Christes glad tydings first through openyng of the law to rebuke all thinges and to proue all thynges sinne that procede not of the spirite of faith in Christ and to proue all men sinners and children of wrath by inheritaunce and howe that to sinne is their nature and that by nature they can no otherwise doe then sinne and therewith to abate the pride of man and to bring him vnto the knowledge of him selfe and of his miserie wretchednes that he might desire helpe Euen so doth S. Paule and beginneth in the first Chapter to rebuke vnbelefe and grose sinnes which all men see as the Idolatrie and as the grose sinnes of the heathen were and as the sinnes now are of all them whiche liue in ignoraunce without fayth and without the fauour of GOD and sayth The wrath of GOD of heauen appeareth through the Gospell vpon all men for their vngodly vnholy lyuyng For though it be knowē and dayly vnderstād by the creatures that there is but one God yet is nature of herself with out the spirit and grace so corrupt and so poysoned that men neither can thanke him neither worship him neither geue him his due honor but blind thē selues and faule without ceasyng into worse case euen vntill they come vnto worshipping of Images workyng of shamefull sinnes whiche are abhominable and agaynst nature and moreuer suffer the shame vnrebuked in other hauing delectation and pleasure therein In the second Chapter he procedeth further and rebuketh all those holy people also whiche without lust and loue to the law liue wel outwardly in the face of the world and condemne other gladly as the nature of all hypocrites is to thinke them selues pure in respect of open sinners and yet hate the law inwardly and are full of couetousnes and enuy and of all vnclēnes Math. xxiij These are they whiche despise the goodnes of GOD and accordyng to the hardenes of their hartes heape together for thē selues the wrath of God Furthermore S. Paule as a true expounder of the law suffreth no man to be without sinne but declareth that all they are vnder sinne whiche of freewill and of nature will liue well suffreth them not to be better thē the open sinners yea he calleth them hard harted and such as can not repent In the thyrd Chapter he mingleth both together both the Iewes and the Gentiles and sayth that the one is as the other both sinners no difference betwene them saue in this onely that the Iewes had the word of God committed vnto them And though many of them beleued not thereon yet is Gods truth and promise thereby neither hurt nor minished And he taketh in his way and allegeth the saying of the 50. Psalme that God might abyde true in his wordes ouercome when he is iudged After that he returneth to his purpose agayn and proueth by the Scripture that all men without difference or exceptiō are sinners and that by the workes of the law no mā is iustified but that the law was geuen to vtter and to declare sinne onely Thē hee begynneth and sheweth the right way vnto righteousnes by what meanes mē must be made righteous and safe and sayth They are all sinners without prayse before God and must without their own deseruyng be made righteous throughe fayth in Christe which hath deserued such righteousnes for vs and is become vnto vs Gods mercystole for the remission of sinnes that are past thereby prouyng that christes righteousnes which commeth on vs through fayth helpeth vs onely whiche righteousnes sayth he is now declared through the Gospell was testified of before by the lawe of the Prophetes Furthermore sayth he the law is holpē and furthered thorough fayth thoughe that the workes therof with all their boast are brought to nought In the iiij Chapter after that now by the 3. first Chapters the sinnes are opened and the way of faith vnto rightuousnes layd he begynneth to aunswere vnto certain obiections and cauillations And first putteth forth those blinde reasons whiche commonly they that wil be iustified by their owne workes are wont to make when they heare that faith onely without workes iustifieth saying shall men do no good workes yea and if fayth onely iustifieth what nedeth a man to studie for to do good workes He putteth forth therfore Abraham for an ensample saying what did Abraham with his workes was all in vayne came his workes to no profite And so concludeth that Abraham without and before al workes was iustified and made righteous In so much that before the worke of Circumcisiō he was praysed of the Scripture and called righteous by his fayth onely Gene. xv So that he did not the worke of Circumcision for to bee holpen there by vnto righteousnesse whiche yet God commaunded hym to do was a good worke of obedience So in likewise no doubt none other workes helpe any thyng at all vnto a mās iustifiyng but as Abrahams Circumcisiō was an outward signe wherby he declared his righteousnes which he had by fayth and his obedience and readynes vnto the will of God euen so are all other good workes outward signes and outward frutes of fayth of the spirite which iustifie not a man but that a man is iustified already before god inwardly in the hart through faith and through the spirite purchased by Christes bloud Herewith now stablisheth S. Paul his doctrine of faith afore rehearsed in the thyrd Chapter and bringeth also testimony of Dauid in the xij Psalme whiche calleth a man blessed not of workes in that his sinne is not rekened and in that fayth is imputed for righteousnes though he abide not afterward without good workes when he is once iustified For we are iustified receiue the spirite for to do good workes neither were it otherwise possible to do good workes except we had first the spirite For howe is it possible to doe any thyng well in the sight of God while we are yet in captiuitie and bondage vnder the deuill and the deuill possesseth vs all together and holdeth our hartes so that we can not once consent vnto the will of God No man therfore can preuent the spirite in doyng good the spirite must first come and wake him out of his sleepe with the thunder of the law and feare him and shew him his miserable estate wretchednes and make him abhorre hate him selfe and to desire helpe and then comfort him agayne with the pleasaūt rayne of the Gospell that is to say with the sweete promises of God in Christ and stirre vp faith in him to beleue the promises then when he beleueth the promises as God was mercyfull to promise so is he true to fulfill them and wil geue him the spirite and strength both to loue the will of God to worke there after So see we that God onely whiche accordyng to the Scripture worketh
all in all thinges woorketh a mans iustifiyng saluation and health yea poureth fayth belefe lust to loue Gods will strength to fulfill the same into vs euen as water is poured into a vessell and that of his good will and purpose and not of our deseruynges and merites Gods mercy in promising and truth in fulfilling his promises saueth vs and not we ourselues and therfore is al laude prayse glory to be geuen vnto God for his mercy and truth and not vnto vs for our merites and deseruynges After that he stretcheth hys example out agaynst all other good workes of the law and coÌ„cludeth that the Iewes can not be Arahams heyres because of bloud and kinred onely and much lesse by the workes of the law but must inherite Abrahams fayth if they wil be the right heyres of Abraham for as much as Abraham before the law both of Moses also of Circumcision was through faith made righteous and called the father of all them that beleue not of them that worke Moreouer the law causeth wrath in as much as no maÌ„ can fulfill it with loue and lust and as longe as such grudgyng hate and indignation agaynst the law remayneth in the hart and is not takeÌ„ away by the sprite that commeth by fayth so long no doubt the workes of the law declare euideÌ„tly that the wrath of god is vpon vs and not fauour wherfore fayth only receyueth the grace promised vnto Abraham And these ensamples were not written for Abrahams sake onely sayth he but for oures also to whom if we beleue fayth shall be reckened lykewise for ryghteousnesse as he sayth in the end of the chapter In the 5. chapter he commendeth the fruit and workes of faith as are peace reioycing in the conscience inwarde loue to God and maÌ„ moreouer boldnesse trust confidence and a strong a lusty mynd and stedfast hope in tribulation and suffering For all such follow where the right fayth is for the aboundant graces sake and giftes of the sprite which god hath geuen vs in Christ in that he suffred hym to die for vs yet his enemies Now haue we then that fayth only before all workes iustifieth and that it followeth not yet therfore that a man should do no good workes but that y t right shapeÌ„ workes abide not behind but accompany fayth euen as brightnesse doth the sunne and are called of Paul the fruites of the sprite Where y t spirite is there it is alwayes sommer and there are alwayes good fruites that is to say good workes This is Paules order that good works spring of the sprite y e spirit commeth by fayth and faythe commeth by hearyng the worde of God when the glad tidings and promises which God hath made vnto vs in Christ are preached truely and receiued in the ground of the hart with out waueryng or doubâ—ing after that the law hath passed vpon vs and hath damned our consciences Where the worde of God is preached purely and receiued in the hart there is faith the spirit of God there are also good workes of necessitie whensoeuer occasioÌ„ is geueÌ„ Where Gods word is not purely preached but mens dreames traditions imaginations inuentioÌ„s ceremonies superstition there is no fayth and consequently no spirite that commeth of GOD and where Gods spirite is not there can bee no good workes euen as where an apple tree is not there can grow no apples but there is vnbeliefe the diuels sprite and euill workes Of this Gods sprite and hys fruites haue our holy hipocrites not once knowen neither yet tasted how swete they are though they fayne many good workes of their own imaginatioÌ„ to be iustified withal in which is not one cromme of true fayth or spiritual loue or of inward ioy peace and quietnes of conscience for as much as they haue not the worde of GOD for them that such workes please GOD but they are euen the rotten fruites of a rotten tree After that he breaketh forth and runneth at large sheweth whence both sinne and righteousnesse death and life come And he compareth Adam and Christ together thus wise reasonyng and disputyng that Christ must nedes come as a seconde Adam to make vs heyres of his righteousnesse through a new spiritual birth without our deseruinges Euen as the first Adam made vs heyres of synne through the bodily generation without oure deseruyng Wherby it is euidently knowne and proued to the vttermost that no man can bryng himselfe out of synne vnto righteousnesse no more then he could haue withstaÌ„d that he was borne bodily And y t is proued herewith for as much as y t very law of God which of right should haue helped if any thyng could haue holpeÌ„ not onely came and brought no helpe with her but also encreased synne because that the euil and poisoned nature is offeÌ„ded and vtterly displeased with the law and y t more she is forbid by the lawe the more is she prouoked and set a fyre to fulfill satisfie her lustes By the law then we see clearely that we must needes haue Christ to iustify vs with his grace to helpe nature In the vi he setteth forthe the chiefe and principall worke of fayth the battayle of the sprite agaynst the fleshe how the sprite laboureth and enforceth to kyll the remnaunt of sinne and lust which remayne in the fleshe after our iustifiyng And this chapiter teacheth vs that we are not so free from sinne through fayth that we should henceforth go vp and down idle carelesse sure of our selues as thoughe there were now no more synne in vs. Yes there is sinne remayning in vs but it is not reckoned because of fayth and of the sprite which fyght agaynste it Wherefore we haue inough to doe all our lyues long to tame our bodies and to compell the members to obey the sprite and not the appetites that therby we myght be like vnto christes death and resurrection and might fulfill our baptisme which signifieth the mortifiyng of sinnes and the new lyfe of grace For this battayle ceaseth not in vs vntill the last breath and vntyll that sinne be vtterly slayne by the deth of the body This thyng I meane to tame the body and so forth we are able to doe sayth he seyng we are vnder grace not vnder the lawe What it is not to be vnder the lawe he himselfe expoundeth For not to be vnder the lawe is not so to be vnderstand that euery maÌ„ may do what hym lusteth But not to be vnder the law is to haue a fre hart renewed with the sprite so that thou hast lust inwardly of thine owne accorde to do that which the lawe commaundeth without compulsion yea though there were no law For grace that is to say gods fauour bringeth vs the sprite maketh vs loue the lawe so is there now no more sinne neither is the law now any more
not to God that we should continue vnfruitfull as before but that he should put the seede of his holy sprite in vs as S. Iohn in his first Epistle calleth it and to make vs fruitfull For sayth Paul Ephe. 2. By grace are ye made safe through fayth and that not of your selues for it is the gifte of God and commeth not of the workes least any man should boast himselfe For we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesu vnto good workes which God hath ordeyned that we should walke in them William Tyndale otherwyse called Hitchins to the Reader GRace and peace with all maner spirituall fcelyng and liuyng worthy of the kyndenes of Christ be wyth the reader with all that trust the wyll of God Amen The cause why I set my name before this little treatise and haue not rather done it in the new testament is that then I folowed the counsell of Christ which exhorteth men Math. 6. to doe their good deedes secretly and to be contente with the consciēce of well doyng and that God seeth vs and patiently to abyde the reward of the last day which christ hath purchased for vs now would I fayne haue done likewise but am I compelled otherwise to do While I aboade a faythfull companion which now hath taken another voyage vpon him to preach Christ where I suppose he was neuer yet preached God which put in hys hart thether to go sende his spirite with hym comforte hym and bryng hys purpose to good effecte one William Roye a man somewhat crafty when he commeth vnto new acquayntance and before he be through knowne and namely when all is spent came vnto me and offred hys helpe As long as he had no money somwhat I could rule hym but as soone as he had gotten hym money he became lyke hymselfe agayne Neuerthelesse I suffered all thynges tyll that was ended which I coulde not doe alone without one both to write and to helpe me to copare the textes together When that was ended I toke my leaue and bade hym farewell for our two lyues and as men say a day longer After we were departed he went and gate him new frendes which thyng to doe he passeth all that euer I yet knew And there when he had stored hym of money he gate hym to Argentine where he professed wonderfull faculties maketh boast of no small things A yeare after that and now xij monthes before y ◠printyng of this worke came one Ierome a brother of Grenewich also through Wormes to Argentine saying y ◠he intended to be Christes Disciple another whyle to kepe as nye as God would geue him grace y ◠profession of hys baptisme to get hys liuyng with his hādes to lyue no lōger idlely of the sweate and labour of those captiues whiche they had taught not to beleue in Christe but in cut shooes and russet coats Which Ierome with all diligence I warned of Royes boldnes exhorted him to beware of hym to walke quietly and wyth all patiēce long sufferyng according as we haue Christ hys Apostles for an ensāple which thyng he also promised me Neuerthelesse whē he was commyng to Argētine Williā Roye whose toung is able not onely to make fooles starke mad but also to deceaue the wisest that is at the first sight and acquaintaunce gate hym to hym and set hym a worke to make rymes while he hym selfe translated a Dialogue out of Latin into Englishe in whose Prologue he promiseth more a great deale then I feare me he will euer pay Paule sayth 2. Timo. 2. The seruaūt of the Lord must not striue but be peaceable vnto all men and ready to teach one that can suffer the euill with mekenesse and that can informe them that resiste if God at any tyme will geue them repentaunce for to know the trouth It becommeth not then the Lordes seruaunt to vse rayling rymes but Gods worde which is the right weapon to slay sinne vice all iniquitie The Scripture of god is good to teach and to improue ij Timo. iij. and. ij Thes ij Paule speakyng of Antechrist sayth Whom the Lord shall destroy with the sprite or breath of his mouth that is with the word of God And. ij Cor. x. The weapons of our warre are not carnall thynges sayth he but mighty in God to cast downe strong holdes and so forth that is to destroy high buildings of false doctrine The word of God is that day wherof Paul speaketh i. Cor. iij. which shall declare all thing that fire which shal try euery mans worke and consume false doctrine with that sword ought men sharply to fight and not to rayle with foolishe rymes Let it not offende thee that some walke inordinatly let not the wickednes of Iudas cause thee to despise the doctrine of his fellowes No man ought to thinke that Stephen was a false preacher because that Nicolas whiche was chosen felow with hym Act. vj. to minister vnto the widowes fell after into great heresies as histories make mention Good and euill go alwayes together one cā not be knowen without the other Marke this also aboue all thinges that Antechrist is not an outward thyng that is to say a man that should sodēly appeare with wonders as our fathers talked of hym No verely for Antichrist is a spirituall thyng And is as much to say as agaynst Christ y t is one that preacheth false doctrine contrarie to Christ Antechrist was in the old Testamēt and fought with the Prophetes he was also in the tyme of Christ of the Apostles as thou readest in the Epistles of Iohn and of Paule to the Corinthians and Galathians and other Epistles Antechrist is now shall I doubt not endure till the worldes ende But his nature is when he is vttered and ouercome with the worde of God to go out of the playe for a season and to disguise hymselfe and then to come in agayne with a new name and new rayment As thou seest howe Christ rebuketh the Scribes and the Pharises in the Gospel which were very Antechristes saying Wo be to you Pharises for ye robbe widowes houses ye praye long prayers vnder a colour ye shut vp the kingdom of heauē suffer thē not y ◠would to enter in ye haue taken away the keye of knowledge ye make men breake Gods commaundementes with your traditions ye beguile the people with hipocrisie and such like Which thynges all our prelates do but haue yet gotten them new names and other garmentes and are otherwyse disguised There is difference in the names betwene a Pope a Cardinall a bishop and so forth and to say a Scribe a Pharisey a seniour and so forth but the thyng is all one Euen so now when we haue vttered hym he wyll change hymselfe once more and turne hymselfe into an angell of lyght 2. Cor. 11. Read the place I exhorte
is the same god and hath sworne to vs all that he sware vnto them and is as true as euer he was and therefore can not but fulfil his promises to vs as wel as he dyd to them if we beleue as they dyd The houre shal come when all they that are in the graues shall heare hys voyce that is to say Christes voyce shall come forth they that haue done good into the resurrection of lyfe and they that haue done euil into the resurrection of damnation Iohn v. This all lyke textes declare what soloweth good workes and that our dedes shall testifie with vs or agaynst vs at that day and putteth vs in remembraunce to be diligent and feruent in doyng good Here by mayst thou not vnderstand that we obtayne the fauor of god and the inheritaunce of life thorough the merites of good workes as hyrelynges do their wages For then shouldest thou robbe Christ of whose fulnes we haue receaued fauour for fauour Ioh. i. that is gods fauour was so full in Christ that for his sake he geueth vs his fauour as affirmeth also Paule Ephe. i. he loued vs in his beloued by whom we haue sayth Paul redemptiō through his bloud and forgeuenes of sinnes The forgeuenes of sinnes then is our redēptiō in Christ and not y t reward of workes In whō sayth he in the same place hee chose vs before the makyng of y ◠world that is long before we dyd good workes Throughe fayth in Christ are we also the sonnes of god as thou readest Io. i. in that they beleued on his name he gaue them power to be the sonnes of god God with all his fulnes riches dwelleth in Christ and out of Christ must we fetch all thynges Thou readest also Iohn iij. he that beleueth on the sonne hath eternal life And he that beleueth not shall see no lyfe but the wrath of god abydeth vpon him Here seest thou that the wrath vengeance of God possesseth euery man till fayth come Fayth and trust in Christ expelleth the wrath of god and bringeth fauour y t spirite power to do good and euerlastyng lyfe Moreouer vntill Christ hath geuē thee light thou knowest not wherein stādeth the goodnes of thy workes vntill his spirite hath loosed thyne hart ▪ thou canst not consent vnto good woorkes All that is good in vs both wil and works commeth of the fauour of GOD through Christ to whom be the laude Amen IF any man will do his will he meaneth the will of the father he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of god or whether I speake of my selfe Iohn vij This text meaneth not that any man of his owne strength power and free will as they call it can do the will of god before he hath receaued the spirite and strength of Christ through sayth But here is ment that which is spokenin the thyrd of Iohn when Nicodemus marueiled how it were possible that a man should be borne agayn Christ aunswered that which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that whiche is borne of the spirite is spirite as who should say he that hath the spirite thorough fayth and is borne agayne and made a new in Christ vnderstandeth the thynges of the spirite and what he that is spirituall meaneth But he that is flesh and as Paul sayth i. Cor. ij a naturall man led of his blind reason onely can neuer ascend to the capacitie of the spirite And he geueth an ensāple saying the winde bloweth where he lysteth and thou hearest his voyce and wottest not whence he cōmeth nor whether he will So is euery mā that is borne of the spirite he that speaketh of the spirite can neuer be vnderstand of the naturall man which is but flesh and sauoreth no more thē thynges of y ◠flesh So here meaneth Christ if any man haue the spirite consenteth vnto the will of God this same at ones wotteth what I meane IF ye vnderstand these thinges happy are ye if ye do them Iohn xiij A Christen mans hart is with the wyll of God with the lawe and commaundementes of God and hongreth and thyrsteth after strength to fulfill them and mourneth day and night desiring God according to his promises for to geue him power to fulfill the will of God with loue and lust then testifieth his deede that he is blessed and that the spirite which blesseth vs in Christ is in hym and ministreth such strength The outward deede testifieth what is within vs as thou readest Iohn v. The deedes which I do testifie of me sayth Christ And Ioh. 13. hereby shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye loue one an other And Ioh. 14. he that hath my commaundements keepeth thē the same it is that loueth me And agayne he that loueth me keepeth my commaundementes and he that loueth me not keepeth not my cōmaundementes the outward deede testifiing of the inwarde hart And Ioh. xv If ye shall kepe my commaundemēts ye shall cōtinue in my loue as I kepe my fathers commaundemēt and continue in his loue That is as ye see the loue that I haue to my father in that I keepe his commaundementes so shal ye see the loue that ye haue to me in that ye kepe my commaundemētes Thou mayest not thinke that our deedes blesse vs first and that we preuent God and his grace in Christ as though we in our naturall giftes and beyng as we were borne in Adam looked on the lawe of God and of our owne strength fulfilled it and so be-became righteous and then with that righteousnes obtayned the fauour of God As Philosophers write of righteousnes and as the righteousnes of temporall lawe is where the lawe is satisfied with the hipocrisy of the outward deede For cōtrarie to y ◠readest thou Ioh. xv Ye haue not chosen me sayth Christ but I haue chosen you that ye goe and bring forth fruite and that your fruite remayne And in the same chapter I am a vine and ye the braunches and without me can ye do nothing With vs therefore so goeth it In Adam are we all as it were wilde crab trees of which God chuseth whom he will and plucketh them out of Adam and planteth them in the garden of his mercy and stocketh thē and grafteth the spirite of Christ in them which bringeth forth the fruite of the will of God which fruite testifieth that God hath blessed vs in Christ Note this also that as long as we liue we are yet partly carnall and fleshly notwithstāding that we are in Christ and though it be not imputed vnto vs for Christes sake for there abideth remaineth in vs yet of the olde Adam as it were the stocke of the crabe tree and euer among when occasion is geuen hym shoteth forth his braunches and leues budde blossome and fruit Against whom we must fight and subdue hym and chaynge all
he breake his fathers cōmaundementes though he be not vnder damnatiō yet is he euer child and rebuked and now then lasshed with the rod by the reason wherof he is neuer bold in his fathers presence But y t childe that kepeth his fathers commaūdements is sure of himselfe and bolde in his fathers presence to speake aske what he will They that minister well get them good degree and great confidēce in the fayth that is in Christ Iesu sayth Paule 1. Tim. 3. He that worketh is bold before God and man For hys conscience accuseth hym not within neither haue wee ought to wyte hym withall or to cast in his teeth And as without the sight of the woorkes Iacob the Apostle can not see thy fayth Iaco. 2. no more shalt thou euer be sure or bold before God or man But if our hartes condemne vs God is greater then our hart and knoweth all thyng If our conscience accuse vs of sinne God is so great and so mightie that it can not be hid Dearely beloued if our hartes condemne vs not then we trust to Godward And whatsoeuer wee aske that shall we receaue of him because we keepe his commaundementes and do the thynges whiche are pleasaunt in his sight Kepyng of the commaundementes maketh a man see his fayth and to bee bold therein And fayth when it is without conscience of sinne goeth into God boldly and is strong and mighty in prayer to coniure God by all hys mercyes therewith obtayneth what soeuer hee asketh of all his promises And the text sayth because we kepe his commaundementes Yea verely hys commaundemētes make vs bold But the keepyng of mens traditions and domine ceremonies make vs not bold before God nor certifie our conscience that our faith is vnfayned Thou shalt not know by sprynkling thy selfe with holy water nor kyssing the pax nor with takyng asshes or though thou were annoynted with all the oyle in Thames strete that thy fayth is sure But and if thou couldest finde in thyne hart to bestowe both lyfe and goodes vpon thy neighbour in a iust cause and hast proued it then art thou sure that thou louest Christ and feelest that thou hast thy trust in his bloud And this is his commaundemēt that wee beleue in his sonne Iesus Christ and loue one another as he gaue commaundement Fayth is the first and also the roote of all commaundementes And out of fayth spryngeth loue and out of loue workes And when I breake any commaundemēt I sinne agaynst loue For had I loued I had not done it And when I sinne agaynst loue I sinne agaynst fayth For had I earnestly and with a full trust remembred the mercy that Christ hath shewed me I must haue loued Wherefore when we haue broken any commaundement there is no other way to bee restored agayne thē to go through repētaunce vnto our fayth agayne and aske mercy for Christes sake And assoone as we haue receaued faith that our sinne is forgiuen wee shall immediatly loue the commaundemēt agayne and through loue receaue power to worke And he that keepeth his commaundemētes abideth in him and he in hym And hereby we knowe that there dwelleth in vs of hys spirite which he gaue vs. Through the woorkes we are sure that we continue in Christ and Christ in vs and that his spirite dwelleth in vs. For his spirite it is that kepeth vs in fayth and through fayth in loue and through loue in workes The fourth Chapter DEarely beloued beleue not euery spirit but proue the spirits whether they bee of God For many false Prophetes are gone out into the world Spirites are taken here for preachers because of the preachyng or doctrine which if it be good is of the spirite of God and if it be euill of the spirite of the deuill Now ought we not to beleue euery mans doctrine vnaduisedly or condeinne any mans preachyng yer it be heard and sene what it is But a Christen mās part is to examine iudge trie it whether it be true or no. Quench not the spirit saith Paul i. Thess the last Neither despise prophesiynges but proue all thyng and kepe that whiche is good Destroy not the giftes of the spirite of God but trie whether they be of God and good for the edifiyng of his congregation and keepe that whiche is good and refuse that whiche is euill And suffer euery person that hath any gift of God to serue God therin in his degree and estate after a Christen maner and a due order Why shall we try the doctrines Verely for there bee many false Prophetes abroad already We told you before that Antichrist should come as our master Christ told vs that he shuld come But now I certify you that Antichristes kyngdome is begon already And his Disciples are gone out to preache Trie therefore all doctrine wherewith shall we trie it with the doctrine of the Apostles and with the Scripture which is the touchstone ye and because ye loue compendiousnes ye shall haue a short rule to trie them with all Hereby knowe ye the spirite of God Euery spirite that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the fleshe is of God And euery spirite that cōfesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God And the same is that spirite of Antichrist of whō ye haue heard that he should come And euen now he is in the world already Whatsoeuer opinion any member of Antichrist holdeth the ground of all his doctrine is to destroy this article of our fayth that Christ is come in the flesh For though the most part of all heretickes confesse that Christ is come in the flesh after their maner yet they deny that he is come as the Scripture testifieth the Apostles preached hym to be come The whole study of the deuill and all his members is to destroy the hope and trust that we should haue in Christes flesh and in those thynges which he suffered for vs in his flesh in the Testament and promises of mercy which are made vs in his flesh For the scripture testifieth that Christ hath taken away the sinne of the world in his flesh and that the same houre that he yelded vp his spirite into the hands of his father hee had full purged and made full satisfaction for all the sinnes of the world So that all the sinne of the worlde both before his passion and after must be put away through repentaunce toward the law and fayth and trust in his bloud without respect of any other satisfactiō sacrifice or worke For if I once sinne the law rebuketh my consciēce and setteth variaunce betwene God and me And I shal neuer be at peace with God agayne vntill I haue heard the voyce of hys mouth how that my sinne is forgiuen me for Christes bloud sake And assoone as I that beleue I am at peace with God Rom. v. and loue his law agayne and of loue
it is the gift of God and commeth not of workes lest any man should bost him selfe But we are his workemanshyp created in Christ Iesu vnto good workes vnto whiche God ordeined vs before that we shuld walke in them The text is playne we were stone dead and without lyfe or power to do or consent to good The whole nature of vs was captiue vnder the deuill and led at his will And we were as wicked as the deuill now is Except that hee now sinneth agayne the holy ghost and we consented vnto sinne with soule and body and hated the law of God But God of his grace onely quickened vs in Christ and raysed vs out of that death and made vs sit with Christ in heauenly thynges That is he set our hartes at rest and made vs sit fast in the lyfe of Christes doctrine and vnmoueable frō the loue of Christ And finally we are in this our second byrth Gods workemāshyp and creation in Christ so that as hee which is yet vnmade hath no life nor power to worke no more had we till we were made agayne in Christ The preachyng of mercy in Christ quickened our hartes through faith wrought by the spirit of Christ which God poured into our hartes yer we wist Dearely beloued if God so loued vs then ought we loue one an other If we felt the loue of God in Chrisles bloud we could not but loue agayne not onely God and Christ but also all that are bought with Christes bloud If we loue God for the pleasures that we receaue then loue we our selues But if we loue hym to do hym pleasure agayne that can we no otherwise do then in louing our neighbours for his sake them that are good to continue them in their goodnes them that are euill to draw them to good Loue is the instrument wherewith fayth maketh vs Gods sonnes fashioneth vs lyke the image of God and certifieth vs that we so are And therfore commaundeth Christ Math. v. Loue your enemyes Blesse thē that curse you pray for them that persecute you that ye may be the sonnes of your heauenly father whiche maketh his sunne rise ouer good and bad and sendeth his rayne vpon iust and vniust ye whiche made the sunne of his mercy shyne vpō vs and sent the rayne of the bloud of his deare and onely child vppon our soules to quicken vs and to make vs see loue to loue agayne No man hath at any tyme sene God If we loue one an other God dwelleth in vs and his loue is perfect in vs. Though we can not see God yet if we loue one an other we be sure that he abydeth in vs and that his loue is perfect in vs that is that we loue hym vnfaynedly For to loue God truly to giue him thankes is onely to loue our neighbour for his sake For vppon his person thou canst bestow no benefite And for as much as we neuer saw God let vs make no image of him nor doe hym any imageseruice after our own imagination but let vs go to the scripture that hath sene hym and there wete what fashion he is of and what seruice he wil be serued with Blind reason sayth God is a kerued post and wil be serued with a candle But Scripture sayth God is loue wil be serued with loue If thou loue thy neighbour thē art thou the image of God thy self and he dwelleth in the liuing temple of thine hart And thy louing of thy neighbour for hys sake is hys seruice and worshyp in the spirite and a cādle that burneth before hym in thyne hart and casteth out the light of good workes before the world draweth all to God and maketh his enemyes leaue their euill and come and worshyp him also Hereby we know that we abyde in him and he in vs. For he hath giuen vs of his spirite He that hath not Christes spirit the same is none of his Roma 8. If we haue the spirite of God then are we sure But how shall we know whether we haue the spirite Aske Iohn and he will say if we loue one an other And we haue sene and do testifie that the father hath sent hys sonne the sauiour of the worlde Whosoeuer confesseth that Iesus is the sonne of God in hym dwelleth God and he in God And we haue knowne and beleued the loue that God hath to vs. First the Apostles taught no fables but that they saw and receaued of God by the witnesse of his spirite Secondaryly Iohn ascēdeth vp stepe higher from loue to fayth and sayth he that be leueth that Iesus is Gods sonne hath God in hym And I doubt not but the Pope and his defēders will aunswere Iohn and say then the deuil hath God in hym and is also in God For other fayth then such as the deuill hath felt they neuer any But Iohn preuenteth them we haue knowē and beleued the loue that God hath to vs. That is we beleue not onely with story fayth as men beleue old Chronicles but we beleue the loue and mercy that GOD shewed vs and put our trust and confidence therein And so taketh Scripture belefe we beleue that Iesus is the sonne of God made man and slayne for our sinnes which is a tokē of great loue And that loue beleue we trust therto Where Paule sayth i. Cor. xij No man can cal Iesus Lord except the holy ghost had taught hym But thorough the holy ghost he meaneth not with the mouth onely but in the hart with vnfayned fayth putting his hope trust in the Lordshyp which he hath ouer sinne damnation hell and death For so could no man call Iesus Lord except the holy ghost had taught hym as Christ saith Math. xvi flesh bloud shewed thee not that But yet how shall I see my fayth I must come downe to loue agayne thence to the workes of loue yer I can see my faith Not alway but sometime thou shalt fecle thy fayth without the outward deede as in great aduersitie and persecution when the deuil assaulteth thee with desperation and layeth thy sinnes before thee would beare the in hād that God had cast the away and left the succourles for thy synnes sake Then commeth fayth forth with her shielde and turneth backe agayne the dartes of the deuill and aunswereth Nay for Iesus is y ◠sonne of God yea and my very God and my very Lord and hath takē away my sinnes all dānation And this trouble aduersitie which is come vpō me by settyng of thee and on of thy lymmes is onely to make me feele the mercy of my father and his power and helpe within in my soule and to slay the rest of the poyson which remaineth in the flesh God is loue and he that abydeth in loue abydeth in God and God in hym This haue we heard aboue and it is easie to be vnderstand Herefore is loue perfect with vs
the text declareth It is good for a man not to touch a woman Now doth blessed S. Paule aunswere to this holy hypocrisie on this maner To auoyde fornication sayth hée notwithstandyng your holynesse let euery man mary a wyfe Now if blessed Saynt Paule had thought it vnlawfull to marry for any Christen man then would not hée haue sayde Let euery man marry Marke also that it is not agaynst the perfection of any Christen man for to marry but hée is rather boūde to marry if hée haue not the gifte of chastitie Farthermore note that S. Paule neither biddeth them that thought it holynes to bée vnmaryed to fast or to labour or to weare héere But alonely to marry as who shoulde say God hath ordayned and approoued a lawful and a laudable remedy against your sicknes My doctrine is that you shall heare your God and vse to your comforte those creatures remedies with thankes géeuing that God hath appointed and therewith bée you cōtent and recken not your selues wyser then God in helpyng and curyng your diseases For nothing can bée vnlawfull that God doth allowe and prooue And for vsing of Gods creatures and his ordinaunces in tyme and place requisite can no man bée blamed béefore God But for refusing of Gods remedies whē they bée necessary let no man thinke that hée shall auoyde Gods daunger As for an example Hée that wyll not eate and drinke when hée is hungry and thirsty but excogitateth some other remedie of his owne brayne so long that hée bringeth himselfe in vtter destruction let no man doubte but in this case before God hée is a murtherer and an homicide I thinke there is no learning to the contrary Wherefore I woulde that mē should well remember themselues in thys case thinke not that they cā inuent a thyng more pleasaunt vnto God then hée can doe hym selfe His pleasure is best knowen vnto himselfe For this cause I iudge it lawfull for euery Priest that hath not the gift of chastitie to vse the remedy that God hath ordayned and also sanctified Blessed S. Paule saith that mariage is honorable and the bedde of them is vndefiled but fornicatours and aduoulterers God shal iudge Marke that S. Paule caulleth it honorable and a cleane thyng What presumption is therefore in vs that recken it a dishonour and vncleannesse for priestes to vse maryage God sayth hée shall iudge whorekéepers and aduoulterers but not them that bée maryed Wherefore yet agayne after y e doctrine of S. Paule I exhorte all Priestes that can not liue chaste to receiue Gods remedie with thankes This is S. Paules doctrine where hée sayth I woulde that all men were as I my selfe am But euery mā hath his proper gift of God one after this maner an other after that I say vnto the vnmaryed men and wydowes it is good for them if they abide as I doe But and if they can not abstaine let them mary For it is better to mary then to burne I can not deuise a clearer text for my purpose then thys is Saint Paule woulde that euery man had the gifte of chastitie But in as much as all men hath not one gift therefore sayth S. Paule must euery man vse himselfe after his gifts And hée that hath not the gifte of chastitie S. Paule wyll plainely that hée shall mary Hée sayth not that hée shal chastice himselfe wyth labour and wyth payne to remedye that weakenes though I woulde bée contente for my parte gladly that men shoulde prooue all maner of lawfull remedies to helpe them to lyue sole But then if they can not so continue I wyll in no wise that they shall refuse maryage as a thyng vnlawfull and filthy but rather vse it and prooue it at the least wise as they haue done other remedies that they haue inuented séeing that God hath iustituted this as a thyng that hée iudgeth for a lawfull and principall remedy But note that S. Paule sayth it is better to mary then to burne S. Paules meanynge is that if man hath not the gifte to extincte the burnyng and ardent desire of nature that then hée must mary rather then bée subiecte vnto such concupiscence S. Paule sayth not rather mary then to kéepe whores But hys will is that wée shoulde bée so farre from all whoredome that wée should not suffer our selues so much as to burne The whiche precéedeth all whoredome and is lesse in very déede then whoredome And yet S. Paule wylling vs to auoyde this lesse thing commaundeth vs to mary how much more to auoyde open whoredome abhominable and detestable vncleannes that is now vsed shamelesse in the worlde I doe not reprooue that Priestes doth lyue sole I had rather thereto exhorte them But this I detestate that men had rather suffer and allow priestes to liue in whoredome and in all abhominable fornication then for to vse that lawfull remedy that God hath both ordayned and sanctified Wée haue no mention in any storye that euer any Priest was burned for kéepyng of whores but for mariage we haue séene and doe sée dayly how cruelly and violently men doth persecute them as though Gods blessed ordinaunce were rather to bée extincted and abhorred then that thyng y e both God nature reprooueth Where is there one man in England that hath so great loue and reuerence to the holy state of Matrimony that hée should kéepe a maryed Priest in hys house But Priestes that lyue vnlawfully agaynst Gods law and mans law and agaynst all honesty and morall vertue bée in euery mans houses company and rulers and coūsellers and controllers Alas for pitie what shall I say to the affectiōs of mens hartes that thus can winke I will not say alow at such abhominable thynges Yea and the selfe same men shall bée most extreme and cruell vnto a poore simple Priest that of a good hart towardes Gods ordinaunce maryeth a lawfull wife This Priest I say shall neither haue meate nor drinke of thē nor yet no office of charitye But the other sort shalbée exalted and set vp in all honour and kept in reuerence and estimatiō And why Bycause as they say they bée good and cleane felowes and loueth a péece of flesh well These blasphemous woordes haue I heard diuerse tymes and many And men sit and laugh at them haue a great reioysing in them So sore is Gods holy ordinaunce a morall vertue goodnes extincted in mens hartes O Lord God and thy mercy were not how were this world able to cōtinewe that thus abhominably and shamefully iudgeth of thy halowed sanctified workes But oh Lord haue thou mercy and pitie on vs for the swéete bloud of thy sonne Christ Iesus Loke not on our synnes oh lord God for who is able to abyde in thy syght But Lord of thine infinite mercy send downe thy spirit into y e harts of thy people that they may bée taught better to iudge of thy heauenly and Godly
Princes and to all that are in authoritie how to rule vnto Gods pleasure vnto their owne profite For there is not a perfecter life in this world both to the honor of God and profite of his neighbour nor yet a greater crosse theÌ„ to rule christianly And of Aaron also see that thou make no figure of Christ vntill hee come vnto hys sacrifisyng but an example vnto all Preachers that they adde nothyng vnto Gods word or take ought therefro Note also how GOD sendeth his promise to the people and Moyses coÌ„firmeth it with miracles and the people beleue But when temptatioÌ„ commeth they fall into vnbelief and fewe byde standyng When thou seest that all be not Christen that will be so called and that the crosse tryeth the true from the fayned for if the crosse were not Christ should haue Disciples enough Whereof also thou seest what an excellent gift of God true fayth is and impossible to be had without the spirite of God For it is aboue all natural power that a maÌ„ in time of temtation when GOD scourgeth hym should beleue then stedfastly how that God loueth him and careth for hym and hath prepared all good thyngs for hym and that that scourgyng is an earnest that GOD hath elect and chosen hym Note how oft Moyses styred them vp to beleue and trust in God putting them in remembraunce alway in tyme of temptation of the miracles wonders that GGD hath wrought before tyme in their eye sight How diligently also forbiddeth hee all that might withdraw their hartes from God to put ought to GODS word to take ought from it coÌ„maundyng to do that onely that is ryght in the sight of the Lord that they should make no maner Image to kneele downe before it yea that they should make none aultare of hewed stone for feare of Images to fle the heathen Idolatries vtterly and to destroy their Idols and cut downe theyr groues where they worshypped and that they should not take the daughters of them vnto their sonnes nor geue their daughters to y t sonnes of them and that who soeuer moued any of them to worshyp false Gods how soeuer nighe of kynne he were they must accuse him and bryng him to death yea wheresoeuer they heard of man woman or Citie that worshypped false Gods they should slea them destroy the Citie for euer and not builde it agayne and all bycause they should worship nothing but God nor put confidence in any thing saue in his word Yea and howe warneth he to beware of witchcraft sorcerie enchauntment nicromancie and all craftes of the Deuill and of dreamers â—othsayers and of miracle doers to destroy the word and that they should suffer none such to lyue Thou wilt hapely say they tell a man the truth What then GOD will that we care not to knowe what shall come He will haue vs to care onely to kepe his commaundementes and to committe all chaunces vnto hym He hath promised to care for vs to kepe vs from all ill All thynges are in hys hand he can remedy all thynges and will for his truth sake if we pray hym In his promises onely will hee haue vs trust and there rest and to seke no farther How also doth he prouoke them to loue euer rehearsing the benefites of God done to them already the godly promises that were to come And how goodly lawes of loue geueth hee to helpe one an other and that a man should not hate his neighbour in hys hart but loue him as himself Leuit. 19 And what a charge geueth he in euery place ouer the poore and nedie ouer the strauÌ„ger frendlesse and widowes And when he desireth to shew mercy he rehearseth with all the benefites of God done to them at their neede that they might see a cause at the least waye in GOD to shew mercy of very loue vnto their neighbours at their nede Also there is no lawe so simple in apparaunce thoroughout the v. bokes of Moses but that there is a great reason of y t makyng therof if a man search diligently As that a man is forbyd to sethe a Kydde in hys mothers milke moueth vs vnto compassion and to be pitiful As doth also that a man should not offer the syre or damme the youÌ„g both in one day Leuiticus .xxij. For it might seme a cruell thyng in as much as his mothers milke is as it were his bloud wherfore god wil not haue him sodde therin but will haue a man shew curtesie vppon the very beastes As in an other place hee commaundeth that we mosell not the Oxe that treadeth out the corne whiche maner of threshyng is vsed in hoate countreys and that bycause we should much rather to be liberall and kynd vnto men that do vs seruice Or happely GOD would haue none such wanton meate vsed among his people For the Kydde of it selfe is nourishyng and the Goates milke is restauratiue and both together might be to rancke and therefore forbydden or some other lyke cause there was Of the ceremonies sacrifices and tabernacle with all hys glory and pompe vnderstand that they were not permitted onely but also commaunded of GOD to lead the people in the shadowe of Moyses and night of the olde Testament vntill the lyght of Christ and day of the new Testament were come As children are lead in the phantasies of youth vntill the discretion of mans age be come vpon them And all was done to keepe them from Idolatrie The tabernacle was ordeined to the entent they might haue a place appointed them to do their sacrifices openly in the sight of the people and namely the Priestes whiche wayted thereon that it might bee sene that they dyd all thynges accordyng to Gods worde not after the Idolatry of their owne imagination And the costlinesse of the Tabernacle and the beauty also pertayning therunto that they should see nothyng among the heathen but that they should see thinges more beautiful at home because they shoulde not bee moued to follow them And in lyke maner the diuers fashions of sacrifices and ceremonies was to occupy their minds that they shold haue no lust to follow the Heathen the multitude of them was that they should haue so much to do in keepyng them that they should haue no leysure to imagine other of their owne yea that Gods worde might be there by in all that they did that they might haue their fayth and trust in God which he cannot haue that followeth either hys own inuentions or traditions of meÌ„s makyng without Gods worde Finally God hath two testaments the olde and the new The olde testament is those teÌ„porall promises which God made the children of Israell of a good lande and that he would defend them and of wealth and prosperitie of temporall blessinges of which thou readest ouer all the law of Moses but namely Leuiticus 26. and Deut.
28. the auoyding of all threatenynges and curses of which thou readest likewyse euery where but specially in the two bookes aboue rehearsed and the auoiding of all punishment ordeyned for the transgressours of the law And the olde Testament was builte altogether vpoÌ„ the kepyng of the lawe and ceremonies and was the rewarde of kepyng them in this lyfe onely and reached no farther then this lyfe this world As thou readest Leuit. 18. A maÌ„ that doth them shall lyue therin which text Paule reherseth Rom. 10. Gal. 3. That is he that keepeth them shall haue his lyfe glorious according to all the promises and blessings of the law and shal auoyde both all temporal punishments of the law all the threatnynges and cursinges also For neyther the lawe of the tenne commaundementes nor yet the ceremonies iustified in the hart before God or purified vnto the lyfe to come In so much that Moses at his death euen fourtye yeares after the lawe and ceremonies were geuen complaineth saying God hath not geuen you an hart to vnderstande nor eyes to see nor eares to heare vnto this day As who shoulde haue sayd God hath geuen you ceremonies but ye knowe not the vse of them and hath geuen you a lawe but god hath not writen it in your hartes Wherfore serueth the law then if it geue vs no power to do the law Paul answereth them that it was geuen to vtter sinne onely and to make it appeare As a corosie is layd vnto an old sore not to heale it but to stirre it vp and make the disease alyue that a man myght feele in what â—eopardie he is how nye death and not aware and to make a way vnto the healing playster Euen so sayth Paul Gal. 3. The law was geuen bycause of transgression that is to make the sinne alyue that it might be felt and sene vntill the seede came vnto whome it was promised that is to saye vntill the children of fayth came or vntill Christ that sede in whom God promised Abraham that all natioÌ„s of the world should be blessed came That is the law was geuen to vtter sinne death damnation and cursse and to driue vs vnto Christ in whom forgeuenes lyfe iustifiyng and blessynges were promised that we might see so great loue of God to vs ward in Christ that we hence forth ouercome with kindnes might loue agayne and of loue kepe the commaundementes Now he that goeth about to quiet his conscieÌ„ce and to iustifie him selfe with the law doth but heale hys woundes with freatyng coroseis And hee that goeth aboute to purchase grace with ceremonies doth but sucke the ale pole to quench his thyrst in as much as the ceremonies were not geuen to iustifie the hart but to signifie the iustifiyng and forgeuenesse that is in Christes bloud Of the ceremonies that they iustifie not thou readest Hebr. x. It is impossible that sinne should be done away with the bloud of Oxen and Goates And of the law thou readest Galla. iij. If there had bene a lawe geuen that could haue quickened or geuen lyfe then had righteousnes or iustifiyng come by the lawe in deede Now the law not onely quickeneth not the hart but also woundeth it with conscience of sinne and ministreth death and damnation vnto her ij Cor. iij. So that she must nedes dye and be damned except she find other remedy So farre it is of that she is iustified or holpen by the law The new Testament is those euerlastyng promises whiche are made vs in Christ the Lorde throughout all the the Scriptures And that Testament is built on fayth and not in workes For it is not said of that Testament He that worketh shall lyue but he that beleueth shall lyue As thou readest Iohn iij. God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that none that beleue in hym should perishe but haue lyfe euerlastyng And when this Testament is preached and beleued the spirit entreth the hart and quickeneth it geueth it life iustifieth her The spirite also maketh the law a liuely thyng in the hart so that a man bringeth foorth good workes of his owne accord without compulsion of the lawe without feare of threatenynges or cursings yea and without all maner respect or loue vnto any teÌ„porall pleasure but of the very power of the spirite receiued thorough fayth as thou readest Iohn i. He gaue them power to be the sonnes of God in that they beleued on his name And of that power they worke so that he which hath the spirit of Christ is now no more a child he neither learneth nor worketh any loÌ„ger for payne of y t rod or for feare of bugges or pleasure of apples but doth all thynges of his owne courage As Christe sayeth Iohn vij He that beleueth on me shall haue riuers of liuyng waters flowyng out of hys belly That is all good workes and all giftes of grace sprynge out of hym naturally and by their owne accord Thou nedest not to wrest good woorkes out of hym as a man would wryng veriuce out of crabbes Nay they flowe naturally out of hym as sprynges out of rockes The new TestameÌ„t was euer euen from the begynnyng of the world For there were alwaies promises of Christ to come by fayth in which promises the elect were then iustified inwardly before God as outwardly before the world by kepyng of the law and ceremonies And in conclusion as thou seest blessynges or cursynges folowe the breaking or keping of the law of Moyses euen so naturally do the blessynges or cursynges folowe the breakyng of keping of the law of nature out of which spryng all our temporall lawes So that when the people kepe the temporall lawes of their land temporal prosperitie and all maner of such temporall blessynges as thou readest of in Moyses do accompany them and fall vpon them And contrarywise when they sinne vnpunished and when the rulers haue no respect vnto equitie or honestie then God sendeth his cursse among them as hunger dearth morein bannyng pestilence warre oppression with straunge and wonderful diseases and new kyndes of misfortune and euill lucke If any man aske me seing that faith iustifieth me why I worke I aunswere Loue coÌ„pelleth me For as loÌ„g as my soule feeleth what loue GOD hath shewed me in Christ I can not but loue God agayne and his wil and commaundements and of loue worke them hor can they seme hard vnto me I thinke not my selfe better for my woorkyng nor seeke heauen nor an higher place in heaueÌ„ bycause of it For a ChristiaÌ„ worketh to make his weake brother perfecter and not to seeke an higher place in heauen I compare not my selfe vnto hym that woorketh not No hee that worketh not to day shall haue grace to turne and to woorke to morow and in the meane tyme I pitie hym and pray for hym If I had wrought the will of
it impossible that thou shouldest loue Gods commaundementes If thou loue not the commaundementes so is Christes spirite not in thee which is the earnest of forgeuenesse of sinne and of saluation For Scripture teacheth first repentaunce then fayth in Christ that for his sake sinne is forgeuen to them that repent then good workes whiche are nothyng saue the comaundement of God onely And the commaūdements are nothyng elles saue the helpyng of our neighbours at their nede and the tamyng of our members that they might be pure also as the hart is pure thorough hate of vice and loue of vertue as Gods word teacheth vs which workes must procede out of the fayth that is I must doe them for the loue which I haue God for that great mercy which he hath shewed me in Christ or elles I do them not in the sight of God And that I fainte not in y t payne of the slaying of the sinne that is in my flesh myne helpe is the promise of the assistance of the power of God and the comforte of the reward to come which reward I ascribe vnto the goodnesse mercy and truth of the promiser that hath chosē me called me taught me geuen me the ernest therof not vnto the merites of my doynges or sufferynges For all that I do and suffer is but the way to the reward and not the deseruyng thereof As if the kynges grace shoulde promise to defende mee at home in myne owne realme yet the way thether is thoroughe the Sea wherin I might happely suffer no litle trouble And yet for all that if I might lyue in rest when I come thether I would thinke and so would other say that my paynes were well rewarded which reward benefit I would not proudly ascribe vnto the merites of my paynes takyng by the waye but vnto the goodnesse mercyfulnesse and constant truth of the kynges grace whose gifte it is and to whō the prayse and thanke thereof belongeth of duety and right So now a reward is a gift geuen freely of the goodnesse of the geuer and not of the deseruynges of the receauer Thus it appeareth that if I vowe what soeuer it be for any other purpose thē to tame my members and to be an ensample of vertue and edifying vnto my neighbour my sacrifice is vnsauery and cleane without salt my lampe without oyle and I one of the foolishe virgines and shal be shut from y t feast of the bridegrome whē I thinke my selfe most sure to enter in If I vow voluntary pouertie this must be my purpose that I will be cōtent with a competent liuyng whiche commeth vnto me either by succession of myne elders or whiche I get truly with my labour in ministryng doyng seruice vnto the common wealth in one office or in an other or in one occupatiō or other because that riches and honor shall not corrupt my mind and draw myne hart from God and to geue an example of vertue and edifying vnto other and that my neighbour may haue a liuyng by me as wel as I if I make a cloke of dissimulation of my vow laying a net of fayned beggery to catch superfluous aboundaunce of riches and hye degree and authoritie and thorough the estimatiō of false holynesse to feede maintaine my slouthful idlenes with the sweate labour landes and rentes of other mē after the example of our spiritualtie robbyng them of their faythes God of his honour turnyng vnto myne hypocrisie that confidence which should be geuen vnto the promises of GOD onely am I not a wily foxe and a rauenyng wolfe in a lambes skinne and a paynted sepulchre fayre without and filthy with in In like maner thoughe I seeke no worldly promotion thereby yet if I doe it to be iustified therewith and to get an hyer place in heauen thinkyng that I doe it of myne owne naturall strength and of the naturall power of my freewill and that euery man hath might euen so to do that they doe it not is their faulte and negligence so with the proude Pharisie in comparison of my selfe despise the sinnefull Publicanes what other thyng do I then eate the bloud and fat of my sacrifice deuouring that my self which should be offered vnto God alone and his Christ And shortly what soeuer a man doth of his naturall giftes of his naturall witte wisedom vnderstandyng reason will and good entēt before he be otherwise and cleane contrary taught of Gods spirite and haue receaued other witte vnderstandyng reason and will is fleshe worldly and wrought in abhominable blindnesse with whiche a man can but seeke him selfe his owne profite glory and honour euen in very spirituall matters As if I were alone in a wildernesse where no man were to seke profite or prayse of yet if I would seeke heauen of God there I could of myne owne naturall giftes seke it no other wayes then for the merites and deseruyngs of my good workes and to enter therin by an other way then by the dore Christe whiche were very theft for Christe is Lord ouer all and what soeuer any man will haue of God he muste haue it geuen hym freely for Christes sake Now to haue heauē for myne owne deseruyng is myne owne praise and not Christes For I can not haue it by fauour and grace in Christe and by myne owne merites also For free geuing deseruyng can not stand together If thou wilt vow of thy goods vnto God thou must put salt vnto thys sacrifice that is thou muste minister knowledge in this dede as Peter teacheth 2. Pet. 1. Thou must put oyle of Gods worde in thy Lampe and do it accordyng to knowledge if thou wait for the comming of the bridegrome to enter in with hym into his rest But thou peraduenture wilt hang it about the image to moue men to deuotion Deuotion is a feruent loue vnto gods commaundementes and a desire to be with God and with hys euerlastyng promises Now shall the sight of such riches as are shewed at S. Thomas shryne or at Walsingham moue a mā to loue the commaundements of god better and to desire to bee loosed from his flesh and to be with God or shall it not rather make his poore hart sigh because he hath no such at home and to wishe part of it in another place The priest shall haue it in Gods stead Shall the priest haue it If the Priest be bought with Christes bloude then he is Christes seruaūt not his owne and ought therefore to feede Christes flocke with Christes doctrine and to minister Christes Sacramentes vnto them purely for very loue and not for filthy lucres sake or to be Lorde ouer them as Peter teatheth 1. Pet. v. and Paul Acts. xx Beside this Christ is oures and is a gift geuen vs and we be heyres of Christ and of all that is Christes Wherefore the Priestes doctrine is oures and we heyres of it it
and vnto the tamyng of thy fleshe But thou mayst vowe neither of them vnto the slaying of thy body As Paule commaundeth Tymothe to drincke wyne no more water because of his diseases Thou wilt say that Timothy had not happely forsworne wyne I thinke the same and that the Apostles forsware not wedlocke thoughe many of them lyued chast neither yet any meate or drincke though they absteined from them and that it were good for vs to folow their example Howbeit though I vowe and sweare and thinke on none exception yet is the breakyng of Gods coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts except and all chaunces that hange of God As if I sweare to be in a certain place at a certain houre to make a loueday without exception yet if the king in the meane tyme commaunde me an other way I must goe by Gods commaundement and yet breake not myne othe And in like case if my father mother be sicke require my presence or if my wife children or houshold be visited that â—ny assistance be required or if my neighbours house be a fire at the same houre and a thousand such chaunces in whiche all I breake myne othe am not forsworne and so forth Read Gods word diligently with a good hart and it shall teach thee all thynges A Prologue into the fifte booke of Moses called Deuteronomy THis is a booke worthy to be read in daye and night neuer to be out of handes For it is the most excellent of all the bokes of Moses It is easy also lyght and a very pure Gospell y t is to wit a preachyng of fayth loue deducyng the loue to God out of fayth and the loue of a mans neighbour out of y t loue of God Herein also thou mayst learne right meditation or contemplation which is nothyng els saue y t calling to minde a repeatyng in the harte of the glorious and wonderfull dedes of God and of his terrible handling of his enemies and mercyfull entreatyng of them that come when hee calleth them whiche thyng this booke doth and almost nothyng elles In the foure first Chapters he rehearseth the benefites of GOD done vnto them to prouoke them to loue his mightie dedes done aboue all natural capacitie of faith that they might beleue GOD and trust in him and in his strength And thirdly he rehearceth the fierce plagues of God vppon his enemyes and on them which through impatiencie vnbeliefe fell from hym partly to tame and abate the appetites of the flesh which alway fight agaynst the spirite and partely to bridle the wilde ragyng lustes of them in whom was no spirite that though they had no power to do good of loue yet at the lest way they should abstaine from outward euill for feare of wrath and cruell vengeaunce whiche should fall vpoÌ„ them and shortly finde them out if they cast vp gods nurter and runne at riotte beyond his lawes and ordinaunces Moreouer he chargeth them to put nought to nor take ought away from Gods wordes but to be diligeÌ„t onely to keepe them in reeÌ„mbraunce in the hart and to teach their childreÌ„ for feare of forgettyng And to beware either of makyng imagery or of bowyng them selues vnto Images saying Ye saw no image when God spake vnto you but heard a voyce onely that voyce keepe and thereunto cleaue for it is your lyfe and it shall saue you And finally if as the frailtie of all fleshe is they shal haue fallen from God and he haue brought them into trouble aduersitie and combraunce and all necessitie yet if they repent and turne hee promiseth them that God shall remeÌ„ber his mercy and receaue them to grace agayne In the fifte he repeateth the x. CommauÌ„dementes and that they might see a cause to do them of loue he biddeth them remember that they were bound in Egypt and how God deliuered theÌ„ with a mighty hande and a stretched out arme to serue him and to kepe his maundementes as Paule sayth that wee are bought with Christes bloud and therefore are his seruauntes and not our owne and ought to seeke his wil and honour onely and to loue and serue one an other for his sake In the sixte he setteth out the fountaine of all commaundementes that is that they beleue how that there is but one God that doth all and therfore ought onely to bee loued with all the hart all the soule and all the might For loue onely is the fulfillyng of the coÌ„maundementes as Paule also sayth vnto the Romaines and Galathians likewise He warneth them also that they forget not the coÌ„maundementes but teache them their children and to shew their children also how God deliuered them out of the bondage of the Egiptians to serue him and his commaundements that the children might see a cause to worke of loue likewise The seuenth is all together of faith hee remoueth all occasions that might withdrawe them from the faith and pulleth them also from all confidence in them selues and sturreth them vp to trust in God boldly and onely Of the eight Chapter thou seest how that the cause of temptation is that a man might see his own hart For wheÌ„ I am brought into that extremity that I must either suffer or forsake GOD then I shall feele how much I beleue and trust in him and how much I loue him In like maner if my brother do me euill for my good then if I loue him when there is no cause in him I see that my loue was of God and euen so if I then hate him I feele and perceaue that my loue was but wordly and finally hee sturreth theÌ„ to the fayth and loue of God and driueth them froÌ„ all confidence of their owne selues In the ninth also hee moueth them vnto fayth and to put their trust in God and draweth them from confideÌ„ce of them selues by rehearsing all y e wickednesse whiche they had wrought from the first day he knew them vnto that same day And in the end he repeteth howe he coniured God in Horeb and ouercame him with prayer where thou mayest learne the right maner to pray In the tenth he reckeneth vppe the pith of all lawes and the keping of the law in hart which is to feare GOD loue him and serue hym with all their hart soule and might and kepe his coÌ„maundementes of loue And he sheweth a reason why they should that do euen because God is Lord of heauen and earth hath also done all for them of his owne goodnesse without their deseruyng And then out of the loue vnto God he bringeth the loue vnto a mans neighbour saying God is Lord aboue all Lordes and loueth al his seruauntes indiffereÌ„tly as well the poore and feble and the strauÌ„ger as the rich and mighty and therfore will that we loue the poore and the straunger And he addeth a cause for ye were straungers
it is chewed the pleasanter it is and the more groundly it is searched the precioser thynges are found in it so great treasure of spirituall thinges lyeth hid therin I will therfore bestow my labour diligence thorow this little preface or prologue to prepare a way in therunto so farreforth as God shall geue me grace that it may be the better vnderstand of euery man for it hath ben hitherto euill darkened with gloses and wonderful dreames of sophisters that no man could spy out the intent and meanyng of it which neuerthelesse of it selfe is a bright lyght and sufficient to geue light vnto all the scripture First we must marke diligently the maner of speakyng of the Apostle and aboue all thing know what Paul meaneth by these wordes the Law sinne grace fayth righteousnes flesh sprite and such lyke or els read thou it neuer so ofte thou shalt but loose thy labor This word Lawe may not be vnderstand here after the common manner and to vse Pauls terme after the maner of men or after mans wayes that thou wouldest say the law here in this place were nothyng but learnyng which techeth what ought to be done and what ought not to be done as it goeth with mans law where the law is fulfilled with outward workes only though the harte be neuer so far of but God iudgeth after the grounde of the harte ye and the thoughtes and the secret mouinges of the mynde therfore hys law requireth the grounde of the hart and loue from the bottome therof and is not content with the outward worke onely but rebuketh those workes most of all which spryng not of loue from the ground and low bottome of the hart though they appeare outward neuer so honest and good as Christ in the gospell rebuketh the pharises aboue all other that were open sinners and calleth them hipocrites that is to say Simulars and paynted Sepulchers which Pharises yet liued no men so pure as pertayning to the outward dedes and workes of y t law ye and Paul in the third chapter of his epistle vnto the Philippiās confesseth of himselfe that as touching the lawe he was such a one as no man coulde complayne on and notwithstandyng was yet a murderer of the christen per secuted them and tormented them so sore that he compelled them to blaspheme Christ was altogether mercilesse as many which now fayne outward good workes are For this cause the 115. psalme calleth all men lyers because that no man kepeth the law from the ground of the harte neither can kepe it For all men are naturally inclyned vnto euill and hate the law we fynde in our selues vnlust and tediousnes to do good but lust and delectation to do euill Now where no free lust is to do good there the bottom of the hart fulfilleth not the law and there no doute is also sinne and wrathe deserued before GOD though there be neuer so great outwarde shew and apparance of honest liuing For this cause concludeth S. Paule in the second chapter that the Iewes all are sinners and transgressors of the law thoughe they make men beleue thorow hipocrisie of outward works how that they fulfill the law sayth that he onely whiche doth the law is righteous before God meanyng therby that no mā with outward workes fulfilleth the law Thou saith he to the Iewe teachest a mā should not breake wedlocke and yet breakest wedlocke thy selfe Wherin thou iudgest an other man therein condemnest thou thy selfe for thou thy selfe doest euen the very same thynges whiche thou iudgest As thoughe hee would say thou liuest outwardly well in the workes of the law and iudgest them that liue not so thou teachest other men and seest a mote in an other mās eie but art not ware of the beame that is in thyne owne eye For though thou keepe the lawe outwardly with works for feare of rebuke shame and punishment either for loue of reward vantage vayne glory yet doest thou all without lust and loue toward the law and haddest leuer a great deale otherwise do if thou diddest not feare the lawe ye inwardly in thine harte thou wouldest that there were no law no nor yet God the author and venger of the lawe if it were possible so paynefull it is vnto thee to haue thyne appetites refrayned and to bee kepte downe Wherfore then it is a playne conclusion that thou from the grounde and bottome of thyne hart art an enemy to the law What preuayleth it now that thou teachest an other man not to steale when thou thyne owne selfe art a thefe in thyne hart and outwardly wouldest fayne steale if thou durst though that the outward dedes abyde not alway behind with such hypocrites and dissimulers but breake forth among euen as an euill scabbe or a pocke can not alwayes be kept in with violence of medicine Thou teachest an other man but teachest not thy selfe ye thou w◅est not what thou teachest for thou vnderstadest not the law a right how that it can not be fulfilled and satisfied but with inward loue and affection much lesse can it be fulfilled with outward deedes and workes onely Moreouer the law encreaseth sinne as he sayth in the fift Chapter because that mā is an enemie to the law for as much as it requireth so many thinges cleane contrarie to his nature wherof he is not able to fulfill one pointe or title as the law requireth it And therfore are we more prouoked and haue greater lust to breake it For whiche causes sake he sayth in the seuenth Chapter that the lawe is spirituall as though he would say if the law wer fleshly and but mans doctrine it might be fulfilled satisfied and stilled with outward deedes But now is the law ghostly and no man fulfilleth it except that all that he doth spryng of loue from the bottome of the hart Such a new hart and lusty courage vnto the law ward canst thou neuer come by of thyne owne strength enforcement but by the operation and workyng of the spirite For the spirite of God onely maketh a man spirituall like vnto the law so that now hence forth hee doth nothyng of feare or for lucre or vantages sake or of vaine glory but of a free hart and of inward lust The law is spirituall and wil be both loued and fulfilled of a spirituall hart and therefore of necessitie requireth it the spirit that maketh a mans hart free and geueth him lust and courage vnto the law ward Where such a spirite is not there remaineth sinne grudging and hatred against the law which law neuerthelesse is good righteous and holy Acquaint thy selfe therfore with the maner of speakyng of the Apostle and let this now sticke fast in thyne hart that it is not both one to do the dedes and workes of the law and to fulfill the law The worke of y t law is what soeuer a man doth or
can doe of his owne free will of his owne proper strength and enforcing Notwithstandyng thoughe there be neuer so great workyng yet as long as their remaineth in the hart vnlust tediousnes grudgyng grief payne lothsâ—nnes compulsion toward the law so long are all the workes vnprofitable lost ye and damnable in the sight of God This meaneth Paule in the iij. Chapter where he sayth by the dedes of the lawe shall no fleshe be iustified in the sight of God Hereby perceauest thou that those sophisters are but disceauers whiche teach that a man may and must prepare him selfe to grace and to the fauour of god with good workes How caÌ„ they prepare them selues vnto the fauour of God to that whiche is good when them selues can do no good no can not once thinke a good thought or consent to do good the deuill possessing their hartes myndes thoughtes captiue at his pleasure CaÌ„ those workes please GOD thinkest thou whiche are done with grief payne and tediousnes with an euill will with a contrary and a grudgyng mynde O holy saint Prosperous how mightely with the Scripture of Paule diddest thou confound this heresie twelue hundred yeares a goe or therupon To fulfill the law is to do y t workes therof and what soeuer the lawe commaundeth with loue lust and inward affection and delectation and to lyue godly and well freely willyngly and without compulsion of the lawe euen as thoughe there were no lawe at all Such lust and free libertie to loue the law commeth onely by the workyng of the spirite in the hart as hee sayth in the first Chapter Now is the spirite none otherwise geuen then by fayth onely in that we beleue the promises of God without waueryng how that God is true and will fulfill all hys good promises toward vs for Christes blondes sake as it is playne in the first Chapter I am not ashamed sayth Paule of Christes glad tydynges for it is the power of GOD vnto saluation to as many as beleue for at once and together euen as we beleue the glad tydynges preached to vs the holy ghost entreth into our hartes and looseth the bondes of the deuill whiche before possessed our hartes in captiuitie and held them that we could haue no lust to y t will of God in the law and as the spirite commeth by fayth onely euen so fayth commeth by hearyng the word or glad tidynges of God when Christ is preached how that hee is Gods sonne and man also dead and risen againe for our sakes as he sayth in the thyrd fourth and tenth Chapters All our iustifying then commeth of faith and faith and the spirite come of God and not of vs. Hereof commeth it that fayth onely iustifieth maketh righteous and fulfilleth the law for it bringeth the spirit through Christes deseruinges the spirite bringeth lust looseth the hart maketh him free setteth hym at libertie and geueth him strength to worke the deedes of the lawe with loue euen as the law requireth then at the last out of the same fayth so workyng in the hart spryng all good workes by their owne accorde That meaneth he in the thyrd Chapter for after he hath cast away the workes of the law so that he soundeth as though he would breake and disanulle the law through fayth he aunswereth to that might bee layd agaynst saying we destroy not the law through fayth but mayntaine further or stablish the law through fayth that is to say we fulfill the law thorough fayth Sinne in the Scripture is not called that outward worke onely committed by the body but all the whole busines and what so euer accompanyeth moueth or stirreth vnto the outward deede and that whence the workes spring as vnbelefe pronenes and readynes vnto the deede in the grounde of the hart with all the powers affections and appetites wherwith we can but sinne so that we say that a man then sinneth when he is caried awaye headlong into sinne all together as much as he is of that poyson inclination and corrupt nature wherein hee was conceiued and borne For there is none outward sinne committed except a maÌ„ be caried away all together with life soule hart body lust and mynde thereunto The Scripture loketh singularly vnto the hart vnto the roote and originall fountaine of all synne which is vnbelefe in the bottom of the hart For as fayth onely iustifieth and bryngeth the spirit and lust vnto the outward good workes Euen so vnbelefe onely damneth and keepeth out the spirit prouoketh the flesh and styrreth vp lust vnto the euill outwarde works as it fortuned to Adam Euâ— in Paradise Gene. 3. For this cause Christ calleth synne vnbelefe and that notablie in the. 16. of Iohn the spirite sayth he shall rebuke the world of sinne because they beleue not in me Wherefore then before all good workes as good frutes there must needes be fayth in the hart whence they spryng and before all bad deedes as bad frutes there must nedes be vnbelief in the hart as in the roote fountain pith and streÌ„gth of all sinne whiche vnbelefe is called the head of the Serpent and of the old Dragon which the womans seede Christ must treade vnderfoote as it was promised vnto Adam Grace and gift haue this difference Grace properly is Gods fauour beneuolence or kynd minde which of his owne selfe without deseruyng of vs he beareth to vs whereby he was moued and inclined to geue Christ vnto vs with all his other giftes of grace Gift is y t holy ghost and his working which hee poureth into the hartes of them on whoÌ„ he hath mercy and whoÌ„ he fauoureth Though the giftes the spirit encrease in vs dayly haue not yet their ful perfection ye and though there remaine in vs yet euill lustes synne which fight agaynst the sprite as he sayth here in the 7. chapter and in the 5. to the Galath and as it was spoken before in the 3. chapter of Gen. of the debate betwene y â— womans sede the seed of y t serpent yet neuertheles gods fauour is so great and so strong ouer vs for Christes sake that we are counted for full whole and perfect before God For Gods fauour towarde vs deuideth not her selfe encreasyng a little and a little as do the giftes but receiueth vs whole altogether in ful loue for Christes sake our intercessour and mediator and because y t the giftes of the sprite the battell betwene the sprite and euill lustes are begonne in vs already Of this now vnderstandest thou the 7. chapter where Paul accuseth hymselfe as a sinner and yet in the 8. chapter sayeth there is no damnation to them that are in Christ and that because of the spirite and because the giftes of the sprite are begonne in vs. Sinners we are because the fleshe is not full killed and mortified Neuertheles in as muche as we beleue in
Christ and haue the earnest and beginning of the sprite God is so louyng fauourable vnto vs that he will not looke on such sinne neither wil counte it as sinne but will deale with vs accordyng to our belief in Christ and according to his promises which he hath sworne to vs vntyll the sinne be full slayne and mortified by death Faythe is not mans opinion and dreame as some imagine and fayne when they heare the story of the Gospell but when they see that there follow no good workes nor amendment of liuyng though they heare ye can bable many thyngs of fayth then they fall from the right way and say fayth onely iustifieth not a man must haue good workes also if he will be righteous and safe The cause is when they heare the gospell or glad tidinges they fayne of their owne strength certaine imaginations and thoughtes in their hartes saying I haue heard the gospell I remember the story loe I beleue and that they counte right fayth which neuerthelesse as it is but mans imagination and faining euen so profiteth it not neither followe there any good workes or amendmēt of liuing But right fayth is a thing wrought by the holy ghost in vs which chaungeth vs turneth vs into a new nature and begetteth vs a new in God and maketh vs the sonnes of god as thou readest in the first of Iohn and killeth the olde Adam and maketh vs altogether new in the hart mynde wyll lust and in all our affectiōs and powers of the soule and bringeth the holye gost with her Fayth is a liuely thing mighty in working valiant strong euer doyng euer fruitfull so that it is vnpossible that he whiche is endued therwith should not worke alwayes good workes without ceasing He asketh not whether good workes are to be done or not but hath done them already ere mention be made of them is alway doing for such is his nature for quicke fayth in hys hart and liuely mouyng of the sprite driue hym and stirre hym therunto Whosoeuer doth not good woorkes is an vnbeleuyng person faithles loketh roūd about him groping after faith good works woteth not what faith or good workes meane though he bable neuer so many thinges of faith good workes Fayth is then a liuely and a stedfast trust in the fauour of God wherewith we commit our selues altogether vnto god that trust is so surely grounded and sticketh so fast in our hartes that a mā would not once doubt of it though he should die a thousand tymes therefore And suche trust wrought by the holy gost through faith maketh a man glad lusty chereful true harted vnto God and vnto all creatures By the meanes wherof willingly and without compulsion he is glad and redy to do good to euery man to do seruice to euery man to suffer all thinges y t god may be loued and praysed which hath geuen hym such grace so that it is impossible to separate good workes from fayth euen as it is impossible to separate heat and burning from fire Therfore take hede to thy selfe and beware of thyne owne fantasies and imaginations which to iudge of fayth good workes wyll seme wyse when in dede they are starke blind and of all things most foolish Pray God that he wyll vouchsafe to worke faith in thine hart or els shalte thou remayne euermore faythlesse fayne thou imagine thou enforce thou wrastle with thy self and do what thou wilt or canst Righteousnes is euen such faythe and is called Gods righteousnesse or righteousnes that is of value before God For it is gods gift and it altereth a man and chaungeth him into a new spiritual nature and maketh him free and liberall to pay euery man his duety For through fayth a mā is purged of his sinnes and obteyneth luste vnto the law of God whereby he geueth God hys honor and payeth hym that he oweth hym and vnto men he doth seruice willingly wherwith soeuer he can and payeth euery man his duety Such righteousnes can nature freewill and our owne strength neuer bring to passe for as no man can geue himselfe faith so can he not take away vnbeliefe how then can he take away any sinne at all Wherefore all is false hipocrisie sinne whatsoeuer is done without fayth or in vnbeliefe as it is euident in the 14. chapter vnto the Romains though it appeare neuer so glorious or beautiful outwardes Fleshe and sprite mayest thou not here vnderstand as though flesh were onely that which pertayneth vnto vnchastitie and the spirite that which inwardly pertayneth to the harte but Paul calleth flesh here as Christ doth Iohn 3. All that is borne of fleshe that is to witte the whole man with lyfe soule body wit will reason whatsoeuer he is or doth within and without because that these all and all that is in man study after the worlde and the flesh Call fleshe therfore whatsoeuer as long as we are without y t spirite of GOD we thinke or speake of God of fayth of good workes and of spirituall matters Call fleshe also all works which are done without grace and without the working of the sprite howsoeuer good holy and spirituall they seeme to be as thou mayest proue by the 5. chapter vnto the Galathians where Paule numbreth worshipping of idoles witchcraft enuy and hate among the dedes of the flesh and by the 8. vnto the Romaines where he sayth that the law by the reason of the fleshe is weake which is not vnderstand of vnchastitie onely but of all sinnes and most specially of vnbeliefe which is a vice most spirituall and grounde of all synnes And as thou callest him whiche is not renewed with the spirit and borne agayne in Christ flesh all his dedes euen the very motions of his hart and minde his learning doctrine and contemplation of hye thinges his preaching teaching and study in the Scripture buildyng of Churches foundyng of Abbeyes geuing of almes Masse mattēs what soeuer he doth though it seme spiritual and after the lawes of God So contrarywise call him spirituall which is renewed in Christ and all his deedes whiche spryng of fayth seme they neuer so grose as the washyng of the Disciples feete done by Christ and Peters fishing after the resurrection yea and al the dedes of matrimony are pure spiritual if they procede of faith and what soeuer is done with in the lawes of God though it be wrought by the body as the very wiping of shooes and such like how soeuer grose they appeare outward With out such vnderstādyng of these wordes canst thou neuer vnderstand this Epistle of Paule neither any other place in the holy Scripture Take hede therfore for who soeuer vnderstādeth these wordes otherwise the same vnderstādeth not Paule what soeuer he be Now will we prepare our selues vnto the Epistle For as much as it becommeth the preacher of
proued to be the enemyes of God and that we hate him For how can we be at peace with God and loue hym seing we are conceiued and borne vnder the power of the deuill and are his possession and kingdome his captiues and bondmen and ledde at his wyll he holdeth our hartes so that it is impossible for vs to consent to the wil of God much more is it impossible for a man to fulfill the lawe of his owne strength and power seyng that we are by birth and of nature the heires of eternall damnation As sayth Paul Ephe 2. We sayth he are by nature the children of wrath Whiche thyng the lawe doth but vtter onely and helpeth vs not yea requireth impossible thynges of vs. The lawe when it commaūdeth that thou shalt not lust geueth thee not power so to doe but damneth thee because thou caust not so do IF thou wilte therefore bee at peace with God and loue him thou must turne to the promises of God and to y t Gospell which is called of Paul in the place before rehearsed to the Corinthians the ministration of righteousnes and of the spirite For fayth bringeth pardō and forgeuenes freely purchased by Christes bloud and bringeth also the sprite the sprite looseth the bondes of the deuill and setteth vs at libertie For where the sprite of the Lord is there is libertie sayth Paule in the same place to the Corinthians that is to say there the harte is free and hath power to loue the will of God there the hart mourneth that he cannot loue inough Now is that consent of y t hart vnto the law of God eternall life yea though there bee no power yet in the members to fulfill it Let euery man therfore accordyng to Paules councell in the 6. chapter to the Eph. arme himselfe with y t armour of god that is to vnderstand with gods promises aboue all thing sayeth he take vnto you the shield of fayth wherewyth ye may be able to quenche all the fierye dartes of the wicked that ye may be able to resist in the euill day of temptation and namely at the houre of death See therfore thou haue Gods promises in thyne hart and that thou beleue them without waueryng when temptation ariseth and the deuill layeth the law thy dedes agaynst thee aunswere him with the promises and turne to God and confesse thy selfe to hym and say it is euenso or els howe could he be mercifull but remember that he is the God of mercy of truth and cannot but fulfil his promises Also remember that hys sonnes bloud is stronger then all the synnes and wickednes of the whole world and therewith quiet thy self and therunto commit thy selfe and blesse thy selfe in all temptation namely at the houre of death with that holy cādle Or els perishest thou though thou hast a thou sand holy candels about thee a C. ton of holy water a shipfull of pardones a clothe sacke full of Friers coates and all the ceremonies in the world and al the good workes deseruings and merites of all the men in the worlde bee they or were they neuer so holy Gods worde onely lasteth for euer and that which he hath sworne doth abide whē all other thynges perish So long as thou findest any consent in thyne hart vnto the law of God that it is righteous and good and also displesure that thou canst not fulfill it dispayre not neither doubt but that Gods spirit is in thee and that thou art chosen for Christes sake to the inheritaunce of eternall lyfe And agayne Rom. 3. We suppose that a man is iustified through fayth without the deedes of the lawe And likewyse Rom. 4. We say y t sayth was reckoned to Abraham for righteousnes Also Romaynes v. seyng that we are iustified through fayth we are at peace with God Also Roma 10. With the hart doth a man beleue to be made righteous Also Gal 3. Receiued ye the spirite by the deeds of the law or by hearyng of the fayth Doth he which ministreth the sprite vnto you worketh miracles among you do it of the deedes of the law or by hearyng of faith Euen as Abraham beleued god it was reckoned to hym for righteousnes Vnderstand therfore saith he that the children of fayth are the children of Abraham For the Scripture saw before that God would iustify the heathen or Gentiles by fayth shewed before glad tidings vnto Abraham in thy sede shall all nations be blessed Wherfore they which are of fayth are blessed that is to witte made righteous with righteous Abraham For as many as are of the deedes of the law are vnder curse For it is written saith he Cursed is euery man that continueth not in all thinges which are written in the booke of the lawe to fulfill them Item Gala. ij where he resisted Peter in the face he sayth We whiche are Iewes by nation and not sinners of the Gentiles know that a man is not iustified by the deedes of the law but by the fayth of Iesus Christ and haue therfore beleued on Iesus Christ that we might be iustified by the fayth of Christ and not by the deedes of the law for by the deedes of the law shall no flesh be iustified Item in the same place he sayth touchyng y t I now liue I lyue in y e fayth of the sonne of God which loued me and gaue him selfe for me I despise not the grace of GOD. For if righteousnes come by y e law thē is Christ dead in vayne And of such like ensamples are all the Epistles of Paul full Marke how Paule laboreth with him selfe to expresse the excedyng misteryes of fayth in the epistle to the Ephesians and in the Epistle to the Collossians Of these and many such like textes are we sure that the forgiuenes of sinnes and iustifying is appropriate vnto faith onely without the addyng to of workes Take for the also the similitude that Christ maketh Math. vij A good tree bringeth forth good frute And a bad tree bringeth forth bad frute There seest thou that the frute maketh not the tree good but the tree the frute that the tree must afore hand be good or be made good yer it can bryng forth good frute As he also sayth Math. xij either make the tre good and his frute good also either make the tree bad and hys frute bad also How can ye speake wel while ye your selues are euil So likewise is this true and nothyng more true that a mā before all good workes must first be good and that it is impossible that workes should make hym good if he were not good before yet he did good workes For this is Christes principle as we say a generall rule How can ye speake well while ye are euill so likewise how can ye do good while ye are euill This is therfore a playne and a sure
conclusion not to bee doubted of that there must be first in the hart of a man before he do any good worke a greater and a preciouser thyng then all the good workes in the world to reconcile him to God to bryng the loue and fauour of God to him to make him loue God agayne to make him righteous and good in the sight of God to do a way his sinne to deliuer him and lose him out of that captiuitie where in he was conceaued and borne in whiche he could neither loue God neither the will of God Or els how can he worke any good woorke that should please God if there were not some supernaturall goodnes in him giuen of GOD freely where of the good worke must spryng euen as a sicke man must first be healed or made whole yer he can do the dedes of an whole man and as the blind man must first haue sight geuen him yer he can see and he that hath his feete in fetters giues or stockes must first be loosed or he can go walke or runne and euen as they whiche thou readest of in the Gospel that they were possessed of the deuils could not laude God till the deuils were cast out That precious thing which must be in the hart yer a man can worke any good worke is y ◠word of God which in the Gospell preacheth profereth bryngeth vnto all that repent and beleue the fauour of God in Christ Who soeuer heareth the word and beleueth it the same is thereby righteous and thereby is geuen hym the spirite of God which leadeth him vnto all that is the will of God and is loosed from the captiuitie and bondage of the deuill and his hart is free to loue God and hath lust to do the will of GOD. Therfore it is called the word of lyfe the word of grace the word of health the word of redemption the word of forgiuenes and the word of peace he that heareth it not or beleueth it not cā by no meanes be made righteous before God This confirmeth Peter in the xv of the Actes seyng that GOD through fayth doth purifie the hartes For of what nature so euer the word of God is of the same nature must the hartes be whiche beleue thereon and cleaue thereunto Now is the word liuyng pure righteous and true euen so maketh it the hartes of them that beleue theron IF it be sayd that Paul when he saith in the iij. to the Romaines no fleshe shal be or can be iustified by the deedes of the law meaneth it of the ceremonies or sacrifices it is an vntrue saying For it foloweth immediatly by the law commeth the knowledge of sinne Now are they not the ceremonies that vtter sinne but the law of cōmaundementes In the iiij he sayth the law causeth wrath whiche can not bee vnderstand of the ceremonies for they were geuen to reconcile the people to God agayne after they had sinned If as they say the ceremonies which were geuen to purge sinne and to reconcile iustifie not neither blesse but temporally onely much more the law of commaundementes iustifieth not For that whiche proueth a man sick health him not neither doth the cause of wrath bring to fauour neither can that whiche damneth saue a man When the mother commaundeth her childe but euen to rocke the cradle it grudgeth the commaundement doth but vtter the poyson that lay hid and setteth him at bate with hys mother and maketh hym beleue shee loueth him not These commaundements also thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house thou shalt not lust desire or wishe after thy neighbours wife seruaunt mayde oxe or asse or what soeuer pertaineth vnto thy neyghbour geue me not power so to doe but vtter the poyson that is in me and damne me because I can not so do and proue that God is wrath with me seing that his wil and mine are so contrary Therefore sayth Paul Gal. iij. If there had ben geuen such a law that could haue geuen lyfe then no doubt righteousnes had come by the law but the Scripture concluded all vnder sinne sayth he that the promise might bee geuen vnto them that beleue through the fayth that is in Iesus Christ The promises when they are beleued are they that iustifie for they bring the spirite whiche looseth the hart giueth lust to the law and certifieth vs of y t good will of God vnto vs ward If we submit our selues vnto God desire him to heale vs he wil do it and will in the meane tyme because of the consent of y ◠hart vnto y ◠law count vs for full whole wil no more hate vs but pitie vs cherish vs be tender harted to vs loue vs as he doth Christ him selfe Christ is our redemer Sauiour peace attonement and satisfactiō and hath made amendes or satisfaction to Godward for all the sinne whiche they that repēt consentyng to the law and beleuyng the promises do haue done or shal do So that if through fragilitie we fall a thousand tymes in a day yet if we do repent agayne we haue alway mercy layd vp for vs in store in Iesus Christ our Lord. WHat shall we say then to those Scriptures whiche go so sore vpō good workes As we read Math. xxv I was an hungred and ye gaue me meate c. And such like Whiche all sound as though we should be iustified and accepted vnto the fauour of God in Christ through good workes To this I aunswere Many there are which whē they heare or read of fayth at once they cōsent therunto and haue a certaine imagination or opinion of fayth as when a man telleth a story or a thyng done in a straunge lande that pertayneth not to thē at all Which yet they heleue and tell as a true thyng And this imagination or opinion they call faith They thinke no further then that fayth is a thyng which standeth in their own power to haue as do other naturall workes whiche men worke but they feele no maner workyng of the spirite neither the terrible sentence of the law the fearefull iudgements of God the horrible damnation and captiuitie vnder Sathan Therefore as soone as they haue this opinion or imaginatiō in there hartes that sayth verely this doctrine semeth true I beleue it is euē so Then they thinke that the right fayth is there But afterward when they feele in them selues and also see in other that there is none alteration and that the workes folow not but that they are altogether euē as before and abide in their old estate then thinke they y t faith is not sufficient but that it must be some greater thing then fayth that should iustifie a man So faule they away from fayth agayne and crye saying fayth onely iustifieth not a man and maketh him acceptable to GOD. If thou aske them wherfore They aūswere see how many there are that beleue and yet do no more
then they did before These are they whiche Iudas in his Epistle calleth dreamers which deceaue themselues with their owne fantasies For what other thing is their imagination which they call fayth then a dreamyng of the fayth and an opinion of their owne imagination wrought without the grace of God These must nedes be worse at the latter end thē at the begynnyng These are the old vessels that rent when new wyne is poured into them Math. ix that is they heare Gods word but hold it not and therfore waxe worse then they were before But the right fayth spryngeth not of mans fantasie neither is it in any mās power to obtaine it but is all together the pure gift of God poured into vs freely without all maner doyng of vs without deseruing and merites yea and without sekyng for of vs. And is as sayth Paul in the second to the Ephesians euen Gods gift and grace purchased through Christ Therfore is it mighty in operation full of vertue and euer working which also renueth a man and begetteth him a fresh altereth him chaungeth hym and turneth him altogether into a new nature and conuersation so that a man feeleth hys hart all together altered chaunged and farre otherwise disposed then before hath power to loue that whiche before he could not but hate and deliteth in that which before he abhorred and hateth that which before he could not but loue And it setteth the soule at libertie and maketh her free to folow the will of God and doth to the soule euen as health doth vnto the body after that a man is pined and wasted away with a long sokyng disease the legges cannot beare hym he cannot lift vp his handes to helpe hymself his taste is corrupt suger is bitter in hys mouth his stomacke abhorreth longyng after slibbersause and swashe at which a whole stomacke is readye to cast hys gorge When helth commeth she changeth and altereth hym cleane geueth hym strength in all hys members lust to do of his owne accord that which before he could not do neither could suffer that any mā exhorted hym to do and hath now lust in holesome thynges and hys members are free and at libertie and haue power to do of their owne accorde all thinges which belong to an whole man to do which afore they had no power to do but were in captiuitie and bondage So likewise in all thyng doth right fayth to the soule The sprite of God accompanieth fayth bringeth with her light wherwith a man beholdeth hymselfe in the lawe of God and seeth his miserable bondage and captiuitie and humbleth himselfe and abhorreth himselfe she bringeth Gods promises of all good thinges in Christ God worketh with his worde and in his worde And as his worde is preached fayth rooteth her selfe in the hartes of the elect and as faith entreth and the worde of God is beleued the power of God looseth the hart from the captiuitie and bondage vnder sinne and knitteth and coupleth him to God and to the wyll of God altereth hym chaungeth hym cleane fashioneth and forgeth hym a new geueth hym power to loue and to doe that whiche before was vnpossible for hym eyther to loue or do and turneth hym into a new nature so y t he loueth that which he before hated and hateth that which he before loued and is cleane altered chaunged and contrary disposed and is knit and coupled fast to Gods will and naturally bringeth forthe good workes that is to say that which God commaundeth to do and not thinges of hys owne imagination And that doth he of hys owne accorde as a tree bringeth forth fruit of her own accord And as thou needest not to bid a tree to bryng forth fruite so is there no law put vnto hym that beleueth and is iustified through fayth as sayth Paul in the first Epistle to Timothie the fyrst chapter Neither is it nedeful for the law of god is written graued in his harte and his pleasure is therein And as without commaundement but euē of hys owne nature he eateth drincketh seeth heareth talketh goeth euē so of his owne nature without coaction or compulsion of y t law bringeth he forth good workes And as a whole man when he is a thurst tarieth but for drinke and when he hungreth abideth but for meate and then drinketh and eateth naturally euē so is y e faithfull euer a thurst an hungred after the will of God and tarieth but for occasion And whensoeuer an occasion is geuen he worketh naturally the wyll of God For this blessing is geuen to all them that trust in Christes bloud that they thrust and hunger to do gods wyll He that hath not this fayth is but an vnprofitable babler of faith and workes and wotteth neither what he bableth nor what he meaneth or wherunto his wordes pertayne For he feeleth not the power of faith nor y e working of the spirite in his hart but enterpreteth the scriptures which speake of fayth and workes after hys owne blynd reason folish fantasies not of any feeling that he hath in his hart as a man rehearseth a tale of an other mans mouth and wotteth not whether it be so or no as he sayth nor hath any experience of y t thing it selfe Now doth the scripture ascribe both fayth workes not to vs but to God only to whom they belong onely and to whō they are appropriate whose gifte they are and the proper worke of his spirit Is it not a frowarde and peruerse blindnes to teach how a man can do nothing of his owne selfe and yet presumptuously take vpō them the greatest and hyest worke of God euen to make fayth in themselues of their own power and of their owne false imagination and thoughtes Therfore I say we must dispayre of our selues pray God as christes apostles did to geue vs fayth to encrease our fayth When we haue that we neede no other thing more For she bringeth the spirite with her and he not onely teacheth vs all thinges but worketh them also mightely in vs and carieth vs through aduersitie persecution death and hel vnto heauen and euerlasting lyfe MArke diligently therfore seing we are come to answer The Scripture because of such dreames and fayned faythes sake vseth such manner of speakinges of workes not that a man should therby be made good to Godwarde or iustified but to declare vnto other and to take of other the differēce betwene false fayned fayth and ryght fayth For where right fayth is there bringeth she forthe good workes if there followe not good workes it is no doubt but a dreame and an opinion or fained fayth Wherfore looke as the fruit maketh not the tree good but declareth and testifieth outwardlye that the tree is good as Christ sayeth euery tree is knowen by his fruite euen so shall ye know the right fayth by her fruite Take for an
and good to such or such a poore man he biddeth him not there with to be made mercifull kinde and good but to testifie and declare the goodnes that is in him already with the outward deede that it may breake out to y t profite of other and that other may feele it which haue nede therof After the same maner shalt thou enterprete the Scriptures whiche make mention of workes that God therby wil that we shew forth that goodnes which we haue receaued by fayth and let it breake forth and come to the profite of other that the false fayth may be knowē and weded out by the rootes For God geueth no mā his grace that he should let it lye stil and do no good with all but that he should encrease it and multiplie it with lendyng it to other and with open declaryng of it with the outward workes prouoke draw other to God As Christ sayth in Mathew the v. Chapter let your light so shine in the sight of men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen Or els were it as a treasure digged in the ground and hid wisedome in whiche what profite is there Moreouer there with the goodnes fauour and giftes of God which are in thee not onely shal be knowen vnto other but also vnto thyne owne selfe and thou shal be sure that thy fayth is right and that the true spirite of God is in thee and that thou art called and chosen of God vnto eternall lyfe and loosed frō the bondes of Sathā whose captiue thou wast as Peter exhorteth in y t first of his second Epistle through good workes to make our callyng and election wherewith we are called and chosen of God sure For how dare a man presume to thinke that his fayth is right and that Gods fauour is on him and that Gods spirite is in hym when hee feeleth not the workyng of the spirite neither him selfe disposed to any godly thyng Thou canst neuer know or be sure of thy fayth but by the workes if workes folow not yea and that of loue without lokyng after any reward thou mayst be sure that thy fayth is but a dreame and not right euen the same that Iames called in his Epistle the second Chapter dead faith and not iustifiyng Abraham through workes Genesis xxij was sure of his fayth to be right and that the true feare of God was in him when he had offered his sonne as the Scripture sayth Now know I that thou fearest God that is to say Now is it opē and manifest that thou fearest God in as much as thou hast not spared thy onely sonne for my sake SO now by this abyde sure and fast that a mā inwardly in the hart and before God is righteous good thorough fayth onely before all workes Notwithstandyng yet outwardly and openly before the people ye and before himselfe is he righteous through the worke that is he knoweth and is sure through the outward worke that he is a true beleuer and in the fauour of GOD and righteous and good thorough the mercy of GOD that thou mayst cal the one an open and an outward righteousnes the other an inward righteousnes of the hart so yet that thou vnderstand by the outward righteousnes no other thyng saue the frute that foloweth and a declaryng of the inward iustifying and righteousnes of the hart and not that it maketh a man righteous before God but that he must be first righteous before hym in the hart Euen as thou mayst cal the frute of the tree the outward goodnes of the tree whiche foloweth and vttereth the inward naturall goodnes of the tree This meaneth Iames in hys Epistle where he sayth fayth without workes is dead that is if workes follow not it is a sure an euidēt signe that there is no fayth in the hart but a dead imagination and dreame whiche they falsly call fayth Of the same wise is this saying of Christ to be vnderstande Make you frendes of the vnrighteous Mammō that is shew your fayth openly and what ye are within in the harte with outward geuing and bestowyng your goodes on the poore that ye may obtayn frendes that is that the poore on whome thou hast shewed mercy may at the day of iudgement testify witnesse of thy good woorkes That thy fayth and what thou waste within in thy harte before God may there appeare by thy fruites openly vnto all men For vnto the right beleuyng shal all thinges be comfortable and vnto consolation at that terrible day And contrariwyse vnto the vnbeleuing all thing shall be vnto desperation and confusion and euery man shall be iudged openly and outwardly in the presence of all men accordyng to their dedes and workes So that not without a cause thou mayest call them thy frendes which testifye at that daye of thee that thou liuedst as a true and a right Christen man and folowedst the steppes of Christe in shewyng mercy as no doubt he doth which feleth God merciful in his hart And by y t workes is the fayth knowen that it was right and perfect For the outward workes can neuer please God nor make frend except they spring of fayth Forasmuch as Christ himselfe Math. 6. and 7. disaloweth and casteth away the woorkes of the Pharises yea prophesiyng and workyng of miracles and castyng out of deuils which we count and esteeme for very excellent vertues Yet make they no frendes with their woorkes whyle their hartes are false vnpure and their eye double Now wythout fayth is no harte true or eye single so that we are compelled to confesse that the workes make not a mā righteous or good but that the hart must first be righteous good ereany good worke proceede thence SEcondarily all good workes must be done free with a single eye with out respect of any thing and that no profite be sought therby That commaundeth Christ where he fayth Mat. 10. freely haue ye receyued freely geue agayne For looke as Christ with all his workes did not deserue heauē for that was hys already but did vs seruice therewith and neither looked nor sought his owne profite but our profite and the honour of God the father only Euen so we with all our workes may not seke our own profite neither in this worlde nor in heauen but must and ought freely to worke to honoure God withall and without all maner respecte seeke our neighboures profite and do hym seruice That meaneth Paul Phil. 2. saying Be minded as Christ was which beyng in the shape of God equall vnto God and euen very God layd that a part that is to say hid it And tooke on hym the forme and fashion of a seruaunt That is as concerning himself he had inough that he was full had all plentuousnesse of the Godhed and in all his workes sought our profite became our seruaunt The cause
is forasmuch as faythe iustifieth and putteth away sinne in the sight of God bringeth lyfe health and the fauour of God maketh vs the heyres of God poureth the spirite of God into our soules and filleth vs with all godly fulnes in Christ it wer to great a shame rebuke and wronge vnto the fayth ye to christes bloud if a man would worke any thyng to purchase that wherwith fayth hath indued hym already and God hath geuen hym freely Euen as Christ had done rebuke and shame vnto hymselfe if he would haue done good workes and wrought to haue bene made thereby Gods sonne and heyre ouer all which thing he was alredy Now doth fayth make vs the sonnes or childrē of god Iohn 1. he gaue them might or power to be y t sonnes of God in that they beleued on his name If we be sonnes so are we also heires Roma viij and Gala. iiij How can or ought we then to worke for to purchase that inheritaunce withall whereof we are heyres already by fayth What shall we say thē to those scriptures whiche sound as though a man should do good workes and lyue well for heauens sake or eternall reward As these are make you frendes of the vnrighteous Mammon And Math. vij Gather you treasures together in heauen Also Math. xix If thou wilt enter into lyfe keepe the commaundementes and such like This say I that they whiche vnderstand not neither feele in their hartes what fayth meaneth talke and thinke of the reward euen as they do of the worke neither suppose they y t a man ought to worke but in a respect to the reward For they imagine that it is in the kyngdome of Christ as it is in the world among mē that they must deserue heauen with their good woorkes Howbeit their thoughtes are but dreames and false imaginations Of these men speaketh Malachias Chap. i. who is it among you that shutteth a doore for my pleasure for nought y t is without respect of reward These are seruauntes that seke gaynes and vauntage hyrelinges day labourers whiche here on earth receaue their rewardes as the Phariseis with their prayers and fastynges Math. v. But on this wise goeth it with heauen with euerlastyng lyfe and eternall reward likewise as good workes naturally folow fayth as it is aboue rehearsed so that thou nedest not to commaunde a true beleuer to worke or to compel him with any law for it is vnpossible that he should not worke he taryeth but for an occasion he is euer disposed of him selfe thou nedest but to put him in remembraunce and that to know the false fayth from the true Euen so naturally doth eternall lyfe folow faith and good liuing without sekyng for is impossible that it should not come though no mā thought there on Yet is it rehearsed in y ◠Scripture alledged and promised to know the difference betwene a false beleuer and a true beleuer and that euery man may know what foloweth good liuyng naturally and of it selfe without takyng thought for it Take a grosse ensample Hell that is euerlastyng death is threatned vnto sinners and yet foloweth it sinne naturally without sekyng for For no mā doth euill to be damned therfore but had rather auoyde it Yet there the one foloweth the other naturally though no man told or warned him of it yet should the sinner finde it and feele it Neuerthelesse it is therfore threatned that men may know what foloweth euill liuyng Now then as after euill liuyng foloweth his reward vnsought for euen so after good liuing foloweth his reward naturally vnsought for or vnthought vpon Euen as when thou drinkest wine be it good or bad the tast foloweth of it selfe thoughe thou therfore drinke it not Yet testifieth the Scripture and it is true that we are by inheritaunce heyres of damnation and that ere we be borne we are vessels of the wrath of God full of that poyson whence naturally all synnes spring and wherewith we can not but sinne which thyng the dedes that folow whē we behold our selues in the glasse of the law of God do declare vtter kill our consciences show vs what we were and wist not of it certifieth vs that we are heyres of damnatiō For if we were of God we should cleaue to God and lust after the wil of God But now our dedes compared to the law declare y ◠contrary by our dedes we see our selues both what we be and what our end shall be So now thou seest that lyfe eternall and all good thynges are promised vnto fayth and belefe so that he that beleueth on Christ shal be safe Christes bloud hath purchased life for vs hath made vs the heyres of god so that heauen commeth by Christes bloud If thou wouldest obtaine heauē with the merites and deseruinges of thine own woorkes so dyddest thou wrong yea and shamedest the bloud of Christ and vnto thee were Christ dead in vayne Now is the true beleuer heyre of God by Christes deseruynges yea and in Christ was predestinate and ordeined vnto eternall life before the world began And when the Gospel is preached vnto vs we beleue the mercy of God and in beleuyng we receaue the spirite of God which is the earnest of eternal lyfe and we are in eternal life already feele already in our hartes the swetnes therof and are ouercome with the kyndnes of God and Christ and therfore loue the will of God and of loue are ready to woorke freely and not to obtaine that which is geuen vs freely and whereof we are heyres already Now when Christ sayth Make you frendes of vnrighteous Mammon Gather you treasure together in heauen and such like Thou seest that the meanyng and entent is no other but that thou shouldest do good so will it folow of it selfe naturally without sekyng takyng of thought that thou shalt find frendes and treasure in heauē and receaue a reward So let thyne eye be single and looke vnto good lyuyng onely and take no thought for y t reward But be content For as much as thou knowest and art sure that the reward all thyng contained in gods promises folow good liuyng naturally and thy good workes do but testifie onely and certifie thee that the spirite of God is in thee whom thou hast receaued in earnest of Gods truth and that thou art heyre of all the goodnes of God and that all good thynges are thyne already purchased by Christes bloud and layd vp in store against that day when euery man shall receaue according to his dedes that is according as his dedes declare and testifie what he is or was For they that looke vnto the reward are slow false suttle and crafty workers and loue the reward more thē the worke yea hate the labour yea hate God which commaūdeth the labour and are wery both of the commaundement and also
do no good worke freely without respect of some profit either in this world or in the world to come neither coulde we haue spirituall ioye in oure hartes in time of affliction and mortifiyng of the flesh Good workes are called the fruites of the spirite Gal. 5. for the sprite worketh them in vs and sometyme fruites of righteousnes as in the second Epistle to the Cor. and 9. chapter before all workes therfore we must haue a righteousnes within the hart the mother of all workes frō whēce they spring The righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharises of them that haue y ◠spirite of this world is y t glorious shew outward shining of workes But Christ sayth to vs Mar. 5. except your righteousnes exceede the righteousnes of the scribes Pharises ye cānot enter into the kingdome of heauen It is righteousnes in y t world if a mā kyl not But a Christen perceiueth righteousnesse if he loue his enemy euen when he suffreth persecution and torment of him and the paines of death and mourneth more for his aduersaries blindnesse then for his owne payne and prayeth God to open his eyes and to forgeue hym his sinnes as dyd Steuen in the Actes of the Apostles the vij Chapter and Christ Luke xxiij A Christen considereth him selfe in the law of GOD and there putteth of him all maner righteousnes For the law suffereth no merites no deseruynges no righteousnes neither any mā to be iustified in the sight of God The law is spirituall and requireth y t hart and commaundements to be fulfilled with such loue and obedience as was in Christ If any fulfill all that is the will of God with such loue and obedience the same may be bold to sell pardons of his merites and els not A Christen therfore when he beholdeth hym selfe in the law putteth of all maner righteousnes deseruinges and merites and mekely and vnfaynedly knowledgeth his sinne miserie his captiuitie and bondage in the flesh his trespasse and gilte and is thereby blessed with the poure in spirite Math. v. Chap. Then he morneth in his hart because he is in such bondage that he can not do the will of God and is an hungred and a thyrst after righteousnes For righteousnesse I meane which springeth out of christes bloud for strength to do the wil of God And turneth him selfe to the promises of God desireth him for his great mercy and truth and for the bloud of hys sonne Christ to fulfill his promises to geue him strēgth And thus his spirit euer prayeth within him He fasteth also not one day for a weke or a Lent for an whole yeare but professeth in his hart a perpetuall sobernes to tame the flesh and to subdue the body to the spirite vntil he waxe strong in the spirite and grow ripe into a full righteousnes after the fulnes of Christ And because this fulnes happeneth not till the body be slayne by death a Christen is euer a sinner in the law and therfore fasteth and prayeth to God in the spirite the world seyng it not Yet in y ◠promises he is euer righteous thorough fayth in Christ and is sure that he is heire of all Gods promises the spirite which he hath receaued in earnest bearyng him witnes his hart also and his dedes testifying the same Marke this then To see inwardly that y t law of God is so spirituall that no flesh can fulfill it And then for to morne and sorrow and to desire yea to hunger and thyrst after strength to do the wil of God from the ground of the hart and notwithstandyng all the sutlety of the deuil weakenes and feblenes of the flesh and wondryng of the world to cleaue yet to y t promises of God and to beleue that for Christes bloud sake thou art receaued to the inheritaūce of eternall lyfe is a wonderfull thyng and a thyng that the world knoweth not of but who soeuer feleth that though he fall a thousand tymes in a day doth yet rise agayne a thousand tymes and is sure that the mercy of God is vpon hym IF ye forgeue othermen their trespasses your heauēly father shal forgeue you yours Mat. in the vj. Chap. if I forgeue God shall forgeue me not for my dedes sake but for his promises sake for his mercy truth and for the bloud of hys son Christ our Lord. And my forgeuing certifieth my spirite that God shal forgeue me yea y t he hath forgeuē me already For if I consent to y t will of God in my hart though thorough infirmitie and weakenes I can not do the will of GOD at all tymes moreouer though I can not do the wil of God so purely as the law requireth it of me yet if I see my faulte mekely knowledge my sinne wepyng in myne hart because I cā not do the will of God and thyrst after strēgth I am sure that y t sprite of God is in me his fauour vpon me For the world lusteth not to do the will of God neither soroweth because he can not though he sorrow some tyme for feare of y ◠paine that he beleueth shall folow He that hath the spirite of this world can not forgeue without amendes makyng or a greater vauntage If I forgeue now how cōmeth it veryly because I feele the mercy of God in me For as a man feeleth God to him selfe so is he to his neighbour I know by mine owne experience that all flesh is in bondage vnder sinne and cā not but sinne therfore am I mercyfull and desire God to loose the bondes of sinne euen in mine enemy GAther not treasure together in earth c. Math. vj. But gather you treasure in heauen c. Let not you◠hartes be glued to worldly thynges studie not to heape treasure vpon treasure and riches vpon riches but study to bestow well that whiche is gotten already and let your abundaunce succour the lacke and neede of the power which haue not Haue an eye to good workes to which if ye haue lust and also power to do them then are ye sure that the spirite of God is in you and ye in Christ elect to the reward of eternal life which foloweth good workes But looke that thine eye be single and robbe not Christ of his honour ascribe not that to y t deseruyng of thy workes which is geuen the freely by the merites of his bloud In Christ we are sonnes In Christ we are heires In Christ god chose vs and elected vs before the begynning of the world created vs a new by the word of the Gospell and put his spirite in vs for because we should do good workes A Christē man worketh because it is the will of his father onely If we do no good worke nor be mercyfull how is our lust therin If we haue no lust to do good workes how is Gods spirite in vs If the spirite of God
be not in vs how are we his sonnes How are we his heyres heyres annexed with Christ of the eternal life which is promised to all them that beleue in hym Now do our workes testifie and witnes what we are and what treasure is layd vp for vs in heauen so that our eye be single and looke vpon the commaundement without respect of any thing saue because it is Gods wil and that God desireth it of vs and Christ hath deserued that we do it Math. vij Not all they that say vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kyngdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Though thou canst lande God with thy lippes and call Christ Lord and canst bable and talke of the scripture and knowest all the stories of the Bible Yet shalt thou thereby neuer know thyne election or whether thy fayth be right But if thou feele lust in thyne hart to the will of God and bringest forth the frutes therof then hast thou confidence and hope and thy dedes and also the spirite whence thy deedes spryng certifie thyne hart that thou shal enter yea art already entred into the kyngdome of heauen For it foloweth he that heareth the word and doth it buildeth his house vpō a rock and no tempest of temptations can ouerthrow it For the spirite of God is in his hart and comforteth him holdeth him fast to the rocke of the merites of Christes bloud in whom he is elect Nothyng is able to plucke hym out of the handes of God god is strōger then all things And contrarywise he that heareth the word doth it not buildeth on the sande of his own imagination euery tempest ouerthroweth his buildyng The cause is he hath not Gods spirite in him and therfore vnderstandeth it not a right neither worketh a right For no mā knoweth the thyngs of God sayeth Paul in the i. Epistle to the Corinthians in the second Chapter saue the spirite of God as no man knoweth what is in a mā but a mās spirite which is in him So then if the spirite be not in a man he worketh not the wil of GOD neither vnderstandeth it though he bable neuer so much of the scriptures Neuerthelesse such a mā may worke after his owne imagination but Gods wil can he not woorke he may offer sacrifice but to do mercy knoweth he not It is easy to say vnto christ Lord Lord but therby shalt thou neuer feele or be sure of the kyngdome of heauen But and if thou do the will of God thē art thou sure that Christ is thy Lord in dede that thou in him art also a Lord in y ◠thou felest thy selfe loosed and free frō the bondage of sinne and lusty and of power to do the will of God Where the spirite is there is feelyng For y t spirite maketh vs feele all thinges Where the spirite is not there is no feelyng but a vayne opinion or imagination A Phisitian serueth but for sicke men and that for such sicke mē as feele their sicknesses morne therfore and long for health Christ lykewise serueth but for sinners onely as feele there sinne and that for such sinners that sorrow and morne in theyr hartes for health Health is power or strength to fulfill the law or to keepe the commaundementes Now he that longeth for that health that is to say for to do the law of God is blessed in Christ and hath a promise that his lust shal be fulfilled that he shal be made whole Math. v. blessed are they which hunger thurst for righteousnes sake that is to fulfill the law for their lust shal be fulfilled This lōgyng and consent of the hart vnto the law of God is the woorkyng of the spirite whiche God hath poured into thine hart in earnest that y ◠mightest be sure y ◠God will fulfil all his promises that he hath made thee It is also the seale marke which God putteth on all men that he choseth vnto euerlastyng life So long as thou seest thy sinne and mornest consētest to the law longest though thou be neuer so weake yet the spirite shal kepe thee in all temptatiōs from desperatiō and certifie thyne hart that God for his trouth shall deliuer thee and saue thee yea by thy good dedes shalt thou be saued not whiche thou hast done but whiche Christ hath done for thee For Christ is thine and all his dedes are thy dedes Christ is in thee and thou in him knit together inseparably Neither canst thou be damned except Christ be dāned with thee Neither can Christ be saued except thou be saued with him Moreouer thy hart is good right holy and iust For thy hart is no enemy to the law but a frend a louer The law and thy hart are agreed and at one and therfore is God at one with thee The consent of the hart vnto the law is vnite and peace betwene God and man For he is not myne enemy whiche would fayne do me pleasure and morneth because he hath not wherewith Now he that opened thy disease vnto thee and made thee long for health shall as he hath promised heale thee and he that hath loosed thy hart shall at hys godly laysure lose thy members He that hath not the spirite hath no felyng neither lusteth or longeth after power to fulfil the law neither abhorreth the pleasures of sinne neither hath any more certainetie of the promises of God thē I haue of a tale of Robinhode or of some iest that a man telleth me was done at Rome An other man may lightly make me doubt or beleue the contrary seyng I haue no experience therof my selfe So is it of them that feele not the workyng of the spirite therfore in tyme of temptatiō the buildynges of their imaginations fall MAth x. He that receaueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet that is because he is a Prophet shall receaue the reward of a Prophet he y t geueth one of these litleones a cup of cold water to drinke in the name of a Disciple shall not lose hys reward Note this that a Prophet signifieth as well him that enterpreteth y e hard places of Scripture as him that prophesieth thyngs to come Now he that receaueth a Prophet a iust man or a Disciple shall haue the same or lyke reward that is to say shal haue the same eternall lyfe whiche is appointed for thē in Christes bloud merites For except thou were elect to y t same eternall lyfe haddest the same fayth and trust in God and the same spirite thou couldest neuer consent to their deedes and helpe them But thy dedes testifie what thou art certifie thy conscience that thou art receaued to mercy and sanctified in Christes passions and sufferynges and shalt hereafter with all them that folow God receaue the reward of eternall lyfe Of thy wordes
y u shalt be iustified of thy wordes thou shalt be condēned Mat. xij That is thy wordes as well as other deedes shal testifie with thee or agaynst thee at the day of iudgemēt Many there are whiche abstaine from the outward dedes of fornication and adulterie neuerthelesse reioyce to talke therof laugh their wordes laughter testifie against them that their hart is vnpure and they adulterers fornicatours in the sight of GOD. The toung and other signes oftymes vtter the malice of the hart though a mā for many causes abstaine his hand from the outward dede or act IF thou wilt enter into lyfe kepe the commaundements Math. xix First remember that when God commaundeth vs to do one thyng he doth it not therfore because that we of our selues are able to do that he cōmaundeth but that by the law we might see know our horrible damnation and captiuitie vnder sinne and therfore should repēt and come to Christ receaue mercy the spirite of God to loose vs strength vs to make vs able to do Gods wil which is the law Now when he sayth if thou wilt enter into lyfe kepe the cōmaundementes is as much to say as he that kepeth the commaundementes is entred into life for except a mā haue first the spirite of lyfe in hym by Christes purchasyng it is impossible for him to kepe the commaundements or that his hart should be loose or at libertie to lust after them for of nature we are enemyes to the law of God As touching that Christ saith afterward if thou wilt be perfect go and sell thy substaūce and geue it to the poore he sayth it not as who should say that there were any greater perfection then to kepe the law of God for that is all perfection but to shew the other hys blindnes which saw not that the law is spirituall and requireth y t hart But because he was not knowyng that he had hurt any man with the outward deede he supposed that he loued his neighbour as him selfe But when he was bydde to shew the deedes of loue and geue of hys aboundaunce to them that neded he departed mournyng Whiche is an euiēdt tokē that he loued not his neighbour as well as him self For if he had neede hym selfe it would not haue greued hym to haue receaued succour of an other man Moreouer he sawe not that it was murther theft that a man should haue aboundaunce of riches lying by hym and not to shew mercy therewith and kyndly to succour hys neighbours neede God hath geuen one man riches to helpe an other at nede If thy neighbour nede thou helpe him not beyng able thou withholdest his dutie from hym and art a thefe before God That also that Christ saith how that it is harder for a rich man who loueth his riches so that he can not find in his hart liberally and freely to helpe the poore and nedy to enter into the kingdome of heauen then a Camell to goe through the eye of a needle declareth that he was not entred into the kingdome of heauen that is to say eternall life But he that kepeth the commaundementes is entred into life he hath life and the spirite of life in him THis kinde of deuils goeth not out but by prayer fasting Math. 27. Not that the deuill is cast out by merites of fasting or praying For he sayth before that for theyr vnbelefes sake they coulde not cast him out It is faith no doubte that casteth out the deuils and fayth it is that fasteth and prayeth Fayth hath the promises of God wher unto she cleaueth and in all thinges thyrsteth the honour of God She fasteth to subdue the body vnto the spirit that the prayer be not let and that the spirite may quietly talke with God she also whensoeuer oportunitie is geuen prayeth God to fulfil his promises vnto his prayse glory And God which is mercifull in promising and true to fullfill them casteth out the deuils and doth all that fayth desireth and satisfyeth her thyrste COme ye blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the worlde for I was a thirst and ye gaue me drincke c. Math. xxv Not that a man with works delerueth eternal life as a work man or labourer his hyre or wages Thou readest in the text that the kingdome was prepared for vs from the beginning of the worlde And we are blessed sanctified In Christes bloud are we blessed from that bitter curse damnable captiuitie vnder sin wherein we were borne and conceiued And Christes spirite is poured into vs to bring foorth good woorkes and our workes are the fruites of the spirite the kingdome is the deseruing of Christes bloud and so is fayth and the spirite and good workes also Notwithstanding the kingdome foloweth good workes and good workes testify that we are heyres thereof and at the day of iudgement shall they testify for the elect vnto theyr comfort and glory and to the confusion of the vngodly vnbeleeuing and faythlesse sinners which had not trust in the worde of Gods promises nor luste to the will of God but were caryed of the spirite of theyr father the deuill vnto all abhomination to worke wickednes with all lust delectation and gredienes MAny sinnes are forgeuen her for she loueth much Luk. vij Not that loue was cause of forgeuenes of sinnes But contrariwise the forgeuenes of sinnes caused loue as it foloweth to whō lesse was forgeuen y ◠same loueth lesse And afore he commended the iudgement of Simon which aunswered that he loueth most to whom most was forgeuen and also sayde at the last thy fayth hath saued thee or made thee safe goe in peace We can not loue except we see some benefite and kyndenes As long as we looke on the lawe of God onely where we see but sinne and damnation and the wrath of God vpon vs yea where we were damned afore we were borne we can not loue God No we can not but hate him as a tyraunt vnrighteous vniust and flee from hym as did Caine. But when the Gospell that glad tidinges and ioyfull promises are preached how that in Christ God loueth vs first forgeueth vs and hath mercy on vs then loue we againe and the deedes of our loue declare our fayth This is the maner of speaking as we say Sommer is nie for the trees blossome Nowe is the blossomyng of the trees not the cause y t sommer draweth nie but the drawyng ni◠of sommer is the cause of y e blossoms and the blossomes put vs in remembraunce that sommer is at hand So Christ here teacheth Simō by the feruentnes of loue in the outward dedes to see a strong faith within whence so great loue springeth As y ◠maner is to say do your charitie shew your charitie do a deede of charitie
shewe your mercy do a deede of mercy meanyng thereby y t our deedes declare how we loue our neighbours how much we haue compassion on theÌ„ at their neede Moreouer it is not possible to loue except we see a cause Except we see in our hartes y t loue kyndnes of God to vs warde in Christ our Lord it is not possible to loue God aright We say also he that loueth not my dogge loueth not me Nor that a maÌ„ should loue my dogge first But if a man loued me the loue wherewith he loueth me would compell him to loue my dogge though the dogge deserued it not yea though the dogge had done him a displeasure yet if he loued me the same loue would refrayne hym from reuenging himselfe and cause him to referre the vengeaunce vnto me Such speakinges finde we in scripture Iohn in the fourth of hys first epistle sayth He that saith I loue God and yet bateth his brother is a lyar For how can he that loueth not his brother whom he seeth loue God whom he seeth not This is not spoken that a man should first loue hys brother and then God but as it foloweth For this commaundement haue we of hym that he which loueth God should loue his brother also To loue my neighbour is the commaundemeÌ„t which commaundement he that loueth not loueth not GOD The keeping of the commaundemeÌ„t declareth what loue I haue to God If I loued God purely nothing that my neighbour coulde do were able to make me eyther to hate him eyther to take vengeaunce on hym my selfe seing that God hath coÌ„maunded me to loue him to remitte all veÌ„geaunce vnto hym Marke now how much I loue the coÌ„maundement so much I loue God how much I loue God so much beleue I that he is mercifull kynde and good yea and a father vnto me for Christes sake how much I beleue that God is mercifull vnto me and that he will for Christes sake fulfill all his promises vnto me so much I see my sinnes so much do my sins greue me so much do I repent and sorrow that I sinne so much displeaseth me that poyson that moueth me to sinne and so greatly desire I to be healed So now by the naturall order first I see my sinne then I repeÌ„t and sorrow then beleue I Gods promises that he is mercifull vnto me and forgeueth me and will heale me at the last then loue I and then I prepare my selfe to the commaundement THis do and thou shalt liue Luc. x. that is to say loue thy Lord God with all thy hart with all thy soule with all thy strength and with all thy mynde and thy neighbour as thy self As who should say if thou do this or though thou canst not do it yet if thou â—ealest lust thereunto and thy spirite sigheth mourneth and longeth after strength to do it take a signe and euident token thereby that the spirite of life is in thee and that thou art electe to life euerlasting by Christes bloude whose gift and purchase is thy fayth and that spirite that worketh the will of God in thee whose gift also are thy deedes or rather the deedes of the spirite of christ and not thine and whose gift is the reward of eternal life which foloweth good workes It followeth also in the same place of Luke When he shoulde departe he plucked out two pence and gaue them to the host and sayde vnto him Take the charge or cure of him and what soeuer thou spendest more I wil recompeÌ„ce it thee at my coÌ„ming agayne Remember this is a parable and a parable may not be expounded worde by worde but the intent of the similitude must be sought out onely in the whole parable The intent of the similitude is to shew to whom a man is a neighbour or who is a mans neighbour which is both one what is to loue a mans neighbour as him selfe The Samaritane holpe him and shewed mercy as long as he was present and when he could be no longer present he left his money behind him and if that were not sufficient he left his credence to make good the rest and forsoke him not as long as y â— other had need TheÌ„ sayd Christ goe thou and do likewise that is without difference or respectioÌ„ of persons whosoeuer needeth thy helpe him count thy neighbour his neighbor be thou and shew mercy on him as long as he nedeth thy succour and that is to loue a mans neighbour as him selfe Neighbour is a word of loue and signifieth that a man shoulde be euer nigh and at hand and ready to helpe in tune of neede They that will enterpret parables worde by worde fall into straights oft-times whence they can not rid themselues And preach lyes in stead of the truth as do they whiche enterpret by the ij pence the old testament and the new and by that which is bestowed Opera supererogationis howbeit Superarrogantia were a meeter terme that is to say deedes which are more then the law requireth deeds of perfection and of liberalitie which a man is not bouÌ„d to do but of his free will And for them he shal haue an higher place in heauen and may geue to other of his merites or of whiche the pope after his deathe may geue pardons from the paines of purgatorye Against whiche exposition I aunswere first a greater perfection then the law is there not A greater perfection then to loue God and his will which is the commaundementes with all thine hart with all thy soule with all thy strength with all thy minde is there none And to loue a mans neighbour as himselfe is like the same It is a wonderfull loue wherewith a man loueth himselfe As glad as I woulde be to receiue pardon of mine owne life if I had deserued death so glad ought I to be to defend my neighboures life without respect of my life or of my good A man ought neither to spare his goods nor yet himselfe for his brothers sake after the ensample of Christ 1. Iohn 3. Herein sayth he perceiue we loue in that he y t is to say Christ gaue his life for vs. We ought therefore to bestowe our liues for the brethren Nowe sayeth Christ Iohn xv There is no greater loue then that a man bestow his life for his frend Moreouer no man caÌ„ fulfil the law For Iohn sayth i. Chapter of the said epistle if we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues and truth is not in vs. If we knowledge our sinnes he is faithfull and righteous to forgeue vs our sinnes and to purge vs from all iniquitie And in the Pater noster also we say father forgeue vs our sins Now if we be all sinners none fulfilleth the lawe For he that fulfilleth the lawe is no sinner In the lawe may neither Peter nor Paule nor any other creature saue Christ onely reioyce In the bloud of
an infidell to see So likewise no doubt in the light of the cleare visiō of God we shal see things which now God will not haue knowen For pride euer accōpanieth hye knowledge but grace accompanyeth mekenes Let vs therfore giue diligence rather to do the will of GOD then to search his secretes whiche are not profitable for vs to know When we are thus reconciled to God made the frendes of GOD and heyres of eternall lyfe the spirite that GOD hath poured into vs testifieth that we may not lyue after our olde dedes of ignoraūce For how is it possible that we should repēt and abhorre them and yet haue lust to liue in them We are sure therfore that GOD hath created and made vs new in Christ put his spirite in vs that we should lyue a new lyfe whiche is the lyfe of good workes That thou mayst know what are good workes and the end and entent of good woorkes or wherfore good woorkes serue marke this that foloweth The lyfe of a Christen man is inward betwene hym and God and properly is the consent of the spirite to the will of God and to the honor of God And Gods honour is the finall end of all good workes Good workes are all thynges that are done within the lawes of God in which God is honored and for which thankes are geuen to God Fastyng is to absteine from surfeting or ouer much eatyng from dronkennes and care of the world as thou mayst read Luke xxj and the end of fastyng is to tame the body that the spirite may haue a free course to God and may quietly talke with God For ouer much eatyng and drinkyng and care of worldly busines presse downe the spirite choke her tangle her that she can not lift vp her selfe to GOD. Now he that fasteth for any other entent then to subdue the body that the spirite may wayte on God and freely exercise her selfe in the things of God the same is blind wotteth not what he doth erreth and shoteth at a wrong marke and his entent and imaginatiō is abhominable in the sight of GOD. When thou fastest from meate drinkest all day is that a Christen fast either to eate at one meale that were sufficient for foure A man at foure tymes may beare that he cā not at ones Som fast from meate and drinke and yet so tangle them selues in worldly busines that they can not once thinke on God Some abstaine from butter some from egges some frō all maner white meate some this day some that day some in the honor of this Saint some of that and euery mā for a sondry purpose Some for the toth ache some for the head ache for feuers pestilence for soden death for hangyng drounyng and to be deliuered from the paynes of hell Some are so mad that the fast one of the Thursdayes betwene the two S. Mary dayes in the worshyp of that Saint whose day is halowed betwene Christemas and Candelmas and that to be deliuered from the pestilence All those mē fast without cōscience of god without knowledge of y ◠true entent of fastyng and do no other then honor Saintes as the Gentiles and heathen worshyped their Idols are drowned in blyndnes and know not of the Testamēt that God hath made to māward in Christes bloud In God haue they neither hope nor confidence neither beleue hys promyses neyther know his will but are yet in captiuitie vnder the prince of darkenes WAtch is not onely to absteine frō sleepe but also to be circumspect and to cast all perils as a man should watch a Tower or a Castell We must remember that the snares of the deuill are infinite and innumerable and that euery momēt arise new temptations and that in all places mete vs fresh occasions Agaynst which we must prepare our selues and turne to God and cōplaine to hym and make our moue and desire hym of his mercy to be our shield our Tower our Castle and defence from all euill to put his strength in vs for without hym we can doe nought aboue all thynges we must call to minde what promises god hath made and what he hath sworne that he will do to vs for Christes sake and with strong fayth cleaue vnto them desire him of his mercy and for y ◠loue that he hath to Christ for his truthes sake to fulfil his promises If we thus cleane to God with strong fayth and beleue his wordes thē as sayth Paul j. Cor. x God is faithfull that he will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we are able or aboue our might y ◠is to say if we cleaue to his promises not to our owne fantasies imaginatiōs he will put might and power into vs that shal be stronger then all the temptation whiche he shall suffer to be agaynst vs. PRayer is a mournyng alōgyng a desire of the spirite to Godward for that whiche she lacketh as a sicke morneth and soroweth in his hart lōgyng for health Fayth euer prayeth For after that by fayth we are reconciled to God and haue receaued mercy and forgiuenes of God the spirit longeth and thyrsteth for strēgth to do the will of God and that God may be honoured his name halowed his pleasure will fulfilled The spirite wayteth and watcheth on the will of God and euer hath her owne fragilitie and weakenes before her eyes and when she seeth temptation and perill drawnye she turneth to God and to the testamēt that God hath made to all that beleue and trust in Christes bloud and desireth God for his mercy truth and for the loue he hath to Christ that he will fulfil his promise that he will succour helpe and giue vs strength and that he will sanctifie his name in vs fulfill his godly will in vs and that he wil not looke on our sinne and iniquitie but on his mercy on his truth and on the loue that he oweth to his sonne Christ and for his sake to keepe vs frō temptation that we be not ouercome and that he deliuer vs from euill and what soeuer moueth vs cōtrary to his godly will Moreouer of his owne experience he feeleth other mens neede and no lesse commendeth to God the infirmities of other then his owne knowing that there is no strēgth no help no succour but of God onely And as mercifull as he feeleth God in his hart to himselfe warde so mercifull is he to other and as greatly as he fealeth hys owne misery so great compassion hath he on other His neighbour is no lesse care to him then himselfe He feeleth his neighbours grief no lesse then his owne And whēsoeuer he seeth occasion he cānot but pray for his neighbour as well as for himselfe his nature is to seeke the honour of God in al men and to draw as much as in him is all men vnto God This is the lawe
When they sent to Iohn asking him whether he were Christ he denied it When they asked him what he was and what he sayd of himselfe he aunswered not I am he that watcheth prayeth drinketh no wine nor strong drinke eateth neyther fishe nor fleshe but liue wyth wilde hony and Grashoppers and weare a coate of camels heare and a gyrdle of a skinne but sayd I am a voyce of a cryar My voyce onely pertaineth to you Those outward things which ye wonder at pertayne to my selfe onely vnto the taming of my bodye To you am I a voyce onely and that which I preach My preaching if it be receaued into a penitent or repenting hart shall teach you how to liue and please God according as God shall shed out his grace on euery man Iohn preached repentaunce saying prepare y ◠Lordes way and make his pathes straight The Lordes way is repentaunce and not hipocrisy of mans imagination inuention It is not possible y t the Lord Christ should come to a man except he know himselfe and his sinne truely repent Make his pathes straight the pathes are the lawe if thou vnderstād it a right as God hath geuen it Christ sayth in the xvij of Mat. Helias shall first come that is shall come before Christ and restore all things meaning of Iohn Baptist Iohn Baptist did restore the law and the Scripture vnto the right sence vnderstanding which the Pharises partly had darckned and made of none effect thorough their owne traditions Math. xv where Christ rebuketh them saying why transgresse ye the commaundementes of God thorough your traditions and partly had corrupt it with gloses and false interpretations that no mā could vnderstand it Wherefore Christ rebuketh them Mat. 23. saying wo be to you Pharises hipocrites which shut vp the kingdome of heauen before mē ye enter not your selues neither suffer them that come to enter in and partly did beguile the people and blinde their eyes in disguising themselues as thou readest in the same 23. chap. how they made broade and large Philacteries and did all their workes to be seene of men that the people should wonder at their disguisinges and visuring of themselues otherwise then God had made them and partly mocked them with hipocrisy of false holines in fasting praying and almes geuing Mat. 6. and this did they for lucre to be in authoritie to sitte in the consciences of people and to be counted as God him selfe that people shoulde trust in their holynes and not in God as thou readest in the place aboue rehearsed Mat. 23. wo be to you Pharises hipocrites which deuoure widowes houses vnder a colour of long prayer Counterfet therfore nothing without y t worde of God whē thou vnderstandest that it shall teach thee all thinges how to applie outwarde thinges and whereunto to referre them Beware of thy good entent good mynde good affection or zeale as they call it Peter of a good minde and of a good affection or zeale chidde Christ Math. 16. because he sayde that he must goe to Hierusalem and there be slayne But Christ called him Satan for his labour a name that belongeth to the deuil And sayde that he perceaued not godly thinges but worldly Of a good entent and of a feruēt affection to Christ the sonnes of Zededei would haue had fire to come downe from heauen to consume the Samaritans Luk. 9. But Christ rebuked them saying that they wist not of what sprite they were that is that they vnderstoode not how that they were altogether worldly fleshly mynded Peter smote Malchus of a good zeale but Christ condemned his deede The very Iewes of a good entēt and of a good zeale slew Christ and persecuted the Apostles as Paule beareth them recorde Rom. x. I beare them recorde sayth he that they haue a feruent mynde to Godward but not according to knowledge It is an other thing then to do of a good minde and to do of knowledge Labour for knowledge that thou mayest know Gods will and what he would haue thee to doe Our mynde entent and affection or zeale are blinde and all that we do of them is damned of god and for that cause hath God made a testament betwene him and vs wherin is cōteyned both what he would haue vs to do and what he would haue vs to aske of him See therefore that thou do nothing to please God withall but that he commaundeth neither aske any thing of him but that he hath promised thee The Iewes also as it appeareth Act. vij slew Steuē of a good zeale because he proued by the scripture that God dwelleth not in Churches or temples made wyth handes The Churches at the beginning were ordeyned that the people shoulde thether resorte to heare the word of God there preached onely and not for the vse wherein they now are The temple wherein God will be worshipped is the hart of man For God is a spirite sayth Christ Ioh. 4. and will be worshipped in y t spirite in truth that is when a penitent hart consenteth vnto the lawe of God and with a strong fayth lōgeth for the promises of God So is God honored on al sides in that we count him righteous in all his lawes and ordinaunces and also trust in all his promises Other worshipping of God is there none except we make an Idoll of him IT shal be recompensed thee at the rising agayne of the righteous Lu. xiiij Reade the text before and thou shalt perceaue that Christ doth here that same that he doth Math. v. that is he putteth vs in remembraunce of our dutie that we be to the poore as Christ is to vs and also teacheth vs how that we can neuer know whether our loue be right and whether it spring of Christ or no as long as we are but kinde to them onely which do as much for vs againe But and we be mercifull to the poore for conscience to God and of compassion and harty loue which compassion loue spring of the loue we haue to God in Christ for the pure mercy and loue that he hath shewed on vs then haue we a sure token that we are beloued of God and washed in Christes bloud and elect by Christes deseruing vnto eternall life The scripture speaketh as a father doth to his young sonne do this or that and then will I loue thee yet the father loueth his sonne first and studieth with all his power and witte to ouercome his childe with loue and with kindnes to make him do that which is comely honest and good for it selfe A kynde father and mother loue their children euen when they are euill that they would shed their bloud to make them better and to bring thē into the right way And a naturall childe studieth not to obtayne his fathers loue with workes but considereth with what loue his father loueth him with all
and therefore loueth agayne is glad to do his fathers will and studieth to be thankefull The spirit of the worlde vnderstandeth not the speaking of God neither the spirite of the wise of thys worlde neyther the spirite of Philosophers neither y ◠spirite of Socrates of Plato or of Aristotles Ethikes as thou mayest see in the first and second chapter of the first to the Corint Though that many are not ashamed to rayle and blaspheme saying how shoulde he vnderstand the scripture seing he is no Philosopher neyther hath sene his metaphisike Moreouer they blaspheme saying how can he be a deuine and woteth not what is subiectum in theologia Neuertheles as a man without the spirite of Aristo tell or Philosophy may by the spirite of God vnderstand scripture Euen so by the spirite of God vnderstandeth he that god is to be sought in all the Scripture and in all thynges yet wotteth not what meaneth Subiectum in Theologia because it is a terme of their owne makyng If thou shouldest say to hym that hath y e spirite of god the loue of god is the kepyng of the cōmaundements to loue a mans neighbour is to shew mercy he would without arguyng or disputyng vnderstand how that of the loue of God springeth the keping of his cōmaundementes and of the loue to thy neighbour spryngeth mercy Now would Aristotle deny such speakyng a Duns man would make xx distinctions If thou shouldest say as sayth Iohn the 4. of his Epistle how can he that loueth not his neighbour whom he seeth loue God whom he seeth not Aristotle would say loe a mā must first loue his neighbour and thē God and out of the loue to thy neighbour spryngeth the loue to God But he that feeleth the working of the spirite of God and also from what vengeaunce the bloud of Christ hath deliuered hym vnderstandeth how that it is impossible to loue either father or mother sister brother neighbour or his owne selfe a right except it spryng out of the loue to God and perceaueth that the loue to a mans neighbour is a signe of the loue to God as good frute declareth a good tree and that the loue to a mās neighbour accompanieth and foloweth the loue of God as heate accōpanieth and foloweth fire Likewise whē the Scripture sayth Christ shall reward euery man at the resurrection or vprisyng againe accordyng to his dedes the spirite of Aristotles ethikes would say loe with y t multitude of good workes mayst thou must thou obtayne euerlastyng lyfe also a place in heauen hye or low accordyng as thou hast many or fewe good workes yet wotteth not what a good worke meaneth as Christ speaketh of good workes as he that seeth not the hart but outward things onely But he that hath Gods spirite vnderstandeth it He feeleth that good woorkes are nothyng but frutes of loue compassion mercyfulnes and of a tendernes of hart whiche a Christen hath to his neighbour and that loue springeth of that loue which he hath to god to his will commaundements and vnderstandeth also that the loue whiche man hath to God springeth of the infinite loue and bottomlesse mercy◠which God in Christ shewed first to vs as saith Iohn in the Epistle and Chap. aboue rehearsed In this sayth he appeared the loue of GOD to vs-ward bicause that God sent his onely begotten sonne into the world that we might liue thorough hym Herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs sent his sonne to make agreement for our sinnes In conclusion a Christē mā feeleth that that vnspeakeable loue and mercy which god hath to vs that spirite which worketh all thinges that are wrought accordyng to the will of God and that loue wherewith we loue God that loue whiche we haue to our neighbour and that mercy and compassion which we shew on him also that eternal lyfe which is layd vp in store for vs in Christ are altogether the gift of God through Christes purchasyng If the Scripture sayd alwayes Christ shall reward thee accordyng to to thy fayth or accordyng to thy hope and trust thou hast in God or accordyng to the loue thou hast to god thy neighbour so were it true also as thou seest 1. Pet. 1. receauyng the end or reward of your faith y ◠health or saluatiō of your soules But y t spirituall things could not bee knowen saue by theyr workes as a tree can not be knowen but by her frute How could I know that I loued my neighbour if neuer occasion were giuen me to shew mercy vnto hym how should I know that I loued GOD if I neuer suffered for hys sake howe should I know that God loued me if there were no infirmitie temptation perill and ieoperdy whence God should deliuer me THere is no man that forsaketh house either father or mother either brethren or sisterne wife or children for the kyngdome of heauēs sake which shall not receaue much more in this world and in the world to come euerlastyng lyfe Luke xviij Here seest thou that a Christen man in all his woorkes hath respect to nothyng but vnto the glorie of god onely and to the mainteining of the truth of god and doth and leueth vndone all thynges of loue to the glory and honor of god onely as Christ teacheth in the Pater noster Moreouer when he sayth he shall receaue much more in this world of a truth yea he hath receaued much more already For except he had felt the infinite mercy goodnes loue and kindnes of God and the felowshyp of the bloud of Christ and the comfort of the spirite of Christ in his hart he could neuer haue forsakē any thyng for gods sake Notwithstāding as saith Mark. x. Who soeuer for Christes sake the gospels forsaketh house brethren or sisters c. He shall receaue an hundred fold houses brethren c. that is spiritually For Christ shal be all thynges vnto thee The aungels all Christen and who soeuer doth the will of the father shal be father mother sister brother vnto thee and all theirs shall be thyne And god shall take the care of thee minister all thynges vnto thee as long as thou sekest but his honour onely Moreouer if thou were Lord ouer all the world yea often worlde 's before thou knewest god yet was not thyne appetite quenched thou thyrstedest for more But if thou seeke his honour onely then shall he slake thy thyrst and thou shalt haue al that thou desirest and shal be content yea if thou dwell among insidels and among the most cruelest nation of the world yet shall he be a father vnto thee and shall defend thee as he did Abraham Isaac and Iacob all Saintes whose lyues thou readest in the Scripture For all that are past and gone before are but ensamples to strength our fayth and trust in the word of god It
his nature by little a and little with prayer fasting and watching with vertuous meditation and holy workes vntill we be altogether spirite The kingdome of heauen sayth Christ Math. 13. is like leuen which a woman taketh hideth in three peckes of meale till all be leuened The leuen is the spirite and we the meale which must be seasoned with y ◠spirite by a little a little till we be throughout spirituall Which shall rewarde euery man according to his deede Rom. 2. that is according as the deedes are so shall euery mans rewarde be the deedes declare what we are as the fruite the tree according to the fruite shall the tree be praysed The reward is geuen of the mercy and truth of God and by the deseruyng and merites of Christ Whosoeuer repenteth beleueth the Gospell putteth his trust in Christes merites the same is heyre with Christe of eternall lyfe for assurance whereof the spirite of God is poured into his hart as an earnest which looseth him from the bondes of Sathan and geueth him lust and strength euery day more and more according as he is diligent to aske of God for Christes sake And eternall life followeth good liuing I suppose sayth S. Paule in the same epistle the viij chapter that the afflictions of this worlde are not worthy of the glory which shal be shewed on vs that is to say that which we here suffer can neuer deserue that reward which there shal be geuen vs. Moreouer if the reward should depēd and hang of the workes no man shoulde be saued For as much as our best deedes compared to the lawe are damnable sinne By the deedes of the lawe is no fleshe iustified as it is written in the thirde chapter to the Rom. The lawe iustifieth not but vttereth the sinne onely compelleth and driueth the penitent or repentyng sinner to flee vnto the sanctuary of mercy in the bloud of Christ Also repent we neuer so much be we neuer so well willyng vnto the law of God yet are we so weake and the snares and occasiōs so innumerable that we fall dayly and hourely So that we coulde not but dispeire if the rewarde hanged of the worke Whosoeuer ascribeth eternall life vnto the deseruing and merite of workes must faule in one of two incōueniences either must he be a blinde Pharisey not seing that the lawe is spirituall and he carnall and looke and reioyce in the outward shining of his deedes despising the weake and in respect of them iustifie himselfe Or els if he see how that the lawe is spirituall and he neuer able to ascend vnto y t which y t law requireth he must nedes despaire Let euery Christen mā therfore reioyce in Christ our hope trust and righteousnes in whom we are loued chosē and accept vnto y t enheritaunce of eternall lyfe neyther presuming in our perfectnes neither despayring in our weakenes The perfecter a man is the clearer is his sight and seeth a thousand thinges which displease him and also perfectnes that can not be obtayned in this life And therefore desireth to be with Christ where is no more sinne Let hym that is weake can not doe that he would fayne doe not despayre but turne to him that is strong and hath promised to geue strength to all that aske of him in Christes name and complayne to GOD and desire hym to fulfill his promises and to God committe hym selfe And he shall of his mercy truth strength him and make him feele with what loue he is beloued for Christes sake though he be neuer so weake THey are not righteous before god which heare the lawe but they which do the lawe shall be iustified Rom. ij This text is playner thā that it needeth to be expounded In the chapter before Paule proueth that the law naturall holpe not the Gentiles as appeareth by the lawes statutes and ordinaunces which they made in their cities yet kept they them not The great keepe the small vnder for their owne profite with the violence of the lawe Euery man prayseth the lawe as farre forth as it is profitable and pleasant vnto himself But when his owne appetites should be refrayned then grudgeth he against the law Moreouer he proueth that no knowledge holpe the Gentiles For though the learned mē as the Philosophers came to the knowledge of God by the creatures of the world yet had they no power to worshippe God In thys secōd chapter proueth he y t the Iewes though they had the lawe written yet it holpe them not they coulde not keepe it but were idolaters and were also murtherers adulterers whatsoeuer the lawe forbad He concludeth therfore that y t Iewe is as well dāned as the Gentill If hearing of the lawe onely might haue iustified thē had the Iewes bene righteous But it required that a mā do the lawe if he will be righteous Which because y ◠Iewe did not he is no lesse dāned thē the Gētill The publishing declaring of y e lawe doth but vtter a mās sin geueth neither strēgth nor help to fulfill the law The law killeth thy cōscience geueth thee no lust to fulfill the law Faith in christ geueth lust power to do y e law Now is it true y t he which doth y e law is righteous but y t doth no mā saue he y t beleueth putteth his trust in Christ IF any mans worke that he hath builte vpon abide he shall receaue a rewarde 1. Cor. 2. The circumstance of the same chapter that is to witt that which goeth before that which foloweth declareth playnely what is ment Paule talketh of learning doctrine or preaching He sayth that he himselfe hath layde the foundation which is Iesus Christ and that no man can laye any other He exhorteth therfore euery man to take hede what he buildeth vpon and boroweth a similitude of y ◠goldsmith which trieth his metalles with fire saying that the fire that is the iudgement of y t scripture shall trie euery mans worke that is euery mās preaching and doctrine If any builde vpon the foundation layde of Paule I meane Iesus Christ golde siluer or precious stone which are all one thyng and signifie true doctrine which when it is examined the scripture aloweth then shall he haue his rewarde that is he shall be sure that his learning is of God that Gods spirite is in hym and that he shall haue the rewarde that Christ hath purchased for hym On the other side if any man build there on timbre heye or stubble which are all one and signifie doctrine of mans imaginatiō traditions and fantasies which stand not with Christ when they are examined and iudged by the Scripture he shall suffer damage but shall be saued hymselfe yet as it were through fire that is it shall be payneful vnto him that he hath lost his labour and to see his buildyng perish
commeth it that they will pay none at all But to pay tribute is a signe of subiectiō verely the cause why Christ payed was because he had an houshold and for the same cause payed Peter also For he had an house a shippe and nettes as thou readest in the Gospell But let vs go to Paul agayne Wherfore ye must needes obey not for feare of vengeaunce onely but also because of conscience That is though thou be so naughty as nowe many yeares our Pope and Prelates euery where are that thou nedest not to obeye the temporall sword for feare of vengeaunce yet must thou obey because of consciēce First because of thine owne conscience For though thou be able to resiste yet shalt thou neuer haue a good cōscience as lōg as Gods word law and ordinaunce are against thee Secondarily for thy neighbours conscience For though through craft and violence thou mightest escape and obteyne libertie or priuilege to be free from all maner dueties yet oughtest thou neither to sue or to seeke for any such thing neither yet admit or accept if it were profered lest thy fredome make thy weake brother to grudge rebell in that he seeth thee go emptie and he him selfe more ladē thy part also layd on his shoulders Seest thou not if a man fauour one sonne more then an other or one seruaunt more then an other how all the rest grudge and how loue peace and vnitie is broken What Christenly loue is in the to thy neighbour ward when thou canst finde in thyne hart to go vp and down empty by him all day long and see him ouer charged yea to fal vnder his burthen and yet wilt not once set to thyne hand to helpe him What good conscience cā there be among our spiritualtie to gather so great treasure together and with hypocrisie of their false learnyng to robbe almost euery man of house and landes and yet not therewith content but with all craft and wilenes to purchase so great liberties and exemptions from all maner bearyng with their brethren seekyng in Christ nothyng but lucre I passe ouer with silence how they teach Princes in euery lande to lade new exactions and tyranny on their subiectes more and more dayly neither for what purpose they do it say I. God I trust shall shortly disclose their iugglynge and bryng their falshode to light and lay a medecine to thē to make their scabbes breake out Neuerthelesse this I say that they haue robbed all Realmes not of Gods word onely but also of all wealth and prosperitie and haue driuen peace out of all landes withdrawen them selues from all obediēce to Princes and haue separated them selues from the lay men countyng thē viler thē dogges and haue set vp that great Idole the whore of Babylō Antichrist of Rome whom they call pope and haue conspired agaynst all common wealthes haue made them a seuerall kyngdome wherin it is lawfull vnpunished to woorke all abhomination In euery Parish haue they spyes and in euery great mans house and in euery tauerne and alchouse And thorough confessions knowe they all secretes so that no man may open his mouth to rebuke what soeuer they do but that he shal be shortly made an hereticke In all Coūcels is one of them yea the most part and chief rulers of the Councels are of them But of there Councell is no man Euen for this cause pay ye tribute that is to witt for consciences sake to thy neighbour and for the cause that foloweth For they are Gods Ministers seruyng for the same purpose Because God will so haue it we must obey We doe not looke if we haue Christes spirite in vs what is good profitable glorious and honorable for vs neither on our owne will but on Gods will onely Geue to euery man therefore his dutie tribute to whom tribute belongeth custome to whom custome is due feare to whō feare belongeth honour to whom honor perteineth That thou mightest feele the workyng of the spirite of God in thee and lest the bewtie of the deed should deceaue thee and make thee thinke that the law of God whiche is spirituall were contēt and fulfilled with the outward and bodyly dede it foloweth Owe nothyng to any mā but to loue one an other For he that loueth an other fulfilleth the law For these commaundementes thou shalt not commit adultery thou shalt not kill thou shalt not steale thou shalt not beare false witnes thou shalt not desire and so forth if there be any other commaūdement are all comprehended or contained in this saying loue thy neighbour therfore is loue the fulfillyng of the law Here hast thou sufficient agaynst all the sophisters workeholy iustifiers in the world which so magnifie their dedes The law is spirituall and requireth the hart is neuer fulfilled with the dede in the sight of god With y e dede thou fulfillest the law before the world liuest thereby that is y ◠enioyest this presēt life and auoydest the wrath and vengeaunce the death and punishment which the law threatneth to them that breake it But before God thou keepest the law if thou loue onely Now what shal make vs loue Verely that shall fayth do If thou behold how much God loueth thee in Christ and from what vengeaunce he hath deliuered thee for his sake and of what kyngdome he hath made thee heyre then shalt thou see cause inough to loue thy very enemie without respect of reward either in this lyfe or in the lyfe to come but because that God will so haue it and Christ hath deserued it Yet thou shouldest feele in thyne harte that all thy deedes to come are abundantly recompensed all ready in Christ Thou wilt say haply if loue fulfill the lawe then it iustifieth I say that that wherewith a man fulfilleth the law declareth hym iustified but that which geueth him wherewith to fulfill the law iustifieth hym By iustifiyng vnderstande the forgeuenesse of sinnes and the fauour of God Now sayth the text Roma x. the ende of the law or the cause wherfore the law was made is Christ to iustifie all that beleue That is the law is geuen to vtter sinne to kill the consciences to damne our deedes to bryng to repentaunce and to driue vnto Christ in whō God hath promised his fauour and forgeuenesse of sinne vnto all that repente and consent to the law that it is good If thou beleue the promises then doth Gods truth iustifie thee that is forgeueth thee and receaueth thee to fauour for Christes sake In a suretie wherof and to certifie thine hart he sealeth thee with the spirite Ephe. i. and. iiij And. ij Cor. v. sayth Paul whiche gaue vs his spirite in earnest How the spirite is geuen vs through Christ read the viij chapter of the Epistle to the Romaines and Gallat iij. and. ij Cor. iij. Neuerthelesse the spirit and his frutes
groweth dayly in the operations workes therof ¶ Of Confession COnfession is diuers One foloweth true fayth insparably And is the confessing and knowledging with the mouth wherein we put our trust and confideÌ„ce As when we say our Credo confessing that we trust in God the father almighty and in his truth promises in his sonne Iesus our Lord and in his merites and deseruinges in the holy Ghost and in his power assistance and guiding This confession is necessary vnto all men that wyll be saued For Christ saith Mathew x. he that denyeth me before men hym will I deny before my father that is in heauen And of this confession sayth the holy Apostle Paule in the x. chapter The beliefe of the hart iustifieth and to knowledge wyth the mouth maketh a man safe This is a wonderfull text for our Philosophers or rather sophisters our worldly wyse enemies to the wisdome of God our deepe profounde welles wythout water our cloudes wythout moysture of rayne that is to say naturall soules without the sprite of God and feeling of godly thynges To iustifie and to make safe are both one thing And to confesse with the mouth is a good worke and the frute of a true fayth as all other workes are If thou repent and beleue the promises then Gods truth iustifieth thee that is forgeueth thee thy sinnes and sealeth thee with hys holy spirite and maketh thee heyre of euerlastyng lyfe through Christes deseruinges Now if thou haue true fayth so seest thou the exceeding and infinite loue and mercy which God hath shewed thee freely in Christ then must thou needes loue agayne and loue can not but compell thee to worke and boldly to confesse knowledge thy Lord Christ and the trust which thou hast in his word And this knowledge maketh thee safe that is declareth that thou art safe already certifieth thine hart and maketh thee feele that thy fayth is right and that Gods spirite is in thee as all other good workes doe For if when it commeth vnto the point thou hast no lust to worke nor power to confesse how couldest thou presume to thinke that Gods sprite were in thee An other confession is there which goeth before saith and accompanieth repentaunce For who so euer repenteth doth knowledge his sinnes in his hart And who soeuer doth knowledge his sinnes receaueth forgenenes as â—ayth Iohn in the first of his first Epistle If we knowledge our sinnes he is faythfull and iust to forgeue vs out sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnes that is because he hath promised he must for his truthes sake doe it This confession is necessary all our liues long as is repentaunce And as thou vnderstandest of repentaunce so vnderstand of this confession for it is likewise included in the sacrament of Baptime For we alwayes repent and alwayes knowledge or coÌ„fesse our sinnes vnto God and yet dispayre not but remember that we are washed in in Christes bloud which thing our baptime doth represeÌ„t and signifie vnto vs. Shrift in the eare is verely a worke of Sathan and that the â—alsest that euer was wrought and that most hath deuoured the fayth It began among the Greekes and was not as it is now to reckeÌ„ all a maÌ„s sinnes in the priestes eare but to aske couÌ„cell of such doubtes as men had as thou mayst see in S. Hierome and in other authors Neither went they to Priestes onely which were very fewe at that tyme no moe then preached the worde of God for this so great vantage in so many masses saying was not yet founde but went indifferently where they saw a good and a learned man And for because of a litle knauery which a DeacoÌ„ at Constantinople plaide thorough coÌ„fession with one of the chiefe wiues of the citie it was layde downe agayne But we Antichristes possession the more knauery we see growe thereby dayly the more we stablishe it A christen man is a spirituall thing and hath Gods word in his hart and gods spirite to certifie him of all thing He is not bound to come to any eare And as for the reasons which they make are but persuasions of mans wisedome First as perteining vnto the keyes maner of bynding and loosing is eough aboue rehearsed in other places Thou maist also see how the Apostles vsed them in the Actes and in Paules Epistles how at the preaching of fayth the spirite came and certified their harts that they were iustified thorough beleuing the promises When a man feeleth that his hart consenteth vnto the law of God and feeleth hymselfe meeke pacient curteous and mercifull to hys neighbour altered and fashioned like vnto Christ why shoulde he doubt but that God hath forgeuen him and chosen him and put his spirite in hym though he neuer cromme hys sinne into the priestes eare One blynde reason haue they saying How shall the Priest vnbynde loose and forgeue the sinne which he knoweth not How did the Apostles The Scripture forsake they and runne vnto their blinde reasons and draw the Scripture vnto a carnall purpose When I haue tolde thee in thyne eare all that I haue done my life long in order and with all circumstances after the shamefullest maner what caÌ„st thou doe more then preach me the promises saying if thou repent beleue Gods truth shall saue thee for Christes sake Thou seest not myne hart thou knowest not whether I repent or no neyther whether I consent to the law that it is holy righteous and good Moreouer whether I beleue the promises or no is also vnknowen to thee If thou preach the law and the promises as the Apostles did so should they that God hath chosen repent and beleue and be saued euen now as well as then How be it Antichrist must know all secretes to stablish his kingdom to worke his misteries withall They bryng also for them the storie of the x. lepers whiche is written in the. xvij Chapter of Luke Here marke their falsehoode and learne to knowe them for euer The fourtene Sonday after the feast of the Trinitie the begynnyng of the vij leâ—…n is the sayd Gospell and the viij the ix lessons with the rest of the seuenth is the exposition of Bede vpon the sayd Gospell Where saith Bede of all that Christ healed of what so euer disease it were he sent none vnto the Priestes but the lepers And by the lepers enterpreteth the folowers of false doctrine onely which the spirituall officers and the learned men of the congregation ought to examine and rebuke their learning with Gods word and to warne the congregation to beware of them Which if they were afterward healed by the grace of Christ ought to come before the coÌ„gregation and there openly confesse theyr true fayth But all other vices saith he doth God heale within in the conscience Though they this wise reade at mattens yet at hie masse if they haue any
soeuer we loose here is nothing excepted And an other text lay they of Christ in y e last of Mathew All power is geuen to me sayth Christ in heauen and in earth go therfore and preach c. Preachyng leaueth the Pope out and sayth loe all power is geuen me in heauen in earth And thereupon taketh vpon him temporall power aboue kyng and Emperour maketh lawes and byndeth them And like power taketh he ouer gods lawes and dispenseth with them at his lust makyng no sinne of that whiche God maketh sinne maketh sinne where God maketh none yea wypeth out Gods lawes cleane and maketh at his pleasure with him is lawful what he lusteth He bindeth where God looseth looseth where God bindeth He blesseth where GOD curseth and curseth where God blesseth He taketh authoritie also to bynde loose in Purgatory That permit I vnto him for it is a creature of his owne makyng He also byndeth the aungels For we read of Popes that haue commaūded the aungels to fet diuers out of Purgatory Howbeit I am not yet certified whether they obeyed or no. Vnderstand therrfore that to bynde and to loose is to preach the lawe of God and the Gospell or promises as thou mayst see in the third chapter of the second epistle to the Corinthians Where Paule calleth the preaching of the law the ministration of death and damnation and the preaching of the promises then ministring of the spirite and of righteousnes For when the law is preached all men are found sinners and therefore damned and when the Gospell glad tydinges are preached then are all that repent and beleue founde righteous in Christ And so expounde it all the olde doctours Saint Hierome sayth vpon this text whatsoeuer thou bindest the Bishops and Priestes sayth he for lacke of vnderstanding take a litle presumption of the Phareseis vpon thē And thinke that they haue authoritie to bynde innocentes and to loose the wicked which thing our Pope and Byshops doe For they say the curse is to be feared be it right or wrōg Though thou haue not deserued yet if y e Pope curse thee thou art in perill of thy soule as they lie yea and though he be neuer fo wrongfully cursed he must be fayne to buy absolution But Saint Hierome sayth as y e Priest of the olde law made the lepers cleane or vncleane so byndeth and vnbyndeth the Priest of the new law The Priest there made no man a leper neither clensed any mā but God and the Priest iudged onely by Moyses law who was cleane who was vncleane whē they were brought vnto hym So here we haue the law of God to iudge what is sinne and what is not and who is bounde and who is not Moreouer if any man haue sinned yet if he repent and beleue the promise we are sure by Gods word that he is loosed forgeuen in Christ Other authoritie then this wise to preach haue the Priests not Christes Apostles had no other thē selues as it appeareth thoroughout all the new testamēt Therfore it is manifest that they haue not Saint Paule sayth i. Corinth xv When we say all thinges are vnder Christ he is to be excepted that put all vnder hym God the father is not vnder Christ but aboue Christ and Christes head i. Corinth vi Christ sayth Iohn xij I haue not spoken of myne owne head but my father which sent me gaue a commaundement what I should say and what I should speake What soeuer I speake therefore euen as my father bad me so I speake If Christ had a law what he should doe how happeneth it that the Pope so runneth at large lawlesse Though that all power were geuen vnto Christ in heauen and in earth Yet had he no power ouer his father nor yet to raigne temporally ouer temporall Princes but a commaundemēt to obey them How hath the Pope thē such temporall authoritie ouer king Emperour How hath he authoritie aboue Gods lawes and to cōmaunde the Angels the saintes and God himselfe Christes authoritie which he gaue to his Disciples was to preach the lawe and to bring sinners to repentaunce and then to preach vnto them the promises which the father had made vnto all men for his sake And the same to preach onely sent he his Apostles As a kyng sendeth forth his Iudges and geueth them his authoritie saying What ye doe that doe I. I geue you my full power Yet meaneth he not by that full power that they should destroy any towne or Citie or oppresse any mā or doe what they list or should raigne ouer the Lordes and Dukes of his Realme and ouer hys owne selfe But geueth them a lawe with them authoritie to bynde and loose as farforth as the law stretcheth and maketh mention that is to punishe the euill that doe wrong and to auenge y e poore that suffer wrong And so farre as the law stretcheth will the king defend his Iudge agaynst all men And as the tēporall iudges binde loose temporally so doe the pristes spiritually and no other wayes How be it by falshod and subtiltie the Pope reigneth vnder Christ as Cardinals and Byshops do vnder kinges lawlesse THe Pope say they absolueth or looseth a poena et culpa that is from the faulte or trespasse and from the payne due vnto the trespasse God if a man repent forgeueth the offence onely and not the paine also say they saue turneth the euerlasting payne vnto a temporall payne And appointeth seuē yeares in purgatory for euery deadly sinne But the Pope for money forgeueth both and hath more power thē God and is more mercifull thē God This doe I saith the Pope of my full power and of y e treasure of the Church of deseruinges of martyrs cōfessours and mērites of Christ First the merites of the Saintes did not saue themselues but were saued by Christes merites onely Secondarily God hath promised Christes merites vnto all that repent so that whosoeuer repenteth is immediatly heire of all Christes merites and beloued of God as Christ is How thē came this foule monster to be Lord ouer Christes merites so that he hath power to sell that which God geueth freely O dreamers yea O deuils and O venimous scorpians what poyson haue ye in your tayles O pestilēt leauen that so turneth the sweete bread of Christes doctrine into the bitternesse of gall The Friers runne in the same spirite and teach saying do good deedes and redeeme the paines y ◠abide you in purgatory yea geue vs somewhat to doe good workes for you And thus is sinne become the profitablest marchaundise in the worlde O the cruell wrath of God vpō vs because we loue not the truth For this is the damnation iudgement of God to send a false Prophet vnto him that wil not heare the truth I know you saith Christ
into the world to condemne the world but that the world through him might be saued He that beleueth on him shall not be damned but he that beeleeueth not is damned alreadye Iohn iij. Paule Rom. 5. sayth Because we are iustifyed through fayth we are at peace with God through our lord Iesus Christ that is because that God which can not lye hath promised and sworne to be mercyfull vnto vs and to forgeue vs for Christes sake we beleue and are at peace in our consciences we run not hither and thither for pardon we trust not in thys fryer nor that monke neyther in any thing saue in the woord of God onely As a childe when his father threateneth him for his faâ—t hath neuer rest til he heare the worde of mercy and forgeuenes of his fathers mouth againe but assone as he heareth his father say Goe thy wayes do me no more so I forgeue thee this fault then is his hart at rest then is he at peace then runneth he to no man to make intercession for him Neyther though there come any false marchant saying what wilt thou geue me and I will obtayne pardon of thy father for thee Will he suffer him selfe to be beguiled No he will not buy of a wilie fox that which his father hath geuen him freely It foloweth God setteth out hys loue that he hath to vs. that is he maketh it appeare that men may perceiue loue if they be not more then stocke blinde In asmuch sayth Paule as while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for vs. Much more now sayth he seeing we are iustifyed by hys bloud shall we be preserued from wrath thorough him for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of hys sonne much more seeing we are reconciled we shall be preserued by hys life As who should say If God loued vs when we knew him not much more loueth he vs now we know him If he were mercifull to vs while we hated his Lawe how much more mercifull will he be now seeing we loue it and desire strength to fulfill it And in the viij he argueth If God spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all how shall he not wyth him geue vs all thinges also Christ prayed Iohn xvij not for the Apostles onely but also for as many as should beleue through theyr preaching and was heard whatsoeuer we aske in his name the Father geueth vs Iohn xvi Christ is also as mercifull as the saintes Why go we not straight way vnto him Verely because we feale not the mercy of God neyther beleue his truthe God will at the least way say they heare vs the sooner for the saintes sake Then loueth he the saintes better then Christ and his own truth Heareth he vs for the saintes sake so heareth he vs not for his mercye For merites and mercye can not stand together Finally if thou put any trust in thine owne deedes or in the deedes of any other man of any saint then minishest thou the truth mercy and goodnes of God For if God looke vnto thy workes or vnto the workes of any other man or goodnes of the saint then doth he not all thinges of pure mercy and of his goodnesse and for the truthes sake which he hath sworne in Christ Now sayth Paule Tit. 3. Not of the righteous deedes which we did but of his mercy saued he vs. Our blinde disputers will say If our good deedes iustify vs not if God looke not on our good deedes neither regard them nor loue vs the better for them what need we to do good dedes I aunswer God looketh on our good deedes and loueth them yet loueth vs not for their sakes God loueth vs first in Christ of his goodnes and mercy and poureth his spirit into vs and geueth vs power to do good dedes And because he loueth vs he loueth our good deedes yea because he loueth vs he forgeueth vs our euill dedes which we do of frailtie and not of purpose or for the nonce Our good dedes do but testifie onely that we are iustifyed and beloued For except we were beloued and had Gods spirite we could neyther do nor yet consent vnto any good deed Antichrist turneth the rootes of the trees vpwarde He maketh the goodnes of God the braunches and our goodnes the rootes We must be first good after Antichristes doctrine and moue God and compell him to be good againe for our goodnesses sake so must Gods goodnesse spring out of our goodnes Nay verely Gods goodnesse is the root of al goodnes and our goodnes if we haue any springeth out of his goodnes Prayer OF Prayer and good deedes and of the order of loue or charitie I haue aboundantly written in my booke of the iustifying of fayth Neuer the later that thou maist see what the prayers and good workes of our monkes and friers and of other ghostly people are worth I will speake a woord or two and make an end Paule sayth Gal. 3. All ye are the sonnes of God through fayth in Iesu Christ for all ye that are baptized haue put Christ on you that is ye are become Christ himself There is no Iew sayth he neither Greeke neither bond nor free neither man nor woman but ye are all one thing in Christ Iesu In Christ there is neither french nor english but the frenchman is the englishmans owne selfe and the english the frenchmans owne self In Christ there is neither father nor sonne neyther maister nor seruaunt neyther husband nor wife neither king nor subiect but the father is the sonnes selfe and the sonne the fathers owne selfe and the king is the subiects owne self and the subiect is the kinges own self and so fourth I am thou â—hy selfe and thou art I my selfe and can be no nearer of kyn We are all the sonnes of God all Christes seruauntes bought with hys bloud and euery man to other Christ his owne selfe And Col. 3 Ye haue put on the new man which is tenned in the knowledge of God after the image of him that made him that is to say Christ where is sayth he neyther Greke nor Iew circumcision nor vncircumcision barbarous or Scithian bond or free but Christ is all in all thinges I loue thée not now because thou art my father and hast done so much for me or my mother and hast borne me and geuen me sucke of thy brestes for so do Iewes and saracens but because of the greate loue that Christ hath shewed me I serue thee not because thou art my maister or my king for hope of rewarde or feare of payne but for the loue of Christ for the children of fayth are vnder no law as thou seest in the Epistles to the Romanes to the Galathians in the first to Timothe but are free The spirit of Christ hath writteÌ„ the liuely law of loue in their hartes whiche driueth theÌ„ to worke of theyr owne
to bring vs vnto fauour Likewise doth a Christen man geue to hys brethren robbeth them not as friers and monkes do but as Paule commaundeth Ephes 4. laboureth wyth his handes some good worke to haue wherewith to helpe the needy They geue not but receiue onely They labour not but liue idely of the sweat of the poore There is none so poore a widow though she haue not to finde hir self and her children nor any mony to geue yet shall the frier snatch a chese or somewhat They preach sayst thou and labour in the woorde First I say they are not called and therefore ought not for it is the Curates office The Curate can not saist thou What doth the theefe there then Secondarily a true preacher preacheth Christes testament only and maketh Christ the cause and reward of all our deedes and teacheth euery man to beare hys crosse willingly for Christes sake But these are enemies vnto the crosse of Christ and preach theyr belly which is theyr God Ephes 3. and they thinke that lucre is the seruing of God 1. Tim. 6. that is they thinke them christen onely which offer vnto their belies which when thou hast filled then spue they out prayers for thee to be thy reward and yet wâ—t not what praier meaneth Prayer is the longing for Gods promises which promises as they preach them not so loÌ„g they not for them nor wish them vnto any man Theyr longing is to fill theyr paunch whom they serue not Christ and through sweet preaching and flattring woordes deceaue the hartes of the simple and vnlearned Rom. 16. Finally as Christ is the whole cause why we do all thing for our neighbor euen so is he the cause why God doth all thyng for vs why he receaueth vs into his holy Testament and maketh vs heyres of al his promises and poureth his spirit into vs and maketh vs his sonnes and fashioneth vs like vnto Christ and maketh vs such as he would haue vs to be The assuraunce that we are the sonnes beloued and heires with Christ haue Gods spirite in vs is the consent of our hartes vnto the law of God Which law is all perfection and the marke whereat all we ought to shoot And he that hitteth that marke so that he fulfilleth the law with all his hart soule and might and with full loue and lust without all let or resistance is pure gold and needeth not to be put any more in the fire he is straight and right needeth to be no more shauen he is full fashioned like Christ and can haue no more added vnto him Neuerthelesse there is none so perfect in this life that findeth not let resistance by the reason of originall sinne or birth poyson that remayneth in him as thou maist see in the liues of all the saintes throughout all the scripture and in Paul Rom. 7. The will is present sayth he but I fynde no meanes to performe that whiche is good I doo not that good thing which I would but that euill do I which I would not I finde by the law that when I would do good euill is present with me I delite in the law as concerning the inner man but I finde an other law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde subduing me vnto the law of sinne Which law of sinne is nothing but a corrupt and a poysoned nature which breaketh into euill lustes and from euill lustes into wicked deedes must be purged with the true purgatory of the crosse of Christ that is thou must hate it with all thine hart and desyre God to take it from thee And then whatsoeuer crosse God putteth on thy backe beare it paciently whether it be pouertie sickenes or persecution or what soeuer it be and take it for the right Purgatory and thinke that God hath nailed thee fast to it to purge thee therby For he that loueth not the law and hateth hys sinne hath not professed in his hart to fight against it and mourneth not to god to take it away to purge him of it y â— same hath no part with Christ If thou loue the law and fyndest that thou hast yet synne hangyng on thee where of thou sorowest to be deliuered and purged as for an example thou hast a couetous mynde and mistrustest God and therfore arte moued to begyle thy neighbour arte vnto him mercylesse not caring whether he sinke or swymme so thou maist winne by him or get from him that he hath then get thee to the obseruaunte which is so purged froÌ„ that sinne that he will not once handle a peny with that wyle doth the suttle foxe make the goose come flying into his hole ready prepared for his mouth without hys labour or swet buy of his incrites which he hath in store geue thy money not into his holy haÌ„ds but to offer him that he hath hired either with part of his prayers or part of his praye to take the sinne vpon him and to handle his money for him In like maner if any parson that is vnder obedieÌ„ce vnto Gods ordinaunce whether it be sonne or daughter seruaunt wife or subiect consent vnto the ordinaunce yet finde contrary motions let him go also to theÌ„ that haue professed an obedience of their owne making and bye part of their merites If thy wife geue the ix wordes for three go to the charterhouse and bye of their silence And so if the absteinyng of the obseruaunt from handling money heale thine hart from desiryng money the obedience of them that will obey nothyng but their owne ordinaunce heale thy disobedience to Gods ordinaunce and the sileÌ„ce of the charterhouse Monke tanâ—e thy wiues toung theÌ„ beleue that their prayers shall deliuer thy soule from the paines of that terrible and feareful Purgatory which they haue fayned to purge thy purse withall The spiritualtie encreaseth dayly Mo prelates mo Priestes mo moÌ„kes friers chanons nunnes and mo heretikes I would say heremites with lyke draffe Set before the y â— encrease of S. FrauÌ„ces disciples in so few yeares RekeÌ„ how many thousands yea how many twenty thousaÌ„des not disciples onely but whole cloisters are sprong out of hell of them in so litle space Pateryng of prayers encreaseth dayly Their seruice as they call it waxeth longer and longer and the labour of their lippes greater new Saintes new seruice new festes and new holy dayes What take all these away Sinne Nay For we â—ee the contrary by experience that sinne groweth as they grow But they take away first Gods word with fayth hope peace vnitie loue concorde then house and laÌ„d rent see tower towne goodes and cattell and the very meate out of mens mouthes All these lyue by Purgatory When other weepe for their frendes they sing merely when other loose their frendes they get frendes The Pope with all his
thyng therâ—roÌ„ as Moyses euery where teacheth thee Serue God in the spirite thy neighbour with all outward seruice Serue God as he hath appoynted thee not with thy good intent and good zeale Remember Saul was cast awaye of God for euer for his good intent God requireth obedieÌ„ce vnto his woorde abhorreth all good intentes and good zeales which are without Gods word For they are nothyng els then playne Idolatry and woorshyppyng of false Gods And remeÌ„ber that Christ is the end of all thyng He onely is our restyng place he is our peace Ephe. ij chap. For as there is no saluatioÌ„ in any other name so is there no peace in any other name Thou shalt neuer haue rest in thy soule neither shall y â— worme of conscience euer cease to gnaw thyne hart till thou come at Christ till thou heare the glad tydings how that God for his sake hath forgeuen thee all freely If thou trust in thy workes there is no rest Thou shalt thinke I haue not done inough Haue I done it with so great loue as I should do Was I so glad in doyng as I would be to receaue helpe at my neede I haue left this or that vndone and such like If thou trust in confessioÌ„ then shalt thou thinke Haue I told all Haue I told all the circumstances Did I repent inough Had I as great sorow in my repentaunce for my sinnes as I had pleasure in doyng them Likewise in our holy PardoÌ„s pilgrimages gettest thou no rest For thou seest that the very Gods theÌ„ selues which sell their pardon so good cheape or some whiles geue theÌ„ freely for glory sake trust not therein them selues They build Colledges and make perpetuities to be prayed for for euer ladey â— lyppes of their beadmen or chaplaynes with so many Masses Diriges and so loÌ„g seruice that I haue knowen some that haue byd the deuill take their founders soules for very impaciencie and werines of so paynefull labour As pertainyng to good deedes therfore do the best thou canst and desire God to geue strength to do better dayly but in Christ put thy trust and in the Pardon promises that God hath made thee for his sake on that rocke build thine house and there dwell For there onely shalt thou be sure from all stormes and teÌ„pestes from all wyly assaultes of our wicked spirites which study with all falshead to vndermyne vs. And the God of all mercy geue the grace so to do vnto whom be glory for euer Amen ¶ A compendious rehearsall of that which goeth before I Haue described vnto you the obedience of children seruauntes wines subiectes These iiij orders are of Gods makyng y e rules thereof are Gods word He that kepeth theÌ„ shal be blessed yea is blessed all ready and he that breaketh them shal be cursed If any person of impaciency or of a stubburne and rebellious mynde withdraw hym selfe from any of these and get him to any other order let hym not thinke thereby to auoyde the vengeaunce of God in obeying rules and traditions of mans imaginatioÌ„ If thou poulledst thine head in the worship of thy father and breakest his commaundementes shouldest y â— so escape Or if thou payntedst thy masters image on a wall and stickedst vp a caÌ„dle before it shouldest thou therewith make satisfaction for the breaking of his coÌ„maundementes Or if thou warest a blew coate in the worshyp of the kyng and brakest hys lawes shouldest thou so go quyte Let a mans wife make her selfe a sister of the charterhouse and auÌ„swere her husband when he byddeth her hold her peace my brethren kepe silence for me and see whether she shal so escape And be thou sure God is more gelouse ouer his commaundementes then man is ouer hys or then any man is ouer his wife Because we be blynd God hath appointed in y e Scripture how we shuld serue him please him As perteynyng vnto his owne person he is aboundaÌ„tly pleased when we beleue his promises and holy Testament which he hath made vnto vs in Christ for the mercy which â—e there shewed vs loue his commaundements All bodyly seruice must be done to maÌ„ in Gods stede We must geue obedience honour tolle tribute custome and rent vnto whoÌ„ they belong Then if thou haue ought more to bestow geue vnto y t pore which are left here in Christes stede that we shew mercy on them If we kepe the commaundements of loue theÌ„ are we sure that we fulfill the law in the sight of God and that our blessing shal be euerlastyng life Now when we obey patiently and without grudgyng euill Princes that oppresse vs persecute vs and be kinde and mercyfull to them that are mercylesse to vs and doe the worst they caÌ„ to vs and so take all fortune patiently and kysse what soeuer crosse God layeth on our backes then are we sure that we keepe the commaundementes of loue I declared that God hath taken all vengeaunce into his own handes and will aueÌ„ge all vnright him selfe either by the powers or officers whiche are appointed thereto or els if they be negligent he will send his curses vppon the traÌ„sgressours destroy them with his secret iudgementes I shewed also that whosoeuer auengeth him selfe is damned in the deede doing and falleth into the haÌ„des of the temporall sword because be taketh the office of God vppon him and robbeth God of his most high honour in that he wil not patieÌ„tly abide his iudgement I shewed you of the authoritie of Princes how they are in Gods stede and how they may not be resisted doe they neuer so euill they must be reserued vnto the wrath of God Neuer the latter if they commaunde to do euill we must then disobey and say we are otherwise coÌ„mauÌ„der of God but not to rise agaynst theÌ„ They wil kil vs theÌ„ sayest thou Therfore I say is a Christen called to suffer euen the bitter death for hys hopes sake and because he will do no euill I shewed also that the Kynges and rulers be they neuer so euill are yet a great gift of the goodnes of God and defende vs from a thousand thynges that we see not I proued also that all men without exception are vnder the temporall sword what soeuer names they geue them selues Because the Priest is chosen out of the lay men to teach this obedience is that a lawfull cause for him to disobey Because he preacheth that the lay maÌ„ should not steale is it therfore lawfull for hym to steale vnpunished Because thou teachest me that I may not kill or if I do the kyng must kill me agayn is it therfore lawfull for thee to kil and go free Either whether is it rather mete that thou whiche are my guide to teache me the rightwaye shouldest walke therin before me The Priestes of the old law with their high bishop Aaron and all his successours
of their heauenly father confirmed with y ◠bloud of their Lord Christ For vnto them it is harder to enter into y ◠kingdome of heauen then for a camel to enter through y ◠eye of an nedle Mar. 10. No they haue no part in the kyngdome of Christ God Ephe. v. Therefore is it euident why Christ so diligētly warneth all his to beware of couetousnesse and why hee admitteth none to be his Disciples except he first forsake all together For there was neuer couetouse person true yet either to God or man If a couetous mā be chosē to preach Gods word he is a false Prophet immediatly If he be of the lay sorte so ioyneth he him self vnto the false Prophetes to persecute the truth Couetousnesse is not onely aboue all other lustes those thornes that choke y t word of God in them that possesse it But it is also a deadly enemy to all that interprete Gods word truly All other vices though they laugh thē to scorne that talke godly yet they can suffer thē to lyue and to dwell in the countrey But couetousnes cannot rest as long as there is one that cleaueth to Gods word in all the land Take hede to thy preacher therfore and be sure if he be couetous and gape for promotion that he is a false Prophet leaueneth the Scripture for all his crying fathers fathers holy Church and fiften hūdred yeares and for all his other holy pretenses Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted This mournyng is also in the spirite and no kinne to the sowre lokyng of hipocrites nor to the impaciēt weywardnesse of those fleshely which euer whyne and complayne that the world is naught because they cānot obtayne and enioy their lustes therin Neither forbiddeth it alwayes to be mery and and to laugh make good chere now and then to forget sorrow that ouermuch heauynesse swalow not a man cleane vp For the wise man sayth sorow hath cost many their lyues And Prouer. xvij an heauy spirite drieth vp the bones And Paule commaundeth Philip. iiij to reioyse euer And Roma xij he sayth reioyse with them that reioyse and sorow with thē that sorow and wepe with them that wepe which seme two contraries This mourning is that crosse without which was neuer any Disciple of Christ or euer shal be For of what soeuer state or degree thou be in this world if thou professe y ◠Gospell there foloweth the a crosse as warmenesse accompanieth the sonne shynyng vnder which thy spirite shall grone and mourne secretly not onely because the world and thyne owne flesh carie thee away cleane cōtrary to the purpose of thyne hart But also to see and behold the wretchednesse misfortunes of thy brethrē for which because thou louest them as well as thy selfe thou shalt mourne and sorow no lesse thē for thy selfe Though thou be King or Emperour yet if thou knowest Christ and God through Christ and entendest to walke in the fight of God and to minister thyne office truly thou shalt to kepe iustice with all be compelled to do dayly that which thou art no lesse loth to do then if thou shouldest cut of arme hand or any other member of thyne owne body yea and if thou wilt folow the right way and neither turne on the right hand nor on the left thou shalt haue immediatly thine own subiectes thyne owne seruauntes thyne owne Lordes thyne own coūsellours and thyne owne Prophetes thereto agaynst thee Vnto whose froward malice and stubburnesse thou shalt be cōpelled to permitte a thousand thynges agaynst thy conscience not able to resiste them at whiche thyne hart shall blede inwardly and shalt sawse thy swete soppes which the world weneth thou hast with sorowes mough and still mournyng studyeng either alone or els with a few frēdes secretly night and day and sighing to God for helpe to mitigate the furious frowardnesse of them whō thou art not able to with stand that all go not after the will of the vngodly What was Dauid cōpelled to suffer all the dayes of his lyfe of his own seruauntes the sonnes of Seruia Beside the mischaūces of his own children And how was our king Iohn forsaken of his owne Lordes when he would haue put a good and godly reformatiō in his owne land How was Henry the secōd compassed in lyke maner of his own Prelates whom he had promoted of nought with the secrete conspiracie of some of his own temporal Lordes with thē I spare to speake of y e mournyng of the true preachers the poore cōmon people which haue none other helpe but the secret hand of God and the word of his promise But they shal be cōforted of all their tribulatiō and their sorrow shal be turned into ioye and that infinite euerlastyng in the lyfe to come Neither are they without comfort here in this world for Christ hath promised to sēd them a comfortour to be with them for euer the spirite of trouth whiche the world knoweth not Iohn xiiij And they reioyse in hope of the comfort to come Rom. xij And they ouercome through fayth as it is written Hebr. xj the Saintes through fayth ouercame kyngdomes obtained the promises And. i. Iohn v. this is the victorie that ouercōmeth the world euē our faith But the blind world neither seeth our comfort nor our trust in God nor how God thorough faith in his word helpeth vs maketh vs ouercome How ouercome they wilt thou say that be alwayes persecuted and euer slayne verely in euery battaile some of them that wynne the field be slayne yet they leaue the victorie vnto their deare frēdes for whose sakes they toke the fight vppon them and therfore are conquerours seyng they obtayne their purpose maynteine that they fought for The cursed riche of this worlde whiche haue their ioye and comfort in their riches haue sence the begynnyng fought agaynst them to wede thē out of the worlde But yet in vayne For though they haue alwayes slayne som yet those that were slayne wanne the victory for their brethren with death euer increased the nūber of them And though they semed to dye in the sight of the foolish yet they are in peace and haue obtayned that euerlastyng kyngdome for which they fought And beside all this when God plagueth the world for their sinne these y ◠mourne and sorrow are marked with the signe of Thau in their foreheades and saued from the plague that they perish not with the wicked as thou seest Ezech. ix as Lot was deliuered frō among the Sodomites And contrariwise cursed are they that laugh now ▪ that is to say which haue their ioy solace and comfort in their riches for they shall sorrow and weepe Luke vj. And as it was answered the rich man Luke xvj sonne remember how that thou receauedst thy good dayes in thy life tyme and Lazarus likewise euill
the phariseyes that they oft fasted when the common people fasted not and all to appeare holy As ours fast Aduent and beginne before Lent at Septuagesima wheÌ„ Laus tibi domine commethin And concerning the annointing of thy head c. is ment as afore of turning the other cheeke and of that the left hand should not know what the right did that is that they shoulde auoyde all vaine glory and fast to god and for the entent that God ordeyned it for and that with a merry hart and chearefull countenaunce thereby to feele the working of God and to be sure of his fauour Such is the meaning not to bynde theÌ„ that will fast to annointe their head and washe their faces And the maner or phrase of speaking commeth of an vsage that was among the Iewes to annoint themselues with sweete and odoriferous annointmentes wheÌ„they were disposed to be merry and to make good cheare as ye see how Mary of Bethanie powred a boxe of precious ointement vppon Christes head at supper As coÌ„cerning fasting it were good that kinges and rulers did set an order of sobernes among their subiectes to auoyde dearth innumerable diseases and y e great heape of vices that spring of intemperancy and that they forbio not onely riote and excesse but also all maner wanton delicious and customable eating and drinking of such thynges as corrupt the people make the men more effeminate then the women so that there remayneth no more tokens of a man in them saue theyr beardes Our fashions of eating make vs slouthfull and vnlusty to labour study vnstable inconstant and lyght manered full of wittes after witted as we call it incircumspect inconsiderate heady rash and hasty to begyn vnaduisedly and without castyng of perils the end not coÌ„sidered what may folow nor y e meanes well looked vppon how and by what way the matter might be brought to passe triflers mockers rude vnsauery iesture without all maner of salt and euen very apes and marinesettes and full of wanton and ribaldish communication lewde gestures It corrupteth the witte with falâ—e iudgement and infecteth the body with lust and maketh the whole man so vnquiet in him selfe that the body cannot sit still and rest in one place and continue in his worke nor the mynde perseuer and endure in one purpose Let them prouide that there be diligent fishyng in the Sea commaunde the Sea cost and townes whether fish may easely come to fast Friday Saterday and Wensday to if nede be on the friday to eate no white meate And let the countreys which haue none abouÌ„dance of fish yet haue white meate inough fast Friday and Saterday froÌ„ flesh onely And let those countreys where scarsetie of both is fast Friday from flesh onely and eate flesh Wensday and Saterday But abstayne from supper or from dyner or eate soberly those dayes And let them so moderate their fastes that the people may beare it a prouisioÌ„ made for the old the sieke and fable c. Which fast shal be a temporall thyng for a temporall common wealth onely not a seruice to God Then let the Priestes preach first the law truly and teach the people to see their sinnes and so bryng them to repentannce And secondearely the fayth of Christ and the forgiuenesse of sinne through fayth And thyrdly almose prayer fasting which are the whole life of a ChristeÌ„ man without which there is no Christen man a liue And let them preach the true vse of their almose which is to helpe thy neighbour with counsell with body and goodes and all that is in thy power and the true vse of prayer whiche is to bryng his necessitie and thyne owne before God with a strong fayth in his promises and the true vse of fastyng which is to tame y t flesh vnto y â— spirit that the soule may attende to the word of God and pray through fayth By these three we kepe the spirite of God and both coÌ„tinue and also grow in righteousnesse and waxe perfecter perfecter in soule body And if these fayle or that we vnderstand not the right enteÌ„t we loose the spirite againe and the righteousnesse of fayth and the true vnderstandyng of the Scripture and all our learnyng shal be but pure darckenesse And then what a blyndenesse is that wheÌ„the darcknesse of hell is called the light of heauen As it is of almose prayer so it is of fastyng iudge like of all thre Where any one of them is there are they all thre and where any one is away there is none at all We must haue the profession of all three euer written in our harts I must euer loue my neighbour and be ready to helpe and when occasion is offered then do it I ought to coÌ„sider and know that all commeth of God and to knowledge that same to him in myne hart And what so euer we neede we ought to know that we must receaue that of God and therfore to call euer to him with a strong fayth Euen so I must euer fight agaynst my fleshe and therefore euer withdraw from it all that moueth it to rebell agaynst the spirite So now fastyng standeth not in eatyng and drinkyng onely and much lesse in flesh alone But in abstinence of all that moueth the flesh agaynst the spirite as long sleepyng idlenesse and filthy communication and all worldly talkyng as of couetousnesse and promotion and such like and wanton coÌ„pany soft clothes and soft beddes and so forth Which are that right hand and right eye that must be cut of and plucked out that the whole maÌ„ perish not And as ye can put no generall rule of almose or prayer no more can ye of fastyng But I must be all way ready to cut of what soeuer I perceaue to streÌ„gth the flesh agaynst the spirit And I must haue a diligent eye to the flesh and his complexion and if ought scape me in word or dede seke wheÌ„ce the occasioÌ„ came and at once cut of that right hand and plucke out that eye If this fast be truly preached then is fasting good and not afore for making of hypocrites as Christ would not let his Disciples fast before they were learned lest they should therby haue bene no better then the Phariseis And then the outward fastyng ordayned by the temporall rulers helpeth much for the weakes sake Yea and though the land were so plenteous that it neded not to coÌ„mauÌ„de such fast for to auoide dearth yet they ought to set such vp Because of them that cannot rule them selues for whose sakes they ought to forbyd excesses of tauernes and alehouses and riotyng out of season For if the people could rule them selues what ned rulers Moreouer if any man priuately shew the Priest his infirmities and the Priest see any maner of abstinence or chastising apte for the person that let him councell him to do
That fayth haue they in theyr owne workes onely But the true hearers vnderstand the lawe as Christ interpreteth it here and feele thereby theyr righteous damnation and runne to Christ for succour and for remission of all their sinnes that are past and for all the sinne which chaunce thorough infirmities shall compel theÌ„ to do for remission of that the law is to stronge for their weake nature And upon that they consent to the lawe loue it and professe it to fulfill it to the vttermost of their power and then go to and worke Faith or confidence in Christes bloud without helpe and before the workes of the law bringeth all maner of remission of sinnes satisfaction Faith is mother of loue fayth accompanieth loue in all her workes to fulfill as much as there lacketh in our doing the lawe of that perfect loue which Christ had to his father and vs in his fulfilling of the law for vs. Now when we be reconciled then is loue fayth together our righteousnesse our keeping the lawe our continuing our proceeding forwarde in the grace which we stand in our bringing to the euerlasting sauing and euerlasting life And the woorkes be esteemed of God according to the loue of the hart If the woorkes be great loue little and colde then the woorkes be regarded thereafter of God If the workes be small and loue much and feruent the workes be taken for great of God And it came to passe that when Iesus had ended these sayinges the people were astonied at his doctrine for he taught them as one hauing power and not as the Scribes The Scribes and Phariseyes had thrust vp the sworde of the woorde of God into a scabbarde or shethe of gloses and therein had knit it fast that it coulde neither sticke nor cut teaching dead workes without fayth and loue which are the life and the whole goodnes of all workes and the onely thing why they please God And therefore their audience abode euer carnall and fleshly mynded without faith to God and loue to their neighbours Christes wordes were spirit life Ioh. vi That is to say they ministred spirite and life and entred into the hart and grated on the conscience and thorow preaching the lawe made the hearers perceaue their duties euen what loue they ought to God what to man and the right dampnation of all them that had not the loue of God and man written in their hartes and thorow preaching of fayth made all that consented to the lawe of God fele the mercy of God in Christ and certified them of their saluation For the worde of God is a two edged sworde that pearceth and deuideth the spirite and soule of man a sonder Heb. 〈◊〉 A man before the preaching of Godes woorde is but one man all fleshe the soule consenting vnto the lustes of the fleshe to follow them But the sworde of the worde of God where it taketh effect diuideth a man in two and serteth him at variaunce against his own selfe The fleshe haling one way and the spirite drawing another the fleshe raging to follow lustes and the spirite calling backe agayne to follow the lawe and will of God A man all the while â—e consenteth to the flesh before he be borne again in Christ is called soule or carnall But whe he is renued in Christ through y t word of lyâ—e and hath the loue of God and of hys neighbor and the fayth of Christ written in his hart he is called spirite or spirituall The Lord of all mercy send vs preachers with power that is to say 〈◊〉 expounders of the worde of God and speakers to the hart of man and deliuer vs from Scribes Phariseyes hypocrites and all false Prophetes Amen An aunswere vnto Syr Thomas Mores Dialogue made by William Tyndall 1530. ☞ First he declareth what the Church is and geueth a reason of certaine wordes which Master More rebuketh in the translation of the new Testament ¶ After that he aunswereth particularly vnto euery Chapter which semeth to haue any appearaunce of truth thorough all his foure bookes ¶ Awake thou that slepest and stand vp from death and Christ shall geue the light Ephesians 5. THe grace of our Lord the light of his spirite to see to iudge true repeÌ„taunce towardeâ— Gods lâ—we a fast fayth in the mercyfull prâ—…es y â— are in our sauiour Christ serueÌ„t loue toward thy neighbour after the exaÌ„ple of Christ his Saints be with thee O Reader with all that loue the truth loÌ„g for the redemption of Gods elect Amen Our Sauiour I esus in the 16. of Iohn at his last Supper when he tooke his leaue of his Disciples warned them saying the holy Ghost shall come and rebuke the world of iudgemeÌ„t That is he shall rebuke the world for lacke of true iudgement and discretion to iudge and shall proue that the tast of theyr mouthes is corrupt so that they iudge swete to be sowre and sowre to be swete the eyes to be blynd so that they thinke that to be the verâ— seruice of God which is but a blynd superstition for zeale of which yet they persecute the true seruice of God and that they iudge to be the lawe of God whiche is but a false imagination of a corrupt iudgement for blynd affection of whiche yet they persecute the true law of God and them that kepe it And this same it is that Paul sayth 1. Corinth ij how that the naturall man that is not borne agayne and created a new with the spirite of God be he neuer so great a Philosopher neuer so well sene in the law neuer so sore studied in the Scripture as we haue examples in the Phariseis yet hee cannot vnderstaÌ„d the thynges of the spirite of God but sayth he the spirituall iudgeth all thyngs and hys spirâ—e searcheth the deepe secretes of God so that what soeuer God commauÌ„deth hym to do he neuer leaueth searchyng till he come at the bottome the pith the quicke the lyâ—e the sâ—… the mâ—â—ow very cause why and iudgeth all thyng Take an example in the great commaundement loue God with all thyne hart y t spirituall searcheth the cause and looketh on the benefites of God and so conceaueth loue in his hart And when he is commaunded to obey the powers and rulers of the world hee looketh on the benefites which God sheweth the world through them and therefore doth it gladly And when hee â–ª is commauÌ„ded to loue his neighbour as hym selfe he searcheth that his neighbour is created of God and bought with Christes bloud and so forth and therefore he loueth hym out of his hart and if he be euill forheareth hym and with all loue and pacience draweth hym to good as elder brethren wayte on the youÌ„ger and serue them and suffer them when they will not come they speake fayre flatter and geue some gaye thyng and
for the electe onely in whose hartes God hath written hys lawe with his holy spirite and geuen them a feeling faith of the mercy that is in Christ Iesu our Lord. ¶ Why Tindall vsed this worde congregation rather theÌ„ church in the translation of the new Testament WHerefore in as much as the clergy as the nature of those hard indurat AdamaÌ„tstones is to draw all to them had appropriat vnto themselues the terme that of right is common vnto all the whole congregation of them that beleue in Christ wyth their false and subtil wyles had beguiled and mocked the people brought them into the ignoraunce of the word making theÌ„ vnderstand by this worde church nothing but the shauen flocke of them that shore the whole worlde therefore in the translation of the new Testament where I found this word Ecclesia I enterpreted it by thys word congregation Euen therfore did I it and not of any mischeuous mynde or purpose to stablâ—she heresie as master More vntruely reporteth of me in hys Dialoge where he rayleth on y t translation of the new Testament And when M. More sayth that this word Church is knowen wel inough I report me vnto the conscieÌ„ces of all the land whether he say truth or other wise or whether the lay people vnderstand by Church the whole multitude of all that professe Christ or the iugglyng spirites onely And wheÌ„ he saith that congregation is a more generall terme if it were it hurteth not For the circumstance doth euer tell what coÌ„gregation is ment Neuerthelesse yet sayth he not the truth For whersoeuer I may say a congregation there may I say a Church also as the Church of the deuill the Church of Sathan the Church of wretches y t Church of wickedmen the Churche of lyers and a Church of Turkes therto For M. More must graunt if he will haue Ecclesia translated throughout all the new Testament by this woorde Church that Church is as commoÌ„ as Ecclesia Now is Ecclesia a Greeke word and was in vse before the tyme of the Apostles and taken for a coÌ„gregation among the heatheÌ„ where was no congregation of God or of Christ And also Lucas him selfe vseth Ecclesia for a Church or congregation of heathen people thrise in one Chapter eueÌ„ in the xix of the Actes where Demetrius the goldsmith or siluersmith had gathered a company agaynst Paule for preachyng agaynst Images Howbeit M. More hath so long vsed â–ª his figures of Poetry that I suppose wheÌ„ he erreth most he now by the reason oâ— a long custome beleueth himself that he sayth most true Or els as the wise people which when they daunce naked in nettes beleue that no man seeth them euen so M. More thinketh that his errours be so subtilly couched that no man can espy them So blinde he counteth all other men in comparison of his great vnderstandyng But charitably I exhorte him in Christ to take hede for though Iudas were wilier then his felowes to get lucre yet he proued not most wise at y t last end Neither though Balam the false Prophet had a cleare sight to bryng y â— curse of God vpon the childreÌ„ of Israell for honours sake yet his couetousnesse did so blind his prophesie that he could not see his owne end Let therfore M. More and his coÌ„pany awake be tymes ere euer their sinne be ripe lest y e voyce of their wickednesse ascenoâ— vp and awake God out of his slepe to loke vpoÌ„ them and to how his eares vnto theyr cursed blasphemies agaynst the open truth and to send his haruest men and mowares of vengeaunce to repe it But how happeth it that M. More hath not contended in likewise against hys derelyng Erasmus all this longe while Doth not he chauÌ„ge this word Ecclesia into congregatioÌ„ and that not seldome in the new TestameÌ„t peraduenture he oweth him fauour because he made Moria in hys house Whiche booke if it were in English theÌ„ should euery man see how that he then was farre otherwise mynded then he now writeth But verely I thinke that as Iudas betrayd not Christ for any loue that he had vnto the hyghe Priestes Scribes and Phariseis but onely to come by that wherfore he thirsted eueÌ„ so M. More as there are tokens euideÌ„t wrote not these bookes for any affectioÌ„ that he bare vnto the spiritualty or vnto the opinions which he so barely defeÌ„deth but to obtaine onely that which he was an hungred for I pray God that he eate not to hastly lest he be chokeo at the latter end but that he repeÌ„t and resist not the spirite of God which openeth light vnto the worlde ¶ Why he vseth this woorde Elder and not Priest AN other thyng which he rebuketh is that I interprete this Greeke worde Presbiteros by this worde Senior Of a truth Senior is no very good Englishe though Senior and Iuniot be vsed in the vniuersities but there came no better in my mynde at that tyme. Howbeit I spied my fault since long yer M. More tolde it me and haue â—…ded it in all the woorkes which I sens made and call it an Elder And in that he maketh hereâ—ie of it to call Presbiteros an Elder he condemneth their owne old Latin text of heresie also which they vse yet dayly myâ—â—…ch and haue vsed I suppose this I suppose this run huÌ„dred yeares For that text doth 〈…〉 an elder likewise In the. 1. Pet. 5. â—…s standeth it in y e Latin text Seâ—…ores qui in vobis sunt obsecro ego conâ—… pascite qui in vobis est gregem Chriâ—… 〈…〉 elders that are among you I 〈…〉 which am an elder also that ye sedâ—… flocke of Christ which is among 〈…〉 There is Presbyteros calle◠〈…〉 And in y t he sayth fede Chrisâ—… he meaneth euen the Ministeâ—… chosen to teach the people to 〈…〉 them in Gods word no â—ay 〈…〉 And in the 2. Epâ—stâ—e of Ioh◠〈…〉 text Senior electae Dominae 〈…〉 The elder vnto the eleâ—t Lady 〈…〉 her children And in the 〈…〉 Iohn Senior Gaâ—o dilecto 〈…〉 vnto the beloued Gaiâ—s In these 〈…〉 pistles Presbyteros is calleâ— an 〈…〉 And in the xx of the Actes y â— text sâ—… Paule sent for maiores natu Eccleâ—… 〈…〉 elders in byrth of the congregation or Church and sayd vnto them take 〈…〉 vnto your selues vnto y â— whoâ—e 〈◊〉 ouer which the holy ghosâ— hath 〈…〉 you Episcopos ad regendum Eccleâ—… Dei Byshops ouerâ—caâ—s to 〈…〉 the Church of God There is â—…teros called an Elder in byrth 〈…〉 same immediately called a 〈…〉 ouersear to declare what pâ—… ment Hereof ye see that I haue 〈…〉 more erred then their owne text 〈…〉 they haue vsed sence the scripture waâ— first in the Latin â—oung and that their owne text vnderstandeth by Presbyâ—eros nothyng saue an Elder And they were called
him in their dedes as fast as they can runne The Turkes being in number fiue tymes moe then we are knowledge one God and beleue many thinges of God moued onely by the authoritie of their elders and presume that God will not let so great a multitude erre so long tyme. And yet they haue erred and bene faithlesse these eight hundred yeares And the Iewes beleue this day as much as the carnall sort of them euer beleued moued also by the authoritie of their elders onely and thinke that it is impossible for them to erre being Abrahams seede and the childrē of them to whom the promises of all that we beleue were made And yet they haue erred and bene faythlesse this xv hundred yeares And we of like blindnesse beleue onely by the authoritie of our elders and of like pride thinke that we can not erre beyng such a multitude And yet we see how God in the old Testament did let the great multitude erre reseruyng alway a litle flocke to call the other backe againe and to testifie vnto them the right way ¶ How this word Church hath a double interpretation THis is therfore a sure cōclusion as Paule sayth Rom. ix that not all they that are of Israell are Israelites neither because they be Abrahās sede are they all Abrahams childrē but they onely that folow the faith of Abraham Euen so now none of them that beleue with their mouthes moued with the authority of their elders onely that is none of thē that beleue with M. Mores fayth the Popes fayth and the deuils fayth which may stand as M. More cōfesseth with all maner abhominatiōs haue the right fayth of Christ or are of his Church But they onely that repēt feele that the law is good And haue the law of God written in their harts and the fayth of our Sauiour Iesus euen with the spirite of God There is a carnali Israell a spirituall There is Isaac and Ismaell Iacob Esau And Ismaell persecuted Isaac Esau Iacob the fleshly the spiritual Wher of Paul complayned in his tyme persecuted of his carnall brethrē as we do in our tyme and as the elect euer dyd shall do till the worldes end What a multitude came out of Egypt vnder Moses of which the Scripture testifyeth that they beleued moued by y ◠miracles of Moses as Symon magus beleued by the reason of Philippes miracles Actes viij Neuerthelesse the Scripture testifieth that vj. hundred thousād of those beleuers perished thorough vnbelief and left their carcasses in the wildernesse and neuer entred into the land that was promised them And euen so shal the children of M. Mores faythlesse faith made by the persuation of mā leap short of the test which our Sauiour Iesus is risē vnto And therfore let them embrace this present world as they do whose children they are though they hate so to be called And hereby ye see that it is a playne an euident conclusiō as bright as the sunne shynyng that the truth of Gods word dependeth not of the truth of the congregation And therfore when thou art asked why thou beleuest that thou shalt be saued thorough Christ and of such like principles of our fayth aunswere thou wottest and felest that it is true And when he asketh how thou knowest that it is true aunswere because it is written in thyne hart And if he aske who wrote it aūswere the spirite of God And if he aske how thou came first by it tell him whether by readyng in bookes or hearyng it preached as by an outward instrumēt but that inwardly thou wast taught by y ◠spirite of God And if he aske whether thou beleuest it not because it is written in bookes or because the Priestes so preach aunswere no not now but onely because it is writtē in thyne hart and because the spirite of God so preacheth and so testifieth vnto thy soule And say though at the beginning thou wast moued by readyng or preachyng as the Samaritans were by y ◠wordes of the woman yet now thou beleuest it not therfore any lēger but onely because thou hast heard it of the spirite of God and read it written in thine hart And concernyng outward teachyng we alledge for vs Scripture elder thē any Church that was this xiiij hundred yeares and old antenticke stories which they had brought a slepe where with we confounde their lyes Remēber ye not how in our owne tyme of all that taught Grammer in England not one vnderstode the Latin toung how came we thē by the Latin toung agayne not by them though we learned certaine rules principles of them by which we were moued had an occasion to seke further but out of the old authours Euen so we seke vp old antiquities out of whiche we learne and not of our Church though we receaued many principles of our Church at the begynnyng but more falsehead then truth It hath pleased God of his exceding loue wherewith he loued vs in Christ as Paul sayth before the worlde was made and whē we were dead in sinne and his enemies in that we did cōsent to sinne and to liue euill to write with his spirite ij conclusions in our harts by which we vnderstād all thyng that is to were the fayth of Christ and the loue of our neighbours For whosoeuer feleth the iust damnation of sinne and the forgeuenes and mercy that is in Christes bloud for all that repent forsake it and come and beleue in that mercy the same onely knoweth how God is to be honoured and worshipped and can iudge betwene true seruing of God in the spirite and false Image seruing of God with workes ▪ And y e same knoweth that sacramētes signes ceremonies and bodely things can be no seruice to God in his person but memorials vnto men and a remēbraunce of the testament wherewyth God is serued in the spirite And he that feeleth not that is blynde in hys soule and of our holy fathers generation and maketh God an Image a creature worshippeth him with bodely seruice And on the other side he that loueth his neighbour as himselfe vnderstandeth all lawes and cā iudge betwene good and euil right wrong godly and vngodly in all conuersation deedes lawes bargaines couenaunces ordinaunces and decrees of men and knoweth the office of euery degree and the due honour of euery person And he that hath not that writen in his hart is popishe and of y ◠spiritualtie which vnderstādeth nothing saue his own honour his own profite what is good for himself onely and when he is as he would be thinketh y ◠all the world is as it should be ¶ Of worshipping and what is to be vnderstand by the worde COncerning worshipping or honouring which two termes are both one M. More bringeth forth a difference a distinction or diuision of Greke wordes
for the spedy preachyng of the Gospell among the heathen throughout the world Now Christ as he was promised so was he sent vnto the Iewes or Israelites And what by Christes preaching the Apostles after his resurrection there were innumerable Iewes conuerted haply an hundred thousand or mo in Ierusalem and Iewry and in the countreys about and abode still in the laÌ„d Then Paul rose vp and persecuted theÌ„ in IerusaleÌ„ and throughout all Iewry and Damasco slaying all that he could catch or making them for â—weare Christ For feare of which persecution they fled into all costes preached vnto the Iewes that were scattered prouing that Iesus was Christ the Sauiour of the world both by the scripture also by miracles so that a great part of the Iewes came to the fayth euery where and we heathen came in shortly after and part abode still in vnbelefe as vnto this day Now the Iewes beyng borne and bred vp rooted and noseld in ceremonyes as I haue shewed and as ye may better see in the. v. bookes of Moses if ye would read them could but wyth great difficultie depart from them as it is to see in all the Epistles of Paule how he fought agaynst them and in processe gat the vpper hand And therto the first that were christened and all the officers and Byshops of y â— church euen so much as y e great God of Rome were Iewes for the most part a great season And moreouer as Paule sayth Ro. ix not all that came of Israel are right Israelites neither are all they Abrahams sonnes that are AbrahaÌ„s seede why so because they followed not the steps of y â— faith of their graundfathers Euen so not all they that were called and also came vnto the mariage which God the father made betwene Christ his sonne all sinners brought theyr mariage garment with them that is to were true fayth wherwith we be maried vnto Christ and made his flesh his bloud and one spirit with hym his brethren and heyres with him and the sonnes of God also But many of theÌ„ to fulfill the saying of Christ that the kyngdome of heaueÌ„ which is the gospell is like a net that ketcheth good bad were driuen into the net and coÌ„pelled to coÌ„fesse that Iesus was Christ and that seede that was promised AbrahaÌ„ and Messias that should come not of any inward felyng that the spirite of God gaue them neyther of any louely consent that they had vnto the law of God that it was good mourning both because they had broken it and because also they had no power to fulfill it and therfore to obtayne mercy and power came to Christ and vnto the father thorow him with the hart of naturall children which receaue all thyng freely of their fathers bounteous liberalitie and of loue become seruauntes vnto their brethren for their fathers sake But were compelled onely with violence of the scripture which euery where bare witnesse vnto Christ and agreed vnto all that he did and ouercome also with the power of myracles that confirmed the same That is to say they came wyth a story faith a popish fayth a faithlesse faith and a fayned faith of their owne making and not as God in the scripture describeth the fayth so beleuing in Christ that they would be iustified by their owne deedes which is the denying of Christ As our Papistes beleue which more mad theÌ„ those Iewes beleue nothing by the reason of the scripture but onely that such a multitude consent thereto compelled wyth violence of sworde with falsifiyng of the scripture and fayned lyes Which multitude yet is not the fift part so many as they that consent vnto the lawe of Mahomet And therfore by their own argumentes the fayth of the Turkes is better then theirs And their fayth thereto may stand by their owne confession with all mischiefe as it well appeareth by them and with yeldyng themselues to worke all wickednesse with full delectation after the ensample of the faith of their father the deuil and without repenraunce and consent vnto the lawe of God that it is good And the popish also do so beleue in Christ and so will be his seruauntes that they will be bound vnto dumme ceremonies and dead workes putting their trust and confidence in them and hoping to be saued by them and ascribing vnto them the thanke of their saluation and righteousnes And therfore because as I sayd the Iewes ye and the Heathen to were so accustomed vnto ceremonies and because such a multitude came wyth a faithles fayth they went cleane coÌ„trary vnto the mynde of Paul and set vp ceremonies in the new testameÌ„t partly borowing them of Moses and partly imagening like as ye now see and called them sacraments that is to say signes as it is plaine in the stories the sacrament of holy water of holy fire holy bread holy salt and so forth And they gaue theÌ„ significations As holy water signified the sprincling of Christes bloud for our redemption which sacrament or signe though it seeme superstuous in as much as the sacrament of Christes body and bloud signifieth y e same dayly yet as loÌ„g as y e signification bode it hurted not And the kissing of the Pax was set vp to signifie that the peace of Christ shoulde be euer among vs one to loue an other after his ensample as the word it self well declareth For pax is as much to say as peace And as for confirmation it is no doubt but that it came this wise vp that this was the vse which the word it selfe well declareth We read in the stories that they which were conuerted vnto the fayth of the age of discretion were full taught in the law of God as right is and in the fayth of our sauiour Iesus yer they were baptised vppon the profession or promising to to keepe that law and faith were baptised And then for the sâ—ccour helpe of young children baptised before the age of discretion to know the lawe of God and fayth of Christ was confirmation instituted that they should not be alway ignoraunt and faythlesse but be taught the profession of their Baptim And this no doubt was the maner as we may well gather by probable coniectures and euident tokens when the children were of sixe or seuen yeares olde their elders brought them vnto the priest or Deacon in euery parish which officer taught the children what their baptim ment what they had professed therein that is to wete the law of God and their dutie vnto al degrees and the faith of our sauiour And then because it should not be neglect or left vndone an higher officer as the Archdeacon for it hath not bene as I suppose in the Byshops handes alway as now neither were it meete came about from parish to parishe at tymes conuenient And the Priestes brought the children vnto hym at xj
for the deedes that pertayne vnto our neighbours and vnto the common wealth we haue not regarded at all as thynges which seemed no holy workes or such as God woulde not once looke vppon And therfore we left them vnsene to vntill they were past remedy or past our power to remedy thē in as much as our slowbellies with their false blessinges had iugled away from vs that wherwith they might haue bene holpen in due season So that y ◠silly poore man though he had haply no wisdome to expresse hys mynde or y t he durst not or y ◠M. More fashioneth his tale as he doth other mens to lest out the truth sawe that neither Goodwinsandes nor any other cause alleaged was the decay of Sandwich hauen so much as that the people had no lust to mainteyne the common wealth for blynde deuotion which they haue to popeholy workes ¶ The solutions and answeres vnto M. Mores first booke IN the first chapter to beginne the booke wythal to bring you good lucke and to geue you a say or a taste what truth shall follow he fayneth a letter sent from no man The second Chapter In the second chapter besides that it is vntrue this vse to haue bene euer since the tyme of the Apostles he maketh many sophisticall reasons about worshipping of saintes reliques and Images yet declareth not w t what maner worship but iuggleth with the terme in comune as he doth with this worde church and this worde fayth when the wordes haue diuers significations for all faithes are not one maner fayth and so forth and therefore he beguileth a mans vnderstanding As if a man sayd the boyes will was good to haue geuen his father a blow and an other woulde inferre that a good will coulde be no sinne and conclude that a man might lawfully smite hys father Now is good will taken in one sence in the maior and in an other in y ◠minor to vse schollers termes therfore the conclusion doth mocke a mās wit Then disputeth he the seruaunt is honoured for the masters sake and what is done to the poore is done to Christ as the popishe shall once feele for their so robbing them And the xii Apostles shall haue their seates sitte and iudge with Christ as shal all that here preach hym truely as they dyd and Mary that powred the ointment on Christes head before hys passion hath her memoriall and therefore we ought to set candles before Images First I aske hym by what rule hys argument holdeth And secondarily I answere that the true worshipping of Saintes is their memoriall to follow them as they did Christ And that honour we geue them and so do not ye papists but folow the steppes of your father the Pope as he doth the steppes of his father the deuill And as for sticking vp of candles I aunswere that God is a spirite and in the spirit must be worshipped only Faith to his promises and loue to his lawes and longing for the life that is in his sonne are his due honour and seruice All bodyly seruice must be referred vnto our selues and not vnto the person of God immediatly All outwarde thynges which we receaue of God are geuē vs. to take our partes with thankes and to bestow the rest vppon our neyghbours For God vseth no such thynges in his owne person but created thē for to gene thē vs that we shoulde thanke hym and not to receaue them of vs to thanke vs for that were our praise and not his Fasting watching wolward goyng pilgrimage and all bodely exercise must be referred vnto y t taming of the fleshe onely For as god deliteth not in y ◠tast of meat drinke or in the sight of golde or siluer no more doth he in my fast and such like that I should referre them vnto hys person to do him a pleasure withall For God in himselfe is as good as he can be hath all the delectation that he cā haue And the refore to wish that God were better then be is or had more pleasure then he hath is of a worldly imagination And all the spirites that be in heauē are in as good case as they can be and haue all the delectation they can haue and therefore to wishe them in better case or to studie to do them more pleasure then they haue is fleshly mynded popishnes The pleasure of them that be in heauen is that we harken to god and keepe his commaundementes which when we do they haue all the pleasure that they can haue in vs. If in this life I suffer hell gladly to win my brother to folow God how much more if I were in heauen should I reioyce that he so did If in thys worlde when I haue neede of my neighbour by the reason of myne infirmities yet I seke nought of him saue his wealth onely what other thing should I seke of hym if I were in heauen where he can do me no seruice nor I vse any pleasure that he can do me THe deuill desired to haue his imaginations worshipped as God his popishe children desire the same compell men so to honour them and of their deuelishe nature describe they both God and his Saintes And therfore I say all such fleshly imaginations as to fast the wensday in the worship of S. Iohn or of S. Katerine or what Saint it be or to fast Sayntes eues or to go a pilgrimage vnto their images or to offer to them to do them pleasure thinkyng therby to obteyne their fauour and to make special adnocates of them as a man would winne the fauour of an other with presentes and giftes and thinking that if we did it not they would be angry are playne Idolatry image seruice for the saint deliteth in no such And when thou stickest vp a candle before the image thou mightest with as good reason make an holow bely in the image and powre in meate and drincke For as the Saint neither eateth nor drinketh so hath he no bodyly eyes to delyte in the light of a candle An other is this God geueth not the promises that are in Christ for bodyly seruice but of his mercy onely vn to his owne glorie Yea and of the fathers goodnesse do all naturall childrē receaue Aske a litle boy who gaue him his gay coate he aūswereth his father Aske him why and he annswereth because he is his father and loueth hym and because he is his sonne Aske hym whether his father loue hym and he sayth yea Aske him how he knoweth it and he sayth because he geueth me this or that Aske him whether he loue his father he sayth yea Aske him why he sayth for his father loueth hym and geueth him all thing Aske him why he worketh he aunswereth his father wil so haue it Aske him why his father geneth not such and such boyes coates to Nay saith he they be not
his sonnes their fathers must geue them as mynt doth me Go now ye Popish bond seruauntes and receaue your reward for your false workes and robbe your brethren and raigne ouer them with violence and cruell tyranny and make thē worship your pillars polaxes images and hattes And we will receaue of the mercyfull kyndnesse of our father and will serue our brethren freely of very loue and wil be their seruauntes suffer for their sakes And there to our good deedes whiche we do vnto our neighbours neede spryng out of our righteousnesse or iustifying which is y ◠forgeuenesse of our sinnes in Christes bloud of other righteousnesse know we not before God And contrarywise your righteousnes or iustifying which standeth as your fayth doth with all wickednesse springeth out of your holy workes which ye do to no man srely saue vnto paynted postes And when he alledgeth the sacrifices of the old law I say they were Sacramentes and preached vnto the people as no doubt our candels once were and were no holy workes to be referred vnto Gods person to obtaine hys fauour and to iustifie the people and that the people should do them for the workes selues And when the people had lost the significations and looked on the holynesse of the dedes to be iustified thereby they were image seruice and hateful to God and rebuked of the Prophetes as it is to see throughout all the old Testament Then he iuggleth with a text of S. Paule Rom. xiiij let euery man for his part abounde one in this Idolatrie an other in that when the sense of the text is let euery mā be sure of his own conscience that he do nothyng except he know well and his conscience serue him that it may be lawfully doue But what care they to abuse Gods word to wrest it vnto the contrary And in the last end to vtter his excel lent blindnesse he sayth the wiseman Luther thinketh that if the gold were takē from the reliques it would be geuen vnto the poore immediatly when he seeth the contrary that they which haue their purses full wil geue y ◠poore if they geue ought either an halfe peny or in his countrey the iiij part of a farthyng Now I aske M. Mores conscience seyng they haue no deuotion vnto the poore which are as Christes own person and for whom Christ hath suffered his passion that we should be kynd to them and whom to visite with our almes is Gods commaundement with what minde do they offer so great treasure to the garnishyng of shrines images reliques It is manifest that they which loue not Gods cōmaundement can do nothing godly Wherfore such offrynges come of a false fayth so that they thinke thē better thē workes commauaded by God and beleue to be iustified therby And therfore are they but image seruice And when he sayth we might as well rebuke the powryng of the annoyntment on Christes head Nay Christ was thē mortall as well as we and vsed such thynges as we do and it refreshed his body But and if thou woldest now poure such on his image to do him pleasure I would rebuke it The third Chapter IN the third Chapter he bryngeth in miracles done at S. Steues tombe I aunswere that the miracles done at Saintes tombes were done for the same purpose that the miracles which they dyd when they were aliue were done euen to prouoke vnto the faith of their doctrine and not to trust in the place or in bones or in the Saint As Paul sent his napkē to heale the sicke not that mē should put trust in his nap kin but beieue his preachyng And in the old Testament Eliseus healed Naaman the heathen mā in the water of Iordayne not to put trust in the water or to pray in that place but to wonder at the power of God to come beleue as he also did And that his bones when he was dead raysed vp a dead man was not done that mē shuld pray to him for y ◠was not lawfull the by their own doctrme neither to put theyr trust in hys bones For God to anoyde all such Idolatrie had poluted all dead bones so that whosoeuer touched a dead bone was vncleane and all that came in his company vntil he had washed him selfe in so much that if a place were abused with offering vnto Idoles there was no better remedie then to scatter dead bones there to driue the people thēce for beyng defiled and poluted But his boues did that miracle to testifie that he was a true Prophet to moue men vnto the fayth of his doctrine And euen so miracles done at the holy crosse were done to moue men vnto fayth of him that dyed thereon not that we shuld beleue in the wood He saith that pilgrimes put not trust in the place as Nicromancers do in their circles and sayth he wotteth not what to mocke out the text of our Sauiour of praying in the spirite And in the end he confoundeth him selfe saying we reken our prayers more pleasaunt in one place thē in an other And that must be by the reason of the place for God is as good in one place as in an other and also the man Moreouer where a mā pleaseth God best thether is he most bound to go And so that imagination byndeth a mā to the place with a false fayth as Nicromancers trust in their circles And agayne if God had sayd that he would more heare in one place then in an other he had bound him selfe to the place Now as God is like good euery where generally so hath hee made his Testament generally wheresoeuer myne hart moueth me am quyet to pray vnto hym there to heare me like graciously And if a man lay to our charge that God boūd them vnto the tabernacle after to the Temple in the old Testament I say that he dyd it not for y e places sake but for the monumentes and testimonies that their preached the word of god vnto them so that though the priests had bene negligēt to preach yet should such things that there were haue kept the people in the remembraunce of the Testamēt made betwen God and them Which cause and such like onely should moue vs to come to Church and vnto one place more then an other And as lōg as I come more to one place then an other because of y e quietnesse or that some thing preacheth gods word more liuely vnto me there then in an other the place is my seruaunt and I not bound to it whiche cause and such like taken away I can not but put trust in the place as Nicromancers do in their circles and am an image seruer walke after myne own imagination not after Gods word And when he sayth we might as well mocke the obseruaūce of the Paschall Lambe I aunswere Christ our
Gospell declare And when he sayth he neuer founde nor heard of any of vs but that he would forsweare to saue his lyfe Aunswere the more wrath of God wil light on them that so cruelly delite to torment them and so craftely to beguile the weake Neuerthelesse yet it is vntrue For he hath heard of Sir Thomas Hitton whō the Byshops of Rochester and Caunterbury slew at Maydstone and of many y t suffered in Braband Holand at Colen and in all quarters of Dutchland and do dayly And when he sayth that their Church hath many Martyrs let hym shewe me one that dyed for pardons and Purgatory that the Pope hath fayned and let him take the mastrie And what a do maketh he that we say there is a Church that sinneth not that there is no man but that he sinneth whiche are yet both true We read i. Iohn iij. he that is borne of God sinneth not And Ephes v. men loue your wiues as the Lord doth the Churche and gaue him selfe for her to sanctifie her and to clense her in the fountaine of water through the word and to make her a glorious Church vnto hym selfe without spot or wrincle And i. Iohn i. If we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues and make him a lyer and hys word is not in vs. M. More also wil not vnderstand that the Church is some time taken for the elect onely whiche haue the law of God written in their hartes fayth to be saued through Christ written there also Which same for all that say with Paule that good which I would that do I not But that euill which I hate that do I so it is not I that do it but sinne that dwelleth in my flesh And Gala. v. the flesh lusteth cōtrary to y e spirit the spirit cōtrary to y ◠flesh so that these two fightyng betwene thē selues ye can not do what ye would For they neuer consent that sinne is good nor hate y ◠law nor cease to fight against the flesh but assoone as they be fallen rise and fight a fresh And that the Church is some tyme taken for the cōmō rascal of all that beleue whether with the mouth onely carnally with out spirite neither louyng the law in their harts nor feelyng the mercy that is in Christ but either runne all together at riot or keepe the law with cautels and expositions of their owne faynyng and yet not of loue but for feare of hell as the theues do for feare of the galowes make recompence to God for their sinnes with holy dedes He also will not vnderstand that there be two maner faythes one that is the fayth of the elect which purgeth them of all their sinnes for euer As ye see Iohn xv ye be cleane sayth Christ by the reason of the word that is thorough beleuyng Christs doctrine And Iohn i. he gaue them power to be the sonnes of God through beleuyng in his name And Iohn iij. he that beleueth the sonne hath euerlastyng lyfe a thousand like textes And an other of them that be called and neuer electe As the faith of Iudas of Symon Magus of the deuill and of the Pope In whose hartes the law of God is not written as it appeareth by their workes And therfore when they beleue many thynges of Christ yet whē they come vnto the saluation that is in his bloud they be but Iewes and Turkes forsake Christ and runne vnto the iustifying of ceremonies with the Iewes Turkes And therefore they remayne euer in sinne within in their hartes Where the elect hauing the law written in their brestes leuyng it in theyr spirites sinne there neuer but without in the flesh Agaynst whiche sinne they fight continually and minishe it dayly with the helpe of the spirite thorough prayer fasting and seruing their neighbours louyngly with all maner seruice out of the law that is writtē in their harts And their hope of forgeuenesse is in Christ onely through his bloud and not in ceremonies The v. Chapter ANd vnto hys v. Chapter I answere by the Pope the scripture is hid and brought into ignoraunce the true sence corrupt And by thē that ye call heretickes we know the scripture and the true sence thereof And I say that the Pope keepeth the scripture as did y e Phariseis to make marchaundise of it And agayne that the heretickes become out of you as out of the Scribes and Phariseis came the Apostles and Christ himselfe Iohn Baptist and that they be plucked out of you and graffed in Christ and built vppon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophetes And in the end when he sayth that the heretickes be fallen out of Christes misticall body which is the Pope and hys I aunswere that ye be a misticall body and walke in the mist and wyll not come at the light and the heretikes be departed out of your mist and walke in the cleare light of Gods worde The vj. Chapter IN the vj. he sayth that the heretikes be all nought for they all periure and abiure He yet saith vntrue Many abyde vnto the death Many for theyr weakenesse are kept out of your hāds Many for their ouer much boldnesse in their owne strength be deliuered into your handes and fall in the fleshe their hartes abiding still in the truth as Peter and thousandes did after repent and be no lesse Christen thē before though ye haue them in derision vnto your owne damnation And many because they come to Christ for fleshly liberty and not for loue of the truth fall as it becommeth them vnder your handes as Iudas and Balam which at the beginning take Christes parte but afterward when they fynde eyther losse or no vauntage they get them vnto the contrary part and are by profession the most cruell enemyes and subtellest persecuters of the truth Looke Maister More and reade and marke well The vij Chapter IN the vij he sayth that he hath holy Saintes and holy counsels on hys side Name the Saintes proue it Name the counselles and the holy Prelates thereof Thou shalt shew me none other Popes or Cardinals then such as we haue now that will obey neyther God nor mā or any law made by God or man but compell all men to follow them strengthning their kyngdome wyth the multitude of all misdoers He sayth also that good and bad worship Saintes the good well and the bad euill How cōmeth it then that ye shew not the difference and teach to do it well I see but one fashion among all the popishe And finally he sayth he is not boun◠to answere vnto the reasons and scriptures that are layde agaynst them It is inough to proue their part that it is a common custome and that such a multitude do it and so by his doctrine the Turkes are in the right way The viij Chapter
they can not depart they seke a thousand gloses to turne it into an other sense to make it agree vnto their beastlynesse and where it will receaue no such gloses theyr they thinke that no man vnderstandeth it Then in the end of the Chapter M. More coÌ„meth vnto his wise conclusion and proueth nothing saue sheweth his ignoraunce as in all thyng He sayth we beleue the doctrine of the Scripture without Scripture as for an example the Popes pardons because onely that the Church so teacheth though no Scripture confirmeth it Why so because sayth he the holy ghost by inspiration if I doe my endeuour and captiuate mine vnderstandyng teacheth me to beleue the Church concernyng Gods worde taught by the Churche and grauen in mens hartes with out Scripture as well as he teacheth vs to beleue wordes written in the Scripture Marke where hee is now Afore hee saith the Scripture causeth vs not to beleue the Scripture for a man may read it beleue it not And much more the preacher maketh vs not to beleue y e preacher for a man may heare him and beleue him not also As we see the Apostles could not cause all men to beleue them For though the Scripture be an outward instrument and the preacher also to moue meÌ„ to beleue yet the chief and principall cause why a man beleueth or beleueth not is within That is the spirite of God teacheth his children to beleue and the deuill blyndeth his children and kepeth them in vnbeleffe and maketh them to consent vnto lyes thinke good euill euill good As the Actes of the Apostles say in many places there beleued as many as were ordeyned vnto euerlastyng lyfe And Christ sayth Iohn viij they that be of God heare Gods word And vnto the wicked Iewes he saith ye caÌ„ not beleue because ye be not of God And in the same place sayth he ye be of your father the deuill and his will ye will do and he bode not in the truth therfore will not suffer his children to consent to the truth And Iohn in y e x. saith Christ all that came before me be theeues murtherers but my shepe heard not theyr voyces That is all that preach any saluatioÌ„ saue in Christ murther y e soules Howbeit Christes shepe could not consent to their lyes as the rest caÌ„ not but beleue lyes so that there is euer a remanaunt kepte by grace And of this I haue sene diuers examples I haue knowen as holy men as might be as the world counteth holynesse which at the houre of death had no trust in God at all but cryed cast holy water light the holy candell and so forth sore lamentyng that they must dye And I haue knowen other which were despised as men that cared not for their diuine seruice which at death haue falsen so flat vppon the bloud of Christ as is possible and haue preached vnto other mightyly as it had bene an Apostle of our Sauiour and comforted them with comfort of the lyfe to come haue dyed so gladly that they would haue receaued no worlds good to bide still in the flesh And thus is M. More fallen vpoÌ„ predestination and is compelled wish violence of Scripture to confesse that which he hateth and studieth to make appeare false to stablish freewill with all not so much of ignoraunce I feare as for lucres sake and to get honour promotioÌ„ dignitie and money by helpe of our mitred monsters Take exaÌ„ple of Balam the false Prophet which gaue counsell sought meanes through like blynd couetousnesse to make the truth and prophesie which God had shewed him false He had the knowledge of y e truth but with out loue therto and therfore for vauntage became enemy vnto the truth but what came of hym But M. More pepereth his conclusioÌ„ lest men should feele the tast saying if we endeuour our selues and captiue our vnderstandyng to beleue O how betleblynd is fleshly reason the will hath none operation at all in the workyng of fayth in my soule no more then the child hath in the begettyng of hys father For sayth Paule it is the gift of God and not of vs. My witte must coÌ„clude good or bad yer my will can loue or hate My witte must shew me a true cause or an apparent cause why yer my will haue any workyng at all And of that peperyng it well appeareth what the Popes fayth is euen a blynd imagination of their naturall witte wrought without the light of the spirite of God agreing vnto their voluptuous lustes in which their beastly wil so deliteth that hee will not let their wittes atteÌ„de vnto any other learning for vnquietyng hym selfe and styrring from his pleasure and delectation And thus we be as farre a sunder as euer we were and his mighty argumentes proue not the value of a poding pricke M. More feeleth in his hart by inspiration and with his endeueryng him self and captiuatyng his vnderstandyng to beleue it that there is a Purgatory as whot as hell Wherein if a sily soule were appointed by God to lye a thousand yeares to purge him with all the Pope for the value of a groat shall commaunde him thence ful purged in the twinkelyng of an eye by as good reason if her were goyng thence kepe him there still He feeleth by inspiration and in captiuatyng hys wittes that the Pope can worke wonders with a Caiues skinne that he can commaunde one to eate fâ—esh though he be neuer so lusty and that an other eate none on payne of daÌ„natioÌ„ though he should dye for lacke of it and that he can forgeue sinne and not the payne as much and as litle of the payne or all if he lust and yet can neither helpe hym to loue the law or to beleue or to hate the flesh seyng he preacheth not And such thinges innumerable M. More feleth true and therfore beleueth that the Pope is the true Church And I cleane coÌ„trary fele that there is no such worldly and fleshly imagined Purgatory For I feele that the soules be purged onely by the word of God doctrine of Christ as it is written Iohn xv ye be cleane through the word saith Christ to his Apostles And I feele agayne that he which is cleane through the doctrine needeth not but to washe his feete onely for his head handes are cleane all ready Iohn xiij that is he must tame his flesh kepe it vnder for his soule is cleane all ready through the doctrine I feele also that bodyly payne doth but purge the body onely in so much that the payne not onely purgeth not the soule but maketh it more foule except that there be kynde learning by to purge the soule so that the more a maÌ„ beateth his soÌ„ne the worse he is except he teach him louingly shew him kindnesse besides partly to kepe hym from
things that do to thy brother whom thou hast offended and vnto God offer the repeÌ„taunce of thine hart and the satisfaction of Christes bloud M. Tyndall saith that the confessour vttereth the confessions of them that be rich But yet we see that both rich and poore keepe whores openly without paying peny Tyndall If they be very rich they be suffered because they may be good defenders of the spiritualty and if they be very poore because they haue no money to pay or els they fine with one or other secretly More Vppon that lye Tyndall buildeth the destruction of the sacrament of penaunce Tyndall Sacrament is a signe signifiyng what I should do or beleue or both As Baptim is the signe of repeÌ„taunce signifiyng that I must repent of euill and beleue to be saued therfroÌ„ by the bloud of Christ Now Syr in your penaunce describe vs which is y e signe and the outward sacrament and what is the thing that â–ª I must do or beleue and then we will ensearch whether it may be a sacrament or no. More Tyndall saith that confession is the worst inuention that euer was Tyndall As ye fashion it meane I and of that filthy priapishe confession which ye spew in the eare wherewyth ye exclude y e forgeuenes that is in Christes bloud for all that repent and beleue therein and make the people beleue that their sinnes be neuer forgeuen vntill they be shriuen vnto the Priest and theÌ„ for no other cause saue that they haue there tolde them and for the holy deedes to come which the confessour hath enioyned them more proâ—itable ofttimes for himselfe then any man els More Neuer man had grace to spie that before Tyndall Tyndall Yes very many For many nacions neuer receaued it And the Greekes when they had proued it and saw the baudery that folowed of it put it downe agayne For which cause and to know all secretes and to leade the consciences captiue the Pope falsely maintaineth it M. What fruit would then come of penaunce Tyndall â–ª Of your iugglyng terme penaunce I can not affirme But of repentaunce would come this fruit that no man that had it should sinne wyllingly but euery man should continually fight against his fleshe More He teacheth that the sacrament hath no vertue at all but by faith onely Tynd. The fayth of a repeÌ„ting soule in Christes bloude doth iustifie onely And the sacrameÌ„t standeth in as good stead as a liuely preacher And as the preacher iustifieth me not but my faith in the doctrine euen so the signe iustifieth not but the faith in the promise which the sacrament signifieth preacheth And to preach is all the vertue of the sacrament And where the sacramentes preach not there they haue no vertue at all And sir we teach not as ye do to beleue in the sacrament or in holy church but to beleue the sacrament and holy church More He teacheth that fayth suffiseth vnto saluation without good workes Tyndall The Scripture sayth that assoone as a man repenteth of euill beleueth in Christes bloud he obtayneth mercy immediatly because he should loue God and of that loue do good woorkes and that he tarieth not in sinne stil till he haue done good workes and then is first forgeuen for hys workes sake as the Pope beareth his in hand excluding the vertue of Christes bloud For a man must be first reconciled vnto God by Christ and in Gods fauour yer his workes can be good and pleasaunt in the sight of god But we say not as some damnably lye on vs that we should do euill to be iustified by faith as thou maist see Rom. iij. how they sayde of the Apostles for like preaching M. He calleth it sacrilege to please god with good workes Tyndall To referre the worke vnto the person of God to buy out thy sin therewith is to make an Idole of god or a creature But if thou referâ—e thy worke vnto thy neighbours profite or taming of thine owne fleshe then thou pleasest God therwith More Item that a man can do no good woorke Tyndall It is false But he sayth a man can do no good woorke till he beleue that his sinnes be forgeuen hym in Christ and till he loue Gods lawe and haue obtayned grace to woorke with And then sayth he that we caÌ„ not do our workes so perfectly by the reason of our corrupte fleshe but that there is some imperâ—ectnes therein as in the workes of them that be not their craftes master Which is yet not reckoned because they do their good willes and be scholers goe to schole to learne to do better M. Item that the good and righteous man sinneth alway in doing well Tyndall In all his woorkes there lacketh somewhat and is a faulte vntil he do theÌ„ with as great loue vnto his neighbour as Christ did for him and as long as there is more resistaunce in his flesh then was in Christes or lesse hope in God and then no lenger M. Item that no sinne damneth a man saue vnbeleffe Tyndall What soeuer a man hath done if he repent and beleue in Christ it is forgeuen him And so it foloweth that no sinne daÌ„neth saue there where there is no belefe M. Item that we haue no frewill to do ought therewith though the grace of God be ioined therto and that God doth all in vs both good and bad and we doe but suffer as waxe doth of the workemaÌ„ Tyndall First where hee affirmeth that we say our will is not free to doe good and to helpe to compel the members when God hath geuen vs grace to loue his lawes is false But we say that we haue no frewill to captiuate our wittes and vnderstandyng for to beleue the pope in what soeuer he saith without reason geuing when we find in the Scripture contrary testimonie and see in hym so great falsehead and deedes so abhominable and thereto all the signes by which the Scripture teacheth vs to know Antichrist And we affirme that we haue no frewill to preuent God his grace before grace prepare our selues thereto neither caÌ„ we consent vnto God before grace be come For vntil god haue preueÌ„ted vs powred y e spirit of his grace into our soules to loue his lawes and hath graueÌ„ theÌ„ in our harts by the outward ministration of his true preacher and inward workyng of his spirite or by inspiratioÌ„ onely we know noâ— God as he is to be knowen nor feele y e good nesse or any swetnesse in his law How then can we consent thereto â–ª Sayth not the text that we can do no good while we be euill and they which seke glorie and to clyme in honour aboue their brethren can not beleue the truth and that whores theues murtherers extortioners such like haue no parte
good workes but a shadowe wherewith a man is neuer the better Nay Sir we make good woorkes fruites whereby our neighbour is the better and whereby God is honoured and our fleshe tamed And we make of them sure tokēs wherby we know that our fayth is no fayned imagination and dead opinion made with captiuing our wits after the Popes traditions but a lyuely thyng wrought by the holy Ghost And when he disputeth if they that haue faith haue loue vnto the lawe and purpose to fulfill it then faith alone iustifieth not how will he proue that argument he iuggleth wyth this worde alone and would make the people beleue that we said how a bare faith that is without all other company of repētaunce loue and other vertues yea without Gods spirite to did iustifie vs so that we shoulde not care to do good But the Scripture so taketh not alone nor we so meane as M. More knoweth well inough When an horse beareth a saddell and a man therin we may wel say that y t horse onely alone beareth the saddell and is not holpe of the man in bearing thereof But he would make men vnderstand that we ment the horse bare the saddell emptie and no man therin let him marke this to see his ignoraunce which woulde God were not coupled with malice Euery man that hath wit hath a will to and then by M. Mores argument witte onely geueth not the light of vnderstanding Now the conclusion is false and the contrary true For y t wit without helpe of the will geueth the light of the vnderstanding neyther doth the will woorke at all vntill the wit haue determined this or that to be good or bad Now what is faith saue a spirituall light of vnderstanding and an inwarde knowledge or feelyng of mercy Out of which knowledge loue doth spring But loue brought me not that knowledge for I knew it yer I loued So that loue in the processe of nature to dispute from the cause to the effect helpeth not at all to the feeling that God is mercifull to me no more than the louing hart and kinde behauiour of an obedient wife to her husband maketh her see his loue kyndnesse to her for many such haue vnkinde husbandes But by hys kynde deedes to her doth she see hys loue Euen so my loue and deedes make me not see Gods loue to me in the processe of nature but his kinde deedes to me in that he gaue his sonne for me maketh me see his loue to loue againe Our loue and good workes make not God first loue vs and chaunge hym from hate to loue as the Turke Iewe and vaine popishe meane but his loue and deedes make vs loue chaunge vs from hate to loue For he loued vs when we were euill and his enemies as testifieth Paule in diuers places and chose vs to make vs good and to shew vs loue and to draw vs to him that we should loue agayne The father loueth his childe when it hath no power to do good when it must be suffered to runne after the owne lustes without lawe and neuer loueth it better then then to make it better and to shew it loue to loue agayne If ye coulde see what is writtē in the first epistle of Iohn though all the other scripture were layde a parte he should see all this And ye must vnderstand that we sometyme dispute forwarde from the cause to the effect and sometyme backward from the effect to the cause and must beware that we be not therwyth beguiled we say sommer is come and therefore all is grene and dispute forwarde For somme◠is the cause of the grenesse We say the trees be grene therfore sommer is come and dispute backward from the effect to the cause For the grene trees make not sommer but maketh somme◠knowen So we dispute backward the man doth good deedes and profitable vnto his neyghbour he must therefore loue God he loueth God he must therefore haue a true fayth and see mercy And yet my woorkes make not my loue nor my loue my faith nor my faith Gods mercy But cōtrary gods mercy maketh my fayth and my fayth my loue and my loue my works And if the Pope could see mercy and worke of loue to his neighbour and not sell his woorkes to God for heauen after M. Mores doctrine we needed not so suttle disputing of faith And when M. More alleageth Paule to the Corinthians to proue that faith may be without loue he proueth nothing but iuggleth onely He saith it is euident by the wordes of Paule that a mā may haue a faith to do miracles without loue may geue all his good in almes without loue and geue his body to burne for the name of Christ al without charitie Wel I will not sticke with hym he may so do without charitie without fayth therto Then a mā may haue faith without faith Ye verely because there be many differēces of faith as I haue sayd and not all faithes one fayth as maister More iuggleth We read in the woorkes of S. Ciprian that there were martyrs that suffered martyrdome for the name of Christ all the yeare long and were tormented and healed agayne and then brought forth a freshe Which martyrs beleued as ye do that the payne of their martyrdom should be a deseruing merite inough not onely to deserue heauen for themselues but to make satisfaction for the sinnes of other men thereto and gaue pardons of their merites after the ensample of the Popes doctrine and forgaue the sinnes of other men which had openly denyed Christ and wrote vnto Ciprian that he shoulde receaue those men that had denyed Christ into the congregation agayne at the satisfaction of their merites For whiche pride Ciprian wrote to them and called them the deuilles martyrs and not Gods Those martyrs had a fayth without fayth For had they beleued that all mercy is geuen for Christes bloudshedding they would haue sent other mē thether and would haue suffered their owne martyrdome for loue of their neighbours onely to serue thē and to testifie the truth of God in our sauiour Iesu vnto the worlde to saue at the least way some that is to wete the elect for whose sake Paule suffereth all thing and not to winne heauē If I worke for a worldly purpose I get no rewarde in heauen euen so if I worke for heauen or an hyer place in heauen I get there no rewarde But I must do my woorke for y t loue of my neighbour because he is my brother and the price of Christes bloude and because Christ hath deserued it and desireth it of me and then my rewarde is great in heauen And all they which beleue that their sinnes be forgeuen them and they receaued as the scripture testifieth vnto the enheritaunce of heauē for Christes merites the same loue
continue in sinnne but repeÌ„ted assoone as his fault was told him But was he not reconciled by fayth onely not by dedes sayd he not haue mercy on me Lord for thy great mercy and for the multitude of thy mercies put away my sinne And agayne make me heare ioy and gladnesse that the bones whiche thou hast broken may reioyce That is let me heare thy voyce that my sinne is forgeuen and then I am safe will reioyce And afterward he knowledgeth that God deliteth not in sacrifices for sinnes but that a troubled spirite and a broken hart is that whiche God requireth And when the peace was made he prayeth boldly and familiarly to God that he would be good to Sion and Ierusalem and saith that then last of all when God hath forgeuen vs of mercy hath done vs good for our euill we shall offer sacrifice of thankes to hym agayne So that our dedes are but thankesgeuyng When we haue sinned we go with a repentyng hart vnto Christes bloud there wash it of thorough fayth And our dedes are but thankes geuyng to God to helpe our neighbours at their nede for which our neighbours and eche of them owe vs as much agayne at our nede So that the Testament or forgeuenesse of sinnes is built vppon fayth in Christes bloud and not on workes M. More wil runne to the Pope for forgeuenesse a poenae culpae By what merites doth the Pope that by Christes And Christ hath promised all his merites to them that repent and beleue not geuen them vnto the Pope to sell And in your absolutioÌ„s ye oft absolue without ioynyng of penauÌ„ce He must haue a purpose to do good woorkes will ye say That coÌ„dition is set before him to do out of y e mercy that hee hath receaued and not to receaue mercy out of them But the Popish can not repeÌ„t out of the hart And therfore caÌ„ not fele the mercy that fayth bryngeth therfore can not be mercyfull to their neighbours to doe their woorkes for their sakes But they faine them a sorow for their sinne in which they euer continue and so morne for them in the mornyng that they laugh in them yer midday agayne And then they imagine them Popish deedes to make satisfaction to God and make an Idole of him And finally that good workes as to geue almes and such like iustifie not of them selues is manifest For as the good which are taught of God do theÌ„ well of very loue to God and Christ of their neighbours for Christes sake euen so the euill do them of vayne glorie a false fayth wickedly as we haue exaÌ„ples in the Phariseis so that a man must be good yer he can do good And so is it of the purpose to do theÌ„ Ones purpose is good and an others euill so that we must be good yer a good purpose come How then to loue the law of God and to consent therto to haue it written in thyne hart and to professe it so that thou art ready of thyne own accorde to do it and without compulsion is to be righteous that I graunt and that loue may be called righteousnesse before God passiue and the lyfe quickenesse of the soule passiue And so farre forth as a man loueth the law of God so farre forth he is righteous so much as hee lacketh of loue toward hys neighbour after the example of Christ so much he lacketh of righteousnesse And that thyng which maketh a man loue the law of God doth make a man righteous and iustifieth him effectiuely and actually and maketh hym alyue as a woorkeman and cause efficient Now what is it that maketh a man to loue verely not the dedes for they folow and spryng of loue if they be good Neither the preachyng of the law for that quickeneth not the hart Gal. iij. but causeth wrath Rom. iiij vttereth the sinne onely Rom. iij. And therfore sayth Paule that righteousnes spryngeth not out of the deedes of the law into the hart as the Iewes the Pope meane but contrary the deedes of the law spryng out of the righteousnesse of the hart if they be good As when a father pronounceth the law that the child shall go to schole it sayth nay For that killeth his hart all his lustes so that he hath no power to loue it But what maketh his hart aliue to loue it verely fayre promises of loue kyndnesse that it shall haue a gentle scholemaster and shal play inough and shall haue many gaye thynges and so forth Euen so the preachyng of fayth doth worke loue in our soules make them alyue draw our hartes to God The mercy that we haue in christ doth make vs loue onely onely bringeth the spirite of life into our soules And therfore sayth Paule we be iustified by fayth and by grace without dedes that is yer the dedes come For fayth onely bringeth the spirite of lyfe and deliuereth our soules from feare of daÌ„nation which is in the law and euer maketh peace betwen God and vs as oft as there is any variaunce betwene vs. And finally wheÌ„ the peace is made betwene God and vs and all forgeuen through fayth in Christes bloud we begyn to loue the law we were neuer the nearer except fayth went with vs to supply out the lacke of full loue in that we haue promises that that litle we haue is takeÌ„ a woorth and accepted till more come And agayne when our frailtie hath ouerthrowen vs and feare of damnation inuaded our conscieÌ„ces we were vtterly lost if fayth were not bye to helpe vs vp agayne in that we are promised that when soeuer we repent of euill and come to the right way agayne it shal be forgeuen for Christes sake For wheÌ„ we be fallen there is no Testament made in workes to come that they shal saue vs. And therfore the workes of repentauÌ„ce or of the SacrameÌ„tes can neuer quiet our coÌ„sciences deliuer vs from feare of damnation And last of all in temptation tribulation and aduersities we perished dayly except fayth went with vs to deliuer vs in that we haue promises that god will assiste vs cloth vs fede vs fight for vs and rid vs out of the handes of our enemyes And thus the righteous liueth euer by fayth euen from fayth to fayth that is as soone as he is deliuered out of one temptation an other is set before him to fight against and to ouercome thorow fayth The scripture sayth blessed is the man whose transgression is forgeuen his sinnes hid and vnto whom the Lord reckoneth not vnrighteousnes So that the onely righteousnes of him that caÌ„ but sinne and hath nought of himselfe to make amendes is the forgeuenesse of sinne which saith onely bringeth And as farforth as we be vnâ—â—ghteous faith onely iustifieth vs actiuely and els nothing on our partie And as farforth
as we haue sinned be in sinne or do sinne or shal sinne so farforth must faith in Christes bloud iustifie vs onely and els nothing To loue is to be righteous so farforth as thou louest but not to make righteous nor to make peace To beleue in Christes bloud with a repēting hart is to make righteous and the onely makyng of peace and satisfaction to Godwarde And thus because termes be darcke to them that be not expert and exercised we alway set out our meaning wyth cleare ensamples reporting our selues vnto the hartes and consciences of all men M. The blasphemous wordes of Luther seme to signifie that both Iohn Baptiste and our Lady were sinners Tyndall Iohn Baptiste sayde to Christ Mat. 3. I had neede to be baptised of thee and commest thou to me Wherof did Iohn confesse that he had nede to be washed purged by Christ of his holynes and good deedes When Iohn saide beholde y e Lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of y e worlde he was not of that sorte nor had any sinnes to be taken away at any time nor any part in Christs bloud which dyed for sinners onely Iohn came to restore all thyng sayth Christ That is he came to enterprete the law of God truely and to proue all fleshe sinners to send thē to Christ as Paul doth in the beginning of y e Romanes Which lawe if M. More coulde vnderstand how spirituall it is and what it requireth of vs he woulde not so dispute And if there were no imperfectnesse in our Ladies deedes why dyd Christ rebuke her Iohn 2. when he ought rather to haue honoured his mother and why did he make her secke him three dayes Chrisostomus dare say that our Lady was now and then taken with a little vayne glory She ioked for the promises of him that should come and blesse her from what She beleued to be saued by Christ from what This I graunt that our Lady Iohn Baptiste Isaac Iacob Ioseph Moses and many like did neuer consent to sinne to follow it But had the holy ghost from the beginning Neuer the later while they folowed the spirite and wrought their best yet chaunces met them by the way and temptations that made their woorkes come sometimes vnperfectly to passe as a potter that hath his craft neuer so wel meteth a chaunce now and then that maketh him fashion a pot a misse So that I thinke the perfectest of them all as we haue ensamples of some were compelled to say with Paul that good that I would I do not and that euill that I would not that I do I would not sweare on a booke that if our Lady had bene let slip as we other were and as hard apposed with as present death before her eyes that she would not haue denyed somethinges that she knew true ye but she was preserued by grace that she was not No but though she were kept by grace from y e outwarde deede yet if there were such wickednes in her fleshe she had sinne And the grace was that she knew it and was meeke to beleue in Christ to haue it forgeuen her and to be preserued that it should not bud forth Iohn the Euangelist when he was as holy as euer was Iohn the Baptist sayd if we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues Then he compareth fayth deedes together and will that fayth shoulde stand in no better seruice of right then deedes Yes for the deedes be examined by the lawe and therfore it is not inough to do them onely or to do thē with loue but I must do them wyth as great loue as Christ did for me and as I receaue a good deede at my nede But faith is vnder no lawe and therfore be she neuer so feeble she shall receaue according to the truth of the promiser M. What thing coulde we aske God of right because we beleue him Tyndall Verely all that he promiseth may we be bolde to aske of right and dutie and by good obligation More Ferman sayd that all workes be good inough in thē that god hath chosē Tyndall I am sure it is vntrue for their best be not good inough though God forgeueth them their euill of hys mercy at y e repentaunce of their harts Then he endeth in his schole doctrine contrary vnto all the scripture that God remitteth not the sinne of hys chosen people because that he hath chosen thē not of his mercy but of a towardnes that is more in one then in an other saying God saw before that Peter should repent and Iudas woulde dispaire and therefore chose Peter If God chose Peter because he did repent why chose he not Iudas to which repented as much as he knowledged his sinne and brought the money agayne O this blindnesse as God had wrought nothing in the repentaunce of Peter Sayde not Christ before that Peter should falle And sayd he not that he had prayed for him that he shoulde be holpe vppe agayne Christ prayed a strong prayer for Peter to helpe hym vp agayne and suffered a strong death thereto And before his death he committed them vnto his father saying I haue kept them in thy name and I depart keepe them now from euill Peter had a good hart to God and loued his lawe and beleued in Christ had the spirite of God in him which neuer left him for all his falle Peter sinned of no malice but of frailtie and sodaine feare of death And the goodnesse of God wrought his repentaunce and all the meanes by which he was brought vp againe at Christes requeste And Iudas was neuer good nor came to Christ for loue of his doctrine but of couetousnesse nor did euer beleue in Christ Iudas was by nature and birth as we all be heyre of the wrath of God in whome the deuill wrought his will and blinded his hart with ignoraunce In which ignorannce and blindnes he grew as he grew in age and fell deeper and deeper therein and thereby wrought all his wickednesse and the deuilles will and perished therin Frō which ignoraunce God purged Peter of his mercy and gaue him light and his spirite to gouerne him and not of any towardnesse that was in Peter of hys owne byrth but for the mercy that we haue in the birth of Christes death And how will M. More proue that God chuseth not of his goodnes but of our towardnes What good towardnes can he haue and endeuour that is altogether blinde and caryed away at the will of the deuill till the deuill be cast out Are we not robbed of all towardnes in Adam and be by nature made the children of sinne so that we sinne naturally and to sinne is our nature So that as now though we would do well the flesh yet sinneth naturally neither ceaseth to sinne but so farforth as it is kept vnder with
thou feâ—e theÌ„ and that thine hart mourne for them and that with al thy power thou helpe to amende them and cease not to crye to God for theÌ„ neither day nor night and that thou let nothing be founde in thee that any man may rebuke but whatsoeuer thou teachest them that â—e thou and that thou be not a Wolfe in a Lambes skinne as our holy â—ather y e Pope is which commeth vnto vs in a name of hypocrisie and in the â—…e of curssed Cham or Ham calling hymselfe Seruus seruorum the seruaunt of all seruauntes and is yet founde tyrannus tyraâ—norum of all tyrauntes y e most cruell This is to receaue young children in Christes name and to receaue young children in Christes name is to beare rule in the kingdome of Christ Thus ye see that Christes kingdome is all together spirituall and the bearing of rule in it is cleane coÌ„trary vnto the bearing of rule temporally Wherfore none that beareth rule in it may haue any temporall iurisdiction or minister any temporall office that requireth violence to compell withall ¶ Peter was not greater then the other Apostles by any authoritie geuen him of Christ THey saye that Peter was chiefe of the Apostles verely as Appeâ—â—â—s was called chief of Painters for his excellent cunninge aboue other euen so Peter may be called chiefe of the Apostles for his actiuitie and boldnes aboue the other but that Peter had any auctoritie or rule ouer his brethren and felow Apostles is false and contrary to y e scripture Christ forbad it the last euen before his passion and in diuers tunes before and taught alway the contrary as I haue rehearsed Thou wilt say thou caust not see how there should be any good order in that kyngdome where none were better then other and where the superior had not a lawe and authoritie to compell the inferior with violeÌ„ce The worlde truely can see no other way to rule then with violence For there no man absteineth from euil but for feare because the loue of righteousnes is not written in their hartes And therefore the Popes kingdome is of the world For there one sorte are your grace your holines your fatherhode An other my Lord Byshop my Lord Abbot my Lord Pryor An other master Doctour Father Bachelar mayster Parson maister Vicar and at the last commeth in simple syr Iohn And euery man raigneth ouer other wyth might and haue euery ruler his prison his iayler his chaynes his tormentes euen so much as the Fryers obâ—eruauntes obserue that rule and compell euery man other with violeÌ„ce aboue the cruelnesse of the heathen tyrauntes so that what commeth once in may neuer out for feare of telling taâ—es out of schole They rule ouer the bodye with violence and compell 〈◊〉 whether the harte will or not to obserue thinges of their owne making But in the kingdome of God it is contrary For the spirite that bringeth them thether maketh them wilâ—ing and geueth them lust vnto the law of God loue coÌ„pelleth them to worke and loue maketh euerty maÌ„s good all that he can do coÌ„mune vnto his neighbours nede And as euery maÌ„ is stroÌ„g in that kyngdome so loue compelleth him to take the weake by the hand and to helpe hym and to take him that can not go vppon his shoulders and beare him And so to do seruice vnto the weaker is to beare rule in that kingdome And because Peter did excede the other Apostles in ferueÌ„t seruice toward his brethren therefore is â—e called noâ— in the Scripture but in the vse of speakyng the chiefest of the Apostles not that he had any dominion ouer them Of which truth thou mayst see also the practise in the Actes of the Apostles after the resurrection For when Peter had bene and preached in the house of Cornelius an heathen maÌ„ the other that were Circumcised chode him because he had bene in an vncircumcised mans house had eaten with him for it was forbidden in the law neither wist they yet that the heathen should be called And Peter was fayne to geue accountes vnto them which is no token of superioritie and to shew them how he was warned of the holy ghost so to do Actes xj And Actes xv when a CouÌ„cell was gathered of the Apostles and disciples about the Circumcision of the heatheÌ„ Peter brought forth not his commauÌ„dement and the authoritie of his Vicarshyp but the miracle that the holy ghost had shewed for the heathen how at y â— preachyng of the Gospell the holy ghost had lighted vppon them and purified â—heir hartes through fayth and therefore proued that they ought not to be Circumcised And Paule and Barnabas brought soorth the miracles also that God had shewed by them among the heathen through preachyng of saith And then Iames brought soorth a prophecie of the olde Testament for the sayd part And therewith the aduersaries gaue ouer their hold and they coÌ„cluded with one assent by the authoritie of the scripture and of the holy ghost that the heathen should not be Circumcised not by the commaundement of Peter vnder payne of cursing excommunicatioÌ„ 〈◊〉 interditing and like bugges to make fooles and children afrayed withall And Actes viij Peter was sent of the other Apostles vnto the Samaritanes whiche is an euident token that he had no iurisdiction ouer them for then they could not haue sent him But rather as the truth is that the congregation had authoritie ouer him ouer all other priuate persones to admitte them for ministers and send them forth to preach whether so euer the spirite of God moued them and as they saw occasion And in the Epistle vnto the Galathians thou seest also how Paule corrected Peter when he walked not the straight way after the truth of the Gospel So now thou seest that in the kingdome of Christ and in his Churche or congregation and in his couÌ„sels the ruler is the Scripture approued through the miracles of the holy ghost and men be seruauntes onely and Christ is the head and we all brethren And wheÌ„ we call men our heades that we do not be cause they be shorne or shauen or because of their names Parson Vicare Byshop Pope But onely because of the word whiche they preach If they erre froÌ„ the word theÌ„ may whosoeuer God moueth his hart play Paule and correct hym If he will not obey the Scripture then haue his brethren authoritie by the Scripture to put hym downe and send hym out of Christes Church among the heretickes whiche preferre their false doctrine aboue the true word of Christ ¶ How the Gospell punisheth trespassers and how by the Gospell we ought to go to law with our aduersaries THough that they of Christes coÌ„gregation be all willyng yet because that the most paâ—t is alway weake because also that the occasions of the world be euer many and great in so much that
y t beleued thē frō y t vengeaunce of the law And in the new Testament is oft made mention of the law to cōdemne them which beleue not the promises Moreouer the law and Gospell may neuer be separate for the Gospel and promises serue but for troubled consciences which are brought to desperation and feele the paynes of hell and death vnder the law and are in captiuitie and bondage vnder the law In all my dedes I must haue the law before me to condemne myne vnperfectnes For all that I do be I neuer so perfect is yet damnable sinne when it is compared to the law whiche requireth the ground and bottome of myne hart I must therefore haue alwayes the law in my sight that I may be meke in the spirite and giue God all the laude and prayse ascribyng to him all righteousnes and to my selfe al vnrighteousnes and sinne I must also haue the promises before myne eyes that I dispayre not in which promises I see the mercy fauour and good will of God vpon me in the bloud of hys sonne Christ which hath made satisfaction for myne vnperfectnes and fulfilled for me that which I could not do Here may ye perceaue that two maner of people are sore deceaued First they whiche iustifie them selues with outward dedes in that they abstayne outwardly frō that which the law forbiddeth and do outwardly that which the law commaundeth They compare them selues to open sinners and in respect of them iustifie them selues condemning the open sinners They set a vayle on Moyses face and see not how the law requireth loue from the bottome of the hart and that loue onely is the fulfilling of the law If they dyd they would not condemne their neighbours Loue hydeth the multitude of sinnes sayth S. Peter in his first Epistle For whom I loue from the deepe bottome grounde of myne hart him condemne I not neither recken his sinnes but suffer his weakenes infirmitie as a mother the weakenes of her sonne vntill he grow vp into a perfect man Those also are deceaued which with out all feare of God geue them selues vnto all maner vices with ful consent and full delectation hauyng no respect to the law of God vnder whose vengeaunce they are locked vp in captiuitic but say God is mercyfull Christ dyed for vs supposing that such dreaming imaginatiō is that fayth which is so greatly cōmended in holy Scripture Nay that is not faith but rather a folish blind opinion springing of their owne corrupt nature and is not geuē them of the spirite of God but rather of the spirite of the deuill whose fayth now a dayes the Popish compare and make equall vnto the best trust confidence and belefe that a repenting soule can haue in the bloud of our Sauiour Iesus vnto their owne confusion shame vtteryng what they are with in But true faith is as sayth the Apostle Paule the gift of God and is geuē to sinners after the law hath passed vppon them and hath brought their consciences vnto the brim of desperation and sorowes of hell They that haue this right faith consēt to the law that it is righteous and good and iustifie God which made the law and haue delectation in the law notwithstanding that they cā not fulfill it as they would for their weakenes and they abhorre what soeuer the law forbiddeth though they can not all wayes auoyde it And their great sorrow is because they can not fulfill the will of God in the law and the spirite that is in them cryeth to God night day for strength and helpe with teares as sayth Paul that can not be expressed with toung Of which thinges the belefe of our Popish or of their father whom they so magnifie for his strong faith hath none experience at all The first that is to say he whiche iustifieth him selfe with his outward deedes consenteth not to the law inward neither hath delectation therin ye he would rather that no such law were So iustifieth he not God but hateth him as a tyraunt neither careth he for the promises but will with his owne strength be sauiour of him selfe no wise glorifieth he God though he seme outward to do The second that is to say the sensuall person as a voluptuous swyne neither feareth God in his law neither is thankefull to him for his promises and mercy which is set foorth in Christ to all them that beleue The right Christen man consenteth to the law that it is righteous and iustifieth God in the law for he affirmeth that God is righteous and iust which is author of the law he beleueth the promises of God iustifieth God iudgyng him true and beleuyng that he will fulfill his promises with the law he condemneth him selfe and all his dedes and geueth all the prayse to God He beleueth the promises and ascribeth all truth to God thus euery where iustifieth he God and prayseth God By nature through the fall of Adam are we the children of wrath heyres of the vengeaunce of God by byrth yea and from our conceptiō And we haue our felowship with the damned deuils vnder the power of darkenes and rule of Sathan while we are yet in our mothers wombes and though we shewe not forth the frutes of sinne as soone as we be borne yet are we full of the naturall poyson whereof all sinnefull deedes spryng and can not but sinne outwardes be we neuer so young as soone as we be able to woorke if occasion be geuen for our nature is to do sinne as is the nature of a Serpent to stynge And as Serpent yet young or yet vnbrought forth is full of poyson and can not afterward when the tyme is come and occasion geuen but bryng foorth the frutes therof And as an adder a tode or a snake is hated of man not for the euill that it hath done but for the poyson that is in it and hurt which it can not but do so are we hated of God for that naturall poyson which is cōceaued and borne with vs before we do any outward euill And as the euil which a venemous worme doth maketh it not a Serpent but because it is a venemous worme doth it euill and poysoneth and as the frute maketh not the tree euill but because it is an euill tree therfore bryngeth it foorth euill frute when the season of frute is Euen so do not our euill dedes make vsfirst euill though ignorance blindnes through euill workyng hardeneth vs in euill maketh vs worse and worse but because that of nature we are euill therefore we both thinke and do euill and are vnder vengeaūce vnder the law conuict to eternal damnation by the law and are contrary to the will of God in all our will and in all thynges consent to the will of the tende By grace that is to say by fauour we are plucked out of Adā the ground of all euill and
to auoyde the trouble of the world and occasions that might plucke me there from and to serue my brother with all euen as one hand helpeth an other or one member an other because one feeleth an others grief the payne of the one is the payne of the other What soeuer is done to the lest of vs whether it be good or bad it is done to Christ and what soeuer is done to my brother if I be a Christen mā that same is done to me Neither doth my brothers payne greue me lesse then myne owne Neither reioyse I lesse at his wealth then at mine own if I loue hym as well and asmuch as my selfe as the law cōmaundeth me If it were not so how sayth Paule let hym that reioyseth reioyse in the Lord that is to say Christ whiche is Lord ouer all creatures I◠my merites obteined me heauē or a hygher place there then had I wherein I might reioyse besides the Lord. Here see ye the nature of the law the nature of the Euangelion How the law is the key that byndeth and damneth all men and the Euangelion is the keye that loseth them agayne The law goeth before and the Euangelion foloweth When a preacher preacheth the law he byndeth all consciences and when he preacheth the Gospell he looseth them agayn These two salues I meane the law and the Gospell vseth god his preacher to heale cure sinners with all The law driueth out the disease and maketh it appeare and is a sharpe salue and a freatyng corsey killeth the dead flesh and louseth and draweth the sores out by the rootes all corruption It pulleth from a man the trust and confidence that he hath in him selfe in his owne workes merites deseruinges and ceremonies and robbeth him of all his righteousnesse and maketh him poore It killeth him sendeth hym downe to hell and bryngeth him to vtter desperation and prepareth y e way of the Lord as it is written of Iohn the Baptist For it is not possible that Christ should come to a man as long as he trusteth in him self or in any worldly thyng or hath any righteousnesse of his own or riches of holy workes Then commeth the Euāgelion a more gentle paster which soupleth and swageth the woundes of the cōscience and bringeth health It bringeth the spirite of God which loseth the bondes of Sathā and coupleth vs to God and his will through strong fayth and feruent loue with bondes to strong for the deuill the world or any creature to lose them And the poore wretched sinner feeleth so great mercy loue kyndnes in God that he is sure in hym selfe how that it is not possible that God should forsake him or withdraw hys mercy and loue from hym And boldly cryeth out with Paul saying Who shall separate vs from the loue that GOD loueth vs withall That is to say what shall make me beleue that God loueth me not Shall tribulation Anguish Persecution Shal hūger Nakednes Shal sword Nay I am sure that neither death nor lyfe neither aungell neither rule nor power neither present thynges nor thinges to come neither hygh nor low neither any creature is able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesu our Lord. In all such tribulations a Christen man perceaueth that God is his father and loueth hym euen as he loued Christ when he shed his bloud on the crosse Finally as before when I was bond to the deuill and his will I wrought all maner euill and wickednes not for hells sake which is the reward of sinne but because I was heyre of hell by byrth and bondage to the deuill dyd I euill For I could none otherwise do to do sinne was my nature Euen so now since I am coupled to GOD by Christes bloud do I well not for heauens sake which is yet the reward of wel doyng but because I am heyre of heauen by grace and Christes purchasyng haue the spirite of God I do good frely for so is my nature As a good tree bryngeth forth good frute and an euill tree euill frute By the frutes shal ye know what the tree is A mās dedes declare what he is within but make him neither good nor bad though after we be created a new by the spirite doctrine of Christ we waxe perfecter alwaye with woorkyng accordyng to the doctrine and not with blynd woorkes of our owne imagining We must be first euill yer we doe euill as a Serpent is first poysoned yer he poyson We must be also good yer we do good as the fire must be first hoate yer it heate an other thyng Take an example As those blynd and deaffe which are cured in the Gospell could not see nor heare till Christ had geuen them sight hearyng and those sicke could not do the dedes of an whole man till Christ had geuen them health So can no man do good in his soule till Christ haue losed hym out of the bondes of Sathan and haue geuē him wherewith to do good yea first haue powred into hym that selfe good thing which he shedeth forth afterward on other Whatsoeuer is our owne is sinne Whatsoeuer is aboue that is Christes gift purches doyng and working He bought it of his father dearely with his bloud yea with his most bitter death and gaue his lyfe for it What soeuer good thyng is in vs that is geuen vs frely without our deseruyng or merites for Christes bloudes sake That we desire to folow y t will of God it is the gift of Christes bloud That we now hate the deuils will whereunto we were so fast locked and could not but loue it is also the gift of Christes bloud vnto whom belongeth the prayse and honour of our good dedes and not vnto vs. Our deedes do vs three maner seruice First they certifie vs that we are heyres of euerlastyng life And that the spirite of God whiche is the earnest therof is in vs in that our hartes consent vnto the law of God and we haue power in our mēbers to do it though imperfectly And secondarily we tame the fleshe therewith and kill the sinne that remayneth yet in vs waxe dayly perfecter and perfecter in the spirite therewith kepe that the lustes choke not the word of God that is sowen in vs nor quench the giftes and working of the spirite and that we lose not the spirite agayne And thirdly we do our dutie vnto our neighbour therewith helpe their necessitie vnto our own cōfort also and draw all mē vnto the honoryng and praysing of God And whosoeuer excelleth in the giftes of grace let the same thinke that they be geuen hym as much to do hys brother seruice as for his owne selfe as much for the loue whiche God hath to the weake as vnto him vnto whom God geueth such giftes And he that withdraweth ought that he hath from hys neighbours neede robbeth
hee listeth and maketh the grounde of whose hart he lusteth fruteful and chooseth whom he will at his own pleasure and for no other cause knowen vnto any man Who is a lyer but he that denyeth that Iesus is Christ The same is Antichrist that denyeth the father and the sonne For asmuch as Antichrist and Christ are two contraries the study of Antichrist is to quēch the name of Christ how can the Pope his sectes be Antichrist when they all preach Christ How was say I agayne to thee Pelagius whose doctrine the Pope defendeth in the hyghest degree Antichrist and all other heretickes Verely Syr the Pope seketh hym selfe as all heretickes dyd and abuseth the name of Christ to gather offeringes tithes and rētes in his name to bestow them vnto his owne honour and not Christes and to bryng the conscience of the people into captiuitie vnder hym through superstitious feare as though he had such authoritie giuen hym of Christ And euery sillable that hath a soūde as though it made for his purpose that he expoundeth falsly and fleshly and therwith iuggleth bewitcheth the eares of the people maketh them his owne possession to beleue what hym lusteth as though it made no matter to them whether hee preached true or false so they beleue and do as he biddeth them But all the textes that shew his dutie to do he putteth out of the way and all the textes therto that set the consciences at libertie in Christ proue our saluation to be in Christ onely And with Pelagius hee preacheth the iustifying of workes whiche is the denying of Christ He preacheth a false bynding and losing with eare confession whiche is not in the trust and confidence of Christes bloud shedyng He preacheth the false penaūce of dedes not to tame the flesh that we sinne no more but to make satisfaction to redeme the sinne that is past Which what other cā it be saue the denying of Christ whiche is the onely redemption of sinne He maketh of the workes of the ceremonyes which were wont to be lignes and remembraunces of thinges to be beleued or done image seruice vnto God hys Saintes whiche are spirites to purchase with the merites of them what soeuer the blynd soule imagineth whiche all are the denying of Christ For if thou wilt receaue any annoyntyng of grace or mercy any whence saue of hym he is no longer Christ vnto thee Christ is called Iesus a Sauiour he is called Christus kyng annoynted ouer all men of whom they must hold and whose benefite must all they haue He is called Emanuel God is with vs. For he onely maketh God our God our strength power sword and shield shortly our father He is called Sanctus that is holy that haloweth sanctifieth and blesseth all natiōs And these be his names for euer be no names of hypocrisie as we some time call him Thomas Curteis which is but a churle and as we call them Curates whiche care for their Parishes as the Wolfe for the flocke and them Byshops that are ouersears which will so ouer see that they will suffer nought to be prosperous saue their owne cōmō wealth as some call them selues dead which liue in all voluptuousnes and as some call them selues poore without hauing any thing proper and yet lyue in all aboundance and as they shaue and disguise them selues with garmentes and ornamentes to signifie euer a contrary thyng then that they be Nay Christ is no hypocrite or disguised that playeth a part in a play and representeth a person or state which he is not But is alway that his name signifieth he is euer a Sauiour euer annyonteth with grace euer maketh God with vs and euer sāctifieth Neither is there any other to saue and sanctifie frō sinne or annointe with grace or to set God at one with men And these thynges which his name signifie doth he euer vnto all that haue trust confidence in his bloud assone as they repēt of the sinne whiche they desire to be saued and sanctified from Now though the Pope his sectes giue Christe these names yet in that they robbe hym of the effect and take the significations of his names vnto them selues and make of hym but an hypocrite as they them selues be they be right Antichristes and deny both the father and sonne For they deny the witnesse that the father bare vnto his sonne and depriue the sonne of all the power and glory that hys father gaue hym Whosoeuer denyeth the sonne the same hath not the father For no man knoweth the father but the sonne to whom the sonne sheweth hym Math. xj Moreouer if thou knowe not the mercy that God hath shewed thee in Christ thou canst not know hym as a father Thou mayst wel besides Christ know hym as a tyraunt And thou mayst know hym by his woorkes as the old Philosophers did that there is a God but thou canst neither beleue in his mercy nor loue his lawes which is his onely worship in the spirite saue by Christ Let therefore abide in you that which ye heard at the beginning If that which ye heard at the beginning shall remayne in you then shall ye continue in the Sonne and in the Father And this is the promise that he hath promised vs euerlasting life If we abide in thold doctrine which the Apostles taught and harken to no new then abide we in the Sonne for vpon the Sonne build they vs and in the Father thorough confidence in the Sonne are heires of euerlasting life These thinges haue I written vn to you because of them that deceiue you And the anointing that ye receiued of him dwelleth in you and ye need not that any man teache you but as that annoynting teacheth you of all thinges and is true and is no lye Euen as it hath taught you so abide therein When a true preacher preacheth the spirite entreth the hartes of the elect and maketh them feele the righteousnes of the law of God and by the law the poyson of their corrupt nature and thence leadeth them thorough repentaunce vnto the mercy that is in Christes bloud and as an oyntment healeth the body euē so the spirite through confidence and trust in Christes bloud healeth the soule and maketh her loue the law of God and therfore is called annoynting or an oyntment and may well be signified by the oyle of our sacrament But outward oyle can neyther heale the soule nor make her feele saue as a signe or as a bush at a tauern dore quencheth a mans thirst neither is it a thing to put trust in Let vs ther fore folow the teaching of the spirite which we haue receiued as Paule sayeth an earnest to certifie our hartes and to make vs feele the thinges of God and not cleaue to the traditions of men in which is no feeling but that
came to destroy the workes of the deuill in vs to giue vs a new byrth a new nature and to sow new seede in vs that we should by the reasoÌ„ of that byrth sinne no more For the seede of that byrth that is to wete the spirite of God and the liuely seede of his word sowen in our hartes kepeth our harts that we can not consent to sinne as the seede of the deuill holdeth the hartes of his that they can not consent to good This is coÌ„trary vnto the Pope in two poyntes in one that he sayth that our good deedes make vs first good and teacheth vs not to beleue in Christes bloud there to be washed made first good And in an other that he sayth God choseth vs first for our good qualites properties and for the enforcement and good endeuour of our frewill What good endeuour is there where the deuill possesseth the whole hart that it can consent to no good And finally there is great difference betwene the sinne of them that beleue in Christ vnfaynedly and the sinne of them that beleue not For they that beleue sinne not of purpose and of coÌ„sent to wickednesse that it is good castyng and compassyng afore hand without grudge of coÌ„science to bryng their purpose about As ye see our hypocrites haue vexed all Christendome this xx yeares to bryng a little lust to effect Their fathers conceiued mischief viij hundreth yeares ago And the sonnes consent vnto the same haue no power to depart therefrom And therfore their sinne is deuilishe and vnder the damnation of the law But if he that beleueth sinne he doth it not of purpose or that he consenteth vnto the life of sinne But of infirmitie chauÌ„ce and some great temptation that hath ouercome him And therefore his sinne is veniall and vnder mercy and grace though it be murther theft or adulterie and not vnder the daÌ„nation of the law So that his father shall scourge hym but not cast hym away or damne hym Marke in the sinne of Saule of Dauid Saule euer excused his sinne and could not but persecute the will of God And Dauid confessed his sinne with great repentauÌ„ce at the first warnyng whensoeuer he forgot him selfe All that worke not righteousnes are not of God Nor hee that loueth not his brother For this is the tydinges which ye heard at the begynnyg that we should loue one an other and not be as Cain which was of the deuill and slew his brother And wherefore slew he him for his deedes were euill and hys brothers righteous Maruell not my brethren thoughe the worlde hate you The law of righteousnes is that we loue one an other as Christ loued vs and he that hath not this law liuyng in his hart and when the tyme is bringeth not forth the frutes therof the same is not of God but of the deuill whose byrth and properties of the same ye see described in Cain how he resisted God and persecuted the childreÌ„ of God for their belefe workes therof And as ye see in Cain and his brother Abell so shall it euer continue betwene the children of God and of the deuill vnto the worldes ende Wonder not therefore thoughe the worlde hate you We know that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren He that loueth not his brother abydeth in death All that hate theyr brethren are murtherers and ye know that no murtherer hath eternall lyfe abydyng in hym If thou loue thy brother in Christ and art ready to do to suffer for him as Christ dyd for thee then thou art sure thereby that thou art the sonne of God and heyre of life and deliuered froÌ„ death and damnation So haue Christen men signes to know whether they be in the state of grace or no. And on the other side he that hath no power to loue his brethren may be sure that he is in the state of death and damnation An other is this let euery man looke vpoÌ„ his hart and be sure that he which hateth his brother hath slayne hym before God is a murtherer And murtherers shal not obteine the kingdome of God Gala. 5. But are Caines brethren and the deuils children and are heyres of death and euer vnder damnation Compare the regiment of the spiritualtie which haue had the temperall sword in their handes now aboue viij hundreth yeares vnto this doctrine of Iohn Iudge whether they haue led vs truely after the steppes of Christes doctrine Hereby we are assured of loue because hee left his lyfe for vs and therfore ought we to leaue our lyues for our brethren He then that hath the substaunce of the worlde and seith his brother haue neede and shutteth vp his compassion froÌ„ him how dwelleth the loue of God in hym If we felt the loue of Christes death it would sure set our hart on fire to loue hym agayne and our brethren for his sake and should neuer cease to sâ—ay our resisting members vntill we could not onely be wel content that our brethren were in a more prosperous state then we but also vntill we could blesse them wheâ—â— they curse vs and pray for them when they persecute vs and to suffer death for theÌ„ to testifie the worde of their soules health vnto them and with loue to ouercome them and to wynne them vnto Christ If now euery Christen man ought to haue this rule of his profession before his eyes to learne it that hee should loue his brother as Christ dyd hym to depart with his lyfe for his brothers example how farre are they of from good scholers that can not finde in their hartes to depart with a litle of the aboundaunce superfluitie of their temporall goodes to helpe their neighbours neede My litle children let vs not loue in worde nor with the toung but with the dede and of a truth For thereby we know that we be of the truth and so shall we certifie our hartes in his sight If we haue power to worke then doth the worke certefie our hartes that our fayth in Christ and loue to God and our neighbour for his sake are vnfayned and that we are true children and no hypocrites And then are we bold in our coÌ„science before God And this is it that Peter meaneth 2. Pet. 1. where he biddeth vs minister in our fayth vertue godly liuing and all maner of good workes and therewith to make our vocation and election or our calling add chosing sure For the sight of the worke doth certify vs that God hath called vs and chosen vs vnto grace and mercy But and if when the time of woorking is come I fly and haue no power to worke then will our conscience accuse vs of sinne and transgressioÌ„ within the hart before God and so for feare of the rodde we dare not be bolde but draw backe and stand alooâ—e Let a childe haue neuer so mercifull a father yet if
or 40. yeares haue not receiued the Sacramēt Notwithstanding this Oration is nothing to the purpose For Christ spake to the blinde and vnbeleuyng Iewes testifieng to them that they could haue no lyfe excepte they should first eate his flesh and drinke his bloud Ergo this eatyng and drinkyng is meant onely of that thyng that first bryngeth lyfe into the soule and that is faith by your owne confession And therfore must it be vnderstand of fayth onely and not of the Sacrament And Mathew the last I am with you alwayes euen vnto the end of the world which may well be vnderstand and so was it of old Doctours that by his spirituall beyng with vs by fayth and in his spirite and so may that text of Mathew 18. be vnderstand where two or thre are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them There is many tymes ij or three good men that mete together in Christes name where the Sacramēt is not And Paule Ephes 3. boweth his knees for the Ephesians to God that he would geue thē his riches to be strenghthened with his spirite that Christ may dwell in their hartes thorough fayth Where the hart then beleueth in Christ there dwelleth Christ in the hart though there be no bread in the hart neither yet in the maw The two first partes takyng the old Doctours to be on their side I aunswere many of the old doctours spake so mystically that they sente sometimes to affirme playnly that it is but bread and wyne onely concernyng the substaunce And that it is a figure of the body and bloud of Christ onely some tyme that it is his very body bloud therfore it were nedelesse to wade any further herein And vnto them of the second opiniō that the bread is his very body I aunswere ye must remember that the old Doctours as earnestly call it a sacrifice as they do Christes body But that ye denye And say with the Epistle to the Hebrues that he was but once sacrificed for altogether whē he offered sacrificed him selfe to the father for our sinnes and can now no more be sacriced Christ dieth no more now and therfore is no more sacrificed Neither do we properly offer him to God But he in his mortall flesh offered him selfe for vs to GOD the father and purchased therewith a generall pardon for euer And now doth God the father profer him and giueth him to vs. And the Priestes in Gods stede proferre hym and giue hym vnto the people for a remission and absolution of their sinnes dayly if they by the mouyng and styrryng of the Sacramēt beleue in the body and bloud of Christ Wherfore ye ought of no right to be angry with them of the thyrd opinion though they denie the Doctors where they seme to say that the Sacrament is the very body of Christ As they be not angrie with you when ye deny them where they as earnestly affirme that it is a sacrifice Neuerthelesse they aunswere that Doctours call it a sacrifice onely because it is the memoriall the earnest and seale of that euerlasting sacrifice offered once for all And euen so say they that the Doctours called the Sacrament the body bloud of Christ after the same maner onely because it is the memoriall the earnest and seale of body and bloud as the vse of Scriptures is to call signes by the names of thynges signified therby And vnto them of the first opinion I aunswere with the same reason that it is impossible that the Sacrament should be a very sacrifice For neither the sacrifices of the old law which prophecied the sacrifising of Christ neither yet our redemption was fulfilled at night For if the Scriptures and prophecies were then fulfilled and we thē redemed Christ dyed on the morow in vayne and false are the Apostles and Euangelistes that preache hys body breakyng and bloud sheddyng vnder Pontius Pylate by the persecution of Cayphas and Annas to bee our redemption Moreouer for all the breakyng and deuidyng of the Sacrament of his body among his Apostles His body abode still alyue and for all the pouryng out of the Sacrament of his bloud of the pot into the cup and out of the cup into the mouthes and belyes of his Disciples hee blede as fresh on the morow as though he had blede then nothyng at all He was verely much more easely sacrificed that night in the breakyng diuidyng of the bread and pouring out of wyne then he was on the morow The Sacrament was that night no doubt but a description of his passiō to come And it is now a memorial of his passiō past He instituted the maner of the Sacrament then and taught hys Disciples also that they after vnderstode when he was risen agayne and not then as they neuer had capacitie to vnderstand hym when he spake of his death For they then imagined carnally of Christ as the Iewes yet do that Christ should neuer dye as he dyd not concernyng his Godhead but should lyue euer bodily as he now doth concernyng his resurrection Wherfore seyng that all the Doctors with one accorde cal the Sacrament so earnestly a sacrifice they cannot otherwise vnderstand them that they so say after the vse of the Scripture onely but because it is the memoriall of the sacrifice of his death blousheddyng Why should they then of right be offēded if we vnderstand the Doctours after the same maner whē they call it his body and bloud And that they so call it after the vse of the Scripture because that it is onely a memoriall of his body and bloud As concernyng the transubstantiation I thinke that such a speech was among the old Doctours though they that came after vnderstode thē amisse Their hartes were grosse through busiyng thē selues to much with worldly busines for the bread and wyne are but onely bread wine till the wordes of the Testament bee rehearsed ouer them then they ceasse to be any more bread wyne in the hartes of the true beleuers for the hart after these words once spoken thinketh onely vppon the couenaunt made in the body and bloud of Christ and through fayth eateth hys body and drinketh his bloud though the eyes and other sences perceaue nothyng but bread and wyne As when a man sometyme seeketh for a text in the Bible he seeth paper and iuke and the figure of letters yet his hart not once thinketh of any other thyng thē on the wordes and sence of his text And therof no doubt came vp this transubstantiation through false vnderstandyng Another thyng is this none of those wicked heretickes which denied Christ to be very God or any of them that denyed Christ to bee man or to haue a very body saue a phātasticall body dyd cast the true beleuers in the teth at any time of the fayth of Christes body present
in their Sacrament euery where which thing is not like but they would haue done if that opinion had thē bene a generall article of the fayth Neither was there any heresie or diuersitie of opinion or disputyng about the matter till the Pope had gathered a Councell to confirme this transubstāciation wherfore it is most likely that this opinion came vp by thē of latter dayes Furthermore all the law and Prophetes all the Christ dyd or can yet do is to bring vs to beleue in him and in God the father through him for the remissiō of sinnes to bryng vs vnto that whiche immediatly foloweth out of that belefe to loue our neighbours for hys sake as he loued vs. Wherfore if Christ did put his bodilie presence in the Sacrament and would we should beleue it It is done onely to bring vs to this fayth Now is this fayth no where lesse had then where that opinion is most strong neither so cruelly persecuted of Iew or Turke as of thē that most feruently defend that opiniō True fayth maketh a man to loue hys brother but that opinion maketh them to hate and slay their brethren that better beleue in Christ then they of that opinion do and that murther do they for feare of losyng that they haue gotten through that opinion Item they of this opiniō in stede of teachyng vs to beleue in Christ teach vs to serue Christe with bodily seruice which thing is nought els but Idolatry For they preach that all the ceremonies of the Masse are a seruice to God by reason of the bodily workes to obtayne forgeuenes of sinnes therby and to deserue merite therewith And yet Christ is now a spiritual substaunce with his father hauyng also a spirituall body and with the father to be worshypped in spirite onely And his seruice in the spirite is onely to beleue in hym for the remissiō of sinne to call vpon hym giue hym thankes to loue our neighbours for his sake Now all workes done to serue man and to bryng him to this poynt to put his trust in Christ are good acceptable to God but done for any other purpose they be Idolatry and Imageseruice and make God an Idole or bodily Image Agayne seyng the fayth of the Testament in Christes bloud is the lyfe of the righteous from the begynnyng of the world to the end and for as much as the Sacramēt was instituted onely to bryng to this lyfe Now when they which thinke not the body to be presēt in the Sacramēt haue by the preaching and confirmation of the Sacrament obtayned this lyfe or stedfast fayth in Christes bloud and by the dayly vse of the Sacrament are more more hardned therein and in the loue that springeth thereof What reasonable cause haue the contrary part whiche beleue the body present and bread turned into the very body as flesh bones her◠sinewes nayles all other as he was put on the crosse of length and quantitie I cannot tell what to rayle on vs as heretickes hate persecute and slay vs most cruelly as enemyes Christ sayth Qui contra me non est mecum est He that is not agaynst me is with me Now they that beleue in Christ for the remissiō of their sinnes and for his sake loue their foes are not Christes enemies Ergo they be on Christes side Why then should they that boast them selues to be Christes trendes slay thē Fayth in Christes bloud and in the father thorough him is Gods seruice in spirite And so haue they whiche beleue not the bodily presence serued God a long time and there to bene holpen by the Sacrament The other part fallen there from through beleuyng the body present seruyng God with bodily seruice which is Idolatrie and to make God an Idoll or Image in that they trust in the goodnes of their woorkes as they which serue tyrauntes not in the goodnes of God through trust in the bloud of Christ Ergo they that beleue not the bodily presence not a litle therto compelled through the wicked Idolatrie of the contrary belefe are not to be thought so euill as the other would haue them seme to be Paule teacheth 1. Cor. 13. that if a man had all other giftes that God can giue man and had not charitie to loue his neighbour it helpeth not For all other giftes and the remissiō in Christes bloud also are giuen hym of God to bryng hym to loue hys neighbour which thing had a mā hath all which not had a man hath nothyng And Phil. 2. how swetely and how vehemently cōiureth he them to draw all one way to be of one accorde one mynde or sentence And to do nothyng of strife or of vayne glory that is to say of hate or disdayne one of another or of affectiō to him selfe for to seme glorious but ech to preferre other through mekenes and to haue his opinion suspect and to feare least he hath not obtayned the vnderstandyng rather thē of presumption to his owne witte to despise hate the cōtrary party persecute as a tyraunt And in the thyrd of the same Paul sayth let as many as be perfect that is to say be truly taught and know the law truly and her office and the office and effect of fayth and know whiche be good workes before God and what the intent of them is let sayth he so serue as we be come procede in one rule that we may be of one accorde Now hetherto we be all come and this generall rule haue we gotten that fayth onely instifieth that is to say that the sinne is forgiuen onely for Christes sake againe that our duety is to loue our neighbours no lesse then Christ loued vs wherfore let vs procede forth in this rule exhort ech other to trust to Christ to loue ech other as Christ dyd and in this where in we all agree let vs bewise onely feruēt and striue who shal be greatest and go formost And in this which is not opened to all parties let vs be meeke sober and cold and keepe our wisedome secret to ourselues and abyde paciētly till God open it to other also The cause why the third part say that this worde is compelleth vs not to beleue the bodily presence of Christ to be there is this The Iewes say they are wont euer to name the memoriall and signes of thinges with the very name of the thyng signified that the very name might the better keepe the thyng in mynde As when Iacob Gene. 32. turned home agayne out of Mesopotamia saw the aūgels of God come agaynst hym hee called the place where he saw thē Mahanaim An host because his posteritie in tyme to come when they hard the field whiche was none host yet so called should aske why it was so named y t their elders might thereby haue an occasion to teach that Iacob saw there an host of
sinnes 95. b Phocas an Emperour 347. b. hys priuiledge to the see of Rome ibid. Phrases of speach expounded 77. b Pilgrimages 282. a. how lawfull 20 a. not needefull to a ChristiaÌ„ for his saluation 155 a Pilgrimages true what they be 272 a Pitie 282. b Pipinus 348. a Places of Scripture shewing Christes departure hence as touchyng his naturall body 470. b Places hauing prerogatiue for prayer 283. a Plerophoria how knowen 414. a Pluralitie of benefices 373. b Poetry Scripture to Popish schole men 168. a Pollaxes borne before high Legates what they signifie 142. b Pope with his Prelates set foorth 53. b. a God on earth 349. a. Antichrist 262. a 289. a. 308. a. the deuilles vicare 359. a. persecuteth Gods word 25. b. 290. a. a deniâ—…h blasphemer ibid. hath no Martyrs 294. a. a peacebreaker 365. b. a tyrauÌ„t 318. a. a breaker of bondes of Matrimony 350. a commaundeth murder 106. a. cause of great periury 115. a Popes haue ben bloudsheders aboue this 700. yeares 351. a Pope a mercyles tyraunt 362. b. curseth his enemyes 395. b. wilnot be rebuked 364. b. onely forbyddeth mariage 127. b. halfe a God 461. b aloft ouer all Byshops and Kings 353. a. aduaunceth his in worldlynes 353. b. hath moe kyngdomes then God 135. b. a maker of lawes 356. a. selleth Gods free gift 151. a. chalengeth authoritie ouer God and man 159. a. commauÌ„deth God to curse 151. b. may doe all at his pleasure 364. b. wilnot obey Princes 286. a. made a God for his dispensations 230. a. coÌ„meth in Christes name with miracles 301. b. sayth he cannot erre 264. a. distributeth his fathers kyngdome 354. a thrusteth downe Christ 292. a. lycenseth all thynges to bee read sauyng the truth 21. a. forbiddeth that God commaundeth 21. a Pope how hee remitteth and retayneth sinnes 306. b. maketh heretikes of true preachers 134. b selleth all thynges 289. b. receiueth hys possessions of the deuill 354. a. howe he raigneth vnder Christ 151. a. expoundeth Scripture contrary to Christ and his Apostles 173. b. byndeth that Christ louseth 102. a Pope not to be beleued why 304. b. lonseth all honesty 123. a. more mercyfull for money then God for Christes death 151. a. deuideth poore people and how 354. b chosen without consent of the Emperour 360. b. purposed to be Emperour 349. made two Empyres of one 349. b Pope Pipine put downe the right French kyng 348. a Pope and Cardinals their opinions concernyng kyng Henry the eight 288 b Pope Iuly 369. a Pope his fast 229. b. his traditions are wicked and breake Gods commaundements 108. a. his authoritie improued 12. 4. b. his clergy subtill 1. a. his doctrine corrupt 24. a. his doctrine doth persecute 97. a. his sect not of Christes church 261 b. his doctrine bloudy 106. b. his saying of the scripture 306. b. his authoritie is onely to preach Gods word 123. b. his false authority defended by kynges 114. b. his false workes 289. a. his iugglyng 114. b. his widowes 354. b. his priests ibideÌ„ his law 355. a. his fayth 410 b. his Church 292. b. his practise with all Princes 365. a. his Deacons 354. b. his Prelates taught of Caiphas 122. b Popish tyranny 475. b. ceremonyes more obstinate mo in nuÌ„ber then the Iewes 101. b. forgiuenes 395 a. Purgatory not feared of a true ChristiaÌ„ 434. b. Prelates would be highest 341. a. superstition 425 b. doctrine 447. a. hath caused the truth to be set forth more playnely 476. a. woorkes 396. a. oyle more feared then Gods commaundementes 131. a. confirmation 277. a Pope holy woorkes a cloke for the wicked 27. a Possessed with deuines fled from Christ 285. a Poore meÌ„ 408. a. in spirite who 189 a. must be cared for next our owne houshold 84. a. called of Paule Gods Churche 473. b. pouertie 242. b Pouertie wilfull 16. b. her vow 19. a Power good and euill whence 321. b Poyson of our byrth resisteth the spirite 165. a A prayer 228. a Prayer 22. b. 242. b. 219. b. defined 81. b. of how many sortes 220. a. a commaundement 238. b. heard in all places of God 282. b. the fruite of fayth 93. a. heard of God at all tymes 20. b. winneth the victory 238. b. of fayth doth miracles 152. b vayne without hart and toungue 221. a. of shauelynges breaketh Gods commaundement 139. b. of Monkes robbeth 201. a. not sold in old tyme. 139. b. to Saintes superilitious 296. a. without fayth nothyng 274. b. to Saintes not before Christes tyme. 296. a Practises 371. a. of Parliamentes 315. a. of Prelates 363. a. of Popish Prelates in these dayes 340. b. with poore Priestes 367. b. of fleshly spiritualitie 249. a Prayers and our deedes accepted accordyng to our fayth 154. b Prayers of all good women accepted aswell as our Ladyes 326. a. to Saintes damnable 433 b. all in Latin 151. b. commaunded to the ignoraunt 135. a Prayse sought of hypocrites 373. b Prayse of Paule Epistle to the Romanes 39. a Preacher his office 206. a. may not preache vnlesse he be sent of God 156. why accused of heresie treason 202. 〈◊〉 Preachers who are sent and who not how to knowe 156. a. of Gods word their miracles 302. a. neede no miracles 301. a. must preach repentaunce 86. b. why not beleued wheÌ„ they preach truth 101. b. must haue a competent lyuyng allowed them 133. b. must not be violent 214. b. who ought to be 198. b Preachyng is byndyng and lousing 359. a. of Christ 391. the authoritie of Peter his successour 173. b. the chief authoritie that Christ gaue his Apostles 126. a. extinct with ceremonies 278. a Predestination 306. a. in Gods haÌ„d 48. b. not rashly to be disputed vppon 48. b. how farre to be proceded in ibidem Presbyter 144. b Priestes 310. b. must be vertuous 314. b Priestes how truly annoynted 133. a ought not to bee annoynted with oyle 144. b. tell the confessions of the rich to the Officials and Commissaries and why 136. b. may haue whores but no wiues 311. b. must haue wiues for two causes 133. b Prieste disguiseth hym selfe with Christes passion 132. a Priestes vnderstand no Latin 103. a Prelates why so wicked 118. b. Courtiers 347. a. vnderstand not Scriptures and why 287. b. why clothed in red 142. b Pride 405. b. of the Pope 363. a. of the Cardinals 372. b Princes why ordained 117. a. not to be resisted though they be infidels 111. a. whether they may be resisted or no. 213. a Principles of Scriptures 386. b Processions abused 299. b Profession of our Baptisme 388. b. first to be learned 387. a Profession of newe lyfe procureth Christes mercy 219. b Promise how we may chaleÌ„ge 218. b Promise of God fulfilled for Christes and not for Saintes merites 160. a. left out in all thynges by the Pope 154. a Promises of the Gospell comfortable to a sinner 378. a Promise commeth of the promisers goodnes 196. a Promises of
in lawe whom he did so valiauntly fight withall and confounde that he connerted Rastall to his part Then he was â—â—ryed to Lambith before the Bishop of Caunterburie and afterward to Croydon where was present StepheÌ„ Gardiner Bishop of Winchester who had béene his tutor in Cambridge as aforesayd and séemed to owe vnto him greate loue and fauour but in the stéede thereof he found in the ende his great malice and tyrannye and last of all he was called before the Bishoppes in a Common assemblye at London where he so costantly defended him selfe that he had preuailed if he might haue bene heard as indéed he was not The order of his iudgment with the maner of his examinatioÌ„ and Articles which were obiected agaynst him are comprised and set forth by himselfe in a letter written to his frendes which letter also is imprinted and set forth in this booke After sentence geuen against him by the Byshop of London he was delyuered to the Maior Shirifes of the sayd Citie Syr Stephen pecocke a simple man being then Maior and forth with he was committed to new gate where he was put into y e Dungeon vnder the sayd Gate and laden with Boltes and Irons as many as he could beare and his necke with a Coler of Iron made fast to a post so that he could neyther stand vpright nor stoupe downe yet was he there continually occupied in writing of diuerse thinges namely with a candell both day and night for there came none other light into that place And in this case he remayned iij. or iiij dayes and then was from thence caried into Smithféelde y e iiij day of Iuly 1533. where with great pacience and constancy he suffered that most hâ—lly and cruell death of burning And when the fyer was set on the faggottes he embraced the same in his Armes and with all pacience commytted his spirite vnto almighty God But this one thing is yet to bee remembred that he being bounde to the stake with an other good Martyr which was a very simple young man named Andrew Hewet there was present one Doctour Cooke that was person of the Church called Allhalowes in hony lane scituate in the myddes of Chepesyde And the sayd Cooke made an open exclamation and admonished the people that they should in no wise pray for them no more then they would doe for a dogg At which wordes Frith smyling desired the Lord to forgeue him But the vngodly and vncharitable wordes of the sayd Doctour did not a litle offende the people And thus for the testimony of the true doctrine of Christ which the sayd Frith sealed with his bloud the day and yeare afore sayd he dyed in the xxiiij yeare of his age as some saye but his parentes reported in the xxx yeare of his age IOHN FRITH VNTO the Christen Reader GRace and peace bee with thee ChristeÌ„ reader I am sure there are many that will much meruell couÌ„t it a great presumptioÌ„ that I beyng so young and of so small learnyng dare attempt to dispute this matter against these thre personages of the which nuÌ„ber two that is to say my Lord of Rochester and Sir Thomas More are auncient men both of great witte and dignitie Notwithstanding I will desire theÌ„ paciently to heare myne aunswere not aduertisyng who speaketh the wordes but rather what is sayd And as coÌ„cernyng myne youth let them remember what Paule monisheth i. Timot. iiij willyng that Timotheus should instruct the coÌ„gregration and that no maÌ„ should despise his youth for as the spirite of God is bound to no place cueÌ„ so is he not addict to any age or person but inspireth when hee will and where he will makyng the young to see visioÌ„s and espye the truth and the elders to dreame dreames and to wander in phantasies Actes 2. Ioel. 2. And as touchyng my learnyng I must nedes acknowledge as the truth is very small neuerthelesse that litle as I am bound haue I determined by Gods grace to bestow to the edifying of Christes congregation which I pray god to encrease in the knowledge of his word I would not that any man should admit my wordes or learnyng except they will stande with the Scripture and be approued therby Lay them to the touchstone and trye them with Gods word If they be found false and counterfaite then damne them and I shall also reuoke them with all myne hart But if the Scripture allow them that you can not deny but it so is then resist not y e doctrine of God but knowledge your ignoraunce and seduction and returne gladly into the right way For if you caÌ„ not improue it by Gods word and yet of an hate and malicious mynde that you beare to the truth labour to resist it condemne it that it should not spread I ensure you your sinne is irremissible and euen agaynst the holy ghost and the bloud of them that perish for fault of instruction shal be required on your handes Peraduenture some of you will say your fathers old progenitours â–ª with many holy men and Doctours haue so beleued that therfore you will abyde by the old I aunswere The wayes iudgementes of God are meruelous who knoweth whether God haue suffred his elect to erre and be seduced for a season to the entent that the vnfaithfull which would not beleue the truth but had pleasure in iniquity might stoÌ„ble at their errour into their vtter confusion and ruine Although a man be neuer so faythfull and holy yet is there much imperfectioÌ„ in him as long as he is included in this mortall body how be it it is not imputed vnto him but through y e fayth in Christes bloud who lye pacified and forgeuen And therfore it is not sure that we folow their exteour workes or other imaginatioÌ„s but let vs euer coÌ„ferre them vnto the pure word of God and as the Scripture testifieth so let vs receaue them My Lord of Rochester doth testifie him selfe writyng vpon the xviij Article that there are many pointes both of the Gospels and other Scriptures which are now discussed more diligeÌ„tly and more clearely vnderstand then they haue bene in tymes past And addeth furthermore that there are diuerse places in Scripture yet some deale darke which he doubteth not but that they shal be more open and light vnto our posteritie for why shal we dispaire of that saith he sith that the Scripture is for that entent left with vs that it may be vnderstaÌ„d of vs exactly and to the vttermost point Of this may you euidently perceaue that the old fathers and holy Doctours haue not sene all the truth But somewhat is also left through the high prouision of God to be discussed of their successours And therfore is it not mete that we straight wayes cleaue vnto their wordes with out any further ensearchyng the scriptures but we must examine all thyngs by the
no place euen so is he not addict to any age or person but enspyreth where he will when he will and bring in for an example that he enspyred yong Timothy prouing thereby that the youth of it selfe is not to be despised but according to the learning which it bringeth and that therfore they may not despise my youth but first read what doctrine I bring and therafter to iudge it No more in this I proue not that I am enspyred and haue the spirite of God as Timothie had but onely proue that God may enspyre youth as he did Tymothe and that therefore ye ought first to read before you condemne for you know not who is enspyred and who not vntill you haue read theyr workes or séene theyr factes Thus you may sée that my wordes define not that all youth is enspired although some may be but I exhort that no man despise prophesies but proue all and approue that is good And to make the matter more playne I shall bring you an example out of Paule to the Hebrues which exhorteth them to hospitalitie for by that some men vnwares haue receaued Angels to harbour be not therefore vnmindfull of it Here Paule exhorteth you to hospitalitie and shewing you that by those meanes some men haue receaued angels into their house he would not haue you thinke y t all the gestes that you shall receaue shall be angels but some shall be leud losels And likewise I in exhorting you to read my booke and not despising my youth because that sometime God enspireth the yong would not haue you thinke that the bookes made of yong men which ye shall receaue shall be holesome doctrine but some men be lewd and vnfruitfull neuerthelesse euen as if they receaued not those gests they should also put away angels if any came So if you despise to read such bookes as be written by young men you may also fortune to despise them which are written by the inspiration of Christes spirit and therefore ye ought to read But be it in case I had indéed praised my selfe as I haue not and that I had sayd that I had the Spirite of God what inconuenience should folow thereof would you therof argue that my doctrine were false If that were a good argument then were Christes Doctrine false then were Paule a false prophet and our fayth nothing for Christ said to the Iewes that he was the light of the worlde And againe he sayd It is my Father that glorified me whome ye call your God Now if it had bene a sufficient argument to condemne hys doctrine because the world calleth it boasting thē should we haue beleued no truth at all Besides that Paul séemeth not a little to boast him selfe if men looke on it with a carnall eye for he sayth that he thincketh not him selfe inferiour vnto y t hyest Apostles and sayth againe that if they glory to be the ministers of Christ though he speake vnwisely he is more copious in labours in stripes aboue measure in prison more often often at the poynt of death c. Should we for these words thinke that his doctrine were not right Nayverely that doth not improue the doctrine but that it may be good holesome for a man may boast him selfe do well so he referre y t prayse to God from whom all goodnes commeth but be it in case that I should say that God of hys mere mercy and for the loue that he oweth me in Christ and hys bloud had geuen me hys spirite that I might be to his laude prayse to whom be thankes for euer Amen would you thinke that this were so greate a boastyng that the doctrine should be impayred therby Ah blinde guides I pray God geue you the light of vnderstandyng I beseche you brother Rastell be not discōtent with me if I aske you one question be ye a Christen man or no I am sure you will aunswere yes then if I brought you the text of Paule which sayth he that hath not y t spirite of God is none of his I pray you how will you auoyde it notwithstādyng if you wold auoyde y t text yet will I lay an other blocke in the way that you shal not be able to remoue and that is the saying of Paule 2. Corin. 13. Know ye not your selues that Christ is in you except ye be reprobate persons now how soeuer you would iudge of your selues I thinke verely that I am no such therfore whereas before I dyd not so write Now I certifie you that I am Christes cōclude what ye wil the day shall come that you shall surely know that so it is albeit in meane season I be reputed a laughyng stoke in this world for I know in whom I trust and he can not deceaue me Then bryngeth he against me that I say we haue bene long secluded frō the Scripture and also that our fore fathers haue not had y t light of Gods word opened vnto them I maruell what Rastell meaneth by bryngyng this for his purpose for I thinke it no boastyng of my selfe but if ye thinke that it be vntrue I thinke he is very blynde For what Scripture hath the poore commons bene admitted vnto euen til this day It hath bene hid and locked vp in a straunge tounge and from them that haue attayned the knowledge of that toung hath it bene locked with a thousand false gloses of Antichristes makyng and innumerable lawes And where I say our forefathers haue not had the light of Gods worde opened vnto them I meane that they haue not the Scripture in their owne mother toung that they might haue conferred these iugglyng mistes with the light of Gods word as the processe of my wordes can testifie which he hath holy left out but I besech the Christē reader once to read the place for my discharge and his confusion ye shall finde it in the secōd leafe of my booke And now he alledgeth agaynst me that I should say this iudge Christen reader what reasons Rastell hath brought and how he hath soluted thē for in my minde both his reasons and solutions are so childish and vnsauery so vnlearned and baren so full of faultes and phantasies that I rather pitie the mans déepe ignoraunce and blyndnes which hath so deceiued him selfe through Philosophie and naturall reason then I feare that he by his vayne probations should allure any man to consent vnto hym I thinke Rastell layeth not this agaynst me because I boast my selfe in these wordes And verely as touchyng the truth of those woordes I will adde thus much more vnto thē that I neuer wyst man y t was coūted wise whiche hath brought so slender reasons except he entended to destroy a thing which ye séeme to haue build And finally where as I exhorte all men to iudge and conferre the Scriptures which Syr Thomas
me so vile a creature which thing I greatly bewayle and mine vnkindenesse tauseth me now thus to wéepe Wyth y t the Bishop departed and I trust learned to do thereafter And I beséeth God that we may so do and be the faythfull folowers of our Sauiour Christ Iesu to whom be prayse honour and glory for euer Amen A myrrour or lookyng glasse wherin you may beholde the Sacrament of Baptisme described Anno. M. D. xxxiij By me Iohn Frith COnsideryng the manifold lamentable errours wherewith not the ignoraunt people onely but also the learned as they séeme haue bene seduced long as touchyng the blessed Sacrament of Baptisme I thought it expedient therin to write my mynde Trustyng by that meanes to bryng agayn the blynde hartes of many vnto the right way and I doubt not but that the elect and chosē of God that know their shepheardes voyce and haue the spirite to iudge all thynges shall easely perceiue whether this be conformable to their masters voyce and shall hereby bee monished to leaue their wanderyng in the darke lothsome wayes which leade vnto death and to walke without stumblyng in the comfortable light which bringeth their consciences to rest such peace that passeth all vnderstandyng One errour is this They put so great confidence in the outward signe that without discretion they condēne the infantes whiche dye or they be Baptised vnto euer lastyng payne an other is this They cleaue so strongly vnto the weake ceremonies that they thinke if a dronken Priest leaue out a word as Volo say ye or Credo say ye or forget to put spittell or salt in y e childes mouth that y e child is not christened yea so much giue they thereunto the beggerly salt that they will say spill not the salt for it is our Christendome and vse also to sweare by it Saying by this salt that is my Christendome Alas what blyndnesse is this these two errours are the principall that I do entend at this tyme to confute For when they are fallen the other that are grounded on these must néedes decay First we must marke thrée thynges in euery Sacrament to be considered the signe the signification and the fayth whiche is geuen vnto the wordes of God The signe in Baptisme is the ploungyng downe in the materiall water and liftyng vp agayne by the whiche as by an outward badge we are knowen to be of the number of them which professe Christ to be theyr redemer and Sauiour This outward signe doth neither geue vs the spirite of God neither yet grace that is the fauour of God For if thorough the washyng in the water the spirite or grace were geuē then should it folow that who soeuer were baptised in water should receiue this precious gift but that is not so wherfore I must néedes conclude that this outward signe by any power or influence that it hath bryngeth not the spirite or fauour of God That euery man receiueth not this treasure in Baptisme it is euidēt for put the case that a Iew or an infidell should say that he dyd beleue beleued not in déede and vpō his wordes were baptised in déede for no man cā iudge what his hart is but we must receiue him vnto Baptisme if he confesse our fayth with his mouth albeit his hart be farre from thence this miscreant now thus Baptised hath receiued this outward signe and Sacrament aswell as the most faythfull man beleuyng Howbeit he neither receiueth the spirite of God neither yet any grace but rather condemnation Wherefore it is euident that the exterior signe giueth not this gift whiche is also as certaine in all other Sacramentes yea in the Sacrament of the altare whiche may be called a double Sacrament For it is not onely a remembraunce that the naturall body of Christe was broken and hys bloud shed for our redemption as the Euangelistes do testifie but also it is his spirituall body whiche is the congregation of the faythfull as S. Paul testifieth saying the bread which we breake is it not the partaking that is to say we that are partakers of the body of Christ For we sayth hée though we be many yet are we one bread one body But for all that the receiuyng of this Sacrament giueth vs not the spirite of God neither yet his fauor for the wicked receiueth it as well as y e good Howbeit that receiuyng is to theyr dānation Wherfore it foloweth that the outwarde signe giueth no mā any grace Moreouer if the spirite of God and his grace were bounde vnto the Sacramentes then where y e Sacramēts were ministred there must y e spirit of grace waite on and where they were not ministred shuld be neither spirit nor grace But that is false for Cornelius all his houshold receiued y e holy ghost before they were Baptised In so much that Peter sayd may any man forbyd that these should be baptised with water whiche haue receiued the holy ghost as well as we And so he commaunded them to be baptised in the name of the Lord here may we sée that as the spirite of God lighteth where he will neither is he boūde to any thing Yea and this example doth well declare vnto vs that the Sacramentes are geuen to be an outward witnesse vnto all the cōgregation of that grace whiche is geuen before priuatly vnto euery man So is Baptisme giuen before the congregation vnto hym which before he receiue it hath either professed the Religion of Christ or els hath the word of promise by the whiche promesse he is knowen to be of the sensible congregatiō of Christ and for this cause when we baptise one that is come vnto the age of discretiō we axe of hym whether he beleue if he aunswere yea and desire Baptisme then is he baptised so that we require faith in hym before he be baptised whiche is the gift of God and commeth of grace and so it is an outward signe of hys inuisible fayth whiche before was giuen hym of God If an infant be brought vnto baptisme whom his frendes offer vp willyng to sanctifie and fulfill the commaundement and ordinaunce of God we enquire of his frendes before the congregatiō whether they will that theyr child be baptised and when they haue aunswered yea thē receiueth he Baptisme Here also went before the promise of God that hee of his grace reputeth our infantes no lesse of the congregation then the infantes of the Hebrues and thorough Baptisme doth the congregation receiue him whiche was first receiued thorough grace of the promise thus may we sée that Baptisme bryngeth not grace but doth testifie vnto the congregation that he which is baptised had such grace geuen hym before so is Baptisme a Sacrament that is the signe of an holy thyng euē a token of the grace and frée mercy whiche was before geuen hym a visible example of inuisible
to hys Disciples the signe of his bloud 129 Christes body is neither materiall bread nor drinke 131 Christ hys body occupyeth one place onely 137 Christ as touchyng his Godhead is in all places 139 Christ his body is in one place onely 147 Christ is eaten with fayth and not with the teeth 157 Christ calleth hym selfe bread 159 Church cannot erre sayth Rochester 56 Contradictories cannot bee true 26 Corruption when it entred into the Church 116 CorinthiaÌ„s how they came togither to eate the Supper of the Lord. 162 D. DEath is terrible to all flesh 34 Dead persons can neither doe good nor euill 53 Doctours haue erred in many thynges 53 Doctours proue that there is bread in the Sacrament 165 Dippyng in water and liftyng vp agayne what it meaneth 93 E. EXample of the Alepolle 113 Epitome of Frithes booke of the Supper of the Lord. 164 F. FAyth in Christ is our righteousnes 28 Fayth is not procured by violence 57 Fayth is the gift of God 58 Fayth is the spirituall eatyng of Christ in the Sacrament 108 Fayth that saued our fathers the same now saueth vs. 109 Fayth eateth Christ ioyfully 143 Fayth in Christes bloud consecrateth the Sacrament 153 Faythfull and vnfaythfull doe not â—ate a lyke 161 False Antichristes 154 Feare maketh fayth no fayth 5â— Fier of Purgatory is of great force 50 Flesh may not reioyce in the gifts of nature but must feare and tremble 89 Flesh of Christ doth profite nothing and yet it doth profite 123. 140 Foundation of Frithes treatise of the Sacrament 108 Frith why hee wrote agaynst Purgatory 4 Frithes conclusion agaynst Rastals booke 32 Frithes aunswere to Syr Thomas More 32 Frithes iudgement vppon the booke of the Machabees 40 Frith and More doe not agree 42 Frithes opinion of Christes death read it for it is excellent 48 Frithes aunswere to the Byshop of Rochester 51 Frithes Bulwarke against Rastall 60 Frith a good player at the tennyce 62 Frith handleth Rastall gentely 63 Frith a true Martyr of Christ 65 Frithes aunswere to Rastals second chapter 66 Frith a good scholer 68. 69 Frithes aunswere to Rastals thyrde chapter 69 Frithes iudgement vppon Tracyes last will and testament 77 Frithes letter to the congregation 81 Frithes mirrour or glasse wherein a man may learne to know him selfe 83 Frithes mirrour or glasse wherein behold the efficacie of the Sacrament of Baptisme 90 Frithes auÌ„swere to Master Mores first booke of the Sacrament 107 Frith met with false brethren 114 Frithes offer to the Clergy 115 Frithes earnest zeale 115 Frith feareth not death 115 Frith is no hasty iudge 150 Frith hath great modestie 156 Frithes prayer 157 Frith doth playnly declare his doctrine is the Sacrament 168 G. GErmanes beleeue the presence of the body but worshyp it not 167 Glasse that representeth the face is not the face 146 God hath left vs two Purgatoryes 5 God is to bee honored of all creatures 13 God forgeueth our sinnes for Christes sake 14 God neither the better nor the worsse for our doynges 15 God can not bee agaynst hym selfe 48 God is sayd to bee almighty because there is no superiour power aboue hym that hee can doe all thynges that hee will 145 God is so vnited to the manhode of Christ that they make but one person 169 Gods honour consisteth not in our seruice 13 Gods word is the touchstone to trye all doctrine 53 Gods worde is the keye of knowledge 58 Gods spirite is not bounde to any place 91 Gods Church what it is 92 Good bad are of the seÌ„sible church 93 Gods Churche is without spot or wrincle 93 Godfathers and Godmothers and their charge 96 God cannot doe all thynges 142 Good woorkes are to bee done because God commaundeth them to bee done 28 Good workes are the frutes of fayth 74 Good workes doe mortifie our members 75 Good woorkes are profitable to our neighbour 75 Good giftes geuen to vs of God why they are geuen 85. 86 Goodnes is of God and all euill of our selues 83 Grace is the gift of God 76 H. HEauen and hell is expressed in the Scripture but no word of Purgatory 54 Hell there is none to them that are in Christ Iesu 72 Hell is ordeyned for such as feare not God 72 Heresie what it is 50 I. IEwes slayne for Idolatry 38. Institution of the SacrameÌ„t 157. 163. Iudas Machabeus beleueth the resurrection 39. Iudas Machabeus profitable to the Papes cleargie 39. Iustification freely excludeth purgatory 10. K. KEyes how they were geuen to Peter and Paule 58. L. LAwe of God and lawe of man doe greatly differ 19. Lazarus 20. M. MAn why hee was made 13. Manna was to the Iewes the same that the Sacrament is to vs. 110. 118. Maundy of remembraunce 159. Ministers must bee circumspect 96. Miracles how the true are tryed froÌ„ the false 154. More and Rochester cannot agree 30. 36. 56. Mores false and fond argument 33. More vnderstandeth not the Scripture 35. More proued to be an insipient 40. More a quarelling brabler 144. More a confused interpreter of the Scriptures 41. More a procter for purgatory 42. More a subtile Sophister 46. 137. More and his purgatory confuted and confounded 50. Mores Poetry 84. 137. More a trifeling mocker 120. More hath a chekmate 121. More pretely nipped 122. More a subtile Poet. 137. More an ignoraunt procter for the clergie 144. More daunsing naked in a net thinketh himselfe inuisible 84. More harpeth on a wroÌ„g string 148 More and Frith dispute two things 149. More a popishe and malicious tyrant 156. N. NAturall reason not mete to reason against Scripture 13. Nature teacheth vs that there is both bread and wine in the Sacrament 165. O. OBstinate persons 95. Oecolampadius dyed of a Canker 118. Opinion of Frith 164. 165. 166. Opinion of the Prelates 164. 165. 166. P. PAule prophesieth of the latter tymes 116. Papistes imagined a purgatory for themselues 5. Papistes corrupte the Scriptures 126. Papistes say that no promise or couenant ought to be kept with heretiques 155. Parables proue nothing 54. Paradise what Christ ment by that worde 138 Paschall Lambe compared with the Sacrament of Christes bodie 157 158. Philip his maner of Baptisme 95. Pope is mercilesse if there be a purgatory 6. Pope is the Deuils vicar 59. Pope selleth Christes merites for money 11. Pope is Antichrist 59. Prayers and good deedes how they helpe 49. Prayers for the dead are vayne 52. Prayers made by Iohn Frith 157. Purgatory pickepursse 17. Purgatory a phantasie of mannes imagination 17. 27. Purgatory on the earth 18. Purgatory there is none 21. 27. Purgatory is in many places 21. Purgatory can not feare vs from sinne 25. Purgatory is needlesse 29. 31. Purgatory quite excluded 45. Purgatory and pardons haue beene good marchaundise for the Pope and his clergie 58. R. RAstalles dialogues what they conteyned 7. Rastall followeth More 7. 8. Rastall clearely and quicklye confounded 8. 9. Rastalles lyes 13. 14. Rastalles
then are we the seruauntes of iustice So that if we truely haue that same fayth that iustifieth vs we shall desire to doe none other workes but those that belong to iustification not that the workes doe iustifie but that we must néedes do these workes as the very true frutes of iustificatioÌ„ and not as the cause of iustification And therfore those men that will doe no good workes because they be iustified onely by fayth bée not the childreÌ„ of God nor the children of iustificafition For the liuyng spirite of God is none authour of ilnes nor of sinne but hée crieth in our hartes Abbapater And of that is this a sure and an euident token for if they were the very true children of God they would bée the gladder to doe good workes because that they are iustified fréely Therfore should they also bée moued fréely to workes if it were for no other purpose nor profite but alonely to doe y e wil of their mercyfull God y e hath so fréely iustified theÌ„ and also to profite their neighbour whoÌ„ they are bound to serue of very true charitie Take an example here is a théefe that is condemned by right the law to bée hanged whom the kings grace of his mercy doth fréely deliuer from the gallowes and geueth him his pardon Now this théefe thus deliuered will not kéepe hym selfe a true man nor doe those workes that belong to a true man to doe but falleth agayne to stelyng because the kyng pardoned hym so fréely and reckeneth that the kyng is so mercyfull that hée will haÌ„g no théeues but deliuer them all of his mercy without their deseruing Now how thinke you wil y e king bée mercifull vnto this théefe when hée coÌ„meth againe to y e gallowes Nay truely for hée was not deliuered for that cause but for to kéepe hym selfe a true man Then commeth my Lord of Rochester and hée sayth that fayth doth begyn a iustification in vs but workes doe performe it and make it perfite I will recite his owne wordes Per fidem initiari dicitur iusticia solum non autem consummari nam consummata in sticia non aliter quam ex operibus natis in lucem editis acquirâ— potest opera consummatè iustificant Fides primum in choat c. What Christened man would thinke that a Byshop would thus trifle and play with Gods holy word Gods worde is so playne that no man can auoyde it how that fayth iustifieth alonely and now commeth my Lord of Rochester with a litle a â—ayne distinction inuented of his owne brayne without authoritie of Scripture and will clearely auoyde all Scriptures and all the whole disputation of S. Paule But my Lord say to me of your conscience how doe you recken to auoyde the vengeauÌ„ce of God sith you thus trifle despise Gods holy word Thinke you that this vayne distinctioÌ„ will bée alowed afore Iesus Christ for whose glorye wée doe coÌ„teÌ„de striue afore whom we doe handle this matter I doe thinke verely that your owne conscience doth sore accuse you for thus blasphemyng the holy worde of God Wherefore my Lord for Christes sake remember that you bée aged and shall not long tary here and these vayne distinctioÌ„s that you haue inuented to the pleasure of men and to the great peruertyng of Gods holy word shall bée to your euerlastyng damnation And at the lest wayes if you feare not y e terrible vengeauÌ„ce of God remeÌ„ber the shame of y e world thinke not that all men bée so mad and so vnlearned as for to bée deceiued by this triflyng distinction seyng that the worde of God is so playne agaynst it Doth not S. Paule say that our iustification is alonely of fayth not of workes How can you auoyde this same Non ex operibus Not of workes if that workes doe make iustification perfite then are not Saint Paules wordes true Also S. Paule sayth that we bée the childreÌ„ of God by fayth And if we bée the childreÌ„ we are also the heyres Now what imperfection finde you in childreÌ„ and in heyres ChristeÌ„ meÌ„ desire no more but this and all this haue they by fayth onely And will you say that fayth doth but begyn a iustification Beside that you know well that S. Paule doth proue in all the whole Epistles to the Romanes and also to the Galathians that fayth doth iustifie yea and that by contention agaynst workes Now how can you bryng in workes to make iustification perfect And S. Paule hath excluded them Moreouer why did not the Iewes against whose works S. Paule disputeth bryng in this distinction for theÌ„ Briefely what will you say to all the Doctours that I haue here recited which say that Sola fides onely fayth doth iustifie But doubtles if it were not to satisfie other men this distinction were not worthy an aunswere An other damnable reason is made that is an open a playne lye which is this Thou sayst that workes doe not iustifie nor yet helpe to iustification but fayth onely Ergo thou destroyest all good workes and wilt that no man shall worke well but alonely beléeue I auÌ„swere if there were any shame in men they might well bée ashamed of these open lyes Tell me one that is learned that euer did say or teach that men should doe no good workes Many there bée that say workes do not iustifie as S. Paule and all his scholers but no maÌ„ denyeth good workes But I marueile not at them for they doe but the workes of their father whiche was a lyer a murtherer from the begynnyng I pray you what coÌ„sequent is this after your owne Logike works doe not iustifie Ergo wee néede not to doe them but despise them for they bée of no valure Take a like consequent You say that the kinges grace doth not iustifie Ergo you despise him Ergo hée is no longer kyng Also the Sunne and Moone doe not iustifie Ergo you destroy them But such a damnable lye must S Paul néedes suffer wheÌ„ hée had proued that fayth onely did iustifie Then came your ouerthwarte fathers and sayd Ergo thou destroyest the law for thou teachest that it iustifieth not God forbid sayth S. Paule for we doe learne the very waye to fulfill the law that is faith whereby the law alonely is fulfilled and without the whiche all the workes of the law bée but sinne So doe we likewise teach the very true way wherby all good workes must be done As first a man by faith to bée iustified then a iust man must néedes doe good workes whiche afore were but sinne now bée all good yea his eatyng drinkyng sléeping are good But beside all these haue they certayne scriptures First of S. Iames whose wordes bee these Wilt thou vnderstand O thou vayne man that fayth without déedes is dead Was not Abraham our father iustified of his dedes When hée offered his soÌ„ne Isaac on the aulter
of thys bée their bagges so filled for such thinges as these bée will they bée rulers of the church as Deacons Archdeacons Byshoppes and Archbyshops c. My Lordes I had thought to haue added Cardinalles and Legates Abbottes and Pryors to haue made the company more holy but I ourst not How thinke you of whom doth hée speake when hée fayth Byshops and Archbyshops what holynes doth hée reprooue when hée spraketh of gorgious araye of harlottes deckyng of game players disguising of goulden spurres saddelles bridles If there were an C. that did vse it more then you yet must you néedes graunt that hée speaketh of you Hée passeth mée sore in condemning of your holy ornamentes for hee caulleth you the seruauntes of Antichrist and your holy ornamentes harlottes decking and game players disguising and hée saith that you are neyther the church nor of the church but the seruauntes of Antichrist how thinke you by S. Barnarde it is tyme to condemne hym for hée speaketh agaynst holy church and all her holy ornamentes thys dare I well say that if the best Christen man within the Realme should preach these wordes of Saint Barnarde you woulde not sticke to condemne hym for an beretike but you were wonte to call hym swéete Barnarde but mée thynketh that hée is soure inough in thys thynge Wherefore dispute the matter wyth hym that you may come into the Church and not wyth mée FINIS An other declaration of the Church wherein hee aunswereth to Maister More IN my first booke I dyd declare how that certayne men dyd take vppon them to bée counted of holy Church whose maners and lyuynges dyd nothyng agrée wyth holy church But after that commeth M. More and hée layeth to my charge that I counted all the spiritualtie to bée naught because hée would make my name somewhat odious vnto them But verely hée doth mée great wrōge for it was neuer my meanyng nor yet my saying But myne intent was to declare that neyther the Pope nor his colledge of Cardinalles nor yet all the Byshoppes in the worlde gathered togither did make holy Churche because of theyr names or else for theyr long gownes or for theyr shauen crownes or else annoynted fingers nor yet for any other exterior thynges that the worlde had in admiration But yet neuerthelesse I dyd graunt and also doe now confesse many good men to haue shauen crownes and also longe gownes But yet for these thyngs they were neuer the more of the church All the popes learning hath béene that hée and his hath béene y e church the which can not erre and all things that belong vnto them were called y e goods of holy church All lawes made by them were the lawes of holy Church They myght not bée conuēted before any temporall Prince because they were men of holy church They myght not bée hanged for murther because they were annoynted and of holy church Briefely there bée innumerable such thynges inuented of them to maynetayne and to defēde theyr holynesse and to proue that they bée holy Church the which thinges I thynke M. More can not denye And if hée woulde yet there bée a great many of bookes forth comming to proue my sentēce against him And also y e practise that hath béene vsed in y e worlde will testifie the same I thinke M. More nor yet any mā lyuyng dyd euer know in hys tyme that any man was iudged or taken to bée of the church but such men as I haue spoken of And I thynke thys name church was neuer named but it was taken specially and principally for those men that had shauen crownes and other lyke tokens Let mée bée reported to those men that bée alyue Now because I saw that these thynges were nothyng the cause of holy church nor yet belonged greatly to holy church therefore I say was I moued to declare what holy church was and who were thereof and by what signes and tokens men myght know her ¶ Now to declare this I brought certaine places of scripture to prooue that this worde Eccleasia was taken in scripture for the whole congregatiō both of good and bad But I sayd I would not greatly speake of that cōgregation for that was not it that could not erre of the which was mine intent to speake And I brought for me y e saying of S. Paule Christ hath geuen hym selfe for his Church that hée might sanctifie her and clense her in the fountaine of water through the worde of lyfe to make her to hym selfe a glorious church without spot or wrincle or any such thyng But that shée might bée holy and without blame To prooue that the Churche was clensed by Christ I brought the saying of S. Augustine for mée Of Christ is the church made fayre First was shée filthy in sinnes afterwarde by pardon and by grace was shée made fayre c. Moreouer to proue y e this church was made cleane by Christ and not by names or by clothyng or by any other exteriour thyng I brought for me y e saying of S. Iohn If y e sonne of God haue deliuered you then are you truely deliuered Also S. Paule You are washed you are sāctified you are iustified in y e name of Iesus Christ in the spirite of God But vnto these things doth M. More answere that I doe not well to exclude out of this Church bad mē for y e knowne church sayth hée standeth in a gathering togither of good mē and bad to prooue that hée bringeth in certeine parables of our Sauiour Christ To this I aunswere that I neuer denyed but that there was such a cōgregatiō of good and bad but I sayd that that was not y e very true church afore God though it beare the name of the Church and in very déede hys owne parables doth declare that our maister Christe shall at length géeue sentence agaynst them that call them selues falsely of the Churche Iudas was called an Apostle and taken so of all his company but yet our maister Christ calleth him the deuil Now if M. More will haue Iudas in hys Churche I must bee content that hée shall also betraye Christe The very trueth is that bad men bée mixt here in the Churche and after outwarde signes bée taken for members of the Churche specially if they bée not excommunicate But the Churche whiche I dyd speake of was not a felowship gathered togither in a cōsent of exteriour things and ceremonies as other politicke felowships bée But it is a felowshyp specially gathered in the vnitie of fayth hauyng the holy ghost within them to sanctifie their spirites whiche doth set their trust onely in the redemptiō promised thē in Christes blessed bloud This I say is the very true church of God let the worlde say what they will and let men call them selues as it pleaseth thē For as S. Paule saith hée that hath not the spirite of God is none of his Also M. Mores
guided of the spirit of God bée the childrē of God not they that lyue after their owne fleshe not they that lyue after theyr owne spirite not they that bée ledde of their owne spirite but as many as bée led of the spirite of God they bée the children of God But heare a man will say Ergo then are wée well ruled and we doe not rule I aunswere Thou both rulest and art ruled but then doest thou well rule if thou bée ruled of the good spirite Vtterly if thou want the spirite of God thou canst doe no good Thou doest truely without his helpe by thy fréewyll but it is but euill done Vnto y t is thy will apte which is cauled frée and by euell doeing is shée made a damnanable bonde seruant When I say without the helpe of God thou doest nothing I vnderstand by it no good thing for to doe euell thou hast frée will without the helpe of God though that bée no fréedome Wherefore you shall knowe that so doe you goodnes if the helping spirite bée your guider the whiche if it bée absent you can doe no good at all c. Mée thinke this saying is sufficient if men would beléeue S. Agustine Marke how hée sayth without the sprite of God we lye in synne let our spirit doe y e best hée can For they bée not the children of God y t are guided after their owne spirite but after the spirit of God For our spirite can doe no good at all but euell if the spirite doe not leade hym Where is now our bonum studium our bonus conatus and applicacio ad bonum For our spirite can doe nothing but euell and is of hym selfe but a damnable seruant What good can a damnable seruant doe of hym selfe So that here it is openly proued that the frée will of man of his owne strength and of his owne power con doe nothing but synne But now commeth the damnable reason and fleshly wisedome will dispute and say if our frée will cā doe no goodnes what néede God to commaunde so many good thinges what neede God to geue those cōmaundementes that he knoweth well bée impossible for vs And if they bée impossible what right is in hym that damneth vs for that thyng that is impossible for vs to doe I aunswere O thou blinde and presumptuous and damnable reasō where hast thou learned of any other creature to enquire a cause of thy makers will or els to murmour agaynst the ordināce of thy lyuyng God What hast thou to doe to require a cause of his actes Hée hath made thée without thy cōsēt and counsell may hée not set lawes and commaundementes to rule thée by at his pleasure without thy counsel thou art worthy of none aūswere thou art so presumptuous nor there is no godly aunswere that will satisfie thée Neuertheles I will stoppe thy blaspheming mouth by thine own wisedome to thy great shame Fyrst this thing must thou graunt mée that thy God is Essenciall goodnesse and is nothyng but goodnesse Wherefore hée can commaunde nothyng but that is good iuste and righteous Which thynges if thou doe not or bée not able to doe thy maker may not let his goodnes vndone because of thy naughtines or for thyne vnablenes And if thou bée not able to doe those good thynges that hée cōmaundeth thée there is no faulte in the commaunder nor yet in the commaundementes Wherfore then doost thou grudge agaynst hym wythout a cause But yet wilte thou murmure and say how that hée knoweth how they bée impossible for thée Truth that is hée knoweth it Then wylte thou say wherfore doth hée cōmaūde them to mée O thou presumptuous creature it were sufficiently aunswered to thée to say that it is his pleasure so to commaunde What couldest thou say more what occasiō haddest thou to murmure what wronge hast thou But I wil goe farther Thy maker knoweth that they bée impossible for for thée hée knoweth also thy damnable presumptuous pride that reckenest how thou canst doe all thynges that bée good of thyne owne strength wythout any other helpe And to subdue this presūptuous pryde of thine to bring thée to knowledge of thyne owne selfe hée hath géeuen thée hys commaundementes of the whiche thou canst not complayne for they bée both righteous and good And if thou complaine because they bée impossible for thée then consider thy dampnable pryde that thoughtest thy selfe so stronge that thou couldest doe all goodnesse But what wilt y ◠now doe These commaundementes bée géeuen and can not nor shall not bée chaunged to satisfie thy presūptuous pryde Wherof wylte thou now complayne Gods commaundementes bée reasonable they be good they bée righteous and they bée laudable shal all these things bée destroyed to satisfie thy pride nay not so But thou shalt rather remaine wyth all thy pride vnder the damnation of these commaundementes What sayest thou thereto Cāst thou auoyde this Cāst thou say but this is right Canst thou saue thy selfe from daunger Canst thou auoyde thy dāpnation by all thy carnall wysdome Nay verely For hée that is thy aduersary is omnipotent Wherefore say what thou wilte so must it bée for it is Gods ordinaunce which may not bée chaunged But now wilte thou aske what remedye no remedy but this onely to confesse thy weakenes to confesse thy pryde to knowledge thy vnablenes to graunt y t these cōmaundementes bée lawfull holy and good how thou art bounde to kéepe them and to geue laude and prayse to God for them to goe to thy mercyfull maker with this confession and to desire hym that hée will helpe thée that hée will bée mercyfull vnto thée that hée will strengthen thée for thou art to weake that hée will geue thée his spirite for thy spirite is to fleshly to fulfill these spirituall commaundementes and doubt thou not but thou shalt finde hym both mercyfull and also gracious for hée gaue thée these cōmaundements for that intent secretly declaryng both thy pride also thy weakenes that thou mightest séeke and call vnto hym for helpe This doth S. Augustine declare well in these wordes If man doe perceiue that in the commaundements is any thing impossible or els to hard let hym not remaine in hym selfe but let hym runne vnto God his helper the which hath geuen his commaundementes for that intent that our desire might bée styrred vp and that hée might geue helpe c. Marke S. Augustine sayth that the commaundemēts bée impossible vnto our strength but we must call to God for strength The Pelagians dyd recken that they had got a great victory whē they had made this carnall reason y t God would commaūde nothyng that was impossible Of this reasō did they glory and triumphe and thought that they must néedes haue some naturall strength and power to fulfill the commaundementes of God séeyng that God would commaunde nothing impossible to man Of this same reason doth my
Lorde of Rochester and all his scholers glory vnto this same day But let vs sée how S. Augustine aunswereth them The Pelagians sayth hée thinke that they know a wōderous thing when they say God will not commaunde that thyng the whiche hée knoweth is impossible for man to doe Euery mā knoweth this but therfore doth hée commaunde certeine thyngs that we can not doe because we might know what thyng we ought to aske of him Fayth is shée which by prayer obtaineth that thyng that the law commaundeth Briefely hée that sayeth If thou wilt thou mayest kéepe my commaūdementes In the same booke a litle after sayth Hée shall geue me kéeping in my mouth Playne it is that we may kéepe the commaundementes if we will but because our will is prepared of God of him it must bée asked that we may so much wil as wil suffice vs to doe thē Truth it is that we will whē we will but hée maketh vs to will that thyng that is good c. Here haue you playne that my Lord of Rochesters opinion and the Pelagiās is all one for they both doe agrée that the commaundementes of God bée not impossible to our natural strength But S. Augustine sayth they bée impossible And therefore bée they geuen that we should know our weakednes also aske strēgth to fulfill them For faith by prayer doth obteine strength to fulfil the impossible commaundementes of the law Here haue you also that God moueth vs and causeth vs to bée good willers geueth vs a good will for els we wold neuer will but euill Here is also to bée noted that y t Pelagians our Duns mē agrée all in one for they both say that y e grace of God doth helpe mās good purpose so that man doth first intende purpose well And as Duns sayth disposeth hym selfe by attriciō to receiue grace thē God doth helpeth hym But the truth is contrary for there is no good purpose in man no good disposition nor good intent but all is agaynst goodnes cleane cōtrary against all thing that agréeth with grace vntill that God of hys méere mercy commeth geueth grace chaungeth a mās will vnto grace and geueth hym will to will goodnes yea and that when hée thought nothing of goodnes but doth clearely resist all goodnes This doth S. Augustine proue in these wordes The Pelagians say y t they graunt how that grace doth help euery mans good purpose but not y ◠hée geueth the loue of vertue to hym that striueth agaynst it This thyng doe they say as though man of hym selfe without the helpe of God hath a good purpose and a good mynde vnto vertue by the whiche merite procedyng afore hée is worthy to bée holpen of the grace of God that foloweth after Doubtles that grace that foloweth doth helpe the good purpose of man but the good purpose should neuer haue beene if grace had not preceded And though that y t good study of man when it begynneth is holpen of grace yet dyd it neuer begyn without grace c. Here it is open that the Pelagiās graunt as much of grace as my Lord of Rochester doth and all his Duns men whiche learneth that man may haue a good purpose bonum studium and a good mynde a loue to grace of his owne naturall strēgth The Pelagians graunt euen the same But here you sée how Saint Augustine is cleare agaynst them But now let vs here M. Duns wordes A sinner may by the naturall and by the commō influence of God consider his sinnes as a thyng that hath offended God as a thing cōtrary to the law of God and letteth hym from reward bringeth hym to payne by this meanes may hée hate and abhore his sinne this calleth hée attriciō wherby there is a disposition sayth hée or a merite in a man of congruence to take away mortal sinne and this attrition is sufficient for a man that shall receiue the Sacramentes quod non ponat obicem that is that hée haue no mortall sinne actually in his will this is sufficient and also a necessary way to receiue grace c. This is ten tymes worse then the Pelagians sayinges for they graunt that man must néedes haue a speciall grace to performe his good purpose And M. Duns sayth that man may performe his attrition of his naturall power yea and this attrition of congruence is a disposition to take away mortall sinne without any speciall grace I pray you M. Duns of what congruence is it ▪ What hath attrition deserued that mortall sinne should bée taken awaye for his pleasure what hath hée deserued that grace must folow hym Infidels may haue this attrition for you graunt that it cōmeth of naturall strength and yet shall it not folowe of congruence that they inust receiue grace and also remissiō of their sinnes Also had not Iudas this attrition when hée sayd I haue sinned and was sory for his sinne also repēted him and knew well that hée had offended God and also deserued payne and was no more willyng I thinke so to doe and had all y t properties that belongeth to your attrition and yet sée how hée dyd deserue of congruence grace and remission of his sinnes Yea dyd not this attritiō bryng hym to extreme desperation Howe can a man without a speciall grace abhorre his sinne It is not possible but hée must loue sinne so longe as hée is the enemy of God yea hée woulde there were no God to punishe sinne such a pleasure hath hée vnto sinne This is the nature of our hartes and that doth euery one of vs féele though these men teacheth the contrary but I say to them the words of the Prophete redite ad cor preuaricatores grope in your bosomes there finde you the mortal enemy of God which neither careth for Gods displeasure nor yet for his sinne And you say that hée may haue a good attritiō of his naturall strēgth and if this attrition bée good then may hée doe good before grace so that we shall gather grapes of thornes and figges of briers But what sayth S. Paule to your good attrition He sayth that all thing without fayth is nothyng Is not this man a fleshly man and hath nothyng of the spirit of God for by your own learnyng hée hath but the commō influence and yet shall hée bée sory that hée hath offended God Shall hée abhorre his sinne Shall hée depose hym selfe of congruence to grace S. Paul sayth The flesh lusteth cōtrary to the spirite and the workes of the fleshe bée aduoultry fornication vnclennes idolatry witchcraft hatred wrath zeale sedition enuying with such other I pray you how doe these workes agrée with your attrition Call you this abhorryng of sinne Call you this heauines for offēdyng God Bée these good dispositions Bee these our good preparatiōs vnto God Thinke you that these workes doe deserue of congruence
and harder And the more y t word of God is preached the more obstinate are they and the more mischief intende they Then all their study then all their wisedome then all their labour then all their might then all their power then all their craft and subtiltie then all their frendes that they can make in heauen and in earth is nothyng els but to oppresse the word of God yea and they thinke all to litle for y t more it is preached the more they grudge and the woodder bée they After this maner was the hart of Pharao indurated whē that the word of God was declared vnto hym by Moyses hée had no grace to receiue it then the more that Moyses laboured in the worde the more sturdyer was hée in withstandyng of it and alwayes harder and harder This is also euidently séene in the corrupt nature of man for the more a thyng is forbydden hym the more desireth hée to doe it But what néede me to goe into Egypt to fetch an exāple to prooue this Looke of mine own countreymen if they bée not openly indurated and so blynded that no mā is able to defend them by any reason or law and therefore they take them selues to violence and oppression as Pharao dyd whiche bée the right signes and tokens of induration For the more y t word of God is preached and the veritie is declared vnto them the more sturdyer and obstinate bée they agaynst it And all theyr study all theyr wyttes all theyr counsels all their craft and mischief with all glosinges and lyinges and with blasphemyng of God hys preachers is nothyng els but to kéepe y t word of God vnder and to withstand that veritie which they know in their conscience must néedes goe foorth though all the world say nay And therfore will they heare no man nor reason with any man but euen say as Pharao dyd I will not let the people go◠But if they were not indurated the verye enemyes vnto the veritie they woulde at the lest wayes heare their poore brethrē of charitie know what they coulde say if they coulde prooue their saying to bée true then if they had y t loue of y e veritie as they haue but y e shadow they would geue inmortall thākes to god with great méekenes and with a low spirite receiue the heauenly verity and thanke their brethren hartely that they warned them of such a damnable way now in good tyme season But there is no loue to the veritie nor yet feare of God nor regarde to the daunger of their soules And why For they be children of induration and of blasphe my And therfore the more it is preached the more are they obstinate This is the verye induration that God worketh in mens hartes wherby they bée the children of darkenes Therefore let vs pray instantly to God to mollifie our hard harts for Christes deare bloud sake Amen That it is lawfull for all maner of men to read the holy Scripture HOw can Antichrist bée better knowen then by thys token that hée condemneth Scriptures and maketh it heresie and high treason against the kynges grace for lay men to reade holy scripture As though it were alonely a possession and an heritage of certayne men that bée marked alonely with exteriour signes and the truth to say wyth the token of the beaste as with shauē crownes long gownes and baners about their neckes They that haue these tokens bée the heyres of holy Scriptures and may reade it at their pleasure though they vnderstand as much as a Popingaye But holy Scripture that is sent vs from heauen yea and that by the sonne of God to destroy all heresies this holy scripture shall ingender in lay men heresie If this bée not the doctrine of Antichrist I know not hys doctrine Tell mée what can bée more contrary to Christ then by violence to oppresse the scriptures and to cōdemne them as vnlawfull yea and as heresie for certaine men to reade and to say that there bée certayne secrettes in them that belonge not for lay mē to know And that this thing shall not bée denyde for I know they bée slipper that I haue to doe wyth and there is no holde of them therefore wyll I recite an open acte that all the worlde doth remember My Lord of Londō opēly at Pauls crosse was not ashamed with intollerable blasphemes to condemne the holy testament of Christ Iesus hauing for hym but a damnable collour and and a deadly reason of the deuill that was how there were in the translation so many heresyes that all y t world knoweth that it was abhominable and a deadly lye though it were a lordly lye But such probations doth God all wayes let them haue that bée agaynst his holy veretye But let vs graunt that that translation was so false Why dyd not you there take vpon you openly for to amend it and to set forth truely the holy testament of Christ You must néedes graunt that there is an holy testament of his in earth except you will denye Christ as I doubt not but that you will in effect Wheare is it Why haue we it not If that weare not it Why doe not you set y t very true testament out You were ready to condemne an other mans faythfull labour and dilygence but you had no charytie to amende it You thinke alwayes to disceaue the world with your holy hypocrisy Men bée not so blinde but that they can well indge If you had condemned that testament all onely béecause of errours yet at y t least wayes you should both of charitie and also of dutye haue set forth the trew text and then would men haue thought y t you condemned the other by the reason of errours But men may now euydently sée y t you dyd not condemne it for errours sakes For how sholde they iudge errours that bée so vnlearned but all onely béecause that the veritie was there in y t which you could not abyde that men should knowe that dyd the processe of your sermon and also your tyranny that doth folow wil proue But my Lord I say to you and to all yours if you doe not amend it shall bée to your eueralsting damnacyon for God will not take this rebuke at your hand Remember that hée hath sworne by the mouth of hys Prophet by hys right hand and by the myght of his strength that hée wil defende this cause Bée not these lordly wordes of the eternall God think you to make hym forsworne Remember how the holy ghost threatyneth you in an other place saying if a man dyd dispise the lawe of Moses hée must without any mercy dye Howe much more are they worthy of punishment that doe treade the sonne of God vederneath their féete and despise the bloud of his testament How thinke you is not this openly agaynst you that condemne not all onely Christ
eate fishe for in tyme conuenient and when thou art disposed it is good but bycause that they will in this thyng bynde our consciences and make that thynge of necessitie that God had hath left frée Therfore speaketh Paule agaynst them in these wordes In the latter dayes certeine men shal swarue from the fayth applying them selues to the spirites of errours and doctrines of the deuill forbiddyng Mariage and to absteine from meates that God hath created to bée receiued of faythfull mē with thanks for all creatures of God bée good and nothyng to bée refused that is receiued with thākes Marke how Paule sayth nothyng is to bée refused that may bée receiued with thankes this is openly agaynst thē that will forbid either fish or flesh this day or that day as a thynge vnright for a Christē man to eate for as S. Paule sayth meate doth not commende vs vnto God Also in an other place the kyngdome of heauen is neither meate nor drinke Therfore they doe vnright to bynde our conscience in such thynges and to thinke vs vnfaythfull bycause we obserue thē not Now let our holy hypocrites of the Charter house looke on their cōsciēce whiche recken to buy and to sell heauē for a péece of fish or flesh but they recken it no vyce to lyue in hatred rākour and malice neither to serue God nor their neighbour but with such an hypocrites seruice as they haue inuēted of their own hypocrisie not receiued of God They thinke it a great perfection to absteine from béefe and mutton and to eate pike tenche gurnarde and all other costly fishes and that of the dentiest fashion dressed but a péece of grosse béefe may they not touche may they not smell for then they lose heauen and all the merites of Christes bloud Is not here a goodly fayned hypocrisie béefore the world it shynneth bryght but compare it vnto Christes Scripture and there can not bée a greater blasphemy For here in they clearely damned Christ and his ordinaunce make that of necessitie y e Christ left as indifferent Agaynst these holy hypocrites writeth S. Paule saying we ought not to be led with the traditiōs of men that say touche not tast not handle not which thyngs perish with vsing of them and are after the commaundements and doctrine of men whiche thynges haue the similitude of wisedome in superstitious holynes and hūblenes in that they spare not the body and doe the flesh no worshyp vnto his néede Here is clearely condemned all supersticiousnes and fayned holines that men haue inuented in eating or drinking in touching or in handling or in any other such thinges not that we may not doe them but that we doe them as thinges of necessitie and recken our selfe holy whē we doe thē and to synne deadly when we doe thē not This is by the dānable institutions of men The which S. Augustine condemneth in these wordes The Apostle sayth Touche not handell not c. Because that those men by such obseruations were led from the veritie by y ◠which they were made frée whereof it is spoken the veritie shall deliuer you It is a shame sayth hée and vnconuenient and farre from the noblenes of your libertie séeing you bée the body of Christ to bée disceaued with shadowes and to bée iudged as sinners if you dispise to obserue these things Wherfore let no mā ouercom you seing you are the body of Christ that will séeme to be meeke in hart in the holynes of Aungels and bringing in thinges which he hath not séene c. Here haue wée playnely that those thynges which bée of the inuention of man doe not bynde our conscience though they séeme to bée of neuer so great holynes and of humblenes and holynes of Angels as Paule sayth Wherefore let them make what statutes they will and as much holynes as they can deuise Inuent as much Gods seruice as they can thinke and lye that they haue receaued it frō heauen and that it is no lesse holynesse then Angels haue and set thereunto all their mandamus remandamus excōmunicamus sub pena excommunicationis maioris minoris Precipimus Interdicimus sub indignatione dei omnipotentis Apostolorū Petri Pauli ligamus with all other such blasphemies that they haue for doubtles if their bellies were ripped there should bée nothing found but blasphemes of God and of his holy word detractions oppressions Confusyons damnations of their poore brethren Other good haue we none of them let all Christen men aunswere to this of their conscience if it be not trew And yet are we frée in our conscience and all these can neyther bynd nor damne our conscience for we are frée made thorow Christ And in conscience nor bound vnder y e paine of deadly sinne to nothing that mā can order or set except it be conteined in holy scripture But in body we are bound to euery man This doth S. Augustine proue in these wordes Seing that we bée made of soule and of body as long as we doe liue in this temporall lyfe we must vse to the noryshing of this lyfe these tēporall goodes Therefore must we of that part that béelongeth to this lyfe bée subiect vnto powers that is vnto men that doe minister worldly things with some honour but as concerning that part wherby we beléeue in God and bée cauled vnto hys kingdome we ought not to bée subiect vnto any mā that will peruert that same thing in vs that hath pleased God to geue vs to eternall lyfe c. Here is it playne that we in conscience by Christ bée made frée nothyng can bynd vs vnto sinne but his word onely Now is it clearely open that if any power of heauen or earth commaunde any thyng against Gods worde or to the destruction or minishing of the same no mā may obey in any case vnder the payne of damnation for Gods veritie is not indifferent to bée lefte or not to bée lefte Agayne if man commaunde any thyng to bée done that may bée done in time and place conuenient if hée wll binde vs vnto indifferent thinges as vnto a thing of necessitie then shall wée not doe it not béecause it is euill to doe but that it is damnable to bée done as a thyng of necessitie Neuerthelesse if any of these thynges bée commaunded of the Byshops as burdens and as thinges indifferent then shall wée kéepe them in tyme and place conuenient as where I may by them serue my brother or edifie hym or doe him any good or that it may bée vnto hym any meanes to come to the verity neuerthelesse at an other tyme when I am in place conuenient where I shall not offende my brother nor ingender no sclaunder nor any disquietnes in the common wealth There may I fréely without any charge of conscience and without all maner of sinne breake the Byshops commaūdement For it is but as
tame his body that it may waite vpon God deceiueth hym selfe All our doynges must tende to the honour of God and loue of our neighbour This boke is a preachyng of fayth and loue Here thou mayest learne a right meditation or contemplation The workes of God are supernatural We must abstaine froÌ„ outward euill though not for loue yet for feare of the vengeance of God Vnto the law of god we may neither adde nor minish We are coÌ„maunded to abstayne from Images God is mercyful to them that repent Christ hath deliuered vs therfore we ought to serue him our neyghbour for his sake Loue onely to the fulfillyng of the lawes of God We must trust onely in God not in our selues Howe a maÌ„ may trye examine hym selfe how much he loueth God and his neighbour God styrreth vp his people vnto fayth A right way of prayer The pith effect of all y e lawes of God And if wee firste loue God then out of that loue wee must nedes loue our neighbour What it is to loue and feare God and what it is to despise hym The word of god may not be altered Let no maÌ„ draw vs from gods worde Of maters of the common weals None may be condemned vnder two witnessed Christ our sauiour declared in the old testament The curse and wrath of God ouer al those that break his lawes We may not be to curious in the searchyng of Gods secretes but rather study to vnderstand to do our duety towards god and our neighbour The Papistes kept the Scriptures from the lay people because they onely will be the publishers expositors therof The scripture hath a body and a soule The scripture contayneth iij. thinges The maner of hipocrites in reading the law of god The papisticall and corrupt doctrine of the papists Now the Papistes â—ring and wrest the scriptures God correcteth where he loueth God casteth none away but such as refuse to kept his lawes and will not harken vnto hys voyce Such as hardeÌ„ their hartes and not harken to the will of God to do it God casteth out The Prophetes of God bare the weakenes of their brethren their 〈◊〉 ries also with patience The Pope and his ministers are persecutors ouer their brethren The cruell opinioÌ„ that the disciples had of Christ The ignoraunce and imperfection of the apostles God doth mercifully try tempt vs to moue vs to vtter our hartes myndes towardes hym Ionas of himselfe was an vn mete messenger to be sent of such a message but god assisted him with his holy spirit The carnal imagination of mans nature without Gods spirite Ionas so long as he was in his carnall imagination could nâ—t abyde the voice of God but fled howbeit God called hym â—…ne Ionas flesh râ—belled agaynst the spirite The wicked seke to to coâ—er their wickednes with â—ope holy workes How Ionas was â—rapped made aâ—rayed Ionas beyng afrayd comesseth his sinnes Le ts howe they may be vsed law fully Miracle moueth the heathen to know god and to call vpon him As Ionas lay three dayes and iij. nightes in y t Whals Bely so Christ lay thre dayes and three nightes in the earth How christ sheweth his death resurrectioÌ„ by Ionas the Prophet Christ by the mouth of his Apostles preached repentaunce to the Iewes Where ther is no repeÌ„tauÌ„ce there God powreth out his vengeaunce Gildas a writer of y t Brittishe Chronicle Wicleffe a preacher of repenâ—â—nÌ„ce They slew Richard y t second They set vp Henry the fourth Henry the fift Henry the sixt Christ now preacheth repeÌ„taunce vnto vs. Ionas called vpon God out of the fishes belly The sacrifice that Ionas offereth vnto God The sacrifices of the olde lawe were ordeyned to put vs in remeÌ„braunce of the sacrifice of thankesgeuyng Ionas dyd that God commaunded hym Niniue was the greatest Citie in the world â–ª Christ is mercyfull to the that repent and call for mercy The doctrine of the Phariseis and the Papists make sinne of that is no sinne This is y â— doctrine of y t Papistes and hypocriticall monkes at this day The blynd and fruteles workes of the Papistes Papisticall sinnes Papistes taught theÌ„ selues and theyr workes withall crueltieÌ„ The false wicked doctrine of the Papistes Blinde and btpocritical doctrine The Phariseto set vp a righteousnes of workes to cleÌ„se their soules withall By the worldly fleship interpretations of the scriptures the Iewes hartes were hardened The heâ—â— then repented at the preachyng of Ionas A good and profitable example Note herâ— the great mercy of God The right maner how to read the Scripture All our deedes are made perfect in christes bloud All the promised made by God in Christ are made to theÌ„ that repent The two keyes that open aâ— the Scripture A very fruitfull good lesson How thou mayst at all tymes apply the stories of the Bible to thy great comfort The law must be fulfilled with the mercy that is in Christ In thy hart are the wordes of the law in thine hart are the promises and mercy of Christ Our sinne is of our selues but remission sorgeuenes therof commeth frely of the mercy of God for christes sake God hath no nede of our works but we must do theÌ„ for our selues and for the profite of our neighbors Christ hath satisfied for our sinnes as well after baptisme as before Baptisme Our actuall sinnes are washed away in Christes bloud The Zewes to this day ar locked out from the vnderstanding of the scriptures The right way into the vnderstanding of the Scritures Iaco. 1. The generall couenaunt that God hath made with vs. Lawe In these commaundemento is contayned tee whole law Where no good 〈…〉 are there the fayth is vayne What fayth it is that saueth Two thinges are required to be in a christian man What the nature of gods word is When we heare gods will and do it not then God withdraweth his mercy and fauour from vs. He that harkeneth to the word of God doth it the same shal be blessed in his deede What it is to build vppon â—and The vncleane spirit that returneth in worse sort theÌ„ he was when hee was cast forth Such 〈◊〉 are profes sours of the worde 〈◊〉 God and will not tame and scourge theÌ„ selues theÌ„ will God plague 〈◊〉 scourge Christes deedes â—et vs in the fauour of God our owne helpe vs to continue in his fauour Loue is the fulfilling of the law Faith is cause of loue God requireth mercie and not sacrifice Onely loue vnderstandeth the law Gospell New Testament Our workes extend no farther then to our neighbour Why Tyndall vsed this worde repeÌ„tauÌ„ce rather then penaunce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The foure partes of repentanÌ„ce What maner of satisfaction weâ— ought to make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why hee nameth theÌ„ Elders not priests William Tyndals Prologue vpon the Gospell of Marke The Prologue of W.
Tyndall vpon the Gospell of Luke The Prologue of W. Tyndall vpon the Gospell of Iohn The epistle to the Romaynes to the excellentest part of the new Testament Here you must note these wordes law sinne c. Law how it is to be vnderstand The law of God requireth the bottom of our hartes S. Paul was a great persecutor of the christians If we be not willing to do good then doth sinne raign in vs. No man can fulfill the law but Christ onely The pâ—â—e and perfect kepyng of the law is to do the â—aâ—e of 〈◊〉 〈…〉 but oâ— inward loue The law encreaseth sinne The law is spiritual The spirite of god maketh a maÌ„ spirituall The law is good righteous and holy Workes of the law the fulfilling of the law are two things By the workes of the law no man can be iustified As the law is spiritual so it must be fulfilled spiritually Where true fayth is there is the spirit of God Our iustification is by fayth in Christ Out of true fayth springeth all good workeâ— Oâ—synne Sinne what it is Sinne in y â— scripture is chiefly called vnbe liefe Grace how it is vnderstand in the scriptures Gift what it is God for Christes sake receaueth vs. There is no damnation to theÌ„ that are in Christ Faith what it is False and fained faith True faith is liuely Fayth is not idle The true definition of fayth Good workeâ— cannot be separate from true fayth Righteousnes how it is to be vnderstaÌ„d Flesh spirite what they are â—ow to vnderstand them How this word fleshe is to be vnderstand in the Scripture Increduâ—â—tie is the chief of all sinnes Fleshe is here well described What soâ—euer procedeth of faith is spirituall A necessary and profitable instruction for all preachers The maner of S. PauÌ„les doctrine Nature is so blinde that we caÌ„not see nor vnderstand the goodnes of God hys mercy shewed vnto vs in Christ Iesu hys â—owne S. Paule coÌ„demneth all hipocrisiâ— How S. Paul rebuketh hypocrites The difference betwene the Iewe the Gentile All men are sinners The waye howe wee must bee made righteous Faith obteineth the fulfillyng of the law S. Paule auÌ„swereth to the caueling question that our Papistes vse agaynst iustificatioÌ„ of faith onely Good workes are ouâ— ward signes of true fayth Wee are first iustified theÌ„ foloweth good workes Gods mercy moueth vs to fayth in his promises so that God in al things worketh our iustification Gods mercy saueth vs and not we our selues If we lack Abrahams fayth we cannot be Abrahams children Fayth onely receaueth the grace that coÌ„meth by Abraham The frutes workes of fayth Fayth before all workes iustifieth Good workes are the fruites of fayth Where true fayth is there are good workes Where fayth lacketh there is all euill workes As by â—â—aÌ„ came sinne so by Christ came saluation The principall work of faith and the battaile betwen the spirite and the flesh What it is not to be vnder the law What it is to be vnder the lawe The right fredome libertie froÌ„ sinne and from the law Example Our consciences bound and in daunger to the lawe by olde Adam so loÌ„g as he liueth in vs. The law requireth of vs that which we cannot pay The law doth vtter and declare what sinne is What wâ— may do of our selues and what we may not do Where feare and shame is away there all wickednes is committed The fleshe is contrary to the sprite The sprite lusteth contrary to the flesh There is no daunger to theÌ„ that are in Christ The right worke of fayth is to mortify the flesh Predestiâ—… cion is in the handes of God How farre we may proceede in predestination Predestinâ—tion is not rashly to be disputed of Which are good workes mete to be done Loue is y â— fulfilling of the law We must deale louingly with our weake brethren The weaknes of our brethren is to be considered In the epistle to the Romaines is conteyned a sufficient doctrine for a Christen man Beware of the traditious of men This epistle declareth it self Weake and yong consciences as to be stubborne for the last shal receiue the equall reward with the first Loue fulfilleth the law It is the parte of a good shepherd to veÌ„ture hys lyfe for hys sheepe tribulatioÌ„ for the Gospell sake maketh vs sure of eternall lyfe All that repent are iustified thorough saith by Christ and not by workes The law condeÌ„neth but the beleuyng of Gods promises iustifieth In sekyng any other satisfaction theÌ„ Christ we beceauâ— our selues Hereby are we warned that workes saue vs not but the word that is the promise Mannes righteousnes zeale or imagination without Gods worde is odious For fayth when it is preached bringeth y e spirite and power to fulfill the law Who so hath a pure fayth can not but abouÌ„d with good workes Not the receauyng of the Gospel but the coÌ„tinuaunce to the latter ende maketh vs blessed He meaneth therby lest they should fall from the worde they had already receaued PatieÌ„ce in persecution for Christs sake rewarded with y â— crowne of euerlasting ioy and felicitie Hereby haue we euident signes that the latter day is at hand The office of a bishop The Pope his Prelates are here playnly set forth for what Christ loosed freely the Pope did bynd it to lose it agayne for money Vertuous Byshops are worthy double honor Byshops must be vigilant in their vocationâ— This hath already ben fulfilled in our spiritualtie What maner a man a Byshop or Curate ought to be Good deedes please god so farre foorth as they are applied to the kepyng of the commaundements but Christ onely iustifieth Christ is all to a Christen man MeÌ„ ought to rule theyr wiues with godâ— word To watch is not onely to abstaine from slepe but also to auoyde all occasions that may drawe vs to sinne As god reioyceth not in the dede it selfe â–ª so doth he not in â—…dle faith without works Good workes are a shew of our fayth as the fruit is of the tree He prophesieth of the popes spiritualtie The condition of the worlde shall waxe worse and worse Where 〈◊〉 true fayth is there are also good workes Christes bloud purchaseth forgeuenes of sinnes and not mans workes Whether this were Paules epistle or no great learned men haue doubted Some deny it to haue bene written by anye Apostle and refuse it as not Catholike A solution of the former doubts This not to be denied to be Paules Epistle Mercy is locked vp from hym which wilfully yeldeth his body 〈◊〉 soule to sinne No place in the scripture so plainly describeth the significations figures of the olde testament as this epistle doth This epistle for that it agreeth with the rest of the scripture ought to be of equal authoritie with the other This epistle is to be taken as holy scripture The papistes alleage this text for their purpose thorough misunderstandyng the same Fayth only
iustifieth The cause why W. Tyndall put his name to some bokes left it out in some William Roye a falâ—e Disciple Ierome a brother of Grenewich 2. Timo. 2. 2. Timo. 3. 2. Thess 2. 2. Cor. 10. 1. Cor 3. Actes 6. Antechrist what it is Scribes Phariseis were very Antechristes The properties of Antechrist 2. Cor. 11. Antechrist hath bene among vs a loÌ„g tyme. Iohn 〈◊〉 Antechrist accompteth it treason to bee acquainted w t Christ Galâ— 4. Luke 16. Math. 2â—… 2. Timo. 3. 1. Cor. 1 â–ª and. 2. Roma 10 â–ª Faith onely iustifieth Roma 1. Faith bringeth lyfe The law bryngeth death 1. Cor. 3. Ephe. 2. The Gospell is the ministratioÌ„ of righteousnes Resiste the deuill with the shield of fayth Faith is y â— holy canâ—de wherewith we must blesse our selues at y â— last houre Roma 3. Roma 4. Fayth is accompted to vs for righteousnes Gal. 3. The children of fayth are the children of Abraham Gal. 2. Fayth only iustifieth vs. Math. 7. Mat. â—2 A principle taught by Christ Fayth beyng ioyned with the worde of God bringeth forth good fruit Acts. 15. The law cannot iustify vs. Gal. 3. Fayth in christes promises doth iustify vs. Christ is the store-house of mercy for vs. The definition of true fayth Faith that bringeth not forth fruite is but a dreame Mat. 9. Faith is the gift of God Ephe. 2. The spirite of God accompanieth Faith Fayth of her selfe bringeth forth good frutes that is good workes True fayth is not with out good workes True fayth and good workes are the gift of God and come not of our selues The difference betwene false fayth and right faith As the tree is knowen by his fruit â—o right fayth is knowen by her fruit Example The frutes of fayth A differeÌ„ce betwene true faith fained faith Rome 9. Backeward disputations The kindnes of God moueth vs to loue god Fayth onely maketh vs the sonnes and heires of God Faith possesseth the spirite of God Workes declare fayth and Gods goodnes Goddes grace is to be exercised in vs. Where true fayth is good workes folow Gene. 2. The outward righteousnes the inward righteousnes what they are Outward workes declare where true fayth is Good workes are witnesses for vs before God Math. vi vij Math. 10. We must of duety do good workes without hope of reward Fayth maketh vs the sonnes and children of God Roma 8. Gala. 4. Math. 7. Math. 19. They that seeke heauâ— for theyr workes are such as vnderstand not the treasures of Christ Math. v. As good workes naturally folow fayth So eternal life foloweth fayth good lyuyng As good workes folow faith So hell foloweth euil workes Of our selues we are the vessels of y â— wrath of God and the heyres of daÌ„natioÌ„ To beleue in Christ is saluatioÌ„ To seeke heauen by good workes were to derogate the dignitie of the bloud of Christ All that is good is purchased for vs by Christ Sainteâ— can â—ot helpe vs in to heauen Math. â—5 1. Pet. 4. How â—â—e may make frendes of the wycked Mammon To do good to such as 〈…〉 is â—…able Rom. 9. All our righteouscommeth â—â—â—ely from Christ Mammon what it is Esay 61. Prou. 3. Ephe. 5. The dayes are called euil because euill men vse them We are bound by the law of nature to helpe our needye neighbour The vnrighteous Stuard who it is Christ is the father of all righteousnes Math. 5. For Christes bloud sake onely through fayth God is at one with vs. Christes bloud onely putteth away all sinne We must follow 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 â—oâ—ng Math. 〈◊〉 We may not do good worken to be praysed of the world We must 〈◊〉 to our neighbour â—s God is to vs. 〈◊〉 seeke to be praysed of men Rom. 6. Faith 〈◊〉 lâ— in 〈◊〉 vs and no good â—…e can be done without Faith Good workes are the 〈◊〉 of Faith 〈…〉 〈◊〉 Act. 7. Luke 23. True righteousnes springeth out of Christes bloud True fasting what it 〈◊〉 No fleshe can fulfill the lawe We cannot deserue forgeuenes of God but he of hys mercy pardoneth vs. Mat. 〈◊〉 A true bestowing of almes In Christ we are all in all We must do good workes because it is Gods will that we should do them We must heare the word of God and 〈◊〉 1. Ceâ— 2. Christ is our onely Phisitian to heale 〈◊〉 deliuer vs of our sins Christ is our ankerhold to saluation A Prophet what hee is Math. 12. The absteinyng from sinne outwardly is but hypocrisie Math. 19. To beleue vnfaynedly in Christ is to kepe the coÌ„maundementes The law is spirituall and requireth the hart If the rich helpe not y â— poore in their nede they are but theues before god Math. 27. Faith casteth our deuils Faith fasteth Faith prayeth Math. 25. In Christes bloud we are blessed from y â— curse of the law Luke 7. The law condeÌ„neth The Gosspell coÌ„forteth maketh vs saâ—e Certaine phrases of spech expounded Iohn 4. Where perfect loue to God is there are all good workes Luke 10. What it is to loue god withall our hart c. The true vnderstandyng of a parable We must euer be ready to helpe our neighbour Iohn 3. Iohn 15. 1. Iohn 1. Workes that the Papistes called workes more then the lawe requireth Luke 10. Luke 12. Whatsoeuer we haue we receaue it of the mercy goodnes of God The great diuersitie maner of the speaking of the Scriptures The sayinges of the Scriptures may not be grossely vnderstaÌ„d The naturall man vnderstandeth not the thinges of God Rom. 8. Iohn 8. The scripture is nothing els but that which the spirit of God hath spoken By Faith in Christ we are brought to the state of saluation God worketh his owne will with all his creatures If we beleue in god we must put of the olde man his works Good workes what they are and to what ende they serue Fasting the true vse thereof true fasting what it is Supersticious fasting Supersticious watching True watching Prayer what it iâ— True prayer True prayer is not without faith charitie Math. 5. He that repenteth his sinne is no sinner before God How we should pray for our neighbour Rom. 9. Christ is our righteousnes Loue amoÌ„g Christen meÌ„ maketh all thynges common Mans ImaginatioÌ„ cannot alter the law of god neither make it more or lesse Almesâ— what it is 1. Pet. 1. 1. Iohn 〈◊〉 He that is mercyfull hath the spirite of God Rom. 〈◊〉 Loue seketh not her owne profite 2. Cor. 12. Christ is all in all thynges Euery one must care for their owne housholdes First looke to thyne owne houshold and then to the poore We must for christes sake shew our coÌ„passion charitie to all men so far as our habilitie will extend Good workes what they arâ— 2. Cor. 9. We must do good workes yet put no trust in them God is no accepter of persons but receaueth all that submit them selues vnto him Math. â—0 As all
fayth The Apostles did ordeâ—…e that we should absteine froÌ„ bloud meaning all natural bloud Actes 10. The wyne in the Sacrament is no naturall bloud Obiection Solution To pull downe violently the kynges armes is treason agaynst hys owne person and yet the armes are not the kinges person To be negligent in the hearyng of the word of God is a great offeÌ„ce M. More Frith M. More is a quarelyng brabler M. More an ignorauÌ„t proctor for the Clergy God is almighty and yet cannot doe all thynges 2. Timo. 2. God is said to bee almighty because there is no supenour power aboue hym and he can do all that he wil. M. More Frith Iohn 8. 2. Cor. 3. Roma 6. Aug. de spiritu litera The articles in our Creede are as many as are necessary for our saluation M. More Frith The glasse that representeth the face is not the face The body of Christ is no more in the Sacrament then my face is in the glasse Christes deathe and body breakyng is knowen by the Sacrament yet it is not the naturall body of Christ M. More Frith Frith speaketh merâ—ly M. More Frith Astronomers say that the naturall course of the Sunne is from the West to the East A conclusioÌ„ agaynst the Astronomers Mark 14. Luke 16. Iohn 11. Christes body is in one place onely M. More Frith What soeuer the Papistes say that must stand for reason M. More Frith More harpeth vppon a false string More saith that God may do all thyngs but he doth not proue that he hath so done M. More Frith Two thinges disputed betwen More and Frith More Frith Iohn 15. Christes badge is loue That the sacrament is the naturall body is none article of our fayth necessary to be beleued vpon payne of damnation Superstition More Frith A man may iudge of error but God onely must be iudge of condemnation Frith is no hasty iudge More Frith To honor and worship the sacrament is plaine idolatry The olde holy fathers haue not taught to worship the sacrament Note ☜ More Frith Martin Luther sayth y t the natural body of Christ is present in y e sacrameÌ„t but he wold not haue it worshipped More Frith A meane how we may receaue y e sacrament according to Christes institution though the minister be negligent The worthy receauer of the sacrament may consecrate the same to him selfe M. More Frith M. More Frith The right consecratioÌ„ to hym that receaueth the Sacrament is fayth in Christes death The Popish consecration in Latine is not worth a rish The Byshops and their proctour can not tell what a blessyng meaneth ☜ Blessyng what it is M. More Frith Math. 24. 〈◊〉 Thess 2. Deutro 13. Actes 24. How you may iudge true miracles from false Math. 4. False Ante christes Actes 4. Actes 12. M. More Frith ☜ The Sacrament may not be worshypped The Papistes say that no promise nor couenaunt is to be kept with an hereticke More was fully addict to the mind of the Prelates and to kill and burne as fast as they More a Popish and a malicious tyraunt The condition conteined in Barnes safe coÌ„duite No promise nor licence made to heretickes by the kyng without the consent of our Prelates is to be kept and obserued M. More Frith The modesty meeke spirite of Iohn Frith Christes body is to be eaten with fayth not with the teeth A prayer made by Iohn â–ª Frith to be sayd before the receauyng of the Communion A godly good prayer The Paschall lambe and our sacrament coÌ„pared togither 1. Cor. 5. The maner of the eatyng of the Paschal lambe The maner of the institution of the Sacrament Iohn 16. The institution of the Sacrament The comparison of the Paschall lambe with Christes Supper The mauÌ„dy of remeÌ„brauÌ„ce that Paule receaued of the Lord deliuered to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 10. God hath ordeyned all meates to be indifferent Paule ☜ Christ called hym self bread and Paule calleth vs bread How the wordes of S. Paule are to bee vnderstaÌ„d Why the bread is called our body We must vnderstand the Sacrament spiritually or els we receaue it not to our comfort Paule The Gentiles offered theyr meate to Idolies To drynke of the cup of the Lord to drinke of the cup of the deuill how it is to be vnderstand A proper example The enemyes of Christ can not reioyce in Christes bloud shedding The faythfull and vnfaythfull do not eate alike 1. Cor. 8. 1. Iohn 3. The vnfaythfull and wicked eate their owne damnation 1. Cor. 11. The true eating of the Sacrament is the spirituall eating of the same Luke 22. The maner of the comming of the Corinthians together Why Christ did institute the Sacrament The sacrament was ordained to feede our soules and not our bodyes The worthy and vnworthy eating of Christes body What it is to proue examine a mans owne selfe The meaning of S. Paules formet wordes An Epitome of this whole booke The opinioÌ„ of the Prelates The opinioÌ„ of Frith 1. Cor. 1â—… 1. Cor. 11. Actes 2. Math. 26. Marke 14. Luke 22. Nature teacheth that there is both bread and wyne in the Sacrament The olde Doctours proue that there is bread in the SacrameÌ„t Gelasius in concilio Ro. The fayth of the Prelates The opinioÌ„ of Iohn Frith Iohn 6 â–ª August in serm de sacra fe passchâ— Beda Aug. de Ciuitate Dei in libro 21. Cap. 25. The wicked eate not Christes body Iohn 6. Onely the faythfull do eate Christes body and drinke his bloud The fayth of the Prelates The opinioÌ„ of Frith Ierem. 27. The ministration of the Sacrament doth lyuely expresse the death and passion of Christ The Sament beside the substaunce of of bread is Christes body and bloud They dishonour the SacrameÌ„t that geue it that honour that is due vnto God Frith here sheweth what hee thinketh of the Sacrament The Godhead is so ioyned with the maÌ„hode of Christ that they both make but one person August Of Baptisme Augustinus ad Bonifacium The first article The second article An other question An aunswere S. Augustines text Chrisostomus Chrisostomes wordes The exposition of S. Chrisosto text The true meaning of Chriso stomes wordes Solution Conclusion Beholde the cause of mi deathe Note Three causes Doct. Barnes a bolisher of barbarisme a founder of learning and a light of the trueth A wittie and pleasaunt deuise to escape the crueltie of tyrantes Stephen Gardyner the author of mischiefe and decay of religion in England The complaynt of Doctour Barnes made to K. Henry the viij agaynst the Lordly Byshops Prelates of EnglaÌ„d The tyrannous gouerment of the Byshops of England In the Byshops court no man can be founde Innocent What soeuer is not agaynst the Clergye thoughe the same be neuer so wicked yet finde they no fault therewith In vi Cap. Quo. in ver 〈◊〉 Papa Dist xl Ca. Si Papa Whosoeuer speake agaynst or preache agaynst any of their abuses and abhominations her
de verbis Apostoli s 〈◊〉 The church of God is the treasures of God without spotte or wrinkle That which is of fayth can neither bee seene nor felt The true holynes that is of our right holye mother the Church 1. Iohn 2. Iohn 15. De con D. D. 4. c. prima igitur 1. Iohn 2. De pâ—ne Dis 2. Si in glossa 24. q. 1. Arecta in Glossa The faythfull congregation can not erre The voyce of murtherers and theeues A rule that Rochester teacheth to know the difference betweene y â— Pope and Councell The Councell erreth if the Pope agree not to their do ynges Popes haue erred Popes condemned for heretickes 3. King 2. 3. King 18. The litle flocke is y e flocke of Christ De electio c. significa The Councell of Meldelci dyd erre A generall Councell is not the vniuersall Churche Augustinus de bap li. 2. c. 3 contra Donatistas Councels haue erred and many erre The holy scriptures are the iudges of the Councels doings Math. 10. There are perticular Churches to whome wee may complayne 24. q. 3. Si. quis et c. cuÌ„ aliquis The communion felowship of Saintes is the vniuersall Church How a maÌ„ may know the church An example teaching how y e true church may be knowne Esay 55. Roma 10. Actes 10. 1. Thess 2. Good workes are the fruite of good fayth Charitie may be deceaued but fayth can neuer bee deceaued A saying of Chrisostome Chrisostome sendeth vs to scriptures to learne which is the holy Church not vnto them that call themselues y e holy church Ephe. 2. The holy Church is builte and founded vpon the Apostles Prophets Augustinus The true Church is a sufferer and no persecutor 2. Tim. 3. The Popes church are persecutors but no sufferers The glory of the Popes churche is in trash Hilarius cont Arianos Barnardus super can s 33. Note here the saying of Saint Barnard S. Barnard greatly reproueth the insaciable pride of the Popes Church xiiij quest i c. QuodeuÌ„que in verbo Reconciliat M. More would haue vs to thinke there is none other holy church but y e Pope and his Cardinals and Byshops c. Epes 5. Aug. de ver bis Domini serm l. Iohn 6. 1. Cor. 6. Now euill men be in the church What the very true church is Roma 〈◊〉 Homo mortuus non est homo Ephes 5. M. More layeth many thynges to me wroÌ„g fully Aug. Serm. 99. de tempore Lyra in Mar. ca. xix De verbo Apost ser xxix Anotable saying of S. Augustine De coâ—se D. iiij c. Igitur xxiiij q. i. Arâ—cta in glosa De electio c Significal 1. The counsell of Weldâ—us did erre Au. de Bapt. li. 2 cap. 3. The full counsels may erre How a man may knowe the church The church suffereth Chris in opere Im ê‘secto By scriptures men may know the veritie Hila. contra Arrianos Barn suê‘caÌ„ serm 33. The true church of Christ staÌ„deth onely in them that are good men 1. Tim. 4. The keyes of y e church is the openyng of Christ and the loosing of vs from sinne Psal 80. Scâ—tus 4. sent di 18. How DuÌ„s interpreteth the keyes Nicho. de orbel di vs supra Hiero. in M. c. 16. The saying of S. Hierome vppon the keyes Scotus 4. sen dist 15. Quest 1. August ser 2. de sane The nature property of the keyes of heauen Roma 10. Psal 118. Ibidem 1. Cor. 14. 2. Tim. 1. Psal 118. All thinges shal perish but y â— word of God endureth for euer Hebr. 4. Roma 3. What power it is that the Priest hath The word of God is the true keye that openeth loseth Math. 6. Acte 2. The true maner of losyng and byndyng of openyng and shottyng Math. 10. The hearyng of the worde of God and beleuyng the same loseth vs from our sinnes Mark 6. Actes 18. Iohn 20. Luke 24. Luke 24. Preachyng of the word of God is losing from sinne Actes 17. How the worde of God byndeth how it loseth 2. Cor. 2. 1. Cor. 1. The worde of God is remission of sinne if it bee beleeued when it is preached Hebr. 6. By preaching of the worde of God heaueÌ„ is opened and shut Chriso in M. c. 15. De doctr christi li. 1. c. 15. es 18. Augustine in Ioan Trac 124. 24. q. 1. QuodcuÌ„que Origenes Super. M. Ho. 1. The church is builded vpoÌ„ the confession of all the Apostles and of all faithfull people Super Ioan Trac 124. c. 21. Preachers if they abuse their preaching maye bee deposed 1. Cor. 14. 1. Cor. 4. Item 3. 1. Pet. 5. The ministers of the Churche ought to be no Lordes In M. c. 23. li. de Cain et Abell The Byshops and cleargie abuse Christes keyes The false allegyng of fathers and Councels is the next way to deceaue the Churche of God Psal 1. Blessed are they whose meditation is in the law of God An exaÌ„ple The ministration of the Church belongeth to the Byshops other ministers but the authoritie of the same belongeth to Christ An other example The doctrine and true preaching of the worde of God is the pardon and remission of our sins The authoritie of the churche belongeth to Christ onely Luke 7. August lib. Quinquaginta home liarum be 23. The popes Clergy is condemned by S. Austen to bee heretickes Money is the Popes best marchaunt Shamefull doyngs must bee shamefully rebuked The Pope selleth God and all his ordinauÌ„ces The Pope will not folow nor obey to Christes commauÌ„demeÌ„t for hee biddeth hym loose The Pope selleth hys ware very deare Math. 10. 1. Cor. 9. Hierome Chrisosto ad Ti. 5. S. Chrisostome is very straight to byshops and the rest of the Clergye Chri. s 6. de anathemate Byshops compared to popets and stage players Math. 26. Luke 11. A sore sentence of Christ agaynst vnpreachyng Prelates In what thinges we haue free-will and in what none Iohn 15. The frutes of freewill Freewill without gods grace can doe nothyng that is good Bona intentio Super Ioannem tract lxxi DuÌ„ces doctrine ouerthrowen 2. Cor. 3. We of our selues as of our selues can not doâ— so much as thinke a good thought Barnarde lib. arbit Math. 7. Math 12. Mans free-will without Gods grace can doe nothing that is good Roma â–ª 3. In Enche 〈◊〉 â—9 Man by vsâ—ig of his freewill euill did lose both hymselfe his freewill De â—erbis apost â–ª ser 11. Mans free-will caÌ„ doe nothing but sinne Roma 8. MaÌ„s fleshly wisdome is enemy to God Duns Marke 7. Roma 8. De verbis Domini ser xv Freewill without grace is sinne Roma 8. De verbis Apost â—…ij We can doe nothyng that is good without the spirite of God Who are y t children of God Bonus conatus verstum de congruâ— Fleshly carnall reason reasoneth frowardly and crookedly As God is nothynge but goodnes so can hee commaunde nothyng but that which is good Why God hath
eÌ„nsample Mary that annoynted Christes feete Luke 7. When SimoÌ„ which bad Christ to his house had condemned her Christe defeÌ„ded her and iustified her saying Simon I haue a certayne thyng to say vnto thee And he sayd maister say on There was a certayne lender whiche had two detters the one ought v. C. pence and the other fiftie When they had nothing to pay he forgaue bothe Which of them tell me will loue hym most Simon aunswered and sayd I suppose that he to whome he forgaue most And he said to him thou hast truly iudged And he turned him to y â— womaÌ„ and sayd vnto Simon Seest thou this womaÌ„ I entred into thine house and thou gauest me no water to my fete but she hath washed my feet with teares wypte them with the heares of her head Thou gauest me no kisse but she since the tyme I came in hath not ceased to kisse my feete My heade with oyle thou haste not annoynted And she hath annointed my feete with costly and precious oyntment Wherfore I say vnto thee many sinnes are forgeuen her for she loueth much To whom lesse is forgeuen the same doth loue lesse c. Hereby see we that dedes and works are but outward signes of of the inward grace of the bounteous and plenteous mercy of God frely receyued without all merites of deedes ye and before all dedes Christ teacheth to know the inwarâ— fayth and loue by the outward deedes Deedes are the fruites of loue and loue is the fruit of fayth Loue and also the deedes are great or smal according to the proportion of fayth Where fayth is mighty strong there is loue feruent and dedes plenteous and done with excedyng mekenes Where fayth is weake there is loue cold the dedes few seldom beare flowers blossomes in winter Symon beleued and had fayth yet but weakly according to the proportion of his fayth loued coldly and had dedes therafter he had Christ vnto a simple and a bare feast onely receaued him not with any great humanitie But Mary had a strong fayth and therfore burning loue notable dedes done with excedyng profound depe mekenes On the one side she saw her selfe clearely in the law both in what daunger she was in her cruell bondage vnder sinne her horrible damnation and also the feareful sentence and iudgement of God vpon sinners On the other side she heard the Gospell of Christ preached and in the promises she saw with egles eyes the excedyng aboundant mercy of God that passeth all vtteraunce of spech whiche is set foorth in Christ for all meke sinners whiche knowledge their sinnes And she beleued the word of God mightyly and glorified God ouer his mercy and truth and beyng ouercome and ouerwhelmed with y t vnspeakeable yea and incomprehensible aboundat riches of the kyndnes of God did enflame burne in loue yea was so swolne in loue that she could not abide nor hold but must breake out and was so droÌ„ke in loue that she regarded nothyng but euen to vtter the feruent and burnyng loue of her hart onely She had no respect to her selfe though she was neuer so great and notable a sinner neither to the curious hipocrisie of the Phariseis whiche euer disdaine weake sinners neither the costlines of her oyntment but with all humblenes did run vnto his feete Washed them with the teares of her eyes and wyped them with the heares of her head anoynted them with her precious oyntment yea and would no doubt haue runne into the grouÌ„d vnder his feete to haue vttered her loue toward hym yea would haue descended downe into hell if it had bene possible Euen as Paul in the ix Chapter of his Epistle to the Romaines was dronke in loue and ouerwhelmed with the pleÌ„teousnes of the infinite mercy of god which he had receaued in Christe vnsought for wished hym selfe banished from Christ and damned to saue y t Iewes if it might haue ben For as a man feeleth God in hym selfe so is he to hys neighbour Marke an other thyng also We for the most part because of our grossenes in all our knowledge procede froÌ„ that whiche is last and hiâ—â—ost vnto that which is first begynnyng at the latter end disputyng and makyng our argumentes backeward We begyn at the effect and worke and procede vnto the naturall cause As for an ensample we first see the Moone darke and then search the cause and find that the puttyng of the earth betwene the Sunne and the Moone is the naturall cause of the darknes and that the earth stoppeth the light Then dispute we backeward saying the Moone is darkned therfore is the earth directly betwene the Sunne and the Moone Now yet is not the darkenes of the Moone the naturall cause that the earth is betwen the Sunne and the Moone but the effect therof and cause declaratiue declaryng and leadyng vs vnto the knowledge how that the earth is betwene the Sunne and the Moone directly causeth the darknes stopping the light of the Sunne from the Moone And contrarywyse the beyng of the earth directly betwene the Sunne and the Moone is the naturall cause of y t darknes Likewise he hath a sonne therfore is he a father and yet the soone is not cause of the father but contrarywise Notwithstandyng y t sonne is the cause declaratiue wherby we know that the other is a father After the same maner here many sinnes are forgeuen her for she loueth much thou mayst not vnderstand by the word for that loue is the naturall cause of the forgeuyng of sinnes but declareth it onely and contrarywise the forgiuenesse of sinnes is the naturall cause of loue The workes declare loue And loue declareth that there is some benefite kindnes shewed or els would there bee no loue Why woorketh one and an other not Or one more then an other Because that one loueth and the other not or that the one loueth more then the other Why loueth one an other not or one more theÌ„ an other Because that one feeleth y â— exceding loue of god in his hart an other not or that one feeleth it more theÌ„ an other Scripture speaketh after y e most grossest maner Be diligent therfore that thou be not deceaued with curiousnes For meÌ„ of no small reputation haue bene deceaued with their owne sophistry Hereby now seest thou that there is great difference betwene beyng righteous and good in a mans selfe declaryng and vtteryng righteousnes and goodnes The fayth onely maketh a man safe good righteous and the frend of GOD yea and the sonne and the heyre of GOD and of all hys goodnes possesseth vs with the spirite of God The worke declareth the selfe fayth and goodnes Now vseth the Scripture the common maner of speakyng and the very same that is among the people As when a father sayth to his child go belouing mercyfull
but pure sinne and of Christ grace onely which are out of measure contrary But the similitude or likenes standeth in the originall byrth and not in the vertue vice of the byrth So that as Adam is father of all sinne so is Christ father of all righteousnes And as all sinners spryng of Adam EueÌ„ so all righteous men and women spryng of Christ After the same maner is here the vnrighteous stuard an ensample vnto vs in his wisedome and diligence onely in that he prouided so wisely for him self that we with righteousnes should be as diligeÌ„t to prouide for our soules as he with vnrighteousnes prouided for hys body Likewise mayst thou soyle all other textes which sound as though it were betwene vs and GOD as it is in the world where the reward is more looked vpon then the labour yea where men hate the labour and worke falssy with the body and not with the hart and no longer then they are loked vppon that the labour may appeare outward onely WHen Christ sayth Math. v. Blessed are ye wheÌ„ they rayle on you and persecute you and say all maner euill sayinges agaynst you and yet lye and that for my sake reioyse be glad for your reward is great in heauen Thou mayest not imagine that our deedes deserue the ioy and glorie that shal be geuen vnto vs. For then Paul saith Rom. xi fauour were not fauor I caÌ„ not receaue it of fauour of the bounteous of God freely and by deseruyng of deedes also But beleue as the Gospell glad tydynges promises of God say vnto thee that for Christes bloudes sake onely through fayth God is at one with thee and thou receaued to mercy and art become the sonne of God and heire annexed with with Christ of al the goodnes of God the earnest wherof is the spirite of god poured into our hartes Of whiche thynges the deedes are witnesses and certifie our consciences that our fayth is vnfayned and that the right spirite of God is in vs. For if I patieÌ„tly suffer aduersitie and tribulation for conscience of God onely that is to say because I know GOD and testifie the truth then am I sure that God hath chosen me in Christ and for Christes sake and hath put in me his spirite as an earnest of his promises whose workyng I feele in myne hart the deedes bearyng witnes vnto the same Now is it Christes bloud only that deserued all the promises of God that which I suffer and do is partely the curyng healyng and mortifiyng of my members and killing of that originall poyson wherwith I was conceiued and borne that I might be altogether like Christ and partly the doyng of my dutie to my neighbour whose debter I am of all that I haue receiued of God to draw him to Christ with al suffring with all patience and euen with sheading my bloud for him not as an offering or merite for hys sinnes but as an ensample to prouoke hym Christes bloud onely putteth away all the sinne that euer was is or shal be from them that are elect and repent beleuyng the Gospell that is to say gods promises in Christ AGayn in the same 5. chapter loue your ennemies blesse them that curse you doe well to them that hate you and persecute you that ye may be the sonnes of your father whiche is in heaueÌ„ For he maketh his sunne shine vpon euill on good and sendeth his rayne vpon iust and vniust Not that our woorkes make vs the sonnes of God but testifie onely and certifie our consciences that we are the sonnes of God and that God hath chosen vs washed vs in christes bloud and hath put his spirite in vs. And it foloweth if ye loue them that loue you what reward haue ye do not the Publicanes euen the same and if ye shall haue fauour to your frendes onely what singuler thing do ye doe not the Publicanes euen the same ye shal be perfect therefore as your father whiche is in heauen is perfect That is to say if that ye do nothing but that the world doth and they which haue the spirite of the world wherby shall ye know that ye are the sonnes of God and beloued of God more then the world But and if ye counterfet and follow God in well doyng then no doubt it is a signe that the spirite of God is in you and also the fauour of God which is not in the world and that ye are inheritoures of all the promises of God and elect vnto the fellowship of the bloud of Christ ALso Math 6. Take heede to your almes that ye do iâ— not in the sight of men to the eutenâ— that ye would be sâ—ne of them or els haue ye no reward with your father which is in heauen Neither cause a truÌ„pet to be blowen afore thee wheÌ„ thou doost thine almes as the hipocrites do in the sinagoges and in the streetes to be glorified of the worlde but when thou doost thine almes â—et not thy lefte hande knowe what thy right hand doth y â— thy almes may be in secret and thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly This putteth vs in remembraunce of our duetie and sheweth what followeth good workes not that works deserue it but that the reward is layd vp for vs in store and we thereunto elect through Christes bloud which the workes testify For if we be worldlye minded and do our works as y â— world doth how shall we know that GOD hath chosen vs out of the world But if we worke freely without all maner worldly respect to shew mercy and to do our duetie to our neighbour and to be vnto him as God is to vs then are we sure y t the fauour mercy of God is vpon vs that we shal enioy all the good promises of god through Christ which hath made vs heyres thereof ALso in the same chapter it followeth When thou prayest be not as the hipocrites which loue to stand and pray in the sinagoges and in the corners of the streetes for to bee sene of men But when thou prayest enter into thy chamber and shut thy dore to praye to thy father which is in secrete and thy father whiche seeth in secrete shal reward thee openly And likewise when we fast teacheth Christe in the same place that we should behaue our selues that it appeare not vnto men how that we fast but vnto our father which is in secret our father which seeth in secret shall reward vs openly These two textes do but declare what followeth good woorkes for eternall lyfe commeth not by the deseruyng of workes but is sayth Paul in y â— 6. to y â— Rom. the gift of God through Iesus Christ Neither do our workes iustify vs. For except we were iustified by fayth which is our righteousnes had the sprite of God in vs to teach vs we could
institutions Amen To our purpose Other articles that I haue written of bée something harde and obscure sauing all onely to these men that bée learned But as for this article mée thinke it is so playne that I meruayle how any maÌ„ should doubt in it For doubtles it néedeth no learned iudge but onely a Ciuell and a morall good man that is indued with reason and equitie For surely mine aduersaries doth not earnestly defend pure and cleane chastitie for they know how few priestes there bée that kéepeth their chastitie Yea they know how sore they haue punyshed those men that hath broken theyr chastitie So that they doe not defend chastitie but rather fylthines and abhominable lyuing In y e which the most part of the spiritualtie doth liue Of this I will bée reported to the recordes of the kinges courts and also to their owne recordes in y e which if they should bée serched should bée found an innumerable sort detected of vncleanes These matters bée open notwithstanding I am right sory to rehearse it but I am compelled seing there is such intollerable violeÌ„ce vsed agaynst those poore meÌ„ that marry be cause they would not all onely lyue vertuously béefore God but also morally before the world Now let men all onely vse reason in this case and make comparison betwéene these two manner of lyuings and consyder which of them doth béecome a polytike order and a common wealth best Whether is it after reason better for mée to defile shamefully other mens wyues other mens daughters and other mennes maydens that no mans seruaunt shoulde bée in safegarde for mée or els that I should marry a wyfe of myne own as other noble kinges and Dukes and other good men of the world hath done and doth dayly and so to continew my lyfe with myne other neighbours after this maÌ„ner of good neighbourhod Let men heare without malyce iudge indiffereÌ„tly Blessed Saint Paule procéedeth farther with this matter and proueth clearely that no man ought or can bée bound to verginitie farther then y e gift of God doth strengtheÌ„ hym Thus hée sayth as coÌ„cerning virgins I haue no precept of the Lord but all onely I geue you my councell for I thinke it good by y e reason of this present necessitie that a man should lyue so As hée would say Vnto verginitie I can not â—inde yoâ— farther then your gift is nor I doe not recken it a thing necessary to wyn heauen by For heauen is neyther the price of virginity nor yet of mariage But all onely I reken verginitie a good and an expedient thing to liue quietly by in this world For in mariage is many thinges y e doth distracte and disturbeth a mans mynde That this is S. Paules meanyng it is wel proued by y e texte that followeth If a virgin doth marry she doth not sinne vut shée shall haue much teÌ„ptation in the flesh That is to say many occasions of disquietnes But I sayth S. Paule would gladly spare you from such occasions for I would haue you without sorowe And shée that is vnmaried hath no care but how to serue God But shée that is maryed hath much care and sorowe how shée shall dispatch all worldly busines So that S. Paule doth clearely declare his meaning how that virginity is no nearer way to heauen then mariage is sauyng that all onely an vnmaried person hath not so many occasyons to bée disquieted as a maryed hath Wherefore you shall marke of this text Fyrst that S. Paule hath no commaundement to binde men to chastitie How commeth it now therefore y â— the Pope compelleth all those men y â— will â—ée Priestes fyrst to forsweare mariage and to vow chastitie There is no learning that is able to proue how that the pope caÌ„ make more preceptes of God then blessed S. Paule could doe Furthermore what auctoritie hath the Pope to bynde vs to any thyng that God and his holy Apostles hath left frée All learned men that euer wrote doth graunt y e there bee two manner of thinges in this world Some bée called Res necessariae Thinges that bée necessary and must bée done béecause that God hath commaunded them And these things no man is able to make iudifferent but they must néedes bée necessarily done Other thinges there bée which lerned meÌ„ cauleth Res mediae thinges that bée indifferent and these may bée done and may bée left without sinne Now is the nature of these contrary to the other for they can not nor may not bee chauÌ„ged into thinges necessary For that is agaynst their nature as S. Paule declareth to the Romans and in other diuers places Now is this of trueth that virginitie is a thyng of him selfe by Gods ordinaunce indiffereÌ„t and may bée vsed and left without sinne Wherefore it standeth with no learnyng that maÌ„s law should chauÌ„ge the nature of this thyng and make it vnto any man a thyng necessarie whereas after gods commaundement it is a thyng but in different For that were as much as both to chaunge Gods ordinaunce also y e nature of the thing The which staÌ„deth with no learnyng For as the Pope and all the world can not make of Gods commaundement a couÌ„sell no more can they of Gods counsell make a precept Wherfore I coÌ„clude out of blessed S. Paule that no man ought to vow chastitie farther then God hath geuâ—n hym the gift For if chastitie were a thyng that could bée obtayned and kept through vowyng then were it not the gift of God but the gift of vowyng the whiche is agaynst our maister Christ and also agaynst blessed S. Paule Farthermore let euery man now thinke in him selfe séeyng that blessed S. Paule had no commaundement ouer chastitie nor yet would geue any commaundement whether that it bée the surest way and the lawfullest to folow the Popes commaundement or els to folow blessed S. Paules doctrine the which knew the perfection of virginitie and also what dyd béecome Priestes for to doe as well as the Pope doth Moreouer if men will iudge those Priestes that will marry whiche foloweth S. Paules counsell doctrine greuously for to sinne and for to bée heretickes Why should they not rather iudge those men more greuously for to sinne to bée ten tymes worse then heretickes that foloweth the popes commaundement in not marying Is noâ— S. Paules doctrine as lawful to bée keept and as farre from sinne as the Popes coÌ„maundements bée Or is not S. Paule of as great auctoritie in the Churche of God as the Pope is I thinke yes Note also that S. Paule would not bynde the Corinthians to virginity bycause hée would not tangle them in a snare but alonely hée exhorteth them to virginitie as vnto an honest comely thyng that they might y t more quietly serue God VpoÌ„ this same text sayth Athanasius that the Apostle would compell no maÌ„ to kéepe