foretold them by Esay of whom he shoulde be borne namely of a virgine by Micheas where hée shoulde be borne namely in Bethléem both by Moyses himselfe and also by Daniel he declared vnto them the tyme when he should be borne the afflictyons whiche he shoulde suffer for their restitution he painted at large in Esay and Zachery the saluation of hys people glory of his resurrection and kingdome both by Esay Ieremy and Zacharye hée foretold them so that from Adams fall he trayned man to take holde of his promise concerning the séede for their delyuerance All which notwithstanding so farre were they from the true sense and féeling thereof that neither themselues were profited nor by their example the heathen prouoked to seeke after god Wherefore God new for hys truthes sake mynding the consummation of hys promise determyned the finall establishment of thys couenant in the handes of the promised sede whereunto both Iew and Gentile shoulde be inuited that he as the sole mediator betweene God and maÌ„ might make the full reconcilement Wherefore the tyme beyng nowe come of hys long promised determination hée sent his sole and onelye begotten some our Lorde and Sauyour Iesus Chryst who of the virgine takyng fleshe was made man lyke vnto vs in all things sinne excepted who after many afflictyons in publishing declaryng Gods full purpose concernyng the consummation of hys couenaunt sealed vp the same with his owne giltlesse death and bloudshed And after hys risyng agayne from death sent his disciples abrode into all the partes of the earth to publishe that glad tidinges of mans reconcilement to God and deliueraunce from death and sinne by the merites and iust desert of Iesus Chryst Thus hauyng shewed how man regarded the Law and how in Christ the promised séede the couenant was consummate it followeth Cap. 7. ¶ How the obedyence and gyltlesse death of Christ was a full satisfaction for the disobedience and deserued death purchased to all mankinde by Adam Forasmuch as Adams rebellious dysobedieÌ„ce had so swalowed vp the whole nature of man into sinne and wyckednes as is shewed before that hys whole nature is nothing els but a full obedyence wylling desire and naturall pronesse of the whole man vnto sinne and rebellion And contrarywise the law of God is the absolute rule of ryghteousnesse which challengeth to the fulfilling thereof the full obedience willing desire and naturall pronesse of the whole man vnto righteousnesse These two being thus direct contrary which notwithstanding the God of all compassion for the triumphant glory of hys victiorious mercy by the mediation of Chryst the appoynted séede had bound himselfe by promise to reconcile In consideration whereof it was expedient that to thys reconcilement suche a medyator in the promysed séede shoulde be sent as participating in some poynt with both the extremes namely God and man myght haue an omnisufficient habilitie in hym selfe to consummate the absolute reconcilement wherefore Christ the eternall sonne and wisedome of the father commyng downe from heauen beyng very righteousnesse it selfe indewing the similitude of sinnefull flesh became perfect man like vnto vs in all thinges except sinne And so of his diuine nature and of naturall man sinne excepted became one perfect Christ namely that perfect and onely meane which in hym selfe had absolute habilitie to consummate the recencilement in asmuch as he was fully possessed of the natures of both the extremes namely perfect god and perfect man sinne excepted who hauing in himselfe full obedience willing desire and naturall pronesse of the whole man vnto the law he being righte ousnes it selfe passing through many troubles afflictions in proclaiming to stubbern man his nature office cause of his comming the nature of the new â—ouenaunt wher of he was the mediator finally offered vp him self vnto the iustice of God hys father the absolute end consummation and sacrifice of thys reconcilement As he vnto whom all the former promyses law and prophetes had respect and relation who now appearing before the sentence of the law and iustice of God presenteth hymselfe the full raunseme and reconcilement of mans transgression by the iust desert of hys innocent and giltles sufferyng that as by the rebellious acte of one gilty man namely Adam sinne and eternall death was engendered euen so by the obedient acte and giltles death of one gilteles man namely Iesus Christ sinne and eternal death is iustly againe destroyed and eternall lyfe the crowne of righteousnesse absolutely and most truely purchased for maÌ„ So that as the first Adam by corrupting nature made man the slaue of sinne so Christ the last â–ª Adam by adoption hath restored hyni agayne to be childe of righteousnesse Thys is he in whose person it is sayde by the Prophet Oseas O death I will be thy death O hell I will be thy sting so that by hym death is swalowed vp into victory hys lyfe hath deuoured our death hys righteousnes hath subdued our sinne hys saluation hath vanquished our damnation he hath put out the hand writing of the ordinaunces which were against vs he hath taken it out of the way and fastned it vpon his crosse Thus all the promisses as Sainct Paule saith being in him accomplished hee nowe remaineth an aduocate at the right hande of his father making intercession for vs beyng our peace our hope and consolation our wisedome iustice sanctification and redemption our light our waye and our life the accomplishement and end of the lawe vnto whom euen from the creation of Adam vntill his comming all the doing of God hadde respecte and relation Thus the sonne of God became man to make men by adoption the sonnes of God the glorious became abiecte to make the abiects glorious The blessed became cursed to make the cursed blessed The rich became poore to make the poore rich The righteous became condemned to make the condemned ryghteous The frée became bonde to make the bonde free greate was the sore of sinne that neded such a salue as neither 〈…〉 riarke nor Prophet power nor Potentate Aungell nor Archangell nor any other but onelye the sonne of God was able to make And hée not otherwise then by hys death and innoceÌ„t bloudshed Great I say was the sore of sinne Thus hauyng shewed that Christ is the ende of the lawe and hys death the omuisufficient redemption of man it followeth Cap. 8. ¶ To enquire the nature of the new couenant and what on the behalfe of man is required to the attaynement of ryghteousnesse in the same ALthough in the first couenantmade betwene God man concernyng mans restitution namely in the lawe God offered vnto man very much vnto whom in dede he ought nothing yet notwithstanding the offer being vnder such conditions as mans corrupte nature coulde no waye neyther by action nor consent satisfie as is shewed before surely the hope of that offer vanquished into iust feare and horror of the sentence
he is naturally defiled with the séede of all these corruptions wherby the truth of the definition is euident And for further confirmation therof God in Genesis sayth thus My spirite shall not alwayes striue with man because he is flesh Now seing Christ the most wise expositor of the scriptures affirmeth that by the fruite the trée shall be discerned therefore by the fruites of fleshe declared by Saint Paule in the 5. chapter to the Galathians it is plainely gathered that fleshe is nothyng els but a masse of iniquitie and corruption but the whole man was before concluded vnder the name of fleshe Therefore the whole man is a masse of iniquitie and corruption Againe in the 8. of Genesis he sayth The imagination of mans harte is euill euen from his youth whereby it appeareth that there is wickednes and corruption cleaning vnto hys nature which Dauid also vttereth in playne wordes Behold sayth he I was begotten in wickednes and in sinne hath my mother conceyued me And Ieremy sayth That the hart of man is wicked and peruerse And of the vncleanes and naturall corruption of mā thus Iob in playne woordes beareth witnes Who sayth he can make him cleane that is conceiued of vncleane seede And Christ himselfe sayth That that which is borne of flesh is fleshly The meaning wherof is plaine by that which is sayd before Agayne Paule witnesseth That thorough the offence of one man sinne hath entred vpon all men Againe the same Paule to shew the filthy corruption of nature sheweth the opposition and contrarietie betwene the lawe and sinne The law sayeth he is spirituall I am carnall solde vnder sinne as though he had sayd The lawe is pure but I am corrupt which he proueth by Christes owne rule namelye by the fruites For sayth he that good which I would that do I not but that euill which I hate that do I If nowe I doe that I would not then is it not I that do it but sinne that dwelleth in mee Where this is to be noted that he affirmeth sinne to dwell in hym that is to haue possession of hym and naturallye to cleaue vnto hym Agayne the same Paule accuseth the whole worlde that there is none righteous that there is none wise or that seeketh after God. Now I trust the truthe of the definition is sufficiently confirmed whereunto I will also adde somewhat of the opynion of the fathers that the agréemente betwene vs in the truthe thereof may appeare Thus writeth Augustine Contra vulnus originalis peccati quo in Adam omnium hominum corrupta mortificata est natura vnde omnium concupiscentiarum morbus moleuit potens remdium est mors filij Dei Domini nostri Iesu Christi The death of our Lorde Iesus Christ the sonne of God is a myghty remedye agaynst the wounde of originall sinne wherewith the nature of al men is in Adam corrupt and slayne and from whence the infection of all concupiscence hath sprong And the same agayne in his booke of nature and grace Natura verò ista hominis qua vnusquisque ex Adam nascitur iam medico indiget quia sana non est For thys nature of man wherein euerye man is borne of Adam hath now néede of a Physition because it is not found Agayne vpon the Gospel of Iohn Non natura quae tota fuerat per liberum arbitrium in ipso radice vitiata not by nature whiche through free will was wholye defiled in the verye roote And agayne he calleth it Perditionem hominis liberi arbitrij The losse of a man and of free wyll And agayne Amissionem imaginis dei The losse of the Image of God. Agayne thus wryteth Origene In lege pro illo qui natus fuerit iubetur offerri hostia par turturum aut duo pulli colūbini ex quibus vnus pro peccato et alius in ho locaustomata pro quo peccato offertur hic pullus vnus nūquid nuper aeditus paruulus peccare potuit et tunc habet peccatum pro quo hostia iubetur offerria quo mundus negatur quis esse etsi vnius diei fuerit vita eius In the lawe it is commaunded that for hym that is borne a payre of turtles or two yong pigeons shoulde bee offered of the whyche the one shoulde be for a sinne offeryng and the other for a burnt offeryng For what synne is thys one pigeon offered coulde the newe borne chylde sinne yea euen then hee hath synne for the which he is commaunded to offer a synne offeryng from the whyche there is no man clere and though hee bee but one daye olde And a lyttle after in the same place Sciebant enim illi quibus mysteriorum secreta commissa sunt diuinorum quia essent in omnibus genuinae sordes peccati For they to whom the secretes of the deuyne mysteries were committed knew that the naturall filthinesses of sinne were in al men And agayne the same Origene vpon Leuit. Quaecunque anima in came nascitur iniquitatis peccati sorde poluitur what soule soeuer is borne in fleshe it is defiled with filthe of wickednesse and sinne And Hierome vpon Ezechiell A pueritia appositum est cor hominis ad malum vt ne vnius quidem diei a natiuitatis suae exordio sine peccato sit humana conditio Mans heart is set vppon euill euen from his childhood that the nature of man is not one daye from his birth without sinne And agayne Ambrose Omnes homines in primo homine sine vitio conditi sumus et omnes naturae nostrae incolumitatem eiusdem hominis praeuaricatione perdidimus inde tracta mortalitas inde multiplex corporis animique corruptio inde ignorantia et difficultas All men were in the first man created wythout synne and all by the transgression of the same man haue lost the freedome of our nature from thence wee toke the manifolde corruption both of body and soule from thence ignoraunce and dulnes c. And Bernard speakyng thereof A primo homine vsque ad nouissimum protenditur in singulis quoque a planta pedis vsque ad verticem diffunditur hoc venenum It is stretched euen from the first man to the last and thys poyson spreade abroade in euerye man eeuen from the soole of the foote to the crowne of the hed Now I suppose it is sufficiently proued what originall sinne is Wherefore I wyll now a little touche the common doctrine of the earnest enemies I meane the Papistes concernyng the same Their common receyued definition therof amongst their schoolemen is thys Peccatum originis est reatus tantūm seu imputatio qua propter lapsum Adae omnes homines secundum naturam propagati rei sunt Originall sinne is onely the giltiship or imputation whereby all men generate according to nature are through the fall of Adam giltye For the
vnderstanding of the errour of this definition it is needefull to marke thys that in euery sinne there are two thynges to be considered namely the offence it selfe which is as it were the matter or substaunce of the sinne and also the giltiship subiection or bonde to the penalty due to the same As here in originall sinne that which is as it were the matter or substaunce thereof is the corruption which is in nature Now for asmuch as death is the penaltie due vnto the same corruption therefore that bonde and subiection wherein man standeth tyed vnto this penaltie is called the giltiship Now these men in this definition frée and discharge mans nature from all the corruption which is as it were the matter and substaunce of the sinne affirming that originall sinne is now nothyng els in vs but a participation of the bonde or subiection wherin Adam stoode tyed to the penaltie and no participation of the corruption of hys nature The shamefull vntruthe whereof is by that whiche is sayde before more then manifest for as muche as it is there proued that Originall synne is not onelye accordyng to theyir saying an imputation of Adams giltishippe or bonde to the penaltie due to the offence but also a full corruption of hys whole nature Now forasmuch as the Papistes drawe so néere vnto the Pelagians and Anabaptistes as well aboute the nature of originall sinne as the propagation thereof therefore although aboue all thynges I labour to be briefe yet wyll I stay the ouervewyng of one or two of the principall argumentes vsed herein How can it be say they that thys corruption of nature shoulde so be from the fathers conueyed into the chyldren that theyr nature shoulde equally bée poysoned wyth the same infection Where vnto it is aunswered That althoughe Adam was created after the Image of God participatyng hys naturall goodnes and vertue as was shewed before all whiche séede of originall righteousnes shoulde by hym haue bene conueyed into hys posteritie yet were all those excellent qualities not so indiuisibly coherent to hys nature but that to the retayning of them there was a certayne condition annexed the breache whereof shoulde bée hys depriuation from all namely vnder the condition of hys obedience vnto god That séeyng God had crowned hym wyth so excellente giftes fréewill and power eyther to vse or abuse them that conditionally if he by disobedience abused them hée should lose the dignity of his estate and possession of them all Now these ornamentes beyng lost by his disobedience and hys nature wholy spoyled of originall rightâ—â—usnes and whâ—ly ladeÌ„ with corruption and vncleannes it followeth that all his children are by hym infected with the same neither could they by hym be generate in any other condition of nature then that whiche vnto hym was proper â–ª for very nature teacheth this that in all perfect generation that is where generation is betwene creatures of on kynde the lyke doth euer bryng â—orth the lyke neither can a sheepe bryng forth a wolfe nor a wolfe a sheep but one nature is euer common both to the bréeders and to the broode Wherefore Adam hauing hys nature vtterly corrupted through his fall must néedes conuey the same corruption into all hys ofspring accordyng to thys saying of Iob VVho can make hym cleane that is conceyued of vncleane seede And amongst men euen in ciuill iustice if a man that is borne free do by some great offence lose the fréedome of hys estate and become bond all his posteritie are borne in the same thraldom and so remayne likewise bond neyther can they make title vnto that fréedome which once their father possessed seing in hym they haue all iustly lost it But here agayne the aduersaries obiect that as by the fall of Adam nature receiued this foyle to the infection of all hys posteritie so by his iustification he beyng agayne made righteous it shoulde follow that he should conuey a iustified nature into all hys posteritie Unto thys obiection it is thus easily aunswered that in euery sinne as hath bene shewed before two thynges are to be considered namely the acte and the giltiship Now Adams iustification did not for the present state restore hys first originall purenes or clense hys nature from all her corruption but only this it did it assured him that the giltiship of hys corrupt nature was not imputed vnto hym and layd to hys charge so that hys iustification did not purge hys nature from sinne but it dyd frée and acquite hys person from the giltiship and obligation wherein he stoode tyed vnto the penaltie Wherefore Adam still possessed hys corrupt nature wherin all hys ofspryng by hym were generate wherby all theyr natures were laden wyth the same infection An other of the aduersaries obiections is thys that séeyng no acte is sinne vnlesse it bée willinglye done and that chyldren in theyr infancye haue no wyll therefore it shoulde follow that infantes haue no sinne For aunswer whereof it is easily graunted that as touchyng actuall sinne in themselues of theyr owne committyng they haue none but touchyng originall sinne theyr nature therwithall remayneth defiled seyng theyr nature can be of no other condition as is sayd before then the originall nature where of they be bred Should not a man séeyng the yong whelpe of a Wolfe or Tygre call them beastes of a rauenous or cruell nature because that their weakenesse thorough tendernes of age can not expresse in action those properties of nature Yes surely they wante but tyme and age to make them manifest Likewise the Serpent in the harte and colde of the wynter lyeth in hys shrowde so weake that he may be touched without daunger of hys bityng which happeneth by want of strength and not that he shoulde be iudged therfore to haue loste hys venimous nature for so soone as aunswerable tyme furnisheth hym of strengthe hée bewrayeth the same Euen so younge children thoughe they haue no actuall synne in them of theyr owne committyng whiche they call personall sinne yet are they vtterly defiled by the originall corruption of their whole nature and want onely tyme and age to expresse the fruites therof And hereby appeareth the grosenes of thys errour in that they reasonne from A specie to the generall woorde by a Negatiue then whiche kynde of argumente none is falser For this it is infants haue no actuall sinne Ergo they haue no sinne And where theyr argument was grounded hereon that vnlesse it were willingly done it were no sinne thereto it may be truly answered that euen this sinne whereof they are culpable was willingly committed though not in theyr owne persoÌ„s yet in their first father of whose corrupt séede they were bred Others there bée that doe more vehemently vrge the matter thus If say they there be originall sinne it must néedes be that the same cleaueth to the soule for the fleshe beyng of it self of
brute sēseles nature is not capable thereof and the soule we receyue not of our parentes but of god How then commeth it that from our parentes we shoulde receyue this corruption The which is thus by some learned fathers answered that the soule is not by hys creation sinfull but forasmuch as mans disobedience hath vtterly spoyled hys whole nature of original righteousnesse and forasmuch as the soule is in the creation knit vnto a body subiect vnto that losse and made a part of the accursed man Therfore it is forthwith both depriued of the original grace and vertue wherwith by creatiō it was indued and wherewith it should haue gouerned the body And also it hath no meanes to vse it selfe but by the instrumentes or organes of the body whiche through the curse are naturally indewed with nothing but filthines and vtterly vnapte to all spirituall woorkes wherby it stubburnlye resisteth and impugneth the spirit who beyng now depryued of many of those vertues wherwith it was by creation indued is vnable to encounter the corruption of the fleshe and specially in her owne organs or instrumentes and therefore yeldeth vnto the inclinations thereof so that where it shoulde haue raygned ouer the bodye now contrarywise the body raygneth ouer it and suppresseth it and carieth it away captiue vnto the lusts aunswerable to the body And euen naturall Philosophy teacheth this that betwéene the soule and the body there is a certaine sympathy or knitting of affection for who seeth not that in melancholy bodyes the mynde is heauy and solitary in sanguine bodies mery and lyght c. whereby it appeareth that the mynde beyng thus inclosed in thys house of corruption is greatly blinded and drowned in the perfection thereof and so caryed away vnto the delight thereof Surelye thys curious searche of the propagation of originall sinne as it is very hard and difficulte so it is more then vaine and vnto saluation nothyng at all necessary Wherefore the aduersaryes ought rather in following the counsell of Saint Augustine in thys matter to labour and study to finde the way howe they must be drawen out of the danger of this originall filth corruption then curiously to stand questioning how they fell into it he rehearseth a pretye story how a certayne man chauncyng to fall into a déepe pitte lying there shouting crying an other hearing him came to the pitte and began very diligently to ēquire of him how hée fell in I pray thée saith he neuer aske me how I fell in but study diligentlye how thou mayst helpe me out Hauing thus briefly spoken of originall sinne I thinke it not conuenyent because thys deuysion is receaued to speake now of actuall sinne whiche in déede is nothyng els but a fruite or effect of the other Wherefore it may bée thus defined actuall synne is euery thought woorde and déede or whatsoeuer is contrary to the lawe and wyll of God and what soeuer is not of fayth The truth of this definition is thus gathered forasmuch as it is already proued that the whole nature of man is by original sinne vtterly corrupted Therefore the same synne triumphyng in his nature as a cause continually woorkyng can not but bring forth her effectes or fruites And by the woordes of Christ the fruite must bée aunswerable to the trée therefore all thoughtes woordes déedes what soeuer procedeth frō that corrupt nature is corrupt vncleane so actuall sinne and that thoughtes be herein cōprehended it is playne for that they bée the effectes of the originall corruption For Christ himselfe sayeth Out of the heart goeth euill thoughtes and if any acte beside be not comprehended vnder these woordes thought woorde or déede the same is comprehended vnder these generall wordes of Paule whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne Whereby it appeareth that not onely euyll thoughtes wordes and déedes be actuall sinne but also those thoughtes wordes déedes which otherwise morally of their owne nature be honest and good yf they bée done out of fayth that is to say if they be done by enuy not through fayth acceptable vnto God in Christ euen those thoughtes wordes déedes séeme they neuer so holy bée sinne Now forasmuch as there is a deuision of actuall synne which hath bene of long tyme receyued it is expedient that somewhat bée sayde concerning the same The deuision is thys into deadly sinne and into veniall sinne About both which partes not only how triflingly but also how wickedly the scoolemen do holde shal partly be shewed Wherfore first touching deadly sinne in that they bynd them to a certayne number affirming onely seuen sinnes to be deadly they doe not onely geue vnto man securitie in that hys enemy hath but seuen wayes to assaulte hym vnto death from which if hée can imagine hym free he thinketh hymselfe in any other offence not to synne deadly whereby all other synnes are extenuate and all wicked inclinations affections and thoughtes excluded from the number of deadly sinnes And yet sinnes be called deadly for no other cause but because death is due vnto them And therefore vnto what sinne soeuer death is due that sinne is consequentlye deadlye but death is due to all synne For Paule sayth generally the rewarde of sinne is death and therefore all synne is in respecte of hys owne nature deadly And though there bée synnes whyche God imputeth not to man yet that commeth not through the smalnes and lyghtnes of the synne but through the mercye of god And where agayne they affirme that deadly sinne doth not exclude fayth but that they maye both stande together they no lesse deceaue you as hereby appeareth for S. Paule sayth they that walke after the flesh can not please God wherefore who so pleaseth God walketh not after the fleshe but whosoeuer walketh in fayth pleaseth god Therefore whosoeuer walketh in fayth walketh not after the fleshe but to walke after the fleshe is to walke in deadly sinne Therefore they that walke in fayth walke not in deadly sinne whereby it followeth that faith and deadly sinne cā not stande together Agayne whosoeuer is dead hath no lyfe in hym but whosoeuer hath no life in hym hath no fayth in hym For the iuste do liue by fayth Therefore whosoeuer is dead hath no fayth in him but they are dead in whom deadly synne raygneth For hee that synneth is the seruaunt vnto synne Therefore they in whō there is deadly synne haue no fayth in thē Let thys for a touch or say of their errours concernyng deadly sinne suffice Now touching veniall or remissible sinnes they may thus be defined Ueniall synnes are all those synnes whiche through fayth are forgéeuen The truth of thys definityon is euident by these woordes of Peter in the .x. of the Actes To hym geeue all the prophets witnes that through hys name all that beleeue in hym shall receaue remyssyon of synnes but whatsoeuer is remytted is
discharged of blame God to be accused of crueltie in condemning vs for not doyng that whiche by no meanes is possible vnto vs Unto the folie and wickednes of which obiection it is easelie answered that although vnto our corrupt nature it be nowe vtterly vnpossible to satisfie the law yet neither is the law therfore vniust or violente nor God extreme or cruell in requiryng the performance therof at our handes for therein is nothyng by hym required of vs but that whereunto in our originall nature he had created vs both able sufficient naturally inclined with ful furniture of free choise and power to haue executed the same wherof what soeuer nowe is wantyng in the habilitie of our corrupt nature that coÌ„meth not either by crueltie in God or faulte in the lawe but by our owne wicked and wilful transgression wherby the habilitie therunto is vtterly lost as is shewed before by spoyle of our originall righteousnesse For the law is not geuen as a measure or scantlyng of the habilitie of our purchased corruption but as the absolute rule of our originall perfection The law doth teache vs howe holy and excellent we were by God created at the firste and how fouly by our selues we be now fallen from that we ought to be The law doth painte vnto vs the excellency of the Image of God wherunto we were created if a man by disease or extreme sorenes of his eyes be vtterly vnable to behold the light is the light therfore to be thought or iudged violente Nay is it not for all that the onely obiect wherin that sense was naturally created to haue hys whole vse and delight if now the eyes can not behold it this argueth neither extremitie nor violence in the light but contrariwise great disease and corruption in the eyes So is the law the natural obiect wherunto mans nature was created to haue all her motions and senses directed with naturall felicitie and delight which if now it be vnable to abyde that neither argueth extremitie violence or crueltie either in God or the law but contrariwise great disease and corruption in mans nature And that the obseruation of the law is vnpossible vnto man as now his nature is corrupted the testimony of these Scriptures doe playnely aumuch Thus writeth Paul to the Rom for what the lawe could not do in asmuch as it was weake because of the flesh c Here as there is an impossibilitie ioyned to the law in that he sayth the law could not do it So also he declared the same impossibilite not to consist therein by reason of the nature of the lawe but by reason of the imperfection of the flesh that is for asmuch as the imperfection of the flesh is so great that it can not performe any suche worke as the law is able or hath streÌ„ght to alow And a litle after in the same Chapter for it is not obedient to the law of God neither it can bee And a litle after he affirmeth that wee knowe not what to desire as we ought TheÌ„ much lesse is it possible to do as we ought And againe to the Corinthes The naturall maÌ„ perceiueth not the thinges of the spirite of God for they are but foolishnes vnto hym neither can he perceaue them because they are spiritually examined And Christe hym selfe saith how can you speake good thinges seeing your selues be euill And againe an euill tree can bring forth no good fruite Hereby sufficieÌ„tly appeareth that the fulfiling of the coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts is impossible vnto maÌ„ as hys nature is now corrupt which by the last Chapter was also euident that the fathers agréementes with vs herein may appeare thus writeth Augustine concerning the loue towardes God and our neighbour Cum ab hac peregrinatione in qua per fidem nunc ambulatur peruentum erit ad speciem quam nondum visam speramus per patientiam expectamus proculdubio ipsa dilectio non solùm supra quam hic habemus sed longè supra quam pâ—timus supra quam intelligimus erit neque enim restat in nobis aliquid quod addi possit ad totum quia si restabit al quid illud non erit totum proinde de hoc erit primum praeceptum iustitiae quo iubemur diligere Deum extoto corde ex tota anima ex tota mente cui est de proximo diligendo alterum consequens quod in illa vita complebimus â—um videbimus Deum facie ad faciem sed ideo nobis hoc etiam nunc praeceptum est vt admoneremur quid fide exposcere quò spem praemittere obliuiscendo quae retroÌ„ sunt in quae anteriora nos extendere debeamus VVhen from this pilgrimage wherin we presently walke through fayth we shall come to that thyng which yet vnsene we hope for and awayte through patience without all doubt our loue shall not onely excede that whyche wee possesse here but also bee farre aboue that whiche wee desire or vnderstand for there remayneth nothyng in vs that can be added vnto All for if any thyng shoulde bee lefte oute then can it not bee All therefore concernyng this shall the firste precepte of righteousnesse bee wherein we are commaunded to loue G G D withall the hearte withal the soule and withall the mynde wherunto foloweth another concernyng loue towardes our neighbour which wee shall fulfill in that lyfe when wee shall see God face to face But for this cause is it now also commaunded vs that we should bee admonished what to aske in faith whether to adresse our hope and in forgettyng the thynges which are behind vs vnto what thyngs that be before vs wee ought to direct our selues Againe Ambrose Sacrificabo hostiam laudis Non sacrifico inquit sed sacrificabo significans illud perfectum esse sacrificium quando vnusquisque Domino corporis huius vinculis absolutus assisteret offeret se hostiam laudis quia ante mortem nulla est perfecta laudatio I shall offer the sacrifice of prayse hee sayth not I do offer but I shal offer signifiyng that that is the perfect sacrifice when euery one losed from the bondes of this body shal be present with the Lord and offer him selfe a sacrifice of prayse for before death there is no perfect praysing Agayne Sainte Bernard Nec latuit praeceptorem praecepti pondus hominum excedere vires sed iudicauit vtile ex hoc ipso suae illos sufficientiae admoneri vt sciâ—ent sane ad quem iustitiae finem niti pro viribus oporteret Ergo mandando impossibilia non praeuaricatores homines fecit sed humiles vt omne os obstruatur subditus fiat totus mundus deo quia ex operibus non iust ficabitur omnis caro coram illo accipientes quippe mandatum sentientes defectum clamabimus in coelum miserenitur nostri deus sciemus in illa die quia non ex operibus iustitiae quae