said O mors ero mors tua Ose 13. morsus tuus ero inferne Oh death I will be thy death oh hell I will be thy destruction that is to saie I will destroie and abolish death and hell in such sort that they shall not anie more be able to hurt me nor my church or congregation from henceforth FALSIL. Whie did there manie others rise with Christ after his passion Matt. 27. as the euangelists doo make mention and came into the holie citie VERIL. To the end that we should beléeue This was a figure of the resurrection that Christ would raise vp his whole church in the latter daie and that his church should haue eternall saluation wherein the faithfull shall enioie the fruition and the sight of God with the most swéete loue of him during all eternitie the beginning of which estate of life is perceiued and knowne in the resurrection of Christ that we should not be doubtfull of the remainder of another and better life after our temporall death in this world and that at the generall resurrection all both the quicke and dead shall be rewarded according to their works doone here in this world good or euill FALSIL. He that calleth vpon one God the maker of heauen and earth calleth vpon the true God The Turkes and Iewes call vpon one God the maker of heauen and earth Therefore they call vpon the true God VERIL. I denie the minor For the Turkes and Iewes calling vpon one God they denie him to be the true God the maker of all things which is the father of our Lord Iesus Christ The infidels call not vpon the true God Therefore they call vpon an idoll and not vpon the true God Further they cannot be certeine by hearesaie first bicause they haue no promise next bicause they reiect and as it were cast from them the sonne of God the mediatour cruellie blaspheme him and tyrannouslie persecute him in the members of his church and chosen vessels to saluation FALSIL. What is the finall end of Christes incarnation VERIL. It is to béecome a sacrifice for his church and that he might be present with hir quicken hir by the gift of the Holie-ghost and might raise vs vp vnto eternall life Therfore the sonne of God is not onelie a redeemer reconciling vs to his father by the merit of his death but he is a sauiour in effect Esaie 7. Matth 1. Dani. 12. whereby he is called Emanuell that is to saie God with vs. And the prophet saith Christ standeth Pro filijs populi propugnans eos For to defend the children of the people FALSILOQVVS For how manie causes is the church of God subiect to the crosse of afflictions VERILOQVVS There be sixe causes of the churches afflictions The first cause is common and pertinent to all men that is to wit sinne or the corruption of nature following the fall of our first parents and spred abroad by generation into all their posteritie And of this cause it was said Gene. 3. In quacunque die comederis morte morieris Whensoeuer thou doost eate of the trée thou shalt die the death And againe Rom. 5. Per vnum hominem peccatum in mundum intrauit per peccatum mors By one man sinne came into the world and by sinne came death The philosophers make will and matter the cause of sickenesse and of death as the substance of an apple is the cause of his putrifaction But these are not the principall causes The principall and chéefe cause of sickenesse and death is sinne for the which mans nature is subiect to corruption and death And the second cause truelie whie the church or congregation of God is more subiect to the crosse and miserie than other men are is the diuell which bicause he hateth God he inuadeth his church the more gréeuouslie than anie other companie The third cause is bicause God would haue his wrath against sinne to be perceiued and knowne which the wicked companie and the epicurean sort doo securelie contemne and scoffe at The fourth cause is for that the church hath also hir sinnes which must be mortified by the crosse of afflictions The fift is bicause God would haue our afflictions to be the testimonies of his presence in his church when he deliuereth vs by his diuine power The sixt cause is that we should be certeine that there remaineth another iudgement in the which the godlie that haue béene afflicted in this life as Iohn the baptist and Paule with others shall be rewarded and the wicked as Herod Nero and such other shall be punished with eternall death bicause it is impossible that the godlie people should be alwaies in miserie and the wicked contrariewise should be still in pleasure FALSIL. Whie dooth Christ call the diuell Iohn 16. the prince of the world VERIL. He dooth not call him so in respect that he is the maker and the guider of the world which is the onelie worke of God but bicause he dooth beare rule in worldlie men and such as are not new borne which securelie giue themselues ouer to sinne whom the diuell leadeth whither it listeth him according to his will and pleasure holding them still to be his bondslaues captiues and thralles as long as they liue licentiouslie The holie apostle also calleth him the gouernour of such liuers Ephe. 2. saieng Ye walked in time past according to the course of this world Ac iuxta principem cui potestas est aeris qui est spiritus nunc agens in filijs cōtumacibus And after the gouernour that ruleth in the aier the spirit that now worketh in the children of vnbeléefe and disobedience FALSIL. What dooth Christ meane by the world in the gospell Iohn 16. VERIL. He meaneth worldlie and carnall men which falslie and wickedlie iudge of Christ and of the doctrine of his church of whom there be foure sorts First the mightie men of power iudge the doctrine of the gospell to be Seditiosam Luc. 23. seditious 1. Cor. 1. The wisemen of the world suppose it to be Stultitiam foolishnesse Matt. 26. The iusticiaries accompt it to be Blasphemiam in Deum blasphemie against God The Epicures doo esteeme the gospell to be Anilem fabulam commentitiam an old wines fained fable Psalm 14. as for example The foole said in his heart Non est Deus There is no God And the first psalme calleth such persons Derisores scorners Thus we sée that these foure kind of people mightie men of power worldlie wisemen iusticiaries that is such as suppose they can make themselues righteous in the sight of God by the merit of their owne workes and Epicures which do make Summum bonum their chéefe felicitie to be in all voluptuous carnall and licentious liuing with greedines thereof beléeuing as the Saduces did that after our death there is no part of man remaining These foure sorts are taken for the world in the scriptures of
to haue of the holie Trinitie VERILOQVVS THe same which the Church holdeth and alloweth of that there is one true liuing and eternall God Iohn 4. Iohn 1. 1. Tim. 6. 2. Cor. 13. Ioh. 1.4.6 Sap. 11. the which is without bodie partes and passions bicause he is a spirit whom neuer anie man yet saw neither can sée nor know but Christ for he can not be séene with carnall eies and he is the God of peace and loue louing all and hating nothing that he hath made he is of infinite power wisdome goodnes and mercie the creatour preseruer and nourisher of all things visible and inuisible which deliuereth vs from euill Esai 43. Iohn 3. Rom. 5. And in the vnitie of this same diuine nature there are thrée distinct persons of the like power essence wisdome glorie and eternitie that is to saie the Father the Sonne and the Holie-ghost which are the blessed Trinitie And the sonne of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 patris Iohn 1. the word of the father is the second person in this Trinitie the true euerlasting glorious and omnipotent God 2. Cor. 4. Col. 1. begotten before all worlds of his eternall father and is his verie image being of like substance togither with him Col. 2. in whome are the treasures of wisdome and of knowledge and fulnes of diuine power He tooke vpon him in the wombe of the blessed virgin Marie humane nature of hir substance and was borne in the world in somuch that there is conioined fullie and perfectlie in the vnitie of person a double nature neuer to be separated that is the nature of God and of man wherof is made one Christ perfect God and perfect man sinne onlie excepted who suffered vnder Pontius Pilate 1. Tim 2. 1. Ioh. 2.4 Eph. 3. Rom. 5.8 Act. 2. and became the mediator betwéene God and man that in him onlie should be found the sufficiencie of remission of all sinnes both originall and actuall for all them that euer were or shal be vpon the face of the earth And the Holie-ghost is the third person in this Trinitie which procéedeth from the father and the sonne and is the holie and diuine power 1. Rom. 10 whereby mens harts are renewed from heauen he is of like essence power glorie and maiestie with the father and the sonne with whome he is coequall coeternall and God euerlasting by whome we comprehend the things of God for he giueth witnesse to our harts 1. Iohn 2. that we are of God by the which also Rom. 1. Gal. 5. 1. Pet. 2. we call vpon the father with confidence faith to be saued by Christ which is the bishop of our soules FALSIL. God made all things and without him was made nothing that was made Iohn 1. Wisd 1. But God made not death sin nor the diuell Therefore God made not all things VERIL. The fallacie lieth in the consequent which must be denied Almightie God that is all wisdome infinit power and goodnes created all things in such excellent goodnes that it is said Valde sunt bona Gen. 1. They were all passing good and God saw that they were good then he blessed them and his sentence is not to be reuoked bicause he being without bodie parts and passions cannot repent And as the diuell was not euer a diuell from the beginning for the Apostle saith Angeli qui non seruarunt originem suam Iude. The Angels which kept not there first estate so he was created and that an Angell of light and not a diuell Colos 3. For God being most perfectly good could not consent to make anie thing but that which was good and his owne pride made himselfe a diuell the author of sinne the heire of eternall fier Matt. 25. Then he tempting our first parents by the apple of disobedience made them likewise so sinfull that by Adam we are all sinners Rom. 5. of whome we haue the inclination to doo euill and then consequentlie followed death and was engendred of our said parents déeds as the onelie fruite of their lewd stubborne disobedience which they learned of Sathans disobedience Sic diaboli inuidia Wisd 2. mors intrauit in mundum So by the enuie of the diuell death entred into the world Rom. 6. And S. Paule saith Stipendium peccati mors est Death is the reward of sinne which still increased and wickednes multiplied by the reason men were tempted drawne awaie and entised of their owne concupiscence Iacob 1. then lust conceiued and brought foorth sinne and sin when it was finished brought foorth death So that then God tooke vnto him death for the punishment of sinne that therewith he might correct the wicked teaching them that transgressors might not lawfullie sin without punishment So it is said in another place Ignis Eccle. 39. grando fames mors omnia haec creata sunt ad vindictam Fier haile hunger and death all these are created for vengeance that is to saie after the fall of man God appointed and exercised all these things for the punishment of the wicked wherby he tooke vengeance of his enimies Rom. 1. and dooth vse them as an instrument to strike the wicked withall and oftentimes dooth punish one sinne with another Thus we doo now see Iaco. 1.17 that Omne donum bonum ac perfectum à patre luminum Euerie good and perfect gift commeth downe from the father of lights and that he made not death sinne nor the diuell in his diuelishnes from the beginning Wisd 1. for he is not delighted in Perditione viuorum in the destruction of the liuing nor can be the author of anie damnation though his wrath and iustice powreth downe his plagues vpon the children of disobedience and vnbeléefe dailie Esaie 5. bicause they drawe sinne vnto them as it were with a cart rope according to the prophets saieng FALSIL. How much shall adulterie be punished by the censure of Gods holie word VERIL. Adulterie which is the violation and breach of the faith promised in mariage a thing odious and forbidden of God Exod. 20. Leui. 18. Deut. 5. is so gréeuouslie punished of him that all adulterers shall without they doo truelie repent bée cast awaie into vtter darkenes 1. Corin. 6. Hebru 13. Ierem. 8. which is without the kingdome of God And if men doo not punish adulterers God himselfe will surelie punish them 2. Reg. 12. As we haue an example of king Dauids sonne which Vrias wife bare vnto him whom the Lord so stroke with sicknes for the adulterie of his father that it fell sicke and died the seuenth daie after Mala. 3. Thus the Lord himselfe verelie will be a swift witnes against all adulterers FALSIL. Carnall copulation is the ordinarie meanes onelie for mankind to be encreased and multiplied and to fill the world Genesi 1. God commanded Adam and Eue to encrease and multiplie and fill the world
separating themselues from the holie father the popes church VERIL. I denie the consequent bicause that separation or schisme was necessarie and godlie For either it was a singular calling as Iohn the baptist departed from the ordinarie power or else they did it for the vniuersall commandement of God which bindeth and compelleth all men that they must depart from the companie which imbraseth wicked doctrine and false worshippings according to such commandement as this is Fuge idola and Non habebis deos alienos coram me Exod. 20. Thou shalt haue none other gods but me This vniuersall commandement is greater and of more force than a singular calling therefore all men must willinglie obeie it FALSIL. What is the cause that Turkes Iewes Infidels and manie Christians are not partakers of Christs benefits but are damned VERIL. The cause is they cannot aâ—â—â—e vnto themselues the benefits of the sonne of God by faith which is the redéemer of all men Et dedit vitaÌ„suaÌ„ redemptioneÌ„ pro multis 2. Cor. 1. And gaue his life a redemption for manie 1. Tim. 2. Matt. 20. Exod. 15. and it was prefigured in the deliuering of the children of Israell But they being reprobates contemne these things and as it were cast awaie from them the sonne of God blaspheming him as the Turkes Iewes and manie others doo which beare the onelie names and outward shews of Christians but in their déeds and actions they are woorse than Pharisies that outwardlie séeme to blesse him with their mouths and cursse him with their liues and manners Therefore they are not heard of God when they aske of him FALSIL. Whatsoeuer saith Christ ye shall aske the Father in my name Iohn 16. he will giue it you If I aske a kingdome of him he will giue it me Bicause he is true VERIL. The minor is not true And distinction may be vsed in answering hereof For though that God be the author and giuer of euerie good and perfect gift both spirituall Iacob 1. and bodilie yet he giueth them and bestoweth them on such as pleaseth him when where and in such sort and quantitie as it best séemeth to his good and fatherlie prouidence So that we must not appoint him either the time measure or meane of his gifts but in all causes whatsoeuer we must tarrie the leasure of the Lord Qui benedictus est in omnibus vijs suis Psal 145. sanctus in operibus Which is blessed in all his waies and holie in all his workes And as his giftes be in number infinit in quantitie vnmesurable and in nature euerie one most excellent good both spirituall and corporall so he bestoweth them alwaies vpon his both spirituallie and corporallie Spirituallie for the furniture and beautifieng of the mind and soule of man as faith grace will wit memorie learning cunning and science And corporallie for the endowing and encreasing the outward happines of the bodie of man as helth beautie strength riches power and possessions In all which petitions made for the gifts of God we must follow the generall rule that our sauiour Christ hath prescribed vnto all flesh saieng Primùm quaerite regnum Dei iustitiam eius Matth. 6. adijcientur vobis omnia haec First séeke ye the kingdome of God and the righteousnes therof and all these things shall be giuen you meaning thereby that we shall haue all worldlie things the easier and with lesse trauell Then we must aske nothing hurtfull to the right of the church wherby the seruice of God shall be diminished our neighbour or common wealth impaired nor anie thing that should be an hinderance to our owne saluation To aske a kingdome when we cannot well guide our owne priuate estate we shall offend God because we haue not to appoint him the measure of his giftes happilie hurt the condition of manie hazard our owne soules Therefore we must content our selues with our owne calling remembring the holie Apostles saieng 1. Tim. 6. Quastus magnus pietas cum sufficientia Godlinesse is great riches if a man be contented with that he hath For 1. Cor. 7. Vnusquisque donum suum proprium habet ex Deo Euerie man hath his proper gift of God and he dooth sometimes as it were bridle and hold backe his seruants from committing sinne and wickednes togither with the world by the bit and bridle of scarsitie and penurie knowing bicause he is the searcher of the hart reines that if some might haue their harts desire and might enioy the fruit of their owne inuentions they would ignorantlie seeke their owne destruction by excesse Therefore it is written Rom. 8. Penuriam multo meliùs feras quà m saturitatem A man may better awaie with penurie than with saturitie God that made man knoweth what is in man and what estate is best for euerie man FALSIL. Wherefore doo the philosophers saie that mans will is cause of his owne miseries VERIL. Bicause men willinglie though vnwares procure to themselues manie miseries as for example Antonius at Rome willing to wage warre against Augustus was causer of his owne harmes 2. Reg. 11. King Dauid by taking awaie Vrias wife procured himselfe manie calamities Thus oftentimes mans wilfull mind is his owne miserie for that they are snared with pleasures and voluptuous liuing without Gods spirit as fishes are taken with the bait FALSIL. He calleth vpon the true God which calleth vpon one God maker of heauen and earth which is almightie wise iust good The Turkes and the present Iewes doo call vpon one God maker of heauen and earth which is almightie iust and good Therefore they call vpon the true God and shall be heard VERIL. I denie the minor because the Turkes doo call vpon their idoll yea rather I may saie they doo call vpon nothing For they doo not call vpon that God which is the father of our Lord Iesus Christ or which is the father the sonne and the Holie-ghost the which God hath manifested or opened himselfe in his word And because they doo not call vpon God in faith and knowledge of our mediator they are not heard for Christ saith Iohn 16. Nemo venit ad patrem nisi per me No man commeth vnto the father but by me Againe Iohn 14. Quicquid petieritis patrem in nomine meo dabit vobis What so euer ye shall aske the father in my name he will giue it you Therefore Turkes and Iewes doo erre from God two waies in essence will wherof without Christ our mediator there can be nothing rightlie determined FALSIL. What are the true principall causes of death and other the calamities of mankind VERIL. There be two causes the first and principall cause is sin which Adam committing departed from God and afterward spred into all men that is to saie the infirmitie of our corrupt nature and inclination to all euill The second cause is Rom. 5. the tyrannie of the diuell increasing by
dooth a man liue by the word of God VERIL. Séeing that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is the second person of the diuinitie it is immediatlie effectuall in them that beléeue when it is spoken susteining and comforting them and bringing it to passe maruellouslie that they are nourished and defended thereby as Christ speaketh of himselfe Ego sum via Iohn 14. veritas vita I am she waie the veritie and the life And in another place Iohn 10. Egò vitam aeternam do eis I giue them eternall life FALSIL. The church is the house of God 2. Reg. 12. and the piller of truth Therefore the church dooth not erre VERIL. I may answer the maior by distinction First the church is the house of God and the piller of truth which is vniuersallie true Bicause some members of the church though they be verie few do alwaies obserue the truth Such were these among the people of God Marie Ioseph Zacharie Elizabeth Iohn the baptist Simeon Anna the prophetesse and others in the time of Christ So Iohn the baptist certeinlie knew the Messias to be the sacrifice for all the world when he saied Iohn 1. Ecce agnus Dei qui tollit peccata mundi Behold the lambe of God that taketh awaie the sinnes of the world Which thing the apostles knew not before the Holie-ghost was giuen them And except this error had béene corrected amongst them they had perished Secondlie manie doo erre in the church yet diuerslie some in the foundation that is in the knowledge of the lawe and of the gospell or in the articles of our faith and stubbornelie defend their error as the papists defend their error of the doubt whether we be in the fauour and grace of God or no Articl 10. contrarie to the article of our faith Credo remissionem peccatorum I beléeue the forgiuenes of sinnes Also they mainteine inuocation and praier to saints As long as they wilfullie continue in these errors and others like they are no true members of the church And others erre in common traditions as about eating of flesh and such others as S. Peter noluit edere de immundis Acts. 10. would not eate of vncleane things FALSIL. Dooth the diuell giue the kingdoms and riches of this world VERIL. No bicause it is written in the prophet Dani. 2. Dominus transfert regna atque constituit illa The Lord dooth transferre kingdomes and appoint them And againe it is said Domini est terra Psal 33. plenitudo eius The earth is the Lords and the fulnes thereof FALSIL. Abraham beleeued that his posteritie should inherit the promised land of Canaan Gen. 12. and that his posteritie should be increased as the starres of heauen and as the sand of the sea Therefore S. Paule erred in applieng the example of Abraham to the faith of spirituall things as the forgiuenes of sinnes and eternall life VERIL. I denie the consequent Bicause corporall promises doo include in them the spirituall promise namelie the reconciliation of sinnes for without that the corporall promise is vnprofitable If truelie a man doo not determine that God is at peace with vs and dooth iustifie vs for the loue of Christ Iesus Rom. 8. he can neither aske neither beléeue to receiue corporall gifts as his liuing and defensement in safegard Therefore it is verie requisite that faith touching spirituall things be manifest in our praier Hereof it is that Abraham beléeued the first and principall promise of God Gene. 22. for the séed that should be borne of his posteritie whereby he himselfe and all his ofspring with all nations should be blessed likewise it is said Ero Deus tuus seminis tui post te I will be thy God and the God of thy séed after thée FALSILOQVVS What be the causes of our temptations and falling awaie from God VERILOQVVS There be two chéefe causes First mans imbecillitie and weakenes bicause by Adam we are all sinners and haue of him the inclination to doo euill And the apostle saith Rom. 5. Vnusquisque dum tentatur a propria concupiscentia abstrahitur inescatur Euerie one when he is tempted he is drawne awaie and entised of his owne concupiscence Then sinne groweth consequentlie Iacob 1. first by suggestion next by consent of our spirit and last of all by the pleasure that our flesh taketh to fulfill that suggestion and consent Then we fulfill our lewd desires with gréedinesse contrarie to the mind of the apostle which saith Desideria carnis non perficietis Galat. 5. Ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Secondlie the diuell intiseth vs by innumerable meanes secretlie to commit much wickednes yea and that some time against nature as Medea by temptation killed hir owne children Sodome Gomorrha Adama Sebim and Segor sinned against nature and also Iudas in betraieng Christ his redéemer of whom the euangelist saieth Iohn 13. Diabolus in Iudam post sumptam offulam ingressus est The diuell entred into Iudas after that he had receiued the sop So the diuell still letteth our right iudgement in the vnderstanding of the doctrine necessarie for our saluation he putteth darknesse into our harts confirmeth errors in our minds wherefore S. Peter saith Diabolus circuit nos 1. Pet. 5. quaerens quem deuoret The diuell goeth about vs seeking whom he may deuoure and spreddeth abrode such nets of temptations and vices alwaies as he perceiueth vs to be most addicted and giuen vnto FALSIL. What ought christian men to doo when the sting of sinne and worme of conscience dooth bite them VERIL. First they must in no case despaire as though they were not written in the scroll of the liuing And although we be most sinfull all the whole packe of vs in déed yet we must learne of the apostle to saie Rom. 5. Exsuperat gratia super peccatum Grace is more aboundant than sinne we must confesse our sinnes and be trulie repentant for them then may we Cum fiducia ad thronum gratiae accedere Hebru 4. Drawe néere to the throne of grace with hope and confidence in him that is the onelie propitiation and obteiner of mercie for them all that be such We must set before vs the example of such as truelie repented as Manasses Marie Magdalene Peter and the théefe vpon the crosse we must fullie persuade our selues to be predestinate and elected to saluation if we assent to the word of God and beleeue the gospell according to this saieng Quos elegit hos vocauit Whom he hath chosen those hath he also called Next we must thinke that the commandement of God is alwaies immutable how that we must beléeue the sonne of God which saith It is not the will of your father which is in heauen Matth. 18. Vt pereat vnus de pusillis istis That one of these little ones should perish Thirdlie we must thinke that the