chance killeth his fellowe is forgiuen bicause that action was not voluntarie Matt. 8 29. The deuill is constrained to speake a truth is compelled to depart from them which were possessed but yet he deserueth no praise or rewards at all Num. 22 31 Balaam is of the angell compelled by the sword that he should not curse the people of God he hath no praise at all bicause he did it not willinglie The definition of violent as it hath an outward beginning so doth it not giue anie helpe as a thing that worketh or that suffereth And it declareth that originall sinne is no violent thing bicause it is an inward corruption in vs and we further it by that naughtinesse which dailie we adde therevnto But and if anie man will saie that we are without knowledge and vnderstanding when the same is gotten and that it commeth by occasion of the first naughtie motions of our mind wherein is giuen no choise or deliberation we answer that those things which Aristotle saith must be vnderstood as touching morall and actuall doings for these sinnes did not he knowe Howbeit this sufficeth vs that such things cannot be called violent séeing they haue their beginning from within Also we grant that there be mingled actions and we affirme that they ought to be reckoned among those which be voluntarie and therefore the holie scriptures doo exhort vs vnto them persuading vs that wée must indure anie thing rather than to run into sinne Paule saith We must neuer doo euill Rom. 3 8. that good may come of it Acts. 5 29. We must rather obey God than men Matt. 10 38 and 16 24. Matt. 10. 39. And we are called To take our crosse and to followe the Lord. And he is said to haue found his soule which hath lost the same Neither hath the deniall of a mans owne selfe anie other respect These actions be of the mingled sort bicause no man would choose these things except by chance but these things we will and we doo partlie to auoid sinnes and partlie to be ioined vnto the Lord. Howbeit thou wilt saie that these things haue an outward beginning wherfore they be rather violent For vnlesse the Lord did these things in vs none of vs would doo them We grant that the beginning whereby our wils are changed is from without but our wils being changed by the spirit of God are inward vnto vs and at their commandement we are mooued vnto these actions and therefore they ought to be called voluntarie for they are not doone of God without vs. Yea and we be praised and dispraised for these mingled actions for Christ saith that He will denie before his father Matt. 10 33 those which shall denie him before men Neither saith he will I be ashamed of him which is not ashamed of me before men And they in verie déed are commended which for Christ his sake do suffer gréeuous vexations Matt. 5 10. Blessed saith he are they which suffer persecution for theirs is the kingdome of heauen In such things as these saith Aristotle is pardon giuen As when Dauid that he might not be slaine feigneth himselfe before king Achis 1. Kin. 21 13 to be mad But there be certeine things which we should neuer be led to commit And what be those They be sinnes And it is an old saieng Vsque ad aras that is to wit Sauing a mans conscience and religion Iob is an example vnto vs who in aduersities could neuer be driuen either by the reprochfull speaking or bragging of his wife to blaspheme God And they which are driuen vnto these things so farre is it off that they find mercie as they rather fall from the hope thereof as in the epistle to the Hebrues it is said of them which departed froÌ„ the knowen truth So did it happen to Spiera the Italian to those which slew themselues when they had abiured the Gospell Aristotle propoundeth two things verie hard The one is what a man should suffer for anie thing The answer is easie We must suffer anie thing rather than we should depart from Christ and his holie commandements Matt. 16 26. What auaileth it a man if he gaine all the world and suffer losse of his owne soule Matt. 10 28 Feare ye not them which kill the bodie but are not able to kill the soule saith the Lord. Of the other difficultie we haue experience in our owne selues and we often sée followers which onelie beléeue for a time Againe The spirit is readie Matt. 26 41. but the flesh is weake But on the other side we comfort our selues bicause All things are possible to him that beleueth Mark 9 23. And Paule said Phil. 4 13. that He was able to doo all things through Christ which strengthened him Iustlie moreouer did Aristotle reprooue them which thought that honest and iust things are voluntarie but affirmed that dishonest things are not voluntarie for we must not thinke so in anie wise Rom. 7 18. Paule said I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing Yea and if we haue anie thing that is good that must be altogither transferred vnto God For vnto the Philippians we read Phil. 2 13. that It is God which worketh in vs both to will and to performe 60 Now let vs sée what is to be said touching ignorance There is a certeine ignorance after which repentance dooth foorthwith followe vpon the perceiuing of the error and sometime no repentance at all dooth followe As touching the latter member Luk. 23 34. the Lord saith Forgiue them for they knowe not what they doo The same thing did Stephan praie Acts. 7 60. Among those neuerthelesse for whom praier was made some did otherwhile repent and some did neuer repent Also Ionathas tasted honie 1 Sam. 14 43 being ignorant what his father decréed and knowing his fathers decrée he sorrowed not but rather was angrie with him But Paule when he perceiued his error sorowed In like maner sorowed they of whom Peter said in the Acts I knowe that they did it of ignorance And that they sorowed those words which they speake doo declare Acts. 2 37. Men and bretheren what behooueth vs to doo The sorowe which followeth doth not alwaies shew that there happened no sinne for both they which crucified the Lord sinned and also Paule sinned for these men were ignorant of that which they ought to haue knowne But if there had happened to haue come a certeine ignorance of the circumstance which could not haue béene knowne as in Noah when he was dronken Gen. 9 â—1 who had not séene the wine before neither knew the strength and propertie thereof And as it happened vnto Iacob when he laie with Lea in the place of Rachel Gen. 29. verse 21 â— for both of them were ignorant what to doo and were excused But he that knoweth not the generall and principall
thée to indure it He concludeth that he which flieth séemeth after a sort to boast against God that he is stronger than he and able to escape his persecution But there is none of the godlie so deceiued as he will flie awaie against the will of the Lord naie rather he trusteth to his power and will For the godlie doo knowe how Dauid hath pronounced Whither shall I go from thy spirit Psal 39 7. And whither shall I flie from thy presence Besides this they vnderstand that there is no running of them that be swift and that flieng awaie is denied vnto the féet Eccle. 9 11. vnlesse the Lord be present Dauid Psal 18 34. when he fled from Saule gaue thanks that GOD had giuen vnto him Harts féet They which flie doo not boast themselues against God neither be they iniurious or contumelious but they lament they make their praiers they haue confidence and they humble themselues Another argument of Tertullian How manie notable psalmes did Dauid make when he fled awaie Further he sheweth another reason He that flieth either he is vncerteine of his fall or else if he doo tarie he is certeine If he be certeine that he will denie Christ he flieth in vaine séeing as touching the mind he is alreadie run into the crime of infidelitie But if thou wilt saie that thou art vncerteine why dooest thou not hope well and presume well of the grace of God We answere that they which flie are certeine of God but of themselues they are vncerteine Séeing in their flesh there dwelleth no good thing how can they therof promise to themselues anie good thing They know that God will helpe when they fall among their enimies but they knowe not now whether God will haue them to be taken by them naie rather they presume it is otherwise séeing the way to flie is open for them Which thing godlinesse teacheth to be doone by the will of God séeing God speaketh vnto men not onelie by outward words of the scripture and prophets but also by a facilitie and difficultie of things and occasions And then they plainlie knowe that God would somewhat when necessitie vrgeth or else something commeth to passe with singular facilitie For by these means he hath béen accustomed with the inward inspiration of the spirit and words of holie men to admonish vs of his will 25 Yet he bringeth a forked argument not much vnlike vnto these The third argument To stand stedfast in faith thou thinkest that either it is in thine owne hand or in the hand of God If thou attribute the power of this vertue to thy selfe why doest thou not continue and absteine from flight seeing thou art able to performe that which thou art desirous of But thou reposest the same in God well then thou shouldst haue trusted and hoped in him This argument also we will easilie confute We repose our saluation in God for how can we be constant of our owne selues séeing We are not able by our selues as of our selues to thinke anie thing And we doo verie well to put our trust in God according to our duetie that he I saie in time and when oportunitie serueth will helpe vs. But is should be a rash part to prescribe these things vnto him to wit that we would haue him in anie wise to be with vs either this houre or that and it might iustlie be imputed a fault vnto vs as though we dare be so bold to tempt him But he saith The 4. argument that It is an absurditie to haue diuers effects to be deriued from one and the selfe same cause Which will happen if you make GOD the authour of your flight for without doubt he sendeth persecution therefore it is not like that both flight persecution should procéed from one God But how vainlie they trauell in the argument One and the same cause may worke contrarie effects hereby thou maist perceiue in that they leane to a false ground namelie that one and the selfe-same cause cannot abide things that be contrarie when as the sunne both mealteth and also hardeneth In like maner coniunction serueth as well to make an vnitie as a dualitie Further as touching one and the same respect it might perhaps be granted but according to diuers respects the verie seats can tell that contraries may be deriued from one originall Now séeing that God both stirreth vp persecutions and permitteth flieng awaie we sée that those and the selfe-same men are not both apprehended by the persecutors and escape perill also Wherfore the subiect is not all one they that escape awaie escape from torments But remembring what we haue before spoken we saie that they which flie the sword of persecution escape not altogither frée but suffer manie things in flieng And thus we will grant that the same men haue respect Persecution flight are not things contrarie both vnto persecution and vnto flight But we affirme that these things are not contrarie séeing he that flieth hath a triall of persecution But the rule of contraries is that one subiect cannot receiue them both Now we saie that these be contraries To tarie and Not to tarie or else To suffer persecution and Not to suffer Then as touching the same persecution these cannot both togither insue And so the place before alledged hath no absurditie The fift argument 26 The aduersaries argue that If flieng awaie be granted it followeth in anie wise that the saiengs of the Lord be repugnant one to another Matt. 10 39. For he saith that He which will not loose his life shall verelie loose the same and that He Mark 8 38. which is ashamed of his name before men he will be ashamed of him before God Those things séeme vnto vs verie agréeable to our opinion yea rather the verie words of Christ séeme not to disagrée For he that flieth maketh not more account of his soule than he dooth of the glorie of God naie rather he auoideth persecution that he may serue him the more commodiouslie and with the greater fruit Neither is he led by shame as though he blushed at the name of God séeing he is readie to testifie the same with his bloud when néed shall require But by this meanes saie they GOD should nourish infirmitie and weakenes in his people who is said to strengthen them for they which flie haue a vile and base mind This followeth not of necessitie séeing it is not the part of a strong man alwaies and for euerie cause to stretch foorth his whole strength He expecteth moments and occasions yea he saith oftentimes My strength O God will I reserue vnto thée for thée doo I kéepe it to the intent it may obeie thée The sixt argument Matt. 26 52. Christ saith he refused the helps of the angels and the defense of the sword wherefore doost thou flie We fullie grant that to be doone by Christ the which thou speakest of
voice of Christ that is to wit doo followe the true and naturall sense of the scriptures Againe we haue in the second chap. of the 1. epistle to the Corinthians A naturall man doth not perceiue those things that be of God 1. Cor. 2 24. neither is he able to do it bicause they be but foolishnesse vnto him But the spirituall man iudgeth all things And againe in the same place Ibidem 10. The spirit searcheth out the deepe mysteries of God And Christ himselfe said The spirit of comfort shall declare all things that I haue said vnto you Iohn 14 26. Also Iohn in his epistle saith 1. Ioh. 2 27. The spirituall vnction shall shew you of all things But some will saie These things be true indéede but we be destitute of the spirit To whom I answere saieng If you haue not the spirit Whether all men haue the spirit of Christ Rom. 8 9. how dare you call your selues christians séeing Paul to the Rom. sheweth vs that They be none of Christs which haue not the spirit of Christ And yet I speake not this as though I were ignorant that there must be degrées of this spirit geuen séeing it is euident that all men cannot haue a like vnderstanding of the scriptures But yet this I affirme Euerie one may gather out of the scriptures so much as is necessary to saluation Chrysost that there is no true christian man to whom so small a portion of this spirit is giuen but that he may gather iudge out of the holie scriptures such things as be necessarie to saluation so as he neglect not to be conuersant in the reading of them both daie and night Which thing Chrysostome vpon the preface to the epistle vnto the Romans hath plainlie declared when he saith This thing commeth not by ignorance but bicause they will not haue this holie mans writings continuallie in their hands Neither doo those things which we knowe if we knowe any thing come vnto vs by the goodnesse and pregnancie of our wit but bicause we being alwaies throughlie affected to that man we neuer cease reading of him For they which loue A similitude doo knowe more than all other the dooings of them whom they loue as béeing carefull of them Wherefore saith he a litle after if ye also will applie your minds and trauell in the diligent reading herof it shall not be néedefull to require anie other thing of you True is that saieng of Christ Seeke Matth. 7 7. and you shall find knocke and it shal be opened vnto you And there is no doubt but that Chrysostom spake these words to all men for he spake them in a sermon to the people And marke well what he affirmeth namelie that if they would but diligentlie reade saint Paules epistles they should not néed of anie other teacher The word is a sure token to find the truth of the scriptures 6 The second note and sure token by which we may throughlie search out the truth of the holie scriptures is the verie scriptures themselues For it is requisite that we should determine that péece of scripture which is hard and darke We must iudge of an obscure place by a more clere place by another part which is more plaine and easie Christ hath giuen vnto his church the old testament the authoritie whereof let the Manichies the Martionits and such other pestilent heretikes fret thereat neuer so much is most stable and sure insomuch as by it The old testament proueth the new Acts. 17 11. the old christians also haue iudged of the new testament It is written in the 17 of the Acts that the Thessalonians hauing heard Paule repaired to the scriptures to sée whether things were as Paule had declared or otherwise And Augustine De doctrina christiana teaching what manner of man a preacher should be willeth him to conferre the places of the scripture together and dooth not send him to search out the opinions of the fathers or to séeke out the determinations of the church or the canons or the traditions of men A third arbitter but no high censor is the consent of the church 7 To these two arbitrers which I haue declared to be the faithfull interpretors of the holie scriptures we willinglie ioine the firme consent and authoritie of the catholike church yet not in such sort that as our aduersaries indeuour to prooue all the iudgement of the scriptures should depend thereon For it is not lawfull either for a councell or for the church to interpret the scriptures as séemeth good vnto them For that were to haue dominion ouer the faith of godlie men Therefore when they interpret the word of God it is their part to prooue that they haue expounded such things according to the consent and proportiō of other places of the scripture Wherfore the most dangerous error of the antichrists must be auoided with great circumspection It is not the church that giueth authoritie to the word which presume to saie that it is the church which hath woone authoritie to the books of God where it is far otherwise For whatsoeuer estimation or authoritie hath happened vnto the church all that hath come from the word of God It is detestable to heare that the holie oracles woords of God should purchase their credit of men which otherwise are but liers Yet neuertheles such things they imagine and deuise that when they be found to decrée constitute in manie places of the sacraments and other points of doctrine far otherwise than Gods word doth permit they will maintaine that it is lawfull for them so to doo Looke part 4 chap. 4 art 12 and chap. 6 art 11. bicause the church saie they which hath brought credit and authoritie to the word of God may change alter therein whatsoeuer shall séeme good vnto hir Wherefore that which they ground vpon must by all maner of meanes be resisted Let vs not be brought to thinke that the holy scriptures haue gotten their credit and authoritie by the church And yet I vrge not this much as though I despised or contemned the dignitie of the church Three functions of the church about the word of God For I attribute vnto it thrée goodlie functions about the word of God The first is that I grant she doth as it were a witnesse preserue the holie bookes but it cannot be gathered thereby that it is lawfull for the church either to alter or peruert anie thing in the holie scriptures A similitude The church as a witnes preserueth the holie bookes Experience teacheth vs that both priuate and publike euidences are committed to registers notaries to be safelie kept and preserued and yet no man in his right mind will saie that it is lawfull for them to change any thing in them Neither may we thinke that the power of those registers can be greater than their wils which appointed them to be
wiped out who were written in before the will séemeth not to be constant Read Augustine vpon that place A man commonlie saith Quod scripsi scripsi What I haue written that haue I written and will God wipe out that which he hath written How then are they said to be wiped out The kind of spéech is according to the hope of them In verie déed they were not registred but they thought themselues to be registred But there be some which refer blindnesse and hardening of harts to foreknowledge onelie Howbeit there is not a bare prescience of these things but there is a certeine will of God whereby God cannot foreknowe things to come vnlesse they be such as shall come to passe And those things that shall be or be cannot come to passe or be vnlesse that God with some kind of will will haue them to be or to come to passe Wherefore there is some will of God that preceadeth fore-knowledge he hath a will not to let things and he hath a will to vse them according to his predestinated counsels 33 An other argument To the 19. These tyrants Nabuchadnezar Senacherib and others Esaie 10 5. and. 19 were in the hand of God as a staffe and rod and therefore God séemeth to be the cause of sinne Indéed it is true that they were as a rod and when they had executed their office they were throwne into the fire yet were they not without sense and perceiuing but were mooued forward by their owne naughtie will and therefore are iustlie punished For there is two kinds of instruments as I declared before Howbeit this is no beguiling that God will vse these things yet command that they shall not be doone These men doo them of a naughtie will but God vseth their naughtines Men also can vse well the naughtie actions of their aduersaries and manie times they doo vse them without anie craftie dealing euen to the intent they may take héed to themselues and may shew patience Sometime God vseth sinnes to punish the sinners themselues yea rather he vseth them so alwaies for bicause sinne is alwaies a punishment of the sinner And otherwhile he vseth them for the punishment of others An other argument was To the 20. that God put into the hart of Dauid to number the people Indéed 2. Sam 24 1. 1. Paâ— â—1 1. the scripture speaketh after this maner These kind of spéeches we heare not in the poets but in the word of God Plato might banish poets out of his common weale but we may not driue out scriptures which speake on this wise But how these things must be vnderstood I haue declared before God withdrew his helpe from Dauid he hindered him not he would vse that worke for punishing of the people But it is obiected If God withdrawe his grace hée dooth it iustlie I grant it yet notwithstanding he dooth the same further he vseth the diuell also Ibidem In the booke of Chronicles it is said that the diuell set on Dauid therefore God also did it insomuch as he gaue the diuell leaue But they obiect against that which we haue oftentimes spoken namelie that grace being remooued from vs sinne dooth créepe on of it selfe séeing our owne will of it selfe inclineth vnto it euen as darknes dooth naturallie come after the light is gon God saie they is euen as the sunne bicause his light shineth in euerie place but there be men which conueigh themselues into corners but if his lightening be in euerie place into what corners should men go where that light is not The diuine scripture saith otherwise for it saith of him that abused the talent Matt. 25 28 Take it awaie from him c. Dauid praieth Take not awaie thine holie spirit from me wherefore God ment to vse the sinne of Dauid for punishment of the people And Aeschylus the tragicall poet is by some vniustlie accused who saith that God if he will destroie and take awaie anie he giueth the causes and occasions séeing the scripture so speaketh which can speake against the lawes of Plato but not against the lawes of God 1. Sam. 2 25 For it saith that the sonnes of Helie did not hearken to their father bicause the will of God was to destroie them 1. Kin. 12 15 and that Roboam would not giue eare vnto the elders bicause the turning awaie was of God It was said that If the matter should be thus To the 21. then God should not be the cause of all things if he be not the cause of sinnes It followeth not for although God be not the cause of sinne yet he gouerneth the sinnes which be committed he vseth them and maketh the verie ground-worke so farre foorth as it is a naturall thing But it behooueth saie they that sinne be voluntarie If we speake of actuall sinnes it is true but of originall sinne it is not true Also the first motions which be sinnes are not voluntarie Barnard And Barnard in his treatise of frée will setteth downe certeine degrées of mans nature Men that be blessed in the heauenlie habitation cannot sinne it was in Adam not to haue sinned after sinne committed we cannot choose but sinne So be the damned so be the reprobate and wicked But the godlie regenerate are able not to giue place vnto sinne and bring to passe that sinne shall not altogither reigne in them and this they haue of the spirit of God Whereby it appéereth by this distinction that the sinne of the damned is of necessitie We cannot make choise of anie part without the spirit of God and yet sinne neuertheles For although it be a thing of necessitie yet it is voluntarie but not so voluntarie as we be able of our selues to make choise of the other part which is contrarie therevnto for we cannot haue the choise on the other part but through the same spirit of God In punishing there is no respect what wee are able or not able but what we doo against the lawe of God Sinnes are iustlie punished but there is no respect had what thou art able or not able but whether that which thou dooest be doone against the lawe of God or no. And God dooth iniurie vnto no man Wherfore this obiection is not of force if we respect God If one sée a blind man to be falling dooth not stretch foorth his hand to helpe him or setteth him not vp againe it séemeth to be crueltie To the 22. God séeth a man readie to fall he putteth not foorth his hand it séemeth to be crueltie In whom In men bicause the lawe is prescribed vnto them GOD is not subiect to these lawes Zuinglius This answer maketh Zuinglius in his booke De prouidentia and in his booke De falsa vera religione where he intreateth of merit And although God bestowe not so large gifts vpon the reprobate as he dooth vpon others yet he giueth them manie things
state of men not yet regenerate first they are frée from the seruitude of compulsion secondlie in morall and ciuill works they be able to doo manie things by their frée will lastlie among sinnes they haue some choise and sometimes imbrace this sinne and sometimes that sinne as their will serueth them but yet they be not so frée as to doo those things which may please God also they be bound to the miseries and calamities of this life will they or no. Now must we speake of the libertie of men regenerate The godlie can atteine vnto works acceptable vnto God which besides that it is not lesse than the same which we haue declared to be in the wicked yet in this point it goeth beyond it that it can atteine vnto good works which be acceptable vnto God For who is ignorant that the worke of Abraham Gen. 22 10 and 19. wherein he was prepared to sacrifice his owne sonne was most acceptable vnto God For he was therefore highlie commended by God himselfe Paule vnto the Philippians calleth their almes Phil. 4 18. sacrifices hauing a good sauour And vnto the Hebrues we be taught Heb. 13 16. that God is maruellouslie delighted with such sacrifices And hereof it commeth that Paule warneth the Philippians Phil. 2 12. that with feare and trembling they should worke their owne saluation But what néed is there of anie other testimonies when as the Iudge himselfe in the latter daie Matt. 25 35. shall reckon vp the good works which godlie men haue bestowed vpon the members of Christ Séeing therefore that men regenerate be good trées it is agréeable that they both can and doo bring foorth good fruits The regenerate haue their freedome by the benefit of God not by their owne merit Ezec. 36 26 Iohn 6 44. Howbeit they which be thus regenerate must neuer forget that they obteined not this fréedome by their owne merits but by the benefit of God for he fashioned them anew in stéed of stonie harts hath put into them a hart of flesh Finallie it came not of themselues but of the heauenlie father that they should be drawne to Christ for vnlesse they had béene with great efficacie persuaded inwardlie in their minds by God the father they had no lesse fled awaie from Christ than other men Wherefore in that first change o◠impression of the holie Ghost At the first impulsion of the holie Ghost the mind suffereth our mind onelie suffereth as they vse to speake but after that we be once persuaded and changed we are so restored that we be able to worke togither with the holie Ghost and with grace 24. And in what sort this restoring of frée will is it must be considered by two principall points out of which we at the beginning when we described the nature of will declared that euerie sinne and euerie errour that is in election or choise dooth come bicause that when we deliberate touching anie matter either we are vtterlie ignorant what is iust or vniust or else for that though we sée what is iust and vniust yet lust and perturbation intermingleth it selfe which by their great force cause vs to preferre the weaker reasons before sure and strong reasons Wherefore the knowledge of that which is right cannot take place For the violence of the affections and the whole attention of the mind is fastened vpon those reasons which serue for pleasure and lust and the honester arguments are not considered and therefore doo not breake foorth to effect But by the benefit of regeneration both these discommodities are holpen By the benefit of regeneration both the vnderstanding and lust are holpen for as touching the first the light of faith is present which by adding the rule of the lawe of GOD manifestlie vnderstandeth in the practising of things what things are iust and vniust Furthermore by the power of the holie Ghost although all corruption of the affections be not taken awaie yet is it so broken made féeble that it is not able as before to hinder the making of a right choise Howbeit for that this lust so long as we liue here cannot vtterlie be consumed therefore it coms to passe The libertie also of the godlie is vnperfect that this libertie which is giuen vnto the godlie to doo things which may please God is not perfect and absolute but weake and maimed and in this sort it is set foorth in the holie scriptures For touching those works which be acceptable to God manie men are greatlie letted manie waies that they cannot doo them as they would as the lawe requireth for they alwaies féele a lawe in their members which fighteth against the lawe of the mind that whether they will or no they be led captiue vnto the lawe of sin For euen as we read to the Galathians Gal. 5 17. The flesh so lusteth against the spirit as they doo not the things which they would And Paule complaineth that he did not the good Rom. 7 15. which he earnestlie desired but rather the euill which he hated Godlie men no doubt doo in mind Serue the lawe of God Ibidem 25. but in their flesh the lawe of sinne in whom yet this is a notable gift of God that they excéedinglie bewaile and lament these impediments that although they doubt not but that they haue the first fruits of the spirit yet they grone and feruentlie wish for the perfect restitution Moreouer there happeneth fallings vnto them euerie daie which doo admonish vs how weake this our libertie is For this cause Iohn saith If we saie that we haue no sinne 1. Ioh. 1 10 Iames. 3 2. Matth. 6 12 We are not let by the imperfection of libertie but that we may worke togither with God we deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs. Also Iames saith We all offend in manie things And the Lord hath taught vs in our dailie praier to crie vnto the father Forgiue vs our trespasses But neuertheles we are not hindered by this imperfection of libertie but that we may worke togither with God and to frame our selues as apt instruments vnto the holie Ghost Wherefore Paule warned Timothie to stirre vp the grace that he had in him 2. Tim. 1 6. And in the first epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 14 1. he admonished them to applie themselues to the frée gifts of God and to gifts more excellent as though their diligence were required to be able to vse rather this gift of the spirit than that The regenerate are called men of God not men simplie 2. Tim. 3 17. But those which are said to haue these things are not simple and bare men but when they be indued with the grace and the spirit of God they be called the men of God and bicause they be the men of God they be also called perfect and instructed to euerie good worke Wherefore we grant that men borne anew in
said Rom. 5 20. that The lawe entred in that sinne should abound might séeme to make somewhat for the Manicheis As also that to the Galathians Gala. 3 19. that The lawe was giuen bicause of transgressions And that in the 7. chapter of the epistle to the Romans that Sinne through the commandement killeth Rom. 7 11. And that which is said in the second epistle to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 3 7. that The lawe is the ministerie of death All these séeme to confirme the error of the Manicheis But there must a choise diligentlie be made of those things which of themselues belong to the lawe from those which followe it by reason of another thing and by accidentall means for sinne death damnation and other things of this sort doo spring out of the lawe by reason of the corruption of our nature But if thou compare not the lawe with our nature but consider the same by it selfe or if thou referre it to a sound and vncorrupt nature thou canst not otherwise pronounce of it than that which Paule saith Rom. 7 12. that It is spirituall holie good and that it was ordeined for life and that rather it must be said to declare than to worke sinne Wherefore A similitude if deformed men lieng hidden in the darke should saie vnto one which by chance bringeth a light Get thée awaie hence least thou make vs deformed by this thy light certeinlie we would not gather by their words that the power and nature of the light is such as it can make men deformed but this rather that those things which of themselues be deformed are by the light discouered and shewed what they be Euen so fareth it altogither with the lawe for after a sort it bringeth in light bringeth foorth to our knowledge the sinnes which before laie hidden Why men doo hate the lawe But some man will saie If the lawe be good and holie whie are men so discontented therewith and haue it in hatred Euen bicause it calleth men backe from those things wherevnto by nature they are inclined for it gréeueth them to be forbidden those things And when we looke in the lawe we sée the things which we ought to doo and by reason of the pride which is naturallie planted and ingraffed in vs we would not be restrained by anie rules Moreouer we perceiue that our actions be wrested from that vprightnesse which is set foorth in the lawe and that which is more gréeuous we féele our selues to be so weake that we cannot correct them and reuoke them to the rule prescribed But in the meane time we looke vpon the punishments and vpon the wrath of God which for sinne we doo incurre We be not angrie as it shuld be with our selues but with the lawe and with God All these things so offend our mind as we be angrie not with our selues and our sinnes as méet it were but with the lawe that is giuen by God whereas otherwise the same is most perfect and most holie Howbeit this discommoditie may be remedied and it may be brought to passe that that which before displeased may please vs afterward and this will come to passe if we ioine the lawe togither with Christ A similitude Exod. 15 25 For as the waters of Marath were most bitter to the children of Israel in the wildernes yet the verie same by casting in the wood which God had appointed were made swéete euen so although the lawe of it selfe be bitter yet if Christ whom God hath set foorth vnto vs to be an onelie sauior and the verie iust end of the lawe be added therevnto then shall we féele it to be swéet The which thing that it happened vnto Dauid verse 11. The praises of the lawe in the Psalms Iere. 31 33. it is manifestlie perceiued by the 19. Psal wherein the praises of Gods lawe are woonderfullie set foorth for it is called pleasant swéet aboue honie and the honie combe And this is it which is promised vs in the prophet that GOD would write a lawe in our harts which is nothing else than that he would giue vnto vs the spirit of Christ by whom we should be inclined to those things which the lawe hath commanded to be doone that at the least-wise the commandements of GOD may be pleasant vnto our harts Which thing the apostle also teacheth when he saith Rom. 7 25. I serue the lawe of God in my mind Wherof the regenerate haue experience who though they be not able to performe a perfect obedience vnto the commandements of God yet doo they loue them and excéedinglie desire them and imbrace them as the chiefe God and doo continuallie praie vnto God that they maie drawe most néere to the perfection of them By these things it appéereth how the commoditie and righteousnesse of the lawe is defended against the Manicheis 3 But on the other side The Pelagians iudge the lawe to be sufficient to saluation the Pelagians are no lesse to be shunned which attribute more vnto the lawe than is conuenient for they iudge the same to be sufficient vnto saluation and saie that men if they haue once vnderstood what is to be doone may be able by the verie strength of nature easilie to performe the same Wherefore Pelagius for feare least he should haue béen condemned by the bishops of Palestine as one which vtterlie denied the grace of God confessed the same grace in word for he affirmed that it is néedfull to haue the grace of God vnto saluation But by grace he ment no other thing By grace he ment nothing else but nature and the lawe but nature it selfe fréelie granted vnto vs by God insomuch as God hath made vs reasonable and indued vs with frée will Moreouer he called grace a lawe or a doctrine bicause of our selues we be ignorant what is to be doone or what to be beléeued vnlesse God doo reueale those things vnto vs. Wherevpon Augustine in his booke De gratia Christi against Caelestinus writeth that They affirme the possibilitie of nature to be holpen by grace But he addeth that If their meanings be examined and thoroughlie sifted we shall perceiue that by grace doctrine and lawe they meane nothing else but that a man hauing onelie receiued the knowledge of the lawe hath power enough of himselfe to doo the commandements Vnto which error the Schoole-diuines drawe verie néere when they teach that A man Wherein the schoolemen come neere to the Pelagians by the verie power of nature is able to kéepe the commandements of GOD as touching the substance of the worke although not according to the intent of him that commandeth By which words this they signifie that we be able to performe the verie works although not in such sort as GOD hath commanded them to be doone namelie in charitie and in the spirit which latter part I suppose they added that they might be séene in some
faith by the benefit of the holie Ghost springeth in vs The holie Ghost as well goeth before as after faith by which faith is increased the abundance of the selfe-same spirit whose increase the former faith hath preuented and of a greater faith is still made a greater increase of the spirit But yet neuerthelesse we constantlie affirme that there is but one thing chéeflie from whence all these good things flowe to wit the holie Ghost Secondlie saith Augustine the lawe by the helpe of faith is otherwise confirmed bicause by faith we praie and calling vpon God with praiers we doo not onelie obteine remission of sinnes but also a great portion of the spirit and of grace so that we haue strength to obeie the lawe Doubtlesse the lawe The lawe maketh vs vncerteine of the will of God if it be taken by it selfe maketh vs both vncerteine of the good will of God and after a sort bringeth desperation vnles faith come and helpe which both maketh vs assured that God is pacified and mercifull towards vs and also by grace obteineth the renewing of strength And the apostles phrase whereby he saith that by faith he established the lawe is to be noted For thereby he signifieth that the lawe if it be left vnto it selfe and without faith is weake so that it cannot firmelie stand And therefore vnlesse it be holden vp by faith it will easilie fall And this is the point of a singular artificer not onelie to repell from him that which is obiected but also to declare that the selfe-same maketh most of all for his purpose The lawe and faith helpe one another The lawe and faith helpe one another and as the common saieng is giue hands each to other For the lawe dooth as a schoolemaister bring men vnto the faith of Christ And on the other side faith bringeth this to passe that it maketh them after a sort able to accomplish the lawe For straitwaie so soone as a man beléeueth in Christ he obteineth iustification and is liberallie indued with abundance of the spirit with grace The intent and purpose of the lawe was that man should both be made good and also saued But this it was not able to performe Then succéeded faith and did helpe it for through it a man is renewed so that he is able to obeie God and his commandements Chrysostome saith that Paule prooueth héere thrée things first that a man may be iustified without the lawe secondlie that the lawe cannot iustifie thirdlie that faith and the lawe are not repugnant one to the other 25 Ambrose teacheth that therefore by faith is the lawe stablished bicause that those things which by the lawe are commanded to be doone are by faith declared to be doone And we knowe that this righteousnesse which Paule here commendeth hath testimonies both of the lawe and of the prophets And if anie man obiect that therfore the lawe is made void by faith bicause thorough it ceremonies are abolished he answereth that this therefore so happeneth bicause the lawe it selfe would haue it so and foreshewed that it would so come to passe In Daniel we read that after the comming of Christ Dani. 9 27. and after the slaieng of him the dailie sacrifices should be taken awaie and so also should be the holie annointing such like kind of ceremonies Wherfore Christ did not without cause saie Matt. 11 13 The lawe the prophets endured vnto the time of Iohn Baptist Ieremie also manifestlie said Ier. 31 33. that another couenant should be made far differing frō that which was made in old time The epistle to the Hebrues thereby concludeth Heb. 10 16. that that which was the old couenant and so was called should one daie be abolished Zach. 2 4 Zacharie the prophet in his second chapter saith that The citie of Ierusalem should be inhabited without wals Which signifieth that the church of the beléeuers should be so spred abroad and dispersed through the whole world that it should not be closed in by any bounds and limits Esaie 2 ◠Which selfe-same thing Esaie séemeth to testifie when he saith that Mount Sion and the house of the Lord should be on the top of the hils so that the Gentils should come vnto it out of all places And Malachie the prophet pronounceth Malac. 1 11. that The name of God should be called vpon from the rising of the Sunne to the going downe of the same so that to God euerie where should be offered Mincha which manie haue transferred vnto the Eucharist as though it were a sacrifice when as yet the prophet thereby vnderstandeth praiers and the offering vp euen of our selues as Tertullian testifieth in his booke against the Iewes and also Ierom when he interpreteth that place Wherefore when the prophets séeme to affirme that ceremonies should be transferred vnto the Ethniks they are so to be vnderstood as though by the signes they ment the things themselues The Ethniks being conuerted vnto Christ receiued that which was represented by the ceremonies of the Hebrues But they reiected the outward signes and this was by faith to confirme the lawe And forsomuch as the prophets foretold that ceremonies should be abolished the same is to be taken as if it had béene spoken of the lawe sith that the prophets were interpretors of the lawe And that Christ when he should come should change the ceremonies the Iewes themselues doubted not Which is manifest by the historie of Iohn Baptist Mat. 3 2. 6. Iohn Baptist shewed that the ceremonies should be abrogated which we read in the Gospell For when he would purge men being conuerted vnto God he sent them not vnto sacrifices and vnto the ceremonies of Moses whereby sinnes were said to be purged but baptised them into repentance to the forgiuenesse of sinnes adioining doctrine therevnto wherein he made mention of the father the sonne and the holie Ghost Which doctrine vndoubtedlie the high Priests Scribes Pharisies could in no case abide that he reiecting the ceremonies which were receiued should put in their stéed an other kind of waie Wherefore they sent a messenger to him to aske him whether he were the Messias or Elias or the prophet as it were confessing that vnder Messias it wold come to pas that the ceremonies of the lawe should be altered which should not be lawfull for others to doo 26 And if thou demand why God gaue ceremonies which should be afterward abolished Chrysostome hath thereof a proper similitude If a man haue a wife prone to lasciuiousnesse A similitude he shutteth hir vp in certeine places I meane in chambers or parlours so that she may not wander abroad at hir pleasure He moreouer appointeth for hir Eunuchs waiting maids and handmaids to haue a most diligent eie to hir So delt God with the Iewes he tooke them to him at the beginning as a spouse as it is said by the prophet Ose 2 19. I haue
spirituall man and to him which is renewed by Christ as Christ himselfe testifieth who speaking vnto his disciples said Feare ye not them which kill the bodie Matt. 10 28 but are not able to kill the soule But I will shew you whom ye ought rather to feare namelie God who after he hath killed the bodie is able to destroie the soule in hell fire Which of vs therefore déerelie beloued brethren in Christ will not so prepare himselfe as he may receiue with a chéerefull mind such a iudge through whose sentence an end shall be appointed vnto all the iniuries that are doone vnto vs Luke 12 35. This is that most high good man of the house which at the length shall make all his seruants to be knowne and shall demand an account of them touching such affaires as he hath committed vnto them This is that mightie rich merchant Matt. 25 14. that will returne to call for gaines of his great summe of monie deliuered into banke Matth. 25 1. This is that new bridegroome that by a iust choise shall seuer the wise virgins from the foolish This is that wise and expert steward Matt. 25 32. that knoweth how to laie vp the pure wheate in his barne and to burne the chafte with fire and who like a good shéepheard can seuer the shéepe from the goates and like a warie fisher the good fishes from the bad and finallie Matt 13 49. Ibid. 37. who like a wise husbandman will throwe the cockle into the fire but wiselie will saue the profitable and pretious séed Whosoeuer therefore thirsteth after the pure church or the sincere kingdome of Christ and after the sound and perfect fellowship of the chosen or that dooth long to sée that most excellent and immaculate spouse cannot but be pearsed in mind with the remembrance of that most swéet and acceptable daie that it is no maruell if the same be therefore called by Paule Blessed hope And in Luke Titus 2 13. after that he had reckoned vp diuerse tokens of the comming of that daie he added Luke 21 28 When ye shall see these tokens then looke vp and lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth neere 29 But least the ioie conceiued of that latter comming should be disturbed through the mistrust of saluation which might enter into your mind while ye vnderstand that the same most high iudge will be inquisitiue of mens works and this I saie bicause if thou wilt beléeue me there shall be no man how much honestie soeuer he be indued with that standing vpon the consideration of his owne works is able to hold fast this confidence and so if these things be not rightlie vnderstood by you in that blessed daie there would séeme to be an argument presented before your eies of nothing else but horrible excéeding feare of euerlasting death we must throughlie consider Who shall come to be examined at the iudgement of Christ and diligentlie weigh what shall come into triall and examination at the latter daie Wherein I first affirme that there shall be no néed of examination at all against the infidels as they that for their infidelitie be alreadie condemned Iohn 3 18. So Christ plainlie teacheth in Iohn Whosoeuer saith he beleeueth not is alreadie condemned But bicause this doubting might créepe into the minds of manie how it should come to passe that of them which are equallie intituled by the name title of christians some are adiudged to saluation and other some to eternall damnation for this cause our most iust iudge Christ will haue the reason of this difference to appeare to all the world séeing as he will neuer hereafter suffer his iustice to be hidden to the world in such wise as it was when he came first into the world to be conuersant among vs he will I saie at that second comming of his make his iustice knowne vnto all persons that it may manifestlie appeare who hath trulie taken vpon him his name and titles or who hath doone the same fainedlie and by hypocrisie 30 At the length also we may be warned hereby that not onelie the dead but also the liuing must come vnder the iudgement of Christ Which must be vnderstood as Paule teacheth in his epistle to the Corinths that vndoutedlie We shall not all die but we shall be all changed 1. Co. 15 51 And to the Thessal We which shall liue and shall be remaining 1. The. 4 17. shall be caught vp togither with them into the clouds to meete with the Lord in the aire and so we shall euer be with the Lord. Hereby it is gathered that of them which shall stand before that high iudgement seate some shall be raised from death and dust and others in verie déed shall not die but it will come to passe by the grace of GOD that they shall be translated vnto a better state the same not subiect to anie infirmities They shall be those elect which then shall be found aliue for there will be no néed for them to put off their bodies but their bodilie masse shall atteine vnto glorie so that death shall not take the same awaie from them Among them Paule did wish to be numbred as it is written in the epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 15 32. and we also with him expect the same with great desire Howbeit in this matter as in all other things also let vs so behaue our selues that all may tend vnto the glorie of GOD. I beleeue in the holie Ghost Touching the signification of the word Spirit 31 Séeing the word Spirit signifieth manie things to the end we may the more easilie perceiue that which we beléeue it shal be verie good first to seuer and distinguish into diuers parts whatsoeuer is signified to vs vnder that name Out of which significations we will choose that which is agréeable vnto our purpose and will prosecute the same more at large That word spirit in generall dooth alwaies expresse a certeine secret strength or power which is able both to mooue and to driue forward Wherefore the winds togither with those organs whereby the life dooth gouerne mooue and stir the bodie are called the spirit And although this power be included and mixed with corporall nature yet séeing the bodies wherein it is conuersant be so subtile that they cannot for the most part be séene this word is also deriued to this point that it signifieth natures and essences which be simple and of diuers sorts such as is God the companie of angels togither also with the souls of men now separated from their bodies and therefore the diuine nature is called a spirit This dooth Christ manifestlie declare in Iohn Iohn 4 24. Bicause God is a spirit hee will be worshipped in spirit Neither is there in this respect anie difference betwéene the father the sonne and the holie Ghost To conclude that word of the spirit signifieth not onelie the
nature diuine inuisible and without bodie but speciallie also it betokeneth vnto vs the third person of the diuinitie distinct from the father and the sonne And speciallie is he thus called by the name of spirit by reason of his propertie bicause the propertie of him is to mooue to set forward to persuade to comfort and lighten the spirits and harts of men and at length to worke in them such things as perteine to our sanctification And the saints haue such triall of the maruellous effects thereof as neither reason neither mans wisedome is able to comprehend those things neither yet can they be discerned by the eies of men Wherefore of good right doo we heare saie I beleeue in the holie Ghost as in a thing that far excéedeth the capacitie of our nature and yet is distinctlie set foorth vnto vs in the holie scripture And that the same spirit is the third person in diuine nature Christ sufficientlie expresseth in these words in the which he said vnto his apostles Mat. 28 19. Go ye and baptise in the name of the father of the sonne and of the holie Ghost What signifieth to be baptised in the name of anie Which signifieth no other thing than that they which be washed in baptisme are bound to this confession namelie that the father the sonne and also the holie Ghost doo giue saluation vnto them Now sée I beséech you what it is to be baptised in the name of the thrée persons of the deitie The distinction of the three persons And the distinction of this third person is not onelie knowne here from the other two but thereby also we gather it when the eternall father speaketh vnto Iohn Baptist concerning the holie Ghost as of a thing distinct from himselfe and from the sonne He it is meaning by Christ vpon whome thou shalt see the spirit come downe in the likenesse of a dooue He speaketh not as if he ment by himselfe Iohn 1 33. Vpon whome I will descend but Vpon whome hee shall descend speaking of an other It is manifest also that he was not the sonne bicause the spirit in shape of a dooue was to light on Christ who properlie is called the sonne Yea doubtlesse and Christ in the Gospell of Iohn speaketh of the same spirit Hee shall take of mine Iohn 16 15 Ioh. 14 16. and shall come in my name And there he addeth The father shall giue you another comforter that is to saie an other beside me and distinct from my selfe By which places it is most assuredlie prooued that the holie Ghost is a distinct person in the most holie Trinitie the which we constantlie beléeue and confesse 32 This also is méet of vs to be considered that the spirit is not the same that be his gifts and works séeing Paule in the first to the Corinthians the 12. chapter reckoning vp sundrie effects thereof afterward addeth 1. Co. 12 11 And all these things worke that one and the same spirit distributing them to euerie man seuerallie as he will So is it euident enough that we here confesse the third person of diuinitie by the power of whome we be renewed in Christ and therefore may become like vnto Christ For euen as he was begotten without mans séed so are we borne againe vnto a new life by the power of Gods spirit as testifieth Iohn Ioh. 1. when he saith that He which beleeueth is made the sonne of God and is neither borne of bloud neither of the will of the flesh neither of the will of man but of God Which thing is particularlie attributed to this third person séeing Christ expresselie saith Ioh. 3 5. that He which is not borne of the water and of the spirit shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen From the verie same also is the remission of sinnes said to flowe Wherefore Christ breathed vpon the face of the apostles Iohn 20 22. said Receiue yee the holie Ghost whose sinnes ye shall forgiue the same shall be forgiuen and whose sinnes yee reteine shall be reteined Whosoeuer then sinneth against the holie Ghost dooth not obteine remission of his sinnes bicause that it is directlie doone against him from whome the remission of sinnes procéedeth Neither for all that doo we attribute this vnto him but forsomuch as we be loden with such weightinesse as we be scarse able to rise from the earth being alwaies pressed downe with the burthen of our flesh and with our corporall senses we should lie still in the earth vnlesse we were raised vp by that spirit who streighteneth and erecteth vp vnto heauen our minds which through naturall corruption are altogither soonken in the affections of the flesh euen as the soule susteineth the fraile and mortall bodie and setteth the same vpright that in this life the elect may in a maner haue the same experience of themselues A similitude that is perceiued to be in bottles the which being throwne emptie into the water fall to the bottome but if so be they be blowen and filled with wind they float aboue the water Euen so mens minds being void of that spirit are drowned through their owne affections and lusts but when they be filled with that holie spirit they be masters ouer sinne and they suffer not themselues at anie time to be ouercome by it This also we obteine by the benefit of the same spirit both to will aright and to worke iustlie For our nature as it is corrupt and peruerse would neuer in verie déed be willing of it selfe or would shew foorth anie actions which either in respect of themselues should be acceptable vnto God or in that they procéed from vs being enimies vnto him but that he would refuse and condemne them But that spirit of God placing himselfe here amongst vs dooth so fashion our minds as whatsoeuer floweth from vs by the helpe of him is most gratefull and acceptable vnto GOD and that bicause he inwardlie reformeth vs that we may become most welcome friends yea rather most déere beloued children 33 Héere ye sée what singular benefit this article of our faith bringeth when it is knowne and vnderstood And vndoubtedlie our affections our mind yea and the members of the verie bodie be instruments of the spirit it selfe Wherefore Paule writeth vnto the Romans that Those finallie be the children of God Rom. 8 14. which be lead by the spirit of God And euen as he cannot be called a man who is destitute of the mind of man nor that a dog which beareth not the forme or liuing propertie of a dog no more is he partaker of the diuine nature which is void of the spirit of God And therefore I cannot maruell enough at the follie of some which if a man saie that they be no christians cannot abide this reproch and yet in the meane time will neither séeme to be indued with that spirit neither will be persuaded or themselues grant that none may be a
christian without the same Neuerthelesse Paule in his epistle to the Romans dooth boldlie affirme that He which hath not the spirit Rom. 8 9. the same is no sonne Wherefore let such men go and by the same infidelitie whereby they mistrust of the hauing of Gods spirit let them stand in doubt whether they be christians The holie Ghost in vs and how And if so be anie man aske how we haue him I answer that the most excellent father for Christ his sake sendeth him vnto vs according as Christ promised to vs in the person of his apostles Iohn 14 26. The comforter saith he which is the holie Ghost whom my father will send in my name c. Yea and this I may boldlie adde that Christ himselfe sendeth him vnto vs from the father euen as in an other place he saith The spirit Iohn 16 14 and 14 16. which I will send from the father vnto you Neither is he giuen vnto vs either from the father or from the sonne for anie other end but to inrich vs abundantlie with those gifts and verie excellent riches But yet the scripture sheweth that his cheefest worke dooth speciallie consist in teaching Christ promised to his disciples Ioh. 16 13. that he would send the holie Ghost which should teach them and lead them into all truth which he had shewed vnto them He warned them also Matt. 10 19 that when they should be brought before princes they should take no care bicause it should not be they that should speake but the spirit of their father that should speake in them And certeinlie the apostles were not dispersed abroad in the world for preaching of the Gospell before they were indued from aboue with that heauenlie power by the helpe whereof they not onlie preached the Gospell mightilie for bringing of men vnto the obedience of Christ but they also established the truth of their doctrine with woonderfull signes and miracles And that maner of teaching by which that spirit is performed towards vs must be inwardlie considered in the mind the which he not onelie replenisheth with his light but also dooth gentlie allure and persuade the same and maketh those things acceptable from which otherwise by reason of our corrupt nature we doo vtterlie flie Thus dooth he worke a maruelous transforming in the minds of the elect while he stirreth them vp vnto the indeuour of good works and godlie actions which by the guide of nature they might not be able to performe 34 And yet dooth he not by force constraine them vnto those works but rather with effect persuade them inwardlie And this is that happie libertie wherewith the chosen of Christ be indued who by the power and persuasion of the same spirit doo imploie their whole indeuour vnto such actions which by the onelie guide of nature could neither be doone by them nor yet would be acceptable vnto God Further also from that spirituall doctrine which flourisheth inwardlie there springeth afterward an assured mortification as well in the mind as in the flesh as Paule testifieth in his epistle to the Romans whom he warned Rom. 8 13. that If they would by the spirit mortifie the deeds of the flesh they should liue To these things adde if you will that the comfort which springeth by the assurance of our saluation is so great as euen in the middest of troubles miseries calamities and sorrowes of this world we may lead a chéerefull and merrie life And that not without cause séeing we féele in vs that singular and noble gift which Paule to the Ephesians calleth The pledge of our saluation Ephes 1 14. I sée not now how anie man vpon iust cause can doubt of his comming one daie into that state of Christ when he perceiueth alreadie that his soule liueth by the same spirit of Christ But if a man will demand how we knowe that our soule is quickened by the same spirit Answer may be made by the words of Paule I liue not anie longer saith Paule to the Galathians but Christ liueth in me Gal. 2 20. And vnto the Philippians Phil. 1 21. Christ vnto me is life Which saiengs declare no other thing but that the godlie doo liue in Christ and Christ in them and that by his spirit It is also written in the epistle to the Romans Rom. 8 16. that The same spirit dooth testifie with our spirit that we be the sonnes of GOD. And it is not fit by anie meanes to refuse so certeine a testimonie But whosoeuer hath not this testimonie inwardlie in himselfe is vnwoorthie to be called a christian But if any man obiect Paules assurance of his faith that although Paule were indued with this assured persuasion and that he felt inwardlie this inward testimonie in himselfe it followeth not that the selfe-same thing must be granted to be in others I answer that Paule wrote all these things vnto the Romans who as yet were farre off from perfection neither had they profited so much as Paule And that doo their own contentions suspicions and rash iudgments and also their verie féeble weake consciences beare witnesse all which things the apostle dooth oftentimes reprehend in these his writings And yet neuerthelesse when the Romans were such he wrote vnto them of that adoption whereby God had determined to make them his children when they should imbrace christian religion Wherefore beloued brethren let vs put off the spirit that miserable doubteth of our saluation séeing there is nothing that is more enimie to our faith which is the liuelie and most sure foundation of all our felicitie Who dooth not sufficientlie vnderstand how great contraries are beléeuing and doubting and how much they are repugnant the one to the other I certeinlie for my part doo not sée how these things may agrée To beléeue trulie in Christ my onlie and true sauiour and To stand likewise in doubt of him whether he will saue me or no séeing he hath receiued me into his faith and so greatlie testifieth by his spirit vnto my mind that swéet and bountifull affection of his towards me And if we admit the testimonies of men who naturallie are liers proue to deceit that we in like maner should cleaue to them how much rather ought we to repose our selues in all those things which that good true spirit of God dooth confirme by his testimonie Vnlesse peraduenture we suffer our selues to be persuaded that there is more truth and fidelitie in men than there is in God Which if anie be so hardie to saie he shall in this point alone most plainelie bewraie himselfe to be such a one as he is Wherefore let vs yéeld vnto the most benigne and mercifull God as great and manie thanks as we can who hath not by the ministerie of angels or of anie other creature whatsoeuer but by the power of his owne spirit ingraffed vs in Christ his true and naturall sonne and by him hath renewed
15 25 51 Wherefore let euerie one ponder in his mind what a felicitie remaineth for vs séeing it is admitted that we shall sée him and shall haue experience of our first begotten brother in that glorie and triumph where we shall not onlie be one with him but with the eternall father also with whome he shall make vs firmelie to abide as a kingdome woone by his owne conquest and gouerned in an excellent sort Ibidem 28. That the same God the father as Paule testifieth in that place may be all in vs all Now then my brethren what better thing can we desire How profitable pleasant glorious honest beautifull and in euerie respect good shall it be that that father and blessed God shall be all in all These things are not else-where to be fought séeing they be not else-where to be atteined Some shadowe proofe and little sparke of that blessednesse of ours did Peter taste vpon the mount Mat. 17 4. and therefore he wished there to haue his perpetuall habitation Therof had Paule a triall when he was rapt into the third heauen where hée heard great mysteries so farre remooued from the sense of man as they were vnspeakable 2 Cor 2 2. The face of Moses so glistered by reason of the conuersation which he had with the diuine glorie as the Israelites were not able by anie meanes to behold him Exod. 34 35 What shall happen therefore vnto vs when we haue obteined with him the place of children and house-dwellers If so be at anie time it happen here that we by anie motion of the spirit read the scriptures if we powre out our earnest praiers before God if we lament before him with great zeale for the euill which we suffer or else be mooued inwardlie through the effectuall preching of the word doo we not conceiue a ioie delectation and consolation which passeth all delights pastimes and pleasures of this world But this is onelie a beginning of eternall life whereby neuerthelesse yet we may coniecture how pure perfect and vnmeasureable happinesse that shall be which is in the life to come Touching the which manie more things might be disputed but it is more méet to leaue these amplifications to the faith of the godlie reader The which felicitie séeing it is the gift of God which procéedeth not from our selues in that God maketh vs capable thereof so are we woont to conceiue much more according to the measure which commeth into vs. And these swéet conceits of the mind doo comfort and refresh vs in the calamities of this life they shewing vnto vs euen in the middest of the storms of this world the hauen of so great a felicitie Vnto the which we beséech him to bring vs that by his pretious death hath procured it for vs. And that it will please him through his holie spirit to bring therevnto all such as through him are regenerated by the eternall father with whom he liueth triumpheth and reigneth for euer Amen ¶ Heere brethren ye haue a short exposition of the particular things belonging to our faith And as touching those things which shall be perceiued of you to want I beseech you to allow of these excuses One is that my abilitie is but small and slender the other is for that I meane in the booke which I haue in hand touching the true worshipping of God to supplie manie wants which for breuitie sake I haue omitted God and the Father make you partakers more and more of his grace in Christ Iesu our Lord Amen The end of the Second Part. THE Third Part of the Common Places of PETER MARTYR In the which is treated of the causes and generall meanes whereby we are let into the possession of Christ and of saluation and as touching the effects of Christ remaining in vs. The first Chapter Of Predestination Vpon the ninth chapter to the Romans at the latter end of the chapter Looke In Gen. 25 vpon the whole 9. chapter to the Rom. and In 11 vers 8 c. LEast in disputing our talke might straie too farre which might easilie come to passe in so large a féeld of Gods predestination the tract wherof is verie intricate all that we mind to saie wée will diuide into foure principall points that is to wit A diuision of the question I will first diligentlie search out the nature and definition thereof Secondlie what are the causes of it for nothing can perfectlie be knowne which is not knowne by causes Thirdlie what are the effects which predestination bringeth foorth in men for there are manie things which by their effects are most plainlie vnderstood and perceiued Lastlie whether the power or force thereof be such that it bringeth vnto men necessitie and whether it either taketh awaie or hindereth the libertie of the will of man and whether it may be altered or changed These parts being diligentlie discussed we will then make an end of this discourse And yet will I not promise of this matter to speake all that were to be spoken for there are infinite things which come to their mind that consider of this matter onelie those things will I touch at this present which shall séeme most necessarie and are in greatest controuersie which being so compacted it shall not be hard for others to gather else-where to themselues much more matter But before we go to the definition of predestination I am to dispatch two matters The one is Whether it stand with true pietie to dispute of predestination whether it stand with true christian religion either to dispute or to preach of predestination least that if it be not lawfull we should séeme to doo wickedlie The other forasmuch as the Logicians teach that the question whether a thing be or no naturallie goeth before that question whereby is demanded what a thing is that we breake not that order let vs first consider whether there be anie predestination or no to the end we may afterward the more safelie define it As touching the former question this is to be vâ—…rstood that there are sundrie elections of God For there are some The elections of God are diuerse which serue for the executing of some certeine office as to a kingdom or to an apostleship and others there are vnto eternall life And these elections are sometimes separated asunder for it happeneth oftentimes that he which is chosen vnto a kingdome is not straitwaie chosen vnto eternall life which also happeneth of the apostleship as in Iudas Howbeit Iohn 6 70. sometimes they are ioined togither so that whereas wée speake of temporall election wée may also vnderstand that the same is ment of the eternall And after this sort Paule saith Gal. 1 15. that he was called to be an apostle and seuered from his mothers wombe namelie to the apostleship and preaching of the gospell and yet togither therewithall he vnderstandeth that he was predestinate to eternall saluation Christ also said Iohn 15
made a lier Wherfore if he haue called vs by a iust effectuall calling no doubt but he will performe the worke that he hath begun that on the daie of the Lord whether the same be the time of our death or the last time of inquisition when as sentence shall be giuen vpon all mortall men we shall be reserued vnblameable by him although we haue oftentimes fallen in this life which is our owne infirmitie Touching this faith of GOD it is written vnto the Romans Rom. 3 3. What if some of them haue not beleeued shall their vnbeleefe make the faith of God of none effect God forbid Paule in the first chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 1 8. Pauls maner of reasoning séemeth to reason on this wise Now haue yee obteined grace by Christ and by him yee haue obteined manie gifts wherfore ye shall haue that which remaineth that yee may be vnblamable in the daie of the Lord. Neither was the same written in anie other sense by the same apostle in the epistle to the Romans Rom. 11 29. The calling and gifts of God are without repentance Wherefore let vs also vse this kind of argument if as it happeneth at anie time our mind doo quaile A most cōfortable argument in the deiection of our mind An obiection We be called to saluation we haue giuen credit to him that calleth we haue obteined remission of sinnes and haue gotten no meane gifts wherefore we shall be saued and God will not cast awaie the works of his owne hands Thou demandest touching thy calling how I am able to determine whether it be an effectuall calling or no of the faith wherewith thou art indued whether it be a temporall faith An answer therevnto Rom. 8 16. I say that The spirit of Christ doth beare witnes with our spirit that we be the sonnes of God which token of the elect Paule taught the church in his epistle to the Romans Secondlie these things may be knowne by the effects and as the Schoole-men saie à posteriore that is by that which followeth after Good works doo make our calling and election certeine for Peter in his latter epistle and first chapter after he had spoken largelie of works he added verse 10. Wherefore brethren indeuour your selues rather to make your calling and election sure But if thou shalt againe demand Séeing the spirit of our neighbour is not well knowne vnto vs can there be anie other waie for vs to iudge of him than by works Assuredlie Christ left no other meanes whereby we should iudge of our neighbours Matt 7 16. for he said By their fruits yee shall knowe them How we may iudge of our neighbour and charitie ought to persuade euerie man that when thou shalt sée thy brother to be cōuersant in the church to lead an vnblamed life and to mainteine the right professed faith of such a man hope thou well And Paule was in good hope of the Corinthians 1. Cor. 1 8. partlie of charitie whereby he imbraced them and partlie for their works sake and gifts of the holie Ghost the which appéered to be manie in their church partlie he was led by the spirit whereby he was warned that in that place there was much people which perteined vnto God Acts. 18 10. Of Grace In Rom. 1 verse 21. Look before place 1. art 38. Abstracts are knowne by their concrets 7 This place putteth vs in mind to speake somwhat of grace Nounes which as the Logicians say be put abstractlie as substantiues are vsuallie declared by their concrets or adiectiues the significations of which are more readier to the sense Wherefore let vs first sée what is signified among the Latins by this word Gratiosus that is Gratious He is said among all men to be gratious whom all men fauour and vnto whom good will is commonlie borne euen so in the holie scriptures men are said to be gratious which haue found grace with God for so the scripture vseth to speake of them whom God dooth fauour and vnto whom he extendeth his loue We are one waie gratious before God and an other waie before men Howbeit as concerning this there is a great difference betwéene God and men for men fauour none but him in whom they find things whereby they may be allured drawne to loue Wherefore it behooueth that he which will be loued of men haue in himselfe the causes of loue and good will But contrariwise God findeth nothing in men woorthie to be beloued whereby he might be induced to loue them for he himselfe first loued vs and through that loue he hath bestowed vpon vs whatsoeuer we haue that may please him The grace of God is taken two maner of waies Wherefore the name of grace in the holie scripture is vnderstood two waies First chéeflie doubtles it signifieth the good will of God towards men and the franke and frée fauour that he beareth vnto the elect Secondlie forsomuch as God dooth indue his elect with excellent gifts grace dooth sometimes signifie euen those gifts which are fréelie bestowed vpon vs by God This two maner of significations of grace being well knowne dooth plainlie shew with how great a diuersitie our aduersaries and we affirme one and the same sentence For both of vs saie that a man is iustified by grace but this is the difference that they vnder the name of grace vnderstand those gifts which are bestowed vpon them that be iustified namelie the habits or grounded dispositions which be powred into them moreouer good works and such other things as God worketh in the elect But we forsomuch as we sée that so long as we are in this life these gifts through our corruption are vnperfect denie that we can be iustified by them or that Gods iudgement can by anie means be satisfied by them wherfore we vnderstand that to be iustified by grace What is to be iustified by grace and by the grace of Christ is to be iustified by the onelie méere and sincere good will of God which he beareth vnto vs of his owne onlie mercie We saie also that we be iustified by the grace of Christ which his father beareth him for séeing he is most gratious before him he bringeth to passe that the father also loueth vs in him as his members and brethren by faith 8 But the School-men feigne to themselues that grace is an habit powred into the soule whereby the soule may the easilier be stirred vp be the readier to doo good works A deuise of the School-men learned out of the Ethiks of Aristotle which deuise of theirs they are not able anie waie to confirme by the holie scriptures And they séeme to haue taken it from the philosophers who teach in their Ethiks that Faculties and powers are strengthened by the habit of the mind whereby they be able to performe that which before they could not or
this last state doo we confesse our soules to be after this life doo aptlie interprete the saiengs of the elder fathers to wit that the saints haue not as yet full felicitie and perfect reward for they desire the resurrection Which desire notwithstanding of theirs séeing it is in them without trouble it is no hindrance to their tranquillitie Neither is the argument which they sometime vse of anie weight Matt. 25 34. namelie that the elect shall in the daie of iudgement be called to the possession of the kingdome of God for it is not thereby prooued that they are now altogether without the same for they haue it now begun but they shall haue it then fullie perfect and manifest vnto all men 1. Co. 15 24 And shall not God the father be said at the last daie to receiue the kingdome of the sonne Who will affirme for this cause that he dooth not now reigne He reigneth vndoubtedlie although he haue manie enimies against him neither is his kingdome euident and famous vnto all men These be principall and plaine testimonies which we haue brought against this same error The 4. reason Eccle. 12 7. 22 Whereto we may adde that which Salomon hath at the end of Ecclesiastes The dust shal be turned againe into the earth from whence it came and the spirit shall returne vnto God who made it The 5. reason If it returne vnto God it is not to be sent awaie by him And Christ said that It is the will of the father Iohn 6. 39. that he which beleeueth in the sonne should haue life euerlasting and I saith he will raise him vp at the last daie Two things are here promised vnto vs one is eternall life the which séemeth not to be staid in the meane time by so long a sléepe the other is resurrection which shal be giuen vs at the time appointed The 6. reason And Polycarpus which florished in the time of the apostles as it is declared in the fourth booke of the ecclesiasticall historie The ecclesiasticall historie when he was to be burned for the confession of the faith testified that he should the verie same daie be present in spirit before the Lord whereby we see what iudgement the primitiue church had hereof The 7. reason Rom. 8 14. Yea and Paule vnto the Romans writeth that They be the sonnes of God which are led by the spirit of God But we are not mooued by the spirit of God to sléepe but both to vnderstand God The 8. reason Psal 84 8. and also to loue him earnestlie And it is a woonder that séeing we ought to go forward vnto Sion for to sée and from vertue to vertue or as we find in the Hebrue from abundance to abundance how it cōmeth to passe that these men doo by sléepe so long interrupt this course The 9. reason Verelie while we here liue and vnderstand and loue God although the bodie be burdensome to the soule and this earthlie mansion presse downe the vnderstanding and that the spirit must néeds euermore wrestle against the flesh while the soule is kept within the bodie as in a doongeon doubtlesse these burdens being laid awaie it séemeth to be beléeued that we shall more loue God and better know him and that especiallie séeing the apostle hath promised The 10. reason Phil. 1 6. that God which hath begoone his woorke in vs will finish the same euen vntill the daie of Christ And if so be that he finish it he will not haue it broken off as these men saie And that last of all The 11. reason Matt. 22 32. must be considered of which Christ said was written of Abraham Isaake and Iacob to wit that God was their God and he added that He was not the God of the dead but of the liuing Now if they liue it behooueth them to doo some thing séeing to liue is to doo Neither dooth anie other action agrée with a spirit frée from the flesh I meane with a christian man than to vnderstand his GOD and to imbrace him by loue Io. 11 11. 1. Thes 4 13 Neither dooth the scripture fauour their opinion when as it saith euerie where that The dead doo sleepe for all that is ment as touching the bodie which after death is affected after the manner of sléepers Whie the holie ghost saith that the dead do sleepe And the holie Ghost vsed that forme of speaking chéeflie that the resurrection of the bodie might come to our remembrance for we know that they which sléepe shall after a while be raised vp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this forme of speaking the ancient fathers called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Places appointed for sepulchres as if so be thou shouldst saie Dorters or Sléeping places But we doo not thinke that the soules are buried but the bodies onelie so as these phrases of the scriptures doo not defend them Of wandering Spirits 23 Furthermore In 1. Kin. 12 the spirits of them that be dead wander not here and there vpon the earth as Chrysostome verie well taught in his second homilie of Lazarus Chrysost and vpon the eight chapter of Matthew the 29. homilie where he demandeth the cause whie those possessed with the diuell which are there spoken of are said to haue dwelt in the graues And he testifieth that in his time there was an ill opinion by which the spirits of them that died of a violent death were thought to be turned into wicked spirits and were seruiceable and obedient vnto them which had béene authors of the murther And he saith that the diuell feigned these things first that he might obscure the glorie of the martyrs as though that their soules after death became diuels Further by this persuasion he brought the coniurers and soothesaiers cruellie to kill children and yong men as if they should haue their soules for bondslaues Howbeit these things as that verie learned father testifieth are altogether repugnant to the holie scriptures which saie Wisd 3 1. that The soules of the righteous are in the hand of God And vndoubtedlie Christ said vnto the théefe Luk. 23 43. This daie shalt thou be with me in paradise And of the rich man who inlarged wide his barns Luk. 16 22. This daie shall they take thy soule frō thee And of the soule of Lazarus it is written That by the angels it was carried into the bosome of Abraham and contrariewise the soule of the rich man is described to haue béene tormented with flames in hell who when he desired to haue some man to be sent vnto his brethren might not obteine the same But if it were lawfull for soules seuered from their bodies to wander about in the world either he himselfe might haue come to his brethren or else he could haue obteined the same of some other spirit Phil. 1 23. Ouer this Paule said that He desired to be loosed and
which is the head should liue and we that be his members should remaine in death And in the first chapter to the Ephesians he writeth verse 20. According to the greatnesse of his power and according to the strength of his mightie power which he wrought by raising vp of Christ from the dead Againe in the second chapter he ioineth vs vnto him saieng Ephes 2 1. When we were dead in our sinnes he quickened vs with him and togither with him raised vs vp from the dead and made vs to sit at the right hand in heauenlie places These be the arguments wherby the apostle of the Lord dooth confirme resurrection neither did he send vs to the rapting either of Henoch or Elias There be some which saie These things did therefore happen to leaue vs an example doubtlesse not of our resurrection but of our last taking vp 1. Thes 4 17 whereof there is mention made in the Thessalonians Of this opinion was Tertullian in his booke De resurrectione carnis 87. page They are not yet dead but they be documents of our perfectnes to come And Irenaeus in his fift booke writeth that they be an example of our assumption to come And I haue shewed that by the example of their taking vp the bodies which are now a burthen vnto vs shall be no hinderance to the assumption For that hand of GOD which fashioned man of the slime of the earth put him afterward into paradise And he addeth that a certeine elder which was after the apostles taught that not onelie Henoch and Elias were rapted into that place but also Paule the apostle 2. Cor. 12 2. as we read in the second epistle to the Corinthians Indéed I grant that in the words of Paule there is mention made of paradise Paradise but that the same was in the garden of Eden wherein Adam first was it is not prooued thereby For the apostle added that he was taken vp to the third heauen that is to the highest and most perfect And indéed Iohannes Damascenus affirmeth that there be thrée heauens namelie the aire wherein the birds doo flie the second heauen he accounteth to be the region of the celestiall spheres and the third to be the highest seats of the blessed saints which by a certeine elegant metaphor is called paradise The similitude whereof is deriued from the garden of pleasures wherein Adam was placed euen as the region of torments by a metaphor before declared is called Gebenna For these places are more fitlie expressed by metaphors than by proper names Also that same elder asketh the question of himselfe by what meanes they could continue there so long without meat And in answering he retireth himself to the strength of Gods power Ionas 2 2. whereby Ionas was also preserued thrée daies in the bellie of the whale and whereby the companions of Daniel remained safe in the fornace Dan. 3. 93. when it burned vehementlie We might also adde the fasting of Elias 1. kin 19 8. and of Moses by the space of 40. daies but these things are from the purpose Exod. 24 18 Others saie that Henoch was therfore taken vp that his preaching by that means might become the more fruitfull The world in that age was degenerate and the Cainits preuailed in number power aboue the children of God Their idolatrie did Henoch either by his preaching or prophesieng reproue Wherefore by a verie euident seale of taking him vp God would seale his sound and profitable doctrine verse 16. Now then in the 44. chapter of Ecclesiasticus he is said to be translated for an example of repentance vnto the generations bicause a forme and example of repentance was giuen vnto the generations that is vnto men Neither are these ment to be the last generations but rather the generations of those men which liued at that time For if he had died after the maner of other men he shuld not haue béene thought to be beloued of God or of him to haue béene assisted and sent to preach But séeing God as it were by his stretched out hand from heauen caught him vp vnto him men could not choose but haue in admiration an act or thing so vnvsuall Others there be that attribute all this to his owne honestie and righteousnesse Gen. 5 22. Eccl. 24 16. Heb. 11 5. for it is said in Genesis that he walked before God And in the booke of Ecclesiasticus and also in the Epistle to the Hebrues we read that he pleased God or he approoued him selfe vnto God And by faith as the apostle saith he pleased or approoued himselfe vnto him which vndoubtedlie was no vaine faith but was adorned with good woorks Bréeflie he was taken vp for bicause of edifieng And what is spoken concerning him must also be transferred vnto Elias Opinions touching the returne of Henoch and Elias 20 Now there resteth that we examine the opinions of them which thinke that these men were taken vp to the intent that about the latter time they should returne and should take vpon them a dangerous fight against antichrist And albeit that this were the opinion of most ancient fathers yet it is imbraced without testimonie of the holie scriptures And indéed as touching the returne of Henoch there is no word extant in the diuine oracles And those things which are spoken in the 44. chapter of Ecclesiasticus that he was an example of repentance vnto the generations must rather be vnderstood of the men of his owne time than of them which shall liue in the last time But I sée that the occasion of error came bicause it is written in the booke of the Apocalypse verse 3 c. the eleuenth chapter that two men with singular praise are extolled Two famous witnesses of the church in the last age which in the last age of the world shall fight against antichrist And we are taught that they shall be the witnesses of God against the beast and they shall preach 1260. daies Of these is described the maner of their apparell namelie that they shall be couered with sackcloth And they are commended as two oliue trées and two candlesticks in the sight of God and it is said that there is power giuen them to close heauen that it shall not raine which perhaps dooth somewhat séeme to prooue for Elias And they shall be able as it is there said to turne water into bloud It is also added that they shall be slaine of the beast but that after thrée daies they shall be raised vp by the spirit of God Vpon this occasion were the ancient fathers led to thinke that Henoch and Elias shall returne againe at the last But these are the imaginations of men neither are they taught by the holie scriptures séeing in that place is no mention either of Henoch or of Elias We must grant indéed Henoch and Elias sent in these our daies that certeine men were to be sent vnto
word of God is sinne And in a certain oration of the confession of faith It is a fall saith he from faith and a crime of excéeding great pride either to start backe from that which is written or to admit that which is not written Iohn 10. 17 And he addeth a proofe Because my sheepe heare my voyce Neither are we bound saith he to heare others than the shéepheard And that he might affirme his saying the more he brought a place vnto the Galathians Gal. 3. 15. No man altereth a mans Testament or addeth thereunto And if so great honour saith he be done to the testament of a man howe much greater must bee done to the Testament of God And in the exposition of the Créede which is attributed vnto Cyprian after the recitall of the Canonicall Scriptures By these things saith he are gathered what soeuer is necessarie to saluation And against the Aquarians he alwaies appealeth from custome vnto the holie Scriptures and vnto those thinges which Christ himselfe did And in an Epistle vnto Pompeius he hath manie things to the same purpose Ierom. Ierom also vppon Ieremie the 9. Chapter The Elders saith he must not be followed as touching errors but faith must be sought for out of the holie scriptures Chrysostome vppon the 7. Chrysost Chapter to the Hebrewes Euen as they which giue rules haue no néede to teach a thousand verses but a certaine fewe by which the rest maie bée vnderstoode euen so if we would onelie hold fast the Scriptures of God not onelie wée should not fall our selues but we should also call them backe which be falne And this he prooueth by that which Christ said Iohn 5. 39. Search ye the Scriptures in which ye thinke there is eternall life Againe Yee erre Mat. 22. 29 not knowing the Scriptures And he citeth the place of Paul Whatsoeuer things are written Rom. 15. 4. are written for our learning that by patience and consolation of the Scriptures we may haue hope Lastlie he bringeth al those places the which are cited by me a little before and in his oration de profectu Euangelij vppon the place of Paul vnto the Philippians Phil. 1. 18. Whether by occasion or by enuie c. If ye would holde fast these words saith he ye may encounter with heretikes But vpon the Epistle to the Galathians de Diuite Lazaro he hath manie things much more euident Abraham aunswereth They haue Moses and the Prophets Luk. 16. 29. Here Chrysostome sheweth saith he that greater credite ought to be giuen to the scriptures than if a man should rise againe from the dead And he addeth that we ought not onelie to giue more credite to the worde of God than vnto dead men but also more than vnto the Angels as Paul hath admonished Gal. 1. 8. Also if an Angel from heauen shall teach you an other Gospell than that which wee haue taught let him be accursed 16 Furthermore it is certaine The Church iudgeth by the word and by the spirit that the libertie of the Church must not be taken awaie But the Church hath alwaies iudged by the word and the spirite Therefore it is now méete also that it should iudge as it list For what did those most auncient writers when as yet there were no fathers If then the Church iudged by the word and the spirite why maie it not now also iudge in the same sort For the Fathers vndoubtedlie meant to helpe the Church not to depriue the same of her libertie But they are woont to saie that in the Apostles times was onlie an infancie of the Church and that afterward the same grew more and more to perfection These things are not to be confuted but to bee laughed at For woulde to GOD that wee could attaine to the lowest steppe of the Church which was in the Apostles time Howbeit admit that the same were the infancie of the Church as ye affirme but if so bee that they were then able to aduaunce the Church by the word and the spirit why can not wee now also promote it after the same sort For there bee manie thinges alwayes in the Church which ought either to be renewed or taken awaie iudging by the spirit and holie scriptures those thinges which the fathers ordained either by giuing consent vnto them or dissent from them according as we are now in a riper age of the Church than they were But how do these men estéeme of the Fathers If for age sake we also shall one day become fathers and those schoolemen which were fiue or six hundreth yeares past shall now bee fathers And so there will neuer bee anie certaine number of the fathers But they saie that the Scriptures are obscure and therefore that there is néede of Fathers to bee interpretours But the fathers were also obscure and therefore there was néede of the Master of Sentences But séeing the Master of sentences himselfe might séeme to be obscure there was néede in a manner of infinite commentaries And hereof arose verie manie sectes disagréeing in opinions one from an other so that some were called Scotistes others Thomistes others Occamistes others were called by other names Neither certeinlie can it be denied The fathers Councels Traditiōs erre and are sometimes one against an other but that the fathers erred often times Cyprian erred as concerning the baptisme of Heretikes Tertullian as touching Monogamia that is the Mariage of one wife and others after another sort Councels also did oftentimes erre as we haue aboue declared at large Lastly the traditions do other while erre are repugnant in them selues The tradition of Ephesus was that the Christians should celebrate Easter vppon the 14. daie of the moneth as the Iewes did and they ascribed the same vnto Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist But contrariewise the Romane tradition was that the Christians should not celebrate Easter but after the 14. daie of the moneth least they might séeme to agrée with the Iewes And of this tradition they make Peter and Paul to be authours Either of both is Apostolicall yet both of them maie not be allowed Panormitanus But Panormitanus de electionibus in the Chapter Significasti saith that the vnlearned if they bring the Scriptures must be more beléeued than the Pope the whole Councel if they deale without the scriptures A man that was a Canonist although hée oftentimes erred in manie other things yet could he sée this Paul saith 1. Cor. 14. 29. When anie man prophesieth let the rest sit still and iudge The fathers when they interprete the scriptures doe not they Prophesie Wherefore we must as it were sit and iudge of their sayings 17 But they saie that then at the leastwise the Fathers are to be allowed The fathers are not to be allowed in all things wherein they agrée together when they agrée among themselues No verilie not then alwayes For the consent of
aunswered Verse 27. A place of Matthew expounded If I in the name of baalzebub doe cast out Diuels in whose name do your children cast them out Where Ierom interpreteth that by the children of the Hebrewes maie be vnderstood exorcistes Exorcists among the Hebrewes which all that time wandered here and there coniuring il spirits by the name of the Lord. It is saide then that they shall be their iudges not by power but by comparison They doubtlesse confessed that Diuels were cast out by the spirit of GOD but these men attributed the power vnto Baalzebub wherefore they were found to be much worse than they But he addeth that that place might also be vnderstoode of the Apostles which were the children of the Hebrewes as touching the flesh and had already giuen by Christ the giftes of casting out of Diuels and are rightlie saide that they shall be iudges of the wicked and of the blasphemous seeing it is saide vnto them Mat. 19. 28 Yee shall sit vppon 12. seats iudging the 12. Tribes of Israel And hee farre preferreth this latter interpretation before the first But mee thinkes the first séemeth the more agréeable For if we affirme that these things are spoken as touching the Apostles the Scribes and Pharises shall not séeme at the full to bée reprooued of Christ For they might haue saide Thy Disciples also cast out Diuels in the name of Baalzebub euen as they be taught by thée Neither do I perswade my selfe that those wicked men make more account of the Apostles in better place than they did of their master But if so be we refer those words vnto exorcistes the Scribes and Pharisees are notablie confuted Wherefore I confesse that among the Iewes there were exorcistes Neither doe I denie but that God bestowed that gift of driuing awaie of Deuils from men to certaine men whom he would yet not vnto such as the Priestes had appointed But the Priestes therein gréeuouslie sinned in that they would at their owne pleasure appoint a felowship or colledge or order of Exorcistes as though they might binde the grace of GOD to their elections and constitutions Christ the head of new Exorcists 10 But afterwarde Christ renued that strength and power yea rather he was the a chiefe and prince of new Exorcists and he dealt against the vncleane spirits with great commaundement and absolute power as it manifestly appeareth in the storie of the Gospell Mark 1. 25 Ibid. 5. 11. Neither did he onelie cure them that were present but them also which were absent for he healed the daughter of the woman of Chanaan which was absent neither had he himself onlie power ouer the diuels but he also gaue the same gift vnto his Apostles But there is another place in the Actes of the Apostles Ver. 13. in the 19. Chapter whereby it most euidently appeareth that such Exorcists were among the Hebrewes For the sonnes of Sceua adiured ill spirites which also they attempted to doe through the name of Iesus Howbeit the auncient Prophets although I reade that sometime they did myracles yet doe I not finde that they vsed Exorcismes But that Christ gaue power of casting out the Diuell vnto his Disciples it is shewed in the 16. Chapter of Mark where it is written And there signes shall followe the beleeuers shall cast out diuels Luke 9. 49. c. And in the 9. of Luke it is declared that Iohn sawe a certaine man which through the name of Christ cast out diuels and yet he did not follow him Wherefore saieth Iohn wee forbad him which déede Iesus disallowed Manie also at the latter daie shall saie as we haue it in the 7. Ver. 22. of Matthew Haue we not in thy name cast out Diuels And Paul as it is written in the 16. Act. 16. 18. of the Actes commanded the spirit of diuination to depart which forthwith was done Howbeit we must vnderstand that the Apostles were not alwaies able by their authoritie to cast out ill spirites For as the historie of the Euangelist teacheth Mat. 17. 16. A certaine man offered to them his sonne to be cured whom they could not deliuer And Christ comming to them taught that that kinde of Diuels are not cast out but by fasting and prayers As if he shoulde saie Ib. ver 21. that therein prayers and that verie earnest are néedefull the which are verie much furthered by fasting true fasting I meane not that fained fasting which consisteth onelie of the choise of meates 11 A great while did these giftes of healing remaine in the Church How and how long the gifts of healing were in the Church The words of Christ in the last of Marke expounded And what time they vtterlie ceased it cannot precisely be defined And because that they are now no longer had we are constrained to thinke that the words of Christ wherein he said These signes shall follow them that beleeue were not generallie spokeÌ„ as if those graces should be giuen alwaies vnto all the faithfull It was sufficient that they were giuen to the Church and remained for a certaine space in it Iustinus Martyr who liued in the time of Antoninus Pius in the first Apol. page 146. writeth that the Christians ouer all the world and in the Citie it selfe healed verie manie that were possessed with euill spirits which other inchaunters coniurers sacrificers could not perfourme and that as yet those men of ours persist in their purpose Neither onelie did these graces indure vntill the time of Antoninus but as TertulliaÌ„ in his Apologie teacheth they continued still vntill the time of Seuerus the Emperour in whose time he florished We are accustomed saieth he to assaile Daemons that is spirites and to driue them awaie froÌ„ men and as it should séeme he reckoneth himselfe among the number of them which did this And in the same place he saieth We driue out ill spirits without reward or hire Likewise in his booke intreating of idolatrie in the 734. page he saieth against them who being Christians yet neuerthelesse solde frankincense and those things which were vsed in the worshipping of Idols When thou séest the Aultar smoking how canst thou contemne it and with what constancie wilt thou exorcise thy scholers And he calleth the Diuels Whose scholers the diuels are counted the scholers of these men because they made their house a Cell for Idols whereby they retayled Frankincense vnto them to the intent they might make a perfume for them By this place we are taught that the giftes of these adiurations were not onelie giuen vnto the Clergie men but that they happened euen to marchants also moreouer that they were graunted vnto souldiers For the same Author in his little Booke De Corona Militis page 454. against them which of their owne accord went a warfare with Emperors writeth Those which he by exorcisme in the day time chased awaie in the night he defended Which he therefore â—rote
because the souldiers were constrained otherwhile to watch about the Churches and Temples of the Idols Also in his Booke De Anima the last Chapter but one he teacheth that vncleane spirites did oftentimes deceiue men The diuels fame themselues to be the soules of men departed and made lies vnto them namelie when they fayned themselues to be the soules of men departed which wandred in the shape of mens bodies For the Diuell woulde not that it should be thought of the Christians that the soules after this life should be detained in hell To some was graunted the frée gift of adiuration And he addeth that at the last they were conuicted and constrained by adiurations to confesse the trueth to wit that they were no soules of men but ill spirites Further in his Booke De Praescriptionibus aduersus Haereticos page 111. saith that the women among the Hereticks were woont to vse Exorcismes 12 But it must be considered that what hath hitherto bin brought as concerning Exorcismes must not bee vnderstoode of the Exorcismes in baptisme In ancient time there was no mention of Exorcisme about Baptisme but of those whereby the possessed with ill spirites were healed by the Christians Yea and Iustinus Martyr in the former Apologie while he is earnestly occupied about baptisme maketh no mention of Exorcisme Neither did that Dionysius whatsoeuer he were that wrote the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchie make any mention of such Exorcismes In déed he hath certaine things I cannot tell what of thrée times breathing out and thrée renouncings Which neuerthelesse must be done as he teacheth by a mā that is to be baptized and not by an exorcist or minister of the sacrament Of renouncing also Tertullian made mention in his Booke De Corona militis but hee writeth that the same was woont to be vsed vnder the hands of the chiefe Prelate But at this day there be no Bishops present when the sacrament of baptisme is administred But they were present in those dayes and also in the time of Ambrose as he himselfe testifieth in the first booke De Sacramentis in the first and seconde Chapters And also in the Booke of them which were entered into orders euen from the beginning Yea and Basill in his Booke De spiritu sancto in the 27. Chapter made mention of Renouncing lykewise annointing and holy water and also of thrice dipping in the water but he speaketh nothing of Exorcisme But the consent of Colen to prooue their trifles as touching fault and annoynting alledge Origen in the 6 and 7 Homilies vppon Ezechiel But if a man diligentlie weigh his sayinges he hath nothing which serueth to that purpose Eusebius Caesariensis in his 6. booke 43. Chapter maketh mention of an Epistle of Cornelius the Byshop of Rome vnto Fabius the prelate of Antioche in which he describeth the manners and life of Nouatus making mention among other thinges that at the beginning when he was possessed with a diuell he was remedied by exorcismes which was an occasion that he was conuerted to Christ where notwithstanding he was afterward baptised lying beddered And Cyprian in the 4 booke and 7 Epistle writeth vnto Magnus that the vncleane spirites doe sometime deceaue the seruantes of God while they bee adiured by them and do faine that they go their waies whereas neuerthelesse they depart not But he saith that when they come vnto the water that is to wit vnto Baptisme there the diuel cannot staie he vtterlie departeth neither is hee able to abide the Sacramentes While I diligentlie consider with my selfe this place it séemeth to me that I haue found the fountaine head and beginning of Exorcisme ioyned together with Baptisme For that Father séemeth to signifie that if deliuerance succéeded not after Exorcismes men in those daies fled vnto Baptisme and that men folowed this way in the curing of them which were possessed with ill spirits Wherefore the age that followed would imitate this that Exorcismes should bee vsed before Baptisme euen though the possessed were not to be baptized least they should séeme to haue any thing lesse than the former church in which they which could not bee cured by Exorcismes were brought to the receiuing of baptisme And afterward it followed that although the power of casting out deuils bée not nowadayes had yet doe the Papists vse Exorcismes But to returne vnto Cyprian He in his treatise De Baptismo Christi manifestatione Trinitatis Acts. 19. 13 calleth those children of Sceua of whom we made mention before gainefull Exorcists as though they solde those adiurations and made a market of them Also Gregorie Nazianzene in his Oration De Luminaribus or in his third Oration ad Sanctum Lauacrum made mention of Exorcismes and also many other Fathers But this must be considered that the latter age vsed Exorcismes as being ioyned with baptisme and as though they belonged vnto a certaine order of Clergie men Whether Exorcists are still to be retained in the Church Arguments for retaining of thē 13 Wherefore I will now come to the second point of the question proposed wherein we must trie whether at this day Exorcists should be retained and so retayned as in the Church should be a certaine peculiar order of Exorcists It hath séemed good vnto many that such an order should be had in the Church Epiphanius For Epiphanius in his third booke and second Tome when he reckoneth the holie orders among others nameth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is adiurers Indéede after a sort he altereth the word but yet indéede he meaneth the selfe same thing Isidorus Also Isidorus in his book De Officijs Ecclesiasticis Chap. 13. citeth the place of Esdras where in the second Chapter Verse 55. the sonnes of the childrē of Salomon are reckoned together with the children of Nathan The Hebrewes were declared to bee those seruants of Salomon for the reparations of the Temple namely that they should prouide to kéepe it safe from winde and water But Isidorus saith that they were Exorcists But howe truelie let others iudge In the decrées Gratian Distinct 77. in the Canon Monachus Exorcists are called defenders as if in my iudgement they should defend bodies and soules from the diuell In the Laodicene Councell in the Chapter 26. it is forbidden that none should exorcise vnlesse he be ordained by the Byshop as though the Byshoppe bee able by his imposition of hands to giue power to driue away ill spirits This also we haue in the decrées in the distinct the 69. in the Canon Non oportet c. Againe in the fourth Councel of Carthage it is decréed that whē an Exorcist is ordained the Booke of Exorcismes is deliuered vnto him and he is commanded to learne them by heart that he may vse them when oportunitie shall serue Arguments on the contrarie part But at this day the Papists in their Churches haue onlie the titles names but they performe nothing of those things which they
that the spirites must be bridled by Eorcismes Lastlie they say that in naturall thinges the impedimentes are first remoued from the matter before a forme and habite of good be brought in So it behooueth before the forme of new generation to exclude the aduerse power which hindreth and altogether resisteth spirituall birth Reasons to the contrary 16 But this matter is farre otherwise for séeing the Scripture hath no where commaunded that exorcismes should be ioyned with baptisme it is not to be attempted by vs. And if so be we will followe better examples we shall perceiue that Peter baptised Cornelius and that the Eunuch was baptised by Philip without anie adiurations Thirdlie I adde that this gift of the holie Ghost flourisheth not at this daie in the Church that we be able to heale them that be taken with ill spirites to cure such as be possessed with the Deuill Therefore we must cease to boast of that which wee haue not receiued Moreouer it should bée necessarie that they which iudge otherwise should shewe some signe or token of their power which they haue receiued from God There be as it is saide verie manie Lunaticke men and there want not of them that be possessed of ill spirites why doe they not heale them This whilest they do not to the Deuill himselfe nor yet to vs let them not perswade vs that they be indued with such power Augustine in the 22. booke de Ciuitate dei Chapter 22. writeth that Infantes of Christians being baptised are oftentimes miserablie vexed by vncleane spirites Then séeing these Exorcistes be not able to driue awaie vncleane spirites out of them in whom it is not doubted but that they are why bable they that they can cast them out of them in whom they shewe no signe of their presence Ouer this let vs consider that Circumcision in olde time was in the place of Baptisme and yet that during all the time of the old testament no exorcismes were vsed to the Circumcising of Infantes Which if they had béene necessarie wee are not to thinke that so manie Prophetes had passed them ouer especiallie séeing among the Hebrewes as we haue said there were some exorcistes that were indued from God with the power of driuing awaie ill spirits Neither can they easilie escape which imbrace exorcismes but that of one Sacrament they make manie séeing they make so manie signes which they will to be accounted holie adding oyle spittle exsufflations and such like so as one Sacrament of baptisme doeth degenerate into manie Neither must they be heard when to the intent to mocke the simple they feigne a difference betwéene Sacraments and Sacramentals which is altogether Sophisticall For distinctions are to be receiued gladlie but those to be such as are taken out of the verie nature of things because they bring much light to controuersies but those distinctions which spring out of the braine of Sophisters onelie for the shifting off of Arguments are altogether to be refused 17 But séeing that among them selues euen priuate men and silie women doe baptise and vse neither exorcismes nor exsufflations what manner of baptisme will they iudge that to be If they will say a perfect baptisme they ought not to ioyne thereunto these inuentions of their owne séeing they iudge that to bee perfect vnto which nothing can bee added If vnperfect they make themselues wiser than Christ who ioined not exorcismes and exsufflations with baptisme Besides that they are so insolent as they saie in the 4. booke of the Sentences Dist the 6. that these their Sacramentals must both be supplied and péeced vp when they haue beene omitted vpon the daungers of life But they knowe for a certaintie that they are vainelie and superfluouslie patched For if as themselues saie and Cyprian affirmeth when they come to baptisme the Deuil is chased awaie neither can he be there anie more after Baptisme is celebrated at the perill of Death if he nowe be away why doe they adiure him and by a certaine imperious manner commaund him to depart A foolish thing doubtlesse it is to speake with one that is absent and to command him to depart which is alreadie gone But that we maie againe fight with their owne weapons we remit the reader vnto Gratian who de Consecratione distinct the 4. C. Si paruuli bringeth the iudgement of Caelestinus who decréed that from baptisme must be driuen all those from whom the Diuell by adiurations and exsufflations hath not béene cast out There the Glosse saith that this must not be absolutelie vnderstoode because the euill spirite before baptisme is not cast out seeing vntill the time of baptisme we be the Familie of the Diuell and his members Wherefore he affirmed that the Diuel is not cast out by exorcisme but signified that hee shall be cast out namelie in baptisme To conclude these men be they which so greatlie flie from figuratiue spéeches and cannot abide that we should applie a figure of signification vnto the words of the Lords Supper where as they at their owne will I will not saie for their pleasure euerie where abuse figuratiue spéeches But if it be lawfull for them to saie that by exorcismes is signified that the Diuell shall be cast out by the same reason another wil say it is signified that he is cast out alreadie But I goe yet vnto stronger reasons and affirme A firme argument against exorcismes about Baptisme that those which are to be baptised be either men of ripe age or else Infantes They which be of ripe age it behooueth that they beléeue before they be baptised who if they beléeue they be already iustified and when they are become the members of Christ the Diuell out of doubt is departed from them So that they ought not to be exorcised or adiured as though they had yet euill spirites present in them And if they which be offered to bee baptised be the Infantes of Christians I denie them to belong to the diuell séeing they be in the couenaunt of God wherein it was saide vnto Abraham Gen. 17. 7. I will bee thy God and the God of thy seede Wherefore in the Prophet Ezechiel the 16. Chapter and also in the 23. Chapter Eze. 16. 20. Eze. 23. 37. God is brought in to the Israelites blaming them because they had yeelded vnto Idols the children which they had begotten vnto him and had made thē to passe through the fire that they might become sacrifices of the Idols And Paul in the first Epistle to the Corinthians affirmed that the Children of the Christians be holie 1. Cor. 7. 14 Which if it be true there can no cause bee assigned why the Diuell should bee driuen from them by exorcismes 18 But the head of their superstition is this that these men thinke It is Christ not Baptisme that taketh away sins and that is prooued by many arguments Iohn 1. 29. that by the outward baptisme sinnes are chiefely forgiuen But they are
vs which be giuen to earthlie lusts louing after the maner of brute beasts those things onelie which be present vnto vs while by the reuelation of wisedome he stirreth vp our amazed will to the loue of God while he persuadeth vs to all things that are good which thing thou fearest not else-where to denie c. But in the same tenth chapter Augustine confuteth him in these words Yet we doo not principallie desire that outward but this inward grace he must néeds at length confesse whereby the greatnesse of the glorie to come is not onelie promised but also beléeued and hoped for and is not onelie reuealed in wisedome but is also euen loued and whereby euerie good thing is not onelie suggested 2. Thes 3 2. but also throughlie persuaded for all men haue not faith The same Augustine in his booke of grace and frée will the 16. chapter For it is certeine that we doo kéepe the commandements if we will but bicause the will is prepared by the Lord we must make petition vnto him that we may will so much as is sufficient and in willing we may doo it Certeine it is that we will when we be willing but he it is that causeth vs to will that which is good Of whom it is said which a little before I affirmed that the will is prepared by the Lord. Psal 37 23. Of whom it is said His steps shall be directed by the Lord and hee shall order his waie Phil. 2 13. Of whom it is said It is God that worketh in vs both to will and to doo Certeine it is that when we doo we doo it but he causeth that we doo by giuing most effectuall strength to the will Who said Eze. 36 27 I will cause that ye shall walke in my commandements c. The same Augustine against the two epistles of Pelagius to Boniface the third booke the ninth chapter What is it then saith he that they conclude where they rehearse those things which themselues hold They saie that they confesse that grace also helpeth euerie good purpose but yet that it dooth not put an indeuour of vertue into him that resisteth c. This also would Augustine haue caused the Pelagians to grant that God putteth an indeuour of good things euen into them that resist the which cannot be doone vnlesse our mind be conuerted and that of an euill and corrupted will it become good This is that change which the holie Ghost worketh in vs. Hereby are we mollified when we be hard and stubborne The same father said that when God hardeneth it is nothing else but that he will not mollifie bicause vnlesse it be doone by him that we be mollified we continue still in our hardnesse The holie Ghost bringeth it to passe that we are made readie scholers of GOD when of our selues we are vncapable of diuine things Salomon 3. King 3 6. as we haue it in the third booke of the Kings the third chapter desired of God an vnderstanding hart or such a hart as would easilie be taught This is it which is said in the Gospels that We be taught of GOD Iohn 6 45. Esaie 54 13 which thing was promised by the prophets God is the true master who not onelie instructeth and teacheth but also bringeth to passe that we doo learne but that are not outward masters able to doo for God giueth eares to heare eies to sée an hart to vnderstand Wherefore Christ in the Gospell said He that hath eares to heare let him heare Matth. 13 9 Vnlesse this be doone in vs we séeing shall not sée nor hearing shall not heare neither shall we perceiue with the hart It is written in Deuteronomie the 29. chapter Deut. 29 4. He hath not giuen you eies to see not eares to heare nor a hart to perceiue namelie those things which in the wildernesse GOD did among you and the words which he spake And why this ought to be doone in vs the excellencie of diuine things doo declare vnto vs. For as the apostle Paule saith 1. Cor. 2 9. The eie hath not seene the eare hath not hard neither yet haue entered into the hart of man the things which GOD hath prepared for them that loue him Wherefore it is written in the 1. to the Corinthians Ibidem 14. The naturall man perceiueth not the things which be of the spirit of God neither can he knowe them for they be foolishnesse vnto him The reason is afterward added why a naturall man cannot vnderstand or desire these things bicause they be spirituall things And if they be spirituall things they are onelie iudged by the spirit And in the second epistle to the Corinthians he saith 2. Cor. 3 5. that We are not sufficient of our selues to thinke anie thing as of our selues bicause our sufficiencie is of God But if so be we cannot so much as thinke of those things how shall we be able to vnderstand or desire them which is a far greater and more difficult matter than to thinke Wherefore if the spirit of God shall propound vnto vs either the lawe or the promises or the words of the holie scripture and that no change commeth we will not be mooued bicause we are neither sufficient nor apt vnto those things It behooueth that a conuersion go before which may be called a certeine disposition The same doo the Papists attribute vnto humane strength and vnto our owne power as though we can dispose it vnto grace and vnto faith Our conuersion and disposition must be attributed to the spirit of God Howbeit this must be vtterlie ascribed vnto the spirit of God not vnto mans strength and will as we haue declared Also it might rightlie be called the health of the mind of which healing Augustine in his booke De spiritu litera hath oftentimes made mention As touching sinnes we first of all affirme that the nature of man is corrupted and defiled Further we perceiue that euill acts doo breake out So on the other side we must affirme that there is first some healing of the mind that goeth before afterward that there followeth a consent of faith a confidence and loue towards God and an imbracing of his word But and if such a conuersion or medicine haue not gone before we will flie from GOD. This was verie well shewed in Adam the first man Gen. 3 8. as in a certeine type or figure who when he was fallen after the breach of Gods commandement into corruption and spirituall death he hiding himselfe fled from God And the apostle Paule although he had heard and read manie things in the prophets concerning Christ yet neuerthelesse was he turned from him and made hauocke of the church Acts. 9 1. bicause as he himselfe said vnto the Romans The wisedome of the flesh is enimitie against God Rom. 8 7. and is not subiect to the lawe of GOD neither yet can it be And bicause
as setting all other things aside we put our trust in him alone and contemning those things which we sée doo hope for of him those things which we sée not c. These things agrée with those which be written by the same apostle in the same epistle the second chapter verse 1. that When we were dead in our sinnes God quickened vs togither in Christ Wherefore euen as a dead man is able to doo nothing towards his owne raising vp or resurrection so we also doo not rise againe although the words of God call vnto vs alowd vnlesse the spirit and life be first restored vnto vs then doo we mooue and stir vp to well dooing And in the first epistle to the Corinthians it is written 1. Cor. 4 7. For who separateth thee And what hast thou that thou hast not receiued And if thou hast receiued whie doost thou glorie as though thou haddest not receiued If we should appoint that frée will can receiue the promises offered and can consent to the saiengs of God propounded the answer will be easie for anie man to saie He hath seuerallie appointed vnto me my frée will aboue others bicause I would they would not I haue consented they haue refused wherefore the difference would appeare to be of vs. And when Paule saith Thou hast nothing that thou hast not receiued he meaneth not that of creation but of faith of christianitie and regeneration For he dealt with the Corinthians themselues who professed christianitie 10 Further Iere. 17 14. Psal 80. 7. séeing this healing of the mind dependeth of God we rightlie praie Heale me Lord and I shal be whole And in the Psalmes Turne vs ô God of strength Which thing when God dooth he taketh the veile from our hearts whereby we were let that we could not be méet for heauenlie things And the naile of obstinacie and stubbornesse is driuen out Iohn 6 44. by the naile of the word of God for Christ said No man commeth vnto me except my father shall drawe him Whereof Augustine speaking in his 26. treatise vpon Iohn saith Feare not as though thou shouldest be drawne against thy will the mind is drawne and is drawne with loue neither shalt thou saie How doo I beléeue willinglie if I be drawne Thou art not onelie drawne by will but also by pleasure for as the Poet said Euerie mans owne pleasure draweth him And he addeth similitudes A similitude Thou shewest to a little shéepe a gréene bough thou drawest him Thou shewest nuts to a child and thou drawest him We are not drawne by the hurt of the bodie but by the cord of the hart Further making this drawing more plaine he saith I while I speake vnto you what doo I I bring in a noise into your eares vnlesse there be one within to reueale what speake I What saie I I am he that trimmeth the trée without the Creator is within 2. Cor. 2 7. But he that planteth and he that watereth is nothing it is he himselfe that giueth the increase and maketh all men apt to learne All which men Iohn 6 45. They which haue heard and learned of the father they doo come vnto Christ He intreating of the verie same matter against two epistles of the Pelagians the 19. chapter writeth Who is drawne if he was alreadie willing And yet no man commeth except he be willing Wherefore he is by maruelous meanes drawne to be willing by him which knoweth how to worke inwardlie euen in the verie hearts of men not that men should beléeue against their wils which is vnpossible to be doone but that of vnwilling they should be made willing I knowe that some be of the mind that all men are drawne of God and that some come not bicause they will not not bicause they are not drawne Howbeit this exposition agréeth not with the discourse of the Gospell for some contemned the words of Christ murmured and went their waies But the twelue cleaued vnto Christ who séemeth to giue the reason of this difference namelie that none should come vnto him vnlesse the father shall drawe him Of this sentence it may be prooued They depart and come not vnto Christ Therefore they are not drawne The apostles cleaue vnto Christ and followe him Therefore they be drawne So then these be drawne and those be not drawne And the cause why one is drawne and an other is not drawne iudge not thou said Augustine if thou wilt not erre More might yet be said of this drawing but I surcease I come vnto Paule and to the prophet Esaie Esai 45 69. Rom 9 20. who in such sort compare vs with God as he is the potter but we the claie Which must not onelie be vnderstood of our creation but also of our forming anew for so Paule vnto the Romans vseth the same similitude And it must be diligentlie considered that a potter dooth not onelie forme and fashion the claie but dooth also soften renew and temper it the which thing belongeth vnto that change whereof we now speake Rom. 9 16. It is also said vnto the Romans It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in GOD that sheweth mercie In which words Paule testifieth that our saluation is wholie of him and that we ought not to contend with him as touching the bounds as to saie This is mine and this is his but we must sincerelie and truelie confesse that all our saluation how much so euer it be is of God And this did Oecolampadius a singular man in godlinesse and learning note in 26 Oecolampadius chapter of Esaie the 156. leafe But we must not thus imagine that God prospereth the businesse and yet dooth nothing for euen this dooth he a little after prooue to be false yéelding vnto God all our works Neither doo we giue onelie false titles vnto him as some flatterers doo vnto kings bicause through the authoritie of kings manie thousands are slaine in battell when as they themselues neuerthelesse are occupied in the meane time in games and huntings Augustine in his treatise De bone perseuerantiae the second chapter saith that We liue well when we attribute all vnto God And Cyprian as he is alledged by Augustine said that Of vs there is nothing and that therefore we may not glorie This he spake not alonelie for christian modestie sake but bicause of the truth for that so the thing is And if the exposition were true which some men make of those words It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that hath mercie that it is therefore so said bicause our will and strength are not sufficient vnlesse the mercie of GOD be present the sentence might be inuerted so that we might saie that it is not in God that hath mercie but in man that willeth Because according to the iudgement of these men the mercie of God is not sufficient vnlesse that we also be
not onlie would forgiue him the fault of an euill will and action but also would giue him grace to will well to doo well and therin to continue Iam. 1 17. For euerie good gift saith the apostle Iames and euerie perfect gift is from aboue and commeth downe from the father of lights c. By these things we sée that vnto Liberum arbitrium that is to will now reformed no small power must be attributed Therefore I affirme that the regenerate can knowe spirituall things that they can also make choise of them and after a sort can doo them bicause they are not now onelie méere and bare men but they are men of God they be ingraffed into Christ they be his members and therefore partakers of his fréedome To them it is said Phil. 2 15. Ephes 2 15. Iohn 15 15. Worke you your saluation with feare and trembling They be no longer the enimies of God but fréends of God and of Christ and therefore he hath made knowne vnto them those things which he heard of his father Iere. 31 33. Now they haue the lawes of God written in their harts and in their bowels They are not in the first point of the drawing from whence the motion beginneth but hauing procéeded further of vnwilling they are made willing A similitude Fitlie agréeth vnto them the similitude of Augustine vpon Iohn of the gréene bough shewed to the yoong shéepe and of the child vnto whom nuts are offered before they would not go afterward they are drawne with great delight Of them also this may be aptlie said If thou be not drawne praie that thou maiest be drawne When they be children they are now led by the spirit of God Rom. 8 14. and are so led as themselues doo those things that be right Of which matter wrot Prosper in an epistle to Ruffinus saieng thus For all men haue not faith neither doo all men beléeue the Gospell but they which beléeue are led by the spirit of God they which beléeue not are turned awaie by frée will Wherefore our conuersion vnto God is not of vs Ephe. 2 8. but of GOD as the apostle saith By grace ye are saued through faith and this not of your selues but it is the gift of GOD not of works least anie man should boast himselfe c. Also the regenerate can stir vp in themselues the gifts and grace of God as Paule wrot vnto Timothie the second epistle 2. Tim. 2 6. Also they applie themselues vnto the holie Ghost that they may possesse and vse the more excellent and profitable spirituall gifts 2. Cor. 12 1. as the Corinthians are admonished by Paule in the first epistle Again they that be renewed doo works which are pleasing vnto God Gen. 22 19. for Abraham is commended by God bicause he for Gods sake spared not his onelie begotten sonne And the almes of the Philippians were called an odour of a good smell before God Phil. 4 18. And vnto the Hebrues the 13. chapter it is written Hebr. 13 16. that Good turnes and hospitalitie are acceptable sacrifices to God Mat. 7 17. They are now good trées Mat. 25 35. and therefore no maruell if they doo bring foorth good fruits who euen of Christ himselfe being iudge shall at the last daie be allowed 2. Tim. 3 17. And herevnto doo the regenerate atteine that they be called perfect and prepared to euerie good worke who neuerthelesse in all things that are to be doone well haue alwaies néed of the speciall helpe of God And hereof wrote Prosper in the epistle so often alledged Therefore whomesoeuer the grace of God iustifieth it maketh not of good men better but of euill men it maketh good afterward by profiting it will make of good men better not by taking awaie of our frée will but by setting of it frée vnto righteousnesse But when it is lightened by the mercie of Christ it is deliuered from the kingdome of the diuell and is made the kingdome of God wherein also it may continue Neither doubtlesse is it strengthened sufficientlie by that power except it obteine thereby a perseuerance from whence it receiued an indeuour Yet for all this haue not they which be conuerted prepared and healed anie full fréedome of the will while they liue here but They perceiue an other lawe in their members rebelling against the lawe of the mind They doo not the good Rom. 7 23. Ibid. vers 19 which they would but the euill which they hate Neither are they able throughlie to fulfill the lawe verse 25. In their mind they serue the lawe of God but in their flesh the lawe of sinne Gal. 5. 7. The spirit lusteth against the flesh and the flesh against the spirit so as they doo not those things which they would Mat. 26 29. 2. Sam. 11 1. And sometime the euent dooth not answer to their determinations and horrible faults doo otherwhiles happen as it came to passe in Peter and Dauid Neither can they be without sinnes for Iohn said 1. Iohn 1 10 If we shall saie that we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs. Iam. 3 2. Also Iames wrote In manie things we sinne all 19 Howbeit there is a difference betwéene the wicked and the regenerate for those delight and reioise in sinnes but the godlie doo sorrowe and mourne and doo euerie daie praie Mat. 6 12. Rom. 8 24. Forgiue vs our debts c. They crie also O vnhappie man that I am Who shall deliuer mee And when they sée themselues vnperfect and to haue onelie the first fruits of the spirit they wish that their daie of death were present to wit that they may be made fullie perfect in the last regeneration And finallie they séeme to haue said rightlie which haue appointed thrée sorts of fréedome of the will One from necessitie constraining the which is common as well to the godlie as to the vngodlie for mans will cannot be constrained An other fréedome they haue appointed from sinne which the vngodlie in no wise haue but the regenerate doo in some part possesse it as it hath béene alreadie declared The third fréedome is from miserie which the wicked haue not but we after some sort haue it For although we be tossed with diuers misfortunes yet by hope we are saued both from sinne and from miserie When we shall come into the kingdome of heauen we shall be at full libertie And let these things suffice as touching frée will Certeine clauses or sentences concerning Free will Those things which are set foorth to be knowne as touching frée will are no light matters but they are of verie great importance For so manie of vs as are renewed by the grace of Christ well knowing the féeblenesse and infirmitie of fréewill will not become proud neither will we extoll our selues by the power thereof Nay rather we will be the more earnestlie
be excused than they which sinne by the instigation of lust proposition 3 The primitiue church had more prophets than the church now hath bicause signes were requiâ—… or the gathering of men vnto Christ and bicause that christian doctrine could not yet be had of godlie men by humane studie proposition 4 We haue not as the old synagog had perpetuall prophets bicause onelie Christ and his spirit which is present with his church succéeded all the old fathers Propositions out of the xxi chapter of the booke of Genesis Necessarie proposition 1 AN oth is a confirmation of the will of God or a testimonie of diuine things proposition 2 An oth of his owne nature is good proposition 3 It is lawfull for a christian man to sweare proposition 4 Although that an oth arise of an ill occasion yet is it of a good cause proposition 5 An oth whereby those things are confirmed which be repugnant with the word of God is void proposition 6 To auoid periurie it is good not to sweare but seldome and for great causes proposition 7 We must not sweare by the names of idols Probable proposition 1 TO sweare by creatures is not altogither forbidden by God proposition 2 They are not excused from periurie which doo vse fraudulent and craftie words proposition 3 It is lawfull for christians to take oths of infidels although they sweare by the names of their idols Propositions out of the xxij and xxiij chapters of the booke of Genesis Necessarie proposition 1 TEmptation is an vnknowne searching out of a thing to find out the knowledge thereof proposition 2 It cannot be denied but that God is the author of temptations proposition 3 God must not so be accounted the author of temptations as the fault of sinnes should be reiected vpon him proposition 4 It is lawfull for godlie men to resist temptations by praier proposition 5 Godlie men are not afraid of temptations whereby they should be excluded from eternall life proposition 6 To wéepe in funeralles is not forbidden proposition 7 Although death happen to no man but by the will of God yet they which sorrowe for the death of others doo not against the will of God proposition 8 We must beware least the prolonging or increasing of sorrowe be not against the faith of the resurrection proposition 9 Whether the dead doo lie buried or vnburied it maketh no matter as touching their owne saluation proposition 10 To be adorned with a sepulchre or to be destitute thereof is a solace or sadnesse of them that be aliue proposition 11 The care of burieng the dead must be reteined as a religious dutie proposition 12 The reuelation which commandeth that the bones of martyrs should be digged out of sepulchres to the intent they should be worshipped is not to be beléeued Probable proposition 1 IT is an absurditie to burie dead bodies in temples proposition 2 The saints which be dead are ignorant of themselues what is doone about their dead bodies or sepulchres proposition 3 It is agréeable vnto godlinesse for a man to choose himselfe a place to be buried in Propositions out of the xxiiij and xxv chapters of Genesis Necessarie proposition 1 THe seruant of Abraham which prescribed himselfe a signe to knowe the wife chosen by the Lord vnto Isaac did not tempt God proposition 2 He that séeketh an experiment of the power of God to the intent his owne faith or the faith of others may be the better confirmed or that he himselfe or others may be instructed such a one dooth not tempt God proposition 3 They doo tempt GOD which without a true faith but rather of a contempt doo séeke signes to satisfie their owne curiositie or desire proposition 4 To tempt GOD is without a cause to make triall of his power goodnesse and faith proposition 5 Curiositie is an immoderate desire of knowing whereby either we séeke those things that should not be sought or if they should be sought we séeke them not the right waie proposition 6 The women which somtimes in the holie scriptures are said to be the patriarchs concubines were their wiues proposition 7 Those things which are due vnto vs by predestination we ought to praie for and labour to atteine vnto proposition 8 Since predestination signifieth an eternall action of God we cannot assigne anie efficient cause thereof out of God proposition 9 We grant that God dooth predestinate them whom he forknew would vse well his gifts but we denie that the same good vse of Gods gifts is a cause of Gods predestination proposition 10 Our calling the good vse of Gods gifts faith and other vertues and holie actions of godlie men may be causes and beginnings of predestination but as from the latter and to knowe them by proposition 11 The declaration of the goodnesse and righteousnesse of GOD is the finall cause but there may be assigned a generall cause of Gods predestination Probable proposition 1 THe fathers sought wiues out of their owne kindred that a greater conformitie of maners might be had in matrimonie and that the worship of GOD might the more firmelie flourish among them and that they might haue the lesse familiaritie with infidels proposition 2 The barren which are described in the old testament to haue brought foorth no fruit declare fruitfulnesse to be the gift of God and doo confirme the childbirth of the virgine lastlie they signifie the regeneration of the children of God whervnto mans strength is not able to atteine proposition 3 Now are there no oracles shewed vnto vs as there were vnto the old synagog bicause Christ was appointed the end of oracles and by him came a more plentifull spirit and finallie there be now extant more and more cléere scriptures than the fathers had Propositions out of the xxv xxvi and xxvij chapters of Genesis Necessarie proposition 1 ALbeit God reuealeth vnto men some thing that shall come to passe it is not therefore lawfull for them to doo against the laws of God or against the rule of reason to bring it to passe proposition 2 Although they that doo vs good be but wicked men yet ought we with a thankfull mind both doo them good and wish them well proposition 3 When in the holie scriptures are shewed anie of the fathers sinnes we must not séeke from thence an example of life but rather woonder there at the faithfulnesse of God proposition 4 When the world is pressed with famine it is not to be doubted but that sinnes are punished thereby proposition 5 God otherwhile dooth good vnto the posteritie for the deserts of their forefathers which be now dead proposition 6 Albeit that enuie is a gréeuous sinne yet to be mooued with indignation and zeale dooth sometimes happen without blame proposition 7 Vehement perturbations of the mind must be auoided that we may be apt instruments of the holie Ghost proposition 8 The actions of the fathers which we sée haue a shew of sinne if we will grant that they were
these men as it is most euident did profite so much that they filled all with darkenesse Why then will wee thus wittinglie and aduisedlie erre Let vs returne I beséech you let vs returne to the first fountaines of the scriptures Socrates Socrates being an Ethnick so much attributed to the light of nature that if he had by iust order vsed his interrogations to a young man though he were vnlearned in what science he would traine him vp he said that he might be able to answere fitlie rightlie to al sciences And shal we attribute so litle vnto the spirit of God who is a father of the fatherlesse and a Maister of young children that he cannot by his scriptures inspired with the heauenlie light throughlie teach that which Socrates by his interrogations promised to doe in humane things When there is mention made of the obscurenesse of the scriptures why doe we not call to minde the shipmens art A wise shipmaister being holpen by studie and exercise Similitudes may know the times in which the shippes should be brought foorth of their harbors and perceiue the reasons which otherwise are verie doubtfull as touching the windes neither is he anie thing lesse skilfull of the wayes the iourneies the pathes the coastes the turninges the néerest wayes of the wide Sea and that in the night season than he is of his owne towne high-waies or stréetes and no lesse dooth he auoid the Rockes and sands than we doe horses Cartes and ditches Let vs accustome our selues to the word of God let vs continuallie be occupied in the holie scriptures let vs be earnest in the reading of them and by the benefite of Christes spirit those things which be necessarie to saluatiō shal be plaine direct and most manifest vnto vs. It happeneth oftentimes that the darknesse of the scriptures is imputed to our sloth and lightnes They which séeke pretious stones in the sea do not sit néere the shore picture out vpon the sands or number the waues or winds but doe send downe euen vnto the bottome and doe bring vp pretious stones from vnder the water and haue that which they desire A similitude They which search out for gold or siluer in the vaines of the earth doe not lightlie digge in the vppermost part but they péerce euen as it were into the bottome and the verie depth and at the length doe gather from thence some crummes of gold Euen so if we would vse the selfe same diligence and vigilancie about the word of God we should attaine vnto those thinges which be obscure There is nothing so hard but that with continuall vse it is made easie nor anie thing so painfull but with labour it is ouercome That the holie scriptures séeme oftentimes to be repugnant They call them into suspition because they are sometimes one against an other But how the fathers doe otherwhile disagrée one from an other I thinke none of you are ignorant As touching them which be the principall I haue manie times noted vnto you when oportunitie did serue But others which are of the common sort of Diuines doe so contend as the matter is handled by railings and taunts oftentimes they come to blowes handstrokes But in the holie scriptures there is nothing that so greatlie disagréeth but that if we shal with diligent héed discusse the places which disagrée we may easilie reconcile them Will you ascribe vnto the fathers this authoritie that they should be more excellent than the holie scriptures which thing themselues beare gréeuouslie and vnwillinglie If they allowe anie thing they alledge the holie scriptures If they be pressed with anie authoritie they appeale vnto them and doe teach that so we ought to doe If you giue them so much credit in other thinges why doe you not beléeue them in this But they are woont to say that heretickes haue the scriptures and doe seduce We on the other side also doe alledge scriptures against them we contend and cannot agrée who then shall be the Iudge who shall finish the controuersie Now here also they thinke that they haue prouided Howbeit I would faine aske of them how the first fathers did which contended with the Ethnickes they vndoubtedlie had no other but the scriptures and with those testimonies they confuted them But will they say that the power of the spirit is at this day diminished or the holie scripture changed If these in our time remaine the selfesame why doe not we also assuredlie trust that the selfe-same thing may be doone of vs If the fathers were not necessarie at that time why doe we thinke that religion at this day cannot be defended without them And that especiallie séeing the heretickes will easilie say that they are not bound to admitte all the sentences of the fathers Doe not I beséech you doe not perswade your selues that the fathers spake all things Which one of them Chysostome by name vppon Genesis Homilie the 3. manifestlie confesseth when he saith Of great abundance vndoubtedlie is this treasure and large is the fruitfulnesse of this fountaine Neither doe thou maruell welbeloued if these thinges doe happen vnto vs euen they which were before vs did withall their power drawe waters from thence and in like manner they which shall come after vs shall attempt the same neither yet shall they likewise be able wholie to emptie it Howbeit I would not by these thinges which I haue spoken either get my selfe hatred or stirre vp enuie as though I went about to extenuate the authoritie of the fathers or to remooue their doctrine out of the Church It is not so I know and fréelie graunt that I greatlie profited by reading of the fathers and I doe also francklie confesse that they haue bin no small helpe vnto me For by them I vnderstood manie thinges which otherwise perhappes by my selfe I should not haue throughlie perceiued I know that the Eunuke in his chariot reade the scriptures Acts. 8. 28. Acts. 10. 5. but yet concerning them he was taught by Philip. It would be a verie great arrogancie and intollerable pride that one man should challenge vnto himselfe the whole knowledge of the holie scriptures What other thing might this be thought than to offer himselfe of his owne accord to be intrapped in the diuels snares By this way we should most manifestlie tempt God and by contemning of godlie and learned men which might séeme to waite to be rapted vp together with Paul into the third heauen Cornelius the Centurion was sent vnto Peter to be instructed of him Neither ought we to be ignorant that men be the Temples of the holie ghost from whence God is woont manie times to drawe out his Oracles And while in the Church one teacheth an other charitie is both preserued and increased Why I beséech you doe we euerie day come hither Assuredlie that we may deale together as touching the holie scriptures and therefore we dispute openlie that we maie one
words in them but rather maruell thou at the power of the crosse which Christ suffereth not to be made voide by mans eloquence Yea rather when these thinges come to minde let vs giue thanks vnto our good God who would haue these testimonies of his wil to be sealed vp that wee béeing dull of memorie shoulde not forget them and that euerie man at his owne pleasure shoulde not deuise a doctrine in the Churche but that there might be extant a publike patterne whereby the sayings of all men might be prooued and throughly tried Luke 1. ◠And therefore Luke in the Preface of his Gospell that he might acknowledge the certeintie of those thinges whereof he was taught testifieth that he therefore wrote vnto Theophilus that hée might knowe the certeintie of those thinges wherof he was instructed Whosoeuer therfore beléeueth in Christ if he turne ouer the Booke he by the meanes thereof through the holy Ghost is euerie day made more assured of those things which he professeth For as Iron is by vse purged from rust A similitude and doeth the more glister and shewe bright so the doctrines of godlinesse which are contained in the holy Scriptures the more often they be reade the more manifest and true they appeare vnto vs. Plato in his Booke of lawes thinketh méete to giue commaundement to the husbandman that he doe not water his grounde with other mens water Digge saieth he a well therein that thou maiest vse the waters thereof when néede shall require Wherefore God also woulde that in the Church which is his vineyarde shoulde flowe a perpetuall reading of the scriptures whereby the necessarie water of the worde of GOD might be ministred to our faith which oftentimes waxeth drie It was a familiar saying in the mouth of Socrates when he was vrged to say or doe any thing If my good spirit shall permit me The Demon of Socrates For he had such a one who was as his counsellour or kéeper But wee must perpetually cleane vnto the worde of God as vnto a Counsellour when any thing is set foorth to be doone or beléeued we must answere so much as by the word of God shall be lawfull and in all our affaires take Counsell thereof faithfully The holy historie teacheth that there was a laudable custome of the people of GOD that as touching euery enterprise they first tooke Counsell of God before they tooke in hand to doe the same Iud. 1. 1. In the Booke of Iudges after the death of Iosua the Israelites demaund who shoulde goe vp against the enemies In the first Booke of Samuel 1. Sam. 30. 8 Dauid asketh whether he should followe after the théeues which had destroyed and burned the Citie of Ziklag Yea and Achab 1. kings 22. 6. although he were a wicked man went not altogether from his Countrie manner nay rather when he should fight against the king of Syria he tooke Counsell of God by the Prophets Therefore wee also must not attempt any thing wherein wee haue not first perswaded our conscience by the worde of God that the worke which wée take in hande is good and shall be acceptable vnto the Maiestie of God The Poets vaunted that their harmonie songes and verses wherewith men were delighted nay rather deceiued were not made by man but were drawen from Helicon Pernassus the fountaine of Castalius Pegasus or Caballinus frō the forrest of Cythaeron the Muses recyting them which as they be false lyes so is it most true that the doctrine which we now commende is drawen out of heauen and communicated vnto the Church vpō Mount Syna in Ierusalem and vpon Mount Sion Exod. 20. Esa 2. 3. as we reade in Exodus and as Esaie hath testified Out of Sion shall come a lawe and the worde of the Lorde from Ierusalem The Oracles of the Ethnikes In olde time the Ethnicks had secrete places in temples doores vnder the grounde a Caudron for sacrifice a Trenet vnder which they put fire brasse of Dodona most auncient Okes dennes Images names written in leaues and briefely vnprofitable Temples and innumerable wayes did the Diuell mocke them But vnto vs in the stead of all those things is by the mercie and goodnesse of God set foorth the onely Oracle of the holy Scriptures Pythagoras is for this cause not a litle famous that he had conference with Oules and Eagles Pompilius talked with the Nymphe Aegeria Apollonius Thyaneus as the histories report or rather fable vnderstoode the singing and chattering of little byrdes But vnto vs doeth the true God the Creator of heauen and earth speake most manifestly in the Scriptures by Moses by the Prophetes by his onely sonne Iesus Christ and by his Apostles and doeth so speake as he changeth the soules the hearts the mindes and the whole man and of stones is able to make the sonnes of Abraham not whom he may like fabulous Amphion forcibly drawe to the walles of Thebe but whom he may builde vppon Christ because he is both the onely and sounde foundation aswell of the Apostles as Prophets Let the Poets boast as they will that Orpheus tamed the wilde beastes we in the meane time being taught by experience will not doubt but that the wordes of the Scriptures turne them into the sonnes of God which before were serpents and generations of Vypers Whereupon Paul mentioning vnto Tytus what manner of persons we were before we were regenerated in Christ saieth Matt. 3. 7. Titus 3. 3. For wee also in times past were fooles disobedient going astray seruing lustes and diuerse pleasures liuing in malitiousnesse and enuie being hated and hating one another And vnto the Corin. the first Epistle and 6. Chapter Verse 11. when he had recited many detestable crimes he added And such were you in deede but nowe are ye washed ye are sanctified ye are iustified And séeing that to the breaking of our hearts which be hard and obstinate there should be néede not of weake instrumentes but rather of most strong engines for that cause GOD reuealed vnto his Church no faint or dull manner of spéeche but such as was deliuered by many of the Prophets and in diuerse manners For it exhorteth terrifieth driueth forwarde calleth backe teacheth confuteth promiseth threateneth pronounceth sigheth prayeth beséecheth praiseth dispraiseth sheweth things past declareth things present prophesieth things to come and as most soft waxe it is bended vnto all formes to the ende it may bow the stonie hearts of the vngodly Wherefore not wtout good cause it ought to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a vanquisher of all Yea and Sathan although he be most mightie was driuen out of the wicked bodie of Saul which was appointed to vtter destruction 1. Sa. 16. 23. being not able to abide the songes of Dauid the Musitian of the holy spirit By them the olde serpent being inchaunted was after a sort burst in péeces Matth. 4. And the same Sathan was driuen