than the otheâ— Patriarks of Alexandria Antioche buâ— that the Bishop of Rome which nowe adayes calleth al things backe to himself is no Bishop at al no nor so much as an elder except he do his duty in ministring the Sacraments and in instructing admonishing and teaching the people That God is the creator of al things God beeing singular good and almightie created all things bothe visible and inuisible by his coeternal word and also preserueth the same by his coeternal spirite according as Dauid witnesseth saying Psal 33. by the word of god the heauens were made and all the power of them by the breath of his mouth And al thinges that God made were as sayth the Scripture exceeding good and made for the vse and commoditie of man and I say that all those thinges proceeded from one beginning Therefore I condemne the Manichees Marcionites which did wickedly surmise two substances natures the one good the other bad likewise two beginnings two coÌ„trary gods one good another naught Of Prouidence I beleue that al things both in heauen earth in al creatures are mainteined gouerned by gods wisdome Psa 139. For Dauid witnesseth saith the lord is high aboue al natioÌ„s his glory aboue the heauens Who is like the lorde our god who hath his dwelling on hye and yet stoupeth to loke vpon the things that are in heaueÌ„ and earth The same man saith againe vnto god Thou hast forsene al my ways For there is not a worde in my toung which thou knowest not euery whit O Lorde Also Paule witnesse the same and saith by him we liue Act. 17. moue and be And of him by him and in him are all thinges Most truely therefore and according to the scriptures Rom. 12. doth Austin in the eyghte chapter of his booke concerning Christs Agonie say the Lord said are not twoo sparrowes solde for a farthing and one of them lighteth not vppon the grounde without the will of your father In saying so he ment to shew that euen the thing whiche men take to be vilest are gouerned by the Lords almighty power Ma. 10. For after the same maner doth the truth say Ma. 6. that he feedeth the birdes of the aâ—re and clotheth the lyllies of the feeld and also keepeth iust account of the heares of our heades Of the Angells both good and bad I admit with the right beleuing church that among all thinges created Angells and men are the cheefe the scripture of God pronounceth of the Angels that he made his Angels spirits his ministers a flame of fyre And againe are they not al ministring spirits sent forth to do seruice for them that shal be heires of saluation And the Lord Iesus himselfe witnesseth of the Diuill that he was a murtherer from the beginning John 8. and stode not in the truth bycause there is no truth in him When he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his owne for he is a Lyer and the father of lyes Therfore we teache that of the Angels some abode still in obedience and are appointed to the faithfull seruice of God and man and that othersome fell of their owne accord and were throwen downe into destruction and are become enemies of all goodnesse and of al faithfull men Of mans creation Concerning man and creation I beleue the doctrine of the scripture that at the first he was created good after the Image and lykenesse of God and the God did set him in Paradice Gen. 2. put all things in subiection to him Which thing Dauid coÌ„meÌ„deth mightily in the eyght Psalme Also he gaue him a wife and blessed theÌ„ And I say that man consisteth of twoo dyuerse substaÌ„ces in one persone namely of an immortall Soule and a mortall body Of the state of Innocency or of the originall ryghtuousnesse of our firste fathers and of their fall God made man at the beginning after the Image of God in true ryghtuousnesse and holynesse good and ryghtuous but by the inticement of the Serpent and by hys owne faulte he fell awaye from goodnesse and ryghtuousnesse and became subiect to sinne death and sundry calamities And suche as he became after his fall such are al the spring of him namely euen subiect to sin death and sundry calamities Of Sinne I vnderstoode Sin to be the natiue corruption of man deryued and spred abroade into vs all from those oure firste parents wherethrough we be plunged in lewd lustes and turned away from goodnesse but forewarde to all euill and full of all naughtinesse as distrust contempte and hating of God can do no good of oure selues no nor once thinke any But rather the more we growe in yeeres the more do we bring forth corrupt frutes meete for an euill tree in our thoughtes and words and deedes done lewdly against Gods law In which respect being through our own desert subiect to Gods wrathe we be put vnder iust punishmentes in so muche that we shoulde all of vs haue bin cast of from God if Christe oure deliuerer Mat. 12. Gen. 14. in whom mankinde whiche els was lost was restored againe had not brought vs to him againe Of death the wages of Sinne. Therfore by death I meane not onely bodily death whiche we must all of vs once suffer for oure sins sake but also the endlesse punishments due to our sinfulnes and corruption Eph. 2. For we were deade saith the Apostle in oure offences and sins and we were the children of wrath as others are But God who is riche in mercie quickened vs with Christ when we were dead through our sins Rom. 5. Againe like as by one maÌ„ sin entred into the world death by sin so also death passed into al men inasmuch as al men haue sinned Of originall sin and of the cause of sinne I acknowledge that there is original sin in all men and I acknowledge that all other sins which spring thereof are called sins and are sins in very deede by what name so euer they be called whyther deadly or veniall Mar. 3. or the sinne that is called the sin againste the holye Ghost which is neuer forgiuen Also I confesse that all sins are not equall though they spring all out of one fountaine of corruption and vnbeleefe 1. John 3. but that some are greuouser than othersome according as the Lord hath sayd that it shal be easyer for Sodome and Gomor Math. 10 than for the city that refuseth the word of the Gospell Therfore I condemne all suche as haue taughte contrarye heereto and specially Pelagius and all Pelagians and Iouianistes who with the Stoikes make all sins a lyke heynouse In this cace I am fullye of opinion with Sainte Austin who alledged his matters out of the holy scriptures and defended them by the same Furthermore I condemne Florinus and Blascus and all suche as make God the author of sin Psam 5. against whom
beleeue that For if sinne be the breaking of the law then without the law there is no sinne P. No but death is the hyre or wages of sinne and deathe executed hys power aforetymes from Adam vnto Moyses the minister of the lawe euen vppon those that had not yet sinned after the maner of Adam which mischeefe God remedied by sending the heauenly Adam of whome the former earthly Adam was a tipe and figure that like as the first Adā had brought in sin and death so this latter Adā shuld bring in forgiuenes of sinnes rightuousnes and consequently also euerlasting lyfe R. It may seeme scarse cōuenient that the olde Adam should be a figure of the new For he did hurt both him selfe by his sinne and his posteritie by his example and by the spreading forth of his sinne by discent of birth and all men doo euen yet still to this day feele the markes of that old offence that is to wit natural leawdnesse distrust feare hatred of god and other suche thinges But Christe is the fountaine and welspring of all good thinges and chaseth al terrour douting and naughtinesse out of our mindes and procureth vs Gods good fauour and welspring Furthermore what iust comparison can there be betweene the sin of Adam and the fauour of God recouered for vs againe by our Lord Iesus Christ P. Truly you haue hit the matter as it is in deede Howbeit although the similitude seme to disagree in the other parts and to match things repugnant togither yet is it not only like but also far greater in this point that as by that one mans fall very manye fell into the tyranny of death so the gyft and grace of God did ouerflovv sheade forth it selfe more abundantly vppon many through Iesus Christ R. Now I perceiue the matter more plainly lyghtsumly For eyther of thē as I see did conuey ouer a certen heritable right of his into mankind The old Adam conueyed ouer sin and death the second Adam Christ conueyed ouer rightuousnes lyfe grace attonement Or if it be lawful to match the greatest things with the smallest God seemeth to haue incoūtered as it were hand to hand with Satan and to haue vtterly cut vp and ouerthrowen his kingdome that is too wit sinne and death and moreouer to haue deliuered Adā frō his tiranny to haue tryumphed and set vp a monument of victorie in grace ryghtuousnesse and euerlasting lyfe by his owne most deare beloued son P. After that you haue moost fitly noted vvhat is peculiar too be eyther of the Adams vvhat is common to them both novv it seemeth meete to be considered that there is great oddes betweene the afterdeele which the first Adam brought mankinde vnto by his fault and the vnmeasurable grace that is broughte vs by the heauenly Adam Christ For by the one sinne of the first Adam al men fell in danger of damnation But now the release of many sinnes is befalne vnto men by the benifyte of Christ who pardoneth the misdooings of thē that beleue and giueth them the spirite of true ryghtuousnesse R. Truly I am throughly perswaded of these things For albeit that all the vyces that euer were are or shall be doo spring out of that one offence as out of the verie well head yet notwithstanding there is offered vs so great and so vnconsumable a treasure of all goodnesse and vertue in Christe that wee be no more in any perill eyther of that originall sinne or of any of all the fruites thereof For all that fountayne of sinfulnesse shal be drawen dry by the diuine power of Christ and by the presence of his spirite But what remedie shewe you for death P. Verily euen a readie one Death reigned ouer all men subdued them to his tyrannie by one mans most heinous offence But they that receiue the full measure of Gods grace and the gift of righteousnes shall much more reigne in life thrugh one namely Iesus Christ R. O noble victorie whereby Satan his kingdome and death it selfe and all the rest of our enemies are ouercome by the heauenly Adam our Captayne and Emperour P. But to the intent we may at length make an ende of the comparing of the two Adams togither thus standeth the case Like as by one mans fault and offence condemnation was spred ouer all men so also by one mans righteousnes wherthrough we be made rightuous the benefite and gift also was bestowed vpon all men to iustifie them and to restore them to the spiritual life For like as by one mans disobedience many became gyltie of disobedience so also by one mans obedience many shall be made rightuous R. Surely Paule I am maruelously delighted with these your trim comparisons wherin to my seming you haue comprehended the whole state of christiā religion Which order of dealing would God that all such as will iustly be counted Christes disciples would follow and leaue all curious disputations To bee short I beare this in minde euer shall that all euils are to be fathered vpon the first Adam and all good things vppon the last But I can not tell what a bone you leaue me to gnawe vpon For seeing you attribute all thinges to Gods grace and mercy set foorth to vs in his Christe I see not to what purpose or vse the Lawe shoulde any more serue but to accuse vs and to bewray our sin and to prouoke vs to sin more more P Of the lawe and of his offices wee will speake more at length heereafter For this present thinke you it inough that the law stepped in to thintent that sinne might abound be more plainly discerned of men who were so blinde that they coulde scarse perceiue the shamefulnes of their sinnes And yet notwithstāding it came to passe thrugh Gods grace that the more that sinne abounded and grew strōg the more also did Gods goodnes and mercy ouer abound that like as sin had reigned to the death destruction of mankind so also grace might reigne through righteousnes vnto eternal life that by the meanes of our Lorde Iesus Christe the purchaser of mans saluation R. Sir you haue hitherto discoursed many thinges notably well concerning the free righteousnes wherwith god indued the beleuers Howbeit forasmuche as many men as I said at the beginning do take libertie occasion of sinning bicause the Lord doth lay forth the treasure of his grace to all men by his Gospell not only not imputeth not their sins to the beleeuers but also poureth the spirit of righteousnes into them as though the praise of gods mercy grew out of the multitude of sinnes therfore if I may be so bold as to take their person vpon me I demaund of you whether it be lawfull for the iustified sort to continue licētiously in sinning Chapter 6.1 either bicause men are frayle and subiect to corruption or to the intent that Gods grace may appeare more and more P. God
soeuer you yeelde youre selues as seruants to obey his seruāts you are Ioh. 8.34 2 Pe. 1.19 whither you obey sin that leadeth you vnto death or obedience innocency rightuousnesse vvhich lead you vnto lyfe R. If men were cleare of hearing they would receiue imbrace this your most certē strong saying For what is more against resō thā to seke to match ioyne togither things that are most repugnāt as for exāples light darkenes fredome bondage sin grace and that do they surely intēd as oft as they feare not to bynd thēselues to sin vnder pretence of grace liberty Yet must you not thinke all mē to be of this mould For ther are many in this our church of Rome which hauing shaken of the yoke of sin by the benefite of regeneration go forward with all their hart vnto vertue and godlinesse P. And I truely do gyue continuall thankes vnto God and euer shall that wheras you were the bondslaues of sin now you being set free by Gods meere goodnesse and made his children haue hartely obeied the order of his doctrine that is to wit of the Gospel which is deliuered to you to bring you life Now therefore you being set fre from sin do serue the rightuousnes and innocency wherūto god hath called you therfore you must not in any wise yeld to sin R. Certesse a greate number of vs are notably well minded vnto holines such is the singular grace working of Gods spirite in our harts and we hope that he will continually help our infirmityes P. In good sooth to the intent I may haue respect of your frayltie I will deale with you after the maner of men Therfore like as you haue yelded your members the witts of your mynde your powers and your strength as instruments to vnclennesse and levvdnesse to doo levvdly so as you became euery daye woorse than other through the reigning of levvdnesse in you so now yeld you your members if not more lustily yet at leastvvise not more lasyly as instrumentes vnto innocency as instruments to vvorke holinesse and becōme you euery day cleaner frō all vncleanes And thervvithall remēber that at suche tyme as you serued sin you vvere straūgers outlavves to rightuousnes But I besech you vvhat fruite reaped you of the thinges vvhereof you be novv ashamed Surely the ende of them is death R. Euery mans owne fault reproueth himselfe As for myne owne parte you will not beleeue howe ill I am ashamed as oft as my former wretched and lewd lyfe cōmeth to my mind For what shall I tel you how that euen from my verie cradle as sone as I had any wit and discretion according to mine own natural corruptiō naughtines the wylines of the old serpent which called for the lesson that he had once taught Adā by by trusting to the abilitie of mine owne wit I thought my selfe wiser than al the world tooke my selfe almost as a God in all my dooings so as I can not sufficiently maruel that Gods mercifulnesse was so great as to voutsafe to beare with me so patiently when I followed my sinne so long time and so wilfully P. Now then seeing you be both loosed from the bonds of sinne and made the seruaunts of God you shall reape the fruit of your holinesse and euerlasting life abideth for you in the ende For as death is the wages of sinne euen so is euerlasting life I say not a wages or hire for the excellēcie therof is such that we can not compare it yet must we not therefore couet it or care for it the lesse but rather the more inasmuch as it is the more excellent lieth in the power of gods soueraigne bounteousnesse but the free gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lorde and not in any wise for our deserts R. I easily agree with you in this case friend Paule But I do not well vnderstande what you meane by saying that we be loosed from the lawe For in as muche as Gods lawe is holy and righteous and as a certen light whereby to walke in the true way of saluation and was appointed to the Israelites by god for the necessarie vses of the leading a good life so as they mighte beholde the will of the Creator in it as in a cleare glasse how is it possible that the man which is borne anewe shoulde be loosed from that law and that he should thencefoorth liue as without law Or by what meanes can the law seeing it is of god bring foorth euill deedes P. I will make the whole matter playne in as fewe wordes as I can Chap. 7. and in the example of my selfe shew the offices of the law so you cōsider the three states of man namely vnregenerated regenerating and regenerated Nowe that the whole matter might be vnderstoode the better I borowed a similitude from the lawe of wedlocke For these are my words Know ye not brethren I speake of suche as haue skill of the law that the wife is bounde by the lawe of wedlock so long as hir husband liueth Cor. 7.33 For the maried woman is boūd to the man by the Lawe so long as she liueth but if the husbande bee dead shee is loose from the Lawe of the man Therefore I thinke she is to be counted an adultresse if she couple hir selfe with an other man while the husbande is aliue to whom alone she had bound the honest vse of hir body by the law of mariage But if the husbande dye I thinke hir to be lose from the law of mariage so as she is no adultresse thoughe shee couple hirselfe with another R. These things will neuer be denied nother of the Gentiles which are inlightened but by the light of nature nor of the Iewes which haue the law written P. You iudge right Euen after the same maner you hauing obteyned the righteousnesse of Christ are dead in respect of the lawe by the body of Christ on the other side the lawes power of condemning is dead in respect of you so as now you be at libertie to couple your selues to another namely vnto Christ the sacrifice of propiciation for our sinnes who afterwarde was raysed again from the dead Nother haue you now any more to do with the law both bicause you be no more subiect to the curse of it and also most of all bicause that being nowe possessed led by the spirite of god you be not driuen by the comaundements of the law but led by the guiding of the spirite Therefore as nowe wee haue to deale with grace to bring forth the fruites of holy workes vnto God which hath made vs righteous freely through Christ R. The law of wedlock I know very well and what benefite free iustification bringeth I now vnderstande the better by you But yet I do not throughly perceyue what maner of one this mariage of the law with man is P. I wil vtter the meaning of