althoughe the gylt of originall sinne be tâ—ken away in baptime yet the skarre of it and as it were the mater of it dothe remayne whiche as it trobleth and letteth manis perfection in vertew and therby is maintained a continuall stryfe debate so is it not to be accompted our syn tyl we conceiue it by enbracinge agre in to sich carnal mocionâ— In this your bare sayings without any scripture be contayned many errours as it must nedis come to theÌ„ y t teache out of their own headis First false it is that baptisme with water taketh away the gylte of any synne For it is God onely yea and that by Chryst onely that taketh a waye the gilte of synne And therfore Paule saith playnly that the original synne whiche entred into y e worlde by only one man Adam is taken awaye he speketh there of y e gylte by y e grace of God euen by that only one man fre gifte geuen vs Iesus Christ and not by any creature ether of water worde or minister as cause withoute which the gilt is not taken awaye For ther Paul in a longe contencioÌ„ w t many wordis setteth onely chryst his gift grace his iustificacion and his obedience ayenst the gylte of original synne of that onely one Adam And where ye saye The skarre as it were y e mater yet remaineth ye speke very fondly and grossely yea falsely so to teache and so to diuyde it as thoughe there were in synne a physik and naâ—urall corporal composicion ex materia forma as ye dreame of the simple giftis of faith hope and loue which all your dead dremes ye imagine to stablesh your popish doctryne with the aristotilyk scolemen The scripture austen and ambrose call playnly your skarre as ye terme it euil concupiscence euil lusâ—e and desyer forboden in the laste precept and Paul calleth it the law of sinne the body of synne the body of death and euen syn it self And your owne wordis folowinge say the same in that ye affirme it to trouble and lette manis perfeccion in vertewe c. For that as dothe and worketh siche vngodly impediments so troublinge manis soul hindringe it froÌ„ vertew and fightinge ayenst the holy spirit of god that wold make him perfit must nedis be the mother of synne sinne it self stryuinge agenst the wyl of God Paul speking of this concupiscence whiche ye cal y e skarre saith he had not known it to haue had ben synne had not the lawe sayd Thou shalt not haue siche lust or desire in the. This synne originall although it be not imputed ether to the chosen infants for their eleccion in christ or to the faithful waxen for their faith in Christ yet is it not so roted out of the childerne of Adam but that it lyeth lurkinge in vs as longe as we lyue as doth heat or fier in y e flynt chalke and as venome iÌ„ the serpent and is not sene tyll either water be cast vpon the chalke or the serpent angred For man is pacient enough tyl occasion of wrath be geuen him wel pleased so longe as he hathe his desyre mind fulfiled so of alother sinnes ye say this skarre or rather concupiscence syn as y e scriptur calleth it is not to be accoÌ„pted our syn tyl we coÌ„ceiue it by coÌ„seÌ„t which saing is plain false For whose sin els shuld it be then his in whose soul it lyeth Is not maÌ„ conceiued borne therin and therewith It is saith austen by traduccion drawne out of Adam in a perpetual ysew iÌ„to al his posterite was daugher of y e synne in AdaÌ„ is mother of al the synnes in vs. ye say It is not ours tyl we conceiue it by enbracinge agreinge by consent to our carnal mocioÌ„s And therfore ye say s. Iames saith y t concupisceÌ„ce lo here your self is coÌ„pelled to cal your skarre mater concupiscence which is synne wheÌ„ it conceiueth bringeth forth synne ye vnderstand not what Iames saithe For he presupposeth concupiscence to be iÌ„ man as Dauid and Paul saye from his concepcion as an euil sead or plant ingraffed in to y e nature soul of man as Austen declareth it to bring forth opeÌ„ly euil frut and therfore Iames saith not as ye saye that we coÌ„ceiue it not tyl we enâ—race agre to it by consent But he saith if ye loked a litle before thus Euery man is plukt awaye and as it were with a baight taken holden of his own proper natural concupiscence And thence forth he saith coÌ„cupiscence aftir she hath conceiued by coÌ„sent synne is brought forth into light meaninge sin actuall not original where ye see your skarre or rather concupiscence firste to be conceiued into the soul ere she enbrace by consent any syne actual as is the woman a woman and apte to conceyue before she conceyueth and as is the mother before hir daughter if the daughter be syn nedis must the mother goiÌ„ge grat w t the daughter be sinful TheÌ„ ye compare as wysely Concupiscence to a baron woman without a man so makinge hir man the agrement of his frewil coÌ„senting to the yll mocion of whiche as out of man she conceiueth ye shulde haue loked beter of your baron woman noted wether she coÌ„seÌ„teth not as wel as hir man and so in the woman also to be a mutual consent lust and concupiscence as well to be the mother of syn as hir man to be father therof But concupiscence hir self ere she coÌ„ceiue and consent to commit actual syn is as Paul tell you sin it self euen the daugher as austen saith of sinne ere she be y e mother of actual synne in sighte and ere she conceyue as ye say of hir man And although she concupisence I mean conseÌ„teth not but lyeth secretly in the soul so sone as it is created ioyned to the bodye not yet stering yet is she an hidde venome and preuey heat as it were in the chalke or spark hid vnder the ashes not aperinge vnto y e which hid sinne the prophete loked when he said who vnderstandeth or seeth his synnes and fro my hid sinnes clense me And shreud and vnserchable is manes herte said Iere. wherof Ioan said If we shulde saye that we haue not sin in vs we deceiue our selues y e truth is not iÌ„ vs. And therfore said Dauyd Blessed is he to whom god imputeth not his sinne he saith not blessed is he that hath no synne but he that hath synne is not imputed ne rekened to him for his faith Paul commaunded the Roma that synne reigned not ne shuld haue dominion ouer them so that thei obeied not it by hir concupiscence But to be clene without concupiscence he could not so be him selfe as ye se in the .vii. cha complaining of it saieng I am solde a bonde man vnder sinne to do y t euil which I wold not do c And as for your
So that fayth iustifieng them went euer before the baptime of water as it is to see in the actes of the apostles Albeit I see howe falselye and howe vnlearnedly ye bringe in your Baptizetur unusquisque uestrum in remissionem peccatorum for the contrarye as I shall declare your ignoraunce and falsifieng of y e scriptures when I come to the place And here note it christen reader that so longe as we see our synnes in the lawe and in our consciences accusing and condempnynge vs behold them not by faith in the promysed forgeuenes in the gospel of Christes death to haue suffered for the remission of them thus our faith rechinge the mercy of god our father vnto Christes passyon suffred for them Chryste thus made of hym oure ryghtwysenes and oure satisfaccion all oure heuinesse and sorowes contricions and attricions are but suche repentaunce and heauynes as toke Cayne Saule Achitophel and Iudas whiche call it an extorted legall heuines and ye wyl contrarye to the wyllynge euangely call heauynes and holesome repentaunce whyche legall heauynes is lyke the extorted heauynes and heuye fearefull paynefull repentaunce that is wrested out of the racked and pyned Malefactours confessynge their synnes for very fear and payne onely which vnholsom repentaunce after the worlde Paule teachethe it to be repented and caste of But the true holesom repentaunce after god beinge his gyfte begynnethe at the contemplacyon of oure synnes by faith forgiuen in Christes death and resurreccion hys ryghtuousnes hys satisfaccion and merites felte and tasted by our fayth certaynelye and fermely to be communicated vnto vs. In the boke of nombers we read that the chyldren of Israell were not healed ne delyuered from the hotte styngynge serpentes so longe as they looked vpon them but rather with feare and payne the more vexed with thir venome But when thei turned their eyes from those serpentes stinging them and behelde the brasen serpent exalted and hanged vpon the tre then were they healed And lykewyse so longe as we behold our sinnes in our owne consciences accusinge vs or in the lawe forbiddinge sinne workinge wrathe and makinge sinne the more to abound we maye well feare be heauy ful of horrour for payne dread of dampnacion but as for any quietnes rest and peace of conscience we fele none vntyl we conuerte turne our eyes by faith lyftinge them vp beholding the brason stronge serpēt christ god and mā exalted vpon the crosse there sufferinge for our sins appeacinge the fathers wrathe makinge the satisfacion withe the oblacion and sacrifice of his blessed bodie wherefore your repentance before our sinnes be here knowen sene with the eyes of our faith in christ lyfted vpon the crosse there sufferinge for them and purgynge or wasshynge them away is but Iudas his repentaunce Also it is to be noted that as there be dyuers degrees to ascende frome vnder the lawe vnto the grace of the gospell of remyssyon so be there dyuerse heauynesses ere we come to the holesome and frutefull repentaunce vnder the gospel perpetuallye and gladlye to be Practysed For we muste fyrste fele and taste of a desperate state deduced to hel ere we be reduced to heauen mortyfyed ere we be reuyued Paul entering to clyme these degrees of the lawe in lyke heauines and mortificacyon sayde that synne was then deade when he lyued wythoute the lawe shewynge hym hys synne but when the lawe was comen and had shewed hym hys synne then was he deade his sin aliue For sinne now knowne by the lawe the lawe worketh wrathe euen her lyuelye offyce to feare and to condempne the synner to make synne the more aboundaunte thrustynge man to hell and slayeth hym And here maye we see wyth Esaye the prophete God to worke in vs a straunge worke to do his owne In whyche straunge worke workynge yet we knowe hym not for he wyl be for a lytle space a hydden god no more then dyd Iosephes bretherne knowe hym for their brether Ioseph but toke hym for some cruell straunger al that whyle he dissembled with them feared them threatened them and troubled them whyles he hydynge hys face from his owne brethren so vexed them with greate heauines feare or he wold be knowne to them yea and all that whiles in so workynge that straunge worke it was greate paine to Ioseph to hold in his teares for that he muste haue wroughte so straunge a worke with them to worke his owne bretherly louyng worke at last to open hym self to them This worke also god fygured to Moyses when he dydde sette hym in the clyffe of the rocke telling hym hys hynder partes he shulde se but not his face The former compunction and heauynes euen gods straunge worke in vs before faythe iustifienge his heuye hande yet coueringe our face we knowe it not to be his work ne as yet beleue we god to be oure sauyoure and forgeuer in Chryste vntyll he shewe vs his hinder partes that is the incarnacion of Chryst sent and suffrynge for oure synnes Adam as sone as he hadde synned hadde an heuye conscience horryblye feared with the wrath of god vnto deathe and dampnacyon flyenge from his voyce and presence euen in the midde daye whiche heauynes was but a desperate repentaunce and farre of to merite anye grace as it appeareth by his flyenge awaye frome God callynge hym But yet the myghty mercyful voice of god so staied him and rubbed hys synne into his remembraunce that at laste the gospell of the blessed promysed seade preached Adam conceyued faythe by the hearinge therof and beganne trewelye to repente for nowe he sawe his synnes not in hys owne naked gyltye conscyence accusynge hym ne in the precepte condempnynge hym but in the blessed seade Chryste forgeuynge hym And then to confyrme and to testifye as it were wyth seall oblygatorye that GOD hadde iustyfyed hym for hys faythe onelye in that seade to come he added hys sacred sealled Sacramente euen the skynnes of the slayne sheepe to kouer Adam and Eues naked shamefastnes signyfyenge to them that blessed seade to be offered vp an innocente lambe wyth hys ryghtewysenes to couer their transgression and with his blessynge to couer their malediccion vpon thys his bloudy sheepes peltch when so euer Adam loked he myght well wepe and repente him selfe that euer he hadde committed that synne whych as it shoulde brynge so innocente a lambe to so gylteles a death so coulde it neuer haue bene forgeuen wythoute the sheddynge of so innocente precyouse bloude And here at the contemplation of hys synne in Chrystes death to come beganne he frutefullye to repente doynge on dayly that coote puttynge hym into a perpetual remembraunce and into repentaunce the contynual custodye of hys lyfe euermore seynge his synnes purged in the sead to come euen in the lambe of God that takethe awaye the synnes of the worlde But nowe I retourne to youre booke wherein ye adde thus sayenge And nowe
operati siue iustitie baptismi after your scole men that is the sacrament or seall of the rightwisenes of workes or of the rightwisnes of baptism with water and man thereby to be iustified as ye dreame and so Christ in vaine to haue dyed Besydes this it is the fygure of our perpetuall mortificacion and repentance as I haue oâ—ten declared the vse therof before And as touchinge the imperfeccion of faith and charitie in man as ye saye Albeit our faith I saye be as litle as the mustarde sead and as imperfit as was his that saide lorde I beleue but yet helpe my vnbeleif yet god accepteth it for our iustificatioÌ„ for christes sake bidding vs daylye to praye for thencreace therof Then ye saye all our workes be imperfitte ' It is truthe that ye saye And in so sayeng ye haue condempned al your own doctrine of merits satisfaccioÌ„s and condicions of workes to deserue remission For no imperfitte workes may deserue perfit remission ne make perfit satisâ—accioÌ„ as ye well know it And for this cause of our imperfeccion indignitie impossibilite by workes to merit our remission saluacioÌ„ god hath taken it out of our handes and from our workes layd it vpon christ as ye se in the prophete Isaye him by his perfit fulfilling of the law by his so perfit workes to merit to satisfye fully and perfitlye and so to obtaine vs y e remission and saluation for our faith into him And thus is he made of his father ours for vs our iustificacion our rightwisnes redeÌ„ptioÌ„ our holines our wisdom our satisfaccioÌ„ our implecion of y e law whiche all we by faith receiue as our owne for that he is geuen to vs holy with al his that he ether dyd or suffred in his blessed innocent body and soul. And euen these be our elder brothers clothes done vpon vs by faith so swetely sauouring which so delite and please our celestial father as did Iacobs elder brothers fragrant vestures sauor in his father Isaac his nose that he gaue him his brothers blessing as shal our father for y e same doing on by faith not for your participatioÌ„ of our elder brother christe his swete clothes of his rightwisnes merits c. For who so euer be baptized of the spirite by regeneration of faith they haue done christ thus vpoÌ„ them And thus w t Iacob be we made Israelites And thus be we all made y e sonnes of god for that we haue beleued in Iesu christ saith Paul not as ye say for y t ye haue done youre good works fulâ—illed your coÌ„dicioÌ„ Thus ye se how Paul IoaÌ„ Peter christ speke of y e baptism of y e spirite not of y e visible baptism of water to geue remissioÌ„ saluacion ye geue imperâ—eccion to our works to faith to loue it is truth But yet muste ye coÌ„sider y t thimperfeccioÌ„ in our works so minisheth takethe so awaye the goodnes dignite or worthines of theÌ„ that thei may not be called good ne meritoriouse But faith Isaye â— being imperfit as litle as the mustersede or as weke as his y t said help lord my vnbeleif yea or so matched in perel with temptacion w t feare dubitacioÌ„ as was peters faith so boldly leaping into y e sea to mete his maister christe when the sourges arose agenst him so highe that with his litle weake faith he began to sinke yet as litle as it was it was y e good gift of god saued hiÌ„ for christes sake froÌ„ drowninge For it is our perpetuall byshop and onely intercessour in heuen that continually prayeth as he dyd for Peter his felowes lest our faith faile vs euen in the middes of the stormye tempestiouse floudes of the troublous sea of this world For the giftes calling of god be sich as it cannot repent him of them in hys chosen Then ye say Iob sayd I feared al my workes in which faith ye say may be comprehended But it appereth that ye vnderstand not Iobs wordes for he neuer feared his faith but his works only which were euil imperfit And the ebrw or chaldie worde signifieth erumnas and labores meos omnes that is to saye I feared al my miserable workes and laboriouse miseries which he called his own euil workes for it foloweth sciens quod noÌ„ parceres delinquenti knowing that thou woldst not spare the trespasser So that here ye see how that ye manakle and rende oute by patches the textes for youre wicked purpose not consideringe what gothe before ne foloweth nor yet what the wordes properly signifye If ye coulde comprehende faithe in Iobs works so wolde ye make faith no gift of god ne beleif gods worke but Iobs worke so feared of him self And all the scriptures agre w t Iob so speaking of his owne workes only and not of faith For manye holye men fearing y e same desired god not to enter into iugement w t them ne to iuge them after their workes Then ye take in hand to describe the sinfull nature of man as borne out of Adam and Eue sayeng that the powers of our soule properly receiue faith and loue and vpon the occasion of the worlde and the flesh suggestion of the deuil be redy to rebellion c. In whiche saienge ye speke not truelye of maÌ„ in his corrupt nature as borne out of Adam conceiued in synne roted in his soule called altogether in scripture flesh the olde man the body of sinne and deathe inimitie ageÌ„st God naturallye the childe of wrath a contynuall rebellyon agaynste gods spirit For occasion or no occasion geuen sich one is he before he be regenered as god painteth him saienge after the hebrewe verite Euery imaginacion of mannes harte is onlye euyll is sayth the texte and not prone or redye as ye terme it yea and that at all times euen from hys youthe withoute the spirite of God regeneringe hym he is brydeles runnynge into the free felde of all carnall lustes Of the power of this corrupt mans nature ye speake as by his fre choise to receiue faith with loue c. Uerilye this man hathe no suche a Pelagianes power of hym selfe to receiue faithe no more then hadde ADAM him selfe power to come to God when he fled from his voice in paradise so ferefullye with shame sekinge where to hyde him froÌ„ his presence There is no sich proper power properly as ye terme it in maÌ„ to receiue faith or any grace except that naturall proper powr be properly taken a waye and pourged with the spirit of libertie by faithe purifyeng the herte so makinge in him a newe hert prepared to receiue faith makinge a new and free powr from his naturall bondage to synne So that your fre choice to receiue grace may not here be placed withe pelagians errour enimie to grace to set vp your fre choice bonde libertie to syn For
by his faithles faith and another by his colde charitie and yet hath not this meruelous maker fyrst taken awaye his owne stonney herte w t his fre choise And at last as he is an ingeniose artificer hathe he iuggled vs forth .iiii. new iustificacions called of him exhibicions One not properlye apprehended by faythe another properlye apprehended by fayth the thirde is properly called y e exhibition of mercye And the fourth is kaught by his colde charite And this is all this highly lerned lawiers diuinite lo. For the which to be cōfirmed he bringeth in our ladies songe Suscepit Israel puerum suum c. But I dare say that as for hir so holy graciouse playne woman by those wordes neuer thought ne mente all these so mysty mazes so ful of perplexities and inextricable angles In good fayth when I sawe hym bring in suscepit Israel puerum c. for his popish purpose I meruayled greatly therat and thought of some other straunge subtyle knot as it were of another Gordias not to be cut in sunder of euery mans swerde And here I remembred the swerde of a good mery florishinge felow which in construccion dyd diuyde and cutte Suscepit a two in the myddes and made these two wordes therof saienge Sus the wyld bore of rome cepit hath taken away Israel puerum suum oure ladies sonne Christ called Israell in that by his antichristen religion he taketh away and deuoureth christes faith and his worde alluding vnto y e lxxx psalme describinge the wylde frothei bore of rome wrotinge vp the vyneyarde of christe in burnynge his churche But returne we to Sampsons foxe tayed by tayle to his felowes with fier brondes to burne vp the philistens good corne As sone as man beleueth god procedeth to the fulfyllynge of his promise for his parte and geueth vs a newe spirit and a newe herte and so iustifieth vs Ioye What thinge then doth your charite whiles man as sone as he beleueth is iustified ye wyll condempne youre selfe If we receiue it and assente by oure fre choise vnto it and worke with it whiche is theffectuall receiuinge and the worthynes on our part wherby we be iustified Yea marye It was tyme to adde youre yf we receaue it c. but yet your yf commeth all to late to your man y t beleueth For ye saye that as sone as he beleueth god iustifieth hī ergo he is iustified and hath alredye receiued his iustificacion before your yf But belyke ye wolde haue saide when god offred to man faith and yf we receaue it by oure free choise and assent ▪ then god procedeth to the fulfyllynge c. And note well this that there muste be on our part a worthines therfore howsoeuer ye wyll smyle at it It is a good prayer or a pro nobis sancta dei genitrix ut digni efficiamur promissionibus christi Pray for vs holy mother of god that we maye be made worthy of Christes promises Here thou seest the byshop to play ii partes at once one contrary to y e tother The fyrste he sayth is goddes parte in procedinge to the fulfilling of his promyse to the beleuer the seconde is playne Pelagians parte whiche was a rancke heretyque and enimye to GOD and to his grace affirmynge man on his parte to haue fre choice to receiue goddes gyftes and to assente to them when they be offered him and so workinge with them to make our selues worthye as Wynchester saith to be iustified effectually And here this myghtye maker maketh two iustifications one for goddes part goten by only faith and another on oure parte goten by Pelagians fre wyll to receiue grace and to worke our owne worthynes whereby we be iustified I thoughte Pelagiane wolde halter hym selfe at laste or els ye must thruste these two contrary iustifications both into one poke where they shall agre togither as the foxe and the hounde and as Pelagiane and saint Austen for this is plaine that heretique Pelagians opinion and heresye which Austen so myghtely confuteth in his bokes against pelagian and celestiū de gracia christi in li. de remi peccatorum sayenge Men laboure to finde in oure wyll that as is ours and not of god but howe it maye be founde I know it not In this peese euerye man maye see what an enemye with Pelagiane the byshop is to grace wolde priuily drope into the peoples hertes this present poison of Pelagians scole That the grace of god doth but helpe our weake wyll and infirmitie and so to make vs chekmates and felow workers with god vs on our part and him of his part for oure iustificaciō diuided betwixt vs both diuidinge Christe whiche was and is euer an hole entier sauiour Agēst the which heresy god by his prophet Ezechiel declaringe of what power our wyll is left to it selfe speakethe thus I shall geue ye a newe herte put a newe spirite in the middes of you And I shall take awaye the stoney hert frō your flesh and geue you a soft herte Nowe tell vs. Howe can mans owne naturall stonney rebellious hert helpe god and by his free choise and assent worke with god in his conuersion to worke his owne iustification ether to wyll well or to endeuoure or frely to chose good or to assent or to conforme him self as ye saye to gods wyll and to vse his gyftes when god saith plainelye This stonney hert muste be first taken awaye and a newe made put into man clene contrarye to his firste herte and wyll But here may euerye learned christen reader see howe peruerselye ye handle the scripture leauynge out quyte the taking away of the hard stoney hert as though your fre choiced man hadde none siche ne were the sonne of Adam leaping ouer it into a newe herte and newe spirite euen sich one as was Adam created before he lost his fre lybertie to good by synne you diuidinge his workes betwixte the man and god affirming in the same god to worke his parte and the man with his free wyll and herte with his assent and youre free choice c. to worke his owne worthines on his parte as two men shulde draw out a logge together bothe by one lyne one to helpe the tother But aunswere me by youre fayth trewly to these two questions what thinge worketh the man on his parte in the takynge awaye of his stonney rebellious herte If he worketh any thinge with sich an hert it must nedes be againste god and not with God for what els can such an hert worke but euyll and agaynste God and not with GOD but againste his owne helth Also whether is thys newe herte and wyll oure owne naturall hert and wyll or no These can not be ours for our owne stonney is takē away this new hert is contrarye to ours so that we cannot haue two cōtrary hertes and wylles at once Wherfore seing they be gods giftes