his owne wil but the will of him that sent him Therfore in the coÌ„sideration of these two men Christian faith doeth properly consist For there is one God and one mediatour of God and man the man Christ Iesus Because there is none other name vnder Heauen giuen vnto men in which they must be saued in him hath God appointed all men to trust raysing him vp from death to life Therefore Christian veritie doubteth not but that without this faith that is without the faith of the only mediatour of God and man the man Christ Iesus without the beliefe I say of his resurrection whiche God hath prescribed to men whiche cannot be truly beleeued without the beleefe of his incarnation and death without the faith therefore of the incarnation death and resurrection of Christ none of the auncient iust men could be clâ—nsed and iustified of God from their sinnes whether they were in the number of those iuste men whome the holy Scripture mentioneth or in the number of those iuste men whom the Scripture nameth yet are to bee beleeued to haue beene either before the deluge or betwixte the deluge and the lawe or in the verie time of the lawe not onely among the children of Israel as the Prophets were but also without that people as Iob was For euen their harts were cleÌ„sed by the same faith of the mediatour and charitie was powred into them by the same holy spirite which breatheth where he listeth not following after merits but euen working the verie merits themselues For Gods grace will not bee by any meanes vnlesse it be free by al meanes Although therefore death reigned from Adam vnto Moses because the law giuen by Moses could not ouercome it For there was no such law giuen as could quicken but such a lawe as whose office was to shewe that the dead to the quickening of whome grace was necessarie were not only ouerthrowen by the propagation and dominion of sinne but were also condemned by the hidden transgression of the verie law it selfe not that euery one should perish that did then vnderstand it in the mercie of God but that euery one being through the dominioÌ„ of death appointed vnto punishment and detected to himselfe by the transgression of the lawe should seeke for the helpe of God that where sinne abouÌ„ded grace might more abound which alone doth deliuer from the body of this death Although therefore the lawe giuen by Moses could not ridd any maÌ„ from the kingdome of death yet in the very time of the lawe were the men of God not vnder the terrifying conuinceing punishing law but vnder the delectable sauing and deliuering grace There were among them some which said In iniquitie was I conceiued and in sinne hath my mother fedd mee in her wombe And so forth For hetherto I haue cited the very words of S. Augustine I haue thus farre spoken of originall sinne of the natiue and hereditarie corruption of our nature which is the first part in the definition of sinne here followeth nowe the latter part to witt the very Action which ariseth of that corruption the actual sinne I say which is so called Ab actu that is an acte or a déede doing For in so much as that corruption whiche is borne together with and is hereditarie in vs doeth not alwayes lye hidd but woorketh outwardly and sheweth forth it selfe doth at last bring forth an imp of her owne kinde and nature which impe is actuall sinne therefore we define actuall sinne to bee an action or woorke or fruite of oure corrupte and naughtie nature expressing it selfe in thoughts words and workes against the lawe of God and therby deseruing the wrath of God. So then by this the cause of actuall sinne is knowen to be the very corruption of mankind which sheweth forth it selfe through concupiscence and euil affections affections intice the will wil being helped with the other faculties in man that worke together with it doth finish actual sinne And that ye may more clearely perceiue that whiche I saye I wish you to note that our minde hath two partes The vnderstanding or reason or iudgement and the will or appetite In the reason are the lawes of nature whereunto must be added the preaching or reading or knowledge of Gods word And nowe as of good woorkes in man there are two especiall causes to witt sound iudgement well framed by the woord of God and a will consenting and obeying therevnto and yet notwithstanding there is principallie to be required the comming to of the holye Ghoste from heauen to illuminate the minde and moue forward the will euen so we may most properly say that actuall sinne is finished when any thinge is of set purpose with aduised iudgement and the consent of our wil committed against the lawe of god And yet to these there doe many times happen other outward causes both visible and inuisible For euill spirites moue men and euill men moue men and other infinite examples of corruption that are in the world Hope seare and weakenesse doe also moue men Augustine Quaest in Exodum 29. sayeth The beginning of vice is in the will of man but the heartes of men are moued by sundrie accidental causes now this now that sometimes the causes are all one the difference is in the manner and order according to euery ones proper qualities which doe arise of euerie seuerall will. Againe in the 79. Psalme he sayeth Two things there are that woorke all sinnes in mortall men desire and feare Consider examine aske your heartes search your consciences and see if any sinnes can be but by desiring or else by fearing Thou aâ—t promised if thou wilt sinne to haue such a reward giueÌ„ thee as thou doest delight in and for desire of the gifte thou crackest thy conscience doest commit sinne And againe on the other side though peraduenture thou wilt not be seduced with giftes yet being terrified with threatnings thou doest for dread of that whiche thou fearest coÌ„mit the iniquitie that other wise thou wouldest not As for example Some one man or other would with giftes corrupte thee to beare false witnesse Thou presently hast turned thee selfe to God and hast said in thy heart what doth it aduantage a man if hee gaine the whole world suffer the losse
hath felte calamities Hee beareth our infirmities and hath carryed our sorrowes For the Lorde himselfe also in the Gospell said My soule is heauie euen vnto the death But verily hée suffred all this for vs For in him was neyther sinne nor any cause else whye hée shoulde suffer Secondarily in this article is noted the time Pontius Pilate the iudge vnder whom the Lorde dyed and redéemed the world from sinne death the deuil and hell Hée suffred therefore in the Monarchie of the Romanes vnder the Emperour Tiberius when as now according to the Prophecie of Iacob father of Israell the Iewishe people obeyed forreine kings because there were no more kinges or captaynes of the stocke of Iuda to haue the rule ouer them For hée foretold that then the Messias should come What may be thought of that moreouer that the Lord himselfe oftener then once in the Gospell did foreshew that hée should be deliuered into the handes of the Gentiles and by them be put to death In the thirde point of this article wée do expreslye declare the maner of his death For wée adde Hée was crucifyed and dyed on the Crosse But the death of the Crosse as it was most reprochfull so also was it most bitter or sharpe to be suffred yet tooke hée that kinde of death vppon him that hée might make satisfaction for the worlde and fulfill that which from the beginning was prefigured that he should be hāged on the tree Isaac was layde on the pile of woode to be offered vp in sacrifice Moses also stuck the Serpent on the stake of woode and lift it vp to be behelde And the Lord himself said I when I shal be lift vp from the earth will draw all men vnto mee Finally hée dyed on the Crosse géeuinge vp his Ghoste to god For hée dyed verily and in déede as you shall streightway perceiue Where I haue briefly to declare vnto you what the fruite of Christe his death is First wée were accursed because of sinne hée therfore tooke our curse vppon himselfe beinge lyft vp vppon the Crosse to the end he might take our curse away and that wée might be blessed in him Then also the heritage bequeathed to vs by Will could not come vnto vs vnlesse hee which bequeathed it did dye But God bequeathed it who that hée might die became mā and dyed according to his humane nature to the ende that wée might receiue the heritage of life In an other place againe Paule sayth Him that knewe not sinne did God make sinne for vs that wee by him mighte bee made the righteousnes of God. Our Lorde therefore became man by the sacrifice of himself to make satisfaction for vs On whō as it were vppon a Goate for sinne offring when all the sinnes of the whoale worlde were gathered together and layd hée by his death tooke awaye and purged them all so that nowe the onely sacrifice of Christ hath satisfied for the sinnes of the whole world And this verily is the greatest comoditie of Christ his death taught euery where by the Apostles of Christe Next after that also the death of Christe doth teach vs patience and the mortification of our fleshe yea Christe by the participation of himselfe doth by his Spirite worke in vs that sinne may not reigne in vs Touching which thing the Apostle Paule teacheth many thinges in the sixt Chapter to the Romanes The Lord in the Gospell sayth If any man will follow mee let him denie himselfe and take vp his Crosse and follow mee These and a few more are the fruites of the Lord his passion or the death of Christe Fourthly in this Article is added Hee was buried For our Lorde dyed verilie and in deede vppon the Crosse The very truth of his death was proued by the Souldiour which thruste him through the syde After that hée was taken downe from the Crosse and layde in a Sepulcher In the Gospell are expressed the names of them that buryed him Ioseph and Nicodemus There is also shewed the manner how they buried him The fruite of this his buriall the Sauiour himselfe hath taught in these woords Verilie verily I say vnto you vnlesse the seede of corne cast into the earthe doe dye it remayneth alone But if it dye it bringeth forth much fruit Whervppon the Apostle exhorteth vs to be buried with Christe in his death that wée may rise againe in the newnesse of life yea that wée maye liue reigne with him for euermore If therefore our bodies also be buried at any time let vs not therefore be troubled in minde For the faithfull are buried that they maye ryse with Christe againe The fift part of this fourth article some do put seuerallie by it self for the fift article of our fayth I for my part do see no cause whie it should be plucked from that that goeth before nor whie it should make by it selfe a peculiar article of our fayth The woords are these Hee descended into hell Touchinge this there are sondrie opinions among the expositors of the holie Scriptures Augustine in his booke De fide symbolo doth neyther place these woordes in the rule of beliefe nor yet expound them Cyprian sayth thus It is to be knowne verilie that in the Creede of the latin Church this is not added Hee descended into hell nor yet is this clause receiued in the Churches of the Easte but yet the sense of that clause seemeth to be all one with that where it is sayd He was buried This sayth hée So then Cyprians opinion seemeth to be that To descende into hell is nothing else but to be layd in the graue accordinge to that sayinge of Iacob Yee will bring my gray heares with sorrow to hell or the graue But there are some that thincke this assertion to be without lawful proofe For it is not lykelie that they would wrappe a thinge once alreadie plainly spoken immediatlie after in a darker kinde of speach Nay rather so often as two sentences are ioyned together that signifie both one thing the latter is alwayes an exposition of the firste But in these two speaches Hee was buried and hee descended into hell the first is the plainer and the latter the more intricate Augustine in his 99. Epistle to Euodius turmoyleth himselfe pitifullie in this matter To Dardanus de Dei praesentia he writeth that the Lord went into hell but that hee felt no torment Wée shall more agreably to the truth seeme to vnderstande this article if wee shal thincke that the vertue of Christe his death did flow euen to them that were dead and profited them too that is to saye that all the Patriarches and holie mē that died before the coming of Christ were for the death of Christe preserued from death euerlastinge As S. Peter also maketh mention That the Lord went in the spirite preached vnto the Spirits that were in prison For verilie they by the death of Christ were made to knowe the sentence of
sorte whiche are called the Iudiciall lawes of which I will intreate dearely beloued as briefely as I can so farre foorth as I shal be persuaded to be expedient for your edification This treatise wil not be vnplesant nor vnprofitable to euery zealous hearer although it doeth specially belong to courtes of lawe where iudgement is exercised For the Iudiciall lawes were with wonderfull faith and diligence set out of God by the ministerie of his seruaunt Moses and God is not wont to reueale anye thinge to mankinde with so precise and exquisite diligence vnlesse it doe directly tende to mankindes greate commoditie Nowe although these Iudiciall lawes are verie fewe in number and not to be compared in multitude with the huge volumes of the lawes and decrées of Emperours Kinges and wisest Sages yet do they in their short breuiarie conteine the chiefe poyntes of iudgement and iustice in effect as muche almost as is conteined in the bookes of the lawes and constitutions of the Emperours and ciuil lawyers The good Lorde would not by too long and burdensome a packe of lawes be too burdenous and troublesome vnto his people neither was it néedefull ouer curiously to sticke vppon euery seuerall thought of yll disposed persons it is sufficient for all wise men people and nations if euery one haue so muche lawe as is sufficient for the conseruation of peace ciuil honestie and publique tranquillitie as all the holie Scripture witnesseth that the people of Israel had Nowe these Iudiciall lawes are the moste auncient and verie founteines of all other good lawes which are to bee founde all moste in all the worlde Moses was before all other lawegiuers that were of name and authoritie among whome Mercurius Trismegistus Rhadamanthus y Lâ—cian are thought to be the eldest The Aegyptians called their Mercurius by the name of Thoth who as Lactantius affirmeth slue Argus that had so many eyes and vpon the murther flead into Aegypt Nowe Argus and Atlas liued about the time of Cecrops Diphyes And Cecrops is reported to haue béene in the same time that Moses was Radamanthus also is supposed to haue liued after the dayes of Iosue Moses his seruaunt and successour But the moste famous lawegiuers of the gretest and most auncieÌ„t natioÌ„s did follow long after the death of Moses Draco and Solon among the Atheniens Minos with the Cretians Charondas of the Tyrians Phoronaeus to the Argiues Lycurgus to the Lacedaeinonians Pythagoras to the Italians Romulus and Numa vnto the Romanes Plato writt of lawes a little before the reigne of Philipp king of Macedon and father to Alexander the greate And Cicero 2. lib. de legibus saith I see therefore that the opinion of the wisest sorte was that lawe was neither inuented by mennes wittes nor yet was the decree or ordinance of people but a certein eternal thing ruling the whole world with discretion to commaund or for bidd to do or leaue vndone So they saide that that chiefe and highest law is the wisedome of God which commaundeth or forbiddeth all things by reason Whereupon that law which the Gods haue giuen to mankinde is rightly commended for it is the reason and discretion of the wise whiche is able either to commaund or else forbidd and so foorth Therefore the Iudicial lawes of God are commended vnto vs not so much for their antiquitie as for the authoritie whiche they haue of God. Nowe that wee may plainly and distinctly discourse vpon this matter ye haue to marke that to iudge is an action and in this treatise is taken for an action done in the courtes of iudgement for it signifieth to take vp and determine of matters betwixt such as be at variance or else vppon the bearing of a cause to giue seÌ„tence or iudgement Finally to iudge doth signifie to deliuer them that be in daunger to relieue the oppressed to defend the afflicted and with punishement to kéepe vnder mischiefous offendours Iudgement therefore is not the sitting or méeting of Iudges in Assises or Sessions but is rather the very diligent discussing of causes the giuing of sentence accordinge to right and equitie by the lawes of God and also the assertion and defence whereby the good are deliuered and the punishmeÌ„t that is executed vppon the yll disposed and wicked offendours The Iudges are the ouerséers of iudgement iustice I meane such as doe iustly according to the lawes giue sentence be twixt them that are at discorde which do defende and deliuer the good and punish and brydle the wicked And so the Iudicial lawes are those which informe the Iudges howe to determine of controuersies and questions howe to Iudge iustly how to punishe the wicked and howe to defend the good that peace honestie iustice and publique tranquillitie may be among all men which is the ende and marke alone whereto both the Iudge and all the Iudiciall lawes do tende and are directed For God our good Lord and lawegiuer would haue it to go well with man that we may liue happily ciuilie and in tranquillitie And therfore we do not in this treatise exclude the care and defence of pure religion but do make it one of the especiall poynts which the Iudiciall lawes do looke vnto And now euen as the ceremoniall lawes so also are the Iudiciall lawes added by God vnto the ten coÌ„mandements to expounde confirme them therewithall For the precepts of the ten commaundements are the chiefe principall preceptes whereunto wée must referre all lawes as to the eternall minde or will of god I think I néede not to stande and shewe you dearely beloued to what precepts of the ten commaundements euery seueral Iudiciall lawe is to be referred For that is verie plaine and euident to euery one that will take but small paynes to conferre and laye them together For the Iudiciall lawes that are set out against murther and iniurie are apperteining to this precept Thou shalt doe no murther And whatsoeuer is spoken against adulterie fornication and filthie lustes are added to the commaundement Thou shalt not committ adulterie Likewise whatsoeuer is saide in the Iudiciall lawes against deceipts shiftes cousinings and vsurie doe belong to the commandement Thou shalt not steale Lastly all the lawes touching the brideling of heretikes and suppressing of Apostataes by force are set downe to make plaine the first seconde thirde and fourth coÌ„maundements of the firste table For some lawes may be applyed to more precepts than one of the ten coÌ„maundements But this is easie and plaine to be perceiued of euery man therefore I will not stande any longer about it Nowe for because the Iudiciall lawes do first of all require Iudges such I meane as should mainteine put the lawes in execution for the lawes without executours séeme to be dead and on the other side are aliue vnder a iust magistrate who is for y cause called the liuing lawe therefore before all other lawes are placed those Iudicial lawes which were
The eighth Sermon ALthough I haue hitherto in large Sermons layed foorth the lawe of God by seuerall partes yet mée thinketh I haue not sayde all that should be sayde nor made an ende as I should doe vnlesse I adde nowe a treatise of the vse effect fulfilling and abrogating of the lawe of God albeit I haue here and there in my Sermons touched the same argument Nowe by this discourse or treatise dearely beloued ye shal vnderstand that the testamēt of the olde and newe church of God is all one and that there is but one meanes of true saluation for all them that either haue or else at this present are saued in the worlde ye shall also perceiue wherein the olde testament doth differ from the newe Moreouer this treatise wil bee necessarie and verie profitable both to the vnderstanding of many places in the holy Scripture and also to the easie perceiuing and moste hoalesome vse of those thinges which I haue saide hitherto touching the lawe God who is the author the wisedome and the perfect fulnesse of the lawe giue mée grace to speake those thinges that are to the setting foorth of his glorie and profitable for the health of your soules The vse of Gods lawe is manifolde and of sundrie sortes and yet it may be called backe to thrée especiall poyntes and wee may saye that the vse therof is thréefold or of thrée sorts For firste of all the chiefe and proper office of the lawe is to conuince all men to be guiltie of sinne and by their owne fault to be the children of death For the lawe of God setteth foorth to vs the holie will of God and in the setting forth thereof requireth of vs a moste perfecte and absolute kinde of righteousnesse And for that cause the lawe is wont to be called the testimonie of Gods will and the moste perfect exampler of his diuine purenesse And hereunto belong those wordes of the Lord in the Gospell where he recitinge shortly the summe of Gods cōmaundements doth say The firste of all the commaundements is Heare O Israel the Lorde our God is one Lorde and thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy minde and with all thy strength This is the firste commandement and the seconde like to this thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe There is none other commaundement greater then these Therefore to this doeth also apperteine that sayinge of the Apostle Paule The end of the commaundement is charitie out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith vnfeigned But since the law doth require at all our handes most absolute righteousnesse charitie and a pure heart it doth condemne all men of sinne vnrighteousnesse and death For in the lawe of God it is expressely said Cursed is euery one whiche abideth not in all that is writtē in the booke of the lawe to doe it But what one of vs fulfilleth all the pointes of the lawe what mā I pray either heretofore hath had or at this day hath a pure heart within him What man hath euer loued or doeth now loue God with all his heart with all his soule and with all his minde What man is he that did neuer luste after euill Or who is it now y lusteth not euery day Therefore imperfection and sinne is by the lawe or by the bewraying of the lawe reuealed in mankinde What shall we say to this where I pray you doth there appeare in any man that diuine and most absolute righteousnesse whiche the lawe requireth Iob crieth I knowe verilie that a man compared to God cannot be iustified Or How shall a man be found righteous if hee be compared to God If he wil argue with him he shall not be able to aunswere one for a thousand If I haue any righteousnes in me I will not answere him but I will beseech my Iudge Like to these are the words of the Apostle Iohn who saith If wee say wee haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. Againe If we say we haue not sinned we make him a lyar and his word is not in vs. Therefore by this meanes the lawe is a certaine looking glasse wherein we behold our owne corruption frailnesse imbecillitie imperfection oure iudgement that is our iust and deserued damnation For the Apostle doth expressely say that the law was giuen to the end that it might make manifest mens trāsgressions and by that meanes driue them to the acknowledging of their imperfection and guilt in sinning For none of vs doth looke into his owne boosome nor into the secrets of his owne breast but wee do all flatter our selues and will not be persuaded that our thoughts and deedes are so corrupt as they bee in very deede and therefore doth the lawe creepe in and lay open the secrets of our hearts and bringeth to lighte oure sinne and corruption Before the lawe saith the Apostle although sinne were in the world yet was it not imputed The same Apostle also saith The lawe worketh wrath for where there is no lawe there is no transgression And againe By the lawe cōmeth the knowledge of sinne For in the 7. to the Romans the same Apostle doth say more fully I knew not sin but by the lawe For I had not knowen luste excepte the law had said Thou shalt not lust But sinne taking occasion by the cōmaundement wrought in me al maner of concupiscence For without the lawe sin was dead I once liued without lawe but when the commaundement came sinne reuiued and I was dead And it was found that the same commaundement which was ordeyned vnto life was vnto me an occasion of death c. For a good part of that Chapiter is spent in that matter Therefore the proper office of Moses and the principal vse and effecte of the lawe is to shew to man his sinne and imperfection As for those which staye heere and goe no further to make any other vse and effecte of the lawe but as thoughe Moses did nothing but kill the lawe nothing but slay they are diuersly and that not lightly deceiued I do here againe repeate it and tel them that the very proper office of the lawe is to make sinne manifest also that Moses his chiefe office is to teach vs what wée haue to doe with threateninges and cursings to vrge it especially whē the law is compared with the Gospel For in the third Chapter of the 2. Epistle to the Corinthians Paul calleth the law the letter and immediately after the ministration of death then againe hée calleth it a doctrine written in letters and incke and figured in tables of stone which should not endure but perish and decay The same Apostle on the otherside againe doeth call the Gospel the ministration or doctrine of the spirite which endureth decayeth not which is written in mens hearts giueth life to the beléeuers
in danger of the lawe and of the curse thereof For we are the bondslaues of sinne wée are made subiâ—â—te to sundrie calamities by reason of our sinne This therefore is called the spirituall bondage not because it is onely in the minde of man but béecause of the opposition whereby it is opposed to the bodilie bondage For otherwise sinne hath made oure bodie also subiecte to the curse Neither doe wée sinne in minde alone but in the bodie also For euery part and al the members of our bodies are subiecte vnto sinne and infected with iniquitie Therefore we serue in most miserable bondage while beeing vnder the diuels dominion wee doe the thinges that please the fleshe by the egging on of euil affections to the bringing forth of fruite or rather to the making of abortion with perill of oure liues to the diuell our cruell and ouer rigorous maister For this verilie is oure hardest and most lameÌ„table seruitude and bondage Nowe on the other side let vs sée what Christian libertie is that is to say from what and howe farre foorth the Lord hath made vs frée In one word wée doe briefly say that Christe oure Lord hath deliuered vs from a gréeuous bondage to wit that hée hath so farre forth made vs frée as wée by sinne were slaues and bondseruants This we maye more largely expound and say The sonne of God came into this world and hauing first oppressed the tyrannie of Sathan and crusshed his head by his death and passion hee hath traÌ„slated vs into his owne kingdome hath made himselfe oure Lord and king Secondarilie hee hath adopted vs to be the sonnes of GOD and with his blessing tooke awaye the bitter curse of the lawe For he toke awaye all sinnes and purged all the faithfull from their iniquities Thirdly hee did most liberally bestow the frée gift of the holy Ghoste to the end that the sonnes of God should willingly and of their owne accorde submit themselues to the will of God and to doe the thinges that the Lord would haue them For the hatred of the lawe doeth not remaine although the weakenesse of the fleshe abideth still Lastly the same our Lord king hath taken from the shoulders of his electe the burthen of the law the types and figures with all the coste belonging to the same and hath forbidden vs being once set at libertie to entangle our selues againe with any lawes and traditions of men Of all this being layed together we make this definition To deliuer is to make frée and to set at libertie from bondage Hée is frée or manumised that beeing deliuered from bondage doeth enioye his libertie Therefore manumission or libertie is nothing else but the state of him that is made frée the commoditie I saye whiche a frée made man hath receiued and doth enioy by reason of his deliueraunce to witt in that hée being deliuered from the tyrannie of Sathan from sinne from the curse of the lawe and from death is made the sonne of God and heire of euerlasting life and also that he hath receiued the spirite of libertie by whiche hee doeth wholie giue himselfe to bée the seruaunte of God to doe him seruice all his life long and lastly that beeing deliuered from the lawe of Moses and from all lawes of mortall men hée doeth altogether depende vppon the Gospell onely hauing at libertie the frée vse of external thinges as of meate of drincke of cloathing and of such like indifferent thinges And in these thrée last rehearsed points doth ChristiaÌ„ libertie chiefly consiste Nowe to this I will add such testimonies of Scripture as shall both better confirme and more plainely declare my exposition And first of all I will alledge those testimonies which are to be found in the bookes of the holie Euangelistes and then those that are extant in the writinges of the Apostles Zacharias the priest father of Iohn Baptiste in his hymne of thanckesgiuing Luke 1 doeth declare the trueth and goodnesse of God in performing that to vs which hee promised to oure forefathers to witt That wee beeing deliuered out of the handes of oure enimies mighte serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life In this testimonie of his wée haue the true libertie that fréedome I meane wherein wée being by the Lord deliuered from all our enimies both visible and inuisible should no longer serue them with feare but serue oure GOD in ioye and gladnesse There is added also the manner and order howe to serue him In holinesse and righteousnesse Holinesse doeth cutt off and caste awaye all vncleannesse and incontinencie Righteousnesse giueth to euery man that whiche is his due to witt the thinges which wee of duetie doe owe to euerie man and doeth conteyne in it bothe fréedome and beneuolence And in this kinde of seruice doe they whiche are made frée serue the Lord their God not for a day or two or a certeine fewe yeares but all the dayes of their life Therefore true Christian libertie is the perpetuall seruice which wée owe and doe to God. In the eighth Chapiter of Saincte Iohns Gospell to the Iewes whiche made great bragges of the vaine and sillie libertie which they receiued of their auncestours Christe our Lord maketh this obiection Verilie verilie I say vnto you that whosoeuer committeth sinne hee is the seruaunt of sinne And the seruaunt abideth not in the house for euer but the sonne abideth for euer if the sonne therefore shall make you free then are ye free in deede In these woords hée maketh mention both of bondage and of libertie Hée is a bondman to sinne as to a cruell maister or a neuer contented tyrant whosoeuer doeth committ any sinne For he doth obey as one that is bound to sinne Such bondmen are all the sonnes of men whose punishment is to haue none inheritaunce in their fathers house whiche is the heauenly Hierusalem As for those whiche the Sonne of God restoareth to fréedome they are partakers of the heauenly kingdome and fellowe heires with the Sonne of god But Christe maketh none frée but them that are faithfull therefore the sonnes of God and fellowe heires of Christ are for Christ his sake their onely deliuerer made frée and set at libertie Neither is there any other in heauen or in earth beside Christ Iesu which is able to set vs at fréedome and at libertie Paule in the sixte Chapiter to the Romanes sayth Let not sinne reigne in your mortall bodie that ye should therunto obey by the lustes of it neither giue ye your members as instruments of vnrighteousnes vnto sinne but giue your selues vnto god as they that are aliue from the dead and your members as instrumentes of righteousnesse vnto god For sinne shall not haue power ouer you because ye are not vnder the Lawe but vnder Grace In these wordes he exhorteth them that are purged and made frée by Christ to liue holilie in their spirituall bondage Now
consequently to euerie signe his seuerall limins S. Augustine In opusculo S 2. quaestionuÌ„ Quist 45. confuting soundly the destinies of Planets amonge other his reasons sayeth The conceyuing of twinns in the mothers woÌ„be because it is made in one and the same acte as the Physicians testifie whose discipline is farre more certeine and manifest than that of the Astrologers doeth happen in so small a moment of time thaâ— there is not so much time as two minuts of a minute betwixt the conceyuing of the one and the other How therfore commeth it that in twinnes of one burden there is so great a diuersitie of deâ—des wills and chaunces considering that they of necessitie must neds haue one and the same planet in their conception and that the Mathematicals do giue the constellation of them both as if it were but of one man To these woordes of S. Augustine great light maye bee added if you annexe to them and examine narrowely the example of Esau and Iacobs birth and sundrie dispositions The same Augustine writing to Boniface against two epistles of the Pelagians Lib. 2. cap. 6. sayeth They which affirme that destinie doeth rule will haue not onely our deeds and euents but also our very wils to depend vpon the placeing of the starres at the time wherin euerie man is either conceyued or borne whiche placeings they are wonte to call Constellations But the grace of God doth not onely goe aboue all starres and heauens but also aboue the verie Angels them selues Moreouer these disputers for destinie do attribute to destinie both the good and euil that happen to men But God in the euils that fall vppon men doth duely and worthily recompence them for their ill desertes but the good which they haue he doth bestowe vppon them not for their merites but of his owne fauour mercifull goodnesse through grace that cannot be looked for of duetie laying both good and euil vppon vs men not through the temporall course of planets but by the déepe and eternall counsell of his seueritie and goodnes So then wée sée that neither the fallinge out of good or euill hath any relation vnto y planets Therefore this place may be concluded with the wordes of the Lorde in the Prophet Ieremie saying Thus saith the Lorde ye shal not learne after the manner of the heathen and ye shall not be atraide for the tokens of heauen for the heathen are afraide of such yea all the obseruations of the Gentiles are vanitie For the planets haue no force to doe either good or euill And therefore the blame of sinnes is not to bee imputed therevnto I haue now to proue vnto you that God is not the cause of sinne or the author of euill God saye they would haue it so For if he would not haue had it so I had not sinned For who may resist his power Againe since he could haue letted it and would not he is the author of my sinne and wickednesse As though wee knewe not the craftie quarels and subtile shiftes of mortal men Whâ— I pray you knoweth not that God doth not deale with vs by his absolute power but by an appointed lawe and ordinance I meane by commodious meanes a probable order God could I know by his absolute power kéepe off all euil but yet he neither can nor wil either corrupt or marre his creature excellent order Hee dealeth with vs men therefore after the manner of men he appointeth vs lawes and layeth before vs rewardes punishements he commaundeth to imbrace the good and eschue the euill to the perfourming whereof he doth neither denye vs his grace without which we can do nothing neither doeth he despise our diligent good wil and earnest trauaile Herein if man bee slacke the negligence and fault is imputed to man him selfe and not to God although he could haue kept off the sinne and did not for it was not his duetie to kéepe it off least peraduenture hee should disturbe the order and destroy the work which he him self had made and ordeined Therefore God is not the author of sinne or naughtinesse Touching which matter I will firste adde some testimonies of the holie Scripture then aunswere to sundry obiections of the aduersaries of this doctrine and lastly declare the originall cause or headspring of sinne and wickednesse The testimonies which teach that God is not the author of sinne or naughtinesse are many in number but among the rest this is an argument of greatest force and probabilitie because God is saide to be good naturally and that all which he created were made good in their creation Whervppon it is that Solomon saith God hath not made death neither hath he delight in the destruction of the liuing for he created all thinges that they might haue their being and the beginnings of the world were health full there is no poyson of destruction in them nor the kingdome of hell vppon the earth for righteousenesse is immortall but vnrighteousnesse bringeth death and the vngodly call it to them both with wordes and woorkes and thereby come to nought And so forth as is to be séen in the firste Chapter of the booke of wisedome which wordes do passingly agrée with y firste Chapters of that most excellent prophet Moses In the fifth Psalme Dauid saith Thou art the God that hast no pleasure in wickednesse neither shal any euil dwell with thee the vniust shall not stande in thy sight for thou hatest all them that woorke iniquitie thou shalt destroy them that speake leasing the Lord doth abhorre both the bloudthirstie deceiptful man. Lo thou canst deuise nothing more contrarie to the nature of God than sinne nauâ—htinesse as thou mayest more at large perceiue in the 34 Chapter of the booke of Iob. The wiseman saith God created man good but they sought out many inuentions of their owne And therefore the Apostle Paule deriueth sinne damnation and death not from God but from Adam and from God he fetcheth grace forgiuenesse life through the mediatour Iesus Christe That place of Paule is farre more manifest than that it néedeth any large exposition let it onely bee considered and diligently weighed of the Readers and hearers whome I woulde wishe alwayes to beare in mouth and mynde the verie wordes meaning of this notable sentence Euen as by one man sinne entred into the worlde and death by sinne And so foorth as followeth The same Apostle in the seuenth to the Romanes doeth euidently declare that the lawe is holie the commaundement good and iust and therby he doth insinuate that in God or in his will there is not and in his lawe which is the will of God there springeth not any spott or blurre of sinne or naughtinesse In our fleash saith he the euil lurketh and out of vs iniquitie ariseth I knowe saith hee that in mee that is in my fleshe there is no good In that Chapter there are many sentences to be founde which doe
reason of that first corruption which roote bringeth foorth a corrupt braunche in nature like vnto it selfe which braunch Satan euen nowe as hee hath done alwayes doeth by his sleightes subtilties and lyes cherish tende and tender as an impe of his owne planting and yet notwithstandinge hee laboureth in vaine vnlesse wee yelde our selues to his handes to bee framed as he listeth Nowe therefore that there may herein appeare lesse doubte or darkenesse I will for confirmations sake adde two moste euident testimonies the one out of the writinges of the Euangelistes the other out of the doctrine of the Apostles The Lorde in the Gospell saith The diuell was a murderer from the beginninge and stoode not in the trueth because the trueth is not in him When he speaketh a lye he speketh of his owne because he is a lyar and the father of lyes By these wordes of the Lorde wee gather that euill is to be referred to the diuel who being created in trueth and goodnesse did not stand fast in trueth and goodnesse but degenerated from his nature wherein hee was made good and fell into another nature corrupt and wicked and hath out of him selfe dispersed al euil as it appeared by the historie of our first parentes into the worlde to wite murther and lyes vnder which two are comprehended all other euils of which he is expressely saide to be the father that is the cause the author the welspring and beginning not because he was made suche an one of God but because hee stoode not fast in the trueth To them therefore that do demaunde of what beginning Satan came and whether God made him or no Our aunswere is that God in déede made all the Angels and those also which afterwarde did become reprobates and wicked diuels but we do not therefore saye that the cause of euil doth redound to god For we knowe that God in the beginning made all the Angels good For all things which hee made were good Furthermore it is saide that the diuel stoode not in the trueth that is that he reuolted from the trueth froÌ„ which he could not haue reuolted if he had neuer stoode in it Therefore God in the beginning did place all his Angels in the trueth Hee required of them trueth faith or fidelitie and the duetie that they ought him which they were able to haue done if they them selues would But they did disloyally fal from their allegiaunce and sinned as the Apostle Peter testifieth against the Lorde and therefore the fault of their falshood and of all their naughtinesse was not in God but in the rebellious and reuolting Angel. For since the time of his fall there is no trueth no fidelitie no integritie no feare of God no light or goodnesse to be found in him Therefore truely saide Sainct Iohn in his Canonicall Epistle He that committeth sinne is of the diuel for the diuell sinneth from the beginning For he is the first sinner and the beginning of sinne To this also may this note be added that of Peter and Iohn the diuel is saide to sinne For sinne is repugnaÌ„t to the will of God therefore God would not haue had him perish whervpon since he perished it followeth that he perished not by the faulte of God but by his owne fault Let vs nowe heare the other testimonie concerning the corrupt will of man which is in verie deede the cause of sinne Sainct Iames the Apostle saith Let no man saye when hee is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot bee tempted with euil neither tempteth he any man But euerie man is teÌ„pted when he is drawen away and enticed of his owne concupiscence then when lust hath conceiued it bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death In these wordes Sainct Iames I hope doth euidently enough make God to be free from all faulte of sinne and doeth deriue it of vs our selues shewing by the way the beginning and procéeding of sinne Neither doeth Iames in this place gainsay the place in Genesis where Moses saide God tempted Abraham For in Moses to tempt doth signifie to make a triall or a proofe But in this argument of ours it signifieth to stirre or drawe to euil and so to corrupt vs Therefore God as hee cannot saith he be â—â—mpted of euil that is to saye as God is by nature good and vncorrupt so doth he not corrupt depraue or defile any man with euil For that is contrarie to the nature of God From whence then hath sinne his beginning The holie Apostle aunswereth saying Yea euery one is tempted corrupted and drawen into euil while he is withdrawen and enticed with his owne concupisence Lo here sinne taketh beginning of our concupiscence and is accomplished and finished by our owne woorke and labour Note heere by the waye what a weight and Emphasis euery one of y Apostles wordes doeth carrie with it For firste hee maketh concupiscence our owne or proper to vs al euen as the Lorde before did saye of Satan When he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his owne Nowe because concupiscence is our owne therefore sinne is our owne also For concupiscence doth withdrawe vs from that that is true iust and good to that which is false vniust and euil The same coÌ„cupiscence enticeth vs that is by making a shewe of false hope it doth deceiue vs as foulers are wont with meate to entice birdes into their nets which wheÌ„ they haue deceiued them they catch vpp and kill What I pray you could bee spoken more plainely wee are by our owne concupiscence cast into euil This concupiscence draweth vs from God it doth entice and vtterly deceiue vs And then hauing layde the foundation of sinne and opened y welspring from whence it floweth he doth verie properly allude and by an Allegorie shewe vs y genealogie that is the beginning and procéeding of sinne That concupiscence saith he which is proper vnto vs all doeth as it were a matrix conceiue sinne in vs and immediatly after doeth bring it forth to wite when our lust bursteth out into the act when wee do gréedily prosecute that which we lusted after and being once obteined we do inioye it against the lawe of God vppon the necke whereof death doeth followe without intermission For the reward of sinne is death I haue I trust by these euident proofes of Scripture plainly declared that God is not the cause of euil but our corrupt will or concupiscence and the diuel which stirreth prouoketh and inflameth our depraued nature to sinne and wickednesse as he which is the tempter and vtter enimie to mankind and his saluation It will not be a misse here to heare the obiections of certeine cauillers against this doctrine and to learne howe to aunswere them accordinge to the trueth Some there are which when they sée that wee deriue sinne not of the nature of God but of the corrupt will of man and false suggestion of the diuel do presently obiect that
but Extraduce and by propagation For Iob in his fourtéenth Chapter saith manifestly Who can make or bring foorth a pure or cleane thing of that which is vnclean no bodie vndoubtedly is able to do it Of that sorte also there are many other sayinges in the fiftéenth 25 Chap. of the same booke And Paule the holye Apostle of Christe in the fifte to the Romanes doth moste euidently saye As by one man sinne entred into the worlde and death by sinne euen so death entred into all men in so muche as all haue sinned for vnto the lawe was sinne in the worlde but sinne is not imputed when there is no lawe Neuerthelesse death reigned from Adam vnto Moses ouer them also that had not sinned with like transgression as did Adam c. Doeth not the Apostle in these woordes manifestly shewe the propagation of sinne saying Sinne entred by one man into the worlde death entred into all men in so muche as they haue all sinned to wite in so muche as they are all subiect to corruption And that no men either beefore or after Moses might be excepted he addeth Death reigned from Adam vnto Moses ouer them also which had not sinned with the like transgression as did Adam that is to saye ouer them which had not sinned of their owne wil as Adam had but drew froÌ„ him originall sinne by propagation Sainct Augustine doth more fully excusse and handle this argument in his first booke De peccatorum meritis et remissione in the ninth tenth and eleuenth Chapter and the reste as they followe in order Againe Paule in the seuenth to the Romanes calleth this euil the sinne y dwelleth in vs that is to saye the sinne y is begotten borne with vs For he addeth I am carnall solde vnder sinne And I knowe that in me that is my fleashe there dwelleth no good And therfore the blessed Apostle Euangelist Iohn telleth vs that if we saye we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and trueth is not in vs. He saith verie significantly wee haue and not we haue had or we shall haue For by our corrupt nature we haue that proper vnto vs Therefore it is manifest that the fiction of the Pelagians is false whereby they affirme that wee are borne without vice it is false that the voluntarie action onely and not y corruption or deprauation which is not yet burst forth to the déede is sinne And Augustine doth in one place call euen that voluntarie sinne originall sinne and that two sundrie wayes firste not simply of it selfe but in respect of Adam because it beeing committed by the naughtie will of Adam is drawen and made hereditarie in vs Secondly because a naughtie lust may be named a will. For Lib. Retract 1. Cap. 15. he saith If any man doth sâ—ye that euen tâ—e verie lust is nothing else but will suche a will yet as is vicious and subiect to sinne he needeth not to be gaâ—â—said for where the thing is manifest wee must not striue about termes and wordes For so it is proued that without will there is no sinne either in deede or in propagation that is either actuall or originall Thus much Augustine who doth also alledge other sayings like to this in his thirde booke Contra Iulianum Pelagianum Chap. 5. It shal be sufficient to vs euen without them to learne by the testimonies of the holie Scriptures that sinne is not onely a voluntarie action but also an hereditarie corruption or deprauation that commeth by inheritance Not vnlike to all this is that sentence in Ezechiâ—l where the Lorde saith The sonne shall not beare the iniquitie of the father but euery man shal dye in his owne sinne For Adams fall should do vs no harme if it were not â—o that eueÌ„ from him there is sprung vpp in vs such a peruersenesse as is worthie of Gods iust iudgement But nowe since all the inclination disposition and desire of our nature euen in a childe but one day olde is repugnaunt to the purnesse and will of God which is onely good no man therefore is punished for his father but euery one for his owne iniquitie and calamities fall euen on the yongest babes whome wee see to be touched with many afflictions by the holie and iuste iudgement of the moste iust God. Neither is their obiection anye whitt stronger which saye that the children of holie parents cannot draw or take any spott of their parents For they haue their line all descent of the fleshely generation and not of the spirituall regeneration And wheâ—eas the Apostle saide The vnbeleeuing husbande is sanctified by the wife and the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified by the husbande else were your children vncleane but nowe are they cleane it is not repugnant to our former allegations For they are called holie not by the prerogatiue of their birth or generation as though children were borne holie without any spott or vice at aâ—l but for because they beeinge borne by nature corrupt are by the vertue of the couenaunt grace made pure vncleannesse is not imputed to them for Christ his sake or the remission oâ— sinnes which is pronounced in these woordes I will bee thy God and the God of thy seede after thee For of olde euen those children which of the seede of Abraham were holie blessed receiued notwithstanding the signe of circumcision Now what neede I pray you had they had of Circumcision or purging if by their birthe they had had no vncleannesse in them That therfore is vtterly false whiche ye heard euen now that Caelestius the Pelagian did vtter in these words We did not therefore say that infants are to bee baptised into the remission of sinnes to the end that wee should thereby seeme to affirme that sinne is extraduce or hereditarie which is vtterly coÌ„trarie to the catholique sense For it is catholique and true doctrine that the children of the Iewes were circumcised not so much onely beecause they were partakers of the diuine couenaunt as for because that all the antiquitie of holy fathers did so coÌ„fesse that in infants there was somewhat which had néede of cutting that is which had néede to be remitted by the grace of God and not bee imputed to them vnto death It is catholique true doctrine that the infantes of ChristiaÌ„s are baptised not so much because they are the children of God and fréely receiued into the couenant as for because there is in them euen from their birth somewhat which the Lord by his grace doeth wash awaye least it should bring vpon them death and damnation Yea that cannot bée catholique whiche doeth so manifestly repugne so many euident places of Scripture which proue that in infaÌ„ts there is sinne by propagation To coÌ„firme this wee may add that S. Augustine in his first booke Contra Iulianum Pelagianum Cap. 2. gathereth together the testimonies of the most excellent bishops and doctours in the primatiue Church by whiche hee proueth
that all the ministers of the Churches euen from the Apostles time did both acknowledge and openly teach original sinne In that place he citeth the testimonies of IrenÄ™us Cyprian Retilius Olympius Hilarie and Ambrose his father and maister in Christian doctrine Innocent Gregorie Basil and Iohn Chrysostome And at length hée inferreth Wilt thou now call so great a consent of Catholique priestes a coÌ„spiracie of naughtie men Neither thincke thou that S. Hierome is to be coÌ„temned because he was but a priest onely and no bishop who being skilful in the Greeke Latine and Hebrue tongues and passinge from the West vnto the East Church liued in holy places and the studie of the sacred Scriptures euen to his croane crooked age He read all or in a maner al the woorkes of them whiche in both partes of the world did write of Ecclesiasticall doctrine and yet he neither held nor taught any otherwise of this point of doctrine And againe the same Augustine in his third booke De peccatoruÌ„ meritis remissione Cap. 7. sayeth Hierome expounding the propheâ—ie of Ionas when he came to that place where meÌ„tion is made that euen the little children were chastened with fasting sayth It began with the eldest and came euen to the yongest For there is none without sinne no not hee which is but one day old nor hee whose gray head hath seene many yeares For if the starres are not cleane in the sight of God how much more vncleane are duste and putrifying earth and those which are in subiection to the sinne of Adams transgression To these words of Hierome doeth Augustine himselfe annexe this that followeth If it were so that wee might easilie aske it of this most learned man how many teachers of the holie Scriptures in both the tongues and howe many writers of Christian treatises would hee reckon vp which since the time that Christ his Church was first planted haue themselues nether thought of their predecessours learned nor taught their successours any other thaÌ„ this doctrine touching originall sinne I verilie thoughe I haue read nothing so much as hee do not remember that I haue heard any other doctrine of Christians whiche admit or receiue both the testaments whether they were in the vnitie of the Catholique Church or otherwise in Schismes and heresies I doe not remember that I haue read any other thing in them whose writinges touching this matter I could come by to read them if either they did followe or thought that they did follow or would haue men beleeue that they did followe the Canonicall Scriptures Thus farre hath Augustine teaching in the very beginning that all the Sainctes did by a full consent and agréement in doctrine most expressely graunt and confesse that originall sinne is euen in newe borne infants Mée thincketh that Sainct Hierome did not onely in Ionas but also much more euidently in Ezechiel confesse and affirme originall sinne His wordes are to bée séene Comment lib. 14. in cap. 47. ad Ezechielem and are verbatun as followeth What man can make his boaste that hee hath a chaste heart or to whose minde by the windows of the eyes the death of concupiscence or to vse a mylder terme the tickling of the minde doth not enter in For the world is set in wickednesse euen from his childhood the hart of man is set to naughtinesse so that not the very first day of a mans natiuitie his nature is free from sinne and naughtinesse Wherevppon Dauid in the Psalme sayeth For behold I was coÌ„ceiued in iniquitie and in sinne my mother conceiued mee Not in the iniquities of my mother or in mine owne sinnes but in the iniquities of our mortall state And therfore the Apostle saith death reigned from Adam vnto Moses ouer them also whiche had not sinned with the like transgression as did Adam Thus much hath Hierome and we haue hetherto alledged al these sayings to the end wee might proue that originall sinne is the naturall or hereditarie corruption of mans nature Let vs nowe sée what and howe great the hereditarie naughtinesse or corruption of our nature is and what power it hath to woorke in man Our nature verilie as I shewed you aboue was before the fall most excellent and pure in oure father Adam but after the fall it did by Gods iuste iudgement become corrupte and vtterly naught which is in that naughtinesse by propagation or Extraduce deriued into all vs whiche are the posteritie and ofspring of Adam as both experience and the thing it selfe doe euidently declare as well in sucklings or infantes as those of riper yeares For euen very babes giue manifest tokens of euident deprauation so soone as they once beginne to bée able to doe any thing yea before they can perfectlye sounde any one syllable of a whole word All oure vnderstandinge is dull blunt grosse and altogether blinde in heauenlie things Our iudgement in diuine matters is peruerse and friuolous For there arise in vs most horrible and absurd thoughtes and opinions touching God his iudgementes â— wonderfull woorkes yea our whole minde is apt and readie to errours to fables and our owne destruction and when as our iudgements are nothing but méere follie yet doe wée preferre them farre aboue Gods wisedome whiche wee esteeme but foolishnesse in comparison of oure owne conceiptes and corrupte imaginations For hee lyed not whiche saide The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirite of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know them because they are spirituallie discerned Nowe Paule calleth him the naturall man which liueth naturally by the vitall spirite and is not regenerate by the holy Ghoste And since we all are such wée are therefore wholie ouercome and gouerned of Philautie that is too great a selfeloue and delight in our selues whereby all things that wee oure selues doe woorke doe highly please vs loking still verie busilie to oure owne selues and our commoditie when in the meane time wée neglecte all others yea rather doe afflicte them Neither did Plato vnaduisedly estéeme that vice of selfeloue to bee the very roote of euery euill Furthermore our whole will is ledd captiue by concupiscence which as a roote enuenomed with poyson infecteth all that is in man and doeth incline drawe on driue man to things carnall forbidden and contrarie to God to the end that hée maye gréedilie pursue them put all his delight in them and content him selfe wyth them Moreouer there is in vs no power or abilitie to doe any good For wée are sâ—owe sluggish and heauie to goodnesse but liuely quicke and readie enoughe to anye euill or naughtinesse And that I may at last conclude and briefely expresse the whole force and signification of our hereditarie deprauation and corruption I say that this deprauation of our nature is nothing else but the blotting of Gods Image in vs There was in oure father Adam before his fall the very Image and likenesse of God
and vnpardonable for which we must not pray that is to saye prayers cannot obteine pardone for it That sinne is contumelious reprochâ— against the holie Ghoste reuolting apostacie and incessant mocking of the Gospell of Christe For in the Gospell after S. Iohn we read Verily verily I saye vnto you if a man keepe my sayings he shall not see death for euer And againe If ye beleeue not that I am ye â—hal dye in your sinnes And apostacie in verie déede is iniquitie and a purposed and perpetuall sinne For what is more sinfull or vniust than to strine against and make a mocke of the knowen veritie The other sinne is veniall not vnto death the which of what sort it is Sainct Iohn declareth when he addeth Wee knowe that euery one which is borne of God sinneth not Nowe that saying must not be so absolutely taken as though hee sinned not at all but wee must vnderstand that hee sinneth not to death For otherwise the verie Sainctes are sinners as it is euident by the first Chapter of this Epistle Furthermore that which doeth immediately followe in Iohn maketh manifest that which went before He that is begotten of God saith he kepeth him selfe that is hee standeth stedfastly in the knowen trueth and taketh heede to him selfe that that euil touch him not that is that he intrap him not stirre him vp against God nor reteine him in rebellion Thus much haue I hitherto saide touching the sinne against the holie Ghoste which Augustine did in one place call finall impenitencie which doth followe vppon Apostacie blasphemie and contempt of the holie Ghost or of the word of trueth reuealed by the holie Ghost And although I haue alreadie in the handling of Originall sinne and sinne against the holie Ghoste partely touched the effectes of sinne yet to coÌ„clude this treatise withall I wil briefly shewe you somewhat touching the iust and assured punishment that shal be layde vppon sinners For in the definition of sinne I sayde that sinne brought vpon vs the wrath of GOD with death and sundrie punishments Of which in this place I meane to speake It is as manifest as what is most manifest by the scriptures that God doeth punishe the sinnes of men yea that he punisheth sinners for their sinnes For many places in the scriptures declare that God is angrie and greeuously offended at the sinnes of mortall men Dauid cryeth The Lorde loueth the iust as for the wicked and violent his soule doeth hate them Vppon the vngodly hee shall rayne snares fire and brimstone storme and tempest this shal be their portion to drinke For the righteous Lord loueth righteousnesse with his countenaÌ„ce he doth behold the thing that is iust In like manner Paule saith The wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against all vngodlinesse and vncleanesse of men which withholde the trueth in vnrighteousnesse And what may be thought of the moreouer that the wrath of God for the sinnes of vs men woulde bee by no meanes appeased but by the death of the sonne of God Wherein verily the excellencie of the greate price of our redemption doth argue the greatnesse and filthinesse of our sinne To all which we may adde that the good Lorde who loued mankinde so well woulde not haue ouerwhelmed vs with so many paynes and exceeding calamities had not our sinne béen passing horrible in the sight of his eyes For who can make a full beadrowe of all the calamities of miserable sinners The Lorde for our sinnes absenteth him selfe from vs But if the Sunne be out of the earth howe greate are the mystes and cloudie darkenesse in it If God be awaye from vs how great is the horror in myndes of men Here therefore as punishementes due to sinners are reckoned the tyrannie of Satan a thousande tormentes of conscience the death of the soule dreadfull feare vtter desperation innumerable calamities of bodie and of our other faculties which Moses the seruaunt of God doeth at large rehearse in the 26. of Leuiticus and the 28 Chapter of Deuteronomium And nowe since newe sinnes are daily scourged with newe kindes of punishements what ende I praye is any man able to make if hee shoulde goe about to reckon them all It is not to be doubted verily but that the Lorde doeth punishe sinners iustly For hee is him selfe a most iust Iudge And for because it is a madd mannes parte to doubte of the iustice omnipotencie and wisedome of god it followeth therefore consequently that all religious and godly men doe holde for a certeintie that the punishments which God doeth laye vppon men are laide vppon them by moste iust iudgement But howe greate and what kinde of punishment is due to euery faulte and seuerall transgression belongeth rather to Gods iudgement to determine than for mortall men too curiously to inquire Wherevppon Sainct Augustine Tracta in Ioan. 89 saide There is as greate diuersitie of punishments as of sinnes which howe it is ordeined the wisedome of God doth more deepely declare than mans coniectures can possibly seeke out or vtter in wordes Hee verily which in his lawe giuen to man gaue this for a rule according to the measure of the sinne so shall the measure of the punishement bee beeing him selfe moste equall and iust doeth not in iudgement exceede measure Abraham in the notable communication had with God which is reported in the 18 of Genesis doth amoÌ„g other things say Wâ—lt thou destroye the iust with the wicked that be farr from thee that thou shouldst do such a thing and slaye the righteous with the wicked and that the righteous should be as the wicked That is not thy parte that iudgest al the earth thou shalt not make suche iudgement Herevnto also belongeth that notable demonstration which the Lorde vseth towarde Ionas beeing angrie with the Lorde because of his iudgements for hee sheweth that hee hath iustly a care of the infants yea and of the cattel in Niniue The place is extant in the fourth Chapter of the prophecie of Ionas Let vs therefore stedfastly holde that the Lord when he punisheth doth iniurie to no creature which hee hath made Here therefore the disputations and questions come to an ende wherein men are wont to demaunde whye the Lorde doeth sometimes vse so sharpe torments towards infants or sucklings or why he rewardeth temporal offences with eternal punishments For the Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holie in all his workes As Dauid did most truly witnesse whereas in another place he saith Thou arte iust O Lord and thy iudgement is right Blessed is hee that stumbleth not here and doeth not murmur against the Lorde But if 〈◊〉 so happen that the Lorde at any time do somewhat long deferre the iudgement and punishment wee must not therefore thinke that hee is vniust because he spareth the wicked and sharpely correcteth his friendes their vices Let vs rather laye before our eyes the Euangelicall parable of the riche glutton and
all things vnto God and the father in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ And againe he saith By him wee offer sacrifice of prayse alwayes to God that is the fruite of lippes confessing his name But that we may be thankefull for all the benefites of God and offer continuall thankesgiuing vnto God it is néedefull firste to acknowledge and well to weigh with oure selues the benefites of god For these being not yet knowne or rightly weyed our mynde is not set on fire to gyue God thankes for his benefites And these are indéede diuers yea they are infinit For they are priuate publique generall and speciall spirituall corporal temporal and eternall ecclesiasticall and politicall singular and excellent But who can reckon vp all their kindes and partes God created beautified garnished and made this worlde fruitfull for man To the ministerie of this he seuerally appointeth angelicall spirites whom hee had created ministers for him selfe He giueth vs soules and bodies which he furnisheth and storeth with infinite gifts and abilities and that which farre passeth all other benefits he loosed man being intangled in sin he deliuered him being a bondslaue to the diuell For the sonne of GOD setteth vs frée into the libertie of the sonnes of God by dying he quickeneth by sheading his bloud he purgeth and cleanseth he giueth vs with his spirite whereby we may be guided and preserued in this banishement vntill we be receiued into that oure euerlasting and true countrie They that consider these thinges with a true fayth can not choose but be rapte into the prayse and setting foorth of Gods â–ª goodnesse and into a wondering at a thing doubtlesse to be maruelled at that the gratious and mightie God hath suche a special care of men than whome this earth hath nothing either more wretched or miserable Here the Saints of God are destitute of words Neither haue they words méete enough for this so great a matter Dauid cryeth O Lorde our God howe woonderfull is thy name in all the worlde for that thou hast set thy glorie aboue the heauens and as followeth in the eight Psal. And againe the same Who am I O Lorde God and what is the house of my father that thou hast brought me hitherto or so aduaunced me And what can Dauid say further vnto thee for thou Lord God knowest thy seruant and so foorth as followeth in the 2. booke of Samuel cha 7. The same Dauid hath set downe a moste notable forme of blessing or praising or giuing thankes vnto God in the 103 Psal. whiche beginneth thus Blesse the Lorde O my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy name Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefites who forgiueth al thy wickednesse And so forth But what néede any more wordes The Lordes prayer may be a moste perfect forme of praysing God and giuing thankes to God for all his benefites serue in stead of many For as the preface and all the petitions do call vnto our remembraunce and absolutely set foorthe vnto vs Gods greatest benefites most liberally bestowed vpoÌ„ vs also vpoÌ„ al other so if we consider that it is our dutie â—o giue thanks to God for euery one of these and by and by beginne euen at the beginning of the Lordes prayer to weighe this chiefly with our selues that God the father of his vnspeakeable mercie to vs ward hath adopted vs miserable sinners into the number of sonnes by whome he will be sanctified and in whom he wil reigne and at the laste also translate vnto his euerlasting kingdome that I maye speake nothing of other petitions what plentifull matter of praysing God and giuing thankes vnto him shall be ministred But these thinges are better and more rightly vnderstood by good godly and deuout exercise than by preceptes thoughe neuer so diligent And the Lord doth so much estéeme this thankes giuing offered vnto him with true humilitie of mynde and also faith that he receiueth it and counteth it for a most acceptable sacrifice Of this thing there is very often meÌ„tion in the olde Testament as when it is sayde Who so euer offereth me thankes and prayse hee honoureth me I will not reproue thee bycause of thy sacrifices I will take no bullockes out of thy house nor goates out of thy fouldes Offer vnto God the sacrifice of prayse and paye thy vowes vnto the most highest And call vpon me in the day of trouble I will heare thee and deliuer thée and thou shalt glorifie me Againe I wil offer vnto thee the sacrifice of thankesgiuing and I will call vppon the name of the Lorde And Oseas also sayth Take these wordes with you and turne ye to the Lord and say vnto him O for giue vs all our sinnes receiue vs gratiously Nim recht fur gut and then will we offer the calues of our lippes vnto thee After which maner Malachie also hath left written I haue no pleasure in you sayth the Lorde of hoastes neyther will I receiue an offering at youre hande For from the rising of the Sunne vnto the going downe of the same my name is greate among the Gentiles and in euery place incense and a pure offering shall bee offered to my name for my name is greate among the Gentiles sayth the Lord of hoastes Furthermore this Pure offering al the old interpreters with great coÌ„sent Irenaeus chiefly Tertullian doe interprete Eucharistia that is to say prayses and thankesgiuinges and prayer procéeding from a pure heart and a good conscience and an vnfeigned fayth Truely for no other cause haue the auncient fathers called the Euchariste or mysticall Supper of Christe a sacrifice than for that in it prayse and thankesgiuing is offered vnto god For the Apostle Paule sheweth that Christe was once offered and that he can not be offered often or any more For great is the worthinesse power and vertue not onely of prayse or thankesgiuing but also of prayer wholy I meane of inuocation also it selfe Whereof although I haue already spoken somewhat where I declared that our prayers are effectual yet do I adde these fewe words The Saintes truely had a most ardent desire of praying bycause of the wonderfull force of prayer For that I maye say nothing of those moste auncient fathers before and anonafter the floud did not Abraham praye when he receiued the promises and as often as he chaunged his dwelling did not he call vppon God At his prayer king Abimelech is deliuered from death and barrennes whiche the Lord being displeased layed vppon his house is cured Iacob powred forth most ardent prayers vnto God and receiued of him inestimable benefits In Exodus Moses prayeth not once but often and taketh away the plagues from the AegyptiaÌ„s which the Lord by his iust iudgement had brought vppon them At the prayer of Moses the Amalechites turne their backes and when he ceassed or left off the Israelites
the nature vertue and efficacie of sacramentes of those thinges which are ioyned and of affinitie with them for so the order which I vsed in my diuisiō requireth Touching the vertue and nature of sacramēts that is to say what they worke in man writers haue disputed diuersly plentifully It séemeth vnto me that reuerēce must be vsed in this disputation and that héede must be taken that I do not incline either to the right hand or to the left that is that I do not attribute to much vnto them to the derogating from the doctrine of the Euangelistes Apostles neither that I should diminishe or take from them to mine owne damnation that whiche the scripture the word of God doth attribute vnto them But we shal plentifully giue great praise and glorie to the ordinances of God if we shall say that of them which the spirite of God hath set downe in the holy scriptures to bée willing to attribute more vnto them is not onely an errour in man but a great fault whiche bringeth death and horrible destruction This is declared vnto vs in the holy scripture by examples most worthie of remembrance The arcke of the couenant giuen by Moses to the people of Israel was a wittnesse of Gods presence amonge the people and of the league friendshipp betwene God man For in these words God made a league w the people I will make my dwelling place amonge them walke among them and I will be their God they shal be my people Of that ordinance agréement the arke it selfe was called The Lord God of hostes sittinge betweene the Cherubims as we may sée 2. Sam. 6. and in the booke of the Chronicles It was also called The arke of the couenant of the Lord. For when the prophets of God did attribute these thinges to the sacrament of God they both thought and spake plentifully reuerently enoughe of the sacrament of God but when the ignorant malicious priests and the people corrupted by them did attribute far greater thinges to the arke or Sacrament of God what I pray you came to passe Giue eare first what they attributed to the arke The elders of Israel said wherfore hath the Lord cast vs down this day before the Philistines Let vs fetch the arke of the couenant of the Lord out of Silo vnto vs that when it commeth amonge vs it maye saue vs out of the hands of our enimies You haue heard what they attributed to the ark Now giue eare what they did So the people sent into Silo brought from thence the arke of the couenant of the Lord of hoastes whiche sitteth betweene the Cherubims And it came to passe that when the arke of the couenant of the Lord came into the hoast all Israel showted out a mightie showt so that the earth rang againe And when the Philistines hard the noise of the shout they said what meaneth the soūd of this mightie showt And they vnderstood that the arke of the Lord was come into the hoast And the Philistines cried woe be vnto vs God is come into the hoast Who shal deliuer vs out of the handes of those mightie Gods that smote the Aegyptians But hearken now what happened howe God did declare that the arke was not God as it was called counted of the vnskilful in holy things how he punished the sinnes of his people because they attributed too much to the sacrament It followeth therefore And the Philistines fought and Israel was smitten downe and fledd euerie man into his tent and there was an exceding great slaughter for there were ouerthrown of Israel thirtie thousand footemen Beside that also the arke of God was taken the two sonns of Helie were slaine All these thinges are read in the 1. booke of Sam. 4. ca. Againe when the sacrament of God was vnreuerētly handled of the swinish Philistines they were smitten with a lothsome deadly plague They did boast that their Gods and the religion of the Philistines had ouercome the God and the religion of the Israelits but the gods of the Philistines fel downe are broken in péeces their heathenish religion is confounded What and did not the Israelites perish with a more gréeuous plague thā before when they lightly handled and contrarie to the Lawe of God Num. 4. looked into the Sacrament brought backe by the Philistines into Bethsames For the Lord smote fiftie thousand threescore tenne men 1. Sam. 6. When Moses did negligently deferre the circumcising of his children he fell into great daunger The Sichimites for receiuing circumcision rashly are destroyed And Simeon and Leui For prophaning the sacrament are cursed of their father Genesis 49. To this that agréeth which the Apostle sayth of them which celebrate the supper vnworthilie For this cause many are weake sicke amonge you many sleepe Hetherto also belongeth the example of Oza a man not altogether euill whiche touched this same sacrament that was not lawfull for him to doe Wherefore the Lord stroke him with a soudaine death and that not priuately in the tabernacle but in the fight of all the people Of the whiche déede of God Dauid also speaking in the cōgregation church of the Israelites saith to the Leuits The Lord hath chosen the Leuites to beare the Arcke of the Lord and not that kyne shall draw it in a new cart therefore see that ye be holie that yee maye bring in the Arcke of the Lord God of Israel vnto the place which I haue prepared for it For beecause ye did not this at the first our lord God hath made a rent amonge vs for that wee sought him not as the fashion ought to be And it followeth immediatly The priestes and Leuites sanctified themselues to fetche the Arcke of the Lord God of Israel And the children of the Leuites bare the Arcke of God vpon their shoulders with staues as Moses commaunded according to the word of the Lord. All these thinges are to be séene in the first of the Chronicles Cap. 15. Whereby we gather that the Lord will none of our good meanings or intentes pompous celebrations in celebrating the Sacramentes but that hee onely requireth that wee should so iudge and speake of the Sacraments as he iudgeth and speaketh by his word and that we should so vse and celebrate them as hee himselfe hath instituted and celebrated them Therefore he sufficiently setteth forth the dignitie of sacraments who attributeth that vnto them which GOD himselfe in the holy Scriptures vouchsafeth to giue them Let vs therefore first of all searche out of what dignitie Sacramentes haue béene for the most part in oure time that thereby we may the better vnderstand what is to be attributed and what is not to bée attributed vnto them The common sort of priestes and monkes haue taught that the sacramentes of the newe lawe are not only signes of Grace but together also causes of
of God about burials and graues But howe muche there was in the time of Poperie no man can declare in fewe wordes These be the necessarie institutions of the Churche of GOD and are by the faithfull religiously obserued without superstition to edification as for other matters which are onely deuised by the inuention of man the godly nothing weighe them I knowe what thinges may here be obiected That forsoothe the auncient people of the olde Testament had sundrie and manifolde rites ceremonies instituted of God by his prophetes because beeing rude they had néede of such instruction But since the common sorte of Christians are also more rude than is to be wished so many sundrie and diuerse ceremonies were deuised by the auncient fathers not without the motion of the spirit which they must also obey I answer that this is no true nor sounde reason whereby the weake in faith may receiue commoditie For surely then would not the Apostles of Christ haue saide nothing therof Moreouer experience teacheth that the state and condition of the weake and simple is such that the more ceremonies are left vnto them the more their mindes are diuersly dispersed and are lesse vnited to Christ to whoÌ„ alone al things are to be ascribed For it pleased the father that all fulnesse should dwell in him and to heape together in him al things apperteining to our life and saluation Yea the diuine wisedome of God hathe taken away y who le externall discipline instructioÌ„ setting a difference betwéen vs them We should therefore procéede to bring againe Iudaisme if we shuld not leaue of to multiplie heape together rites ceremonies according to the maner of the olde Church For in olde time those ceremonies were had in vse althoughe they were not infinite but comprised within a certein number At this present there is no vse nor place for theÌ„ in the church Neither do we want moste graue authoritie to proue the same The Apostles and elders in a greate assemblie méete together at HierusaleÌ„ at a couÌ„sell where the Apostle Peter plainely telleth them that they tempt the Lord in going about to lay the yoake of the lawe vpon the frée necks of the Christians There is also a Synodall Epistle written wherin by one consent they testifie that it hath séemed good to the holy Ghost them to lay none other burthen 〈…〉 the church of Christ thaÌ„ y which 〈…〉 in few words To the intenâ— therby it may be euident that the doctrine of the Gospel is sufficient for the Church without the câ—remonies of the law If he would 〈…〉 haue the rites which in olde time were by God instituted to be ioyned to the Gospell how much lesse ought we at this present to couple therewith the inuentions of men Vnto which moreouer is wickedly ascribed either the preparation to the grace worshipping of God or part of our saluation that we may say no lesse at this day than S. Paule said long agoe After that you haue knowne God howe chaunceth it that ye returne againe to weake and beggerly elements which you would begin to serue a new Ye obserue days moneths times yeres I am a feard lest I haue taken paines aboute you in vaine Vnto all these things this is also to be added that this instruction of ceremonies whereof they speake belongeth to the worshipping of god But we are fordidden to deuise vnto ourselues any strange worshipping we are forbidden also to put too or take away any thing from the institution or word of god Wherfore the Church of God neither ordeineth nor receiueth of other any other such constitutions Of which matter we haue also spoken somewhat before whereas we intreated of the abrogating of the lawe and of Christian libertie I trust that in these fiftie sermons I haue as shortely conueniently as might be comprehended the whole matter of faith godlinesse or true religion also of the Church That which I do often repeate in al my sermons my books that do I also againe repeat in this place that the learned may with my goodwill and thankes gather and imbrace better things out oâ— the scriptures Vnto the Lorde our God the euerlasting founteine of al goodnes be praise and glorie through our Lorde Iesus Christ Amen FINIS Esai 58. Esai 62. Iohn 21. 2. Tim. 4. Dan. 12. 1. Tim. 4 Ezech. 3. Ierâ— 1. â— Cor. 9. â— Pet. 5. Apoc. 20. Ezech. 32. The Nicene counsel The counsel of CoÌ„stantinople The counsel of Ephesus The counsel of Calcedon About the yeare of our Lord About the yeate of our lorde 185. About the yeare of our lorde 210. â—bout the â—are of 〈◊〉 lord 〈◊〉 About the yeare of our Lorde 336. Catholiques Haeretiques Verbum what it is In English a thing The worde of God what it is Of â—he 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 The word of God reuealed to the worlde by men Howe and by whom the worde of God hath bene reuealed from the beginning of the world Abraham The clearest lights of the firsâ— world Adam and Methusalem Noe. â—em Iaacob Kahad Amram Moses The chief contents of the holy fathers liuely tradition God. CreatioÌ„ of the world Sinne and death Grace life and redeÌ„ption by Christ Fayth The lineall descent of Messias The league of God. The worship of God. Life eternall and the day of iudgemeÌ„t The true â—ystoricall â—arration â—eliuered by the fathers to their children Moses in an hystory compileth the traditioÌ„s of the fathers The auâ—horitie of Moses very great The proceding of the woord of God. The Prophetes The Law. The auâ—â—oritie of â—he holy â—â—ophetes â—as very great Polyhistoâ— 2 Pet. 1. The word God reuealed by the onne of God. The chief coÌ„tents of Christe his doctrine The Apostles of Christ â—â—hn Bapâ—â—st and â—â—ule The authoâ—â—tie of the Apostles â—â—y great 1. Thes 2 The roll of the bookes of the diuine Scriptures The scripture is sound and vncorrupted â—o whom 〈◊〉 worde â—â— God is â—â—ealed What haue I to doe what was written to theÌ„ of olde time The writings of the old testament are also giuen to Christians To what â—nd the â—ord of God is 〈◊〉 Gods goodnesse to be praysed for teaching vs. All points of true godlinesse â—re taught â—s in the holy scriptures â— Tim. 3. The Lord bothspake did many things which arâ— not writteÌ„ The Apostles set downe in writing the whole doctrin of godlinesse Against the liuely and faiâ—â— traditioâ—â— of the Apostles Howe the worde of God is to â—e hearde The diseaâ—es and plagues of the hearers of gods word What the power and effect of Gods word is Gods will is to haue his wordâ— vnderstoode Difficultie in the scriptures The word of God requireth an exposition A solemn exposition of Gods worde what their meaning is that wil not haue the scriptures expounded The scriptures are 〈◊〉 to be â—orrupted with fortune exposâ—tâ—ons The holy scriptures â—re not to be expouÌ„ded according to â—ens fanâ—â—sies The
are sowen abrode very vngodly spéeches For some there are which do suppose that the scriptures that is the very worde of God is of it selfe so darke that it cannot be read with any profite at al. And again some other affirme that the worde plainly deliuered by God to mankind doth stande in néede of no exposition And therefore say they that the scriptures ought in déede to be read of all men but so that euery man may lawfully inuent and choose to himself such a sense as euery one shal be persuaded in him selfe to be most conuenient These fellowes doe altogether condemne the order receiued of the Churches wherby the minister of the church doth expounde the Scriptures to the congregatioÌ„ But I déerely beloued if as ye haue begoon so ye will go forwarde to pray to the Lorde do truste by the hope that I haue in gods goodnesse that I am able plainely to declare that to the godly the scripture is nothing darke at al that the lord his will is altogether to haue vs vnderstande it Then that the Scriptures ought alwayes to be expouÌ„ded Wher also I will teach you the maner and some ready wayes how to interprete the scriptures The handling of these pointes shall take away the impediments which driue men from the reading of the word of god and shal cause the reading hearing of the worde of God to be both wholesome fruitful And firste of all that Gods will is to haue his worde vnderstoode of man kinde we may thereby gather especially bicause that in speaking to his seruaunts he vsed a most common kind of speach wherwithall euen the very idiotes were acquainted Neither do we reade that the Prophets and Apostles the seruaunts of God and interpreters of his high and euerlastinge wisedome did vse any straunge kinde of speach so that in the whole packe of writers none can be founde to excell them in a more plaine and easy phrase of writing Their writings are full of common prouerbes similitudes parables comparisons deuised narrations examples and such other like maner of spéeches then which ther is nothing that doth more moue plainely teach the common sorte of wittes amonge mortall men There ariseth I confesse some darknesse in the scriptures by reason of the naturall propertie figuratiue ornaments and the vnacquainted vse of the tongues But that difficulty may easily be helped by studie diligence faith and the meanes of skilfull interpreters I know that the Apostle Peter saith in the epistles of Paul Many thinges are harde to be vnderstoode But immediatly he addeth which the vnlearned and those that are vnperfect or vnstable peruert as they doe the other scriptures also vnto their owne destruction Wherby we gather that the scripture is difficulte or obscure to the vnlearned vnskilfull vnexercised and malicious or corrupted willes and not to the zealous and godly Readers or Hearers therof Therefore when S. Paule sayth If as yet our gospell be hidde from them it is hid which perish in whom the Prince of this worlde hath blinded the vnderstanding of the vnbeleeuers that to them there shoulde not shine the light of the gospell of the glory of Christ who is the image of God. He doth not lay the blame of this difficultie on the word of God but vpon the vnprofitable hearers Whosoeuer we are therefore that do desire rightly to vnderstand the word of God our care must be that Satan possesse not our mindes and close vp our eyes For our Sauiour also in the gospell sayde This is damnation because the light came into the world and men loued darknesse rather than light Besides that the holy Prophetes of God and the Apostles did not call the worde of God or the scriptures darkenesse obscurenesse or mistinesse but a certaine brightnesse and lightsomnesse Dauid saith Thy word is a Lanterne vnto my feete and a light vnto my pathes And what I praye you is more euident than that which in makinge doubtfull and obscure thinges manifest no man doth referre to darkenesse and vncertainties Things vncertaine doubtful and obscure are made manifest by those things that are more certain sure and euident But as often as any question or controuersie doth happen in matters of fayth do not all men agree that it ought to be ended and determined by the scriptures it must therfore needes be that the scriptures are euident plaine and most assuredly certaine But though the scripture be manifest and the worde of God be euident yet notwithstanding it refuseth not a godly or holy exposition but rather an holy exposition doth giue a setting out to the worde of God bringeth forth much fruite in the godly hearer And for bicause many do deny that the scriptures ought to haue any exposition I will shew by examples which can not be gainsaide that they ought altogether to be expounded For God him selfe hauing often coÌ„munication with Moses by the space of fortie dayes and as many yeares did by Moses expouÌ„d to the Church the wordes of the law which he spake in Mount Sina to the whole congregation of Israeâ—l writing them in two tables which Moses left to vs the Deuteronomie and certaine other bookes as commentaries vpon Gods commaundements After that immediatly followed the Prophetes who interpreting the lawe of Moses did apply it to the times places and men of their age and left to vs that fellow their sermons as plain expositions of Gods law In the eight Chapiter of Nehemias we reade these wordes Esdras the Priest brought the Lawe the booke of Moses and stoode vpon a turret made of wood that is in the holy pulpet And Esdras opened the booke before the congregation of men and women who soeuer else had any vnderstanding And the Leuits stode with him so that he read out of the booke and the leuits instructed the people in the law the people stode in their place And they reade in the booke of the lawe distinctly expounding the sense and causing them to vnderstande the reading Thus muche in the booke of Nehemias Marke here by the waye my brethren that the lawfull and holy ministers of the Churche of God did not onely reade the worde of God but did also expounde it This manner of reading and expounding the Scriptures or worde of God oure Lorde Iesu Christe did neyther abrogate nor contemne when comming in the fleshe he did as a true Prophete and heauenly maister instructe the people of his Churche in the doctrine of the Newe Testament For entring into the Synagogue at Nazareth he stoode vp to reade and there was deliuered to him the booke of the Prophete Esay So he opened the booke and read a certaine notable place out of the .lxj. Chapter Then shutting the booke he gaue it to the Minister againe and expounded that which he had read declaring how that in him selfe nowe that prophesie was fulfilled Moreouer after that he was risen from death he ioyned him self in companie
to the two Disciples whiche went to Emaus with whome he talked of sundry matters but at length beginning at Moses and all the Prophetes he expounded to them what so euer was written of him self throughout all the Scriptures The Apostles following this example of the Lorde did them selues also expound the word of God. For Peter in the seconde Chapter of the Actes of the Apostles dothe expounde the xvj Psalme of Christe his resurrection from the deade And Philip also doth plainely expounde to the noble man of Ethiope the prophesie of Esay wherby he bringeth him to the fayth of Christe and fellowship of the Church Whosoeuer doth say that Paul doth not euery where interpret the holy Scripture he hath neyther read nor séene the déedes nor writings of Paule Thus haue I I hope both plainly substantially shewed that the word of God ought to be expounded As for those whiche cry out against the exposition of the Scriptures and woulde not haue the ministers of the worde and Churches to declare the scriptures in open and solemne audience neyther to apply them to the places times states persons their fetch is to seeke somewhat else then the honour due vnto god They leade their liues farre otherwise then is comely for godly men Their talke is wicked vnséemely dishonest Their déeds are mischieuous and haynous offences And this woulde they to doe without punishment and therefore desire to haue the exposition of the Scriptures to be taken cleane away For if a man doe read the wordes of the Scripture onelye not applyinge it to the states places times and persones it someth that he hath not greatly touched their vngodly and wicked life Therefore when they crie that Sermons and expositions of the scriptures ought to be taken a waye from among men and that the Scriptures ought to be reade simplye without any addition they minde nothing else but to caste behind them the lawe of God to treade vnder foote all discipline and rebuking of sinne and so to offende fréely without punishment whiche sorte of men the rightuous Lorde will in his appointed time punishe so muche the more grieuously as they doe more boldly rebell against their God. In the meane season all the ministers of the Churche muste beware that they followe not héerein their owne affections any whit at all or else corrupt the Scriptures by their wrong interpretations and so by that meanes set foorth to the Church their owne inuentions and not the worde of god Some suche like offence it séemeth that the teachers of the auncient people in olde time did commit bycause the Lorde in Ezechiell accuseth them saying Seemeth it a small thing to you to haue eaten vp the good pasture but that ye must also treade the residue of your pasture vnder your feete and to drinke the clearer water but that ye muste trouble the rest with your feete Thus my sheepe muste be faine to eate the thing that is troden downe with your feete and to drinke that whiche ye with your feete haue defiled A sore offence is this which the Lord according to his iustice punisheth most sharpely We therefore the interpreters of Gods holy worde and faythfull ministers of the Churche of Christe must haue a diligent regarde to keepe the Scriptures sounde and perfect and to teach the people of Christ the worde of God sincerely made plaine I meane not corrupted or darkned by foolish wroÌ„g expositions of oure owne inuention And nowe dearely beloued the place and time require vs to say somwhat vnto you touching the interpretation of the holy Scriptures or the exposition of the word of god Wherin I will not speake any thing particularly of the skilfull knowledge of tongues or the liberall sciences which are thinges requisite in a good interpreter but will briefly touche the generalities alone And first of al ye must vnderstande that some things in the Scriptures or worde of God are so plainly set foorth that they haue neede of no interpretation neyther will admit any exposition Which if any man goe about with his owne expositions to make more manifest he may séeme to do as wittily as he which with faggot light and torches would helpe the sunne at his rising to giue more light vnto the world As for those thinges which are so set down that they séeme to require our helpe to expound them they must not be interpreted after our owne fantasies but according to the minde and meaning of him by whom the Scriptures were reuealed For Saint Peter saythe The prophesie came not in olde time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost Therefore the true and proper sense of Gods worde must be taken out of the Scriptures them selues and not be forceably thruste vpon the Scriptures as we our selues lust And therwithal ye must marke a fewe certaine rules which I meane briefly to touch and to shewe vnto you in those fewe wordes which I haue yet to speake First since the Apostle Paul would haue the exposition of the Scriptures to agree fitly and in euery point proportionally with our fayth as it is to be seene in the twelâ—the to the Romanes And bycause againe in the later epistle to the Corinthians he saith Seing then that we haue the same spirite of faith according as it is writen I beleeued and therefore haue I spoken we also beleeue and therefore doe we speake Let it therefore be taken for a point of Catholike religion not to bring in or admit any thing in our expositions which others haue alledged against the receiued articles of our fayth conteyned in the Apostles Créede and other coÌ„fessions of the ancient fathers For saytâ— the apostle in defence of the trueth we can saye somewhat but against the trueth we are able to say nothing When therefore in the Gospel after S. Iohn we read the saying of the Lord The father is greater then I we must thinke that it is against the articles of our fayth to make or admit any equalitie in the Godhead betwixt the Father and the Sonne and therefore that the Lorde his meaning was otherwise then the very words at the first blush do séeme to import Againe when we read this saying of the apostle It can not be that they which were once illuminated if they fall away shuld be renued againe into repeÌ„tance Let vs not beléeue that repentance is to be denied to theÌ„ that fall For the Catholike Fayth is this that in euery place at euery season so long as we liue on this earthe a full pardon of all sinnes is promised to all men whiche turne to the Lorde In like manner when we reade that the Lorde tooke breade and sayde of the breade This is my body let vs presently remember that the Articles of our fayth doe attribute to our Lorde the very body of a man which asceÌ„ded into heauen and sitteth at the righte hande of