thou and doe the like As if he should haue said like as the Samaritane iudged euen his enimie to be his neighbour and dealt friendly with him when he stood in neede of his friendship so sée that thou take euery one that néedeth thy helpe to be thy neighbour and do him good Aurelius Augustine therfore according to the right sense of the scripture sayde we take him to be our neighbour to whome we shewe mercy when néede requireth or to whome we should shew mercy if at any time he shoulde néede We Suitzers doe most properly expresse it when we cal our neighbour Den nachsten menschen tâ—at is any man without difference whosoeuer by hap shall light into our company Moreouer in our couÌ„trey speache we will call our neyghbour Der abenmensch namlich ein yeder der so wol ein mensch ist al 's wir Meaning thereby any man what soeuer whether he be our friende or enimie Herevnto belongeth that saying of Lactantius in the eleuenthe Chapter of his sixte booke Why makest thou choice of persons why lookest thou so narrowly on the limmes Thou muste take him to be a man whosoeuer beseecheth thee therefore that he may thinke thee to be a man Giue to the blinde to the impotent to the lame to the comfortlesse to whome vnlesse thou be liberall thou shalt dye vndoubtedly Againe he saith If so be we will rightly be called by the name of men then must we in any case keepe the lawe of ciuill humanitie And what else I pray you is it to keepe humanitie but therfore to loue a man bycause he is a man and the very same that we our selues are The Lord in the Gospel verily speaking of the loue of our neighbour saith Loue your enimies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you pray for them that hurt you And againe Giue to euery one that asketh of thee And if you loue theÌ„ that loue you what thanke is that to you For sinners also loue them of whome they are loued So then euery man who so euer standeth in néede of our ayde both is and is to be counted our neighbour And yet all this notwithstanding there is no cause but that there ought to be an order a measure and decent regard in loue and well doing For rightly sayde Saint Augustine in the 27. Chapter of his booke De doctrina Christiana No sinner in that he is a sinner is to be loued And in the. 28. Chapter All men are to be loued alike but since thou canst not do good to all men therfore thou must especially doe good to them to whom thou art as it were by lot more neerely ioyned by opportunitie eyther of time of place or of any other thing what soeuer And this did Paul before Augustine teach where he sayth Who soeuer worketh not let him not eate And againe While we haue time let vs worke good to all men but specially to them of the houshold of fayth And in another place he commandeth vs not to bestowe on others to lacke our selues at home But rather he chargeth euery one to haue a godly care of his owne house The place is knowne in the fift Chapter of the first Epistle to Timothie Nowe since I haue declared who is our neighbor let vs see also in what sort this neighbour of ours ought to be loued Our neighbour must be loued simply without any coloured deceipt with the very selfe same loue wherwith we loue our selues or that wherwith Christe hath loued vs For in al things we must stand our neighbour in stéede and doe him pleasure so farre as the lawe of humanitie shall be founde to require In this declaration there are foure things more fully to be noted Firste that loue of our neighbour that is looked for at our handes ought to be so sincere as that it be without all manner guile deceipt and coloured craft For there are many to be fouÌ„d that haue the skill to talke to their neighbours with sugred tongues and to make a face as thoughe they loued them when as in déede they do vtterly hate them meaning nothing else but with fauning wordes to beguile them that thereby they may worke the thinges that they desire Paule and Iohn therefore the Apostles of Christe goe about earnestly to seuer hypocrisie from loue For Paul saith Let not your loue be fayned Againe The ende of the commaundement is loue of a pure heart and a good conscience and fayth not fayned On the other side Iohn cryeth out saying My babes let vs not loue in worde nor in tongue but in deede and in veritie Moreouer in this sinceritie we conteine a frée willing mery chearfulnesse that nothing may séeme to be done vnwillingly or by compulsion For Paule sayth Let euery man doe with a good purpose of mynd not of trouble or necessitie For God requireth a chearefull giuer Secondarily it is to be looked for of vs that we should loue our neighbor as our selues For the Lorde hath sayde Loue thy neighbour as thy selâ— that is most intirely and as dearely as by any meanes thou mayst For there is not any affection that is of more force or vehemencie then selfe loue is Neyther was it the Lord his minde that the loue of our neighbour should be any whit lesser theÌ„ the loue that we beare to our selues but rather by this he gaue vs to vnderstand that we ought to bestowe on others as ardent loue as may be to wit the very same affection that we beare to our selues and our owne estate and that we ought to be readie to do good to other or to kéepe them from harme with the same care fayth and diligence with the same zeale goodwil wherewith we prouide for our selues or our owne safetie Wherevpon the Lorde in another place sayth What soeuer thou wouldest haue done to thee selfe that doe thou to another And what so euer thou wouldest not haue done to thy self do not thou the same to another And herein doth the lord require two things at our haÌ„ds not to hurt to do good For it is not inough not to hurt a maÌ„ but also to do him good so much as lyeth in vs to do For we our selues desire not onely to kéepe our selues from hurt but to do our selues good also But if so it be dearely beloued that ye doe not yet sufficiently understand the manner howe we ought to loue our neighbour then marke I beséeche you the thirde part of my description of this loue where I sayde That we ought to loue our neighbor with that same loue wherwith the Lord Christ loued vs For in the Gospell after S. Iohn the Lord saith This is my commaundement that ye loue one another as I haue loued you So then here ye haue the manner of our loue we must loue our neighbours as Christe hath loued vs But in what sort hath Christe loued vs Here
againe in the Gospell he sayth No man hath greater loue then this that a man bestowe his life for his friend So then suche must the manner of our loue toward our neighbour be as that we shal not doubt to giue our life for our neighbour And iâ— so it be then â–ª that for our neighbours sake we owe the losse of our life there is nothing verily that we owe him not considering that to a man nothing is more deare theÌ„ life For sooner will he loose all that he hath theÌ„ once to put his life in ieopardie Whervpon the Apostle Iohn cryeth out and sayth Hereby perceiue we loue bycause he layde downe his life for vs and we ought to lay down our liues for the brethren This is easie to be vnderstood by reason of the most euident example Let vs praye earnestly and continuaâ—ly to the Lorâ— stande by the worde of God least peraduenture the same Apostle condemn vs who sayeth Who so hath this worldes good and seeth his brother haue neede and shutteth vp his compassion from him howe dwelleth the loue of God in him And now let vs also declare that fourth last manner how we ought to stand our neighbour in stéede and how to do him good in shewing our dutifull loue and ciuil humanitie That hath the Lord already very finely set out in the very same parable wherin he taught vs who is our neighbour For he hath briefly and yet very euidently touched all the points of the loue that we owe to our neighbour First the Samaritane at the sight of the wouÌ„ded man was moued with pitie There is therefore required of vs a mercifull motion of pitie so to regard other mens calamities as thoughe they were our owne it is looked for at our handes that we shoulde be as sorrowfull mynded for another mans trouble as he that féeleth the miserie according to that saying of the Apostle Be mindfull of them that are in bondes as bound with them and of them whiche suffer aduersitie as thoughe ye your selues also being in the body suffered aduersitie Secondarily the Samaritane passeth not by but commeth vnto him he doth not with sorrowefull words wish health to the wounded and so letting him lye depart to dispatche his owne affaires For Iames the Apostle saith If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of dayly foode and one of you say vnto them depart in peace be ye warmed and filled and yet notwithstanding giue them not those things that are needefull to the bodie what shall it profite The Samaritane therefore conuneth vnto him setteth to his hande and sheweth the skyll that he hath whiche was not muche ywis to heale the sillie maÌ„gled man He doth not loath and turne his face from the yllfauoured colour bloudy matter corrupted filth and stenche of his woundes but bindeth them vp him selfe not letting them alone for another to doe He maketh not his excuse that he is no Physician but dothe what he can in that necessitie vsing suche medicine as for the time present he had in a readinesse til more conueniently he might come by better Wine and Oyle he had taken with him when he beganne his iourney which in that necessitie he doth vse and that not very inconueniently bycause wine purgeth woundes and oyle doth make them supple Moreouer whatsoeuer he hath that dothe he employ to the silly mans behoofe and to doe him ease doth euen disease him selfe For he alighteth from the backe of the beast whereon he rode and maketh him to serue the maimed mans necessitie He also with his owne hands lifteth vp from the grounde the man that was too weake to stande and setteth him on the beast And lastly he him selfe becommeth his guide to leade the way not suffring any other to take charge ouer him For when as he could not readily bring him to his owne house yet did he conueigh him into a coÌ„mon Inne Where againe he spareth not for any cost or paines taking For he him selfe taketh charge of the miserable man bycause in common Innes sicke folks for the most part are slenderly looked vnto But when his earnest businesse calleth on to make hast in his iourney he taketh out so much money as he doth thinke to be sufficient till his returne and giueth it to the Inkéeper And not being therewithall content he giueth to his hoast an especiall charge of the sicke man and also bindeth him self for him saying whatsoeuer more then this thou shalt lay out about things necessarie for his recouerie thou shalt not loose one myte For at my returne I will pay thée all againe to the vttermost farthing So then he promiseth to returne and therwithall declareth that he shall not be quiet vntill he sée him thorowly healed of all his woundes Ye haue here dearely beloued in this the Lorde his parable a moste goodly and absolute example of loue For the Samaritane doth liberally and willingly imploy his whole seruice vpon his néedie neighbours necessitie We therefore owe our selues wholy and all that we haue to our neighbours behoofe which if we bestowe on him then doe we fulfill the dueties of loue and ciuil humanitie To this we will yet adde some testimonies of the Scripture that therby we may more fully vnderstande the very innermost pith of loue if yet peraduenture any thing may séeme to be wanting in that which hitherto I haue alledged Paule therefore writing to the Corinthians sayth Loue suffereth wrong and is curteous loue enuieth not loue doth not frowardly loue swelleth not dealeth not dishonestly seeketh not hir owne is not prouoked to anger thinketh not euill reioyceth not in iniquitie but reioyceth in the trueth suffereth all things beleeueth all things hopeth all things indureth all things And againe the same Apostle in his Epistle to the Romanes saith Loue striueth to goe before in giuing honour to othâ—r loue distributeth to the Saintes necessitie is giuen to hospitalitie speaketh well of her persecuters and curseth not them that persecute her loue reioyceth with them that do reioyce and weepeth with them that weepe and applyeth it selfe to the weaker sortes infirmitie And againe Owe nothing to any man but to loue one another For he that loueth another hath fulfilled the lawe For this Thou shalt not commit adultrie Thou shalt not steale Thou shalte not kill Thou shalte not beare false witnesse Thou shalt not lust and if there be any other commaundement it is compreheÌ„ded briefly in this saying namely Thou shalte loue thy neighbour as thee selfe Loue worketh no yll to his neighbour therefore the fulfilling of the lawe is loue or charitie Hitherto also pertaineth the workes of mercy which as they flowe out of loue so are they rehearsed of the Lorde in the Gospell after Mathew and are especially these that followe To féede the hungrie To giue drinke to the thirstie To harbour the harbourlesse and strangers To couer or cloathe the naked To visite the sicke and to sée
and comfort imprisoned captiues Herevnto Lactantius lib. Institut 6. cap. 12. hath an eye where he sayth The chiefest vertue is to keepe hospitalitie and to feede the poore To redeeme captiues also is a greate and excellent worke of righteousnes And as great a work of iustice is it to saue and defend the fatherlesse widowes the desolate helplesse whiche the law of God doth euery where coÌ„maund It is also a part of the chiefest humanitie and a great good deed to take in hand to heale and chearish the sicke that haue no body to helpe them Finally that last and greatest duetie of pietie is the buriall of strangers and of the poore Thus muche hitherto touching the duetie of ciuil humanitie which true loue sheweth to his neighbour in necessitie But it is not inough my brethren to vnderstande how we ought to loue our neighbour though we ought often to repeate it but rather we must loue him excéedingly and aboue that that I am able to say Let vs heare the Apostle who with a wonderful goodly grace of spéech with a most excelleÌ„t exquisite holy example of Christe doth exhort vs all to the shewing of charitie to our neighbour and sayth If therefore there bee any consolation in Christe if any comfort of loue if any fellowship of the spirite if any compassion mercie fulfill ye my ioye that ye be like minded hauing the same loue being of one accorde and minde let nothing be done through strife or vaine glory but in meekenesse let euery man esteeme one the other better then him selfe looke ye not euery man on his owne thinges but euery man also on the thinges of others For let the same minde be in you that was in Christ Iesus who being in the fourme of God thought it no robberie to be equall with God but made him selfe of no reputation taking on him the forme of a seruant and made in the likenesse of men and found in figure as a man he humbled him selfe made obedient vnto death euen the death of the crosse Wherefore God also hath lightly exalted him and giuen him a name which is aboue euery name that in the name of Iesus euery knee shoulde bow of things in heauen and things in earth and things vnder the earth and that euery tongue shoulde confesse that the Lorde Iesus Christe is the glory of God the father To him alone be honor power for euer euer Amen The end of the first Decade of Sermons The Second Decade of Sermons writen by Henrie Bullinger Of lawes and first of the lawe of Nature then of the lawes of men ¶ The first Sermon THE summe of all lawes is the loue of GOD and our neighbour of which and euery parte whereof bycause I haue already spokeÌ„ in my last Sermon the next is that nowe also I make a particular discourse of lawes and euery part and kinde thereof Let vs therefore call to God who is the cause and beginning of lawes that he through our Lorde Iesus Christe will vouchsafe with his spirite alwayes to direct vs in the waye of trueth and righteousnesse A heathen writer no base authour ywis made this definition of lawe that it is an especiall reason placed in nature coÌ„mauÌ„ding what is to be done and fordidding the contrarie And verily the lawe is nothing but a declaration of Gods will appointing what thou hast to do and what thou oughtest to leaue vndone The beginning and cause of lawes is God him selfe who is the fountaine of all goodnesse equitie trueth and righteousnesse Therefore all good and iust lawes come from God him selfe althoughe they be for the most parte published and brought to light by men Touching the lawes of men we muste haue a peculiar consideratioÌ„ of theÌ„ by theÌ„ selues For of lawes some are of God some of Nature some of Men. As concerning Gods law I wil speak of it in my seconde Sermon at this present I will touch first the lawe of Nature and then the lawe of Men. The law of Nature is an instruction of the conscience and as it were a certaine direction placed by God him self in the mindes and hearts of men to teach them what they haue to doe and what to eschue And the conscience verily is the knowledge iudgement and reason of a man whereby euery man in him selfe and in his owne minde being made priuie to euery thing that he eyther hath committed or not committed doth eyther condemne or else acquite him self And this reason procéedeth from God who both prompteth and writeth his iudgementes in the hearts and mindes of men Moreouer that which we call Nature is the proper disposition or inclination of euery thing But the disposition of mankind being flatly corrupted by sinne as it is blinde so also is it in all pointes euill and naughtie It knoweth not God it worshippeth not God neyther doth it loue the neighbour but rather is affected with selfe loue towarde it selfe and séeketh still for the owne aduauntage For whiche cause the Apostle sayde That we by nature are the children of wrath Wherefore the lawe of nature is not called the lawe of nature bicause in the nature disposition of maÌ„ there is of or by it selfe that reason of light exhorting to the best things and that holy working but for bycause God hath imprinted or ingrauen in our myndes some knowledge and certaine generall principles of religion iustice and goodnesse which bycause they be grafted in vs and borne together with vs do therefore séeme to be naturally in vs. Let vs heare the Apostle Paule who beareth witnesse to this saith When the Gentiles whiche haue not the lawe do of nature the things conteined in the law they hauing not the law are a law vnto themselues which shew the workes of the lawe written in their hearts their conscience bearing theÌ„ witnesse and their thoughts accusing one another or excusing in that same day when the Lorde shall iudge the secrets of meÌ„ by Iesus Christ according to my Gospel By two arguments here doth the apostle very euidently proue that the gentiles are sinners For first of all least peraduenture they might make this excuse and say that they haue no law he sheweth that they haue a law and that bicause they transgresse this law they are become sinners For although they had not the written law of Moses yet notwithstanding they did by nature the things coÌ„teined in the law The office of the law is to disclose the wil of God and to teache thée what thou haste to do and what to leaue vndone This haue thei by nature that is this know they by the lawe of nature For that whiche followeth maketh this more plaine They when they haue no law are to them selues a law That is they haue in theÌ„ selues that which is written in the law But in what sort haue they it in them selues This againe is maâ—e manifest by that which followeth For they
caught into the ayre there to méete Christ that they may for euer be with the lord For then doe the soules returne out of Heauen euery one to his owne body that the whole perfect ful maÌ„ may liue for euer both in soule and body For the soule of Christ dying on the Crosse did out of hande departe into Paradise and the thirde day after returned to the body whiche rose againe and ascended into heauen Euen as therefore eternall life came to the heade Christ so shal it also come to all and euery member of Christ Now whereas Paule citing Esai sayth What the eye hath not seene nor the eaâ—e hearde nor hath at any time come into the heart of man that hath the Lord prepared for them that loue him I suppose verily if all were sayd touching eternall life that might be spoken by all the men of all ages that euer were or shall be yet that scarcely the very leaste part thereof hath or shall be throughly touched For how so euer the Scripture dothe with eloquent and figuratiue speches with allusions and harde Sentences most plainly shew the shadowe of that lyfe and those ioyes yet notwithstanding all that is little or nothing in comparison to speake of vntill that day do come wherein we shall with vnspeakable ioy beholde God him selfe the creator of al things in his glory Christ our sauiour in his Maiestie and finally all the blessed soules Angelles Patriarches Prophetes Apostles Martyrs our Fathers all nations all the hâ—ast of Heauen and lastly the whole diuine and heauenly glorye Moste truely therefore sayde Aurelius Augustine Lib. de Ciuitat Dei. 22. Cap. 29. When it is demaunded of me what the Saintes shall doe in that spirituall bodye I aunswere not that which I nowe see but that that I beleeue I say therefore that they shall see God in that spirituall body And againe If I shoulde say the trueth I knowe not in what sort that action quietnesse and rest shall be For the peace of God doth passe all vnderstanding To be short we shall sée God face to face we shall be filled with the companie of God and yet be neuer wéerie of him And the face of God is not that countenaunce that appeareth in vs but is a most delectable reuealing and inioying of God whiche no mortall tongue can worthily declare Goe to then dearely beloued brethren let vs beléeue and liue that when we shall departe from hence we may in very déede haue tryall of those vnspeakable ioyes of the eternal life to come which nowe we doe beléeue Hytherto haue I throughout the foure laste Articles declared vnto you the fruite and ende of Christian fayth Fayth leaneth vpon one God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghoste which saÌ„ctifieth the faithful purgeth and halloweth a Churche to him selfe whiche Churche hath a communion with God and all Saintes All the offences of which Church God pardoneth and forgiueth And dothe preserue it both soule and body For as the Saintes Soules can not dye so God rayseth vp their bodies againe and maketh them glorious and euerlasting to the end that the whole man may for euer liue in heauen with the Lorde To whome be prayse and glory world without end AmeÌ„ Of the loue of God and our Neighbour ¶ The tenth Sermon IT remaineth since I haue in some sermons discoursed of true faythe that I do nowe also adde one Sermon touching loue towards God and our neyghbour For in my fourth Sermon I promised so soone as I should haue done with the exposition of fayth that then I would speake of loue towarde God and our neighbour bycause the exposition of the Scriptures ought not to goe awrye out of faythe and charitie whiche are as it were the right and holy markes for it to drawe vnto Ye as hitherto ye haue done so cease not yet to pray that this wholesome doctrine maye be by me taught as it shoulde be and by you receiued with much increase and profite And first of all I will not curiously put any difference betwene Charitie and loue I will vse them both in one and the same sense S. Augustine De doctrina Christiana saith I cal Chatitie a motion of the minde to delight in God for his owne sake and to delight in himselfe and his neighbour for Gods sake And therfore I cal loue a gifte giuen to man from Heauen wherby with his hart he loueth God before and aboue all thinges and his neighbour as him selfe Loue therfore springeth from Heauen from whence it is powred into our hartes But it is inlarged and augmented partly by the remembrance and consideration of Gods benefits partly by often prayer and also by the hearing frequenting of the worde of Christ Which things them selues also are the giftes of the spirite For the Apostle Paule saith The loue of God is powred out into our hartes by the holy Ghoste which is giuen vs. For verily the loue of God wherwith he loueth vs is the foundation cause of our loue wherewith we loue him and of both these iointly consisteth the loue of our neighbour For the Apostle saith We loue him bicause he first loued vs. And againe Euery one that loueth him which begot loueth him also that is borne of him Hereby we gather againe that this gifte of loue can not be diuided or seuered although it be double For he that loueth God truly hateth not his neighbour and yet neuerthelesse this loue bicause of the double respect that it hath to God and our neighbour staÌ„deth of two partes And bicause of this double Charitie the tables of Gods law are diuided into twaine the first wherof conteineth foure commaundeâ—â—nts touching the loue of God the seconde comprehendeth sixe precepts touching the loue of our neighbour Of which I will speake in their owne place But at this time bicause the loue of God and of our neighbour are twaine I will first speake of the loue of God and then of the loue of our neighbour In these two commaundements saith the Lord hang the law and the Prophetes With that which wee call the loue of God we loue God entirely wel we cleaue to God as the onely chiefe and eternal goodnesse in him we do delight our selues and are well pleased and frame our selues to his wil and pleasure hauing euermore a regarde and desire of him that we loue With loue wée loue God most hartelie But wee doe hartelie loue the thinges that are deare vnto vs and the things that to vs séeme worthie to be desired and we loue them entirely in deede not so much for our coÌ„modity as for because wée do desire to ioyne and as it were for euer to giue and dedicate our selues whoalie to the thing that wée so dearelie loue So verilie wee desyre for euer to be ioyned with God are in charitie fast lincked vnto him as the Apostle sayth God is charitie and he that dwelleth in charitie dwelleth
in God and God in him And that is the way whereby we cleaue to God as to the onely chiefe and eternal goodnesse in whom also wee are delighted and that not a litle On him wee rest thinking assuredlie that withoute him there is no good at all and againe that in him there is to be found all manner of goodnesse Wherefore our hartie loue is set on no good thinge but God And in comparison of him whom we loue wée do lightly loath and treade vnder foote all things else that seeme to be good in the whole world yea verilie the loue of God in vs doth ouercome all the euils whiche otherwise séeme inuincible Let vs heare Paule with a a vehement motion proclaming this and saying Who shal separate vs froÌ„ the loue of God shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or hunger or nakednesse or perill or sword As it is written For thy sake are wee killed all daye long and are counted as sheepe for the slaughter Neuerthelesse in all these thinges we ouercome through him that loued vs For I am sure that neyther death nor life nor Angels nor rule nor power nor thinges present nor thinges to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to seperate vs from the loue of God whiche is in Christ Iesu our Lorde Hitherto haue I recited the wordes of Paule The loue of God worketh in vs a will to frame our selues wholy to the will and ordinaunces of him whome we doe hartily loue Yea it is pleasaunt and swéete to him that loueth God to doe the thing that he perceiueth is acceptable to God if it be done He that loueth doth in mynde reuerence him whome he loueth His eye is neuer of him whome he loueth He doth alwayes and in all things wishe for his dearling whom he loueth His onely ioy is as oft as may be to talke with God and againe to heare the wordes of God speaking in the Scripture For the Lorde in the Gospell saith If any man loue me he will kepe my word he that loueth me not doth not keepe my wordes Againe Abide ye in my loue If ye keepe my commaundementes ye shall abide in my loue euen as I also haue kept my Fathers commaundements and do abide in his loue And againe If any man loue me he will keepe my word and my father wil loue him and we will come to him and make our dwelling in him But nowe let vs heare Moses the seruaunt of God declaring and teaching vs the way and manner how to loue God to wit howe great loue ought to be in the elect Thou shalt saith he loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy strength The very same wordes in a manner did our Lord in the Gospell repeate and sayd Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy strength and with all thy mynde By this we vnderstande that the greatest loue that may be is required at oure handes to God warde as that which challengeth man wholy howe bigge so euer he be and all the parts of man as peculiar vnto it selfe In the mynd is mannes vnderstanding In the heart is the seate of his affections and will. The strength of man conteineth all mans abilitie as his very wordes déedes counsell riches and his whole substance Finally the soule is the life of man And we verily are commaunded to employ all these vpon the loue of God when we are bidden to loue God with all our soule with all oure strength with our whole mynde and our whole heart Nothing is ouerslipt but all is conteyned in this We are Gods wholy and altogether let vs altogether therefore and wholy loue god Let nothing in all the world be dearer to vs then God let vs not spare for Gods sake any thing of all that which we possesse howe deare to vs or good soeuer it be but let vs forsake spende and giue it for Gods sake and as the Lord by his worde appointeth For in doing so we loue God before and aboue all things We are also coÌ„maunded to stick to God only to imbrace him alone For to whom we doe wholy owe all that we haue to him is al the whole sincerely simply and fully to be giuen Here are they condemned whosoeuer wil not once loue God and the world together The Lord requireth the whole heart the whole mynde the whole soule and all the strength finally he requireth al what soeuer we are or haue in possession he leaueth nothing therefore for thée to bestowe on other By what right then wilt thou giue to the fleshe the deuill to other Gods or to the worlde the thinges that properly are Gods owne And God verily alone is the chiefest eternall greatest mightiest creator deliuerer preseruer most gentle most iust and best of all He alone doth giue hath giuen and is able to giue to man all that is expedient for the safegarde of his body and soule God alone doth minister to man abilitie to liue well and blessedly and therefore God deserueth to be loued alone and that too before and aboue al other things This loue of God doth blesse all the haps and chances of men and turneth them to their profite according to that saying To them that loue God all thinges worke for the best This loue of God also conteineth this that it suffreth vs not to honour worship reuerence feare or call vpon any neyther to trust in obey or sticke to any other but to the one and onely God to whome all glory is due But nowe before we speake of the loue of our neighbour it is requisite that we firste shewe who it is that is our neighbour touching whiche I sée some men to doubt and sticke vncertainely For some there are that tâ—ke their kinsfolkes to be their neighbors Other some there are that think that their benefactours are their neighbours iudge theÌ„ strangers that do them any harm But our Lord Iesus Christ telleth vs that euery one yea thogh he be our enimie is neuerthelesse our neighbour if he stande in néede of our ayde or counsell For he imagineth that a Iewe lighting among théeues and lying on the highe way halfe deade and couered with woundes and swelling drye blowes was not regarded of his owne countrey men a Leuite and a Priest that passed by him but at laste was taken vp and healed by a Samaritane Nowe there was a deadly enimitie betwéene the Iewes and the Samaritanes yet notwithstanding this Samaritane doth good to the Iew bycause he sawe that the case and necessitie of the afflicted man did so require Nowe therefore the Lord applying this to his owne purpose demaunded of him that desired to learne who was his neighbour and saythe which of these thrée séemeth to thée to haue bene this mans neighbour He aunswered He that shewed mercy Then sayde the Lorde Goe
exâ—â—sition of the scripture 〈◊〉 not be câ—â—trary to the artiâ—â—â— of our beliefe The expositioÌ„ must not be repugnant to the loue of God and our neighbour 〈◊〉 expounâ—â—â—g the â—â—â—â—ptures â—e must â—â—rk that â—â—at goeth â—â—fore and â—â—lloweth â—â—â—er and 〈◊〉 the circumstaÌ„â—es The exposition of gâ—ds word â—â—st be maâ—â— by 〈◊〉 layinâ—â—â—geâ—her of â—iuers places 2. Pet. 1. The scriâ—tures mâ—â— be expoâ—â—ded wiâ—â— zealous â— hertafâ—â— earnest prayer The deâ—nitions 〈◊〉 faith The description of true fayth The begiâ—ning and cause of faith Faith is planted by the worde of God. We muste â—raye for â—rue fayth That faith is an vndoubted persuasion of the minde Faith beleueth not euerithing what soeuer Examples â—f vndoubâ—ed saith â—herunto â—aith leaâ—eth and what the â—biect or â—oundation of faith 〈◊〉 Two chief â—â—inâ—s of â—aith True faiâ—â— seeketh aâ—â— good thiâ—ges in 〈◊〉 through Christ â—rue faith â—eleeueth 〈◊〉 holy â—â—riptures Fayth is â—ue alone 〈…〉 religions but no more theâ— one true fayth Faith doâ—â— encrease and decrease Generall and particular faith Faith inspâ—red and Faith gotten 〈…〉 mall 〈…〉 The power and efâ—ecte of faith Faith is the true knowledge that maketh men wise How man may attaine to â—he chiefe goodnesse Faith maketh happy Faith quickneth Faith ioyneth to god Faith iâ—stifieth Iustification What it is â—o iustifie â—hriâ—t hath 〈◊〉 on â—im self 〈…〉 sinnes The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of since â—re takeâ— away by Chriâ—â— The death â—f Christ a â—â—ll satisâ—â—ction for â—ur sinnes Howe punishment is laide on vs. God hath â—ppointed â—â—at he â—hat beleeâ—eth shuld â—aue eternall life and be iustified Men are â—ustified â—y faith â—lone Christ coÌ„pared with Adam Gods Testament We are not iustified by the workes oâ— the Lawâ— but by Faith Christ died not in vaine All men are sinnerâ— God iuâ—â—â—fieth as 〈◊〉 the Gentiles as 〈◊〉 Iewes by faith By what meanes â—ur father â—braham was iustiâ—â—ed Neither is â—aith nor the promis of none effect â—ustification of free gift Faith sheweth foorth and expresseth it selfe by good workes Faith onely iustifieth Of good workes Faith the â—oore of al good â—oâ—kes Faith the victorie 〈◊〉 al Christians The Apoâ—tles 〈◊〉 The partition of the Apostles Creede God is one in suâ—stance anâ— three in persons I beleeue in God God is called a father God is called Almighty â—od is the mâ—ker of heauen â—nd earth The secoÌ„d article of our belief To belieue in the Sonnâ— of God. Who the Sonne of God is Consubstantial â—oesseÌ„tiall The onely Sonne Iesus Christe Christe is our Lord. The 3. Article of our bâ—lieâ— The causes of the Lord his incarnatioÌ„ Immanuel A mediatour Tâ—e manner of 〈◊〉 his â—â—nceptioÌ„ The causes why Christ hiâ— conceptioÌ„ is pure Of the birth of Christ The fourth Article of our belief â—â—â—ist did 〈◊〉 Christ sufered vnâ—er Pâ—ntiâ—s Pilate Our Lord was buried He descended into Hell. The fift article of ouâ— belief The glorious resurrection of Christe What a resurrection â—s Out of from the dead He was â—rucified dead tokeÌ„ downe and laid â—â— his granâ— vpon 〈◊〉 Friday where his body â—ay â–ª Saturday that is Eâ—â—er eueâ— and one Sunday which is Easter day in the morning he rose againe froÌ„ death to life The sixte article of our belief The glorious ascension of Christ The forâ— of Christ his ascension into heauen He ascenâ—ed into â—eauen He sitteth at the right hand of God the father Almighty The definition of gods right hand take here for the places name To sit is to be at rest and enioy felicitie Gods right hand the name of his power and in this signification to sit is to reign Saint Hierom of the â—ight haÌ„d of the faâ—her Saint Augustine of the right hand of 〈◊〉 father â—â—int Fulgentius His humanitie iâ— lâ—cal that is â—â—â—teined iâ— space of â—lace but â—â—s Godhead incoÌ„preheÌ„sible as that that is euery where 〈…〉 not 〈◊〉 in any place Saint vigilius The seuenth Article Christ a Iudge To Iudgâ— what it 〈◊〉 The picâ—ure of â—he laste â—â—dgemeÌ„t The quick and dead are iudged The reward and punishment is moste certaine the eighth article of our faith The father in Christ hath fully giuen vs all heauenly treasures The ninth â—rticle of â—ur belief â—ee must â—ot in our â—onfession â—y I beâ—â—eue in â—he church Cyprian Augustine Paschasius â—â—int Greâ—orie â—homas â—quine Pope Leo. The Catholike Church The true Churche Wee beleeue the Church to be holy How the Church 〈◊〉 holy The coâ—munion of 〈◊〉 The tenth â—rticle of our belief The acknowledging and confessing of our sinnes Oâ—r sins arâ— forgiâ—eÌ„ of god 〈◊〉 for â—ur owne merits but for Christ his sake All sinnes are forgeuen God alone and not man forgeueth sinns Howe sins are forgeuen We make not satisfaction for punishmeÌ„t The eleâ—enth artiâ—le of our â—aith The resurrection of the flesh Whether the same bodies that do â—utâ—ifie rise again Testimoniâ—s of the true resurrection In what sort our bodies shal rise again Of what facion our bodies shal be in the resurrection A glorious body What a glorious â—â—dy is Glorious bodies rest free from vilenesse The natural and spiâ—â—tuall body Fleshe and â—â—oud â—hal not be 〈◊〉 heauen Sâ—â—su aniâ—â—li Animalis The bodies of thâ— wicked shall also rise agaâ—n The tâ—elfth article of our belief Lyfe eueâ—lasting The face of God. Loue and câ—antie Loue froÌ„ whence it is Double charitie The leâ— of God â–ª By the loue of God all euilles are ouercome The loue â—f God faâ—oneth vs 〈◊〉 the will 〈◊〉 pleaâ—â—re of â—od The manner how to loue God. Gâ—d alone to be loued Who is our neighbour The 〈…〉 â—ny one â—hat is a â—â—an as wel 〈◊〉 we An order â—nd meaâ—â—re in 〈◊〉 Howe our neighbour must be loued The loue of our neighbour must bee sincere We must loue our neighbour as our self We must loue ouâ— neighboâ—â— as Chrisâ—â— hath loue vs. Howe we ought to stand our nâ—ighbour in steede The pith of Charity Loue the fulfilling of the laâ— Workes of mercie An exhortation to Loue What law is The diuision of â—awes The laâ— of natuâ—â— ConscieÌ„câ— Nature Two especial points of the law of nature The Genâ—â—lâ—s knew God. Friendship societâ—â— of men tâ— be preseâ—ued The Lawe of nature answerable to the written Lawe 1 Of God. The Ethnickes sentâ—nces are in some plâ—ces maâ—â—â—ed 2 The Gentiles against idoles 3 The name â—f God â—ighly esâ—eemed 4 The Genâ—â—les keeâ—ers of reâ—â—gion 5 The honoâ—ring of parentes 6 Murder adulterie 8 Theft 9 Lies False witnesses A hill in Rome Cataâ—a a Towne in Sicilie 10 Concupiscence Nature without grace of none effect â—awes of â—en â—awes of â—licie Ecclesiasâ—â—cal Laâ—â— Superstitious lawâ—â— Mens â—â—â—ditions What the Lawe of God is The moâ—all lawe The Ceremoniall Lawe The Iudiciall Lawe The Law was euen before Moses time The Patriarches before Moses had the Ceremoniall and iudiciall Lawes The Moâ—al Lawe endureâ— still The maâ—estie and â—ignitie of â—he moral â—awe 〈…〉 the â—â—st holy 〈◊〉 in 〈…〉 of 〈◊〉 Two Tables
c. 949 1 Let euery man be swift to heare slowe to speake c. 238 1 Pure religion and vndefiled before God the father c. 475. 668. 2 Abraham was not iustified by faith onely c. 465 2 Séest thou how faith was made perfect by workes c. 461 2 Let him aske in faith nothing wauering c. 922 2 Abraham and we are iustified by workes c. 28 2 If a brother or sister be naked destitute of daily foode c. 97 3 Touching the properties of the tongue c. 238 3 For the tongue is a little meÌ„ber and boasteth great things c. 319 4 Ye aske and receiue not because ye aske amisse c. 918 4 There is one law giuer which is able to saue and to destroy c. 905 5 Behold the hyre of labourers whiche haue reaped downe your fields c. 272 5 How the faithful should behaue themselues towards c. 1080 5 Confesse your sinnes one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed c. 574. 580 5 Ye haue liued in pleasure vppon earth and beene wanton c. 299. 300. 509. 5 If any be sicke amonge you let him send for the elders c. 1139 ¶ Out of the first Epistle of S. Peter 1 YE are redéemed not with gold and siluer c. 60. 770 1 We are borne a newe not of corruptible seed c 21 827 1 The prophets did search at what moment or minute of time the spirite c. 363 1 Hope perfectly in the grace which is brought vnto you c. 305 2 Feare God honour the king 151. 2 Christ his owne selfe bare oure sinnes in his body vpon the c. 568 2 Ye are a chosen generation a royall priesthood c. 1106 2 ChristiaÌ„s are called priests 879 2 As frée and not as hauing the libertie for a cloake of maliciousnesse c. 448 2 The foundation of the church is Châ—isâ— c. 861 2 Submit your selues to all manner ordinance of man c. 107 3 The eyes of the Lord are vppon the iust c. 521 3 Touching the manner and ordering of womens apparel c. 239 3 That the Lord went in the spirit and preached vnto the spirits c. 66 3 Baptisme saueth vs not the putting away of the filth of the flesh c. 983. 989 4 Dearely beloued thincke it not straunge that ye are tryed with fire c. 294 4 Sée that none of you be punished as a murtherer c 296 4 As euery man hath receiued the gift euen so minister y same c. 905 4 The Gospâ—ll was preached also to the dead c. 765 4 Charitie couereth the multitude of sinnes c 584 4 The time is that iudgment must begin at the house of God c. 298 5 Be sober and watch for your aduersarie the diuel c. 749. 751 5 The elders that are among you I beséech c. 867 ¶ Out of the second Epistle of S. Peter 1 THe prophecie came not in old time by the will c. 10. 26. 717. 1 No prophecie in the scripture is of any priuate interpretation 907 2 God spared not the angels whiche sinned c. 745 2 The Lord knoweth how to deliuer his from temptation c. 174 2 There were false Prophetes among the people euen as c. 587 2 These are wells without water c. 449 3 In the Epistles of Paule many things are hard to be vnderstood c. 23. 24 ¶ Out of the Epistle of S. Iude. THe Angels which kept not their first estate c. 745 Iude saith that the Angel fought with Sathan the diuel c. 747 ¶ Out of the fâ—â—st Epistle of S. Iohn 1 That which we haue séene and heard we declare vnto you 81 1 The bloud of Iesus Christ clenseth vs from euery sinne c. 82. 552 2 If we say we haue no sinne wée deceiue c. 401. 496. 917 2 They went out from vs but they were none of vs c. 604. 819. 820. 2 Annoynting annoynted c. 180 2 And the annoynting whiche ye haue receiued of him c. 707. 726 2 By this we know that he dwelleth in vs by the spirit that he gaue c. 825 2 My babes these thinges write I vnto you c. 664 2 If any man loue the world the loue of the father is not in him c. 482. 483 2 Who is a lyar but hee that denieth that Iesus is Christ c. 629 3 Now are we the sonnes of god and yet it doth not appeare c. 727 3 We knowe that when he appeareth we shal be like vnto him 608 3 If we receiue y witnesse of men c. 550 3 Who so hath this worlds good séeth his brother haue c. 289. 1124 3 He that committeth sinne is of the diuel c. 485 3 My babes let vs not loue in word nor in tongue but in déede 96. 4 Beléeue not euery spirite but try the spirites c. 715. 839 4 Whosoeuer coÌ„fesseth that Iesus is the sonne of God c. 463. 825 4 Euery one that loueth him that begat c. 55. 826 4 By this we know his loue because he gaue his life c. 150. 825 4 Euery spirite that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God c. 688 4 Little children ye are of God and haue ouercome in you c. 727 4 God is loue he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God c. 825 5 If any man sée his brother sinne a sinne which is vnto death c. 519 5 He that beléeueth not God maketh him a lyar c. 48 5 For all that is borne of God ouercommeth the world c. 54. 709 5 This is the loue of God that we kéepe his commaundements 409 5 And this is the confidence that we haue in him that if we aske c. 54 ¶ Out of the Apocalypse of S. Iohn 1 FEare not I am the first and the last c. 836 1 I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end c. 608 1 Iesus Christ prince of the kings of the earth loued vs c. 708 1 Iohn was banished into the Isle of 〈◊〉 c. 873 2 Remember from whence thou art fallen c. 593 2 To him that ouercometh I will giue to eate c. 863 3 These things saith he that is holy and true c. 836 4 And I saw another angel flying through the middst of heauen c. 653 6 Howe long 〈◊〉 thou Lord which art holy true c. 757. 766 7 After this I â—awe and behold a great companie c. 813 14 And I heard a voyce from heauen saying vnto me Write Blessed are the dead c. 780 17 Great Babylon the mother of whoredomes c. 869 18 Go out of her my people c 859 19 And I fell downe before the féeâ—e of the angel to worship him c 653 21 The fearefull and vnbeléeuing
still the later coÌ„mandements haue a relation to those that went before In the secoÌ„d coÌ„maundement we learned that God wold visit the sinnes of the fathers in the children therfore children ought not to obey their parents if they coÌ„maund any thing contrarie to god or preiudiciall to his lawe Ionathan obeyed not his father Sauls coÌ„mandement who charged him to persecute Dauid and therfore is he worthily coÌ„mended in the holy scriptures The thrée coÌ„panions of Daniel obeyed Nabuchodonosor in al that he sayd they loued him reuerenced him as a most mightie puissaÌ„t bountifull king but so soone once as he charged them to fall to Idolatrie they set not a button by his coÌ„mauÌ„dement And S. Peter who taught vs that honor obedience that we owe to our parents magistrates when he was coÌ„mauÌ„ded by y princes fathers of the people not to preache Christe crucified to the people any more did answere them that we ought to obey God more theÌ„ men But what néede I thus to stand reckoning vp this when the Lord him self in one short sentence hath knit vp this al other like to this If any man saith he coÌ„meth to me hateth not his father mother his wife his children his brethren and sisters yea and his owne life he can not be my disciple Furthermore thou dost honor thy parents when thou dost not coÌ„temptuously 〈◊〉 theÌ„ vnthankfully neglect 〈…〉 thinke scorne of theÌ„ if peraduenture they happen to fal into aduersitie Thou honorest thy parents when with thine help couÌ„sel thou aydest theÌ„ in their old age vnweildie crookednesie when thou easest theÌ„ in time of their neede or succourest theÌ„ otherwise in any case else For that in déed is the true and proper honor due to our parents the Lord him self bearing witnes thervnto in the 15. of Mat. coÌ„cluding that we ought to prouide haue a care for our parents to saue defend them wholy to giue our selues hazard our liues in their behalf And now that this that I haue said may be more easily euidently vnderstood I wil confer apply this honor to those 7. seueral kinds of meÌ„ which we do coÌ„prehend vnder the name of parents that thereby euery one may sée what and how much honor he ought to bestow vpoÌ„ his pareÌ„ts his cuÌ„try the magistrats therin those sorts of people that are afore named Wheras of dutie we ought to honor our pareÌ„ts that dutie is paid if we do so worshipfully estéeme of theÌ„ as to think that they are giuen to vs of God to y end that we shuld reuerence loue always haue an eye to them although for nothing else yet only for the Lords sake who is and doth thinke him selfe despised so long as we go on to contemne our parents and to thinke vilely of them Neither doth it make any matter to vs whether they be worthy or vnworthy whom the lord coÌ„maundeth vs to honor For be they as they may be yet notwithstanding they did not without the prouideÌ„ce of god chaÌ„ce to be our parentes in respect of which parentage the lawgiuer him self will haue theÌ„ to be honored Whatsoeuer therfore children shal haue occasion to speake to their parents let it alwayes sauour of humble reuerence childely affection and let theÌ„ with such affection reuerence obey their parents If they séeme to vs to be somwhat bitter vngentle yet let vs wisely winke at it not séeme to knowe it by litle litle stil declining from the euill which by force they séeme to compell vs vnto let vs so discretely handle the matter that we may giue them as smal occasion as may be to be offended at vs We haue Ionathas y sonne of Saul to be an example to vs of a godly obedieÌ„t child He did with great griefe trouble of mind behold his fathers madnesse vpon Dauid wrongful dealing against him self yet did he for the presit discréetly sustain wisely dissemble it finding occasion at another time and in a place coÌ„uenient to tel him of it he neuer ayded his father in any conceiued mischief he claue alway to the iust man righteous causes he bewayled his fathers stubbornesse sought not ouer boldly to resist him and striue against him wheÌ„ he offered to deale by violeÌ„t extremitie with him but saued him self by fléeing away yet for all this he loued his father neuer the worse but praied still to God for his helth welfare shewing him selfe in al things an obedient sonne to his crabbed father This verily is the duetie of a godly son This ought euery one of vs most diligently to folow in doing our dutie and huÌ„ble obeisance vnto our pareÌ„ts how froward or crooked soeuer they be Let none giue a rough answere stubbornly yea let none so much as muÌ„ble an answere or mutter against his pareÌ„ts Let none curse or speake euil of his father or mother vnlesse he wil perforce séeke the way means to make highe mightie Gods curse hang ouer light vpon his pate If haply our parents be poore if mishapen in limmes or otherwise diseased with any infirmitie let none of vs therfore in mockerie floute at or disdaynefully despise them Let vs not shew our selues vnthankfull to them to whome for their good déedes to vs warde we are of duetie bound for euer Let vs nourish chearishe and ayde them in all their necessities yea let vs wholy bestowe our selues and all that we haue to doe them good withall For all that we possesse vndoubtedly is theirs and all that we haue we inioy by them for if they were not then should not we be Let vs here call to remembrance the charge that the Lorde in Matthe we giueth vs touching this commaundement Let vs consider what is ment by the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to requite one good turne with another and especially to nourishe and chearishe them by whome thou thée selfe in thy youth wast brought vp and tendered There is among the Gentiles a lawe extant worthy to be called the mistresse of pietie whereby it is enacted that the children should eyther nourishe their parents or else lye faste fettered in pryson This lawe many men doe carelesly neglect which the Storke alone among all lyning creatures doth kéepe most precisely For other creatures doe harde and searcely know or looke vpon their parents if peraduenture they néede their ayde to nourish them whereas the Storke doth mutually nourishe them being strucâ—en in age and beare them on her shoulders when for feeblenesse they cannot flee There are to be séene among the Gentiles very religious and excellent sentences touching the honour due vnto parents Isocrates sayth Shew thee self such an one to thy parents as thou wouldest wish to haue thy children shewe them selues to thee Anaâ—imenes sayde He loueth his father exceedingly well which doth his indeuour to make him ioyfull
plague than an vnprofitable citizen But who I pray you may be thought to be a worse citizen than hée that being accustomed to ease and delicatenes and of a soudeine by some mishap or else by prodigall riottousnes being depriued of them both and driuen to extreme pouertie is compelled perforce to séeke out vnlawfull shiftes to get more wealth againe Furthermore they of old had a Prouerbe worthy to be remeÌ„bred of vs at this time Euerie lande mainteyneth Arte. By this seÌ„tence they meant that learning and science is the surest preparation for euery iourney For they cannot be taken away by theeues but whether soeuer thou goest they beare thée company and are no burthen for thee to beare If therefore mishappe doe spoyle thy children of the wealth that thou leauest them if thou hast taught them an occupation it is enough for them to liue by Kings are depriued of their princelike dignitie and put besyde their excéeding riches so that it is no meruayle though kinges inferiours be spoyled of their wealth banished their countries Dionysius of Syracuse is reported for his tyraÌ„nie to haue bene thrust beside his seate But hauing lost his kingdome he departed to Corinth where he set vp a schole taught children their Grammar and Musicke wherby in that necessitie he got his lyuing Hée had béene hard bested verilie in a miserable taking if he had neuer learned any thing but had settled his hope vppon dignitie and riches vaine hope had bene his destruction For hée had died in extreme beggarie Thus much touching the bringing vp of childreÌ„ in learning or knowledge of some occupation I haue in that which is behinde to speake somewhat touching the correction of those that are coÌ„teined vnder the name of children This correction consisteth partly in words and partly in stripes In both there must be had a middlemeane and measure that nothing be done outragiously Let not the admonition that is giuen in words be bitterer than the fault deserues Let it nippe for the time present but being past let it bespoken off no more Continuall chiding bréedes contempt Thou shalt finde some children also with whom gentle dealing wil somewhat preuayle And vnlesse thou doe sometime prayse them speake well of that which they doe although peraduenture not so well done as thou wouldest require thou shalt perceiue that â—â—ter desperation wil take away hope and courage cleane from them I thincke it not good with too heuie a burden to ouer awe such children as are willing to beare Stripes must not be bestowed but for some great offence and that too not in the fathers anger but moderately not to marre but to amend them Let the parents alwayes remeÌ„ber that golden saying of S. Paul Fathers prouoke not your children to anger For the best witts are hurt by too much rigorousnes Salomon wher he speaketh of moderate correction sayth The rod and correction giueth wisedom but the childe that runneth at randon bringeth his mother to shame Againe chastise thy sonne and thou shalt be at quiet and he shal bring pleasure vnto thy soule These woords of his do vtterly condemne y fathers cockering the mothers paÌ„pering which is the marring of very many children For the pareÌ„ts offend God as much in to much cockering their children as they do in ouer much punishing of them Heli in the scriptures is ill reported of for doating ouer his childreÌ„ he himself dieth miserablie bringeth the shamelesse wicked knaues his sonnes to a shamefull ending What is to be thought of that moreouer that in the 21. of Deut. the parents themselues are comaunded to bring their disobedient children before the iudge there by complaint to sue them to death By this exaÌ„ple which may otherwise séeme to be somewhat to sharpe it pleased God to put other men in remeÌ„brance to kepe their children in awe obedience For God is a god of saluation not of destructioÌ„ so that when disobedient rebels godles people perish through their own default he turneth that destructioÌ„ of theirs to the safegard of his obedient seruants Let parents therefore alwaies remember this saying in the gospell It is not the wil of your heaueÌ„ly father that one of these litle ones shold perish Whosoeuer offeÌ„deth such an one it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his necke and that he were drowned in the deapth of the sea Now touching the dutie of children I haue spokeÌ„ of it before in that place wher I taught how after what sort pareÌ„ts ought to be honoured Paul as it were in one word knitteth vp much matter and saith Children obey your parents in the Lord. He telleth the reason whie For that saith he is righteous And againe he addeth the cause saying For God hath comaunded it Let children therefore consider thincke vppon the nightly watchings continual labour that their parents toke in bringing them vp and let them learne to be thankful for it content with their present estate when their parents instruct theÌ„ let them learne attentiuely and shew themselues like to godly Iacob rather than to godlesse Esau Let them learn to accustome theÌ„selues to good honest maners Let them willingly learn the art or occupation whereunto they are set Let them yeld submit theÌ„selues to their parents correction Let them not stirre vp or prouoke their parents to anger Let them choose to learn wit and obey their parents of their owne mind accord rather than to be driueÌ„ to it by beating and brawling If parents at their departure leaue litle behind them for their children to inherit let not the good children therfore speake ill by the dead If thy father hath taught thée any art or occupation he leaueth for thée a sufficient inheritance Thriftines also moderate speÌ„ding is a very great reuenue If thy father hath wel and honestly taught thée good maners and trayned thée vp in the true wisedome perfect religion then hath he bequeathed thée a patrimonie sufficient for to mainteyne thée For what else are excéeding great riches left to a foole or irreligious fellow but a sword in a madde mans hand Thou art left wealthie enough by thy fathers legacie if that thou art godly painful heedful honest For goods gotten by the sweat of our own browes do for the most part coÌ„tinue longer prosper better with vs then those which other leaue vnto vs We haue again derely beloued spent an houre and an half in handling this matter touching the honour due vnto parents I haue stayed you longer thaÌ„ of right I shold haue done but ye shal impute it to the loue and good will I beare to the matter I am not ignoraÌ„t how necessarie this argument is almost to all men and therefore stick I the longer vppon it For I indeuour mee self not onely to teach you things profitable and necessarie but also to beate them into your memories so much as I may to
fellowshippe let there be betwixte man and wife For to that ende the woman was taken oute of the mannes bodie that the husbande should loue and chéerish his wife his owne bodie And for that cause the Apostle saith So must husbands loue their wiues euen as their owne bodies He that loueth his wife doth loue himself For no man at any time hath hated his owne flesh but loueth and cherisheth it as the Lord doth the Church What may bee said to that moreouer that the Apostle in the verie same place hath made the sonne of God and the holy Church an example for married folkes to follow in kéeping of wedlocke requiring at the husbands hand to loue his wife euen as Christ hath loued the Church and of the wife to reuerence her husbande and to loue him againe as the Church doth Christe Than which example there is none in the worlde more holy and effectuall For there is no loue greater than the loue of Christ toward his Church Neither is there any loue more chaste than that which the Church doth beare to Christe It is required therefore at the handes of wedded mates mutually to beare most ardente and holy loue the one to the other Let them vse all thinges in common let them bee partakers both of the same prosperitie and the same aduersitie Let them both draw vnder one yoake and beare betwixte them one an others burthen Briefly let them twaine bee the members of one and the verie same body I haue more at large set downe these offices of man and wife in my treatise which is called the Institution of Christian matrimonie Lastly let them bringe vppe their children in holy discipline the feare of God to the health of their owne house and the whole common weale Paule saith I would haue the younger women marrie to gette children and to gouerne the house for that is honest and acceptable before God. But touching the bringing vp of children I haue alreadie spoken in the fifte sermon of this Decade Now the very begetting of children alone is very profitable both to euery priuate or particular house and also to the common weale for héere I will not stand to shew that the honour and glorie of God is verie greatly augmented if children be not onely begotten but also brought vp in the feare of God and knowledge of his woord Hierocles saith I confesse that marriage is profitable especially because it bringeth children forth which is in deede a goodly fruite for they being of oure verie bloud doe while wee are in health ayde vs in all our affayres and in olde age when yeares come vppon vs they succour vs well with all that they maye they are familiar companions of our ioy in prosperitie and in aduersitie are our partners in sorowing with vs for our heauie mishapps And so forth Antipater also saith Man which is indued with a ciuil disposition to mainteyne societie must augmente his countrie and common wealth with increase of children for cities could not haue bene preserued by any meanes at all vnlesse the head men of euerie citie and the sonnes of noble gentlemen seing their auncetours wither and fal away like goodly leaues of a faire tree had married in time cōuenient and left behind them children as woorthie plantes to succeede in their countrie thereby to make it to flourish for euer doinge their beste so farre as they coulde to keepe it from the assaultes and conquestes of enimies and straungers They therefore shooting at nothing more than to defend and assist their countrie both in their life time and when they were dead did thincke it most necessarie and especially conuenient to marrie and be married desiring thereby both to doe all thinges that nature requireth and also those that touche the health and increase of their countrie most of all the worship of god c. Since therefore that lawefull matrimonie is of so great effect and so auayleable to liue well and happilie the faithfull doe not withoute cause beginne their marriages with religion and religious rites The Lord verilie did presently in the beginning blesse the first marriage of oure parentes Adam and Eue and did himselfe couple them in wedlock Whervppon the Church of God hath receyued a custome that they which ioyne in marriage before they dwell together doe come into the temple of the Lord where after prayer made in the middest of the congregation they are ioyned together and blessed by the minister of God in the name of God himselfe Wherefore in wedlocke the first and chiefest thinges that bée required are the earneste and continuall prayers of the married folkes to God that he wil vouchsafe to make the husbandes wyse relligious modest gentle honeste painefull sufferers and louers of their wiues and that it will please him to make the wiues obedient méeke chaste faithful louers of theyr husbands and children housewiues and fruitefull For no one man is able to declare all the euills that come euen of one corrupte naughtie marriage Through it whoale houses are wonderfullie disquieted all wealth and honestie do vtterlie decaye the children are bastards God is offended and prouoaked to anger and an endlesse mischiefe brought to the whoale cōmon weale God therefore must bée earnestly beséeched to blesse all married people that both the glorie of his holy name and the common weales prosperitie may thereby dailie increase more and more I am now come to speake of adulterie which is a sinne whereby the husband goeth to an other woman or the wyfe tourneth a side after an other man to whom they make common the vse of their bodies which are not their owne bodies nowe but their mates in wedlocke Some there are that flatter themselues and are of opinion that they are not culpable of adulterie if they haue the companie of any vnbetrouthed mayden or one that is vnmarried or if a woman play the harlotte with an vnwedded man They will haue it in Gods name to be fornication and not adulterie But the Scripture teacheth the contrary Thou goest to an other woman thou arte an adulterer Thou breakeste thy faith thou art forsworne Thy bodie is not thine but thy wiues when therefore thou bestowest this bodie on an other thou committest adulterie If thou being wedded doest lye with a married wife thou doubleste the sinne of thine adulterie This offēce was plagued with most sharpe punishmente euen in the beginninge almost and as soone as the world was created Pharao the kinge of Aegypt commaunded Sara Abrahams wife to be taken away and carried to his Palace that hée mighte vse her as his wyfe thinckinge verily that shée had bene Abrahams sister But the scripture sayth The Lord vexed Pharao and all his house with great plagues because of Sara Abrahams wife Loe here that king of Aegypt is punished with gréeuous plagues for his adulterie and yet he knew not that Sara was Abrahams wyfe how great plagues therefore are prepared for the
Sauiour in their halls and dineing parlours onely but in their seuerall heartes also For since dronkennesse hath in these our dayes so good intertainment with all degrées estates kindes and ages wée do daily féele the wofull miseries that God doth threaten to dronkards in the 5. and 28. cap. of Esaies Prophecie And it is to be feared greatly that the day of the Lord shal sodeinly light vppon an innumerable sorte of dronkardes to their endlesse paine and vtter destruction Let him heare therefore which hath eares to heare Neither can I heere refraine but néedes must recite vnto you dearely beloued that which S. Martine y bishop not of Tours in Fraunce but of Dumia in Germanie who flourished in that dayes of IustiniaÌ„ the Emperour did write to Miro kinge of Gallicia touching the ordering and leading a coÌ„tinent life If saith he thou dost loue continencie cut off superfluitie and keepe vnder thine appetite Consider with thee selfe how much nature requireth and not how much lust desireth Bridle thy coÌ„cupiscence and cast off the alluring baytes that serue to draw on hidden pleasures Eate without vndigested surfetting and drinke without dronkennesse Neither glut thee selfe with presente delicates nor long after deintrells hard to be come bye Let thy diet bee of cates good cheape and sit not down for pleasure but for meate Let hunger not sauces prouoake thee to eate Pay but little for pastimes to delighte thee because thy only care should be to leaue such pleasures that thereby thou in facioning thy self to the example of God mayste as much as thou canst make hast to reduce thee selfe from the body to the spirite If thou louest continencie then choose not a pleasaunt but a whoalsome dwelling place and make not the Lord to be knowne by the gorgeous house but the house by the honest landlord Boast not thee selfe of that which thou hast not nor that which thou hast neither couet to seeme more than thou art But rather take hede that thy pouertie be not vn clenly nor thy niggishnes filthie nor thy simplicitie coÌ„temptible nor thy lenitie feareful though thy estate be poore yet let it not be in extreeme miserie Neither be out of loue with thine owne degree nor wish after the estate of an other mans life If thou louest continencie auoyde dishonest things before they happen and feare no man aboue thine owne coÌ„science Thinke that al thinges are tollerable dishonestie excepted Absteine from filthie talke the libertie whereof doth nourish vnshamefastnes Loue rather profitable coÌ„munication than merrie conceites or pleasaunt talke and set more by the blunt spoken trueth thaÌ„ by fayre soothing speeches Thou mayste sometime mingle mirth with matters of weighte but it must bee done moderately without the hurte or detriment of thine estate and grauitie For laughter is blameworthie if it bee immoderately vsed childishly squeaked or taken vp by fittes as women are wont to do Esteeme not saucie scoffing but ciuil mirth with curteous humanitie Let thy conceites of mirth be without biting thy sportes not without profite thy laughter without vnseemely writhing of thy mouth and visage thy voyce without sâ—hriking thy pace in going without hastie shuffling Let not thy rest bee idlenesse And when other play take thou some holy honest thing in hand If thou art continent take heede of flatterie let it greeue thee as much to bee praised of naughtie men as if thou werte praised for thine owne naughtie deedes Be the gladder for it if thou displeasest euil men and impute the euill opinions which naughtie men haue of thee for the best praise that can be giueÌ„ thee The hardest woorke of continencie is to put away the soothinge curtesies of dissembling flatterers whose fawning woordes vndoe the minde with pleasaunt sensualitie Presume not to much vpon thy selfe neither be thou arrogant Submit thee selfe so farre as thou mayste keepe thy grauitie and yet make not thee selfe a footestoole or cousshen for euery maÌ„ to leane on Be told of thy faultes willingly and suffer thee selfe gladly to be repreheÌ„ded If any man for a cause be angrie with and chide thee acknowledge thy faulte and let his chiding profite thee But if he chide thee without any cause thinke that therby he would haue profited thee Feare not sharpe but sugred words Do thou thee selfe eschew all sortes of vices and be not an ouerbusie searcher out of other mens faultes be thou no sharpe fault finder but an admonisher without vpbrayding so that still thy warning maye beare the shew of chearefull mirth and condiscend easily to pardon the errour Neither praise nor dispraise any man ouermuch Be still and giue eare to them that speake bee readie to instructe them that doe hearken to him that asketh giue a readie aunsweare to him that despiseth thee giue place easily and fal not out to chiding and cursing If thou art continent haue an eye to the motions of thy body minde that they be not vnseemely and set not light by them because no bodie seeth them For it maketh no matter if no body see them so thou thee selfe doesâ— spie and perceiue them Bee moueablâ— not light constant not stubborne Bee liberall to all men fawninge on no man familiar with fewe and vpright to euery one Beleeue not lightly euerie rumour accusation or conceyued suspicion Despise vaine glorie and bee no sharpe exactor of the goods that thou hast Vse fewe wordes thee selfe but suffer them that speake Bee graue not roughe nor contemning the merrie nature Bee desirous and appliable to bee taughte wisedome imparte what thou knowest to him that demaundeth without any arrogancie desire to learne the thinges that thou knowest not without hiding thine ignoraunce A wise manne will not chaunge his common countrie facion nor make the people gaze on him with newe found deuises Thus much haue I hetherto recited touchinge continencie out of the writinges of the blessed bishoppe Martine of Dumia Wée for oure partes must praye to the Lord that hée will vouchsaâ—e to bestowe on vs his holy spirite by which the force of continencie in all thinges may take roote in oure heartes to the bringing foorth of fruite in our déeds agréeable to the prescript rule of this commaunded continencie For vnlesse the holie ghoste doe quicken and inspire vs wée doe in vaine giue eare to so many and so good commaundementes and vnlesse wée liue and lead a temperate and a sober life wee are vtterly vnwoorthie to beare the name of Christians To this place also doth the treatise of fastinge belonge which I meane to handle in as fewe woords as conueniently can bee Christian fasting is a discipline ordering and chastening of the body for the presente necessitie which wee beginne and kéepe of oure owne accord without compulsion and wherewith wée humble our selues in the sight of God by drawing from the body the matter that setteth the flesh on fire therby to make it obey the spirite
gaue them mee is greater than all and no man is able to take them out of my fathers hand I and my father am one Hereunto belongeth that outâ—rie of S. Paule which he vseth to the encouragement of vs Christians where hee saith Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christe Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or hunger or nakednesse or peâ—ill or sword As it is written For thy sake are we killed all day longe and are compted as sheepe for the slaughter Neuerthelesse we ouercome in all these things through him that loued vs For I am sure that neither death nor life nor Angels nor rule nor power nor thinges present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shal be able to seperate vs from the loue of GOD which is in Christ Iesu our Lord. The Sainctes I confesse in their calamities doe féele griefe and many discommodities but so yet that euen in their discoÌ„modities they haue farr many more coÌ„modities they are therfore diminished one way but augmented an other way so that the crosse of theirs is not their destruction but an excercise for them and a whoalesome medicine And therfore I thinke that that same worthie and golden sentence of S. Paul can neuer be too often beaten into your minds where hée saith We are troubled on euery side yet are we not without shift we are in pouertie but not in extreeme pouertie we suffer persecution but are not forsaken therein wee are cast downe but we perish not The faith full therefore doe in this world loose these their earthly riches but do they thereby loose their faith Loose they their vpright and holy life or loose they the riches of the inner man which are the true riches in the sight of God The Apostle crieth Godlines is a great luâ—re with a mind content with that that it hath For wee brought nothing into the world it is certaine that wee maye carrie nought away but hauing foode and rayment we must therewith be content And the Lord verily who of his goodnesse hath created Heauen and earth and all that is therein for the vse of men which euen séedeth the Rauens younge ones will not cause the iust man to die with hunger and penury Moreouer that man doth not loose his treasure in this world which gathereth treasure as the Lord hath coÌ„maunded him with whom y faithful know that a most wealthie treasure is layd vpp in heauen for them which are in this world spoiled of their â—errestrial goods for their lordâ— masterâ— sake That worthy notable seruam of god Iob doth cry Naked camed ouâ— of my mothers wombe naked shal I turne to the earth againe The Lord gaue and the Lord hath taken away as the Lord pleased so is it happened Blessed be the name of the Lord. Last of all it is manifest that to denie the truth therby to escape persecution is not the way to kéepe our wealth and quiet state but rather the meanes to loose them yea by so doing wee are made infamous to all good men of euery age and nation For we sée that they which would not for Christ and the cause of his trueth hazard their riches but chose rather by dissimulation and renouncing of the truth to kéepe their worldly wealth did reteyne for euer infamous reproch and daily augment most terrible tormentes which vexed horiblie their guiltie conscience loosing neuerthelesse in the diuels name y wealth which they would not once hazard in the cause of their Sauiour But they on y otherside which ieoparded themselues and all their substaunce in the quarell of Christe despising manfully al daungers that could happen did alwayes finde a swéete and pleasant coÌ„fort which strengthened the minds of their afflicted bodies For they crie with the Apostle Wee haue learned in whatsoeuer estate wee are therewith to be content Wee know how to be lowe wee know also howe to exceede euerie where and in all thinges we are instructed both to be full and to be hungrie both to haue plentie and to suffer neede We can doe all thinges through Christ who strengtheneth vs. They know that the same Apostle hath said Ye haue suffered with ioy the spoyling of your goods knowing that ye haue in heauen a farre more excellent substance which will endure For the Lord in the Gospel also said Verilie I say vnto you there is no man that hath forsaken house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or landes for my sake and the Gospels but he shall receiue an hundred folde now at this present with persecutions and in the world to come eternall life Mar. 10. So than the Saincts and faithful seruauntes of God are oppressed with seruitude in this present world but therewith all they know and consider that the Lord himselfe became a seruaunt for vs men whereby they that are seruauntes in this world are made frée thorough Christe and by terrestriall seruitude a way is made to celestiall libertie The faithfull are exiled or banished their countrie but the heathen Poet sayth A valiaunt harted man takes euerie countrie for his owne Verilie in what place of this world soeuer wee are wée are in exile as banished men Oure father is in heauen and therefore heauen is our countrie Wherefore when wée die wée are deliuered from exile and placed in the heauenly countrie and true felicitie In like maner whom the tyrant killeth with hunger and famine those doth hée ridd of innumerable euils And againe whomsoeuer famine doth not vtterly â—il but only tormeÌ„t â–ª them doth it teach to liue more sparingly and afterward to fast the longer and deuoutly Nowe in this case the faithfull which suffer famine do call to remembraunce the examples of the auncient Sainctes of whome when Paul speaketh hée sayth They wandered about in sheepe skinns goate skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented of whome the world was not worthie they wandered in wildernesse in mountaynes and in dennes and caues of the earth christians also consider that the state of famished Lazarus who died amoÌ„g the tongues of the dogges that licked his blaâ—â—es was farre â—erter than the surfetting of the strutbellied glutton who being once dead was buried in hell Moreouer it is to be abhorred de tested and yet lamented of all men to see a crue of barbâ—rous villaynes and vnrulie souldiours abuse perforce not honest matrenes onely but teÌ„der virgins also that are not fit yet nor ripe for a man But the greatest comfort that wee haue in so great a mischiefe and intollerable ignominie is that chastitie is a vertue of the mind For if it bée a treasure of the minde then is it not lost though the body be abused euen as in like sort the fayth of a man is not thought to be ouercome although the whole body be coÌ„sumed with fire And chastitie is not lost verilie where the body is defloured because the wil
The eighth Sermon ALthough I haue hitherto in large Sermons layed foorth the lawe of God by seuerall partes yet mée thinketh I haue not sayde all that should be sayde nor made an ende as I should doe vnlesse I adde nowe a treatise of the vse effect fulfilling and abrogating of the lawe of God albeit I haue here and there in my Sermons touched the same argument Nowe by this discourse or treatise dearely beloued ye shal vnderstand that the testamēt of the olde and newe church of God is all one and that there is but one meanes of true saluation for all them that either haue or else at this present are saued in the worlde ye shall also perceiue wherein the olde testament doth differ from the newe Moreouer this treatise wil bee necessarie and verie profitable both to the vnderstanding of many places in the holy Scripture and also to the easie perceiuing and moste hoalesome vse of those thinges which I haue saide hitherto touching the lawe God who is the author the wisedome and the perfect fulnesse of the lawe giue mée grace to speake those thinges that are to the setting foorth of his glorie and profitable for the health of your soules The vse of Gods lawe is manifolde and of sundrie sortes and yet it may be called backe to thrée especiall poyntes and wee may saye that the vse therof is thréefold or of thrée sorts For firste of all the chiefe and proper office of the lawe is to conuince all men to be guiltie of sinne and by their owne fault to be the children of death For the lawe of God setteth foorth to vs the holie will of God and in the setting forth thereof requireth of vs a moste perfecte and absolute kinde of righteousnesse And for that cause the lawe is wont to be called the testimonie of Gods will and the moste perfect exampler of his diuine purenesse And hereunto belong those wordes of the Lord in the Gospell where he recitinge shortly the summe of Gods cōmaundements doth say The firste of all the commaundements is Heare O Israel the Lorde our God is one Lorde and thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy minde and with all thy strength This is the firste commandement and the seconde like to this thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe There is none other commaundement greater then these Therefore to this doeth also apperteine that sayinge of the Apostle Paule The end of the commaundement is charitie out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith vnfeigned But since the law doth require at all our handes most absolute righteousnesse charitie and a pure heart it doth condemne all men of sinne vnrighteousnesse and death For in the lawe of God it is expressely said Cursed is euery one whiche abideth not in all that is writtē in the booke of the lawe to doe it But what one of vs fulfilleth all the pointes of the lawe what mā I pray either heretofore hath had or at this day hath a pure heart within him What man hath euer loued or doeth now loue God with all his heart with all his soule and with all his minde What man is he that did neuer luste after euill Or who is it now y lusteth not euery day Therefore imperfection and sinne is by the lawe or by the bewraying of the lawe reuealed in mankinde What shall we say to this where I pray you doth there appeare in any man that diuine and most absolute righteousnesse whiche the lawe requireth Iob crieth I knowe verilie that a man compared to God cannot be iustified Or How shall a man be found righteous if hee be compared to God If he wil argue with him he shall not be able to aunswere one for a thousand If I haue any righteousnes in me I will not answere him but I will beseech my Iudge Like to these are the words of the Apostle Iohn who saith If wee say wee haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. Againe If we say we haue not sinned we make him a lyar and his word is not in vs. Therefore by this meanes the lawe is a certaine looking glasse wherein we behold our owne corruption frailnesse imbecillitie imperfection oure iudgement that is our iust and deserued damnation For the Apostle doth expressely say that the law was giuen to the end that it might make manifest mens trāsgressions and by that meanes driue them to the acknowledging of their imperfection and guilt in sinning For none of vs doth looke into his owne boosome nor into the secrets of his owne breast but wee do all flatter our selues and will not be persuaded that our thoughts and deedes are so corrupt as they bee in very deede and therefore doth the lawe creepe in and lay open the secrets of our hearts and bringeth to lighte oure sinne and corruption Before the lawe saith the Apostle although sinne were in the world yet was it not imputed The same Apostle also saith The lawe worketh wrath for where there is no lawe there is no transgression And againe By the lawe cōmeth the knowledge of sinne For in the 7. to the Romans the same Apostle doth say more fully I knew not sin but by the lawe For I had not knowen luste excepte the law had said Thou shalt not lust But sinne taking occasion by the cōmaundement wrought in me al maner of concupiscence For without the lawe sin was dead I once liued without lawe but when the commaundement came sinne reuiued and I was dead And it was found that the same commaundement which was ordeyned vnto life was vnto me an occasion of death c. For a good part of that Chapiter is spent in that matter Therefore the proper office of Moses and the principal vse and effecte of the lawe is to shew to man his sinne and imperfection As for those which staye heere and goe no further to make any other vse and effecte of the lawe but as thoughe Moses did nothing but kill the lawe nothing but slay they are diuersly and that not lightly deceiued I do here againe repeate it and tel them that the very proper office of the lawe is to make sinne manifest also that Moses his chiefe office is to teach vs what wée haue to doe with threateninges and cursings to vrge it especially whē the law is compared with the Gospel For in the third Chapter of the 2. Epistle to the Corinthians Paul calleth the law the letter and immediately after the ministration of death then againe hée calleth it a doctrine written in letters and incke and figured in tables of stone which should not endure but perish and decay The same Apostle on the otherside againe doeth call the Gospel the ministration or doctrine of the spirite which endureth decayeth not which is written in mens hearts giueth life to the beléeuers
the law and the Prophets Moreouer oure Lord fulfilled the lawe in that he did most absolutely in all poinctes satisfie the will of God being himselfe the holiest of all in whome there is no spot no euill concupiscence nor any sinne in him is the loue of God most perfecte righteousnesse altogether absolute which righteousnesse he doth fréely coÌ„municate to vs that are most vnperfect if wee beléeue and haue oure hope fast settled in him For hée forgiueth vs our sinnes being made a cleansing Sacrifice for vs and maketh vs partakers of his owne righteousnesse which is for that cause called Imputed righteousnesse Whereunto the testimonies of the Apostle do apperteine God saith Paul was in Christ recoÌ„ciling the world vnto himselfe not imputing their sinnes vnto them For him which knew not sinne he made sinne for vs that we might bee made the righteousnesse of God by him Againe Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse without workes So also if wee beleeue in God throughe Christ our faith shal be imputed to vs for righteousnesse For by faith we lay hold on Christ whom we beleue to haue made most absolute satisfaction to God for vs and so consequently that God for Christ his sake is pleased with vs and that the righteousnesse is imputed to vs as our owne and is in déed by gift our owne because wee are nowe the sonnes of God. These things being diligently weyyed it shal be easie for vs to aunswere them whiche make this question and doe demaunde since no mortall man doth of himself exactly satisfie the law Howe then is righteousnesse life and saluatioÌ„ promised to them that do obserue the lawe Our aunswere is forsoothe that that promise hath a respect to the perfect righteousnesse of Christ which is imputed vnto vs Otherwise it is assuredly certaine that the holy Scripture doth not so much as in one iote disagrée or square in any pointe from it selfe The Apostle doth plainly say If there had a lawe beene giuen which could haue giuen life then had righteousnesse beene of the lawe but now the Scripture hath shutt vpp all vnder sinne that the promise might be giuen by faith to them that do beleeue Wherefore he kéepeth or doeth fulfil the lawe euen of the tenne commaundements who doth the thing for which the lawe was chiefly ordeyned But the lawe was chiefly ordeyned as I did declare a little before to the ende that it might conuince vs all of sinne and damnation and so by that meanes send vs from our selues and lead vs by the hand to Christe who is the fulfilling of the lawe vnto iustification to euery one that doeth beléeue And therefore hée doth fulfil and kéepe the lawe who hath no confidence in himselfe and his owne woorkes but committing himselfe to the very grace of God doth séeke all righteousnesse in the faith of Christ Whereuppon now it is euident that these two sentences of Christ oure Lord are of one sense meaning Whosoeuer beleeueth in mee he hath life euerlasting And If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commaundements For Paule also in the 13. Chapiter of the Actes saith Be it knowen vnto you brethren that thorough Christe is preached to you the forgiuenesse of sinnes by him all that beleeue are iustified from all the thinges from which he could not be iustified by the lawe of Moses And to this place nowe belongeth all the woorke of iustification of whiche I haue at large disputed in an other place Now that faith wherewith we beleeue that Christ hath satisfied the law and that he is oure righteousnesse and our perfection is neither of our owne nature nor of our owne merits but is by the grace of God powred into vs through the holy spirit which is giuen into our hearts This spirite abiding in our heartes doth inflame our breastes with the loue and desire of Gods lawe to doe oure endeuoure to the expressing and shewing of the lawe in al our workes and conuersation Which desire and endeuour although they be neuer fully accomplished by reason of the sâ—eashes frailetie or weakenesse of mans nature which remayneth in vs euen till the last gaspe and end of our life is notwithstanding acceptable to God by grace for Christe his sake alone neither doeth anye Godly man put any confidence in this other but in the first fulfilling of the lawe as that which is onely absolute and perfecte For Paule in his Epistle to the Romans crieth out O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death And yet immediatly after he answereth I thanke God. to wit because he hath redéemed me from death through Iesus Christ our lord So then I me selfe with the minde serue the law of God but with the fleshe the lawe of sinne There is then no damnation to them whiche are graffed in Christ Iesu which walk not after the fleshe but after the spirite c. Wherfore since we are in Christ we are in grace and therefore is God pleased with oure woorkes which being giuen to vs by faith and by the liberal spirite do procéede from an hart that loueth God the giuer of them all For Iohn saide This is the loue of God that we keepe his commaundementes And his commaundementes are not greeuous Hée addeth also the reason thereof and saith For al that is borne of God ouercoÌ„meth the world nowe euerie one is borne of God that doth beléeue as is declared in the first of Iohn By whiche it is easie to reconcile these 2. places which séeme at a blushe to iarre one with an other The lawes of God are heauie which neither we nor oure fathers were able to beare And The lawes of God are not greeuous or heauie to be borne For they are not heauie to the faithfull whiche are in Christ and to those which haue the gift of Gods spirite that is to those that are reconciled to God by Christe their Lord and Sauiour Without Christ faith in Christe they are most gréeuous and heauie to be borne of euery vnbeléeuer So the faithfull béeing stirred vpp by the spirite of God doth voluntarilie and of his owne accord do good to all men so farre as his abilitie doeth suffer him will not in any case do hurt to any man not forbecause hee feareth the punishment that in the law is appointed for the disobedient vniuste and wrongfull dealers but forbecause he loueth god And so also he fulfilleth the Iudicial lawe Here I know full well the thou wilt make this obiection and say if the law be fulfilled that the fulfilling thereof hath a place in the Sainctes faithful ones what néeded then I pray you the abrogating of the lawe What néeded Paule and all the best diuines to dispute so largely of the abrogation of the same I wil therefore say somewhat of the abrogation of the law first generallie then by partes peculiarly But first of all
of Christ Iesu haue nothing to doe with the decrées of mans inuentions and that they are not bound to obserue mens traditions because they are dead to traditions with Christ that is to say they are by Christ Iesu redéemed and set frée from traditions whiche traditions did in Christe his deathe finishe and come to an ende while hee did make vs his owne and sett vs at libertie Then also hée doth by imitation counterfaite the woordes of them whiche make those decrées saye Oh touch not Taste not Handle not These thrée preceptes stretch very farre and comprehende manye petit decrées All which hee doeth unmediately confute with these probable argumentes First because they appoinct the worshippe of GOD to be in thinges that perish in the vse thereof But the kingdome of God is neither meate nor drincke but doth consiste in spirituall thinges And that whiche entereth in by the mouth doeth not defile the man Secondarilie béecause they are not made of God the authour of all goodnesse but haue their beginning of mans inuentions But in vaine doe they worshippe mée sayeth the Lord in the Gospell teaching doctrines the preceptes of men Neither doeth the holy Apostle saincte Paul wincke at and slylie passe ouer because hée will not aunsweare to the thinges whiche doe most commende these traditions First of all they are commended for the shewe and appearaunce of wisedome that is in them For they séeme to haue béene not without great wisedome ordeined of wise menne in that they doe so fittlie serue to euerye person time and place The earnest defenders of mens traditions crie out and saye Oure auncestours weee no fooles their lawes are full of wisedome But Ieremie cryeth out on the other side saying They haue reiected the woord of GOD therefore what wisedome can bee in them An other cause why traditions are commended is the Gréekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say a chosen kinde of worshippe which wée of our owne braynes haue chosen and taken to oure selues to serue and do God worship with all For men do gladly and willingly receiue the traditions of men because they are agréeable to their inclination Yea Christ in the holie Gospell sayth If ye had beene of the world the world would haue loued her owne Nowe for because I haue chosen you out of the worlde the world doth hate you And againe hée saith That whiche men set great store by is abhominable vnto God. Moreouer mens traditions are commended for humilitie which is vnderstoode in two manners or respectes For first that is said to be humilitie if any man doe readily obey and easilie yéeld to that which is vrged obtruded and thrust vpon him by men of countenaunce and authoritie Secondarilie the lawes of men do séeme to exercise humblenesse and kéepe men in humilitie But such obedience and humilitie may rather bée called sacrilege because it is not ruled and directed by the woord of God as the thinge whereby alone it should be tempered and squared but doth transferre and conueighe ouer the honour of GOD from God to men Last of all mens traditions are commended for the neglectinge of the fleshe For Oh that discipline and chasticemente of the fleashe séemeth to them a goodlye thinge by whiche the wantonnesse of the flesh is somewhat brideled and tamed Finallie the Apostle addeth Not in any honour to the satistyinge of the fleshe that is to say Whiche thinges although they haue a shewe of religion and holinesse haue notwithstanding in verie déede no honour at all considering that those externall things are ordeined of GOD for the ease and reléefe of menns necessities Yea Paul doth flatly finde fault with those decrées because they giue the bodie no honour for the satisfying of the same that is according to the measure of the bodies necessitie For a moderate care and looking to the bodie is not only permitted but also commanded least wée perhapps by too muche lacke and neerenesse do marre the bodie and make it vnapt to doe good woorkes Neither is the care of the flesh in any place forbidden vnlesse it tend to lustes and sensualitie Wherfore the Apostle saith Cherish not the flesh vnto concupiscence Therefore God hath graunted to man for his necessitie the vse of meate drincke sléepe cloathing reste alloweable pleasures and other thinges necessarie In the fourth Chapiter to the Galathians Saincte Paule saith When the fullnesse of the time was come God sent his sonne borne of a womā and made vnder the lawe to redeeme them that were vnder the lawe that wee mighte receiue by adoption the right or inheritaunce of children Nowe because ye are sonnes GOD hath sent the spirite of his sonne into your heartes crying Abba Father Wherfore thou art no more a seruant but a sonne If thou be a sonne thou art also an heire of God thoroughe Christ And immediatly after againe Stand faste in the libertie wherewith Christe hath deliuered vs and bee not againe wrapped in the yoke of bondage In the second to the Hebrues hée saith Christe was made partaker of fleshe and bloud with vs to the ende that throughe death he might expell him that had Lordship ouer death that is the diuell and that hee might deliuer them which through feare of death were all their life time in daunger of bondage Thus I hope these testimonies of Scripture suffice for our purpose These thinges being wel weighed and throughly considered will plainely teache what kinde of libertie they haue whiche are made frée by Christ and what their propertie and inclination is to witt most religious and altogether giuen to holy thinges that is to say in all points addicted to the spirite without whiche there is no libertie and by which al the sonnes of God are alwayes gouerned The Lords frée men doe most diligently beware that they doe vnaduisedly offend no man by their libertie nor vainely abuse their purchased fréedome For they haue continuallie before their minds and eyes the weightie sayings of the holie Apostles of their Lord Christe Iesu Sainct Peter in the second Chapter of his first Epistle saith As free and not as hauing the libertie for a cloake of maliciousnesse but euen as the seruauntes of God. And Paule hath Brethren ye haue beene called vnto libertie onely let not libertie be an occasion to the flesh but by loue serue one an other For I when I am free haue made mee selfe seruaunte to all that I maye winne the more They therefore do specially abuse Christiā libertie who seeking after carnall things vnder the colour and pretence of the spirite and of libertie doe make their bragges that they by the preachinge of the Gospell are set free from all bodily debtes dueties and therefore they do denye to their maisters creditours magistrates and princes the dutie that they owe them by that meanes reuolting and rebelling againste them These fellowes are seditious stirrers and not the reuerencers of the Euangelical doctrin Paule crieth Giue to
Nowe he doth hereby giue vs a proofe that hee hath a regard of vs our workes because in testifying the greatnesse of his loue toward vs hee doth vouchsafe so to honor not only vs but also his owne gifts in vs which he of his great goodnes hath gratiously be stowed vppon vs Our bountiful God doth herein imitate the maner of dealing whiche fleshly fathers vse in this world toward their children For they bestow giftes vppon their children as rewardes of their welldoing thereby prouoking them to greater vertues when as in very déed al things belong to the children by right of inheritance and the true and proper cause of this reward which the father giueth to the child is not the obediēce of the sonne but the meere good will and fauour of the father Moreouer herein are two thinges to be obserued First although God doth after the manner of men allure vs with rewardes drawe vs on with giftes and kéepe vs in good workes with manifold recompences yet must not the reward or recompence bee the marke where at the woorker ought to looke respecting rather his owne glorie and commoditie than the loue honour that hee oweth to god God wil be worshipped for loues sake onely and hee wil be loued of méere goodwill and not for the hope of any reward For as he requireth a chéerefull giuer so doth hée looke for such an vncoacted affection voluntarie loue and frée goodwill as children do naturallie beare to their parentes The last is That our workes which some call merits are nothing else but the méere giftes of god Now hee were a very vnthankfull person which when of an other mans liberalitie hee hath licence giuen to occupie his land to his best commoditie will at length goe about to translate the right therof from the true owner which lent it him vnto him selfe But because I would be loath by drawing out this treatise too farre to deteine you longer than reason would I wil recite vnto you derely beloued a notable cōference of places in the Scripture made by S. Augustine whereby ye maye euidently vnderstand and inferre a conclusion that the rewardes of good woorkes or merits of the Saincts are the very frée and méere grace of God. Therefore in the seuenth Chapiter of his booke De Gratia libero arbitrio thus hée sayth Iohn the forerunner of our Lord doth say A man can receiue nothing vnlesse it be giuen him from heauen If therefore thy good workes bée the giftes of God then God crowneth thy merits not as thy merits but as his owne giftes Let vs therefore consider the merits of the Apostle Paule that is to say the merits whiche hee saith are in himselfe whether they be the giftes of God or no I haue sayeth hee fought a good fight I haue fulfilled my course I haue kept the faith First of all these good workes had beene no good woorkes vnlesse good thoughtes had gone besore them Giue eare therefore what hee sayeth of those good thoughtes Not béecause wée can thincke any thing of oure selues as of our selues but our abilitie is of god Then also let vs cōsider euerie seueral particularitie I haue fought sayth hee a good fight I demaunde by what power hee foughte Whether by that which hee had of himselfe or by that whiche was giuen him from aboue It is vnlikely that so great a teacher of the Gentiles as the holy Apostle Sainct Paule was should bée ignoraunt of the lawe whiche in Deuteronomie is heard to say Saye not thou in thy hart mine owne strēgth and the power of mine owne hande hath done this wonderfull thinge but thou shalt remember the Lord thy GOD because hee giueth thee strength and power to doe it But what doeth it auaile to fighte well vnlesse the victorie doe ensue And who I praye you giueth the victorie but hee of whome Sainct Paule himselfe doeth say Thanckes bee to GOD whiche giueth vs the victorie thoroughe oure Lord Iesus Christe And in an other place when hée had cited the place out of the Psalms where it is said Because for thy sake wee are killed all day and are counted as sheepe appointed to the slaughter hée did immediatelie add and saye But in all these thinges we ouercome or haue the victorie thoroughe him which loued vs. Wée haue the victorie therefore not thorough our selues but thorough him that loued vs After that againe hee said I haue fulfilled my course But as he said this so in another place also hee sayeth It is not of the willer nor of the runner but of GOD which taketh mercie Whiche sentence cannot bée by any meanes so inuerted that wée may saye It is not of God whiche taketh mercie but of the willer and of the runner For whosoeuer dare take vppon him so to inuerte that sentence of the holy Apostle hee doeth openlye shewe that hee flattly gainesayeth the woordes of Sainct Paule Last of all hee saide I haue kepte the faith but in an other place againe hée confesseth saying I haue obteined mercie that I might bee faithfull Hée said not I haue obteined mercie béecause I am faithfull but That I mighte bée faithfull declaring thereby that faith it selfe cannot bée obteined without the mercie of God and that faith is the gifte of God as hee doeth most euidently teache where he sayeth Yee are saued by Grace thoroughe faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God. For they mighte saye Wée haue therefore receiued Grace béecause wee haue beléeued by that meanes attributing as it were Fayth to themselues and Grace to God but to preuent that insinuation the holy Apostle Saincte Paule when hee had saide By faith doeth streighte wayes add And that not of your selues it is the gifte of God. Againe least they should saye that they by their workes did meritoriously deserue such a gift he doeth presently annexe Not of woorkes least any man should boast Not because he did denie or make voyd good workes considering that hee saith that God doeth reward euery man according to his works but forbecause workes are of faith and not faith of workes And so by this meanes our workes of righteousnesse procéede from him from whō that faith doeth also come touching which it is said The iust doth liue by faith All this haue I hetherto woord for word recited out of Augustine wherin all that may be said concerning the merits of good workes are sufficiently well conteyned and so soundly confirmed by proofes of Scripture that I meane not to ad any thing vnto them for I sée it is sufficiently manifest for all to vnderstand what and howe the auncient fathers thought and taughte of the merits of sinnefull men For what can be said more briefly sincerely fully than that a reward is prepared for the good workes of men but yet that that reward is nothing else but the grace and that the merits or good works of the Saincts are the gift of God which
wonderfully confirme this argument Againe in the thirde to the Romanes the same Apostle saith If our vnrighteousnesse setteth foorth the righteousnesse of God what shal wee saye Is God vnrighteous which taketh vengeance I speake after the maner of men that is I vse the wordes of wicked people God forbidde For howe then shall GOD iudge the worlde for if the trueth of God hath more abounded through my lye vnto his glorie why am I as yet iudged as a sinner c. Verily if God were the author of sinne and all euil and that he would haue the wicked to be such as in verie déede they are then why I praye you shoulde hee iudge or punishe them as transgressours since they by sinning fulfilled his will To this place also doth belong that testimonie of the blessed Euangeliste and Apostle Iohn in his canonicall Epistle where he saith If any man loue the worlde the loue of the father is not in him For all that is in the worlde as the lust of the fleshe and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the father but of the worlde And the world passeth away the lust thereof But he that fulfilleth the will of the father abideth for euer Lo here God is vtterly frée from all euil euil saith he is not of the father but of the world And he which doth the will of the father doeth not what the world will but what God will. Therefore these two good and euil sinne and the will of God are directly opposed repugnant the one againste the other These testimonies thoughe fewe in number are notwithstanding in my iudgement sufficiently significant and able to persuade a godly disposed hearer Nowe vppon this wee doe first inferre a conclusion and boldly warrant that poynt of catholique doctrine which hath euer since the Apostles time alwayes béene defended with much diligence againste the vnpure Philosophie of some although yet I do not vtterly condemne all the partes of Philosophie knowing verie well that some poyntes thereof are verie necessarie and profitable to the zealous louers of God and godlynesse that God is not the author of euil or cause of sinne Then out of the same testimonies wee gather that the originall cause of sinne or euil is deriued of man him selfe and his suggester and prouoker the diuel so yet that wee saye that the diuel beeing firste him selfe corrupted did corrupt man beeing neuerthelesse not able of him selfe to haue done any thing had not man of his owne accorde consented vnto euil And here wee must sett before our eyes the fall of our first father Adam that by the consideration thereof wee maye bee the better able to iudge of the originall cause of sinne and iniquitie God created Adam the firste father of vs all according to his own similitude and likenesse that is to saye he made him good moste pure most holie moste iuste and immortall and adorned him with euery excellent gifte and facultie so that there was nothing wanting to him in God which was auailable to perfect felicitie Touching this similitude or likenesse to God I shall take occasion vppon the woordes of Paule to speake hereafter So then hee was indued with a verie diuine a pure sharpe vnderstanding His will was free without constraint and absolutelye holie Hee had power to doe either good or euill Moreouer God gaue him a lawe which might instruct him what to doe and what to leaue vndone For God in saying Thou shalt not eate of the fruite of the tree of knowledge of good and euil did simply require at his handes faith and obedience and that hee shoulde wholie depende vppon God all which hee had to doe not by compulsion or necessitie but of his owne accorde and free good will. For verie truely and holily writ the wise man in the fiftéenth of Ecclesiasticus saying God made man in the beginninge and lâ—ft him in the hande of his counsell He gaue him his commaundementes and preceptes if thou wilt thou shalt kepe my commaundementes and they shall preserue thee Therefore when the Serpent teÌ„pted the minde of man and did persuade him to tast of the forbidden trée man knewe wel enough what perill was laide before him and howe the serpents counsell was flatly repugnant to the Lordes commaundement In the meane time neither did God compell him nor Satan in the serpent inforce him to sinne while he resisted and did withstande him For God had saide Ye shall not eate of that tree nor touche it if ye doe ye shal die for it Therefore hee was at his owne frée choice and in the hande of his owne counsell either to eate or not to eate Yea God declared his minde vnto him in giuing precise coÌ„maundement that he should not eate and to the commandement he annexed the daunger of the breache thereof withdrawing him thereby from the eating of the fruite and saying Least perhaps thou dye And as Satan could not so also he did not shew any violence but vsed suche probable wordes to counsell him as he coulde and did in déede at length persuade him For when the womans will gaue eare to the woorde of the diuell her minde departed from the woord of God whereby shée reiected the good lawe of God did of her owne peruerse will committ that sinne and drewe her husbande that yelded of his owne accorde into the fellowshippe of the same offence as the Scripture doeth moste significantly expresse in these wordes And the woman seeing that the tree was good to eate of and plesant to the eyes and a tree to bee desired to make one wise tooke of the fruite thereof and did eate and gaue to her husband with her and he did eate also Lo heere thou hast the beginning of euill the diuel thou hast heard what it was that moued the minde or will of man vnto that euill â—o wite the false persuasion of the diâ—el or his subtile praise of the fruite of the trée so consequently a méere lye and the pleasant shewe of the delicate tree But that which our first parents did they did of their owne accorde frée good will beeing ledd by hope to obteine a more excellent life profounder wisedome which the seducer had falsely promised them Wee doe therefore conclude y sinne doth spring not of God which hateth and doth prohibite all euill but of the diuel the frée election of our graundparents their corrupted will which was depraued by the diuels lye and the false shewe of fayned good So then the diuel and the yeldinge or corrupted minde of man are the verie causes of sinne and naughtinesse To procéede nowe this euil doth by descent flowe from our firste parentes into all their posteritie so that at this daye sinne doth not spring from else where but of our selues that is to saye of our corrupt iudgement depraued will and the suggestion of the diuell For the roote of euill is yet remaining in our flesh by
that all the ministers of the Churches euen from the Apostles time did both acknowledge and openly teach original sinne In that place he citeth the testimonies of IrenÄ™us Cyprian Retilius Olympius Hilarie and Ambrose his father and maister in Christian doctrine Innocent Gregorie Basil and Iohn Chrysostome And at length hée inferreth Wilt thou now call so great a consent of Catholique priestes a coÌ„spiracie of naughtie men Neither thincke thou that S. Hierome is to be coÌ„temned because he was but a priest onely and no bishop who being skilful in the Greeke Latine and Hebrue tongues and passinge from the West vnto the East Church liued in holy places and the studie of the sacred Scriptures euen to his croane crooked age He read all or in a maner al the woorkes of them whiche in both partes of the world did write of Ecclesiasticall doctrine and yet he neither held nor taught any otherwise of this point of doctrine And againe the same Augustine in his third booke De peccatoruÌ„ meritis remissione Cap. 7. sayeth Hierome expounding the propheâ—ie of Ionas when he came to that place where meÌ„tion is made that euen the little children were chastened with fasting sayth It began with the eldest and came euen to the yongest For there is none without sinne no not hee which is but one day old nor hee whose gray head hath seene many yeares For if the starres are not cleane in the sight of God how much more vncleane are duste and putrifying earth and those which are in subiection to the sinne of Adams transgression To these words of Hierome doeth Augustine himselfe annexe this that followeth If it were so that wee might easilie aske it of this most learned man how many teachers of the holie Scriptures in both the tongues and howe many writers of Christian treatises would hee reckon vp which since the time that Christ his Church was first planted haue themselues nether thought of their predecessours learned nor taught their successours any other thaÌ„ this doctrine touching originall sinne I verilie thoughe I haue read nothing so much as hee do not remember that I haue heard any other doctrine of Christians whiche admit or receiue both the testaments whether they were in the vnitie of the Catholique Church or otherwise in Schismes and heresies I doe not remember that I haue read any other thing in them whose writinges touching this matter I could come by to read them if either they did followe or thought that they did follow or would haue men beleeue that they did followe the Canonicall Scriptures Thus farre hath Augustine teaching in the very beginning that all the Sainctes did by a full consent and agréement in doctrine most expressely graunt and confesse that originall sinne is euen in newe borne infants Mée thincketh that Sainct Hierome did not onely in Ionas but also much more euidently in Ezechiel confesse and affirme originall sinne His wordes are to bée séene Comment lib. 14. in cap. 47. ad Ezechielem and are verbatun as followeth What man can make his boaste that hee hath a chaste heart or to whose minde by the windows of the eyes the death of concupiscence or to vse a mylder terme the tickling of the minde doth not enter in For the world is set in wickednesse euen from his childhood the hart of man is set to naughtinesse so that not the very first day of a mans natiuitie his nature is free from sinne and naughtinesse Wherevppon Dauid in the Psalme sayeth For behold I was coÌ„ceiued in iniquitie and in sinne my mother conceiued mee Not in the iniquities of my mother or in mine owne sinnes but in the iniquities of our mortall state And therfore the Apostle saith death reigned from Adam vnto Moses ouer them also whiche had not sinned with the like transgression as did Adam Thus much hath Hierome and we haue hetherto alledged al these sayings to the end wee might proue that originall sinne is the naturall or hereditarie corruption of mans nature Let vs nowe sée what and howe great the hereditarie naughtinesse or corruption of our nature is and what power it hath to woorke in man Our nature verilie as I shewed you aboue was before the fall most excellent and pure in oure father Adam but after the fall it did by Gods iuste iudgement become corrupte and vtterly naught which is in that naughtinesse by propagation or Extraduce deriued into all vs whiche are the posteritie and ofspring of Adam as both experience and the thing it selfe doe euidently declare as well in sucklings or infantes as those of riper yeares For euen very babes giue manifest tokens of euident deprauation so soone as they once beginne to bée able to doe any thing yea before they can perfectlye sounde any one syllable of a whole word All oure vnderstandinge is dull blunt grosse and altogether blinde in heauenlie things Our iudgement in diuine matters is peruerse and friuolous For there arise in vs most horrible and absurd thoughtes and opinions touching God his iudgementes â— wonderfull woorkes yea our whole minde is apt and readie to errours to fables and our owne destruction and when as our iudgements are nothing but méere follie yet doe wée preferre them farre aboue Gods wisedome whiche wee esteeme but foolishnesse in comparison of oure owne conceiptes and corrupte imaginations For hee lyed not whiche saide The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirite of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know them because they are spirituallie discerned Nowe Paule calleth him the naturall man which liueth naturally by the vitall spirite and is not regenerate by the holy Ghoste And since we all are such wée are therefore wholie ouercome and gouerned of Philautie that is too great a self-selfeloue and delight in our selues whereby all things that wee oure selues doe woorke doe highly please vs loking still verie busilie to oure owne selues and our commoditie when in the meane time wée neglecte all others yea rather doe afflicte them Neither did Plato vnaduisedly estéeme that vice of selfeloue to bee the very roote of euery euill Furthermore our whole will is ledd captiue by concupiscence which as a roote enuenomed with poyson infecteth all that is in man and doeth incline drawe on driue man to things carnall forbidden and contrarie to God to the end that hée maye gréedilie pursue them put all his delight in them and content him selfe wyth them Moreouer there is in vs no power or abilitie to doe any good For wée are sâ—owe sluggish and heauie to goodnesse but liuely quicke and readie enoughe to anye euill or naughtinesse And that I may at last conclude and briefely expresse the whole force and signification of our hereditarie deprauation and corruption I say that this deprauation of our nature is nothing else but the blotting of Gods Image in vs There was in oure father Adam before his fall the very Image and likenesse of God
blasphemers of the Gospell of Christ do sinne more grieuously than the Sodomites did and that God which is a sure reuenger will surely plague them for it either in this life or in the worlde to come or else in both with vnspeakeable miseries and endlesse torments Let vs therefore beléeue the Gospell of the sonne of God firste preached to the worlde by God the father then by the Patriarches after that of the Prophets and lastely of the onely begotten sonne of God Christ Iesus his Apostles whose heauenly voyce doth euen at this daye sounde to vs in the mouthes of the mynisters sincerely preaching the Gospel vnto vs. Secondarily wee haue to consider what it is that the heauenly preaching of the Gospell doeth shewe vnto the worlde to wite the Grace of God our heauenly father For the Apostle Paule in the twentieth Chapter of the Actes saith that hee receiued the ministerie of the Lord Iesus to testifie the Gospell of the Grace of God. Nowe therefore I will at this present saye so much of the grace of GOD as is sufficient for this place The woorde grace is diuersly vsed in the holie Scriptures euen as it is in prophane writinges also For in the Bible it signifieth Thankesgiuinge and also a Benefite and almes as 2. Cor. 8. Moreouer it signifieth prayse and recompence as in that place where the Apostle saith If when ye do well ye are afflicted yet do beare it that is praisworthie before God. It doeth also signifie facultie or licence as when wee saye that one hath gotten grace to teache and execute an office For the Apostle saith that he receiued grace and immediately to expounde his owne meaning hee addeth to execute the office of an Apostle Moreouer the gifts of God are called grace because they are giuen gratis and fréely bestowed without looking for of any recompēce And yet Paule in the fifte to the Romanes distinguisheth a gifte from grace For Grace doth signifie the fauour and good will of God towarde vs But a gifte is the thinge whiche God doth giue vs of that good wil such as are faith constancie and integritie They are saide to haue founde Grace with God whome God doeth dearely loue and fauour more than other In that sense Noah founde grace in the eyes of the Lorde Ioseph founde grace in the eyes of the Lorde of the prison And the holie virgin is read to haue founde grace with the Lorde because shee was beloued of God and verie deare vnto the Lord as shée whome he had singularly chosen from among all other women But in this place and present argument Grace is the fauour goodnesse of the eternall godhead wherwith he according to his incomprehensible goodnesse doeth gratis fréely for Christe his sake imbrace call iustifie and saue vs mortall men Nowe here mée thinketh before wee go anye further it is not amisse to examine and search out the cause of this Gods loue to vs exhibited For we sée that there is a certein relatiō betwixt the fauour of God vs men to whom his fauour is so bent It is a matter neither hard nor tedious to be found out For in vs there is nothing wherewith God can be in loue or wherewithall hee may be moued or stirred vp to imbrace vs yea in so much as wee are all vnpure sinners and that God is holye iuste and a reuenger of iniquities he hath matter ynoughe to finde in vs for which he may be angrie at and with iust reuengement plague vs So then the cause of Gods loue to vs wardes must of necessitie be not in vs nor in any other thing beside God considering that nothinge is more excellent than man but euen in God him self Moreouer the moste true Scripture doth teach vs that God is of his owne inclination naturally good gentle as Paul calleth him Philanthropon a louer of vs men who hath sent his owne sonne of his owne nature into the worlde for our redemption whervppon it doeth consequently followe that God doth fréely of him selfe and for his sonnes sake loue man and not for any other cause Whereby immediately all the preparamentes incitaments and merites of men beeing dissolued by the fire of Gods greate loue doe vade and passe awaye like smoke For the grace of God is altogether free and vnlesse it be so I cannot sée howe it can bee called Grace But it behoueth vs in a thing so weightie to cite some euident testimonies of the holie Scripture to confirme our mindes withall against all sophistical trifles and temptations of the diuell Our Lorde in the Gospell said So God loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne for the world that euery one which beleue in him shuld not perish but haue life euerlasting Loe here this goodwill of God which is the fauour and loue wherwith God embraceth vs is the cause of oure saluation For Christ hauing suffered for vs is our saluation Now God of verie loue hath giuen Christ both to vs for vs Neither may we thincke that God was first moued by oure loue to him ward to shewe like mutuall loue to vs againe and to giue his sonne for vs For he had determined before the beginning of the world to woorke our redemption through Christ his sonne And Iohn the Euangeliste in his Canonical Epistle sayth Herein is loue not that we loued God but that hee loued vs and sent his sonne to be an attonement for our sinnes To these testimonies although sufficiently plaine and stronge enough I will yet add some proofes out of the Apostle Paul y so this argument may be more euident that the great agréement may appeare which is betwixt Euangelists and Apostles in this doctrine of grace Paule therfore sayeth All haue sinned stand in neede of the glorie of God but are iustified freely by his grace thorough the redemption that is in Christ Iesu Againe to the Ephesians he sayeth Ye are saued thorough grace by faith that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of woorkes least any man should boast Againe to Titus The grace and loue of God our Sauiour towards all men hath appeared not of the woorkes of our owne righteousnesse which he did but according to his mercie hath he saued vs. Likewise in the 2. Epistle to Timothie the first Chapiter he sayeth God hath saued vs and hath called vs with an holie calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen vs in Christ Iesus I thinke verilie that if a man had béene sett of purpose to haue feigned any thing for the defence of this matter hee could not haue framed any sentence so fitt and euident as these woordes are So nowe it is manifest that the grace of God is altogether frée as that which excludeth all our woorks and merits And this frée loue of God is the only cause and true beginning of the Gospell For
And Sainct Paul to Timothie sayeth It is a sure saying and worthie by all meanes to be receiued that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners In the same Gospel the Lord sayeth Euerie sinne blasphemie shal bee forgiuen men but blasphemie against the holy Ghoste shall not bee forgiuen men And whosoeuer shall say a word against the sonne of man it shall bee forgiuen him but whosoeuer speaketh a word against the holy Ghost it shall not be forgiuen him nether in this world nor in the world to come Concerning sinne against the holy Ghost I haue alreadie spoken in another place Nowe to this place doe belonge all the examples of that most liberall kinde of forgiuenesse whiche is expressed in the Gospell as for example of the sinnefull woman Luke the seuenth Also Iohn y fourth and Matthew the eighth Chapiter Of Zachee Sainct Peter and the théefe vppon the Crosse But who is able briefely to reckon them all To this also doe apperteine the thrée parables in the Gospell after the Euangeliste Sainct Luke In the Gospell after Sainct Iohn the forerunner of the Lord doeth crie out saying Behold the lambe of God that taketh awaye the sinnes of the world And the Lord himselfe did say to his disciples Whose sinnes soeuer ye forgiue they are forgiuen Peter the Apostle in the Actes doth crie and say All the Prophets beare witnesse to Christe that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should by his name receiue remission of his sinnes The same Apostle againe in his Epistle sayeth Christ his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his bodie vppon the Crosse that wee beeing dead to sinne might liue to righteousnesse by whose stripes ye are healed The Apostle Paul in the 5. chap of his 2. Epistle to the Corinthians saith God was in Christe reconciling the world vnto himselfe not imputinge their sinnes vnto them For him that knewe not sinne hee made sinne for vs that wee throughe him might bee made the righteousnesse of God. And in the tenthe to the Hebrues hee hath Christ hauing offred one sacrifice for sinne is set downe at the right hand of God for euer from henceforth tarying till his foes bee made his footestoole For with one offering hath he made perfecte for euer them that are sanctified Moreouer the blessed Apostle and Euangeliste Iohn doth no lesse truely than euidently testifie saying The bloud of Iesu Christ the sonn of God doth cleanse vs from all sinne And againe And he is the propitiation for our sinnes not for ours only but for the sinnes also of the whole world But nowe most vaine and the verie messingers of sathan himselfe are the Nouatians and Anabaptists whiche feigne that wee are by baptisme purged into an Angelicall life whiche is not polluted with any spotts at all but if it be polluted then can hee that is so defiled looke for no pardon at all For to passe ouer many other places of holy Scripture was not S. Peter cōsecrated to God in baptisme had hée not tasted of Gods good grace After that notable confessiō which he made the Lord said vnto him Happie arte thou Simon Bar Iona flesh bloud hath not reuealed this vnto thee but my father which is in heauen Againe when the Lord demaunded of his disciples saying Will ye depart also Then Peter in the name of them all aunsweared Lord to whome shal we goe ▪ Thou hast the words of eternall life and wee beleeue and knowe that thou art Christe the sonne of the liuing God. And yet this very fame Peter after his baptisme and tasting of the grace of God sinneth notwithstanding and that too not lightly in denying and foreswearing his Lord and maister Now was he for this sinne of his altogether vnpardoneable was his returne to God againe stopped vp by his stumbling No verilie For when he heard the cocke crowe he remembred presently the wordes of the Lord hee descended into himselfe hee considered what hee had done hee wept bitterly and mourned lamentablie And yet hee was not longe tormented in that griefe without consolation For the third day after to the women which came to the Lords sepulchre it was said by the Angels Tell his disciples Peter that he is risen and goeth before you into Galilee Loe here the Lord wil haue it knowen to Peter by name that hee was risen And why to Peter by name Because forsooth he had sinned more gréeuously than the other not that the Lord did like of Peters sinne but because hee would therby declare to vs that penitents doe obteine forgiuenesse of their sinnes so often as they do turne to the heauenly grace of God againe And not many dayes after he restored Peter to the ministerie againe commending to him the charge of his shéepe Moreouer the Lord in Ieremie speaketh to the people of Israel saying If any man put away his wife and shee marrie to an other man will her first husband turne to her againe But is not this land defiled Hast thou not committed fornication with many yet turne thee to me againe sayth the Lord. And the Galathians being once rightly instructed by the Apostle Paule but after that seduced by the false apostles reuolted from the trueth preaching of the Gospell yet notwithstanding they obteyned pardon The Corinthians also after they had receyued grace did wittingly willingly sinne in many things but yet vppon repentaunce the Apostle Paule promised them forgiuenesse of their sinnes at the handes of the lord And what is more manifest than this that all the saincts doe daily in earnest and truly not hypocritically or falsely praye saying Forgiue vs our trespasses They whiche praye thus doe plainelye confesse that they are sinners And the Lord promiseth to heare those that praye with faith therefore euen those sinnes are forgiuen at the prayers of penitents whiche are committed after the grace of God is once knowen and obteyned Nowe the places in the Epistle to the Hebrues whiche the Nouatians alledge for the confirmation of their opinion I haue in an other place so thoroughly discussed that I neede not heere busilie to stand longe vppon them But nowe to gather a summe of those thinges whiche I haue hetherto said concerning repentaunce let vs hold that repentaunce is a turning to God which although hee doeth by his woord and other meanes stirre it vpp in vs is notwithstanding especially by the holy Ghoste so wrought in vs that with feare wée loue and with loue wee feare our iust God and mercifull Lord from whome wee were turned backe being sorie now withall oure heartes that wee with oure sinnes did euer offende so gratious a father For being humbled before his eternall and most sacred maiestie we acknowledge the sinnes that are obiected against vs by the word of God yea we acknowledge that in vs there is no integritie or soundnesse but doe hartily desire to bee reconciled wyth God againe and since that reconciliation cannot be otherwise made than by the only
the first Decade and in the thirde Decade where I entreate of the Sainctes affliction in the tenthe Sermon of the same Decade and also in the fourth Decade where I spake of the Gospell The priests and Monkes do teache that repentaunce of the sinne committed and faith in Christ are not sufficient for the purgeing of sinnes without the satisfaction of our owne woorkes and merites whiche they make to be wearing of sackcloth fastings teares prayers almes déedes offeringes sundrie afflictions of the bodie pilgrimages and many other odde knackes like vnto these For they affirme that by these meanes the penaltie due to sinnes the guilt whereof they saye is only pardoned is washed awaye as with a showre of water powred downe vpon it But wee alreadie haue taught out of the Canonicall Scriptures that God doth not onely forgiue freely the guilte but also the penaltie of oure sinnes Wee haue alreadie taught that men are not iustified by theire owne workes and merites but by the meere grace of God through the faith of Christe Iesus For otherwise hee should in vaine haue taken our fleshe vpon him and in vaine should Christ haue qiuen him selfe vnto the moste bitter and reprochefull death of the Crosse Nowe we add if we are not iustified by workes then doe wee not with our woorkes make satisfaction for our sinnes For in effect although I acknowledge that there is a difference and do not confound them iustification and satisfaction come bothe to one ende By the iustification of Christ we are absolued By the satisfaction of Christ or rather for his satisfactions sake wee are also absolued Christ is our righteousenesse therefore also our satisfaction The price of our redemption is in Christe not in our selues If wee make satisfaction for our selues then is the price of our redemption in our selues And therefore are we both Christes Sauiours vnto our selues whiche thing doth flatly make Christ of none effect and therefore is it extreme blasphemie Moses in his lawe doth with little businesse or none dissolue all the arguments for satisfactiō wrought by our works For where he describeth the maner of cleansing sinnes he placeth no iott thereof in the workes of men but sheweth that it all consisteth in the Ceremoniall sacrifices Now we doe all agree and ioyntly confesse that in those sacrifices the onely sacrifice of Christe was plainly prefigured And to that is added that that only preaching and promise of the newe testament is this I wil be appeased vpon their vnrighteousenesse and sinnes will no more remember their iniquities Nowe where suche a remission is there is no oblation or satisfaction for sinne And wee in the Creede verily doe beléeue the forgiuenesse of sinnes But if the debitor make satisfaction to the creditor then what I pray you doth the creditor forgiue him Therefore this article of our faith the principall promise and preachinge of the newe testament is vtterly subuerted if we admit the doctrine of the satisfaction of our woorkes for sinnes We do acknowledge that teares fastings wearing of sackcloth almes déedes and the other woorkes of pietie humiliation and charitie haue a place in repentaunce Of whiche I will speake in place conuenient but wee denye that with them wee make satisfaction for our sinnes leaste wee should make the price of Christ his redemption of none effect We acknowledge that at some times the Lorde hath whipped them whose sinnes hee hath forgiuen as he did to our parents Adam and Euah and to king Dauid after his adulterie and murther of Vrias But I haue alreadie shewed you that those afflictions were not satisfactions for the sinnes which God had pardoned but exercises of Gods discipline and humiliation whiche doth by those meanes keepe his sernaunts in their duetifull obedience doth declare to all men howe hartilye he hateth sinnes although he doth fréely forgiue and pardon them Therefore least we because of that frée forgiuenesse should be the more inclined and proue to sinne he promiseth them whome he maketh to be examples for vs to take heede by Neither doe wee read that the Sainctes did simply attribute the benefite of iustification or satisfaction vnto their afflictions I cōfesse that Daniel the Prophet gaue counsell to the moste mightie kinge Nabuchodonosor and sayed Let thy sinnes be redeemed in righteousnesse and thine iniquities in shewing pitie to the poore But in these woordes the kinge was taught howe to leade the reste of his life that was yet behynd howe to rule the state of his kingdome The king had till then oppressed many nations and sinned in mercilesse crueltie wherevppon he persuadeth him to chaunge his olde kinde of life to imbrace iustice and deale well with all men Therefore hee speaketh not of the satisfaction of his sinnes before God but before men For there is saluation in none other than in Christe alone But if any man do stubbornly sticke vppon the letter wee saye that the righteousenesse of Christians is faith by whiche their sinnes are properly cleansed and that faith is not without good woorkes and charitie to which iustification is vnproperly ascribed Of which matter I spake in the treatise that I made of good woorkes Therefore when Saincte Peter doth cite that place of Solomon Charitie couereth the multitude of sinns the woorde Couereth is not there vsed for Purging For by the onelye bloud of Christe all sinnes are purged and wiped awaye but it is taken for Turning awaye For as selfe-loue in a manner is the roote of all sinnes so charitie is thought to bee the driuer away of all mischiefes For loue doth none ill to his neighbour Nowe whereas they obiecte that sentence of the Gospell where the Lord saith Many sinnes bee forgiuen her because shee loued muche they do misse here in because they vnderstande not that the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is commonly englished because or for that is here a note of inferring somewhat and that no other sense is gathered than this Manye sinnes bee forgiuen her therefore shee loued muche Or whereby it commeth that shee loueth muche Neither do wee here wrest the wordes of the Gospell to mainteine a wronge opinion For in the historie there goeth before First When they were not able to paye hee forgaue them both If hee forgaue them and if they were not able to paye he did not then forgiue thē for their loue For if they had béene able to paye he would not haue forgiuen them Secondarily there goeth before Whether of these will loue him more Simon saith He to whome hee forgaue the more Therefore the Lordes answer could in effecte bee nothing else but this I haue forgiuen her verie much therefore hath shee loued much So then I saye loue is of forgiuenesse not forgiuenesse of loue And then it followeth immediatelye And he saide to the woman thy faith hath saued the go in peace Wee doe therefore conclude that there is but one onely satisfaction for the sinnes of
you in minde of them But now the moste renowmed and excellent one of them all I will héere recite and handle at large It is to be séene in the 33. and 34. Chapter of Exodus Moses had triall of the facilitie and goodnesse of God and that there was nothing which he obtained not at Gods hand therefore he taketh vpon him boldely to aske this also of the Lord to sée God in his substance glorie and maiestie whiche thing all the true wise menne of euerye age did onely wishe and long for For Moses saith because I vnderstand that thou O GOD wishect wel vnto me and that thou canst denie nothing go to I beséech thée shew me thy glorie that is suffer me I pray thée to sée thée so as thou art in thy glorious substance and maiestie Nowe GOD aunswering to this request which is the greatest of all other doeth say vnto him I will make all my good to passe by before thee and I will crye the name of the Lorde Or in the name of the Lorde before thee In whiche wordes he promiseth two things to Moses The one is All my good shall passe by before thée But this chiefe good of GOD can be nothing else than the good and mightie GOD him selfe or rather the word of God I say the very beloued sonne of God in whome wée beléeue that all the treasures of wisdome diuinitie goodnesse and perfectnesse are placed and layed vpp For he sett before Moses eyes the shew of him in a humane and visible shape suche in sight as he in the end of the world should be incarnate in The other thing that he promised is I wil cry the name of the Lord Or in the name of the Lord before thée that is I will proclame the names of my glorie by whiche thou maist vnderstand who I am and séeme in thy minde But now that no man should attribute so excellent a vision to the merite of Moses the Lord doeth add this sentence following This vision doth not happen to thée because of thine owne merite For without mans merites I reueale my selfe to whome I will and without respect of persons will haue compassion on whome it pleaseth me which consideratiō of the frée grace and liberall goodnesse of God doeth greatly belong to the true knowledge of god Then the lord goeth too againe and doeth more significantly declare to Moses in what maner and order he will exhibite or shew him selfe vnto him Thou mayest not saith he in this life sée my face that is thou mayest not fully sée me in my substance For that is reserued for the blessed spirits and clarified bodies in the worlde to come I will therefore in this fashion shew my selfe vnto thée Thou shalt go vp into the mounteine there in a rock I will shew thée a clifte wherin thou shalt place thée selfe and I will lay mine hand vppon thée that is a cloude or some such thing that as I come towarde thée thou mayest not looke directly in my face In that phrase of spéeche the Lorde doeth imitate the fashion of men whose order is to spredd their hands ouer the eyes of him whome they would not haue narrowely to beholde any thing The Lorde then addeth and in the meane while I will passe by that is the image whiche I take to wit the shape of a man wherein I will exhibite me selfe to be séene shall passe by before thee And when I am once past so that thou canst not sée my face I will take away the hand wherewith I hidd thine eyes and then thou shalt beholde the back of the figure or my hinder partes Now the hinder parte of GOD are the words and déeds of God which he leueth behinde him that we by thē may learne to knowe him Again the beholding of Gods face is taken for the moste exacte and exquisite knowledge of god But they that sée but the back onely doe not knowe so well as they that sée the face And in the hinder or latter times of the world God sent his sonne into the world borne of a womā whom who so euer doe in faithe beholde they doe not sée the Godhead in his humanitie but doe by his wordes and déedes knowe who God is and so they sée the father in the sonne For they learne that God is the chiefe good and that y sonne of God is God béeing coequall and of the same substance with the father Now let vs sée how God according to his promise made did exhibite him selfe to be séene of Moses Moses rising vpp betimes ascendeth vp into the mounteine chéerefully vnto the rocke which the Lord had shewed him placeing himselfe in the clift and looketh gréedilie for the vision or reuelation of god At length the Lord descended in a cloude and came vpon the mounteine vnto the clifte of the rocke wherein Moses stayed for him And presently when Moses his face was hidden the figure of God that is the shape of a man whiche God tooke vpon him did passe by before him and when as now the backe of the figure was towarde Moses so that he could no more sée the face thereof the Lorde tooke his hand away and Moses behelde the hinder partes of the same Whereby he gathered that GOD should once that is to say in the hinder times of the worlde be incarnate and reuealed to the world Of whiche reuelation we will héereafter speake somewhat more And when the Lord was once gone past he cryed and as his promise was so in a certaine Catalogue he reckoned vppe his names whereby as in a shadowe he did declare his nature For he saide Iehouah Iehouah GOD mercifull and gratious long suffering and abounding in goodnesse and trueth keeping mercie in store for thousandes forgiuing wickednesse transgression and sinne and yet not suffering the wicked to escape vnpunished visiting the wickednesse of the fathers vpon the children and childers children vnto the third and fourth generation What What else is this than if he had saide I am the vncreated essence béeing of my selfe from before all beginninge which giueth Being to all things and keepeth all thinges in Being I am a strong and almightie god I doe not abuse my might For I am gentle and mercifull I loue my creatures and man especially on whom I doe wholy yearne in the bowels of loue and mercie I am rich and bountifull and readie at all times to helpe my creatures I doe fréely without recompence giue al that I bestow I am long suffering and not irritable to anger and hasty to reuenge as mankinde is I am no nigarde or enuious as wealthie men in the world are woont to be I am moste liberall and bountifull reioycing to be diuided amonge my people and to heape vp benefites vpon the faithfull Moreouer I am true and faithfull I deceiue no man I lie in nothing what I promise that I stande to and faithfully perfourme it Neither doe I nor can I so
of the prayers of Angels and that they offer the prayers of the faythfull in Gods presence therefore not Christ alone prayeth or maketh intercession for vs in heauen but also the Saintes We denie that this followeth bycause the scripture teacheth that Angels are ministring spirites and according to their office offer prayers only as ministers in the presence of God but not to make intercession or that men are heard for Angels sakes but for Christes sake who maketh intercession and for whose sake the prayer whiche is brought and offered vnto God is acceptable vnto him Nowe if so be they will bring foorth the like also touching the blessed soules of the Saintes and reason Asimili from that that is like let them first teache that soules are appointed and made ministring spirits But they can not and if they coulde yet had they not proued that the heauenly Saintes are intercessours For not the Angels themselues doutlesse are therefore intercessours bycause they offer the prayers of men vnto god They agrée say they and are knit vnto vs in the same knot of charitie and loue and forbycause the spirites of the blessed whiche liue in heauen do loue vs here in earth therfore according to the nature and disposition of this loue they also praye for vs We answere that they gather this without warrant of scripture For that we maye without wrangling graunt them this that the Saintes in heauen are not without the loue of their neighbour yet notwithstanding we adde that this loue in the heauenly Saintes hathe not nowe that nature or disposition and those offices which in times past it had in earth Otherwise we should attribute many moe absurdities to the Saints as though they eyther did or suffred those things which they neither do nor yet suffer Whilest they liued in earth according to the disposition and nature of loue they were sorie and they were glad and they prayed with vs yea they also made intercession for vs but nowe that they haue put off this corruptiō and haue lefte vs leading their liues in heauen with the Lord they neither knowe our affaires neither are moued with any earthly affectiōs They vnderstād that it is passing well with vs without their helpe They vnderstande likewise that the worke of our saluation is already wrought and accomplished so that they may acquiet them selues and rest from their laboures and reioyce in Christe who is doubtlesse the onely intercessoure with the father of all men liuing in their miserie bycause he knoweth all and can do al neither is he moued at neither wearied or tyred with or yet is ignorant of any thing but taketh vppon him most absolutely and dispatcheth all things whatsoeuer are incident or belong to an intercessour They vnderstande that this glory agréeth vnto the onely sonne of God and therefore they goe not busily about it that they in Christes steade might appoint or make thē selues intercessours For here the loue that they beare to God surpasseth the loue of their neighbour But these mē obiect that the saints pray not in heauen after the rite and fashion of that only intercessour but after the same maner that they prayed for their fellow-brethrē in earth Euen nowe we sayde that it did not follow This they did in earth therfore they doe the same in heauen Neither can it be proued by manifest scriptures that the Saints in heauen pray for vs Why then doe they set foorth vnto vs doubtfull opinions for certeine For that we may graunt them that the Saintes pray in heauē which thing not a fewe of the fathers haue written it doth not therfore followe that the Saints are to be called vpon For that sentence of S. Augustine is very well knowne which is reade written in his booke De Ciuitate Dei. 22. chap. 10. The Gentiles did both build temples made altars ordeyned priestes and offered sacrifices vnto their Gods. But we do not erect tēples to our martyrs as vnto Gods but remēbraunces as vnto dead men whose spirits liue with god Neither do we there set vp altars vpon whiche we might sacrifice vnto martyrs but we sacrifice to one God who is the sacrifice both of the martyrs also our sacrifice according to whiche sacrifice as men of god that haue ouercome the worlde in the confession of him they are named in their place and order Howbeit they are not called vpon of the priest that sacrificeth Bycause hee is Gods priest not theirs Now the sacrifice it self is the body of Christ which is not offered vnto them bicause they also them selues are the same Thus saith he Testifying plainly enough that the Saintes are not called vpon or to be called vpon bicause sacrifice belongeth vnto God and not to the Saints Wherefore when the aduersaries adde That the Churche many yeares called vpon the Saintes that the churche erred not and therefore they that call vpon the Saints do not erre We answere that the churche doth not erre when she heareth the voyce of her bridegrome and shepehearde but that she doth erre when neglecting the voice of her shepheard she followeth her owne decrées The whole churche of Israel erred together with their high Priest Aaron the elders of the people when transgressing the lawe of God they worshipped god represented by an image with singings and dauncings otherwise than he him selfe had appointed Neither are the Israelites absolued from errour and sinne for that many yeares they put not downe their high places They add againe The saints haue helped when they haue bene called vpon therefore they are to be called vpon Oftentimes that falleth out well whiche is instituted against the worde of god But who can thervpon gather that that is good whiche is instituted against the worde of God as though the innocent and harmlesse were therefore to be spoyled with warre bicause we sée that by warre mercilesse souldiers waxe rich The Gods of the Gentiles likewise séemed to heare the petitions of their supplyants but are the Gods of the Gentiles therefore to be called vpon But we meane not to answere to euerie one of their arguments bicause we haue done that already elsewhere according to our talent We conclude therefore that the word of truth vttered out of the mouth of God doth teache vs inuocation of Gods name by the mediation of Iesus Christe neither doe we reade that any holie man either in the olde or the new testament of whome the scripture vndoubtedly hath made mention called vpon any though neuer so excellent a Patriarch or Prophete departed this life or vpon any Apostle or Apostles disciple otherwise than by the name of Iesus Christ Let vs therefore hold fast that that doctrine is most perfect and most safe which biddeth vs all to cal vpon God alone by his only sonne that God him selfe requireth this of euery one of vs and that when we obey we please God. The last place touching the seruing of God doth remaine behinde This
his owne nature he is vnspeakeable vnmeasurable incomprehensible euerlasting yet notwithstāding that I may say somewhat in a certeine order concerning him if it will be no otherwise I will at the last shadowe out that which the scripture the inspiration of the holie Ghoste himselfe verie largelie declareth of him The holie Ghost is the third person in Trinitie to bee worshipped very God procéeding from the father and the sonne which inlighteneth regenerateth sanctifieth and fulfilleth the faithful with all good graces But that the holie Ghost is the third person in the holie Trinitie I thincke it is sufficiently at large declared in the third Sermon of this Decade Surely this onely sentence of our Sauiour Baptize them in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holie Ghost doeth aboundantly confirme to godly mindes that the holy Ghost is the third person in Trinitie Moreouer that he is verie God of the same power glorie maiestie and Beeing with the father and the sonne that especiallie proueth beecause hee is the third person in the holie Trinitie Neither must we thinke that he is lesser than they because hee is reckoned in the third place For though the blessed Trinitie be remembred of vs in order yet notwithstanding there is no degrée no time no place or number in the blessed Trinitie For blessed Athanasius made his confession according to the Scripture and said The catholique faith is this that wee worshipp one God in Trinitie and Trinitie in Vnitie neither confounding the persons nor diuiding the substance For there is one person of the father another of the sonne another of the holie ghost But the Godhead of the father of the sonne and of the holie Ghoste is one the glorie equall the maiestie coeternall Such as the father is such is the sonne and such is the holie Ghost The father vncreate the sonne vncreate the holie Ghost vncreate The father incōprehensible the sonne incomprehensible and the holie Ghost incomprehēsible That father eternall the sonne eternal and the holy Ghost eternal and yet are they not three eternalls but one eternall c. And Augustine also in his 15. booke De Trinitate cap. 26. sayth In that high Trinitie which is God there are no distances of times whereby it may bee shewed or at least demaunded whether the sonne were first borne of the father and afterward the holie Ghoste to proceede from them both c. Truly we confesse that the father the sonne and the holy Ghost is one God and that the same is eternall Therefore let it trouble no man that the spirit is put in the last place For when the Apostle in his epistle to the Corinth framed his blessing he said The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the fellowship of the holie Ghost be with you all he maketh mention of the holie Ghost in the last place but the same Paule sayeth There are diuersities of gifts but it is the selfe same spirite And there are differences of administrations but it is the selfe same Lord and there are diuerse maners of operations but it is the selfe same God which woorketh all in all setting the spirite in the first place teaching that the order of names doth not make difference of dignities After this manner also in the former testimonie he placed the sonne before the father not ouerthrowing the order which the Lord hath set downe in Matth. but shewing the equalitie of the Trinitie in honour For what canst thou more plainly saye thā that which the scripture saith that the holie ghost doth sanctifie renue regenerate giue life and saue and these are operations agréeable to God onely By operations therfore we manifestly acknowledge that the holie Ghoste is God of the same Essence and power with the father and the sonne For the holie Ghost from the beginning beefore all creatures visible and inuisible is a creatour not a creature as Iob witnesseth His spirite hath garnished the heauens Againe The spirite of GOD hath made mee and the breath of the Almightie hath giuen mee life Zacharias the priest and father of S. Iohn Baptist sayeth Blessed bee the Lord God of Israel for he hath redeemed his people as hee spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets whiche haue beene since the world began And S. Peter sayeth For the Prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of GOD spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost By this I pray you who cannot gather that the holy Ghoste is God For God spake by the mouth of the Prophets and the holy Ghoste spake by the mouth of the Prophets Therefore the holy Ghost is God. The same Peter also in expresse words hath called the holy Ghost God when he accused Ananias of theft yea and also of sacrilege for when he had said Howe is it that Sathan hath filled thy heart to lie vnto the holy Ghost by and by he addeth Thou hast not lied vnto mē but vnto God. To the doctrine of Saint Peter agrée those thinges in all poinctes whiche S. Paule the doctour of the Gentiles hath taught For hee called the beléeuers the temples of God Knowe ye not sayeth he that ye are the temple of God and that the spirite of GOD dwelleth in you And againe Knowe ye not that your bodies are the temple of the holy ghost which is in you whom ye haue of God and yeare not your owne To be the temple of God and to be the temple of the holy Ghost Paule taketh to bee one and the selfe same thing it followeth therfore that the holy Ghost is god For in his Epistle to the Corinthians hee expresly nameth the holy Ghost god For after he had said There are diuersities of giftes but it is the selfe same spirite and had reckoned vpp the kindes of giftes by and by hee addeth And all these things woorketh euen one and the selfe same spirite distributing to euerie man seuerally euen as hee will. And he himselfe had said a litle afore There are diuerse manners of operations but it is the selfe same GOD which worketh all in all But Didymus Alexandrinus a man of excellent learning doeth knit vp a most euident argument of the Godhead of the holy Ghost declaring also that his nature doeth altogether differ from the nature of Angels For in his 1. lib. de Spiritu Sancto hée hath left this written S. Hierome so interpreting it If the holy Ghost were a creature he should haue at the least a limitable substance as haue all thinges whiche are made For althoughe inuisible creatures are not limitted within place and boundes yet in propertie of substaunce they are limitted but the holy Ghost since hee is in many places hath not a limitable substāce For Iesus sending forth the preachers of his Gospel he filled them with the holy Ghost But neither did all the Apostles goe to all
Augustine in his Encheridion ad Laurent cap. 59. saith Who can declare with what manner bodies they haue appeared vnto men that they might not only be séen but be touched and againe conuey not with sounde substance of flesh but by spiritual power certeine visions not to the bodily eyes but to the eyes of the spirite or mynd or telsomthing not in the eare outwardly but inwardly in the mind of man euen they them selues being therein as it is written in the booke of the prophetes And the angel said vnto me which spake in me For he saith not which spake vnto me but in me Or that appeare euen in ones fléepe talke together after the manner of dreames For we haue in the gospel Behold the angel of the Lord appeared vnto him in his sleepe saying c. For by these meanes angels doe as it were declare that they haue not bodies which can be handled and they make a very hard question howe the fathers did wash their féete howe Iacob by taking so fast hold wrestled with the angel When these things come in question and euery one giueth his coÌ„iecture as he is able their heades are not vnfruitfully occupyed if a moderate disputation be taken in hand and the errour of them which thinke they know that which in déede they know not be remoued for what néedes it that these such like things be affirmed or denied or defined with daunger since we may be ignorant of them without blame Thus farre he In these and suche like causes let vs acknowledge his omnipotencie and woÌ„derful dispensatioÌ„ who doth what he wil to whom truly it is not hard to create substaunces fit agréeable for his purpose and appointment since of nothing he made al visible and inuisible creatures Moreouer we affirme that angels through the grace and power of God are incorruptible substaÌ„ces yea and vnchangeable in their felicitie without burthen and hinderances For S. August also Ad Pet. Diac. de fide cap. 23. saith That vnchangeablenesse was not by nature graffed in Angels but freely giuen by the grace of God. The same August De vera religione Cap. 13. saith We must confesse that angels by nature are chaungeable if God only be vnchangeable but in that wil wherwith they loue God rather than them selues they remaine stedfast and stable in him and inioy his maiestie being subiect moste willingly to him alone With these words agrée those whiche are read in Definit Ecclesiast cap. 61. in this wise The Angelicall powers which continued stedfast in the loue of God when the proud angels fell receiued this in waye of recompeÌ„ce that henceforth they shuld neuer feel the fretting bit of the tooth of sinne to seize vpon them that they shuld coÌ„tinually enioy the sight of their creator without end of felicitie And in him so created shoulde continue in euerlasting stedfastnesse Thus farre he Truly the scripture she wing the incorruptiblenesse of Angels affirmeth that we in the resurrection shal be like the angels For we shall rise incorruptible Therefore Angels are incorruptible For thus saith our sauiour The children of this worlde marrie wiues and are married but they that shall bee counted worthy to enioy that world the resurrection from the deade doe not marrie wiues neyther are married neither can they die any more for they are equall with the Angels and are the sonnes of God in so much as they are the childreÌ„ of the resurrectioÌ„ Whervpon Theodorctus In diuinis decretis hath thus inferred We doe not therfore reckon the angels in the nuÌ„ber of Gods as the Poets and Philosophers of the Grecians doe neyther doe we diuide natures y are without bodies â–ª into the male female â—inde For to a nature immortall or that can not diâ— diuision of kinde is superfluous For they haue no néede of incresing since they féel no diminishing c. But that the Angels are most frée and swift and without impediment burthen and let the scripture in many places declareth In the Acts of the Apostles thus we reade The priests put the apostles in the common prisoÌ„ but the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison dores brought them foorth and sayde Go and stand and speake in the temple vnto the people all the words of this life But when the officers came and founde them not in the prison they returned and tolde saying The prison truely found we shut with al diligence and the keepers standing without before the doores In the same booke thus againe we reade written Herode put Peter in prison and Peter sleapt betweene two souldiers bounde with two chaines and the keepers before the doore kept the prison And behold the angel of the Lord was there present or stoode by him and a lighte shined in the prison and hee smote Peter on the side and stirred him vp saying arise vp quickly his chains fel off froÌ„ his hands And anon when they were past the first and seconde watch they came vnto the yron gate that leadeth vnto the citie which opened vnto theÌ„ by the owne accord Behold no impediments or lets how strong and mighty soeuer they were hindered or stayed y angel of y Lord that he might not execute most spéedily the commissioÌ„ which he had from god All things giue place and make way to the Lords embassadour The yron chaines fel from Peters hands of their owne accorde He walketh safe throughe the 〈…〉 souldiers the Angel going before him The locke of the prisâ—ndâ—râ— no man opening it is vnlocked and wheÌ„ the seruaunts of God were gone out it is shut againe These angels that is to say these heaueÌ„ly embassadours being of their own nature most swift and spéedy spirites are nowe conuersaunt in heauen the power of God so willing and working but so soone as it shall please the Lorde of all by and by they are present with meÌ„ in earth vnto whom they are sent of God from heauen And they are presente in earth sometime with one and sometime with an other Not that they are not conteyned in their proper place For when the angel tolde the women of Christes resurrection he was not at the same instant in heauen and by the graue or sepulchre at once For God onely is not conteyned in place For he is present in euerie place But angels goe not forwarde faire and softely neyther are they moued with labour or toyling after the maner of corruptible bodyes Yet in the Scriptures they are expressely sayde to ascend into heauen and from thence to descend vnto vs We verily rightly beléeue that oure soules as soone as they departe out of the bodyes doe foorthwith enter into the kingdome of heauen For the Lorde hath sayde in the Gospell But hath escaped from death vnto life And to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise And thou doest reade of Lazarus the begger And it came to passe that the begger dyed and
all his faithfull which shoulde abide with them for euer sayeth In that day ye shall knowe that I am in my father and you in me and I in you to witt by the holie Ghoste Iohn the Apostle expounding it and saying By this we knowe that he dwelleth in vs by the spirite that he gaue vnto vs. And againe By this we knowe that wee dwell in him and he in vs because he hath giuen of his spirite vnto vs. S. Paule the vessell of election differeth not from Saincte Iohn writing and saying to the Romanes If any man hath not the spirite of Christe the same is none of his And whosoeuer are led by the spirit of God they are the children of God. Now as touching true faith which tyeth vs vnto the Lord S. Paule saith I liue now yet not I but Christe liueth in me But the life whiche I now liue in the flesh I liue yet thorough the faith of the sonne of God who loued me and gaue vp him selfe for me And againe he saith Christe dwelleth in our hartes thorough faith With which sayings Sainct Iohn the Apostle agréeing againe saith Whosoeuer confesseth that Iesus Christe is the sonne of God God dwelleth in him and hee in God. For the Lord him selfe before that said in the Gospell He that eateth my fleshe and drincketh my bloud dwelleth in mee and I in him And he eateth Christes flesh and drinketh Christes bloud that beléeueth Therefore Christe our Lorde is ioyned vnto vs in spirite and wée are tyed to him in minde and faithe as the body vnto the head they therefore that lack this knotte and bonde that is that haue not the spirite of Christe nor true faith in Christe are not the true and liuely members of Christe the Lord him selfe in the gospell witnessing and saying If a man abide not in me he is cast foorth as a branch and withereth and men gather them and cast them into the fier and they burne Which words of our sauiour the Apostle imitating as we said euen now said He that hath not the spirite of Christ is none of his But they that are not destitute of the spirite of Christe are inflamed with the loue of god Neither do we separate loue from faith the same S. Iohn so teaching vs saying God is loue and he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and GOD in him For the Lord saith in the gospell If a man loue me he will kepe my word and my father will loue him and we wil come vnto him wil dwel with him But although properly faith ioine vs to our head Christ yet the same also doth knit vs to all Christes members vpon earth For whereas there is but one faith of them al and therefore the same spirit there can not but be the same mouth the same minde the same sentence amongest them all although faith be not nowe taken only for a confidence in the mercy of God through Iesus Christe but also for an outwarde confession of fayth For we all confessing one faith and one and the selfe same head with one spirite and mouth we also together professe that we all are members of one and the selfe same body Neither is there any thing else in the worlde that more vnappeaseably disseuereth the mindes of men than the diuersitie of faith or religion and therfore there is nothing that maye more nearely ioyne vs together than vnitie of faith We come nowe to speake of loue whiche I sayde ioyneth together the members of the ecclesiasticall body mutually amongst them selues The Lord saith in the gospel A new commandement giue I vnto you that ye loue one an other as I haue loued you that ye also loue one an other By this shall all men knowe that ye are my disciples if ye haue loue one to an other It is therfore out of doubt that the onely marke of the church next after faith is loue a bond most firmely knitting together all the members This groweth from the communion of Christ and vnitie of the spirit For insomuch as Christ the king the head and highe Byshop of the catholique churche enduing vs all with one and the same spirite hath made vs all his members the sonns of God brethren and fellow heires whom vndoubtedly he loueth tenderly euery faithfull man can not choose but with feruent loue embrace the members and fellowe heires of their king their head and their high Byshop For Iohn the Apostle saith Euerie one that loueth him that begatte doth loue him also that is borne of him If any man say I loue God and hateth his brother he is a lyar For howe can he that loueth not his brother whome he hath seene loue God whome he hath not seene Paule to the end that he might moste properly expresse before oure eyes and as it were set to viewe and beholde this vnitie and agréement of the members vseth a parable taken from the members of a mans body and saith For as we haue many mēbers in one body and all members haue not one office so we being many are one body in Christ and euery one one an others members The same in the twelfth chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians more largely and plainely expounding ioyning together of the heade and the members and that chiefly by the sayd parable of the members of a mans body and publishing it very eloquently witnesseth that betwéene the highest members of the churche and the lowest members of the same there is a very greate and apt consent and moreouer a diligent care and a helpe both continuall and most faythfull Of all whiche it appeareth that the markes of the true liuely church of Christ are the cōmunion of the spirit of Christ sincere fayth christian charitie without the which thinges no man is partaker of this spirituall body By these thinges also it shall be easie to iudge whether thou art in the fellowship of the churche or thou art not Moreouer we gather out of those things which we haue hitherto disputed touching the markes of Christes churche from whence is her original also how the church is planted spred abroade preserued Her originall is heauenly for S. Paule speaking of the churche saith Ierusalem which is aboue is free which is the mother of vs all Therefore he calleth the church heauenly not that it dwelleth altogether in heauē but that she being here on earth hath a heauenly beginning For the children of God are not borne of flesh bloud but from heauen by the renuing of the holy spirit who through the preaching of Gods word planteth faith in our hearts by which faith we are made the true members of Christ his church For Peter saith Ye are borne a newe not of mortal seed but of immortall by the worde of God whiche liueth and lasteth for euer And Paul saith I begat you in Christ
and of heauenly thinges doeth deuoutly and ardently meditate these thinges And truely the woord Father putteth vs in minde of many thinges together For first it teacheth vs that all oure prayers are to bee offered to none other than to him which is a father that is to say that onely God is to bee called vppon and not another for him or another with him For our God and father is one the fulnesse and sufficiencie of all good thinges in whome only the faithfull are acquieted and doe rest and without whome they séeke nothing that is truely good And verilie this prayer can be offered to no creature For to whiche of the Angels or the Sainctes canst thou say without sacrilege O our father whiche art in heauen c. Furthermore this word Father teacheth vs through whome wee should call vppon this father not by the mediation or by the mouthes of sainctes but by Iesus Christ our lord through whome only we are made the sonnes of God who were otherwise by birth and by nature the children of wrath Who I pray you durst come for the before the presence of the most highe and euerlasting God and call him Father and himselfe Sonne vnlesse the father in his beloued and naturall sonne had adopted vs the sonnes of grace Therfore when we say Father we speake from the mouth of the sonne who hath taught vs so to pray and by whome we be promoted into this dignitie that it néedeth nothing at all to add the name of Christe and to saye Wée pray thée O heauenly father for Christs sake since in the first word Father we comprehend the whole mysterie of the sonne of God and our redemption For in somuch as hee is our father wee are his sonnes and that by the merite of Christ therefore wée call vppon the father and so call him through Christ that I may not now repeat that we pray so from the mouth of Christ Moreouer this swéete and fauourable woord Father disburtheneth vs cleane of all distrust of heart For wée call him Father not somuch in consideration of his creating of all things as for his singular and fatherly good-will toward vs Wherevpon though he be Lord God and in déede a great Lord and an Allmightie God yet when wée praye wée attribute none of these names vnto him but call him fathér because in déede he wisheth vs wel loueth vs taketh care and charge ouer vs and hauing pitie vppon vs is desirous yea of his owne accorde and good will toward vs to stoare and heape vppon vs all good things whatsoeuer Hetherto appertaine the testimonies of the Prophets especially that of Dauid The Lord is full of compassion and mercie slowe to anger and of great kindnesse Hee will not alway chide neither keepe his anger for euer Hee hath not dealt with vs after our sinnes nor rewarded vs according to our iniquities For as high as the heauen is aboue the earth so great is his mercie toward them that feare him As farre as the East is from the west so farre hath hee remoued oure sinnes from vs As a father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him For hee knoweth whereof wee bee made hee remembreth that wee are but dust A verie excellent example of this thinge is to be séene in the Gospel after S. Luke where the louing father is painted out with wonderfull affections receiuing into fauour again that prodigall sonne waster of his wealth Herevnto is added this word Our whiche putteth vs in minde of two thinges For first it is a small matter to acknowledge God to be the God and father of all or to be the God and father of others vnlesse we also beléeue that he is our father vnlesse wee dedicate yéeld our selues wholy into his faith and protection as of our father who wisheth well vnto vs loueth vs hath a care ouer vs at no time and place neglecteth vs for vnlesse wee doe so beléeue neither with faith nor with the loue of GOD is oure prayer commended and therefore not a whit acceptable vnto god But that that best and greatest God is our God we doe vnderstand as well by his manifold benefites as also speciallie by the mysterie of our redemption throughe Christ Of which thing wée haue spoken elsewhere Furthermore since he bad vs pray Our father and not My father streight waye vppon the verie beginning he requireth loue of vs For his will is that we should not onely haue care of our owne saluation but of the saluation of all other men For wée are all the members of one body wherevppon each seuerall one prayeth not seuerally for themselues but euerie one for the safety of all the members and also the whole bodie Touching that matter I spake before when I intreated of the manner of prayeing vnto God. There is by and by added Which art in heauen not that God is shut vp in heauen as in a prison Solomon the happiest and wisest king of all cōfuting that errour long agone said If the heauens of heauens are not able to conteine thee howe muche lesse this house To which woordes I thincke that may be annexed which Stephan alledged in the Actes of the Apostles out of Esaie concerning the same thing Hee is therefore said to bee in heauen because his diuine maiestie and power and glorie shineth most of all in the heauens For in the whole course of nature there is nothing more glorious nothing more beautifull than the heauens Moreouer the father exhibiteth and giueth him selfe vnto vs to bee enioyed in the heauens Heauen is the countrie common to vs all where wée beléeue that GOD and oure father doeth dwel and where we worshipp GOD and oure father albeit wee beléeue that hee is in euerie place and alwayes present with all For as heauen compasseth and couereth all thinges and is euery where distant from the earthby euen spaces so the presence of his maiestie also doth fayle vs in no place Wée haue heauen euery where in our sight wée are euery where in the sighte of god But beside this by mention made of heauen wee are put in minde of oure duetie and our wretchednesse It is our duetie to be lifted vpp in our mindes by praying into heauen and to forgett earthly thinges and more to bee delighted with that heauenly father and countrie than with this earthly prison and exile It is our wretchednesse that beeing banished out of that countrie for oure sinnes and wandering in this earth wée are subiecte to diuers calamities and therefore béeing constreined by necessitie we neuer ceasse crying vnto the father But first of all saying Which art in heauen wée make a difference betwéene the father whome wée call vppon saying Our and our earthly father attributing allmightinesse vnto him Hée surely that is called vppon and ought to heare must know all sée all and heare all yea and more too will and