vnto you which doo rather wey the matter that is spoken than with how vvell fyled termes it is vttered I am nother vvearie nor ashamed of the charge that I haue taken in hande Nay rather I doo often thinke bethinke mee of this saying of S. Austins that happie is that necessity vvhich driueth a maÌ„ to the better thinges For this I may plainely confesse that of these manye yeares I neuer led a meryer or happier lyfe nor continued in my studies vvith more cheerfulnesse and peraduenture frute also thaÌ„ since I began to execute the office of a teacher in your companye And vvould God that mine olde aduersaries dyd not ageine enuy this my happy state and prepare nevv snares too incumber this my quyetnesse of vvhose vntovvard dealing ageinst me I could heere say ouermuch and truly the order of my promised partition requireth that I shoulde recken vp here the false reports that are spred abrode of mee and disperse them by shevving the truth but it is better to passe them ouer vvith silence than to speake to little of so wrongfull and long a matter I wish no more but only this that those men will gyue mee but so loÌ„g truce as to passe out of this life with a quiet pesable mind And when I am dead let theÌ„ gnaw euen the stones of my graue if they list But if the thing I wish caÌ„not hapeÌ„ to me as it befalleth not to mortal wretches to haue any thing happie in all poyntes I vvill vvillingly in the meane vvhile both heare imbrace the crosse that God hath prepared for me and layde vpon me And if the weight of it ouerlode my shoulders I will rather call some Cyrenian too mee too beare the one halfe of the burthen vppon his shoulders with me than cast it quite away But what Cyrenian shall I finde more friendly or willing to ease mee of my burthen than him that with his moste sweete wordes allureth all men to him Math. 11. saying Come vnto mee all yee that faynt and are ouerloden and I will refreshe you Therefore I beseeche Iesus Christ the only begotten sonne of the liuing God sauiour of mankinde to helpe me in bearing of my crosse and so to holde beare vp with his most mightie handes the burthen of it which doubtlesse is too me intolerable as I may paciently willingly beare it with him and that he suffer not my harte to bee tickled with desire of reuenge agaynst suche as stayne mee defame mee persecute me trouble me The heauenly doctrine commaundeth vs to loue our enemies and not to pay them like for like by rayling vpon them but rather to doo good to them that hate vs and to wish well to them for the wronges that we haue receyued at their hands Therefore folowing this rule I besech almighty God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ to gyue my backebiters the spirit of amendment and a better minde towards me that by seeking to deface me they hinder not the course of the gospell specially among myne owne countrymen which may heere some vncerteyn reportes but not the reasons lykewise God graunt at this my prayer request that the mindes of my persecuters maye one day bee bowed turned For to speake with a good conscience what I thinke in my hart I had rather contende with these men in the dutyes of charity than by slaunderous Epistles byting bookes spitefull wrytings raylings tauntes such other as I suppose most vnsemely weapons which eueÌ„ christian souldiers ought to abhorre much lesse can in any wise become the preachers of the Gospell Therefore as long as I can I will warde their iniuries with prayers and vse modest defences least I take harme in the meane vvhyle by holding my peace But if I see them proceede in their vntovvard maner of dealing I vvill not say maliciousnesse and rancour of minde I will peraduenture desire the Lorde to helpe me with fitte and liuely colours wherwith to peint out the image of slanderousnesse as Apelles did that I may discouer their spitefull lyes wherwith they go about to oppresse mine innocency But heereof inough Now I returne to the text of the Apostle Paules thirde precept is that the dealers foorth of the holy doctrine shoulde deuide the worde of truthe aright In the Greeke worde Orthotomein for that vvorde ansvvereth to two Latin words as I thinke there lieth hidde a most excellent allusion to the Ceremonie of sacrifising in the olde Lavve For as Mosesis Priest ought to haue a moste exact skill both hovve to cutte out the â—â—crifice and hovve to deale it foorth â—nd the sleying distributing of the â—â—crifice did out of all doubte repreâ—â—nt Gods onely begotten sonne vvho became the sacrifice of propitiation â—or vs to take away the sinnes of the worlde so also the priest of the Gospell muste bee skilfull and taught of God that he may be able to cutte or deuide the worde of truthe knovve hovve to deale it foorth discretly and fitly Setting this precept before mine â—yes from the time that the Lord called me to this Ecclesiasticall function I haue indeuered not onely to delyuer to my hearers a pure and sounde doctrine dravven out of the fountaynes of the holy Scriptures but also to obserue that way and trade of teaching which the holy writers were woÌ„t to vse in their sermoÌ„s For I am of opinion that an vntoward and disordred trade of teaching doth in manner no lesse harme to the hearers thaÌ„ the vnpurenesse of doctrine It is an old Proâ—erb A good thing is euil if it be done out of season For lyke as a Phisition maye minister good and wholesome medicines too his patient and yet very farre ouershot himself in this that he neither considereth well the complexion of the party diseased nor obserueth the fit oportunity of tyme so also it falleth out often tymes in the dealing forth of the heaueÌ„ly doctrine that some man beinge touched with vnaduised zeale steppeth forth vncalled of God and thrusteth out the true things which he hath gleaned vp here and there out of other mens bookeâ— or sermons without hauing any respect of the persons of his heerers or withoute any considering of the circumstaÌ„ces of the time But to mount vp yet higher and to say plainly what I thinke This moste excellent part of the holy ministration that is too wit this skill of diuiding dealing forth which sothly is the diuine logike that openeth the trade of teachinge the gospell hath his originall of Gods calling For euen he that maketh men fit ministers of the new Testament that is to wit not of the letter but of the spirit euen he himselfe I say gyueth the spirit of discretion to the dealer forth of his heauenly word to know how to gyue measurable meale in due tyme and also to haue wit to bring foorth both new thinges and old out of his storehowse as a skilfull scribe in the kingdome of
as the iudgement of their mind stryueth against it But yet as I thinke these latter sort haue no excuse at all in the sight of God although they be earthly For that same willingnesse and forewardnes of mynd whereby they be glad and faine of the good is so weake and faynt that now and then they suffer themselues too be led wholly by their vnbrydled lustes wheras contrariwise it ought be so effectuall mightye stout and constant as to outstande sin when it woulde ouerrule them P. You iudge aryght For the forevvardnesse of the will maketh sin nother is that thing sin vvhich is doone againste the vvill of the sinner But I knovv am able to affirme it for a certeinty that those men as I haue learned by mine ovvne experience are willingly led of their owne lustes after the manner that you spake of For I know that in them as wel as in me that is to say in my flesh there is no goodnes but rather naughtines which prouoketh me to euill and striueth to ouermaster mee R. You meane in the fleshly man in whom the lawe executeth the office of a husbande But you denie not that there is some goodnesse in respect of the presence of Gods seede whiche can not yet vtter his strength without the spirite of righteousnesse For eyther I am vtterly deceiued or else in those men that I spake last of there is some knowledge of gods will also there are alreadie in them some sparkes of commendable likings and desires howebeit that these things bee not in the fleshe whiche regardeth nothing but hir selfe and hir owne pleasures P. See that you vnderstād these things wel least perchaunce you confound the sundry states of man togither or els vnaduisedly wite that thing vpō gods law which can not be wited vpō it without great wrong to the eternal God For to the intent I maye make these thinges playne in mine owne person truly there is in mee a will to doo good but I finde not any way to perfourme it For I am hindered by the flesh and by sinne that reigneth in me and I am caried away vnto euil so as I do not the good which I vvould doo but I doo the euill which I am lothe to doo Wherfore if I do the thing that I vvould not then is it not I that doo it but sinne that dwelleth in me which doth so roughly ouermaster me when the power and working of Gods spirite is absent vvhereby victorie is obteyned that I am compelled to do the thing vvhich my reason in lightened by the law of God doth vtterly abhor Therefore in that I vvould do good and can not I finde and perceiue by the lawe while it playeth his part in mee that there is euil in me in me I say forsomuch as I am earthly weake and vnable to performe it not in the law For that I may vtter the meaning of my minde as plainly as can be I delight in gods law as in respect of my inwarde man that is to say as in respect of reason inlightened by Gods law gods law doth please me and delight me I allow it to be rightfull I agree with it and I would fayne obey it But on the contrarie part I see feele and find by experience another law in my members in the sences powers abilities of my soule contrary to the law of my minde and fighting agaynst it For when as by the iust and holy law of my mind I perceiue what is right and allow of it and delight in it as good and vvolud fayne do it therwithall the wicked law of my body counseleth inticeth me to the contrarie and this lawe deliuereth me prisoner to the law of sinne insomuch that I am oftentimes inforced to crye out vvretch that I am vvho shall deliuer me from the body of this death May any man deliuer me from the body and burthen of sinne that killeth me out of hande Who I say shall set me free from the tyrannie of mine own vnbrideled lusts and of sinne reigning in this my wretched dody vvhich leadeth me vnto death R. O Paule it can not scarsly be vttered howe many wayes and how mightely this talke of yours which are a most expert souldier in this spirituall battell doth moue my bowels and in maner inforce me to teares For these your words do bring me in remembraunce of that old plight and state of mine wherin I perceiued that our owne strength is farre to weake to get the vpper hande in this incomber vnlesse Christ the coeternal worde of God be with vs to arme vs with his spirit and to giue vs victory agaynst so great tyrannie of our enemie P. Therfore I thank my God which hathe deliuered mee from so miserable bondage of sin by Iesus Christ our lord For to conclude in two words vnlesse he vtter his power and vndertake the battell for me and ouercome and tryumph farewell my good dayes I truly in the meane while do serue Gods law with my mind but with my flesh I serue the law of sinne which striueth to ouercome me in the battell R. You haue so plainly and lightsomly in your own person shewed how gret the worthinesse and holinesse of Gods law is how dyuerse offices it is wont to execute towards man till he bee truly and perfectly borne a new in Christ that now by this talke of yours I vnderstād one of the hardest poynts of this epistle which poynt consisteth in the knowing of the offices which gods lawe vseth towards a man now if it please you let vs treate of the thirde state of man that is to wit when he is iustified and made holy But first of all I pray you shew me more playnly what maner of state this state of the regenerated sort is and afterwarde by what markes the partie that is godly minded may be certified of his regeneration or newbirth P. Like as in the cōsidering of the first and seconde state of man namely vnregenerat in regenerating I vsed mine own example so in laying forth of this third member of our partition I wil alledge mine owne experiences as a patterne wherin to represent the image of a man regenerated Chap. 8. As touching the first part of your demaund surely the state and dignitie of thē that are iustified regenerated is most excellent as vvho beeing dead to the old Adam and greffed into the new Adam Christ are not henceforth in daunger of any damnation For hovv is it possible that Christe our head should giue vp his own members to destruction Heerevpon may also be gathered an ansvvere to the other part of your demaunde For Christes vvorkfulnes is so great in the minde of such as are truly regenerated that their life is consecrated vnto holinesse By meanes vvherof they be after a sort certified of the presence of Christ dwelling in them But of these things vvee shall speak more hereafter Novv to vse mine ovvne experience
But the Iewes thinke the casting off of Ismaell and of the Ismaelites to haue another cause namely the mothers birth For as you knowe Agar was a bondwoman of Egipt and but Abrahās concubine and not his cheefe wyfe And therefore hir issew had not lyke right as was graunted to the children of Sara For this cause Isaac and Isaacs ofspring had the preferment and dignity of Gods elect people and Ismaell with his posteritie more cast off P. I will not novv dispute of the lawfulnesse of the mariage betweene Abraham and Agar and muche lesse of the right of the issue that came of it But I will leaue that question and alledge the another whiche they can not gaynsay For the figure of the chosen and of the castawayes is set foorth and gods euerlasting decree ouershadowed and after a sort locked vp Gen. 25.21 not onely in Sara and Agars issue but also in Rebecca vvhen she was with child with a paire of twins namely Iacob and Esau by our father Isaac For when they were yet vnborne therefore had done neither good nor euill to the intent that gods determination should stand fast concerning his free election vvithout any respect of vvorkes or desertes but onely that the free fauour of the caller might appeare and abyde Gene. 25.23 God tolde Rebecca that the elder should serue the yonger R. I remember I haue read this answere of God vnto Rebecca in the first booke of the Lawe For there Moyses declareth Gal. 3.24 that Rebecca prayed to God that she might conceyue and obteyned hir prayer But when the children stroue in hir wombe she wisht rather to haue dyed than to be in suche payne and therfore she resorted againe to God for counsayle of whom she receiued this answer Two nations are in thy womb and two peoples shall be deuided out of thy belly of the which the one shall be a greater man than the other and the elder shall serue the yonger Afterward as Moses declareth when the time of hir deliueraunce was come she was deliuered of two of whom the first came out all red and like a hearie rugge and he was named Esau Then came out his brother holding Esau by the heele with his hand and he was named Iacob I take this to be the order of the storie which you affirme to be the figure of the choosing of the Gentiles and of the casting away of the Iewes But how these things were fulfilled according to the presence of the Hystorie I can no skill at all P. You shall vnderstande that by the saying of the Prophet Malachie Mal. 1.2 whose words are these I loue you sayth the Lorde And if you aske in whom I loue you was not Esau Iacobs brother saith the Lorde yet loued I Iacob and hated Esau and layde his mountaynes vvaste and made them a possession of Dragons and a vvildernesse And if the Edomites vvhiche are vvasted determine vvith them selues to builde vp agayne the thinges that are broken dovvne thus sayth the Lorde God of hostes if they buylde vp I vvyll pull dovvne and they shall bee called the endes of iniquitie and the people agaynst vvhom the Lorde is vvrothe for euer Which thing vvhen you your selues beholde vvith your ovvne eyes you shall saye that the Lorde is to bee magnified throughout the borders of Israell R. Soothly a harde saying but yet most iust as I thinke bothe in the figure and in the patterne For these iudgementes of God are to bee honored rather than too bee ouer curiously searched And I am fully and throughly perswaded that oure destructyon commeth of our selues and our saluation of God But forasmuche as we doo heere deale with the case of Iacobs posteritie which fasten al the whole ankerhold of their saluation in their auncetrie Circumcision works and deserts of fulfilling the law surely we must needes answere their obiections For if God do cast vp the people of the Iewes whō he had once chosen and take to him the Gentiles according as Esau was despised and Iacob the yonger brother was chosen to the dignitie of the birthright vndoubtedly there seemeth to be accepting of persons with god if there be not inconstancie What shall we say to these things Paule Shall wee graunt the Iewes that there is parcialitie in God P. Farre be it from God that he shuld be partiall howbeit that the indifferencie of Gods doings dependeth not vpon vs nor vpon our thoughts But to the intent to stop these brablers mouthes with Gods worde and that they may know that God is the God of all Nations and will haue all beleeuers to be saued see what is answered to Moses talking to God in these words Behold sayth he thou sayest to me Exo. 33.12 leade this people and thou hast not shevved me whom thou wilt sende with me and thou sayest that I am knowen to thee by name and that I am highly in thy fauour Therefore if I bee in thy fauour teache me thy way that I may knowe thee and that I may be sure that I am in thy fauour consider also therwithall that this nation is thy people R. As who should say that God is not the God of all Nations or that he had determined to bestowe the treasures of his mercy and goodnes vpon none but only the Israelites P. Heare out the residue Then the Lord said I my selfe will go with thee giue thee rest And Moses answered surely vnlesse thou go with vs I had leuer we might not go hence at all But wherby shall we discerne that I and thy people are in thy fauour Shall it not be by thy going with vs that so I and thy people may excell all Nations on the earth R. O how vnhappy are al other natiōs of the world if the only Iewes be in gods fauour and all the residue cast of P. Giue me leaue to goe through The Lord answered vnto Moses that he would do according to his request and that he woulde not giue the people an Angel to be their guide but that he him selfe rather would bring them into the land of promise with his owne presence and fauour R. Moses then prayed and obteyned P. It is true But yet presumed he to aske greater things vvhen he said Lord I beseech thee shew mee thy glory and thy brightnesse Exod. 33.18 R. What sayd the Lord to that P. I saith he wil make al my good to passe before thee I wil proclaime my name Iehoua before thee I will haue mercy on whom I wil haue mercy Exod. 33.19 and I will shevv compassion on vvhom I will shevv compassion R. O most pitiful God worthy to be praised euerlastingly which tieth not his inward mercy to any one people or natiō but according to his good plesure layeth foorth the treasures of his clemency to whom he will and when he will For I perceiue plainly that this saying whiche concerneth gods manifesting of himself ought to
be referred to the circuÌ„stance of the place For the plainnes of gods answer is vnderstoode by Moises demaunde P. Then vpon this manifesting or rather defining of gods maiestie you may gather that god is not tyed only to the Israelites nor their deserts the cause that they be counted Gods people For Gods choosing and calling come neyther of the willer nor of the runner but rather of god that pitieth R. Truly I beleeue so and I conceiue so great hope of our Creators goodnes towards mankind that he wil haue mercy not onely vpon the Iewes but also vpon the Scithians AssyriaÌ„s EgyptiaÌ„s and al other nations that dwel throughout all partes of the world so they thrust not Gods most mercifull fauour from them through their vnbeleefe and stubbornesse of minde P. You iudge rightly and that is the thing which the scripture reporteth of that most wicked false harted king of Egypt whom the Egyptians call Pharao to vvhom beeing out of measure cruell disobedieÌ„t god speketh in these words EueÌ„ for this purpose haue I raysed thee vp and aduaunced thee to the kingdome Ex. 9.16 and preserued thee aliue and in health to this day that I might shevve my povver vpon thee and my name be renowmed through the whole world R. This iustice of God is most rightfull wherby he dazeleth the vnfaithfull blindeth the cruell tyrantes hardeneth the stubborne sort taketh light from the hardened and which is more worthy to be wondered at not onely vseth their persons but also their sinnes to the setting foorth of his glory So singular a workmaster is he of good things that he furthereth his owne most holy deuices by the lewde attempts and indeuers of the wicked P. You see then that God hath no respect of persons people nations functions or dignities in punishing of wicked deedes sinnes but rather paieth good to the good and euill to the euill as a most vpright iudge Therefore he hath mercy on whom he will and contrariwise he hardeneth whome he will nother is there any man that can iustly pleade with him and much lesse charge him vvith any vnindifferencie R. The Iewes will in no wise graunt that who thinke Gods mercy to be reserued alonly to theÌ„selues to couer their iniquities withall and that blyndnesse stubbornesse hardnesse of hart and finally â—â—delesse destruction is prepared by Gods eternall ordinance for all other nacions of the whole world But for asmuch as I haue once begon to pleade the case of the Iewes I pray you answere me in few woordes why God is angrye with the Israelites for reiecting of the doctrine of the Gospell For if he will needes haue it so who is able to withstand his will Esa 1.6 I say if God set forth hys owne glorie among all other nations of the worlde by the blyndnesse and vnbeleefe of the Iewes why vpbraydeth he them with their vnbeleefe and hard hartednesse P. I knowe you speake not as you thinke and therefore I will answere a rayling Ievv rather than your selfe and I vvil say O man bred of the earth and baser than the vvormes if thou vvante Gods fauor vvhat art thou that praâ— est against god If thou loke into thy selfe seest thou not that thy destruction coÌ„meth of thy self Ose 1. For by meanes of thy hard hart which can no skill to repent thou hast horded vp gods wrath to thy selfe bycause thou hast despised the abundance of Gods goodnes long sufferance myldnes But if thou speake as an Israelite aledge Gods election for thy self call to remembraunce the diuine sayings of the auncient prophets wherein they haue set before thine eyes the nature of God the punishmentes that were to come vppon the people of Israell And to vse Ieremies similitude shall the pot say to the potter vvhy hast thou made me thus Is it not lavvfull for him to make what he listeth of his clay Hath not the potter povver to make of the selfe same lump of clay one vessell to honour and to keepe sweet sented delicate things in Sap. 15.6 another to dishonour to put filthy stinking vncleane things in Surely he that denieth that denieth both the power of the potter beleeueth the povver of God to be mained in the gouerning and forecasting of mens affaires R. God forbid that the godly should haue that wicked coÌ„ceit with theÌ„ But in good sâ—th you make me very glad in bringing the most holy sermon of Ieremies to my remeÌ„brance the words wherof I minded to coÌ„mit to memory and I trust you will not be offended if I reherse them to inâ—â—â—hten your doctrine withall P. Nay rather I intreat you to do it R. Go to saith the Lord speaking to Ieremy go downe into the potters house Je. 18.6 there I wil vtter my woord vnto thee I therfore saieth Ieremy going my way into the potters house found him making his worke vpon his wheeles And when that vessels of clay that the potter was making of was mard betwene his hands he weÌ„t to it new again made another vessel of it as be thought good Then the Lorde talked thus vnto me Ye house of Israel may not I do to you as the potter doth sayth the Lord Looke what the clay is in the hande of the potter the same are you in my hand ô ye house of Israell As for examples sake I threaten wasting spoyling and destruction to some nacion or kingdome Now if that nacion which I shall haue threatned withdraw themselues from their wicked deeds I also will stay from the euill which I thought too haue layd vpon them Againe for examples sake I promise some nacion or kingdome to build it vp and stablishe it If they offende me by disobeying my woords I also will stay from the good which I ment to haue done them Go to therefore and tell the Iewes and the inhabiters of Ierusalem these woordes Thus saith the Lord behold I purpose euill against you and I am deuising of somewhat forsake euery one of you your wicked customes and amend your fashions and maners No say they but we will follow our owne deuices and euery of vs will obey the lewdnes and wicnes of his owne hart P. I promise you it was a notable answere giuen by the Israelits to mainteine and confirme Gods election wher of they boasted so much R. But what and if they complaine still of Gods euerlasting ordinance For if God knew that the Israelits woulde forsake his heauenly couenaÌ„t why chose he them And assone as he saw that they were couenant breakers why did he not by and by cast them of punnishe them weare them to the stumps and consume them to nothing Why did he not out of hande take the Gentyles to be his people P. What a saying is this If God intending to shevv his wrath and roughnesse and to vtter his povver did with great patience suffer for a tyme the vessels that vvere made fit for vvrath
lavve describeth it in these vvords Leu. 18.5 Ex. 20.11 Gal. 3.12 that he which performeth the things vvhich the law cōmaundeth shall liue by them contrariwise pronouncing them accursed which contitinue not in all things that are vvritten in the booke of the lawe de 30.12 But vvhen the same Moyses treateth of the righteousnesse that springeth of faith he speketh after this maner Say not in thy harte vvho shall go vp into heauen for that is as muche as to fetche or call dovvne Christ the sonne of god out of heauen Neither say in thy minde who shall go dovvne into the deepe for that is as much as to rayse or fetche vp agayn the same Christ from the dead R. What is it then that Moyses concludeth P. The worde sayth he is neere thee in thy mouth and in thy hart de 32.41 and that is the vvord of faith vvhich we Apostles of Christ do preach R. Now I see plainly that euen the auncient fathers of the old testament had the same marke set afore them for the fayth of the beleeuers alwayes to ame at which we haue namely Gods euerlasting worde very God and very man the Sauiour the Messias and the foundation of true righteousnesse and innocencie to whom whosoeuer cleaueth shal out of all doubt be saued Therefore no neede at all haue the Israelites muche lesse we to go on pilgrimage to passe ouer the sea to climbe vp into heauen and to attempt things aboue our power to become rightuous For it is sufficient to beleeue the Gospell to imbrace Christe the fathers worde and to be made one with him by the spirite of regeneration P. You hit the matter in deede For if you confesse the Lorde Iesus with your mouth and beleeue in your hart that God hath raysed him vp from death you shall be saued For the beleefe of the harte maketh righteous and the confession of the mouthe saueth Neither is this doctrine nevve or deuised by vs that beleeue in Christe but is continually repeated and set foorth by the holy prophets For to let passe others The Prophet Esay sayth Esa 18.20 whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not be ashamed nor deceyued R. You say truth But the Iewes restrayne this generall distribution onely to the Israelites and are of suche opinion as to beleeue that the Gentiles are shut out from that promise P. Surely they be vtterly ouerseen◠For in this behalf there is no difference betweene Greeke and Iewe. God created them all alike and made them all able to receiue him so they haue fayth As for deseruings there are none at all neither in the one nor in the other their saluation consisteth in gods only goodnes And bicause he is the onely Lorde of all riche and welwilling to do good to all that beleeue and call vpon him hartily seeke al their help welfare of him alone therfore according to the sayings of the prophets whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of the Lord shal be safe R. I remēber I haue read this sentēce in the sermons of the prophet Ioel. Ioel. 2.32 But there is a certen doubt which greueth my 〈◊〉 very much For if it be true as you say that god is the creator of al men and that be createth men able to receiue blessednes how hapneth it that the most part of the worlde abideth in ignorance of the truth and that a great sort euen of those that heere the truth do not beleeue it and obey it For to the intent we may speake first of the Heathen folke and Gentiles how can they call vpon him on whome they beleeue not and how can they belee◠e in him of whō they haue not herd and how shal they heare without a preacher and how shall they preach vnlesse they be sent euen of god the only author of saluation P. Surely you reason sharply For to the same purpose the prophet Esay said How beautifull and fine are the feete of such as bring glad tidings of peace Esa 52.7 and bring newes of good things R. Ye see also that not all the Iewes obeyed the Gospell Esa 53.1 For the same Esay complayneth of their vnbeleefe in these words Ioel. 12.31 Lord who hath beleued our sayings Heerevpon I conclude that the cause of damnation commeth of God who denieth to some men the degrees wherby they might come to the true worshipping of him and so consequently to saluation P. Nay rather you must gather hereof that true and liuely fayth commeth of hearing and that the true and inwarde hearing is inough by gods word and by the holy Ghost mouing mens harts and making their mindes cleane and holy by his operation R. I doubt not at all of that matter The thing that I demaund is this whether the nations to whom the preaching of the gospell came not at all are vtterly reiected of god or whether they may alledge any excuse for not hearing gods voyce I say I would fayne know whether they haue hard any thing or no that might quicken them and stirre them vp to the knowing and worshipping of the euerliuing God P. Yea out of doubt haue they For as the princely Prophet witnesseth treating of Gods schoole namely of his creatures wherein he shevveth his godhead and power to all Adams posterity Psa 19.5 Their sound sayth he vvent forth into all landes and their words into the vttermost partes of the world Rom. 1.16 Therefore looke what can be knowen of God is firste manifest in themselues that is to say in their ovvne minds For God hath manifested himselfe to them by a certeine inwarde lavv Againe concerning his inuisible things such as are his euer lasting povver and Godheade they be perceiued in the workemanship of the woorlde by considerning them in his workes And therfore they make themselues vnexcusable bycause that when they knew God they yeelded him not glory and thanks meete for God but wandered in vaine imaginations and their folishe mynde became dim And whereas they professe themselues wyse they become the more fooles Therupō it commeth that they turne the glory of the incorruptible God into an image fashioned to the shape of a mortall man of byrds of fourefoted beasts and of wormes And therfore for a punishment of this vvickednesse God giueth them vp to the lusts of their owne hartes into vncleannesse to defile their bodies among themselues for turning Gods truth into a lye and for vvorshipping and seruing the creatures passing ouer and neglecting the creator vvho is to be praised for euer Amen Hereuppon sprang the mischeefe the damnation and the destructiō of those whom you spake of R. You haue ynoughe and more than ynough satisfied my doubte with these your woordes Now I desire to knowe whether the doctrine that you set downe concerning the reiecting of the Iewes the calling of the Gentyles were knowen to the Prophets of old tyme I meane whether the Israelites did euer knowe Gods eternall
than the otheâ— Patriarks of Alexandria Antioche buâ— that the Bishop of Rome which nowe adayes calleth al things backe to himself is no Bishop at al no nor so much as an elder except he do his duty in ministring the Sacraments and in instructing admonishing and teaching the people That God is the creator of al things God beeing singular good and almightie created all things bothe visible and inuisible by his coeternal word and also preserueth the same by his coeternal spirite according as Dauid witnesseth saying Psal 33. by the word of god the heauens were made and all the power of them by the breath of his mouth And al thinges that God made were as sayth the Scripture exceeding good and made for the vse and commoditie of man and I say that all those thinges proceeded from one beginning Therefore I condemne the Manichees Marcionites which did wickedly surmise two substances natures the one good the other bad likewise two beginnings two coÌ„trary gods one good another naught Of Prouidence I beleue that al things both in heauen earth in al creatures are mainteined gouerned by gods wisdome Psa 139. For Dauid witnesseth saith the lord is high aboue al natioÌ„s his glory aboue the heauens Who is like the lorde our god who hath his dwelling on hye and yet stoupeth to loke vpon the things that are in heaueÌ„ and earth The same man saith againe vnto god Thou hast forsene al my ways For there is not a worde in my toung which thou knowest not euery whit O Lorde Also Paule witnesse the same and saith by him we liue Act. 17. moue and be And of him by him and in him are all thinges Most truely therefore and according to the scriptures Rom. 12. doth Austin in the eyghte chapter of his booke concerning Christs Agonie say the Lord said are not twoo sparrowes solde for a farthing and one of them lighteth not vppon the grounde without the will of your father In saying so he ment to shew that euen the thing whiche men take to be vilest are gouerned by the Lords almighty power Ma. 10. For after the same maner doth the truth say Ma. 6. that he feedeth the birdes of the aâ—re and clotheth the lyllies of the feeld and also keepeth iust account of the heares of our heades Of the Angells both good and bad I admit with the right beleuing church that among all thinges created Angells and men are the cheefe the scripture of God pronounceth of the Angels that he made his Angels spirits his ministers a flame of fyre And againe are they not al ministring spirits sent forth to do seruice for them that shal be heires of saluation And the Lord Iesus himselfe witnesseth of the Diuill that he was a murtherer from the beginning John 8. and stode not in the truth bycause there is no truth in him When he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his owne for he is a Lyer and the father of lyes Therfore we teache that of the Angels some abode still in obedience and are appointed to the faithfull seruice of God and man and that othersome fell of their owne accord and were throwen downe into destruction and are become enemies of all goodnesse and of al faithfull men Of mans creation Concerning man and creation I beleue the doctrine of the scripture that at the first he was created good after the Image and lykenesse of God and the God did set him in Paradice Gen. 2. put all things in subiection to him Which thing Dauid coÌ„meÌ„deth mightily in the eyght Psalme Also he gaue him a wife and blessed theÌ„ And I say that man consisteth of twoo dyuerse substaÌ„ces in one persone namely of an immortall Soule and a mortall body Of the state of Innocency or of the originall ryghtuousnesse of our firste fathers and of their fall God made man at the beginning after the Image of God in true ryghtuousnesse and holynesse good and ryghtuous but by the inticement of the Serpent and by hys owne faulte he fell awaye from goodnesse and ryghtuousnesse and became subiect to sinne death and sundry calamities And suche as he became after his fall such are al the spring of him namely euen subiect to sin death and sundry calamities Of Sinne I vnderstoode Sin to be the natiue corruption of man deryued and spred abroade into vs all from those oure firste parents wherethrough we be plunged in lewd lustes and turned away from goodnesse but forewarde to all euill and full of all naughtinesse as distrust contempte and hating of God can do no good of oure selues no nor once thinke any But rather the more we growe in yeeres the more do we bring forth corrupt frutes meete for an euill tree in our thoughtes and words and deedes done lewdly against Gods law In which respect being through our own desert subiect to Gods wrathe we be put vnder iust punishmentes in so muche that we shoulde all of vs haue bin cast of from God if Christe oure deliuerer Mat. 12. Gen. 14. in whom mankinde whiche els was lost was restored againe had not brought vs to him againe Of death the wages of Sinne. Therfore by death I meane not onely bodily death whiche we must all of vs once suffer for oure sins sake but also the endlesse punishments due to our sinfulnes and corruption Eph. 2. For we were deade saith the Apostle in oure offences and sins and we were the children of wrath as others are But God who is riche in mercie quickened vs with Christ when we were dead through our sins Rom. 5. Againe like as by one maÌ„ sin entred into the world death by sin so also death passed into al men inasmuch as al men haue sinned Of originall sin and of the cause of sinne I acknowledge that there is original sin in all men and I acknowledge that all other sins which spring thereof are called sins and are sins in very deede by what name so euer they be called whyther deadly or veniall Mar. 3. or the sinne that is called the sin againste the holye Ghost which is neuer forgiuen Also I confesse that all sins are not equall though they spring all out of one fountaine of corruption and vnbeleefe 1. John 3. but that some are greuouser than othersome according as the Lord hath sayd that it shal be easyer for Sodome and Gomor Math. 10 than for the city that refuseth the word of the Gospell Therfore I condemne all suche as haue taughte contrarye heereto and specially Pelagius and all Pelagians and Iouianistes who with the Stoikes make all sins a lyke heynouse In this cace I am fullye of opinion with Sainte Austin who alledged his matters out of the holy scriptures and defended them by the same Furthermore I condemne Florinus and Blascus and all suche as make God the author of sin Psam 5. against whom
Ireneus wrat For it is expresly written thou arte not a God that delighteth in wickednes thou hatest all such as worke wickednes and wilt destroy all suche as speake lyes And againe when the Diuell speaketh a lye hee speaketh of his owne John 8. for he is a lyer and the father of lying Yea and euen in our selues there is vice and corruption ynough so as god needeth not to sheade any new increase of naughtinesse into vs. Therfore when the scriptures reporte God to hardned men to blynd men to deliuer them vp into a leud mynd it is to be vnderstood that God doth it by rightfull iustice as a ryghtuous iudge and iust punisher Finally as oft as God in the holy scripture is sayd or seemeth to do any euil it is not ment therby that man doth not the euill but that God by his iust iudgement suffereth it to be done and letteth not the doing of it wheras he coulde let it if he lysted eyther bycause he vseth mans euil doings to good purpose as he vsed the sin of Iosephs brethren or bycause he ouerruleth mens sins that they burst not out ne rage further than is meete By a wonderfull vnspeakable meane sayth Saint Austin in his Enchiridion or hād weapō it is not done without his will for it should not be done vnlesse he suffered it to be done And surely he suffereth it not vnwillingly Nother seeing he is good woulde he suffer euill to be done vnlesse that beeing also almighty he could of euill make good Thus much saith S. Austin As for these questions whether it was Gods will that Adam should fall and whether he draue him to fall or why he letted not his fal and such other lyke I recken them among the curious sort except it be perchance when the leudnesse of Heretikes or of other importunate persons inforceth men to open those thinges out of Gods worde as the godly teachers of the church haue often times done For we know that the Lord forbad man to eate of the frute and punished his transgression and moreouer that the things whiche are done are not euill in respect of Gods prouidence will and power but in respect of Satan and of oure wyll stryuing against Gods will Of freewill and consequently of mans owne power In this matter which hath euer bred manye contentions in the Churche 2. Tim. 2 I thinke we muste consider man in three states or conditions First what he was before his fall to wit ryghtuous free so as he might both abyde in the good and swarue vnto the euill and that he swarued vnto euill and wrapped both himselfe all mankind in sin and death as hath bin saide afore Againe it is to be considered in what plyght man was after his fall Surely his vnderstāding will were not taken quite from him nother was he vtterly turned into a blocke or stone Ephe. 12. howbeit they were so chaunged and diminished that they could no more do as they did before his fall For his vnderstanding was darkened and hys will of free became bond For it serueth sin not vnwillingly but willingly For it is called a will and not a nill Therefore as in respect of euill or of sin man doth it not as compelled eyther of God or of the diuell but of his owne accorde and in that behalfe his will is most free And whereas we oftentymes see mens wicked doinges and deuices letted by God so as they come not to effect that taketh not away mans freenesse in euill but God disappointeth that thinge by his power whiche man had freely purposed in him selfe As for example Iosephs brethren determined freely to ridde him oute of the waye But yet they could not bycause Gods ordynance was otherwise But as for in respect of goodnesse and vertue mans vnderstanding doth not of it selfe iudge ryghtly of godly matters For the scriptures both of the Gospel and of the Apostles wrytings requyre regeneration of euery of vs that wil be saued Wherevpon it followeth that our former birth in Adam boteth vs nothing at al to saluation For the naturall man sayeth Paule perceiueth not the thinges that come of Gods spirit 1. Cor. 2. c. And in another place he denyeth vs to be able to thinke any good thought of our selues 2. Cor. 2. Now it is certen that the mind or vnderstanding is the guyde of the will and if the guyd be blynd it is easy to perceyue whyther the will goeth Therfore ther is not any free will vnto good in any man vnregenerated nother is there any strength in hym to espy the thing that is good Our Lord sayth in the Gospell John 8. verily verily I say vnto you that euery one whiche committeth sin is the bondseruant of sinne Rom. 8. And the Apostle Paule sayth that the lust of the flesh is enmitie agaynst God For it is not subiecte to Gods lawe neither can be Neuerthelesse the vnderstāding of earthly things is not quite gone in man For God of his mercy hath lefte him wit howbeit farre vnlike that which was in him before this fall God willeth men as it were to manure their wittes and addeth giftes and proceedings therwithal And it is manifest how little or nothing we profite in any art without gods blessing For surely the Scripture fathereth all artes vpon God And euen the very heathen men fathered the originall of all arts vpon the inuention of their Gods Last of all it is to be seene whether the regenerated haue freewil and how farre forth In regeneration mans vnderstanding is inlightened by the holy ghost to vnderstande Gods mysteries and will And his will is not onely chaunged by the spirite but also indewed with abilitie so as it both will and can doo good of it owne accorde Rom. 8. Vnlesse we graunte this wee shall denie the Christian freedome and bring in the thraldome of the Lawe Besides this the prophet and bring in the thraldome of the lawe Besydes this Ezec. 36. Jer. 13. the Prophet bringeth in God saying thus I will gyue my lawe into their mindes and write it in their harts 1. John 8 Phi. 2. Also the Lord saith in the Gospel If the son make you free then are you free in deede Againe Paule to the Philippians sayth vnto you it is giuen not onely to beleeue in him but also to suffer for him And againe I am perswaded that he which hath begon the good worke in you will go through with it euen to the day of our Lord Iesu Again it is God that worketh in you both the will and the performance of the will Where by the waye I teache that two thinges are to be marked Firste that in the choosing and working of good the regenerated are not onely sufferers but also dooers For by Gods working in them they do the things which they do And therfore rightly doth Austin alledge this text that God is sayde to be our