power they had had experience of in so many miracles but they did not beleue that he was nie vnto them vnlesse they did see with their eies a corporall representaciō of his face to be a witnesse vnto them of the God that gouerned them Their minde was therfore to knowe by the image going before them that God was the guide of their iourney This thing daily experience teacheth that the flesh is alway vnquiet till it hath gotten some counterfaite deuise like it self wherin it may vainly delite as in an image of god In a manner in al ages since the creation of the world men to obey this blinde desire haue erected signes wherin they imagined God to be present before their carnall eies After such inuencion forged by and by foloweth worshipping For when men thought that they beheld God in images they did also worship him in them At lēgth being both with mindes and eies altogether fastened theron they beganne to waxe more and more brutishe and to wonder at them and haue them in admiracion as if there wer some nature of godhed in them So appeareth that men brake not out into the worshipping of images till they were perswaded in some grosse opinion not to thinke the images to be gods but to imagine that there dyd a certaine force of Godhead abide in them Therefore whether thou represent to thy selfe either God or a creature in the image when thou fallest down to worship thou art already bewitched wich some superstition For this reason the Lord hath forbidden not onely images to bee erected that ar made to expresse a likenesse of him but also any titles or stones to be dedicated that should stande to be worshipped And for the same reason also in the commaundemente of the lawe this other point is added concerning worshipping For so sone as thei haue forged a visible forme for God they also tye the power of God vnto it So beastlie folish are men that there they fasten God where they counterfaite him and therfore must they nedes worship it Neither is there any differēce whether they simply worship the idole or God in the idole This is alway idolatry when honoures due to God are geuen to an idole vnder what color soeuer it be And because God wil not be worshipped superstitiously therefore what soeuer is geuen to idols is taken from hym Lette them take hede hereunto that seke for pretenses to defende the abhominable idolatrie wherwith these many ages past true religion hath been drowned and ouerthrowen But saye they the images are not taken for goddes Neither were the Iewes themselues so vnaduised to Forgett that it was God by whole hande they hadde been broughte oute of Egipte before they made they calfe Yea when Aaron saied that those were the Goddes by whom they were deliuered oute of the lande of Egipte they boldly assented shewing a plaine tokē of their meaning that they would still kepe that God that was their deliuerer so that they mighte see him goe before them in the calfe Neither is it to be beleued that the heathen were so grosse as to beleue that God was no other thing but stockes and stones For they changed their images at their pleasure but still they kepte the same Goddes in their mynde and there were many images of one God and yet they dyd not according to the multitude of images faine them many Gods Besyde that they did daily cōsecrate newe images yet did they not thinke that they made newe goddes Lette the excuses be read whiche Augustine saieth were pretended by the Idolaters of his age When they were rebuked the common forte aunswered that they did not worshippe that visible thing but the deitie that did in it inuisibly dwell And they that were of somwhat better religion as he calleth it did saye that they did neither worshippe the image nor the spirite in it but by the corporall image they did beholde the signe of that thing whiche they oughte to worship Nowe then All idolaters whether they were of the Iewes or of the gentiles were none otherwise minded than as I haue saied being not contented with a spirituall vnderstanding of God they thought by the images he should be more sure and nerer imprinted in them After once that suche disordered counterfaiting of God well liked them they neuer ended till daily more and more deluded with newe deceites they imagined that God did shewe foorth hys power in images And neuerthelesse both the Iewes were perswaded that vnder suche images they did worshippe the one true Lorde of heauen and earth and lykewise the gentiles their false goddes whom yet they fayned to dwell in heauen Whosoeuer deny that it hath thus ben done in time past yea within our own remembraunce they impudently lie For why fall they down before thē And when they pray why turne they toward them as to the eares of God For it is true that Augustine saieth that no man praieth or worshippeth when he so beholdeth an image but he is so affected in minde that he thinketh himself to be heard of it or that it will do for him what he desireth Why is there such difference betwene the images of one God that passing by one image with litle reuerence or none done to it they honor an other solemnely Why doe they werry thēselues with vowed pilgremages to visit those images wherof they haue like at home Why do they at this day in defense of them as it were for their religion and countrey fight to slaughter and destruction in suche sorte as they would better suffer to have the one only God than their idols to be takē from them And yet I do not recken vp the grosse errors of the cōmon people which are almost infinite and do in manner possesse the hartes of all men I do only shew what thēselues do confesse when they meane most of al to excuse themselues of idolatry We do not cal them say they oure Goddes No more did the Iewes nor the gentiles cal them theirs in tyme paste and yet the Prophetes eche where cesse not to caste in their teeth their fornicacion with stockes and stones for doing no more but such things as are daily done by them that would be compted Christians that is to say that they carnally worshipped God in stockes and stones Although I am not ignoraunt nor thinke good to passe it ouer as if I knew it not how they seke to escape with a more suttle distinction wherof I shal againe make mention more at large hereafter For they pretend that the worship which they geue to images is Idolodulia which is seruice of images and not Idololatria which is worship of images For so they terme it when they teache that they may lawfully withoute any wrōg done to God geue vnto images and pictures that worship which they cal Doulia or seruice And so they thinke themselues without blame if they be but the seruauntes and not also the worshippers
other ones because the effectualnesse and force of that one sacrifice which Christ hath fully done is eternal as he himselfe hath testified with hys own mouth whē he sayd y◠it was ended fulfylled that is to saye that whatsoeuer was necessarie to the recōciling of the Fathers fauour to the obteyning of the forgeuenesse of sinnes to righteousnesse to saluatiō al the same was performed fulfilled with that hys only oblation and there so nothyng wanted therof that there was afterward no place left to any other sacrifice Wherfore I determine that it is a most wicked reproch blasphemy not to be suffred as wel against Christ as agaynst the sacrifice which he hath fully done by hys death vpō the crosse for vs if any man by renewyng an oblation thynke to purchace the pardon of synnes to appease God and to obteyne ryghteousnesse But what is ells done by Massing but that by deseruing of new oblatiō we may be made partakers of the passiō of Christe And that there myght be no measure of madding they thought it but a smal thyng to say that there is made indifferently a cōmō sacrifice for the whole Chirch vnlesse they further sayd that it is in theyr choise to apply it peculiarly to thys man or that man to whō they would or rather to euery one whosoeuer he were that would bye for hymselfe suche ware with redy money Now because they could not reache to the pryce that Iudas had yet that they might in some marke resemble their author they kepte the lykenesse of number Iudas solde him for thirty siluer pens these fellowes sell hym after the French accompt for xxx brasen pens but Iudas solde hym ones these fellowes sel hym as oft as they can find a bier In this sence also we deny that they be sacrificing prestes that is to say they that with such an oblation are meanes to God for the people they that appeasing God may purchace the satisfactorie purging of synnes For Christ is the only Bishop sacrificing prest of the new Testamente into whom all Presthodes are remoued and in whome they be shut vp and ended And if the Scripture had made no mētion of the eternal Presthode of Christe yet forasmuche as God sins that he hath taken away those old Presthodes hath ordeined none the Apostles argument remayneth inuincible that no man taketh honor to hymselfe but he that is called of God By what affiance therfore dare these robbers of God that bost themselues for the butchers of Christ call themselues the sacrificing Prestes of the liuing God Plato hath an excellent place in his seconde boke of Cōmon weale Where when he entreateth of the olde maners of expiation and laugheth to scorne the foolishe confidence of euil mē and wicked doers which thought that their wicked doinges were by these as by coueringes hidden that the Gods could not se them and did as if they had gotten warrant of the Gods by couenant more carelesly folow their own Iustes he semeth throughly to touche the maner of satisfactorie purging of the Masse suche as is at thys day in the world To beguile and vndermine an other man al men know to be vnlawfull To greue widowes with wrongful dealinges to robbe the fatherlesse to troble the poore by euil crafty meanes to catch other mens goods to themselues with forsweringes and deceites to enter forceably into any mans possessiōs to oppresse any man with violence and tyrannous feare al men cōfesse to be wicked How therfore dare so many commonly do al these thinges as though they shoulde freely be bolde to doe them Truely if we ryghtly wey it no other cause doth so much encourage them but because they haue confidence that by the sacrifice of a Masse as by paymente of full price for recōpense they shal satisfie God or at the least that thys is an easy way to cōpounde with him Thē Plato procedeth further to scorne their grosse blockishnesse which thinke that by such satisfactorie cleāsinges those peynes are redemed that otherwise they should suffer in hell And wherto serue at this day the yereli obites the greater part of Masses but that thei which throughout al their life haue ben most cruel tyrātes or most rauenous robbers or geuen fourth to al mischeuous doinges should as though they wer redemed by thys pryce escape the fier of purgatorie Under the other kinde of sacrifice which we haue called the sacrifice of Thākesgeuing are cōteined al the dutieful workes of charitie which when we extende to our brethrē we honor the Lord himselfe in his mēbers then al our prayers praysinges geuinges of thankes whatsoeuer we do to the worshipping of God Al which thinges finally do hāg vpon the greater sacrifice wherby we are in soule and body hallowed to be a holy tēple to the Lord. For neither is it enough if our outward doinges be applyed to the obeying of hym but first our selues and then al that is ours ought to be consecrate and dedicate to hym that whatsoeuer is in vs may serue hys glory may sauor of zelous endeuor to aduāce it This kynde of sacrifice tendeth nothing at al to appease the wrath of God nothing at al to obteine forgeuenesse of synnes nothing at all to deserue righteousnesse but is occupied only in magnifyeng extolling of God For it can not be pleasāt acceptable to God but at their hāds whō by forgeuenesse of sinnes alredy receiued he hath by other meanes reconciled to himselfe and therfore acquited them from gyltinesse But it is so necessary for the Chirch that it can not be away from it Therefore it shal be euerlasting so long as the people of God shal cōtinue as we haue before alredy shewed out of the Prophet for in that meaning I will take this prophecie For frō the rising of the sunne to the going down therof great is my name amōg the Gentiles and in euery place incēse shal be offred to my name and a cleane offring because my name is terrible among the Gentiles sayth the Lord so farr is it of that we would put it away So Paul biddeth vs to offer our bodyes a sacrifice liuing holy acceptable to God a reasonable worship Where he spake very pithily when he added that thys is our reasonable worshipping for he meant the spiritual maner of worshipping of God whiche he did secretely set in cōparisō against the carnal sacrifices of the law of Moses So liberall doing of good and communicating are called sacrifices by which God is pleased So the liberalitie of the Philippians wherby they had releued the pouertie of Paul is called a sacrifice of swete smellyng So al the good workes of the faithful are called spiritual sacrifices And why do I seke out many exāples For commonly this maner of speakyng is often foūde in the Scriptures Yea while the people of God was yet holdē vnder the outwarde schooling of the lawe yet
God Truly euen as out of a wide and large spring do issue waters so the infinite numbre of gods hath flowed out of the wit of man while euery man ouer licentiousely strayeng erroniousely deuiseth this or that concernyng God hym selfe And yet I nede not here to make a register of the superstitions wherwith the worlde hath ben entangled bycause bothe in soo dooynge I shoulde neuer haue ende and also thoughe I speake not one woorde of theym yet by so many corruptions it sufficiently appeareth howe horrible is the blyndenesse of mans mynde I passe ouer the rude and vnlearned people But amonge the Philosophers whiche enterprysed with reason and learnyng to pearce unto heauen howe shamefulle is the disagreement With the hygher wytte that any of theym was endewed and fylled with arte and scyence with so muche the more glorious coloures he seemed to painte out his opinion All whiche notwithstandynge yf one dooe narowely looke vppon he shall fynde theim to be but vanishyng false colours The Stoikes seemed in theyr owne conceipte to speake very wysely that out of all the partes of nature may be gathered diuers names of God and yet that God beyng but one is not therby torne in sonder As though we were not already more than enough enclined to vanitie vnlesse a manifolde plentie of gods set before vs should further and more violently drawe vs into errour Also the Egyptians mysticall science of diuinitie sheweth that they all diligently endeuored to this ende not to seeme to erre without a reason And it is possible that at the fyrst syght some thyng semyng probable might deceyue the symple and ignorant but no mortall man euer inuented any thing wherby religion hath not ben fowly corrupted And this so confuse diuersitie emboldned the Epicures and other grosse despisers of godlynesse by little and little to cast of al felyng of god For when they saw the wisest of all to striue in contrary opinions they sticked not out of their disagreementes and out of the foolishe or apparantly erronious doctrine of eche of theym to gather that men doo in vayne fondly procure tormentes to them selues whyle they serche for God whiche is none at all And this they thought that they myghte freely doo without punishement because it was better brefely to denye vtterly that there is any God than to fayne vncertayn Gods and so to rayse vp contentions that neuer shuld haue ende And to muche fondly doo they reason or rather cast a myst to hide their vngodlynesse by ignoraunce of men whereby it is no reason that any thyng shoulde be taken away from God But forasmuche as all do confesse that there is nothyng about whiche bothe the learned and vnlerned doo so muche disagree thervpon is gathered that the wittes of men are more than dull and blynde in heauenly misteries that do so erre in seekyng out of God Some other doo praise that answere of Symonides which beyng demaunded of kyng Hieron what God was desired to haue a daies respite graunted to studye vpon it And when the next day folowyng the kyng demaunded the same question he requyred two daies respite and so oftentymes doublyng the numbre of days at length he answered Howe muche the more I consyder it so muche the harder the matter semeth vnto me But grauntyng that he dyd wisely to suspende his sentence of so darke a matter yet hereby appearethe that yf men be only taught by nature they can know nothyng certainly soundly and plainly concernyng God but onely are tyed to confused principles to worshyp an vnknowen God Nowe we must also holde that all they that corrupt the pure religion as all they must nedes doo that are geuen to their own opinion do depart from the one God They wil boast that their meanyng is otherwise but what they meane or what they persuade them selues maketh not muche to the matter sith the holy ghoste pronounceth that all they are Apostates that accordyng to the darknes of their owne mynde do thrust deuyls in the place of God For this reason Paule pronounceth that the Ephesians were without a God tyll they hadde learned by the Gospell what it was to worshyp the true God And we must not thinke this to bee spoken of one nation onely for as muche as he generally affyrmeth in an other place that all menne were become vayn in their imaginations syns that in the creation of the worlde the Maiestie of of the Creatour was disclosed vnto them And therefore the scripture to make place for the true and one onely God condemneth of falsehod and lying whatsoeuer godhead in olde tyme was celebrate among the Gentiles and leaueth no God at all but in the mounte Syon where flourished the peculiar knowledge of God Truely among the Gentiles the Samaritans in Christes time semed to approche nighest to true godlynesse and yet we heare it spoken by Christes owne mouthe that they knewe not what they worshipped Whervpon foloweth that they were deceyued with vayne error Fynally althoughe they were not all infected with grosse fautes or fell into open idolatries yet was there no true and approued religion that was grounded onely vppon cōmon reason For all be it that there were a fewe that were not so madde as the common people were yet this doctrine of Paule remayneth certainely true that the princes of this worlde conceiue not the wisedome of God Nowe yf the moste excellent haue wandred in darknesse what is to be sayde of the very dregges Wherefore it is no meruayle if the holy ghoste doo refuse as bastarde worshippynges all formes fo woorshipping deuised by the will of men Bycause in heauenly misteries opinion conceiued by witt of men although it do not alway breede a heape of erroures yet is alwaye the mother of erroure And thoughe there come no worse of it yet is this no small fault at aduenture to worshyp an vnknowen God of whiche fault all they by Christes owne mouthe are pronounced guilty that are not taughte by the lawe what God they ought to worshyp And truely the best lawmakers that euer were proceded no further than to saie that religion was grounded vpon cōmon consent Yea and in Xenophon Socrates praised the answere of Apollo wherin he willed that euery mā shuld worship gods after the maner of the countrey and the custome of his owne citie But how came mortall men by this power of their owne authoritie to determine that whiche farre surmounteth the worlde or who can so reste in the decrees of the elders or common ordinaunces of peoples as to receaue withoute doutynge a God deliuered by mannes deuise Euery man rather will stand to his owne iudgement than yeld hym self to the wil of an other Sith therfore it is to weake feble a bonde of godlynesse in worshippyng of God to folow either a custom of a citie or the cōsent of antiquitie it remayneth that God him self must testify of him self from heauen In vayne therfore so many
of all ages that religion is with false errors corrupted peruerted Wherupon we gather that it is a very fonde color which the supersticious do pretende wheÌ„ with vndiscrete zele we geue our selues leaue to do al thinges And although this confession sounde in the mouthes of al meÌ„ yet herein a shamefull ignoraunce bewraieth it selfe that neither they cleaue to the one God nor haue any regarde of order in the worshipping of him as we haue already shewed But god to claime his own right vnto himselfe crieth out that he is ielous and that he wil be a seuere reuenger if he be mingled with any fained god And then he setteth forth the lawful maner of worshipping to holde mankinde in obedience He conteineth both these pointes in his law wheÌ„ first he bindeth the faithful vnto hymselfe that he only may be theyr lawemaker and then he prescribeth a rule wherby to be worshipped after his owne minde Of the law because the vses and endes therof are many I wyl entreate in place fit for it Now I only touch this point that therby meÌ„ are bridled that they run not out of the way to wrong worshippynges Now as I first said we must holde in mind that if al that euer properly beloÌ„geth to godhead do not rest in God alone he is spoiled of his honor his worship broken And heremust we somwhat he defully marke with what suttelties superstition deceiueth For it doothe not so reuolte vnto straunge gods that it semeth to forsake the hyest God or to bryng hym downe into the numbre of other Goddes but while she graunteth vnto hym the hyest place she setteth rounde aboute hym a number of lesser gods among whome she diuideth his offices And so albeit clokedly craftily the glorie of the godhead is cut in partes that it remaineth not whole with hym So in the old tyme as wel they of the Iewes as of the Gentiles dyd set beneth the father iudge of gods a great rout of gods whiche shuld every one accordyng to his degree haue in coÌ„mon with the hyest God the gouernement of the heauen and earth So the saintes that in a fewe ages past departed this lyfe are aduanced to the felowship of God to be worshipped called vpon and honoured in stede of him And yet with suche abhomination we thinke that the maiestie of God is not so muche as diuided when in deede it is a greate parte suppressed and extinguished sauyng that we reteine sâ—yll a poore opinion of his supreme power and in the mean tyme deceiued with entangled suttelties we are sonderly caried to diuers gods For this purpose also was inuented the distinction of latria and Dulia as they terme them that is worship and seruice wherby they might freely seme to geue away the honors of God to angels and dead men For it is euident that the worship whiche the Papistes geue vnto saintes differeth nothyng in dede from the woorship of God For all alike without diuersitie they worship both God and them sauyng that when they be charged with it they wynde away with this exception that they keepe still for God the honour that is due vnto him inuiolate because they leaue vnto him the worshippe that they call latria But sith the question standeth vpon the matter and not the woorde who wolde permit them so carelesly to mocke in a matter of all matters moste weyghtie But to lette that also passe yet winne they nothyng by this distinction but to proue that thei geue worship to one God and seruice to an other For Latria in greke signifieth as much as in latin Cultus Englishe worship Dulia proprely signifieth seruice And yet somtyme in scripture this difference is confounded together without diuersitie But graunte it be a perpetuall difference then must we searche what bothe the wordes may meane Dulia is seruice Latria is worship Now no man douteth that to serue is more then to whorshippe For many tymes a manne coulde hardely beare to serue hym whome he would not sticke to worship So is it an vnegall dealyng to geue to the sainctes that whiche is the greatter and to leaue to God that whiche is the lesser But many of the auncient authors haue vsed this distinction What maketh that matter if all menne doo perceiue it to be not onely vnfitte but all together very fonde Nowe leauyng nice suttleties lette vs wey the matter it selfe When Paule putteth the Galathians in remembrance what they were before that they were lightened in the knowledge of God he saieth that they gaue Duliam seruice to those that of nature were no gods Although he name not Latriam or worship is therfore theyr superstitton excusable He doth neuerthelesse condemne their peruerse superstition whiche he termeth by the name of Dulia seruice than if he had expressed the name of Latria worship And when Christe repulseth the assault of Sathan with his buckler that it is written thou shalt woorshyp the Lorde thy God the name of Latria was not brought in question Sathan required but an adoration Likewise wheÌ„ the angel â—eproued Iohn because he felle downe on his knees before hym we oughte not to thinke that Iohn was so madde that he woulde geue vnto the angell the honoure that was due onely to God But because it was not possible but that all worshyp that is ioyned with religion sauoureth somwhat as perteinyng to God therefore he coulde not adore the angell but that he must take away sommewhat from the glorye of God We reade in deede often that men haue bene honoured but that was a ciuile honour as I maye so call it But religion hath an other rule whyche so soone as it is ioyned with worshyppe bryngeth with it a prophane abuse of the honour of God The same maye we see in Cornelius He hadde not so sclenderly profyted in godlynesse but that he hadde learned to geue the soueraigne worshippe to God alone Therfore when he fell downe before Peter he didde it not of this meanyng to worshyppe hym in the steede of God And yet dydde Peter earnestly forbyd hym to doo that whiche he didde And why so but because men doo neuer so narrowly put difference betwene the worshyppe of God and of his creatures by that without diuersitie they geue away that vnto the creature whiche belongeth vnto God Wherefore if we haue one God we must remembre that nothyng be it neuer so lyttle muste bee taken awaye from his glorye but that he kepe styll that whyche is proprely his Therfore zacharie when he preacheth of the repayryng of the Churche in playne words expresseth That there shal not only be one God but also that there shal be one name of the god to the end the he haue nothing in common with Idols What maner of worshyp God requyreth we shal see in an other place when it falleth in order For it pleased hym in his law to prescribe vnto men what is lawfull and ryght so to
the same is in suche forte the gouernour of all thynges that sometyme it woorketh by meanes somtyme without meanes and somtyme agaynst all meanes Last of all that it tendeth to this ende that God maye shewe that he hath care of all mankynde but specially that he doeth watche in rulyng of his churche which he vouchesaueth more nerely to loke vnto And this is also to be added that althoughe eyther the fatherly fauoure and bountyfulnesse of God or oftentymes the seueritie of his iudgemente do brightly appere in the whole course of his Prouidence yet somtyme the causes of those thynges that happen are secrete so that this thought crepeth into our myndes that mens matters are tourned and whirled about with the blynde sway of fortune or so that the fleshe stirreth vs to murmure as if God dydde to make him selfe pastyme to tosse menne like tennise balles True it is that if we were with quiet and still myndes ready to learne the very successe it selfe woulde at length playnely shewe that God hath an assured good reason of his purpose either to traine them that be his to pacience or to correct their euill affections tame their wantonnesse or to bryng theym downe to the renouncyng of theim selues or to awake their drowsynesse on the other syde to ouerthrowe the prowde to disappoint the suttletie of the wicked to confounde their deuises But howsoeuer the causes be secrete and vnknowē to vs we must assuredly hold that they ar layd vp in hiddē store with him therefore we ought to crie out with Dauid God thou hast made thy wonderful works so many that none can count in order to thee thy thoughts towarde vs. I would declare and speake of them but they are more than I am able to expresse For although alwais in our miseries we ought to thinke vpon our sinnes that the verye punishement maye moue vs to repentance yet doo we see how Christe geueth more power to the secrete purpose of his father than to punishe euery one according to his deseruyng For of hym that was borne blynde he sayth neither hath this man synned nor his parentes but that the glory of God may be shewed in hym For here naturall sense murmureth when calamitie commeth euen before birth as if God did vnmercifully so to punish the sely innocente that had not deserued it But Christe dooth testifie that in this lokyng glasse the glory of his father doeth shyne to our syght if we haue cleere eies to beholde it But we must kepe modestie that we drawe not God to yelde cause of his dooynges but lette vs so reuerence his secrete iudgementes that his wyll be vnto vs a moste iuste cause of all thynges When thicke cloudes doo couer the heauen and a violent tempest aryseth then bycause bothe a heauysome mystynesse is caste before oure eyes and the thunder troubleth oure eares and all oure senses are amased with terrour we thynke that all thynges are confounded and tombled togither and yet all the whyle there remaineth in the heauen the same quietenesse and calmenesse that was before So muste we thynke that whyle the troublesome state of thinges in the worlde taketh from vs abilitie to iudge God by the pure lyghte of his ryghteousnesse and wysedome dooth in well framed order gouerne and dispose euen those very troublesome motions themselues to a ryght ende And surely very monstrous is the rage of many in this behalfe whiche dare more boldly call the workes of God to accompte and examyne his secrete meanynges and to geue vnaduised sentence of thynges vnknowen than they wyll dooe of the deedes of mortall men For what is more vnorderly than to vse such modestie towarde our egals that we had rather suspende our iudgement than to incurre the blame of rashenesse and on the other syde proudely to triumph vpon the darke iudgementes of God whiche it became vs to regarde with reuerence Therfore no man shal wel profitably wey the Prouidēce of God but he that considering that he hath to doo with his creatour and the maker of the worlde dooeth with suche humilitie as he ought submitt himself to feare and reuerēce Hereby it cometh to passe that so many dogs at this day doo with venimed bitynges or at leaste barkynge assaile this doctrine because they will haue no more to be lawfull for God than their own reason informeth them And also they raile at vs with al the spitefulnesse that they are able for that not contented with the commaundementes of the lawe wherin the will of God is comprehended We doo further saie that the worlde is ruled by his secrete counsels As though the thyng that we teache were an inuention of our owne brayn and as though it were not true that the Holy ghost doth euery where expressely say the same and repeteth it with innumerable formes of speeche But because some shame restraineth theim that they dare not vomyte out their blasphemies against the heauen they fayn that they contende with vs to the ende they may the more freely play the madmen But if they do not graunt that what soeuer happeneth in the worlde is gouerned by the incomprehensible purpose of God let them answere to what ende the Scripture sayth that his iudgementes are a depe bottomlesse deapth For where as Moses crieth out that the wyll of God is not to be sought afarre of in the cloudes or in the deapthes because it is familiarly sette foorth in the lawe it foloweth that his other hidden will is compared to a bottomlesse deapth Of the whiche Paule also saith O deapth of the richesse and of the wisedom and of the knowlege of God howe vnsearchable are his iudgementes and his waies paste fyndyng out for who hath knowen the mynde of the Lorde or who hath bene his counsellour And it is in dede true that in the gospel and in the law are conteyned mysteries whiche are farre aboue the capacitie of oure sense but for asmuche as God for the comprehendyng of these mysteries whiche he hath vouchesaued to open by his woorde doeth lighten the myndes of them that be his with the Spirite of Understandyng nowe is therin no bottomlesse deapth but a way wherin we muste safe walk a candell to guyde our feete the light of life and the schoole of certayn and plainly discernable trueth But his meruailous order of gouernyng the worlde is worthily called a bottomlesse deapthe bicause while it is hidden from vs we ought reuerently to worshyp it Ryghte well hath Moses expressed theym bothe in fewe woordes The secrete thynges saieth he belong to the Lorde our God but the thyngs reueled belong to vs and to oure children for euer We see howe he byddeth vs not onely to studie in meditation of the lawe but also reuerently to looke vp vnto the secrete Prouidence of God And in the booke of Iob is rehersed one title of this deapth that it humbleth our myndes For after that the author
out of suche threateninges If they meane to gather that the people beyng forsaken of God maye purpose their owne saluation all the Scripture shall crye out agaynste them in so doyng If they confesse that the grace of God is necessarie to conuersion why â—â—ryue they wyth vs But they so graunt it necessarie that still they will haue mans power preserued vnto him Howe proue they that truely not by this place nor any like to it For it one thyng to departe aside from manne and to loke what he will doe beyng geuen ouer and lefte to him selfe and an other thyng to helpe his litle strength after the measure of his weakenesse What then will some manne saye doe these manners of speakyng meane I aunswer that they are as muche in effecte as yf God had sayde For asmuche as I preuayle nothyng wyth this stubborne people by admonishyng exhortynge and rebukynge I will withdrawe my selfe a while and sitâ—e still and suffer them to be afflicted I will see yf at length after longâ— miseries they wil begynne to remember me to seke my face The Lordes goynge farre awaye signifieth the takynge awaye of Prophecie his lookyng what menne will doe signifieth that he kepynge silence and as it were hidynge hym selfe dothe for a time exercise them with diuerse afflictions Bothe these thynges he dothe to humble vs the more For we shoulde soner bee dulled than amended wyth the scourges of aduersitie vnlesse he dyd frame vs to that tractablenesse by his Spirite Nowe whereas the Lorde beyng offended and in a manner weried with our obstinate stubbornnesse dothe not for a time leaue vs that is by takynge awaye his worde in whyche he is wonte to geue vs a certayne presence of hym selfe and dothe make a profe what we would doe in his absence it is falsly gathered hereof that there is any strength of freewill that he should beholde and trie for asmuch as he doth it to no other end but to dryue vs to acknowledge our owne beyng nothyng They brynge also for their defence the continuall manner of speakyng that is vsed bothe in the Scriptures in the talke of men For good workes are called oures and it is no lesse sayd that we doe the thing that is holy and pleasyng to God than that we commit sinnes But if sinnes be iustly imputed to vs as procedyng from vs truely in righteous doynges also somwhat by the same reason ought to be assigned vnto vs. For it were against reson that it should be sayd that we do those thinges to the doyng whereof beyng vnable of our owne motion we are moued by God like stoâ—es Therefore though we geue the chiefe parte to the grace of God yet these maÌ„ners of speakyng do shewe that our endeuour hath also yet a seconde parte If that thyng onely were still enforced that good workes are called oures I would obiecte agayne that the bread is called oures which we pray to haue geuen vs of God What will they gette by the title of possession but that by the bountifulnesse â—nd free gifte of God the same thyng becometh oures whiche otherwise is not due vnto vs Therefore eyther let them laugh at the same absurditie in the Lordes prayer or let them not recken this to be laughed at that good workes are called oures in which we haue no propertie but by the liberalitie of God But this is somwhat stronger that the Scripture oftentimes affirmeth that we our selues do worship God obey the law applie good workes Sithe these are the duties properly belongyng to the minde will howe could it agree that these thinges are both referred to the holy ghost and also attributed to vs vnlesse there were a certaine coÌ„municating of our endeuour with the power of God Out of these snares we shal easily vnwinde our selues if we wel consider the manner how the spirit of the Lord worketh in the holy ones The similitude wherewith they enuiously presse vs is from the purpose for who is so fonde to thinke that the mouing of maÌ„ differeth nothing from the casting of a stone Neither doth any such thing folow of our doctrine We recken among the natural powers of man to allow refuse to wil not wil to endeuour and to resist that is to allowe vanitie and to refuse perfect goodnesse to will euell and to be vnwillyng to good to endeuour our selues to wickednesse and to resist righteousnesse What doth the Lord herein If it be his will to vse that peruersnesse as an instrumeÌ„t of his wrath he directeth and appointeth it to what ende he wil that he by an euell hande maye execute his good worke Shall we then compare a wicked manne that so serueth the power of God when he laboreth only to obey his owne lust to a stone that beyng throweÌ„ by the violence of an other is caried neither with mouing nor sense nor will of his owne We see how much differeÌ„ce there is But what doth he in good thinges of which is our principal question WheÌ„ he erecteth his kingdome in them he by his spirit restrayneth mans will that it be not carried vp and downe with wanderyng lustes accordyng to the inclination of nature that it may be bent to holinesse and righteousnesse he boweth frameth fashioneth and directeth it to the rule of his righteousnesse and that it should not stomble or fall he doth stablish and confirme it with the strength of his spirit For which reason Augustine sayth Thou will saye vnto me then we are wrought worke not Yea thou both workest and art wrought and thou workest well wheÌ„ thou art wrought of that which is good The spirit of God that worketh thee helpeth them that worke and geueth him self the name of a helper for that thou also workest somwhat In the firste parte he teacheth that mans workyng is not taken awaye by the mouyng of the holy ghost bicause will is of nature whiche is ruled to aspire to goodnesse But where he by and by addeth that by the name of help may be gathered that we also do worke somwhat we ought not so to take it as if he did geue any thinge seuerally to vs but bycause he would not cherish slouthfulnesse in vs he so matcheth the working of God with oures that to wil may be of nature to will well of grace Therfore he sayd a litle before Unlesse God helpe vs we shal not be able to ouercome no nor yet to fight at all Hereby appereth that the grace of God as the word is takeÌ„ when we speake of regeneration is the rule of the spirit to direct and gouerne the will of manne And it can not gouerne it vnlesse it correct it reforme it and renewe it from whense we saye that the beginnyng of regeneration is that that which oures might be destroyed and vnlesse it moue it stirre it dryue it forward carry it and hold it Whereupon we do truely saye that al the doynges that procede from it are wholly the only
of God vnlesse that so excellent a benefite should come vnto them from els where than from themselues Also how could the right of priesthode remaine in force among them who by filthinesse of sinnes were abhominable to God vnlesse they had ben consecrate in a holy head â–ª Wherefore Peter doth very aptly turne that sayeng of Moses where he teacheth that the fulnesse of grace the taste whereof the Iewes had taken vnder the law was geuen in Christ Ye are sayeth he a chosen kinred a kingly priesthode For to this ende tendeth that turnynge of the wordes to shewe that they to whome Christ appered by the Gospell haue obteined more than their fathers bicause they are all endued bothe with priestly and kingly honour that trustyng vpon their mediatour they maye freely be bolde to come forth into the sight of God And here by the waye it is to be noted that the kingdome whiche at length was erected in the house of Dauid is part of the law conteined vnder the ministerie of Moses Wherupon foloweth that as well in all the kinred of the Leuites as in the posteritie of Dauid Christ was set beâ—ore the eyes of the olde people as in a doble loking glasse For as I sayd euen now they could not otherwise be before God eyther kinges or priestes which were both the bondslaues of sinne of death defiled by their owne corruptioÌ„ Hereby appereth that that sayeng of Paule is moste true that the Iewes were holden as vnder the keping of a Scholemaister til the sede came for whose sake the promise was geuen For bicause Christ was not yet familiarly knowen they were like vnto children whose weakenesse could not yet beare a full knowledge of heauenly thinges but how thei were by ceremonies as it were led by the hand to Christ is before spokeÌ„ may be better vnderstand by many testimonies of the Prophetes For although it was coÌ„maunded them to come dayly with newe sacrifices to appease God yet Esaye promiseth that al their sinnes shal be cleansed with one only sacrifice Wherewith Daniel agreably sayeth The priestes apointed of the tribe of Leui did enter into the Sanctuarie but of the only priest it was ones sayd that by an othe he was chosen of God to be a priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech At that time the anointing with oyle was visible but Daniel by his vision pronouÌ„ceth that there shal be an other manner of anointyng And bicause I will not tarry vpon many examples the authour of the Epistle to the Hebrewes eueÌ„ from the .iiij. chapter to the xi doth largely and plainely enough shew that the ceremonies are nothing worth vaine til we come to Christ. As concerning the ten coÌ„maundementes that lesson of Paule is likewise to be kept in minde that Christ is the ende of the law vnto saluation to euery one that beleueth And an other lesson that Christ is the Spirit that quickeneth the letter whiche of it selfe slayeth For in the first of these two he meaneth that righteousnesse is vainely taught by commaundementes vntill Christ doe geue it bothe by free imputation and by the spirite of regeneration Wherefore he worthyly calleth Christ the fulfilling or ende of the law Bycause it should nothing profit vs to knowe what God requyreth of vs vnlesse he did succour vs faynting and oppressed vnder the yoke and vntolerable burden In an other place he teacheth that the lawe was made for transgressions that is to bryng menne to humilitie beyng proued gilty of theyr owne damnation And bycause this is the true and only preparation to seke Christ what so euer he teacheth in diuerse wordes do al very well agree together But bicause he then was in contentioÌ„ with peruerse teachers which fained that we do deserue righteousnesse by the workes of the law to confute their errour he was compelled somtime to speake precisely of the bare lawe whiche yet otherwise is clothed with the couenant of free adoption But now it is good to know how being taught by the morall law we are made more inexcusable that our owne giltynesse maye moue vs to craue pardon If it be true that we be taught perfectioÌ„ of rightousnesse in the lawe then this also followeth that the absolute keping thereof is perfect righteousnesse before God that is whereby a man maye be demed and accompted righteous before the heauenly throne of iudgement Wherfore Moses when he had published the law doubted not to protest before heauen and earth that he had set before Israell life and death good and euell And we maye not denie but that the reward of eternal saluation belongeth to the vpright obedience of the lawe as the lord hath promised it Agayne yet it is good to examine whether we performe that obedience vpon desert whereof we may conceiue a trust of that reward For to what small purpose is it to see the rewarde of eternall life set in kepynge of the lawe vnlesse we further knowe whether we maye by that waye attaine to eternall life But herein the weakenesse of the law doth shewe it selfe For bycause that kepyng of the law is founde in none of vs al we are excluded from the promises of life and doe fall into curse onely I doe not nowe tell what doth come to passe but what needes muste so come to passe For where as the doctrine of the lawe is far aboue the power of manne he maye in deede a far of loke at the promises but yet not gather any fruite of them Therefore this one thing remayneth that by the goodnesse of them he may the better weye his owne miserie while he considereth that all hope of saluation beyng cut of death dothe certainely haÌ„g ouer him Do the other side do presse vs terrible penal lawes which do holde entaÌ„gled fast bound not only a few of vs but euery one without exceptioÌ„ they presse vs I say do pursue vs with vnappeasable rigour so that we may se most present death in the law Therfore if we loke only vpoÌ„ the lawe we can do nothing but be discouraged be confounded despeire for asmuch as by it we are al damned cursed kept far of from the blessednesse that he offreth to them that worship him Wilt thou say then Doth the lord so mock vs â–ª For how finally doth it differ from mocking to shewe forth a hope of felicitie to allure exhort men vnto it to protest that it is layed open for vs wheÌ„ in the meane season the entrie vnto it is forclosed impossible to be come to I answere although the promisses of the lawe in so much as they are conditional do hang vpon the perfect obedience of the law which can no where be found yet are they not geuen in vaine For when we haue lerned that they shal be voide and of no effect vnto vs vnlesse God embrace vs with his free goodnesse without regarde of
vnto him And we least we should thinke that the same nothyng belongeth to vs ought to consider that the bondage of Egypt is a figure of the spiritual captiuitie wherin we are al holden bound vntil our heueÌ„ly deliuerer do make vs free by the power of his arme conuey vs into the kingdome of libertie As therfore when in the olde time he minded to gather together the Israelites that were scattered abrode to the worshipping of his name he deliuered them out of the intolerable dominion of Pharao wherewith thei were oppressed so al those to whoÌ„ at this daye he professeth him self a God he doth nowe deliuer from the deadly power of the Deuell whyche was in a shadowe signified by that corpâ—ral bondage Wherefore there is no man but his minde ought to be inflamed to harken to the lawe whyche he heareth to haue proceded from the soueraigne king From whome as al thinges take their beginnynge so is it mete that they haue also their ende appointed and directed to him There is no manne I saye but he ought to bee rauished to embrace the lawemaker to the kepynge of whose commaundementes he is taught that he is peculiarly chosen from whose bountie he loketh bothe for flowynge store of all good thinges and also the glory of immortall life by whose maruellous power and mercie he knoweth himself to be deliuered out of the iawes of death After that he hath grounded and stablished the authoritie of his lawe he setteth forth that first coÌ„maundement That we haue no strauÌ„g Gods before him The end of this commaundement is that God wil only haue preeminencie wholly enioy his owne authoritie amoÌ„g his people And that it maye so be he coÌ„maundeth that there be farre froÌ„ vs all vngodlinesse superstitioÌ„ wherby the glory of his godhed is either diminished or obscured and by the same reason he coÌ„maundeth that we worship and honour him with true endeuour of godlinesse And the very simplicitie of the wordes themselues do in a manner expresse the same For we can not haue God but we muste also comprehended therein al thinges that properly belong to him Whereas therfore he forbiddeth vs to haue other Gods he meaneth thereby that we should not geue awaye els where that whiche is propre to him For although the thinges that we owe vnto God be innumerable yet not vnfitly they may be brought vnto fower principall pointes AdoratioÌ„ wherunto as a thing hanging vpon it is adioyned spiritual obedience of coÌ„science Affiance Inuocation Thankesgeuing Adoration I cal the reuerence worship whiche euery one of vs yeldeth vnto him when he submitteth himself vnto his greatnesse wherfore I do not without cause make this a part therof that we yeld our consciences in subiection to his lawe Affiance is an assurednesse of restyng in him by reknowleging of his powers wheÌ„ reposing al wisedome righteousnesse power truthe goodnesse in him we thinke our selues blessed with only partakyng of him InuocatioÌ„ is a resortyng of our minde to his faith and help as to our only succour so oft as any necessitie presseth vs. Thankesgeuyng is a certayne thankefulnesse whereby the prayse of all good thinges is geuen vnto him Of these as God suffreth nothyng to be conueyed awaye els where so he commaunded all to be wholly geuen to him self Neither shall if be enough to absteyme from hauyng any straunge God vnlesse thou restrayne thy self in this that many wicked contemners ar wonte which thinke the rediest way to scorne all religions but true religion muste goe before whereby our mindes may be directed to the liuyng God with knowledge whereof they beyng endued maye aspire to reuerence feare and worshyp his maiestie to embrace the communicatyng of all his good thinges euery where to seke for his helpe to reknowledge and aduaunce with coÌ„fession of prayse the magnificence of his workes as to the only marke in al the doynges of our life Then that we beware of peruerse superstition whereby our mindes swaruyng from the true God are draweÌ„ hether and thether as it were vnto diuerse gods Wherefore if we be contented with one God let vs call to remembrance that whiche is beforesayd that all forged gods are to be dryuen farre awaye and that the worship is not to be torne in sonder whiche he alone claymeth to himself For it is not lawfull to take awaye any thing froÌ„ his glorie be it neuer so litle but that all thinges that belong to him may wholly remayne with him The percell of sentence that foloweth Before my face encreaseth the hainousnesse for that God is prouoked to ialousie so oft as we thrust our owne inueÌ„tions in his place as if an vnchaste wonlan by bringyng in an adulterer openly before her husbaÌ„des eyes should the more vexe his minde Therefore when God testified that with his present power and grace he loked vpoÌ„ the people that he had chosen the more to fray them from the wicked act of falling from him he geueth them warnyng that there can be no new gods brought in but that he is witnesse and beholder of their sacrilege For this boldenesse is encreased with much wickednesse that man thinketh that in his fleynges away he can begile the eyes of God On the other side God cryeth out that what so euer we purpose what so euer we goe about what so euer we practise it cometh in his sight Let therefore our conscience be cleane euen from the most secret thoughtes of swaruyng from him if we will haue our religion to please the Lord. For he requireth to haue the glory of his godhed whole and vncorrupted not only in outward confession but also in his eyes whiche do behold the most secret corners of heartes The Second Commaundement Thou shalt not make to thee any grauen image nor any similitude of those thinges that are in heaueÌ„ aboue or in earth beneth or in the waters vnder the earth Thou shalt not worship them nor serue them As in the first coÌ„maundement he pronouÌ„ced that he is the one God byside whom there are no others gods to be deuised or had â–ª so now he more openly declareth what maner of God he is with what kinde of worship he is to be honored that we maye not presume to forge any carnal thing for him The ende therefore of this commaundement is that he will not haue the lawefull worship of him to be prophaned with superstitious vsages Wherfore in summe he calleth and draweth vs away from the carnal obseruations which our foolish minde is wont to inuent when it conceiueth God accordyng to her owne grosnesse And therefore he frameth vs to the lawful worship of him that is the spirituall worship and which is apointed by him He speaketh of the grossest faulte that is in this offense namely outward idolatrie And there be two partes of this commauÌ„dement The first restrayneth our libertie that we doe not presume to make subiect to our senses or by any forme to represent God
shall blesse himself shall blesse in the God of the faythfull and he that shal swere in the land shal swere in the true God Hieremie sayth Yf they shal teach the people to swere in my name as thei haue taught theÌ„ to swere by Baal they shal be buylded vp in the middes of my house And for good cause it is sayde that when we call vpon the name of the Lorde to witnesse we doe witnesse our religion towarde him For so wee confesse that he is the eternall and vnchaungeable truthe whome we call vpon not onely as a moste substantiall witnesse of truthe aboue all other but also as the only defense thereof whiche is able to bryng forth hidden thynges into light then as the knowet of heartes For where testimonies of menne doe â—ayle there we fâ—ee to God for witnesse specially where any thynge is to be proued that lieth secrete in conscience For whyche cause the Lorde is bitterly angry with them that sweare by strange gods and he iudgeth that manner of swearyng to be a manifest of manifest fallyng from his allegeance Thy sonnes haue forsaken me and do swere by them that are no gods And he declareth the haynousnesse of this offense by threatenyng of punishment I will destroye them that sweare by the name of the Lord and swere by Melchan Nowe when we vnderstande that it is the Lordes will that there be in our othes a worshippe of his name so muche the more diligent hede is to be taken that in stede of worshippyng they doe not conteine dishonour contempt or abacement of it For it is no small dishonour when periurie is committed in swearyng by him wherefore it is called in the lawe Profanation For what is lefte to the Lorde when he is spoyled of his truthe he shall then ceasse to be God But truely he is spoyled thereof when he is made an affirmer and approuer of falshod Wherefore when Iosua minded to dryue Alchan to confesse the truthe he sayd My Sonne geue glorie to the Lord of Israell meanyng thereby that the Lorde is greuously dishonored yf a manne sweare falsly by hym And no maruell For we doe as much as in vs lieth in a manner to stayne his holy name with a lye And that this manner of speache was vsed amonge the Iewes so ofte as any was called to take an othe appereth by the like protestation that the Pharisees vse in the Gospell of Iohn To this heedefulnesse the formes of othes that are vsed in the Scriptures doe instructe vs The Lorde lyueth The Lorde doe these thinges vnto me and adde these thynges The Lorde be witnesse vpon my soule Whyche doe proue that we can not call God for witnesse of our sayenges but that we also wishe him to take vengeance of our periurie if we speake deceyptfully The name of the Lorde is made vile and common when it is vsed in superfluous othes although they bee true For in suche case it is also taken in vayne Wherefore it shall not be sufficient to absteyne from 〈◊〉 caring falsly vnlesse we do also remember that swearing was suffred and ordeined not for luste or pleasure but for necessities sake and therfore they goe beyond the lawfull vse thereof that applye it to thinges not necessarie And there can no other necessitie be pretended but where it is to serue eyther religion or charitie wherein at this daye menne doe to muche licentiously offende and so muche the more intolerably for that by very custome it hath cessed to be reckened for any offense af all whiche yet before the iudgement seaâ—e of God is not sâ—lenderly weyed For euery where wythout regarde the name of God ys defiled in triflynge talkes and yt ys not thought that they do euel bicause by long suffred and vnpunished boldenesse they are come to rest as it were in possession of so great wickedneâ—â—e But the coÌ„manndement of the Lord remayneth in â—orce the penaltie abideth in strength and shall one daye haue his effect whereby there is a certayne speciall reuenge proclaymed agaynst them that vse his name in vayne This commaundement is also transgressed in an other poynt that in our othes we put the holy seruantes of God in the place of God with manifest vngodlynesse for so we traÌ„sferre the glorie of his godhed to them Neyther is it without cause that the Lorde hath geuen speciall commaundement to swere by his name and by speciall prohibition forbidden that we should not be heard swere by any strange gods And the Apostle euidently testifieth the same when he writeth that men in swearyng do call vpon a hier than themselues and that God whiche had none greater than his owne glory to swere by did swere by himselfe The Anabaptistes not contented wyth this moderation of swearyng do detest all othes without exceptioÌ„ bycause the prohibition of Christ is generall I saye vnto ye swere not at all but let your tale be yea yea and nay nay what so euer is more than this is of euell But by this meane they do without consideration stumble agaynst Christ while they make him aduersarye to his father and as if he had come downe from heauen to repeale his fathers decrees For the eternall God doth in the lawe not only permit swearyng as a thyng lawfull whiche were enough but also in necessitie doth commaunde it But Christ affirmeth that he is all one with his father that he bringeth no other thyng but that whiche his father commaunded him that his doctrine is not of himself c. What then wil they make God contrarie to himself whiche shal afterwarde forbidde and condemne the same thing â—n mens behauiours whiche he hath before allowed by coÌ„maunding it But bycause there is some difficultie in the wordes of Christ let vs a litle weye them But herein we shall neuer atteyne the truthe vnlesse we bende our eyes vnto the entent of Christ and take heede vnto the purpose that he there goeth about His purpose is not eyther to release or restreyne the lawe but to reduce it to the true and naturall vnderstandyng whiche had ben very muche depraued by the false gloses of the Scribes and Pharisees This â—â— we holde in minde we shall not thinke that Christ dyd vtterly condemne othes but onely those othes whiche doe transgresse the rule of the lawe Thereby it appereth that the people at that time did forbeare no manner of swearyng but periuries whereas the lawe dothe not only forbidde periuries but also all idle and superstitous othes The Lorde therefore the most sure expositour of the lawe doth admonish them that it is not only euell to forswere but also to sweare But howe to sweare in vaine But as for these othes that are commended in the lawe he leaueth them safe and at libertie They seme to fight somewhat more strongly when they take earnest holde of this worde At all whiche yet is not referred to the worde Sweare but to
Apostle setteth the whole perfectioÌ„ of the holy ones in charitie And not inconuenientlye in an other place he calleth the same the fullfillinge of the lawe adding that he hathe perfourmed the lawe that loueth his neighboure Againe That all the lawe is comprehended in one worde Loue thy neighboure as thy selfe For he teacheth no other thing but the same which Christe doth when he saith Whatsoeuer ye will that men do to you do ye the same to them For thys is the law and the Prophetes It is certaine that in the lawe and the Prophetes Faith all that belongeth to the true worship of God holdeth the principal place and that Loue is beneth it in a lower degree but the Lordes meaning is that in the lawe is only prescribed vnto vs an obseruation of right and equitie wherein we be exercised to testifie our Godlye feare of him if there be any in vs. Here therefore let vs sticke faste that then oure lyfe shal be best framed to Gods will and the rule of his lawe when it shall be euery waye most profitable to oure brothren Butte in the whole lawe there is not redde one syllable that apoynteth to man any râ—le of suche thynges as he shall do or leaue vndone to the commoditie of his owne fleshe And surely sith men are so borne of such disposition naturalli that thei be to much carried all hedlong to the loue of them selues how much soeuer thei fall from the truthe yet still thei keepe that selfe loue there needed no lawe any more to enflame that loue that was naturally of it selfe to much beyonde measure Whereby it plainly appeareth that not the loue of oure selues but the loue of God and of oure neighboure is the keping of the commaundements and that he liueth best and moste holyly that so nere as maie be liueth and trauileth leaste for him selfe that no man liueth worse and more wyckedly than hee that liueth and trauileth for himselfe only thinketh vpon seketh for thinges of hys owne And the Lord the more to expresse with howe greate ernestnes we ought to be led to the loue of oure neighboures apointed it to bee measured by the loue of our selues as by a rule bicause he had no other more vehement or stronger affection to measure it by And the force of the manner of speaking is diligently to be weyed For he doth not as certaine Sophisters haue foolishly dreamed geue the first degree to the loue of our selues and the seconde to charitie but rather that affection of loue which we do all naturally drawe to our selues he geueth away vnto other wherevpoÌ„ the Apostle saith that Charitie seketh not her own And their reasoÌ„ is not to be estemed worth a heare that the thing ruled is euer inferiore to his Rule For God doth not make the loue of our selues a rule whervnto charitie toward other shold be subiect but whereas by peruersnesse of nature the affectioÌ„ of loue was wont to rest in our selues he sheweth that now it ought to be els wher spred abroade that we shold with no lesse cherefulnesse feruentnesse and carefulnesse be ready to do good to oure neighboure than to oure selues Now sith Christe hath shewed in the parable of the Samaritane the vnder the name of Neighboure euery man is conteined be he neuer so strange vnto vs ther is no cause whi we shold restraine the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t of loue within the bondes of our owne frendshippes acquaintances I deny not that the nerer that any man is vnto vs the more familiarli he is to be holpen with our endeuours to do him good For so the ordie of humaâ—itie reqâ—ireth the so many moe dueties of friendship men shold coÌ„municate togither as they are bounde togither wyth streighter bondes of kyâ—red familiaritie or neighebourehoode and that wythout any offense of God by whose prouidence we are in a manner driuen thervnto But I say that al mankinde without exception is to be embraced with one affection of charitie that in thys behalfe is no dyfference of Barbarous or Grecian of woorthy or vnwoorthy of friende or foe bicause thei are to be considered in God and not in them selues from whyche consideration when we tourne away it is no maruell if we be entangled with many erroures Wherefore if we wyll keepe the true trade of louinge we muste not tourne oure eyes vnto man the sighte of whome woulde ofter enforce vs to hate than to loue but vnto God which commaundeth that the loue which we offer him be poured abroade among all menne that this be a perpetuall foundation that whatsoeuer the man be yet he ought to be loued bicause God is loued Wherefore it was a moste pestilent either ignoraunce or malice that the Schoolemen of these commaundementes touching not desyringe of reuengmente and louinge oure enemies whiche in the olde time bothe were geuen to the Iewes and at the same tyme were commonly geuen to all Christians haue made Councels whiche it is in our libertie to obey or not obey And the necessarie obeyinge of them thei haue posted ouer to Monkes which wer though but in this one poynt forsoothe more righteous than simple Christians that thei willingelye bound them selues to keepe the Councels And thei rendre a reason why thei receiue them not for lawes for that they seeme to burdenous and heauy specially for Christians that are vnder the lawe of grace So dare thei presume to repel the eternall law of God touching the louing of oure neighvoures Is there any suche dyfference in any leafe of the lawe and are not therein rather in it eche where founde commaundementes that do moste seuerely require of vs to loue oure enemies For what manner of sayinge is that where wee are commaunded to feede oure enemie when he is hungry to set into the right way his Oxen or Asses strayinge out of the waye or to ease them when thei faint vnder their burden Shall we do good to his beastes for his sake without any good will to him selfe What is not the worde of the Lorde euerlastinge Leaue vengeance to me and I will requite it Whiche also is spoken more plainely at large in an other place Seke not vengeance neither be mindefull of the iniurie of thy Citizens Either let them blot these thynges oute of the lawe or let them acknoweledge that the Lorde was a lawemaker and not lieingly faine that he was a councell geuer And what I praye you meane these thynges that thei haue presumed to mocke withall in their vnsauorie glose Loue your enemies doe good to them that hate youe praie for them that persecute youe blesse them that curse you that ye may be the chyldren of youre father which is in heauen Who can not heare reason wyth Chrysostome that by so necessarie a cause it plainely appeareth that they are no exhortations but commaundementes What remayneth more when we be blotted out of the numbre of the
children of God But by their opinion onely Monkes shall be the children of the heauenly father thei onely shall be bold to call vpon God their Father what shall the Churche do in the meane season it shall by like righte be sent awaie to the Gentiles and Publicans For Christe saith If ye be freindely to your friendes what fauoure looke you for thereby doe not the gentiles and publicans the same But we shall be in good case forsoth if the title of Christians be lefte vnto vs and the inheritaunce of the kingdome of heauen taken awaye from vs. And no lesse stronge is Augustines argument When sayth he the Lorde forbiddeth to commit fornication he no lesse forbiddeth to touche the wife of thine enemie than of thy frende When he forbiddeth thefte he geueth leaue to steale nothyng at all eyther from thy frend or from thine enemie But these two not to steale and not to commit fornication Paule bryngeth within the compasse of the rule of loue yea and teacheth that they are coÌ„teyned vnder this commaundement Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Therfore eyther Paule muste haue ben a false expositour of the lawe or it necessarily foloweth hereby that our enemies ought also to be loued euen by commaundement lyke as our frendes Therefore they doe truely bewraye themselues to bee the chyldren of Satan that do so licentiously shake of the common yoke of the children of God It is to be doubted whether they haue published this doctrine with more grosse dulnesse or shamelesnesse For there are none of the olde wryters that doe not pronounce as of a thynge certayne that these are mere commaundemeÌ„tes And that euen in Gregories age it was not doubted of appereth by his owne affirmation for he without controuersie taketh them for commaundementes And how foolishly do thei reson They say that they are to weighty a burden for Christians As though there coulde be deuised any thing more weighty than to loue God with al our heart with al our soule with al our strength In coÌ„parison of this lawe any thing maye be compted easy whether it be to loue our enemy or to laye away all desire of reueÌ„ge out of our minde In deede all thinges are hye and harde to our weakenesse euen the leaste tittle of the lawe It is the Lord in whome we vse strength Let him geue what he commaundeth and commaunde what he will Christian menne to be vnder the lawe of grace is not vnbrydledly to wander without law but to be graffed in Christ by whose grace they are free from the curse of the lawe and by whose spirite they haue a lawe written in their heartes This grace Paule vnproprely called a lawe alludyng to the lawe of God agaynst which he did set it in coÌ„parison But these men do in the name of the law dispute vpoÌ„ a mater of nothyng Of lyke sorte it is that they called Ueniall sinne bothe secrete vngodlynesse that is agaynste the firste table and also the direct transgressyng of the laste commaundement For they define it thus that it is a desire without aduised assent which resteth not long in the heart But I say that it can not come at all into the heart but by wante of those thynges that are required in the lawe We forbidde to haue strange gods When the minde shaken with the engines of distrust loketh aboute els where when it is touched wyth a soden desire to remoue her blessednesse some otherwaye whense come these motions although they quickely vanish awaye but of this that there is some thyng in the soule empty to receyue such tentations And to the ende not to drawe out this argument to greater length there is a commaundement geuen to loue God with all our heart with all oure mynde wyth all our Soule yf then all the powers of our soule be not beâ—te to the loue of God we haue allready departed from the obedience of the lawe Bicause the enemies that doe therein arise against his kingdome and interrupt his decrees do proue that God hath not his throne well stablished in our conscience As for the laste commaundement we haue alredy shewed that it properly belongeth hereunto Hath any desire of minde pricked vs we are alredy gilty of couetyng and therewithall are made transgressors of the law Bycause the Lord doth forbid vs not only to purpose and practise any thyng that maye be to an others losse but also to be pricked and swell with couetyng it But the curse of God doth alwaye hange ouer the transgression of the lawe We can not therefore proue euen the very least desires free froÌ„ iudgement of death In weyeng of sinnes sayth Augustine let vs not brynge false balances to weye what we liste and how we list at our owne pleasure sayeng this is heuy and this is light But let vs bryng Gods balance out of the holy Scriptures as out of the Lordes tresorie and let vs therein weye what is heuy rather let vs not weye but reknowledge thinges alredy weyed by the Lord. But what sayth the Scripture Truely when Paule sayth that the rewarde of sinne is death he sheweth that he knewe not this stinkyng distinction Sithe we are to muche enclined to hypocrisie this cherishement thereof ought not to haue ben added to flaâ—ter our slouthfull consciences I would to God they would consider what that sayeng of Christ meaneth He that transgresseth one of the leaste of these commaundementes and teacheth men so shal be compted none in the kingdome of heauen Are not they of that sort when they dare so extenuate the traÌ„sgression of the law as if it were not worthy of death but they ought to haue considered not only what is coÌ„maunded but what he is that coÌ„maundeth bicause his authoritie is diminished in euery transgression how litle so euer it be of the lawe that he hath geuen in coÌ„maundement Is it a small matter with them that Gods maiestie be offended in any thing Moreouer yf God hath declared his will in the law what so euer is contrarie to the law displeaseth him Will they imagine the wrath of God to be so disarmed that punishement of death shall not forthwith follow vpon them And he himself hath pronounced it plainely if they would rather finde in their heartes to heare his voyce than to trouble the clere truthe with their vnsauorie suttelties of argument The soule sayth he that sinneth the same shall die Againe whiche I euen nowe alleged The reward of sinne is death But albeit they graunt it to be a sinne bicause they can not denie it yet they stande stiffe in this that it is no deadly sinne But sithe they haue hetherto to much borne with their owne madnesse let them yet at leÌ„gth learne to waxe wiser But if they continue in dotage we wil bid them farewel and let the childreÌ„ of God learne this that al sinne is deadly bicause it is a rebellion agaynst the will of God whiche of
notable curse agaīst all thē that continue not in al things Wherby the deuise of righteousnesse in part is largely confuted sithe no other righteousnes is admitted into heauē but a whole obseruing of the law And no whit soūder is that which they are wōt to babble of supplieng of recōpense by works of Superero gatiō For why Do thei not still returne to the same place frō whēse thei ar alredy shut out that he which kepeth the law in part is by workes so far righteous That which no man of sound iugement wil graunt thē thei do to shamelesly take for cōfessed So oft the Lord testifieth that he acknowlegeth no righteousnesse of works but in the perfect obseruing of his law What obstinatie is it that we whē we are destitute of that obseruing leaste we shold seme spoiled of al glorie that is to haue altogether geuē place to God do boste our selues of I wote not what small peces of a few workes go about by satisfactions to redeme that which wanteth Satisfactiōs haue already before been sufficiētly ouerthrowē that we ought not now so much as to dreame of thē Only this I say that thei which so play the fooles do not wey how detestable a thing sin is before God for truly thei shold vnderstād that the whole righteousnes of men being laid vpō a heap is not sufficient to make recōpence for one sinne For we se that mā was by one offence so cast awai abādoned of God that he therwithal lost al mean to recouer saluatiō Therfore the power of Satisfaction is taken away wherw t they flatter thē selues but surely shal neuer satisfy God to whō nothīg is pleasant or acceptable that procedeth frō his enemies And his enemies are al they to whō he purposeth to impute sinnes Therfore our sinnes must be couered forgiuē before that the lord haue respect to any worke of ours Whervpon foloweth that the forgiuenesse of sinnes is of fre grace which they do wickedly blaspheme that thrust in any satisfactiōs Let vs therfore after the exāple of the Apostle forgettīg those things that ar behind vs and hasting forward to those thinges that are before vs run in our race endeuouring to the price of the highe calling c. But how doth the bosting of the works of supererogation agre with that rule which is taught vs that whē we haue done all things that ar cōmaunded vs we should say that we are vnprofitable seruantes that we haue done no more then we ought To say before God is not to fain or to lye but to determine with thy self that which thou arte assured of The lord therfore cōmandeth vs vnfainedly to think consider with our selues that we do not any fre beneficiall doings to hī but to render due seruice And worthily For we ar seruantes endetted in so many seruices as we ar no able to discharge although al our thoughts all our membres wer turned into dutieful deeds of the law And therfore that which he saithe Whē ye haue done all things that are cōmāded you c. is as much in effect as if the righteousnesse of one man were more thā al the righteousnes of men How therfore may we of whom there is none that is not moste farre distant frō this marke bee so bolde as to boste that we haue added a heap to the ful measure Neither is ther any cause why any mā may take exceptiō say that nothing withstādeth but that his endeuour mai procede beyōd necessary duties which in som behalf ceasseth those that be frō necessary For this we must altogither hold that we cā imagin nothing that auaileth either to the worship or the loue of God which is not comprehedēd vnder the law of God If it be a part of the law let vs not boaste of voluntary liberalitie where we are bound to neccessitie And for this purpose that glorieng of Paul is out of season alledged That among the Corinthians he did of his owne wil yeld of his right which otherwise he might haue vsed if he had wold that he hath employed vpon thē not only so muche as he ought of dutie but also hath geuen them his free trauail beyond the boundes of duties But they shold haue marked the reason there expressed that he did this least he shold be an offense to the weake For false deceitful workemen did boste thē selues with this alluring shew of liberalitie wherby they might bothe procure fauour to their poisonous doctrines raise vp hatred to y◠Gospel so that Paul was driuē of necessitie either to bring the doctrine of Christ into danger or to mere with suche craftes Go to if it be to a christian man an indifferent thing to runne into offense when he may refraine it then I graunt that the Apostle did somthing of Supererogation for the Lord. But if this were by right required or a wise distributer of the Gospel then I say that he did that whiche was his dutie to doe Finally although there appere no suche cause yet this saying of Chrysostome is alway true that al our thinges are in the same case wherin are the propre possessions of bondmen whiche it is certaine by the law to be due to their Lord. And Christ bath vttered the same in the parable For he asked what thanke we wil geue to a bondseruant when hauing ben all the day trauailed with sondry labours he returneth home to vs in the euening But it is possible that he hath labored with greater diligence than we durst haue required Be it so yet he hath done no thing but that which by his estate of bōdage he ought for he with his whole abilitie is ours I speake not of what sort their Supererogatiōs are whiche these men wil boste of to God for they be trifles suche as he neither hath at any tyme cōmanded nor doth approue thē nor wyl allowe thē when accōpt shal be to be made before him In this significatiō only we will graunt that they are workes of Supererogation namely of whiche it is spoken in the Prophet who hath required these things at your handes But let thē remēber what is in an other place also spoken of these thinges Wherfore do ye wey your siluer not in bread Ye spend in labour not in being satisfied It is in dede not very hard for these idle Rabbines to dispute vnder the shadowe in a soft chaire but when the soueraigne iudge shal sit in his iudgement seate suche windy decrees shall of necessitie vanishe away This this was to be sought what affiāce of defense we may bring to his iudgemēt seate not what we may talke of in scholes and corners In this behalf there are chefely two pestilences to be driuen out of our myndes that we put no affiance in the righteousnesse of workes And that we ascribe no part of glorie to thē The Scriptures do euery where thrust vs
wrathe The .xix. Chapter Of Christian libertie NOw we must entreate of Christian libertie the declaration whereof he must not omitt whose purpose is to compreheÌ„d in an abridgment the summe of the doctrine of the Gospel For it is a thing principally necessarie without the knoweledg wherof conscience dare in a maÌ„ner enterprise nothing without doubting thei stumble and start back in many things thei alway stagger tremble but specially it is an appendant of iustification and auaileth not a little to the vnderstanding of the strength thereof Yea thei that earnestly feare God shal hereby receiue an incomparable frute of that doctrine which the wicked Lucianicall men do pleasantly taunt with their scoffes bicause in the spiritual darkenesse wherwyth thei be taken euery wanton railing is lawful for them Wherfore it shal now come forth in fiâ—t season it was profitable to differ to thys place the plainer discoursing of it for we haue already in diuers places lightly touched it bicause so sone as any mention is brought in of Christian libertie then either filthy lustes do boyle or mad motions do arise vnlesse these wanton wittes be timely met withall whiche doe otherwise most naughtily corrupte the veste thinges For some men by pretense of this libertie shake of all obedience of God and breake forthe into an vnbridled licentiousnesse and some men disdaine it thinking that by yt all moderation ordre and choise of thinges is taken awaie What shold we here do beinge compassed in suche narrowe streightes Shall wee bidde Christian libertie farewell and so cutt of all fitt occasion for suche periles But as we haue saide vnlesse that be fast holden neither Christ nor the truthe of the Gospel nor the inward peace of the soule is rightly knowen Rather we must endeuoure that so necessarie a part of doctrine be not suppressed and yet that in the meane time those fonde obiections may be mette withall whiche are wont to rise therevpon Christian libertie as I think consisteth in three partes The firste that the consciences of the faithful when the affiance of their iustification before God is to be sought may raise aduaunce theÌ„selues aboue the law and forget the whole righteousnesse of the lawe For sithe the lawe as we haue already in an other place declared leaueth no man righteous either we are excluded froÌ„ all hope of iustificatioÌ„ or we muste be loosed from the lawe and so that there be no regarde at al hadde of workes For whosâ—â—hinketh that he must bring somwhat be it neuer so little of good workes to obteine righteousnesse he can not apointe any ende or measure of them butte maketh him selfe detter to the whole law Therfore taking away al mention of the law and layinge aside al thinking vpon workes we must embrace the onely mercye of God when we entreate of iustification and turning away our sighte from our selues we must behold Christ alone For ther the question is not how we be righteous but how although we be vnrighteous and vnworthy we be taken for worthy Of which thinge if consciences wyll atteine any certaintie thei must geue no place to the lawe Neither can any man hereby gather that the law is superfluous to the faithfull whom it doth not therfore ceasse to teache and exhorte and pricke forwarde to goodnesse although before the iudgment seate of God it hath no place in their consciences For these two thinges as they are most diuerse so must be wel and diligently distinguished of vs. The whole life of Christians ought to be a certaine meditation of godlinesse bycause they are called into sanctification Herein standeth the offyce of the law that by putting them in mind of their duetie it shold stir them vp to the endeuor of holynesse innoceÌ„cie But when coÌ„scieÌ„ces are carefull how they may haue God mercifull what they shall answer vpon what affiance they shall stand if they be called to his iudgement there is not to be reckened what the law requireth but onely Christ must be set forth for righteousnesse whiche passeth all perfection of the â—awe Upon this point hangeth almost al the argumeÌ„t of the Epistle to the Galathians For that thei be fond expositers which teach that Paule there coÌ„tendeth only for the libertie of ceremonies may be proued by the places of the argumeÌ„ts Of which sort are these That Christ was made a curse for vs that he might redeme vs froÌ„ the curse of the law Againe Stand fast in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made you free be not againe entangled with the yoke of bondage Beholde I Paule say if ye be circumcised Christ shal nothing profit you And he which is circumcised is deitor of the whole law Christ is made idle to you whosoeuer ye be that are iustified by the law ye are falleÌ„ away froÌ„ grace Wherin truely is conteyned some hier thing than the libertie of ceremonies I grauÌ„t in deede that Paul there entreareth of ceremonies bicause he coÌ„tendeth with the false Apostles which weÌ„t about to bring againe into the Christian Church the old shadowes of law which were abolished by the coÌ„ming of Christ. But for the discussing of this questioÌ„ there were hier places to be disputed in which the whole controuersie stoode First bicause by those Iewish shadowes the brightnesse or the gospel was darkened he sheweth that we haue in Christ a fuâ— geuing in deâ—de of al those thinges whiche were shadowed by the ceremonies of Moses Secondly bicause these deceiuers filled the people with a most noughty opinioÌ„ namely that this obedieÌ„ce auailed to deserue the fauor of God Here he standeth much vpoÌ„ this point that the faithful shold not think that thei caÌ„ by any workes of the law much lesse by those litle principles obteine righteousnesse before God And therwithal he teacheth that thei are by the crosse of Christ free froÌ„ the daÌ„natioÌ„ of the law which otherwise hangeth ouer al men yâ— they shold with ful assurednesse rest in Christ alone Which place proprely perteineth to this purpose Last of al he mainteineth to the coÌ„sciences of the faithful their libertie that they should not be bound with any religion in thinges not necessarie The second part which hangeth vpon that former part is that coÌ„sciences obey the law not as compelled by the necessitie of the law but beyng free froÌ„ the yoke of the law it self of their owne accord thei obey the wil of God For bicause they abide in perpetual terrors so long as they be vnder the dominioÌ„ of the law thei shal neuer be with chereful redinesse framed to the obedieÌ„ce of God vnlesse thei first haue this libertie geuen theÌ„ By an exaÌ„ple we shal both more briefly more plainely perceiue what these things meane The coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of the law is that we loue our God with al our heart with al our soule with al our streÌ„gths That this may be done our soule must first be made voide of all
other sense thought our heart must be cleāsed of al desires al our strēgths must be gathered vp drawē together to this only purpose Thei which haue gone most far before other in the way of the Lord are yet very far from this marke For though they loue God with their minde and with sincere affection of heart yet they haue still a great part of their heart and soule possessed with the desires of the fleshe by which they are drawen back and stayed from goyng forward with hasty course to God They do in deede trauayle forward with great endeuor but the fleshe partly febleth their strengthes and partly draweth them to it self What shall they here do when they fele that thei do nothing lesse thā performe the law They wil thei couet they endeuor but nothing with such perfection as ought to be If they loke vpon the law they see that whatsoeuer worke they attēpt or purpose is accursed Neyther is there any cause why any man should deceiue himself with gathering that the worke is therefore not altogether euell bycause it is vnperfect and therfore that God doth neuerthelesse accept that good which is in it For the law requiring perfect loue condēneth al imperfectiō vnlesse y rigor of it be mitigated Therefore his workes should fal to nought which he wold haue to seme partly good he shal finde that it is a transgression of the law euen in this bicause it is vnperfect Loe how al our workes are subiect to the curse of the law if thei be measured by the rule of the law But how shold thē vnhappy soules cherefully applie thēselues to work for which thei might not trust that they colde get any thing but curse On the otherside if beyng deliuered frō this seuere exacting of the lawe or rather from the whole rigor of the lawe thei heare that they be called of God with fatherly gentlenesse thei wil merily with great cherefulnesse answer his calling folow his guiding In a summe they which are boūd to the yoke of the law ar like to vn̄dseruāts to whō are apointed by their lordes certain taskes of work for euery day These seruāts thinke that thei haue done nothing nor dare come into the sight of their lordes vnlesse they haue performed the ful taske of their workes But childrē which are more liberally more freemālike handled of their fathers stick not to present to them their begonne half vnperfect workes yea those hauing some fault trusting that they wil accept their obedience willingnesse of minde Although thei haue not exactly done so much as their good wil was to do So must we be as may haue sure affiāce that our obediēces shal be allowed of our most kinde father how little soeuer how rude vnperfect soeuer thei be As also he assureth to vs by the prophet I wil spare thē saith he as the father is wont to spare his sonne that serueth him Where this word Spare is set for to beare with al or gētly to winke at faultes forasmuch as he also maketh mention of seruice And this affiance is not a litle necessarie for vs without which we shall go about all thinges in vaine For God accompteth himselfe to be worshipped with no worke of ours but which is truely done of vs for the worshipping of him But how can that be done among these terrors where it is douted whether God be offended or worshipped with oure worke And that is the cause why the author of the Epistle to the Hebrues referreth all the good workes that are red of in the holy fathers to faith and weyeth thē only by fayth Touching this libertie there is a place in the Epistle to the Romaines where Paule resoneth that some oughte not to haue dominion ouer vs bicause we are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace For when he had exhorted the faithfull that sinne should not reygne in their mortal bodie and that they should not geue theyr members to be weapons of wickednesse to sinne but shoulde dedicate them selues to God as they that are alyue from the deade and theyr members weapons of righteousnes to God and whereas they might on the other side obiect that they do yet carry with them the fleshe full of lustes and that sinne dwelleth in them he adioyneth that comforte by the libertie of the law as if he shold say Though they doo not yet throughly fele sin destroyed the righteousnes yet liueth not in thē yet ther is no cause why they shold feare be discouraged as though they had ben alwaidispleased with thē for the remnantes of sin forasmuch as they ar by grace made free from the law that theyr workes shuld not be examined by the rule of the law As for them that gather that we may sinne because we ar not vnder the law let thē know that this libertie perteineth nothing to them the ende wherof is to encourage to God The third part is that we be bound with no conscience before God of outward thinges which are by them selues indifferent but that we may indifferently sometime vse thē and sometime leaue them vnused And the knowledge of this libertie also is very necessary for vs for if it shal be absent there shal be no quiet to our consciences no ende of superstitions Many at this daye do thinke vs fonde to moue disputation about the free eating of fleshe about the free vse of dayes and garmentes and suche other smale trifles as they in dede thinke them but there is more weight in them than is commonlye thoughte For when consciences haue ones cast thē selues into the snare they entre into a long and combersome waye from whence they can afterwarde finde no easy way to get oute If a man beginne to doubt whether he maye occupye linnen in shetes shertes hankercheifes and napkines neither wil he be out of doubt whether he may vse hempe and at the last he wil also fal in doubt of maters for he will waye with himselfe whether he can not suppe without napkins whether he maye not be without handkerchifes If any man thinke deyntye meate to be vnlawful at length he shal not with quietnesse before the Lorde eate either brounebreade or common meates when he remembreth that he may yet susteine his body with bacer fode If he doute of pleasaunte wyne afterwarde he will not drinke deade wine with good peace of conscience last of al he wyl not be so bolde to touche sweter and cleaner water than other Finally at the length he wil come to this point to thinke it vnlawfull as the common sayinge is to treade vppon a strawe lying a crosse For here is begonne no lyghte stryfe but this is in question whether God will haue vs to vse these or those thinges whose will ought to guide al our counsels and doynges Hereby some must needes be carried with desperatiō into a confuse deuouryng pit some must despising God and casting away
are founde Athanasies Basiles Cyrilles and suche defenders of true doctrine whom the Lord then raysed vp But lette vs thinke what happened at Ephesus in the second Synode where the heresie of Eutyches preuailed the man of holy memory Flauianus was banished with certain other godly men and many suche mischeues cōmitted euen because Dioscorus a seditious man and of a very naghtye nature was there the chief and not the Spirite of the Lord. But there was not the Chirche I graunt For this I determine vtterly that the truthe doeth not therfore die in the Chirche although it be oppressed of one Councell but that the Lord meruailously preserueth it that it maye agayne in due tyme ryse vp and get the ouerhande But I denie that this is perpetuall that that is a true and certaine exposition of Scripture which hath ben receiued by consentes of a Counsell But the Romanists shoote at an other mark whē they teach that the power to expound the Scripture belongeth to the Councels yea that without appellation from them For they abuse this colour to call it an exposition of the Scripture what soeuer is decreed in the Councels Of purgatorie of the intercession of Saintes of auricular confession and suche other there can not be founde one sillable in the Scriptures But because all these thynges haue been stablished by the authoritie of the Chirch that is to say to speake truely receiued in opinion and vse therfore euery one of them muste bee taken for an exposition of Scripture And not that only But if a Councell decree any thyng though Scripture crie out against it yet it shall beare the name of an exposition therof Christ commaundeth all to drynke of the Cuppe which he reacheth in the Supper The Councell of Constance forbade that it should not bee geuen to the laie people but willed that the preste onely shoulde drinke of it That which so directly fighteth againste the institution of Christe they will haue to be taken for an exposition of it Paule calleth the forbiddyng of mariage the hypocrisie of deuels and the Holy ghost in an other place pronounceth that mariage is in all men holy and honorable Where as they haue afterwarde forbidden prestes to marry they require to haue that takē for the true and naturall exposition of the Scripture when nothing can be imagined more against it If any dare ones open his mouth to the contrary he shal be iudged an heretike because the determination of the Chirche is without appellation and to doute of her exposition that it is not true is a haynous offence Why shold I inueye against so great shamelessnesses For the very shewyng of it is an ouercomyng of it As for that whiche they teache of the power to allowe the Scripture I wittingly passe it ouer For in such sort to make the Oracles of God subiect to the iudgement of men that they should therfore be of force because they haue pleased men is a blasphemie vnworthy to be rehersed and I haue before touched the same mater already Yet I will aske them one thyng If the authoritie of the Scripture be founded vpon the allowance of the Chirche what Councels decree will they alledge of that mater I thynke they haue none Why then did Arrius suffer himselfe to be ouercome at Nice with testimonies brought out of the Gospell of Iohn For after these mens sayeng it was free for hym to haue refused them forasmuche as there had no allowance of a generall Councell gone before They alledge the olde rolle whiche is called the Canon whiche they say to haue proceded from the iudgement of the Chirche But I aske them againe in what Councell that Canon was set foorth Here they must nedes be dumme Howbeit I desire further to knowe what maner of canon they thynke that was For I se that the same was not very certainly agreed among the olde writers And if that which Hierome saieth ought to be of force the bokes of Machabees Tobie Ecclesiasticus and suche other shal be thrust among the Apocrypha which those Canons doo in no wyse suffer to bee doone ¶ The .x. Chapter ¶ Of the power in makyng of lawes wherin the Pope and his haue vsed a moste cruell tyranny and butcherie vpon soules NOw foloweth the second part which they wil haue to consist in making of lawes oute of whiche spring haue flowed innumerable traditions of men euen so many snares to strangle poore soules For they haue had no more conscience than had the Scribes and Pharisees to lay burdens vpon other mens sholders which they themselues would not touche with one finger I haue in an other place taught how cruel a butcherie is that whiche they commaūde concerning auricular confession In other lawes there appeareth not so great violence but those which seme the most tolerable of all doe tyrannously oppresse consciences I leaue vnspoken how they corrupt the worship of God do spoile God hymselfe of hys righte which is the onely lawmaker This power is now to be entreated of whether the Chirch may bind cōsciences with her lawes In which discourse the order of policie is not touched but this only is intēded that God be rightly worshipped according to the rule which himselfe hath prescribed and that the spirituall libertie which hath regarde vnto God may remayne safe vnto vs. Use hath made that al those decrees be called traditions of men whatsouer they be that haue concerning the worship of God proceded frō men beside hys worde Against these do we striue not against the holy profitable ordināces of the Chirch which make for the preseruatiō either of discipline or honestie or peace But the ende of our striuing is that the immeasurable barbarous Empire may be restrained which they vsurpe vppon soules that would be cōpted pastors of the Chirch but in very dede are most cruel butchers For they say that the lawes whiche they make are spiritual perteining to the soule they affirme them to be necessarie to eternal life But so as I euen now touched the kingdome of Christ is inuaded so the libertie by him geuē to the cōsciences of the faithful is vtterly oppressed throwen abrode I speake not now with howe great vngodlynesse they stablish the obseruing of their lawes while out of it they teache men to seke both forgeuenesse of synnes righteousnesse saluatiō while they set in it the whole summe of religiō and godlynesse This one thyng I earnestly holde that there ought no necessitie to be laied vpō cōsciences in those thinges wherin they are made free by Christ and vnlesse they be made free as we haue before taught they cā not rest with God They must acknowlege one only king Christ their deliuerer be gouerned by one law of libertie euen the holy word of the Gospel if they wil kepe stil the grace which they haue ones obteyned in Christe they must be holden with no bondage and bounde
with no bondes These Solons do in dede faine that their constitutions are lawes of libertie a swete yoke a light burden but who can not se that they be mere lyes They themselues in dede do fele no heauinesse of their owne lawes which casting away the feare of God doe carelesly and stoutly neglecte both their owne and Gods lawes But they that are touched wyth any care of their saluation are farr from thynking themselues free so long as they be entangled with these snares We se with howe greate warenesse Paule did deale in this behalfe that he durste not so much as in any one thing laye vpon men any snare at al â–ª and that not without cause Truely he foresaw with how great a wounde coÌ„sciences should be striken if they should be charged with a necessitie of those things wherof the Lord had left them libertie On the other side yâ— constitutions are almost innumerable which these meÌ„ haue most greuously stablished with thretening of eternal death which they most seuerely require as necessarie to saluatioÌ„ And among those there are many most hard to be kept but al of them if the whole multitude of them be layed together are impossible so great is the heape How theÌ„ shal it be possible that they vpoÌ„ whoÌ„ so great a weight of difficultie lyeth shold not be vexed in perplexitie with extreme anguish and terror Therfore my purpose is here to impugne such coÌ„stitutions as tend to thys ende inwardly to bind soules before God and charge them with a religion as though they taughte them of thinges necessary to saluation This question doth therfore encoÌ„ber the most part of meÌ„ because they do not suttelly enough put difference betwene the outward court as thei cal it the court of coÌ„science Moreouer thys encreaseth yâ— difficultie that Paul teacheth that the Magistrate ought to be obeyed not only for feare of punishemeÌ„t but for coÌ„sciences sake Wherupon foloweth the coÌ„sciences are also bounde with the politike lawes But if it were so theÌ„ al should fall that we haue spokeÌ„ in the last chap. and entende now to speake coÌ„cerning the spiritual gouernement For the loosing of thys knot first it is good to learne what is CoÌ„science The definition is to be gathered of the proper deriuatioÌ„ of the word For as wheÌ„ meÌ„ do with minde vnderstanding conceiue the knowlege of things they are therby sayd scire to know wherupon is deriued the name of science knowlege so when they haue a feling of Gods iugement as a witnesse adioined with them which doth not suffer them to hide their siÌ„nes but that they be brought accused to the iudgemeÌ„t seate of God the same feling is called CoÌ„scieÌ„ce For it is a certayne meane betwene God maÌ„ because it suffreth not maÌ„ to suppresse that which he knoweth but pursueth him so far til it bring him to giltinesse This is it that Paule meaneth wheÌ„ he teacheth that CoÌ„scieÌ„ce doth together witnesse with meÌ„ wheÌ„ theyr thoughtes do accuse or acquite them in the iugemeÌ„t of God A simple knowlege might remaine in maÌ„ as enclosed Therfore thys feling which presenteth maÌ„ to the iugemeÌ„t of God is as it were a keper ioyned to maÌ„ to marke watch al his secretes that nothing should remaine buryed in darkenesse WhereupoÌ„ also coÌ„meth the old prouerbe CoÌ„scieÌ„ce is a thousaÌ„d witnesses For the same resoÌ„ also Peter hath set the examinatioÌ„ of a good coÌ„science for quietnesse of mynde wheÌ„ we being persuaded of the grace of Christe doe without feare present our selues to God And the author of the Epistle to the Hebrues vseth these wordes to haue no more coÌ„science of synne in stede of to be deliuered or acquited that synne may no more accuse vs. Therfore as workes haue respect to meÌ„ so the coÌ„science is referred to God so the CoÌ„science is nothyng els but the inwarde purenesse of the hart In which sense Paule writeth that Charitie is the fulfilling of the lawe out of a pure coÌ„science and Fayth not fayned Afterwarde also in the same chap â–ª he sheweth how much it differeth from vnderstanding sayeng that some had suffered shipwracke from the fayth because they had forsakeÌ„ good CoÌ„science For in these wordes he signifieth that it is a liuely affectioÌ„ to worship God a sincere desire to liue Godlily and holily Somtime in dede it is referred also to men as in Luke when the same Paul testifieth that he endeuored himselfe that he mighte walke with a good coÌ„science toward God men But this was therfore saied because the frutes of good coÌ„science do flowe come euen to meÌ„ But in speakyng properly it hath respect to God only as I haue alredy said Hereupon coÌ„meth that a law is said to binde coÌ„science which simply bindeth a man without regarde of meÌ„ or not hauing any coÌ„sideration of them As for exaÌ„ple God coÌ„maundeth not only to kepe the minde chast pure from al lust but also forbiddeth al maner of filthinesse of wordes outward wantoÌ„nesse whatsoeuer it be To the keping of this lawe my coÌ„science is subiect although there liued not one man in the world So he that behaâ—â—th himselfe inteÌ„perantly doeth not only synne in thys that he geueth 〈◊〉 exaÌ„ple to his brethren but he hath his coÌ„science bounde with giltinesse before God In thinges that are of themselues meane there is an other coÌ„sideratioÌ„ For we ought to absteine froÌ„ them if they brede any offeÌ„se but the coÌ„science stil being free So Paule speaketh of fleshe consecrate to idols If any sayth he make dout touch it not for consciences sake I say for coÌ„scieÌ„ce not thine own but the others A faithful maÌ„ shold sinne which being first warned should neuerthelesse eate of such fleshe But howsoeuer in respect of his brother it be necessarie for him to absteine as it is prescribed of God yet he cesseth not to kepe still the libertie of coÌ„science We see how this law bynding the outward worke leaueth the conscience vnbounde Now let vs returne to the lawes of meÌ„ If they be made to this end to charge vs with a religioÌ„ as though the obseruing of them wer of it selfe necessarie theÌ„ we say that that is layed vpoÌ„ coÌ„science which was not lawfull to be laied vpoÌ„ it For our conscieÌ„ces haue not to doe with meÌ„ but with God only whereunto perteineth the coÌ„moÌ„ differeÌ„ce betwene yâ— earthly court the court of coÌ„science WheÌ„ yâ— who le world was wrapped in a most thick mist of ignoraÌ„ce yet this smal sparcle of light remained that they acknowleged a mans coÌ„science to be aboue al iugemeÌ„tes of meÌ„ Howbeit the same thing that they did with one worde coÌ„fesse they did afterwarde in dede ouerthrowe yet it was Gods wil the there should theÌ„ also remaine some testimonie of ChristiaÌ„ libertie which might deliuer coÌ„sciences from the tyranny of meÌ„ But the difficultie is not yet dissolued which ariseth out of the words of
that they ought not to be troubled nor accombred about the obseruations of the law Hetherto it very wel maketh of our syde But the exception that immediatly foloweth neither is any newe law made by the Apostles but the diuine and eternall commaundemeÌ„t of God that charitie ought not to be broken nor doth diminishe one title of that libertie but onely admonisheth the Gentiles how they shold temper themselues to their brethreÌ„ that they abuse not their libertie to the offence of them Let this therfore be the second poynt that the Gentiles should vse a harmelesse libertie and without offence of theyr brethren But yet they prescribe some certain thyng that is they teach and appoint so farre as was expedient for the tyme by what thynges they might runne into the offence of their brethren that they myght beware of those thynges but they adde no newe thyng of their own to the eternall lawe of God whiche forbiddeth the offendyng of brethren Lyke as if the faithfull Pastors which gouerne Chirches not yet wel reformed shoulde coÌ„maunde all their people that tyll the weake with whome they lyue doo growe stronger they should not openly eate fleshe on Friday or openly labor vppon holy dayes or any suche thyng For although these thynges settyng superstition asyde are by themselues indifferent yet when there is added offence of brethren they can not be doone without a faulte But the tymes are suche that the faithfull can not shewe suche a sight to the weake brethren but that they shall sore wounde their consciences Who but a cauiller wil say that so they make a newe lawe wheras it is certayn that they do onely preuent offences whiche are expressely enough forbidden of the Lord And no more can it be sayd of the Apostles whoe 's purpose was nothyng ells but in taâ—yng away the mater of offences to call vpon the lawe of God coucernyng the auoydyng of offence as if they had sayd It is the Lords coÌ„maundement that ye offend not a weake brother Ye can not eate thinges offred to images strangled and blood but that the weake brethren shall be offended Therfore we commaunde you in the woorde of the Lorde that ye eate not with offence And that the Apostles had respect to the same thyng Paule hymselfe is a very good witnesse which writeth thus verily none otherwise than accordyng to the meanyng of the Councell Concernyng meates that are offred to Idols we know that the Idole is nothyng But some with conscience of the Idole do eate it as offred to Idols and their conscience forasmuche as it is weake is defiled See that your libertie be not made an offence to the weake He that shall haue well weyed these thynges shall not afterwarde be deceiued with such a false color as they make that pretende the Apostles for defence on their tyrannie as though the Apostles had begon with their decree to breake the libertie of the Chirche But that they may not be able to escape but be dryuen euen with their owne confession to allowe this solution let them answer me by what right they were so bolde to abrogate the same decree Because there was no more perill of those offences and dissencions which the Apostles meant to prouide for and they knowe that the lawe was to be weyed by the ende therof Forasmuch as therfore this lawe was made in respect of charitie there is nothyng prescribed in it but so muche as perteineth to charitie When they confesse that the transgressyng of this law is nothyng but a breakyng of charitie do they not therwithall acknowlege that it is not a forged addition to the law of God but a naturall and simple appliance to the tymes and maners wherunto it was directed But although such lawes be a hundred times vniuste and iniurious vnto vs yet they affirme that they must be heard without exception for they say that this is not here intended that we shold consent to errors but onely that beyng subiectes we shold beare the hard coÌ„mauÌ„dementes of our gouernors whiche it is not our partes to refuse But here also the Lorde very well resisteth them with the truth of his word and deliuereth vs out of such bondage into the libertie which he hath purchased for vs with his holy blood the benefit wherof he hath more thaÌ„ ones confirmed with his word For that is not here onely intended as they maliciously fain that we shold suffer some greuous oppressioÌ„ in our body but that our coÌ„scieÌ„ces being spoiled of their libertie that is of the benefit of the blood of Christ shold be seruilely tormented Howbeit let vs passe ouer this also as though it made litle to the mater But of howe great importance do we thinke it is that the Lordes kingdome is takeÌ„ away froÌ„ him which he claimeth to himself with so great seueritie But it is takeÌ„ away so oft as he is worshipped with the lawes of mens inueÌ„tions wheras he wil be holden for the only lawmaker of his own worship And least any man shold thinke it to be a mater of nothing let vs heare how much yâ— Lord estemeth it Because saith he this people hath feared me with the coÌ„mauÌ„dement doctrine of men behold I wil astonish them with a great woÌ„derous miracle For wisdome shal perish froÌ„ the wise men therof vnderstaÌ„ding shal depart from the elders In an other place They worship me in vaine teachyng doctrines the coÌ„mauÌ„dements of meÌ„ And truly wheras the childreÌ„ of Israel defiled theÌ„selues with many idolatries the cause of al that euil is ascribed to this vnclean mixture that transgressing the commaundementes of God they haue forged new worshippinges And therfore the holy Historie rehearseth that the new strangers that had ben transplaÌ„ted by the king of BabiloÌ„ to inhabite Samaria wer torne in peces and coÌ„sumed of wilde beastes because they knew not the iudgementes or statutes of the God of that lande Although they had nothing offeÌ„ded in the Ceremonies yet God would not haue allowed a vaine pompe but in the meane time he cessed not to take vengeaÌ„ce of the defyling of hys worship for that meÌ„ did thrust in deuises strange from his worde Wherupon it is afterwarde sayd that they beyng made afrayd with that punishmente receiued the Ceremonies prescribed in the law but because they did not yet purely worship the true God it is twise repeted that they did feare him and did not feare him Wherupon we gather that the part of reuereÌ„ce which is geuen to him coÌ„sisteth in this while in worshipping him we simply folow what he commaundeth with mingling none of our own inuentions And therfore the godly kynges are oftentimes praised because they did according to al the commaundementes and declined not to the ryghte hande nor to the left I go yet further although in some fayned worshipping there do not opeÌ„ly appeare vngodlinesse yet it is seuerely coÌ„demned of the Holy ghost so soâ—e as men depart from the
are by his power brought foorth and deliuered out of the thraldome of Egypt that is to say out of the bondage of sinne that our Pharao is drowned that is to saye the deuell although euen so also he ceasseth not to exercise and weary vs. But as that Egyptian was not throwen downe into the bottome of the sea but beyng ouerthrowen on the shore did yet with terrible syght make the Israelites afrayde but coulde not hurte them so this our enemie yet in dede threateneth sheweth his weapons is felt but can not ouercome In the Cloude was a signe of cleansyng For as then the Lorde couered them with a cloude cast ouer them and gaue them refreshyng colde least they should faint and pine away with to cruell burning of the sunne so in Baptisme we acknowlege our selues couered and defended with the blood of Christ least the seueritie of God which is in dede an intollerable flame shoulde lie vpon vs. But although this mysterie was then darke and knowen to few yet because there is none other way to obteyne saluation but in those two graces God wold not take away the signe of them both from the old Fathers whom he had adopted to be heires Now it is clere how false that is which some haue lately taught and wherin some yet continue that by Baptisme we be loosed and deliuered from originall sinne and from the corruption which was from Adam spread abrode into his whole posteritie and that we be restored into the same righteousnesse and purenesse of nature which Adam should haue obteined if he had stand fast in the same vprightnesse wherein he was first created For suche kynde of teachers neuer vnderstode what was originall sinne nor what was originall righteousnesse nor what was the grace of Baptisme But we haue alredy proued that original sinne is the peruersenesse and corruption of our nature whiche firste maketh vs giltie of the wrath of God and then also bryngeth forth workes in vs whiche the Scripture calleth the woorkes of the fleshe Therefore these two poyntes are seuerally to be marked namely that we being in all partes of our nature defiled and corrupted are already for suche corruption only holdē worthily condemned and conuicted before God to whom nothyng is acceptable but righteousnesse innocence and clennesse Yea and very infantes themselues bryng their owne damnation with them from their mothers wombe Who although they haue not yet brought foorth the fruites of their iniquitie yet haue the sede therof enclosed within them Yea their whole nature is a certaine sede of sinne therfore it can not but be hatefull abhominable to God The faithfull are certified by Baptisme that this damnation is taken away and driuen from them forasmuch as we haue allready said the Lord doth by this signe promise vs that ful and perfect forgeuenesse is graūted bothe of the fault whiche should haue ben imputed to vs and of the peine whiche we should haue suffred for the faulte they take holde also of righteousnesse but suche as the people of God may obteyne in this life that is to say by imputation onely because the Lorde of his owne mercy taketh them for righteous and innocent The other poynte is that this peruersnesse neuer ceasseth in vs but continually bryngeth foorth newe fruites namely those workes of the fleshe which we haue before described none otherwise than a burning fornace continually bloweth out flame and sparcles or as a spring infinitely casteth out water For lust neuer vtterly dieth and is quenched in men vntill being by death deliuered out of the body of death they haue vtterly put of themselues Baptisme in dede promiseth vs that our Pharao is drowned and the mortification of sinne yet not so that it is no more or may no more trouble vs but only that it may not ouercome vs. For so long as we lyue enclosed within this pryson of our bodye the remnantes of synne shall dwell in vs but if we holde fast by faith the promyse geuen vs of God in Baptisme they shal not beare rule nor reigne But let no man deceiue himselfe Let no man flatter hymselfe in his owne euell when he heareth that synne alwaye dwelleth in vs. These thynges are not spoken to this ende that they shoulde carelesly slepe vpon their sinnes which are otherwise to much enclined to sinne but onely that they should not faint and be discouraged which are tickled and pricked of their fleshe Let them rather thynke that they ar yet in the way and let them beleue that they haue much profited when they feele that there is dayely somewhat minished of theyr luste tyll they haue atteined thether whether they trauayle namely to the last deathe of their fleshe which shal be ended in the dyeng of this mortall lyfe In the meane tyme let them not cesse both to striue valiantly and to encourage them to goe forwarde and to stirre them vp to full victorie For this also oughte more to whett on their endeuors that they see that after that they haue long trauailed they haue yet no small businesse remainyng This we ought to hold we are baptised into the mortifying of our fleshe which is begon by baptisme in vs which we daily folowe but it shal be made perfect whē we shal remoue out of this life to the lord Here we saye no other thyng than the Apostle Paule in the seuenth Chapter to the Romaines moste clerely setteth oute For after that he had disputed of free righteousnesse because some wicked menne dydde thereof gather that we myght lyue after our owne luste because we should not be acceptable to God by the deseruynges of workes he addeth that all they that are clothed with the righteousnesse of Christ are therwith regenerate in Spirite and that of this regeneration we haue an earnest in baptisme Hereuppon he exhorteth the faithfull that they suffer not sinne to haue dominion in their membres Now because he knewe that there is alway some weakenesse in the faithfull that they should not therfore be discouraged he adioyneth a comforte that they are not vnder the lawe Because againe it might seme that Christians might growe insolent because they are not vnder the yoke of the law he entreateth what maner of abrogating that is and therwithal what is the vse of the lawe which question he had now the seconde tyme differred The summe is that we be deliuered from the rigor of the lawe that we should cleaue to Christ but that the office of the lawe is that we being conuinced of our peruersnesse shold confesse our owne weaknesse and miserie Now forasmuche as that peruersnesse of nature doth not so easely appeare in a prophane man which foloweth his owne lustes without feare of God he setteth an example in a man regenerate namely in him self He saith therfore that he hath a continual wrastlyng with the remnantes of his fleshe and that he is holden bounde with miserable bondage that he can not consecrate himself
rule of lyuyng rightly Therfore the Morall lawe that I may first beginne the rat sith it is conteined in two chefe pointes of which the one commaundeth simply to worship God with pure faith and godlynesse the other to embrace men with vnfained loue is the true and eternall rule of righteousnesse prescribed to the men of al ages and tymes that wil be willyng to frame their lyfe to the will of God For this is his eternall and vnchangeable will that he hymselfe should be worshipped of vs all and that we shold mutually loue one an other The Ceremoniall lawe was the schooling of the Iewes wherwith it pleased the Lord to exercise the certain childhode of that people tyll that tyme of fullnesse come wherin he would to the full manifestly shewe his wisdome to the earth and delyuer the truthe of those thynges which then were shadowed with figures The iudiciall lawe geuen to them for an order of ciuile state gaue certayne rules of equitie and righteousnesse by whiche they myght behaue them selues harmlessely and quietly together And as that exercise of ceremonies proprely perteyned in dede to the doctrine of godlynesse namely which kept the Chirch of the Iewes in the worship religion of God yet it might be distinguished from godlynesse it self so this forme of iudiciall orders although it tended to no other ende but howe the selfe same charitie might best be kept whiche is commaunded by the eternall lawe of God yet had a certayne thyng differyng from the very cōmaūdement of louyng As therefore the Ceremonies myghte be abrogate godlinesse remaynyng safe and vndestroyed so these iudiciall ordinances also beyng taken away the perpetuall dueties and commaundemētes of charitie may continue If this be true verily there is libertie left to euery nation to make suche lawes as they shall forsee to be profitable for them whiche yet must be framed after that perpetuall rule of charitie that they may in dede vary in forme but haue the same reason For I thinke that those barbarous sauage lawes as were those that gaue honor to theues that alowed common copulations and other both muche more filthy and more against reason are not to be taken for lawes forasmuche as they are not onely against all rightuousnesse but also against naturall gentylnesse and kyndnesse of men This which I haue sayde shal be playne if in all lawes we beholde these two thynges as we ought the makyng and the equitie of the law vpon the reason wherof the makyng it selfe is founded stayeth Equitie because it is naturall can be but one of all lawes and therfore one lawe accordyng to the kynde of mater oughte to be the propounded ende to all lawes As for makyngs of Lawes because they haue certaine circumstances vpon which they partly hang if so that they tende all together to one marke of equitie though they be diuerse it maketh no mater Nowe sithe it is certayne that the lawe of God whiche we call morall is nothyng ells but a testimonie of the naturall law and of that conscience which is engrauen of God in the myndes of men the whole rule of this equitie wherof we nowe speake is set foorth therin Therfore it alone also must be bothe the marke and rule and ende of all lawes Whatsoeuer lawes shal be framed after that rule directed to that marke and limited in that ende there is no cause why we should disalowe them howsoeuer they otherwise differ from the Iewishe lawe or one from an other The lawe of God forbiddeth to steale What peyne was appoynted for theftes in the ciuile state of the Iewes is to be sene in Exodus The most auncient lawes of other nations punished thefte with recompence of double the lawes that folowed afterwarde made difference betwene manifest theft and no manifest Some proceded to banishemente some to whippyng some at last to the punishmente of death False witnesse was among the Iewes punished with recompēce of egall paine in some places onely with greate shame in some places with hangyng in other some with the Crosse. Manslaughter all lawes vniuersally doo reuenge with blood yet with dyuers kyndes of deathe Agaynst adulterers in some places were ordeined seuerer peynes in some places lighter Yet we see howe with suche diuersitie all tend to the same ende For with one mouthe they all together pronounce punishement against all the offences which haue ben condemned by the eternal law of God as manslaughters theftes adulterie false witnessings but in the maner of punishement they agree not Neither is the same nedefull nor yet expedient There is some contree which vnlesse it shewe rigor with horrible examples against mansleyers should immediately be destroied with murders and robberies There is some tyme that requireth the sharpnesse of peynes to be encreased If there aryse any trouble in a common weale the euils that are wont to growe therof muste be amended with newe ordinances In tyme of warre all humanitie would in the noyse of armure fall away vnlesse there were caste into men an vnwonted feare of punishementes In barennesse in pestilēce vnlesse greater seueritie be vsed all thyngs will come to ruine Some nation is more bent to some certaine vice vnlesse it be most sharply suppressed Howe malicious and enuious shall he be againste the publike profite that shal be offended with suche diuersitie whiche is most fitte to holde fast the obseruyng of the lawe of God For that whyche some saye that the Lawe of God geuen by Moses is dishonored when it beyng abrogate newe are preferred aboue it is moste vaine For neither are other preferred aboue it when they are more allowed not in simple comparison but in respect of the estate of the tymes place and nation neither is that abrogate which was neuer made for vs. For the LORDE gaue not that lawe by the hande of Moses which should be published into all nations and florishe euery where but when he had receiued the nation of the Iewes into his faith defence and protection he willed to be a lawemaker peculiarly to them and lyke a wise lawmaker he hadde in making of hys lawes a certaine singular consideration of them Now remayneth that we consider that which we haue set in the last place what profit of lawes iudicial orders and magistrates cometh to the common felowship of Christians Wherwith also is coupled an other question how much priuate men ought to yeld to magistrates and how farre their obedience ought to procede Many thought the office of magistrat to be superfluous among Christiās because forsoth thei can not godlily craue their ayde namely sithe they are forbidden to reuenge to sue in the law and to haue any controuersie But whereas Paule contrarywise plainly testifieth that he is the minister of God to vs for good we thereby vnderstand that he is so ordeined of God that we being defended by his hande and succours agaynst the maliciousnesse and iniuries of mischeuous men may lyue a