hym oure saluation by lyttle and lyttle vanisheth awaie whiche wholly resteth in hym so that all they wilfully spoile them selues of all grace that reste not in him And that admonition of Bernarde is worthy to be rehersed that the name of Iesus is not onely lyght but also meate yea and oile also without which al the meate of the soule is drye and that it is also salte without the seasoning wherof al that is set before vs is vnsauorie Fynally that it is hony in the mouth melodie in the eare and ioyfulnesse in the hearte and also medicine and that whatsoeuer is spoken in disputation is vnsauorie but where thys name soundeth But here it behoueth to weie diligently howe saluation is purchased by him for vs that we may not onely be perswaded that he is the author of it but also embracing such thinges as are sufficient to the stedfast vphold in of our faithe wee maye refuse all suche thinges as myghte drawe vs awaye hether or thether For sithe no man can descende into him selfe and earnestly consider what he is but feelinge God angry and bent agaynste hym he hathe neede carefully to seeke a meane and waye to appease him whiche demaundeth satisfaction there is no common assurednesse required bicause the wrathe curse of God lyeth alwaie vpon sinners tyll they be loose from their gyltenesse who as he is a righteous iuge suffereth not his lawe to be broken without punishment but is ready armed to reuenge it But before we goe any further it is to be seen by the waye howe it agreeth together that God whiche preuented vs wyth his mercie was oure enemie vntyll he was reconciled to vs by Christe For howe could hee haue geuen vs in hys onely begotten Sonne a syngular pledge of his loue vnlesse he had already before that embraced vs wyth hys free fauoure Bycause therefore here ariseth some seminge of contrarietie I will firste vndo this knotte The holy ghoste commonly speaketh after this manner in the Scriptures that God was enemye to men tyll they were restored into fauoure by the deathe of Christ that thei were accursed till theyr iniquitie was purged by his sacrifice that thei were seuered from God tyll they were receyued into a conioyninge by hys bodie Suche manner of phrases are applied to oure capacitie that we maie the better vnderstande howe miserable and wreatched our estate is beinge oute of Christe For if it were not spoken in expresse woordes that the wrathe and vengeance of God and euerlastinge death did rest vpon vs we woulde lesse acknowledge howe miserable we shoulde bee without Gods mercie and woulde lesse regarde the benefite of deliuerance As for example If a man heare this spoken to him If God at suche time as thou wast yet a sinner had hated thee and cast thee away as thou hadst deserued thou shouldest haue suffered horrible destruction but bicause he hath willingly of his owne free kindenesse kept the in fauoure and not suffered thee to be estranged from hym he hathe so deliuered thee from that perill truely he will bee moued with and in some parte feele howe muche he oweth to the mercie of God Butte yf hee heare on the other syde that whyche the Scripture teacheth that hee was by synne estraunged from God the heyr of wrathe subiect to the curse of eternall deathe excluded from all hope of saluation a stranger from all blessing of God the bondslaue of Satan captiue vnder the yoke of synne Fynally ordeined vnto and already entangled wyth horrible destruction that in this case Christe became an intercessor to entreate for him that Christ toke vpon him suffered the punyshment whiche by the iuste iudgement of God did hange ouer al sinners that he hathe purged with his bloode those euels that made them hatefull to God that by this expiation is sufficient satisfaction and sacrifice made to God the father that by this intercessor his wrath was appeased that within thys foundation resteth the peace betweene God and men that vpon this bonde is conteined his good wyll towarde them shall not he be so muche the more moued with these as it is more liuely represented out of howe greate miserie he hathe been deliuered In a summe bicause oure minde can neither desirously enoughe take holde of life in the mercie of God nor receiue it with suche thankefulnesse as we ought but when it is before striken and throwne downe wyth the feare of the wrath of God and dreade of eternal death we are so taught by holy Scripture that wythout Christe wee maye see God in manner wrathfully bent againste vs and his hande armed to our destruction that wee maye embrace hys goodwyll and fatherly kindnesse no otherwhere but in Christe And althoughe this bee spoken according to the weakenesse of oure capacitie yet is it not falsly saide For God whyche is the hyghest ryghteousnesse can not loue wickednesse whiche he seeth in vs all Therfore we al haue in vs that which is worthy of the hatred of God Therfore in respect of oure corrupted nature and then of euell life added vnto it truely we are all in displeasure of God gylty in his sight and borne to damnation of hell But bicause the Lorde wyll not lose that whiche ys his in vs he fyndeth yet somwhat that he of hys goodnesse maye loue For howesoeuer we be sinners by our owne faulte yet we remaine hys creatures Howesoeuer we haue purchaced death to oure selues yet he made vs vnto lyfe So is he moued by meere and free louinge of vs to receiue vs into fauoure But sith there is a perpetuall and vnappeasable disagreement betweene righteousnesse and iniquitie so longe as we remayne sinners hee canne not receiue vs wholy Therefore that taking a waie all matter of disagreement he might wholy reconcile vs vnto him he doth by expiation sette forth in the deathe of Christe take away whatsoeuer euel is in vs that wee which before weare vncleane and vnpure may nowe appeare righteous and holy in hys sight Therfore God the Father dothe wyth hys loue preuent and goe before oure reconciliation in Christe yea bycause he fyrste loued vs therefore hee afterwarde doothe reconcile vs vnto hymselfe But bycause vntyll Christe wyth hys deathe come to succoure vs there remaineth wickednesse in vs whiche deserueth Gods indignation and is accursed damned in his sight therefore wee are not fully and fyrmely ioyned to God vntill Christe do ioyne vs. Therefore if wee will assure oure selues to haue God made well pleased and fauourable vnto vs we muste fasten oure eyes and myndes vpon Christe onely as in deede we obteyne by him onely that oure synnes be not imputed to vs the imputing whereof draweth with it the wrathe of God And for this reason Paule saith that the same loue wherwith God embraced vs before the creation of the worlde was staied grounded vpō Christ. These things are plaine agreable with the scripture do make
bicause the Lord hath determined to haue mercie vpoÌ„ men to this ende that they shuld repeÌ„t he teacheth men whether they shall trauaile if they will obteine grace Therfore so long as we shall dwell in the pryson of our body we must continually wrastle with the vices of our corrupt flesh yea with our own naturall soule Plato sayth in certayne places that the life of a Phylosopher is a meditation of death but we may more truely say that the life of a Christian maÌ„ is a perpetuall studie and exercise of mortifieng the fleshe till it beyng vtterly slayue the Spirit of God get the dominion in vs. Therefore I thinke that he hath much profited that hath learned much to mislyke himself not that he should sticke faste in â—hat myre and goe no further but rather that he should haste and long toward God that being graffed into the death life of Christ he should studie vpon a continuall repentance as truely they can not otherwise do that haue a naturall hatred of sinne for no man euer hated sinne vnlesse he were first in loue with righteousnesse This doctrine as it was most simple of all other so I thought it beste to agree with thâ— truthe of the Scripture Nowe that Repentance is a singular gift of God I thinke it be so wel knowen by the doctrine aboue taught that I neede not to repete a long discourse to proue it agayne Therfore the church prayseth and hath in admiratioÌ„ the benefit of God that he hath geuen the Gentiles repentance vnto saluation And Paule commaundyng Timothee to be patieÌ„t and milde toward the vnbeleuers sayth If at any time God geue them repentance that they maye repent from the snares of the Deuel God in deede affirmeth that he willeth the conuersion of al meÌ„ and directeth his exhortations generally to all men but the effectual workyng therof hangeth vpon the Spirit of regeneration Bicause it were more easy to create vs men than of our owne power to put on a better nature Therfore in the whole course of regeneration we are not without cause called the worke of God created to good workes which he hath prepared that we should walke in them Whom soeuer the lordes will is to deliuer from death those he quickeneth with the Spirit of regeneration not that repentance is properly the cause of saluation but bycause it is alredy seen that it is vnseparable froÌ„ fayth and from the mercie of God sithe as Esaye testifieth there is a redemer come to him and to those that in Iacob are returned from their wickednesse This truely standeth stedfastly determined that were so euer liueth the feare of God there the Spirite hath wrought vnto the saluation of man Therfore in Esaie when the faithful complaine and lament that they are forsaken of God they recken this as a token of beyng reprobates that their heartes were hardened by God The Apostle also meanyng to exclude apostataes from hope of saluation apointeth this reason that it is impossible for them to be renewed vnto repentance bicause God in renewyng them whom he wil not haue perish sheweth a tokeÌ„ of his fatherly fauour and in a maÌ„ner draweth them vnto him with the beames of his cherefull and mery contenaÌ„ce on the other side with hardenyng them he thundereth agaynst the reprobate whose wickednesse is vnpardonable Whiche kinde of vengeance the Apostle threateneth to wilfull apostataes whiche when they depart from the faith of the Gospell do make a scorne of God reprochefully despise his grace and defile treade vnder feete the bloud of Christ yea as much as in them is they crucifie him agayne For he doth not as some fondly rigorous men would haue it cut of hope of pardon from all wilfull sinnes but teacheth that apostasie is vnworthy of all excuse so that it is no maruell that God doth punish a contempt of himself so full of sacrilege with vnappeasable rigour For he sayth that it is impossible that they which haue ones ben enlightened haue tasted of the heauenly gift haue ben made partakers of the holy ghost haue tasted of the good word of God the powers of the world to come yf they fall shuld be renewed to repeÌ„tance crucifiyng againe of newe and makyng a scorne of the sonne of God Againe in an other place If sayth he we willingly sinne after knowledge of the truth receyued there remayneth no more sacrifice for sinnes but a certayne dreadfull expectation of iudgement c. These also be the places out of the wroÌ„g vnderstandyng wherof the Nouatians in old time haue gathered matter to play the mad men with whose rigorousnesse certaine good meÌ„ beyng offended beleued this to be a counterfait Epistle in the Apostles name whiche yet in all partes doth truely fauour of an Apostolike spirite But bycause we contend with none but with theÌ„ that allowe it it is easy to shewe how these sentences do nothing mainteine their errour Firste it is necessarie that the Apostle agree with his maister whiche affirmeth that all sinne and blasphemie shal be forgeueÌ„ except the sinne agaynst the holy Ghost which is not forgeuen neyther in this world nor in the world to come It is certaine I saye that the Apostle was contented with this exception vnlesse we will make him an aduersarie to the grace of Christ. Whereupon foloweth that pardon is denied to no special offenses but only to one whiche procedyng of a desperate rage can not be ascribed to weakenesse and openly sheweth that a man is possessed of the Deuell But to discusse this it behoueth to enquire what is that same so horrible offense that shall haue no forgeuenesse Whereas Augustine in one place defineth it an obstinate stifnesse euen vnto death with despeire of pardon that doth not well agree with the very wordes of Christ thaâ— it shall not be forgeuen in this world For eyther that is spoken in vaine or it maye be coÌ„mitted in this life But if Augustines definition be true then it is not committed vnlesse it continue euen vnto death Wheras some other saye that he sinneth against the holy ghost that enuieth the grace bestowed vpon his brother I see not froÌ„ whense that is fetched But let vs bring a true definitioÌ„ which beyng ones proued with sure testimonies shall easily by it selâ—e ouerthrowe all the reste I saye therefore that they sinne agaynst the holy ghost which of set purpose resist the truthe of God with brightnesse wherof they are so daseled that they can not pretend ignorance whiche they do only to this ende to resâ—st For Christe meanynge to expounde that whiche he had sayd immediatly addeth He that speaketh a worde agaynst the sonne of man it shal be forgeueÌ„ him but he that blasphemeth agaynst the holy ghost shal not be forgeuen And Matthew for the blasphemie against the holy Spirit putteth the spirit of blasphemie But how can a maÌ„ speake a reproche against the
himselfe suche when being made partaker of our humane martalitie he made vs parteners of his diuine immortalitie when offring himselfe for sacrifice he toke our accursednesse vpon himself that he might fil vs with blessing when with his death he deuoured swalowed vp death when in his resurrection he raised vp this our corruptible flesh which he had put on to glory vncorruption It remaineth that by appliance all the same maye come to vs. That is done bothe by the Gospell and more cleerely by the holy Supper where bothe he offreth himselfe to vs with all his good thynges we receiue him by faith Wherfore the sacramēt maketh not that Christ first beginneth to be the bread of life but when it bringeth into remembrance that he was made the bread of life whiche we continually eate and when it geueth vnto vs the taste and sauor of that breade then it maketh vs to fele the strength of that bread For it promiseth vs that whatsoeuer Christ did or suffred the same was done to geue life to vs. Then that this geuing of life is euerlasting by which we may without ende be nourished susteined and preserued in life For as Christ should not haue bene to vs the bread of life vnlesse he had bene borne and had dyed for vs vnlesse he had risen agayne for vs so now he should not bee the same vnlesse the effectualnesse and fruite of his birth death and resurrection were an euerlasting and immortall thing All which Christe hath very well expressed in these wordes The bread which I wil geue is my flesh which I wil geue for the life of the world By which wordes without dout he signifieth that his body shoulde therfore bee to vs for bread to the spirituall life of the soule because it shold be geuen forth to death for our saluatiō and that it is deliuered to vs to eate of it when by faith he maketh vs partakers of it Ones therfore he gaue it that he might be made bread when he gaue foorth himselfe to be crucified for the redemption of the world daily he geueth it when by the word of the Gospell he offreth it vnto vs to be receiued so far as it was crucified where he sealeth that deliuerance with the holy mysterie of the Supper where he inwardly fulfilleth that which he outwardly betokeneth Now herein we must beware of twoo faultes that neither doing to muche in abaring the signes we seme to pluck them frō their mysteries to which they are in a maner knitte fast nor that being immeasurable in aduancing the same we seme in the meane tyme somwhat to darken the mysteries themselues That Christ is the bread of life wherewith the faithful are nourished into eternal saluation ther is no man but he graunteth vnlesse he be altogether without religiō But this point is not likewise agreed vpon among al men what is the maner of partaking of him For there be that in one worde define that to eate the fleshe of Christe and to drinke his blood is nothing els but to beleue in Christ himlsefe But I thinke that Christ meant some certainer and hyer thyng in that notable sermon where he cōmendeth to vs the eatyng of his fleshe namely that we are quickned by the true partaking of hym whiche also he therfore expressed by the woordes of eatyng and drynkyng least any man should thynke that the life whiche we receiue of hym is conceyued by bare knowlege only For as not the syghte but the eatyng of bread suffiseth the body for nourishment so it behoueth that the soule be truly and throughly made partaker of Christ that by the power of hym it may be quickened into a spirituall lyfe But in the meane tyme we confesse that there is no other eatyng but of faith as there can no other be imagined But this is the difference betwene my wordes and theirs that with them to eate is only to beleue but I say that the flesh of Christ is eaten with beleuing because by faith he is made ours and I say that eatyng is the fruite and effect of faith Or if you wil haue it plainer with them eatyng is faithe and I thynke it rather to followe of faith In wordes verily the difference is but smalle but in the thyng it selfe not small For though the Apostle teacheth that Christe dwelleth in oure hartes by Faithe yet no manne will expounde this dwelling to be Faith but all men doo perceyue that there is expressed a singular effect of faith for that by it the faithful do obteyne to haue Christ dwellyng in them After this maner the Lorde meant in callyng hymselfe the bread of lyfe not only to teache that in the faith of his death and resurrection saluation is reposed for vs but also that by true partakyng of himselfe it is brought to passe that his life passeth into vs and becometh oures like as bread when it is taken for foode ministreth lyuelinesse to the body Neither dyd Augustine whom they bryng in for their patron in any other meanyng write that we eate by beleuyng than to shewe that this eatyng is of faith not of the mouthe Which I also denye not but yet therwithall I adde that we do by faith embrace Christe not apperyng afarre of but makyng hymselfe one with vs that he may be oure head and we his membres Yet do not I vtterly disalow that maner of speakyng but only I deny it to be a full declaration if they meane to define what it is to eate the fleshe of Christ. Otherwyse I see that Augustine hath ofte vsed this forme of speche as when he saith in the thirde boke Of Christian doctrine Unlesse ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man this is a figure teachyng that we must communicate with the passion of the Lorde and muste sweetely and profitably laye vp in remembrance that for vs his fleshe was crucified and wounded Agayne when he sayeth that the three thousande menne whyche were conuerted at Peters sermon dyd drynke the bloode of Christe by beleuyng whyche they had shedde by cruell dealyng But in manye other places he honorably setteth out that benefyte of Faith that by it oure soules are no lesse refreshed with the communicatyng of the fleshe of Christe than oure bodies are with the breade whiche they eate And the same is it whyche in a certayne place Chrysostome wryteth that Christe doeth not onely by Faith but also in dede make vs his body For he meaneth not that we doo from any other where than from Faithe obteyne suche a benefite but this onely he meaneth to exclude that none when he heareth faithe to be named shoulde conceyue a naked imagination As for them that will haue the Supper to be onely a marke of outwarde profession I do now passe them ouer because I thinke that I haue sufficiently confuted their error whē I entreated of Sacramentes generally Only thys thing let the reders marke that when the
studye to loue and honor him withall oure harte ¶ The .xv. Chapter What a one man was created wherin there is entreated of the powers of the soule of the image of God of free wyll and of the first integritie of nature NOw must we speake of the creation of mā not only because he is among all the workes of God the moste noble and most excellente example of his iustice wisdome and goodnesse but also because as we said in the beginning we cannot plainly and perfectly know God vnlesse we haue wtall a mutuall knowledge of our selues Although the same knowledge be of two sortes the one to knowe what we were created at the first beginning the other to know what our estate began to be after the fall of Adam for it were but to smal profit for vs to knowe our creation vnlesse we did also in this lamentable fall knowe what is the corruption and deformitie of our nature yet at this time we wil be contente with descriptiō of our nature when it was pure And before we descende to this miserable estate wherunto man is nowe in thraldome it is good to learne what a one he was created at the beginning For we must take hede that in precisely declaring only the natural euils of man we seme not to impute them to the author of nature For vngodlinesse thinketh her self to haue sufficient defense in this color if it may lay for her selfe that whatsoeuer fault she hath the same did after a certaine maner procede from God sticketh not if she be accused to quarell with God and to lay the fault vpō him wherof she is worthely accused And they that would seme to speake somwhat more reuerently of the maiestie of God yet do willingly seke to excuse their own wickednesse by nature not considering that therin though not openly they blame God also to whoe 's reproche it shoulde fall if it were proued that there is any fault in nature Sith then we see that our fleshe gapeth for all the wayes to escape wherby she thynketh the blame of her own euils may any way be put of frō her we muste diligently trauail to mete with this mischiefe Therefore we must so handle the calamitie of mankinde that we cut of all excuse and deliuer the iustice of God from al accusation Afterwarde in place conueniente we shall see howe far men be nowe from that purenesse that was geuen to Adam And first we must remember that in this that man was taken out of earth and claye a bridle was putte vppon his pride for there is no greater absurditie than for them to glory in their excellencye that do not onely dwell in a cotage of clay but also are themselues in parte but earth and ashes But forasmuche as God did not onely vouchesaue to geue life vnto an earthen vessell but also it was his pleasure that it shoulde be the dwelling house of an immortall Spirite Adam might iustly glory in so great liberalitie of his maker Now it is not to be doubted that man consisteth of soule body and by the name of soule I meane an immortall essence and yet created whiche is the nobler parte of him Sometime it is called the Spirite Albeit whē these two names Soule and Spirite are ioyned together they differ one from the other in signification yet when Spirite is sett by it selfe it meaneth as muche as Soule As when Salomon speaking of death sayeth that then the Spirite returneth to him that gaue it And Chryste commending his Spirite to his father and Stephen his Spirite to Chryst doe both meane none other thing but that when the soule is deliuered from the prison of the fleshe God is the perpetual keper of it As for them that imagine that the Soule is therfore called a Spirite because it is a breath or a power by god inspired or poured into bodyes which yet hath no essence both the thing it selfe and all the Scripture sheweth that they do to much grosly erre True it is that while men are fastened to the earth more than they oughte to bee they waxe dull yea because they are estranged from the Father of lightes they are blinded with darkenesse so that they do not thinke vpon thys that they shal remaine aliue after death And yet is not that lighte so quēched in darkenesse but that they be touched with some feling of immortalitie Surely the conscience which discerning betwene good and euil answereth the iudgement of God is an vndouted signe of an immortal Spirite For how could a motion without essēce atteine to come to the iudgement seate of God and throwe it selfe into feare by finding her own giltinesse For the body is not moued with feare of a Spiritual peine but that falleth only vpō the soule Wherby it foloweth that the soule hath an essence Moreouer the very knowledge of God doth proue that the soules which ascende vp aboue the world are immortal for a vanishing liuelinesse wer not able to atteine to the fountaine of lyfe Finalli forasmuch as so many excellent giftes wherwith mans minde is endowed do cry out that there is some diuine thing engrauen it there are euen so many testimonies of an immortal essence For that sense which is in brute beastes goeth not out of the body or at lest extendeth no further than to thyngs presently set before it But the nimblenesse of the minde of man which veweth the heauen and earth secretes of nature and comprehending all ages in vnderstandyng and memory digesteth euery thyng in order and gathereth thynges to come by thinges past doth playnly shewe that there lyeth hydden in man a certayne thing seuerall from the body We conceiue by vnderstanding the inuisible God and Angelles which the body can not doe We know thynges that be right iuste and honest which are hidden from the bodily senses Therefore it muste nedes be that the Spirite is the seate of thys vnderstandyng Yea and our slepe it selfe which astonieth a man and semeth to take life away frō him is a plaine witnesse of immortalitie forasmuch as it doth not only minister vnto vs thoughtes of those thinges that neuer were done but also foreknowinges of things for time to come I touch these thinges shortly which euen prophane writers do excellently sette oute with more gorgeous garnishment of wordes but with the godly reders a simple putting in minde of them shall be sufficient Nowe if the soule were not a certayne thing by it selfe seuerall from the body the Scripture would not teache that we dwell in houses of clay that by death we remoue out of the Tabernacle of the flesh that we do put of that which is corruptible that finally at the last day we may receiue rewarde euery man as he hathe behaued hymselfe in hys bodye For these places and other that we do eche where cōmonly light vpon do not only manifestly destinguish the soule from the body but also in geuing to the soule the name of
the same sort that al the other phrases of speache which do descrybe God vnto vs after the maner of men For because our weakenesse doth not reach to his â—ienesse that description of hym whiche is taughte vs was mete to be framed lowe to our capacitie that we might vnderstande it And this is the manner how to frame it low for vs to paynt out hymselfe not such a one as he is in himselfe but such a one as he is perceiued of vs. Wher as he hymselfe is without all mouing of a troubled minde he yet testifieth that he is angry with synners Like as therfore wheÌ„ we heare that God is angry we ought not to imagine that there is any mouing at all in him but rather to consider that this speche is borrowed of our coÌ„mon sense because God beareth a resemblance of one chafed angry so ofte as he exerciseth iudgemente so oughte we to vnderstande nothing ells by this worde Repentance but a changing of dedes because men by changing of their dedes are wont to declare that they mislike them Because then euery change among men is an amendment of that whiche misliketh them and amendement commeth of repentaunce therfore by the name of repentaunce is meant that that God changeth in his workes In the meane time yet neither is hys purpose nor his will turned nor his affection changed but he foloweth on with one continuall course that which he had from eternitie foreseen allowed and decreed howesoeuer the alteration seme soden in the eyes of men Neyther doeth the holy history shew that gods decrees wer repelled when it sheweth that the destruction was pardoned to the Niniuites which had been before pronounced and that the life of Ezechias was prolonged after warning geuen hym of death They that so construe it are deceiued in vnderstanding of threteninges whiche althoughe they do simply affirme yet by the successe it shal be perceiued that they coÌ„teined a secret condition in theÌ„ For why did God sende Ionas to the Niniuites to â—ell them aforehande of the ruine of their citie Why did he by Esaye geue Ezechias warniÌ„g of death For he might haue brought to nought both him and theÌ„ without sending them any worde of their destruction He meant therfore an other thing than to make them by foreknowing of their death to see it comming a farre of Euen this he meant not to haue them destroied but to haue them amended that they should not be destroied Therfore this that Ionas prophecied that Niniue should fal after .xl. daies was done to this end that it should not fal That hope of longer life was cutte of froÌ„ Ezechias was done for this purpose that he might obteine longer life Now who doth not see that God meante by such threateninges to awake them to repentaunce whom he made afraide to the ende that they might escape the iudgemente whiche they had deserued by their sinnes If that be so agreed the nature of the thinges themselues doth leade vs to thys to vnderstande in the simple threatening a secret emplied condition which is also confirmed by like examples The Lord rebuking the king Abimelech for that he had taken away Abrahams wife from him vseth these wordes Behold thou shalt die for the woman that thou hast taken for she hath a husband But after he had excused himselfe God said thus Restore the wife to her husbande for he is a Prophete and shal pray for the that thou maiest liue If not know that thou shalt die the death and al that thou hast You se how in his first senteÌ„ce he vehemently striketh his minde to bring him to be more hedefully bent to make ameÌ„des and in the other doth plainly declare to him his will Seing the meaning of other places is lyke do not gather of these that there was any thing withdrawen from the first purpose of God by this that he made voide the thing whiche he had before pronounced For God doth prepare the way for hys eternall ordinaunce wheÌ„ in geuing warning of the punishment he moueth those to repentance whome his wil is to spare rather than varieth any thing in his wil no not in his word sauing that he doth not expresse the same thing in sillables which it is yet easy to vnderstand For that sayeng of Esaie must nedes remaine true The Lord of Hostes hath determined and who shal be able to vndoe it His hande is stretched oute and who shall turne it away ¶ The .xviii. Chapter That God doth so vse the seruice of wycked men and so voweth their mindes to put hys iudgementes in execution that yet styll himselfe remayneth pure from all spot THere ariseth a harde question out of other places where it is said that God boweth and draweth at his will Satan himselfe and al the reprobate For the sense of the flesh scarcely conceiueth how he workyng by them should not gather some spot of their fault yea in his common workyng be fre from al fault and iustly condemne his ministers Upon this was deuised the distinctioÌ„ betwene Doing and Suffering because many haue thought this doâ—t vnpossible to be dissolued that both Satan and al the wicked are so vnder the hande and power of God that he directeth their malice vnto what ende it pleaseth hym and vseth their wycked doinges to the executing of his iudgementes And their modestie wer paraduenture excusable whom the shew of absurditie putteth in feare if it were not so that they do wrongfully with a lyeng defense go about to deliuer the iustice of God froÌ„ al vnrightfull blame It semeth to them vnreasonable that man shuld by the will and coÌ„maundement of God be made blynde so by and by be punished for his blindnesse Therfore they seke to scape by this shift that this is done by the sufferance but not by the will of God But he hymselfe plainely pronouncyng that he doeth it doeth reiecte that shifte As for this that men doo nothyng but by the secrete commaundement of God and do trouble them selues in vaine with deliberating vnlesse he do by his secrete direction stablishe that which he hath before determined it is proued by innumerable and plaine testimonies It is certayne that this whiche we before alledged out of the psalme that God doeth all thyngs that he will belongeth to all the doinges of men If God be the certain appointer of warre and peace as it is there saied and that without exception who dare say that men are caried causelessely with blynde motion while God knoweth not of it and sitteth still But in special examples will be more lightsome plainnesse By the first chapiter of Iob we knowe that Satan doeth no lesse appere before God to receiue his coÌ„maundementes than do the Angels which do willyngly obey In dede it is after a diuers maner for a diuers end but yet so that he can not go about any thyng but with the will of God Although there seme afterward to be added
or whether it kepeth still any percell vnhurte from whense doo growe good desires They that do attribute to the First grace of God that we wil effectually seme on the other side to saye secretly that there is in the soule a power of it selfe to aspire to good but it is so weake that it can not growe to a perfecte affection or rayse vp any endeuour And there is no doubte that the Schoolemen haue commonly embraced this opinion or which was borowed of Origen and certaine of the olde wryters for so muche as they are wont to consider man in pure naturall thinges as they terme it suche a one as the Apostle describeth hym in these wordes I doe not the good that I would but the euell that I would not that I doe To will is present vnto me but to performe it I finde not But after this maner is the discourse that Paule there followeth altogether wrongfully peruerted For he entreateth of the Christian wrastling whiche he shortly toucheth to the Galatians whiche the faithfull continually fele within them selues in the battel of the flesh and the spirit But the spirit is not of nature but of regeneration And that the Apostle doeth there speake of the regenerate appeareth by this that wheÌ„ he had said that there dwelleth no goodnesse in him he addeth an exposition that he meaneth it of his fleshe And therfore he saith that it is not he that doeth the euill but sinne that dwelleth in him What meaneth this correction in me that is in my flesh Euen as muche as if he had sayd thus God dwelleth not in me of my selfe for there is no good to be founde in my fleshe HereupoÌ„ foloweth that maner of excuse I my self do not the euil â–ª but sinne that dwelleth in me Whiche excuse belongeth only to the regenerate whiche do with the chiefe part of their soule tende vnto good Nowe the conclusion that is adioyned after declareth all this matter euidently I am delited saith he with the lawe according to the inward man But I see an other lawe in my membres fighting against the lawe of my minde Who hath suche a stryuing in him selfe but he that being regenerate by the spirite of God carieth the leauinges of his flesh about with him Therfore Augustine wheras ones he had thought that that had ben spoken of the nature of man reuoked his expositioÌ„ as false and ill agreyng together And truelie if we allowe this that menne without grace haue some motions to good though thei be but small what shall we aunswere to the Apostle whiche sayeth that we are not sufficient so muche as to thinke any thyng What shall wee aunswere to the Lorde that pronounceth by Moses that euery inuention of mans hearte is only euell Wherefore sithe they haue stombled by false takyng of one place there is no cause why we shuld staye vpon their iudgement Let rather this sayeng of Christe preuayle He that doeth sinne is the seruaunt of sinne We are all sinners by nature therefore we be all holden vnder the yoke of sinne Nowe yf whole manne be subiect to the dominioÌ„ of sinne then must it needes be that the will it selfe which is the chiefe seate thereof â–ª be bounde faste wyth moste streight bondes For otherwise that sayeng of Paule wold not stande together that it is God whyche worketh will in vs if any will did goe before the grace of the holy ghost Awaye therefore with all that many haue triftingly spoken concernyng preparation For although sometime the faithfull doe praye to haue their heart formed to the obedience of the lawe as Dauid doth in many places yet it is to be noted that euen that desire of prayeng is from God Whiche we may gather of his wordes for when he wisheth to haue a cleane heart created within him surely he taketh not on him selfe the beginnyng of creation Therefore let rather this sayeng of Augustine haue place with vs God will preuent thee in all thinges And sometime preuent thou his wrath Howe Confesse that thou haste all these thinges of God that what so euer good thou haste is of him what soeuer euell it is of thy selfe And a little after Nothing is oures but sinne The third Chapter ¶ That out of the corrupt nature of man procedeth nothing but damnable BUt manne can not be any waye better knowen in eyther parte of his soule than yf he come forth with his titles wherewith the Scripture doth set him out If he bee paynted whole in these woordes of Christe That whiche is borne of fleshe is fleshe as it is easy to proue then is he proued to bee a very miserable creature For the affection of the fleshe as the Apostle witnesseth is death for asmuche as it is enimitie agaynste God and so is not subiecte nor can be subiecte to the lawe of God Is fleshe so peruerse that with al her affection she continually vseth enmitie agaynste God that she can not agree with the rightousnesse of the lawe of God Finally that she can bryng forth nothing but matter of death Nowe graunt that in the nature of manne is nothyâ—yge but fleshe and gather any good out of it yf thou canste But they saye the name of fleshe belongeth onely to the sensuall and not the hyer parâ—e of the soule But that is sufficiently confuted by the woordes of Chryste and of the Apostle It is the Lordes argumente that manne muste bee borne agayne bycause he is fleshe He commaundeth not to bee borne agayne accordynge to the bodye But in mynde he is not borne agayne yf a parte of it bee amended but when it is all renewed And that doth the comparison sette in bothe places confirme For the spirite is so compared agaynste the fleshe that there is lefte no meane thynge betwene them Therefore whatsoeuer is not spirituall in maÌ„ is after the same reason called fleshly But we haue nothynge of the Spirite but by regeneration It is therefore fleshe whatsoeuer we haue of nature But of that matter if otherwise we coulde haue any doubte that is taken awaye from vs by Paule where after we had described the ouldâ—man whom he had saide to be corrupt with concupâ—scences of erroure he biddeth vs to be renewed in the spirite of oure minde you see he doth not place vnlawefull and euell lustes onely in the sensitiue part but also in the very minde and therefore requyreth a renuinge of it And truly a lyttle before he had painted oute suche an image of mans nature as did shewe that there was no part wherein we were not corrupted and peruerted for whereas he writeth that al nations do walke in the vanitie of their minde are darkened in vnderstaÌ„ding estraÌ„ged from the life of God by reason of the ignoraunce that is in them and the blindenesse of their hearte it is no doubt that this is spoken of all them whom the Lorde hathe not reformed
hathe made an ende of them doth so no thing diminish their holynesse that it rather setteth them fourth and maket them glorious For as they shold haue geuen but a vaine shewe to the olde people vnlesse the power of the deathe and resurrection of Christe had beene shewed therein so if they hadde not cessed wee coulde not at this daye discerne to what purpose they were ordeyned Therefore Paule to proue that the keepinge of them nowe is not onely superfluous but also hurtefull teacheeh that they weare shadowes whereof wee haue the bodye in Christe We see therefore howe in the abolishinge of them the trueth shyneth better than if they did still a farre of and as it were with a veile spred before shewe a figure of Christe that hathe already playnelye appeared 〈◊〉 therefore the veile of the Temple at the deathe of Christe was torne in twoo peeces and fell downe bycause nowe the true and expresse image of the heauenly good thynges was come to lyghte whyche before had been but vnperfectly begonne wyth darke rude draughtes as the authore of the Epistle to the Hebrues saythe Herevnto serueth the sayeng of Christe that the lawe and the Prophetes were vnto the tyme of Ihon and that from that tune forwarde the Kyngdome of God beganne to bee ioyefully preached not meaninge that the holy fathers were without the preachynge that conteyneth the hope of saluation and of eternall lyfe but bicause a farre of and vnder shadowes onely they dyd beholde that whiche wee at thys daye see in the full lyghte But why it behoued that the Churche of God shoulde clymbe vp hyer from those firste instructions Ihon the Baptist declareth for that the lawe is geuen by Moses but grace truth beganne by Iesus Chirste For althoughe the purginge of sinnes were truely promised in the olde sacrifices the Arke of the couenant was a sure pledge of the fatherly fauoure of God yet all this had been but a shadowe if it had not ben grounded vpon the grace of Christe wherin is sounde perfect and eternal stedfastnesse Let this then remaine sure that although the ceremonial vsages of the lawe haue cessed to be obserued yet by the ende of them it is that better knowen how great was the profite of them before Christes coÌ„minge wyth in takinge awaye the vse of them hathe sealed the force effecte of them with his deathe Somwhat more harde is the point that Paule noteth And he hath renued you together with him when ye were deade by sinnes and the vncircumcision of your fleshe forgeuinge you of all your offences blotting out the handwriting that remained in the decrees against vs whyche was contrarie vnto vs and he hath taken it awaye fastninge it to the crosse c. For he seemeth to stretche the abolyshinge of the lawe soÌ„what further that nowe we haue nothing to do with the decrees therof For thei erre that expond it onely of the lawe morall whose vnappeassable rigoure rather then doctrine thereof thei thinke to be taken away Some more deepely weying the wordes of Paule do espie that it is proprely spoken of the lawe ceremoniall and doe shewe that this worde Deuill doth more than ones so signifie in Paule For to the Ephesians he saith thus He is our peace that maketh both to be one that maketh voide the law of coÌ„maundementes consistinge in the decrees that he might make two in himselfe into one new man It is no doubt that he speaketh ther of the ceremonies for he calleth it the partition wherwith the Iewes were seuered from the Gentiles wherefore I graunt that those first expositors are rightfully reproued by these but yet mee thinkes that these do not sufficientlye well set fourth the minde of the Apostle For I like not at all to haue these two places compared together in all pointes when his purpose was to aduertise the Ephesians of their adoption into the felowship of Israel he teacheth that the stoppe is taken awaye whereby they were before tyme kepte asunder that was in ceremonies For the vsages of washinges and sacrifices wherewith the Iewes were made holy vnto the Lorde did seuer them from the Gentiles But in the epistle to the Colossians whoe seeth not that 〈◊〉 â—oucheth a hyer misterie In deede the point of the disputation ther is of Mosaicall obseruations whervnto the false Apostles did laboure to driue the Christian people But as in the Epistle to the Galatians he fetcheth that controuersie further of and as it wer bringeth it back to the first heade therof so doth he also in this place For if in the ceremonies you consider nothing els but a necessitie of that vse of them to what purpose was it to call it a handwriting against vs moreouer to set the whole summe in a manner of our redemption in this that it shold be caÌ„celled Wherefore the matter it selfe trieth out that here is some more secret thing to be considered And I truste that I haue atteined the naturall vnderstandinge of it if at leaste this be graunted me to bee true which in one place is most truli written by Augustine yea that he hath taken out of the plaine wordes of the Apostle that in the Iewish ceremonies was rather a confession than a cleansinge of sinnes For what did thei ells by sacrifices but confesse theÌ„ selues in their conscience gylty of death that did put cleansinges in their place What did thei with their cleansinges but testifie them selues to be vncleane And so was the handwriting of their sinne and vncleannesse oft renewed by them but ther was no discharge in that testifying thereof For whyche cause the Apostle writeth that at lengthe by meane of the deathe of Christe was perfourmed the redemption of the offences that remayned vnder the olde Testamente Therefore the Apostle dothe woorthyly call the Handwritinges againste those that obserue them for asmuch as by them ther did openly sâ—ale to their owne damnation vncleannesse And it hindereth not that they were also partakers of the same grace with vs. For this they obteyned in Chryste not in the ceremonies whyche there the Apostle dothe seuer from Christe bicause being at that time vsed they did obscure the glorie of Christe Thus learn we that the ceremonies if they be consydered by them selues are well and fittly called handwrytynges againste the saluation of men bicause they were as solemne instrumentes that testified their beinge bounde When the false Apostles wente aboute to binde the Christian Churche to them againe Paule did not withoute cause admonyshe the Colossâ—aus by fetchinge their signification of them further of to what poynte thei shoulde fall backe agayne if they suffered them selues in such sorte to be yoked by them For there withall was the benefite of Christ wrested awaie from them in as muche as he hauinge ones perfourmed the eternall clensinge hathe vtterly abolyshed these dayly obseruations whiche were onely of force to seale sinnes but coulde do nothing
necessitie prouoketh his wrath bicause it is a breache of the law vpon whiche the iudgement of God is pronounced without exception and that the sinnes of the holyones are veniall or pardonable not of their owne nature but bicause they obteyne pardon by the mercie of God The. ix Chapter ¶ That Christ although he was knowen to the Iewes vnder the law yet was deliuered only by the Gospell BYcause it pleased God in the olde time not vainely by expiations and sacrifices to declare himself a Father and not in vayne he did consecrate a chosen people to himselff euen then without doubte he was knowen in the same image wherein he now appereth to vs with full brightnesse Therefore Malachie after that he had bidden the Iewes to take hede to the law of Moses to continue in studie thereof bicause after his death there should come a certaine interruption of the office of the Prophetes did forthwith declare that there shuld arise a sonne of righteousnesse In which wordes he teacheth that the lawe auaileth to this purpose to hold the godly in expectation of Christ to come but yet that there was muche more light to be hoped for when he should be come in deede For this reason doth Peter say that the Prophetes did make searche and diligently enquire of the saluation that is now opened by the Gospell and that it was reueled vnto them that they should minister not to themselues nor to their owne age but vnto vs those thinges that are declared by the Gospel Not that their doctrine was vnprofitable to the people in olde time or nothing auailed themselues but bicause thei enioyed not the treasure which God sent vnto vs by their hand For at this day the grace wherof they testified is familiarly set before our eyes And wheras they did but a litle sippe of it there is offred vnto vs a more plentiful enioyeng therof Therefore Christ himself whiche affirmeth that he had witnesse borne him by Moses yet extolleth the mesure of grace wherby we excel the Iewes For speaking to the Disciples he sayd Blessed are the eyes that see that whiche ye see blessed are the eares that here ath at whiche ye heare For many kinges Prophetes haue wished it haue not obteined it This is no smal coÌ„mendation of the reuelyng of the gospel that God preferred vs before the holy fathers that excelled in rare godlinesse With whiche sentence that other place disagreeth not where it is sayd that Abraham saw the daye of Christ and reioysed For though the sight of a thing farre distant was somwhat darke yet he wanted nothyng to the assurance of good hope And thense came that ioye whiche accompanied the holy Prophet euen to his death And that sayeng of Iohn Baptist No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten that is in the bosome of the father hath declared him vnto vs doth not exclude the godly whiche had ben dead before him froÌ„ the â—elowship of the vnderstandyng light that shineth in the persone of Christ. But coÌ„paryng their estate with oures he teacheth that those misteries which thei saw but darkly vnder shadowes are manifest to vs as the author of the episte to yâ— Hebrewes doth wel set out sayeng that God diuersly and many wayes spake in olde time by the Prophetes but now by his beloued Sonne Although therefore that only begotten one which is at this day to vs the brightnesse of the glory the point of the substance of God the father was in olde time knowen to the Iewes as we haue in an other place alleaged out of Paule that he was the guide of the old deliuerance yet is it true whiche the same Paule els where teacheth that God which coÌ„maunded the light to shine out of darknesse hath nowe shined vpon our heartes to set forth the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Iesus Christ bicause when he appered in this his image he did in a maner make himself visible in comparison of the darke and shadowish forme that had ben of him before And so much the more fowle and detestable is their vnthankefulnesse peruersnesse that are here so blinde at midde daye And therefore Paule sayth that their mindes are darkened by Satan that they should not see the glorie of Christ shining in the gospell though there be no veile set betwene them and it Now I take the Gospell for the clere disclosyng of the misterie of Christ. I graunt truely that in that respect that Paul calleth the gospel the doctrine of fayth al the promises that we here and there finde in the law concernyng the free forgeuenesse of sinnes whereby God reconcileth men to himself are accompted partes therof For he coÌ„pareth faith against these terrors wherewith the conscience should be troubled vexed if saluation were to be sought by workes WherupoÌ„ foloweth that in takyng the name of the gospel largely there are coÌ„teined vnder it all the testimonies that God in old time gaue to the fathers of his mercie and fatherly fauour But in the more excellent signification of it I saye it is applied to the publishyng of the grace geuen in Christ. And that meanyng is not only receyued by common vse but also hangeth vpon the authoritie of Christ and the Apostles Whereupon this is proprely ascribed vnto him that he preached the Gospell of the kingdome And Marke maketh his preface in this maner The beginnyng of the Gospell of Iesus Christ. And there is no neede to gather places to proue a thing sufficiently knowen Christ therefore by his coÌ„myng hath made clere the life and immortalitie by the Gospell By whiche wordes Paule meaneth not that the fathers were drowned in darknesse of death vntil the sonne of God did put on flesh but clayming this prerogatiue of honour to the gospell he teacheth that it is a newe and vnwonted kinde of message whereby God performed those thinges that he had promised that the truthe of his promises shuld be fulfilled in the persone of the Sonne For although the faithful haue alway found by experieÌ„ce that same sayeng of Paule to be true that in Christ are all the promises yea and Amen bycause they were sealed in their heartes yet bicause he hath accomplished al partes of our saluation in â—his flesh therefore that selfe liuely deliueryng of the thinges rightfully obteyned a newe and singular title of prayse Whereupon cometh that sayeng of Christ Hereafter ye shall see the heauens open and the Angels of God ascendyng and descendyng vpon the sonne of manne For though he seme to haue relation vnto the ladder shewed in a vision to the Patriarch Iacob yet he setteth out the excelleÌ„cie of his coÌ„ming by this mark that he opened the gate of heauen to all men that the entrie thereof maye be stand familiarly open to all men But yet we must take hede of the deuelish imagination of Seruet
euery one after the proportion of their nature yet it doth not deliuer them from necessitie of corruption but I speake of this speciall manner whereby the soules of the godly are bothe lightened vnto the knowledge of God and in a manner coupled to him By this enlightenyng of the worde sithe Adam Abel Noe Abraham and the other fathers cleaued vnto God I saye that it is not doubtfull that they had an entrie into the immortall kingdome of God For it was a sound partakyng of God whiche can not be without the benefit of eternall life But yf this seme somewhat entangled goe to let vs come to the very forme of the couenant which shall not only satisfie sobre wittes but also shall sufficiently conuince their ignorance that bende themselues to speake agaynst it For God did alwaye thus couenant with his seruantes I will be to you a God and ye shal be to me a people In whiche wordes the Prophetes themselues are wont to expound that both life and saluation and the whole summe of blessednesse is cōprehended For Dauid doth not without cause often pronounce that blessed is the people whose God is the lord blessed is the natiō which he hath chosen to be his inheritance and that not for earthly felicities sake but bycause he deliuereth them from death he preserueth them for euer and cōtinually sheweth them eternal mercie whome he hath taken to his people as it is in the other Prophetes Thou art our God we shall not die The Lord is our king our lawmaker he shall saue vs. Blessed art thou O Israel bycause thou art saued in the lord God But not to labour ouermuch in a thynge needelesse this admonition is sound eche where in the Prophetes that we shall wante nothyng toward all abundance of good thinges and assurance of saluatiō so that the Lord be our God And rightfully For if his face so sone as it beginneth to shine is a most present pledge of saluation to what man shall he openly shewe himselfe for his God but that he will also open to him his treasure of saluation For he is our God with this condition to dwell in the middest of vs as he testified by Moses But such presence can not be obteyned but that life must be also together had in possessiō with it And although there were no more expressed yet had thei a promise of spiritual life plaine enough in these wordes I am your God For he did not declare that he would be a God vnto their bodies alone but principally to their soules But soules vnlesse they be ioyned to God by righteousnesse remaine estranged from him in death But on the other side let that ioyning be present it shal bring euerlastyng saluation with it Byside that he did not only testifie that he was to them their God but he also promised that he would be so alway to the ende that their hope not contented with present benefites should be extended to eternitie And many sayenges do shewe that the speakyng in the future time meant so much as where the faithfull not only in present euels but also for the time to come doe comfort themselues with this that God will neuer fayle them Nowe as concernyng the seconde part of the promise he yet more plainely assured them of the blessyng of God to be prolonged vnto them beyond the boundes of this life in sayeng I will be the God of your seede after you For if he minded to declare his good will toward them beyng dead in doyng good to their posteritie much more would his fauour not faile toward themselues For God is not like vnto menne whiche do therefore carry their loue to their frendes children bicause their power is interrupted by death so that they can not employe their frendely doynges vpō them to whom they did beare good will But God whose bountifulnesse is not hyndered by death taketh not awaye from the very dead the frute of his mercie whiche for their sakes he poureth out into a thousand generations Therefore the Lordes will was by a notable profe to set forth vnto them the greatnesse and flowyng plētie of his goodnesse which they should fele after death when he described it to be such as should slowe ouer into all their posteritie And the truthe of this promise the Lord did then seale and as it were brought forth the fulfillyng of it when he named himself the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob long after their death For what had it not ben a fond naming if thei had vtterly perished For then had it ben all one as if he had sayd I am the God of them that are not Wherefore the Euangelistes reherse that with this one argument the Sadduces were so driuen to a streight that they could not denie that Moses did testifie the resurrection of the dead for that they had learned by Moses that all the Saintes were in his hand Wherupon it was easy to gather that they are not destroyed by death whome he that is the iudge of life and death had receyued into his sauegard custodie and protection Now which is the principal point wherupon this cōtrouersie hangeth let vs loke whether the faithfull themselues haue not ben so instructed of the Lord that they perceiued that they shuld haue a better life els where and so neglectyng this life had an eye to the other First the state of life that was enioyned them by God was a continuall exercise whereby they might be put in minde that they were the moste miserable of all men if their happinesse were only in this life Adam most vnhappy euen with only remembrance of the happynesse that he had lost did with painfull labours hardly susteyne his nedynesse and that he shuld not be pressed with the curse of God in the only labours of his handes euen there receyued he extreme sorrow of that whiche remayned for him to be his comfort Of his two sonnes the one was taken awaye by the wicked slaughter of his brother the other he had lefte aliue whose sight he worthily detested abhorred Abel cruelly murthered in the very floure of his age became an example of the wretchednesse of men Noe while the whole world carelesly liued in pleasure spent a good part of his age with great werinesse in bildyng the Arke This that he escaped death came to passe by his greater troubles than yf he should haue died a hundred deathes For byside that the Arke was to him as a graue for x. monethes there is nothing more vnpleasaunt than to be holden so longe in manner drowned in dong of beastes When he had passed ouer so great difficulties he fell into newe matter of grefe he saw him self scorned of his owne sonne and was compelled with his owne mouth to curse him whom by the great benefit of God he had receiued safe from the generall flood Abraham in deede may be one alone
to be compared with a huÌ„dred thousand if we consider his faith which is set forâ—â— vnto vs for yâ— best rule of beleuing of whose kinred we must be accoÌ„pted that we maye be the children of God But what more absurditie is there â–ª than Abraham to be the father of all the faithfull and not to possesse so much as the smalest corner among theÌ„ but he can not be throwen downe out of the number no not from the moste honorable degree but that the whole churche muste be destroyed Now as touchyng the experiences of his lyfe When he was firste called by the coÌ„maundement of God he was plucked away from his coÌ„trey his parentes and his frendes in whome menne thinke to bee the chiefe swetenesse of life euen as if God of determined purpose meante to spoyle him of all the pleasures of life So sone as he came into the lande where he was commaunded to dwell he was dryuen out from thense with famine Thither he fled for succour where to saue himselfe he was compelled to deliuer out his wife to be abused whiche we knowe not whether it were not more bitter to him than many deathes When he was returned into the lande of his owne dwellyng he was driuen out agayne from thense with famine What a felicitie is this to dwell in that lande wherein a man muste so oft be hungry yea die for famine if he runne not awaye And therewithall he was brought to that necessitie with Abimelech that he muste needes redeme his life with the losse of his wife while many yeres longe he wandred vncertainely hether and thether he was compelled by the continuall brawlynges of his seruantes to put away his nephew whome he loued as his owne sonne Whiche departyng without doubt he dyd no otherwise take than yf he had suffred the cutting of one of his limmes A litle after he heard that he was carried awaye captiue by his enemies Whether so euer he wente he founde neyghbours outrageously barbarous whiche woulde not suffer him so muche as to drynke water out of the welles that himselfe had digged with great labour For he woulde not haue redemed the vse of them at the hand of king Gerar if he had not first ben forbidden Now when he came to old age he saw the thing which is the most vnpleasant and bitter that that age hath himselfe punished with hauing no children till beside all hope he begate Ismaell whose birth yet he payed dere for wheÌ„ he was weried with the brawlyng of Sara as yf he in maynteinyng the stubbornnesse of his bond-woman were himselfe the cause of the trouble of his household At length Isaac was borne but with this condition that his firste begotten Ismaell must as forsaken be cruelly caste out of dores When only Isaac was left in whome the weryed age of the silly good man might rest within a litle after he was commaunded to kil him What can mans wit deuise more miserable than the father to be made the butcher of his owne sonne If Isaac had dyed of any sickenesse whoe woulde not haue thought the olde manne moste miserable that had a sonne geuen him in mockeage for whome his griefe of want of children should be doubled If he had ben slayne by some straunger the vnhappinesse of the thyng woulde haue muche encresed his miserie But this passeth all examples of miserie to haue him slayne with his fathers one hande Finally he was in all the whole course of his life so tossed and vexed as if a man would in a table paint out an example of a miserable life he could finde none more fit than this of Abraham And let no man obiect that he was not altogether vnhappy for that he at length prosperously escaped from so many and so greate tempestes For we can not saye that he liueth a blessed lyfe whiche for a longe space together paynefully weareth out of infinite troubles but him that without felyng of euels quietly enioyeth present good thinges Isaac that was lesse troubled with euelles yet scarce euer toke any taste of swetenesse He also felt the same vexations that doe not suffer a manne to be blessed in the earth Famine chaced him out of the lande of Chanaan he had his wyfe violently plucked away from his bosome his neighbours ofte troubled him and by all meanes oppressed him so that he was fayne to stryue for his water at home in his owne house he suffred muche troublesonnesse by his childrens wiues he was greued wyth disagreementes of his sonnes and could not remedie that so greate a mischiefe but by the banishment of him whome he had blessed But as for Iacob he is nothynge els but a notable example of extreme infelicitie He passed his childehod moste vnquietly at home amonge the threatenynges and terrors of his elder brother to whiche at length he was coÌ„pelled to geue place When he was fled from his parentes and his natiue countrey biside that it was a greuous thing to liue in banishment he was nothyng more kindly or gently receiued of his vncle Laban TheÌ„ it sufficed not that he had serued seuen yere a hard cruell seruice but that also he muste be by guile defrauded of his wife For an other wiues sake he was driuen into new seruice where he was all the daye fried with heate of the sunne and all the night laye wakyng and payned with froste and cold as himselfe complayned While he by the space of .xx. yeares suffred so hard a life he was dayly vexed with newe iniuries of his father in lawe Neyther was he quiet in his owne house seyng it diuided and in a manner scattered abrobe with the hatred brawling enuye of his wâ—ues When he was coÌ„maunded to returne into his couÌ„trey he was compelled to watche an auantage to take his iourney much like a shamefull runnyng awaye and yet could he not so escape the vniust dealyng of his father in lawe but was fayne to suffer his reproches and rebukes in the middes of his iourney Then fell he into a muche more cruell distresse For when he came nere to his brother he had so many deathes before his eyes as mighte be prepared by a cruell manne and a bent enemie So was he aboue mesure tormented as it were drawen in sonder with terrible feares so long as he loked for his brothers comyng wheÌ„ he came ones in his sight he fel downe as half dead at his feete vntill he found him more fauorable than he durste haue hoped Biside that at his firste entrie into the lande he lost Rachel his derely beloued wyfe Afterwarde he heard word that the sonne whiche he had by her and whome therefore he loued aboue the reste was torne with wilde beastes by whose death howe great griefe he conceyued he himselfe declared in this that after longe wepynge he obstinately stopped vp all wayes whereby comfort mighte come to him leauyng hymselfe nothynge but to goe downe
to his sonne waylyng into the graue In the meane time howe great causes of griefe wayting and werinesse were the rauishment and deftourynge of his daughter and the boldenesse of his sonnes in reuenging it whiche not only made him to be abhorred in sight of all the inhabitantes of that countrey but also procured him moste present perill of vtter destruction Then followed that horrible outragious offense of Ruben his first begotten sonne whiche was suche as their coulde not chaunce a more greuous For wheareas the defilyng of a mans wyfe is reckened amonge the hyest yll fortunes what is to be sayde of it when that wickednesse is committed by a mans owne sonne Within a litle whyle after his house is spotted with an other vunaturall adulterie so that so many shames might well breake a heart that otherwise were most constant and vnable to be vanquished with calamities Nere before the ende of his life while he sought to prouide succour for the famine of himself and other he was striken with tidynges of a newe misfortune vnderstandynge that an other of his sonnes was kepte in pryson for recoueryng of whome he was compelled to leaue to the rest Beniamin his only dearling Who caÌ„ think that in suche a heape of mischeues he had any one moment geuen hym safely to take breath in And therefore he himselfe the beste witnesse of himselfe affirmed to Pharao that his dayes were shorte and â—uell vpon the earth Nowe truely he that declareth that he hath passed his lyfe by continuall miseries denieth that he felte that prosperitie whiche the Lorde had promised him Therefore eyther Iacob did vnkindely and vnthankefully weye the grace of God or he truely professed that he had ben miserable vpon the earth If his affirmation were true then it foloweth that he had not his hope fastened vpon earthly thinges If these holy fathers loked for as vndoubtedly they did a blessed lyfe at the hande of God truely they bothe thought and sawe it to bee an other manner of blessednesse than the blessednesse of earthly liâ—e Whiche thynge the Apostle also doth shewe excellently well Abraham sayth he direct by fayth in the lande of promise as in a strange land dwellyng in tentes with Isaac and Iacob parteners with him of the same inheritaunce For they loked for a citie set vpon a good fundation the maker and bilder whereof is God All these are dead in fayth not receyuyng the thinges promised but loking at them a farre of and beleuyng and confessyng that they were gestes and strangers vpon the land Whereby they declare that they sought for a couÌ„tree And yf they had ben moued with desire of that lande from whense they came they had power to returne But they sought for a better that is the heauenly couÌ„tree Wherefore God is not a shamed to be called their God for asmuch as he hath prepared them a citie For they had ben duller than blockes to followe promises to earnestly â–ª wherof there appered no hope in earth vnlesse they had loked for the fulfillynge of them els where But this he chiefely enforceth and that not without good reason that thei called this life a iourney from home euen as Moses reporteth For if they were strangers and foreners in the lande of Chanaan where is the Lordes promise wherby they were made heires of it He sheweth plainely therefore that the Lordes promise coÌ„cernyng the possessioÌ„ therof had a further respect Wherefore they purchaced not one foote in the land of Chanaan but for burial wherby they testified that they did not hope that they shuld receiue the frute of the promise till after death And that is the cause why Iacob so much estemed to be buried there that he compelled his sonne Ioseph to promise it him and to swere to performe it and why Ioseph willed his bones certayne ages after when they were longe before fallen into powder to be remoued thither Finally it appereth plainely that in all the trauailes of this life they had alway set before them the blessednesse of the life to come For to what purpose should Iacob haue so much desired with so great danger sought the preeminence of the first begotten whiche shoulde procure him nothyng but banishment and in a manner to be caste of from beyng his childe but no good at all vnlesse he had respecte to a hyer blessyng And he declared that he had this meanyng by the wordes which he spake among his last breathinges Lord I will loke for thy saluation What saluation could he haue loked for wheÌ„ he sawe that he laye ready to geue vp the ghost vnlesse he had seene in death the beginnyng of a newe life But what dispute we of the holy ones and chrildren of God when euen he was not without a taste of suche vnderstandyng whiche otherwise was enemie to the truthe For what meant Balaam wheÌ„ he sayd Let my soule dye the death of the righteous and let my laste times be like vnto theires but that he meante the same thynge that Dauid afterwarde vttered that the death of the Sainctes is precious in the sighte of the Lorde but the death of the wicked is very euell If the furthest bounde and ende were in death there coulde in it be noted no difference betwene the righteous and vnrighteous they differ one from the other by the diuersite of the estates that after death shall befall to them bothe We are not yet come beyonde Moses Whiche as these menne saye had no other office but to perswade the carnall people to worship God by the frutefulnesse of the ground and plentie of all thinges And yet vnlesse a manne will flee the light that willyngly offreth it selfe there is alredy a playne declaration of the spirituall couenant But yf we come downe to the Prophetes there with most full brightnesse bothe the lyfe euerlastyng and the kyngdome of Christ do vtter themselues And first of all Dauid which as he was before the other in time so accordyng to the order of Gods distribution he shewed the heauenly misteries in shadowes more darkely than the rest yet with what plainnesse certaintie directeth he al his sayenges to that end How he estemed the earthly dwelling this senteÌ„ce testifieth I am here a forener straÌ„ger as al my fathers were Euery liuing maÌ„ is vanitie euery one walketh about as a shadow But now what is my exspectatioÌ„ Lord euen to thee is my hope Truely he that coÌ„fessyng that in the earth there is nothinge sounde or stedfast kepeth still a stedfastnesse of hope in God coÌ„sidereth his felicitie layed vp in an other place To such consideration is he wont to call all the faithefull so oft as he meaneth to comforte them truely For in an other place after he had spoken of the shortenesse and the transitorie and vanishing image of mans life he addeth but the mercie of the Lorde is for euer vpon them that
haue desired to see the thinges that ye see and haue not seen them and to heare the thynges that ye heare and haue not hearde them Therefore blessed are your eyes bicause they see and your eares bicause they heare And truely it was meete that the presence of Christ sholde haue this excellencye of prerogatiue that from it shoulde arise the clere reuelinge of the heauenly mysteries And for this purpose also maketh that which euen we nowe alleaged out of the firste epistle of Peter that yt was opened to them that their trauaile was profitable principally for oure age Nowe I come to the thirde dyfference whiche is taken oute of Ieremie whose woordes are these Beholde the dayes shall come saithe the Lorde and I wyll make a newe couenant with the house of Israel and the house of Iuda not accordinge to the couenant that I made wyth your Fathers in the daye when I toke them by the hand to leade them oute of the launde of Egypt the couenant that thei made voyde althoughe I ruled ouer them But thys shall be the couenant that I will make with the house of Israel I wyl put my lawe in theyr bowelles and I wyll wryte it in their heartes and I will be mercifull to their iniquitie And no man shall teache hys neighboure and no man his brother For they shall al knowe me from the leaste vnto the moste Of whyche wordes the Apostle tooke occasion to make thys comparison betweene the lawe and the Gospell that hee called the lawe a literall and Gospel a spiritual doctrine the lawe he sayde was fashioned oute in Tables of stone the Gospell wrytten in heartes that the lawe was the preachinge of deathe the Gospell the preachinge of lyfe the lawe the preachinge of damnation the Gospel the preachinge of righteousnesse that the lawe is made voyde that the Gospell abydeth Sithe the Apostles purpose was butte to declare the meanynge of the Prophete it shall bee suffycient that wee weye the woordes of one of them to atteyne the meanynge of them bothe All bee it there is some vnlyâ—enesse betweene them For the Apostle speaketh more odiouslye of the lawe than the Prophete dothe and that not in symple respecte of the â—â—we but bycause there were certayne naughty menne hauinge a wronge zeale to the lawe whyche did with peruerse loue of the ceremonies obscure the brightnesse of the Gospel He disputeth of the nature of the lawe accordinge to their erroure foolish affection Therefore it shall be good to note that peculiarly in Paule But both of them bycause they do by comparison sette the olde and the newe testament the one against the other do consider nothing in the law but that whiche proprely belongeth vnto it As for example The lawe dothe commonly in euery place containe promises of mercie but bycause they are borowed from ells where therfore they are not reckened as part of the lawe when the mere nature of the lawe is spoken of The onely thing they ascribe vnto it to commaunde thinges that are right to forbidde wicked doynges to promyse reward to the folowers of righteousnesse to threaten punishmente to the transgressors but in the meane time neither to change nor amende the peruersenesse of heart yâ— is naturally in all men Nowe let vs expounde the Apostles comparison one peece after an other The olde testament is literall bicause it was published without the effectuall workinge of the spirit The newe is spiritual whyche the Lorde hathe spiritually grauen in the heartes of men Therefore the seconde diuersitie is as it were a declaration of the fyrste The olde is deadly bicause it can do nothinge but wrappe all mankinde within the curse The newe is the instrumente of lyfe bycause it deliuereth from curse and restoreth into fauoure with God The olde is the ministerie of damnation bycause it condemneth all Adams children of vnrighteousnesse The newe is the ministerie of ryghteousnesse bicause it reueâ—eth the mercie of God by whyche we are made ryghteous The last diuersitie is to be referred to the ceremonies Bycause the olde testament had an â—mage of thynges absent it behoued that it shoulde in tyme deâ—aye and vanyshe away but the Gospell bycause it geueth the true bodye in deede kepeth styll a fyrme and perpetuall stedfastâ—esse Ieremie in dede calleth euen the morall lawes a weake and fraile couenant but that is for an other reason bycause by the sodeine fallynge away of the vnthankfull people it was by and by broken but forasmuche as suche breakynge of it was the faulte of the people it can not proprely be layed vpon the testamente But the ceremonies forasmuche as by theyr owne weakenesse were dissolued by the comminge of Christe had the cause of their weakenesse within them selues Nowe that dyfference of the letter and spirite is not so to be taken as thoughe the Lorde hadde geuen his lawes to the Iewes wythout any frute at all hauyng none of them conuerted vnto hym But it is spoken by waye of comparison to aduaunce the abundance of grace wherewyth the same lawemaker as it were puttinge on a newe personage did honorably sette forth the preachinge of the Gospell For yf wee recken vp the multitude of these whome the Lorde oute of al peoples hath by the preaching of the Gospell regenerate wyth hys spirite and gathered into the communion of his Churche we shall saye that there were very fewe or in a manner none in the olde time in Israell that wyth affection of mynde and entirely from their heart embraced the couenant of the Lorde whoe yet were very many yf they bee reckened in theyr owne numbre wythoute comparison Out of the third difference riseth the fourth For the Scripture calleth the old testament the testament of bondage for that it ingendreth feare in mens myndes but the newe testament the testament of libertie bycause it rayseth them vp to confydence and assurednesse So sayth Paule in the eyght to the Romames Ye haue not receyued the spirit of bondage agayne to feare but the spirite of adoption by whiche we crie Abba father â–ª Hervnto serueth that in the epistle to the Hebrues that the faithefull are not nowe come to the bodyly mount and to kind led fyre an whirlewinde darkenesse and tempest where nothing can be heard or seen but that striketh menns mindes with terrore in so much that Moses hym selfe quaked for feare when the terryble voyce sounded whyche they all besoughte that they myghte not heare Butte that wee are come to the Mounte Syon and the Cytye of the syâ—ynge God the heauenly Hierusalem Butte that whyche Paule shortly toucheth in the sentence that we haue alleged out of the epistle to the Romaines he setteth out more largely in the Epistle to the Galatians when he maketh an allegoâ—â—e of the twoo sonnes of Abraham after this manner that Agar the bondwoman is a fygure of the mount Sinai where the people of Israel receiued the lawe Sara the
our giltynesse vpon himself he might deliuer vs from them bothe If he had ben murthered by theues or had ben ragyngly slayne in a commotioÌ„ of the common people in such a death there shoulde haue ben no apparance of satisfaction But when he was brought to be arrained before the iudgement seate when he was accused and pressed with witnesses agaynst him by the mouth of the iudge condemned to dye by these tokens we vnderstande that he dyd beare the persone of a gilty manne and of an euell doer And here are two thinges to be noted whiche bothe were afore spoken by the prophecies of the Prophetes and doe bryng a singular comforte and confirmation of fayth For when we heare that Christ was sent from the iudges seate to death and was hanged amonge theues we haue the fulfillynge of that prophecie whiche is alleged by the Euangelist He was accompted amonge the wicked And why soâ— euen to take vpon him the stede of a sinner not a man righteous or innocent bycause he suffred death not for cause of innocencie but for sinne On the other side when we heare that he was acquited by the same mouth whereby he was condemned for Pilate was compelled openly more than ones to beare witnesse of his innocencie let that come in our mynde whiche is in the other Prophet that he repayed that whiche he had not taken awaye And so we shall beholde the persone of a sinner and euell doer represented in Christe and by the open apparance of his innocencie it shall become playne to see that he was charged rather with others offence than his owne He suffred therefore vnder Ponce Pilate and so by the solemne sentence of the President was reckened in the number of wicked doers but yet not so but that he was by the same iudge at the same time pronounced righteous when he affirmed that he founde no cause of condemnation in him This is our acquitall that the giltynesse which made vs subiect to punishment is remoued vpoÌ„ the head of the sonne of God For this settyng of the one agaynst the other we ought principally to holde faste leaste we tremble be carefull all our life long as though the iuste vengeance of God dyd hang ouer vs which the sonne of God hath taken vpon himselfe Byside that the very manner of his death is not without a singular mysterie The Crosse was accursed not onely by opinion of men but also by decree of the lawe of God Therefore when Christ was lyfted vp to the Crosse he made hymselfe subiecte to the curse And so it behoued to be done that when the curse was remoued from vs to him we might be deliuered from all curse that for our sinnes was prepared for vs or rather dyd alredy rest vpon vs. Whiche thynge was also by shadowe expressed in the lawe For the sacrifices and satisfactorie oblations that were offred for sinnes were called Ashemoth Whiche worde proprely signifieth sinne it selfe By whiche figuratiue chaunge of name the holy ghost meant to shewe that they were lyke vnto cleansyng playsters to drawe out to themselues and beare the curse due to sinnes But that same whiche was figuratiuely represented in the sacrifices of Moses is in deede deliuered in Christ the original paterne of all the figures Wherfore he â–ª to performe a perfect expiatâ—o gaue his owne soule to be an ashame that is a satisfactorie oblation as the Prophete calleth it vpon the whyche our fi lt and punishement might be caste and so cesse to be imputed to vs. The Apostle testifieth the same thyng more playnely where he teacheth that he whiche knewe no sinne was by his father made sinne for vs that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him For the sonne of God beyng most cleane from all faulte dyd yet put vpon him the reproche and shame of our iniquities and on the other side couered vs with his cleannesse It semeth that he meante the same when he speaketh of sinne that sinne was condemned in his fleshe For the father destroyed the force of sinne when the curse thereof was remoued and layed vpon the fleshe of Christ. It is therefore declared by this sayeng that Christ was in his death offred vp to his father for a satisfactorie sacrifice that the whole satisfaction for sinne beyng ended by his sacrifice we might cesse to dread the wrath of God Nowe is it playne what that sayeng of the Prophete meaneth that the iniquities of vs all were layed vpon him that is that he entendynge to wype awaye the filthinesse of our iniquities was hymselfe as it were by waye of enterchanged imputation couered with them Of this the crosse whereunto he was fastened was a token as the Apostle testifieth Christe sayeth he redemed vs from the curse of the lawe when he was made a curse for vs. For it is wrytten Accursed is euery one that hangeth on the tree that the blessynge of Abraham mighte in Christe come to the Gentiles And the same had Peter respect vnto where he teacheth that Christ dyd beare our sinnes vpon the tree Bycause by the very token of the curse we doe more playnely learne that the burden wherewyth we weare oppressed was layed vpon hym And yet it is not so to bee vnderstanded that he toke vpon hym suche a curse wherewith hymselfe was ouerloden but rather that in takyng it vpon him he dyd treade downe breake and destroye the whole force of it And so fayth conceyueth acquitall in the condemnation of Christ and blessyng in his beyng accursed Wherefore Paule dothe not without a cause honorably reportâ— the triumph that Christe obteyned to hymselfe on the crosse as if the crosse whyche was full of shame had ben turned into a Chariot of triumphe For he sayth that the hande wrytyng whiche was against vs was fastened to the crosse and the Princely powers were spoyled and led openly And no maruell bycause as the other Apostle testifieth Christe offred vp hymself by the eternall spirit And therupon proceded that turnynge of the nature of thinges But that these thynges maye take stedfaste roote and be throughly settled in our heartes let vs alwaye thynke vpon his sacrifice and washyng For we coulde not certainely beleue that Christe was the raunsome redemption and satisfaction vnlesse he had ben a sacrificed hoste And therefore there is so often mention made of bloud where the Scripture sheweth the manner of our redemyng Albeit the bloud of Christ that was shed serued not only for sacrifice but also in steede of washyng to cleanse awaye our filthynesse It foloweth in the Crede that he was dead and buried Where agayne it is to be seene howe he dyd euerye where putte hymselfe in our stede to paye the pryce of our redemption Death held vs bound vnder his yoke Christ in our stede dyd yelde hymselfe into the power of death to deliuer vs from it This the Apostle meaneth where
that it pearced euen to the dead when the godly soules enioyed the presente sight of that visitation whiche they had carefully loked for on the other side it did more plainely appere to the reprobrate that they were excluded frō all saluation But whereas Peter in his sayeng maketh no distinction betwene them that is not so to be taken as though he mingled together the godly and vngodly without difference but only he meante to teache that generally they bothe had one common felyng of the death of Christ. But concernyng Christes goyng downe to the helles byside the consideracion of the Crede we muste seke for a more certayne exposition and we assuredly haue suche a one out of the worde of God as is not only holy and godly but also full of singular comforte Christes death had ben to no effect yf he had suffred only a corporall death but it behoued also that he shoulde feele the rigour of Gods vengeance that he might bothe appease his wrathe and satisfie his iuste iudgement For which cause also it behoued that he should as it were hand to hande wrastle with the armies of the helles and the horrour of eternall death We haue euen nowe alleged out of the Prophet that the chastisement of our peace was layed vpon him that he was striken of his father for our sinnes and broused for our infirmities Whereby is meante that he was put in the stede of wicked doers as suretie and pledge yea and as the very gilty persone himselfe to able and suffer all the punishmentes that shoulde haue ben layed vpon them this one thyng excepted that he could not be holden still of the sorrowes of death Therefore it is no maruell yf it be sayde that he wente downe to the helles sithe he suffred that death wherewith God in his wrathe stryketh wicked doers And their exception is very fonde yea and to be scorned whyche saye that by this exposition the order is peruerted bycause it were an absurditie to set that after his buriall whyche wente before it For after the settyng forth of those thynges that Christe suffred in the sighte of menne in very good order foloweth that inuisible and incomprehensible iudgement whiche he suffred in the sight of God that we shoulde knowe that not only the body of Christ was geuen to be the price of our redemptiō but that there was an other greater and more excellent price payed in this that in his soule he suffred the terrible tormentes of a dāned and forsaken manne According to this meaning doth Peter say that Christ rose againe hauyng loosed the sorrowes of death of whiche it was impossible that he should be holden or ouercomme He doth not name it simply death but he expresseth that the sonne of God was wrapped in the sorrowes of death whiche procede from the curse and wrath of God whiche is the originall of death For howe small a matte◠had it ben carelesly and as it were in sporte to come forthe to suffer death ▪ But this was a true profe of his infinite mercye not to shunne that death whyche he so sore trembled at And it is no doubte that the same is the Apostles meanyng to teache in the Epistle to the Hebrewes where he wryteth that Christ was heard of his owne Feare some translate it Reuerence or pietie but how vnfitly bothe the matter it selfe and the very manner of speakynge proueth Christ therefore prayeng with teares and mightye crye is hearde of his owne feare not to be free from death but not to be swallowed vp of death as a sinner bicause in that place he had but oure persone vpon him And truely there can be imagined no more dredfull bottomlesse depth than for a manne to fele himselfe forsaken and enstranged from God and not to be heard when he calleth vpon hym euen as yf God himselfe had conspired to his destruction Euen thether we see that Christ was throwen downe so farre that by enforcement of distresse he was compelled to crye out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me For whereas some woulde haue it taken that he so spake rather accordynge to the opinion of other than as he felte in himselfe that in no case probable for asmuche as it is euident that this sayeng proceded out of the very anguishe of the bottome of his heart Yet doe we not meane thereby that God was at any tyme his enemie or angry with him For how coulde he be angry with his beloued sonne vpon whome his mynde rested Or howe coulde Christ by his intercession appease his fathers wrath towarde other hauynge him hatefully bente agaynst himselfe But this is our meanyng that he suffred the greuousnesse of Gods rigor for that he beyng striken and tormented with the hande of God did fele all the tokens of God when he is angry and punisheth Whereupon Hylarie argueth thus that by this goyng downe we haue obteyned this that death is slaine And in other places he agreeth with our iudgement as where he sayth The crosse death and helles are our lyfe Agayne in an other place The sonne of God is in the helles but manne is carried vp to heauen But why doe I alledge the testimonie of a priuate manne when the Apostle affirmeth the same rehersing this for a frute of his victorie that they were deliuered whiche weare by feare of death al their life long subiect to bondage It behoued therefore that he shal ouercōme that feare that naturally dothe continually torment and oppresse all mortall men whiche coulde not be done but by fightyng with it Moreouer that his feare was no common feare or conceiued vpon a sclender cause shall by and by more playnely appere So by fightynge hand to hand with the power of the Deuel with the horrour of death with the peines of the helles it came to passe that he both had the victorie of them and triumphed ouer them that we nowe in death shoulde no more feare those thynges whiche our Prince hath swallowed vp Here some lewde menne although vnlearned yet rather moued by malice than by ignoraunce crye out that I do a haynous wrong to Christ bycause it was agaynste conueniencie of reason that he should be fearefull for the saluation of his soule And then they more hardly enforce this cauillation with sayeng that I ascribe to the sonne of God desperation whiche is contrarie to fayth First they doe but maliciously moue controuersie of Christes feare and trembling whiche the Euangelistes do so playnely report For a little before that the time of his death approched he was troubled in spirit and passioneth wyth heauynesse and at his very metyng with it he began more vehemently to tremble for feare If they say that he did but counterfait that is to foule a shift We must therefore as Ambrose trulie teacheth boldly confesse the sorrowfulnesse of Christ vnlesse we be a shamed of his crosse And truely yf his soule had not ben partaker
of peyne he had ben only a redemer for bodies But it behoued that he should wrastle to rayse vp them that laye throwen downe And his heauenly glorie is so nothyng appeired thereby that euen herein gloriously shineth his goodnesse whyche is neuer sufficiently praysed that he refused not to take our weakenesses vpon him From whense is also that comforte of oure anguishes and sorrowes whiche the Apostle setteth before vs that this Mediatour dyd feele our infirmities that he might bee the more earnestly bente to succour vs in miserie They saye that that thynge whiche is euell of it selfe is vnworthily ascribed to Christ. As though they were wiser than the spirit of God whiche ioyneth these two thinges together that Christe was in all thynges tempted as we are and yet that he was without sinne Therfore there is no cause that the weakenesse of Christ should make vs afrayde whereunto he was not by violence or necessitie cōpelled but by mere loue of vs and by mercie was led to submit himselfe And what so euer he of his owne will suffred for vs diminisheth nothyng of his power But in this one poynte are these backebiters deceyued that they do not perceyue in Christ an infirmitie cleane and free from all faulte and spot bycause he kepte himselfe within the boundes of obedience For whereas there can be founde no moderation in our corrput nature where al our affections do with troublesome violence excede all measure they doe wronge to measure the forme of God by that standard But when man was in his vncorrupted state then there was a moderation hauyng force in all his affections to restrayne excesse Wherby he might well be that he was like vnto vs in sorrowe dread and fearefulnesse yet that by this marke he differed from vs. Beyng so confuted thei leape to an other cauillation that though Christ feared death yet he feared not the curse and wrath of God frō which he knew himself to be safe But let the godly readers weye how honorable this is for Christ that he was more tēder and more fearefull than the most part of the very rascall sort of men Theues other euell doers do obstinately hast to death many do with haute courage despise it some other do midly suffer it But what constācie or stoute courage were it for the sonne of God to be astonished in a maner striken dead with feare of it For euen that whiche among the common sort might be accompted miraculous is reported of him that for vehemencie of griefe very droppes of bloud did fal from his face Neither did he this to make a shew to the eyes of other but whē in a secret corner whether he was gone out of companie he groned vnto his father And this putteth it out of all dout the it was needeful that he should haue Angels to come downe frō heauen to relieue him with an vnwonted maner of cōforting How shameful a tēdernesse as I sayd should this haue ben to be so far tormented for feare of cōmon death as to melt in bloudy sweate and not to be able to be comforted but by sight of Angels What doth not that prayer thryse repeted Father if it be possible let this cuppe departe from me proceding frō an incredible bitternesse of heart shewe that Christ had a more cruell and harder battell than with common death Whereby appereth that those triflers agaynst whome I nowe dispute doe boldly babble vpon thynges that they knowe not bicause they neuer earnestly considered what it is or of howe great importance it is that we be redemed from the iudgement of God But this is our wisedome well to vnderstand how deere our saluation dyd cost the sonne of God Now yf a man should aske me if Christ went then downe to hell when he prayed to escape that death I answere that then was the beginnyng of it whereby may be gathered how greuous and terrible tormentes he suffred whē he knew himself to stand to be arrayned for our cause before the iudgement seate of God But although for a moment of time the diuine power of the spirit did hide it selfe to geue place to the weakenesse of the fleshe yet muste we know that the tentation by felyng of sorrowe and feare was suche as was not agaynst fayth And so was that fulfilled whiche is in the Sermon of Peter that he could not be holden of the sorrowes of death bycause when he felt himselfe as it were forsaken of God yet he did nothyng at all swarue from the trust of his goodnesse Whiche is proued by that his notable callyng vpon God when for extremitie of peyne he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me For though he was aboue measure greued yet he cesseth not to call him his God of whome he cryeth out that he was forsaken Moreouer hereby is confuted as well the errour of Apollinaris as theirs that were called Monothelites Apollinaris fayned that Christ had an eternall spirit in stede of a soule so that he was only but half a mā As though he could cleanse our sinnes any other way but by obeyeng his father But where is the affectiō or will of obedience but in the soule whiche soule of his we knowe was troubled for this purpose to driue awaye feare and bryng peace and quietnesse to our soule Agayne for confusion of the Monothelites we see how nowe he willed not that thinge accordyng to his nature of manhode whiche he willed according to his nature of godhed I omit to speake howe he did subdue the aforesayd feare with a contrarie affection For herein is a playne shewe of contrarietie Father deliuer me from this houre But euen herefore I came euen into this houre Father glorifie my name In whiche perplexitie yet was there no such outrage in him as is seen in vs euen then when we must of al endeuour to subdue our selues Nowe foloweth his resurrection from the dead without which al that we haue hetherto were but vnperfect For sithe there appereth in the crosse death buriall of Christ nothyng but weakenesse faith must passe beyond all those thinges that it maye be furnished with ful strength Therfore although we haue in his death a full accomplishment of saluation bicause by it bothe we are reconciled to God and his iust iudgement is satisfied and the curse taken awaye and the penaltie fully payed yet we are sayd to be regenerate into a liuing hope not by his death but by his risyng agayne For as he in risyng againe rose vp the vanquisher of death so the victorie of our fayth consisteth in the very resurrection but howe this is is better expressed in the wordes of Paule For he sayth that Christ died for our sinnes and was raysed vp agayne for our iustification as if he should haue sayd that by his death sinne was taken awaye and by his risyng agayne righteousnesse was renewed and restored For how
could he by dyâ—ng deliuer vs from death yf he himself had lyen still ouercoÌ„me by death Now could he haue gotten victorie for vs if himself had ben vanquished in fight Wherefore we doe so parte the matter of our saluation betwene the death and resurrection of Christ that by his death we saye sinne was taken awaye and death destroied and by his resurrection righteousnesse was repaired and lyfe raysed vp agayne but so that by meane of his resurrectoiÌ„ his death doth shewe forth her force and effect vnto vs. Therefore Paule affirmeth that in his very resurrection he was declared the sonne of God bycause then at last he vttered his heauenly power whiche is bothe a cleare glasse of his godhed a stedfast staye of our fayth As also in an other place he teacheth that Christ suffred after the weakenesse of the flew rose againe by the power of the spirit And in the same meaning in an other place where he entreateth of perfection he sayth that I maye knowe him and the power of his resurrection Yet by and by after he adioyneth the fellowship with death Wherw th most aptly agreeth that sayeng of Peter that God raysed him vp from the dead and gaue him glorie that our faith and hope might be in God not that our faith beyng vpholden by his death should wauer but that the power of God whiche kepeth vs vnder fayth doth principally shewe it selfe in the resurrection Therefore let vs remember that so oft as mention is made of his death only there is also comprehended that whiche properly belongeth to his resurrection and like figure of comprehension is there in the word ResurrectioÌ„ as oft as it is vsed seuerally without speaking of his death so that it draweth with it that whiche peculiarly peâ—teineth to his death But for as much as by risyng agayne he obteyned the crowne of conquest so that there should be both resurrection and life therefore Paule doth for good cause affirme that fayth is destroyed and the Gospell is become vayne and deceitefull if the resuâ—â—â—â—tion of Christ be not fastened in our heartes Therfore in another place after he had gloried in the death of Christ agaynste all the errors of damnation to amplifie the same he sayth further Yea the same He whiche died is risen vp agayne and nowe standeth a Mediatour for vs in the presence of God Furthermore as we haue before declared that vpon the partakyng of his crosse hangeth the mortificatioÌ„ of our flesh so is it to be vnderstanded that by his resurrection we obteyne an other commoditie whiche answereth that mortificatioÌ„ For sayth the Apostle we are therefore graffed into the likenesse of his death that beyng partakers of his resurrection we may walke in newnesse of life Therefore in an other place as he gathereth an argument of this that we are dead together with Christ to proue that we ought to mortifie our members vpon earth likewise also bicause we are risen vp with Christ he gathereth thereupon that we ought to seke for those thinges that are aboue and not those that are vpon the earth By which wordes we are not only exhorted to be raysed vp after the exaÌ„ple of Christ to follow a newnesse of life But we are taught that it is wrought by his power that we are regenerate into righteousnesse We obteyne also a third frute of his resurrection that we are as by an earnest deliuered vs assured of our owne resurrection of whiche we knowe that his resurrection is a most certaine argument Whereof he disputeth more at large in the .xv. chapter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians But by the waye this is to be noted that it is sayd that he rose agayne from the dead in which sayeng is expressed the truthe bothe of his death and of his resurrection as yf it had ben sayd that he did bothe die the same death that other menne naturally doe dye and receyued immortalitie in the same fleshe whiche he had put on mortall To his resurrection is not vnfittly adioyned his ascendynge into heauen For although Christ beganne more fully to set forth his glorie and power by risyng agayne for that he had nowe layed awaye that base and vnnoble estate of mortal life and the shame of the crosse yet by his ascendynge vp into heauen only he truely beganne his kyngedome Whiche the Apostle sheweth where he teacheth that Christ ascended to fulfil al thinges Where in semyng of repugnancie he sheweth that there is a goodly agreement bycause he so departed from vs that yet his presence might be more profitable to vs whiche had ben penned in a base lodgyng of the flesh while he was conuersant in earth And therefore Iohn after that he had rehearsed that notable callyng If any thirst let him come to me c. By and by sayth that the holy ghost was not yet geuen to the faythfull bycause Iesus was not yet glorified Whiche the Lord himselfe also did testifie to the Disciples sayeng It is expedient for you that I goe awaye For if I doe not goe away the holy ghost shall not come But he geueth them a comfort for his corporall absence that he will not leaue them as parentlesse but will come agayne to them after a certayne manner in deede inuisible but yet more to be desired bycause they were then taught by more assured experience that the authoritie whyche he enioyeth and the power whiche he vseth is sufficient for the faithfull not only to make them liue blessedly but also to die happyly And truely we see howe muche greater abundance of his spirite he then poured out how much more royally he then aduauÌ„ced his kingdome howe much greater power he then shewed bothe in helpyng his and in ouerthrowyng his enemies Beyng therefore taken vp into heaueÌ„ he toke away the presence of his body out of our sight not to cesse to be present with the faythfull that yet wandred in the earth but with more present power to gouerne both heauen and earth But rather the same that he had promised that he would be with vs to the ende of the worlde he performed by this his ascendyng by whiche as his bodye was lifted vp aboue all heauens so his power and effectuall workynge was poured and spred abrode beyonde all the baundes of heauen and earth But this I had rather to declare in Augustines wordes than mine owne Christ sayth he was to goe by death to the right hande of the father from whense he is to come to iudge the quicke and the dead and that lykewyse in bodyly presence accordyng to the â—ounde doctrine and rule of fayth For in spirituall presence with them he was to come after his ascension And in an other place more largely and plainely Accordyng to an vnspeakeable and vnuisible grace is that fulfilled whiche he had spoken beholde I am with you all the dayes euen to the ende of the worlde But
he saithe in an other place that by the comming of faith the lawe is taken awaie meaning by this word faith yeâ—ewe vnaccustomed manner of teaching wherby Christ sins he appeared our scholemaster hath more plainlâ— set forth the mercy of his father more certainly testified of our saluation Albeit it shal be the more easye more conuenient ordre if we descend by degrees from the generaltie to the specialtie First we must be put in minde that there is a general relation of faith to the word that faith can no more be seuered from the word than the sun beames from the sume froÌ„ whome thei procede Therfore in Esaie God cryeth out Heare me and your soule shall lyue And that the same is the fountaine of faythe Ihon sheweth in these woordes These thinges are written that ye may beleue And the prophete meaninge to exhorte the people to beleefe saythe This daie yiÌ„ ye shall heare hys voyce And to heare is commmonly taken for to Beleue Moreouer God dothe not wythout cause in Esaie sette thys marke of difference betwene the children of the Churche and straungers that he will instructe them all that thei maie be taught of him For if it were a benefite vniuersall to all why shoulde he direct hys woordes to a fewe Wherewith agreeth thys that the Euangelistes do commonly vse the woordes Faithfull and Disciples as seuerall wordes expressing one thing specially Luke very oft in the Actes of the Apostles Yea and he stretcheth that name euen to a woman in the ninthe chapiter of the Actes Wherefore if faith do swerue neuer so little from this marke to which it ought to be directly leuelled it kepeth not her owne nature butte becometh an vncertaine lightnesse of belefe and wandring erroure of mynde The same Worde is the foundation wherwith faith is vpholden susteined from which if it swarue it falleth downe Therfore take awaie the Worde then there shal remaine no faith We do not here dispute whether the ministerie of man be necessarie to sowe the worde of God that faithe may be conceiued thereby which question we will els where entreate of but we saie that the worde it self howesoeuer it be conueied to vs is like a mirroure when faith may beholde God Whether God dothe therein vse the seruice of man or worke it by his owne onely power yet he doth alwaie shewe him selfe by his worde to those whome his will is to drawe vnto him wherevpon Paule defineth faithe to be an obedience that is geuen to the Gospell Rom. i. And in an other place he praiseth the obedience of faithe in the Philippians For this is not the onely purpose in the vnderstanding of faithe that we knowe that there is a God but this also yea this chefely that we vnderstande what wil he beareth toward vs. For it not so muche behoueth vs to knowe what he is in himself but what a one he will be to vs. Nowe therefore we are come to thys point that faithe is a knoweledge of the will of God perceyued by his worde And the foundation hereof is a foreconceiued persuasion of the truthe of God Of the assurednesse whereof so longe as thy minde shal dispute with it selfe the worde shall be but of doubtful and weake credit yea rather no credit at all But also it sufficeth not to beleue that God is a true speaker whiche can neither deceiue nor lie vnlesse thow further holde this for vndoubtedly determined that whatsoeuer procedeth from him is the sacred and inuiolable truthe But bicause not at euery word of God mans hearte is raised vp to faith we must yet further search what this faith in the word hath proprely respecte vnto It was the saieng of God to Adam Thou shalte die the death It was the saienge of God to Cain The bloode of thy brother crieth to me out of the earth Yet these are suche saiengs as of them selues canne doe nothynge butte shake faythe so muche lesse are they able to stablyshe faythe We denye not in the meane season that yt ys the offyce of faythe to agree to the truthe of God howe ofte soeuer what soeuer and in what sorte soeuer yt speaketh butte nowe oure question is onely what faythe fyndeth in the woorde of the Lorde to leane and rest vpon When oure conscience beholdeth onely indignation and vengeance howe canne it butte tremble and quake for feare And howe shoulde yt butte flee God of whome yt is afraide But faythe oughte to seeke God and not to flee from him It is plaine therefore that we haue not yet a full definition of faythe bycause it is not to be accompted for faithe to knowe the wyll of God of what sorte so euer it be But what yf in the place of wyll whereof many tymes the message is sorrowefull and the declaration dreadful we putte kindenesse or mercie Truely so we shal come nerer to the nature of faithe For wee are then allured to seeke God after that wee haue learned that saluation is laied vp in store with him for vs. Whyche thynge is confyrmed vnto vs when he declareth that he hath care and loue of vs. Therefore there needeth a promise of grace whereby he maie testifie that he is oure mercifull father for that otherwise wee canne not approche vnto hym and vpon that alone the hearte of man maie safely rest For thys reason commonly in the Psalmes these two thinges Mercie and Truth do cleaue together bicause neither should it any thynge profite vs to know that God is true vnlesse he did mercifully allure vs vnto him neither were it in our power to embrace his mercie vnlesse he did with his owne mouthe offer it I haue reported thy truth and thy saluation I haue not hidden thy goodnesse and thy truthe Thy goodnesse and thy trueth keepe me In an other place Thy mercie to the heauens thy trueth euen to the cloudes Againe All the wayes of the Lorde are mercie and trueth to them that keepe his couenant Againe His mercie is multiplied vpon vs and the truth of the Lorde abydeth for euer Againe I will singe to thy name vpon thy mercie and trueth I omitte that whiche is in the Prophetes to the same meaninge that God is mercifull and faythfull in hys promyses For wee shall rashly determine that God is merciefull vnto vs vnlesse himselfe do testifie of himselfe and preuent vs wyth his callinge leaste his wil shoulde be doubtful and vnknowen But we haue already seen that Christ is the onely pledge of his loue without whome on euery side appeare the tokens of hatred and wrath Nowe forasmuche as the knoweledge of Gods goodnesse shall not muche preuayle vnlesse he make vs to rest in it therefore suche an vnderstanding is to be banished as is mingled with doubting and doth not soundli agree in it selfe but as it were disputeth with it selfe But mans witte as yt is blinde and darkened is farre from
the olde man to forsake the world flesh to bidde our lustes farewel to be renewed in the spirit of our minde Morouer the very name of mortificatioÌ„ doth put vs in minde how hard it is to forget our former nature bicause we therby gather that we are not otherwise framed to the feare of God nor do learne the principles of godlinesse but when we are violently slaine with the worde of the Spirit and so brought to nought euen as though God should pronounce that to haue vs to be accompted amonge his children there needeth a death of all our commune nature Both these thinges do happen vnto vs by the partaking of Christ For yf we doe truely communicate of his death by the power there of our old man is crucified the body of sinne dieth that the corruption of our former nature maye liue no more If we be partakers of his resurrection by it we are raised vp into a newnesse of life that maye agree with the righteousnesse of God In one worde I expouÌ„d repentance to be regeneration which hath no other marke wherunto it is directed but that the image of God which was by Adams offence fowly defaced in a maÌ„ner vitterly blotted out may be renewed in vs So the Apostle teacheth wheÌ„ he sayth but we representyng the glory of God with vncouered face are transâ—ormed into the same image out of glorie into glorie as by the spirit of the Lord. Againe Be ye renewed in the spirit of your minde and put on the new man whiche is created accordyng to God in righteousnesse and holinesse of truth Agayne in an other place puttyng on the new man whiche is renewed after the knowledge and image of hym that created him Therefore by this regeneration we be by the benefit of Christ restored into the righteousnesse of God from which we were fallen by Adam After which manner it pleaseth the lord wholly to restore all those whome he adopteth into the inheritance of life And this restoryng is fulfilled not in one moment or one day or one yere but by continuall yea and sometimes slowe procedynges God taketh awaye the corruptions of the fleshe in his elect cleanseth them from filthinesse and consecrateth them for temples to himself renewyng all their senses to true purenesse that they maye exercise themselues all their life in repentance and knowe that this warre hath no ende but in death And so much the greater is the lewdenesse of that filthy rayler apostata Staphylus whiche foolishly sayth that I confound the state of this present life with the heauenly glorie when I expounde by Paule the image of God to be holinesse and true righteousnesse As though when any thing is defined we should not seke the whole fulnesse perfection of it And yet we denie not place for encreasces but I saye that howe nere any man approcheth to the likenesse of God so much the image of God shineth in him That the faithful may atteyne hereunto God assigneth them the race of repentance wherin to runne all their life long The children of God therfore are so deliuered by regeneratioÌ„ from the bondage of sinne not that hauing now obteined the ful possessioÌ„ of libertie thei should fele no more trouble by their flesh but that thei shold haue remayning a continual matter of stryfe wherwith they maye be exercised and not only be exercised but also maye better learne their owne weakenesse And in this point all wryters of sound iudgement agre together that ther remaineth in maÌ„ regenerate a feding of euel from whense continually spryng desires that allure and stirre him to sinne They coÌ„fesse also that the holy ones are still so holden entangled with that disease of lusting that they can not withstand but that somtime they are tickled and stirred either to lust or to couetousnesse or to ambition or to other vices Neither is it needefull to labour muche in searchyng what the old writers haue thought herein for asmuche as only Augustine may be sufficient for it whiche hath faithfully with great diligence gathered al their iudgemeÌ„tes Therfore let yâ— readers gather out of him such certaintie as they shall desire to learne of the opinion of antiquitie But there may seme to be this differeÌ„ce betwene him vs that he when he graunteth that the faithfull so long as they dwell in a mortal body are so holden bound with lustes that they can not but lust yet dareth not call that disease sinne but beyng coÌ„tent to expresse it by the name of weakenesse he teacheth that then only it becoÌ„meth sinne when either worke or consent is added to conceite or receiuyng that is when will yeldeth to the first desire but we accompt the very same for sinne that maÌ„ is tickled with any desire at al against the law of God Yea we affirme that the very corruption that engendreth such desires in vs is sinne We teach therfore that there is alway sinne in the holy ones vntil they be vnclothed of the mortall body bycause there remaineth in their fleshe that peruersnesse of lustyng that fighteth against vprightnesse And yet he doth not alway forbeare to vse the name of Sinne as when he sayth This Paule calleth by the name of sinne from whense spryng all sinnes vnto a fleshly concupiscence This asmuch as perteyneth to the holy ones loseth the kingdome in earth and perisheth in heauen By which wordes he confesseth that the faithfull are gilty of sinne in so much as they are subiect to the lustes of the fleshe But this that it is sayd that God purgeth his church froÌ„ al sinne that he promiseth that grace of deliuerance by Baptisme fulfilleth it in his elect we referre rather to the giltinesse of sinne thaÌ„ to the very matter of sinne God truely performeth this by regeneratyng them that be his that in them the kingdome of sinne is abolished for the holy ghost ministreth theÌ„ strength whereby they get the vpper hand and are conquerors in the battell but it cesseth only to reigne not so to â—well in them Therfore we so say that the olde man is crucified the law of sinne abolished in the children of God that yet there remayne some leauynges not to haue dominion in them but to humble them by knowledge in conscience of their owne weakenesse And we confesse that the same are not imputed as if they weare not but we affirme that this coÌ„meth to passe by the mercie of God that the holy ones are deliuered from this giltinesse whiche otherwise should iustly be reckened sinners and gilty before God And this sentence it shall not be hard for vs to coÌ„firme for asmuch as there are euident testimonies of the scripture vpoÌ„ their matter For what wold we haue more plaine than that which Paul crieth out to the Romanes chap. vii First both we haue in an other place shewed and Augustine proueth by strong reasons that Paule
make men openly of counsell and witnesses of our repentance but to confesse priuately to God is a part of true repentance whiche can not be omitted For there is nothing more vnreasonable than to loke to haue God to pardon vs the sinnes in whiche we flatter our selues do hide them by Hipocrisye least he should bryng them to light And it behoueth vs not only to confesse those sinnes whiche we dayely coÌ„mit but more greuous offenses ought to drawe vs further and to cal agayne into our remembrance thynges that seme longe agoe buried Whiche lesson Dauid geueth vs by his example For beyng touched with shame of his newly committed fault he examineth himself euen to the time when he was in his mothers wombe and confesseth that euen then he was corrupted and infected with the filthinesse of the fleshe And this he doeth not to diminish the haynousnesse of his fault as many hide themselues in the multitude and seke to escape punishment by wrappyng other with them But Dauid doth far otherwise which with simple plainesse enforceth his fault in sayeng that beyng corrupt froÌ„ his first infancie he hath not cessed to heape euels vpon euels Also in an other place he likewise so examineth his passed life that he craueth the mercie of God for that sinnes of his youth And truely theÌ„ only shal we proue our drowsinesse to be shaken away froÌ„ vs if gronyng vnder our burden and bewayling our euels we aske reliâ—se of God It is moreouer to be noted that the repentance which we are coÌ„mauÌ„ded coÌ„tinually to applie differeth froÌ„ that repeÌ„tance that lifteth vp as it were from death them that either haue filthily fallen or with vnbridled licentiousnesse haue throwen forth themselues to sinne or after a certaine manner of rebellions reuoltyng haue shaken of the yoke of God For the Scripture ofteÌ„times when it exhorteth to repeÌ„tance meaneth therby as it were a passage or rising againe froÌ„ death into life when it reherseth that the people did penaunce it meaneth that they were turned froÌ„ their idolatrie other grolâ—e offences And in like maner Paul threateneth mourning vnto sinners that haue not done penance for their wantonnesse fornication vnchastitie This differeÌ„ce is to be diligently marked least while we heare that few ar called to penaÌ„ce a more thaÌ„ carelesse assuredness shuld crepe vpoÌ„ vs as though the mortifieng of the fleshe did no more beloÌ„g vnto vs the care wherof the corrupt desires that alway tickle vs the vices that coÌ„monly budde vp in vs do not suffer vs to release Therfore the speciall repentance which is required but of some whoÌ„ the Deuell hath violeÌ„tly carried away froÌ„ the feare of God fast bound with daÌ„nable snares taketh not away the ordinary repeÌ„tance which the corruptnesse of nature coÌ„pelleth vs to applie throughout all the whole course of our life Now if that be true which is most euidently certaine that all the summe oâ— the gospel is conteined in these two principall pointes Repentance forgeuenesse of sinnes doe we not see that the Lord doth therefore freely iustifie them that be his that he may also by the sanctification of his Spirit restore them into true righteousnesse Iohn the Angel sent before â— face of Christ to prepare his wayes preached Repent ye for the kyngdome of heauen is come nere at hande In callyng them to repentance he dyd put them in minde to acknowlege themselues sinners and all that was theirs to be damnable before the Lord that they might with all their heartes to desire the mortifâ—eng of their fleshe a newe regeneration in the Spirit In tellyng them of the kingdome of God he called them to faith For by the kingdome of God whiche he taught to be at hand he meant forgeuenesse of sinnes saluation and life and all that euer we get in Christ. Wherfore in the other Euangelistes it is written Iohn came preaching the Baptisme of repentaÌ„ce vnto â—orgeuenesse of sinnes And what is that els but that thei beyng oppressed weried with the burden of sinnes shold turne to the Lord conceyue good hope of forgeuenesse saluatioÌ„ So Christ also beganne his preachynges The kingdome of God is come nere at hand repent ye and beleue the Gospel First he declareth that the treasures of Gods mercie are opened in him and theÌ„ he requireth repentance and last of all coÌ„fidence in the promises of God â–ª Therfore when he meant briefly to coÌ„preheÌ„d the whole summe of the gospel he sayd that he must suffer rise agayne from the dead that repentance and forgeuenesse of sinnes must be preached in his name The Apostles also preached the same after his resurrection that he was raysed vp by God to geue to Israel repentance and forgeuenesse of sinnes Repentance is preached in the name of Christ when men do heare by the doctrine of the gospell that al their thoughtes their affections and their endeuors are corrupt and faulty and that therfore it is necessarie that they be borne againe if thei wyll entre into the kingdome of God Forgeuenesse of sinnes is preached when men ar taught that Christ is made to them redemption righteousnesse saluatioÌ„ and life in whose name they are freely accompted righteous and innocent in the sight of God whereas bothe these graces are receiued by fayth as I haue in an other place declared yet bicause the goodnesse of God whereby sinnes are forgeuen is the profe obiect of fayth therefore it shal be good that it be diligently distinguished from repentance Now as the hatred of sinne which is the beginnyng of repentaÌ„ce openeth vs the first entrie vnto Christ which sheweth himself to none but to miserable and afflicted sinners which grone labour are loden are hungry and thirsty and pine awaye with sorrowe and miserie so must we endeuor toward repentance throughout all our life applie it and follow it to the ende if we will abide in Christ. For he came to cal sinners but to repentance he was sent to blesse the vnworthy but so that euery one should turne himself froÌ„ his wickednesse The Scripture is full of such sayenges Wherefore when God offreth forgeuenesse of sinnes he likewise vseth to require on our parte repentance secretly declaryng thereby that his mercie ought to be to men a cause to repent them Do sayth he iudgement and righteousnesse bycause saluation is come nere at hand Agayne There shall come to Sion a Redemer and to them that in Iacob repeÌ„t from their sinnes Againe Seke the Lord while he may be found cal vpon him while he is nere Let the wicked leue his way the wickednesse of his thoughtes be turned to the Lord he shall haue mercie on him Againe Turne ye repent that your sinnes may be done away Where yet is to be noted that this coÌ„dition is not so annexed as though our repentance were a fundatioÌ„ to deserue pardoÌ„ but rather
why do thei draw to them yâ— knoweledge of natural fleshely leprosie This forsoothe is not to mocke with the Scriptures The lawe geueth to the Leuiticall preestes the knowledge of Leprosie therefore let vs take yt vpon vs. Sinne is a spirituall leprosie therefore lette vs also bee examiners of sinne Nowe I aunswere sithe the preestehoode is remoued it is necessarie that the law be remoued also Al presthodes are remoued to Christe and fulfilled and ended in him therefore to him onely al the right and honoure of preesthoode is also remoued It thei loue so wel to folow Allegories let them set Christ before them for the only preest and heape vpon his iudgement seate the free iurisdiction of al things this we can easily be content to suffer Moreouer their allegorie is very vnfitt that setteth among the ceremonies that lawe whiche is mearly politike Why then did Christe send the leprous menne to the preestes That the preestes shoulde not cauill that hee did breake the lawe that commaunded the man healed of the leprosie to bee shewed before the preeste and purged with offering of sacrifice therefore he commaunded the leprous men being cleansed to do that whiche belonged to the law Goe saith he and shewe your selues to the preeste and offer the gifte that Moses hathe commaunded in the lawe that it shoulde be for a witnesse vnto them And truely this miracle shold haue ben a witnes vnto them for thei had pronounced them leprous and nowe they pronounce them healed Are thei not whether thei will or no compelled to become witnesses of Christes miracles Christ leaueth to them his miracle to be examined thei canne not denie it But bicause thei still dallie with it therfore this worke is for a witnesse vnto them So in an other place This Gospell shal be preached in all the worlde for a witnesse to al nations Again ye shal be ledde before kinges and gouernours for a witnesse to them that is that in the iudgemenâ—e of God thei maie be more strongly conuinced But if thei had rather folow Chrysostome he also teacheth that Christe did this for the Iewes sake that he shoulde not be accompted a breaker of the law Albeit in so cleare a matter I am ashamed to alleage the wittnesse of any man wheras Christ pronounceth that he leaueth the righte of the lawe whole to the preestes as to the professed enemies of the Gospell whiche were alway bent to carpe against it if their mouth had not ben stopped Wherfore that the popish sacrificeng preestes maie still keepe this possession let them openly take partes with them which must of necessitie be restrained by force that they speake not ill against Christe For this nothing belongeth to his trewe ministers Thei bring their second argument out of the same fountaine that is from an allegorie as though allegories were of greate force to confyrme any doctrine But lette them be of force if I do not proue that I can make a fairer shewe of them for my syde than thei can for theirs Thei say The Lorde commaunded his Disciples that when Lazarus was raised vp thei shold vnbinde an losse him from hys bondes Here first the lie for it is no wher reade thay the Lorde saide this to the Disciples and it is muche more likely that he saide it to the Iewes that stoode by him that the miracle might be made the more euident without suspition of fraud his power appeare yâ— greater yâ— without any touching with his onely worde he raised vp deade men For thus I expounde it that the Lorde to take awaie all wrongfull opinion from the Iewes willed them to rolle awaie the stone to feâ—le the stinke to beholde assured tokens of death to see him rising by the onely power of his worde and them first to feele him liuing And this is the iudgement of Chrysostome But let vs graunt that this was spoken to the Disciples what wil thei get therby That the Lord gaue his Apostles power to loose But how much more fitly and more handesomely might these thinges be applied by waie of allegorie to saie that by this signe the lord meanie to instruct his faithful to loose them that he had raised vp that is that they sholde not cal into remembrance those sinnes that he had forgotten that thei shold not condemne them for sinners whom he had acquited that thei sholde not reproche men with those thinges that he had forgeuen that thei shoulde not be rigorous to punish and lightly offended wher he is mercifull and easily entreated to spare Truely nothing ought to moue vs more to readinesse to forgeue than the exaumple of the Iudge that threatneth that he wyll be vnappeasable to them that be to rigorous and vngentle Nowe let them goe and boaste of their allegories But nowe thei ioyne more nere hande with vs when thei fight as thei thinke with open sentences Thei that came to Ihons baptisme did confesse their sinnes Iames willeth that we confesse oure sinnes one to an other No maruell if they that wolde be baptised did confesse their sinnes for it was saide before that Ihon preached the baptisme â–ª of repentance and baptised in water vnto repentance Whom shold he then haue baptized but them that had confessed themselues sinners Baptisme is a token of the forgeuenesse of sinnes and who shold be admitted to this token but sinners and thei that acknowledg themselues to be such Therfore thei confessed their sinnes that thei might be baptised And not without a cause doth Iames bidde vs confesse one to an other But if thei did marke what foloweth nexte after thei would vnderstande that this also maketh little for them Confesse saithe he one to an other your sinnes praie one for an other He ioyneth together mutuall confession and mutuall praier If we must confesse to prestes onely then muste wee also praie for prestes onely Yea What and if it might folowe of the wordes of Iames that onely preestes mighte confesse for when he willeth that we shold confesse one to an other he speaketh onely to them that may heare the confessions of other his worde is in greke Allelous mutually enterchangeably by turnes or if thei so like best to terme it by waye of reciprocatioÌ„ one to an other But so enterchaÌ„geably none can coÌ„fesse but thei that are meete to here confessions Whiche prerogatiue syth thei vouchesaue to graunt only to prestes we do also put ouer the office of confessing to theÌ„ only Therefore away with such trifelinges let vs take the very meaning of the Apostle which is simple plaine that is yâ— we sholde laye our weakenesse one in an others bosome to receiue mutuall counsel mutuall compassioÌ„ and mutuall comforte one of an other then that wee be naturally priuie to the weakenesses of our brothren shold praie for them to the Lord. Why do thei then alleage Iames against vs which do so earnestly require the confessioÌ„ of the
kepyng silence put his enemies to silence But that we may not suffer them freely to scorne his holy name he deliuereth to vs out of his word weapons agaynst them Wherefore if any man assayle vs with such wordes why God hath from the beginning predestinate some to death which wheÌ„ thei were not could not yet deserue the iudgemeÌ„t of death we in steede of answer may againe on our side aske of them what they thinke that God oweth to maÌ„ if he wil iudge him bi his owne nature In such sort as we be al corrupted with sinne we can not but be hatefull to God that not by tirannous crueltie but by most vpright reason of iustice If all they whom the Lord doâ—h predestinate to death are by the estate of nature subiect to the iudgemeÌ„t of death of what vniustice against theÌ„selues I beseche you may they complaine Let al the sonnes of AdaÌ„ come Let them striue dispute with their creator for that by his eternall prouideÌ„ce they were before their generation condemned to euerlastyng miserie What shall they be able ones to mutter agaynst this defense when God on the other side shal call them to reknowlegyng of themselues If they be all takeÌ„ out of a corrupt masse it is no maruell if they be subiect to damnation Let them not therefore accuse God of vniustice if by his eternall iudgement they be apointed to death to which thei themselues do â—ele whether they will or no that they are willingly led of their owne nature Whereby appereth how wroÌ„gfull is the desire of their murmuryng bicause they do of set purpose hide the cause of damnatioÌ„ which they are coÌ„pelled to acknowlege in theÌ„selues the layeng of the blame vpon God may acquite them But though I do a hundred times confesse as it is most true that God is the author of it yet they do not by and by wipe away the giltinesse whiche beyng engrauen in their coÌ„sciences from time with oft recourse presenteth it self to their eyes Agayne they except and saye were they not before predestinate by the ordinance of God to the same corruption whiche is now alledged for the cause of daÌ„nation WheÌ„ therfore thei perish in their corruptioÌ„ thei do nothing but suffer the punishmeÌ„t of that miserie into which by his predestinatioÌ„ Adam sel drew his posteritie hedloÌ„g with him Is not he therefore uniust whiche doth so cruelly mocke his creatures I graunt in deede that al the children of AdaÌ„ fel by the wil of God into that miserie of state wherin they be now bouÌ„d this is it that I sayd at the beginning that at length we must alway returne to the determination of the wil of God the cause wherof is hiddeÌ„ in himself But it foloweth not by by that God is subiect to this sclauÌ„der For we wil with Paul answer theÌ„ in this maÌ„ner O man what art thou that coÌ„tendest with God doth the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou formed me so Hath not the potter power to make of the same luÌ„pe one vessel to honor an other to dishonor They will say that the righteousnesse of God is so not truely defended but that we seke a shift such as thei are wont to haue that want a iust eâ—euse For what els semeth here to be sayd thaÌ„ that God hath a power which can not be hindered from doyng any thing whatsoeuer it be as he will himselfe But it is far otherwise For what stronger reason can be brought than wheÌ„ we are coÌ„maunded to think what a one God is For how should be coÌ„mit any vniustice which is iudge of the world If it properly perteine to the nature of God to do iudgemeÌ„t then he naturally loueth righteousnesse abhorreth vnrighteousnesse Wherefore the Apostle did not as though he were ouertakeÌ„ loke about for holes to hide him but shewed that the reason of the righteousnesse of God is hier than that it either is to be measured by the measure of man or may be comprehended by the sclender capacitie of the wit of man The Apostle in deede confesseth that there is such depth in the iudgemeÌ„tes of God wherwith the mindes of men shold be swalowed if ther endeuored to pearce into it But he teacheth also how haynous wroÌ„g it is to binde the workes of God to such a law that so sone as we vnderstaÌ„d not the reason of them we may be bold to disalow them It is a knowen sayeng of SalonioÌ„ which yet fem do rightly vnderstand The great creator of al reÌ„dreth reward to the foole and reward to transgressors For he crieth out concerning the greatnesse of God in whose will it is to punish fooles transgressors although he do not vouchesaue to let them haue his Spirit And moÌ„struous is the madnesse of men when they so couet to make that whiche is vnmeasurable subiect to the smal measure of their reason The Angels which stoode still in their vprightnesse Paul calleth elect If their stedfastnesse was grouÌ„ded vpon the good pleasure of God the falling away of the other proueth that they were forsaken Of which thing there can no other cause be alleged than reprobatioÌ„ which is hidden in the secret counsell of God Goe to let there now be present some Manichee or Celestine a sclauÌ„derer of the prouidence of God I say with Paule that there ought no reason to be rendred therof bicause with the greatnesse of it it far surmounteth our vnderstanding What maruel or what absurditie is it Wold he haue the power of God so limited that it may be able to work no more than his minde is able to conceyue I saye with Augustine that they are created of the Lorde whome he without douâ—yng foreknew that they should goe into destruction and that it was so done bicause he so willed but why he willed it is not our pâ—rt to ask a reason of it who can not comprehend iâ— â—either is it mete that the â—nd of God should come downe into coÌ„trouersie amoÌ„g vs of whiche so ofâ— aâ— mention is made vnder the name of it is named the hiest rule of righteousnesse Why therefore is any question moued of vnrighteousnesse where righteousnesse clerely appereth Neither let vs be ashamed after the exaÌ„ple of Paule so to stoppe the mouthes of the wicked â—roÌ„ time to time so oft as thei shal be bold to barke against it to repete this Whoe be ye miserable men that lay an accusation to Gods charge â–ª do therfore lay it to his charge bicause he doth not teÌ„per the greatnesse of his workes to your dulnesse As though thei were therfore wroÌ„gful bicause they are hidden froÌ„ flesh The vnmeasurablenesse of the iudgementes of God is by cleare experiences knowen vnto you Ye know that they are called the depe bottomlesse depth Nowe aske of the narrow capacities of your wit whether they coÌ„prehend that whiche God hath decreed with himself What good doth it you
from thys care for verily these promyses haue respect to the time to come All that my Father geueth mee shall come to me and him that shall come to mee I will not cast him oute of doers Againe This is the will of him that sente me the Father that I lose nothing of al things that he hath geuen me but may raise them vp againe in the last day Againe â–ª My shepe heare my voice and thei folowe me I knowe them and I geue them eternall life and thei shall not perishe for euer neither shall any man take them out of my hande The Father which gaue them to me is greater then all and no man can take them out of the hande of my Father Now when he pronouÌ„ceth Euery tree whiche my Father hathe not planted shall be plucked vp by the roote he signifieth on the coÌ„trary side that thei can neuer be plucked from saluation which haue roote in God Wherewith agreeth that saieng of Ihon If thei had ben of vs thei had not at all gone out from vs. Herevpon also commeth that noble glorieng of Paul against Life and Death present thinges and thinges to come which glorieng must nedes be grounded vpon the gift of continuance Neyther is it any doubt that he directeth this saieng to all the faithfull In an other place the same Paul saith He that hath begonne in you a good worke shal ende it euen vntil the day of Christ. As also Dauid when his faith fainted leaned vpon this stay Thou shalt not forsake the worke of thy handes And nowe neither is this doubtfull that Christ when he prayeth for all the faithfull asketh the same thinge for them whiche he asketh for Peter that their faith maye neuer faint Whereby we gather that thei are out of danger of falling awaie bycause the sonne of God askinge stedfaste continuance for their godlinesse suffered no deniall What woulde Christe haue vs to learne hereby but that wee shoulde truste that we shall perpetually be safe bicause we are ones made his But it dayly happeneth that thei whiche semed to be Christes do agayne reuolt from him fal yea in the very same place where he affirmeth that none had perished of them which were geuen him of the Father yet he excepteth the sonne of perditioÌ„ That is true in dede but this is also as certaine that such did neuer cleaâ—e to Christ with that aâ—fiance of heart with whiche I sate that the assurednesse of our election ys stablished Thei went out from vs saith Ihon but thei were not of vs. For if thei had ben of vs thei had still taried with vs. Neither do I deny that thei haue like signes of calling as the elect haue but I do not graunt that thei haue that sure stablishment of election which I bidde the faithfull to fetche out of the worde of the Gospell Wherfore let not suche examples moue vs but that we quietly reste vpon the promise of the Lord where he pronounceth that al thei are geuen to him of the Father which receiue him with true faith of whom sith he is their keper Pastor none shal perishe Of Iudas we shal speake hereafter Paule doth not counsell Christians from assurednesse altogether butte from carelesse and loose assurednesse of the fleshe whiche draweth wyth it pride presumptioÌ„ and disdaine of other and quencheth humilitie and the reuerence of God bringeth forgetfulnes of grace receiued For he speaketh to the Gentiles whome he teacheth that thei ought not proudly vngently to reproche that Iewes for this that the Iewes beinge disherited thei were set in their stede Feare also he requireth not wherew t thei sholde be dismaied stagger but whych framing vs to the humbler receiuing of the grace of God shold abate nothing of the affiance therof as we haue said in an other place Beside that he doth not there speake to euery maÌ„ particularly but to the sectes theÌ„selues generally For when the Churche was diuided into two parts enuie bred dissensioÌ„ Paul putteth the GeÌ„tiles in minde that their beiÌ„g supplied into the place of the peculiar holy people ought to bee to theÌ„ a cause of feare modesty And amoÌ„g theÌ„ ther wer many puffed vp with glory whose vaine bostiÌ„g it was profitable to beat downe But we haue in an other place shewed that our hope is extended to the time to come euen beyonde death that nothing is more contrarye to the nature of it than to doubte what shall become of vs. That saieng of Christ of many being called but few chosen is very il takeÌ„ after that maÌ„ner Ther shal be nothing doubtful if we hold faste that which ought to be clere by the things aboue spokeÌ„ that ther ar two sorts of calling For ther is an vniuersal calling wherby through the outward preaching of the word God calleth al together to him euen them also to whom he setteth it forth vnto that sauour of death vnto matter of more greuous coÌ„demnatioÌ„ The other is a special calling whiche for the most part he vouche saueth to geue only to the faithful wheÌ„ by the inward enlightning of his spirit he maketh that the word preached is setled in their hearts Yet somtime he maketh theÌ„ also partakers of it whoÌ„ he enlightneth but for a time afterward by the deseruiÌ„g of their vnthankefulnes forsaketh theÌ„ striketh theÌ„ with greater blindenes Nowe when the Lorde sawe the Gospel to be published far wide to be despised of many but to be had in due price of fewe he describeth to vs God vnder the persoÌ„ of a Kinge which preparinge a solemne feaste sendeth his messingers rounde about to bidde a greate multitude to be his gestes and yet can get but a fewe bicause euery one allegeth lettes for his excuse so that at length he is compelled vpon their refusal to cal out of the hie waies euery one that he meteth Hetherto euery man seeth that the parable must be vnderstand of the outward callinge He addeth afterward that God doth like a good maker of a feast which goeth aboute the tables to chere his gestes If he finde any not clothed with a weddinge garment he wil not suffer him with his vncleanlines to dishonoure the solemnitie of the feast This part of the parable I grant is to be vnderstand of them which enter into the Church by the profession of faithe but are not clothed with the sanctification of Christ. Suche dishonors and as it were botches of his Churche the Lorde wyll not suffer for euer but as their fylthinesse deserueth he wil caste them out Therfore few ar chosen out of a great numbre of them that are called but yet not with the calling by which we say that the faithfull ought to iudge their election For that general calling is also common to the wicked but this special Calling bringeth with it the spirit of regeneratioÌ„ which is the
of spiritual policie To this ende from the beginning were ordeined iudicial orders in Chirches which might vse examination of maners correcte vices and exercise the office of the keyes This order Paule speaketh of in the Epistle to the Corinthians when he nameth gouernementes Againe to the Romaines wheÌ„ he saith let him that ruleth rule in carefulnesse For he speaketh not to the magistrates for at that time there were no Christian magistrates but to them that were ioyned with the Pastors for the spirituall gouernement of the Chirch Also in the Epistle to Timothee he maketh twoo sortes of Elders some that labor in the worde other some that do not vse the preaching of the worde and yet do rule well By this later sort it is no doute that he meaneth them that were appointed to loke vnto maners and to the whole vse of the keyes For this power of which we now speake hangeth wholly vpon the keyes which Christ gaue to the Chirche in the xviii Chap. of Mathew where he commaundeth that they should be sharply admonished in the name of the whole Chirch that haue despised priuate monitioÌ„s but if they goe forward in their obstinacie he teacheth that they should be put out of the felowship of the faithful But these monitions and corrections can not be without knowlege of the cause therefore there nedeth both some iugement and order Wherefore vnlesse we will make voide the promise of the keyes and take vtterly away excoÌ„municatioÌ„ solemne monitions and all suche thynges whatsoeuer they be we must nedes geue to the Chirch some iurisdiction Let the reders marke that that place entreateth not of the generall authoritie of doctrine as in the .xvi. Chapter of Mathewe and the .xxi. of Iohn but that the power of the Sinagoge is for the time to come transferred to the flocke of Christ. Untill that day the Iewes had their order of gouerning which Christ stablisheth in his Chirch and that with great penaltie so much as concerneth the pure institution of it For so it behoued forasmuch as otherwise the iugemente of an vnnoble and vnregarded congregation might be despised of rash and proude men And that it should not encomber the reders that Christ doth in thesame words expresse thinges somwhat differring one from the other it shal be profitable to dissolue this dout There be therfore â—woo places that speake of bynding and loosing The one is in the xvi Chapter of Mathew where Christ after that he had promised that he would geue to Peter the keyes of the kingdome of heauen immediatly addeth that whatsoeuer he shal bynde or loose in earth shal be confirmed in heauen In which wordes he meaneth none other thing than he doth by other wordes in Iohn when sending his disciples to preache after that he had breathed vpon them he said whose synnes ye forgeue they shal be forgeuen whoe 's ye reteine they shal be reteined in heauen I will bring an exposition not suttle not enforced not wrested but natural flowyng and offring it selfe This commaundemente of forgeuing and reteining synnes and that promise of bynding and loosing made to Peter oughte to be referred to no other thyng but to the ministerie of the worde which wheÌ„ the Lord committed to the Apostles he did therewith also arme them with this office of bynding and loosing For what is the summe of the Gospell but that we all being the bondseruantes of synne and of death are loosed and made fre by the redemption that is in Christ Iesus and that they which do not receiue nor acknowlege Christe theyr deliuerer and redemer are damned adiudged to euerlasting bondes When the Lorde deliuered this message to his Apostles to be carried into al nations to approue that it was his owne and proceding from himself he honored it with this noble testimonie and that to the singular strengthening both of the Apostles themselues and of all those to whom it should come It behoued that the Apostles shoulde haue a stedfast and sounde certaintie of their preaching which they should not onely execute with infinite labors cares troubles and dangers but also at the last seale it with their blood That they might I say knowe thesame to be not vaine nor voide but full of power and force it behoued that in so great carefulnesse in so great hardnesse of thynges and in so great dangers they should be persuaded that they did the businesse of God that when all the worlde withstode them and fought againste them they should knowe that God stode on their side that hauing not Christ the author of their doctrine present by sight in earth they should vnderstande him to be in heauen to confirme the trueth of the doctrine which he had deliuered them It behoued againe that it should also be most certainly proued by testimonie to the hearers that that doctrine of the Gospell was not the worde of the Apostles but of God himselfe not a voice bred in earth but come downe from heauen For these thinges the forgeuenesse of sinnes the promise of euerlasting life the message of saluation can not be in the power of man Therefore Christe hath testified that in the preaching of the Gospell there is nothing of the Apostles but the only ministerie that it was he himselfe that spake and promised all thynges by their mouthes as by instrumentes and therefore that the forgeuenesse of sinnes which they preached was the true promise of God and the damnation which they pronounced was the certaine iudgement of God But this testifieng is geuen to all ages and remaineth in force to certifie and assure all men that the word of the Gospel by what man soeuer it be preached is the very senteÌ„ce of God published at the soueraigne iudgement seate written in the boke of life ratified firme and fixed in heauen Thus we see that in those places the power of the keyes is nothyng but the preachyng of the Gospell and that it is not so muche a power as a ministerie if we haue respect to meÌ„ For Christ hath not geuen this power proprely to men but to his owne worde wherof he hath made men ministers The other place whiche we haue said to be concernyng the power of bynding and loosyng is in the .xviii. chapter of Mathew where Christ sayth If any brother heare not the Chirch let him be to thee as a heathen maÌ„ or a publicane Uerily I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye bynd vppon earth shal be bound also in heauen whatsoeuer ye loose shal be loosed This place is not altogether like the first but is a little otherwise to bee vnderstanded But I do not so make them diuerse that they haue not great affinitie together This first point is like in both that either of them is a generall senteÌ„ce that in both there is alway all one power of bynding and loosyng namely by the worde of God all one commaundement all one promise But herein they differ that the fyrst place
of reconciliation that they did therewithall require the consent of the people as he sheweth in an other place From this discipline there was no man exempted that euen the Princes together with the common people did submit themselues to beare it And rightfully sithe it was euident that it was the discipline of Christ to whom it is mete that all scepters and crownes of kinges be submitted So when Theodosius was depriued by Ambrose of power to come to the communion because of the slaughter committed at Thessalonica he threwe down all the royall ornamente wherewith he was clothed he openly in the Chirch bewayled his sinne whiche had crept vpon him by fraude of other men he craued pardon with groning and teares For great kinges ought not to thinke this to be any dishonor to them if they humbly throwe down themselues before Christ the king of kinges neither ought it to displease them that they be iudged by the Chirch For sith in their court they heare nothing ells but mâ—re flatteries it is more than necessarie for them to be rebuked of the Lord by the mouth of the Prestes But rather they ought to wishe that the Prestes should not spare them that the Lord may spare them In this place I omitt to speake by whom this iurisdiction is to be exercised because it is spoken of in an other place This onely I adde that that is the lawfull maner of proceding in excommunicating a man whiche Paule sheweth if the Elders doe it not alone by themselues but with the Chirch knowing and allowing it that is in such sort that the multitude of the people may not gouerne the doing but may marke it as a witnesse and a keper that nothing should be done of a fewe by wilfull affection But the whole maner of doing beside the calling vpon the name of God ought to haue such grauitie as may resemble the preseÌ„ce of Christ that it maye be vndouted that he there sitteth for ruler of his owne iugement But this ought not to be passed ouer that such seueritie becometh the Chirch as is ioined with the Spirite of mildenesse For we must alway diligently beware as Paule teacheth that he whiche is punished be not swallowed vp of sorrow for so should of a remedy be made a destructioÌ„ But out of the ende may better be gathered a rule of moderation For wheras this is required in excommunication that the sinner should be brought to repentance and euill examples taken away least either the name of Christ should be euil spoken of or other meÌ„ be prouoked to followe them if we shal haue an eye to these thinges we shal be able easily to iudge how farr seueritie ought to procede and where it ought to end Therfore when the sinner geueth a testimonie of his repentance and doth by this testimonie as much as in him lyeth blott out the offense he is not to be enforced any further but if he be enforced rigorousnesse doth then excede measure In which behalfe the immesurable seueritie of the olde fathers can not be excused which both disagreed from the prescribed order of the Lord and also was maruelously dangerous For when they charged a sinner with solemne penance and depriuation froÌ„ the holy communion somtime for seuen yeres sometime fower yeres somtime three yeres somtime for their whole life what other thyng could follow therof but either great hipocrisie or most great desperatioÌ„ Likewise wheras no man that had fallen the seconde time was admitted to seconde penance but was cast out of the Chirch euen to the ende of his life that was neyther profitable nor agreing to reson Therefore whosoeuer shal wey the mater with sound iugemeÌ„t shal here in perceiue want of their discretion Howbeit I do here rather disallow the publike maner thaÌ„ accuse al them that vsed it wheras it is certaine that many of them misliked it but they did therfore suffer it because they could not amende it Truely Cipriane declareth how much beside his own wil he was so rigorous Our pacience saith he and easinesse gentlenesse is redy to them that come I wish al to returne into the Chirch I wish al our fellow soldiars to be enclosed within the tentes of Christ and in the houses of God thâ— father I forgeue al thinges I dissemble many thinges for zele desire to gather brotherhode together I examine not with full iugement euen those thinges that are coÌ„mitted against God in pardoning defaultes more than I ought I am my selfe almoste in defaulte I doe with redy and full loue embrace them that returne with repentance coÌ„fessing their sinnes with humble and plaine satisfaction Chrysostome is somwhat harder and yet he sayth thus If God be so kinde why will his Prest seme so rigorous Moreouer we know what gentlenesse Augustine vsed towarde the Donatistes in so much that he sticked not to receiue into Bishoprike those that had returned from schisme euen immediatly after their repeÌ„tance But because a contrary order had growen in force they were compelled to leaue their own iugement to folow it But as this mildenesse is required in the whole body of the Chirch that it should punish them yâ— are fallen mercifully and not to the extremitie of rigor but rather according to the precepte of Paule shoulde confirme charitie towarde them so euery priuate maÌ„ for himselfe ought to temper himselfe to this mercifulnesse and gentlenesse Therfore it is not our part of wype out of the number of the elect suche as are dryuen oute of the Chirche or to despeire of them as thoughe they were allredy loste We maye in dede iudge them strangers from the Chirch and therefore strangers from CHRIST but that is onely duryng the tyme that they abide in diuorce But if then also they shewe a greater resemblance of stubbornnesse than of gentlenesse yet lette vs committ them to the iugemente of the Lorde hoping better of them in time to come than we see in time present and let vs not therfore cesse to pray to God for them to comprehend al in one word let vs not condemne to death the person it selfe whiche is in the hande and iudgement of God alone but let vs rather weye by the law of the Lorde of what sort euery mans works be Which rule while we folow we rather stande to the iudgement of God than pronounce our owne Let vs not take to our selues more libertie in iudgyng vnlesse we will bynde the power of God within bouÌ„des and appoint a law to his mercie at whoe 's pleasure when he thinketh it good very euell men are turned into very good strangers are graffed and foreins are chosen into the Chirch And this the Lord doeth therby to mocke out the opinion of men and rebate theyr rashenesse which if it be not restrained presumeth to take to it selfe power of iudgyng more than it ought For where as Christ promiseth that that shal be bounde in heauen whiche they that
that Baptisme is nothing ells but a marke and token wherby we professe our religion before men as soldiars beare the conufance of their capitaine for a marke of their profession wey not that which was the chefe thing in Baptisme That is this that we shoulde receiue it with this promise that whosoeuer beleue and are Baptised shal be saued In this sense is that to be vnderstode which Paule writeth that the Chirch is sanctified of Christ her spouse and cleansed with washing of water in the worde of lyfe And in an other place that we are saued according to his mercy by the washing of regeneration and of the renewing of the Holy ghost And that which Peter writeth that Baptisme saueth vs. For Paules will was not to signifie that our washing and saluation is perfectly made by water or that water conteyneth in it self the power of cleanse regenerate and renew Neither did Peter meane the cause of saluation but only the knowlege certaintie of such giftes to be receiued in this Sacrament which is euidently enough expressed in the wordes themselues For Paul knitteth together the word of lyfe Baptisme of water as if he had sayd that by the Gospel the message of washing sanctifieng is brought vs that by Baptisme such message is sealed And Peter immediatly adioyneth that that Baptisme is not the putting away of the filthinesse of the flesh but a good cōscience before God which is of Fayth Yea Baptisme promiseth vs no other cleansing but by the sprinkling of the blood of Christ which is figured by water for the lykenesse of cleansing washing Who therefore can say that we be cleansed by thys water which certainly testifieth that the blood of Christ is oure true onely washing So that frō no where ells can be fetched a surer reason to confute their blinde error which referr al thinges to the power of the water thā from the signification of Baptisme it selfe which doth withdraw vs as wel from that visible element which is set before oure eies as from all other meanes that it may bynde our mindes to Christ alone Neither is it to be thought that Baptisme is applied only to the time past that for new fallinges into whiche we fall backe after Baptisme we must seke new remedies of clensing in I wote not what other Sacramentes as thoughe the force of Baptisme were worne out of vse By this error it came to passe in old time that some would not be Baptised but in the vttermost peril of life and at their laste gaspinges that so they might obteine pardon of their whole life Against whiche waywarde suttle prouision the olde Bishops so oft inuey in their writinges But thus we ought to thinke that at what time soeuer we be Baptised we are at ones washed and cleansed for al our life Therfore so ofte as we fal we must goe backe to the remembrance of Baptisme and therewith we must arme our minde that it may be alway certaine and assured of the forgeuenesse of sinnes For though when it is ones ministred it semeth to be past yet by later sinnes it is not abolished For the cleannesse of Christ is therin offred vs that alway florisheth is oppressed with no spottes but ouerwhelmeth wypeth away al our filthinesse yet oughte we not to take therof a libertie to sinne in tyme to come as verily we be not hereby armed to such boldnesse but this doctrine is geuen onely to them which when they haue sinned doe grone weryed and oppressed vnder their sinnes that they may haue wherwith thei may raise vp and comfort themselues least they should fal into confusion and desperatiō So Paule sayth that Christ was made to vs a propitiator vnto the forgeuenesse of faultes going before Wherin he denieth not that therin is obteined perpetual continual forgeuenesse of sinnes euē vnto death but he meaneth that it was geuē of the Father onely to poore synners which wounded with the searing iron of conscience to sighe to the Phisitian To these the mercy of God is offred They whiche by escaping of punishment do hunt for mater and libertie to sinne dooe nothing but prouoke to themselues the wrath and iugement of God I knowe in dede that it is commonly thought otherwise that by the benefite of repentance and of the keyes we do after Baptisme obteine forgeuenesse which at our first regeneration is geuen vs by only Baptisme But they which deuise this do erre herin that they do not remember that the power of the keyes wherof they speake doth so hang vpon Baptisme that it ought in no wise to be seuered The sinner receiueth forgeuenesse by the ministerie of the Chirch namely not without the preaching of the Gospell But what maner of preaching is that That we be cleansed from sinnes by the blood of Christ. But what signe and testimonie is there of that washing but Baptisme We se therfore how that absolution is referred to Baptisme And this error hath bredde vs the fayned Sacrament of Penance of which I haue touched somwhat before and the residue I wil make an ende of in place fit for it But it is no maruell if men which according to the grossenesse of their witt were immeasurably fast tyed to outwarde thynges haue in this behalfe also bewrayed that faulte that not contented with the pure institution of God they did thrust in newe helpes fayned of themselues As thoughe Baptisme it selfe were not a Sacrament of repentance But if repentance be commended to vs for our whole life the force also of Baptisme ought to be extended to the same boundes Wherfore it is also no doute but that all the godly throughout all their life long so oft as they be vexed with knowlege in conscience of their owne sinnes dare calle backe themselues to the remēbrance of Baptisme that therby they may confirme themselues in the affiance of that onely and continuall washing which we haue in the blood of Christ. It bringeth also an other fruit because it sheweth vs our mortificatiō in Christ and new life in hym For as the Apostle saith we are baptised into his death beyng buried together with hym into death that we may walke in newnesse of life By whiche wordes he doth not only exhort vs to the folowyng of hym as though he did saye that we are by Baptisme put in mynde that after a certaine example of the deathe of Christ we should die to our lustes and after the example of his resurrection we shold be raised vp to righteousnesse but he fetcheth the mater muche deper that is to say that by Baptisme Christ hath made vs partakers of his death that we may be graffed into it And as the graffe receiueth substāce and nourishmēt of the roote into which it is graffed so they that receiue Baptisme with such faith as thei ought do truly fele the effectualnesse of the death of Christ in the mortifiyng of their flesh and therwithall
cup is called the couenant in the blood there is a promise expressed that may be of force to confirme Faith Wherupō foloweth that vnlesse we haue respect to God and embrace that which he offreth we doe not rightly vse the holy Supper Moreouer they also do not satisfie me which acknowleging that we haue some communion with Christ when they meane to expresse it doe make vs partakers only of the Spirite without making any mention of flesh and blood As though al those thinges were spoken of nothing that hys flesh is verily meate that his blood is verily drinke that none hath life but he that eateth that flesh and drinketh that blood and such other sayenges that belong to the same ende Wherfore if it be certaine that the full communicating of Christ procedeth beyonde their description as it is to narowly strained I wil now go about to knit vp in few wordes how large it is and how farr it extendeth it selfe before that I speake of the contrarie fault of excesse For I shal haue a longer disputation with the excessiue teachers which when according to their owne grossnesse they frame a maner of eating drinking ful of absurditie do also transfigure Christ stripped out of hys fleshe into a fantasie if yet a man may with any wordes comprehende so great a mysterie whiche I se that I can not sufficiently comprehende with minde and therfore I doe willingly confesse it that no man should measure the hynesse therof by the smal proportion of my childishnesse But rather I exhorte the reders that they do not restrayne the sense of their minde within these to narrowe boundes but endeuor to rise vp much hyer thā they can by my guiding For I my selfe so oft as I speake of this thing whē I haue trauailed to say all thinke that I haue yet sayd but litle in respecte of the worthinesse therof And although the minde can do more in thinking than the tong in expressing yet with greatnesse of the thing the minde also is surmounted and ouerwhelmed Finally therefore nothing remaineth but that I must breake fourth into admiration of that mysterie whiche neither the mind can suffise to thinke of nor the tong to declare Yet after suche manner as I can I wil set fourth the summe of my sentence which as I nothing dout to be true so I trust that it will not be disallowed of godly hartes First of all we are taughte out of the Scripture that Christe was from the beginning that life bringing worde of the Father the fountaine and original of life from whense all thinges euer receiued their hauing of life Wherfore Ihon somtime calleth him the worde of life and somtime writeth that life was in him meaning that he euen then flowyng into al creatures poured into them the power of breathing and liuing Yet the same Ihon addeth afterwarde that the life was then and not tyll then openly shewed when the Sonne of God taking vpō him our fleshe gaue himselfe to be seen with eyes and felte with handes For though he did before also spred abrode his power into the creatures yet because man beyng by synne estranged from God hauing lost the communion of lyfe saw on euery side death hanging ouer hym that he myght recouer hope of immortalitie it behoued that he should be receiued into the communion of that worde For how small a confidence mayest thou conceiue therof if thou heare that the worde of God in dede from which thou art most farr remoued cōteyneth in it selfe the fulnesse of lyfe but in thy selfe and rounde about thee nothyng offreth it selfe and is present before thine eyes but death But sins that fountayne of lyfe beganne to dwell in our fleshe nowe it lyeth not a farr of hydden from vs but presently deliuereth it selfe to be partaken of vs. Yea and it maketh the very fleshe wherein it resteth to be of power to bryng lyfe to vs that by partaking therof we maye be fed to immortalitie I am sayth he the bred of lyfe that am come downe from heauen And the bred whiche I will geue is my fleshe whiche I will geue for the lyfe of the worlde In whiche woordes he teacheth not onely that he is lyfe in respecte that he is the eternall woorde of God whiche came downe to vs from heauen but that in comming downe he poured the same power into the fleshe whiche he did put on that from thense the communicatyng of lyfe mighte flowe fourth vnto vs. Hereupon also these thinges nowe followe that his fleshe is verily mente and his blood is verily drinke with whiche sustenances the faythfull are fostered into eternall life Herein therfore consisteth singular comfort to the godly that nowe they finde life in their owne fleshe For so they doe not onely with easy passage atteine vnto it but haue it of it selfe layd abrode for them and offring it selfe vnto them Only let them holde open the bosome of their hart that they may embrace it beeyng present and they shall obteyne it But although the fleshe of Christe haue not so greate power of it selfe that it can geue life to vs whiche bothe in the owne firste estate of it was subiecte to mortalitie and nowe being endued with immortalitie liueth not by it selfe yet it is rightfully called lifebringing whiche is filled with fulnesse of lyfe to poure it into vs. In which meaning I doe with Cyril expounde that sayeng of Christ As the Father hath lyfe in himselfe so he hath also geuen to the Sonne to haue life in himselfe For there he properly speaketh of his giftes not whiche he from the beginning possessed with the Father but with whiche he was garnished in the same fleshe in whiche he appeared Therefore he sheweth that in hys manhode also dwelleth the fullnesse of lyfe that whosoeuer partaketh of his flesh and blood may therwithall also enioy the partaking of life Of what sort that is we may declare by a familiar example For as out of a foūtaine water is somtime drōk somtime is drawen somtime by forrowes is conueied to the watering of groundes which yet of it selfe doth not ouerflow into so many vses but from the very spring it selfe which with euerlasting flowing yeldeth and ministreth vnto it from tyme to tyme newe abundance so the fleshe of Christ is like a riche and vnwasted fountaine whiche poureth into vs the life springing from the Godhead into it selfe Nowe whoe seeth not that the communion of the fleshe and blood of Christe is necessarie to al that aspire to heauenly lyfe Hereunto tendeth that sayeng of the Apostle that the Chirch is the body of Christe and the fulfilling of it and that he is the hed oute of whiche the whole body coupled and knit together by ioyntes maketh encrease of the body that our bodies are the members of Christ. Al which thinges we vnderstande to be impossible to be brought to passe but that he must whellye cleaue to vs in Spirite and body
lesse obediently embrace than they and do wey them with more godly reuerence Yea their negligent carelesnesse sheweth that they doo not greatly care what Christe ment so that it geue them a buckler to defende their obstinatie like as oure earnest searchyng ought to be a wytnesse howe muche we esteeme the authoritie of Christ. They odiously spread abrode that naturall sense of man withholdeth vs from beleuyng that which Christ hath vttered with his owne holy mouth but howe maliciously they burden vs with this sclander I haue a great part already made playne and hereafter it shall more clerely appere Therfore nothing withholdeth vs from beleuing Christ when he speaketh nor from obeying so soone as he dothe but with becke will this or that Only this is the question whether it be vnlawful to enquire of the naturall meanyng These good maisters that they may seme wel lettred do forbid men to departe be it neuer so litle from the letter But I on the other syde when the scripture nameth God a warlike man because I see that with out figuratiue translation it is to rough a maner of speakyng doo not dout that it is a comparison taken from men And truely vpon none other pretence in the olde tyme the Anthropomorphites troubled the true teaching Fathers but that catching fast hold of these sayings The eies of God do see It went vp to his eares His hand stretched out The earth his footestole they cried out that God had his bodye taken from hym whiche the Scripture assigneth vnto hym If this law be receiued outragious barbarousnesse shal ouerwhelme the whole light of faith For what monsters of absurdities may not phrentike men picke out if it be graunted them to allege euery small tittle to stablishe their opinions That whiche they obiect that it is not likely that when Christ prepared for his Apostles a singular comfort it aduersities he did then speake in a riddle or darkly maketh of our side For if it had not come in the myndes of the Apostles that bread was figuratiuely called the body because it was the signe of the body they had without doute ben troubled with so monstrous a thyng Almost at the same moment Iohn reporteth that they did sticke in perplexitie at euery of the least difficulties They whiche striue among themselues howe Christ will go to the Father and do moue question howe he wyll goe out of the worlde they which vnderstande nothyng of those thynges that are spoken concernyng the heauenly Father till they see hym how wold they haue ben so easy to beleue that whiche all resō refuseth that Christ sitteth at the boorde in their sight and is enclosed inuisible vnder bread Whereas therfore they in eatyng the bread without doutyng testified their consent hereby appeareth that they toke Christes wordes in the same sense that we do because they remēbred that which ought not to seme strange in mysteries that the name of the thing signified is transferred to the signe Therfore it was to the disciples as it is to vs a certaine and clere comfort entangled with no riddle Neither is ther any other cause why some should depart from our exposition but because the enchauntment of the deuyll hath blynded them namely that they shoulde faine darkenesse to themselues where the exposition of an apt figure offreth it self Moreouer if we precisely stande vpon the words Christ shold wrongfully haue spoken in one place seuerally an other thyng concernyng the bread than he speaketh of the cup. He calleth the bread his body he calleth the wyne his blood either it shal be a confused vaine repetition or it shal be such a partition as shall diuide the body from the blood Yea it shall as truely be sayd of the cuppe This is my body as of the bread it selfe and it may likewyse enterchangeably be sayd that the bread is the blood If they answer that we muste consider to what ende or vse the signes were ordeined I graunt it in dede but in the meane tyme they shall not vnwynde themselues but that their error must drawe this absurditie with it that the bread is the blood and the wyne is the bodye Nowe I wote not what this meaneth when they graunt the bread and the body to be diuers things yet to affirme that the one is spoken of the other proprely and without any figure as if a man shold say that a garment is in dede a thyng differyng from a man and yet that it is proprely called a man In the meane while as though their victorie consisted in obstinatie railing they say that Christ is accused of liēg if an exposition be sought of the wordes Now it shal be easy for vs to shew to the reders how vniust wrong these catchers of syllables do to vs when thei fill the simple with this opinion that we withdraw credit from the wordes of Christ which we haue proued to be furiously peruerted and confounded by them but to be faithfully and rightly expounded by vs. But the sclaunder of this lye can not be vtterly purged till an other crime be wiped away For they spread abroade that we be so addicted to naturall reason that we geue no more to the power of God than the order of nature suffreth and common sense teacheth From so malicious sclaūders I appelle to the very doctrine it selfe which I haue declared whiche dothe clerely enough shewe that I do not measure this mysterie by the proportion of mans reason nor doo make it subiect to the lawes of nature I beseche you haue we learned out of naturall philosophie that Christe dothe so from heauen feede our soules and bodies with his fleshe as our bodies ar norished with bread and wyne Whens cometh this power to fleshe that it may geue lyfe All men will say that it is not doone naturally It will no more please mans reason that the fleshe of Christe reacheth to vs that it maye be foode vnto vs. Finally whosoeuer hath tasted of our doctrine shal be rauished into admiration of the secrete power of God But these good men that be so zelous of it forge to themselues a miracle which beyng taken away God hymselfe vanisheth with his power I desire to haue the readers ones agayne warned that they diligently wey what our doctrine bringeth whether it hang vpon common sense or with the winges of Faith surmounting the worlde climbeth vp beyond it into the heauens We say that Christ as well with the outwarde signe as with his Spirite descendeth to vs that he may truely quicken our soules with the substance of his fleshe of his blood In these fewe wordes he that perceyueth not to be conteined many miracles is more than senslesse forasmuche as there is nothyng more beside nature than that soules should borrow spiritual and heauenly life of the fleshe which toke her beginnyng of the earth and which was subiect to death Nothing is more incredible than that thinges distant and asunder by the
prest and the people The selfe same thyng dothe Augustine testifie in many places But why dispute I about a thyng moste knowen Let all the Greke and Latine writers be redde ouer suche testimonies shal echewhere offer themselues Neither was this custome growen oute of vse whyle there remained one droppe of purenesse in the Chirch Gregorie whom you may rightly say to haue ben the last bishop of Rome teacheth that it was kept in his tyme. What is the blood of the Lambe ye haue nowe learned not by hearyng but by drinkyng His blood is poured into the mouthes of the faithfull Yea it yet endured fower hundred yeares after his death when all thynges were growen oute of kynde For neither was that taken onely for an vsage but also for an inuiolable lawe For then was in force the reuerence of Gods institution and they douted not that it was sacrilege to seuer those thynges which the Lorde hadde conioyned For thus saieth Gelasius We haue founde that some receyuyng only the portion of the holy body do absteyne from the cup. Lett them without dout because they seme to be boūd with I wot not what superstition either receyue the Sacramentes whole or bee debarred from them whole For the diuidyng of this mysterie is not committed without great sacrilege Those reasons of Cypriane were heard which truely ought to moue a christian mynde How saith he do we teache or prouoke them to shed their blood in the confessing of Christe if we deny his blood to them that shal fyght Or how do we make them fitte for the cup of Martyrdome if we do not first in the Chirch by right of communion admitte them to drinke the cup of the Lord Whereas the Canonistes do restraine that decree of Gelasius to the prestes that is so childish a cauill that it nede not to be confuted Thirdly why did he simply say of the bread that they should eate but of the cuppe that they shoulde all drinke euen as if he had meant of set purpose to mete with the craft of Satan Fowerthly if as they would haue it the Lorde vouchesaued to admitt to his Supper onely sacrificyng Prestes what man euer durst call to the partaking of it strangers whom the Lorde had excluded yea and to the partakyng of that gifte the power wherof was not in their handes without any commaundement of him which onely could geue it Yea vpon confidence of what warrant do they vse it at this day to distribute to the common people the Signe of the body of Christ if they haue neither commaundement nor example of the Lorde Fifthly did Paule lie when he saide to the Corynthians that he had receiued of the Lorde that which he had deliuered to them For afterwarde he declareth the thyng that he deliuered that all without difference should communicate of both the Signes If Paule receiued of the Lord that al shold be admitted without differēce let them loke of whome they haue receiued which doo dryue awaye almost all the people of God because they can not now pretend God to be the author of it with whome there is not yea nay And yet still for clokyng of such abhominations they dare pretend the name of the Chirch and with suche pretense defende it As though either these Antechristes were the Chirch whiche so easily treade vnder foote scatter abroade and destroy the doctrine institution of Christ or the Apostolike Chirche were not the Chirche in which the whole force of religion florished ¶ The .xviii. Chapiter ¶ Of the Popishe Masse by whiche sacrilege the Supper of Christ hath not only ben prophaned but also brought to nought WIth these and lyke inuentions Satan hath trauailed as by ouerspredyng of darknesse to obscure and defile the holy Supper of Christ that at least the purenesse of it shoulde not be kepte styll in the Chirche But the head of horrible abhomination was when he aduanced a signe by which it myght not onely be darkned and peruerted but beyng vtterly blotted and abolyshed shoulde vanyshe away and fall oute of the remembrance of men namely when he blynded almost the whole world with a moste pestilent error that they shoulde beleue that the Masse is a sacrifice oblation to obteine the forgeuenesse of sinnes How at the beginning the sounder sort of the Scholemē toke this doctrine I nothyng regard farewell they wyth theyr crabbed suttelties whiche howsoeuer they may be defended with cauillyng yet are therfore to be refused of all good men because they do nothyng ells but spred muche darknesse ouer the brightnesse of the Supper Therefore biddyng them farewell let the readers vnderstand that I here matche in fight with that opinion wherewith the Romishe Antichrist and his prophetes haue infected the whole worlde namely that the Masse is a worke wherby the sacrificyng Prest which offreth vp Christ and the other that doo partake at the same oblation do deserue the fauor of God or that it is a cleansying sacrifice wherby they reconcile God to themselues Neither hath this ben receiued onely in common opinion of the people but the very doyng it selfe is so framed that it is a kynde of pacifyeng wherwith satisfaction is made to God for the purgyng of the quicke and dead The wordes also which they vse do expresse the same and no other thyng may we gather of the dayly vse of it I know how depe rootes this pestilence hath takē vnder how great seming of goodnesse it lurketh howe it beareth in shewe the name of Christe howe in the one name of Masse many beleue that they comprehende the whole summe of Faith But when it shal be by the worde of God most clerely proued that this Masse how muche soeuer it be colored and glorious yet shamefully dishonoreth Christ burieth oppresseth his crosse putteth his death in forgetfulnesse taketh away the frute that cometh therof vnto vs doth weaken and destroy the Sacrament wherin was left the memorie of his death shall there then be any so depe rootes which this moste strong are I meane the word of God shall not cutt downe and ouerthrowe Is there any face so beautifull that this lyght can not bewray the euell which lurketh vnder it Let vs therfore shew that which hath ben set in the fyrst place that in it is intolerable blasphemie dishonor done to Christ. For he was consecrate of his Father a Prest and Bishop not for a tyme as we reade that they were ordeined in the olde testament whoe 's life beyng mortal theyr presthode also coulde not be immortall for which cause also there neded successors that should from tyme to tyme be putt in the place of them that dyed But in place of Christ which is immortal there nedeth no vicar to be set after hym Therfore he was ordeined of the Father a prest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech that he shold execute an euerlastyng presthode This mysterie had bene long before
figured in Melchisedech whom when the Scripture had ones broughte in for the preste of the lyuyng God it neuer afterwarde made mention of hym as though he had had no end of his life After this point of likenesse Christe was called a prest accordyng to his order Now they that doo daily sacrifice must nedes appoint prestes to make the oblations whom they must appoint as it were successors and vicars in the stede of Christ. By which puttyng in stede of him they do not only spoile Christ of his honor and plucke from hym the prerogatiue of eternal presthod but also trauaile to thrust hym downe from the right hande of his Father on whiche he can not sitt immortall but that he muste therwithall remaine the eternall prest Neither lett them laye for themselues that their pety sacrificers are not putt in place of Christ as if he were dead but only are helpers of his eternal presthod which ceasseth not therfore to continue For they are more strongly holden fast with the wordes of the Apostle than that they may so escape namely that there were many other prestes made because they were by deathe letted to continue Therfore there is but one that is not letted by death and he nedeth no companions Yet suche is their frowardnesse they arme themselues with the example of Melchisedech to defend their wickednesse For because it is sayd that he offred bread and wyne they gather that he was a foreshewyng of their Masse as though the likenesse betwene hym and Christ were in the offryng of bread and wyne Whiche is so emptie and triflyng that it nedeth no confutation Melchisedech gaue bread wyne to Abraham and his companions to refreshe them beyng weary after their iorney and battail What is this to a sacrifice Moses praiseth the gentlenesse of the holy king these fellowes vnseasonably coyne a mysterie whereof no mention is made Yet thei deceitfully paint their error with an other color because it foloweth by by after And he was the prest of the hyest God I answer that they wrongfully draw to the bread wyne that which the Apostle referreth to the blessing Therfore when he was the prest of God he blessed Abraham Wherupon the same Apostle thaÌ„ whome we nede to seke no better expositor gathereth his excellence because the lesser is blessed of the greater But if the oblatioÌ„ of Melchisedech were a figure of the sacrifice of the Masse would the Apostle I praye you which sâ—arâ—heth out al euen the least thinges haue forgotten so earnest and weightie a thing Now howsoeuer they trifle they shall in vayne goe aboute to ouerthrowe the reason whiche the Apostle himselfe bringeth that the righte and honor of sacrificing presthoode ceaseth among mortall men because Christ which is immortall is the only and perpetual sacrificing preste An other vertue of the Masse was that it oppresseth and burieth the crosse passion of Christ. This verily is most certaine that the crosse of Christ is ouerthroweÌ„ so sone as the altar is set vp For if he offred himselfe for a sacrifice vpon the crosse that he might sanctifie vs for euer purchase to vs eternall redemption vndoutedly the force effectualnesse of that sacrifice continueth without any end Otherwise we shold think nothing more honorably of Christ than of oxen calues which were sacrificed vnder the lawe the offringes whereof are proued vneffectuall and weake by this that they were oft renâ—ed Wherfore either we must confesse that the sacrifice of Christe which he fulfilled vppon the crosse wanted the force of eternall cleansyng or that Christe hathe made an ende of all with one sacrifice ones for euer This is it that the Apostle sayth that this chiefe Bishop Christ ones appered by offring vp of him self before the ending of the world to the driuing away of sinne Againe That we ar sanctified by the wil of God by the offâ—ing of the body of Iesus Christ ones Again That Christ with one oblatioÌ„ for euer hath made perfect them that ar sanctified wherunto he adioineth a notable senteÌ„ce that forgeuenesse of sinnes being ones purchaced ther remaineth no more any oblation This also Christ signified by his laste saieng vttered amoÌ„g his last gaspings wheÌ„ he said It is ended We are woÌ„t to note the last saienges of men when they are dieng for oracles Christ dieng testifieth that by his one sacrifice is pâ—rfited and fulfilled whatsoeuer was for our saluation Shall it be lawfull for vs daily to patch innumerable sacrifices to such a sacrifice the perfection whereof he hath so shiningly set forth as though it were vnperfecte When the holy worde of God not onely affirmeth but also crieth out protesteth that this sacrifice was ones fully done that the force thereof remaineth euerlasting whoso require an other sacrifice do they not accuse this of imperfection weakenesse But as for the Masse which hath ben deliuered in suche sort that there may euery day be made a hundred thousand sacrifices to what end rendeth it but that the passion of Christe whereby he offred hym an onely sacrificed oblation to the father should lye buried and drowned Who vnlesse he be blynde can not see that it was the boldnesse of SataÌ„ whiche wrastled against so open and clere truthe Neither am I ignorant with what deceites that father of lyeng vseth to color this his fraude sayeng that there are not sondry nor diuerse sacrifices but that one selfe same sacrifice is repeted But suche smokes are easily blowen away For in the whole discourse the Apostle trauaileth to proue not only that there are no other sacrifices but that that one sacrifice was ones offred vp shal no more be repeted The sutteller men do yet slip out at a narrower hole sayeng that it is not a repeting but an applying But this Sophisticall argument also is no lesse easily confuted For neither did Christ ones offer vp him selfe with this condition that his sacrifice shold be daily confirmed with new oblations but that by the preaching of the Gospell and ministring of the holye Supper the fruite thereof shoulde be communicated vnto vs. So Paule saieth that Christe oure Passeouer was offred vp and biddeth vs to eat of him This I say is the meane wherby the Sacrifice of the Crosse is rightly applied to vs when it is communicated to vs to take the vse of it and we wyth true fayth receiue it But it is worthe the labor to heare with what other fundation beside these they vpholde the sacrifice of the Masse For they draw to this purpose the prophecie of Malachie whereby the Lorde promiseth that the time shall come when throughout the whole worlde there shal be offred his name incense and a cleane sacrifice As though it were a new or vnwonted thing among the Prophetes when they speake of the calling of the Gentils to expresse by the outward ceremonie of the law the spirituall worshipping of God to which
reson called a sacrifice but because it is the remēbrance image and witnesse of that singular true and only sacrifice wherwith Christ hath cleansed vs. Also there is a notable place in hys fourth boke of the Trinitie the xxiiii Chapter where after that he hath discoursed of the only sacrifice he thus concludeth because in a sacrifice fower things ar cōsidered to whō it is offred and of whō what is offred for whō The same he himselfe the one and true mediator recōciling vs to God by the sacrifice of peace remaineth one wyth hym to whō he offred maketh them one in hym for whom he offred is one himselfe which offred the thing which he offred To the same effect also speaketh Chrysostome But they so chalenge the honor of sacrificing presthode to Christ that Augustine testifieth it to be the voice of Antichrist if any man make a Bishop intercessor betwene God men Yet do we not deny but that the offring vp of Christ is there so shewed in vs that the spectacle of the crosse is in a maner set before our eyes as the Apostle sayth that Christ was crucified in the eyes of the Galathians whē the preaching of the crosse was set before them But forasmuch as I se that those olde Fathers also wrested thys remembrāce an other waye thā was agreable with the institutiō of the Lord because their Supper cōteined I wote not what repeted or at least renewed forme of sacrificīg the safest way for godly hartes shal be to rest in the pure simple ordināce of God whoe 's also the Supper is therfore called because in it his authoritie alone oughte to be in force Truely sithe I fynde that they haue kepte a Godly and true sense of thys whole mysterie and I doe not perceiue that they meante to abate any thyng were it neuer so litle from the only sacrifice of the Lord I can not condemne them of vngodlinesse yet I thynke that they can not be excused but that they haue offended somwhat in the maner of the celebration For they counterfaited the Iewishe manner of sacrificing more nerely than either Christ had ordeined or the nature of the Gospel did beare Therefore that same ouerthwart appliance to heauenly thynges is the only thing wherin a man may worthily blame them for that beyng not contented with the simple and natural institution of Christe they swarued to the shadowes of the law If a man do diligently wey that this differēce is put by the worde of the Lord betwene the sacrifices of Moses our Thankesgeuing that wheras those did represent to that Iewishe people the same effectualnesse of the death of Christe which is at thys day deliuered to vs in the Supper yet the maner of represēting was diuerse For in those the Leuiticall Prestes were commaunded to figure y◠which Christ should performe there was brought a sacrifice which should be in the stede of Christ himselfe there was an altar wherupon it should be offred Finally al thinges were so done that there was set before their eyes an image of the sacrifice which was to be offred to God for a satisfactorie cleansing But sins the tyme that the sacrifice is ended the Lord hath apointed to vs an other order namely that it should conuey to the faithful people the frute of the sacrifice offred to hym by the Sōne Therfore he hath geuen vs a table wherat we should eate not an altar wherupon sacrifice should be offred he hath not cōsecrated prestes to sacrifice but ministers to distribute the holy bāket How much more hye holy the mysterie is so much more religiously and with greater reuerence it is mete to be handled Therfore there is no way safer than putting away al boldnesse of mans vnderstāding to sticke fast in that alone which the Scripture teacheth And truely if we consider that it is the Supper of the Lord not of men there is no cause why we should suffer our selues to be remoued one heare bredth from it by any authoritie of men or prescription of yeres Therefore when the Apostle mynded to cleanse it from al faultes which had alredy crept into the Chirch of the Corinthiās he vseth the rediest way therunto that is he calleth it backe to the only institution of it frō whense he sheweth that a perpetuall rule ought be fetched Nowe least any wrangler shoulde stirre vs vp strife by reason of the names of sacrifice and sacrificing prest I wil also declare but yet brefely what in the whole discourse I haue meant by a sacrifice and what by a Sacrificing Prest Whoso stretche the woorde sacrifice to all holy Ceremonies and doinges of religion I se not by what reason they doe it We do knowe that by the continuall vse of the Scripture a sacrifice is called that which the Grekes cal somtyme Thusia somtime Prosphora somtyme Telete Which being generally takē cōprehendeth whatsoeuer is in any wise offred to God Wherefore we muste make distinction but yet so that thys distinction may haue a supernall appliance of similitude from the sacrifices of the lawe of Moses vnder the shadowes wherof the Lord willed to represēt to his people the whole truthe of sacrifices Of those although there wer diuerse formes yet they may al be referred to twoo sortes For either there was oblation made for sinne after a certaine maner of satisfaction wherby gyltinesse was redemed before God or it was a signe of the worshipping of God a testifyeng of religiō somtime in stede of supplicatiō to craue the fauor of God sometime in stede of thākesgeuing to testifie thākfulnesse of mynde for benefites receiued somtime only for an exercise of Godlinesse to renewe the stablishing of the couenāt to which later sort perteined burnt offryngs drynke offrynges oblations first frutes peace offringes Wherefore let vs also diuide ours into twoo kyndes and for teachinges sake lette vs cal the one the sacrifice of worship of Godly deuotiō because it consisteth in the honoring worshipping of God which the faythfull bothe owe yelde vnto hym or if you wyl the sacrifice of Thākesgeuing forasmuch as it is geuen to God of none but of them y◠beyng loden with immeasurable benefites do rēder to him them selues with all their doinges The other may be called propitiatorie or of expiation The sacrifice of expiration is that which tendeth to appease the wrath of God to satisfie his iugement so to wash wype away sinnes whereby the siner cleansed from the filthy spottes of them restored into puritie of ryghteousnesse may returne into fauor with God hymselfe So in the lawe those were called sacrifices that were offred for the purging of synnes not for that they were sufficiente to recouer the fauor of God or to put away iniquitie but for that they shadowed out such a true sacrifice which at lēgth was fully done by Christ alone by hym alone because it could be done by none