as an argument the reason vvhy these most excellent effects are vvrought in my mind is this that the lavv of the quickning spirite in Iesus Christe hath set me free from the lavv of sinne death insomuch that by the gift of faith the recorde of gods spirit I feele my selfe discharged of the feare of damnation And I thinke the same thing to haue befalne to all the true members of Christ R. I pray you let vs fifte out the first part of my question and shewe me more playnly gods drift and maner of dealing in the case of our iustification without the righteousnesse of the lawe P. Haue here the summe of the whole matter in few words The law was giuen of god as a rule of true holines How be it looke what could not be done by the law nother as it was naturally printed in our mindes nor as it was set foorth plainly by Moses namely that we shuld be set free from sin death become righteous bicause the law was weake feeble without power howbeit not of it owne nature but by reason of our flesh for we be fleshly do striue and wrestle against the law that say I did God bring to passe by sending his own son in a body like to the bodies of sinners For he cōdemned sin of sin in the flesh of his sonne by that meanes did vvipe out clense avvay abolish sin that did he to the ende that the righteousnes of the lavv as the lavv it selfe requireth it might be vvrought fulfilled in vs that beleue I say to the end it should be fulfilled in vs novv regenerated which obey not the corruptnesse lusts and lykings of the vnsatiable flesh but the holy inspiration of the spirite whereupon it commeth to passe that our dooinges are acceptable to God though they be not fully in all poyntes answerable to his law vvhich otherwise requyreth most perfect purenesse R. If it be true as you say as I beleeue it to be most true in deed in any opinion few are at this day become ryghtuous and holy For the number of them is exceading small that thinke vppon newnesse of lyfe or which are carefull to obey Gods wyll and muche lesse which bestyrre themselues in makyng warre against their owne naturall and new incomme sinfulnesse P. But beleeue me brother so longe as men hold with flesh they wil care for things belonging to the flesh and sinne shall execute his tyranny ouer them Contrariwyse they that holde with the spirit wil be spirituall minded and bycause Gods spirit reigneth in thē they will also delight in spirituall thinges as whose intentes and indeuers are all guyded by the holy Ghost and therfore tende to Gods glory which thing cannot happen to such as follow the flesh bycause they do rather purchace Gods displeasure and consequently endelesse destruction to thēselues by their naughtinesse and wicked deeds R. Moost miserable is the state of the vngodly which you tel me of But wherfore ascribe you so muche euill to the louing and obeying of the flesh P. Bycause the entent the indeuer the desire to vse myne owne words the wisedōe of the flesh is deadly or to speake more rightly very death it selfe as which is contrary to God who is our lyfe But on the contrarie parte the entent affection and wisedome of the spirite is verie lyfe and peace And if you aske me the reason why it is ready shapen For the wisedome of the flesh is enemy against God of whom forasmuch as it hath an ill opnion taking him for hir vtter aduersary and imagining him to be a most cruell tormenter how is it possible that she should be vvylling to commit hir selfe to his care and prouidence And therfore much lesse will she passe for his will and cōmaundements For how should she haue any mynd to obey his commaundement whom she beleueth to be hir so This as I thinke is the reason why the flesh nother will no nor can obey Gods law so long as it is nothing els but fleshe Heereuppon then it followeth that they which liue after the liking of the flesh cānot please God R. O most miserable wretches as we be which are compelled to keepe continuall wrestling with the vntrusty wisedome of our owne fleshe so long as we be inclosed with the bulke of this body P. Be of good cheer This wrestling may rather win you a crowne than destruction and damnation For you so doth charitie teach me to think of such as beleue in christ you I say are by faith greffed into Christ as true signes of saluation You be iustified and regenerated and therfore you be not now carnall but spirituall for somuch as Gods spirit dwelleth in you R. Heerein is all the cunning and maistrie Paule P. Surely if any of you haue not Christs spirite he is none of his marke wel what I say I say he is none of Christs he is no member of his he is no brother of his he is no heire of eternall felicitie with him R. I beleeue that with all my harte But the thing that I thought with my selfe was this that there are a great sort now a dayes which boast of the receyuing of Gods spirit whose lyfe is notwithstanding no more like the holines most pure exāple of Christs lyfe than an apple as they say is lyke an Oyster Wherefore I pray you tell me by what markes I may discerne such as haue Gods spirit in very deed For it will do me good also to perceiue the presēce of Gods spirit in my self P. Let this be the aunswere to the other part of your demaund and beare you well in minde the true and sure tokens of regeneration of which the one consisteth in lyfe death the other in the inward motions of Gods spirit R. In lyfe and death say you What is that to say P. Herken you shall vnderstande If Christ and his spirite be in you the old man that is to say the flesh is dead as in respect of sin and the vnruly and vnstayed deedes of vvickednesse And this is the death of the old man vppon putting avvay on the contrarye parte reigneth the spirite of God and executeth his power vppon man and liueth as in respect of rightuousnesse R. Surely a verye notable marke of regeneration or newbirth For the spirit of Christ into whome we be greffed not onely gyueth vs lyfe by inspyring vs to goo vnto God our lyfe as meete is we should but also is himselfe our spirituall lyfe But to confesse vnto you plainely my thoughts or I wote not whether I may better say temptations in that behalfe when I looked vppon myne owne naughtinesse and the tyrannie of sin ouer me I haue oftymes doubted of the power of Gods spirite in vs and whether the working therof do kill the old Adam and plucke vp the roots of that euill tree or no. And vpō such maner of thoughts being sorowfull to say the
truth distrusting and despayring of victory against my fleshe I am wont diuers tymes to quayle P. These doutinges of the power of Gods spirit are dauÌ„gerous Thinke you that the tyranny of sin is greater than the myght efficacie and inwardwoorking power of the holy Ghost No but assure your selues of this that if the spirit of him which raysed vp Christ from deathe be in you he vvhiche raysed vp Christ from death vvill also call againe your mortall bodyes into a lyfe beseeming your regeneration by his spirite vvhich dvvelleth in you Wherefore as many of you as professe your selues to be Christians I beseche you all lay vp these things deeply in your minds that whaÌ„ vve be once iustified sanctified regenerated indued vvith Christes spirit we are altogether detters not to the flesh to liue after the liking of the flesh to obey the corruptnes thereof but rather to the spirite to indeuer to obey him in all things R. Is there so greate perill in the not knowing in the omitting of the thing P. Yea yerely and of all perills it is the greatest For if ye liue after the lyking of the fleshe you shall surely die But if that by the spirite you vanquishe the doings works deuices desires in deuers of the flesh fyght against the lusts therof out of all doubt you shall liue you shall coÌ„tinue in the life that you haue receiued by the benefite of Christ who is the life of the faithfull euen in whose minds the quickning spirit vttereth his power R. Hereafter I will bid suche doubtinges farewell and sift better both my selfe and my doings and not yelde mine eares so open to such as do lessen and diminish the effectualnes of the holy ghost who also to th' intent their maners may answere their doctrine are wonte oftentimes to brag of the presence of Gods spirite in their hartes when as they be drowned in the filthynes of sin and wicked doings P. Let others alone stand to thine owne tackling and keepe this rule in examining thy self that as many as are led moued ruled not by their owne vnbrydled lusts but by Gods spirit they be Gods children And beleeue me he that is not sure of this being Gods child can nother be sayd to be regenerated nor in any wise satisfy the accusations of the law as which requyreth an absolute and perfect rightuousnes in all points at our haÌ„d which we be neuer able to perform except the power of the holy ghost do worke fulfill the thing in vs which he requireth in his law R. Surely it is an ouerhard thing for vs to giue our selues continually to the keeping of Gods lawe specially sith we be trenched in with so greate sinfulnesse of our fleshe wherunto the purenesse of Gods law is quite contrary P. What haue you novv to do vvith the lavv or vvith the condeÌ„nation therof For seing you be greffed into Christ and indued vvith his spirit you receiue no more the spirit of boÌ„dage that you shoulde haue to deale vvith the lavv as you had in times past but you haue receiued the spirite of adoption of Gods children I meane the spirit of fredoÌ„e of the loue of God wherby we perceiue Gods goodnesse to be so great that vve not onely call vppon him but also crie vnto him with invvarde familiaritie boldnesse and with earnest loue as vnto our father Nowe hee that hath this spirite of adoption applieth himself to the keeping of the law not as a hireling in hope of rewarde or for feare of punishment but willingly as a sonne R. I am of opinion that wee can not call God father so safely so boldly and so swetely but by the breathing of his spirite vpon vs whose recorde is moste certen as the whiche is greater than all recorde of man But I pray you whiche are the other marks of our regeneratioÌ„ P. Surely euen the inward motions of Gods spirite wil be no doubtfull signes of our regeneration in Christ For gods spirit witnesseth inwardly to our spirit that we be gods children by grace and adoption as who are partakers of his diuine nature by the same spirite in Christ R. You tell me of a great dignitie P. Truly so is it And if we be childreÌ„ then must it needes bee confessed that we shall be heires also verily the heires of God bicause we be his children and fellow heires with Christ bicause we be his brethren R. He that hath suche a recorde in him selfe neither wauereth nor staggereth in his minde But what other inwarde motions require you in the regenerated P. That they should knowe theÌ„selues to be the true members of Christ and enter into the way of the crosse armed with the remembraunce thereof For sith it behoued Christe to suffer and so to enter into his glory it is meete also that his members should not shun the state of their head specially considering how many and how great commodities spring vnto vs therof R. What commodities I pray you P. The first is that if we suffer with Christ we shall also reigne with Christ R. Truely this promise is very swete but the waye to attayne to it is very sower P. But I am of opinion that the aduersities which we suffer in this worlde are not equall or coÌ„parable to the glory that shall be vttered vpon vs in time to come R. Vnhappy certesse is the state of maÌ„kinde For only man feeleth sorrowes and troubles only man beareth all thinges onely man groweth only man is vexed and pineth away P. Nay rather if you beholde this frame of the whole worlde aduisedly you shall see that all kinde of thinges yea euen of the senslesse creatures doo with very great thoughtfull and vehement desire long for the discouerie of Gods children bicause that being very neere of kin to vs they desire our full and perfect glory and also bicause that day they themselues also shal be repaired and made immortall R. Why so P. Bicause the nature of thinges is subiect to vanitie and corruption not willingly for that is against their naturall liking but for his sake by whom they be so made subiect to decay For God is contented that they shall decâ—y to doo vs seruice withall howbeit in hope that they shall come muche more beautifull and lesse subiect to decay Else the desire of an euerlasting state vvere bred in them in vayne Therfore they themselues also shall be set free froÌ„ the thraldome of destruction and bee made likewise immortall and inioy like libertie in that they shall be from perishing when the glory of Gods children appeareth For we know how al things grone and mourne with vs vnto this day and shall doo till the day of iudgement Therefore we haue no cause to complayne R. Surely the state of the godly is miserable notwithstanding that all creatures be fellowes of their afflictions P. Nay verily the faithfull haue also euen the chiefe pillers of godlines to be their
forbid For seeing we be dead vnto sin through the spirite of righteousnes how is it possible that we shuld continue and liue in sinne after wee be once iustified R. I scarse vnderstand this geere P. What know ye not that as many of vs as are baptised made cleane in Iesus Christ are baptised washed into his deth that by the same baptim we be after such a sort as it wer dead buried with him that contrariwise lyke as Christ was raised from the dead for the glory of his father so we also must walk in newnesse of life to the glory of him who hath shevved the spirite of righteousnesse into vs to worke righteousnesse therewith R. I am glad that you haue vttred vnto me both the true signification of baptime and also the bond of righteousnes For by this meane the manifolde errour of many may be spied out First there are which full lewdly doo make more account of the signe than of the thing that is signified by it and there are very fewe whiche thinke that baptim betokeneth the mortifying and wasshing of the olde Adam and of all vnrightuousnesse and and vnhonestie and consequently the renewing restoring againe of our soules and of oure whole lyfe to their first state Againe there are othersome which being vtterly ignorāt of the power of Christs spirit and of the workfulnes of his righteousnes do still leaue opē the gate to sin pretending I wote not what excuses of mās fraylty as who should say that Christ were not strōger than the diuel nor Gods grace able to confound the power of sin P. Truely you haue hit the pricke But you shall vnderstande the contrary doctrine if you aduisedly wey the similitude of greffing which I vse heere For if we be planted and greffed into the lykenesse of Christes death then must we needs also be made partakers of his resurrection R. By this trym most proper * A metaphor is an apt cōueying of a worde or spech from his owne proper signification to the betokening or setting foorth of some other thing metaphor you meane that we must be lyke braunches that are greffed into other trees that being greffed into Christ hauing Christ greffed into vs wee may bring forth new fruits of lyfe namely ryghtuousnes innocencie and holinesse P. Verely euen so must we perswade our selues that our olde man is nayled to the crosse with Christ as in respect of iustification and regeneration to the intent that the bodie of sin may be ouerthrowen destroyed so as we may no more follow after sinne and serue it For he that is deade by the deathe of Christ and obteyneth ryghtuousnes by his spirit is thereby free from the bondage of sinne And if we beleeue that we haue obteyned forgyuenesse of sins and are deade with Christ we must also most assuredly beleue that we shall liue with him in suche newnesse of lyfe as maye beare recorde that wee be rysen wyth him R. O the miserable frowardnesse of men who at the report of Gods fauour purchased to vs by the benefit of Christs death do wondrously leape and skip for ioy verely bycause they be certefied therby of the remission of their sinnes past But when mencion is made of his resurrection to the intent that after his example we shoulde begin a new lyfe fashyoned and framed according to his innocene yrightuousnes other vertues and by that meanes labour and trauell with earnest desire to heauenward despising all worldly pleasures there there our harts faynt we be euen at the poynt to quayle So greatly are we delighted foaded with the inticemēts of our sins past P. Yet notvvithstanding they that are iustified of god must nedes renoūce giue ouer ther sins vvicked deedes pleasures and to be short all vnhonest things after the exāples of Christ vvho being once rysen from death dyeth not any more nother hath death any more povver ouer him Therfore like as hys once dying vvas to die vnto sin so that as novv he liueth vnto god so you also for asmuche as you haue obteined the spirit of righteousnes think your selues to be dead vnto sin as true members of Christ participating of his death resurrection lyfe to be alyue vnto God through our Lord Iesus Christ R. O excellent exhortation But alas for sorrow O miserable nature of man vtterly awk from it as wherin sin hath taken so deepe roote that it can scarse be thrust out We haue receiued sin into our minds as a guest or rather as a tirāt into our innermost bowels from whēce he can hardly be driuē or thrust out both by reason of our natural corruption and also by reason of custome continuance P. Euen so is it But yet muste you striue that this sinne may not reigne in your body though it bee subiecte too death nor you obey the lustes thereof nor yeelde your mēbers as instruments of all naughtinesse applied to sinning But rather cleane contrarie apply your selues to god as folke risen again from the dead and yeeld ye your members vnto him as instrumēts of righteousnes R. These thinges matched togither ought both to fray our minds frō sinning also to inflame them with most earnest desire indeuer to liue well blessedly For what is more shameful than to be slaues of lusts Contrariwise what is more honorable excellent than to vse righteousnes godlines innocencie Therefore we must pray to almightie God that as he hath of his own infinite goodnesse already iustified vs so he will also deliuer vs from the bondage of sin P. Be of good cheere For sin shall no more execute tyranny ouer you R. By what way or meanes may so grat a good turne befall vs For to my seeming that is right hard to be done P. In deede it is hard vnto men but nothing is vnpossible vnto God nother is there any thing which he cānot bring to passe But receiue here the reason of it in few words For sin reigneth not ouer those that are vnder grace but ouer those that are vnder the lawe But novv that you be iustified you are not vnder the law but vnder grace R. Many men seeme to be like Spiders turning all thinges into poyson For when vnthrifts and naughtipackes heere this saying by and by as though they had by iustification obteyned libertie to doo what they list they crye oute why then shoulde we not sin still seeing wee be vnder grace and not vnder the law P. God forbid that any man shoulde be of that mind R. But what is to be don to these fellowes that abuse Gods goodnesse vnto euill doing And yet notwithstanding theise wylie and captious witts cannot be subdued but by moost sustantiall and myghtfull reasons P. Those wilfull stubborne natures must be left to god the soueraine iudge as for the men of whō there is better hope I would exhorte them after this maner knovve ye not that to vvhom
them Also he blameth the Iewes for that they had not kept the Law but rather dishonored God by breaking the Law And so he rebuketh both parts aswell Iewes as GeÌ„tiles shetteth theÌ„ vp vnder the iniquity of traÌ„sgressioÌ„ to shewe that all men are made felowlike and alike gyltie and that they haue neede of redemption Agayne that there was iust cause of the calling of the Gentiles he sheweth by this that grace and redemption ought to befall alike both to the Iewes and to the Gentiles and that when the Gentiles were called circumcision and the shadowe of the Lawe did of necessitie ceasse For Abraham sayth he beeing iustified not in Circumcision but before Circumcision was named Abraham bicause it should come to passe that he should be made the father of many Nations according to the fayth which he had when he was vncircumcised And after that he was iustified he receiued circumcision in his flesh as a signe to his ofspring that shoulde be borne of him as concerning the flesh that circumcision should ceasse when the Gentiles should become the children of Abraham begin to liue according to Abrahams fayth wherethrough he was iustified when he was yet vncircumcised For whereas he was called Abram before in respect of these things he was nowe called Abraham And it was requisite that the signe should ceasse when the things that were betokened by it were come Wherefore if any body compell the Gentiles to be Circumcised they must of necessitie bothe take from him the name of Abraham and call him Abram Now seeing he was named Abraham by God the Gentiles must not bee circumcised neither must the Jewes haue the foreskin of their flesh cut of to the intent that the name Abraham may abide stedfast and he be called the Father of many Nations For it is not to be borne with hereafter that any man should be circumcised seeing that the fayth of Abraham suffiseth and there is no neede of any shadowe of the Lawe For no man is iustified by such things but by fayth as Abraham was When he hath proued these things after this fashion he sheweth agayne that neither Israell nor the Gentiles can obteyne redemption and grace by any other meanes than by beeing quit of that auncient and originall sinne that is spred into all men by Adam But that can not be wiped away by other than by the sonne of God by whome also the curse was made from the beginning For it was not possible that any other body should discharge that trespasse Afterward he writeth that that thing was not done by any other meanes than that the sonne of God tooke fleshe vpon him and became man that he might deliuer all men from death by offering vp the same body for all which was subiect to the same sufferings that wee bee And like as by one man sinne entred into the worlde so also by one man grace came vpon all men From theÌ„cefoorth as a good steward he comforteth the Jewes telling theÌ„ that they shall not be transgressers of the Law if they beleeue in Christ and warneth suche of the Gentiles as beleeued that they should not be puffed vp agaynst the Israelites but consider that as the boughes are grafted into a tree so were they grafted into the Jewes When he hath finished these things he addeth exhortations to good maners and so endeth his Epistle ¶ A Dialoge wherin the Epistle of S. Paule to the Romanes is familiarly expounded The persons or Talkers thereof are Paule and some one of the Citizens of Rome which visiteth Paule in prison at Rome Act. 28. This Citizen asketh questions and Paule answereth him almost with his owne words layde foorth in larger maner The Romane Paule ALthogh I be very glad of this your comming to the Citie right deare Paule yet should I be much gladder of it if I saw you discharged of these bondes P. Sir I thanke you right hartily for it But yet must not these bondes of mine abate or put away your gladnes forasmuch as they be the sure records and as it were certen badges of mine office or calling But what is the cause that you haue vouchsaued to come to mee R. Surely nothing else but a certen incredible desire of vnderstanding the Epistle whiche ye sent not long agoe to our Citizens Of whome although many be growen into the one Christian Churche yet notwithstanding I can not tell how some of them take singular pleasure of it and other some eyther of wilfulnesse or of ignorance or of a certayne suttle dissimulation can neyther abide to see it nor to heare of it Wherefore if you haue any leysure from your businesse I pray you and beseech you let vs sifte out all the places of it diligently betwixt vs that where any things shall seeme darksome vnto me You may make them easie to me by answering my demaundes according to the true Copie of it layde afore vs. P. Nothing could haue happened to me more acceptable and pleasant than this exercise forasmuch as I apply my selfe wholly with all my power and streÌ„gth to the executing of mine office Now therefore begin whereat you wil and I will answere to al things orderly and playnly R. Then let vs begin at the very inâ—ling of the Epistle What teache you â—ere P. I professe my selfe to be the same â— aule whiche was once a most deadly â— nemie to Christes Gospell Acts. 9.1 Gal. 13. Act. 13.2 and to all â— hristians and is now a seruaunt of the â—â— me Iesus Christ and not that onely â— ut also which is more excellent sholed out chosen and called to be his Apostle that is to say his Ambassadour messenger or Interpreter not to deale â— i th worldly affayres but to publishe â— nd spred abrode the Gospell or the â— appie and healthfull tidings from alâ— ightie God which thing I say for this â— urpose least any man mighte thinke â— e to haue stepped rashly into this ofâ— ce or function whereas I protest no â— esse truly than playnly to all men that â— his charge was layde vppon me of â— od R. Very well But how is this a glad â—dings or happie message sithe many â—en doe note it of a certayne newfanâ—lenesse P. So small cause is there that the Gospell should bee reckened among new thinges that in verie deede it is the performance fulfilling and finishing vp of Gods promises that haue bin giuen before al remeÌ„braÌ„ce of man R. What witnesses interpreters of them haue you P. Euen the Lords prophetes themselues which are worthy to be beleued bothe bycause they were many and most assured mainteiners of the truthe R. Out of what records of writing or out of what Presidents were these promises deliuered vnto you P. Out of the holy Scriptures which the Lord reueled vnto his seruaunts to the intent that all men might conceiue a sure persuation and beleefe of his will in their minds R. What is the substance or