Whereas you saie that I doe fight or contend against an errour it soundeth to my commendacion For what goodlier thing can I doe them to plucke vp pestilent opinions by the roote But when you bring in vpō this that of the selfe same errour which I contēd against ther is none other authour bisides myne owne selfe we had nede of Oedipus to expound it You haue a meruelous liking in darke sayinges Heard you it euer reported that I should say that the workes of holie menne were defiled and spotted with synne and that for this cause no man could atteine iustice by holy workes This is the errour whiche I doe stand against But you wil not once say so and yet you are so babish that you can not vtter what you thinke But the fambling of your tongue we wil lette passe and consider howe fowly you are ouerseene in weightie matters You saie that woorkes are not auaileable to iustification and yet you say that workes are not to be despised for so much as we haue both these opinions grounded vpon the authoritie of S. Paul The principal deuisours and Archbuylders of your newe gospell whome you worshippe as Goddes of whome you learned these mysteries went further then so and said plainly that al the workes the which holy mē doe are not only vnprofitable but also vncleane and spotted through the contagion of originall synne For they doe not beleeue that originall or engraffed synne the whiche we tooke from the spring is quite blotted out in the baptisme of life but that it groweth still and casteth out such a deale of vncleane vice that all the doinges of holy men although thei be done by the mocion and instincte of the holie Ghost yea and referred to the glorie of Christ yet they are deadlie synnes and deserue of iustice the punishment of euerlasting damnation without the great goodnes and mercie of Christ If it be but litle ciuilitie as you saie and as yt pleaseth your great lawier to write also to iudge of a lawe vnlesse it be thoroughly weighed and considered reade diligently the bookes of Luther Melanchthon Caluine and other your learned men and you shall see that this was their opinion or rather that the whole somme of the doctrine whiche they professed stoode vpon this opinion that they condemned al workes as wicked and synfull You see here an extreme desperation of atteining vnto iustice For if no man can be iust but he only that keepeth the law as S. Paule saith if not he that saith Lord Lord shal enter into the kingdome of heauen as our Lord him selfe declareth plainely but he that doth the wil of the Father if iustice as the Prophetes witnesse is a shunning of all vices and an earnest desire to folowe vertue and honestie if iustice cōsisteth in cleanes of life in innocencio in good and seemelie ordre of the mind in holy conuersation in newnes of heauenly life and in the cōtinual exercise of charity and we be able neither to keepe the commaundementes of God neither to forsake vice neither to folowe honestie neither to doe the woorkes of charitie if it be so that wil we nil we we must needes beare the yoke of synne by what meanes in the worlde shall we be able to assure our selues of the state of iustice through the grace and mercie of Christe if Christe hath not yet broken the force of synne in vs by the merite of his bloude as your maisters say You see here after what sort that man that was as you say sent from heauen hath cut of by his deuises all hope of atteining vnto iustice But see on the other side how wittily he hath deuised a remedie and how al the rest haue folowed him He saieth that no man hath anie particular iustice through the grace of Christ but that the iustice of Christe him selfe is applied to all beleeuers by faith in such sorte that the iustice of Christ is no lesse accōpted and esteemed in euerie faithfull man be he neuer so wicked then if it were that mās owne iustice that staieth vppon faith onely He sayth therefore that it cometh to passe through this faith by the which euerie Christian man assureth him selfe that he is in the fauour of God that the iustice of Christ is imputed to be the iustice of that man that beleeueth You haue here the law of Luther so muche as concerneth this present place thoroughly scanned so that you can not iustly complaine of any wrong done vnto Luther Nowe consider you on the other side what a meruelouse easie waie he hath deuised to atteyne vnto iustice For to whome shal it not be a very easie matter if he wil beleeue Luther to say thus with him selfe This geare goeth gaily wel with me I am in high fauour with God for my faithes sake It is so that the iustice of Christ is become mine owne iustice I am therefore as iuste as Paule as Peter yea 〈◊〉 the moste blessed mother of God her selfe for so much as no man hath the cōmendation of any particulare iustice through the grace of Christ but there is one only iustice applied indifferētly to al such as keepe the faith the which bicause it can not be higher or lower greater or lesser it foloweth that I am so iuste my selfe although there remaine synne in me as he that is most iust You see now how by the diligence of this excellent felow all feare is put to flight presumption set on tip toe boldhardinesse confirmed in her full strēgth and force For so much as therfore a man can not be earnestly prouoked to doe any vertuouse acte being either in extreme despaire or elles in extreme presumption and Luther hath in parte cutte of all hope of iustice and in parte hath brought his disciples into a moste presumpteous affiaunce of atteyning vnto it by deuising an other iustice that was neuer hearde of before is it not euident although to eschewe enuie he spake sometymes manie thinges concerning the woorkes of iustice that he quenched all loue and desire of well doing For I praye you by what meanes wil you encourage a faint man to doe anie honest thing if he haue learned before of some graue person that such as endeuour them selues to doe anie vertuouse acte doe but loose their labour Agayne howe will you driue the feare of euerlasting damnation into them that are altogether carelesse and presume so muche of their owne iustice that they beleeue that no man doth passe them in any excellencie of iustice Wherefore no man in the worlde wil euer bend him selfe to doe holie woorkes if he hearken to the Doctrine of Luther for so much as it is impossible that any man being either in extreme despaire of honestie or elles in extreme presumption of saluation should earnestly endeuour him selfe to folow godlines But you wil say that it may be that Luther did exhorte his countrey men to good workes in his Bookes and sermons I know that
remnantes escaped through faith out of that most crewell tempest and waues of infidelitie In the third place he teacheth that ther was no stay in god but that al the Iewes might haue come to saluation For God had his treasures and richesse alwaies in readines to bestowe them and allured them with often calling vpon them to repaire towardes him and to receiue the fruicte of his bountifulnes but they being through the assiauÌ„ce of their law brought into a pride and through pride into verie madnes with harts vnkind and obstinately bent to liue in synne refused the liberalitie and gentle calling of God Last of all he foretelleth that the time shal come when the ful multitude of the geÌ„tiles are come in that al Israel shalbe saued And with these argumentes whiche he handleth at large the Apostle declareth very plainely howe fast and sure God hath alwaies continued in his faithful promise Of the which we wil touch those pointes onely that apperteine to this present disputation First therfore he ioyneth the description of a true Israelite with the declaration of equitie and iustice and declareth that the nobilitie of a true Israelit consisteth not in the communitie of bloud but in the propagation of faith and that he is the true sonne of AbrahaÌ„ that is borne according to the promise of God the whiche faith beholdeth and not he that is borne according to the flesh in the which earthie men do glorie Not they saith S. Paule that are the sonnes of the flesh but thei that are the sonnes of promise are couÌ„ted in the seede And this is a word of promise I wil come about this tyme and Sara shal haue a sonne But lest it might be said that Isaac was therfore preferred before Ismael bicause he was begotten of a free mother he bringeth in like manner an other example of twoo twinnes For Iacob and Esau were begotten and borne both of one father of one Mother and in one hower and yet was Iacob placed in the inheritaunce of his Father out of the whiche Esau was caste by the prouidence 〈…〉 of God If you will respect 〈…〉 of their birth it 〈…〉 Esau should haue benn◠〈◊〉 bicause he came first into the â—orlde If you consider the merites of woorkes it was determined in Gods secret counsel before thei were borne and before they had done anie thing good or euyl that Iacob should haue the preeminence S. Paule setting this similitude before our eyes confirmeth that this nobilitie of Israel is to be ascribed neither to any stocke of man neither to auncetrie neither to any merite going before but to the grace of God the whiche according to election goeth before al merites of vertue and godlinesse For Iacob represented such as stay them selues vppon faith and looke for the grace and mercie of God but Esau resembled them the which haue no respect vnto the grace of God but are puffed 〈◊〉 with an affiaunce whiche they â—aue 〈…〉 woorkes 〈…〉 lesson therefore we gather out 〈…〉 place of S. Paule that it is not 〈…〉 stocke on Petegree of manne nor woorke â–ª nor the Lawe that maketh â—ruâ— Israelites but the election calling and grace of God But let vs see This so notable a mercie of God which is bestowed vppon vs without any desert or merit of ours is it geauen without any choise No tâ—uly For then were there chaunce and vnaduisednes in the iudgement of God the whiche no man can once thinke without great offence S. Paule therefore to put awaye that damâ—able opinion saith To the end that the detâ—rmination of God might stand according to election it was saied not by â—orkes but by the caller that the elder should serue the yonger 〈…〉 woorde Election 〈…〉 oddes or difference 〈…〉 with 〈…〉 that there was somewhat in the thing chosen which was not in the thing refused For the purpose of God is a preuented iudgement in the which God according to election and foreknowledge of thinges which he seeth shall come to passe some he apointeth mercifully vnto glorie and other he adiudgeth to euerlasting damnatioÌ„ Neither is the wisedome of God which compreheÌ„deth in his endlesse knowlege al things that hath ben that are nowe or shalbe hereafter coÌ„pelled to looke for the euent of things when he wil geue iudgement What was that then whiche God chose before was it any worke or merite that was woorthy of the grace of God No truely For if it were so grace were no grace It is certaine that through the mere mercy of God al only we were diliuered froÌ„ the darkenes of syn and set in the possession of iustice For he was nothing in our debt But rather for the hatred towards the law of God engraffed in the nature of the body which was after synne made subiect vnto the tyrannie of inordinate lust we were al most worthy of euerlasting punishment Moreouer although that most high and euerlasting bountie woulde as S. Paul saith that al men should be saued yet the order of iustice wil not beare that such as vnkindly refuse the benefites of God and continue in that wickednes to the end shuld receiue them They therfore are most iustly excluded from the benefites of God whiche are at defiance with the bouÌ„ty of God and will not in any wise be receiued into his fauour Now wheras God knew before the beginnings of the worlde that it should come thus to passe of his mercie he chose them which he sawe woulde not at the ende stubbornelie refuse his so greate benefites And thus it cometh to passe that some are by his iust iudgemente refused and other are by his great mercie called to enioyâ— his euerlasting riches But you wil saie peraduenture what Sir Saie you that any merite of man goeth before the grace of God No forsooth For the very yelding of my minde by the which I geue my assent vnto the warninges and inspirations of God and do not refuse his benefites is to be referred to the grace and mercie of him that called me and bowed my mind and in the receiuing of my saluation and dignitie there is no merite of mine For if I be a poore needie man and oppressed with extreme necessity what merite is mine if I be susteined and enriched by the liberalitie of some bountiful Prince which ought me nothing What doth the Physition owe me â–ª the which of his own accord hath healed my wounds bicause I haue suffered my selfe to be healed of him Againe what is he in my debt whiche seeing me beset on euerie syde with theeues deliuered me from present death Nothing at al. So therfore it cometh to passe that such as be receiued into the fauour and grace of God are saued by mercy and such as be excluded from the grace of God are repelled by his most iust iudgement It foloweth in the text of S. Paule What shall we then saie Is there any vnrighteousnes in God God forbid For
filthie traitors the murder both of the quene and of Cardinall Poole a most noble godlie and wisemaÌ„ what nede I to reherse vnto you the rebellioÌ„ of the freÌ„ch meÌ„ the disloialty the cruelty the wast aÌ„d spoile of churches and holy thinges in FraÌ„ce what should I say of the king of ScotlaÌ„d who was by most cruel vil lanie murdered and slaine Now they that haue stirred vp such great broiâ—es and tumultes they that haue committed such barbarous and horrible actes froÌ„ whens haue they their originall or begynning Is it not euident to the wordle that the verie fountaine and spring of al these mischiefes was in Luther And yet it liketh you to cal him the man of God one sent from heauen for the saluation of mankind Tel me I praie you what vertues appeared in him so great that you should conceiue such opinion of him as you doe what continencie of life what grauitie of maÌ„ners What seueritie what gentlenes what contempte of wordlie thinges what contemplation of heauenly thinges what time spent in coÌ„tinnual praiers what daies and nightes passed ouer in weeping and teares for the health of the people What fasting what groniÌ„g and sighing Finally what deedes of most ferueÌ„t charitie hath coÌ„mended this man vnto you so much that you dare saie of him that he maie wel be compared for his excellencie in vertue and godlines with Basile and Athanasius and al other holie men First of all he was as his owne paiges do confesse of nature crewel in his talke rough wrathful haughtie and prowde yea so muche that he esteemed not Melanchton to be a man Then his vowe solempnely made vnto Christ he brake it and like a most filthie ribaude coupled him selfe with a woman whiche had in like manner vowed perpetual chastitie vnto Christ in a monasterie of Vrgines and by this example shewed him selfe to be a captaine and ringleader to al suche as would doe the like To be short he was infamous for many other most heinouse vices and detestable crimes But least his commendable qualities might seeme to be vtterly defaced with the blemish of manie vices I coÌ„fesse he could with a goodlie shew of humanity somtimes hide his rough and boisteous mad nature and so set forth hiÌ„self to the simple people For he was a pleasant coÌ„pagnioÌ„ and at a baÌ„ket a iolie prater in al kind of myrth verie fine if reprochful tauÌ„ting may be called ciuil finenes He pleasured much in scoffing and tauÌ„ting in reuiling the Princes and gouerners of the Church in mockiÌ„g and scorniÌ„g of honest plain folkes such as were true ChristiaÌ„ meÌ„ â–ª But our lord saith SalomoÌ„ abhorreth scorners and coÌ„municateth the secretes of his couÌ„sel with the simple Wherby it may be gathered that Luther was not replenished with the light of heaueÌ„ And yet you thiÌ„k hiÌ„ worthy to be coÌ„pared with the most holy fathers Of felow ship tel me which of al the auncieÌ„t fathers disteined himselfe with ribaudrie and incest Which of them brought the coÌ„moÌ„ people in hope of liceÌ„tious liuing Which of them stirred vp with his sermons sedition and hurly burly in diuers and sundrie places which of them taught meÌ„ to put the hope of their saluatioÌ„ in faith that is to say in a only rash and folish presumptioÌ„ Which of them tied vp the wil of maÌ„ which god wold haue to be free with I caÌ„ not tel what baÌ„des of destenie which of them durst euer affirme that God was the author or chief cause of al sinne which of theÌ„ euer held that al good works wrought and done of holy meÌ„ by the grace and instinct of the holy ghost were vnclean and spotted with sinne which of them euer toke away the true iustice which by the grace and goodnes of Christ iâ— ascribed vnto faithful meÌ„ and coÌ„sisteth in clean life innoceÌ„t coÌ„uersation and exercise of holy workes and in steede of it substituted a newly deuised iustice such as was neuer heard of before For wheÌ„ Luther denied that syn was quite blotted out in holy meÌ„ by the grace of Christ he affirmed that ther was none other iustice but onely the singular iustice of Christe applied to euerie particular man by faith were he neuer so synnefull and wicked the whiche being but one in all men it was impossible that there shoulde be anie difference in the worlde betwene the iustice of anie common man and the iustice of Paule or Peter yea or of the most holie Virgine mother of God And you demaund of me what those monsters of religion are Al these thinges whiche I haue here most briefely comprised I saie are the most horrible monsters of religion and the father of them is not villanous but villanie it selfe not frantike and madde but verie frantikenes and madnes it selfe What shew of bashfulnes honestie or modestie could you see in this man being the ouerthrower of all honestie continencie and modestie What glimse of vertue could he so dasel your eyes withal that you woulde suffer your selfe to be so daungerously deceiued in him And yet wil you continewe in your errour as you haue begonne And yet wil you acquite suche a pestileÌ„t secte as blamelesse and without faulte And yet will you liken the good holie Fathers to Luther a moste vile and infamous caitiue But you triumph excedingly that he stoode so stiffe thirtie yeares together and was neuer punished for his naughtines and owtrage Can you imagin anie greater punishment in the worlde then the remembrance of a synneful and filthie life The remorse of his heinouse offences made him terribly afraied The feendes of hell tormenters of damned sowles vexed his mind The ennemie the diuel shooke him vp and would not suffer him once to breath or rest him selfe Truth it is he woulde banket and make good cheere with his freendes and therewith somewhat relent his intensifâ— cares But neither chambering nor baÌ„ketting is of that force that it is able to raise vp a mans hart weied downe with the peise of synne But what kind of death died this noble holie Father Being at supper with his frinds ouer night he quaffed somewhat freely and the nexte morning was founde dead You saie afterward that there were brought into England by the goodnes of God a golden couple of olde men Martin Bucere and Peter Martyr whose vertues you coÌ„mend aboue the skies Of them I haue nothing elles to say but that I thinke them to be verie lewde and naughtie felowes if for nothing els yet for this cause onely that you so highly commend them for he that commendeth Luther it is not possible that he should coÌ„mend any thing that is godly honest or holy Whereas you put me in mind that I should somewhat temper my style and not cal such men arrogaÌ„t and prowde as you esteeme for gentle and modest signifying withal after a sort the daunger that by them might ensewe towardes me I woulde ye would aduisedly consider howe illfauouredly your woordes hang together
wel So did Epicure him selfe when he had with Decrees taken away al vertue yet woulde he dispute now and then of vertue very notably I consider not what the light felowe saith sometime either through the inclination of nature or elles for feare of enuie but I see what is most agreeable to his decrees and doctrine This is most vndowbtedly true that when thinges are either vtterly despaired or certainely assured there is no man that wil take any great paines in folowing of vertue Therefore for so much as Luther hath shewed him selfe to be the authour both of this extreme desperation as also of that extreme presumptioÌ„ who doth not see that by him al good and godly works hath ben quite ouerthrowen Wherfore this was in him a great fault a cruel deede a shamelesse acte a wicked crime an intolerable villanie but yet was that other muche more heynouse and detestable that he woulde wrest the godlie and wise saying of S. Paule after his owne pleasure and abuse the testimonie of the holy Apostle to confirme his shameles opinioÌ„ and doctrine But let vs now see howe you will make Luther the defacer of all vertue labour diligence and industrie to agree with S. Paule the high Schoolemaister of al holines religion and vertue S. Paule say you saith that there is nothing auailable to saluation besides faith that worketh by charitie The selfe same Paul saith that no man is iustified by woorkes It is therefore euideÌ„t say you that these two points are ioyned together But I say on the other side that for so much as these things do disagree excedingly the one froÌ„ the other it is impossible that euer S. Paul should ioyne them together But that it may be fene how il your maisters vnderstaÌ„d S. Paul it is to be coÌ„sidered what his meaning was what he went about what intention and purpose he had as in al his Epistles so especially in this whiche he wrot to the Romains out of the which you haue taken these testimonies corruptly vnderstood What was then the purpose of S. Paul in this Epistle Doubtlesse this to withdraw men from all affiaunce in worldly things to the faith of Christ He teacheth therfore that there was no sure staie of saluation neither in nature neither in the ordinaunces of the olde Law For it was neither nature neither the law that toke away iniquity and brought in iustice in the which only staÌ„deth our saluation and honour For only iustice procureth the fauour of God towards mankind And first that nature of it self holpâ— nothing towardes iustice he proueth by this argument bicause all menne which staied vpoÌ„ nature oÌ„ly although they were endewed with excellente witte yet they were spotted with iniquitie with vncleane lustes malice couerousnes dishonestie of life crueltie and with other vices vnsemely to be named As though he shoulde saie thus If the excellencie of nature if the sharpenesse of witte if the force of the mind and reason had holpâ—â— any thing towards iustice then had the Gentils which excelled in nature in wie and in reason ben well appointed and furnished for al helpes and states of iustice But the brightnes of iustice shone not emongest them for they were full of iniquity and vices without number wherefore the excellencie of nature holpe them nothing to liue iustly Then turning him self to the Iewes he vrgeth the selfe same argument but more earnestly and with greater force For he had entered into a most ernest coÌ„flict with the Iews as touching the ceremonies of the old Law the which the Iewes thought necessarie to kepe stil beleuing that the soules were purged by them Against whom S. Paule disputeth declaring that al the ordinaÌ„ces of the Law which were but only shadowes of Iustice vanished away at the coming of the true and perfect iustice and that suche as referred the cause of iustice vnto those shadowes appaired the honour of Christe For they distrusted the power and merite of Christ And therefore writing vnto the Galathians he saith If you be circuâ—cided Christe shal doe you no good In like manner writing to the Hebrews he saieth that the Lawâ— broughte nothinge to perfection but that it stirred vp men with shadowes only and Images to the hope of the saluation to come And those ceremonies and sacrifices ordeined by the law the which in this place and in the epistle to the Galathians he termeth the woorkes of the Lawe writing to the Hebrewes he calleth them the iustices of the flesh S. Paul therefore speaketh of this part of the Lawe whiche coÌ„sisteth in shadowes of iustice which conteineth the cleansing of the bodie and reacheth not vnto the soule wheÌ„ he saith that no man is iustified by the woorkes of the Lawe This was the meaning of S. Paule and the conclusion of that so long and earnest disputation which you speake of As though he would saie thus If Circumcision if the sprinkeling of asshes if the offering vppe of brute beastes if the other cleansinges of the Law did make men iust it should folow that al the Iewes which obserued and kept orderly the holie ceremonies of the Lawe attesned vnto iustice But it is euident that al such lewes as leaned and trusted vnto the lawe only were naughty men vncleane liuers backbiters murderers and wicked persones Wherefore they receiued not the fruit of iustice by the law And so it remaineth that no man is iustified by the workes of the lawe If you haue any wit at al this reason concluding so aptely maie teach you what workes S. Paule meant when he saied that no man is iustified by the works of the law For otherwise what could any man haue said more vnaptly woorse hanging together and lesse to the purpose If S. Paule had said that the Iewes had excelled in cleane liuiÌ„g in godlines and innoceÌ„tie and yet that such vertuos dedes had helped nothiÌ„g towardes iustice if he had vpon these thinges concluded that they were not iustified by the workes of the law you might well haue gessed that by the works of the law he had vnderstoode the deedes of vertue and godlines But S. Paul neuer spake any such word No he declareth plainly by the testimonie of the law it selfe that such as bestowed much diligeÌ„ce and labour about the ordinaÌ„ces of the law wer very naugh ty and wicked men whereupon he coÌ„cludeth that the works of the law did not iustifie What then Think you that S. Paul doth coÌ„clude his argumeÌ„t vpon things that are not proued and agreed vpon as you do If you presume to say so then shal you falsly charge the wisedome of the holy man with the crime of rashnes and folie The whiche thing how far it is from S. Paul is wel knowen to al suche as studie his writinges with a pure inteÌ„tion For what can be deuised more witty and better applied fuller of wisedome and more earnestly endited then the reasoninge and style of S. Paule His Arguments
are al so wellinked within them selues the one dependeth of an other so aptly they are knit together so finely the seconde cometh in vppon the first the last answereth vnto the middelmost so necessarily he chaineth all the whole discourse in one with such an excellent order and cunning that it is not possible to finde any one pointe in al his talke that agreeth not wonderfully wel with his meaning expressed in any other place before It is therfore gathered by the reason it self of S. Paule which concludeth verie aptly what workes of the Law those are by the which he saieth no man is made iust They are those workes the which S. Paule plucketh at euermore in his disputatioÌ„ against the which he contendeth moste earnestly from the afsiance of the which he endeuoureth to withdraw the Iewes for the cause of the which he was cruelly assaulted of the Iewes and oftentimes put in great peril of his life Now if you desire to know wherfore these sacrifices of the Lawe are called the woorkes of the lawe howe those workes also which are done by the strength of reason only vnto the which men leane and trust to muche and therefore require against al reason a reward for them not accordinge to grace but of duetie are to be accounted emongest the workes of the Law how the workes of godlines charitie humanitie and vertue are to be referred vnto the power and holinesse of faith in how great blindenes thei are the whiche not vnderstandinge these places of S. Paule and wresting them from their true meaning abuse them to proue that the workes of holy men are not only vnprofitable but also wic ked I haue declared these thinges plainely ynough in my bookes writen of iustice which are now abroad and therefore I thinke it not nedefull to repete them againe in this place I doe not therefore pul in sunder such things as are ioyned together by reason but the things that are disagreable and coÌ„trary the one to the other I can noâ—â—bide to see them hudled vp together without reason For seing that S. Paule doth most earnestly exhorte vs to the loue of vertue innoceÌ„cy and charitie saying that euery maÌ„ shalbe rewarded according to his workes seing that he affirmeth that al such as are ioyned vn to Christ are washed and clensed of al vncleanes of syn and are become holy yea and that they are for cleannes of life and brightnes of vertue comparable to the sterres what thing in the world could haue beÌ„ spokeÌ„ more coÌ„trary to this saying so ofteÌ„ and so coÌ„stantly repeted then to affirme that suche as the Apostle reporteth to be cleane holy cleere most excelleÌ„tly beutified with the brightnes of heaueÌ„ly vertues are spotted with sinnes and that their workes are not only nothing auailable towards the heap and perfection of iustice but also that thei are vnclene sinful and disteined with the contagious infection of our corrupted nature But let vs coÌ„fider the place of S. Paul it selfe which you alleage S. Paule say you waraÌ„teth that there is no danger of daÌ„nation in such as are eÌ„graffed in Christ But we take that withal that foloweth in the same place such as liue not accordiÌ„g to the flesh but according to the spirit You doe wel to take in that withal But let vs see â–ª what are they that walke as S. Paul saith accordiÌ„g to the flesh Doutlesse thei are those which are as S. Paul writing to the Galathians saith corrupted and defiled with auoutrie with the filthie pleasure of the bodie with vncleanes of life with cursed superstition with hatred with making debate and strife betweene men with stirring vppe troubles and discorde with pestilente sectes with enuie murder and creweltie with drunkenes and glottonie with these and other the like vices of the which saieth the Apostle I tel you now as I haue also told you before that who soeuer doth such thinges shal neuer possesse the inheritaunce of God He excepteth no man he saied not vnlesse they haue faith for it is like that this light of the new Gospell had not yet shined in his eyes And what they are that liue according to the Spirit the Apostle declarerh saying that they are suche is enioye the most sweete and plesaune fruit of the Spirite Nowe the fruit of the spirit as he saith is charity gladnes peace constancie in vertue gentlenes bowntifulnes faith not meaning that slacke faith but such a faith as is ioyned with obedience mekenes continencie and other the like commendable vertues against the whiche no man can procede by law And yet a manne might doe it in case they were spotted and defiled with any sinne S. Paule therfore doth in no wise promise the inheritance of the euerlasting kingdom to them that leane to the only faith of Luther but to suches as doe good workes and direct all the doings of their life to the glorie of Christ Here wil you crie out againe and protest the faith of Gods and men that this is a notable slaunder and not to be borne and that you did not put suche affiaunce in onely Faith but that you determined withal that good workes were also necessarie vnto saluation I will not as now dispute howe farre from al reason it is to put any hope or affiaunce of saluation in a thing that is vncleane and wicked And therfore if al workes as Luther saith are defiled with sinne then are thei not to be wrought diligeÌ„tly but to be neglected and despised But omitting this matter we wil consider how these works be they neuer so euil yet must thei nedes be had of you for this pointe haue I searched out with much diligeÌ„ce Bicause say they they folow faith of necessitie not for that that workes doe make the way vnto saluation for as of them selues they came not into iudgement but bicause there is in them a certaine fruit of Faith For as a tree of it self bringeth forth fruit by the stregth of nature so dothe faith of necessitie bring forth workes These two points of doctrine do your maisters teach butboth the one and the other is false For first of al the works themselues do deserue either saluatioÌ„ or daÌ„nation and the workes shalbe weied by them selues in the balaÌ„ce of Gods iudgemeÌ„t Otherwise Dauid woulde neuer haue said that God wil â—eÌ„der vnto euery maÌ„ according to his workes S Paul would neuer haue said that God wil rewarde euery man according to the qualitie of his worke good or il he would neuer haue staied men with that threat that we must all stand before the iudgemeÌ„t seat of Christ â–ª to make account euery man of what so euer good or euill he hath cmoÌ„itted in this life and that euery mans own works shalbe most exactly tryed to make short for so much as the testimonies that may be alleaged are infinite the most holy iudge himselfe would neuer haue said that such as haue done well shal goe into life
euerlasting and such as haue done euil into euerlasting fier Then that other point is also false that good workes do necessarilie arise out of Luthers faith I graunt you that good workes do folowe my faith but not yours M. Haddon if you beleeue Luther How so say you Bicause faith cometh by hearsay ād hearsay cometh by the worde of Christ For so much therfore as my faith that is to say the faith of the holy Churche is grounded vpon the wordes of Christ and Christ him self saith that al such as do not repente shall be condemned that saith and credit which I geue to the words of Christ causeth me to do penaunce Againe when our Lorde saieth 〈◊〉 shalbe my friendes if you will do th◠thinges that I commaunde you to doe if I beleeue the wordes of Christe and desire earnestly to be receiued into his frindship I wil endeuour my selfe to the vttermost of my power to do such thinges as are by him commaunded And whereas Christ telleth vs before that not he that calleth him Lorde shal come to haue the possession of the kingdome of heauen but he that ordereth al his workes according to the wil of the euerlasting Father If my faith be not faint if it be liuelie and strong and inflamed with the desire of that kingdome I am stirred vp by this faith to directe al my doinges according to the wil of God See you not now after what sort this faith conteineth holy workes within her wombe which are engendred of the fruictefulnes of her Now let vs see the faith of Luther whether it be able to bring foorth any fruicte that is quicke No without doubt First of all bicause al workes as he saieth seeme they neuer so holy are disteined with synne And no man maketh any account or estimation of a thing that is vncleane and spotted with synne Moreouer bicause as he mainteineth the force and strength of inordinate lust is so great that he thinketh it impossible to withstand it by any meanes in the world Seing then it is impossible for any man to endeuour him selfe to doe any good workes vnlesse he doe firste destroie the kingdome of synne and the kingdome of synne can not possibly be destroied if it be true that Luther saith it remaineth that no man can possibly do any holy workes For who is so mad that he wil bestowe his labour in any thing in vaine and without fruicte Last of al bicause Luther hath determined such a kind of iustice as needeth not the healpe of any doing or worke For if I persuade my selfe that the iustice of Christ is applied vnto me by faith no lesse then if it were mine own iustice and that I haue atteined vnto that moste high and perfecte iustice of Christ although I lyue and continue in syn with what desire care or hoofulnes should I be pricked forewarde to doe any good worke Forsomuche therefore as Luther both despiseth holy works and cutteth of al hope of honestie and holinesse and by this faith which he hath deuised taketh away al feare of punishment is it not euident that he is the ouerthrower of holy workes the destroier of honestie and godlines although he pretēded sometime to stirre vppe his disciples to the loue of vertue Wherefore it is manifestly seene that this man of God whō you cōmend aboue the heauens what with bringing good workes into contempt and what with causing men to despaire of honestie and by teaching a vaine affiaunce in his newly deuised iustice hath quite taken away al desire of doing and working Let vs now come to your other cōplaīt in the which you say that I make no end of babling while I lament the vnsensiblenes of Luther which tyed vp the wil of man with necessitie of destenie Truly say you I am not wonte to be moued with angre and yet now I can hold my selfe no longer It is my great fault M. Haddon that I haue by this my babling as you terme it caused you being so gentle and soft by nature as you are to rage like a mad man Wel let vs then heare the talke of this felow which is iustly prouoked to plaie the bedlome What saie you sir This slaunder say you is not only blockish and ignorant but also blasphemou◠and suche as the verie stoones them selues whiche you speake of if they could speake would not tourne it against our men I know M. Haddon that that place of Rhetorik is wel applied to this vehement kind of speach whiche you now vse And therfore I looke when you wil bring in those stones and make them to speake You say afterwarde But haue you an eye vnto the Scriptures a litle while and repent you Truly I haue a diligent eye vnto them but I haue not as yet gone to schoole with doctour Walter Now therefore I am attētiue if I may by your good instructions come to a cleerer vnderstāding of the secrets of God I wuld ye would vtter vnto vs this wonderful stuffe of your high wisedome Well what say you then God the Father hath chosen vs in Christe before the foundations of the world were laied to the ende that we should be holie and vnreproueable before him How knowe you M. Walter I pray you that you are one of the chosen Againe which be they that are holy and vnreprooueable before God Doubteles they are such as are void of al synne But by Luthers doctrine you can not be without sinne For he saith that sin is not al put out but that a certaine steime of vice breaketh out of it as it were out of a burning fornace the which deuoureth and consumeth all thinges round about it whereupon it foloweth that no man is vnreprooueable But if you peraduenture will say that you speake not of your selfe but of al mankinde if no man in the worlde be deliuered from al synne as Luther teacheth then doth it followe that no man can be vnreproueable You heare say you the election or choise of God out of the gospell the which you so muche detest in your talke and you heare the tyme also Doe I detest the election of God With what face dare you saie so In what place in what woordes before whome who is your witnesse who was made priuie in which of all my writinges can you conuince me to haue spoken any such word Haue you such a pleasure to babble out what so euer cometh vpon your tongues end Neither is this necessitie of Gods electiō say you an occasion whie we should yeald our selues wholly to felowe the pleasures of the bodie and vncleane vices as it pleaseth you full vngodly to sport but that we should be holie and vnreproueable before God through charitie as it is declared by the expresse woordes of the gospell Although I vnderstande you not verie wel yet I thinke you make with me For I saie the verie same thing that we are not compelled by any necessitie to doe
his enemies to magnifie his euerlasting kingdome and empire that we may seeme for verie ioye and gladnesse to be besides our selues His ascension also we recorde in such sort that we thinke it our part to bend our selues as much as we can to clymme vp together with Christ into those goodlie dwelling places of heauen What may be saide of that inestimable benefit wherin the holy ghost enkendled the Disciples of Christe with the loue of God and enflamed them with fyerie tongues to the end that they should go throughout al the world and wrap vp that heauenly fyer in the bowells of faithfull men With howe great ioye and gladnesse is that feast also obserued and kept in all the Church Moreouer whē we keepe the memorie of holy men in whose heartes the maiestie of Christ dwelled with dew reuerence for it is not lawful to separate them from the companie of Christ whom he him selfe taketh vnto him as felowes and comparteners of al his goods we are stirred vp to a hope of a certaine diuinitie when we cast with our selues how they that are of the selfe samè nature that we be of for the likenesse which they had with God in vertue haue most happily atteyned the state euen of Goddes And as we doe most highly prayse the holines of other as it becometh vs to do so do we especially honour reuerence and worship that singular paterne of cleanes virginitie and godlines that heauēly and meruelous tēple of the holy ghoste that most holy and immortal tabernacle of the euerlasting promise out of the which riseth the sonne of iustice to put away with the brightnes of his beames the darkenes of the whole worlde and wee doe with right good affiaunce cal for the helpe of the sayd most blessed Virgin in our distresse and necessitie and wee finde that her prayers doe vs muche good often tymes before her Sonne The seruice of the Church is so ordered that the yeare tourning about there is no benefite of God the remēbraunce whereof the holy Churche wil suffer to be forgotten And the Churche doth represent the memorie of al these benefites in such sorte that it seemeth that they are not so much declared in words as expressed in doinges For as the excellent Poete saith The thinges we heare do not so soone prouoke the mind to rise As doe the thinges that vewed are with true and faithful eyes Al these thinges which I haue here declared with manie other of lyke sorte whiche I haue omitted for I thinke it not necessarie to rehearse particularly euery point are not I graunt you matters of perfection They are certayne introductions and necessarie helpes for vs whiche haue some what to doe as yeat with this mortall condicion as we feele by experience For so often as these ordinaunces of the Churche are litle Regarded the minde waxeth dul diligence fainteth the loue of religion slaketh and so by litle there creapeth into our heartes a certayne forgetfulnes of vertue and godlinesse Agayne when we bende our mindes earnestly to sette vppe agayne those godlie ordres we feele that the loue of religion and godlinesse is stirred and enkendled in vs. And no meruaile For why the brightnesse of that light which hath so wonderfully lightened your mindes is not yet risen vnto vs neither are we so weaned from the acqueintaunce of the body that we may be without all these outward signes of heauenly thinges any tyme without greate daunger This is the ordre of the Churche which is holy simple and one this is the rule and Discipline by the whiche all wee whiche haue not yet atteyned vnto the highest degree of wisedome are instructed Now I haue declared these thinges it remayneth that I tourne my talke vnto those your heauenly felowes and men of God the which being not contented with this beaten and common discipline haue taught their disciples a newe trade and doctrine which is more wonderful then this Geue me leaue therefore to talke with them after this sort It is a great matter right woonderfull Sirs and a harde enterprise whiche you haue taken in hande a thinge of so greate importaunce in deede as none of al those holy Fathers whose vertue and witte we esteeme very much did euer attempt the lyke in all their life to cure an old forgrowen disease with a new kind of medicine When you sawe that the old discipline was fallen that manners were decaied ▪ that vnlauful lust rāged vp and downe without restraint that the Church tended to ruine you did as it became holy men sent from heauen take it verie heauily Wherein I can not blame you For it was a matter worthie of many teares and much bitter weeping But you rested not so bicause it were a token of a feint heart and weake stomake to pitie the fal and ruine and not to procure any other remedie for suche a mischiefe but onely a fewe teares You did not therefore as we are woont to doe sorowe and lament so great a mishap and powre out teares vnto God for it but you thought it good to prouide by your labour studie and wakefull diligence that the Church should not be quite ouerthrowen And who can denie but that this is a token of an honourable hart and a valiaunt cowrage But let vs see after what sort you haue perfourmed this so great so weightie and so worthie an enterprise I must therfore repete a sentence whiche I vsed in my letters for the whiche M. Haddon a man brought vp in your rules and doctrine quarelled with me verie sharply What haue you thought it expedient to heale the woundes which the Christian cōmon weale hath taken by such meanes as the most holy Fathers vsed of old time in propping vp the Churche when it was like to decaie No saie you for they were the deuises of men and so great a mischiefe coulde not be remedied by mans healpe but only by the staie and mightie power of God And therfore you determined to forsake all wordlie healpes and to sticke only to the word of God Verie wel For that is it in deede which healeth the mind fortifieth the strength geaueth light to the soule and bringeth it to euerlasting glorie Wherfore I long to see some worke of this your word of god wherin you glorie so much which maie be so notable and so vndoutedly wrought by God that it mai appere to the world by it that you did not without good cause set all other remedies at naught and lay all the hope of your saluation vpō the only staie of this your gospel But for so much as the kingdom of god that is to saie the gospel and power of the word of God cōsisteth not in the vaunt of woordes but in a meruelous vertue and this vertue standeth not in vndiscret and sawcy talke not in filthy and licentious liuing not in bitter hatred and flamboldnes but in modestie cōtinencie and charitie in the workes of iustice