his will was not taken from hym and cleane chaunged into a stone or a blocke yet those giftes were so altered and diminished in hym after his fall that they were not so excellent or able to doe so muche as they were before his fall for his knowledge was darkened and his will was made bounde whereas before it was free for now it serueth synne not vnwillingly but willingly for it is called will not wyll Therfore as touchyng wickednesse or synne man is not compelled either of God or the deuill but of his owne motion doth euill and in this behalfe hath free will to doe mischef But as touchyng heauenly thinges goodnes and vertue what power it hath we haue saide alreadie For Sainct Augustine saieth Libero arbitrie male vtens homo se perdidit arbitrium Man misusyng his free will loste hym selfe and his will. Againe he saieth Liberum arbitrium captiuatum non nisi ad peccatum valet Frée wil once made thrall auaileth now nothing but to sinne Wherefore he crieth out as it were saiyng O malum liberum arbitrium sine deo O euill is free will with out God. Now laste of all wee muste consider whether thei whiche are regenerated haue frée will and after what sorte thei haue it In regeneratioÌ„ the mynde is inspired with the holy spirite to vnderstande and knowe the secretes and will of God And the will is not onely chaunged by Gods spirite but is made of abilitie also of her owne accorde to be willyng and able to doe good Excepte we graunt this we shall deny christian libertie and shall bryng in the bondage of the lawe Ieremie speaketh this in the person of God I will put my law in their mindes and write it in their heartes The Lorde also saith in the Gosspell If the sonne of God shall make you free ye shall bee free in deede And S. Paule saith Unto you it is geuen for Christ that not onely ye should beleue in hym but also suffer for his sake Againe I am perswaded that he whiche hath begonne this good worke in you will performe it vntill the daie of Iesus Christe It is God which worketh in you both the will and the deede Here notwithstandyng twoo thynges are to be obserued First that those that be regenerated in election doe good not onely passiuely but also actiuely for they be driuen of God to doe that whiche they doe Secondly we muste note that infirmitie and feblenesse remaineth in them whiche be regenerated For seeing that sinne dwelleth in them and the fleshe although they be borne a newe striueth against the spirite as long as thei liue thei doe not altogether without combraunce bryng that to passe whiche they determined as is seen by S. Paule when he saieth The lawe is spiritual but I am carnall solde vnder synne for I alowe not that which I doe For what I would that do I not but what I hate that do I. Now then it is no more I that doe it but the synne that dwelleth in mée For I knowe that in mee that is in my fleshe dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with mee but I finde no meanes to performe that whiche is good For I doe not the good thyng whiche I would but the euill whiche I would not that doe I Nowe if I doe that I would not it is no more I that do it but the synne that dwelleth in mee Therfore weake is our frée will by reason of the dregges of our olde Adam and the naturall corruption of man stickyng â—ast in vs to our liues ende Howbeit seeyng that the strength of the fleshe and reliques of the olde man be not so strong and of suche puissaunce as vtterly to suppresse conquer the workyng of the spirite therefore the faithfull are saide to be free yet so that thei acknowledge their infirmitie and weakenesse without boastyng braggyng of their freewill For the faithfull ought alwaies to keepe in mynde that saiyng whiche so often S. Augustine repeateth out of the apostle What hast thou that thou diddest not receiue and if thou hast receiued it why boastest thou as though thou receauest it not So we maie saie truely that the man regenerated is able to keepe the lawe of God in Iesu Christ and by Iesu Christ but not of himselfe For as saint Augustine saieth all the commaundementes of God be fulfilled when the synnes faultes be not imputed but pardoned But if they will say that a man beyng separated from Christ is able to do any good and kéepe the lawe of God they are in a greate errour and heresie For Christ hym selfe saieth That a tree can bryng foorth no good fruite excepte it be made good firste But no man is good of his owne selfe as it hath been declared already Ergo he can not bring foorth good fruite Againe Bide in mée and I in you As the braunche can not beare fruite of it selfe excepte it byde in the vine no more can ye excepte you abyde in mee Thus you see by Christ our Sauiours owne wordes that it lieth not in mans power to bryng any good fruite of hymselfe excepte he be graft in christe For sainct Augustine doeth shewe what we are without Christ when he saieth Let no man flatter hymselfe for of his owne he is a very Sathan hee hath that of God onely wherewith he is blessed For â–ª what hast thou of thyne but synne Take awaie synne from thee whiche is thyne owne thy righteousnes is of god Againe he saith A te habeo quicquid bom habeo quicquid autem mali habeo à me habeo Whatsoeuer good I haue I haue it of thee O Lord and whatsoeuer euyll I haue I haue it of my selfe Hée also saieth De nullo nobis gloriandum est quia nihil nostrum est nisi vt homo apud se prorsus exinanitus à deo totus pendere discat That is to saie we ought to boaste of nothyng For nothyng is our owne sauyng onely that man beyng of no reputation with hymselfe must learne to hang altogether of God. Therefore we are taught by these testimonies that wee ought not to boaste or hang vpon our selues and our free wyll workes as the Pelagian papistes teache vs lest we be straungers from God. For so saieth S Augustine Si vis esse alienus à graetia iacta merita tua If thou wilt be a straunger from grace boast of thyne owne merites or worthynesse Let vs learne hereby to humble our selues for that all we are nought and gone out of the waie we are all corrupte there is none that doeth good no not one Howbeit no man denieth but that men regenerate and not regenerate haue free wyll in outwarde thynges for man hath his constitution as other liuyng creatures haue that he will doe one thyng and will not do another he maie speake or
third is when any man forgiueth his brother which offendeth hym as Christ saieth If you doe forgiue vnto men your father shall forgiue you yours And saincte Paule saieth Forgiue one and other if any man haue a quarel to an other euen as Christe forgaue you euen so dooe ye But as concernyng that forgiuenesse of synnes whiche is necessarie to our saluation doeth depende onely vppon the grace mercie and loue of God without any our merites or worthinesse And that our synnes are clearely taken awaie by Christes death and passion and that he will cast them into the bottome of the Sea or els remoue them as farre from hym as the Easte is from the Weste and the Northe parte of the worlde from the Southe part of the same We must beleeue this without any doubtyng or waueryng tremblyng or fearyng mostâ— constantly and assuredly ¶ The .xlij. Chapiter ¶ It is no presumption to bee sure and certaine of our Saluation HEre the Papistes raue and saie wee are presumteous so to affirme the certaintie of grace and saluation for saie they Paule biddeth and counsaileth vs with feare and tremblyng to worke our saluation I aunswere This feare riseth in consideration of our owne weakenesse and vnworthinesse not of any distruste or doubte of Goddes mercie But rather the lesse cause we finde to trust in our selues the more cause we haue to truste in God. Now concernyng the assuraunce or certaintie of our saluation the scriptures are full Sainct Paule saieth There is no dampnation to them that be in Christe Iesu the spirite of God beareth witnesse to our spirite that we are the children of God I knowe that neither death nor life nor Angelles nor powers nor principalities nor thynges present nor thynges to come nor height nor deapth nor any creature els shall be able to remoue me from that loue that God beareth towardes me in Christ Iesu our Lorde Iob also saieth Although he kill me yet will I put my truste in him Notwithstandyng I will reproue my waies before his sight Againe he shall bee my saluation Againe I am sure that my redeemer liueth and he shall stande the last on the earth whom I my selfe shal sée and my eyes shall beholde and see God in my fleshe Dauid also saith In thée O Lorde haue I trusted I will neuer be confounded Tertulian saith Vt câ—rtum esset nos esse filiâ—s dei misit spiritum suum in corda nostra clamantem Abba pater That we might bee certified that we be the children of God he hath sent the holy ghoste into our hartes criyng Abba father Saincte Cyprian hath these wordes Et tu dubitas fluctuas Hoc est deum omnino non nâ—sse Hoc est Christum credentium magistrum peccato incredulitatis offendere â–ª Hoc est in ecclesia constitutum fidem in domo fidei non habere And doest thou stagger and stande in doubte of thy Saluation that were as muche as not to knowe God That were as much as with the sinne of vnbeliefe to offend Christ the maister of beleuers That were as muche as beyng in the Churche in the house of faithe to haue no faith Prosper saith Securi diem iudicij expectant quibus in cruce domini gloriantibus muÌ„dus crucifixus est ipsi muâ—do Thei vnto whom the worlde is crucified and are crucified vnto the worlde waite for the daie of iudgemente without feare Saincte Augustine also saieth Praesume non de operatione tua sed de Christi gratia gratia enim saluati estis inquit Apostolus Non hic arrogantiae est sed fides Praedicare quod acceperis non est superbia sed deuotîo Presume thou not of thy owne workyng but of the grace of Christ for the Apostle saieth Ye are saued by grace Here therefore is not presumption but faithe To proclaime that thou hast receiued it is no pride it is deuotion Againe he saieth Non mea praesumtione sed ipsius promissione in iudicium non venio It is not of my presumption but of his promise that I shal not come into iudgemente Sainct Basile also saieth Paule boasteth and presumeth of the contempte of his owne righteousnesse Saincte Ambrose plainly saieth I will not glorie for that I am a iust man but for that I am redeemed therfore will I glorie Not for that I am voide of synne But for that my synnes bee forgiuen me I will not glorie for that I haue dooen good to any man nor for that any man hath dooen good vnto me but for that Christ is my aduocate with the father and for that Christes blood was shedde for me To ende sainct Barnarde saieth What safe reste or suretie can the weake soule finde but in the woundes of our sauiour As he is mightier to saue so dwel I there with safetie c. I haue committed a greate synne my conscience is troubled yet shall it not bee shaken downe because I will remember my Lordes woundes For he was wounded for our synnes This is our presumpteous doctrine that we teache agreyng to the scriptures and with the holie and auncient fathers of the catholike Churche But their whole Papisticall doctrine of truste in mens workes and merites leadeth directly to the goulfe of desperation and dampnation and therefore saincte Cyprian saied of them verie well and truely Asserunt noctem pro die interitum pro salute desperationem sub obtentu spei porfidiem sub praetextu fidei Antichristum sub vocabulo Christi That is thei teache vs night in steede of daie destruction in stéede of health desperation vnder the colour of hope Infidelitie vnder the pretence of faith Antichriste vnder the name of Christe The .xliij. Chapiter ¶ Of free will. AS touchyng frée will whiche is so much extolled of the Pelagian Papistes that wyll make vs to beleue that we are able to deserue and that we are of power and streÌ„gth as of our selues to fulfill kéepe the lawes of God to beleue and repent and so consequently to obtaine life and saluation I saie it is a most detestable heresie and robbyng of Christes power â–ª to whom all power is geuen and also abolishyng of his precious death merites and goodnes towardes vs and a robbing of God to geue to mans will that is onely the giftes of god As sainct Iames saith Euery good and pefecte gifte is from aboue and coÌ„meth downe from the father of light as it is manifest in all the whole Scriptures to be proued For if there were suche abilitie power and strength in vs and suche a libertie of wil as the papistes affirme Why doeth not all men beleue the ghospell call vpon God repent praie confesse their synnes doe good workes kéepe the lawe enter into life receiue Christ keepe them selues from euill thoughtes wordes workes synnes sickenesse troubles aduersities famine thirste pouertie and such like But the Scripture telleth vs another
body that he died and was buried in ¶ The .xij. Chapiter ¶ Of Christes ascention into heauen and how it is saide that he sitteth at the right hand of god c. And after what maner he is here amongest vs. AND he did most triumphantly in the sight of al his Apostles and Disciples ascende vp into heauen where a clowde receaued hym vp out of their sight the Angels testifiyng that as he was taken vp from vs into heauen so he shall be séene come againe at the dreadfull daie of iudgement when he shall being accompanied with his holy angels come downe to iudge both the quicke and the dead In the meane season we must not thinke though he hath taken the reall presence of his body away from vs that therfore he hath forsaken vs or that he doth not assist ayde and helpe his chosen and elect as long as they be pylgrimes and straungers here in the earth For according to his promise ▪ he is alwayes with vs vnto the worldes ende Which thing must be vnderstanded of his godly power and inuisible grace So doeth Saint Augustine saie Secundum presentiam maiestatis semper habomus christum Accordyng to the presence or as he is God we haue alwaies christ with vs againe he saieth in the same place Nam secundum maiestatem suam secundum prouidentiam secundum ineffabilem et inuisibilem gratiam impletur quod ab e◠dictum est ecce ego vobiscū sum omnibus diebus vsque ad consummationem seculi That is to saie in englishe as concernyng his diuine maiestie his prouidence his inestimable and inuisible grace these words are fulfilled that were spoken by hym beholde I am with you all the daies of your life vnto the worldes ende For as touching his humanitie or manhoode he is absent from vs and wyll be to the worldes ende vntyll he shall be séene visibly of all fleshe to come againe thereto accordeth S. Augustine saiyng Secundum presentiam carnis recte dictum est discipulis sui◠me autem non semper habebitis Accordyng to the presence of his fleshe or body it was rightly and truely saide vnto his disciples mée you shal not haue alwaies For it is to be noted that as he is both God and man so touchyng his manhoode or humanitie that he tooke in the virgines wombe ▪ he is in all thynges like vnto vs synne onely beyng excepted as the holie apostle doth write saiyng he tooke not on him Angels but the séede of Abraham that in all thinges he might be like vnto his brethren As then he did hunger and thirst in the same body was subiect to all maner of infirmities that we his brethren are subiect vnto sinne alwayes being excepted therefore Barnarde very pretily sayde Christe loued vs dulcior sapientior fortior Swéetely in that he toke our fleshe vpon him wisely in that hée had no sinne by takyng our nature vppon him strongly in that he vanquished Sathan death and sinne So hauing fulfylled the thinges that he toke it for he dyd cary it vp into heauen and there he sitteth in the same humaine body being nowe glorified and immortall on the right hande of God the father Almightie which is as much to say as that he is exalted aboue the heauens hauing receaued a full aucthoritie and power ouer all creatures both in heauen and in earth and raigning there in glorie with the father tyll his enimies be made his footstoole For when we heare that Christ is set downe on the right hande of his father we must put all grosse imaginations out of our mindes We must beware that we imagine not that God the father is set downe as an earthly king in some visible and materiall seate and that Iesus Christ is set downe by him in another as his son or one of his princes and lordes Againe we must not thinke that God the father in his diuine essence hath a right hande and a left hande with other humayne lymmes as we sée mortall men to haue For that were to fall into the heresie of the Antropomorphites but rather we must marke that it is spoken by a similitude being borowed of princes and kinges of the worlde For as a king doth commonly cause that man to sit by him and at his right hande whom he wyll most honour and vnto whom he wyll geue most aucthoritie and power so we do vnderstande by these wordes that our Sauiour Christe is exalted aboue all creatures and that he hath power geuen vnto him both in heauen and in earth and that he raigneth with the father hauing equall power with him Or by the right hande of God we may right well vnderstande with Saint Augustine the place of felicitie and ioye where our Sauiour Christ doth raigne nowe in glorie with the holy angels and with all the blessed spirites and soules of the chosen and elect of God As contrarywise by his left hand the state and condition of the reprobate is vnderstanded and signified vnto vs. Againe it is not knowen to them that reade the scriptures that to syt is many tymes taken for to be in quiet peace and rest as when Moyses saith to the children of Gad and of Ruben Shall your brethren go foorth vnto the warre and ye syt here Againe in the prophete Euery man shall syt vnder his Figge trée When we say then that our Sauiour Christ is set downe we do vnderstande that he is after the paynefull labours of this life and the wofull death of the crosse entred into a ioyfull and quiet rest where he shal be touching his humanitie and manhoode as lorde and head ruler of all creatures both in heauen and in the earth vntyl the time that all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophetes since the worlde began be restored againe as the holy Apostle saint Peter doth testifie vnto vs in the Actes For a better vnderstanding of the whole matter and also that the ignoraunt and simple persons may the better auoyde the subtile trickes of the deuyls Sophistrie which is wont to dasill the eyes of the vnlearned with this like argumentes The right hand of God is taken for his almightie power but his almightie power is can be euery where Ergo sith that Christ touchyng his manhoode is on the right hand of God the humanitie or manhoode of Christe can be euery where It is to be noted and marked that the right hand of God is taken two maner of waies First by it the almightie power of God is vnderstanded as when Moyses doeth saie in his Canticle Thine hande Lorde is glorious thine hande hath all too dashed the enimie And in the Actes of the Apostles Saint Peter saieth him hath God lift vp with his right hande In these places and such like the right hande of god is taken for his almighty power wherwith he