Open thy mouth wyde and I shal fill it And although that we cannot open the mouth except it be through the ayde of him without whome we can doe nothing Neuerthelesse wee doe open it through his ayde and through our worke but the Lorde doth fill it without our worke By and by after he sayeth God doth many good things in man which man doth not But man doth none which God doth not to the ende that man doth them Augustine vpon Saint Iohn in the 49. treatise Chap. 9. Let no man then flatter himselfe for of himselfe he is a deuill but of God he is blessed And what is that to be of himself but of sinne Cast awaye the sinne which is of thee thy righteousnesse sayth he is of me For what hast thou that thou hast not receyued Augustine in his contemplations of the soule with god Chap. 18. O Lorde I doe confesse as thou hast taught me that I am no other thing but altogither vanitie and a shadow of death and but a darke earth vayne and voyde the which without thy blessing doth not encrease and bring forth anye fruite but confusion sinne and death If I haue had any good thing I had it of thee All that which I haue receyued is from thee or I had it of thee If I doe any thing that is right that is through thee But when I am fallen I am fallen through my selfe and had alwayes remayned in the myre if thou hadst not lifted me vp I had bene alwayes blinde if thou hadst not illuminated mee When I did fall downe I shoulde neuer haue bene raysed vp againe if thou hadst not giuen me thy hande And afterwarde also when thou hadst raysed me vp I shoulde haue fallen agayne if thou hadst not sustayned mee I had bene oftentimes lost if thou hadst not gouerned me Euen so O Lorde euen so thy mercie hath alwayes gone before me in deliuering me from all euill keeping me from those that be past and in keeping me from those that be present and in defending and preseruing me from those whiche are to come breaking also in peeces before mee the snares of sinners in taking awaye the occasions and the causes for if thou hadst not done vnto me those things I had done all the sinnes of the worlde For O Lord I doe knowe verye well that there is no sinne that euer man hath done but that an other man dothe the same if the creator of whome man is made be absent But thou hast done it so to the ende that I doe not that which thou hast forbidden and hast shed out in me thy grace to the ende that I may beleeue in thee c. Augustine in his .2 boke of the remission of sinnes Chapter 18. Men doe take payne to finde in our wyll some goodnesse which is ours and not of God but I doe not knowe howe they can finde it Saint Barnarde in the first homily of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary As touching good workes it is moste certayne that no man hath them of him selfe for if the humaine nature could not continue in his state when it was whole and perfect how much lesse can it rayse it selfe nowe in that it is marred and corrupted It is most certayne that all thinges drawe to their beginning asmuch as is possible for them Augustine vnto Vitalis in the 107. Epistle Aunswere I pray thee how saith the Apostle in giuing thankes to God the father which hath made vs fitte to be of the company of Saintes in light if it be not he which doth deliuer our free will but that the free will doth deliuer it selfe We doe render then faulsly thankes vnto the father as if he did that which he doth not and he hath erred whiche hath sayde that he doth make vs fitte Aunswere how we haue our free will for to deliuer vs from euill and for to doe good and when free wyll was vnder the power of darkenesse From which darkenesse if God hath deliuered vs as saith the Apostle truely he hath made the wyll free wherefore it followeth that euen as men are not faythfull but by free wyll Neuerthelesse they are made faithfull through the grace of God which hath deliuered free will from the power of darkenesse And so the grace of God is not denyed but is declared to be verytable and true although no merytes of men preceede it And free will is so defended that it is affirmed by humylitie and not ouerthrowen by pryde Then the grace of God is not geauen in the nature of free will nor in the lawe nor in doctryne as the wicked and peruerse Pelagian hath set foorth But is geiuen to all the workes through the will of him of whome it is wrytten O Lord God thou doest seperate from thy wyll the soule that is wylfull for we haue lost free wyll for to loue God through the greatnesse of the first sinne c. Afterwardes he sayth in that we doe beleeue in God or in that we doe liue faithfully it lyeth not then in mans will or running but in the mercy of God nor that we ought to wyll nor runne but bicause that he doth in vs both the wyl and the running Let vs not say then that the grace is the loue but let vs acknoweledge the grace which doth cause the doctrine and learning to profit for where that grace is absent we doe see that the same doth hinder and let the learning Augustine in his fyrst booke against Pelagius and Celestine Whosoeuer hath heard and learned of the father commeth vnto me The wyll of mā is so ayded not only in this that it doth knowe what it must doe but hauing knowen what it doth And therefore when the Lorde doth teach through the grace of his spirite he doth teach in such sorte that not only euery one doth see that which he hath learned in the knowledge thereof but of will he doth desire it and of worke fulfill it Augustine in the .3 booke vpon the wordes of the Apostle .3 sermō And in his booke of the spirite and the letter Chapter 3. How are these wicked men proude of free wyll before they are free or of their strength if they are already free they doe not consider that in this word of free wyll is signified a libertie For where the spirite of the Lorde is there is libertie If then they be the seruantes of sinne how doe they bragge and bost to haue free wyll For of whome soeuer a man is ouercome vnto the same is he in bondage If they are already deliuered how doe they boste them selues as it were of their proper workes Are they so free that they would not be the seruantes of him which sayth without me ye can doe nothing Iesus sayth No man can come vnto me except the father which hath sent me drawe him Saint Iames Euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue and cōmeth
iustifie him Euen as Dauid sayth Blessed is the man whome the Lorde accepteth and iustifieth without workes and how is he iustified But forasmuch as he receiueth of God righteousnesse and what righteousnesse the righteousnesse of fayth the which God giueth without any good workes preceeding but not without good workes following after for righteousnesse of fayth profiteth not if after the fayth receiued man doth not exercise him selfe in all good workes In the same I doe not account thy workes good what soeuer they be if they doe not proceede from the good roote of fayth In the same God doth not giue vnto thee the payne and punishment whiche thou hast well deserued but he doth giue vnto thee the grace not deserued nor due He oweth vnto thee punishment and he giueth vnto thee mercie and doth pardon thee Begin then to be in fayth through the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes Gregorie vpon Ezechiel the first boke homilie 7. Then our iust aduocate doth defende vs for iust at the iudgement bicause that we shoulde acknowledge our selues and accuse our selues as vniust Let vs not then trust in our weepings nor in our works but in the allegation of our aduocate Augustine in his booke of meditations Chap. 14. This is lyfe eternall that they knowe thee to be the only very God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ through a right fayth and through workes worthy of fayth For thy inestimable loue exceedeth all knowledge the which thou hast shewed vnto vs throughe thy pietie and goodnesse vnto vs whiche are vnworthy For thy sonne our God in no sort toke the Angels but he tooke the seede of Abraham being made like in all things vnto vs without sinne This is verily all my hope and all my trust for the porcion of euery one of vs is to the same Iesus Christ our Lorde that is to saye the fleshe and the bloude and so where my porcion doth reygne there I doe beleeue that I shall reygne there where my flesh is glorified there I doe know my selfe to be glorified there where my bloude doth beare rule there I doe knowe that I shall rule Although I be a sinner yet I doe not distrust of the communication of this grace and if my sinnes do hinder or let it my substance doth require and aske it And if my offences doe shut me out the communion of the nature doth not dryue me backe but our Lord God is meeke and lowly and loueth his fleshe and his members and his bowels in himselfe which is God and in Iesus Christ our Lorde most meeke and louing and gentle in whome we are raysed vp and are already ascended into heauen and already sitting in the celestiall place Our fleshe doth loue vs and we haue in him the prerogatiue of our bloude for we are his members and his fleshe and finally he is our heade of whome all the bodie doth depende as it is written bone of my bones and fleshe of my flesh and they shall be two in one fleshe this mysterie here is great I saye in Christ and in the congregation sayth the Apostle Augustine in his manuel Chap. 22. All my trust and hope is in the death of my Lorde his death is my merite my refuge my helth my life my resurrection my merite is the mercy of god I am not poore of merite so long as the Lorde of mercie shall be in being if the mercies of the Lorde are great I am great in merites the more puissant he is for to saue so much the more am I assured Augustine in his manuel Chap. 23. I haue committed a great sinne and do feele my selfe culpable of a great many of sinnes and yet I will not despayre For where sinnes haue abounded grace hath more abounded He which hopeth not to haue pardon of his sinnes he denyeth that God is mercifull he doth great iniurie vnto God which distrusteth of his mercy as much as he can he denyeth that God hath loue truth and strength in whiche things consisteth all my hope that is in the loue that he hath towards me to make me his adoptiue sonne in the veritie of his promise and in the puissaunce of his redemption Let my foolishe thought nowe thinke and murmure as long as it will saying but what art thou and what is this glorie and by what merites thinkest thou to haue it Then I doe aunswere in good fayth I doe knowe verye well vnto whom I submit my selfe and that through great loue he hath made me his adoptiue sonne and is true in his promises and of power to fulfill them and it is lawfull for him to doe all that pleaseth him I cannot then bee afrayde of the multitude of my sinnes if I doe remember the Lordes death S. Ambrose in the booke of Iacob and of blessed life Euen as Iacob hauing not of his meate the eldershippe hid him selfe vnder the habite of his brother and apparayled him selfe with his coate the which did giue a most sweete sauour and in this manner presented him selfe vnto his father to receiue to his profite the blessing vnder the person of another so it is necessary that we doe cloth our selues and put on the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ through fayth and that we doe hide our selues vnder the deuine purite of our eldest brother if wee will be accepted and taken for righteous before God And truly the same is the true verytie for yf we doe appeare before God not clothed with the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ without doubte we shall be iudged worthy of eternall damnation S. Ambrose vpon the .4 chapter of the Epistle to the Romaines They are manifestly blessed vnto whom without laboure or without any workes iniquities and wickednesse are pardoned and the sinnes couered not requiring of them any works of penance but that they doe beleeue onely Ambrose vpon the 3. Chapter of the Epistle to the Romaines They are iustified freelye throughe his grace bicause that not doing anye thing and not rendring the lyke by onely fayth they are iustified through the gift of God. Augustine in his boke of 50. homilies Homilie 14. The Lord will giue vnto me the crown as a iust and righteous iudge For hee which beholdeth after that he hath beheld the worke cannot deny the reward I haue fought a good fight that is a worke I haue fulfilled my course that is a worke I haue kept the fayth that is a worke There remayneth for mee the crowne of righteousnesse that is the rewarde But thou doest nothing to the rewarde and in the worke thou hast not wrought alone thou hast the crowne of him but the work is of thee and yet it is not but throughe the ayde of him I haue fought I haue ended and fulfilled my course I haue kepte the fayth He doth rewarde the goodnesse but what goodnesse Such as he hath giuen Hath not he giuen vnto thee to fight a good
goodnesse are of God yea faith it selfe Againe the Apostle saith I haue obtayned mercie O true confession He doth not say I haue obtayned mercy bicause that I was faithful but to the ende that I should be faithfull I haue obtayned mercie Let vs come vnto the first works of Paule Let vs behold Saule which did wax madde let vs behold him in his crueltie let vs behold him breathing out his threatnings and thirstie after bloude This was the way of Paule Christ was not yet his way what had he in his heart What had he but euill Giue me his merites Whiche if we doe searche his merites they shall bee merites of damnation and not of deliuerance Augustine vpon the wordes of the Lorde Sermon 40. The medecine of the soule is the only propitiation for the sinnes of all that is to beleeue in Christ c. Afterwarde he saith wherefore doe the children of God whiche beleeue in him liue for they are borne of God by the adoption of grace whiche is through the faith of our Lorde Iesus Christ And therefore welbeloued it is not without cause that our Lord and Sauiour saith that same to be the only sinne of which the holy Ghost rebuketh the world to wete because they haue not beleeued in him He would then that the world should be reproued only of that sinne that they doe not beleeue only in him to wete because that in beleeuing in him all sinnes are pardoned he woulde that to be imputed by which all the other are assembled And therefore in beleeuing they are borne of God and are made the children of God for he hath giuen vnto them the power saith he to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name c. Chrysostome vpon the .25 chapter of Saint Mathewe 2. Tome .2 homilye Come ye blessed of my father inherite ye the kingdome prepared for you from before the beginning of the worlde bicause that you haue giuen that which you cannot haue receiue that which you shall possesse eternally for one graine that you haue sowen vpon earth you shall haue an hundreth folde asmuch in heauen For the kingdome of heauen hath not bene created suche as the righteousnesse of man could merite it but such as the power of God might prepare it for if he woulde haue created the kingdome of heauen according to the merites of mans righteousnesse Truely he would haue created it after mans workes but bicause that nowe he hath not ordayned the reward of Saintes according to the reward of men but according to his greatnesse therefore hath he prepared the kingdome of heauen in heauen before that he created the saints in heauen S. Barnarde vpon the first sermon of the Annunciation of the virgin Marie The testimonie of our conscience is our reioycing sayth the Apostle not such testimonie as the proud Pharisey had in his wicked thought and seducing his master which bare witnesse of him selfe whiche witnesse is true which the spirite doth witnesse vnto our spirite For I doe beleeue that this witnesse consisteth in three things First and aboue all things it is necessarie to beleeue that thou canst not haue remission and forgiuenesse of thy sinnes but throughe the indulgencie of god Secondly thou canst not haue any good workes except he himselfe doe giue them vnto thee Finallye that thou canst not merite eternall life for any workes and it must be giuen thee freely c. Afterwardes he sayth For we doe well know that as for eternall life the afflictions of this lyfe are not worthie of the glorie which shall be shewed vpon vs although that one only man doth abide and suffer al. For mans merites are not suche that for them eternall life shoulde be due of right or that we shoulde saye that God doth vs wrong if he doe not giue them vs by reason of them For though I shoulde holde my peace that all merites are the gifts of God insomuch that for them man is more indebted to God than God is to man What is that that all the merites doe in respect of so great glorie To conclude what is he that is more excellent than the Prophete vnto whome the Lorde doth giue so excellent a witnesse saying I haue founde a man according to mine owne heart And yet he had neede to saye vnto God Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant c. Let no man then deceyue himselfe for if he will thinke well he shall finde without all doubt that he can not with ten thousande men go to meete him whiche commeth agaynst him wyth xx thousande But these things which we haue now spoken of are not yet altogither sufficient but wee must the rather holde them for a beginning and foundation of fayth Therefore if thou beleeue that thy sinnes cannot be put or blotted out but by him agaynst whome onely thou hast sinned thou doest well But adde yet one thing more to wete that thou beleeue also that thy sinnes by him are pardoned Beholde the testimonies and witnesses which the holy ghost doth giue into our heartes saying thy sinnes are pardoned thee For euen so doth the Apostle think that man is iustified freely through fayth In lyke maner as touching merites if thou beleeue that one cannot haue them but by him it sufficeth not vntill such time as the spirite of fayth doth witnesse that thou hast them through him Euen so it is necessarie that thou haue also witnesse to wete that thou doest come therevnto thorowe Gods liberalitie For it is he which pardoneth sinnes which giueth merites and yet neuerthelesse doth giue agayne the rewarde For all his testimonies are most assured For as to the remission of sinnes I doe hold the passion of our Lord for a most strong argument For the crye of his bloude hath had greater force than the bloude of Abel in as much as he doth crie in the heartes of the electe remission of all sinnes For he was deliuered to death for our sinnes And there is no doubt but that his death is more puissant and of greater force to doe good than our sinnes are to doe euill As touching good workes his resurrection is an argument for me which hath no lesse vertue For asmuch as he is rysen againe for our iustification as touching the hope of reward his ascention serueth for a witnesse for he is ascended for our gloryfication Thou hast these three things in the psalm saying Blessed is the man vnto whome the Lorde imputeth no sinne And in another place blessed are the men whose strength is in thee Also in an other place Blessed is the man whom thou hast chosen and receiuest vnto thee that he maye dwell in thy courte such is the true glory I say which is within for that dooth departe from him whiche dwelleth in our heartes through faith But the sonnes of Adam seeking the glorye which
Gentils through fayth and therefore preached before hande the Gospell vnto Abraham saying in thee shall all the Gentiles be blessed so then they which be of fayth are blessed with faythfull Abraham For as many as are vnder the deedes of the law are vnder the curse For it is written Cursed is euerye man that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the lawe to fulfill them And that no man is iustified by the lawe in the sight of God it is euident For the iust shall lyue by fayth and the lawe is not of fayth but the man that shall fulfill those things shall liue in them Nowe Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the lawe when he was made accursed for vs. For it is written Cursed is euery one that hangeth on a tree That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Iesus Christ and that we might receyue the promise of the spirite through fayth But the Scripture hath concluded all things vnder sinne that the promise by the fayth of Iesus Christ shoulde be giuen to them that beleeue c. For ye are all the sonnes of God by fayth in Christ Iesus Galat. 3. De poenitentia Distinction 3. chap. which beginneth Totam c. And we are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whome God hath set forth to be a pacification through fayth in his bloude to declare his righteousnesse in that hee forgiueth the sinnes that are passed Without fayth it is impossible to please God. In whome euen nowe though yee see him not yet doe ye beleeue and reioyce with ioye vnspeakable and glorious receiuing the end of your faith the saluation of your soules c. And God which knoweth the heartes bare them witnesse in giuing vnto them the holy Ghost euen as he did vnto vs and he put no difference betwene them and vs seing that with faith he purified their heartes S. Ierome vpon Sophon Chapter 3. They doe seeke the righteousnesse the which is not but Christ alone Iesus Christ sayeth Daughter bee of good comfort thy fayth hath made thee whole Agayne Beleeue ye that I am able to doe this And they sayde vnto him yea Lorde Then touched he their eyes saying according to your fayth bee it vnto you Also Daughter be of good comforte thy fayth hath made thee whole goe in peace Also What shall we doe that wee might worke the workes of God Iesus aunswered and sayd vnto them This is the worke of God that ye beleeue on him whom he hath sent Likewise all things are possible to him that beleeueth The wages of sinne is death but the gyft of God is eternal life through Iesus Christ our Lorde If thou shalt confesse with thy mouthe the Lorde Iesus and shalt beleeue in thine heart that God raysed him vp from death thou shalt be saued For the beleefe of the heart iustifieth and to confesse with the mouth saueth a man. Who soeuer beleeueth on him shal not be ashamed But ye are of him in Iesus Christ who of God is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption that according as it is written He that reioyceth shoulde reioyce in the Lorde This is the name that they shal call him euen the Lorde our righteous maker To him giue all the Prophets witnesse that through his name all that beleeue in him shall receyue remission of sinnes For among men there is giuen none other name vnder heauen whereby wee must be saued Ye are gone quite from Christ as many as are iustified by the lawe and are fallen from grace Let no man esteeme of himselfe more then it becommeth him to esteeme but that he discretely iudge of himselfe according as God hath dealt to euery man the measure of fayth How shoulde I then aunswere him or what wordes shoulde I finde out agaynst him yea though I be righteous yet will I not giue him one worde agayne but meekely submit my selfe to my Iudge If I will iustifie my selfe myne owne mouth shall condemne me If I will put forth my selfe for a perfect man he shall proue mee a wicked doer for that I shoulde be an innocent my conscience knoweth it not yea I my selfe am weary of my life Thou hast graunted me lyfe and done me good and the diligent heede that thou tookest vpon me hath preserued my spirite c. If I doe wickedly wo is me therfore If I be righteous yet dare I not lift vp my heade so full am I of confusion and see mine owne miserie What is man that he shoulde be cleane what hath he which is born of a woman whereby he might be knowen to be righteous Beholde there is no trust in hys Saintes yea the very heauens are not cleare in his sight Howe much more then an abhominable and vile man which drinketh wickednesse like water But how may a man compared vnto God be iustified Or how can he be clean that is borne of a woman We are all as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnesse are as the clothes stayned or a menstruous cloth There is not one iust vpon earth that doth good and sinneth not Verely in the Lord is my righteousnesse and strength To him shal men come but all they that thinke scorne of him shal be confounded And the whole seede of Israell shall be iustified and praysed in the Lorde The Lorde helpeth me therefore shall I not be confounded I haue hardened my face like a flint stone for I am sure that I shall not come to confusion Mine aduocate speaketh for me who will then goe with me to lawe My righteous seruant shall with his wisedome iustifie and deliuer the multitude for he shall beare away their sins c. We being iustified by his grace should be amde heires according to the hope of eternall life Yet darest thou say I am giltlesse Tushe his wrath cannot come vpon me behold I wyll reason with thee bicause thou darest say I haue not offended O howe euill will it be for thee to abyde it when it shall be knowen how oft thou hast gone backwarde Doubtlesse our owne wickednesse rewarde vs but Lorde doe thou according to thy name thoughe our transgressions and sinnes be many and haue sinned against thee They that put their trust in me shall inherite the land and haue my holy hill in possession Be it knowen â—nto you therefore men and brethren that through this man is preached vnto you the forgiuenesse of sinnes and that from all sinnes from which you could not be iustified by the lawe of Moyses by him euery one that beleeueth is iustified And of his fulnesse haue all we receyued euen grace for grace Which he predestinated before them also he called and whoÌ„ he called them also he iustified
and whome he iustified them he also gloryfied What shall wee then say to these thinges if God be on our side who can be against vs Who shall laye any thing to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that iustifieth Who then shall condemne It is Christe which is dead yea rather which is rysen againe which is also at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs. O Lorde enter not into iudgemente with thy seruaunte for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified A iuste man falleth seuen times and ryseth vp againe If thou O Lorde wilt be extreme to marke what is done amisse oh Lord who may abyde it But there is mercye with thee that thou mayest be feared Of the lawe The lawe is not giuen vnto a righteous man but vnto the lawelesse and disobedient Augustine of free will and grace Chapter 6. The Pelagians doe thinke them selues to knowe great thinges when they say the Lorde will not commaund that which he knoweth man cannot doe who is hee which knoweth not that thing But therefore he commaundeth some thinges which we cannot doe to the ende that wee may knowe that which we ought to demaund of him and that is faith which in praying obtayneth that the lawe commandeth Finally he which hath sayde if thou wilt thou shalt kepe the commandements Set a watch O lord before my mouth c. This is a most sure and certaine thing that if we will we may kepe the commandements But bicause the Lorde prepareth and maketh the will ready we muste demaund the will which suffiseth to doe it willingly it is certaine that we wil when we haue the will but it is he that causeth that we desire and will the good of whom it is sayde The Lorde ordereth a good mans goinges and hath pleasure in his way and it is God which worketh in vs both the will and also the deede yea euen of his free beneuolence It is certaine that we doe it when we doe giue the vertue of most greatest efficacie and strength to the will the which sayth I will cause you to walke in my iustifications and that you shall keepe my iudgementes and doe them Augustine vpon the 31. psalme Without the grace of God without the loue of eternitie the lawe and the commaundements of God are a great and importable charge Augustine vpon the wordes of the Apostle Sermon 6. O death where is thy sting Graue where is thy victorie The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the lawe For by forbidding sinne is augmented and not put out the lawe hath giuen power to sinne in commaunding only by the letter and not in helping by the spirite For the lawe commaundeth and doth not accomplishe it bicause that the flesh doth resist it inuincibly where there is no grace And the lawe was weakened thorowe the fleshe bicause that the lawe is spirituall but I am carnall Howe then shall the lawe ayde and helpe me in commaunding by the letter the which giueth nothing by the spirite It was made weake through the fleshe What is that that God hath done considering that it was a thing vnpossible to the lawe and that it was weakened through the fleshe God sent his sonne wherefore was the lawe weakened and wherefore was that impossible to the lawe It was weakened through the flesh What is that then that God hath done he hath sent the fleshe against the flesh for he hath killed the sinne of the fleshe and hath deliuered the substance of the fleshe God hath sent his son in the similitude and likenesse of the fleshe of sinne yea verilye in fleshe but not in fleshe of sinne That then which was impossible to the lawe which caused preuarication bicause the thought being vanquished hath not yet foūd out the sauiour wherein it was weakened throughe the fleshe God hath sent his sonne in the likenesse of the fleshe of sinne and hath condemned the sinne in the fleshe Howe then had he no sinne if sinne hath condemned sinne The sacrifice for sinne was in the lawe called sinne the lawe doth remember that thing not once or twyce but verye oftentimes The sacrifices for sinnes were called sinnes such sinne was Christ for what shall we say had he anye sinne no no he had no sinne but he was the sinne he was I say the sinne according to the intelligence and vnderstanding bicause that he was the sacrifice for sinnes For what the lawe could not doe in asmuche as it was weake bicause of the fleshe God sending his owne sonne in the similitude of sinful fleshe and that for sinne condemned sinne in the fleshe That the righteousnesse of the lawe might be fulfilled in vs which walke not after the fleshe but after the spirite Iesus Christ is come to redeme them which were vnder the law that we might receiue the adoption that belongeth vnto the naturall sonnes Iesus Christ is the ende of the law to iustifie all that beleeue They being ignorant of the righteousnesse of God and going about to establish their owne righteousnesse haue not bene obedient vnto the righteousnesse of God. Is the lawe then against the promise of God God forbide For if there had bene a law giuen which could haue giuen life then no doubte righteousnesse shoulde haue come by the lawe The lawe was our schole maister to bring vs to Christ that we might be made righteous by faith But after that faith is come now are we no longer vnder a schole maister Ye are gone quite from Christ as many as are iustified by the lawe and are fallen from grace And this I say That the law whiche began afterward foure hundred and thirtye yeeres cannot disanull the couenant that was confirmed afore of God in respect of Christ to make the promise of none effect for if the inheritance come of the lawe it commeth not then of promise but God gaue it vnto Abraham by promise No man is iustified by the lawe in the sight of God it is euident For the iuste shall liue by fayth And the lawe is not of fayth But the man that shall fulfill those things shall liue in them For as many as are vnder the deedes of the lawe are vnder the curse For it is written Cursed is euery man that continueth not in all things whiche are written in the booke of the lawe to fulfill them Whosoeuer shall keepe the whole lawe and yet fayleth in one poynt he is gyltie in all The iust man falleth seauen times in a daye S. Paule propounding the similitude of the infant that is an heire and the allegorie of the children of Sara and Agar declareth that the lawe hath ceased The fulfilling of the lawe is loue towardes our neighbour In abrogating through his flesh the hatred that is to saye the lawe of the commaundements which standeth in ceremonies
in faithe For vve ought not to maruayle if the auncient fathers haue done many thinges in that time vvhich novv can not serue nor profite vs any thing at all inasmuch as they haue serued but onely for their time For the Apostles haue ordayned some thinges vvhich novve ought not to be follovved nor kept As vve doe reade in the actes of the Apostles that the counsell that vvas celebrated by the Apostles in Ierusalem decreed that vve should abstaine from bloude and from the fleshe of beastes that vvere strangled VVe knovve vvell inough that this ordinance novv hath no more place and is not in force among the christians nor ought to haue bicause that all thinges are cleane and purified through the vvorde and prayer Then vvee see that that decree vvhich hath bene decreed by the holy spirite by the Apostles to haue bene made bicause of the personnes and to serue onely but for that time Iudge novve if an ordinance made by the Apostles to support the infirmitie of men hath bene set foorth and aftervvardes abolished vvhat oughte vve to iudge of those vvhich are of lesse importance vvhich haue bene ordayned by men a great deale inferior and of lesse estimation then the Apostles There is no doubt that forasmuch as they haue bene ordayned to serue onely for that time that novve vve may let them alone and forsake them bicause that there is neyther Ievves nor Turkes among vs but christians at the least as they saye Also vve ought not vpon this to holde our peace or hide the vnshamelesse malice of many vvho neuerthelesse calling themselues christians vnder colour of antiquitie and of the auncient doctors doe forge and inuent of their ovvne vvicked and filthye brayne naughty and most detestable errors and aftervvard say that the auncient fathers haue vvritten so and preached so and by that meanes make the poore vvorld being seduced to beleeue it And yet the malice is so great in them that all they that vvill not receiue and allovve that vvhich their brayne hath inuented vnder the name of holy men they crye after them vvith open mouth to the fire to the fire vvith the Heritickes They reiecte the doctrine of the fathers Alas O my God and Lord thou knovvest our hearts and the heartes of these lyers that vve doe not desire but that in all and through all be it through life or death that thy son Iesus Christ and his doctrine may be onely receiued loued and vvorshipped And for this are vve apoynted as sheepe to be slayne vve are nought set by mocked beaten banished chased from tovvne to tovvne To be short vve are esteemed and counted as the most vile stinking filthynesse of all the vvorld troden dovvne vnderneth the feete of the vvorldlinges But for all that vve possesse our soules in patience looking for the righteous Iudge vvhich vvill iudge all the vvorld not according to the doctrine of men but according to hys holy vvorde for vvhich vve are had novve in suche abhomination to the vvorlde Furthermore they vvhich dayly accuse vs vvith so greate rage and furye against the auncient doctrine of the Apostles and Doctors shall at the last acknovvledge their malice and liuing that they haue declared in their bookes corrupting and marring the bookes of the auncient fathers of the churche If I durst I vvould gladly name one vvho in that occupation or science hath serued out his prentyshyppe for that cause is called our maister in his booke that he hath intituled The bouckler of the faithe vvherein he declareth the subtiltie of his intent and craft alledging the auncient Doctors in Latine after translating them into Frenche and at euery place where he found Sacrificium or the like manner of speaking in steade to put in sacrifice or holy mysterie he hath translated them alvvayes the holy mysterie of the Masse and so by that meanes they finde that vvorde Masse in the bookes of those good fathers vvhich they neuer thought nor did I beleeue he thought that his booke should not come but only in the handes of yong children or else he thought that he had to doe but vvith beastes like vnto himselfe There is no man though he haue but small iudgement and vnderstanding vvhich reading that booke but that he may see at the first dashe hovv he lyeth and vnsayeth and reuoketh it agayne and neuerthelesse he is heard and accounted as halfe a God not only of the poorest sort but of the greatest in the vvorlde In the meane time vve ought not to maruayle at this that such gallants haue bene so hardy and ouerbolde forasmuch as they vvere supported and maintayned of Kings Emperors Princes and Magistrates and that they vvere the best vvelcome to their Court. I remember that I haue reade in the Ecclesiasticall histories that in the time of the auncient Doctors there vvere abusers and seducers of the people that sovved their pestilent venim amongst the doctrine of the auncients Of that Denise bishop of Corinth complayned very much saying that many haue sovvn in his Epistles much vvicked doctrine Therefore thinke that if they haue bene so hardy and bolde that they durst corrupt the vvrytinges of the auncientes yea vvhilest they vvere yet aliue VVhat vvill they doe novve at the least they vvill doe asmuch as their auncient fathers that is to saye those Apostates ennemies of the fathers Novv notvvithstanding their shamelesse malyce they rebuke and checke vs vvith a vvhores face that vve are ennemies of the fathers despisers and contemners of their doctrine and disturbers of the vvorld I vvould to God that they vvould permitte and suffer vs to compare our doctrine openly and before all the vvorld vvith theirs to the end that all men might knovve vvho be the contemners and ennemies of the fathers somuch it vvantith that vve should be found condemners and ennemies of those good fathers that altogither it vvoulde be seene that the same doctrine that vve hold keepe at this day is the very same for vvhiche manye of those good fathers haue shead their bloud and vvould shead it if they vvere novve aliue It seemeth that the same is not true that I haue spoken that if the fathers vvere yet aliue that men vvould put them cruelly to death as most vvicked Heritickes Yea they vvhich at this daye doe boste and brag them selues to be their obedient children and make bucklers of their bookes Vnderstand and hold fast in minde dearely beloued behold this present booke may serue vs for a certayne argument of that vvhich is composed and faithfully gathered togither out of the very bookes of the auncient Doctors That if I vvould present this present booke vvherein there is nothing in it of mine but altogither of the auncientes for confession of my faith to those enemies of the fathers I doubt not but presently I should be as a moste vvicked Heretick condemned to be burned quicke into ashes Novve see dearely beloued and iudge iustly before God according to your
torment Be ye ioyfull and reioyce to be enrovvled in their bande for to beare vvith them the yoke of Iesus Christ perseuere valiantly in the doctrine that you haue already receiued for no man can hurt you Ought vve not greatly to reioyce of this that the persecuting tyrantes can doe our bodyes no more hurt then a vvolfe or theefe of the vvoods vvhich can but murther or kill vs Let vs reioyce for our names are vvritten in heauen VVe haue yet this good turne thankes be vnto our good God therefore that the persecutors can do vnto vs no vvorse then to to put and place vs vvith our good God in the company of Angelles and all the blessed soules in heauen VVhat is he that vvould not desire to goe playe vvith so happy a company eternally and vvithout ende Yea to be in glory vvhich the eye hath not seene and eare hath not heard neyther hath entred into mans minde the thinges vvhich God hath prepared to such as loue him Againe forasmuch as they esteeme and court vs so vvicked and abhominable and crye so spitefully after vs as after the vvickedest people of all the vvorld to make vs and our doctrine odious vnto the people They commaund them not to heare or harken vnto vs they make the simple people beleeue vvhen they haue them vnder confession that if they doe not accuse vs they shall be damned Their craft subtiltye and enuye agaynste the truth is to be maruayled at In the meane time I vvould vvillingly that they vvould accord and agree vvith vs to conferre their doctrine vvith ours their crosse and persecution vvith ours their lyfe vvith ours theyr church vvith ours By that means vve should plainly see vvhether they be the childrē of God or vve First of all haue not vve the baptisme purely administred as vve doe reade that the Apostles haue administred it vvithout any inuentions of men but onely according to the vvord of God Let one reade the Scriptures and he shall see vvho it is that hath added to the Sacramentes eyther vve or they Furthermore let men behold the persecutions that they suffer for their doctrine the number is soone counted for there is not one vvhich hath suffred death for their doctrine neuerthelesse Iesus Christ hath promised that his church shal haue persecution in the vvorld saying ye shall be hated of all men for my name Hovv can they be hated of all men sith that they be in all places the best vvelcome Hovv commeth it that one shoulde thinke to doe sacrifice vnto God in putting them to death I did neuer knovve any I doe accord and agree in this that they are often times taken prisoners but it is in the good feastes and bankettes and in the best seates of the table and vvhereas the children of God are burned vvith fire they here are burned throughe the heate of VVine Their innocent fleshe is hevven and cut in peeces but it is at the table vpon their treachers They are rotten and consumed vvith the Goute of Naples insomuch that they fall in peces They are melted and melted againe many times in a yeere Besides all the dangers they put them selues into both day and night to runne after other mens vvyues in great danger of their life And yet some vvill say that they are not persecuted It appeareth that they be for one shall see a great many more among them to dye Martyrs of the paines that vve did speake of euen novv then of their naturall diseases or sicknesses They are then Martyres no man can denie yea but it is of the diuell and vvhat is he that doubteth of it And as concerning their life it is knovven vvell inough and manyfested vnto all men Their good vvorkes and godly fruites vvhat it bringeth in all places destroying and corrupting all the vvorlde asvvell spiritually as corporally This I am sure of that forasmuch as I haue touched and medled but vvith the doore of their kitchin they vvill say I am a vvicked Hereticke But vvhat then Shoulde I hold my peace for their menaces and iniuries No no God forbid but rather I vvill crye vvith open mouth after them bicause they haue so corrupted and destroyed the Lordes Vineyard Alas alas my God vvhat is he that ought not but to lament and vveepe vvith bloudy teares seeing all the vvorld to be so led into the bottome of hell so many poore soules led to perdition O Lord regard thy poore people haue some pitie and compassion on them for vvhom thy sonne our Lorde Iesus Christ hath offred to thee his body and bloud in a sacrifice and suffer not that thy poore sheepe be so put as a pray for to be deuoured of al beastes For vve are dayly assaulted vvith so many ennemyes that sathan riseth agaynst vs for to make vs forsake and abandon our Lord Iesus Christ and to renounce his Gospell One day vve haue vvarre agaynst the Heretickes Anabaptistes an other day agaynst Libertines Epicures Arians Dauidistes and agaynst dissemblers and consequently against the vvorshippers of the fathers through vvhose zeale the children of God are put to death Haue not vve then great neede of vveapons It appeareth yea if vve vvould not be taken in their snares as many at this day are through the iust iudgement of God. Therefore if there be any time to pray or to vvatch it is novve Let vs then vvatch and praye to the end vve may auoyde all those dangers and perseuer and continevve to the ende You haue bene the first of your citie dearely beloued I also doe hope in the Lord you shall not be the last But as you haue bene vntill novv the example and myrror of the poore ignorant people to dravve them to the true light of the spirite I doe hope through the grace of God that nothing shall hinder you to continevve vnto the end on so holy a vvorke For the poore ignorant people seeing the peace and vnitie and the promptnesse and good courage that is in you to receiue the holy doctrine are constrayned through your holy life and conuersation to come vnto the knovvledge of Iesus Christ and consequently to saluation Forasmuch then as the Lord doth vnto you dayly so much good or shevveth vnto you so much of his grace shevving vnto you from day to day his maruaylous vvorkes set to so your handes in the vvorke of the Lord so long as he giueth you time and life that you doe not leaue for your children that shall come after you an euill example of life but instruct them in that holy doctrine that you haue receiued to the ende they may knovve after your death that they had fathers and mothers that feared God and vvell instructed in his vvord and that they haue not receyued the gospell in their mouthe onely but also in their handes And that they vvere not dissemblers but true confessors of the name of God. Dispose and bestovve then vvhilest you haue time so vvell your affayres and
of this breade hee shall liue for euer the breade that I will giue is my fleshe which I will giue for the life of the worlde c. That which I deliuered vnto you I receyued of the Lorde to wit That the Lorde Iesus the same night in whiche he was betrayed tooke breade and when he had giuen thankes he brake it and sayd Take ye eate ye this is my bodie which is broken for you this doe ye in remembrance of me After the same maner also he tooke the Cup when he had supped saying This Cup is the newe testament in my bloude this doe as ofte as ye drinke it in remembrance of me For as often as ye shall eate this breade and drinke this Cuppe yee shewe the Lordes death till he come Wherefore whosoeuer shall eate this breade and drinke this Cuppe of the Lorde vnworthily shall be guiltie of the bodie and bloude of the Lorde Let a man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eate of this breade and drinke of this Cup. Is not the Cup of blessing whiche we blesse the Communion of the bloude of Christe Is not the Breade which wee breake the Communion of the bodie of Christ Bicause that we whiche are manye are one breade and one bodie in as muche as wee are all partakers of one breade Our fathers haue all eaten the same spirituall meate and did all drinke the same spirituall drinke for they dranke of the spirituall rocke that followed them and that rocke was Christ I am the breade of life he that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleeueth on me shal neuer thurst c. This is that breade which commeth downe from heauen that he whiche eateth of it shoulde not die Augustine in his 2. Quinqua vpon the 96. Psalme When the Lorde commaunded this he spake of his fleshe and sayde He that eateth not my fleshe shall not haue eternall lyfe And sayd The words that I speake vnto you are spirite and life Vnderstand spiritually that which I haue sayde vnto you you shall not eate that bodie whiche you do see you shall not drinke the bloud which shall be shedde by them which will crucifie me Augustine vpon Saint Iohn in the 27. treatise vpon the 6 Chapter If ye shoulde see the sonne of man ascend vp where he was before What is this By that he resolueth those whom he hath knowen of that he manyfested the thing whereby they haue ben offended For they did thinke that he would giue vnto them his body but hee sayth that hee will ascend vp into heauen all whole saying when yee shall see the sonne of man ascend vp where he was before at the least you shall see then that he doth not giue his bodie in the same maner as ye thinke and iudge at the least you shal then vnderstand that his grace is not consumed by morsels c. Augustine in his Sermon of the Sacramentes of the faithfull in the 2. ferie of Easter And for this cause as also the men of God haue vnderstoode it before vs our Lorde Iesus Christ hath recommended his body and his blood to the thinges which of many are reduced and brought into one thing For also the one of many Graynes is confecte and made into one and the other of many Grapes is reduced into one he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him Then to eate this meate and to drink this drinke is to dwell in Christ and to haue our dwelling in him And so hee that dwelleth not in Christ and in whome Christ doth not dwell without doubt hee eateth not the flesh and drinketh not the bloud although that he eate and drinke the Sacrament of so great a thing to his iudgement Augustine in his .3 booke of the christian doctrine If you eate not sayth he the fleshe of the sonne of man and drinke not his blood you shall haue no life in you It seemeth that he doth commaund an vnlawful thing or a fault That is then a fygure commaunding that it must be communicated to the passion of our Lorde and gentlye and profitablye to put in memorye that his fleshe hath bene wounded and crucified for vs. Augustine of the words of the Apostle in his .2 sermon Saith If ye eate not my flesh and drinke not my blood ye shall haue no life in you c. The disciples were offended not all truly but many of them saying within themselues This is an harde saying who can abide the hearing of it What doth this signifie Doth this offende you Did you thinke that of this bodie here whiche you doe see I ought to make peeces and that I shoulde deuyde in peeces my members for to giue them vnto you What and if you shoulde see the sonne of man ascende vp where he was before Truly he which is ascended vp all whole cannot be consumed c. What is it to drinke this thing but to liue Eate the lyfe drinke the lyfe thou shalte haue lyfe and thou shalt be the whole lyfe And then this shall be that is to saye that the bodie and bloude of Christ shall be the lyfe of euerye one if that which they do take visibly in the sacrament be in dede spiritually eaten and drunke For we haue hearde the Lorde himselfe saying It is the spirite that quickeneth the fleshe profiteth nothing The wordes that I speake vnto you are spirite and life Augustine in his Decrees of penance in the 2. distinction Chapiter of Charitie To eate the breade and drinke the wyne that is to beleeue in Christ and in louing him to giue our selues vnto him Bede in his Collection These are also the wordes of Saint Augustine in his sermon made to the children at the aultar of the Sacrament The Cuppe of blessing c. That which ye see in the Aulter ye haue also seene it the night past But you haue not yet vnderstoode what it doth signifie and howe it conteyneth a Sacrament of a greate thing That then whiche ye haue seene is bread and wine the which your eyes doo demonstrate vnto you But that which your faith desireth to be instructed in the bread is the body of Christ and the wine the blood And that truly is brefly sayde in asmuch peraduenture that it suffiseth the fayth but the fayth desireth to be instructed for the Prophet sayth If ye beleeue not you shall not vnderstand Yee may then say vnto me thou hast commanded that we should beleeue expound it to the ende that we may vnderstand it For such cogitacion and thought may enter into the mindes and vnderstanding of euery one we doo know very well from whence our Lord Iesus Christ hath taken his flesh that is to say of the Virgin Mary he was nourished vp in his infancie he was brought vp he became great and came to the age of a young man He
suffered persecution by the Iewes He hath ben hanged on the tree and dyed on the tree and was buryed and rose againe the third day and ascended into heauen the day it pleased him There he eleuated his body and from thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead there he sitteth now at the right hand of the father How then is the bread his body And the cuppe or that which the cuppe conteineth how is that his blood My bretheren therefore are these thinges here called Sacramentes because that in them one thing is seene and an other thing is vnderstoode That which we see in a corporall likenesse but that which we vnderstand to a spirituall fruite He that receaueth the mistery of vnity and keepeth not the bond of neace he receiueth not by him the mistery but receaueth a witnesse agaynst him selfe And no man ought in any thing to doubt but that then euery faithfull man is partaker of the body and of the blood of the Lorde As to baptisme he is made a member of Christ and is not depryued from the company of that bread and of that cuppe also when hee which is constituted in the vnitie of the body of Christ shall depart out of this world before he doo eate that bread and drinke the cuppe for also he is not depryued from the participation and from the benefite of that Sacrament whiche hath found that which the Sacrament dooth signifie Prosper in his booke of sentences He that abydeth in Christ and in whom Christ dwelleth hath taken the meate of lyfe and hath drunke the drinke of the eternitie For he whiche discordeth from Christ doth not eate the fleshe of Christ nor drinketh his bloud Although that he doe take euery daye indifferently the Sacrament of so great a thing according to his iudgement Innocent in his thirde booke of the holy Aultar 4. 13. 14. Chapter Iudas sayth he hath eaten the Lordes breade but he hath not eaten the breade which was the Lorde Saint Hilarie in his 8. booke of the Trinitie The breade which descended from heauen is not receiued but of him which hath the Lorde and which is the true member of him Augustine in his 49. treatise vpon Saint Iohn the 11. Chapter If fayth be in vs Christ is in vs For what other thing sayeth the Apostle Christ dwelleth in your heartes through fayth but that through the fayth whiche thou hast of Christ Christ is in thy heart Augustine vpon Saint Iohn in his 25. treatise and 6 Chapter This is then to eate the meate not that which perisheth but which abideth vnto eternall lyfe Wherefore make ready thou the teeth and the belly beleeue and thou hast eaten c. Saint Cyprian in his Sermon of the vnction of Christ. Our Lorde Iesus Christ hath giuen in the table in the whiche he hath made his last banket with his Apostles the breade and the wyne with his owne hands but he hath giuen his bodye for to be wounded on the Crosse by the handes of the souldiers c. Augustine vpon Saint Iohn in the 26. Homely Sayth All we haue very well this daye receyued the visible meate but it is another thing of the Sacrament and of the vertue of the same From whence commeth it that many doe come vnto the aultar and take to their condemnation that which they receyue For the morsell of breade which our Lord gaue vnto Iudas was poyson vnto him not for that it was euill but bicause the man which tooke it was euill he tooke it euill c. A little after he sayth the Sacrament of this that is to saye the spirituall vnitie whiche we haue with Christ is presented vnto vs at the Lordes table to the one to lyfe to the others to death A little before hee hath sayde He which shall eate shall not die but I doe vnderstande it of him whiche shall haue the veritie of the Sacrament and not the visible Sacrament whiche shall eate him inwardlye and not outwardly whiche shall eate him in the heart and not crashe him with the teeth In what sense the auncient Doctors of the Church haue vnderstoode this place Hoc est corpus meum This is my bodye S. Augustine wryting against Adamantius the disciple of Manichaeus in the 12. Epistle Saith after this manner I maye interpret that this commandement cōsisteth in a signe for the Lord hath made it no doubt to say This is my body when hee gaue the signe of his body In the same place he sayth these three thinges The blood is water Behold my body And the rocke was Christ He teacheth these thinges to be sayde as though he spake by figure in signe and by signification Tertullian in his .4 booke against Marcion Sayth after this sort Iesus Christ after he toke the bread and distributed it to his disciples made it his body in saying this is my body That is to say saith he the signe of my body Chrisostome vpon S. Mathewe in the .83 homily the .26 chapter called the symbole of the supper and signe of the body of Christ. Augustine in his first quinquagesima in his prologue of the 3. psalm Saith Christ receiued Iudas vnto his supper in the which he recommended and gaue the figure of his body and of his blood to his disciples Chrisostome vpon S. Mathew in the .83 homelye Saith When the Heritickes say how shall it appeare that Christ hath ben offered We wyll stoppe their mouthes thus if Iesus Christ be not dead to what ende shall that sacrifice be a signe Saint Ierome vpon the 26. Chapter of S. Mathewe After that he acomplished the mysticall Passeouer or Easter had eaten the flesh of the Lambe with his Apostles He toke the breade which comforteth the heart of man and passed further to come vnto the Sacrament of the true Easter That euen as Melchisedech the highe Priest of the souereygne God hath done in the figure of this in offering of breade and wyne Euen so he representeth the veritie of his bodie and of his bloude Saint Ambrose vpon the first Epistle to the Corinthians the 11. Chap. Forasmuch as we are deliuered by the death of the Lorde hauing recordation thereof in eating and drinking wee doe signifie the fleshe and the bloude the which haue bene offered for vs c. Chrysostome vpon the 22. psalme Christ hath ordeyned the table of his holye Supper to the ende that in that sacrament he doe shewe vnto vs daylye the breade and the wine for the similitude of his bodie and of his bloude Saint Ambrose in his 6. booke of the Sacramentes the first Chapter The Priest sayth Make this oblation to bee acceptable vnto vs the whiche is the figure of the bodie and bloude of oure Lorde c. Chrysostome in the 83. Homelie vpon Saint Mathewe If thou haddest bene withoute a bodie hee woulde haue giuen thee all his signes naked and bare but bicause that thy soule is ioyned to a
thing by free wyll It is sayd in the .95 psalme harden not your hartes And in Ezechiel cast away from you all your vngodlynesse that yee haue done make you newe hartes and a newe spirite and obey to all my commaundementes wherefore wyll ye dye O ye house of Israel sayth the Lorde Seing I haue no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth sayth the Lorde god Turne you then and ye shall liue Let vs remember what God sayth turne you and you shall lyue vnto whome notwithstanding we do say O God turne vs Let vs remember that God sayth Caste from you all your vngodlynesse and yet it is he that iustifieth the wicked Lette vs remember that hee sayth Make you newe heartes and a new spirite and yet notwithstanding he himselfe sayth I will giue vnto you a newe heart and a newe spirite Howe then that he which sayth make you sayth agayne I will giue vnto you wherefore doth he commaunde it if he himselfe doe giue it wherefore doth he giue it if man ought to doe it Except he giue that whiche hee commaundeth and aydeth to the ende that he to whom he doth commaund it do it For the will is alwayes free in vs but it is not alwayes good for eyther it is free from righteousnesse when it serueth to sinne and then it is euill or it is free from sinne when it serueth to righteousnesse and then it is good But the grace of God is alwayes good and by the same it commeth to passe that man is of a good will who before was of an euill and wicked will by the same also it is brought to passe that the same good will which hath already begun to be in vs doth increase and is made so great that it can accomplishe and fulfill the commaundements of God which it will and when it wil greatly and perfectly For to the same serueth that which is written If thou wilt thou shalt keepe the commaundements in such sort that the man which woulde and can not yet knowe that he hath a full desire and shall pray that so great a will be giuen vnto him then that sufficeth for to accomplishe the commaundements for he is in this maner ayded to doe that whiche is commaunded him For the will is then profitable when we can for what profiteth it to will which we cannot or not to will that which we can Saint Augustine in his booke of the newe canticles Chap. 8. It is well declared what free will can doe which is not aided it is sufficient of it selfe to doe euill but not to doe good if it be not ayded of god For the first man receyued free will rightly he did set before him as sayth the Scripture fire and water vnto which thou wilt sayth he put forth thine hande He chose the fire and left the water beholde the righteous iudge that which man hath chosen being at his libertie the same hath he receyued he desired the euill and the euill followed him beholde agayne that righteous Iudge which is mercifull For when he saw that man thorowe his yll vsing of free will had damned all his posteritie in himselfe as in the roote before that anye man did intreate him came downe from heauen and hath healed mankinde in destroying the proude through his humilitie He hath led those that wandred out of their way into the right way and hath led the straungers into their countrie Let not mans nature then glorie in it selfe but glorie it selfe in him which hath made it Augustine in his booke of correction and grace Chapter 11. Without the grace of God Adam could not be good yea though he had free wyll wherefore God would not leaue him without his grace although he left him in his free wyll bicause that free wil is sufficient to doe euill But to good it is but of small valewe if it be not ayded with the goodnesse of the Almightie which ayde if man had not forsaken through his free wyll he had bene alwayes good But he did forsake it wherefore he was also forsaken Augustine of the wordes of the Apostle in the 13. sermon All those which are leade by the spirite of God are the children of God wherefore then wylt thou eleuate thy selfe when thou hast heard If you mortify the deedes of the body by the spirite you shall liue For thou wast ready to say my wyll can doe this my free wyll can doe that what can will doe What can free wyll doe If the holy spirite doe not gouern thee thou shalt fall if he doe not gouern thee thou shalt abide continew ouerthrowen How then shall he doe the same By his holy spirite when thou hast heard the Apostle saying all those which are conducted with the spirite of God which if it be absent thou canst by no manner of meanes doe any good Thou maist doe some thing by thy free will although he doth not ayde thee but that is euill Vnto the same thy will is apte which is called free and in doing euill is made a damnable seruant When I doe say vnto thee that thou doest nothing without the ayde of God I speak nothing of goodnesse for without the ayd of God thou hast free wyll to doe euill although that it be not properly free Augustine against the two Epistles of the Pelagians vnto Boniface 2. booke Chapter 8. But to the ende that the Lord shoulde aunswere vnto the Pelagians in time to come he hath not sayde without me you can hardly doe any thing But he hath sayd without me can ye doe nothing It appertayneth vnto man to purpose a thing in his harte but the aunswere of the tongue commeth of the Lorde they are deceiued through euill vnderstanding and so much as they doe thinke the preparation of the harte to appertayne vnto man that is to say to begin good without the ayde of the grace of God God forbyd that the sons of the promesse should vnderstand it so As where they haue heard the Lord saying without me ye can doe nothing they doe com as though they would vanquysh saying beholde we can without thee prepare the harte when they haue heard the Apostle S. Paule who sayth not that we are apte of our selues to thinke any thing as it were of our selues but our abilitie commeth of God as also in ouercomming vanquishing and saying Beholde we are apt of our selues to prepare our harte and thereby to thinke any good thing And who is he that can prepare the harte to goodnesse for a good thought God forbyd that they should vnderstande it so except it be those which defend their proude free will in destroying the catholike fayth therefore it is truly wrytten it appertayneth to man to prepare his heart but the answere of the tongue commeth of the Lorde for bicause that man doth prepare himselfe not alwayes without the ayde of god In lyke maner it is sayde
downe from the father of lights Saint Paule also We are not able of oure selues to thinke anye thing that is good as it were of our selues but our abilitie commeth of God. Agayne vnto the Romaynes I knowe that in me that is to saye in my fleshe dwelleth no good thing For to will is present with me but I finde no meane to performe that which is good for I doe not that good thing which I woulde but that euill doe I which I would not Also the naturall man is not able to perceyue the thinges of the spirite of God for they are but folishnes vnto him neyther can he knowe them bicause they are spiritually discerned And 1. Cor. 12. God worketh all things in euery man. Agayne No man can say that Iesus is the Lorde but by the holy ghost Also Dauid Euery man liuing is altogither vanitie And in the 8. Chapter of Genesis The heart of man is enclined to euill euen from his youth To the Ephesians We were naturally the children of wrath euen as well as other Gregorie vpon the 7. psalme vpon the versicle Anima mea c. Forasmuch as freewill is corrupted in our first father we haue not the power to will well if we bee not ayded with the grace of God. Saint Hierome in his commentarie vpon Ieremie Chapter 23. Forasmuch as the heretikes haue accustomed to promise felicitie and to open to sinners the kingdome of heauen saying thou mayest imitate the maiestie of God so that thou be withoute sinne bicause thou hast receyued the power of free will and the intelligence and vnderstanding of the lawe by the which thou mayst obtayne that which thou wouldest Euen so the sayde heretikes doe abuse the poore simple people through fayre wordes and chieflye the yong women charged wyth sinnes who are caryed here and there with euery kynde of doctrine deceyuing thorowe flatterie all those which heare them Augustine in the 30. booke of his homilies Homilie 41. Let vs not consent vnto those which thorowe great pride go about to eleuate and extoll free will the whiche so doing doe bring more euill than good and seeke nothing but to ruinate and destroy man but let vs consider meekely that which the Apostle speaketh It is God that worketh in vs both the will and also the dede euen of his free beneuolence Let vs giue thankes vnto the Lorde our redeemer which without any merite preceding hath healed vs of our wounds sores and hath reconciled vs vnto God and redeemed vs from captiuitie and reduced and brought vs from darkenesse into light and called vs from death to lyfe c. Of merite and of good workes By grace are yee made safe throughe faith and not of your selues it is the gift of God not of workes least anye manne shoulde boast himselfe For we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God ordeyned that we shoulde walke in them S. Ambrose in the first booke of Cain and Abel Chap. 7. It is the deede of a dull and slowe heart to attribute to his proper vertues that which is good or that whiche he doth obtayne of God and not to the author of grace but to esteeme himselfe to bee the author of his goodnesse There is another kinde of sinne yea lesse but of equall arrogancie and pryde that is to say of those which doe not denie God to be the distributer of goodnesse but doe thinke the goodnesse which commeth vnto them is bicause of their prudence and wisedome and that the merites of all other vertues are giuen vnto them of right And for that cause it is sayde agaynst those which haue receyued the heauenly grace that they doe not esteeme themselues in no wise to bee vnworthy to haue suche goodnesse of God When the Lorde thy God shall begyn to consume his people here in thy presence saye not in thine heart the Lorde hath brought me in to possesse this lande for my righteousnesse c. S. Barnard in the fyrst sermon of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary Beleeue not that thou canst throughe any workes merite eternall life except it be giuen thee freely For who is that which can make him cleane being conceiued of filthy seede but only he which is altogeather cleane And so that which is done cannot be vndon But bicause that God doth not impute it it shall be as though it had neuer bene done Whiche the Prophet considering speaketh in this sort blessed is the man vnto whome the Lord imputeth no sinne But as concerning good workes it is most certaine that none hath them of him selfe for if the humayne nature being yet entire and whole coulde not holde it selfe in his estate how much lesse can it rayse it selfe when it is already corrupted But we doe knowe very well concerning this eternall life that the afflictions of this life are not worthy of the glory that shall be shewed vnto vs Yea when man shall suffer them all togeather For mans merites are not suche as by them eternall life shoulde of right be due vnto them or that God doth iniury and wrong vnto some men if he doe not giue it For although I should not say that all merites are the giftes of God in somuch as man is more bound vnto God for those merytes then God is vnto man yet what are all the merites in respect of so greate glory S. Barnarde of free will. What hast thou that thou hast not receyued art thou created art thou healed art thou saued whiche of them hast thou of thy selfe whiche of them is not impossible for free will thou couldest not create thy selfe when thou wast not made nor iustifie thy selfe when thou waste a sinner c. Agayne in the same booke But if that will vpon which all merites doe depende was not in Saint Paule by what meanes did he presume that the crowne shoulde bee kept for him which he calleth the crowne of righteousnesse But it is bicause that whiche is promised thankfully is of right demaunded as a thing due Finallye he sayth I knowe him in whome I haue beleeued and am persuaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed to his keeping He doth call the promise of God the thing kept and therefore he hath beleued him which hath promised it confidently he doth aske agayne the promise the promise I say done through mercye but the which ought nowe to bee restored through righteousnesse The crowne then whiche Saint Paule hath striued for is the crowne of righteousnesse but it is of Gods righteousnesse and not of his This is trulye a iust thing that he doth restore that whiche he hath sayde but he oweth that whiche he hath promised and that is the righteousnesse of the whiche the Apostle did presume euen the promise of God. S. Barnarde vpon the Canticles sermon 47. Wherefore is that That is to the ende it doe
commeth from man will not haue that whiche commeth from one only God and therfore in seeking it outwardly they haue no glory in them selues but rather in an other Sixtus Pope of Rome in his Epistle to the first tome of the Councels He that is doubtfull in the faith is an infidell wherefore let vs esteeme and iudge those which doe commaund vs to doubt of the fauour of God towardes vs not only to contende and striue againste the sentence of the true Catholicke church but also to giue euill counsell to the health and saluation of the church S Barnard in his .5 Sermon in Quadragesima It may be that some doe not seeke through humilitie euerlasting life but as in the trust and confidence of their workes and merits I do not say this that grace receiued doth not giue boldnesse to praye but it must not be therefore that in the same they haue their hope and trust to obtayne it for that only doth giue the giftes promised to the ende that of the mercy of God which giueth those thinges we may hope yet for greater thinges Let then those thinges which doe belong to our only necessities be restrayned the prayer which is made for the temporall thinges and that which is made for the vertues of the soule sequestred from all impurite and vncleanenesse be only attentife towardes the good will of god And that whiche is made bicause of eternall life let it be made or done in all humilitie presuming as he must of the only deuine mercie Grace be with you and peace from God our father and from the Lord Iesus Christe O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death The grace of God through Iesus Christe our Lorde Euen so at this time the remnante is left through the election of grace if it bee of grace then it is not of workes or els were grace no more grace But if it be of workes then is it no more grace or els were workes no longer workes By grace are ye made safe throughe fayth and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of workes least any man shoulde boast of himselfe Also That we being iustified by his grace shoulde be made heyres according to the hope of eternall lyfe Saint Peter sayth why tempt ye God to laye a yoke on the Disciples neckes which neyther our fathers nor we were able to beare but we beleue that through the grace of the Lorde Iesus Christ wee shall be saued euen as they doe God doth not saue vs of the deedes of righteousnesse which we wrought but of his mercie He which began a good worke in you shall go forth with it vntill the day of Iesus Christ Vnto you it is giuen for Christe that not onely ye shoulde beleeue on him but also suffer for his sake He sayth agayne And as touching the righteousnesse whiche is in the lawe I was without reproche But the thinges which were vauntage to me I counted losse for Christes sake yea doubtlesse I thinke all things but losse for that excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus my Lorde for whome I haue counted all things losse and do iudge them but dung that I might winne Christ and might be founde in him that is not hauing mine owne righteousnesse which is of the law but that whiche is throughe the fayth of Christ I meane the righteousnesse which commeth of God through fayth c. I am nowe ready to be offred and the tyme of my departing is at hande I haue fought a good fight and haue fulfilled my course and haue kept the fayth From henceforth is layde vp for me a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lorde that is a righteous iudge shall giue me at that day not to me only but vnto all them also that loue his comming But nowe in Christe Iesus ye whiche once were farre of are made nye by the bloude I say of Christ It is God which worketh in vs bothe the will and also the dede euen of his free beneuolence To as many as receyued him to them he gaue power to bee the sonnes of God euen to them which beleeue in his name which are borne not of bloude nor of the lustes of the fleshe nor of the lust of man but of God. In thy light shall we see light Your eyes haue seene great miracles and wonders and yet the Lorde hath not giuen you an heart to perceyue nor eyes to see nor eares to heare O Lorde giue me vnderstanding open myne eyes for to beholde the wonderous things of thy lawe Gzechiel speaking in the person of God sayth A newe heart will I giue you and a newe spirite will I put into you as for that stonie heart I will take it out of your bodie and giue you a fleshie heart I will giue my spirite among you and cause you to walke in my commaundements to kepe my lawes and to fulfill them As for men they are but vayne if they be put in the ballaunce they are lighter than vanitie it selfe Conuert thou me and I shall be conuerted for thou art my Lorde God yea as soone as thou turnest me I shall reforme my selfe Therefore we gather that a man is iustified by faith without the deedes of the lawe Againe Abraham beleeued God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse To him that worketh the rewarde is not reckened of fauour but of duety But to him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Also for if they whiche are of the lawe bee heires then is faith but vaine and the promise of none effect c. Therefore by faith is the inheritance giuen that it might come of fauour and the promesse might be sure to all the seede that is not to them only which are of the lawe but also to them which are of the faith of Abraham Then being iustified by faith we haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom also we haue accesse through faith vnto this grace wherein we stand and reioyce in hope of the glorye of God. Bicause of vnbeleefe they are broken of and thou standest stedfast by faith Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne We know that a man is not iustified by the deedes of the lawe but by the faith of Iesus Christ euen we I say haue beleeued in Iesus Christ that we might be iustified by the faith of Iesus Christ and not by the deedes of the lawe bicause that by the deedes of the lawe no flesh shal be iustified I doe not abrogate the grace of God for if righteousnesse commeth of the lawe then Christ dyed without a cause So ye knowe that they which are of faith are the children of Abraham for the Scripture sawe afore hand that God would iustifie the
the lawe of workes by the whiche none is iustified but to the lawe of faith by which the righteous man liueth Who shall be of so wicked opinion to thinke that the administration of death figured in the tables of stone is not saide of all the tenne commaundementes but only of one which appertayneth to the saboth Where shall we put then this place the lawe ingendreth wrath For where no lawe is there is no transgression and sinne hath bene in the worlde euen vntill the lawe and sinne was not imputed when there was no lawe c. Read the chapter all at length Reade also the same booke the .31 chapter Of purgatory It is written in the Hebrewes the first chapter which sonne being the brightnes of the glorye and the ingraued forme of his person bearing vp all thinges with the worde of his power hath by him selfe purged our sinnes and sitteth at the right hand of that most highe maiestie Through Iesus Christ we haue redemption through his bloud euen the forgiuenesse of sinnes of his ritch grace In whom we haue redemption through his bloud that is to saye the forgiuenesse of sinnes to reconcile all thinges vnto him selfe and to set at peace through the bloud of his crosse both thinges in earth and thinges in heauen For asmuch as ye knowe how that ye were not redemed with corruptible things as siluer and golde from your vaine conuersation which ye receyued by the traditions of the fathers but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a lambe vndefiled and without spot And the bloud of Iesus Christ his son clenseth vs from all sinne Vnto him that loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his bloud If the bloud of bulles and of goates and the ashes of an heyfar sprinkled sanctifieth them that are vncleane as touching the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the bloud of Christ which through the eternall spirite offered him selfe without spot to God purge your conscience from dead workes for to serue the liuing God Esay speaking in the person of God saith it is I it is I only that for mine owne selfe sake doe away thine offences and forget thy sinnes For I confirme that the afflictions of this life are not worthy of the glory which shall be shewed vnto vs. After that the kindnesse and loue of our sauiour God to manward appeared not of the deedes of righteousnesse whiche we wrought but of his mercy he saued vs by the fountayne of the newe byrth and with the renuing of the holy Ghost Nowe goe to saith the Lorde we wil talke togither Is it not so Though your sinnes be as redde as scarlet shall they not be whyter then snowe And thoughe they were like purple shall they not by like white wooll And hee put no difference betweene them and vs seeing that with faith he purified their heartes There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus Iesus Christ saith verely verely I say vnto you he that heareth my wordes and beleeueth on him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into damnation but is escaped from death vnto life Againe he that shall beleeue and bee baptised shall be saued Also enter in at the straite gate for wyde is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which goe in there at Obiection Agree with thine aduersarie quicklye whiles thou art in the way with him least thine aduersarie deliuer thee to the iudge and the iudge deliuer thee to the sergeant and then thou be cast into prison Verily I saye vnto thee thou shalt not come out thence till thou hast payde the vtmost farthing Aunswere Saint Ambrose sayth vpon these words of Saint Mathewe When thou shalt go vnto the magistrate c. Chrysostome vppon S. Mathewe 5. Homelie 10. Doth expounde it of the reconciliation And Theophilact vpon the same place sayth as much Likewise S. Hilarie vnderstandeth it so in his Canons Obiection Verily I saye vnto thee thou shalt not come out thence till thou hast payde the vtmost farthing Answere In the first of S. Mathewe it is sayde that Ioseph knewe not his wife till shee had brought forth hir first borne sonne S. Augustine expoundeth that place by the Rauen that Noe did sende forth and sayth that the Rauen did neuer returne agayne euen so Ioseph neuer knewe the virgin Marie for she is a virgin Also Sit thou on my right hande vntill I make thine enimies thy footestoole Obiection Whosoeuer shall speake agaynst the sonne of man it shall be forgiuen him but whosoeuer shall speake agaynst the holye ghost it shall not be forgiuen him neyther in this worlde neyther in the worlde to come Aunswere Chrysostome in the 12. of S. Mathewe Homely 24. expoundeth it thus Forasmuche as this sinne is not veniall you shall be grieuously punished both in this lyfe and in the life to come Saint Augustine vpon Genesis 10. booke It is better to doubt of secrete things than to pleade of incertayne things I doe not doubt but that we must vnderstande that the riche man was in most cruell torments and that poore Lazarus in ioy c. Thoughe the righteous bee ouertaken with death yet shall he be in rest The soules of the righteous are in the hande of God and the payne of death shall not touch them In the sight of the vnwise they appeare to die and their ende is taken for very destruction The waye of the righteous is iudged to be vtter destruction but they are in rest Oure Lorde sayde vnto the woman Daughter be of good comforte thy fayth hath made thee whole go in peace Agayne vnto the theefe Verily I saye vnto thee to day shalt thou be with me in paradyse Man after his death goeth to his long home Also the bodie shall returne agayne vnto the earth from whence it came and the spirite shall returne vnto God whiche gaue it Put not your trust in Princes nor in any childe of man for there is no helpe in them For when the breath of man goeth forth he shall turne agayne to his earth and so all his thoughts perishe I woulde not brethren haue you ignorant concerning them which are fallen a sleepe that ye sorrowe not as other doe which haue no hope For if we beleue that Iesus died and rose agayne euen so they also which sleepe in Iesus God will bring with him Augustine of the Citie of God .13 boke 9. Chapter The soules of the good men being seperated from the bodie are at rest and we must nothing at all doubt of it But those of the wicked are punished vntil that the bodie of those shall ryse againe to eternall lyfe and of those here to eternal death which is called the seconde death Irenaeus sayth as much writing against the hereticke Valentine Augustine
hasteth him to goe to that countrey common to all the Saintes in asking bicause of the filthynesse of that tarying that his sinns should be pardoned him before that he did depart from this life for he that shall not receiue here forgiuenesse of his sinnes he shal not haue it in the other life And he shall not haue it for he cannot come to eternall life bicause that eternal life is the forgiuenesse of sinnes and therefore he saith pardon me that I may be comforted before that I goe and that I be no more wherefore then doe we desire so greatly this life In the which the longer that any one shall be in it so much the more is he charged with the more sinnes c. S. Ierome in the Epistle of the Galatians 6. Chapter This little sentence doth declare vnto vs although that it be somewhat obscure a newe doctrine and hidde that is when we be in this world we may helpe our selues togither aswell through prayers as through counsell when notwithstanding when we shall come before the consistorye and iudgement of God neyther Daniell no nor yet Iob can praye for any one for euery one shall beare his burthen The Canon of the .3 councell of Toledo Chapter 22. and .23.2 chap. which beginneth Qui diu We doe commaund that those whiche depart out of this life through Gods calling should be carryed to the earth with psalmes only and not the song of those which doe sing for we doe forbyd altogither that prayer of the funeralles which they haue accustomed to sing commonly for the dead That it suffiseth that they doe giue vnto the bodyes of the christians the seruice of the heauenly songes in hope of the resurrection Epiphanius in his .2 booke Tome .1 Heresy .59 Vpon that place of the songes O my Doue come out of the caues of the rockes which toucheth the wall out of the holes of the rocke in the loue of Christ and in the mercy of the Lord These are that caues of the rockes of faith of hope and veritie touching the wall That is to say before that the gate be shut before that the King being within the wall receiueth no person vnto him after the departing from hence and death when the gates are no more touching the wall but are shut and it is no more lawfull to correct And afterward he saith there is neither fasting nor almes nor penance nor righteousnesse neyther good nor euill which doth profite or hurte after that one is dead For Lazarus did not come vnto the ritch man nor the riche man vnto Lazarus And the rich did not receiue that that he demaunded although that he demaunded it through great prayer of the mercifull Abraham for the garners and cellers are shut vp and the time is accomplished and the combat ended and those whiche haue fought doe rest themselues c. S. Cyprian in his sermon of mortalitie We must not thinke that the deathe of the wicked is of such forme and condition as is of the good men The good men are called to rest and solace the wicked and vniust to paynes and torments safegarde and defence is sodainlye giuen vnto the faythfull and tormentes vnto the vnfaythfull We are verye much vnthankfull for the heauenly benefites not acknowledging that which is giuen vnto vs c. Afterward he sayth we ought not to mourne for our brethren deliuered frō this world through Gods vocation Forasmuche as I doe knowe very well that they are not vtterly lost but are onely sent before preceding those which depart and that wee ought to desire their companie and not to bewayle them euen as those do which go by lande or by sea and that we must not here take blacke robes in asmuch as they haue already taken vpon them whyte vestures c. Augustine of the Citie of God .1 booke 12. 13. Chapters and in the 4. of his sentences 45. Distinction It is also written in the Decretals and also by the Maister of the sentences The diligence and labor that some take about funerals the ornament and decking of burials the pompe of obsequies and burials are more for to comforte the liuing than for to ayde the deade If the costly burying doth profite any thing vnto the wicked the vyle and contemptible sepulture shall hurt the good or if they remayne vnburied c. Gregorie Neocaesarian vpon Eccles Chapter 9. Those whiche are departed out of this worlde haue no more any thing common with our affayres And it was so that the begger dyed and was caryed by the angels into Abrahams bosome The riche man also dyed and was buried c. Chrysostome vpon the Epistle vnto the Hebrues Chap. 13. In what place soeuer we be buried the earth is the Lordes and all that therein is that which a man ought to doe let him doe it But to bewayle weepe and lament for those whiche depart oute of this lyfe commeth of weakenesse and for lacke of courage and we cannot vnderstand it but that it cometh of none other thing but of a despayre of the resurrection to come c. Dauid prayed for his chylde that was sicke he fasted lying vpon the grounde But when they tolde him that he was deade he rose vp and ceased Nowe the chylde dyed without Circumcision the which Circumcision was vnto them as Baptisme is vnto vs yet Dauid did not despaire of the saluation of the chylde Obiection The Priestes say that we must offer for the deade S. Cyprian in the .4 booke of Epistles 5. Epistle Writing of Celerin which hath had almost all his houshoulde martyred and put to death for the name of Iesus Christ sayth thus It is alreadye a long time sithence that Celerin his grandmother hath bene crowned for a martyr his vncle by the father and Laurence his vncle by the mother Ignatius which once haue fought and haue bene men of armes in worldlye affayres but being true and tryed men of armes to fight in Gods quarrel hauing vanquished the diuell through the confession of Christ haue obteyned of the Lorde rewards and crownes through a glorious suffering We doe offer alwayes as you doe remember well inough sacrifice for them as often as we doe celebrate the passions of the martyrs and that we do make commemorations of their dayes yearely See diligently the commemoration that the priestes doe make for the dead which is the .10 part of the Canon Memento etiam domine famulorum famularumque tuarum N. qui nos praecesserūt cum signo fidei dormiunt in somno pacis ✚ ipsis domine omnibus in Christo quiescentibus locum refrigerij lucis pacis vt indulgeas deprecamur per eundem dominum nostrum Amen That is to say remember O Lorde thy menseruauntes and maydseruauntes N. which haue gone before vs with the signe of faith and do sleepe in peace ✚ vnto them O Lorde and vnto all
truth the virgin was a virgin and honoured neuerthelesse she was not put forth to be worshipped but she hirselfe worshipped him who according to the fleshe proceeded and was borne of hir Augustine in his booke of the care and sorowfulnesse that men ought to haue for the deade Chap. 13. If the soules of the deade were present with those of the liuing when we doe see them in dreames they woulde speake vnto vs And without speaking of others my holy mother who hath followed me by sea and by lande for to liue with me woulde not forsake me one night God forbydde that through the most blessed life in which she is it shoulde chaunce that she woulde not comfort hir sorrowfull sonne when I haue any anguishe in mine heart whome she loued dearely whome she would neuer see sorrowfull But truly that which holye Dauid sayth is true My father and mother haue forsaken me but the Lorde hath taken me vp If then our fathers haue forsaken vs howe are they present at our affayres or doings And if our parents are not present who are they among the dead which doe knowe what we doe or suffer The Prophet Esay sayth Thou art our father for Abraham knew not vs neyther is Israell acquainted with vs If the worthie Patriarkes were ignorant or knewe not the things whiche the people of the worlde did which were engendred and begotten of them vnto whome that people were promised that he wold come of their lyne and stocke bicause they haue beleeued in God and was promised that the people themselues shoulde come of their roote or stocke Howe is it possible that the deade shoulde knowe and helpe the affayres of the liuing Howe doe we saye that it happened well vnto them which are departed to die before that the euilles shoulde come which are come after their decease if it be so that after their death they perceyue all things which shall happen in the calamitie of mans lyfe Shall it be possible that wee can erre in saying and thinking those to be in rest which are tormented with the lyfe of the liuing whiche is full of ingratitude What is that then that God promised vnto the most holyest king Iosias for a great benefite That is that he shoulde die before the euils whiche shoulde happen vnto that place and vnto that people should come and that to the end he shoulde not see them The words of the Lorde are these Thus sayeth the Lorde God of Israel as touching the wordes which thou heardest bicause thine heart did melt and thou didst humble thy selfe before the Lorde when thou heardest what I spake agaynst this place and the inhabiters of the same howe it shoulde be destroyed and made accursed and tarest thy clothes and didst weepe before me of that also I haue hearde sayth the Lorde And therefore see I will receyue thee vnto thy fathers and will fet thee vnto thy graue in peace thyne eyes shall see none of the euill which I will bring vpon this place Iosias being afraid of Gods threatnings did weepe and rent his clothes and beleeued all the euilles to come by the death which shoulde come bicause that by that meanes he shoulde rest in peace in suche sort that he shall not see all those things Then the soules of the deade are in one place where they see not the thinges which are done or chaunced in the lyfe of men S. Ierome in his commentary vpon Ezechiel .16 Chapter The righteousnesse of the righteous shall be vpon him and the wickednesse of the wicked shall dwell vpon him euerye one shall die in his owne sinne and shal be saued through his righteousnesse And the Iewes doe saye in vayne Abraham is our father forasmuch as they haue not the workes of Abraham and if there bee any thing whereon we must put our trust let vs haue our hope and trust in the Lorde onely for the man is cursed whiche putteth his trust in man yea though he be holy yea and also a Prophet We doe reade in the Scripture put not your truste in Princes nor in the sonnes of men And againe It is good to truste in the Lorde rather then in Princes not only in the Princes of the worlde but also in the Prelates of the churche who if they be righteous will saue only their soules God sayde vnto Abraham in thy seede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed S. Paule saith that the seede is Christ Among men there is giuen none other name vnder heauen whereby we must bee saued but by the name of Christ Seke the Lord while he may be found and call vpon him while he is nie The time shall come that whosoeuer that calleth on the name of the Lorde shall be saued He is ritche vnto all that call on him Augustine in his manuell .22 chapter And of the wordes of the Lord 40. Sermon All my hope is in the death of my Lord his death is my meryte my refuge my health my life and my resurrection Epiphanius in his .3 booke the 2. commentarye Speaking of the Christians whiche committed Idolatrye with the dead bodyes sayth many thinges and the like vnto this haue bene done in the world for the seduction of the deceiued not that the Saintes are a cause of offence to any man But bicause that the thoughtes of men cannot be kept quiet but are peruerted and turned into euil For although that the Virgin Marye be dead and buryed her sleepe is in honor and the death in chastitie and the crowne in Virginitie or be it that shee hath bene killed as it is written the sword shall pearce throughe thy soule among the Martyrs that is hir glory and the holy body of her by whome the light is come into the world in prayses or be it that shee doe continewe For it is not impossible to God to doe all that he wyll for the ende of her is not knowen of any man we must not honor the Saints besides the deutye but we must honor the Lorde of them Then let that error of the seduced cease for Marye is not God and hath nother body from heauen but of conception of man and of woman disposed neuerthelesse according to the promise as the body of Isaac Chrysostome of the seuen Machabees 2. homilye Speaking of the seuen Machabees Staye not vpon the ashes of the bodyes of Saintes and of the relikes of their fleshe and to all the bones which are consumed by the time But open the eyes of faythe and beholde the hidden thinges of the heauenly vertue and of the grace of the holye spirite and shining of the clerenesse of the heauenly light Yet Michael the Archangell when he stroue against the deuill and disputed about the body of Moyses durst not blame him with cursed speaking but sayth the Lorde rebuke thee Moyses the seruant of the Lorde dyed there in the land of Moab
vnto whom they shoulde prouide and giue remedie Is it vnto the Gods they doe suche pleasure No for that whiche a man doth by compulsion is not a sacrifice forasmuch as if it be not done voluntarlye and with the heart it is most execrable and accursed Forasmuch as there are but they whiche are constrayned and compelled throughe banishments iniuries imprisonmentes and tormentes which doe it If they bee Gods which are so honored truly for that only cause they ought not to be honored in as much as they woulde be so adored and worshipped they are worthye to be detested of men vnto whome sacrifice is made with teares and sighings and with bloud running downe all their bodie But we to the contrarie require not that any will he nill he shoulde adore and worship our God which is the Creator of all things nor we are not angry if they doe not worship him For we doe trust in his maiestie that he hath also great power to auenge as well those that doe contemne and despyse him as the iniuries and troubles of hys seruants and therefore when we suffer such things so wicked and execrable wee doe not therefore repugne agaynst the worde but we referre the vengeance vnto God. The Prophete Esay sayeth Truth is fallen downe in the streete and the thing that is playne and open may not be shewed yea the truth is layde in prison and he that refrayneth himselfe from euil must be spoyled When the Lorde sawe this it displeased him sore c. The Lorde sayde by the Prophet Ezechel I will deliuer my sheepe from their mouth so that they shall no more be spoyled c. Lactantius Firmianus in his diuine Institutions Lib. 5. Chap. 22. They are not then madde or angry with vs bicause we adore not or worship their Gods. For there are many people that do not worship thē but it is bicause the truth is with vs the which as the Prouerbe is getteth hatred c. Lactantius Firmianus Lib. 5. Chapter .23 Pacience is a principall vertue the which is by the common voyce of the people and of the Philosophers and Orators exalted with great prayse If no man wil denie but that pacience is a soueraine vertue It is necessary that the righteous wise man be in the power of the vnrighteous mā for to haue that pacience for pacience is a volūtary suffring of euils which are done vnto any man or which doe happen vnto him whereby the righteous and the wyse man hath in himselfe pacience bicause that he receyueth the vertue of the which he shall be altogither depriued if he suffer nothing to the contrarie Although that he do no iniurie vnto anye man nor that he coueteth his neyghbors goodes and though he defende not his own goods if they be taken from him by force and violence forasmuche as he can quietlye ynough suffer the iniurie that is done vnto him bicause that he is garnished with vertue It is necessarye that the righteous man be subiect vnto the vnrighteous mā And the wyse be despised of the foole to the ende that the one doe sinne bicause he is vnrighteous and that the other be in seruitude and bondage bicause he is righteous For howe can a Captaine prooue and trie his souldiers if he haue no enimie And yet neuerthelesse the aduersarie eleuateth and exalteth himselfe maugre him bicause that he is mortall and maye be vanquished and ouercome but bicause we cannot repugne and striue agaynste God he himselfe moueth and stirreth vp the aduersaries agaynst his name not for to striue and fight against him but against his souldiars to that ende he maye proue and trye the faithe and deuotion of his vntill suche time as he doth correcte and amend in pressing and beating the discypline whiche was become colde There is also an other cause wherefore hee dooth permitte and suffer that we should be persecuted that is to the ende that the people of God shoulde bee augmented Some desire to know what that goodnesse is which is defended euen vnto death which is preferred aboue all the pleasant thinges and best loued and set by in this world of which goodnesse nothing can drawe them from it neyther the losse of their goodes nor the losse of their sight dolor of body nor anye other tormentes whatsoeuer they be all thinges are much worth but the greatest causes which followed haue alwayes augmented our number The people being rounde about the good christians hearde them saye in their tormentes that they should not do sacrifice nor offer vnto stons made and hewen with mans handes but vnto the liuing God which is in heauen many doe heare that the same is good and true they receiue it in their minds and vnderstandinges Afterwarde as men haue accustomed or vsed to doe in vncertayne thinges when they demaund and enquire within them selues what may be the cause of that perseuerance and constancie many things belonging vnto religion are spread abroade and knowen and declared from the one to the other by the report that they make And by that meanes they are taught who for asmuche as they are good it is necessary that they please Furthermore the vengeance that followeth as it happeneth often hath a greate vehemence to make them beleeue All these causes put togither haue gotten and drawen vnto God a maruelous great company of people S. Hilary in his booke against Auxentius Ambition doth ayde it selfe by the name of Christe The Churche doth feare and compell the people through banishements and imprisonmentes to beleeue hir the which they haue beleeued through banishmentes and prisons Shee dependeth vpon those that doe disdayne to communicate with hir She which is consecrated and made holy by the terror of the persecutors driueth awaye the prestes Shee which hath bene engendred by the running away of priestes doth glory and extoll hir selfe to be beloued of the worlde Shee whiche coulde not be beloued of Christe if the worlde had not hated hir Experience cryeth in all mens mouthes and declareth and sheweth the comparison of the church the which of late hath bene giuen vnto vs and neuer shall be destroyed All that which is not of faith is sinne Chrysostome in his first Tome vpon S. Mathewe .47 homily Chapter .13 Let them both growe togither till haruest come the Lorde did forbid them least while they wente aboute to weede out the tares they should plucke vp the wheate also whiche thing he spake to forbidde the sheading of bloude For if the Heritickes were put to deathe without alliance of peace warre shoulde bee without truce Wherefore he doth forbyd it for two causes the one bicause they shoulde hurte and hinder a little the corne The other is that if they doe not heale them selues they shal neuer escape the eternall and euerlasting punishmentes and tormentes wherefore if thou wouldest amend and in no wyse hurte the corne you must attend and tarry the time
in thee are like rauishing wolues to shead bloude and to destroy soules for their owne couetous lucre There is not a godly man vpon earth there is not one righteous among men they labour all to shead bloud and euery man hunteth his brother to death Iesus Christ saith The time shal come that whosoeuer killeth you will thinke that he doth God seruice If ye wist what this meaneth I require mercy and not sacrifice ye would not haue condemned innocentes Right deare in the sight of the Lorde is the death of his saintes The earth shall discouer the bloud that shee hath deuoured shee shall neuer hyde them that shee hath murthered The Lord sayd vnto the faithfull who so toucheth you shall touch the aple of his owne eye Iesus Christ sayd vnto those that persecuted the faithfull Fulfill ye likewyse the measure of your fathers ye Serpentes ye generation of vipers how should ye escape the damnation of hell wherefore beholde I sende vnto you prophetes and wyse men and Scrybes and of them ye shall kill and crucifie and of them shall ye scourge in your sinagoges and persecute from citie to citie That vpon you may come all the righteous bloud that was shead vpon the earth from the bloud of righteous Abel vnto the bloud of Zacharias the sonne of Barachias whome yee slewe betweene the Temple and the Aulter Verily I saie vnto you al these things shall light vpon this generation Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the prophets and stonest them which are sent vnto thee The Iudges and gouernors willing to please and fulfil the wicked desire of Iezabel condemned the innocent Naboth to be put to death Augustine vnto Boniface 182. Epistle To doe well and not to let and forbyd the things which are vnlawfull is a verye consenting vnto error Origen in the 3. Homilie vpon Leuiticus Let vs take heede that we doe not consent vnto other mens sinnes I saye consent not only in doing the lyke things but also in holding our peace or winking at things that are euill done The Lorde hateth as well him that iustifieth the vngodly as him that condemneth the innocent The righteous considereth the cause of the poore but the vngodlye regardeth no vnderstanding The seate of the king that faythfullye iudgeth the poore shall continue sure for euermore With thy mouth defende the thing that is lawfull and right and the cause of the poore and helpelesse Many there be that seeke the Princes fauor but euerye mans iudgement commeth from the Lorde Moyses hath written what the Magistrates ought to be They must be sayth he vertuous men fearing God men of truth hating auarice and couetousnesse c. Chrysostome in his imperfect worke Chapter .23 vpon that text And say if we had bene in our fathers dayes we woulde not haue bene their cōpanions to shead the bloud of the Prophets When thou shalt heare any man saye that the doctors of the olde time be blessed proue and trye what good will or zeale he hath towardes those doctors for if he doe honor and reuerence those with whom he liueth without doubt he would also haue honored the other if he had liued with them In the same place he sayth moreouer the Iewes haue alwayes bene worshippers of the Saintes that be past and dead and condemners of those that be present and a liue S. Ierome in his .4 Tome in the rule of Monkes It is very true that the truth can be kept in and bound but it cannot be vanquished whiche is content with hir little number and is not a frayde of the great number of hir enemies Saint Ierome vpon Ieremie .5 Tome Chapter .26 When the congregation of the people were assembled togither the Priestes and false Prophetes accused Ieremie and the Priestes and false Prophetes would haue destroyed and killed the Prophete if the Iudges had had the power of iudgement By that we doe vnderstande that they which seeme to be altogither ordayned for religion being moued with enuie with the holynesse of the Prophet were more cruell than they that had the charge of publike necessities In the same Chapter he saith moreouer If at anye time for the commaundement of God and for the veritie of the fayth the Priestes or false Prophetes or the foolish people are angry with vs let vs not esteeme nor make any account of it but let vs execute the sentence of God not thinking on the euilles that are presente but beholding the goodnesse to come Wo be vnto you that make vnrighteous lawes and deuise things which be to hard to keepe thorow which the poore be oppressed on euery side and the Innocentes of my people are therewith robbed of iudgement the wydowes may be your pray and that ye may rob the fatherlesse What will ye doe in time of the visitation and destruction that shall come from farre To whom will ye run for helpe or to whom will ye giue your honour that yee maye keepe it that ye come not among the prisoners or lye among the deade After all this shall not the wrath of the Lord cease but yet shall his hande bee stretched oute styll It is verily a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you whiche are troubled rest with vs when the Lord Iesus shall shewe himselfe from heauen with his mighty Angelles in flaming fire rendring vengeance vnto them that doe not knowe God neyther obey vnto the Gospell of our Lorde Iesus Christe Whiche shall be punished with euerlasting damnation from the presence of the Lorde and from the glorye of his power At the daye of iudgement saythe the booke of wisedome the righteousnesse shall stand in great stedfastnesse agaynst such as haue dealt extreamely with them and taken away their labours when they see it they shal be vexed with horible feare and shall wonder at the hastinesse of the sodayne health Groning for very distresse of minde and shall say within them selues hauing inward sorowe and mourning for very anguish of minde These are they whom we sometime had in derision and iested vpon We fooles thought their life very madnesse and their ende to be without honor But loe howe they are counted among the children of God and their porcion is among the saintes Therfore we haue erred from the way of truth the light of righteousnesse hath not shined vnto vs and the sonne of vnderstanding rose not vp vpon vs We haue weried our selues in the way of wickednesse and destruction Tedious wayes haue we gone But as for the way of the Lord we haue not knowen it What good hath our pride done vnto vs or what profite hath the pompe of riches brought vs all those thinges are passed away like a shadowe And towardes the ende of the Chapter he sayth his cruell wrath shall hee sharpen for a speare and the whole compasse of the worlde shall fight with