golde neither rideth he pompouslie abroade with any glitteryng traine and gallaunt horses But yet neuerthelesse he is the Kyng of all Kynges and hath all Kynges vnder his power and iurisdiction and to speake all at once all thynges must be subiect vnder his feete Behold euen so greate and suche a Lorde art thou if thou beleeue on hym for what soeuer he hath the same is also thyne Here might some peraduenture obiecte thus vnto me and saie Saincte Peter by this thy assertion called Christians Kynges and yet all the worlde well knoweth that we are not all Kynges and therefore saie thei this place is not to bee vnderstoode as spoken of all sortes of Christians For he that is a Christian is not therevppon straightwaies the Kyng of Fraunce or that Prieste of Rome But here now will I demaunde this question of theim whether the Kyng of Fraunce be a Kyng in the sight of God or no Whiche thyng no man dare vpon warrant affirme For GOD will not Iudge accordyng to the dignitie of a Croune In Earth in deede and before the worlde he is a Kyng but when Death hath once seized vpon hym then shall his Kyngdome ceasse and haue an ende and then shall he vnlesse he beleeue aright be subiecte vnder the feete of them that truely beleeue Wee in this place speake of an eternall Kyngdome and Priesthoode of the whiche sorte is euery one before God whiche beleeueth and is bothe a true Prieste and a true Kyng Now who is so ignoraunte that knoweth not that all the table of the greasie Shauelynges bee nothyng lesse then Priestes And as these aforesaied Polleshorne Shauelynges are not therefore to be reputed Priestes afore GOD because of their crounes so neither before God are Kynges accoumpted as Kynges because thei weare Crounes Crouned Kynges and anointed Priestes are of this worlde and are established and constituted by Men. The Pope may at his holie pleasure make as many suche prollyng Priestes as hym listeth to serue his turne but let him not presume to constitute and make a Priest that boldlie maie bee accoumpted for a Prieste before God for suche doeth God himself make and appoinct Therefore in that Sainct Peter here in this place saieth You bee a royall Priesthood it is as muche as if he should saie You are Christians If thou wouldest knowe what title what power prerogatiue and glorie true Christians haue thou seest that thei bee Kynges Priestes and a chosen people Now what this Priesthood is doeth here straightwaies ensue That you should shewe forth the vertues of hym that hath called you out of darknesse into his merueilous light THis office especially appertaineth vnto the Priest that hee should bee the Ambassadour or messenger of God and according to that Commission which he hath from God sincerely preach and declare his Worde The vertues saieth sainct Peter that is to wit those wonders whiche God hath doen for you in bringyng you out of darkenesse into light your partes and office is to preache and tel forth for therein chiefly consisteth the office of a Priest Thus therefore and to this ende ought your preachyng to tende that one Brother should declare and shewe forthe vnto an other that greate and wonderfull worke of Gods admirable vertue how Christ hath deliuered vs from Sinne Death and Hell and all other miseries and hath called vs vnto eternall life Hereof you ought to admonishe others also that thei in like sort maie attaine and come vnto this Light For vnto this ende ought all your driftes to be directed first to acknowledge and knowe what God hath doen for you and next with all diligent care and studie to notifie preache and openly make knowen this benefite of God towarde you and this wonderfull worke of his in you and also to drawe and call all men indifferentlie into this Light Where you see any men that are as yet ignoraunt hereof those ought you to instruct and to teache these thinges in whiche you your selues haue been enstructed and taught to wit that by the vertue and power of God thei must obteine saluation and attaine this merueilous Light Here thou seest how sainct Peter plainly saieth that there is but one onely Light wherein he maketh it most apparaunt that all our Reason seeme it neuer so sharpely to vnderstande and perceiue is nothyng els then mere darkenesse For albeit that Reason be able and hath the skill to coumpt one two three c. and likewise to see discerne and knowe blacke from white and greate from small and so of other externall and outwarde thinges yet is it not able to see what Faithe is Here is it altogether blinde insomuche that if all the wisedome of al men in the worlde were gathered and incorporated into one yet were it not able to comprehende or reache so muche as vnto one letter of the wisedome of God Wherefore S. Peter here speaketh of an other Light and that a merueilous Light and flatlie also telleth euery one of us that we grope in darknesse and vtter blindnesse if God dooe not call vs into his true Light Experience also teacheth vs the same thing For when we heare it preached that by our workes we can not obteine any thyng at Gods handes and therefore that wee haue neede of a Mediator to make intercession vnto God for vs and to reconcile vs vnto hym heere doubtlesse must reason needes confesse that of it self it was neuer able to vnderstande and know these thinges and therefore had neede of an other Light and an other knowledge to teache it to vnderstande the same Therefore whatsoeuer is not the Worde of God and Faithe the same is nothyng els then blinde darkenesse For without these two the Worde of God I meane and Faithe Reason iumbleth at randon and groapeth after his waie like a blinde man in the darke catchyng holde first of one thyng and then of an other and neuer knoweth what it should dooe But when these thinges are tolde to the greate learned and wise men of this world thei can not abide to heare it thei stamp and stare thei fret fume and merueilously rage at it And therefore S. Peter sheweth himself here an Apostle of a singuler vndaunted boldnesse in that he dared to call that Darknesse whiche the whole worlde in a maner doeth euen generallie almoste adore and reuerence as Light Now therefore wee see that the chiefest and especiallest office of all others appertainyng vnto vs Christians is that wee should shewe forthe and declare the vertues and wonderful workes of our God These Vertues and notable workes by God for vs doen are those which somewhat afore we haue spoken of namely how that Christ by the vertue of God hath swallowed vp Death deuoured Hell consumed Sinne and placed vs into an eternal life These Vertues are so great and wonderfull that no man is able to comprehende the same muche lesse to perfourme them And therefore it is to little purpose that some in this poynt
is to bee esteemed and also how to attaine to the certaine knowledge thereof FIrst of all is to bee noted that all the Apostles doe handle one and the self same doctrine and therfore is it not well done of some in that they say there bee onely fower Euangelistes and fower Gospels whereas all is one Gospell what so euer the Apostles haue left in writyng Now the Gospel signifieth nothing els then the preaching and publishing of the grace and mercie of God through Christ our Lorde purchased for vs by his death And to take it properly it is not that whiche is contained in bookes and comprehended in letters but rather the vocall preachyng and the liuely worde and voyce whiche soundeth in the whole worlde and is so openly vttered that it maie euery where bee heard Neither is it a booke that containeth the Lawe wherein are many points of good doctrine as it hath bin hitherto commōly beleeued For it draweth vs from all confidence and hope of any woorke of our owne whereby to become righteous and declareth vnto vs the riche graces of God freely and without any our owne merite giuen vnto vs teachyng vs also Christ who hauing by his intercession appeased y e wrath of God and satisfied for our sinnes hath quite abolished and blotted out our iniquities and by his works iustified and made vs righteous Now whosoeuer either preacheth or writeth these thynges he teacheth the true Gospell in deede whiche all the Apostles but especially S Paule and S. Peter haue done in their Epistles Whatsoeuer then is preached or published concerning Christe is one Gospell although one handle it after one sorce and in one kinde of wordes an other after an other sorce and in an other kinde For a thing may be handled either in many wordes or in fewe and may be described either briefly or at large Howbeit seeyng all tendeth vnto no other ende but to teache vs that Christ is our Sauiour and that we through faith in hym without any our owne workes are iustified and saued it is al one Word and one Gospell as there is one onely faith and one Baptisme in the whole Churche of Christ Thou readest then nothing written by any of the Apostles whiche is not also contained in the writynges of others that were as it were penners of the Scripture but thei that haue handled this poynt especially and with greater endeuour and studie then the rest namely that onely faithe in Christe doeth iustifie euen thei are the best Euangelistes of all Hereupon thou maiest more rightly call the Epistles of Paule the Gospell then those thinges whiche Matthewe Marke and Luke haue written For thei describe not muche beside the Historie concernyng the doinges and miracles of Christe as for the grace whiche Christe hath purchased for vs none doeth more fully and fitly entreate therof then S. Paule especially in his Epistle to the Romans Now seing the Word is of more importance then the actions and doynges of Christe and that if we should want the one of them it were farre better to be with out the deedes and Historie then the Wordes and Doctrine it followeth that those bookes are most highly to be esteemed whiche entreate especially of the doctrine and wordes of our Lorde Iesus Christe For asmuche as if there were no miracles of Christ and that we were altogether ignoraūt of them yet were his wordes sufficient for vs and without which wee can not so muche as liue Hereupon therefore it followeth that this Epistle of S. Peter is to bee accompted among the moste excellent bookes of the newe Testament and is the true and pure Gospell in asmuche as the Apostle herein teacheth nothyng els then that whiche Paule and the rest of the Euangelistes doe namely sincere faith and that Christe is freely giuen vnto vs who hauyng taken awaie our sinnes is our onely Sauiour as in the processe of this Epistle we shall see By this that is here saied wee maie likewise iudge of all bookes and doctrines what is the Gospell what is not For whatsoeuer is not either preached or written after this sorte and to this ende that maie wée boldly iudge not to bee the Gospell haue it neuer so faire and goodly a shewe This power to iudge haue al Christians and not the Pope or Councels alone whiche face and crake that thei and none but thei haue authoritie to iudge of doctrines And thus muche maie suffize for the argument let vs now heare the Epistle The first Epistle generall of Sainct Peter The first Chapter PEter an Apostle of Iesus Christe to the straungers that dwell here and there throughout Pōtus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia Elect accordyng to the foreknowledge of GOD the Father vnto sanctification of the Spirit through obedience and sprinckling of the bloud of Iesus Christ Grace and peace be multiplied vnto you Blessed be GOD euen the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ whiche according to his aboundant mercie hath begotten vs againe vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead To an inheritaunce immortall and vndefiled and that fadeth not awaie reserued in heauen for you Whiche are kept by the power of God through faithe vnto saluation whiche is prepared to bee shewed in the last tyme. Wherein ye reioyce though now for a season if neede require ye are in heauinesse through manifolde tentations That the triall of your faith beyng much more precious then gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire might be founde vnto your praise and honour and glorie at the appearyng of Iesus Christ Whom ye haue not seene and yet loue him in whom now though ye see hym not yet do you beleue and reioyce with ioye vnspeakeable and glorious Receiuyng the ende of your faith euen the saluation of your soules Of the whiche saluation the Prophets haue inquired and searched whiche prophesied of the grace that should come vnto you Searchyng when or what tyme the Spirit whiche testified before of Christ whiche was in them should declare the suffrynges that should come vnto Christ and the glorie that should followe Vnto whom it was reueiled that not vnto themselues but vnto vs thei should minister the thinges which are now shewed vnto you by them whiche haue preached vnto you the Gospell by the holy Ghost sent doune from heauen the whiche thinges the Angels desire to beholde Wherefore girde vp the loynes of your minde bee sober trust perfectly on the grace that is brought vnto you by the reuelation of Iesus Christ As obedient children not fashioning your selues vnto the former lustes of your ignorance But as he whiche hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all maner of conuersation Because it is written Be ye holy for I am holy And if ye call him Father whiche without respect of persone iudgeth according to euery mans woorke passe the tyme of your dwellyng here in feare Knowing that ye were not redemed with corruptible thinges
hunger is as the Prouerbe saieth the beste sauce those pinches maketh this meate meruailous sauorie For the harte and conscience when thei once beginne to haue feelyng of their miserie and wretched state can heare nothyng that is so pleasaunte as the Gospell thei whollie rely vnto it thei smell afarre of the delicacie and toothsomnesse thereof and can not bee fullie satisfied therewith So was the song of the blessed virgine Marie He hath filled the hongrie with good thinges In the meane season those stiffe mynded persones that trust to their owne holinesse and leaue to their owne woorkes and righteousnesse haue neither any feelyng of their Synnes and wickednesse neither enioye any tast of these thynges here spoken of As for example when any that is hungrie sitteth at a table eche kinde of meate sauoureth well and hath a good relishe in his mouth whereas to hym that is full stomacked nothing sauoreth well but all meates yea the beste and daintiest dishes seeme loathsome Therefore vseth the Apostle these woordes If so be that you haue tasted how bountifull the Lorde is as though he should saie If you haue not as yet tasted this my preachyng to you is but in vaine To whom comyng as vnto a liuyng stone HEre againe taketh he holde of Scriptures afore tyme written and bryngeth in the xxviii of Esaie saiyng thus Heare the woorde of the Lorde ye mockers because ye haue saied wee haue made a couenant with Death and with Hell are wee at an agreement and haue made falshood your refuge Therefore thus saieth the Lorde Beholde I will laie in Zion a Stone a tried Stone a precious corner Stone a sure foundation c. This place doeth saincte Paule also alledge and it is one of the principallest places of the Scripture For Christe is that precious Stone whom God hath laied for the foundation and vppon whom wee are to bee builded And here beholde how S. Peter taketh these wordes and interpreteth them of Christ Again that which Esaie calleth Trustyng in hym that saieth S. Peter to be the same that to bee builded vpon hym is And this is truely and aptly to expounde the Scriptures Thei that builde laie their foundation in suche a place where it maie continue faste and remaine firme so that it may beare vp the whole house and frame that is builded vpō it And euen so doth this liuyng Stone which is Christ vphold and beare all this spirituall buildyng And to be builded vpon hym is nothyng els but that we all together repose our trust confidence and hope whiche wee haue in our selues whollie vpon hym Disalowed of men but chosen of God precious HEre againe he alledgeth a place out of the Cxviij Psalme of the Prophete Dauid The same Stone whiche the builders refused is become the hedde Stone of the corner and it is merueilous in our eyes Whiche place Christ hymself also citeth in the xxj of Matthewes Gospell and is repeted in the fourth of the Actes The Stone whiche you builders reiected and set nought by You saieth he are the builders For thei taught the people preached many thynges enacted sondrie ordinaunces and Lawes but thei made men nothyng thereby but Meritemangers Hypocrites Wherevpon Christe pronouncyng sentence vppon them calleth them plaine Hypocrites and the generation of Vipers and pronounceth many terrible sentences vpon theim reckonyng theim among Synners and not for suche greate holie men as thei would faine haue semed This can thei not abide but reiect hym and saie Hereticke forbiddest thou to doe good woorkes Thou shalte dye the death for thy so saiyng And therefore saieth saincte Peter here This same corner Stone vpon whiche you must be builded is euen likewise refused and set at naught This as the Prophet saieth appeareth merueilous in our eyes and seemeth verie straunge and so wonderfull that vnlesse the Spirite did teache it vs no man by reason could conceiue in Therefore saith he before God this Stone is chosen and precious and of so high price and value that it taketh awaie Death recompenseth for Synnes deliuereth from Hell and laste of all giueth also vnto vs the Kyngdome of Heauen Ye also as liuelie Stones be made a spirituall house HOw and by what meanes are wee builded Euen by the Gospell and preaching of the Woorde The Builders are thei that preache Thei that are builded are suche Christians which heare the Gospell thei are the Stones whiche must be laied and couched vpon this corner Stone so that wee repose our whole truste vppon hym and that out harte leane onely vpon hym and so bee at reste Now it followeth that wee must so directe and frame our selues that wee maie expresse shewe forthe and imitate that course of life that he ledd For it is verie meete that I who am builded and laied vpon hym by faithe should freme my self to the same workes that he did and shewe forth the same conuersation Which order all menne generally and ioyntly ought and are bounde to resemble And this issueth forth and proceedeth frō Faithe and is the woorke of Loue that we should mutuallie bee morteised and ioyned out into an other that we all together maie make one buildyng The same reason hath sainct Paule also j. Cor. iij. Howbeeit not altogether after the same maner that this is You are saieth he the Temple of God It is not the materiall house made of woodd and stone which is his House a Spirituall house is that whiche he requireth whiche is the Churche of Christe in whiche wee are all through one Faithe equall That whiche one is an other is all builded together within our selues mutuallie and emong our selues cemented couched framed and knitte together by Loue without al maliciousnesse guile hypocrisie enuie and euill speakyng as afore hath been declared An holie Priesthood HEere taketh he awaie that outwarde and corporall Priesthood whiche was in the old Testament as also that outward Temple all whiche he quite remooueth and saieth thus That outwarde and externall pampe of Priesthoode is now cleane ceassed now therefore beginne yea newe Priesthood and offer other Sacrifices but so that all thynges be Spirituall Here haue we had somewhat adoe for that wee haue mainteined and affirmed that these persones whiche commonlie of late yeres haue been called and tearmed by y e name of Priestes are not Priestes before God at all and that assertion prooued we cheeflie out of this place And therefore vnderstande it aright and beare it well in mynde That if any should bee so wilfull in suche sorte to wreste and teare in peeces for I will not call it expounde this place as that the same were to be meant of a double Priesthoode whiche some blusteryngly and boldly haue auouched that is to witte bothe of a Spirituall and also of a Corporall Priesthoode will hym to cleare his eyesight and a little better to awake his senses For sainct Peter saieth thus Be ye builded into a Spirituall or holie Priesthood Now demaunde of
the worlde among them to the intent thei should reiect and renounce their owne workes which thei not abiding reiected and refused hym Euen to them whiche stumble at the Woorde beyng disobedient vnto the whiche thyng thei were euen ordeined WHen it is saied that their workes are not good nor any thyng accoumpted of with God thei neither can neither will abide the hearing therof Now God hath put Christ for a foundatioÌ„ vpon whom thei ought to bee laied and placed and by hym attaine al their Saluation For to thende that thei should bee founded and laied vpon hym he hath caused hym by preachyng of the Gospell to bee notified and declared vnto the whole Worlde Hym will not thei receiue but reiect so persiste in their owne fleshlie sense and woorkes For if thei could abide themselues to be placed and couched vpon Christ their high pompe dignitie wealthe and power would soone quaile and be abated But ye are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood a holie Nation a people set at libertie HEre hath he dignified them that bee Christians with their true titles and this place hath he takeÌ„ out of the vij of Deuter. Where it is thus saied to the Iewes Thou art an holie people vnto the Lorde thy God the Lord thy GOD hath chosen thee to bee a precious people vnto hymself aboue all people that are vpon the Earth And in the xix of Exod. he saieth Ye shalbee my cheef treasure aboue all people ye shalbee vnto me also a kyngdome of Priestes and an holie Nation Here thou seest of whom Peter speaketh As I saied afore so saie I still that wee must acquaint our selues so to speake of Priestes as the Scripture speaketh of theim Let it not trouble thee who thei bee that the vulgar and common sorte tearmeth Priestes Let euery man in Gods name tearme them as he liste but cleaue thou faste vnto the woorde of God and whomsoeuer thou seest by hym to be tearmed and called Priest lette the same also bee likewise tearmed and called by thee We giue good leaue to the greasie Rable of those whom the Bisshoppes and Pope do consecrate and annoint to tearme theim selues Priestes or by what other name thei will so that thei call not themselues the Priestes of God For thei are not able by one woorde out of the Scriptures to approoue theim selues so But when thei will stiffely mainteine that this place also is to be vnderstoode as spoken of them answere thou vnto theim as afore I haue taught thee and aske them to whom Saincte Peter here speaketh and thou shalte quicklie see theim laye theim selues open vnto shame and impudencie For it is moste manifest and plaine that he speaketh to all the people of Christe and the whole Congregation of Christians when as he saieth You are a chosen generation and an holie people Againe hitherto he hath spoken of none other persones their of them that are builte vppon that Corner stone and doe beleeue And therefore it euidently and certainly followeth that he whiche doeth beleeue is no Priest Again when as thei shall saie that these woordes are so to bee taken as the auncient Fathers haue interpreted and expounded theÌ„ Therevnto make thou this aunswere Lette the Fathers or any other whatsoeuer interprete what thei will but sainct Peter dooeth thus speake vnto me who hath a farre better testimonie and warrant from God then thei haue and also is elder then thei and therefore I will subscribe and yeelde vnto hym Finallie this place needeth no interpretation at all sâ—â—â—e it in suche plaine tearmes and woordes speaketh of theim that beleeue Now who is he that seeth not how monstruously these Polleshorne greasie Popelynges erre and faile in the Article of Faithe And therefore wee entrie not the name that thei call themselues by whether it be Priestes or otherwise For wee make not any care what and how thei call theim selues but herein standeth the question whether in the Scriptures thei be called Priestes and whether God doe so name and call theÌ„ There maie some bee chosen and appoincted by the Churche to execute the charge and office of Ministers of the Worde to feede the Congregation by preachyng and to administer the Sacramentes and yet neuerthelesse wee are all Priestes as many of vs as are Christians For seeyng that we be founded and couched vppon that Stone whiche is the highest Prieste before GOD wee also must needes be Priestes also for that whatsoeuer he hath we haue and thesame is ours Wherefore I would wishe that this worde Priest as well as this name Christian should bee common to all For these names Prieste Christian and Baptized are all one Now as I can not abide that these Popishe Shauelynges should thus presume and take vpon them onely to be good Christians or onely Baptized So neither ought I to suffer this that thei would onely haue them selues to bee Priestes Although notwithstandyng thei haue violently haled and pulled this worde as pertinently and properlie spoken vnto theim euen with the like presumption and brainlesse boldnesse as thei haue called that onely the Churche whiche the Pope with his Mured Crewe hath hitherto concluded and decreed But the Scripture teacheth vs an other maner of lesson And therefore diligentlie note and marke these thynges to the ende thou maiest throughly discerne betweene theim whom God calleth Priestes and theim that so call theim selues For by this meanes after a long mistakyng of it wee must at length recouer and reduce this woorde Prieste to his right sense and proper meanyng that it maie bee as common a name as the name of Christian For to bee a Priest is not the name of any outward or externall office but it is suche as is exercised onely towarde God and that in Spirite And euen after the self same maner it is that wee are all indifferently called Kinges For euen as Priests so also Kinges are in this place Spirituall vocables or woordes like as also these names are Christian Holie and Churche And euen as thou doest not cal any man a Christian because he hath muche money and wealthe but because he beeyng builte vpon the aforesaied Stone beleeueth in Christe So likewise art thou not therefore called Prieste because thou haste a shauen Croune and iettest the streates in a long Goune but because thou darest appeare and shewe thy self in the sight of God offryng vp thy self vnto hym and praiyng for the whole Churche vnto whom thou bothe canst and vsest to preache Christe And after the verie same maner altogether thou arte not therefore a Kyng because thou wearest a Croune of golde and hast large Dominions and many people vnder thee in subiection but because thou art Lorde of all thinges yea ouer Death Sinne and Hell For thou art aswell a Kyng as Christ hymself is a Kyng if so bee that thou beleeue on hym Now he is not a Kyng in suche sorte as the Kynges of the worlde are For he neither weareth any Croune of
and selflikyng of theimselues trustyng in their owne Merites Woorkes and rotten Ceremonies Thei beleeue that Christ the Sonne of God in his humanitie suffred death and rose againe the third daie that he is the Sauiour of the worlde c. but thei doe not firmely and onely trust in hym for if thei did thei would not so scrupulously bee tied to their owne Lowsie trashe and beggerly Traditions After the same maner did thei beare the Laitie in hande that they could not attaine to saluation except they did after their directions Ye are Christians saie thei we confesse but this is not enough ye must doe suche and suche good workes ye must build Churches in the honor of this and that Sainct ye must erect and founde Monasteries and Abbayes ye must buie certaine Trentalles of Masses to be saied or song for you ye must pyue awaie your selues with fastyng and suche like Thus haue the séely poore people been beguiled and thus haue thei been perswaded and brought to shew themselues as well likers of these trumperies thinkyng it to be the Kynges high waie to heauen and these rotten workes of blinde deuotion to be of all workes the best because they sawe them which caried the tytle of the Church to allowe and followe the same so that in processe of tyme there grewe to bee as many Factions Sectes and Religions as there were Cities yea almoste as there were Men. Whereas they should rather haue taught them thus Ye are Christians aswell as thei that bee an hundred myles distant from you ye haue all one Christ one Baptisme one Faith one Spirite one Worde one God there is no worke that ye of your selues are able to doe towarde your saluation or able to bring you to the perfection of a right Christian If this Doctrine might generally bee preached men should be kept in the fellowshippe and vnitie of one Common Faith neither would there bee any difference at all in thinges appertainyng to God but all would be alike and one the same that an other is This Communion and vnitie thei haue broken and disioynted in that thei seduce and misleade vs in teachyng vs that wee must merite heauen by our Workes drawyng vs thereby from Faith to our own Pharisâ—icall deedes S. Peters wordes therefore if he bee well marked caâ—ie this meanyng There shall arise among you Sophisticall Scholemen Doctors Teachers Priestes Munkes and suche like beyng the very offall and Skumme of the Worlde who shall bryng in pernicious sectes odible orders damnable heresies and seduce the Worlde with their lying and false Doctrines These these doubtlesse are thei of whom the Apostle here speaketh For thei are all thus perswaded and verely beleeue that their willfully Professed Orders are meritorious to theÌ„ and shall bryng them to saluation and perswade others also to put confidence and trust in them If this were not their opinion who would thinke but thei would rather liue free abroade then as thei do cage and empound themselues in their Cloysters as it were in Prisons Euen denying the Lorde that hath bought them THei are readie to saie that thei doe not denye the Lord but if this question be demaunded of them what thei meane or what they seeke to get through these their vowed ProfessioÌ„s if thei beleeue as thei saie thei doe that they are redéemed by Christ and that their sinnes are washed awaie by his bloud Thei will quickly aunswere that forsooth Faith alone is not sufficient and therefore they must haue the helpe of good Workes Thus with mouth they confesse God and in harte flatly renounce hym Consider also what pithie and vehement words S. Peter here vseth They denye saieth he the Lord that hath bought them Thei ought to bee subiect vnto hym as vnto their supreme Souereigne Lord whose inheritaunce thei are Now they dooe beleeue that he is the Lorde and that he redeemed the worlde by the sheadyng of his precious bloud but that he redeemed them thei cannot nor doe not beleeus neither dooe thei acknowledge and take hym for their Lorde for thei saye and confesse that he hath bought and redeemed them but yet thei are not perswaded that that is enough and sufficient because thei must thei saie discharge and satisfie for their sinnes by their Works To whom this answere maie wel be made If thou canst doe any worke to take awaie thy Synnes what good hath Christe by his death doen vnto thee For there can not bee twoo Christes to take awaie Synnes Hee as good right it is must bee acknowledged to be the onely Redeemer and taker awaie of Sinnes Whiche beeyng graunted to bee true as it is moste true thou thy self canst dooe no maner of worke to take away thy sinnes If thou do goe about or think any whit by thy works to merite Heauen thou canst not truly saie thou beleeuest that he taketh awaie thy Sinnes And this is flatly to denye Christe For although these fellowes doe acknowledge Christe to bee the Lorde yet doe they denye that he bought them Thei beleeue that he sitteth in heauen and is Lorde but the takyng awaie of Sinnes whiche is his proper and peculier office thei nippe and take quite from hym and attribute it vnto their owne woorkes and by that meanes leaue nothyng to hym but the bare name and tytle ascribyng his power woorke vertue and office vnto themselues And therefore Christ moste truely foretolde that there should come many in his name and saie I am Christ and shal deceiue many Math. xxiiij Mar. xiij For these Iusticiaries and Meritemongers thus tying Saluation to Woorkes shewe foorth in their so doyng as though they should saie not I am called Christe but I am Christ Whereby thei snatch and applye vnto themselues that office whiche is onely proper and peculier vnto Christ and so thrust Christ out of his seate and place themselues therein This is so euidently knowen that no man can truely denye it And therefore worthily doeth S. Peter tearme them damnable pernicious Heresies for thei leade a man straight to Hell insomuche that I greatly feare least in a thousande of them there is scarcely one saued For whosoeuer of them wilbee saued must quight abandon himself and all that of himself he hath or can doe yea he must franckly confesse and from the harte pronounce these wordes The rules of my vowed Obedience are nothyng worth my Chastitie can not saue me my workes can not take awaie any parte of my Sinnes c. And bryng vpon themselues swift damnation THeir damnation shall come vppon them sooner then thei thinke although God seeme to deferre his commyng and to tarie long yet will he hasten his iudgment and come tyme enough to their cost But this shall not bee corporallie and visiblie to the eye but so and in suche sorte as it is sett downe in the l.v. Psalme They shall not liue out halfe their dayes that is Death shall catch holde of them sooner then thei think so that thei
obiect and preach to vs Christians the doctrines of men they ought rather to preache vnto vs this Vertue whiche ouercometh both Deuill Synne and Death And here againe alludeth sainct Peter to sundrie places of the sacred Scripture as in all the rest of his Epistle almoste he still conioyneth and knitteth one place of Scripture to confirme and proue an other For of this doe all the Prophetes foretell and prophesie that it should come to passe that all men euery where should worship preache forth the name and glorie of God and the power of his mightie arme and that he should worke suche a worke whereof the whole world should both speake and make reporte Of this the Prophetes are euerywhere very plentifull and to these places doeth S. Peter here allude Thei haue also spoken muche of Light and of Darkenesse and that it is necessarie for vs to bee illumined with the Light of God wherby vndoubtedly thei shewed and signified that all humaine Reason is nothyng els then very Darkenesse it self Whiche in tyme past were not a people yet are now the people of God whiche in tyme past were not vnder mercie but now haue obtained mercie THis place worde for word is taken out of the Prophet Osee in his ij Chap. and is cited also by sainct Paule in the ix to the Romanes I will call them my people whiche were not my people Al which saiyngs belong to this place God peculierly choose the people of Israell and bestowed on them greate honour he gaue vnto them many Prophetes and did for theim many merueilous things because he had decreed that out of this people the man Christ should be borne For this Childes sake were all these thinges doen for thē and for this cause are thei in the Scriptures called the people of God Whiche the Prophetes more at large expounded and foretolde that this promise of Christe should stretche further and reache also vnto the Gentiles Therefore saieth S. Peter in this place You are now the people of God which in time past were not a people And by this it euidentlie appeareth that he wrate this Epistle vnto the Gentiles and not vnto the Iewes And hereby his meanyng is to proue and shewe that the saiyng of the Prophete is now fulfilled sith thei whiche once were Idolatrous Nations and blasphemous Gentiles and thereby no People are now made and become an holie nation a peculier people a royall Priesthood and a Kyngdome and haue all thynges that Christe hath so that in the meane tyme thei haue onely a stedfast beliefe Dearely beloued I beseche you as straungers and pilgrimes abstaine from fleshly lustes which fight against the soule And haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles that they whiche speake euill of you as of euill doers maie by your good woorkes which thei shall see glorifie God in the day of visitation SAinct Peter here vseth a Style somewhat differyng from the phraze of Sainct Paule For Sainct Paules methode is not after this sorte as anone wee shall heare but euery man hath a seuerall and peculier kinde of speakyng as also in the Prophetes wee maie easily perceiue and see Hitherto hath hee very aptlie and orderlie planted the foundation of the Christian Faith whiche is his chiefest drift Now proceedeth he to teache vs how we ought to demeane and behaue our selues generallie towardes all Men. And this is truely the verie right course and order of true preachyng Namely first to set out the dignitie excellencie and effect of Faith how it is to be knowen how and what it worketh what vertue strength efficacie and nature it hath how it yeeldeth and bringeth vnto vs all thinges euen aboundantlie whiche are appertinent and needful to Godlinesse or Saluation how that no good Work can bee doen by any man but onely by Faithe and finally how that by this faithe all that whiche God hath is made ours If God now haue thus dealt with vs and hath giuen and bestowed all his riche gifes vpon vs it followeth that he himself also is ours insomuche that by Faithe we are possessed of all his goodnesse whereby wee can lacke nothyng What a greate charge therefore lyeth there now vpon vs to doe in lieu of this so surpassyng bountie Shall wee giue our selues to idlenesse God forbid It were best in deede euen straight waies to dye that we might presently haue the fruition and possession of all these his gracious goodnesse But so long as wee liue here it is our partes and dueties so to deale and so to shew our selues in euery respect towardes our neighbours as God hath dealt and shewed himself towardes vs. Therefore it is Faithe onely that saueth vs Loue requireth of vs that we should serue our neighbours and bee carefull ouer them For that whiche Faithe receiueth from God Loue bestoweth vpon our neighbour That which was spoken in one word maie now largely be expounded and declared in many as S. Peter doeth in this place The meanyng therefore of the Apostle where he saieth Dearely beloued I beseche you as Straungers and Pilgrims is this You that are now one with Christe are growen as it were into one masse or lumpe with him insomuche that his goodnesse is yours and your hurtes be his hurtes who as he is carefull bothe for you and for all suche thinges as maie happā vnto you so also ought you to imitate herein this your so louing a Sauiour and so to frame and direct your liues that you maie seeme nothing lesse then to bee Citizens of this World sith you bee adopted and enfraunchised Citizens in heauen where al good thinges are laied vp for you That if you should once loose all these transitorie and momentanie goodes of the worlde yet hauing still Christe who is infinitely more worth then all these brittle and temporall trash you shall receiue and sustaine no damage no losse no hinderaunce at all The Deuill is Prince of this Worlde and gouerneth the same and his Citezens are the men of the World Therefore seyng that you are not of this Worlde so vse and behaue your selues as Straungers and Passingers dooe in their Inne who hauing not there their full wealth and Substaunce make shifte to buye for their money onely suche thinges as be needefull and necessarie and straightwaies addresse themselues forward to the dispatch of their iourney So also we vnto whom this life is nothyng then a certaine passage to an other place for here wee haue no abidyng place but muste passe to an other ought not to rake vnto our selues nor vsurpe more of these worldlie pelfe and gooddes then maie competentlie supplie our wantes for meate drincke and raimente All other thynges muste bee so rekoned and accoumpted of as that thei maie not bee any hindrance or impechement vnto that speedie iourney whiche wee make into an other Countrey In Heauen wee are Citezens on Earth wee are but Pilgrimes and Straungers Absteine from fleshly lustes whiche fight againste the Soule I