most firme most certeine and of assured persuasion that is that it is neuer naked but alwaies draweth with it manie and sundrie motions of the mind An assured persuasion is not naked but draweth with it other motions of the mind For experience dailie vse teacheth that in things ciuill a man being well and fullie persuaded of pleasant promises is filled with confidence reioiseth sheweth a merie countenance is glad and pleasant and cleaueth vnto him that made the promise that he maie by all meanes allow him but contrariewise when he beléeueth not the persuasion he laugheth at it neglecteth and contemneth it or waxeth cold and bendeth the brow Wherefore it can neuer be that he which beléeueth in verie déede can want such affections which are accustomed to followe a full and strong persuasion And therefore those that are the pure professors of the Gospell doo iustlie affirme that To beleeue hath a verie great coniunction with the action Vnto faith is ioined an assured confidence or with the motion of confidence hope and such like affections but most of all with the sincere and firme affiance which the same alwaies draweth with it Whereby it commeth to passe that in the holie scriptures promises are made both to faith and to trust Hab 2 4. Psal 22 5. Promises are in the scriptures giuen both vnto faith and vnto confidence Rom. 8 37. Esai 28 16. Iohn 3 36. Rom. 3 28. Psal 2 12. Esai 26 3. Rom. 5 5. Titus 3 7. For euen as it is said The iust man liueth by faith also He which beleeueth in him shall not be confounded and in the new testament He which beleeueth in the sonne hath eternall life againe We thinke that a man is iustified by faith Euen so is it written in the Psalme Blessed are all they which put their trust in him and in Esaie the. 26. chapter He shall keepe peace bicause they trusted in him and in the new testament Hope confoundeth not to Titus also the .3 chapter That we maie be heires according to the hope of eternall life Although in the old testament we doo find the promises are oftener made vnto hope than vnto faith yet in the new testament it is contrariwise Why in the old testament is often expressed hope and trust and in the new testament faith the reason whereof maie be this because in the old time the Hebrues erred not in beléeuing that there was but one God naie rather they professed the worshipping of him onelie But this was not well amongst them that they had not a liuelie faith which draweth with it a trust otherwise they had by education conceiued either a certeine opinion or else a certeine knowledge and therefore vnto this the scripture exhorteth them to beléeue trulie and effectuallie which was expressed by the effect vnder the name of trust But in the new testament they erred in the meaning both the Gentiles which were worshippers of idols and of manie gods and also the Iewes as touching the conditions of Messias for they looked that he should come in glorious pompe like a king and magnificall in worldlie empire Wherefore faith was oftentimes beaten into them whereby they might obteine the promises of God for it was verie necessarie that they should rightlie be instructed of the chéefe point of the thing that they should beléeue 3 And of this Hebrue verbe Aman is deriued this noune Emunah which signifieth Faith Faith somtimes signifieth a constancie in words and promises 1. Cor. 1 9. 10 13. 1. Cor. 1 18. 1. Thes 5 24 Psa 111 7. Rom. 3 3. and it sometimes signifieth Certeintie and constancie of words and promises Wherefore God is oftentimes in the holie scriptures called faithfull and his workes are called faithfull because they be firme and doo constantlie continue and we read in the epistle to the Romanes What if some of them haue not beleeued Hath their incredulitie made vaine the faith of God Yea and this Latin word Fides that is Faith if we maie beléeue Cicero is deriued of Fio because that thing is doone in déed which was spoken And sometimes it signifieth the assent of our mind whereby we receiue words which are set foorth vnto vs as it is said of Abraham He beleeued God Gen. 15 6. and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes And for so much as in this discourse How faith is taken in this discourse The definition of faith we take faith now after this maner it shall not be from the purpose to define what faith is Wherfore Faith is a firme and an assured assent of the mind vnto the words of God which assent is inspired by the holie ghost vnto the saluation of the beléeuers And therefore it consisteth in the mind and is occupied about the words of God from whence we haue the matter therof Of the forme also we néed not to doubt because it is defined to be an assent The efficient cause is set downe to be the inspiration of the holie ghost And the end is declared in the last place when as we saie that this assent is inspired of the holie ghost to the saluation of the beléeuers Not much vnlike vnto this definition are those things which be written concerning faith in the epistle vnto the Hebrues the .11 chapter Hebr. 11 1. The definition of faith in the .11 to the Hebrues is declared namelie that Faith is a substance of things to be hoped for and an argument of things that appeere not Where that which the Latine interpretours haue turned Substantia that is Substance in Gréeke is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which word Budaeus most learnedlie turneth in his commentaries Boldnesse strength or valiantnes of mind What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth and it is deriued of this verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to Sustaine to receiue not to giue place vnto one that rusheth vpon a man Hereof a soldiour is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is Trustie and turneth not his backe vnto his enimies but goeth against them and resisteth them In beleeuing we haue need of strength And vndoutedlie in beléeuing we haue néed of this strength patience by reason of the great fight of which we haue there experience For we must resist the flesh we must ouercome reason which verie much striueth against faith we must also resist the condemnation of our owne conscience sinne and the wrath of God and there are manie things besides by which a fathfull assent is both letted and assaulted Now this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or substance and those things that are hoped for are verie well compared togither betwéene them selues For God promiseth resurrection but yet vnto the dead he promiseth eternall life but yet vnto them that are rotten he calleth them blessed but yet those which abundantlie thirst and hunger and are on euerie side oppressed he pronounceth men to be iustified but yet such as are couered with
most assured that he cannot be iustified But the holie scriptures teach far otherwise for they set foorth vnto vs the example of Abraham Rom. 4 18. A man being iustified doubteth not of his iustification how that He contrarie to hope beleeued in hope and that he when now he was well-néere an hundred yéeres of age had no regard either to the barrenesse of his owne bodie or else vnto the wombe of Sara being past child-bearing that he stood not in a mamering through distrust but was by faith confirmed and most certeinelie persuaded that God was able to performe whatsoeuer he had promised This example teacheth vs that we ought not to haue regard vnto those things which either may or séeme to hinder our iustification but out faith ought vtterlie to be fixed in the words and promises of GOD. But contrariwise these men will call vs backe to our owne indispositions as they call them and will haue vs therefore alwaies to be in doubt of our iustification Indéed we ought not to dissemble whatsoeuer imperfection or fault is in vs and that bicause it may be daily corrected amended yet ought we not therefore to be in doubt and wauering touching our iustification and the grace of God 47 Now haue we to prooue the second proposition A confirmation that we are iustified by faith namelie that a man is iustified by faith which we intend first to prooue by testimonies of the holie scriptures Paule in the 1. chapter of the epistle to the Romans defineth the Gospell that It is the power of GOD to saluation to euery one that beleeueth Rom 1 16. In these words is touched the efficient cause of our iustification namelie The power of God and the end which is Our saluation and also the instrument whereby it is receiued namelie Faith for he addeth Vnto euerie one that beleeueth And this he confirmeth by a testimonie of Abacuke the prophet Abac. 2 4. in which sentence he was so much delighted that he vseth it both to the Galathians Gala. 3 11. Heb. 10 38. and also to the Hebrues in the selfe-same sense He addeth moreouer The wrath of God was reuealed from heauen Rom. 1 18. by reason of the knowledge of the philosophers which did with-hold the truth of God in vnrighteousnes and who at such time as they knew God glorified him not as God but fell to the worshipping of idols But contrariwise Ibid. 17. in the Gospell is reuealed the righteousnes of God namelie that righteousnes whereby men are iustified from faith to faith which phrase of speach we haue in his due place sufficientlie expounded Vpon the third chapter Now is the righteousnesse of God saith he made manifest without the lawe Rom. 3 21. the righteousnesse I saie of God by the faith of Iesus Christ in all and vpon all them which beleeue in him And a little afterward Wherefore being iustified freelie by his grace Ibid. 24. by the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whome God hath set foorth to be a reconciliation through faith in his bloud Here also is not onelie shewed the grace by which God fréelie iustifieth vs but also Christ and his death is set foorth that it may manifestlie appéere that he is the reconciliator and the mediator Wherevnto is added faith whereby we receiue the fruit of his redemption for the setting foorth also of his righteousnes in this time that he himselfe might be iust iustifieng him which is of the faith of Iesus Christ If men could by their works get vnto themselues righteousnes the righteousnes of God should not then in such sort be declared but séeing we perceiue it is communicated to vs by faith without anie preparation of works it must néeds séeme vnto vs verie great And amongst other things which God requireth of men this is the chéefest that they should not anie thing glorie of themselues But if iustificatiō consist of works men might boast of their own trauell indeuor but seing we are fréelie iustified by faith there is no place left for boasting Wherfore Paule saith Thy boasting is excluded By what lawe Rom. 3 27. By the lawe of works No but by the lawe of faith Wherefore he concludeth after this maner verse 28. We iudge that a man is iustified by faith without works And that we should not thinke that proposition to be particular he declareth that it is vniuersall verse 29. God saith he is he the God of the Iewes onlie Is he not also the God of the Gentils Yes of the Gentils also for it is one God which iustifieth vncircumcision through faith and circumcision by faith Wherefore euen as there is but one God ouer all men so iustifieth he all men by one and the selfe-same waie Rom. 4. 48 And in the fourth chapter he saith But vnto him that worketh not but beleeueth in him which iustifieth the wicked faith is imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes By this sentence both works are excluded and also faith is set foorth by which is imputed righteousnes vnto men And straitwaie he addeth of Abraham that He is the father of all them that beleeue Ibid. 11. being vncircumcised that it might also be imputed vnto them and that he is the father of circumcision not onelie vnto them which are of circumcision but also vnto them which walke in the steps of faith which was in the vncircumcision of Abraham our father Afterward by the nature of the promise he sheweth that iustification is by faith Ibid. 13. for he saith By the lawe was not the promise made vnto Abraham and vnto his seed to be the heire of the world but by the righteousnes of faith for if those which are of the lawe should be heires then should faith be abolished and the promise made void In these words are two excellent things to be noted The first is that the promise is frée neither it is ioined with the condition of works and therefore séeing faith as a correlatiue is referred vnto the promise it must néeds followe that it is such as the promise is and therefore it hath a respect vnto the promise by it selfe and not to the condition of our vntowardnesse or indisposition as the holie Fathers of Trent doo teach The second is that if the inheritance and righteousnes should depend of that condition of works then had there béene no néed of the promise for men might haue said Why is that fréelie promised vnto vs which we maie claime vnto our selues by our owne endeuour and labour Or why is it so necessarie that we should beléeue séeing by our owne works we can atteine vnto righteousnes Afterward Paule addeth the finall cause why iustification commeth by faith By grace saith he that the promise might be firme verse 17. for if by our owne works and preparations we could be iustified the promise should alwaies be vnstedfast neither could we appoint anie certeintie of it Afterward
much did set by their estimations and the iudgements of men that rather than they would be cast out of the synagog or yet be noted of anie infamie with the people they would forsake the confession of the name of Christ Wherefore when as the Lord saith that Such cannot beleeue and Iohn affirmeth that They did beleeue it is manifest that they spake of a diuerse and sundrie faith vnlesse we will saie that two contradictories maie both at one and the selfe-same time be true Wherefore Iohn spake of an humane faith but Christ of the sincere and true faith Two places reconcilled which at the first sight seeme repugnant Rom. 10 10. which true faith ought to be ioined with confession as Paule declareth saieng With the hart we beleeue vnto righteousnes and with the mouth man confesseth to saluation He which séeth the connexion betwéene righteousnes and saluation must néeds also sée the coniunction which ought to be betwéene faith profession Wherefore we saie that their faith was a dead faith but a dead faith is not a faith A dead faith is no faith no more than a dead man is a man 60 Although Smith in a certeine little booke of iustification which he wrote against me Smith contendeth that a dead faith is a faith which he prooueth chéeflie by this argument for that he by bodie of a dead man although it be dead is notwithstanding a bodie And this good wise man woonderfullie delighteth in this his similitude in which yet he hath vttered a sophisticall argument not disagréeing from his studie and skill For let vs a little examine this notable similitude Whether a carcase be the bodie of a man I would haue him to answer me whether a carcase be the bodie of a dead man or simplie the bodie of a man I thinke he will not answer that it is the bodie of a man for the bodie of a man and a dead carcase doo differ much the one from the other and that in verie déed more than two particular kinds which are of one and the selfe-same generall for that they are conteined vnder diuerse generall kinds from which they come next and as it were lineallie descend I grant that the carcase of a dead man is a bodie in the generall nature of substance as are stones stocks such other like but that it is in verie déed the bodie of a man I vtterlie denie For death taketh away from the bodie of a man the proper forme nature which he had before but it leaueth the generall nature onlie so that it maie be called a bodie Euen so true and iustifieng faith when it is lost or ceaseth to be a true and proper faith it maie indéed as touching the generall word which dooth betoken all kind and nature of faith be called a certeine cold assent sproong of humane persuasion and not such as commeth of the holie Ghost and which hath the selfe-same strength efficacie that it had before Wherfore if on either side be kept the selfe-same proportion of the similitude this woonderfull subtill shift shall make nothing against vs for as we confesse that a dead bodie is a bodie so we grant a dead faith is a faith so that by faith we vnderstand the generall kind which comprehendeth all sorts of faith and not that liuelie true faith whereby we are iustified Parlogismus aequiuocationis This reason is as they call it Paralogismus aequiuocationis that is a false argument comming of a word of diuerse significations He addeth moreouer that faith cannot iustifie bicause of his owne nature it is a thing dead receiueth life of another thing namelie of charitie and of good works True faith is no dead thing These obiections are vaine and trifling for none that is in his right wits will grant that true faith is a dead thing for The iust man is said to liue by his faith Abac. 2 4. And if out of faith we drawe life how can it then vnto anie man séeme dead But that it taketh life of an other thing From whence the life of faith commeth we denie not for it hath it partlie of those things which it beléeueth namelie of Christ and of the promises of God and partlie of the holie Ghost by whose breathing it is inspired In this sort we will grant that it hath life of another thing but not in that sort that this man will namelie that it hath it either of charitie or of good works For what man that is well in his wits will euer saie that either the stock of a trée or the branches or the fruits or the flowers doo giue life vnto the roots A similitude And faith is before either hope or charitie therefore of them it receiueth not life for in verie déed faith cannot be the matter of these vertues And euen as that facultie or power of the soule wherby we liue and are quickened which they call Vegetatiue giueth life to the bodie and receiueth not life of the facultie or power sensitiue whereby we féele or rationall whereby we vnderstand the which dooth followe euen so faith giueth life vnto the soule but taketh not that life either of charitie or of good works How faith is increased by good works Howbeit I grant that that life of faith is made so much the greater and ampler as it hath more and better works more feruent charitie breaking foorth of it not that it is increased by dooing of manie actions as they saie of vertues which they call morall but bicause God of his grace mercy multiplieth the talent for that it was not idle and bicause God by his power bringeth to passe that faith when it worketh through loue is stronger than it selfe when it dooth not so 61 But omitting these things let vs returne againe to Pighius He as much as lieth in him laboureth to prooue that a man cannot be iustified by that faith which is in Christ and in the remission of sinnes for that faith saith he whereby Abraham was iustified was not applied vnto these things For God promised vnto him onelie a plentifull séed and possession of a countrie and straitwaie is added that Abraham beleeued God Gene. 15 6. and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes In this argument Pighius dooth scorne and triumph in words against the truth and vtterlie derideth this our opinion and iudgement but this is nothing else than to deride Paule himselfe For he by most expresse words affirmeth Rom. 4 3. that We are iustified by faith in Christ and by the remission of sinnes Neither is there anie thing else in Pighius than a méere madnesse and a wicked desire to contend But let Paule come foorth and answer for himselfe what he thought to be vnderstood by the séed promised vnto Abraham Vndoubtedlie in his epistle vnto the Galathians the third chapter he calleth that séed Christ verse 16. Vnto Abraham
saith he were the promises made and vnto his seed He saith not And vnto the seeds as speaking of manie but as it were of one and in thy seed which is Christ And this testament I saie was confirmed by GOD towards Christ Let Pighius now yet beléeue Paule that in that séed which was promised vnto Abraham was Christ comprehended and meant neither let him from hencefoorth with such malapertnesse and desire of victorie take vpon him to saie that the faith whereby Abraham was iustified was not faith in Christ But as touching the remission of sinnes forsomuch as vnto vs is promised the blessing we ought to remember that the chiefe and principall point thereof consisteth in this that we should be receiued of God into fauour and that our sinnes should be forgiuen vs. But Pighius goeth on manifestlie to oppugne the doctrine of the apostle touching the iustification of Abraham for he saith that Before Abraham was circumcised had a testimonie of the scripture that his faith was imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes He beléeued God verse 4. as it is manifest in the 12. chapter of Genesis wherefore saith he according to this opinion of yours he was then iustified neither was his righteousnes differred vntill that historie which is written in the 15. chapter It is woonderfull to sée how much he attributeth vnto these his arguments as though by them were taken awaie from vs all possibilitie to answer What time Abraham was iustified What I beséech you letted but that Abraham might be iustified at that first time when God spake vnto him first to go out of his countrie and from his kinred For euen in the selfe-same place at the beginning of the 12. chapter wée read the selfe-same promises which are in the 15. chapter For thus God promised him I will make of thee a great nation and will blesse thee and will make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing I will also blesse those that blesse thee and will curse those that curse thee and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed Vndoubtedlie in these words is conteined the promise of Christ and the remission of sinnes And therefore there shall be no absurditie if we saie that Abraham by beléeuing of those words was also iustified But bicause the scripture in that chapter did not plainlie set foorth this therefore Paule with great wisedome hath cited those words which are spoken in the 15. chap. where it is expresselie written that Faith was imputed to him for righteousnes which saieng was most necessarie to confirme the sentence of the apostle namelie Why God would renew the selfe-same promises that A man is iustified by faith But why God would renew the selfe-same promises it is not hard to sée so weake is our mind that except the words of God be repeated and againe and againe driuen into vs it easilie starteth backe from faith Neither doutles is iustification once onlie taken hold of but is so often apprehended as we trulie mightilie assent vnto the promises of God for séeing we continuallie slide and fall into sinnes we haue néed euermore that our iustification should be renewed 62 Afterward he cauilleth that in the epistle vnto the Hebrues Heb. 11. are manie things found touching faith and manie woonderfull acts spoken of which haue béene obteined by it but yet not one word spoken that iustification is to be ascribed thereto But this man with an vniust paire of balance weieth the words of the holie scripture neither sufficientlie considereth what those words meane Ibidem 33. The iust haue by faith ouercome kingdoms haue wrought righteousnesse haue obteined the promises for these are so to be resolued that from the last effect we must returne vnto the first The last is To ouercome kingdoms the next To worke righteousnes the first To obteine the promises among which promises are reckoned blessing life remission of sinnes and such other like which serue to iustification Wherefore that which is first made mention of faith apprehendeth by it we are iustified afterward followe good works In the 11. chap. to the Hebrues faith is said to iustifie and therfore it is said And they wrought righteousnes lastlie by the selfe-same faith we obteine temporall good things for that cause it is said They haue ouercome kingdoms So then Pighius falslie affirmeth that in the epistle vnto the Hebrues among the effects of faith is no mention made of iustification for although that word be not there read yet it is of necessitie and manifestlie gathered of those things that are there written For we verilie are not Arrians as some wickedlie béelie vs that we will grant nothing but that which is by plaine and expresse words read in the holie scriptures for we grant those things also which are by euident and plaine arguments gathered out of them But Pighius afterward demandeth Why we take awaie from works the power of iustifieng Vnto this wée could make answer in one word that we doo it bicause the holie Ghost in the scriptures so teacheth vs namelie that Men are iustified by faith without works But to the end we should not so brieflie dispatch it he hath laid a blocke in our waie for he answereth vnto himselfe that the cause thereof is for that our works are vnperfect neither satisfie they the lawe of God neither also can they stand sure before the iudgement seat of God But by this means also saith he we may affirme that iustification is not of faith for it also is vnperfect for there is no man beléeueth so much as he should doo But vnto this we answer as we haue in other places oftentimes answered that faith as it is a worke iustifieth not Faith as it is a worke iustifieth not for it hath that effect and fruit not by anie power of his owne but by his obiect that is by that which it doth regard and laieth hold vpon for from the death of Christ the promises of God is righteousnes deriued vnto vs. So a begger receiueth almes with a leprous weake and sore hand A similitude and yet not in that respect that his hand is in such sort weake and leprous But thou wilt saie Why doo not other good works also by their obiect namelie by God for whose sake they are done apprehend righteousnes as well as faith I answer Why rather faith than other works iustifieth that faith was to this vse made and instituted by God for euen so in the bodie of a man although it haue diuers and sundrie members yet the hand onelie taketh hold and receiueth And so is easilie dissolued that common lewd false reason We are iustified by faith Faith is a worke Ergo we are iustified for works sake Here in the conclusion is stuffed in this word For which was not in the former propositions and therefore the collection is not good Further the forme of the reason is as they
But none which is faithfull ought in anie wise to doubt of himselfe but to beléeue that the promise is particular as touching himselfe when he perceiueth himselfe to beléeue trulie Further when promises are set foorth in a generall proposition we may most assuredlie of them gather their particular proposition And Christ saith in Iohn Iohn 6 40. This is the will of my father that euerie one that seeth the sonne and beleeueth in him should haue eternall life Wherefore we thus inferre But I beléeue in the sonne of God Therefore I haue now and shall haue that which he hath promised 73 Pighius still goeth on and to prooue that the faith of euerie other article and not that onlie which is referred vnto Christ touching remission of sinnes iustifieth he vseth the example of Noe for he saith Heb. 11 7. that He beleeued onelie those things which perteined to the safegard of his familie and to the destruction of the world and by that faith he saith he was iustified Here saith he is no mention made of Christ or of the remission of sinnes But it séemeth vnto me that this man hath not verie diligentlie read that which Peter writeth in his first epistle and third chapter for Peter saith verse 20. When once the long suffering of God expected in the daies of Noe while the arke was preparing wherein few that is eight soules were saued through the water vnto the figure whereof baptisme now agreeing maketh vs also safe whereby not the filth of the flesh is put awaie but thereby is brought to passe that a good conscience is well answering vnto God That which Peter sawe was signified by the arke and by those things which Noe did can we thinke Noe was iustified by faith in Christ that the patriarch himselfe sawe not This vndoubtedlie were too much derogation vnto him and if he sawe those things which Peter maketh mention of he beléeued not onelie those things which were then doone but also those which were looked for to be accomplished by Christ And therefore of good right it is written vnto the Hebrues that He was by such a faith made the heire of righteousnesse Heb. 11 7. But Pighius nothing passeth vpon this who so that he may be against vs is nothing afraid to fight euen against the apostles themselues for he is not afraid to affirme that our first father Adam was iustified but yet not with that faith which we speake of which concerneth the remission of sinnes through Christ for he saith that thereof he had no promise as touching that so farre as may be gathered out of the scriptures But doubtlesse this man is both farre deceiued Adam was iustified by faith wherby he beleeued the remission of sinnes through Christ Gen. 3 15. and also hath forgotten his fathers whom he would séeme to make so much of Was not the selfe-same thing said vnto Adam which was by God promised vnto Eue his wife namelie that his séed should bruise the head of the serpent Christ was that séed and he hath so broken the head and strength of the diuell that now neither sinne nor death nor hell can anie thing hurt his members This place all the fathers in a maner thus interpret But Pighius which yet is lesse to be borne withall is not afraid to saie that iustification is not giuen vnto vs by the promise In which thing doubtles he is manifestlie against Paule for he vnto the Galathians thus writeth God gaue vnto Abraham by the promise Gen. 3 18. And there is no doubt but that vnto vs it is giuen after the selfe-same maner that it was vnto Abraham But this is to be knowne that this word Promise Promise vnderstood two maner of waies is taken two maner of waies either for the thing promised and so it is not to be doubted but that we are iustified by the promise that is by Christ and by the forgiuenesse of sinnes which is promised vnto them that beléeue or else it is taken for the verie words of God in which he through Christ promiseth vnto vs remission of sinnes And in this maner also we maie be said to be iustified by the promise for although the cause of our iustification be the méere will and mercie of God yet is not the same offered or signified vnto vs but by the words of the promises and by the sacraments for these haue we as sure testimonies of the will of GOD towards vs. And so vnlesse faith be wanting whereby we apprehend the things that are offered we are iustified by the promises A place in the 5. of Genesis expounded 74 Afterward Pighius to prooue that God attributeth more vnto works than vnto faith citeth a place out of the 22. chapter of Genesis There is described that excellent worke of Abraham that he refused not to slaie his onelie sonne to offer him vnto God and therefore God said vnto him from heauen Bicause thou hast doone this thing verse 19. I haue sworne by my selfe that in blessing I will blesse thee and in multiplieng I will multiplie thy seed that it shall be as the starres of heauen and as the sand of the sea It shall possesse the gates of his enimies and in thee shall all nations be blessed Behold here saith he are promises giuen for works sake and therevnto is added a most faithfull oath but there is no mention at all made of faith wherfore saith he God hath more regard vnto works than vnto faith This speaketh he with a wide mouth but according to that prouerbe The mountaines will be brought a bed and out will spring a sielie mouse For if you aske what I thinke as touching this matter I will answer that it is a notable and most excellent historie whereout that cannot yet be gathered which this man exclaimeth First here is no mention made of iustification what serueth it then to that matter whereof we now intreat So often as anie thing is called in controuersie we must run to such certeine and assured places in which the selfe-same thing is intreated of and not vnto those places wherein it maie be answered that they intreate of another matter Of this nature is that place which Paule citeth Gene. 15 6. Rom. 4 3. as touching this thing Abraham beleeued in God and it was imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes But as concerning this historie I willinglie grant that Abraham by that worke obteined a certeine more ample benefit than he before had by faith howbeit not in substance or number or quantitie of the promises but in a sound and firme certeintie For although he doubted not but that whatsoeuer things he beleeued God would faithfullie render vnto him yet afterward when he had doone those excellent déeds he was more fullie persuaded of the veritie of his faith and constancie of the promise and strength of the righteousnes imputed vnto him I denie not but that by that excellent worke
greatly deceiued this is the gift of Christ alone and therefore Iohn in pointing vnto Christ said Behold the lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world And in Exodus the 33. Verse 39. it is expressed as a thing proper vnto God that he taketh awaie iniquitie vngodlines and sinnes And Esaie in the 43. Chapter Verse 25. It is I that take awaie sinnes In the first of Iohn we reade 1. Ioh. 2. 10. He it is that is the Propitiation for our sinnes Which also Paule affirmed vnto the Romans when he saieth Rom. 3. 25. Whom he hath set foorth a Propitiation through his bloud 1. Iohn 1. 9 Also Iohn in his first Epistle and first Chapter wrote The bloud of Iesus Christ his sonne clenseth vs from all sinne Verilie the outward things doe not cleanse the conscience otherwise Christ had died in vaine Againe the soule which is a spirit and without bodie is not purged by grosse corporall things Which the Epistle to the Hebrewes the 9. Verse 9. Chapter doeth plainely teach when it saith That the giftes and sacrifices doe not purge nor make cleane but that Christ was the verie high Priest who hauing wrought eternall redemption passed into the heauens And if at anie time the holie scriptures maie séeme to attribute forgiuenesse of sinnes or saluation to outward signes that must be vnderstoode by the figure Metonymia wherby those things are giuen vnto signes which are proper vnto the things signified the things signified are expressed by the name of the signes So Peter in his first Epistle saith 1. Pet. 3. 20 that in the time of Noah viij soules were saued by the water alluding vnto baptisme Howbeit by water he vnderstandeth not the outward element but that washing which is done by the bloud of Christ And so in the outwarde signe hée comprehendeth the thing signified Which he himselfe manifestly declareth afterward when he saieth 1. Pet. 3. 21. Not in that wherein the filthes of the flesh is put awaie but in that a good conscience answereth euen to God by the Resurrection of Iesus Christ So that by the water he noted the bloud death which is expressed vnder the name of Resurrection After the same manner must that be vnderstoode Ephe. 5. 25 which wee haue to the Ephesians namely That Christ gaue himselfe for the Church that the same might be sanctified by the washing of water through the word c. The cause of sanctification is Christ himselfe who gaue himselfe for vs and for that cause gaue the washing of water that the cleansing by him might be testified by the word and by the signe Brieflie this must be held that the outward signes ioyne vs not vnto Christ but that they be giuen when we bée alreadie ioined vnto him A similitude Euen as the watch word of souldiers doth not leuie a souldier but hath bin accustomed to be giuen when he is alreadie leuied And there is none that marketh his shéepe horse and oxe vnlesse he first possesse those beastes Yea and the letters of Donation are first finished and written before the seales of the giuers be set vnto them And assuredly thus God delt with Abraham Gen. 15. 6. First he beleeued and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Then he receiued circumcision as a seale of the righteousnesse of faith which he was indued with whē he was vncircumcised Neither did God begin to deale with Abraham in circumcision but the same circumcision followed iustification Which is also doone in baptisme The thing it self that is the couenant made with mankinde by Christ goeth before afterward followeth the outward token And that it is not otherwise with vs than with Abraham Paul declareth when he saieth Rom. 4. 23. that he was set forth vnto vs as an example of iustification Which if it were not all the Arguments of Paule concerning that matter should be weake yea rather they would be vtterly ouerthrowen 19 Yet doe I not denie Certaine signified things that follow baptisme but that there be certaine signified things of baptisme which doe not goe before but followe the eternall washing as is mortification and repentance and according to this Analogie I vnderstand that which we haue in the Epistle vnto the Romans to wit that we die with Christ Rom. 6. 4. and are buried together with him because the olde man that is the affections and lustes of the flesh must perpetuallie bee mortified which is not yet brought to passe so soone as we be baptized but it is requisite that it should afterward be doone And whereas we reade vnto the Galathians Gal. 3. 27. So manie of you as are baptized haue put on Christ I iudge it must be so expounded as if thou vnderstand To put on Christ for to be made the member of him that goeth before baptisme but if you meane it by manners and life to expresse the childe of God Two places in the Epistle to the Galathians expounded that followeth after baptisme receiued So as we must decrée as concerning the children of faithfull men that they be reckoned among the faithfull and that the children of the Saints are numbred among the Saints 1. Cor. 7. 14 as Paul testifieth in the first Epistle to the Corinthians And if that one will obiect Ib. 12. ve 13 that in the same Epistle the 12. Chapter it is written that wee bee baptized into one bodie that must not be so expounded as though we first passe by outward baptisme into the bodie of Christ An obiection touching original sin confuted séeing we were of the bodie of Christ before Then to the intent that this maie be testified and sealed we are outwardly baptized Ibidem And therfore before those words it is written By the spirit we are baptized into one bodie So that it is first wrought by the worke of the holie Ghost that we become the mēbers of Christ then baptisme is added Wherefore séeing the Infants of Christians be such there is no cause why they should be adiured or breathed vppon But we must weigh that it is not brought to passe by those things that originall sinne is vtterly taken awaie because we confesse that all men are borne the children of wrath and be depraued with originall sinne séeing that kinde of sinne commeth not by imitation as the Pelagians taught but it is the corrupting of the whole nature of man both as touching the soule as touching the bodie Againe we adde that God by Iesus Christ doeth make cleane his elect and predestinate so as the vice which in his owne nature should be mortall sinne shall not bee imputed to them vnto death Further by his spirit he renueth and adorneth them Afterward is added the sealing of outward baptisme First therfore they haue election or predestination they haue the promise and they are borne of faithfull Parents and séeing they be now in the
opinion Therefore since wee be most desirous of the vnitie of the church we would maruelouslie wishe that the controuersie which is sprong vppe amongest you should be pacified which wee suppose might bee doone if yée will deliuer your children heereafter to be baptised vnto those churches with whome ye agrée in faith and doctrine For if it could be doone after this manner Baptisme must be receiued of none but such as be of a right faith aswell they which thinke this kinde of baptisme whereof we dispute to be vnlawefull would greatlie reioyse to haue their conscience satisfied they on the other side which thinke the same to bee right and allowed would not for that cause defile their faith or conscience in anie point Beside this in doubtfull causes it most of all becommeth godlie men to imbrace those thinges which they may doe with most safetie The matter which ye propounde we reade not to be defined by the worde of God extant and pronounced in plaine and expresse wordes Wherefore wee must dispute thereof according to that which we may cōiecture by that which we gather out of the holie scriptures Which proofes and conclusions when all men admit not thereof commeth a difficult and dangerous handling of these thinges Howbeit forasmuch as you hauing asked our opinion we cannot kéepe secret our iudgement as touching the question propounded we wil alleage in fewe wordes those thinges which for the present time séeme most fit And if they like you you shall take it thankefully But if they doe not Christianitie being kept safe and inuiolate embrace yée those thinges which yée shall else where finde better Wherefore it séemeth good first of all that all faithfull men should be warned That Baptisme must not be reiterate that they doe not renewe the baptisme which is receiued by the Lutherans euen as wee doe not reiterate that which the Papistes haue ministred vnto vs. But whereas afterwarde you demaunde whether it be lawefull for men that professe the gospell to receiue baptisme of the Lutherans we say that this can not be doone of them without fault Not in verie déede that wee denie their churches to be any churches at all neither doe we thinke that baptisme it selfe is to be denied because of the crueltie which their ministers exercise against vs but wee thus thinke for other causes and those as it séemeth most iust First we affirme that Baptisme is a certaine sealing of the faith of him that is baptised or else if for want of age hee be not yet indued with faith we vnderstande that faith to bee sealed which the offerers of the partie to be baptised doe professe Insomuch then as there is a difference betwéene our faith and the faith of the Lutherans we cannot deliuer our faith to be sealed of them séeing they doe verie much detest the same so farre is it off that they will séeme to allowe it by the signe of baptisme Wherefore in doing of this wée shall séeme rather to consent vnto their faith and that we haue nowe changed our minde and opinion vnto their Church and faith Moreouer we thinke not that the Church of N. doth baptise into anie other faith than into that which flourisheth and is taught in the same But that baptisme is a sealing of the faith Rom. 4. 3. 9. Ib. ver 11. Paule sheweth when he saith vnto the Romans that Abraham first beleeued and that was imputed vnto him for righteousnes Afterwarde he receiued the seale of the righteousnesse of faith that is circumcision Neither can the faithfull doubt but that our baptisme succéeded circumcision Yea and the Iewes would not for anie other cause haue circumcised a stranger vnlesse hee being become first a proselite had professed their religion and faith And they of our religion did not baptise men of perfect age vnlesse they had instructed them fourtie daies before But perhappes ye thinke that the controuersie about the Eucharist is a certaine smal dissent which is not so séeing in it there is strife about the principall pointes of religion Further if the thing be of small importance why do wée so eagerlie contende for the same why doe wee not hide the smalnesse of the difference But if it be as we teach it to be of verie great weight why doe wee not auoide the shewe of a silent consenting with those churches which we knowe for certainetie to be in an ill opinion Why doe we not rather imitate the Lutheran ministers which would not commit their children to be baptised of our ministers Moreouer if in deliuering of your children to bee baptised you should testifie vnto those ministers that you would haue them to be baptised in that faith concerning the Eucharist which yee retaine and professe they vndoubtedly woulde not baptise them Also the godlie Iewes in olde time would not haue giuen their children to be circumcised of Ieroboams priests which worshipped the golden calues together with Iehoua Also we are not a litle mooued by the examples of our forefathers For that same great Theodosius as Socrates wrote in the 5. booke the 6. chapter when hee beganne to waxe gréeuouslie sicke at Thessalonica and would be made partaker of baptisme called vnto him the bishoppe of the Citie asking him first of all what faith that church professed whether the Arrian or the right catholike faith and when hee harde that it confessed Christ to be one substance with his father and that it was contrarie to the Arrians then he with a chéerefull and glad minde required himselfe to be baptised Yea and Valentinian the yonger when he might haue béene baptised in Fraunce yet for the suspicions of heresies wherewith the churches were then infected hee went to Millaine that hee might be there baptised by Ambrose which Church he knewe did followe the sincere and true professed faith To these I will adde Satyrus the brother of the selfe same Ambrose who when hee hadde escaped a most dangerous shipwracke and would not differ baptisme any longer most carefully shunning the churches of the Arrians repaired with all spéede to the catholike Church where hee might be baptised why would famous men so greatlie haue vsed this caution if it had béene all one matter to bee baptised of them which were of a right opinion and of them that erred in the chiefest pointes of faith Moreouer they that be baptised with the signe of baptisme are saide to be visiblie ingraffed into the church and especiallie into that Church in wich the sacramēt of baptisme is dispensed vnto them Therfore since ye wil not and that rightlie in verie déede consent with the Church N. why shoulde you offer vnto it your children to be baptised And herein further my déere brethren in my iudgement you are much deceiued that you thinke those ministers to agrée with you as touching the sacrament of baptisme Verelie it is farre otherwise The opiniō of the Lutherans as touching Baptisme for they attribute vnto the
of the lawe might be fulfilled in vs. Herevnto also had Ambrose a respect who thus interpreteth this place that Christ is called the end of the lawe bicause GOD by him bringeth things to passe which he had promised and commanded These words of the apostle teach that the principall office of the lawe is to direct vs vnto Christ and therefore vnto the Galathians it is called a schoole-maister Gal. 3 24. So then they are worthilie to be reprooued which of a schoole-maister make it a father séeking for righteousnesse at the lawe which ought onelie to be looked for at the hands of Christ Let vs therefore learne héereby to consider two things in euerie precept of the lawe namelie our sins and Christ our redéemer whom all the commandements doo set foorth for otherwise we shall vnprofitablie consider of the lawe And the Iewes for that they excluded Christ boasted of the law in vaine as they which had not the law but a shadowe of the same 29 But now let vs sée what testimonies there be out of the lawe and the prophets In Rom. 3. verse 21. of this righteousnes which Paule affirmeth was made manifest in Christ Iohn 5 39. And although Christ hath spoken generallie that Moses had written of him Luke 24 27 and that it is shewed by Luke that in the habit of a stranger while he was by the waie he talked with two disciples beginning to teach them at Moses and after by the prophets and psalmes yet is there no certeine place brought foorth in the which is expresse mention of Messias Neuerthelesse if we shall speake particularlie of Christ we read in Genesis that The seed of the woman should bruse in sunder the serpents head Gen. 3 15. And to Abraham it is said In thy seed shall all nations be blessed Gen. 22 18. Gen. 15 6. And of the same man it is written Abraham beleeued and that was imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes Héerevnto is added that which Paule saith Deu 30 12 Saie not in thy hart Who ascendeth into heauen or who shall descend into the depth The word is neere euen in thy mouth and in thy heart Rom. 10 6. Paule addeth And this is the word of faith which we preach if thou wilt beleeue with thy heart and confesse with thy mouth Againe Gen. 49 10. The scepter shall not be taken awaie from the tribe of Iuda neither a captaine out of his loins till he be come which shal be sent and he shall be the expectation of the Gentils Ier. 23 6. Ieremie writeth of Christ He shal be called God our righteousnes And in the same prophet we read Iere. 31 33. that God appointed to giue a new testament not according to that which he made with the fathers but by writing his lawe in their hearts and in their bowels Abacuk saith The iust man shall liue by faith Abac. 2 4. Esaie saith I am found of them that sought me not Also God hath laid vpon him all our iniquities Esai 65 5. and 53 6. Dauid also saith Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen Psal 32 1. and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man vnto whom the Lord hath not imputed sinne Another kind of testimonies are the acts of the fathers Also an other kind of testimonies is had out of the acts of the old fathers which were certeine foreshewings that Christ should come to redéeme mankind For as he is said to liue in vs for we be members of him so also he both liued and was in the old fathers wherefore they were no lesse his members than we are But how the head suffereth and is recreated in his members it is most manifestlie declared in Paule Acts. 9 4. when it was said Saule Saule whie persecute thou me And in the last iudgement Christ will pronounce Matt. 23 35 that whatsoeuer hath béene giuen vnto the least of his is giuen vnto him Wherefore so often as we read that the ancient fathers were ouercome brought into captiuitie and oppressed with calamities we must vnderstand that Christ in them suffred the selfe-same things And againe when we héere that they gat the victorie and were restored and deliuered let vs thinke that Christ also was in like sort affected in them And in the one we haue a shew of his death begoonne and in the other a shadowe and beginning of his resurrection And that this is so we are taught by that which Christ said Matt. 12 14 that He should be in the heart of the earth three daies and three nights like as Ionas the prophet He also likened himselfe vnto the brasen serpent which Moses set vp Iohn 3 14. wherevpon whosoeuer looked obteined health being otherwise in danger to die of the venemous stinging And in the prophet Ose we read Osâ— 11 1. Out of Aegypt haue I called my sonne Which Oracle the Hebrues labour to wrest vnto Pharao which was destroied and vnto the people of Israel deliuered from his tyrannie Which if we should in the meane time grant then yet would I aske of them of whence that nation had the preeminence to be called by the name of the children of God That vndoubtedlie could not be proued to come by anie other meanes than by Christ which is the sonne of God being the first begotten among manie brethren By whom others also as manie as are numbred to be the children of God haue aspired to such a diuine adoption So as the apostle saith that Christ was the first fruits and pronounced 1. Co. 15 â—0 and 23 Col. 1 18. that he hath the principalitie ouer all things Wherefore not without cause hath our Euangelist cited this place of the prophet touching the Lord forsomuch as he also was by the admonishment of the angell called backe out of Aegypt Lastlie the sacrifices oblations and ceremonies of the fathers beare witnesse of this kind of righteousnesse séeing in those beasts which were slaine the death of Christ was manifest to the faith of the old fathers For euen as the thing sacrificed which otherwise had not offended at all was slaine for the sinne of another which escaped frée so was thereby shewed that Christ should be slaine for vs which were guiltie of death that by pacifieng of the heauenlie father we might escape the punishments which we had deserued 30 But some man will demand In .1 Sam. 3. verse 14. by what reason it may appéere vnto vs that the death of Christ was shadowed in the sacrifices of the forefathers I answer that first God saith that he granted bloud vnto the Iewes to the intent they should vse the same at the altar for purgings by sacrifice but not to eate the same and he added a reason namelie bicause bloud is the life So he would signifie by the rite Gen. 9 4 that sinne might not be purged by sacrifice vnlesse it were by death Séeing therefore
the bodie of Abraham was dead and also the wombe of Sara In which words Chrysostome saith are laid the foundations of our resurrection which we beléeue shall come For if God were able to doo these things then can there be no want in him either of meanes or power to restore the dead to life againe What faith confirmed Abraham to obeie God And vndoubtedlie I am persuaded that this faith was no small helpe vnto Abraham for moouing of him to sacrifice his sonne according as God had required at his hands For though he had receiued the promise that he should haue posteritie by Isaac yet he sawe that although he were slaine yet there was place still remaining for that promise for he beléeued that God was able to raise him vp although he were slaine and make him to liue againe And how praise-woorthie the faith of that patriarch was Paule declareth when hée saith that he had not a regard vnto his owne dead bodie or to the dead wombe of Sara but gaue the glorie vnto God being most assuredlie persuaded that God was able to performe and bring to passe whatsoeuer he had promised Ambrose by an Antithesis or contrarie position declareth the excellencie of this faith for hée compareth it with the incredulitie of Zacharie Luke 1 18. vnto whom when the angel shewed of the birth of Iohn Baptist yet he remained still in vnbeléefe and therefore he was reprooued of the Lord and his toong so tied that he could not declare it which punishment was verie conuenient for that offense for they which beléeue not doo neither speake nor confesse Abraham considered with himselfe Although I am now by nature past child getting and am become barren yet the power and might of God is not subiect vnto the impediments of creatures for God can beyond the accustomed maner and course of nature bring to passe whatsoeuer hée will Wherefore although I by mine abilitie cannot beget a child yet God can make his promise excellent with a miracle whereby he may excéed the order of nature The Rabbins of the Hebrues saie that Abram begetteth not but Abraham begetteth bicause saie they therin is put the aspiration He being a letter perteining to the name Tetragrammaton As if it should haue béene said The power of God being added he which could not beget now begetteth children Augustine in his questions vpon Genesis thinketh that this place of the apostle is not absolutelie to be vnderstood for we read that after the death of Sara Abraham had manie children by his wife Chetura Gen. 25 1. which he afterward married And he addeth that the opinion of naturall philosophers is that men of great yéeres cannot beget children of old women but yet they may of yoong maidens Wherefore he thinketh that in this place we must vnderstand that the bodie of Abraham was dead as touching Sara his wife which was now ninetie yéeres old But this exposition hath no such assured cause to compell vs to thinke it to be true for in that Abraham begat children of Chetura Sara being now dead that might come by this meanes that God had now besides the order of nature restored strength vnto him for begetting of children Neither maketh that anie thing to the purpose which Origin affirmeth who vpon this place writeth that the bodie of Abraham is vnderstood to be dead bicause he now liued chastelie with his wife neither had he anie more fellowship with hir But he commendeth him for that when he had receiued the aduertisement of GOD that he should haue issue by his wife he againe went in vnto hir These things as it appéereth be deuised of his owne head for they cannot be gathered by the historie Now the apostle is in hand to commend the faith of Abraham for that he constantlie gaue assent vnto the promise of God although as well his owne nature as his wiues were vtterlie against it Whether Abraham doubted when a child was promised him verse 17. Both Abraham Sara laughed 7 But whether Abraham anie thing doubted when God promised vnto him a child the scripture séemeth to leaue in suspense for in the 17. chapter of Genesis it is written that hée laughed and said Shall a child be borne to one of an hundred yeeres of age And shall Sara bring foorth a child being ninetie yeeres of age I would to God Ismael might liue in thy sight These words haue a shew both of ioie and of admiration yet neuertheles being ioined with some doubting And for this cause dooth this scripture make mention of these things that the faith of Abraham which is so highlie commended should in no wise be thought to haue béene without mistrusts which are accustomed to spring of the flesh and humane sense but bicause the faith of the Patriarch ouercame these mistrusts therefore it is praised Neither doo we read there Gen. 18 12. that Abraham was accused of incredulitie by God as Sara was who in like maner laughed and if a man weigh the outward laughter they were both alike but God which is the searcher of the harts vnderstood right well the faith of either of them Holie men although they beléeued the promises of God yet sometime The saints to confirme their faith sometime required miracles Iudg. 6 17. 2 King 20 8 A remedie against a weake faith through humane weaknes were in some doubt and thereof it came oftentimes to passe that they required signes and miracles for strengthening of their imbecillitie Which thing we read of Gedeon and king Ezechias But in this place is shewed a remedie against such temptations namelie that we should call our thoughts back from earthlie impediments and fire our eies onelie vpon the power of God Of this thing the angel admonished the blessed virgin saieng Nothing shall be impossible with God Luke 1 37. Whether the blessed virgin doubted Although it appéere not by the words of the virgin that she doubted but onelie she asked how that should come to passe For she doubted not but that as the angel had told hir she should conceiue and that straitwaie but bicause she sawe that she was not as yet coupled in matrimonie although she were betrothed she demanded how that should come to passe whether she should wait till she were ioined in matrimonie or whether it should by anie other meanes come to passe Wherefore the angel in his answer comprehendeth two principall points The one is that by the same he might remooue mistrust if anie such had peraduenture stucke in the virgins mind for he saith With God nothing shall be impossible The second point is of the maner of conceiuing The holie Ghost saith he shall come vpon thee and the power of the highest shall ouershadowe thee But whereas some feigne that she asked this bicause she had vowed hir virginitie vnto God this néeds no long confutation speciallie The blessed virgin made no vow séeing we are by the historie it selfe taught that
she was betrothed to a man neither was there at that time anie such custome to vow virginitie vnto GOD. But let vs returne to our purpose We ought to resist those doubts which striue against faith through weighing in our mind the power of God for touching the will of God there can no doubt arise for whatsoeuer he setteth foorth to be beléeued he promiseth of his owne accord this doubtles he would not doo if he would not giue it Wherefore it followeth that they which are tempted with such doubting are in doubt of his power The praiers of the church begin at the omnipotencie of God Hereof I thinke it to come to passe that the praiers of the church doo so oftentimes begin with the omnipotencie of God to the end that the harts of them that praie shuld be confirmed that they shuld not in their publike praiers desire anie thing with doubting or mistrust By these things it is manifest how gréeuous a sinne it is to doubt of the promises of God for this is nothing else A greeuous sin to doubt of the promises of God but to account GOD either to be a lier or else to be of small strength and they which be of that mind can neither call vpon God neither yet aske or looke for anie thing at his hands But now forsomuch as this is the nature of faith which the apostle describeth it manifestlie appéereth The diuell hath not faith that the diuell hath no faith for he can haue no confidence that he is accepted of God and besides that he knoweth right well by the naturall sharpenes of his vnderstanding that God is omnipotent But whereas Iames saith Iam. 2 19. The faith which is heere intreated of belongs to godlie men onelie that The diuell beleeueth and trembleth To beléeue in that place is ment To knowe But the faith which is here described perteineth vnto men onelie and to none but such as are godlie 8 But here ariseth a doubt For if onelie the word of God be to be beléeued why said Christ In Rom. 10 17. Iohn 8 38. that If they would not beléeue him yet at the least-wise they should beléeue his works For it séemeth by this sentence Whether we should beleeue miracles that we should also beléeue miracles But we answer that miracles are as testimonies whereby men are the easilier brought to beléeue so then they bée things by the meanes whereof men doo beléeue not that faith is directed vnto them as vnto his obiect albeit as touching the miracles of Christ and of the apostles we must beléeue that they were doone by God and not by Belzebub or by the diuell Matt. 12 14. as the Pharisies slanderouslie reported And this is conteined in the word of God for it giueth testimonie that these miracles should be wrought that they were wrought in their due time namelie in the preaching of sound doctrine Sacraments are beleeued What sacraments are The sacraments also are beléeued but they are nothing else than the visible words of God wherevnto also is ioined the word of God which is heard as Augustine saith The word commeth vnto the element and it is made a sacrament Howbeit there is discretion and iudgement to be had when we beléeue the word of God least we should drawe therevnto anie peruerse and corrupt opinion It is also requisite to haue a good triall and examination if one shall discerne of miracles and in the sacraments it must be considered that they be orderlie ministred that is in such sort as they were instituted by God And by a sound iudgement we must remooue awaie and set aside the inuentions of men that we beléeue them not as we would beléeue the words of God And when Basilius or other of the fathers saie that We must beléeue without examination or iudgement Whether wee must beleeue without iudgement or with iudgement Rom. 4 20. A distinction of iudgment which séemeth to be taken out of that which Paule saith in his epistle to the Romans that Abraham beleeued neither iudged he that word in Gréeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To answer to this doubt this is to be vnderstood that iudgment is of two sorts the one is when we take counsell of the senses and humane reason and this is to be vtterlie remooued from faith for it alwaies resisteth the word of God the other is the iudgement of the spirit which must of necessitie be had And this is it which Paule said Prooue all things 1. The. 5 21 and keepe that which is good And vnto the Corinthians Spirituall things are compared with spirituall things 1. Cor. 2 13. The harder places of the scripture must be conferred with the easier The authoritie of the church hath no dominion ouer faith Rom. 10 14. And with this iudgement it is necessarie to conferre one place which in the holie scriptures is somewhat obscure with another place which is more manifest The authoritie of the church hath no dominion ouer faith as some wickedlie thinke The office of the church is to preach to admonish to reprooue to testifie and to laie the holie scriptures before mens eies neither dooth it require to be beléeued further foorth than it speaketh the words of God Paule before he had made mention of the word by which faith is brought foorth he spake of them that preach the Gospell that is of the ministers which be sent by God in whom he described the ministerie of the church namelie that it consisteth in preaching of the Gospell Ibidem 17. Moreouer if faith as it is written come by hearing that is as it is added by the word of God then followeth it of necessitie that there is nothing whereby faith is more nourished mainteined and confirmed than by continuall reading and repeating of the word of God This thing testified Tertullian in his apologie when he saith that To this end holie assemblies are gathered togither to heare Gods word The philosophers saie that we of the selfe-same things both are and are nourished wherfore in like sort it coms to passe that if faith be of the word of God it is also nourished by the same We knowe moreouer How faith is nourished of the word that through often and vsuall works habits or grounded dispositions are confirmed as contrariwise if a man cease off from actions they waxe weake Wherfore if a man cease to read to heare or to repeat the holie scriptures faith will wax féeble in him And they which thinke that a liuelie and pure faith may continue in churches without often preaching doo excéedinglie erre A similitude of Chrysostom Chrysostome hath an excellent similitude of a light or lampe that burneth which soone goeth out vnlesse oile be still ministred vnto it by the lampe or light he meaneth faith and by oile the word of God and this he writeth in that place where he treateth of the parable of the
open through which when the enimies enter in destroie althings they perceiue that they lost all their labour So these men take excéeding great paines bicause there may séeme to be no vncerteintie as touching the goodnes power and clemencie of God or merit of Christ Howbeit in the meane time they appoint our will to be so subiect vnto changing as it neither can nor ought to promise vnto it selfe perseuerance no not out of the word of God and by this meanes they quite take awaie all certeintie so that this saieng of Paule Hope confoundeth not can haue no place neither dooth the certeintie which they go about to establish anie thing profit Verely if we peruse the holie scriptures we shall not onelie vnderstand that God is generallie good and mightie but also that he is euermore vnto vs good and mercifull and that therefore he will confirme our will that it shall neuer fall awaie from him For as we haue a little before mentioned He will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that which we are able to beare 1. Co. 10 13 but togither with the temptation will make a waie foorth verse 8. And in the first chapter of the first to the Corinthians Ibidem 9. He shall confirme you blameles euen to the end against the daie of the Lord Iesus Christ for God is faithfull by whom we are called There are besides Testimonies of the scriptures promising perseuerance vnto vs. What the certeintie of hope is a great manie other testimonies in the holie scriptures which promise vnto vs both perseuerance and confirmation of our will by Christ Wherefore we saie that this certeintie of hope is a firme cleauing vnto the promises offered vnto vs and receiued by faith bicause we knowe that we shall not giue ouer but continue euen vnto the last end 46 And of so great force is this hope that as Augustine writeth vnto Dardanus Hope calleth those things which are to come as alreadie doone Ephes 2 5. and in manie other places it calleth things that are to come alreadie doone as the same Augustine verie well declareth out of manie places of saint Paule and especiallie vnto the Romans vnto the Ephesians vnto the Colossians For vnto the Ephesians we are said to be alreadie raised from the dead and to be alreadie set at the right hand of God togither with Christ in the heauenlie places Vnto the Colossians Col. 3 1. If ye haue risen togither with Christ c. And in another place Titus 3 5 Rom. 8 23. He hath saued vs by the fountaine of regeneration And vnto the Romans By hope we are made safe Wherof the certeintie of hope springeth This certeintie springeth chéefelie of a woorthie estimation which by faith we conceiue touching the constancie of God the which no vnwoorthines of ours is able to cast downe Vnto which vnwoorthines of ours drawing vs from this confidence if we haue respect we must néeds against hope beléeue in hope and haue a full confidence that we shall be saued by Christ although the same vnwoorthines repugne neuer so much against it setting before the view of our eies our father Abraham whose steps we ought by faith to cleaue vnto He as touching the promise that he should haue issue weihed not his owne age or the age of his wife which was past child bearing but had a respect vnto him onlie which made the promise and considered his might and therefore he determined most assuredlie with himselfe that that should come to passe which God had promised Euen so although we be vnwoorthie and that our fowlnesse and sinne is a let vnto vs yet let vs haue no mistrust but that by Christ we shall be made safe vnlesse we will suffer our selues to be infected with infidelitie the which Abraham did most of all abhorre Rom. 4 20. for he staggered not through vnbeléefe as the apostle saith Wherefore this vncerteintie of our aduersaries is vtterlie taken awaie from the minds of the godlie for for this cause as the apostle testifieth would God haue vs to be iustified by faith Rom. 4 16. and not by works that the promise should abide certeine and vnshaken And this is indéed to giue the glorie vnto God What is to giue glorie vnto God which thing Abraham did for he notwithstanding those woonderfull great impediments hoped vndoubtedlie that the same which God had promised should come to passe Iob also made so small account of these impediments that he said Although he kill me yet will I hope in him by which words he sheweth The godlie in affliction will not cast awaie hope that it is the propertie of the godlie that albeit they be verie seuerelie afflicted by God and may appéere to be hated of him yet doo not cast awaie their hope Wherfore let vs imitate him and if so be that our falling and vnwoorthines shall set themselues before our eies yet let vs not distrust Let vs in the meane time detest our vices and as much as lieth in vs amend them but yet through them let vs by no means be cast downe from the hope of saluation For if when the promises of God be offered we should behold our owne woorthines we should rather be mooued to desperation than to anie hope for there is no man whose mind is not laden with manie and gréeuous sinnes Besides this Rom. 5 1. Paule teacheth vs that Peace towards God is had by Christ and by the faith which is towards him There shuld be no peace if we stood in doubt of saluation which peace vndoubtedlie should either be none at all or else verie troublesome if we should continuallie doubt of his good will towards vs. Doo we not alwaies in our praiers call vpon him as our father But no sonne which followeth naturall affection doubteth of his fathers good will towards him How then doo we call him father whom we suspect to be our enimie The fathers taught the certeintie of saluation 47 There might be a great manie of such other reasons brought for the certeintie of hope But now I will in few words declare that the fathers also in their writings taught the selfe-same certeintie Chrysostome vpon that place vnto the Romans thus writeth Doo not saith he yea though thou be of small woorthines discourage thy selfe séeing thou hast so great a defense namelie the loue or fauour of the iudge And a little afterward he saith For that cause the apostle himselfe when he saith Hope confoundeth not ascribeth all the things which we haue receiued not vnto our good déeds but vnto the loue of God Ambrose also saith that Forsomuch as it is impossible that they which are déere vnto him should be deceiued he would make vs assured of the promise bicause both it is God which hath promised and hath promised vnto those whom he will haue déere vnto him Augustine in his sermon which he made vpon mondaie in
the apostle teacheth that Abraham was not iustified by circumcision but receiued it afterward being now iustified by faith vndoubtedlie he taketh awaie the power of iustifieng from that ceremonie euen also in the time of Abraham wherein it was first instituted Psal 32 1. Dauid also when he affirmeth that blessednes herein consisteth that sinnes should not be imputed which thing as we now reason is nothing els than to be iustified speaketh he of his owne time or of an other time Abac. 2. 4. Rom. 1 17. And Abacuke when he saith that The iust man liueth by faith and excludeth works from iustifieng as Paule manifestlie expoundeth him spake he onlie of his own time thinke you Vndoubtedlie he spake both of our time and also of his owne time Lastlie when Paule expressedlie writeth vnto the Galathians in the 3. chapter vers 10. As manie as are of the lawe are vnder the curse and goeth on proouing that sentence from whence I beséech you séeketh he his testimonie Vndoubtedlie out of the lawe He saith Cursed be he which abideth not in all the things that are written in the booke of the lawe Séeing therefore the law so speaketh and that as Paule saith it wrappeth in a curse all those that transgres the commandements thereof then it followeth of necessitie that by those works which perteine vnto it no man can be iustified An other cauillation 22 But these men flie to an other shift For they saie that all those which are to be iustified are not of one and the selfe-same condition for they saie that some of the Hebrues some of the Gentils are conuerted to the faith of Christ and become christians againe that some They put a difference betweene them which were first conuerted vnto Christ and those which hauing fallen are restored after they haue once receiued Christ doo fall into gréeuous and wicked crimes and haue néed againe of instauration Now saie they the state and consideration of both partes is not alike for they which haue once professed the name of christians when they are fallen cannot recouer righteousnes but by good works as by almes-déeds by teares fasting confessions and such other which preparations merits are not required of them that from infidelitie be first conuerted vnto Christ But I would first heare of these good wise men out of what place of the holie scripture they found this distinction And séeing the maner of iustification is vtterlie one and the self-same and perteineth as well to the one as to the other why should the one come vnto it one waie and the other an other waie Further why doo they attribute vnto them that are fallen in christianitie They which are fallen from christianitie are in worsâ—r state than the Infidels Heb. 6 4. that they by their good works doo merit vnto themselues iustification but vnto those which come froÌ„ infidelitie they attribute not the same Are they which haue not kept faith when they were in the church better than the 〈◊〉 Certeinlie I thinke not For they which haue once tasted of the sweete word of God and doo afterward fall from it are in worse state than the other And The seruant Luke 12 47. which knoweth the will of his maister and doth it not is more greeuouslie punished Also 1. Tim. 5 8. He which hath not a care ouer his and especiallie ouer his owne houshold the same man hath denied the faith and is worse than an Infidel But they saie they denie not but that they which are conuerted from Infidels may doo some good works yea and that if they doo them they may after some sort deserue iustification at the least waie as they terme it of congruitie but that these works are alike required as well of these as of the other they denie But forsomuch as all their works as I haue else-where taught are sinnes how can they doo good works before God Moreouer how are not good workes required of them before they come vnto Christ and are baptised séeing none of them which are regenerate by Christ can beléeue trulie vnlesse he earnestlie repent him of the life which he hath lead For he dooth greatlie lament the sinnes and offenses of his former life confesseth that he hath grieuouslie erred which thing if he doo not vndoubtedlie he beléeueth not faithfullie and trulie This dooth Augustine write of himselfe in his booke of confessions And in the Acts of the apostles Acts. 19 19. the Ephesians when they had giuen themselues vnto Christ did not onlie confesse their sinnes but also burned those bookes which before they had vsed vnto superstition But I will declare what hath deceiued these men They read peraduenture in the Fathers that they attributed much vnto teares fastings almes and other godlie works of the penitent In what sense the fathers haue attributed so much vnto praier fastings and teares But these men vnderstand not what the Fathers meant in those places for they intreated of ecclesiasticall satisfactions and not of our works whereby God should be pacified or the forgiuenesse of sinnes deserued For the church forsomuch as it séeth not the inward faith of them that fall for there are manie which not abiding the shame of excoÌ„munication doo sometimes counterfeit some shew of conuension and repentance thereby the rather to be reconciled and receiued vnto the communion of the other brethren the church I saie to the end that this should not happen would haue a proofe of their faith and conuersion to God neither would it admit vnto the fellowship of the faithfull such as were fallen before they had shewed fastings confessions and almes as witnesses of a true and perfect changing And bicause these men marke not this they confound all things and build therevpon most detestable hypocrisie An other shift 23 But they haue yet another shift for they saie that the works of Infidels are not sinnes although they be doone without the faith of Christ Whether the workes of infidels be sinnes For they imagine that there is a certeine generall confused faith towardes God which faith they which haue although they beléeue not in Christ yet that they maie worke manie excellent works which euen for that selfe same faiths sake maie please God and after a sort deserue iustification They giue saie they large almes they honour their parents they beare excéeding loue to their countrie if they haue coÌ„mitted anie thing that is euill they are sorie for it they liue moderatlie and doo a great manie other such like things that not vnaduisedlie But because they beléeue that there is a God which delighteth in such duties therefore they bend their endeuour to those things to make themselues acceptable vnto him Further they paint out colour their fond deuise with a trim similitude A similitude A stake saie they or a post being put into the earth although oftentimes it take not roote or life yet draweth it
some iuice out of the earth and so bringeth foorth some leaues and buddeth as if it liued in verie deed likewise men saie they that are strange from Christ although they liue not by the celestiall spirit We can please God with no faith except that which is in Christ Iesus Acts. 4 12. yet by some inspiration of the spirit they worke those excellent works which we haue described But we that are instructed by the holie scriptures doo acknowledge no other faith whereby we can please God but onelie that which is in Christ Iesus For There is none other name vnder heauen giuen vnto men whereby we can be saued Rom. 2 22. 4 24. Gala. 2 20. Ephe. 1 13. 15. but onelie the name of Christ our sauiour And Paule as often as he maketh mention of faith which iustifieth alwaies declareth it to be that faith whereby we are godlie affected towardes Christ and his Gospell But least that Paule of himselfe and alone should séeme to teach this I will a little more déeplie repeated the whole matter Ge ne 15 6. Abraham beleeued God and it was counted vnto him for righteousnesse But what beléeued he Abraham was iustified by faith in Christ Galat. 3 16. Forsooth this that he should haue séed giuen him namelie that onelie séed as Paule interpreteth it wherein all nations should be blessed which is Christ Iesus This testament was confirmed of God vnto him in Christ yea the Lord himselfe when he spake of him said Iohn 8 56. He sawe my daie and reioised Iob also in the .19 chapter Iob. 19 25. I knowe saith he that my redeemer liueth which shall also rise in the last daie ouer them which doo lie in the dust And after the woormes haue destroied this bodie I shall see the Lord in my flesh whome I my selfe shall see and mine owne eies shall behold and none other for me This faith expressed in those words is in no wise generall or confused for in it are plainelie described the principall points which perteine vnto Christ For first he is called a redéemer wherein is published the forgiuenesse of sinnes Further his comming to iudgement is set foorth and also the resurrection of the dead wherein not other bodies but euen the selfe same which they had before shal be restored vnto men There is also added the humane nature of Christ which maie be séene with corporall eies Further what maner of faith I beséech you is that which these men affirme Infidels to haue For a true and firme persuasion A true faith draweth with it all good motions of the mind and a constant and an assured assent vnto the promises of God draweth with it as I said at the beginning all good motions of the mind How then can they saie that these men haue faith which lie still weltering in idolatrie and in most shamefull and grosse sinnes They may indéed haue a certeine credulitie The Ethniks male haue a credulitie but not a true faith either by education or by human persuasion or by an opinion after a sort rooted in them but to haue a true faith so long as they lead such a kind of life it is not by anie meanes possible vnlesse they will grant that the Turks haue also faith for they assent vnto manie things The Turks haue no true faith though they beleeue manie things with vs. 1. Cor. 13 2. which we professe and beléeue But that place of Paule in the first epistle to the Corinthians wherein it is said If I haue all faith so that I can remooue mountaines and haue not charitie I am nothing they will haue it to be vnderstood not onelie of the true faith but they also saie that the same faith may be separated from charitie Howbeit they grant that if it so come to passe the same faith will not profit anie thing at all Séeing therefore they expound that place after this maner how agrée they with Paule séeing they saie that a generall and confused faith wherewith men be indued that are yet strange from Christ can bring foorth good works which of congruitie may merit iustification please God when as Paule saith that euen The true faith also as they interpret it dooth nothing profit without charitie But that similitude which they bring of a stake or a post fastened into the earth vtterlie ouerthroweth their owne opinion For although being dead it séemeth to liue yet in verie déed it liueth not and a wise husbandman séeth that the budding foorth is vnprofitable and therefore such leaues he casteth awaie and destroieth as vaine and nothing woorth And of the same estimation with God are those works which these men so colour and set foorth to the shew They affirme that the infidels works are not doone without grace 24 They inuent also another fond colour not much unlike vnto the former for they saie that those works of the infidels are not doone without grace For there is saie they a certeine generall grace laid foorth vnto all men and common euen vnto men not regenerate wherwith they being after a sort holpen may merit iustification and doo works which please God But in so saieng The aduersaries fall into the Pelagian heresie they fall into the heresie of Pelagius for he also taught that men without the grace of Christ might euen by the vertue and strength of nature and by the doctrine of the lawe worke good works whereby they might be iustified Neither dooth this anie thing helpe their cause in that they said that they referre not these things vnto nature but vnto grace which the Pelagians vtterlie denied For in words they will séeme to disagrée from them when as in verie déed they verie much agrée with them for in that they assigne a grace whereby they can atteine vnto righteousnes without Christ they are both against Christ and the Mileuitane Councell and the holie scriptures Further in that they make grace common vnto all men they turne it into nature and they saie that some will vse it A preuenting grace and an after following grace some will not vse it And this grace they call a preuenting grace but that other which is more absolute they call an after following grace Which diuision we denie not so that it be rightlie vnderstood for we grant there is one grace which preuenteth and another which followeth after howbeit the fauour of God through Christ wherewith we are both preuented to will well and wherewith we afterward being regenerate are holpen and stirred vp to liue well is one and the same For who euer doubted but that we are preuented of God to the intent we may be changed and renewed in Christ He were woorse than mad which would saie that we in our conuersion and turning vnto God doo preuent the aid and helpe of God He first loueth vs before we can begin to loue him he first stirreth vs vp by his fauour and
he putteth the example of Abraham verse 18. who as it is before said Contrarie to hope beleeued in hope neither had he a regard vnto those things which as touching his owne part might haue béene a let vnto the promise of God namelie His owne bodie being now as it were dead an hundred yeares old and the age of Sara his wife These things sufficientlie declare what maner of faith that was by which vnto Abraham was imputed righteousnes so that therby we maie also vnderstand the power and nature of faith which iustifieth Paule also addeth that by such a faith is much aduanced the glorie of God For when as nothing is attributed vnto our works and merits it must néeds be that the whole glorie redoundeth vnto God Therefore Paule saith of Abraham Ibid. 20. He gaue the glorie vnto God knowing this most fullie that whatsoeuer he had promised he was able also to performe And the more to expresse the certeintie of faith he vseth this participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby he signifieth that Abraham with a certeine most full assent imbraced the promise of God And least anie man should thinke that this was a proper and peculiar prerogatiue giuen vnto Abraham the apostle addeth an vniuersall rule and saith that verse 23. It was not written for him onelie that it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes but also for vs vnto whome it shal be imputed so that we beleeue in him which raised vp Iesus Christ from the dead which was deliuered for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification Further out of the fift chapter we haue also an other testimonie Rom. 5. 1. Wherefore saith he we being iustified by faith haue peace towards God through Iesus Christ by whome we haue accesse through faith into this grace wherein we stand Here are twoo things to be noted the one is that we are iustified by faith and that by grace the second is that vnto this grace is not an entrance made open by preparations or works which dispose vs but onelie by faith In the eight chapter are set foorth as it were certeine steps and degrées by which we must come to eternall saluation Rom. 8 28 Whome he hath foreknowne saith he those also hath he predestinated that they should be like fashioned vnto the image of the sonne of God that he might be the first begotten amongst manie brethren And whome he hath predestinated those also hath he called and whome he hath called those hath he iustified and whome he hath iustified those will he also glorifie Here are reckoned vp fiue degrées foreknowledge predestination vocation iustification and glorification in which as touching our purpose let vs consider what commeth betwéene vocation and iustification And that is nothing else but faith for as much as vocation is wrought by the promise of iustification and of saluation the same is receiued by faith giuing assent therevnto 49 Towards the end of the 9. chapter there is set foorth Rom. 9 30. the difference betwéene the Iewes and the Gentiles and a reason is giuen why the Gentiles obteined righteousnes and not the Iewes For thus Paule saith What shall we saie then That the Gentiles which followed not righteousnes haue taken hold of righteousnes which is by faith But Israel which followed righteousnesse atteined not vnto the lawe of righteousnes bicause they sought it not by faith but as it were by works What can there be more manifest than these words For they declare that they which will be iustified by faith doo obteine righteousnes but those which doo aspire vnto it by works doo labour in vaine This selfe thing he prooueth euen from the beginning of the tenth chapter Rom. 10 3. where he describeth two kinds of righteousnes the one which he calleth ours which consisteth of works the other which he calleth the righteousnes of God which is taken hold of by faith And thus he writeth They being ignorant of the righteousnes of GOD and going about to establish their owne did not submit themselues to the righteousnes of God Hereby it is manifest that they which will establish their owne righteousnes that is the righteousnes of works doo fall away from the righteousnes of God Paule goeth on and more plainelie openeth the nature of these two kinds of righteousnes Leuit. 18 5. Moses saith he thus writeth of the righteousnes which commeth of the lawe Ibidem 5. The man which dooth these things shall liue by them By these words he sheweth that the righteousnes of the lawe consisteth in works But of the righteousnes comming of faith he thus speaketh Saie not thou in thy hart Who shall ascend vp into heauen to fetch Christ from thence Or who shall descend into the deepe to fetch vp Christ againe ftom the dead But what saith he The word is nigh thee euen in thy mouth and in thy hart The same is the word of faith which we preach which word he that beleeueth in his hart and with his mouth confesseth the Lord Iesus Christ shall be saued Hereby we sée that not the righteousnes of the lawe which is had by works but the righteousnes of faith is it which bringeth saluation And this is by the latter words more manifestlie confirmed verse 10. for in that there is added With the hart we beleeue vnto righteousnes and with the mouth is confession made vnto saluation The latter clause touching confession which séemeth to be an outward worke is therefore added least we should thinke that the faith whereby we are iustified should be idle for it is not a vaine and barren faith such a one as our aduersaries dreame that we obtrude It hath most plentifull and most aboundant fruits amongst which the profession of godlines obteineth the first place and is most necessarie Herevnto Paule addeth a testimonie out of the prophet verse 11. Esai 28 16. He which beleeueth in him shall not be made ashamed They are commonlie ashamed which contrarie to their expectation are frustrated of that which they hoped to haue obteined Wherefore the meaning is He which beléeueth in Christ and by this faith waiteth for saluation shall not be put to shame bicause he shall not be frustrated of his hope He addeth also an other testimonie taken out of the prophet Ioel verse 13. Ioel. 2 32 Whosoeuer doth call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued in which words the promise of saluation séemeth to be ascribed vnto inuocation But Paule profitablie teacheth as I haue before oftentimes said when promises séeme to be adioined vnto works we must alwaies runne from them vnto the roote foundation namelie vnto faith So Paule in this place when he had said Rom. 10 14 Whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued straitwaie addeth How shall they call vpon him in whom they haue not beleeued So he resolueth the whole matter from inuocation into faith Note that the scriptures
declared himselfe to be euen he that should forgiue sinnes and that euen as those healings were receiued by faith so also by the same faith are men iustified and receiue the forgiuenesse of sinnes Mat. 9 28. And in the same .9 chapter it is declared that Christ answered vnto the two blind men which were verie importunate and most earnestlie desired to be healed Doo ye beleeue that I can doo this for you And when they had made answere that they beléeued he said Euen as you haue beleeued so be it vnto you And when our sauiour was going to the house of the ruler of the synagog to raise vp his daughter from death there followed him a woman which had an issue of bloud which woman was indued with so great faith that she thought thus with hir selfe that If she might but touch the hem of his garment she should straitwaie be made whole Wherefore Christ answered hir Be of good confidence daughter Ibidem 22. thy faith hath made thee whole But whie Christ adioined confidence to faith we haue before declared in the beginning of this question when we declared the nature of faith for we taught that that assent wherewith we take hold of the promises of God is so strong and so vehement that the rest of the motions of the mind which are agréeable vnto it doo of necessitie followe In Luke also is set forth the historie of that sinfull woman vnto whom the Lord thus answered Luk. 7 50. Thy faith hath made thee safe signifieng that he for hir faith sake had forgiuen hir hir sinnes And that the faith of this woman was verie feruent she declared by the effects In that she loued much in that she kissed his feete in that she washed them with hir teares and wiped them with hir heare 54 In the Gospell of Iohn the third chapter Christ said vnto Nichodemus Iohn 3 16. So God loued the world that he gaue his onlie begotten son that he which beleeued in him should not perish but haue eternall life And in the selfe-same chapter Iohn Baptist thus speaketh of Christ He which beleeueth in the sonne hath eternall life but he which beleeueth not hath not life but the wrath of God abideth on him Out of which place we gather not onelie that we presentlie intreat of It is prooued that strangers from Christ can doo no good thing that may please God but also this that they who are strangers from Christ and beleeue not can doo nothing that may please God and therefore they cannot merit of congruitie as they call it and as our aduersaries affirme the grace of God And in the sixt chapter Christ saith This is the will of him that sent me Iohn 6 40. that he which seeth the sonne and beleeueth in him hath eternall life and I saith he will raise him vp at the last daie And when he had before said verse 44. No man commeth vnto me vnlesse my father drawe him also He that hath heard of my father verse 45. and hath learned commeth vnto me afterward he addeth And he which beleeueth in me verse 47. hath eternall life In the eleuenth chapter when Christ should raise vp Lazarus he saith vnto Martha Ioh. 11 25. He which beleeueth in me though he were dead yet shall he liue and he which liueth and beleeueth in me shall not die for euer And in the 17. chapter This is eternall life Iohn 17 3. that they acknowledge thee the onlie true GOD and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ But this is to be noted that here he speaketh not of a cold knowledge but of a mightie and strong faith wherefore if it be eternall life then shall it also be iustification For iustification and life are so ioined togither that the one is oftentimes taken for the other And in verie déed iustification is nothing else than eternall life now alreadie begun in vs. And in the 20. chapter Ioh. 20 31. These things saith he are written that ye should beleeue that Iesus is the Christ and that in beleeuing ye should haue eternall life Acts. 15 9. In the Acts of the apostles the 15. chap. it is thus written By faith purifieng their harts In which place Peter speaketh of the Gentils that they should not be compelled vnto the works of the lawe of Moses forsomuch as Christ had without them giuen vnto them the holie Ghost and had by faith made cleane their harts from sins Paule also in his oration to king Agrippa said verse 18. that He was called of Christ to be sent vnto the Gentils which should by his ministerie be illuminated and by faith receiue remission of sinnes and lot amongst the saints And these testimonies hitherto we haue gathered out of the new testament But if I should out of the old testament rehearse all that which maketh to this purpose I should then be ouer tedious And if there be anie of so obstinate a hart that those things which we haue alreadie spoken cannot force them to confesse the truth neither should it anie thing profit such men if we should bring manie more testimonies wherefore a few shall suffice And besides those testimonies which Paule cited out of the 15. chapter of Genesis Gen. 15 ◠Abraham beleeued God and it was counted vnto him for righteousnes out of Abacuke The iust man shall liue by his faith out of Dauid Abac. 2 4. Psal 3◠1. Esai 28 26. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen out of Esaie Euerie one that beleeueth in him shall not be confounded and a few other such like Besides these testimonies I saie I will cite the 53. chapter of Esaie wherein Christ by most expresse words is painted foorth For there He is said verse 4. to haue taken vpon him our sorrowes to haue borne our infirmities to haue giuen his soule a sacrifice for sinnes and manie such other things which are so plaine that they can be applied vnto none other but onlie vnto Christ Iesus our sauiour And it is said moreouer And by the knowledge of him shall my righteous seruant iustifie manie and he shall beare their iniquities These words doo teach that Christ iustifieth manie namelie the elect by the knowledge and perfect vnderstanding of him which knowledge vndoubtedlie is nothing else but a true faith and that he also in such sort iustifieth them that he taketh vpon himselfe and beareth their iniquities And Ieremie in the fift chapter writeth verse 3 O God haue not thine eies a regard vnto faith As if he should haue said Although thou séest all things and there is nothing perteining vnto man hidden from thée yet hast thou chéeflie regard vnto faith as vnto the roote and foundation of all good actions And as touching the oracles of the scripture this shall suffice 55 Now will I answer such obiections as are commonly brought against this second proposition And we will begin first with
faith hath equallie a respect vnto all the things which are set forth in the holie scriptures yea saith he he dooth vnto God a thing no lesse acceptable which beléeueth that he created the world or beléeueth the thrée persons of the diuinitie or the resurrection to come than he which beléeueth that Christ was giuen to be our mediatour and that by him is to be obteined the remission of sinnes for that faith is of no lesse worthines than the other And if we be iustified by faith he affirmeth that that faith no lesse perteineth vnto the other articles than to the remission of sinnes by Christ And this he thinketh may be prooued by that which Paule writeth in the fourth chapter vnto the Romans verse 23. And not for him onelie were those things written but also for vs vnto whom it shal be imputed so that we beleeue in him which hath raised vp Christ from the dead Behold saith he that faith is imputed vnto vs vnto righteousnes whereby we beléeue that GOD raised vp Christ from the dead and not that faith whereby we beléeue that sinnes are forgiuen vs by Christ First here we confesse that our faith assenteth vnto all the things which are conteined in the holie scriptures But forsomuch as amongst them there is but onelie one principall and excellent truth vnto which all the other truths are directed namelie that Christ the sonne of GOD suffered for vs that by him we might receiue forgiuenes of sinnes what maruell is it if our faith haue respect vnto this one thing chéeflie For this that we saie Rom. 10 4. Paule prooueth for he saith Christ is the principall obiect of our faith that Christ is the end of the lawe Wherefore séeing he is the end of all the scriptures he is also the summe and principall obiect of our faith although otherwise by our faith we also imbrace all other things which are conteined in the holie scriptures And whereas he addeth that the faith which is of the other articles is no lesse acceptable vnto God than this faith which concerneth Christ and the remission of sinnes we maie first saie that is not true if a man rightlie weigh the dignitie of the action of faith for the dignitie of faith as also the dignitie of other like kinds of powers and qualities is measured by the obiects For as those obiects differ one from another in excellencie and dignitie The dignitie of faith is measured by the obiect so the consents which faith dooth yéeld vnto them ought according to the same to be counted inferiour or of more excellencie Séeing therefore God would in such sort haue his sonne to die and men by him to be reconciled that for this he hath instituted all the other things to be beléeued which are set foorth in the holie scriptures we cannot put anie doubt but that this pleaseth him much more than the other for that the other are directed vnto this as vnto their end And this is a common rule amongst the Logicians That thing it selfe is much rather of such condition and qualitie by meanes whereof another thing hath such condition and qualitie Wherefore this action of faith whereby we assent vnto this most noble truth ought to excell all other actions of faith whatsoeuer they be And so it is not by anie thing like acceptable vnto God whether a man beléeue this or that If we should vse this answer I knowe Pighius were neuer able to confute it But we saie moreouer that he in vaine contendeth about the greater or lesse dignitie of faith as touching this or that article We are not iustified by the dignitie of faith for we are not iustified by the dignitie of faith for it is in euerie man weake and féeble But we therefore saie that we are iustified by faith bicause by it as by an instrument vnto this end giuen vnto vs and by God appointed we applie Christ vnto vs and take hold of the forgiuenesse of sinnes Wherefore the woorthinesse or vnwoorthinesse thereof is to no purpose considered But that which he bringeth out of the 4. chapter to the Romans he bringeth cut and maimed for if a man read the full and perfect sentence he shall easilie sée that plaine mention is there made of the death of Christ and of the remission of sinnes which by it we haue obteined For Paule saith that Vnto vs it shall be imputed Rom. 4 24. as it was vnto Abraham if we beleeue that God raised vp our Lord Iesus Christ from the dead which was deliuered for our sinnes and rose vp againe for our iustification Is it not here most manifestlie said that we ought to beléeue that that Iesus Christ whom God raised vp was dead and rose againe that we should be iustified and haue all our sins forgiuen vs Doubtlesse it is a thing most vncomelie for a man that professeth diuinitie so wilfullie not to sée things that are most manifest That by faith euerie man is sure of his saluation 72 Afterward he maketh a cauilling about the particular faith whereby we saie that euerie one that beléeueth trulie in Christ ought to be most assured with himselfe that his sins are forgiuen him He denieth that there is anie such faith found in the holie scriptures and that therefore this is onelie our deuise and inuention Here vndoubtedlie I cannot hold my selfe but I must néeds saie that Pighius lewdlie lieth for I would haue him to tell me what did Abraham beléeue when he was iustified but that vnto him should one daie be rendered those promises of God For whom is it likelie that he beléeued they should be rendered vnto but vnto himselfe The selfe-same thing may be said of Moses of Dauid and of manie other of whom it is most certeine that they beléeued that the promises which God made vnto them should particularlie be rendered vnto them And what I beséech you ment Christ when he said vnto the man that was sicke of the palsie Matth. 9 2. Sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee and when he said vnto the woman Ibidem 22. Thy faith hath made thee safe And dooth not Paule to the Galathians thus speake of Christ Gal. 2 20. Who hath loued me and deliuered vp himselfe for me What can be more manifest than these words Let Pighius go now and make his vants that we were the first finders out of this proper and singular faith and let him crie that euerie christian man ought to beléeue that the promises are made onelie indefinitelie and that it is not méet that euerie one of vs should applie them seuerallie vnto himselfe For we ought to beléeue of our selues and not of others for we may as concerning others be deceiued whether they beléeue or no but touching our selues we may be assured and certeine of it Let euerie man beléeue the promises of God indefinitelie as touching others for we knowe not who is predestinate and who is reprobate
testification of things Who hath in his owne power It is not in our owne will to be touched with that sight wherby our will should be mooued to faith to haue his mind touched with such a sight whereby the will may be mooued vnto faith And in his 61. sermon vpon Iohn All sinnes saith he are comprehended vnder the name of infidelitie And he addeth that Faith cannot be without hope and charitie which thing also he most plainlie teacheth vpon the 31. psalme The same father in his first booke and 19. chapter against the two epistles of the Pelagians at large intreateth after what maner we are drawne of God and amongst other things he saith that the Pelagians would too much triumph ouer the christians if they had not the word of drawing in the holie scriptures But forsomuch as that word is expressed in the verie Gospell they haue vtterlie no place to flie vnto Iohn 6 44. There are infinite other places in Augustine which doo confirme this opinion which now for breuitie sake I thinke good to ouerpasse 82 Cyrillus against Iulianus in his first booke Cyrill and 14. page saith The faith of Abraham and our faith is vtterlie one and the same And the same author vpon Iohn in the third booke and 31. chapter expounding this sentence Iohn 6 29. This is the worke of God that ye beleeue in him whom he hath sent For faith saith he bringeth saluation and grace iustifieth but the commandements of the lawe rather condemne wherefore faith in Christ is the worke of GOD. In these words we ought to note that faith is it whereby is brought saluation and that we are iustified by grace And he declareth these things more plainlie vpon Iohn in his ninth booke and 32. chapter vpon these words And whither I go Iohn 14 4. ye knowe and ye knowe the waie For we are iustified by faith and are made partakers of the diuine nature by the participation of the holie Ghost Leo. Leo in his 13. sermon of the passion of the Lord The fathers saith he beléeued togither with vs that the bloud of the sonne of God should be shed The fathers were iustified by the faith of the same promises which we beleeue Wherfore there is nothing déerlie beloued strange in christian religion from the things which were of old signified neither was saluation hoped for at any time of the righteous men who haue liued before vs but by the Lord Iesus Christ for whom they did looke This and manie other like testimonies doo confute those chéeflie which dare saie that Abraham was indéed iustified yet not through faith in Christ but by faith touching earthlie promises Albeit this author may séeme to make against vs in that we saie that true faith is not found without charitie for in his sermon De collectione eleemosyna he thus writeth of sathan He knowing that God is denied not onelie in words but also in déeds hath taken awaie charitie from many from whom he could not take awaie faith possessing the féeld of their hart with the roots of couetousnes he hath spoiled of the fruit of good works those whom he hath not depriued of the confession of their lips These words if they be déepelie considered make nothing at all against vs for we speake of a true sound and liuelie faith But Leo vnderstandeth onelie a certeine outward profession of faith for when he would render a reason whereby it might appéere that faith was not taken from them he mentioneth onelie an outward confession of the lips which we also grant may consist without charitie and be oftentimes boasted of of manie men which neuerthelesse are most wicked And after this maner I suppose are to be expounded such like testimonies if anie happen in the fathers Gregorie Gregorie Bishop of Rome in his 19. homilie vpon Ezechiel We come not saith he to faith by works but by faith we atteine vnto vertues for Cornelius the Centurian came not by works vnto faith but by faith he came vnto works Acts. 10 4. for it is said Thy praiers and almes But how praied he if he beléeued not But now because he knew not that the mediatour was incarnate by workes he came vnto a more full knowledge Hereby I would haue our aduersaries to know that faith necessarilie goeth before all good works for they affirme that morall works which arâ—â—oone of Ethniks and of men not yet beléeuing in Christ are good which thing is in this place of Gregorie confuted The same author in his second booke and 25. chapter of his morals speaking of the same matter thus writeth Vnlesse faith be first gotten in our harts all other things whatsoeuer they be cannot indéed be good Beda although they séeme good Beda vpon the 2. chapter of Iames He onelie beléeueth trulie which by working exerciseth that which he beléeueth for faith and charitie cannot be separated asunder And this shall suffice as touching the fathers But what the African Mileuitan and Arausican councell doo teach concerning iustification faith grace and works we haue before at large declared in the former article This onelie I will now adde that our aduersaries when they saie that GOD offereth his grace vnto all men and giueth his gifts vnto men that desire them and take hold of them and forgiueth sinnes to them that doo that which they ought to doo for so much as in the meane time they omit the inspiration of the holie Ghost and the power of God which draweth vs and the inward persuasion of the mind and also those things which are most chéeflie required in this matter they are most manifestlie against those councels which we haue now cited Howbeit I cannot leaue vnspoken that in the councell of Mentz which was celebrated vnder Carolus Magnus in the first chapter is cited Gregorie who thus writeth He beléeueth trulie which by working exerciseth that which he beléeueth 83 Forsomuch therefore as we haue now hitherto spoken as touching this article namelie that men are iustified by faith in Christ and haue confirmed the same by scriptures and haue ouerthrowne the obiections of our aduersaries and alleadged testimonies of the Fathers to confirme our saieng let vs now come to the third article Wherefore we saie The third article that iustification consisteth by faith onelie Which saieng all those places of scripture doo prooue We are not iustified by faith onelie which teach that we are iustified fréelie and those which affirme that iustification commeth without works and those also which put an Antithesis or contrarietie betwéen grace and works all these places I say most trulie conclude that we are iustified by faith onelie although this word Onelie be not read in the holie scripture But that is not so much to be weighed for the signification of that word is of necessitie gathered out of them Further this also is to be noted euen as we haue alreadie before taught that we
and especiallie Chrysostome vppon those wordes of Paul vnto Timothie One mediatour of God and men He defineth the Lord to be a mediatour because of both his natures 3 I beléeue that Christ by nature is the soonne of God That Christ is both the sonne of God and the sonne of man and by nature the sonne of man And as he is by nature the sonne of God he hath it of the godhead but that he is the sonne of man he hath it of manhood And this is not to diuide Christ for we imbrace him most truelie to be one but when we attribute vnto him diuers thinges we doe consider the reason and the cause whereby or for which those thinges may be agréeable vnto him Therefore when he is said and beléeued to be the sonne of God according to nature we consider with our selues from whence this thing may come vnto him by the nature of man or by the nature of God and we perceaue that this is not deriued from the nature of man séeing that nature hath deriued no matter or essence as I may so say from the substance of God But the word it selfe of God what and how much soeuer it be hath the nature and substance begotten by God the father Therefore in respect that Christ is God he is beléeued and said to be the naturall sonne of God but in respect that he is man he must be called the sonne of man Vndoubtedlie if we will shunne absurdities we must take speciall héede that we mingle not and confound the two natures of Christ which if we shall not commit it will not be hard for vs to vnderstand the originall of his properties 4 The essential iustice which Osiander deuised we reiect as strange and contrarie to the Scriptures An essentiall iustice of Ozianders feigning For we vnderstande not anie other waie of iustification than that which Paul vnto the Romanes and Galathians taught Rom. 4. 2. when he purposelie intreated thereof especiallie in the 4. Chapter to the Romanes That righteousnesse is imputed vnto vs by faith and by the example of Abraham and most euident testimonie of Dauid it is so cléerelie proued that he must néedes be verie purblinde which will be blinde in that matter Furthermore if iust men doe liue by their faith as Habacuke hath testified Habac. 2. 4. and that our righteousnesse is our life now haue we no essentiall righteousnesse but righteousnesse imputed by faith as the Apostolical Epistles haue taught Neither is that saying of Esaie otherwise to bee vnderstoode With his knowledge he shall iustifie manie Esa 53. 11. Furthermore if wee shoulde be indued with essentiall iustice we shoulde not want anie point of true righteousnesse neither should we make supplication before the tribunall seate of Gods iudgement which neuerthelesse wee knowe that Dauid earnestlie did when he prayed Psal 143. verse 2. Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant because no man liuing shal be iustified in thy sight Neither should there be anie néede to light a candle in this our time in the Sunneshine of so cleare a truth if we would auoide as Paul warned vs Prophane and vaine bablinges and oppositions of Science falselie so called 1. Tim. 6. 20. All these thinges I confesse might much more at large haue béene declared and confirmed by more testimonies of the holie scriptures of the fathers but because I know that I do not write vnto the vnlearned therefore I counted it sufficient to shewe what my iudgement is And as touching Seruettus the Spanyard The iust punishment of Seruettus the Spaniard I haue not ought else to saie but that hee was the Diuels owne sonne whose pestiferous and detestable doctrine must be banished in all places Neither is the Magistrate to bee accused that put him to death séeing there might be founde in him no takens of amendement and his blasphemies were altogether intollerable But nowe will I make an end of my Epistle which as it is large if so it shall be no slender doubtfull testimonie of my most inclined loue towards you doubt lesse I shall thinke that you haue dealt verie well with me Liue you happilie in Christ and loue ye me in him euen as in him I most syncerelie loue you From Strasborough the 14. of Februarie 1556. To Maister Iohn Caluin Peter Martyrs returne out of England BY what meanes worthie Sir God plucked me out of the Lyons mouth euen I my selfe doe not yet well knowe much lesse can I declare it vnto you But as Peter being brought out of prison by the Angel thought that those thinges that were doone he had séene but by a dreame euen so I as yet scarcelie thinke it true that I am escaped Howbeit I am safe and in health here at Strasborough wherof I thought good to certifie you with spéede that you together with me and other good brethren maie giue thankes to God I earnestlie beséech your godlie Church that they by their heartie prayers will indeuour to obtaine the assistaunce of God whereby the calamities that oppresse the English Church maie bee mitigated The Byshops of England in Perill of life for religion There the Archbishoppe of Canterburie and Yorke the Bishoppes of Worcester and Oxford with manie other learned and godlie Preachers are fast in holde and together with manie other holie men stande in extreme daunger I knowe that these thinges according to your godlinesse will bée greeuous vnto your eares but now I shew you of two thinges that maie somwhat mitigate your sorrowe First that although the infirmitie of some bewraie it selfe yet is there a great constancy of many more thā we had thought so as I doubt not but we shall haue manie famous Martyrs if Winchester which nowe beareth all the sway shall beginne to shewe his crueltie A prophecie of the short continuance of Antichrists kingdome in England Secondlie that it is the iudgement in a manner of all men that this calamitie will not long indure who as they be wise haue good coniectures of this their opinion Wherefore let vs also desire God that he will quicklie treade downe Sathan vnder the féete of his Church As for me I am vncertaine whether I shall still abide here at Strasborough Perhappes the controuersie about the Eucharist will somewhat let me Howbeit I doe not much force But this séemes to bée no small matter that the better and learneder sort are desirous to kéepe me still Whither soeuer the Lord shall call me thither am I willing to goe Yet this did not a little gréeue me that Iames Sturmius to whō both the common weale and the Schoole is greatlie beholding departed from hence the verie same daie that I came into this Citie to wit the 30. daie of October And it is thought that his brother Peter Sturmius shall be chosen in his stéede among the orders of the schooles But Iohn Sturmius the gouernour of the schoole laboreth by
wretches alwaies kéepe close and nourish within themselues against God and neuer shew it but when they come to misfortune Then breake they out into blasphemies wherewith they either slander GOD as cruell or else the euils which they suffer they impute vnto the starres and vnto euill men whom they blame and curse without end A similitude And as a mad dog biteth the stones which be throwne at him and letteth them alone vnhurt which threw the stones so these men neither looke into their owne sinnes neither yet consider they the iust causes whereby God dooth prolong his helpe but most vnwiselie tempt God The remedie must be so applied that we set before our eies the promises of God and the stedfast faithfulnes which he hath hitherto vsed towards all the godlie and towards vs. Which if we shall repeate in our mind we shall not be prouoked to tempt him but rather we will turne our selues to most earnest praier whereby we shall obteine that those things which are profitable to saluation shall be giuen vs in due time 56 Besides these two kinds of tempting God There is another third kind of tempting God there is a certeine other most wicked of all which procéedeth onelie of impudencie and contempt For there be some which of set purpose doo go on in prouoking and stirring vp God by their sinnes of which wickednesse the apostle maketh mention in his 1. epistle to the Corinths when he saith 1. Co. 10 22. Be we stronger than Christ Neither did Peter though he dealt more mildlie than we haue declared much disagrée from this signification when in the Acts of the apostles he said Wherefore doo ye tempt God Acts. 15 10. that yee would laie a yoke vpon the faithfull which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare As if he had said This is to prouoke God vnto battell As though they challenged greater strength vnto themselues than GOD would grant vnto their fathers in the obseruation of ceremonies As concerning the first of these thrée temptations â—ow the Israelites tempted God the Israelites tempted God for when as they had sufficientlie wherewithall to susteine their liuing they would haue had God to prepare flesh and fish for them from heauen Also they tempted God in the second maner for when they had néed of helpe they expected not the opportunities appointed by God Neither absteined they from the third maner when as by accustoming themselues to sinne they prouoked the wrath of God Of Curiositie 57 Curiositie In 1. Sam. 6 verse 16. is too much indeuour to knowe things forbidden and such things as are nothing to the purpose As touching the arke Num. 4 20. God forbad that no man should sée it onlie the priests did fold the same in clothes afterward being couered and folden vp they deliuered it to the sonnes of Caath to be carried Ibidem 15. For if the Leuites had séene the same they had died So God forbad that the people should approch to the mount or to behold what was doone néere vnto it Exo. 19 12. it was enough for them to be afraid at the lightening and thunder Exo. 20 18. Yea and now it was not lawfull to search ouer-curiouslie euen of things besides the purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for when Peter had demanded as touching Iohn Iohn 21 21 What shall this man doo Christ answered What is that vnto thee Followe thou me For while we haue our mind occupied in these things the time for better cogitations is lost But on the other part also we must take héed that we doo not ouer-lightlie receiue whatsoeuer is laid before vs for that commeth of a certeine foolish inconstancie But we must be stedfast and constant and not be moued with euerie wind of new doctrine Prudentlie did the Thessalonians who would confer with the scriptures Acts. 11 12. and sée whether those things were true which were spoken of S. Paule for vpon another occasion Christ said Iohn 5 39. Search the scriptures When the Papists perceiue that their strange woonders are not beléeued of vs to wit that the bodie of Christ his bloud doo lie hidden vnder the shewes of bread and wine they crie out that we be ouer-curious and that of vs is renewed that Iewish saieng How But fooles as they are they might haue remembred that in the holie scriptures euen the godlie men haue oftentimes asked How Of the question How Exod. 4 10. Iudg. 6 15. Moses desired by praier to be rid of his ambassage and alledged the stammering of his spéech And how saith he shall Pharao heare me And Gedeon How can I deliuer Israel seeing I am the lest of all my tribe And Abraham O that Ismael might liue in thy sight Gen. 17 18. And how should I knowe that I shall possesse the land of Chanaan And Sara laughed at the promise of God concerning the séed And the blessed virgin How saith she shall this be Luke 1 34. And Ieremie saith Iere. 1 6. That he was a child and could not speake I knowe indéed that of these some were reprooued and some praised for Abraham by that faith was iustified And the blessed virgine heard Blessed art thou Luk. 1 45. which hast beleeued But Moses was blamed and that in such sort as at the last God was angrie with him Then this is the difference Exod. 4 14. that they which through vnbeléefe aske the question How doo offend and sinne But they which desire that by this meanes their infirmitie may be strengthened or they which onelie inquire of the waie and maner bicause they sée that they themselues must haue to doo in the matter they sinne not at all The virgine demanded by what meanes she should bring foorth a sonne whether naturallie or aboue nature Neither was she for this cause vnfaithfull neither is she reprooued But when a man sinneth in this matter it cannot be perceiued by the words themselues for all men after one maner saie How But God is chéeflie the knower of the hart he vnderstandeth with what mind euerie word is spoken We also through things going afore and following after may méetlie well vnderstand a mans meaning But now if these men were not to be reprooued which demanded How in the words of the Lord how much lesse shall we be blamed if in their lies and vaine deuises we doo aske How And vndoubtedlie Peter commandeth vs to be readie to render an account of all our doctrine but these men can make no maner of reckoning of their mysteries They saie it is a tradition we ought not to aske If so the case stand we must yéeld but as I haue said this easinesse of giuing credit is no lesse a fault than that curiositie whereof I began to speake The fift Chapter The second Precept which concerneth Images IN treating vpon this place In 1. Kings 7. at the end it séemeth good
perfect reason 39 Now let vs sée How the affects may be gouerned how those affects may be ruled and corrected The first waie is ciuill to wit through morall vertues For those doo reduce them to a mediocritie and those would suffice if we should onelie haue respect vnto the present life But in truth before God they are not sufficient neither dooth this ciuill iustice suffice before his tribunall seate And therefore another rule is yet necessarie namelie the rule of the diuine scriptures the which doo profit nothing at all vnlesse they be apprehended by faith This rule bringeth two maner of commodities with it The first is that that which is wanting vnto true righteousnes considering the morall state wherein we be is not imputed to vs and that the whole fulfilling is ascribed to vs out of Christ his fulnesse Besides this there is giuen vnto vs greater strength to withstand lusts And finallie by faith the verie actions of vertues good affects are altogither referred to God which without faith cannot be doone And therefore in men which are estranged from Christ those moderate affects how gorgious soeuer they were are sinnes not that they be so in their owne nature but they so become through our naturall corruption For we be euen as fustie vessels the which doo corrupt the wine though it be good that is powred into vs. And therefore sith God is the author of all creatures and that he made nothing but is good and made no bare substances and such as are furnished with no kind of helps but gaue vnto euerie one a pronesse and inclination vnto those things which be holsome and profitable it followeth that not onelie natures and substances be good but also the affects which are by God ingraffed in them Albeit that in those which be wicked men they drawe vnto them these two euils which otherwise of themselues are good First by reason of originall sinne nature is so corrupted and weakened that good affects are not of such efficacie as they ought to be Secondlie they are not directed vnto God as it behooueth that they should be but rather to the imbracing of pleasures and earthlie delectations Foure degrees of men Wherby we may perceiue there are foure degrées of men The first are the basest who be neither indued with morall vertues nor yet with godlinesse in these we may perceiue all things to be fraught with perturbations and disorder Secondlie there be others as yet aliens from godlinesse howbeit ciuill men who by a certeine kind of habit haue after a sort reuoked their affections to a mediocritie The third sort are beléeuers in Christ who notwithstanding they are not without sin no more than are other mortall men yet is not their sinne imputed vnto them In the fourth last place must those be put which either were made by God at the beginning or else are loosed from hence and be now with Christ They indéed haue no corrupt affections neither on the second nor yet on the third cause but they haue them altogither good absolute and perfect Howbeit in nature there be not anie affects so corrupt and so vicious but in them may be séene somwhat that is good In all affects there is som good thing For in all of them there dooth appéere some part of the institution of God For that same first beginning or as I may so saie the facultie strength of these qualities had his originall from God but the confusednesse either of imperfection or of deformednesse which commeth by reason of sinne hath corrupted the same Neither doo those euill affects hurt alone the grosser parts of the soule Ill affects hurt the will and reason but they also hurt the will and reason For so did God fasten and bind togither those powers of the mind as they might serue one another namelie that the affects should obeie reason and that reason should rule and gouerne the affects and temper the motions of the hart Howbeit it fareth otherwise and so great a féeblenesse there is of the will as being compared with the affects it may séeme to be euen a fearefull child sitting vpon a verie fierce horsse Wherefore the morall philosophers haue prefixed to themselues this end namelie to qualifie the affections by vertues and to strengthen reason being weake In what parts of the mind be the affects 40 But which be the parts of the mind that being instructed by vehement affects doo disturbe reason and make it féeble Plato declared who in the chéefe place appointed * The part that ruleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in the inferiour place * The lusting part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and * The wrath full part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that in these latter parts of the mind are placed the affects And these powers of the mind as it was said before he iudged to be in the head in the liuer and in the hart But Aristotle for the generall word tooke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he diuided into thrée parts to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Gréedie desire Affectation or Couetousnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Anger or Vehemencie of the mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Will. Which parts bicause they are apparant of themselues there is no néed to expound them anie further Yet this neuerthelesse will I adde that according to right order the inferiour appetites ought to be mooued gouerned and ruled by that same superiour which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit Will euen as the vppermost sphere doth guide the lower as Aristotle writeth in his 3. booke De anima And thus doubtlesse the case standeth the inferiour powers when they be stirred vp and compell vs to the dooing of anie thing are gouerned by the cogitation and the cogitation by reason Yea and euerie man hath experience in himselfe that when anie naturall reason is applied the disturbed affections are set in quiet euen as the winds are feined to be suppressed by Aeolus Wherefore in man the affects are obedient vnto the will it selfe whereas in brute beasts action immediatelie followeth vpon the motion of the affects But our affections do perpetuallie expect the commandement of the will vnlesse that some impediment doo oppose it selfe as in children and in mad men we sée it falleth out Here perhaps thou wilt saie Doo we not sée Whether the affects be mooued against the will that in those which are incontinent the affects are mooued euen against the will We answer that indéed they rebell against the will but that as touching the motion and actions they bring nothing to passe vnlesse that the will doo command them Indéed the affections doo resist the will and trouble it and finallie ouercome it and lead it awaie to their owne opinion which will when it shall haue giuen hir assent and shall haue ouerruled the matter actions doo followe not as it decréed at the beginning
for lies But as touching an officious lie Whether a sâ—…ssable lie be sinne the iudgement thereof is more hard and obscure séeing some denie it to be sinne for they saie it hath a respect vnto helping of our neighbour whom we ought in woords and déeds to reléeue as much as we can So as they thinke that therein is no abuse of the signes forsomuch as all our dooings ought to haue respect to the commoditie of our brethren Neither doo they thinke that therin is offense committed against mans societie bicause through this kind of lie men are made safe and kept harmelesse Further they saie that whereas it is written in the holie scriptures Psal 5 6. that God will destroie all those that speake lies the same is not to be vnderstood of euerie kind of lie but of a pernicious lie onelie Which Augustine also in his Enchiridion the 18. chapter séemeth to grant They alledge also the opinion of Plato Plato in his booke De Repub. who as he did fraie the common people from lies yet he gaue magistrates libertie to lie especiallie in making of lawes But in my iudgement the thing is farre otherwise Neither can I easilie grant that an officious lie is without the abuse of the signes For Aristotle Aristotle in his booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in defining of words saith that They are notes of those affections which we haue in our mind Whereby it followeth that all they abuse words which signifie things to be otherwise than they thinke in their mind Further that reason which they bring of loue is verie weake For we ought to helpe our neighbours but that must be by iust and honest meanes otherwise we will suffer our selues to steale to the intent to bestowe it in giuing of almes But the sentence of the apostle must stand fast which is that Euill must not be doone Rom. 3 8. to the intent that good may come thereof Neither doo I thinke it to be true that by those kind of lies the societie of man is not hurt séeing that if fidelitie be taken awaie there remaineth no dealing of one man with an other 33 But as touching that sentence of the holie scriptures wherein it is said Thou shalt destroie all them that speake lies we grant with Augustine that that sentence is not vniuersallie spoken For so long as the strength of our faith and ioining togither with Christ indureth so long those sinnes are not imputed which otherwise of their owne nature would be our destruction And this also I may easilie grant touching officious and sporting lies bicause they are not so much against charitie as pernicious lies be But this no man can denie but that in making of a lie we deale against faith And we must wholie grant that he which lieth dooth loose his owne credit thereby so that afterward he cannot profitablie admonish reprooue or fruitfullie giue counsell as he ought to doo For they which heare him will soone thinke that he lieth officiouslie to call them againe into the waie and not that the thing is so in verie déed Certeinlie this was the cause that Augustine was against Ierom who in a maner fathered an officious lie vpon the holie scriptures If this saith he should be so the authoritie of the holie scriptures would soone be impaired for the readers thereof would soone saie that the thing is not so but that it is so written for the kéeping of men in their dutie Neither ought the authoritie of Plato to mooue vs much Plato in an error séeing in that place he erred greatlie granting that in things perteining to GOD they might feine fables which should serue to bring foorth and kéepe a good opinion of them Doubtles we must not ieast in diuine matters Further the lawe of God is equall and euermore one and as it will not haue the common people to lie so dooth it also forbid the same to magistrates Howbeit they cannot iustlie be accused of a lie which in their talke be farre from double meaning For otherwhile it commeth to passe that some speake that which is false and yet they thought the same to be true Who are to be excused of a lie Among which men they also are to be excused who haue giuen a promise to doo a thing which afterward they be not able to performe bicause at the beginning when they promised it they were fullie minded to doo that which they had promised and therefore they haue not lied If they afterward doo not accomplish those things which they spake the same happeneth by some other occasion And otherwhile it commeth to passe that he which deliuereth his sword to a man to kéepe falleth afterward mad wherefore he that hath the custodie of the sword ought not to redeliuer it vnto him bicause as the lawiers saie a new case requireth a new helpe Rom. 15 24 and 28. After the verie same sort is Paule excused who said that he would go into Spaine when as neuerthelesse he went not thither 2. Cor. 1 15. Paule also promised to the Corinthians that he would come vnto them which he performed not but yet he lied not bicause when he spake those words he was minded so to doo but God had otherwise appointed it as Gelasius hath well written as we find in the 22. cause question the second in the chapter Beatus Vndoubtedlie the disposition of God breaketh and dissolueth all bonds as it is written in the 19. cause question the second chapter Duae sunt 34 But what shall we saie touching the hyperbolicall spéeches which are in the holie scriptures which at the first sight séeme to be lies I answer that although there in signification the sentence kéepe not a meane in respect of quantitie yet as touching the maner it dooth For those excessiue spéeches amplifie a matter bicause their nature is not onelie to set foorth a thing but also to lead men into an admiration which by that maner of spéech they most commodiouslie atteine vnto Neither haue lies anie place there forsomuch as they bréed not in the the minds of the readers and hearers anie false or corrupt sense A meane therefore must there be kept vndoubtedlie not of the thing but of the maner The euangelists also are not to be holden as liers when as they setting foorth the acts of Christ doo not all vse the selfe same words For it is sufficient vnto the truth that a thing be set foorth as it was but it is not required to be expressed by the selfe same words Yea it is oftentimes doone through the goodnesse of the holie Ghost that the maner of the narration should differ For by such meanes those things which are not sufficientlie expressed by one are more plainelie shewed by an other 35 But they vse to obiect the midwiues of the Hebrues which although they lied Exod. 1 19. yet God rewarded them Iosua 2 5. The same also happened to Rahab
obedience and charitie our Christ taught vs in dieng for vs. Certeinlie this doctrine is a most fit thing inuented for the kéeping of constancie in all afflictions Shall there anie be found if he be pressed with aduersities or ouercharged with diuelish temptations or if he run into anie other miseries whatsoeuer that turning his eies vpon Christ hanging on the crosse dooth not in the greatest troubles and calamities whatsoeuer comfort himselfe with this ioie I boldlie héere affirme that such a man aboue all others will kéepe the quietnes and tranquillitie of his mind séeing he acknowledgeth himselfe by reason héereof to walke in the paths and to tread in the steps of our most beloued master and onelie redéemer Iesus Christ There is no affliction will be gréeuous vnto him neither will it disquiet him to susteine anie aduersities or hard persecutions whatsoeuer they be for the honour of God and glorie of his Gospell Who is it from hence forward that will refuse to drinke of this cup of afflictions séeing Christ our head and prince hath so chéerefullie droonke thereof for obteining saluation vnto others These things I saie if euerie faithfull man will throughlie consider with himselfe he will not suffer the concupiscences of the flesh anie longer to take place and beare rule in his mind but with this pricke of the crosse will daie and night be egged forward and be profitablie driuen to the mortifieng of them while he shall consider that the flesh of Christ by the commandement of his father was humbled vpon this trée and that the same was obedient euen vnto death the which death was no lesse cruell than ignominious So as by the passion of Christ we not onelie picke out a consolation in our miseries misforturnes and calamities which often times light vpon vs but also a liuelie exhortation that we may be crucified with him as concerning the old man and our flesh according to that Gal. 5 24. which Paule to the Galathians taught They saith he that be of Christ haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Wherefore the same apostle vsed to call his afflictions Stigmata that is Gal. 6 17. The true prints and marks of Christs bodie The prints and seales of Christ ingraued in his bodie By reason whereof we cannot maruell enough at the follie also madnes of some christians which run hither thither on pilgrimage as far as Hiesa or Auernia for the prints and seales where with they vaunt that their Francis was marked But persecutions or rather infamies and losses which must be susteined either in goods or in bodies themselues for Christs religion sake or else for shewing of obedience to God they refuse them or else certeinlie they vnworthilie complaine of them euerie moment Of all these things it followeth that we ought verie much to estéeme afflictions punishments and troubles which we indure by the will of GOD for the glorie of Christ as being seales markes of all those things which the onelie sonne of God and our redéemer Christ suffered for vs vpon the crosse Now albeit that the Maiestie and worthines of this matter in hand dooth no small deale allure me vnto it and scarselie permitteth me to be led so soone from hence vnto an other discourse yet while I consider that I héere giue onelie an instruction vnto them that be the more ignorant and no full teaching of the better learned christians I will héere staie my selfe take in hand to describe that state which the bodie and the soule of Christ tasted of after his death He was buried he descended into hell 19 Two parts there be of man assumpted by the word into the vnitie of the person namelie the soule and the bodie euen as other men also consist of a soule and bodie but those parts were separated and disioined vpon the crosse The bodie as the euangelists doo testifie was laied in the sepulchre The sepulture of Christ wherein it remained vntill the third daie which was the time appointed by the eternall father for the most happie resurrection of Christ Of which mysterie when Paule intreateth in the epistle to the Romans he saith that The faithfull which be baptised into Christ Iesus are buried in baptisme Rom. 6 4. Which saieng must thus be vnderstood namelie that we are so dead vnto sinne in Christ that we haue no more to doo therewith séeing Christ dieng blotted out the same so that it should not afterward be imputed vnto vs vnto death Whereby that as the bodies of them that be dead be buried in the sepulchre neither doo appéere from thence vnto the eies of men not that they be not in the world but bicause that that which is corrupt and rotten in them is not séene euen so our sinne peruerse will and naughtie lust howsoeuer they be destroied by the crosse of Christ yet they cease not to remaine in vs but are couered in the sight of God Not that God knoweth not of them sufficientlie vnto whose eies all things are discouered and manifest but that he dooth mercifullie dissemble them reuengeth not nor yet is so angrie that he bringeth death vpon vs by reason of them Wherefore the flesh of Christ being buried after his death signified that our sinne is as it were buried before the iust tribunall seat of God It signified also that the power of the lawe is broken Finallie it betokened that the old shadowes and ceremonies of the lawe are vtterlie abolished The descending of Christ into hell 20 As concerning the verie soule it selfe immediatlie after that it departed from the bodie it remained not idle but it descended into the lower parts Which words declare nothing else but that it entred into the same state which the rest of the soules separated from the bodies haue experience of the which are either chosen into the fellowship of saints or else are thrust out into euerlasting destruction with the spirits of them that be damned And assuredlie both the one and the other as well the societie of the godlie spirits as also of them that should be damned felt the presence of the soule of Christ For the spirits of the faithfull who as Christ saith in Luke Luke 16 22. while he maketh mention of that vnhappie rich man and of most happie Lazarus rested in a verie quiet place which there is aptlie called The bosome of Abraham that they being all indued with one faith of that holie patriarch should wait for saluation through Christ which there was named from Abraham Those spirits I saie reioised with great consolation gaue thanks vnto the excellent God who had deliuered them by the hand of the mediatour and bicause he had perfourmed that thing which he so long before had promised Also the other spirits which were appointed to damnation felt the comming of the soule of Christ For as we read in the first epistle of Peter the third chapter To them the spirit of Christ preached
of righteousnes taken by it selfe yet can it by no meanes be spoken of vs and of our righteousnes Wherefore séeing that sentence could neither edifie nor make anie thing to the purpose I sée not how Paule could so haue written howbeit in this matter I will not contend with Augustine more than is méet The third Chapter Of Faith and the certeintie thereof and of the vices of feare and securitie which are contrarie vnto the same also of the nature of our adoption and hope and vnion with Christ NOw it shall be conuenient to declare what faith is In Rom. 3 verse 22. Faith therefore is an assent A definition of faith and that a firme assent vnto the words of God obteined not by reason or naturall demonstration but by the authoritie of the speaker and by the power of the holie Ghost And this definition disagréeth not from that which Paule taught in th' eleuenth chapter to the Hebrues By this we may sée Verse 1. about what things faith is occupied namelie about the word of God And it is euident what the chéefe and principall ground is vnto which all things perteining to God are referred and that is The Lord hath said But the authoritie of the speaker cannot be of so much effect with vs as it ought to be vnles the persuasion of the holie Ghost be therevnto adioined In Gréeke it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word is deriued of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for we are not accustomed to beléeue vnles it be in that thing whereof we be full persuaded Basil as touching faith when he expoundeth this place of the psalme Psal 116 10 I haue loued and therefore haue I spoken writeth thus Doo not contend to sée those things which are laid vp far off neither make those things doubtfull which are hoped for Two breake necks or downe-fals to be taken heed of In which words he sheweth that two principall things are to be auoided the one is that we be not with too much curiositie stirred vp to séeke out the proofe of things which we ought to beléeue which proofe so long as we liue here cannot be had the other is that although they be obscure yet we should not doubt of the truth of them And the same writer intreating of the confession of faith saith on this wise Basil saith that they swarue from faith which adde anie thing to the scriptures Iohn 10 vers 4. 5. It is a manifest falling awaie from faith and a point of pride either to refuse anie of those things that be written or to bring in anie thing that is not written forsomuch as our Lord Iesus Christ said My sheepe heare my voice before that he said But a stranger they will not followe but will flee from him bicause they haue not knowne his voice The apostle also hath by another humane example straitlie forbidden either to adde or to diminish anie thing in the holie scriptures when he saith Gala. 3 15. And yet no man dissanulleth the testament of man when it is confirmed neither addeth anie thing therevnto In which place a man may perceiue how warilie this writer affirmeth that as touching faith nothing ought either to be added or diminished in the holie scriptures Which thing maketh chéefelie against them that obtrude inuentions and traditions of men as of necessitie to be beléeued Further the same writer plainelie setteth foorth the certeintie of faith when he declareth the propertie thereof in his Morals the eightie Summe 22. chapter where he saith What is the propertie of faith He answereth and vnseparable certeintie of the truth of the words of God which is not atteined to by anie kind of reasoning or brought in through anie naturall necessitie nor being framed to anie pietie can euer be shaken off And he addeth that it is the dutie of one that beléeueth in such a certeintie to be affected to the power of the words spoken and not to presume either to disanull or to adde anie thing Rom. 14 23. For if it be so that Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne as the apostle saith And faith commeth of hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10 17. then whatsoeuer is not of faith being not conteined in the scripture inspired by the spirit of God the same is sinne This father togither with vs confirmeth the certeintie of faith and sheweth wherevpon the same dependeth when he calleth it vnseparable bicause when we beléeue we doo not examine by our owne reason what is possible or not possible to be doone And he séemeth to allude to those words which Paule speaketh of the faith of Abraham Rom. 4 20. that He wauered not through vnbeleefe where he vsed this verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore let certeintie be the contrarie thing vnto doubting which happeneth through inquisitiuenes or examination of mans reason Moreouer Basil saith that is sinne which is without faith the scriptures Rom. 14 23. Note how Basil vnderstandeth this text whatsoeuer is not of faith is sin Faith differeth from opinion and suspicion that which he in another sentence had spoken he plainelie repeateth againe namely that Those things which are without the scriptures are not to be beléeued And this place of Paule Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne he vseth in his naturall and proper sense as we also vse it which thing our aduersaries cannot abide Faith differeth from opinion for opinion although it make vs leane vnto one part yet it dooth the same both with reason and also not without feare of the truth of the other part And suspicion dooth yet ingender a weaker assent than opinion dooth bicause it is both destitute of reason and also it leaueth men doubtfull of the truth of the other part It is true indéed that science ingendreth a firme assent but that is brought to passe by adding of demonstrations Forsomuch as we now sée plainelie as well what faith is as also how it differeth from opinion science and suspicion let vs sée how manie waies faith is taken How manie waies faith is taken For there is one kind of faith that is mightie perfect and of efficacie whereby we are iustified but there is another which is void without fruit and the same being vaine and during but for a time bringeth not iustification Which thing is manifest by the parable of the Gospell where it is said that The séed that is to saie the word of God Mat. 13 19. falleth sometimes vpon good ground and somtimes vpon stonie ground vpon thornes and by the high waie side where it is lost bringeth foorth no fruit Againe Iustifieng faith is not in all alike that faith which is good and profitable is not in all men alike for it hath degrées according to the greater or lesse infirmitie of the flesh Wherefore Paule saith Rom. 12 3. Euen as God hath diuided vnto euerie man the
measure of faith And in the selfe-same parable Mat 13 25. The séed falling into the good ground bringeth not foorth fruit in all parts alike for in some places it bringeth foorth thirtie fold in othersome place sixtie fold and in other some an hundred fold 2 In the example of Abraham Look Rom. 3. verse 22 The nature and propertie of faith which the apostle tooke in hand to intreat of in the fourth chapter to the Romans is verie aptlie described both the nature and propertie of faith For Faith is the gift of God whereby we firmelie assent to his promises striuing against the flesh and against humane wisedome That it is the gift of God Paule to the Ephesians testifieth by expresse words Ephes 2 8. when he saith that By faith we are saued and that not of our selues for saith he it is the gift of God And euen as the philosophers supposed A similitude that the strength and abilitie of men is not sufficient to doo all things perfectlie and absolutelie and therefore held that wée haue néed of habits or grounded dispositions that in sudden cases we might be readie to doo well so as we should néed no long deliberation and the thing which we doo we might doo it both easilie and pleasantlie euen so also ought we for the perceiuing of those things which are of God to haue our mind and vnderstanding strengthened by some power that is from without vs and should be giuen vnto vs séeing that through the default of our first parent we are most vnapt to vnderstand the secret things of God And forsomuch as those things wherevnto our faith hath a respect are altogither diuine it followeth of necessitie that to vnderstand them we be also holpen by diuine inspiration The cheefe obiect of faith But we must now declare what is the chéefest thing wherevnto our faith is directed which to speake bréeflie is the promise of God wherevnto by beléeuing we assent And this promise is chéeflie that wherin he promiseth that he will through Christ be fauourable and mercifull vnto vs. And although in the holie scriptures are read and offered vnto vs verie manie promises of God yet this one is the chéefest for whose sake the rest are performed vnto vs vnto which also all other promises are to be referred This promise as we haue before said is that wherein God promiseth that he will be mercifull vnto vs for Christ his sake And although there be verie manie things which we ought to beléeue as are threatenings histories exhortations praises of God and such other like yet ought all these things to be referred to the persuading of vs to this promise onelie Hereby is manifest what is the chéefest obiect of faith The common or equall obiect for the common obiect or as they terme it the equall obiect of faith is the word of God set foorth in the holie scripture Beyond this obiect faith extendeth not it selfe for as Paule saith Faith commeth of hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10 17 This thing our aduersaries can by no meanes abide The Papists obiect vnwritten verities which they saie must be beleeued for they contend that there be certeine things I knowe not what to be beléeued which are not conteined in the holie scriptures But we saie that faith is an assent that is giuen to the holie scripture and vnto those things which are necessarilie and euidentlie concluded of it The perpetuall virginitie of Marie Among other things they are woont to obiect vnto vs the perpetuall virginitie of the mother of Christ which they saie must be beléeued although it be not mentioned in the holie scriptures They obiect moreouer that the authoritie of the holie scriptures dependeth of the church and cannot be prooued by the scriptures themselues 3 As touching the first it is sufficient for vs Matt. 1 Luke 1. that we are taught by the holie scriptures that Christ was conceiued and borne of a virgin And aboue that to affirme that the blessed virgin was ioined with man in fellowship of the flesh it were rash and presumptuous for séeing there is nothing spoken therof in the holie scriptures nor yet is the same likelie why in Gods name should we either beléeue it or affirme it And contrariwise that she abode perpetuallie a virgin forsomuch as the holie scriptures doo not by expresse words auouch the same it is not to be admitted among those things which must of necessitie be beléeued such as are the things expresselie conteined in the holie scriptures Ierom against Heluidius wrote of this matter for he was woorthilie to be condemned bicause he did rashlie affirme that she was not perpetuallie a virgin Augustines counsell touching this matter And Augustine verie well admonisheth vs that when we come to such places where the sense of the scripture cannot certeinlie be gathered we should not rashlie set our opinion on the one part or the other As concerning the other obiection we haue oftentimes declared that it is not true which they take as granted namelie that the scripture hath his authoritie of the church The scripture hath not authoritie of the church for the stedfastnes therof dependeth of God and not of men And the word was both firme and certeine before the church began for the church was called by the word and the spirit of God wrought in the harts of them that beléeued the word and of them that read it that they did acknowledge it to be no humane word but altogither diuine Wherefore the authoritie came to the word of God from the holie Ghost and not from the church But they saie What Augustin ment in saieng I would not beleeue the gospell except the authoritie of the church mooued me thereto that Augustine writeth against the epistle called Epistola Fundamenti saieng I would not beléeue the Gospell vnlesse the authoritie of the church had mooued me thereto Howbeit Augustine in those words would signifie nothing else but that we must attribute much to the ministrie of the church which setteth foorth precheth and beateth the Gospell into the memorie of all faithfull people For which of vs hath come vnto Christ or beléeued the Gospell but that he hath béene stirred vp by preaching of the Gospell which is doone in the church And yet thereby it cannot be gathered that the authoritie of the Gospell depends of the church in the minds of the hearers For if it were in the power thereof to cause the scripture to be receiued then vndoubtedlie it would long since haue persuaded the Epicures and Turks to imbrace the same But the matter is far otherwise for what authoritie soeuer the church or the ministers thereof haue the same dependeth wholie vpon the word of God For if a man should demand of them how they prooue the authoritie of the church or how certeine they are that it erreth not in the vnderstanding of the holie scriptures
and discerning them from other writings They will answer that bicause it is gouerned by the holie Ghost But I beséech you how knowe ye that Bicause they will saie Christ hath promised Matt. 28. 20 that Hee will be with it euen to the end of the world And bicause he hath also said Matt. 19 18. Where soeuer shall be two or three gathered togither in my name there am I in the middest of them And againe I will send the holie Ghost the comforter Iohn 16 13 which shall lead you into all truth These are the things saie they which persuade vs of the authoritie of the church but I would faine knowe from whence ye receiued these things The church hath hir authoritie of the scriptures but out of the holie scriptures wherefore we may contrariwise conclude that the church hath hir authoritie of the scriptures 4 Further by that place of Paule is declared another difference of faith Faith is a sinne assent Rom. 4 20. namelie that it is a firme assent For he pronounceth of Abraham that he nothing doubted and he vseth this verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth To reason with himselfe and to put doubts In which signification Luke in the Acts vseth the selfe-same word for so it is said vnto Peter Acts. 10 20. that he should go vnto Cornelius the centurion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Doubting nothing Abraham had a respect vnto the will and power of God which made the promise and not vnto his owne infirmitie or to the infirmitie of his wife Without God he had nothing whereby he could promise himselfe anie such thing wherefore as saith the apostle he was strengthened in faith neither doubted he through vnbeléefe which is all one as if he had said Else-where on euerie side were offered vnto him incredulitie and doubting Neither ought this sentence to be reprooued as though we doo féele no such experience in our selues for there is none in whose mind there riseth not at anie time some doubt touching those things which we beléeue for this commeth not of faith but of our infirmitie Of which thing we may be easilie instructed by that which we sée to happen in the habit of anie science especiallie of the mathematicall science for therein is certeintie and that verie great certeintie for there the conclusions doo necessarilie and most euidentlie followe of the premisses But if a man haue not perfectlie learned or perfectlie attained vnto the science hée shall sometimes doubt and this commeth to passe not by meanes of the science but by reason of the fault of him that vseth the science Euen so we bicause so long as we liue here we be weake neither can haue a full and perfect faith Why douts doo sometimes arise in vs euen against our wils therefore doubts doo oftentimes arise vnto vs yea euen against our wils But touching the nature of an opinion thou maiest perceiue it to be otherwise the which is such as there can be no blame laid vnto vs if we somewhat incline to the other part from that which we thinke to be true But the infirmitie which happeneth to vs concerning faith may come two waies for sometimes we firmelie cleaue vnto those things which we beléeue howbeit there are other things behind which are to be beléeued the which as yet we perceiue not And after this maner they which togither with the Gospell obserued choise of meates and other ceremonies are called by Paule in his epistle to the Romans Weake in faith Rom. 14 1. for they knew not as yet that the ceremonies of the lawe were abrogated Sometimes it commeth to passe that we sée indéed the things which are to be beléeued but yet we are not so perfect in faith that wée can firmelie and constantlie cleaue vnto them So Christ called the apostles Men of little faith and especiallie Peter Matt. 8 26 14 31. We must praie vnto God to increase our faith when through doubting hée was almost drowned with the waues of the sea Wherefore as touching each part we must alwaies praie vnto God to increase our faith It is also to be noted that the power of beléeuing commeth of the holie Ghost when as we yéeld not vnto so manie and so dangerous flouds of doubting which doo inuade the mind but doo in the end ouercome them which thing cannot be doone without a heauenlie and supernaturall power But in this assent of the faith What things we are to examine in the assent of the faith we must diligentlie examine both what he is that hath spoken and also what it is that is said and is set before vs to beléeue bicause the diuell dooth studie nothing more than to cause vs to beléeue that God hath spoken that which hée spake not Oftentimes also those things which be spoken by God himselfe are by false deceiuers wrested to a wrong sense are corrupted and so forced vpon vs to be beléeued Wherefore We must praie vnto God that he will not suffer vs to be deceiued séeing we haue néed of reuelation concerning each part we must praie vnto God that he will not suffer vs to be deceiued One of them which writeth vpon the sentences is of this opinion that If it were most assuredlie knowne that God spake anie thing faith therein could take no place for straitwaie saith he by the light of nature we should knowe that it ought to be true which GOD hath spoken vnles we will thinke him to be a lier But this man is woonderfull far out of the waie for we doubt not but that the prophets assuredlie knew that GOD spake in them yet they beléeued those things which they foretold We also assuredlie knowe that God spake those things Whether it followeth that they beleeue which knowe assuredlie that God hath spoken anie thing which are read in the holie scriptures and yet we beléeue them The apostles knew that they had receiued the holie Ghost and yet were they not therefore destitute of faith But that which is spoken of this man should then be true if we could knowe euidentlie by reason or sense that God spake these things which thing can in no wise be doone for they come not to our knowledge otherwise than by reuelation But this man in stead of euidence did put certeintie The last part which is in the definition wherein it is said that this assent wrestleth with the sense and wisedome of the flesh may manifestlie be declared Examples not onlie by the example of Abraham but also by a great manie of other examples God promised deliuerance vnto the children of Israel Exod. 3 8. Exod. 5 6. and yet in the meane time increased their affliction they were charged with a great number of bricks they had no strawe giuen them for their worke they were sharplie and cruellie beaten and when they were alreadie departed out of Aegypt the sea came against them on the
our neighbours Thou wilt perhaps saie And shall not charitie also be made perfect in the life to come Which if it be granted it shall continue no longer than faith We answere that here there is a difference for séeing faith passeth into an open knowledge When faith passeth into an open knowledge it changeth both his nature kind Charitie shall not haue in heauen all the works which it now hath 1. Ioh. 3 14. and into a reuealed sight of the thing present it changeth his kind and nature Which thing happeneth not to charitie for although the same become great and more vehement yet it shall reteine still the same substance albeit euen the same shall not haue all the works which it now exerciseth There shall be none hungrie to be fed non thirstie to giue drinke vnto nor other like things in that eternall felicitie Moreouer it is attributed vnto charitie that as Iohn writeth in his epistle it giueth a testimonie of our iustification We knowe saith he that if we loue our brethren we are translated from death vnto life 1. Pet 1 10. And Peter séemeth to giue commandement that We through good works should make our calling certeine 1. Co. 13 13 How it is ment that charitie is greater than faith Acts. 20 35. And we must not omit that which Paule hath to wit that Charitie is greater than faith and hope Which saieng we expound two waies first bicause the Lord said It is a more blessed thing to giue than to receiue We shall now indéed euidentlie shew that faith dooth exercise it selfe in receiuing charitie in giuing and bestowing It is further expounded that we are said to haue two sorts of righteousnes Two sorts of righteousnes the one I saie being imputed vnto vs by God by the which we are iustified in verie déed and that as it hath béene said we obteine not by works but apprehend it by faith and the other righteousnes is that which cleaueth vnto vs and consisteth of faith hope and charitie and all good works the which as we haue alreadie said doo neuer atteine vnto the perfect obedience of the lawe but doo onlie make a entrance into the same the which is nothing else but to obeie the commandements of God with as earnest an indeuour as we can Wherefore I willinglie grant that in this kind of righteousnesse As touching righteousnes cleauing and begun in vs charitie excelleth faith charitie hath preeminence bicause our exercising notwithstanding it be begun by faith yet it staieth not there but goeth forward vnto hope vnto charitie and vnto all other vertues and good works Wherefore as in iustification before God faith is the chéefe and principall so in this righteousnes that is begun charitie is the better 33 And if anie will demand The affirming of two sorts of righteousnes is learned out of the holie scriptures Rom. 5 19. wherefore we appoint two sorts of righteousnes as hath béene shewed before we will answere that the same we haue learned out of the holie scriptures To the Rom. is said As by the disobedience of one man manie are made sinners so by the obedience of one manie are made righteous And in the same epistle the apostle saith But to him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodlie faith is counted for righteousnesse And Paule almost throughout that whole chapter speaketh of this imputation of righteousnes by faith 1. Cor. 1 30. And to the Corinthians he siad that Christ is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnes and sanctification and redemption But of the righteousnes that cleaneth vnto vs he sheweth vnto the Ephesians Ephes 4 22. when he biddeth vs To put on the new man which is created according to God in righteousnes and holines of the truth Also to the Hebrues Heb. 11 33. when he saith that The saints wrought righteousnes And it would be an infinite thing if we should recite all the testimonies which we find for the proofes of either righteousnesse But it is verie good to be considered when the apostle compareth them both togither for there it is easilie vnderstood wherein the one dooth excell the other Vnto the Philippians it is written Phil. 3 9. That I may be found in him not hauing mme owne righteousnes which is by the lawe but that righteousnes which commeth by the faith of Iesus Christ He had reckoned vp before those things which had happened vnto him in the Iewish religion Ibidem 5. whereof he might haue gloried as concerning the flesh the which he said now that he made no reckoning of and he estéemed them to be losse and doong and that for the excellencie of the knowledge of Iesus Christ c. In which place thou shalt also perceiue that the good works which he now exercised being conuerted vnto Christ are by him accounted nothing in comparison of that righteousnes which is granted vnto vs by faith The same comparison also is vsed in the epistle to the Romans where it is read on this wise Rom. 9 30. The Gentils which followed not righteousnes atteined vnto the lawe of righteousnes bicause they sought it not by works but by faith but Israel which followed righteousnes atteined not to the lawe of righteousnes bicause they sought it by works and not by faith Also it is said in the same epistle that They being ignorant of the righteousnes of God Rom. 10 3. and would establish their owne righteousnes submitted not themselues vnto the righteousnes of God 34 But against this distinction some saie How can it be How the righteousnes which we haue not shall be imputed vnto vs. Galat. 3 27. Ephes 1 6. that the righteousnes which we haue not should be imputed vnto vs We answer that we must not imagine that Christ his righteousnes is strange from the saints for We put on Christ himselfe through baptisme and as it is written vnto the Ephesians God dooth fauour and accept vs in his beloued But these men saie that it behooueth the iudgements of God to be true but how can his iudgement be true when as the righteousnes which we haue not is imputed vnto vs and that the sinne which we haue is not imputed And yet neuertheles both things are spoken by the scripture for as touching sinne Dauid rehearseth as Paule saith that Blessed is the man Psal 32 1. Rom. 4 6. to whom the Lord hath not imputed sinne And touching righteousnes it is added But vnto him that worketh not Ibidem 5. but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodlie his faith is counted for righteousnes And these things which the scripture declareth are not without reason for séeing righteousnes is imputed vnto vs we are not altogither destitute of the same not that it cleaueth in vs but bicause we apprehend it by faith therefore by faith we are trulie said to haue the same For the apprehending by faith The apprehending
by faith taketh nothing awaie from the truth of things dooth not take awaie anie whit from the truth of the thing Wherefore verie manie are far deceiued about the matter of the Eucharist for when we affirme that by faith we doo eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his bloud they straitwaies conclude that therfore we haue not these things indéed as though that by faith we apprehend a false flesh of Christ or a feigned bloud of him Neither yet is that true which was taken as granted that we in anie wise haue sinne bicause it is not imputed vnto vs for séeing they which be iustified doo striue against sinne and suffer not the same to haue dominion ouer them therefore after a sort they are iudged to haue no sinne On the behalfe of charitie that it dooth iustifie that is woont to be obiected which we read in Iohn God is charitie 1. Iohn 4 8. and he that dwelleth in charitie dwelleth in God and God in him Howbeit this place is not verie proper for charitie for else-where it is written also He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud Iohn 6 54. dwelleth in me and I in him And againe He that dwelleth in me and I in him Iohn 15 5. this man bringeth foorth much fruit And of them also which kéepe his commandements he saith that He and the father will come and dwell with them Iohn 14 23 Wherefore thou séest that this abiding which they obiect against vs dooth happen vnto vs through manie instruments or meanes and yet is there not anie man that will affirme vs to be iustified by all these things Not all these things by which God and Christ dwelleth in vs doo iustifie vs. Wherefore we néed not labour to knowe by what meanes it commeth to passe that Christ and the father dwell in vs and we in them but we must rather consider what is that by the which he first and principallie dwelleth in vs. And certeine it is that such a coniunction springeth not of anie other cause than of election Rom. 8 28. predestination and calling according to his determinate purpose as the apostle hath contriued togither these things in the epistle to the Romans And there is no doubt By faith we first answer vnto the calling of God but that we first of all by faith answer vnto the calling of God Neither dooth experience teach vs otherwise When anie thing is promised vnto vs by some man we then first of all cleaue vnto him when we giue credit vnto his saiengs Wherefore Paule in another place wrote Ephe. 3 17. that Christ dwelleth in our harts by faith VVhat is the vnion of the godlie with Christ In Rom. 8 at the beginning 35 Now must we sée what it is to be in Christ First commeth in place that which is common vnto all mortall men for the sonne of God bicause he tooke vpon him the nature of man is ioined with all men For séeing they haue fellowship with flesh and bloud as testifieth the epistle to the Hebrues Heb. 2 14. What maner of coniunction we haue with Christ he also was made partaker of flesh and bloud But this coniunction is generall and weake and onlie as I may terme it according to the matter for the nature of man far differeth from that nature which Christ tooke vpon him For the humane nature in Christ is both immortall and exempted from sinne and adorned with all purenes but our nature is vnpure corruptible and miserablie polluted with sinne but if the same be indued with the spirit of Christ it is so repaired as it differeth not much from the nature of Christ Yea so great is that affinitie as Paule in his epistle to the Ephesians saith Ephe. 5 30. that We are flesh of his flesh and bones of his bones Which forme of speaking séems to be drawne out of the writings of the old testament for trulie thus doo brethren and kinsfolke there speake one of an other He is my bone Our bone and our flesh is the Hebrew phrase and my flesh For they being come of one and the selfe-same séede of the father and wombe of the mother séeme to acknowledge vnto themselues one matter common to them all wherevnto this furthereth also that children drawe of their parents not onlie a carnall and corpulent substance but also wit affection and disposition The verie which thing commeth to passe in vs when we are indued with the spirit of Christ for besides our nature which we haue common with him we haue as Paule doth aduertise vs in the first to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 2 16. Phil. 2 5. his mind and according as Paule requireth the Philippians the self-same sense Let the selfe-same sense saith he be in you which was also in Christ Iesu This knitting of vs togither with Christ Paule expressed by the similitude of ingraffing A similitude wherein are very well perceiued those two things which we haue now rehearsed for the yong slip that is graffed and the stocke whereinto it is graffed are made one thing Neither onelie are the matters which were diuers ioined togither but they are also nourished togither with one and the selfe-same iuice spirit and life The selfe-same thing the apostle testifieth to be done in vs when he saith that we are graffed into Christ Rom. 6 15. The same also doth our Sauiour teach in the Gospell of Iohn when he calleth Himselfe the vine Iohn 15 5. and vs the branches for the branches haue the selfe-same life common with the vine trée for they all spring out by one spirit and bring forth one and the selfe-same fruit Paule also in his epistle to the Ephesians Eph. 5. 23. compareth with matrimonie that coniunction which we haue with Christ for he saith that the same is a great signe betwéene Christ and his church For euen as in matrimonie Our coniunction with Christ is compared with matrimonie not onelie the bodies be made common betwéene man and wife but also their affections willes are ioined togither so commeth it to passe by a sure and firme ground betwéene Christ and his church Wherefore the Apostle pronounceth them frée from sinne which doo abide in Christ and are in him after such a sort as I haue now declared to the end they may liue his life be of the same mind that he is and bring foorth such fruit of works as differ not from his fruits And they which are such cannot feare condemnation or iudgement for the Lord Iesus is saluation it selfe as his owne name declareth wherefore they which are in him stand in no perill to be condemned Herevnto we adde that they also are in Christ Who are in Christ which in all their affaires depend vpon him and who are mooued by his spirit whatsoeuer they take in hand or doo for to depend vpon him is nothing els than in all things that we go about
our minds for thus it is written Why art thou so heauie ô my soule Psal 42 12. Why art thou so discouraged Hope in God for I will yet make my confession vnto him my safetie is in his countenance Why God disappointeth vs of the outward aid Neither dooth God commonlie for anie other cause disappoint his people of the outward aids and helps of this world but to gather their scattered hope and not to suffer it to leane vnto too manie aids and these sundrie and manifold aids he changeth for one principall aid and the same most firme to the end we should depend vpon him By this difference of a firme hope the christians doo much differ from the Epicures and Ethniks A great difference betweene the hope of the Christians and of the Ethniks for the Ethniks if there come anie great calamitie to them straitwaie they exclame and crie out If there be a God that hath a care of these things if there be a God that séeth these things So they call not vpon God but being in despaire vtterlie discourage themselues But contrariwise godlie men most constantlie crie vnto God neither doubt they but that their praiers reach vp euen vnto heauen and that God hath a care both ouer them and also ouer all that they haue The fourth Chapter Of Iustification Vpon the epistle to the Romans at the end of the 11. chapter This place is also treated of vpon the 1. to the Cor. 1. about the end and vpon Genesis 15. verse 6. IT shall now be a profitable thing to intreat of iustification which is the scope and end of all that Paule teacheth in the epistle to the Romans Let this question be put foorth after this sort namelie whether men be iustified by works or by faith The question is put faith But first of all it shall be good to discusse the words of the question proposed and we will begin with this word iustification This verbe Tsadac The signification â—f this word To iustifie with the Hebrues in the first coniugation signifieth To be iust but if it be transferred vnto the third coniugation it signifieth To transferre righteousnes into an other and to make iust For this is the efficacie of the forme of those verbes which they call Hiphil Euen as Amad signifieth To stand so Heemid signifieth To appoint that is To make an other thing to stand Wherefore Hitsdic in the Hebrue signifieth To iustifie that is To make one iust which thing when it is done of God Two maner of waies God is said to iustifie it is done of him two maner of waies For somtimes he doth assuredlie bring foorth righteousnes in men First when God with his holie spirit frameth them againe wholie reneweth them in restoring the strength of their minds deliuering the powers of man from a great part of his naturall corruption and this is the first righteousnes which sticketh cleaueth to our minds by the benefit of God through Christ Secondlie when he hath so restored and made them new againe he giueth iust and holie workes by the vse and continuance of which works a qualitie or as they call it an habit is ingendered in our minds whereby we are made pliant to liue honestlie and godlie and we denie not but this kind of righteousnes is in the harts of the regenerate But sometimes God iustifieth in absoluing vs from sinnes and ascribing and imputing righteousnes and then this word Hitsdic is a word taken of the law which perteineth to iudgment as also this word Hâ—…schiah which signifieth To declare one to be an offender a wicked person And to iustifie in iudgement is by words testimonies and affirmation to count one for iust And forsomuch as these are the two significations of this word To iustifie namelie either in déed or in account and estimation and God is the author of either of them whether of these two shall we followe in the disputation proposed Forsooth the latter We now intreat of the latter foâ—me of iustifieng and that for bicause the renouation inspired by the spirit of God and our righteousnes as touching the habit gotten by good works are whilest we liue here so vnperfect and maimed that if iudgement should be giuen by them we might not be able to stand before the iudgement seate of God Besides that Paule disputing of this matter Rom. 4 3. after he had brought foorth the authoritie of Dauid and a testimonie of the historie of Abraham in Genesis vseth this word of imputing and by the proper signification thereof he reasoneth touching this present cause or question And this I suppose to be sufficient as touching the declaration of the first word namelie Iustification 2 Now let vs intreat of Faith Aman among the Hebrues in the first coniugation signifieth What this word Faith signifieth To be firme the verie which verbe in the third coniugation being called as I haue said Hiphil signifieth To giue constancie and assurednes to anie promise or thing Wherefore the Latines saie Fidem homini aut verbis tribuâ—re which is in English To giue faith or credit vnto a man or vnto words and it signifieth euen as much as if a man should saie To beleeue Wherfore this Hebrue verbe Heemin signifieth none other thing than To suppose or thinke a thing to be firme constant and true And as touching God he which beléeueth not him maketh him a lier for Iohn saith in his first epistle the 5. chapter He which beleeueth not God verse 10 maketh him a lier Which thing how gréeuous a sinne it is let euerie man consider with himselfe Contrariwise he which beléeueth God adorneth him with glorie honor Rom. 4 20. for in the epistle to the Romans it is written of Abraham that he staggered not through doubting through the consideration of his owne bodie or of the wombe of Sara being in a maner past child bearing but gaue the glorie vnto God being strong in faith An analogie between the two words To beleeue and to iustifie and fullie persuaded that he was able to performe whatsoeuer he would Wherefore there séemeth to be a certeine analogie or proportion betwéene this word To beleeue and that To iustifie as we in this place take it for as To iustifie is by waie of iudging accounting to ascribe righteousnes to a man and not to make him to be in verie déed iust so To beleeue is not in verie déed to make the words and promises of anie man sure and firme but to thinke and determine with our selues that so they are But this act of beléeuing whereof we now entreate hath two maner of firmnes and certeintie First of the things namelie of the words and promises of God which abide much more firmlie than heauen and earth A double certeintie of faith Secondlie as touching the persuasion it selfe which séeing it is wrought by the power of God it is also
not imputed sinne By the which words we doo not onelie gather that the righteousnes by which we are said to be iustified sticketh not in our minds but is imputed of God that it is such an imputation as consisteth not of works but of the méere clemencie of God Further the apostle dooth by another propertie of good works confirme his opinion namelie The tenth reason bicause works are signes or seales of the righteousnesse alreadie obteined where he saieth of Abraham And he receiued the signe of circumcision being a seale of the righteousnes of faith which was in vncircumcision c. vers 11. Séeing therefore that good workes are signes and also seales which beare witnes of the righteousnes alreadie receiued they cannot be the causes thereof Neither haue ceremonies onelie that propertie but also euen those works which are called morall Euen verie morall works are seales of righteousnes imputed when they are pleasant and acceptable before God for they also are signes tokens of our righteousnes Wherfore Peter exhorteth vs to endeuour our selues to make our vocation sure namelie by liuing vprightlie by good works yea and the forme of the promise which God made with Abraham 2. Pet. 1 10. is dilligentlie to be weighed for therevnto is not added a condition of the lawe The eleuenth reason or of works And séeing God added none what boldnes were it in vs to presume to doo it and Paule saith For not through the lawe was the promise made vnto Abraham or to his seede Rom. 4 13. that he should be the heire of the world but through the righteousnes of faith For if those which pertaine vnto the lawe be heires then is faith made frustrate and the promise is of no force namelie because the lawe worketh anger Wherefore if we fulfill not the lawe the promise shall take no place And to beléeue that promise which shall neuer be fulfilled would be a vaine thing which vndoutedlie must néeds vtterlie be so if it be giuen vpon this condition that we should performe the lawe when as no man can perfectlie accomplish the lawe Vers 16. The twelfth reason But the apostle procéedeth further and by the iudgement of the most mercifull counsell of God decréeth after this maner Therefore is the inheritance giuen by faith and according to grace to the end the promise should be firme As if he should saie If the promise should depend vpon works our mind would continuallie wauer none might appoint anie certeintie of his owne saluation for his conscience would euermore accuse him that he had not perfourmed those works for the which the promise was made To the end therefore we should not wauer Why God would that our iustification shuld come by faith vers 18. The .13 reason God would that our iustification should consist of faith and grace that the promise might be firme The same thing also is gathered by that which is declared of Abraham howe that Contrarie to hope he beleeued in hope He is said to beléeue in hope contrarie to hope which either in him selfe or in nature séeth or féeleth no maner of thing which might persuade him to hope Euen as Abraham was an hundred yéeres of age his bodie was in a maner dead his wife an old woman and barren all which things naturallie put him from hoping and yet preuailing against them all he hoped But we if we had merites or good works whereby we might obtaine righteousnes then should we not hope contrarie to hope but in hope and according to hope Wherefore our iustification is to be appointed no otherwise than we read it was in Abraham for he is the father of vs all as it was imputed vnto him euen so shall it be imputed vnto vs. The .14 reason 12 But now let vs come to the .5 chapter There againe Paule plainlie expresseth in what case men are before they be regenerate for he saith For Christ when we were yet weake according as the time required Rom. 5 6. died for the vngodlie And straight waie But God setteth out his loue towards vs in that when we were yet sinners Christ died for vs. And he addeth vers 8. For if when we were enimies we were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne vers 10. much more being now reconciled shall we be saued by his life Hereby we gather that before regeneration men are weake sinners vngodlie and the enimies of God Who then can ascribe vnto such men power to obtaine righteousnesse at their pleasure when they list to doo good works Others maie beléeue it but the godlie will neuer be so persuaded This moreouer is another proofe in that he setteth foorth the cause of so great an euill when he saith Therefore vers 12. euen as by one man sinne entred into the world and by sinne death The .15 reason euen so death went ouer all men forsomuch as all men haue sinned As if he should haue said We haue béene euen from the beginning by the first man lost and condemned And least thou shouldest thinke that infants are to be excepted he saith vers 14. Yea death hath reigned from Adam euen to Moses ouer them also which haue not sinned after the similitude of the transgression of Adam The masse or lumpe of perdition comprehendeth all those that are borne from which corruption the holie scriptures teach that it is not possible for men to escape by their works and to challenge iustification vnto themselues Afterward in the .6 chapter thus speaketh our apostle vers 21. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed For the end of them is death The .16 reason but now being deliuered from sinne and made the seruants of God ye haue your fruit to sanctification and the end euerlasting life What other thing meane these words than that all things which men doo before they beléeue in Christ deserue nothing else but ignominie shame And there is no fruit there of sanctification but it followeth regeneration it selfe And who will saie that we are iustified by those things which are full of ignominie and shame The .17 reason But now let vs heare what is said in the beginning of the .7 cap. Knowe ye not brethren for I speake to them that knowe the lawe how that the lawe hath power ouer man as long as he liueth Rom. 7 1. For the woman which is in subiection to a man is bound by the lawe to the man as long as he liueth but if the man be dead she is losed from the lawe of the man Wherefore if whilest the man liueth she couple her selfe with another man she shal be counted a wedlocke-breaker but if the man be dead she is free from the lawe of the husband so that she is no wedlock-breaker though she couple her selfe with another man Euen so ye also my brethren are dead vnto the
righteousnesse he vnderstood the works of men regenerated forsomuch as with those works the merits of Christ are ioined for so it might be true that eternall life is the stipend of such a righteousnes Origin Further Origin goeth on and sheweth that Men are so iustified fréelie that good works are not required to go before For expounding this sentence Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen Psal 32 1. The soule saith he whose sinnes are forgiuen must néeds now be in good state for it is called blessed Wherefore it hath the righteousnes which God imputeth vnto it although it haue not yet doone anie works of righteousnes but onelie for that it hath beléeued in him which iustifieth the vngodlie Out of these words we gather manie things first that God for works sake is not made debtor vnto anie man secondlie that not onelie iustification but also eternall life is giuen fréelie lastlie that righteousnes is imputed vnto the minds of them that beléeue although no good works went before in them Basilius Basil verse 7. vpon these words of the .116 Psalme Turne thou vnto thy rest ô my soule for the Lord hath rewarded thee For saith he eternall rest is set foorth vnto them which in this life haue wrestled lawfullie which yet is not rendred according to the merits of works but is giuen according to the grace of the most liberall God vnto them which haue hoped in him Seeing these things are spoken of the works of men alreadie iustified as touching eternall felicitie then are they to be counted much more true if they be referred vnto the works of them which are yet strangers from Christ Wherefore euen as those doo not merit an eternall reward no more can these merit iustification for both these things are giuen fréelie 41 Augustine in his booke De dogmatibus ecclesiasticis the .48 chapter Augustine Gala. 2 21. If by the lawe saith he commeth righteousnes then died Christ in vaine so also maie we saie If by nature come righteousnes Christ died in vaine This spake he against the Pelagians who affirmed that The libertie of man was so great that by nature onelie it could doo things acceptable vnto God And Augustine warelie transferreth that vnto nature which Paule spake of the lawe Augustine transferreth vnto nature that which Paule spake of the lawe concerning iustification and sheweth that the selfe-same absurditie followeth both the one and other namelie that the death of Christ is made in vaine For in verie déede there is no cause why the lawe bringeth not righteousnes but onelie bicause nature is corrupt and weake wherefore that which is spoken of the one maie rightlie agrée with the other the same Augustine vpon the first chapter of Iohn expounding these words Iohn 1 16. Grace for grace What is grace saith he He answereth Euen that which is fréelie giuen What is grace fréelie giuen That which is not rendred saith he as due for if it were due vnto thée then it is a reward rendred if it were due thou wast good before And also in his booke De praedestinatione sanctorum the seuenth chapter Let no man extoll himselfe as it is customablie said Therfore deserued he to beléeue because he was a good man and that before he beléeued which thing séemeth to be written of Cornelius sith that he had faith when he did good works These words are so plaine that they haue no néed of declaration Chrysost Chrysostome in his second homilie vpon the first epistle vnto the Corinthians Where grace saith he is there are no works and where works are there is no grace wherefore if it be grace why are ye proud By what reason are ye puffed vp Chrysostome according to the maner of Paule dooth so oppose grace against works that the one excludeth the other so farre it is off that he will haue grace to be giuen for works Ierome vpon the epistle to Philemon It is grace saith he whereby ye are saued that by no merits or works The same Ierome vpon the epistle vnto the Ephesians expounding these words By grace ye are made safe through faith Ephe. 2 8. and that not of your selues for it is the gift of God Paule saith he therefore spake this least that some secret thought should créepe in vnto vs if by our works we be not saued yet vndoubtedlie by faith we are saued so that in another kind it is our owne as it were commeth of our selues that we are saued All these testimonies sufficientlie declare that iustification is giuen fréelie neither can it be gotten by anie merits or works going before Now resteth to declare out of the Fathers how good works are to be estéemed Vndoubtedlie they followe iustification as the fruites thereof which spring and bud foorth out of a true faith Wherefore Origin saith in the same place which we before cited expounding these words vnto the Romans Rom. 8 4. But vnto him that worketh the reward is not imputed according to grace but according to debt Wherefore saith he the root of righteousnes commeth not out of works but works growe out of the root of righteousnes Which self-same thing Augustine affirmeth vnto Honoratus saieng From hence spring good works because we are iustified and not bicause good works went before therefore are we iustified And in his first booke and second question Ad Simplicianum Yea and works saith he if there be anie that be good doo followe that grace as it is said and go not before it And therefore he addeth If there be anie good bicause euen the works of the regenerate haue in them much imperfection and vnlesse the righteousnes of Christ which is imputed vnto the beléeuers were ioined with those works certeinlie they should not be good The same father in his .26 chapter De spiritu litera at large handleth that place to the Romans Not the hearers of the lawe shal be iustified Rom. 2 13. but the dooers and by manie reasons he prooueth that good works followe iustification and go not before To this also tendeth that which Basilius writeth in his second booke De spiritu sancto the .7 chapter out of the words of the Lord Matt 7 17. Luk. 6 43. that First it behoueth that the tree be good and then his fruits to be good and that the Pharisies were to be reprooued which in their dishes and cups made cleane that which was without Matt. 23 27. Make ye cleane saith he that which is within and that which is without will be cleane otherwise ye shal be compared vnto painted sepulchres which in deed without seeme beautifull but within are vncleane and full of dead mens bones 42 Now let vs come to the Councels What Councel◠are to be harkned vnto which neuertheles must be heard with choise iudgement We ought to receiue and reuerence those councels onlie which haue framed their doctrine to the rule of the holie scriptures
strength of Christians which loue is powred in our harts not by fréewill but by the holie Ghost which is giuen to vs whereas no merits go before that grace And in the 25. chapter We ought to preach to beléeue that by the sin of the first man fréewill is so decaid and diminished that no man afterward can either loue God as he ought to doo or beléeue in God or for Gods sake worke that which is good vnlesse the grace mercie of God preuent him Wherefore iust Abel Noah Heb. 11. Abraham Isaac Iacob and all the saints in the old time are in the epistle vnto the Hebrues said to haue done those things which in the holie scriptures are mentioned to haue béene done by them which faith we haue before taught to come of God And Paule writeth of himselfe 1. Cor. 7 25. I haue obteined mercie that I may be faithfull But he saith not I haue obteined mercie bicause I was before faithfull but contrariwise And in the selfe-same chapter This also we profitable confesse and beléeue that in euerie good worke it is not that we our selues do first begin afterward are holpen with the mercie of God but that he first inspireth into vs both faith and the loue of him and that without anie of our merits going before Wherefore we must without all doubt beléeue that both Zacheus and the théefe and alsoo Cornelius atteined not to beléeue through nature but by the gift of the bountifulnesse of GOD. 44 These things haue I alledged out of the Arausican Councell peraduenture more largelie than maie séeme to be conuenient for this place But for this cause haue I the willinglier doone it for that I sawe that all those things which are there affirmed are confirmed by the holie scriptures and doo verie much serue for our purpose Such Councelles gentle reader must be harkened vnto What Councels must be harkened vnto which cleaue vnto the word of God for whatsoeuer commoditie or discommoditie the church hath the same ought wholie to be ascribed vnto the obseruation or contempt of the word of God For in the old and auncient Councelles how were Arrius Eunomius Nestorius Eutyches and other pestiferous heretikes ouercome otherwise than by the word of God For without doubt they could neuer by anie other engines be ouercome and vanquished And contrariewise when began the church to giue place vnto abuses and to superstitions but when the word was contemned And now in our times vnlesse the word of God had béene sought for and called againe in a maner out of exile how could we euer haue béene deliuered from the tyrannie of the Pope Let these few things be a warning vnto vs not rashlie to beléeue euerie Councell but let vs receiue those Councelles alone which haue soundlie confirmed the decrées of their doctrine by the scriptures But that the thing which I affirme The Councell of Trent maie be more manifest let vs bring foorth the Councell of Trent that by the contrarie the truth maie the better be vnderstood In that Councell the fift Session from the fift chapter vnto the eleuenth chapter is intreated of iustification There these good holie Fathers the hirelings of the Pope doo thus decrée that The beginning of iustification is of grace But what they there vnderstand they straitwaie make it plaine For thus they saie It calleth and it stirreth vp they which are to be iustified are so holpen by it that being called and stirred vp they giue assent vnto this grace and worke therewith and are made apt to regeneration But this assent and working togither with it they doo attribute to frée will as the words doo shew What else would Pelagius saie if he were now aliue For euen he doubtlesse denied not grace if thou take it for an admonition calling and stirring vp He also attributed this vnto frée will that it had power to assent and to obeie the commandements of God But the grace which the holie scriptures set foorth vnto vs reneweth our vnderstanding and will and in steed of a stonie hart giueth vs a fleshie hart for it dooth not onelie counsell our reason but also fullie persuadeth it and bendeth and changeth the will Our men of Trent doo grant indeed that God toucheth the hart of man by the illumination of the holie Ghost but least a man himselfe should doo nothing they adde that man admitteth the inspiration as he which maie also refuse it Wherefore they fullie conclude that it perteineth to man to admit or receiue although they confesse that he can not doo that vnlesse he be called and stirred vp by grace But how can the hart of man vnlesse it be renewed by the spirit and grace of God receiue those things wherevnto it is enimie by reason of his nature being yet corrupt and defiled Assuredlie though it be neuer so much stirred vp taught and mooued yet vnlesse it be vtterlie changed it will continuallie refuse it and resist Wherfore Augustine Ad Simplicianum It is not in our power that those things which be set foorth vnto vs should please vs. writeth verie well that It is not in our power to bring to passe that those things which are set foorth vnto vs should be acceptable and pleasant vnto vs. But that thing which is neither acceptable nor pleasant we choose not though we be vrged by admonishers As if there should be offered vnto a sicke man good healthfull meats A similitude and verie pleasantlie dressed yet bicause they are neither pleasant nor acceptable vnto him he refuseth them though there stand manie by which saie vnto him that those meats are wholsome and verie well dressed The selfe-same thing vndoubtedlie happeneth vnto a mind not regenerate except that as touching the receiuing of the grace of God there can no violence be doone vnto the mind but the sicke person maie be compelled to take meats that are to him vnpleasant Wherefore so long as our will and vnderstanding is not changed by the spirit of God it will not admit anie healthfull admonitions And euen as a sicke person A similitude before he be restored to health neither abideth nor gladlie receiueth anie meats when they are offered him euen so the mind of man vnlesse it be changed from infidelitie to faith from impietie to godlinesse as saith the Arausican Councell it neither obeieth nor giueth place vnto grace which calleth stirreth it vp which thing neuerthelesse the good Fathers of Trent doo affirme 45 But least they should séeme to speake without scriptures they bring foorth two testimonies the one out of the first chapter of Zacharie Be ye conuerted vnto me Zach. 1 3 and I will be conuerted vnto you This saie they hath a respect vnto the man who is commanded that euen as touching iustification he should do somwhat Iere. 31 18. And Ieremie saith Conuert vs ô Lord and we shall be conuerted by which words is declared that vnto this
conuersion is also required the helpe of God And by this meanes they diuide the whole matter betwéene GOD and man But Augustine and manie other of the fathers ascribe the whole act of our iustificaon vnto GOD onelie But as touching this place of Zacharie it may be expounded two maner of waies first that those are the words of the lawe commanding and yet by them cannot be prooued An exposition of a place in Zacharie that a man may be conuerted vnlesse God conuert him For of it Augustine thus writeth Lord giue that which thou commandest and command what thou wilt Another exposition is this In iustification are two inward motions whereof the one perteineth vnto reason which as we haue said hath néed not onelie to be taught What are the inward motions of iustification but also to be persuaded and to be forced to yéeld to the intent of the holie Ghost the other motion perteineth vnto the will that the same may be bowed to receiue all those things which the holie Ghost promiseth and offereth And this is the faith by which we are iustified and whereby our sinnes are forgiuen vs. But forsomuch as these things were doone secretlie in the inward parts of the mind the prophet speaketh not of them but rather spake of those that followe for man after he is once iustified beginneth to be conuerted vnto good works Wherefore he which before liued dissolutelie and wickedlie now behaueth himselfe well and orderlie and being renewed with grace and the spirit worketh togither with the power of God Of this conuersion the prophet speaketh when he saith Be conuerted vnto me And God promiseth to heape vp great benefits vpon them which is signified by this And I will be conuerted vnto you For before when he withdrew from them his benefits and afflicted them with captiuities and other miseries he séemed to be turned awaie from them Wherefore the prophet spake not of the inward iustification but of the outward conuersion vnto good works But Ieremie when he said Conuert vs Lord and we shall be conuerted had a respect to this inward motions of the mind which we haue now described But our men of Trent when they thus saie although they feigne that they differ from the Pelagians yet in verie déed they can neuer prooue it They saie that they denie not grace but in verie déed they meane such a grace as the Pelagians would neuer haue denied Degrees of iustification appointed by the Syned of Trent 46 But let vs sée what degrées and what preparations these men appoint to iustification First saie they a man which is to be iustified called and stirred vp by the grace of God beginneth to beléeue those things which are written in the holie scripture then is he both smitten with the feare of sinnes which he hath committed afterward looking vpon the mercie of God he beginneth to hope well this hope being conceiued he loueth God which loue bréedeth in him a certeine detestation of sinnes and a purpose to liue well lastlie he receiueth baptisme or the sacrament of penance and herein saie they consisteth iustification For other things which went before were onelie preparations But these men sée not that we ought far otherwise to iudge of baptisme For the holie scriptures doo teach Rom. 4 10. that Abraham was first iustified by faith in vncircumcision and then he receiued circumcision as a seale of righteousnes alredie receiued This selfesame consideration according to the analogie must be kept in baptisme for our baptisme answereth vnto the circumcision of the fathers of the old testament A confutation of these degrees When these men say that faith the feare of God hope charitie detestation of sinne a new purpose of honest life are onelie certeine preparations vnto iustification they decrée that a man may be perfect before he be iustified Then they adde the causes of our iustification and begin at the finall cause What causes of iustification they of Trent assigne and that saie they is the glorie of God and our saluation The efficient cause they saie is God himselfe of his méere mercie The meritorious cause as they call it they adde to be Christ Iesus by his death vpon the crosse and the shedding of his bloud and hitherto indéed not amisse The formall cause they saie is the iustice of God not that iustice wherby he himselfe is iust but that which he communicateth vnto vs whereby we trulie both are counted iust and also are so indéed By which words they vnderstand the renewing of a man now regenerate his new forming by grace and the holie Ghost The which things that they are doone in a man alreadie iustified we denie not but that iustification consisteth therein we cannot grant Rom. 3 4 and .6 For Paule hath affirmed it to stand in this point that Our sinnes are forgiuen vs and that they are no more imputed vnto vs. And to confirme this Psal 32 1. In whom properlie iustification consisteth Gen. 15 6. he citeth a testimonie out of Dauid Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen And also that saieng in Genesis Abraham beleeued God and it was counted vnto him for righteousnes And to the end he might expresse the thing more plainelie he oftentimes in the selfe-same place vseth this word Imputation And therfore we saie that in that righteousnes instauration wherby we are fashioned anew by God cannot consist iustificatiō bicause the same through our corruption is vnperfect so that we cannot stand therewith before the iudgement seate of Christ Further they saie that this righteousnesse wherby they wil haue vs to be iustified is distributed vnto euerie man by the holie Ghost as it pleaseth him This indéed may be for the holie Ghost is the disposer as it were th'administrator in the distribution of the gifts of God Iustification consisteth not in that righteousnes which cleaneth in vs. But they go on further and saie According to the measure of the preparation but this can by no meanes be borne withall For we haue before shewed out of the fathers and chéefelie out of the holie scriptures that all those things which are doone before iustification are sinnes so far is it off that they can merit and prepare vnto iustification Further these men doo teach that if iustification be receiued men can neuer be sure and certeine of the same but must néeds be euermore doubting and full of care And when we obiect that this is to derogate from the truth of the promises of God the dignitie of grace they denie that to be true For they saie that they doubt not of the promises of God but when they looke vpon their owne indispositions as they call them then at the length they begin of necessitie to doubt Certeinelie this is not to be maruelled at for if a man haue a regard to his owne vnwoorthines he shall not only doubt of the promises of God but also shall be
teach a resolution from works vnto faith Againe from faith vnto his obiect And that we should not thinke that faith by his owne power hath anie thing whereby it can iustifie he againe passeth from it vnto the obiect saieng How shall they beleeue without a preacher And how shall they preach except they be sent Also Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Wherefore the vttermost point of the resolution is the word of God the promise touching Christ from whence as from the fountaine is deriued our saluation and iustification In the 11. chapter is set foorth the Antithesis or contrarie position betwéene incredulitie and faith verse 19 which séemeth verie much to confirme that which we now teach The branches were broken off that I might be graffed in this was an obiection of the Gentiles against the Iewes Paule answereth Thou saiest well bicause of vnbeleefe they were broken off but thou standest by faith Here is giuen the reason of the fall and destruction of men and on the other side of saluation and constancie namelie vnbeléefe and faith And of the Iewes which should one daie be restored he addeth And if they abide not still in their vnbeleefe they shall be againe graffed in The restoring of them that be fallen is prooued to be and to be doone by faith for God is of might to graff them in Here we sée that by departing from vnbeléefe which consisteth in beléeuing men that haue fallen are restored This maketh verie much against the error of those which although they after a sort confesse that the first iustification is giuen fréelie without anie works going before yet vnto men that haue fallen they grant not restitution vnto iustification but by satisfaction and manie works preparatorie 50 These things out of the epistle vnto the Romans In the first epistle to the Corinthians the first chapter it is thus written verse 21. Bicause the world in the wisedome of God knew not God by wisedome it pleased God by the foolishnes of preaching to saue them that beleeue Bicause the wise men of this world saith the apostle by their naturall searching out could not take hold of the wisedome of God whereby they might be saued God of his goodnes hath instituted a contrarie waie namelie the preaching of the Gospell which vnto the flesh séemeth foolishnesse that by it saluation should be giuen vnto men but yet not to all sorts of men but to those onlie that beléeue Wherefore in the second to the Corinthians verse 24. the 1. chapter it is thus written By faith ye stand by which words we vnderstand that the foundation whereby we are confirmed and established in the waie of saluation verse 14. is faith Further Paule to the Galathians the 2. chapter where he reprooueth Peter for his simulation whereby he séemed to lead the Gentiles to obserue the ceremonies of the Iewes thus speaketh If thou being a Iew liuest after the maner of the Gentiles and not as doo the Iewes why compellest thou the Gentiles to liue as doo the Iewes For we which are Iewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles knowing that a man is not iustified by the works of the lawe euen we beleeue in Christ that we might be iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the lawe bicause by the works of the lawe shall no flesh be iustified Here we sée that the apostles therefore followed Christ that they might be iustified by faith which they could not obteine by works Gal. 2 20. And afterward In that that I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith in the sonne of God which is all all one as if he should haue said As yet in déed sinne sticketh in my flesh and in it I carrie death about but yet notwithstanding I haue life not through mine owne merit but by the faith of the sonne of God Gal. 3 2. In the 3. chapter he thus writeth I would knowe this of you Receiued ye the spirit by the works of the lawe or by the hearing of faith And straitwaie he addeth He which ministreth vnto you the spirit and in you worketh miracles doth he the same by the works of the lawe or by the hearing of faith By these words we sée that it is faith and not works whereby we take hold of the gifts of God verse 7. And he addeth Ye know that they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham and that vndoubtedlie for no other cause but for that in beléeuing they doo followe and resemble him verse 8. Wherfore saith he The scripture forseeing that God would iustifie the Gentiles by faith shewed before hand glad tidings vnto Abraham saieng In thee shall all nations be blessed This blessing spred not abroad vnto them bicause they had their beginning of the flesh of Abraham but bicause they followed the steps of his faith Otherwise of Abraham as touching the flesh came not as farre as we can read anie other nation than the Ismaelites Edomites and Israelites Then followeth the conclusion verse 9. Therefore they which are of faith shall be blessed with faithfull Abraham But To be blessed in the Hebrue phrase is nothing else than To receiue the gifts of God amongst which iustification is the most principall Wherefore it followeth that Vnto the Gentiles through Christ verse 14. might come the promise made vnto Abraham that we might receiue the promise of the holie Ghost through faith So then we sée that the promise of the holie Ghost is not taken hold of by works as manie faine it is Which thing euen reason sufficientlie declareth for séeing the Lord as it shall a little afterward be declared had by promise giuen this blessing vnto Abraham we must sée what is referred vnto the promise as a correlatiue which as we haue said can be nothing else but faith for faith setteth foorth vnto it selfe the promises of God as an obiect 51 Paule furthermore addeth Ibidem 22 that The scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beleeue This is the cause why the holie scriptures so diligentlie shew vnto men how they be guiltie of sinnes namelie that they should the more be stirred vp to imbrace the promises of God by faith at the least when they haue not good works whereby they might take hold of them And this vnderstand we by that which is afterward written verse 24. The lawe is our schoolemaister vnto Christ that we should be iustified by faith These words signifie nothing else but that the lawe therefore sheweth sinnes and setteth foorth vnto men their infirmities and stirreth vp their lusts whereby sinnes are more and more increased that they being thus admonished should returne vnto Christ and might from him thorough faith receiue righteousnesse Which thing they vndoubtedlie did of whom it was said verse
26. Ye are all the children of God by the faith of Iesus Christ For what is it to be the sonnes of God but bicause we haue alredie obteined adoption which we obteine onelie by regeneration or iustification And in the fourth chapter Rom. 4 28. Brethren saith he we are after the maner of Isaac children of the promise But to be children of the promise is nothing else but to beléeue those things which God promiseth whereby we are made his children according as he hath promised we should be For so was Isaac borne vnto Abraham not by the strength of nature but by the benefit of the promise of God In the fift chapter he writeth Rom. 5 5. We in the spirit looke for the hope of righteousnesse by faith In this place are two things touched the spirit of God whereby we are new fashioned and renewed vnto saluation and faith whereby we apprehend righteousnes Wherefore in this matter of our iustification although there be in our minds manie other works of the holie Ghost yet none of them except faith helpe to iustification Wherevpon the apostle concludeth Circumcision is nothing Ibidem 6. and vncircumcision is nothing but onelie faith which worketh through loue Hereof onelie dependeth iustification of this faith I saie not being dead but liuing and of force And for that cause Paule addeth Which worketh by loue Which yet ought not so to be vnderstood as though faith should depend of loue or hath of it as they vse to speake hir forme but for that when it bursteth foorth into act and will shew foorth it selfe it must of necessitie doo this by loue So the knowledge of anie man dependeth not hereon for that he teacheth other men but by that meanes it is most of all declared But if anie perfection of these actions of louing and teaching redound vnto faith and knowledge that commeth of another cause and not for that they depend of it or thereof haue their forme as manie Sophisters haue dreamed Ephes 2 8. 52 In the epistle to the Ephesians the 2. chapter it is thus written By grace ye are made safe through faith and that not of your selues for it is the gift of God And after that in the third chapter Eph. 3 16. That according to the riches of his glorie he would grant you that ye may be strengthened with might in the inward man by the spirit that Christ may dwell in your hart by faith He that hath Christ in him the same hath without all doubt righteousnes for of him Paule thus writeth vnto the Corinthians in the former epistle 1. Cor. 1 30. and the first chapter Who is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnes holines and redemption Here therefore it is shewed by what meanes Christ dwelleth in our harts namelie by faith Againe Paule in the third chapter to the Philippians Phil. 3 9. That I might be found saith he in him not hauing mine owne righteousnesse which is of the lawe but that which is of the faith of Iesus Christ Here that righteousnes which is of works and of the lawe he calleth His but that which is of faith and which he most of all desireth he calleth The righteousnes of Iesus Christ Heb. 11 33. Vnto the Hebrues also it is written in the eleuenth chapter The saints by faith haue ouercome kingdoms haue wrought righteousnesse and haue obteined the promises These words declare how much is to be attributed vnto faith for by it the saints are said not onelie to haue possessed outward kingdoms but also to haue exercised the works of righteousnesse namelie to haue liued holilie and without blame and to haue obteined the promises of God verse 5. And Peter in his first epistle and first chapter By the power of God saith he are ye kept vnto saluation through faith In these words are signified two principall grounds of our saluation the one is the might and power of God which is wholie necessarie for vs to obteine saluation the other is faith whereby as by an instrument saluation is applied vnto vs. Iohn in his first epistle and fift chapter verse 1. Euerie one saith he which beleeueth that Iesus is Christ is borne of God but To be borne of God is nothing else than to be iustified or to be borne againe in Christ If followeth in the same chapter Ibidem ◠This is the victorie which ouercommeth the world euen our faith By which testimonie is declared that the tyrannie of the diuell of sinne of death and of hell is by no other thing driuen awaie from vs but by faith onelie And toward the end of the selfe-same chapter it is said And these things haue I written vnto you verse 3. which beleeue in the name of the sonne of God that ye might knowe that ye haue eternall life and that ye should beleeue in the name of the sonne of God 53 Now let vs gather out of the euangelists as much as shall serue for this present question Matthew in his eight chapter saith Mat. 8 19 That Christ exceedinglie wondred at the faith of the Centurion and confessed that he had not found such faith in Israel and turning vnto him said Euen as thou hast beleeued so be it vnto thee Here some replie that This historie and such other like intreate not of iustification but onelie of the outward benefits of the bodie giuen by GOD. Howbeit these men ought to consider that sinnes which are in vs are the causes of the gréefes and the afflictions of the bodie For onelie Christ excepted who vtterlie died an innocent all other forsomuch as they are subiect vnto sinne doo suffer no aduersitie without iust desert And although God in laieng of his calamities vpon vs hath not alwaies a respect herevnto for oftentimes he sendeth aduersities to shew foorth his glorie and to the triall of all those that are his yet none whilest he is so vexed can complaine that he is vniustlie dealt withall for there is none so holie but that in himselfe he hath sinnes which are woorthie of such like or else of greater punishments And where the cause is not taken awaie neither is nor can the effect be remooued Wherfore Christ forsomuch as he deliuereth man from diseases of the bodie manifestlie declareth that it was he which should iustifie men from sinnes And that this is true the selfe-same euangelist teacheth vs in the .9 chapter verse 2 for when he that was sicke of the palsie was brought vnto Christ to be healed he saith that Christ answered Be of good cheare my sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee At which saieng when as the Scribes and Pharisies were offended to the end they should vnderstand that the cause of euils being taken awaie euen the euils them selues are taken awaie He commanded him that was sicke of the palsie to arise and take vp his bed and to walke Wherefore it manifestlie appeareth that Christ by the healings of the bodies
to iustification and that onlie they are profitable to iustification if they be present But this is woorthie to be laughed at for we haue before most plainlie taught that all works which are done before iustification are sinnes so far is it off that they can serue anie thing vnto iustification And if they should by anie means profit vnto iustification our glorieng should not then be excluded for wée might glorie that we had done these things by whose helpe and aid we were iustified But of this saith he we cannot boast for that they were done by a certeine grace of God preuenting vs. But this is the chiefest thing to be marked that these men attribute a great part of such works vnto frée will and therefore in that behalfe at the least we may glorie Neither also shall that be true which the apostle saith What hast thou that thou hast not receiued and againe 1. Cor. 4 7. Why dooest thou boast as though thou hadst not receiued Here some of them answer that we cannot glorie of this libertie of will for that we haue it not of our owne for it is God which hath indued vs with this facultie gaue vs frée will when he created vs. But this is not sufficient to take awaie glorieng first for that this were to flie vnto the common grace of creation which thing the Pelagians did The Pelagians fled vnto the common grace of creation and by that means there should at the least waie be left vnto vs a good vse of frée will whereof we might glorie For although we haue the same of God by creation yet the right vse thereof is ours namelie to assent vnto God when he calleth vs to applie our selues to good works which of God are set forth to vs. And therfore vtterlie to take awaie all glorieng it is néedfull that we euer beare this in mind which Augustine doth admonish vs in his booke De spiritu litera the 24. chap. that The will election of well doing is of God not onlie bicause he hath by creation giuen choise and frée will but also for that by the persuasion of things he hath made vs both to will and to beléeue and that not onlie by the outward preaching of the gospell but also by inward persuasion For he doth not onlie stirre vp the hart but also persuadeth draweth and boweth it to beléeue I grant in déed that it is the office of the will to will and to embrace that which God offreth for we doo not will by vnderstanding or by memorie but by will And yet for all that I doubt not but that it is God which maketh vs to will and to followe good things 85 Further our aduersaries thinke that although works concurre vnto iustification Whether free iustifieng may concur with works yet is that notwithstanding true which the holie scriptures teach that we be iustified fréelie bicause saie they those works are giuen of God and are done by grace If this refuge might helpe then had not Paule done well when as he tooke awaie from ceremoniall works the power of iustifieng for a Iew might saie Our fathers which in the old time were circumcised and performed other obseruations of the lawe did not the same by their owne naturall strength but by the grace of God both helping them and stirring them vp therevnto Wherefore if other works which were commanded in the law could profit vnto iustification to merit it as you speake of congruitie why could not ceremoniall works doo the same Neither will this anie thing helpe to saie that Paule taketh not awaie from them the power of iustifieng but onlie after the comming of Christ For he manifestlie speaketh of Abraham Rom. 4 ver 1. 6. which was iustified by faith and not by circumcision and he vseth a testimonie of Dauid of whom it is well knowne that he liued vnder the lawe But whereas this man saith that charitie and hope cannot be excluded I would gladlie knowe of him whether the works of these vertues be iust or no I know he will grant that they are iust What will he then answer vnto Paule who vnto Titus saith Tit. 3 5. Not by the works of righteousnesse which we haue done But I know these mens fond deuises they answer that such works are excluded if they be done by the law and by frée will without grace But what néedeth to exclude that which cannot be for who will either loue God or hope in him without grace Further in what maner so euer they be done they cannot serue to iustification for we are iustified by grace as it plainlie appeareth by the holie scriptures But betwéene grace works is so great contrarietie that Paule saith If of grace Rom. 11. 6. then it is not now of works and if of works then it is not of grace Neither ought these men to be so much displeased for that we vse this word Onelie A strong reason to prooue that onlie faith iustifieth Rom. 3 28. for we necessarilie conclude it of that which Paule saith first that We are iustified by faith and afterward addeth Without works How aptlie we thus conclude I will declare by a similitude In the sixt chapter of Deuteronomie if we followe the truth of the Hebrue it is thus written Deut. 6 13. Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and him thou shalt serue Here as you sée wanteth this particle Onelie yet bicause it there followeth Thou shalt not go after strange gods the seuentie interpretours haue thus turned that place Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and him onelie thou shalt serue These men of the first proposition being affirmatiue that God is to be worshipped and of the other being negatiue that strange gods are not to be worshipped concluded that God only is to be serued Whose authoritie should not be of so great weight with me but that Christ himselfe hath cited that place in that sort for thus he rebuked the diuell Depart from me sathan for it is written Matt. 4 10. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him Onlie shalt thou serue Here we sée that to disprooue the worshipping which is giuen vnto a creature this particle Onelie is necessarie which although it be not had in the Hebrue yet it is necessarilie gathered out of it Now when as we also reason after this maner why should these men be so much offended The fathers vsed this word Onlie Smith 86 Let them consider also that the best and the most ancient fathers did not mislike that word It is a thing ridiculous to sée with how cold toies and poore shifts Smith goeth about to preuent and answer them First he saith that they ment nothing else but to represse men that they should not waxe insolent But let Smith in one word according to his good wisedome answer me Whether the fathers spake this trulie or falselie If they spake
a wilfulnesse whereby he would néeds performe that which he had vnaduisedlie vowed neither can perseuerance in anie euill thing be called constancie He attributeth vnto him a feare A difference betweene perseuerance and constancie which he also calleth a godlie feare yet afterward he saith that he repented him If he repented him he did against his owne conscience and against it no man ought to doo For whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Further if he repented why did he not amend his fault For if anie thing had béene rashlie done that ought to haue béene amended If God as he saith doo sometime change his purpose why then is it not lawfull for vs to change our opinion that is not right Afterward he saith he cannot but commend Ieptha But what will he cōmend An vncircumspect vow But that ought rather to be blamed Will he praise the performance of the vow But that he calleth parricide neither may it be praised Wherefore I saie that Ambrose affirmeth that the maiden was vndoutedlie offred in sacrifice and yet are not all his words to be allowed 19 Now let vs heare what Augustines opinion is touching this matter Augustine In his 29. question vpon the booke of Iudges he writeth that Out of this place the enimies of the old testament tooke occasion to slander God the creator of the world for they called him both an euill and a cruell God Such were the Manicheis Valentinians Marcionites and such like pestilent rable Séeing saie they he delighteth in the bloud of man how can he be but cruell Augustine answereth So far is it off God hath no delight in the bloud of man that God reioiseth in the bloud of man as he reioiseth not in the bloud of beasts onelie he suffred for a time that sacrifices of brute beasts should be offered to the intent he might instruct men by little and little But what the sacrifices of the forefathers signified which might serue for their instruction What the sacrifices of the forefathers signified he declareth not in that place howbeit I will shew the same in few words First there was set foorth in those sacrifices that The reward of sinne is death and that did he after a sort testifie which brought the sacrifice namelie that he had deserued to be killed but that by the goodnes of God his death was transferred to the sacrifice By this means were the elder fathers instructed to beware of sinne Moreouer those sacrifices directed the minds of men vnto Christ and they were certeine visible preachings of him and they taught that Christ should be that sacrifice that was to take away the sinnes of the world and vnto which our death and damnation should be transferred So then God of himselfe delighted not in bloud but by this schooling he taught his people yea and if he had béene delighted in sacrifices he might haue required to haue them leuied of men God might haue required humane sacrifices For what should haue letted him or what iniurie should he haue done vnto vs if he would haue had sacrifices of men offered vnto him For at one time or other man must of necessitie die wherefore it had béene no verie gréeuous thing to haue preuented him for a yeare or two neither should he haue doone anie iniurie vnto vs especiallie we vnderstanding that we should liue with him for euer Vndoubtedlie in this thing no man might accuse GOD of crueltie But now séeing he hath remooued all these sacrifices he manifestlie teacheth that he dooth not reioise neither in the bloud of men nor yet in the bloud of beasts God would the first borne of men to be redeemed not to be sacrificed Num. 3 12. and. 18 15. Deut. 12 31 Yea the first borne of men when they were bound vnto him he would not haue them sacrificed but redéemed with a price which he would not haue doone if he had taken anie pleasure in bloud In the 12. chapter of Deuteronomie he saith The nation which I will driue out before thee doo sacrifice their sonnes and daughters but see that thou doo not so But Augustine demandeth further Whether there be anie slaughter of men A certeine kind of slaughter of men is acceptable vnto God that is acceptable vnto God He answereth that there is But what slaughter When men saith he are killed for righteousnesse sake not that the death of martyrs of it self pleaseth God but bicause that godlinesse and faith towards God is both declared and also preserued thereby And the death of Christ so pleased God that it redéemed the whole world Martyrdoms be as it were sacrifices And the death of Christians which they suffer for the name of Christ may after a sort be called a sacrifice Wherefore Paule in the second to Timothie the last chapter writeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That is I am sacrificed c. In which saieng he calleth his death an immolation or offered sacrifice And in the second chapter to the Philippians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is If I be now offered vp vpon the sacrifice and seruice of your faith Martyrdoms of men make no satisfactions for sinnes And yet such sacrifices make not satisfaction for sinnes for that dooth the death of Christ onelie But the death of martyrs pleaseth God bicause the cause is acceptable Augustine was baptised of Ambrose and being woonderfullie affected vnto him he followeth where he maie the opinion of him as of his schoolemaister but somewhat more warilie In déed he compareth Ieptha with Abraham but he putteth a difference which Ambrose noted not Abraham saith he had the word of God to warrant him for the sacrifice of his sonne so had not Ieptha naie rather he had the lawe against him that he should not sacrifice hir And in Abraham it was not the slaughter that pleased God but the faith Further there is a great difference for a man to doo anie thing of himselfe and to haue a will to doo those things which be commanded him And Augustine dooth prudentlie admonish that Ieptha vowed an humane sacrifice Ieptha as Augustine thought vowed an humane sacrifice not being beguiled but willinglie Whatsoeuer saith he shall come foorth of my house I will offer it for a burnt offering c. Doo we thinke that beasts would come foorth to méet him as he should returne home Men indéed vse to go out and méet with such as haue the victorie and to reioise with them wherefore he vowed an humane sacrifice 20 The scripture dooth onelie make mention of this act but praiseth not the same Euen as also it is mentioned in the scriptures that Iuda did lie with his daughter in lawe Gen. 31 8. howbeit that is not allowed So there can nothing be gathered by these words whie the act of Ieptha should be praised Further The rashnesse of the fathers is punished by the death of their children Heb. 11 32. Augustine thinketh with
answereth that the godlie sort liued as innocent perfect and vnblameable bicause infirmities and sinnes committed shall not be imputed vnto them by reason of their faith in Christ according to the saieng of Dauid Blessed be they Psal 32 1. whose iniquities are remitted and whose sinnes be couered blessed is the man vnto whom the Lord hath imputed no sinne Of Purgatorie the Papisticall fire 11 But now let vs speake of purgatorie In 1. Cor. 3 verse 15. Looke in Sam. 3 verse 35. What maner of place is feigned for purgatorie It is fained to be a middle place after this life betwéene euerlasting felicitie and the punishments of damned soules in such wise as they which be there are after a sort partakers of both For in so much as they be adorned with grace and be confirmed with hope that felicitie shall be giuen vnto them and doo suffer punishments with a patient mind they be counted among the number of the saints and blessed soules But in that they be tormented doo suffer gréeuous and manifold kinds of punishments in that respect they drawe néere vnto the lot condition of them that are in hell fire And they adde that purgatorie punishments haue not onlie an end and a set terme but that it maie be eased by the good works and praiers of them that be aliue The aduersaries indeuor by manie reasons to persuade that we must grant that there is such a place The first reason for purgatorie 2. Mac. 12 6 as we haue here defined Out of the old testament they cite the historie of the Machabeis where we read that Iudas a man well commended did beléeue that the praier for the dead to be deliuered from their sinnes is both comfortable and godlie The 2. reason Zach. 9 11. Further they flie vnto Zacharie the prophet where we read in the 9. chapter Thou hast loosed thy prisoners out of the pit wherein was no water The 3. reason verse 14. The 4. reason Psal 66 12. Also the 4. chapter of Ecclesiastes Otherwhile a man commeth foorth of prison and chaines and is made a king They bring also the psalme where Dauid saith We passed through fire and water and thou broughtest vs foorth into a place of refreshing The 5. reason Matt. 12 31 Moreouer they repaire vnto the new testament and saie that in the Gospell there is such a kind of sinne as shall neither be forgiuen in this world nor yet in the other world which then might not be spoken saie they vnlesse there should remaine purgings of sinnes in another life The 6. reason Matt. 5 25. And they obiect that saieng in Matthew Least the Gaoâ—er cast thee into prison verelie I saie vnto thee thou shalt not depart thence vntill thou haue paid the vttermost farthing Also they bring that which is spoken by Paule in the first to the Corinthians The 7. reason 1. Cor. 3 15. the 3. chapter But he himselfe shall be saued as it were by fire c. To this purpose also they would haue that to tend The 8. reason Luk. 16 19. The 9. reason Apoc. 21 27 which is said of beggerlie Lazarus full of botches and of the riotous rich man They pretend also that place in the Apocalypse where it is read that No vnpure thing shall be admitted into the holie citie And they thinke that to make on their side The 10. reason Phil. 2 10. which Paule writeth to wit that All knees shall bow vnto God both of things that be in heauen and things that be in earth and things that be vnder the earth Againe they cite the Apocalypse in the 5. chapter that verse 13. All creatures which are in heauen and on the earth and vnder the earth and in the sea c. shall speake praises vnto God These and such other places of scripture they thinke doo make for them Sundrie opinions touching purgatorie 12 But we must marke this that the assertion of them which would néeds haue a purgatorie is not one and the same For some will force it to be as a sure doctrine an article of faith Others doo not so resolutelie and constantlie affirme the same but onlie they suppose and haue opinion that such a thing there is First therefore it séemeth good to shew that it belongeth not to the articles of our faith Whether purgatorie be an article of our faith that it is not a thing of necessitie to be beléeued Secondlie we will make it plaine whether either the opinion or suspicion wherby purgatorie is beléeued be reasonable or iust As touching them which do affirme that the doctrine of purgatorie is of necessitie we must néeds absolutelie hold that the doctrine and articles of our faith ought to be certeine stedfast and are most plainlie to be prooued by testimonies of the scriptures The articles of the faith ought to be certeine and prooued by the scriptures For we are not of their opinion which will make the Fathers or men to be authors of beléeuing of things for we should iudge of the holie Ghost contumeliouslie if we should thinke that such scriptures were deliuered to vs in the which is not wholie and perfectlie conteined whatsoeuer belongeth to our saluation 2. Tim. 3 16. The epistle vnto Timothie doth sufficientlie reprooue these men when it saith that The scripture inspired by God is profitable to teach and confute also to correct instruct that the man of God may be perfect and sincere instructed to euerie good worke Wherefore if thou bring anie worke that thou affirmest to be good or anie thing necessarie to be beléeued which cannot be confirmed by the holy scriptures I trulie would rather not saie that the things which thou hast brought are not good or profitable than to pronounce otherwise of the scripture than the apostle hath iudged thereof For we must not admit that which they commonlie vaunt of namelie that the apostles taught not all things nor that the primitiue church commanded all whatsoeuer should be for our comfort as though it were necessarie daie by daie afterward that more things should be made manifest This perhaps we might grant as touching politike gouernement The primitiue church had all things necessarie to be beleued Tertullian of things not necessarie to saluation but as touching doctrine and the articles of faith necessarilie to be beléeued the ancient Fathers had all no lesse than we haue Tertullian in his booke De praescriptionibus saith Happie is the church vnto the which the apostles haue powred out their whole doctrine with their bloud Christ said also All those things which I haue heard of my fatherâ— Iohn 15 15. I haue made them knowen vnto you These men saie that in déed all things were insinuated by the apostles but that the apostles did not make all things knowen vnto vs. Here saie we that they although they wrote not all things yet
there and in paradise And therefore he wholie transferreth this vnto the diuine nature which had not béene méet if according to that promise as these men will the felicitie of the théefe should haue béene deferred vntill a thousand yeares and longer Nor dooth Peter in that place they bring will vs to interpret that a thousand yeares in euerie place should be taken for one daie he onelie indeuored most significantlie to declare the eternitie of GOD When daies are to be taken for yeeres the scripture teacheth vnto the which a thousand yeares béeing compared would be but as one daie Howbeit if at anie time daies are to be taken for yéeres that is not permitted to our iudgement but thereof we are admonished by the word of God Dan. 9 21. verse 5 6. as it appéereth in Daniel when the wéekes are reckoned vp And in the fourth chapter of Ezechiel where the prophet is commanded that he should lie vpon his left side thrée hundreth and nintie daies and againe fortie daies vpon his right side and that in the same place daies doo represent yeares the scriptures doo expresselie shew vs. 20 They haue also an other shift for they saie that these two aduerbes of time yesterdaie and to daie signifie the old and the new testament which they gather out of the epistle to the Hebrues Heb. 13 8. where it is said Christ yesterdaie and to daie Christ yesterdaie and to daie how it is to be vnderstood Wherefore they would haue the meaning to be that to haue the théefe to be brought to daie into paradise should belong to the new testament But this conceit of theirs is vaine bicause in the epistle to the Hebrues it must so be vnderstood that Christ is yesterdaie and to daie and as it is added For euer that his eternitie may be vnderstood the which they are woont to distinguish into thrée times as if it should be said He was he is and he shall be The third couert wherein they shrowd themselues is that it was said vnto the first parents Gen. 2 17. In what houre soeuer ye eate ye shall die the death and yet is it euident that they did not presentlie die after they had transgressed So saie they it might be that the promise made vnto the théefe which seemeth to be spoken of that daie might be deferred vntill a longer time But that which these men take as granted we denie namelie that the first parents when they had transgressed did not foorthwith perish For death is accounted nothing else Death is a departing from life but a departing from life neither haue we life without God So then they died bicause they departed from God and their soule was not seuered from the bodie but after a sort buried therein so as if a man will iudge truelie we doo not now presentlie liue a life but a death which the longer it is the more gréeuous it is thought to be by them which iudge aright But bicause we will not séeme to hast we willinglie accept the similitude both of the théefe The first parents were dead straitwaie after sinne and also of the first parents they had the beginnings of death immediatelie after the transgression albeit they had not the triall of absolute death so also the théefe was with Christ in paradise albeit he obteined not that daie the perfect felicitie which is attended in the resurrection Wherefore the argument which we haue alreadie put foorth standeth firme neither can it with friuolous arguments be ouerthrowne Phil. 1 23. The 2. reason 21 Furthermore Paule writeth vnto the Philippians that He wished to be loosed from hence and to be with Christ for that he doubted not but it would be an aduantage to him Which desire of his had not béene godlie if after the death of our bodie we should sléepe with our soules vntill the resurrection What profit had it béene to Paule to haue béene loosed from hence if he should not straitwaie haue liued with his Christ Vndoubtedlie while he liued here he wrote of himselfe And now doo not I liue Galat. 2 20. but Christ liueth in me And according to this sentence Christ was not to liue but to sléepe in him after death Moreouer while he liued here he might acknowledge and loue Christ but after this life if he should be asléepe he was of necessitie to leaue off those actions 22 There is also another reason brought against them The 3. reason Luke 16 vers 23 c. as touching the rich man and poore Lazarus by that storie is shewed that the spirits after this life doo not sléepe but either doo enioie good things or else are tormented with punishments They answer that this is a parable and that therefore it maketh nothing against them Vnto whom we saie that all the fathers which interpret that place doo not thinke it to be a parable but manie rather thinke it an historie among whom are Gregorie and Ierom. Gregorie Ierom. Tertullian Chrysost Augustine And Tertullian goeth so farre as he thinketh the rich man was Herod and that Lazarus was Iohn Baptist Howbeit Chrysostome and Augustine sometime call it a parable But this reléeueth them not séeing a parable is nothing else but a similitude deriued from the truth of a thing A parable is deriued from the truth of things as when the parable is brought in of the good man of the house which diuided his inheritance to two of his children Albeit that the same be a parable yet is it expedient that there be a good man of the house that children be found among the nature of things and that it be a custome among them to distribute the fathers possessions otherwise parables should be taken of feigned and vaine things which is against the nature of them So as although we grant that the parable was contriued by Christ touching these two yet is it necessarie that not onelie rich men and poore men should be found but that vnto our soules departing out of this life should be giuen either a place of torments or else the bosom of Abraham Neither doo we vnderstand by the bosome of Abraham anie thing else What is vnderstood by the bosome of Abraham than a certeine place and receptacle of soules in the which is granted vnto them peace and tranquillitie in the sight of their GOD. For they haue a peaceable conscience and they looke vpon GOD being present This place is said to be the bosome of Abraham Gen. 12. 3. bicause vnto him God first promised that in his séed all nations should be blessed The same man moreouer sawe the daie of the Lord Iohn 8 56. and he reioised Of him also we first read that He beleeued Gen. 15 6. and his faith was imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes Iohn 8 16. And Christ when he made mention hereof he spake vnto the Hebrues who boasted of hauing Abraham to their father In
argument from the place which we haue now in hand whereas they of the old time neuer vnderstood of the same before Such at this daie are the Seruetians The Seruetians who greatlie deceiue and be deceiued How dare they saie this if they embrace the new testament Doubtles Paule affirmeth vnto the Galathians Gala. 3 16. that The same seed promised vnto Abraham in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed was Christ And séeing he beléeued and was iustified certeinelie he had not that by the faith which was of temporall things or of the multitude of posteritie but of Christ the sonne of God For as it is written vnto the Romans Rom. 4 23. We are iustified euen after the same sort that Abraham was namelie by faith in Christ who also saith of him Ioh. 8 56. He sawe my daie and reioised Besides this the prophets did so manifestlie foreshew the mysteries of Christ as they may séeme to be no prophets but euangelists But did they speake write those things which they vnderstood not Surelie that had not béene the part of prophets but of mad men Neither is it likelie that this meaning of Christ was vnknowen otherwise the Saduces would easilie haue answered that that place was not so vnderstood by the forefathers neither that it was so interpreted of the life of the fathers But the matter was so euident that some of the Scribes said openlie Luk. 20 39. Maister thou hast said well And as the euangelists teach The Phariseis perceiued that Christ had put the Saduces to silence which declareth the matter to be so manifest as there should be no place left to cauillation Further Acts. 23 8. the Phariseis affirmed the resurrection of the dead and séeing they were interpretors of the scriptures there can be no doubt but they prooued the same by the scriptures And that they were before the comming of Christ it is sufficientlie declared out of the historie of Iosephus who affirmeth that they were in the time of the Assamonaeans Wherefore Christ was not the first that auouched this opinion neither did he so peruert the waie of teaching as he prooued his owne saiengs by obscure and vncerteine things Whensoeuer he handled anie thing out of the scriptures he alwaies brought foorth those things which were plaine and manifest When he demanded of the Iewes what they beléeued concerning Messias and they had answered that he should be the sonne of Dauid Matt. 22 42. he answered And how commeth it to passe that Dauid in spirit calleth him Lord Psa 110 1. citing the psalme The Lord said vnto my Lord And if it had not appéered vnto all men that the same psalme was written of Messias he should haue preuailed nothing In like maner when he spake of diuorse he cited a place out of the booke of Genesis Male and female created he them Gen. 1 27. And that saieng also which Adam spake This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh Gen. 2 21. and they shall be two in one flesh Here also he compiled not his reason of obscure but of manifest things In like maner when he treated of the order and dignitie of the commandements he declared this to be the first and greatest commandement Matt. 22 37 Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart with all thy soule and with all thy strength and the other is like vnto this Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Wherefore séeing he alwaies grounded vpon manifest and certeine things why then will we onlie in this place haue his reason to be vncerteine and obscure and neuer knowen before But I will passe ouer these things and will obserue this that these two vices namelie ignorance of the scriptures and of the power of God may also at this daie be obiected to all them which be mainteiners of wicked opinions for they are infected with the ignorance either of both or at the least wise of the one or of the other So as when we haue accesse to the reading of the scriptures we must indeuor to be deliuered from both those vices whereby we may well vnderstand the scriptures and iudge rightlie of the power of God Thus much shall suffice concerning the testimonie brought by Christ 26 Now hauing respect to the course of times I will handle the text of Iob Iob. 19 23. A place of Iob touching the resurrection expounded which is in the 19. chapter of his booke but before I set foorth the words themselues it séemeth good to touch that which he treated of before To the intent that those things which were to be spoken should the more diligentlie be considered he did mooue men after this sort to giue eare to him I would to God my words were written not in papers but in a booke yea and grauen with an iron pen in lead or in stone for an euerlasting continuance So the lawes in old time were grauen in tables of brasse least the writing should weare out And in Ieremie we read Iere. 17 1. that the sinne of Iuda was written with a pen of adamant so as it could not be wiped out The words therefore be woorthie of memorie which Iob desired to print after this maner The words are these And I knowe certeinlie not by naturall knowledge but by faith that my redeemer liueth He beginneth the saieng with the letter Vau which coupleth togither as if he should saie Séeing other faithfull men beléeue this I also knowe and confesse this with them that my redéemer liueth He calleth him A redeemer to wit from death from sinnes and from all euils He saith moreouer that He liueth bicause he is the fountaine of life and quickeneth all things that haue life This vndoubtedlie is Christ the sonne of God for there is no other redéemer giuen vnto men besides him And therefore a little after he calleth him The last bicause there were manie partlie and vnperfect redéemers But Christ is the last and perfect beside whom no other ought to be looked for Albeit the Hebrue word Acharon may be referred to the time as to saie That redéemer of mine liueth and at the last time he shall rise out of dust This doo some attribute to the resurrection of Christ for he was raised vp with his bodie which after the maner of the scripture is called dust And vndoubtedlie Christ in rising againe was the first fruits of them which sleepe 1. Co. 15 20. And he is said to haue risen in the last time bicause his resurrection happened in the beginning of the last age for there is no other age to be looked for than that which we now liue in 1. Ioh. 2 18. so that of Iohn it is called the last houre We may verie conuenientlie also refer that saieng to the resurrection of the dead so as of that liuing redéemer it may be said At the last time that is At the end of the
the fault of teachers who laieng aside the scriptures of God began to followe the opinions of the Gréeks rather bringing in the decrées of philosophers than the sentences of the holie scriptures This also might happen by default of the readers who did not attentiuelie but negligentlie peruse the saiengs of the prophets Otherwise the prophesies would be plaine inough or at the least wise not so darke and obscure as they may by no meanes be vnderstood For they be giuen to edifie withall The word of God is set foorth to be vnderstood therfore they might not instruct men vnlesse they should be vnderstood and they would bring no more benefite to the church than dooth a strange toong whose vse in the church is forbidden by the holie Ghost 1. Cor. 14 6. bicause it tended not vnto edifieng But against vs is obiected a place vnto the Ephesians Ephe. 3 9. where the apostle Paule testifieth that The secret or mysterie of Christ was hidden manie ages from the children of men that the Gentiles should be inheritors also and of the same bodie and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospell But that the meaning of the apostles words may appéere we must make certeine distinctions 35 The first is to make a difference betwéene the Iewes and the Gentiles for vnto the Gentiles we will easilie grant that the mysteries of Christ and spirituall lessons for the most part were vnknowen For it was no open profession of them albeit that there were some among the Ethniks that knew those things But the Hebrues which receiued the lawe from God and had giuen vnto them most excellent prophets were not ignorant of the mysteries of Christ vnlesse it were in respect that they of set purpose contemned the word of God or else that they being hindred through affections and blinded through hatred would not heare them which taught well An example may be the wicked Iewes Iohn 8 56. that when as Christ had said Abraham sawe my day and reioised they were so throughlie vexed as they would haue stoned him when neuerthelesse among the Hebrues nothing was better knowen than that Abraham Isaac Iacob other the patriarchs both knew Messias also prophesied of him Howbeit they were so blinded with wrath as they inuerted the Lords words saieng Thou art not yet fiftie yeeres old and hast thou seene Abraham Whereas Christ did not saie that he sawe Abraham in respect of his manhood or else was with him but that Abraham himselfe in spirit and in faith sawe his daie But we must also make a difference betwéene the Iewes themselues for the secrets or mysteries were not knowen vnto them all For among them some were Epicures and altogither Atheists which contemned diuine things those vnderstood little or nothing of Christ and of his mysteries Others were godlie but yet rude and vnskilfull who yet were not ignorant of the principall points of religion and of those things which should be beléeued of Messias But others were learned and well acquainted with the holie scriptures which vnderstood in a manner all things touching Messias and the mysteries of him 36 Furthermore we grant that the Hebrues Whie the Hebrues sawe not the mysteries of saluation so plainlie as we doo according to their time did much more obscurelie sée the mysteries of our saluation than we doo For prophesies are much more plainelie perceiued when they are come to passe than when they are not yet fulfilled That the fathers in old time knew those things which belong vnto Messias hereby we may easilie perceiue Matt. 21 2â— in that they all declared him to be the sonne of Dauid For the common people the children Matt. 20 31 and blind men called him The sonne of Dauid And the Scribes and Pharisies being demanded by Herod Where Christ should be borne Matt. 2 5. named expresselie In the citie of Bethlem Esai 53. And Esaie in the 53. chapter so notablie so plainelie and so manifestlie foreshewed the acts and mysteries of Christ as he séemeth not to plaie the part of a prophet but rather of an euangelist In like maner the death of the Lord togither with his triumph and victorie came so readilie to hand in each place of the scriptures The Hebrues appointed the Messiases as the Hebrues appointed two Messiases one of the tribe of Ephraim which should die for the saluation of their nation and an other they made of the tribe of Iuda and him to be the sonne of Dauid which should obteine the victorie and beare rule ouer all nations And by this meanes the things which belonged vnto one Christ concerning his two commings they diuided into two And the calling of the Gentiles whereof in the place before alledged to the Ephesians the apostle speciallie discoursed is shewed in the holie scriptures For there we read Esai 2 3. that All nations shall come to mount Sion to worship Iehouah and that Altars shall be built vnto him Esai 19 â—… euen in Aegypt and that All people shall speake in the language of Chanaan also that From the east vnto the west his name shall be extolled by offering vnto him acceptable and sweet sacrifices 37 Certeinlie these things were verie well knowne vnto the Hebrues yet neuerthelesse they were called hidden things as touching execution and experience For they beléeued that they should come to passe afterward but the meanes the time the waie and the maner how all men did not plainelie perceiue Héerein are we happier than they for both we vnderstand these things and we are not ignorant both when and how they were ordered Matt. 28 19. Yea and the apostles themselues whom Christ had commanded to preach the Gospell vnto all creatures kept themselues long time among the Hebrues neither went they vnto the Gentils bicause as yet they knew not the time the meanes and the maner how they should preach to the nations They waited for some certeine signe to be giuen them which at the last they obteined by the conuersion of Cornelius the centurion Acts. 10. Yea moreouer the angels themselues as the Apostle testifieth in the epistle to the Ephesians doo vnderstand sundrie and manifold things of the church Eph. 3 10. as touching the sundrie and manifold wisdome of God Indéed I willinglie confesse that there be certeine things in the holie scriptures which be somewhat hard being not yet perfectlie vnderstood but those I saie neither are nor in old time were of necessitie vnto saluation And thus I thinke that the godlie Iewes in the old time held in effect the principall points of religion and beléeued those things which did suffice vnto pietie and that the prophesies of Christ were well knowen vnto the godlie And that if there were anie which knew them not we must thinke that the same happened through their owne fault For Esaie Whie the scriptures are obscure to the Iews and to other malignant man verse 11.
opinion And it is a wonder to be said how diuers and sundrie opinions haue béene written by the Schoole-men concerning the seat of paradise of pleasures But this also séemeth verie absurd that Elias was caught vp vnto the highest places and afterward was deposed into the terrestriall garden Further this must be granted that in the holie scriptures cannot easilie be found where Guen-Eden that is The garden of pleasures is called heauen Surelie I haue not found the same anie where Séeing then it is said that Elias was taken vp into heauen that must not be vnderstood of terrestriall paradise True it is that heauen it selfe séemeth sometimes to be called paradise for the Lord said vnto the théefe Luke 23 43 This daie shalt thou be with me in paradise Which saieng as Augustine affirmeth in an epistle vnto Dardanus must be referred vnto the diuine nature For he thinketh that it might not be applied to his bodie which laie in the graue nor yet vnto his soule being in the infernall places vnlesse by the infernall places a man will vnderstand the bosome of Abraham where it is beléeued that the soule of Christ was togither with the fathers Howbeit Augustine in his treatise De peccatorum meritis remissione the first booke and 3. chapter séemeth to be of this mind where he saith that Perhaps Elias is fed in paradise as the first Adam was before he was cast out from thence for sinne And the occasion of erring on this wise was the booke of Ecclesiasticus where in the 44. chapter we read verse 16. Henodi pleased or approoued himselfe vnto God and therefore he translated him into paradise But herevnto we answer first that that booke is not canonicall Further that the Latine interpretor hath not faithfullie translated that place bicause in the Gréeke there is no mention made of paradise but onelie saith He was translated The Vbiquists But perhaps the Vbiquists of our times would saie that These men were taken vp into their heauen which they affirme to be in euerie place Howbeit this would be nothing else but to send them into Vtopia which is in no place And certeinlie if they reteine their bodies still they must of necessitie be compassed with some bodie For that is most true which Augustine told vnto Dardanus Take awaie places from bodies and they shall be no where and bicause they shall be no where they shall not be at all Neither doth he speake these things as some thinke after the maner of a naturall philosopher séeing he expounded a question of diuinitie For Dardanus had demanded of him whether the humane nature of Christ by reason of the Godhed ioined therwith were euerie where and therefore might also be both in hell and togither with the théefe in paradise So then we must assure our selues that all things created be defined and distinguished by certeine places but yet after their owne maner for bodies are corporallie in a place But spirits be therein as the Schoole-men saie definitiuelie bicause they haue a substance and nature limited Wherfore the angell that was with Iohn in the Ille of Pathmos was not at the same time in Ephesus and the same that was with Daniel in Babylon Apoc. 1 9. 5 2 c. Dan. 9 21. was not at the same time with Ieremie in Iudaea To be euerie where is onelie attributed vnto God Of the bosome of Abraham and what the same is expounded to be 8 Another opinion also is of them which doo thinke that they were caried into the bosome of Abraham which they doo vnderstand to be a place of rest wherein the spirits of the faithfull are in happie state And they saie that it is called the bosom either bicause they are there brought togither by the father Abraham euen as yoong children are caried in the bosome by their parents or else for that it may be thought to be a certeine hauen of saluation For so are called the harbours in the sea which be safe from tempests And vnto Abraham it is said that he was the father of faith not that the blessed fathers before Abrahams time are thereby excluded but therefore dooth this bosome beare the name of Abraham bicause in the holie scriptures his faith is more manifestlie and offener published But this place if it be aloft and that it be in highth aboue the earth Of Christs descending into the internall places how is it said that Christ descended into the infernall places It should be said rather that he ascended Some perhaps would answer that by reason of his buriall it is said that he descended and that the thing which concerned his bodie by the figure Synecdoche was translated to his soule But there be others which saie that this article is not distinguished from that which went before but is rather put in for expounding thereof so as the sense should be He was buried and therefore he is said to haue descended into hell And indéed the synods of Nice and Constantinople and some synods of Toledo and some that are mentioned by Hilarius in his booke of synods left out that particle And Ruffinus testifieth that it is not had in the Romane synod Yea moreouer Ireneus Tertullian omitted this article of descension Irenaeus and Tertullian being verie ancient writers when they recited the rules of faith omitted this descending Howbeit manie of the other fathers made euident mention of the same and especiallie Athanasius in his Symbole or Créed 9 But some man will doubt whether the bosome of Abraham whereof we haue begun to speake may beare the name of infernall places so as Christ should be said to haue descended into the infernall places bicause in his soule he was there togither with the fathers Augustine Augustine in his 59. epistle to Euodius writeth that he neuer read in the holie books the name of infernall places to be written on the good part But that the matter may the more plainlie be opened Two sorts of infernall places we must vnderstand that the fathers appointed two sorts of infernall places that is to wit the vppermost and the lowermost Which Irenaeus testifieth in the end of his booke against heâ—esies where he bringeth those words which are written in the 86. Psal 86 13. psalme Thou hast plucked my soule out of the nethermost hell And he also noted that Matt. 12. 40 which is spoken of the Lord that The sonne of man should be in the hart of the earth three daies The which in verie déed cannot be spoken of the sepulchre séeing it was vpon the vpper face of the earth that is hewen out of maine stone but it is euident that the hart signifieth the verie middle it selfe And thus much spake he of the nethermost hell But of the vppermost he saith that doubtles the soules of the saints doo go into an inuisible place appointed vnto them by God where they shall abide vntill the time of the
if a man reproue him he saieth that he hath appointed another there in his place But this so faithfull a Minister considereth not that Christ when he was by his comming and death to redéeme mankinde did send none in his place nor substitute an other vnto the Crosse in his stead He himselfe came he himselfe labored he himselfe died for vs. Might we haue God and cannot haue his vicars to attend vpon the office committed vnto them They saie it is lawfull for them so that they liue within any vniuersitie or Schoole whereby they maie procure vnto themselues good arts and learning Iohn 2◠15. But Christ when he saide vnto Peter Feede my sheepe excepted no such thing But and if they shall not bee as yet meete and sufficientlie learned they ought not to take the charge of a pastor in the Church Perhappes they thinke it sufficient for them if they haue the vocation title and possession But this is to plaie masking and counterfeit parts For it behooueth 1. Cor. 4. ◠as the Apostle teacheth that the Rulers of Churches should both minister faithfully and faithfully dispence the mysteries of God that is the sacraments 33 There be thrée things then required vnto the lawfull minister of a Church Thrée thinges required to a lawful Minister of the Church The first is that the Pastor should be iustlie called secondlie that he should féede in verie déede last of all that he should doe it faithfullie and with great discretion I speake not of the sinceritie of life which is required to be more than ordinarie both bicause it ought to be common vnto all Christians and also that all men vnderstand how necessarie it is I passe ouer also of how small faithfulnesse they be of which hide the gifts that God hath bestowed vpon them and will not communicate them with others for bicause these men are sufficientlie condemned in the parable of Christ vnder the person of that seruant which buried in the ground the Talent that was committed vnto him Mat. 25. 24 Neither doeth he lesse vnfaithfullie deale who hath made the graces which he hath obtained of God so proper vnto himselfe as he ascribeth them not vnto God and he that is such a one Chrysost A similitude is by Chrysostome compared vnto him that receiuing a purple robe of the king to be kept neuerthelesse was bolde to weare the same as his owne garment Doubtlesse such a one shall be accounted guiltie of treason So that if we will be faithfull vnto God we must ascribe all good things vnto him In the Actes Acts. 3. 12. Peter said of the lame man which was alreadie healed by him Ye maruell as though we of our owne power haue healed this man when as the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob would glorifie his sonne Iesus Vnto this faith also it belongeth that A good Pastor euen as Christ did Ioh. 10. 11. should giue his life for his sheepe Touching the flying away of ministers which in perill must not be forsaken vnlesse perhaps the persecution shall be of a particular Pastor for which cause it was lawfull for Athanasius to flie bicause of the crueltie of the wicked prince for so much as in the Church of Alexandria there were verie manie which coulde minister in his place Augustine vnto Honoratus in his 180. Augustine Epistle disputeth at large of flying awaie And furthermore manie things harde ynough hath Tertullian the which are not at this time in this place to be recited The dutie of a Pastor is so faithfullie to behaue himselfe that through his default he maie not suffer the least séelie shéepe though it be an abiect to perish in the Church He rather ought to followe Christ Mat. 18. 11. who saide that He came to seeke that which was lost and to saue that which had perished Christ is presēt with his ministers reuēgeth their iniuries And in these excellent actions Christ forsaketh not good Pastors he defendeth them oftentimes reuengeth for their sakes with great seueritie We knowe how displeasinglie he tooke it that Samuel was reiected 1. Sam. 8. 7. he reuenged that iniurie and in his furie gaue the people a king vnder whom they liued in small felicitie And he that shall peruse the Histories shal finde that they were sore afflicted vnder the greatest part of the kings 1. Sam. 22. 18. And when as Saul in the Citie of Noba had slaine manie of the Priests 1. Sa. 31. 4 he also with his sonne Ionathas vpon Mount Gelboa lamentablie perished God reuenged Moses and Aaron Numb 16. and executed vnaccustomed punishmentes vpon them that conspired against him So we sée likewise that the Iewes which siue Christ the high Priest and did ill intreate his Apostles were throwen headlong into destruction Of the Efficacie of the Ministerie 34 And first of all whereas the Corinthians are by Paul reproued bicause they made men their Authors In 1. Cor. 3. verse 4. let the faithfull Ministers of Christ learne not to make disciples or followers vnto themselues but vnto Christ vnto whom onlie the Church doth belong This did the Ethnicke Philosophers séeke namelie to distinguish the scholers which they had by their owne names so that some were called Platonians The arrogancie of Phylosophers The modestie of Socrates others Pythagorians others Epicureans But Socrates séemed more modest than the rest bicause he made not himselfe Author of the doctrine that he taught as he that affirmed himselfe to be like a midwife which shoulde bring helpe vnto parents so he thought good to be present at his questions among young men to the intent he might bring to light the sciences which they had in their minde Much rather doeth this take place in Christs affaires For although that a man teach cunninglie vnlesse that the holie Ghost doe inwardlie stirre vp the hearers he looseth his labour It is the spirit which truelie maketh the mindes fruitfull Wherefore it is saide there Who is Paul and who is Apollo 1. Cor. 3. An example of Iohn Baptist Iohn Baptist verie well declared this when being demanded of himselfe what he was said that he was not Christ nor Elias nor yet a Prophet but onelie Iohn 1. 20. A voice of a crier in the wildernesse prepare the waie of the Lord. The ministers of God haue verie ample giftes which like faithfull seruantes they ought to vse to the commoditie of other seruants and to the glorie of their Lord neither must they bend them either vnto gaine or vnto preferments 35 And although Paul séeme after a sort to abase the ministerie yet if thou diligentlie obserue what he saieth thou wilt confesse that there is nothing taken from the worthinesse thereof For in déede he leaueth vnto it a notable commendation when he saith The worthines of the ministerie 1. Cor. 3. 5 that they be Ministers by whom they beleeued Faith Remission of sinnes
he is a troubled spirite and a contrite and humble heart Esa 1. 16. Touching washings and cleansings Esaie instructeth thē saying Ier. 4. 14. Be ye washed and be yee cleane Ieremie also Wash saith he thy heart from iniquitie Eze. 36. 25. And Ezechiel sheweth that by those waters is signified the power of the holie Ghost when hee bringeth in GOD promising that he would powre cleane water vpon them Touching cirumcision also they are verie often admonished in the holie scripture Ier. 4. 4. to circumcise their neckes their harts And that they shoulde not thinke that they were able to doe this of themselues and by their owne strength Moses in the 30. chapter of Deuteronomie saith Deut. 10. 16 30. 6. GOD shall circumcise thine hart that thou maiest loue him Touching purification and washings of garments and such other like things they were thus admonished in Leuiticus the 11. Chapter Verse 44. I am the Lorde thy God which brought the out of the lande of Egypt ye shall be holie vnto me because I am holie Touching the Sabboth they were oftentimes told that in it was signified the rest of God Esa 58. 13. and their sanctification And if so be all these thinges were so manifestlie and plainelie declared which no man can doubt but that vnto thē they were good and profitable and that it was not possible for them to be ignoraunt that the attainmēt of euerie good thing came through Christ or the Messias The Hebrewes vnderstood that Messias was signified in their sacraments Esa 53. 6. I cannot be perswaded but that they sawe that in there sacraments was signified Christ Moreouer this also is an other reason which Esay most manifestlie testifieth that GOD did laie vppon Christ all our sinnes and that we were healed onelie by his stripes and death Wherefore séeing in the Sacraments mention is made that GOD by sacrifices is made mercifull vnto vs they coulde not but call to remembrance the onelie mediator Christ by whom onelie God is made mercifull vnto vs. Howbeit we cannot affirme that the common sort of Israelites knewe all the mysteries particularlie Onelie this we saie that they had a certaine generall knowledge of Christ in the Sacraments of the Lawe They knew generallie but not particularlie the consideration of al the Ceremonies when as otherwise we our selues cannot particularlie render a reason of these Ceremonies The Apostles haue onelie giuen them set foorth vnto vs generallie And if there haue béene some amongest vs as Origen and a great manie other like which haue attempted to frame for euerie particular Ceremonie a proper allegorie yet haue they in a manner but lost their labour for their inuentions could bring no profite at all vnto vs for they most plainelie want the worde of GOD. Neither is it to bee maruelled at that they so much delighted in such inuentions for euen as euerie where our owne deuices woonderfullie please vs so in this matter the curiositie of man excéedinglie delighteth it selfe 15 Nowe those things which we haue spoken most plainelie declare The error of the schoolemen howe farre the sophistical men haue missed of the marke which haue affirmed this difference to be betwéene the old sacraments and the new that the olde Sacraments signified grace Christ onelie but ours largelie and abundantly exhibite both For the old fathers saie they were holpen by the work of the worker For when anie man came with faith and a godly motion of the heart and of the minde vnto these holie seruices hee had thereby merite But the worke wrought as they call it nothing profiteth them as touching saluation But in our Sacramentes they saie it is farre otherwise that not onelie faith and the spirituall motion of the minde which they call the worke of the worker helpeth vs but euen the outward sacrament it selfe and the institution of GOD which they call the worke wrought giueth vnto vs both remission of sinnes and also saluation But I will demaunde of these men what that is which the outward worke and visible Sacrament exhibiteth vnto vs that we doe not attaine vnto by faith If they aunswere it is Christ as for him we comprehende him by faith if remission of sinnes that also we obtaine by faith if reconciliation whereby we returne into fauour with GOD this also we cannot obtayne without faith if last of al the increase of grace and of the spirite neither vndoubtedlie doe we by anie other meanes obtain this but by faith What is there then remaining that this worke wrought bringeth Worke wrought is a worde strange to the scriptures This worde is altogether straunge neither is it once mentioned of in the holie Scriptures Neither woulde I at this time haue vsed it but that I haue to contende against the aduersaries But peraduenture they will saie for asmuch as besides faith is also added the outward work is there nothing to bee attributed vnto it Yes vndoubtedlie I attribute much when it procéedeth of faith For I knowe that such worke pleaseth GOD and that he vseth to recompence manie things vnto such workes But what maketh that to this present purpose Did not the old fathers vnto their faith adioyne also these works whereby they exercised and receiued the Sacraments of their lawe And thus as touching this point we sée that they had in theirs as manie things which pleased God as we haue in ours vnlesse peraduenture they wil contende that the exercising and receiuing of our sacraments The perception of our sacraments is no whit more noble shan was theirs in old time is either a better or nobler worke than was the exercising and receiuing of the Sacraments of the olde Fathers which I will not graunt vnto them especiallie séeing that the perfection of the worke is to bee considered by faith and charitie from whence it procéedeth Wherefore if Abraham and Dauid had more faith when they receaued their sacramentes than any weake Christian when he is baptised or communicateth who will not iudge but that their worke is more notable and more excellent than the worke of these men And moreouer as for that kinde of speach which these men so often vse namely that sacramentes remit sinnes or giue grace Whether sacraments giue grace and forgiue sinnes Rom. 1. 16 1. Ti. 4. 16. we doe not easilie admit vnlesse peraduenture in that sense wherein Paule affirmeth that the Gospell is the power of God to saluation and as vnto Timothie the reading of the holy scripture is sayd to saue Which vndoubtedlie is nothing else but that the might and power of God whereby he remitteth sinnes giueth grace and at the end saueth doth vse these instrumentes and meanes to our saluation And euen as to bring saluation he vseth the wordes of the Gospell and the preaching of the holy scriptures so likewise ioyneth he thereunto the sacraments For by both of them is preached vnto vs the frée promise of
guiltinesse whereby God imputeth these things vnto sinne and vnto death Wherefore the first part all our children vndoubtedly haue when they be borne but the other part I meane guiltinesse imputation vnto death vnto euerlasting damnatiō those which not only are born of their parents according to the flesh but also appertaine to the election promise of God haue not because it is takē away by the mercie of God by the holy ghost and by the grace of Christ neither is that corruption imputed to them vnto death They therefore which be so borne of Christians are called holy because they are iudged to belong vnto grace and election séeing nothing perswadeth otherwise Now then the Church doth seale these thinges vnto them in Baptisme as to these which belong vnto the promise and alreadie haue the giftes of God I meane the remission of sinnes and grace of Christ Rom. 4. 11. A declaration of a place in the 4. Chapter to the Romanes 10 But one thing séemeth to make héere against which is written vnto the Romanes the 4. Chapter That it was giuen vnto Abraham to be the father of Circumcision and not onelie of Circumcision but of them also that walke according to the steppes of the faith which he had when he was vncircumcised Whereupon it is concluded that the Ethnicks which are ioyned vnto the stocke of Abraham haue not that by the séede of the flesh but by the power of faith which séeing the Infants haue not they shall not be vnderstoode to be ingraffed into the stocke of Abraham But we must vnderstand that the Apostle spake there of them which be of ripe age and of the first graffing in of the Gentils whereby they were coopted into the stocke of Abraham which none of vs doubteth to be done by faith But when as nowe that the Gentils our families or Churches be grafted vnto that stock all the priuileges are communicated with them that were graunted vnto Abraham among which this was the chiefe that God woulde be both his God the God of his séede So as it is graunted in like maner both vnto vs and ours in maner and forme alreadie declared Verse 6. Further it is written in the ix Chapter of the same Epistle A place of the 9. Chapter to the Romanes Not all they which be of Israel be Israelites nor all they which be of the seede of Abraham be all children but in Isaac shall thy seede be called That is not all they which be the children of the flesh be the children of God but they which be of the promise Whereupon it séemeth to be gathered by these wordes of the Apostle that the generation of the flesh bringeth nothing at all to passe that our children be called holie But vnto this we haue sufficiently answered For wee haue declared at large that this must not be attributed to the generation of the flesh as to the proper and chiefe cause when as our saluation as Paul saieth consisteth onely of the grace of God and of the election or promise But because the reason of this election is hidden and that the first token which we haue thereof is if children belong vnto them that be holie and be offered by them in the sacrament of regeneration therefore doe we call them holie although as it hath bin said this token may deceiue euen as also the confession of faith which is expressed in wordes by them that be of ripe age when they are to be Baptized may lie and procéede of hypocrisie Moreouer the Apostle would by that place call backe the Iewes who disdained the Gentils vnto the first and principall cause of our saluation which he had propounded vnto them not to be the workes of ceremonies or our merites or the stocke according to the flesh The electiō and predestination of God cannot be deceiued which they alwaies boasted of He set before their eies the election of God and the promise which cause is of that kinde that it cannot be deceiued but that it hath perpetuallie an effect Yet his minde was not to make voide all these second instruments or meanes and also tokens which God vseth as he would vtterly saie that they were nothing The linage of the flesh is not sufficient of it selfe vnto righteousnesse and true holinesse For sometime the children of holie men maie belong vnto perdition When they be growen to rype yeares they may degenerate from their good and goodlie bringing vp They may also depart from religion which they séemed to receiue from their childhood as we knowe the Iewes did which haue denied Christ and haue no more to glorie of concerning the holy séede although the promise of God in that stocke shall neuer be vtterlie voide For afterward in the xj Verse 16. Chapter the same Apostle most plainlie sheweth that he tooke not from the Iewes the gifts of kindred and progenie when he saieth If the roote bee holie the branches are also holy if the first fruites be holie so is the whole lumpe 11 Neither doeth Christ shew these promises to be vaine when as in the séede of Abraham according to the flesh he became man Rom. 15. 8. Although it were no certain signe yet no vaine signe to be borne of the Saints and was so conuersant in that nation as in the Epistle vnto the Romans he was said to be the minister of Circumcision for confirming the promises of the fathers This vndoubtedlie had not the Iewes by their merites that Christ vnto them before others ministred the word of life but they had it by the promise which was made vnto their stock whereby it appeareth that it is not altogether a vaine and néedelesse thing to bée borne of a godlie kindred And in the Actes of the Apostles Peter saide vnto the Iewes Acts. 2. 39. that vnto them speciallie pertained the Gospell by the right of the couenant as it is in the second Chapter Further in the next chapter Acts. 3. 25. they be called children of the Testament And euerie where in Paul thou readest First to the Iewe Rom. 1. 16. 2. 9. 10 and then to the Greeke And the Apostles obserued this that they went not to preache vnto the Gentils vnlesse they had first ministred the worde of saluation vnto the Iewes An excellēt promise of God And more than all these things thou hast in the ten Commandements an excellent promise of God Exod. 20. 6. that God woulde doe wel vnto those that feare him and vnto their posteritie vnto a thousand generations Although we denie not but that oftentimes ill children haue succéeded in the place of good parents because such promises as I haue saide be not common vnto all the séede but onelie vnto that séede wherein euen the election of God and predestination doe méete together the which oftentimes as we faithfulfullie beléeue hath place in the séede of the Saints God doeth not so binde his
men is called bloud that must be vnderstood by a figuratiue kind of spéech Propositions out of the tenth eleuenth and twelfe chapters of Genesis Necessarie proposition 1 IT is not lawfull for anie man to kill himselfe vnlesse he be stirred therevnto by the speciall motion of God proposition 2 We must temper our selues from the slaieng of man because he is made to the image of GOD. proposition 3 It is lawfull vnto christians for defense of their life to vse the armed helpe of the magistrate proposition 4 Euen as droonkennesse is iustlie to be condemned in droonkards so in Noah it deserueth excuse proposition 5 That which is bondage in déed had the originall thereof from sinne proposition 6 Bondage is contrarie vnto mans nature as the same was instituted of God proposition 7 It is not lawfull for seruants vnder the title of christianitie to shake off the yoke of bondage naie they ought to serue their masters so much the rather bicause they be christians proposition 8 As touching redemption felicitie of soules and iustification by Christ there is no difference betwéene seruants and frée men proposition 9 In outward and politike matters it is lawfull for christian men to vse manie differences betwéene seruants and frée men Probable proposition 1 THe couenant which was made by GOD with Noah whose signe the rainebowe is shadowed the couenant of deliuerance by Christ proposition 2 By Gods promises which had respect to the conseruation of bodilie life we may inferre that euen he will giue vs the saluation of our soules proposition 3 The matter and efficient cause of the rainebowe the coloures thereof and figure be fit tokens to shew that a generall flood is no more to be feared proposition 4 The Christian fathers by a verie likelie argument interpret the rainebowe to be Christ proposition 5 When Noah being dronken and laid naked in his pauillion was mocked by his sonne he bare a figure of Christ crucified proposition 6 There is a certeine voluntarie bondage procéeding of charitie which although sinne had not happened might haue had place in our nature Propositions out of the xiij and xiiij chapters of Genesis Necessarie proposition 1 THe diuine calling hath respect to the saluation of them that be called by faith sometime it hath this respect that they should enter into some certeine function proposition 2 And there is a certeine calling that is not effectuall by the which they that are called come not thither whither they be called proposition 3 Faith dependeth of calling proposition 4 Calling is not offered vnto vs by God for our works or deserts sake proposition 5 In the scapings out of dangers when man is put in mind what he may do by worldlie means vnlesse he doo this he tempteth God proposition 6 The vse and possession of riches is not forbidden by God vnto christian men proposition 7 A christian man is bound after this maner to leaue his goods namelie that he will call his mind from them least he being too much hindered by them should the lesse serue his vocation proposition 8 Otherwhile a christian man is bound so to leaue his goods that he should in verie déed cast them awaie for Christ his sake proposition 9 Albeit that Christ forbad not the possession of riches yet dooth he condemne the putting of trust in them proposition 10 It is lawfull for a christian man by iust meanes to inrich himselfe proposition 11 To the séed of Abraham according to the flesh God promised the land of Chanaan but to the spirituall séed the inheritance of the world proposition 12 The continuall repeating of Gods promises dooth not a little stir vp faith Probable proposition 1 VErie manie of the things which are read to be doone of Abraham were not onelie shadowes of those things which belong vnto the new testament but also of those things which should happen afterward vnto his posteritie before Christ was borne proposition 2 In the time of the lawe death was more greatlie feared of the fathers than now of true christians vnder the Gospell proposition 3 When GOD permitteth the speciall saints sometime to fall he vseth their infirmitie for their spirituall commoditie proposition 4 When Abraham in defending of Saraes chastitie knew not what to doo he did well in committing the same vnto the Lord to be kept proposition 5 They which allow of the fact of Abraham wherein he would haue Sara to be accounted his sister not his wife and they also which saie that he then fell haue probable reasons on both sides for their opinion Propositions out of the xiiij and xv chapters of Genesis Necessarie proposition 1 TO go to war is not repugnant to christian religion proposition 2 When war is to be made it must be taken in hand not by priuate men but by publike power proposition 3 A magistrate that will make war iustlie must of necessitie haue a iust cause and therewithall must be stirred vnto it not through priuate affections proposition 4 It is not for ministers of the church to war with outward armour vnlesse they be stirred herevnto by speciall instinct from God proposition 5 It is lawfull for ministers of the church to be present in war with them that fight iustlie and somtimes to persuade magistrates vnto iust wars proposition 6 In war it is not forbidden to vse lieng in wait proposition 7 A magistrate must trie and vse all meanes possible both to kéepe peace and obteine it before he take war in hand proposition 8 It is not forbidden vnto christians to ioine themselues with confederates either for the defense or obteining of those things which are giuen vnto vs by the goodnesse of God proposition 9 It is perceiued in the figure of Meldâ—isedech that the priesthood of Christ is both of longer continuance and more excellent than the priesthood of Leui. proposition 10 In the promises made vnto Abraham we must confesse that he vnderstood Christ the sauiour to be offered vnto him Probable proposition 1 GOD adorned the fathers in the old testament both with riches and victories wherby he might win them authoritie in the lawfull setting foorth of Gods religion proposition 2 When Abraham made war against the foure kings he was not altogither a priuate man Propositions out of the xv chapter of the booke of Genesis Necessarie proposition 1 TO haue receiued the lawe of GOD or to haue heard it dooth not iustifie proposition 2 By the works of the lawe which some call morall we are not iustified proposition 3 We are iustified by a liuelie not by a dead faith proposition 4 Ceremonies iustifie not by the power of the action or as they speake for the worke it selfe sake proposition 5 To be iustified although it be manie waies spoken yet in our propositions it must be vnderstood that it signifieth the remission of sins and to haue a participation of the righteousnes of Christ proposition 6 Faith is a firme assent of the mind vnto the promises
be excused than they which sinne by the instigation of lust proposition 3 The primitiue church had more prophets than the church now hath bicause signes were requiâ—… or the gathering of men vnto Christ and bicause that christian doctrine could not yet be had of godlie men by humane studie proposition 4 We haue not as the old synagog had perpetuall prophets bicause onelie Christ and his spirit which is present with his church succéeded all the old fathers Propositions out of the xxi chapter of the booke of Genesis Necessarie proposition 1 AN oth is a confirmation of the will of God or a testimonie of diuine things proposition 2 An oth of his owne nature is good proposition 3 It is lawfull for a christian man to sweare proposition 4 Although that an oth arise of an ill occasion yet is it of a good cause proposition 5 An oth whereby those things are confirmed which be repugnant with the word of God is void proposition 6 To auoid periurie it is good not to sweare but seldome and for great causes proposition 7 We must not sweare by the names of idols Probable proposition 1 TO sweare by creatures is not altogither forbidden by God proposition 2 They are not excused from periurie which doo vse fraudulent and craftie words proposition 3 It is lawfull for christians to take oths of infidels although they sweare by the names of their idols Propositions out of the xxij and xxiij chapters of the booke of Genesis Necessarie proposition 1 TEmptation is an vnknowne searching out of a thing to find out the knowledge thereof proposition 2 It cannot be denied but that God is the author of temptations proposition 3 God must not so be accounted the author of temptations as the fault of sinnes should be reiected vpon him proposition 4 It is lawfull for godlie men to resist temptations by praier proposition 5 Godlie men are not afraid of temptations whereby they should be excluded from eternall life proposition 6 To wéepe in funeralles is not forbidden proposition 7 Although death happen to no man but by the will of God yet they which sorrowe for the death of others doo not against the will of God proposition 8 We must beware least the prolonging or increasing of sorrowe be not against the faith of the resurrection proposition 9 Whether the dead doo lie buried or vnburied it maketh no matter as touching their owne saluation proposition 10 To be adorned with a sepulchre or to be destitute thereof is a solace or sadnesse of them that be aliue proposition 11 The care of burieng the dead must be reteined as a religious dutie proposition 12 The reuelation which commandeth that the bones of martyrs should be digged out of sepulchres to the intent they should be worshipped is not to be beléeued Probable proposition 1 IT is an absurditie to burie dead bodies in temples proposition 2 The saints which be dead are ignorant of themselues what is doone about their dead bodies or sepulchres proposition 3 It is agréeable vnto godlinesse for a man to choose himselfe a place to be buried in Propositions out of the xxiiij and xxv chapters of Genesis Necessarie proposition 1 THe seruant of Abraham which prescribed himselfe a signe to knowe the wife chosen by the Lord vnto Isaac did not tempt God proposition 2 He that séeketh an experiment of the power of God to the intent his owne faith or the faith of others may be the better confirmed or that he himselfe or others may be instructed such a one dooth not tempt God proposition 3 They doo tempt GOD which without a true faith but rather of a contempt doo séeke signes to satisfie their owne curiositie or desire proposition 4 To tempt GOD is without a cause to make triall of his power goodnesse and faith proposition 5 Curiositie is an immoderate desire of knowing whereby either we séeke those things that should not be sought or if they should be sought we séeke them not the right waie proposition 6 The women which somtimes in the holie scriptures are said to be the patriarchs concubines were their wiues proposition 7 Those things which are due vnto vs by predestination we ought to praie for and labour to atteine vnto proposition 8 Since predestination signifieth an eternall action of God we cannot assigne anie efficient cause thereof out of God proposition 9 We grant that God dooth predestinate them whom he forknew would vse well his gifts but we denie that the same good vse of Gods gifts is a cause of Gods predestination proposition 10 Our calling the good vse of Gods gifts faith and other vertues and holie actions of godlie men may be causes and beginnings of predestination but as from the latter and to knowe them by proposition 11 The declaration of the goodnesse and righteousnesse of GOD is the finall cause but there may be assigned a generall cause of Gods predestination Probable proposition 1 THe fathers sought wiues out of their owne kindred that a greater conformitie of maners might be had in matrimonie and that the worship of GOD might the more firmelie flourish among them and that they might haue the lesse familiaritie with infidels proposition 2 The barren which are described in the old testament to haue brought foorth no fruit declare fruitfulnesse to be the gift of God and doo confirme the childbirth of the virgine lastlie they signifie the regeneration of the children of God whervnto mans strength is not able to atteine proposition 3 Now are there no oracles shewed vnto vs as there were vnto the old synagog bicause Christ was appointed the end of oracles and by him came a more plentifull spirit and finallie there be now extant more and more cléere scriptures than the fathers had Propositions out of the xxv xxvi and xxvij chapters of Genesis Necessarie proposition 1 ALbeit God reuealeth vnto men some thing that shall come to passe it is not therefore lawfull for them to doo against the laws of God or against the rule of reason to bring it to passe proposition 2 Although they that doo vs good be but wicked men yet ought we with a thankfull mind both doo them good and wish them well proposition 3 When in the holie scriptures are shewed anie of the fathers sinnes we must not séeke from thence an example of life but rather woonder there at the faithfulnesse of God proposition 4 When the world is pressed with famine it is not to be doubted but that sinnes are punished thereby proposition 5 God otherwhile dooth good vnto the posteritie for the deserts of their forefathers which be now dead proposition 6 Albeit that enuie is a gréeuous sinne yet to be mooued with indignation and zeale dooth sometimes happen without blame proposition 7 Vehement perturbations of the mind must be auoided that we may be apt instruments of the holie Ghost proposition 8 The actions of the fathers which we sée haue a shew of sinne if we will grant that they were
he beginneth his argument as méet it is from a thing that is greater And that the second kind of change serueth to the purpose héereby it appéereth séeing in the 4. booke of sacraments where he minded to prooue the same matter but more bréeflie he reciteth onelie those examples which doo shew a change of the properties and speaketh not of the first kind wherein nature is doone awaie That the words of Christ are effectuall to worke I willinglie grant for thereby the signes whose nature remaineth are made another thing that is to wit sacraments And whereas you saie that our change is made by grace and is spirituall I grant it but that Ambrose speaketh not of that change I denie it Neither is it anie let A plaine declaration of Amboses words that he calleth the same a change of the elements as I haue declared before Forsomuch as the element is that part of the sacrament which is perceiued and the same is trulie said to be changed bicause it hath and executeth another office than before And that which you infer of the fift chapter of the first booke and of the first chapter of the sixt booke if you will obiect we will answer Now is it shewed sufficientlie that there is nothing of the which you haue cited dooth make against vs but that all things serue for our part D. Chadse I desire you that you will read these chapters at home by your selues and yée shall sée that they cannot be otherwise vnderstood than of transubstantiation Heere the Commissioners commanded that we should proceed to the second question The second question D. Chadse THat the true reall bodie of Christ is in the Eucharist thus I prooue Chrysostome in his 17. homilie vpon the Hebrues Doo we not offer euerie daie Yes indéed we offer howbeit we doo the same in remembrance of his death and the sacrifice is one not manie How is it one and not manie And bicause that sacrifice was once offered it was offered in the most holie place of all but this sacrifice is an example of that Euen this doo we offer alwaies and not now one lambe and to morrowe another but alwaies the selfe-same and therefore this sacrifice is one otherwise by this reason there be manie Christs bicause it is offered in manie places God forbid But one Christ is euerie where both being héere full and there full one bodie c. Out of these words thus I dispute Our oblation is all one with that which Christ offered but Christ offered his true and reall bodie therefore we doo offer the same D. Martyr That we haue the selfe-same bodie in the supper of the Lord which Christ offered vpon the crosse as touching the substance and truth of nature I grant but yet not after the selfe-same maner bicause we receiue it spirituallie that is by faith But this bodie in a substantiall and corporall presence did hang vpon the crosse And these two things which I affirme you may gather out of Chrysostome He saith It is all one which we offer to wit as touching the matter and bodie of Christ Howbeit he addeth alwaies Remembrance Example and Commemoration the which words doo shew a diuerse maner And this opinion of mine will I euidentlie shew out of the words of Barnard in his 33. sermon vpon the canticles But in how great an abundance soeuer these things doo war fat not with the like plesantnesse is receiued the barke of the sacrament and the fatnesse of the wheate faith and the kind memorie and presence eternitie and time the face and the glasse c. Where you sée that he putteth an Antithesis betwéene memorie and presence And therefore we confesse with Chrysostome that we haue the verie same bodie that was offered vpon the crosse Howbeit bicause he alwaies interlaceth memorie and mindfulnesse he sheweth that it is no waie of receiuing the same by a bodilie presence but by the presence of faith which can make things that be absent spirituallie present as Paule to the Galathians saith Gal. 3 1. that Christ was crucified in them Iohn 1 56. Eph. 1 20. Againe that Abraham sawe the daie of the Lord and was glad And God made vs now to sit at the right hand in heauenlie places How was this By a carnall presence No but by faith which excludeth not the truth of the thing And bréefelie as touching the argument we haue euen the verie same but not after the selfe-same maner that is to wit in the same kind of presence Faith excludeth not the truth of the thing And so it followeth not Christ reallie and corporallie gaue himselfe vpon the crosse and Therefore we haue him after the selfe-same maner in the communion D. Chadse We offer saith Chrysostome euen the selfe-same that he offered although he be there after an other maner and after an other forme and as this man testifieth we offer not now one lambe or an other lambe to morrowe but euermore one and the selfe-same Otherwise it is confessed that Christ offered himselfe for a price and we for a mysterie and remembrance D. Martyr They which communicate the selfe-same Christ and full whole that is neither of his natures cut off or diminished doo receiue him by faith For faith dooth neither hurt him nor defile him nor yet diminish him Naie rather it dooth suffer him to be as he is and to remaine in his owne place and yet dooth it spirituallie imbrace euen himselfe full and whole D. Chadse Is there in the sacrament the bodie of Christ or no D. Martyr I denie not but that in the sacrament is the verie bodie of Christ sacramentallie that is to saie by an effectuall signification and I assuredlie affirme that he is trulie giuen vs and receiued of vs but yet with the mind and with faith that is spirituallie or sacramentallie to wit that he is verelie present to our faith The difference betwéene vs is as touching the maner of the presence Ye doo imagine and feigne to your selues a certeine hiding of Christ in the bread or in the formes of bread the which I denie That he is present after such a maner as I haue declared I grant and I haue prooued after what sort he may be granted to be in the sacrament D. Chadse It is euen the selfe-same saith Chrysostome D. Martyr He affirmeth it to be the selfe-same but yet he addeth In remembrance and recordation the which words belong to the mind and to faith not vnto bodilie presence D. Chadse Is it a true and carnall bodie which is in the sacrament or is it a spirituall bodie D. Martyr I haue alreadie granted it to be a true bodie but yet that I may so speake not by a reall presence It is the selfe-same bodie as I haue declared as concerning nature but yet we receiue the same with the mind and with faith euen in such wise as we receiue the signe of the same with the hand and with the
sacraments signified grace to be giuen and ours signifie the same alredie giuen the signification is alike in the one and in the other and our sacraments shall haue no more than those of the fathers And against that which you bring that the sacraments of the old fathers were more obscure I will prooue that they had a more euident signification for the bloud of the lambe offered did more plainelie represent the bodie of Christ than the bread and wine if bread and wine be there D. Martyr I will answer to euerie thing in order I affirme that which you obiect against me to wit that the sacraments of the old lawe signified grace that should be giuen and ours the same alredie giuen and exhibited that is to wit Christ alreadie incarnate and which hath suffred death And while I was in my reading among manie other things which I discoursed as touching this matter I remember that I also said this bicause I would not admit that the sacraments of anie of both either ours or theirs of old time of themselues doo giue grace For whatsoeuer grace we haue that doo we obteine by faith and not as you feigne and saie for the works sake that is wrought Neither doo we for this cause make sacraments to be the more contemptible forsomuch as we determine that they while they be rightlie receiued doo helpe confirme increase faith whereby alone we be iustified For the holie Ghost as it vseth the words of God and the scriptures as it were instruments to change to saue vs so like wise dooth it vse the sacraments Now you sée how I haue vnderstood that the sacraments of the lawe signified grace to be giuen how ours signifie the same alreadie giuen Wherevnto you may adde that faith is more holpen by our sacraments than by those of the old fathers partlie bicause the words are plainlier expressed and that our excellent matter which is the redemption by Christ is more euidentlie set foorth in these And séeing faith is gotten by the word the more manifest that the word is the more ernestlie is faith stirred vp the more doth it apprehend the thing signified partlie bicause I easilie agrée that a more plentifull spirit is granted by our sacraments than was giuen by the sacraments of the old fathers And that remaineth as a sure ground which before I spake of that the thing to be doone being compared to that which is alreadie doone may be called both a shadowe and a figure Againe whereas you vrge that the lambe staieng of beasts for sacrifice more manifestlie represented Christ and his death I answer that the perspicuitie and plainnesse of the sacraments must chéeflie be regarded in the words Bicause if you compare the words with the elements the words be the life of them and to the old fathers were not giuen so expresse and plaine spéeches of Christ and his death as at this daie is vsed in our sacraments It is said This is my bodie Matt. 26 26 which shall be giuen for you And againe This is my bloud which shall be shed for you vnto the remission of sinnes And what can there be more plainlie and euidentlie spoken D. Chadse Where the faith is of more abundance there is the sacrament more excellent But the faith of Abraham was greater than ours is Therefore he held a more excellent sacrament and so should it follow that the sacraments of the old fathers were better than ours D. Martyr The first proposition which you take vpon you to prooue is not altogither true neither is it of necessitie that where faith is more abundant there the sacrament should be more excellent séeing Abraham both beléeued and was iustified before he had the sacrament of circumcision For there may be faith yea and it ought to be had before the receiuing of the sacraments We indéed haue granted that the same is holpen and confirmed by those sacraments but not that it should be giuen onelie by them If you had said that those sacraments whereby the faith is more confirmed and increased in the beléeuers ought to be estéemed the more excellent you should haue said true but yet that which you adde as touching Abraham would not be to the purpose vnlesse you had shewed that he obteined his faith by the sacrament which is not true And againe whereas you said that Abraham had a greater faith than ours is that should not be well affirmed bicause to conclude that which you went about you shuld haue prooued that Abraham had a greater faith than is had in the new testament and then should you take for a proofe a thing that were doubtfull For how doo you knowe but that Paule Peter manie of the apostles and martyrs had as much faith as Abraham Wherefore both the Maior and Minor proposition of your argument dooth admit exceptions and you imbrace more in the conclusion than can be found in the whole antecedent Here the Kings Maiesties Commissioners made an end of the disputations when they had heard eleuen of the clocke strike And M. D. Richard Cox Commissioner and Chancellour of the Vniuersitie of Oxford made this oration as followeth YE Students of the Vniuersitie of Oxford we haue bestowed foure halfe daies in examining of two questions namelie of transubstantiation and of reall presence of the bodie of Christ in the sacrament Greatlie did this disputation delight vs. And I would to God that the time would haue giuen vs leaue to heare all those things which might haue beene said in this matter That which wee wished came to passe to wit that the disputation was quiet The hearers I hope as they be now quiet so they will be desirous to learne the truth They which were the disputers on eitherside haue most diligentlie performed their part and must not be defrauded of their due commendation Men of our nation and of Oxford besides that they haue performed that which their conscience persuaded them they haue brought no small honour vnto this Vniuersitie for that in so great a cause they haue not shrunke but that they would openlie testifie according to the measure of their learning and gift imparted to them by the benefit of God both of what mind they werein these controuersies and by what reasons and authorities they were driuen herevnto Verie learnedlie doubtlesse did they performe the charge committed vnto them Howbeit the other learned men which in so great matters haue held their peace haue I know not how by their silence procured to themselues the blemish of deniall But Peter who is worthilie called Peter for his assured stedfastnes Martyr and worthilie called Martyr for the innumerable testimonies which he manie times vttereth of the truth ought to haue great thanks at this time both of vs and of all the godlie first bicause hee hath taken exceeding great paines in susteining the burthen of the disputations For if Hercules was not to deale against twaine what say we of Peter alone
they bee afraide of themselues least if they should once laie it awaie they shall not be able to resume it againe Whereuppon Dionysius the Tyrant trusted no man he issued not out of his Castle without his garde But those which be borne kings doe sometimes liue like priuate men neither doe they séeme to haue their kingdome taken from them so did Christ and so ought we to doe to giue place willingly vnto our neighbours and to humble our selues euen as Christ gaue place For wee shal be exalted and that greatly exalted For the passions of this life are not worthie of the glorie to come which shall be reuealed in vs. Rom. 8. 18. And If we shall suffer together with him 2. Tim. 2. verse 12. Luk. 24. 26. Ephe. 2. 6. Ephe. 1. 20. 22. we shall also raigne together with him It behooued him to suffer and so to enter into his glorie and so doeth it behooue vs. For he hath quickened vs together with him and made vs sit in the heauenly places He exalted him that he might sit at his right hand and he put all things vnder his féete Séeing he cast him downe vnder all mortall men he aduaunced him aboue all creatures from the Crosse vnto the throne of his diuinitie This exaltation must be vnderstoode according to his humanitie for his diuine nature was neuer diminished Onely in respect of mans iudgement it may be saide to be exalted for it did not declare it selfe Ephe. 1. 21. He gaue him a name which is aboue euerie name that is to wit dignitie power and degree Vnto the Ephesians it it written Aboue euerie name that is named in this worlde or in the worlde to come Christ is made the head of the Church that in the name of Iesus euerie knee shoulde bow A place taken out of Esaie and cited in the 14. Chapter to the Romanes Esa 46. 23. Ro. 14. 11. The Lorde liueth to mee shall euerie knee bow There is meant Adoration and that such as is due vnto God not vnto a name or syllables as fooles dooe which hearing the name of Iesus doe vncouer their head and thinke nothing of the thing it selfe So doe they also behaue themselues towards the outward elements of the sacrament giue little héede vnto the thing signified Knéeling is an outward signification of the inward worshipping Whether is this adoration giuen to the humanitie or to the diuinitie Vnto whole Christ the natures are not separated Neither when we honour a king doe wee bid him put off his purple robe albeit that the reason of worshipping him is taken from his diuinitie But Paul vnto the Romanes séemeth to say that it will come to passe in the day of iudgement that euery knée shall bowe True it is but nowe that honour is begun then it shall be perfect when all his enemies shall be put vnder his footestoole Hereby also appeareth the diuinitie of Christ since adoration is attributed vnto him Some babble certaine things of Purgatory because the knées of things that are belowe shall bowe But what shall be doone in the time of iudgement when they shall bee no longer in Purgatorie Shall the honour of Christ then cease Iames. 2. 19 Doe not the Diuels beléeue and tremble and while Christ was in the worlde they did confesse and worship and desired him that he woulde not torment them Were there not many of the dead raised vp by the Apostles and other holy men in the name of Christ and hell obeyed the name of the Lord Also the diuels at this day cannot tempt any more than Christ willeth and suffereth Doe they not perceiue the figuratiue kinde of spéeche Angels haue no knées The meaning is that he shall be the Lorde of all and shall be worshipped of all and in euerie place Euerie tongue shall confesse him to be Christ and that vnto the praise and glorie of God This triumph laide before our eyes is in Christ that we may vnderstande wee shall be partakers of him if we will humble our selues with him Let no man therefore be ashamed to be humbled and suffer afflictions If we be not mortified with Christ we shall die euerlastingly with the Diuell Better therefore it is to suffer with Christ for what are these sufferings in comparison of hell What are they in comparison of vnquenchable fire what are they to the worme that dieth not what are they to the gnashing of téeth and what to the vttermost darkenesse Without doubt it is better nowe to suffer easily than to indure those extremities Againe compare these things with the eternall glory Is not that so great as wee ought for the same to leade all the time of this life in torment and vexation Verilie as vnto the Corinthians it is saide 2. Cor. 4. 17 This momentanie and easie affliction shall procure vnto vs a great weight of glorie But I am wide if I require sufferings that should be like vnto the passions of Christ since we cā not despise money since we cannot choose but make much thereof as though it shoulde neuer perish as if we our selues shoulde neuer die We cannot be content with things that be necessarie vnlesse we maintaine multitudes of seruaunts we recken it nothing vnlesse all be of silke and siluer all is nothing worth Vndoubtedly this is not the crosse of Christ Christ sheweth that ye should goe one waie but ye goe another Vnlesse ye take this key how shall heauen be opened vnto you If thy Crosse séeme to be heauie and grieuous take thou the wood which was throwen into the waters of Marath I meane the death of Christ and thereby thy afflictions will bee seasoned The Crosse of Christ maketh all things fauourie so it be takē vp by faith By it are our sinnes forgiuen vs our concupiscence is broken and is not imputed vnto vs the Diuill is vanquished we be deliuered from the lawe from death and condemnation By it is the wall broken which made diuision betwéene vs and the Iewes we be reconciled vnto the heauenly things thereby God shewed what account he made of vs and on the other side there is kindled in vs a loue towardes him By it is the iustice of God satisfied God who otherwise is angrie for our sinnes is well pleased with vs righteousnesse being fréely giuen vs. By it are shewed all examples of liuing well Christ hath drawen all things vnto him He is remembred in all the Sacraments and is comprehended by faith By it is hell conquered Wherefore let vs not disdaine to vndergoe the Crosse with Christ otherwise we are crucified for sinne Thereby we are broken in péeces vnder the wrath of God and damnation except wee be with Christ but we féele not our Crosse of sinne vntill the lawe be brought thereunto There doe wée perceiue our wickednesse By this we being stirred vp doe come vnto Christ and doe offer our selues with a willing minde to suffer those things which he would haue
Lorde was not taken of the virgin must not be accounted among those trifles before rehearsed That the substance of Christs flesh was taken of the Virgin Neither shall it in anie wise be graunted that the flesh taken of the virgin is not the substance of Christ but rather as it is called a light circumstance séeing the verie substance of the bodie of Christ was fleshe receiued of the Virgin For from thence was drawen the bodilie matter and substance of Iesus the mediator of God and men whereby comes to passe that it ought in no wise to be referred vnto the circumstance Whervnto is to bee added that the generation of man doth rather belong vnto the efficient cause thereof than vnto the circumstance Wée are not ignorant that among the Logitians and Rhetoricians Parentes are placed among circumstances but this is not doone in respect of their bodilie substance but for their properties and conditions sake to wit that from thence may bee deriued probable arguments either of praise or dispraise of Children For if a man haue had noble parentes excellent and valiant hee is therefore commended and as touching him that he will become such a one a verie likelie argument is gathered Also such craftes men haue béene accustomed to put the manner in the number of the circumstances But fleshe taken of the Virgin belongeth neither vnto the measure nor yet vnto the qualitie of Christ but is as we haue saide the substance as touching his humanitie Luke 1. 35. But the manner of his generation maie be thus said to be namelie that he was begotten without the séed of man because not the strength of her husband but the power of the holie Ghost formed and fashioned out the childe borne of the blessed Virgin These in verie déede I might graunt to be circumstaunces but yet so necessarie to be beléeued as he that confesseth not that Christ was conceiued without the séede of man and made by the power of the holie Ghost and also formed of the fleshe of the Virgin is both estraunged from the Church and from saluation Wherfore we say that the fleshe taken of the Virgin is no circumstance of Christ as he is man but that it belongeth to his substance Againe if we shoulde also graunt that the same doeth belong vnto circumstances yet it is not gathered thereof that that is not necessarie to be beléeued since to suffer to die to be buried to rise againe and to reigne in heauen being the actions of Christ are vndoubtedly reckened among his circūstances which whosoeuer doth not faithfully beléeue and confesse doeth vtterlie fall from the hope of saluation vnlesse he repent And it is a woonderfull thing to determine as Hadrian doeth that the taking of the flesh of the virgin Marie was a thing necessarie vnto our saluation and that yet afterwarde the thing should be so extenuated as they which beléeue the contrarie are saide to bee partakers of saluation And I doe not much maruell at this because he after a sort qualifying a thing of it selfe so harde saieth that hee doeth not vtterly condemne them but commit them to the iudgement of God This is not rightly to diuide the worde of trueth in religion and holie doctrine 1. Tim. 1. 19. Why did Paul pronounce them to haue made a shipwracke of the faith which saide that the Resurrection was alreadie past Whether I beséeche you appeareth it more manifestly out of the holy scriptures that the Resurrection shall be or that Christ is the true séede of Eue the sonne of Abrahā the sonne of Dauid that he was the séede of them The scriptures plainely and manifestly affirme both and both of them belong to the articles of the faith For wee confesse that wee beléeue in Iesus Christ the sonne of God conceiued and borne of the virgin Marie not in him which passed through her as through a Conduite Paule saieth not that he leaueth them to the iudgement of God but he openly pronounceth that they were fallen from the faith and shall not wée account these men woorthie of condemnation Also the Churche did not leaue the Arrians Nestorians Eutichians Ebionites and such like pestilent sectes to the iudgement of God but by manifest and open iudgement condemned them who neuerthelesse ceased not to crie out that they sawe not the consequentes and collections betwéene the wordes of the holie scriptures and the opinions which the right beléeuers defended Therefore let vs measure things not according as they séeme good vnto Heretikes but according as they bee expressed in the holie scriptures Neither doeth Hadrian a thing méete for his profession who therefore putteth vs to businesse because that children and madde men haue saluation without faith whereas notwithstanding the holie scriptures affirme Hebr. 11. 5. that by faith men are saued and doe please God for these things doe belong to the state and condition of the Anabaptistes séeing they be both of full age and haue their right wittes who likewise haue leasure to reade the scriptures and holie sermons and they may also heare the answeres of godly men We iudge it also to be a superfluous question touching faith why God hath required the same at our handes séeing if it had pleased him he coulde haue made men blessed without it For what néede haue we to dispute of the will of God séeing that the same manifestly ynough appeareth in the holie scriptures This rather we ought to labour and earnestly indeuour that wee may by prayers vnto God attaine to the same and to the daily increase thereof that those things which we beléeue wée may through the perswasion of faith expresse in our life déedes and shewe howe great power is placed in vs by GOD. Wee ought not to be such as would knowe the causes and reasons of the diuine counsels That moreouer séemes more than marueilous that this is decreed by Hadrian to bée a thing necessarie to bee beléeued vnto saluation without which may not bee beléeued that sinnes are fréely forgiuen vs by Christ That in verie déede is the chiefe sum and principall point of the Gospell but sée I beséeche you that if a man say he beléeueth this and in the meane time denieth the Resurrection of the dead whether may he bée saide to embrace the true Gospell of Christ I suppose he doeth not nay rather I affirme that he while he is thus perswaded is not partaker of eternall saluation Also another will say that he doeth imbrace that article as a thing out of doubt who notwithstanding on the other part will denie that the sonne of God is equall and of one substance with the father and will holde opinion that the holie Ghost is a creature What shall héere be doone Shall wee allowe them saluation and rest according to this rule And shall we embrace them as the members of Christ and partes of the Church so as they beléeue that sinnes are fréely forgiuen them by the Mediatour
difference made betwéene him and the Pope 4 38a The state of his soule separated from his bodie 2 622 a The saying of Hylarius howe he had sinne to bée marked 2 227 b He tooke flesh vpon him in one respect Angels in another 1 115 b What kind of creature the Arrians taught him to be 1 106 b Whether he be inferiour to his father 3 306 b Of his bodie much spokeÌ„ too fro worth the noting out of the fathers 1 116. 117. What his bodie hath respect vnto 3 78 b The later Dauid with what stones he smote the head of Goliah 1 44 b He grounded his doctrine vpon scriptures 3 340b Of his exaltation to glory 2 622 a A Iewe borne 3 30â— a Wherefore he is called our mediator 3 308 a What his soule did when it was departed from the bodie 2 621 a Of the first and second comming of Christ 3 383 ab 2 625 ab 597 b The opinion of Apelles the heretike touching his flesh that it was not borne but brought from heauen confuted 1 115 b He was borne and brought not a body from heauen proued 1 117 b 118 a Nothing ca. bée doone without him and why 3 102 a Of his conceptioÌ„ by the holy ghost 2 616 b What we haue to note in that hee did eate after he was risen 1 88a b In what sense he is called the first begotten 1 108 a 2 â—16 a The head and chiefe of new exorcists 4 130 a The scornings that he suffered at his death 2 619 a Why he called himselfe the sonne of man 1 117 b A most effectuall example of patience constancie 2 620 a How he is ioyned with all men 3 77 b 78 a Whether it wereof necesittie that he should die 2 610 b Why he departed this life loden with shame c. 2 618 b His humanitie is definite 2 611 b Of his sitting at his rathers right hande and what it meaneth 2 611 b Frée from sinne 2 615 ab The blowes wounds that he suffered at his death 2 619 a His death most ignominious 2 618 ab How he is said to haue left the world 4 156 b 157 a Their reasoÌ„s which say that he brought his bodie out of heauen 2 603 ab 604 a Why he is called the onely sonne of God 2 â—15b He came from heauen though hée had his bodie out of the earth â— 602 b 603 a How he had true sleâ—… when he appeared vnto Abraham the fathers 1 117 b 118a Diuerse properties of his body set downe 2 638a Howe hee dwelleth in our hearts 2 60â— a 3 162 a Why hée is called Lord 2 606 b 600 b 614 b 615 a How he is said to haue dyed for vs all 3 31 a The Manichies defame his genealogie and how 1 51 a All his passion reduced to foure chéefe parts 2 618 b 619 ab More oppugned his diuinitie than his humanity 2 614 b The difference betwéene his prayers and ones 3 368 b His death voluntary and noâ— voluntary 3 298 b Of his affections how ours his differ 3 298 ab How he satisfied his father 3 222 b 223 a He was not deliuered to the crosse against his fathers wil 2 276 ab What his healing of the diseased teacheth vs. 3 129 b How he saw not the graue 3 343 a 344 b 345 a Himselfe was the cause of his owne comming 2 600 a Whether his kingdome shall haue an end 2 607 a He was not annoynted with oile 2 6â—6 b What he did for vs at his ascending 2 624 a Vnto whom his nobilitie is communicated 4 313 b Fine things to be noted in his person 2 614 a His innocency obscured 2 618 b Adam and he compared and howe 3 31 a Both the old and the new testament do speake of him 1 39 b He dyed not altogether without sin 3 12 b 43 a How God is said to be made visible in him 1 30b 31 a His death resurrection represented in types shadowes 2 581 b 582a The very name of him is the knot wherein al the articles of the faith are conteined saieth Augustine 1 22 a How the prophets apply their doctrine vnto him 2 596 b Against such as helde that he had no true body 2 601 ab How the false Apostles woulde take him from the law 2 585 b 586 a He Manna most excellently compared 2 591 ab Against certaine heretikes that affirmed him to be a méere man 2 600b Howe farfoorth he concerning his humane nature is the full image of God 1 124 a Whether he were the sonne of God by nature or adoption 3 81 a Hee was otherwise in the loines of Abraham than of Leuy 2 245 a Augustine iudgeth that he hath restored vs vnto more than Adam tooke from vs 2 246 b Vnder his name is contained all the articles of the faith as saith Augustine 1 22 a Whether he may haue hope as yet 3 88 a The end of his predestination 3 25a Accused of sedition 4 319 a Of his death and buriall 3 342b Of his felicity now in heauen 2 598 a Of his kingdome 2 597 ab Christians A difference of Christians 3 105 b Why they are called annoynted 2 606 ab Wickedly accounted dogs 3 311 a Whether they may vse or desire helpe of infidels 4 296. 295. Their boÌ„dage greater now than that of the Iewes 3 172 a How it commeth to passe that some are iudged to damnation some to saluation 2 626b Against the counterfait or such as are but so in name 2 628 b The common profession of all Christians 4 310 a ¶ Looke Beleeuers and Faithfull Christianitie Wherein the whole sum of Christianitie consisteth 2 625 a ¶ Looke Religion Chronicles Aulus Gellius opinion of Chronicles and hystories 1 48 b The difference betwéene them and histories 1 48 ab 49 a Ciceroes opinion touching the same 1 48 ab ¶ Looke Histories Church militant The Church defined 4 1 a She cannot be well gouerned without troubles 4 63 a By what meanes she is increased 2 633 a 637 a Augustines meaning in saying I would not beléeue the scriptures vnlesse the authoritie of the Church mooued me 1 43 a 3 586. The Catholike Church is the communion of saints 3 78 b She of her owne authoritie cannot decide controuersies 4 75 b Whence the name is deriued 4 1 a 54 a 1 45 b 2 630 a In what cases euill men must not be excluded thereout 4 2 a How it is ment that she is the pâ—…ier and ground of truth 4 75 b Her dutie towards the excommunicated 4 59 a Whereof so great corruption in the same commeth 4 63 b Whether two heads may be therein one visible another inuisible 4 35 a Who be indéede of the Church and who not 4 1 b 2 a 3 79 a Dissentions in the Church of the Iewes and of the Apostles 4 3 a 2 425 ab The Church hath alwayes iudged by the
must be vsed 4 61 b 62 a Whether it doth separate vs from God 4 58 b Howe it is not preindiciall to innocentes 4 64 b In what cases it is to be vsed 2 634 a For light causes not allowed 4 64 a Executed on such as married with Infidels 2 444 b What kinde hath béene vsed in former times against Idolaters 2 488 b The force vertue and vse thereof 2 635 b 636 a That depriuation if a cleargy man should sweare 2 372a A certaine kinde of banishment 2 275 a Of Princes by Bishoppes 4 231b Of Martion prosequitted by his owne father and why 2 378 a Excuse The Excuse by ignorance of God disallowed 1 14 b Execution Causes of delaying or prolonging of Execution 4 257 b Execution of offenders doeth not violate charitie 4 279 b Executioners The auncient Iewes had no Executioners 4 264 a Why they haue commonly an ill report 4 264b 265 ab Called Lictores and why 4 294 ab Exercise What earnest Exercise is able to doe 1 57 a 56 b The difference betwéene it and custome 1 154 a Exercises What Exercises Christians should vse for their recreation and pleasure 2 528 a Exile The Etymologie of the word Exile 4 270 a ¶ Looke Banishment Exorcisme What Exorcisme is 4 128 b 129 a Added to baptisme 4 128 b The beginning thereof 4 131 b Whether it is to bee ioyned therewith 4 132 b In auncient time there was none 4 31 a Of euill spirites taken away 4 132 b Vnto what times the original thereof may be referred 4. 129 a Whether Dauid vsed it when he played before Saul with his harpe 4 129 a ¶ Looke Coniurations Exorcismes No Exorcismes in the old Testament for driuing out of Diuels 4 129 a Reasons for proofe and disproofe of them about baptisme 4 133 ab 134 ab 137 ab 138 a Whether Salomō made charmes and Exorcismes 4 129 ab Exorcistes Exorcistes among the Hebrewes and when they beganne 4 129 ab Whether they are still to be retayned in the Church 4 131 b 132 a Christ the heade and chéefe of new Exorcistes 4 130 a Experience What Experience is required of them that shoulde bee méete hearers of doctrine 1 54 a Ey Eye If thine Eye offend thée c. expounded 4 88 ab The Eye leadeth to lust 2 481. It cannot attaine to Gods essence 3 394 b 1 25 a Gregories opinion of abusing the same 1 481 b It is oftentimes a mans destinction 2 481 ab Fa. Fable A Fable defined and the diuers kindes of them 2 55◠a Their vse and of Apologes and their necessarinesse 2 551 a A Fable of the Rabbins touching the conuinction of the soule with the bodie 3 329 b A Fable touching Christ and Peter 4 79 a Face There is a Face also of the minde as well as of the bodie 1 29 b Of colouring the Face Reade at large 2 507 c. ¶ Looke Painting Faculties Faculties drawe their excellencie and worthinesse from their ende 1 8 a As they are more excellent so are also their endes as howe 1 7 b No difference betwéene the worthinesse of them whether they haue worke for their end or action and why 1 8 a The excellencie of ends Faculties is as well towardes the one as the other 1 8 a Faith Theologicall A definition of Faith 3 59 b 57a 70 a 90 b 71 b 2 296 b 634 b What it signifieth 3 89b 90 b The Etymologie thereof 3 63 b What companions it should haue 2 549 b Of the chéefe and the common obiect thereof 3 58a 136 b 144 b 127 b Howe the same prescribeth to charitie 1 8 b The nature propertie of the same 3 57 ab 92 a 93 a 132 a True exercises thereof 4 157 b Of the certeintie and vncerteintie of it 3 87 ab 126 ab 132 a 130 a 84 a 90 a 57 ab Howe it is cast into a sléepe 3 138 a 150 a The tryumph of the same 2 621 b Whether it bee in our owne power 3 140 a 43 b 16 a 2 260 b That it is a firme assent 3 59a 70 a What things we are to examine in that assent 3 59 b Wherewith that assent doeth witnesse 3 60 a Why there can be no firme assent thereof in this life 3 71 a Whether faith onely doe iustifie 3 154 b 135 a 156 ab 125. 126. 93b 108 a 150 ab 159 a 151 b 144 b 2 262 b Of Abrahams Faith 3 235 b 136 a 89 b 126 ab 125 a 61 ab 84 b 96 a It was not void of mistrastes 3 62 a That his and ours is all one 3 135 b Of the Centutions whereat Christ woondered 3 129 b Of Cornelius 2 160 ab 262 b 263 a Paules assuraunce of his 2 629 a Whether ours the Iewes be greater 2 588 ab It doeth not extinguishe reason 3 61 a Whether it and the remission of sinnes came in first 3 135 b 148 a 150 a Whether it may be seuered from charitie 3 69 b 72 a 106 b 152 a 154 a and in whome 3 7. 3 ab Whether a man which gréeuouslie sinneth is destitute therof 3 137 b Howe it differeth from hope 3 86 b Whether it hath his beginning from the holy Ghost 3 140 a 2 578 a 1 6 a It maketh things furthest off to be present 2 587 b 4 174 a 195 ab Of a iustifying Faith 3 196 a It is not in all alike 3 57 b Vnto what things it hath respect 3 91 b Whether the definition thereof in the Hebrewes be a definition 3 91 ab When it changeth both his nature and kinde 3 76 a Howe feare and it are coupled together 3 66 b As it is a worke it iustifieth not 3 136b 60 b It confirmeth the Lawe two maner of waies 2 578 a 3 151 a Howe without it the Law cannot be obserued 2 577 ab 578 a Wherein trueth and it doe agree and differ 2 549 b It ought to goe before the receiuing of the Sacraments 2 586 b It dependeth not of the commaundement of the will 3 61 a It is chiefelie caried vnto the resurrection of Christ 2 609 b It maketh all things possible 2 613 b We are not iustified by the dignitie thereof 3 144 b Why it rather than other works iustifieth 3 137 a Why it and confidence are ioyned together 3 130 a The force and power thereof 3 129 ab It dependeth vpon calling two maner of waies 3 45 a It goeth before iustification 3 137 a How it hath life of another thing 3 135 a By it wee obtaine the promises 3 150 b 151 a Smith denieth iustification thereby 3 147 b 148 a Whether it be farre from the last perfection 3 138 a Whether it hath her forme of loue 3 129 a Who seeke God thereby and who by workes 3 142 b Whether God attributeth more vnto workes than vnto it 3 146 a The dignitie thereof is measured by the obiect 3 144
what we are taught therby 74 a Touching constancie therin for religion read the 47. epistle beginning at page 139. A praier to be said in the time of Persecution when flight is intended 70 b 73 b Philosophie and an excellent kind of doctrine it teacheth not 46 a b. Philosophers and Poets how they haue transformed the plaine truth 41 a Physicians that we must seeke for our soules health 21 a b. Plentie and the magistrats charge in such a yeare 157 a Pleasures and idlenes the nursses of vices 49 b The true vse of honest ones 157 a Poets and Philosophers and how they haue transformed the plaine truth 41 a Polygamie of Iacob is not to be accused 154 b Reasons whie it is to be auoided 154 b Pope and how farre foorth we may vse things that were vsed in his church 119 a Pouertie and who vnder the pretense thereof must not delaie marriage 154 b Power of God in our conuersion 108 a b Whether it be in mans Power to change the will 119 b 120 a He gaue them Power to be made the sonnes of God expounded 120 a Praier the remedie against prodigious sights 111 a Of the lifting vp of hands therein 162 b The spirit of Christ doth speciallie stir vp thereto 158 b A forme thereof to be vsed of and for them that be fallen from the true religion 143 b 144 a b Of Peter Martyr against false worshipping of God 251. 252. Common must not be neglected whie 162 a. Praiers that be effectuall 153 b Whether those to saints departed be lawfull 170 b Of some called collects and the reason of their name 136 a Preaching or baptising whether is more excellent 219a b When the outward is fruitefull and how 22 b Predestinate and by what calling God calleth them 115 b Not all which be called are such 131 b The difference betwéene them and the reprobate after they are fallen 143 b Predestination is a part of Gods prouidence 130 b Whie the doctrine thereof is profitable 129 b The order thereof to be noted 116 b Diuerse iudgements touching it 130 b Christ is the principall effect thereof 131 b It bringeth no constraint or violence to mans will 131 b Vnchangeable 130 b 131 a The things due therevnto and causes thereof 152 a b Whether by the doctrine thereof be opened a window to idlenes 131 b Necessarie to be taught in the church 105 a The end thereof 131 a A definition of it 130 b Whether works or what else be the causes therof 131 a Predicaments ten that all things which be are reduced to them 164 b Presence reall in the sacrament spoken of to and fro 243 b 244. c. 139 a b 230 b ¶ Looke Eucharist Preests apparell and préestlie ornaments 30 b Whie they were kept from the innermost holie place 168 a Why their sinne is more gréeuous than the peoples 170 a Two things wherewith those of the lawe were indued 30 a b How manie High preests the Iewes had from Aaron to the building of Solomons temple 31 a Preesthood of Melchisedech 149 b Touching the promises annexed to that of Leui 28 a b Whether all the things belonging to Aarons are to be abrogated 118 a b. Princes must serue God two manner of waies 60 a b Whether it be lawfull for them to flie in persecution 77 b 78 a Their dutie and their misbehauiour 19 a What danger followeth their error 21 b The care of religion belongeth vnto them 60 b 61 a What is to be obserued in the worship we doo to them 157 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the difference betwixt it and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 106 b 107 a Promises of God of temporall things include spirituall 166 b What those to Abraham doo teach vs 149 b Of them that were annexed to the préesthood of Leui 28 a b. Prophesie what the same is and the affinitie thereof with faith 151 a The spirit thereof giuen to the wicked 104 a Prophets among Gods people euen in the time of their bondage in Aegypt 158 b Why the primitiue church had more than we now haue 151 a b The maner of them in warning men 147 a Prouidence cannot be separated from God and why 129 b Predestination is a part thereof 130 b Why the doctrine of it is profitable 129 b The decrées therof are immutable 130 a The definition of it 129 b The largenes of it 130 a What frute the doctrine thereof bringeth 46 b 47 a It doth not take awaie chance 130 a The vniuersalitie therof 153 b 154 a How it dooth gouerne things 130 a Those things which séeme to happen by chance are gouerned thereby 130 a All things are definite and certeine in respect thereof 130 a It taketh not awaie counsels admonitions corrections c. 130 a b. Punishment vpon the children for the parents done by God 170 b 171 a b Whether it haue power in it selfe to purge sinne 147 b How it is ment that euerie one shall beare that which is due to his owne sinne 170b 171 a Purpose of GOD in calling effectuallie 115 a Q. QVailes why they were giuen to the Israelits in the euening 161 b 162 a Quantitie commeth after substance 207 a Whether a humane bodie can consist without it 205 b 206 a b 207 a whether a bodie consisting of it may be without quantitatiue measure 221 b whether it and substance may be put apart 225 b Mathematicall not reallie diuisible 230 b Whether the bodie of Christ after his resurrection wanted it 221 b 222 a c. Quarels would be at no end if we should giue place to wrath 115 b Question touching the magistrate in certeine cases of iustice 142 a Touching a lawe in Exodus about a deflowred maid 142 a About swearing not by the name of God onelie 142 a Questions disputed of about the Eucharist 175. Vnprofitable must be reiected 89 b R. RAinebowe and what we haue to learne and gather by the same 148 b A shadowe of the couenant of mans redemption therein 148 b Rebecca whether she may be excused in preferring the yoonger sonne before the elder 153 b Reconciliation a key belonging to the church 26 b 27 a Regenerate subiect vnto falling 119 b The state of frée will in them 129 a 124 a b 125 a b 163 b Diuerse defects in them of dooing good 104 b They cannot be without sinnes 125 b They are not onelie méere men but men of God 124 b 125 a 129 a Their acceptable works 129 a Not regenerate and the state of them touching the dooing of good and bad 105 a Their vertues are frutelesse 47 b 48 a Their fréewill 126 a b 127 a 102 a b 163 b Necessitie of sinning in them 105 a b 126 b How they knowe things naturall and supernaturall 103 b 104 a What they can doo in the lawe of God 102 b How their will is toward celestiall things 108 a Regeneration of the bodie 140 b Signified
concerning Christ through the persuasion of the holie Ghost vnto saluation proposition 7 Besides the righteousnesse of Christ imputed vnto vs through faith we grant that there is yet giuen vnto those men that are iustified another certeine inherent righteousnesse and that the same is gotten by good works and holie exercises proposition 8 We grant that there is an inherent and gotten righteousnesse and such as is acceptable vnto God and necessarie vnto saluation proposition 9 By an inherent and obteined righteousnesse men though they be holie cannot stand in the iudgement of God proposition 10 To the obteining of Christs righteousnesse and remission of sinnes which by faith we apprehend works doo not concur as part of the causes of them Probable proposition 1 THe ceremonies of the lawe which conteined Christ apprehended by faith may be granted to haue iustified proposition 2 When we saie that we be iustified by faith we iudge that faith must be vnderstood for the disposition and power whereby we be made capable of the remission of sinnes and righteousnesse of Christ proposition 3 We grant that a man is iustified by works howbeit that is touching inherent righteousnesse and reward by the which righteousnes we first obteine a good and holie life of God Propositions out of the xvi and xvij chapters of the booke of Genesis Necessarie proposition 1 THe couenant of the fathers and that which we now haue after the comming of Christ is all one as touching the foundation thereof which is Christ although there be some difference in rites and ceremonies proposition 2 Circumcision and baptisme as touching the matter of the sacrament be all one notwithstanding the difference of the ceremonie proposition 3 The infants of christians when they be borne doo no lesse belong vnto GOD than did in old time the children of the Iewes therefore must they in like maner be baptised with water as those were circumcised proposition 4 A sacrament is an outward signe instituted by God to signifie and exhibite grace to them that rightlie receiue it proposition 5 Sacraments in the old testament not onelie signified but also did exhibite the grace of God proposition 6 Sacraments are no cause of grace but they are instruments which God vseth while he sanctifieth them that be his proposition 7 Sacraments are not so necessarie instruments as God hath altogither tied his power vnto them as though without them he were not able to giue saluation proposition 8 As sacraments cannot without a verie gréeuous crime be neglected so are they receiued with excéeding great commoditie proposition 9 Circumcision is a sacrament deliuered vnto the fathers by God to signifie and exhibite regeneration to those which rightlie receiued it proposition 10 The children of the Iewes although they died before the eight daie vncircumcised yet they were saued and no lesse are the children of the christians if they die before baptisme Probable proposition 1 THe Iewes which at this daie resist Christ by their infidelitie belong not to the couenant of God made to the fathers proposition 2 The promises of GOD are not yet fulfilled in the Iewes so far as concerneth their generation according to the flesh therefore the nation of those men is not altogither strange from the couenant of God proposition 3 When Abraham laie with his handmaid therein did neither himselfe nor his wife sinne proposition 4 Those handmaidens which certeine of the patriarchs married for wiues were not through that matrimonie exempted from the state of bondage Propositions out of the xviij and xix chapters of the booke of Genesis Necessarie proposition 1 THe bowing of the bodie which for honour sake Abraham shewed vnto the angels is not to be accused as belonging to idolatrie proposition 2 It is not necessarilie gathered by the number of those angels or spéeches had betwéene them and Abraham that there be thrée persons in one diuine nature proposition 3 Although the measure of sinnes be certeine beyond which GOD deferreth not his vengeance yet dooth not our naturall knowledge perceiue the same proposition 4 God dooth otherwhile for his elect sake spare countries and cities but he dooeth it not alwaies proposition 5 There can be no lawe set vnto the iustice of God that we should appoint that bicause there are found iust men in place therfore God should spare it proposition 6 A recompensing of sinnes must not be allowed that a man may commit a lesse sinne least another fall into a greater or by anie meanes be vexed proposition 7 Lies though they be officious ought to be auoided proposition 8 God dooth communicate with his ministers the properties of some of his actions proposition 9 The ouerthrowing of the Sodomits dooth shew vs an example of the last iudgement proposition 10 The infants which perished in the destruction of Sodom were not vniustlie punished Probable proposition 1 THey which were interteined of Abraham in a banket and went to ouerthrowe Sodom were angels not the thrée natures which we worship in the holie Trinitie proposition 2 Hope is so much the more increased in godâ—… men as by the diuine grace they are adorned with manie gifts proposition 3 If there be anie place longer spared by God where much wickednesse reigneth we must thinke that God hath there his elect although they be secret Propositions out of the 19. and 20. chapters of the booke of Genesis Necessarie proposition 1 THose things which were not rightlie doone by the fathers we cannot rightlie excuse them vnder this title as to saie that they were no sinnes bicause they were shadowes of the new testament proposition 2 Ignorance dooth not altogither excuse the daughters of Lot from sinne when they laie with their father proposition 3 It becommeth not a godlie man to séeke for comfort in droonkennesse when he is pressed with aduersities proposition 4 Droonkards must be excommunicated proposition 5 In the vice of droonkennesse the alienation of the mind is not sinne but the punishment following immoderate drinking which in verie déed is sinne proposition 6 The obseruation of dreames is not generallie forbidden by God but onelie a vaine and superstitious obseruation proposition 7 It is lawfull to obserue dreames either bicause men by them are otherwhile warned of God or bicause by a naturall consent they shew some things vnto vs. proposition 8 The prophesie which in the holie scriptures is allowed is the power to discerne secrets through the light of God granted vnto men by the holie Ghost without the addition of the doctrine of men proposition 9 There is no necessarie affinitie betwéene prophesie and faith that iustifieth proposition 10 It is proper vnto godlinesse to refer all things vnto a diuine cause Probable proposition 1 THe euils which are committed by droonkards must be ascribed or not ascribed to them according as they haue willinglie or vnaduisedlie béene droonken with excesse proposition 2 Bicause lust doth lesse oppresse the reason than wine dooth therefore droonkards if they commit anie thing amisse are more to