without the workes of the lawe that he mente by the workes of the lawe but cyrcumcysyon and the other ceremonies nowe abrogated and not the lawe of the commaundementes Then let him heare Paule expownynge hym selfe of what lawe he mente aunswerynge to suche obiections By the lawe sayth he cometh the knowledge of synne and I hadde not knowen concupyscence to haue ben synne hadde not the lawe sayde Thou shalt not haue any concupiscens or lust And then when he wrote his pysâ—les circumcision and the rytes and ceremonyes were abrogated amonge the christen Iewes and the Gentyles neuer were bounde to them as was Abraham iustyfyed by fayth onelye ere the lawe was wrytten and before he was cyrcumcysed And Peter sayd that this same lawe whyche Paule excludethe from iustificacion and Wynch calleth his condicioÌ„ is a yoke importable whiche proueth it not to be circumcysion nor anye of their ceremonyes of Moses lawe for these were lyght enoughe to beare lyghter and easyer then to not luste or desyre any thynge agaynst goddes wyll or for a ryche man to forsake all and gyue it to the pore or for Wynchester to caste of his pride his bisshopryke with all his vaynglorye and to become the humble poore pure persecuted preacher of goddes worde It is redde that therewas one man that by suffring doynge and fulfyllynge the lawe of the commaundementes came to heuen euen christe onelye In Math. we reade of a nother yonge man that wolde go to heuen by doynge some good workes askynge Chryste Good Mayster what dedes shall I do to haue lyfe eternall whose mynde Chryste seynge dydde set hym but certayne of the easyeste commaundementes to fulfyll them And he sayde as for these I haue done them alredye wel then sayd chryst or rather so thought If ye wyll nedes go to heauen by doyng I shall set you to do such dedes as I knowe well ye wyll neuer do yea they be impossible for you to do theÌ„ euen to sell his substance and to geue it to the poore and so to folow hym now goyng forth to Ierusalem to suffer death What dydde this man I praye you howe farre went he with Christ thinke you went he not his waye heuyly from christ And yet wyll Wynchester go to heauen by doynge and fulfyllynge his harde condicion I dare saye he wolde skratche his head twise as dydde this ryche man ere he solde his bysshoprike and hadde gyuen it to the poore And therefore christe pronounced that it is impossible for such riche men to come to heauen God therfore trusted vs so litle with the fulfyllynge of the lawe and so by this condicion to come to heauen that he toke it out of our handes layd it vppon his sonne christes backe to be fulfilled For yf he had left our saluacion in our owne handes to be deserued by our workes we had ben al dampned VvintonÌ„ Your haÌ„deling of this my conclusion declareth plain that ye vnderstaÌ„d not what ye say nor of what thing ye affirme and that I leaue to the iudgement of the reader with remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of that I haue before written For ye fondely improue a conclusion which myght stand be true with your fonde paradox of only fayth iustifieth onlesse in teaching ye wyl so handel the matter as Barnes did that a maÌ„ is iustified before he beleueth For and if beleue go before iustification as a cause doth theffecte then seing in scripture belefe is called a dede and proceding from the gift of god must nedes be a good dede it foloweth necessarily Ergo I may by gods gift do a good deede before I am iustified But I moued Barnes of a deede before belefe that is that lerning to beleue by hearing sermons or reading wherin the grace of god prepareth mans wyll as scripture sayth So truly do you saye wheÌ„ ye cal me pelagian I asked Barnes of that deede whether it were good or no and proued it good And then bicause it is done before iustification I brought the conclusion aforesayde wherof ye take occasion to be ioyful in the mery moneth of May. All which your iestinges I can so wel digest as I am not ashamed to cause theÌ„ to be rehersed in this boke bicause the buddes of your fruteful lerning may appeare to considre what frute we may loke for of theÌ„ As for the matter of iustificatioÌ„ by faith and workes was not ment betwene Barnes and me to be spoken of in this conclusion and so therin ye striue not with me but with your self beat your owne shadow in stead of an aduersary Where ye thinke I am not so ignorauÌ„t in my graÌ„mer as to englyshe the text of saynt Paule Fides que per dilectionem operatur Fayth which is wrought by charitie and make operatur a uerbe passiue ye thynke not amisse if I shulde englysshe it worde for worde But as for the sense because scripture doth attribute life to charite withoute which fayth remayneth dead I se no suche cause of absurdite as ye fynde to saye fayth is set a worke by charite The enterprise of thesâ— sâ—eres is worldly anâ— they set it furthe witâ— prophecies other worldly vanities and the good lerned men of the Greke churche expounde saynte Iames after that sorte And as for suche vanitie in prophecies if ye do regarde them in the peruerting of iustification you and Barnes with your secte were that company who haue so confusely handled that matter as ye make iustificatioÌ„ before al faith in hym that is onely moued to beleue Considre with your self whether this turnynge vpsidowne in consideratioÌ„ of the doctrine in iustificatioÌ„ .xl. yeres past may be verified on you or me I affirme the same iustificatioÌ„ that was theÌ„ taught you be the turners Ioyes prâ—phecy noteâ— him self anâ— he seeth it not so by your owne prophecy be noted for Antechrist I gyue no credite to suche prophecies but because you do I allege youre owne prophecie for your owne confusion Blynde men â—ee nothinge and as ye can not se goddes truth whiche ye beleue not so ye can not se the true sense of your owne prophane prophecie whiche ye beleue And yf ye wyll nowe go backe from youre backewarde iustificacion after your accustomed maner then must you place the studyouse worke of learnyng our belefe and likewise the worke of baptisme the worke of beleuing and the worke of loue to be before iustification and some of them in the thefe hangynge on the crosse God iustifieth no man without the gyftes of fayth and loue this ye graunt whiche when man receyueth he receiueth by theÌ„ iustification wherin I call mans deserte and merite onely the vsing of the benefites offred of faith and loue And other deserte and merite man can not haue For what hath any man good that he hath not receyued And therefore the commaundemente of loue with oure hole hartes c. is not so extreme as ye make it to a christen man whose faythe speakethe to
â—nd predestiâ—atioÌ„ of god â—o be worshipâ—ed in sileÌ„ce after our capacitie and so to worshyppe the election and predestinacioÌ„ of god in sileÌ„ce as we adde not therunto thimaginacion of an acâ— passed alredy in god by reason wherof we myghte dreame that in our choyse or endeuor when god offreth his gyftes vnto vs we came to late because god in our fansie hath determyned his pleasure alredy that can not be chaunged For the consideration of tyme whiche in our vnderstandynge passeth ouer compared with the acte of god beynge in dede withoute any tyme encombreth our wyttes and vnderstandynges in the conceiuyng of the matter where as the tyme beynge disseuered in our vnderstandynge from gods acte which tyme maketh to vs a thoughte of before after we be deliuered of the repugnaunce Note this that tyme dyd engendre and oure argumentes taken away from naturall wytte which were grouÌ„ded al vpoÌ„ time wherby we be dryuen from reasonynge to a silence meruelynge and worshyppyng as we shuld do alwayes the hyghe mysteries of god farre excedynge our capacite And in this wyse some haue learnedly reuerently entreated this matter not with presumption to discusse it absolutely but with an humble and reuerent meke spirite to note that myght be truely considered in the same and finally to lerne vs that in dede we knowe not ne can not knowe this high matter thoroughly because the meanes of oure knowledge be taken away and so the thynges hidden from vs wherin we may not do as arrogant artificers be accustomed to do who when they perceyue not in dede the counsayle of hym that deuysed fyrst any platte they take vpon theÌ„ neuerthelesse to set the frame together marre some principal postes or cast them out as vaine because they can not tell howe to ioyne theÌ„ with the rest whom such meÌ„ folow who because they can not tell howe to frame gods choise mans choise togither they mangle and denye mans choise and cast it away as vayne beinge a principall parte to be beleued in our religion Thus much as I haue redde and lerned I vtter it wherby to teach you soberly as muche knowledge as I haue that is to say ignoraunce in this matter In this ye mayster Ioye wyll agree with me that I haue toulde you ignoraunce and call it meere ygnoraunce and say I haue shewed my selfe in tossynge and syftynge of wordes to exercyse the crafte of ignoraunce not to teache but to blynd not to giue lyghte but to darken so as albeit ye rude men can not aunswere to the sophistry of the argumentes yet the matter in the vnderstandynge as ye wyll saye remaineth as it dyd for in what so euer wordes we shuld speake it or though we want wordes to speake it the thing is thus in your opinion as foloweth Fyrst god is before man was Anteque Abraham fieret ego sum Christ sayd And whether before signifieth tyme or no tyme whereof your playne scolers wyll say they can no skyll before is before and not after and why call we it the prouidence of god but because it is a foresight and none after syght ne withsight predestination lykewise a former decre prescience a former knowledge And to charge me further you mayster Ioye wyll note to youre scolers that I my self speake somtyme after the same sorte and say god choseth vs fyrst god preueÌ„teth vs with his grace and what is preuenteth but coÌ„meth before and god prepareth mans wil that is to saye maketh ready before And god calleth before he iustifieth and god iustifieth before he glorifieth And when scripture speaketh of this sort I my selfe also then ye wyll saye I make a trouble in the consideration of tyme and cause my tyme in wryting and yours in readynge to passe ouer without fruit For wheÌ„ ye rede me ye fynd your selfe perplexed entangled with wordes but wheÌ„ ye haue wound your self froÌ„ those thorny wordes the thing is in youre mynde as it was before Hereunto I wil say somwhat that if ye like your selfe in youre owne fansy so well as whatsoeuer ye conceiue for truth is euer also to you true in the sorte ye compreheÌ„d it I marueile not though my wordes be not frutefull to you for I go aboute to teache you ignorauÌ„ce you be so asotted and dotyng vpon the false persuasion of knoweledge that ye can not abide to haue your pleasaunt opinion remoued and taken from you As he that in his fransye thought all that he sawe to be his owne was sorye when he was healed of his fransye thinkyng him self to haue loste a greate losse to se hym selfe then so poore For els yf ye lyst to make this foundacion that man seeth no more of God then God hath shewed and reueled by his scriptures and that all the scrypture is so vniforme in sense as it is al but one worde which admitteth no repugnance or contrariete and therewith remeÌ„bre that wordes of scripture althoughe in respecte of the matter they conteine they be in dede be called holly so to be reuerenced and honoured as an ymage representynge gods wyll vnto vs and therefore at the speakinge of them in presence of the multitude do put of our cappe bowe Englysshe speache latelye made by englyssh men as we now speake it placed to expres god or any godly thing may be honored not with godly honor but with reuerent behauiour without daunger of idolatry yet those wordes as wordes be in dede wordes of our common language in Englysshe and suche as disseuered and remoued a part from that hollymatter men put to other prophane vses by reason whereof we may easlye deceiue our selues in them and be daylye deceyued And moreouer yf we coulde considre that it is a more shame coÌ„fusion and rebuke to vs to be noted in an error of blusterynge knowledge then to be accompted in the numbre of symple ignorauntes And finally that in consideration of god and his workes after knowledge by faythe that god certainly is we shuld rather study to knowe howe muche we knowe not of god then to presume to knowe all He that were thus instructed and prepared by gods grace he wolde as diligently lerne to condempne his owne knoweledge with his ignorauÌ„ce as to auauÌ„ce his vnderstanding to that may be atteyned And to suche one yf he considre that is before written I shall be seene not only to haue touched the wordes but also the matter which I specially entended wherin I laboured to declare that scripture whiche reueleth god vnto vs by faith doth not in the wordes alwaies fully signify that we gather of theÌ„ but be written sometime to do vs vnderstand the thing to be in god or wrought by him withoute cyrcumstaunce of the measure of tyme as we conceyue it For when christ sayd Before Abraham was I am the tyme in this speache is not after our measure for the presente Tens in God is placed in the speache before the pretertens
receyuinge and reteynynge of that is promised Note that I say not eche manshal but â—ay and also eche man may And therfore the admonitions and exhortacions in scripture to eschewe fallyng and to arise agayne be fruitfullye made to the electe not so as thoughe Thomas electe myght be dampned for that is impossible but so as Thomas speakynge of the same Thomas may be dampned Onely god worketh election and predestinacion and onely god can ioyne theÌ„ truely with Thomas or IohnÌ„ mary Thomas and IohnÌ„ may presume and that waye play the foole to ioyne them selues by suche newe belefe as the deuyll by his postelles frameth now a daies to election and predestinacioÌ„ and saye as one hath sayde to me I know my self predestinate I meruayle where he had learned that lesson beyng yet quycke and quethynge and suche one as myghte fall S. Austen although he knew the lesson very harde and wolde we shulde not searche whome god draweth and whome he draweth not yet in his worke de predestinatione he semeth to giue a forme to lerne predestinacion sayenge Disce excursu predestÃnacÃonem c. So as they that flye vyce and chose vertue and runne in vertue gladlye and ascend frome vertue to vertue they may well be assured that the profyt in vertue is by goddes helpe and grace and when they are in payment of the generall tribute for synne which is corporall death The lessoÌ„ oâ— predestinacion in eche maÌ„ tyll he hath made an end of his course in cunninge at whiche paiement they may say Cursum consummaui they may theÌ„ lyke good scoolers reioyce in the knowledge of the lesson of predestination and acknowledge the election of god in them with a certayne hope and expectation of that is prepared for goddes electe but whiles men be wauerynge in the see of this worlde before they be arryued in the hauen of passage from this lyfe suche talkers and reasoners of goddes election and predestinacion to persuade necessite do it not for any godly fruite but for a worldely lewde pollicie to exclude from sinne both shame and blame to the worlde which twoo amonges manye let and hyndre many carnall pleasures and where necessitie is persuaded can not in dede haue place For who is to be blamed for that he can not eschue â–ª or who shulde be a shamed of that he can not auoyde Wherefore shulde saynt Paule excommunicate the Corrinthian and blame hym for his fornicacion or saynt Peter against Ananie and Saphira his wyfe gyue a sentence of such efficacie as wherevpon shuld folowe corporall death for lyenge wherein they myght haue pleded if necessitie had ben by the lerning of these two chiefe apostelles approued that they did as they were ordered and walked as personnes not chosen but indurate whether necessitie ledde them by god appoynted But the true teachynge of christes churche abhorreth necessitie and yet worshyppeth for moost certayne truthes goddes prouidence election and predestinacion whereby we be taughte that god is auctor of al our helth welth and saluacion the cyrcumstaunce of which workyng in god in his election and predestinacioÌ„ althoughe it be as impossible for mans wit to frame with our choyse and free wyll as to deuise howe a camell shulde passe through the eye of an nedle withoute makyng the nedles eye bygger or the camell lesse yet that is impossible for man is not impossible for god And in that belefe we ought to acquite our selfe and not be ashamed to lerne and confesse ignoraunce in these high misteries wherein an arrogante proude curiouse wit should clerely be put to silence yet neuerthelesse a sobre humble spirite by a deuout searche and consideracion may lerne somewhat wherewith to represse and subdue the temptacioÌ„s of carnall reason euer murmuringe to the contrarie For which purpose all the holy fathers of the greke church and besides saynt Austen other of the latten also haue reuerentlye spoken somewhat of lyght in the matter of election and predestinacion by distincting goddes knowledge from his election as the cause from the effect and thus coÌ„sidered of god That god in his hye counsayle determining to create man he sawe and knew mans fall whiche knoweledge coulde be no cause of thalteration of his decree to create man for then we shulde graunte in god mutabilitie of his decree by his knowledge but there with god decreed to repare and restore that falle in man and by the aboundaunce of his goodnes and by the renouacion of man in his redemption to encrease mans felicitie In which renouacion of man god choseth as he seeth in his diuine prouidence those that shall receyue and vse his gyftes accordynge to his wyl and reproueth them that he seeth before wyl refuse them and worke theyr owne confusion and so predestinateth such as he hath choseÌ„ by whiche ordre gods knowledge is the cause of his election goddes election the cause of his predestination predestinacion the cause of callynge c. After which declaration mans reason coulde not gather that gods knowledge of that is to come shulde more be the cause of that he knoweth before to come after then mannes knowledge to be the cause of that is past whiche by gods gyft man knoweth with god Herein god is not compared with man but aunswer is made to the carnall reason whiche men make amysse of god Gods knowledge they saye is infallible in all thinges that shal be and that is moost true but the infallibilitie is no kynde of cause of the thynge thereby so to be caused to be but onelye an assuraunce that the thynge as it is knowen of God â–ª shall so be God is the cause of all causes and in the creacion of all natures and recreacion of mans nature by grace hathe ordered thinges to moue and worke by theyr immediate speciall causes not all necessarilye but some with interruption and some casuallye and principallye aboue all man by fre choyse of that is offred him by whiche excellent gift man differeth from other creatures Now as god hath ordred the worlde so he most perfytely knoweth it that is to saye that is necessary euen so necessary that is casual casual that is of mannes free choyse as wroughte by mannes free choise And euery thing as it is wrought God knoweth it wroughte knowynge them as doone by the inferioure causes not orderynge them so to be done by his prouydence or infallible knowledge Here reason spoorneth and sayth god myght haue chauÌ„ged it when he sawe it shoulde so be and not haue made man inclineable to fal when he sawe he wolde fall before he made hym Here is a homelye talke of god And hitherto men come when they forget their reuerence and dutye to God to be so perte with god as to controll his workes Nowe men be suffred to loke on gods secrecies they wyll begyn to tell hym howe he myght haue done better But yet he that thus replieth must fyrst confesse that the knowledge of god although it
be infallible yet it is not the cause of all that is knowen for in knowledge god onely seeth moost perfitly the workes of al natures as they be and mannes reason that wolde fynde faulte can not considre goddes knowledge to be in prioritie to goddes decre to create man wherby that knowledge as it folowed and was no cause of it so it coulde be no cause whye to alter it and then carnall reason muste be aunswered as in the lyke a carnall man wold iudge A carpenter that determineth to make a house and therein a doore yf he hadde therewith the gyfte of prophecie to knowe thynges to come and so to se that theues shoulde after go in at that dore and robbe the house wolde ye call in mans reason the carpenter the cause of the robbery because he made the house with a dore at whiche dore he sawe the theues shulde entre If the carpenter were charged in reason therewith and with his knowledge before he wolde for him self say I made a house whiche of conuenience to be a house required a doore and therefore I made the doore not for the theues thabuse it which I sawe wold folowe but for the owner to well vse it and then if the carpenter did therewith before bydde the owner take hede of the daunger lyke to folowe what canne be sayde further to the carpenter who myghte reasonablye alledge yf he shoulde haue made no dore at al he shulde not haue made a coÌ„uenient house for withoute a doore it hadde not ben perfitelye a house Can anye man further replye to this carpenter onlesse a man wolde saye that the carpenter was also after the thefe hym selfe as men wyll not feare to saye of god blasphemouslye that he is the auctoure of euyll Nowe if carnall reason muste nedes admytte this in the carpenter whye shoulde the same reason spurne agaynste God to make hym the cause because when he sawe howe man wolde abuse free wyll which he gaue hym that yet god gaue it hym where the deuyll entred as at the doore and robbed him God gaue man that excellente gyfte of free wyll for an ornamente and a conuenient vse and admonysshed man to beware of the misusynge of it to disobedience gyuynge a lawe to be obserued as matter wherin to exercyse his free wyll If God hadde made man withoute free wyl and immutable he hadde not ben then properly man hauynge mutabilitie to good and euyll as a difference from god a body corporall to differre from aungels and free wyll and free choyce to differre from other beastes vnreasonable And is not he a ioylye workeman that wolde deuyse to haue God doone otherwyse then he hathe or elles because malyce haue wrought in maÌ„ malyce wold take god for immediate cause of all the is done which were abhominable blasphemouse abhominatioÌ„ withoute all reason and agaynste all lerninge God is the superior cause without which nothinge worketh â—ynne is of â—an and the â—uyl and caÌ„â—t be of god â—ho is all â—odnes as lerned men haue discussed it in actu substracto but mans free choyce and the deuyll adde the myschief to euerye acte where any is and be the immediate causes thereof who although they haue god author of their beynge yet he is not author of their noughtines whiche is caused by their corruption engendred in them by their fall from god And thus thou seest good reader that yf reason shulde contende with reason in discussion of goddes workes necessite shuld be excluded and not implyed in goddes prouydence election or predestinacion For god Quos presciuit predestinauit of whiche worde presciuit the holly fathers learned men and deuoutlye learned as afore haue noted goddes election to be accordynge to his knowledge of them who shuld receyue and reteyne with perseueraunce gods giftes Saynte Aâ—gustine in â—sideration â— goddes eleâ—on agreeâ— not througâ—ly with othâ— Mary sainte Austen troubled with the pelagians who for confirmation of their error searched out places of scripture and writhed them violently as heretiques alwaies do to their purpose so extollinge mans endeuor as they dyd iniury to the speciall grace and gyftes of god for auoydynge thencombre of these subtyll heretiques thoughte not necessarie to folow the rest in that poynte whereby to note the cause of goddes election to be any wyse referred to thendeuor of man but only to be in gods wyll whych is most iust and wherein is no acception of persons And yet s Austen doth not so dissent from the other fathers for auoyding the pelagians as he doth any thinge fauour thopinion of them â—aynte Auâ—yne abhorâ—th necessite who nowe a daies by vnderstandynge of those actes of election and predestinacion in god wolde establysh mere necessitie And as for my selfe myndynge to speake of this matter Forasmuche as I haue sene saynt Austen in this poynt dissent from other not with contencion but rather thereby to exclude the matter of argument that myghte serue the Pelagians I haue not made foundacioÌ„ to discusse thelection predestinacion of god after those deuout mens consideration but by declaringe what blyndnes men haue in goddes workyng to put men in remembraunce to worshyp that truth and confesse oure ignoraunce â—ccasion taâ—en of a disaâ—ement in â—mine part â— contemne â—l But somewhat wyll here be gathered by the waye that men dissente from men doctours from doctours fathers froÌ„ fathers and why shulde we then saith your sect regarde men doctours or fathers but all resort to the very fountayne of gods word and thence fetche pure syncere clene vndefiled water and not to resorte to mens puddelles that bâ— myerie troubled and not clene If saynt Austen dare disagre froÌ„ the rest whye may not I disagre from him ê™ you and from the rest also and cleaue onely to goddes worde Gods worde is the lyfe whether shulde we go but thither and there is playnes God sayth he is omnipotent and he sayeth truely He saith he knoweth all and he sayth trulye He sayeth he worketh all in all and he sayeth trulye He sayth I haue made the wycked to the euyl day he sayth truly He sayth there is none euyll in the citie but he hath made and he sayth trulye God sayth he hath indurate the harte of pharao And he sayth trulye And alwaye god sayeth truelye And all men be lyers as Dauyd sayth Filij hominuÌ„ vsquequo diligitis uanitatem queritis mendacium Ye chyldren of men ye loue continually vanitie and searche out lyes Hereunto I wyll say somwhat â—n aunswer that of God here be rehersed manye truthes as they be spoken trulye And yf they were also truely vnderstanded then al were well and playne And they say men be lyers therein they saye also trulye â—en â—e all â—ned to lie â—ut do not in â—ll thynges â—e saynt Peâ—er lyed not â—onfessynge 〈…〉 But yf the scripture affirming men to be lyers shulde be also perpetually verefied in them whom god endueth
doctrine but eche one man to be a churche alone and therefore eche one man to fast alone if he fast at all without daies appoynted for the hole body to faste together Note wel tâ— inconuenieÌ„â— of alone Eche one man to praye alone yf he prayeth at all withoute dayes or houres appoynted for the hole bodye to praye together and so all to be alone alone alone myne owne self al alone And then to be deuoured of the deuyl alone without comforte in wildernes alone and so synge vp the free mannes songe of alone whiles we be here as thoughe there were none other life after this for thitherto wil resort the issue of the sore when eche man presumptuouslye geueth him selfe alone an vnderstandynge of goddes scriptures and contempnynge that other men deuout and lerned haue wrytten trust to theyr owne sense contrarye to the wyse mans aduertisement or rather lustelye so to bost forth for knoweledge that they lyke to saye they knowe because they wolde in dede haue it so taken whether it be so or no. Obstinacy in â—resumtyon â—f knowlege And suche men what so euer is sayde to the contrarie of that they ones say they knowe eyther they make a lyppe at it or yelde with sylence to seme to gyue place to auctoritie for the tyme or yf they dare speake lay theyr hande on their brest and saye they spake as theyr conscience serueth them or tell howe they haue prayed for grace can not beleue the contrarye some lyfte vp their eyes and wysh that the truth may sprede abrode that hath ben longe hidden And thus as they wolde haue it they wyll haue it be clerely deefe to any other teachynge And therfore as I haue rehereed after contempte of thexposicions of other they say gods wordes be playne to proue mere necessitie and yet they myght say otherwyse they wold for any necessitie that forceth theÌ„ so to say for the scriptures they bringe in enforceth theÌ„ not at al and that they know wel ynoughe myght therefore in the predestinacion election of god confesse with me ignoraunce yf they lysted so to do For of my selfe I shall saye thus what so euer opinion men wolde for their purpose haue persuaded of me abrode that I shuld vse carnall wytte and sophistrie in thentreatyng of scriptures I protest openlye and take god to recorde that I neuer yet durst be so bolde to gather any seÌ„se of the scripture but such as I had redde gathered alredy in good authors whose spirite I durste better truste then myne owne I knowledge and confesse myne owne pouertie therein I knowe none opinion of myne own fyndynge in scripture and what so euer gyfte other haue scripture is to me ouer darke to vnderstand it alone without the teachynge of other suche as haue lefte their labours therein in writinge behynd them Of whom togither with the scryptures I haue learned to speake of predestinatioÌ„ as I haue written and of iustification thus That god only iustifieth man accordyng to the scripture before alleged Quos uocauit iustificauit and in an other place Deus iustificat And herein the worlde maketh no controuersy A controuersie there is howe God worketh this iustification in man whether to iustifie man he giueth hym one gyfte of fayth or two gyftes of faith charitie And in this coÌ„trouersie one thing is very peruerse that those which saye that god iustifieth man with one gift of faith onelye wyll be seene more to extol god in his fauour vnto man then they that saye God geueth three gyftes in the iustificacion of man And because the worde onely that hath and doth meynteyne muche bablynge hath ben ioyned by theÌ„ to fayth to say that onely fayth iustifieth to defende that they trouble the people with a fyne distinction of offices say that in iustificacion of man it is the onely office of fayth to iustifie charitie and hope there waytynge without office whiles the man be iustified A prety shifâ— from onelye fayth iustifieth to faytâ— onely iustifieth and an aâ—row differeÌ„câ— to the rudâ— reader And so onely is nowe shifted froÌ„ fayth to the office of fayth And these be they that accuse other men of darknesse But the scripture telleth me that he who loueth not remayneth in death And therfore if the state of a iustified man be life in Chryste Charytye whych is godlye loue hath as well her offyce in iustyfycacyon to gyue lyfe as faythe hathe her offyce to be 〈◊〉 knoweledge the mooste certeyne grounde and foundacyon of it and hope her offyce to be placed and establysshed vppon them bothe In receyuynge of whyche gyftes how man worketh by goddes callynge to turne to hym and vse that is offered of hym accordynge to their effectes I shall speake after at large aunsweryng you mayster Ioye who semeth so to terme suche workes as I saye man doth to atteyne iustificacion as thoughe I mente daye workes or weeke workes and eyther not knowynge in deede what I ment with Barnes in workes before iustificacyoÌ„ to thatteynyng of it or elles dissemblynge youre knoweledge to engendre matter of skoffynge ye triumph of me at your pleasure whiche I shall pretermytte and somewhat open of what force your matter is that ye violently wrythe out of scripture And fyrst ye bryng in that if Winchester hath done al that god hath commaunded hym he is but a seruaunt vnprofitable And this text of scripture ye bringe in to dimynyshe the estimacion of good workes And thus gods holly scrypture is prophaned by you the wold be sene to vtter onely that the spirite of god telleth you with suche a mere sincerite that it hath nether hony nor waxe An expositioÌ„ of the scripture that we be seruauÌ„tes vnprofitable For this text of scripture is wrytten to admonishe vs what a good lord we serue of god who hauyng no coÌ„moditie or profyt by our scruyce doth neuerthelesse alowe and commend our seruice So differeth the seruice of god and the deuyll the seruyce of god from the seruice of man For the state of a seruaunte amonge men is to do their maisters profit and not their owne forsomuch as they be seruauntes And therefore to an euyl seruaunt it is said commonly as a rebuke Thou arte a leude seruaunt thou sekest thyne owne gaine and not thy maysters But in the seruice of god such as be seruauntes professe openly and truly affyrme that they be vnprofitable to theyr lorde god as the text by you broughte in testifieth who nedeth no seruyce of vs ne can not be increased or diminished by profyt or lacke of oure seruice And yet he hathe so muche care of our welth that albeit oure seruyce is not profitable to him yet he coÌ„mendeth it because it is profitable to vs and therfore saith to a good seruaunt Euge. Well sayde seruaunt that art good and faythful because thou arte faythfull in a fewe I shall appoynte the ouer more And moreouer declarynge howe our
as you do your selfe ye vse a similitude of the sonne and fyre which manner of teaching Christ vsed muche by thynges corporall and visible to make some explication of thynges inuisible and incorporall and so to induce men to the vnderstandyng of them whiche for my part I much allowe and onelye fynde this faulte in some of your sorte that albeit in you Similitudes be necessarye to plaine teachynge they allowe and approue similitudes for corroboracion of your doctrine yet when your doctrine shuld be impugned they can not abyde similitudes but they say streight as they here of them fye on them Blynde not me sayth he by similitudes but comme to the playne matter and yet somtyme the matter is so darke as it can not be perceiued without the spectacles of a similitude or parable and anon the similitude well considered the matter that was darke is sene by and by For a similitude is as it were a speach of the wordes thinge togither for bothe the thing resembled and the wordes also speaketh at ones But nowe to your similitude whereby ye entende to make men perceyue howe it might be that two thinges conioyned together may haue dyuerse effectes and so eche one of them to worke his effecte apart without confusiō For so ye say doth fayth and charitie The sonne and fyre ye saye haue eche one of them heate brightnes and the heate warmethe and the brightnes shyneth So as by this similitude we maye vnderstande that from god whome ye signifie by the sonne or fyre is gyuen to man before he be iustified two vertues fayth and charitie whereof fayth shyneth and charitie warmeth And in dede the effect of fayth is properly to illuminate the vnderstanding and of charitie to warme and kyndle mans colde and earthly affection Nowe if the iustification of man implied onely the expulsion of darkenes frome mannes vnderstanding theffecte of fayth wolde suffice but seinge god in iustificaciō moueth mans hart and kindleth loue in it whye may not these two vertues with their two effectes by goddes workyng concurre in mans iustification your similitude letteth it not but rather confirmeth it As for saynt Paul declareth plainly that albeit he speaketh sometyme of faith without mencion of charite yet he meaneth not faith as a bare foundacion but fayth with charitie And as euery foundacyon corporall is fyrst in prioritie of tyme. So is euery foundacion intellectuall fyrst in prioritie of nature And therfore because nomā loueth that he knoweth not before fayth that bringeth knowlege must nedes p̄cede and fayth that hath not charitie is dead so as by these .ii. vertues god resuscitating man in iustificacion from the death of sinne to lyfe Iustificati◠gyuethe the gyftes of knoweledge and loue that is to saye faythe and charytye beinge god onely the officer him selfe that iustifieth and to hym ye maye put onely and onely for he is the iustifier and requireth only of man mary that he wyll haue done to receyue and vse these vertues as he giueth them And this is the plain teaching and agreable with scriptures whiche must be so vnderstanded as one parte may be consonante to the other withoute suche hackynge as ye make of it God gaue Abraham fayth wherewith to beleue hym and charitie wherewith to loue him and Abraham as he beleued god so he loued him both together And if I shuld returne to your similitude when mē say that they shuld plant their vines where the sonne may shyne on them do they affirme that the brightnes and lyght of the sonne giueth the comfort to the vynes or rather the heat The speach is of the brightnes as a parte may signifie the hole but in the heat is theffect Ye dalye in the matter to triumphe ouer me take vpō you the parte of a mediatour betwene the two sisters faith and charitie and ye commende charitie for manye good properties forsothe but ye say the elder sister faith hath the iustification by scripture Is not this properly handled in so serious a matter But ye requyre scripture of me whiles ye daly talke your selfe without scripture As for scripture this I saye to you that and ye note scripture ye shal fynde in the true sense of it that as the promysse of god is knit to fayth so it is knyt to loue as lyfe is promised to men beleuynge so it is promysed to men louynge And as often as saynt Paule nameth fayth not speakinge of loue so often and oftener doth saynt Iohn̄ in his epistles speake of charytye without mencion of fayth and declareth plainly that he that loueth not is in death and he that loueth not knoweth not god And as saint Paule sayth to the Hebrues he that commeth to god must beleue So Christ said in the gospell of saynt Ihon̄ No man he sayth commeth to me without my father draweth him the sense wherof is but by loue wherewith saynt Austine saith god draweth vs accordynge as god by Moises signified to vs that he sheweth his mercye to them that loue hym It is true we can not loue god onles he prepareth our harte and geue vs that grace no more can we beleue god onlesse he giueth vs the gyfte of belefe And so god is the author of all our welth and our helper that we may worke with him and he is the only iustifier God the on◠iustifier the only sauiour and onely mediatour And as for the speache of onely faythe iustifieth the scripture hath not yet hath ben spoken by some lerned men to exclude the workes of Moyses lawe wherein S. Paule laboured in his epistle to the Romaynes where S. Paule speaketh not of the aduerbe onelye nor he hathe not this fasshyon of speach faith iustifieth but in this wise we be iustified by faith and attributeth the act of iustification to god And S. Augustine sayth plainly that for the more playne vnderstandinge of S. Paule god inspired S. Iames to write his epystle And further saint Austen saith that S. Paule speakyng of fayth dyd euer meane such a faith as had the gift of charite with it wherof he spake to the Galathiās Neque circumcisio neque prepuciū est aliquid sed fides que per dilectionem operatur And to the Corrinthians he that hath not charite is nothing And therefore as scripture testifieth that god maketh his promyse to thē that beleue in him so it testifieth that god maketh his promyse to them that loue him as saynt Iames writeth And by the wyse man god sayeth I loue them that loue me Saynt Iohn̄ affirmeth he that loueth not god knoweth not god so as without I loue I can not frutefully beleue no not the belefe of knowledge as saynte Ihon̄ declareth whereby appeareth that the yonger sister charite for so ye speake of her hath office to helpe her elder sister faith in iustification But ye nowe presse me to shewe you scrypture in this forme of sillables Charitie iustifieth And yet ye
deade in vayne Thus ye se the conclusyon of his articles to be That he maye do well before he be iustified But as I sayd before it behoueth a learned diuine to coÌ„clude what ought to be done what god wylleth to be beleued by his manifest word and not what Winch. may do by his owne blynde reasonyng without gods word He maye do well by the gyfte of God sayth he whiche is faythe ergo his fayth goeth before his well doyng and his iustification and his good workes must be thrust betwixt both if the place be not to narow for them so that he hauynge his faith and his good workes is not as yet iustified neyther by his faith nor by his good workes for they muste serue him but toward the attainment to his iustificacion Paule christ ioyned faith iustificacioÌ„ euer inseparably together but this scismatike iewish Hieroboam and deuillish deuider of al christeÌ„ vnite wil thrust his good works betwixt theÌ„ not suffring fayth to cleue to immediatly her owne obiecte euen the mercye of God promysynge remyssyon of synnes in Chrystes deathe He wolde thruste in here the workes of penaunce before iustyfycacyon whyche thinge howe folysshe it is ye shall se Fyrste ye knowe that penaunce muste go before her workes as is the tree before her frutes Penaunce is a turninge to god whereby of the syncere feare of god a man humbled acknowelegeth his sinne and so al his whol life he maketh newe Who turneth to god but he fyrste beleue and knoweth god for christes sake to be so mercyfull vnto hym that at his turnynge to hym he receyueth him and forgeueth hym hys synnes whiche faithe and knoweledge what els is it then his iustification god the father so affirmynge it in his prophet Isai sayeng In the knowledge of hym this euen my seruant shal iustifye many Here ye se that this knowledge and faithe iustifieth before the workes of penaunce are done For God is knâ—wen in Christe ere we turne to him of the which turning to god there folow the frutes of repentaunce in doinge them all our lyfe longe as to feare god to humble our selfe to confesse our synnes to him and to renewe our lyues mortifieng continually our flesshe VvintonÌ„ TO this article your aunswer is peremptorye and ye trauerse the matter so plainlye after the lawiers pleding as you haue fashioned it mete to be remitted vnto the couÌ„try And herein I shall speake to you againe somewhat lyke a lawier Ye handle me in youre aunswer lyke one of youre secte and do the worlde vnderstaÌ„d hereby whervnto this vnreuereÌ„te reasonynge disputynge and talkynge of goddes truth wyll come to at the last that is to saye to diuision debate hatred and stryfe when in that all shulde saye one eche shal aunswere other as ye do nowe me with I saye the contrarye And so learnynge is all paste and the matter resteth vpon twelue men wherein ye labour the countre as faste as ye maye And ye flatter the world with lycentiouse doctrine and offer them to pull from theyr neckes all suche yokes as ye thinke dyd at any tyme let or impeche them either in thought or dede Ye promise them libertie of al thynge And then to rydde them out of dette ye translate saint Paule thus that we owe nothyng to no man but loue Ye flatter the couetouse maister with pullynge away holy dayes that he maye haue the more worke done hym for hys yeres wages Ye flatter again the seruaunt with pullynge awaye al opinioÌ„ of fast by abstineÌ„ce froÌ„ any meat either in leÌ„t or otherwise Ye offer priestes wyues to wyt they can winne them to you Ye rydde all of confession and wepinge for synne Ye take awaye distiction difference of apparel days times and places Ye take away ceremonies whiche in dede do muche let good chere in asseÌ„blies of good felowes Ye gyue women courage and libertie to talke at their pleasure so it be of gods worde and to make the husbande amendes for that encombrye ye teache men secretly and so as you may denye it agayne if nede be tyll it be time to come abrode that they maye haue as lawfully two wiues at ones as one so they wyll finde them bothe I do not herein fame or lye for I knowe they haue not written in any matter more seriouslye ne more fondelye but yet maliciously and vntruly then to proue it lawfull for a man to haue two wyues at ones though the first be neuer so chast And so wheÌ„ women be so ernest to set forth youre enterpryse they be suffred of god for punysshmeÌ„t to worke there owne confusioÌ„ And after the same sort by other intisemeÌ„tes lerned meÌ„ to depraue lerning prestes to trauel to destroy prysthode And in this wise for punishmeÌ„t of our sinne eche part laboureth by a meane to scourge trouble their owne astate And in the meane time your secte hopeth to winne the countrey and therefore the postelles of your secte although they preach not much now a days yet they write diligently and sende the bookes abrode buselye with Venite emite absque argento and in significacion ye call men to fredome ye giue your bokes abrode frely with all such allueremeÌ„tes as may serue to make the countrie yours and suche as shuld giue euidence agaynst you them ye depraue and blaspheme with all kynde of vyllany wherewith to distroy theyr credite in so muche as among you a bysshop or a preist hath a newe sence in englysh to signifie a knaue Ye haue a great while awayted to haue the panel returned but the kinges most excellent maiestye who hath the highe shiriffes office in his hande vnder god coulde neuer yet be induced to retourne the Iurye as ye wolde haue it And therfore I haue seene you often tymes fall in a non sute and lyen styll in wayte as they that haue euel tytles to landes to haue the shirif for your purpose How saye you now haue I not commened with you lyke a lawier and truely declared the councelles of your secte Thenglyssh of this latiâ— dominum eâ— christum iâ— god and the kynge wherin ye conspire Aduersus dominuÌ„ et aduersus christum eius I wold lawiers had alwaies their tales tolde them of their clientes so truly as I haue tolde this and then the worlde shulde not be troubled with so many longe sutes as it nowe is But now to your contraryenge of me whiche ye fashyon thus And I saye the contrary If I were lyke you I shoulde saye agayne Mary and I saye the contrarye to you And then thicker you lye and you lye and I can tel as well as you and I as well as you And shall this fruyte growe of goddes worde and so you wyll haue this broughte againe of the prymatyue churche that our hearers and readers of oure bookes shall say I beleue Ioye and I beleue Wynchester Ego Cephe Ego pauli but yet to auoyde some parte of that
he commeth to lyght of knowledge if we will giue credit vnto you who declare your self herein a maister of errour perniciouslye to seduce the people from the true teaching of the catholique church vsynge the scriptures as boyes do in grammer scoole Quid est latinum propter for their excuse and then iangle after in englyssh as longe as they lyste Ye crye scripture scripture and in deade speake nothinge but the idole of your owne imaginacion And bycause you haue so peruerslye and vntruly recited the sense of the scripture Io. i. and .i. Io. v. as I haue declared yet ye make that vntruthe for a pryncypall parte of youre matter to declare youre iustyficatyon and incontÃnentlye after a truth chop in a lye I wyll not passe it ouer but here make a staye desire the reader to marke that here ye go oute of the highewaye of the truth and therfore in that the foloweth breake vp hedges and leape ouer diches trauailing in a roughe and an vnleueled matter for want of the playnnes and smothenes of the truth How standeth it I pray you together thou a man is borne of god to be called to faythe and yet hathe forgyuenes of synne imputed vnto hym for only faythes sake seing the byrth of god implyeth forgiuenes of synne which byrth ye saye is wrought before faith receyued Note this reader I pray the and also this that he saith sinnes be not imputed for onelye faithes sake Are ye come to this nowe to encourage your beleuers that only faith hath worthynes for the owne sake to obteyne remission of synnes It is an other matter to say by belefe onlye men obtayne remission of synne as your secte sayeth then to speake as you do for onelye faithes sake after whiche sorte they neyther spake ne ment that put meritum de congruo et de condigno whiche ye wyll iest at although ye vnderstande it not and so muche the soner bycause ye knowe not what it meaneth Chryst by you deuydeth his glorye in remyssyon of synne with beleuers so as belefe for the owne sake shall obteine remyssion of synne but workers be abiected ne charitie shal chalenge any suche prerogatiue What so euer ye lyke to say there is nether faithe ne workes hathe anye such respecte of only sake as ye speake it but onely christe for whose onelye sake our faith our charitie beynge gyuen vnto vs of god be accepted and rewarded by the goodnes of god And so heare I note that lyke a shyppe without anker holde or rother ye wander as the variable wynde tosseth you and so make yawes in and oute withoute anye ryghte course which no man can kepe beinge swarued froÌ„ the truthe Nowe this I wolde knowe of you where is your scripture to proue that faith certifieth eche man of his election and so declareth and openeth vnto hym the boke of predestinacion that eche man by faith myghte saye In capite libri scriptum est de me The knoweledge of scripture assureth and certifieth eche man the couetous meÌ„ glottons fornicatours and suche as fall from that truth they haue receyued shal be damned And who is asserteyned of his frayle nature that he shall perseuer in the truth receyued Faith assureth that god wil not faile yf we fayle not from hym but where fynde you oure frayltye assured But contrarye wyse continuall admonysshmentes To bydde vs watche bycause we can not tell when the thefe coÌ„meth To worke whiles it is daye bycause of the sodennes of the night To beware of the deuyll that goeth aboute lyke a lyon roring sekyng whom to deuoure To laboure by good workes to make sure our vocation which were spoken al in vaine Speciall reuelation bâ— out of generall doctrinâ— and as Gregory Nazianzene sayeth specialties in certayne be no rule of the churche yf we were assured by faith God sheweth muche to his familiars suche as haue by his singler plenteous giftes and their hole endeuour of their hart and mind with a feruent desire to be continually with christ hauynge their conuersacion in heauen and not vpon the earth to suche god hath reueled as hath pleased hym where vpon they haue of theÌ„ self taught by the holly good spoken as by speciall reuelatioÌ„ hath ben shewed them of their assuraunce as saynt Paule sayde Certus sum and certaine other martires But lette vs be contente with goddes generall reuelation in scripture and beynge expedient for vs by feare of fallynge to encreace our study â–ª to exercise goddes giftes applye oure selfe to do as is ordered and commaunded withoute curiositie to searche that assurauÌ„ce ye speake of whiche is frutefullye hydden from vs In whiche matter the Germaines fyrst authors of the dreame of suche assuraunce and moost certayne certaynte by faith haue in their agrement at the diet of Ratisbone yelded in that fondnes and grauÌ„t that godly men beynge in fayth be troubled with the doubt of their astate But let vs se what ye say further in the processe of iustification Ioye Thus we electe called and renated of the spirite knowe the father in christ we knowe christ by the father whiche knoweledge and faith draweth vs to loue god and to kepe his precepts gladlye Thus to knowe the father in christ and christ in him is lyfe eternall Oute of this plentuous knoweledge iustifienge vs as Iâ—aâ—e saith springeth repentaunce for here the synner prayeth god to conuerte hym sayenge with Ieremy Lorde conuert me and I shal be conuerted for thou Lorde arte my god wherefore as sone as thou shalte conuerte me I shall repente me and anone as thou makest me to knowe my synnes I shall smyte my hand vpoÌ„ my hyppe Now tel vs Wynchester who is the author of repentaunce or is repentaunce before faith iustifienge or no There is no man hauynge this knoweledge and faith in God thorowe christ but he wyll anon with the publicane fall downe smyting his hande vpon his breste sayeng Lord haue mercye vpon me a synner In this knowledge we seâ— our synnes buried in christes woundes and no more in the stâ—â—mye tables for anger caste of that most mylde Moses agenste the grounde altobroken We fele them by our fayth forgeueÌ„ in christes death and our selues iustified by his resurrection our hertes set at peace and reste with god in christ deade for our synnes and risen agayne for oure iustificacion Which merciable goodnes who so beholdeth in christ crucified he can not but of loue vnto god in christe lament and be heuye in herte that euer he shulde committe suche greuous synnes whiche coulde not be forgeuen without the blodsheding of that moost innocent and immaculate lombe suffringe for his enemies whiche loue as it is vnspeakable so is it incomparable Ioye A man saith Paule wyll skant dye wyllyngly when he must nedes and iustly dye but perchaunce wyll put hym selfe in perel of death for his goodes to be saued or the mother to saue her childe c. But god he commendeth his loue towarde
world not to cōtente your eyes but haue shewed my self not dismaied with your controlementes yet I confesse I haue by your occasion at some time called for grace to refrayne worldly tentacions Your cause I iudge extremely nought to thextinction of goddes honour and subuersion of the worlde and therfore the more ye mislyke me and the wurse ye speake of me the more cause haue I to thanke god to suffer so easely for his sake as your malyce and enuye shuld engendre me an honest reputacion in the world in honest mens hartes to be noted aduersary to you And as I lerne in the scriptures and suche holy men as haue expounded them whereby to iudge your enterprise abhominable So the malicious rayling of you that be the maisters and the spitefull hatred without cause of them that be your scolers daily more and more confermeth vnto me the detestable noughtynes of that ye intend The falsehed ye teache in the vnderstandynge of scriptures corrupteth all other truthes in you and transformeth them into lyes Your learning can not be of god that preache so lyke the deuyll How so euer ye diffame me of crueltie I knowe it is not my faulte and yet I am a synner and haue many other faultes I neuer enterprised to defende the truth but in my place of ordre where the kynges moost excellent maiestie hath placed me farre aboue my deserte and expectation You triumphe out of your place make your self high iudge of the realme whereunto god hathe not called you Can ye fynd in your hart to do so much iniury to the kinges maiesty as to thinke the state of this realme to be directed not by his high wisdom to whom god hath cōmytted it but as I such other for our purpose as ye note wolde haue it gouerned And if ye thinke therin otherwise then ye saye as for the mutual intelligence in the fraternite ye can not in your absence but knowe howe publique thinges go is this the charitable diuise in the brotherhed to chose out me for a raylynge stocke and in iestinge at your pleasure of me brynge to the kynges maiestees knowledge that ye wold he shuld here spoken of you Suppose ye the kinges maiestie can not vnderstand what ye meane by Winchester when ye attribute all the fashion of the state of the realme to Wynchester call the actes that myslyke you Wynchesters all statutes Wynchesters all iust punishmentes howe so euer ye cal them Winchesters and charge al vpon Wynchester that in so doynge ye name Winchester not for Wynchester but vse the name of Wyn. in stede of that ye dare not name and speake oute Ye abuse herein to muche the kynges maiesties moost excellent giftes I am ashamed that any part of his maiestees glorye in defense of religion frō your corruption shulde be deriued vnto me by any meane who haue deserued no part of it And so shall it appeare in th ende howe soeuer ye sclaunder it in the meane season I wyll no further aunswer to your raylinges in the conclusion of your boke but exhorte you to call for grace that ye maye turne as Ieremie saith and clappe your selfe on the hyppe remembre with repentaunce how many mens consciences ye haue perplexed with your controuersie in religion and labour as ye can to refourme what ye may Ye haue scourged vs sharpely with youre owne torment in the meane seasō If I delited in your punishmente as ye wolde it were persuaded of me I coulde not wysshe you a more myserable state then thus to here you rore and crye oute lyke beastes by excesse of malyce to speake ye wote not what Prison bodelye death be not estemed of al men alyke and ye haue vsed them for a tyme as false wytnes to conferme youre falsehod for truthe with sclaunder of the iuste mynysters therof Nowe that hath for a whyle ceased and ye by lurkinge be at libertie in talke ye haue so disgorged your abhominacion that laye hydden in your breste as no man lenger nede doubte what ye be We coulde neuer get so muche by examinacion as ye confesse in bookes and professe Ye shulde by iustice haue died with opinion of symplycite amonge some nowe ye lyue with a manifest declaracion what ye haue euer ment and intended Ye sette your selfe in pryson of an encombred conscience dye dayly yet liuing in prosecutynge youre mischeuouse enterprise But returne you vnto God returne to youre soueraine lordes obeysaunce returne to be a good christen man and an english man For what so euer our faultie workes haue ben they nothing serue to the iustificacion of youre doctryne Let vs all praye together for mercye mercye mercye nowe mooste necessarye vnto vs. The name and workes of god haue ben so familiar in our talke that the reuerent feare of his maiestie is almost extinct amonges many Vnhappy be we in whose tyme learnynge shulde be ministred to suche effectes God graunte vs to knowe hym truely and according to his wyll so to worshyp and honoure him in bodye and soule togither as all contencions debates malice and hatred clearely extirpate and pulled out we maye lyue here lyke christen men with christen men and englyshe men with english men which of a good season hath ben by dissention of opinions somwhat letted and hindred whereof those haue mooste cause to be sory to whom any part of the faulte may be ascribed And yet all must be sorye for that is amysse eche man for his part begyn to amende with the prayer of the churche continually praye Deus qui errantibus ut in uiam ueritatis possint redire ueritatis tuae lumen ostendis da cunctis qui professione christiana censentur illa respuere quae huic inimica sunt nomini quae sunt apta sectari Per christum dominum nostrum Amen ¶ Imprinted at London in Aldersgate strete by Iohannes Herforde at the costes and charges of Robert Toye dwellyng in Paules church yarde at the sygne of the Bell. Anno dn̄i 1546.
the grammer wold somwhat haue holpe to wrangle with al And I wold then haue resorted only to the declaracion of Philippe to the Enuche which Philip was no papiste nor lawer as I wolde haue resorted also to christes wordes Qui crediderit baptizatus fuerit which placeth faith before baptisme the sacrament of byrth of the spirite as ye speake in newe englyssh and of the holly goost as the olde englisshe turned it and of god as the scripture by you broughte in speakethe it And I doubte not but Christ thoughte in these wordes euen as he spake bycause ye meddle with christes thoughtes and accordynge thereunto with the same ordre instructed Philippe to baptise thenuche And yet ones againe to your scripture that alloweth not your reporte of it The scripture is Euerye man that beleueth Iesus is chryste is borne of god This hath the same sence that saint Paule spake in other wordes No man can say or speake our lorde Iesu christe but in the holly ghost when saint Peter also confessed christ to be the sonne of god Christe saide that flesshe and bloude had not reueled that vnto him but his father that is in heauen And so in this place Euerye man that beleueth Iesus to be christ hath that beleue of god which hauing of god is spokeÌ„ in the termes of byrth of god He is borne of god to signifie the sacrameÌ„t of baptisme wherin we be regenerate of water and the holy ghost after christes teachinge whome God badde vs heare and therewith beware of you that teache christe not as ye haue learned in scripture but after your owne ymaginations For when there maye be anye resemblaunce in the rude consyderacyon of the symple man meete to agree with youre peruerse interpretacyon ye do easelye seduce hym to allowe youre fansye As in this text when ye reade he that beleueth Iesus is Chryste is borne of god ye cause the rude man to note fyrste a byrthe of god and then a beleuynge and somewhat lyke therevnto We in common speache saye he that foloweth me is my seruaunte In this speache is a playne vnderstandynge that the man was my seruaunte before he folowed me So as the resemblaunce of thys speache to the other of scrypture In englyâ— speches thâ— seme of oâ— fashion is great diueâ—te of senseâ— causeth symple folke easelye to agree to youre exposicion that by that texte of scrypture it shoulde appeare that a man is firste borne of God before he beleuethe bycause the one speache is lyke the other And when the vnlearned by you be ledde into this errour then the pryde of a presumptuouse knoweledge makethe them obstinatelye to defende it and call all other knoweledge whereby they shoulde be rydde of theyr erroure iugglynge and sophistrye mannes inuentions and suche other peuysshe wordes as men be encombred to heare onlesse they wolde make gods worde the matter of the deuylles stryfe Thinke me not tediouse good reader that I tarye in this matter to open and shewe howe one fashyon of speache in englysshe receyueth diuerse interpretacion by reason of the ordre of the matter that is knytte togither For when I saye he that foloweth me is my seruaunt the speache importeth that he was my seruaunt before he folowed me But in an other matter knytte in the same fasshyon of speache when I saye he that couenaunteth to serue me is my seruaunt this speach signifieth not that he was before my seruaunte and then couenauÌ„ted but that by this couenaunt he is made nowe my seruaunt and was not before In the other speache he was my seruaunte or he folowed me and in this laste speache we must vnderstande that he dydde couenaunte or he were my seruaunte And what reason of dyuersitie in these two Marye in the fyrste speache I ioyne that is oute of all kinde of causes to theffecte as to folowe me is no cause to be my seruaunte but rather ensueth of seruyce But in the seconde I ioyne a kynde of cause with the effecte And then I maye not saye the effecte was before the cause and therefore in asmuche as a couenaunt is of the kind of causes to make hym my seruaunte I maye not by the lyke fasshion of speache deceaue my selfe and say bycause in the one speache it was not true where I sayde he that folowethe me is my seruaunte that he was my seruaunte before he folowed me I muste therefore in this speache he that couenaunteth to serue me is my seruaunte saye also that he was my seruaunte before he couenaunted with me Nowe bycause in the speache of scrypture whiche is Eche man that beleueth Iesus to be christ is borne of god there is ioyned of the kinde of causes that is to saye to beleue with the effecte whyche is to be borne of god I may not saye we be borne of god or we beleue but that we beleue or we be borne of god And this resembleth that englyshe speache before declared He that couenauÌ„teth to serue me is my seruaunte But if the scripture were thus He that shal be saued is borne of god the vnderstandynge muste needes be that we be borne of god or we be saued For this is like the other speache in englysshe he that foloweth me is my seruaunt whiche implieth that he was my seruaunt or he folowed me whiche diuerse consideration arriseth vppon the diuersitie of placynge theffecte before the cause or the cause before the effecte And he that dothe not marke this maye easelye saye an horsemyll for a mylhorse and in the mystakynge of the sence of the scryptures all heresyes be grounded they that be in that darkenes subuerted in theyr iudgement can not abyde the lyghte of the truthe and meanes to dyscerne it but be learned to abhorre that shoulde cleare the matter and call their darkenes lyght and the verye lyght darkenes But good reader consydre agayne and againe what Ioye gathereth of the scrypture howe vntruelye he gathereth it and by what sleyght he conueieth it into the heades of the ignoraunte that take hym for a greate mayster He sayeth we be borne of god and so called to receyue beleefe where in deede we be called to receiue belefe wherwith but not with it alone but with it as foundacion to be borne of god For he that is borne of god we shall not saye he is called to receyue faith but in his byrthe of god hath receyued it all readye wythoute whyche he is not borne of God For fide purificat deus cordaâ— as saynte Paule saith and yet you wolde teache that mens hartes were purified by byrth in god or they receyued faith For if a maÌ„ be borne of god olde Adam is cast away the weight of synne is vnladen mans state is recreate and renued Et quod natum est ex spiritu spiritus est and yet by you man is broughte to this state or he knoweth god for hitherto he is but called to receiue faith by your teachinge whereby