highe and notable mysterie For after almighty God of his great goodnesse had created Adam farre passing all other his creatures in the excellencie of his creation and had also but of very base and vile matter made him vnto his owne godly imâ—â—â— and similitude resembling therein his diuine maiestie in heauen and moste godly perfection of all innocencie wherwith he was highly endued at his first originall and beginning he then placed him in a most pleasant Paradise of all â—oy and singular comfort and gaue frée choise and libertie vnto him to vse all things there at pleasure and to his owne hartes desire saue only he forbad him to eate of the frute of the knowledge of good and euil which was of most amiable apearance beautifull to beholde and most pleasantly placed in the middest of Paradise The commaundement heereof was not burdenous or vnreasonable for man to beare but only requested therein due obedience and loue towardes his louing God and maker vnto whome only that noble creature man aboue all other creatures should haue had most speciall regarde considering moste déepely in him selfe the excellencie of his maiestie that so graciously formed him blessed him and moste pleasantly placed him and there to looke for al goodnesse only at his holy hand not to take as it were vpon him selfe by his owne woorthynesse the forme of goodnesse and euill but should onely haue holden that for euil and forbidden which God restrained as euill and to count that only for good and rightuous which of God is allowed and graunted God therefore toke Adam and to put him out of all doutes brought him to the same place and shewed him the very trée and the frute therof standing in the middest of the Garden of pleasure and forbad him the eating thereof with an earnest charge and threatning saying on this wise vnto him In what so euer houre thou shalt eate the frute of that trée thou shalt surely die be subiect to eternall deathe Yet notwithstanding this straighte restrainte of God Adam stackered and dealt but slipperly vntruely and carelesly with his faithful God and maker transgressing his holy commaundement and gaue more credit to the persuasion of the woman and of the wicked serpent than to the truthe of Gods woorde and his holy commaundement Whiche was nothing else but eueÌ„ so much as in them did lie to take vnto theÌ„selues the form of good and euil as out of them selues or by some other meane rather than of God their maker vnto whose only wil and pleasure they should most humbly haue yéelded their obedience as vnto him who alwayes most gratiously wisheth all goodnesse vnto euery man For he being by the woman and the serpent deceiued thought that God was not indifferent towards him but that be had rather of sette purpose withdrawne from him some parcell of his diuine and godly wisedome Therefore for as muche as in mind he was thus deceiued sodenly chaunged and departed now from God declaring thereby his vnstayednesse infidelitie and vnfaythfulnesse and looked not for all good things only at his gracious hands as of duetie he should but yelded to the Diuell receiued that was offered and tasted to his condemnation of that strayt forbidden fruite to aduance and set forwardes him selfe to the presence and secrete highnesse of Gods mightie maiestie and that rather by some bye way with his owne will and consente then contenting him selfe with the onely will of God and so to recouer thereby as he thought the fulnesse of his necessitie and lacke of perfection which he then imagined to be muche wanting in him selfe And thus with his forgetfulnesse haughtinesse of heart infidelitie slipperines disobedience vnthankfulnesse against his God and Maker and deserued therby his iust vengeance and to be for euer the fyrebrande of hell euer burning euer dying and neuer to dye the seconde death he yet fastened vppon life which he moste happily receiued through the onely compassion and great mercy of God who notwithstanding offence so gréeuously committed agaynst him wherby eternall damnation was due to the offendour and to become a bondeslaue vnto the Diuell for euer to whom he so willingly yelded so diligently obeyed beléeued folowed and serued yet as is sayde so great and vnspeakable was the mercy of God towards man so infinitely his loue abounded and so tender he was ouer him and so sorowfull for his gréeuous fall from blisse into perdurable tormente and paine and to redeeme him agayne from it and from the diuell that he moste certaynely decréed with him selfe to curse his owne deare sonne and to pushe him as it were forwards by the shoulders to most cruel death for the recouering agayne of man And so through his sonnes moste paynefull death and passion to saue mankinde from euerlasting â—â—ath and damnation which Adam himselfe and his whole posteritie fell into through the infection of his pride disobedience and loosenesse of heart agaynst god Euen here verily as ye perceiue had the iuste God iuste occasion by iustice iustly to expell man to confounde him to damne him and to leaue him vtterly destitute of his grace and to yéelde him to the Diuell for euer for so did his righteousnesse and truthe require Consider these were the wordes that God spake vnto him I tell thée Adam in what soeuer houre thou eatest of the fruite thou shalt surely dye the death How beit the great goodnesse and mercy that was in God called him backe from moste seuere iustice and required not vtter reuengemente and thereby to suppresse man a very frayle poore and naked creature In the meane tyme therfore God found out the very true and ready way whereby his righteousnesse truth might fully to effect be satisfied and wherein also the swéetenesse of his mercy shoulde specially be exercised and declare foorth the mightinesse of it selfe that is truely to say the onely Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Chryst which as I sayde before was willingly pushed vnto deathe to deliuer Adam and his whole posteritie from their sinne and damnation through the onely fauour and mercies sake of God the eternall father Therefore bicause mankinde coulde in no wyse be saued and deliuered fréely from sinne death and the Diuell and so made agayne at one with his so louing and faythfull a God as he shewed hym selfe vnto Adam his firste creature but onely by Chryst Iesus hys owne and onely Sonne Chryst dyd moste willingly ioyne in consente with his father and so tooke vppon him selfe the rigour of his fathers terrible sentence pronounced iustely agaynst Adam the curse of the whole lawe vpon his owne backe and dyed Adams due death for him and for vs all that were by him in the lyke state of damnation For euen so sayth the Prophete Cursed is he that hangeth on trée Wée be now therefore redéemed agayne by Chrystes death from our bondage and from the seruyce and slauerie of the Diuel and from that most bitter curse that was proper vnto Adam
and to all his ofspring Wée are also by Chryst taken out of the kingdome of darknesse and placed through his onely deserte in the cleare lighte and in the moste gloriouse kingdome of our eternall and louing god In thys maner passing now further on my purpose the gentle Reader shall take the speciall meaning of the holy Apostle in his Epistle on thys wyse whyche is that all true Christian men muste wholly depende vppon the mercy of God throughe hys deare Sonne Iesus Chryst for the fulnesse of their eternall redemption and by hys onely merites to attayne their eternall saluation And that all suche as looke to come vnto it by their owne merites deseruings and woorkinges are in that poynte lyke vnto their father Adam whiche in hys pride and disobedience went about to come to the Maiestie of God through his owne deuises vayne byewayes and very fonde attemptes at what tyme he moste vnlawefully yéelded to eate the fruite that was moste lawfully of God forbidden him All which proud attempters may be wel assured to abide also the like cursse that was giuen to Adam but not a blessing or the saluation that of God was mercyfully promysed and that onely by the merytes of Iesus Chryst onlesse they will beginne to repente of their pride blindenesse and disobedience and onely referre it to our mercyfull God him selfe throughe the onely faythe and beléefe due from them to our Lorde Iesus Chryste who onely satisfieth the truthe and iustice of GOD in thys poynte whiche sayde vnto Adam In what so euer houre thou eatest of the fruyte thou shalte surely dye the death By which onely satisfaction of Chryst all men euen as Adam bée reconciled agayne vnto God the father their sinnes fréely remytted and come boldely agayne to the presence of hys maiestie and not by our owne deuises and foolishe inuentions as the more pitie it is many men moste blindly doo that beareth at this day the names of Chrystians Wherefore in as muche as it was then concluded that Chryst was the very perfecte waye to restore man agayne to his perfect ioy and felicitie which before he had loste It was thought of God almightie méete and necessarie to sende vnto him a lawe before the comming of the sauiour Chryst which might put him daily in mynde of his fall from the ioyes wherein God had once moste happily placed hym as also to lay playne open before his face his abhominable pride disobedience and wretched liuing For which cause many hundreth yeres after the fall of Adam was thys Lawe proclaymed by the Patriarke Moyses written and set foorth in Tables and Bookes to the ende that by the straytenesse thereof all men mighte knowe not onely the great mercy of God ouer them but also their owne naughtie nature weakenesse blyndenesse and myserable state through their disobedience and sinne which before the Lawe came hadde welnighe forgotten their deadly fall and knew not in effecte what sinne was they were so wretchedly blinded in the vanitie of their pride and false imaginations To the ende therefore that all creatures should know their owne case and imperfection their damnable state and condition the laws was proclaymed which besides that it manyfested vnto vs the wonderfull mercy of God towards vs as also the state of Adam our first parent and the filthynesse of all our sinfull and abhominable liuing and the giuing furthermore vnto vs such precepts and commaundements of vertuous conuersation and liuing as alwayes is séemely for godly men to vse by the which all men at all times should haue rectified and amended their vngodly liues It also prescribed certayne Ceremonies which men dayly exercise among them selues taking the same and stedfastely also beléeuing that they dyd but prefigurate the deathe of the same Chryst which was promysed to dye the deathe in the behalfe of Adam and his whole pasteritie wherein if men in tymes passed dyd vse among them selues according to this sense and meaning they were founde righteous before God not for dooing the Ceremonies but onely for their beléefes sake which they conceyued in Chryst to come whom onely the Ceremonies dyd but barely prefigurate Al which ceremonies sayth S. Paule should vtterly now cease and stande no more in effect amongste christen men Inasmuch as nowe the very truthe and thing it selfe is already come and shineth amongste vs which they before only prefigured And euen thus did God most louingly sée to the repairing againe of his decayed Creatures that so muche had offended him in their loosenesse and falling from him And for which only cause his own and only deare sonne was promised toke vpâ—â— him therfore ouâ— flesh and died therin the most sharpe and â—â—uel death Wherfore God now at this time requireth nothing else at our handes but to haue alwayes respect vnto his mercy thorow Iesus Christ and to beholde also his wonderfull loue towardes vs to the ende we should be ashamed of our owne sinfull actes how ofte so euer we turne our mindes from him through the committing of vice which is displeasant abhominable alwayes damnable in his sight Also howe that we should meekely acknowledge and confesse daily vnto him our owne sinnefull liues the miserablenesse of our nature how of our selues we are not able to thinke speake nor do any good thing and not stubbernly to do as Adam did run from the face of God hide our sinnes from him or else couer them from his presence with our own vaine inuentions For Adam at what time he knewe that he had offended and broken his commaundement he perceiued immediately what state he stoode in and by the accusation of his owne conscience he felte in him selfe the pricke of sinne he began then to be trudging and to hide him selfe from him and soughte meanes to couer him selfe althoughe with moste simple and very slender clothing which he then accordingly but litle trusted vnto like as it is all vnprofitable that man of hys owne braine wil deuise to cloke his sinne with all although both he and his make flie neuer so fast from the face of the Lord and seeke meanes to hide them selues But yet notwithstanding all this saide disobedience hautie and proude stubbernesse of Adam which after he had most wretchedly offended chose rather to hide him self from God than meekely to acknowledge his fault before him the louing Lord was stricken so full of compassion and mercy towards man his simple naked and poore creature that he quickely folowed and hastened him self after that fugitiue and runnagate found him quickly but conferred most mildly with him put him in minde of his decay great myserie and the happie life that he miserably had falne from and saide on this wise to him Adam where arte thou which should signifie vnto him O Adam knowest thou what thou hast done hast thou considered wel with thy self of thy present state and what miserie thou art now falne into froÌ„ thine innocencie blissefull state and felicitie by coÌ„tempt of my
which what so euer he promised vnto Abraham in his posteritie he hath performed it vnto vs in Iesus Christ our Lord whom he restored again from death to life declaring therby that Abraham did not beléeue amisse which trusted that he could giue life to the dead and to make the things that were not for to be We oughte not therfore to giue our thaÌ„ks vnto the law of Moses for our iustification but wholely altogither to Christ which â—â—â—ly yelded himselfe to death to put away our sinnes without our desertes and the same rose againe from death to the end we should abstaine from deadly things and neuer after commyt such enormities and sinnes as Christ dyed for I say therfore that Christ died to kill our sinnes in vs and the same rose again from death that we by meanes of him being made dead to our sinnes should also rise againe with him vnto newnesse of life and to liue according to rightuousnesse which by the benefite of his death we haue most amplie receiued The fifth Chapter The povver of faith hope and loue and hovv death raigned from Adam vnto Christ by vvhome only vve haue forgeeuenesse of our sinnes THerefore we be made rightuous from oure sinnes not by the lawe of Moses which augmenteth rather our offences neither by the merite of our good woorkes but euen as Abraham was so be we also reconciled vnto God through the onely dignitie of our faithe Vnto whome also Abraham was counted righteous for his faithe and that not by the lawe of Moses but by the onely sonne of God oure Lorde Iesus Christe which washing away oure sinnes in his bloude and by his deathe reconciling vs againe vnto God which before was offended with oure sinnes opened vnto vs the way wherby we through our faith without the helpe of our Circumcision might be drought into the graâ—e of the Gospell In which Gospell all that be the children of God stand stedfastly in faithe Neither stand they all only with light and mercie harts but also reioyce and glory as well for that they be atone with God as also to haue sure hope shewed vnto them that for the continuaÌ„ce of their faith they shal once come to the eternal glory of god And as we enuie not the Iewes though they glory in their circuÌ„cision so it repeÌ„teth vs not of our faithe which bringeth to vs so great frute neither yet â—â—e we for thinke our reioysing by hope whereof we be most happily comforted set at a sure stay The which though it doe not yet appeare but moste suffer many things before we come vnto it yet we accompt our afflictions and troubles of great glory and praise which we suffer in the meane time and shall open the way for vs into immortalitie for we haue receiued this example and mightie doctrine of Christe himselfe that in suffering afflictions patiente is made strong and by patience we are rendred vnto God and proued daily amongst men Againe the more that we be proued by perplexities and troubles so much the more strong is our hope of rewarde Neither shal we doubt or feare that our hope will deceiue vs and forsake vs or be once ashamed that we haue beléeued in as muche as we haue a sure earnest or gage that it is his wonderfull loue towards vs which is not shewed only without forth but also moste aboundantly it is imprinted in our hartes which also worketh oure loue towardes him It God had not wonderfully loued vs his only deare sonne shoulde not haue bene suffered to descende into this miserable world and to receiue mortal fleshe vpon him and therein to suffer death yea the moste cruel and shameful death for vs which were abandoned and giuen ouer to all filthie and dissolute liuing This notwithstanding he loued vs in suche manner that he willingly and fréely suffered such crueltie for vs Amongst men one man cannot be founde so frendly that wil suffer death for his felow And though peraduenture there be some men that wil die for some of their speciall friendes which haue deserued it by benefites or giuing of gifts yet the frendship and loue of God excéedeth all kinde of loue which deliuered his onely deare Sonne 〈◊〉 be moste â—â—e 〈◊〉 tormented and cruellie wounded to the death for moste accursed and wretched sinners which benefite loue séeing he hath shewed to the very wicked and most gracelesse offenders how muche more wiâ—â— he shewe it to the penitent harted and his deare louers Christ died for vs for a while â—â—ase againe from death to liue for euermore By whose only puissant and triumphant death séeing we be now reconciled vnto God which before was greuously offended with vs to the ende we should afterwardes haue him beneuolent and mercifull then muche rather shall his life performe this foreséeing that we fall not againe into oure olde filthie iniquities His death tooke away our offences and his life shall guide our innocencie His death bought vs from the boÌ„dage of the diuell and his life shall maintaine the louely fréedome of his father towardes vs These be suche euident tokens of Gods almightie loue towardes vs that we may not onely vs sure with firme hope and confidence that we be safe from his ire to come but also they liuely encourage vs to reioyce in the same not vaunting or extolling our good woorkes but wholly giuing thankes to God to whose only goodnesse we may euer referre all our perfecte felicitie which he hath prepared for vs not by the lawe nor by Circumcision or other Ceremonies but only by his sonne Iesus Christ And it was moste secretely prouided by the highe Councell of God that the way to restore vs againe to health should agrée in fashion vnto the way that brought vs to destruction For like as by one the first Adam which gaue the first onset to the traÌ„sgressing of Gods lawe sinne came into the world and death also by the meanes of sinne which deathe is the ende and rewarde of sinne and the forcible venome and poison of the soule also as it chaunced that sinne began at the head of maÌ„kinde throughe whome it also came vnto all his posteritie Euen so by Christ the seconde Adam in whome we be new borne by faithe innocencie was broughte amongste vs and life folowed innocencie And so this felicitie which procéedeth of the newe beginner of mankinde is deriued vnto all men which by faithe appertaine vnto Christe and leade an innocent and cleane life Further after that sinne was broughte into this worlde and inuaded all men it would not be put away neither by the lawe of Moses nor yet by the lawe of nature but only the lawe testified that they which offended did onely deserue punishment Howe beit the Gentiles had no punishment appointed vnto them for their offences but 〈◊〉 infantes which by season of their tender youthe haue not the vse of the lawe of nature neither yet can rightly
discerne the good from the bad are not amongste men coumpted sinners as men are sinful neither so corrected for their offences euen so it chanced vnto the Gentiles which did sinne contrary to the lawe of Moses hauing no knowledge thereof Yet sinne was not absent from the Gentile before that the lawe was giuen as dothe witnesse against him the lawe of nature But they did fauor pardon them selues in their sinnes stil offended God as though they had ben priuiledged persons bicause they had not amongst theÌ„ the law of Moses Therfore at the tune he was not come that should take away the sinnes of the worlde and put away the tirannie of deathe and sinne which through Adam entred into the world raigned amongst men vnpunished as in Adam which brake the commaundement of god Notwithstanding the same did long before prefigure the comming of Christ which shuld be after him Not that Adam was like in all things vnto Christe but that in some speciall things he represented the image of him And in this point was Adam like vnto Christ bicause that both of them were the first beginners of the generations But Adam of the earthie generation and Christ of the heauenly Furthermore bicause that from either of them as from a beginning came certaine procéedings vnto all men But from the earthie Adam came the originall and beginning of vnrightuousnesse and deathe And from Christ the heauenly Adam came the beginning of innocencie and euerlasting life Which bothe though in some part they be like yet in equalitie they very much differ For as in this speciall pointe to saue is a thing of more might and puissance than to kill so is Christ much more mightie which saueth than Adam that killeth And the obedience of Christ was of greater efficacie with god his heauenly father to bring vnto men their life than was the traÌ„sgression of Adam to bring vnto them their death Wherfore the goodnesse of Christ doth muche excéede the offence of Adam least a man should fall into despaire of his healthe when he remembreth the sinne of his first father For if it be reason that the sinne of oure firste father Adam shoulde condemne suche an infinite numbre of men by greater reason the benefite of Christe should restore them vnto life againe whome God hath appointed the author of our innocencie and hath graunted vnto him that his death should not only take away the spot and tirannie of oure sinne and deathe but hath giuen to the handes of the same to dispose vnto all men the power of rightuousnesse in steade of theyr sinnes and the heauenly kingdome for the tirannie of their death Therfore as the fall of Adam was no great hurt to the faithfull so the goodnesse of our Lord Christ maketh vs at one with his heaueÌ„ly and mercifull father Also as Adam through his offence was the occasion that all his posteritie doe stande as in the state of damnation so the mightie benefite of Iesus Christe towardes vs hath put away all our offences In witnesse wherof he hathe sealed it with his moste precious bodie vppon the crosse as â— moste â—uâ—e testimonie of the same But to come againe vnto that wherof we haue spoken before If it were so prouided of God from the beginning to take away from man his sinne and to restore againe vnto him his life after this sorte what did it then preuaile to make a lawe which did profit nothing at all to saluation yes verily the lawe did profit muche that by the knowledge thereof the benefite of Christe mighte the more cleerely and euidently appeare vnto vs For the more that our sinnes menaced and cruelly threatned vs so muche the more manifest was the benefit of Christ which alwayes cheareth vs land deliuereth vs from sinne The lawe plainly laide open vnto all men the death of sinne which though some went about with striuing to ouercome it yet the tirannie therof was so sharp so stout and valiant that it was impossible to be vanquished But the goodnesse of Christ was much â—â—nightie than it put all tâ—raâ—â—â—e of death to slight from al such as would beléeue only in him This proâ—â—t therfore we gâ—â— by the law that we perceiue truely therby the magnitude greatnesse of Christes benefit towards all men by which it commeth to passe that like as the diuel through the tirannie of sinne brought death vnto all meniso the goodnesse of almighty God giueth life vnto all men throughe his owne deaâ—e sonne Iesus in which our only â—ord Prince I reioyce being now made frée from the bondage of death vnder which not long héeretofore I haue most wofully liued The sixth Chapter For so muche as vve be deliuered thorovve Christe from sinne vve must fashion our selues to liue as the seruauntes of God and not after oure ovvne lustes The vnlike revvard of rightuousnesse and sinne AND whereas I haue saide before that sinne by the lawe was manifest and made muche more abundant and did greatly profite to the ende that the goodnesse and mercie of God shuld be more euident vnto vs yet let as man héreby take occasion to continue in his sinne and say in this manner within him selfe Séeing that sinne setteth forthe the goodnesse of God towards men it shall be expedient alwayes to sinne to the end the goodnesse of God may be alwayes the more euident and knowne But God defend from the hartes of Christen men all suche wicked thoughtes For I doe héere meane the sinnes of the olde and former life which God by his mercie tourned vnto oure profite and commoditie And God forbid also that after we be once made frée from sinne conuerted into the state of innocencie we shuld forsake our deliuerer from thence and fall headlong againe into our olde noisome trade Deathe and life be so farre at oddes that they can neuer agrée the one with the other Wherfore assone as we begin to liue vnto Christe we be then deade to sinne and to the Diuell But if we liue to sinne and to the Deuill â—e are damnablie deade euen in that we liue And in liuing to Christ we alwayes liue and are dead to sinne which he only put away through his most precious and bitter death And in receiuing the baptisme of Christe we exercise the same misterie continually amongste vs For when we be Baptised in the name of Christe we doe â—is with him to oure olde sinnes which by vertue of his Passion were putte away And we doe not onely die with him but also be buried wyth him and that through the same Baptisme That lyke as he which neuer liued to sinne yet dyed for our offences and was restored agayne to euerlasting lyfe not by the strength of any man but by the poweâ— of God his almightie father euen so wée béeing stirred vp by him from the death of sinne and filth of our olde offences doo now liue a new life in
flesh or from this body of death which is thus subiecte to so many miseries to so many prouocations enticementes to naughtinesse encombred with so many vices and wel nigh confounded with these daily conflictes that alwayes haleth me pulleth me downe and draweth me forcibly to destruction and death Think not you that he hath iust cause thus to bewaile his state and to crie out that in this manner is daily beséeged assaulted and troubled with so many mischéeues cruell and deadly aduersaries But the remedie heereof considered and the most happie meanes remembred for our deliuerance O what cause of great thankfulnesse by bounden duetie and all humblenesse haue we to giue vnto our God which mercifully hath set vs in moste happie state and safetie and deliuered vs from these noysom miseries euen for the onely loues sake he bare vnto vs not through the lawe of Moses or Circumcision but by his onely and moste deare sonne our Lorde Iesus Christ the which if by him it had not so ben ended and done I my selfe being but one man among others shuld haue bene a runner but in an vnconstant race and drawne in such sorte hither and thither with the impious cordes of inconstancie vanitie that happily now and then I should with ioyfulnesse haue serued the lawe of my God with my spirite in desiring the things that be honest and godly but with my faultie flesh the lawe of sinne in coueting corruptly the things that bée dishonest and by the deadly force thereof my pore spirite alwayes preuailed against and turmoiled with miserie The eight Chapter The lavve of the spirite giueth lyfe The spirite of God maketh vs Gods children and heires with Christ The abundant loue of God can not be separated BVt now although there be yet many blots and stumbling blocks of the old boÌ„dage stil remaining among christen men ther is yet no dout but through their godly study christen endeuer they may easily passe by them and not be so violently drawn vnto such horrible sinnes for they are now entred into the heauenly fréedom of Christ vnited and made one with him through their lyuely faith and true promise made at baptism All whiche by this chaunge haue now cessed to liue again after the illectation or wanton enticing of the sensuall lustes of their flesh in asmuch as the lawe of Christ which is heauenly spiritual and the author of lyfe béeing also strong and full of might hath fréely deliuered them all from the bondage and lawe of sinne from death the famyliar companion of sinne and the iust reward of the same Whiche thing bycause the lawe of Moyses was carnall and in consideration thereof very weake of it selfe God did foresée and prouide for the saluation of man after an other sorte and fashion And lyke as I haue sayde before that in one man there was two menne one carnall and an other spirituall euen so within the precinct of Moses lawe there are two lawes the one grosse and carnall and the other holy and spirituall The fyrst of these two lawes haue Moyses for his auctour and beginner whiche as it was not perpetuall euen so it was not of vertue to giue any saluation to man The seconde lawe is spirituall straunge full of efficacie and immortall whiche Chryste himselfe hath consummate and fulfilled to all suche as beléeue in him Howbeit it was very expedient that one fleshe shoulde abolishe and put awaye an other one sacrifice to preuayle before an other and one death moste mightily to suppresse an other Therfore God the father hungring and thirsting in his mercie after mans saluation sent his onely deare sonne whiche though he were frée from all contagion of sinne yet he toke vpon hym the same fleshe that all other sinners had and became conuersant amongst the wicked as one of them himself for the most precious redemption of man vnto the same saluation And yet verily so vnkyndely he was entreated amongst the sinners so despitefully and cruelly handled that they put him to the moste shamefull death and crucified him among the synfull moste vyle and false théeues Which for mannes sake tooke vpon hym our very body of synne that he might vnder the same fourme and similitude of sinne ouercome sinne and after that abolishe it and putte it cleane awaye Hée was made a sacrifise for oure trespasses and so dying in the fleshe whiche he tooke amongst vs broughte death to subiection and bondage whiche before bare rule ouer vs thorough the lawe and the corrupt affections of our bodies whiche also brought all things to suche a passe that considering the putting away of the grosse and fleshely parte of the Ceremoniall lawe wée shoulde thencefoorthe embrace the seconde part of the lawe whiche is heauenly and spirituall And that ministreth not ire and threatnings as doth the olde parte of the lawe but very rightuousnesse to all suche as doe not leade their liues after the letter and Ceremonies of the Iewes but after the spirite and inwarde minde of the lawe as men regenerate and newe borne againe in Iesus Christ The Iewes in their Ceremonies had as it were but the deade picture and image of rightuousnesse but we haue the verâ—â—â—e liuing and quicke rightuousnesse it selfe and the very perfecte rule of all godlinesse which Christ by his spirit hath wrought in vs Wherfore the true change of our state conditions and fashions of religion declareth the manner of a newe life in vs And we perceiue very euidently that all such of the Iewes which still continue in the rottennesse of their olde forme of religion and in the fleshe or grosenesse of the lawe are delighted and pleased with all suche things as are grose carnall and fleshly Contrariwise all suche as are engrafted into Christ are become spirituall and precise in rightuousnesse vtterly banishing from them all such olde things as appertaine to the fleshe and are constantly rapte in their mindes to all suche things as are spirituall For truely euen suche as the state condition and nature of the man is suche is his desire and common inclination to worke As touching our fleshe we be all mortall but Christe that is immortall hathe nowe called vs to a life in him which is immortall Againe the carnall lawe of the Iewes is alwayes againste Christe and calleth vs from him which for the same cause bringeth death with it in as muche as it contendeth and striueth againste him which is the only author of life By reason whereof the Iewes being stricken with the zeale and loue of the same lawe did put to death the author of their life and iustification But coÌ„trariwise they that set the grosenesse of the lawe at naught and folowe the spirite doe finde most plentuous life in Christe Iesus Neither doe they argue vppon the barren and hungrie obseruances of the lawe but hauing in their hartes the pleasant sauor and taste of charitie be well stayed in them selues liue ioyfully
wil and commaundement At these wordes now should Adam haue bene abashed quickned to memorie stirred to trembling earnestly moued to méekenesse and obedience and reuerently at the foote of his maker to acknowledge confesse his fault to crie peccaui and to ask for mercy But he contrariwise shewed him selfe stoute and stiffe necked And the louing Lord yet still applied him and moued him with these words folowing which should haue pierced euen throughe the very harte of man if he would haue shewed him selfe tractable and gentle rather than proud and stubburn and said vnto him O Adam who told thée now that thou art naked In which few words priuie mighty checke although it were most mildely and gently vttred of the Lord bicause he wold not vtterly discorage the pore creature in whose face he only behelde his owne similitude yet the vndiscrete and very forgetful Adam of the great benefits of God and his owne happy state shoulde foorthwith haue called to his remembrance the great goodnesse of his mercifull maker and the miserable estate that he was then presently come vnto But Adam would yet minde no such thing at all but stoode as he thought in his owne fight very well and in good plighte although yet naked or most slenderly shrouded with a fewe tender leaues to couer his misery and filthy apparant nakednesse Then the Lorde to helpe him yet further in this matter and to pricke him forwardes to the confession of his sinne said on this wise Tell me Adam Haste thou not in déede eaten of the trée wherof I earnestly forbad thée and charged thée vpon a sharpe penaltie that thou shouldest not eate thereof But yet this notwithstanding man was loth to acknowledge his sinne and for a further excuse or delay therin he put the blame in his companion the woman And the same did he with vnaduised and froward words wherby euery man may easily sée that secretely in his corrupted hart he laide the fault most wickedly vpon the maiestie of God him selfe For he sayde not thus simply vnto the Lord The woman gaue me of the trée to eate but proudly he added thereunto The woman which thou gauest vnto me As though he wold haue saide thou thy selfe art faultie of this euill for if thou haddest not giuen vnto me this woman I had not bene thus deceiued nor broken in this wise thy foresayde commaundement And yet vnderstand yée the rightuous God gaue him not the woman to deceiue him but to be vnto him an helper Wherfore it is now so much the more plain euident that the sin of man was the more hainous apparantly wilful greuous By which this notable historie of the fal of maÌ„ is euideÌ„tly taught vnto al christen men how mighty great and infinite the mercy of god was towards vs of his part as also what louing instructioÌ„s he giueth hereby vnto vs that we shuld therfore the more méekely and humbly thanke him alwayes acknowledge before him our most sinful abhominable state of life And euen so shall all we receiue in time the iust reward of méeknesse and true obedience towards God through his sonne Iesus Christ by whose only death merites and deseruings we be al brought to true health and saluation and not by any goodnesse that commeth of oure selues for the power of oure owne woorkes can no more further vs vnto our heauenly felicitie to come than did the works of Adam when he proudly did eat the apple to the ende he might therby haue brought him selfe vnto the high maiestie and presence of God but they do rather make our case damnable in his sight if we haue any confideÌ„ce eyther in theÌ„ or in any thing else saue only in our Lord Iesus Christ from whence only coÌ„meth all felicitie eternall ioy saluation For to speake moste truely and vnfainedly in this matter the worthinesse of our works can no more couer or hide our sinnes from the displesure of the iust God than did the said leaues couer Adam from the presence of his Deitie Therfore we must thus truly count of our selues to be nothing else but sinfull blinde stubburn disobedient wretches and for the only mercies sake of God in Iesus Christ we be al the children of saluation if we do truely beléeue in him Furthermore to helpe the Reader in this said Epistle I wil touch yet one thing most worthy of him to be noted that is like as the stubbornesse of Adam in Paradise wold haue laid the ground of his offence vpoÌ„ god himselfe bicause he gaue him the woman which did decâ—iâ—ed him â—â—â—n so many men in the weaknesse of their consciences by reason of their blindnesse in this place of the Epistle doe so farre entangle them selues in the misconstruing the article of Predestination that many of them are blasphemously moued to lay the fault in God that man is damned But as Paule saythe him selfe euen so doe I also say God forbid that any man shoulde haue any such thought in him For although God by his most high heauenly and profound wisdome knew from the beginning how all things would come to passe yet we cannot therfore say that he was the occasion of any euill euen as Adam could not iustly lay it to his charge that he was the occasion of his fall bicause he gaue him the womaÌ„ which did so deceiue him for God gaue hir vnto Adam only to be his helper companion and succorer and not to be an instrument of euil wilfully for his destruction but the fault was in Adam him selfe bicause he abused the holy precept and high gift of god Also we may say that God foreknewe the fall of Aungels out of heauen yet was he not thereby noted to be guiltie of that crime for he had giuen vnto them all frée choise as wel to folowe the good and to eschue the doing of euill as to doe euill of themselues and to die from good But they through the accuâ—sednesse of their owne pride bicause they atteâ—ted to climâ— to the maiestie of God throughe their owne imaginations were vtterly depriued of their state vtterly expelled and cast downe from heauen from the presence of God and from the brightnesse of his glorious maiestie Euen so likewise he foreknew the fall of Adam and also the fal of the Iewes from euerlasting yet for all that God did not create them to that only ende purpose â–ª but they of theâ—selues 〈◊〉 wilâ— â—el most wretchedly into that deadly â—â—ate and declined thereby from their 〈…〉 and strength of sinne in themselues and the blinde imagination of their 〈◊〉 haâ—â—â—s For God notwitstanding the thousandâ— millions of his graces and benefites which he did dispose towardes them from time to time gaue them yet also a lawe and certaine commaundements to bridle their affections â—o restrayne them from their sinnes and to draw them from the stubbornesse of their euill enclined natures that they should not if it were possible fal from him at any
the deseruings of his circumcision which at that time was not yet borne but rather for the onely merites sake of his fathers fayth Howbeit Abraham begatte other children after that time of other wiues yet the promise was onely made in the name of Isaac And as the thing went with Isaac and the other children of Abraham euen so it also chaunced in Iacob and Esau Which if they should receiue the blessing of God onely for alyaunce and kinreds sake the promise should rather haue appertayned vnto Esau than vnto Iacob in asmuch as he was the eldest sonne of the two Isaac was onely father to them bothe and one onely mother at one time bare them bothe which conceiued them bothe at once caried them bothe togither in hir body and at one time also deliuered them both yet all this notwithstanding God did acknowledge but one of them for a lawfull childe and the other he tooke as it were but for a bastarde saying these words Iacob haue I loued and Esau haue I hated What thing is it then that did thus make separation betwixt these two twinnes Verily not the proximitie or nearenesse of birthe nor the obseruation of the lawe neither yet Circumcision for before either of them was borne or else had done any thing at all either agaynst the law or with the lawe it was sayde of them bothe The elder shal serue the yonger And why did God thus I pray you Or what would he declare vnto vs héereby Certesse none other thing at all but that no creature through his confidence in the law or circumcision should chalenge to him selfe the promise of felicitie but only all suche as haue faythe to come to the societie of the electe of God through his deare sonne Chryst and to be all suche in their exercitations as was Isaac and Iacob For the election of God maketh the children of Abraham and not the propinquitie of birth Wherefore if in case God shall reiecte and caste away the Iewes at this time as he in times paste did Esau it shall profite them nothing at all to haue discended of his lynage Agayne if God do call the Gentiles vnto his promise by vertue of their fayth it shall not hurt them one whit to be of no fleshly kinred with Abraham in as muche as God through grace doth adopte and make them his children And here no man shall take occasion to wreste the Scriptures and say peruersely that men are not in fault them selues of their owne damnation but rather God him selfe bicause he receiueth at his will and pleasure those that do no good and put away from him suche as may séeme to doo no hurte God defende therefore that in reading this saying of Moyses in the Booke of Exodus I will shew mercy vppon whom I shew mercy and will haue compassion vpon whom I haue compassion should thinke therby that God doth any wrong vnto vs in taking away from vs all our owne power and strength to obtayne health and saluation bicause that both our willes and labours are but vayne and to no purpose except the willing God draweth vs which draweth onely all suche as best lyketh him though they had don no good at al. VVe muste vvell consider this place of Scripture in Exodus that God of his ovvne abundant mercy hath made euery man to his ovvne similitude and giuen him in his creation vvitte reason and discretion vvith many other beginnings of vertue and godlynesse All vvhich if man for his parte vvill apply to the vvill of God and call vpon him for the encrease of hys strength and to make in him these vertues fruitefull and to be alvvayes fortified by the spirite of Chryst to godly perfection and true pietie then God for his loue and mercies sake vvill performe the same to his saluation vvhich othervvise his ovvne strength can not bring to passe by any possibilitie Agayne if he do abuse the same giftes of God by any meanes to the committing of sinne and filthynesse and so choke vp his talent in the dirte of the earth to no good vse then vvill God forsake him and suffer him to runne headlong to the diuell The scripture therfore sayth god hath mercy vpon vvhom he hath mercy and vvil haue compassion vpon vvhom he hath compassion that is vpon euery such person as vvil him selfe call for Gods mercy and cōpassion receiueth it thākfully not as thogh he vvere parcial in the bestovving of his loue and mercy for he is vniuersall vnto all creatures and vvould that all men should be saued and come to the truthe in him But the more pitie many of them vvill not vvay this saying nor apply their gifts to this end and therefore they are vvorthily condemned and go to the diuell for their ovvne faulte and vvickednesse sake For vvhych cause no creature can lay the fault or occasion of his condemnation in God but muste needes graunte to proceede onely from him all his goodnesse and saluation It is therefore impossible to come to the saluation of God through our owne endeuour and working but it is only for the abundaunt mercy of God towards vs and that for hys sonnes sake But contrary al we through the filth of original sinne and weaknesse of our nature which happened through Adam and further through the custome to sin in this world and the diuels setting on by temptation are brought to destruction which thing first happeneth vnto vs frō our owne selues Therfore whosoeuer is damned it commeth vnto him from him selfe and he that is saued by the onely benefite and goodnesse of God the which he doth vouchsafe vpon suche as liketh him best to bestow And this he doth not to that ende that a man should complayne or quarell with him but with al humblenesse to submit him selfe most hartily to thanke him for it For it is not God that hardneth mens hearts that they should not beleue the gospel of Chryst but it is their own rusty or cancred stubbornesse stifnecked crokednesse which causeth them so maliciously to refuse it and to haue it in contempt which stubbornesse god ordereth to this purpose that he will therby make manyfest the mightinesse of his benefite towards vs and to declare the glory of his power and might And euen so it is to be vnderstanded whereas it is sayde to Pharao in Exodus ca. 9. For this purpose haue I stirred thée vp that I might by thée shew my puissaunce and might and that my name shoulde be renoumed throughout the whole world Therfore peraduenture here in this place some peruerse felow will wickedly quarell say If it so be that God sheweth mercy to whom he liketh and whom he will he hardeneth what matter is it then that he can iustly lay to our charge Agayne in as muche as his wil and pleasure can not of any be restrayned nor his entent put by or preuented if he purpose to haue his will in any
sorte scripture speaketh of the olde creature when it treateth that al things are to be renued In Esai 66. and in the Apostle .2 Corinth 2. 9 But yet this rightnesse in the firste man was not a rightnesse of the reuelations of the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen although these things were put in him to be brought foorth in their time but of innocencie which was ioyned with the ignoraunce of the counsels of God touching his saluation and glory 10 And so the expression ef the deuine Image was set in innocencie and not in the manyfestation of the fathers wisdome that then should be made which béeing hidde from time out of minde in a mysterie the Apostle sayth that he speaketh to the Corinthes in the .1 epist. 2. 11 Which wisedome is reuealed onely in Chryst who hathe the keyes to locke and vnlocke the gates of the kingdome of heauen 12 But this Chryst was neither promised nor beganne to be reueled till Adam had fallen Gene. 3. This very séede shall breake thine head 13 Wherof commeth this notable saying of the Apostle God hath shut vp all things vnder sinne that he might haue mercy vppon all Therefore as the first man lacked experimentes of grace and wrathe of falling and rising agayne of ignomie and glorie whylest he stoode euen so the mysterie also of Christ in whom onely the treasures of gods wisdome were layd vp were then vnknowē sinne opening the crosse and the crosse opening glory Rom. 5.11 1. Cor. 4. 14 So that as the first man of the body made of clay by the maker of all things was by nature a weake and frayle worke although that if he had not sinned he shoulde haue bene immortall by the iustice of God who punisheth no man with death without sinne according to thys For the rewarde of sinne is death euen so there lay open vnto him an occasion soone to catche a fall For béeing vnexperte in things although whyle he was yet innocente he mighte soone be brought to eate of the fruite that should be his bane by the subtill Serpente at the enteraunce of concupiscence into him which by viciating the body should bring death and rayse vp warre to the inner man whom the spirite of feare had put in him whereof the Apostle treateth in the seuenth to the Romanes 15 And that is brought to passe by the engines of Sathan who is a murtherer from the beginning a spirite of dissention and not of peace as the heauenly man Christ witnesseth of him in Iohn 8. Chapter By whom it happened that Adam béeing tempted beganne to haue experience by the infection of sinne what the wrathe of God was what grace was what the power of sinne was and what medicine was for the same Chryst Iesus that blessed séede that should be borne of him béeing shewed vnto him 16 Where it muste bée wayed what it is that Adam had hys eyes opened after hys fall and lykewise what is the Trée of the knowledge of good and euill and why it was so called and what occasion was offered and whence it was taken to promyse Chryst what Gods counsell was about the fall and after it about the crosse and what the mysterie of the crosse is to glorie oute of the vndoubted Scriptures 17 But Sathan meditated this fall by a difference First castyng his bayte by the crafte that was in hym at the woman béeing the weaker kinde to the tasting of that cruell apple 18 Whereof also the curse fell vppon him which was the author of so great destruction whom Chryst Iesus the seconde Adam woulde destroy with hys adherentes and would saue the earthy Adam with his posteritie which were written in heauen and had not fallen as dyd the reprobate serpente 19 And so it chanced that the first man enduced by sathan to transgressiō began to haue a delight in erthly things putting vppon him the euill affections of the corrupted fleshe Where the nature of the earth out of which he was taken vttered first it selfe vnder Sathan the mother of the matter 20 For the earth is an element sluggish slouthfull colde dull and full of darkenesse lacking euery acte and motion excepte it be newe chaunged from aboue with spirite and lighte In this sorte is the olde and earthy man And therefore these termes olde earthy haue no prayse in scriptures 21 And suche fruite also came of him by propagation and encrease of the fleshe corrupted fruite of darknesse not of light of death not of life of wrath not of grace of malediction and not of benediction by his owne nature 22 For the order of right state loste by which the liuely body was obedient to the iudgement of the mynde and the mynde obediente to the spirite what other mighte néedes reigne than iniustice in stéede of life wrath in stéede of grace darknesse in the stede of light 33 Which iustice properly is nothing else than a conformitie of all things in the reasonable creature to the lawe of Gods mind by which it is cōmaunded that God be loued aboue al things a man to loue his neighbour as him selfe 24 Of iniustice the matter is cleane contrarie By which Adams posteritie depraued and corrupted follow the disposition of Sathan the author of iniustice 25 For he proudly boasting him selfe of the giftes of nature created glorifieth not God the true life and lighte as he is worthie and hateth the reasonable creature whom it behoued him to loue as béeing nexte creature vnto god And specially he set vpon the innocent Lambe by guyle and deceyte whom he slew in heauen by purpose and counsell from the beginning and driuen downe from thence into these lower parts when he had no more power in heauenly things he likewise deceitfully set vpon man béeing a weake péece of worke made of earth and brought into this worlde vnder the sunne these euils which we sée 26 In consideration whereof he is called the principate and chéefe ruler of darknesse and the father of lyes according to this of Iohn 8. when he speaketh a lye he speaketh properly of his owne for a lyer he is and the father of lying 27 Contrarywise God is the author of Iustice not of iniustice of that which is righte not of naughtinesse of truth not of lyes as Chryste also is comming from aboue who sayth of him selfe But bicause I say the truthe vnto you you beléeue me not Which of you will reproue me of sinne Except a man would say God to be the author of euill priuately for that he giueth not his spirite which onely maketh rightnesse of Iustice But of that spirite I pray thée to whom is God detter 29 Forasmuche therefore as sinne is the priuation of rightnesse which ought to be in man the same in Scripture is worthily called vanitie that is a friuolous thing and a thing of naught And they which followe sinne are counted to follow and goe about vanitie and a thing of naught The Psalme sayth