muste he needes sticke faste in the myre of synnes And after sinne by by foloweth curse And of how muche the greater transgressiō the lawe holdeth vs gyltye and conuicte with so muche the more greuous iudgemente it condemneth vs. For this purpose maketh the sayenge of the Apostle that by the lawe is the knoweledge of synne For ther he speaketh onely of the fyrste office of the lawe the proofe wherof is in synners not yet regenerate And like to this are these twoo sayenges that the lawe entred that synne mighte abounde and therefore that it is the ministration of deathe that worketh wrathe and slayeth For without doubt so muche more groweth iniquitie with how muche more vnderstandynge of synne the conscience is striken bycause vnto breache of lawe is added obstinacie againste the maker of the lawe It foloweth therfore that the lawe armeth the wrathe of God to the destruction of the synner bicause of it selfe it can do nothinge but accuse condemne and destroy And as Augustine writeth if the spirite of grace be absente the lawe is presente with vs onely to thys ende to accuse vs and kyll vs. And yet when thys is sayde neyther is the lawe dishonored thereby nor any thinge taken from the excellence thereof Truely yf oure will were wholy framed and disposed to the obedience of the lawe then plainly the onely knoweledge of it were sufficient to saluacion But for asmuche as oure fleshely and corrupte nature fighteth as an enemie with the spirituall lawe of God and is nothinge amended with the dyscipline therof this foloweth that the lawe whiche was geuen for saluacion if it had founde fitte hearers tourneth to the occasion of sinne death For sithe we are all proued transgressours of it the more plainly that it openeth the righteousnesse of God so muche the more on the other side it discloseth oure iniquitie the more surely the it confirmeth the rewarde of life and saluacion laide vp for ryghteousnesse so muche the more assured it maketh the destruction of the wicked So farre is it of therefore that these sayinges shoulde be to the dishonoure of the lawe that they muche auaile to the more glorious commendations of Godes bountie For truely it herby appeareth that we are hindered by oure owne wickednesse and peruersenesse that we enioye not the blessednesse of life set openly abroade for vs by the lawe Wherby the grace of God that helpeth vs without the succoure of the lawe is made so much the sweter and the mercie more louely that geueth it vnto vs whereby we learne that hee is neuer wearied with often doinge vs good and heapinge newe giftes vpon vs. And whereas the iniquitie and condemnation of vs all is sealed by the testimonie of the lawe it is not done for thys purpose if at leaste we well profyte in it to make vs fall downe with despere or with discouraged mindes to tumble down hedlong In deede the reprobate are amased after that manner butte that ys by reason of theyr obstinatie but with the chyldren of God there behoueth to be an other ende of instruction I graunte the Apostle testifyeth that we are all condemned by iudgemente of the lawe that euery mouthe maye be stopped and that all the woorlde maye become bounde vnto God but yet the same Apostle in an other place teacheth that God hath concluded all vnder vnbeleife not to destroye all or to suffer all to perishe butte that hee myghte haue mercye of all that leuinge the foolishe opinion of their owne strength thei myghte vnderstande that they stande are vpholden by the onely hande of God that they beynge naked and emptye maye flee to hys mercye that they maye rest them selues wholly vpon it hyde them selues wholly in it take holde of yt alone in steede of righteousnesse and merites whyche is layed open in Christe for all menne who soeuer they bee that wyth true faythe do desyre and looke for yt For God in the commaundementes of the lawe appeareth butte a rewarder of perfecte ryghteousnesse whereof we all are destitute and on the other syde a rygorous iudge of euell doynges But in Christe hys face shyneth full of grace and lenitye euen towarde the wreatched and vnwoorthy synners Of profytynge to craue the grace of hys helpe Augustine speaketh ofte as when hee wryteth to Hylarie The lawe commaundeth that endeuorynge to doe the thynges commaunded and beynge wearyed with oure weakenesse vnder the lawe wee shoulde learne to aske the helpe of grace Agayne to Aselius The profyte of the lawe is to conuince manne of hys owne weakenesse and compell hym to craue the Physycke of grace that ys in Christe Agayne to Innocente of Rome The lawe commaundeth Grace mynystreth strengthe to do Againe to Ualentine God commaundeth those thynges that wee canne not doe that wee maye learne to knowe what to aske of hym Agayne The lawe was geuen to accuse you that beynge accused you shoulde feare that fearinge you shoulde craue pardon and not presume of your owne strengthes Againe The lawe was geuen for this purpose of greate to make lyttle to shewe that thou haste no strengthe of thyne owne to ryghteousnesse that thou as poore vnwoorthy and needye shouldest flee vnto grace After hee tourneth hys speache to God and saythe Do so Lorde do so mercyfull Lorde commaunde that which canne not bee fullfylled yea commaunde that whyche canne not but by thy grace bee fullfylled that when menne canne not fullfyll yt by theyr owne strengthe euerye mouthe maye bee stopped and no manne maye thynke hym selfe greate Let all bee lyttle ones and lette all the woorlde bee gyltye before thee But I am not wyse to heape vp so manye testimonies sythe that holly manne hathe wrytten a booke proprely of that matter whyche hee hathe intituled Of the Spirite and Letter The seconde profytynge hee dothe not so lyuely descrybe eyther bycause hee knewe that yt dyd hange vpon the former or bycause hee dyd not so well vnderstande it or bycause hee wanted woordes where wyth dystinctely and playnely to expresse hys meaninge of it whiche yet he rightly conceyued but this firste office of the lawe is not idle euen in the reprobate also For thoughe they goe not thus farre forwarde with the children of God that after the throwinge downe of their fleshe they bee renued and florishe againe in the inwarde man but amased with the firste terroure do lie still in desperation yet it serueth to shewe fourth the equytie of Gods iudgemente that their consciences be tossed with suche wayes For they euer wyllingely desire to make shyfte agaynste the iudgemente of God Nowe while the same is not yet opened they yet so astonyshed with the testimonie of the lawe and their conscience do bewraie in them selues what they haue deserued The second office of the lawe is that thei whiche are touched with no care of that whiche is iuste and right vnlesse thei be compelled whē they heare the
there speaketh in the persone of a maÌ„ regenerate I speake not of this that he vseth these wordes Euell Sinne that thei which wil speake against vs may not cauil against those words but whoe can denie that a striuing against the lawe of God is euell whoe can denie a withstanding of Iustice to be sinne Finally whoe wâ—ll not graunt that there is a fault where is a spiritual miserie But al these thinges are reported of this disease by Paule Againe we haue an assured demonstration by the law by whiche this whole question may easily be discussed For we are coÌ„maunded to loue God with all our heart with al our soule with al our powers Sithe al the partes of our soule ought so to be occupied with the loue of God it is certaine that they satisfie not the coÌ„maundement that conceiue in their heart any desire be it neuer so litle or suffer any such thought at all to entre into their minde as maye withdraw them from the loue of God into vanitie For what are not these the powers of the soule to be affected with sodeine motions to coÌ„prehend with wit to coÌ„ceyue with minde Therfore when these do open a way for vaine or corrupt thoughtes to entre into them do they not shew that they are euen so much voide of the loue of God Wherfore who so confesseth not that all the lustes of the flesh are sinnes and that the same disease of lusting which they call a fedyng is the well spryng of sinne he muste needes denie that the transgression of the lawe is sinne If any man thinke it an absurditie that all the desires wherwith man is naturally moued in affection are vniuersally condeÌ„ned wheras they be put into man by God the author of nature We answer that we doe not condemne those desires that God hath so engrauen into the minde of man at the firste creation that they can not be rooted out without destroyeng the very nature of man but only outragious and vnbridled motions that fight against the ordinance of God But nowe sithe by reason of the peruersnesse of nature all her powers are infected and corrupted that in all her doynges appereth a continuall disorder and intemperance bicause the desires can not be seuered froÌ„ such intemperance therefore we say that they are corrupt Or if you like to haue the whole summe in fewer wordes we teache that all the desires of men are euell and we accuse them to be gilty of sinne not in that that they are naturall but for that they are inordinate and we call them inordinate bycause no pure or cleane thynge can come out of a corrupte and vncleane nature And Augustine dothe not so much varie from this doctrine as he appereth in shewe while he somwhat to much feareth the enuie that the Pelagians labored to bryng him into he sometime forbeareth to vse the name of sinne Yet where he writeth that the law of sinne still remaynyng in the holy ones the onely giltinesse is taken awaye he plainely sheweth that he doth not so much disagree from our meanyng We will alleage some other sentences wherby shal better appere what he thought In yâ— second boke against Iulian This law of sinne is both released by the spiritual regeneration abideth in the mortal flesh released herein bicause the giltnesse is taken away in the sacrament whereby the faithfull are regenerate and it abideth bycause it worketh the desires agaynst whiche the faythfull doe fight Agayne Therfore the law of sinne which was also in the membres of so great an Apostle is released in baptisme but not ended Agayne The lawe of sinne of which yet remainyng the giltinesse is in baptisme discharged Ambrose called wickednesse bicause it is wickednesse for the flesh to lust against the Spirit Againe Sinne is dead in respect of that giltinesse wherin it helde vs and euen beyng dead it still rebelleth til it be healed with perfection of burial And yet playner in the v. boke As the blindenesse of heart is bothe a sinne whereby menne beleueth not in God and also a punishment of sinne whereby a proude heart is chastised with worthy correction and the cause of sinne when any thyng is committed by the errour of a blinde heart so the lust of flesh agaynste whiche a good spirit lusteth is bothe sinne bycause there is in it disobedience agaynst the gouernement of the minde and also the punishment of sinne bycause it is geuen for recompense to the deseruynges of the disobedient and the cause of sinne in manne when he consenteth by defection or in manne when he is borne by infection Here wythout anye doubtefull speache he calleth it sinne bycause when errour was ones ouerthroweÌ„ and the truth coÌ„firmed he lesse feared sclaunderours reportes As in the .xlj. Homelie vpoÌ„ Iohn where doâ—tlesse he speaketh according to the true meaning of his mind he sayth If in the flesh thou serue the law of sinne do that whiche the Apostle himself sayth let not sinne reigne in your mortal bodie to obey the desires therof He sayth not let it not be but let it not reigne So long as thou liuest sinne must needes be in thy meÌ„bres at least let Reigne be taken from it Let not that be done whiche it commaundeth They that defend that luste is no sinne are wont to obiecte that sayeng of Iames Lust after that it hath conceiued bryngeth forth sinne But this is easily confuted For vnlesse we thinke that he speaketh of only ill workes or actuall sinnes euell will it self shall not be accompted sinne But where he calleth mischeuous deedes and wicked offenses the ofsprynges of sinne and geueth vnto them the name of sinnne it doth not by and by folow thereof but that to luste is an euell thyng and damnable before God Certaine Anabaptistes in this age deuise I wote not what phreÌ„tike intemperance in stede of spirituall regeneration sayeng that the children of God restored into the state of innoceÌ„cie now ought no more to be carefull for bridlyng of the luste of the fleshe that the Spirit is to be folowed for their guide vnder whose guidyng they neuer goe out of the way It were incredible that mans minde could fall to so great madnesse vnlesse they did opeÌ„ly and proudely babble abrode this doctrine Truely it is monstruous But it is mete that suche should suffer the punishment of suche blasphemous boldnesse that so haue persuaded their minde to turne the truth of God into a lie Shal al the choise of honestie and dishonestie righte and wronge good and euell vertue and vice be taken awaye â–ª Suche difference saye they coÌ„meth of the cursednesse of olde Adam from whiche we are exempted by Christe So nowe there shal be no difference betwene fornication and chastitie playne dealyng and sutteltie truthe and lyeng iustice and extortion Take awaye vayne feare saye they the Spirit will commaund thee no euell thyng so that thou boldly and without feare yelde thee to
Lorde ys bryghte that geueth lyghte to the eyes c. Agayne A launterne to my feete ys thy woorde and a lyghte vnto my pathes â–ª and innumerable other that hee reherseth in all that Psalme Neyther are these thynges agaynste the sayinges of Paule wherein vs shewed not what vse the lawe mynystreth to the regenerate butte what yt ys able to geue to manne of yt selfe Butte here the Prophete reporteth wyth howe greate profyte the Lorde doothe instructe them by readynge of hys lawe to whome hee inwardely inspyreth a readynesse to obeye And hee taketh holde not of the commaundementes onely butte also the promyse of grace annexed to the thynges whyche onely maketh the bytternesse to ware sweete For what were lesse ameable than the lawe yf yt shoulde onely wyth requyringe and threateninge trouble soules carefully wyth feare and vexe them wyth terroure Butte specially Dauid sheweth that hee in the lawe conceyued the Mediatoure wythoute whome there ys no delyte or sweetenesse Whyche whyle some vnskyllfull menne canne not discerne they boldely shake awaye all Moses and bydde the two tables of the lawe farrewell bycause they thynke yt ys not agreable for Christyans to cleaue to that doctrine that conteyneth the minustration of deathe Lette thys prophane opynyon departe farre oute of oure myndes For Moses taughte excellently well that the same Lawe whyche wyth synners canne engendre nothynge butte deathe oughte in the holly to haue a better and more excellente vse For thus when hee was reddy to dye hee openly sayde to the people Laye youre heartes vpon all the woordes that I doe testyfye to youe thys daye that ye maye commytte them to youre chyldren that ye maye teache them to keepe to doe and to fullfyll all the thynges that are wrytten in the volume of thys lawe bycause they are not vaynely commaunded you butte that euerye one shoulde lyue in them butte yf no manne canne denye that there appeareth in yt an absolute paterne of ryghteousnesse then eyther wee muste haue no rule at all to lyue iustely and vpryghtely or els yt ys not lawefull for vs to departe from yt For there are not manye butte one rule of lyfe whyche ys perpetuall and canne not bee bowed Therefore whereas Dauid maketh the lyfe of a ryghteous manne continually busied in the meditation of the lawe let vs not referre that to one age onely bycause it is moste meete for all ages to the cude of the woorlde and lette vs not therefore be frayed awaye or flee from beynge instructed by it bycause yt appoynteth a muche more exacte holynesse than we shall perfourme whylâ— wee shall carry about the parson of our bodie For nowe yt executeth not against vs the office of a rygorous exacter that wyll not be satysfyed but wyth hys full taske perfourmed butte in thys perfection where vnto it exhorteth vs it sheweth vs a marke towarde whyche in all oure lyfe to endeuoure is no lesse profitable for vs than agreable wyth oure dutie In whyche endeuoure if we faâ—le not it is well For all thys lyfe ys a race the space whereof beynge runne cute the Lorde wyll graunte vs to atteine to that marke towarde whyche our endeuoures do trauaile a farre of Nowe therefore whereas the lawe hathe towarde the faythfull a power to exhorte not suche a power as maye bynde theyr consciences with curse butte suche as wyth often callynge on maye shake of sluggyshnesse and pynche imperfection to awake it many when thei meane to expresse thys delyueraunce from the curse thereof do saye that the lawe is abrogate to the faythfull I speake yet of the lawe moral not that it dothe no more commaunde them that whyche is ryghte butte onely that it be no more vnto them that whych it was before that is that it do no more by makynge afrayde and confoundynge their consciences damne and destroye them And truely suche an abrogation of the lawe Paule dothe plainely teache and also that the Lorde himselfe spake of it appeareth by thys that he woulde not haue confuted that opinion that he shoulde dissolue the lawe vnlesse it hadde been commonly receyued amonge the Iewes Butte forasmuche as it could not ryse causelessly and wythoute any coloure it is lykely that it grewe vpon false vnderstandynge of hys doctryne as in a manner all erroures are wonte to take occasion of truthe but leaste we shoulde also stumble at the same stone let vs dylygently make distinction what is abrogate in the lawe and what remayneth yet in force Where the Lorde protesteth that he came not do destroye the lawe butte to fullfill yt and that till heauen and earthe passe awaie no one iote of the lawe sholde passe awaye butte that all shoulde be fullfylled he sufficiently confyuneth that by hys comminge nothinge shoulde be taken awaye from the out keepinge of the lawe And for good cause sithe he came rather for this ende to heale offences Wherefore the doctrine of the lawe remayneth for all Christians inuiolable which by teachynge admonyshynge rebukynge and correctynge maye frame and prepare vs to euerye good woorke As for those thynges that Paule speaketh of the curse it is euident that they belonge not to the verye instruction butte onely to the force of byndynge the conscience For the lawe not onely teacheth butte also wyth authoritie requyreth that whyche yt commaundeth If yt be not perfourmed yea yf duetye be stacked in any parte it bendeth her thunderboulte of curse For thys cause the Apostle sayth that all they that are of the woorkes of the lawe are subiecte to the curse bycause it is wrytten Cursed is euery one that fullfylleth not all And he sayeth that they be vnder the woorkes of the lawe that do not sette ryghteousnesse in the forgeuenesse of synnes by whyche we are loosed from the rigoure of the lawe He teacheth therefore that we muste bee loosed from the bondes of the lawe vnlesse we wyll miserablye peryshe vnder them But from what bondes the bondes of that rigerous and sharpe exactinge that releaseth nothing of the extremitie of the lawe and suffereth not any offense vnpunished From this curse I saye that Christe mighte redeeme vs he was made a curse for vs. For it is wrytten Cursed is euery one that hangeth vpon the tree In the capter folowinge in deede he sayth that Christe was made subiecte to the lawe to redeeme them that were vnder the lawe but all in one meanynge for he by and by addeth that by adoption we mighte receiue the righte of children What is that that we shoulde not be oppressed wyth perpetuall bondage that shoulde holde oure conscience fast strained with anguishe of death In the meane tyme thys alwaye remaineth vnshaken that there is nothinge withdrawen of the authoritie of the lawe but that it oughte styll to bee receyued of vs wyth the same reuerence and obedience Of ceremonies it is otherwise whiche were abrogate not in effecte but in vse onely And this that Christe by hys commynge
wilt not be put away from the inheritance c. Knowe ye brethren that all this miserie of mankinde when the world groneth is a medicinall sorrow and not a penall sentence c. These sentences I haue therefore thought good to alleage that the manner of speche that I haue aboue writen shuld not seme to any man newe and vnused And hereunto serue all the coÌ„plaintes full of indignation wherein the Lord oftentimes doth expostulate of the vnkindenesse of the people for that thei stiffly despised al punishmentes In Esaye he saith To what purpose should I strike you any more from the sole of the foote to the crowne of the hed there is no whole place But bicause the Prophetes are ful of such sayenges it shal be sufficient to haue briefly shewed that God do the punish his churche for none other intent but that it should be tamed and ameÌ„d Therefore when he did caste Saul out of the kingdome he punished him to reuengement When he toke from Dauid his yonge sonne he corrected him to amendement Accordyng to this meanyng is that to be taken which Paule sayth when we are iudged of the Lord we are corrected that we should not be damned with this worlde That is when we that be the children of God are afflicted with the hande of our heauenly father this is no peyne wherewith we should be confounded but only a chastisement wherwith we should be instructed In whiche pointe Augustine is plainely on our side For he teacheth that the peynes wherwith meÌ„ are a like chastised by God ar diuersly to be considered bycause to the holy ones they are battels and exercises after the forgeuenesse of their sinnes to the reprobate they are without forgeuenesse peynes of wickednesse In whiche place he rehearseth how peynes were layed vpon Dauid and other godly men and sayth that the same tended to this end that their godlinesse shold by such humbling of them be exercised and proued And where Esaie sayth that the Iewishe people had their iniquitie forgeuen them bycause they had receyued full chastisement at the Lordes hande this proueth not that the pardon of sinnes hangeth vpon the full paymeÌ„t of the peyne but it is in effect asmuch as if he had sayd Bycause ye haue alredy suffred peynes enough and by the greuousnesse and multitude thereof haue ben nowe pyned awaye with long mournyng sorrow therefore it is nowe time that receyuing the tidynges of full mercie your heartes should reioyce and fele me to be your father For there God did take vpon him the person of a father whiche repenteth him euen of his iuste seueritie when he was compelled sharply to correct his sonne With these thoughtes it is necessarie that the faithful be furnished in bitternesse of afflictions It is time that the iudgement beganne at the house of the Lord in which his name is called vpon What shuld the children of God do if thei did beleue the seueritie of God that they fele to be his vengeance For he that beyng stryken with the hand of God imagineth God a punishyng iudge can not coÌ„ceyue him but angry and enemie vnto him detest the very scourge of God as a curse and damnation Finally he can neuer be perswaded that God loueth him that shall thinke him so minded toward him that he is still minded to punish him But he only profiteth vnder the rod of God that thinketh him to bee angry with his sinnes but merciefull and louynge to himself For otherwise that muste needes happen whiche the Prophet complayneth that he felt where he sayth Thy wrathes O God haue passed ouer me thy terrors haue oppressed me Also that which Moses writeth bycause we haue faynted in thy wrath and we haue ben troubled in thy indignatioÌ„ thou hast set our iniquities in thy sight and our secretes in the light of thy countenance bicause all our dayes are gone awaye in thy wrath our yeres are consumed as the worde that is passed out of a mouth On the other side Dauid sayth thus of his fatherly chastisementes to teache that the faythfull are rather holpen than oppressed thereby Blessed is the man whome thou haste corrected O Lord hast instructed in thy law to geue him quiet froÌ„ euell dayes while a pit is digged for the sinner Truely it is a harde tentation when God sparyng the vnbeleuers and winkyng at their faultes semeth more rigorous agaynst them that be his Therefore he gaue them a cause of comfort the admonishment of the law wherby they should learne that it is done to prouide for their saluation when they are called agayne into the waye and the wicked are caried hedlong into their errours whose ende is the pit And it is no difference whether the peyne be euerlastyng or duryng for a time For as well warre famine pestilence and sickenesse as the iudgemeÌ„t of eternall death are the curses of God when they are layed vpon menne to this ende to be instrumentes of the Lordes wrath and vengeance agaynst the reprobate Nowe as I thinke all men doe perceyue whereunto tended that chastisement of the Lord vpon Dauid euen to be an instruction that God is greuously displeased with manslaughter adulterie agaynst which he had shewed so great an indignation in his beloued â—aithful seruant that Dauid should be taught to be no more so bolde to do the like deede and not to be a peyne wherby he shuld make a certaine recompense to God And so is to be iudged of the other kinde of correction whereby the Lord punished his people with a sore pestilence for Dauids disobedience whereinto he was fallen in numbryng the people For he did in deede freely forgeue to Dauid the giltinesse of his sinne but bicause it perteined bothe to the publike example of all ages and also to the humbling of Dauid that such a haynous offense should not remayne vnpunished therefore he moste sharply chastised him with his rodde Whiche marke also we ought to haue before our eyes in the vniuersal curse of mankinde For whereas after pardon obteined we do all yet suffer the miseries that weare layed vpon our first parent for peyne of sinne we perceyue our selues by suche exercises to be admonished how greuously God is displeased with the transgression of his law that beyng throwen downe huÌ„bled with knowledge in conscience of our owne miserable estate we may the more â—erueÌ„tly aspire to true blessednesse But he shal be most foolish that shal thinke that the calamities of this present life are layed vpon vs for the giltinesse of sinne And that I thinke was the meanyng of Chrysostome when he wrote thus If God do therfore laye peines vpoÌ„ vs that he should cal vs perseuering in euels to repentance then when repentance is ones shewed the peine shal be superflâ—ous Therefore as he knoweth it to be expedient for euery mans nature so he handleth one man more roughly and an other with
Dauid that righteousnesse is imputed to maÌ„ without workes bycause Dauid pronounceth the man blessed whose iniquities are forgeuen whose sinnes are couered to whom the lord hath not imputed his offenses Without doubt by blessednesse he there meaneth righteousnesse And sithe he affirmeth the same to stande in the forgeuenesse of sinnes there is no cause why we shuld otherwise define it Therefore Zacharie the father of Iohn the Baptist singeth that the knowlege of saluatioÌ„ consisteth in the forgeuenesse of sinnes Whiche rule Paule folowyng in his Sermon whiche he made to the Antiochians concernyng the summe of saluation as Luke reporteth it concluded in this maÌ„ner by him forgeuenesse of sinnes is preached vnto you and euery one that beleueth in him is iustified from all these thinges from whiche ye could not be iustified in the lawe of Moses The Apostle so knitteth the forgeuenesse of sinnes with righteousnesse that he sheweth that they be bothe all one Whereupon he rightfully reasoneth that the righteousnesse is freely geuen vnto vs whiche we obteine by the louyng kindenesse of God Neyther ought it to seme a strange vnused speache that the faithful are righteous before God not by workes but by free acceptation sithe bothe it is so oft found in the Scripture and the old authours also do sometime so speake For Augustine sayth thus in one place The righteousnesse of the saintes in this worlde standeth rather in forgeuenesse of sinnes than in perfection of vertues Wherewith agree thte notable sentences of Bernard Not to sinne is the righteousnesse of God but the righteousnesse of man is the merciful kindenesse of God He had before affirmed that Christ is to vs righteousnesse in absolution and therefore that they only are righteous that haue obteyned pardon by mercie Hereupon also foloweth this that by the only meane of Christes righteousnesse we obteine to be iustified before God Which is asmuch in effect as yf is were sayd that man is not righteous in himselfe but bycause the righteousnesse of Christ is by imputation enterpartened with him whiche thyng is worthy to be heedefully marked For that trifling errour vanisheth away to saye that man is therefore iustified by faith bicause fayth taketh part of the Spirit of God by whiche he is made righteous which is so coÌ„trarie to the doctrine aboue taught that thei can neuer be made to agree together For it is no doubt that he is voyde of his owne righteousnesse that is taught to seke righteousnesse without himselfe This the Apostle affirmeth moste plainely when he writeth that he which knew no sinne was made for vs a propitiatorie sacrifice to cleanse awaye sinne that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him You see that our righteousnesse is not in vs but in Christ and that it belongeth to vs only by this title bicause we be partakers of Christ bicause we possesse all his richesse with him And it maketh nothing to the contrarie that in an other place he teacheth that sinne was condeÌ„ned of sinne in the flesh of Christ that the righteousnesse of the lawe might be fulfilled in vs where he meaneth no other fulâ—illing but that which we obteyne by imputation For the Lord Christ doth in such sort coÌ„municate his righteousnesse with vs that after a certayne maruelous maÌ„ner he poureth the force therof into vs so much as perteineth to the iudgement of God It appereth that he did no otherwise meane by the other sentence which he had spoken a little before As by the disobedieÌ„ce of one man we weare made sinners so by the obedience of one man we are iustified What is it els to set our righteousnesse in the obedieÌ„ce of Christ but to affirme that hereby only we are accompted righteous bicause the obedience of Christ is imputed vnto vs as if it were our owne Therefore me thinkes that Ambrose hath excellently well shewed how there is an example of this righteousnesse in the blessing of Iacob For as Iacob hauing not of himself deserued the preeminencie of the first begotten sonne hid himself in the apparell of his brother beyng clothed with his brothers cote that sauored of a most swete smell he crept into the fauour of his father and receiued the blessing to his owne coÌ„moditie vnder the persone of an other so we doe lie hidden vnder the precious purenesse of Christ our elder brother that we may get a testimonie of righteousnesse in the sight of God The wordes of Ambrose are these Wheras Isaac smelt the sauour of the garmentes paradueÌ„ture this is meant thereby that we are not iustified by workes but by faith bicause fleshly weakenesse hindereth workes but the brightnesse of faith whiche meriteth forgeuenesse of sinnes ouershadoweth the errour of deedes And truely so it is For that we may appere before the face of God vnto saluation it is necessarie for vs to smel swetely with his odour to haue our faultes couered and barred with his perfection The .xii. Chapter ¶ That to the end we may be fully perswaded of the free iustification we muste lift vp our mindes to the iudgement scare of God ALthough it appereth by most euideÌ„t testimonies that all these thinges are true yet we shall not clearely perceiue how necessarie thei be vntill we haue set before our eyes those things that ought to be the groundes of all this disputation First therfore let vs remeÌ„ber this that we purpose not to speake of the righteousnesse of a worldly iudicial court but of the heauenly iudgement seate that we should not measure by our owne small portion by what vprightnesse of workes Gods iudgemeÌ„t maye be satisfied But it is maruelous to see with what rashnesse and boldnesse it is commonly debated Yea and it is to be seen howe none doe more boldely or with fuller mouthes as the sayeng is prate of the righteousnesse of workes than they that are either monstruously sicke of open outwarde diseases or bee ready to burste with inward vices That commeth to passe bicause they thinke not vpon the righteousnesse of God wherof if they had neuer so litle felyng they wold neuer make so greate a mockerie of it And truely it is out of measure lightly regarded wheÌ„ it is not acknowleged to be such and so perfect that nothyng be imputed vnto it but euery waye whole and absolute and defiled with no vncleannesse suche as neuer was and neuer shal be able to be found in man It is in deede easy and redy for euery man in Scholes to talke vaynely vpon the worthynesse of workes to iustifie men But when they come into the sight of God such dalliances must auoide bicause there is earnest doyng vsed and no triflyng strife about wordes To this to this I saye we must apply our minde if we will profitably enquire of true righteousnesse how we maye answere the heauenly iudge when he calleth vs to accompt Let vs thinke him him a to be iudge not such a one as
men to be made gilty for one mans faulte and so the sinne to become coÌ„mon Whiche semeth to haue ben the cause why the oldest Doctours of the churche did but darkely touche this pointe or at leaste did not set it out so plainely as was conuenient And yet that fearefulnesse coulde not bryng to passe but that Pelagius arose whose prophane inuention was that Adam sinned only to his owne losse and hurted not his posteritie So through this sutteltie Satan wente about by hidyng the disease to make it incurable But when it was proued by manifest testimonie of Scripture that sinne passed froÌ„ the firste man into al his posteritie he brought this cauillation that it passed by imitation but not by propagation Therfore good men trauailed in this pointe and aboue al other Augustine to shewe that we are corrupted not by forein wickednesse but that we bryng with vs from the wombe of our Mother a viciousnesse planted in out begetting whiche to denie was moste greate shamelesnesse But the rashenesse of the Pelagians and Celestians will not seeme marueylous to hym whiche by the writinges of that holy manne shall perceyue howe shamelesse beastes they were in all other thynges Surely it is not doubtfully spoken that Dauid confesseth that he was begotten in iniquities and by hys Mother conceyued in Sinne. He doeth not there accuse the sinnes of his Father or Mother but the better to sette forth the goodnesse of God towarde hym he begynneth the confession of hys owne wickednesse at hys verie begettyng For asmuche it is euident that that was not peculiar to Dauid alone it followeth that the common estate of all mankynde is noted vnder hys example All we therefore that descende of vncleane sede are borne infected wyth the contagion of Sinne yea before that we see the lighte of thys lyfe we bee in the sight of God filthie and spotted For who could geue cleane of the vncleanesse not one as it is in the boke of Iob. We heare that the vncleannesse of the parentes so passeth into the chyldren that all wythoute anye exception at theyr beginnynge are defiled But of this defilynge we shall not finde the beginnyng vnlesse we goe vp to the fyrste parente of all vs to the wellhed Thus is it therefore that Adam was not onely the progenitour but also the roote of mans nature and therefore in his corruption was all mankynde worthelye corrupted whyche the Apostle maketh playne by comparynge of hym and Christe As sayeth he by one manne Sinne entred into the whole worlde and death by Sinne and so death wente ouer all menne for asmuche as all haue sinned so by the grace of Christ righteousnesse and lyfe is restored vnto vs. What will the Pelagians here prate that Adams sinne was spred abroade by imitation Then haue we no other profite by the righteousnesse of Christe but that he is an example sette before vs to followe Whoe canne abide suche robberie of Gods honour If it be out of question that Christes righteousnesse is oures by communication and thereby lyfe it followeth also that they bothe were so loste in Adam as they be recouered in Christe and that Sinne and death so crepte in by Adam as they are abolished by Christ. The wordes are playne that many are made righteous by the obedience of Christe as by the disobedience of Adam they were made sinners and that therefore betwene them two is this relation that Adam wrappyng vs in his destructâ—ion destroyed vs with hym and Christe with his grace restored vs to saluation In so clere light of trueth I thinke we nede not a longer or more laborious profe So also in the firste Epistle to the Corinthians when he goeth aboute to stablishe the godly in the trust of the resurrectioÌ„ he sheweth that the life is recouered in Christ that was loste in Adam He that pronounceth that wee all are dead in Adam doeth also therewithall plainely testifie that we were infected with the filth of sinne For damnation coulde not reache vnto them that were touched with no giltinesse of iniquitie But it canne be no waye playnelier vnderstanded what he meaneth than by relation of the other member of the sentence where he teacheth that hope of life is restored in Christe But it is well enough knowen that the same is done no other waye â–ª than when by meruellous maÌ„ner of communicating Christ poureth into vs the force of his righteousnesse As it is wrytten in an other place that the spirite is life vnto vs for righteousnesse sake Therefore wee maye not otherwyse expounde that whyche is sayde that we are dead in Adam but thus that he in sinnynge dyd not onely purchace mischiefe and ruine to hymselfe but also throwe downe our nature hedlonge into like destructioÌ„ And that not only to the corruption of hym selfe whych perteyneth nothyng to vs but bicause he infected al his sede with the same corruptioÌ„ wherinto he was fallen For otherwise that sayeng of Paule could not staÌ„d true that all are by nature the sonnes of wrath yf they were not already accursed in the wombe And it is easelye gathered that nature is there meante not suche as it was create by God but suche as it was corrupted in Adam For it were not conuenient that God shold bee made the authour of Death Adam therefore so corrupted hym selfe that the infection passed from hym into all hys ofsprynge And the heauenly Iudge hym selfe Christe doeth also playnely enough pronounce that all are borne euell and corrupted where he teacheth that what soeuer is borne of fleshe is fleshe and that therefore the gate of lyfe is closed agaynste all menne vntill they be begotten agayne Neyther for the vnderstandynge thereof is any curiouse disputation nedefull whyche not a little combred the olde wryters whether the soule of the sonne do procede by deriuation from the soule of the father bycause in it the infection principally resteth We must be coÌ„tent wyth this that suche giftes as it pleased the Lorde to haue bestowed vpon the nature of man he lefte them wyth Adam and therefore when Adam loste them after he had receyued them he lost them not only from himselfe but also from vs all Whoe shall be carefull of a conueyance from soule to soule when he shall heare that Adam receyued these ornamentes whyche he loste no lesse for vs than for hymselfe that they were not geuen to one manne alone but assigned to the whole nature of manne Therefore it is not agaynste reason yf he beynge spoyled nature bee lefte naked and poore yf he beyng infected wyth Sinne the infection crepeth into nature Therefore from a rotten roote arose vp rotten branches whiche sent their rottennesse into the other twigges that spronge out of them For so were the chyldren corrupted in the father that they also were infectiue to theyr chyldren that is to saye so was the beginnynge of corruption in Adam that by continuall flowynge from one to an other it is
conueyed from the auncesters into the posteritie For the infection hath not her cause in the substaunce of the flesshe or of the soule but bycause it was so ordeyned of God that suche giftes as he had geuen to the fyrste manne manne shoulde bothe haue them and lose them as well for hym selfe as for his As for this that the Pelagians doe cauill that it is not likely that the chyldren doe take corruption from godly parentes sithe they oughte rather to be sanctified by their cleannesse that is easely confuted For they descende not of their spirituall regeneration but of theyr carâ—all generation Therefore as Augustine sayeth whether the vnbeleuer bee condemned as gilty and the beleuer quitte as innocent they both do begette not innocentes but gilty bycause they beget of the corrupted nature Nowe where as they doe in maner partake of the parentes holinesse that is the speciall blessyng of the people of God whyche proueth not but that the firste and vniuersall curse of mankinde wente before For of nature is giltinesse and sanctification is of supernatural grace And to the ende that these thynges be not spoken of a thynge vncertayne and vnknowen lette vs define Originall sinne But yet I meane not to examine all the definitions that are made by wryters but I will brynge forthe one onely whyche I thynke to bee moste agreable wyth trueth Originall sinne therefore semeth to bee the inheritably descendynge peruersnesse and corruption of our nature poured abroade into all the partes of the soule whyche fyrste maketh vs gilty of the wrath of God and then also bryngeth forth these workes in vs whyche the Scripture calleth the workes of the flesh and that is it properly that Paule oftentimes calleth Sinne. And these workes that arise out of it as are adulteries fornications theftes â–ª hatreds murthers â–ª banketinges after the same manner he calleth the fruites of sinne albeit they are likewise called sinnes both commonly in the Scripture and also by the same Paule hym selfe Therefore these twoo thynges are distinctly to be noted that is that beyng so in all partes of our nature corrupted and peruerted we are nowe euen for such corruption only holden worthily damned and coÌ„uicted before God to whome is nothyng acceptable but righteousnesse innocencie and purenesse And yet is not that bonde in respecte of an others faulte For where it is sayde that by the sinne of Adam we are made subiecte to the iudgement of God it is not so to be taken as if we innocent and vndeseruyng did beare the blame of his faulte But bycause by his offendyng we are all clothed wyth the curse therefore it is sayde that he hath bounde vs. Neuerthelesse from him not the punishment only came vpon vs but also the infection distilled from hym abideth in vs to the whiche the punishment is iustly due Wherefore howe so euer Augustine doeth oftentimes call it an others sinne to shewe the more playnely that it is conueyed into vs by propagation yet doeth he also affirme wythall that it is propre to euery one And the Apostle him selfe expressely witnesseth that therefore death came vpon all menne bycause all men haue sinned and are wrapped in Originall sinne and defiled with the spottes thereof And therefore the very infantes themselues whyle they brynge with them their owne damnation from their mothers wombe are bounde not by an others but by their owne faulte For though they haue not as yet brought forth the fruytes of theyr owne iniâ—â—â—â—ie yet they haue the seede thereof enclosed within them yea theâ—r whole nature is a certayne seede of Sinne therefore it can not be but hatefull and abhominable to God Whereupon followeth thâ—◠〈◊〉 proprely accompted sinne before God for there coulde be no giâ—â—inesse wythout sinne The other pointe is that this peruersenesse neuer cesseth in vs but continually bryngeth forth newe frutes euen the same woorkes of the fleshe that we haue before descrybed lyâ—e as a bâ—rnynge fornace bloweth out flame and sparcles or as a sprynge doeth wythout ceassyng caste out water Therefore they whyche haue defyned Origin all sinne to bee a lackyng of Originall ryghteousenesse whyche ought to haue ben in vs although in deede they comprehende all that is in the thynge it selfe yet they haue not fully enough expressed the force and efficacie thereof For our nature is not only bare and empty of goodnesse but also is so plentuous and fruteful of al euilles that it can not be idle Thei that haue saide that it is a concupiscence haue vsed a worde not very farre from the matter if this were added which is not graunted by the most parte that what so euer is in man euen from the vnderstanding to the wil from the soule to the fleshe is corrupted and stuffed full wyth this concupiscence or to ende it shortelyer that whole man is of hym selfe nothing els but concupiscence Wherfore I haue sayde that al the partes of the soule are possessed of sinne sithe Adam fell awaye from the fountaine of righteousnesse For not onely the inferioure appetite allured him but wicked impietie possessed the very castle of hys minde pride pearced to the innermoste parte of hys hearte So that it ys a fonde and foolyshe thyng to restraine the corruption that proceded from thense onely to the sensuall motions as they call them or to call it a certayne nouriture that allureth styrreth and draweth to synne onely that parte whyche amonge them ys called Sensualitie Wherein Peter Lombarde haâ—he disclosed hys grosse ignoraunce whyche seekynge and sâ—archynge for the place of it saythe that it is in the fleshe as Paule witnesseth not proprely in deede but bicause it more appeareth in the fleshe as though Paule did meane onely a parte of the soule and not the whole nature whyche is in comparison set against supernaturall grace And Paule there taketh away all doubte teachinge that corruption resteth not in one parte alone but that nothinge is pure cleane from the deadly infection thereof For entreatynge of corrupted nature he doothe not onely condemne the inordinate motions of appetites that appeare but specially trauayleth to proue that the vnderstandynge mynde is subiecte to blyndenesse and the heart to peruersnesse And the same thyrde chapter to the Romaines is nothinge els but a description of original synne That appeareth more plainely by the renewinge For the spyrite whyche is compared wyth the olde man and the fleshe dothe not onely signifie the grace wherby the inferioure or sensuall parte of the soule is amended but also conteyneth a full reformation of all the partes And therefore Paule dothe commaund not onely that oure grosse appetites be brought to naught but also that we our selues be renewed in the spirite of oure mynde as lykewyse in an other place hee biddeth vs to be transfourmed in newnesse of minde Whervpon foloweth that the same parte wherin moste of all shineth the excellence noblenesse of the soule is not onely wounded but also
or whether it kepeth still any percell vnhurte from whense doo growe good desires They that do attribute to the First grace of God that we wil effectually seme on the other side to saye secretly that there is in the soule a power of it selfe to aspire to good but it is so weake that it can not growe to a perfecte affection or rayse vp any endeuour And there is no doubte that the Schoolemen haue commonly embraced this opinion or which was borowed of Origen and certaine of the olde wryters for so muche as they are wont to consider man in pure naturall thinges as they terme it suche a one as the Apostle describeth hym in these wordes I doe not the good that I would but the euell that I would not that I doe To will is present vnto me but to performe it I finde not But after this maner is the discourse that Paule there followeth altogether wrongfully peruerted For he entreateth of the Christian wrastling whiche he shortly toucheth to the Galatians whiche the faithfull continually fele within them selues in the battel of the flesh and the spirit But the spirit is not of nature but of regeneration And that the Apostle doeth there speake of the regenerate appeareth by this that wheÌ„ he had said that there dwelleth no goodnesse in him he addeth an exposition that he meaneth it of his fleshe And therfore he saith that it is not he that doeth the euill but sinne that dwelleth in him What meaneth this correction in me that is in my flesh Euen as muche as if he had sayd thus God dwelleth not in me of my selfe for there is no good to be founde in my fleshe HereupoÌ„ foloweth that maner of excuse I my self do not the euil â–ª but sinne that dwelleth in me Whiche excuse belongeth only to the regenerate whiche do with the chiefe part of their soule tende vnto good Nowe the conclusion that is adioyned after declareth all this matter euidently I am delited saith he with the lawe according to the inward man But I see an other lawe in my membres fighting against the lawe of my minde Who hath suche a stryuing in him selfe but he that being regenerate by the spirite of God carieth the leauinges of his flesh about with him Therfore Augustine wheras ones he had thought that that had ben spoken of the nature of man reuoked his expositioÌ„ as false and ill agreyng together And truelie if we allowe this that menne without grace haue some motions to good though thei be but small what shall we aunswere to the Apostle whiche sayeth that we are not sufficient so muche as to thinke any thyng What shall wee aunswere to the Lorde that pronounceth by Moses that euery inuention of mans hearte is only euell Wherefore sithe they haue stombled by false takyng of one place there is no cause why we shuld staye vpon their iudgement Let rather this sayeng of Christe preuayle He that doeth sinne is the seruaunt of sinne We are all sinners by nature therefore we be all holden vnder the yoke of sinne Nowe yf whole manne be subiect to the dominioÌ„ of sinne then must it needes be that the will it selfe which is the chiefe seate thereof â–ª be bounde faste wyth moste streight bondes For otherwise that sayeng of Paule wold not stande together that it is God whyche worketh will in vs if any will did goe before the grace of the holy ghost Awaye therefore with all that many haue triftingly spoken concernyng preparation For although sometime the faithfull doe praye to haue their heart formed to the obedience of the lawe as Dauid doth in many places yet it is to be noted that euen that desire of prayeng is from God Whiche we may gather of his wordes for when he wisheth to haue a cleane heart created within him surely he taketh not on him selfe the beginnyng of creation Therefore let rather this sayeng of Augustine haue place with vs God will preuent thee in all thinges And sometime preuent thou his wrath Howe Confesse that thou haste all these thinges of God that what so euer good thou haste is of him what soeuer euell it is of thy selfe And a little after Nothing is oures but sinne The third Chapter ¶ That out of the corrupt nature of man procedeth nothing but damnable BUt manne can not be any waye better knowen in eyther parte of his soule than yf he come forth with his titles wherewith the Scripture doth set him out If he bee paynted whole in these woordes of Christe That whiche is borne of fleshe is fleshe as it is easy to proue then is he proued to bee a very miserable creature For the affection of the fleshe as the Apostle witnesseth is death for asmuche as it is enimitie agaynste God and so is not subiecte nor can be subiecte to the lawe of God Is fleshe so peruerse that with al her affection she continually vseth enmitie agaynste God that she can not agree with the rightousnesse of the lawe of God Finally that she can bryng forth nothing but matter of death Nowe graunt that in the nature of manne is nothyâ—yge but fleshe and gather any good out of it yf thou canste But they saye the name of fleshe belongeth onely to the sensuall and not the hyer parâ—e of the soule But that is sufficiently confuted by the woordes of Chryste and of the Apostle It is the Lordes argumente that manne muste bee borne agayne bycause he is fleshe He commaundeth not to bee borne agayne accordynge to the bodye But in mynde he is not borne agayne yf a parte of it bee amended but when it is all renewed And that doth the comparison sette in bothe places confirme For the spirite is so compared agaynste the fleshe that there is lefte no meane thynge betwene them Therefore whatsoeuer is not spirituall in maÌ„ is after the same reason called fleshly But we haue nothynge of the Spirite but by regeneration It is therefore fleshe whatsoeuer we haue of nature But of that matter if otherwise we coulde haue any doubte that is taken awaye from vs by Paule where after we had described the ouldâ—man whom he had saide to be corrupt with concupâ—scences of erroure he biddeth vs to be renewed in the spirite of oure minde you see he doth not place vnlawefull and euell lustes onely in the sensitiue part but also in the very minde and therefore requyreth a renuinge of it And truly a lyttle before he had painted oute suche an image of mans nature as did shewe that there was no part wherein we were not corrupted and peruerted for whereas he writeth that al nations do walke in the vanitie of their minde are darkened in vnderstaÌ„ding estraÌ„ged from the life of God by reason of the ignoraunce that is in them and the blindenesse of their hearte it is no doubt that this is spoken of all them whom the Lorde hathe not reformed
hathe made an ende of them doth so no thing diminish their holynesse that it rather setteth them fourth and maket them glorious For as they shold haue geuen but a vaine shewe to the olde people vnlesse the power of the deathe and resurrection of Christe had beene shewed therein so if they hadde not cessed wee coulde not at this daye discerne to what purpose they were ordeyned Therefore Paule to proue that the keepinge of them nowe is not onely superfluous but also hurtefull teacheeh that they weare shadowes whereof wee haue the bodye in Christe We see therefore howe in the abolishinge of them the trueth shyneth better than if they did still a farre of and as it were with a veile spred before shewe a figure of Christe that hathe already playnelye appeared 〈◊〉 therefore the veile of the Temple at the deathe of Christe was torne in twoo peeces and fell downe bycause nowe the true and expresse image of the heauenly good thynges was come to lyghte whyche before had been but vnperfectly begonne wyth darke rude draughtes as the authore of the Epistle to the Hebrues saythe Herevnto serueth the sayeng of Christe that the lawe and the Prophetes were vnto the tyme of Ihon and that from that tune forwarde the Kyngdome of God beganne to bee ioyefully preached not meaninge that the holy fathers were without the preachynge that conteyneth the hope of saluation and of eternall lyfe but bicause a farre of and vnder shadowes onely they dyd beholde that whiche wee at thys daye see in the full lyghte But why it behoued that the Churche of God shoulde clymbe vp hyer from those firste instructions Ihon the Baptist declareth for that the lawe is geuen by Moses but grace truth beganne by Iesus Chirste For althoughe the purginge of sinnes were truely promised in the olde sacrifices the Arke of the couenant was a sure pledge of the fatherly fauoure of God yet all this had been but a shadowe if it had not ben grounded vpon the grace of Christe wherin is sounde perfect and eternal stedfastnesse Let this then remaine sure that although the ceremonial vsages of the lawe haue cessed to be obserued yet by the ende of them it is that better knowen how great was the profite of them before Christes coÌ„minge wyth in takinge awaye the vse of them hathe sealed the force effecte of them with his deathe Somwhat more harde is the point that Paule noteth And he hath renued you together with him when ye were deade by sinnes and the vncircumcision of your fleshe forgeuinge you of all your offences blotting out the handwriting that remained in the decrees against vs whyche was contrarie vnto vs and he hath taken it awaye fastninge it to the crosse c. For he seemeth to stretche the abolyshinge of the lawe soÌ„what further that nowe we haue nothing to do with the decrees therof For thei erre that expond it onely of the lawe morall whose vnappeassable rigoure rather then doctrine thereof thei thinke to be taken away Some more deepely weying the wordes of Paule do espie that it is proprely spoken of the lawe ceremoniall and doe shewe that this worde Deuill doth more than ones so signifie in Paule For to the Ephesians he saith thus He is our peace that maketh both to be one that maketh voide the law of coÌ„maundementes consistinge in the decrees that he might make two in himselfe into one new man It is no doubt that he speaketh ther of the ceremonies for he calleth it the partition wherwith the Iewes were seuered from the Gentiles wherefore I graunt that those first expositors are rightfully reproued by these but yet mee thinkes that these do not sufficientlye well set fourth the minde of the Apostle For I like not at all to haue these two places compared together in all pointes when his purpose was to aduertise the Ephesians of their adoption into the felowship of Israel he teacheth that the stoppe is taken awaye whereby they were before tyme kepte asunder that was in ceremonies For the vsages of washinges and sacrifices wherewith the Iewes were made holy vnto the Lorde did seuer them from the Gentiles But in the epistle to the Colossians whoe seeth not that 〈◊〉 â—oucheth a hyer misterie In deede the point of the disputation ther is of Mosaicall obseruations whervnto the false Apostles did laboure to driue the Christian people But as in the Epistle to the Galatians he fetcheth that controuersie further of and as it wer bringeth it back to the first heade therof so doth he also in this place For if in the ceremonies you consider nothing els but a necessitie of that vse of them to what purpose was it to call it a handwriting against vs moreouer to set the whole summe in a manner of our redemption in this that it shold be caÌ„celled Wherefore the matter it selfe trieth out that here is some more secret thing to be considered And I truste that I haue atteined the naturall vnderstandinge of it if at leaste this be graunted me to bee true which in one place is most truli written by Augustine yea that he hath taken out of the plaine wordes of the Apostle that in the Iewish ceremonies was rather a confession than a cleansinge of sinnes For what did thei ells by sacrifices but confesse theÌ„ selues in their conscience gylty of death that did put cleansinges in their place What did thei with their cleansinges but testifie them selues to be vncleane And so was the handwriting of their sinne and vncleannesse oft renewed by them but ther was no discharge in that testifying thereof For whyche cause the Apostle writeth that at lengthe by meane of the deathe of Christe was perfourmed the redemption of the offences that remayned vnder the olde Testamente Therefore the Apostle dothe woorthyly call the Handwritinges againste those that obserue them for asmuch as by them ther did openly sâ—ale to their owne damnation vncleannesse And it hindereth not that they were also partakers of the same grace with vs. For this they obteyned in Chryste not in the ceremonies whyche there the Apostle dothe seuer from Christe bicause being at that time vsed they did obscure the glorie of Christe Thus learn we that the ceremonies if they be consydered by them selues are well and fittly called handwrytynges againste the saluation of men bicause they were as solemne instrumentes that testified their beinge bounde When the false Apostles wente aboute to binde the Christian Churche to them againe Paule did not withoute cause admonyshe the Colossâ—aus by fetchinge their signification of them further of to what poynte thei shoulde fall backe agayne if they suffered them selues in such sorte to be yoked by them For there withall was the benefite of Christ wrested awaie from them in as muche as he hauinge ones perfourmed the eternall clensinge hathe vtterly abolyshed these dayly obseruations whiche were onely of force to seale sinnes but coulde do nothing
freewoman is a figure of the heauenly Hierusalem from whense procedeth the gospell That as the seede of Agar is borne bonde whiche maye neuer come to the inheritance and the seede of Sara is â—orne free to whome the inheritaunce is due so by the lawe we are made subiect to bondage by the Gospell onely we are regenerate into freedome But the summe commeth to this effecte that the olde testamente dyd stricke into consciences feare and tremblinge but by the beneâ—ite of the newe testament it commeth to passe that thei are made ioyefull The olde did holde consciences bounde vnto the yoke of boudage by the lyberalitie of the newe thei are discharged of bondage and brought into freedome But if oute of the people of Israel thei obiect againste vs the holy fathers who sithe it is euident that they were endued wyth the same spirit that we are it foloweth that thei were also partakers both of the selfe same freedome and ioye We answer that neither of bothe came of the lawe But that when thei felte them selues by the lawe to be both oppressed with estate of bondage and weried with vnâ—â—â—eâ—es of conscience they sâ—ed to the succoure of the Gospell and that therefore it was a peculiar frute of the newe testament that beside the common lawe of the olde testament they wer exempted from these euels Moreouer we wyll denye that they were so endewed wyth the spirit of freedome assurednesse that they did not in some part fele both seare and bondage by the lawe For howe soeuer they enioyed that prerogatiue whyche they had obteined by grace of the Gospell yet were they subiect to the same bondes and bâ—rdens of obseruation that the common people were Sithe therefore they were compelled to the carefull keeping of those ceremonies whyche were the signes of a scholing muche like vnto bondage and the handewritinges whereby they confessed them selues gylty of synne did not discarge them from being bonde it maye rightfully be saide that in comparison of vs they were vnder the testament of bondage and feare while wee haue respecte to that common ordre of dystribution that the Lorde then vsed wyth the people of Israel The three laste comparisons that we haue recited are of the lawe and the Gospell Wherfore in them by the name of the Olde testament is meant the Lawe by the name of the Nwe testament is meant the Gospell The fyrste stretched further for it comprehendeth vnder it the promises also that were published before the lawe butte whereas Augustine denyeth that they oughte to be reckened vnder the name of the olde testament therein he thought very well and meant euen the same thynge that we do nowe teache for hee hadde regarde to those saâ—enges of Hieremie and Paule where the olde testament is seuered from the woorde of mercye and grace And thys also hee very aptelye adioyueth in the same place that the chyldren of promise regenerate of God whyche by faythe woorkynge throughe loue haue obeyed the commaundements do from the beginning of the worlde belong to the newe testament and that in hope not of fleshly earthly and temporall â–ª but spiritual heauenly and eternal good thinges principally beleuing in the mediatore by whome thei doubted noâ— that the spirite was not munstred vnto them bothe to do good to haue pardon so oft as they sinned For the same thinge it is that I minded to affirme that all the Sainctes whome the Scripture reherseth to haue been from the beginning of the worlde chosen by God were partakers of the selfe same blessing with vs vnto eternal saluation This difference therfore is betwene oure diuision and Augustines that oures according to that sayeng of Christe The lawe and the Prophetes were vnto Ihon from thenseforthe the kingdome of God is preached dothe make distinction betweene the clerenesse of the Gospell and the darker dystribution of the woorde that wente before and Augustine doothe onely â—ouer the weakenesse of the lawe from the strength of the Gospell And here also is to be noted concerning the holy fathers that they so liued vnder the olde testamente that they steyed not there but allwaye aspired to the newe yea and imbraced the assured partakinge thereof For the Apostle condemneth them of blindenesse and accursednesse whiche beinge contented with present shadowes did not streâ—ch vp their minde vnto Christe For to speake nothinge of the rest what greater blindenesse can be imagined than to hope for the purginge of sinne by the killinge of a beast than to secke for the cleansing of the soule in outward sprinkling of water than to seeke to appease God with colde ceremonies as thoughe he were muche delited therewith For to all these absurdities do thei fall that sticke fast in the obseruations of the lawe without respect of Christe The fifth dyfference that we may adde lyeth in this that vntill the comming of Christe the Lorde had chosen out one nation within why the he woulde keepe seuerall the couenant of his grace When the hyest did dystribute the nations when he deuided the sonnes of Adam saith Moses his people fell to his possession Iacob the corde of his inheritance In an other place he thus speaketh to the people Beholde the heauen and earth and all that is in it are the Lord thy Gods He cleaned onely to thy fathers he loued them to choose their sede after them euen your selues oute of all nations Therefore hee voâ—tchesaued to graunte the knoweledge of hys name to that people onely as yf they onely of all men belonged vnto hym he layed hys couenant as it were in theyr bosome to them he openli shewed the presence of his Godhed them he honored with all prerogatiues Butte to omitte the reste of his beneâ—ites and speake that whiche onely here is to oure purpose he bounde them to hym by the communycatynge of his woorde that hee might be called and coâ—mpted their God In the meane season he suffered other nations to walke in vanitie as though they had not any enter course or any thynge to do wyth hym neither dyd he to helpe their destruction euen them that which was onely the remedie namely the preachinge of hys woorde Therefore Israel was then the Lordes sonne that was hys derlynge other were straungers Israell was knowen to hym and receyued into hys charge and protection other mere leâ—te to their owne darkenesse Israell was sanctified by God other were prophane Israell was honoured wyth the presence of God other were excluded from comming nye vnto him But when the fullnesse of time was come appointed for the restoringe of all men and that same reconciler of God and men was deliuered in deede the particion was plucked downe whiche had so longe holden the mercye of God enclosed within the boundes of Israel and peace was preached to them that were farre of euen as to them that were nere adioyned that being together reconciled to God they might growe into one people Wherefore
our giltynesse vpon himself he might deliuer vs from them bothe If he had ben murthered by theues or had ben ragyngly slayne in a commotioÌ„ of the common people in such a death there shoulde haue ben no apparance of satisfaction But when he was brought to be arrained before the iudgement seate when he was accused and pressed with witnesses agaynst him by the mouth of the iudge condemned to dye by these tokens we vnderstande that he dyd beare the persone of a gilty manne and of an euell doer And here are two thinges to be noted whiche bothe were afore spoken by the prophecies of the Prophetes and doe bryng a singular comforte and confirmation of fayth For when we heare that Christ was sent from the iudges seate to death and was hanged amonge theues we haue the fulfillynge of that prophecie whiche is alleged by the Euangelist He was accompted amonge the wicked And why soâ— euen to take vpon him the stede of a sinner not a man righteous or innocent bycause he suffred death not for cause of innocencie but for sinne On the other side when we heare that he was acquited by the same mouth whereby he was condemned for Pilate was compelled openly more than ones to beare witnesse of his innocencie let that come in our mynde whiche is in the other Prophet that he repayed that whiche he had not taken awaye And so we shall beholde the persone of a sinner and euell doer represented in Christe and by the open apparance of his innocencie it shall become playne to see that he was charged rather with others offence than his owne He suffred therefore vnder Ponce Pilate and so by the solemne sentence of the President was reckened in the number of wicked doers but yet not so but that he was by the same iudge at the same time pronounced righteous when he affirmed that he founde no cause of condemnation in him This is our acquitall that the giltynesse which made vs subiect to punishment is remoued vpoÌ„ the head of the sonne of God For this settyng of the one agaynst the other we ought principally to holde faste leaste we tremble be carefull all our life long as though the iuste vengeance of God dyd hang ouer vs which the sonne of God hath taken vpon himselfe Byside that the very manner of his death is not without a singular mysterie The Crosse was accursed not onely by opinion of men but also by decree of the lawe of God Therefore when Christ was lyfted vp to the Crosse he made hymselfe subiecte to the curse And so it behoued to be done that when the curse was remoued from vs to him we might be deliuered from all curse that for our sinnes was prepared for vs or rather dyd alredy rest vpon vs. Whiche thynge was also by shadowe expressed in the lawe For the sacrifices and satisfactorie oblations that were offred for sinnes were called Ashemoth Whiche worde proprely signifieth sinne it selfe By whiche figuratiue chaunge of name the holy ghost meant to shewe that they were lyke vnto cleansyng playsters to drawe out to themselues and beare the curse due to sinnes But that same whiche was figuratiuely represented in the sacrifices of Moses is in deede deliuered in Christ the original paterne of all the figures Wherfore he â–ª to performe a perfect expiatâ—o gaue his owne soule to be an ashame that is a satisfactorie oblation as the Prophete calleth it vpon the whyche our fi lt and punishement might be caste and so cesse to be imputed to vs. The Apostle testifieth the same thyng more playnely where he teacheth that he whiche knewe no sinne was by his father made sinne for vs that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him For the sonne of God beyng most cleane from all faulte dyd yet put vpon him the reproche and shame of our iniquities and on the other side couered vs with his cleannesse It semeth that he meante the same when he speaketh of sinne that sinne was condemned in his fleshe For the father destroyed the force of sinne when the curse thereof was remoued and layed vpon the fleshe of Christ. It is therefore declared by this sayeng that Christ was in his death offred vp to his father for a satisfactorie sacrifice that the whole satisfaction for sinne beyng ended by his sacrifice we might cesse to dread the wrath of God Nowe is it playne what that sayeng of the Prophete meaneth that the iniquities of vs all were layed vpon him that is that he entendynge to wype awaye the filthinesse of our iniquities was hymselfe as it were by waye of enterchanged imputation couered with them Of this the crosse whereunto he was fastened was a token as the Apostle testifieth Christe sayeth he redemed vs from the curse of the lawe when he was made a curse for vs. For it is wrytten Accursed is euery one that hangeth on the tree that the blessynge of Abraham mighte in Christe come to the Gentiles And the same had Peter respect vnto where he teacheth that Christ dyd beare our sinnes vpon the tree Bycause by the very token of the curse we doe more playnely learne that the burden wherewyth we weare oppressed was layed vpon hym And yet it is not so to bee vnderstanded that he toke vpon hym suche a curse wherewith hymselfe was ouerloden but rather that in takyng it vpon him he dyd treade downe breake and destroye the whole force of it And so fayth conceyueth acquitall in the condemnation of Christ and blessyng in his beyng accursed Wherefore Paule dothe not without a cause honorably reportâ— the triumph that Christe obteyned to hymselfe on the crosse as if the crosse whyche was full of shame had ben turned into a Chariot of triumphe For he sayth that the hande wrytyng whiche was against vs was fastened to the crosse and the Princely powers were spoyled and led openly And no maruell bycause as the other Apostle testifieth Christe offred vp hymself by the eternall spirit And therupon proceded that turnynge of the nature of thinges But that these thynges maye take stedfaste roote and be throughly settled in our heartes let vs alwaye thynke vpon his sacrifice and washyng For we coulde not certainely beleue that Christe was the raunsome redemption and satisfaction vnlesse he had ben a sacrificed hoste And therefore there is so often mention made of bloud where the Scripture sheweth the manner of our redemyng Albeit the bloud of Christ that was shed serued not only for sacrifice but also in steede of washyng to cleanse awaye our filthynesse It foloweth in the Crede that he was dead and buried Where agayne it is to be seene howe he dyd euerye where putte hymselfe in our stede to paye the pryce of our redemption Death held vs bound vnder his yoke Christ in our stede dyd yelde hymselfe into the power of death to deliuer vs from it This the Apostle meaneth where
he wryteth that he tasted of death for all men For he by dyeng brought to passe that we shoulde not dye or whiche is all one by his death he dyd redeme lyfe for vs. But in this he differed froÌ„ vs that he gaue hymselfe to death as it were to be deuoured not that he shoulde be swallowed vp with the gulfes of it but rather that he shoulde swallowe vp it of whyche we shoulde haue benne presently swallowed that he gaue hymselfe to death to be subdued not that he shoulde be oppressed wyth the power thereof but rather that he shoulde ouerthrowe death whyche approched nere vs yea and had already beaten vs downe and triumphed vpon vs. Finally that by death he mighte destroye hym that had the power of death that is the Deuell and might deliuer them that by feare of death were all their lyfe longe subiecte to bondage This is the fyrste fruite that his death dyd brynge vs. An other is that by enterpartenyng of hymselfe with vs he mortifieth our earthly membres that they should no more hereafter vse their owne workes and killeth our olde manne that it shoulde no more liue and beare frute And to the same purpose perteyneth his buriall that we beyng partakers thereof should also be buried to sinne For when the Apostle teacheth that we are graffed into the lykenesse of the death of Christe and buried with hym to the death of sinne that by his crosse the worlde was crucified to vs and we to the worlde that we are dead together with him he dothe not onely exhorte vs to expresse the example of Christes death but he declareth that there is suche effectualnesse in it as ought to appere in all Christians vnlesse they will make his death vnprofitable and frutelesse Therefore in the death and buriall of Christe there is offred vs a double benefite to be enioyed that is deliuerance from death whereunto we weare become bonde and the mortifieng of our fleshe But it is not meete to ouerpasse his goynge downe to the helles wherein is no small importaunce to the effecte of redemption For although it appeareth by the wrytynges of the olde fathers that that parte whiche is read in the Crede was not in olde time so much vsed in the Churches yet in entreatynge of the summe of our doctrine it is necessarie that it haue a place allowed it as a thyng that conteyneth a very profitable and not to be despised misterie of a right weyghty matter And there are also some of the olde wryters that doe not leaue it out Whereby we maye gesse that it was after a certayne time added and dyd not presently but by little and little growe in vse in the Churches But this certaynely is out of question that it proceded of the common iudgement of all the godly For as muche as there is none of the Fathers that dothe not in his wrytynges make mention of Christes goyng downe to the helles although after dyuerse manner of exposition But by whome or at what tyme it was firste added maketh litle to the purpose But rather in the Crede this is to be takeÌ„ heede vnto that we therein certainely haue a full and in all poyntes perfect summe of our fayth whereinto nothing maye be thrust but that whiche is taken out of the most pure worde of God Nowe yf any will not for precise curiositie admit it into the Crede yet shall it streight waye bee made to appere playnely that it is of so great importaunce to the summe of our redemption that yf it be lefte out there is loste a great parte of the fruite of the death of Christ. There are agayne some that thynke that there is no newe thyng spoken in this article but that in other wordes the same thing is repeted whyche was spoken before of his buriall for asmuche as the worde Infernum hell is in the Scripture oftentimes vsed for the graue I graunt that to be true whyche they allege of the signification of the worde that Hell is oftentymes taken for the graue but there are agaynste their opinion two reasons by whyche I am easilye persuaded to dissent from them For what an idlenesse were it when a thynge not harde to vnderstande hath ones ben set out in playne and easye wordes afterwarde wyth darker implication of wordes rather to pointe toward it than to declare it For when â—wo maners of speakyng that expresse one thynge be ioyned together it behoueth that the later be an exposition of the former But what an exposition were this yf a manne should saye thus Whereas it is sayde that Christ was buried thereby is meante that he went downe to hell Agayne it is not likely that such a superfluous vayne repetitioÌ„ could haue crepte into this abrigemeÌ„t where in the chefe pointes of our faith are summarily noted in as fewe wordes as was possible And I doubte not that so many as shall haue somewhat diligently weyed the matter it selfe will easily agree with me Some expounde it otherwyse and saye that Christ went downe to the soules of the fathers that dyed in the time of the lawe to carry them tidynges that the redemption was performed and to deliuer them out of the pryson wherein they were kepte enclosed and to the profe herof they do wrongfully draw testimonies out of the Psalme that he brake the brasen gates and yron barres Agayne out of Zacharie that he redeemed them that were bounde out of the pit wherin was no water But whereas the Psalme speaketh of theyr deliuerances that in farre countrees are caste captiue into bondes and Zacharie compareth the Babylonicall ouerthrowe wherein the people was oppressed to a drye pit or bottomlesse depth and there withall teacheth that the saluation of the whole Churche is as it were a commynge out of the depe helles I wote not howe it is come to passe that they whiche came after thought that there was a certaine place vnder the earth whereunto they haue fayned the name of Limbus But this fable although they were great authours at this day many do earnestly defende it for a truthe is yet nothing els but a fable For to enclose the soules of dead men as in a pryson is very childish And what neede was it that Christes soule shuld go downe the ther to set theÌ„ at libertie I do in deede willingly coÌ„fesse that Christ shined to them by the power of his spirit that they might know that the grace which thei had only tasted of by hope was then deliuered to the world And to this purpose may the place of Peter be probably applied where he sayeth that Christ came preached to the spirites that were in a doÌ„geon or pryson as it is commonly translated For the very processe of the text leadeth vs to this that the faithfull which were dead before that time were partakers of the same grace that we were bicause he dothe thereby amplifie the force of Christes death for
God Let therfore appere in our head the very fountayne of grace froÌ„ whome according to the mesure of euery one it floweth abrode into all his members By that grace euery one from the beginnynge of his fayth is made a Christian. by whiche that same man from his beginnyng was made Christ. Agayne in an other place there is no playner example of predestination than the Mediatour himselfe For he that made of the seede of Dauid a man righteous that neuer should be vnrighteous without any deseruynge of his will goynge before euen the same he dothe of vnrighteous make them righteous that are the membres of that hed and so forth as there foloweth Therefore when we speake of Christes deseruyng we doe not say that in him is the beginnyng of deseruyng but we clymbe vp to the ordinance of God whiche is the firste cause thereof bycause God of his owne mere good will apointed him Mediatour to purchace saluation for vs. And so is the deseruyng of Christ vnfitly set agaynst the mercie of God For it is a common rule that thinges orderly one vnder an other doe not disagree And therefore it maye well stande together that mans iustification is free by the mere mercie of God and that there also the deseruyng of Christ come betwene which is conteyned vnder the mercie of God But agaynst our workes are aptly set as directly contrarie both the free fauour of God and the obedience of Christ either of them in their degree For Christ could not deserue any thyng but by the good pleasure of God and but bycause he was apointed to this purpose with his sacrifice to appease the wrath of God and with his obedience to put away our offences Finally in a summe bicause the deseruynge of Christ hangeth vpon the only grace of God whiche apointed vs this meane of saluatioÌ„ therfore as well the same deseruing as that grace is fitly set against all the workes of men This distinction is gathered out of many places of the Scripture God so loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that who so euer beleueth him shall not perish We see how the loue of God holdeth the first place as the soueraigne cause or original theÌ„ foloweth fayth in Christ as the second or nerer cause If any man take exception and saye that Christ is but the formal cause he doth more diminish his power than the wordes may beare For yf we obteine righteousnesse by fayth that resteth vpon him then is the matter of our saluation to be sought in him whiche is in many places playnely proued Not that we first loued him but he firste loued vs and sente his sonne to be the appeasyng for our sinnes In these wordes is clerely shewed that God to the ende that nothing should withstand his loue toward vs apointed vs a meane to be reconciled in Christ. And this worde Appeasyng is of great weight bycause God after a certayne vnspeakeable manner euen the same time that he loued vs was also angry with vs vntil he was reconciled in Christ. And to this purpose serue all those sayenges He is the satisfactioÌ„ for our sinnes Againe It pleased God by hym to reconcile all thinges to hymself appeasyng himselfe through the bloud of the crosse by him c. Agayne God was in Christ reconcilyng the worlde to himselfe not impuâ—yng to men their sinnes Agayne He accepted vs in his beloued sonne Agayne That he might reconcile theÌ„ bothe to God into one man by the crouÌ„e The reason of this mysterie is to be fetched out of the first chapter to the Ephesians where Paule after that he had taught that we were chosen in Christ addeth therwithal that we haue obteined fauour in him How did God beginne to embrace with his fauour them whoÌ„ he loued before the making of the world but bicause he vttered his loue when he was reconciled by the bloud of Christ For sithe God is the fountaine of al righteousnesse it must needes be that maÌ„ so long as he is a sinner haue God his enemie his iudge Wherfore the beginning of his loue is righteousnesse such as is described by Paule He made him that had done no sinne to be sinne for vs that we might be the righteousnesse of God in him For he meaneth that we haue obteyned free righteousnesse by the sacrifice of Christ that we should please God which by nature are the children of wrath by sinne estranged from him But this distinction is also meante so oft as the grace of Christ is ioyned to the loue of God WherupoÌ„ foloweth that he geueth vs of his owne that which he hath purchaced For otherwise it would not agree with him that this prayse is geuen him seuerally from his father that it is his grace and procedeth from him But it is truely and perfectly gathered by many places of the Scripture that Christ by his obedience hath purchaced vs fauour with his father For this I take for a thyng confessed that if Christ hath satisfied for our sinnes if he hath suffred the punishmeÌ„t due vnto vs if by his obedieÌ„ce he hath appeased God finally if he beyng righteous hath suffred for the vnrighteous then is saluation purchaced for vs by his righteousnesse whiche is as much in effecte as to deserue it But as Paule witnesseth we are reconciled and haue receiued reconciliation by his death But recoÌ„ciliation hath no place but where there went offence before Therefore the meanyng is that God to whome we were hateful be reasoÌ„ of sinne is by the death of his sonne appeased so that he might be fauorable vnto vs. And the comparison of contraries that foloweth a litle after is diligently to be noted As by the traÌ„sgression of one man many were made sinners so also by the obedieÌ„ce of one many are made righteous For the meaning is thus As by the sinne of AdaÌ„ we were enstranged from God ordeined to destruction so by the obedience of Christ we are receiued into fauour as rigteous And the future time of the verbe doth not exclude present righteousnesse as appereth by the processe of the texte For he had sayd before that the free gift was of many sinnes vnto iustification But when we saye that grace is purchaced vs by the deseruyng of Christ we meane this that we are cleansed by his bloud and that his death was a satisfactioÌ„ for our sinnes His bloud cleaÌ„seth vs froÌ„ sinne This bloud is it that is shed for remission of sinne If this be the effect of his bloud shed that sinnes be not imputed vnto vs it foloweth that with that price the iudgemeÌ„t of God is satisfied To which purpose serueth that sayeng of Iohn the Baptist Beholde the lambe of God that taketh awaye the sinne of the worlde For he setteth in comparison Christ agaynst all the sacrifices of the law to teache that in him only was fulfilled that whiche those figures shewed
And we knowe what Moses eche where saith Iniquitie shal be cleansed sinne shal be putte awaie forgeuen Finally we are very well taught in the olde figures what is the force and effect of the death of Christe And this point the Apostle setteth out in the epistle to the Hebrues very fytly taking this principle that remission is not wrought withoute shedynge of bloode Whervpon he gathereth that Christ for the abolishing of sinne appeared ones for all by his sacrifice Againe that he was offred vp to take awaie the sinnes of manie And he hadde saide before that not by the bloode of goates or of calues butte by his owne bloode hee ones entred into the holy place finding eternall redemption Nowe when he thus reasoneth If the bloode of a calfe do sanctifie accordinge to the cleannesse of the flesh that muche more consciences are cleansed by the bloode of Christ from deade workes it easily appeareth that the grace of Christe is to muche diminished vnlesse we graunt vnto his sacrifice the power of cleansinge appeasing and satisfieng As a little after hee addeth This is the mediator of the new testament that the◠whiche are called maie receiue the promise of eternall inheritance by meane of death for the redemption of sinnes goinge before which remained vnder the lawe But specially it is conuenient to weye the relation which Paule describeth that he became curse for vs. c. For it were superfluous yea and an absurditie that Christ shoulde be charged with curse but for this entent that he payinge that which other did owe shoulde purchace righteousnes for them Also the testimonie of Esaie is playne that the chastisement of our peace was laied vpon Christ and that we obteined healthe by his stripes For if Christe had not satisfied for oure sinnes it coulde not haue been saide that he appeased God by takinge vpon him the peine wherevnto we were subiect Wherewith agreeth that whyche foloweth in the same place For the sinne of my people I haue striken him Let vs also recite the exposition of Peter which shall leaue nothing doubtful that he did beare our sinne vpon the tree For he saithe that the burthen of damnation from whiche we were deliuered was laide vpon Christe And the Apostles do plainely pronounce that he payed the pryce of raunsome to redeeme vs from the gyltinesse of deathe Being iustified by his grace through the redemption whiche is in Christ whome God hathe set to be the propiciatorie by faith which is in his bloode Paule commendeth the grace of God in this point bicause he hath geuen the price of redemption in the deathe of Christ and then he biddeth vs to flee vnto hys bloode that hauinge obteined righteousnesse we maye stande boldly before the iudgement of God And to the same effecte is that saieng of Peter that we are redeemed not by golde and siluer but by the precious bloode of the vnspotted Lambe For the comparison also woulde not agree vnlesse with that price satisfaction had ben made for sinnes for whiche reason Paule saith that we are preciously bought Also that other saieng of his wold not stande together Ther is one mediator that gaue hymselfe to bee a redemption vnlesse the peine hadde ben caste vpon him whiche wee had deserued Therefore the same Apostle defyneth that the redemptino in the bloode of Christ is the forgeuenesse of synnes as if he shoulde haue saide that wee are iustified or acquyted before God bycause that bloode aunswereth for satisfaction for vs. Wherewyth also agreeth the other place that the hande writinge which was against vs was cancelled vpon the crosse For therein is meant the payment or recompense that acquyteth vs from gyltinesse There is also great weight in these wordes of Paule If we be iustified by the workes of the lawe then Christe dyed for nothynge For hereby we gather that we muste fetche from Christe that whyche the lawe woulde geue yf any man can fulfyll it or whyche is all one that wee obteyne by the grace of Christe that whyche God promysed to oure woorkes in the lawe when he sayde He that dothe these thynges shall lyue in them Whyche he no lesse playnely confyrmeth in hys sermon made at Antioche affyrmeth that by beleuynge in Christe we are iustified from all those thynges from whiche we coulde not be iustified in the lawe of Moses For if the kepinge of the lawe be righteousnesse who can denie that Christe deserued fauoure for vs when takynge that burden vpon hym he so reconciled vs to God as yf we our selue had kept the law To the same purpose serueth that whiche he afterward writeth to the Galatians God sent his Sonne subiecte to the lawe that he mighte redeeme those that were vnder the lawe For to what ende serued that submission of his but that he purchaced to vs righteousnesse taking vpon hym to make good that whyche we wer not able to pay Hereof cōmeth that imputation of righteousnesse without woorkes wherof Paule speaketh bycause the righteousnesse is reckened to vs which was founde in Christ only And truely for no other cause is the fleshe of Christ called our meate but bicause we finde in him the substance of life And that power proceedeth from nothinge els but bicause the Sonne of God was crucified to be the price of our righteousnesse As Paule sayth that he gaue vp hymselfe a sacrifice of swete sauoure And in an other place He died for our sinnes he rose againe for our iustification Hervpon is gathered that not only saluatiō is geuen vs by Christe but also that for his sake hys father is now fauourable vnto vs. For there is no doubt that that is perfectli fulfilled in him which God vnder a figure pronounceth by Esaie saieng I wil do it for mine owne sake for Dauid my seruantes sake Whereof the Apostle is a right good witnesse where he saith Your sinnes are forgeuen you for his names sake For though the name of Christ be not expressed yet Ihon after his accustomed manner signifieth hym by thys pronoune He. In whiche sense also the Lorde pronounceth As I liue bicause of my father so shall ye also liue bycause of me Wherewith agreeth that whiche Paule saith It is geuen you bicause of Christe not onely to beleue in him but also to suffer for him But to demaūd whether Christ deserued for himself as Lombard the other scholemen do is no lesse foolish curiositie thā it is a rash determination when thei affirme it For what neded the sonne of God to come down to purchace any new thing for himselfe And the Lord declaring his own counsel doth put it wholy out of doubt For it is not said that the father prouided for the cōmoditie of his sonne in his deseruinges but that he deliuered him to death spared him not bicause he loued the worlde And the
grefe that no feare of God might trouble theÌ„ yet the iudgement of God so presseth them that they can not atteyne that whiche they desire So there is nothyng to withstande but that God maye exercise them that be his to humilitiâ— that in fightyng valiantly they maye restrayne themselues vnder the bridle of modestie And by the processe of the texte it appereth that this was the entent of the Apostle where he assigneth the cause of feare and tremblyng to be the good pleasure of God whereby he geueth to them that be his bothe to will wel and valiantly to goe through with it According to this meaning ought we to take that sayeng of the Prophete The children of Israel shal feare God and his godnesse bicause not only godlinesse engeÌ„dreth the reuerence of God but the very swetenesse and pleasant taste of grace filleth man beyng discouraged in himself with feare and admiratioÌ„ to make him hange vpon God and humbly yeld himselfe subiect to his power Yet we do not herby make roome to that most pestileÌ„t Philosophie whiche many halfe papistes at this daye beginne to coyne in corners For bicause they caÌ„ not defende that grosse doubtfulnesse which hath ben taught in Scholes thei flie to an other deuise to make a confideÌ„ce mingled with distrustfulnesse Thei confesse that so oft as we loke vnto Christ â–ª we finde in him full mater to hope well but bicause we are alwayes vnworthy of those good things that are offred vs in Christ they would haue vs to wauer stagger in beholding of our owne vnworthinesse Briefely they place conscience to betwene hope feare that it altereth from the one to the other by enterchangeable times courses and they so compare fayth hope together that when the one springeth vp the other is pressed downe wheÌ„ the one ariseth the othre againe falleth So wheÌ„ Satan seeth that those open engines wherwith before time he was wont to destroy the assurednesse of faith do now nothing preuaile he endeuoreth by croked vndermininges to ouerthrow it But what manner of coÌ„fidence shal that be which shal now then yeld to desperatioÌ„ If say they thou coÌ„sider Christ there is assured saluatioÌ„ but if thou returne to thy self there is assured daÌ„nation Therefore of necessitie distrust and good hope must by enterchaÌ„geable courses reigne in thy minde As though we ought to imagine Christ standyng a far of and not rather dwellyng within vs. For therefore we loke for saluation at his hande not bycause he appereth a far of vnto vs but bicause he hath graffed vs into his bodye and so maketh vs partakers not only of all his good thinges but also of himself Therefore I thus turne this their argument against themselues If thou consider thy self there is certaine damnation But bicause Christ with all his good thinges is by way of coÌ„municatyng so geuen vnto thee that all his thinges are made thine and thou arte made a member of him yea all one with him his righteousnesse drowneth thy sinnes his saluation taketh awaye thy damnation he by his worthynesse coÌ„meth betwene thee and God that thy vnworthynesse come not in the sight of God Briefely this is the truthe we ought neyther to separate Christ from vs nor vs from him but with bothe handes to holde fast that felowshippe whereby he hath coupled himselfe vnto vs. So the Apostle teacheth vs The body in deede sayth he is dead by reason of sinne but the Spirit of Christ that dwelleth in you is life for righteousnesse According to these mens trifeling deuise he should haue said Christ in deede hath life with himself but you as you be sinners remayne subiect to death and damnation But he sayth far otherwise For he teacheth that that damnatioÌ„ which we deserue of our 〈◊〉 â–ª is swalowed vp by the saluation of Christ and 〈…〉 the same reason that I haue alleged bicause Christ is not 〈◊〉 vs but dwelleth within vs and cleaueth vnto vs not only with â—â—diuidable knot of felowshippe but with a certaine maruellous communion dayly more and more groweth with vs into one body till he be made altogether one with vs. And yet I denie not as I haue sayd a litle before that sometime there happen certaine iâ—â—erruptions of fayth as the weakenesse thereof is amonge violent sodeine motions bowed hether or thether So in the thicke miste of teÌ„tations the ligâ—â— thereof is choked but what so euer happeneth it cesseth not from endeuour to seke God And no otherwise doth Bernarde argue when he purposely entreateth of this question in his .v. Homelie in the Dedication of the temple Oftentimes I say by the benefite of God studieng vpon the soule me thinkes I finde in it two thinges as it were contrarie If I behold the soule it selfe as it is in it selfe and of it selfe I can saye nothyng more truely of it than that it is vtterly brought to nought What neede I nowe to recken vp particularly all the miseries of the soule how it is loaden with sinnes couered with darknesse entangled with deceitfull enticementes itchyng with lustes subiect to passions filled with illusions alwaye enclined to euell bent to all kindes of vice finally full of shame and confusion Now if al the very righteousnesses of it beynge loked vpon by the light of truthe be founde like a clothe stayned with floures then what shall the vnrighteounesses thereof be accompted If the light that is in vs be darkenesse how great shal the very darkenesse be What then without doubte man is made like vnto vanitie man is brought to nought man is nothing But how theÌ„ is he vtterly nothing whome God doth magnifie How then is he nothyng toward whome Gods heart is set Brethren let vs take heart againe Though we be nothing in our owne heartes peraduenture there maye somewhat of vs lie hidden in the heart of God O father of mercies O father of the miserable howe doest thou set thy heart toward vs For thy heart is where thy treasure is But howâ—â—e we thy treasure if we be nothyng All nations are so before thee as yf they were not they shal be reputed as nothyng Euen before thee not within thee so in the iudgement of thy truth but not in the affection of thy pitie Thou callest those thinges that are not as though they were Therefore bothe they are not bicause thou callest those things that are not and also they are bycause thou callest them For though they are not in respect of theÌ„selues yet with thee they are according to that sayeng of Paule not of the workes of righteousnesse but of him that calleth And then he sayth that this couplyng together of bothe consideracions is maruellous Truely those thinges that are knit together do not the one destroye the other Which also in the coÌ„clusion he more plainely declareth in these wordes Now if with both these consideracioÌ„s we diligently loke vpon our selues what we be yea in the one consideracioÌ„
the lord bicause he hath plucked vs and he will heale vs he hath striken vs and he wil cure vs ▪ bicause the hope of pardō is vsed as a pricke to make thē not to lie dull in their sinnes But their doting erroure is without all coloure of reason whiche to beginne at repentance do apoint certaine daies to their new cōuertes during the which thei must exercise themselues in penance and when those daies are ones past they admit them to the communion of the grace of the Gospell I speake of many of the Anabaptistes specially those that maruelously reioyce to be compted spirituall their cōpanions the Iesuites such other dregges Suche frutes forsoothe the spirit of giddinesse bringeth forth to determine repentance within cōpasse of a fewe daies which a Christian man ought to extende in continuance throughout his whole life But certaine learned men euen long before these times meaning to speake simply syncerely of repentance according to the truth of Scripture haue said that it consisteth of two parts mortification vinificatiō Mortification thei expounde to be a sorrowe of the soule feare cōceiued of the acknowledging of sinne of the feling of the iudgement of God For when a man is ones broughte into true knowledge of synne then he truely begynneth to hate and abhorre synne then he heartyly misliketh hymselfe confesseth himselfe to be miserable and loste and wyssheth himselfe to be an other man Further when he is touched wyth some feelinge of the iudgemente of God for the one immediatly foloweth vpon the other then hee lyeth stryken and ouerthrowen then he trembleth humbled and cast down then he is discouraged and despeireth This is the fyrst parte of repentance whiche thei haue cōmonly called Contrition Uiuification thei expounde to be the comfort that groweth of faithe when a man ouerthrowen with conscience of sinne and striken with feare of God loking afterwarde vnto the goodnesse of God vnto the mercie fauoure in saluation that is throughe Christe raiseth vp himselfe takethe breath againe recouereth courage and returneth as it were from death to life And these woordes if they haue a right exposition do aptly enough expresse the nature of repentance But wher thei take Uiuification for the cherefulnesse whiche the minde receiueth beinge brought into quietnesse from trouble feare therein I agree not with them forasmuche it rather signifieth a desire to liue holyly and godly whiche groweth of regeneration as if it were saide that man dyeth to himselfe to beginne to liue to God Some other bicause thei sawe this word diuersly taken in Scripture haue made twoo sortes of Repentance and bycause they woulde make them differently knowen by some mark the haue called the one Repentance of the Law by which the sinner woūded with the searing iron of sinne and worne awaie with feare of the wrath of God sticketh fast in that trouble can not winde himselfe out of it The other Repentance thei call of the Gospell by whyche the synner is in dede greuously vexed with himselfe but he ryseth vp higher taketh holde of Christ the salue of his sore the comforte of his feare the hauen of his miserie Of the repentance of the law thei putt those examples Cain Saul Iudas Whose repentance when the Scripture reherseth vnto vs it meaneth that they acknowleginge the greuousnesse of theyr sinne were afraide of the wrath of God but in thinking vpon God onely as a reuenger iudge thei fainted in that feeling Therefore their repentance was nothing els but a certain entrie of hel wherinto thei being entred in this present life beganne already to suffer punishment from the face of the wrath of Gods maiestie The repentance of the Gospel we see in al them that being galled with the spurre of sinne in themselues but recōforted refreshed with confidence of the mercie of God are turned vnto the lord Ezechias was striken with feare when he receiued the message of death but he praied weping and loking vnto the goodnesse of God he toke againe good confidence vnto him The Niniuites wer troubled with the horrible threatning of destruction But thei clothed them selues in sakcloth and ashes praied hoping that the Lord might be turned to them turned from the furor of his wrathe Dauid confessed that he had to much sinned in nombring the people but he said further Lord take awaie the wickednesse of thy seruant He acknowledged his offense of adulterie when Nathan rebuked him did cast himselfe downe before the Lorde but therwithal he also loked for pardon Suche was the repentance of them that at the preachinge of Peter were pricked in their heart but trustinge vpon the goodnesse of God thei saide furthermore Ye men or brothren what shall we doe And such was the repentance of Peter himselfe whiche wept in dede bitterly but he cessed not to hope well Although al these thinges be true yet the very name of repentance so farre as I can learne by the Scriptures is other wyse to be taken For wher they comprehend faith vnder repentance it disagreeth with that whiche Paule saith in the Actes that he testified to the Iewes and Gentiles repentance vnto God and faith in Iesus Christe Where he reckeneth repentance and faithe as twoo dyuerse thinges What then Can true repentance stande without faithe No. But thoughe they can not bee seuered yet they muste be distinguished As faithe is not wythout hope and yet faithe and hope are dyuerse thynges so repentance and faith although they hange together with one perpetuall bonde yet thei rather would be conioyned than confounded And truly I am not ignorant that vnder the name of repentance is comprehended the whole tourning vnto God whereof faithe is not the leaste part but in what meaninge it is so comprehended shall moste easyly appeare when the force and nature thereof shal be declared The name of repentance in Hebrue is deriued of cōuerting or returning in Greke of chaunging of the mynde or purpose and the thinge it selfe dothe not ill agree wyth either deriuations whereof the summe is that we departing from oure selues shoulde turne vnto God and puttinge of our olde mynde shoulde putte in a newe Wherefore in my iudgmente repentance maie thus not amysse be defined that it is a true turninge of oure lyfe vnto God proceedinge from a pure and earnest feare of God whiche consisteth in the mortifyeng of the fleshe and of the olde man in the quyckening of the spirite In thys sense are to be taken all the preachinges wherin either the Prophetes in olde time or the Apostles afterwarde exhorted the men of their time to repentance For this only thinge thei trauailed to perswade that confounded with theyr own synnes and pricked wyth feare of the Lordes iudgement they shoulde fall downe and be humbled before hym agaynste whome they had offended and with true amendement returne into his right waie Therfore these wordes To
be turned or returne vnto the lord To repente or do penaunce are amonge them vsed wythoute difference in all one signification And therefore also the holy historie saith that men repēt after the Lorde when they that liued wantonely in their owne lustes not regardinge him do begynne to folowe hys worde and are ready at their captaines commaundement to goe whether he calleth them And Ihon and Paule vsed these wordes to bringe forthe frutes worthy of repentance for to leade suche a lyfe as maye represent and testifie suche an amendement in all their doinges But before we go any further it shall be profitable that we do more playnely sette out at large the definition that we haue made Wherein there be cheefely three pointes to be considered Fyrste when wee call it a tourning of life vnto God we require a transfourming not onely in outwarde woorkes but also in the soule it selfe whiche when it hathe put of her oldnesse then beginneth to bring forth the frutes of workes agreable to her renewing Which when the prophet goeth about to expresse he commaundeth them whom he calleth to repentance to make them a newe heart Therefore Moses oftentimes meaning to shewe how the Israelites might repent so be rightly turned vnto the Lord teacheth that it be done with al their heart with al their soule which māner of speaking we see often repeted of the Prophets naming it the circumcising of the heart he shaketh away all inward affections But there is no place whereby a man maye better perceiue what is the naturall propretie of repentance than the fourthe Chapter of Iereme If thou returne to me O Israell saith the Lorde returne to me plowe vppe your arable lande and sowe not vpon thornes Be circumcised to the Lorde and take away the vncircumcised skinnes of your heartes Se how he pronounceth that they shall nothinge preuaile in taking vpon them the folowing of righteousnesse vnlesse wickednesse be first plucked out of the bottome of their heartes And to moue them throughly he warneth them that thei haue to doe wyth God with whome there is nothing gotten by dalying bicause he hateth a double heart Therfore Esaie laugheth to scorne the foolishe endeuoures of hypocrites whiche did in dede busily go about an outward repentance in ceremonies but in the meane tyme they hadde no care to loose the bundles of wickednesse wherewith they helde poore men fast tyed Where also he very well sheweth in what dueties vnfained repentance proprely standeth The second point was that we taught that repentance proceedeth of an earnest feare of God For before that the minde of a sinner be inclined to repentance it must be stirred vp with thinking vpō the iudgment of God But when this thought is ones throughly settled that God wyll one daye goe vp into hys iudgement seate to require an accompt of all saienges doinges it will not suffer the silly man to rest nor to take breathe one minute of time but continually stirreth him vp to thinke vpon a newe trade of life whereby he may safely appeare at that iudgement Therefore oftentimes the Scripture when it exhorteth to repentance maketh mention of the iudgement as in Iereme least peraduenture my wrath go out as fyre there be none to quench it bycause of the naughtinesse of your workes In Paules sermon to the Athenians And wheras hetherto God hath borne with the times of thys ignorance nowe he geueth warning to men that al men euery where may repent them bycause he hathe apointed the daie wherein he will iudge the worlde in equitie And in many other places Sometime it declareth by the punishmentes already extended that God is a iudge that sinners shoulde thynke wyth them selues that worse thinges hang ouer them if they do not repent in time You haue an example thereof in the xxix of Exodus But bycause the turning beginneth at the abhorring and hatred of synne therefore the Apostle maketh sorrowfulnesse suche as is accordinge to God the cause of repentance And he calleth sorrowfulnesse accordinge to God when wee are not onely afraide of punishment but do hate and abhorre sinne it self for asmuche as we vnderstand that it displeaseth God And no maruel For vnlesse we be sharply pricked the slouthfulnesse of oure flesh could not be corrected yea prickinges woulde not suffice for the dulnesse and slouthfulnesse therof vnlesse God in stretching out his roddes should pearce more depely This is also an obstinatie whiche muste be beaten downe as it were with beetles Therefore the peruersenesse of our nature enforceth God to the seueritie that he vseth in threatning bicause he shoulde in vaine call vs alluringly with faire speache while wee lye a slepe I recite not the testimonies that commonly offer them selues to be founde The feare of God is in an other manner also the beginnyng of repentance For though mans life were absolutely furnished with all pointes of vertues if it be not applied to the worshipping of God it may in deede be praysed of the world but in heauen it shal be mere abhomination for asmuche as the chiefe parte of our righteousnesse is to geue God his due right and honour wherof he is wickedly robbed when we bende not our selues to yeld vs subiect to his gouernement Thirdly it remaineth that we declare what is meant by this that we say that Repētance consisteth in two partes that is to say mortifiyng of the flesh quickenyng of the spirit The Prophetes do plainly expresse it although somwhat simply grosly accordyng to the capacitie of the carnal people when they say Cesse from euel do goodnesse Againe Be washed be cleane take away the euel of your workes from mine eyes Cesse to doe peruersly learne to do well seke iudgement help the oppressed c. For when they call men away frō wickednesse they require the death of the whole flesh which is stuffed full of wickednesse peruersnesse It is in deede an vneasy and hard thing to put of our selues to depart frō our natural dispositiō Neyther cā it be thought that the flesh is throughly dead vnlesse al that we haue of our selues be abolished But for asmuch as al the affectiō of the flesh is enemie against God the first entree to the obeying of his lawe is the forsaking of our owne nature Afterward thei expresse the renewyng by the frutes that folow therof as righteousnesse iudgemēt mercie For it were not enough to do those dueties rightly vnlesse the minde it self and the heart haue first put on the affection of righteousnesse iudgement mercie That is done whē the spirit of God hath so soked in new thoughtes affections our soules first washed with his holynesse that they may rightly be compted newe And truely as we are naturally turned away frō God so vnlesse the forsaking of our selues do goe before we can neuer go toward that which is right Therfore we are so oft cōmaunded to put of
make men openly of counsell and witnesses of our repentance but to confesse priuately to God is a part of true repentance whiche can not be omitted For there is nothing more vnreasonable than to loke to haue God to pardon vs the sinnes in whiche we flatter our selues do hide them by Hipocrisye least he should bryng them to light And it behoueth vs not only to confesse those sinnes whiche we dayely coÌ„mit but more greuous offenses ought to drawe vs further and to cal agayne into our remembrance thynges that seme longe agoe buried Whiche lesson Dauid geueth vs by his example For beyng touched with shame of his newly committed fault he examineth himself euen to the time when he was in his mothers wombe and confesseth that euen then he was corrupted and infected with the filthinesse of the fleshe And this he doeth not to diminish the haynousnesse of his fault as many hide themselues in the multitude and seke to escape punishment by wrappyng other with them But Dauid doth far otherwise which with simple plainesse enforceth his fault in sayeng that beyng corrupt froÌ„ his first infancie he hath not cessed to heape euels vpon euels Also in an other place he likewise so examineth his passed life that he craueth the mercie of God for that sinnes of his youth And truely theÌ„ only shal we proue our drowsinesse to be shaken away froÌ„ vs if gronyng vnder our burden and bewayling our euels we aske reliâ—se of God It is moreouer to be noted that the repentance which we are coÌ„mauÌ„ded coÌ„tinually to applie differeth froÌ„ that repeÌ„tance that lifteth vp as it were from death them that either haue filthily fallen or with vnbridled licentiousnesse haue throwen forth themselues to sinne or after a certaine manner of rebellions reuoltyng haue shaken of the yoke of God For the Scripture ofteÌ„times when it exhorteth to repeÌ„tance meaneth therby as it were a passage or rising againe froÌ„ death into life when it reherseth that the people did penaunce it meaneth that they were turned froÌ„ their idolatrie other grolâ—e offences And in like maner Paul threateneth mourning vnto sinners that haue not done penance for their wantonnesse fornication vnchastitie This differeÌ„ce is to be diligently marked least while we heare that few ar called to penaÌ„ce a more thaÌ„ carelesse assuredness shuld crepe vpoÌ„ vs as though the mortifieng of the fleshe did no more beloÌ„g vnto vs the care wherof the corrupt desires that alway tickle vs the vices that coÌ„monly budde vp in vs do not suffer vs to release Therfore the speciall repentance which is required but of some whoÌ„ the Deuell hath violeÌ„tly carried away froÌ„ the feare of God fast bound with daÌ„nable snares taketh not away the ordinary repeÌ„tance which the corruptnesse of nature coÌ„pelleth vs to applie throughout all the whole course of our life Now if that be true which is most euidently certaine that all the summe oâ— the gospel is conteined in these two principall pointes Repentance forgeuenesse of sinnes doe we not see that the Lord doth therefore freely iustifie them that be his that he may also by the sanctification of his Spirit restore them into true righteousnesse Iohn the Angel sent before â— face of Christ to prepare his wayes preached Repent ye for the kyngdome of heauen is come nere at hande In callyng them to repentance he dyd put them in minde to acknowlege themselues sinners and all that was theirs to be damnable before the Lord that they might with all their heartes to desire the mortifâ—eng of their fleshe a newe regeneration in the Spirit In tellyng them of the kingdome of God he called them to faith For by the kingdome of God whiche he taught to be at hand he meant forgeuenesse of sinnes saluation and life and all that euer we get in Christ. Wherfore in the other Euangelistes it is written Iohn came preaching the Baptisme of repentaÌ„ce vnto â—orgeuenesse of sinnes And what is that els but that thei beyng oppressed weried with the burden of sinnes shold turne to the Lord conceyue good hope of forgeuenesse saluatioÌ„ So Christ also beganne his preachynges The kingdome of God is come nere at hand repent ye and beleue the Gospel First he declareth that the treasures of Gods mercie are opened in him and theÌ„ he requireth repentance and last of all coÌ„fidence in the promises of God â–ª Therfore when he meant briefly to coÌ„preheÌ„d the whole summe of the gospel he sayd that he must suffer rise agayne from the dead that repentance and forgeuenesse of sinnes must be preached in his name The Apostles also preached the same after his resurrection that he was raysed vp by God to geue to Israel repentance and forgeuenesse of sinnes Repentance is preached in the name of Christ when men do heare by the doctrine of the gospell that al their thoughtes their affections and their endeuors are corrupt and faulty and that therfore it is necessarie that they be borne againe if thei wyll entre into the kingdome of God Forgeuenesse of sinnes is preached when men ar taught that Christ is made to them redemption righteousnesse saluatioÌ„ and life in whose name they are freely accompted righteous and innocent in the sight of God whereas bothe these graces are receiued by fayth as I haue in an other place declared yet bicause the goodnesse of God whereby sinnes are forgeuen is the profe obiect of fayth therefore it shal be good that it be diligently distinguished from repentance Now as the hatred of sinne which is the beginnyng of repentaÌ„ce openeth vs the first entrie vnto Christ which sheweth himself to none but to miserable and afflicted sinners which grone labour are loden are hungry and thirsty and pine awaye with sorrowe and miserie so must we endeuor toward repentance throughout all our life applie it and follow it to the ende if we will abide in Christ. For he came to cal sinners but to repentance he was sent to blesse the vnworthy but so that euery one should turne himself froÌ„ his wickednesse The Scripture is full of such sayenges Wherefore when God offreth forgeuenesse of sinnes he likewise vseth to require on our parte repentance secretly declaryng thereby that his mercie ought to be to men a cause to repent them Do sayth he iudgement and righteousnesse bycause saluation is come nere at hand Agayne There shall come to Sion a Redemer and to them that in Iacob repeÌ„t from their sinnes Againe Seke the Lord while he may be found cal vpon him while he is nere Let the wicked leue his way the wickednesse of his thoughtes be turned to the Lord he shall haue mercie on him Againe Turne ye repent that your sinnes may be done away Where yet is to be noted that this coÌ„dition is not so annexed as though our repentance were a fundatioÌ„ to deserue pardoÌ„ but rather
bicause the Lord hath determined to haue mercie vpoÌ„ men to this ende that they shuld repeÌ„t he teacheth men whether they shall trauaile if they will obteine grace Therfore so long as we shall dwell in the pryson of our body we must continually wrastle with the vices of our corrupt flesh yea with our own naturall soule Plato sayth in certayne places that the life of a Phylosopher is a meditation of death but we may more truely say that the life of a Christian maÌ„ is a perpetuall studie and exercise of mortifieng the fleshe till it beyng vtterly slayue the Spirit of God get the dominion in vs. Therefore I thinke that he hath much profited that hath learned much to mislyke himself not that he should sticke faste in â—hat myre and goe no further but rather that he should haste and long toward God that being graffed into the death life of Christ he should studie vpon a continuall repentance as truely they can not otherwise do that haue a naturall hatred of sinne for no man euer hated sinne vnlesse he were first in loue with righteousnesse This doctrine as it was most simple of all other so I thought it beste to agree with thâ— truthe of the Scripture Nowe that Repentance is a singular gift of God I thinke it be so wel knowen by the doctrine aboue taught that I neede not to repete a long discourse to proue it agayne Therfore the church prayseth and hath in admiratioÌ„ the benefit of God that he hath geuen the Gentiles repentance vnto saluation And Paule commaundyng Timothee to be patieÌ„t and milde toward the vnbeleuers sayth If at any time God geue them repentance that they maye repent from the snares of the Deuel God in deede affirmeth that he willeth the conuersion of al meÌ„ and directeth his exhortations generally to all men but the effectual workyng therof hangeth vpon the Spirit of regeneration Bicause it were more easy to create vs men than of our owne power to put on a better nature Therfore in the whole course of regeneration we are not without cause called the worke of God created to good workes which he hath prepared that we should walke in them Whom soeuer the lordes will is to deliuer from death those he quickeneth with the Spirit of regeneration not that repentance is properly the cause of saluation but bycause it is alredy seen that it is vnseparable froÌ„ fayth and from the mercie of God sithe as Esaye testifieth there is a redemer come to him and to those that in Iacob are returned from their wickednesse This truely standeth stedfastly determined that were so euer liueth the feare of God there the Spirite hath wrought vnto the saluation of man Therfore in Esaie when the faithful complaine and lament that they are forsaken of God they recken this as a token of beyng reprobates that their heartes were hardened by God The Apostle also meanyng to exclude apostataes from hope of saluation apointeth this reason that it is impossible for them to be renewed vnto repentance bicause God in renewyng them whom he wil not haue perish sheweth a tokeÌ„ of his fatherly fauour and in a maÌ„ner draweth them vnto him with the beames of his cherefull and mery contenaÌ„ce on the other side with hardenyng them he thundereth agaynst the reprobate whose wickednesse is vnpardonable Whiche kinde of vengeance the Apostle threateneth to wilfull apostataes whiche when they depart from the faith of the Gospell do make a scorne of God reprochefully despise his grace and defile treade vnder feete the bloud of Christ yea as much as in them is they crucifie him agayne For he doth not as some fondly rigorous men would haue it cut of hope of pardon from all wilfull sinnes but teacheth that apostasie is vnworthy of all excuse so that it is no maruell that God doth punish a contempt of himself so full of sacrilege with vnappeasable rigour For he sayth that it is impossible that they which haue ones ben enlightened haue tasted of the heauenly gift haue ben made partakers of the holy ghost haue tasted of the good word of God the powers of the world to come yf they fall shuld be renewed to repeÌ„tance crucifiyng againe of newe and makyng a scorne of the sonne of God Againe in an other place If sayth he we willingly sinne after knowledge of the truth receyued there remayneth no more sacrifice for sinnes but a certayne dreadfull expectation of iudgement c. These also be the places out of the wroÌ„g vnderstandyng wherof the Nouatians in old time haue gathered matter to play the mad men with whose rigorousnesse certaine good meÌ„ beyng offended beleued this to be a counterfait Epistle in the Apostles name whiche yet in all partes doth truely fauour of an Apostolike spirite But bycause we contend with none but with theÌ„ that allowe it it is easy to shewe how these sentences do nothing mainteine their errour Firste it is necessarie that the Apostle agree with his maister whiche affirmeth that all sinne and blasphemie shal be forgeueÌ„ except the sinne agaynst the holy Ghost which is not forgeuen neyther in this world nor in the world to come It is certaine I saye that the Apostle was contented with this exception vnlesse we will make him an aduersarie to the grace of Christ. Whereupon foloweth that pardon is denied to no special offenses but only to one whiche procedyng of a desperate rage can not be ascribed to weakenesse and openly sheweth that a man is possessed of the Deuell But to discusse this it behoueth to enquire what is that same so horrible offense that shall haue no forgeuenesse Whereas Augustine in one place defineth it an obstinate stifnesse euen vnto death with despeire of pardon that doth not well agree with the very wordes of Christ thaâ— it shall not be forgeuen in this world For eyther that is spoken in vaine or it maye be coÌ„mitted in this life But if Augustines definition be true then it is not committed vnlesse it continue euen vnto death Wheras some other saye that he sinneth against the holy ghost that enuieth the grace bestowed vpon his brother I see not froÌ„ whense that is fetched But let vs bring a true definitioÌ„ which beyng ones proued with sure testimonies shall easily by it selâ—e ouerthrowe all the reste I saye therefore that they sinne agaynst the holy ghost which of set purpose resist the truthe of God with brightnesse wherof they are so daseled that they can not pretend ignorance whiche they do only to this ende to resâ—st For Christe meanynge to expounde that whiche he had sayd immediatly addeth He that speaketh a worde agaynst the sonne of man it shal be forgeueÌ„ him but he that blasphemeth agaynst the holy ghost shal not be forgeuen And Matthew for the blasphemie against the holy Spirit putteth the spirit of blasphemie But how can a maÌ„ speake a reproche against the
why do thei draw to them yâ— knoweledge of natural fleshely leprosie This forsoothe is not to mocke with the Scriptures The lawe geueth to the Leuiticall preestes the knowledge of Leprosie therefore let vs take yt vpon vs. Sinne is a spirituall leprosie therefore lette vs also bee examiners of sinne Nowe I aunswere sithe the preestehoode is remoued it is necessarie that the law be remoued also Al presthodes are remoued to Christe and fulfilled and ended in him therefore to him onely al the right and honoure of preesthoode is also remoued It thei loue so wel to folow Allegories let them set Christ before them for the only preest and heape vpon his iudgement seate the free iurisdiction of al things this we can easily be content to suffer Moreouer their allegorie is very vnfitt that setteth among the ceremonies that lawe whiche is mearly politike Why then did Christe send the leprous menne to the preestes That the preestes shoulde not cauill that hee did breake the lawe that commaunded the man healed of the leprosie to bee shewed before the preeste and purged with offering of sacrifice therefore he commaunded the leprous men being cleansed to do that whiche belonged to the law Goe saith he and shewe your selues to the preeste and offer the gifte that Moses hathe commaunded in the lawe that it shoulde be for a witnesse vnto them And truely this miracle shold haue ben a witnes vnto them for thei had pronounced them leprous and nowe they pronounce them healed Are thei not whether thei will or no compelled to become witnesses of Christes miracles Christ leaueth to them his miracle to be examined thei canne not denie it But bicause thei still dallie with it therfore this worke is for a witnesse vnto them So in an other place This Gospell shal be preached in all the worlde for a witnesse to al nations Again ye shal be ledde before kinges and gouernours for a witnesse to them that is that in the iudgemenâ—e of God thei maie be more strongly conuinced But if thei had rather folow Chrysostome he also teacheth that Christe did this for the Iewes sake that he shoulde not be accompted a breaker of the law Albeit in so cleare a matter I am ashamed to alleage the wittnesse of any man wheras Christ pronounceth that he leaueth the righte of the lawe whole to the preestes as to the professed enemies of the Gospell whiche were alway bent to carpe against it if their mouth had not ben stopped Wherfore that the popish sacrificeng preestes maie still keepe this possession let them openly take partes with them which must of necessitie be restrained by force that they speake not ill against Christe For this nothing belongeth to his trewe ministers Thei bring their second argument out of the same fountaine that is from an allegorie as though allegories were of greate force to confyrme any doctrine But lette them be of force if I do not proue that I can make a fairer shewe of them for my syde than thei can for theirs Thei say The Lorde commaunded his Disciples that when Lazarus was raised vp thei shold vnbinde an losse him from hys bondes Here first the lie for it is no wher reade thay the Lorde saide this to the Disciples and it is muche more likely that he saide it to the Iewes that stoode by him that the miracle might be made the more euident without suspition of fraud his power appeare yâ— greater yâ— without any touching with his onely worde he raised vp deade men For thus I expounde it that the Lorde to take awaie all wrongfull opinion from the Iewes willed them to rolle awaie the stone to feâ—le the stinke to beholde assured tokens of death to see him rising by the onely power of his worde and them first to feele him liuing And this is the iudgement of Chrysostome But let vs graunt that this was spoken to the Disciples what wil thei get therby That the Lord gaue his Apostles power to loose But how much more fitly and more handesomely might these thinges be applied by waie of allegorie to saie that by this signe the lord meanie to instruct his faithful to loose them that he had raised vp that is that they sholde not cal into remembrance those sinnes that he had forgotten that thei shold not condemne them for sinners whom he had acquited that thei sholde not reproche men with those thinges that he had forgeuen that thei shoulde not be rigorous to punish and lightly offended wher he is mercifull and easily entreated to spare Truely nothing ought to moue vs more to readinesse to forgeue than the exaumple of the Iudge that threatneth that he wyll be vnappeasable to them that be to rigorous and vngentle Nowe let them goe and boaste of their allegories But nowe thei ioyne more nere hande with vs when thei fight as thei thinke with open sentences Thei that came to Ihons baptisme did confesse their sinnes Iames willeth that we confesse oure sinnes one to an other No maruell if they that wolde be baptised did confesse their sinnes for it was saide before that Ihon preached the baptisme â–ª of repentance and baptised in water vnto repentance Whom shold he then haue baptized but them that had confessed themselues sinners Baptisme is a token of the forgeuenesse of sinnes and who shold be admitted to this token but sinners and thei that acknowledg themselues to be such Therfore thei confessed their sinnes that thei might be baptised And not without a cause doth Iames bidde vs confesse one to an other But if thei did marke what foloweth nexte after thei would vnderstande that this also maketh little for them Confesse saithe he one to an other your sinnes praie one for an other He ioyneth together mutuall confession and mutuall praier If we must confesse to prestes onely then muste wee also praie for prestes onely Yea What and if it might folowe of the wordes of Iames that onely preestes mighte confesse for when he willeth that we shold confesse one to an other he speaketh onely to them that may heare the confessions of other his worde is in greke Allelous mutually enterchangeably by turnes or if thei so like best to terme it by waye of reciprocatioÌ„ one to an other But so enterchaÌ„geably none can coÌ„fesse but thei that are meete to here confessions Whiche prerogatiue syth thei vouchesaue to graunt only to prestes we do also put ouer the office of confessing to theÌ„ only Therefore away with such trifelinges let vs take the very meaning of the Apostle which is simple plaine that is yâ— we sholde laye our weakenesse one in an others bosome to receiue mutuall counsel mutuall compassioÌ„ and mutuall comforte one of an other then that wee be naturally priuie to the weakenesses of our brothren shold praie for them to the Lord. Why do thei then alleage Iames against vs which do so earnestly require the confessioÌ„ of the
minister himselfe whiche is no competent iudge of their fayth can not be assured of their absolution we haue answer thereunto in redinesse For they saye that no sinnes are forgeuē by the preste but such wherof himselfe hath ben the hearer so by their opinion the forgeuenesse hangeth vpō the iudgement of the prest and yf he do not wisely discerne whoe be worthy of pardon the whole doyng is voyde and of no effect Finally the power whereof they speake is a iurisdiction adioyned to examination wherunto pardon and absolutiō is restrained In this point is found no sure ground but rather it is a bottomlesse depth For where the confession is not found the hope of pardon is also lame and then the prest himselfe muste needes sticke in suspense while he can not tell whether the sinner doe faithfully recken vp all his euell deedes Finally suche is the ignoraunce and rudenesse of prestes the moste parte are no fitter to doe this office than a shoemaker is to plowe the ground and the rest in a manner all ought worthily to suspect themselues Hereupon therefore riseth the perplexitie and doubtfulnesse of the Popes absolution bycause they will haue it grounded vpon the person of the prest and not only that but also vpon knowledge that he may iudge only of thinges informed examined and proued Nowe if a man should aske of these good docters whether a sinner be reconciled to God when some sinnes are forgeuen I see not what they haue to answer but that they shal be compelled to confesse that all is vnprofitable that the prest pronounceth of the forgeuenesse of those sinnes that he hath heard rehearsed so long as the other sinnes are not deliuered from condemnation On the behalf of him that confesseth how hurtfull carefulnesse holdeth his conscience bound appereth hereby that when he resteth vpon the prestes discretion as they call it he can determine nothing certainly by the worde of God The doctrine that we teache is free and cleare frō al these absurdities For the absolution is conditionall that the sinner should trust that God is merciful vnto him so that he sincerely seeke the cleansing of his sinnes in the sacrifice of Christ obeye the grace offred him So he cā not erre which according to the office of a preacher proclaimeth that which is geuē him in instructiōs by the word of God And the sinner may embrace a sure cleare absolution when that simple cōditiō is annexed of the embracing the grace of Christ according to that generall doctrine of the maister himself Be it done to thee accordyng to thy fayth Which hath ben wickedly despised in the Paparie How foolishly thei confound those things that the Scripture teacheth of the power of keyes I haue promised that I wil speake in an other place and there shal be a more conuenient place for it when I come to entreate of the gouernement of the church But let the readers remēber that those things are wrongfully wrested to Auricular and secret confession whiche are spoken by Christ partly of the preachyng of the gospel partly of excōmunication Wherefore when they obiect that the power of loosing is geuē to the Apostles which prestes may vse in forgeuing sinnes acknowleged vnto them it is playne that they take a false fond principle bicause the absolution that serueth fayth is nothing els but a witnesse of pardō takē out of the free promise of the gospell As for the other confession that hangeth vpō the discipline of the Church it pertaineth nothing to secret sinnes but rather to example that cōmon offense of the church may be takē away But wheras they scrape together here and there testimonies to proue that it sufficeth not to confesse sinnes either to God only or to laye mē vnlesse a prest be the hearer of them their trauaile therin is but lewde and such as they may be ashamed of For whē the auncient fathers coūsel sinners to vnburden thēselues to their owne pastour it cā not be expoūded of particular rehearsal which thē was not in vse Then Lumbard such like such was their sinister dealing seme of set purpose to haue geuē thēselues to fayned bokes by pretense wherof they might deceiue the simple They do in deede truely confesse that bicause absolutiō alway accōpanieth repentance therefore there proprely remaineth no bond when a mā is touched with repentance although he haue not yet confessed therfore that then the prest doth not so much forgeue sinnes as pronoūce declare thē forgeuen Albeit in the word of declaring thei slily brīg in a grosse errour thrusting a ceremonie in stede of doctrine But wheras thei patche vnto it that he is absolued in the face of the church that had alredy obteined pardō before God they do incōueniently draw to the peculiar vse of euery particular mā that which we haue already sayd to be apointed for cōmon discipline where the offense of a haynous notorious fault is to be takē away But by by after they depraue corrupt moderatiō addyng an other māner of forgeuyng with an enioyning of penaltie satisfaction wherin thei presumptuously claime to theyr own sacrifices a power to part that in halfes which God hath in all places promised vs whole together For when he simply requireth repentance and faith this partition or exceptiō is a very robberie of God For it is in effect asmuche as yf the prest takyng vpon the persone of a Tribune should become intercessour to God and would not suffer God of his mere liberalitie to receyue him into fauour that hath lyen prostrate before the Tribunes seates and there hath ben punished The whole summe cōmeth to this point that yf they wil make God the authour of this counterfait confession therein is their falshod cōdemned as I haue proued them false forgers in the fewe places that they allege But sithe it is euident that it is a law made by men I say that it is bothe tirannicall and made iniuriously agaynst God whoe bindyng mens consciences to his word will haue them free from the bondage of men Nowe when for the obteynyng of pardon there is a necessitie prescribed of that thyng whiche the Lord wold to be free I say that this is a sacrilege not to be suffred bycause there is nothing more properly belongyng to God than to forgeue sinnes wherein cōsisteth saluation for vs. Moreouer I haue shewed that this tirannie was first brought in when the world was oppressed with filthy barbarousnesse I haue also taught that it is a pestilent lawe that eyther throweth downe hedlong into desperation the poore soules in whom so euer abideth a feare of God or where there reigneth carlesnesse deliteth them with vayne flatteries so maketh them duller Last of all I haue declared that what so euer mitigatiōs they bryng tend to no other ende but to entangle darken and depraue pure doctrine hide vngodlinesses with deceitfull colors The third place in
shoulde be made partakers of the nature of God As though we weare nowe suche as the Gospell promysed that we shal be at the last comming of Christe yea Iohn telleth vs that we shall then see God as he is because we shal be lyke vnto hym Only I thought good to geue a small taste to the readers that I doe of purpose passe ouer these trifles not for that it is harde to confute them but because I wyll not be tedious in a superfluous worke But in the seconde point lurketh more poyson where he teacheth that we are righteous together with God I thynke I haue alredy sufficiently proued that although this doctrine were not so pestilent yet because it is colde and frutelesse and of it selfe so vayne that it melteth away it ought worthely to be vnsauorie to sounde and godly Reders But this is an intolerable wickednesse vnder pretense of double rightuousnesse to enfeble the earnest assuraunce of saluatioÌ„ and to cary vs aboue the cloudes that we shold not embrace by faith the grace of propitiation cal vpon God with quiet myndes Osiander scorneth them that teache that this worde Iustifying is a lawe terme because we must be ryghteous in dede And he abhorreth nothing more thaÌ„ to say that we be iustified by free imputation But if God do not iustifie vs by acquiting and pardoning what meaneth that saying of Paul God was in Christe reconciling the worlde to hym selfe not impuâ—ynge to men their synnes For hym that had done no synne he made synne for vs that we might be the rightuousnesse of God in him First I wynne thus muche that they be iudged righteous that be reconciled to God The manner howe is declared for that God iustifieth by forgeuyng as in an other place iustification is set as contrary to accusatioÌ„ which comparing of them as contraries doth clerely shewe that it is a phrase borrowed from the vse of the lawe And there is no man beyng but meanely practised in the Hebrewe tongue if he haue a sober brayne that is ignoraunt that this phrase came from thence and whereunto it tendeth and what it meaneth Nowe where Paul sayeth that Dauid described the ryghteousnesse without workes in these wordes Blessed are they whose synnes are forgeuen Let Osiander aunswere me whether this be a full definition or but halfe a one Truely Paul bryngeth not in the Prophet for a witnesse as though he taught that forgeuenesse of sinnes is but a part of righteousnes or a thing that ioyneth with other to the iustifiyng of man But he includeth whole ryghtuousnesse in free forgeuenesse pronouÌ„cing the man blessed whose sinnes are couered to whom God hath forgeuen iniquities to whom he imputeteh no traÌ„sgressions He doth measure iudge suche a mans felicitie thereby because he is not this way righteous in dede but by imputatioÌ„ Osiander taketh exception and saieth that this should be sclaunderous to God and contrary to his nature if he should iustifie them that in deede remayne styll wicked But we must remember as I haue already sayde that the grace of iustifying is not seuered from regeneration although they be seuerall thynges But because it is more than sufficiently knowen by experience that there abide alwayes in the righteous some reÌ„nantes of sinne it must nedes be that they be farre otherwyse iustified than they be reformed into newnesse of lyfe For this later point of reformation God so beginneth in his elect and throughout the whole course of their life by litle and litle and sometime slowly procedeth in it that thei be alway before his seate in danger of the iudgemeÌ„t of death But he iustifieth them not by partmeale but so that thei may freely as clothed with the purenesse of Christ appere in heauen For no portion of righteousnesse could appease our consciences tyll they be satisfied the God is fully pleased with vs because we be righteous in his sight with out exception Whereupon foloweth that the Doctrine of iustification is misturned yea ouerturned from the very foundation when doubtinge is cast into mens myndes when the affiance of saluatioÌ„ is shaken wheÌ„ thee free and dredlesse inuocation is hindred yea when quiet and tranquillitie with spirituall ioye is not staâ—lyshed Wherupon Paul gathereth an argument by contraries to proue that the inheritance is not by the lawe For by this meane faith should be made voide whiche if it haue respect to workes is ouerthrowen because none of the moste holy shall therin finde wherupon to trust This differeÌ„ce of iustifiyng and regeneratyng whiche two thinges Osyander confoundinge together calleth two sortes of righteousnesse is very wel expressed by Paul For speaking of his reall righteousnesse in dede or of the vprightnesse wher with he was endued whiche Osiander nameth essentiall righteousnes he lamentably crieth out Wretche that I am who shal deliuer me from the body of this death But fleing to the righteousnesse whiche is grounded vpon the only mercie of God he gloriously triumpheth ouer both life death reproches hunger sworde and all aduersities Whoe shall accuse the electes of God whome he iustifieth For I am surely persuaded that nothing shall seuer vs from his loue in Christ. He plainely publisheth that he hath the righteousnesse whiche alone fully sufficeth to saluation before God so that the wretched bondage whiche he knowyng to be in him selfe did a litle before beuayle his estate may not mouish nor any way hinder his boldnesse to glorie This diuersitie is sufficiently knowen and so familiar to al the holy ones that grone vnder the burden of iniquities yet with victorious confidence do mount vp aboue all feares As for this that Osiander obiecteth that it disagreeth with the nature of God it falleth vpon him selfe For although he clotheth the holy ones with a double rightuousnesse as it were with a furred garment yet he is compelled to confesse that without forgeuenesse of synnes they neuer pleased God If that be true then at least let him graunt that thei which are not righteous in dede are accompted righteous according to the apointed proportion of imputation as they call it But howe far shall a sinner extend this free acceptation that is put in place of ryghteousnesse shall he measure it by the pounde or by the ounce Truely he shall hang doubtefull and waueryng to this side and that side bicause he may not take vnto him so much righteousnesse as shal be necessarie to stablish confidence It is happy that he that wold binde God to a law is not iudge of this cause But this shal staÌ„de stedfast that thou mayest be iustified in thy sayenges and ouercoÌ„me when thou art iudged But howe great presumption is it to condemne the chefe iudge when he freely acquiteth that this answer maye not be in force I will haue mercie vpon whom I wil haue mercie And yet the intercession of Moses which God did put to silence with this sayeng tended not to this ende
death to make vs a new creature For we se that oftentimes specially of the Apostle the goodnes of god is set foorth vnto vs by this title God saith he which is riche in mercy for the great loue wherw t he loued vs euen whē we were dead by sinnes hath made vs aliue together in Christ. c. In an other place wher vnder the figure of Abrahā he entreateth of the general calling of the faithful he saith it is God that geueth life to the dead calleth those thinges that are not as though they were If we be nothyng what I beseche you can we do Wherfore the lord strongly beateth downe this arrogancie in the historie of Iob in these wordes who preuenteth me I shal rendre it him for al thinges ar mine Which sentēce Paul expoūding applieth it to this that we shold not think that we bring ani thīg to the lord but mere shame of needines emptines Wherfore in the place aboue cited to proue that we ar come into the hope of saluatiō by his grace alone not by works he allegeth that we ar his creatures bicause we ar new begottē in Christ Iesus to the good works which he hath prepared that we shuld walk in thē As if he had said which of vs may boaste that he hathe with his righteousnes prouoked God sith our first power to do good procedeth out of regeneratiō For as we ar made by nature oyle shal soner be wrong out of a stone thā a good work out of vs. Truly it is wonderful if mā being condēned of so great a shame dare yet say that ther remaineth ani thing with him Therefore let vs confesse with this noble instrumēt of God that we ar called of God with a holy callīg no◠accordīg to our works but accordīg to his purpose grace that the kindnes loue of God our sauior toward vs hath appeared bicause he hath saued vs not by the works of righteousnes which we haue don but according to his own mercie that being iustified by his grace we might be made the heires of eternal life Bi this confessiō we dispoil mā of al righteousnes euē to the least litle pece therof til he be bi only merci regenerate into hope of eternal life forasmuch as if the righteousnes of works do brīg any thīg toward the iustifyīg of vs it is falsly said that we ar iustified by grace Truly thapostle had not forgottē hīself whē he affirmed iustificatiō to be of fre gift which in an other place resoneth that grace is now not grace if works do any thing auail And what other thīg doth the lord mean whē he saith that he came not to cal righteous mē but sinners If only sinners ar receaued why seeke we an entry by fained righteousnesses Stil this same thought hath now thē recourse to my mind that it is peril least I shold do wrong to the mercies of God which do so carefully trauail in prouīg of this thīg as though it wer doutful or darke But bycause our enuiousnes is such as vnlesse it be most straightli thrust out of place it neuer yeldeth to God that which is his I ā cōpelled to tary sōwhat the lōger vpō it Yet for asmuche as the scripture is clere inough in this matter I wil in fighting rather vse the words therof thē mine own Esai whē he hath described the vniuersal destructiō of mākind doth īmediatly after veri fitly adioyn the ordre of restoring The lord hath seen it semed 〈◊〉 in his eyes And he saw that ther is no mā he maruailed that there is none that offereth himself he hath set saluatiō in his own arm hath strēgthned hīself with his own righteousnes Where are our righteousnesses if it be true which the prophet saith that ther is no mā that helpeth the lord in recouerīg his saluatiō So an other prophet wher he bringeth in the lord discoursīg of the recōciling of sīners to hīself saith I wil espouse the to me for euer in righteousnes iudgmēt grace mercie I wil sai to hir that hath not obteined merci thou hast obtained merci If such couenāt which it is certain to be the first cōioyning that we haue with God stādeth vpō the mercy of god ther is left no foūdatiō of our own righteousnes And I wold fain learn of those mē which fame that mā meteth God with sō righteousnes of works whether thei think that ther is ani righteousnes at al but that which is acceptable to God If it be madnes to thīk so what acceptable thīg to god cā procede frō his enemies whō he wholli abhorreth with al their doings That al we I sai ar the dedli professed enemies of our god the truth it self testifieth til being iustified we ar receiued into frēdship If iustified 〈◊〉 the beginnīg of loue what righteousnes of works shal go before 〈…〉 Ihon to turne away that pestilent arrogance dothe diligently put vs in mind how we did not first loue him And the self same thing the lord had long before taught bi his prophet I wil loue thē saih he with a fre loue bicause mine anger is turned Certainly his loue is not prouoked by workes if it hath of his owne accorde inclined it self vnto vs. But the rude cōmon sorte of men think it to be nothing els but that no mā hathe deserued that Christ shoulde performe oure redēption yet that to the entring into the possession of redemptiō we be holpen by our owne works Yea but hosoeuer we be redemed of Christ yet till we be by the calling of the Father graffed into the communion of him we are bothe heires of darkenesse and death and the enemies of God For Paul teacheth that we are not cleansed wasshed from our vncleannesses by the blood of Christ vntill the holy ghoste worketh y◠cleansing in vs. Whiche same thing Peter minding to teache declareth that the sancrifinge of the Spirite auaileth vnto obedience the sprinkling of the bloode of Christ. If we be by the Spirite sprinkled with the bloode of Christ vnto cleansing lette vs not thinke that before such watering we be any other than a sinner is without Christ. Let this therfore remaine certaine that the beginning of oure saluatiō is as yt were a certain resurrectiō frō death to life bicause when for Christes sake it is geuē to vs to beleue in him thē we first begin to passe frō death into life Under this sort are comprehended they whyche haue in the diuision aboue set ben noted for the second third sort of men For the vncleannesse of conscience proueth that both of them ar not yet regenerate by the Spirit of God And againe wheras there is no regeneration in them this proueth the want of faith Wherby appeareth that thei are not yet reconciled to God nor yet iustified in his sight forasmuch as these good
vs. When therfore the holy ones do by innoceÌ„cie of coÌ„science coÌ„firme their faith gather matter of reioysing they do nothing but cal to minde by the frutes of their calling that they are adopted of the Lord into the place of children This therfore that is taught by Salomon that in the feaâ—e of the Lord is stedfast assurednesse this that somtime the holy ones vse this protestation to the entent that they may be heard of the Lord that thei haue walked before his face in vprightnes simplicititie haue no place in laying the fundatioÌ„ of stablishing of coÌ„science but are theÌ„ only of value if they be taken of the ensuing effect because both the feare is no where whiche may stablish a full assurednesse the holy ones are priuie in their conscience of such an vprightnes wherwith ar yet mingled many reÌ„naÌ„tes of the flesh But forasmuche as of the frutes of regeneration they gather an argumeâ—t of the holy Ghoste dwellynge in them they do there by not sclenderly strengthen them selues to loke for the helpe of God in all their necessities when they by experience finde hym their father in so great a matter And euen this also they canne not doe vnlesse thei haue first conceyued the goodnesse of God sealed with no other assurednesse than of the promyse For if they beginne to weye yt by good workes nothing shal be more vncertaine nor more weake forasmuche as if workes bee considered by them selues thei shall no lesse by theyr imperfection shewe profe of the wrathe of God than thei do with how soeuer vnperfect purenes testifie his good wil. Fynally thei do so set out the benefites of God that yet they tourne not awaie from the free fauoure of God in which Paul testifieth that ther is the length breadth depth and heigth of them as if he shoulde say Whethersoeuer the senses of the godly do tourne themselues howe hie soeuer thei clyme how farre and wide soeuer thei extend them yet thei ought not to goe oute of the loue of Christe but holde them selues wholy in the meditation therof bicause it comprehendeth al kindes of measures in it And therfore he saithe that it excelleth and surmounteth aboue all knowledge and that when we acknowledge howe muche Christe hathe loued vs we are fulfilled into all the fulnesse of God As in an other place when he glorieth that all the Godly are vanquishers in battell he by and by addeth a reason bycause of him that loued vs. We see now that ther ys not in the holy ones that affiance of works whiche either geueth any thinge to the merite of them forasmuche as thei regarde them none otherwise than as the giftes of God whereby thei reknowledg his goodnesse none otherwise than as signes of their calling whereby maie thinke vpon their election or whiche withdraweth not any thing from the free righteousnesse whiche wee obteine in Christe for asmuche as it hangeth vpon it and standeth not withoute it The same thing doth Augustine in few wordes but very wel set out where he writeth I do not saie to the Lorde despise not the workes of my handes or I haue sought the Lorde with my handes and haue not been deceiued But I do not commned the workes of my handes for I feare least when thou haste loked vpon them thou shalt finde moe sinnes than merites Onli this I say this I ask this I desire despise not the workes of thy hands beholde in me thy worke not mine For if thow beholdest mine thou damnest me if thou beholdest thine thou crownest me For also whatsoeuer good workes I haue they are of thee He setteth two causes why he dare not boaste of his workes to God bycause if he haue any good workes he seeth therin nothing his owne secondly bycause the same is also ouerwhelmed wyth multytude of synnes Whereupon commeth to passe that the conscience feleth thereby more feare and dismaieng than assurednesse Therfore he woulde haue God no otherwise to loke on his well doinges than that reknowledging in them the grace of his calling he maie make an ende of the worke which he hathe begonne But furthermore wheras the scripture sheweth that the good workes of the faithfull are causes why the Lorde doth good to them that is so to be vnderstanded that that which we haue before set may stand vnshaken that the Effect of our saluation consisteth in the loue of God the Father the Mater in the obedience of the Sonne the Instrument in the enlightning of the holy ghooste that is to saie in faithe that the end is the glorie of the so great kindenes of God These thinges withstande not but that the Lorde maye embrace workes as inferiour causes But whense coÌ„meth that Namely whome the Lord of his mercie hath apointed to the inheritaÌ„ce of eternal life them with his ordinarie dispeÌ„sation he doth by good workes bring into the possessioÌ„ therof That which goeth before in order of dispensatioÌ„ he calleth the cause of that which foloweth After this maÌ„ner he somtime deriueth eternal life froÌ„ workes not for that is to be ascribed to theÌ„ but bicause whome he hath chosen them he doth iustifie that he may at leÌ„gth glorifie them he maketh the grace that goeth before which is a step toward that which foloweth after a certaine maÌ„ner the cause of it But so oft as he hath occasioÌ„ to assigne the true cause he biddeth vs not to flee to workes but holdeth vs in the only thinking vpon the mercie of God For what manner of thing is this which he teacheth by the Apostle The reward of sinne is death the grace of the Lord is life euerlasting Why doth he not set righteousnesse in coÌ„parison against sinne as he setteth life agaynst death Why doth he not make righteousnesse the cause of life as he maketh sinne the cause of death For so should the comparison of contraries haue stand well together which is much broken by this turning But the Apostle meant by this coÌ„parison to expresse that which was truth that death is due to the deseruings of men that life is reposed in the only mercie of God Finally in these maÌ„ners of speaking is rather expressed the order than the cause bicause God in heaping graces vpon graces taketh cause of the first to adde the second that he may leaue nothing vndone to the enrichyng of his seruantes and he so continually exteÌ„deth his liberalitie that yet he would haue vs alway to looke vnto the free election which is fountaine beginning of it For although he loueth the giftes which he dayly geueth in so much as thei spring out of that fountaine yet it is our part to holde fast that free acceptation whiche alone is able to vpholde our soules as for such giftes of his Spirit as he afterward geueth vs so to adioyne them to the first cause that they minish nothing of it The .xv. Chapter ¶ That those thinges that are commoÌ„ly
it is lyke vnto a corne fielde whiche beyng sowen with good graine is by the ennemies fraude scattered with tares of whiche it is not cleansed vntyll the croppe bee broughte into the barne floore Fynally let them heare that it is lyke vnto a floore wherein the wheate is so gathered together that it lyeth hydden vnder the chaffe tyll beyng clensed with fanne and syâ—e it be at length laide vp in the grainer If the Lorde pronounce that the Churche shall euen to the daye of Iudgement be troubled with this euyll to be burdened with mynglyng of euyll men they doo in vayne seeke for a Churche sprynkled with no spotte But they crie out that it is an intollerable thyng that the pestilence of vices so raungeth abroade What if the saying of the Apostle dooe here also answere them Among the Corithians not onely a few had gone out of the waie but the infection hadde in a maner possessed the whole body There was not onely one kynde of synne but many neither were they light offences but certayn horrible outragious doings it was not onely corruption of maners but also of doctrine What in this case saith the holy Apostle that is to say the instrument of the Holy ghoste by whoe 's testimonie the Churche standeth and falleth Doth he require a diuision from them Doth he banishe them out of the kingdom of Christ Doeth he strike them with the extremest thunderbolt of curse He not only doeth none of all these thyngs but he both acknowledgeth and reporteth it a Churche of Christ and felowship of sainctes If there remayne a Churche among the Corinthians where contentions sectes and enuious partakynges doo broyle where quarels and brawlynges be in vre with a gredynesse of hauyng where that wicked dooyng is openly allowed whiche were abhominable amonge the very Gentiles where Paules name is vniustly rayled at whome they ought to haue honoured as their father where some scorne at the resurrection of the dead with ruine wherof the whole Gospell falleth where the gracious giftes of God serue to ambition and not to charitie wher mâ—ny things are vncomely and vnorderly doone and if therfore there styll remayne a Churche because the ministerie of the word and of the Sacramentes is there not refused who dare take away the name of the Churche from them that can not be charged with the tenth part of these fauâ—es They that with so great precisenesse deale so cruelly against the Churches of this present tyme what I pray you wold they haue don to the Galathians which were almost vtter forsakers of the Gospel among whom yet the same Apostle founde Churches They obiect also how that Paule greuousely rebuketh the Corinthians for sufferyng in their company a man that was a hainous synner and then he setteth a generall sentence wherin he pronounceth that it is vnlawfull euen to eate breade with a manne of reprochefull lyfe Here they crie oute If it be not lawfull to eate common breade howe may it be lawfull to eate with them the bread of the Lorde I confesse in dede that it is a greate dishonour if hogges and dogges haue place among the children of God it is also a muche more dishonour if the holy body of Christe be geuen foorth to them And truely if they bee well ordred Churches they will not suffer wicked men in their bosome and will not without choise admitte bothe worthy and vnwoorthy together to that holy banket But forasmuch as the Pastors doo not alway so diligently watche yea and somtyme are more tender in bearyng with men that they ought to be or are hindered so that they can not vse that seueritie that they woulde it commeth to passe that euen they that ar openlye euyll are not alway thruste out of the company of the holy ones This I graunte to bee a faulte neyther wyll I dymynysshe it sithe Paule dooeth so sharpely rebuke it in the Corinthians But although the Churche be slacke in her duetie it shall not be therfore immediately in the power of euery priuate man to take vpon him selfe the iudgemeÌ„t to seuer him I do in dede not deny that it is the doyng of a godly man to withdraw himselfe from al priuate company of euil men to entangle himself in no willing familiaritie with them But it is one thing to flee the companie of euill men and an other thyng for hatred of theim to forsake the Communion of the Churche But where as they thynke it sacrilege to be partakers of the Lordes bread with them they are therin muche more rigorous than Paule is For where he exhorteth vs to a holy and pure partakyng he requyreth not that one should examin an other or euery man the whole Churche but that they should echone proue hym selfe If it were vnlawfull to comunicate with an vnworthy man then truely Paule would byd vs to looke circumspectly whether there were any in the multitude by whoe 's vncleannesse we might be defiled Nowe when he requireth onely of euery man the proofe of themselues he sheweth that it nothyng hurteth vs if any vnwoorthie doo thruste them selues in among vs. And nothyng els is ment by this whiche he saieth afterwarde He that eateth vnworthily eateth drinketh iudgement to him selfe He doeth not say to other but to himselfe And rightfully For it ought not to stande in the choise of euery particular man who bee to be receiued and who to be reiected The knowledge hereof belongeth to the whole Church which knowledge can not be had without lawfull order as hereafter shall be saide more at large Therfore it shoulde be vnryghtuous that any priuate man should be defiled with the vnworthynesse of an other whome he neyther can nor ought to kepe backe from commyng to it But althoughe by this vndiscrete zeale of rightuousnesse this tentation doeth sometyme also entre into good men yet this we shall finde that to muche precisenesse groweth rather of pride disdainfulnesse and false opinion of holynesse than of true holynesse and true zeale therof Therfore they that are bolder than other and as it were standerd bearers to make any departyng from the Churche for the moste parte doo it vpon no other cause but in despisyng of all men to boast them selues to be better than other Therfore Augustine saieth well wisely When godly order and maner of Ecclesiasticall discipline ought principally to haue regarde vnto the vnitie of Spirite in the bonde of peace whyche the Apostle commaunded to be kept by bearyng one with an other and whiche beeyng not kepte the medicine of reuenge is proued to bee not onely superfluous but also pernicious and therfore nowe to be no medicine at all those euill children which not for hatred of other mens iniquities but for affection of their owne contentions doo gredyly labour eyther wholly to drawe or at least to diuide the weake common peoples entangled with the bosting of their name swelling with pride madde with stubburnesse
be wheate we must vse diligeÌ„ce and endeuour as muche as we may that we may be a golden or syluer vessell But to breake the earthen vessels is the only work of the Lord to whom also is geuen an iron rodde And let no man chalenge to hym selfe that whiche is proprely belongyng to the Sonne onely to be able alone to fanne the floore and clense the chaffe and seuer all the tares by mans iudgement This is a prowde obstinacie and a presumption full of sacrilege which a peruerse furour taketh to it selfe c. Therfore let bothe these thynges remayn certainly fixed First that he hath no excuse that of his owne will forsaketh the outward coÌ„munion of the Church â–ª where the word of God is preached the sacraments ministred then that the faultes of a few or of many are no hindraÌ„ce but that we may therin rightly professe our faith by the Ceremonies institute by God bicause a godly conscience is not hurt by the vnworthines of any other ether pastor or priuate man and the misteries are to a holy vpright maÌ„ neuerthelesse pure holsome because they are together handled of vncleane meÌ„ Their precisenesse and disdainfulnesse procedeth yet further because they acknowledge no Chirche but such a one as is pure from al spottes be they neuer so smal yea they are angry with good teachers for that in exhorting the faithful to goe forwarde they teache them al their life long to grone vnder the burden of vices and to flee vnto pardon For they prate that by this meane meÌ„ be led froÌ„ perfection I graunte in dede that in earnest calling vpon perfection we ought not slowly or coldely to trauail much lesse to be idle but to fil our mindes with confidence therof while we be yet in our course I say it is a deuelish inuention Therefore in the Crede the forgeuenesse of synnes is aptly ioyned next after the Chirche For none do atteine it but only they that are citezens and of the household of the Chirch as it is red in the Prophete Therfore the bilding of the heaueÌ„ly HierusaleÌ„ ought to go before wherin afterward this mercifulnesse of God maye haue place that whosoeuer come vnto it their iniquitie may be takeÌ„ away I say that it ought first to be bilded not for that there caÌ„ be any Chirch wtout the forgeuenesse of synnes but because the lord hath not promised his mercy but in the CoÌ„munion of Sainctes Therfore the fyrst entry for vs into the Chirch kingdome of God is the forgeuenesse of synnes wtout which we haue no couenauÌ„t or coÌ„ioyning wyth God For thus he sayeth by the Prophete In the day I wil strike you a couenant with the beast of the feld with the fowle of the aire with the vermin of the earth I wil breake the sword war from out of the earth I wil make men to slepe wtout feare I wil espouse you vnto me for euer I wil espouse you I say in righteousnesse in iudgement in mercy and in coÌ„passions We see how by his mercy the lord recoÌ„cileth vs to himselfe And so in an other place when he foresayth that the people shal be gathered together agayne whoÌ„ he had scattered abrode in his wrath he saieth I wil cleanse theÌ„ froÌ„ al wyckednesse wherewith they haue synned agaynst me Wherfore by the signe of washing we enter into the felowshyp of the Chirch wherby we may be taught that there is no entrie open for vs into the householde of God vnlesse our fylthynesse be fyrst wiped away with hys goodnesse But by the forgeuenesse of sinnes the Lord doth not only receiue and adopt vs ones into the Chirch but by the same he also preserueth maynteineth vs stil in it For to what purpose wer it to haue suche a pardon grauÌ„ted vs as should serue for no vse But euery one of the godly is a wytnesse to himselfe that the mercy of God should be vain and mocking if it should be grauÌ„ted only but ones because there is none that is not in his own coÌ„scieÌ„ce priuie throughout his whole life of many weakenesses which nede the mercy of God And truly not in vain God promiseth thys grace peculiarly to theÌ„ of his own household not in vain he coÌ„maundeth the same message of recoÌ„ciliatioÌ„ to be daily offred vnto theÌ„ Therefore as throughout al our life we carry about vs the râ—nantes of sine vnlesse we be susteined with the coÌ„tinual grace of the lord in forgeuing oure synnes we shal scarcely abide one momeÌ„t in the Chirch But the lord hath called his vnto eternal saluatioÌ„ Therfore they ought to thike that there is pardon alway ready for their sinnes Wherfore we ought to holde assuredly that by the liberalitie of God by meane of Christes deseruing through the Sanctification of the Spirite sinnes haue been and are daily pardoned to vs which be called graffed into the body of the Chirch To deale this benefite vnto vs the keyes were geuen to the Chirch For when Christ gaue the Apostles commaundemeÌ„t deliuered them power to forgeue sinnes he meante not this onely that they shoulde loose them froÌ„ sinnes that wer froÌ„ vngodlinesse coÌ„uerted to the faith of Christ but rather that they should continually execute this office among the faythful Which thing Paule teacheth when he writeth that the embassage of reconciliation was left with the ministers of the Chirche wherby they should oftentimes in Christes name exhort the people to reconcile themselues to God Therfore in the CoÌ„munion of Sainctes by the ministery of the Chirch it self sinnes are coÌ„tinually forgeueÌ„ vs when the Priestes or Bishops to whom the office is committed doe with the promyses of the Gospel coÌ„firme godly consciences in hope of pardoÌ„ forgeuenesse and that as wel publikely as priuately according as necessitie requireth For there be very many which for their weakenesse do nede a singular atonemeÌ„t And Paul reporteth that not only in commoÌ„ preaching but also in houses he had testified the Fayth in Christ and seuerally admonyshed euery one of the doctryne of saluation Therfore we haue here three thyngs to be noted First that with how great holynesse soeuer the children of God do excel yet they be alway in this estate so long as they dwel in a mortal body that without forgeuenesse of sinnes they can not staÌ„de before God Secondly that this benefite is so proper to the Chirche that we can not otherwise enioy it but if we abide in the CoÌ„munion therof Thirdly that it is distributed vnto vs by the ministers Pastors eyther by preaching of the Gospel or by ministryng of the Sacramentes that in thys behalfe principally appeareth the power of the keyes which the Lord hath geuen to the felowship of the faythful Wherfore let euery one of vs thinke this to be his duty no where els to seke forgeuenesse of sines than where the Lord hath set it Of publyke recoÌ„ciliation
aduaunced than it was when he sayde He that heareth you heareth me He that despiseth you despiseth me But there is no place more playne than in Paule in his seconde Epistle to the Corinthians where he as it were of purpose entreateth of this matter He affirmeth therefore that there is nothyng in the Chirche more excellent or glorious than the ministerie of the Gospell forasmuche as it is the administration of the Spirite and of righteousnesse and of eternal life These and like sayenges serue to this purpose that that order of gouerning and preseruing the Chirch by ministers which the Lord hath stablished for euer should not growe oute of estimation among vs and so at length by very contempt grow out of vse And howe greate is the necessitie therof he hath declared not onely by wordes but also by examples When his wil was to shine more fully to Cornelius with the light of his trueth he sente an Angell from heauen to sende Peter vnto him When his will was to call Paule to the knowlege of himselfe and to engraffe him into the Chirch he spake not to him with his own voice but sente him to a man of whom he shoulde receiue both the doctrine of saluation and the sanctification of Baptisme If it be not done without cause that an Angell which is the interpreter of God doe himselfe absteine from declaring the wil of God but commaundeth that a man be sente for to declare it and not withoute cause that Christ the onely scholemaister of the faithfull commytteth Paule to the schooling of a man yea euen that same Paule whom he had determined to take vp into the thirde heauen and to vouchsaue to graunt him miraculous reuelation of thinges vnspeakable whoe is there now that dare despise that ministerie or passe it ouer as a thyng superfluous the vse wherof it hath pleased God to make approued by such examples They that haue rule of the gouernement of the Chirche according to the institution of Christ are named of Paule first Apostles then Prophetes thirdly Euangelistes fourthly Pastors laste of all Teachers Of which the twoo last alone haue ordinarie office in the Chirche the other three the Lord raised vp at the beginning of hys kingdome and sometime yet also rayseth vp as the necessitie of times requireth What is the Apostles office appeareth by that commaundemente go preache the Gospell to euery creature There are not certaine boundes appointed vnto them but the whole worlde is assigned them to be brought into the obedience of Christe that in spreading the Gospell among all nations whersoeuer they shall be able they maye eche where raise vp his kingdome Therefore Paule when he wente aboute to proue his Apostleship rehearseth that he hath gotten to Christ not some one citie but hath farre and wide spred abrode the Gospell and that he hath not layed his handes to an other mans fundation but planted Chirches where the name of the Lorde had neuer ben heard of Therfore the Apostles were sente to bring backe the world from falling awaye vnto true obedience of God and eche where to stablish his kingdome by preaching of the Gospell or if you like that better as the first bilders of the Chirche to laye the fundations therof in all the worlde Prophetes he calleth not all expositors of Gods will whatsoeuer they be but those that by singular reuelation excelled suche as at this tyme either be none or are lesse notable By Euangelistes I vnderstande those whiche when in dignitie they were lesse than the Apostles yet in office were nexte vnto them yea and occupied their roomes Suche were Luke Timothee Titus and other lyke and paraduenture also the seuentie Disciples whom Christ appointed in the seconde place after the Apostles According to this exposition which semeth to me agreable both with the woordes and meaning of Paule those three offices were not ordeined in the Chirche to this ende that they should be perpetuall but onely to serue for that tyme wherein Chirches were to be erected where were none before or at least to be remoued from Moses to Chryst. Albeit I denie not but the afterwarde also the Lord hath somtyme raysed vp Apostles or at least in their places Euangelistes as it hath ben done in our time For it was nedefull to haue such to bryng backe the Chirche from the falling away of Antichrist Yet the office it selfe I do neuerthelesse call extraordinarie because it hath no place in the Chirches already well set in order Next after these are Pastors and Teachers whom the Chirche may neuer lacke betwene whom I thynke that there is thys difference that the Teachers are not appoynted to beare rule of discipline nor for the ministration of Sacramentes nor admonishmentes or exhortations but onely to expounde the Scripture that pure and sounde doctrine may be kept among the faithfull But the office of Pastor conteineth al these thynges within it Now we haue which were those ministeries in the Chirch that continued but for a tyme and which were those that were ordeined to endure perpetually If we ioyne the Euangelistes with the Apostles we shall haue remayning two couples after a certayne maner answeryng the one to the other For as oure Teachers are lyke to the olde Prophetes in such sort are our Pastors lyke to the Apostles The office of Prophetes was more excellent by reson of the singular gifte that they had of reuelation but the office of Teachers hath in a manner lyke order and altogether the same ende So those .xii. whom the Lorde dyd choose that they should publish abrode to the world the new preaching of the Gospel in degre and dignitie went before the rest For although by the meanyng and propertie of the worde all the ministers of the Chirche maye be ryghtly called Apostles because they are sente of the Lorde and are hys messengers yet because it was muche behouefull that there should be a certayne knowledge had of the sendyng of them that should bring a thing new and vnheard of it was necessarie that those xii to whoe 's number Paule was afterwarde added should be garnished with some peculiar title aboue the rest Paule hymselfe in dede in â—â—e place geueth thys name to Andronicus and Iunias whom he saieth to haue been notable among the Apostles but when he meaneth to speake properly he referreth it to none other but to that principal degree And this is the common vse of the Scripture Yet the Pastors sauing that eche of them do gouerne seueral Chirches appointed to them haue al one charge with the Apostles Now what maner of thing that is let vs yet heare it more playnly The Lord when he sent the Apostles gaue them commaundemente as we sayd euen now to preache the Gospell and to baptise them that beleue vnto forgeuenesse of synnes He had before commaunded that they should distribute the holy signes of his body and bloud as
of spiritual policie To this ende from the beginning were ordeined iudicial orders in Chirches which might vse examination of maners correcte vices and exercise the office of the keyes This order Paule speaketh of in the Epistle to the Corinthians when he nameth gouernementes Againe to the Romaines wheÌ„ he saith let him that ruleth rule in carefulnesse For he speaketh not to the magistrates for at that time there were no Christian magistrates but to them that were ioyned with the Pastors for the spirituall gouernement of the Chirch Also in the Epistle to Timothee he maketh twoo sortes of Elders some that labor in the worde other some that do not vse the preaching of the worde and yet do rule well By this later sort it is no doute that he meaneth them that were appointed to loke vnto maners and to the whole vse of the keyes For this power of which we now speake hangeth wholly vpon the keyes which Christ gaue to the Chirche in the xviii Chap. of Mathew where he commaundeth that they should be sharply admonished in the name of the whole Chirch that haue despised priuate monitioÌ„s but if they goe forward in their obstinacie he teacheth that they should be put out of the felowship of the faithful But these monitions and corrections can not be without knowlege of the cause therefore there nedeth both some iugement and order Wherefore vnlesse we will make voide the promise of the keyes and take vtterly away excoÌ„municatioÌ„ solemne monitions and all suche thynges whatsoeuer they be we must nedes geue to the Chirch some iurisdiction Let the reders marke that that place entreateth not of the generall authoritie of doctrine as in the .xvi. Chapter of Mathewe and the .xxi. of Iohn but that the power of the Sinagoge is for the time to come transferred to the flocke of Christ. Untill that day the Iewes had their order of gouerning which Christ stablisheth in his Chirch and that with great penaltie so much as concerneth the pure institution of it For so it behoued forasmuch as otherwise the iugemente of an vnnoble and vnregarded congregation might be despised of rash and proude men And that it should not encomber the reders that Christ doth in thesame words expresse thinges somwhat differring one from the other it shal be profitable to dissolue this dout There be therfore â—woo places that speake of bynding and loosing The one is in the xvi Chapter of Mathew where Christ after that he had promised that he would geue to Peter the keyes of the kingdome of heauen immediatly addeth that whatsoeuer he shal bynde or loose in earth shal be confirmed in heauen In which wordes he meaneth none other thing than he doth by other wordes in Iohn when sending his disciples to preache after that he had breathed vpon them he said whose synnes ye forgeue they shal be forgeuen whoe 's ye reteine they shal be reteined in heauen I will bring an exposition not suttle not enforced not wrested but natural flowyng and offring it selfe This commaundemente of forgeuing and reteining synnes and that promise of bynding and loosing made to Peter oughte to be referred to no other thyng but to the ministerie of the worde which wheÌ„ the Lord committed to the Apostles he did therewith also arme them with this office of bynding and loosing For what is the summe of the Gospell but that we all being the bondseruantes of synne and of death are loosed and made fre by the redemption that is in Christ Iesus and that they which do not receiue nor acknowlege Christe theyr deliuerer and redemer are damned adiudged to euerlasting bondes When the Lorde deliuered this message to his Apostles to be carried into al nations to approue that it was his owne and proceding from himself he honored it with this noble testimonie and that to the singular strengthening both of the Apostles themselues and of all those to whom it should come It behoued that the Apostles shoulde haue a stedfast and sounde certaintie of their preaching which they should not onely execute with infinite labors cares troubles and dangers but also at the last seale it with their blood That they might I say knowe thesame to be not vaine nor voide but full of power and force it behoued that in so great carefulnesse in so great hardnesse of thynges and in so great dangers they should be persuaded that they did the businesse of God that when all the worlde withstode them and fought againste them they should knowe that God stode on their side that hauing not Christ the author of their doctrine present by sight in earth they should vnderstande him to be in heauen to confirme the trueth of the doctrine which he had deliuered them It behoued againe that it should also be most certainly proued by testimonie to the hearers that that doctrine of the Gospell was not the worde of the Apostles but of God himselfe not a voice bred in earth but come downe from heauen For these thinges the forgeuenesse of sinnes the promise of euerlasting life the message of saluation can not be in the power of man Therefore Christe hath testified that in the preaching of the Gospell there is nothing of the Apostles but the only ministerie that it was he himselfe that spake and promised all thynges by their mouthes as by instrumentes and therefore that the forgeuenesse of sinnes which they preached was the true promise of God and the damnation which they pronounced was the certaine iudgement of God But this testifieng is geuen to all ages and remaineth in force to certifie and assure all men that the word of the Gospel by what man soeuer it be preached is the very senteÌ„ce of God published at the soueraigne iudgement seate written in the boke of life ratified firme and fixed in heauen Thus we see that in those places the power of the keyes is nothyng but the preachyng of the Gospell and that it is not so muche a power as a ministerie if we haue respect to meÌ„ For Christ hath not geuen this power proprely to men but to his owne worde wherof he hath made men ministers The other place whiche we haue said to be concernyng the power of bynding and loosyng is in the .xviii. chapter of Mathew where Christ sayth If any brother heare not the Chirch let him be to thee as a heathen maÌ„ or a publicane Uerily I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye bynd vppon earth shal be bound also in heauen whatsoeuer ye loose shal be loosed This place is not altogether like the first but is a little otherwise to bee vnderstanded But I do not so make them diuerse that they haue not great affinitie together This first point is like in both that either of them is a generall senteÌ„ce that in both there is alway all one power of bynding and loosyng namely by the worde of God all one commaundement all one promise But herein they differ that the fyrst place
Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople he doth in dede render a reason why he ought not to be blamed yet he doth not bost of immunitie from the secular court but rather promiseth that he wil be obedient so farr as his conscience wil geue hym leaue and therewithal he saith this that Maurice did as became a Godly Prince when he gaue such commaundementes to the Prestes ¶ The .xii. Chapter Of the discipline of the Chirch wherof the chefe vse is in the censures and excommunication THe discipline of the Chirch the entreating wherof we haue differred vnto this place is brefely to be declared that we may at length passe ouer to the rest But that same for the most part hangeth vpon the power of the keyes and spiritual iurisdiction That this may be the more easily vnderstode let vs diuide the Chirch into twoo principal degrees that is to say the Clergie and the people Clerkes I call by the vsual name those that execute publike ministerie in the Chirch Firste we wil speake of common discipline to which al ought to be subiect then we will come to the Clergie which beside that common discipline haue a seuerall discipline by themselues But because many for hatred of discipline do abhorre the very name therof let them heare this If no felowship yea no house though it haue but a small householde can be kept in righte state without discipline the same is muche more necessarie in the Chirch whoe 's state ought to be most orderly of al. Therefore as the doctrine of Christ which bringeth saluation is the soule of the Chirch so discipline is in stede of sinewes therein wherby it is broughte to passe that the members of the body hang together euery one in hys fyt place Wherfore whosoeuer do either desire to haue discipline taken awaye or hinder the restoryng therof whether they do it of set purpose or by vnaduisednesse verily they seke the extreme dissipation of the Chirch For what shall betide if what is lustfull to be lawfull to euery man But so would it be if there were not with the preaching of doctrine adioâ—ned priuate admonishmentes corrections and suche other helpes whiche susteyne doctrine and suffer it not to bee idle Discipline therfore is as it were a bridle wherwith they may be holden backe and tamed which coltishly resist against Christ or as it were a pricke wherwith they that are not willing enough may be stirred vp and somtyme as a fatherly rod wherwith they which haue more greuously falleÌ„ may be chastised mercifully and according to the mildenesse of the Spirite of Christ. Sith therfore we do now se at hande certaine beginninges of a horrible wastenesse in the Chirch because there is no care nor order to kepe the people in awe very necessitie cryeth out that there is nede of remedy But thys is the onely remedy which both Christ hath commaunded and hath alway ben vsed among the godly The first fundation of discipline is that priuate monitions shoulde haue place that is to say that if any man of hys own accorde doe not hys duty if he behaue himselfe licentiously or liue not honestly or haue committed any thyng worthy of blame he should suffer himselfe to be admonished and that euery man should study to admonish his brother when occasion shall require But specially let the Pastors and Prestes be watchefull to doe thys whoe 's office is not only to preach to the people but in euery house to admonish and exhort if at any tyme they doe not sufficiently preuayle by generall doctrine as Paule teacheth when he reherseth that he taughte priuately and in houses and protesteth that he is cleane from the blood of all men because he hath not cessed with teares day and night to admonish euery one For doctrine doeth then obteyne force and authoritie when the minister not onely doth declare to altogether what their duty is to Christ but also hath power and order to require the keping therof of them whom he marketh to be either not obediente to doctrine or slouthfull If any man doe either stubbornely refuse or in going forwarde in hys faultes do despise such admonishmentes when he hath ben the seconde tyme admonished with witnesses called to it Christe commaundeth them to be called to the iugement of the Chirch which is yâ— assemblie of Elders and that there they should be more greuously admonished as it were by publike authoritie that if he reuerence the Chirch he may submitt himselfe and obey But if he be not hereby subdued but do continue in hys wickednesse then he commaundeth hym as a despiser of the Chirch to be putt away from the felowship of the faythfull But because he speaketh here onely of secrete Faultes we must make this diuision that some synnes be priuate and some publike or openly manifest Of the first sort Christ sayth to euery priuate man Reproue hym betwene thee and hym alone Of manifest synnes Paule sayth in Timothee Reproue hym before all men that the rest may haue feare For Christ had sayd before If thy brother haue offended agaynst thee Which wordes against thee vnlesse thou wilte be contentious thou canneste not otherwyse vnderstande than vnder thyne owne secret knowlege so that there be no moe priuie to it But the same thyng whiche the Apostle teacheth Timothee concernyng the rebukyng of them openly that sinne openly he hymselfe folowed in Peter For wheÌ„ Peter synned euen to publyke offence he did not admonyshe hym apart by hymself but brought him fourth into the sight of the Chirch Therfore this shal be the right order of doing if in secret faultes we goe forward according to those degrees that Christ hath set but in manifest faultes we immediatly procede to the Chirches solemne rebuking if the offense be publike Let this also be an other distinctioÌ„ that of sinnes some be defaultes other some be wicked doinges or haynous offences To the correcting of thys later sort not only admonishment or rebuking is to be vsed but also a seuere remedie as Paule sheweth which not only chastised wyth wordes the Corynthian that had committed incest but also punished him with excommunication so sone as he was certified of his wicked dede Now therefore we beginne better to se how the spiritual iurisdiction of the Chirch which punisheth sinnes according to the word of the Lorde is the best maintenance of health and fundation of order and bonde of vnitie Therefore when the Chirch doth banish out of her coÌ„pany manifest adulterers whoremongers theues robbers seditious persons periured men false witnesses and such other againe obstinate men which being orderly admonished euen of small faultes doe scorne God and his iugement she taketh nothing vpon her selfe without reason but executeth the iurisdiction geuen her of the Lorde Moreouer that none should despise such iugement of the Chirch or lightly regarde that he is condemned by the consenting voices of the faithful the Lord hath testified that
also they fele the effect of his resurrection in the quicknyng of the Spirite Herupon he gathereth mater of exhortation that if we be Christians we ought to be dead to sinne and to lyue to righteousnesse This selfe same argument he vseth in an other place that we be circumcised and haue put of the olde man sins that we bee buried in Christ by Baptisme And in this sense in the same place which we haue before alleged he called it the washyng of regeneration of renewing Therfore first free forgeuenesse of sinnes and imputation of righteousnesse is promised vs and then the grace of the Holy ghoste whiche may reforme vs into newnesse of life Last of all our Faith receiueth also this profite of Baptisme that it certainly testifieth vnto vs that we are not only graffed into the death and life of Christ but that we are so vnited to Christ hymselfe that we are partakers of all his good thynges For therfore he hath dedicated and halowed Baptisme in his owne body that he might haue it cōmon with vs as a most strong bonde of the vnitie and felowshyp which he vouchsaued to entre into with vs so that Paul proueth therby that we be the children of God because we haue put on Christ in Baptisme So we see that the fulfillyng of Baptisme is in Christ whome also for this reason we call the propre obiect of Baptisme Therfore it is no meruaile if it be reported that the Apostles baptised into his name which yet wer commaunded to baptise into the name of the Father also and of the Holy ghost For whatsoeuer giftes of God are set foorth in Baptisme are founde in Christ alone And yet it can not be but that he whiche baptiseth into Christ do therwithall call vppon the name of the Father and of the Holy ghost For we are therfore cleansed with his blood because the merciful Father accordyng to his incomparable kyndnesse willing to receiue vs into fauor hath set him a mediator in the middest to procure to vs fauor with him But regeneration we so only obteyne by his death and resurrection if beyng sanctified by the Spirite we be endued with a new and spirituall nature Wherfore both of our cleansyng regeneration we obteine after a certaine maner distinctly perceiue the cause in the Father the mater in the Sonne and the effect in the Holy ghost So Iohn first baptised so afterwarde the Apostles with the baptisme of repentance into the forgeuenesse of sinnes meanyng by this worde repentance suche regeneration and by forgeuenesse of sinnes washyng Whereby also it is made moste certaine that the ministerie of Iohn was altogether the same which was afterwarde committed to the Apostles For the diuers handes wherewith it is ministred make not the Baptisme diuers but the same doctrine sheweth it to be the same Baptisme Iohn and the Apostles agreed into one doctrine bothe baptised into repentance bothe into the forgeuenesse of sinnes bothe into the name of Christe from whome was bothe repentance and forgeuenesse of sinnes Iohn saied that he was the lambe of God by whome the sinnes of the worlde shoulde be taken away where he made him the Sacrifice acceptable to the Father the propitiator of righteousnesse the author of saluation What coulde the Apostles adde to this confession Wherfore let it trouble no man that the olde writers labor to seuer the one from the other whoe 's voice we oughte not so muche to esteme that it may shake the certaintie of the Scripture For who will rather harkē to Chrysostome denyeng that forgeuenesse of sinnes was comprehended in the Baptisme of Iohn than to Luke contrarywyse affirming that Iohn preached the Baptisme of repentance into the forgeuenesse of sinnes Neither is that suttletie of Augustine to be receyued that in the Baptisme of Iohn sinnes were forgeuen in hope but in the Baptisme of Christ they are forgeuen in dede For where as the Euangelist plainly testifieth that Iohn in his Baptisme promised the forgeuenesse of sinnes what nede we to abate this title of commendation when no necessitie compelleth vs vnto it But if any man seke for a difference out of the worde of God he shall fynd none other but this that Iohn baptised into hym that was to come the Apostles into hym that had already presented himselfe As for this that more abundant graces of the Spirite were poured out sins the resurrection of Christ it maketh nothyng to stablishe a diuersitie of Baptismes For the Baptisme which the Apostles ministred while he was yet conuersant in earth was called his yet it had no larger plentifulnesse of the Spirite than the Baptisme of Iohn Yea euē after his ascēsion the Spirit was not geuen to the Samaritans aboue the common measure of the Faithfull before the ascension althoughe they were baptised into the name of Iesus till Peter Iohn wer sent vnto them to lay theyr hands vpon them This only thyng as I think deceiued the old writers that they said that the Baptisme of Iohn was but a preparation to the baptisme of Christ because they red that they were baptised againe of Paul which had ones receiued the baptisme of Iohn But howe muche they were herein deceiued shall ells where be plainely declared in place fitte for it What is it therfore that Iohn said that he baptised in dede with water but that Christ should come whiche should baptise with the Holy ghoste and with fyre This maye in fewe wordes be assoiled For he meant not to put difference betwene the one Baptisme and the other but he compared his own person with the person of Christ saiyng that himselfe was a minister of water but that Christ was the geuer of the Holy ghost and should declare this power by visible miracle the same day that he should sende the Holy ghost to the Apostles vnder fyry tonges What coulde the Apostles boast of more than this What more could they also that baptise at this day For they be onely ministers of the outwarde signe and Christ is the author of the inward grace as the same olde writers thēselues do euery where teach and specially Augustine whose principal stay agaynst the Donatistes is this that what a one soeuer he be that baptizeth yet only Christ is ruler of it These thynges which we haue spoken bothe of mortification and of washyng are shadowed out in the people of Israell whom for the same cause the Apostle sayth to haue ben baptised in the cloude and in the sea Mortifiyng was figured when the Lorde deliueryng them oute of the hande of Pharao and from cruell bondage made for them a waye thorough the redde sea and drowned Pharao hymselfe and the Egyptiās their enemies that folowed them hard at their backes and were euen in their neckes to ouertake them For after the same maner also he promiseth to vs in Baptisme and by a signe geuen sheweth vs that we
infantes was unknowen therin they most fowly doo lye For there is no writer so olde that doth not certainly referre the beginnyng therof to the tyme of the Apostles Nowe remaineth that we breefely shewe what fruite commeth of this obseruation bothe to the faithfull whiche present theyr chyldren to the Chirche to be baptised and also to the infantes themselues that be baptised with the holy water that no man shold despise it as vnprofitable or idle But if it come in any mans minde vpon this pretence to mocke at the Baptisme of infantes he scorneth the commaundemente of Circumcision geuen by the Lorde For what will they bryng foorth to impugne the Baptisme of infantes which may not also be throwen backe against Circumcision So the Lorde taketh vengeance of their arrogance whiche do by and by condemne that which they comprehend not with the sense of their owne fleshe But God furnisheth vs with other armures wherby their foolishnesse may be beaten flatt For neither this his holy institution by whiche we feele out faith to be holpen with singular comfort deserueth to be called superfluous For Gods signe communicated to a childe doth as it wer by an emprinted seale confirme the promise geuen to the godly parente and declareth that it is ratified that the Lorde will be God not onely to hym but also to his seede â—nd will continually shewe his good will and grace not to hym onely but also to his posteritie euen to the thousandth generation Where when the great kindnesse of God vttereth it selfe firste it yeldeth moste large mater to aduauÌ„ce his glorie and ouerspreadeth godly hartes with singular gladnesse because they are therwithall more earnestly moued to loue agayne so godly a Father whom they see to haue care of their posteritie for their sakes Neither do I regarde if any man take exception and say that the promise ought to suffise to confirme the saluation of our children forasmuche as it hath pleased God otherwise whoe as he knoweth our weaknesse willed in this behalfe so much to beare tenderly with it Therfore let them that embrace the promise of Gods mercy to be extended to their children thynke that it is theyr duetie to offer them to the Chirche to be signed with the signe of mercy and therby to encourage themselues to a more assured coÌ„fidence because they do with present eye beholde the couenant of the Lorde grauen in the bodies of their children Agayne the children receyue some commoditie of their Baptisme that beyng engraffed into the bodye of the Chirche they bee somewhat the more coÌ„mended to the other meÌ„bres Then when they are growen to riper age they be therby not sclenderly stirred vp to earnest endeuor to worshyp God of whom they haue ben receiued into his children by a solemne signe of adoption before that they coulde by age acknowe hym for their Father Finally that same condemnation oughte greatly to make vs afrayde that God will take vengeance of it if any man despise to marke his sonne with the signe of the couenant because by suche contempt the grace offred is refused and as it were forsworne Now let vs examine the argumentes wherby certaine furious beastes do not cesse to assaile this holy institution of God Fyrst because thei see that they be excedyngly nere driuen and hard strained with the likenesse of Baptisme and Circumcision they labor to pluck in sonder these two signes with great difference that the one shoulde not some to haue any thyng common with the other For they say that both diuers thinges are signified and that the couenant is altogether diuers and that the namyng of the children is not all one But while they go aboute to proue that first point they allege that circumcision was a figure of mortification and not of Baptisme Whiche verily we do moste willynglye graunt them For it maketh very well for our syde Neither doo we vse any other profe of our sentence than that Baptisme and Circumcision are signes of mortification Hereupon we determine that Baptisme is set in the place of Circumcision that it shoulde represente vnto vs the same thyng whiche in old tyme it signified to the Iewes In affirming the difference of the couenant with howe barbarous boldnesse do they turmoyle and corrupt the Scripture and that not in one place alone but so as they leaue nothyng safe or whole For they depainte vnto vs the Iewes so to be carnal that they be lyker beasts than men with whoÌ„ forsooth the couenant made procedeth not beyonde the temporall lyfe to whome the promyses geuen doe reste in presente and bodyly good thynges If this doctrine take place what remayneth but that the nation of the Iewes were for a tyme fylled with the benefites of God none otherwise than as they fatte a hearde of swyne in a stye that at lengthe they shoulde perishe with eternall damnation For so soone as we allege Circumcision and the promises annexed vnto it they answer that Circumcision was a litterall sygne and the promyses thereof were carnall Truely if circumcision was a literall signe there is no otherwise to be thought of Baptisme For the Apostle in the seconde Chapter to the Colossians maketh the one no more spirituall than the other For he sayth that we are circumcised in Christe with a circumcision not made with hande puttyng away the body of sinne that dwelled in our fleshe which he calleth the circumcision of Christ. Afterward for declaration of that sayeng he adioineth that we be buried with Christ by Baptisme What meaneth he by these wordes but that the fulfillyng and truth of Baptisme is also the truthe and fulfillyng of circumcision because they figure bothe one thyng For he trauaileth to shewe that Baptisme is the same to ChristiaÌ„s which circumcision had ben before to the Iewes But forasmuch as we haue now euidently declared that the promises of bothe the signes and the mysteries that are represented in them doo agree together we wil for this present tary no longer vpon them Only I will put the faithfull in mynde that though I holde my peace they should weye with themselues whether it be taken for an earthly and literall signe vnder whiche nothyng is conteyned but spirituall and heauenly But that they should not sell their smokes to the simple we will by the way confute one obiection wherwith they color this most shamelesse lye It is most certaine that the principall promises wherin was conteyned the couenant whiche in the Olde testamente God stablished with the Israelites were spriritual and tended to eternall life and then agayne that they were receiued of the fathers spirituallye as it was mete that they myght therof receiue affiance of the life to come wherunto they loÌ„ged with the whole affectioÌ„ of their hart But in the meane tyme we denie not but that he witnessed his good will towarde them with earthly and carnall benefites by which also we say that the same promise of spiritual things was confirmed
figured in Melchisedech whom when the Scripture had ones broughte in for the preste of the lyuyng God it neuer afterwarde made mention of hym as though he had had no end of his life After this point of likenesse Christe was called a prest accordyng to his order Now they that doo daily sacrifice must nedes appoint prestes to make the oblations whom they must appoint as it were successors and vicars in the stede of Christ. By which puttyng in stede of him they do not only spoile Christ of his honor and plucke from hym the prerogatiue of eternal presthod but also trauaile to thrust hym downe from the right hande of his Father on whiche he can not sitt immortall but that he muste therwithall remaine the eternall prest Neither lett them laye for themselues that their pety sacrificers are not putt in place of Christ as if he were dead but only are helpers of his eternal presthod which ceasseth not therfore to continue For they are more strongly holden fast with the wordes of the Apostle than that they may so escape namely that there were many other prestes made because they were by deathe letted to continue Therfore there is but one that is not letted by death and he nedeth no companions Yet suche is their frowardnesse they arme themselues with the example of Melchisedech to defend their wickednesse For because it is sayd that he offred bread and wyne they gather that he was a foreshewyng of their Masse as though the likenesse betwene hym and Christ were in the offryng of bread and wyne Whiche is so emptie and triflyng that it nedeth no confutation Melchisedech gaue bread wyne to Abraham and his companions to refreshe them beyng weary after their iorney and battail What is this to a sacrifice Moses praiseth the gentlenesse of the holy king these fellowes vnseasonably coyne a mysterie whereof no mention is made Yet thei deceitfully paint their error with an other color because it foloweth by by after And he was the prest of the hyest God I answer that they wrongfully draw to the bread wyne that which the Apostle referreth to the blessing Therfore when he was the prest of God he blessed Abraham Wherupon the same Apostle thaÌ„ whome we nede to seke no better expositor gathereth his excellence because the lesser is blessed of the greater But if the oblatioÌ„ of Melchisedech were a figure of the sacrifice of the Masse would the Apostle I praye you which sâ—arâ—heth out al euen the least thinges haue forgotten so earnest and weightie a thing Now howsoeuer they trifle they shall in vayne goe aboute to ouerthrowe the reason whiche the Apostle himselfe bringeth that the righte and honor of sacrificing presthoode ceaseth among mortall men because Christ which is immortall is the only and perpetual sacrificing preste An other vertue of the Masse was that it oppresseth and burieth the crosse passion of Christ. This verily is most certaine that the crosse of Christ is ouerthroweÌ„ so sone as the altar is set vp For if he offred himselfe for a sacrifice vpon the crosse that he might sanctifie vs for euer purchase to vs eternall redemption vndoutedly the force effectualnesse of that sacrifice continueth without any end Otherwise we shold think nothing more honorably of Christ than of oxen calues which were sacrificed vnder the lawe the offringes whereof are proued vneffectuall and weake by this that they were oft renâ—ed Wherfore either we must confesse that the sacrifice of Christe which he fulfilled vppon the crosse wanted the force of eternall cleansyng or that Christe hathe made an ende of all with one sacrifice ones for euer This is it that the Apostle sayth that this chiefe Bishop Christ ones appered by offring vp of him self before the ending of the world to the driuing away of sinne Againe That we ar sanctified by the wil of God by the offâ—ing of the body of Iesus Christ ones Again That Christ with one oblatioÌ„ for euer hath made perfect them that ar sanctified wherunto he adioineth a notable senteÌ„ce that forgeuenesse of sinnes being ones purchaced ther remaineth no more any oblation This also Christ signified by his laste saieng vttered amoÌ„g his last gaspings wheÌ„ he said It is ended We are woÌ„t to note the last saienges of men when they are dieng for oracles Christ dieng testifieth that by his one sacrifice is pâ—rfited and fulfilled whatsoeuer was for our saluation Shall it be lawfull for vs daily to patch innumerable sacrifices to such a sacrifice the perfection whereof he hath so shiningly set forth as though it were vnperfecte When the holy worde of God not onely affirmeth but also crieth out protesteth that this sacrifice was ones fully done that the force thereof remaineth euerlasting whoso require an other sacrifice do they not accuse this of imperfection weakenesse But as for the Masse which hath ben deliuered in suche sort that there may euery day be made a hundred thousand sacrifices to what end rendeth it but that the passion of Christe whereby he offred hym an onely sacrificed oblation to the father should lye buried and drowned Who vnlesse he be blynde can not see that it was the boldnesse of SataÌ„ whiche wrastled against so open and clere truthe Neither am I ignorant with what deceites that father of lyeng vseth to color this his fraude sayeng that there are not sondry nor diuerse sacrifices but that one selfe same sacrifice is repeted But suche smokes are easily blowen away For in the whole discourse the Apostle trauaileth to proue not only that there are no other sacrifices but that that one sacrifice was ones offred vp shal no more be repeted The sutteller men do yet slip out at a narrower hole sayeng that it is not a repeting but an applying But this Sophisticall argument also is no lesse easily confuted For neither did Christ ones offer vp him selfe with this condition that his sacrifice shold be daily confirmed with new oblations but that by the preaching of the Gospell and ministring of the holye Supper the fruite thereof shoulde be communicated vnto vs. So Paule saieth that Christe oure Passeouer was offred vp and biddeth vs to eat of him This I say is the meane wherby the Sacrifice of the Crosse is rightly applied to vs when it is communicated to vs to take the vse of it and we wyth true fayth receiue it But it is worthe the labor to heare with what other fundation beside these they vpholde the sacrifice of the Masse For they draw to this purpose the prophecie of Malachie whereby the Lorde promiseth that the time shall come when throughout the whole worlde there shal be offred his name incense and a cleane sacrifice As though it were a new or vnwonted thing among the Prophetes when they speake of the calling of the Gentils to expresse by the outward ceremonie of the law the spirituall worshipping of God to which
they exhort theÌ„ that they might the more familiarly declare to the men of their age that the Gentiles should be called into the true felowshippe of religion Like as also they are wont altogether to describe by figures of theyr law the truth that was deliuered by the Gospell So they set for turning to the Lord asceÌ„ding into Ierusalem for the worshipping of God the offring of al kindes of giftes for larger knowlege of him which was to be geuen to the faithfull in the kyngdome of Christe dreames and visions That therfore whiche they allege is like vnto an other prophecie of Esaye where the Prophet foretelleth of three altars to be set vppe in Assiria Egipte and Iurye For first I aske whether they do not graunt that the fulfillyng of this prophecie is in the kingdome of Christ. Secondly wher be these altars or when they were euer set vp Thirdly whether they think that to euery seuerall kyngdome is apointed a seuerall temple such as was that at Ierusalem These things if thei wey I think they wil confesse that the Prophet vnder fygures agreeable with his tyme prophecieth of the spiritual worship of God to be spred abrode into the whole world Which we geue to them for a solution But of this thing sithe there do euery where examples commonly offre them selues I wil not busie my selfe in longer rehearsall of them Howbeit herein also they are miserably deceiued that they acknowlege no sacrifice but of the Masse wheras in dede the faithfull do nowe sacrifice to the Lord do offer a cleane offring of which shal be spoken by and by Nowe I come downe to the third office of the Masse where I must declare howe it blotteth oute the true and onely deathe of Christe and shaketh it oute of the remembrance of menne For as among men the strength of a testament hangeth vppon the death of the testator so also our lord hath with his death confirmed the testament whereby he hath geuen vs forgeuenesse of synnes and eternal righteousnesse They that dare varie or make newe any thing in this testamente doo denye hys death and holde it as it were of no force But what is the Masse but a new and altogether diuerse testameÌ„t For why Doth not euery seueral Masse promise new forgeuenesse of sinnes new purchasing of righteousnesse so that now there be so many testaments as there be Masses Let Christ therfore come again and with an other death confirme this testament or rather with infinite deathes confirme innumerable testamentes of Masses Haue I not therfore said true at the beginning that the only and true death of Christ is blotted oute by Masses Yea what shall we say of this that the Masse directly tendeth to this ende that if it be possible Christ should bee slayne agayne For where is a testamente sayeth the Apostle there of necessitie must be the death of the testator The Masse sheweth it selfe to be a new testament of Christ therfore it requireth his death Moreouer the hoste which is offred must necessarily be slayne and sacrificed If Christ in euery seuerall Masse be sacrificed then he muste at euery moment bee in a thousande places cruelly slayen This is not myne but the Apostles argument If he had neded to offer him selfe ofte he muste ofte haue dyed sins the beginning of the worlde I knowe that they haue an answere in redinesse whereby also they charge vs with sclander For they say that that is obiected agaynst them which they neuer thought nor yet canne And we knowe that the death and life of Christ is not in their hande We loke not whether they goe aboute to kill hym onely our purpose is to shew what maner of absurdity foloweth of their vngodly and wicked doctrine Which self thing I proue by the Apostles owne mouth Though they crye out to the contrarye a hundred tymes that this sacrifice is vnbloody I wil deny that it hangeth vpon the wyll of men that sacrifices should change their nature for by this meane the holy and inuiolable ordinance of God shold faile WherupoÌ„ foloweth that this is a sure principle of the Apostle thâ—â— there is required sheding of blood that washing may not be wanting Now is the fourth office of the Masse to be entreated of namely to take awaye from vs the fruite that came to vs of the deathe of Christe while it maketh vs not to acknowlege it and thinke vpon it For who caÌ„ call to mynde that he is redemed by the death of Christ when he seeth a new redemption in the Masse Who can truste that sinnes are forgeueÌ„ him when he seeth a newe forgeuenesse Neither shall he escape that shall say that we do for no other cause obteyn forgeuenesse of sinnes in the Masse but because it is alredy purchased by the death of Christ. For he bringeth nothyng els than as if he would boste that Christ hathe redemed vs with this condition that we shoulde redeme our selues For such doctrine hath ben spred by the ministers of Satan and such at this day they mainteyn with cryenges out with swerd and fier that we wheÌ„ in the Masse we offer vp Christ to his Father by this work of offring do obteine forgeuenesse of sinnes and are made partakers of the passion of Christ. What now remaineth to the passion of Christ but to be an example of redemption whereby we may learne to be our owne redemers Christe him selfe when in the Supper he sealeth the confidence of pardon doth not bidde his disciples to sticke in that doing but sendeth theÌ„ awaye to the sacrifice of his deathe signifieng that the Supper is a moniment or memorial as the common spech is whereby they may learne that the satisfactorie clensing sacrifice by which the Father was to be appeased must haue ben offred but ones For neither is it enough to know that Christ is the onely sacrifice vnlesse the onely sacrificing be ioyned with it that our faith may be fastened to his crosse Nowe I come to the conclusion namely that the holye Supper in which the Lord had left the remembrance of his passion grauen and expressed is by the settyng vp of the Masse taken away defaced and destroyed For the Supper it selfe is the gift of God whiche was to be receiued with thankesgeuing The sacrifice of the Masse is famed to pay a price to God which he may receiue for satisfaction Howe muche difference there is betwene to geue and to receiue so much doth the sacrifice differ from the Sacrament of the Supper And this truely is the moste wretched vnthankfulnesse of man that where the largesse of Gods bouÌ„tie ought to haue beÌ„ acknowleged thanks to be geuen therin he maketh God his dettor The Sacrament promised that by the death of Christe we are not onely ones restored into life but are continually quickned because then all the partes of our saluation were fulfilled The sacrifice of the Masse singeth a farre other song that Christ must
But what did the Apostles Luke reporteth in the Actes that the Apostles which were at Hierusalem when they hearde that Samaria hadde receiued the worde of God sent thether Peter and Iohn they prayed for the Samaritans that they might receiue the Holy ghost which was not yet come into any of them but they were baptized onely in the name of Iesus when they had prayed they laied their hands vpoÌ„ them by which layeng on the Samaritanes receiued the Holy ghost And of this laieng on of hands he diuerse tymes maketh mentioÌ„ I heare what the Apostles did that is they faithfully executed their ministrie The Lord willed that those visible and wonderfull graces of the Holy ghost which he then poured out vpon his people shold be ministred and distributed of his Apostles by the laieng on of handes But vnder this laieng on of hands I thinke there was not conteined any hier mysterie but I expound it that they adioyned such a ceremonie that by the very outeward doyng they mighte signifie that they commended and as it were offred to God him vpon whome they laid their handes If this ministerie which the Apostles then executed were yet stil remaining in the Chirch the layeng on of handes also ought to be kept But sins that same grace hath cessed to be geuen whereto serueth the laieng on of handes Truelye the Holy ghost is yet present with the people of God without whom being guider directer the Chirch of God can not stande For we haue the eternal promise and which shal euer stande in force by which Christ calleth to him self them that thirst that they may drinke liuing waters But those miracles of powers and manifest workinges which were distributed by the layeng on of handes haue ceassed neither behoued it that they should be but for a time For it behoued that the preaching of the Gospell while it was new should be gloriously set fourth and magnified with vnheard of and vnwonted miracles From which when the Lord cessed he did not by and by forsake his Chirch but taught that the royaltie of his kingdome and the dignitie of his word was excellentlye enough disclosed In what point therfore wil these stageplaiers say that they follow the Apostles They shoulde haue done it with layeng on of handes that the euident power of the Holy ghost might by and by shew forth it self Thys they bring not to passe why therfore do they bost that the laieng on of haÌ„des maketh for them which we rede in dede that the Apostles vsed but altogether to an other ende This hath like reason as if a man shoulde teache that that breathing wherewith the Lord breathed vpoÌ„ his disciples is a Sacrament wherby the Holy ghost is geuen But whereas the Lord did this ones he did not also will that we should do the same After the same maner also the Apostles layed on their handes during the time that it pleased the lord that the visible graces of the Holy ghoste shoulde bee distributed at their praiers not that they which come after shold only playerlike and without the thing in dede couÌ„terfait an empty cold signe as these apes do But if they proue that in layeng on of handes they folow the Apostles wherein they haue no like thing with the Apostles sauing I wote not what ouerthwart wrongfull counterfaiting yet whense cometh their oyle which they call the oile of saluatioÌ„ Who taught them to seke saluatioÌ„ in oyle Who taught them to geue to it the power of strengthning Did Paule which draweth vs far away from the elements of this world whiche condemneth nothing more than the sticking to suche pety obseruations But this I boldly pronounce not of my selfe but from the Lorde Whoso call oyle the oyle of saluation they forsweare the saluation whiche is in Christ they denye Christ they haue no part in the kingdome of God For oyle is for the belly and the belly for oyle the Lorde shall destroy bothe For all these weake elementes whiche decay with very vse belong nothing to the kyngdome of God which is spiritual and shal neuer decay What then wil some men say do you measure with the same measure the water wherewith we be baptyzed and the bread and wine vnder which the Supper of the Lord is geuen I answere that in Sacramentes geuen of God twoo thinges are to bee loked vnto the substaÌ„ce of the bodily thing which is set before vs and the forme that is by the worde of God printed in it wherin lyeth the whole strength In respect therfore that the bread wine and water that are in the SacrameÌ„tes offred to our sight do kepe their owne substance this saieng of Paul alway hath place â–ª Meate for belly and the bellye for meates God shall destroy them both For they passe and vanish away with the fashioÌ„ of this world But in respect that they be sanctified by the word of God that they may be Sacramentes they do not hold vs in the flesh but doo truely and spiritually teache vs. But let vs yet more nerely loke into it how many monsters this fat liquor fostreth and fedeth These anoynters saye that the Holy ghost is geuen in Baptisme to innocence in ConfirmatioÌ„ to encrease of grace that in Baptisme we are new begotten into life in confirmation we ar prepared to battell And they are so paste shame that they deny that Baptisme can well bee doone without confirmation O wickednesse Are we not therfore in Baptisme buried together wyth Christ being made partakers of hys death that we maye bee also parteners of hys resurrection But thys felowship wyth the death and life of Christ Paule expoundeth to be the mortifieng of our flesh and quickning of our spirite for that our olde man is crucified that we may walk in newnesse of life What is to be armed to battel if this be not If they compâ—ed it a matter of nothing to trede vnder feete the word of God why did they not yet at least reuereÌ„ce the Chirch to whom they wil in euery point seme so obedient But what can be brought forth more stroÌ„g against their doctrine thaÌ„ that decree of the Mileuitane councel Whoso sayeth that Baptisme is geuen onely for forgeuenesse of sinnes and not for a helpe of grace to come accursed be he But whereas Luke in the place which we haue alleged sayth that they were baptised in the name of Iesus Christe which had not receiued the Holy ghost he dothe not simply denie that they wer endued with any gift of the Holy ghost which beleued in Christ with hart and confessed him with mouth but meaneth of that receiuing of the Holy ghost wherby the open powers and visible graces were receiued So is it sayd that the Apostles receiued the Spirite on the day of Pentecost wheras it had ben long before sayd vnto them of Christ It is not you that speake but the Spirit of my Father which speaketh in you Beholde