eyther the infirmitie or else the frowardnesse of men is so greate that they hate nothing worse than the miseries and aduersities of this world the crosse which Christ hath layd vppon his seruantes to beare dayly And yet notwithstanding it cōmeth to passe through Gods singular goodnes towardes hys rightuous ones and through his power sheaded into their mindes from heauen that they be no whit at all discoraged with aduersitie but doo conceaue euen a speciall pleasure and cheerefulnes at it in their harts Nother is the burthē of the crosse not greuous to our senses But yet is it eased by the softnes of his fatherly loue and tender hartednes which layd the crosse vpon our shoulders cōforteth our minds with his power P. But there is yet one thing more to quicken you vp withall For we sustain and swallowe vp all troubbles cheerefully bycause we are sure that of tribulatiō is engendred patience of patience experience or triall of experience hope and hope hath suche power of it self giueth such power to a man that neuer deceaueth him ne disapoynteth him of the things that he looketh for R. I like very wel of this witty moūting by degrees specially for asmuch as it concludeth confirmeth oure present matter namely that afflictions are not only not bitter or slaūdrouse to the faithfull but also are matched with great praise glory But by your saying no mā is vtterly ignorant of afflictions As for tryall or experience I referre it eyther to our selues or to God For there our constancie corage strength are tryed good men shew a warrāt of a noble mind Heere the softnes the louing kyndns most of all the faithfulnes of our most mercifull father are felt in that he neuer faileth his childrē in their aduersities Therout issueth springeth hope which resteth vpō the goodnes of our most gracious almighty God But by what reason proue you that the ende of hope is alwaies happie P. I auovve that hope can neuer drope nor be ouerthrowē euen in this respecte for that Gods loue is sheade into our harts from heauen by the holy Ghost whome he hathe gyuen vnto vs. R. To my seeming you place hope in the strongest hold that can be namely in the spirit of God For inasmuchas he is the strength power and myghte of the most high God and communicateth his helthfull force to the man that is indued with rightuousnesse finally breatheth and sheadeth Gods fauour loue good lyking into his hart so as he cannot by any meanes doubt of Gods good wyll it is impossible that hope being walled in with so great strength should be beaten out shaken downe thrust out or disapoynted of his expectation But seeing that man is such a louer of him selfe and that he esteemeth and measureth God by his owne nature howe can he perswade himselfe that he is deere and welbeloued of God and that freely and for no deserts of his owne P. You shall easely vnderstande the meane and reason thereof if you often and throughly consider in your mind the tyme when Christ vndertoke to die for vs moost forlorne sinners Heb. 9.5 1. Pe 3. 18 yea euen then cheefly when wee were moost vnworthie of so greate a benefite For in very deede I thinke there is scarcely any that wil die for an honest mā scarcely I say for I deny not vtterly but it may be so For heere may be some one perchance that will finde in his hart to die for a good mans sake But to die for a lewd man for an vnthankfull man for an vniust man vndoubtedly no man will do that And yet Christ did it who sustayned the whipping of his bodie the terrour of his mynde and the sheading of his bloud for vs vnrightuous and vnkynde persones yea and euen his enemies R. Heereby it appeareth sufficiently howe muche Gods loue is excellenter than mans loue For men loue their louers and praysers But God a wonderfull thing to be spoken and right harde to be beleeued did cast so great a fauour to his enemies defyled with all sinfulnesse that he gaue his most dearely beloued sonne to death for them Than the which I see not that there can be desired any greater or surer warrant of loue P. Now then if God shewed his loue in such wise towardes vs vvhen we were yet at deadly food with him how much more boldly becommeth it vs to hope that we shal be saued frō his wrath now that wee be reconcyled too him by the bloude of Christ and iustifyed by hys goodnesse For seeing that when vve were enemies vnto God wee were brought into his fauour againe by the death of his son therefore muche more shall we be preserued by his lyfe novve that we be beloued and saued of God R. Surely my hart hoppeth for ioy at the cheerefull reporte of so many and so great benefits P. And now being so broughte into Gods fauour as I saide and inriched vvith so great riches vve haue moreouer certen boldnesse to glory howbeit onely in God and that by our Lord Iesus Christ by vvhome that attonement of ours is made most stedfast certen R. As though it were a small thing too reioyce in oure hartes for the hope of Gods glorie conceaued in our minds you add also that it is lawfull for vs too do it with boldnes and with any dowting by the lord say you who is the onlye foundacion of true hope Therefore henceforth I will comfort my mind with these musings studyings as oft as it shal be put to incounter with aduersitie as one that knoweth certenly by the great nomber of examples of his vnmeasurable goodnes shewed vppon me that my most mercifull Lord is on my syde and fauoureth me And to knit vp the things in short roome which you haue hitherto sayde I do nowe vnderstande by what meanes mens sins are forgiuen thē also how they conceiue hope of eternal life But yet for all that I am vtterly ignorant why it commeth to passe that men are clothed with Christs rightuousnes and how it is communicated to them P. By a cōparison the matter will be made very playn For like as by one mā that is to wit by our first forefather Adam sin entred into the woorld and death by the same sin so as it reigned ouer all mankind in asmuch as al men haue sinned so also the manne Christ or the second Adam doth by sheading fayth into vs make vs sure and certen of the forgiuenesse of oure sinnes power ryghtuousnesse into vs and gyue vs the spirituall and euerlasting lyfe the aduersarie and vanquisher of death R. How proue you that sinne entred into the worlde sith it seemeth to be against reason that there could be any sin without a law as is saide afore P. But you must vnderstand that sin was longe ago and that it vttered hys force among men euen before the lawe was set foorth and published R. I scarcely
beleeue that For if sinne be the breaking of the law then without the law there is no sinne P. No but death is the hyre or wages of sinne and deathe executed hys power aforetymes from Adam vnto Moyses the minister of the lawe euen vppon those that had not yet sinned after the maner of Adam which mischeefe God remedied by sending the heauenly Adam of whome the former earthly Adam was a tipe and figure that like as the first Adā had brought in sin and death so this latter Adā shuld bring in forgiuenes of sinnes rightuousnes and consequently also euerlasting lyfe R. It may seeme scarse cōuenient that the olde Adam should be a figure of the new For he did hurt both him selfe by his sinne and his posteritie by his example and by the spreading forth of his sinne by discent of birth and all men doo euen yet still to this day feele the markes of that old offence that is to wit natural leawdnesse distrust feare hatred of god and other suche thinges But Christe is the fountaine and welspring of all good thinges and chaseth al terrour douting and naughtinesse out of our mindes and procureth vs Gods good fauour and welspring Furthermore what iust comparison can there be betweene the sin of Adam and the fauour of God recouered for vs againe by our Lord Iesus Christ P. Truly you haue hit the matter as it is in deede Howbeit although the similitude seme to disagree in the other parts and to match things repugnant togither yet is it not only like but also far greater in this point that as by that one mans fall very manye fell into the tyranny of death so the gyft and grace of God did ouerflovv sheade forth it selfe more abundantly vppon many through Iesus Christ R. Now I perceiue the matter more plainly lyghtsumly For eyther of thē as I see did conuey ouer a certen heritable right of his into mankind The old Adam conueyed ouer sin and death the second Adam Christ conueyed ouer rightuousnes lyfe grace attonement Or if it be lawful to match the greatest things with the smallest God seemeth to haue incoūtered as it were hand to hand with Satan and to haue vtterly cut vp and ouerthrowen his kingdome that is too wit sinne and death and moreouer to haue deliuered Adā frō his tiranny to haue tryumphed and set vp a monument of victorie in grace ryghtuousnesse and euerlasting lyfe by his owne most deare beloued son P. After that you haue moost fitly noted vvhat is peculiar too be eyther of the Adams vvhat is common to them both novv it seemeth meete to be considered that there is great oddes betweene the afterdeele which the first Adam brought mankinde vnto by his fault and the vnmeasurable grace that is broughte vs by the heauenly Adam Christ For by the one sinne of the first Adam al men fell in danger of damnation But now the release of many sinnes is befalne vnto men by the benifyte of Christ who pardoneth the misdooings of thē that beleue and giueth them the spirite of true ryghtuousnesse R. Truly I am throughly perswaded of these things For albeit that all the vyces that euer were are or shall be doo spring out of that one offence as out of the verie well head yet notwithstanding there is offered vs so great and so vnconsumable a treasure of all goodnesse and vertue in Christe that wee be no more in any perill eyther of that originall sinne or of any of all the fruites thereof For all that fountayne of sinfulnesse shal be drawen dry by the diuine power of Christ and by the presence of his spirite But what remedie shewe you for death P. Verily euen a readie one Death reigned ouer all men subdued them to his tyrannie by one mans most heinous offence But they that receiue the full measure of Gods grace and the gift of righteousnes shall much more reigne in life thrugh one namely Iesus Christ R. O noble victorie whereby Satan his kingdome and death it selfe and all the rest of our enemies are ouercome by the heauenly Adam our Captayne and Emperour P. But to the intent we may at length make an ende of the comparing of the two Adams togither thus standeth the case Like as by one mans fault and offence condemnation was spred ouer all men so also by one mans righteousnes wherthrough we be made rightuous the benefite and gift also was bestowed vpon all men to iustifie them and to restore them to the spiritual life For like as by one mans disobedience many became gyltie of disobedience so also by one mans obedience many shall be made rightuous R. Surely Paule I am maruelously delighted with these your trim comparisons wherin to my seming you haue comprehended the whole state of christiā religion Which order of dealing would God that all such as will iustly be counted Christes disciples would follow and leaue all curious disputations To bee short I beare this in minde euer shall that all euils are to be fathered vpon the first Adam and all good things vppon the last But I can not tell what a bone you leaue me to gnawe vpon For seeing you attribute all thinges to Gods grace and mercy set foorth to vs in his Christe I see not to what purpose or vse the Lawe shoulde any more serue but to accuse vs and to bewray our sin and to prouoke vs to sin more more P Of the lawe and of his offices wee will speake more at length heereafter For this present thinke you it inough that the law stepped in to thintent that sinne might abound be more plainly discerned of men who were so blinde that they coulde scarse perceiue the shamefulnes of their sinnes And yet notwithstāding it came to passe thrugh Gods grace that the more that sinne abounded and grew strōg the more also did Gods goodnes and mercy ouer abound that like as sin had reigned to the death destruction of mankind so also grace might reigne through righteousnes vnto eternal life that by the meanes of our Lorde Iesus Christe the purchaser of mans saluation R. Sir you haue hitherto discoursed many thinges notably well concerning the free righteousnes wherwith god indued the beleuers Howbeit forasmuche as many men as I said at the beginning do take libertie occasion of sinning bicause the Lord doth lay forth the treasure of his grace to all men by his Gospell not only not imputeth not their sins to the beleeuers but also poureth the spirit of righteousnes into them as though the praise of gods mercy grew out of the multitude of sinnes therfore if I may be so bold as to take their person vpon me I demaund of you whether it be lawfull for the iustified sort to continue licētiously in sinning Chapter 6.1 either bicause men are frayle and subiect to corruption or to the intent that Gods grace may appeare more and more P. God
than the otheâ— Patriarks of Alexandria Antioche buâ— that the Bishop of Rome which nowe adayes calleth al things backe to himself is no Bishop at al no nor so much as an elder except he do his duty in ministring the Sacraments and in instructing admonishing and teaching the people That God is the creator of al things God beeing singular good and almightie created all things bothe visible and inuisible by his coeternal word and also preserueth the same by his coeternal spirite according as Dauid witnesseth saying Psal 33. by the word of god the heauens were made and all the power of them by the breath of his mouth And al thinges that God made were as sayth the Scripture exceeding good and made for the vse and commoditie of man and I say that all those thinges proceeded from one beginning Therefore I condemne the Manichees Marcionites which did wickedly surmise two substances natures the one good the other bad likewise two beginnings two coÌ„trary gods one good another naught Of Prouidence I beleue that al things both in heauen earth in al creatures are mainteined gouerned by gods wisdome Psa 139. For Dauid witnesseth saith the lord is high aboue al natioÌ„s his glory aboue the heauens Who is like the lorde our god who hath his dwelling on hye and yet stoupeth to loke vpon the things that are in heaueÌ„ and earth The same man saith againe vnto god Thou hast forsene al my ways For there is not a worde in my toung which thou knowest not euery whit O Lorde Also Paule witnesse the same and saith by him we liue Act. 17. moue and be And of him by him and in him are all thinges Most truely therefore and according to the scriptures Rom. 12. doth Austin in the eyghte chapter of his booke concerning Christs Agonie say the Lord said are not twoo sparrowes solde for a farthing and one of them lighteth not vppon the grounde without the will of your father In saying so he ment to shew that euen the thing whiche men take to be vilest are gouerned by the Lords almighty power Ma. 10. For after the same maner doth the truth say Ma. 6. that he feedeth the birdes of the aâ—re and clotheth the lyllies of the feeld and also keepeth iust account of the heares of our heades Of the Angells both good and bad I admit with the right beleuing church that among all thinges created Angells and men are the cheefe the scripture of God pronounceth of the Angels that he made his Angels spirits his ministers a flame of fyre And againe are they not al ministring spirits sent forth to do seruice for them that shal be heires of saluation And the Lord Iesus himselfe witnesseth of the Diuill that he was a murtherer from the beginning John 8. and stode not in the truth bycause there is no truth in him When he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his owne for he is a Lyer and the father of lyes Therfore we teache that of the Angels some abode still in obedience and are appointed to the faithfull seruice of God and man and that othersome fell of their owne accord and were throwen downe into destruction and are become enemies of all goodnesse and of al faithfull men Of mans creation Concerning man and creation I beleue the doctrine of the scripture that at the first he was created good after the Image and lykenesse of God and the God did set him in Paradice Gen. 2. put all things in subiection to him Which thing Dauid coÌ„meÌ„deth mightily in the eyght Psalme Also he gaue him a wife and blessed theÌ„ And I say that man consisteth of twoo dyuerse substaÌ„ces in one persone namely of an immortall Soule and a mortall body Of the state of Innocency or of the originall ryghtuousnesse of our firste fathers and of their fall God made man at the beginning after the Image of God in true ryghtuousnesse and holynesse good and ryghtuous but by the inticement of the Serpent and by hys owne faulte he fell awaye from goodnesse and ryghtuousnesse and became subiect to sinne death and sundry calamities And suche as he became after his fall such are al the spring of him namely euen subiect to sin death and sundry calamities Of Sinne I vnderstoode Sin to be the natiue corruption of man deryued and spred abroade into vs all from those oure firste parents wherethrough we be plunged in lewd lustes and turned away from goodnesse but forewarde to all euill and full of all naughtinesse as distrust contempte and hating of God can do no good of oure selues no nor once thinke any But rather the more we growe in yeeres the more do we bring forth corrupt frutes meete for an euill tree in our thoughtes and words and deedes done lewdly against Gods law In which respect being through our own desert subiect to Gods wrathe we be put vnder iust punishmentes in so muche that we shoulde all of vs haue bin cast of from God if Christe oure deliuerer Mat. 12. Gen. 14. in whom mankinde whiche els was lost was restored againe had not brought vs to him againe Of death the wages of Sinne. Therfore by death I meane not onely bodily death whiche we must all of vs once suffer for oure sins sake but also the endlesse punishments due to our sinfulnes and corruption Eph. 2. For we were deade saith the Apostle in oure offences and sins and we were the children of wrath as others are But God who is riche in mercie quickened vs with Christ when we were dead through our sins Rom. 5. Againe like as by one maÌ„ sin entred into the world death by sin so also death passed into al men inasmuch as al men haue sinned Of originall sin and of the cause of sinne I acknowledge that there is original sin in all men and I acknowledge that all other sins which spring thereof are called sins and are sins in very deede by what name so euer they be called whyther deadly or veniall Mar. 3. or the sinne that is called the sin againste the holye Ghost which is neuer forgiuen Also I confesse that all sins are not equall though they spring all out of one fountaine of corruption and vnbeleefe 1. John 3. but that some are greuouser than othersome according as the Lord hath sayd that it shal be easyer for Sodome and Gomor Math. 10 than for the city that refuseth the word of the Gospell Therfore I condemne all suche as haue taughte contrarye heereto and specially Pelagius and all Pelagians and Iouianistes who with the Stoikes make all sins a lyke heynouse In this cace I am fullye of opinion with Sainte Austin who alledged his matters out of the holy scriptures and defended them by the same Furthermore I condemne Florinus and Blascus and all suche as make God the author of sin Psam 5. against whom
I had bin off from it Then sin by the name of sin I meane the corruptnesse and lustfulnesse whiche earst without the law might haue seemed to be dead sin I say being accused and cōdemned by the lawe and therewithall wakened and stirred vp began to wax lyuely againe and I was deade in the syght of God and of his euerlasting law when I perceiued mine owne naughtinesse and so it fell oute that the thing which was gyuen me to leade me vnto lyfe for the lavv sheweth which way to go to God who is our lyfe led me vnto death not through any default of it selfe but bicause that I was so lewd that I not onely obeyed it not but also such was my pryde taking skorne to be so bound by the law striued and struggled by all meanes against it lyke a mad and frantik man Therfore sin that is to say myne ovvne invvarde corruptnesse beguiled mee and called mee backe from the ryght vvay vvhich the lavv shevved me and so slevv me at his ovvne plesure by taking occasiō at the cōmaūdement vvhere none at all vvas giuen least you should imagin that gods lavv vvere sin R. Then do you vtterly discharge the commaundement of the lawe by whose occasion the thing was doone from all blame of naughrines or lewdnes P. What els 1. Ti. 1.8.12 For the lavve is holie vvhich shevved me vvhat I ought to do but I vvas vvicked in taking occasion at goodnesse to become vvorse R. These thinges are well But how came it to passe that the cōmaundement whiche of his owne nature is good became death vnto you And looke what I say of you the same doo I meane of my selfe also being in my former state P. You must not in any vvise thinke that it vvas long of the commaundement but sin that is to say corruptnesse or concupiscence bred death in me by meanes of the good commaundement and of the lavv vvhich is both ryghtful and holy caused it to seeme to be sin so the naughtines of it vvas bevvrayed in that it toke occasion of euill euen vvhere none vvas giuen and sin vvas so euill that of the commaundement vvhich is good it toke occasiō to grow in it selfe to put foorth it selfe more feersly and furiously R. As oft as I call to remembraunce that heauenly and in manner vnutterable orderlynesse and forecast which God vseth towards sinners and euill men in the very tyme of their iustifying I cannot but praise his most diuine mercy and prouidence in leading men at length through so many roughe steepe places full of daungers to the knowledge of his Christ that they may becomme rightuous and beare in mynde their former state vndoutedly of all states most miserable who I besech you would beleue your discourses concerning the offices of the law if he had not first had experience of all these things in himselfe P. In deede it is true as you say and these things require the practise of godlinesse the experience of iustificatiō For before that time sin and mans wicked concupisence are so styrred vp that sin becommeth out of measure sinfull and euill insomuch that death is ingendred of sin and the law not through any fault of the lawe but of sin For the law as much as in it lyeth gyueth lyfe by shewing vs the way of lyfe But for as much as the law is spiritual it requireth of vs not onely the outward deeds but also the inwarde affections of the hart Also it requireth of vs all diuine vertues in their full perfection togither with their fruits and deeds proceading from a godly instinct tending to the glory of God Now I at that tyme being yet earthly and more ouer a bondslaue of sin as you and all others were when ye had not yet receaued the spirit of rightuousnesse was not able to discerne the dignity holinesse and excellency of the lavv and much lesse was vvilling to submit my necke vnder the yoke of it too frame both my mind and all my doings according to the precise rule therof R. Suerly I haue often tryed this and I finde it true that it is not all in my power not onely to loue God with all my hart to haue a perfect beleefe in him to hope for all thinges at his hand to loue other men specially to loue myne enemyes with all my hart and that only for Gods glories sake to be indued with all Christian vertues as perfect as is possible as the rightuous and holye lawe of God byndeth me but not euen to rule the affectiōs of my mind to be at a word surely I feele that without Gods grace and the spirit of rightuousnesse I cannot but loue my selfe and worldly things to much I cannot loue God aboue all naturall things and much lesse with all my whole hart nother can I fall to harty attonement with myne enemies but rather euen yet still I am inforced I wote not how to hate thē bycause I am earthly and the seruaunt of sin and concupiscence which reigning tyrannously in me do ouer rule me and harrie me about at their vnbridled pleasure nother am I able too wyth stande them of my selfe P. These thinges are very modestly spoken but I hope it is better vvith you than you speake of In the meane tyme I am glad to heere this your accusation For you speake by experience and I coniecture by your vvoords that you haue bin a verie diligent examiner of your selfe For all men perceiue not this tyranny of sinne But I vvill proceede to declare in my selfe vvhat is vvont to happen to suche as are in regenerating Surely I vvist not vvhat too do I put you out of doubt I doo many things that I acknovvledg not for mine ovvne For I doo not the good vvhiche I vvould doo but the euill vvhich I hate that commit I oftentymes Wherupon I conclude after this manner vvith my selfe concerning the perilles that are past If I do that I vvould not then loke vvhat the lavv forbiddeth that doo I hate as vnright and I mislyke of it but the thing that the lavv commaundeth lyketh my minde very vvell So then vvith my mynde I consent to the lavve that it is good I allovv of it as rightfull hovvbeit that I my selfe am earthly Wherfore if I doo against it it is not I that doo it but sinne that dvvelleth in me For sinfulnesse vvhose prisoner I am ouermaystereth me and caryeth mee avvay to the doing of that thing vvhich I vvoulde not do R. By this your speache and by your acknowledginge of your former state I see nowe there are twoo kyndes of men some are vtterly lawelesse and though they do alwayes obey sinne yet feele they not the stinges of sin at all Againe there are othersome which haue I wore not what a heauenly seed with thē and although they sin and now and then obey the affections of sin yet do they it of all the while as it were vnwillingly so
forbid For seeing we be dead vnto sin through the spirite of righteousnes how is it possible that we shuld continue and liue in sinne after wee be once iustified R. I scarse vnderstand this geere P. What know ye not that as many of vs as are baptised made cleane in Iesus Christ are baptised washed into his deth that by the same baptim we be after such a sort as it wer dead buried with him that contrariwise lyke as Christ was raised from the dead for the glory of his father so we also must walk in newnesse of life to the glory of him who hath shevved the spirite of righteousnesse into vs to worke righteousnesse therewith R. I am glad that you haue vttred vnto me both the true signification of baptime and also the bond of righteousnes For by this meane the manifolde errour of many may be spied out First there are which full lewdly doo make more account of the signe than of the thing that is signified by it and there are very fewe whiche thinke that baptim betokeneth the mortifying and wasshing of the olde Adam and of all vnrightuousnesse and and vnhonestie and consequently the renewing restoring againe of our soules and of oure whole lyfe to their first state Againe there are othersome which being vtterly ignorāt of the power of Christs spirit and of the workfulnes of his righteousnes do still leaue opē the gate to sin pretending I wote not what excuses of mās fraylty as who should say that Christ were not strōger than the diuel nor Gods grace able to confound the power of sin P. Truely you haue hit the pricke But you shall vnderstande the contrary doctrine if you aduisedly wey the similitude of greffing which I vse heere For if we be planted and greffed into the lykenesse of Christes death then must we needs also be made partakers of his resurrection R. By this trym most proper * A metaphor is an apt cōueying of a worde or spech from his owne proper signification to the betokening or setting foorth of some other thing metaphor you meane that we must be lyke braunches that are greffed into other trees that being greffed into Christ hauing Christ greffed into vs wee may bring forth new fruits of lyfe namely ryghtuousnes innocencie and holinesse P. Verely euen so must we perswade our selues that our olde man is nayled to the crosse with Christ as in respect of iustification and regeneration to the intent that the bodie of sin may be ouerthrowen destroyed so as we may no more follow after sinne and serue it For he that is deade by the deathe of Christ and obteyneth ryghtuousnes by his spirit is thereby free from the bondage of sinne And if we beleeue that we haue obteyned forgyuenesse of sins and are deade with Christ we must also most assuredly beleue that we shall liue with him in suche newnesse of lyfe as maye beare recorde that wee be rysen wyth him R. O the miserable frowardnesse of men who at the report of Gods fauour purchased to vs by the benefit of Christs death do wondrously leape and skip for ioy verely bycause they be certefied therby of the remission of their sinnes past But when mencion is made of his resurrection to the intent that after his example we shoulde begin a new lyfe fashyoned and framed according to his innocene yrightuousnes other vertues and by that meanes labour and trauell with earnest desire to heauenward despising all worldly pleasures there there our harts faynt we be euen at the poynt to quayle So greatly are we delighted foaded with the inticemēts of our sins past P. Yet notvvithstanding they that are iustified of god must nedes renoūce giue ouer ther sins vvicked deedes pleasures and to be short all vnhonest things after the exāples of Christ vvho being once rysen from death dyeth not any more nother hath death any more povver ouer him Therfore like as hys once dying vvas to die vnto sin so that as novv he liueth vnto god so you also for asmuche as you haue obteined the spirit of righteousnes think your selues to be dead vnto sin as true members of Christ participating of his death resurrection lyfe to be alyue vnto God through our Lord Iesus Christ R. O excellent exhortation But alas for sorrow O miserable nature of man vtterly awk from it as wherin sin hath taken so deepe roote that it can scarse be thrust out We haue receiued sin into our minds as a guest or rather as a tirāt into our innermost bowels from whēce he can hardly be driuē or thrust out both by reason of our natural corruption and also by reason of custome continuance P. Euen so is it But yet muste you striue that this sinne may not reigne in your body though it bee subiecte too death nor you obey the lustes thereof nor yeelde your mēbers as instruments of all naughtinesse applied to sinning But rather cleane contrarie apply your selues to god as folke risen again from the dead and yeeld ye your members vnto him as instrumēts of righteousnes R. These thinges matched togither ought both to fray our minds frō sinning also to inflame them with most earnest desire indeuer to liue well blessedly For what is more shameful than to be slaues of lusts Contrariwise what is more honorable excellent than to vse righteousnes godlines innocencie Therefore we must pray to almightie God that as he hath of his own infinite goodnesse already iustified vs so he will also deliuer vs from the bondage of sin P. Be of good cheere For sin shall no more execute tyranny ouer you R. By what way or meanes may so grat a good turne befall vs For to my seeming that is right hard to be done P. In deede it is hard vnto men but nothing is vnpossible vnto God nother is there any thing which he cānot bring to passe But receiue here the reason of it in few words For sin reigneth not ouer those that are vnder grace but ouer those that are vnder the lawe But novv that you be iustified you are not vnder the law but vnder grace R. Many men seeme to be like Spiders turning all thinges into poyson For when vnthrifts and naughtipackes heere this saying by and by as though they had by iustification obteyned libertie to doo what they list they crye oute why then shoulde we not sin still seeing wee be vnder grace and not vnder the law P. God forbid that any man shoulde be of that mind R. But what is to be don to these fellowes that abuse Gods goodnesse vnto euill doing And yet notwithstanding theise wylie and captious witts cannot be subdued but by moost sustantiall and myghtfull reasons P. Those wilfull stubborne natures must be left to god the soueraine iudge as for the men of whō there is better hope I would exhorte them after this maner knovve ye not that to vvhom
helper But none can be helped but he which doth somewhat The Manichies bereeued man of all dooing and made him as a stocke or a stone Secondly I make that in the regenerated there remayneth infirmitie For asmuche as sin dwelleth in vs and the fleshe fyghteth againste the spirite in the regenerated euen to the ende of our lyfe the regenerated performe not their purposes altogyther withoute incomberance These thinges are confirmed by the Apostle in the seuenth to the Romanes and in the fift to the Galathians And therfore that freedome of oure wyll is weake by reason of the dregges of the olde Adam and of the corruption that is bred and borne with man and remayneth in vs euen to the ende of our lyfe Notwithstanding for asmuch as the strength of the fleshe and the remnants of the old man are not so effectuall as vtterly to quenche the working of Gods Spirite therefore the faithfull are saide to be free but yet so as they acknowledge their owne weakenesse and boast not at all of the freedome of their will For the faithfull must euer beare in minde this saying which Saint Austin harpeth vpon so muche out of the Apostle Mar. 11. what hast thou which thou hast not receyued and if thou haue receyued it why bostest thou as though thou haddest not receyued Moreouer the thing that I had determined doth not foorthwith come to passe For the fallings out of things are in gods hand And thervppon S. Paule prayeth the Lord to prosper his iourney Rom. 1. Therefore euen in that respect mans freewill is weake Neuerthelesse no man denieth but that bothe the regenerated and the vnregenerated haue freewill in outwarde things For man hath this propertie common to him with all other liuing things to whome he is not inferiour namely to will some things and to nill other some So can he speake or holde his peace and goe abrode or tarie at home howbeit that euen in this behalfe an eye must always be had to Gods power whiche caused that Balaam coulde not attayne to the mark that he shot at nor Zecharie speake as he woulde haue done when he came out of the Temple In this case I condemne the Manichees which denie that mans freewill when he was good was the beginning of euill vnto him Also I condemne the Pelagians which say that an euill man hath sufficient free will to do a good commaundement For they be disproued by the holy scripture which sayth vnto the one sort God made man righteous and vnto the other if the sonne make you free then are you free in deede Of the true iustification of the righteous By the worde Iustifie the Apostle in his discourse of iustification Rom. 8. betokeneth the forgiuing of sinnes the acquiting of men from gilt and punishment the receyuing of them into fauour and the pronouncing of them to be righteous For the Apostle sayth to the Romanes It is God that iustifieth who shal then condemne There Iustifying is matched agaynst Condemning Act. 13. And in the Acts of the Apostles the Apostle sayth By Christe the releasing of your sinnes is preached vnto you and of all the thinges from which you could not be iustified by the Lawe of Moyses by him is euery one that beleeueth iustified For in the Lawe and the Prophets also we reade in this wise Deu. 25. If variance rise betweene man and man and they come to iudgement let the iudges iudge them and let them iustify the ryghtuos and condemne the vngodly And in the fift of Esay it is sayde woo be to them that iustify the vngodly for rewardes Nowe it is most certeyne that by nature all of vs are sinners and vngodly and cast and conuicted of wickednesse and condemned to die before Gods iudgement seate and that we be iustifyed that is to say released or set free from sin and death by God the iudge onely for Christes sake and not for anye desert or respect of oure owne For what is more manifest than this saying of Saint Paules Rom. 3. All men haue sinned and are destitute of Gods glorie but are iustified freely through his grace by the redemption that is in Christe Iesus For Christ toke vppon him the sins of the worlde and toke them away and satisfied Gods Iustice God therfore only for Christes passion and resurrections sake is mercifull to oure sins and layeth them not to oure charge but imputeth Christs ryghtuousnesse vnto vs as oure owne so as henceforth we be not onely clensed and purged from oure sinnes or made holie but also rewarded withe Christes ryghtuousnesse 2. Cor. 5. Rom. 4. and so consequently set free from sin death or condemnation and finally made ryghtuous and heires of the endlesse lyfe Therefore to speak properly only God iustifieth vs and onely for Christes sake doth he iustifie vs not imputing our owne sins vnto vs but imputing vnto vs Christs rightuousnesse Rom. 3. And bycause we receiue this iustification not by any workes but by trust in Gods mercy and in Christ therfore I teache and beleeue with the Apostle that the sinner is iustifyed by onely fayth in Christ and not by the law or by any workes For the Apostle sayth Rom. 4. I am of opinion that a man is iustified by fayth without the deedes of the law Againe if Abraham were iustifyed by workes he hathe whereof to boast but not before God Gen. 15. For what sayeth the scripture Abraham beleeued God and it was reckened vnto him for rightuousnesse Now vnto him that worketh not but beleueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is imputed to him for rightuousnesse And againe you be saued by grace through fayth that not of yourselues but it is gods gift Not by works least any man shoulde glory Ephe. 2. For asmuche then as fayth receyueth Christ our righteousnesse and imputeth all things to Gods free fauour in Christ therfore is iustification fathered vpon fayth howebeit for Christes sake and not bicause it is our worke for it is the gifte of God But that we receyue Christ by fayth the Lorde himselfe sheweth by many words in the sixth of Iohn where he putteth eating for beleeuing and beleeuing for eating For like as we receiue foode by eating so doo wee participate of Christe by beleeuing Therefore I deuide not the benefite of Iustification partly to Gods grace or to Christ and partly to our selues or to our owne charitie and works or to our owne deseruing But I attribute it wholly to Gods free fauor in Christ by fayth Besides this our loue and works could not please God if they were done of vs beeing yet vnrighteous and therefore it behoueth vs to be first iustified before we can loue or doo good works But we be iustified as I sayde afore by fayth in Christe through the onely grace of God who imputeth Christes ryghtuousnesse to vs and not our owne sinnes and consequently imputeth oure beleeuing in Christ vnto