tâ— aduertyse one another of our affairâ— in this life is truely no poynte of praâ—ing vnto men or of thrusting in mediâ—tours in Christes steade as they do bâ— rather a callinge vpon oure common â—ther together wyth our brethren in tâ—â— name of the one mediator aforesayâ— the whyche one myndednes is a most â—…eptable Sacrifice vnto God. Question But the holy Ghost himselfe is saide to â—ake intercession for vs with vnspeakble groninges Aunswere That is because hée teacheth vs too â—one and to praye aright accordinge alâ—… as the same Apostle maketh hym too â—…ye out Que. But when shal this intercession be â—â— an ende An. Truely neuer for euen at such time â—â— it shall appeare that we be with god â—ur cleauinge vnto him shall not be but â—y the steppinge in of oure meane and â—…ediator and consequently of oure head â—…esus christ whose reigning and préestâ—d are euerlasting in the same respect â—et not withstandinge the whole maner â—rulinge and gouerninge the Churche â—…at is now vsed shall vtterly cease after â—…at y last enemie that is to wit death 〈…〉 put away and al the chosen are taken 〈…〉 with their head into euerlastinge life â—…d so god shal be all in all Quest But Paule sayeth that this kingâ—â—me or reigning shal bee yelded vp to â—â—e father and that Christ shal become â—…iect vnto him An. Paule verely hauinge an eye vnto Christ as too the sonne of god in deede howbeit as manifeste in the fieshe and ioyned with his meÌ„bers dooth worthely attribute the chiefe glory to the godhead which shall at that time be moste of all disclosed when all enemies be ouercomâ— And truele this subiection beetokeneth some thing inferior to the godhead for the creature shall neuer be made equall with the creator no not euen in christe but yet it doth vs to vnderstand that the chiefe blessednesse next vnto that which is peculiar to the Godhead consisteth in this poynt that God acceptinge vs and our head togither in respecte that he is man for his déere and faithful subiects will then at length géeue vs the fulness of felicitie and punish the rest as rebelâ— with endlesse paines Quest But wheras it is saide that he will come at the last daye to iudge both the quick and the dead ther is som hardnes in that saying For it appereth by many places of the Scriptures specially by the Story or parable of the rich gluttoÌ„ that euery mannes iudgement lighteth vpon him immediately after his departure out of this life whither he be godly or vngodly An. God dooth after a sorte execute hys iudgement euen theÌ„ insomuche as it is not to be doubted but that the soules of the Godly whom Christ doth gladly receiue haue a foretaste of the eternal happines and contrariwise that the soules of the vngodly haue a forefeling of the horriblenes of eternal death NotwithstaÌ„ding besides that the said fore iudgement hath respect only too their soules while their bodies lye still a sléepe in the duste the ful declaratioÌ„ and executing of the iudgement whereby the whole man shall eyther be made owner of eternall lyfe or els be caste into endlesse torment is delayed to the last daye of the generall Resurrection Quest By the deade then thou meanest not them that shal be dead at such time as they shal be iudged but such as haue ben dead before and shall then be risen againe VVhich then be the quick ones that thou matchest against the deade ones An. They be those whome Christe shall then finde stil aliue in this world at that seconde comminge of his whiche shalbée most glorious The sodaine chaunginge of whiche men intoo the one state or y other of the life to come that is to wit either of endlesse death or of euerlastinge life shal be vnto theÌ„ in stéede of bodily death risinge againe as the Apostle teacheth Qu How are they saide to be dampned to endlesse death who notwithstaÌ„ding are risen againe neuer to die any more An. Because that to liue in so horrible torments both of soule body deserueth not the name of life but rather of death Quest But the Resurrection is it not in generall of gods goodnes yea and that in Christ who is the first fruites of them that rise An. Like as the father created all things in the Sonne so also shall the wicked receiue life againe in him that is to saye by the operation of his power And yet for all that the blessinge of life shall turne to a curse in the vngodly like as al other things doo The wicked therfore shal not rise againe by the benefyte and vertue of Christes resurrection for this resurrection is knit vnto blissed life with an vnseparable knot and therefore none but only suche as beleeue in Christe and are â—uely graffed into him are made partaâ—ers of that But by the power and aucâ—hority of the Sonne as he is a Iudge who at the same time that he pronounâ—ed the sentence of dubble death and speâ—ially of eternall death against all mankinde did euen then condemne all men â—n the penaltie of rising againe sauinge those whom he himself shoulde preserue from death For how should the punishment of the wicked be euerlasting as it must néedes be if their bodies should coÌ„tinew for euer in the dust vtterly voyde of all feeling Quest Neuertheles seing that the bodie mooueth not of it selfe but onely is the Iustrument of the soule it seemeth to stande with equitie that the whole punishment of sin or the whole glorie of rightuousnesse should haue cleaued to mennes soules Aunswere The whole scripture speaketh against it as often as it maketh mentioÌ„ of the resurrectioÌ„ which doutles agréeth not properly to the soule Again although the body sin not of it self alone yet doth the whole man sin and therefore hee is iustly punished whole And christ were not a perfecte redeemer if hee should let the bodyes of his seruaunts lye still in rottennesse Neither had he néeded to haue takeÌ„ a body vnto him if he had come to deliuer no more but our soules Quest But what maner of life shall that eternal life be and what maner of death shal that eternall death bee Ans It is to no purpose to searche for these thinges not onely because such curiousenesse is to bee condempned as driueth men too demaunde the thinges that the lorde hath as yet hidden from vs but also beecause it is a pointe of extreame madnesse to be desirous to comprehende that whiche a manne is not able to conceiue If wee were nowe able to conceyue that blisfulnesse wee shoulde already after a sort possesse it in asmuch as y vnderstanding of man doth at leastwise so farforth enioy the thing that is to be vnderstoode as it conceiueth it in vnderstandinge The lyke also is too bée thoughte of the euerlastynge paynes whereof wée see that euen a very light conceyte of
A booke of Christian Questions and answers Wherein are set foorth the cheef points of the Chrisâ—â—â—â—â—â—ligion in maner of an â—…dgment A worke right necessary and profitable for all such as sâ—al haue to deale with the captious quarelinges of the wrangling aduersaries of Gods truthe Written in Latin by the lerned clerke Theodore Beza Vezelius and newly translated into English by Arthur Golding Imprinted at London by William How for Abraham Veale dwellyng in Paules Church yarde at the signe of the Lambe Ano. 1574. ¶ To the Right honorable and his singular good Lorde Henry Earle of Huntingdon Baron Hastinges Knight of the most noble order of the Garter c. Arthur Golding wissheth abundance of Gods grace increase of honour and longe continuance of life in health and prosperitie MY very good Lord it is daylie and in maner commonly to beseene I pray God that our vnthankefulnes cause vs no more to feele it that the peruerse through setled Papists the professed enemies of God all goodnes linking theÌ„selues in league with worldlinges Epicures Athiestes Neuters birdes of their own broode do euen yet after so great light of the Gospell and so manifest conuictioÌ„ of their Grosse errors stil boldly persist in their wilfull wickednes not only hardening their own stubborne hartes against the apparant truth but also as much as in theÌ„ lyeth stealiÌ„g away the kie of knowledge froÌ„ others that would fain enter into the kingdome of heauen if they letted theÌ„ not casting stumbling blockes in the waies of the weake vncircumspect of whose soules they make marchandise by their deceiuable and inuenimed speeche But certesse although long impunity haue made theÌ„ ouer bould both to prate to Practise in maner what they lyst â—…et not withstanding for as much as the general brightnes of Christes Gospell discouereth their grosser sorte of â—ealinges vntoo mostmen they assaulte vs not nowe so much with open manifest vntruthes whiche were ordinary weapons of their warfare wheÌ„ they had the swoorde of souereintie and the law of crueltie in theyr owne hand as with secret inuasions of sophisticall reasons and crabbed questions specially where they finde hope of victorie by meanes of other mens simplicitie want of learning to withstand them And truly in that art no folke are so cunning as the children of darknes For worldly wisdome hauing bent hir self to mainteine error is a fruiteful moother of all sortes of quiddities and the olde serpent is both slie and vnslothfull in traÌ„sforminge himselfe and his impes into all shapes to doo mischiefe For asmuch therefore as there be many godly and welminded persons who hauinge not yet mounted aboue the short reache of naturall reason doo still measure Gods misteries howbecit with a single meaninge mind by their slender capacitie of their small vnderstaÌ„dinge dealinge in likewise as if a man that were iorneying by the first dawning of the day shoulde trip his foote against some stone which he woulde eschew at the comminge of the cleere and open light whose faith is often times shaken yea and nowe and then crased also eyther by such as standing vpon the reputacion of their owne skil hunt for vainglory by russhinge vnaduisedly into the discourse of Gods deepest misteries whiche ought not to be spoken of without great reuerence and modesty or by suche as being wilfully blind diffame the things that they know not or by such as being giuen vp too a hardened minde blaspheme the knowen truthe through malicious spitefulnes or by such as being giuen wholly to their belly their bed cannot abide to hecre of any thing that might make them goodmen or else by suche as haue learned in Lucians schoole to scoffe at all thinges that like not their fantasticall folie too the intent that the godly persos might alwaies haue at hand as well wherwith to satisfie themselues and other well disposed persoÌ„s in doubtful cases as also to stop the slauÌ„derous mouthes of the quarelinge aduersaries or at leastwise wherwith to aunswere their captious cauelinges in the chiefe points of our religion I haue translaied this Christen treatise of the learned writer Theodore Beza who by a certein modest questioninge answering ther vnto doth in dialogwise briefely set forth vnto vs the true knowing of God our selues the right vse and end of the same For taking his beginning at the intent of our creation he declareth that God must be worshipped and serued in none otherwise than hee himselfe hath taught vs by his worde written The authoritie wherof being auouched by many profes he setteth downe what the same teacheth vs to beleeue concerninge the Godhead the three persons therof Then shewing vs what we ought to consider chiefely in God he vnfoldeth the misterie of the vnioÌ„ of the two natures in the one person of Christ whereby hee confuteth the heresie of the Manichees and layeth forth the order of our saluatioÌ„ by Christs incarnation death resurrection and AscentioÌ„ Here vpon he taketh occasion to â—hew the maner of Christs being present absent and thereby condemneth the errors of popishe transsubstantiation of the vbiquitie or euerie where being of Christs maÌ„hod mainteined by Brentius and certeine others After this he passeth forth to Christes mediation intercession where he disproueth the heresie of Arrius the opinioÌ„ of surmising three Gods the dotages of Samosatene the forgeries of the Papists in praying vnto saincts FroÌ„ thence he descendeth to the laste iudgement and answering by the way to an obiection of the foreiudgemeÌ„t that eche seuerall person receiueth at his departure out of this life he procedeth to the generall rising again of the flesh to the rewards of the godly the punishment of the wicked whereby he taketh occasion too inquire of the way to eternall life which is Christ taken holde on by fayth There sheweth he what faith is and whence it coÌ„meth and so discoursinge largely of mans corruptioÌ„ he disproueth the Pelagians freewyll declareth in what wise mans naturall will woorketh together with Gods preuentinge grace and how the continuance of Gods graces insewinge is the cause of the effectuall working of the former graces wherby he vtterly ouerthro weth the merit or deseruing of meÌ„s owne workes Afterward hauing first shewed the maner of the spreding of originall sin into al mankind he returneth to the â—emedie therof by being greffed into Christ the maner wherof he describeth at large and there agein confuteth the heresie of Transsubstantiation and declareth faith to be the free gift of god through christ by whom wee obteine wisedome Rightuosnes Holines and RedemptioÌ„ which are the fruites of beinge greffed into him by the benefite whereof we begin also in part to vnderstand aright to will aright and to woorke a right whiche is as muche as to liue after the spirite In the layinge forth of these things he rippeth vp the feeblenes of mans naturall reason wassheth away the excuse of his vnhablenes to
that is knit vnto it like as an ointment the better it is the soner it takes a tange of the vncleane vessell Ans Truely me thinkes your reason is sufficient to satisfie al modest wits But how so euer the case standeth let thys suffice that like as Adam receyued the Image of god for himselfe and his so lost he it froÌ„ him and his and god accordinge as he had threatned forsaks their soules as sone as he hath created theÌ„ and sheded them into the bodie wherby it comes too â—asse that al of theÌ„ are borne the children â—f wrath namely as heires of corruption â—nd of their forefathers guiltinesse Que. Now then let vs returne to the only remedye of this mischeefe that is to wit to christ taken hold vpon by faith which is the gifte of god Therefore I wold haue you to declare vnto me what you meene by taking hold ingreffing incorporating communicating with Christ Ans They that imagine there is any ioyning or linking togither of the substances after what maner so euer they dreame it to be they be vtterly deceiued and iudge fleshly of spirituall and misticall thinges Ageine they that auouch Christes onely operacion or efficacie to be the thing wherof we be made parttakers seeme not to haue weyed sufficieÌ„tly the expresse textes of the scripture wherin Christ himselfe is plainly sayd to bee giuen vnto vs and also his workfulnesse in vs is described To the intent therefore that this coÌ„municating may be vnderstoode me must set downe twoo thinges Wherof the first is this y christ himself is made ours by the benefite of the father so as all beleuers may say this thing that is to wit christ the sonne of god manifested in the flesh is mine by the graunt and fréegifte of the father that I might in ioye it Quest Here I pray you giue me leaue to say a litle by the waye Surely he that so speketh is owner or maister of the thiÌ„g that was geuen him are we then owners or maisters of Christ and not rather hee the owner maister of vs Ans Seing that the father hath giuen vs vnto Iesus Christ that Christe himselfe hath redemed vs by giuinge himselfe for vs if any maÌ„ deny Iesus Christ to be the owner maister of vs yea and y of verye good right accursed be he Therefore when I say he is ours y is to wit which beleue I mene not the there is giuen vnto vs any superioriti ouer him but I say the he is géeuen and borne vnto vs or for our sakes As for example a maÌ„ takes a wife which must obey him be seruisable to him yet on the other side the wife may say like as I am this mans wyfe my father hath giuen me vnto him too haue aucthoritie ouer me so on the other side he is my husband and hath giueÌ„ him self to me to inioy him verely to the end he may loue me and cherishe mée as hys wyfe Whiche similitude thou knowest well ynough that the prophetes and the apostles do ordinarily vse to betokeÌ„ this communicating of Christ The other point of this communicating is y he is ours in suche wise as no coniunction of bodies whither it be naturall or artificiall may bee compared with it Yet notwithstanding it tendeth not to this end y there shold be made but one substance of his ours or but one person of his ours all which thinges are most grosse forgeries vtterly wide from the kingdome of heaueÌ„ but it tendeth to this end only y his spirituall workfulnes should be the more certein the more néere the more effectuall in vs And yet by the way this is certein y he in such wise becommeth ours y he be commeth one thing with vs in deede and the head members of any body cleaue not so fast to gether by nature as this coniunction of Christes is fast and streit knit vnto vs insomuch as we be fleshe of his fleâ—h bone of his bones howbeit it is wholly spirituall and misticall Quest I pray you shewe mee why you call it spirituall Ans I call it spirituall not in respect of the thing that is communicated for it is certeine y Christ is communicated vnto vs not onely in spirit but also in his whole manhod nor also as though this communication were imaginatiue and consisted onely in thought without the thing it self to settle vpon nor finally as though we were said to be become one thinge with Christ only in respect of coÌ„sent after which maner Luke saith that y beleuers where all of one hart and one mind But bicause all this takinge hold is done altogither by the mind by faith bicause the holy ghost is the partie by whose linking these thinges are knit togither which are so farre a sunder in respect of distance of place and y in such wise as that in this spiritual copulation Christ is as the head the churche is as his body drawing spirituall life froÌ„ him hir onely head And therfore all the whole reall growing together of the very substances into one aboute the which so many men haue striued now longe ago with so much ado and by meanes wherof that monstar of transsubstantiation and consubstantiation was afterwarde brough into the Lordes supper is a grosse forgery of mannes fondnes by no meanes agréeinge either with the spirituall life or with the verines of Christs body or with the proportion of faith Que. I heere well that Christ himselfe is receiued of the faithfull by faith I here that the church is spiritually cuppled to hir head by the bonde of the holye Ghoste but yet perceyue I neuer the more how these thinges that are so far a sunder should be vnited Quest I grauÌ„t so For it is not for nought that Paule crieth out that it is a greate mistery Rightly therfore dooth one giue warning that we shoulde rather labour to féele Christe liuinge in vs than to be made priuie to the reason of thys communion as whiche surmounteth our capacitie althoughe wee bee sure that it is spirituall and that faythe is the instruement in doinge of it Quest VVhat if wee shoulde say that Christe is communicated vnto vs onely as touchinge his force and efficacie and that wee should referre this place of Paules we bee members of his bodie of his fleshe and of his bones Vnto Christes incarnation â—n Concernyng Christes beyng one â—ith vs so as we may afterward drawe â—fe out of him being vnited with vs the â—ripture speaketh more manifestly of it â—an that it may bee applyed to his oneâ—â— operacion or working in vs in as â—uche rather as it is the foundation â—â—th of the effectuall intercommuning â—nd of the benefite of imputation which â—inge appeereth euen by the proportiâ—ablenesse that is betwene it bodely â—rrishment wherof Christ himselfe is â—e author For like as if a man will reâ—yue
couert motion of Pharaos harte tended too the executinge of that whiche the Lorde had ordeined That the Chaldies were ordeined to punishe the euil Israelites to narture the good the prophets had foretold it a thousand times yea and that in such wise as Nabuchadnezer had receiued expresse commaundement conceruinge the same thinge in so muche as the Lord doth also call him his seruaunt Yet did not the lord coÌ„maund the Chaldies anye suche thinge by name but as Ezechiell wryteth giuing ouer y kings hart partly to Sathan and to his Soothsayers and partly to his owne lustes he inclined him of his owne swaye to performe that which God had determined How much more must wee beleeue the same to be doone as oft as the lord vseth the thinges that want reason or also that bee vtterly without life as his executioners For so did he call the Flyes Froggs Gressehoppers Hayle and death too punishe Pharao So also sayeth the wysest of all men that euen the very Lottes fall not out at aduenture For all thinges serue by a secret motion to execute gods ordinaÌ„ces But this difference there is that the good instrumentes do nothinge but through faith that is to say vpon assurance that they be called to that which they doo and with a minde settled too obey But as for the euill instrumentes forasmuch as they bee led with a blynde bayrde by Sathan and their own lustes and haue an eye too nothinge lesse than to the obeying of God against whose expresse woord they eyther know or ought too know that all their intentes and purposes doo fight therefore they serue not the Lord although God doo secretly vse the trauell of them euen agaynst their willes in suche wise as they doo not any thinge else than that which the wonderfull woorknâ—aister himselfe hath ordeyned Quest Then let vs stay heere coÌ„cerning Gods eternall prouidence froÌ„ the which I se not that any thing at all may be exempted and let vs if it please you proceed to predestinatioÌ„ which I wold first and formest haue described vnto mee An. Predestination being considered in generall is nothinge else but the same thing that wee haue called gods determination or ordinance howbeit as hauinge regarde to the end or worke of the very ordinance For there is nothinge whiche the wise creatour of all thinges who doubtelesse hath neyther made any thing â—naduisedlye nor can bée deceyued or â—lter his purpose hathe not ordeyned â—othe too myddle endes and speciallye â—oo some one vttermoste poyncte of all But custome hath wonne that predestiâ—ation is considered chéefelye in the gouerninge of mankinde Thus therefore doo I describe it I saye it is gods euerlastinge and vnchangeable ordinance goinge in order before all the causes of saluation dampnation whereby god hath determined too bee glorified in some by sauinge them of his owne mere grace in Christe and in othersome by dampning theÌ„ through his rightfull iustice in Adam and in themselues And after the custom of the scripture wee call the former sort the vessels of glorye and the elect or chosen that is too say folke appointed to saluation from before all worldes throughe mercy and the other sort wee call reprobates or castawayes and vesselles of wrath that is to say appoincted likewise too rightfull dampnation from euerlastinge eyther of both whiche God hath knowen seuerallye from tyme without beginninge Question But it is a harde case too saye that there be some foreappointed to damnation and therefore thou knowest that many referre the woorde predestinatioÌ„ onely too the chosen and that they say rather that the Reprobates are foreknowen An. I Inow what that meaneth Many were afraide least they should make god the cause of the destruction of the reprobates and also report him too bee cruell if they should confesse that the reprobate also are predestinated of god But they needed too haue feared none of both as shal be shewed in dew place Againe that is but a fond startinghole For if foreknowledge as they call it cary the force of a cause no lesse than predestination doth then say they that which they wold not say But if it haue not theÌ„ may they also say the God is not the cause of the saluatioÌ„ of them that be predestinated For why The Apostle in reckeninge vp the causes of the saluation of the chosen setteth downe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which these men interpret foreknoweledge in y first place Yea and Luke setteth downe the same foreknowledge as the grounde worke of our redemption Rightlye therfore dooth Austin acknowledge predestination on both sides althoughe he do now and then shole out the predestinate sorte from the foreknowen But let vs away with this stryfe aboute termes My meaninge was only too shew that I had don aright in setting down predestination for a generall terme wherof there bee two particular sortes which notwithstandinge doo meete together and that is a thinge inespecially to bee marked no lesse in the ende than in the head and originall beginning For the headspring of them both is the ordinaunce of god And both the wayes which are as it were cut out from this head doo meete agein in the vttermost poynt that is too witte in the glory of god These thinges being set down too the end I may answer to that exception of thine namely that it seemeth a hard case that ther should be som predestinated vnto death I say that these thinges insewing séeme vnto mee much harder Namely that god shuld not haue forepurposed som certain end with himself in creating men howbeit that euen as the vnwisest woorkeman of them all doo rightly witnesse the end is the firste thing in the intent of the dooer That god in creating men purposed an end to himselfe which aferwarde should fall out incertainly that is too wit in such sorte as it shold rest in the power of the clay not in the power of the potter too make the thinge come too passe or not come too passe which the workmaister had purposed That god knowinge the will of hys owne handywork should alter his owne purpose so that whereas he had determined too saue all in Christe yet notwithstandinge hée should alter his minde and destroy all such as would not incline too that purpose For all these things say I do of necessitie folow their opinioÌ„ which vphold that such as perish do perish contrary to Gods appoyntement And least wee may séeme too wander without our listes that is to say not to deale by onlye consequences of reason First I say that all opinions whiche striue agaynste the iuste proportion of faithe of which sorte this must needes bee one the graunting whereof is accompanied with so manye wicked things are plucked in péeces by the holy Scriptures Secondely I saye that as oft as the scripture maketh mention of the predestination of the chosen sorte so often is the predestination of the Reprobates confyrmed
too his rightfull vengeance for to whom is he detter either he destroyeth them out of hande or else pacientlye giuing them respit that they maye not bée altogether without taste of his goodnes either he voutsaueth not too call theÌ„ at all or he calles them no further but too make them the more vnexcusable Herevpon it commeth to passe that being left vp too their owne lustes they harden themselues vntill they haue filled vp the full measure of wickednes and then they passe awaye vntoo iudgement In what wyse these causes of the dampnation of the reprobates doo come to passe besides the ordinance of God who forsaketh the reprobates and deliuereth them vp too Sathan and too themselues as that the whole blame doth notwithstaÌ„ding sticke altogether in themselues I haue shewed already in dew place Quest Then must the vessels of mercye praise the lord and the vessels of wrath blame themselues But whither maye I flee for succour in the perilous temptation of perticular election Ans Unto the effectes whereby the spirituall life is certeinlye discerned and so consequently our electioÌ„ like as the lyfe of the bodye is perceiued by feelinge and mouing For wee that walowe as yet in the puddle of this worlde are not able too lyfte vp our selues vntoo that souereyne lyght excepte wee mount vp by those steppes whereby God draweth his chosen vntoo him accordinge too hys foresaid euerlasting ordinance as whom he hath created to his own glory Therefore that I am chosen I shall perceiue first by y holinesse or sanctificationbegon in mée that is to say by my hating of sin and by my louing of rightuousnes Here vnto I shall adde the witnes of the holy ghost comforting my concience like as Dauid said why art thou heauye O my soule why doost thou gréeue thy selfe Put thy trust in the lord Hereto perteineth the earnest minding of Gods benefytes which though it rather frayeth vs than comforteth vs for a time whyle we thinke therwithall vppon our owne vnthankefulnesse yet at the length it must néedes lyft vs vp forasmuch as therein are alwayes too bée séene the manifest tokens of his free and vnchangeable fatherlye loue towardes vs not shadowed but playnelye expressed Upon this Sanctifycation and comforte of the holye Ghoste wee gather fayth And therby wee ryse vp vntoo Christe to whom whosoeuer is geeuen is of necessitye chosen in hym from afore all worldes and shall neuer bee thruste oute of the doores Question VVhat if those witnessinges be faint Answere Then it beheueth vs too knowe that wée bée tryed and therfore that our sluggishnesse is then most too be found fault with Yet withstanding our hartes must not in any wise shrinke but wee must strengthen theÌ„ with those indefinite promises and throw dartes at our aduersarie agein For although the incounter of the fleshe ageinst the spirit doo comber our consciences with great doubtinges of the trewnes of our fayth specyally as ost as the spirit seemeth too quayle and in a manner too bee quite quenched yet notwithstandyng it is certeyne that thys spirite whiche setteth it selfe truelye thoughe but faintlye ageynst the assaultes of the fleshe is the spirit of adoption the gift whereof is not too bee repented of For otherwyse the electe myght peryshe and they that bee once iustifyed myght fall away from Christ Wherevppon it woolde folowe either that God is chaungeable or that the sallyng out of his ordynance is vncertein wherof none of both can bee imputed too God without blasphemie Quest But the garlond is geueÌ„ to those onely that holde out Ans I graunt so And therfore whosoeuer is elected craueth perseuerance and obtaineth it Quest Think you then that the spirit of adoption is neuer shaken of Ans I confesse that the spirit is now and then interrupted in sore temptations that the testimonies of his dwellinge in vs are oftentimes so brought a sleepe that hee seemeth to bee quite gone from vs for a time But yet for all that I say he is neuer quite taken away for needs must gods determination of sauing his seruaunts stand sure and therfore when â–ª time serues at length the mistes of the fleshe are chaced away and the gladnesse of the lordes sauinge health alwayes restored which shyneth as the Sonne into the troubled consciences of the elect Finally I say that trewe fayth and the effectes thereof are in likewise interrupted in the elect as the powers of y mind bee hindered in them that haue the sleepye disease or in drunkenmen in whom the soule is not taken awaye for there is great oddes betwene the sleepy disease or drunkenuesse and very death and yet that they which haue the spirit of Adoption haue an assured pledge of eiernall life Therefore in this most daungerous incounter the same thing wherwith Satan assayleth vs both can and must warrant vs assured victory For except the spirit of adoption which is also the spirite of holiâ—â—esse rightuousnesse faith and life were present in vs there should bee no striuing in vs but sin should reygne quietly at his pleasure For the man that is not indued with that spirit saith thus I doo the euill that I haue a mind vnto I do no good nor I haue no list too do it But the man that is regenerated and so consequently elected howbeit as yet still wrestling sayeth thus I doo the euill that I wold not I do not the good that I woold doo Wo is mee who shall deliuer me out of the body of this death And in crying out in this wise the elect person casteth hys Anchor in the verye Throne of God the father whom he beholdeth in the preached woord and in the Sacramentes Finally when the elect shall haue gotten the full victorye in the other world he shall say thus I doo the good that I woold doo and I doo none euill nor none I list to doo Question VVhat if a man neuer feele the testimonies of such spirit in himselfe Answere Yet must it not bee deemed that he is one of the number of the reprobates For the lord calleth those that bee his at what time he himself listeth And therefore such manner of men must bee sent away too the woord and the Sacramentes where they maye heere God speaking and alluryng synners vntoo hym For although they receyue not the fruite and operacion of those thynges for a tyme yet must they incorage themselues and also bee diligently styred vp by others too continewe in heeringe the word of God euen ageinst their wills then one tyme or other they shall obteinâ— that whiche the Lorde as yet deferreth not too the intent too cast them of but contrarywise too sharpen their desyrâ— and earnestnesse Quest I would therefore that wee might talke amonge ourselues concerning the Sacramentes also about the which in especiallye there is nowe adayes so greate strife betweene the churches Ans Truly I refuse not so to doo Notwithstandinge