Redeemer hygh Priest sacrifice and propiciation for our sinnes mediatour and aduocate and his worde our onely sufficient instruction But that the Pope the Masse our owne merites the merites of Sainctes and inuocation of them Popishe ceremonies traditions counsels decrees and decretals pardons and Images such like must needes challenge no small portion of that honour and glory which the holy scripture maketh proper to God and our sauiour Christ alone Saluation be ascribed to him that sitteth vpon the throne of our God and to the Lambe It is the voyce of all them that are saued by Christ And therefore all the Angelles of God and all the creatures of God ioyne with them in confessyng that al blessyng glorye wisedome thankesgeuyng honour might and power ought to be ascribed to hym for euer and euer Consider this you papistes for your owne benefite learne to knowe what poperie is before you determine to dye therein And as in this general controuersie I haue called the papistes to knowledge and consideration of their owne groundes and principles so might I runne through euery particular errour of theirs But one or two may serue for examples Tell me you that would eate the naturall body of Christ in the sacrament doo you knowe what absurdities doo followe of it O you thinke it a goodly matter to receiue the body of Christ into your mouthe But if you had wit you woulde thinke it muche better to receiue Christ into your hartes and so to receiue him that he should neuer depart froÌ„ thence for he dwelleth in our hartes by fayth And so doo wee teache men to receiue the body of Christ by fayth that he may dwell with vs for euer Whereas they that teach you to receiue the naturall body into your mouthes giue no more to fayth then to infidelitie for wicked men as they saye receiue the body of Christ as well as the godly you will say yea but it taryeth not with the wicked No more it doth with the faithfull by your owne doctrine for you haue not yet determined howe farre it goeth downe into the stomacke of man nor howe long it abydeth but you all agree that it abydeth no longer then the fourmes of breade and myne remayne vncorrupt which is not long after they come into the stomacke but this is not all the absurditie that followeth of that eating For whyle you streine the body of Christ into so small a compasse and multiply the same into so manye places what else doo you but ouerthrow the truth of his naturall body Which if it be not like ours in all things except sinne then coulde it be no redemption of our bodyes Then haue we no hope of resurrection nor assumption into heauen which is grounded vpon the truth of this naturall body being fleshe of our fleshe and bone of our bone in which our nature he suffered death rose againe and ascended into heauen for vs But I may not stand vpon these matters Tell me you that woulde fayne heare your olde Latin seruice doo you knowe what it was Uerely a great part of it was such as you woulde bee ashamed to heare it in Englishe But if it had bene nothing else but the Scriptures of God and godly prayers yet the Apostle in his Epistle to the Corinthians telleth you plainly that beyng in a tongue vnknowen it were not meere for the Church of god But to leaue the Papistes and returne to the Galathians Tell mee sayth S. Paule you that would be vnder the lawe doo you heare the lawe or haue you read the lawe c. As if he should say take no heede what men beside the booke teache you of the lawe but looke to the lawe it selfe The false Apostles would haue borne the Galathians in hand that they must ioyne the obseruation of the lawe with the fayth of the Gospell They woulde not bring them altogether from Christ but they woulde match the ceremonies of Moyses lawe with the fayth of christ Wherefore the Apostle wylleth them to looke what the lawe sayth and not what these counterfeyt lawyers sayde He willeth them to examine the lawe whether it admitteth or alloweth any such mixture as they woulde bring in or no The lyke and in a manner the same controuersie wee haue nowe with the Papistes sauing that the Papistes as verie Antichristians are worse then the false Apostles They agree both in this that they ioyne workes wyth Christ merits with mercy man with God in the meane of our saluation but herein the false Apostles were lesse hurtfull that they ioyned the workes of the lawe which God himselfe required the Papistes ioyne works of Supereroâ—ation which are such as God neuer commaunded and preferre them as much more meritorious then any workes which God hath prescribed They both agree in this that they place righteousnesse in the obseruation of Ceremonies but the Papistes are more blasphemous then those false Apostles For they although they placed righteousnesse in Ceremonies yet it was in such ceremonies as God himselfe appoynted to be obserued for a time but the Papistes place instification in ceremonies which were neuer of Gods institution for Circumcision the passouer with other sacrifices and rytes of the olde Testament had God for their Author but holy water holybread Pilgrimages and such like had neither God nor good man for theyr founder but came from Antichrist the enemye of GOD and Christ. And therefore you that would be vnder the Lawe looke well to your footyng whether you stande vpon good grounde for if righteousnesse come by the Lawe then commeth it by suche deedes onely as the Lawe commaundeth And if a man may be iustified by obseruation of Ceremonies they must bee such Ceremonies as GOD hath required when euen of those which he hymselfe required beeing doone otherwise then hee meant them hee sayeth Who hath required these thyngs at your handes At whose handes doo you looke too receyue the rewarde of righteousnes is it not of hym that hath taught you the rule of ryghteousnesse Therefore if you wil be iustifyed by the Law looke what be the workes Ceremonies of the lawe keepe theÌ„ for god hath not promised the reward but to hym that obserueth them The man sayth hee that dooth them shall lyue in them Geue not eare therefore too the Papistes but geue eare too the Lawe if you hope too wynne rewarde by obseruing the lawe And especially in that poynt wherein the false Apostles of Sainct Paules tyme and the false Apostles of our tyme agree that is ioyning mans merit with Gods mercy Tell mee you that refuse too bee cleerly see at lybertie from the bondage of the Lawe by Christe and wyll needes bee vnder the Lawe doo you know the Lawe Can you tell whether God wyll allowe suche a mixture or no of woorkes and grace of mercy and merits If the condition of the lawe will beare suche a medley no man forbiddeth you but that you maye seeke righteousnes where
prayse â–ª Whereas if Ismael shoulde haue inherited the promyse the leaâ—t portion of the prayse should haue been geuen to god For nature shoulde haue had one part because Abraham although he were old when he begate Ismael yet he was not so olde that he was past the strength of generation And as for Agar shee was lusty and in the flowre of her age What singuler prayse shoulde God haue had in this coÌ„ception other then in all naturall woorkes But the chiefe parte of the commendation shoulde haue been challenged by the wysedome of man For if this deuise of Sara had taken place howe muche thinke you woulde shee haue pleased her selfe in that witty inuention And Abrahams diligence and indeuour to put in practise this inuention of theirs might haue been thought woorthy of no small coÌ„mendation And in Ismael the title of First begotten woulde haue thrust in it selfe for some dignitie and portion of glorye Amongest these matters euery one setting foorth it felfe as worthy of the prayse I pray you howe small a pittance shoulde haue been leaft for the promise of GOD And as you see it here in the patternes so is it moste clearely to be seene in them that followe these patternes Whereby the Papistes shewe them selues most playnly to be after Ismael chyldren of the fleshe the naturall sonnes of the bondwoman borne after the fleshe For that they may be heyres of the promyse they ascribe somethyng to nature somethyng to mans wisedome somethyng to theyr owne industrie and by no means they wil bee perswaded to receyne the inheritaÌ„ce altogether by Gods promyse To nature with the heathen Philosophers they attribute the beginning of al vertues in themselues such strength as without the grace of God they maye dispose them selues to an aptnes to receiue the grace of God but wyth the grace of God they may be able to perfourme whatsoeuer God requyreth at theyr handes By mans wisdome they haue founde out woorkes of greater price and worthinesse to winne the fauour of God then God himselfe in hys Lawe hath prescribed and appointed And as for their own labour industry it dooth in a manner all in all for thereby nature is applied to winne grace grace is exercysed to merite rewarde wisdome is practised to increase merite which shal not only be sufficient for those that labour in them but also dooth ouerflowe too the satisfaction of other mens sinnes and too the obteyning of righteousnesse for other men which fayle in the measure of their owne In the meane tyme they saye they doo not exclude the grace of god No more dyd Ismael the promise of God but Ismaell coulde not inherite the promyse of God bycause hee was borne after the fleshe no more can they hee partakers of the grace of GOD bycause they seeke to procure it by camall and fleshly meanes And they only are after Isaac heyres of the promyse which pretende no tycle too the promysed inherytaunce but only the promise of GOD which seeke it only by grace and not by workes which obteyne it by Fayth and not by desertes For neyther nature nor the wisdome of man nor the strength of man nor the worthinesse of man made Isaac heir of the promise but only Faith in the promyse These thynges sayeth sainct Paule whych are written of the two Mothers in Abrahams house of contrary condition and the issue of them both are Allegoricall that is figuratiuely or typically to bee vnderstoode For in as muche as Abrahams house was the Churche of GOD suche notable euentes as happened in that householde were fygures and examples for vs too see the state of the Churche and dyuerse kyndes of men therein for all ages followying Wherefore as there was a bonde woman ingendring into bondage him that is borne after the fleshe euen in that familey so hath there alwayes bene in the outward face of the Church a great seede and multitude of Heretykes and Hypocrytes which haue sought iustificatioÌ„ by their owne merytes Suche wer before the comming of Christe a great number of the frowarde and obstynate Iewes and in the tyme of Christe the Scribes and Phariseys which abusing the doctrine of the law contrary to the scope and ende of the Lawe sought to establishe their owne righteousnes in obseruation and keepyng of the law but in the meane tyme they became voyde of the righteousnes of god And yet thy did not pretend to exclude the grace of God as appeareth righte well in that Phariseye of whome our Sauiour Christ telleth the Parable Luke 18. against them that trusted in themselues that they were ryghteous and despised other This Pharisey trusted in himselfe that hee was righteous and yet not without the grace of god For hee geueth God thankes that he was not as other men were or c. And such for al the world as this Pharisey was are the whole generation of Papistes For they wil seeme too ascribe much to the grace of God in forme of words and almost altogether and so dyd the Pharisey But yet neuerthelesse hee with them and they with hym are Ismaelites sonnes of the bonde woman borne after the fleshe bycause they ioigne any thing with the grace of God which only doth triumphe in the Saluation of all the Children of promyse For by grace you are saued sayeth the Apostle through Fayth and that not of your selues it is the gyfte of God not of works least any man should boaste And howe is boallyng excluded by the lawe of workes No but by the lawe of Fayth But let vs procede in the Texte The two Mothers sayth s. Paule are the two couenaÌ„ts or Testaments that is they represent vnto vs the two Testamentes or couenants that God hath made with mankinde touching their Saluation For God hath made two couenantes one in the Lawe the other in the Gospell the one the couenant of Iustice the other the couenant of mercy In the one he requireth perfect righteousnesse in the other hee offereth remission of sinnes And both these couenauntes haue a necessary vse to bring vs to saluation The Couenauntes of Iustice doe shew vs what perfection of rightuousnesse God requireth and how farre we are from it to humble vs inforce vs to seeke rightuousnesse els where then by our owne desertes And so the law when it is rightly vsed is sayde to be a Schoolemaster vnto christ For God dyd not make that couenaunt of rightuousnes with vs to the intent that we should obteyne righteousnesse by obseruation of the Law but by settinge before our eyes the impossibilytie of the condition which is required to be obserued and the extreeme sentence of Iustice when the condition is broken to driue vs altogether from hope of attayning to the rewarde of righteousnes by workes and to cause vs most ioyfully to receiue the seconde Couenaunt of his mercy offered in Christ. So that the law indeede prescribeth a rule of perfect rightuousnes if men could obserue it but in as
most ioyfully and thankefully receyue the glad tydings of libertie That wee maye beware by the punishment of Hierusalem to refuse freedome offered least wee bee chrust into perpetuall bondage No Citie nor people in the worlde had greater priuiledges of honour then the Citie and people of Hierusalem And yet we see nowe how iustly Hierusalem is turned into Sinay freedome into bondage glory into shame that we should not stande vpon any prerogatiues or priuiledges as though any thing could exempt vs from the seueritie of Gods iudgement if wee reiect the grace of God when it is freely offered If Hierusalem escaped not punishment for all her dignitie what shall become of Sodome or Babilon which haue no prerogatiue of dignitie if they being called to libertie doo still continue in bondage And here we haue an example whereby to shape the Papistes an answere for all that they can bring to commende the dignitie of theyr Churche of Rome For the present time or that hath been these many hundreth yeres they can speake little good of her if they will speake the truth that all men doo see with their eyes in this age or may reade in stories of the former ages written by their owne Registers but they haue a great glory to bring forth the auncient commendation of fayth which the Scriptures and olde doctors doo ascribe vnto the Churche of Rome the godly conuersation of the Anrient Christian Romanes the multitude of Constant Martyrs which that Churche did yeelde in the space of two or three hundreth yeeres but all in vayne yea all to their greater shame except they can proue the same fayth conuersation and Christian constancie to remaine now in the Churche of Rome that was in those golden dayes of the primitiue Churche S. Paule in deede commendeth the fayth of the Romanes to be celebrated in all the world which place the Papistes thinke to make much for the dignitie of the See of Rome But let them shewe that the Pope and hys Churche of Rome doo nowe hold the same fayth whych S. Paule praysed in the Romanes of hys time or else it maketh nothing in the world for the Churche of Rome nowe but to her shame and reproche which is degenerated from that doctrine of libertie which of olde time was wont to be imbraced in those places The fayth of the Romanes of that time which S. Paule commended was this that a man is iustified by faythe without the deedes of the lawe Is this the doctrine of the Churche of Rome according to the true meaning of S. Paule and the whole discourse of his Epistle to the Romanes Do they not teache the contrarie directly that a man cannot be iustified by faith only without the workes of the lawe Wherfore seeing the Romanes that are nowe haue a contrarie faith to the Romanes of olde time there is no cause why they should claime the aunciēt prayse which haue not retained the auncient fayth And forasmuch as they are fallen from the grace of Christ to seeke ryghteousnes by their owne merits there is no reason why they shoulde haue the commendation of the fayth of the Gospell which haue submitted themselues to to the bondage of the Lawe And if Hierusalem that is nowe be turned into Agar and the earthly Sion into the barreyn Sinay because shee hath despised the promise of mercy redemption which the auncient Hierusalem and Moūt Sion in the tyme of the godly Parriarches and Prophetes most ioyfully receyued why shoulde Rome that is nowe wyth her seuen hylles appointed for the throne of Antichryst enioye the prayse of the auncyent Romanes and the Christian Churche that sometyme was a straunger in that place whom nowe shee persecuteth and condemneth their fayth for Heresie Shee cannot bee taken for the heauenly Hierusalem that professeth the seruyle doctrine and Religion of the earthly Hierusalem Neither can her children the Papists be taken for Citizens of the heauenly Hierusalem which thinke so great a part of religion to consist in going a Pilgrimage to the earthly Hierusalem The Apostle here vtterly reiecteth Hierusalem that is nowe and thrusteth her out of the lande of promyse into Arabia the desatte The Papistes make no accompte of Hierusalem that is aboue but all their delight is in Hierusalē that is on earthe so they shewe themselues right Agarens Ismaelites What a great matter is made in Poperie of Hierusalem that is now yea although it be in the hands of Turkes Paganes yet they so esteeme it that they thinke they should haue the greatest treasure in the world if they coulde get the possessiō of that citie out of the Paganes handes And for that purpose howe manye thousand men haue lost their liues in the enterprises that haue beene aduentured to gayne that place out of the Turkes Souldans dominions What an hygh poynt in Religion is it made of the Papistes to visite Hierusalem that is nowe yea it is a matter of so great importance that the vowe which one hath made to go on Pilgrimage to Hierusalem cannot be dispensed withal by any other inferiour person but euen by the Popes owne holynesse hymselfe Such a goodly matter it is to be a Citizen of the earthly Hierusalem But let the Papistes alone with theyr holy mother the earthly Hierusalem mount Sinay or Agar and let vs returne to the comparison of the Apostle which saith But Hierusalē which is aboue is free which is the mother of vs al wee heard before that there were two mothers in the familie of Abraham Agar and Sara the one begetting into bondage the oher vnto libertie wee harde also that these mothers doo signifie two Couenants or two Churches and that Agar signifieth the Couenant of Iustice or Hierusalem that is nowe the Churche of Hypocrites which abuse this couenant in seeking to be iustified therby which was giuē to direct vs to the couenant of mercy Now must we consider Sara the seconde mother which was a freewoman how she was a figure of the new couenant and of the heauenly Hierusalē that is the mother of all the Children of god The first couenant in Mount Sinay what it was namely the Couenant of righteousnesse we haue sufficiently declared alreadie The seconde Couenant of mercy is excellently well described by the Prophet Ieremie Chap. 31. alledged by the Apostle to the Hebrues Chap. 8. Beholde the dayes come sayeth the Lorde that I wyll accomplishe with the house of Israel and Iuda a newe Couenant 9. Not accordyng to the Couenant which I made wyth theyr Fathers in the daye when I tooke them by the hande to bryng them out of the lande of Egypt for they themselues abyde not in my Couenant and I regarded them not sayeth the Lorde 10. For this is the Couenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those dayes sayth the Lorde I wyll gyue my Lawes into their myndes and wryte them in theyr hartes And I wil be their God and they shal be
it may best bee founde but if the condition of the Lawe bee so streight as it will admit nothyng but a perfecte obseruation in him that shall haue the reward why will you seeke too establish your owne righteousnes and so void your selues cleane of the righteousnes of God in Christ And so whyle you wyll bee iustifyed both by Christe and by the woorkes of the Lawe you shal bee iustifyed neyther by Christe nor by the woorkes of the Lawe For the Lawe can abyde no transgression nor the grace of Christ any satisfaction And yet there is perfect righteousnesse in the obseruation of the law And a maÌ„ is iustified by faith without the works of the law Wherupon the deuils sophistrie concludeth that if iustification be by either of these meanes by it selfe much rather it must be wheÌ„ they are both ioyned together Wherefore wee must see whether they may be ioyned together or no. Let vs therefore first heare the lawe The lawe in deede is a perfect rule of righteousnesse to iustifie not the hearers but the obseruers The man that dooth all thinges commannded by the Lawe shall lyue thereby that is by his ryghteousnesse hath deserued eternall lyfe But here is a perfect obseruation requyred or else no ryghteousnesse obteyned no life deserued for cursed is hee that abydeth not in all the preceptes of the lawe to doo them So that here appeareth a double condition annexed to the lawe The one is an absolute and perfecte obseruation required of them that shall be rewarded the other euerlasting curse and damnation threatned to him that hath transgressed By which it is most euident that the Lawe and the Gospell grace and woorkes merite and mercye bee of so contrarie nature as it is impossible they shoulde bee ioyned together in the atteyning of eternall saluation One transgression if there were but one in a mannes whole lyfe and that neuer so small yet such is the rygour of the lawe as it barreth vs from ryghteousnes and maketh vs subiect to the sentence of Gods cursse Now let vs on the other side consider the Gospell and see whether that admitteth any mixture of deedes of the Lawe By the Gospell we are assured that wee are saued by grace but grace is a woorde of such freenesse as it ceasseth to bee grace if you adde anye thyng to it If it bee of woorkes sayth the Apostle then is it not of grace and if it bee of grace then is it not of workes for grace were not grace if it were not free And it coulde not bee truely sayde that we are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption of Christ Iesus if anye thyng in the worlde came in place of satisfaction besides the redemption of Christ Iesus â–ª But let vs heare what the lawe sayth It is written in the lawe for so are all the fyue bookes of Moyses accompted that Abraham had two sonnes one of a bondmayde another of a free woman the one called Ismael the other named Isaac Ismael was borne of Agar the Egyptian which was a bondwoman Isaac was borne of Sara the wyfe of Abraham which was a free woman such as Agar the mother was such was Ismael her sonne and Isaac was free as his mother Sara was Fyrst wee must obserue here that this comparison is altogether within the familie of Abraham that was a fygure of the Churche of god And therefore wee muste not seeke Ismaell and hys posteritie among them that are altogether wythout the Churche and professe open hatred agaynst the same But euen in the bosome of the visible Churche euen in the family of Abraham those that professe themselues to bee the sonnes of Abraham that is the sonnes of God and occupie no small roâ—mes in the Churche but euen the highest oftentimes as Ismael for a season beyng the first borne of Abraham was accompted as the heyre of Abraham and so the most principal person in all the housholde Wherefore if we wil at this day know who be the Ismaelits we must not looke to the profane nations of the Turkes and misereantes that openly despise the Churche of God but euen to those that make the boldest and lowdest clayme to be heyres of the Churche euen the Papistes They haue their profession so had Ismael they haue their tytle so had Ismael they stand vpon their prerogatiue and so dyd Ismael They will haue a place in the familie of Abraham yea they wyll thrust out Isaac They claime they say by the elder tytle to be heyres of the Churche yea they weene they haue the Churche it selfe in possession And here it is marueilous howe they swell and stande vppon typtoes if you seeme to allowe them any place at all in the Church though it be but in the Belfrey they will streight way perke vp into the Chancell But softe a whyle my masters we allowe you no other place in the Churche of God then that which Ismael sometymes occupyed in the familie of Abraham And that in deede was no base roome in outwarde appearance and in the iudgement of men For who was thought to be the heyre of Abraham for sixteene or seuenteene yeeres but Ismael the eldest sonne of Abraham You who seemed to haue more right vnto the inheritance of Abraham then he that had the prerogatiue of the first begotten But all the sonnes of Abraham are not the heyres of Abraham For it is written In Isaac shall thy seede be called Wherefore we must not regard who maketh clayme to the inheritance of Abraham but who is rightly begotten to be the heire of Abraham for a bond man is capable of no inheritance And the child is accompted in the ciuill law of such condition as his mother is Therefore Ismael being borne of a bond woman hath no iust tytle to be the heyre of Abraham though he pretend to be his eldest sonne And he that was borne of the free woman though hee were younger by many yeeres yet by the prerogatiue of his free byrth became the heyre of Abraham his Father Wherefore if the Papists and all they that seeke to bee iustifyed by their workes be proued to bee the sonnes of the bond woman it wyll not helpe them any thing in the world that they haue of long tyme beene accompted as principal members of the familie of Abraham for it will fall out in the ende that they shall be found no better then Ismaelits and Agarynes and haue the same rewarde that Agar and Ismael had We haue heard now that Abraham had two sonnes of which the one only was hys heire And now let vs see why Ismael being the naturall sonne of Abraham the first borne was not the heire either before Isaac or at leastwise ioyntly with him here indeede standeth all the matter of controuersie although there be two sonnes why there is but one heyre but it is soone answered because there is but one way to come to the inheritance and that is onely by promyse
much as no man was euer able to obserue it except our sauiour Christ no man euer was or shall be iustifyed by it but by Christ onely And as the couenant of Iustice doeth require perfect righteousnesse and geueth no pardon so the couenant of mercy giueth righteousnes freely admitteth no satisfactiō These are those two Couenants that GOD hath made with mankynde concerninge their iustifycation saluation more then these two he hath not made so that he which wil be iustifyed by the law must looke for no mercy and hee that wyll be iustifyed by grace in Christe must not thinke of any merit worthynesse or satisfaction of his owne but only in Iesus Christ. What place then haue these mongrels that make a confusion of grace and merites of Fayth and Workes of the Law and the Gospell They haue no place in neyther of the two Testamentes the olde nor the new If they wyll haue a thyrde way of Iustifycation they must shew a thyrde Couenaunt yf they cannot shew a thyrde Couenant they cannot haue a middle way of Iustifycation Wee haue shewed good euydence for the two Couenants the one of Iustice the other of mercye and how the one Couenaunte neyther beareth wyth anye transgressyon nor alloweth anye pardon the other admitteth no dignity of the person nor alloweth any satisfaction of his for his vnworthinesse Let the Papistes which wil bee iustified partly by the grace of God and partly by their owne merites let them I say nowe stande foorth and shewe vs the Tables of suche a couenante if euer God made any such with men that he would forgyue them halfe their sinnes and allowe them to make amends for thother halfe let them shewe their euidence if they haue any if they haue none as there is none mentioned in the Scripture but the two Testamentes the two Couenantes the lawe and the Gospell what tytle or clayme can they make to the heauenly inherytance whereof they haue no promyse no Testament no couenāt but only a carnal perswasion of their owne fleshely reason an earthly Imagination of humayne wysedome yea an hellishe presumption of their prowde worldly affection whereby they shewe themselues to bee nothing els but Agarens and Ismaelytes Children of the bondewoman and borne after the fleshe as Ismaell their Father was whose tytle and clayme vntoo the spirituall inheritance was altogether earthly and carnall vtterly voyde of the promise and woorde of God. But let vs heare the Apostle descrybing the two Couenantes The one sayeth hee is from mount Sinay gendrying into bondage which is Agar The Lawe therfore which is the fyrst couenāt is cōpared to Agar bycause it begetteth into bondage as shee dyd yea mount Sinay from whence the Lawe was published is compared too Agar And then the Lawe is as it were the seede by which of Sinay that is the Church of Hypocrites are begotten no Children but vntoo perpetuall bondage But here nowe aryseth a doube howe of the lawe of GOD which is holy and good suche wycked and vngodly Chyldren shoulde bee conceyued For answer vntoo thys doubte wee muste vnderstande that not of the lawe rightely vsed suche vnhappie Children are begotten for wee knowe that the lawe is good if a man vse it lawfullye But when righteousnesse is soughte by obseruation of the lawe which is not attayned by any man but through grace only then is the lawe abused and of the Lawe so abused are begotten no Children but hypocrites vnto euerlasting bondage The Lawe is vsed rightly when it is made our Schoolmaster vnto Christe that wee may be iustified by Fayth But when Iustification is not sought by Fayth without the deedes of the Lawe but eyther by the deedes of the Lawe onely or by the deedes of the Lawe and Fayth then is the lawe which is holy of it selfe by this abuse made a corrupt seede of which is conceyued these bastardly Hypocrites that falsely chalenge to bee the Sonnes of god whereas they are in deede the sonnes of eternall sclauery and bondage You will say they seeke lyberty by this meanes and not bondage but certayne it is they fynde nothyng but bondage what soeuer they pretende too seeke For such is the nature of the lawe that it bryngeth all men intoo bondage that are not set at lybertye by the onely meane which GOD hathe appoynted for theyr infranchismente whiche is the Redemption of the Sonne of god Now when these men that seeke too bee vnder the Lawe refuse the onely charter of infranchismente which almightye GOD dooth most mercifully offer to gyue them freely they are intangled wyth double bondage and thraldome both that which is by nature whereunto all the sonnes of Adam are subiecte that are not set at libertie by the sonne of GOD and also that which groweth by theyr omne confession while they refuse the freedome offered and voluntaryly put their neckes vnder the yoke of the Lawe which promiseth no lybertie but vpon the keeping of an impossible condition and threatneth certein and perpetual bondage for euery voluntary yet necessary transgression So that it is impossible for al thē that are vnder the Lawe eyther to obteyne the reward which it promiseth or to avoyd the punishment which it threatneth Wherfore mount Sinay which is Agar the law thus abused begetteth no childrē but hipocriticall sclaues vnto euerlasting bondage For Agar is mount Sinay in Arabia and answereth in figure too that Hierusalem which is now is in bondage with her children First let vs here obserue that manner of speeche whyche the Apostle vseth when hee sayeth that Agar is the mount Sinay whereas it is euydent that he meaneth that Agar dooth figure or signifie the mount Sinay The Papistes make great exclamation agaynst those Interpreters which in the woordes of consecration as they cal them This is my body doo expounde est for significat This is my body that is this bread dooth signifye my body And a great matter they make of the verbe substantiue est as though that when soeuer it is vsed is Scripture it declareth a substaunce and no fygure or sygne of a substaunce Howbeyt there bee infynite places of Scripture where thys verbe substantiue est can not bee otherwyse interpreted then for significat and thys our Texte is one very manifeste place Agar sayth hee is the mount Sinay in Arabia What was Agar nowe chaunged into the substaunce of a Mount who is so vayde of reason or sense but he must needes confesse that hys meanyng is that Agar dooth sygnifye Mount Sinay or is a fygure of Mount Sinay in Arabia Yea but I knowe what will bee replyed Sayncte Paule speaketh not here of the Sacramentes That is true but when the holy Ghoste speaketh of Sacramentes which are holy and Heauenly signes it were more probable too vnderstande hys speache fyguratiuely and not litterally Yea it is most vsuall in the Scripture when the spirite of God speaketh of the Sacraments to say they bee those
⧠A SERMON preached on Sundaye being the. 17 of March Anno. 1577. at S. Alpheges Church within Creplegate in London by William Fulke Doctor in Diuinitie Seene and allowed accordyng to the order appoynted in the Queenes Maiesties Iniunctions ¶ Imprinted at London for Lucas Harryson To the Right worshipfull M. Robert Foorth of Butley in Suffolke Esquyer YOur good wyl towardes mee testifyed by many benefites ryght woorshypfull hath many wayes deserued that I should shewe my selfe thankfull vnto you for the same But chiefly your great loue of the Gospell ioyned wyth many godly vertues accompanying the same procureth the loue and good will not onely of such as haue tasted of your beneuolence but also of manye other which knowe you not in person wherby both thankes is giuen to God by manye for your godly zeale and prayers to him are made for your encrease therein and preseruance vnto the ende And for a publike signification of my good wyll and thankfull mynde towardes you I haue thought good to present this Sermon vnto you which by great importunitie of diuers of my godly friendes I was constreyned to put in writing nothing doubting but you wil accept it as thankfully as it was ment of mee duetifully The Lorde preserue you and all yours in his feare with increase of godly worship in this lyfe to the rewarde of eternall felicitie at the commyng of our sauiour Christ which you with al the children of God both loue pray for to whō be all honour and glory both nowe and euer Your worships to commaunde in the Lord William Fulke ⧠A Sermon preached on Sunday being the. 17. of Marche Anno. 1577. at S. Alpheges Churche within Creplegate in London by William Fulke doctor in Diuinitie Galat. 4. Vers. 21 Tell mee you that wyl be vnder the Lawe doo yee not heare the Lawe 22 For it is written that Abraham had two Sonnes one by a bōdwoman and one by a free woman 23 But he whiche was of the bondwoman was borne after the flesh and he whiche was of the free woman was borne by promise 24 Whiche thinges are figuratiuely vnderstoode For these are the two Testamentes the one from mount Sinay begettyng vnto bondage which is Agar 25 For Agar is the mount Sinay in Arabia and answeareth to that Ietusalem which is nowe and is in bondage with her chyldren 26 But Ierusalem whiche is aboue is free which is the mother of vs al. 27 For it is written Reioyce thou barren that bearest no chyldren breake foorth and crye thou that trauaylest not for the desolate hath many mo chyldren then shee which hath an husbande 28 Therefore brethren wee after the maner of Isaac are children of the promise 29 But as then he that was borne after the flesh persecuted hym that was borne after the spirite euen so is it nowe 30 But what sayth the Scripture Put out the seruaunt and her sonne for the sonne of the seruaunt shall not be heyre with the sonne of the free woman 31 Then brethren wee are not children of the seruaunt but of the Free woman AFter that the Apostle hathe by many pithie and substantiall reasons proued the abrogatiō of the Lawe and the Iustification of man by fayth only in Christ Now dooth he in this Text by the example of the two Sonnes of Abraham describe and set foorth before theyr eyes the state of both sortes of men as wel them that seeke to be iustified by their own woorkes as of them that trust only in the mercy of god His purpose is not by this comparison to proue eyther the abolishing of the lawe or the iustification by fayth for that he hath done plentifully before but onely to shewe the Galathians what they shall gayne if they proceede as they beganne to lay vpon themselues the vnnecessary and vntollerable burden of the lawe namely the rewarde of Ismael that is too bee banished from the Church of GOD and the Heauenly inherytaunce ▪ whereas they that wyll obteyne the inherytaunce with Isaac must become as hee was altoogether Children of the promise And firste of all hee imputeth their errour too ignoraunce Come of sayeth hee and Tell mee you that will needes bee vnder the Lawe when you neede not doo you heare the Lawe doo you knowe the Lawe as though hee shoulde saye I see verily that you are ignoraunt of the Lawe although you woulde neuer so fayne bee vnder the Lawe for if you knewe the Lawe and whyther it woulde brynge you and from what it woulde hynder you doubtelesse you woulde not be so ready too take the yoke vppon you You imagine too gette freedome by submyttyng your selues vntoo the Lawe but that is the very waye too brynge you intoo perpetuall bondage You haue an eye too rewarde when you seeke too meryte but whyle you seeke too haue it by deserte which you can not you leese it beeing offered by gyfte which you myghte atteyne And all thys commeth bycause you knowe not the Lawe for no man wyll wyttingly and willyngly depryue hymselfe of rewarde and thruste hymselfe intoo eternall chraldome See therefore what commeth of ignoraunce the Mother of Popyshe deuotion and of all errour and superstition false Doctrine and Idolatrie The Papistes are wyse in theyr generation when they will not haue the people too knowe the mysteries of their owne Popishe Religion For I am perswaded that a great number which nowe contynue in blyndenesse if they dyd see that which they handle in the darke they would repent that euer they touched it yea they would detest it as much as he that for lacke of lyghte putteth a toade in hys bosome in steade of a byrde or which taketh vp dounge in steade of goulde or drynketh Poyson in steade of Wyne when hee seeth howe hee hath beene deceyued And therefore I maye saye too them as the Apostle dooth too the Galathians Tell mee you that long too bee vnder the Pope doo you knowe what Popery meaneth Doo you knowe whyther it wyll carye you I am perswaded if you knewe a great number of you would soone haue doone with it But alas howe should you knowe Your masters hold best you should not knowe fearing you woulde not follow them if you sawe whither they led you And of vs you will not learne for so your masters teache you to worship you wote not what and wilfully to refuse all instruction whereby you myght be learned to worship God aright Howbeit this is most true thinke of it as you will The ende and drift of Poperie is to carye you from Christ and so from God vnto whom there is no accesse but by christ For that I may bring so many cōtrouersies as are between the Christians and the Papistes into one what other thing doo wee striue for in all our preachings but that Christ onely should be our perfect sauiour redeemer What other thing is sought throughout al partes of Poperie but that Christ onely shoulde not be our King Sauiour
coulde not bee hydden exhorting them therefore to gyue good example of lyfe and doctrine bycause their place was such as their example could not bee secret but open and manifest and therfore eyther very profitable or very hurtfull But this place which euery man must confesse to bee vnderstood of the Catholyke Church doth most clearly declare that the Catholike Church neither is nor can be visible and subiecte too the eyes of any man but onely them that are indewed with the eyes of Fayth For hee sayth that Hierusalem is aboue shee is in Heauen euen shee that is the Catholyke and vniuersall Mother of vs all and therefore shee is not to be seene but by the eye of Fayth Let the Papists still glorie in their visible Church let them acknowledge none other Mother but their visible Church of Rome we will boldly defy them and the whoore their mother for the Heauenly and Spirituall Hierusalem that is aboue is the mother of vs all And thys the Apostle proueth by the Testimonie of Esaye taken out of the. 54. Chapter that the Church bryngeth foorth lawfull sonnes and heyres too God accordyng too the promyse euen of the gentiles For in as muche as the Galathians were Gentiles hee bringeth foorth the comfortable promyse made vntoo the Church of the Gentyles that although of long tyme shee were barreyne and had no husbande and therefore brought foorth no Children too GOD yet the tyme should come that God woulde ioyne her as a chaste virgyn in mariage vntoo Chryste and then shee shoulde bee more fruitfull and brynge forth moe Children vntoo God then euer dyd the Church of the Iewes when shee was the spouse of God so many hundred yeares all which time the other was barren desolate and had no husbande So brethren sayeth he we are after Isaac Children of the promise Not only those that are the carnall seede of Abraham by Isaac but all those that take holde of the promyse of God by fayth For what prerogatiue of dignity had Isaac too bee the Sonne of God more then Ismaell bycause hee was the carnall leede of Abraham so was Ismaell Bycause hee was the firste begotten of Abraham that was hee not but Ismaell was nothyng then but the promyse of GOD made Isaac the Sonne of GOD and the same promyse extendeth too all nations of the worlde as largely and in as ample manner as too the carnall seede of Abraham Isaac or Iacob In thy seede shall all nations of the worlde bee blessed Therefore Brethren wee are after Isaac not by carnall generation but by spirituall regeneration Children of the promyse For the onely Pryuyledge that made Isaac the Sonne of GOD was the promyse of GOD and that also maketh vs the sonnes of god What made Iacob too bee preferred before Esaw who was the Sonne of Abraham and the Sonne of Isaac yet Iacob was loued and Esaw was hated Whereby I saye was Iacob preferred to bee the heyre of Isaac his Father but by the election of GOD It is therefore of the election grace mercy and promyse of GOD that any man is aduanced to this honour to bee the Sonne of GOD and not of any meryte dignity or worthynesse of a man. But euen as then hee that was borne after the fleshe persecuted hym that was borne after the Spirit euen so is it nowe By these woordes the Apostle comforteth the Galathians and all other that were true Children of the Church and armeth them to patience assuryng them that of the Hypocryticall Churche of meritmongers they should looke for nothyng else but persecution For it is no marueyle if those proude sclaues the Chyldren of the Earthelye Hierusalem dyd vntoo the Sonnes of the Heauenly Hierusalem as Ismaell theyr Father dyd to Isaac the true heyre boastyng of hys byrth righte For suche is the swellyng pryde of that slauysh generation that although they bee altogether bondemen and thrall vnto perpetuall distruction yet doo they moste arrogantly contemne and despyse all other that professe not the same waye of Iustification that they doo Therefore our Sauiour Christe telleth a parable agaynste them that trusted in them selues that they were ryghteous and desprsed other For they that be once so proude as to iustifie them selues they will also contemne and despyse others Of this contempte aryseth their cruell mynde whereby they doo also persecute them Thus the false Apostles that preached iustification partly by Christe and partly by obseruation of the Lawe raysed persecution agaynst the true Apostles that taught iustification by grace of Christe only embraced by Faith alone without the deeds of the law and al them that receyued the same moste coÌ„fortable doctrine And their successours the Papistes are nothyng behynde for they neuer cease to the vttermost of their power too persecute and afflicte the true Children of promyse with all kynde of tormentes that they can deuyse to maynteyne the proude perswasion of their owne righteousnesse and too deface the glorye of the moâ—te free and plentyfull Redemption of Christe But for as much as the Apostle here sayeth that hee that was borne after the fleshe persecuted hym that was borne after the spirite wee haue to see what kynde of persecution this was by which Ismael persecuted Isaac For in al the story of Ismael there is no mention of persecution but onely in the 21. Chapter of Genesis where it is written that at such time as Abraham made a great feast at the weaninge of his sonne Isaac and there was great ioye and reioycing on euery syde for Isaac that was Abrahams sonne by Sara according to the promyse of GOD Ismael which was then in the house a prowde Ladde of syxteene or seuenteene yeares olde scorned and mocked his younge Brother Isaac This derysion and skorninge the Apostle compteth for persecution and not without great cause for it shewed the prowde stomacke of Ismael that contemned and dispised hym whom GOD had chosen secondlye it declared his inwarde hatred and cruell minde that hee bare against his Brother whom he so contumelyoustye deryded workynge hym all the spighte and villanye that hee could and durst And chiefely it deserued to bee called persecution because he scorned and mocked the grace and election of god Wherefore though hee dyd not persecute hym with the Sword which he coulde not yet hee persecuted him with his scornefull reproches which is worse because he contemned and trode vnder his feete the promise of GOD whereof Isaac was made an heyre by the mercy and grace of god And verely there ought no persecution to be so greeuous vnto vs as when wee se the grace of GOD vpon which our vocation is grounded to be trodden vnder foote and defaced with the prowde tauntes scornes of the vngodly yea it is the fountayne and beginninge of all persecutions when the wicked doe hate and despise the grace of GOD in his chosen as appeareth moste playnly in the story of Caine and Abel yea our Sauiour Christe hymselfe no doubte was