to minde these other superstitions almost innumerable we should now the more easily measure after a sort in our minde the magnitude greatnesse of Gods benefite especially if wee did remember that as yet there are euerie where verie many countries which are ouerwhelmed in most thicke darknesse of errours ignorance not differing at all from those nations which in times past were wholy giuen ouer to the worshipping of idols as well nigh all those people be at this day which with so great clamours outcries call for that state of religiō againe which they vaunt to haue profited so long the Christian common weale who desire that the ceremonies of their fathers may be worshipped which woulde haue the Emperour bring this to passe that looke what religion they receiued when they were children the same being old men they should leaue to their posteritie to be briefe who had rather embrace obserue the institutions traditions of their Elders old customes mens prescriptes than the rites of the Apostles than the veritie of the Gospell than the cōmandements of God amongst whom the Lombardicall historie is of more authoritie than the sacred scripture the Decretals than the Gospels the Bishop of Rome than the sonne of God Christ Iesus Therfore how greatly are we bound to God for instauring the doctrine of the Gospell in this our age What thanks ought we to giue render vnto him How greatly ought we to take heede bew are that we doe not by chaunce any thing vnwittingly which might offend the authour of this benefite What great care ought we to haue alwayes to labour trauell about those things which are gratefull and acceptable to God who loueth vs so entirely But how thankfull to God the common people are for this benefite alas it appeareth too plainly euidently at this day For the greater part of those men who would be accounted Christians without enuie be it spoken is giuen to gluttonie to surfeting to all kind of wickednes the maior part I say liueth nicely delicately riotously the greater number is carried headlong into all kind of pleasure intemperancie they loue they drinke apace they runne a whore hunting they snatch catch they filch steale they sweare forsweare they cogge and lie they defraude and deceiue in summe whatsoeuer ought not to be done that they doe Now amongst the Noble men vices preuaile beare too great a sway and to be briefe these especially Otia vina Venus venatus balnea lusus that is Idlenes wine Venus way with hūting bathes diceplay In Kinges courtes dronkennesse ruleth and reigneth and now to liue there is naught else but to vie drinking there In Noble mens gorgious buildings and goodlie houses nothing else almost by their leaues is done but daily diceplaying iollie tossing of beere potts daunsing to the sound of the Citterne or Lute I doe omitte let passe how that some of these Noble mē haue turned those possessions whiche by the liberalitie of their auncestours were left to the Church into their owne vse and suffer the miserable Pastours of the Church to dy almost for hunger so farre are they off from helping and releeuing them as much as in them lieth This verely is our gratitude and thankfulnesse towardes that singular and notable benefite of God which he bestowed vpon vs in taking away from among vs superstitions and in instauring holie and sacred doctrine No man truely can either declare in woorde or shadowe out in thought how excellent and how great this benefite of God is For now at the length we haue learned whiche is the holie Catholike Apostolicall orthodox and true Christian Church and what that communion of Saints is whereunto they must ioyne them selues in faith in will in opinion in prayer and in confession whosoeuer will be members of the people of God and of that mysticall bodie whereof Christ is the head in what parte of the world soeuer they liue in Nowe we haue learned that thing whiche almost no man heeretofore knew namely that all mē are saued by Christ alone no man by his owne merites that all men obteine saluation and eternall felicitie through the Mediatour the sonne of God not for the dignitie of their woorkes by whiche meanes verely both the Patriarches and also the Prophetes the people of Israel and finally all the godlie which haue bene from the creation of the world vnto this day haue bene saued For Christ as he that should come to bee the deliuerer of mankinde was promised from the beginning Wherevppon in the Reuelation there is that mention of the Lambe whiche was slaine from the originall of the worlde Therefore the Gospell or Euangell that is to say that forgiuenesse of sinnes reuealed and promised from heauen by the free goodnesse of GOD for the deliuerer to come hath bene alwayes euen from the verie beginning of mankinde though not yet in name and in woord yet in deed and in truth For this redeemer Christ is that seede of the woman promised vnto Adam which shoulde breake the serpentes heade that is which shoulde destroy the woorkes of the Diuell to witte sinne and death Hee is the seede of Abraham in which seede all the nations of the earth shoulde bee blessed Hee is that Prophete promised by Moses Hee is the sonne of Dauid who shoulde reigne ouer the house of Iacob foreuer This is hee whiche was shadowed by the Leuiticall sacrifices and foretolde by the oracles of the Prophetes Therefore wee haue all the godlie which haue bene euen from the beginning of the worlde ioyned with vs in the profession of the same faith For looke in whome the Patriarches the Prophetes and the people of Israel placed all their confidence in the Messias promised to them in the very same Christ nowe exhibited vnto vs both Apostles Martyres Confessours and finally wee all put our hope of saluation And this is the true Churche whiche wee haue learned out of this doctrine renewed this is that communion of Saintes which being as I saide before euen from the beginning of the worlde after the promise concerning the deliuerer to come was first propagated and continued in the Patriarches and Prophetes afterwardes in the Apostles Martyrs so on continueth perseuereth vnto this day by diuerse degrees orders of Christians professing the same faith perfourming shewing obedience to the Ministers of the Church The sonne of God our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ doeth by his woord and Gospell gouerne and by his holy Spirit helpe and assist this Church and this communion of Saintes O thrice happie and foure times blessed are they whiche ioyne them selues vnto the societie of this Church whiche hath the sonne of GOD for her President the Angels for her protectours the holy Ghost for her sanctifier finally all the godlie and electe of all ages as many as
offered vp himselfe a sacrifice and an oblation vpon the altar of the Crosse for the sinnes of the world whose bodie was betrayed and deliuered to death for vs whose bloud was shedde for the remission of our sinnes lastly whose death it selfe was the true sacrifice for the saluation of mankinde Furthermore when as Christ had alone satisfied for the sinnes of all men these fellowes shewed vs other meanes and wayes whereby we might satisfie God more fully and amply as amongest other thinges Pilgrimages appointed for deuotion sake in which verie many consumed and spent all the time of their life whilest they ranne a gadding and madding almost from the vtmost endes of the earth sometime to Rome or Hierusalem sometime to Treuirs or Compostella whilest they goe to see and visite Saint Michaels Cathedrall Churche and caue in Gargan and that most royall and magnificent Temple of Saint Lauretan namely all to this end to satisfie and appease Gods wrath for their sinnes by this means to obteine saluation Hitherto also tend the Popes indulgencies pardons either full absolute for euer or els but for a thousand yeeres an hundred yeeres or fourtie yeeres Hitherto tendes the fraternitie or fellowship of Friers which some men forsooth at this day call the Communion of Saintes and this shewe of godlinesse they pretend to cloake that superstition withall and they labour to paint out a foolishe and feigned thing wittily with such false deceipts and as it were to adorne and beautifie it with some counterfeit colours Finally hitherto tend those egregious suffrages succours of Monkes which certeinely were wont to be more esteemed then Christes propitiatorie sacrifice for the sinnes of the world yea the greatest part of men reiecting in the meane while our Sauiour Christ nothing doubted to redeeme and purchase with a great summe of monie the communitie of Monasticall workes as though the saluation of their soules did consist onely in these For Monkes commonly were accustomed to powre vppon others the superfluitie of good workes wherewith they themselues abounded ouerflowed if there were any that would laie downe redie monie for them leauing alwayes enough for the obteining of their owne saluation they were wont to obtrude set to sale those their workes which were superfluous That these thinges are thus truely reported of them those obligations or quittances which are extant at this day made for that matter are sufficient testimonies proofes Thus are they made Concedimus inquiunt praesentium tenore omnium Missarum diuinorum officiorum orationū praedicationū studiorum ieiuniorum abstinentiarum vigiliarum laborum caeterorumque bonorum omnium quae per fratres sorores ordinis fiunt communionem participationem Et iterum Statuimus vt iniungantur pro animabus vestris sacra Missarum solennia vigiliae ac caetera suffragiorum praesidia vt multiplici sacrarum orationum ac piorum suffragiorum adiuti praesidio hic diuinae gratiae augmentum in futuro vitae aeternae praemium faciliùs ac copiosiùs mereamini adipisci We doe graunt say they by the tenour of these presentes the communion and participation of all Masses of all diuine duties of all prayers preachings studies fastes abstinencies watchings labours all other good things which are done by the Friers Nonnes of this order And againe We ordeine that for your soules there be inioyned the holy rites solemnities of Masses vigils the other helpes of suffrages that you being holpen with the manifold aide of holy prayers may deserue to obteine both here in this life the increase of Gods grace and in the life to come more easily and plentifully the rewarde of eternall life Hitherto wee haue recorded and related faithfully and truely the verie woordes of the Monasticall obligation and caution least that there should be found some froward fellowe which might gainesay vs Now the Monks commanded other men so to leane and trust to these trifles which are of no value to the obteining of saluation that amongst other thinges they would cause men that lay at the point of death to remember how many and how great good woorkes they had done by whose abundance and greatnesse the offences which they in their life time had committed might be ouerwhelmed how much merites they had to which Heauen was due Now as concerning the Popes pardons many men hertofore ascribed so much vnto them that they would not sticke to say that by them a man might obteine forgiuenesse of sinnes free releasement from all villanie and wickednesse yea although a man had lien with our Ladie the virgin Christes mother an abhominable thing to speake of and although he had slaine killed Christ himselfe For with such salt was the speach of the Papistes seasoned and poudered if at any time they ment to extrude and set out to sale their pedlarie packe of pardons as they had commission and commandement from the Pope Some of them also were not afraid to auouche that the soule which was tormented in the fire of Purgatorie did flee vp into heauen at the verie same instant and moment in which a peece of monie cast into the boxe for it did gingle To these may be added this their assertion that the red crosse with the Popes armes which heretofore was wont to be erected in the midst of the Churche had no lesse force might in it to abolishe put away sinne than the crosse of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ Moreouer that if any man had purchased the Popes pardons he needed not greatly any repentance for his sinnes onely these saide they were without all doubt sufficient to saluation Nay there haue bene men euen in our dayes which would say that they had saued more soules by the Popes pardons than euer did S. Peter by his sermons What neede many wordes All of them stoutly confidently affirmed that indulgencies pardons were of power to forgiue most fully aswell the fault as the punishment and that the superfluous merites of Saintes together with these might be cōmunicated imparted to those which would pay well and truely for them For euery man knoweth this how that the Popes bull was woont to be recited and read to those which were at the point of death in which bull there was promised both a full and absolute abolition of all crimes and also that the feare of Purgatorie should be wholy taken away These thinges verely are such that our posteritie may thinke them to be but forged fables which wee notwithstanding know very well not to be feigned but to haue bene done indeed Well seeing that there are euen now extant sundrie letters seales and monumentes of these matters there will remaine if they bee kept still and reserued an euerlasting testimonie of Popish impietie which without all doubt will be propagated and continued to all posteritie Hitherto perteines the Iubile
Saint Cyprian vnderstand that place in his second booke against the Iewes so doth S. Hierome likewise which we haue declared in another place so doeth the Authour of that Epistle De viro perfecto whosoeuer he was that wrote it I wote well that to this day it hath bene vsed to be read in their Bibles Ipsa conteret caput tuum that is to say She shall bruse and breake the Serpentes head as though it ought to be vnderstood of the woman and not of the seede of the woman So Prudentius may seeme to haue read and vnderstoode it when he saith Author ipse doli coluber Plectitur improbus vt mulier Colla trilinguia calce terat And a little after he saith thus Hoc erat aspidis atque hominis Digladiabile dissidium Quòd modò cernua foemineis Vipera proteritur pedibus Edere namque Deum merita Omnia virga venena domat But as I saied before all this is to be referred to the seede of the woman which is the childe of Marie to wit our Lorde and Redeemer Iesus Christ as Irenaeus interpreteth that place Yea and Saint Cyprian readeth it thus Ipse conteret caput tuum He c. hauing respect rather vnto the sense than vnto the woorde So likewise the Greekes say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say He shall bruse thy head that so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being put in the Masculine gender may be referred to the sonne of the woman who is Christ that is to say respecting rather the meaning of the place than the bare woorde And Hierome vpon Genesis hath noted that it must be read so out of the Hebrue text that it respecteth the seede to whose iudgement as many as at this day are excellent and skilfull in the knowledge of the tongues doe condescend and agree And that our aduersaries may the lesse doubt of this as all our sayinges and doings are suspected of them Picus Mirandula a man most famous in the age wherein he liued doeth also witnesse the same thing Yea and Prudentius in another hymne doeth referre this promise to Christ neither doeth he vnderstand it any otherwise than we doe at this day For amongest other things thus he writeth of the death and punishment of Christ Vidit anguis immolatam Corporis sacri hostiam Vidit fellis perusti Mox venenum perdidit Saucius dolore multo Colla fractus sibilat Quid tibi profane serpens Profuit rebus nouis Plasma primum perculisse Versipelle astutia Diluit culpam recepto Forma mortalis Deo Here verely Prudentius the Christian Poet declareth that the sonne of God taking vnto him the shape and bodie of a man whilest he voluntarily offered him selfe to die did breake the head of that Serpent which by his craftinesse and subtile sleightes had deceiued the first parentes of mankinde and that by the sacrifice of his owne bodie vppon the Crosse he made an attonement for the fault and crime which our first parentes had committed But let vs proceede and goe on forward to the rest Heretofore the common sorte of Christians knewe nothing at all of the Priesthood or Bishoppricke of Christ who hath both instructed vs in wholesome doctrine and satisfied for the sinnes of mankinde by the sacrifice of his owne bodie whilest he sacrificeth vp him selfe vppon the altar of the Crosse and who daily and perpetually prayeth vnto God for our safetie and saluation Nay they knewe not in those dayes sufficiently the difference betwixt the newe Testament and the olde betwixte the Lawe and the Gospell betwixte Moses and Christ which thing bringeth a great light to the whole Scripture Neither did they thinke aright which a man might woorthily maruell at of iustification because they did beleeue that good woorkes did almost onely auayle to the obteining of forgiuenesse of sinnes to the satisfaction for crimes committed to the obteining of righteousnesse to the deliuerance from death and hell fire briefely to the obteining of eternall blessednesse Therefore they both trusted to their owne merites and put their confidence in their good woorkes and good deedes and satisfied of themselues sufficiently for their sinnes and thought that heauen was due vnto them for their honest actions Neither wanted there Monkes and Friers who would sell their idle and superfluous woorkes of supererogation if there were any that would redeeme them with monie So much some men did attribute to their owne merites and good woorkes Yea they knewe almost no difference betwixte that righteousnesse of faith whereof Saint Paule entreateth to the Romanes and that politicall righteousnesse which conteineth the ciuil discipline of vertue manners which thing the bookes of our aduersaries doe plainely and openly testifie Neither were they sufficiently taught heretofore concerning the abrogation of the lawe neither could they once vnderstande or suspect by what meanes wee are deliuered from the execration and curse of the lawe by Christ Neither knewe they sufficiently that distinction of a feigned and deade faith which Saint Iames testifieth to bee the faith of diuelles and of the true and liuely faith which thou maist call if thou wilt both the Euangelicall and the iustifying faith ▪ and which Augustine termeth the faith of Christ and the faith of Christian grace For as often as they heard faith named they dreamed that it was either that naked bare historicall knowledge of things comprehended in the Scriptures or else the profession of religion they were vtterly ignorant of that assured trust of Gods grace and of remission of our sinnes and of the mercie promised for Christs sake which one onely faith is in deed the true Christian faith by which we both call vpon God and boldly approche and come vnto him and finally haue peace with God through our Lorde Iesus Christ as the Apostle saith Neither heretofore knewe they any difference of woorkes yea they reuerenced as much both the rites founde out by men and also that childish Paedagogie of ceremonies as they did the woorkes prescribed by Gods lawes and those woorkes which are necessarie to saluation Neither could they iudge what difference there was betwixt veniall and mortall sinne Neither knewe they in what point the kingdome of Christ differed from the Popishe common weale or the true Church from the false Church Neither knewe they what difference there was betwixt fasting and choyce of meates Finally they thought that by Gods lawe onely the outward factes and that ciuil iustice were required they sawe not that the whole and most perfect obedience of the heart towardes God was exacted and required of vs So by that meanes they stoode in great admiration at the vaine shadowes and similitudes of good woorkes they did not beholde the solide and expresse image and picture of true righteousnesse It remained now that we should bring foorth more matter concerning the abuse of ceremonies
of which by the way I haue saied somewhat before concerning the impure single life of Priestes concerning the superstition hypocrisie and tyrannie of the mendicant or begging Friers to be briefe of Pharasaisme in the Frieries and Monasteries of Epicurisme in the Collegies of Canons of Iudaisme in Ecclesiasticall rites of Paganisme in the life and manners of the Christians of the former age of so many snares of mens consciences of the feigned miracles of Saintes almost sixe hundred such like deuises But I hope that euerie man will by these few which we haue spoken of easily coniecture the rest which remaine which are very many For as I suppose I haue shewed sufficiently what hath bene the state of Christianitie now of late yeares and many ages past and I haue declared what superstitions what faultes what abuses haue crept into the Church I beseech God the father of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ that as he hath restored the light of his Gospell to those which heretofore were compassed with the thicke cloudes of errours so he woulde open the eyes of the aduersaries of the Gospell that they may be conuerted from darkenesse to light from the power of Sathan to God finally from the vaine superstition of their auncestours and forefathers to the worshippe of true godlinesse Amen The second parte of this Discourse Wherein is declared what hath bene amended and corrected by our men in Ecclesiasticall doctrine NOW will we come to the second part of this booke and we will briefly declare what hath bene nowe at length amended and reformed in the doctrine of the Church First therefore it is plaine and euident to all men at this day that from the beginning of the worlde till now there hath alwayes beene one and the same way to obteine saluation by namely by the sole and onely trust and confidence in Christ whome the godly did beleeue should come as the Sauiour promised to Adam and to the old fathers euen from the originall of the worlde whom we now beleeue to be come alreadie at a determinate time and to haue brought saluation vnto mankinde For our faith also at this day is the very same with the faith of the Patriarchs Prophetes and finally of the whole people of Israel in times past because they expected and wayted for that to come which we doe beleeue to be alreadie done Now though we conceiue in our mindes that the holinesse of the Patriarches was exceeding greate whiche without all doubte was singular and most notable notwithstanding they were saued by no other meanes but by faith in the Redeemer of mankinde then promised to them now exhibited to vs who is the sonne of God our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ So that the holy fathers were not as yet Christians in woorde but in deede they were Christians by reason of our common faith and beliefe in Christ whome they did hope would come whome wee doe beleeue to be come long agoe Therefore all men must looke for saluation from this one and onely Christ neither is there among men any other name giuen as S. Peter saith whereby we must be saued For to this Christ giue all the Prophetes witnesse that through his name all that beleeue in him shall receiue remission of sinnes Seeing these things are so who would not maruell much at the blindnesse of the Christians both in our memorie and in former ages which did attribute that to mans merites which is due vnto Christ alone For that can not bee denied which we haue before declared more at large to witte that mortall men did not heretofore trust so much to the goodnesse clemencie bountie mercie and grace of GOD alone nor so much to the satisfaction of Christ onely for our sinnes as they did to the dignitie and woorthinesse of their owne woorkes For whitherto tend so many rites and formes of woorshipping GOD found out and ordeined by men so many will woorshippes so many fraternities so manifold varietie of Masses moreouer Pilgrimages Pardons a Monasticall life voluntarie beatings and also whippinges of our owne bodie hungers watchinges lyinges vppon the bare ground and who can rehearse all Whereto say I doe wee beleeue that all these thinges did tend but to the obteining of forgiuenesse of sinnes to the satisfaction for offences to the deliuerance from eternall death briefly to the obteining of saluation and blessednesse So now men ascribed their saluation not to the sonne of God our Lord Redeemer Iesus Christ who by his owne bloudshed satisfied for the sinnes of the worlde and pacified the wrath of God but to the worthinesse of their owne woorkes and to their owne merites and vertues Now as the people of the Iewes in olde time were of that minde that they thought the Leuiticall ceremonies and the sacrifices of the lawe were auayleable to the remission of their sinnes the Prophets in the meane time shewing them a farre other vse of the lawe and warning them of that future sacrifice of the Messias which the Leuiticall sacrifices did shadowe so the men of the former age obserued and kept superstitious rites for that they were thoroughly persuaded that God by them was reconciled that he by them was satisfied for our sinnes our men at this day condemning this so impious a persuasion and testifying that all men obteine peace with God and pardon of their sinnes and that all receiue saluation only by faith in Christ For not mans ceremonies but that seede of the woman promised to Adam doeth breake and bruse the heade of that olde Serpent which as Iohn saith in the Reuelation is called the Diuell and Sathan that is the sonne of God our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ is he alone which doeth destroy the workes of the Diuell to witte sinne and death Not the Leuiticall sacrifices but that lambe of God whom Iohn Baptist pointeth to with his finger is he that taketh away the sinnes of the world Not by our merites and desertes but through Christ is remission of sinnes preached vnto vs as the Apostle saith Not mans satisfaction but the sonne of God him selfe as S. Iohn testifieth is the reconciliation for our sinnes We haue obteined reconciliation not by the intercession of Saintes but by our Lord Iesus Christ as S. Paule doeth witnesse For this is he alone which may reconcile vs to God being the onely Mediatour betwixt God and men as the same S. Paule saith Not he that buyeth and redeemeth the Popes bulles but he that beleeueth in the sonne as our Sauiour saith in the Gospell of S. Iohn hath eternall life Man is not iustified by his owne woorkes but by the grace of God freely through the redemption which is in Christ Iesus as saith the Apostle No man is saued by his owne good deedes but by the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ are wee saued as saith S. Peter in the Actes I suppose that I
euident that they may be easily vnderstood also proued by our men with so firme testimonies that they can by no meanes be refelled For in summe we teach this that men obteine pardon of their sinnes and are iustified by the free fauour mercie of God onely promised for Christ our Mediatours sake if so be they doe place the assured trust of their saluation onely in Christ our propitiator peace-maker and if so be they doe by faith embrace the merit of Christ who by his pretious bloud satisfied God for all mens sinnes For there is no man which can obteine saluation but he which doeth by faith receiue and apprehend free remission of sinnes offered of God for Christes sake and which holdeth fast this confidence vnto the end Therefore we are iustified not through any dignitie or worthinesse of our woorkes neither through our merites and desertes but as the Apostle saith by the bloud of Christ as the same Paule saith freely by the grace of God himselfe through the redemption which is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set forth a propitiator through faith by the meanes of his bloud c. Hitherto tendeth that of S. Peter out of the Actes By the grace saieth he of our Lorde Iesus Christ we doe beleeue that we shall be saued To make an end when as wee say that wee are iustified by faith onely wee meane no other thing but that saluation is geuen vnto vs of Christ onely and that this saluation is to be receiued and taken hold on by faith alone for otherwise it can not be applied vnto vs. For faith is as it were an instrument or hande by which that saluation which is offered is receiued and apprehended of vs They which say that wee exclude repentance Baptisme Christes merite and the grace of God when wee make mention of faith alone are verely vnworthie to whome we should giue any answer For wee are not disposed to refell those thinges whiche are manifestly false nor to reproue so impudent a lye Onely wee take away trust in our owne merits and wee signifie vnto all men that the hope of our saluation ought to be put in Gods goodnesse and clemencie promised to vs for Christes sake Hitherto perteineth that of S. Ambrose vnto Irinaeus Nemo inquit glorietur in operibus quia nemo factis suis iustificatur sed qui iustus est donatum habet quia post lauacrum iustificatus est that is Let no man glorie in his woorkes because no man is iustified by his deedes but he that is iust hath it by gift because hee is iustified after regeneration It is therfore faith alone which deliuereth and setteth vs free by the bloud of Christ because that hee is blessed saith the Psalmist who hath his sinnes remitted and whose iniquitie is pardoned Yea and S. Augustine also in a certeine place witnesseth that the beleeuing are iustified and saued by the onely grace of Christ The same S. Austine writing against the Pelagians saith thus Vna fides est quae omnes saluos facit qui ex carnali generatione in spiritualem renascendo saluantur that is There is but one faith which saueth all men which are saued by being borne againe from the carnall generation vnto the spirituall regeneration And writing vnto Bonifacius hee saith thus Quantaelibet fuisse virtutis antiquos praedices iustos non eos saluos fecit nisi fides Mediatoris qui in remissionem peccatorum sanguinem fudit that is For how great vertues soeuer thou doest praise those iust men of olde time nothing saued them but faith in the Mediatour who shead his bloud for the remission of sinnes These thinges saith S. Austine speaking of the holie fathers of the old Testament But let vs proceede on to the rest The Papistes aduersaries to the doctrine of the Gospell now renewed doe obiect vnto vs that we attribute lesse to good woorkes than indeed is meete conuenient that they being brought into contempt are now altogether neglected yea and that good woorkes are indeed taken away and that they are left onely in name Let vs briefly answere to these obiections First and formost albeit in the matter and manner of iustification wee attribute no parte or parcell vnto our woorkes whiche thing we doe lest wee shoulde make mens merites the price and satisfaction for sinne for eternall death notwithstanding otherwise we doe not at all refuse them Hence it is that our Preachers spend so much labour trauell in expounding and making plaine the Decalogue or ten cōmandements Hence it is that as much as we may wee exhort men to good woorkes because they doe ratifie and testifie our faith to be a true faith and because they declare our will to bee gratefull and thankfull to God for his benefites and because they doe adorne and set out the doctrine of the Gospel lastly for that they inuite stirre vp others to the studie of godlinesse Yet for all this wee teach that they must be done not through hope by them to satisfie for our sinnes or of a trust to obteine righteousnesse by them but either to the glorie of God or to the vse and necessitie of our neighbour Also wee shew that our faith is maimed after a sorte and vnperfect if no good deedes or dueties towards our neighbour followe For faith as S. Ambrose saith is the roote of all vertues the founteine and welspring of all good woorkes as S. Austin saith the mother of euerie good will and iust action the Author of the booke De vocatione Gentium saith the breeder and bringer foorth of all right actions as Chrysostome saith the same faith is not idle slouthfull but doing working alwayes S. Paul saith to the Galathians it woorketh effectually by loue Moreouer wee denie that faith can bee and abitle in that man which liueth wickedly and vngodly and which obeyeth his lustes and yeeldeth to his concupiscences against his owne conscience For we do iudge that neither manslayers nor theeues nor extortioners nor adulterers nor couetous misers nor proude persons nor dronkardes and such like fellowes can vnles they repent haue any faith beleefe that God the Father will be fauourable and mercifull to them through Christ And wee teache as our aduersaries doe agree with vs that these things namely the habite purpose and deliberation of offending are furthest off from a true faith For he that sinneth wittingly and willingly that man without doubt contemneth despiseth and nothing regardeth god Now such contempt can in no wise agree with a firme faith and stedfast trust in god And seeing that as S. Iohn witnesseth the beleeuers doe conquere and vanquishe the worlde and sith that they which perseuere in vice and wickednesse are thought not to beleeue truly there can bee no true faith in such but perhaps a certeine hypocrisie
and turne that your sinnes may bee put away Christe him selfe in Iohn saith GOD so loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shoulde not perishe but haue life euerlasting But the same Christ in Matthaewe saith Not euerie one that saith vnto mee Lorde Lorde shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but hee that doeth my fathers will which is in heauen Paule saith vnto Timothie Christ Iesus came into the worlde to saue sinners But the same Paule vnto the Corinthians saith Bee not deceiued neither fornicatours nor idolatours nor adulterers nor wantons nor theeues nor couetous persons nor dronkardes nor railers nor extortioners shall inherite the kingdome of God. I would to God I woulde to God that wee would acknowledge in parte and studie to be thankefull for so notable a benefite of GOD in restoring this sacred doctrine and that after so greate ignorance and blindnesse of men in matters perteining to saluation and which are chiefly necessarie to bee knowen Which thing verely woulde come to passe first if wee thinking vpon the infelicitie and olde superstition of former times and beeing as it were astonied at Gods greate benefites would breake foorth into the praises of God into Psalmes and hymnes into spirituall songes singing and making melodie to the Lorde in our heartes giuing thankes alwayes for all thinges vnto GOD euen the father in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ as the Apostle saith Secondly if wee woulde labour to promote and set forward the ministerie of the woorde to keepe honour to defend and manteine godlie teachers if we would labour to helpe and releeue the necessarie studies of the Church Last of all if wee woulde liue godly and holily towardes God patiently in afflictions vprghtly towardes our neighbour diligently in our duetie temperately and soberly in our diet and in our clothing honorably towardes our parentes obediently towardes our magistrates masters louingly curteously with all men liberally towards the poore needy to be short if we would liue innocently chastely soberly friendly to our enimies profitably to the Church of God fauorably to the life of men agreably to Religion consonantly to Christianitie conueniently meete for the Gospell and as S. Paule saith Liue worthie of God that is to speake most plainely if we did both loue God with our whole heart and from our verie bowelles and also if wee did beare as great good will to our neighbour as we doe to our selues if we our selues would doe that to no man which we would not haue done to vs if we were such towardes others as we would other men were towardes vs finally if we did helpe and succour alwayes our neighbour either with our substance or with our helping hand or with our good aduise and counsell not regarding euerie man his owne thinges but the thinges of other men if we did studie to profite all men yea euen our enimies to hurt no man no not if we be prouoked lastly if wee would be terrified from sinne and wickednesse rather with the loue of God than for feare if we would not loose the bridle to our lustes if we would doe nothing which ought not to be done But O our execrable abhominable ingratitude we doe not measure and ponder as it is worthie the greatnesse of Gods benefits neither doe we sufficiently consider with our selues how great commodities this doctrine instaured by God hath brought a good while agoe vnto Christendome For in how many errours were we heretofore wrapped in in how great superstitions were wee nusled in to what passe was Christian pietie come vnto was it not come to this point that it was thought a better and a more excellent thing for a man to be called a Franciscane than simply a Christian that wee did attribute much more to mans rites than to Gods preceptes that in obteining saluation we did trust rather to ceremonies than to the fauour and mercie of God or to the merite of Christ that almost altogether excluding Christ whose death was a pacification of Gods wrath against sinne wee did of our selues seeke to satisfie for our owne sinnes that wee did not onely iudge that heauen was due to our merites but also that we did sell our good woorkes of supererogation Finally that leauing and refusing God euerie man did for him selfe woorshippe reuerence adore the idol of his owne hearte I doe omitte and let passe lighter matters how that we did both feare vaine apparitions and shadowes of walking spirites and also how that wee did feigne deuise Purgatorie fire out of Virgils Aeneades how that wee gaue that seruice and honour to mortall men long since departed which should haue bene giuen to God onely how that they whiche were deliuered from the plague gaue thankes to Saint Roch they whiche returned safe from battell gaue thankes to Saint George they which had escaped shipwrack gaue thankes to Saint Nicholas they which had gotte good store of riches gaue thankes to I can not tell what Saint Erasmus they whiche had a plentifull and fruitfull vineyarde gaue thankes to S. Vrban they which were eased from the torment of toothachegaue thankes to Saint Apolline they whiche had conceiued borne children without any greate paine gaue thankes to Saint Margaret For wee of these had plainely made Ethnikall and Heathenish Gods and as the Gentiles in times past were woont to pray vnto Aesculapius and Apollo for the depulsion and driuing away of diseases vnto Mars for victorie vnto Neptune for a prosperous nauigation vnto Iuno for riches vnto Bacchus for plentie of wine vnto Ceres for abundance of corne vnto Lucina for an happie childbirth so wee were woont to begge and craue the like benefites of them whom wee speake of Yea as amongest the Ethnikes in olde time euerie citie or region had their Gods whom they did peculiarly woorshippe for as the Poet saith Cecropia serues as God Minerua wise and Creete Diana dame Hipsiphile soile adores the black-smith Vulcane halt and lame But Sparta woorshippes Iunoes grace Micaena honors Pelops stock The coastes of Menalis serues that Syluan God which Faunus hight And eke Lauinia lande doth woorshippe Mars that warlik wight So at this day Venice hath her S. Marke in whose tutelship she stands Millain hath S. Ambrose Paris hath S. Denis Collin hath the three Kings or the three Magi Francia hath S. Chilian Polonia hath S. Hedeuigis finally other haue other Saintes to defend them Also euerie seuerall companie and order of craftes men hath adopted their peculiar patrons and as it were houshold gods to defend them as for example the Goldsmithes haue got them S. Eulogius the Shoomakers S. Crispin the Fullers S. Seuerus the Painters S. Luke the Physicians S. Cosma S. Damian the Lawyers S. Fuon the Students of artes and liberall sciences S. Catharine If wee would repeate call
or as S. Paule speaketh abounde more euerie day than other in it But O the execrable and abhominable negligence of men in repeating and calling to minde Gods benefites in rendering due and deserued thankes to so gratious and bountifull a god For wee liue so that wee differ nothing at all from Epicures that the name of God is for our sakes contumeliously reproched and euill spoken of amongst the Turkes that wee doe alienate all men from religion vnto which wee ought by our honest manners and good conuersation to inuite and to allure all men And in the meane season whilest we liue so wee both greeue the holie Spirit and cause that wicked and vncleane spirit to reioyce at vs and also wee yeeld our selues whom Christ hath redeemed by his bloud voluntarily to the bondage seruitude and slauerie of Sathan wee whom Christ hath deliuered from our sinnes doe wittingly willingly rush headlong againe into sinne wee whom he hath made heires of the heauenlie kingdome doe cause our selues through our owne fault to be disinherited This verely is all the thankes that wee giue vnto GOD for this doctrine of the Gospell renewed this is the thankes wee giue vnto Christ for giuing vs saluation so wee giue our selues to bee ruled and gouerned by the holie Ghost With these deedes wee approche and drawe neere vnto the Lordes Table So doe wee expect and waite for the comming of Christ And for ought that I see death is like to attache vs so doing so wee are like to come vnto Gods iudgement seate But that I may returne to my purpose truely I my selfe thinking and musing with my selfe vppon Christ whom wee beginne to confesse and acknowledge truely by this doctrine instaured am incredibly moued and affected neither is there any thing whereby I doe receiue either greater comfort or greater pleasure than by the remembraunce of Christes benefites and of the good will of our heauenlie father towardes vs who hath so loued the worlde that he hath preferred our saluation before the loue of his onelie sonne And falling into this cogitation I can not temper and refraine my selfe but I must needes exclame and crie out sundrie times with Saint Paule If God be on our side for vs who can be against vs Hee that spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all to death howe shall he not with him giue vs all thinges also Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne It is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of GOD and maketh request also for vs yea and in this cogitation of Christ there is nothing at all which may dismay and discomfort a conscience laden with greeuous sinnes much lesse driue it to desperation For if the lawe being broken and transgressed doeth woorke a feare terrour in vs let vs remember that Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the lawe if sinne terrifie vs let vs remember that the bloud of Christ hath cleansed vs from all sinne if death daunt vs let vs remember that Christ is the life and the resurrection if the wrath iudgement of God amaze vs let vs remember that we are reconciled to God by Christ if Sathan assault vs let vs remember that Christ hath triumphed ouer him being vanquished and subdued if hell fire make vs affraied let vs remember that Christ hauing beaten downe hell hath giuen vs an entrie into heauen In such terrours and in such a tast and feeling of eternall death you should in old time haue sought for this consolation in vaine in the Popes kingdome For that was nothing but mans satisfaction Romish indulgencies and the communion of Monasticall woorkes bought both with suite and with siluer the sacrifice of the Masse Pilgrimages to holie places and such other like trifles were opposed and set against sinnes and against death euerlasting The habit and weede of a Franciscane Frier and that staffe of reede that is that help of their seruice for the dead that helpe of memories of anniuersaries of oblations of nightwatchers as were set against Sathan and hell fire These thinges I rehearse to this end and purpose that it may the better be vnderstood how deepely we are indebted vnto our heauenlie father for this renouation of Ecclesiasticall doctrine that by this meanes we may be the more excited and stirred vp to pay with mindfull hearts deserued thankes to God so bountifull and so benigne vnto vs For vnlesse thou doest often call to minde with thy selfe what great blindnesse there hath bene heretofore in Christendome howe grosse darknesse and thicke cloudes of errours and ignorance vnlesse thou by diligent cogitation and consideration doest often remember the superstition of the former age surely thou shalt neuer vnderstand how great commoditie the instauration of holie doctrine hath brought vnto vs And it is a certeine part of gratitude or thankfulnesse to repeate in memorie the euilles passed from whence thou art deliuered that so thou maist the better ponder and also weigh the greatnesse of the benefite that so thou maist consider well what good thing thou hast receiued that so thou maist commend and praise that same benefite with a gratefull commemoration and that so thou maist offer alwayes to God through Christ the sacrifice of praise that is that so thou maist with thy whole heart giue thankes to Gods goodnesse and that thou maist pay thy vowes vnto the Lorde before all his people as the Psalmist saith For God requireth of vs this sacrifice called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a sacrifice of thankesgiuing And if the Ethnikes and Panims in olde time when any thing had fallen out fortunately and luckily amongst them were woont to declare their grateful good will towards the gods by appointing solemne Processions and supplications to be said about all the temples and tabernacles of their gods or by offering vp sacrifices vnto them how much rather ought we to see to this in this renouation of the doctrine of the Church than which there could no greater benefite haue bene giuen vnto vs that we be mindfull and thankefull and that we declare and witnesse to the world this our thankfulnesse by celebrating the praises of God continually by singing hymnes to God both with our selues at home and also in the congregation and companie of the godlie abroade by assisting and succouring the Ministers of the worde by godlinesse and holinesse of life by doing our dueties towardes our neighbour by suffering aduersitie patiently finally by what meanes soeuer wee can And surely in this instauration of the doctrine of the Church we may almost feele with our verie handes that I may so speake the goodnesse of God towardes vs The diligent consideration of which thing ought worthily to stirre vs vp as I said before to giue thankes to God for so great bountie