operati siue iustitie baptismi after your scole men that is the sacrament or seall of the rightwisenes of workes or of the rightwisnes of baptism with water and man thereby to be iustified as ye dreame and so Christ in vaine to haue dyed Besydes this it is the fygure of our perpetuall mortificacion and repentance as I haue oâ—ten declared the vse therof before And as touchinge the imperfeccion of faith and charitie in man as ye saye Albeit our faith I saye be as litle as the mustarde sead and as imperfit as was his that saide lorde I beleue but yet helpe my vnbeleif yet god accepteth it for our iustificatioÌ„ for christes sake bidding vs daylye to praye for thencreace therof Then ye saye all our workes be imperfitte ' It is truthe that ye saye And in so sayeng ye haue condempned al your own doctrine of merits satisfaccioÌ„s and condicions of workes to deserue remission For no imperfitte workes may deserue perfit remission ne make perfit satisâ—accioÌ„ as ye well know it And for this cause of our imperfeccion indignitie impossibilite by workes to merit our remission saluacioÌ„ god hath taken it out of our handes and from our workes layd it vpon christ as ye se in the prophete Isaye him by his perfit fulfilling of the law by his so perfit workes to merit to satisfye fully and perfitlye and so to obtaine vs y e remission and saluation for our faith into him And thus is he made of his father ours for vs our iustificacion our rightwisnes redeÌ„ptioÌ„ our holines our wisdom our satisfaccioÌ„ our implecion of y e law whiche all we by faith receiue as our owne for that he is geuen to vs holy with al his that he ether dyd or suffred in his blessed innocent body and soul. And euen these be our elder brothers clothes done vpon vs by faith so swetely sauouring which so delite and please our celestial father as did Iacobs elder brothers fragrant vestures sauor in his father Isaac his nose that he gaue him his brothers blessing as shal our father for y e same doing on by faith not for your participatioÌ„ of our elder brother christe his swete clothes of his rightwisnes merits c. For who so euer be baptized of the spirite by regeneration of faith they haue done christ thus vpoÌ„ them And thus w t Iacob be we made Israelites And thus be we all made y e sonnes of god for that we haue beleued in Iesu christ saith Paul not as ye say for y t ye haue done youre good works fulâ—illed your coÌ„dicioÌ„ Thus ye se how Paul IoaÌ„ Peter christ speke of y e baptism of y e spirite not of y e visible baptism of water to geue remissioÌ„ saluacion ye geue imperâ—eccion to our works to faith to loue it is truth But yet muste ye coÌ„sider y t thimperfeccioÌ„ in our works so minisheth takethe so awaye the goodnes dignite or worthines of theÌ„ that thei may not be called good ne meritoriouse But faith Isaye â— being imperfit as litle as the mustersede or as weke as his y t said help lord my vnbeleif yea or so matched in perel with temptacion w t feare dubitacioÌ„ as was peters faith so boldly leaping into y e sea to mete his maister christe when the sourges arose agenst him so highe that with his litle weake faith he began to sinke yet as litle as it was it was y e good gift of god saued hiÌ„ for christes sake froÌ„ drowninge For it is our perpetuall byshop and onely intercessour in heuen that continually prayeth as he dyd for Peter his felowes lest our faith faile vs euen in the middes of the stormye tempestiouse floudes of the troublous sea of this world For the giftes calling of god be sich as it cannot repent him of them in hys chosen Then ye say Iob sayd I feared al my workes in which faith ye say may be comprehended But it appereth that ye vnderstand not Iobs wordes for he neuer feared his faith but his works only which were euil imperfit And the ebrw or chaldie worde signifieth erumnas and labores meos omnes that is to saye I feared al my miserable workes and laboriouse miseries which he called his own euil workes for it foloweth sciens quod noÌ„ parceres delinquenti knowing that thou woldst not spare the trespasser So that here ye see how that ye manakle and rende oute by patches the textes for youre wicked purpose not consideringe what gothe before ne foloweth nor yet what the wordes properly signifye If ye coulde comprehende faithe in Iobs works so wolde ye make faith no gift of god ne beleif gods worke but Iobs worke so feared of him self And all the scriptures agre w t Iob so speaking of his owne workes only and not of faith For manye holye men fearing y e same desired god not to enter into iugement w t them ne to iuge them after their workes Then ye take in hand to describe the sinfull nature of man as borne out of Adam and Eue sayeng that the powers of our soule properly receiue faith and loue and vpon the occasion of the worlde and the flesh suggestion of the deuil be redy to rebellion c. In whiche saienge ye speke not truelye of maÌ„ in his corrupt nature as borne out of Adam conceiued in synne roted in his soule called altogether in scripture flesh the olde man the body of sinne and deathe inimitie ageÌ„st God naturallye the childe of wrath a contynuall rebellyon agaynste gods spirit For occasion or no occasion geuen sich one is he before he be regenered as god painteth him saienge after the hebrewe verite Euery imaginacion of mannes harte is onlye euyll is sayth the texte and not prone or redye as ye terme it yea and that at all times euen from hys youthe withoute the spirite of God regeneringe hym he is brydeles runnynge into the free felde of all carnall lustes Of the power of this corrupt mans nature ye speake as by his fre choise to receiue faith with loue c. Uerilye this man hathe no suche a Pelagianes power of hym selfe to receiue faithe no more then hadde ADAM him selfe power to come to God when he fled from his voice in paradise so ferefullye with shame sekinge where to hyde him froÌ„ his presence There is no sich proper power properly as ye terme it in maÌ„ to receiue faith or any grace except that naturall proper powr be properly taken a waye and pourged with the spirit of libertie by faithe purifyeng the herte so makinge in him a newe hert prepared to receiue faith makinge a new and free powr from his naturall bondage to synne So that your fre choice to receiue grace may not here be placed withe pelagians errour enimie to grace to set vp your fre choice bonde libertie to syn For
So that fayth iustifieng them went euer before the baptime of water as it is to see in the actes of the apostles Albeit I see howe falselye and howe vnlearnedly ye bringe in your Baptizetur unusquisque uestrum in remissionem peccatorum for the contrarye as I shall declare your ignoraunce and falsifieng of y e scriptures when I come to the place And here note it christen reader that so longe as we see our synnes in the lawe and in our consciences accusing and condempnynge vs behold them not by faith in the promysed forgeuenes in the gospel of Christes death to haue suffered for the remission of them thus our faith rechinge the mercy of god our father vnto Christes passyon suffred for them Chryste thus made of hym oure ryghtwysenes and oure satisfaccion all oure heuinesse and sorowes contricions and attricions are but suche repentaunce and heauynes as toke Cayne Saule Achitophel and Iudas whiche call it an extorted legall heuines and ye wyl contrarye to the wyllynge euangely call heauynes and holesome repentaunce whyche legall heauynes is lyke the extorted heauynes and heuye fearefull paynefull repentaunce that is wrested out of the racked and pyned Malefactours confessynge their synnes for very fear and payne onely which vnholsom repentaunce after the worlde Paule teachethe it to be repented and caste of But the true holesom repentaunce after god beinge his gyfte begynnethe at the contemplacyon of oure synnes by faith forgiuen in Christes death and resurreccion hys ryghtuousnes hys satisfaccion and merites felte and tasted by our fayth certaynelye and fermely to be communicated vnto vs. In the boke of nombers we read that the chyldren of Israell were not healed ne delyuered from the hotte styngynge serpentes so longe as they looked vpon them but rather with feare and payne the more vexed with thir venome But when thei turned their eyes from those serpentes stinging them and behelde the brasen serpent exalted and hanged vpon the tre then were they healed And lykewyse so longe as we behold our sinnes in our owne consciences accusinge vs or in the lawe forbiddinge sinne workinge wrathe and makinge sinne the more to abound we maye well feare be heauy ful of horrour for payne dread of dampnacion but as for any quietnes rest and peace of conscience we fele none vntyl we conuerte turne our eyes by faith lyftinge them vp beholding the brason stronge serpēt christ god and mā exalted vpon the crosse there sufferinge for our sins appeacinge the fathers wrathe makinge the satisfacion withe the oblacion and sacrifice of his blessed bodie wherefore your repentance before our sinnes be here knowen sene with the eyes of our faith in christ lyfted vpon the crosse there sufferinge for them and purgynge or wasshynge them away is but Iudas his repentaunce Also it is to be noted that as there be dyuers degrees to ascende frome vnder the lawe vnto the grace of the gospell of remyssyon so be there dyuerse heauynesses ere we come to the holesome and frutefull repentaunce vnder the gospel perpetuallye and gladlye to be Practysed For we muste fyrste fele and taste of a desperate state deduced to hel ere we be reduced to heauen mortyfyed ere we be reuyued Paul entering to clyme these degrees of the lawe in lyke heauines and mortificacyon sayde that synne was then deade when he lyued wythoute the lawe shewynge hym hys synne but when the lawe was comen and had shewed hym hys synne then was he deade his sin aliue For sinne now knowne by the lawe the lawe worketh wrathe euen her lyuelye offyce to feare and to condempne the synner to make synne the more aboundaunte thrustynge man to hell and slayeth hym And here maye we see wyth Esaye the prophete God to worke in vs a straunge worke to do his owne In whyche straunge worke workynge yet we knowe hym not for he wyl be for a lytle space a hydden god no more then dyd Iosephes bretherne knowe hym for their brether Ioseph but toke hym for some cruell straunger al that whyle he dissembled with them feared them threatened them and troubled them whyles he hydynge hys face from his owne brethren so vexed them with greate heauines feare or he wold be knowne to them yea and all that whiles in so workynge that straunge worke it was greate paine to Ioseph to hold in his teares for that he muste haue wroughte so straunge a worke with them to worke his owne bretherly louyng worke at last to open hym self to them This worke also god fygured to Moyses when he dydde sette hym in the clyffe of the rocke telling hym hys hynder partes he shulde se but not his face The former compunction and heauynes euen gods straunge worke in vs before faythe iustifienge his heuye hande yet coueringe our face we knowe it not to be his work ne as yet beleue we god to be oure sauyoure and forgeuer in Chryste vntyll he shewe vs his hinder partes that is the incarnacion of Chryst sent and suffrynge for oure synnes Adam as sone as he hadde synned hadde an heuye conscience horryblye feared with the wrath of god vnto deathe and dampnacyon flyenge from his voyce and presence euen in the midde daye whiche heauynes was but a desperate repentaunce and farre of to merite anye grace as it appeareth by his flyenge awaye frome God callynge hym But yet the myghty mercyful voice of god so staied him and rubbed hys synne into his remembraunce that at laste the gospell of the blessed promysed seade preached Adam conceyued faythe by the hearinge therof and beganne trewelye to repente for nowe he sawe his synnes not in hys owne naked gyltye conscyence accusynge hym ne in the precepte condempnynge hym but in the blessed seade Chryste forgeuynge hym And then to confyrme and to testifye as it were wyth seall oblygatorye that GOD hadde iustyfyed hym for hys faythe onelye in that seade to come he added hys sacred sealled Sacramente euen the skynnes of the slayne sheepe to kouer Adam and Eues naked shamefastnes signyfyenge to them that blessed seade to be offered vp an innocente lambe wyth hys ryghtewysenes to couer their transgression and with his blessynge to couer their malediccion vpon thys his bloudy sheepes peltch when so euer Adam loked he myght well wepe and repente him selfe that euer he hadde committed that synne whych as it shoulde brynge so innocente a lambe to so gylteles a death so coulde it neuer haue bene forgeuen wythoute the sheddynge of so innocente precyouse bloude And here at the contemplation of hys synne in Chrystes death to come beganne he frutefullye to repente doynge on dayly that coote puttynge hym into a perpetual remembraunce and into repentaunce the contynual custodye of hys lyfe euermore seynge his synnes purged in the sead to come euen in the lambe of God that takethe awaye the synnes of the worlde But nowe I retourne to youre booke wherein ye adde thus sayenge And nowe
ye see that thei must come bake and folow faith iustifyinge and not go before it For when Peter affirmeth whom ye alledge for Paule that by fayth hertes be made pure he sheweth it that by no externe visible ne materiall signes or creatures as causes essenciall as by water and suche lyke mens hertes be purified but onely of God thorow faith wher Chrisostom saith A sola fide illa assecuti sunt non operibus vel circumcisione Of onely faith haue they obtained those thinges not for workes or circuÌ„cisioÌ„ Then ye say By y t sacrameÌ„â— of your penaunce ye beleue to recouer the state of grace I perceue that althoughe ye be a lawier yet wolde ye seme to be sene in scole mater bringing in dunces and such fryers dead dreames now articled in louayn saienge That the sacramentes of the newe lawe iustifye and confer grace Sed hoc uerum est ubi non interponitur obex But y t is true where there is no lette to barre them out from y t high preuilege The scripture affirmeth Christe euery where to be the dore barre to let them and all other creatures from that priuilege to geue grace and remission of synnes for els he shuld haue dyed in vayne But ye muste aske your doctoure dunce and his fryerly faryne of lovaine by what scriptures he they proue this dreame and then are ye all set a grounde If your sacrament of penaunce shoulde recouer and geue ye grace and your penaunce a weary worke so were grace tediously deserued and then saith Paule grace were no grace Grace is a fre gifte geuen vs for christis merits only here ye do with the scole men tectely withe your rekouer declare your selfe a palliated pelagian Beware of suche doctryne for it is naught and vnkouer it agen with your rekouer For ye kouered this pelagians potte before with your penance as I haue iustely refuted it For and if ye were asked by whiche parte of your popish penance as whether by your confession auriclare or by your contricion or your insufficient satisfaccion or whisperinge absolucion or by any other dede inioyned you ye rekouer this state of grace ye shuld bringe vs forthe but a nakedneste out of your condicion For if ye beleue as ye saye ye do in any of the popis sacraments or in any part of them therby to enioye theffecte of Christis passion hauinge no worde of faith ne promise of christe therin ne worde of institucion of the same to stablish and sustayn your faith ye shall haue but a doutful waue ringe forgeuenes and as fearful and vnquiet a conscience when ye shal be apposed in y e article of death of your gostly aduersaries and assawted with synne desperacion the iugement of god death and hell For your faith in your sacramente of penance not sustayned of gods promise wil then fainte and haue a fall The mooste holy repentant men praid god not to entre into iugement with them accordinge to thir desertis for then shuld noman lyuinge be iustifyed in gods sight And ayen in the psalme If thou lorde shuldst loke narowly vpon our wykednesses Lorde who might abyde it Hitherto haue I proued constantly by scripturs Faith iustifynge to go before baptisme And now what condicioÌ„ of yours soeuer cometh aftir baptysme the same must folow iustificacion but your penance folowethe wrapped in clothes as rocked in cradle when y e worlde was yet And euen theÌ„ Adam by faith in that promised sead obtained remission and was iustifyed as were all the holy fathers longe before Ioan bap was borne and Ioan bap himself thinke ye not but that he was iustifyed before christ preched ye wold make a meruelouse world briÌ„g vs in a new strange doctryne if there were no remission of synnes tyl christ had preached suffered was he not the loÌ„be slayne from the begininge If ye loke well of abells oblacion and of the sheepe slayne to kouer adam and Eues nakednes with the skynes ye shal see Christes remission of sinnes longe before Ioan preched penance when Ioan preached sainge RepeÌ„t ye and be conuerted to God for the remission of sinnes is nighe and said lo this is the lombe of God that taketh awaye the sinnes of the world and who so beleue in him hath lyfe euerlastinge did he not preche the gospell annexed as the cause to perswade them to repentance yisse trwly thei beleued in Christe ere Ioan baptized them And thus ye may see vpon howe feble a Maxime as ye call it ye a rather a minime ye laid your false grounde to argewe your popish penance to precede remissioÌ„ wher fore tell vs plainly be shorte whether ye will teach men to be iusâ—ifyed by faith only or by workis onely or by faith and workes bothe togither If by faith onely so be we agreed If by workis onely without faith so were the haithen infidelis faithls iewes iustified and Christ dead in vayne and al the scripture ayenst you as Paul proueth it All men to be sinners no not one iuste by the works of y e lawe stoppinge euery mans mouth shewing al y e worldholden gilty obliged to sinne no fleshe by the workis of the lawe to be iustifyed be fore god and in an hundred places moo in the scriptures I shall saith the lorde disclose thy good workes as thou takest them and shew y e that they shal neuer profit the. Also Paule concludeth mightely and manifestly his sermon declaring playnly the lawe impossible to be fulfilled of vs and so to iustifye no man and therfore by onely faithe man to be iustified saing thus wherfore we conclude doing you to wete ye men and brethern that by this maÌ„ I say Iesus Christ the remission of synnes is brought vnto you the remisâ—ion and absolution I tell you from al the sins froÌ„ which it was impossible for you to be absolued by the law of Moises By this Iesus christ I tell you euery man y t beleueth is iustified And what so euer is not of faith is sin of faith saith peter purifieng y e hertes wherfore workes alone cannot iustifye Nether faith workes togither as concurrant into the same acte of iustificacion may iustifye For the workes of the lawe by whiche be vnderstanden al the ceremonial iudicial and moral precepts as Paule proueth it and al the old holy doctours especiall Austen called iustitia legis iustitia ex lege and iustitia operum be excluded froÌ„ that acte as contrary to the rightwisenes of faith as the scripture setteth them in so manifest opposition and contrarity that as the ryghtwisenes of the lawe was the cause of the reieccion and fall of the Iewes out of gods fauour so was y e rightwisenes of faith the liftyng vp of the gentiles into his grace and fauour as your selfe I thinke vnwares in the expoundinge of Paule in your predestinatioÌ„ here in your .xxvii. lefe haue said it against
to vs all remission vppon this onelye condicion that we beleue in Christ and not vpon your condicion of works as I haue iustly by scriptures hytherto proued it Nether therfore folowth it That then with out any endeuer almen shuld haue it Is not faith an harde condicion think ye Shal euery maÌ„ beleue in Christe when he lestethe and haue faith when he wil without the sharp assawtis of hir contrarie enimies as of infidelite desperation sin deuil and dubitacion shal euery man haue it encreased at his idle pleasyre loke vpon Abrahams faith so sore tempted vppon Iob Dauyd and of his that saide lorde I beleue but help my vnbeleif and loke vpon the apostles faith tempted vpoÌ„ the seas and in other places Faith is a rare and mighty gifte geuen not without the merits and intercession of our sauior Christ. And if euer ye shal fele y e batails of sin death hel the deuil the iugement of god and desperacion preassinge agenst the spirit of faith in you and wrestlinge with your spirit and litle faith to dryue you in to vnbeleif and dubitacion of forgeuenes desperacion whilis ye beholde your sinnes only in the lawe in your own conscience and iugemeÌ„t of god your aduersary accusing you not in the death of chryst with a constant and manly saith in him but to be brought into this desperat state to see your self wetingly and willingly of a set malice to haue resisted and thrusted the worde of saluacion from you when it was so benignely offred you to haue closed vp your eyes agenst the light to persecute the gospel to wryte and speke ayenst it to impugne y e trwthe and with your dampnable doctryne to haue seduced so many soulis into hell and with your false enstruccioÌ„s to bringe many into damnable errours and with your cruel vngodly actis and articles to be the autor of somiche innocent bloudshedinge w t infinite moo accusacions ayenste you ye shal fele them to be to laboriouse and hard an endeuer and harder a fre choise of you to assent with your faith to breke thorow and smit of and auoid all these heuye accusacions If this shal be so hard and heuey a batail ayenste the trwe faith loke neuer then that your false faith with your fre choise and assent to it when ye list shal stand sustain and abyde it ye shal fynde it no smal endeuor ne lyght batail to hold faste your faith in Christ if ye hade it as litle as the mustard sede Many an holy man felinge this stryff temptacion haue cryed Lorde geue me faith lorde encreace my faithe Lord strengthen my faith for christis â—ake lord lede me not into this temptacioÌ„ If ye had red the psalmes with faith and the story of Iob and trwly vnderstode them ye shulde haue sene how iuste menis faith hath ben tempted tried and ouerthrowen and how thei be first slayne ere thei be quikened in spirit first drouen down into hell ere thei be reduced into heuen first to tast of desperacion damnacion ere they tast of any strong faith and saluacion This is y e souldyers lyfe and Hercules labor by faith to fele remission and saluacioÌ„ assiewred vs in oure soulis and not so easye a pleasant passetyme as ye yet dreamâ— in your idle worldly welthines anâ— sinful securite Trewe faithe is nâ— idle assent ne acquisite qualite as yâ— list to haue it with your dremed endeuor But as y e course of y e wynd is not knowne so know ye not yet what faith is as your bok is playnly shewe your ignorance But here I omitte y e accusacion brought ayenst you for not doinge your pastorall office accordinge to godis vocacioÌ„ and lyke the successour of any one of the apostles in whiche office if any one of your floke be founde to haue perished for want of the very fode of godis worde purely faithfully and frely not preched of you his bloude shal be required at your haÌ„dis Now say on We muste take godes benefit as it is offered and not as we wold haue it ye saye trw For the benefit of our remission and saluacion is euerye wher offred vs in the scripture For our faith into christ and not as ye wolde haue it for the fulfillinge of your condicioÌ„s shewinge your selfe therin to be wiser then god and to inuent a nother and better way as ye beleue to heauen then by Christe as god hath decreed and ordined ye wolde belyke sette god to scole as ye did take vpon you to teache doctour Barnes better lerned then you Ergo by the gift of god I may do wel before I am iustified your handlynge of this my conclusion declareth plaine that ye vnderstande not what ye saye For ye â—ondely improue a conclusion that mighte stande and be true Ioy. yea after your truth with your â—onde paradox of onelye faith iustifieth onlesse in teachiÌ„g ye wil so haÌ„dle y e mater as Barnes dyd Thaia man is iustified before he beleueth For if beleue goth before iustificacion as a cause dothe theffect then seinge in scripture beleif is called a dede and procedinge from the gift of god must nedes be a good dede it foloweth necessarely ergo I may by gods gift do a good dede before I am iustified A wise argument lo as though to beleue in Christ were the dede of maÌ„ not as christ affirmeth it the work of god Ioa. vi saieng This is the work of god y t ye beleue in him whoÌ„ he hath sent ye shall know that by y e handlyng of your conclusion I vnderstand it better then ye wetesaffe haue iustly confuted it in my former boke as euery reder may se it your self know it if arrogaÌ„ce malice had not blyndned you to not se faith in christ iustifieng to be y e rote fouÌ„tain of al good works and what is not of this faith purifieng the hert to be sin I haue hitherto remoued al your coÌ„dicions as your penance baptism c from the place before iustificacion haue compelled you by scriptures to place them after faith iustifieng And now ye be brought to thê narow shift as to seme to proue beleif to go before iustification which ye say is a good dede ergo But I shal driue you as euery reader shall se it openly from this your last shameles shifte that al meÌ„ shal se you to stand naked of al euasions without any mo sterting holes First ye must graunt that faithe into christ is the gift of god now ye speak of beleif and ye set it confusely tantum as y e sophisters say without any thing into which y e accioÌ„ work of y e verbe shulde passe And if ye wil haue it stand so absolutely nothing added so is it as good a dede as y e deuil doth y e same For as Iames saith The deuils beleue the turkes and Iewes beleue But speake you like a
geueth me ferme faith to beleue it wryting his promise w t his own haÌ„d sealled with Christis death and most preciouse blode yea and geueth me thernest and pledge of this promise euen his own sone Christe and his holy spirit the pledge as Paul saith and ernest of our forgeuenes and saluacion testifyinge vnto my spirit that I am his chosen beloued predestined childe in christe commandinge me to call and beleue him to be my merciful father shuld I not beleue in him be assewered of my saluacioÌ„ forgeuenes perseuerance in hope al dubitacion and dout excluded If I did not beleue constantly hope for it so shuld I dishonor gods vecite which syn be satte fro me wherfore hathe God geuen me the certitude and vndouted assewrance but in hope to abyde paciently waitinge certainly for his performance wyll ye beleue beter men then God And to excercise this owr assewerd faith and hope he sendeth vs continuall crosse and affliccions And we haue the continual reading hearing of his holy scripturs vt permaneamus fide fundati ac stabiles that we perseueringe grounded and faste roted in faith shuld not swarue from the hope of y e gospel And al be it in y e straight and narow path of charite I swarue and fall by y e waye yet haue I gods promyse apprehended by my faithe that I shal not so fall as to hurte me be broken but to ryse agene For y e Lord hath promised to put his hand vnder me to lyft me vp ayen w t an c. lyke counfortable promyses to reduce repentant sinners into the waye which promises humbly with reuerence and fear and thanks I enbrace It is thou oh lorde that assewerest me to perseuer certainly and settest me in assewerance Howe many promises haue we God to be our strength our rok bulwerk castel tower defence helper for Christ our intercessour and reconciler his sake with a thou said lyk confortable excercises of our faith to strengthen and confirme our hope and expectacion in sewerty and perseuerance But your doutful doctryne knoweth nether God ne Chryst ne faith But to confirme ours yet aftir this a fore said obsignacion of the holy spirit God assewerth also his congregacion therof with the visible seals of baptism his holy souper to put vs in mynde of his beneuolence towerd vs of his testameÌ„t couenaÌ„t iÌ„ chrstis blod In baptisme dewli ministred I remeÌ„ber se his deth burial resurreccioÌ„ wherin also I am taught to be mortifyed my sinnes buried in his woundis and to ryse agene into a newe lyf And in the holy souper of the Lorde dewly ministred I remember and see with the eyes of my faith in the breakinge and geuinge of the holy bread his bodi brokeÌ„ crucified geueÌ„ me into the remission of my sinnes And in the holy wyne lykewyse powered forthe and geueÌ„ me I remember and see his most preciouse blode shed for me into the remission of my synnes And euen these be holy sacred adsewerances in my faith and hope of my saluacion thus dayly excercisinge my faith and hope into a perpetuall perseuerance in the same adsewerance while I lyue which asâ—werances ye saye ye cannot tell of A shameles ignorance in a bishop great infidelite and blasphemy is it in you if ye will not know this so manifest a sewerance offered and geuen into euery faithfull Christianes hand herte and mouthe Thus haue I lerned iÌ„ scripturs If we turne when god turneth to vs. If we beleue when god illumineth vs If we loue as god kindleth vs. If we be baptized as god commandeth vs we shall be iustified Ye iugle with your Iffes and half turnes For as there is no man turned to god with frutefull repentance but he first knowe gods merciable forgeuenes in christ by his faith iustifienge him so is there none but thei first knowe God in christe ere thei loue him beleue iÌ„ god thorow Iesu Christ ere thei be baptized into his name For who professeth god y e father the sonne and the holy ghoste and the christen religion onlesse he knowe it It were a backward order and an vpsidowne preposterouse plaÌ„tynge the profession to go before the doctrine and knowledge of the religion as it hath ben a longe season vsed and therefore all suche preposterouse religions as ye see degenered into apostacye and into all the most filthy abominacions and idolatrye be now come to naught as christ prophecied of all such backward plantacions And therfore your Iffes staÌ„d in a wrong place For your baptisme with water is such a condicion that as al thei that be baptized therwith be not therfore saued so were not all they that beleued in christ and al the chosen infantes conteined vnder the promise dyinge before circumcision or baptisme dampned but withoute circumcision and baptisme of water saued by election and their beleif And therefore your doctrine of your Iffes holdeth not And if the quene of Candaces courtman so enstructe of Philip in the wagen â–ª had died in that faithe before his baptisme with water yet had his onelye faith saued him by christes own wordes sainge who so beleue in me hath life eternal It is not y e baptisme with water ne your penaunce y t saueth vs as ye dreame for no element ne creature ne mans work may do that thing It is god only in christ that regenereth with the spirit of faith and by that inuisible baptisme be we saued of god thorowe Iesu christe If you shulde tarye till ye haue fulfilled all your conditions for your saluacion ye shulde come to short of the gates shuttinge And therefore merciablye saith the lorde in Isay. He wyl make short his word of rightwismakinge and finish it in a plenteous abouÌ„daÌ„t rightwisenes euen in christ made of him our rightwisnes holden by faith onely Children by your popish doctrine that dye before baptime and y e infantes in Moses law diyng before the aight day shulde be dampned as ye teache whiche is to harde for you to proue when the scripture is plain agenst you as I am able to proue it and can shewe it plainely The baptisme therfore with water wasshethe onely the body and the minister bringeth the water and wordes onelye no saluacion nether as causes efficientes ne formall So that baptisme with water is but the visible seall instituted of god and ferme token of the former iustification by faythe in the regeneration of the spirit y e seall I say testifienge to the congregation that he is incorpored into them For thus it correspondeth sayth Peter the newe byrth wherby the spottes of the soule be taken awaye And thus is baptisme with water signaculum iustitie fidei the seal and testimony of the rightwisnes of faith as was circumcision and not y e selfe same rightwisnes it selfe as ye teach ye may make it signum iustitie operis
I adde this gathered out of scripture Ioye where I pray you y t lyke as in other actions or qualities being in god essentiall we be called by participation by the names attributed to god and for so miche as we do participate haue also the thinge in dede And therfore as god is goodnes it selfe we by participatioÌ„ froÌ„ him be good As god is lyght it selfe we by participacion froÌ„ him be lyght As god is wisedome it selfe we by participation from him be wise So as Christe merited and deserued thorowly we by participation in vsing his giftes merite and deserue And as Christe satisfied fully so by particion we also satisfy He that gathereth not with me saith Christ skatereth ye haue not iustlye gathered with him ergo ye haue skatered by your participacion If your gathering be true in these your expressed accions and essencyals of meritinge and satisfienge so muste it be true in gods other actions and essencials but blasphemouse and false is the lyke gatheringes in hys other names and accions Wherefore youre gatherynges in these be blasphemouse and also vngodly The minor I proue by your owne lyke demonstracion God participateth to maÌ„ his names of wysedom and goodnes by whiche he created al creatures and yet foloweth it not without blasphemy that the same man by particicipacion of those names of wysedom goodnes of god shuld create any one of the lest creatures that euer god made no not so muche as a wynge of a gnatte can he make by participacioÌ„ Now how say you Is this wel gathered that because god participateth to vs his names y t therfore we may do his diuine actions God imparteth his rightwisnes to man wher of man is called iust yet it foloweth not that therby by participacion man myghte iustifye him self or any other let god imparte to you his benediccion and let vs then see whether therwith by participacion you withall the fingers ye haue can so blesse an infidele or turke yea or your owne selfe that he or you be blessed and chosen of god The lorde telleth you that he wyll curse youre blessynges because ye haue applyed your hertes vnto such blasphemies of his holy names Here maye euery man see howe vnlernedly howe blasphemously and fondely ye gather to make your antichristen doctryne to seeme true to the symple vnlearned to seduce theÌ„ into errours Ye must beware howe ye gather w t god from his essencial names to his diuine actions participated to synful man For thoughe in our regeneracion and incorporacion into christ we do Chryste vpon vs as writethe Paule Gal. iii and so be couered w t his ryghtwysenes holynes wysedome merites c. yet maye not we there with worke his diuine accions onely appropriated to his godhead ye speake shamefull repugnaunces in youre wordes saynge as christe merited thorowlye and satisfyed fully so do we merite and satisfye by participacion How standeth these together he thorowly and fully absolutly totally perfitely as ye saye before yet we by participation as it were partely halfe deuyded to hym and parte to vs when your wordes be al and wholly and fully to hym what parte leaue ye for vs But admitted your terme of participacion althoughe I knowe the scripture hathe it not expressely but the doing vpoÌ„ vs his rightwisenes his goodnes and other names yet albeit it folowethe god participateth to vs his goodnes and wisedome and so we be good wyse it foloweth not that we hauing these names do the selfe same diuine accions workes of god whiche he wrought w t his wisedoÌ„e goodnes in the creacion of y e world of nothing he participateth to vs christes merites ergo therw t we merit as did christ for vs y e remissioÌ„ of our sins I deny your argumeÌ„t but it foloweth ergo we by his merites be forgeuen and saued not for our owne he participatethe to vs his satisâ—accions ergo we satisfy for our synnes nego argumentum but it foloweth ergo by his satisfaccion doone vppon vs the fathers iustice is appeaced and he is pleased wyth vs as the fathers voyce out of heuen hathe declared it your argument if ye be not deceiued to deceiue other is a mere deceit called of sophisters fallacia secunduÌ„ quid ad simpliciter If a man shulde aske you howe and wherein the wisdom and godnes and light in god differe from these thinges in vs after the kyndes of diffirences really or rationally genere or specie c. I thinke ye muste be compelled as your gatheringe here declare you to make suche an answer as shuld proue your wysedome but folishnes as Paule saithe and the light in you to be but derkenes as chryst affirmeth it and your merites and satisfaccions to be synne and wikednes yea blasphemy to christes merites and satisfaccions Paule was bothe holye iust good and yet with those names could he not do y e goodnes he wolde do but that euil whiche he wold not do If christe meriteth and satisfieth for vs fullye and perfetly as the pistle to the hebrews declareth so is there no parte of your meriting ne satisfyeng by participacion lefte for vs. Away therfore with your prophane vaine vocables as Paule biddeth you where ye reade falsely in y e greke vnlernedly nouitates for manitates to smyte me there with when with y e same rodde ye worthely smyte yourselfe vsinge these your newefound stertinge termes of participacion condicions effectes to merit to vse ye cannot tell what and dare not or cannot vse and speke the playne simple wordis of y e scripture left vs of the holy goste It is an euident token that ye suspecte your doctrine to be false and mistruste your parte when ye flye from the scriptures to suche sliber shiftes as to merite by participation ye abuse your patched participation placyng it impertineÌ„tly For the scripture calleth vs good wise iust holy c. because by faythe in our regeneration of the spirite we by adopcion made the childreÌ„ of god do christ vpoÌ„ vs his vestures as his rightwisenes holynes wisedom merites and satisfaccions couered now with his as with our owne of which doing vpon vs or clothing vs there is often mencion in the scriptures not of youre participacion For these so excellente his diuine essenciall inseparable names kouer non froÌ„ their contraries but suche as haue doone Christe vpon them incorporated into him ere ye can make redy your participated merits to place theÌ„ a parte post as ye do ye deale not iustely w t Christe to couple your vayne merites insufficient satisfactions with his so painefull merites ful satisfaction expressed out of his mooste tender innocent bodye and bloud in his so bitter passyon Ye ought not therfore by participation ioyne so contrary merites together so iniuryouslye to christes deth to his glory which saith I wil not geue my glory to any other For it is I
alone saith he whiche for my nown selues sake do away thy sinnes not for thy patched merites It is I saith he y e trode the wyne presse all alone not one to helpe me It is I that wylbe alone and haue no pere ne match c. We esteme not therefore as ye do our iustification so vyle a thing as to be bought and deserued w t our sinful workes But we esteme it so preciouse as to be bought and deserued with the moost precyouse bloude of that innocente lambe our sauyoure Christ. The remission of oure synnes in whiche we affirme our ryghtewysenes to stand is so ryche and of so precyouse a price that it can not be recompensed ne satisfyed with any good dede of ours And therfore coulde it neuer haue ben gotten ne bought onlesse it had ben frely geuen vs. But so came it not to christe For it coste him no small price It coste him his owne most preciouse blode without which so worthey and so ryche a pryce the iustice of god coulde neuer haue ben satisâ—yed ne the redempcioÌ„ paide for vs. These thingis when we teache men then are they monished that as oft as they sinne so oft do they shede that most innocent bloude of christe Also we teche our filthines to be so lothely and stinkinge that it coulde neuer haue ben washed away but with the only fountaine of this most preciouse holy bloud This doctrine who so heare it conceiue they not thinke ye a greater horrour displeasure and feare for their sinnes then if we shulde teache them falsely as ye do their sinnes to be so easely wiped away w t a buzing absolutioÌ„ y â— prestes hand laide vpon their headis with a Lady psalter penaunce or with a wyll worke of oures with an euyll wyll doone as for the choyce of a meat and such lyke yea and yf there be any sparke of gods spirite in theÌ„ home afraid wil they be and tremble beinge once purged any more to walowe them selues wrapped againe in the myer wherby as much as in theÌ„ lyeth they trouble and infect the puritie of this so swete and cleare a fouÌ„taine I haue wasshed my fete saith the faithful soule and shall I defile them againe Nowe is it plaine whether of vs two make the forgeuenes of oure sinnes moste vyle do most sclaunder to the dignitie of oure iustificacion As for your popishe doctryne in this article is but a spightefull mocke and skorne to saye god to be appeced and pleased with your owne friuole synfull satisfaccions and merites that is with dirte and derme But we affirme the offence our synnes to be muche more greuouse theÌ„ w t such maner light trifles I cal theÌ„ no worse to be purged wyped away yea we teache y e offence commytted agaynste the high maiestie of god to be more waightye and therfore so muche the more to be abhorred then wyth these youre easye vaine of noughte worthe satisfactorye merites to be remitted And therfore it to be the only prerogatyue pryce of Christes bloude to satisfy and deserue our remissioÌ„ As for you if rightwisenes faile ye teache it to be restored by your owne satisfactory workes but we affirme it with goddes worde to be muche more preciouse then maye be compared and recompensed with any work at all ours And therfore for the restoringe therof we constantly teache almen to flye onlye to the mercye of god apprehended by onely faythe in Christe Iesu. But I dyd neuer vtter this proposition in these termes to saye that man must merit remission of sinne nor haue not redde it in this forme No. But ye saye it by participation and vnder your forme and colour of youre condicions ye speake it plainly Ye say that by the workes of penaunce men taste and fele Chrystes passion whiche the scripture sayth is tasted by felynge remission of synnes ye say that sinners be called to grace to do the workes of penaunce wherby to recouer remyssyon of theyr sinnes And in your collette ye praye ut mere amur assequi quod promittis That we myghte deserue to obtayne the thynge God promysethe whiche is remyssion of oure synnes And in youre seconde article ye saye They that wyll enioye the remyssyon of theyr synnes muste fulfyll poure condicyon whyche as ye declare it is stuffed ful of your merites and winchesters good workes And all youre argumentes reasons gatheringes and deduccions tende to the same popishe point Without I wold encounter with you in raylynge I haue nothinge to saye here vnto c. I raile not on you I tel you of your false doctrine confutinge it w t gods worde It is you that rayle vpon me and rebuke me mooste impudentlye causeles for writinge the truth and confutynge your popyshe Antichristen doctrine whereby ye seduce the people into errours into theyrs and your dampnation and in many places ye belye me deadely and sclaunder me most haynouslye with heresye and be not able to proue it It is you y t peruert falsefy gods worde to stablish your antichristeÌ„ heresies It is your deuillysh dryft wycked counsel to thrust gods holy eternal worde of saluacion out of that noble realme persecutynge it so cruelly w t swerde and fyer so mercylessely burninge the innocent lambes of christe for professinge Christe and his holye worde Ye can saye nothing against me alledginge the scriptures trulye as I do except ye wyll impugne the veritie as ye do ye haue not yet in al your bokes iustely soluted one texte that I haue brought against you as euery reader maye see it yf he lyst to compare our bokes together I for my selfe boste not my workes to the worlde but do the office of an hand at a crosse to saye this is the right waye c. Except ye do thoffice of a true hand and iuste minister not onelye poyntynge the right waye into whiche y e hande nayled to the crosse neuer entred it selfe ye shall not be so excused with onely pointinge before christes iudgement seat If ye be christes or his apostels successor ye must folow their exaÌ„ples which did not point to other the waye standynge them selues styll lyke idle handes but they wente before their flocke into the right waye bothe in trewe doctrine preachinge and also in example of godly lyuinge And ye must remember y t Chryst commandeth sclaunderouse and false pointinge handis as ye be one into wronge wayes to be cutte of from the body as he did euel eyes whiche be euel bysshops to be castoute of their bysshoprykes Nether do I iuge you otherwyse then god biddith vs iuge the tree by hir frutes and to be ware of you Ye call me a runner about and dare not appere euery where I am so i dede but for no offences committed agenste god and my prince ne agaynste any other whiche is my counforte in an vpright conscience before god and his holy chirche I am by you drouen