of them euen as a man would obtayne the fauour of worldly tyrauntes as they also fayne y e saintes more cruell then euer was any heatheÌ„ man and more wreakeful and vengeable then the Poâ—tes fayne their goddes or furies that torment the soules in bell if their euens be not fasted and their images visited and saluted wyth a pater noster which prayer onely our lippes be acquainted with our hartes vnderstandyng none at all and worshipped wyth a candle and the offring of our deuotioÌ„ in the place which they haue chosen to heare supplicatioÌ„s and make petitions of their clientes therin But thou reader thynke of the law of god how that it is altogether spirituall and so spirituall that it is neuer fulfilled wyth dedes or works vntill they flowe out of thyne harte wyth as great loue towarde thyne neighbour for no deseruyng of his yea thoughe he bee thyne ennemy as Christ loued thee and dyed for thee for no deseruyng of thyne but euen when thou wast hys ennemy And in the meane tyme through out all our infantie and childhoode in Christ till we be grown vp into perfect men in the full knowledge of Chrst and full loue of Christ agayne and of our neighbours for hys sake after the ensample of hys loue to vs remeÌ„bring that the fulfillyng of the law is a fast fayth in Christes bloude coupled with our profession submit ous selues to do better And of the gospell or promises which thou meetest in the scripture beleue fast that god wyll fulfill them vnto thee that vnto the vttermost iot at the repentance of thyne hart when thou turnest to hym and forsakest euill euen of hys goodnes and fatherly mercy vnto thee and not for thy flatteryng hym with hipocritishe woorkes of thyne owne fayning So that a fast fayth only without respect of all works is the forgeuenesse both of the sinne which we did in tyme of ignorance with lust and consent to sinne and also of that synne which we do by chaunce and of frailtie after y t we are come to knowledge and haue professed the law out of our hartes And all dedes serue only for to helpe our neighbours and to tame our flesh that we fall not to sinne agayne and to exercise our soules in vertue and not to make satisfaction to Godwarde for the synne that is once paste And all other stories of the Bible with out exception are y â— practising of y e law of the gospel are true and faythfull ensamples and sure earnest that God will euen so deale with vs as he did with them in all infirmities in all temtations and in all lyke cases chaunces Wherin ye see on the one side how fatherly and tenderly and with all coÌ„passion GOD entreateth hys elect which submit themselues as scholers to learne to walke in the wayes of hys lawes and to kepe them of loue If they forgate themselues at a tyme he would stirre them vp agayne with all mercy if they fell and hurt themselues he healed them agayne with all compassion and tendernes of hart He hath oft brought great tribulation and aduersitie vpon hys elect but all of fatherly loue onely to teach them and to make them see their owne hartes and the synne that there lay hid that they might afterward feele hys mercy For his mercy wayted vpon them to ridde them out agayne as soone as they wer learned and come to the knowledge of their own hartes so that he neuer cast man away how deepe so euer he had sinned saue them onely which had first cast the yoke of hys lawes from their neckes with vtter deâ—iaunce and malice of harte Which ensamples how comfortable are they for vs when we be fallen into sinne and God is come vpon vs with ascourge that we dispayre not but repent with full hope of mercy after the ensamples of mercy that are gone before And therfore they were written for our learnyng as testifieth Paule Rom. 15. to comfort vs that we might the better put our hope trust in god when we see how mercifull he hathe bene in tymes past vnto our weake brethreÌ„ that are gone before in al their aduersities nede temptations ye and horrible sinnes into which they nowe and then fell And on the other side ye see how they that hardened their hartes sinned of malice and refused mercy that was offered them and had no power to repent perished at the latter ende with all confusion and shame mercilessely Which ensaÌ„ples are very good and necessary to keepe vs in awe and dread in tyme of prosperitie as thou mayest see by Paul 1. Cor. 10. that we abide in the feare of God and waxe not wylde and fall to vanities and so sinne and prouoke God and bryng wrath vpon vs. And thirdly ye see in the practise how as God is merciful and long suffering euen so were all hys true Prophetes and preachers bearing the infirmities of their weake brethren and their own wrongs and iniuries with all patience and long suffering neuer casting any of them of their backs vntill they sinned against the holy ghost maliciously persecutyng the open and manifest trouth contrary vnto the ensample of the Pope which in sinnyng agaynst God and to quench the truth of his holy spirite is euer chiefe Capitaine and trompet blower to set other a worke and seketh only his own fredome libertie priuiledge wealth prosperitie profite pleasure pastime honour and glory with the bondage thraldom captiuitie misery wretchednes and vile subiection of his brethreÌ„ and in hys owne cause is so feruent so stiffe and cruell that he will not suffer one worde spoken agaynst hys false maiestie wily inuentions and iugling hipocrisie to be vnauenged though all christendome should be set together by the eares and should cost he cared not how many hundred thousande their lyues Now that thou mayest read Ionas frutefully and not as a Poetes fable but as an obligation betwene god and thy soule as an earnest penny geuen thee of God that he wyll helpe thee in tyme of nede if thou turne to him and as the worde of God the only foode lyfe of thy soule this marke and note First count Ionas the frend of God a man chosen of GOD to testify his name vnto the world But yet a yong scholer weake and rude after the fashioÌ„ of the apostles whyle Christ was with them yet bodily which thoughe Christ taught them euer to be meeke and to humble theÌ„selues yet oft stroue among theÌ„selues who should be greatest The sonnes of â—ebede would sitte the one on the right hand of Christ the other on the lefte They would praye that fire might descend from heauen consume the Samaritanes When Christ asked who say men that I am Peter aunswered thou art the sonne of the liuyng God as though Peter had bene as perfecte as an angel But immediatly after wheÌ„ Christ preached vnto them of hys death and
by the way of repentance vnto the fountayne of Christes bloud to washe it away thorow faith By the reason of which false righteousnes they wer disobediēt vnto the righteousnes of god whiche is the forgeuenesse of sinne in Christes bloud and could not beleue it And so thorow fleshly interpretyne the law and false imagined righteousnes their hartes were hardened and made as stony as clay in an whot furnace of fire that they could receiue neither repentance nor fayth or any moysture of grace at all But the heathen Niniuites though they were blinded with lustes yet werin those two poyntes vncorrupte and vnhardened and therfore with the only preachyng of Ionas came vnto the knowledge of their sinnes and confessed them and repented truly and turned euery man from hys euil dedes declared their sorrow of hart and true repentaunce with theyr deedes which they did out of fayth and hope of forgeuenesse chastieing their bodies with prayer and fastyng and with takyng all pleasures from the flesh trustyng as God was angry for their wickednesse euen so should he forgeue them of his mercy if they repented and forsoke their misseliuing And in the last ende of all thou hast yet a goodly ensample of learnyng to see how earthy Ionas is still for all his trying in y t whales belly He was so sore displesed because the Niniuites perished not that he was wery of hys life and wished after death for very sorow that he had lost the glory of hys prophesiyng in y t hys prophecie came not to passe But GOD rebuked hym with a likenes saying it greueth thine hart for the losse of a vile shrub or spray wheron thou bestowedst no labour or cost neither was it thine handy work How much more then should it greue myne hart the losse of so great a multitude of innocentes as are in Niniue which are all mine hādes worke Nay Ionas I am God ouer all and father as well vnto the heathen as vnto the Iewes and merciful to all and warneere I smite neither threate I so cruelly by any prophet but that I will forgeue if they repent and aske mercy neither on the other side whatsoeuer I promise will I fulfill it saue for their sakes onely which trust in me submit themselues to keepe my lawes of very loue as naturall children ON this maner to read the Scripture is the right vse therof why the holy ghost caused it to be written That is that thou first seke out y t law that God wyll haue thee to do interpreting it spiritually without glose or couering the brightnes of Moses face so that that thou feele in thyne harte how that it is damnable sinne before God not to loue thy neighbour that is thine enemy as purely as Christ loued thee that not to loue thy neighbour in thyne hart is to haue committed already all sinne against him And therfore vntill that loue be come thou must knowledge vnfainedly that there is sinne in the best deede thou doest And it must ernestly greue thine hart and thou must wash all thy good dedes in Christes bloud ere they can be pure and an acceptable sacrifice vnto god and must desire God the father for his sake to take thy dedes a worth and to pardon the imperfectnesse of them to geue thee power to do thē better and with more feruent loue And on the other side thou must serch diligently for the promises of mercye which God hath promised thee again Which two poynces that is to witte the law spiritually interpreted howe that all is damnable synne that is not vnfayned loue out of the ground and bottome of the harte after the ensample of Christes loue to vs because we be all equally created and formed of one God our father and indifferently bought and redemed with one bloude of our sauiour Iesus Christ and that the promises be geuen vnto a repentyng soule that thursteth and longeth after thē of the pure and fatherly mercy of God thorow our fayth only with out all deseruyng of our dedes or merites of our workes but for Christes sake a lone and for the merites and deseruynges of hys workes death and passions that he suffered all together for vs and not for hymself which two poyntes I say if they bee written in thyne hart are the keyes which so open all the Scripture vnto thee that no creature can locke thee out with which thou shalt go in and out find pasture and foode euery where And if these lessons be not written in thyne hart then is all the scripture shut vp as a cornel in the shale so that thou mayest read it and commen of it and reherse all the stories of it and dispute wittily and be a profounde sophister and yet vnderstand not one iot thereof And thirdly that thou take the stories and lyues which are contained in the bible for sure and vndoubted ensamples that god so wil deale with vs vnto the worldes ende ¶ Herewith Reader farewell and be commended vnto God and vnto the grace of hys spirit And first see y t thou stoppe not thyne eares vnto the callyng of GOD and harden not thine hart beguiled with fleshly interpreting of the law and false imagined and hipocritish righteousnes least then the Niniuites rise with thee at the day of iudgement and condemne thee And secondarily if thou fynde ought amisse when thou seest thy selfe in the glasse of Gods worde thinke it necessary wisdome to amend the same betymes monished and warned by the ensample of other men rather then to tary vntill thou be beaten also And thirdly if it shall so chaunce that the wylde lustes of thy flesh shall blynde thee cary thee cleane away w t the for a tyme yet at y t latter end when the God of all mercy shall haue compassed thee in on euery syde with temtations tribulation aduersities and combrance to bryng thee home againe vnto thine owne harte and to set thy sinnes which thou wouldest so fayne couer and put out of mynde with delectation of voluptuous pastunes before the eyes of thy conscience then cal the faythfull ensample of Ionas and all like stories vnto thy remembrance and with Ionas turne vnto thy father that smote thee not to cast thee away but to lay a corosie and a fretting plaister vnto the pocke that lay hidde and fret inward to draw the disease out to make it appeare that thou mightest feele thy sicknes and the danger therof and come and receiue the healyng plaister of mercy And forget not that whatsoeuer ensample of mercy God hath shewed since the beginnyng of the world the same is promised thee if thou wylt in like maner turne agayne and receiue it as they did and with Ionas bee a knowen of thy sinne and confesse it knowledge it vnto thy father And as the law which fretteth thy conscience is in thine hart and is none
conclusion not to bee doubted of that there must be first in the hart of a man before he do any good worke a greater and a preciouser thyng then all the good workes in the world to reconcile him to God to bryng the loue and fauour of God to him to make him loue God agayne to make him righteous and good in the sight of God to do a way his sinne to deliuer him and lose him out of that captiuitie where in he was conceaued and borne in whiche he could neither loue God neither the will of God Or els how can he worke any good woorke that should please God if there were not some supernaturall goodnes in him giuen of GOD freely where of the good worke must spryng euen as a sicke man must first be healed or made whole yer he can do the dedes of an whole man and as the blind man must first haue sight geuen him yer he can see and he that hath his feete in fetters giues or stockes must first be loosed or he can go walke or runne and euen as they whiche thou readest of in the Gospel that they were possessed of the deuils could not laude God till the deuils were cast out That precious thing which must be in the hart yer a man can worke any good worke is y ◠word of God which in the Gospell preacheth profereth bryngeth vnto all that repent and beleue the fauour of God in Christ Who soeuer heareth the word and beleueth it the same is thereby righteous and thereby is geuen hym the spirite of God which leadeth him vnto all that is the will of God and is loosed from the captiuitie and bondage of the deuill and his hart is free to loue God and hath lust to do the will of GOD. Therfore it is called the word of lyfe the word of grace the word of health the word of redemption the word of forgiuenes and the word of peace he that heareth it not or beleueth it not cā by no meanes be made righteous before God This confirmeth Peter in the xv of the Actes seyng that GOD through fayth doth purifie the hartes For of what nature so euer the word of God is of the same nature must the hartes be whiche beleue thereon and cleaue thereunto Now is the word liuyng pure righteous and true euen so maketh it the hartes of them that beleue theron IF it be sayd that Paul when he saith in the iij. to the Romaines no fleshe shal be or can be iustified by the deedes of the law meaneth it of the ceremonies or sacrifices it is an vntrue saying For it foloweth immediatly by the law commeth the knowledge of sinne Now are they not the ceremonies that vtter sinne but the law of cōmaundementes In the iiij he sayth the law causeth wrath whiche can not bee vnderstand of the ceremonies for they were geuen to reconcile the people to God agayne after they had sinned If as they say the ceremonies which were geuen to purge sinne and to reconcile iustifie not neither blesse but temporally onely much more the law of commaundementes iustifieth not For that whiche proueth a man sick health him not neither doth the cause of wrath bring to fauour neither can that whiche damneth saue a man When the mother commaundeth her childe but euen to rocke the cradle it grudgeth the commaundement doth but vtter the poyson that lay hid and setteth him at bate with hys mother and maketh hym beleue shee loueth him not These commaundements also thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house thou shalt not lust desire or wishe after thy neighbours wife seruaunt mayde oxe or asse or what soeuer pertaineth vnto thy neyghbour geue me not power so to doe but vtter the poyson that is in me and damne me because I can not so do and proue that God is wrath with me seing that his wil and mine are so contrary Therefore sayth Paul Gal. iij. If there had ben geuen such a law that could haue geuen lyfe then no doubt righteousnes had come by the law but the Scripture concluded all vnder sinne sayth he that the promise might bee geuen vnto them that beleue through the fayth that is in Iesus Christ The promises when they are beleued are they that iustifie for they bring the spirite whiche looseth the hart giueth lust to the law and certifieth vs of y t good will of God vnto vs ward If we submit our selues vnto God desire him to heale vs he wil do it and will in the meane tyme because of the consent of y ◠hart vnto y ◠law count vs for full whole wil no more hate vs but pitie vs cherish vs be tender harted to vs loue vs as he doth Christ him selfe Christ is our redemer Sauiour peace attonement and satisfactiō and hath made amendes or satisfaction to Godward for all the sinne whiche they that repēt consentyng to the law and beleuyng the promises do haue done or shal do So that if through fragilitie we fall a thousand tymes in a day yet if we do repent agayne we haue alway mercy layd vp for vs in store in Iesus Christ our Lord. WHat shall we say then to those Scriptures whiche go so sore vpō good workes As we read Math. xxv I was an hungred and ye gaue me meate c. And such like Whiche all sound as though we should be iustified and accepted vnto the fauour of God in Christ through good workes To this I aunswere Many there are which whē they heare or read of fayth at once they cōsent therunto and haue a certaine imagination or opinion of fayth as when a man telleth a story or a thyng done in a straunge lande that pertayneth not to thē at all Which yet they heleue and tell as a true thyng And this imagination or opinion they call faith They thinke no further then that fayth is a thyng which standeth in their own power to haue as do other naturall workes whiche men worke but they feele no maner workyng of the spirite neither the terrible sentence of the law the fearefull iudgements of God the horrible damnation and captiuitie vnder Sathan Therefore as soone as they haue this opinion or imaginatiō in there hartes that sayth verely this doctrine semeth true I beleue it is euē so Then they thinke that the right fayth is there But afterward when they feele in them selues and also see in other that there is none alteration and that the workes folow not but that they are altogether euē as before and abide in their old estate then thinke they y t faith is not sufficient but that it must be some greater thing then fayth that should iustifie a man So faule they away from fayth agayne and crye saying fayth onely iustifieth not a man and maketh him acceptable to GOD. If thou aske them wherfore They aūswere see how many there are that beleue and yet do no more
authoritie For he that admitteth prayers and sacrifice to be done for the dead yea also affirmeth that they are holy and whole some for such sinnes as are dāned by the law of God which are in déede very mortall doth not he agaynst the word of God yea and also agaynst the cōmon consent of all mē But this booke doth so which admitteth prayer and sacrifice to bée done for the dead that were slayne in the battayle for theyr offence yea and also damned by the law Deut. 7. Now conclude your selues what ye thinke of this booke Thus much hath M. More brought to proue his purpose out of the old Testament and I thinke ye sée it sufficiently aunswered And now he entendeth to proue hys Purgatory by good and substaunciall authoritie in the new Testament also FIrst let vs consider sayth Master More the wordes of the blessed Apostle and Euangelist S. Iohn where he sayth Est peccatum ad mortem non dico vt pro eo roget quis There is sayth hee some sinne that is vnto the death I byd not that any man should pray for that this sinne as the interpreters agree is vnderstād of desperation and impenitēce as though Saint Iohn would say that who departe out of this world impenitent or in despayre any prayer after made can neuer stand hym in stede Then it appeareth clearely that S. Iohn meaneth that there are other whiche dye not in such case for whom hee would men should pray because that prayer to such soules may be profitable But that profite can no man take beyng in heauen where it needeth not nor beyng in hell where it boteth not wherefore it appeareth that such prayer helpeth onely for Purgatory which thou must therfore nedes graunt except thou deny S. Iohn The text is written 1. Iohn 5. which sayth there is a sinne vnto the death I byd not that any man shall pray for that In this place doth M. More vnderstād by this word death temporall death and then he taketh his pleasure But we will desire hym to looke two lynes aboue and not to snatch one péece of the text on this fashion I will rehearse you the whole text and then ye shal heare myne aunswere The text is this if any man perceaue that his brother doth sinne a sinne not vnto y t death let him aske and he shall geue hym lyfe to them that sinne not vnto death For there is some sinne that is vnto death I bid not that any mā should pray for that Now marke myne aunswere Death and life be contrary and both wordes are in this text therfore if you vnderstand this woord death for temporall death then must you also vnderstand by this word life temporall lyfe And so should our prayer restore men agayne vnto temporall lyfe But I ensure you M. More taketh this word death so confusedly that no mā can tel what he meaneth For in one place he taketh it for temporall death saying who so depart out of this world impenitent c. And in an other place he is compelled to take it for euerlastyng death Therfore will I shewe you the very vnderstandyng of y t text And better interpreters desire I none then Christ him selfe which sayd vnto the Phariseis euery blasphemy shall be forgeuen but y t blasphemy against the holy ghost which S. Iohn calleth a sinne vnto the death shall neuer be forgeuen but is giltie vnto euerlastyng damnation Marke iij. what sinne or blasphemie is this verely y t declareth S. Marke saying They sayd that he had an vncleane spirite y t was y t sinne vnto death euerlastyng that was the sinne that should neuer be forgeuen He proueth so euidently vnto thē that his miracles were done with y t spirite of God that they could not deny it And yet of an hard and obstinate hart euen knowyng the contrary they sayd that he had a deuill within hym These Phariseis dyed not forth with but lyued peraduenture many yeares after Notwithstāding if all the Apostles had prayed for these Phariseis whiles they were yet lyuing for all that their sinne should neuer haue bene forgeuen them And truth is that after they dyed in impenitencie and desperation which was the frute of that sinne but not the sinne it selfe Now sée ye the meanyng of this text and what the sinne vnto death or agaynst the holy ghost is If any man perceaue his brother to sinne a sinne not vnto death that is not against the holy ghost let him aske and he shall geue him life that is let him pray vnto God for his brother and his sinne shal be forgeuen him But if he sée his brother sinne a sinne vnto death that is agaynst the holy ghost let him neuer pray for him for it boteth not And so is not the text vnderstand of prayer after this lyfe as M. More imagineth but euen of prayer for our brother which is lyuing with vs. Notwithstanding this sinne is not lightly knowne excepte the person knowledge it hym selfe or els the spirite of God opē it vnto vs. Therfore may we pray for all men except we haue euident knowledge that they haue so offended as is before rehearsed And this is his text taken from him wherwith he laboureth to proue Purgatory What say they to the wordes of S. Iohn Apoc. 5. I haue heard sayth he euery creature that is in heauen and vppon the earth and vnder the earth and that be in the Sea and all thynges that be in them all these haue I heard say benediction and honour and glory and power for euer be to him that is sitting in the throne and vnto the lambe By the creatures in heauen hee meaneth aungels By the creatures vpon the earth he meaneth men By the creatures vnder the earth he meaneth the soules in Purgatory And by the creatures in the Sea hee meaneth men that sayle on the Sea By this text I vnderstand not onely aungels and men but also heauen and earth and all that is in them euē all beastes fishes wormes and other creatures thinke that all these creatures do prayse the Lord. And where he taketh the creatures vnder y t earth for the soules in Purgatory I take it for all maner of creatures vnder y t earth both wormes vermine and all other And where he draweth the text and maketh the creatures in the sea to signifie men that are sayling on the Sea I say that the creatures in the Sea do signifie fishes and such other thyngs and that S. Iohn by this textment euen playnly that all maner of thynges geue prayse vnto God and the lambe yea and I dare be bold to adde that euen the very deuils damned soules are compelled to prayse hym For their iust punishment commendeth his puysaunt power righteousnes Neither néedest thou to wōder or thinke this any new thyng for Dauid in the 148. byddeth Serpentes beastes and byrdes to prayse
naturall inheritaunce is planted thorough Adams fall in vs as to be vnfaythfull angrie enuious couetous slouthfull proud and vngodly these and suche other vses wherewith oure nature is venemed ought we withall diligence to cutte of and mortifie that we may daily be more pacient liberall and mercifull according to that oure baptisme doth signifie In so much that a Christen mannes lyfe is nothing els saue a continuall baptisme whych is begon when are dipped in the water and is put in continuall vre and exercise as long as the infection of sinne remaineth in oure bodyes whych is neuer vtterly vanquished vntill the houre of death and there is the great Golias slayn wyth hys owne sweard that is deathe whych is the power of sinne and the gate of euerlasting lyfe opened vnto vs and thus is Paule to be vnderstand Galat. 3. where he saythe All ye that are baptised into Christ haue put Christe on you that is you haue promised to dye wyth Christe as touching youre sinnes and worldly desires passed and to become new meÌ„ or creatures or members of Christ this haue we all promised vnto the congregation and it is represented in our Baptisme But alas there are but few which in déede fulfil that they promise or rather that the Sacrament promiseth for them And for this cause it is called of Paule the fountaine of the new byrth and regeneration Tit. iij. bicause it signifieth that we will in déede renounce vtterly forsake our old life purge our meÌ„bers froÌ„ the workes of iniquitie thorough y e vertue of y e holy ghost which as the water or fire doth clense the body Euen so doth it purifie the hart from all vncleanesse yea it is a commoÌ„ phrase in Scripture to cal the holy ghost water and fire because these two elementes expresse so liuely hys purgyng operation Now haue we expounded the signification of Baptisme which significatioÌ„ we may obtaine onely by fayth for if thou be baptised a thousaÌ„d times with water haue no fayth it auayleth thée no more towardes God the it doth a Goose when she ducketh her selfe vnder the water Therefore if thou wilt obtaine the profite of Baptisme thou must haue fayth that is thou must bee surely persuaded that thou art newly borne agayne not by water onely but by water and the holy ghost Iohn iij. thou art â–ª become y e child of God that thy sinnes are not imputed to thée but forgeueÌ„ through y e bloud passion of Christ according vnto the promise of God This fayth haue neither y e deuils neither yet the wicked For the wicked caÌ„ not beleue y e remissioÌ„ of their sinnes but fall vnto vtter desperation and make God a lyer as much as in theÌ„ is For they beleue not the testimony which he gaue his sonne and this is that testimony that all which beleue on hym haue euerlastyng lyfe Iohn v. And the deuils can not beleue it for they haue no promise made vnto them Thus through Christes bloud wherof our Baptisme hath his full strength and vigour are we regenerate and made at one with the father For by our first naturall byrth we are the children of wrath Ephes ij and the enemyes of God Roma vj. Finally baptisme is an ordinaunce institute of God and no practise of mans imagination put in vse in Christes time and after his resurrection commaunded to be ministred vnto all that beleeue whether they were Iewes or Gentiles For Christ sayth to his Apostles Go ye teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Wherfore although it séeme neuer so exterior a thing yet ought it to be had in great price and much reuerence because it was commauÌ„ded of God to be done Beside that it is an outward signe or witnesse vnto the coÌ„gregation of the inuisible promise geuen before by grace vnto euery priuate man and by it doth the congregation receiue hym openly to be couÌ„ted one of theÌ„ which was first receiued by faith or through the grace of the promise it putteth vs also in remembrauÌ„ce that we aduertising the kyndnesse of God and our promise in Baptisme may learne to dye and mortifie our rebellyng members otherwise gyueth it no grace nether hath it any secret vertue as we haue sufficiently proued and therfore is he sore to blame that so vnaduisedly condemneth these infaÌ„tes iudgyng his brother which is in Gods hand yea and peraduenture baptised in Christes bloud For Gods election is vnknowen to man Now will I endeuour my selfe to ouerthrow and vtterly put out the second errour whiche hath long raigned and seduced many and that is of them which so strongly sticke vnto the weake ceremonies Concerning the ceremonies of Baptisme yea and all other we must behaue our selues wisely as charitie teacheth vs séekyng the profite of many that they may be saued We must coÌ„sider that we haue our conuersation with men in this world of the which the most part know not God Some are young some weake some peruerse and some stiffenecked and obdurate vnto the young ceremonies which although they be not noysome vnto the fayth nor contrary to the word of God yet will it be hard to finde such They are good and expedient as milke to leade the young tenderly into the more perfite knowledge of God The second sort are the weake vnto whom in all thynges it behoueth vs to haue respect beare their infirmities by charitie for their sake Actes xv dyd Paule circumcise Timothe yea and for their sake hée had leuer to captiue his libertie and neuer eate flesh nor drinke wyne theÌ„ to offende one of them The thyrde kynd of men are perfite I meane not so perfit that they are cleane without sinne hauyng no remnauntes of old AdaÌ„ assailyng them for such are there none but onely Christ but I call theÌ„ perfite which haue perfit knowledge in the vse of thynges whiche know that what soeuer entreth into the belly deffâ—eth not the man which know that all such thynges be pure vnto theÌ„ that are pure Tit. i. whiche know that if we eate we are nothyng the better or if we eate not we are nothyng the worse 1. Cor. 8. these are frée betwene God their conscieÌ„ce may vse all thinges howbeit they are yet bounde as coÌ„cernyng their neighbour whiche is weake and hath not the knowledge yea bound vnder the payne of sinne to abstaine from wouÌ„dyng of their coÌ„science for he sinneth against God that woundeth an other mans conscieÌ„ce 1. Cor. 8. The fourth kynde are selfe willed and obstinate which put confidence in such indifferent thynges For I thinke them not néedefull vnto our saluation Then ought we to resist in the face and not to yeld an inche vnto them as Paule geueth vs example which would not for theyr pleasure circumcise Titus but vtterly
this Epistle to haue bene written by any of the Apostles but haue also refused it all together as no Catholicke or godly epistle bicause of certaine textes written therin For first he sayth in the sixt it is impossible that they whiche were once lighted and haue tasted of the heauēly gift and were become partakers of the holye ghoste and haue tasted of the good worde of GOD and of the power of the worlde to come if they fall shoulde bee renewed agayne to repentaunce or conuersion And in the tenth it sayth if we sinne willingly after we haue receiued the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinnes but a fearefull lookyng for iudgement and violent fyre whiche shall destroy the aduersaries And in the xij it saith that Esau found no way to repentaunce or conuersion no thoughe he sought it with teares Whiche textes say they sound that if a man sinne any more after he is once Baptised he can be no more forgeuen and that is contrary to all the Scripture and therefore to be refused to be Catholicke and godly Vnto whiche I aunswere if we should denye this Epistle for those textes sakes so should we deny first Mathew which in his xij Chapter affirmeth that he which blasphemeth the holy Ghost shall neither be forgiuen here nor in the world to come And then Marke which in his thyrd Chapiter sayth that he that blasphemeth the holy Ghost shal neuer haue forgiuenesse but shal be in daunger of eternall damnation And thirdly Luke which saith there shall be no remission to him that blasphemeth the spirite of God Moreouer Iohn in his first Epistle saith there is a sinne vnto death for which a man should not pray And ij Pet. ij saith if a man be fled from the vncleanesse of the world through the knowledge of our Sauiour Iesus Christ and then be wrapt in agayne his ende is worse then the beginnyng and that it had better for him neuer to haue knowen the truth And Paule ij Ti. iij. curseth Alexander the Copper-smith desiring the lord to reward him accordyng to his deedes Whiche is a signe that either y t Epistle should not be good or that Alexander had sinned past forgiuenesse no more to be prayed for Wherfore seyng no Scripture is of priuate interpretation but must be expounded accordyng to the generall Articles of our fayth and agreable to other open and euident textes confirmed or compared to lyke sentences why should we not vnderstand these places with like reuerēce as we do the other namely when all the remnaunt of the Epistle is so godly of so great learnyng The first place in the vj. Chapiter will no more then that they whiche know the truth and yet willingly refuse the light and chuse rather to dwell in darkenes and refuse Christ make a mocke of him as y ◠Pharisies which whē they were ouercome with Scripture miracles y ◠Christ was the very Messias yet had they such lust in iniquitie that they forsoke him persecuted him slewe him and did all the shame that could be imagined to him can not bee renued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayth the Greeke to be conuerted that is to say such malicious vnkyndnesse which is none other then the blasphemyng of the holy Ghost deserueth that the spirite shall neuer come more at them to conuerte them whiche I beleue to be as true as any other text in all the Scripture And what is ment by that place in the tenth Chapter where he sayth if we sinne willingly after we haue receiued y t knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne is declared immediatly after For he maketh a comparison betwene Moses and Christ saying if he which despised Moses law dyed without mercy how much worse punishment is he worthy of that treadeth the sonne of God vnderfoote and counteth the bloud of the couenaunt by whiche bloud he was sanctified as an vnholy thyng blasphemeth the spirite of grace By which wordes it is manifest that he meaneth none other by the fore wordes then the sinne of blasphemy of the spirite For them that sinne of ignoraunce or infirmitie there is remedy but for him that knoweth the truthe and yet willingly yeldeth him selfe to sinne consenteth vnto the lyfe of sinne with soule and body had rather lye in sin then haue his poysoned nature healed by the helpe of the spirite of grace and maliciously persecuteth the truth for him I say there is no remedy the way to mercy is locked vp and the spirite is taken from him for his vnthankefulnesse sake no more to be geuen him Truthe it is if a mā can turne to God and beleue in Christ he must be forgiuen how deepe soeuer he hath sinned but that wil not be without the spirite and such blasphemers shall no more haue the spirite offred them Let euery man therefore feare God and beware that he yeld not him self to serue sinne but how oft soeuer he sinne let him be gyn agayne and fight a freshe and no doubt he shal at the last ouercome and in the meane tyme yet be vnder mercy for Christes sake because his hart worketh and would fayne be loused from vnder the bondage of sinne And there it sayth in the. xij Esau founde no way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee conuerted and reconciled vnto God and restored vnto his byrth right agayn though he sought it with teares that text must haue a spirituall eye For Esau in sellyng his byrthright despised not onely that temporall promotion that he should haue bene Lord ouer all his brethren and kyng of that countrey but he also refused the grace and mercy of GOD and the spirituall blessyng of Abrahā and Isaac and all y t mercy that is promised vs in Christ which should haue bene his seede Of this ye see that this Epistle ought no more to be refused for holy godly and Catholicke then the other autentike Scriptures Now therfore to come to our purpose agayne though this Epistle as it sayth in the sixt lay not the grounde of the fayth of Christ yet it buildeth cunnyngly thereon pure gold siluer and precious stones proueth the Priesthode of Christ with Scriptures ineuitable Moreouer there is no worke in all the Scripture that so playnly declareth the meanyng and significatiōs of the sacrifices ceremonies and figures of the old Testament as this Epistle in so much that if wilful blindnes malicious malice were not the cause this Epistle onely were enoughe to wede out of the hartes of the papistes that cankred heresie of iustifiyng of workes cōcernyng our Sacraments ceremonies and all maner traditions of their owne inuention And finally in that ye see in the tenth that he had bene in bondes and prison for Christes sake in y t he so mightely driueth all to Christ to be saued thorough him and so cared for the flocke of Christ that he both wrote and
sermon at all they lie cleane contrary vnto this open truth Neither are they ashamed at all For why they walke altogether in darcknes ¶ Of Contrition COntrition and repētaunce are both one and nothyng els but a sorowful a mournyng hart And because that God hath promised mercy vnto a contrite hart that is to a sorowfull and repentyng hart they to beguile Gods word and to stablish their wicked tradition haue fayned that new word attrition saying thou canst not know whether thy sorrowe or repentaunce be contrition or attrition except thou be shreuen When thou art shreuen thē it is true contritiō Oh foxy Pharisay that is thy leuen of which Christ so diligētly bad vs beware Math. vj. And the very prophesie of Peter thorough couetousnes with fayned wordes shall they make marchaūdise of you ij Pet. ij with such gloses corrupt they Gods word to sit in the consciences of y ◠people to lead them captiue and to make a praye of thē byeng and sellyng their sinnes to satisfy their vnsatiable couetousnes Neuerthelesse the truth is when any man hath trespassed agaynst God If he repēt and knowledge his trespasse God promiseth him forgeuenesse without eare shrift If he that hath offended his neighbour repente and knowledge his fault askyng forgeuenes if his neighbour forgeue him God forgeueth him also by his holy promise Mat. xviij Likewise if he that sinneth openly when he is openly rebuked repent and turne then if the congregation forgeue hym God forgeueth him And so forth who soeuer repenteth and when he is rebuked knowledgeth his fault is forgeuē He also that doubteth or hath hys consciences tangled ought to open his minde vnto some faythfull brother that is learned and he shall geue hym faythful councell to helpe him withall To whom a man trespasseth vnto him he ought to confesse But to confesse my selfe vnto thee O Antichrist whom I haue not offended am I not bounde They of the old law had no confession in the eare Neither the Apostles nor they that folowed many hundred yeares after knew of any such whisperyng Wherby then was their attritiō turned vnto contrition yea why are we whiche Christ came to loose more bound thē the Iewes Yea and why are we more bounde without Scripture For Christ came not to make vs more bounde but to loose vs and to make a thousand thynges no sinne which before were sinne and are now become sinne agayne He left none other law with vs but the law of loue He loosed vs not frō Moyses to bynde vs vnto Antichristes eare God had not tyed Christ vnto Antichristes eare neither hath poured all his mercy in thether for it hath no recorde in the old Testament that Antichristes eare should be Propiciatorium that is to witte Gods mercy stole and that God should crepe into so narow a hole so that hee could no where els be founde Neither dyd God write his lawes neither yet hys holy promises in Antichristes eare but hath graued them with his holy spirite in the hartes of them that beleue that they might haue them alwayes ready at hand to be saued therby ¶ Satisfaction AS pertainyng vnto satisfactiō this wise vnderstād that he that loueth God hath a commaundement as S. Iohn sayth in the fourth Chap. of his first Epistle to loue his neighbour also whom if thou haue offended thou must make him amendes or satisfactiō or at the lest way if thou be not able aske him forgeuenes if he will haue mercy of God he is bound to forgeue thee If he will not yet God forgeueth thee if thou thus submit thy selfe But vnto Godward Christ is a perpetuall and an euerlastyng satisfaction for euermore As oft as thou fallest through frailtie repent come agayne and thou art safe welcome as y u mayst see by y e similitude of the riotous sonne Luke xv If thou be lopen out of sanctuary come in agayne If thou be fallen from the way of truth come thereto agayne and thou art safe if thou be gone astray come to y e folde againe the shepheard Christ shall saue thee yea and the aungels of heauen shal reioyce at thy commyng so farre it is of that any mā shal beate thee or chide thee If any Pharisey enuye thee grudge at thee or rayle vpon thee thy father shall make aunswere for thee as thou seist in the fore rehearsed likenes or parable Who soeuer therfore is gone out of the way by whatsoeuer chaūce it be let him come to his Baptisme agayne and vnto the profession therof and he shal be safe For though that the washyng of Baptisme be past yet the power therof that is to say y t word of God which Baptisme preacheth lasteth euer and saueth for euer As Paul is past and gone neuerthelesse y e word that Paul preached lasteth euer and saueth euer as many as come therto with a repentyng hart and a stedfast faith Hereby seest thou that when they make penaunce of repentaunce and cal it a Sacrament and deuide it into contrition confession and satisfaction they speake of their owne heades and lye falsely ¶ Absolution THeir absolution also iustifieth no man from sinne For with the hart do men beleue to be iustified with all sayth Paul Roma 10. that is through fayth and beleuyng the promises are we iustified as I haue sufficiently proued in other places with y ◠Scripture Fayth sayth Paul in the same place commeth by hearyng that is to say by hearyng the preacher that is sent from God and preacheth Gods promises Now when thou absoluest in Latine the vnlearned heareth not For how saith Paul i. Cor. xiiij when thou blessest in an vnknowen toung shall the vnlearned say Amen vnto thy thankes geuing for he wotteth not y u sayst So likewise the lay wotteth not whether thou loose or bynde or whether thou blesse or curse In like maner is it if the lay vnderstād Latine or though the Priest absolue in English For in hys absolution he rehearseth no promise of God but speaketh his owne wordes saying I by the authoritie of Peter and Paul absolue or loose thee from all thy sinnes Thou sayst so which art but a lying man and neuer more then now verely Thou sayst I forgeue thee thy sinnes and the Scripture Iohn the first that Christ onely forgeueth taketh away y e sinnes of the world And Paul and Peter and all the Apostles preache that all is forgeuen in Christ and for Christs sake Gods word onely looseth and thou in preachyng that mightest loose also and els not ¶ Who soeuer hath eares let him heare and let him that hath eyes see If any man loue to be blinde his blindnes on his owne head and not on mine THey alledge for thē selues the saying of Christ to Peter Math. xvj Whatsoeuer thou byndest on earth it shal be boūde what soeuer thou looseth and so forth Lo say they what soeuer we bynde what
word testifyeth against vs that wee are all sinners yea and els Christ dyed in vayne Salomon sayth 3. Reg. 8. That there is no man that sinneth not agaynst God And Paule proueth by the authoritie of the Scripture vnto the Romaines that we are all sinners without exception And the scripture witnesseth that we are damnable sinners and that our nature is to sinne Which corrupt and poysoned nature though it be begō to be healed yet it is neuer through whole vntil the houre of death For the which cause with all our best fruites there growe weedes among Neither can there be any deed so perfect that could not be amended When a blind bungler wondreth at his glorious woorkes a cunning workeman y t hath a cleare iudgement perceaueth that it is vnpossible to make a woorke that coulde not bee made better Now the law requireth workes of vs in the highest degree of perfection and ceaseth not to accuse vs vntill our workes flow naturally as glorious in perfection as the woorkes of Christ And Christ teacheth vs to pray in our Pater noster Forgeeue vs our trespasses as we forgeue our trespassers Whereby ye may easelye vnderstande that we sinne dayly one against another and all agaynst God Christ taught also to pray that our Father should not let vs slip into temptation signifying that our nature cannot but sinne if occasions be geuen except that God of his especiall grace keepe vs backe Which readinesse to sinne is damnable sinne in the lawe of God Dauid prayed Psal 68. Let not the tempest drowne me let me not fall into the bottome and let not the pitte shut her mouth vpon me as who shoulde say First keepe me O God from sinning then if I shall chaunce to fall as no flesh can escape one time or other then call me shortly backe agayne and let me not sincke to deepe therein and though I yet fall neuer so deepe yet Lord let not the way of mercy be stopped signifying that it is vnpossible to stand of our selues and much lesse to rise againe Which impotencie and feblenes is damnable in the law of God except that wee saw it and repented and were fled to Christ for mercy Chap. 2. MY little children I write these thinges vnto you that ye sinne not And though any man sinne yet we haue an aduocate with the Father euen Iesus Christ which is righteous I write vnto you on the one syde that God is light and therfore that no man which willingly walketh in the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse hath any felowship with that light or part in the bloud of his Sonne And this I write and testifie vnto you my deare children that ye sinne not that is that ye consent not vnto sinne nor should sinne of lust and purpose maliciously but contrariwise that ye feare God resiste sinne with all your might and power according as ye haue promised For whosoeuer sinneth of purpose after the knowledge of truth the same sinneth against the holy Ghost remedilesse Heb. 6. 10. And on the other side I testifie vnto you that we be alway sinners though not of purpose and malice after the nature of damned deuils but of infirmitie and frailtie of our flesh which flesh not onely let teth vs that our woorkes can not be perfect but also now then through manifold occasions and temptations caryeth vs cleane out of the right way spight of our hartes How be it I say if when the rage is past we turne vnto the right way agayne and confesse our sinnes vnto our Father with a repenting hart he hath promised vs mercie and is true to fulfill it So that if we sinne not deuilishly against the holy Ghost refusing the doctrine which we can not improue that it should not be true but after the frail tie of man there is no cause to dispair For we haue an aduocate and an intercessour with the Father euen Iesus Christ that is righteous The name of our aduocate is Iesus that is to say a sauiour Cal his name Iesus sayd the Angell to Ioseph for he shall saue his people from their sinnes Math. 1. And this aduocate our Iesus to saue vs from our sinnes continueth euer as it is written Heb. 7. and hath Sempiternum Sacerdotium an euerlasting office to make an attonment for sinne by the reason wherof sayth the text he is able euer to saue them that come to God through him with repentance and fayth and liueth euer to speake for vs. And besides that our Iesus is God and almightie He tooke our nature vpon him and felt al our infirmities and sicknesses and in feeling learned to haue compassion on vs and for compassion cryed mightely in prayers to God the Father for vs was heard And the voyce of the same bloud that once cryed not for vengeaunce as Abels but for mercy onely was heard cryeth now and euer and is euer heard as oft as we call vnto remembrance with repenting fayth how that it was shed for our sinnes He is also called Christus that is to say king annoynted with all might and power ouer sinne death and hell and ouer all sinnes so that none that flyeth vnto him shall euer come into iudgement of damnation He is annoynted with all fulnesse of grace and hath all the treasure and riches of the spirite of God in his hande with which he blesseth all men according to the promise made to Abraham and is thereto mercifull to geue vnto al that cal on him And how much be loueth vs I report me vnto the ensamples of his deedes And he is righteous both towarde God in that he neuer sinned and therfore hath obtayned all his fauour and grace and also toward vs in that he is true to fulfill all the mercye that he hath promised vs euen vnto the vttermost iotte And he is the satisfaction for our sinnes and not for oures only but also for all the worldes That I call satisfaction the Greeke calleth Ilasmos and the Hebrue Copar And it is first taken for the swaging of wounds sores and swellings and the taking away of payne and sinarte of them And thence is borowed for the pacifying and swaging of wrath and anger and for an amendes making a contenting satisfaction a raunsome making at one as it is to see aboundantly in the Bible So that Christ is a full contenting satisfaction and raūsome for our sinnes And not for oures onely which are Apostles and Disciples of Christ while he was yet here or for ours which are Iewes or Israclites and the seed of Abraham or for ours that nowe beleue at this present tyme but for all mens sinnes both for their sinnes which went before and beleued the promises to come for ours which haue sene them fulfilled and also for all them whiche shall afterward beleue vnto the worldes ende of what soeuer nation or degree they be For Paule commaundeth 1. Timo.
dedes shal be taken in worth yea and though at a tyme we marre all through our infirmitie yet if we turne agayne that shal be forgeuen vs mercifully so that we shal be vnder no damnation which testament is confirmed with signes and wonders wrought thorough the holy ghost Now this indented obligation layde apart we make an other of our owne imaginatiō betwene the Saints and vs in their merites for our image seruice Which can be but a false fayth seyng it hath not Gods woorde vnto which alone we ought to cleaue but is also cleane contrary therto And agayne the Saintes were not saued through their owne merites but through Christes Neither were their dedes which they dyd after they were receaued vnder grace sufficiēt in them selues to fulfill the law for the present time saue as Christes merites did supply y e imperfectnes of thē and y t which was lackyng on their part thorough their infirmities And therefore as the Saintes holy workes made no satisfaction for the sinne they dyd before they were receaued vnder mercy euen so made they none for the deadly synnes which they did vnder mercy seyng the deedes were vnperfect and had sinne annexed vnto thē by reason of the flesh and were insufficient to excuse theyr owne maisters What merites haue they in store for vs then seeing by all mens confession they now merite not◠If the most obedient child in the world disobey his fathers cōmaundementes his fore good deedes cannot make that disobedience no sinne or to be a satisfaction that the childe should presume in the confidence of his olde deedes and think his father should do him wrong to punishe him But hee must knowledge his fault and that he hath deserued punishmente and desire forgeuenes vnto the glory of his fathers mercifulnesse and not of his olde deedes though his olde obedience be a great presumption that he sinned of frailtye and not of purpose Euen so if I being as holy as euer was Paul in his most holinesse sinne this day thorough the frailtie of my fleshe mine olde deedes cā be no satisfaction but I must know ledge my sinne vnto my Father and graunt that I haue deserued damnation and meekly desire forgeuenes and challenge it by the obligation wherin God hath bound him selfe to me vnto the glory of the mercy of God not to the glory of my holy deedes for if my deedes saue me it is my glory But if he forgeue vs freely without respect of my deedes then it is the glory of hys mercye by Paules doctrine vnto the Romaines Moreouer if the saintes be in heauē then can they be there in none other case then the Aungels in which state Christ testifyeth they shall be in the resurrection Now the Angels are ministers sent of God to do seruice vnto the electe which shall be saued Heb. 1. And God hath bound himself that if I come in the right way by the dore of Christes bloud and aske helpe that he will send me if need be an hundred legions of Angels or saintes But when God hath bound himself to sende me angels or saintes or an angell or saint he hath not promised to send this Angell or that or this or that sainte And therfore when I appoynt God whom he shall send and binde him where he hath not bound himselfe to sende me what sainte I will I tempt God And thus this chosing of seuerall saintes is but tempting of God And yet wee do worse then this for we leaue y t way of Christs bloud go not to God throgh him but run to the saintes in a testament of our owne making and will that they eyther saue vs themselues for our imageseruice or compell God for merites sake to saue vs. Why goest thou not vnto thy Father thine owne selfe I am a sinner will they say and dare not If thou go in the right way thou hast no sinne Christ hath taken all thy sinnes from thee and God hath no rod in his hand nor looketh sowre but merily that it is a lust to beholde his chearfull countenance and offreth thee his hande But this way is stopped vp through vnbeleefe and therefore we seek an other which is no way to life but vnto euerlasting death We will not looke on the law with open eyes and therfore haue we no due repentaunce and so no lust to harken vnto the gospell of glad tydings in Christes bloud And where the right way is set before vs and we of malice will not walke therin God can not but let the deuil play with vs and iuggle our eyes to confirme vs in blindnesse But after what maner doth Christ pray for vs Verily Christ in the dayes of his mortall flesh suffred and prayed for all that shal be saued and obtayned and was heard and had his petitions graunted And he made satisfaction purged and purchased forgeuenes euē then for all the sinne that euer shall be forgeuen And his praying for vs and being a mediatour now is that the remembraunce of all that he did for vs is present in the sight of God the Father as fresh as the houre he did them yea the same houre is yet present and not past in the sight of God And Christ is now a King and raigneth and hath receaued power of all that he prayed for to do it himselfe And that whensoeuer the elect cal for ought in his name he sēdeth help euē of y t power which he hath receaued yea ere they aske he sendeth his spirit into their harts to moue them to aske So that it is his gift that we desire ought in his name And in all that we do or thinke well he preuēteth vs with his grace yea he careth for vs ere we care for ourselues and when we were yet euill he sendeth to call vs draweth vs with such power that our hartes cannot but consent and come And the Angels stande by and behold the testament of the elect how we shall be receiued into their fellowshippe and see all the grace that Christ shall poure out vpon vs. And they reioyce and prayse God for his infinite mercy and are glad and long for vs of very loue are ready against all houres whē we shall call for help in Christes name to come helpe And Christ sendeth them whē we cal in his name and ere we call euen while we be yet euill and happely persecute the truth of ignoraunce as Paule did the Angels wayte vpon vs to keepe that the deuils slay vs not before the time of our calling be come Now if an Angell shoulde appeare vnto thee what wouldest thou say vnto him If thou prayedst him to helpe he would aunswere I do Christ hath sent me to helpe and beleeue that the Angels be euer about thee to helpe If thou desiredst him to pray for thee to obtayne this or that he woulde say Christ hath prayed and his prayer is heard
nor damage in spirituall fire that is temptation and persecution Or els if any man build vpon this foūdation woode hay or stubble that is if a man of good entent but yet thorough ignoraunce preach and teach you to sticke vnto ceremonies mēs traditions although they séeme neuer so glorious and to such thynges as are not groūded on Scripture as S. Cyprian taught and defended to rebaptise hym that was once Baptised and after fallen into heresie yea many Byshops consented vnto hym yet was it surely a great errour this is woode haye and stubble that cā not endure the fire of temptation lyght of Gods word Euery mans worke shal be declared for the day shall open it Albeit it prospere for a season in the darke and can not be perceiued yet whē the day commeth which is the light of Gods worde it shal be espyed and iudged The day shal open it that shal be reuelated in fire and the fire shall proue euery mans worke what it is Fire signifieth temptation tribulation persecution c. whiche shall proue euery mans workes If any mans worke that hee hath builded doe abyde this fire that is if the word that a man hath preached do abyde all assaultes temptatiōs it is a token that they are surely grounded on the Scripture of God and then shall the preacher receiue his reward If any mans worke be burnt that is if the preachers wordes will not abyde the tryall and light but vanish away then is it a token that they are not well grounded on Scripture and so shall he suffer hurt for it shal be a great crosse and vexation to the preachers hart that he hath bene so deceiued hym selfe and hath also ledde other into his errour Notwithstādyng he shal be saued because of his fayth in the foundation which is Christ and his ignoraunce shal be pardoned sith he erreth not of a malicious purpose but of a good zeale But yet shall it be as it were a fire to him for it shall greue his hart to sée that he had laboured in vayne and that hee must destroy the same which he before through ignoraunce preached this is the processe pure vnderstandyng of the text There is no man but he graūteth that these wordes foundation laying of foundation buildyng gold siluer precious stones wood haye and stubble are figuratiuely spoken and why cā they not suffer that this word fire be so taken to But where they finde this word fire what soeuer the processe be there plante they Purgatory by and by without any further consideratiō And yet if they had any iudgement at all they might well perceaue by Paules owne wordes that he tooke not this worde fire for material fire as they grossely imagine but proceded in his Allegory and spake it figuratiuely for Paule saith He shal be saued but so as it were thorough fire Marke well his wordes he sayth not that he shal be saued through fire But as it were thorough fire signifiyng that it shal be a great grief veratiō vnto him So that by these wordes of Paule a very child may perceaue what he ment Furthermore if they be so stifnecked that they will not bow to y t truth but still perseuer in their owne phantasies faynyng Purgatory out of this place thē will I boldly say vnto them that there shall no man enter into it but onely preachers For in this place Paul onely speaketh of them and affirmeth that it is their preachyng and learnyng that shall be so proued thorough fire and that such a Preacher shall be saued but yet as it were thorough fire And therfore may the temporaltie be of good comfort for I promise them that by this texte they shall neuer haue hurt in this their painfull Purgatory DOth not our blessed Sauiour him selfe say that there is a certaine sinne which a man may so cōmit agaynst the holy ghost that it shall neuer be remitted ▪ nor forgeuen neither in this world nor in the world to come Now when our Lorde sayth that the blasphemy agaynste the holy ghost shall not be forgeuē neither in this world nor in the world to come he geueth vs cleare knowledge that of other sinnes some shall bee forgeuen in this world and some in the world to come Although this argument be a very Sophisme yet is there neither one rule in Sophistry that can proue this argument nor yet one Sophister so foolish as to graunt it For if I should say vnto mine enemy that I would neither forgeue him as lōg as I lyued nor after my death because hee had done me some haynous trespasse then would men coūt hym worse thē made that would say Frith will not forgeue his enemy as long as he lyueth nor after his death Ergo some mē will forgeue their enemyes after their death For when I say that I will not forgeue hym neither in my life nor after my death I meane that I wil neuer forgeue him and make that addiction because hée should not of foolishnes looke for any such forgeuenesse But thus foloweth the argument well It shall not be forgeuen in thys world nor in the world to come ergo it shall neuer be forgeuen And euen so doth the holy euangelist S. Marke expounde these woordes of Christ in the thyrd chapter For Mathew saith chap. 12. He that speaketh agaynst the holy Ghost shal neuer haue it forgeuen in this world nor in the world to come Marke expoundeth it thus he that speaketh a blasphemy agaynst the holy Ghost hath no remission for euer but is giltie vnto euerlastyng damnation But of thys I haue spoken sufficiently before in soluting the Text 1 Ioh. 5. both what the sinne and also how the text is to be vnderstand Neither affirmeth the Scripture in any place that any sinne is forgeuen after thys lyfe but sayth be ready for ye know not the time when the Lorde shall come as who should say in this lyfe is remission and full mercy to be had labour therfore to attayne it for after thys lyfe is no such forgeuenes but euen as the Lord findeth thee so shall he iudge thée Hys next and last argument of scripture is this CHrist sayth as it is rehearsed in the xij of Matthew that men shall yeld a reckenyng of euery idle worde and that shall be after thys present lyfe Then wotteth euery man that by that reckoning is vnderstand a punishment therefore which shal not be in hell and much lesse in heauen and therfore can it be no where els but in Purgatory Verily I haue not heard of a patrone that so vnprofitably defendeth hys clyent nor yet of any man that geueth himselfe such proper trippes to cast himselfe except he went about to betray and vtterly destroy the part which he would séeme to fauour for thys text maketh more agaynst hym then any that he brought before séemeth to make with
as yee ought by the commaundement of the Gospell and by the example of y t Lorde patiently to suffer there doe you the coÌ„trary not all onely not suffer but you doe wrong vnto them y t doe no wrong c. 209. col 1 Haymo sayth It is offence and sinne in you that you haue Iudicials For accusation engendreth strife strife engendreth discorde discorde engendreth hatred And least peraduenture they woulde say this is no sinne to require myne owne Therefore sayth y t Apostle Truely it is sinne vnto you for you do against the commaundement of y t Lord the which sayth Hee that taketh away thy good aske it not agayne Wherefore doe you not rather suffer losse that ye might fulfill the commaundement of the Lorde c. 209. col 1 That Auricular confessioÌ„ is not necessary to saluation translated into English out of his booke De Doctorum Sententijs ¶ De Poenitentia Dist 1. Cap. Conuertimini TVrne vnto me with all your hart and I will turne vnto you By turnyng is ment the turnyng vpsidedowne of the hart For if our hart bee turned thoroughly from euill vnto God it forthwith deserueth the frute of conuersion that God beyng turned from wrath to mercy may pardoÌ„ our offences which beefore hee intended to reueÌ„ge Wherby it is geuen vs to vnderstand that without any confession of mouth we may bee forgeuen By this meanes also these leypers whom the Lord wylled to shew them selues to the priestes were made whole and souÌ„d in the way before they came to the Priestes By which fact it is geuen vs to vnderstaÌ„d that before we shewe our faces to the Priest that is before we confesse our sinnes we are clensed from the lepry of â—inne It foloweth by this also that the Lord would declare that not by y t sentence of the Priest but by the gift of diuine grace the sinner is made cleane He cleÌ„sed the lepour by touching afterward according to the law coÌ„maunded him to offer sacrifice It foloweth but before hee came to the Priest hee is clensed whilest that by the contrition of his hart before the confession of the mouth remission of sinne is graunted Therfore onely coÌ„trition in the which is made a reuiuing taketh away sinne Hee hath therfore his reuiuour present with him and dwellyng within hym ¶ In the same place Cap. Scindite REnt your hartes and not your garmeÌ„t c. Shewyng that in the contritioÌ„ of the hart which is vnderstanded by the rentyng therof sinnes were forgeuen and not by confessioÌ„ of the mouth which is a part of exteriour satisfactioÌ„ which hee calleth the rentyng of our garmentes by a part vnderstandyng the whole ¶ In the same place Cap. Facilius IN what houre soeuer a sinner shal be conuerted c. For it is not said wheÌ„ soeuer hee shal coÌ„fesse with his mouth but onely when hee shall bee turned shall bee sory for his sinnes hee shall liue and not dye ¶ In the same place Cap. Facilius THey doe more easely purchase gods fauour which beeing not conuicted by mans iudgement but of their own accord acknowlege their faultes which doe either by their owne confessions bewray the same or els when other meÌ„ know not what priuye offenders they bee doe coÌ„demne them selues to voluntary excommunication and seperating them selues from the aulter whereon they ministred not by compultion but willingly bewayle their life as no life beeyng sure that they beeyng recoÌ„ciled by the fruites of effectual peniteÌ„cy they do not onely recouer things that were lost from God but beeyng also made Citizens of the euerlastyng habitation they may come to ioy euerlastyng ¶ Chrisostome vpon the Psalme Miserere mei Homi. 11. COnfesse thy sinnes that thou mayst blot them out if thou be abashed to confesse that thou hast offended coÌ„fesse them dayly in thy soule I doe not say that thou shouldest confesse to thy companion or felow seruaunt who may obrayed thee declare theÌ„ to God who hath regarde of them But if thou declare them not is God ignoraunt of them or will hee learne them by thee When thou didest theÌ„ hee was at haÌ„d wheÌ„ thou coÌ„mittest them hee had perfect knowledge ¶ The same Chrisostome vpon the Epistle to the Hebrues LEt vs therfore persuade our selues that we haue sinned nor let the toung onely pronounce it but the inward conscience also Neither let vs onely say that wee bee sinners but let vs specially accompt euery singulare offence I doe not say y t thou shouldest bewray thy selfe publikly neither that thou shouldst accuse thy selfe to others but I would haue thee obey the Prophet saying Reuele thy waye vnto the Lord. ¶ S. Ambrose De Poenitentia Petri Sermo 46. PEter brust forth into teares askyng nothing with his voice I doe finde that hee wept but I finde not what he sayed Of his teares I read but of hys satisfaction I read nothyng ¶ S. Augustine lib. 10. coÌ„fession cap. 1. THerfore to thee Lord am I manifestly knowen what soeuer I am what profiteth me then to confesse my selfe vnto thee Neither doe I it with wordes of the flesh or with voyce but with the wordes of my soule and with clamour of my thought which thy eare vnderstandeth For whereas I am euill to confesse my selfe vnto thee is nothyng els but to mislike of my selfe And when I am godly to confesse me vnto thee is nothyng els then not to attribute the same to my selfe Because thou Lord doest blesse the iust but first thou doest iustifie hym beeyng wicked My confession therfore my God in thy sight is made vnto thee both secretely and not secretly For it is secret in speach but crieth out in hart Neither doe I say any good thyng vnto men which thou hast not first heard of me neither thou also shalt heare any such thyng of me which thou hast not first shewed vnto me What therfore haue I to doe with men that they should heare my confession as though they should heale all my sorowes griefes who commonly are wont to bee curious to know an other mans lyfe and slow to amende their owne Why demauÌ„d they of me to heare what I am which will not heare of thee who they them selues are And how know they that they heare of me to bee true Forasmuch as no man knoweth what is done in man but the spirite of maÌ„ that is in man ¶ De Poenitentia Distinc 1. Cap. Quinatus FOrasmuch therfore as it is proued that before our confession wee are quickened by grace and made the children of light it manifestly appeareth that onely by the contrition of the hart without confession of the mouth sinne is remitted ¶ In the same place Cap. Omnes qui. THerfore confession is made for the vtteraunce and not for obtaynyng of pardon And euen as Circumcision was geueÌ„ to Abraham as a signe of iustice and not as the cause of iustificatioÌ„ So the confession to the Priest is offered as a signe of