deale verie warilie For our flesh is woont vnder the pretence of Gods glorie and honor to fight and brall for our owne honor and estimation Moreouer it must not be neglected that we diligentlie seuer sinnes from nature and that in anie wise we wish well vnto nature it selfe that is vnto men but let vs cursse and hate sinnes And for so much as it happeneth oftentimes that men when they haue béene corrected by some afflictions and punishments doo repent so if vnto wicked men being strangers from God and transgressors of his lawes we sometimes wish some discommodities and aduersities of the flesh to the end they may féele the wrath of God I sée nothing to the contrarie And this without controuersie we may wish vnto our selues and that iustlie that God will rather afflict and scourge vs than suffer vs to fall into sinnes or if we sinne that he will at the least wise by this meanes call vs backe to him And if we may wish these and such like things vnto our selues whie should we not wish them vnto others séeing we are commanded to loue our neighbours as our selues 1. kin 17 1. So Elias shut vp heauen So God drew home againe vnto himselfe some of his elect which went astraie for there be some dispositions of men so blockish that they can not be brought home againe but by this meanes Wherefore the psalme saith Fill their faces with ignominie Psal 83 17. and they will seeke after thy name So then we may wish the crosse of affliction both vnto our selues and also vnto others for amendement and correction In which cause yet nothing ought ouer hastilie to be doone for often times it happeneth that some by afflictions are not amended but rather made woorse The best waie of cursing But the better waie were to praie vnto God to correct them and not to wish aduersities vnto them except it be with this condition to conuert them or that the glorie of God may thereof insue And this waie saith Augustine we should not praie against them but for them Howbeit we must vnderstand that among men there be some which are the ambassadors of God who deale not as priuate men but they execute an extraordinarie ministerie And these by the spirit of prophesieng doubt nothing of the will of God for in their praiers they talke togither with God and in that talke they sée and vnderstand manie things as concerning the mind and are woonderfullie affected Séeing then that God sheweth vnto them that sinners shall be brought to amendement of some kind of punishments that he hath determined to punish them or else that some are now past all hope of saluation and shall without doubt be punished with eternall miserie séeing I saie that such things are shewed vnto holie men and that they in no wise doubt but that they are decréed by the most excellent God the which being chosen by him must of necessitie be good how can it be but that they please them how can it be chosen but that they are wished of them when as they continuallie praie Matt. 6 10. Thy will be doone Wherefore when they sée those things they praie they make imprecations they powre out such execrations and curssings as we read in the prophets and holie histories 23 Hereof the godlie doo take consolation who thereby vnderstand in what sort wicked men shall at the length be handeled and the weaker and wandering sort which perteine vnto the flocke of God are by these things corrected and doo take héed vnto themselues that they deserue not the like For this cause Gregorie vpon those words of Iob wherein he curssed the daie of his birth prudentlie wrote that the execrations of the saints procéed not of malice that is from a fleshlie desire and worldlie hatred but from a iust consideration namelie in that they doo sée the same to be allowed by the will of God But saith he these things are not praied for by wishing and desiring Vnto which last saieng of his I assent not for as I haue alreadie said the saints can not but allow and earnestlie wish that which they sée GOD willeth so that they be assured that God hath thus firmelie decréed Acts. 13 11. Acts. 5 5. and .9 In this manner Paule made blind Elimas the sorcerer Peter slue Ananias and Saphyra So likewise the same Peter said vnto Simon the sorcerer Acts. 8 20. 1. Cor. 5 5. Thy monie and thou be destroied togither Paule deliuered vnto satan him that committed incest and said Gal. 5 12. I would to God they were cut off which trouble you 2. kin 1 10. Neither did Elias anie other wise command the fire to come downe from heauen the which deuoured the capteins ouer fiftie with their fiftie soldiers 2. kin 2 24. Elizaeus also curssed the children which derided him and they were torne in sunder of the beares What difference is there whether God execute by himselfe or by others whom he hath appointed to be his ministers Wherefore that which he dooth by himselfe he can doo in like sort by his saints and prophets 24 Furthermore if anie man haue a great desire to cursse other and pretend the imitation of the prophets and apostles let him fore-sée whether he haue their spirit For euen as no man ought to vse the sword but a magistrate onelie so let none vse these execrations Curssings the sword of reuenge are compared togither but they which are most priuie to the will of God and which are mooued by the spirit to giue those cursses This place is alike yea rather all one with that place which concerneth reuenge Priuate reuenge is forbidden yet not publike reuenge and that which is doone by princes So then let them which be of the common sort absteine from execrations especiallie let them not wish anie crosse to anie man as touching eternall damnation but vpon condition that it may doo good And let them knowe that they are bound by this common rule Rom â—2 14. Matth. 5 24 Blesse and cursse not praie for them which persecute you And they which by Gods motion vse anie execration or imprecation let them alwaies haue before their eies the amendement of sinne or at the least-waie the diminishing of the malice thereof through paines and punishments that the righteous may not be hindered from the worshipping of God Psal 24 4. and also may not stretch foorth their hands vnto iniquities and finallie let them onelie séeke that the will of God may haue place let them not be desirous of their owne coÌ„modities Neither ought it to séeme a woonder to anie man that that common rule which prescribeth to vs To blesse and not to cursse and to wish well vnto them which persecute vs admitteth anie exceptions for that happeneth also in other commandements Is it not else-where ordeined that We should praie for all men 1. Tim. 2 1. And vnto Timothie the
faith by the benefit of the holie Ghost springeth in vs The holie Ghost as well goeth before as after faith by which faith is increased the abundance of the selfe-same spirit whose increase the former faith hath preuented and of a greater faith is still made a greater increase of the spirit But yet neuerthelesse we constantlie affirme that there is but one thing chéeflie from whence all these good things flowe to wit the holie Ghost Secondlie saith Augustine the lawe by the helpe of faith is otherwise confirmed bicause by faith we praie and calling vpon God with praiers we doo not onelie obteine remission of sinnes but also a great portion of the spirit and of grace so that we haue strength to obeie the lawe Doubtlesse the lawe The lawe maketh vs vncerteine of the will of God if it be taken by it selfe maketh vs both vncerteine of the good will of God and after a sort bringeth desperation vnles faith come and helpe which both maketh vs assured that God is pacified and mercifull towards vs and also by grace obteineth the renewing of strength And the apostles phrase whereby he saith that by faith he established the lawe is to be noted For thereby he signifieth that the lawe if it be left vnto it selfe and without faith is weake so that it cannot firmelie stand And therefore vnlesse it be holden vp by faith it will easilie fall And this is the point of a singular artificer not onelie to repell from him that which is obiected but also to declare that the selfe-same maketh most of all for his purpose The lawe and faith helpe one another The lawe and faith helpe one another and as the common saieng is giue hands each to other For the lawe dooth as a schoolemaister bring men vnto the faith of Christ And on the other side faith bringeth this to passe that it maketh them after a sort able to accomplish the lawe For straitwaie so soone as a man beléeueth in Christ he obteineth iustification and is liberallie indued with abundance of the spirit with grace The intent and purpose of the lawe was that man should both be made good and also saued But this it was not able to performe Then succéeded faith and did helpe it for through it a man is renewed so that he is able to obeie God and his commandements Chrysostome saith that Paule prooueth héere thrée things first that a man may be iustified without the lawe secondlie that the lawe cannot iustifie thirdlie that faith and the lawe are not repugnant one to the other 25 Ambrose teacheth that therefore by faith is the lawe stablished bicause that those things which by the lawe are commanded to be doone are by faith declared to be doone And we knowe that this righteousnesse which Paule here commendeth hath testimonies both of the lawe and of the prophets And if anie man obiect that therfore the lawe is made void by faith bicause thorough it ceremonies are abolished he answereth that this therefore so happeneth bicause the lawe it selfe would haue it so and foreshewed that it would so come to passe In Daniel we read that after the comming of Christ Dani. 9 27. and after the slaieng of him the dailie sacrifices should be taken awaie and so also should be the holie annointing such like kind of ceremonies Wherfore Christ did not without cause saie Matt. 11 13 The lawe the prophets endured vnto the time of Iohn Baptist Ieremie also manifestlie said Ier. 31 33. that another couenant should be made far differing frō that which was made in old time The epistle to the Hebrues thereby concludeth Heb. 10 16. that that which was the old couenant and so was called should one daie be abolished Zach. 2 4 Zacharie the prophet in his second chapter saith that The citie of Ierusalem should be inhabited without wals Which signifieth that the church of the beléeuers should be so spred abroad and dispersed through the whole world that it should not be closed in by any bounds and limits Esaie 2 ◠Which selfe-same thing Esaie séemeth to testifie when he saith that Mount Sion and the house of the Lord should be on the top of the hils so that the Gentils should come vnto it out of all places And Malachie the prophet pronounceth Malac. 1 11. that The name of God should be called vpon from the rising of the Sunne to the going downe of the same so that to God euerie where should be offered Mincha which manie haue transferred vnto the Eucharist as though it were a sacrifice when as yet the prophet thereby vnderstandeth praiers and the offering vp euen of our selues as Tertullian testifieth in his booke against the Iewes and also Ierom when he interpreteth that place Wherefore when the prophets séeme to affirme that ceremonies should be transferred vnto the Ethniks they are so to be vnderstood as though by the signes they ment the things themselues The Ethniks being conuerted vnto Christ receiued that which was represented by the ceremonies of the Hebrues But they reiected the outward signes and this was by faith to confirme the lawe And forsomuch as the prophets foretold that ceremonies should be abolished the same is to be taken as if it had béene spoken of the lawe sith that the prophets were interpretors of the lawe And that Christ when he should come should change the ceremonies the Iewes themselues doubted not Which is manifest by the historie of Iohn Baptist Mat. 3 2. 6. Iohn Baptist shewed that the ceremonies should be abrogated which we read in the Gospell For when he would purge men being conuerted vnto God he sent them not vnto sacrifices and vnto the ceremonies of Moses whereby sinnes were said to be purged but baptised them into repentance to the forgiuenesse of sinnes adioining doctrine therevnto wherein he made mention of the father the sonne and the holie Ghost Which doctrine vndoubtedlie the high Priests Scribes Pharisies could in no case abide that he reiecting the ceremonies which were receiued should put in their stéed an other kind of waie Wherefore they sent a messenger to him to aske him whether he were the Messias or Elias or the prophet as it were confessing that vnder Messias it wold come to pas that the ceremonies of the lawe should be altered which should not be lawfull for others to doo 26 And if thou demand why God gaue ceremonies which should be afterward abolished Chrysostome hath thereof a proper similitude If a man haue a wife prone to lasciuiousnesse A similitude he shutteth hir vp in certeine places I meane in chambers or parlours so that she may not wander abroad at hir pleasure He moreouer appointeth for hir Eunuchs waiting maids and handmaids to haue a most diligent eie to hir So delt God with the Iewes he tooke them to him at the beginning as a spouse as it is said by the prophet Ose 2 19. I haue
people but what shall come to passe that lieth in the pleasure of God They in déed prepare the hart but God ordereth the answer of the toong according to his prouidence Such another weightie reason they cite out of the 10. psalme verse 17. The preparation of the hart of the poore The Lord hath heard the desire of the poore thine eare hath heard the preparation of their hart But in this place these good maisters make two flat errors for first they vnderstand not that which they speake secondlie they cite not the place according to the truth of the Hebrue For the sense is the God despiseth not the praiers of the poore but according to his great goodnes accomplisheth those things for them which they had determined in their mind to desire of him What is the preparation of the hart and this is the preparation of the hart For none that is godlie desireth anie thing of GOD but first he deliberateth in his hart that the same thing is to be desired otherwise he should come rashlie vnto God and should praie foolishlie But these men wheresoeuer they find in the holie scriptures this word To prepare straitway they snatch it vp euen against the nature thereof to establish works preparatorie But now let vs sée what the sentence is after the Hebrue veritie Thaauath anauimschamata Iehoua takin libbam tacschif ozneeca that is Thou Lord hast heard the desire of the poore thou hast prepared or shalt prepare their hart thine eare shall heare Here we sée Dauid doth affirme that God heareth the desires of the saints whom he calleth poore And he addeth a cause namelie because God prepareth their harts God prepareth the harts of the saints to require those things which may serue for their saluation and which please God But by whom God worketh such a preparation in the harts of the faithfull Paule teacheth in his epistle to the Romans and thus he writteth Rom. 8 25. What we should aske as we ought we knowe not but the spirit praieth for vs with vnspeakeable sighes But God who searcheth the harts séeth what the spirit will aske for the saints We sée therefore both by Dauid and also by Paule that God heareth those praiers which are by the impulsion of his spirit stirred vp in them that praie vnto him We learne also of the Ethnike philosophers God prepareth the harts by the holie ghost and that in mo places than one that those are reprooued which without consideration and rashlie doo require anie thing of God But they which professe Christ euen as they beléeue that he is the author of their praiers so also doo they close vp their praiers in this sentence Mat. 6 10. Thy will be done 30 But saie they Ezechiel saith in his 18. chapter Walke in my waies verse 13. and make ye a new hart And Ieremie Be ye conuerted vnto me saith the Lord. Wherefore a man saie they may of himselfe prepare himselfe to the obteining of righteousnes But these men should remember that it is no vpright dealing A conciliation of the place of Ieremie and Ezechiel verse 26. to cite some places of the holie scriptures and to ouerhip and leaue other some vnspoken Let them go therefore and sée what Ezechiel writeth in the 36. chapter I saith the Lord will bring to passe that ye shall walke in my waies And I will giue vnto you a fleshie hart and will take awaie from you your stonie hart Ieremie also in the 31. chapter Conuert me ô Lord verse 18. and I shall be conuerted Wherefore Augustine verie well said Giue what thou commandest command what thou wilt They abuse also an other place out of the prophet Ionas to confirme their error Ion. 3 10. for there it is written that God regarded the works of the Niniuites Of the fact of the Niniuites Behold saie they the afflictions of the Niniuites whereby they afflicted themselues with fastings and cried vnto the Lord the Lord prepared their minds and made them apt to obteine pardon As though it behooued not the Niniuites first to beléeue the word of God before they could either praie effectuallie or else repent them Séeing therefore they beléeued before they did anie works they were iustified by faith and not by works which followed afterwards And God is said to haue regarded their works bicause they pleased him Neither did we euer denie that the works of men being now iustified are acceptable vnto God So often as we find in the scriptures such places which serue to attribute righteousnes vnto our works wée must according to the doctrine of Augustine haue a consideration A rule of Augustine out of what foundation those works procéed And when we perceiue that they spring out of faith we ought to ascribe vnto that root that which afterward is added as touching righteousnes And how fowlie these men erre in their reasoning hereby we may perceiue for that they take vpon them to transferre those things which are proper to one kind of men vnto another Which thing humane lawes will not suffer to be done for A similitude as we find in the Code as touching testaments or last willes If rusticall vnlearned men which dwell out of cities and haue not store of wise and learned men doo make their last willes without a solemnitie required thervnto and without a sufficient number of witnesses prescribed which yet otherwise should be necessarie such testaments ought to be allowed Now if a man would transferre this prerogatiue vnto citizens who for that they haue their abiding in cities haue store of men of vnderstanding he should excéedinglie erre for if their testaments be so made they are refused neither are they counted firme So we saie that the works of men iustified may please God but this notwithstanding neither can nor ought to be granted vnto them which are without faith and without Christ 31 Further let vs marke the accustomed sophisticall and deceitfull kind of reasoning of the aduersaries which the Logicians doo terme A non causa vt causa to wit From that which is not the cause as though it were the cause For they alwaies appoint good works to be the causes of righteousnes when as in verie déed they are effects of righteousnes and not causes For it is as though a man should saie A similitude The fire is therfore hot bicause it maketh hot but it is cleane contrarie for therefore it maketh hot bicause it is hot So also we bicause we are iustified therefore we doo iust things and not bicause wée doo iust things therefore we are iustified Sometimes also they obiect 2. Cor. 5 10. How is to be vnderstood God rendereth to euerie man according to his works that God will render vnto euerie man according to his works wherfore works saie they are the cause of our felicitie But here also as their woonted maner is they are
All these things being finished The distribution of the Sacrament they came to the distribution of the sacramēt While the same was a dooing or when it was finished the song of thankesgiuing was added which they called the after Communion After Communion When all this was complete finished A prayer at the end the Minister adding a comfortable prayer licenced the people to depart All these things albeit they ledde away the Christian people from that first simplicitie of hauing the Lordes Supper manie things being added as it séemed good to sundry men yet might they after a sort be abidden and not iustly be accused of superstition or idolatrie One and the same rite was not in al Churches alike The church of Millain Howbeit the same things were not in all Churches nor were not kept after one sort For as yet it was otherwise in the Church of Millaine by the constitution of Ambrose neuerthelesse afterward the Romane Antichristes corrupted all things 8 But that those things which I haue specified were by the olde ordinance kept I maie easilie shew by the most ancient writers Tertullian in Apologetico saieth Tertullian Wée come together into the congregation and assemblie that praying vnto God we may as it were hand in hand forcibly compasse him about with prayers This force is acceptable vnto God We also pray for Emperours for their ministers and men in authoritie for the state of this life for the quietnesse of things and for prolonging of the end These things doe shewe the summe of the Collects And as touching the exercise of the Scriptures he addeth Wée come together to the rehearsall of the diuine scriptures if the qualitie of times present either compelleth vs to forwarne or to call to remembrance Doubtlesse by the holy words we féede our faith we aduance our hope we fasten our confidence We neuerthelesse by often putting in mind doe strengthen the discipline of teachers There also haue we exhortations chastisements and diuine Censures For iudgement is giuen with great weight c. These be the things which were doone in the holy assemblie Whereunto these also must bee added which the same Author elsewhere sayeth namely that the Eucharist was woont to be receiued at the hand of the chiefe prelats c. In these wordes we may haue knowledge of the principall partes of the Masse which wée haue rehearsed Iustinus Martyr Iustin Martyr in his seconde Apologie writeth that vpon the Sundaie the Christians come together but of other feasts he maketh no mention There he saieth the holie scriptures were recited vnto which afterward the chiefe Prelate added his owne exhortation That saieth he being doone we rise and pray afterwarde he addeth Vnto the chiefe Prelate is brought the bread and the drinke ouer which he giueth thankes as heartily as he can To whom answere is made of all men Amen These woordes declare two things not negligently to be passed ouer First that thanks were not sleightly giuen but with all the power that might be that is with singular affection Further it is manifest that all things were spoken with an audible voyce séeing the people answered Amen Afterward saieth he the Eucharist is distributed Last of all is a generall thanksgiuing and offering of almes Dionysius 9 Dionysius in his Ecclesiasticall Hierarchie rehearseth in a manner the selfesame things namely a recitall of the Scriptures a singing of Psalmes a communion and other things which would be nowe ouerlong to declare But which séemeth the more strange he maketh no mention of offering the bodie of Christ This Dionysius was not Areopagita spoken of in the Acts. Howbeit we must not thinke that he was the same Areopagita who is spoken of in the Acts of the Apostles But whosoeuer he was there is no doubt as I thinke but that he was an auncient writer And why I should thinke that he was not Areopagita I am lead by these reasons first because the kind of writing which he vseth especiallie of diuine names and of heauenlie gouernance containeth rather a doctrine of vaine philosophie than a doctrine of pure Christianitie and it is vtterlie voide of edifying Moreouer those bookes be in a maner void of testimonies of the holy Scriptures In the Apostles time were no Monks in the Church Further in his eccleasiasticall Hierarchie he maketh Moonkes to be as a certayne meane order betwéene the clergie and laitie whereas in the Apostles time that kinde of life was not as yet in the Church Héerewithall the elder fathers in no place made mention of those bookes which is an Argument that those were none of the works of the Martyr Gregorius Romanus first of all other in a certaine homilie of his made mention of his writings But passing ouer him come we to Augustine That father in the 59. Augustine Epistle vnto Paulinus while he assoyleth the fift question he expoundeth foure wordes which are in the 1. Epistle to Timothy the 2. Verse 1. Chapter A place of Timothie expounded Supplications Praiers Intercessions Thankesgiuing And those be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And hee affirmeth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is supplications doe goe before the Celebration of the Sacrament And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee maketh to bee prayers which are vsed in the verie administration of the Sacrament wherein after a sorte wée vowe our selues vnto Christ and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he thinketh to be petitions and requestes by which the minister of the Church prayeth for good things for the people which stande by And finallie he teacheth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were generall thankes giuinges I might besides these bring many other monuments of the fathers if I thought not these to be sufficient But to returne to the name of Masse I sée that there were some also which thought the same to bee deriued of this woorde Missio Masse and Missio interpreted after an other sort because those thinges which were offered by the faithfull were saide to bee sent and they thinke that the Hebrue worde Masath gaue an occasion of that name because the Iewes vsed in time of the Pentecost to offer giftes But for what cause I iudge that the name of Masse was not deriued from an Hebrue worde I haue declared before And this I now adde If the Masse tooke his name from the oblation of things which were giuen by the Godlie the Papistes should abuse that name who haue there no respect at all to the almes of Godlie men but onelie to the oblation of the bodie and bloude of Christ which they commonlie boaste and that impudentlie that they offer vnto the father for the quicke and for the dead But of those things I suppose we haue spoken enough and at large Of the Masse looke another place in the Addition at the ende of this Booke Of Sacrifice In Iud.
it is manifest that this is the gift of God hereof are the praiers of the saints who saie Psa 118 37. Lighten mine eies least they see vanitie Giue me vnderstanding Ibidem 73. that I may learne or knowe thy commandements And Paule vnto the Ephesians praied God To lighten the eies of their vnderstanding Ephes 1 18. that they might knowe what was the hope of their calling And as touching the will Psa 119 36. Dauid praied Incline mine hart vnto thy testimonies Psal 51 12. Againe A cleane hart create in me ô God And Salomon his sonne praied God 1. Kin. 8 58. that he would giue vnto the people an vnderstanding hart Séeing therefore that the saints doo praie on this wise what doo they craue What doo they praie for That God will shew his word or that his spirit may knocke howbeit this he dooth by himselfe and that alwaies as these men saie But if they haue it in their owne power why doo they praie Let them selues doo it séeing they haue it in their owne power Neuerthelesse since praier is made rightlie of the saints it is a token vnto vs that this is required of GOD to the intent he may change our harts This argument did Augustine diuers times vse Wherefore in his booke De libero arbitrio the 14. chapter thus he writeth For if faith procéed onelie of a frée will and is not giuen of GOD to what purpose doo we praie for them which will not beléeue that they may beléeue Which we should doo altogither in vaine vnlesse we did verie rightlie beléeue that wils also which be peruerse and contrarie vnto faith may be turned of the omnipotent GOD to beléeue No doubt but the frée will of man is egged forward when it is said This daie Psal 95 8. if yee heare his voice harden not your harts But vnlesse that God could also take awake the hardnesse of the hart he would not saie by the prophet I will take from them their stonie hart Ezec. 11 19 and giue them a fleshie hart The same father against the two epistles of Pelagius vnto Boniface the first booke and 19. chapter For to what purpose hath the Lord commanded vs to praie for them which persecute vs Doo we desire this Matth. 5 44 to the intent the grace of God may be recompensed to them for their good will or not rather that their euill will may be turned vnto good Euen as we beléeue that Saule was not then in vaine praied for by the saints whom he persecuted that his will might be turned vnto the faith which he destroied and that his conuersion came from aboue it appeared by a manifest oracle How manie enimies of Christ are dailie vpon the sudden by the secret grace of God drawne vnto Christ And in the same place in the 20. chapter he declareth how true it is that GOD conuerteth and changeth the wils of men and saith that This is true we gather it not by the coniecture of man but we discerne it by most euident authoritie of the scriptures It is read in the booke of the Chronicles 2. P◠30 1◠And verelie the hand of God was in Iuda that he might giue them one hart to doo the commandement of the king princes according to the word of the Lord. Also the Lord saith by the prophet Ezechiel Ezec. 36 26 I will giue them another hart and a new spirit will I giue them and I will pull out of their flesh their stonie hart and I will giue them a fleshie hart that they may walke in my commandements and keepe my iudgements to doo them Now what is it that Hester that Quéene praieth and saith Giue me an eloquent speach Hester 14 verse 13. and make my words cleare before the lion and turne his hart vnto the hatred of them that be our enimies And to what end dooth she speake these words in hir praier vnto GOD if God doo not worke the will in the harts of men And so vndoubtedlie it came to passe as she praied for that king as a féerce bull at the first sight beheld hir and his crueltie was turned into lenitie Finallie a place in the Acts of the apostles Acts. 16 14. the 16. chapter must be weighed as touching Lydia the woman which sold purple whose heart God opened that she might giue eare vnto those things which were spoken by Paule Manie doubtlesse were present but it was particularlie said to that woman that God opened hir hart Which place Conradus Pellicanus a verie learned and holie man being my predecessor thus expoundeth it And this repentance commeth not of nature but of grace whose hart saith he the Lord opened that she might vnderstand those things which were said by Paule For in the Gospell none may trust to his owne strength but in the gift of God not in our owne presumption Wherefore let vs hearing the promises of the Gospell mistrust the strength of our flesh and let vs desire GOD that he will open our hearts that he will giue the gift of the holie Ghost to beléeue with the heart and to fulfill indéed that which we heare should be doone which thing we read came to passe in this woman that sold purple verse 26. And the historie of Samuel the first booke the tenth chapter teacheth it where it is written that They whose heart God had touched followed king Saule And herevnto belong those things Ezec. 37 16 which Ezechiel spake that He would take awaie the stonie heart and would giue a fleshie heart Phil. 2 13. Vnto the Philippians also Paule taught that It is God which worketh in vs both to will and to performe and that not at our Ephe. 2 8. but at his good pleasure And vnto the Ephesians it is written that We by grace are saued through faith and that not of our selues By which word our working togither namelie that which is actiue is remooued indéed not as touching the consent of faith but as touching that change by grace of which we now speake And it is added 1. Thes 3 2. that It is the gift of God And in the second epistle to the Thessalonians it is written All men haue not faith bicause that healing or medicine of the spirit is not giuen to all men whervpon it cōmeth that all men consent not to the promises of God Againe Who beleeue according to the working of his mightie power Ephe. 1 19. which he wrought in Christ raising him from the dead By which words is shewed that it is one and the selfe-same power whereby our will is changed and conuerted to beléeue and whereby Christ is raised vp from the dead And Pellicanus expounding this place saith Pellicanus And in such sort dooth God and our father declare his power and goodnesse in vs bicause he by a certeine secret and vnspeakeable power hath so transformed vs from the old institution
easilie be vnderstood by those things which we spake concerning the causes 6 But heauenlie inspiration was not communicated to all the prophets alike Degrees of prophets For some sawe more and some lesse In the 12. of the booke of Numbers God saith Num. 12 6. that he did insinuate himself to other prophets after diuers fashions but that hée presented himselfe vnto Moses mouth to mouth and face to face Deut. 34 10 And at the end of Deuteronomie it is written A comparison betweene Moses and Iohn Baptist Matt. 11 11 that after Moses there was neuer the like prophet Which yet must be vnderstood of the time before the comming of Christ For otherwise by the testimonie of Christ himselfe Iohn Baptist was greater than Moses For saith he Among the children of women there arose not a greater than Iohn Baptist For other prophets foretold that Christ in time would come but he with his finger shewed him to be present and conuersant among men We may also although somewhat rudelie thus distinguish the degrées of prophesies if that we call one an oracle another a dreame and an other a vision An oracle is What is an oracle a dreame a vision when by the voice of God him selfe it is told what we should doo So was Abraham warned by a voice from heauen that he shuld not kill his sonne As for the maner of dreaming there is no néed of examples Of these things read more in the next place they are plentifull in euerie place of the holie scriptures A vision may be in thrée sorts either when true things be discerned by an infused light and by the méere vnderstanding or else when besides that light images also are described and that either in the mind Zach. 1 18. and 4 2. Ierem. 1 13. as when Zacharias sawe the hornes and the candlesticks and Ieremie the pot or else in the eies and outward sense as was that hand spoken of by Daniel which appeared on the wall and as that Daniel 5 5. when angels were séene to talke with men in bodilie shape of men A difference in prophesie according to times And in prophesies there is a difference of times For some were before the lawe as were those of Abraham Noah Enoch and Adam some in the lawe as of Moses and others some in the gospell as the prophesies of manie holie men in the primitiue church And this gift God denied not euen to women For we reade of Marie Women prophets Debora and Olda that were prophetisses besides other women And in the beginning of the primitiue church the daughters of Philip and other godlie women did prophesie And Paule saith that a woman praieng or prophesieng 1. Cor. 11 5. should couer hir head But here How women may prophesie they being forbidden to speake in the church 1. Cor. 14 34 by the waie ariseth no small doubt For if at that time it were lawfull for a woman to praie and prophesie openlie why dooth Paule writing to the Corinthians and to Timothie admonish that a woman should not speake in the church These two saiengs although they may séeme somewhat repugnant yet may they diuers waies be reconciled Some thinke that Paule meaneth that a woman praieth and prophesieth when she is present and heareth publike praiers and prophesiengs in the church directed by some godlie and learned man Others suppose that two errors crept into the church of the Corinthians euen so soon as the same church beganne the one that women should prophesie openlie and the other that they should doo it bare-headed And they thinke that Paule confuted the first error in the 11. chapter to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 11 5. and the other in the 14. and in the 2. to Timothie 1. Tim. 2 11. and that so Paule altogither forbiddeth that either of them should be doone in the congregation Other some vnderstand those words of Paule as touching the ordinarie ministerie which by no meanes must be permitted to a woman but that by an extraordinarie meanes it is lawfull for women sometimes to prophesie as it was vnto Marie Debora Olda and others of whom we spake before the which if it doo happen at anie time they saie that Paule warneth that a woman should haue hir head couered Others thinke that women are quite forbidden by Paule to prophesie openlie but that it is lawfull for them to doo it priuatlie so they couer their heads But howsoeuer it be it importeth not much our purpose is onelie to teach that God dooth sometime impart this gift vnto women Prophets must not diminish the word nor adde to of their owne 7 But aboue all things prophets must beware that they corrupt not nor that they adde not or diminish anie thing For some otherwhile hauing receiued the illumination of God doo adde ouer and besides of their owne In the Acts certeine holie men lightened with the spirit of God said Acts. 21 4. and 10. that manie gréeuous afflictions were prepared for Paule at Ierusalem And this in verie déed they spake trulie but they added other things of their owne For they gaue counsell vnto Paule that he should not go to Ierusalem which thing they had not of the holie Ghost Good prophets ought not so to behaue themselues For if they will mingle their owne wisedome with the oracles of God they may easilie both be deceiued themselues and also cause others to be deceiued Besides this Prophets must not be corrupted for fauour or reward Num. 22 23. the prophets must take héed that they suffer not themselues to be corrupted either by monie or fauour as we reade that Balaam did For they which so doo saith Ierome are not prophets but diuiners As when Logicke is corrupt with errors and Fallaxis it is no longer Logicke but Sophistrie For they which may be hired to speake in fauour for reward sake be rather the diuinors of idols than the prophets of GOD and if they beare anie office in the church they will soone infect their auditorie with errors and so both shall be cast headlong into the ditch Further they must indeuour themselues by their life and maners to win credit to the woord of God By their life they must win credit to the word Matth. 3 4. 2. Kings 1 8. A fond imitation of Elias Iohn Baptist in apparell This is thought by some to consist in apparell and so they will imitate Elias and Iohn Baptist and be appareled in camels heare and we are girdles of leather But this did the prophets by the instinct and warning of God to drawe the people vnto God by woondering at them Contrariewise there be some which will abound in pleasures and excesse and this we reade in the Ecclesiasticall historie of Prisca and Maximilla for they vsed painted colours and all kind of nicenesse Prisca Wherefore a certeine meane waie must be vsed for offence may be committed on
5 3. 1. Pet. 1 6. for Tribulation worketh patience patience experience And Peter in the first chapter of his first epistle saith that There is ioie to the saints in temptations yea and Paule dooth glorie in his aduersities 2. Cor. 21 9. The which he meaneth not as they procéed from the diuell or from wicked men Temptations distinguished but as they come from the prouidence of God and be the instruments of his reward and saluation But if they tend vnto euill that is that they be prouocations vnto sin then must they be distinguished bicause therein is either fall or victorie If victorie be ioined with them this kind is desired of saints to the intent the diuell the flesh and the world may euerie daie more and more be vanquished in them But if they be afraid of falling it is either temporall or eternall if it be temporall we must praie for the auoiding of temptation as we doo in the Lords praier And lead vs not into temptation Matt. 6 13. This did Christ teach his apostles when hée said The spirit indeed is readie but the flesh is fraile Matt. 26 41. watch and praie that ye enter not into temptation And reason leadeth vs therevnto for we ought to detest all things that are contrarie vnto the will of God such is a fall against the lawe of God yea nothing ought to be more displeasing vnto vs euen as it appéereth by the commandement Thou shalt loue the Lord Deut. 6 5. with all thine hart and with all thy soule To these things adde that none ought to haue such confidence in his owne strength as he should not feare in temptation Wherefore in temptation we must alwaies praie but not that wée may not be tempted at all séeing God hath appointed our life to be a warfare But godlie men are not afraid of temptations which haue a perpetuall and deadlie end for they knowe that God is a father vnto them which they would not beléeue if they misdoubted that they should be forsaken of him Further they acknowledge Rom. 11 25. that The calling and gifts of God are without repentance as it is said in the epistle to the Romans ¶ Looke the propositions out of the 22. chapter of Genesis at the end of this booke The end of the first part E R THE Second Part of the Common Places of PETER MARTYR Wherein is intreated of the woonderfull knowledge of God the Redeemer The first Chapter Of Sinne especiallie originall sinne and of the vniuersall corrupting of mans nature ¶ Looke the like place In Gen. 8. at the end In Rom. 5. The cheefe points to be intreted of FIrst wee will sée whether there be anie originall sin or no for there be some which vtterlie denie the same to bée then wée will declare what it is lastlie what properties it hath and how by succession it is conueighed to the posteritie and by what meanes it is released As touching the first we must remember that both in the holie scriptures also among the fathers it hath diuers names for in the seuenth chapter of the epistle to the Romans verse 8 23. The names by which originall sin is called it is called sinne and the lawe of the members and concupiscence Else-where it is called the want of originall righteousnes a corruption of nature a lumpe of wickednes a froth a weaknes naturall The Pelagians and Anabaptists denie originall sinne The arguments of them that denie originall sin Nahum 1 9. the lawe of the flesh and such other like The Pelagians in old time denied this sinne at this daie the Anabaptists denie it These in a maner may be accounted their arguments First they saie that the fall of Adam was sufficientlie punished in himselfe and that there is no cause why God will reuenge it in his posteritie especiallie séeing it is written in the prophet Nahum that God dooth not twise punish one and the selfe-same thing for it sufficeth him that he had once punished Moreouer it is also written Ezec. 18 20 that The sonne shall not beare the fathers iniquitie but the soule that sinneth the same shall die Further that the bodie when it is formed in the wombe is the workmanship of God and hath nothing that ought to be blamed naie rather which is not woorthie of great admiration that the soule also is either created or infused by GOD and that the meanes of propagation cannot be accounted euill bicause marriage in the holie scriptures is commended and that from the beginning God commanded man to beget children Wherfore among so manie defenses of innocencie they demand by what entrances sinne could insinuate it selfe They adde also that Paule in his first epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 7 14. when he exhorteth the beléeuing wife to abide with hir vnbeléeuing husband if he will abide with hir among other things saith Your children are holie But they saie that they cannot be holie if they be borne in sinne and that therefore they which be borne of faithfull parents cannot drawe with them originall sinne They affirme withall that it is commonlie said that sinne is a thing spoken doone or lusted against the lawe of God and that it is not sinne vnles it be voluntarie And as Iohn saith in his first epistle the fourth chapter Sinne is iniquitie 1 Iohn 3 4 contrarie wherevnto is equitie or right and that this can be no other thing than is conteined in the lawe and so that sinne is a transgression of the lawe All which things cannot fall into infants when they be borne And they saie further that it séemeth not conuenient which is spoken of some namelie that this sinne is by the flesh or bodie powred out from one to another for that the flesh and the bodie are in their owne nature senselesse things neither can they séeme to be a méet subiect for sinne And to establish their feigned deuise they said besides that those things which are spoken by Paule verse 12. in the fift to the Romans must be extended vnto the sinnes which be called actuall But they saie that it is therefore said that sinne entered by one man into the world bicause of the imitation and example which the posteritie followed 2 By these and such other like arguments they being led denie that there is anie originall sinne But as for death and the afflictions of this life which are commonlie brought as tokens whereby originall sinne is confirmed they say that those consist of naturall causes such as in the temperature of the elements and of the humors And therefore they saie it is a vaine fable that we refer them to the fall of Adam And they thinke it to be a thing most absurd to affirme that to be sinne which by no maner of meanes can be auoided Lastlie they saie that if by that meanes we shall be said to sinne in Adam bicause we were in his loines according as it is
the statutes of their God They aske of me the ordinances of iustice and they will drawe neere vnto God Wherefore doo we fast saie they and thou seest it not We haue afflicted our soules and thou regardest it not Behold in the daie wherein ye fast ye find out that which ye desire and ye all seeke and require your debts Behold ye fast to strife and debate and to smite with the fist Is this such a fast as I haue chosen These words of the prophet doo teach most plainlie that it is sinne before God to séeke after his waies to fast and for a man to afflict himselfe séeing such works may be doone without the true worshipping of GOD and without pietie It cannot be denied but that these are indéed goodlie and plausible works God refuseth works although they be goodlie but yet God the iust iudge dooth refuse them Augustine in his booke of confessions dooth laie before vs a plaine example of himselfe concerning this matter for he sheweth the motions which he suffered in his mind before he was conuerted vnto Christ For thus he writeth in the eight booke and eleuenth chapter I liued in my bond till the whole was broken in sunder wherewith I was holden being now little but yet was I holden Thou O Lord by thy seuere mercie didest double in mine eies the scoorges of feare and of shame I said inwardlie with my selfe Behold now let it be doone Now in a maner I knowe it and did it not It wanted verie little but I euen now touched it held it yet touched it not nor held it not And the woorst that was growne in vse more preuailed with me than the better out of vse And that verie instant wherein I was to become a new man the neerer it approched to me the greater horror it draue into me I was held backe by trifles of trifles and by the vanities of vanities and by mine old wanton louers which priuilie whispered Doost thou now forsake vs And shall we neuer anie more after this time be with thée Doost thou And from this time forward wilt thou neuer vse this or that Augustine accuseth the meane works which he did before his conuersion And I now began to hearken vnto them a great deale lesse than halfe These things he declareth and accuseth them before God to be sins which neuerthelesse are so greatlie commended by these men These indéed were meanes wherby God brought Augustine to saluation yet in the meane while they were sinnes in him for he obeied them not but corrupted them with manie abuses so that he could not with efficacie be changed therby But what soeuer wanteth his due perfection is sin Whatsoeuer wanteth his due perfection is sinne 18 But these Sophisters are like a kind of serpents called Hydrae for when one argument is cut off as it were a head an other ariseth They obiect to vs the Publicane thus praieng in the temple God be mercifull to me a sinner Of the Publican Luk. 18 13. And it is said that he went home to his house iustified wherefore say they he was a sinner when he praied for we read that he was afterwards iustified But his praier pleased God wherefore saie they we may doo works acceptable to God before we be renewed But these men should haue remembred that this man praid the which thing could not be doone without faith as we declared touching Cornelius For how shall they call vpon him Rom. 10 14 vpon whom they haue not beleeued While he praied he was iustified Wherefore he was iustified euen at the same time that he praied Neither must thou so vnderstand those words as though he was then first iustified when he had finished his praier for although it is said to be afterward doone yet dooth it not followe thereof that the same was after no sort doone before He obteined a more perfect iustification If he be iustified why dooth hee call himselfe a sinner The iustified doo yet still praie for their sinnes Matth. 6 12 a more ample spirit and a more néere féeling of Gods mercie He calleth himselfe a sinner and that iustlie partlie bicause he felt still in himselfe that which he misliked for alwaies how iust soeuer we be we be commanded to praie Forgiue vs our trespasses and partlie for that he pondered in his mind how gréeuous sinnes he had committed before he was iustified And godlie men ought chéeflie to consider while they be praieng how great the burthen of their sinnes is for when they come vnto God with their praiers they be mooued with true repentance to saie with Dauid My bones are consumed awaie in my crieng out Psal 31 3. continuallie daie night thy hand is laid heauie vpon me my iuice is dried vp as the moisture of the earth is dried vp in the summer Psal 40 15. Innumerable euils haue compassed me about mine iniquities haue closed me in on euerie side so as I cannot see they be more increased than the haires of my head my hart hath failed within me I acknowledge my wickednes and my sinne is alwaies against me Psal 51 6. against thee against thee haue I sinned and doone euill before thee And to the end godlie men should the better beware of sins afterward God dooth stirre vp in them the sharpe féele of his wrath that they may knowe what they haue deserued vnlesse God had holpen them by his sonne Also he openeth the eies of them that they may perceiue what his fatherlie chastisement is towards them and that the same may be the better felt he oftentimes deferreth from them the taste and féele of his mercie Ibidem 10. Therefore they crie Make me to heare thy ioie and gladnes that my bruised bones may reioise hide thy face from my sinnes and blot out all my wickednes a cleane hart create in me ô God and a perfect spirit renew within me cast me not awaie from thy face take not thy holie spirit from me Wherefore they also that be iustified doo praie that what infirmitie is yet left may not be imputed vnto them They call to mind those things wherein they gréeuouslie sinned before and they craue with tears to haue some taste of Gods mercie of the righteousnes which is bestowed on them And this is the verie naturall meaning of such godlie praiers Neither must we thinke He did not so call himselfe a sinner as he ment to retein◠his old sinnes that the same Publican praied otherwise for he was not so minded that he would still reteine his old purpose to sinne but he trulie and from his hart conuerted vnto God But our aduersaries imagine that they which still perseuere in their sinnes and haue not determined to change their life yet that they doo some good thing which pleaseth GOD. But we be taught out of the holie scriptures that He which beleeueth in God hath eternall life and therefore is
I am led by the Hebrue phrase wherein one signifieth the first as in the booke of Genesis And the euening morning were one daie that is The first daie Also in another place when it is written Looke In the booke De votis pag. 76. set foorth at Basil In one of the moneth it is ment The first daie of the moneth And when it is written One moneth it must be vnderstood The first moneth Also we read in the Gospell of Marke the 16. chapter verse 2. And earlie in the morning in one of the sabboths they came vnto the sepulchre the sun being now risen where manifestlie by one of the sabboths is vnderstood the Lords daie Matt. the 28 In the euening of the sabboth when the first daie of the weeke began to dawne verse 1. So it is also written in the 24. chapter of Luke verse 1. verse 1. and in the 20. of Iohn And to inflame our minds to giue almes vnto the poore Paule did verie fitlie choose the daie of the holie congregation Why Paule chooseth for almes the daie of the holie congregation bicause of the word of God publike praiers and godlie lessons which be vsed vpon that daie through all which things we be put in remembrance of the benefits which God for his mercie sake hath bestowed vpon vs. Also we receiue the sacraments wherby is renewed the memorie of that most excellent benefit I meane the death of our Lord Iesus Christ And what christian mind is not persuaded to benefite his neighbour by the godlie remembrance of so great a good turne Who is it that will not when he reuolueth in himselfe with a godlie mind that the sonne of God gaue himselfe vnto death euen to the death of the crosse for his sake that will not I saie alonelie impart some of that earthlie riches which is bestowed vpon him but rather giue himselfe for his brethren We confesse also the communion of saints which will be either verie slender or none at all vnlesse it be confirmed by liberalitie towards the poore But there is no token of godlinesse or communion of Christians more excellent than is charitie Neither are we for this cause to be accused as obseruers of daies and of times Gal. 4 10. as were the Galathians as though we attribute more holinesse to one daie than to an other We onelie for order sake and a certeine ciuill custome of the church doo méet togither vpon that daie rather than vpon an other But in the epistle to the Galathians either they are reprehended by Paule which renewed the Iewish feast daies or else the Ethniks which superstitiouslie obserued the daies of the Aegyptians or of those that professed the Mathematicall sciences In 1. Sam. 1. verse 3. 5 Moreouer there may be manie causes reckoned whie GOD would haue the people yéerelie besides the sabboth daie to ascend to the place which he had chosen for religion sake Exo. 23 15. First he appointed the same bicause the remembrance of his benefits should not be forgotten but should be reuiued by yéerelie peregrinations For in the feast of Passeouer was celebrated the memorie of their deliuerance out of Aegypt and in the Pentecost the remembrance of the lawe giuen by Moses Further in both the solemnities there was thanks giuen for the new fruits receiued Three principall feast daies of the Iewes For in the feast of Easter they offered the first fruits of barlie and at Pentecost they offered bread made of new wheat Lastlie in the feast of Tabernacles was remembred the benefit whereby God sustained the fathers by the space of fortie yéeres in the wildernesse and thanks were giuen bicause they had now gathered in all the sorts of fruits And rightlie were these thrée principall parts of the gifts of God called to remembrance in these thrée peregrinations for they be speciall good things wherein consisteth the societie of man For the first felicitie of anie nation is that there be a common-weale and that it be frée and this the Iewes obteined when they were deliuered out of the hard bondage of Aegypt The second felicitie is to haue lawes and religion proper to themselues for no common-weale consisteth without lawes and religion The third is that there be no want of things necessarie for life Wherefore the remembrance of these benefits was yéerelie renewed by the commandement of God Further an other cause of this ascending to the feasts at Ierusalem was that the mutuall concord of the people in diuine seruice and religion might be preserued For when the Iewes were once gathered togither and did their sacrifices all after one and the selfe-same order it was most prudentlie prouided that sundrie religions should not arise The first cause was that the priests and Leuits might openlie teach them concerning the lawe and holie seruice whereby the people returned home much better instructed than when they came thither There is also a sixt cause alledged that in such an assemblie and mutuall beholding of one another charitie might the more growe and increase among the tribes For they sawe and talked one with another they kept their feasts togither and that which was most of all they ioined in publike and solemne praiers togither Furthermore by these peregrinations there insued a necessarie sustentation of the holie ministerie For the oblations and sacrifices were multiplied the greatest part whereof came to the priests and Leuits Besides this the minds of them that praied was confirmed that God would heare their praiers for he promised that in that place he would fulfill the praiers of the people Which cause vndoubtedlie should mooue vs to celebrate holie congregations for notwithstanding that we may praie at home yet séeing he promised that he will allow of our praiers Matt. 18 19 where two or thrée shall be gathered togither in his name therefore the appointed celebrations of the méeting togither in the church must not be neglected Moreouer God would that by such godlie peregrinations they shuld testifie their obedience especiallie in that they did not choose the place wherevnto they had accesse but it was appointed by the will of God And it must not be omitted that that place did represent Messias vnto the fathers without whom no works of men though they be trim and goodlie in shew can please God Lastlie that worke was a notable exercise of faith for so often as they were to go vp vnto the place which was assigned for diuine seruice the Hebrues were compelled to leaue all vacant and without gard at home For the enimies were at libertie in the meane time to breake foorth to waste and destroie althings Howbeit they obeied the word of God and little regarded whatsoeuer should happen committing all that euer they had to the safegard of God And so great a confidence had they towards God as they doubted not but he would defend their borders although they were desolate Thrée times euerie yéere it behooued
burst foorth into these words I giue thanks vnto thee Matt. 11 25 ô father of heauen and of earth for that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent and hast reuealed them to the little ones euen so Lord for that it hath so pleased in thy sight Moreouer men of God when they come to this point they haue not a respect to their owne cause neither doo regard their owne iniuries but consider that by the wicked works of the vngodlie the church of God is harmed the spirituall procéedings thereof are hindered and the course of the Gospell is letted And they most ardentlie desire that the name of God might be sanctified and his kingdome most amplie spred abroad And hereof it commeth that when the godlie praie against wicked men they persecute not their owne enimies but the enimies of God whom they wish to be most purelie worshipped Dauid sawe that he was called by God to the kingdome and vnderstood that the enterprises of the wicked were not so much repugnant to his owne dignitie as to the will of God Wherefore woorthilie in his praiers he wisheth rather that they should perish and that most vilie than that anie iot of the most iust will of God should be hindered So that both in this place and in such other like we are forbidden not onelie to cursse but also to speake euill when we be ouercome with the spites and iniuries of the wicked by whom it is not méet that wée should suffer our courage to be quailed or to be led from the rule of charitie Wherein consisteth the magnanimitie of christians Herein doubtlesse consisteth the magnanimitie of christians and their incredible valiantnes of courage not onlie not to cursse them that persecute them but also to speake well of them and to praie vnto God for them 29 Howbeit I cannot woonder enough that Thomas Aquinas should saie that by the words of Paule The error of Aquinas christians are not compelled by force of the precept to shew particularlie vnto their enimies the affect of charitie or as they vse to speake to shew signes of beneuolence vnto them except it be in case of necessitie For it is enough if they exclude them not from the generall bond of loue wherewith we ought to loue our neighbours Neither saith he is it of necessitie that we should pray peculiarlie for them But this is sufficient if we exclude them not from the common praiers which we make for all men And if anie man saith he besides the case of necessitie doo shew vnto an enimie tokens of speciall loue or doo speciallie make intercession for him that man followeth counsell but obeieth not the commandement Matt. 5 44. Rom. 12 14 Yet Christ Paule when they spake of these things taught not this distinction This doctrine doubtlesse cutteth in sunder the sinewes of christian religion it presseth downe the vehemence of Gods spirit and taketh awaie the force and sharpenesse of the lawe of God Let these men go now and crie out that we be they which dissolue the indeuour of good works and open a windowe to licentious life when as they cannot denie but that themselues are those which at their owne pleasure change the certeine and seuere commandements of God into counsels Doubtlesse Christ and Paule commanded those things and doo not giue them onelie as counsels But this is excéedinglie to be lamented that these commandements in this iron age of ours are made like the lawes of Athens For they although they were wiselie inuented and published abroad yet notwithstanding laie neglected and were euerie where of all men violated And we must thinke that this came of no other cause but that the whole iuice bloud of christian religion is in a maner dried vp Of a cursse In Iudg. 1. verse 17. Looke in 1. Cor. 16. at the end 30 The Hebrues did not vtterlie ouerthrowe destroie certeine eities which they had taken into their hands but did inhabit them Howbeit some they curssed vtterlie rooted out And their vow of the thing that was promised was called Cherem of the verbe Charam which is To wast To destroie To kill To deface To accursse The Graecians called that word Cherem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they also called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as things consecrate and put apart And it may be that they were so called bicause they were hanged vp in temples and were sequestred from the vse of men and might not be remooued from off that place Yea men were sometimes called by that word Paule in verie déed vsed that word manie times for he saith to the Galathians Let him be accurssed Gal 1. 8. Rom. 9 3. whosoeuer shall preach anie other Gospell And to the Romans he wished himselfe to be * or separated from Christ 1. Co. 16 22 accurssed for the brethren And to the Corinthians the first epistle he saith He that loueth nor the Lord Iesus let him be accurssed Maranatha where he taketh this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this word Cherem that is A thing separated and disioined altogither from the companie and vse of man so as it was vnlawfull to touch it or vse it A testimonie whereof we haue in the booke of Iosua the sixt chapter as touching the citie of Ierico Iosu 6. 17 And it séemeth that it was so accurssed bicause it was after a sort the first fruits of the cities which were taken For after that they were passed ouer Iordan it was the first that was conquered of all the cities and that by no helpe of man for that the wals thereof fell downe of their owne accord and by the will of GOD. Wherefore it was méet that the spoiles thereof should altogither be consecrated vnto God 31 But it séemeth to be vtterlie strange from the seruice of God Whether the destruction of cities belong to the seruice of God to destroie both cities and men and these things haue rather a shew of crueltie than of religion I answer that destructions indéed of their owne proper nature apperteine neither to religion nor to godlines but so farre foorth as they be referred to the glorie of God And this may happen two maner of waies as when that destruction is counted for a certeine token of the seueritie and iustice of GOD against those people whom he for their wickednesse would haue to be destroied or else as a certeine testimonie of Gods goodnesse and mercie towards the Israelites whom in that expedition he mercifullie helped Wherefore the ouerthrowing of the citie houses men and beasts did shew the iustice and seueritie of God and the consecration declared the goodnesse helpe and mercie vttered to that people Moreouer God would by that meanes prooue the obedience of his people in absteining from the spoiles which were consecrated to God For we knowe that soldiers when they haue gotten the victorie are hardlie restrained from the preie But they
reioiser in euill things Neither must we omit that euerie enuious man is a reioiser in euill things for he delighteth in the aduersitie of his equals Yet must not both these be accounted for one and the selfe same vice séeing they apperteine to contrarie motions of the mind For enuie is a gréefe or sadnesse whereas he that reioiseth in euill things is affected with delight Otherwise these vices although they be diuers yet are they so linked togither as there can be no enuious man which is not mooued with a gladnesse of other mens harmes And héereby it euidentlie appéereth that enuie is méere repugnant vnto mercie séeing mercie sorroweth for an other mans miserie but an enuious man reioiseth for the same by reason of the delight wherewith he is affected to other mens harme This motion of the mind is in him also that is vexed or angred at the prosperitie of the wicked for he that becommeth sad for the prosperitie of the wicked the verie same man taketh pleasure when he perceiueth them to be suppressed and in trouble Of Emulation Of emulation 55 After this we are to speake of Emulation that is to wit the greefe of mind which we run into for other mens goods which we our selues want when as those things may become vs and we be able to obteine them We desire not by this motion of the mind to haue other despoiled of those ornaments that they haue but it gréeueth vs that we our selues be destitute of them and it cōmeth of a good nature thus to be affected Emulation is reckoned among laudable affects Wherefore emulation is reckoned among commendable affections Cicero in his Tusculane questions defineth that héerof commeth a gréefe of mind when an other man inioieth the good which we our selues desire The same author obserued that emulation is otherwhile so taken as it differeth nothing from enuieng and therefore is sometimes reprooued But if we vnderstand it in such sort as we haue said it is a commendable affect bicause it maketh men the better for it is accustomed to ingender the imitation of good things We must take heed that emulation degenerate not into enuie But we must take héed of that which indéed we are prone vnto namelie that it degenerate not into hatred and that emulation haue no such scope as we should desire to despoile men which be fortunate honourable and honest of their ornaments and good things And for this cause Cicero said Cicero that that emulation is praise-woorthie which is not like vnto the emulation that is in wooing séeing this is the propertie of wooers that they would so enioy their pleasures as they may vtterlie exclude others These cautions being had emulation is both good and godlie Wherefore Paule exhorted the Corinthians that they should striue to excell one an other in charitie 1. Cor. 1 31. and in the better sort of graces This affection is most occupied about vertues and about all such things as are had in honour and admiration for what soeuer thing a man contemneth and despiseth he dooth not emulate Emulation hath hope ioined with it Emulation hath ioined with it a perpetuall hope of obteining that which it desireth for if a man despaire it is not possible for him to emulate And so much of these affects Of Reuenge 56 Reuenge is of two sorts one publike In Gen. 42 verse 7. Looke part 4 chap. 15. art 16. and an other priuate And as for publike which ought to be exercised by the magistrate so far is it off from prohibiting therof as God commandeth the same warning alwaies the magistrates that they should execute iustice and iudgement and not suffer wickednesse to escape vnpunished It is lawfull to repell violence by violence But it is not lawfull for priuate men to reuenge vnlesse it be according to the prouerbe To repell violence by violence This is not prohibited them when the magistrate cannot helpe them For somtime the case happeneth so vpon the sudden as a man cannot straitwaie flie to the helpe of the publike power Wherefore we may then defend our selues vsing neuerthelesse great moderation to wit that we onelie indeuour to defend our selues and them that be committed vnto vs not wishing with a mind of reuenge to hurt our aduersaries in such sort as that action may procéed not of hatred but of charitie Yet neuerthelesse publike reuenge as we haue said is commanded by God By the which precept not onelie magistrates are bound but the guiltie also are bound that they should with a patient mind beare the correction and punishment that is laid vpon them by the superiour power for the crime which they haue committed Which if they doo let them vnderstand that it belongeth vnto the commendation of iustice But doo not thou obiect vnto me the saieng of Aristotle in his Rhetoriks that according to other vertues it is honest and laudable not onlie to doo but also to suffer And he onelie excepteth iustice for he saith They which are punished and doo suffer iustlie must rather be dispraised than praised For that which he héere saith is true if thou respect the cause for the which they be punished that without doubt is not praise-worthie sith they are punished for offenses Yet on the other side if thou respect his mind in suffering which for a publike commoditie and for other mens instruction bicause of the commandement of God that he may obeie him and in detestation of the wickednesse committed dooth willinglie submit him selfe to the lawes which are decréed it must not be denied but that such a one dooth iustlie and is to be praised in such a stedfastnesse iust determination of his mind But yet the praier of Samson may séeme at the first sight not to be verie godlie Iud. 16 28. Whether the praier of Samson in the 16. of Iudges were good or ill for he praieth that it might be granted him to take reuenge vpon his enimies bicause they put out both his eies In verie truth if he had ment to fulfill his wrath we might not iustlie allow of his praier for he should no more haue béene allowed of God than if he had said expreslie I beséech thée Lord to prosper either my theft or my adulterie Augustine saith that Samson did these things not of his owne accord but by the drift and counsell of the holie Ghost Besides we must not thinke of Samson as of a priuate man but as of a magistrate whom God himselfe had appointed And surelie it was not lawfull for him as a priuate man to reuenge iniuries but as a magistrate both he might and should doo it If we speake of a priuate cause that must be of force Rom. 12 19. which Paule said Giue place vnto wrath vengeance is mine and I will repaie saith the Lord. But in a publike cause the magistrate by the commandement and authoritie of GOD must reuenge the iniurie doone vnto him for he is
saith that Christian women which are so married become the ribs of the diuell Ambrose Yea and Ambrose in his 70. epistle to Vigilius writeth verie largelie of this mater where besides the decrées of the old lawe he bringeth two other arguments First that man and wife ought to receiue blessing vnder the veile of the priest A rite of solemnizing matrimonie But and if they shal be of sundrie religions how shall they be couered in the church of Christ vnder one veile By those words we vnderstand that it was then the maner to haue matrimonies solemnized in temples and that the husband and wife were couered both with one veile by the minister to the intent that they which stood by might sée they were ioined then togither Which custome is verie much against secret matrimonie Possidonius vpon the life of Augustine writeth that he did verie well like the counsell of Ambrose who iudged that If man and wife did consent togither in matrimonie the minister of the church should be sent for by whom the couenants of marriage should be established and the matrimonie should be confirmed And what the veile was wherewith the new married folke should be couered I haue nothing else to affirme but that as I thinke it was an outward signe receiued from the Iewes who also at this daie reteine the same Ruth 3 9. What Ruth ment in desiring to be couered with Boaz cloke And perhaps Ruth had a respect therevnto when she desired of Boaz that he would couer hir with his cloke to wit that he would acknowledge hir for his lawfull wife An other argument of Ambrose was that man and wife ought otherwhile to praie togither And peraduenture he meaneth those kind of praiers which publikelie are vttered sometime in churches But if man and wife doo not cleaue both vnto one God how can they both praie togither Naie rather it will easilie happen that when the one of them hath determined to praie the other will be minded to feast make chéere The same father in his booke of the Patriarch Abraham the ninth chapter warneth the faithfull that they should diligentlie beware least they bestowe their daughters vpon Iewes and infidels or to take wiues among them And his words are alledged in the decrées 28. cause question 1. in the chapter Non oportet And in the same question Paraph Exijs Ambrose is cited who saieth It is no marriage which is doone without the decrée of GOD and therefore must be amended Gratian interpreteth those words and saith that It is not decréed that there is no matrimonie at all among the infidels but that the marriage betwéene them is not lawfull séeing it is contracted contrarie to the commandement of God that is betwéen such persons as God would not haue to be coupled togither namelie them which be of kindred one to another within certeine degrées prohibited in the lawe or else when the one partie shall be an infidell Further Ambrose commendeth the old Patriarchs which sought out wiues of their owne stocke Tertullian also in his booke De corona militis saith We marrie not vnto Ethniks least they should compell their wiues to idolatrie whereat they beginne their marriages And while he indeuoureth to prooue that God hath forbidden those marriages he bringeth the place of Paule in the first to the Corinthians wherein he saith 1. Cor. 7 39. If she will marrie let hir marrie in the Lord. Which saieng neuerthelesse of his some doo vnderstand to be spoken generallie as if the apostle had said Let hir marrie religiouslie obseruing godlinesse in the feare of the Lord as though by these few words he forbad not this kind of matrimonie And it might be that Augustine was of the same mind But I thinke that the spéech of the apostle being pronounced generallie is so to be vnderstood as thereby marriages also with infidels be forbidden For how can it be that a faithfull person should be coupled religiouslie and in the feare of the Lord with the enimies of Christ And certeinlie Tertullian Ierom and Ambrose vnderstood that place after this sort Moreouer Tertullian himselfe wrote vnto his wife that such marriages cannot be allowed by anie of the holie scriptures And he added that therein were manie dangers and also wounds of faith dangers lest the faithfull shuld fall into idolatrie wounds of faith bicause in so much as otherwise we be weake we haue the more néed to be supported But the other partie being an infidell will not helpe and the faithfull partie shall be compelled manie times to heare that will displease him Morouer he speaketh more boldlie and fréelie saieng that such marriages make men guiltie of adulterie and that we must not communicate with them in brotherlie fellowship Wherefore it easilie appeareth that they which so had contracted matrimonie in those daies were excommunicated And whie they were guiltie of adulterie he declareth on this wise God by his lawe forbad such matrimonies Therefore an infidell which is giuen in matrimonie is not fit for that marriage Then séeing they be no marriages there shall be whooredome committed A strange person is brought in by whom the temple of God is defiled Moreouer this sinne is therefore made the more gréeuous bicause it is not hard for christians to find out other matches Moreouer he addeth that if it be true that Menander the apostle declared 1. Co. 15 33. that Naughtie talke corrupteth good maners how much more will so vnméet matches make them naught Vndoubtedlie he that is a stranger from Christ will speake no good of him Besides this the woorst of all is to haue the seruant of the diuell so néere at hand Verelie the seruants of princes which would be counted faithfull can by no meanes abide to haue fellowship with their enimies or with their enimies seruants And it cannot be denied but that they which ioined themselues to such wiues passed not to be among the enimies of Christ Further it is to be considered that in those daies the assemblies of the godlie were had in the night season And therefore how could that husband which was an infidell suffer his wife to be absent in the night Againe it is euident enough that GOD is the maker of godlie marriages but such as those other be are procured of naughtinesse that is by the diuell Besides Tertullian bringeth an example taken from things ciuill For the lawe was verie ancient that If anie woman kept vnlawfull companie with a bond-man and being warned did not amend she should at the length be made the handmaid of the maister of that bond-man which shée shamefullie loued The Roman lawes Neither did the Romane lawes suffer that seruants shuld marrie without the consent of their lords What account then shall we make of Christ which is the true Lord of vs all Moreouer if we come vnto strange women we shall at length fall into the hands of their maister which is the diuell Indéed the
iustlie forbidden séeing we are bound therevnto by commandement For it is commanded that we should praie Matth. 5 44 not onelie for our fréends but also for those which be aduersaries vnto vs so as we must wish good and prosperous things vnto them also Wherevpon Christ in the fift of Matthew verse 47. saith If you will onelie salute those which salute you what reward shall ye haue Doo not the Publicans and sinners the same Neither are these kinds of salutations vnprofitable but if they be doone by faith Profitable salutations they be acceptable vnto God and are by him gratiouslie and gentlie heard The old fathers when they were departing out of this life spake salutations or comfortable words vnto their fréends to the great benefit of them Deut. 33. Gen. 48 and 49. Gen. 27. as Moses did vnto the Israelites Iacob vnto his children and Isaac vnto his And in that kind of salutations manie mysteries are opened by the holie Ghost Christ also commanded his apostles that they should salute the houshold wherevnto they did come verse 12. Luke 10 5. as it is written in the tenth of Matthew The maner of the salutation is set foorth namelie that they should saie Peace be vnto this house And that which Christ gaue in commandement he expressed by example for he saluted the apostles saieng Peace be with you Iohn 20 19 And when he was risen from the dead he said vnto the women which returned from the sepulchre All haile It séemeth also that among the apostles Salutations vsed by Christ and his apostles Matt. 26 49. there was a custome that at their méeting and departing they saluted one another and their master also Wherefore Iudas that betraied Christ when he came vnto him he said Haile master and gaue him a kisse which was a signe of a luckie praier Yea moreouer Paule In euerie one in the writing of his epistles did put salutations as well to the beginning as ending of them and he commanded the Corinthians 2. Co. 13 12 that they should salute one another with an holie kisse And in the Church the maner was that when the holie supper was ministred the brethren should one kisse another The which custome is deformed in Poperie and in the stéed of that kisse they carrie about signes and little images to be kissed The angels likewise haue sometimes saluted godlie men as Gabriel did Marie saieng Salutations of angels Luke 1 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is All haile thou freelie beloued And the angel wished health vnto Gedeon saieng The Lord be with thee Iudg. 6 12. And the mother of Samson heard a salutation that came from the angel Howbeit we read not that God did salute anie man séeing it is the propertie of him to giue helth and not to praie for the same bicause in that he is the highest nature to make praiers doo not belong vnto him 16 And salutations were common Salutations among the Ethniks and in estimation not onelie among the Hebrues but also among the Ethniks For the Romans counted it a great honour to be saluted and salutations were numbered among the principall duties Wherefore to such as vsed to salute there was a certeine dailie almes distributed either of monie or else of meat And the noble personages of that Common-weale builded porches before their gates where the saluters should remaine and after a sort be harbored in the morning before they were licenced to come vnto them The formes of saluting were of diuers sorts Among the Graecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Among the Hebrues Schalom and such like Yea and the men in old time did saie likwise that their gods ought to be saluted Wherefore one saith in a Contedie of Terence From hence I will depart home to salute the gods And there be some which thinke that in the same and such like formes of spéech to salute is to worship Which me thinketh is not rightlie said séeing the verie proper signification therein may be reteined What is ment by saluting of God for so much as it is lawfull to wish well vnto God not as though he hath néed of anie thing but we may praie that his glorie maiestie name and dominion may alwaies be famous and spred abroad as Christ taught in the former petitions of his praier Mat. 6. 9 10. Emperours also and kings are said to be saluted so soone as these honours and dignities be giuen vnto them For armies were woont to salute their capteine by the name of Emperour when he had well performed his affaires And euen in this point they depart not from the proper signification of the word bicause in the promoting of men vnto high dignities they praied that God would prosper them well Besides this there be salutations of reioising either for the victorie gotten or at the returne of a man home into his countrie or else for the atteinment of goods or riches wherein also nothing else is doone but a praieng vnto God that these goods may haue good successe with them whome we fauour So as the salutations that be of those kinds may not be condemned but ought to be verie well allowed were it not that superstition which corrupteth all things had not manie times béene mingled therewith For the old Ethniks in their funerals did salute the soules of them that were dead speaking vnto them their last farewell Yea and they visited the ashes of dead men their sepulchres reliks and spoiles praieng for the happinesse of them that were dead Wherevpon Aeneas in Virgil said All haile ô blessed father mine yet once againe all haile And from the Ethniks those customes descended vnto the christians The papists followe the Ethniks in saluting the dead for in the Popes church they salute the soules of them that be departed while they praie for their rest and for deliuering them from the paines of purgatorie They make viages also to salute saints namelie Antonie Iames Peter Paule and Marie 17 Wherefore let these superstitions be reiected but in the meane time let profitable and honest salutations continue the which Elizaeus by his commandement did not take away For that which he commanded vnto his seruant Gehezi must not be vnderstood Why Elizeus commanded his seruant not to salute by the waie as the words signifie at the first vew séeing it is a figuratiue spéech euen as all other spéeches be that séeme to be against charitie as Augustine hath declared vnto vs. Surelie the mind of the prophet is more to be weighed than his words for his meaning was nothing else as D. Kimhi hath verie well expressed but that he should make hast and find no delaies by the waie and that he should bend his mind and cogitation onelie to that thing wherevnto he was sent setting his hart vpon nothing else whether he were speaking or dooing In the selfe-same sense Christ as we haue in the tenth of Luke
that Christ is to those which are regenerated the beginning of life and of blessednes as Adam is vnto them that are deriued of him the cause of death and of sinne Now whatsoeuer is afterward beside this scope gathered touching the equalitie of multitude or of the maner the same is Per accidens that is By chance and pertaineth not vnto the scope and substance of the similitude 45 They obiect also the sentence vnto Timothie God will haue all men to bee saued 1. Tim. 2 4. For this sentence Pighius continuallie repeateth How God will haue all men to be saued as though it were inuincible when yet Augustine oftentimes hath taught that it maie in such sort be expounded that it bringeth no weight at all to prooue those mens fond inuention First we take it to be spoken of all estates and kinds of men namelie that God will haue some of all kindes of men to be saued which interpretation agréeth excellentlie well with the purpose of the Apostle He had commanded that praiers and supplications should be made for all men and especiallie for kings and those which haue publike authoritie that vnder them we maie liue a quiet life in all godlinesse chastitie And therefore to declare that no estate or kind of men is excluded he added God will haue all men saued As if he should haue said No man is letted by that vocation and degrée wherein he is placed so that it be not repugnant vnto the word of God but that he maie come vnto saluation and therefore we ought to pray for all kind of men But héereof we cannot inferre that God endueth euerie man particularlie with grace or predestinateth euerie man to saluation Euen in like manner as in the time of the floud all liuing creatures are said to haue bene saued in the arke with Noe Gen. 8 9. whereas there were but onlie some of euerie kind gathered together in it or we maie vnderstand it thus that God will haue all men to be saued for that as manie as are saued are saued by his will As if a man should saie of one that teacheth Rhetorike in a citie that he teacheth all men by which kind of speach is not signified that all the citizens are hearers of Rhetorike but that as manie as learne are taught of him And this also is like if a man pointing to the gate of a house should saie that All men enter in this waie we must not thereby vnderstand that all men enter into that house but that as manie as doo enter doo enter in by that gate onelie Further there are some which interpret these words of the apostle of the will of the signe or of the antecedent that all men are inuited for that preaching is indifferentlie set foorth to all men Neither is there anie in a manner which inwardlie féeleth not some pricke wherby he is oftimes stirred vp to liue well So that if we respect this will of God we easilie grant that he will haue all men to be saued But they will not haue it to be vnderstood of the hidden effectuall will which they call consequent and after this manner maie those kindes of spéech be vnderstood Iohn 1 9. God lightneth euerie man which commeth into this world Matt. 11 21. Come vnto me all ye which labour are laden For all men are prouoked by the oracles of God and all men are inwardlie mooued by some prouoking All these interpretations are doubtles verie likelie and also apt and yet is there another besides these readie and plaine Two societies of men whereof either of them haue their vniuersalitie The holie scriptures set foorth two societies of men the one of the godlie and the other of the vngodlie and of both societies haue patched together vniuersall propositions which ought of the warie reader to be drawne to their kind The prophets saie Christ citeth the same Iohn 6 45. Ier. 31 33. All men shall be taught of God And All men shall know me frō the least to the greatest Iohn 12 32. Againe When I shall be lifted vp from the earth I will drawe althings vnto my selfe These vniuersall propositions vnlesse they be vnderstood of the godlie which are elected are not true Ioel. 2 28. Esai 66 23. as are these also I will powre of my spirit vpon all flesh And All flesh shall come in my sight and shall worship in Ierusalem Againe Luke 3 6. Psal 145 14 All flesh shall see the saluation of God Againe also God lifteth vp all them that fall Now who séeth not that these things are to bée vnderstood onelie of the saints Contrariwise to the fellowship of the vngodlie perteine these sentences Iohn 3 32. Matt. 10 32. No man receiueth his testimonie and yet manie beléeued Ye shall bee hated of all men Phil. 2 21. Againe All men seeke the things that are their own And againe All men haue declined Psal 14 3. and are altogether made vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one When as yet holie men and they that are now regenerate are acceptable vnto God and doo indeuour themselues to exhibit vnto him some obedience of the lawe But these vniuersall saiengs ought not to be extended beyond their owne societie This distinction had Augustine a regard vnto in his booke De ciuitate Dei where he declareth and prooueth Two cities the one of God the other of the diuell that there haue euer bene two cities namelie one that citie of God and another the citie of the diuell Wherefore in these generall propositions wée must alwaies haue a consideration vnto what order or fellowship of men they perteine Which if we in this present place doo then shall we applie vnto the saints and vnto the elect this sentence which we haue now in hand namelie that God will haue all men to be saued and by that meanes all maner of doubt is taken awaie Otherwise that God effectuallie willeth not the saluation of all men Sundrie instances against the aduersaries verie manie infants declare which perish without Christ and manie also which are borne fooles and deafe had neuer in their life time the right iust vse of reason And if oftentimes happeneth that some haue liued long time honestlie and faithfullie enough and yet suddenlie at the last doo fall and being taken out of the world doo perish eternallie And contrariwise others which haue perpetuallie led their life in wickednes being at the end of their life indued with sudden faith and repentance are saued when yet notwithstanding those first might haue bin taken awaie that maliciousnes might not haue changed their minds Who will in these examples saie that God alike effectuallie willeth the saluation of all men 46 They obiect also a sentence of Christ How often would I haue gatherd together thy children Matt. 13 37. as a hen gathereth together hir chickens and thou
she was betrothed to a man neither was there at that time anie such custome to vow virginitie vnto GOD. But let vs returne to our purpose We ought to resist those doubts which striue against faith through weighing in our mind the power of God for touching the will of God there can no doubt arise for whatsoeuer he setteth foorth to be beléeued he promiseth of his owne accord this doubtles he would not doo if he would not giue it Wherefore it followeth that they which are tempted with such doubting are in doubt of his power The praiers of the church begin at the omnipotencie of God Hereof I thinke it to come to passe that the praiers of the church doo so oftentimes begin with the omnipotencie of God to the end that the harts of them that praie shuld be confirmed that they shuld not in their publike praiers desire anie thing with doubting or mistrust By these things it is manifest how gréeuous a sinne it is to doubt of the promises of God for this is nothing else A greeuous sin to doubt of the promises of God but to account GOD either to be a lier or else to be of small strength and they which be of that mind can neither call vpon God neither yet aske or looke for anie thing at his hands But now forsomuch as this is the nature of faith which the apostle describeth it manifestlie appéereth The diuell hath not faith that the diuell hath no faith for he can haue no confidence that he is accepted of God and besides that he knoweth right well by the naturall sharpenes of his vnderstanding that God is omnipotent But whereas Iames saith Iam. 2 19. The faith which is heere intreated of belongs to godlie men onelie that The diuell beleeueth and trembleth To beléeue in that place is ment To knowe But the faith which is here described perteineth vnto men onelie and to none but such as are godlie 8 But here ariseth a doubt For if onelie the word of God be to be beléeued why said Christ In Rom. 10 17. Iohn 8 38. that If they would not beléeue him yet at the least-wise they should beléeue his works For it séemeth by this sentence Whether we should beleeue miracles that we should also beléeue miracles But we answer that miracles are as testimonies whereby men are the easilier brought to beléeue so then they bée things by the meanes whereof men doo beléeue not that faith is directed vnto them as vnto his obiect albeit as touching the miracles of Christ and of the apostles we must beléeue that they were doone by God and not by Belzebub or by the diuell Matt. 12 14. as the Pharisies slanderouslie reported And this is conteined in the word of God for it giueth testimonie that these miracles should be wrought that they were wrought in their due time namelie in the preaching of sound doctrine Sacraments are beleeued What sacraments are The sacraments also are beléeued but they are nothing else than the visible words of God wherevnto also is ioined the word of God which is heard as Augustine saith The word commeth vnto the element and it is made a sacrament Howbeit there is discretion and iudgement to be had when we beléeue the word of God least we should drawe therevnto anie peruerse and corrupt opinion It is also requisite to haue a good triall and examination if one shall discerne of miracles and in the sacraments it must be considered that they be orderlie ministred that is in such sort as they were instituted by God And by a sound iudgement we must remooue awaie and set aside the inuentions of men that we beléeue them not as we would beléeue the words of God And when Basilius or other of the fathers saie that We must beléeue without examination or iudgement Whether wee must beleeue without iudgement or with iudgement Rom. 4 20. A distinction of iudgment which séemeth to be taken out of that which Paule saith in his epistle to the Romans that Abraham beleeued neither iudged he that word in Gréeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To answer to this doubt this is to be vnderstood that iudgment is of two sorts the one is when we take counsell of the senses and humane reason and this is to be vtterlie remooued from faith for it alwaies resisteth the word of God the other is the iudgement of the spirit which must of necessitie be had And this is it which Paule said Prooue all things 1. The. 5 21 and keepe that which is good And vnto the Corinthians Spirituall things are compared with spirituall things 1. Cor. 2 13. The harder places of the scripture must be conferred with the easier The authoritie of the church hath no dominion ouer faith Rom. 10 14. And with this iudgement it is necessarie to conferre one place which in the holie scriptures is somewhat obscure with another place which is more manifest The authoritie of the church hath no dominion ouer faith as some wickedlie thinke The office of the church is to preach to admonish to reprooue to testifie and to laie the holie scriptures before mens eies neither dooth it require to be beléeued further foorth than it speaketh the words of God Paule before he had made mention of the word by which faith is brought foorth he spake of them that preach the Gospell that is of the ministers which be sent by God in whom he described the ministerie of the church namelie that it consisteth in preaching of the Gospell Ibidem 17. Moreouer if faith as it is written come by hearing that is as it is added by the word of God then followeth it of necessitie that there is nothing whereby faith is more nourished mainteined and confirmed than by continuall reading and repeating of the word of God This thing testified Tertullian in his apologie when he saith that To this end holie assemblies are gathered togither to heare Gods word The philosophers saie that we of the selfe-same things both are and are nourished wherfore in like sort it coms to passe that if faith be of the word of God it is also nourished by the same We knowe moreouer How faith is nourished of the word that through often and vsuall works habits or grounded dispositions are confirmed as contrariwise if a man cease off from actions they waxe weake Wherfore if a man cease to read to heare or to repeat the holie scriptures faith will wax féeble in him And they which thinke that a liuelie and pure faith may continue in churches without often preaching doo excéedinglie erre A similitude of Chrysostom Chrysostome hath an excellent similitude of a light or lampe that burneth which soone goeth out vnlesse oile be still ministred vnto it by the lampe or light he meaneth faith and by oile the word of God and this he writeth in that place where he treateth of the parable of the
spake Christ to his disciples to his apostles I meane to them which were now conuerted to saluation who if they worke vnprofitable works what shall we then iudge of those which haue not yet receiued the faith of Christ But the Sophisters haue made the world such fooles that they saie that works before iustification doo after a sort deserue it and those works which followe they call most profitable of all Wherefore now men would in a maner make account with God and with beades number how manie praiers they haue said for what other thing ment they by them than that they should by a certeine number recite so manie Pater nosters or so many Aue Maries thinking by that recitall to haue GOD most assuredlie bound to them In the 15. of Iohn verse 1. Christ is compared vnto a vinetrée and we vnto the branches thereof wherefore he saith Euen as the branch cannot bring foorth fruit of it selfe vnlesse it abide in the vine no more also can ye vnlesse ye abide in me I am the vine and ye be the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth foorth much fruit And whosoeuer shall not abide in me they are cast out of the doores euen as the branches or cuttings off from the vine and they shall gather them and cast them into the fire Now that we haue recited these words of the Lord how agréeth it that men being strangers from Christ and yet not regenerate can worke good works whereby they may be iustified séeing they are called drie branches which shall be cast into the fire And it is said that they onelie can bring foorth fruit which cleaue vnto Christ as branches cleaue to the vine And that we shuld the better vnderstand the will of Christ verse 5. there is added Without me yee can doo nothing The 54. reason Which sentence some go about to make obscure and saie that Nothing can be doone without Christ in respect the he is God forsomuch as he is the first cause of all things as though the Lord disputed then of the generall conseruation of naturall things and of that power whereby God bringeth foorth all things vniuersallie Christ came not into the world to teach this philosophie he vndoubtedlie intreated of the fruit of saluation and of eternall life and spake of those which should cleaue vnto his doctrine or else should be strangers from it The 55. reason 18 Moreouer the sonne of God commanded that the faithfull should in their praiers saie Forgiue vs our trespasses Matt. 6 12. signifieng thereby that the faithfull also haue néed of forgiuenes in those things which they doo for our works are vnperfect neither are they able to satisfie Wherfore if our works which we doo after our regeneration néed purging by the merit of Christ and we praie they may so be how can they be propitiatorie A great deale lesse can we thinke of those works which are doone before regeneration that they should be acceptable and pleasant vnto God And further no man can iustlie saie that he is not one of this number séeing God hath commanded all men to praie in that maner and his will is not that anie man should make a lie in his praier The 56. reason Yea and Iohn also writeth If we shall saie that we haue no sinne Iohn 1 10. we deceiue our selues there is no truth in vs. And I suppose there is none that will iudge it a thing méet that there should be manie mediators brought in when as There is but onelie one mediator betweene God and man namelie the man Christ Iesus But if besides him and his merits our works should also iustifie vs then should they be set betwéene God and vs neither should Christ be the onelie mediator The 57. reason Mal. 3 3. Psal 51 4. Ouer this the prophets doo euerie-where praie and Dauid also that God would wash clense purifie and purge their sinnes namelie in forgiuing and remitting them but if they could haue atteined vnto that thing by their works then néeded they not to haue requested it by praier or at the least-waie not with so great feruencie The 53. reason verse 15. verse 18. And in Iob the 15. chapter it is written that The verie heauens are not pure before God and in the fourth chapter he pronounceth the angels not to be pure In what case then shall men be The 59. reason Psa 130 3. The 60. reason Esai 55 1. before they obteine iustification Dauid also in his Psalmes crieth If thou Lord looke streictlie vpon our iniquities Lord who shall be able to abide it Esaie calleth the thirstie vnto the waters and bidden them buie without siluer But our men forsooth will merit and be iustified both by merits and by works and also by siluer Moreouer verse 6. in the fortie chapter the same prophet when he heard a voice The 61. reason wherein it was said Crie out answered What shall I crie And it was said vnto him that he should crie All flesh is grasse and Chasdo that is his pietie or religion or mercie wherewith he succoureth his neighbour is as the flower of the field that is a thing vanishing which straitwaie vadeth awaie neither can it continue The same thing also affirmeth he in the 64. chapter verse 6. where hée saith that All our righteousnes is as filthie rags The 62. reason Which sentence whether a man applie it vnto works doone after regeneration or before I passe not much for either waie will make on our side And in the selfe-same chapter he addeth O our God we are claie and thou art our creator and we are the worke of thy hands And the same similitude of the claie and potter vseth Paule to the Romans in the ninth chapter wherein is notablie declared Ibidem 8 and 20. The 63. reason that so much are we able to doo towards our iustification as can the claie towards the potter to cause him to make it after this maner or that maner We might also recite testimonies Rom. 9. 20. which are written of the maliciousnes of our harts both in Genesis and in Ieremie Gen. 6 5. and 8 21. Ier. 17 9. but I suppose I haue alreadie brought testimonies enow for the confirmation of our proposition And this now onelie will I saie that there haue béene men so rash that they haue not onelie attributed some merit of iustification vnto honest works and which are as they terme them morallie good but also vnto superstitious works which they themselues haue imagined and inuented For who is ignorant of the rimes commonlie set abroad of holie water Aqua benedicta deleantur tua delicta sit tibi laus vita that is To holie water and other trifles the aduersaries ascribe forgiuenes of sinnes By holie water let thy sinnes be blotted out and let it be vnto thee praise and life They ascribe
of GOD brought into the arke more cleane beasts than vncleane To conclude after the comming of Christ the ancient libertie and choise of meats which the lawe had forbidden was restored wherefore it ought not vnder colour of religion to be restored againe by the popish bishops or by the church Yet doo not those things which we haue alleaged limit either Magistrates or publike authoritie but that they may sometimes appoint a choise of meats vpon iust consideration ¶ Touching apparell of the Ministers of the church looke in the 34. 36. 38. 39. 40. epistles in the end of this booke The sixt Chapter Of vowes in generall also of the vow of the Nazarites of Ieptha and of the Rechabits AFter these things let vs saie somwhat concerning a vow The Gréeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Gen. 28. the Latine Votum doo not signifie one thing but two The signification of this name namelie The praiers and desire wherwith we be inflamed when we praie for anie thing or vse the verie things that be desired Further it betokeneth a promise of offering something vnto GOD. And this ambiguitie of these words in ech toong hath not happened by chance or without consideration as soone after shall be shewed The Hebrues call a vow Neder Whence the custome of vowing did arise But hereof grew the custome of making a vow that this was setled almost in the minds of all men that if at anie time they did praie earnestlie vnto God for anie thing to be giuen them they in like maner promise to offer something vnto him againe For by such maner of meanes their minds doo séeme to be woonne one to another namelie by gifts bicause those things not onelie helpe them to whom they are giuen but doo also honour them For they be giuen as a testimonie of vertue and excellencie in which second respects sake they maie be offered vnto God that he maie thereby be honoured of vs. Aristotle in his Rhethoriks said that Gifts doo no lesse satisfie the ambitious than they doo the couetous for they desire them thereby to be enriched and these to be honoured Wherefore euen the Lord who speciallie requireth of vs to be worshipped said in the lawe that men should not come emptie handed vnto him forsomuch as he iudged it vnwoorthie if his people should appeare emptie before him This selfe-same was a custome among the Romans so that it is read almost euerie where what the Curtij and the Decij vowed for obteinement of victorie Among the Gréeks also there were vowes oftentimes vsed Yea and we read in Platoes booke intituled Phaedon that as yet in the time of Socrates they vsed to performe a vow of sending a ship well rigged euerie yéere vnto Delos with gifts and sacrifices and that by a vow which Theseus had bound himselfe vnto when he went into the isle of Candie to slaie the monster Minotaurus How vsuall this also was among the Hebrues it is no néed to recite So that in praieng and desiring anie-thing of God men were woont to vow some thing vnto God least they might séeme to be vndutifull towards him 2 Now then we define a vow to be a holie promise whereby we bind our selues to offer some thing vnto God A vow is alwaies ioined with praiers And a vow as we haue said hath alwaies some praiers ioined therewith for obteining at the leastwise of somewhat at the hands of God Wherefore that ambiguitie of the word happened not without cause in the Hebrue and Latine toongs for séeing these things be so ioined togither it might easilie come to passe that the word which signifieth one thing maie sometime be referred to another And hereby we maie perceiue that the knowledge of both these as well of offering as also of demanding anie thing of God is necessarie for vs which professe godlinesse But let vs returne vnto the definition wherein the generall word is Holie for it is called A holie promise Wherof it coms that as touching the calling of it holie we are in few words to saie that it belongeth vnto iustice For whatsoeuer is holie is also iust but not contrarie for iustice is that Whatsoeuer is holie is iust but not contrarie whereby we yéeld to euerie man his owne and they to whom these things be yéelded are either God or men That facultie then whereby we yéeld vnto all men their owne is called iustice and kéepeth the name of the generall word but when we yéeld vnto God due obedience now is this after the iudgement of Plato in his booke called Euthyphron to be referred vnto holinesse And a man may plainlie sée that euen in the holie scriptures those things which be offred dedicated vnto God are called holie and that which ought to be yéelded vnto God by vs is obedience and that is of two sorts One is profitable vnto him to whom it is offered Two sorts of obedience but after this maner we can giue God nothing séeing by these things he is made nothing the greater nor dooth increase in anie respect Psal 16 2. Thou art my God saith the prophet for thou hast no need of my goods And in the Gospell of Luke Luk. 17 10. When we haue doone all vnto him we are vnprofitable seruants Another kind of obedience there is which apperteineth vnto reuerence euen as seruants honour their maisters But this seruice and obedience towards God herein consisteth that we shew our selues readie and diligent towards GOD in the executing of that worke and function which God both vouchsafeth and desireth to worke by vs. And this is the sanctifieng of his name the which God can sufficientlie performe by himselfe but he vseth vs to our owne commoditie and singular profit 3 But that we maie knowe what maner of things must be offered vnto GOD What things must be offered vnto God and that therein we offend as little as maie be we must take a speciall héed And first commeth to my remembrance Augustine vpon the Psalme Be mercifull vnto me ô God Psal 56 2. for man hath troden me downe He expounding that particle in the 12. verse in Hebrue A lai nedar eca that is In me or vpon me are thy vowes thus saith A man must first offer himselfe vnto GOD. Which maie chéefelie be confirmed by that reason which the Lord vsed in persuading to giue tribute vnto Caesar Matt. 22 20. and .21 For saith he it hath his image and superscription wherefore we being made according to the image of God it is méete that we should be giuen vnto him And Paule sundrie times exhorteth vs when he saith I beseech you Rom. 12 1. for the mercie of God that ye will giue your selues c. And the same apostle in the sixt chapter of that epistle Rom. 6 19. As you haue giuen your members seruants to vncleannes and from one iniquitie to another c. And in the same epistle
God nor Christ were authors that anie man should diuorse himselfe from his wife We knowe in déed that Paule permitteth them which are maried to be sometimes a sunder whereby they might more conuenientlie giue themselues to praiers and fastings but this he permitteth not vnlesse it be with both their consents that for a short time and he willeth them to returne to their old state lest by the temptation of Sathan they should be ouerthrowen So then this saieng that they bring is not sufficient to prooue the necessitie of sole life for ministers séeing the aduersaries gather more out of the same than can be gathered For there the apostle saith that sometimes it is lawfull to absteine from comming togither But these men take it to be a commandement to all sorts of ministers to be euermore vnmarried which argument is both weake and vnprofitable a◠the art of Logike manifestlie sheweth We will grant indéed that it is méete for ministers sometimes to kéepe them selues continent and that oftener than other men but yet not continuallie This they obiect If other men moderate themselues now and then bicause they may fall to praier what shuld they doo whose dutie is alwaies to applie themselues both vnto praiers and to the administration of the sacraments I answer first that we much maruell at them which alledge these things séeing the greatest part of the clergie doo almost neuer teach they distribute the sacraments verie sildome and scarselie once or twise in a yeare doo celebrate that their most shamefull and abhominable Masse but in the meane time they commit whooredome and pollute themselues with adulteries And they cauill that they cannot marrie bicause of the ecclesiasticall degrées which they haue taken vpon them Vndoubtedlie the reasons alledged doo nothing at all further these kind of men 3 Moreouer we must consider that the woords which Paule there speaketh A distinction of praiers and fastings belong not to cōmon fasting or to common and vsuall praiers for otherwise it would be lawfull for no man either to marrie or to haue a wife forsomuch as all men are commanded to praie without ceasing And there be sometimes certeine solemne praiers Sometimes fastings and praiers proclamed Ioel. 2 16. 1. Cor. 7 5. and fastings appointed either for the auoiding of calamities which hang ouer our heads or for the choosing of ministers of the church and for such like necessities in which we must with the prophet and the apostle counsell and exhort the husband to depart out of his chamber and the bride out of hir bed But I would gladlie here of these new maisters and most seuere censors what they did a good while since in the church of Rome which they alone of all other so highlie honour what I saie was doone when Christians did euerie daie communicate They communicated in Rome euerie daie as Ierom and Augustine write to be doone in their time Vndoubtedlie they did communicate and yet they had wiues Further what did the high priest Aaron and his successors in the old testament whose office both morning euening was perpetuallie to minister at the tabernacle Exod. 29 38 For as yet were not the turnes of priests distributed by Dauid Salomon and Ezechias 1. Paralipo 23. 24. 25 had they not then wiues Yes truelie and begat children But they saie that it behooued the same then to be doone forsomuch as the succession of priesthood was then by the propagation of the flesh neither might the priests be there taken of anie other tribe than out of the tribe of Leuie but now that we are loosed from that lawe and that we may euerie where haue ministers of the church it is méete that they be without wiues I will aske these men Who was the authour that the high priests and other priests in the old time should be continued by carnall propagation Except they grant God to be the author I wold maruell I will therefore conclude that they make themselues wiser than God who is most wise who also suffered and willed priests to vse matrimonie He might haue taken priests out of euerie tribe and haue commanded continencie but he would not doo it yet these men dare doo more than he hath commanded Further let them tell vs whether there were ministers in the primitiue church or no Vndoubtedlie there were yea and those had wiues The ministers of the primitiue church had wiues and vsed them and yet neuerthelesse they both taught and ministred continuallie That they had wiues the histories declare the canons testifie and especialle those canons of the apostles wherevnto our aduersaries thinke we must so firmelie leane The Canons of the apostles hold him accursed that teacheth that a priest should despise his wife For there we read that he is accursed which teacheth that a priest ought to despise his wife 4 I am not ignorant that there be certeine wilie heads which by trifling shifts doo so auoid the place alledged as though it should onelie be vnderstood touching meat and drinke and clothing of which things they saie that a priest now seuered from his wife ought to prouide hir as though the wife is not more contemned from whom mariage dutie is taken awaie than if she be neglected as touching meat drinke and apparrell The councel Gangrense The Councell also Gangrense decréed that he is accursed which putteth a difference betwéene the oblation of a married priest and the oblation of others Here also least they should be thought to saie nothing they saie that A priest is taken for him that was once before married and not he which is presentlie maried which they thinke hapneth when either the wife is dead or else if they be separated the one from the other But grant which of these two waies thou wilt yet a clergie man cannot be called a maried man for they are married folks Who be married folkes which both liue together and are not separated one from an other But that the ministers in the primitiue church had wiues and had the vse of them the historie of Nicolaus the deacon sufficientlie declareth And hereby it is easilie prooued for if ministers accompanied not with their wiues Syricius Pelagius and other Popes of Rome néeded not to haue made so manie prohibitions that the same should not be doone from that time forward For these tyrants complained that so it was doone and therefore so farre as was in their power by decrées ordinances and threatnings they forbad the vse of matrimonie to ecclesiasticall persons which they should not néed to haue doone if such matrimonies had not then béene in vse At length they denie not but that it was so howbeit they flie vnto this namelie that we must haue a respect vnto the times and attribute somewhat vnto necessitie For in the primitiue church as they saie there was a great want of ministers wherfore they were faine to choose them out of euerie state of men
may doo without anie acknowledgement of particular sinnes either of this person or of that a commandement they haue to forgiue sinnes but not to take knowledge of them Otherwise the whole state of saluation would be made vncerteine no man should be sure of a full confession Christ saith Iohn 5. 22. that All iudgement is giuen vnto him whie then will they iudge of particular facts as to ordeine certeine yéeres and penance for particular faults and for deadlie sinne seuen yéeres penance So great account they make of their owne decrées as for the breach of them they exclude men out of the church and consequentlie from euerlasting saluation God saith in the prophet Esaie Esaie 43 verse 11. 43. I am he who doo forgiue sinnes and besides me there is none other Wherefore séeing this matter is so intricate and as it were a certeine tyrannie it is not frée to take the vse of it from such men bicause some thinke that they doo verie well if they doo make themselues subiect vnto such tyrannie 26 As concerning their argument of the lepres we saie that it is most féeble A confutation of the arguments of the aduersaries and it séemeth maruellous that at this day they claime not to them selues the knowledge of outward leprosie séeing the priests in old time had the knowledge thereof by the commandement of God But they saie that it is an allegorie and that the sinne of the mind is called leprosie But an allegoricall argument is not of strength in allegories euerie man dallieth as it séemeth best vnto him Howbeit let them knowe Heb. 7 8. 9 and 10. The priesthood translated vnto Christ that the priesthood is translated vnto Christ he is now our high priest to him therefore doo we confes our sinnes The same was a certeine ciuill action of those times it bindeth not vs in this age Christ sent them vnto the priests bicause at that time the lawe of Moses was in force Christ would not be ill reported of as though he had taken awaie the same leprosie by his miracles Much lesse doo they conclude by the other place out of the historie of Lazarus Iohn 11 44. Christ raised him vp from the dead he commanded that his graue cloths should be vndone Whom commanded he so to doo Those which stood by therefore the confession should be made to all others and not to the sacrificing priests onelie Christ raised vp Lazarus to him therefore let vs confesse our sinnes he would haue him to be loosed and least they should thinke the matter to be counterfeit he would haue him to be knowen with open face Matt. 3 6. They came vnto Iohn Baptist confessing their sinnes and no maruell bicause baptisme is an outward token of repentance In baptisme men are dipped in rise out againe the old man is laied awaie and the new man is taken to vs. They confest that they had sinned but the confession was openlie doone not whispered in the eare When there is a speaking of confession before baptisme what is this to auricular confession For the papists iudge not that men should confesse themselues before baptisme wherefore this place is impertinent Acts. 19 18. In the Acts the Ephesians came they shewed their dooings how they were beguiled by satan they brought foorth their superstitious bookes that they might be burned The bearing witnes was publike what maketh this vnto auricular confession Iam. 5 6. Iames saith Confesse your faults one to another and praie one for another that you may be preserued Two things he would first that men should powre out their infirmities into the bosome of some good men by whom they might receiue consolation counsell and helpe of praiers Further if one man had hurt another they should forgiue one another acknowledging their owne infirmitie and should not iustifie themselues So Christ teacheth in the fift chapter of Matthew Matth. 5 23. that if a man had offended the whole church he should doo in like maner If Iames had spoken of auricular confession it should behooue the priests also to confesse themselues to laie men Touching the keies Matt. 18 18 Whatsoeuer ye shall bind vpon earth shall be bound in heauen we might saie that they themselues should first agrée as touching those keies and afterward let them dispute with vs. For of the keies euerie man feineth what he will some appoint them to be the keies of knowledge others of power others of iurisdiction Vnto vs they be nothing else but the preaching of the Gospell whereby the ministers promise forgiuenesse of sinnes vnto them that repent What will they saie which confes manie of their ministers to be vnlearned who knowe not how to vse the keies rightlie What shall they doo which repaire vnto them and doubt whether they vse well the keies of knowledge Pro. 27 23. In knowing thou shalt knowe the face of thy cattell This commandement is profitable bicause it teacheth how men should order their substance after the right forme of a good house-kéeping If God haue giuen wealth let them not suffer it to perish let them vse their owne goods let them absteine from other mens And séeing these temporall goods which be granted vnto vs are so vnstable and that the crowne that is to saie the glorie of works dooth not alwaies indure there had néed some care and diligence be applied These men passe it ouer vnto priests that they should knowe the face of their flocke that is to saie that they should examine all their acts by priuie confession After what maner are these things obserued The bishops doo scarselie heare anie confessions they referre them ouer vnto the order of begging friers while they in the meane time will be pastors and enioie the wealth They heare no confessions naie rather they hire verie abiect men to heare them for a péece of bread wherefore they giue an ill interpretation Further they doo not obserue things according to their owne interpretation In the 28. chapter of the Prouerbes it is written He that hideth his sinnes verse 13. shall not prosper in the land but who so acknowledgeth them and forsaketh them he shall obteine mercie According to the interpretation of these men that confession should haue béene in the old testament for if they will prooue such a confession by these places of necessitie the same must haue béene at that time But it is spoken of that confession whereby we confesse our sinnes before God and desire pardon the which in that place is promised 27 They said that in the church there hath béene a continuall vse of confession The antiquitie of confession confuted whereby they concluded that the same sproong frō Christ This is false In ancient time there was a kind of confession in the church but the same was the confession of wicked men it perteined nothing vnto this kind It was lawfull for the bishops to receiue the penitent persons and
to admit them into the church without that confession yet they did it not by reason of the prescript cautions or prouisos which were prescribed least they might be deceiued It séemed dishonourable vnto them that he which had committed so grosse a sinne should be receiued They feared least the church should haue béene euill reported of First this thing is prooued by the historie mentioned of Sozomenus the which I will now better expound He saith that confession came by the constitution of bishops speciallie of them of the West part and most of all of the Romane bishops but not of the Nouatian bishops which admitted them to no repentance that were fallen after baptisme And the contents thereof was that there should be ordeined in the church one penitentiall priest But these men saie that this is giuen to all sacrificing priests after that they be consecrated by the bishops onelie hée heard them which came to him taking knowledge of their sinnes praied for them and inioined them for a certeine time vnto praier and fasting But bicause a certeine noble Matrone which was vnder the hands of these penance-giuers in the church of Constantinople had dishonour doone vnto hir by a deacon that thing did verie greatlie displease the people wherefore Nectarius did abrogate that confession He hauing taken good deliberation did thinke he might doo this all the bishops which were in that church consented vnto him Nectarius for this cause was not counted an heretike nor yet deposed from his office So then it appéereth that the same confession was not alwaies in the church nor receiued of all sorts If Nectarius may séeme to be but of small authoritie who neuerthelesse was of verie great authoritie let vs heare Chrysostome his successour who also allowed of his iudgement Vpon the 51. psalme in the second homilie he writeth that he requireth not that we should declare our sinnes vnto anie man but vnto God in our harts And in his treatise of the incomprehensible diuine essence against the Anomaei the fift homilie he commandeth that they should confesse their sins vnto God Vpon the epistle to the Hebrues and in a maner euery where he repeateth this thing And if that Nectarius did abrogate confession for one whoredome committed which was openlie knowen what ought to be doone at this daie when it is the nursse of ribaudrie Howbeit least the Graecians alone might séeme to haue béene wise let vs heare what they of the Latine church haue written Leo the pope as the Maister of the sentences testifieth in the 17. distinction and it is also read in the decrées De poenitentia distinct 1. in the chapter Quamuis Although that that publike confession had béene of old he sawe that the same was a dangerous thing for he saith There be manie things which are not expedient to be spoken so openlie neither doo men so willinglie declare them bicause of their enimies least they should be vpbraided and least they should be drawen to their answer in place of iudgement Wherefore he remooued this disallowable custome of publike repentance It is sufficient that they come vnto the priest who may praie for them and tell them priuilie of their faults Thou séest therefore that in stéed of that publike confession he dooth institute a secret and priuate confession Ambrose is cited in the first distinction De poenitentia in the chapter Petrus and it is read in his tenth booke 22. chapter vpon Luke Peter saith he wept and sorrowed bicause he erred as a man I find not what he said but I find that he wept He shewed that he had remission of sinnes not by outward confession The Master of the sentences in the 17. distinction affirmeth Ambrose to haue said that he had not read yet that it was not therfore prooued that Peter was not confessed But Ambrose would attribute much vnto faith and contrition The Master of the sentences addeth Perhaps repentance was not then instituted and yet Christ had alreadie said Matt. 16 19. that he would giue the keies c. If that place prooue a necessitie of confession it was now instituted The same Maister of the sentences and also the decrées De poenitentia distinction the first in the chapter Porro in the beginning doo bring Prosperus in the second booke and seuenth chapter De vita contemplatiuae who maketh the matter to be frée Iohn who was the Glosser of the decrées at the beginning in the first distinction De poenitentia examineth the question Whether confession be vsed by the lawe of God or whether it be inuented by men And he saith that it is an ecclesiasticall tradition adding that the Gréeks allowed not of such a decrée But Scotus inueâ—heth against him and will haue it to be a part of Gods lawe Touching the Gréeks he saith that it is vncerteine whether they confesse or no that if they doo not they degenerate as they doo in other things 28 Therefore we conclude That sinnes must be coÌ„fessed vnto God that sinnes must be shewed vnto God himselfe not to the intent we should put GOD in mind of them for he knoweth our harts but that we may knowe our owne selues and sée our owne miseries the which being throughlie considered we may the more feruentlie implore the grace of God Paule saith Let a man trie himselfe 1. Co. 11 28 and. 31. He saith not Let him be tried by others bicause if we would iudge our selues we should not be iudged There is also a certeine practise to be gathered and considered by the histories Moonkerie or sole life was verie much in vse at the time that the vexations of the church first began that which necessitie brought in vse began afterward to please and so they thought them selues godlie if they did liue in solitarie places There haue béene some which for the space of fiftéene seuentéene or twentie yéeres liued sole so as they sawe no man where did they confesse their sinnes The first church knew not of priuie confession Wherefore the first church knew not of that priuie confession They bind all men by their decrée what then will they doo with him that is dumbe They will not receiue confessions by writing they will saie he shall deale by signes All men can not be confessed according to their decree Can the priest vnderstand this How shall he séeke out the circumstances Admit that a man speake in a strange language they will saie he must deale by an interpretour as though a mâ—n would also disclose his mind vnto interpretors Whereas they would haue a man confesse all his sinnes they be fond men for No man can confesse all his sins for he knoweth not all Psal 19 13. Iere. 7 9. Certeine obiections confuted Who can tell how oft he offendeth Ieremie saith Corrupt and vnsearchable is the hart of man innumerable things doo there lurke in his hart They saie that he must doo as much as in him lieth but he
be as tow and the maker of your idols as a sparke of fire they both shall burne togither The strength of these men is euill doctrine idolatrie I meane the sparke shall set the tow on fire both shall be burned namelie the author of the doctrine togither with the tow with his opinions bicause euen those things shall not abide the author himself shall be much afflicted Paule alluded to the words of Esaie Neuerthelesse the sentence of Paule is not all one with that of Esaie but as I haue said he onelie alluded vnto it In 1. Cor. 3 ver 15. Luk. 16 19. To the right 31 Lastlie they brought an argument out of Luke concerning the rich man which was tormented in the flames But the same is said of manie to be a parabolicall narration of which mind Chrysostome is But admit it be an historie in déed how will it prooue that rich man to be in purgatorie Séeing betwéene the bosome of Abraham that place where he was punished it is said that There was an exceeding great Chaos so as from thence none might passe vnto Abraham An euident proofe that neither the praiers of the liuing nor yet intercession of saints is auailable for soules in purgatorie And it séemeth a wonder how that rich man séeing he was so greatlie afflicted did not desire to haue a yearelie memoriall nor yet the praiers of them that were aliue And séeing Abraham affirmeth that he might neither be holpen by him nor yet by Lazarus how can the massing priest trust that he by his masses and praiers can release the soules of them that be departed from the paines of purgatorie Vndoubtedlie the wise virgins imparted not their oile vnto the foolish Matt. 25 9 neither could Lazarus further the rich man It had béene better that they should haue pondered in that place They haue Moses and the Prophets Wherein it is shewed that the diuine scriptures are sufficient vnto saluation Men are not sent either to the Fathers or vnto humane traditions To the ninth As touching the holie citie which is the societie of the blessed I confesse that no vncleane thing must be let in vnto the same for they which die in the name of Christ be washed with his bloud Besides this there happened repentance and loosing of the flesh at the time of death wherefore they ought no more to be counted vncleane which are made partakers of eternall life Neither will we denie Phil. ◠10. but that In the name of Iesus euerie knee must bow both of things in heauen To the 10. and of things in earth and of things vnder the earth But these words must not be vnderstood touching the worshipping of GOD for it doth not onelie consist herein that knées should bow but it chieflie requireth spirituall affections and motions of the mind It is spoken there concerning the souereigne power giuen vnto Christ by reason whereof euerie creature both of heauen and earth and of things vnder the earth are put in subiection vnder him Yea and the diuell togither with the spirits of damned soules are put vnder his féet whether they will or no. And this doo the words that go before sufficientlie declare for it is said God gaue him a name which is aboue euerie name c. Which words if thou wilt applie to the worshipping of God as though they which worship God may be in purgatorie thou must of necessitie confesse that the diuell also and damned spirits doo worship Christ And of the same sense is that thought to be which is written in the Apocalypse namelie that All creatures Apoc. 5 13. To the 11. which be in heauen in the earth in the sea and vnder the earth celebrated the praises of God All things doo praise God according to their kind for they minister matter and occasion of diuine praises Otherwise thou wilt saie that hils mountains trées dragons and other such things doo trulie and properlie praise God 32 Touching the Fathers The greater number of fathers grant that there is a purgatorie but affirme it not to be an article of the faith what they haue iudged concerning this matter I haue not what else to declare but that the greater part of them are inclined to this opinion that there is a purgatorie But I remember not that I haue read among anie of them that it is an article of the faith in such sort as he that otherwise should thinke maie not haue saluation Neither must it straitwaie be accounted as a thing necessarilie to be beléeued whatsoeuer the Fathers haue said Heretiks called Millenarij Otherwise let vs subscribe vnto the Millenarij among whom were Irenaeus Victorinus Papias Lactantius Methodius and manie other notable men and men of worthie memorie Certeinlie all men subscribe not vnto Ambrose Ambrose Augustine had their errors when as in diuorsements he giueth leaue onelie vnto the man to be maried againe Neither will all men consent vnto Augustine that infants which die without baptisme are appointed to the punishment of hell neither that the Eucharist should be giuen to those infants The Papists against Augustine And our aduersaries themselues agrée not with Augustine when as he saith that All works of infidels be sinnes although it be a thing most true and most agréeable vnto the word of God Tertullian is withstood for holding that the soule commeth * Ex traduce by deriuation from one to another albeit that Augustine is not much against the same The errors of Cyprian Tertullian Epiphanius Ierom and of others They refuse Cyprian which held that heretiks returning vnto the church should be baptised againe Neither will they allow of Epiphanius when he saith against Arrius that It is the tradition of the apostles that sixe daies before Easter they should eate nothing but bread with salt And the same father in his Anchorato interpreteth the saieng of Christ The father is greater than I Iohn 14 18. to be spoken as touching his diuine nature Neither dooth he expound the same to concerne the nature of man as other men of right beléefe doo for he will by that kind of spéech that the sonne should be vnder the father And his opinion is that Christ when he praied in the garden Matt. 26 39. desired not that thing as though he would haue it so to be but bicause he would deceiue the diuell and prouoke him vnto a particular conflict as though Christ fained in that praier And it is not to be allowed in Ierom that he so smallie fauoured matrimonie that in his writing against Iouinianus he counted the mariage of two wiues or the second or third mariage in the place of fornication And Dionysius in his treatise De coelesti hierarchia when he sheweth the maner of burieng the bodies of the faithfull he saith that the dead carcases should be annointed which at this daie none of our aduersaries would doo I
speake nothing of saint Benedict Benedict commanded the Eucharist to be giuen to a dead woman that commanded the Eucharist to be giuen vnto the dead woman And I should want both spéech and time if I would reckon vp all those things that are found among the Fathers which are neither to be receiued nor yet at this daie would be admitted by them which speake against vs. But while I repeat these things I would not be accounted as C ham the sonne of Noah which laughed at the discouerie of his fathers nakednes That the errors of the fathers are not rashlie to be defamed vnlesse necessitie doo vrge and brought his brothers to laugh at the same I would gladlie haue said nothing of these matters but I am constrained by the importunitie of our aduersaries which perpetuallie crie out The fathers The fathers The fathers as though they would consent to althings that the fathers haue spoken or doone Whie doo they not rather vnderstand and consider that they also were men and that they erred sometimes as men for they did not alwaies build vpon the foundation that is Christ siluer gold and pretious stones No antiquitie of opinion can prescribe against the truth Neither ought anie antiquitie of opinion or custome to prescribe against the truth for errors began in the church euen in the time of Paule And there is mention made by Paule of ill builders And there wanted not some which at the verie same time iudged that Baptisme should be admitted for the dead 1. Co. 15 2◠And the supper of the Lord was handled among the Corinthians with so great an abuse as the apostle was constrained to saie 1. Co. 11 20. This is not to eate the supper of the Lord. Cyprian Custome without reason is the mother of error And Cyprian admonished that custome without reason is the mother of error 33 And this also is woont to be obiected against vs namelie that the church hath alwaies praied for the dead which in verie déed I denie not but I affirme that for the dooing thereof it hath neither authoritie out of the word of God nor yet anie example that can be taken out of the holie scriptures Men are easilie persuaded being mooued through a certeine naturall charitie and loue that they beare towards the dead We must beware that our affection towards the dead be not against faith and godlinesse so as they wish well vnto them and breake out into some praiers for them But we must beware that this vehementer kind of affection be not against faith and iust godlinesse And there may be an other cause besides purgatorie whie praiers should be made in the church for them that be dead for they would not haue the name and memorie of them that were departed to be soone forgotten but they indeuored to preserue the same among the faithfull so long as was possible Further those praiers tended to this end that they would giue thanks vnto God who had called vnto him those that were departed out of this miserable life Ambrose Wherefore Ambrose in his funerall praiers made at the death of Theodosius and at the death of Valentinianus two emperours reioiseth for their sakes that they had alreadie obteined eternall felicitie bicause they alreadie reigned with Christ and yet neuerthelesse he added praiers that God would grant them the desired rest The which saiengs séeme to disagrée in themselues vnlesse thou vnderstand them as we haue now declared Further the church thought good to exercise hir office towards the dead as if so be they had yet liued notwithstanding indéed it considered that they had alreadie receiued that which it praied for Iohn 11 41. For Christ also praied for the resurrection of Lazarus the which neuertheles he doubted not but that he had obteined euen before he made his praier and therefore he said that hée praied for their sakes that stood by The prelate in making praiers for them that were departed was séene to instruct and teach the people what good things he which died had receiued those things I meane which they had heard the church to wish for These words are taken out of Dionysius in his treatise of Ecclesiasticall gouernement Dionysius Epiphanius Also Epiphanius added another reason against Arrius namelie that that thing which is perfect should be distinguished from other things Vndoubtedlie Christ is so perfect and absolute as it shall not be méet to praie for him But others although they be holie when they be compared with him be vnperfect and therefore it is not vnfit for their state to haue praiers to be powred out for them Wherefore the ancient fathers praied both for martyrs and for saints This cause haue I rehearsed out of Epiphanius not that I doo thinke the same to be true for the praiers which the ancient fathers made for patriarks prophets apostles and martyrs were thanks-giuing but that it may be vnderstood that there cannot be one cause onelie assigned why the church praied for the dead And séeing there may be manie sundrie causes appointed they deale not Logiklie who would obtrude onelie one cause vnto vs namelie to the intent that the soules of them that be departed should be eased in purgatorie But they make much adoo that the church expresselie praied for the dead that they might be succoured and be in better case Indéed I knowe that manie of the fathers doo admit this cause also but it is vncerteine The church in ancient time praied that the dead might be deliuered from hell whether the church began first for that cause to praie for the dead Naie rather if thou wilt behold the forms of the most ancient praiers in the church thou shalt perceiue that it praied that the soules departed might be deliuered from hell-fire from eternall death and from hell where there is no redemption 34 Lastlie I néed not bring manie things to defend the iustice of God which our aduersaries saie that we abolish by taking awaie of purgatorie séeing for them which sléepe in the Lord Christ suffered punishments enow and what good works and righteousnesse was wanting vnto them is added by the death and merits of Christ Further there is repentance the which hath infinite sorrowes ioined therewith especiallie when we conuert vnto Christ from our hart as we are to beléeue of them which wrestle at the last houre and labour to breake foorth vnto saluation Then commeth death whereby when the flesh is dissolued the infirmities also and corruptions of the same doo perish And bréeflie our righteousnes must not be measured by our works neither must the iustice of God be weighed by mans authoritie for the Lord saith Esaie 55 9. Looke how much the heauen is distant from the earth so much are my waies from your waies Matt. 20 15. c. Is thine eie euill bicause I am good And for the remoouing of purgatorie these things may suffice The tenth Chapter
Of Teares fasting and watchings being the outward exercises of repentance first concerning teares TEares are counted as certeine thinges added and ioined with repentance In Iudg. 2 vers 4. Teares are vsed aswell to repentance as to praiers and also vnto praiers for not onelie the repentants are woont to wéepe when they detest their sins with gréeuous sorrowe but also as manie as doo earnestlie and vehementlie striue to obteine anie thing Howbeit Teares are not alwaies the token of true repentance Gen. 27 38. Heb. 12 17. the tokens of true repentance are not alwaies measured by teares for we read as well in the booke of Genesis as in the epistle to the Hebrues that Esau also wept Praiers in like maner to be effectuall to obteine that which is desired is not alwaies iudged by teares for Dauid after his adulterie fasted and wept whilest he earnestlie praied that the life of his son In 2. Sam. 12 vers 16. which was borne vnto him by Bethsabe might be spared which neuertheles he could not obteine But in that teares in those examples had no good successe there were diuers causes for Esau as we will straitwaie declare moorned not in faith and Dauid obteined not that which he desired bicause God had determined to giue him that which was much better and more honourable than that which he desired Indéed the sonne which was conceiued in adulterie remained not aliue but of the same mother he afterward had Salomon whom God did substitute vnto a most ample and peaceable kingdome after his fathers death yea and whilest he yet liued But on the other side let vs consider how that teares in Peter were tokens of verie true repentance and also in that woman Luk. 23 62. which as the Euangelists declare with hir teares washed the Lords féet Luke 7 38. And as touching praiers Esaie 38 2. Ezechias was heard when he praied with wéeping and death being shewed vnto him was deferred vntill another time Iosias likewise was heard 2. Kin 22 19 who praied vnto God with manie teares The 126. psalme speaketh thus of the fruit of praier which hath sorrowe and teares ioined therewith verse 6. They went and wept casting their seeds but doubtlesse they shall come againe and with ioie shall bring their sheaues with them And they which sowe in teares shall reape in ioie It is also written in the sixt psalme Psal 6 9. The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping And in the 56. psalme Psal 56 9. The teares of the saints are as it were put in a pot or bottle before God and faithfullie sealed in his booke verse 9. Dauid also in the 95. psalme stirreth vs vp by these words Let vs weepe before the Lord that made vs c. But much more are we stirred vp thervnto by the example of Christ who as it is written in the epistle to the Hebrues With a lowd crie Heb. 5 7. and with teares praied for vs. verse 19. Paule also in the 20. chapter of the Acts saith that he had long serued the Lord with an humble hart and with teares What tears are not allowed vnto God 2 Neuerthelesse GOD alloweth not those teares which are powred out by a certeine naturall motion without anie affection of the mind as it commonlie happeneth vnto those whose eies are striken with any strike or to those which runne either on foot or on horsebacke and which with ouer-much drinke become droonken for those are naturall signes neither perteine they anie thing to godlinesse But the affections after which teares doo followe After what affections teares doo followe are these heauinesse of mind which others doo call sorrowe and also gladnesse and that by contrarie reasons For of sorrowe springeth cold whereby as the whole bodie is wroong so are also the humors of the head wherby it commeth to passe that wéeping is wrested out And on the other side by gladnesse the pipes pores and waies about the eies are loosed whereby the waie is made open vnto teares And certeinlie of these two affections we haue a testimonie in the booke of Esdras Esdras 3 12 for there it is written that when the temple was built the people wept but not all for one cause Part of them sorrowed that the new building differed much in dignitie and ornaments from the first but contrariwise others reioised that the house of God which had béene so long prostrate was raised vp againe And it is manifest in the holie historie that Ioseph when he saw his brother Beniamin whom he loued wept through ouer-much ioie Furthermore there be certeine other affections mingled togither of sorrowe and gladnes the which make vs to wéepe Anger hath sorrowe and plesure ioined with it as is vehement anger the which by reason of contempt hath sorrowe mingled with it and also some ioie or pleasure while it considereth of reuenge as if it were present Mercie also maketh the teares to come foorth Mercie causeth teares when we are disquieted and sorrowfull for other mens harmes and are desirous to helpe them that be afflicted for a vehement desire also bringeth foorth teares So as the men of God when they earnestlie desire to obteine anie thing while they be praieng doo easilie breake foorth into teares Of the matter of tears But what the matter of such an humor is we leaue it to the consideration of naturall philosophers Diuers opinions therof for therein they agrée not among themselues Some thinke that they doo come by reason of the gall béeing troubled vnto which opinion agréeth the first booke De mirabilibus sacrae scripturae the tenth chapter the which booke is ascribed vnto Augustine Augustine Others suppose them to be a certein kind of sweat which thing Plutarch affirmeth Plutarch But some doo thinke that euen as whaie is separated from milke so also a waterish humor is separated from bloud whereof the greater part turneth into vrine and that which remaineth is pressed foorth into teares Lastlie Seneca Seneca in his 100. epistle to Lucillus thinketh that with the stroke of gréefe and sorrowe the whole bodie is almost shaken and therewithall the eies out of which the humor lieng néere vnto them is pressed out But howsoeuer this matter be it little perteineth vnto vs wherefore let vs come to the causes for which it maie beséeme a godlie man to wéepe 3 Augustine in his fourth sermon of the first sundaie in Lent writeth Augustine The causes for which we must weepe that the teares of true repentance haue two causes One is for that we haue through negligence omitted manie things that ought to haue béene doone and by ouermuch boldnesse we haue committed more than we ought to haue doone Sinnes of committing and omitting These are commonlie called sinnes of committing and omitting And in the same place he interpreteth this sentence Bring foorth fruits woorthie of repentance after this
beléeue that the ascension happened vpon a thursdaie We must not attribute ouermuch to traditions Wherefore let the Papists take héed how much credit they would haue to be giuen vnto their traditions for there be manie of them which the Papists them selues cannot denie but that they be ridiculous and vaine I knowe in déed that there be traditions which are necessarilie gathered out of the holie scriptures and for that cause they ought not to be abrogated But other traditions which be indifferent must not be augmented in number lest the church shuld be oppressed neither must they be thought so necessarie as though they may not be abolished And we must beware that the seruice of God be not thought to rest in them But as for those which are against the word of God they must not in anie wise be admitted In the distinction 76. in the first chapter Why the ember daies were inuented are added the ember daies or the foure quarterlie fasts The cause whie these haue béene distributed on this sort can hardlie be perceiued They cite Ierom vpon Zacharie who maketh mention of the fourth moneth the fift the seuenth and the tenth And they séeme to be mooued of a naughtie zeale to distribute these fasts into foure parts of the yéere And the fasts which the Iewes receiued euerie yéere for the calamities which they had suffered those also haue our men made yéerelie fasts But others haue inuented an other cause namelie bicause in those foure times of the yéere bishops are woont to promote Clerks vnto the ministerie and orders wherefore they saie that the people ought then most of all to fast and praie that God would grant them good pastors Fasting and praiers should be vsed at the time of ordering of ministers But I would demand of the bishops whie they ordeine ministers onlie at these foure times of the yéere Vndoubtedlie they can not shew anie certeine and iust cause whie 14 Augustine in his booke De haeresibus saith Augustine that Arrius contemned oblations for the dead Arrius the heretike and ordinarie times of fast bicause Christians were not vnder the lawe but vnder grace but he would that euerie man should fast at his owne pleasure when he himselfe would Certeinlie I allow not Arrius in that he was an Arrian but as concerning oblations and sacrifices for the dead he held that which is good and godlie Also touching ordinarie times of fasting I sée not whie he should be blamed vnlesse peraduenture he thought that fasts might not be proclaimed by the magistrate and by the church according as the danger of the time required The reason also which he vseth that Christians are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace is weake for we are not so deliuered from the lawe that we be fréed from all order Augustine also writeth Iouinian the heretike that Iouinian contemned abstinences and fasts as things vaine and vnprofitable wherein if he spake of bare fasts onelie and such as were appointed at certeine daies and certeine times of the yéere he iudged not ill For vnlesse they be adioined with faith and repentance and also with vehement praiers they nothing at all profit In the 58. chapter of Esaie the people complained We haue fasted verse 3. and thou hast not looked vpon vs. Which words doo shew that fasts without those circumstances which be requisite are not acceptable vnto God but if they be ioined with such things as are incident to them they be not vnprofitable Liberius By the decrée of Liberius who liued in the time of Constantius it may be perceiued that when the aire was vntemperat or when there was anie famine or pestilence or warre then they assembled togither to denounce a fast thereby to mitigate the wrath of God Augustine Augustine when he sawe his citie besieged by the Vandals gaue himselfe vnto fasting and praiers and in that siege died as Possidonius testifieth And generallie when we attempt anie great weightie matter as when we denounce war create Magistrates or ordeine Ministers of the church we haue most néed of feruent praiers for the feruentnesse whereof Matt. 4 2. fasting verie much auaileth Christ when he was to beginne his preaching went into the wildernesse and fasted A widow when hir husband is dead is left in a dangerous state therfore praiers fastings are verie méet for hir Luk. 2 36. Anna the daughter of Phanuel lead hir life in the temple where she gaue hir self to praier fasting 1. Tim. 5 5. Paule to Timothie saith A widow which is a true widow and desolate putteth hir confidence in the Lord and daie and night applieth hir selfe to praiers and fastings Acts. 10 3. Cornelius when as he was not sufficientlie instructed of Christ and was disquieted with a sorrowfull and heauie mind was in fasting and praiers at the ninth houre Acts. 3 10. to whom as we read in the Acts of the apostles the angell of the Lord appeared Whether fastings rightlie denounced must be obeied 15 But it maie be demanded that when fasts are commanded by princes and by the church whether men are bound to obey them or no Vndoubtedlie they are bound by the lawe of faith and by obedience For when fasts are set foorth which be agréeable vnto the word of God how can he that beléeueth in God refuse to doo them Assuredlie he cannot Howbeit this is to be vnderstood touching them which be of that state and condition that they be able to fast for if a man be hindred either by age or disease or labours Osc 6 6. The Gangrense councell in such a case that ought to be of force which the scripture saith I will haue mercie and not sacrifice But they which are not hindered ought to obeie In the Gangrense councell chapter 30. It is ordeined that if a man obeie not the fasts which are commanded him by the church hauing no bodilie necessitie howsoeuer he boast of perfection and proudlie contemneth the decrées of the church The canons of the apostles let him be accursed In the Canons of the apostles although they be Apocryphall conteine certeine strange things neither is the number of them sufficientlie agréed vpon I saie in the 86. Canon it is commanded that the clergie which fast not hauing no bodilie necessitie should be deposed Let infants in no wise be vrged and compelled to fast for that would be a hurt to their health Ioel. 2 16. Yet Ioel saith Sanctifie a fast gather togither old men and sucking children Iohn 3 7. And the Niniuits at the preaching of Ionas compelled beasts and infants to fast These were extraordinarie things neither are they set foorth to that end that we should imitate them 16 As for priuate fasts Augustine most men will haue them to be frée Wherefore saith Augustine to Cassulanus We knowe that we must fast when we are commanded but what daies we should fast
declareth saieng Ibidem 5. Through him which loued vs before we could loue him And he hath giuen vs his spirit through whom we obteine an excellent victorie otherwise of our selues we are farre vnequall for such a battell Chrysost It is God as Chrysostome hath wiselie noted whom in this fight we haue our fellowe soldier God is our fellowe soldier in torments and by that meanes we obteine so notable a victorie Neither doo we onlie ouercome troubles whatsoeuer they be but euen those enimies also which persecute vs séeme they neuer so great and mightie Which how it happened in the apostles Luke plainlie describeth in the Acts. When a miracle was wrought by Peter and Iohn in such manifest sort as it could not be denied the high priests and Scribes being ouercome with the greatnes of the thing knew not what counsell to take Acts. 4 16. What saie they shall we doo with these men As if they should haue said Here are our practises ouerthrowne here our power is able to doo nothing here the more we striue the more and more manifestlie we be ouercome The same happened vnto Iulian the apostata Iulian the apostata as it is in the Ecclesiasticall historie He had begun by all maner of meanes to vexe and torment the christians but his crueltie and outragiousnes was ouercome with their patience Which one of his rulers perceiuing priuatelie admonished him to cease least he should not profit anie thing at all and yet notwithstanding make himselfe a laughing stocke to all men This power of God bringeth to passe that euen by the selfe-same things which be against the victorie we obteine a more notable victorie to the great admiration of all men For who can beléeue that he which is vanquished can get the victorie that one slaine burnt and torne in péeces is able to ouercome in battell These things nature reason and the world vnderstand not Wherefore these things must be ascribed to God onelie in whose hands séeing the euents of things are set they depend not of certeine and appointed instruments but of the purpose and counsell of God vnto whom those things which séeme to resist doo most seruice 17 For which cause I thinke Gen. 32. that God prouided that the mind of Iacob might be confirmed by wrestling and that he might learne that so much diuine strength should be giuen to him as he should neuer either by celestiall or humane power be hindered from obteining the promises offered to him by God What portended the shrinking of Iacobs sinew But the shrinking of the sinew was therefore added bicause he might vnderstand that he should not haue these things without great trouble and sorow for he was constreined in his life time to haue triall of manie both bitter and lamentable things From him was his onelie daughter Dina taken awaie and rauished Gen. 34 2. Gen. 35 22. Gen. 37. 26. Gen. 38 18. Ruben dishonored his fathers bed Ioseph his most déere sonne was miserablie sold Iuda inioied the most shamefull companie of his sonnes wife and fell into great danger of the Sichemites Gen. 34 29. Vpon good cause therefore was his sinew hurt and he compelled to go halting Thou maiest perceiue that the verie same thing happeneth to vs which trulie perteine vnto Israel While that we wrestle valiantlie against aduersities abiding for Christ his sake persecutions banishments the spoile of our goods and other infinite miseries we are said after a sort to wrestle against God séeing those things happen not without his appointment For he sendeth temptations The godlie striue with afflictions and ouercome them whereby he will haue vs to be exercised And after what sort the faithfull here doo atteine to haue the vpper hand Paule hath expressed vnto the Romans when he saith that No creture Rom. 8 37. neither power nor principalitie nor anie other thing shall haue so great strength that it can draw vs awaie from the loue of God And as touching that stripe of the sinew it is said to the Galathians Galat. 5 24. that They which be of Christ haue crucified the flesh with all the affections thereof Doubtlesse the Fathers as Augustine also in the 18. The exposition of the fathers concerning the wrestling of Iacob with the angell booke De ciuitate Dei doo expound that the angell in this wrestling did shadowe Christ who for the disposing and ordering of our redemption séemed good to be ouercome of Israel which crucified him who neuerthelesse being readie to die blessed his enimies praieng most effectuallie for them From thenceforth notwithstanding they became lame for part of them followed Christ and others would not beléeue or else in respect that their temporall kingdome began euen then to be in hard case Ierom maketh this to be a spirituall wrestling and thereof he writeth vpon the epistle to the Ephesians in these words Ephes 6 12. Our wrestling is not against flesh and bloud c. And it séemeth that the same Father tooke his opinion from the prophet Osee verse 3. Oseas exposition of this place who saith in the 12. chapter that Iacob so ouercame in wrestling with the angell as he wept and praied him Wherefore besides that bodilie striuing it was also a contending of most vehement praiers Here the scripture speaketh not that he praied for blessing But Osee being an excellent interpretor thereof writeth that he not onelie praied but also added teares withall Doo not thou for this cause inferre that we ought to offer praiers vnto angels Praiers must not be offered vnto angels for this name all onelie doth not betoken an angell but it is also attributed vnto God And least we should fall into this error the scripture hath prouided to instruct vs by the angels themselues who would not abide to be worshipped Apo. 19 10. and 22 8. as we may sée in the Apocalypse Neither will I forget that there be certeine interpretours of the Iewes which by the saieng of Osee will that the angell did wéepe in that wrestling And that teares are not vnbeséeming for angels they indeuour to prooue by the saieng of Esaie Esaie 33 7. Angels of peace will bitterlie weepe But this place serueth nothing to the purpose And if the words of Osee be ambiguous the sense which I now expressed of them is more likelie to be true than that sense which the Iewes doo gather thereof Neither must the angell in this fact be accused of lieng who would not deceiue Iacob in feigning to be a wrestler but ment to instruct him For which cause he vsed such an action as might easilie shew to him the strength that was giuen vnto him by the Lord to the intent that in present perill he should not be faint harted Luk. 24 28. After the verie same maner Christ when he went forward vnto Emaus with his two disciples pretended as though he would go further But whereas it is
sorrowe when they be mooued against these affections So Dauid the more he was inclined to his children the more he was vexed They which attribute all things vnto destinie and fortune or to the necessitie of a matter bicause they doo against the scriptures of God must not be heard We conclude that holie men when they on this wise sorrowe wéepe and are mooued with sadnesse doo please God so as they retaine faith and followe the spirit But on the other side we affirme that the philosophers and Ethniks while they séeme to deale so magnificallie to contemne all aduersities and by no meanes to be disquieted doo displease God with all their goodlie shew of vertues That the Ethniks with their goodlie shew of vertues displease God Heb. 11 6. This thing hath Augustine taught in his fourth booke against Iulian the fourth chapter and he alledged thrée reasons The first is that Without faith it is vnpossible to please God wheras they séeme to deale so heroicallie in the mean time be void of faith they cannot please God The second reason Men void of faith be as yet ill trées but ill trées bring foorth ill fruit The third reason It is not sufficient to doo those things which in their owne nature séeme good but we ought to doo well Who will saie that those Ethniks doo those woonderfull things rightlie séeing they doo vnfaithfullie In that they doo vnfaithfullie they doo not rightlie Let them boast of their things as magnificallie as they will these reasons haue we We saie that they their woorks doo not please God The same father saith in the exposition of the 25. psalme at the end that there were manie of the Ethniks which deferred to come vnto the Christians they said We sée in them manie defects the which we haue not He answereth that they are greatlie deceiued séeing in those vertues which they boast of they are not good but in a sort euill and I haue willinglie added that they are often times verie euill Forsomuch as they please themselues verie much with those vertues of theirs they become proud but pride is hated of God We conclude that Dauid and such as he was pleased God in sorrowfulnesse more than could the Puluilli Anaxagoras Aemillij Bruti or Torquati which séemed with a great loftie mind to contemne the sorrowfull things which happened When Socrates is obiected vnto vs of whom Plinie writeth in his seuenth booke that he alwaies shewed to be of one countenance neuer merrier or sadder Against him we oppose Christ which vnto vs is one for all also the apostles prophets and our Dauid and we will saie that these did a great deale more rightlie and wiselie than he did For the godlie are gouerned by the word of God not by the opinions which men haue spred abroad They are led not by the opinion or staie of assent of the Platonists and doubting philosophers but by a most certeine and constant faith They are directed by the spirit of God but not by the wisdome of humane flesh which is enmitie against God and therefore they please God Neither haue the godlie thought it méet that affections in these cases should altogither be restrained or taken awaie when they sawe themselues to be chastised by God when they sorrowed that they had broken the lawes of the Lord and that they had giuen the cause of these euils these things can neuer sufficientlie be lamented They did rather iudge it méet to slacke the bridle vnto affections which might further godlinesse and strengthen repentance 41 But one thing perhaps some man will demand how it happeneth Whie these greefes are more frequent in the old testament than in the new that we more read of those gréefes in the old testament than in the new I might peraduenture saie that this which they would prooue is not true In the new testament they lament which doo féele their sinnes But it appéereth not now as it did in the old time it is not doone with that preparation I grant that the custome then was that those moornings should be publike now the consideration of the age in our time suffereth not this Againe I might answer that certeinlie the forefathers had the promise of eternall life as we haue but moreouer and that the promises of the land of Chanaan and the increase of séed and these temporall blessings were more earnestlie offered vnto them than vnto vs. Matth. 6 33 These things are also promised vnto vs for if we First seeke the kingdome of God the rest shall be ministred vnto vs. Howbeit these things are generallie promised vnto vs they are nor so often repeated We are in greater light therefore we rather applie our mind vnto the better promises Thereby perhaps insue lesser sorrowes in the losse of temporall things 42 This must the rather be called to mind least we be disquieted when we perceiue that Dauid was so vexed 2. Sa. 12 13. whereas neuertheles God had said by Nathan that his sinne was put awaie Whie Dauid sorrowed though his sinne were taken awaie Those things are not repugnant in themselues for it was vndoubtedlie taken awaie and forgiuen bicause it happened not vnto him to eternall death which he deserued This bond which he had procured was extinguished by the mercie of God Further he deserueth to be slain as touching the life of the bodie but God did not slaie him Moreouer the aduersities which happened were not punishments of God in his anger but fatherlie chastisements to preserue discipline that he might the more déepelie acknowledge sinne take héed vnto himselfe from thence foorth and that others also might be made to beware Neither ought Papists therefore to make a purgatorie bicause God forgiueth sinne in this life and punisheth in an other For the holie scriptures haue nothing at all concerning purgatorie but they shew that the godlie shall straitwaie after death be blessed Howbeit if we should grant them which yet we must not grant them that God would punish the godlie in an other world yet might not the church with hir keies mitigate these punishments as the punishments of Dauid and of others this thing standeth in the pleasure of God The xiij Chapter Of Praiers and of the intercession of Christ wherein is intreated of speaking in a strange toong of Musicke and of hymnes In Rom. 1. verse 9. Two kinds of praiers THe praiers of the godlie are diuided into two kinds For some be at set times as be those which are vsed in a publike congregation at appointed and prescribed daies I mean vpon the Lords daie and vpon such other daies as are assigned by the church for publike praiers Further it is the dutie of a christian man to haue houres also appointed euerie daie wherein he maie praie vnto God and that thrée times fiue times or seuen times in a daie as his businesse will suffer him An other kind of those praiers there is which are called
vncerteine for we vse them so often as anie present danger vrgeth vs. But Paule saith Rom. 1 9. that he alwaies maketh mention of the Romans in his praiers and in some bookes is added the aduerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euerie where although some copies haue blotted it out There were Heretiks which were called Messalians of them the Tripartite historie maketh mention The heresie of the Messalians or Eutichs they attributed all things vnto praiers and that so much as they did derogate both from the word of God and also from the sacraments affirming that all these things doo nothing profit but what commoditie soeuer we haue the same commeth by praiers And they could not abide to labour with their hands or to doo anie other thing If a man had vrged them to worke they would haue said that the same should nothing at all profit séeing we ought to doo nothing but praie Whereas the apostle neuerthelesse warneth expreslie 2. Thes 3 10 that He which laboureth not ought not to eate He also writeth that A man ought not to neglect the care of his owne 1. Tim. 5. 8. especiallie of his houshold which fault if anie man commit he should be taken as one that had renounced his faith But passing ouer this superstition we must attribute verie much vnto praiers séeing this is the nature of the children of God The nature of the children of God is to praie often euen for the most part to giue themselues vnto praiers for that is to acknowledge the prouidence of God For while we beléeue that a man can obteine nothing which is not giuen him by God we are oftentimes prouoked to praie humblie for his aid in such necessities as doo happen And while we praie we doo no lesse submit our selues vnto God than the claie is subiect vnto the potter for we chéeflie make our praiers that whatsoeuer we desire we may haue the same if it be his will And forsomuch as in praieng the mind is led awaie from carke and worldlie cares and is wholie carried vp vnto God there ought nothing to be more pleasant vnto vs than to occupie our selues in this kind of studie And it is to be lamented at this daie that the maner of praieng is so worne out of vre among Christians that it is a thing but rarelie vsed and especiallie in so great a light of the Gospell and of the holie scriptures It is no maruell then though all things doo wax so cold Certeinlie A similitude heat dooth there increase where the light can not easilie passe through but is heaten backe againe and as they saie reboundeth to the vpper parts Wherefore this lower part of the aire which compasseth the earth is most hot bicause the beames of the sunne which strike vpon the earth being not able for the thicknes thereof to perse doo rebound backe againe be in a maner doubled whereby the heat is stirred vp In like maner ought it to be in our harts when the light of Gods word shineth vpon them for when we haue receiued it we ought to returne it vnto God in making praiers vnto him to performe those things in vs which he hath commanded which he hath vouchsafed to reueale vnto vs. When we speake to God and God to vs. For when we read the scriptures God speaketh vnto vs but when we praie we speake vnto God And we ought verie often to vse this dialog that when we heare in the holie scriptures that God either reuealeth himselfe or commandeth anie things we againe for our part may desire of him that those things be not spoken in vaine vnto vs but may be doone with profit and fruit 2 We be also taught by Paule so to order our praiers that we praie not onelie for our selues but also for our neighbours Further Rom. 1 10. when he praieth that he might haue a prosperous iornie vnto the Romans he signifieth that our works should begin with praiers if we will haue them to haue good successe But some are feared awaie from calling vpon God bicause they saie he heareth them not But they ought to be confirmed séeing they heare that Paule was oftentimes let from going vnto Rome and yet continued he still in the same desire and vsed to repeat the selfe same praiers Yea and in the latter epistle to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 12. ◠he writeth that he desired no lesse than thrée times to be deliuered from the sting of the flesh vnto whom yet at the last answer was made that it was sufficient for him to haue the grace of God Wherfore either we be heard at length or else if that which we desire be not granted there is something granted in the stéed thereof far better and more profitable vnto our saluation God dooth oftentimes defer our requests Why God dooth oftentimes defer our requests to the end as Augustine saith in a certeine homilie that we may learne to desire great things with great feruentnesse Others are called awaie from praiers bicause they thus determine with themselues Although I desire not these things yet God will doo that which shall séeme good vnto him neither can his will be altered by my praiers But these men vnderstand not that God before he granteth anie good thing vnto his elect is woont excéedinglie to kindle their minds with a desire to obteine those things Why God will haue vs to praie for that which otherwise he is readie to giue Further when he will doo anie thing he stirreth vp those that are his to desire that which otherwise he would haue doone to the intent that for honour sake he might attribute the same vnto their praiers This is also another cause for that Gods benefits are then the more acceptable when they are craued and desired Moreouer in praieng our minds are more ioined vnto God Yea and these vowes and holie desires séeme to be nothing else but ladders and degrées whereby we ascend vp vnto God Neither doo the godlie doubtlesse while they praie thinke that by their praiers they deserue those things which they praie for That praiers be no causes of the benefits of God Why then wilt thou saie are praiers made I answer that they be as certeine waies and spaces whereby we come vnto that which we earnestlie desire Wherefore GOD will grant vnto vs those things which shall séeme to him profitable and conuenient but yet he hath decréed to giue them by these degrées not that praiers are the causes of his benefits but bicause they be as it were a waie wherby we must atteine to those things A similitude If thou wilt go vnto a riuer thou must go that waie which leadeth thither whereas neuerthelesse that is not the cause whereby thou commest to the riuer for if thou lacke powers of the mind and strength of the bodie thou goest thither in vaine A similitude And when a Schoolemaister goeth to the Schoole
the elect of God It is God that iustifieth c. Wherefore if God doo not accuse vs neither in verie déed shall our hart accuse vs while we haue respect vnto Christ for now we haue trust vnto Godward we shall obteine And while we be conuerted vnto Christ not onlie sinne and accusation is abolished but repentance is also increased 9 But it is doubted of some In 1. Sam. 1 9. whether it be lawfull to desire of God things that be indifferent for as they saie we be ignorant whether those things will be profitable or hurtfull vnto vs which doo aske And Plato in Alâ—ibiade 2. saith Looke In Rom. 8 26. that It is a difficult thing to define our praiers and therefore thinketh that God must be desired onelie in generall and vniuersall termes Chrysostome vpon the epistle vnto Timothie the eight homilie How saith he can I knowe that I shall obteine that which I desire The answer is If thou desire nothing against the will of God or vnwoorthie of his maiestie no earthlie thing no worldlie thing but altogither spirituall things and so foorth The Lord in his praier teacheth that onlie things spirituall must be desired for all other things he comprehendeth generallie saieng Matt. 6 11. Giue vs this daie our dailie bread And in another place he saith First seeke the kingdome of heauen Ibidem 33. and these things shall be added vnto you Howbeit Augustine in his epistle vnto Proba affirmeth that this kind of things may also be desired of God for whatsoeuer things are lawfull for vs to wish those he saith are also lawfull to be asked Further these things God hath not seldome promised therefore we may craue them also And herevnto there doo serue examples Exod. 17 11 For Moses desired victorie against the Amalekites Gen. 17 18. Abraham desired that Ismael might liue he was heard Paule also desired to be deliuered from affliction 2. Co. 12 8. But here there be two things which must be considered What is to be considered in the desire of things indifferent The first is that in those things which be indifferent we doo not firmelie settle our selues but let vs perpetuallie refer them to the glorie of God Further we must determine to vse them well if they doo happen But some man will saie that séeing we be men we may be deceiued about the right vse of children for onelie God knoweth how well or how ill we will vse our children Moreouer the nature of man is inconstant and therefore we may be changed and may refuse that which we first desired Indéed these things be true But if thou with a faithfull and godlie mind shalt desire issue of God there is no danger bicause the successe is put in the hand of God by whose will all things to come are gouerned He regardeth not that which thou desirest but that which is most profitable vnto thée Rom. 8 26. And Paule saith What we may desire we knowe not but the spirit helpeth our infirmitie by his wisdom correcteth our praiers Neither must this be past ouer that sometimes God séemeth not to heare vs when as neuertheles he then heareth vs most of all as when Paule praied 2. Cor. 12 9. that the sting of the flesh might depart from him he heard that the grace and fauour wherewith God indued him should be sufficient for him Therefore when we make such kind of praiers we ought to be of this mind that whatsoeuer shall happen we may be contented with the iudgement of GOD. And when as Christ saith Matth. 6 33. First seeke ye the kingdome of God and then other things shall be giuen vnto you he saith not that the things not desired shall be giuen Indéed he will giue them but he forbiddeth not but that they should be asked so that they be the latter part of our requests Further he did not there speake of praiers but he spake onelie of the carefulnesse studie and disquietnes had about things fraile and transitorie In 1. Sa. 1. Matth. 6 7. 10 Moreouer Christ warneth that in praieng we should not vse much babling But we must vnderstand that he when he spake these things forbad not long praiers for he himselfe continued a whole night praieng on the mountaine Matt. 14 23. and before his death he praied abundantlie Luk. 21 37. 22 41. and he commandeth vs to be euer praieng and neuer to be wearie And the better to beate this into our heads he vsed parables namelie of the vniust iudge reuenging the cause of the widowe woman Luke 18 1. by reason of hir importunitie and of the man who being in his bed Luke 11 7. and would not rise yet at the last opened the doore vnto his fréend that continuallie knocked and gaue him so much bread as he was willing to take Yea and the Lord himselfe at the length heard the woman of Chanaan Matt. 15 23. that constantlie cried vnto him without ceasing Babling in praier is multiplieng of words without faith and the spirit 1. Kin. 18 27 In 2. Sam. 7 at the end So now it must be considered that much spéech or babling is then vsed not when we praie long but when we multiplie words without faith and the spirit being persuaded that we may be heard through the number of those words So Helias derided the Baalites and exhorted them to crie out lowder whereby they might at the length be heard of their God being either asléepe or else otherwise occupied Wherefore that is a foolish cogitation for God heareth vs not for our words sake but for his owne goodnes and mercie Another cause is if we will as it were prescribe vnto God and teach him what things we haue néed of Matth. 6 32. For God knoweth whereof wee haue need euen before we begin to praie These two causes being remooued we may praie so much as we will In what respect our praiers ought to be either long or short And how farre foorth our praiers ought to be either long or short Augustine verie well describeth vnto Proba The brethren saith he in Aegypt haue praiers short and often vsed as it were certeine darts cast out of the soules and that saith he least the zeale which they haue should wax cold Therefore he addeth If we sée our indeuour and feruentnes of praier beginne to wax faint we must not dull it with continuance but if so be that our attentiuenesse be chéerefull and readie bent it must not be left Brieflie he saith that praier ought to be much and the talke little And those saith he are much in praier who in déed desire things that be necessarie but with words superfluous but that praier is much when our hart being stirred vp we continuallie persuade him whom we praie vnto He saith that we ought to deale more with teares than with words and with wéeping rather than with speaking for
words are not giuen for anie other vse but to stirre vp either our selues or others 11 But séeing it is written In 1. Sam. 1 verse 12. that Hanna the mother of Samuel onelie mooued hir lips but hir voice was not heard it may be demanded whether the voice should be vsed in praiers Nether must the question be vnderstood of publike praiers but of priuate praiers Whether the voice should be vsed in publike praiers for of publike praiers there can be no doubt Héerevnto we answer that there is no néed of the voice when we praie vnto God priuatelie and apart bicause God heareth and beholdeth the mind and the hart Howbeit the voice otherwhile is vsed not without fruit bicause manie times we wax faint in praiers and the mind it selfe is heuie wherevpon the voice being vsed it stirreth vs vp and after a sort refresheth vs. Moreouer it sometimes happeneth that when we praie vehementlie and with great indeuour and be wholie fixed therein there breaketh out spéech euen before we be aware which cannot chuse but be acceptable to God Hanna kept not hir deuotions secret as if she had desired some shamefull and vnhonest thing of God which thing the Ethniks haue sometimes doone Wherevpon Seneca in his tenth epistle to Lucillius saith that Athenedorus was woont to saie that he had profited verie much which desireth nothing of God How the bodie should be ordered while we be in praier but that he dare openlie professe in sight of the world And as concerning the setling and ordering of our bodie while we be praieng it must be vnderstood that God regardeth not with what fashion of our bodie we praie Yet if so be that some decent and modest gesture of the members of our bodie procéeding not of hypocrisie but the affect of faith doo accompanie our praiers he dooth not altogither despise the same We must speciallie praie with the hart and with the mind We must praie with the heart and mind Esaie 29 13. Matt. 15 8. which thing they doo not that honour God with their lips but haue their hart farre from him Wherefore the Schoole-men doo fowlie erre which affirme that in our praiers it is not necessarie as they terme it to haue an actuall attention An error of the schooleman but that it is sufficient to vse as they speake a vertuall attention Bicause saie they our hart is not in our owne power Therefore it sufficeth if we at the beginning determine to praie vnto God Whereas they saie that our hart is not in our owne power we are content to agrée therevnto but on the other side they must grant that if our mind be wandring and astraie in time of praier it cannot be doone without sinne Now then let them not excuse this fault neither let them affirme that such praiers please God For we would not so presume to speake vnto a prince being a man that our mind should not be setled vpon him how much lesse ought God who is more excellent than all princes be called vpon after this manner Chrysostome in the 29. homilie vpon Genesies thus writeth If our mind be astraie we receiue no commoditie by praiers but rather a greater danmation Wherefore euen as all the godlie sort haue praied attentiuelie and from their inward hart so ought we also to praie if we will be heard For these examples are therefore set foorth to vs that we should imitate them 12 Besides this it is written of the godlie men In. 1. King 8. verse 22. Ephes 3 14 The gesture of Salomon in praieng that they called vpon God on their knées and with their hands stretched out not that the verie worshipping of God dooth chéeflie consist in outward things which neuerthelesse are of strength to stir vp mens minds that they may giue due honours vnto God Yea those things doo not a little inuite those which stand by to powre out their praiers before God Certeine gestures in praieng commended so they haue the mind ioined with them In bowing of our knées we testifie our subiection towards God the which is simple and absolute without anie exception When we stretch out our hands towards heauen we shew that we must expect for helpe and for euerie good thing from God onelie and not else where This gesture also perteineth vnto them that yéeld themselues subiect for they which yeeld themselues vnto mightie men are accustomed to stretch forth their hands vnto them Therefore Paule in the first to Timothie the second chapter saith verse 8. I will that men in euerie place lift vp pure hands without wrath or doubting c. For if anie man direct his outward gestures vnto GOD but haue his mind far separated from him he shal be accounted no true worshipper of God but an hypocrite Yet notwithstanding we must not thinke that God dooth contemne the praiers of them that sit stand or lie so that they procéed of faith Howbeit those gestures which are spoken of in the scriptures and were vsed of holie men doo verie well agrée with publike praiers and are not to be numbred among superstitious actions 13 And as touching the place it selfe the Hebrue interpretours doo saie that the ladder shewed vnto Iacob was a prophesie of the house of praier and of the temple to come In Gen. 28. for where the Lord saie they appéereth and the heauens are opened and angels ascend and descend togither there doo we praie commodiouslie for our praiers are easilie caried from thence vnto God And that this is here signified they prooue it by the words following for Iacob said This is no other thing than the house of God and the gates of heauen And there he anointed the stone Gen. 28 17. began to praie vowed a vow to God wherefore saie they the summe that is here intreated of concerneth the house of God Which thing we also after a sort will grant vnto them to be true yet vnder this condition that our brethren may know that our church is the true house of God This dooth Paule teach in the first chapter to Timothie 1. Tim. 3 15. The house of God is the church Christ is the true house of God when he saith That thou maiest knowe how thou shouldst behaue thy selfe in the house of God which is the church of the liuing God And this hath our church of hir spouse Christ who communicateth all that is his with hir for he is the verie true house of God For Iohn 2 19. Col. 2 9. not without cause he said of himselfe Destroie this temple in three daies I will restore it againe And Paule vnto the Colossians said of him that In him dwelleth all fulnes of the godhead bodilie The due place of praier Therefore where so euer Christ is where so euer we haue respect to him we praie in a due place He is to vs the arke the temple house of God yea the
his right hand But in that he is said to praie that is not to be taken properlie To praie is not heere taken properlie as though he maketh supplication vnto the Father but the scripture saith he speaketh in that sort to shew the good-will of the sonne towards vs. Otherwise trulie he hath all things in his owne hand and as the father giueth life euen so dooth the sonne giue life and as the father raiseth vp the dead so dooth also the sonne raise vp the dead wherefore he néedeth to vse no praiers vnto him And séeing he was able by himselfe to quicken the dead to redéeme the damned and to iustifie the wicked which works are most excellent and most great whie can he not also by himselfe and without praier bring all other things to passe Moreouer he citeth out of the latter epistle to the Corinthians the fift chapter 1. Cor. 5 20. We are ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you through vs we praie you in Christ his steed God is said to beseech vs. to be reconciled vnto God Behold saith he God is héere said to beséech men whereas we ought not so much as to thinke that he is inferior vnto them But sauing the authoritie of these fathers The sonne praieth vnto God not is he is God but as he is man I would iudge that the Arrians may be answered an other waie For I would saie that the sonne praieth vnto God not as being God but in that he is man and a creature But the place alledged out of the epistle to the Corinthians is not of anie great force for Paule expresselie putteth this note of similitude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as though neither ment he anie thing else but that the apostles with great affection procured and as it were beséeched men to returne vnto God The apostles in praieng dealt more 〈◊〉 than did the prophets Of which words can not be gathered that God maketh supplication vnto men The apostls in the new testament dealt towards men with a great deale more lenitie than did the lawe and the prophets in the old testament where all things are in a maner fraited with threatenings and punishments And that these words of Paule must be referred vnto the humanitie of Christ those things which were spoken before doo sufficientlie declare But Paule had written before that Christ died rose againe and was carried vp into heauen to the right hand of God all which things agrée not with the diuine nature of Christ Wherefore it is méet that that particle also which followeth should be referred vnto the humane nature of Christ as concerning the which Christ himselfe confesseth himselfe to be inferior to the father for he saith The father is greater than I. Iohn 14 28. And so long as he was vpon the earth bicause he was a man he obeied the magistrates Luke 2 51. Esai 61 1. and his parents for as Luke declareth he was subiect vnto them And in Esaie he confesseth that he was annointed by the holie Ghost Heb. 4 14. to giue vs to vnderstand that his humane nature was not onelie lesse than the father but also lesse than the holie Ghost 15 Moreouer it can not be denied Two sorts of ministeries of Christ as he is priest but that he is our bishop priest but the office of a bishop is both to offer sacrifice and also to praie for the people Christ hath offered himselfe vpon the crosse and when he had performed that ministerie there remained an other ministerie which he should perpetuallie exercise namelie to make intercession for vs vnlesse we will peraduenture affirme that he is no more the bishop of the church But God himselfe hath promised the contrarie saieng Psal 110 4. Thou art for euer a priest after the order of Melchisedech And yet still by the priesthood of Christ our sinnes are forgiuen vs and we are reconciled vnto God We haue a high priest as it is written vnto the Hebrues which hath entred into the most holie place not made with hands Heb. 9 11. but hath passed through into heauen it selfe and which can suffer togither with our infirmities being tempted in all things like vnto vs. Wherefore we ought with boldnes to come vnto the throne of grace for there is offered for vs a most acceptable sacrifice By the resurrection of Christ death is vanquished also hell In the kingdome of Christ which he most mightilie exerciseth at the right hand of his father all things are gouerned And the praiers which he continuallie powreth out for vs are most thankfull and verie acceptable vnto the father We read also Rom. 8 21. that The holie Ghost dooth make intercession for vs the verie which thing is héere affirmed of the sonne If these two intercessions be compared togither we shall find that the intercession of the sonne is the cause of the intercession of the holie Ghost For he promised to go vnto the father and to send the holie Ghost vnto vs. He stirreth vp our minds to praie feruentlie with sighings and gronings Christ maketh intercession vnto the father bicause he is alwaies at hand with him Therefore the father is perpetuallie put in mind of the sacrifice by him once offered and he smelleth the same as a swéet sauour and thereby is made mercifull vnto vs. Wherefore Christ is called our mediatour and aduocate And for this cause Christ is called our mediator and aduocate and his praiers are not onelie acceptable vnto God but they haue also satisfaction ioined with them Wherefore séeing they are both iust and acceptable vnto God they cannot take anie repulse 16 Indéed we so long as we liue here doo continuallie praie one for another and that by the prescript of the word of God The difference betweene Christs praiers and ours Howbeit betwéene our praiers and the praiers of Christ there is a great difference for his praiers as we haue said haue satisfaction ioined with them but so haue not ours For there is none of vs that can make satisfaction vnto God either for himselfe or for another man But that the saints departed from hence doo make intercession for vs we cannot prooue it by anie part of the canonicall scripture wherefore we ought to haue Christ onelie for our mediator and aduocate Neither must we admit things vncerteine for certeine Although I will easilie grant that the saints in the heauenlie habitation doo with most feruent desires wish the saluation of the elect yet dare I not saie that they praie for them especiallie séeing the scriptures no where teach anie such thing Although the saints did pray for vs yet must not we call vpon them And although I would grant this yet should it not thereof followe that we ought to call vpon the saints departed for we are not certeine out of the word of God that they can heare our praiers And thus they gréeuouslie
offend both against religion and against Christ himselfe which doo appoint to themselues saints for new mediators aduocates séeing there is but one mediator betwéene GOD and men namelie the man Christ Iesus who now as Paule saith maketh intercession for vs. 1. Tim. 2 5. The same dooth Iohn testifie saieng I write vnto you 1. Iohn 2 1. that ye sinne not and if we sinne we haue an aduocate with the father euen Iesus Christ the iust Augustine against the epistle of Parmenianus in the eight chapter noteth out of these words that the apostle excluded not himselfe from the rest for he said not Ye haue an aduocate but we haue an aduocate For that none is so holie but that he hath néed of Christ to be a mediatour and aduocate Further he saith not None is so holie but hath neede of the intercession of Christ Ye haue not me an intercessor but we haue an aduocate Iesus Christ Augustine in the same place reprooueth Parmenianus who had else where written that bishops are mediatours betwéene God and the people which thing he saith must not be suffered of the faithfull The same Augustine in his tenth booke of confessions the 42. chapter thus writeth Whom could I find that might reconcile me vnto thée Should I haue gon vnto angels But with what praiers With what sacraments And he addeth We must not go with our praiers no not to angels 3. Co. 11. 14. that there were manie who would haue béene reconciled by angels were miserablie deceiued for that an euill angell oftentimes transformeth himself into an angell of light And if it be not lawfull for vs to praie vnto angels much lesse is it lawfull for vs to do it vnto dead saints for in this there is no lesse danger of deceiuing than in the other These things writeth Augustine in that place both godlilie and sincerelie who neuerthelesse in other places was not so circumspect in shunning the error of his time 17 Some affirme that the saints in the heauenlie countrie doo praie for vs In. 1. Cor. 13 13. Whether the saints in heauen doo pray for vs. if they reteine their old charitie towards vs which they had while they liued here And here they indeuour to prooue that the calling vpon them is lawfull But these men offended two maner of waies First bicause though the saints doo reteine their woonted charitie towards vs yet it may be doubted whether they praie for vs. For it may suffice vnto that charitie that both they wish well and will well vnto vs. For perhaps they be there so certeine of the will of GOD towards vs as neither they will nor can praie But if thou wilt saie that Christ praieth for vs and therefore the same may be common vnto them which knowe no more of the will of God than the onelie sonne That Christ maketh intercession for vs how it is to be vnderstood which is most néere of all vnto the father then ought ye to consider that Christes making intercession for vs vnto the father is nothing else but that he is alwaies present with the father and that by his presence bicause he was deliuered vnto the death for vs the mercie of God is most readilie stirred vp towards the elect But admit that they praie for vs as our aduersaries will néeds haue it yet can it not be said that they ought to be called vpon by vs séeing we be ignorant whether they haue sure knowledge of our dooings Yea and we sée that manie of the fathers doubted verie much of the same Furthermore a iust inuocation cannot procéed but of faith faith hath no place where we cannot cleaue to the word of God But no place can be brought in the scripturs to coÌ„firme this inuocation Wherefore our aduersaries can gaine nothing by these words of the apostle 18 Furthermore In 1. Sam. 2. verse 1. A verie ancient song Exod. 15 1. this hath béene also a perpetuall custome of godlie men that they haue rendered thanks praise vnto God for his benefits receiued So did Moses sing a song vnto the Lord for the ouerthrowe of Pharao Iude. 5 1. Euen so afterward did Deborah for obteining victorie against the enimies Thirdlie 1. Sam. 2 1. we haue a song of Hanna Afterward were set foorth the Psalms of Dauid Luk. 1 45. among the which we read manie that be of this argument And in the new testament the blessed virgin celebrated the name and praises of God well-néere after this maner yea she séemeth to haue borrowed some words and sentences out of the song of Hanna 1. Sam. 2 1. The song of Hanna for she saith My soule dooth magnifie the Lord my spirit hath reioised in God c. And Hanna saith My hart hath reioised in the Lord. Marie said He that is mightie hath doone great things for me and Hanna There is none mightie like our God Marie said And holie is his name Hanna There is none holie as the Lord is Marie He hath put downe the mightie from their seat and hath exalted the humble he hath filled the hungrie with good things Hanna The weake are girded with strength and the hungrie are filled with bread Both their songs be of like argument To conclude there be manie things alike in either hymne and it is no maruell bicause they intreat of like argument On the one part a virgin brought foorth and on the other part a barren woman was made fruitfull This kind of verses are vttered by the spirit of God and therefore consecrated to the Lord that they may returne to the originall from whence they sprang The difference between Poems diuine and human Besides this we must vnderstand that betwéene Poems diuine and humane this is the difference that humane Poems doo set foorth the renoume of kings princes féelds cities regions castels women marriages and sometime of brute beasts But diuine Poems doo onlie sing of God and celebrate him onelie and doo set foorth songs and praises of him alone And that not without cause for him alone it behooueth the godlie to worship with all their mind with all their hart and with all their strength Wherefore godlie yoong men must in anie wise be exhorted chéeflie to celebrate GOD in their verses for it is not to be feared that in such an argument they shall want matter Ibidem But whereas Hanna the mother of Samuel gaue thanks vnto God Praier and thanks-giuing are â—…ned togither yet is it said that she praied bicause these two are most surelie knit togither And he that giueth thanks for benefits receiued prouoketh GOD to bestowe benefits vpon him againe so that the giuing of thanks may iustlie be termed by the name of praiers In Rom. 8 1 But the saints giue thanks vnto God through Iesus Christ bicause euen by him all good things are deriued to vs. And it is méete that by this verie means
of those persons departed whose monuments they behold To this part dooth Augustine incline But as he saith it is obiected vnto him by Paulinus The saints as it is written by Paule in the 2. to the Corinthians the fift chapter shall stand verse 10. as well as other men before the iudgment seate of Christ that there euerie man may receiue according to that he hath doone in his bodie whether it be good or euill That the dead receiue not according to the requests of them that are aliue Therefore the soules of them that be dead are neuer a whit the better for the praier and intercession of them which doo liue here He answereth that there be some which haue no néed of these things as they which haue alreadie atteined felicitie and that there be others so condemned to euerlasting punishments as by no supplications they can be deliuered from thence But he will haue some to be found such as haue so behaued themselues in their bodie that they haue deserued to be holpen with the praiers of them which be yet liuing and vpon this foundation thus laid he concludeth that it may somwhat profit them that be dead if they be buried at the monuments of martyrs But let him take héed how firme is this principle of his we in verie déed accept it not being set downe without the scripture The prophets nor yet the lawe haue not made mention of anie such thing neither would the scripture haue silenced a thing so verie dutifull and of so great charitie towards miserable deceased sinners and haue spoken no where anie one word thereof But if thou wilt saie that it is a most ancient tradition of the church we grant it but it is not prooued or concluded by the holie scriptures not onelie it is not conteined in them but it is in no wise prooued out of them And if the church doo praie it was not for this cause doone in times past to the intent the spirits of them that be dead should be deliuered but as Dionysius testifieth it was in respect that the priest should doo the part of Gods interpretour and should in the title of the praier Why in times past they haue praied for the dead informe and certifie them that are present what God had doone for him that was dead or what we also are to hope for after this life 15 Nor obtrude thou to vs the second booke of Macchabeis it is not in the canon 2. Macc. 12 verse 43. Further it was written in those daies when Iudaea was pressed with the yoke of the Graecians whose maners it had now not onelie receiued but also imbraced the opinions which sauored of philosophie and deuises of mans reason euen as it had receiued a wrestling place brothell houses after the verie which maner it receiued by chance the inuention of purgatorie The originall of purgatorie which the prelates of the church by chance espieng to be obserued of godlie men with a certeine religiousnesse did not much passe to take the same vtterlie awaie but they altered and corrected it as much as might be Which Dionysius whatsoeuer he were dooth by a coniecture plaine inough declare vnto vs in his Treatise De ecclesiastica hierarchia where he obiecteth against himselfe Séeing the dead man hath alreadie that which he shall haue whie dooth the priest praie ouer his corps for his felicitie Not saith he to the intent he should be holpen with those suffrages but bicause it may be declared to them which stand by what God hath doone concerning him and thereby is giuen to the people present as well comfort as assurance both of the resurrection of the bestowing of eternall rewards So as the priest in that place vnder the pretence of praiers plaieth Gods interpretour And against the opinion of Augustine is the Bracarensin Councell in the 36. canon which decréed that at the oratories of martyrs the dead should not be buried And in the 13. cause question 2. chapter Praecipiendum the same is decréed out of the Varensin Councell Albeit in the same place in the chapter Nullus mortuus out of the Magociensin Councell the matter was brought to that passe as none should be permitted to be buried in the temples but bishops priests and abbats And this dooth reason persuade for temples are not for this purpose prouided that therein dead bodies should be interred but that sacraments should be ministred that sermons should be preached Burleng places set forth to the sale and that God should be praied vnto and praised in them But now among the Papists the churches are become churchyards which they make onelie for gaine sake And whereas it is expresselie commanded in the decrées that nothing should be taken for buriall Gen. 23 11. they séeme neuer to be satisfied Ierom treating on a place in Genesis saith If this man I meane Ephron would not receiue the things offered of Abraham and that when he was ouercome with gaine he receiued them is lightlie passed ouer what shall be doone as touching them which dare wrest awaie by violence Otherwise did Ambrose will to be doone when as he writeth in his Booke of offices The causes whit gold was giuen to churches that gold must be bestowed vpon the church not onelie that the church may doo good vnto the poore but also that there may be prouision made for the buriall of the dead Gaine and superstition haue brought in this kind of abuse Let vs not therefore be disquieted if we be not buried in churches for against the opinion of Augustine and against this peruerse custome speaketh Chrysostome Chrysost vpon the epistle to the Hebrues Wheresoeuer we be buried The earth is the Lords In the 13. cause question 2. the chapter Vbicunque Yet is not the care to wit the care taking for buriall or sepulture to be detested naie verelie it is lawfull for them that be aliue to choose themselues a burieng place Which we sée that the prophet did 1. kin 1◠15 which deceiued the other prophet for after that he heard he was dead he cōmanded his children that after his death they should burie him in the sepulchre wherein the other prophet was laid For he not onelie iudged that it would be an honor vnto him that his bones should be spared in the time of Iosias but he also thought it not amisse in the meane time that his bodie shuld be ioined with the dead bodie of the other prophet Iustlie therefore may we prouide to haue our bodies buried among our ancestors among godlie men and among our friends and acquaintance That our soules being loosed from the bodies doo not sleepe 16 When Paule saith in the 13. In 1. Cor. 13 verse 12. chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians But then we shall see face to face c that same abuerbe of time then dooth signifie vnto vs the state of the time after death when the
so in the resurrection which is a second natiuitie he shall be repaired againe In the 19. verse 28. chapter of Matthew it is written In the regeneration when the sonne of man shall sit in his maiestie In déed the regeneration as concerning the soule beginneth now but it shall be then performed as touching the bodie so as it is a certeine new generation Which I therefore saie least it should be estéemed for a creation the which is not doone of things that be extant but of nothing Howbeit it is not alwaies taken after this sort in the diuine scriptures Wherefore the soule shall returne and of hir being shall impart vnto the bodie euen as it did before death and shall not onelie giue a being therevnto but it shall bring therewith all the properties of man and shall communicate them therevnto In déed there shall be some diuersitie but yet not as concerning the essentiall beginnings onlie the things accidentall shall be changed the which may be altered notwithstanding that one and the selfe-same subiect still remaine For others be the qualities and affections of children and others of yoong men and old men yet is the person all one and euen the same man both in childhood in youth Resurrection defined and in age Thus then we may define the resurrection of the dead namelie that It is a new coupling togither of the soule vnto the bodie by the might or power of God that men may stand wholie in the last daie of iudgement and may receiue rewards or punishments according to the state of their former life By this definition all the kinds of causes are expressed The forme is the Coupling togither of the soule and the bodie the which also is doone so soone as men be borne and therefore is added New or Doone againe namelie after death The efficient cause is shewed when we affirme that it shall be doone By the might and power of God The matter is the Soule and the bodie which shall againe be ioined togither The end also is That at the last iudgement it may be determined of the whole man The difference betweene the death of man and the death of brute beasts 13 Furthermore it must be considered that there is no small difference betwéene the death of man which goeth before the resurrection of the dead and that death whereby brute beasts doo perish For the death of man is called a separation of the soule from the bodie For albeit that the bodie doo perish yet dooth the soule still remaine aliue which hapneth not in brute beasts whose death is destruction of mind and bodie both togither Wherevpon that which Salomon saith in Ecclesiastes Eccl. 3 19. that The end of man and of beasts is all one is not true vnlesse it be vnderstood generallie that is to wit that death happeneth to both but the kind of death is not all one both in the one and in the other But of the sentence brought by Salomon shall be spoken afterward I made mention of it now bicause we may vnderstand that euen as betwéene brute beasts and men is giuen a sundrie respect of death so if resurrection also should be granted to them both the forme of the same should not be all one Wherefore although it be said of the bodie and not of the soule that it shall rise yet without the soule the resurrection shall not be for the same must of necessitie be present But yet it may after some sort be said of the soule that it shall rise againe in two respects First In two respects the soule is said to rise againe that euen as through death it ceaseth to forme and direct the bodie and in this respect after a sort to die so on the other side when it returneth to forme and direct the same it may as touching these things be said after a sort to rise againe An other cause is that euen the soules are said to fall so as if it be his propertie to rise againe which hath fallen they also séeing after a sort they fall may be vnderstood to rise Therefore Paule said vnto the Colossians Col. 3 1. If ye haue risen togither with Christ sauor ye of things that be from aboue Now is there anie doubt but he speaketh of the resurrection of soules For they as yet liued to whom he wrote Vnto the Romans also he saith Rom. 6 4. If Christ be risen by the glorie of his father so walke ye also in newnesse of life And vnto the Ephesians Ephe. 5 14. Rise from the dead rise and Christ shall illuminate thee And in the booke of Ecclesiasticus Eccl. 2 7. the second chapter Shrinke not awaie from God that ye fall not Againe He that standeth 1. Co. 10 12 let him take heed he fall not And vnto the Romans Rom. 14. 4. as touching the not iudging of an other mans seruant it is written He standeth or falleth to his owne maister Séeing therefore that all these places are referred to soules it séemeth that both falling and resurrection belong vnto them These things are true The scriptures appoint two sorts of resurrection but yet it must be vnderstood that in the holie scriptures there is put two sorts of resurrection namelie a former and a latter In the first we rise in the soule from sinne but in the latter the bodie is restored Now at this time we speake of the latter therefore said we that the same is proper vnto the bodie And euen as in that former the soule riseth againe and not the bodie so in the latter the bodie riseth and not the soule 14 These two sorts of resurrection we gather Apoc. 20 6. not onelie out of the booke of the Apocalypse where they are pronounced blessed which haue their part in the first resurrection but we learne it also out of the Gospell of Iohn Iohn 5 28. where in the fift chapter both are ioined togither in one place First Christ spake there of the former resurrection when he said The time commeth and now is when the dead shall heare the voice of the sonne of God and they that beleeue it shall liue That these words belong vnto the first resurrection it sufficientlie appéereth in that he saith The time will come and now is But there is no man will saie that the houre of the latter resurrection was then present So as then he ment that those dead should liue againe if they beléeued in the sonne of God who for their sinnes were destitute of the spirituall life of soules of whom Christ said in an other place Matt. 8 28. Let the dead burie their dead And vnto the Ephesians it is written Eph. 2 1. When ye were dead in your offenses and sinnes And vnto Timothie it is written of widowes 1. Tim. 5. 5. She that is trulie a widowe continueth still in praiers and supplications before the Lord but she that liueth in
sacraments And that which we haue set downe touching the Ministers must also be iudged of the Sacraments for if thou wilt regard them as simple and bare figures thou shalt verie much erre if thou ascribe either the forgiuenesse of sinnes or thy saluation vnto them But if in thy minde thou referre these things vnto that which they signifie and the same imbrace by faith as thou oughtest to doe assuredlie thou shalt drawe from thence both saluation and remission of sinnes and thou shalt receiue and reuerence them as excellent giftes of God Wherefore let Ministers take héede that they continuallie pray vnto God What praier the ministers should daily make and beséech him that his ministerie through the holie Ghost maie be of efficacie towards them which be committed vnto their trust and let them to their power applie themselues vnto God that they maie be his apt and méete instruments Nor let them ambitiouslie goe about to wrest great honours of the people They must not séeke for honours Christ so humbled himself Phil. 2. 6 that when he was in the forme of God tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant and he acknowledging the weakenes of humane nature said Ioh. 14. 28. Mat. 24. 36. The father is greater than I. Of that daie and houre none knoweth neither the Angels nor the sonne himselfe Peter forbad the Centurion that he shoulde not worship him Act. 10. 26. Act. 14. 14. The same did Paul and Barnabas when the Ethnickes were minded to doe diuine honour vnto them Yea and the Angel as it is in the Apocalips forbad Iohn that he should not worship him Apo. 19. 10 The Pope adored of men At this daie the Pope is most shamefullie adored of all men And howe the world doteth vpon the Ministers of the Church hereby it is easilie gathered that it hath bestowed such honors vpon them as God hath not required to be giuen them I meane Kingdomes Dukedomes Earldomes Marquesshippes The worde giueth vnto ministers that honor which it should not and denyeth it that which it should and other such like which was no hard matter to giue when Monarchies abounded in them more than ynough But on the other side is denied them the obedience and subiection due vnto them by the will of God to wit that place should be giuen vnto Ecclesiastical discipline and to be obeyed when they command vs out of the word of God to reforme our life to repent and to auoide them whom the church hath pronounced excommunicate and whatsoeuer things else be of this sort But because in these things the alteration of life and sincere holinesse is furthered the diuell prouideth with great care and diligence that with deafe eares they maie be hearde whereby it falleth out that al goeth to wrack because the Prelates of Churches are come to that passe Note a great abâ—… that not being content to haue immoderate riches principalities do altogether busie themselues in the affaires of this worlde neglecting the charge which they haue to féede the people of God And the people in like manner thinke that they haue very well performed their dutie if they heape vp vppon their Pastors the goods of this worlde being nothing carefull in the meane time to be nourished with doctrine and the word of God The sentence of the Apostle when he saith that Neither he that planteth neither hee that watereth is anie thing maie be vnderstoode by Hyperbole or excessiue spéech namelie that they are saide to be nothing if they be compared vnto the diuine Action 40 But because all the Pastors of the Church do serue one and the selfe same high God and do appoint vnto themselues one the same end they are al meanes and instruments of God for the saluation of men Which they haue in common with all the creatures for the which in the scriptures God is called The God of Hostes 1. Sam. 1. 3. Ibid. 15. 2. Esa 1. 24. and in very many places besides for that all things doe no lesse serue God than souldiers doe their Captaine Which comparison in verie déede Aristotle made mention of in his Metaphysickes Wherefore as touching those things the ministers of the Church are among them selues all one The vnitie of ministers Degrées of ministers are not taken away from the Church and yet would not Paul therfore take awaie from the Church the degrées of ministers For in better place is hée which preacheth the Gospell than he which baptiseth And in the Church we haue knowen some to be Pastors some Teachers some Prophets Yet more of the vnitie of ministers c. They be all one also because they serue one an other because they all consent in one thing euen as inferiour artes are ioyned with that which is called Architecture Further they be one because albeit the greater be preferred before the lesser that is not doone either in neglecting or contemning of the lesser They be one also because of theÌ„ selues they haue no other thing as touching the office wherein they be conuersaunt but so much as God hath distributed vnto them So that in this they be equal that whatsoeuer they haue that haue they receiued of him neither haue the things which they vse in their ministerie procéeded of nature And as a liuing creature is saide to bée one because the members thereof being diuers are knit together and are stirred vp in their actions quickened with one life wherewith they are formed euen so the ministers of the Church are by the bondes of charitie knit together with the other members of Christ and they also are drawen with the same spirite wherewith the whole Church is moued that they might further the commoditie of the sheep of Christ Mark thou the doctrine of the ministers more than their life 1. Cor. 5. 11. One of the ministers indéede is holier than an other that is nothing to thée marke then the doctrine and take thou heede that they be not defiled with those most grosse vices for the which Paule commaundeth that we should not so much as eate with them Neither persuade thou with thy selfe The vices of ministers cannot contaminate the SacrameÌ„ts Ierom. Similitudes 2. that their infirmitie or blemishe of vices can hurt those things that are holie Hierom against Iouinian hath two proper similitudes by the which he excuseth God that giueth a soule vnto the children begotten in adulterie For saith he if corne be stolne awaie Of him that stealeth sede the sinne remaineth not in the séede but in him that soweth it And therefore the séed sowen springeth neither doeth an other mans sinne hinder it Of him that soweth with polluted hands Furthermore if the hande of him that soweth shall be defiled and polluted the séede is not therefore so infected as it cannot growe Euen so holie things cannot be corrupted with the sinne of them that minister And Augustine in an Epistle to
of the Sentences déemeth do serue for honestie comlines and solemnitie This doubtlesse is lamentable that almost all things in Christianitie be corrupted not onelie 〈◊〉 concerning manners but also as touching doctrine and Sacraments Verilie it had béene méete in baptisme to haue delt by faith and to require a full and perfect profession thereof And let not anie man answere that the créede is recited because in the baptisme of Papistes it is doone verie coldlie especiallie séeing it is alwaies vsed in the latine tongue which is not vnder stoode of them that stande by And although they that be present doe after a sort knowe by long experience the articles of the faith yet doe they but lightlie vnderstande them wherefore it is necessarie to instruct them more plainelie They boast also that they vse a Catechising or instruction But in what sort Forsooth the same consisteth of fiue or tenne words and these not vnderstood Besides they commaunde him that is to be baptised to renounce the Diuell and the pompes of this world For the which they haue no commaundement of God 7 But leauing the rest of their trifles Exorcisme added to Baptisme Look part 2 pl. 1. Art 24. part 1. pl. 9. Art 30. let vs come to Exorcisme wherein they put the whole summe and effect of the thinges that be added And séeing the matter is of great importaunce I thinke it first méete to speake somewhat of the signification of the worde In Gréeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to adiure by holie things Augustine in his booke de Beata vita writeth that an euill spirite inuadeth the soule troubleth the senses and casteth men into madnesse in the driuing out of which they that haue authoritie doe laie on their handes and exorcise that is do driue him out in adiuring him by diuine thinges Hereby it appeareth now that exorcisme is an adiuring by holie things Vlpianus in the Pandects in the Title de variis extraordinariis cognitionibus in the first law saith that he alloweth not of those Phisitians which inchaunt and exorcise and he addeth that the same is a woord which deceiuers vse And although some saith he affirme that they be holpen yet doe they nothing but inchaunt and curse Also Plinie beléeued that there bee certaine diseases which maie be healed by inchauntments and adiurations In like manner there were some which supposed that exorcisme is therefore applied to holie baptisme because a great oth is there made in the name of Christ But they be verie far deceiued for that the sacrificer doth there adiure the euill spirit neither doeth he take anie oth in the name of Christ True indéed it is that the verbe is deriued of the nowne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is an oth And vndoubtedly as I haue already said A certain adiuratiō by holie things is performed in exorcisme I haue noted that the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is thrée times found in the newe Testament For in the fifth Chapter of Marke the Diuell adiured Christ saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Verse 7. I adiure thée by God that thou torment me not In the 19. Verse 13. Chapter of the Actes the sonnes of Sceua saide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Wee adiure you by Iesus Christ whom Paul preacheth And in the first to the Thessalonians the last Chapter Verse 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is I adiure you by the Lord that this Epistle be redde vnto all the Saintes Wherefore these places declare that exorcismes as it hath beene saide is an adiuration by diuine things But exorcisme is exercised by a certaine commaundement and royall power because the exorcistes cōmaunde the vncleane spirits and verie boldlie commaund them to depart and by this meanes exorcismes differ from prayers and supplications Now it throughlie appeareth what is exorcisme and what is to exorcise Look part 1 pl 8. Art 13. pl 9. art 30 Vnto what times may be referred the original of Exorcisme 8 Nowe are there thrée things to bee considered in order first when exorcismes began secondlie whether exorcistes should be retained and so retained as they maie belong to the holie ministerie Lastlie whether exorcismes are to be ioyned with baptisme As touching the first I saie that in all the old Testament I haue not read that any exorcismes were ordained for the driuing out of diuels I know indéede that there be adiurations extant Wherfore there is a law of zelosie in the booke of Numbers Num. 5. 12. which commaunded vnto the Israelits a forme of a certaine adiuration but by it the Priestes did not adiure the woman to cast Diuels out of her but he wished either good or euill vnto her according as she had behaued her selfe If she had béene chast and blamelesse he wished her well but if shee were vncleane and defiled with whoredome he cursed her with expresse words Also Iosua adiured Acham Iosua 7. 19. not to driue the Diuell out of him but to driue him to confesse a trueth of conueying awaie the accursed thing Some thinke that Dauid did exorcise Saul 1. Sam. 16. 23. which I allowe not for he with his Harpe played before him and with most pleasant verses praysed God But that hee vsed not exorcisme it maie for two causes bee affirmed First because he did not perfectlie heale him but as it is written in the historie While he plaied his trouble was asswaged yet was not the euill spirite vtterlie cast out from Saul Further Dauid vsed not the forme of adiuration which the Scripture teacheth but verses of Musicke and these as it is like lie of the nature of prayers But that there were Exorcistes among the Hebrewes I denie not as I wil streightwaie declare by plaine Testimonies although I graunt that I am ignorant 〈◊〉 what age they first began Iosephus in the 8. booke of Antiquities the second Chapter writeth that Salomon made certaine charmes and exorcismes But of that matter I spake sufficientlie when I interpreted that place where it is shewed that Salomon passed in wisedome all the men of the East and the Egyptians But to come somewhat néerer vnto the matter I thinke that the wisedome of Salomon was inspired into him by GOD. And those things which God bestoweth vppon men are not to bee counted euill but good but that incantations are condemned by the lawes of GOD it is most certaine For which cause they are not giuen to men by the spirite of God Whereby it is prooued that the exorcismes inchauntments and the booke of the little Kay the which are caried abroad vnder the name of Salomon A counterfeit booke of Salomon are counterfait and not to be fathered vpon him They abound euerie where with superstitions and be fraughted with gestures both ridiculous and Idolatrous 9 But that the Hebrewes as I haue said had Exorcistes it is prooued by the testimonie of Christ in the 12. of Matthew For there the Lord
teache to belong vnto their functions For onely the Elders doe baptise ordinarylie among them neither are there vsed besides them any other Cleargie men which by their ministerie may exorcise the infantes which be brought vnto them And they which in times past accompanied the Byshops as witnesses of their good name conuersation Who were Acolutht were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At this time in déede remaineth the order of Acoluthes but they doo not the office They haue also the name order of doorekepers vnto whom the Temple doores are said to be committed that they may haue a regard to them that goe in and that they may kéepe the infidels and excommunicate persons from the holy seruice Doore kéepers But there is no doorekéeper found at this day that dooth execute that office Readers Furthermore they ordaine readers whose office in the purer times was that they should openly reade certaine places out of the Scriptures vnto the congregation assembled which the Byshop afterward succéeding did interprete vnto the people standing by This office is at this day out of vse Yet is the name and order retained And they haue also added exorcists which should adiure them which be assailed with diuels And this as I haue said the priestes at this day doe in baptisme not the meaner Cleargie men who séeme now to doe nothing in the Temples as we sée but to sing to beare waxe lightes to ring belles and to help the priest to say Masse and so now all thinges in the Church are become ridiculous foolish And while they will imitate the forefathers especially in that wherein they were not to be allowed they after a sort shewe themselues to be their Apes Wherefore vaine names and degrées ought not to be retained without the true exercise of a functioÌ„ By what meanes we must succour the possessed with ill spirits Howe that Exorcisme is taken away What then shall wée doe with men that be taken and assaulted with euill spirits when they be tormented by them shal we forsake them vndoubtedlie they must not be forsaken Yet must we not by adiurations commaund the euill spirit to goe foorth séeing we perceiue not our selues to be indued with that grace and power that we should by our owne commaundement cast foorth diuels Wherefore we will vse faithfull prayers deuout and most earnest supplications for the recouerie of them Briefly it would be well and aduisedly doon in these dayes to coÌ„uert exorcismes into prayers And hitherto concerning this point Whether Exorcisme is to be ioyned with Baptisme Arguments affirming it and first the testimonies of the Fathers 14 Now let vs sée for the third whether exorcismes should be ioyned with baptisme They which defend the part affirmatiue vse very many testimonies sentences of the fathers Further they bring certaine reasons of their owne mind Augustine in the first and fourth bookes De Fide Symbolo ad Catechumenos giueth an excellent testimonie vnto exorcisme And in his booke De peccato originali against Pelagius and Coelestius the 40. Chapter By exorcismes saith he is blowen out before baptisme a contrarie power The same father in his Encheridion vnto Laurence Chapter the 31 saith that now Exorcismes be in the whole world and that by an exsufflation or blowing out the vncleane spirite is driuen away and the prince of this world is cast foorth the strong armed man is bound and his vessels are plucked from him Moreouer in the first booke and 14. Chapter De peccatorum meritis remissione he writeth what dooth my Exorcisme woorke in the baptising of an infant if he be not held in the familie of the diuell Vndoubtedlie Augustine in this opinioÌ„ erred gréeuouslie in that he attributed ouer much vnto Baptisme For he acknowledgeth it not to be the outward signe of regeneration but he would that by the very act of washing we should be regenerate and adopted and passe into the familie of Christ As though before that very howre of washing we did pertaine vnto the familie of the diuill and were wholy possessed of him The same Author in the 6. Chapter De fide operibus teacheth that by Exorcismes men be purged And in his treatise De Ecclesiasticis dogmatibus he is of the same opinion And also in his Sermon De Sacramentis fidelium feria secuÌ„da paschae where he saith By Exorcismes and adiurations ye began to be grinded Chrysostom also in his Homilie of Adam and Eue made mention of Exorcisme and exsufflation as of thinges vsed generally by the Church Furthermore Optatus the Byshop of Miletum in the viij booke against Parmenianus maketh mention of Exorcismes as though they serued euery where for the vse of Churches Reasons seeâ—ing for exorcismes about Baptisme 15 Surelie it would be ouer long to recite here the sayings of al the fathers Wherfore leauing now the Testimonies of them I will rehearse the reasons by which they defende this opinion of theirs First they take as graunted that it is necessarie vnto saluation to passe from the power of darkenesse into the kingdome of light They adde afterwarde that men before baptisme liue vnder the power of the Diuell So then they conclude that he must be put awaie which they iudge to be doone by exorcisme Secondlie they say it is come to passe for sinnes sake that the Diuell hath power ouer men but they affirme that sinne is in them vntil such time as they be baptised and therefore iudge it requisite that the euil spirit which is alwayes ioyned together with sinne shal giue place vnto the good spirite séeing they cannot be both together For what agréement is there betwéene light and darkenesse and betwéene Christ and Beliall Further that the vncleane spirit is driuen out by exorcismes they thereby confirme because with their cries they testifie themselues to be tormented and il vexed while they be adiured But if thou shalt saie vnto these men that the nature of Infantes is good For GOD sawe all things that he made and they were good They will aunswere that they doe not exorcise nor blowe out nature which GOD hath made but that they woulde depresse the power of the enemie I meane the Diuell that he should not at his owne pleasure hurt nor stirre vp the infection or concupiscence to commit sinne And they adde that it is lawful for them to Exorcise euery creature séeing Paule hath said vnto Timothie 1. Tim. 4. 5 that thinges are sanctifyed by the word and by prayers For this purpose also they alledge that saying which was spoken by God vnto Adam after sinne committed Gen. 3. 17. Cursed is the ground for thy sake and thereby they gather that by Exorcismes the state of man is to be deliuered from the diuell and from the cursse Ephe. 6. 12. They bring also that saying of the Apostle Our wrestling is not against flesh and bloud but against wickednesse in heauenly thinges Wherefore they affirme
because it is flesh and bread together Gelasius Gelasius against Eutiches wrote that in the Sacrament of the Eucharist the substance and nature of bread and wine doe not cease to be and he maketh a comparison of this Sacrament with Christ in whom both the natures aswell diuine as humane remaine whole euen as in this Sacrament dooth the nature of bread and of the bodie of Christ Gregorie in the register Gregorie while we take aswell the swéete bread as the leauened bread we are made one bodie of the Lord our Sauiour Bertram Bertram in his little booke De Corpore Sanguine Domini saith as touching the natures of the signes that according to the substaÌ„ce of the creatures looke what they were before consecration the same they remaine afterward Bernard Bernard in his Sermon De Coena Domini manifestlie setteth foorth a similitude of a King whereby any man receaueth either the faith of wedlock or the possession of some dignitie as it commeth to passe in the consecration of Byshops where the King or the Crosiers staffe or the labels of the Miter be signes of thinges giuen and graunted and yet no vaine signes For the thinges which they signifie are most certainelie giuen The very which I haue shewed to be doone in Sacramentes 32 Now let vs confute the Argumentes of these men wherby they indeuour to prooue their TraÌ„substantiation As touching the first A confutation of the arguments for transubstantiation we answere that Christ promised his flesh or his bodie or bloud for to be meate and drinke and that in the 6. of Iohn Verse 51. which he perfourmeth so often as we beléeue that he truelie dyed for vs. He also performed it wheÌ„ in the supper he instituted this Sacrament For vnto that spirituall eating The meaning of the proposition This is my bodie he added signes But speciallie they obiected This is my bodie about the trueth of which saying standeth the Controuersie howbeit onely as touching the manner for both aswell they as we affirme the proposition to be true and we contend onely about the sense They affirme the proposition to be plaine and wée on the other side say â—ugustine that Augustine De doctrina Christiana teacheth that wee must not so interpret one place as it should be against many other but so as it may agrée with the rest Neither must they alwayes obiect a plainnesse of the sense otherwise when it is said Gen. 1. 6. Let vs make man to our owne Image and likenesse the heretickes named Anthropomorphitae arise and inferre The Heretikes called Anthropomorphitae that God hath a bodie and a soule and other members as we sée them to be framed in man Thou sayest that this Similitude must be referred vnto the soule because through it man beareth rule ouer other creatures as God dooth but they say that these thinges be there written of man and that thou vainlie goest about to attribute to a part namely to the soule that which is pronounced of the whole Ioh. 4. 24. Luk. 24. 39. Thou againe obiectest That God is a spirit and that a spirit hath not flesh and bones and so by other places of the Scriptures thou gatherest the sense of this one place So said the Arrians that they had a plaine sense of that place The ArriaÌ„s The father is greater than I. Thou restrainest this vnto the nature of man Ioh. 14. 28. because in other places the diuinitie of Christ is declared vnto thée as in the first of Iohn and in the Epistle to the Romans the 9. Iohn 1. 1. Rom. 9. 5. 1. Ioh. 5. 20. Luk. 22. 36. Chapter and in the 5. Chapter of Iohns Epistle Christ saith He that hath not a sword let him buy himselfe one Whereby he séemeth to stirre vp vnto reuenge In interpreting of one place we must haue respect vnto other places but and if thou haue respect vnto other places thou shalt perceiue it is spoken figuratiuely Paul sayth 1. Thess 5. 17. Pray you without intermission The Heretikes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vp rose the heretikes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who thought that we should apply our selues to perpetuall and close whispering prayers when as neuerthelesse it is said elsewhere He that prouideth not for his owne 1. Tim. 5. 8. and especiallie for his houshold renounceth his faith and is woorse than an infidell And againe Let all thinges be doone by order And againe 1. Co. 14. 40 2. Thess 3. 10. He that laboureth not let him not eate The heretickes called Chiliastae that is the Millenarij The Millenarii Apo. 20. 7. thought that they had a most plaine word in the Apocalips the 20. Chapter as touching a thowsand yeares wherein Christ shall raigne with his Saintes And the Sabellian hereticks sayd The Sabellians There is no difference betwéene the father and the sonne by reason of that place Ioh. 10. 30. Iohn 14. 9. I the father be one Also Philip He that seeth me seeth also the father Ioh. 10. 38. and as I am in the father so likewise the father abideth in me These thinges the heretickes said were plaine and made for them The Ebionites The Ebionites affirmed Christ to be a meere creature and they said that these wordes My God my God Mat. 27. 46 why hast thou forsaken me might not otherwise be vnderstood séeing that God neuer forsaketh himselfe And because that it is written in the 6. Verse 54. of Iohn He that shall eate my flesh and drinke my bloud shall not dye at any time some haue said that it followeth that they which haue lawfully communicated once cannot perish euerlastingly Which error Augustine De Ciuitate Dei dooth manifestlie reprooue And the wordes of the Canticles of Salomon The Câ—…ticles of Salomon if thou receaue them as they appeare at the first shew be no other than verses of loue or a wedding song It is not méete therefore to pretend alwayes a perspicuitie of wordes Christ said He that hath eares to heare Matt. 13. 9. let him heare and he that readeth let him vnderstand Neither is it conuenient foorthwith to take quicke holde of the first sense neglecting and not considering other places Christ said vnto the Apostles Matt. 16. 6. Beware ye of the Leuen of the Pharasies They straightway thought that he spake of bread when he spake as concerning doctrine He said also Ioh. 11. 11. Lazarus our friend sleepeth There lykewise the Apostles misvnderstood him If he sleepe he shall be safe when as he spake of death Againe the Lord said Destroy this Temple Iohn 2. 19. and in three dayes I will raise it vp againe Neither vnderstood they that he meant as touching his bodie He that shall keepe my commaundements shall not dye for euer Here also the Iewes thought that he spake of the common death Grossely did Nicodemus vnderstand
that offereth than of the Sacrifice yea the oblations please not him but for the offerers sake This iudgement Iraeneus prooueth by the Scriptures in his 4. booke and 34. Chapter For God had a regarde vnto Abel and to his giftes but vnto Caine and his giftes he looked not because of the disposition of them that offered For looke what manner of will he that offereth hath towardes God the like will hath God to the oblation Christ also saith If thou bring thy gift vnto the altar Matt. 5. 23. and rememberest that thy brother hath somwhat against thee goe and reconcile thee first vnto thy brother and then come and offer thy gift As though he should saie if whilest thou art euill and enimie vnto God thou doest offer thine oblation shall not be acceptable vnto God Wherefore Irenaeus concludeth that it is not the sacrifice which sanctifieth but the conscience of the sacrificer And he addeth a reason because God néedeth not our sacrifice Among men the euill man oftentimes may be absolued because men are sometimes couetous and néedie and are easilie woonne with monie But if it happen the iudge to be both iust and good he will reiect the monie neither will he suffer his equitie after that maner to be stayned So God because he cannot be woonne by flatterie obserueth the mindes of men and not the Sacrifices In Esay the 66. Chapter he saith He that Sacrificeth a beast is as if he slew a dog not that God hateth sacrifices in general but because he alloweth not the oblations of euill men I haue the largelier spoken of these things because the Papistes boast that in Masses they offer Christ vnto God the father which if it should be graunted then must God the father more estéeme a naughty sacrificer than he doth his sonne But the wife of Manoah reasoneth most wittilie God hath receaued our sacrifice therefore he is not angrie The sacrifices of Christians neither will he destroy vs. We count the sacrifices of Christians to be a contrite heart prayers giuing of thankes almes mortifying the affections of the flesh and such like These are left vnto vs after the abrogation of the carnall sacrifices that we should offer them as the fruites of our faith and testimonies of a thankefull minde But as touching the pacifying of God Christ offered himselfe once vpon the Crosse neither is there any néede that any man should offer him againe For by one oblation he accomplished all things Now remaineth that we imbrace his sacrifice with faith and we shall haue God merciful vnto vs who of his goodnesse will by Christ accept those sacrifices which we haue now made mention of Augustine 19 But Augustine against the letters of Parmenianus in his 2. booke the 8. Chapter séemeth at the first sight to make against vs. For the Donatistes would not communicate with other Christians because they counted them defiled vnpure And they cited a place out of Iohn Iohn 9. 31. We know that God heareth not sinners Your men say they haue betrayed the holie bookes haue burnt incense vnto Idolles haue denied God howe then shall God heare them Augustine answereth that it may be that an euill Minister although he be not heard for his owne cause yet when he prayeth for the people he may be heard And he confirmeth his saying by the Example of Balaam For he béeing a most wicked man prayed vnto God and was heard But if a man diligentlie examin these things he shall finde that Augustine is not against vs The publike praiers of the minister are the praiers of the Church although at the first sight he séemeth a little to presse vs. When he had saide that the euill Ministers also are heard he straight way addeth that that is not doone for their wickednesse sake but because of the faith and deuotion of the people Whereby we gather that although the Minister be the guide in words yet are they not his prayers but the prayers of the church For there must be one certaine man which must recite the prayers for the rest least in the multitude should arise a confusion or tumult if euerie man should indeuour to make loude prayers in the Church Wherefore the Minister is a certaine mouth of the Church The Minister is the mouth of the Church So as if he be euil it is not he which is herd but the faithfull people which speake by his wordes And this doeth Augustine teache when he writeth that an euill minister is heard not for his owne wickednesse but for the faith and deuotion of the people Hereby are we admonished that while we are present at publike prayers we must take verie diligent héede assure our selues that these prayers which are recited are ours But Balaam by a certaine forme of prayers prophesied and therefore his wordes are called a blessing because he prophesied happie things vnto the people of God How it is saide that Balaam was heard And he was not mooued vnto these prayers of his owne will but was set on by the spirit of God And so he was not heard but the holy Ghost was the true Author of his wordes 20 That which is alleaged out of Iohn Iohn 9. 31. Whether God heareth sinners to wit That God heareth not sinners Augustine saieth that that was not the saying of Christ but of the blind man which was not yet fully lightened Wherefore he affirmeth that sentence not to be generally true For as they define the prayers of peruerse Ministers are sometimes heard because they are the prayers of the Church But as touching the offering vp of Christ I thinke not that the Papists will graunt that the whole Church offereth him séeing they will haue that to be peculiar to the Massemōgers And though they shoulde graunt that yet is not the whole Church greater more acceptable vnto God than is Christ Because he is not acceptable vnto God for the Church sake but the Church is acceptable vnto God for Christes sake But to returne to the saying of Iohn That God heareth not sinners adding a profitable distinction we may thus expound it A distinctiō of sinners There are some sinners which fall of weakenesse or sinne of ignoraunce which yet afterward do acknowledge themselues are sorowfull and repent faithfully But there are other which sinne without conscience which are destitute of faith neither are they led with any repentance The first sort because they haue faith are heard the other for as much as they want faith doe in vaine powre out their prayers Luk. 18. 10. What maner of one the Publicane was when he prayed Howbeit if a man will obiect the Publicane who being a sinner prayed vnto God and departed iustified I answer that that Publicane was in such sort a sinner that yet when he prayed he was not without faith nay rather he prayed from a faithful heart otherwise God would not haue heard his prayers And
called the diuine hath in his third booke De Theologia that To reiect another mans opinion is no great matter but easie for euerie man howbeit contrariwise to proue his owne is the point both of a godlie and a wise man For if the contention be about bare words that will come to passe which that same wittie Logician in Nicaeas trulie spake While men striue about words words are set against words and that which is spoken is ouerthrowne by the art of eloquence But if the triall be about the right sense Paule pronounceth A naturall man perceiueth not those things which be of the spirit of God for it is foolishnes vnto him neither can he vnderstand bicause they are spirituallie examined If a man appeale vnto reason and profound wisedome 1. Cor. 2 14. by and by it will be said My speach and my preaching is not in the entising words of mans wisedome but in the declaration of the spirit and of power that our faith should not be in the wisedome of men but in the power of God Therefore to dispute in so hard a matter 1. Cor. 2 4. and to prooue by reasons that which ought to be held onelie by faith and beléefe is a dangerous thing and granted to no man without the singular gift of God Especiallie according to that saieng of Ierom vnto Paulinus where there is a disputation betwéene them which after prophane writings come to the holie scriptures and by a set maner of speach delight the eares of the people Whatsoeuer they shall saie that they thinke to be the lawe of God and vouchsafe not to knowe what the prophets what the apostles haue iudged but applie vnfit testimonies to their owne sense As though it were a kind of speach of great value and not of vile error to depraue sentences and to drawe according to a mans owne will the scripture which is against him there to acknowledge a figure where no figure is there to deuise a figure where there is a truth to drawe all to that purpose whither his affection leadeth him To this verie well agréeth that which Augustine hath in his third booke De doctrina christiana the tenth chapter If an opinion of anie error haue possessed the mind whatsoeuer otherwise the scripture hath affirmed men thinke it to be a figuratiue speach But is not this to please the affection when as the sacred scripture saith manifestlie This is my bodie to interpret it This signifieth my bodie When the fathers affirme verie flesh and verie bloud to make a glose that the fathers spake spirituallie or else hyberbolicallie when they teach that bread is changed not in forme but in nature to ascribe the same onelie vnto an holie vse Doo they bring in the scriptures No but they pretend the scriptures as saith Tertullian And by this their boldnesse they persuade some yea in the disputation it selfe they tire the strong they catch hold of the weake and send away the indifferent in a doubt Wherfore we must labour diligentlie that our eies may be opened we must obteine by praiers that he which is the author of the scriptures will also be the interpretour of them that he will open our sense that we may vnderstand the scriptures He that speaketh with the toong let him praie that he may interpret And so in stead of words there will procéed vertue and for reason faith that we be not carried awaie with euerie wind of a word but that we may be graffed and rooted in that word which hath power to saue our soules And that this may come to passe praie you vnto the holie Ghost togither with me in my accustomed praier Come holie spirit c. D. Peter Martyr THose things which you haue now so bitinglie spoken in your preface how vnagréeable they are to me I will not indeuour to shew Onlie this will I admonish that I neuer wrested or corrupted the holie scriptures neither haue I imagined figures where they haue no place nor yet haue brought in anie new but such as are vsuall and which in a maner all the fathers doo acknowledge Howbeit I will not spend the time in confuting of these matters for there be manie things which I must saie for the confirmation of my questions as commonlie is woont to be doone of them which are to answer in disputations lest they might séeme to defend absurdities whereby also it shall be knowne how smallie those things which you spake earwhilst doo belong to my opinion Yesterdaie in verie déed I was minded to doo this but bicause I cannot tell by what chance I was constreined to deale with another aduersarie than was determined I thought good for the sooner dispatch with him to dispute with the ordinarie appointed to pretermit these things to refer them ouer to this daie And that our purpose may haue good successe I will as I haue hitherto doone call for the helpe of God D. Martyrs Praier O Almightie God we acknowledge the weakenesse of our mind and therefore we dare not approch to the beholding and declaring of thy truth vnles we first as meet we should doo call vpon thy name Wherefore we desire thee with most feruent praiers that of thy speciall goodnesse thou wilt infuse light into our darkenesse and by the benefit of thy holie spirit thou wilt make plaine those doubts which shall happen that the waie of saluation may be made manifest vnto them which beleeue through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen The confirmation of the first question The first reason drawne from the sacrament of baptisme FOr confirmation of the first question besides the reasons which you hard in disputing the former daies I will now adde these also That Christ is trulie giuen vnto vs in baptisme Paule testified vnto the Galathians when he wrote Gal. 3 27. So manie of you as are baptised haue put on Christ And in the epistle vnto the Romans he sheweth Rom. 6. verse 4 5. that by baptisme we are graffed into Christ And in the first epistle to the Corinthians he ioineth togither these two sacraments when he saith that 1. Co. 12 13 We be baptised into one bodie and haue droonke one spirit And yet doo not anie saie that vnto the true receiuing of Christ in baptisme we haue néed of transubstantiation wherefore it followeth that the same also in the Eucharist is superfluous Neither is it an easie thing to be said that Christ is giuen more excellentlie in the Eucharist than he is in baptisme sith by baptisme we are set in him and by the Eucharist we are fed in him And there is no man doubteth but that our generation dooth bring more substance to vs than dooth the nourishment I let passe that which Ierom wrote vnto Hedibia that we in baptisme doo eate the bodie and bloud of Christ And Augustine saith that by baptisme we be made partakers of the bodie and bloud of Christ euen before we eate of
threatnings and statutes and the people which daily bewayleth the déerenesse of thinges and the scarcitie of corne complaineth nothing at all of want of the holy worde Those being kindled and stirred vp with the words of the Prophet came and did the worke of God Make yée hast also my most déere brethren and builde yée quicklie the house of God For the byrds of heauen haue their nests and the foxes haue their holes but the sonne of man hath not where to lay his heade The house of Ierusalem lay ruinated onely 70. yeares and yet God made so great shewe of his indignation And how doe ye thinke his furie is nowe kindled when he séeth his Church to be cast downe defiled and wasted so manie ages together Let so great a matter mooue you and differ you no longer this holy building But if your mindes indeuouring to come vnto God haue béene any thing kindled by this sermon I desire you hartely that yée will not extinguish the same but that yée will with holie communications and talke of the scriptures nourish it Now that the sin of negligence hath béene blamed out of the worde of God and hath béene made manifest by the Prophet after what manner and fashion we ought to builde and lastly that we haue vnderstoode what vtilitie such exhortations hath brought vnto the hearers I might séeme to haue performed those things which I promised at the beginning But since we are minded to mooue earnestly by examples I haue determined before I make an ende to bring foorth a good and diligent builder whereby ye may haue an example whereunto if yée regard ye shal at the length performe the worke which yée haue taken in hand And because such is the miserie of the time present as of them that be aliue there is no example extant therefore am I compelled whether I will or no to flie vnto writings Let Paul the most chosen vessell of God shewe himselfe vnto vs. He as he hath written in the 2. Epistle to the Corinthians the 11. Chapter Verse 23 attempted all manner of wayes to addresse those that were his to bee as a chast and pure spouse vnto our husbande Christ he sought not for himselfe that which he diligentlie builded by doctrine he lead them thereby vnto Christ as a faithfull seruant Neither did he onely indeuour to conuert them but with carefull trauell he prouided that they in a sound faith and certaine maidenly religion might cleaue vnto their spouse I am afraide saith he least as the serpent deceiued Eue so ye should be deceiued by euill and false teachers Now verily was the Apostle Paul in feare wherein he was vigilant not about his owne commodities but about the saluation of many Yée sée the end of the Church which a good builder must set before his eyes namely that to bring manie vnto Christ and so perpetually to take care of them and instruct them that they flie not from building of the Church But when they shal labour in this building it shal be good to heare Paul himself what and how great things hee indured In labours more abundant In stripes aboue measure 2. Cor. 11. 23. In prison more plenteouslie In perils of death often Of the Iewes receiued I fiue times fortie stripes saue one I was thrise beaten with rods I was once stoned I suffered thrise shipwarke I liued night and day in the deepe sea In iourneying I was often in perils of waters In perils of robbers in perils of mine owne nation in perils among the Gentiles In perils in the citie in perils in the wildernesse in perils in the sea in perils among false brethren in labour and in painefulnesse in watching often in hunger and thirst in fastings often in cold and nakednesse besides the things which happened outwardly I am cumbred daily with the care of all the Churches who is weake and I am not weake who is offended and I burne not Al which things to remember my most deare brethren haue in them a verie large sea of temptations He liued in continual carefulnes we would be ridde of all care and thought whereby we inioy our welth and quietnesse He was exercised in continuall labours and perils and we will not put our selues in any daunger for religion And yet do they say at this day although those things which be spokē in this Euangelicall reformation be true yet will I expect a yeare or two Thou wilt kéepe thy selfe safe that if the state alter thou be not so incumbered but that thou maist easily be at libertie He if any were weake woulde bée weake together with them and did burne because of offenses But we though that manie be offended doe eate and drinke and we threaten others we play and laugh What maruell then if the Church lie in ruins O happie builder is he that can say with Paul I haue fought a good fight 2. Cor. 12. 5 I haue runne my course I haue kept the faith So carefull was this Paul of the holie building that he would most willingly both spende and be spent for these members of Christ for their soules but we suffer all to perish rather than any profite and commoditie of ours shoulde perish Verse 14. He saide I seeke not those things that be yours but you Neither ought the children to lay vp for the parents but the parents for the children But we can do the contrarie We séeke not you but those things that bée yours nothing is looked for at our handes He was made all things to all men 1. Cor. 9. 22 that he might winne some to Christ But wee are made all things vnto all men that we may alienate our selues and all others with vs from Christ Paul had manie whom he edified as the signes of his Apostleship but wée many whom we haue grieuouslie displeased and offended which are manifest signes of our office and calling forsaken Wherefore I pray and beséech you that by conuerting and changing your indeuours yée will imitate this noble artificer and chiefe master builder Which that it may be graunted vnto you of almightie God let vs call vppon him with our prayers after this manner WE beséech the O heauenlie father for thine infinite gratious mercy that since thou hast vouchsafed to make choice of thy spouse the Church vppon the earth and to honour it with all kinde of spirituall ornamentes despise not the same now being deformed defiled and in a manner ouerthrowen Stirre vp I beséech thée and kindle with thy holie spirite the Princes Pastors Teachers and all them that be here present to a restitution thereof and giue them patience diligence and strength while they bée doing the worke to the ende that they may prepare a place for thée where thou liuest and raignest together with the sonne and the holie Ghost To thee be glorie for euer world without end Amen A Sermon out of the xx Chapter of Iohn vpon this place Christ
There be vsed no vehement affections neither is there any thing doone earnestly or from the heart but all things are rather doone of a certaine ceremonie and custome Let no man make excuse that these things belong onely vnto Bishops and vnto pastors Col. 3. 16. séeing vnto the Colossians Paul admonisheth euerie man as well that the word of God should dwell in vs plentifullie as also that our spéech shoulde alwayes be gratious and powdered with salt Col. 4. 6. that wée may know how to answere euerie man And Peter woulde haue vs to be readie to giue a reason of that hope which is in vs. 1. Pet. 3. 15. But forasmuch as I perceiue the time is past I will make an end and bende my selfe vnto prayer as vnto a most sure hauen to craue the aid and assistance of Gods helpe And as holy Moses when he had nowe ruled the people of God the space of 40. yeares on this wise prayed Deut. â—2 2. A Prayer That my doctrine may droppe as doth the raine and my speech flowe as doth the deaw So I good Lord most earnestly desire of thée that those thinges which I shall teach thy children may not be any stormes of errours but desired and fruitfull raines of the trueth and that my interpretations may be no waters that shoulde wast the Church and ouerthrow coÌ„sciences but a deawie consolation a profitable edification of soules And I beséech thée also that thou wilt hearken and graunt vnto my prayer that all those which be héere present may heare the holie séede of thy word not as the high way nor as the thornes nor as the stonie ground but as the good lande and fielde prepared by thy spirite they may out of the scriptures which shall bee committed to the furrowes of their hearts bring foorth fruite thirtie sixtie and an hundreth fold An Oration concerning the studie of diuinitie made to the Vniuersitie of Strasborough after his returne out of England THose debters ye diuines which meane good faith are greatly troubled with sorrow and care of minde when they sée themselues hindered by any occasion that they be not able to pay those thinges which they knowe they doe owe neither doeth this happen vnto them without great reason For mortall men haue nothing that they may in right preferre before a stedfast faithfulnesse Whereupon Paul that notable Apostle of Christ the heart of the worlde and most famous publisher of the doctrine of the Gospell when among other nations he knew himself debter also vnto the Romanes Rom. 1. 10. besought God with continuall desires and most instant prayers that he might once at the length come vnto them that euen out of their riche fielde he might carie into the heauenly barne a large haruest and abundance of fruite And because that noble mindes desiring excellent things doe not satisfie themselues vnlesse they ioyne with their desires no lesse indeuours therefore he testifieth that he did often attempt to come vnto them but that he was hindered by Sathan Which hinderaunce as I am perswaded did with great griefe disquiet his most godly minde For with an incredible desire he wished faithfully to doe those things which in preaching of Christ he euer and fréely confessed to be his duetie to doe vnto the wise and vnwise vnto the Gretians and barbarous Wherefore séeing this affection doeth beare so great stroke in honest mindes and in godly men if ye shall thinke me all the while that I haue bin absent from hence to haue bin forgetfull of the duetie which these many yéeres by bond I owe to the schoole or Church of Strasborough ye bereaue me of an honest heart and godly minde But beleeue me the case did not so stand but euen as Homers Vlisses when he was in the Orchardes of Alcinous in the caues of Calipso among the songes of the Syrens in the inchauntements of Circe and violence of the great Giants of Sicill neuer laide aside the swéete remembrance of his owne Countrie Ithaca though it were but rude and as the Israelites so many of them as were godly did during the space of fortie yéeres in the desert continually with themselues thinke of the lande promised them by God so your Martyr did neuer at any time forget this Schoole or by any occasion of this absence ceased to bee carefull of his chiefe and speciall calling and of this perpetuall remembraunce and good will I not onely haue God to be my witnesse and searcher of my heart whom I pray and beséeche for his seuere iustice sake not to leaue me vnpunished if I doe lie but also many notable and woorthie men in Englande doe well knowe howe earnestly I sued to the King that as he had called me from hence so he would send mée hither againe Which neuerthelesse I might not obtaine For that King being verie much giuen vnto godlinesse King Edward the 6. was desirous to cal thither out of Germanie many men of my vocation rather than to suffer me to depart whom he had alreadie with him Wherefore hauing on this wise a repulse I was constrained whether I would or no to be absent from hence And vnlesse ye your selues consider of it by your selues I cannot expresse howe grieuously I tooke it to depart from my place which I had so long inioyed and how sorrowfull I was when I perceiued that I was cut off from al hope of my returne Yet did I comfort my selfe because I thought you were not ignoraunt what the manner of the worshippe of God is For God must not be worshipped after our will but according to his owne pleasure Neither doe those thinges which wée haue purposed to our selues to be doone please him but what his prouidence day by day appointeth to euerie man either to be taken in hand or to be indured Without doubt it séemed pleasant vnto me and most delectable to returne to Strasborough but GOD in whose power I was and now am commanded another thing to be determined And maruell not if I say that he commaunded for ye are not ignoraunt that in all those thinges that are not repugnant vnto the Scriptures of God Rom. 13. c. we must obey Princes euen as we doe God and most auncient is that common saying Osee 6. 7. that Obedience is farre to be preferred before sacrifice And besides this the fruite of the worke which GOD through my ministerie wrought in that most noble kingdome was a let of my comming Howbeit contrarie to the expectation of all men was King Edward of Englande the bright light of Christian kingdomes the verie nurse of godlynesse and a stoute defender of the Gospell of Christ by cruell and lamentable death taken away The light was turned into darkenesse impietie succéeded pitie and most cruell Woolues inuaded the newe and late restored Churche good men are wickedly oppressed from whose perils and misfortunes howe I by the prouidence of God haue bin deliuered I cannot
allow of it in the best maner Wherefore I giue you thanks for this writing and that God hath so aboundantlie blessed your labours I doe not nowe sparinglie shamefastlie but fréelie and boldlie reioyce with the Church of Christ It is saide that Melanchthon is come to Wormes And this hath comforted me verie much I haue read certaine fragmentes of his new interpretation of the Epistle to the Colossians wherein hée writeth verie faithfullie of the humane nature of Christ saying that the same is truely properlie in heauen and he also affirmeth with Augustine that he hath a place certaine according to the measure of his bodie neither doth he require an allegorie in the word Heauen Whereby the error of the Vbiquistes is manifestlie conuinced If hee publishe those writinges me thinkes it shall be verie profitable to the Church not that the doctrine of the Gospell maie by the testimonie of anie mans writings of what sort soeuer the men be be made any thing truer than it is indéed but because that féeble wits are very much confirmed therein through the consent and authoritie of godlie men Also our Gwalter in my iudgement hath set foorth a learned and profitable booke vppon the Actes of the Apostles Furthermore there was a rumor spreade that Countie Martinengo was dead Wherefore when I had taken great sorrowe for him as was méete I shoulde the letters which Bullinger receiued of you were a gret comfort vnto me For you wrote that he indéede was verie sore sicke and that afterwarde he being recouered of his disease fell againe anewe into the same but that he is nowe out of danger I pray and beséech God that he will long preserue him amongest vs. I haue not what else to write but of this I assure you that I earnestlie pray vnto God that you maie liue in safetie and bee profitablie occupied in the Church as you are Wherfore I in like manner desire you on my behalfe that you will not forget me in your prayers Fare well my singular and welbeloued friende From Zuricke the 29. of August 1557. I salute the Marques and the Countie Also I wishe all health vnto the fellowe ministers To Maister Iohn Caluin WHen N. returned hither hee marueilously set foorth your curtesie and goodwill towards him wherefore I am glad that my commēdation was of some weight with you and that he had an occasion giuen him to loue you as you deserue And truely I hope that vnlesse I be deceiued he will hereafter doe his part and will liue quietlie and peaceablie Wherefore I heartily thank you if any occasion be offered that you shall commende any to me I will gladlie declare what account I make of your goodwill I heard of some trouble that was in the Italian Church For which cause I was so sorie that my minde coulde scarse be at quiet neither day nor night After the rumor was brought vnto vs hither came George the Phisitian Forthwith he talked with me and as I coulde perceiue by him hée thought that I woulde determine somwhat on his side But he was verie farre deceiued for if any man doe most detest this errour I confesse it is I. Twise or thrise I conferred throughly with the man and perceiued the thing to be as you writ namely that by these men is appointed in the diuine nature a monarke of the father onely they affirme not that there is one essence of the father and of the sonne And since they will haue a distinction or diuersitie in the diuine essence they cannot auoide but that they confesse a multitude of Gods which Gribald in plaine termes as I heare did affirme Indeede in his words he denieth so much but yet hee will haue those thinges to be graunted him which being graunted and set downe this must of necessitie followe I referred the matter vnto Bullinger He misliked it and desired me which I also of my selfe wished that I would breake off the talke so soone as I coulde because such kinde of mindes are not easilie cured Therefore when I had nowe shewed vnto that man whatsoeuer as I thought might be saide I began to desire him that he would reconcile himselfe vnto your Church that otherwise he should haue no place graunted him among vs. And beholde letters in verie good time were deliuered from you vnto me wherein I hearde to my great ioy that the Church of the Italians were at agréement and a certaine forme of writing giuen whereunto they all subscribed Doubtlesse the remedie is profitable and is not straunge from the auncient manner of the Churches And thereof I tooke a rule many wayes to perswade George vnto the vnitie of the Church and desired him that with a pure and sincere mind he would subscribe vnto a forme of writing set foorth which the Church had allowed forsomuch as that was the onely way both of reconciliation and edification of those whom he had troubled and offended But I perceiued my selfe to spende in vaine both my words and labour Which being perceiued and Bullinger being aduised both by Wolphius and by Gwalther he willed me to perswade the man to depart otherwise that the magistrate shoulde commaunde him to goe his way When I had this doone he went his way and eased me of no small trouble He saieth that he will go into Transiluania but I feare that he will tarie a while at Basil He had another with him whose name is Iohannes Paulus Pedemontanus who also departed as I thinke went to Clauena I would to God that he would bridle sathan he séemeth to be at liberty in this age of ours for both he consumeth the children of the church with fiers and by all meanes corrupteth them with peruerse opinions But this I desire of you for Christ his sake whom you serue most faithfully in spirite that you will not for this cause either trouble the Italians or loue them any whit lesse than yée did before For if among many the most deare shéepe of God he suffer some goates to lurke and to go their wayes yet they which tarie still doe belong vnto Christ and as I hope shal be cured by your ministerie Neither haue I added this in the ende as though I mistrusted your goodnesse and indeuour but to the intent I might powre my desire into your bosome Farewell my singular and welbeloued friende Long may God kéepe you safe in his Church and aboundantly blesse all your labours From Zurick the 11. of Iune 1558. To Maister Iohn Caluin WHereas you write hither more seldome than either your selfe desire or I would wish it doth not so much mooue me that I should suspect I am the lesse beloued or the lesse regarded of you because I knowe it for a certaintie how you haue bin hitherto afflicted with sicknesse and in a maner ouerwhelmed with great and manifolde businesse I would to God as I knowe this very wel so I could some maner of way ease you But I trust that
salute Viretus Zanchus my associate desired me to salute you To Theodore Beza 24. MY déere and welbeloued brother in Christ the letters which I ioyned vnto these of mine did your friende and mine yea our common friend Gasper Oleuian write vnto me but because there want cariers to come to you and that hee hath not much leasure he prayed me that reading them ouer I would straightway send them vnto you to the intent that your selfe might not bee ignorant what hee doth and what daungers he standeth in for publishing the Gospel Verilie that which the good and Godly man hath desired of me I most willingly do for two causes first to gratifie Oleuian himselfe whom I make great account of for his great learning and singular indeuor towards Religion then because there is offered a iust occasion of writing vnto you which I take willingly and of my owne accord for the good loue which I beare vnto you For otherwise I was desirous to giue you thanks for the little booke which N. deliuered to me in your name wherin you haue elegantlie comprehended as you do other thinges the lawes of your newe erected schoole Wherefore I doe excéedingly reioyce with you your Church and common weale for the vniuersitie which yée haue erected And I pray and beséech God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ that it may be dailie increased with greater giftes and that it may become fruitfull as well vnto religion as vnto policie according to your desire Surely there coulde not bee desired of you a more profitable thing especiallie in these dayes Praised be god which so directeth you in the greatest perils that you more largelie thinke vpon the aduancement of his glorie than manie others doe which on euerieside abounde and be full of securitie and idlenesse No doubt but God will bee present at his worke and that which you haue to verie good purpose begun he will not onely defend but as I assure my selfe and all good men doe hope he will prosper with plentifull and large increases Neither coulde they better prouide for your newe schoole than to choose you to be the guide and gouernour thereof For you according to your dexteritie and wisedome wherewith God hath adorned you will so direct and temper all things as vpon those foundations which shal be laid of you others shal be able in a manner without any paine to build rightlie and syncerely As for my part if I can do nothing else I will yéelde vnto you which run rightly and valiantly no deade but liuely and most euident reioysings But to returne to Oleuian the more he is indangered for Christs cause and the Gospell the more readily and chéerefully should he be holpen by prayers Neither would that exhortation be vngratefull nor vnfruitfull which shoulde comfort and refresh him in so great a contention and gréeuous a conflict But there is no néede for me with my counsels to giue you light who séeth cléerelie and euidentlie Farewell faithfull seruant of God and most louing brother in Christ God blesse your labours I pray you in my name salute master Caluin and maister Viret and the rest of the ministers and fellowe laborers The daunger wherein yée liue doeth no lesse touch me and other good men than if we were there present in your place We will not be behind with our prayers I pray God of his mercie graunt that we may heare that things come to passe according to our hope The 4. of October 1559. To a certaine friend of his NOw most woorthy sir to whom I am for many causes beholding I send ouer vnto you according to my promise a fewe dayes past that same written confession sealed vp with little twigges as I receiued the same And when I doe throughly consider thereof I doe not thinke that it was exhibited by our sort in such wise as it is written For there is no mention made of apprehending the bodie and bloud of the Lorde by faith not with the mouth of the bodie which séemes to bee the whole key of this controuersie Certainly I am not offended at the name of substance because I know that our faith is not carried to a vaine and fained bodie But I maruell at this that in the second Article it is said that signes haue alwaies ioyned with them the thing it selfe that is signified and that in the thirde is declared the manner of that coniunction which is saide not to bee called onely figuratiue or shadowing Verilie for my part I knowe none other coniunction of the flesh and bloud with the signes than that which is of signification which neuerthelesse I affirme not to bée of small force but an effectuall coniunction because the holy Ghost vseth the same as a certaine instrument euen as he vseth the outwarde worde And no lesse obscure is that which is added Which may truely certainlie represent vnder the shew of visible things If the verbe To represent doe note a type or figure it is well but if it be to appoint a thing to be truely present as it doth oftentimes signifie it is not true and an occasion is giuen of sinning And séeing in these things it behooueth to deale with verie great perspicuity doubtlesse in my iudgement there néeded a more large exposition Againe in the same thirde Article it is written that the controuersie is onelie about the manner of presence which is knowen to God alone but mée thinkes that it hath alwaies béene confirmed by one sort that the same manner is the apprehending of a liuelie faith Wherefore I doe not thinke that the manner of this presence is to be accounted obscure or doubtfull The manner of the Lutheran presence cannot be vnderstoode For while they affirme a reall and substantial presence they eyther extend the Lordes bodie vnto an infinite greatnesse or else they pronounce it to be in a thousand places at once which in verie déede goeth beyond all truth and reason And bréefelie I sée not that in this profession our true coniunction with Christ is any where signified to be such as may abide a distance of places betwéene vs and the bodie of the Lorde so that héere among vs is not required his reall or substantiall presence to the end wee maie truly be ioyned with him These things onelie I was minded now to shewe which would somewhat disquiet me if I though that it were so written and confirmed by the brethren but because I cannot perswade my self thereof I am the lesse gréeued yet gréeued I am because I heare that such things are caried about vnder our name And I doubt not but you will perceiue more things who haue no néede of one to shew you and some things I doe interprete fauorably and doe wholie perswade my selfe that you will take in good part those things which I haue written since you are not to doubt but that all procéedes from a good heart but I will no longer let your businesse Fare you well and loue
pray for vs. 3 308 b Howe Christ is saide to pray for vs to his Father 3 307 a Howe the holie Ghost is saide to pray for vs the same being an impeaching of his godhead 1 107 a Prayer Impediments vnto prayer 2 565 a Whether for the dead they be lawfull 3 322 b 323 a What is to be auoided therein 3 304 ab Why it is to bee vsed of Gods children 3 300 a Of a forme thereof and what the same teacheth vs. 3 81 b It must be importunate 3 304 ab Howe the bodie should bee setled while we be therein 3 305 ab In the Church in a strange tongue 3 309 b 310 311. Of looking to the East and West therein 3 306 b It and thankesgiuing ioyned together 3 309 a The error of the schoolemen touching the same 3 305 a For other mens sakes besides our owne 3 248 b 249 a Of what minde we should be therin 3 304 a 300 b For the dead spoken to and fro 3 244 b 245 a When much babling is said to be vsed in it 3 304 b Wee are not tied to any certaine place thereof and why 3 305 b 306 a Whether the voice should be vsed therin 3 304 b Whether that of Samson touching reuenge vpon his enimies were good or ill 2 418 a Hippocrates woulde haue vs vse prayer when wee haue dreames either good or bad and why 1 35 a In defence of Common Prayer looke what is saide Page 2 376 b What houre the Iewes appointed for it and howe Cornelius obserued the same 2 259 b What this prayer Forgiue vs our trespasses teacheth vs. 3 102 a Prayers What order we ought to obserue in our prayers 3 300 b Those are counted vaine that leane not vpon faith 1 58 b Of the godlie of two sorts 3 300 a In what respect they shal be heard 3 116 a Why God heareth the prayers of wicked Priests and euill Ministers 2 260 a Whether hee heareth the prayers of sinners 4 224 b 2 260 a The publike prayers of the minister are the prayers of the Church 4 224 a They begin at Gods omnipotencie as howe 3 62 b Without faith are fruitelesse 3 93 a Meete sacrifice for christians 2 348 a How godlie men should come vnto God with them 2 266 a Not in vaine though the euents of things bee defined 3 6 b They must be importunate vnto God 3 300 b 301 a 302 a In what respect they ought to be either long or short 3 304 b What we must take heede of when wee are present at publike prayers 4 224 b Canonicall houres for them 3 300 a To what ende the Papists inioyned prayers 3 224 ab They bee no causes of Gods benefites 3 301 a What things must be desired therein 3 303 b The whole trinitie is present thereat 3 306 b To the dead Saintes disallowed and that they bee the sacrifices of Christians 2 343 a 3 243a Whether being ioyned with weeping be alwayes effectuall 3 245 b What prayers God doth heare 3 112 ab Origens reuerent iudgement of them of the godlie 2 348 ab A distinction of them and fastings 3 193 a The difference betweene Christes ours 3 308 a Prayers to Angels forbidden and why 3 308 b 284 a Whether they offer vp our prayers vnto GOD as the Scripture faith 1 118 b Praise Humane praise inconstant and of small force 3 277 a It commeth from God and so doeth disprayse 2 383 a Companion of chast lite and howe the Ethnikes esteemed thereof 2 382 b The loue and desire thereof driueth men sometimes to madnes prooued 2 383 a It doeth not alwaies followe the suffering of grieuous things 2 284 a What actions the holie Scriptures determine to deserue it 2 291 ab From whom the godlie are to expect it 2 382 b Howe it is lawfull for them to praise themselues 2 383 a A double remedie to bee vsed when we heare men praise vs. 1 382 b 383 a Precepts Common precepts cannot bee performed if particular be neglected 3 259 a ¶ Looke Commandements Preachers Howe and in what respect preachers must bee hearde 3 173 a What counsell Augustine giueth them touching the scriptures 1 42 a How they should order their doctrine to the learned and vnlearned 3 4 b Crimes laide to their charge 4 16 a Vices of ill preachers 4 28 a Preaching Preaching a principall worke of the office Apostolicall 2 633 a Faith cannot continue without it proued 3 63 b Indifferentlie set foorth to all men 3 32 b Why it is common sith grace is not common 3 30 a The certaine number of the elect hindereth it not 3 2. 3. 4 a Of preaching vppon the house top and howe that is meant 4 234a The maner of papisticall preaching 2 633 a Predestinate Outward calling common to the predestinate and reprobate 3 30 a They haue neuer perished 4 91 a Whether they can withdrawe themselues from Christ 3 27 ab They may for a while fall into most grieuous sins 3 34 a ¶ Looke Regenerate Predestination The names and definition of predestination 3 7 b 9 b The effects 3 25 b 17 b Who they bee that canot brag of it 3 10 b It is not common vnto all 3 30 b 31 ab Before all eternitie 3 9 b 10 a 7 a Sinnes are not excused thereby 3 41 b 42 a 6 a Christ the first effect thereof 3 25b A distinction thereof 3 7 b It hindereth not praying 3 6 b Before the predestinate 3 10 b Pighius reasons against it 3 5 b 6 ab 246. 25 a Wherein it consisteth 3 10 b The end thereof 3 18 b 10 ab 11 b 12 b It is perpetuall 3 10 a 16 b Howe Augustine defineth it 3 9 a Predestination prooued by reasons 3 7 ab The cause of our predestination 3 18 a 12 a Vnto what principall points it is reduced 3 14 a Faith foreseene is not the cause thereof 3 12 b 13 a 14 a 15 b It belongeth not to the reprobate 3 11 a The vse thereof 3 20 b 21 a Workes foreseene cannot be the cause thereof 3 16 b 17 ab 18 a 12 b 13 a 14 a 15 b In what respect Christ is not the cause thereof 3 19 a Nothing excluded from it 3 7 b 8 a The principall and chiefest effect thereof 3 19 a Whether it stand with pietie to dispute thereof 3 1 b The Newe Testament doth oftentimes make mention of it 3 2 b The schoole Diuines wil haue it proper to the elect onelie 3 3 a Loue toward God is kindeled by the true feele thereof 3 17 a Originall sinne goeth not before it 3 24 ab To whom the doctrine thereof is profitable and howe 3 3 b Among what relatiues it is 3 10 b Reasons of absurditie if it should depende of workes foreseene 3 16 b 17 ab Finall causes thereof 3 12 b How it is called Gods foreknowledge 3 11 a The materiall cause thereof 3 12 b
by God But we confesse and acknowledge that man was created frée and in that he hath now lost his fréedome we ascribe not God to be the authour thereof but mans owne fault They which denie fréewill haue bin called heretiks by the church Why they are called heretiks which denie freewill But this must be vnderstood concerning the first creation of our nature for otherwise there is not one of the fathers which if the truth be well weighed bewaileth not the calamitie of man whereinto he fell through sinne Our aduersaries rather come néere vnto the Manicheis which affirme Our aduersaries come somewhat nigh vnto the Manicheis that Our corrupt affects as they are now were so created by God for so they affirme that he created them euill But we forsomuch as we perceiue that these troublesome affections be not void of sinne denie that they were so created by God but that through our owne default they are become vnbridled and be repugnant to the word of God Certeine it is that man at the beginning was made vnto the image of God and there is nothing more beséeming vnto it than libertie But séeing that image was in a maner blotted out in vs so as there was néed to haue the same restored by Christ what maruell is it if our libertie be also for the most part taken awaie from it When they reason that man is frée A similitude they doo euen as if they should saie that man is a two-footed creature and therefore he is able to go vpright But if they would so conclude of a lame man it should easilie appeere how much they be deceiued for the properties of man which would be agréeable vnto his nature being perfect when they be applied vnto the same nature being corrupt doo not agrée A comparison of our aduersaries with the Pelagians Neither be the opinions of our aduersaries much dissenting from the Pelagians for they taught that nature being holpen by the grace of creation and doctrine of the lawe may liue vprightlie And these men saie that nature being holpen by grace preuenting and knocking is able to doo good works which may please God The catholike church resisted the Pelagians neither did it contend about the grace of creation or of the lawe neither about the grace preuenting but it taught that without the grace of Christ wherewith we be iustified none is able to worke aright To be with out faith in Christ and without grace in Augustines iudgement is all one thing And by the iudgement of Augustine who vehementlie contended against these men there is no difference betwéene dooing rightlie without grace and dooing rightlie without the faith of Christ He vpon the 31. psalme to shew that there is no good worke without faith writeth thus A good intent maketh the worke good but faith guideth that intent wherefore consider not what a man dooth but what he hath respect vnto while he is dooing 10 And whereas in all the holie scriptures there is not one sentence repugnant to our doctrine yet they continuallie obiect vnto vs the example of Cornelius Acts. 10 2 and 3 4 who being not yet as they thinke regenerate neither beléeuing in Christ yet did such works as were acceptable vnto GOD. Of Cornelius and his works Indéed we grant that both the almes and praiers of Cornelius were pleasing vnto God for the angel affirmed the same But these men adde of their owne Cornelius beleeued before baptisme that Cornelius when he did these things was not yet iustified nor yet beléeued in Christ But they marke not that the scripture in that place called him religious and one that feared God wherefore Cornelius beléeued and in Messias beléeued he being instructed in the Iewes learning but whether IESVS of Nazareth were that Messias he knew not for a certeintie and therefore Peter was sent to instruct him more fullie But here to bleare our eies verse 23. they saie that Paule in the 17. of the Acts attributeth some godlines vnto the people of Athens when as notwithstanding they were idolaters for thus he saith Ye men of Athens I shew vnto you that God whom you ignorantlie worship But euen as if a man that can handsomlie drawe some one letter A similitude shall not therefore be straitwaie counted a good writer neither he that can sing one or two verses shall for that cause be taken for a singing man for these names require consideration and art and it may come to passe by chance that a man may drawe well or sing well once or twise euen so none is to be counted verelie and out of doubt good which setteth foorth one good worke or two that haue some shew of godlines But Paule called not the Atheniens godlie without adding some termes of spéech which should diminish godlines True godlines cannot be ioined with ignorance Whom ye ignorantlie saith he worship But what pietie can that be which is ioined with the ignorance of the true GOD Moreouer a little before he had called them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Verie superstitious by these two words hée much diminished their pietie verse 22. But Luke absolutelie calleth Cornelius religious and addeth that He feared God Iob. 1 1. which addition is of so great force How great a dignitie it is to feare God that in the booke of Iob a man fearing God is translated of the seuentie interpretors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is A true and religious man And Dauid saith Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord. Psal 112 1. And if so be he be blessed which feareth God how is not the same man also iustified But besides these things which after a sort by the causes declare the iustification of Cornelius Acts. 10. we haue also another testimonie of the effects The effects are a testimonie of Cornelius iustification for that he gaue almes which were acceptable vnto God But we haue alreadie by manie reasons prooued that none can doo works acceptable vnto God but he which is iustified and regenerate Further he distributed these almes vpon the people of the Iewes as of whom he hauing béene instructed in the skill of godlines would impart vnto them in like maner some of his temporall goods For It is meet as Paule saith vnto the Galathians that he which is instructed Galat. 6 6. should communicate vnto him which dooth instruct him in all good things Moreouer that soldier which was sent vnto Peter declareth Acts. 10 22. that he had a good testimonie of all the Iewes All which things doo sufficientlie shew that although we read not that he was circumcised yet he came so néere vnto the doctrine of the people of God as that all men commended his pietie verse 30. He praie◠continuallie It is written besides that he praied and that continuallie And if so be we diligentlie weigh the whole historie we shall find that he
obserued the same houre which the Iewes had appointed for common praier for it saith that At the ninth houre he sawe an angel standing by him which gaue him to vnderstand that his praier was heard But out of the first chapter of Esaie and 15. of Prouerbs and manie other places we be taught that The vngodlie and sinfull sort be not heard of God How it is to be vnderstood that sinners are not heard of God Which neuertheles must be vnderstood so long as they would be sinners and reteine with them a will to sinne 11 Neither is that which Augustine writeth against the Donatists repugnant to this doctrine namelie that The praiers of wicked priests be heard of God Why God heareth the the praiers of ill ministers for he addeth that it so commeth to passe by reason of the peoples deuotion But Cornelius when he praid was holpen by his owne faith and not through the faith of others which stood by And Augustine in his epistle vnto Sixtus saith that God in iustifieng of a man is woont to giue his spirit whereby he may pray for those things which be profitable for saluation Rom. 12 14 And séeing Cornelius praid for those things there can be no doubt but he was iustified Herevnto adde that no man can rightlie praie vnto God vnlesse he haue faith And that we be iustified by faith it hath bin sufficientlie testified and declared alreadie Peter also before he began to preach vnto him saith that He perceiued in verie truth that God is no accepter of persons Acts. 10 34. but that he is accepted by him of what nation so euer he be which worketh righteousnesse which words teach vs plainelie enough that Cornelius was euen alreadie accepted of God before Peter came vnto him But I maruell that there be anie which dare affirme that he had not the faith of Christ when as Christ himselfe in the eight chapter of Iohn saith that He knoweth not God which beleeueth not in the sonne of God Iohn 14 1. And in the 14. chapter he admonisheth his disciples If ye beleeue in God beleeue also in me Iohn 5 46. and if so be ye beleeued Moses ye would also beleeue in me These things assure vs that Cornelius beléeued verelie in God and therefore did also beléeue in the Messias which should come euen as he had bin instructed by the Iewes although he knew not that he was alreadie come and that IESVS of Nazareth whom the Iewes had crucified was the same Messias He had the same faith Cornelius had the faith of the fathers in the old testament Iohn 1 48. The example of Nathaniel wherewith the fathers beléeued that Christ should come wherefore séeing they were iustifie◠by the same faith how dare we be so bold as denie the verie same vnto Cornelius Nathaniel which beléeued that Messias should come and thought that he was not yet come is by Christ pronounced to be a true Israelit in whom there was no guile which two things cannot concurre in a man not yet iustified But Peter was therefore sent to Cornelius that he might more plainelie and expressedlie knowe that thing which he had before intricatlie beléeued of Christ Of this mind was Gregorie in his 19. homilie vpon Ezechiel A similitude for he saith that Faith is the entrie whereby we come to good works but not contrariwise that by good works we can come vnto faith And so he concludeth that Cornelius did first beléeue before he could bring foorth anie laudable workes And he citeth that place vnto the Hebrues It is vnpossible without faith to please God Which sentence Heb. 11 6. as it appeareth by the selfe-same place cannot be otherwise vnderstood than of faith iustifieng Beda expounding the third chapter of the acts is of the same mind and citeth the words of Gregorie Neither is the Maister of the sentences of anie other iudgement in his second booke and 25. distinction But our aduersaries obiect vnto vs Augustine in his 7. chapter De praedestinatione sanctorum where he reasoneth against those which taught that faith is of our selues when yet in the meane time they confessed that the works which followe be of God but yet obteined by faith Indéed Augustine confesseth that the works Faith is not of our selues Ephe. 2 8. which followe faith be of God but denieth that faith is of our selues For he saith that Paule writeth to the Ephesians By grace ye are saued through faith and that not of your selues for it is the gift of God But that is a hard saieng which he addeth namelie that the praiers and almes of Cornelius were accepted of God before he beléeued in Christ But we must here weigh the things which followe for he addeth And yet praied he not neither gaue he almes without some faith for how did he call vpon him in whom he beléeued not Cornelius had faith in Christ but not distinct and vnfolden These words doo plainelie declare that Augustine tooke not awaie from Cornelius all maner of faith in Christ but onelie an vnfolden and distinct faith Which thing that place chéeflie declareth which is cited out of the epistle to the Romans verse 13. How shall they call vpon him in whom they haue not beleeued For those words be written of the faith and inuocation of men regenerate as the next sentence following plainelie declareth Euerie one which calleth vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued for we cannot attribute saluation but to them which be iustified Peter was sent to edifie Cornelius not to laie the ground of his faith But Peter was sent vnto Cornelius to build vp and not to laie the foundation for the foundations of faith were laid in him before 12 But those things which Augustine addeth séeme to bring a greater difficultie for he saith But if he could without the faith namelie of Christ be saued that singular workeman the apostle should not haue béene sent to edifie him But séeing he alreadie before attributed vnto him faith and inuocation after which of necessitie followeth saluation whereof the apostle speaketh in the epistle to the Romans The saluation which we haue in this life is not perfect how can he take saluation from him vnlesse we peraduenture vnderstand that faith and saluation in men iustified is not perfect while they liue here For our saluation commeth not in this life to that degrée nor to that quantitie which Christ requireth in his elect for no man maie doubt but that we shall not atteine to perfect saluation before the resurrection and eternall saluation although we haue begun to enioie the same alreadie after a sort Paule to the Ephesians affirmeth Ephes 2 8. that We be now saued by faith And yet vnto the Philippians he exhorteth vs With feare and trembling to worke our owne saluation Phil. 2 12. Which places cannot be brought to one consent Saluation begun by iustification is
forme or as if ye did saie A shape But an idoll as we now speake of is euerie forme or figure which men haue inuented vnto themselues to resemble and expresse God And as there be found out sundrie and manifold matters of these formes so be there also diuers kinds of idols Wherevpon if the matter be stones wood or metall whereby God is outwardlie counterfeited to the intent he should be there worshipped those be grosse and most manifold idols There may be vsed also a spirituall matter which then happeneth when those formes and images are nothing else but conceits of the hart and mind which men doo frame to themselues to represent GOD himselfe not as the scripture declareth him but according to their owne opinion and rashnesse Wherefore according to the properties of the matter Visible idols and inuisible an idoll is diuided into two kinds the one is outward or visible and hath recourse to the outward senses of men but the other is inward that is wrought in the inward parts of the mind There be also two parts of religious worshipping The one is inward whereby we beléeue in God himselfe trust in him giue him thanks submit our selues and all that we haue vnto him and deuoutlie call vpon him in our praiers in these actions no doubt consisteth the inward worshipping But the other part hath outward tokens wherein we giue a testimonie of this mind of ours by prostrating the bodie and bowing the knée by vncouering the head by speaking and by exercising rites and ceremonies by God appointed And this is an outward worshipping or adoration 2 But we must note Outward signes of worshipping are giuen vnto princes that such outward kind of signes of bowing the bodie or knées and such other like are doone also vnto creatures I meane vnto princes and kings which in earth doo represent vnto men the authoritie of God and doo supplie his place in the administration of things And verelie then they are nothing else to be estéemed but certeine sure testimonies whereby as manie as are subiects doo trulie and from the hart confesse that they in the name of God will be subiect and obedient vnto such powers so farre as pietie and the word of God shall permit But we must beware lest in our inward iudgement we attribute more vnto them than is méet or expect more of them than their power and might is able to performe for otherwise we should not scape idolatrie Wherefore if anie by bowing himselfe to his prince would signifie that he can not erre and that it is lawfull for him to doo whatsoeuer him listeth to command anie thing whatsoeuer his pleasure is doubtlesse such a one should be counted an idolater and should commit the crime aswell inwardlie as outwardlie And whether the Popes hirelings doo vse this trade we may héereby easilie gather The Papists doo commit idolatrie towards their Pope in that they so cast themselues at his féet to testifie that they will be subiect vnto him as to the onelie vicar of Christ vpon earth as to the vniuersall bishop of the church as to him that can not erre in decrées of doctrines concerning faith and finallie as to whom onelie it is lawfull as he list himselfe to determine of religion and christian discipline Note a rule certeine Let this then be euerie where a sure and firme rule that these outward submissions of the bodie doo then apperteine to idolatrie when they shall be testimonies that the mind attributeth more vnto the creature than is méet or which are onelie proper vnto God For they be not referred vnto God himselfe or to the obedience of his commandements but to vaine formes and similitudes which we our selues haue imagined to our selues and conceiued in our mind 3 Héereby we may also gather The inuocation of saints departed perteine to idolatrie that the inuocations of saints which are vsed by the Papists are idolatrous For they attribute vnto saints those things which belong onelie vnto God namelie that they being absent heare our praiers or that they can be present at one time either euerie where or else in manie places at once thereby to be able to succour those which call vpon their names in diuerse parts of the world Augustine in his epistle to Dardanus Augustine durst not thus affirme no not of the soule of Christ to wit that it might at one time be in manie places Wherfore that which Christ spake vnto the théefe Luke 23 43. This daie shalt thou be with me in paradise the same he expoundeth should be vnderstood as touching his diuine nature séeing the bodie of Christ should the same daie be in the sepulchre and his soule in hell neither could that soule be both in hell and in paradise all at one time Basil Didymus Basilius De spiritu sancto and also Didymus would not grant this vnto the angels that they may be in diuers places at one time affirming that that thing ought onelie to be granted to the sole nature of God But they which call vpon saints beléeue that they heare them and that they are present with them which without doubt is to attribute more vnto them than the power and course of a nature created can suffer 4 But here they trifle and saie that they doo not so thinke but that God himselfe which heareth their praiers dooth open vnto the saints what is required of them But thus I answer They deceiue as well themselues as others for they knowe not whether God will shew vnto the saints their petitions wherefore the praiers which they powre out cannot be grounded vpon faith which ought to be sure and vndoubted They bring also a feigned lie of the glasse as they call it of the diuine essence A feigned tale of the glasse of the diuine essence wherein the saints behold all things but their feigned deuise hath no ground at all in the holie scriptures Ouer this séeing they will néeds haue it so admit it were so as they feigne it to be yet must they be compelled to grant that the same their glasse hath not a naturall but a voluntarie representation so as there is onelie so much séene of the saints as God will haue to be knowne For else without all exception the saints should behold all things therein Which is both false and manifestlie repugnant to the holie scriptures for Matt. 24 36. Of that daie saith the Lord the verie angels shall not knowe which neuerthelesse doo behold the face of the father which is in heauen Moreouer the Papists doo not after this maner call vpon saints for by this reckoning they should thus saie Cause O God that this or that saint may knowe those things which I require of him and that he may be with me and grant me that which I desire But they deale far otherwise O holie Peter saie they O holie Paule praie for me bring this or that thing to passe
for me So as they thinke that the saints doo altogither heare and vnderstand their praiers which if they thought not then were their dooings vtterlie foolish The Papists attribute more vnto creatures that is meet 5 They declare also by their titles and additions which they ascribe vnto the blessed virgin vnto the crosse and other creatures how far more woorthie they estéeme and repute of them than their condition can beare Neither are they afraid to set vp lights wax candles and lamps to cense and doo other things vnto them which the Ethniks and also the Iewes in the old lawe were woont to performe vnto God alone What shall I saie more Doo they not build vp altars vnto the images of saints But to whom altars are built those are confirmed by a sure testimonie to be gods Augustine Augustine in his tenth Tome and sixt sermon writeth thus It is an altar which testifieth that to be counted for god Altars must not be erected but to God to whom it is erected For the altar dooth testifie that they namelie the Ethniks haue a god and doo take that image for a god What should an altar doo there if that were not taken for a god Let no man tell me it is not a power diuine it is not a god But I would to God they knew this so well as all we knowe it But what they account of it for what purpose they haue it about what they be there occupied that altar dooth testifie 6 Howbeit our aduersaries saie We therfore doo these things bicause we haue tried by experience that they doo please God for there he worketh miracles Indéed I knowe that God hath sometime doone miracles by saints euen by such as were dead for the bones of Elizaeus 2. Kin. 13 21 by the touching of them restored a dead man to life 2. King 2 14 And the same Elizaeus vsed the cloke of Elias to diuide the waters of the riuers that he might make the more expedition in his iournie But GOD dooth therefore worke these things sometimes that the doctrine of the prophets and apostles which was the verie word of God might be confirmed And yet the scripture declareth not that there was anie inuocation either of Elias or of Elizaeus when those miracles were doone But séeing the Papists doo not by these their inuocations séeke the confirmation of the euangelicall doctrine but rather are busilie occupied to establish their superstitions those miracles which they boast of must rather be referred to the diuell than to God For satan séeketh nothing more than to lead men awaie from the sincere seruice of GOD. This doubtlesse he attempted by the inchanters of Pharao Exod. 7 21. 8 17 1◠and that such things must somtimes happen vnto vs by Antichrist Paule hath faithfullie admonished the Thessalonians 2. Thes 2 9. But thou wilt saie that the diuell hath no power to doo these things vnlesse God will and giue licence I grant it And why he will so haue it there be two causes set foorth in the scriptures whereof the one is gathered out of Deuteronomie Deut. 13 3. namelie to trie vs to the end it may plainlie appéere in what estimation we haue his word and whether by such illusions we will suffer our selues to be drawne from him The second cause is to punish the vnbeléeuers for so Paule teacheth vs vnto the Thessalonians 2. Thes 2. 11 Bicause saith he they haue not receiued the loue of the truth therefore they are deliuered vp to be beguiled with strong illusions and diuelish miracles 7 But we méet with two places in the scriptures which must be examined wherby our doctrine now in hand may be the more confirmed The first is in the Acts of the apostles verse 25. the tenth chapter touching Cornelius the Centurion to whom when Peter came Cornelius cast himselfe at the feet of Peter he threw himselfe at his féet but Peter would not suffer it yea rather he reprooued him and said Doo not so rise vp I also am a man It is read likewise in the Apocalypse that Iohn prostrated himselfe before the angel but he admonished him that he should not so doo Apoc. 22 8. I am saith he thy fellowe seruant Iohn prostrated himselfe before the angel These two places might thus be vnderstood that Peter and the angel condemned these actions as in a maner idolatrous as though the Centurion and Iohn should attribute anie diuine nature the one to Peter and the other to the angel and should giue them more honour than was due vnto creatures But it séemeth that this must not easily be beléeued as touching anie of both these The scripture testifieth with the Centurion that he did feare and worship God How can we then thinke that he could be brought to beléeue that Peter was a god or that he would attribute diuine honours vnto a creature And it is verie likelie that Iohn which was either an apostle or else as some will haue it a notable Diuine did put no difference betwéene an angel and God But if so be that neither of these would worship the creature in stéed of the Creator it may séeme to remaine that it is not lawfull to giue vnto creatures this kind of outward reuerence Wherefore we shall séeme not to haue said well before in affirming that these things may be doone to princes and kings Vnto this I answer that there must be a difference obserued betwéene ciuill and worldlie honour and a diuine or religious worshipping as we haue before declared Further we must vnderstand that these two men Cornelius I meane and Iohn intended not by this their worshipping to transfer the honour of GOD vnto creatures Howbeit it may easilie be that they fell into an vnmeasurable shew of reuerence and so somewhat offended in excesse 8 But as touching kings and princes we are in much lesse danger of offending than towards angels or ministers of Christ for they insomuch as they execute the spirituall function the honour which is giuen vnto them draweth nigher vnto religious worship Wherefore in those places either the bowing of the knée or of the bodie are not of themselues to be condemned but in respect that they be doone for religion sake Moderate honours therefore must be vsed especiallie when they be doone for religion And thus much shall be sufficient for this time concerning this matter But let vs remember that which we haue admonished before that this also dooth belong vnto idolatrie To worship God otherwise than he hath appointed is idolatrie when as we worship the true God by other means and rites than he hath willed and prescribed vnto vs. For if we otherwise doo we shall worship an idoll according to that second forme before described by feigning to our selues in our mind or hart anie god which is delighted with the worship inuented by men and such a god is there none Wherefore we shall not