than the otheâ— Patriarks of Alexandria Antioche buâ— that the Bishop of Rome which nowe adayes calleth al things backe to himself is no Bishop at al no nor so much as an elder except he do his duty in ministring the Sacraments and in instructing admonishing and teaching the people That God is the creator of al things God beeing singular good and almightie created all things bothe visible and inuisible by his coeternal word and also preserueth the same by his coeternal spirite according as Dauid witnesseth saying Psal 33. by the word of god the heauens were made and all the power of them by the breath of his mouth And al thinges that God made were as sayth the Scripture exceeding good and made for the vse and commoditie of man and I say that all those thinges proceeded from one beginning Therefore I condemne the Manichees Marcionites which did wickedly surmise two substances natures the one good the other bad likewise two beginnings two coÌ„trary gods one good another naught Of Prouidence I beleue that al things both in heauen earth in al creatures are mainteined gouerned by gods wisdome Psa 139. For Dauid witnesseth saith the lord is high aboue al natioÌ„s his glory aboue the heauens Who is like the lorde our god who hath his dwelling on hye and yet stoupeth to loke vpon the things that are in heaueÌ„ and earth The same man saith againe vnto god Thou hast forsene al my ways For there is not a worde in my toung which thou knowest not euery whit O Lorde Also Paule witnesse the same and saith by him we liue Act. 17. moue and be And of him by him and in him are all thinges Most truely therefore and according to the scriptures Rom. 12. doth Austin in the eyghte chapter of his booke concerning Christs Agonie say the Lord said are not twoo sparrowes solde for a farthing and one of them lighteth not vppon the grounde without the will of your father In saying so he ment to shew that euen the thing whiche men take to be vilest are gouerned by the Lords almighty power Ma. 10. For after the same maner doth the truth say Ma. 6. that he feedeth the birdes of the aâ—re and clotheth the lyllies of the feeld and also keepeth iust account of the heares of our heades Of the Angells both good and bad I admit with the right beleuing church that among all thinges created Angells and men are the cheefe the scripture of God pronounceth of the Angels that he made his Angels spirits his ministers a flame of fyre And againe are they not al ministring spirits sent forth to do seruice for them that shal be heires of saluation And the Lord Iesus himselfe witnesseth of the Diuill that he was a murtherer from the beginning John 8. and stode not in the truth bycause there is no truth in him When he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his owne for he is a Lyer and the father of lyes Therfore we teache that of the Angels some abode still in obedience and are appointed to the faithfull seruice of God and man and that othersome fell of their owne accord and were throwen downe into destruction and are become enemies of all goodnesse and of al faithfull men Of mans creation Concerning man and creation I beleue the doctrine of the scripture that at the first he was created good after the Image and lykenesse of God and the God did set him in Paradice Gen. 2. put all things in subiection to him Which thing Dauid coÌ„meÌ„deth mightily in the eyght Psalme Also he gaue him a wife and blessed theÌ„ And I say that man consisteth of twoo dyuerse substaÌ„ces in one persone namely of an immortall Soule and a mortall body Of the state of Innocency or of the originall ryghtuousnesse of our firste fathers and of their fall God made man at the beginning after the Image of God in true ryghtuousnesse and holynesse good and ryghtuous but by the inticement of the Serpent and by hys owne faulte he fell awaye from goodnesse and ryghtuousnesse and became subiect to sinne death and sundry calamities And suche as he became after his fall such are al the spring of him namely euen subiect to sin death and sundry calamities Of Sinne I vnderstoode Sin to be the natiue corruption of man deryued and spred abroade into vs all from those oure firste parents wherethrough we be plunged in lewd lustes and turned away from goodnesse but forewarde to all euill and full of all naughtinesse as distrust contempte and hating of God can do no good of oure selues no nor once thinke any But rather the more we growe in yeeres the more do we bring forth corrupt frutes meete for an euill tree in our thoughtes and words and deedes done lewdly against Gods law In which respect being through our own desert subiect to Gods wrathe we be put vnder iust punishmentes in so muche that we shoulde all of vs haue bin cast of from God if Christe oure deliuerer Mat. 12. Gen. 14. in whom mankinde whiche els was lost was restored againe had not brought vs to him againe Of death the wages of Sinne. Therfore by death I meane not onely bodily death whiche we must all of vs once suffer for oure sins sake but also the endlesse punishments due to our sinfulnes and corruption Eph. 2. For we were deade saith the Apostle in oure offences and sins and we were the children of wrath as others are But God who is riche in mercie quickened vs with Christ when we were dead through our sins Rom. 5. Againe like as by one maÌ„ sin entred into the world death by sin so also death passed into al men inasmuch as al men haue sinned Of originall sin and of the cause of sinne I acknowledge that there is original sin in all men and I acknowledge that all other sins which spring thereof are called sins and are sins in very deede by what name so euer they be called whyther deadly or veniall Mar. 3. or the sinne that is called the sin againste the holye Ghost which is neuer forgiuen Also I confesse that all sins are not equall though they spring all out of one fountaine of corruption and vnbeleefe 1. John 3. but that some are greuouser than othersome according as the Lord hath sayd that it shal be easyer for Sodome and Gomor Math. 10 than for the city that refuseth the word of the Gospell Therfore I condemne all suche as haue taughte contrarye heereto and specially Pelagius and all Pelagians and Iouianistes who with the Stoikes make all sins a lyke heynouse In this cace I am fullye of opinion with Sainte Austin who alledged his matters out of the holy scriptures and defended them by the same Furthermore I condemne Florinus and Blascus and all suche as make God the author of sin Psam 5. against whom
forbid For seeing we be dead vnto sin through the spirite of righteousnes how is it possible that we shuld continue and liue in sinne after wee be once iustified R. I scarse vnderstand this geere P. What know ye not that as many of vs as are baptised made cleane in Iesus Christ are baptised washed into his deth that by the same baptim we be after such a sort as it wer dead buried with him that contrariwise lyke as Christ was raised from the dead for the glory of his father so we also must walk in newnesse of life to the glory of him who hath shevved the spirite of righteousnesse into vs to worke righteousnesse therewith R. I am glad that you haue vttred vnto me both the true signification of baptime and also the bond of righteousnes For by this meane the manifolde errour of many may be spied out First there are which full lewdly doo make more account of the signe than of the thing that is signified by it and there are very fewe whiche thinke that baptim betokeneth the mortifying and wasshing of the olde Adam and of all vnrightuousnesse and and vnhonestie and consequently the renewing restoring againe of our soules and of oure whole lyfe to their first state Againe there are othersome which being vtterly ignorāt of the power of Christs spirit and of the workfulnes of his righteousnes do still leaue opē the gate to sin pretending I wote not what excuses of mās fraylty as who should say that Christ were not strōger than the diuel nor Gods grace able to confound the power of sin P. Truely you haue hit the pricke But you shall vnderstande the contrary doctrine if you aduisedly wey the similitude of greffing which I vse heere For if we be planted and greffed into the lykenesse of Christes death then must we needs also be made partakers of his resurrection R. By this trym most proper * A metaphor is an apt cōueying of a worde or spech from his owne proper signification to the betokening or setting foorth of some other thing metaphor you meane that we must be lyke braunches that are greffed into other trees that being greffed into Christ hauing Christ greffed into vs wee may bring forth new fruits of lyfe namely ryghtuousnes innocencie and holinesse P. Verely euen so must we perswade our selues that our olde man is nayled to the crosse with Christ as in respect of iustification and regeneration to the intent that the bodie of sin may be ouerthrowen destroyed so as we may no more follow after sinne and serue it For he that is deade by the deathe of Christ and obteyneth ryghtuousnes by his spirit is thereby free from the bondage of sinne And if we beleeue that we haue obteyned forgyuenesse of sins and are deade with Christ we must also most assuredly beleue that we shall liue with him in suche newnesse of lyfe as maye beare recorde that wee be rysen wyth him R. O the miserable frowardnesse of men who at the report of Gods fauour purchased to vs by the benefit of Christs death do wondrously leape and skip for ioy verely bycause they be certefied therby of the remission of their sinnes past But when mencion is made of his resurrection to the intent that after his example we shoulde begin a new lyfe fashyoned and framed according to his innocene yrightuousnes other vertues and by that meanes labour and trauell with earnest desire to heauenward despising all worldly pleasures there there our harts faynt we be euen at the poynt to quayle So greatly are we delighted foaded with the inticemēts of our sins past P. Yet notvvithstanding they that are iustified of god must nedes renoūce giue ouer ther sins vvicked deedes pleasures and to be short all vnhonest things after the exāples of Christ vvho being once rysen from death dyeth not any more nother hath death any more povver ouer him Therfore like as hys once dying vvas to die vnto sin so that as novv he liueth vnto god so you also for asmuche as you haue obteined the spirit of righteousnes think your selues to be dead vnto sin as true members of Christ participating of his death resurrection lyfe to be alyue vnto God through our Lord Iesus Christ R. O excellent exhortation But alas for sorrow O miserable nature of man vtterly awk from it as wherin sin hath taken so deepe roote that it can scarse be thrust out We haue receiued sin into our minds as a guest or rather as a tirāt into our innermost bowels from whēce he can hardly be driuē or thrust out both by reason of our natural corruption and also by reason of custome continuance P. Euen so is it But yet muste you striue that this sinne may not reigne in your body though it bee subiecte too death nor you obey the lustes thereof nor yeelde your mēbers as instruments of all naughtinesse applied to sinning But rather cleane contrarie apply your selues to god as folke risen again from the dead and yeeld ye your members vnto him as instrumēts of righteousnes R. These thinges matched togither ought both to fray our minds frō sinning also to inflame them with most earnest desire indeuer to liue well blessedly For what is more shameful than to be slaues of lusts Contrariwise what is more honorable excellent than to vse righteousnes godlines innocencie Therefore we must pray to almightie God that as he hath of his own infinite goodnesse already iustified vs so he will also deliuer vs from the bondage of sin P. Be of good cheere For sin shall no more execute tyranny ouer you R. By what way or meanes may so grat a good turne befall vs For to my seeming that is right hard to be done P. In deede it is hard vnto men but nothing is vnpossible vnto God nother is there any thing which he cānot bring to passe But receiue here the reason of it in few words For sin reigneth not ouer those that are vnder grace but ouer those that are vnder the lawe But novv that you be iustified you are not vnder the law but vnder grace R. Many men seeme to be like Spiders turning all thinges into poyson For when vnthrifts and naughtipackes heere this saying by and by as though they had by iustification obteyned libertie to doo what they list they crye oute why then shoulde we not sin still seeing wee be vnder grace and not vnder the law P. God forbid that any man shoulde be of that mind R. But what is to be don to these fellowes that abuse Gods goodnesse vnto euill doing And yet notwithstanding theise wylie and captious witts cannot be subdued but by moost sustantiall and myghtfull reasons P. Those wilfull stubborne natures must be left to god the soueraine iudge as for the men of whō there is better hope I would exhorte them after this maner knovve ye not that to vvhom
as an argument the reason vvhy these most excellent effects are vvrought in my mind is this that the lavv of the quickning spirite in Iesus Christe hath set me free from the lavv of sinne death insomuch that by the gift of faith the recorde of gods spirit I feele my selfe discharged of the feare of damnation And I thinke the same thing to haue befalne to all the true members of Christ R. I pray you let vs fifte out the first part of my question and shewe me more playnly gods drift and maner of dealing in the case of our iustification without the righteousnesse of the lawe P. Haue here the summe of the whole matter in few words The law was giuen of god as a rule of true holines How be it looke what could not be done by the law nother as it was naturally printed in our mindes nor as it was set foorth plainly by Moses namely that we shuld be set free from sin death become righteous bicause the law was weake feeble without power howbeit not of it owne nature but by reason of our flesh for we be fleshly do striue and wrestle against the law that say I did God bring to passe by sending his own son in a body like to the bodies of sinners For he cōdemned sin of sin in the flesh of his sonne by that meanes did vvipe out clense avvay abolish sin that did he to the ende that the righteousnes of the lavv as the lavv it selfe requireth it might be vvrought fulfilled in vs that beleue I say to the end it should be fulfilled in vs novv regenerated which obey not the corruptnesse lusts and lykings of the vnsatiable flesh but the holy inspiration of the spirite whereupon it commeth to passe that our dooinges are acceptable to God though they be not fully in all poyntes answerable to his law vvhich otherwise requyreth most perfect purenesse R. If it be true as you say as I beleeue it to be most true in deed in any opinion few are at this day become ryghtuous and holy For the number of them is exceading small that thinke vppon newnesse of lyfe or which are carefull to obey Gods wyll and muche lesse which bestyrre themselues in makyng warre against their owne naturall and new incomme sinfulnesse P. But beleeue me brother so longe as men hold with flesh they wil care for things belonging to the flesh and sinne shall execute his tyranny ouer them Contrariwyse they that holde with the spirit wil be spirituall minded and bycause Gods spirit reigneth in thē they will also delight in spirituall thinges as whose intentes and indeuers are all guyded by the holy Ghost and therfore tende to Gods glory which thing cannot happen to such as follow the flesh bycause they do rather purchace Gods displeasure and consequently endelesse destruction to thēselues by their naughtinesse and wicked deeds R. Moost miserable is the state of the vngodly which you tel me of But wherfore ascribe you so muche euill to the louing and obeying of the flesh P. Bycause the entent the indeuer the desire to vse myne owne words the wisedōe of the flesh is deadly or to speake more rightly very death it selfe as which is contrary to God who is our lyfe But on the contrarie parte the entent affection and wisedome of the spirite is verie lyfe and peace And if you aske me the reason why it is ready shapen For the wisedome of the flesh is enemy against God of whom forasmuch as it hath an ill opnion taking him for hir vtter aduersary and imagining him to be a most cruell tormenter how is it possible that she should be vvylling to commit hir selfe to his care and prouidence And therfore much lesse will she passe for his will and cōmaundements For how should she haue any mynd to obey his commaundement whom she beleueth to be hir so This as I thinke is the reason why the flesh nother will no nor can obey Gods law so long as it is nothing els but fleshe Heereuppon then it followeth that they which liue after the liking of the flesh cānot please God R. O most miserable wretches as we be which are compelled to keepe continuall wrestling with the vntrusty wisedome of our owne fleshe so long as we be inclosed with the bulke of this body P. Be of good cheer This wrestling may rather win you a crowne than destruction and damnation For you so doth charitie teach me to think of such as beleue in christ you I say are by faith greffed into Christ as true signes of saluation You be iustified and regenerated and therfore you be not now carnall but spirituall for somuch as Gods spirit dwelleth in you R. Heerein is all the cunning and maistrie Paule P. Surely if any of you haue not Christs spirite he is none of his marke wel what I say I say he is none of Christs he is no member of his he is no brother of his he is no heire of eternall felicitie with him R. I beleeue that with all my harte But the thing that I thought with my selfe was this that there are a great sort now a dayes which boast of the receyuing of Gods spirit whose lyfe is notwithstanding no more like the holines most pure exāple of Christs lyfe than an apple as they say is lyke an Oyster Wherefore I pray you tell me by what markes I may discerne such as haue Gods spirit in very deed For it will do me good also to perceiue the presēce of Gods spirit in my self P. Let this be the aunswere to the other part of your demaund and beare you well in minde the true and sure tokens of regeneration of which the one consisteth in lyfe death the other in the inward motions of Gods spirit R. In lyfe and death say you What is that to say P. Herken you shall vnderstande If Christ and his spirite be in you the old man that is to say the flesh is dead as in respect of sin and the vnruly and vnstayed deedes of vvickednesse And this is the death of the old man vppon putting avvay on the contrarye parte reigneth the spirite of God and executeth his power vppon man and liueth as in respect of rightuousnesse R. Surely a verye notable marke of regeneration or newbirth For the spirit of Christ into whome we be greffed not onely gyueth vs lyfe by inspyring vs to goo vnto God our lyfe as meete is we should but also is himselfe our spirituall lyfe But to confesse vnto you plainely my thoughts or I wote not whether I may better say temptations in that behalfe when I looked vppon myne owne naughtinesse and the tyrannie of sin ouer me I haue oftymes doubted of the power of Gods spirite in vs and whether the working therof do kill the old Adam and plucke vp the roots of that euill tree or no. And vpō such maner of thoughts being sorowfull to say the
to be throweÌ„ downe froÌ„ the highest step of his faith For after that maner did AbrahaÌ„ triumph gloriously ouer his owne flesh by subduing and ouerthrowing the wisdome thereof that it durst not atteÌ„pt any thing at al against Gods promises But I pray you ascribed he the glory of this his victorie to him selfe or to God P. He yeelded all the whole glory vnto God For he that abateth any whit of Gods power abateth also his glory Therefore he gaue the glory to God both bicause he acknowledged the victorie to come from God also bicause he beleeued that God bothe can and colde doo all things R. It is a most euident token and record of a very true faith when we ascribe the happy falling out the luckie succes of things to Gods prouidence Otherwise the faith if it be to be called faith which chalengeth ought to a mans own power glorieth in his owne strength is scarsely pure and voide of suspition of light beliefe and vnconstancie P. But wey you throughly how lightly it was to be estemed that he through vnwauering fayth beleeued that God was vtterly able to performe whatsoeuer he had promised R. Two things are chiefly to be considered in God his good will whiche is seene in his promises and his power of performing bringing things to passe Vpon which two I see that Abrahams fayth was grounded and setled But I long to heare what he obteyned by this so great fayth P. That fayth of his say I vvas imâ—â—ted to him for righteousnesse or if â—â— u will haue it more playne he was â— unted righteous for his faithes sake 〈◊〉 that from thencefoorth he assured â—â— m selfe throughly that God was merâ—â— full louing friendly towards him â—â— d all humaine doubting and distrust â— f it was dispatched away R. It is a wonderfull force of faythe â—hich you shew me wherwith if a man 〈◊〉 fenced and furnished he may certenâ—â— warrant him selfe that God is louing â—â—d mercifull to him and be bolde to apâ—eare before his iudgement seate But â—hinke you that God will voutsafe the â—â—me benefite vpon all other men which â—e bestowed vpon Abraham P. Yea verily For it is not for his sake â— nly that the holy Scripture sayth that â—â— is faith was reckened to him for righâ—â— uousnesse but it is for our sakes also â— hat by his example wee also may beâ— eeue that the like shall bee reckened â— nto vs if we beleeue in him that raised â— p our Lorde Iesus from the dead who â— as both deliuered for the cleÌ„sing away of our sinnes and raysed agein for the iustifying of vs that the sinne of distruâ—â— might be dispatched out of our hartes by the minding of his death and the indeuer of righteosnes and newnesse of life be stablished and increaced in vs by the mynding of his resurrection R. O treble and tentimes happy mankind if at leastwise he happen to hauâ— some desire to inioy so great a benifyte For to what purpose were this example vnlesse we might fare somewhat the better by it that is to say vnlesse AbrahaÌ„ example incouraged vs to settle assured trust in Gods goodnesse Seeing theâ— that that is the amingpoynt of those sâ— notable promises and that they belonâ— to all men who can now dispaire Specially seeing that our fayth hath Christâ— set afore it as a visible marke to ame at who by his death hath reconciled vs tâ— God and takeÌ„ away sin the welsprinâ— of sin that is to say the naturall stubbornesse and wickednesse of our harteâ— matched with distrust and by his resurrection hath called vs agayne to life that vppon assurance of Gods fauouâ— through faith we might become righteous and acceptable in Gods sight and giue our selues to newnes of life But to rehearse in few words what hath bene saide afore you haue sufficiently shewed and declared what righteousnes god requireth at mens hands and also whiche is the right way therunto and finally what is the power of faith which taketh holde of that righteousnes And I can not maruell inough how those so great things should be so lightly esteemed among men Therfore I demaunde nowe what profite and fruit he that is indued with faith reapeth of al the foresaid things at the time that he becoÌ„meth righteous P. First of all Chap. 5.1 as soone as we be iustified by faith by and by we be at peace with god through our lord Iesus Christ R. O most pleasant and precious fruit of so noble a tree For once take away sinne and the welspring of sinne and distrust which stinketh before God and is a deadly enimie to him hath an euill opinion of his goodnes there remaineth no more grudge nor enmity betwen god vs mortall wretches but rather a certein incredible assurednesse of good will insomuch that mans minde beeing indewed with faith may bee frre from all vnquietnesse and inioy safely continuall peace For as you sayde of sinners wee be made righteous throughe fayth and by that righteousnes wee be accepted into Gods fauour and consequently rest in his frendship Otherwise if we be bereft of this fayth and of the trust of Gods good will we be hatefull to God and subiect to damnation and our mindes are alwayes troubled and vnquiet P. The seconde fruite of faith beeing linked with a very straite bande vnto the former is that by the same Iesus Christ Eph. 2.23 and by faith in him we haue an entrance set open for vs into the grace wherein wee stande without quayling in our hartes R. Who woulde not bee amased and wonder at gods so great mercifulnesse towards men that he can not finde in his harte to forbid them his presence as vnholy but rather of his owne accorde allureth them to him that they shoulde come freely and boldly vnto him For we haue free passage vnto God and it is lawfull for all beleeuers to goo vnto God that is to say to serue him to worship him and to call vpon him in the bottome of their harts without ceasing P. Lo heere one other frute of faith that we also being so iustified notwithstanding that we be but sillie wretched soules doo glory in the hope and longing for Gods glorie R. What a word is that Thinke you it to be the point of a christiaÌ„ to glory so Vnlesse you meane perchance that bycause this lyfe is accloyed with so many misteries trubles and aduersities therfore mens mindes are to be cheered vp with a most sure hope of the quietnes felicitie to come which who so hopeth to obtaine may iustly glory in that behalfe But is there any more P. Yea. For we not only receiue the foremencioned commodities but also which you may wonder more at we glorie reioyce euen in the very troubles aduersities themselues Jam. 1.3 therefore much rather do beare them oute with a cheerefull and glad hart R. What can be said more wonderfull sith that
soeuer you yeelde youre selues as seruants to obey his seruāts you are Ioh. 8.34 2 Pe. 1.19 whither you obey sin that leadeth you vnto death or obedience innocency rightuousnesse vvhich lead you vnto lyfe R. If men were cleare of hearing they would receiue imbrace this your most certē strong saying For what is more against resō thā to seke to match ioyne togither things that are most repugnāt as for exāples light darkenes fredome bondage sin grace and that do they surely intēd as oft as they feare not to bynd thēselues to sin vnder pretence of grace liberty Yet must you not thinke all mē to be of this mould For ther are many in this our church of Rome which hauing shaken of the yoke of sin by the benefite of regeneration go forward with all their hart vnto vertue and godlinesse P. And I truely do gyue continuall thankes vnto God and euer shall that wheras you were the bondslaues of sin now you being set free by Gods meere goodnesse and made his children haue hartely obeied the order of his doctrine that is to wit of the Gospel which is deliuered to you to bring you life Now therefore you being set fre from sin do serue the rightuousnes and innocency wherūto god hath called you therfore you must not in any wise yeld to sin R. Certesse a greate number of vs are notably well minded vnto holines such is the singular grace working of Gods spirite in our harts and we hope that he will continually help our infirmityes P. In good sooth to the intent I may haue respect of your frayltie I will deale with you after the maner of men Therfore like as you haue yelded your members the witts of your mynde your powers and your strength as instruments to vnclennesse and levvdnesse to doo levvdly so as you became euery daye woorse than other through the reigning of levvdnesse in you so now yeld you your members if not more lustily yet at leastvvise not more lasyly as instrumentes vnto innocency as instruments to vvorke holinesse and becōme you euery day cleaner frō all vncleanes And thervvithall remēber that at suche tyme as you serued sin you vvere straūgers outlavves to rightuousnes But I besech you vvhat fruite reaped you of the thinges vvhereof you be novv ashamed Surely the ende of them is death R. Euery mans owne fault reproueth himselfe As for myne owne parte you will not beleeue howe ill I am ashamed as oft as my former wretched and lewd lyfe cōmeth to my mind For what shall I tel you how that euen from my verie cradle as sone as I had any wit and discretion according to mine own natural corruptiō naughtines the wylines of the old serpent which called for the lesson that he had once taught Adā by by trusting to the abilitie of mine owne wit I thought my selfe wiser than al the world tooke my selfe almost as a God in all my dooings so as I can not sufficiently maruel that Gods mercifulnesse was so great as to voutsafe to beare with me so patiently when I followed my sinne so long time and so wilfully P. Now then seeing you be both loosed from the bonds of sinne and made the seruaunts of God you shall reape the fruit of your holinesse and euerlasting life abideth for you in the ende For as death is the wages of sinne euen so is euerlasting life I say not a wages or hire for the excellēcie therof is such that we can not compare it yet must we not therefore couet it or care for it the lesse but rather the more inasmuch as it is the more excellent lieth in the power of gods soueraigne bounteousnesse but the free gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lorde and not in any wise for our deserts R. I easily agree with you in this case friend Paule But I do not well vnderstande what you meane by saying that we be loosed from the lawe For in as muche as Gods lawe is holy and righteous and as a certen light whereby to walke in the true way of saluation and was appointed to the Israelites by god for the necessarie vses of the leading a good life so as they mighte beholde the will of the Creator in it as in a cleare glasse how is it possible that the man which is borne anewe shoulde be loosed from that law and that he should thencefoorth liue as without law Or by what meanes can the law seeing it is of god bring foorth euill deedes P. I will make the whole matter playne in as fewe wordes as I can Chap. 7. and in the example of my selfe shew the offices of the law so you cōsider the three states of man namely vnregenerated regenerating and regenerated Nowe that the whole matter might be vnderstoode the better I borowed a similitude from the lawe of wedlocke For these are my words Know ye not brethren I speake of suche as haue skill of the law that the wife is bounde by the lawe of wedlock so long as hir husband liueth Cor. 7.33 For the maried woman is boūd to the man by the Lawe so long as she liueth but if the husbande bee dead shee is loose from the Lawe of the man Therefore I thinke she is to be counted an adultresse if she couple hir selfe with an other man while the husbande is aliue to whom alone she had bound the honest vse of hir body by the law of mariage But if the husbande dye I thinke hir to be lose from the law of mariage so as she is no adultresse thoughe shee couple hirselfe with another R. These things will neuer be denied nother of the Gentiles which are inlightened but by the light of nature nor of the Iewes which haue the law written P. You iudge right Euen after the same maner you hauing obteyned the righteousnesse of Christ are dead in respect of the lawe by the body of Christ on the other side the lawes power of condemning is dead in respect of you so as now you be at libertie to couple your selues to another namely vnto Christ the sacrifice of propiciation for our sinnes who afterwarde was raysed again from the dead Nother haue you now any more to do with the law both bicause you be no more subiect to the curse of it and also most of all bicause that being nowe possessed led by the spirite of god you be not driuen by the comaundements of the law but led by the guiding of the spirite Therefore as nowe wee haue to deale with grace to bring forth the fruites of holy workes vnto God which hath made vs righteous freely through Christ R. The law of wedlock I know very well and what benefite free iustification bringeth I now vnderstande the better by you But yet I do not throughly perceyue what maner of one this mariage of the law with man is P. I wil vtter the meaning of
I had bin off from it Then sin by the name of sin I meane the corruptnesse and lustfulnesse whiche earst without the law might haue seemed to be dead sin I say being accused and cōdemned by the lawe and therewithall wakened and stirred vp began to wax lyuely againe and I was deade in the syght of God and of his euerlasting law when I perceiued mine owne naughtinesse and so it fell oute that the thing which was gyuen me to leade me vnto lyfe for the lavv sheweth which way to go to God who is our lyfe led me vnto death not through any default of it selfe but bicause that I was so lewd that I not onely obeyed it not but also such was my pryde taking skorne to be so bound by the law striued and struggled by all meanes against it lyke a mad and frantik man Therfore sin that is to say myne ovvne invvarde corruptnesse beguiled mee and called mee backe from the ryght vvay vvhich the lavv shevved me and so slevv me at his ovvne plesure by taking occasiō at the cōmaūdement vvhere none at all vvas giuen least you should imagin that gods lavv vvere sin R. Then do you vtterly discharge the commaundement of the lawe by whose occasion the thing was doone from all blame of naughrines or lewdnes P. What els 1. Ti. 1.8.12 For the lavve is holie vvhich shevved me vvhat I ought to do but I vvas vvicked in taking occasion at goodnesse to become vvorse R. These thinges are well But how came it to passe that the cōmaundement whiche of his owne nature is good became death vnto you And looke what I say of you the same doo I meane of my selfe also being in my former state P. You must not in any vvise thinke that it vvas long of the commaundement but sin that is to say corruptnesse or concupiscence bred death in me by meanes of the good commaundement and of the lavv vvhich is both ryghtful and holy caused it to seeme to be sin so the naughtines of it vvas bevvrayed in that it toke occasion of euill euen vvhere none vvas giuen and sin vvas so euill that of the commaundement vvhich is good it toke occasiō to grow in it selfe to put foorth it selfe more feersly and furiously R. As oft as I call to remembraunce that heauenly and in manner vnutterable orderlynesse and forecast which God vseth towards sinners and euill men in the very tyme of their iustifying I cannot but praise his most diuine mercy and prouidence in leading men at length through so many roughe steepe places full of daungers to the knowledge of his Christ that they may becomme rightuous and beare in mynde their former state vndoutedly of all states most miserable who I besech you would beleue your discourses concerning the offices of the law if he had not first had experience of all these things in himselfe P. In deede it is true as you say and these things require the practise of godlinesse the experience of iustificatiō For before that time sin and mans wicked concupisence are so styrred vp that sin becommeth out of measure sinfull and euill insomuch that death is ingendred of sin and the law not through any fault of the lawe but of sin For the law as much as in it lyeth gyueth lyfe by shewing vs the way of lyfe But for as much as the law is spiritual it requireth of vs not onely the outward deeds but also the inwarde affections of the hart Also it requireth of vs all diuine vertues in their full perfection togither with their fruits and deeds proceading from a godly instinct tending to the glory of God Now I at that tyme being yet earthly and more ouer a bondslaue of sin as you and all others were when ye had not yet receaued the spirit of rightuousnesse was not able to discerne the dignity holinesse and excellency of the lavv and much lesse was vvilling to submit my necke vnder the yoke of it too frame both my mind and all my doings according to the precise rule therof R. Suerly I haue often tryed this and I finde it true that it is not all in my power not onely to loue God with all my hart to haue a perfect beleefe in him to hope for all thinges at his hand to loue other men specially to loue myne enemyes with all my hart and that only for Gods glories sake to be indued with all Christian vertues as perfect as is possible as the rightuous and holye lawe of God byndeth me but not euen to rule the affectiōs of my mind to be at a word surely I feele that without Gods grace and the spirit of rightuousnesse I cannot but loue my selfe and worldly things to much I cannot loue God aboue all naturall things and much lesse with all my whole hart nother can I fall to harty attonement with myne enemies but rather euen yet still I am inforced I wote not how to hate thē bycause I am earthly and the seruaunt of sin and concupiscence which reigning tyrannously in me do ouer rule me and harrie me about at their vnbridled pleasure nother am I able too wyth stande them of my selfe P. These thinges are very modestly spoken but I hope it is better vvith you than you speake of In the meane tyme I am glad to heere this your accusation For you speake by experience and I coniecture by your vvoords that you haue bin a verie diligent examiner of your selfe For all men perceiue not this tyranny of sinne But I vvill proceede to declare in my selfe vvhat is vvont to happen to suche as are in regenerating Surely I vvist not vvhat too do I put you out of doubt I doo many things that I acknovvledg not for mine ovvne For I doo not the good vvhiche I vvould doo but the euill vvhich I hate that commit I oftentymes Wherupon I conclude after this manner vvith my selfe concerning the perilles that are past If I do that I vvould not then loke vvhat the lavv forbiddeth that doo I hate as vnright and I mislyke of it but the thing that the lavv commaundeth lyketh my minde very vvell So then vvith my mynde I consent to the lavve that it is good I allovv of it as rightfull hovvbeit that I my selfe am earthly Wherfore if I doo against it it is not I that doo it but sinne that dvvelleth in me For sinfulnesse vvhose prisoner I am ouermaystereth me and caryeth mee avvay to the doing of that thing vvhich I vvoulde not do R. By this your speache and by your acknowledginge of your former state I see nowe there are twoo kyndes of men some are vtterly lawelesse and though they do alwayes obey sinne yet feele they not the stinges of sin at all Againe there are othersome which haue I wore not what a heauenly seed with thē and although they sin and now and then obey the affections of sin yet do they it of all the while as it were vnwillingly so