doo amisse that after this simple promise of the protection of God alone we still looke about from whense other helpe maye come vnto vs. But for as muche as it pleaseth the Lorde of his infinite clemencie and gentilnesse to helpe this our fault there is no reason why we shoulde neglect his so great benefite An example therof we haue in the seruant of Elizeus whiche when he sawe the hill besieged with the army of the Syrians that there was no way open to escape was striken downe with feare as if his maister and he were then vtterly destroied Then Elizeus praied God to open his seruantes eies and by and by he sawe the hill furnished with horses and fiery chariots that is with a multitude of angels to kepe hym and the prophet safe Encouraged with this vision he gathered vp his hart again was able with a dredelesse mynde to loke down vpon his enemies with sight of whom he was before in a maner driuen out of his witte Wherfore what soeuer is saide of the ministerie of Angels let vs applie it to this ende that ouercommyng all distrust oure hope may bee the more strongely stablished in God For these succours are herefore prouided vs of God that we should not be made afrayde with multitude of enemies as though they coulde preuayle against his helpe but shuld flie vnto that saying of Elizeus that there be mo on our side than be against vs. Howe muche then is it against order of reason that we should be ledde away from God by Angels whiche are ordeined for this purpose to rectifie that his helpe is more present amonge vs But they doo leade vs away in dede if they doo not streight leade vs as it were by the hande to hym that we may haue eie vnto call vpon and publishe hym for our onely helper if we consider not theim to be as his handes that moue them selues vnto worke but by his direction if they do not holde vs faste in the one Mediatoure Christe so that we maye hang wholly of hym leane all vpon hym be caried to hym and reste in him For that whiche is described in the vision of Iacob ought to sticke and be fastened in our myndes howe Angels descende downe to the earth vnto men and from men doo go vp to heauen by a ladder whervppon standeth the Lorde of hostes Wherby is meant that by the only intercession of Christe it cometh to passe that the ministeries of the Angels doo come vnto vs as he hym selfe affirmeth saying Hereafter ye shall see the heauens open and the Angelles descendynge to the Sonne of man Ioh. i.li. Therfore the seruant of Abraham beyng cōmitted to the custody of the Angell dooth not therfore call vpon the Angell to helpe hym but holpen with that commendation he praieth to the Lord and besecheth hym to shewe his mercy to Abraham For as God doeth not therfore make them ministers of his power and goodnesse to the intēt to parte his glory with them so dooth he not therefore promise vs his helpe in their ministration that we shoulde diuide our confidence betwene hym and them Let vs therfore forsake that Platonical◠philosophie to seeke the way to God by Angels and to honour them for this purpose that they may make God more gentill vnto vs whiche superstitious and curious men haue from the beginnyng gone about and to this day doo continue to bryng into our religion As for suche thynges as the Scripture teacheth concernyng deuilles they tende in a maner al to this ende that we may be careful to beware aforehande of their awaites and preparations and furnishe our selues with suche weapons as ar stronge and sure enough to driue away euen the strongest enemies For where as Sathan is called the God and prince of this worlde where as he is named the strong armed man the Spirite that hath power of the ayre and a roaryng lyon these descriptions serue to no other purpose but to make vs more ware and watchefull and readier to entre in battayle with hym Whiche is also somtyme set out in expresse woordes For Peter after he had sayd that the diuell goeth about like a roaryng lyon sekyng whom he may deuoure by and by addeth this exhortation that we strongly resiste hym by Faith And Paul after he had geuen warnyng that we wrastle not with fleshe and bloud but with the princes of the ayre the powers of darkenesse and spirituall wickednesses by and by biddeth vs put on suche armoure as may serue for so greate and daungerous a battayle Wherfore lette vs also applie all to this ende that beyng warned howe there dooth continually approche vpon vs an enemie yea an ennemy that is in courage most hardy in strength most mighty in policies most suttle in diligence celeritie vnweriable with all sortes of engins plentuously furnished in skill of warre most ready we suffer not our selues by slouthe and cowardise to be surprised but on the other syde with bolde and hardy mindes set our foote to resist him and because this warre is only ended by Death encourage our selues to continue But specially knowyng oure owne weaknesse and vnskilfulnesse let vs call vppon the helpe of God and enterprise nothyng but vpon trust of hym for as muche as it is in hym onely to geue vs policie strengthe courage and armour And that we shoulde be the more stirred vp and enforced so to do the Scripture warneth vs that ther are not one or two or a fewe enemies but great armies that make warre with vs. For it is sayde that Mary Magdalene was deliuered from seuen deuyls wherwith she was possessed And Christe sayth that it is the ordinary custome that if after a deuill bee ones caste out a man make the place open agayne he bryngeth seuen spirites worse than him self retourneth into his possession fynding it empty Yea it is saide that a whole legion besieged one man Hereby therefore we are taught that we muste fight with an infinite multitude of enemies least despisyng the fewenesse of them we shulde be more slacke to enter in bataile or thinkyng that we haue som respite in the meane tyme graunted we shoulde geue our selues to idelnesse Where as many tymes Sathan or the diuell is named in the singular numbre thereby is meant that power of wickednesse whiche standeth agaynste the kyngdome of Iustice. For as the Churche and the felowship of saintes haue Christe to their head so the faction of the wycked is paynted out vnto vs with their prince that hath the chiefe authoritie among them After which maner this is spoken Go ye cursed into eternall fyre that is prepared for the deuill and his angels Here also this oughte to stirre vs vp to a pepetuall warre with the diuell for that he is euery where called the enemy of God and of vs. For if we haue regarde of Goddes glory as it is mete we shoulde then ought we with all
necessitie prouoketh his wrath bicause it is a breache of the law vpon whiche the iudgement of God is pronounced without exception and that the sinnes of the holyones are veniall or pardonable not of their owne nature but bicause they obteyne pardon by the mercie of God The. ix Chapter ¶ That Christ although he was knowen to the Iewes vnder the law yet was deliuered only by the Gospell BYcause it pleased God in the olde time not vainely by expiations and sacrifices to declare himself a Father and not in vayne he did consecrate a chosen people to himselff euen then without doubte he was knowen in the same image wherein he now appereth to vs with full brightnesse Therefore Malachie after that he had bidden the Iewes to take hede to the law of Moses to continue in studie thereof bicause after his death there should come a certaine interruption of the office of the Prophetes did forthwith declare that there shuld arise a sonne of righteousnesse In which wordes he teacheth that the lawe auaileth to this purpose to hold the godly in expectation of Christ to come but yet that there was muche more light to be hoped for when he should be come in deede For this reason doth Peter say that the Prophetes did make searche and diligently enquire of the saluation that is now opened by the Gospell and that it was reueled vnto them that they should minister not to themselues nor to their owne age but vnto vs those thinges that are declared by the Gospel Not that their doctrine was vnprofitable to the people in olde time or nothing auailed themselues but bicause thei enioyed not the treasure which God sent vnto vs by their hand For at this day the grace wherof they testified is familiarly set before our eyes And wheras they did but a litle sippe of it there is offred vnto vs a more plentiful enioyeng therof Therefore Christ himself whiche affirmeth that he had witnesse borne him by Moses yet extolleth the mesure of grace wherby we excel the Iewes For speaking to the Disciples he sayd Blessed are the eyes that see that whiche ye see blessed are the eares that here ath at whiche ye heare For many kinges Prophetes haue wished it haue not obteined it This is no smal coÌ„mendation of the reuelyng of the gospel that God preferred vs before the holy fathers that excelled in rare godlinesse With whiche sentence that other place disagreeth not where it is sayd that Abraham saw the daye of Christ and reioysed For though the sight of a thing farre distant was somwhat darke yet he wanted nothyng to the assurance of good hope And thense came that ioye whiche accompanied the holy Prophet euen to his death And that sayeng of Iohn Baptist No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten that is in the bosome of the father hath declared him vnto vs doth not exclude the godly whiche had ben dead before him froÌ„ the â—elowship of the vnderstandyng light that shineth in the persone of Christ. But coÌ„paryng their estate with oures he teacheth that those misteries which thei saw but darkly vnder shadowes are manifest to vs as the author of the episte to yâ— Hebrewes doth wel set out sayeng that God diuersly and many wayes spake in olde time by the Prophetes but now by his beloued Sonne Although therefore that only begotten one which is at this day to vs the brightnesse of the glory the point of the substance of God the father was in olde time knowen to the Iewes as we haue in an other place alleaged out of Paule that he was the guide of the old deliuerance yet is it true whiche the same Paule els where teacheth that God which coÌ„maunded the light to shine out of darknesse hath nowe shined vpon our heartes to set forth the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Iesus Christ bicause when he appered in this his image he did in a maner make himself visible in comparison of the darke and shadowish forme that had ben of him before And so much the more fowle and detestable is their vnthankefulnesse peruersnesse that are here so blinde at midde daye And therefore Paule sayth that their mindes are darkened by Satan that they should not see the glorie of Christ shining in the gospell though there be no veile set betwene them and it Now I take the Gospell for the clere disclosyng of the misterie of Christ. I graunt truely that in that respect that Paul calleth the gospel the doctrine of fayth al the promises that we here and there finde in the law concernyng the free forgeuenesse of sinnes whereby God reconcileth men to himself are accompted partes therof For he coÌ„pareth faith against these terrors wherewith the conscience should be troubled vexed if saluation were to be sought by workes WherupoÌ„ foloweth that in takyng the name of the gospel largely there are coÌ„teined vnder it all the testimonies that God in old time gaue to the fathers of his mercie and fatherly fauour But in the more excellent signification of it I saye it is applied to the publishyng of the grace geuen in Christ. And that meanyng is not only receyued by common vse but also hangeth vpon the authoritie of Christ and the Apostles Whereupon this is proprely ascribed vnto him that he preached the Gospell of the kingdome And Marke maketh his preface in this maner The beginnyng of the Gospell of Iesus Christ. And there is no neede to gather places to proue a thing sufficiently knowen Christ therefore by his coÌ„myng hath made clere the life and immortalitie by the Gospell By whiche wordes Paule meaneth not that the fathers were drowned in darknesse of death vntil the sonne of God did put on flesh but clayming this prerogatiue of honour to the gospell he teacheth that it is a newe and vnwonted kinde of message whereby God performed those thinges that he had promised that the truthe of his promises shuld be fulfilled in the persone of the Sonne For although the faithful haue alway found by experieÌ„ce that same sayeng of Paule to be true that in Christ are all the promises yea and Amen bycause they were sealed in their heartes yet bicause he hath accomplished al partes of our saluation in â—his flesh therefore that selfe liuely deliueryng of the thinges rightfully obteyned a newe and singular title of prayse Whereupon cometh that sayeng of Christ Hereafter ye shall see the heauens open and the Angels of God ascendyng and descendyng vpon the sonne of manne For though he seme to haue relation vnto the ladder shewed in a vision to the Patriarch Iacob yet he setteth out the excelleÌ„cie of his coÌ„ming by this mark that he opened the gate of heauen to all men that the entrie thereof maye be stand familiarly open to all men But yet we must take hede of the deuelish imagination of Seruet
with malice ▪ yet we see how God is turned to mercy I answere that so somtimes hypocrites are spared for a time but yet so that euer the wrath of God lyeth vpō them and that is done not so much for their sakes as for common example For whereas Achab had his punishment mitigate vnto him what profit got he therby but that he should not fele it a liue in earth Therefore the curse of God although it were hidden yet had a faste abidyng place in his house and he himself went into eternall destruction This same is to be seene in Esau. For though he had a repulse yet a temporall blessyng was graunted him at his wepyng But bycause the spiritual inheritance by the oracle of God could not rest but with one of the brethren when Iacob was chosen and Esau refused that puttyng awaye did exclude the mercie of God this comfort was left him as to a beastly man that he should be fat with the fatte of the earth and the deaw of heauen And this is it that I sayd euen nowe that it ought to be referred to the example of other that we shoulde learne the more cherefully to applie our mindes and endeuours to repentāce bycause it is not to be doubted that when we are truely and hartily turned God will be ready to forgeue vs whose mercifulnesse extendeth it selfe euen to the vnworthy so longe as they shewe anye grefe at al. And therwithal we be also taught how terrible iudgemēt is prepared for all the obstinate whiche now make it a sport with no lesse shamelesse face than iron heart to despise and set nought by the threatenings of God After his manner he oftētimes reached out his hand to the childrē of Israel to releue their miseries although their cries were counterfait their heart doble and false as himself in the Psalme cōplayneth that they by by returned to their nature and so minded with so frendly gentle dealing to bryng thē to earnest conuersion or to make thē vnexcusable Yet in releasing punishmentes for a time he doth not binde himself to a perpetual law therby but rather riseth somtimes more rigorously against Hypocrites doubleth their peines that therby may appere how much fayning displeaseth him But as I haue sayd he sheweth some examples of his redinesse to geue pardon by which the godly may be encouraged to amēdement of life their pride maye be the more greuously condemned that stubbornly kick against the pricke The fourth Chapter ¶ That all that the Sophisters babble in their scholes of Penance is far from the purenesse of the Gospell Where is entreated of Confession and Satisfaction NOwe I come to discusse those thynges which the Schole sophisters haue taught of repētāce Which I wil run ouer in as few wordes as may be bycause I minde not to goe through all least this boke which I labour to draw into a short abridgment should growe to a huge greatnesse And the Sophisters haue entāgled it in so many volumes beyng a matter otherwise not very hard that a mā shal hardly finde how to get out if he ones fal into their dregges First in definyng it they shewe that they neuer vnderstode what repentāce was For thei take hold of certaine sayenges of the olde writers which do nothing at al expresse the nature of repentance as that to repent is to wepe for sinnes passed not to commit sinnes to be wept for Agayne that it is to lament euels passed and not to commit agayne other euels to be lamented Agayne that it is a certaine sorowful reuēge punishing in himself that which he is sory to haue committed Againe that it is a sorrow of heart and bitternesse of soule for the euels that a man hath cōmitted or to which he hath consented But to graunt these thinges well sayde of the fathers which a contentious man might easily enough denie yet they were not spoken to this entent to describe repentance but only to exhort thē to whom they wrote that they should not fal againe into the saine offenses out of whiche they had ben drawen But if we liste to turne all suche titles of commendation into definitions then other maye also be adioyned as rightfully as they As this of Chrysostome Repentance is a medicine that destroyeth sinne a gift geuē from heauen a maruellous vertue a grace surmounting the force of the law Yea and the doctrine which thei afterward teache is somwhat worse than these definitions For they sticke so earnestly in outward exercises that a manne can gather nothyng els out of infinite volumes but that repentance is a discipline and rigorousnesse that serueth partly to tame the fleshe and partly to chastise and punish vices but thei kepe maruellous silence of the inward renewing of the minde that draweth with it correction of life Ther is in deede muche talke among them of Contritiō Attrition thei tormēt soules with many doubtes and do thruste into them muche troble and carefulnesse but when thei seeme to haue throughly wounded the heartes thei heale the bitternesse with a light sprinkling of ceremonies And whē thei haue thus curiously defined repentance thei diuide it into contrition of hearte confession of mouthe satisfaction of worke no more logically than thei defined it although thei wolde seeme to haue wasted all their age in framinge of syllogismes But if a man will go about to proue by the definition which kinde of argument is of force among logicians that a man may wepe for his sinnes passed and committ no more to be wept for that he may bewaile his euels passed and commit no more to be bewailed and that he maye punishe himselfe for that which he was sory to haue committed c. although he do not confesse with his mouth howe will they maintaine their diuision For if that true penitent man do not confesse then repentance may be without confessiō But if thei answer that this diuision is referred to repentance in respect that it is a sacrament or is meant of the whole perfection of repentance whiche thei comprehend not in their definitions then is ther no cause to blame me but let them lay the fault in themselues that make not a purer and plainer definition I truely according to my grossnesse when any thing is disputed of do referre all things to the very definition which is the stay grounde of the whole disputation But admit that to be their masterlike licence Now let vs particularly consider all the partes in ordre Wheras I do negligently leape ouer as trifles those thynges that thei wyth greate grauitie of countenance do publish for misteries I do it not vnwittingly neither were it very painefull for me to confute all that thei thinke them selues to haue depely and suttlely disputed but I woulde think it against conscience to wery the readers with such trifles without any profit Truely it is easy to know by the questions which thei
of many hath been made a publike error or rather a cōmon cōsent of vices which now these good men would haue to stand for a law Who so haue eyes doo see that not onely one sea of euels hath ouerflowed many poysonous pestilences haue inuaded the worlde that all thynges runne hedlong to ruine so that either the maters of men must be vtterly dispeired or we must lay hand vnto or rather vse violence vpon so great euells And remedy is by no other reason dryuen awaye but because we haue nowe long tyme accustomed vs to euells But be it that publike error haue place in matters of common weale yet in the kyngdome of God his onely truthe is to be heard and regarded to which by no succedyng course of yeares by no custome by no conspired agreement may any prescription to be limitted So in olde tyme Esase taught the electe of God that they should not say Conspiryng to all thynges in whiche the people sayd Conspiryng that is to say that they should not conspire together to the wicked agreement of the people nor should feare and dread the peoples feare but rather that they should sanctifie the Lorde of hostes and he should bee their feare and drede Nowe therfore lett them as muche as they list obiect against vs bothe passed and present ages if we sanctifie the Lord of hostes we will not be much afrayde For whether it be that many ages haue consented to like vngodlinesse he is strong to take vengeance to the third and fowerth generation or if the whole worlde together conspire into one selfe same wickednesse he hath by experience taughte what is the ende of them that offende with the multitude when he did with a generall ouerflowyng destroy the whole kynde of men preseruyng Noe with a small household which should by his faith beyng but one man condemne the whole worlde Fynally an euyl custome is none other than a common pestilence in which they doo neuerthelesse dye that dye with company of a multitude Moreouer they ought to haue considered that which Cyprian saith in certaine places that they which sinne by ignorance although they can not clere themselues from al fault yet may seme after some maner excusable but who so obstinatly refuse the truthe offred by the grace of God they haue nothyng to pretend for their excuse As for their dooble horned argumente they doo not driue vs to so harde a streighte with it to compell vs to confesse that either the Chirch hath lyen dead a certaine tyme or that we haue controuersie against the Chirche Truely the Chirche of Christe hath lyued and shall lyue so long as Christ shall reigne at the right hande of the Father by whoe 's hande she is vpholden by whose succor she is defended by whose power she kepeth her safetie For he wil vndoutedly performe that which he hath ones promised that he will be present with his euen vntill the endyng of the worlde Agaynste it nowe we haue no warre at all For we doo with one consent together with all the people of the faithfull honor and worshyp the one God and Christ the Lorde in like sorte as he hath alway ben worshipped of all the godly But they themselues not a little way erre from the truthe when they acknowlege no Chirche but which they see with present eie and go about to compasse it about with those boundes in whiche it is not enclosed Uppon these poyntes hangeth our controuersie Firste that they affirme that the forme of the Chirche is alway appearyng and to be seen then that they set the same forme in the see of the Chirch of Rome and in the order of their prelates We on the contrary side affirme bothe that the Chirche may consiste of no appearyng forme and that the forme it selfe is not conteined in that outwarde shynyng shewe whiche they foolishely haue in admiration but hath a farre other marke namely the pure preachyng of the worde of God and the righte ministration of Sacramentes They are in a rage vnlesse the Chirche may be alwayes pointed out with a finger But howe ofte happened it fit the people of the Iewes to be so deformed that there appered no forme at all What forme thinke we to haue shined when Helias bewailed that he alone was left How lōg sins the commyng of Christe hath it lyen hidden without forme How syns that tyme hath it ben so oppressed with warres seditions and heresies that it shined out on no side If they had liued at that time wold they haue beleued that there was any Chirch But it was sayd to Helias that there were preserued seuen thousand men whiche had not boowed their knee before Baal Neither ought it to be doutfull to vs but that Christ hath alway reigned in earth sins he ascended into heauen But if the godly hadde then sought any discernable forme with their eies should they not by and by haue ben discoraged And verily Hylarie accompted it euen alredy in his tyme for a most great fault that beyng occupied with the foolishe admiration of the dignitie of Bishops they marked not a deadly pestilence lurkyng vnder that visor For thus he saythe One thyng I warne you beware of Antichrist for you are yll taken with the loue of walles ye do yll worship the Chirch of God in houses and buyldynges vnder them ye doo yll thrust in the name of Peace It is doutefull that in those Antichrist shall sitte Mountayns and woods and lakes and prisons and caues are safer for me For in these the Prophetes when they were either abydyng or throwen into them did prophecie But what doothe that world at this day honor in his horned Bishops but that it thinketh them to be holy prelates of religion whom it seeth to be heads ouer great cities Away therfore with such foolishe estemyng But rather let vs leaue this to the Lorde forasmuch as he alone knoweth who be his and sometyme also taketh away from the syght of men the outwarde knowlege of his Chirch That is I graūt a horrible vengeance of God vpon the earth But if the wickednesse of men so deserue why doo we seke to withstande the iust vengeance of God In suche wise the Lorde hath in times past taken vengeance of the vnthankfulnesse of men For because they wold not receiue his truthe and had quenched his light he suffred them beyng blynded in sense bothe to be mocked with lies full of absurditie to be drowned in depe darknesse so that there was no face of the true Chirch to be seen Yet in the meane tyme he saued his bothe beyng scattered abroade and lyeng hydden in the myddest of errors and darknesse from destruction And no maruell For he can skill to saue bothe in the very confusion of Babylon and in the flame of the burnyng ouen But wheras they would haue the forme of the Chirche to be iudged by I wote not what vaine pompous shewe
power they had had experience of in so many miracles but they did not beleue that he was nie vnto them vnlesse they did see with their eies a corporall representaciō of his face to be a witnesse vnto them of the God that gouerned them Their minde was therfore to knowe by the image going before them that God was the guide of their iourney This thing daily experience teacheth that the flesh is alway vnquiet till it hath gotten some counterfaite deuise like it self wherin it may vainly delite as in an image of god In a manner in al ages since the creation of the world men to obey this blinde desire haue erected signes wherin they imagined God to be present before their carnall eies After such inuencion forged by and by foloweth worshipping For when men thought that they beheld God in images they did also worship him in them At lēgth being both with mindes and eies altogether fastened theron they beganne to waxe more and more brutishe and to wonder at them and haue them in admiracion as if there wer some nature of godhed in them So appeareth that men brake not out into the worshipping of images till they were perswaded in some grosse opinion not to thinke the images to be gods but to imagine that there dyd a certaine force of Godhead abide in them Therefore whether thou represent to thy selfe either God or a creature in the image when thou fallest down to worship thou art already bewitched wich some superstition For this reason the Lord hath forbidden not onely images to bee erected that ar made to expresse a likenesse of him but also any titles or stones to be dedicated that should stande to be worshipped And for the same reason also in the commaundemente of the lawe this other point is added concerning worshipping For so sone as thei haue forged a visible forme for God they also tye the power of God vnto it So beastlie folish are men that there they fasten God where they counterfaite him and therfore must they nedes worship it Neither is there any differēce whether they simply worship the idole or God in the idole This is alway idolatry when honoures due to God are geuen to an idole vnder what color soeuer it be And because God wil not be worshipped superstitiously therefore what soeuer is geuen to idols is taken from hym Lette them take hede hereunto that seke for pretenses to defende the abhominable idolatrie wherwith these many ages past true religion hath been drowned and ouerthrowen But saye they the images are not taken for goddes Neither were the Iewes themselues so vnaduised to Forgett that it was God by whole hande they hadde been broughte oute of Egipte before they made they calfe Yea when Aaron saied that those were the Goddes by whom they were deliuered oute of the lande of Egipte they boldly assented shewing a plaine tokē of their meaning that they would still kepe that God that was their deliuerer so that they mighte see him goe before them in the calfe Neither is it to be beleued that the heathen were so grosse as to beleue that God was no other thing but stockes and stones For they changed their images at their pleasure but still they kepte the same Goddes in their mynde and there were many images of one God and yet they dyd not according to the multitude of images faine them many Gods Besyde that they did daily cōsecrate newe images yet did they not thinke that they made newe goddes Lette the excuses be read whiche Augustine saieth were pretended by the Idolaters of his age When they were rebuked the common forte aunswered that they did not worshippe that visible thing but the deitie that did in it inuisibly dwell And they that were of somwhat better religion as he calleth it did saye that they did neither worshippe the image nor the spirite in it but by the corporall image they did beholde the signe of that thing whiche they oughte to worship Nowe then All idolaters whether they were of the Iewes or of the gentiles were none otherwise minded than as I haue saied being not contented with a spirituall vnderstanding of God they thought by the images he should be more sure and nerer imprinted in them After once that suche disordered counterfaiting of God well liked them they neuer ended till daily more and more deluded with newe deceites they imagined that God did shewe foorth hys power in images And neuerthelesse both the Iewes were perswaded that vnder suche images they did worshippe the one true Lorde of heauen and earth and lykewise the gentiles their false goddes whom yet they fayned to dwell in heauen Whosoeuer deny that it hath thus ben done in time past yea within our own remembraunce they impudently lie For why fall they down before thē And when they pray why turne they toward them as to the eares of God For it is true that Augustine saieth that no man praieth or worshippeth when he so beholdeth an image but he is so affected in minde that he thinketh himself to be heard of it or that it will do for him what he desireth Why is there such difference betwene the images of one God that passing by one image with litle reuerence or none done to it they honor an other solemnely Why doe they werry thēselues with vowed pilgremages to visit those images wherof they haue like at home Why do they at this day in defense of them as it were for their religion and countrey fight to slaughter and destruction in suche sorte as they would better suffer to have the one only God than their idols to be takē from them And yet I do not recken vp the grosse errors of the cōmon people which are almost infinite and do in manner possesse the hartes of all men I do only shew what thēselues do confesse when they meane most of al to excuse themselues of idolatry We do not cal them say they oure Goddes No more did the Iewes nor the gentiles cal them theirs in tyme paste and yet the Prophetes eche where cesse not to caste in their teeth their fornicacion with stockes and stones for doing no more but such things as are daily done by them that would be compted Christians that is to say that they carnally worshipped God in stockes and stones Although I am not ignoraunt nor thinke good to passe it ouer as if I knew it not how they seke to escape with a more suttle distinction wherof I shal againe make mention more at large hereafter For they pretend that the worship which they geue to images is Idolodulia which is seruice of images and not Idololatria which is worship of images For so they terme it when they teache that they may lawfully withoute any wrōg done to God geue vnto images and pictures that worship which they cal Doulia or seruice And so they thinke themselues without blame if they be but the seruauntes and not also the worshippers
colour that Christ is echewhere called the Sonne of God where of they gather that there is none other proprely God but the Father But they mark not that though the name of God be also common to the Sonne yet by reason of preeminence it is sometyme gyuen to the Father onely because he is the fountayn and originall of the Deitie and that for this purpose to make the syngle vnitie of the essence to be therby noted They take exception and saye If he be truly the Sonne of God it is inconuenient to haue hym reckned the Sonne of a Person I answere that bothe are true that is that he is the Sonne of God because he is the Woorde begotten of the Father before all worldes for we come not yet to speake of the Person of the Mediatour and yet for explications sake we oughte to haue regarde of the Person that the name of God simply be not taken but for the Father onely For if we meane none to be God but the Father we plainly throwe downe the Sonne from the degree of God Therfore so ofte as mencion is made of the godhed we must not admitte a comparison betwene the Sonne and the Father as thoughe the name of God dydde belonge onely to the Father For trewely the God that appeared to Esaie was the true and onely God and yet Iohn affirmeth that the same was Christe And he that by the mouth of Esay testified that he should be a stumbling stone to the Iewes was the only God and yet Paule pronounceth that the same was Christe He that trieth out by Esaie I liue and to me all knees shall bowe is the onely God and yet Paule expoūdeth that the same was Christ. For this purpose serue the testimonies that the Apostle reciteth Thou O God haste laide the foundations of heauen and earth Agayne let all the angels of God worship him whiche thynges belong to none but to the onely God And yet he saith that they are the propre titles of Christ. And this cauillation is nothyng worthe that that is geuen to Christe whiche is propre to God because Christe is the shinyng brightnesse of his glory For because in eche of these places is fet the name of Iehouah it foloweth that it is so sayd in respecte that he is God of hymselfe For if he be Iehouah it can not be denied that he is the same God that in an other place crieth out by Esaie I I am and beside me there is no God It is good also to consider that saying of Hieremie The gods that haue not made the heauen and earth let them perishe out of the earth that is vnder the heauen Where as on the other side we must nedes confesse that the Sonne of God is he whose godhead is ofte proued in Esaie by the creation of the worlde And howe can it be that the Creatour whyche geueth beyng to all thynges shall not bee of hymselfe but borowe his beyng of an other For who soeuer saythe that the Sonne was essentiate or made to be of his Father denieth that he is of hym selfe But the Holy ghost saith the contrary namyng hym Iehouah Nowe if we graunt that the whole essence is in the Father onely either it muste be made partable or be taken from the Sonne and so shal the Sonne be spoyled of his essence and be a God only in name and title The essence of God if we beleue these triflers belongeth onely to the Father for as muche as he is onely God and is the essencemaker of the Sonne And so shall the godhed of the Sonne be an abstracte from the essence of God or a deriuation of a parte oute of the whole Nowe muste they nedes graunt by theyr own principle that the holy ghost is the Spirite of the Father only For if he be a deriuation from the fyrst essence whiche is onely propre to the Father of right he can not be accompted the Spirite of the Sonne whiche is confuted by the testimonie of Paul where he maketh the Spirit common to Christ and the Father Moreouer if the Person of the Father be wiped out of the Trinitie wherin shall he differ from the Sonne and the Holy ghoste but in this that he onely is God They confesse Christ to be God and yet they say he differeth from the Father Agayn there muste be some marke of difference to make that the Father be not the Sonne They which say that marke of difference to be in the essence doo manifestly bring the true godhead of Christe to nothynge whiche can not be without essence yea and that the whole essence The Father differeth not from the Sonne vnlesse he haue somethyng propre to hymselfe that is not common to the Sonne What nowe will they fynde wherin to make him different If the difference be in the essence let them answere if he haue not communicated the same to the Sonne But that could not be in part for to say that he made halfe a God were wycked Beside that by this meane they doo fowly teare in sunder the essence of God It remaineth therefore that the essence is whole and perfectly common to the Father and the Sonne And if that bee true then as touchyng the essence there is no difference of the one of them from the other If they say that the Father in geuyng his essence remaineth neuerthelesse the only God with whom the essence abideth then Christ shal be a figuratiue God and a God only in shew in name but not in deede because nothyng is more propre to God than to bee accordyng to this saying He that is hath sent me vnto you It is easy by many places to proue that it is false whiche they holde that so ofte as there is in scripture mencion made absolutely of God none is ment therby but the Father And in those places that they them selues doo alledge they fowly bewray their owne want of consideration because there is also sette the name of the Sonne Wherby appeareth that the name of God is there relatiuely takē and therfore restrained to the Person of the Father And their obiection where they say If the Father were not only the true God he should himselfe be his owne Father is answered with one worde It is not inconuenient for degree and orders sake that he be peculiarly called GOD whiche hath not only of hym selfe begotten his wisedome but also is the God of the Mediatour as in place fitte for it I will more largely declare For sythe Christ was openly shewed in the fleshe he is called the Sonne of God not onely in respect that he was the eternall Worde before all worlde 's begotten of the Father but also because he tooke vpon hym the Person and office of the Mediatour to ioyne vs vnto God And because they do so boldly exclude the Sonne from the honour of God I would fayne knowe whether the Sonne when he pronounceth that none is good but
agayne vpon hym that whiche the same writer playnly teacheth that Christe is all one and the same as also he applyeth vnto hym the prophecie of Habacuc God shall come oute of the South To the same purpose serueth that whiche is red in the. ix Chapter of the fourth booke Chryste hymselfe therfore with the Father is the God of the lyuinge And in the. xii Chapter of the same booke he expoundeth that Abraham beleued God because Chryste is the maker of heauen and earth and the onely God And wyth no more trueth dooe they brynge in Tertulliane for theyr defender For thoughe he be roughe sometime and crabbed in hys manner of speache yet doeth he playnlye teache the summe of that doctryne that we defende That is to saye whereas he is the one GOD yet by disposicion and order he is hys Woorde that there is but one GOD in vnitie of substaunce and yet that the same vnitie by misterie of orderly distribution is disposed into Trinitie that there are three not in state but in degree not in substaunce but in forme not in power but in order He sayeth that he defendeth the Sonne to bee a seconde nexte to the Father but he meaneth hym to be none other than the Father but by way of distinction In some places he sayeth that the Sonne is visible But when he hath reasoned on both partes he defyneth that he is inuisible in so muche as he is the Worde Finally where he affirmeth that the Father is determined in his owne person he proueth himselfe farre from that error which we confute And though he doth acknowledge none other God but the Father yet in the next pece of his writing expouÌ„ding himselfe he saith that he speaketh not exclusiuely in respect of the Sonne because he denieth that the Sonne is any other God beside the Father and that therfore their sole gouernement is not broken by distincion of Person And by the perpetual course of his purpose it is easy to gather the meaning of his words For he disputeth against Praxeas that though God be distinguished into three persons yet are there not made many gods nor the vnitie torne in sonder And because by the imaginacion of Praxeas Chryste coulde not be God but he must also be the Father therefore he somuche laboureth about the distincion Wheras he calleth the Worde and the Spirite a porcion of the whole although it be a hard kinde of speache yet is it excusable because it is not referred to the substaunce but onely sheweth the disposicion and order that belongeth onely to the Persons as Tertullian hymselfe witnesseth And herof hangeth that Now many Persons thinkest thou there are O moste frowarde Praxeas but euen so many as there be names And so a little after that they maye beleue the Father and the Sonne eche in their names and persons Hereby I thynke may be sufficiently confuted their impudency that seke to begyle the simple with color of Tertullians authoritie And surely whosoeuer shal diligently compare together the writinges of the olde authors shal find no other thyng in Ireneus than that whiche hath bentaught by other that came after Iustine is one of the auncientest and he in al thynges doeth agree wyth vs. Yet let them obiect that he as the rest do calleth the Father of Christ the onely God The same thyng doth Hilary teache yea and speaketh more hardely that the eternitie is in the Father But doth he that to take away the essence of God from the Sonne And yet is he altogether in defense of the same Fayth that we folow Yet are they not ashamed to picke out certaine mangled sentences wherby they would perswade that Hilarye is a Patrone of their error Where they bryng in Ignatius if they will haue that to bee of any authoritie let them proue that the Apostles made a law for lent and suche lyke corruptions of religion Nothing is more vnsauery than those fonde trifles that are publyshed vnder the name of Ignatius Wherefore their impudence is so muche lesse tolerable that disguise themselues wyth suche visers to deceiue Moreouer the consent of the aunciente Fathers is plainly perceiued by thys that at the counsell of Nice Arrius neuer durst allege for hymselfe the authoritie of any one allowed wryter And none of the Grekes or Latines doeth excuse hymselfe and saye that he dissenteth from them that were before It nedeth not to be spoken howe Augustine whom those losells do moste hate hath diligently searched the writinges of them all and how reuerently he did embrace them Truely euen in matters of leaste weighte he vseth to shewe what compelleth hym to dissent from them And in thys matter if he haue red any thing doubtfull or darke in other he hydeth it not But the doctryne that these menne striue agaynste he taketh it as confessed that from the farthest time of antiquitie it hath ben without controuersie receiued And by one worde it appeareth that he was not ignorant what other had taught before hym where he saieth that in the Father is vnitie in the first boke of Christian doctryne wyll they say that he then forgate hymselfe But in an other place he purgeth himselfe from suche reproch where he calleth the Father the beginning of the whole Godhead because he is of none consideryng in dede wisely that the name of God is specially ascrybed to the Father because if the beginning should not be reckened at hym the single vnitie of God caÌ„not be conceiued By this I trust the godly reder wil perceiue that al the cauillacions are confuted wherwyth Satan hath hetherto attempted to peruert or darken the pure truth of doctryne Finallye I trust that the whole summe of doctryne in this point is fully declared if the readers will temper them of curiositie and not more gredely than mete is seke for combersome and entangled disputacions For I take not in hande to please them that do delite in an vntemperate desyre of speculacion Truely I haue omitted nothing of suttle purpose that I thought to make agaynst me But whyle I study to edify the churche I thought it best to leaue many thinges vntouched whiche both smallye profited and would greue the readers with superfluous rediousnesse For to what purpose were it to dispute whether the father do alway beget Forasmuch as it is folly to faine a continual acte of begetting sith it is euidente that from eternitie there haue ben thre Persons in God ¶ The .xiiii. Chapter That the Scripture euen in the creacion of the world and of al things both by certayne markes putte difference betwene the true God and â—ayned â–ª Gods ALthoughe Esaye doeth worthyly reproche the worshippers of false gods with slouthfulnesse for that they haue not learned by the very fundacions of the earth and rounde compasse of the heauens which is the true God yet suche is the dulnesse and grossenesse of our witt that least the faythful should fal away to the inuencions of
them which in other places the Scripture commonly teacheth Because if we desire to knowe God by his workes so noble and excellente an example is not to be omitted Beside that this pointe of doctryne is very necessary for the confutyng of many errors The excellence of the nature of Angels hath so daselled yâ— myndes of many that they thought the Angels had wrong offred them if they should be made subiect to the authoritie of one God and brought as it were in obedience And herevpon were they fained to be Gods There rose vp also one Manicheus with his secte whiche made themselues two originall beginninges of thinges God and the Deuell and to God he assigned the beginning of good thinges and of thinges of euil nature he determined the Deuil to be the author If our mindes should be entangled with this error God should not kepe whole hys glory in the creacion of the world For wher as nothing is more proper to God than eternitie and a being of hymselfe as I maye so terme it they which geue that vnto the Deuill dooe they not in a maner geue hym the tytle of Godhead Now where is the almightinesse of God become if such authoritie be grauÌ„ted to the deuil that he may put in execucioÌ„ what he wil though God say nay withstaÌ„de it As for the onely fundation that the Manichees haue that it is vnlawfull to ascribe vnto God that is good the creation of any thyng that is euyll that nothyng hurteth the true Faith whiche admitteth not that ther is any thing naturally euil in the whole vniuersalitie of the world because neither the frowardnesse and malice bothe of man and the deuell nor the sinnes that procede therof ar of nature but of the corruption of nature Neyther was there any thyng from the begynnyng wherin God hath not shewed an example bothe of his wisedome and iustice Therfore to answere these peruerse deuises it behoueth vs to lifte vp our myndes hyer than our eyes can atteyne to see For whiche cause it is likely that where in the Nicene crede God is called the creatour of all thynges thinges inuisible are expressed Yet will we be carefull to kepe the measure that the rule of godlynesse appointeth least the readers with searchyng to vnderstande further than is expedient shuld wander abroade beyng ledde away from the simplicitie of Faith And surely for as muche as the Holy ghoste teacheth vs alway for oure profite and suche thynges as are finally auaylable to edifie he doothe eyther leaue wholly vnspoken or but lightly as it were ouerrunningly touche them it shall be also our duetie to be content not to know those thynges that doo not profite vs. That the Angels for as muche as they are the ministers of God ordeyned to execute his coÌ„maundementes are also his creatures it ought to be certainly out of all question To moue doute of the tyme and order that they were created in shoulde it not rather be a busy waywardnesse than diligence Moses declareth that the earthe was made and the heauens were made with all theyr armies to what purpose than is it curiously to search what day the other more secrete armies of heauen beside the starres and planettes fyrst began to be But because I will not be long let vs as in the whole doctrine of religion so here also remembre that we ought to kepe one rule of modestie and sobrietie that of obscure thynges we neither speake nor thynke nor yet desyre to knowe any other thynges than that hath ben taught vs by the woorde of God and an other poynt that in readyng of Scripture we continually rest vpon the searchyng and studying of suche thynges as pertaine to edification and not geue our selues to curiositie or study of thynges vnprofitable And because it was Gods pleasure to instructe vs not in â—riflyng questions but in sounde godlynesse feare of his name true confidence and duties of holynesse let vs rest vpon suche knowledge Wherfore if we wil be rightly wise we must leaue those vanities that ydle men haue taught without warrant of the woorde of God concernyng the nature degrees and multitude of Angels I knowe that suche matters as this are by many more gredily taken holde of and are more pleasant vnto them than suche thynges as lye in dayely vse But if it greue vs not to be the scholers of Christe let it not greue vs to folowe that order of learnyng that he hath appoynted So shall it so come to passe that beyng contented with his scholyng we shall not onely forbeare but also abhorre superfluous speculations from whyche he calleth vs away No man can deny that the same Denyse what soeuer maÌ„ he was hath disputed many thynges bothe subtilly and wittyly in his Hierarchie of heauen but yf a man examine it more neerely he shall fynde that for the moste parte it is but mere babblyng But the dutifull purpose of a diuine is not to delite eares with pratyng but to stablishe consciences with teachyng thynges true certayne and profitable If one should reade that boke he would thinke that the man were slypped downe from heauen did tell of things not that he had lerned by heresay but that he had seen with his eies But Paule whiche was rauished aboue the thirde heauen hath vttered no suche thynge but also protesteth that it is not lawfull for man to speake the secretes that he had sene Therfore bidding farewell to that triflyng wisedome lette vs consider by the simple doctrine of the Scripture what the Lorde wold haue vs knowe concernyng his angels It is commonly red in the Scripture that the Angels are heauenly Spirites whose ministration and seruice God vseth for putting in execution of those thinges that he hath decreed For which reason the name is geuen them because God vseth them as messangers to shewe hym selfe vnto men And vpon like reason are deriued the other names that they are called by They are named armies because they do like a garde enuiron their prince and doo adorne and set forth the honourable shew of his maiestie and like souldiours they are alway attendyng vpon the ensigne of their capitain and are euer so prepared and in readynesse to do his commaundementes that so soone as he doth but becken to them they prepare them selues to worke or rather be at their worke alredy Suche an image of the throne of God to set out his roialtie the other prophetes doo describe but principally Daniel wher he saith that when God sate him downe in his throne of iudgement there stode by a thousande thousande and ten thousand companies of ten thousands of angels And because God doth by theÌ„ meruailously shewe foorth declare the might and streÌ„gth of his hand therfore they are named strengths bicause he exerciseth and vseth his authorite in the world by them therfore they are somtime called Principalities somtime powers somtime DominioÌ„s Finally because in them as it wer sitteth the
to speake moste plainely doo diuide the soule into Appetite and Understandyng but eyther of these they make of two sortes Understandyng they saye is sometyme Contemplatiue which beyng contented with onely knowlege hath no mouyng of action whiche thyng Cicero thynketh to be expressed by this worde ingenium witte Sometyme they saye it is practicall whiche by conceyuyng of good or euill doeth diuersely moue the Will And appetite they doo diuide into Will and Lust. Will they cal that when Appetite which they call Horme obeyeth to reason and Lust thei call that when the appetite shakyng of the yoke of reason runneth out◠to intemperance So alwais they imagine reason to be that in man wherby man may rightly gouerne hym selfe But we are constrayned somwhat to swarue from this maner of teachyng because the philosophers whiche knewe not the corruption of mans nature whiche came for punishement of his fall doo wrongfully confounde the two very diuers states of man Lette vs therefore thus thynke of it that there are in the soule of man two partes whiche shall serue at this tyme for our present purpose that is to say Understāding and Wil. And let it be the office of Understandyng to discerne betwene obiectes or thynges sette before it as eche of them shall seme worthy to be liked or misliked and the office of Will to choose and folow that whiche Understandyng sayth to be good and to refuse and flee that whiche Understandyng shall disalowe Let vs not here bee staied at all with the mee suttelties of Aristotle that the mynde hath of it selfe no mouyng but that it is choise whiche moueth it whiche choise he calleth the desiryng vnderstandyng But to the ende we bee not entangled with superfluous questions let this suffise vs that the Understanding is as it were the guide and gouernor of the soule and that Will hath alwais regarde to the appointment of Understandyng and abideth the iugement therof in her desires Accordyng wherevnto Aristotle hym selfe hath truely sayde that fleeyng or folowyng is in Appetite suche a lyke thyng as in the vnderstandng mynde is affirming and denying Now howe certaine the gouernement of Understandyng is to direct the Wil that we will consider in an other place Here we meane onely to shewe that there can be founde no power in the soule but that may wel be said to belong to the one of these two membres And in this sort vnder Understandyng we comprehende Sense whiche other doo so distinguishe that they say Sense is enclined to pleasure for whiche Understanding foloweth that which is good and that so it cometh to passe that the Appetite of sense is Concupiscence and Lust the affection of vnderstandyng is Will. Agayne in stede of the name of Appetite whyche they better like I sett the name of Will whiche is more commonly vsed God therfore hath furnished the soule of mā with an vnderstanding mynde wherby he might discerne good frō euill and right from wrong and hauing the light of reason going before him might se what is to be folowed or forsake For which cause the Philosophers haue called this directing part the Guider To this he hath adioyned will to which belongeth choise With these noble gyftes the first state of man excelled so that he not onely had enough of reason vnderstandyng wisedome and iudgement for the gouernemēt of this erthly life but also to clime vp euen to God and to eternal felicitie Then to haue Choise added vnto it whiche myght directe the appetites and order all the instrumental motions and that so the Will myght be altogither agreable to the gouernement of reason In this Integritie man had freewill wherby if he would he myght haue atteined eternall life For here it is oute of place to moue question of the secrete predestination of God because we are not nowe about to discusse what myght haue chaunced or not but what at that tyme was the nature of man Adam therfore might haue stande if he wold because he fell not but by his owne wil. But because his will was pliable to either side and there was not geuen hym constancie to continue therfore he so easily fell Yet his Choise of good and euill was free And not that only but also in his vnderstāding mynde in his will was most great vprightnesse and all his instrumētall parts orderly framed to obedience vntill by destroying himselfe he corrupted the good thynges that were in hym From hense cometh it that all the Philosophers wer so blynded for that in a ruine they sought for an vpright buildyng and for strong ioyntes in an vnioynted ouerthrowe This principle they helde that man could not be a liuyng creature endued with reason vnlesse there were in hym a free choise of good and euill and they considered that otherwise all the difference should be taken away betwene vertues and vices vnlesse man dyd order his owne lyfe by his owne aduise Thus farre had they said well if there had ben no chaunge in man whiche chaunge because they knewe not of it is no meruaile though they confounde heauen and earthe togyther But as for them whiche professyng them selues to be the disciples of Christ doo yet seeke for free will in man that hath bene loste and drowned in spiritual destructiō they in going meane betwene the Philosophers opinions the heauenly doctrine are plainly deceyued so that they touche neither heauen nor earth But of these thynges we shal better speake in place fitte for them nowe onely this we haue to holde in mynde that man at his fyrst creation was farre other than his posteritie euer sins whiche takyng their beginnyng from hym beyng corrupted hath from him receiued an infection deriued to them as it were by inheritaunce For then all the partes of hys soule were framed to ryghte order then stoode safe the soundenesse of his vnderstandyng mynde and his will free to choose the good If any doo obiecte that it stoode but in slippry state because his power was but weake I answere that that state was yet such as sufficed to take from him all excuse neither was it resonable to restraine God to this point to make man suche a one as either coulde not or would not sinne at all I graunt suche a nature had bene better but therfore precisely to quarel with god as though it had ben his dutie to haue geuen that vnto man is to muche vniustice forasmuche as it was in his owne choise to geue howe muche pleased hym But why he dyd not vpholde him with the strength of stedfast continuance that resteth hidden in his owne secrete counsell it is our parte onely to bee so farre wise as with sobrietie we may Man receaued in dede to bee able if he wolde but he had not to will that he might be able For of this will shuld haue folowed stedfast continuance Yet is he not excusable which receiued so much that of his owne will he hath wroughte his owne
according to the nature planted in hym and mā ordereth his own doinges by his own volūtary aduise Briefely they meane that the world mens matters and mē themselues are gouerned by the power but not by the appointmente of God I speake not of the Epicureans which pestilence the worlde hath alwaye been fylled wyth which dreame of an idle and slouthful God and other as mad as they whiche in old tyme imagined that God did so rule aboue the middle region of the ayre that he left thinges benethe to Fortune for against so euident madnesse the dumme creatures themselues do sufficiently crye out For now my purpose is to confute that opinion that is in a manner commonly beleued which geuing to God a certain blinde and I wote not what vncertayne motion taketh from him the principall thinge that is by his incomprehensible wisedome to directe and dispose al thinges to their ende and so in name onely and not in dede it maketh God a ruler of the world because it taketh from him the gouernement of it For what I beseche you is it els to gouerne but so to be ouer them that are vnder thee that thou mayest rule them by appointed order Yet do I not altogether reiect that which is spokē of the vniuersall Prouidence so that they will agayne graunte me this that the world is ruled by God not onely because he mainteineth the order of nature whiche himselfe hath set but also because he hath a peculiar care of euery one of hys workes Trew it is that al sortes of things are moued by a secret instinct of nature as if they did obey the eternal commaundement of God and that that which God hath ones determyned doth of it selfe procede forwarde And hereunto may that be applied which Christ sayeth that he and his father were euen from the beginning alway workyng And that which Paule teacheth that in him we liue are moued haue our beyng and that which the author of the Epystle to the Hebrues meanyng to proue the Godhead of Christ sayeth that by hys mightie commaundement al thinges are susteyned But they do wrong which by this color do hide darken the speciall Prouidence whiche is cōfirmed by so certain plain testimonies of Scripture that it is maruell that any man could dout of it And surely they thēselues that drawe thesame veile which I speake of to hide it are cōpelled by way of correctiō to adde that many thyngs ar don by the peculiar care of god but then they do wrongfully restrayn thesame onely to peculiar doinges Wherfore we muste proue that God doth so geue hede to the gouernement of the successes of al thyngs and that they al do so procede from his determyned counsell that nothyng happeneth by chaunce If we graūt that the beginning of motiō belōgeth to God but that all things are either of thēselues or by chaūce caried whether the inclination of nature driueth thē the mutual succeding by turnes of daies nightes of winter sōmer shal be the work of God insomuch as he appointing to euery one their duties hath set thē a certaine law that is if they shoulde alway kepe one measure in egal proportiō as wel the dayes that come after the nightes the moneths after monethes yeres after yeres But whē somtime immoderate hetes with drynesse do burne vp al the grain somtime vnseasonable raines do mar the corne when sodein harme cōmeth by hayle tempestes that shal not be the worke of God vnlesse parhap it be because the cloudes or faire wether or colde or heate haue their beginning of the meting of the planetes or other naturall causes But by this meane is there no roume left nether for the fatherly fauour nor for the iudgemēts of God If they say that God is beneficial enough to mankinde because he poureth into the heauē earth an ordinary power wherby they do find him nourishment that is to vaine and prophane an inuention as though the frutefulnesse of one yere wer not the singular blessing of God and dearth and famine wer not his curse vēgeaunce But because it wer to long to gather together al the resons that serue for this purpose let the authoritie of God himselfe suffice vs. In the law in the Prophetes he doth oftētimes pronoūce that so oft as he watereth the earth with deaw rayne he declareth his fauor that whē by his cōmaundemēt the heauen is hardened like irō whē corne is consumed with blasting and other harmes when the fieldes are strykē with hayle tempestes it is a tokē of his certayne special vengeaūce If we graunt these things then is it assured that there falleth not a drop of rain but by the certaine commaundement of God Dauid prayseth the general Prouidēce of God that he geueth meate to the rauens birdes the cal vpon him but when God himselfe threatneth famine to lyuing creatures doth he not sufficiently declare that he fedeth al liuing thinges somtime with scarce and sometime with more plenteful portiō as he thinketh good It is a childish thing as I said before to restrain this to particular doīges wheras Christ speketh wtout exception that not a sparrow of neuer so smal a price doth fal to the groūde wtout the wil of his father Surely if the flyeng of birdes be ruled by the purpose of God thē must we nedes confesse with the Prophet that he so dwelleth on hye that yet he humbleth himself to loke vpō at thinges that chaunce in heauen and earth But because we know that the world was made principally for mākindes sake we must therfore cōsider this end in the gouernāce of man The prophete Hieremy cryeth out I know Lorde that the waye of man is not his own nether belongeth it to man to direct his own steppes And Salomon saieth the steps of man are ruled by the lord and how shall a man dispose his own way Now let thē say that mā is moued by God according to the inclinatiō of his own nature but that man hymselfe doth turne the mouing whether it pleaseth him But if that wer truely sayd then shoulde man haue the free choise of his own wayes Paraduēture they wil deny that because he can do nothing wtout the power of God But seing it is certain that the Prophete and Salomon do geue vnto God not only power but also choise and appointment they can not so escape away But Salomō in an other place doth finely rebuke this rashenesse of men that apoint vnto themselues an other ende wtout respect of God as though they were not led by hys hande The preparations saith he of the hart are in man but the answer of the tong is of the Lord. It is a fonde madnesse that mē wil take vpon thē to doe thinges wtout God which can not so muche as speake but what he wil. And the Scripture to expresse more plaīly that nothing at al is
he doeth by singuler examples shew his care in gouerning of it The seruant of God beyng strengthened with these both promyses and examples will ioyne with them the testimonies whiche teache that all men are vnder Gods power whether it be to wynne their myndes to good will or to restraine their malice that it may doo no hurt For it is the Lorde that geueth vs fauour not onely with them that will vs well but also in the Egyptians and as for the maliciousnesse of oure enemies he knoweth howe by diuerse waies to subdue it For somtyme he taketh away their wit from them so that thei can conceiue no sound or sobre aduise like as he sent foorth Sathan to fill the mouthes of all the Prophetes with lying to deceiue Achab. He made Rechabeam mad by the yong mens counsell that he myght be spoyled of his kyngdome by his owne folly Many tymes when he graunteth them witte yet he maketh them so afraide and astonished that they can not will or goe about that whiche they haue conceiued Sometyme also when he hath suffred them to go about that whiche luste and rage dyd counsell theim he doeth in conuenient tyme breake of their violences suffreth theim not to procede to the end that they purposed So dyd he before the time bryng to nought the counsell of Architophell that shoulde haue been to Dauids destruction So also he taketh care to gouerne al his creatures for the benefit safetie of them that be his yea to gouerne the deuill hym selfe whiche as we see durst enterprise nothyng againste Iob withoute his sufferaunce and commaundement Of this knowledge necessarily ensueth both a thankfulnesse of mynde in prosperous successe of thynges also pacience in aduersitie and an incredible assurednesse against the time to come Whatsoeuer therfore shal betide vnto him prosperously and accordyng to his hartes desyre all that he will ascribe vnto God whether he fele the bountie of God by the ministerie of men or be holpen by liuelesse creatures For thus he wil thynke in his mynde Surely it is the Lorde whiche hath inclined their myndes to me which hath ioyned them vnto me to be instrumētes of his goodnesse toward me In plentie of the frutes of the earth thus he will thynke that it is the Lord whiche heareth the heauen that the heauen may heare the earthe that the earthe also may heare her fruites In other thyngs he wil not dout that it is the only blessyng of the Lorde wherby all thyngs prosper and being put in mynde by so many causes he wil not abide to be vnthākful If any aduersitie happen he will by and by therin also lifte vp his mynde to God whoe 's hande auaileth muche to emprint in vs a paciēce and quiete moderation of hart If Ioseph had still continued in recordyng the falsehode of his brethren he coulde neuer haue taken a brotherly mynde towarde theim But because he bowed his mynde to the Lorde he forgat the iniurie and inclined to mekenesse and clemency so farrefoorth that of his own accorde he conforted his brethren and said It is not you that solde me into Egypte but by the will of God I was sent before you to saue your lyues You in dede thought euill of me but the Lorde tourned it to good If Iob had had respect to the Chaldees by whom he was troubled he would foorthwith haue been kendled to reuenge But because he did therwithall acknowledge it to be the work of God he comforted hymselfe with this moste excellent saying The Lorde hath geuen the Lorde hath taken away the Lordes name bee blessed So Dauid when Semei had railed and cast stones at hym if he had looked vpon man he would haue incouraged his souldiours to reacquite the iniurie But because he vnderstode that Semei dyd it not without the mouyng of the Lorde he rather appeased them Lette hym alone said he for the Lorde hath commaunded hym to curse With the same bridle in an other place doeth he restraine the intemperance of sorowe I helde my peace saith he and became as domme bycause thou O Lorde diddest it If there be more effectualll remedy agaynst wrath and impacience surely he hath not a little profited whiche hath learned in this behalfe to thinke vpon the Prouidence of God that he may alway call backe his mynde to this poynt It is the Lordes will therfore it must be suffred not onely because it is not lawfull to striue agaynst it but also because he willeth nothyng but that whiche is both iust and expedient In fumme this is the end that beyng wrongfully hurt by men we leauyng their malice whiche woulde doo nothyng but enforce out sorowe and wheat our mindes to reuenge should remembre to climbe vp vnto God and learne to beleue assuredly that what soeuer our enemie hath mischeuously doon against vs was bothe suffered and sent by gods disposition Paule to refraine vs from recompensing of iniuries doth wisely put vs in minde that we are not to wrastle with fleshe and bloud but with the spiritual enemy the deuil that we may prepare our selues to striue with him But thys is the most profitable lesson for the appeasyng of al rages of wrath that God doth arme as wel the deuill as al wicked men to stryue with vs and that he sitteth as iudge to exercise oure patience But if the misfortunes and miseries that oppresse vs doe chaunce without the worke of men let vs remēber the doctrine of the law whatsoeuer is prosperous floweth from the fountayne of gods blessing and that al aduersities are his cursinges and let the most terrible warning make vs afraid If ye walke stubbornly against me I wil also walke stubbornly agaynst you In which is rebuked our sluggishnesse when according to the commō sense of the flesh accompting al to be but chaūce that happeneth of both sortes we are nether encouraged by the benefites of God to worship him nor prycked forwarde with his scourges to repētaūce This same is the resō why Hieremy Amos did so sharply rebuke the Iewes because they thought that things as wel good as euil came to passe wtout the commaūdement of God To the same purpose serueth that sermon of Esay I the God that create lyght and fashyon darkenesse that make peace and create euil I God doe make all these thynges And yet in the meane time a godly man wil not winke at the inferior causes Nether wil he because he thinketh them the ministers of gods goodnesse bi whō he hath receiued benefite therfore let them passe vnconsidered as though they had deserued no thanke by their gētlenesse but he wil hartily thynke hymselfe bounde vnto them and wil willingly confesse hys bonde trauail as he shal be able and as occasion shall serue to recōpence it Finally in benefites receyued he wyl reuerence prayse God as the principal author but he will honor men as the ministers
without the directyng grace praieth God to create a newe heart within hym to renewe a righte spirite within his bowelles doeth he not acknowledge that all the partes of his heart are full of vnclennesse and hys spirite writhen wyth croked peruersenesse and in callynge the cleannesse whyche he prayeth for the creature of God doeth he not attribute it wholly to God But yf anye manne take exception and saye that the verye prayer is a token of a godly and holy affection oure aunswere is ready that though Dauid were by that time somewhat come to amendement yet doeth he still compare his firste state with that sorrowefull fall that he had felte Therefore takyng vpon hym the person of a manne enstranged from God he for good cause prayeth to haue geuen hym all these thynges that God geueth to his electe in regeneration And so beyng like a dead manne he wisheth hym selfe to bee created of newe that of the bondeslaue of Satan he maye bee made the instrumente of the holyghoste Maruellous and monstrous surely is the luste of our pryde God requyreth nothyng more earnestly than that wee should moste religiously kepe his Sabbat that is in resting from our owne workes but of vs nothyng is more hardly obteyned than bidding our owne workes farewell to geue due place to the workes of God If sluggishnesse hindered not Christe hath geuen testimonie euident enough of his graces to make them not to bee enuiously suppressed I am sayeth he the Uine you bee the branches My Father is a husbandeman As the branche can not beare fruite of it selfe vnlesse it abide in the Uine no more can you vnlesse you abide in me For without me you can do nothyng If we beare fruite none otherwise than a braunche buddeth beyng plucked out of the grounde and without moysture we neede no more to seke what is the aptnesse of our nature to goodnesse And this is a playne cōclusion Without me ye can do nothing He doeth not saye that we are to weake to be sufficiēt for our selues but in bryngyng vs to nothyng he excludeth all opinion of power be it neuer so little If we beyng graffed in Christe beare fruite lyke a Uine whiche taketh her efficacie of liuelinesse both from the moisture of the earth and from the deaw of heauen and from the cherishyng of the sonne I see nothinge remayne for vs in doyng a good worke yf we kepe whole for God that whyche is his That fonde suttle deuise is alledged in vayne that there is a iuyce already enclosed wythin the branche and a certayne power to bryng forth frute and that therefore it taketh not all from the earth or from the firste roote bycause it bringeth somewhat of her owne For Christe doeth meane nothing els but that we are a drye sticke and nothing worth when we be seuered from him bicause by our selues beyng separate we haue no power to doe well as also in an other place he sayeth Euery tree that my father hath not plāted shal be rooted vp Wherfore the Apostle ascribeth all the whole vnto him in the place alredy alleged It is God sayth he that worketh in vs bothe to will and to performe The firste parte of a good worke is will the seconde is a stronge endeuour in doyng it the authour of bothe is God Therefore we steale it from God if we take to our selues any thinge eyther in will or in effectuall workyng If it were sayde that God doth help our weake will then somewhat were lefte for vs. But when it is sayde that he maketh will nowe all the good that is in it is set out of vs. And bicause the good will is yet still oppressed with weight of our fleshe that it can not rise vp He sayde further that to ouercome the hardenesse of that battell there is ministred vnto vs stedfastnesse of endeuour euen to the effect For otherwise it coulde not stande together whyche he teacheth in an other place that it is God alone that bryngeth to effect all thynges in all wherein we haue before taught that the whole course of spirituall life is comprehended For whyche reason Dauid after he had prayed to haue the wayes of the Lorde opened vnto hym that he mighte walke in his trueth by and by addeth Unite thou my heart to feare thy name In whyche wordes he signifieth that euen they that are well minded are subiecte to so many withdrawynges of minde that they easily vanish or fal awaye if they bee not stablisshed to constantie For whiche reason in an other place after he had prayed to haue his steppes directed to kepe the worde of God he requireth also to haue strength geuen him to fight Lette not any iniquitie sayeth he beare rule ouer me After this sorte therefore doeth the Lorde bothe beginne and ende good worke in vs that it maye all be his worke that wil conceyueth a loue of that whiche is right that it is enclined to the desire thereof that it is stirred vp and moued to endeuour of followyng it And then that our choyse desire ▪ and endeuour fainte not but do procede euen to the effecte laste of all that manne goeth forward constantly in them and continueth to the ende And he moueth the will not in suche sorte as hath in many ages ben taught and beleued that it is afterwarde in our choyse eyther to obeye or withstande the motion but wyth mightyly strengthnyng it Therefore that muste bee reiected whyche Chrysostome so ofte repeteth whome he draweth he draweth beyng willyng Wherby he secretly teacheth that God doeth only reache out his hande to see yf wee will be holpen by his ayde We graunte that suche was the state of manne whyle he yet stoode that he might bowe to eyther parte But sithe he hath taught by his example howe miserable is freewill vnlesse God bothe will and can in vs what shall become of vs yf he geue vs his grace accordyng to that small proportion But rather wee dooe obscure and extenuate it with our vnthankefulnesse For the Apostle doeth not teache that the grace of a good will is offred vs yf we doe accepte it but that he will performe it in vs whiche is nothyng els but that the Lorde by his spirite dothe direct howe and gouerne our heart and reigneth in it as in his owne possession Neyther doeth he promise by Ezechiel that he will geue to the electe a newe spirite onely for this ende that they maye be able to walke in his commaundementes but to make them walke in deede Neyther can Christes sayeng euery one that hath hearde of my Father cometh to me be otherwyse taken than to teache that the grace of God is effectuall of it selfe as Augustine also affirmeth Whyche grace God vouchesaueth not to geue to all menne generally without regarde as that sayeng as I thynke of Occam is commonly spoken among the people that it denieth nothyng to hym that doeth what lieth in him
the formes of swearyng that are after rehersed For this was also parte of their errour that when they did sweare by heaueÌ„ and earth they thought that they did not touch the name of God Therfore after the principall kinde of offense against this commaundement the lord doth also cut of from them all bye shiftes that they should not thinke that they haue escaped if not speakyng of the name of God they call heauen and earth to witnesse For here by the way it is also to be noted that although the name of God be not expressed yet men by indirect formes do sweare by him as if they sweare by the liuely light by the bread that they eate by their Baptisme or other tokens of gods liberalitie toward them Neither doth Christ in that place where he forbiddeth them to sweare by heauen and earth Hierusalem speake it to correct superstition as some men falsly thinke but he rather confuteth their sophisticall suttâ—ltie whiche thought it no faulte babblingly to throwe our indirect othes as though they spared the holy name of God whiche is engrauen in all his benefites But otherwise it is where either a mortal man or a dead man or an Angel is put in the place of God as amonge the prophane nations flatterie deuised that stinkyng forme of sweryng by the life or soule of the Kyng for then the false making of gods doth obscure and minish yâ— glory of the one only God But when we meane only to procure credit to our sayenges by the holy name of God although the same be indirectly done yet in al such triflyng othes his maiestie is offended Christ taketh froÌ„ this licentiousnesse all pretense of excuse in this that he forbiddeth to sweare at al. And Iames tendeth to the same purpose recityng the same wordes of Christ whiche I haue before alleged bycause that same rash boldenesse hath alwaye ben in the world whiche is a prophane misuse of the name of God For if ye referre this worde At all to the substance as it without any exceptioÌ„ it were altogether vnlawfull to sweare wherefore serueth that exposition whiche is added afterward Neyther by heauen nor by earth c Whereby it sufficiently appereth that those cauillatioÌ„s are met withall by which the Iewes thought their fault to be excused Therefore it can not nowe be doubtefull to sounde iudgementes that the Lorde in that place did onely reproue those othes that were forbidden by the lawe For he himselfe whiche shewed in his life an examplar of the perfection that he taught did not sticke to sweare when occasion required And his disciples whoe we doubte not did obeye theyr maister in all thinges folowed the same example whoe dare saye that Paule wold haue sworne yf swearing had ben vtterly forbidden but when matter so required he sware without any sticking at it yea somtime adding an execration But this question is not yet ended bicause some do think that only publike othes are excepted out of this prohibitioÌ„ as those othes that we take when the Magistrate doth offer them to vs require them of vs. And such as Princes vse to take in stablishing of leagues or yâ— people when thei sweare allegeaÌ„ce to their Prince or the Soldiar wheÌ„ he is put to an othe for his true seruice in that warre such like And to this sort thei adioyne that rightfully such othes as are in Paule to coÌ„firme the dignitie of yâ— gospell for asmuch as yâ— Apostles in their office ar not priuate meÌ„ but publike ministers of god And truely I denie not that those are yâ— safest othes bicause thei ar defended with souÌ„dest testimonies of scripture The magistrate is coÌ„maunded in a doubtful case to driue the witnesse to an othe he otâ— the other side to answer by othe the Apostle sayth that meÌ„s controuersies are by this meane ended In this coÌ„maundement bothe these haue a perfect allowance of their offices Yea we maye note that among the old heathen men the publike and solemne othe was had in great reuereÌ„ce but coÌ„mon othes that were vsually spoken without consideration were either nothing or very litle regarded bicause they thought that in these they had not to do with the maiestie of God at al. But yet it were to much dangerous to condemne priuate othes that are in necessarie cases soberly holyly reuerently taken whiche are mainteined both by reason examples For if it be lawfull for priuate men in a weighty earnest matter to appele to God as iudge betwene them much more is it lawefull to call hym to witnesse Put the case thy brother will accuse thee of false breache of faith thou endeuorest to purge thy self accordyng to the dutie of charitie he by no meanes will suffer himself to be satisfied If thy good name come in perill by his obstinate maliciousnesse thou shalt without offense appele to the iudgement of God that it will please him in time to make thine innocency knowen Now if the weight of the wordes be considered it is a lesse matter to call him to witnesse Therefore I see not why in this case we should affirme that the callyng hym to witnesse is vnlawful And we are not without many examples therof For though the othe of Abraham and Isaac with Abimelech be sayde not to serue for our purpose bycause it was made in the name of a publike companie yet Iacob and Laban were priuate meÌ„ which stablished a couenant with mutuall othe betwene themselues Booz was a priuate man whiche by the same meane coÌ„firmed his promise of mariage to Ruth Abdias was a priuate man a iuste manne and fearyng God whiche affirmed vnto Elias by othe the thing that he meant to persuade him Therefore I haue no better rule but that othes be so tempered that they be not vnaduised that they be not common without regard that they be not vsed of ragyng lust nor triflyng but that they serue iuste necessitie as where the Lordes glorie is to be mainteyned or the edification of our brother furthered to whiche ende the commaundement of the lawe tendeth The fourth Commaundement Remember that thou kepe holy the Sabbat day Sixe dayes shalt thou worke and do all thy workes But on the seuenth day is the Sabbat of the Lord thy God In it thou shalt do no worke c. The end of this coÌ„maundement is that we beyng dead to our owne affections workes should be busied in meditation of the kingdome of God to the same meditation should be exercised by such meanes as he hath ordeyned But bicause this coÌ„maundement hath a peculiar seueral consideration froÌ„ the rest therfore it must haue also a seuerall manner of exposition The old writers vse to call it a shadowish commaundement for that it conteyneth the outward obseruation of the day whiche by the comming of Christ was taken away with the other figures Wherin I graunt they say truely but they touche but half the matter
feare him Like wherevnto is that which is in the hundred and seconde Psalme At the beginning Lorde thou didst lay the foundation of the earth and the heauens are the workes of thy handes Thei shal perishe but thou abidest thei shal waxe olde like a garment and thou shalt change them as apparell but thou remaine the selfe same and thy yeares shall not faile the sonnes of thy seruantes shall dwell and thy posteritie shal be stablished before thee If the Godly cesse not for the decay of heauen earth to be stablished before the Lorde it foloweth that their saluaciō is ioyned with the eternitie of God But that hope can not stand at all vnlesse it rest vpon the promise that is set forth in Esaic The heauens sayth the Lorde shall vanish away like smoke the earth shal be worne out like a garment the inhabitantes of it shall perish like those thynges But my saluacion shal be for euer and my righteousnesse shall not faile where euerlastingnesse is geuen to righteousnesse and saluacion not in respect that thei remaine with God but in respect that thei are felte of men Neither may we otherwyse take those thynges that he commonly speaketh of the prosperous successe of the faithfull but to applie them to the open shewing of the heauenly glorie As these saienges The Lorde kepeth the soules of the righteous he shal deliuer them from the hand of the sinner Light is arisen to the righteous and ioye to the vpright in hearte The righteousnesse of the Godly man abideth for euer hys horne shal be exalted in glorie the desire of the sinner shal perish Again but the righteous shall confesse vnto thy name the vpright shall dwell with thy countenance Againe the righteous shall be in eternall remembrance Againe The Lorde shall redeeme the soules of hys seruantes For the Lorde oftentimes leaueth his seruantes to the lust of the wycked not onely to be vexed but also to be torne in peeces and destroied he suffereth the good to lye languishing in darkenesse and filth whyle the wicked do in a manner shine among the starres And he doth not so chere them with the brightnesse of his countenance that they enioye long continuing gladnesse Wherefore euen he also hideth not that yf the faithfull fasten their eyes vpon the presente state of thynges they shal be striken with a sore temption as though there wer no fauoure or reward of innocencye with God So much doth wickednesse for the most part prosper florish while the companie of the Godly is oppressed with shame pouertie contempt and all kyndes of crosses It wanted but little saith he that my foote slipped not and my steppes fell not abroade while the fortune of fooles greueth me and while I see the prosperitie of the wicked At length after rehersall of it he concludeth I bente my thought if I coulde vnderstand these thinges But it is tormente to my spirit till I enter into the sanctuarie of the Lorde and vnderstand the last ende of them Let vs therfore learne yet by this confession of Dauid that the holy fathers vnder the old testament were not ignorant how seldome or neuer God doth in this world performe to his seruantes those thinges that he promiseth them and that therefore they dyd lifte vp theyr mindes to Gods sanctuarie wherein thei had that laied vp in store whiche appeareth not in the shadowe of this present life That was the last iudgement of God which when thei coulde not see with eyes they were content to vnderstande by faithe Trustinge vpon which affiance whatsoeuer happened in the worlde yet thei doubted not a time wold ones come when the promises of God shoulde be fulfilled As these sayengs do witnesse I wil behold the face of God in righteousnesse I wil be satisfied with thy countenance Againe I as a greene Oliue tree in the house of the Lorde Againe The righteous shall florish as a Date tree and shal sprede in branches like the Ceder of Libanus being planted in the house of the Lorde thei shall florishe in the Palaces of oure God They shall still beare frute thei shall be fat and grene in their olde age When he had saide a little before Now deepe are thy thoughtes O Lord while the wicked do florish thei budde out like an herbe that thei may perishe for euer Where is that faire shew and beautie of the faithfull but when the face of this worlde shall bee tourned in warde by dysclosing of the kingdome of God When thei tourned their eyes to that eternitie thei despised the hardnesse enduring but a moment of present miseries and boldly burste forth into these woordes Thou shalte not suffer for euer the righteous to dye but thou shalte throwe downe the wicked hedlong into the pit of destruction Where as in this worlde the pitt of eternall destruction that may swallowe vp the wicked Amonge whose felicities this is also reckened in an other place that thei close vp the ende of their life in a moment without long languishing Where is that so greate stedfastnesse of the holly ones whom Dauid himselfe eche where complaineth not onely to be shaken with trouble but also to be oppressed and vtterly broken in peeces Forsoothe he did set before his eyes not what the altering course of the worlde beareth whiche is vnstable more vnstedfast than the ebbing and flowing of tides but what the Lorde will do when he shall one day sitte for the eternall settling of heauen and earth As in an other place hee excellently well describeth it The foolish do stay vpon their welthinesse and are proude bicause of their great riches And yet no man though he florish in neuer so great dignitie can redeeme his brother from death no man can paye to God the price of his raunsome but wheras thei see that bothe the wyse do dye and that the wicked also and fooles do perishe leaue their ryches to strangers yet thei thinke that thier houses shal abide for euer their dwellynges to the ende of ages and thei aduaunce their names vpon the earth but man shall not continue in honore he shal be like to the beastes that die This imaginacion of theires is extremest folly whyche yet their posteritie do gredyly folow Thei shal be placed like a flock in Hell and deathe shall haue rule ouer them When the lyght ariseth the vpright shall haue dominion ouer them the beautie of them shall perishe Hell is their dwelling house First this laughing to scorne of the foolish for that thei rest on the slipperie and rollynge good thinges of the worlde dothe shewe that the wyse must seeke a farre other felicitie But there he more euidently discloseth the misterie of the resurrection where after the destruction extinguishmente of them he erecteth the kingdome of the Godly For what rising of light I pray you shall wee call that but the reueling of the newe life whyche foloweth
the ende of thys present life From thense did spring vp that consideration whiche the faythfull oftentimes vsed for a comforte of thir miseries and remedie of patience It is but a momente in the Lordes displeasure and life in his mereye Howe did they determine afflictions to ende in a moment that were in affliction in a manner of their life longe where dyd thei espye so longe an eâ—duringe of Godes kindenesse whereof thei scarsely felt any lyttle taste If thei hadde sticked faste vpon the earthe they coulde haue founde no such thing but bicause thei loked vpon heauen thei acknowledged that it is but a moment of time while the Lord exercise his holy ones by the crosse but that his mercies wherein thei are gathered together do last the worldes age Againe they did â—oresee the eternall and neuer endinge destruction of the vngodlye whiche were as in a dreame happy for one daie Wherevpon came these sayinges The remembrance of the righteous shall be in blessing butte the name of the wicked shall rotte Precious is the deathe of the Saintes in the sighte of the Lorde but the deathe of the wicked moste euell Againe in Samuel The Lorde shall keepe the feete of the holy and the wicked shall be put to silence in darkenesse Whiche do declare that thei well knewe that howesoeuer the holy were diuersly carryed aboute yet their laste ende is lyfe and saluation and that the prosperitie of the wycked is a pleasaunt waye whereby thei by little and little slide forwarde into the gulfe of deathe Therefore thei called the deathe of suche the destruction of the vncircumcised as of them from whome the hope of the resurrection was cutte awaie Wherefore Dauid coulde not deuise a more greuous curse than this Let them be blotted out of the boke of life and not be written with the righteous But aboue all other notable is that sayeng of Iob I knowe that my redemer liueth in the last daie I shal rise againe out of the earth and in my fleshe I shall see God my sauioure This hope is layed vp in my bosome Some that haue a mynde to make a shewe of their sharpe witte do cauill that this is not to be vnderstanded of the last resurrection but of the firste daye that Iob loked to haue God more gentle to him whiche although we graunt them in parte yet shall wee enforce them to confesse whether they wyll or noe that Iob coulde not haue come to that largenesse of hope if he had rested his thoughte vpon the earthe Therefore we muste needes confesse that he lifted vp his eyes to the immortalitie to come whiche sawe that his redeemer would be present with him euen lyeng in his graue For to them that thinke only of his present life death is their vttermost desperation whiche very death coulde not cutt of Iobs hope Yea though he kill me said he neuerthelesse I will still hope in him And let no trifler here carpe against me and saie â–ª that these were the sayenges but of a fewe whereby ys not proued that suche doctrine was among the Iewes For I wyll by and by answer him that these fewe dyd not in these sayenges vtter any secret wisedome wherevnto onely certayne excellente wittes were seuerally and priuately suffred to atteine â–ª but that as thei were by the holy Ghoste apointed teachers of the people so they openly published those misteries of God that were to be vniuersally learned and ought to be the principles of the common religion among the people Therefore when we heare the publike oracles of the holy Ghoste wherein he spake of the spirituall lyfe so clerely and plainely in the Churche of the Iewes it were a pointe of vntolerable stubbournesse to sende them away only to the fleshly couenant wherin is mention made of nothing but earth and earthly wealthinesse If I come downe to the latter Prophetes there wee maye freely walke as is oure owne felde For yf it were not harde for vs to gett the vpperhande in Dauid Iob and Samuel here it shall be muche more easye For God kepte this distribution and ordre in disposinge the couenant of hys mercye that howe muche the nearer it drewe on in processe of tyme to the full perfourmance thereof with so muche greater encreasementes of reuelation hee dyd daye by daie more bryghtly shewe it Therefore at the beginning when the firste promise of saluation was made vnto Adam there glystered oute but as it were smale sparkles of it After hauinge more added vnto it a greater largenesse of light began to be put forth whiche from thense fourth brake out more and more and displayed her bryghtnesse farther abroade till at length all the cloudes were dryuen awaye and Christe the sonne of righteousnesse fully lyghtned the whole woorlde We neede not therfore to feare that wee fayle of testimonies of the Prophetes if we seeke them to proue oure cause but bicause I see that there wyll aryse a huge deale of matter wherevpon I shoulde bee constrained of necessytie to tarrye longer than the proportioâ— of my purpose maye beare for it woulde so growe to a worke of a great volume and also bicause I haue already by those thinges that I haue saide before made plaine the waye euen for a reader of meane capacitie so as he maye goe forwarde wythoute stumbling therefore I wyll at this present absteine from long tediousnesse whyche to do ys no lesse necessarie but geuing the readers warning before hande that they remembre to open theyr owne waye with that key that we haue fyrste geuen them in theyr hande That is that so ofte as the Prophetes speake of the blessednesse of the faithfull people whereof scarscely the leaste steppes are seen in this present life thei maye resorte to this distinction that the Prophetes the better to eâ—presse the goodnesse of God did as in a shadow expresse it to the people by temporall benefites as by certaine rough drawing of the portraiture therof but that the perfect image that thei haue painted therof was suche as might rauish mens myndes out of the earh and out of the elements of this worlde and of the age that shal perishe and of necessitie rayse it vp to the considering of the felicitie of the lyfe that ys to come and spirituall We wyll be content with one example When the Israelites being carryed awaye to Babylon sawe their scattering abroade to be like vnto deathe they coulde hardely be remoued from thys opinion that they thought that al was but fables that Ezechiel prophecied of their restitution bicause thei reckened it euen all one as if he had tolde them that rotten carcases shoulde be restored againe to lyfe The Lorde to shewe that euen that same difficultie coulde not stop him from bringing hys benefite to effect shewed to the Prophete in a vision a field full of due bones to the which in a moment with the onely power of hys worde he restored
of generatioÌ„ from the common maner for that by her Christ was begotten of the seede of Dauid For euen in the same sort that Isaac was begotten of Abraham â–ª Salomon of Dauid and Ioseph of Iacob likewise it is sayd that Christ was begotteÌ„ of his mother For the Euangelist so frameth the order of his speache and willyng to proue that Christ came of Dauid is contented with this one reason that he was begotten of Marie Whereby it foloweth that he toke if for a matter confessed that Marie was of kinne to Ioseph The absurdities wherewith they would charge vs are stuffed ful of childish cauillations Thei thinke it a shame dishonour to Christ if he should haue taken his original of men bicause so he could not be exempt from the vniuersall lawe that encloseth all the ofspryng of Adam without exceptioÌ„ vnder sinne But the comparison that we reade in Paul doth easily assoyle this doubte that as by one maÌ„ came sinne and by sinne death so by the righteousnesse of one man grace hath abounded Wherewith also agreeth an other comparison of his the first Adam of earth earthly and natural the second of heauen heaueÌ„ly Therefore in an other place the same Apostle where he teacheth that Christ was sent in the likenesse of sinfull flesh to satifâ—ie the law doth so expresly seuer him from the common estate of men that he be very man without fault and corruptioÌ„ But very childishly they trifle in reasonyng thus If Christ be free from all spot and was by the secret workyng of the holy ghost begotten of the seede of Marie then is not the womans seede but only the mans seede vncleane For we doe not make Christ free from all spot for this cause that he is only engeÌ„dred of his mother without copulatioÌ„ of man but bicause he is sanctified by the holy ghost that the generation might be pure and vncorrupted such as should haue ben before the fall of Adam And this alway remayned stedfastly determined with vs that so oft as the scripture putteth vs in minde of the clennesse of Christ it is meant of his true nature of manhode bicause it were superfluous to say that God is cleane Also the sanctificatioÌ„ that he speaketh of in the .xvii. of Iohn could haue no place in the nature of God Neyther are their fayned two sedes of AdaÌ„ although there came no infection to Christ bicause the generatioÌ„ of man is not vncleane or vicious of it self but accidentall by his faâ—lyng Therefore it is no maruel if Christ by whome the estate of innocencie was to be restored were exempt from common corruption And whereas also they thrust this vpon vs for an absurditie â–ª that yf the Worde of God did put on flesh then was it enclosed in a narrow pryson of an earthly bodie this is but mere waywardenesse bycause although the infinite essence of the Worde did growe together into one person with the nature of man yet do we fayne no enclosyng of it For the Sonne of God descended maruellously from heauen so as yet he left not heauen it was his will to bee maruelously borne in the Uirgins wombe to be conuersant in earth hange vpon the crosse yet that he alway filled the world euen as at the beginnyng The .xiiii. Chapter ¶ Howe the â—wo natures of the Mediatour do make one persone NOw where it is sayd that the Worde was made flesh that is not so to be vnderstanded as though it were eâ—her turned into flesh â–ª or confusely mingled with flesh but bicause he chose him a temple of the Uirgins wombe to dwell in he that was the Sonne of God became also the sonne of man not by confusion of substance but by vnitie of persone For we so affirme the godhed ioyned vnited to the manhode that eyther of theÌ„ haue their whole propretie remayning and yet of them bothe is made one Christ. If any thyng in all worldly thinges maye be found like to so great a misterie the similitude of man is moste fit whome we see to consist of two substances whereof yet neyther is so myngled with other but that eyther kepeth the propertie of his owne nature For neyther is the soule the body nor the body the soule Wherefore both that thyng maye be seuerally spoken of the soule whiche can no waye agree with the body and likewise of the body that thynge maye be sayd whiche can by no meane agree with the soule and that maye be sayd of the whole man whiche can be but vnfitly taken neyther of the soule nor of the body seuerally Finally the propreties of the soule are sometime attributed to the body and the properties of the body sometime to the soule â–ª and yet he that consisteth of them is but one man and not many But such formes of speache do signiâ—ie bothe that there is one persone in man compounded of two natures knit together and that there are two diuerse natures which do make the same persone And so doe the Scriptures speake of Christ Sometime they geue vnto him those thinges that ought singularly to be referred to his manhode and sometime those thinges that do peculiarly belong to his godhed and sometime those thinges that do comprehend both natures and doe agree with neyther of them seuerally And this conioynynge of the two natures that are in Christ they doe with suche religiousnesse expresse that sometime they do put them in common together which figure is among the olde authors called Communicatyng of propreties These things were but weake vnlesse many phrases of Scripture and such as be eche where redy to finde dyd proue that nothing hereof hath ben deuised by man That same thing whiche Christ spake of himself sayeng Before that AbrahaÌ„ was I am was far disagreyng from his maÌ„hode Neither am I ignorant with what cauillation the erronious spirites do depraue this place for they say that he was before all ages bicause he was alredy foreknowen the Redemer as well in the counsell of the father as in the mindes of the godly But where as he openly distinguissheth the daye of his manifestation from his eternall essence oâ— purpose pronunceâ—h vnto himselfe an authoritie by antiquitie wherin he excelleth aboue AbrahaÌ„ he doth vndoutedly chalenge to himself the which is propre to the godhed Wheras Paule affirmeth that he is the first begotteÌ„ of al creatures which was before al thinges by whom al thinges kepe their beyng wheras he himself reporteth that he was in glorie with the father before the creation of the world that he worketh together with the father these things do nothing more agree with the nature of men It is therfore certaine that these such like are peculiarly ascribed to the godhed But wheras he is called the seruant of the father wheras it is sayd that he grew in age wisedome and fauour with God and men that he seketh not his owne glorie
that he knoweth not the last day that he speaketh not of himself that he doeth not his owne will where it is sayd that he was seene and felt this wholly belongeth to his only manhode For in respect that he is good neither can he encrease in any thing and he worketh all thinges for his owne sake neyther is any thing hidden from him he doeth all thinges accordyng to the free choise of his owne wil and cā neyther be seene nor felt And yet he doth not seuerally ascribe these thinges to his nature of man only but taketh thē vpon himself as yf they did agree with the person of the mediatour But the communicating of propreties is in this that Paule sayth that God did by his owne bloud purchase vnto him a Church and the Lord of glorye crucified Againe where Iohn sayth that the Worde of life was felte Truely God neither hath bloud nor suffereth nor cā be touched with handes But bicause he whiche was bothe very God and man Christ beyng crucified did shed his bloud for vs those things that were done in his nature of man are vnproperly and ye◠not without reason geuen to his godhed A like example is where Iohn teacheth that God gaue his soule for vs therefore there also the propretie of the māhode is cōmunicate with the other nature Agayne when Christ sayd beyng yet conuersant in earth that no man hath ascended into heauen but the sonne of manne that was in heauen truely accordyng to his manhode and in the flesh that he had put on he was not then in heauen but bycause hymselfe was bothe God and manne by reason of the vnitie of bothe natures he gaue to the one that whiche belonged to the other But most playnely of all do these places set forth the true substāce of Christ which do comprehende both natures together of which sort there are very many in the gospell of him For that which is there red is singularly belonging neither to his godhed nor to his manhode but bothe together that he hath receiued of his father power to forgeue sinnes to rayse vp whom he will to geue righteousnesse holinesse and saluatiō to be made iudge ouer the quicke and the dead to be honored euen as the father is Finally that he is called the light of the world the good shepeherd the only dore the true Uine For such prerogatiues had the sonne of God when he was shewed in the flesh which although he enioyed with his father before the world was made yet he had thē not in the same maner or the same respect which could not be geuen to such a man as was nothyng but man In the same meanyng ought we to take that whiche is in Paule that Christ after the iudgement ended shal yelde vp the kingdome to God the father Euen the kingdome of the sonne of God which had no beginning nor shal haue any ending but euen as he laye hid vnder the basenesse of the fleshe and abaced himselfe takyng vpon hym the forme of a seruaunt and layng aside the porte of maiestie he shewed himselfe obedient to his father and hauyng performed al such subiection at length is crowned with honour glory and auaunced to the hiest dominion that all knees shal bowe before him so shal he then yeld vp to his father bothe that name crowne of glorie what so euer he hath receiued of his father that God may be al in all For to what purpose is power and dominiō geuen him but that the father shuld gouerne vs by his hād In which sense it is also sayd that he sitteth at the right hād of the father But this is but for a time til we may enioye the present beholding of the godhed And here the errour of the old fathers cā not be excused which while thei toke no heede to the person of the Mediatour haue obscured the natural meaning of almost al that doctrine that is read in the gospel of Iohn and haue entangled themselues in many snares Let this therefore be vnto vs the keye of right vnderstandyng that such thinges as belōg to the office of the Mediatour are not spoken simply of the nature of God nor of the nature of mā Therfore Christ shal reigne till he come forth to iudge the world in so much as he ioyneth vs to his father accordyng to the smal measure of our weakenesse But when we beyng made partakers of the heauenly glory shal see God such as he is then he hauing performed the office of Mediatour shall cesse to be the embassador of his father shal be contented with that glory whiche he enioyed before the making of the world And the name of Lord doth in no other respect peculiarly agree with the person of Christ but in this that it signifieth the meane degree betwene God vs. For which purpose maketh that sayeng of Paul One God of whom are al things one Lord by whom are althinges euē he to whom the dominiō for a time is cōmitted by the father vntil his diuine maiestie be to be seene face to face Frō whom so fare is it of that any thing shal decay by yelding vp the dominiō to his father that he shal become so much the more glorious For thē shal God also cesse to be the head of Christ bicause christes godhed shal thē shine of it self wheras yet it is couered with a certaine veile And this obseruatiō shal do no smal seruice to assoile many doutes if the readers do fitly applie it For it is maruellous how much the vnskilful yea some not vtterly vnlearned are combred with such formes of speache which they see spokē by Christ which do wel agree neither with his godhed nor with his manhode bicause they cōsider not that they do agree with his persone wherin he is shewed both God mā with the office of Mediatour And it is alway easy to see how well althinges hang together if they haue a sober expositour to examine so great misteries with such deuout reuerence as they ought to be But there is nothyng that these furious and phrētike spirites trouble not They catche holde of those thinges that are spoken of his manhode to take awaye his Godhed and likewise of those thynges that are spoken of his godhed to take away his manhode and of those things that are so ioyntly spoken of bothe natures that they seuerally agree wyth neither to take awaye bothe But what is that els but to say that Christe is not manne bycause he is God and that he is not God bycause he is manne and that he is neyther manne nor God bycause he is bothe manne and God We therefore doe determine that Christ as he is bothe God and manne consistynge of bothe natures vnited though not confounded is oure Lorde and the true sonne of God euen according to his manhoode though not by reason
could he by dyâ—ng deliuer vs from death yf he himself had lyen still ouercoÌ„me by death Now could he haue gotten victorie for vs if himself had ben vanquished in fight Wherefore we doe so parte the matter of our saluation betwene the death and resurrection of Christ that by his death we saye sinne was taken awaye and death destroied and by his resurrection righteousnesse was repaired and lyfe raysed vp agayne but so that by meane of his resurrectoiÌ„ his death doth shewe forth her force and effect vnto vs. Therefore Paule affirmeth that in his very resurrection he was declared the sonne of God bycause then at last he vttered his heauenly power whiche is bothe a cleare glasse of his godhed a stedfast staye of our fayth As also in an other place he teacheth that Christ suffred after the weakenesse of the flew rose againe by the power of the spirit And in the same meaning in an other place where he entreateth of perfection he sayth that I maye knowe him and the power of his resurrection Yet by and by after he adioyneth the fellowship with death Wherw th most aptly agreeth that sayeng of Peter that God raysed him vp from the dead and gaue him glorie that our faith and hope might be in God not that our faith beyng vpholden by his death should wauer but that the power of God whiche kepeth vs vnder fayth doth principally shewe it selfe in the resurrection Therefore let vs remember that so oft as mention is made of his death only there is also comprehended that whiche properly belongeth to his resurrection and like figure of comprehension is there in the word ResurrectioÌ„ as oft as it is vsed seuerally without speaking of his death so that it draweth with it that whiche peculiarly peâ—teineth to his death But for as much as by risyng agayne he obteyned the crowne of conquest so that there should be both resurrection and life therefore Paule doth for good cause affirme that fayth is destroyed and the Gospell is become vayne and deceitefull if the resuâ—â—â—â—tion of Christ be not fastened in our heartes Therfore in another place after he had gloried in the death of Christ agaynste all the errors of damnation to amplifie the same he sayth further Yea the same He whiche died is risen vp agayne and nowe standeth a Mediatour for vs in the presence of God Furthermore as we haue before declared that vpon the partakyng of his crosse hangeth the mortificatioÌ„ of our flesh so is it to be vnderstanded that by his resurrection we obteyne an other commoditie whiche answereth that mortificatioÌ„ For sayth the Apostle we are therefore graffed into the likenesse of his death that beyng partakers of his resurrection we may walke in newnesse of life Therefore in an other place as he gathereth an argument of this that we are dead together with Christ to proue that we ought to mortifie our members vpon earth likewise also bicause we are risen vp with Christ he gathereth thereupon that we ought to seke for those thinges that are aboue and not those that are vpon the earth By which wordes we are not only exhorted to be raysed vp after the exaÌ„ple of Christ to follow a newnesse of life But we are taught that it is wrought by his power that we are regenerate into righteousnesse We obteyne also a third frute of his resurrection that we are as by an earnest deliuered vs assured of our owne resurrection of whiche we knowe that his resurrection is a most certaine argument Whereof he disputeth more at large in the .xv. chapter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians But by the waye this is to be noted that it is sayd that he rose agayne from the dead in which sayeng is expressed the truthe bothe of his death and of his resurrection as yf it had ben sayd that he did bothe die the same death that other menne naturally doe dye and receyued immortalitie in the same fleshe whiche he had put on mortall To his resurrection is not vnfittly adioyned his ascendynge into heauen For although Christ beganne more fully to set forth his glorie and power by risyng agayne for that he had nowe layed awaye that base and vnnoble estate of mortal life and the shame of the crosse yet by his ascendynge vp into heauen only he truely beganne his kyngedome Whiche the Apostle sheweth where he teacheth that Christ ascended to fulfil al thinges Where in semyng of repugnancie he sheweth that there is a goodly agreement bycause he so departed from vs that yet his presence might be more profitable to vs whiche had ben penned in a base lodgyng of the flesh while he was conuersant in earth And therefore Iohn after that he had rehearsed that notable callyng If any thirst let him come to me c. By and by sayth that the holy ghost was not yet geuen to the faythfull bycause Iesus was not yet glorified Whiche the Lord himselfe also did testifie to the Disciples sayeng It is expedient for you that I goe awaye For if I doe not goe away the holy ghost shall not come But he geueth them a comfort for his corporall absence that he will not leaue them as parentlesse but will come agayne to them after a certayne manner in deede inuisible but yet more to be desired bycause they were then taught by more assured experience that the authoritie whyche he enioyeth and the power whiche he vseth is sufficient for the faithfull not only to make them liue blessedly but also to die happyly And truely we see howe muche greater abundance of his spirite he then poured out how much more royally he then aduauÌ„ced his kingdome howe much greater power he then shewed bothe in helpyng his and in ouerthrowyng his enemies Beyng therefore taken vp into heaueÌ„ he toke away the presence of his body out of our sight not to cesse to be present with the faythfull that yet wandred in the earth but with more present power to gouerne both heauen and earth But rather the same that he had promised that he would be with vs to the ende of the worlde he performed by this his ascendyng by whiche as his bodye was lifted vp aboue all heauens so his power and effectuall workynge was poured and spred abrode beyonde all the baundes of heauen and earth But this I had rather to declare in Augustines wordes than mine owne Christ sayth he was to goe by death to the right hande of the father from whense he is to come to iudge the quicke and the dead and that lykewyse in bodyly presence accordyng to the â—ounde doctrine and rule of fayth For in spirituall presence with them he was to come after his ascension And in an other place more largely and plainely Accordyng to an vnspeakeable and vnuisible grace is that fulfilled whiche he had spoken beholde I am with you all the dayes euen to the ende of the worlde But
accordyng to the fleshe which the Worde toke vpon him accordyng to that that he was borne of the Uirgin accordyng to that that he was taken of the Iewes that he was fastened on the tree that he was takeÌ„ downe from the crosse that he was wrapped in linen clothes that he was layed in the graue that he was openly shewed in his risynge agayne this was fulfilled Ye shal not alway haue me with you Why so bycause he was conuersant accordyng to the presence of his body forty dayes with his disciples and they beyng in his companie seyng him not folowyng him he ascended into heauen and is not here for he sitteth there at the right hande of his father and is here for he is not gone awaye in presence of maiestie Therefore accordyng to the presence of his maiestie we alwaye haue Christ accordyng to the presence of his fleshe it was truely sayd to his Disciples but me ye shall not alwaye haue For the church had him a few dayes accordyng to the presence of his flesh but nowe she holdeth him by fayth but seeth him not with eyes Wherfore it by and by foloweth that he is sitteÌ„ downe at the right hande of his father whiche is spoken by waye of similitude taken of princes that haue theyr sitters by to whome they commit their office to rule and gouerne in their stede So it is sayd that Christ in whom the father will be exalted and reigne by his hand was receyued to sit at his right hand as yf it had ben sayd that he was inuested in the dominion of heauen and earth solemnely entred vpon the possession of the gouernement committed vnto him that he not only entred vpon it but also continueth in it till he come downe to iudgement For so doth the Apostle expounde it when he sayth thus The Father hath set him at his right hand aboue all principalitie and power streÌ„ght and dominion and euery name that is named not only in this world but in the world to come c. He hath put althinges vnder his feete and hath geuen him to be head of the church aboue althynges Nowe you see to what purpose belongeth that sittyng that is that all creatures bothe heauenly and earthly maye with admiration loke vpon his maiestie be gouerned with his hande beholde his countenance and be subiect to his power And the Apostles meane nothyng els when they so oft rehearse it but to teache that all thinges are lefte to his will Therefore they thinke not rightly which thinke that blessednesse is only meant by it And it forceth not that in the Acres Stephen testifieth that he saw him standing bicause we speake not heare of the gesture of his body but of the maiestie of his dominion so that to Sitte is nothyng els but to be chiefe iudge in the heauenly iudgement seate Hereupon doth faith gather manifolde frute For it learneth that the Lord by his ascendyng into heauen hath opened the entrie of the heauenly kingdome whiche before had ben stopped vp by Adam For when he entred into it in our flesh as in our name therupon followeth that whiche the Apostle sayth that we doe alredy in him after a certaine manner sit in heauen For that we doe not with bare hope loke for heauen but alredy in our head we possesse it Moreouer fayth perceyueth that he sitteth with his father to our great benefit For he is entred into a â—anctuarie not made with handes and there appereth before the face of the Father a continuall aduocate and intercessor for vs he so turneth the fathers eyes to his righteousnesse that he turneth them awaye from our sinnes He so reconcileth his minde vnto vs that by his intercession he prepareth vs a waye and passage to his throne fillyng it with grace and mercifulnesse which otherwise wold haue ben full of horrour to wretched sinners Thirdly fayth conceyueth his power wherein consisteth our strength might welth and glorieng agaynst the helles For ascendyng into heauen he led captiuitie captiue and spoilyng his enemies he enriched his people and dayly filleth them with heapes of spirituall richesse He sitteth therefore on hye that from thense pouryng out his power vnto vs he maye quicken vs to a spiritual life sanctifie with his spirit and garnish his church with the diuerse giftes of his grace preserue it safe agaynst all hurtes by his protection restrayne with the strength of his hand the ragyng enemies of his crosse and of our saluation finally holde all power bothe in heauen and in earth till he haue ouerthrowen all his enemies whiche are also our enemies and made perfect the bildyng vp of his Church And this is the true state of his kingdome this is the power that his father hath geuen him till he make an ende of the laste act when he cometh to iudge the quicke and the dead Christ doth in deede here shewe to them that be his plaine proues of his power present amonge them but bicause vnder the basenesse of flesh his kingdome doth in a manner lie hidden in earth therefore for good cause is fayth called to thinke vpon that visible presence which he will openly shew at the laste day For he shal in visible forme come downe from heauen euen such as he was seen to goe vp and he shall appere to all men with vnspeakeable maiestie of his kyngdome with bright glistryng of immortalitie with infinite power of godhed with a garde of Angeles From thense therefore we are bidden to loke for him to come our redemer at that day wheÌ„ he shall seuer the Lambes from the Goaste the chosen from the forsaken and there shal be none of all eyther the quicke or the dead that shall escape his iudgement For from the furthest corners of the world shal be heard the sounde of the trompet wherwith all shal be called to his iudgement seate both they that shal be founde alyue at that daye they whome death hath before taken out of the companie of the quicke Some there be that in this place expouÌ„d the wordes of the Quicke and the dead otherwise and we see that some of the olde wryters dyd stick in doubte vpon the constructioÌ„ of this article But as the aforesayd meanyng is plaine easy to perceyue so doth it better agree with the Crede which is euideÌ„t that it was written accordyng the capacitie of the coÌ„mon people And herewith nothyng disagreeth that whiche the Apostle affirmeth that it is apointed to all men ones to die For although they whiche shall remayne in mortall life at the last iudgement shall not dye after a naturall manner and order yet that change whyche they shall suffer bycause it shal be like a death is not vnproprely called death It is in deede certayne that not all shall slepe but all shal be 〈…〉 meaneth that â–ª In one moment their mortall life shall perish 〈◊〉 be
the olde man to forsake the world flesh to bidde our lustes farewel to be renewed in the spirit of our minde Morouer the very name of mortificatioÌ„ doth put vs in minde how hard it is to forget our former nature bicause we therby gather that we are not otherwise framed to the feare of God nor do learne the principles of godlinesse but when we are violently slaine with the worde of the Spirit and so brought to nought euen as though God should pronounce that to haue vs to be accompted amonge his children there needeth a death of all our commune nature Both these thinges do happen vnto vs by the partaking of Christ For yf we doe truely communicate of his death by the power there of our old man is crucified the body of sinne dieth that the corruption of our former nature maye liue no more If we be partakers of his resurrection by it we are raised vp into a newnesse of life that maye agree with the righteousnesse of God In one worde I expouÌ„d repentance to be regeneration which hath no other marke wherunto it is directed but that the image of God which was by Adams offence fowly defaced in a maÌ„ner vitterly blotted out may be renewed in vs So the Apostle teacheth wheÌ„ he sayth but we representyng the glory of God with vncouered face are transâ—ormed into the same image out of glorie into glorie as by the spirit of the Lord. Againe Be ye renewed in the spirit of your minde and put on the new man whiche is created accordyng to God in righteousnesse and holinesse of truth Agayne in an other place puttyng on the new man whiche is renewed after the knowledge and image of hym that created him Therefore by this regeneration we be by the benefit of Christ restored into the righteousnesse of God from which we were fallen by Adam After which manner it pleaseth the lord wholly to restore all those whome he adopteth into the inheritance of life And this restoryng is fulfilled not in one moment or one day or one yere but by continuall yea and sometimes slowe procedynges God taketh awaye the corruptions of the fleshe in his elect cleanseth them from filthinesse and consecrateth them for temples to himself renewyng all their senses to true purenesse that they maye exercise themselues all their life in repentance and knowe that this warre hath no ende but in death And so much the greater is the lewdenesse of that filthy rayler apostata Staphylus whiche foolishly sayth that I confound the state of this present life with the heauenly glorie when I expounde by Paule the image of God to be holinesse and true righteousnesse As though when any thing is defined we should not seke the whole fulnesse perfection of it And yet we denie not place for encreasces but I saye that howe nere any man approcheth to the likenesse of God so much the image of God shineth in him That the faithful may atteyne hereunto God assigneth them the race of repentance wherin to runne all their life long The children of God therfore are so deliuered by regeneratioÌ„ from the bondage of sinne not that hauing now obteined the ful possessioÌ„ of libertie thei should fele no more trouble by their flesh but that thei shold haue remayning a continual matter of stryfe wherwith they maye be exercised and not only be exercised but also maye better learne their owne weakenesse And in this point all wryters of sound iudgement agre together that ther remaineth in maÌ„ regenerate a feding of euel from whense continually spryng desires that allure and stirre him to sinne They coÌ„fesse also that the holy ones are still so holden entangled with that disease of lusting that they can not withstand but that somtime they are tickled and stirred either to lust or to couetousnesse or to ambition or to other vices Neither is it needefull to labour muche in searchyng what the old writers haue thought herein for asmuche as only Augustine may be sufficient for it whiche hath faithfully with great diligence gathered al their iudgemeÌ„tes Therfore let yâ— readers gather out of him such certaintie as they shall desire to learne of the opinion of antiquitie But there may seme to be this differeÌ„ce betwene him vs that he when he graunteth that the faithfull so long as they dwell in a mortal body are so holden bound with lustes that they can not but lust yet dareth not call that disease sinne but beyng coÌ„tent to expresse it by the name of weakenesse he teacheth that then only it becoÌ„meth sinne when either worke or consent is added to conceite or receiuyng that is when will yeldeth to the first desire but we accompt the very same for sinne that maÌ„ is tickled with any desire at al against the law of God Yea we affirme that the very corruption that engendreth such desires in vs is sinne We teach therfore that there is alway sinne in the holy ones vntil they be vnclothed of the mortall body bycause there remaineth in their fleshe that peruersnesse of lustyng that fighteth against vprightnesse And yet he doth not alway forbeare to vse the name of Sinne as when he sayth This Paule calleth by the name of sinne from whense spryng all sinnes vnto a fleshly concupiscence This asmuch as perteyneth to the holy ones loseth the kingdome in earth and perisheth in heauen By which wordes he confesseth that the faithfull are gilty of sinne in so much as they are subiect to the lustes of the fleshe But this that it is sayd that God purgeth his church froÌ„ al sinne that he promiseth that grace of deliuerance by Baptisme fulfilleth it in his elect we referre rather to the giltinesse of sinne thaÌ„ to the very matter of sinne God truely performeth this by regeneratyng them that be his that in them the kingdome of sinne is abolished for the holy ghost ministreth theÌ„ strength whereby they get the vpper hand and are conquerors in the battell but it cesseth only to reigne not so to â—well in them Therfore we so say that the olde man is crucified the law of sinne abolished in the children of God that yet there remayne some leauynges not to haue dominion in them but to humble them by knowledge in conscience of their owne weakenesse And we confesse that the same are not imputed as if they weare not but we affirme that this coÌ„meth to passe by the mercie of God that the holy ones are deliuered from this giltinesse whiche otherwise should iustly be reckened sinners and gilty before God And this sentence it shall not be hard for vs to coÌ„firme for asmuch as there are euident testimonies of the scripture vpoÌ„ their matter For what wold we haue more plaine than that which Paul crieth out to the Romanes chap. vii First both we haue in an other place shewed and Augustine proueth by strong reasons that Paule
confession to a preeste thinke that they maie wipe their mouthe and saie I did it not And not onely they are made all the yeare longe the bolder to sinne but all the rest of the yeare bearing themselues bolde vpon confession thei neuer sighe vnto God thei neuer returne to themselues but heape sinnes vpon sinnes til they vomit vp al at ones as they thinke And when they haue ones vomited them vppe they thinke them selues discharged of their burden and that thei haue taken awaie from God the iudgment that thei haue geuen to the preeste and that they haue brought God in forgetfulnesse when they haue made the preeste priuie Moreouer whoe doth meryly see the daie of confession at hande Whoe goeth to confession with a cherefull hearte and commeth not to it rather against his wil as it were drawing backewarde like as if he were taken by the necke and drawen to pryson vnlesse paraduenture it be the very preestes that vse ioyfully to delite themselues with mutuall rehersals of their doinges as weare with mery tales I wil not defile much paper with monstruous abhominations wherof auricular cōfession swarueth ful Onely this I saie If that holy man did not vnwisely that for one rumor of fornication toke awaie confession out of his Church yea out of the remembrance of his flocke then we be therby putt in minde what ys nedefull to be done at this daie vpon infinite whordomes adulteries incestes and bawderies Where the Consessionars allege for thys purpose the power of the keyes and doe therevpon sette the peupe and prore of their kyngedome as the prouerbe is it is to bee seen howe muche they oughte to auayle Then saye they are the keyes geuen wythoute cause Is yt sayde wythoute cause Whatsoeuer you loose vpon earthe shall be also loosed in heauen Do we then make the worde of Christe voide I answer there was a weighty cause why the keies shold be geuen as bothe I haue euen now already declared and shal more plainly shew againe when I come to entreat of Excommunication But what if I do with one swerde cutt of the holde of al that thei require that ys with saieng that sacryficeng preestes are not the vicars nor successors of the Apostles But this shall also be to be entreated of in an other place but nowe thei raise vp an engine whereby thei wolde most of all defende themselues and therby may all their buildinges be ouerthrowen For Christe did not geue his Apostles the power to binde loose before that he gaue them the holy ghoste Therefore I saie that none haue the power of the keies that haue not first receiued the holy ghost I denie that any man can vse the keies but hauing the holy ghoste going before teaching him informing him what is to bee done They triflinge saie that thei haue the holy ghoste but in dede thei denie it vnlesse paraduenture thei faine as thei do faine in dede the holy ghoste to be a vaine thing and a thing of nothing but therin thei shall not be beleued And by this engine thei are vtterly ouerthrowē that of what soeuer dore thei boast that thei haue the keie a man may alway aske thē whether thei haue the holy ghoste whiche is the iudge and gouerner of the keies If thei answer that thei haue then thei maie be asked againe whether the holy ghoste may erre This thei wil not be glade to speake expresly althoughe thei crokedly vtter the same by their doctrine It is therefore to be gathered that no preestes haue power of the keies whiche do commonly without consideration loose those thinges that the Lorde wold haue to be bounde and binde those thinges that the Lorde commaunded to be loosed Whereas thei see themselues conuinced by most clere experimentes that thei do without choise loose and binde the worthy and vnworthy thei vsurpe a power without knowledge And although they dare not denie that knoweledge is requisit for a good vse yet thei write that the very power is geuen to euel disposers of it But this is the power whatsoeuer thou bindest or loosest in earthe shal be bounde or loosed in heauen Either the promise of Christ must lie or thei that haue this power do well binde and loose Neither may thei dallye and saie that the saieng of Christe is limited according to the deseruings of him that is bound or loosed And we also confesse that none can be bounde or loosed but thei that are worthy to be bound or loosed But the messingers of the Gospell and the Churche haue the woorde by whyche thei measure this worthinesse in thys woorde the messangers of the Gospell maye promise to all men forgeuenesse of sinnes in Christe by faythe thei maye proclaime damnation into all and vpon all that embrace not Christ. In this word the Church pronounceth that fornicatours adulterers theues mansleiers couetous men vniust men haue no parte in the kingdom of God and bindeth such with most sure bondes With the same worde the Churche looseth them whome yt comforteth being repentant But what power shall this be not to knowe what is to be bounde or loosed and not to be able to binde or loose without knowledge Why then do thei saie that thei loose by authoritie geuen vnto them whē the loosing is vncertain What haue we to do with this imaginatiue power yf there be no vse of it But I haue it already prouch that eyther there is no vse of it or so vncertaine an vse as maye be accompted for none at all For wheras they cōfesse that there is a great parte of prestes that do not rightly vse the keyes and that the power without lawefull vse is of no effect Whoe shall assure me that he of whom I am loosed is a good vser of the keyes if he be an euell vser of it what hath he els but such a voyde disposyng of them as to say what is to be foūd or loosed in thee I know not for asmuch as I lack the right vse of the keyes but yf thou deserue I loose thee But so much might do I wil not say a laye man for they could not beare that with patient eares but a Turke or a Deuell For it is asmuche as to saye I haue not the worde of God the sure rule of loosyng but there is power geuen me to loose thee yf thy deseruynges be so We see therfore what they meant when they defined the keyes to be the authoritie of discernyng and power of executyng and that knowledge is adioyned for a counseller and like a counseller serueth for a good vse vndoubtedly euen they desired to reygne at theyr owne will licentiously without God and his worde If any man take exception and saye that the lawfull ministers of Christ shall be no lesse doubtefull in their office bycause the absolution that hangeth vpon fayth shall alwaye remayne doubtefull and then that sinners shall haue eyther none or a cold comforte bycause the
mention of it as of a thing betokening vnluckely and vnhappy Truely it is no maruell if naturall sease in vs do quake for fear when we heare of the dissoluing of vs. But this is in no wyse tolerable that there be not in a Christian mans brest the light of godlinesse that should with greater comfort ouercome and suppresse that feare howe great soeuer it be For if we consider that this vnstedfast faulty corruptible fraile withering and rotten tabernacle of our body is therfore dissolued that it may afterward be restored againe into a stedfast perfect vncorruptible and heauenly glorie shall not faith compell vs feruently to desire that whiche nature feareth If we consider that by death we are called home out of banishmeÌ„t to inhabite our contry yea a heauenly contrey shall we obteine no comfort there by But there is nothinge that desireth not to abide continualli I graunt therefore I affirme that we ought to loke vnto the immortalitie to come wher we may atteine a stedfast state that no where appeareth in earth For Paul dothe very well teache that the faithfull ought to goe cherefully to death not because they would be vnclothed but because they desyre to be newly clothed Shall brute beastes yea and lifeles creatures euen stockes and stones knowing their present vanitie be earnestly bent to loking for the last day of the resurrection that they may with the children of God be deliuered from vanitie and shall we that are endued with the light of wyt and aboue wyt enlightened with the spirite of God when it standeth vpon our being not lift vp our myndes beyond this rottennesse of earth But it perteineth not to my present purpose nor to this place to speake against this peruersnesse And in the beginning I haue alredie professed that I would not here take vpon me the large handlinge of common places I would counsel suche fearfull myndes to rede Cyprians boke of Mortalitie vnlesse thei were mete to be sent to the Phylosophers that they may beginne to be ashamed when they se the contempt of death that those do shewe But this let vs hold for certainly determined that no man hath well profited in Christes schole but he that doth ioyfully loke for the daye both of death and of the last resurrection For both Paule describeth all the faithfull by this marke also it is common in the Scripture to call vs thither as oft as it will set forthe a ground of perfect gladnesse Reioyce saithe the Lorde and lift vp â—our heads for your redemption commeth nere at hande Is it reasonable I praie you that the thing which he willed to be of so great force to raise vp ioye cherefulnesse in vs sholde brede nothing but sorrowe and discouragement If it be so why do we still boast of hym as oure Scholemaster Let vs therfore gette a sounder minde and howsoeuer the blinde and senslesse desire of the flesh do striue against it let vs not doubt to wishe for the comming of the Lorde not onely with wishinge but also with groning and sighing as a thing most happy of all other For he shal come a redemer to vs to drawe vs out of this infinite gulfe of euels and miseries and to leade vs into that blessed inheritance of his life and glorie This is certainely true all the nation of the faithfull so longe as they dwel in earth must be as shepe appointed to slaughter that they mate be fashioned like Christ their heade Therfore thei were in moste lamentable case vnlesse thei had their minde raised vp into heauen surmounted all that is in the worlde and passed ouer the present face of things Contrariwise wheÌ„ thei haue ones lifâ—ed their heades aboue all earthly thinges although thei see the wealth and honoures of the wicked storyshing if thei see them enioying quiet peace if thei see them proude in gorgiousnesse and sumptuousnesse of all thinges if they see them to stowe in plentiful store of al delites by side that if thei be spoyled by their wickednesse yf they susteine reprochfull dealinges at theyr pride if thei be robbed by their couetousnesse if thei be vexed by any other outrage of theirs thei will easily vpholde themselues in such aduersyties For that daie shal be before their eies when the Lorde shall receiue his faithfull into the quiet of his kingdome when he shal wipe all teares from theyr eyes when he shall clothe them with the robe of glorie gladnesse when he shall feede them with the vnspeable swetnesse of his deinties when he shall aduaunce them to the felowshippe of his hie estate ynally when he shall vouchesaue to enterparten hys felicitie wyth them But these wycked ones that haue floryshed in the earâ—he he shall throwe into extreeme shame he shall change their delites into tormentes their laughing and mirth into weping and gnasshing of tethe he shall disquiet their peace with terrible torment of coÌ„science he shall punish their deintinesse with vnquenchable fier shall put their heades in subiection to those godly men whose patience thei haue abused For this is righteousnes as Paule testifieth to geue release to the miserable to them that are vniustly afflicted and to render affliction to the wycked that do afflict the godly when the Lorde Iesus shall be reueled from heauen This truely is our onely comfort whiche if it be taken awaie we must of necessitie either despeir or flatteringly delite oure selues wyth the vayne comfortes of the worlde to oure owne destruction For euen the Prophete confesseth that his fete stagged when he taried to longe vpon considering the present prosperitie of the wicked and that he coulde not otherwise stande stedfaste but when he entred into the sanctuarie of God and bended his eyes to the last ende of the godly and the wicked To conclude in one word then only the crosse of Christ triumpheth in the heartes of the faythfull vpon the Deuil fleshe synne the wicked when our eyes are turned to the power of the resurrection The tenth Chapter ¶ Howe we ought to vse this present lyfe and the helpes thereof BY suche introductions the Scripture doth also wel informe vs what is the right vse of earthely benefites whiche is a thyng not to be neglected in framyng an order of lyfe For if we must lyue we must also vse the necessary helpes of life neyther can we eschue euen those thynges that seme rather to serue for delite than for necessity Therfore we must kepe a measure that we may vse them with a pure conscience either for necessitie or for delight That measure the Lorde apointeth by his worde when he teacheth that this lyfe is to them that bee his a certaine iorney through a strange countrey by whiche they trauayle towarde the kingdome of heauen If we must but passe through the earth doubtlesse we ought so far to vse the good thynges of the earth as they may rather further than
made sure and of force Therefore that shadowish ceremonie of the lawe taught that wee are all shutt oute from the face of God and that therefore wee neede a Mediator whyche maye appeare in oure name and maye beare vs vpon hys sholders and holde vs fast bounde to his breast that we may be hearde in his person then that by sprynkeling of bloode our praiers are cleansed whiche as wee haue already saide are neuer vorde of filthinesse And wee see that the holy ones when thei desyred to obteyne any thynge grounded theyr hope vpon sacrifices bycause they knewe them to be the stablishinges of all requestes Lett hym remembre thy offrynge sayeth Dauid and make thy burnt offringe fatt Herupon is gathered that God hath ben froÌ„ the beginning appeased by the intercessioÌ„ of Christ to receiue the praiers of the godly Why then doth Christe apoint a new heire when his Disciples shall beginne to praie in his name but bicause this grace as it is at this daye more glorious so deserueth more commendation wiâ—h vs. And in this same sense he had said a little before Hetherto ye haue not asked any thinge in my name nowe aske No that thei vnderstode nothing at all of the office of the Mediator whereas all the Iewes were instructed in the principles but bicause thei had not yet clerely knowen that Christ by his ascending into heauen shold be a surer patron of the Church than he was before Therefore comfort their greefe of the abscence with some speciall frute he claimeth to himselfe the office of an aduocate teaceth that thei haue hitherto wanted the cheâ—e benefite which it shal be graunted them to enioye when being aâ—ded by his mediation thei shal more frely cal vpon God as the Apostle saith that his newe waie is dedicate in his blood And so much lesse excusable is oure frowardnes vnlesse we do with both armes as the saieng is embrace so inestimable a benefite whiche is proprely apointed for vs. Nowe whereas he is the onely waie and the onely entrie by which it is graunted vs to come in vnto God whoe so doe swarue from this way and forsake this entrie for them there remayneth no waie nor entrie to God there is nothinge left in his throne but wrath iudgment terroure Finally sithe the Father hathe marked him for oure heade guide thei which do in any wise swarue or go awaie from him do labore as much as in them lieâ—h to race out dysfigure the marke which God hath imprinted So Christ is set to be the only Mediator by whose intercession the Father may be made to vs fauourable and easy to be entreated Howe be it in the meane time the holy ones haue theyr intercessions left to them wherby thei do mutually coÌ„mend the safetie one of an other to God of which the Apostle maketh mention but those be such as hange vpon that one only intercession so farre is it of that thei minish any thing of it For as thei springe out of the affectioÌ„ of loue wherwith we embrace one an other as the membres of one body so thei are alâ—o reâ—erred to the vntâ—ie of the heade Sythe therefore they also are made in the name of Christe what doe they els butte testifie that noe manne canne be holpen by any prayers at al butte wyth the intercession of Christe And as Christe wythe hys intercession wyth standeth not butte that in the Churche wee maye wyth prayers bee aduocates one for an other so lette thys remaine certayne that all the intercessors of the whole Churche oughte to bee directed to that onely one yea and for this cause we ought specially to be beware of vnthankfulnesse bycause God pardoning oure vnworthinesse doth not onely geue leaue to euery one of vs to praie for himselfe but also admitteth vs to be entreaters one for an other For where God appointeth aduocates for his Churche which deserue worthily to be reiected if they praie pryuately euery one for himselfe what a pride were it to abuse this libertie to darken the honoure of Christe Nowe yt ys a meare trifelynge whyche the Sophisters bable that Christe ys the Mediatoure of redemption butte the faythefull are Mediatoures of intercession As thoughe Christe hauynge perfourmed a Mediation for a time hathe geuen to hys seruauntes that eternall Mediatoreshippe whyche shall neuer dye Full courteouslye forfoothe they handle hym that cutte awaie so little a portion of honor from hym But the Scripture saythe farre otherwise wyth the symplicitie whereof a godly man ought to be contented leauinge these deceyuers For where Ihon saithe that yf any doe synne we haue an aduocate wyth the Father Christe Iesus dothe he meane that he was ones in olde tyme a patrone for vs and not rather assigneth to hym an euerlastinge intercession Howe saye we to thys that Paule also affirmeth that he sitteth at the right hande of God the Father and maketh intercession for vs And when in an other place he calleth hym the only Mediatoure of God and men meaneth he not of prayers of whych he had a little before made mention For when he hadde before said that intercession muste be made for all men for proofe of that sayeng hee by and by addeth that of all menne there is one God and one Mediatore And none otherwise doth Augustine expounde it when he saith thus Christian menne dothe mutually commende themselues in their prayers But he for whom none maketh intercession but he for al he is the onely and true Mediatoure Paule the Apostle though he were a principall membre vnder the heade yet bycause hee was a membre of the bodye of Christe and knewe that the greatest and truest preeste of the church entred not by a figure into the inward places of the vaile to the holy of holy places but by expresse and stedfast trueth into the innermost places of heauen â—o a holynesse not shadowish but eternal coÌ„mendeth hymself also to the prayers of the faithful Neither doth he make himself a Mediatore betweene the people God but prayeth that al the meÌ„bres of the bodye of Christe shoulde mutually praye for hym bycause the membres are carefull one for an other and if one membre suffer the other suffer with it And that so the mutuall prayers one for an other of all the membres yet trauayling in earthe may ascende to the head which is gone before into heauen in whome is appeasement â—or our synnes For yf Paule were a Mediatoure the other Apostles shoulde also bee Mediatores and if there were many Mediatoures then neither shold Paules owne reason stande faste in whych he hadde saide For ther is one God one Mediatoure of one God and menne the manne Christe in whome wee also are one if wee keepe the vnitie of faithe in the bonde of peace Againe in an other place But if thou seke for a Preest he is aboue the heauens wher he maketh intercessioÌ„ for thee whiche in
that the meane of the men is called vppon ouer the wâ—men when they haue them as their husbandes vnder whoe 's charge and defense they liue Therfore the calling vpon of the name of Abraham vpon the Israelites staÌ„deth in this when they conuey their pedegree from hym and doo with solemne memorie honor him for their author and parent Neither doth Iacob this because he is careful for the enlarging of the renome of hys name but for asmuch as he knew that the whole blessednesse of his posteritie consisted in the enheritance of the couenant which God had made with him he wisheth that which he seeth should be the chefe of al good thinges to them that they be accompted in hys kynred For that is nothing ells but to coÌ„uey to them the succession of the couenant They againe when they bryng suche remembrance into their prayers do not flee to the intercessions of deade meÌ„ but do put the lord in minde of his couenant wherby the most kynde father hath promised that he wil be fauourable beneficial to them for AbrahaÌ„s Isaacs Iacobs sakes How litle the holy ones did otherwise leane vpon the merites of their father the common sayeng of the Chirch in the Prophet testifieth Thou art our Father and Abraham knew vs not Israel was ignorant of vs. Thou Lord art our Father and our redemer And wheÌ„ they thus they adde therwithal Returne O Lord for thy seruaÌ„ts sakes yet thinking vpoÌ„ no intercessioÌ„ but bending their minde to the benefite of the couenant But now sith we haue the Lord Iesus in whoe 's hand the eternal couenant of mercy is not only made but also coÌ„firmed to vs whoe 's name shoulde we rather vse in our praiers And because these good maisters wil haue the Patriarches so â—e by these wordes made intercessors I woulde sayne know of them why in so great a route AbrahaÌ„ the Father of the Chirch hath no place at al amoÌ„g them Out of what sinke they fetch their aduocates it is not vnknoweÌ„ Let them answere me how fit it is the AbrahaÌ„ whoÌ„ God preferred aboue al other and whom he aduanÌ„ced to the hyest degree of honor should be neglected and suppressed Uerily wheÌ„ it was euident that such vse was vnknoweÌ„ to the old Chirch they thought good for hiding of the newnesse to speake nothing of the olde Fathers as though the diuersitie of names excused the new and forged maner But whereas some obiect that God is prayed vnto to haue mercy on the people for Dauids sake it doth so nothing at al make for defÌ„se of their error that it is a most stroÌ„g profe for the confutation therof For if we coÌ„sider what person Dauid did beare he is seuered from al the asseÌ„bly of the Saintes the God should stablish the couenant which he hath made in hys hande So both the couenaÌ„t is rather considered thaÌ„ the man vnder a figure the only intercessioÌ„ of Christ is asfirmed For it is certaine the that which beloÌ„ged only to Dauid in so much as he was the image of Christ accordeth not with any other But this forsothe moueth some that it is oftentimes red that the prayers of Saints haue ben heard Why so Euen because they prayed They trusted in thee sayth the Prophet and they were saued they cried and they were not confounded Therefore let vs also pray as they did that we maye be heard as they were But these men otherwise than they ought doe wrongfully reson that none shal be heard but they that haue ones ben heard How much better doth Iames say Elias sayeth he was a man like to vs and he prayed with prayer that it should not raine and it rained not vppon the earth in three yeares and six monethes Againe he prayed and the heaueÌ„ gaue raine and the earth gaue her frute What doth he gather any singular prerogatiue of Elias to which we oughte to â—â—ee No. But he teacheth what is the continuall strength of godly pure prayer to exhorte vs likewise to pray For we do niggardly costrue the redinesse and gentlenesse of God in hearing them vnlesse we be by such experiences coÌ„firmed into a more sure affiance of his promises in which he promiseth that his eare shal be enclined not to one or two nor yet to a fewe but to al that call vpon hys name And so much lesse excusable is this foolishnesse because they seme as it were of set purpose to despise so many admonitions of Scripture Dauid was oft deliuered by the power of God Was it that he should draw that power to hymselfe that we shoulde be deliuered by hys helpe He himselfe affirmeth farr otherwise The righteous loke for me til thou render to me Agayne The righteous shall see and they shall reioyse and truste in the Lorde Behold thys poore man hath cryed to God and he hath answered him There be in the Psalmes many suche prayers in whiche to craue that whiche he requireth he moueth God by this maner that the righteous be not made ashamed but may by his example be raised vp to hope wel Lett vs nowe be contented with thys one example Therefore euery holy one shall praye to thee in fitt tyme. Whiche place I haue so much the more willingly rehearsed because the lewde babblers whiche doe lett out to hire the seruice of their waged tong haue not ben ashamed to allege it to proue the intercession of the dead As thoughe Dauid meant any thing ells than to shewe the frute that shall come of the mercifulnesse and gentlenesse of GOD when he shall be heard And in thys kynde we muste learne that the experience of the grace of God as wel towarde our selues as other is no sclender helpe to confirme the credit of hys promises I leaue vnrehearsed many places where Dauid setteth before hymselfe the benefites of God for mater of confidence because the reders of the Psalmes shal commonly fynde them without seking This selfe same thing had Iacob before taught by hys own exaÌ„ple I am vnworthy of al thy mercies and of the truthe which the hast performed to thy seruante I wyth my staffe haue passed ouer thys Iordan now I come fourth with twoo â—andes He allegeth in dede the promise but not alone but he also ioineth the effect that he may the more couragiously in tyme to come trust that God will be the same towarde hym For he is not like to mortall men whiche are wery of their liberality or whoe 's abilitie is wasted but he is to be weyed by hys own nature as Dauid wisely doth where he sayth Thou hast redemed me O God that speakest truth After that he hath geueÌ„ to God the prayses of his saluation he addeth that he is a true speaker because vnlesse he were coÌ„tinually like himselfe there could not be gathered of his benefites a sufficiently strong reason of affiance and callyng vpon hym But when we knowe that so oft as
ioyne these two peces together as if he had sayd Suffer vs not to be oppressed with tentation but rather helpe our weakenesse deliuer vs that we faynt not The olde writers also think on our syde so that nowe that whiche is in Mathew added in the seuēth place is by way of declaration to be ioyned to the sixt petition But although the whole praier is such that in euery parte of it regarde is specially to be had of the glorie of God yet the three first petitions are peculiarly appoynted to Gods glorie whiche alone we ought in them to loke vnto without any respect as they say of our owne profite The other thre haue care of vs and are proprely assigned to aske those thinges that are for our profite As when we pray that the name of God be halowed because God will proue whether he be loued and honored of vs freely or for hope of reward we must thē think nothyng of our own commoditie but his glorie must be sett before vs which alone we must beholde with fixed eies and no otherwise ought we to be mynded in the other praiers of this sort And euen this tourneth to our great profite that when it is sanctified as we pray it is also likewise made our sanctification But our eyes as it is saied must winke and after a certayne maner be blinde at suche profite so as they may not ones loke at it that if all hope of our priuate benefite were cut of yet we should not ceasse to wishe and pray for this sanctification and other thynges which perteine to the glorie of God As it is sene in the examples of Moses and Paule to whom it was not greuous to turne away their myndes and eies from themselues with vehement and enflamed zele to wish their owne destruction that though it were with their owne losse they might auaunce the glorie kyngdome of God On the other side when we pray that our dayly bread be geuen vs although we wyshe that which is for our owne commoditie yet here also we ought chefely to seke the glorie of God so that we would not aske it vnlesse it might turne to his glorie Now let vs come to the declaryng of the praier it selfe Our Father whiche art in heauen First in the very entrie we mete with this which we said before that all prayer ought none otherwise to be offred of vs to God than in the name of Christe as it can by no other name bee made acceptable vnto him For sins we call him Father truely we allege for vs the name of Christ. For by what boldnesse myght any man call God Father who should burst foorth into so great rashnesse to take to hymselfe the honor of the Sonne of God vnlesse we were adopted the children of grace in Christ Which being the true Sonne is geuē of him to vs to be our brother that that which he hath propre by nature may by the benefit of adoptiō be made oures if we do with sure faith embrace so great bountifulnesse As Iohn saith that power is geuē to thē which beleue in the name of the only begottē Sonne of God that they also may be made the childrē of God Therforē he both calleth himself our Father will be so called of vs by this swetenesse of name delyuering vs from all distrust sithe there can no where be found any greater affection of loue than in a Father Therfore he coulde by no surer example testifie his vnmeasurable deere loue towarde vs than by this that we are named the sonnes of God But his loue is so much greater more excellent toward vs than all loue of our parentes as he passeth all men in goodnesse and mercy that if all the fathers that are in the earth hauing shaken of all feling of fatherly naturalnesse wold forsake their children yet he wyll neuer faile vs because he can not denie hymselfe For we haue his promise If you beyng euell can geue good giftes to your children howe muche more can your Father which is in heauen Agayn in the Prophet Can a mother forget her children Though she forget them yet I will not forgett thee If we be his children then as a childe can not geue hymselfe into the tuition of a stranger and forein man vnlesse he complain either of the crueltie or pouertie of his father so we can not seke succors from ells where than from him alone vnlesse we reproche hym with pouertie and wante of abilitie or with crueltie or to extreme rigorousnesse Neither let vs allege that we are worthily made fearefull with conscience of sinnes whiche may make a Father be he neuer so mercyfull and kynde daily to be displeased For if among men the sonne can with no better aduocate pleade his cause to his father by no better meane gett and recouer his fauor beyng loste than if he hymselfe humbly and lowly acknowlegyng his fault doo beseche his fathers mercie for then the fatherly bowels can not hide themselues but must be moued at such prayers what shall that father of mercies do and the God of all comfort shall not he rather heare the teares and gronynges of his children intreatyng for themselues specially sith he dothe call and exhorte vs to do so than any other intercessions whatsoeuer they be to the succor wherof they do so fearefully flee not withoute some shewe of despeire because they distrust of the kyndnesse and mercifulnesse of their father This ouerflowyng plentie of fatherly kyndnesse he depainteth and setteth out vnto vs in the parable where the Father louyngly embraceth the sonne that had estranged hymselfe from him that had riotously wasted his substance that had euery way greuously offended against him and he tarieth not till he do with wordes craue pardon but he hymselfe preuenteth hym knoweth hym afarre of returnyng of his owne wyll goeth to mete hym comforteth him and receiueth hym into fauor For settyng out in a man this example of so great gentlenesse he mynded to teache vs howe muche more plentifull kindnesse we ought to loke for at his hande who is not only a Father but also the best and most mercyfull of all Fathers howsoeuer we be vnkynde rebellious and noughty children so that yet we cast our selves vppon his mercie And that he myght make it to be more assuredly beleued that he is suche a Father to vs if we be Christians he willed not only to be called Father but also by expresse name Our father as if we myght thus talke with hym O Father which hast so great naturall kyndnesse towarde thy chyldren so great easynesse to pardon we thy children call to thee and pray to thee beyng assured and fully persuaded that thou bearest no other affection to vs than fatherly howsoeuer we be vnworthy of suche a Father But because the small capacities of our hart conceiue not so great vnmeasurablenesse of fauor not onely Christe is to vs a
pledge and earneste of our adoption but also he geueth vs the Spirite for witnesse of the same adoption through whom we may with a free and lowde voyce crie Abba Father So ofte therfore as any delay shal withâ—arde vs let vs remembre to aske of hym that correctyng our fearefulnesse he will sette before vs that Spirite of coragiousnesse to be our guide to pray boldly Whereas we are not so taught that euery one shoulde seuerally call hym his owne father but rather that we should all in common together call hym Our Father therby we are put in mynde howe great affection of brotherly loue ought to be among vs whiche are altogether by one same right of mercy and liberalitie the children of suche a Father For we all haue one common Father from whom cometh whatsoeuer good thyng may betide vnto vs there ought to be nothyng seuerall among vs whiche we are not ready with great cherefulnesse of mynde to communicate one to an other so muche as nede requireth Now if we be so desirous as we oughte to be to reache our hande and helpe one to an other there is nothyng wherin we may more profite our brethren than to commende them to the care and prouidence of the most good Father who beyng well pleased fauoring nothing at al can be waÌ„ted And verily euen this same we owe to our Father For as he that truely hartily loueth any Father of household doth also embrace his whole housholde with loue and good will likewise what loue affection we beare to this heauenly Father we must shewe towarde his people his householde and his inheritance which he hath so honored that he hath called it the fullnesse of his only begotten Sonne Let a christian man therfore frame his prayers by this rule that they be common and may comprehend all them that be brethren in Christe with hym and not onely those whom he presently seeth and knoweth to be suche but al men that lyue vpon earth of whom what God hath determined it is out of our knowlege sauyng that it is no lesse godly then naturall to wish the best to them and hope the beste of them Howbeit we ought with a certayne singular affection to beare a special inclination to them of the household of faith whom the Apostle hath in euery thing peculiarly commended vnto vs. In a suÌ„me Al our praiers ought to be so made that they haue respect to that communitie which our Lord hath stablished in his kyngdome and his house Yet this withstandeth not but that we may specially pray both for our selues and for certaine other so that yet our mynde depart not from hauyng an eye to this communitie nor ones swarue from it but applie all thynges vnto it For though they be singularly spoken in forme yet because they are directed to that marke they cesse not to be common All this may be easily vnderstoode by a like example The commaundemeÌ„t of God is generall to relieue the nede of all poore and yet they obey this commaundement which to this ende do helpe their pouertie whom they knowe or see to be in nede although they passe ouer many whome they see to be pressed with no lesse necessitie either because they can not know all or be not able to helpe all After this maner they also doo not against the will of God which hauyng regard vnto and thinkyng vppon this common felowship of the Chirche doo make suche particular prayers by whiche they doo with a common mynde in particular wordes commende to God themselves or other whoe 's necessitie God willed to be more nereiy knowen to them Howbeit all thyngs are not like in praier and in bestowyng of goodes For the liberalitie of geuing can not be vsed but toward them whoe 's nede we haue perceyued but with prayers we may helpe euen them that are most strange and moste vnknowen to vs by howe greate a space of ground soeuer they be distant from vs. This is done by that generall forme of praier wherin all the children of God are conteined among whom they also are Hereto we may applie that which Paule exhorteth the faithfull of his tyme that they lift vp euery where pure handes without stryfe because when he warneth them yâ— strife shutteth the gate against praiers he willeth them with one mynde to lay their petitions in common together It is added that he is in heauen Wherupon it is not by and by to be gathered that he is bounde faste enclosed and compassed with the circle of heauen as within certayne barres For Salomon also confesseth that the heauens of heauens can not conteyne hym And he hymselfe faith by the Prophet that heauen is his seate and the earthe his footestoole Wherby verily he signifieth that he is not limited in any certaine coaste but is spread abroade throughout all thynges But because our mynde suche is the grossenesse of it coulde not otherwyse conceiue his vnspeakable glorie it is signified to vs by the heauen than which there can nothing come vnder our sight more ample or fuller of maiesty Sith therfore wheresoeuer our senses comprehende any thyng there they vse to fasten it God is sett out of all place that when we will seke hym we should be raised vp aboue all sense bothe of body and soule Agayne by this maner of speakyng he is lifted vp aboue all chaunce of corruption and change finally it is signified that he comprehendeth and coÌ„temeth the whole worlde and gouerneth it with his power Wherfore this is al one as if he had ben called of infinite greatnesse or height of incomprehensible substance of vnmeasurable power of euerlastyng immortalitie But while we haue this we must lift vp our mynde hier when God is spoken of that we dreame not any earthly or fleshly thyng of hym that we measure hym not by our small proportions nor drawe his will to the rule of our affections And therwithall is to be raysed vp our affiance in him by whose prouidence and power we vnderstande heauen and earth to be gouerned Let this be the summe that vnder the name of Father is sett before vs that God which hath in his owne image appeared to vs that he may be called vpon with assured faith and that the familiar name of Father is not onely applied to stablishe affiance but also auaileth to holde fast our myndes that they be not drawen to doutfull or fained Gods but shoulde from the onely begotten sonne clymbe vp to the onely father of Angels and of the Chirche then that because his seate is placed in heauen we are by the gouernance of the worlde put in mynd that not without cause we come to hym which with present care cometh of his owne will to mete vs. Who so come to God saith the Apostle they must first beleue that there is a God then that he is a rewarder to all them that seke hym Bothe these thyngs Christ affirmeth
lyes of Satan and hys kyngdome may vanish away be destroyed and perish he defendeth them that be his with the helpe of hys Spirite directeth them to vprightnesse and strengtheneth them to coÌ„tinuance but ouerthroweth the wicked coÌ„spiracies of hys enemies shaketh abrode their treasons and deceites preuenteth their malice and beateth downe their stubbornnesse til at length he kill Antichrist with the Spirite of hys mouth and destroy all vngodlinesse with the brightnesse of his comming The third petition is That the wil of God be done in earth as it is in heauen Which although it hangeth vpon his kingdome and can not be seuered from it is not in vaine added seuerally for our grossnesse whiche doth not easily or by and by conceiue what it is that God reigne in the world It shal therfore be no absurditie if this be taken by waye of plainer exposition that God shal then be king in the world when al things shal submitt themselues to his will Now here is not meant of hys secret will wherby he gouerneth al thinges and directeth them to their ende For though Satan and men are troblesomly caried againste him yet he can by hys incomprehensible counsell not only turne aside their violent motions but also driue them into order that he may do by them that which he hath purposed But here is spokeÌ„ of an other wil of God namely that whereunto answereth willing obedience and therefore the heauen is by name compared with the earth because the Angells as it is sayd in the Psalme do willingly obey God and are diligently bent to do his commaundements We are therfore coÌ„maunded to wish that as in heauen nothing is done but by the becke of God and the Angels are quietly framed to al vprightnesse so the earth al stubbornnesse and peruersenesse being quenched may be subiect to such gouernemeÌ„t And when we require this we renounce the desires of our owne fleshe because whosoeuer doth not resigne and yelde his affections to God he doth as much as in hym lyeth set himself against him forasmuch as nothing cometh out of vs but faulty And we are againe by thys prayer framed to the forsaking of our selues that God may gouerne vs after his wil and not that only but that he may also create in vs new mindes and new hartes our olde being brought to nought that we may fele in our selues none other motion of desire than a mere coÌ„sent with his wil summarily that we may wil nothing of our selues but that his Spirite may gouerne our hartes by whoÌ„ inwardly teaching vs we may learne to loue those thinges that please hym and to hate those thinges that displease him Wherupon this also foloweth that whatsoeuer affections fyght against his wil he may make them vaine and voide Loe here be the first three chefe pointes of thys prayer in asking wherof we oughte to haue the onely glorie of God before our eyes leauing the respect of our selues and hauing no regarde to any of our owne profit whiche although it come hereof largely vnto vs yet we ought not here to seke it But albeit al these thinges though we neither thinke of them nor wish them nor aske them must neuerthelesse come to passe in their due time yet we must wishe them and require them And thys to doe is no smal profit for our trauaill that we may so testifie and professe our selues to be the seruantes and childreÌ„ of God as much as in vs lyeth endeuoring and being truely and throughly geuen to set fourth hys honor which is due to hym being bothe a Lord and a Father Whoso therefore doe not with affection and zele of auauncing the glorie of God pray that the name of God be hallowed that hys kyngdome come that hys wyll be done they are not to be accompted among the childreÌ„ and seruantes of God and as all these thinges shal be done agaynst their willes so they shal turne to their confusion and destruction Now foloweth the seconde part of the prayer in which we come down to our own commodities not that bidding farewel to the glorie of God which as Paul witnesseth is to be regarded euen in meate and drink we shold seke only what is profitable for our selues but we haue alredy geuen warning that there is thys difference that God peculiarly claiming three petitions to hymselfe doth draw vs to hymselfe wholly that he may in thys wise proue our godlinesse Then he graunteth vs also to haue an eye to our own commodities but with this condition that we aske nothiÌ„g for our selues but to this ende that whatsoeuer benefites he bestoweth vpoÌ„ vs they may set fourth his glorie forasmuche as nothing is more rightfull than that we lyue and dye to hym But in thys petition we aske of God generally al thinges whiche the vse of the body nedeth vnder the elementes of this world not only wherwith we may be fed and clothed but also whatsoeuer he foreseeth to be profitable for vs that we may eate our bred in peace By which prayer brefely we yelde our selues into his care and commit vs to his prouidence that he may fede cherishe and preserue vs. For the most good Father disdayneth not to receiue also our body into hys faythfull sauegarde and keping to exercise our Fayth in these smal thinges when we loke for all thinges at hys handes euen to a crumme of bred and a droppe of water For wheras it is come to passe I wote not how by our iniquitie that we be moued and vexed with greater care of the fleshe than of the soule many which dare trust to God for their soule are yet carefull for their fleshe are yet in doute what they shall eate and wherewith they shal be clothed and if they haue not plenty of wyne wheate and oyle aforehande they tremble for feare So muche more do we esteme the shadow of this lyfe which lasteth but a moment than that euerlasting immortalitie But whoso trusting to God haue ones cast away yâ— carefulnesse for the prouision of the fleshe do also by and by loke for saluatioÌ„ and euerlasting lyfe at hys hand which are greater things It is therfore no smal exercise of Fayth to hope for those thinges of God whiche otherwise do so much holde vs in care and we haue not smally profited when we haue put of thys vnbeleuingnesse whiche sâ—â—cketh fall within the bones almost of all men As for that whiche some doe here teache of transubstantiall bred it semeth but smally to agree with the meaning of Christ yea but if we did not euen in thys frayle lyfe geue to God the office of a nourishing Father our prayer should be vnperfect The reason whiche they bryng is to muche profane that it is not mete that the children of God which ought to be spiritual should not only cast their minde to earthly cares but also wrappe God therin with them As though his blessing fatherly fauor doth not also appeare in yâ— sustenaÌ„ce
ful perfection of felicitie as we are taught in many places Abraham I am thy reward excedyng great With which sayeng accordeth Dauid The Lord is my portioÌ„ the lot hath very wel fallen to me Againe in an other place I shal be satisfied with thy countenance But Peter pronounceth that the faithfull are called to this end that they may be made partakers of the nature of God How sâ—â— bicause he shal be glorified in all his saintes and shal be made wonderfull in them that haue beleued If the Lord will enterparten his glorie power and righteousnesse with his elect yea and will geue himself to them to be enioyed and which is better will after a certayne manner growe into one with them let vs remeÌ„ber that vnder this benefit is conteyned all kinde of felicitie And when we haue much profited in this meditation let vs reknowledge that we yet staye beneth at the bottome of the rootes if the conceiuyng of our minde be compared with the highnesse of this misterie Wherfore in this behalfe we muste kepe sobrietie least with howe muche greater boldinesse we shal flie vp on hye beyng vnmindefull of our owne smal measure so muche more the brightnesse of the heauenly glorie ouerwhelme vs. We fele also how the vnmeasurable gredinesse to knowe more than is lawfull tickleth vs from whense bothe triflynge and hurtfull questions do spryng from time to time triflyng I call those of whiche there can no profit be gathered But this seconde kinde is worse bycause they whiche geue themselues to them doe entangle themselues with pernicious speculations and therefore I call them hurtfull That whiche the Scriptures do teache ought to be out of all dout with vs namely that as God diuersly distributyng his giftes to the Saintes in this world doth vnequally enlighten them so the measure of glorie shal not be equal in heaueÌ„ where God shall crowne his giftes For neyther doth this belong indifferently to all whiche Paule sayth Ye are my glorie and crowne in the daye of Christ nor also that sayeng of Christ to the Apostles Ye shall sit iudgyng the twelue tribes of Israell But Paule whiche knowe that as God enricheth the holy ones with spirituall giftes in earth so he beautifieth them with glorie in heauen douteth not that there is a peculiar crowne layed vp for him accordynge to the rate of his labors And Christ to set forth to the Apostles the dignitie of the office which they dyd beare telleth them that the frute thereof is layed vp for them in heauen So Daniel also sayth But the wise shal shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they whiche iustifie many as Sterres to the worldes ende and for euer And yf a man heedefully consider the Scriptures they doe not only promise eternall lyfe to the faythfull but also speciall rewarde to euery one Whereupon commeth that sayeng of Paule The Lord render to him in that daye Whiche the promise of Christ confirmeth Ye shall receyue a hundred folde in the eternall life Finally as Christ beginneth in this worlde the glory of his bodye with manifolde diuersitie of giftes and encreaseth it by degrees so he shall also make it perfect in heauen But as al the Godly will receyue this with one consent bycause it is sufficiently testified by the worde of God so on the other side leauyng crabbed questions whiche they shall know to be a hinderance to them they will not passe their apoynted bondes As for my part I doe not onely priuately forbeare superfluous searchyng of vnprofitable thinges but I also thynke that I ought to beware that I do not whithe answeryng nourishe the lightnesse of other Men hungry of vayne knowledge doe aske howe greate shal be the distance betwene the Prophetes and the Apostles and agayne betwene the Apostles and the Martyrs how many degrees Uirgins differ from maried folkes finally they leaue no corner of heauen vnsearched Then it commeth in their mindes to enquire to what purpose serueth the repairing of the worlde sith the children of God shal nede nothing of all this so greate and incomparable plentie but shall be lyke to the Angels whose not eatinge is a Signe of the eternall blessednesse But I aunswere that in the very syghte there shal be so great pleasantnesse so greate swetenesse in the onely knoweledge withoute any vse that this felicitie shall farre passe all the helpes wherwith we be now holpen Let vs imagine oure selues to bee sette in the moste wealthy coaste of the worlde and where we shall wante no pleâ—sure yet whoâ— is there whome his sickenesse do not somtime hinder and not suffer to vse the benefites of God Who is there whose course his owne intemperance doth not ofte breake in sunder Wherevpon foloweth that a cleare enioying and pure from al faulte although there be no vse of corruptible life is the perfection of felicitie Some goe further and aske whether drosse and other corruptions in metalles bee not far from restoring and are contrarie to it Whiche though in some respect I graunt them yet I loke with Paule for the repairing of these faults which toke their beginning at sinne towarde whiche repairing they grone and are in trauaile Yet they procede further and aske what better estate is prepared for man sithe the blessing of issue shall them be at an ende This knot is also easy to be loosed Whereas the Scripture so honorably setteth out that kinde of blessyng that is referred to the encreasces wherewith God continually draweth forward the ordre of nature her marke but in the perfectioÌ„ it is knowen that there is an other manner But sithe the vnware are easily taken with allurementes and then the maze draweth them in depelier and at length when euery mans deuises please himselfe there is no ende of stryuyng therefore let this be a shorte waye for vs to be contented with the glasse darke speach vntil we shal see face to face For fewe of a greate multitude care whiche waye they may go to heauen but all do before their time couet to knowe what is done there All being commonly sluggish slow to enter into battells do already paint out to themselues imagined triumphes Now bycause noe description canne matche the greuousnesse of the vengeance of God vpon the reprobate theyr tormentes and peines ar fygured to vs by bodyly things namely by darkenesse weping gnasshinge of teethe vnquencheable fyer and a worme endlessly gnawinge the hearte For by suche manners of speache it is certaine that the Holy ghooste meante to trouble all oure senses wyth horror as when yt ys sayde that there ys prepared from eternitie a deepe Hell that the nouryshmentes thereof are fyre and much wood that the blast of the Lord as a streame of bremstone doth set it on fier As by such thinges we muste by holpen after a certaine manner to conceyue the miserable state of the wicked so we ought chiefely to fasten
for the goodes of the poore that it is the shame of al priestes to study for their owne richesse But they can not receiue this but they must all condemne themselues of shame But it is not nedefull in this place to speake more hardly against them sithe my meanyng was nothyng els but to shew that among them the lawfull order of deaconry is long ago taken away that they may no more glorie of this title to the coÌ„mendation of their Chirche which I thinke I haue already sufficiently shewed The .vi. Chapter ¶ Of the Supremicie of the See of Rome HItherto we haue rehersed those orders of the Chirch whiche were in the gouernement of the olde Chirch but afterwarde corrupted in tymes and from thensefoorthe more and more abused doo nowe in the Popishe Chirche reteyne onely their name and in dede are nothyng els but visours that by comparison the godly reader might iudge what manner of Chirch the Romanists haue for whoe 's sake they make vs schismatikes because we haue departed froÌ„ it But as for the hed and top of the whole order that is to say the supremicie of the see of Rome wherby they trauaile to proue that they only haue the catholike Chirch we haue not yet touched it because it toke beginning neither froÌ„ the institution of Christ nor from the vse of the old Chirch as those former partes did whiche we haue shewed to haue so proceded from antiquitie that by wickednesse of tymes they are vtterly degenerate and haue put on alltogether a newe forme And yet they go about to persuade the worlde that this is the chiefe and in a maner onely bonde of the vnitie of the Chirch if we cleaue to the see of Rome and continue in the obedience therof They rest I say principally vppon this stay when they will take away the Chirche from vs and claime it to themselues for that they kepe the head vpon whiche the vnitie of the Chirch hangeth and withoute whiche the Chirche muste needes fall asunder and bee broken in pieces For thus they thynke that the Chirche is as it were a maimed and headlesse body vnlesse it be subiect to the see of Rome as to her head Therfore when they talke of their Hierarchie they aâ—way take their beginnyng at this principle that the Bishop of Rome as the vicar of Christe whyche is the head of the Chirche is in his steede President of the vniuersall Chirche and that otherwyse the Chirche is not well ordred vnlesse that See doo holde the Supremicie aboue all other Therfore this also is to bee examined of what sort it is that we may omitt nothyng that perteineth to a iust gouernement of the Chirche Let this therfore be the principall point of the question Whether it be necessary for the true forme of Hierarchie as they call it or ecclesiasticall order that one See should be aboue the other bothe in dignitie and in power that it may be the heade of the whole bodye But we make the Chirche subiect to to vniust lawes if we laye this necessitie vppon it without the worde of God Therfore if the aduersaries will proue that whiche they require they must first shew that this disposition was ordeined by Christ. For this purpose they alledge out of the lawe the hye priesthode also the hye iudgement which God did institute at Hierusalem But it is easy to geue a solution and that many wayes if one way doo not satisfie them First no reason compelleth to extende that to the whole worlde which was profitable in one nation yea rather the order of one nation and of the whole worlde shall be farre different Because the Iewes were on ech side compassed with idolatrers that they should not be diuersely drawen with varietie of religions God appointed the place of worshippyng him in the middest part of the lande there he ordeined ouer them one head Bishop whom they should all haue regard vnto that they might be the better kepte together in vnitie Now when religion is spred abroade into the whole worlde who doeth not see that it is altogether an absurditie that the gouernemeÌ„t of the East and west be geueÌ„ to one man For it is in effect as much as if a maÌ„ should affirme that the whole worlde ought to be gouerned by one ruler because one piece of lande hath no mo rulers but one But there is yet an other reason why that ought not to be made an example to be folowed No man is ignorant that that hie Bishop was a figure of Christ. Now sins the priesthode is remoued that right must also be remoued But to whom is it remoued Truely not to the Pope as he himself is so bold shamelessely to boast when he draweth this title to himselfe but to Christe whiche as he alone susteineth this office without any vicar or successor so he resigneth the honor to none other For the priesthode consisteth not in doctrine onely but in the appeasyng of God which Christe hath fully wrought by his death and in that intercession whiche he nowe vseth with his Father There is therfore no cause why they should bynd vs by this example as by a perpetuall rule whiche wee haue seen to be enduryng but for a tyme. Out of the new testament they haue nothing to bryng foorth for proofe of their opinion but that it was saied to one Thou art Peter and vpon this stone I will builde my Chirche Agayne Peter Louest thou me Fede my shepe But admittyng that these be strong proues they must first shewe that he whiche is commaunded to fede the flocke of Christ hath power coÌ„mitted to him ouer all Chirches that to bynd and to lose is nothing els but to be ruler of all the world But as Peter had receiued the commauÌ„dement of the Lord so he exhorteth all other priestes to fede the Chirch Hereby we may gather that by this sayeng of Christ there was either nothyng geuen to Peter more then to the rest or that Peter did egally coÌ„municate with other the power that he had receiued But that we striue not vainly we haue in an other place a cleare exposition out of the mouthe of Christ what is to bynd and to lose that is to say to reteine and to forgeue sinnes But the maner of binding and loosing both the whole Scripture ech where sheweth and Paule very wel declareth when he saith that the ministers of the Gospel haue coÌ„maundement to reconcile men to God and also haue power to punishe them that refuse this benefite How shamefully they wrest those places that make mention of binding and loosing I both haue already shortly touched and a litle hereafter I shal haue occasion to declare more at large Now it is good to se onely what they gather of that famous answere of Christ to Peter He promised hym the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen he sayed that whatsoeuer he bounde in earth shoulde be bounde in heauen
declare any thyng at all but frō the Lord. Therfore it is said that the people when thei embraced his doctrine beleued in God and in his seruant Moses Also that the authoritie of the priestes shoulde not growe in contempt it was stablished with most greuous penalties But therwithal the Lord sheweth vpon what cōdition they wer to be heard when he saieth that he hath made his couenant with Leui that the law of truthe shoulde be in his mouth And a little after he addeth The lips of the priest shall kepe knowledge and they shall require the law at his mouth because he is the angell of the God of hostes Therfore if the priest will be heard lette him shewe himself the messinger of God that is let him faithfully report the cōmaundements that he receiued of his author And where it is specially entreated of the hearing of them this is expressely set That they may answer accordyng to the lawe of God What maner of power the Prophetes generally had is very well described in Ezechiell Thou sonne of man saith the Lord I haue geuē thee to be a watcheman to the house of Israell Therefore thou shalte heare the worde out of my mouth and thou shalte declare it to them frō me He that is commaunded to heare out of the mouthe of the Lord is he not forbidden to inuent any thyng of himself But what is to declare from the Lorde but so to speake as he may boldly boast that it is not his owne but the Lordes woorde that he hath broughte The selfe same thyng is in Hieremie in other wordes Let the Prophet saith he with whom is a dreame tell a dreame and let him that hath my woorde speake my worde true Certainly he appointeth a law to them all And that is such that he permitteth not any to teach more than he is cōmanded And after he calleth it chaffe all that is not come from himselfe onely Therfore none of the Prophetes them selues opened his mouth but as the Lord tolde hym the wordes before Wherupon these sayinges are so ofte found among thē the word of the Lord the burden of the Lorde so sayth the Lord the mouth of the Lord hath spoken And worthily For Esaie cryed oute that he had defyled lyppes Ieremie confessed that he coulde not speake because he was a childe What coulde procede from the defiled mouth of the one and the foolishe mouthe of the other but vncleane and vnwise if they had spoken their owne speche But this lyps were holy and pure when they began to be the instruments of the Holy ghost When the Prophetes are boūd with this religion that they deliuer nothyng but that which they haue receiued thē they be garnished with notable power and excellent titles For when the Lorde testifieth that he hath set them ouer nations and kyngdomes to pluck vp and to roote out to destroy and plucke downe to builde and to plant he by and by adioyneth the cause because he hath put his wordes in theyr mouth Nowe if you looke to the Apostles they are in dede commended with many and notable titles that they are the light of the worlde and the salt of the earth that they are to be heard in stede of Christ that whatsoeuer they bynde or lose in earth shal be bounde or loosed in heauen But in their very name they shewe howe muche is permitted theim in their office that is if they be Apostles that they shoulde not prate whatsoeuer they list but shold faithfully report his commaundementes from whom they are sent And the wordes of Christe are playne enough in which he hath determined their embassage when he cōmaūded them to go teach al nations al those thinges that he had cōmaunded Yea he himself also receiued this lawe and laid it vpon himself that it shold be lawful for no man to refuse it My doctrine sayth he is not myne but his that sent me my fathers He that was alway the only and eternall coūseller of the Father he that was appointed by the Father the Lord and scholemaister of all men yet because he executed the ministerie of teaching prescribed by his owne example to all ministers what rule they ought to folow in teaching Therfore the power of the Chirch is not infinite but subiect to the word of the lord and as it were enclosed in it But sith this hath from the beginnyng ben of force in the Chirche at this day ought to be in force that the seruantes of God shold teache nothing whiche they haue not learned of him yet accordyng to the diuersitie of tymes they had diuers orders of learnyng But that order which is nowe muche differeth from those that were before First if it be true whiche Christe saieth that none hath seene the Father but the Sonne and he to whom it hath pleased the Sonne to shewe him it behoued verily that they should be alway directed by that eternal wisdome of the Father whiche wold come to the knowledge of God For howe should they either haue comprehended in mynd or vttered the misteries of God but by his teachyng to whom alone the secretes of the Father ar open Therfore the holy fathers in old time knew GOD no other wise but beholding him in the Sonne as in a glasse When I say this I meane that God did neuer by any other meane disclose hymselfe to men but by the Son that is his only wisdome light and truthe Out of this fountaine did Adam Noe Abraham Isaac Iacob and the other draw all the knowlege that they had of heauenly doctrine Out of the same foūtain haue also al the Prophetes themselues drawē al the heauēly Oracles that they vttered For verily this Wisedome hath alway disclosed 〈◊〉 selfe by moe waies than one To the Patriarches he vsed secrete reuelations but therwithall to confirme their myndes he adioyned suche signes that it coulde not bee doutefull to them that is was God that spake The Patriarches conueied ouer from hand to hand to posteritie that whiche they had receiued For the Lorde left it with them to this entent that they should so sprede it abrode But the children childrens children by God secretely informyng them did knowe that that whiche they heard was from heauen and not from the earth But when it pleased God to raise a more apparāt forme of a Chirche he willed to haue his worde put in writing noted that the prests shold fetch frō thense what thei might deliuer to the people that all the doctrine that shold be taught shold be tried by that rule Therfore after the publishyng of the law when the prestes are comaunded to teach out of the mouth of the Lord the meaning is that they shold teach nothing straūge or differing from that kinde of learning which the Lord cōprehended in the lawe and to adde and diminishe was vnlawful for them Then folowed the Prophets by
of spiritual policie To this ende from the beginning were ordeined iudicial orders in Chirches which might vse examination of maners correcte vices and exercise the office of the keyes This order Paule speaketh of in the Epistle to the Corinthians when he nameth gouernementes Againe to the Romaines wheÌ„ he saith let him that ruleth rule in carefulnesse For he speaketh not to the magistrates for at that time there were no Christian magistrates but to them that were ioyned with the Pastors for the spirituall gouernement of the Chirch Also in the Epistle to Timothee he maketh twoo sortes of Elders some that labor in the worde other some that do not vse the preaching of the worde and yet do rule well By this later sort it is no doute that he meaneth them that were appointed to loke vnto maners and to the whole vse of the keyes For this power of which we now speake hangeth wholly vpon the keyes which Christ gaue to the Chirche in the xviii Chap. of Mathew where he commaundeth that they should be sharply admonished in the name of the whole Chirch that haue despised priuate monitioÌ„s but if they goe forward in their obstinacie he teacheth that they should be put out of the felowship of the faithful But these monitions and corrections can not be without knowlege of the cause therefore there nedeth both some iugement and order Wherefore vnlesse we will make voide the promise of the keyes and take vtterly away excoÌ„municatioÌ„ solemne monitions and all suche thynges whatsoeuer they be we must nedes geue to the Chirch some iurisdiction Let the reders marke that that place entreateth not of the generall authoritie of doctrine as in the .xvi. Chapter of Mathewe and the .xxi. of Iohn but that the power of the Sinagoge is for the time to come transferred to the flocke of Christ. Untill that day the Iewes had their order of gouerning which Christ stablisheth in his Chirch and that with great penaltie so much as concerneth the pure institution of it For so it behoued forasmuch as otherwise the iugemente of an vnnoble and vnregarded congregation might be despised of rash and proude men And that it should not encomber the reders that Christ doth in thesame words expresse thinges somwhat differring one from the other it shal be profitable to dissolue this dout There be therfore â—woo places that speake of bynding and loosing The one is in the xvi Chapter of Mathew where Christ after that he had promised that he would geue to Peter the keyes of the kingdome of heauen immediatly addeth that whatsoeuer he shal bynde or loose in earth shal be confirmed in heauen In which wordes he meaneth none other thing than he doth by other wordes in Iohn when sending his disciples to preache after that he had breathed vpon them he said whose synnes ye forgeue they shal be forgeuen whoe 's ye reteine they shal be reteined in heauen I will bring an exposition not suttle not enforced not wrested but natural flowyng and offring it selfe This commaundemente of forgeuing and reteining synnes and that promise of bynding and loosing made to Peter oughte to be referred to no other thyng but to the ministerie of the worde which wheÌ„ the Lord committed to the Apostles he did therewith also arme them with this office of bynding and loosing For what is the summe of the Gospell but that we all being the bondseruantes of synne and of death are loosed and made fre by the redemption that is in Christ Iesus and that they which do not receiue nor acknowlege Christe theyr deliuerer and redemer are damned adiudged to euerlasting bondes When the Lorde deliuered this message to his Apostles to be carried into al nations to approue that it was his owne and proceding from himself he honored it with this noble testimonie and that to the singular strengthening both of the Apostles themselues and of all those to whom it should come It behoued that the Apostles shoulde haue a stedfast and sounde certaintie of their preaching which they should not onely execute with infinite labors cares troubles and dangers but also at the last seale it with their blood That they might I say knowe thesame to be not vaine nor voide but full of power and force it behoued that in so great carefulnesse in so great hardnesse of thynges and in so great dangers they should be persuaded that they did the businesse of God that when all the worlde withstode them and fought againste them they should knowe that God stode on their side that hauing not Christ the author of their doctrine present by sight in earth they should vnderstande him to be in heauen to confirme the trueth of the doctrine which he had deliuered them It behoued againe that it should also be most certainly proued by testimonie to the hearers that that doctrine of the Gospell was not the worde of the Apostles but of God himselfe not a voice bred in earth but come downe from heauen For these thinges the forgeuenesse of sinnes the promise of euerlasting life the message of saluation can not be in the power of man Therefore Christe hath testified that in the preaching of the Gospell there is nothing of the Apostles but the only ministerie that it was he himselfe that spake and promised all thynges by their mouthes as by instrumentes and therefore that the forgeuenesse of sinnes which they preached was the true promise of God and the damnation which they pronounced was the certaine iudgement of God But this testifieng is geuen to all ages and remaineth in force to certifie and assure all men that the word of the Gospel by what man soeuer it be preached is the very senteÌ„ce of God published at the soueraigne iudgement seate written in the boke of life ratified firme and fixed in heauen Thus we see that in those places the power of the keyes is nothyng but the preachyng of the Gospell and that it is not so muche a power as a ministerie if we haue respect to meÌ„ For Christ hath not geuen this power proprely to men but to his owne worde wherof he hath made men ministers The other place whiche we haue said to be concernyng the power of bynding and loosyng is in the .xviii. chapter of Mathew where Christ sayth If any brother heare not the Chirch let him be to thee as a heathen maÌ„ or a publicane Uerily I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye bynd vppon earth shal be bound also in heauen whatsoeuer ye loose shal be loosed This place is not altogether like the first but is a little otherwise to bee vnderstanded But I do not so make them diuerse that they haue not great affinitie together This first point is like in both that either of them is a generall senteÌ„ce that in both there is alway all one power of bynding and loosyng namely by the worde of God all one commaundement all one promise But herein they differ that the fyrst place
peculiarly belongeth to preachyng whych the Ministers of the woord do execute this later place to the discipline of Excommunication which is committed to the Chirche The Chirch byndeth whom she excommunicateth not that she throweth him into perpetual ruine and desperation but because she condemneth his lyfe and maners and vnlesse he repent doeth already warne hym of his damnation She looseth whome she receiueth into communion because she doeth make hym as it were partaker of the vnitie whych she hath in Christ Iesus Therfore that no man should obstinately despise the iudgement of the Chirch or little regarde that he is condemned by the consentyng voices of the faithful the Lorde testifieth that suche iudgemente of the faithefull is nothyng ells but a publishing of his owne sentence and that whatsoeuer they do in earth is confirmed in heauen For they haue the word of God whereby they may condemne the peruerse they haue the woord wherby they may receiue the repentant into grace And they can not erre nor dissent from the iudgement of God because they iudge not but after the lawe of God whiche is not an vncertaine or earthly opinion but the holy wil of God and a heauenly Oracle Out of these two places which I thinke I haue bothe brefely and familiarly and truely expounded those furious men without difference as they be caried with their owne gidddynesse goe about to stablishe sometyme confession sometyme excommunication sometime iurisdiction sometyme the power to make lawes somtyme pardons But the first place they allege to stablyshe the supremicie of the See of Rome they can so well skill to fit their keyes to all lockes and dores that a man may say they haue practised smithes craft all their lyfe For wheras many thynke that those thyngs endured but for a time when the Magistrates were yet strangers from the profession of our religion they are deceiued in this that they consider not how great difference and what maner of vnlikenesse there is of the Ecclesiasticall and ciuile power For the Chirch hath not the power of the swerd to punish or restrain no empire to cōmaūd no prison no other pains which the Magistrate is wont to lay vpon mē Again it tendeth not to this end that he that hath sinned shold be punished against his will but shold with willīg chastisement professe his repētāce Therfore there is a far diuers order because neither doth the Chirch take to it self any thing which proprely belongeth to the Magistrate nor the magistrate can execute that which the Chirch doeth This shal be made plainer by an example Is any mā dronke In a well ordered citie prison shal be his punishement Hath he cōmitted fornicatiō He shal haue like or rather greater punishmēt So shal both the lawes the magistrate the outward iudgemēt be satisfied But it may be that he shal geue no signification of repentāce but rather murmure and grudge against it Shall the Chirche in this case do nothyng But suche can not bee receiued to the Supper without doyng wrong both to Christe and his holye institution And reason requireth this that he which offendeth the Chirch with an euill example shoulde with solemne declaration of repentance take away the offence which he hath raised The reason which they bring that are of contrary opinion is to colde Christe saye they committed these doinges to the Chirche when there was no magistrate to execute them But it happeneth oftētimes that the magistrate is more negligent yea somtime peraduenture that himself is to be chastised which hapened to the Emperor Theodosius There may beside this asmuche be said the the ministerie of the word Nowe therfore after their sentence let Pastors cesse to blame manifest wicked doings let them cesse to chide to reproue to rebuke for there be Christiā magistrates which ought to correct these things with the lawes and with the swerd But as the Magistrate oughte by punishyng and by restraining with force to purge the Chirch of offences so likewise the minister of the worde for his part ought to help the magistrate that there may not so many offend So ought their workings to be cōioyned that the one may be a helpe not a hindrance to the other And truely if a man more nerely weye the wordes of Christ he shall easily perceiue that in these places is described a stayed state and a perpetuall order of the Chirche not suche as endureth but for a tyme. For it is not mete that we should accuse them to the magistrate that wyl not obey our monitions which yet shold be necessary if the magistrate succeded into the office of the Chirch What is this promise Shall we saye that it is a promise of one or a few yeres Uerily verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye bind in earth Moreouer Christ did here institute no new thing but folowed the custome alway obserued in the aūcient Chirch of his owne nation wherby he signified that the Chirch can not want the spirituall iurisdiction whiche hadde been from the beginning And this hath ben confirmed by the consent of all tymes For when Emperors magistrates began to professe Christ the spirituall iurisdiction was not by and by abolished but only so ordred that it shold diminish nothing of the ciuile iurisdiction or be confounded with it And rightfully For the magistrate if he be godly wil not exempt himselfe from the cōmon subiection of the childrē of God wherof it is not the last part to submit himselfe to the Chirch iudgyng by the worde of God so farre is it of that he ought to take away the order of iugemēt For what is more honorable sayth Ambrose for the Emperor than to be called the son of the Chirche For a good Emperor is within the Chirche not aboue the Chirch Therfore they which to honor the Magistrate do spoile the Chirche of this power do not onely with false exposition corrupt the sentence of Christ but also do not sclenderly condemne so many holy Bishops whiche haue ben from the tyme of the Apostles that they haue by false pretence vsurped the honor and office of the Magistrate But on the other syde it is good to see this what was in old time the true vse of the iurisdiction of the Chirch and how great abuse is crepte in that we may knowe what is to be abrogate and what is to be restored of antiquitie if we will ouerthrow the kingdome of Antichrist and set vp the true kyngdome of Christ againe First this is the marke to be shotte at that offences be preuented and if any offence be risen vp that it may be abolished In the vse two thinges are to be considered fyrst that this spirituall power be altogether seuered from the power of the swerd then that it be not executed by the wil of one man but by a lawfull assemblie Bothe these thynges were obserued in the purer Chirch For the holy Bishops did not exercise theyr power with fines
the same is nothing ells but a pronouncing of hys own sentence and that whatsoeuer they do in erth is confirmed in heauen For they haue the worde of the Lord wherby they may condemne the frowarde they haue the worde wherby they may receiue the repentant into fauor They I say that trust that without thys bonde of discipline Chirches may long stande are deceiued in opinion vnlesse perhappes we may want that helpe which the Lord foresaw that it should be necessarie for vs. And truely how great is the necessitie therof shal be better perceiued by the manifolde vse of it There be three endes whiche the Chirch hath respect vnto in suche corrections and excommunication The first is that they should not to the dishonor of God be named among Christians that leade a filthy and sinfull lyfe as though his holy Chirch were a coÌ„spiracie of noughtie and wicked men For sith the Chirch is the body of Christ it can not be defiled with suche filthy and rotten members but that some shame muste come to the hed Therefore that there should not be any suche thyng in the Chirch wherby hys holy name may be spotted wyth any repâ—oche they are to be driuen out of her householde by whoe 's dishonâ—â—e any sclauÌ„der myght redounde to the name of Christians And herein also is consideration to be had of the Supper of the Lord that it be not profaned with geuing it to alwithout choise For it is most true that he to whom the distribution of it is committed if he wittingly and willingly admitt an vnworthy man whom he might lawfully put back is as giltie of Sacrilege as if he did geue abrode the Lordes body to dogges Wherfore Chrysostome greuously inueyeth against the Prestes whiche while they feare the power of great men dare debarre no man The blood sayth he shal be required at your handes If ye feare man he shall laugh you to scorne but if ye feare God ye shal be reuerenced also among men Let vs not feare maces nor purple nor crownes we haue here a greater power I verily will rather deliuer mine own body to death and suffer my blood to be shed than I will be made partaker of this defiling Therfore least this most holy mystery be spotted with sclander in the distributing thereof choise is greatly requisite â–ª which yet can not be had but by the iurisdictioÌ„ of the Chirch The secoÌ„d ende is least as it is wont to come to passe with the continuall company of the euil the good shold be corrupted For such is our redy inclination to go out of the way there is nothing easier than for vs to be ledde by euill examples froÌ„ the right course of lyfe This vse the Apostle touched when he commauÌ„ded the Corinthians to put the incestuous man out of their company A litle leuen sayth he corrupteth the whole lomp of doae And he foresaw herein so great danger that he forbade hym euen from all felowship If any brother sayeth he among you be named either a whoremonger or a couetous man or a worshipper of Idoles or a dronkarde or an euill speaker with suche a one I graunte you not leaue so much as to eate The thirde ende is that they themselues confounded with shame may beginne to repente of their filthinesse So it is profitable for them also to haue their owne wickednesse chastised that with feling of the rod they may be awaked which otherwyse by tender bearing with them would haue become more obstinate The same thing doth the Apostle meane when he sayth thus If any do not obey our doctrine marke hym and kepe no companye wyth hym that he may be ashamed Againe in an other place when he wryteth that he hath deliuered the Corinthian to Satan that hys Spirite might be saued in the day of the Lord that is as I expounde it that he went into a damnation for a tyme that he might be saued for euer But he therefore sayth that he deliuereth hym to Satan because the deuil is out of the Chirch as Christ is in the Chirch For wheras some do referr it to a certaine vexing of the fleshe I thynke that to be very vncertaine When these endes be set fourth nowe it remaineth to se howe the Chirch executeth this part of discipline which consisteth in iurisdiction First let vs kepe the diuision aboue set that of synnes some be publike and other some be priuate or more secrete Publike are those that haue not onely one or twoo witnesses but are committed openly and wyth the offense of the whole Chirch Secrete I call those not which are altogether hidden from men as are the sinnes of Hipocrites for those come not into the iugement of the Chirch but those of the meane kynde which are not without witnesses yet are not publike The firste kynd requireth not those degrees which Christ rehearseth but wheÌ„ any such thing appeareth the Chirch ought to do her dutie in callyng the sinner and correcting him according to the proportion of the offense In the second kind according to the rule of Christ they come not to yâ— Chirch til there be also obstinacie added WheÌ„ it is ons come to knowlege then is the other diuision to be noted betwene wycked doinges defaultes For in lighter synnes there is not to be vsed so great seueritie but chastisemeÌ„t of wordes sufficeth the same gentle and fatherly which may not hardeÌ„ nor confounde the synner but bryng hym home to hymselfe that he may more reioyse than be sory that he was corrected But it is mete that haynous offenses be chastised with sharper remedie For it is not enough if he that by doing wycked dede of euill example hath greuously offended the Chirch shoulde be chastised onely with wordes but he oughte for a time to be depriued of the communion of the Supper til he haue geuen assurance of his repentance For against the Corinthian Paule vseth not only rebuking of wordes but driueth him out of the Chirche and blameth the Corinthians that it had so long borne him The olde and better Chirch kepte this order when rightfull gouernement florished for if any man had done any wicked dede wherupon was growen offense first he was commaunded to absteine from partaking of the holy Supper then both to humble himselfe before God and to testifie hys repentaÌ„ce before the Chirch There were also certaine solemne vsages which were enioyned to them that had falleÌ„ to be tokens of their repeÌ„tance When they had so done that the Chirch was satisfied theÌ„ by layeng of handes he was receiued into fauor Which receiuing is oftentimes called of Cipriane peace who also briefely describeth this vsage They do penance saieth he in a certaine ful time then they come to coÌ„fession and by the laying on of handes of the Bishop and the Clergie they receiue power to come to the communion Howbeit the Bishop and his Clergie had so the ruling
capacitie of the vnlearned I wyll vndo those knottes wherwith Satan hath endeuored to snare the worlde Fyrst bread and wyne are signes whiche represent vnto vs the inuisible foode whiche we receyne of the fleshe and blood of Christ. For as in Baptisme God againe begettyng vs doothe graffe vs into the felowshippe of his Chirche and by adoption dothe make vs his owne so we haue sayde that he performeth the office of a prouident Father of householde in this that he continually ministreth vs meate that he susteineth and preserueth vs in that lyfe wherinto he hath by his worde begotten vs. Now the only meate of our soule is Christ and therfore the heauenly Father calleth vs to hym that beyng refreshed with common partakyng of hym we maye from tyme to tyme gather liuely force vntill we atteine to heauenlye immortalitie But forasmuche as this mysterie of the secrete vnityng of Christe with the godly is by nature impossible to be comprehended he geueth the figure and image therof in visible signes moste fit for our small capacitie yea as it were by earnestes and tokens geuen he maketh it so assured vnto vs as if it were seen with our eies because this so familiar a similitude entreth euen into the grossest myndes that soules are so fed with Christ as bread and wine do susteine the bodily life Now therfore we haue it declared to what ende this mysticall blessyng tendeth ▪ namely to assure vs that the body of the Lord was so ones offred for vs that we nowe eate it and in eatyng it doo fele in vs the effectual working of that only sacrifice that his blood was so ones shed for vs that it is vnto vs continuall drinke And so sounde the words of the promise there adioyned Take this is my body whiche is deliuered for you The body therfore which was ones offred vp for our saluation we are commaunded to take and eate that when we see our selues to be made partakers of this we may certainly determine that the power of his death which bringeth life shal be effectuall in vs. Wherupon also he calleth the cuppe the couenant in his blood For after a certaine maner it reneweth or rather continueth the couenant whiche he hath ones stablished with his blood so muche as pertaineth to the confirmyng of our faith so ofte as he reacheth vnto vs that holy blood to be tasted of A great fruite verily of affiance and swetenesse may godly soules gather of this Sacrament because they haue a witnesse that we are growen together into one body with Christe so that whatsoeuer is his we may call ours Herupon foloweth that we may boldly promise vnto our selues that euerlastyng life is ours whereof he is heire and that the kingdome of heauen wherinto he is now entred can no more fal away from vs than from him agayne that we can not nowe be condemned by our sinnes from the gyltinesse wherof he hath acquired vs when he willed them to be imputed to himself as if they were his owne This is the maruailous exchange whiche of his immeasurable bountifulnesse he hath made with vs that he beeyng made with vs the sonne of man hath made vs with hym the sonnes of God that by his cōming downe into earth he hath made vs a waie to goe vp into heauen that putting vpon him our mortalitie he hath geuen vs his immortalitie that takyng on hym our weakenesse he hath strengthened vs with his power that takyng our pouertie to himselfe he hath conueyed his riches to vs that taking to hym the weyght of our vnrighteousnesse wherewith we were oppressed he hath clothed vs with his righteousnesse Of all these thynges we haue so full a witnessyng in this sacrament that we must certainly determine that Christ is truely geuen vs as if Christ hymselfe were sett present before our eies and handled with our handes For this woorde can neither lye to vs nor mocke vs Take eate drinke this is my bodye whiche is deliuered for you this is the blood whiche is shed into the forgeuenesse of sinnes Whereas he commaundeth to take he signifieth that it is ours Whereas he commaundeth to eate he signifieth that that is made one subslance with vs. Whereas he sayth of the body that it is deliuered for vs of the blood that it is shed for vs therin he teacheth that bothe are not so muche his as ours because he toke and laide away both not for his commoditie but to our saluation And truely it is to be diligently marked that the chefe and in a maner whole pith of the Sacrament standeth in these words Which is deliuered for you Which is shed for you For otherwise it should not much profit vs that the body and blood of the Lord ar now distributed vnlesse they had ben ones geuen foorth for our redemption saluation Therfore they are represented vnder bread wine that we shold learne that they are not only ours but also ordeined for the nourishment of spirituall life This is it that we before saied that from the corporall thynges whych are shewed foorth in the Sacrament we are by a certayne proportionall relation guyded to spirituall thynges So when bread is geuen vs for a signe of the body of Christ we ought by by to conceiue this similitude As bread nourisheth susteineth and mainteineth the life of our body so the body of Christ is the onely meate to quicken geue lyfe to oure soule When we see wyne set foorth for a signe of his blood we must call to mynde what vses wyne bryngeth to the bodye that we may consider that the same are brought to vs spiritually by the blood of Christe those vses bee to cherishe to refreshe to strengthen to make mery For if we sufficiently weye what the deliueryng of this holy body what the shedyng of this holy blood hath profited vs we shal plainly perceiue that these thynges whiche are spoken of bread and wine according to such proportionall relation doo very well accorde with them toward vs when they are communicated vnto vs. Therfore the chefe partes of the Sacrament are not simply without hier consideration to reach to vs the body of Christ but rather the same promise wherby he testifieth that his fleshe is verily meate and his blood is drink with which we are fed into eternall life wherby he affirmeth himselfe to be the breade of lyfe of whiche who so eateth he shall liue for euer to seale I saye and confirme that promyse and for bryngyng the same to passe to sende vs to the crosse of Christ where that promise hath ben truely performed and in all pointes fulfilled For we doo not well and healthfully eate Christ but crucified when we doo with liuely feelyng conceiue the effectualnesse of his death For wheras he called himselfe the breade of life he did not borrow that name of the sacrament as some do wrongfully expounde it but because he was geuē vs suche of the Father and performed
whole space of heauen and earth shold in so great distance of places not only be conioyned but also vnited that soules may receiue foode of the fleshe of Christe Therfore let waiward men cesse to procure hatred to vs by a filthy sclaunder as though we did enuiously restraine any thyng of the immeasurable power of God For they do either to foolishly erre or to maliciously lye For it is not here in question what God coulde but what he woulde We affirme that to bee done which pleased hym But it pleased hym that Christ shold be made like to his brethren in all thyngs except synne What maner of thyng is our fleshe Is it not suche as consisteth of the certaine measure of it as is conteined in place as is touched as is seen And why say they may not God make that one selfe same fleshe may occupie many and diuers places may be conteined in no place may be without measure forme Thou madde man why requirest thou of the power of God to make fleshe at one selfe tyme to be and not to be fleshe Like as if thou sholdest instantly require hym to make at one self tyme the light to be bothe light darknesse But he willeth light to be light darknesse to be darknesse fleshe to be fleshe He shall in deede when it pleaseth hym turne darknesse into lyght and lyght into darknesse but wen thou requirest that lyght and darknesse may not differ what doest thou els but peruert the order of the wisdome of God Therefore fleshe must be fleshe and Spirite Spirite euery thyng in suche lawe and condition as God hath created it But suche is the condition of fleshe that it muste be in one yea and that a certaine place and consist of her measure and other forme With thys condition Christ toke fleshe vpon him to whiche as Augustine witnesseth he hath geuen in dede vncorruption and glorye but he hath not taken from it nature and truth They answer that they haue the worde whereby the will of God is made playne namely if it be graunted them to banish out of the Chirch the gifte of exposition whiche may bring lighte to the worde I graunt that they haue the worde but suche as in olde tyme the Anthropomorphites had when they made God hauing a body suche as Marcion and the Manichees had when they fayned the body of Christ to be eyther heauenly or fantasticall For they alleged for testimonies The firste Adam was of the earth earthly the seconde Adam is of heauen heauēly Againe Christ abaced himselfe taking vpon him the forme of a seruant and was founde in likenesse as a mā But the grosse eaters think that there is no power of God vnlesse with the monster forged in their braines the whole order of nature be ouerthrowen whiche is rather to limit God when we couet with our fained inuētions to proue what he can do For out of what worde haue they taken that the body of Christe is visible in heauen but lurketh inuisible in earth vnder ▪ innumerable litle peces of bred They wil say that necessitie requireth this that the body of Christe should be geuen in the Supper Uerily because it pleased them to gather a fleshly eating out of the wordes of Christ they being caried away with their owne foreiugement were driuen to necessitie to coine this sutteltie which the whole Scripture crieth out against But that any thing is by vs diminished of the power of God is so false that by our doctrine the prayse of it is very honorably set out But forasmuche as they alway accuse vs that we defraude God of hys honor when we refuse that whiche according to common sense is hard to be beleued although it haue ben promised by the mouth of Christ I make againe the same answere that I made euen nowe that in the mysteries of Fayth we doe not aske counsell of common sense but with quiet willingnesse to learne and with the Spirite of mekenesse whiche Iames commendeth we receiue the doctrine come from heauen But in that when they perniciously erre I deny not that we followe a profitable moderation They hearing the wordes of Christe Thys is my bodye imagine a miracle moste farre from hys mynde But when out of thys fayned inuention aryse fowle absurdities because they haue allready with hedlong hast put snares vpon themselues they plunge themselues into the bottomlesse depthe of the almightinesse of God that by thys meane they may quenche the lyght of truthe Hereupon commeth that proude precisenesse We will not knowe howe Christe lyeth hydde vnder the bred holdyng our selues cōtented with thys saying of hys This is my body But we as we doe in the whole Scripture doe with no lesse obedience than care studye to obteyne a sounde vnderstanding of thys place neither doe we with preposterous heate rashly and without choise catch holde of that which first thrusteth it selfe into our myndes but vsing diligent musing vpon it we embrace the meaning whiche the Spirite of God ministreth and standing thereupon we doe from alofte despise whatsoeuer earthly wisdome is set against it Yea we holde our myndes captiue that they may not be bolde so muche as with one litle worde to carpe against it and do humble them that they maye not dare to rise vp against it Hereupon sprong vp the exposition of the woordes of Christ which to be by the continual vsage of the Scripture common to al Sacramentes al they that haue ben though but meanely exercysed therin do knowe Neither do we after the exāple of the holy virgin thynke it lawful for vs in a hard mater to enquire how it may be done But because nothing shal more auaile to confirme the Fayth of the godly than when they haue learned that the doctrine whiche we haue taughte is taken out of the worde of God and standeth vpon the authoritie thereof I will make this also euident with as greate brefenesse as I can The body of Christ sins the tyme tha◠it rose agayne not Aristotle but the Holy ghost teacheth to be limited and that it is comprehēded in heauen vntill the laste day Neither am I ignorante that they boldly mock out those places that are alleged for thys purpose So oft as Christ sayth that he wil departe leauing the world they answer that that departing is nothing ells but a changing of mortall state But after this manner Christe shoulde not set the Holy ghost in hys place to supplye as they call it the wante of hys absence forasmuche as he doth not succede into his place nor Christ himselfe doth descende again oute of the heauenly glorye to take vppon hym the state of mortall lyfe Truely the commyng of the Holy ghost and the ascending of Christe are thynges set as contrarie therefore it can not be that Christe should according to the fleshe dwel with vs after the same manner that he sendeth his Spirite Moreouer he in playne wordes
expresseth that he will not be alway with hys disciples in the worlde Thys saying also they thynke that they do gayly wype awaye as though Christ sayd that he wil not alway be poore and miserable or subiect to the necessities of thys frayle lyfe But the circumstance of the place cryeth playnly to the contrarie because there is not entreated of pouertie and nede or of the miserable state of earthly life but of worship and honor The anointing pleased not the disciples because they thought it to be a superfluous and vnprofitable cost and nere vnto riotous excesse therefore they had rather that the price thereof which they thought to be il wasted had ben bestowed vppon the poore Christ answereth that he shall not alway be present that he maye be worshipped with suche honor And none otherwise did Augustine expounde it whoe 's wordes be these which are nothyng doutefull When Christ sayd Ye shal not alway haue me he spake of the presence of his body For according to his maiestie accordyng to hys prouidence according to hys vnspeakable and inuisible grace thys was fulfilled which he sayd Beholde I am with you euen to the ending of the worlde But according to the fleshe which the worde toke vnto hym according to thys that he was borne of the Uirgin according to thys that he was taken of the Iewes that he was fastened to the tree that he was taken downe from the crosse that he was wrapped in linnen clothes that he was layed in the graue that he was manifestly shewed in the resurrection thys was fulfilled Ye shall not alwaye haue me with you Why so Because he was conuersante accordinge to the presence of hys bodye forty dayes wyth hys disciples and whyle they accompanyed hym in seynge not in folowing he ascended He is not here for he sitteth there at the right hande of the Father And yet he is here because he is not gone awaye in presence of maiestie Otherwyse according to the presence of maiesty we haue Christ alway and according to the presence of the fleshe it is rightly sayd But me ye shal not alway haue For according to the presence of the fleshe the Chirch had him a fewe dayes nowe she holdeth hym by Fayth but seeth him not with eyes Where that I may note thys also brefely he maketh hym presente to vs three wayes by maiestie prouidence and vnspeakable grace vnder whiche I comprehend this maruelous communiō of hys body and blood if so that we vnderstande it to be done by the power of the Holy ghost not by that fayned enclosing of his body vnder the elemente For our Lord hath testified that he hath fleshe and bones which may be felt and seen And to Go◠away and Ascende doe not signifie to make a shewe of one ascending and going awaye but to doe in dede that whiche the woordes sounde Shall we then will some man saye assigne to Christe some certaine coast of heauen But I answere with Augustine that this is a moste curious and superfluous question if so that yet we beleue that he is in heauen But what doth the name of ascending so oft repeted doth it not signifie a remouing from one place to an other They denye it because after their opinion by heighth is onely signified maiestie of Empire But what meaneth the very manner of ascending ▪ was he not in sight of his disciples loking on lifted vp on hye Doe not the Euangelistes plainly declare that he was taken vp into the heauens These witty Sophisters do answere that with a cloude set betwene him and them he was conueyed out of their sight that the faithfull might learne that from thense fourth he should not be visible in the world As though to make credit of his inuisible presence he ought not rather to vanishe away in a moment or as though the cloude ought not rather to compasse him before that he stirred his foote But when he is carried vp on hye into the ayre and with a cloude cast vnderneth hym teacheth that he is no more to be soughte in earth we safely gather that now he hath hys dwelling place in the heauens as Paule also affirmeth and from thense biddeth vs to loke for hym After this maner the Angels warned the disciples that they in vaine gazed vp into heauen because Iesus which is taken vp into heauen shall so come as they haue seen him goe vp Here also the aduersaries of sounde doctrine starte awaye with a pleasante shifte as they thynke sayeng that he shall then come visible which neuer wente out of the earth but that he abideth inuisible with them that be hys As though the Angells did there signifie a double presence and do not simply make the disciples witnesses of his going vp seing it with their eyes that no douting mighte remayne euen as if they had sayd he in your sightes beholding it being takē vp into heauen hath claymed to hymselfe the heauenly Empire it remayneth that ye paciently abide in expectation till he come againe the iudge of the world because he is nowe entred into heauen not that he may alone possesse it but that he maye gather together with him you and all the godly But forasmuche as the defenders of this bastarde doctrine are not ashamed to garnishe it with the consenting voyces of the olde wryters and specially of Augustine I will in fewe wordes declare how peruersly they goe aboute it For whereas their testimonies haue ben gathered together of learned and godly men I will not doe a thing alredy done let hym that will seke them oute of their workes I wil not heape together neyther out of Augustine hymselfe al that might make to the purpose but will be contente to shewe by a fewe that he is without controuersie whole on our side As for this that our aduersaries to writhe him from vs doe allege that it is commonly red in his bookes that the flesh and blood of Christ is distributed in the Supper namely the Sacrifice ones offred in the crosse it is but trifling sithe he also calleth it eyther Thankesgeuing or the Sacramente of the body But in what sense he vseth the woordes of fleshe and blood we nede not to seke with long compassing about forasmuche as he declareth himselfe sayeng that Sacramentes take their names of the likenesse of the thinges whiche they signifie and that therefore after a certaine manner the Sacramente of the body is the body Wherewith accordeth an other place whiche is well enough knowen The Lorde sticked not to saye This is my body when he gaue the signe of it Againe they obiect that Augustine writeth expresly that the body of Christe falleth to the grounde and entreth into the mouth euen in the same sense that he affirmeth it to be consumed because he ioyneth them bothe together Neither doth that make to the contrarie whiche he sayth that whē the mysterie is ended the bred is consumed
the Supper the figure of it is set before vs for a pledge and assurance of the spirituall lyfe And verily Christ sayd of his glorified body see and fele for a Spirite hath not fleshe and bones Loe by Christes own mouth the truthe of his fleshe is proued because it can be felt and seen Take away these thinges than it shall cesse to be fleshe They still flee to their denne of dispensation which they haue framed to themselues But it is our part so to embrace that which Christ absolutely pronounceth that that which he meaneth to affirme may be of force with vs without exception He proueth himselfe to be no ghost because he is visible in his fleshe Let that be taken away which he claimeth as propre to the nature of hys body must they not then be faine to coyne a new definition of a body Now whether soeuer they turne themselues about their fained dispensation hath no place in that place of Paule where he sayth that we loke for a Sauior from heauen which shall fashion our base body lyke to his glorious body For we may not hope for a like fashioning in those qualities which they faine to Christ that euery one should haue an inuisible and vnmeasurable body Neither shall there be founde any man so dull witted whom they may make to beleue so great an absurdity Let thē not therfore ascribe this gift to Christes glorified body to be at ones in many places and to be conteined in no space Finally let them either openly deny the resurrection of the flesh or let them graunt that Christe being clothed with heauenly glory did not put of his fleshe who shall make vs in our fleshe fellowes and parteners of the same glory when we shall haue the resurrection common with him For what doth the Scripture teache more plainely thā that as Christe did putt on our true fleshe when he was borne of the Uirgin and suffred in oure true fleshe when he satisfied for vs so he receiued againe also the same true fleshe in rising againe and caried it vp to heauen For this is to vs the hope of oure resurrection and ascending into heauen that Christe is rysen againe and ascended and as Tertullian sayth he carryed the earnest of our resurrection into the heauens with him Nowe how weake and fraile should that hope be vnlesse this our selfe flesh had ben raysed vp with Christ and entred into the kingdome of heauen But this is the propre trueth of a body to be conteined in space to cōsist of his mesured proportions to haue his forme Therfore away with this folish deuise which doth fasten bothe the mindes of men and Christ to the bred For to what purpose serueth the secret presēce vnder bred but that they which couet to haue Christ ioyned with them may rest in that signe But the Lord himselfe willed vs to withdraw not only our eyes but al our senses from the earth forbidding himselfe to be touched of the women vntil he had gone vp to his Father When he seeth Marie with godly zele of reuerēce to make hast to kisse his fete there is no cause why he shold disalow and forbid this touching til he haue ben taken vp into heauen but because he wil be sought no where ells Wheras they obiect that he was afterwarde seen of Stephen the solution is easy For neither was it therfore necessarie that Christ should change place which could geue to the eyes of his seruāt such sharpnesse of sight as might pearce through the heauens The same also is to be said of Paule Wheras they obiecte that Christ came out of the Sepulchre being shut and entred in amōg the disciples the dores being shut that maketh neuer a whit more for maintenance of their error For as the water like a fast pauemēt made a way to Christ walking vpon the lake so it is no maruel if at his comming the hardnesse of the stone yelded it selfe Howbeit it is more prouable that by his commaundement the stone was remoued and by and by after passage geuen hym returned into his place And to enter the dores being shut is not asmuch in effect as to pearce through the whole substance but by diuine power to open an entrie for himselfe that he sodenly stode among the disciples verily after a maruelous maner whē the dores were fast locked That whiche they allege out of Luke that Christ sodenly vanished away from the eyes of the disciples with whō he went to Emaus profiteth them nothing maketh for vs. For that he might take away the sight of himselfe from them he was not made inuisible but only went out of sight As when he went in iourney together with them as the same Luke witnesseth he did not put on a newe face that he might not be knowen but helde their eyes But these fellowes do not only trāsforme Christ that he may be cōuersant in earth but in diuerse places they make hym diuerse and vnlike himself Finally in so trifling they do not by one worde in dede but by a circumstāce make of the fleshe of Christe a Spirite and not contented therewith they put vpon it altogether contrarie qualities Wherupon of necessitie foloweth that it is doble Now although we graunt them that which they prate of the inuisible presēce the vnmesurablenesse shal not be yet proued without which they shal in vayne attempt to enclose Christ vnder bred Unlesse the body of Christ may be euery where at ones without any cōpasse of place it shall not be likely that he lyeth hidden vnder bred in the Supper By which necessitie they brought in the monstruous beyng euery where But it is shewed by strong and plaine witnesses of Scripture that it was limited about by the measure of the body of a man and then that by his ascending he hath made it plaine that he is not in all places but that when he passeth into one place he leaueth the other that he was in before Neither is the promise which they allege to be drawē to the body I am with you euen to the ending of the world First the continuall cōioyning can not stande vnlesse Christ dwel in vs corporally without the vse of the Supper Therfore there is no iust cause why they shoulde so sharply brawle about the wordes of Christ that they may in the Supper enclose Christ vnder bred Againe the text it selfe proueth that Christe speaketh nothing lesse than of his fleshe but promiseth to his disciples inuicible helpe wherby he may defende and susteine them against all the assaultes of Satan and the worlde For when he enioyned them a hard charge least they should dout to take it in hande or should ferefully execute it he strengtheneth them with affiance of his presence as if he had said that his succor shal not faile them which shal be impossible to be ouercome Unlesse they listed to confounde all thinges ought they not
to haue made distinction of the maner of presence And verily some had rather with great shame to vtter their ignorance than to yelde neuer so litle of their error I speake not of the Papistes whoe 's doctrine is more tolerable or at the least more shamefast But contentiousnesse so carrieth some away that they say that by reson of the natures vnited in Christ wheresoeuer the Godhed of Christ is there is also his fleshe which can not be seuered from hys Godhed As though that same vniting haue compounded of those twoo natures I wote not what meane thing which was neither God nor man So in dede did Eutyches and after hym Seruettus But it is plainly gathered out of the Scripture that the only one person of Christ doth so consist of twoo natures that either of them hath still her owne propertie remayning safe And that Eutyches was rightfully condemned they wil be ashamed to deny it is maruel that they marke not the cause of hys condemning that takyng away the difference betwene the natures enforcing the vnitie of persō he made of God man and of man God What madnesse therefore is it rather to mingle heauen and earth together than not to draw the body of Christ out of the heauenly Sancturarie For wheras they bring for themselues these testimonies None is gone vp to heauen but he that is come down the Sonne of man which is in heauen Againe The sonne which is in the bosome of the Father he shall declare them it is a poynt of like senslesse dullnesse to despise the communicating of properties which was in olde tyme not without cause inuēted of the holy Fathers Truely when the Lord of glory is said to be crucified Paule doth not meane that he suffred any thīg in his godhed but because the same Christ which being an abiect and despised in the flesh did suffer was both God and Lord of glory After thys manner also the Sonne of man was in heauen because the selfe same Christ which according to the fleshe did dwel the Sonne of man in earth was God in heauen In which sorte he is sayd to haue descended from the sayd place according to hys Godhed not that the Godhed did forsake heauen to hide it selfe in the prison of the body but because although it fylled all thynges yet in the verye māhode of Christ it dwelled corporally that is to say naturally and after a certaine vnspeakable maner It is a cōmon distinction in scholes which I am not ashamed to reherse that although whole Christ be euery where yet not the whole that is in hym is euery where And I wold to God the Scholemen themselues had wel weyed the pith of thys sayeng for so should the vnsauorie inuention of the fleshly presēce of Christ haue ben met withall Therefore our mediator sithe he is whole euery where is alway at hande with his and in the Supper after a speciall maner geueth himselfe present but yet so that whole he is present not the whole that he is because as it is said in his fleshe he is conteined in heauen till he appeare to iudgement But they are farre deceiued which conceiue no presence of the fleshe of Christ in the Supper vnlesse it be made present in bread For so they leaue nothyng to the secrete workyng of the Spirite whiche vniteth Christ hymself vnto vs. They thinke not Christ present vnlesse he come downe to vs. As though if he did lift vs vp to hym we should not aswel enioy his presence Therfore the question is only of the maner because they place Christ in the bread but we think it not lawful for vs to pluck hym out of heauen Let the readers iudge whether is the righter Only let this cauillation be driuen away that Christe is taken awaye from his Supper vnlesse he be hidden vnder the couer of bread For sith this mysterie is heauenly it is no nede to drawe Christ into the earth that he may be ioyned to vs. Nowe if any man do aske me of the maner I will not be ashamed to confesse that it is a hyer secrete than that it can be eyther cōprehended with my witt or vttered with my woordes and to speake it more plainly I rather fele it than I can vnderstand it Therfore I do herein without controuersie embrace the truthe of God in whiche I maye safely rest He pronounceth that his fleshe is the meate of my soule and his blood is the drinke With suche foode I offre my soule to hym to bee fedde In his holy Supper he commaundeth me vnder the signes of bread and wyne to take eate and drinke his body and blood I nothing dout that bothe he dothe truely deliuer them and I doo receiue them Onely I refuse the absurdities whiche appeare to be either vnworthy of the heauenly maiestie of Christ or disagreyng from the truth of his nature of manhode forasmuche as they must also fight with the word of God which also teacheth that Christ was so taken vp into the glorie of the heauenly kyngdome that it lyfteth hym vp aboue all estate of the worlde and no lesse diligently setteth forth in his nature of man those thynges that are proprely belongyng to his true manhode Neither ought this to seme incredible or not consonant to reason because as the whole kyngdome of Christ is spirituall so whatsoeuer he doth with his Chirch ought not to be reduced to the reason of this worlde Or that I may vse the wordes of Augustine this mysterie as other are is done by men but from God in earth but from heauen Such I say is the presence of the body as the nature of the Sacrament requireth which we say here to excell with so great force and so great effectualnesse that it not only bryngeth to our myndes vndouted trust of eternall lyfe but also assureth vs of the immortalitie of our fleshe For it is nowe quickned of his immortall fleshe and after a certaine manner communicateth of his immortalitie They whyche are caried aboue this with their excessiue speches do nothyng but with suche entanglementes darken the simple and playne truthe If any be not yet satisfied I wold haue hym here a whyle to consider with me that we now speake of a Sacrament all the partes wherof ought to be referred to Faith But we do no lesse deintyly and plentifully feede Faith with this partakyng of the bodye which we haue declared than they that plucke Christe hymselfe oute of heauen In the meane tyme I plainly confesse that I refuse that mixture of the fleshe of Christ with our soule or the pouryng out of it suche as they teache because it suffiseth vs that Christ dothe out of the substance of his fleshe breathe life into our soules yea doth poure into vs his owne lyfe although the very flesh of Christ doth not entre into vs. Moreouer it is no doute that the proportion of Faith whereby Paule willeth vs to examine all
prate that in confirmation is geuen a greater encrease of vertues than in Baptisme By the laying on of handes the Apostles distributed the visible graces of the Spirit In what thing do these mens fat liquor shewe it selfe fruiteful But away with these qualifiers that couer one sacrilege with many sacrileges It is like the Gordian whiche it is better to breake in sonder than to labor so much in vndoing it But now when they see themselues destitute of the word of God and probable reason they pretend as they are wont that it is a most auncient obseruation and stablished by consent of many ages Although that were true yet they wynne nothing thereby A Sacrament is not from the earthe but from heauen not from men but from God alone They must proue God to be the authour of their confirmation if they wil haue it taken for a Sacrament But why do they obiect antiquitie whereas the olde writers when they mynde to speake properly doo no where recken moe Sacramentes than twoo If a fortresse of our faith were to be sought from men we haue an inuincible tower that the old Fathers neuer acknowleged those for Sacramentes which these men do lyengly faine to be Sacramentes The olde writers speake of the laying on of handes but do they cal it a Sacrament Augustine plainly affirmeth that it is no other thing than praier Neither let them here bark against me with their stinking distinctions that Augustine meante that not of the layeng on of handes vsed to confirmation but whiche was vsed to healing or reconciliation The boke remaineth and is abrode in the hādes of mē If I wrest it to any other sense than Augustine himself wrot it I giue them leaue after their ordinarie maner to oppresse me not onlye with rayling but also with spitting at me For he speaketh of thē that returned from Schisme to the vnitie of the Chirch He denieth that thei neded to be newlye baptized for he sayth that the layeng on of handes sufficeth that by the bonde of peace the Lord maye geue them the Holye ghost But for asmuche as it might seeme an absurditie that the layeng on of handes should be done of new rather than Baptisme he sheweth a difference For sayth he what other thing is the layeng of handes than prayer vpon a mā And that this is his meaning appeareth by an other place where he sayeth Hande is layed vpon heretikes amended for the coupling of Charitie which is the greatest gifte of the Holy ghost withoute whiche whatsoeuer holye thynges are in mann they a uayle not to saluation But I would to God we did kepe still the maner whiche I haue said to haue been in the old tyme before that this vntimely deliuered image of a Sacramēt was borne not that it should be such a confirmatiō as they faine which can not ones be named without iniurie to Baptisme but a catechizyng whereby children or they that were nere to the age of discretion didde declare an accompt of their faith before the Chirch But it should bee the beste manner of Catechizing if a forme were written to that vse conteinyng and familiarly setting oute a summe in a maner of al the articles of our religion in which the whole Chirch of the faithful ought without controuersie to agree that a chylde beyng ten yeres olde shoulde offer himselfe to the Chirch to declare a confession of his faithe should be examined of euery article and answer to euery one if he were ignorant of any thing or did not vnderstande it he might be taught So shoulde he before the Chirche witnessing and beholding it professe the onely true and pure faithe wherewith the people of the faithfull dothe with one minde worship the one God If this discipline were at this day in force truly the slouthfulnesse of some parentes would be whetted who do carelesly neglect instruction of their children as a thing nothing belonging to them whiche then withoute open shame they could not omitte there should be among christian people a greater consent of faith and not so great ignorance and rudenesse of many some should not bee so rashly carried away with new and strāge doctrines finally all should haue as it were a certayne orderly instruction of christian learning Of Penance In the next place they set Penance of which they entreate so confusely and disordredly that consciences can beare away no sure or sounde thing of their doctrine We haue alreadye in an other place declared at large what we had learned out of the Scriptures concerning repentance and then what they also teache of it Now we haue this onely to touch what reason they had that raised vp the opinion which hath heretofore reigned in Chirches and schooles that it is a Sacramente But first I will brefely saye somwhat of the vsage of the olde Chirche the pretense whereof they haue abused to stablishe their fayned inuention This order they kepte in publike penance that they whiche had fully done the satisfactions enioyned them were reconciled with solemne laying on of handes That was the Signe of absolution whereby both the sinner him selfe was raised vp before God with truste of pardon and the Chirch was admonished gently to receyue him into fauor putting awaye the remembrance of his offence This Cyprian oftentimes calleth to geue peace That this doing mighte bee of greater dignitie and haue more commendation among the people it was ordeined that the Bishops authoritie shold alway be vsed for the meane herein Frō hense came that decree of the secōd councel at Carthage Be it not lawful to a prest at the Masse publikely to recōcile a penitēt And an other decree of the coūcel at Arausiū Let those which in time of their penāce departout of this life be admitted to the Cōmuniō wtout the laieng on of hādes vsed in recōciling if they recouer of their sicknesse let them stand in the degree of penitētes whē the time is fully expired let them receiue of the Bishop the laiēg on of handes vsed in recōciling Againe the decree of the thirde councel at Carthage Let not the prest without the authoritie of the Bishop recōcile a penitent All these tēded to this end that the seueritie which they woulde haue to be vsed in the behalf should not with to much lenitie grow in decay Therfore they willed the Bishop to be iudge of it which was likely that he would be more circūspect in the examinatiō thereof Howbeit Cyprian in a certaine place sheweth that not only the Bishop but also the whole Clergie layed their handes on him For thus he sayth At the ful tyme they do penance then they come to the Communion and by the layeng on of handes of the Bishop and the clergie they receiue power to partake of the Communion Afterwarde by processe of tyme it came to this poynt that beside publike penance they vsed this ceremonie also in priuate absolutions Hereupon came that distinction
in Gratian betwene publike and priuate reconciliation I iudge that same olde vsage of which Cypriane maketh mention to haue ben holy and healthfull for the Chirch and I would that it were at this day restored As for thys later although I dare not disallow it or at least speake more sharpelye against it yet I thinke it to be lesse necessarie Howsoeuer it be yet we se that the layeng on of hādes in penāce is a ceremonie ordeined of men not of God which is to be set amōg meane things outward exercises and those verily which are not to be despised but which ought to be in a lower degree than those that are cōmēded vnto vs by the word of the Lord. But the Romanistes the scholemē which haue an ordinarie custome to corrupt al things with wrōg expoūding them do here very carefully trauail in fynding out a Sacramēt Neither ought it to seme any maruel for they seke a knot in a rush But where they haue it best they leaue a thing entāgled in suspēse vncertaine cōfounded trobled with diuersity of opiniōs Thei say therfore either that the outward penāce is a Sacramēt and if it be so that it ought to be takē for a signe of the inwarde penance that is of the contrition of hart which shal be the thing of the Sacramēt or that they both together are a Sacrament not twoo Sacramentes but one ful one But that the outwarde penance is only the Sacramēt the inwarde is both the thing the Sacramēt and that the forgeuenesse of synnes is the thing not the Sacrament Let them which kepe in remēbrance the definitiō of a Sacrament which we haue aboue set examine therby that which these mē cal a Sacrament they shal fynd that it is not an outward ceremonie ordeined of the Lord for the cōfirming of our faith If they cauil that my definitiō is not a law which they nede to obey let thē heare Augustine whō they faine that thei esteme as most holy visible Sacraments sayth he were ordeined for carnal mens sakes that by degrees of Sacramētes they may be conueyed frō those things that are seen with eyes to those thinges that are vnderstāded What like thing do either they thēselues see or can they shewe to other in that which they call the Sacramente of Penance The same Augustine sayth in an other place It is therfore called a Sacramēt because in it one thing is seen an other thing is vnderstāded That which is seen hath a bodily forme that which is vnderstanded hath a spiritual frute Neither doe these things in any wise agree with the Sacrament of penance such as they faine it where there is no bodily forme that may represent a spirituall frute And to kil these beasts vpō their own fightīg place if ther be any Sacramēt here to be sought may it not be much more colerably said that the absolutiō of the prest is a Sacramēt thā penāce either inward or outwarde For it might redily be said that it is a ceremony to assure our faith of the forgeuenesse of sines hath a promise of the keyes as thei cal it Whatsoeuer ye shal bide or lose vpō earth shal be boūd or losed in heauen But some mā wold haue obiected that the most part of thē that are absolued of the prestes obteine no such thing by such absolution wheras by their doctrine the Sacramentes of the newe law ought to worke in dede that which they figure This were but to be laughed at For as in the Supper they make a doble eating a Sacramental eating which is egally common to good and to euil a spiritual eating which is only propre to the good why might they not also faine the absolutiō is receiued twoo wayes Yet could I not hetherto vnderstād what thei meant with this their doctrine which we haue alredy taught how farr it disagreeth frō the truth of God whē we purposely entreated of that argument Here my mynde is only to shew the this dout withslādeth not but that they may cal the absolutiō of the Prest a Sacramēt For they might answere by the mouth of Augustine that sanctificatiō is without the visible Sacrament the visible Sacrament without inwarde sanctification Againe that the Sacramentes doe worke in the only elect that which they figure Againe that some do putt on Christ so farr as to the partaking of the Sacramēt other some to sanctificatiō the one the good and euil egally do this other the good only Truly they haue more than childishly erred and be blinde in the clere sunne which trauailing with great hardnesse yet espyed not a thing so playne and open to euery man Yet least they should waxe to proude in what part soeuer they set the Sacrament I deny that it ought rightfully to be taken for a Sacramēt First because there is no special promise to it which is the only substāce of a Sacramēt Againe because whatsoeuer ceremonie is here shewed fourth it is the mere inuention of men wheras we haue alredy proued that the ceremonies of Sacramentes can not be ordeined but of God Therfore it was a lye and a deceite which they haue inuented of the Sacrament of penance Thys fayned Sacrament they haue garnished with a mete commendation calling it a seconde borde after shipwrecke because if a man haue by sinning marred the garmēt of innocence whiche he receiued in Baptisme he may by penance repaire it But it is the sayeng of Hierome Whoe 's soeuer it be it can not be excused but that it is vtterly wicked if it be expoūded after their meaning As though Baptisme be blotted out by sinne and is not rather to be called to remembrāce of euery sinner so oft as he thinketh of the forgeuenesse of sinne that he may therby gather vp himselfe and recouer courage and strengthen hys Fayth that he shal obteine the forgeuenesse of synnes which is promised him in Baptisme But that which Hierome hath spoken hardly vnproperly that by penance Baptisme is repaired frō which they fal away that deserue to be excōmunicate from the Chirch these good expositors drawe to their wickednesse Therefore you shall moste fittly speake if you cal Baptisme the Sacrament of penance sithe it is geuen for a confirmation of grace and seale of confidēce to them that purpose repentance And least you should thinke thys to be our deuise beside this that it agreeth with the words of the Scripture it appeareth that it was in the olde Chirch commonly spoken like a most certaine principle For in the boke of Fayth to Peter which is sayd to be Augustines it is called the Sacrament of Fayth and of penāce And why flee we to vncertaine sayenges As though we could require any thing more plaine thā that which the Euāgelist reciteth that Ihon preached the Baptisme of repentance vnto forgeuenesse of synnes Of extreme vnction as they cal it The thirde fained
that they are by chaunse made differente from brute beastes But they pretende a cloke of nature whom they accompte the maker of al thinges and so doe conuey God awaye They see that exquysyte workemanship in al their members from their mouth and their eyes euen to the nailes of their toaes and yet here also they putte nature in place of god But specially the so swift motions the so excellent powers the so rare giftes of the soule do represent a diuine nature that doth not easily suffer it selfe to be hid vnlesse the Epicureans like the Gyauntes Cyclopes wold bearing themselues bolde vppon this hye degre outrageously make warre againste God Do the whole treasures of the heauenly wisedome so mete together to rule a worme of fiue fete long and shal the whole vniuersalitie of the world be wtout this prerogatiue Firste to agree that there is a certaine instrumentall thing that aunswereth to all the partes of man doth so serue nothing at al to obscure the honor of God that it rather doeth more gloriously set it out Let Epicure answer me what meting of vndiuisible bodyes boiling the meate and drinke in man doth dispose part into excrementes part into bloud and bringeth to passe that there is in al the members of man such an endeuorynge to do their offyce eueÌ„ as if so many seueral soules did by coÌ„mon aduise rule one body But I haue not nowe to doe with that â—â—ye of swyne I rather speake vnto them that being geuen to suttelties would by croked conueiaunce wrythe that colde saying of Aristotle bothe to destroye the immortalitie of the soule and also to take from God hys ryghte For because there ar instrumental powers of the soule by pretense thereof they bynde the soule to the bodye that it cannot continue without the bodye and with praises of nature they doo as much as in them is suppresse the name of God But the powers of the soule are farre from beeinge enclosed in those exercises that serue the body For what pertayneth to the body for a man to measure the skye to gather the number of the starres to lerne the greatenes of euery one to knowe what space they be distante one from an other with what swiftnes or slownesse they goe their courses how many degrees they decline this way or that way I grauÌ„t in dede that there is some vse of Astrologie but my meanyng is onely to shewe that in this so depe serching out of heauenly thyngs it is not an instrumental measuring but that the soule hath her offices by it selfe seuerall from the body I haue shewed one example by whiche it shal be easy for the readers to gather the reste Truely the manyfolde nimblenes of the soule by which it surueieth bothe heauen and earthe ioyneth thynges past with things to come kepeth in memory thinges heard long before and expresseth eche thing to it selfe by imaginacion also the ingeniousnesse by which it inuenteth thinges incredible and which is the mother of so many maruelons artes are sure tokens of diuine nature in man Beside that euen in slepyng it doeth not onely rolle and tourne it self but also conceiueth many thinges profytable reasoneth of many thynges also prophecieth of thyngs to come What shal we in this case say but that the signes of immortalitie that are emprinted in man cannot be blotted out Now what reason may beare that man shal be of diuine nature and not acknowledge his Creator Shall we forsoth by iudgement that is put into vs discerne betwene right and wronge and shall there be no iudge in heauen Shall we euen in our slepe haue abiding with vs some remnant of vnderstandyng and shall no God be waking in gouernyng the worlde Shall we be so compted the inuenters of so many artes and profitable thynges that God shal be defrauded of his praise where as yet experience sufficiently teacheth that from an other and not from our selues all that we haue is in diuerse wise distributed amonge vs As for that which some do babble of the secrete inspiracion that geueth lyuelines to the worlde it is not onely weake but also vngodly They lyke well that famous saying of Uergile Fyrst heauen and earth and flovvyng fieldes of seas The shinyng globe of Moone and Tiâ—ans starres Sprite fedes vvithin and throughout all the lymmes Infused mynde the vvhole huge masse dooth moue And vvith the large bigge body mixe it selfe Thense come the kyndes of men and eke of beastes And lyues of fliyng foules and monsters straunge That vvater beares vvithin the marble sea A fyry lyuelynesse and heauenly race there is VVithin those seedes c. Forsothe that the world which was created for a spectacle of the glory of God shuld be the creator of it selfe So in an other place the same author folowyng the common opinion of the Greekes and Latynes sayeth Some say that bees haue part of mynde diuine And heauenly draughtes For eke they say that God Gothe through the coastes of lande and crekes of sea And through depe skye And hense the flockes and heardes And men and all the kyndes of sauage beastes Eche at their byrthe receyue theyr suttle lyues And therto are they rendred all at laste And all resolued are retournde agayne Ne place there is for deathe but lyuely they Flye into nombre of the Starres aboue And take their place vvithin the lofty skye Loe what that hungry speculacion of the vniuersall minde that geueth soule and liuelines to the world auaileth to engender and nourishe godlines in the hartes of men Whiche doeth also better appeare by the blasphemous sayings of the filthy dogge Lucretius which are deriued from the same principle Euen thys is it to make a shadowishe God to driue farre away the true God whome we ought to feare and worshyp I graunt in dede that this may be godlily sayed so that it procede from a godly minde that nature is God but because it is a hard and an vnproper maner of speche forasmuch as nature is rather an order prebed by God therfore in thynges of so great weight and to which is due a singular religiousnes it is hurtfull to wrapp vp God confusely with the inferior course of his workes Let vs therefore remember so ofte as any man considereth his owne nature that there is one God which so gouerneth al natures that his wil is to haue vs to loke vnto hym our fayth to be directed to hym and hym to bee worshypped and called vpon of vs because there is nothing more agaynst conuenience of reason thaÌ„ for vs to enioy those excellent gyftes that sauoure of diuine nature in vs and to despise the authoure that freely doeth geue theym vnto vs. Nowe as concernynge his power with howe notable examples dothe it forceably drawe vs to consider it vnlesse perhappes we may be ignoraunt of howe great a strengthe it is with his onely woorde to vpholde this infinite masse of heauen and earth with his onely becke
sometyme to shake the heauen with noise of thonders to burne vp ech thing with lightenings to set the aire on fier with lightning flames sometime to trouble it with diuerse sortes of tempestes and by and by the same God when he list in one moment to make faire wether to holde in the sea as if it hanged in the aire which with his heighth semeth to threaten cōtinuall destruccion to the earth sometime in horrible wise to raise it vp with outragious violence of windes and sometime to appease the waues and make it calme againe For profe hereof do serue all the prayses of God gathered of the testimonies of nature speciallye in the booke of Iob and in Esaie whiche now of purpose I ouerpasse because they shall els where haue an other place fitter for them where I shall entreate of the creacion of the world accordyng to the Scriptures Only my meanyng was now to touch that both straungers and they of the householde of God haue this way of seking God common to them both that is to folow these first draughtes which both aboue and beneth doe as in a shadow set fourth a liuely image of him And now the same power leadeth vs to consider his eternitye For it must nedes be that he from whom al thinges haue their beginning is of eternal continuaunce and hath his beginning of him self But nowe if any mā enquire the cause wherby he both was once lead to create al these things is now moued to preserue them we shal fynde that his only goodnesse was it that caused him Yea and although this onely be the cause yet ought the same aboundauntly to suffice to allure vs to the loue of him forasmuch as ther is no creature as the Prophete sayeth vpon which his mercy is not poured out Also in the seconde sorte of his woorkes I meane those that come to passe byside the ordinary course of nature there doeth appeare no lesse euident profe of his powers For in gouerning the felowship of men he so ordereth his prouidence that wheras he is by innumerable meanes good and bountifull to al men yet by manifest and dayly tokens he declareth his fauourable kindnes to the godly and his seuerite to the wicked and euill doers For not doutefull are the punishmentes that he layeth vppon hainous offences lyke as he doeth openly shewe hymself a defendoure and reuenger of innocencye while he prospereth the lyfe of good menne wyth hys blessynge helpeth their necessitye asswageth and comforteth their sorowes relieueth their calaunties and by al meanes prouideth for their safety Neyther ought it any thyng to deface the perpetuall rule of his iustice that he oftentymes permitteth wicked men and euill dooers for a tyme to reioyse vnpunished and on the other side suffreth good and innocent to be tossed wyth many aduersities yea and to be oppressed with the malice and vniust dealing of the vngodly But rather a much contrary consideracion ought to enter into our mindes that when by manifest shewe of his wrath he punisheth one sinne we shoulde therefore thinke that he hateth all sinnes and when he suffereth many sinnes to passe vnpunished we should there vpon thinke that ther shal be an other iudgemente to which they are differed to bee then punyshed Likewise how great matter doth it minister vs to cōsider his mercy while he oftentimes cesseth not to shew his vnweried boūtifulnes vpon miserable sinners in calling them home to him with more than fatherly tendernes vntil he haue subdued their frowardnes with doinge them good To this ende where the Prophete particularly rehearseth how God in cases paste hope doeth sodenly and wonderfully and beside all hope succoure men that are in misery and in a maner lost whether he defende them wandering in wildernes from the wild beastes and at length leadeth them into the way againe or ministreth sode to the nedy and hungry or deliuereth prisoners out of horrible dongeons and iron bandes or bringeth men in peril of shipewracke safe into the hauen or healeth the half dead of diseases or scorcheth the earth with heate and drienesse or maketh it frutefull with secrete watering of his grace or aduaunceth the hasest of the rascall people or throweth down the noble peres from the hie degree of dignitie by such examples shewed fourth he gathereth that those thinges which are iudged chaunces happening by fortune are so many testimonies of the heauenly prouidēce and specially of hys fatherly kindnes and that therby is geuen matter of reioysing to the Godlye and the wicked and reprobate haue their mouthes stopped But because the greater part infected with their errors are blinde in so clere a place of beholding therfore he cryeth out that it is a gift of rare singular wisedome wisely to weye these workes of God by syghte whereof they nothing profit that otherwise seme most clere sighted And truly how much soeuer the glory of God doothe apparantly shyne before them yet scarsly the hundreth manne is a trewe beholder of it Likewise his power and wisedome are no more hidde in darkenesse whereof the one his power doth notably appere when the fierce outragiousnesse of the wicked beynge in all mennes opinion vnconquerable is beaten flatte in one momente their arrogancie tamed their strongest holdes rased their weapons and armour broken in pieces their strengthes subdewed their deuises ouerthrowen and theimselues fall with their owne weighte the presumptuous boldenesse that auaunced it selfe aboue the heauens is throwen downe euen to the bottome point of the earth Agayne the lowly are lyfted vp out of the duste and the needy raysed from the donghil the oppressed and afflicted are drawen out of extreme distresse men in despayred state are restored to good hope the vnarmed beare awaye the victorie from the armed fewe frome many the feeble from the strong As for his wysedome it selfe sheweth it selfe manifestly excellent while it disposeth euery thing in fittest oportunitie confoūdeth the wisedom of the worlde be it neuer so pearcyng fyndeth out the subtile in their subtiltie finally gouerneth all thinges by moste conuenient order We see that it needeth no long or laboursom demonstration to fetche out testimonies to serue for the glorious declaration and profe of gods maiestie for by these few that we haue touched it appeareth that which way soeuer a man chance to looke they are so cōmon ready that they may be easily marked with eye pointed out with the fynger And here again is to be noted that we ar called to the knowledge of god not such as contented with vayne speculation doth but flye about in the brayne but suche as shall be sounde and fruitfull yf it be rightly conceyued and take roote in our heartes For the Lorde is declared by his powers the force wherof because we fele within vs and doo enioy the benefites of them it muste nedes be that we be inwardly moued muche more liuely with suche a knowledge then if we shoulde imagine
lesse obediently embrace than they and do wey them with more godly reuerence Yea their negligent carelesnesse sheweth that they doo not greatly care what Christe ment so that it geue them a buckler to defende their obstinatie like as oure earnest searchyng ought to be a wytnesse howe muche we esteeme the authoritie of Christ. They odiously spread abrode that naturall sense of man withholdeth vs from beleuyng that which Christ hath vttered with his owne holy mouth but howe maliciously they burden vs with this sclander I haue a great part already made playne and hereafter it shall more clerely appere Therfore nothing withholdeth vs from beleuing Christ when he speaketh nor from obeying so soone as he dothe but with becke will this or that Only this is the question whether it be vnlawful to enquire of the naturall meanyng These good maisters that they may seme wel lettred do forbid men to departe be it neuer so litle from the letter But I on the other syde when the scripture nameth God a warlike man because I see that with out figuratiue translation it is to rough a maner of speakyng doo not dout that it is a comparison taken from men And truely vpon none other pretence in the olde tyme the Anthropomorphites troubled the true teaching Fathers but that catching fast hold of these sayings The eies of God do see It went vp to his eares His hand stretched out The earth his footestole they cried out that God had his bodye taken from hym whiche the Scripture assigneth vnto hym If this law be receiued outragious barbarousnesse shal ouerwhelme the whole light of faith For what monsters of absurdities may not phrentike men picke out if it be graunted them to allege euery small tittle to stablishe their opinions That whiche they obiect that it is not likely that when Christ prepared for his Apostles a singular comfort it aduersities he did then speake in a riddle or darkly maketh of our side For if it had not come in the myndes of the Apostles that bread was figuratiuely called the body because it was the signe of the body they had without doute ben troubled with so monstrous a thyng Almost at the same moment Iohn reporteth that they did sticke in perplexitie at euery of the least difficulties They whiche striue among themselues howe Christ will go to the Father and do moue question howe he wyll goe out of the worlde they which vnderstande nothyng of those thynges that are spoken concernyng the heauenly Father till they see hym how wold they haue ben so easy to beleue that whiche all resō refuseth that Christ sitteth at the boorde in their sight and is enclosed inuisible vnder bread Whereas therfore they in eatyng the bread without doutyng testified their consent hereby appeareth that they toke Christes wordes in the same sense that we do because they remēbred that which ought not to seme strange in mysteries that the name of the thing signified is transferred to the signe Therfore it was to the disciples as it is to vs a certaine and clere comfort entangled with no riddle Neither is ther any other cause why some should depart from our exposition but because the enchauntment of the deuyll hath blynded them namely that they shoulde faine darkenesse to themselues where the exposition of an apt figure offreth it self Moreouer if we precisely stande vpon the words Christ shold wrongfully haue spoken in one place seuerally an other thyng concernyng the bread than he speaketh of the cup. He calleth the bread his body he calleth the wyne his blood either it shal be a confused vaine repetition or it shal be such a partition as shall diuide the body from the blood Yea it shall as truely be sayd of the cuppe This is my body as of the bread it selfe and it may likewyse enterchangeably be sayd that the bread is the blood If they answer that we muste consider to what ende or vse the signes were ordeined I graunt it in dede but in the meane tyme they shall not vnwynde themselues but that their error must drawe this absurditie with it that the bread is the blood and the wyne is the bodye Nowe I wote not what this meaneth when they graunt the bread and the body to be diuers things yet to affirme that the one is spoken of the other proprely and without any figure as if a man shold say that a garment is in dede a thyng differyng from a man and yet that it is proprely called a man In the meane while as though their victorie consisted in obstinatie railing they say that Christ is accused of liēg if an exposition be sought of the wordes Now it shal be easy for vs to shew to the reders how vniust wrong these catchers of syllables do to vs when thei fill the simple with this opinion that we withdraw credit from the wordes of Christ which we haue proued to be furiously peruerted and confounded by them but to be faithfully and rightly expounded by vs. But the sclaunder of this lye can not be vtterly purged till an other crime be wiped away For they spread abroade that we be so addicted to naturall reason that we geue no more to the power of God than the order of nature suffreth and common sense teacheth From so malicious sclaūders I appelle to the very doctrine it selfe which I haue declared whiche dothe clerely enough shewe that I do not measure this mysterie by the proportion of mans reason nor doo make it subiect to the lawes of nature I beseche you haue we learned out of naturall philosophie that Christe dothe so from heauen feede our soules and bodies with his fleshe as our bodies ar norished with bread and wyne Whens cometh this power to fleshe that it may geue lyfe All men will say that it is not doone naturally It will no more please mans reason that the fleshe of Christe reacheth to vs that it maye be foode vnto vs. Finally whosoeuer hath tasted of our doctrine shal be rauished into admiration of the secrete power of God But these good men that be so zelous of it forge to themselues a miracle which beyng taken away God hymselfe vanisheth with his power I desire to haue the readers ones agayne warned that they diligently wey what our doctrine bringeth whether it hang vpon common sense or with the winges of Faith surmounting the worlde climbeth vp beyond it into the heauens We say that Christ as well with the outwarde signe as with his Spirite descendeth to vs that he may truely quicken our soules with the substance of his fleshe of his blood In these fewe wordes he that perceyueth not to be conteined many miracles is more than senslesse forasmuche as there is nothyng more beside nature than that soules should borrow spiritual and heauenly life of the fleshe which toke her beginnyng of the earth and which was subiect to death Nothing is more incredible than that thinges distant and asunder by the