him the cause of theyr calamities and miseries whyche was in them selues With theese few solutions answers any man may easely rid him selfe from manye authorities whiche the ennemyes of the grace of God are wōt to heape together for to erect and sette vppe the Idoll of theyr free wyll ALBION This is moste sure that the Lorde dothe speake these woordes by his prophet Oseas Obiectiō I wyll go and retourn to my place Osee v. tyll they waxe faint and seke me It were a folish thing said my gentle men vnto me if the LORD should tary til Israel shuld tourne and seeke hym except it dyd lie in theyr power to tourn which waye they listed PHILA Aunswer The enemies can wynne nothinge vpon vs by the threatenings of god As thoughe the Lorde doth not commōly in the prophets make as though he should forsake and caste of hys people tyll they amend and tourne vnto hym but what are oure ennemyes able to gather of suche threatnynges If they go about to gather by them that men beinge forsaken of God are of their owne selues able to turne againe then haue they all the scriptures against them If they saye that they haue neede of the garce of God that they maye turne again what neede they to contende or striue with vs DIDYMVS They do not denye but that the grace of God is necessarye if ye wyll graunte that there is also in manne a certayne strength PHILALETHES Howe shall they be able to prone that Truely they can not proue it by this place nor by suche like For it is an other thynge to go away from man and to looke what beyng permitted and lefte vnto hym selfe he is able to do and an other thynge to healpe hys small strength as hys imbecilitye and weakenesse dothe requyre DYDIMVS Question What doth the lord meane then by suche manner of speakyng PHILALETHES It is euen as if he shoulde say Aunswer Syth that this rebellious people wyll take no heede to my warnings and exhortations nor yet to my sharpe rebukinges I wyll for a tyme wythdrawe my self from him and suffer him to be afflycted and troubled I wyll see whether this styfnecked people wyll at length after theyr greate calamityes miseries and troubles remember me and seke my face Nowe What it is meant when the scripture sayeth that God doth withdrawe him selfe from this people when the scripture sayeth that God dothe wythdraw hym self the meaning of it is that God doth take away hys prophecye and worde wher in he declareth a certain presēce of hys And to looke what men wyll do it signifyeth that God wyll holde him selfe styll and as he were a sleape suffer them to be manye and sondrye wayes plaged And bothe these thynges is he wont to doo for to make vs to humble oure selues For we should rather by aduersitye be dryuen vnto desperatyon than vnto anye amendemente of lyfe except he should by his spirite make vs meete to receiue hys chastisement Wherfore to go about by suche places for to proue that there is anye such strengthe in vs or that we haue free wyll to doe what we list it is a plain madnes For such thinges be spoken in the scriptures for none other purpose but for to make vs to know oure own infirmity and weakenesse ALBION I dyd aske them whether they could bryng anye authorities of the scripture The obiection of the papistes whereby they myght proue expreslye that a man hath suche free wyll as they went about to maintaine and vphold They dyd then aunswer me that Moses was so sure of it that he did not doubt to say these wordes vnto the children of Israell Deut. xxx I take heauen and earth this day to record ouer you that I haue layde before you life and deathe blessing and cursing Chuse life therefore that thou mayest lyue thou and thy feede and that ye maye loue the Lorde your God and harken vnto his voyce and cleaue vnto him Iosu xxiiii Iosua also did saye vnto the people Chuse ye this daye whome ye wyll serue The God whome youre fathers serued beyonde the water or the Goddes of the Amorites in whose lande ye dwell Thinke ye that these true seruaunts of God Moses and Iosua would haue spoken thus vnto the people except it had lyen in their power to chuse which they would It is playne then that they had free wyll elles suche things hadde bene spoken vnto them in vaine PHILALETHES Aunswer Suche sentences and autoryties of the scripture do not proue that man hath free wyl to do what he lyst or that he can at his owne pleasure chuse both good and euil For although Moses doth saye vnto the people I do laye before you both life and death yet it foloweth not that they were able of theyr owne selues to chuse lyfe without the spirit and grace of God Deu. xxix Whiche thinge he doth sufficientely declare in an other place when he sayeth Thyne eies haue sene these greate tokens and wonders Yet the Lorde hath not geuen thee a harte to vnderstande nor eares to heare nor eies to see As then it did profytte the people nothinge to haue seene the greate tokens and wonders that the Lord did worke in Egipt euen in theyr owne sight excepte he did geue them a harte to vnderstande eares to heare and eies to see that is to saye except the Lorde did by his holy spirit lyghten their harts vnstop their eares and cleare the eyes of theyr myndes euen so althoughe Moses Iosua and all the prophetes of God doe saye a thousande time Behold we laye before you lyfe and death chuse whiche ye wyll yet all this wyll profytte vs nothinge except God dothe worke inwardely wyth his holy spirit Whiche thinge Saint Paule dothe neyther dyssemble nor hydde when he wryteth on thys manner i. Cor. i. I haue planted and Apollo hathe watred But it is the Lord that geueth the encreace But that ye maye the better perceaue the whole matter ye shall vnderstande that God doth by the preachinge of his prophetes and Apostles Mat. ix as when oure sauioure Iesu Christe dyd saye vnto the manne that was sycke of the palsye aryse take vp thy bedde and go home It dyd not folowe that he hadde strengthe to aryse excepte oure sauyoure Iesus Christe hadde geuen it hym But when Chryste dyd saye vnto hym aryse He did streyght wyth it geue him strength to aryse Euen so when God doth by his preachers speake vnto them whom he hath chosen already and doth commaund them to aryse oute of the bdde of synne streyght wyth hee geueth them strength to do it DIDYMVS Obiectiō I maruayle that ye wyll haue no manner of strength to bee lefte vnto vs in thinges that perteyne to our saluation and lyfe euerlastinge syth that oure sauioure Iesus Crhist him self doth testifye that the manne that went from Ierusalem to Iericho luc x. by whom he
PHILALETHES The place that they aleadged out of Ecclesiasticus maketh nothinge for them for how the place of Ecclesiasticus ought to be vnderstaÌ„ded it oughte to be vnderstanded of man being in the fyrst estate of his creation and beynge in his originall innocency and righteousnesse And because that it shall not bee thoughte that I bringe any thing of mine owne heade ye shall heare what Saynte Augustine sayethe whose wordes are these free wyll before the fall was an vprighte free wyll De caÌ„ticonouo ca. viii before whiche fyer and water was layed of God and the fyrste manne dyd reatche hys hande to whyche he woulde hee dyd choyse fier and forsoke water See the ryghteous iudge the same whiche manne beinge free dyd choyse he dyd receaue he woulde haue euyll and the same did folowe him Contra fortu Disputa xi And in an other place these be also hys woordes I saye that fre wyl was in that man which was created fyrst For he was so made that nothinge coulde withstande hys wyll if he would haue kepte Goddes commaundementes but after that hee hadde synned throughe free wyll hee dyd cast vs all that come of hys stocke into necessitye And therfore he writeth in an other place In encherid ad lauren Ca. xxx De verbis aposer ii that manne vsinge not well free wyll did bothe lose it him self Againe It is true sayeth he that manne when he was made did receaue greate strength of free wyll but he did lose it through synne These autorityes of Sainte Augustine doo sufficientely declare how the place that they aleaged oute of Ecclesiasticus oughte to be vnderstanded For there doubtelesse the wise manne dothe speake of man as he was first created in the estate of innocency and righteousnes and not as he was wyth his posteritye after hys fall De eccledogm ca. xxxii whereby as Saynte Augustine saithe all menne haue loste theyr naturall possibilitye or ablenesse and theyr naturall or originall innocencye And so ought the doctoures that they dyd bryng in for them selues to be vnderstanded for they do all speake of manne as he was afore his fall Whyche thynge appeareth to be moste true by the saying of Saint Hierome Iero in xxiii cap. Iere. who wrytinge vppon Ieremy saithe plainly these wordes And therefore the heretykes be wonte to promyse felicity and to open vnto sinners the kingdom of heauen saying Thou maist folowe the maiestye of God and be without synne syth that thou hast receyued the power or strength of free wyll and the vnderstandyng of the lawe whereby thou arte able to obtayne what so euer thou wylte And so the saide Heretykes do deceyue the poore symple and ignoraunt personnes and specially women whyche beynge loden with sinnes are ledde to and froe with euerye winde of doctrine deceiuynge by theyr flattery al them that geue eares vnto them Heare ye see that saint Ierome dothe call them all Heretikes that saye that menne be able by theyr free wyll to do bothe good and euyll Wheruppon we maye well conclude that in his Epistle ad Ctesiphonâ—em Existo ad ctesiphon tem he dothe speake of the fyrste estate of manne that he was in afore hys transgressyon and fall And as for Chrisostome although he dothe exceade in extollynge the naturall strengthe of manne hom i. in aduen yet dothe he confesse plainelye that euerye manne is not onely of hys owne nature a synner but also that he is synne altogether Whereby he doth ouerthrow what so euer he dothe wryte or saye in anye other place in the commendacyon of free wyll and of oure natural strengthe EVTRAPELVS That must be mooste true For if accordynge to his owne sayinge we be not only sinners of our owne nature but also synne all together where is oure gaye payncted free wyll become Ioh. viii Dothe not the truthe hym selfe saye that euery man that sinneth is a seruaunte of synne Againe is it not wrytten that of whome so euer a manne is ouercome ii Pet. ii vnto the same he is in boundage It appeareth then by thys that we are verye farre from that liberty and fredome that they doe so muche boaste of DYDIMVS Wherefore did then these ancient fathers and wryters of the Catholike churche extoll so muche the free will and naturall strengthe of manne Home lii For Chrisostome hath alwaies in his mouth Let vs bring that whiche is oure own God wyl supply the residue Where vnto Ierome doth agree saying Nostrum est incipere Dia. iii. con Pelagianes dei autem perficere Nostrum est offerre quod possumus illius implere quod non possumus That is to saye It is our part for to begin and it is Gods parte for to performe It is our parte to offer that whiche we can and it is his part to supply or fulfyll that that we can not PHILALETHES It is moste playne Why the aunciant fathers spake so of fre wil that they dyd seme to alowe it that they did it to thys end that they might driue awaye all slouggishnesse from menne Which thing they that came after did not perceiue And therefore they did attribute so muche to the free will and naturall strength of man that the fre mercy and grace of God was in a manner vtterlye forgotten DyDIMVS Howe can it be proued that they did tt onlye for that purpose PHILALETHES It is easy to be proued For if they shoulde meane as they write they shoulde directly be against the plain scriptures and worde of God and also against them selues Fyrst and foremost the LORD him selfe saieth I wyll hencefourth curse the earth no more for mans sake Gen. viii For the ymagination of mannes heart is euyll euen from the very youth of him And Moses for to declare Deu. xxix how vnable we be of oure selues to vnderstande heauenlye thinges doth saye plainlye these wordes Ye haue seene all that the Lorde did before youre eyes in the lande of Egipte vnto Pharao and vnto and all his seruaunts Thine eies haue sene these great tokens and wonders And yet vnto this day hath not the Lorde geuen you a harte that vnderstandeth eies that see eares that heare What could he saye more excepte he shuld call vs blocks and stones And in Ezechiel the Lorde sayeth A new heart Eze. xxvi wyl I geue you and a newe spirit wyl I put in to you As for that stony hearte I wyll take it oute of youre bodye and geue you a fleshy hart I will geue you my spirit amonge you and cause you to walke in my commaundements to kepe my lawes and to fulfyll them This place onely doth sufficientely teache vs that excepte oure stony heartes be taken away from vs and flesshy that is to saye obediente hartes geuen vs in stede of them yea and a newe spirit put in to vs whiche shoulde worke in vs an obedience towards the Lordes commaundementes we are
fleshly For the man that is not regenerated or borne of newe wyll speake no such woordes as Dauid dyd For they are the wordes of a manne that is alreadye made a newe creature by the Spirite of God This will then that was in Dauid did not come of hys owne self nor of his fre will that he had of his owne nature but it did com of the spirit of God who dyd geue this will vnto Dauid For Iesus Christ him selfe doth say Verely verelye I saye vnto you Iohn iii excepte a manne be borne from aboue he can not see the kingdome of God Where by he dothe meane that manne is able to doe nothynge that is pleasaunte or acceptable vnto GOD. Nor yet taste the swetenesse of the heauenly kingdome excepte it be geuen vnto him ALBION If said thei vnto me we haue no free wil Obiectiō why shoulde God so manye times call synners vnto repentaunce were it not labour lost so to do How manye tymes doth he by his Prophets crye out and say Turne ye vnto me al ye endes of the earthe Esay xlv and so shall ye be saued Againe Tourne vnto me and repent Eze. xviii If menne haue not fre wil to do these thinges the prophets do labor in vaine PHILALETHES If ye marke wel the talke and communication of youre faithfull guides aunswer ye shall easelye perceiue that they be not throughlye exercised in the scryptures For God doth not so speake vnto menne by hys Prophettes because that synners are able of theyr own selues to turn vnto hī DIDyMVS Howe be ye able to proue that PHILALETHES .. First wher Esay saithe Esay xlv in the persons of the Lorde Tourne ye vnto me and ye shall be healed by and by Ieremye dothe crye oute and saye O Lord turne me and I shal be turned For thou arte the Lorde my God Yea assone as thou turnest me I shal reforme my self Again the Lorde dothe commaunde that we shoulde circumcise oure owne heartes Iere. iiii yet by Moses he dothe declare that the same circumcision is made with his owne hande Deut. xxx He doth also require the renewing of our heartes but in an other place he doth plainly testify that it is he him self that geueth it Loke therfore what God doth promise that do we not by oure free will or nature as S. Augustine saithe but GOD dothe it by his grace And this is the fift thing The rule of Tironius that he dothe bid vs to marke amonge the rules of Tironius that is to say that we shoulde note diligentlye the dyfference that is betwixt the law and the promises or betwixte the commaundementes and the grace I maye here bringe in manye other lyke places Act. xv Paule and Barnabas do exhorte the faythfull to abyde and perseuer in the grace of God But Paule in an other place doth shewe whence that vertue of constancye and perseueraunce dothe come Ephe. vi fynally my bretherne saith he be strong in the Lorde Again for this cause do I bowe my knees vnto the father of oure Lord Iesu Christe that he woulde graunte you accordinge to the rychesse of his glory that ye maye be strengthed wyth might by the spirit of the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hartes by faith Moreouer he sayeth Greue not the holye spyrit of God Ephe. iiii by whom ye are sealed vnto redemption But the thynge that he doth requyre there because that it canne not be perfourmed by menne he doth desyre God to graunte it vnto the Thessalonians sayinge i. Thes i. wherfore we pray alwayes for you that your god make you worthy of your callinge and fulfyll al good purpose of his goodnesse and the worke of fayth wyth power that the name of oure Lorde Iesu Christ maye be glorifyed in you and ye in hym throughe the grace of our God and of the Lord Iesu Christ These places do sufficiently declare that what so euer God dothe requyre of vs the same he must worke in vs by his holye spirite For of our selues we are able to do no maner of thing the good is DIDY Question Why doth God thē speake after this maner vnto men PHI. Aunswer God causeth men to be thus admonished and warned because that it is a meane that he hathe appoynted and ordayned And whiche he dothe vse for to illuminate and lighten those that be elected and chose vnto life euerlasting and for to make thē to know their sinnes For god by the preaching of his worde by the vertue of his holy spirite doth geue vnto them that be chosē vnto lyfe euerlasting strength to turn vnto him And although this doctrin of conuersyon or turning is directed vnto all mē generally yet doth it most chieflye pertain vnto the elect and chosen vnto whom by this meane God illuminating them doth geue power and strength to conuert or turn Againe Why God causeth obstinate synners to be warned God causeth obstynate synners to be thus warned by his Prophets because that they shuld not pretend ignorance nor excuse them selues by it in the iudgemēt of God And also for to shewe that he loueth vertue rightousnesse and that he is not author of euil Whē God did send Moses vnto Pharao Exo. vii God knew right wel that Pharao wold not turne Yet we must not say that God did send him in vain ALBI. Thus they said vnto me Obiectiō wherfore do these promises serue seke after the thing that is good and not euill so shall ye liue Amos. v yea the lord god of hostes shal be with you accordinge to your owne desires Againe If ye be louinge and obedient ye shal enioye the best thing that groweth in the lande but if ye be obstinate and rebellious ye shal be deuoured with the swerde For the mouthe of the Lord hathe spoken it Iere. iiii Item if thou wylt put away thy abhominations oute of my sight thou shalt not be dryuen oute If thou shalt harken vnto the voyce of the Lorde thy God to obserue and do all his commaundements Deut. xxv Le. xxviii which I commaund the this daye then shall the Lord thy God set the aboue all nations vpon earth And such other lyke excepte we haue free wyll or except it lyeth in oure power to fulfyll and perfourme the condytions that are annexed vnto them we maye saye in deede that they be goodlye promyses if the conditions that be annexed vnto them canne not be perfourmed by oure owne strengthe and power and that God dothe playe mocke holy daye wyth vs if he promysethe thynges that it lyeth not in vs to obtayne PHILALE And I saye that it is a playne blasphemye Aunswer to affyrme that God doth playe mocke holy daye wyth vs when he doth prouoke vs to deserue his benefits although he knoweth vs to be vnable to do it For when the promises are offered vnto the faythfull vngodly in lyke The effecte
of Gods promises both in the godly and in the vngodly they haue their effect and working in them bothe For as God dothe by his commaundementes pricke the consciences of the vngodly lest putting away altogether the remēbraunce of his iudgementes they shoulde haue to much pleasure in synne so by his promises he doth testify and declare vnto them how vnworthy they are of his liberality goodnesse For who woulde saye that it is not mete and conueniente Marke this diligentely that the Lorde shoulde do good vnto them that do worship him And that againe he shoulde accordinge to his seueritye and iustyce take vengaunce of theym that are despisers of his maiesty Therfore it cā not be said but that God doth iustlye when in his promises he dothe prescribe and geue suche a law and condition vnto the vngodlye whiche be wrapped in sinne that they shall receiue and enioye hys benefites if they doe forsake their wickednesse althoughe hee shoulde do it onlye for thys cause that they maye vnderstande that they are iustlye and deseruinglye put from those thinges that are due vnto the true worshippers of God Again sith that God dothe by all meanes prouoke the faithful to cal for his grace why shuld not he as wel attempte the same by his promisses as by his law and cēmaundements being taught the wyl of God by his commaundements we are warned of our owne miserye because that of oure own nature we do all together dissent and disagre from it and also we are moued to cal vppon the spirit of god for to bring vs into the right way But because that oure sluggyshnesse is such Why promises are made vnto vs. that it can not be put awaye nor shaken of by the lawe and commaundements of god promisses are added that so by some swetenesse we might be prouoked and allured to the loue of heauenly things Now the more desirous that we are of the true ryghteousnes the more feruent are we to cal for the grace of God These thinges beynge well considered who would say that suche promises be vnprofitable though we be not able to fulfil the conditiōs that are annered vnto them EVTRAPELVS No manne I trowe What the reprobate do learne by the promises of god that hathe anye cromme of godlye vnderstandinge in hys bellye For by them the reprobate vngodlye do learne how vnworthy they are of the bounteous liberality and goodnesse of almighty God the godlye What the godly do learne by the condition annexed vnto the promyses when they see in the conditions that be annexed vnto them their owne misery weakenesse infirmitye and vnablenesse are stirred and moued by the same to cal more earnestly for the grace of God and for the assistaunce and help of his holy spirit ALBION Obiectiō The Lord doth laye to the Israelites charge that it was only longe of them that they did not receiue all kinde of liberality and goodnesse at hys hande As when the Prophet sayth Amaleck and the Cananites are before you numbers xiiii Iere. vii with whose swordes ye shall be destroyed because ye wolde not obey the Lord. Because I haue called you and ye haue not aunswered nor obeyed therfore will I do vnto this house as I haue don vn to Silo. Again This people hath not harkened vnto the voyce of the Lord theyr God nor receaued hys doctrine Therfore the Lord hath caste them of Item Because that ye haue hardened your heartes Ier. xxxii woulde not be obedient vnto the Lorde All these plages haue happened vnto you Howe coulde the Israelites be cast in the tethe with such thinges except it had lyen in them to shonne and auoyde those thinges that be there laied to their charge For they might haue aunswered by and by We had a mind to prosperity How the vngodlye do alwaies go aboute to excuse them selues and did fear trouble and aduersity but that we did not obey the Lorde nor harcken vnto his voyce that we might obtayne the one and eschue the other it was because that we are vnder the bondage of synne and can not doe frely the thinges that we would Those thinges then are not iustly laid to oure charge whiche it lyeth not in our power for to shonne or auoid PHILALETHES As for the pretence of necessity Aunswer wherby sinners go about to excuse thē selues it hath ben al ready declared what pore healpe can be had in it sythe that the cause Originall and of spring of it is in our owne selues by oure naturall corruption that we haue of our first parent Adam Therfore I do aske whether they can proue them selues to be wythout faut or not For if there be any faut in them it is not wythout a cause that God did caste them in the teethe that it was throughe their owne wickednesse that they did not feele the frute of his goodnesse and mercy Can they say nay but that theyr wicked and corrupted will is the cause of their rebellyous contumacye and stubburnenesse If they fynde that the fountayne and well sprynge of theyr owne euyl and miserye is wythin them selues what do they trauail to finde out outwarde causes and all because that they wil not seme to be the authoures of theyr owne destruction If it be true then that synners throughe theyr own faut are both depriued of the benefites of God and also punished and plaged there is a good cause whye they shoulde heare suche vpbraydynges and reproches at the mouthe of the Lorde That if they doe obstinately perseuer and continue in synne they may learne in theyr miseries and calamities to accuse and detest theyr owne wickednes rather than to lay any vniuste and cruell seueritye vnto God or if they be not vtterlye geuen ouer they may beinge wearye of theyr synnes wherefore they see theym selues thus extreamelye plaged come into the way again acknowledginge the same wyth earnest confession that the Lord doth laye to their charge Note this This effecte haue the chidinges and rebukinges of the prophets amonge the godly as it doth appere by the solemne prayer of Daniell Dani. vi which is wrytten in the ninthe chapiter of hys prophecye But how such sharpe rebukinges of the prophets of God take place amonge the obstinate sinners we haue an example of it in the Iewes vnto whome Ieremye was commaūded to shew the cause of their miseries and calamities Iere. vii although it shoulde be none otherwyse than God had appoynted told before Thou shalt saith the Lord speke vnto thē al these wordes and they shal not hear thou shalt cal them and they shal not answer DYDIMVS Obiectiō For what purpose were those thynges spoken vnto them that would not hear PHILALETHES Aunswer That wold they nild they they should be fain to vnderstande that the same was true that was told vnto them and that it was a plain sacriledge and robbing of the glory of God to adscribe vnto
puft vp with a vain perswasyon of the righteousnesse of the lawe and also blineded with a folishe confydence and trust that he had in hys owne workes Againe he did aske whiche were the deedes of righteousnesse wherby eternall felicity and saluation myght be obteined Therfore he is by good right sent vnto the law whiche is a perfecte loking glasse or mirroure of ryghteousnesse and also whiche muste be fulfilled if we wyll obtayn the rewarde of life euerlastinge But who is able to fulfil it No manne liuing Christ onlye beinge excepted Wherby it followeth that all they that go aboute to be saued by the works of the law are farthest of from saluation The meaninge then of our sauiour Iesu Christ is that who so euer wyll be saued by workes he muste obserue keepe the commaundements wyth such a perfection as God doth requyre elsse he can not enter into lyfe euer lasting so that the yong man perceiuing his lacke and vnablenesse and how farre of he was from the perfection that he thoughte hym selfe to be in mighte take an occasyon to seeke for the true and only remeady that our most mercyfull father hathe appoynted for vs to be saued by and for to be delyuered from the malediction curse of the lawe that al menne Gala. iii. for lacke of fulfyllynge of the same are subiecte vnto by theyr owne nature ALBION Saye what ye wyll my faythfull guydes dyd tell me Obiectiō that it is a playne heresye yea and a mooste detestable blasphemye to say that a man is not able to kepe the law and commaundementes wyth such a perfection as GOD doth requyre For if God shoulde commaund thinges impossible he shoulde not be righteous And by the lawe of nature whyche by the finger of God is wrytten in the hartes of men we be not bounde to thinges that he impossyble or that it lyeth not in oure power to fulfyl Li. ii de peccato et merit et remi cap. vi Saint Augustin dothe also testify that no man dothe sin in that thing that he is not able to shonne or auoid Again he wryteth thus I can not thinke that god did commaund any thing that is impossyble Iero. ad damasū papam de simbobo fidei or that it is impossible vnto God to help to do that thyng whiche he hath commaunded Moreouer they haue alleadged s Ierome vnto me saying we do curse detest the blasphemy of thē that saye that God hath commaunded man to do any thing that is impossible and that the commaundements of god can not be kept They did also bring in Chrisostō wher he saith let vs not thinke that the commaundementes of God be impossyble Hom. viii in mat For truely they be bothe profitable vnto vs and also very easye if we wyll be dilygente or take good heede And vnto this do the scryptures agree For after that Moses had publyshed the law he dyd say vnto the children of Israel the commaundement Deu. xxx whiche I commaund thee this daye is not hydden from the neyther to farre nor yet in heauen but it is very nygh vnto thee euen in thy mouth and in thine harte that thou maist doe it Again Christ him selfe dothe say Mat. xi My yoke is easy and my burdē is lyght Moreouer these be the wordes of the blessed Euangeliste S. Ihon for this is the loue of God that we keepe hys commaundements i. Epi. v. and his commaundements are not greuous or heauye These places do sufficiently declare that man is able to fulfil the commandements of God PHILALETHES As touching the fyrste sayinges of your faythfull guydes Aunswer wherein they doe affyrme and saye that manne is able to fulfyll the lawe and commaundementes of God we muste vse a distinction that so we maye vphold and maintaine the veritye and truth of Goddes word For if they vnderstande it of a man that is graffed or that hath fellowshyp with Christ I saye that the same manne doth obserue and kepe the hole law of God How the man beinge regenerated doth kepe the whole lawe of God not really in him self but because that he is conducted and led by the spirite of God And also we may right well say that he doth kepe the hole law of god by the vertue of the fellowshyppe that he hath with Christ wherby he is made partaker or rather put in full possession of the perfect and consummate obedience Rom. x. and that oure sauioure Iesus Christe dyd shewe and yelde vnto God hys father Retract xix so that hys fautes shall not be imputed vnto him For Iesus Christ doth supply whatsoeuer is lacking or wāting in such a man And so it may be true that a man is able to kepe the lawe of God in Iesu Christ and by Iesu Christe but not of hym self For as Saynt Augustine saith al the commaundements of god be fulfylled when the synnes and fawtes be not imputed But if they wyll saye that a manne beynge separated from christ is able to kepe the law of god they ar in a great eror For christ him selfe sayeth that a tree canne bringe fourth no good fruyte Mat. vii excepte it be made good fyrst But no man is good of his owne selfe as it hathe bene declared alredye Therfore he can not bring fourth good fruite Againe these be the wordes of our sauiour Iesu Christ Byde in me and I in you Ioh. xv As the braunche can not beare fruyte of it selfe excepte it byde in the vine no more canne ye excepte ye abide in me Ye see that oure sauioure Iesu Christe dothe shewe by thys simylitude that it lyethe not in mannes power to brynge anye good fruyte of hym selfe excepte he be graffed in Christe If ye haue well marked what hath ben sayd afore of fre wyl ye shall well perceaue that it is so farre of that manne of hym selfe and by his owne strengthe is able to fulfyll the lawe perfectely that he cā not wel vnderstād one only poynte of it as it ought to be vnderstanded For ye must note that the lawe must be throughly obserued and kepte wyth a pure and cleane heart Ro. vii as Saint Paule saieth The lawe is spirituall but manne of him self is polluted and carnall whyche thinge he confesseth of him selfe sayinge And I am carnall solde vnder synne How canne the lawe then that is spirituall and man whiche is carnall and fleshely agree Moreouer the lawe wyll be kepte euen from the conception of man vnto the laste daye and houre of of hys lyfe wythoute anye maner of transgressyon or offence For Iam. ii as Saynte Iames sayeth he that fawtethe or offendeth in one is gylty of the whole Item the Lorde hym selfe sayeth that cursed are all menne De. xxvii that do not abyde in al thyngs that be written in the booke of thys lawe for to do them How is manne able then to kepe the hole law of God as it