preach simple without dispensation of ony part of godes most necessarie word And whether all the occatious of Idolatre be taken away as ymagy ce whom Gregori callith the bokes of the lay men thowghe this title be agaynst the second commaundement and neuer approuid bythold testameÌ„t nor the new â—y word or examplewhere as thoccacion is not remouid the word of god must nedes stand in haserd for god will not Say the wysdom of man what it list haue his churche pesteryd with ony kynd of Idolatrie and to mak god and the deuill agre in one churche it is impossible Saynct Iohn hathe wounderfull wordes in the Apocalippes cap. 3. Vnto the churche of laodicensium scio opera tua quia neque frigidus neque feruidus Vtinam frigidus esses aut feruidus itaque quoniam tepidus es nec frigidus nec feruidus incipiam te euome re de ore meo These wordes aruero necessarie to be bonr in mynd For he that is nether hote nor cold But indifferent to use the kolege of godes word and Christes churche withe the word and glosse of man that teachith the use of ymagys in te church before he can proue by tauctorite of godes word that they may besuffryd in the church doothe not well they haue byn thoccacion of greathurt and Idololatrye the church of the old testament nor the new neuer tawght the people with ymagys Therfore it shalbe the office of euery man that louithe god and his word to folow the scripture onli And to be wayle the ignorancy of souche as hathe before our tyme or now in our tyme by wordes or wryting defend the same And with all humilite and humblenys submitt hymselfe to the iudgmet and Censure of the iudge of all Iugdes the word of god that he may wysely and godly dissern what is to be belyuid and acceptyd of ony doctors wrytinges and what is not to be acceptyd What is to be perdonid and what is not to be pardonid and by the perylles and dangers of other lern to be wyse that we commit not the same fault à fyne glosse and fere interpretacion cannot make godd an ile thing if I shuld say an ymage prouokyth deuocion holy waterteachith that the blud of Christ was sprynklyd for my sinnes the holy breade teachith that Christes body was torn for my sinnes what shall thesse glosses excuse the fact nay nay Christ that died for our sakes would not his deathe to be prechid this way but out of the scripture by the tong of man and not out of the decrees of Bishopes by adrop of water or peyntyd post he that tok the paines to dy and suffre his passion for te redeÌ„tion of the worold soly and only soly and only hathe taken the paynes to teach the worold how and which wai they shuld kepe this passion in mynd and lefft it unto the worold in wryting by the handes of his holy Aposteles unto the which wreting only he hathe bound and obligatyd his churche and notto the wretings of men In this passaige I admonishe the Christiane reader that I speake not of the lawes of magistrates or princes that daili ordey ne new lawes for the preseruacion of there comune wealthe as they se the necessite of there Realmes or cites require But of souche lawes as men hathe ordeinid for the churche of Christ whiche shuld be now and for euer gouernyd by the word of God In this cause loke as eue offendid obeyng the persuacion of the deuill contrary unto the commaundement of God so doothe euery man offend obeyng ony lawes or decrees that commaundithe ony thyng contrary unto the word of God This law must preuayle Oportet Deo magis obedire quâm hominibus The exampleherof we haue in Daniel of the thre chyldren that chose reather to burn in the firie furny se then to worshipp The ymiage that Nabucadneser had made so did the Aposteles Act. 5. let all the worold coÌ„sider whether these lawes of the Bishopes the Masse whiche is â prophanation of Christes supper to bynd meÌ„nes consciens to pray unto did saynctes to say Imagis be to be suffryd in the temples and constrayne the ministres of the churche to lyue sole contrary unto there uocacion ar to be obeyd or not they do no lesse offend God in obeyng these lawes then Eue dyd in obeyng the uoyce of the serpeÌ„t the wysdom of all the wittes in the worold cannot coÌ„prehend the greatnys of this yle mak what lawes they will for the body so the leaue the consciens fre with pacience it is to be suffryd only I lament the bondayge of the conscieÌ„s cursyd be these that make souche lawes and cursyd be those that withe sophistrie defend them that parasitus and bond man of the bishope of Rome pigius in his writiÌ„ges shamith not to say it is lesse synne for â prist to kepe an other mannis wief then to haue â wiefe of his awne Conserning actes indifferent whiche of them selfes or nether good nether yle as to refrayne from eating of fleshe the fryday obseruyng of the fests kept holy in the remembrance of souche holy martires as died for the faythe of Christ or in keping holy Ester and witsonday there is too respeects most diligeÌ„tly to be obseruid thone good and to be suffrid the other yle and to be eschewyd souche as abstayne from fleshe and think they do better seruyce to god and would lik wice obtayne remission of there synnes by those workes do declare boothe them selfes and there workes to be yle But souche as abstay ne because the sprite may be more ardent and the mynd more yeuen to study and prayer doothe well and as they be bound to do and to com unto the temple to pray for them selfes and the churche of Christ and to hyre the word of god doothe well for as god commaundithe his word to be preachyd and hard so he hathe apoyntid à certayne tyme as the sabbothe whenpeople shuld hyre it And not only this order to be obseruid in the churche but also in euery familye and houshold of what degre so euer he be He shuld cause his familie and chyldren to rede some part of the Bible for there erudition to know god Likwy ce he shuld constrayne them to pray unto god for the promocion of his holy word and for the preseruacion of the gouerners of the commune wealthe so that no day shuld passe witheout prayer and augmeÌ„tacion of knolege in the religion of Christ But our new Euangelistes hathe an other opinion they dreame of faythe that iustifieth the whiche nether repentaynce presedithe nether honesty of lyffe folowithe which shalbe to there doble damnacioÌ„ if they amend not He that will conforme his knolege unto the word of god let hym likwyce conuert his Itef withe all as the word requirithe and as all the examplis of Christ and his gospelle teachithe or else what will he do withe the doctrine of Christ whiche only
soule and mind to folow the meanes untill souche tyme as theffect and end be optainid wherfore the meanes was appoyntid The meanes was she wyd unto Adame at his fyrst and originall transgression the sede of awoman which shuld breake the hed of the serpent destroye the kingdome of the deuill and Restore Adame and as monye as knew and belyuyd in this sede unto lief euerlasting and as the sinne of Adame thonly occacion of all mannes miserie was deryuid into all his posterite and made subiect unto deathe and the ire of God for euer so was this sede frō the begynning aueri trew and sufficient remedie to as mony as belyuid and god for his promes sake quit and deliueryd man from the right and cleame of the deuill and by marcy restorid the place that was by malite ād cōtēpt lost he that would cōsider diligētli these to thynges the sinne of Adame and the marcy of God shuld fynd hym selfe far unable to expresse or sufficientli thinck the greamis of the one or of the other When they ar so far passyng the reason and undrestondyng of man All the solace and Ioy of Adames posterite consistith soli and only in this Rom. 5. Vbi abundauit delictum super abundauit gracia the benefitis and merites of this seade aboundith and is more auayle able before the iudgment of God then sinne the flesh the deuyll and the worold this treasure and in estimable ryches must beperfetly knowen of euery person that wilbe sauyd it is onli in Christe and in the knolege of hym what he is and what is his offyce The second Chapiter conteynythe what Christ is HE is the sone of the lyuing God and perpetuall uirgine Marie Booth god and man the trew Messias promisid unto man from the begynning of his falle Whom sainct Iohn callythe the word of eternall essens and deuine maiestie saing In principio erat sermo sermo erat apud deū sermo erat deus Ioan. 1. sainct Paule ad Coloss capite 1. Callith hym the ymaige of god c. Vnto the ebrewes cap. 1. the bryghtmis of god the creade of Nece callith hym lumen de lumine the naturall sone of god in whom dwellith the fountayne of all diuinite naturally as Paule saith Coll. 2. in eo inhabitat plenitudo diuinitatis corporaliter meaning that he is not the sone of god by adoption or acceptation into grace as Abraam Dauid and other holy saynctes But naturally the sone of god equall with the father in all thīgis as Iohn saythe Vidimus gloriam eius tanquam unigeniti â patre cap. 1. so dooth sainct Iohn proue hym in all his writinges to be the uery trew and euerlasting god and not as Ebion and Cerinthus sayde that he was but uery man only he was made mortall man as Iohan sayth Et sermo ille caro factus cap. 1. est to saue the Dan̄id man from imortall deathe and to be à mediator and intercessor unto god for man Matthaei 11. Iohannis 3. Esaiae 11. This scripture dooth not only teache usi the knolege of saluacion but dooth confort us agaynst all the assaules subtiltes and crafftes of the deuill that god would of his inestimable loue rather suffre his only sonne to dy for the worold then all the worold shuld peryshe Remayning allways as he was uery god immortall receauyd the thyng he was not the mortall nature and trew fleshe of man in the which he died as peter sayth 1. Pet. 4. Ireneus pagina 185. hathe those godly wordes Christus fuit Crucifixus mortuus quiescente uerbo ut crucifigi mori possit The deuyne nature of Christ was not rent nor torn nor kyllyd But it obeyd the will of the father It gaue place unto the displeasure and Ire of god that the body of Christ might dye being all wayes equall with his father he could if he had executyd his deuine poure delyueryd this body from the tyranny of the lewes these wordes of Ireneus dooth wounderfully declare unto us what Christ is and agreith with Paule Philipp 2. qui cum in forma dei esset non rapinam arbitratus est ut esset equalis deo sed semetipsum inaniuit forma serui sumpta seing he was sent into the worold to suffre this moost cruell death and passiō He would do nothing that shuld be contrary unto his uocation but with patience prayng for his ennymis submittyd hymselfe unto the ignomynie and contempt of the crosse suffryng paynes in̄umerable without grug or murmur agaynst the holy will of his father his Godhed hyding it selfe untill the thyrd daye when it restorid the soule agayne unto the body and causid it to rysse with great triumph and glory Roman 1. Matthaei 29. Ioann 20. Luk. 24. Mar. 16. Repeting the doctrine that before his deathe he preachid unto the worold that he was booth Kyng and lord highe bishope and prist booth of heuen and of erth Data est mihi omnis potestas in coelo in terra Euntes ergo docete omnes gentes c. Matth. 28. He that before was moost uile and contemple in the sight of the worold now be right and iust title acclemithe the Dominion and Empyre of all the worold how mighty a princ he is the creacion of the worold and the preseruacion therof declaryth hou mercifull to wardes them that repent we know by dayly experience in our selfes and by thexample of othere Adam Dauid Manasse and Peter how cruell and rigurous for sinne The ponishmēt that we suffre and the calamites of this worold declarithe specially the deathe of his moost innocent body how immortall his Ire is agaynst souch as repent not Saul Pharao Iudas with other declare Ho migty and ferfull â lord this is our sauiour Iesus Christe rede his title and stile Naū 1. Where the Prophet threthenythe the destructiō of Niniue and the hole Kyngdom of the assirias as the prynces of the worold use to declare in there letters patent of what pore forse and strenghe they be of and the names of the Realmes and dominions that they haue undre there protection and gouernance to fere there Ennymies that they make no resistance nor moue not the peace of so might aprince so souch a title yeuith the Prophet unto God to fere the cite of Niniue and Kyngdō of the assiriāce saing quid cogitatis contra Dominum ipse consummationem facit nec consurgit uice altera tubulatio this is the stile of the God omnipotentour sauior Iesus Christ in whois name all pores bow there kneys in heuē in erthe and in hell Philip. 2. Caput 3. NOw that the scripture hathe taught us to know that Christ is booth god and man I will briuely intreat of his office ffyrst of his pryshed then of his Kyngdom and Raygne ouer his church till the woroldes end then for euer in solace with his electes in perpetual mercy and fauour withe souch as contemne in this worold his holy
in this law it is prescribid Of wbat degre uocation or calling so euer he be his dewty is shewid unto hym in the scripture And in this it differith from mannes lawes because it is absolute perfeit and neuer to be Chaungid Nothing addid unto it nor taken from it And the churche of Christ the more it was and is burdenyd withe mannis lawes the farther it is from the trew and syncere uerite of godes word The more man presumith and takith authorite to interpretat the scripture after his awne brayne and subtill wytt and not as the uerite of text requirith the more he dishonorith the scripture and blasphemith god thauctor therof It is the office of â good man to teach the churche as Christ tawght to reuoke all Errours and souch as Er unto the fold of Christe only by the word of Christ For the water at the foyntaynce hed is more halsom and pure then when it is caryd abrode in roten pypes or styn king diches I had rather folow the shadow of Christ then the body of all generall conselles or doctors sith the death of Christe The deuille neuer slept but allways by his ministres attemptyd to destroy the uerite of Christes relligion and cleane to put out the ligth of truithe Which was perfet in Christes tyme and in the tyme of the Apostelles Nonne sith that tyme so pure Saynct hieromein uita malchi sayth that his tyme was darkenys in the respect of the Apostelles tyme. The antiquite of the worold doth darken the uerite of godes word As Varro sayth truith uetustatem multa deprauare Multa etiam tollere Et tercium seculum inquit non uidet eum hominem quem uidit primum The truith of godes uerite the more it is usidd practysid and taught aster the wisdom of man the more is the glory and perfection therof darkenyd it is the contrary in all Humane artes as Cicero sayth in humanis nihil simul inuentum perfectum fuit usuque exercitatione factum sit Vt hoc praestantiores artes quaedam fuerint quo longius ab origine sua inuentoribus essent deducte The churche of god must therfore be bound to none other authorite thē unto the uoyce of the gospel and unto the ministery therof as Esa sayth cap. 8. Obsigna legem in discipulis meis the Prophete spekith of souch darkenis as shuld folow his tyme conserning the comming of Messias the trew Doctor of the churche therfore prayd to preserue the trew heres of the Prophetes and that it would pleac hym to confirm the doctrine of truth in there hartes lest the word and trew undrestonding of the word by the deuille shuld be put out and seing the church is bound unto this infallible truith the only word of God it is â false and usurpyd authorite that men attribute unto the clerge and bynd the word of God and Christis church to the successiō of byshoppes or ony coleige of Cardinalles Scoles minystres or Cathedrall churches Paule would noman to yeue fayth to ony person or minystre in the church of God but when he preachith the word of God trewli Gal. 1. Men may haue the gyfft of God to undrestond and interpretat the scripture unto other But neuer authorite to interpretat it other wyse then it interpretatithe it selfe whiche the godly mynd of mā by study meditacion and conferryng of one place therof withe the other may fynd how be it some more some lesse as God yeuith his grace For the ponyshement of our synnes God leuithe in all men à great imperfection and souche as were induyd withe excellent wytt and lernyng saw not allwayes the truithe As it is to be seen in Basilius Ambrose Epiphanius Augustyne Bernerd and other thowghe they stayed them selfes in the knolege of Christ and Erryd not in ony Principall article of the faythe yet they did inordinatly and more then Inowghe extolle the doctrine and tradicion of men and after the deathe of the Apostellis euery doctors tyme was subiect unto souche ceremonye and mannes decrees that was nether profetable ner necessari therefore diligently exortyd Paule the churche of Christ principalto consider and regard the fundacion of all ueryte Menyng that Doctors of the chnrche had there imperfectiō and faultes Fundamentum inquit non potest poni aliud praeter id quod positum est quod est Iesus Christus In the se few wordes is stablyshe al oure faythe and all false religion reprehendyd upon this foundacion sommen buld gold to say godly and necessari doctrine as Policarpus that confutyd the he resy of marcion de essencia Dei of the causis of sinne that the deuyll and mā is the cause of sinne and not god nor fatall destiny nor the influens or respectes of the planetes He meynteinid the trew religion of god and gouernyd the church As the scripture tawght whiche he lernyd of Iohan euangelist and defendyd this truith withe woūderfull cōstāce and martyrdō Basilius and many other reteynid the articles of the faythe but they institutyd the lieffe and rule off monkes and preferryd that kynd of lief before the lief of souche as gouern in the comune wealth the people of god and persuadyd men that souche kynd of lieffe was auery deuyne and acceptable honoryng of god After hym folowyd souche as augmentid this yle and said it was not only acceptable unto God but also that men might deserue therwithe remission of sinne thus alitle and alitle the deuill augmentid supersticion and deminyshyd the trewth of Godes glory so that we se no where the churche of Christ as it was in the Apostelles tyme thowghe mani and godly uerites hathe byn browght unto light in our tyme by men of diuerse graces yet is not the truithe of necessary uerites playnly sheuyd by them lest man shuld to mouche glorye in hymselfe he permyttyd them to ar in certayne poyntes As Luther of ablyssyd memorie which wrote and preachyd the gospell of iustificacion nomā better yet in the cause of the sacramēt he arrithe concerning the corporall precens of Christes naturall body that there is no man can ar more I shall haue occasion to writ the truith concerning this mater herafter it is no reproche of the did man but myne opinion unto all the worold that the scripture soly and the Apostelles churche is to be folowyd and nomans authorite Be he Augustine Tertullian or other Cherubim or Cherabim unto the rules and Canones of the scripture must man trust and reforme his errores therby or else he shall not reform him selfe but rather deform his consciens The churche of the Romaynes Corin thiōs and other the seuē churches that Ioā writithe of in the Apocalipses were in all thinges reformyd unto the rule and form prescribyd by the euerlasting God the ymayge of these churches I allwayes prynt in my mynd And wher so euer I com I lok how nere they resemble the afore rehersid and whether there prechers
to be testimonijs unto us of Godes mighty pore and to draw men unto uertew not these Idoles which the deuill causid to be set in the temple to brinig men from God thus did Christ teache the people his most blessyd death and passion and the frute of his passiō By the grayne of Corn cast into the erthe and sayde Nisi granum frumenti cadens in terra mortuum fuerit ipsum solum manet si aūtmortuū fuerit mul tūfructū affert He hankyd not the picture of his body upon the crosse to theache them his deathe as our late lernyd men hathe donne The plowghman be he neuer so unlernyd shalle better be insructyd of Christes deathe and passion by the corn that he sowithe in the fyld and likwyce of Christes resurrextion then be all the dedpostes that hang in the churche or pullyd out of the sepulchre withe Christus resurgens What resemblaynce hathe the takyng of the crosse out of the sepulchre and goying à prossession withe it withe the resurrexcion of Christ none at all the ded post is as ded when they sing iam non moritur as it was when they buryd it withe in pace factus est locus eius If ony preacher would manifest the resurrexcion of Christe unto the sences Why doothe not he teache tem by the grayne of the fyld that is rysyn out of the Erthe and commithe of the ded corn that he sawid in the winter Whidoth not the preacher preache the death ād resurrextion of Christ by souche fiqures and metaphors as the scripture teachith Paule wounderfully 1. Co. 15. Prouith with argumentes the deathe and resurrextion of Christes and ours like wyce that nothyng may be more playnly tawght â ded post caryd à prosession as mouch resemblyth the resurrextion of Christ As uery deathe resemblyth lief people shuld not be tawght nor by ymayge nor by reliques as Erasmus Rothorodam in his 3. book of Ecclesiastes well declarithe Lactanci us Firmianus usyth â wounder deuyne eloquent and playne maner in the declaring of this resurrextion which is song yerly in the church De resurrectionis dominice die with mani godli and deuine uerses The same Lactancius saythe that there can be no trew religion wher these ymagis be Augustad Mercellū reprehendithe them wounderfully in these wordes of Dauyd os habent non loquuntur seythe men may be son decreauid by imagis likwyce in the fyrst boke de consensueuangelistarū Souche as defend them haue nothing but sophisticall argumentes to blynd the people withe the scripture nor Apostelles churche usyd none as for Gregorie the great and Theodosius with other that defend them all the historis declare that mē of greater lernīg then they by the scripture condemnyd them as leo 3. themperour Constantinus 5. Who assemblyd all the lernid men of Asia and Graecia and condemnyd the use of imagis that Gregory and Martine the fyrst had stablishid but it forsith not had all Asia Affrica and Europa and Gabriel tharchangell descendyd from heauen approuid the use of imagis for asmouch as the Apostelles nether tawght nor wrote of them there authorite shuld haue no place the word of god soly and only is to be preferrid Galat. 1. whiche for byddith imagys Caput VI. The thyrd office of Christe is concerning his prysthade to offre sacrifice unto god and by the same to purge the worold from synne PAule Phillip 2. saythe that Christ humblyd hym selfe unto deathe of the crosse ad Ebre 2. he was made part taker of mannes mortall nature that by deathe he might destroy hym that had the imperie and dominion of deathe to say the deuill Iohan callith hym the lamme that do the take away the synne of the worold loan 1. all the sacrifice of the old law were figures and types of this only sacrifice whiche was appoyntid by god to dy and to suffre theire and displeasure of god for the synne of man as thowghe he hym selfe were asynner and had mery tid this displeasure the greatnis of this Ire sorow confusion ignominie and contempt nether angell ner man can expresse his paynes were so intollerable and his passion so dolorous his deite so obedient withe the fathers will that it was not only à sacrifice but also à iust recompence to satisfye for all the worold soly and only as Christ tawght Nicodemus Ioan. 3. as Paule Ebre 7. 8. 9. 10. Esa 53. and so all the prophetes and patriarches and souch â sacrifice as ons for all sufficithe Ebre 7. these too officies of Christ shuld neuer be out of remembraynce They declare the infinite mercy of god and likewyce his indifferent and egall iustice unto all creatures without respect of persones The token of his mercy may be knoyn in this that he would not that all man kynd shuld be loost thoughe in Adam all deseruyd eternall deathe he openyd his mercy unto Adam not only by word but also by the fyer that descendyd upon his sacrifices and his sonnes so to Abraam then to the worold by the incarnacion and deathe of his only sonne the promesse of grace and the promis of euer lasting lief unto souche as repent and belyue in hym The signes of his Ire and displeasure unto man is this that he would not accept man agayne into his fauour for no penence no sorow no troble no aduersite no weping no wayling no nor for the deathe of oni person Vntill his awne sonne most dere belouid by death appeced his displeasur and be cam suerty to satiffye the iustyce of God and the right that the deuyll had unto ull mankind This if man remembryd as depely and as ernestly as the mater requirithe it shuld make his hartfull sory and brig hym unto an honest and uertews trade of lyffe To consider this example of Godes iustice and equite in the appesing of his awne iust conceuyd Ire and lik wyce that he would do no wrong unto his mortall Ennymy the deuill except the sone of god had byn an aequall and iust redemption â pryce correspondent to contrepece and satisfie the culpe and gilt of mannes sinne God would not haue takē one soule from the right and iustice of the deuill Now of this infallible truithe that Christ hathe sacrifici only for sinne and his deathe accōptid only sufficient for the saluacion of man The churche of Christ is aryght iustructyd of to moost necessarie articles First of iustificacion and then of the right use of the sacrament of his holy body cōcerning iustification thus the word of God theachith Caput VII SAinct Paule whē hesaithe that we be iustifyed by faythe Rom. 3. 4. 5. he menythe that we haue remission of sinne reconciliacion and acceptation into the fauor of God so doothe this word iustifie signifie Deut. 25. hisdich where as God cōmaūdithe the iudge to iustifie quit and absolue the innocent and to cōdemne and punishe the person culpable Paule saythe we or iustied by faythe and not by workes to be
of man whiche is in heauen Now Nicodemus being destitute of all worldly and humane prudence and fynding him selfe full unhable by wytt or lerning to folow theffect of Christes preaching coÌ„serning the meanes of saluacion dependith only of the mouth of Christe and disputithe nomore the mater then Christe shewithe hym the way and makithe â ladder for Nicodemus wher withe he may ascend into heauen and saythe this wayes thow mayst understond the thing I spek of Sicut Moses exaltauit serpentem in deserto ita exaltari oportet filium hominis as Moses lifft upp the serpent in the desert so must the sonne of man belyfft uppe This history of the serpent was not unknowyn unto this lernid man albe it he consyderid not the mystery and sacrament that it figurid Now Christ teachithe hym in this place to understoÌ„d the lawe and because this oration of Christ wroten by sanct Iohan is obscure and lackith â declaracion somwhat of the purpose that Christ would proue omittit Ebreorum more alteram similitudinis partem I will annex the type and figure withe theffect and mystery of the figure and make the text playne Sicut Moses exaltauit serpentem in deserto sic exaltari oportet filiuÌ„ hominis Moses was commaundid to lifft upp this serpent in the wildernes for this cause that who so euer was stong or uenemyd withe the poyson of the serpentes if he lokyd upon the serpent of brasse might be helyd Here is the cause and theffect declaryd Why the serpent was lifft upp Now to the wordes of Christ Ita exaltari oportet filium hominis ut omnis qui credit in illum noÌ„ pereat sed habeat uitam aeternam So must Christ belyfft upp that as many as beliue in him shal haue euer lasting lieffe Here is Nicodemus tawght the way unto euer lastiÌ„g lief and because he was adoctor of Moses law Christ by the law made open the mater unto hym and browght hym from the shadow unto the trew body and from the letter unto the understonding of the letter sayng as those that by fayth beheld the serpent were helyd of the stynges of the serpent so souche as behold me in faythe hanging upon the crosse shalbe helid from there sykenis and sinne that the deuyll by the serpeÌ„t infectyd man kynd with all Now let us repet the text of Moses againe that we may trewly undrestond our sauiours wordes Fac tibi Serpentem urentem pone eum in palum in subli me sublatum fietque si serpens aliquem momorderit intueatur eum incolumis erit In these wordes is declaryd thre thynges Fyrst why the serpent was set upp The cause the people were stong withe serpentes Second theffectt the healthe of the people Thyrd the use that they shuld loke upoÌ„ hym so Iohan declarythe whi Christ was made man thuse and theffect of his humanite in these wordes Sic Deus dilexst mundum ut filium suum unigenitum daret ut omnis qui credit in eum non pereat sed habeat uitam aeternam The cause of his cummyng was the sinne and sikens of maÌ„ betyn by the serpent in paradyse theffect of his cumming was the healhe of this sikenis the use of his cumming was to belyue that his deathe upoÌ„ the crosse was and is sufficient for the remission of sinne and to optayne eternall lief Here is the iustification of maÌ„ lyuely expressyd and how many thinges concur as necessary unto the remission of sinne and yet man only iustified by faythe The word of God the preacher of the word Christ himselfe the coÌ„tricion of Nicodemus the holy goost that mouyd Nicodemusto cum by night unto Christ the consentyng wil of Nicodemus untho the wordes of Christ Yet only was hedelyueryd from sinne by the fayth that he had in the deathe of Christ as Christ saith sic oportet exaltari filium hominis ut omnis qui credit in illum non pereat sed habeat uitam aeternam This must be diligently markyd For as the fathers of the old church usid the serpent so must those of our church use the precious body of Christ they lokyd upon him only withe the yees of faithe they kyssyd hym not they cast no water upon hym and so wayshyd there yeys therwith all they touchyd hym not with there handes they eat hym not nor corporally nor really nor substancially yet by there belyue they optaynid healthe so Christ him selfe teachit us the use of his precious body to belyue and loke upon the merites of his passioÌ„ suffryd upon the crosse and so to use his precious body against the stynge of originall and actuall sinne Not to eat his body transformid into the form of bred or in the bred with the bread under the bread behind the bred or be fore the bread corporally or bodely substancially or realli inuisible or ani souch wayes as mani men to the great iniurijs of Christes body dooth teach but as the children of Israel only by fayth eat the body spiritually not yet born so by faythe dooth the Christianes eat hym now being ascendyd into heauen and none other wice as Christ saythe unto Nicodemus omnis qui credit in eum non pereat grauÌ„t that we could as well eat his carnall body as we eat other meat yet the eatyng therof nothing auaylyd And if the Apostelles had corporally eatin hym in his last supper it had profetyd nothing For he toke not his body of the holy uirgine to that use to be eatin for the remission sinne Or to sanctifie hym that eat him but to dye for synne and that wayes to sanctifie his churche as he saith himselfe that only by deathe the frute of his incarnacion shuld be dispersyd into the worold Nisi granuÌ„ frumenti deiectum in terram mortuum fuerit ipsum solum manet mortua prodest caro noÌ„ comesa But of this Iwill speake farther in the chapiter that folowithe This example of Nicodemus declarithe that nethâ—r the workes that go before iustificacion nether those that folow iustification deserue remission of synne Thoughe sole faythe exclude not other uertews to be present at the conuersion of euery sinner yet dooth sole fayth and only exclude the merites of other uertews and optaynith soly remission of sinne for Christes sake herselfe alone as paule saythe Ephes 2. Gratia saluati estis per fidem idque non ex uobis Dei donum est non ex operi bus ne quis glorietur Wher as playnly he excludith the dignite of workes and affirmith us to be reconcilid by faythe so dooth Iohan. cap. 1. attribut those too singuler yefftes unto Christ grace and uerite sayng lex per Mosen data est gratia ueritas per Iesum Christum facta est Here grace signifieth fre remission of sinne for the merites of Christ Verite is the trew knolege of god and the gyfftes off the holy gost that folowithe the remission of sinne Therfore souche as say they be not
but untill souch tyme as they shew me that glorious and perfeit mannes body of Christ as it was shewid unto the blessid uirgine there sayng belyue belyue shall not com into my belyue for Christ saith Nolite credere Of Christes wordes Marci 13. de die illo nemoscit the moment of the last tyme No man knowithe nether the sonne of god in asmouche as he is man I gather this argument A maiori if it be denied Christ concerning his man hed to know the last day mouch more to be euery where or to be in diuer places at one tyme is denied his humanite for it is more iÌ„possible and wounderfull to be euery where then to know many thinges I kno the Geographus conceuithe and coÌ„prehendithe all the worold in his hed But to be in all places where as his thowghtes and sprit is ocopyed it is impossible farther Christ is body hathe not loost his corporall qualites but wher so euer he be corporaly there is he with all qualites of abody and not withe out qualites as these dreamers imagine I will not iudge my sauiour that died for the sinne of the worold to haue abody in heuen sensible with all qualites of trew man and in the sacrament with out all qualites and quantites of à trew body But abhor and detest with the scriptura this opinion as an heresy so litle differing from marcion that I can scarse put diuersite as corporally is the corporall and substantiall body of all Englond in the hed of hym that describith by mape or cart the hole Realme in Italy or other wher so corporally is the body of Christ in the hart of the Christian The concept imaginacion or form conceuid of Englond is not the body mater nor substance selfe of inglond no more is the spirituall coÌ„cept of Christes body the corporall body it selfe thowg Auicen and Auerrois would prow souch à conclusion yet the fayth of our Religion will not suffre it à Pantasticall imagination to be à trew substannce to say that Christes uere naturall body is in the erth and yet inuisible it is to destroy the body and not to honor the body Aristole li. 5. metaphisicoruÌ„ cap. 22. definit what inuisible is inuisible inquit est quod non habet omni no colorem Take this from Christes body that it is trewly in the sacrament corporally and yet inuisible is to say Christ hath lost all the colour shape and form of his humanite But what shall Aristolle do in this our fayth the scripture teachith what we shuld belyue ascendit ad coelos sedet ad dex tram Dei patris omnipotentis Inde ueÌ„turus est iudicare uiuos mortuos Act. 1. Mar ultimo Luc. ultimo And hath leffte us à sacrament of his blessid body the which wear bond to use religiousy and many times to exercise and stablish our fayth and he being absent corporally dooth communicat by fayth in sprit that most precious body and the merites of the same and would to god peple would use it with more reuereÌ„ce and more awght as the scriptur teachith with trew amendemet of lieff and fyrm fayth I pout out a book in Septembre last past dedycatyd to my lord of wincheffter where in I haue declarid all my fayth conserning this blessyd and holy sacrament therfor I will passe to the other offyce of Christes pryshed Caput IX THe fourthe offyce of Christ is to consecrat and sanctifie these that beliue in him He is not onli holy him self but makith holy others also As he saythe IoaÌ„ 17. Pro eis sanctifico meipsum ut sint ipsi sanctificati perueritatem this sanctification is none other but à trew knolege of God in Christ by the gospell that teachyth us how unclene wear by the sinne of Adamme an how that wear clensid by Christ for who is sake the father of heauen doothe not only remitt the sinnes wrowght willyngly agaynst the word of God but also the imperfectioÌ„n and naturall concupiscens whiche remaynythe in euery man as long as the nature of man is mortall How the father dooth sanctifie his people the prayer of Christ shewith Ioan. 17. sanctifica eos per ueritatem tuam sanctifie them by thy word purche the hart teache them halow them make them apt for thy kyngdon wherwithe withe thy worde which is euer lastiÌ„g uerite The meaÌ„s to sanctifie is the word of God the holy gost and faith that receuith the word of our redemption so doothe Peter say Acto 15. Fide purgari corda nostra Here is the cause expressyd wherby we accept our sanctificacion by fayth sayth sanct Peter saynct Paule 1. Corint 6. shewith for whois sake and wherfore we ar sanctified Abluti estis sanctificati estis iustificati estis per nomen domini Iesu ê‘ spiritum Dei nostri For the merites of Iesus Christe by the operacion of the holy goost This is to be allwaies markyd that when Christ had prayed his father to sanctifie his church by his word and by his holy sprit and destityd hym to preserue them from ile for his mercys sake He addid the pryce the merites and iust deseruyng of Godes graces and sayd I sanctifie my selfe for them because they may be sanctified by the truith He sanctified hymselfe for the churche when he died for the detestable unclenys and fylthinis therof more stynkyng and fylthy theÌ„euer was the thaborryd and leporous bodi of Lazar 9. as tawghe he had said for asmouch as I offer aÌ„d submitt myselfe unto the bytter and cruell payne of the crosse for the church thow must most holy father sanctifie them and accept them as sanctified norysh theÌ„ loue them and defend them for the price and satisfactioÌ„ of my deathe what à consolacion is this for euery troblyd consciens to undrestond althowgh it be unworthi of remission of sinne for the gratnys therof yet for the prayer of Christ he shall not be a cast away so that he belyue as Christ said he praid not only for his Apostelles but also for as many as shuld beliue his word till the woroldes end as many as wilbe gospellers as the Ioue the gospel aÌ„d there awne saluacion let them not daily and play with it as thowgh god were à babe to be pleacid with à figg for syn let hym thynk upon the most uile and tyrannous deathe of hym that only was able to clense us from sinÌ„e and from hens beware of sinne it suffycit as Paule saythe that before we knew the truith to lyue want only 1. Cor. 6. Caput X. Of this verite and truit that the gospell reachith us only to be sanctfiied in the blud of Christ is confutyd the blaspemus pryde of the Bishope of Rome THat namith hiÌ„selfe the most holy father and takith upoÌ„ him to sanctifie all other men of therth as Godes uicar and leaue tenent to absolue à poena à culpa to pull out of hel aÌ„d send to heuen with his pardons Masses and
it is wroten Esa 43. Populum istum for maui mihi ut laudē meam annunciet and likwyce ca. 66. the Prophetes and Apostelles dooth use many times this word annunciare pro laudare gratias agere so doth Paule 1. Cor. 11. Mortem domini annunciabitis donec ueniat ye shall shew the deathe of the lord untill he com id est ye shall celebrat the death of Christ with all preses and yeuing of thankes souche as be sanctified by Christe must lyue an honest and holy lief or else his sanctification auaylith not as god for soke the chylder of Israel for sinne so wil he do us they were electyd to be his people with this condition si audiendo audieris uocem uocē meā custodieris pactum meū Exo. 19. Eritis mihi in peculium de cunctis populis He that fauoryd not the Israelites but toke cruell uengēce upon them because they walkid not in there uocatiō will do and dooth dayly the same unto us Rom. 11. Therfore one of these too we must nedes do that say we be iustified and sanctified in Christ ether from the botom of our hartes amend or else be eternally loost with all our gostelie knolege for the ax is put to the rote of the tre So far is the malice of man procedid that the Ire of god can be nolenger differyd a great tyme hath the gospell byn knowen of many men Yet the lief of the gospell as new to syk as thowgh it were but now begon therfore see we how God beginnyth againe to permit the darkenys of errour to ouer whylme the worold souch blindenis euer folowith the contempt of godes word and the unthankfull receuing therof Tberfore as we be sanctified by Christ so let us bare hym and sanctifie hym in our brestes or else we peryshe Ro. 6. for fayth intendith and allways makyth hast unto this porte as Paule saith Tit. 2 ut sancte iuste ac pie uiuamus men knowith not what the gospell is they rede it as they reade beuis of hāptō or the gestes of Robin hode If they may know what the scripture sayth they iudge it sufficiēt wher as it is cleane cōtrary men shuld not only reade the scripture to be wyser but to be better we bare the name of Christ and confesse him We must therfore be those persones in who is lieff the stappes of Christ must appere or else we blaspheme our master wois name we bare Ro. 6. 13. because after baptisme we shuld lyue à modest and remperat lief Christ departid into the desert and fastid Making this answer unto the deuill Non in solo pane uinit homo man is not creatyd to the fond pleasures of the worold but to regard what the will of god requirith They deceaue them selfes that trust to fayth where as honesty of lief folowith not Faythe is matres in the soule of the Christiane and entertaynithe no souch seruantes as be adulterours Thyffes slaūderours dronkerdes Couetous persones Swerers ille and unocopyed raueners of the meat of the pore But cherite peace temperaney prayer liberalyte and flyyng thoccation of yle 2. Pet. 1. lacob 2. 1. Cor. 12. Caput XI AS the scripture teachīte Christ to be the ueri trew prist ād bishope the church prayth for the churche satisfieth the Ire of god for the sinne of the church and only sanctifieth the churche So doothe it proue Christ to be the Kyng Emperour and protector of the churche And that by thoffice and property of à kyng that defendithe his subiectes not only by his godly lawes but also by forse and ciuile resistance As the Ennymies of his commune wealthe shall ministre occaciō By those too menes euery cōmune wealthe is preseruid as the scripture teachith princes Christenid and Ethnikes Aristotelle in his politikes Iustiniane in the proeme of his institutions The scripture euery where Pharo that would this churche of god and commune wealth of the Israelites to be destroid was loost and all his Armie in the see the idolaters that would mak the cōmune wealthe of Christes churche one with the cōmune wealth of Egypt were destroyd souche as Rebellid Koreh and Rubinites agaynst the gouenrs of godes churche Moses and Aron were destroyed withe the artillyrie of godes ire all the princes and nations that possessid the land of Chanaan god destroyed to set his cōmune wealthe in an order In the later dayes when the kyng of this commune wealthe shuld be born the Angell declaryd unto the blessid uirgine of what puissance and poure this Kyngdom of Christ shuld be Regnabit inquit in domo Iacob in aeternū regni eius nō erit finis Lu. 1. althow now the cōmūe wealth of the churche hath no certayne place apointid where it shall remayne as it was appointid in thold law yet certayne we be that this kingdon of Christ remaynith upon the erthe and shall do till the erthe be burnyd Matth. 16. 28. 1 Corint 15. How be it as Christ wan and optaynyd this kyngdon in the later days with out shyld or spere so doothe he preserue it with his holy sprit and not will carnall wepynes as Christ sayed unto Pilate Ioan. 18. Regnum meum non est de hoc mūdo Menyng that he would not raygne in this worold as aprynce of this worold with pompe and pryde but defend his people with his holy sprit that the deuill nether the worold shuld not breake there pacïence thowghe many afflictions and sorowes shuld fyght against them for the truithes sake Christ doothe not deny to be the kyng of the worold Before Pilate But that he ment not to raigne woroldlye to the hindreaunc and defacyng of temperours dignite and title as the Iewes falsly accusid hym as Cirillus libr. 12. capit 10. in Iohannem sayth and so is the mind of saynct Augustine in the same place This kyngdom is spirituall Christ sitting at the right hand of God the father praithe for us yeuithe us remissiō of sin̄e and the holy goost to fight and ouercom the worold Hathe leffte here in the churche his gospell thonly wepyn to fight with all for the tyme of this mortall liefe Ioan. 17. Where he definithe lyffe euerlasting to be the knolege of god So doth Paule Ro. 8. proue this kyngdom to be spirituall And that concerning the body it apperith that Christ defendith not his people because they liue in souch disdayne and aduersite but here after it shall appere as Paule sayth Col. 3. And Ioan. 1. Io. 3. Nunc filij dei sumus sed nondum manifestum est quales erimus This kingdom shalbe euer persequutid till the woroldes end Psal 2. 115. 71. Esay the prophet describid the churche of this present lief sayng Dabit uobis dominus panem arctū aquam exiguam non auferet à te ultra doctorem tuū cap. 30. thus the church shall remayne but alwayes in affliction I know souche as fauorith not the truith will interpretat my wordes
lauding the goddenis of his creator allwayes obedieÌ„t unto his will allwayes folowing the order of reason with out all yle aÌ„d contrary concupiscence â–ª or other carnall resistance To be short mannis nature had byn in all thinges like unto the law and as perfet as the law of the decaloge or ten commaundementes had not he sinnid But what man is now after his transgression thus the Cbristiane reader shalbe aduertisyd Man fallen from his fyrst dignite and originall perfection is Now the creture that fightithe withe the law of God full of darkenis ignorancy and of the contempt of god without obedience fere and lone of God Oppreffyd and subiect vnto all calamites and willfull coÌ„cupiscens boothe of body and soule Caput XII THe Ennymie of god Ro. 8. The image of the deuill the library of lyes the frend of the deuill Right here of Eternall deathe and the chyld of damnation Ephes 2. Murtherers by the Meanes of synne not only of oure selfes but also of the sonne of god that neuer synnid and yet not understoÌ„ding this oure wofull case and condition we neglect boothe god and his law and fele not oure infirmites and sikenis the more is oure healthe to be desperyd of He that laborith withe à dangerous diseace and yet felithe not the greffe therof shall neuer fynd remedy nether haue the yle remouyd Wese this to be trew by naturall reoson Of all diseaces frenesie is the most dangerous yet the pacient felithe it not nor cannot shew where nor how this wofull and miserable diease molestith hym Therfore uery syldom or neuer besouche persones curyd and made hole Seyng the next way unto healthe is the knolege of the diseace And man is in him selfe sycke and infectyd withe more diseaces à thowsand fole then I haue rehersid it is not withe out cause that I say to know what man is to be necessary althowg he it seme not so unto souche as be dronk withe the pleasures of the worold and neuer thynk from the botem of there hart to return unto penence If the scripture of god and wrytinges of lernid men cannot persuade them what the ire of god is agaynst sinne my labores shall litle auayle I know well yet is euery disciple of Christ bound to sarche the glory of god and saluacion of his Neyghbour and commit the successe unto god It is uery difficile and hard for man to know hymselfe the only way ther unto is to Examin and open hymselfe before god by the light of the scripture and he that will be hold himselfe well in that mirrour and glasse shal fynd souche à difformite and disgrasid uisionogmi that he will abhor his awne proporcion so horrible diffigurid Let man seke no farther then the fyrst commaundent Exo. 20. Deut. 6. Diliges dominuÌ„ deum tuum c. thous halt loue thy lord god withe all thy hart withe all thy mind withe all thy poure and thy Neyghbowre as thy selfe then shall man perceaue his wrecchidnis how that he louithe nothing lesse many times theÌ„ god or his Neigbowr and ê‘ceue that he is the freÌ„d of the deuil and of the worold and à coÌ„temnor of god this wayes saynct Iames teachithe maÌ„ to knew hymselfe cap. 1 qui perspexerit in legeÌ„ quae est libertatis c. sainct Iames usithe this word law in the Ebrew feace Thorah whiche signifyythe à doctryne that theachithe instructithe and ledithe AmaÌ„as well uÌ„to the knolege of hiÌ„selfe as of God So saiÌ„ct Paule admirandis enallagis prosopopaeis in Epi. Ro. 7. disputat By the law commithe the knolege of synne he callithe the law the powre and forse of sinne 1. Cor. 15. only the law declarithe how great an Ile sinne is and the man that beholdithe the will of god in the law shall fynd hime selfe aÌ„d all his liefe giltie of aeternall deathe red the 7. capiter to the Romayns withe iudgmeÌ„t and then know what maÌ„ is how miserable spoylyd of uerte wand oppressyd withe sinne so Paule lernid to knew himselfe aÌ„d know not what sinne was till the law had made him afrayede and shewyd him that he was withe all his holynys benig à Pharise daÌ„nid PeccatuÌ„ occatione accepta ê‘ praeceptum decipit me per illud occidit Ro. 7. and in the same chapiter he she withe playnly what he saw in the glasse and contemplacion of the law that sinne was manifestid therby and the gratnis therof knowen Vt appararet peccatum per id quod erat bonum mihi gignere mortem ut fieret maiorem in modum peccans peccatum per praeceptum Marke the trauyce and pley betwene the law of God and the conscience of Paule and se how he yeuythe thankes unto his master the law and ê“clemit he it to be à spiritual aÌ„d holy thyng as à light or torche to shew man his ffylthy and stynking nature sayng lex spiritualis est at ego carnalis sum uenditus sub peccatuÌ„ Abondman of sinne and trayture of god Here thow seyst godd reader what amiserable wrecche man is and how man may know his miseri by the law How be it thowghe we rede it many times we be nether the wyser nether the better we be not tawght à dele bi this mistres the law she caÌ„not make us good scolers we daly and play so withe the worold we lyue in souche securite and ease that say she what she list we torn the deffe eare and will not hyre therfore to make man to know himselfe god sentithe an other mystres to scole man scilicet aduersite then we begyn to undrestond the law of god that disswadithe from sinne and we then know oure misery As Dauid Criethe that he is notable to bare the burdon of sinne if the lord execute iustice as the greatnis therof meritithe Si iniquitates obseruaueris dnÌ„e ê—s sustinebit Psal 130. Dauid when he felt the paynes of his adultery the deathe of his chyldre the conspyricie of Absolon the uiciating of his wiues exile and banyshement and souche other calamites In this scole of misery he lernyd this uerse Who can susteine the ire of god Now thowghe these temporall paynes be more then man caÌ„ support they be but sport and dalyance in respect of the paynes aeternall How be it man may lern by them how mouche God is displeacyd withe sinne and know himselfe to be as he is à uile peace of erthe withe all his pryd and pompe And A rebellion unto his maker as no creatur els is sauyng the deuyll and he this innword and secreatyle Rebellion of the hart blindnis of the inthinteÌ„demeÌ„t and frawardnys of will is dayly augmentid by the malice of the deuill and oure awne negligence that regardithe not what the law teachithe God reguyrithe of man Because the gospell teachithe we ar only sauyd by the mercye of God for the merites of Christ oure gospellers hathe set all at libertye and carith not at all of souche liefe