flat And Balaam calleth himselfe A man falling with his eies open And yet were not these men enforced to vncomelie and dishonest gestures 1. Cor. 14 32 Wheras Paule saith that the spirits of the prophets are subiect to the prophets that he added least the prophets should be at any contention among themselues and should hinder one another or least that anie one should saie He could not wait till another had done Paule addeth an other note in the same place None saith he can saie the Lord Iesus 1. Cor. 12 3. but in the spirit of God And no man speaking in the spirit of God defieth Iesus These be assured tokens both of a good prophet and of a bad Neuertheles it is not sufficient to confesse the Lord Iesus in words but it must also be done in true faith Augustine in his commentaries begun vpon the Epistle to the Romans There be found saith he which professe God in words but denie him in their dooings Wherefore whosoeuer professeth the true faith of God and sheweth the same in his déeds and maners must be accounted for a true prophet Yet we ought not to denie Euill men sometime prophesie true things but that euill men also doo sometimes foreshew true things Such be they which shall saie in that latter daie Haue not we cast out diuels Matth. 7 23. and wrought manie miracles in thy name And generallie we may conclude that whosoeuer confesseth Iesus Christ A generall rule to knowe true prophets of what maners soeuer he be so he lead vs not awaie from the faith the same is to be estéemed for a prophet of God For God can vse the works euen of euill ministers in shewing foorth his glorie so they kéepe themselues within the prescript of faith For this is it indéed to say Iesus is Christ For Augustine vpon the Epistle of Iohn saith Augustine that The verie same name of Christ is the knot Vnder the name of Christ is contained all the articles of the faith in the which all the articles of the faith are contained Bicause whosoeuer granteth Christ to be the sonne of God must of necessitie confesse the father and the holie ghost that Christ was borne that he suffered that he died that he was buried that he was raised againe that he was taken vp into heauen Paule to the Thessalonians saith 1. Thes 5 21. Prooue all things hold that which is good A little before Paule had giuen warning that the prophets should not be despised then he added that their saiengs should be pondered with iudgement For there be some which if by chance they heare somwhat spoken vnaduisedlie in a sermon do straitwaie contemne and refuse the whole Other som take altogither as it coms without anie choise But Paule warneth vs to take the meane waie he saith Prooue all things and hold that which is good In hearing of sermons Paule rule must be followed In those daies there was a discerning of spirits in the church whereas at this daie there is either none at all or else verie rare but yet the people ought to make their hartie praiers vnto God that they be not carried awaie from the truth by false teachers but in the giuing of their voices they must take héed that the best minister be chosen And bicause euen Homer himselfe as the prouerbe goeth may be sometime taken napping therefore must the ministers saiengs be tried and examined by the word of God and the articles of faith And prophesie hath a propertie common with other frée gifts Prophesie must be don freelie which is that it must be giuen fréelie So that they are deceiued who thinke that the same may be obtained by art or industrie or by I knowe not what maner of purgations For Peter saith 2. Peter 1 1. that Prophesie proceeded not of the will of man but that holie men spake as they were set on by the spirit of God And Paul saith that the spirit distributeth to all men 1. Cor. 12 11 euen as it will for it taketh hold both of the learned and vnlearned the child the herdman as it did of Amos the prophet Amos. 7 14. when he was gathering of wild figs yet it cannot be denied but that fasting and praier doo helpe verie well For we knowe that Daniel did much chasten himselfe and refrained from the kings table Daniel 1 8. being content with pulse Trulie these things doo further not a litle Prophesieng vnderstood for expounding the word of God 1. Sam. 5 10. Schooles of the prophets 2. King 3 15. howbeit they deserue not the gift of prophesieng But if we take prophesieng more largelie for the exposition of the prophets and word of God it cannot be denied but that that facultie may be attained by exercise doctrine And therfore to that purpose we find that schools were appointed wherein the children of the prophets were instructed and that when Elizeus was disquieted he called for a musician to the intent he might recouer his right mind 10 Now let vs in a few words declare the effects of prophesie The first effect is the edifieng of the church Therefore Salomon saith in the 29. of Prouerbs When prophesie ceaseth Prou. 29 18. the people be scattered and with idlenes and loitering be quite marred For prophesie kéepeth men in their dutie wherefore Paule saith 1. Cor. 14 3. Hee that prophesieth speaketh doctrine exhortation and comfort so that if the ordinarie ministration at anie time as it happeneth be out of course God raiseth vp prophets extraordinarilie to restore things into order Whether prophets be sure of those things which they prophesie But it may be douted whether prophets doo surelie knowe those things to be true which they foretell yes verelie For otherwise how could Abraham haue found in his hart to slaie his sonne vnlesse he had béen assured of the commandement of God Wherefore in that they be prophets they be sure of that which they saie I ad in that they be prophets For as being men they may both erre be deceiued In Parilip Dauid told Nathan that he would build vp a temple vnto the Lord. 1. Par. 17 2. Then Nathan the prophet as if he allowed the kings mind bad him doo that which séemed good to his owne eies but afterward he receiued from the mouth of God that the same worke pertained to Salomon therefore Nathan as man erred but God foorthwith called him home This much sufficeth for the effects of prophesieng One onelie thing I will ad Eccl. 48 14. It is written in Ecclesiasticus that the bones of Elizeus the prophet did prophesie bicause by the raising vp of a dead man Miracles whether they be prophesies they gaue testimonie of Elizeus doctrine but we must not séeme to call that a prophesie for then shall all miracles be prophesies In Gen. 20. 11 But we sée that
with others in which the verie same matters although after a much plainer sort are intreated of And if perhaps some places be so hard as they cannot be reached vnto wée must thinke that such are not much necessarie vnto our saluation For the holie Ghost is not so without care of our saluation as of set purpose he would that to be hid from vs which we ought to knowe naie rather the difficultie of vnderstanding of the scriptures is oftentimes verie profitable vnto the faithfull For by that meanes a more honest indeuour is stirred vp in them the desire of vnderstanding is increast and they become more feruent in praier wherein they labour ernestlie with God that he will giue them grace to knowe that which as yet is hidden from them Moreouer Out of the preface In Rom. Looke In Rom. 4 13. by such meanes they are become willing to aske the aduise of others better learned than themselues whereby the hautines of mind which perhaps might arise is suppressed humilitie and mutuall loue among the members of Christ is restored Neither dooth the difficultie of the scriptures which somtimes happeneth harme vnto anie except such as be peruerse men Chrysost Chrysostome as we touched before in his preface to the epistle to the Romans taught that This darknes is mollified by often diligent reading and so mollified as he dare speake it that we of our selues without anie maister may vnderstand whatsoeuer is taught in them so that we meditate our selues therein both daie and night For I my selfe saith he did not attaine to this skill by the sharpenes of mine owne wit but by earnest indeuour For euen the dullest wits by diligent labor doo compasse hard and obscure things And he bringeth a verie apt similitude A similitude The thoughts meanings of a man are most secret yet oftentimes are the thoughts and meanings of our fréend whom we earnestlie loue and with whom we are alwaies conuersant perceiued of vs by a becke or nod without a signe of words or spéeches which he vttereth Euen so saith he it commeth to passe in the epistles of Paule so that a man loue them and be dailie occupied in them He that asketh shall receiue he that seeketh shall find and he that knocketh it shall be opened vnto him This he spake to the common people exhorting them to the studie of the scriptures 16 But there bée some others woont also to iangle that the holie scriptures In 1. Cor. 13 ver 12. for their doubtfulnes and obscuritie may be called glasses and as it were riddles and therefore would conclude that they are in no wise sufficient for our saluation but that we must refer our selues to the iudgment of fathers and councels For the principles or rules they saie whereby our life is directed must be most plaine and euident vnto vs. But these men are alreadie answered In things necessarie to saluation the scriptures are not ambiguous that in such things as are incident to saluation the scriptures want no plainnesse nor perspicuitie and those things which in one place are somewhat darklie intreated of are plainlie taught in another And who vnderstandeth not that the apostle in that place speaketh not absolutelie but by a comparison What a grosse kind of reasoning is this A grosse kind of reasoning Those things which be taught in the holie scriptures and in the sacraments be glasses and riddles of diuine things if they be compared to the knowlege that we shall haue in the life to come therefore simplie and of themselues they be so obscure as they are not sufficient for our saluation But those things which we now beléeue are not so euident vnto mans reason as that they can be shewed by causes though in the life to come all things shall be so perfectlie knowne vnto vs that we shall be able to reduce all things to their owne causes and from cause to cause till we come to the highest And what can the fathers themselues or the councels teach vs more than they themselues learned in the holie scriptures * For whatsoeuer they adde ouer and aboue these must be reiected as mans deuise 17 Those words which we haue in the latter epistle to the Corinthians the third chapter doo fitlie serue to the expounding of this matter But we behold as in a mirror verse 18. the glorie of the Lord with open face and are changed into the same image from glorie to glorie as by the spirit of the Lord. For the apostle in these words laieth togither two kinds of knowleges which we haue of heauenlie things Two maner of comparisons of our knowledge and compareth the one with that which was vnder the lawe and the other with that which we expect in the life to come And in the first comparison he saith that The knowledge vnder the lawe was secret and hidden and was signified by the vaile which Moses cast ouer his face when he spake to the people And against this obscure knowledge he opposeth the knowledge which wée haue after Christs comming wherwith we behold heauenlie things with open face the vaile being put awaie But least thou shouldest thinke that our knowledge is yet perfect he vseth this participle ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is Beholding through a glasse For the fruition of the things themselues is reserued til we come vnto the eternall rest whereby we be changed transformed euerie daie into the image of God euen from lesser to greater glorie Augustine handleth this place verie properly in his 15. book De trinitate the third chapter We must not take offense saith he that God hath so instructed vs in the knowledge of him as it were through a glasse and in darke saiengs bicause so our nature hath required it For we be framed in such sort as we are led vnto the knowledge of causes by their effects and are trained by similitudes vnto certeine truths In 1. Cor. 2 vers 7. How the holie scriptures shuld be read of all men 18 No more are they to be heard which would persuade that the holie scriptures should be taken from laie men bicause the mysteries which are in them ought not to be committed to al persons For that is as much saie they as to cast holie things vnto dogs But the people of Christ must not be counted as dogs For they that haue beléeued be baptised and be partakers of the sacraments They haue the spirit of GOD and therefore must not be defrauded of his word And although within the whole flocke of christians there may be found some which be contemners and perhaps some blasphemers and mockers shall therefore the greatest number of the faithfull be depriued of the commoditie of the scriptures for their sakes No verelie Which thing is euidentlie prooued by the example of the apostles which were not ignorant that among such a number as came to the hearing of their seruice there were many present
not that hath he not doon And thus much touching the arguments made vnto the 1. part An answer to the arguments on the second part Rom. 1 24. To the first 28 Now let vs take their arguments which affirme God to be the cause of euill In the first to the Romans it is said that God gaue them vp to a reprobate sense The interpretation is easie he gaue them vp to the desires of their owne hart as afterward he himselfe expoundeth it wherefore these desires were first euill What did God Verelie he permitted them to obeie their owne naughtie desires he himselfe did not euill but in leauing them destitute of his grace foorthwith wicked desires tooke place in them priuation of it selfe followed howbeit God vsed their naughtie desires to the performance of his iustice To the second namelie in punishing of them Exod. 9 12. Of the hardening of Pharaos hart it is sufficientlie declared before In the sixt chapter of Esaie Esaie 6 10. when God saith by the prophet Blind thou the hart of this people To the third that they hearing may not heare and seeing may not vnderstand c. This is two waies to be expounded Ierom for interpreting of these words taketh a place out of the 11. chapter to the Romans where it is said of the Ethnikes and Hebrues The Gentils were in times past vnbeleeuers Rom. 11 30 when ye did beleeue but now they haue obteined mercie through your vnbeleefe While the Gentils beléeued not the Iewes séemed to haue the true worship on the other side when preaching was afterward offered vnto them and they beléeued not the apostles forsaking them turned to the Gentils and so they were to become vnbeléeuers to the end that the Gentils might be admitted vnto grace Thus did God vse the incredulitie of the Iewes and therefore he added Rom. 11 32. that God did shut vp all vnder vnbeleefe that he might haue mercie vpon all Wherfore that same blinding of the vnbeléeuers was The blinding of vnbeleeuers to doo seruice to the prouidence of God which the prophet foresheweth Another interpretation there may be and that more commodious Gods mind was that Esaie should be sent to preach but least hée might be discoraged afterward when he should sée their obstinacie and that they were offended at the word God telleth him before that the same would come to passe The word of God of it selfe hath not this but he iustlie withdrew his spirit and grace from them This word of thine saith he will be an occasion taken through which they shall become more blind be turned awaie from me This must be vnderstood as touching the greater part for there were som good men among them Vnto this end it is declared that this should come to passe that they by perishing might make manifest the iustice of God who of his iust iudgement would make this their blindnes to doo him seruice But that the blindnes came of God we must not vnderstand it otherwise than as touching outward things for he offered them his word by Esaie 29 Another place To the fourth Matt. 6 13. Of leading into temptation Lead vs not into temptation It is so spoken as though God dooth lead some into temptation and by that meanes is the cause of sinne This sentence of the Lord Augustine in his booke De natura gratia the 58. chapter interpreteth To the intent we may resist the diuell we praie that the diuell may flie from vs when we saie Lead vs not into temptation Therefore also are we warned as it were by a grand capteine exhorting souldiers and saieng Watch and praie Matt. 26 41 least ye enter into temptation Wherefore Augustine in that place referreth these things vnto the temptation of the diuell who is able to bring nothing to passe further than God will giue leaue And in the 67. chapter of the same booke he addeth Two maner of waies we prouide against the diseases of the bodie namelie that either they may not happen at all or else if they doo come that we may quicklie be deliuered of them Thus when we saie Lead vs not into temptation we desire that God may turne awaie sinne that it happen not but if we haue fallen and committed sinne we praie him that he will remit and forgiue it The same author against the two epistles of Pelagius in the fourth booke and ninth chapter by the testimonie of Cyprian writeth when it is said Lead vs not into temptation that we be warned of our infirmitie and weakenes For it is said by the Lord Watch and praie least ye enter into temptation the reason is added For the spirit is readie but the flesh is weake let vs not be insolentlie puffed vp In this place temptation is ascribed to the flesh and to weakenes so as God is excluded from being author In his booke De bono perseuerantiae and sixt chapter he saith that Cyprian bringeth in that particle in these words Suffer vs not to be led into temptation for he séeth that the diuell can doo no more than God hath giuen him leaue to doo And God as touching his owne people bringeth to passe that he shall not preuaile but as touching the wicked if he haue the ouer hand God cannot be blamed vnles he will saie he is to be blamed for that he hindered not and that he ruleth euils and vseth them according to his prouidence Here we obiected Whether the punishment and fault be all one that it can hardlie be that the punishment and the fault should be all one For it is called sinne in that it is voluntarie but punishment is alwaies laid vpon men against their wils And how agréeth it Of voluntarie and not voluntarie that voluntarie and not voluntarie should be all one We answer that we may consider our will as touching sinne two manner of waies one waie as sinne procéedeth from thence and is brought to effect by meanes of the same and in that respect it is called a voluntarie thing an other waie sinne is considered as it is in the mind or will and deformeth it and after this sort it cannot be voluntarie for no euill men would haue their mind to be polluted wounded or destroied Wherefore sinne as it is brought foorth from the will being the effectuall cause is voluntarie but as it bringeth in blemish or deformitie it is doone against the will for we would be all perfect To the fift It was added God is the cause of the cause of sinne therefore also the cause of sinne By what things doo we sinne By the will and affections the which God hath brought foorth therfore he is also the cause of the last effect We answer that sinne dependeth not of the will and affections as they were made by God but as they are now corrupted I shewed an example before of halting 30 Besides we said that God remooueth his grace and
indured cruell iniuries all his life long he was beaten and finallie was crucified like an euill dooer Neither did the punishment fall vpon the murtherers and rebels till after certeine yéeres These things dooth GOD diuerslie according as the counsels of his prouidence doo permit In 2 King 1 verse 9. 5 There remaineth to sée wherefore it was admitted to Elias that he should destroie with fire from heauen those princes and their soldiers and yet it was denied to the apostles Luke 9 54. which in like maner desired that the same might be lawfull for them against the Samaritans Looke In 2 Kings 2 23. who most cruellie excluded Christ from harbouring among them when he iournied from Galilie to Ierusalem for Iames and Iohn desired this of Christ Some saie that hereof commeth the difference that the spirits of the lawe and of the Gospell be verie contrarie For the propertie of the lawe is to condemne punish and slea but the propertie of the Gospell is to forgiue preserue and quicken So that Elias was to kill them which did openlie violate the lawe of God but the dutie of the apostles was to helpe and to heale men and not to destroie them Wherefore the Lord added Ye knowe not of what spirit ye be I doo not thinke that these words are so to be vnderstood as though Elias was so much addicted to the lawe that he had nothing common with the Gospell for he himselfe was sometime a helpe to men For in a verie great dearth he fed the widowe of Sarepta 1. Kin. 17 16 togither with hir sonne and familie yea and when hir sonne was dead he restored him vnto life againe and heauen being opened hée gaue raine most plentifullie Also the apostles of Iesus Christ were not so addicted vnto goodnes as that they neuer hurt anie Acts. 5 5. Acts. 13 11. for Peter by his word destroied Ananias and Saphyra Paule made blind Elimas the sorcerer and deliuered verie manie vnto satan to be tormented according to the flesh Howbeit I grant that the spirit of clemencie and gentlenesse flourished more in the apostles of Christ than in the ancient prophets and againe that the spirit of seueritie and reuenge was more vttered in Elias and his fellowes than in the euangelicall disciples And I thinke good to adde that the apostles were therefore warned of the Lord bicause they were mooued against the Samaritans by an humane anger and not by a diuine persuasion to wish euill vnto them But it is verie likelie that they were vrged to aske that thing through the site of the place bicause in the same place Elias procured fire from heauen vnto those princes For king Ahaziahu was in Samaria when he commanded that Elias should be brought vnto him Wherefore there was a certeine fond zeale in the apostles wherewith they indeuoured to imitate Elias Nor in the meane time did they make anie difference betwéene the nature of their vocations For thereto was Elias called that he should execute the iudgements of Gods seueritie neither did he so sharpelie behaue himselfe of his owne accord but by the warning of God and of his angel Indéed in outward shew he might séeme to be a manqueller yet must he not so be reputed séeing he was onelie the minister of God And so we must beware that we doo not by anie example of our forefathers assure our selues of those things which we earnestlie and extraordinarilie desire Thus vndoubtedlie did the sillie woman of Samaria Iohn 4 20. who reasoning with Christ at the well side laboured to prooue that God should be worshipped in that mountaine bicause Iacob had worshipped him there Indéed he did that which was lawfull for him to doo in that age wherein he liued but afterward when the lawe was giuen the worshipping was to be doone at the tabernacle and after that in the temple of Salomon Neither must the examples of the forefathers doone against the lawe of God be taken as rules to imitate and followe The which if we shall doo we shall not be counted as followers of the fathers but as mockers of them Wherefore when we will take vnaccustomed things in hand against the ordinarie commandement of God it is not enough to alledge an example of the forefathers but we must descend into our selues in examining by what spirit we be led least vnder a certeine glorious pretence we followe the wisedome and affection of the flesh For this cause Iesus said to his apostles Ye knowe not of whose spirit ye be Ye purpose with your selues to followe Elias but ye be not led with his spirit 6 Two waies we sée there is offense committed in this age of ours Warres of christians against the Turks The christian princes haue diuers times taken in hand wars against the Turks pretending a iust cause for that they thought méet to recouer those lands which the barbarous nations and wicked tyrants had taken awaie from the christians Buâ whether they were stirred vp by a good spirit it is verie doubtfull Peraduenture they were mooued by a gréedie desire of bearing rule or for worldlie glorie sake or else by other inuentions of mans wisedome and therefore had seldome anie good successe Againe there haue béene some Fighting for the Gospell which indeuoured by armes and humane power to spread abroad the Gospell and propagation of churches These perhaps did not well trie with what spirit they did it This is it whereof Christ warned his apostles that they should descend into themselues and examine with what spirit they were led namelie Luke 9 55. whether they could be like vnto Elias And when they had desired of their maister that it might be lawfull for them by his leaue to vndertake and doo it he denied that request bicause he was not sent to the end he should afflict or destroie men but rather to helpe them and that therefore he would not passe the limits of his vocation Whereby he also warned them that they should not rashlie indeuour to arrogate such things vnto themselues But that Christ was not sent to punish and take reuenge of wicked déeds his life and acts doo testifie For he was a succour vnto all men and he helped them that were in miserie so often as occasion was offered And when he was with most bitter taunts reuiled he did not reuile againe And being fastened to the crosse he praied most patientlie for his enimies Wherefore the places which at the first sight séemed to varie are reconciled And we be all warned that when we are to take in hand anie thing against order custome we must first discerne with what spirit and instigation we be mooued Neither let vs be of the mind to imitate Helias in reuenging vnlesse we vnderstand for a certeintie that we be led with the spirit of Helias Yet is not therefore the power which the magistrate hath of iust reuenging taken from him for he hath lawes prescribed vnto him
by faith taketh nothing awaie from the truth of things dooth not take awaie anie whit from the truth of the thing Wherefore verie manie are far deceiued about the matter of the Eucharist for when we affirme that by faith we doo eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his bloud they straitwaies conclude that therfore we haue not these things indéed as though that by faith we apprehend a false flesh of Christ or a feigned bloud of him Neither yet is that true which was taken as granted that we in anie wise haue sinne bicause it is not imputed vnto vs for séeing they which be iustified doo striue against sinne and suffer not the same to haue dominion ouer them therefore after a sort they are iudged to haue no sinne On the behalfe of charitie that it dooth iustifie that is woont to be obiected which we read in Iohn God is charitie 1. Iohn 4 8. and he that dwelleth in charitie dwelleth in God and God in him Howbeit this place is not verie proper for charitie for else-where it is written also He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud Iohn 6 54. dwelleth in me and I in him And againe He that dwelleth in me and I in him Iohn 15 5. this man bringeth foorth much fruit And of them also which kéepe his commandements he saith that He and the father will come and dwell with them Iohn 14 23 Wherefore thou séest that this abiding which they obiect against vs dooth happen vnto vs through manie instruments or meanes and yet is there not anie man that will affirme vs to be iustified by all these things Not all these things by which God and Christ dwelleth in vs doo iustifie vs. Wherefore we néed not labour to knowe by what meanes it commeth to passe that Christ and the father dwell in vs and we in them but we must rather consider what is that by the which he first and principallie dwelleth in vs. And certeine it is that such a coniunction springeth not of anie other cause than of election Rom. 8 28. predestination and calling according to his determinate purpose as the apostle hath contriued togither these things in the epistle to the Romans And there is no doubt By faith we first answer vnto the calling of God but that we first of all by faith answer vnto the calling of God Neither dooth experience teach vs otherwise When anie thing is promised vnto vs by some man we then first of all cleaue vnto him when we giue credit vnto his saiengs Wherefore Paule in another place wrote Ephe. 3 17. that Christ dwelleth in our harts by faith VVhat is the vnion of the godlie with Christ In Rom. 8 at the beginning 35 Now must we sée what it is to be in Christ First commeth in place that which is common vnto all mortall men for the sonne of God bicause he tooke vpon him the nature of man is ioined with all men For séeing they haue fellowship with flesh and bloud as testifieth the epistle to the Hebrues Heb. 2 14. What maner of coniunction we haue with Christ he also was made partaker of flesh and bloud But this coniunction is generall and weake and onlie as I may terme it according to the matter for the nature of man far differeth from that nature which Christ tooke vpon him For the humane nature in Christ is both immortall and exempted from sinne and adorned with all purenes but our nature is vnpure corruptible and miserablie polluted with sinne but if the same be indued with the spirit of Christ it is so repaired as it differeth not much from the nature of Christ Yea so great is that affinitie as Paule in his epistle to the Ephesians saith Ephe. 5 30. that We are flesh of his flesh and bones of his bones Which forme of speaking séems to be drawne out of the writings of the old testament for trulie thus doo brethren and kinsfolke there speake one of an other He is my bone Our bone and our flesh is the Hebrew phrase and my flesh For they being come of one and the selfe-same séede of the father and wombe of the mother séeme to acknowledge vnto themselues one matter common to them all wherevnto this furthereth also that children drawe of their parents not onlie a carnall and corpulent substance but also wit affection and disposition The verie which thing commeth to passe in vs when we are indued with the spirit of Christ for besides our nature which we haue common with him we haue as Paule doth aduertise vs in the first to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 2 16. Phil. 2 5. his mind and according as Paule requireth the Philippians the self-same sense Let the selfe-same sense saith he be in you which was also in Christ Iesu This knitting of vs togither with Christ Paule expressed by the similitude of ingraffing A similitude wherein are very well perceiued those two things which we haue now rehearsed for the yong slip that is graffed and the stocke whereinto it is graffed are made one thing Neither onelie are the matters which were diuers ioined togither but they are also nourished togither with one and the selfe-same iuice spirit and life The selfe-same thing the apostle testifieth to be done in vs when he saith that we are graffed into Christ Rom. 6 15. The same also doth our Sauiour teach in the Gospell of Iohn when he calleth Himselfe the vine Iohn 15 5. and vs the branches for the branches haue the selfe-same life common with the vine trée for they all spring out by one spirit and bring forth one and the selfe-same fruit Paule also in his epistle to the Ephesians Eph. 5. 23. compareth with matrimonie that coniunction which we haue with Christ for he saith that the same is a great signe betwéene Christ and his church For euen as in matrimonie Our coniunction with Christ is compared with matrimonie not onelie the bodies be made common betwéene man and wife but also their affections willes are ioined togither so commeth it to passe by a sure and firme ground betwéene Christ and his church Wherefore the Apostle pronounceth them frée from sinne which doo abide in Christ and are in him after such a sort as I haue now declared to the end they may liue his life be of the same mind that he is and bring foorth such fruit of works as differ not from his fruits And they which are such cannot feare condemnation or iudgement for the Lord Iesus is saluation it selfe as his owne name declareth wherefore they which are in him stand in no perill to be condemned Herevnto we adde that they also are in Christ Who are in Christ which in all their affaires depend vpon him and who are mooued by his spirit whatsoeuer they take in hand or doo for to depend vpon him is nothing els than in all things that we go about
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 coÌmeth 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã And this forme of speaking the ancient fathers called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 froÌ 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
easilie be vnderstood by those things which we spake concerning the causes 6 But heauenlie inspiration was not communicated to all the prophets alike Degrees of prophets For some sawe more and some lesse In the 12. of the booke of Numbers God saith Num. 12 6. that he did insinuate himself to other prophets after diuers fashions but that hée presented himselfe vnto Moses mouth to mouth and face to face Deut. 34 10 And at the end of Deuteronomie it is written A comparison betweene Moses and Iohn Baptist Matt. 11 11 that after Moses there was neuer the like prophet Which yet must be vnderstood of the time before the comming of Christ For otherwise by the testimonie of Christ himselfe Iohn Baptist was greater than Moses For saith he Among the children of women there arose not a greater than Iohn Baptist For other prophets foretold that Christ in time would come but he with his finger shewed him to be present and conuersant among men We may also although somewhat rudelie thus distinguish the degrées of prophesies if that we call one an oracle another a dreame and an other a vision An oracle is What is an oracle a dreame a vision when by the voice of God him selfe it is told what we should doo So was Abraham warned by a voice from heauen that he shuld not kill his sonne As for the maner of dreaming there is no néed of examples Of these things read more in the next place they are plentifull in euerie place of the holie scriptures A vision may be in thrée sorts either when true things be discerned by an infused light and by the méere vnderstanding or else when besides that light images also are described and that either in the mind Zach. 1 18. and 4 2. Ierem. 1 13. as when Zacharias sawe the hornes and the candlesticks and Ieremie the pot or else in the eies and outward sense as was that hand spoken of by Daniel which appeared on the wall and as that Daniel 5 5. when angels were séene to talke with men in bodilie shape of men A difference in prophesie according to times And in prophesies there is a difference of times For some were before the lawe as were those of Abraham Noah Enoch and Adam some in the lawe as of Moses and others some in the gospell as the prophesies of manie holie men in the primitiue church And this gift God denied not euen to women For we reade of Marie Women prophets Debora and Olda that were prophetisses besides other women And in the beginning of the primitiue church the daughters of Philip and other godlie women did prophesie And Paule saith that a woman praieng or prophesieng 1. Cor. 11 5. should couer hir head But here How women may prophesie they being forbidden to speake in the church 1. Cor. 14 34 by the waie ariseth no small doubt For if at that time it were lawfull for a woman to praie and prophesie openlie why dooth Paule writing to the Corinthians and to Timothie admonish that a woman should not speake in the church These two saiengs although they may séeme somewhat repugnant yet may they diuers waies be reconciled Some thinke that Paule meaneth that a woman praieth and prophesieth when she is present and heareth publike praiers and prophesiengs in the church directed by some godlie and learned man Others suppose that two errors crept into the church of the Corinthians euen so soon as the same church beganne the one that women should prophesie openlie and the other that they should doo it bare-headed And they thinke that Paule confuted the first error in the 11. chapter to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 11 5. and the other in the 14. and in the 2. to Timothie 1. Tim. 2 11. and that so Paule altogither forbiddeth that either of them should be doone in the congregation Other some vnderstand those words of Paule as touching the ordinarie ministerie which by no meanes must be permitted to a woman but that by an extraordinarie meanes it is lawfull for women sometimes to prophesie as it was vnto Marie Debora Olda and others of whom we spake before the which if it doo happen at anie time they saie that Paule warneth that a woman should haue hir head couered Others thinke that women are quite forbidden by Paule to prophesie openlie but that it is lawfull for them to doo it priuatlie so they couer their heads But howsoeuer it be it importeth not much our purpose is onelie to teach that God dooth sometime impart this gift vnto women Prophets must not diminish the word nor adde to of their owne 7 But aboue all things prophets must beware that they corrupt not nor that they adde not or diminish anie thing For some otherwhile hauing receiued the illumination of God doo adde ouer and besides of their owne In the Acts certeine holie men lightened with the spirit of God said Acts. 21 4. and 10. that manie gréeuous afflictions were prepared for Paule at Ierusalem And this in verie déed they spake trulie but they added other things of their owne For they gaue counsell vnto Paule that he should not go to Ierusalem which thing they had not of the holie Ghost Good prophets ought not so to behaue themselues For if they will mingle their owne wisedome with the oracles of God they may easilie both be deceiued themselues and also cause others to be deceiued Besides this Prophets must not be corrupted for fauour or reward Num. 22 23. the prophets must take héed that they suffer not themselues to be corrupted either by monie or fauour as we reade that Balaam did For they which so doo saith Ierome are not prophets but diuiners As when Logicke is corrupt with errors and Fallaxis it is no longer Logicke but Sophistrie For they which may be hired to speake in fauour for reward sake be rather the diuinors of idols than the prophets of GOD and if they beare anie office in the church they will soone infect their auditorie with errors and so both shall be cast headlong into the ditch Further they must indeuour themselues by their life and maners to win credit to the woord of God By their life they must win credit to the word Matth. 3 4. 2. Kings 1 8. A fond imitation of Elias Iohn Baptist in apparell This is thought by some to consist in apparell and so they will imitate Elias and Iohn Baptist and be appareled in camels heare and we are girdles of leather But this did the prophets by the instinct and warning of God to drawe the people vnto God by woondering at them Contrariewise there be some which will abound in pleasures and excesse and this we reade in the Ecclesiasticall historie of Prisca and Maximilla for they vsed painted colours and all kind of nicenesse Prisca Wherefore a certeine meane waie must be vsed for offence may be committed on
Moses besought GOD as we read in the same booke of Exodus Exod. 33 18. that he might sée his face whose request God for the incredible fauour he had vnto him would not vtterlie gainesaie when as he neuertheles would not grant him wholie that which he desired Therefore he answered Verelie thou shalt not see my face bicause men cannot behold the same and liue Ibidem 20. but my hinder parts euen my back shalt thou see What plainer testimonie than this can there be Surelie God dooth here bind himselfe in plaine terms to appéere vnto Moses in mans likenes of which forme or image Moses should sée not the face but the backe and that he performed faithfullie For as God passed by Moses sawe the backe of his image néere vnto the rock and he heard the great and mightie names of God pronounced with an excéeding cléere voice which when as he perceiued he cast himselfe prostrate vpon the earth and worshipped And it is not to be doubted but that he gaue that worship vnto him which is due vnto God alone For séeing he beléeued him to be present according to his promise there can be no controuersie but that he worshipped him as being there trulie present And doubtles had not God béene verelie present at the arke and propitiatorie 2. Chr. 7 1â but had onelie willed the angels to answere such as had asked counsell of him since he had commanded the Israelits to worship call vpon him in that place he should haue driuen them hedlong into idolatrie To these examples let vs ad that historie which in the booke of Kings is mentioned of Micheas the prophet 1. Kin. 22 19 which prophesied before Achab the king of Israel and said that he sawe God and an host of angels present with him and that he heard God aske which of them would deceiue Achab and that one offered himselfe readie to becom a lieng spirit in the mouth of the prophets of king Achab. By this vision it is vnderstood that there was a plaine and notable difference betwéene God and the angels which appéered altogither vnto the prophet Wherfore that gift which God gaue vnto the fathers must not be extenuated or made lesse than it was and it must be granted that he was present in verie déed when he appéered séeing we read that so it was done and there is nothing to the contrarie so far as can be gathered out of the holie scriptures neither is the nature of God anie thing against it but that it might be so And it were not safe for vs to attribute vnto angels all those things that we read in the scriptures of such kind of visions For so we might easilie slip into that error to beléeue that the world was not made immediately by God but by the angels at his commandement God was trulie present so often as the scriptures testifie that he appeered Let vs therefore confesse that God was trulie present in those things and that he shewed himselfe vnder diuers similitudes as often as we heare the scripture either testifie or shew so much 8 It remaineth that we answere to the places before alledged As touching the place in the epistle to the Galathians Galat. 3 19. I grant that the ministerie of angels was vsed in the giuing of the lawe When God gaue the lawe the angels ministred For they were with God when he spake They brought foorth darknes thunder flames of fire and lightenings they prepared the tables of stone and were manie waies diligent about God while he was present and talked with the people Neither is it denied by the words of the apostle that God spake or gaue the lawe as the words of the scripture doo testifie Yea rather there haue béene that expounded The hand of a mediator not to be Moses but the sonne of God himselfe whether trulie or no I am not presentlie to discusse Acts. 7 30. The angel that spake to Moses in the bush was the sonne of God And as for that which S. Steeuen saith as it is in the Acts of the apostles that an angel appéered vnto Moses in a bush and spake vnto him long answere néedeth not For if by the angel the sonne of GOD be vnderstood all scruple is remooued 9 But to the intent that those things which I haue spoken of concerning this matter may the more certeinlie and plainlie be vnderstood me thinketh it is good to confirme them by the testimonie of some of the fathers Chrysost Chrysostom in the 14. Homilie vpon Iohn saith that Whatsoeuer the fathers of old time sawe it was of permission but not of that pure and simple substance of God And he addeth If they had séene that substance they should haue séene euery part like an other for as much as it is pure simple and not to be described wherfore it neither standeth lieth nor sitteth in such wise as was sometimes shewed vnto the prophets Moreouer he addeth that GOD before the comming of his sonne into flesh exercised the fathers in such kind of visions similitudes And in that place granteth that which we affirmed a little before that the spirits created of God such as be the angels and soules of men cannot be séene with our bodilie eies Wherefore it is much lesse to be beléeued that we are able by our outward senses to attaine to the knowledge of God And least anie should thinke that it is onelie proper to God the father to be inuisible and not to the sonne he alledgeth that saieng of Paule that He is the image of the inuisible God Colos 1 15. And surelie he should faile in the propertie of an image vnlesse he were inuisible as is he whose image he is said to be Augustine Augustine also in his third treatise vpon Iohn saith concerning Moses Although it be said that he talked with God face to face yet when he made sute to God that he might sée his face that is to wit his verie substance he could not obtaine it And in the same place he addeth He saw a cloud and fires which were figures And a little after If they saie that the sonne was visible before he was incarnated they doo but dote Manie other things besides these dooth Augustine gather to the same purpose in his Epistle to Fortunatus out of Nazianzen Ierom and other of the fathers which were ouerlong here to recite 10 But yet will I here bring foorth a couple of arguments which are woont to be obiected against those things that I haue defined We said at the beginning that the essence of GOD cannot therefore be comprehended by sense bicause his nature is not corporall but all the ancient fathers séeme not to haue beléeued this for Tertullian against Praxias writeth Tertullian that God is a bodie and diuers times he affirmeth âhe same in other places yea and in his little booke De anima he saith that our soules are bodies and which
kinds of visions which he calleth corporall againe another sort he calleth spirituall which consisteth of shewes or images and haue place about the phantasie or power imaginatiue the last kind he nameth intellectuall bicause they be onelie comprehended by reason and iudgement of the mind But those which he maketh imaginatiue namelie the second sort he sheweth as we also declared a little before that they doo not make prophets and saith that Ioseph was a far truer prophet than Pharao And the selfe-same thing may we saie of the souldier Iudg. 17 4. that in Gedeons hearing interpreted the dreame of his fellowe-souldier to wit that he rather was the prophet than he that had the vision But in this order or degrée of prophets Daniel excéeded all others Dan. 2 29. For hée not onlie interpreted the kings visions but euen when the king had forgotten what he had séene in his sléepe he was able to call it to his remembrance Moreouer he not onelie interpreted what visions other men had but also was instructed from God in things that he himselfe had séene 10 Sometimes also dreams come of the diuell For Augustine in his booke before alleged De genesi ad litteram telleth of one possessed with a diuell which by a vision told the verie houre that the préest should come vnto him by what places he passed And we are not ignorant that among the Ethnicks Somtimes the Oracles of the Ethnicks made answere by dreames there were oracles where men abode all the night to obteine the interpretation of their visions and dreams such was the oracle of Amphiarias Amphilocus Trophonius and Aesculapius In those places an euill spirit shewed them that were a sléepe medicines remedies to heale their sicke folks at which time also they gaue answere as touching other matters And for the obteining of such dreams visions they which came to inquire of anie thing were inioined to vse certeine choise of meates to lie apart from others and to haue certeine daies of clensing And it is said that the Pythagorians abstained from eating of beanes Pythagorians bicause they bred troublesome dreames But our God to the intent he would declare himselfe not to be bound to such things shewed Daniel the kings dreame after that he and his fellowes had besought God for the same by praier But that the diuell can put himselfe among mens dreames there is no doubt since by his helpe there haue béene and yet are many false prophets Augustine Wherevpon Augustine in his booke now before recited the 19. chapter saith that If an euill spirit doo possesse men he maketh them either demoniaks or out of their wits or else false prophets and contrariwise a good spirit maketh faithfull prophets vttering mysteries to the edifieng of others He also demandeth in the 11. chapter of the same booke To discerne betweene the visions of a good spirit and an euill how the difference betwéene the reuelations of good and euill spirits may be discerned the one from the other And he answereth that the same cannot be doone without the gift of discerning of spirits But he addeth that an euill spirit dooth alwaies at the last lead men to wicked opinions and naughtinesse of maners although that at the beginning the difference cannot be perceiued without the gift of the holie Ghost In his 100. Epistle to Euodius when he had asked the same question he saith I would to God I could perceiue the difference betwéene visions which are giuen to deceiue me and those which are giuen to saluation But yet we must be of good chéere bicause God suffereth his children sometime to be tempted but not to perish Aristotle held that God sendeth not dreames 11 But what answere shall we make Aristotle who denieth that dreames come of God for this cause specially bicause he would then giue the power of diuination to the good and wise not to the foolish and wicked men We may answere that for the most part the true prophets which are lightened by God in their dreams and visions are both good and godlie But yet that it may not be thought that the power of God is tied to the wisedome and maners of men God will sometime vse the ministerie of the vngodlie in such things Why God doth sometime vse the euill prophets to the intent the great and woonderfull strength of his prouidence may be declared which is able to vse all kind of meanes Furder as Tertullian writeth in his booke De anima séeing he distributed his sunne and raine to the iust and vniust alike it ought to be no maruell if he impart these gifts also especiallie which are of force vnto mans erudition aswell to the bad as to the good And least we should be ignorant of his fashion the holie historie declares that the verie Ethniks were oftentimes warned and corrected by God in their sléepe Gen. 12 17. So was Pharao the king of Aegypt commanded to restore Abraham his wife againe And in the like sort was Abimelech king of Gerar warned of the same matter Gen. 20 6. And Tertullian addeth that Euen as God Tertullian when he instructeth the wicked in their dreams dooth it to make them good so the diuell contrariwise inuadeth the godlie in their sléepe that in their dreams he may seduce them from the waie of righteousnesse Aristotle thought that God in disposing of his gifts should speciallie haue respect to the wise and to the philosophers whereas Christ our sauiour taught a quite contrarie lesson saieng I thanke thee ô father Matt. 11 25. that hiding these things from the wise prudent thou hast reuealed them vnto little ones And Paule said God rather reuealeth mysteries vnto the simple than to the wise that the calling of God did chéeflie appertain to the poore to the vnlearned to the weaker sort And other argument was that the verie brute beasts doo dreame in their sléepes when as yet no man will saie 1 Cor. 1 26. that their dreams are disposed or ministred by God That same philosopher is deceiued in thinking that if God send some dreams vnto men he must therefore be the author of all dreams God sendeth some dreams but not all which without doubt is farre from our sense For we refer not all naturall things to GOD himselfe as peculiar effects whereby he instructeth men immediatlie as the schoolemen speake of things to come Of what causes dreams arise in brut beasts we haue sufficientlie shewed before And to speake Logikelike it is no good argument that is taken from the particular to the vniuersall affirmatiuelie So that if God suggest some dreams we must not therevpon gather that all dreams aswell in beasts as in men doo come of him For otherwise brute beasts haue the power of hearing neither doo they want eares yet bicause God dooth not send prophets to speake vnto them we may not conclude that he dooth neuer
was now at rest but neither is this indéed of anie great importance For first it séemeth not credible that a mangled and rotten carcase could be brought into that place Secondlie if it had béene so Saule himselfe might haue séene the same Galatinus Galatinus thinketh that it was the verie spirit of Samuel But in that he suffered himselfe to be worshipped he saith that either it was a ciuill kind of worship onlie or else that Saule worshipped God himselfe Howbeit these also are but weake and vaine arguments For if Saule would haue worshipped God why dooth he it then at the last when he heard that Samuel was come And as touching the ciuill worshipping Saule was a king and forsomuch as he had no superiour magistrate he could ciuilie worship no man But he addeth that such a like thing was doone vnder Ochosias the king 4. King 1 3. For when he had sent a messenger to aske counsell of Belzebub the god of Acaron God withstood it by Elias his prophet gaue answere and one of the captains of Ochosias fell downe and worshipped Elias Howbeit this similitude is altogither vnlike for Elias was then liuing and was séene of the messengers 7 But to shew at the last Peter Martyr concludeth that it was but an imagination Deu. 18 11. what mine opinion is I am mooued by these reasons to think that it was but an imagination First séeing God would not giue answere vnto Saule neither by prophets nor by préests nor by dreams it is not credible that he would answere him by the dead and especiallie séeing he had expresselie forbidden that by the lawe Further it must néeds be doone either by the will of God or by the power of art By the will of God it could not be doone bicause he forbad it neither by the power of art for witches haue no power ouer the godlie Moreouer Samuel must haue come either willinglie or constrained willinglie he could not for then he should haue consented vnto witchcraft and to saie that he came against his will that were not fit I knowe these reasons are not so strong that they can persuade an obstinate man But yet if we consider what belongeth vnto God and what should reuoke vs from euill arts they be effectuall inough In the decretals the 26. question in the chapter Nec mirum it is written that It was onlie a shew and a phantasie These words be out of Isidorus but in the end Augustine is added VVhether the diuell can appeare and knowe things to come and giue answers Demons be spirits good or euill 8 Now we must sée whether the diuell can appeare and giue answeres There hath béene alwais a great question as touching Daemons not onlie among the Ethniks but also among the christians They take their name of knowledge Wherof demons take their name as though they were named ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is skilfull wherevpon excellent men haue béene called Daemonij And we read that this difference was put betwéene Plato and Aristotle that the one was ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is Diuine and the other ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is Skilfull The word is to be taken on both parts for it signifieth spirits both euill and good Yea and God himselfe is sometime by the Ethnikes called Daemon There haue béene some which thought that there were no such spirits at all For the Peripatetiks thought that betwéene the Intelligencies which driue about the spheres our soules The Peripatetiks denie that there be demons there is put no substance indued with reason and that whatsoeuer may be knowne of these things we knowe it onlie by effects For by the continuall and ordinarie motion of the spheres Whether there be demons we vnderstand that there be spirits which doo gouerne them and that there is a prouidence Howbeit the maruellous things which are reported of Daemons or spirits cannot procure vs a knowledge of them For that which doth not happen commonlie publikelie but is shewed sometime by this man and somtime by that cannot be knowne but by supposition if those things be true which are reported But séeing it should be an impudent part to denie those things which by so manie historiographers and credible authours are put in writing they haue found an other shift For they saie that there may be other causes and in déed they inuent manie whereby common nature may séeme to be ouercome that woonderfull incredible things may be brought to passe that the power and strength of things is secret and vnknowne to the common sort and is vnderstood of such onlie as be learned and industrious For saie they the rude and ignorant man will maruell at the Loadstone The power of the Loadstone that so senseles and dead a thing should drawe iron vnto it and will crie out that it is doone by art magicke Further they saie that man is the chéefest among worldlie things and that he by a certeine power and indiuisible propertie bringeth maruellous things to passe Vespasâan by a secret power healed both a blind man and a lame The power of the phantasie Such as that of Vespasian who with his spittle healed a blind man and by touching of a lame man with his foote restored his lims They adde further that such is the power of mans phantasie that it oftentimes shaketh and maketh to tremble the whole bodie and changeth it either vnto cold or vnto heate as it commeth to passe commonlie in feare and anger And Auicenna saith if a man walke aloft vpon a beame he dooth easilie fall bicause his phantasie is greatly mooued and bicause he verelie thinketh with himselfe that he shall fall and therefore réeleth and falleth downe Neither doo such phantasies mooue only our owne bodies but the bodies of others also For so doo women sorcerers infect those whom they stedfastlie behold with fixed eies Wherefore saith he seeing these things may be doone by naturall reasons there is no néede of spirits But they adde that all the things which we doo sée happen strange and woonderfull The power of the celestiall bodies may be referred to the celestiall bodies For they saie that God the Intelligencies may bring these things to passe yet not without some meane but by the heauenlie spheres and stars therfore no néed of Daemons or spirits Howbeit they grant that there be some things which cannot be doone by naturall reason as to raise the dead to life and many mo such like things Plato held that for publike coÌmodities sake it is lawfull to make a lie But yet if you vrge those things also they will say that they be false woonders deuised by men Plato in his booke De republica saith that it is lawfull for men to make a lie for publike commodities sake There be others doo referre these things vnto the humors of mans bodie The power of melancholie and especiallie vnto melancholie
miraculouslie put himselfe betwéene them and their destruction and did hinder the cause but this could not the diuell foresée For God sometime preserueth those that be his and sometime he leaueth them so that they die and so doth it oftentimes come to passe in things that may happen either this waie or that waie For although the experience of spirits be verie great yet is it not so great but that they maie be deceiued Vndoubtedlie the nimblenes of spirits is verie great so that they can easilie perceiue and report what is doone in regions verie farre distant one from another God reuoketh decred purposes but yet oftentimes God reuoketh his purposed decrées And if perhaps God command the diuell to wast and destroie some region and the people in the meane time doo repent if the diuell foretell that the destruction shall come vpon them it must néeds be that he maketh a lie for oftentimes when men begin to repent from their hart God forgetteth all his threatenings These spirits doubtlesse doo sée and knowe the predictions of the prophets but yet those purposes which God doth reueale by his prophets may sometimes be mitigated or changed Esaie prophesied that Ezechias should die Esai 38 1 and 5. but yet when he humbled himselfe and earnestlie repented his life was prolonged for 15. yéeres but that this should come to passe the diuell could neuer haue suspected Wherefore they may be deceiued partlie bicause they knowe not the will of God and partlie also bicause they cannot throughlie looke into our minds But the good angels are not deceiued bicause they referre all things to the will of God The diuell deceiued by ambition Besides this also the diuell is oftentimes deceiued through ambition for he will séeme to be ignorant of nothing therefore he doubteth not to foreshew those things which are far beyond his reach For which cause he mingleth therewith colorable deceits wiles that whatsoeuer should happen he might séeme to haue spoken the truth For he is a craftie and double dealing fellowe as appeareth by these two oracles of his The diuels double meaning I saie that thou Aeacides the Romans conquer may Againe Craesus being past ouer Halis floud shall bring great riches vnto naught Rightlie therefore said Esaie in the 41. chapter Let them tell vs what shall happen we will saie that they be gods not as though they tell not the truth sometimes but bicause they are oftentimes deceiued Wherefore this doth Esaie saie Let them answere vs certeinelie and truelie and alwaies and without error what shall come to passe and we will account them for gods But how fowlie the diuell may be deceiued it chéefelie appeareth in Christ our sauiour Augustine in the ninth booke De ciuitate Dei The knowledge that the diuell had of Christ the 21. chapter saith that The diuell knew and sawe manie things to be woondered at in Christ but he knew not with that holsome and quickening light wherewith reasonable spirits are clensed but onlie by certeine experiments and temporall signes yet did he know him far better than men did For he sawe better and more néerelie than any sight of man can discerne how much the acts of Christ did surpasse the power of nature And yet that knowledge in the diuell did God represse and darken when it pleased him And therefore the diuell doubted not to tempt Christ which certeinlie he would not haue doone Matth. 4 3. if he had knowne Christ indéed For that knowledge depended vpon certeine temporall signes which oftentimes may trouble a man 1. Cor. 2 8. Therefore Paule said If they had knowne the Lord of glorie they would neuer haue crucified him But these words you will saie were spoken of Pilate and of the chéefe préests But that maketh no matter for they were the organs and instruments of the diuell And Iohn saith that The diuell put into Iudas hart to betraie Christ Luke 22 3. But what did let him you wil say that he might not perceiue the Godhead of Christ I will tell you Euen manie things which in Christ séemed to be but poore abiect and vile For he suspected that he which suffered such infamous things could not be God and so it was but a suspicion and not a knowledge But wherefore then did he persecute Christ vnto death Bicause he did not think that his kingdome should by that meanes haue a fall yet on the other side when he saw that his tyrannie began to decline that his ouerthrowe was at hand he thought to preuent it in time and for that cause he sent those dreames vnto Pilats wife Mat. 27 19. The dreams of Pilats wife bicause he now suspected that it was Christ I might shew by other examples how the diuell is woont to be deceiued but I thought this one to be sufficient for our purpose at this time In déed he knoweth naturall things redilie inough vnlesse perhaps God will sometimes blind him and turne him awaie For though he be stubborne and rebellious yet is he in the hand and power of God Moreouer he is manie times let The diuell deceiued through his owne malice and pride through hatred enuie malice and pride And we haue experience in our owne selues how much reason is woont to be obscured by such troublesom affections Herevnto also may be added the greatnes of torments and the sharpenes of punishments wherwith he is vexed wherefore the angels are lesse deceiued bicause they sée al things with a quiet mind 18 But you will demand Whether the spirits see the cogitations of men whether they sée the thoughts and cogitations of men Here they that answere are woont to make a double distinction If we vnderstand the mind to be as it sheweth it selfe by signes and by some moouing gesture of the bodie so diuels can sée the minds of men For they which be in an anger are hot they which are afraid are cold and pale And Augustine saith that All the cogitations of the mind haue some impressions in the bodie by them the diuell can make his coÌiecture what we cast in our mind Now our eies are not so sharp sighted that they can sée these things yet the same Augustine in his booke of retractations dooth after a sort moderate this sentence and denieth that anie impressions arise in the bodie by quiet cogitations But if we vnderstand the verie mind as it is of it selfe the diuel cannot reach so far as that he can vnderstand what we desire or thinke But you will saie Séeing mans vnderstanding dependeth of phantasies and forms cannot the diuell perceiue them Yes verelie but whether our vnderstanding be occupied in them that he cannot sée much lesse can he sée what the will dooth determine of them For the will dooth not followe those forms figures but it followeth the vnderstanding Now if we will aske counsell of the holie scriptures they answere most
plainelie that the diuell cannot knowe mans cogitations For they call God The knower of harts and saie that He alone is the searcher of the harts reines Psal 7 11. And they adde that None knoweth the secrets of man 1. Cor. 2 11. but the spirit of man that is within him and that The spirit searcheth out euen the deepe mysteries of God Séeing onlie God and man can sée mans hart the diuell must néeds be excluded And Salomon in the second booke of Chronicles the sixt chap. in those solemne praiers verse 30. which he made after the finishing of the temple speaketh thus vnto God Thou onlie ô Lord knowest the thoughts of mans heart As if he had said No man no angels nor any other thing created And Ieremie Ierem. 17 9. Peruerse saith he and very deepe is the hart of man who is able to search the bottome thereof And of the person of God he addeth I am God which searcheth the heart and reines Further God will not worke togither with the diuell so that the diuell also should be able to sée the cogitations and minds of men And this is thought of some to be doone through the mercie of God For if he could looke into the secret counsels of our harts he would tempt vs much more vehementlie The author of the book De dogmatibus ecclesiasticis affirmeth for certeintie Augustine De dogmatibus ecclesiasticis that the diuell cannot knowe the thoughts of men And Ierom vpon the ninth chapter of Matthew expounding these words verse 4. And Iesus perceiuing their thoughts by this saith he it is euident inough that Christ is God séeing he can reach euen vnto the harts of men By signes therefore and outward tokens the diuell maie gesse what we cast in our minds but to what end and purpose and what we thinke he cannot for certeintie vnderstand And out of doubt if he were sure of the faith constancie of holie men he would neuer tempt them least he should be shamefullie reiected as it fell out in Iob. 19 Touching the knowledge which the diuell hath By what meanes the spirits can giue answers we haue spoken sufficientlie Now we must sée by what meanes he is able to declare those things which he foreséeth will com to passe there be diuers waies therof For he hath oracles fore-speakings dreams superstitions working by circles and pricks in the earth diuinations on the water necromancie lots soothsaiengs by birds beasts and a number such like And these things he sheweth vnto men for no other end but to obteine of them some offering seruice Which thing Seneca not vnderstanding in the fourth booke of his naturall questions iesteth at certeine things which séeme to serue for our purpose For he saith that Among the Cleons there was a custome that when they which were the obseruers of the comming of haile had perceiued by some cloud that haile was readie to fall vpon their vines they should diligentlie warne the people of the same now they fled neither to cloke nor couer but to sacrifice For they which were of some welth killed either a cocke or a white lambe those of the poorer sort which had neither cock nor lambe vsed violence on themselues with a very sharp pointed knife let themselues blood out of the thumb as though forsooth saith Seneca that sillie little bloud could rech vnto the clouds These are his words but as I saie he vnderstood not the ambition of euill spirits 20 Now we must consider of the power of spirits as touching those works Of the power and strength of spirits which séeme to be aboue nature Some iest at all this matter and thinke that nothing at all can be doone either by magicians or by spirits And of this mind is Plinie in the thirtie book of his naturall historie and the first chapter for he saith That art magike is vaine and vncerteine that It is found by most euident reasons that all art magike is vaine and hath neither any certeintie nor soundnes For he sheweth that Nero being a prince as he gaue himselfe to the studie of singing and ruling of chariots so he was desirous of art magike and that he wanted neither wit nor power nor instructor For that Tyridatis the king of Armenia receiued his kingdome from him and by his commandement brought verie learned magicians out of the east that Nero also as he was very diligent suffered himselfe to be instructed but that at the length all came to nothing And this also may be said of Iulian the apostata for after that he had begun to giue himselfe vnto magicians all things began to fall to ruine If these so great princes and as it were rulers of the world could bring nothing to passe what may we gesse of other men And yet the diuels must néeds haue obeied these two men most of all for they were the most malicious enimies of christian religion But howsoeuer it be there is no doubt but the diuels can doo manie things howbeit whie they would doo nothing for Nero and Iulians sake God onlie knoweth For he will not haue the diuell to doo more than he himselfe permitteth and willeth him to doo for the strength of spirits and their power of working dependeth no lesse vpon God than dooth their knowledge 21 But that magicians can doo much That magicians can doo manie things it is prooued by the scripture Exo. 22 18. Gen. 20 6. and 27 Deut. 18 10. it may be prooued out of Gods lawe For in the 42. chapter of Exodus the 20. of Leuiticus in the 18. of Deuteronomie it is commanded that The magicians soothsaiers and witches should be punished with extreamitie The same thing also is decréed by mans lawe For there is a caueat in the twelue tables that none should charme other mens fruits Whereof Plinie likewise maketh mention and so dooth Seneca in his booke of naturall questions But lawes are not made but of things that be and doo vsuallie come to passe In the code De maleficis mathematicis there be many lawes extant concerning this thing and especiallie the lawe of Constantius who without doubt was fellowe in the empire with Iulianus peraduenture his naughtines for it is certeine that Iulian attributed much to such follies was touched in those lawes wherin it is thus decréed If anie magician shall repaire to another mans house let him be burned he that brought him thither let him be banished into the ylands let them be striken with the sword let them be cast vnto the wild beasts they being such as will disturbe mankind In the decrées caus 26. quest 5. beginning Nihil aliud agitur among the Extrauagants there is a speciall title of sorcerers so manie lawes should neuer haue béene made vnlesse it had béene knowen for certeintie that magicians and witches are able to doo somewhat And Dauid in the 58. psalme verse 5.
was not a man but a spirit For if thou wert a man saith he how diddest thou knowe that the wind came from the wildernesse Or if thou wert there how happeneth it that thou wert not destroied with the rest They take to themselues airie bodies A good part of the writers thinke that the spirits doo frame themselues bodies of the aire for that there must be a certeine Sympathia or mutuall agréement betwéene the place and the inhabitants thereof and that the diuels as wée haue said before haue their habitation in the aire wherfore it is credible that they applie vnto themselues fit bodies of the aire Further they adde that it behooueth that the bodies of them should be light and nimble for spirits as Tertullian saith be as it were fowles and doo most swiftlie flie ouer all places Besides this they adde that experience teacheth that those bodies be airie for that there had béene some men which indeuoured sometime to cut and wound them but yet they could not preuaile for they gaue place to the blowes and straitway came togither againe Wherefore the poet Virgil trimlie pronounced of Anchyses which missing his wife in the flight of Troie séeming to him that he sawe hir spirit said Three times about hir necke I sought mine armes to set and thrise In vaine hir likenes fast I held for through my hands she flies Like wauering wind or like to dreames that men full swift espies Moreouer these bodies doo soone vanish from the sight but and if they were earthie there would remaine some massie substance if they were waterie they would run abroad if they were of fire they would burne and might not be handeled But the spirits doo thicken and engrosse these bodies by strait trussing of the parts togither for otherwise they might not be séene or touched Abraham sawe angels Gen. 18 2. and washed their féete set meate before them and they also did eate 26 Howbeit Whether they be bodies or but imaginations some thinke that those are no bodies but are onlie certeine imaginations in the minds of men But others answer that that cannot generallie be true for that they which be mocked by such visions are depriued of their senses But neither is this certeine for they that haue the phrensie are so deceiued manie times and yet they can vse their senses For they feare they run awaie they be troubled in spirit and they crie out Others saie that they be no phantasies bicause they be séene of a great multitude of men togither now it is hard to deceiue a great manie togither For angels were séene of the whole housholds of Lot and Abraham Gen. 19 1. But the holie scriptures prooue That they were true bodies without all doubt that these were not vaine imaginations onlie for the diuell did in verie déed enter into the serpent to the intent he might entice Eue to be deceiued Which thing the curse Gen. 3 1. Ibid. 14. wherewith the serpent was cursed dooth sufficientlie declare Vpon thy bellie shalt thou crall and the seed of the woman shall tread downe thy head For that is true not onlie as touching Christ and the diuell but also as touching men and the serpent And further as I said before the angels offered themselues to be séene of Abraham and of Lot Neither were these anie phantasies for the angels were handled with the hands and when Lot made some delaie of departing out of Sodom Gen. 13 21. they in a manner drew him out of the citie by force The Iewes in the daie-time sawe a smoke and in the night-time a flame So often as they were to take their iournie there entred in a spirit which moued those things For as the light of the sunne doth pearse the water the clouds and the aire so a spirit pearseth through all things Exo. 19 16. When the lawe was giuen vpon Sina there were séene both lightenings smokes vapours and fires also the land was shaken with earthquakes When Christ ascended into heauen the angels accompanied him for they both offered themselues to be séene and spake also vnto the disciples Acts. 1 10. Yee men of Galile why stand yee gazing vp vnto heauen Wherefore it were an impudent part to saie that all these things were onlie imaginations and deceiuings of the mind Yea and the Peripatetiks did neuer so saie that these are onlie vaine images and fained shewes in mans imagination They rather inuented other reasons namelie that they be humors secret powers of nature and celestiall bodies An obiection 2. Thess 2 9. Why then thou wilt alledge doth Paule saie to the Thessalonians that Antichrist shall come in power in woonders and signes of lieng For if they be true things how commeth it to passe then that they be signes of lieng I answere that they may be called lies either of the cause for the diuell being authour of them is a lier Ibidem 10 and 11. or else of the end for he shall make them to the end he may deceiue men And assuredlie the wicked are woorthie so to be deceiued and mocked The wicked are worthie to be deceiued For euen as Paule saith Bicause they receiued not the loue of the truth God shall send them strong delusions Euen so in the apostles time 1. Cor. 5 5. men were deliuered to sathan But sometimes these things be done to shew the mightie power of God for séeing the power of the diuell is so great it is requisit that the power of God whereby he is brideled and ruled should be much greater But it is our part to giue God continuall thanks by whose onlie benefit we are defended from the diuell Wherefore these bodies which the spirits doo applie vnto themselues be airie For euen as water is congealed into yse and sometime hardneth till it become christall euen so the aire wherwith spirits doo cloth themselues is thickned so that it becommeth a visible bodie but if it may séeme that the aire alone is not sufficient they can also mingle some vapour or water withall whereof colours may be had For this we sée to be done in the rainbowe as saith Virgil The rainebowe downe did come with siluer wings of dropping showers Whose face a thousand sundrie hewes against the sunne deuoures 27 There is no néed at all to attribute vnto diuels and angels those vitall parts namelie the lungs hart and liuer for they doo not therefore put on bodies to the end they may quicken them but onlie that they may be séene and therefore they vse them as instruments How the angels and spirits doo eate Luke 24 43. But thou wilt saie that they doo eate and that Christ when he was risen from death did eate with his disciples Augustine in his 94 epistle Ad Deo gratias quaest 1. saith that In Christ that eating was of no necessitie but of power and he vseth this similitude For in one sort saith he doth the earth
sent And againe He shall receiue of mine The fourth reason Iohn 16 14. whereby is signified that the holie Ghost dooth so differ from the Father and the Sonne as he is deriued from both And least that anie man should thinke that when Christ promised that the holie Ghost shuld come vpon the beléeuers as in the daie of Pentecost it came to passe onlie a diuine inspiration and motion of the mind was signified the words of Christ are against it wherein he said The fift reason Iohn 14 26. He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance which I haue told you But inspiration and motion of the mind doo not teach nor prompt anie thing but are onelie instruments whereby something is taught and prompted And the action of teaching and prompting cannot be attributed but vnto one that is a person indéed Which is prooued by other words of Christ when he said of the holie Ghost The sixt reason Iohn 16 13 He shall speake whatsoeuer he shall heare And that this third person procéedeth from the Father and the Sonne it is euident enough in the same Gospell of Iohn where it is written Iohn 15 26 The 7. reason When the Comforter shall come whom I will send vnto you euen the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father Séeing the sonne saith that he will send the Spirit and as we said before affirmeth him to receiue of his no man doubteth but that hée procéedeth from the sonne And he now expresselie addeth Who proceedeth from the Father 8 Now haue we first declared out of the holie scriptures Whether the holie Ghost be God that the person of the holie Ghost is distinguished as well from the Father as the Sonne and that he procéedeth from them both Now must we sée whether he be God This dooth Paule shew two maner of waies first when it is said There be diuersitie of gifts but one Spirit The first reason 1. Cor. 12 4. diuersitie of operations but one and the same God But to giue gifts and spirituall faculties is no whit lesse than to distribute operations wherefore séeing the holie Ghost is said to distribute gifts God to impart actions vnto men it is manifest that the holie Ghost is God If the spirit be the author of graces the Father of operations it is méet that the holie Ghost should be equall to God the Father Further it is added that The same spirit dooth worke all these things The second reason 1. Co. 12 11 distributing to euerie one euen as he will Séeing then the souereigne choise is in him to impart heauenlie gifts he is God And it is written Ye are the temple of God 1. Cor. 3 16. The third reason and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you if anie man doo violate the temple of God him shall God destroie But it is not méete for anie creature to haue a temple séeing the same is proper vnto the diuine nature Wherefore séeing we be called The temples of the holie Ghost it is now manifest that he is God And least we should thinke it lawfull to build temples vnto martyrs Augustine saith that temples are not builded vnto martyrs let vs heare Augustine who denieth that we build temples vnto martyrs we build them saith he vnto God although they be called The memories of martyrs and out of Augustine himselfe is this forme of reasoning gathered Neither did the apostle but onlie once saie that We are the temples of the holie Ghost but he hath the verie same thing in the sixt chapter of the same epistle where it is written And doo yee not knowe that your bodies are the temples of the holie Ghost 1. Cor. 6 19. Furthermore the power of creating which is proper vnto God The fourth reason Psal 33. 6. is ascribed vnto the holie Ghost séeing Dauid hath written By the word of the Lord were the heauens made all the powers of him by the spirit of his mouth And againe Send foorth thy spirit Psa 104 30. and they shall be created and thou shalt renew the face of the earth And in Matthew it is said of the bodie of Christ which should be brought foorth in the virgins wombe Matth. 1 20. That which is borne in hir is of the holie Ghost Againe Luke 1 45. The holy Ghost shall come vpon thee and the power of the most high shall ouershadowe thee Séeing then the holie Ghost hath the power of creating as it hath béene declared vndoubtedlie he is God 1. Cor. 2 verse 10. In the same epistle to the Corinthians it is said that he searcheth the bottome of Gods secrets it séemeth that the apostle maketh this kind of argument The fift reason The things which be of man no man knoweth but the spirit of man which is in him euen so the things that be of God none knoweth but the spirit of God And so he will haue it that euen as the spirit of man is vnto man so the spirit of God is towards God And no man is ignorant but that the spirit of man belongeth vnto the nature of man whereby it is certeine that the spirit of God is of his diuine nature Basil The sixt reason Basil against Eunomius vseth another reason which commeth in a manner to the selfe-same he saith that the holie Ghost is the spirit both of the father and of the sonne and therefore of the verie same nature that they be For it is written in the epistle to the Romans And if the spirit of him Rom. 8 11. which raised vp Iesus froÌ death doo abide in you he that raised vp Christ shall also raise vp your mortall bodies This place declareth that the holie Ghost dooth belong vnto the father who in the same epistle is shewed to belong also vnto the sonne when as a little before it is said He that hath not the spirit of Christ the same is not his But in the epistle to the Galathians Galat. 4 6. The seuenth reason both togither is expressed in these words And bicause yee be children therefore hath God sent the spirit of his sonne into your harts whereby ye crie Abba father Wherefore séeing the holie Ghost is the spirit aswell of the father as of the sonne he is wholie partaker of their nature 9 Moreouer in the Acts of the apostles the fift chapter Peter said to Ananias Acts. 5 3. How darest thou lie vnto the holie Ghost The eight reason Thou diddest not lie vnto men but vnto God Now in this place he most manifestlie calleth the holy Ghost God Augustine in his booke De trinitate else where and Ambrose also De spiritu sancto doo both cite the apostle to the Philippians the third chapter Phil. 3 3. where he writeth Beware of dogs beware of euill workers beware of concision for we be the circumcision which serue God in the
spirit Where you sée that the worshiping of God which the Grecians call ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is doon vnto the holie Ghost which he calleth God Albeit in some place it is read in the genitiue case ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as if thou shouldst saie Seruing the spirit of God I sée the place is not verie firme for some interpret it Seruing God in spirit but yet I thought it good to shew that the fathers haue vsed this argument Basil in his treatise De spiritu sancto Basil Didymus The ninth reason the 22. chap. and also Didymus De spiritu sancto declare that to be God which can be in diuers places at one time which thing is not agréeable to anie creature But that the holie Ghost was present with the apostles and prophets in sundrie parts of the world at one time no man professing the faith of Christ doubteth wherfore it followeth that he is God Also Basil against Eunomius alleadged the epistle of Iohn the fourth chapter The tenth reason Iohn 4 13. And in this we knowe that Christ dwelleth in vs and we in him bicause we haue receiued of his spirit which should not be true if we should account the holie Ghost to be of another nature than Christ is for then might the holie Ghost be communicated vnto the faithfull without Christ He addeth also another reason The eleuenth reason Iohn 8 15. By the holie Ghost we are adopted to be the children of God wherefore he himselfe is God For the scriptures doo euerie where call him The spirit of adoption But none that is not God can adopt anie to be the children of God In the Acts of the apostles we read The holie Ghost said The twelfe reason Separate me Paule and Barnabas vnto the worke of the ministerie Acts. 13 2. wherevnto I haue chosen them And there is no doubt but that it is the part of God onelie to call vnto the ministerie Athanasius The 13. reason Acts. 20 28. Which reason Athanasius vseth in disputing against Arrius There is also brought the twentie chapter of the Acts where Paule thus admonisheth Take heed vnto the whole flocke wherin the holie Ghost hath made you ouerseers to gouerne the church But it is the office of none but of God onlie to choose ministers and bishops of the churches Ambrose thoroughlie weieth of these words All things are made by him and he saith Ambrose The 14. reason that the holie Ghost spake in the Euangelist and that therefore if it had béene a creature he should haue said Iohn 1 3. All we things are made by him by that meanes he had not excluded himselfe from the number of creatures Againe he citeth that saieng of Iohn Iohn 16 14. The 15. reason He shall receiue of mine we cannot saith he vnderstand this to be spoken of the bodie no nor yet of the soule and then it must be vnderstood of the diuine nature He also taketh the testimonie of Esaie which is written in Luke The 16. reason Luke 4 18. Esai 16 1. The Spirit of the Lord hath annointed me and sent me to preach glad tidings to the poore But there is none that hath power to send Christ no not as touching his humane nature vnles it be God The 17. reason Psal 85 9. We read in the psalme I will heare what the Lord God will speake in me but when Dauid spake these words there was none spake in him but the holie Ghost wherfore he is God In the tenth chapter to the Hebrues The holie Ghost hath testified Heb. 10 15. The 18. reason This is my testament that I will make vnto them he calleth it his testament which onelie God made with his people wherefore it is manifest that the holie Ghost which did speake is God 1. Iohn 5 7. The 19. reason 10 And in the first epistle of Iohn the fift chapter There be three which beare witnes in heauen the Father the Word and the Spirit and these three be one Manie write that this testimonie is not found in the Gréeke against whom is Ierom in his preface of the canonicall epistles who saith that these words are in the Gréeke Ierom. but haue béene left out by the Latine translatours Yet Cyrillus herein agréeth not with Ierom Cyril for he reciteth in the 14. booke of his Thesaurus all this whole place and omitteth this particle Among the Latins Augustine and Beda read not these words Augustine Beda Erasmus But Erasmus in his notes vpon this place sheweth that there was found a Gréek booke in Britan A booke found in England which had these words also the Spanish edition hath them But admit that these words be not had in the Gréeke copies the strength of the argument shall not be anie thing diminished for that cause The Spanish edition for that which we affirme is prooued by the other particle of the sentence which is found extant as well among the Gréeks as among the Latins namelie There be three things 1. Iohn 5 8. which beare witnes on the earth bloud Augustine water and the spirit Augustine against Maximus the Arrian bishop in his third booke the 14. chapter vseth this place and he would that the spirit should signifie the Father The Spirit God the father bicause God is a spirit and the Father himselfe is the fountaine and beginning of the whole diuinitie Further Bloud the Sonne bloud as he saith betokens the Sonne bicause he tooke vpon him the nature of man and shed his bloud for vs. Finallie water in his iudgement Water the holie Ghost dooth manifestlie declare the holie Ghost Wherevnto the Gospell dooth verie well agrée For whereas Iesus said Riuers of liuelie water shall flowe out of his bellie Iohn 7 38. it is expounded that he spake this as touching the Spirit which they should receiue that beléeued in him Wherefore insomuch as the thrée persons are represented in these thrée names and that it is added withall that these thrée be one it is manifestly declared that the thrée diuine persons haue one and the selfe-same substance And Augustine treating vpon this place dooth speciallie vrge that particle And they three be one And he would haue it to be a stedfast and firme thing in the scriptures that when anie things are said to be one they differ not in substance Euen as when we read in the Gospell that Christ said I and the Father be one Iohn 10 30. there was ment to be one nature both of the Father and of the Sonne so saith he we must now vnderstand as touching these thrée that they be one 11 Cyrillus thus argueth vnto this matter The 20. reason Iohn saith It is the Spirit which beareth record and the Spirit is veritie bicause there be thrée which beare record vpon the earth The Father the Word and the Spirit and
it in silence least perhaps wée might suspect our selues to be their workmanship And euen as our redemption is onelie attributed vnto Christ the sonne of God and not to the Angels so was it méet to be as touching our creation The second reason bicause of the pronesse of men vnto idolatrie for if they haue worshipped heauen stars foure-footed beasts serpents and birds what would they haue doone if Moses had described that spirituall creature in his colours and had said that they were made to doo vs seruice to be presidents ouer countries and to be at hand with euerie man What would not men haue doone They would haue run a madding to the worshipping of them The first mention of them was at paradise with the sword of the cherubims Gen. 3 24. Also in Abrahams time Gen. 18 2. when there was present an excéeding strong deliuerer For euen then are dangers permitted by God when most strong remedies are also vsed by him And as touching this superstitious worshipping of Angels Paule speaketh in the second to the Colossians Col. 2 23. 4 Rabbi Selomoh saith that the names of Angels are secret so as they euen themselues In Iudg. 13 ver 17. doo not knowe their owne names yea and he addeth that they haue not names of their owne Angels take their names of those things which they doo but that onlie surnames are appointed them of those things vnto which they are sent to take charge of Wherevnto the epistle to the Hebrues assenteth when it calleth them Administring spirits Heb. 7 14. Rabbi Selomoh bringeth examples out of the holie scriptures An Angel was sent vnto Esaie Esaie 6 6. and bicause he put vnto his lips a burning cole he was called Seraphim Seraphim of the Hebrue verbe Saraph which signifieth To burne So of Raphael we may saie that he which cured Tobias was so called as who shuld saie He was the medicine of God Tob. 12 15. Luke 1 26. And Gabriel by the same reason is called The strength of God Also the word Peli which the Angel attributed to himselfe in the 13. of Iudges signifieth Woonderfull for he came Iudg. 13 18. to the intent he might doo a miracle And surelie it was verie woonderfull to bring out a flame out of a rock which consumed the sacrifice And it may be that the Angel would not open his name bicause men in those daies were prone vnto idolatrie and perhaps when they had heard the name of the Angel they would soone haue béene induced to worship it more than right religion requireth But Cherubims be Angels In Gen. 3. at the end Cherubim whose name is deriued of a figure Aben-ezra saith that Keruf signifieth A forme or figure be it either of man or of brute beasts it maketh no matter which séeing either of both is so called Angels haue these names bicause they appeare vnto men in figure or forme of a liuing creature as it appeareth in the tenth of Ezechiel ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Others thinke that the name is compounded of the Hebrue letter ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which is a marke of similitude and of Raui which in the Chaldean spéech signifieth Boies or Yoong men bicause Angels appéered in the fourme of men and that of yoong men And to that similitude those in the tabernacle were made hauing wings put to them Which peraduenture Dionysius and other followed when they saie that they are signified by the fulnes of knowledge séeing a man whose figure they beare differeth in vnderstanding and knowledge from brute beasts In 2. Sam. 22 verse 11. Wherefore Cherub is a certaine figure giuen and betokeneth vnto vs The messengers of God which with great celeritie doo all those things which God commandeth He vseth them and rideth as it were vpon the winds Psal 18 10. which are gouerned by those Angels bicause by those things that which God would is brought to passe âings attributed vnto Angels Exod. 37 9. Esaie 6 2. Ezech. 10 5. Dan. 9 21. Also the Ethnicks made Mercurie with wings and attributed wings vnto the winds The Angels likewise are often-times put with wings In Exodus the Cherubims are made with wings Esaie saith that Seraphim came flieng vnto him Ezechiel Daniel sawe Angels flieng vnto them These things declare that the ministerie of Angels is excéeding swift In the 104. Psalme Psal 104 4. Who maketh his Angels spirits We must not héere imagine with the Saduces as though the Angels were but a bare seruice of no substance seuered from matter They are not onlie mooued with the moouing that brute creatures haue but they vnderstand they speake and they instruct vs. An Angel came vnto the virgin Marie Luke 1 26. and 11. and vnto Zacharie Their Angels as it is in the Gospell doo alwaies behold the face of their heauenlie father Matt. 18 10. Vnto the Hebrues they are called Administring spirits Hebr. 1 14. Dan. 10 13. and 12 1. Finallie they gouerne kingdoms and prâuinces In Iud. chap. 13. Looke before psal 9. art 25. 5 It followeth that I speake somwhat of the visions of Angels For an Angel appeared vnto Manoah and oftentimes in other places as the scriptures declare Angels haue bin séen of men But it may be demanded how they did appeare whether with anie bodie or onlie in phantasie and if with a bodie whether with their owne bodie or with a strange bodie and whether the bodie were taken for a time or for euer Of these things there be diuers opinions of men The Platonists saie that The minds that is The opinion of the Platonists the Intelligencis are so framed that certeine of them haue celestiall bodies and some haue firie bodies some airie some watrie and some earthie bodies and some they affirme to be darke spirits which doo continuallie dwell in darkenes and mist Of these things Marsilius Ficinus hath gathered manie things in his tenth booke De legibus and in his Argument of Epinomis The Peripatetikes affirme The Peripatetikes that there be certaine Intelligencies which guide and turne about the celestiall circles neither make they mention of anie other The schoole diuines Also the schoole diuines haue decréed that those minds and Intelligencies are altogither spirituall and that they haue no bodies And they were led thus to thinke by reason that these Intelligencies must néeds excell the soules of men whose perfectest facultie consisteth in vnderstanding Wherefore as they thinke it is méete that in this worke the Intelligencies should much excéed them and that this commeth to passe bicause those heauenlie minds haue no néed of images or of senses the which being so it should be superfluous for them to haue bodies 6 But amoÌg the Fathers The fathers Origin some haue affirmed far otherwise Origin in his bookes ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as Ierom hath noted in his epistle Ad Pammachium de erroribus Iohannis Hierosolymitani
Iohn 1 32. Matth. 3 16. lighted vpon the Lord which being the spirit was as trulie a doue as he was the spirit neither did the contrarie substance taken destroie his owne proper substance Of the doue wherein the holie Ghost appeared 11 I knowe there haue bin some schoolemen which thought that it was not a verie doue which descended vpon the head of Christ but that it was onlie an airie and thickned bodie appéering to be a doue But Augustine De agone Christiano writeth otherwise Augustine namelie that the same was a verie doue For a thing saith he is more effectuall to expresse the propertie of the holie Ghost than is a signe Euen as Christians also are better expressed in shéepe and lambes than in the likenes of shéepe and lambs Againe if Christ had a true bodie and deceiued not then the holie Ghost had the verie true bodie of a doue Tertullian addeth Thou wilt demand where the bodie of the doue became What became of the doue wherin the holie Ghost appeered when the spirit was taken againe into heauen and in like manner of the Angels bodies It was taken awaie euen after the selfe-same manner that it came If thou haddest séene when it was brought foorth of nothing thou mightest also haue knowen when it was taken awaie to nothing If the beginning of it was not visible no more was the end then he remitteth the reader vnto Iohn Was he also saith he a phantasie after his resurrection when he offered his hands and féet to be séene of his disciples saieng Behold it is I for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as yee see me haue Luke 24 39. Therefore Christ is brought in as a iugler or coniurer And in his third booke against Marcion Therefore his Christ that he should not lie nor deceiue and by that meanes perhaps might be estéemed for the Creator was not indéed that which he séemed to be and that which he was he was feigned to be flesh and yet no flesh man and yet no man and therefore Christ God and not God For why did he not also beare the shape of God Shall I beléeue him as touching this inward substance that is ouerthrowne about the outward substance How may he be thought to worke soundlie in secret that is perceiued to be false openlie And afterward It is inough for me to affirme that The iudgement of the senses which is agréeable vnto God namelie the truth of that thing which he obiecteth to thrée senses to sight to touching and to hearing Againe in his booke De carne Christi His vertues saith he prooued that he had the spirit of God and his passions A proofe of the godhead manhood in Christ that he had the flesh of man If vertues be not without spirit neither shall passions be without flesh If flesh togither with the passions be feigned the spirit also with his vertues is false Why dooest thou make diuision of Christ by an vntruth He is all wholie truth 12 Apelles the heretike The opinion of Apelles the heretike being in a manner vanquished with these reasons agréed indéed that Christ was indued with verie flesh but yet denied the same to be borne but said that it was brought foorth from heauen And he obiecteth that The bodies which were taken by Angels were true bodies but were not borne such a bodie saith he Christ had Whervnto Tertullian answereth They saith he which publish the flesh of Christ to be after the example of the Angels saieng that it was not borne namelie a fleshie substance I would haue them also to compare the causes as well why Christ Christ tooke flesh vpon him in one respect Angels in another as why the Angels did come in the flesh For there was neuer anie Angel that came downe to be crucified to suffer death and to rise againe If then there was neuer anie such cause for Angels âo incorporate themselues then hast thou a cause why they take flesh and yet were not borne They came not to die therefore they came not to be borne but Christ being sent to die it was necessarie that he should be borne for no man is woont to die but he which is borne He addeth moreouer And euen then also the Lord himselfe among those Angels appéered vnto Abraham with flesh indéed without natiuitie by reason of the same diuersitie of cause After this he addeth that Angels haue their bodies rather from the earth than from heauen For let them prooue saith he that those Angels receiued of the stars substance of flesh if they prooue it not bicause it is not written then was not the flesh of Christ from thence wherevnto they applie their example And in his third booke against Marcion My God saith he which hauing taken it out of the slime of the earth formed it a new vnto this qualitie not as yet by the séede of matrimonie and yet flesh notwithstanding might as well of anie matter haue framed flesh vnto Angels which also of nothing framed the world and that with a word into so manie and such bodies Againe in his booke De carne Christi it is manifest that Angels bare not flesh proper of their owne as in the nature of spirituall substance and if they were of anie bodie yet was it of their owne kind and for a time they were changeable into humane flesh to the intent they might be séene and conuerse with men Further in the third booke against Marcion Vnderstand thou saith he that neither it must be granted thée that the flesh in Angels was an imagined thing but of a true and perfect humane substance For if it were not hard for him to giue both true senses and acts vnto that imagined flesh much easier was it for him that he gaue a true substance of flesh to true senses and actions insomuch as he is the verie proper authour and worker thereof For it is harder for God to make a lie than to frame a bodie Last of all he thus concludeth Therefore are they verie humane bodies bicause of the truth of God who is far from lieng and deceit and bicause they cannot be dealt withall by men after the maner of men otherwise than in the substance of men I might alledge manie other things out of Tertullian but these may séeme to suffice for this present purpose The summe of Tertullians opinion Bréeflie he thinketh that Angels haue bodies for a time but yet strange and not their owne for their owne bodies as he thinketh belongeth vnto the spirituall kind Secondlie he saith that those strange bodies which they take vnto them are either created of nothing or else of some such matter as séemeth best to the wisedome of God Thirdlie he teacheth that those bodies were true and substantiall and humane bodies not vaine or feined but of verie flesh and not of that which onlie appéered to be flesh in such wise as of men they might
called the sonnes of God and came of the generation of Seth the third sonne of Adam For séeing they reteined the true and sincere religion of God and the pure inuocation of his name and were adorned with the fauour and grace of God they are called by the scriptures The children of God In what sort the children of God fell from God Neuertheles when they afterward burned in the lusting after those women which descended of the stocke of Cain and therefore belonged to the societie of the wicked and had taken to themselues wiues of them they themselues also inclined to superstitions and vngodlie worshippings and they of the sonnes of God not onlie became men but also flesh And to shew this by the waie Aquila translating those words out of the Hebrue Aquila Not saith he the sonnes of God but the sonnes of gods in this respect as I thinke bicause they had godlie progenitours which so miserablie fell from God through the mad loue of women Symmachus But Symmachus translateth it The sonnes of the mightie But to returne to Augustine he constantlie affirmeth that out of that place of Genesis there can be nothing gathered as touching the copulation of angels with women but rather thinketh that far otherwise may be gathered of the words of God there written For when the scripture had there said that giants were vpoÌ the earth that the sonnes of God as it is said had transgressed and brought foorth giants it is added And God said Gen. 6 3. My spirit shal not alwaies striue with man bicause he is flesh By this saieng Augustine will haue it manifest that they which so offended are called men not onelie as they were in their owne nature but also as they are called flesh vnto the which they inclined with their shamefull lusts But they which vnderstand it otherwise thinke that they bring a great testimonie of Enoch the seuenth from Adam Iude. 14. The booke of Enoch of whom Iude speaketh in his canonicall epistle For in the booke which is intituled to him the giants are said to haue had not men but angels to be the authours of their generation But vnto this answereth Augustine Augustine that the booke is altogither Apocryphus not canonicall and therefore that credit must not be giuen to the fables which be recited therein He saith that it must not be doubted but that Enoch wrote manie diuine things séeing Iude the apostle did plainlie testifie the same but yet that it is not necessarie to beléeue all the writings in the booke of Apocryphus which are shewed to haue come from him forsomuch as they lacke sufficient authoritie Neither should it be thought that if Iude vttered some certeine sentence out of it that therfore by his testimonie he approoued the whole booke vnles thou wilt saie that Paule also allowed of all things that were written by Epimenides Aratus and Menander bicause he alledged one or two verses out of them Ierom Which thing Ierom in expounding of the first chapter of the epistle to Titus testifieth to be a verie absurd and ridiculous thing And as concerning Enoch it would séeme a verie great maruell if he were the seuenth from Adam how he could write that Michael wrestled with the diuell for the bodie of Moses séeing if these things were as in verie déed we must beléeue they were they of necessitie happened well-néere a thousand fiue hundred yéeres after vnles we shall grant that this was reuealed vnto him at that time by a certeine excellent power of prophesie 34 Neither must it be forgotten that those The reason that mooued some to thinke that giants came not of men which thinke that giants had not men but angels for their parents were therefore brought thus to thinke bicause they thought it might not possiblie be that huge giants can be borne of men which be of an ordinarie stature and bignes Wherefore there were some which procéeded so farre in the matter as they affirmed that the first man was a giant and also Noah and his children For they beléeued not that that kind of men either before or after the floud if so be they might be thought to haue sproong of men could be vnles they had such progenitours But Augustine prooueth that opinion to be false Augustine and saith that A little before the destruction which the Gothes made A woman giant in Rome there was in Rome a woman of a giants stature whom to behold they came by heaps out of diuerse parts of the world which woman neuertheles had parents that excéeded not the common and vsuall stature of men If we shall search what the cause is that nature hath brought foorth giants of such huge bodies we can alledge no other A naturall cause of the tall stature of giants but an abundance of naturall heate and a moisture which abundantlie and largelie ministreth matter For the heate not onelie extendeth a man to tallenes and heigth but also spreadeth and inlargeth him to breadth and thicknes Wherefore giants began to be before the floud and they were also before the resort which the sonnes of God had with the daughters of men and were bred after that also Further men did beget them and there was a naturall cause as I haue shewed Also for a truth there were of them borne after the floud For there is mention made of them in the bookes of Numbers Deuteronomie Ioshua Iudges Samuel and Paralipomenon and in others of the holie bookes Of what stature giants haue bin 35 Of the greatnes and stature of them we may partlie coniecture and partlie we haue the same expresselie described The coniectures be that Goliah had a coate of male which weighed fiftie thousand sickles of brasse 1. Sam. 17 5. The haft of his speare was like a weauers beame and the iron speare had weighed sixe hundred sickles of iron We also coniecture of the excéeding great stature of Og the king of Basan Deut. 3 11. by his bed which being of iron was of ten cubits long Also the Israelits being compared with Anachis Num. 13 34 séemed to be but grashoppers these things may be a token vnto vs of what greatnes these men were The greatnes of Goliah 1. Sam. 17 4 But the greatnes of Goliah is properlie and distinctlie set foorth in the booke of Samuel for it is said there that he was of sixe cubits and a hand-breadth high and a cubit if we followe the measure of the Gréekes is two foote but according to the account of the Latins The cubit of the Greeks and Latins one foote and a halfe Some alledge this to be the cause of the difference that the measure may be sometimes extended from the elbowe to the hand sometime closed together and sometime open stretched foorth This is as much as I could gather of the stature of giants out of the holie scripture The Ethnicks testimonie
holie spirit To the sixt which doo hinder sins and therefore c. This we grant but we adde that he dooth iustlie remooue his spirit Indéed the remoouing of that which letteth is a cause but yet that is not the proper cause for there doo also rest in vs inward causes of euill He giueth occasions It is true he suggesteth both outwardlie and inwardlie To the seuenth but yet good things the which men through their owne lewdnes doo vse amisse But he not onlie giueth occasions but he also gaue out his commandements 1. kin 22. 22. He said vnto the diuell To the eight God is brought in by the figure Prosopopoeia Go foorth doo this hereof will I note a few things The prophet by the figure Prosopopoeia dooth as it were bring in God to sit vpon a seate like a iudge he would that Achab should be slaine he séeketh who shall deceiue him Wherevnto tendeth this inquisition It putteth vs in mind that this should else-where be sought bicause it is not in the nature of God to deceiue The end is there set foorth by his iustice he willeth that Achab should now be slaine Diuers waies are deuised this spirit shewed one waie and that spirit another waie to the intent we may vnderstand that the prouidence of God hath innumerable waies whereby he can punish men Those waies were there propounded but not put in practise bicause the prouidence of God was not minded to vse them A spirit stept foorth who said I will deceiue him Hereby it is gathered that diuels are prompt and redie to deceiue and when they doo deceiue it is of their owne dooing In the meane time we be taught that those spirits be able to doo no more than God dooth giue them leaue and in respect that he will vse them they be executioners appointed of God Wherefore God said Go foorth this is the imperatiue mood If we respect the end it was to slaie and punish Achab. But this leaue was giuen to the intent that the diuell should exercise his naughtie will and deceiue And God vsed the sinne of the diuell and would not hinder his worke nor yet let Achab but that he should beléeue the false prophets Augustine in his booke of the 83. questions quest 53. noted thrée things The first is that that which God did against Achab he did it by iudgement secondlie that he did it by an angell and not by himselfe thirdlie he saith not by euerie maner of angell but by an euill angell readie of his owne nature to deceiue It was said that sinne is a motion To the ninth and a certeine action and that the first moouer is God nothing is concluded but that the subiect of sinne that is the act it selfe hath will to be the néerest cause and also God himselfe in respect it is a naturall thing The saieng of Augustine De gratia libero arbitrio the 21. chapter is expounded of the inclination vnto good by himselfe and vnto euill indirectlie Also the dealing of Roboam To the 10. 1. Kin. 12 15 2. Par. 21 16. and the stirring vp of the Philistines and that Amazias would not harken vnto the warnings of the king of Israels prophet apperteineth to the iustice of God God was minded to punish them To the 11. As touching the words of Ahia the Silonite for performing wherof c. These things were not doone bicause they were foretold but foretold bicause God foresawe that they should be And to the end that they might so be he appointed them for punishments of the wicked and he knew how he would vse them and his reasons were allowed of God It is written in the 14. chapter of Ezechiel Ezec. 14 9. If the prophet be deceiued To the 12. it is I that haue seduced him Here haue we nothing else but that the sinne of the false prophet may be two waies considered As it procéedeth from the will of an ill prophet so it displeaseth God and therefore he said he would punish it but if afterward the vse of it should be weighed that God by such seducing would be reuenged of the people then he did iustlie withdrawe his grace from them further he vsed that seducement which properlie and by it selfe may not be ascribed to God 31 There was brought a place out of the 21 chapter of the prouerbs where it is said Prou. 21 1. To the 13. that The hart of the king is in the hand of God and he inclineth the same which waie soeuer he will The proposition is generall Which waie soeuer he will he inclineth the same Here is no exception therefore as well vnto good things as vnto euill things In the twelfe of Iob Iob 12 24. it is said that God dooth take a waie the harts of them that be rulers of the earth and that he maketh them stagger like droonken men And how these things must be vnderstood of inclination I haue declared Wherefore I vnderstand this sentence of Salomon no otherwise than those words of saint Augustine in his booke De gratia libero arbitrio to wit that he inclineth our wils vnto good or euill according to his good pleasure To the 14. Another argument was out of the 105. psalme Psa 105 25. where it is said God turned their hart so as they hated them What maner of turning that is which he made in their harts Augustine dooth teach verie well in the same place it was no good hart that GOD made euill But such is the goodnes of God that he vseth both angels and men and when they be euill he piketh good things out of them He increased the Israelites with children and with wealth these things were good wherfore God by dooing good vnto the Hebrues turned the hart of the Aegyptians vnto hatred for hatred ariseth through other mens felicitie Wherefore God turned their hart which naturallie was euill vnto a hatred against the Hebrues not by making of their hart euill Ye sée therefore that I feined not when I said that God suggesteth either inwardlie or outwardlie such things as in their owne nature be good but through our fault doo come occasions of sinning but yet occasions taken not giuen And the occasions which be offered be not the furthest remooued causes as is the firre trée hewen vpon mount Pelion but they be immediate occasions which stir vp our desires euen as the Hebrues happines was the immediate occasion why the Aegyptians enuied them Esai 63 17. Esaie the 63. chapter Wherefore hast thou made vs to erre To the 15. Lord Which saieng Ierom interpreteth of Gods louing kindnes God did not straitwaie punish their sinnes wherefore they began to contemne his iudgements God did suggest this his mercie in them which was good but through their fault it was drawne to contempt They may also be the words of the wicked which cast vpon God the cause of their sinnes Or
vnto saluation whereas others be preserued safe vnto their ripe yéeres at which time they deserue their owne destruciton We must reuerence the secrets of God and not seeke to carpe at them where otherwise they might haue béene saued if they had died in their infancie Here ought we to haue in honour and estimation the secrets of Gods iudgement and not to be of the mind to correct and amend them according to the prescript of our lawe The saieng of Cato Cato an ethnike man taking part with Pompeie bicause he iudged that part to be iuster than Caesars part at the last when victorie inclined vnto Caesar and that Pompeis side was discomfited and fled he looked vp to heauen and cried out that There is great obscurenes in diuine things for he thought it a thing vnwoorthie of Gods prouidence that Caesar should haue the victorie And surelie when I thinke vpon these things I am much delighted with the answer of Augustine which he vsed against the Pelagians when he intreated of the verie same matter that we haue now in hand Two arguments of the Pelagians For two arguments somwhat subtill difficult were obiected vnto him by the Pelagians One was how it might be that God which for his goodnes sake dooth forgiue vs our owne sinnes will impute other mens sinnes vnto vs Another was If so be that Adam by originall sinne condemneth those which sinne vnaduisedlie and against their wils why dooth not Christ also least hée should giue place to Adam in anie thing saue the vnbeléeuers To these Augustine maketh answer A notable saieng of Augustine What if I were somwhat dull and could not confute these reasons vpon the sudden should I therefore giue the lesse credit vnto the scriptures Naie rather it is much more méete that I should acknowledge mine owne simplicitie than to laie anie falshood vnto the scripture But afterward he dissolueth both the arguments for vnto the first he answereth that God is excéeding good God imputeth not vnto vs other mens sins but our owne and dooth not impute the sinnes of others vnto vs as these affirme that he dooth in originall sinne but the iniquitie of our owne selues which cleaueth to our owne nature euen from the first beginning of all Vnto the other he saith that Christ saueth euen them that be vnwilling Christ saueth them that be his whether they will or no. for that hée expecteth not them till they be willing but of his owne accord commeth vnto sinners when they be both vnwilling and resisting and also the he bringeth manie infants vnto felicitie before they as yet beléeue neither by reason of their age can haue faith whereby they should beléeue These things I thought good to bring in to shew that it is lawfull for me if I will to vse the answer which this father first vsed to saie vnto Pighius The iustice of God hath no need of our defense Let vs leaue vnto God the defense of his owne cause he hath no néed of vs to defend him that he should not be counted vniust or cruell Let vs beléeue the scriptures which crie out euerie-where that We be borne in sinne and corruption Which thing also both death and an infinite heape of calamities doo shew which in verie déed should not be laid vpon the children of Adam vnlesse there were some sinne in them to be punished But they which descend not into themselues nor looke into their owne nature how prone it is vnto all naughtines doo not knowe what this concupiscence meaneth Yet no small number of the ethnike philosophers perceiued the same for they maruell how The verse Ethnikes woondered at the corruption of our nature in so excellent a nature so great lewdnes and selfe-loue and desire of voluptuousnes can be and they so acknowledged these euils that they also adiudged it most néedfull for their children to haue chastisement and discipline And for the redressing of this ingendred naughtines They sawe the euill but perceiued not the cause and fountaine thereof they counselled vs to take in hand labours and exercises and other weightie and hard enterprises but indéed they perceiued not the cause and fountaine of these euils for that is onelie to be perceiued by the word of God 12 Furthermore Pighius disputeth that this lusting which Augustine calleth concupiscence is the worke of nature and of God and therfore can not séeme to be sinne But it is answered before that it procéedeth not from the originals of nature as the same was instituted by God but from it being corrupted for when man was created he was made iust and as the scripture speaketh Vnto the image of God Adams appetite of pleasant things was moderate in his first creation And therefore that same appetite in Adam of things pleasant and preseruatiue when he was first created was not raging and vehement that he should doo against right reason and the word of GOD for that followed afterward Wherefore the same must not as Pighius saith be called the worke of God but the naughtines of sinne and corrupting of affections And therefore Augustine calleth Iulian the Pelagian A shamelesse praiser of concupiscence Iulian the Pelagian praised concupiscence for he commended it euen as Pighius dooth to be a notable worke of God Moreouer Pighius is against Augustine for the same verie cause that he saith concupiscence is sinne before baptisme and denieth it so to be after baptisme whereas saith he concupiscence is all one God all one and his lawe all one wherefore he concludeth that either sinne must be in both or else in neither of them But here Pighius greatlie erreth in two respects How we are changed in regeneration first bicause he thinketh that in regeneration there is become no change especiallie séeing he cannot denie but that Christs remedie is added his righteousnes applied and our guiltines taken awaie for God dooth not impute that concupiscence which remaineth after regeneration Moreouer the spirit is giuen wherewith the strength of concupiscence maie be broken that although it doo sticke within vs yet that it shall not reigne ouer vs for to this end Paule exhorteth vs Rom. 6 12. when he saith Let not sinne reigne in your mortall bodies Againe on the other part he is deceiued Augustine affirmeth that the concupiscence remaining after baptisme is sinne in that he thinketh Augustine to iudge that the concupiscence which remaineth after baptisme is no sinne at all but most especiallie if the sinne be considered alone as it is by it selfe for in most plaine words he declareth it in his owne nature to be sinne bicause it is disobedience against the which we must continuallie wrestle When he denieth it to be sin that is ment of the imputation of the falt That same concupiscence is no actuall sin And where he denieth the same to be sinne it must be vnderstood as concerning guiltines for that
and wisedome of the flesh is enimitie against God and vnder this sentence he comprehendeth all the affections of men not yet regenerate But I maruell at the impudencie of Pighius who to wind himselfe out by some meanes or other saith that this place must be vnderstood as touching the sense of the letter which he affirmeth to be against God and cannot be subdued vnto him For as well that which goeth before as that which followeth dooth manifestlie reprooue him verse 8 9. for Paule foorthwith addeth the difference betwéene men that be in the flesh and those which be in the spirit Wherefore it appéereth sufficientlie that he treateth not of the diuersitie of the sense of the scripture but of the diuersitie of men themselues And the next words before that sentence are verse 3. That which was vnpossible to the lawe inasmuch as it was weake bicause of the flesh God sending his owne sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh by sinne condemned sinne in the flesh that the righteousnes of the lawe might be fulfilled in vs. These words also doo testifie that Paule spake of vs not of the spirit or the letter of the scriptures For in vs is the infirmitie whereby the lawe is weakened that it could not bring vs to saluation and by Christ the rightousnes of the lawe beginneth to be fulfilled in vs. 18 Neither must we harken vnto them which both in this place in manie other By the flesh is not ment the grosser part of the mind Gala. 5 19. will that by flesh should be vnderstood the grosser parts of the mind For when Paule to the Galathians reckoneth vp the works of the flesh he putteth in that number not onelie adulteries fornications and wantonesse but also idolatrie which no man can denie but that it dooth apperteine to the mind not vnto the flesh And Christ when he saith That which is borne of the flesh Iohn 3 6. is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit exhorteth to regeneration which in verie déed apperteineth not onelie to the substance of the bodie or grosser parts of the mind but especiallie also vnto the will and mind And when he said vnto Peter Matt. 16 17. Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Iona for flesh bloud hath not reuealed it vnto thee he ment that he had not learned those things by naturall knowledge but by the spirit of God For vnder the name of flesh he comprehendeth those things which apperteineth to the mind and reason But yet we saie not as Pighius fondlie cauilleth that in the nobler part of the mind there is nothing but flesh for we knowe although Pighius had not told vs that the soule is a spirit which neuertheles in the scriptures is called flesh The soule in the scriptures is called flesh before it be regenerated bicause whereas it ought to make the flesh that is to say the grosser part of it self spirituall and ought to reduce the same to the obedience of a mind instructed by the word of God it will rather bend vnto the pleasures thereof and so is made carnall But they obiect against vs that saeing vnto the Galathians Gal. 5 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh as though this may not be if in the minds of men we leaue nothing that is sound But we will easilie answer to this obiection for first those words are pronounced by Paule as touching beléeuers which be alredie regenerated which thing those words that followe doo sufficientlie declare That ye doo not those things which yee would By which words he declareth that they obteined a right will by the spirit of Christ which neuertheles they could not accomplish by reason of the continual conflicts of the mind and their great infirmities And therefore the apostle ment no other thing in that place than that whatsoeuer is in vs not perfectlie regenerated all that dooth striue against the spirit of God In the minds of men not yet regenerate be the lawes of nature and illumination of Gods spirit Nor doo we denie but that some such conflict is otherwhile in men which be not yet regenerated not that their mind is not carnall and prone vnto naughtines but bicause the lawes of nature are as yet ingrauen therein and that also there is some illumination of Gods spirit in the same although it be not such as either can iustifie or bring in anie change to saluation 19 Moreouer that reason is corrupted in vs Paules words doo sufficientlie declare wherein he exhorteth To put on the new man Col. 3 10. which must be continuallie renewed in vs. Séeing hée willeth that man be so wholie changed and that man consisteth not only of the bodie affections of the flesh but also and that much more of the mind will and reason it is necessarilie gathered that these things were also corrupted in him It behoueth things to be renewed to haue beene first corrupted For otherwise what néed haue they to be renewed And it maketh no great matter if thou saie that these things must be vnderstood of such as be come to ripe yéeres who of their owne choise and voluntarie sinnes haue corrupted these things in themselues For I will aske wherefore all in generall which be not regenerated did so contaminate themselues as there was not one innocent to be found among them all Trulie there can be nothing else answered to this question but that the verie fountaines were corrupted and defiled in them euen from the beginning Augustine teacheth also that we be so far foorth onelie regenerated in how much we are become like vnto Christ for in that we be vnlike vnto him therein we are not borne anew but reteine still the old man in vs. Wherefore let vs sée whether from the beginning we haue a mind will and reason like vnto Christ for if they be found vnlike we must néeds conclude that they be corrupt and doo apperteine vnto the old man as touching the corruption of the baser parts of the mind dailie experience sufficientlie teacheth vs. Againe The baser parts of the mind are sprinkled among the members this propertie belongeth vnto the baser parts of the mind that they be sprinkeled abroad in the members doo spred themselues abroad ouer all the parts of the flesh which cannot be agréeable vnto the mind and reasonable part being things spirituall and inuisible That the bodie also and parts therof haue fallen from their dutie to become rebellious and repugnant to the mind Paule teacheth when he crieth out O vnhappie man that I am Rom. 7 24. Who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death And againe when he saith Ibidem 23. I feele another lawe in my members Finallie that the whole man how much soeuer he be is corrupted the commandement of Christ dooth sufficientlie prooue Matt. 16 24. wherein he biddeth vs to denie
bicause if he did sinne he was to die But he would not that it should be lawfullie said This is mortall Therefore it shall vtterlie die Euen as we grant that our flesh is in such case as it may be wounded and yet it may come to passe that it shall not be wounded The bodie also of man as I may saie is in case to be sicke wheras neuerthelesse it chanceth manie times that some doo die before they be sicke Therefore he saith A similitude The garments and shooes of the Hebrues Deut. 29 5. that the state of Adams bodie was such as although he might die yet vnlesse sinne did happen he should be preserued from death by God euen as the garments and shoos of the Hebrues by the power of God were not consumed or worne by the space of fortie yéers in the wildernesse as we read in the 19. chapter of Deuteronomie And he thinketh Enoch and Elias that as concerning this condition Enoch and Elias haue now the state of Adams bodie bicause they be preserued from death yea whether they be susteined without meate or else doo vse such sustenance as God prepareth for them For the first man had meates wherewith he might be nourished and he did eate other fruits to withstand the defects of nature The tree of life was a remedie against oldnesse But the trée of life was against old age for by the same trée it came to passe that the decaid matter which was amended should be of no lesse goodnes and perfection than that which was lost But séeing the same commeth not to passe in vs we both are troubled with old age and at last death catcheth hold of vs. In Adam therfore there was a state of mortalitie but yet such as was to be swalowed vp by the benefit of God when he should at his due time be translated vnto the chéefe felicitie Whereby Augustine iudged that we may perceiue the greatnes of the benefit of Christ séeing he hath restored vs vnto more than Adam tooke from vs bicause that through Christ Augustine iudged that Christ restored more vnto vs than Adam tooke away not onelie life is restored vnto vs and death chased awaie but mortalitie also at the resurrection shall he taken awaie For we shall not be able to die which thing Paule teacheth when he writeth that This mortall shall put on immortalitie And that saieng vnto the Romans séemeth to make with this doctrine when he saith But if Christ doo dwell in vs Rom. 8 10. verelie the bodie is dead by reason of sinne In which place he saith not that our bodie is mortall through sin but is dead that is to saie subiect vnto death Afterward he addeth vers 11. His spirit which hath raised Christ from the dead shall quicken your mortall bodies This he spake of the resurrection wherin our bodies must be quickened which he called mortall but not dead that thou maiest vnderstand that not onelie death shall be taken from them but also that they shall be mortall no more And whereas the Pelagians thinke Death brought in by sinne cannot be vnderstood allegoricallie Rom. 5 12. that death is allegoricallie to be taken for the fall of soules it can in no wise be allowed séeing it is written in the fift to the Romans By one man sinne entered into the world by sinne death But if that onelie the death of soules he brought by Adam why did Paule expresse twaine who not onelie said Sinne but he also added Death Moreouer the testimonie of the booke of Genesis dooth most plainelie conuince them wherein mans punishment is thus recited Gen. 2 19. Earth thou art and into earth thou shalt returne Which saieng these men are constrained whether they will or no to ascribe vnto the death of the bodie vnlesse they dare affirme that our soules be fashioned of earth and into earth shall be dissolued And whereas they obiected Whence depended the preseruation of the first mans bodie Deut. 29 5. that we haue a bodie by nature compact of contraries if forceth not much bicause the same preseruation dooth not depend of nature but of God as the scriptures declare to be doone as touching the garments and shooes of the Hebrues But of what thing he meaneth death it cannot better be perceiued than by an Antithesis or comparing of it with the contrarie which is with life Life is of two sorts But life is of two sorts the one wherewith we be mooued to spirituall to diuine and to heauenlie good things and the same commeth to passe so long as we be ioined togither with God for vnlesse we be set on by the spirit of God we cannot procéed vnto those things which doo surpasse our owne nature Another life is wherewith we be mooued to pursue those good things which make to the preseruation of nature maintenance of our bodilie state Both of these liues Both the liues did death take awaie did death which was laid vpon vs for sinne take awaie For death is nothing else but a depriuing of life for so soone as euer man sinned he was turned awaie from God and so was forsaken of his grace and destitute of his fauour so that he was not able to aspire againe vnto eternall felicitie This bodilie life also may be said to be taken awaie through sinne How immediatelie after sinne came doth for immediatelie after sinne the beginnings and ministers of death inuaded man such be hunger thirst sicknes consumption of moisture and heate and the dailie quenching of life for all these things doo lead a man awaie to death And Chrysostome vpon Genesis Chrysost treating at large of this matter saith that The first parents so soone as they had sinned were dead foorthwith for the Lord foorthwith pronounced the sentence of death against them A similitude And euen as they which be condemned to die although they be reteined somewhile aliue in prison yet are reputed for dead euen so the first parents albeit through the benignitie of God they liued longer yet in verie truth they were dead by and by after that God denounced sentence against them Ambrose saith Ambrose that they were suddenlie oppressed with death bicause afterward they had no daie nor houre There is no houre wherein we are not subiect vnto death nor moment wherein they were not subiect vnto death Neither is there anie mortall man that can assure himselfe to liue the space of one houre Whereby it appéereth that both sorts of death was brought in by sinne So then we must beware that we consent not vnto them Death is not naturall vnto man which are woont to saie that death is naturall vnto man and as it were a certeine rest whereby the motion of life is interrupted In death there is a feele of Gods wrath Matt. 27 35. Iohn 21 18. Esaie 38 2. These sort of opinions must be left vnto the Ethniks for
things Rom. 8 23. which Paule a little after addeth And not onelie it but we also which haue the first fruits of the spirit c we shall perceiue that godlie men and such as are indued with the spirit of God are distinguished from the multitude of other creatures for so meaneth this particle Not onelie Although I know there be some that by those which are said to haue the first fruits of the spirit doo not vnderstand all christians in generall but onelie those which at that time did abound in great plentie of spirit such as were the apostles and Paule himselfe and a few certeine others which were indued with the apostolicall spirit As if it had bin said Rom. 8 9. The reuelation of the glorie of the children of God is waited for not onelie of all the godlie but of vs likewise which are indued most plentifullie with the spirit of Christ An argument taken from the iudgement of most excellent men so that the argument is taken from the iudgement of most excellent and wise men which is of great force either to confirme or amplifie But the apostle séemeth not in this place to vse that distinction for before he pronounced vniuersallie that we which be of Christ haue his spirit dwelling in vs. Neither doth he in that he maketh mention of the first fruits of the spirit meane to put a difference betwéene the common sort of christians and the apostles but he called the first fruits of the spirit that spirit which we now haue The first fruits of the spirit bicause we shall reape in an other life the full fruits and plentifull commodities thereof And Ambrose when he interpreteth that place Not onlie it but we our selues also which haue the first fruits of the spirit addeth straitwaie When he had now spoken of the vniuersall creature then he speaketh of men themselues The arguments also wherewith Augustine was led to flie the common interpretation of other men be not so weightie and firme as there should be much attributed vnto them For in that Paule maketh insensible things to desire our saluation and for the cause thereof to grone and be in trauell he vsed the figure Prosopopoeia or Anthropopathia They which are of this opinion are not farre off from the fondnesse of heretiks to beléeue things absurd concerning the sunne the moone and the starres Here we are in a doubt betwéene two figures for Augustine followeth this figure in that he thinketh euerie creature doth signifie a man we rather thinke it to be the figure Prosopopoeia The coÌtrouersie is here whether of these two figures is rather to be vsed That must be allowed as I thinke which best agréeth with the words of the apostle What kind of figure is best to be allowed which maketh his argument of more weight and force And séeing the sense that we take it in may bring both to passe I haue thought that the same is rather to be admitted First indéed the apostle added as we did note that Not onelie it but also we which haue the first fruits of the spirit c. Which words doo sufficientlie declare that he before intreated not of men but of other creatures Further this reason is of great force to aduance our redemption which we wait for if we knowe the same to be expected of all sorts of creatures 54 Touching the angels onelie this exposition séemeth not so plaine for they might séeme to be miserable if they should for our sakes either grone or trauell whom yet we must beléeue to be in blessed state The blessed angels shall not be rid of all kinds of affections verse 12. But their felicitie dooth not prooue that they should be vtterlie rid of all kinds of affections Peter in his first epistle and first chapter saith that They desire to looke vpon the promises of the prophets which apperteine vnto the Gospell For that place is not so to be read as our interpretor hath turned it to wit In quem desiderant angeli prospicere that is Vpon whom the angels desire to looke but In quae ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is Vpon which the angels desire to looke wherfore they be holden with a desire to sée those promises fulfilled In Zacharie we read Zacha. 1 12. that they among the mirtle trées like a troope of horsemen praied with great affection for the holie citie that it might be builded againe I passe ouer that which we read in the gospell Luke 15 10. that they be in great ioie when they perceiue sinners to be conuerted to repentance wherefore it followeth by an argument of the contrarie that of necessitie they be gréeued at the stubbornes and obstinacie of the wicked Concerning the soules of godlie men departed no man doubteth but that they be indued with singular felicitie Apoc. 6 10. The soules euen of the blessed desire manie things and yet we read in the Apocalypse that they crie and praie vnto God that he will reuenge the bloud which hath béene shed and labour with great affection that the clothing of the bodie now corrupted may one daie be restored So as both vnto angels and blessed soules such a felicitie is to be ascribed as excludeth not these kind of affections which the scripture dooth shew to be conuenient for them Which ought so much the lesse to be maruelled at séeing we read in the scriptures that God the verie fountaine and head of all felicitie is touched with repentance changeth his mind and suffereth manie other things which séeme not to be agréeable vnto his diuine nature But how those things are to be vnderstood neither intend we now to declare neither dooth this place require the same of vs. But it shall be sufficient to saie in a word that such an affection may fall euen into the angels as Paule dooth make mention of in this place And although we cannot as yet vnderstand how the same should be no let vnto their happines yet there is no cause whie we should denie that the same can be so but at the last when we shall be come to that felicitie then it shall be manifest vnto vs. In the meane time let vs beléeue the holie scriptures which beare witnes that the holie angels haue such affections in them 55 But how shall we vnderstand How angels may be vnderstood to be subiect vnto vanitie that they be subiect vnto vanitie Easilie inough indéed not according to the substance as they terme it of their owne nature but as touching those works which God hath appointed to be doone by them They be set ouer cities kingdomes and prouinces as Daniel plainelie writeth Dan. 10 13. yea also they are present with euerie priuate man for Christ saith Matt. 18 10. Their angels shall alwaies behold the face of my heauenlie father Acts. 12 15. And disciples in the acts of the apostles answered concerning Peter when he knocked at the doore It
and went backe for Ezechias Esaie 38 8. All which things we may plainelie discerne in Christ alone in whom all things be after a woonderfull sort reiterated All creatures doo seruice vnto Christ Luke 2 9. Matth. 2 2. Matt. 27 51. Mar. 15 33. Matt. 28 2. Acts. 1 9. At his birth the heauen reioised and did shine by night the angels were present and sang a star conducted the wise men at his death the sunne was darkened and all things were inuironed with darkenes the stones dashed togither the vaile was rent in sunder the graues were opened at his resurrection the earth quaked and the angels were readie at hand at his ascending into heauen Mat. 24 29. a cloud imbraced him when he shall returne againe the whole world shall be shaken and the powers of heauen shall be mooued After iudgment shall be a great renewing of creatures Esai 30 16. and againe after his iudgement there shall be so great a renewing of all things as Esaie in the thirtie chapter saith It will come to passe that the moone shall shine like the sun and the light of the sunne being compared with that it now hath shall be seuen fold greater than it is The creatures in suffering for man haue no iniurie 59 But is there anie iniurie doone vnto creatures when without their fault they be so vexed for the sinnes of men Chrysostome answereth that they haue no iniurie doone vnto them for if saith he they were made for my sake there is no vniustice shewed if for my sake they suffer Further he addeth that the consideration of right and wrong is not to be transferred vnto things without life and things void of reason Last of all if for our sakes they be afflicted they shall be also restored with vs when our felicitie shall appéere The same Chrysostome in his second homilie vpon Genesis dooth plainelie declare that It is neither vniust nor absurd if so be the creature be constrained to suffer some calamities for mens sake A similitude For if a man saith he happen to incurre the displeasure of a king not onelie he himselfe is punished but also all his familie is oppressed Man by reason of sinne All creatures be after a sort the household of man is become subiect vnto the cursse and wrath of GOD wherefore it is no maruell if all creatures which are the houshold or familie of man doo lament and sorrowe togither with him Moreouer he alledgeth out of the scriptures that euerie creature was drowned in the floud Gen. 7 â1 Gen. 19 25. that in Sodom all things togither were burned with the vngodlie men that in Aegypt Exo. 14 28. by reason of Pharaos obstinacie all creatures were destroied And in his booke De reparandis lapsis vnto Theodorus he sheweth that After the iudgment day althings shall be renewed that the glorie of the Lord shall be reuealed and made manifest so as the same shall fill occupie all things The Gréeke Schoolies doo acknowledge here as we doo the figure Prosopopoeia and therefore affirme that the creature shall be deliuered from the bondage of corruption bicause for our sakes it was made subiect to corruption And they declare that the adoption of the sonnes of God shall be reuealed for that the sons of God are now conuersant with the children of the diuell and cannot easilie be deliuered from them Herevnto may be added that we be pressed with afflictions compassed about with infirmities and defiled with manie falles all which things notwithstanding they doo not frustrate the adoption which we haue by faith yet they so shadowe and dimme the same as without the inward testimonie of the spirit it cannot be knowne But our glorie shall be reuealed in due time and it shall not onelie appéere but also be giuen vnto vs for we haue the same euen now presentlie but not as yet full and perfect but then it shall be fullie perfected and shall obteine whatsoeuer is now wanting The second Chapter Of Free will NOw it shall be good to intreat somewhat of the libertie of our will In Rom. 7. at the end of the chapter And at this present we will inquire how much fréewill the naturall corruption which came by originall sinne hath left vnto vs speciallie séeing whatsoeuer we doo well all that is said to be attributed vnto the grace of God This word Free will is not read in the scriptures And although this word Free will be not read in the holie scriptures yet the thing it selfe must not séeme to be either imagined or deuised The Gréekes call it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which is Of his owne power or Of his owne right the which same thing the Latins signifie when they call it Libertatem arbitrij that is The libertie or the choise of will For that is frée which followeth not the will of another but his owne will But the choise séemeth herein to consist What is free that we followe as we thinke good those things which be decréed by reason Then doubtles the will is frée when as it imbraceth those things When the will is free which be allowed of the considering part of the mind Wherefore the nature of frée choise although it doo most of all declare it selfe in the will Free choise is placed iâ the will but rooted in the reason yet dooth the root thereof consist in reason But they which will vse this power aright must haue a speciall regard that there fall no error into reason Which error commonlie is woont to come two maner of waies for either it is vnknowne to vs what is iust what is vniust in the dooings of things Two sorts of error in reason or else if we doo knowe it yet we faile in giuing iudgement of the reasons which are woont to be alledged on both parts For euer in a maner our lust ioineth it selfe vnto the weaker argument Our lust ioineth it selfe with the weaker argument Whereof it coms to passe oftentimes that the stronger and the better reason is neglected and forsaken And this we sée dooth oftentimes happen in disputations for they which take vpon them to defend the weaker part are woont to set a shew vpon the same with all the ornaments and colours that they can to the intent the hearers being allured with eloquence counterfet spéech may not throughlie weigh wherein the strength weight of the argument doth consist Moreouer Men vse not to deliberate but in things to be doone it is to be vnderstood that men doo not coÌmonlie deliberate concerning all maner of things but of those onlie which of the Gréeks be called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is Which are to be doone of vs. And in verie déed all the things which either we prosecute or refuse Some things to be doone need no deliberation haue not néed of deliberation for there be some things so manifest and
wiselie said The heauens declare the glorie of God The Patriarchs when they would sacrifice went vnto high places where they might behold the tall trées the heauen the flouds and the earth lieng round about and thereby lifted themselues vp to the knowledge of God the creator But contrariewise foolish men would deuise images to themselues and at length fell to that that they called stocks and stones gods Wherefore Ieremie verse 27. in his second chapter earnestlie reprooueth them which feared not to saie vnto a stocke Thou art my father and vnto a stone Thou hast begotten me And thus while these men wold haue such kind of admonishers they were drawne farre awaie from the true worshiping of God and finallie they attributed vnto images the purging of sinnes They held them also for gods which did gard the quicke and the dead euerie particular man and likewise the whole citie From thence also they indeuor to wrest oracles and they make vaunt that their praiers powred out vnto them are heard and going yet further they sacrifice dailie before them This boldnesse or rashnesse of men did excéedinglie displease God and not without cause For a prince would take it in ill part if the honour which is onelie due vnto himselfe should be giuen vnto his seruants wherefore God himselfe in the prophet Esaie saith Esai 42. 8. I will not giue mine owne honour vnto an other 6 But some man will saie that this inuention had no ill meaning but rather a good and right intent as they call it but the same right intent dooth oft times marre all Neither dooth it suffice to make mens works righteous vnlesse those things be added or put to which we haue else-where sufficientlie spoken of Athanasius wrote against idols among other things he saith They which liued in times past made images to the intent that out of them oracles might be vttered and for so much as God might not be knowne but by visible signes and therefore they iudged that God was to be called vpon in images bicause they thought heauenlie powers were present with them Arnobius And Arnobius in his sixt booke against the Gentiles reporteth that the nations said that they did not worship stones but the presence of God exhibited about these images For they thought that images through certeine dedications were so adorned and purged that the power of God came fullie vnto them And in dedicating of them they thorough a certein peruerse imitation of the old fathers applied holie vnctioÌs as they called them For Iacob also annointed a stone Gen. 28 18. Exod. 40 9. and Moses was commanded to annoint in a maner all the necessarie implements about the Tabernacle Eusebius also in his ninth booke the third and 11. chapters writeth that thereto did come the inchantments of diuels and incredible sorcerie for so much as there were dailie woonders wrought at the images whereby the sillie people were in sundrie wise seduced to the great detriment of the church He declareth the historie of Theotechnus which was punished for his wickednesse Yea furthermore Theodoretus in the fift booke 22. chapter saieth that the craftinesse of inchanters came héerevnto Craftinesse and false miracles about images who erected images against walles and gaue answer through holes bored in them Wherefore the people were maruellouslie amazed when they supposed that the images spake It can hardlie be credited with how great labour and difficultie men could be brought from the worshipping of images Eusebius in his third booke of Constantinus life saith When images were subuerted in them there was found the bones of dead men drie skulles lothesome clothes and small faggots of sticks which things our men in shewing to the people said Behold I beséech ye what ye haue hitherto worshipped And he affirmeth that by those same shewes verie much was brought to passe with the people 7 Now that the causes be set forth Whether it be lawfull to represent God in images whie men indeuoured to expresse God by images it séemeth good to dispute whether it be lawfull to represent God by them And it must be determined and that fréelie without exception that the same is not lawfull For God commanded the children of Israel The first cause Deut. 4 12. that they should remember they sawe no image vpon mount Horeb and therfore forbad that they should make anie such Howbeit the place is more large if it be more diligentlie examined For there he commanded that they should not make anie images at all to doo anie worship vnto them And in the fortie chapter of Esaie he saith To whom will ye resemble God verse 18. or by what similitude wil ye expres him And in the 44. chapter he confirmeth the same verse 10. saieng Who shall be so hardie to fashion out God or to make a molten or grauen image that is profitable for nothing I maruell that among the Papists Dominicus Azotus vpon the epistle to the Romans the first chapter durst write that by that commandement it is not forbidden vnto the christians to make images resembling the shape of man séeing the lawe hath onelie made mention there of créeping things of birds and fishes whereas neuerthelesse it is there by expresse words forbidden that no images should be made either of the male or of the female Moreouer it is thus written in the psalme Mouths they haue speake not feet they haue and walke not Psal 115 4. eares they haue and yet heare not noses they haue smell not And although the rest of the members may be vnderstood touching brute beasts yet that saieng that They haue mouths and cannot speake belongeth peculiarlie vnto men forsomuch as spéech was not giuen vnto brute beasts Wherefore Lucretius called them beasts without mouths Which interpretation Augustine brought in the same place verse 15. Furthermore Esaie in the 44. chapter laugheth the Carpenter to scorne who of the one part of a trée being cut downe maketh an image of the other part kindleth fire and therewith dresseth bread and meate He carueth it saith he and maruellouslie worketh it verse 13. that he may expresse the similitude of a man By all these things it appéereth that euen the images of men which be ordeined for diuine seruice are forbidden It is prooued therefore that images which represent God himselfe be forbidden by testimonies of the holie scriptures The second cause Wherevnto we must adde that by the testimonie of them we be taught that God is a spirit Iohn 4 24. wherof it followeth that by lineaments and colours he cannot be expressed Iohn 1 18. Further it is there written that None hath seene God at anie time Wherefore if he be séene of none and Dwelleth in the light that cannot be atteined vnto how can he be set foorth in a picture or grauen image to be séene Moreouer he is infinite but those things which be painted grauen or molten be
least forsooth it should be troden vnder féet or spet vpon But Petrus Crinitus saith that he sawe that lawe written absolutelie whereby is commanded that the image of Christ should not be made of anie matter But that he cannot be counterfeited as touching his humane nature there are no firme reasons brought 11 The angels as touching their substance and nature séeing they be spirits cannot be expressed yet is it lawfull sometimes to picture them in such wise as they haue shewed themselues vnto men for they be not as God is infinite but are bounded and limited Neither dooth the commandement of God forbid this vnlesse their pictures were made to the intent they should be religiouslie and deuoutlie worshipped That men may be pictured Also men may be pictured and counterfeited séeing the same is not repugnant either to the thing either to art or else to the commandement of God So is it lawfull also to forme and picture foorth the crosse of the Lord The image of the crosse of Christ trées fruits and other sensible or visible bodies for the arts of painting and counterfeiting be the verie gifts of God wherefore they must serue to some vse And by this I gather that they be the gifts of God bicause he indued the builders of Moses tabernacle with his spirit Bezeleel I meane and Aholiba Exod. 31 2 and 6. Neither is it lawfull to saie that God dooth inspire euill things with his spirit and such things as be against his lawe Moreouer the power it selfe of imitating séeing it is naturall vnto man verelie he had the same of God and not of himselfe And it followeth of right that some vse shuld be therof bicause God hath bestowed no gifts vpon his creatures especiallie vpon men which should not be lawfull for them sometime to vse Neither dooth he take awaie the vse of those gifts bicause manie doo abuse them and this is easilie confirmed by manie similitudes The power of procreation is giuen vnto men although some doo shamefullie abuse the same vnto lusts So the sight is granted which they doo peruerselie vse who for lust sake doo behold women which be none of their owne And so it might be said of the rest Againe we knowe that Salomon would haue images to be made for his roiall throne 1. Kin. 10 19 which should haue the forms of yoong lions neither was he for that matter reprehended by anie prophet Wherefore in a prophane thing it is lawfull to haue pictures and grauen images I am not ignorant that the ancient fathers and speciallie Clement and Tertullian detested the acts of painters and image-makers But I vnderstand this in respect that these workmen did professe Christ and yet they made images pictures which might easilie be worshipped and peraduenture they diuided them among the idolaters thinking it sufficient to their owne saluation if they themselues did not worship them The opinion of the Turke touching images But the Turks be of the opinion that there should be no images made at all wherevpon in their coines they onlie haue letters which be written in the Arabian toong and vpon their tapestrie they also vse to weaue certeine knots The vse of images may be good for the kéeping of things in memorie for the garnishing of houses especiallie of kings and noble personages and also to serue for some honest pleasure wherewith men sometime may both delite and recreate themselues Howbeit in such light commodities there are oftentimes manie faults for false images are sundrie times thrust in in stéed of true As if so be a nation or people be described to be ouercome by their enimies which neuerthelesse was the vanquisher that must néeds be reprooued séeing it dooth iniurie vnto others Also if one be pictured to haue doone some heinous act which in verie déed he did not Neither must they be borne with which doo paint false miracles whereby idolatrie may win credit And doubtlesse in our time there haue not wanted such as haue indeuoured to paint the miracles of Christs infancie which things are no where found written and séeme to be altogither fabulous So some likewise doo paint out in manie places Christopher and George rather monstruouslie than trulie We must therfore take héed least men be perniciouslie seduced by false images I haue added perniciouslie bicause the Gentaures other things of like sort may for garnishing sake be expressed without anie harme vnto them which are beholders Others attempt to paint out vertues which haue no bodies Images of vertues but doo belong vnto the mind which is a spirit Also they painted or fashioned them like to virgins and matrones and therein I thinke is no deceipt whereby the beholders can be deceiued Howbeit this séemeth the safest waie of all other that if things should be painted the profitable and holie histories should chéeflie be painted whereby the beholders may receiue some edifieng Further we must beware of lauishing out of monie for there be some which in procuring of pictures and images are starke mad These costs must not be preferred before the necessities of the poore How greatlie herein it hath béene offended A superstitious vse of images the temples from our forefathers which be yet extant doo euidentlie declare Besides this we must take verie diligent héed that there be no filthie things painted Against shamefull picturings for we are otherwise of our owne vilenesse and corruption of nature sufficientlie kindled vnto lust If it be trulie said 1. Co. 15 33 that Euill speaking corrupteth good maners no lesse doo filthie images corrupt the beholders Tertullian writeth Tertullian in his apologetico that the Ethniks painted the image of Christ with asses eares in despite of our Sauiour Christ Wherfore such an image ought to be accounted blasphemous Lastlie from them must be remooued all religious worship the which that it be not giuen them it must be alwaies prouided that they be not placed in the churches 12 Séeing therefore it is now declared what things it is lawfull to picture after this we must diligentlie examine whether it may be lawfull to vse anie adoration or worshipping in images In the disputation whereof we will first recite what our aduersaries haue thought What a holie worshipping is what kind of worship shall be spoken of Holie worshipping the Gréekes call ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and the Latins Pietas Looke In Rom. 1. vpon these words Whom I serue that is Godlinesse which neuerthelesse is extended both vnto the parents and vnto the countrie But we now talke onlie of religious worshipping inquire whether the same may be attributed vnto images Diuine worship or honor is expressed of the Hebrue in two words A distinction of diuine worship of the verbe Iare which is To feare and Auad which is To serue And vndoubtedlie vnder the name of feare is comprehended all religion which is placed in the mind By Auad is declared an
act for a yoong man to commit fornication And there wanted not some in the church of Corinth which were of that opinion So as by these reasons the filthinesse of whoredome is so extenuated that either it is not counted for sinne or else thought that it should be reckoned among the least sinnes 2 We must not haue a respect vnto the reasons of men but vnto the word of God not what men thinke or iudge but what the holie Ghost speaketh in the holie scriptures In the prophets and in Salomon there is detesting of fornication in euerie place Fornication is forbidden by testimonies of the lawe but in the lawe they saie there is nothing decréed against it Séeing they will reson by the lawe I also will bring testimonies out of it whereby it may easilie be vnderstood that fornication is forbidden In Leuiticus in the booke of Numbers and in Deuteronomie the Iewes are forbidden to linke themselues vnto strange women Againe verse 17. in Deuteronomie the 25. chapter it is commanded that there should be no harlot nor common woman in Israell Let these places be compared togither It was not lawfull to haue anie harlots neither strange women nor yet women of Israell Therefore they were all forbidden But some will saie How then had Samson fellowship with an harlot Some of the Hebrues answer Iud. 16 1. that she was not an harlot with whom Samson had fellowship but one that kept a vitling house But forsomuch as that is but a weake answer me thinketh that an other answer must be made The publike weale of the Hebrues was at that time corrupted for they liued then vnder the Philistines Neither is it anie maruell if they had then receiued some of their vices and corrupt maners Wherefore some harlots they had howbeit not by reason of their owne laws but through the vse and conuersation of the Philistines 3 But in the new testament It is forbidden by testimonies of the new testament Heb. 13 14 whoredome is openlie and manifestlie forbidden To the Hebrues it is thus written Adulterers and fornicators the Lord will iudge The Lord is not said to iudge and to auenge except it be for gréeuous sinnes And to the Ephesians not onelie couetous men and idolaters Ephesi 5 5. but also fornicators are excluded from the kingdome of God To the Corinthians also where Paule writeth of excommunication I speake not saith he of all sorts of fornicators 1. Cor. 5 11. but if anie brother be named a fornicator with such ye shall not so much as eate But he treateth much more manifestlie of all this matter in the sixt chapter of the same epistle and that of verie purpose For manie as it is said were of an euill opinion as touching this kind of wickednesse First he saith Meate is ordeined for the bellie 1. Cor. 6 verse 13 c and the bellie for meate but God shall destroie both this and that now the bodie is not for fornication but for the Lord. Moreouer all meate of his owne nature is pure but for the offense of our neighbour we ought sometimes to absteine Howbeit some man might saie Meate is necessarie to liue by It is saith Paule in this life but in the blessed resurrection God shall destroie both the meate and the bellie Wherefore thou must not so much estéeme it that for such a cause thou shouldest offend thy brother It is not commanded that thou shouldest absteine from all meate generallie but from that onelie whereby thy weake brother is offended But as touching fornications saith he of which ye make small account Ibidem there is a far other respect Your bodie is not appointed for fornication but for the Lord. And this must not be passed ouer that Paule with great wisedome saith not that the bodie is not giuen for procreation but that it is not giuen for fornication sith the bodie is also giuen for procreation sake Oftentimes men are woont to excuse their faults and to impute them vnto nature The nature of the bodie saith he is that it may be giuen vnto the Lord so then the rule of life must be taken thereby and not by euill examples The nature of relatiues This is the nature of relatiues not onelie of those relatiues which in the selfe-same thing that they be belong to other but also of those which by anie meanes are referred to another thing as the head vnto the bodie and likewise the bodie vnto the head For when we sée the head we straitwaie require the bodie and againe when we sée the bodie we require the head Such relatiues as the Logicians saie are called Secundum dici The Lord is the head of the bodie of the church and the church is the bodie of his head Wherefore Paule both wiselie and pithilie disputeth when he saith The bodie is not made to this end that it should pollute it selfe with lusts but to be correspondent vnto the head and to be conformable vnto it And he addeth verse 14. God which hath raised vp Christ shall raise vs vp also by his power The first argument was taken from relatiues the second from God himselfe For if he shall raise vp our bodies as he hath raised vp Christ why then doo we shamefullie vse them He procéedeth further verse 15. and saith But doo you not knowe that your bodies are the members of Christ Shall I then take the member of Christ make it the member of an harlot Vndoubtedlie a weightie argument which he concludeth Shall I take saith he the member of Christ As though he should haue said No without doubt for this were to rent in péeces the bodie of Christ And it is a most cruell thing to plucke awaie the members from a liuelie bodie and to ioine them to a rotten or dead bodie But herein the strength of the reason dooth consist Christ cannot commit fornication wherefore if thou wilt commit fornication thou must be first plucked from Christ Here is shewed that fornication is not onelie a sin but also a deadlie and most gréeuous sin bicause it plucketh vs awaie from Christ 4 Afterward he addeth verse 16. He which coupleth himselfe vnto an harlot is beecome one bodie with hir for they shall be two in one flesh And he which is ioined with God is one spirit This place is verie full of consolation Before in the tenth plac art 6. forsomuch as it declareth that we are ioined most nigh vnto Christ from whom we must néeds be plucked awaie before we be made the members of an harlot He which cleaueth vnto an harlot is become one bodie with hir for they shall be two in one flesh The apostle séemeth at the first sight to abuse the words of Genesis in transferring them to whooredome which be spoken of matrimonie For these words were first spoken of Adam and Eue bicause the flesh of Eue was before in the flesh of Adam from whom GOD tooke a
place saith Those things that séeme to be righteousnesse in vs are compared vnto the cloth of a polluted woman And this he speaketh verie well notwithstanding that he misse afterward in other matters Moreouer where it is said Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant Psal 143 2. according to thy righteousnesse Againe Forgiue vs our trespasses and such other like saiengs Matth. 6 12 I vnderstand to be spoken generallie and not particularlie of those things onelie which be manifest sinnes but euen of those actions which be honest and good in apperance For these if they be examined by the rule of the lawe will alwaies be found short of the same Wherefore Augustine in his tenth booke of confessions and 13. chapter Wo saith he be vnto mans life though it séeme laudable if it shuld be iudged when mercie were absent Also De spiritu litera the last chapter he wrote that Those things cannot be beloued of vs which we knowe not And againe that those things which we loue are loued by vs but yet according to a measure of knowledge So then it followeth that séeing the knowledge of GOD which we haue in this life is vnperfect he saith that our loue also towards him cannot be perfect Neuerthelesse when we shall behold him as he is in the euerlasting habitation there we shall perfectlie loue him And I praie you saith Augustine what shall we then doo more but loue him with all our hart and with all our soule But now séeing our knowledge is dull our loue also is the more vnperfect wherefore while we liue here we doo not loue God so much as the lawe requireth And they which haue profited in louing of God aboue others doo acknowledge how far they be from the waie of true loue Howbeit there is a certeine measure of the loue of God agréeable to this life the which consisteth in the not following of our lusts but that we should continuallie wrestle against them He addeth moreouer that it cannot be denied but that if God will he can bring this to passe and that he may giue such plentie of his grace spirit as all vice may be remooued But this he neuer did nor yet promised that he would doo it bicause if it be lawfull for him to giue this vnto the saints in the euerlasting habitation hée might also if it pleased him haue granted it in this life We must distinguish betweene power and will Matt. 26 53. And they séeme not to teach aright which in God denie his power to be distinguished from his will for Christ saith Could not I require my father and he would giue me more than twelue legions of angels 2 This reason of Augustine might in verie déed suffice but I haue yet more sure and more perfect confirmations For Paule in the seuenth chapter to the Romans Rom. 7 verse 7 c. dooth plainelie declare what was in himselfe as well touching the flesh as the spirit Albeit I knowe there be some A place of Paule expounded which iudge that the apostle spake not there of himselfe nor yet of them which be regenerate but that in his owne person he susteineth the spéeches of the vngodlie Of which mind Chrysostome was Also Augustine in his booke of 83. questions in the 66. question was of the same mind while he was yet somewhat yoong But in his sixt booke against Iulian the Pelagian the eleuenth chapter hauing weighed the thing better he affirmed that Paule spake of them which be regenerate And in his booke of retractations the 23. chapter he corrected his first opinion Ambrose in his booke De paradiso and also in his booke De sacramento as it is cited by Augustine referred those saiengs of Paule vnto the godlie and to them that be alreadie regenerate The which also Hilarius and Gregorius Nazianzen doo And vndoubtedlie the place being so vnderstood dooth bring great consolation vnto the godlie For although they belong to Christ yet they find themselues to be excéedinglie troubled with ill motions and affections with the which temptations they being exercised might easilie thinke that they perteine not to the elect For further proofe also the same apostle writeth vnto the Galathians Gal. 5 17. that The spirit fighteth against the flesh and the flesh against the spirit that ye cannot doo those things which ye would doo In which place without question he speaketh of the regenerate That those things also which in the place now alledged namelie verse 25. in the seuenth chapter to the Romans are to be referred vnto the godlie it is hereby prooued in that he saith his mind is delited in the lawe of God Which is not agréeable with them that be not regenerate who account not the lawe of God for anie pleasant thing vnto them wheras vnto the godlie it is more pleasant than honie and more déere than gold and pretious stones And he addeth these words namelie Of the inward man And no man is ignorant but that the inward man is attributed vnto the godlie so far foorth as they be regenerate But in them which be not regenerate there is no mention at all either of the new or inward man Besides Paule crieth out in that place O vnhappie man that I am Rom. 7 24. The which cannot be ascribed vnto them that be not borne anew for they doo not therefore thinke themselues vnhappie bicause they be drawne backe from the lawe of God He added also Who shall deliuer me Where the pronoune of the first person hath an effectuall emphasis and prooueth not a little that he writeth of his owne selfe And in the same chapter he saith To will is redie with me Ibidem 18. but I find no meanes to performe that which I would Here would I haue it answered how vnto those that are not regenerate a will to doo good can be present There is no doubt but that God dooth grant vnto the iustified to will well Afterward he saith I doo the euill which I hate and not the good which I would But to hate euill and to will good belongeth to none other but to the regenerate He addeth also Ibidem 2â I serue the lawe of GOD in my mind Then must it néeds be that he speaketh of himselfe regenerate otherwise it had not béene lawfull for him to haue pronounced these things of himselfe In the end he saith Ibidem 23. that He was drawne captiue into the lawe of sinne when as the vngodlie and those that be strangers from Christ go willinglie and without resistance vnto euils from which they are not plucked awaie 3 But it séemeth to be a let vnto the exposition which we haue brought when he saith that He is carnall Ibidem 14 Vnto this we answer that although we be borne anew yet is there verie much of the flesh remaining in vs. Wherefore the same apostle saith vnto the Corinthians 1. Cor. 3 1 I could not speake
were called spirituall bicause they were giuen neither by the strength of man nor of nature but by the power of God And it is to be wondred at that this father shuld déeme that the people of the old time were excluded from the spirit of God séeing we read in the 31. verse 3. chapter of Exodus that Bezeleel and Aholiba were replenished with the holie Ghost and also with wisedome and vnderstanding to make all such things as God had commanded to be made in the worke of the tabernacle And we read that the seuentie elders Num. 11 17. 24. which were giuen to be helpers vnto Moses were in such sort made partakers of his spirit that they also prophesied Iosua 34 9. Iud. 6 34. 1. Sam. 16 14. and that Iosua was indued with the holie Ghost and that Gedeon had giuen vnto him the same spirit and that the same holie spirit departed from Saule which might not haue béene vnlesse hée had had the same before And what meaneth this that Dauid saith in the psalme Take not away thy spirit from mee Psal 51 13. and 143 10. and 51 14. Againe Thy spirit shall lead me Againe Confirme me with a principall spirit Neither can we denie but that Elias and Elizaeus had the spirit of GOD 2. King 2 9. when the one desired to haue the spirit of the other giuen double vnto him We read also that Daniel had the spirit of the saints Dan. 4 9. But vnto these so manie oracles we will also adde a firme reason That the fathers were iustified we haue no doubt and they could not be iustified without faith in Christ but faith can neither be had nor reteined without the holie Ghost And whereas Chrysostome saith that the apostle maketh mention of the spirit bicause those men were gouerned by the lawe which was giuen by the spirit that is friuolous séeing the lawe cannot doo the office perteining thereto The lawe cannot doo hir office without helpe of the spirit to bring men vnto Christ which be now made affraid by the same vnlesse the power thereof be holpen by the spirit For how manie Epicures and godlesse men be there who hearing the lawe are neither brought vnto Christ nor yet appalled at the horriblenes of their sinnes committed 1. Cor. 10 3. A place vnto the Corinthians expounded 22 And that place in the tenth chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians must not so be vnderstood as he thinketh séeing Paule saith that the sacraments of the old fathers were the selfe-same with ours For vnlesse it were so the reason of Paule as it hath béene said might easilie haue béene made féeble For the Corinthians might haue thought that the Iewes had béene afflicted with so manie punishments bicause they had no sacraments like vnto ours and contrariewise that they themselues although they sinned should not be chastised for that their sacraments were more perfect the which might be able to pacifie God although he were angrie and driue awaie all aduersities which hoong ouer their heads But séeing Paule saith that their sacraments were all one with ours this place of refuge is vtterlie taken from them And that Paule had respect vnto this we may therfore beléeue it vndoubtedlie bicause he maketh mention onelie of those sacraments of the old testament which answer vnto our two sacraments omitting all the rest which were innumerable For he affirmeth that they were baptised as we are baptised and saith moreouer that they receiued one and the selfe-same spirituall meate and drinke which we at this daie receiue to signifie thereby our Eucharist or supper of the Lord. If thou take awaie this cause thou shalt find no other cause whie he made onelie mention of these two sacraments Further what haue we in our sacraments which we receiue as the chiefe and principall thing Is it not Christ But the apostle testifieth that the old fathers receiued him in their sacraments Ibidem 4. For he saith that They dranke of the spirituall rocke which followed them and that rocke was Christ We cannot drinke Christ without his spirit But we can in no wise drinke Christ vnlesse togither therewith we be partakers of his spirit also Wherefore we ought not to thinke that the old fathers had not the spirit of GOD. But thou wilt saie peraduenture They had rewards and punishments As though we haue not so likewise For what Dooth not Paule gréeuouslie threaten the Corinthians if they followe the sinnes which their forefathers committed in the wildernesse Dooth not he saie 1. Co. 11 30. that Manie are weake and manie fallen asleepe for that they had after a shamefull maner abused the Eucharist And dooth not he saie When we are iudged we are corrected of the Lord Ibidem 32. least we should be condemned with this world And what Will you saie that in the new testament also there wanteth rewards promised vnto the godlie Matt. 10 41. For if we giue anie thing to a prophet in the name of a prophet we doo receiue a prophets reward And Matt. 19 29. He that forsaketh his owne for Christ his sake shall receiue an hundreth fold euen in this world also But Chrysostome addeth that vnto them was promised a land flowing with milke and honie but vnto vs is promised the kingdome of heauen I grant indéed that the old fathers had manie temporall promises but yet not in such sort as vnto them was made no promise of eternall life For Christ bringeth a testimonie of the resurrection out of the lawe Matt. 22 32 Exod. 3 6. I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob And God saith vnto Abraham I am thy protector and thy exceeding great reward Gene. 15 1. And Daniel saith that They shall rise againe Dani. 12 2. which haue slept in the dust of the earth some to eternall life and some to euerlasting damnation And Esaie saith of the damned Esai 66 24. Their fire shall not be quenched and their woorme shall not die And to omit all other testimonies which are infinite Christ himselfe is promised in the lawe For he himselfe saith Iohn 5 46. Rom. 10 4. that Moses wrote of him And Paule saith that he was the end of the lawe Besides there be manie such other testimonies both in the Gospels and in the epistles of Paule which are all taken out of the old testament 23 Chrysostome addeth moreouer The forefathers were bomb to more ceremonies than we be that the forefathers vsed outward purifiengs Neither doo we denie but that they were bound to a great manie more and more gréeuous ceremonies than we are and yet are not we altogither without outward signes For we also haue bread wine and water as elements of our sacraments but one and the selfe-same Christ was common both vnto our sacraments and vnto theirs Sith no man can denie but that circumcision was the sacrament
of regeneration euen as our baptisme is also Circumcision was the sacrament of regeneration as baptisme is Yea and the Schoolemen themselues confesse that originall sinne was forgiuen vnto the forefathers in circumcision Wherefore iudgement ought not so lightlie to haue béene giuen that they had onelie outward purifiengs But this is a great deale surer when he addeth that They restrained their hands from euill works but we restraine both the mind and conscience Chrysostome séemeth alwaies to be of this mind that the lawe forbiddeth onelie the outward worke and that the Gospell afterward forbiddeth anger hatred and lust of the mind and considereth not that the old fathers had also this commandement Exo. 20 17. Thou shalt not lust and that the prophets euerie-where require circumcision of the hart Deut 10 16 Ierem. 4. 4. and that in the first commandement is comprehended faith hope charitie and whatsoeuer perteineth to the spirituall motions of the mind But whereas he saith that they were driuen by feare and we by loue that indéed is true after a sort howbeit not so as they were vtterlie without loue and we altogither without feare And that is most vntrue of all when he saith that they performed the lawe but we far passe those things which are commanded in the lawe For as we haue else-where prooued they themselues that be regenerate cannot so frame their works that they can in all points satisfie the lawe of God He addeth moreouer that they could not be corrected and amended otherwise than by stoning maiming burning and other such like kind of punishments but we are onlie excommunicated when we deserue to suffer the extremest punishment that the church can laie vpon vs. Howbeit he should haue remembered that those punishments which he maketh mention of were ciuill punishments which our christian magistrates also doo laie vpon such as be malefactors But they saith he had onelie in name the honour of adoption and of children but we haue it in verie déed Certeinlie it cannot be denied but that God was in the old testament called the father of his people For of him he saith Psal 11 1. that He had called his first begotten sonne out of Aegypt And Moses saith in Deuteronomie Deut. 32 18 Thou hast forsaken God which begat thee And Malachie verse 10. in his second chapter There is one God and father of vs all And Esaie I haue nourished and brought vp children Esaie 1 2. and they haue despised me And dooth not Paule saie Vnto whom apperteine the couenant and adoption Rom. 9 4. speaking then of the fathers of the Israelites of whom was Christ according to the flesh Psal 82 6. I said ye are gods and children of the most high They also called God their father when they said in Esaie Esai 63 16. Thou art our father for Abraham knew vs not and Israel had no knowledge of vs. And so great an affection did God the father beare towards them as he saith Esai 49 15. Can a mother forget hir child but although she can yet will not I forget thee And as Chrysostome hath thus written in this place so hath he in other places also manie things like vnto the same which as I haue said must be read warilie and with iudgement 24 Augustine in the handling of that place saith that there is put a difference betwéene the old and new testament of which the one consisteth in feare and the other in loue He addeth moreouer that it is without controuersie that the spirit of adoption is the holie Ghost but the spirit of bondage he thinketh to be that which hath the power of death that is satan séeing so manie are held vnder the euill spirit as are destitute of grace and being not regenerate liue vnder the lawe For they are addicted vnto temporall things and obeie their owne lusts not indéed through default of the lawe but bicause they themselues are strangers from Christ and from God for they cannot obserue the lawe of God and therefore they are both wrapped in sinnes and also disquieted with continuall furies He also signifieth that of this place there is another interpretation as though the spirit should here signifie our mind which is somtime the seruant of lusts and sometime liueth vnder the libertie of the sonnes of God But this opinion saith he cannot stand The spirit of adoption is not our mind but the inspiration of God Rom. 8 16. bicause the spirit of adoption is a little afterward said to be externall and receiued from without namelie being inspired from aboue For so Paule writeth It is the spirit that beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the sonnes of God Which words plainelie declare that there is a difference put betwéene the spirit that persuadeth and that spirit which is persuaded And if this saith he be true concerning the spirit of adoption the same opinion also must we haue of the spirit of bondage So that Augustine herein agréeth with Chrysostome that they whom he thinketh to be vnder the spirit of bondage are quite void of the spirit of God For those kind of men he affirmeth not to be regenerate and that they be also strangers from God yea rather addicted vnto the spirit of satan of whom we cannot vnderstand Chrysostome to speake For out of the lawe and the sacraments he bringeth a reason why the forefathers wanted the spirit But Augustine denieth that this came to passe through the default of the lawe What the spirit of bondage is wherefore his saieng is more probable than Chrysostoms Howbeit herein I agrée not with Augustine to thinke that by the spirit of bondage is to be vnderstood satan Two effects of the holie Ghost for here as I said are to be vnderstood two effects of the holie Ghost The first is when we are touched with the knowledge of the lawe and remorse of our sins we straitwaie despairing of saluation perceiue that we be vtterlie vndoone vnlesse we repaire vnto Christ So that the selfe-same spirit being our guide we come vnto Christ and by faith laie hold vpon him and the promise of the mercie of GOD by which meanes our sinnes be forgiuen vs and we are receiued into the adoption of the sonnes of God Wherefore Paules meaning was to declare vnto the Romans that they being now past that first step and being regenerate in Christ haue obteined adoption and therefore it behooued them not onelie to liue godlie but also willinglie and of their owne accord to worke vprightlie Vnto this interpretation of ours Ambrose subscribeth for he saith that the apostle here teacheth the Romans that they be no longer vnder the lawe Two steps of conuersion but doo now liue vnder faith I iudge therefore with him that in these words is set foorth two degrées of conuersion 25 And if a man doo demand as touching the people in the old lawe In what state the old Iewes
maner and measure of the sinne for this cause Christ departed this life not onelie loden with railings and contumelies but also was as it were plucked from the same life by the violence of most gréeuous paines and most cruell punishments The which séeing the euangelists doo plentifullie recite it is not our meaning to spend anie longer time in particular describing of the same Howbeit it séemeth that all those punishments of Christ which vndoubtedlie are innumerable may be contriued speciallie into foure chéefe partes Among which the first appeare to be the sundrie sorts of scornings wherewith he was diuers times assailed such were the spitting in his face the saluting and intituling him by the name of king the putting off of his owne garments and cladding him with other garments vnaccustomed the reputing of him sometime to be a foole and sometime a prince by blindfolding his eies with a cloth and by putting the scepter of a king though the same were of a réed into his hands also being so araied the bidding of him to prophesie by such as mocked him also to be set naked in the sight of all the people finallie to sée his garments diuided to most wicked knaues and lots to be cast vpon them I passe ouer that he was accounted of Herod as it were a common foole an infinite number of other mocks with the which he was disquieted as the wise reader shall easilie vnderstand out of the holie scriptures In the 13. section But if one demand wherein the rebukes and ignominies laid vpon Christ wherof we haue spoken before doo differ from these latter I answer that those belong to vniust infamie to accusation and vniust condemnation but these were added for the punishment of those faults which slanderouslie were laid vpon him His blowes wounds 16 Besides these reproches we must weigh the stripes and bloudie wounds which he susteined in his whole bodie the blowes the scourgings the strikings with the réed the prickings with thornes and an infinite number of other things more which he suffered at the sessions of the priests and elders in the iudgement hall in the stréets and else-where in diuers other places His crosse These hard afflictions receiued he vnder the crosse the which he bare on his shoulders with great trauell before it held him stretched out vpon it with his whole bodie But he was crucified being not tied with anie bands as perhaps the rest were yet nailed vnto the wood through hands and féet euen as he himselfe hereof gaue a sure testimonie after his resurrection when he said vnto Thomas Iohn 22 27. Bring thy finger hither and see my hands and put foorth thine hand and put it into my side Which he added by reason of the wound that he receiued in his side by a certeine soldier after his death The verie which thing Dauid Psal 22 17. by the spirit of prophesie had foretold in the Psalmes They persed saith he my hands and my feet The same prophet also passed not ouer in silence that vnpleasant tast of myrrhe the which being mingled with vineger was proffered vnto Christ for a drinke For he writeth in the 69. psalme verse 22. They gaue me gall for my food and vineger for quenching of my thirst The fourth and last punishment which Christ for our sake tooke vpon him His death was that separation of the soule from his pretious bodie the which as he that had the same fullie in his owne power and that sawe all things to be fulfilled that were foretold of him by the prophets touching the former matter he of his owne accord making a lowd voice yéelded vp his spirit 17 But héere Why God chose this waie to saue mankind séeing euerie thing is most woorthie to be noted I stand in some doubt what thing I may here first setle my selfe to examine Howbeit among manie things I will now intreat as bréeflie as I can of this which I next adde First let me aske you one question whether it séeme most strange vnto you that God who by another easier kind of meanes might haue reconciled mankind to himselfe tooke in hand the performance thereof by so manie and so gréeuous paines and labours of his owne sonne For this is certeine that he might haue taken anie other waie in hand for reconciling of vs with his sonne why then did he make him subiect to so manie miseries and rebukes Here might I answer that the iustice of God might by no other meanes be satisfied Which answer as it is true so is it commonlie receiued Wherfore I thinke it méet to note here thrée things most profitable to be knowne The first shall be this that we may sufficientlie vnderstand by that so hard a meanes which God vsed for procurement of our saluation how great a bond by the iust iudgment of God was growne through our sinnes how gréeuous was the burthen of them how great was the wrath enimitie and hatred which God had conceiued against vs and how horrible a reuenge hoong ouer our heads Which if it be diligentlie enough considered will it not be a most fit bridle to restreine our lusts and to staie vs from falling into foule and shamefull acts and into the vncleane works of darknesse of this world and of the flesh Vndoubtedlie we considering with the eies of our faith how seuerelie and sharpelie God hath punished them in Christ euerie one of vs ought to be carefull to flie wiselie from them Another thing that is méet here to be noted is this namelie that the consciences of men which through the infirmitie of the flesh doo oftentimes faint could neuer assure themselues from damnation which by their continuall yea and shamefull falles they deserue especiallie when as God the most iust iudge who neuer leaueth our sinnes vnpunished is alwaies set before our eies Mens minds I saie being striken with the féele of sinne could neuer haue taken anie comfort vnto them vnlesse the seuere sentence against Christ had gone before But when we perceiue that the sonne of God by so hard and bitter chastisement abode the punishment for all our sinnes besides that from hence springeth a full assurednesse to our minds we can neuer be satisfied in giuing of thanks vnto the mercie of God for that he cast all our iniquities vpon Christ according as it was foreshewed by Esaie Esai 53 5. that so he should suffer for our sinnes those gréeuous wounds and afflictions And that is it which Paule remembreth in the eight chapter to the Romans verse 31. that GOD spared not his owne onelie sonne but gaue him to death for vs all 18 But now let vs come to the third point of doctrine which it behooueth vs diligentlie to weigh Besides the profitable vses that we haue before assigned as touching the sufferings of Christ heere he sheweth himselfe an example and liuelie image of all perfection séeing we may héere behold what patience
man Psal 22 7. séeing he mounted vp from so base a seruitude vnto so high and noble a degrée of dignitie from an earthlie condition vnto a celestiall glorie out of a place subiect to manie infirmities and tribulations vnto a state sure and frée from miseries from mortall flesh vnto an immortall bodie finallie when as he being so thrust downe ascended neuerthelesse vnto the highest state of the most excellent monarchie dooth it not appeare to you that he hath béene verie honourablie lifted vp on high 23 And that he being raised vp from the dead The sublimitie of Christ hath atteined chiefe principalitie Paule dooth aptlie teach in his epistle to the Ephesians saieng Ephe. 1 20. Whome God placed at his right hand in heauen far aboue all principalitie and power and might and domination and aboue euerie name that is named not onelie in this world but also in the world to come And he hath put all things in subiection vnder his feete and hath appointed him ouer all things to be head to the Church The verie same things also dooth the same apostle put vs in mind of Phil. 2 7. in his epistle to the Philippians where by Christs voluntarie submission of himselfe euen to the time of his glorie he gathereth profitable and excellent doctrine in these words saieng For that he submitted himselfe and became obedient vnto death euen to the death of the crosse therefore GOD hath highlie exalted him and giuen him a name that is aboue euerie name that in the name of Iesus euerie knee should bow both of things in heauen and of things in earth and things vnder the earth Which saieng in verie good right is agréeable to him according to the rule prescribed by himselfe in an other place Mat. 23 12. He that will humble himselfe shall be exalted Whereby also it may be gathered that the glorie must be high and magnificent according as the submission is voluntarie And séeing there neuer was nor neuer shall be anie voluntarie submission so abiect as the same that appeared in Christ it followeth therby that of a most deserued right he is aduanced aboue euerie creature that is most high Many afflictions and miseries did he suffer while he liued here amongst men now he inioieth most blessed rest and is safe as well in bodie as in soule from all trouble and disquietnesse He so passed from the most shamefull and ignominious death vnto the most excellent life as he is now all wholie blessed and immortall Wherefore the apostle in his epistle to the Romans saith Rom. 6 9 that Christ being raised vp from the dead dieth no more death hath no more power ouer him Now then if he be altogither frée from death he must of necessitie also be rid from all infirmities and sufferings which in like maner be the ministers and soldiers of death There is none but dooth sufficientlie vnderstand how far distant heauen is from earth In like maner also must we consider that the same high state vnto the which Christ is now carried dooth euen as much differ from that state to the which he submitted himselfe while he liued here among men 24 And albeit that difference betwéene the earthlie and heauenlie state may séeme to be ample this neuerthelesse is certeine that I procéed not so far in these words as Paule doth who in the first epistle to the Corinthians calleth that bodie which shall be restored to vs in the last resurrection not celestiall but spirituall It is sowen saith he a naturall bodie and shall be raised vp a spirituall bodie 1. Co. 15 44 He meaneth not that Christ and the rest of the saints which shall rise with him shall not haue flesh bones bloud distinct members and finallie a true bodie For without doubt the truth and propertie of humane nature shall still remaine but he calleth it a spirituall bodie bicause that same noble nature and forme vnto the which it shall be restored shall not flowe from an earthlie originall such as humane séed is but from the power of Gods spirit Furthermore the bodie being raised vp shall be adorned with new qualities which shall drawe néere vnto the nature of the spirit and not vnto the nature of the earth and for that cause shall iustlie be called spirituall Wherefore he that rightlie shall weigh the words of the apostle while he nameth it a spirituall bodie will not alledge the same against a corporall bodie but against an earthlie mortall and corrupt bodie Wherefore he addeth these words It is sowen an infamous bodie it riseth a glorious bodie it is sowen in weakenesse it riseth in power it is sowen a naturall bodie it riseth a spirituall bodie In a bodie raised vp be no infirmities or naturall motions to resist the spirit no heauines or grosenesse so great but that it chéerefullie obeieth the right affects of the spirit Howsoeuer it be it is sufficientlie confirmed by those things which haue béene spoken that the name of spirituall dooth in verie good right apperteine vnto the bodie of Christ being raised vp bicause it is somewhat more than if thou shouldst saie Heauenlie for so much as Christ after his resurrection as it is added in this Créed not onlie ascended into heauen but also was carried aboue heauen there sitteth at the right hand of God the father almightie The right hand of God and what is ment thereby Which maner of spéech séeing it laieth before our eies a certeine humane forme we must diligentlie ponder from whence it is deriued I say therfore that no others are placed at the princes side but those whom princes fauouring haue exalted to some high degrée of dignitie And among those which be indued with this honour no others are placed at the right hand but those which are aduanced to the highest roome of honour or power next the prince But this which héere is declared touching Christ we must vnderstand to be altogither figuratiuelie spoken of Christ séeing God is without bodie hands sides neither hath he right hand or left But by this maner of spéech we be giuen to vnderstand that Christ in that he is man is by God indued after the resurrection with such honor dignitie as there is nothing in his whole empire that not onlie cannot be preferred aboue him but not compared with him 25 But this being now declared namelie The fruit of the resurrâction and âlorie of Christ vnto what high glorie Christ by his resurrection ascended and the same being set foorth as plains as the capacitie of them to whom these things be written will beare and as the occasion of mine owne leasure would giue me leaue it shall be verie necessarie to adde what profit the same may bring vnto vs whereby also we shall vnderstand vnto what vse we ought to referre the same For séeing there is no action of Christ that is not of verie great importance to the furtherance of our
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
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 coÌfortable 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 coÌuersant 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
formes thereof Also they obiect that charitie hath therfore the nature of a forme bicause it is the end of the precept and whatsoeuer is done without that cannot please God but is condemned as sinne But if this argument be of force wée also will prooue thereby that faith is the forme of other vertues Rom. 14 23. séeing Paule hath said Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Out of the which sentence Augustine in his 4. booke and 4. chap. against Iulian taught that all the workes of the infidels are sinnes These men also bring the saieng of Iames Iames. 2 22. that Faith is made perfect by workes the which maketh nothing against vs for it onlie teacheth that faith is then perfect when it worketh Euen as the Philosophers teach that a forme is not perfect when it is taken as the first act for so they speake but when it is respected as a second act for in working it putteth foorth his strength declareth it selfe Wherefore wée grant How faith is made perfect by workes that after this maner faith is made perfect by workes not that it is either increased or made more earnest by the vertue of workes but through the more effectuall operation of the holie Ghost the which in working declareth it selfe but in time of idlenes laie hid And this is not the propertie of charitie alone but is common vnto all other vertues for vnto this end are vertues giuen vnto the mind that out of them actions might be drawen 30 Moreouer they saie that charitie is therefore the forme of faith bicause by it is the first beginning whereby the godly are known from the wicked And this they prooue by that place of the Gospell where Christ is brought in to saie at the daie of iudgement I was hungrie Mat. 25 35. and ye fed me I thirsted and ye gaue me drinke c. Vnto these things wée answer that the discerning and knowledge of things is sometimes had by the causes by the beginnings of them which they commonlie call A priori that is The knowledge of things commeth partly by the beginnings and partlie by the effects By that which went before and an other is vnderstood by the effects and properties which they name A posteriori to wit By that which coÌmeth after Wherfore I willingly admit that charitie is that whereby the godly are discerned from the wicked by the latter knowledge and by the effects but this knowledge pertaineth to vs. Christ otherwise without the same very well knoweth them that be his and setteth them apart namelie by election and predestination the which be in a maner the beginnings causes of our saluation Wherefore that knowledge is had by the effects out of the forme of things which they take as granted we must not grant Neither is there anie doubt but in the last iudgment the saints shall be discerned from the wicked by the workes and effects according as the words which these men bring doo declare The sentence of the last iudgement Ibidem 34. Howbeit if they will haue respect vnto those wordes which the iudge pronounced before time when he said Come ye blessed of my father take the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world they shall easilie vnderstand that there is a more noble excellent knowledge set forth of saluation to be giuen than that knowledge which is afterward added through workes As for the forme of faith if anie shuld be brought in which properly is not lawfull to be done The spirit if anie thing be should be the forme of faith the same should be the spirit For we haue faith according to the portion thereof the more there is of the spirit the more ample faith is present and the more scarsitie there is of the spirit the weaker is faith How Faith excelleth Charitie and so likewise on the contrarie 31 Now lastly there remaineth to sée wherein faith is preferred before charitie and againe what is attributed vnto charitie rather than vnto faith First vnto faith iustification is agréeable the which we affirme ought not to be granted vnto charitie for while we liue here Why faith iustifieth and not charitie charitie is alwaies vnperfect Therefore we cannot in respect of the iudgement of God cleaue either vnto charitie or vnto the good workes which procéed from the same in respect of being iustified and absolued by them Further in the epistles of Paule to the Romans and to the Galathians it is most plainly declared that We be iustified by faith and not by workes The verie which thing the nature as well of faith as of charitie if it be well considered dooth shew for faith dooth further the mind of godlie men toward Christ and toward the vnderstanding and admitting of the promises made concerning him which thing is manifest to be done by the assent of the mind and while that we knowe or vnderstand anie thing the very same we receiue into our selues But on the contrarie part the office of charitie is that it may prouoke and driue the will to shew foorth in action and expresse in sight of the world that which the mind hath receiued And this herein consisteth that those things which we haue we impart and communicate them with others And séeing to iustified is to receiue righteousnesse by imputation it may sufficientlie appéere that the same commeth rather by faith than by charitie Herevnto must be added that if we should appoint charitie to be that whereby righteousnes is comprehended it ought to be granted that we when we returne into fauour with God are not enimies as the epistle to the Romans teacheth For charitie maketh the fréends of God Rom. 5 10. whom soeuer it adorneth and None dooth loue God but he hath first beene belooued of him Wherefore faith in this is to be preferred before charitie that we are by faith iustified We may adde those things Charitie is ingendred of faith not faith of charitie Charitie followeth the measure of faith which we recited before namelie that charitie is ingendred of faith but on the other side not faith of charitie Besides this charitie followeth the measure of faith and is estéemed to be the measure thereof As Gregorie said that So much as we loue so much we beléeue 32. Those things which we haue now recited are more agréeable vnto faith than vnto charitie now let vs sée what things charitie dooth chalenge vnto it aboue faith First it indureth euen in the life to come at which time faith shall haue no place And that is it that faith bringeth vs no cléere knowlege 1. Co. 13 12. but an obscure for now we knowe darkelie and in part but the knowledge which we shall haue in the kingdome of heauen shall be throughlie perfect Wherefore faith shall giue place to a better state but charitie shall most of all appere in the world to come as well towards God as towards
teach a resolution from works vnto faith Againe from faith vnto his obiect And that we should not thinke that faith by his owne power hath anie thing whereby it can iustifie he againe passeth from it vnto the obiect saieng How shall they beleeue without a preacher And how shall they preach except they be sent Also Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Wherefore the vttermost point of the resolution is the word of God the promise touching Christ from whence as from the fountaine is deriued our saluation and iustification In the 11. chapter is set foorth the Antithesis or contrarie position betwéene incredulitie and faith verse 19 which séemeth verie much to confirme that which we now teach The branches were broken off that I might be graffed in this was an obiection of the Gentiles against the Iewes Paule answereth Thou saiest well bicause of vnbeleefe they were broken off but thou standest by faith Here is giuen the reason of the fall and destruction of men and on the other side of saluation and constancie namelie vnbeléefe and faith And of the Iewes which should one daie be restored he addeth And if they abide not still in their vnbeleefe they shall be againe graffed in The restoring of them that be fallen is prooued to be and to be doone by faith for God is of might to graff them in Here we sée that by departing from vnbeléefe which consisteth in beléeuing men that haue fallen are restored This maketh verie much against the error of those which although they after a sort confesse that the first iustification is giuen fréelie without anie works going before yet vnto men that haue fallen they grant not restitution vnto iustification but by satisfaction and manie works preparatorie 50 These things out of the epistle vnto the Romans In the first epistle to the Corinthians the first chapter it is thus written verse 21. Bicause the world in the wisedome of God knew not God by wisedome it pleased God by the foolishnes of preaching to saue them that beleeue Bicause the wise men of this world saith the apostle by their naturall searching out could not take hold of the wisedome of God whereby they might be saued God of his goodnes hath instituted a contrarie waie namelie the preaching of the Gospell which vnto the flesh séemeth foolishnesse that by it saluation should be giuen vnto men but yet not to all sorts of men but to those onlie that beléeue Wherefore in the second to the Corinthians verse 24. the 1. chapter it is thus written By faith ye stand by which words we vnderstand that the foundation whereby we are confirmed and established in the waie of saluation verse 14. is faith Further Paule to the Galathians the 2. chapter where he reprooueth Peter for his simulation whereby he séemed to lead the Gentiles to obserue the ceremonies of the Iewes thus speaketh If thou being a Iew liuest after the maner of the Gentiles and not as doo the Iewes why compellest thou the Gentiles to liue as doo the Iewes For we which are Iewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles knowing that a man is not iustified by the works of the lawe euen we beleeue in Christ that we might be iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the lawe bicause by the works of the lawe shall no flesh be iustified Here we sée that the apostles therefore followed Christ that they might be iustified by faith which they could not obteine by works Gal. 2 20. And afterward In that that I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith in the sonne of God which is all all one as if he should haue said As yet in déed sinne sticketh in my flesh and in it I carrie death about but yet notwithstanding I haue life not through mine owne merit but by the faith of the sonne of God Gal. 3 2. In the 3. chapter he thus writeth I would knowe this of you Receiued ye the spirit by the works of the lawe or by the hearing of faith And straitwaie he addeth He which ministreth vnto you the spirit and in you worketh miracles doth he the same by the works of the lawe or by the hearing of faith By these words we sée that it is faith and not works whereby we take hold of the gifts of God verse 7. And he addeth Ye know that they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham and that vndoubtedlie for no other cause but for that in beléeuing they doo followe and resemble him verse 8. Wherfore saith he The scripture forseeing that God would iustifie the Gentiles by faith shewed before hand glad tidings vnto Abraham saieng In thee shall all nations be blessed This blessing spred not abroad vnto them bicause they had their beginning of the flesh of Abraham but bicause they followed the steps of his faith Otherwise of Abraham as touching the flesh came not as farre as we can read anie other nation than the Ismaelites Edomites and Israelites Then followeth the conclusion verse 9. Therefore they which are of faith shall be blessed with faithfull Abraham But To be blessed in the Hebrue phrase is nothing else than To receiue the gifts of God amongst which iustification is the most principall Wherefore it followeth that Vnto the Gentiles through Christ verse 14. might come the promise made vnto Abraham that we might receiue the promise of the holie Ghost through faith So then we sée that the promise of the holie Ghost is not taken hold of by works as manie faine it is Which thing euen reason sufficientlie declareth for séeing the Lord as it shall a little afterward be declared had by promise giuen this blessing vnto Abraham we must sée what is referred vnto the promise as a correlatiue which as we haue said can be nothing else but faith for faith setteth foorth vnto it selfe the promises of God as an obiect 51 Paule furthermore addeth Ibidem 22 that The scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beleeue This is the cause why the holie scriptures so diligentlie shew vnto men how they be guiltie of sinnes namelie that they should the more be stirred vp to imbrace the promises of God by faith at the least when they haue not good works whereby they might take hold of them And this vnderstand we by that which is afterward written verse 24. The lawe is our schoolemaister vnto Christ that we should be iustified by faith These words signifie nothing else but that the lawe therefore sheweth sinnes and setteth foorth vnto men their infirmities and stirreth vp their lusts whereby sinnes are more and more increased that they being thus admonished should returne vnto Christ and might from him thorough faith receiue righteousnesse Which thing they vndoubtedlie did of whom it was said verse
And Paule in the 1. to the Corinthians verse 8. the 12. chapter Vnto one saith he is giuen the word of wisedome vnto another the word of knowlege vnto another faith and vnto another the grace of healing And then he addeth that It is one the selfe-same spirit which worketh all these things diuiding vnto euerie man as pleaseth him And if thou wilt saie that this place and the foresaid petition of the apostles perteineth vnto the particular faith by which are wrought miracles doubtles I will not be much against it And yet if thou wilt néeds haue it so I will reason A minori that is From the lesse for if these frée gifts are not had but from the spirit of God much lesse can that vniuersall effectuall faith whereby we are iustified be had from else where Further Paule vnto the Romans Rom. 12 3. Vnto euerie one saith he as God hath diuided the measure of faith And in the last to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 4 13. Hauing saith he the selfe-same spirit of faith euen as it is written I haue beleeued for which cause also I speake We also beleeue and speake that God which raised vp Iesus from the dead shall through Iesus raise vp our bodies also Vnto the Galathians are reckoned vp the fruits of the spirit Charitie ioie peace patience lowlines Gal. 5 22. gentlenes faith meekenes and temperance Faith here is numbered among the fruits of the spirit wherefore it procéedeth of the spirit But vnto the Ephesians he saith more manifestlie Eph. 2 8. By grace ye are saued through faith that not of your selues for it is the gift of God And in the Acts of the apostles it is thus written Acts. 16 14. The Lord opened the hart of the woman that sold silks to giue heed vnto those things which Paule spake And in the 13. chapter They beleeued Acts. 13 48. as manie as were predestinate vnto eternall life Wherefore it is not to be doubted How the holie Ghost is in men not regeâerate but that faith is ingendered in our harts by the holie Ghost who in déed may for all that be had of them which beléeue not but yet as persuading onlie and not as sanctifieng them And although into the elect he suddenlie powreth in faith yet forsomuch as he is the cause of faith he is therefore before it both in dignitie and in order 67 Now let vs sée what absurdities Pighius gathereth out of this our sentence iudgement If the spirit saith he be the author of our faith and vseth the instrument of the word of God and may be also in them that beléeue not how commeth this to passe How it commeth that at one verie sermon part of the hearers beleeue and part not that when as there are manie at one and the selfe-same sermon where as both the spirit is present and the word preached yet part doo beléeue and part beléeue not We answer in one word that that commeth bicause the spirit is not of like efficacie in all men neither doth after one and the selfe-same maner teach all men inwardlie in the mind But of his will we cannot render anie cause although we nothing doubt but that it is most iust If the matter be so saith he the hearers will easilie content themselues neither will they put to their indeuor or studie for they knowe that that is in vaine when as it wholie dependeth of the spirit of God This is not onelie a verie common but also an enuious obiection But we answer that all men are bound to beléeue the word of God and therefore their bounden dutie is diligentlie and attentiuelie to hearken therevnto with all their strength to assent vnto it and if they so doo not they shall then incur the punishments of the lawe Neither are they to be hearkened vnto if they shall saie that they could not obeie it or if they would haue gone about to haue prooued what their strength could haue done their indeuor for that they were not as yet iustified should haue béene in vaine and sinne A similitude As if a maister should bid his seruant which is lame to walke and he would excuse himselfe and saie that he were lame and could not go without great deformitie it is not to be thought All sinnes are not alike that therefore he is excused We are not of that mind to thinke that all sinnes are alike naie rather we teach that they which omit or neglect those outward works which they might performe and put not to their indeuor and studie to doo well doo much more gréeuouslie sinne than they which according to their strength and power obserue some outward discipline And as Augustine saith Cato and Scipio shall be much more tollerablie delt with than Catiline or Caligula But I would haue Pighius himselfe whom our opinion so much misliketh to declare when he thinketh that the holie Ghost is giuen vnto men He will answer when as now these preparations haue gone before when a man hath beléeued feared hoped repented and sincerelie loued What thing else would Pelagius saie As though to beléeue to loue and such other like doo spring of mans strength He alledgeth this also thinketh it to make for his purpose Mat. 11 28. Come vnto me all ye which labour and are laden and I will refresh you For he thinketh that labours burthens contrition confession and as they call it satisfaction fastings teares and such other like doo make to the obteinement of iustification But this place is to be vnderstood farre otherwise for Christ calleth them labouring and loden which were oppressed with the lawe and felt their owne infirmitie and the burthen of their sinnes and which had now long time laboured vnder humane traditions These men being now wearie and in a maner without all hope the Lord calleth vnto him for they are more apt and fit for the kingdom of heauen than are other blessed and quiet men which by their owne works and good déeds doo thinke themselues verie iust God saith Pighius requireth works preparatorie and then he promiseth not to faile them of his grace This was wholie the opinion of the Pelagians Against which the holie scriptures are vtterlie repugnant for they teach that It is God which giueth both to will Phil. 2 13. to performe according to his good will that it is God which beginneth in vs the good worke and accomplisheth it euen vnto his owne daie Phil. 1 6. that it is God from whom onlie we haue sufficiencie when as otherwise we are not able to thinke anie thing of our selues as of our selues Wherefore it is manifest that Pighius confoundeth the lawes of God describeth those things which are well set foorth in the holie scriptures 68 Further when as we saie that vnto iustification it is not sufficient to haue an historicall faith he faineth himselfe to maruell what
signifieth howbeit if they be all sacraments which represent Christ we haue an infinite number Matt. 13 33 Leuen betokeneth the kingdome of heauen shall it therefore be a sacrament So doth a graine of mustard séed A vine a doore shepeherds Ibidem 31. Iohn 15 1. Iohn 10 7. and such like doo represent Christ shall they therefore be sacraments By this means there would be as manie sacraments as there can be brought similitudes which betoken Christ But Paule vnto the Ephesians Eph. 5 32. calleth a sacrament a mysterie In verie déed that which is signified in matrimonie is a secret thing In sacraments the thing that is hidden partlie is the thing signified partlie it is in the visible signs bicause it hath the power of signifieng giuen to it by God In matrimonie the mysterie is referred vnto that which is signified namelie the coniunction of Christ and his church The Apostle oftentimes vseth this word mysterie In the 11. to the Romans Brethren verse 35. I tell you a mysterie be not wise in your owne selues c. In the first epistle to the Corinthians the 15. chapter intreating of the resurrection verse 15. I shew you a mysterie we shall not all die In the thirâ to the Ephesians he nameth the calling of the Gentiles a mysterie verse 3. In the first chapter to the Colossians he speaketh of a mysterie hid from the beginning of the world verse 26. In the first vnto Timothie the 3. chapter verse 16. Trulie great is the mysterie that God is made manifest in the flesh He speaketh not of sacraments as we now speake of them But let these things passe what promises hath matrimonie Euen the procreation of children and that it is a remedie for fornication Here is no mention made of the remission Furthermore that promise was not onlie vnder the gospell but vnder the lawe also and before the lawe How then doo they call it a sacrament of the new lawe Euen in the same sort may they speake of repentance Repentance was in time of the lawe and before the lawe why then doo they call it a sacrament of the new lawe 16 They be not all of one mind Gratianus in the first cause the first question in the chapter Arianos at the end of the chapter séemeth to denie repentance to be a sacrament He alledgeth a reason namelie bicause it is often renewed The reason appeareth to be fond for by that means the action of the Lords supper should be no sacrament bicause it is often repeated But if thou diligently examine his words he séemeth to compare the repentance of priuate men with that solemne repentance we speake of the which onlie he séemeth to ordeine as a sacrament and the other not for solemne repentance was not renewed Dionysius But let Gratian go Verelie Dionysius which of some is thought to be Areopagita acknowledgeth but thrée sacraments namelie Baptisme Sundrie opinions of the number of sacraments Gregorie The supper of the Lord and Chrisme He seemeth to grant Annoiling in his Hierarchie the minister is brought which annointeth a dead bodie Gregorie in the first cause question the first in the decrées in the chapter Multi séemeth to acknowledge but thrée sacraments namelie Baptisme The supper of the Lord and Annointing Barnard Barnard added another that is the washing of féet yea and in his sermon De coena Domini he saith that this sacrament must be reteined in the church The sacrificing priests which consecrate salt doo adde one In the name of the holie Trinitie be thou a healthfull sacrament to chase awaie the diuell But why séeke we so manie things They which appoint seuen sacraments distinguish the holie order into seuen namelie doore-kéepers readers acolythes exorcists subdeacons deacons and priests others haue added the office of a bishop and the office of singing psalmes so that the number of sacraments among them is vncerteine Let them not complaine of vs that we diminish the number we rather ought to complaine of them for increasing the number 17 Repentance was diuided into that which should be a sacrament and that which should be a vertue perteining to iustice We haue said that it is no sacrament now let vs consider of the other member to wit that it is no vertue That in the holie scriptures is not acknowledged Whether repentance be a vertue as a certeine vertue the which is a qualitie of the mind and is a great while idle They deuised the same bicause it is the commandement of the Lord that we should repent but repent we cannot alwaies Wherefore they said it is a vertue in the mind Matt. 4 17. which in due time doth that which belongeth therevnto These things are not prooued by the scriptures nor by the fathers nor by the canons Christ said Repent ye there is required an action not a certeine habit Iob saith that The life of man is a warfare vpon the earth Iob. 7 1. it is no habit but an action Barnard said He that goeth not forward in the waie of the Lord and profiteth not such a one goeth backeward The same Father said When thou forsakest the desire to become better then thou ceasest to be good The life of godlie men is said to be a certeine way a path a race there must be a going not a standing still In the 2. to the Corinthians the 3 chapter verse 18. it is writen that We be transformed into the image of Christ from glorie to glorie bicause this is a hard thing he addeth Euen as it were from the spirit of the Lord. Wherefore they which thinke vpon those things that concerne their calling are said to repent bicause they do absteine from sinne as for anie thing that they doo in the meane time if their meaning be to go forward in their vocation they are trulie penitent But they saie it séemeth this cannot be In repentance there is sorrowe vnto God-ward 2. Cor. 7 9. but we ought sometimes to reioise with them that reioise Those things cannot be doone togither Whether we sorrowe and reioise both at one time These things are not repugnant bicause they haue sundrie obiects We may reioise in God and sorrowe in our selues We haue lamenting mingled with reioising and reioising with lamenting They saie that sometimes we must sléepe and then our actions are broken off And Aristotle said that During the time of our sléep How our actions are broken off although we be happie we differ not from miserable men Let vs call to mind the saieng of Paule He that eateth eateth vnto the Lord Rom. 14 6. and he that eateth not eateth not vnto the Lord c. Also Whether we liue or whether we die Ibidem 8. we be the Lords In like maner we may saie He that sléepeth sléepeth vnto the Lord. And Paule said Whether ye eate or whether ye drinke 1. Co. 10 31 or whatsoeuer
into you and ye shall liue But it is a maruell that the prophet should be commanded to prophesie and speake vnto the bones which be so rude base and void of sense as they cannot either heare or vnderstand anie thing But it must be considered that all things though they be void of life and without sense and motion doo obeie God without delaie And Christ in like maner saith in Iohn The houre shall come Iohn 5 28. when they that be in the graues shall heare the voice of the sonne of God whereas yet the bones ashes of dead men which be in graues neither heare nor féele anie thing yet neuerthelesse it is said that they shall arise at the voice of the archangel and trumpet of God 42 The order and disposition of bones in the resurrection is most diligentlie taught by the prophet First bones being ioined to bones are bound and knit togither with sinews Further they are replenished with flesh which bicause it should not remaine vnséemelie and fowle to looke vpon it is couered with skinne When the dead bodies were now become perfect he commandeth the prophet to prophesie vnto the spirit that it should come and that they should be made things liuing with soule There is two sorts of spirit mentioned A mention of two sorts of spirit namelie of the soule which quickeneth the bodie and of the spirit of God which illuminateth and sanctifieth the soule And for this cause the dead raised vp are not onlie said to haue stood vpon their féet but also it is added And they shall knowe that I am God Vndoubtedlie God is knowne by the greatnes of his works but that knowledge happeneth not without the spirit of God A voice was heard perhaps it was thunder and there was an earthquake for these things were vsed to be doone in shewing of the excellent miracles of God Exo. 19 18. When the lawe was giuen in Sina there was horrible thunder and earthquakes Matt. 27 51. and 28 2. yea and at the death and resurrection of the Lord a great earthquake was made The spirit commeth from the foure winds c. At the resurrection of the saints that be dead the soules returne vnto their bodies from the high places of heauen howbeit by diuers and sundrie waies bicause the ashes and dead bodies of them be not heaped vp togither into one certeine place of the world And all the waies dooth the scripture comprehend by the foure winds that is by the east west south and north Or else perhaps the scattering abroad of the captiues vnto the foure parts of the world is noted Moses also in Deuteronomie promised vnto the penitent Iewes Deut. 30 1. this restitution from the foure parts of the world Hereby moreouer we gather that the soules of men are not bred in them euen as God brethed a soule into Adam and afterward to euerie man createth soules Gen. 2 7. euen so in the resurrection he will send them from abroad vnto them againe which also is a a plaine token that they with their bodies do not die And where it is after added that All these bones is the whole house of Israel thereby we learne that the spéech héere is ment as touching the resurrection of the godlie for they be trulie the house of Israel And the prophet sawe an excéeding great host bicause as we also read in the Apocalypse the companie of the faithfull is a great number Apoc. 7 9. The verbe Is of the same force that Signifieth 43 All these bones is the whole house of Israel When he had now finished the proposition he addeth the application It may be noted that the verbe substantiue Is is all one as if he had said It signifieth for those bones were not in verie déed the house of Israel but they did betoken the same euen as the seuen vnfruitfull and emptie eares Gen. 41 5. which were séene vnto Pharao were the seuen years of dearth I will open saith the Lord your sepulchres But it must néeds be that the graues were open alreadie séeing those bones were scattered in the féeld Vnto this it is answered that as concerning those bones the graues were first opened but if so be respect be had vnto ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is the restitution of the Israelits into the land of Chanaan they were yet to be opened And whereas the prophet saith And I will bring you into your land some vnderstand it allegoricallie as if the land of the Israelits should be taken for the kingdome of heauen The resurrection of the dead shall not be in Iudea alone and eternall felicitie But setting allegories aside I rather weigh this in this place that the vanitie of those Iewes is confuted who thinke that the dead shall onelie be raised vp in Iudaea Whereas the prophet in this place affirmeth it to come to passe far otherwise for to the dead alreadie reuiued he promiseth a returne into the land of promise Certeinlie it is a fond and foolish deuise so to tie the power strength of God to a certeine place as it may not or will not doo the same thing in one place that it hath doone in an other The graues doo betoken the captiuitie of Babylon and the lamentable seruitude vnder a tyrant which God promised to release Also the sepulchre of the Iewes was extreame desperation which they ran into casting aside all hope of their returne This sepulchre did God promise to vnlocke by opening the waie of their returne to their own countrie So in verie déed the case standeth as touching assistance of the godlie as when things be in great despaire then ariseth the daie-breake of heauenlie helpe To be short two things are shewed by this oracle the first is The resurrection of the dead the second The returne of the Israelits into their countrie And one thing is prooued by an other for the restitution of the Iewes is confirmed by raising vp the drie bones vnto life 44 Against this sound and true interpretation A confutâtion of them which denie that in this place ãâã is meât of the vniuersall resurrection some doo vehementlie argue two maner of waies saieng first that there is no speaking héere of the vniuersall resurrection of all men séeing those bones made aliue are said to be the house of Israel Secondlie that this was a fained and imagined vision and therefore that nothing can be constantlie affirmed thereby Héere vnto we answer that indéed we confesse that the prophet speaketh of the resurrection of the iust as we haue alreadie said before but in that it was a vision it maketh no matter neither dooth it make anie thing the lesse but that this vision was a generall consolation for confirming the hope of the generall resurrection as well as the restitution of the Iews For it is sufficient that the argument is taken and deriued from the resurrection of the dead Also the Hebrue
the bodies of the blessed for the bodie and members shal be wholie subiected vnto the soule so as it shall neither contend nor striue against it Wherof Paule said 1. Co. 15 43 It is now sowen in feeblenes but then it shall rise in power Therefore in the booke of Wisdome Wisd 3 7 the third chapter it is read of the saints that as sparkes they shall runne through the réeds or stubble 1. Thes 4 17 And Paule vnto the Thessalonians saith We that shal be found aliue and the dead that be raised shal be caught vp to meet with Christ in the aire This no doubt will be a great reioising and nimble motion of our bodies that we shall ascend vnto Christ through the aire In this abilitie the bodie of Christ excelled séeing it walked vpon the waters and gaue power vnto Peter to doo she like and séeing Christ himselfe was taken vp out of the earth into heauen And héerein it consisteth that the soule shall perfectlie gouerne the bodie so as the weight and burden of the flesh shal be no hinderance vnto it This propertie in verie déed belongeth vnto locall motion Note the Vbiquists Wherfore it is a woonder that the Vbiquists admit this qualitie to be in the bodies of the blessed as they write in their bookes and yet doo affirme heauen to be euerie where so that they will not attribute places certeine to the bodie of Christ and to our bodies when we shal be blessed as though locall motion may be without a place 59 Ouer this vnto the saints after resurrection Impassibilitie there is appointed an impassibilitie for they shall not be corrupted nor diminished with anie passions sorrowes or diseases Wherefore the apostle wrote It is now sowen in corruption but it shall rise againe in vncorruption A distinction of affections and passions Of affections and passions in bodies we must not iudge all after one sort for some be hurtfull which doo waste and diminish the bodie yea and finallie doo consume the same Such are hunger thirst sicknesse sorrowe and others of this kind from these affections the saints shal be deliuered But there be other passions which doo rather helpe nature and make it perfect than hurt or impaire it such are the féelings of the senses The eie is not hurt Examples when it is affected with beautifull colours neither the hearing with harmonie and tunes well composed neither is the smelling harmed by good odours So as our bodies shall not be depriued of these passions when after resurrection they shall be in the euerlasting mansion A subtilitie They ad that there shal be a subtilitie which must not so be vnderstood as though the bodies of them that rise againe should be conuerted into spirit that it should be airie or elementall or like vnto the wind so as they may penetrate all things but I referre this subtilitie vnto the exquisit subtill and sharpe vnderstanding of the senses as also vnto the affects which doo followe the bodie and which shall not be grosse and full of impediments neither shall they trouble the mind And to this purpose might be bent that saieng of Paule It is sowen a naturall bodie 1. Co. 15 49. but it shall rise againe a spirituall bodie By which words he ment not that the bodie should be transformed into a spirit but he taught that the humane bodie sauing the nature thereof should as much as may be drawe vnto the propertie of a spirit as touching knowledge and affects These notable properties haue the schoolemen gathered being confirmed by the holie scriptures And yet haue they not declared all 1. Cor. 2 9. for saith Paule to the Corinthians The eie hath not seene nor the eare hath not heard those things which God hath prepared for them that loue him Vbiquitie in no place attributed vnto the bodie of Christ glorified Neither must we leaue vntouched that neither the holie scriptures nor fathers nor schoolemen in anie place haue attributed either vnto the flesh of Christ being risen or to other saints the gift of vbiquitie or prerogatiue of no certeine place Wherefore it is to be maruelled at that this deuise so pleased certeine men of our age yea and the schoolemen especiallie Thomas Aquinas said that it is héerby gathered that bicause the conditions of blessed bodies doo atteine vnto heauenlie properties their habitation after this life is in the heauens yea aboue the heauens Furthermore they dispute concerning the age of them that shall rise againe and they affirme that the same shal be of full growing of maâs state ripe and strong And héerevnto they wrest that which is read in the epistle to the Ephesians Till we meet togither in the vnitie of faith Ephe. 4 13. and acknowledging of the sonne of God vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ But by their leaue the words of the apostle haue no relation to this purpose for he intreated not there of the fashioning again of bodies but of the instauration of soules as the words going before doo most plainelie declare But as concerning a perfect age of them that rise againe I doo not disagrée with them but yet I affirme the same after another sort When God created the first men he made them not either infants or créeples or else vnperfect or deformed And séeing the resurrection is a certeine new creation or forming againe it is méet that it should be like the first So that as those things which GOD created were verie good that is perfect in their kind euen so shall the bodies which by his power shall be repaired in the resurrection be perfect of nature What properties the bodies of the wicked shall haue in the resurrection 60 But what shall we affirme of the properties and conditions of the wicked when they shall rise againe as concerning their bodie In verie déed they shall haue immortalitie but other qualities of the godlie they shall not obteine Naie rather they shall be deformed with contrarie and plaine opposite qualities They shall be altogither destitute of light and cléerenesse Matt. 22. 13. for as Christ taught They shall be commanded to be cast into the vttermost darknesse Neither shall they be without sufferings for they shal be vexed with vnmeasurable torments and gréefs Mark 9 44. There saith the Lord shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth their woorme shall not die and their fire shall not be extinguished Chéerfull also and nimble shall they not be bicause they shall be cast bound hand and foot into hell-fire Neither for the cause which we haue now alledged shall subtilitie happen vnto them forsomuch as they shall liue in teares and wéeping in most grosse affects and in vehement desires euen as it is gathered by the euangelicall narration of the rich man Lazarus Luke 16 24. Howbeit among those things that I haue spoken this of
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
not euerie where receiued So as if a due consent ought to be preserued in the Church it is necessarie that we firmelie and constantlie staie our selues in the holie Scriptures Of discerning of Spirites 9 But the discerning of spirits is a gift In 1. Cor. 12. ver 10. How Spirits may be discerned by which the difference of theÌ which are moued by an euill spirit is knowen from them which are inspired with the holy ghost Which how necessarie it is Christ admonished when he said Matt. 7. 15. Beware of false Prophets which come vnto you in sheepes clothing but inwardlie they be rauening wolues 1. Thess 5. 21. And Paul vnto the Thessalonians Prooue all things and keepe that which is good But how spirites are to be knowen Iohn teacheth in his first Epistle when he saith 1. Iohn 4. 2. If a man confesse that the Lord Iesus is come in the fleshe he is of God and he that denieth that the Lord Iesus is come in the flesh is not of the Lord but is of Antichrist Augustine treating on these wordes Augustine maruelleth that manie Heretikes be verie pernitious which confesse the Lord Iesus to haue come in the flesh who neuertheles be not of God but he aunswereth to this effect that they confesse the Lord Iesus to be come in flesh which with a sound faith receiue all those doctrines which either goe before or follow this article If Christ come in the flesh he was before his comming he tooke verie fleshe vppon him to this end that he should verilie die and that afterward hée should rise againe whereby he might also giue vs the hope of resurrection And manie other things are knit vnto that principle the which aswell heretikes as infidels doe refuse either in whole or in part Wherfore Iohn would not distinctlie recken vp euerie thing which we ought to confesse vnto saluation to the end that our spirite might be approoued but he onelie spake of that which was the chiefe vnto which in a manner all other things necessarie to saluation are adioyned Looke part 1. pl 3. Art 8 Euery one that holdeth right opinions is not therefore saide to be of Christ Two sorts of confessioÌ But if thou wilt saie Admit there be some which rightlie and faithfullie hold al those opinions is he therfore thought to haue the spirit of Christ if he liue vnpurelie Augustine aunswereth that there is a certaine confession which is in outward words onelie and an other which is true and hath good workes with it And this he prooueth out of the Epistle vnto Titus Tit. 1. 16. They confesse that they know God but in deedes they denie him Therefore by contraries he saith there be some which in déeds confesse God him selfe therefore he affirmeth that confession of which Iohn speaketh is no vulgare confession but such a one as hath déeds But through these things which are spoken by this godlie man we haue as yet no certaine rule by the which spirites are discerned Many heretiks haue liued godlie in shewe For there be manie Heretikes which in outward shew haue had their life garnished with workes notable enough but the same in the meane time was contaminated with the indeuour of humane glorie and we being ignorant of the purpose of their mind can iudge nothing of the goodnes of the workes which they make semblance of for this iudgment pertaineth onelie to the conscience Wherefore Iohn in the same Epistle writeth 1. Ioh. 3. 20. And if so be our heart accuse vs God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things As if he had said Although thou shalt behaue thy selfe notablie in outward shew and shalt haue an euill minde thinke not that thou art hidden for God also vnderstandeth the peruersenesse of thy minde séeing he is greater than our heart So as to God must be left the secrete iudgement of perfect vprightnesse of workes because he being the iudge it maie be that he which shall giue his bodie to be burned 1. Cor. 13. 3. séeing hée is without charitie it is nothing and that those things which he séemeth to doe verie well are condemned Onelie we can iudge of those thinges which appeare manifestlie Two rules for the trying of spirits 1. Ioh. 4. 2. The confession of opinions must be examined according to the scriptures Before the new Testament was written opinions were examined by the Apostles sayings 1. Iohn 4. 6. 10 Wherefore there remaineth two rules for to iudge of spirites One is if the opinions as touching faith be retained perfect and pure And this meant Iohn when he said If anie man confesse the Lord Iesus c. And this confession of opinions must be examined by the holie Scriptures the which seeing they had not in the Church at the beginning as concerning the new Testament they were examined by the words and doctrine of the Apostles Therefore Iohn a little after saith He that is of God heareth vs and he that heareth not vs is not of God Then he addeth that thus we doe prooue the spirit An other rule is of maners and life This did Christ expresse when hée said By their fruites ye shall knowe them And as opinions are knowen by examining of them with the Scriptures Life and maners must be tryed by discipline so life and maners should be tried by the discipline of the Church Howbeit either rule of examination is at this daie waxen cold For the life of the faithfull is not looked vppon but the shéepe of Christ doe miserablie perish and are neglected Further the holie Scripture is lesse red than méet it should neither is it carefullie and diligentlie handled And the Papistes will that the opinions should bée examined not by the Scriptures but by the councels and fathers Thereof it commeth to passe that the Church hath these manie yeares béene deceiued In the Primatiue Church a gift was extant whereby it might easilie be knowen with what spirite they which did speake were ledde By these meanes Satan was resisted when he transformed himselfe into an Angel of light Of Councels 11 Wherfore let them take héed which in diuers places boast of the Councels In 1. Cor. 2. verse 14. in which it hath bin iudged as touching religion what men it behooued there to bée namelie spirituall for somuch as the iudgement onelie of diuine things is brought to theÌ But at this daie the greatest part of a Councell Out of this place is gathered an argument against Councels is so ouerfraught with grosse imperfections as in verie déede it is not lawfull to take meat with them They saie that they be the Church howbeit although they be baptised and haue taken orders in the Church Looke after pl. 6. Act. 9. 17 c. Looke part 1. pl. 6. Act. 11. yet doe they not therefore prooue themselues to be spiritual séeing it is prooued that they do the workes of the flesh and not
belong vnto religion are only knoweÌ by faith and not by the sense But vnto faith the Scriptures are better knowen than bée the fathers Ro. 10. 17. For faith is by hearing hearing by the worde of God not by the worde of the Fathers But we must specially note that which Paul hath in the first to the Corinthians Comparing spirituall things with spirituall things 1. Cor. 2. 13 for a carnall man doeth not perceiue those things which belong to the spirit of God So then a coÌparison must be made that our spirit may be confirmed by spirituall things What is so spirituall as be the diuine Scriptures For they procéeded as I may say immediatlie from the spirit of God But they say that the fathers also are spirituall I confesse for they were faithfull and regenerate But how were they spirituall Verilie not in that they were fathers but in that they were Christians and this is a thing common to all the faithfull And be it they were spirituall fathers yet were they not so altogether of the spirit as they had nothing of the flesh or humane affection for they did not alwaies speake or write or iudge according to the spirit they are euen at variance sometime among themselues So be not the holie Scriptures I adde that in Christ there is neither man nor woman Gal. 3. 28. neither bond nor free but onelie a new creature For the spirit of God is not bound to persons that it should be in this man because he is a king or in that man because he is a subiect for it is common vnto all men A father hath the spirit of God but not in that respect that he is a father A young man hath the spirit of God yet not therefore because he is a young man Augustine against the Donatists the 2. Augustine Booke and 3. Chapter Who knoweth not that the holie Canonicall scripture aswell of the olde Testament as of the new is contained within his owne certaine boundes and that the same is so preferred before all the latter writings of Bishops as thereof may in no wise be anie doubt or disputation But the writings of Bishops which after the Canon confirmed either haue bin written or now are in writing we knowe if that any thing in them haue perhaps scaped the truth must bee reprehended both by a spéech perhaps more wise of some man that is more skilfull in that matter and by a grauer authoritie of other Bishops also by the wisedome and counsels of them that bee better learned And these Councels which are made by particular Regions or Prouinces must giue place without casting any doubtes to the authoritie of more fuller councels which are held by the whole Christian world And that the more full Councels themselues being the former are oftentimes mended by the latter when that which was closed vp is by some experience opened and that which was hidden is knowen And against Maximinus the Arrian Bishop Now saieth he neither I ought to alleage the Councell of Nice nor thou the Councel of Ariminum as it were to giue iudgement before hand Neither must I staie my selfe vppon the authoritie of this nor thou vpon the authoritie of that Let vs contend by the authoritie of the Scriptures which are not eche mans owne but common witnesses of both so that matter with matter cause with cause reason with reason maie encounter together And in his treatise De bono viduitatis what shoulde I more teache thée than that which we reade in the Apostle For the holie Scripture ioyneth a rule with our doctrine that we shoulde not presume to vnderstand more than we ought to vnderstand but that as he saieth we should vnderstand according to sobrietie eueÌ as the Lord hath dealt vnto euerie man the measure of faith 22 But they obiect vnto vs that Paul in the Epistle vnto Timothie 1. Tim. 3. 15. calleth the Church the pillar of trueth Paul calleth the Church the pillar of trueth Whereof the Church is so called I graunt it it is in déede the pillar of truth but not alwaies but when it is staied vp by the word of God And it is called a Church of the Gréek word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which is to stirre vp and it is stirred vp and called forth by the word of God and as long as it doth according thereunto so long it is the pillar of trueth What then Doe we reiect the fathers No not at all But as concerning the authoritie of the Fathers we diminish the superstition of many who accouÌt their wordes in the same place and number as if they were the wordes of God In verie déede they wrought and founde out manie things which we peraduenture shoulde neuer haue founde out Yet haue they not so written all things but that we must iudge and weigh what they haue written ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Two waies of iudging obscure things But in iudging of things obscure we must set forth two markes The one of which is inwarde that is the spirit the other is outward that is the worde of God Then if vnto these things there come also the authoritie of the fathers it shall be verie much worth So in ciuil causes Orators when the thing is confirmed do adde other agreements taken from things alreadie iudged and those otherwhile are of verie much weight howbeit the Iudge pronounceth not according to those things for we liue by lawes as saith Demosthenes not by examples Hereby is vnderstoode that saying of Augustine Contra Epistolam Fundamenti Augustine I would not beléeue the Gospell saith he vnlesse the authoritie of the Church should mooue me Here doe the aduersaries marueilouslie boast themselues and crie out that the authoritie of the Church is greater than is the authoritie of the word of God And they bring forth the rule of Logicke Propter quod vnumquodque est tale A rule in Logicke illud ipsum est magis tale that is That whereby any thing is such as it is that it selfe is more such but for the Churches sake say they we beléeue the Gospell therefore much rather we must beléeue the Church An examination of the former rule Let vs examine that rule and sée howe much it maketh for them A schoolemaister was the cause why Virgil should be a Poet therefore his maister was more a Poet than Virgil. By reason of wine a man is drunke or furious therefore wine is more drunken and furious Why doe not these things followe Because in efficient causes this rule doeth not holde vnlesse it be both the whole cause and the next cause not the remooued or instrumental cause But the Church is not the whole cause why we beléeue the Gospell the spirit helpeth also without which we neuer beléeue In déede the scriptures are preserued in the Church and the Testaments are kept safe by the Bishop or Magistrate A proofe that the Church
that all Christendom during all that time were damned Héereunto we say that there neuer wanted men in all that space which repugned the lies and deceits of Poperie and that they of the East parts the Gréekes resisted that tyrannie Neither as yet doe they acknowledge the dominion of the Church of Rome So then not all Christendome as these men faine haue perished for that cause Yea and in our West regions the libertie of the Church stood after a sorte vntill the time of Pipin Charles the Great We will adde moreouer that as touching the predestinate none of them haue perished in any age The théefe at his last houre imbraced Christ And it is not vnlikely but that which happened vnto him happened vnto very many others The spirit of Christ wanteth not wayes by the which he can reduce the wandering shéepe vnto the fould Great yea most large is the imbracing of Gods mercie whereby he draweth vnto him euen those that be at the point of death Neither is it therefore brought to passe that men should not now follow the trueth being layd open But why doe they so often wearie vs with telling of the saluation or perdition of our forefathers It had bin lawfull for the Hebrewes to haue obiected the very same vnto the Apostles Iohn 4. 20. So the séely woman of Samaria said vnto Christ that the fathers woorshipped God vpoÌ the mountaine or place So might the Ethnikes aske the preachers of the Gospel of the sonne of God whether all their forefathers which had not heard such doctrine did perish euerlastingly It is none of our part when as the reueiling of Gods wil is brought to make inquirie vpon his iudgementes Let vs our selues doe our duetie vnto him leauing to the iudgement of God to giue sentence of our forefathers and of all men by the decrées of his iustice If that all things haue not bin reueiled vnto our fathers in such sort as they haue bin vnto vs and not in general yet shall they partly be excused for their ignorance But our cause shall be much the woorse if we knowing the thinges that haue bin shewed in our times doe not imbrase them so farre is it off that the error of the fathers shall be defended by vs. But because the force of this argument is common to both partes we may fitly returne the same againe vpon our aduersaries Let them say Before Boniface the third when as in Christendome the Popedome was vnknowen which they would should appertaine to the articles of the faith whether all men perished which imbraced not the same by faith nor obayed the seate of Rome And whether be they also condemned and iudged to the paines of hell so many as were ignorant of the transubstantiation of the bread and wine of the Euchariste before Innocentius the third Be they also damned all which in the time of Epiphanius and Ierom iudged that Images should be taken out of the Temples They haue not what to aunswere and so let them cease to obiect that vnto vs which no lesse presseth them than it dooth vs. 41 They demaund moreouer where the Church of Christ hath bin so long In what places the Church of Christ was before the Churches were reformed by vs. you say they as yet were not And as you affirme the Church was not among vs therefore it was no where Which thing is most absurd and must not in any wise be admitted But if we will say Mat. 18. 20 That where two or three were gathered together in the name of Christ they were the Church and that it neuer happened but that such haue bin in the world they againe contend against this in saying that the Church ought to be visible which the faithfull may haue accesse vnto because Christ sayd Tell the Church Ib. ver 17. To aunswere heereunto Of the Church we thinke good and that in fewe wordes and grosly to speake somewhat of the Church The Church is the bodie of Christ And least that any should deride this naming of it wee will search how many kindes of bodies are found Thrée kindes of bodies Pomponius a notable Lawier in the Digestes De vsis Capione L. Rerum mixtura made thrée bodies The first is that which is contayned in one spirit as man wood stone and that naturally groweth in it selfe An other is that which consisteth of a certaine knitting together wherein the partes doe one touch an other as a house a ship a storehouse and this is called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Finally the third is that which hath partes distant one from another which neuerthelesse are ioyned together in one name and communion of order as a people a companie a legion c. In the third kinde is comprehended the Church What kind of bodie a Church is which is a fellowship of theÌ that be distant in place one from an other For whether any faithfull man be at home or in the stréete or in the countrie yet hee is reckoned to be in the Church But there is a difference in defining of this bodie The Papists we denne the Church after a diuers maner For it is not defined by the Papistes and by vs after one manner For they thinke that al they which professe Christ be the Church so that they be not excommunicate wherein they excéedingly erre because the Church séeing it is the body of Christ is liuely neither hath it any dead members And it is said by Iohn 1. Ioh. 2. 19. They went out from vs because they were not of vs for if they had bin of vs they had surely taryed We graunt in deed that in the Church which consisteth onlie of the elect of God which be iustified by faith and indeuour to expresse the word of God so farre as they be able in godlynesse of manners there dwell very many wicked and vngodly men and that sometime it commeth to passe that therin they hold the chiefe places Christ sayd that the kingdome of heauen which is the Church hath fishes good and bad Mat. 13. 47 virgins wise and foolish Cockle and Wheate although neuerthelesse it be not the Church in very déede Assuredly they be conuersant and be in it no otherwise saith Augustine than are corrupt and naughtie humors in mans bodie For euen as those trouble and corrupt the health A similitude so these vexe and disquiet the Church Therefore when it is demaunded by the aduersaries whether their congregation aduaunced by the Popedome were the Church I aunswere that it was then excéedingly fallen to decay and dayly more and more ruinated so as now amongest vs there is no more left but certaine rubbish and péeces of walles together with some beames or small ioystes so as it is not properly the house of God howbeit as yet it retaineth certaine steppes although they be slender Wherefore we acknowledge the baptisme that is there giuen neither doe we rebaptise those
not in that it is spoken but it that it is beléeued But in Infants which by reason of age cannot yet beléeue The word clenseth not because it is spoken buâ because it is beléeued The holie Ghost worketh in the steade of faith Tit. 3. 5. the holie Ghost worketh in their heartes in the stead of Faith The effusion also of the holie Ghost is promised in baptisme as it is expresselie writen in the Epistle to Titus Who hath saued vs by the fountaine of regeneration and renewing of the holie Ghost which he hath plentifully powred vpon vs. 3 Neither are these two things in such manner offered vnto vs in Baptisme The things offered in Baptisme are also had euen before Baptisme Rom. 4. 11. Act. 10. 44. as though we in no wise might haue them before baptisme For it cannot be denied but that they which bee of full age if they beléeue are iustified euen before they be baptised For so Abraham beleeued and was iustified and after that hee receiued the seale of Circumcision And Cornelius the Centurion when hee had heard Peter and beléeued was not onelie iustified but also visiblie receiued the holie Ghost Neither would we baptise Infants but that we suppose that they alreadie pertaine vnto the Church and vnto Christ And yet are not such baptised in vaine For we must obaie the commandement of GOD which if anie man should contemne though hee boast neuer so much of his faith yet should he sufficientlie declare that hee neither beléeued nor is iustified nor yet hath receiued remission of sinnes Furthermore although they beléeue In Baptisme the gifts which are had before are increased yet when these promises are againe offered that by the appointment of the Lorde and they through faith and instinct of the holie Ghost doe effectuallie take holde of them the benefites of God cannot but be increased in them And why the holie Ghost is powred into the heartes of them that be regenerate this is the reason Why the holy Ghost is powred into the heart when we be regenerate Eze. 36. 26. By Baptisme we are visiblie grafted into Christ and his Church 1. Co. 12. 13 Because they must be made men againe and their stonie heart as the Pophete saith must be turned into a heart of flesh which is not possible to bee doone by mans reason And that we are by the visible sacrament grafted into Christ into the Church is first declared out of Paul For Paul saith that they which are baptised are grafted into Christ And in the first to the Corinthians the 12. Chapter By one spirit saith he all we are baptised into one bodie And that this bodie is the Church he teacheth at large in the same Chapter We added in the definition by a visible Sacrament because so soone as we be iustified we are verilie in minde and in spirite grafted both into Christ and into the Church But because that is vnknowen vnto men it is afterward knowen when we are entered by the outward sacrament By Baptisme the right of eternall life is sealed 4 Also the right way vnto eternall life is sealed vnto vs by baptisme So soone as we be iustified we haue it giuen vnto vs and it pertaineth vnto vs by right not of desert but of the liberall gift of God and by baptisme it is sealed A similitude As the giftes of kings so soone as euer they be graunted vnto vs doe without doubt pertaine vnto vs but afterwarde are sealed that the will of the king if it be néedfull maie be testified vnto others Neither is this part to wit The right vnto eternall life Not all which be not baptised doe perish so to be vnderstoode as though they ought to be excluded out of the kingdome of heauen which were not baptised For if they beléeued and that there was no let in them that they were not baptised there is no doubt of their saluation For Christ saith Iohn 11. 25. He that beleeueth in mee hath life euerlasting And in an other place although he saie that he which beleeueth and is baptised shall be saued Mar. 16. 16 yet straight waie he added He which beleeueth not shal be condemned A faithful man may be saued without Baptisme By which words he gaue vs to vnderstande that baptisme is not of such necessitie but that a faithfull man maie be saued without it so that there happen therein no contempt nor disobedience The Schoolemen also confesse that besides the baptisme of water the godlie are sometimes baptised with martyrdome and with the inspiration of the holie Ghost Death called baptisme Mat. 20. 22 so much as suffireth vnto saluation Christ also called death it selfe Baptisme when he said that he should bee baptised with an other baptisme and foretold that the Apostles should be baptised with the holie Ghost not manie dayes after his ascension into heauen Acts. 1. 6. RepentaÌce must be ioyned with Baptisme Lastlie we againe in baptisme professe death toward sinne and also a newe life Which profession sheweth nothing else but that vnto this Sacrament is ioyned repentance Mat. 3. 2. 28. 20. which both Iohn and Christ taught when they spake of Baptisme And the fathers waen they passed ouer the sea escaped into liberty Exod. 14. but Pharao with his host was drowned in the waters wherby was signified that by baptisme we ought so to be renewed as there we should forsake our sinnes and issue out with a newe purpose to holinesse of life All these things ought we when we are baptised often to consider out of the testimonies of the Scriptures and continuallie admonish our selues thereof For although this sacrament be but onelie once giuen We must continuallie carie our Baptisme in remembrance yet ought it neuer in our whole life be forgotten For euen as it behooued the Iewes euermore to remeÌber that they were circumcised so also we ought coÌtinually to cal to mind our baptisme 5 But it is woonderfull how some dare affirme Baptisme of children is no new thing in the Church Cyprian Looke In. 1. Cor. 1. 16. and in the Booke De Votis pag 73. ãâã foorth at Basil that the Baptisme of Infantes is a newe institution in the Church For Cyprian a verie auncient writer maketh mention of it and aunswereth that it is not of necessitie that we should tarie till the eight daie for the baptising of them For that the trueth of the Gospell hath deliuered vs from obseruing the number of daies and that therefore they may well be baptised what daie soeuer the Church shall be assembled together Origen also writing vppon the Epistle to the Romanes and vppon Leuiticus sufficientlie declareth that Infantes were in his time accustomed to be baptised And since that these men were not long after the Apostles times and that they make not mention of it as a thing inuented by them or in their time it sufficiently appeareth
of the Sentences déemeth do serue for honestie comlines and solemnitie This doubtlesse is lamentable that almost all things in Christianitie be corrupted not onelie ãâã concerning manners but also as touching doctrine and Sacraments Verilie it had béene méete in baptisme to haue delt by faith and to require a full and perfect profession thereof And let not anie man answere that the créede is recited because in the baptisme of Papistes it is doone verie coldlie especiallie séeing it is alwaies vsed in the latine tongue which is not vnder stoode of them that stande by And although they that be present doe after a sort knowe by long experience the articles of the faith yet doe they but lightlie vnderstande them wherefore it is necessarie to instruct them more plainelie They boast also that they vse a Catechising or instruction But in what sort Forsooth the same consisteth of fiue or tenne words and these not vnderstood Besides they commaunde him that is to be baptised to renounce the Diuell and the pompes of this world For the which they haue no commaundement of God 7 But leauing the rest of their trifles Exorcisme added to Baptisme Look part 2 pl. 1. Art 24. part 1. pl. 9. Art 30. let vs come to Exorcisme wherein they put the whole summe and effect of the thinges that be added And séeing the matter is of great importaunce I thinke it first méete to speake somewhat of the signification of the worde In Gréeke ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is to adiure by holie things Augustine in his booke de Beata vita writeth that an euill spirite inuadeth the soule troubleth the senses and casteth men into madnesse in the driuing out of which they that haue authoritie doe laie on their handes and exorcise that is do driue him out in adiuring him by diuine thinges Hereby it appeareth now that exorcisme is an adiuring by holie things Vlpianus in the Pandects in the Title de variis extraordinariis cognitionibus in the first law saith that he alloweth not of those Phisitians which inchaunt and exorcise and he addeth that the same is a woord which deceiuers vse And although some saith he affirme that they be holpen yet doe they nothing but inchaunt and curse Also Plinie beléeued that there bee certaine diseases which maie be healed by inchauntments and adiurations In like manner there were some which supposed that exorcisme is therefore applied to holie baptisme because a great oth is there made in the name of Christ But they be verie far deceiued for that the sacrificer doth there adiure the euill spirit neither doeth he take anie oth in the name of Christ True indéed it is that the verbe is deriued of the nowne ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which is an oth And vndoubtedly as I haue already said A certain adiuratioÌ by holie things is performed in exorcisme I haue noted that the verbe ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is thrée times found in the newe Testament For in the fifth Chapter of Marke the Diuell adiured Christ saying ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is Verse 7. I adiure thée by God that thou torment me not In the 19. Verse 13. Chapter of the Actes the sonnes of Sceua saide ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is Wee adiure you by Iesus Christ whom Paul preacheth And in the first to the Thessalonians the last Chapter Verse 27. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is I adiure you by the Lord that this Epistle be redde vnto all the Saintes Wherefore these places declare that exorcismes as it hath beene saide is an adiuration by diuine things But exorcisme is exercised by a certaine commaundement and royall power because the exorcistes coÌmaunde the vncleane spirits and verie boldlie commaund them to depart and by this meanes exorcismes differ from prayers and supplications Now it throughlie appeareth what is exorcisme and what is to exorcise Look part 1 pl 8. Art 13. pl 9. art 30 Vnto what times may be referred the original of Exorcisme 8 Nowe are there thrée things to bee considered in order first when exorcismes began secondlie whether exorcistes should be retained and so retained as they maie belong to the holie ministerie Lastlie whether exorcismes are to be ioyned with baptisme As touching the first I saie that in all the old Testament I haue not read that any exorcismes were ordained for the driuing out of diuels I know indéede that there be adiurations extant Wherfore there is a law of zelosie in the booke of Numbers Num. 5. 12. which commaunded vnto the Israelits a forme of a certaine adiuration but by it the Priestes did not adiure the woman to cast Diuels out of her but he wished either good or euill vnto her according as she had behaued her selfe If she had béene chast and blamelesse he wished her well but if shee were vncleane and defiled with whoredome he cursed her with expresse words Also Iosua adiured Acham Iosua 7. 19. not to driue the Diuell out of him but to driue him to confesse a trueth of conueying awaie the accursed thing Some thinke that Dauid did exorcise Saul 1. Sam. 16. 23. which I allowe not for he with his Harpe played before him and with most pleasant verses praysed God But that hee vsed not exorcisme it maie for two causes bee affirmed First because he did not perfectlie heale him but as it is written in the historie While he plaied his trouble was asswaged yet was not the euill spirite vtterlie cast out from Saul Further Dauid vsed not the forme of adiuration which the Scripture teacheth but verses of Musicke and these as it is like lie of the nature of prayers But that there were Exorcistes among the Hebrewes I denie not as I wil streightwaie declare by plaine Testimonies although I graunt that I am ignorant ãâã what age they first began Iosephus in the 8. booke of Antiquities the second Chapter writeth that Salomon made certaine charmes and exorcismes But of that matter I spake sufficientlie when I interpreted that place where it is shewed that Salomon passed in wisedome all the men of the East and the Egyptians But to come somewhat néerer vnto the matter I thinke that the wisedome of Salomon was inspired into him by GOD. And those things which God bestoweth vppon men are not to bee counted euill but good but that incantations are condemned by the lawes of GOD it is most certaine For which cause they are not giuen to men by the spirite of God Whereby it is prooued that the exorcismes inchauntments and the booke of the little Kay the which are caried abroad vnder the name of Salomon A counterfeit booke of Salomon are counterfait and not to be fathered vpon him They abound euerie where with superstitions and be fraughted with gestures both ridiculous and Idolatrous 9 But that the Hebrewes as I haue said had Exorcistes it is prooued by the testimonie of Christ in the 12. of Matthew For there the Lord
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 maÌ 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 theÌ 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 childreÌ 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 wheÌ 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 theÌ 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
greatly deceiued this is the gift of Christ alone and therefore Iohn in pointing vnto Christ said Behold the lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world And in Exodus the 33. Verse 39. it is expressed as a thing proper vnto God that he taketh awaie iniquitie vngodlines and sinnes And Esaie in the 43. Chapter Verse 25. It is I that take awaie sinnes In the first of Iohn we reade 1. Ioh. 2. 10. He it is that is the Propitiation for our sinnes Which also Paule affirmed vnto the Romans when he saieth Rom. 3. 25. Whom he hath set foorth a Propitiation through his bloud 1. Iohn 1. 9 Also Iohn in his first Epistle and first Chapter wrote The bloud of Iesus Christ his sonne clenseth vs from all sinne Verilie the outward things doe not cleanse the conscience otherwise Christ had died in vaine Againe the soule which is a spirit and without bodie is not purged by grosse corporall things Which the Epistle to the Hebrewes the 9. Verse 9. Chapter doeth plainely teach when it saith That the giftes and sacrifices doe not purge nor make cleane but that Christ was the verie high Priest who hauing wrought eternall redemption passed into the heauens And if at anie time the holie scriptures maie séeme to attribute forgiuenesse of sinnes or saluation to outward signes that must be vnderstoode by the figure Metonymia wherby those things are giuen vnto signes which are proper vnto the things signified the things signified are expressed by the name of the signes So Peter in his first Epistle saith 1. Pet. 3. 20 that in the time of Noah viij soules were saued by the water alluding vnto baptisme Howbeit by water he vnderstandeth not the outward element but that washing which is done by the bloud of Christ And so in the outwarde signe hée comprehendeth the thing signified Which he himselfe manifestly declareth afterward when he saieth 1. Pet. 3. 21. Not in that wherein the filthes of the flesh is put awaie but in that a good conscience answereth euen to God by the Resurrection of Iesus Christ So that by the water he noted the bloud death which is expressed vnder the name of Resurrection After the same manner must that be vnderstoode Ephe. 5. 25 which wee haue to the Ephesians namely That Christ gaue himselfe for the Church that the same might be sanctified by the washing of water through the word c. The cause of sanctification is Christ himselfe who gaue himselfe for vs and for that cause gaue the washing of water that the cleansing by him might be testified by the word and by the signe Brieflie this must be held that the outward signes ioyne vs not vnto Christ but that they be giuen when we bée alreadie ioined vnto him A similitude Euen as the watch word of souldiers doth not leuie a souldier but hath bin accustomed to be giuen when he is alreadie leuied And there is none that marketh his shéepe horse and oxe vnlesse he first possesse those beastes Yea and the letters of Donation are first finished and written before the seales of the giuers be set vnto them And assuredly thus God delt with Abraham Gen. 15. 6. First he beleeued and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Then he receiued circumcision as a seale of the righteousnesse of faith which he was indued with wheÌ he was vncircumcised Neither did God begin to deale with Abraham in circumcision but the same circumcision followed iustification Which is also doone in baptisme The thing it self that is the couenant made with mankinde by Christ goeth before afterward followeth the outward token And that it is not otherwise with vs than with Abraham Paul declareth when he saieth Rom. 4. 23. that he was set forth vnto vs as an example of iustification Which if it were not all the Arguments of Paule concerning that matter should be weake yea rather they would be vtterly ouerthrowen 19 Yet doe I not denie Certaine signified things that follow baptisme but that there be certaine signified things of baptisme which doe not goe before but followe the eternall washing as is mortification and repentance and according to this Analogie I vnderstand that which we haue in the Epistle vnto the Romans to wit that we die with Christ Rom. 6. 4. and are buried together with him because the olde man that is the affections and lustes of the flesh must perpetuallie bee mortified which is not yet brought to passe so soone as we be baptized but it is requisite that it should afterward be doone And whereas we reade vnto the Galathians Gal. 3. 27. So manie of you as are baptized haue put on Christ I iudge it must be so expounded as if thou vnderstand To put on Christ for to be made the member of him that goeth before baptisme but if you meane it by manners and life to expresse the childe of God Two places in the Epistle to the Galathians expounded that followeth after baptisme receiued So as we must decrée as concerning the children of faithfull men that they be reckoned among the faithfull and that the children of the Saints are numbred among the Saints 1. Cor. 7. 14 as Paul testifieth in the first Epistle to the Corinthians And if that one will obiect Ib. 12. ve 13 that in the same Epistle the 12. Chapter it is written that wee bee baptized into one bodie that must not be so expounded as though we first passe by outward baptisme into the bodie of Christ An obiection touching original sin confuted séeing we were of the bodie of Christ before Then to the intent that this maie be testified and sealed we are outwardly baptized Ibidem And therfore before those words it is written By the spirit we are baptized into one bodie So that it is first wrought by the worke of the holie Ghost that we become the meÌbers of Christ then baptisme is added Wherefore séeing the Infants of Christians be such there is no cause why they should be adiured or breathed vppon But we must weigh that it is not brought to passe by those things that originall sinne is vtterly taken awaie because we confesse that all men are borne the children of wrath and be depraued with originall sinne séeing that kinde of sinne commeth not by imitation as the Pelagians taught but it is the corrupting of the whole nature of man both as touching the soule as touching the bodie Againe we adde that God by Iesus Christ doeth make cleane his elect and predestinate so as the vice which in his owne nature should be mortall sinne shall not bee imputed to them vnto death Further by his spirit he renueth and adorneth them Afterward is added the sealing of outward baptisme First therfore they haue election or predestination they haue the promise and they are borne of faithfull Parents and séeing they be now in the
considered that the holie Scripture hath bin accustomed as it were by turnes to attribute that which is of the signes vnto the things and againe which be of the things to ascribe them vnto the signes The selfe-same manner also doe the fathers vse so as thou shalt oftentimes perceiue them to intreate of the things as though they spake of the signes and on the other side so to write of the signes as though they intreated of the things and of that which is signified This maie verie wel accord by reason of the great likenesse which is betwéene them by the appointment of the Lord. Hereof Augustine vnto Boniface gaue a plaine aduertisement that is Sacraments the names be changed Another rule is that if thou diligently consider those things which are spoken before after thou shalt alwaies perceiue the fathers to testifie that this foode is spirituall and not meate of the throte The Fathers alwaies testifie the foode to be spirituall bellie or téeth A thirde rule is that if they at any time saie that we communicate with Christ carnally so as the bodie also is nourished in the Eucharist these things must be so taken euen as wee vnderstand that the sonne of God when he was conceiued of the virgin and tooke vpon him the nature of man did then take part of our flesh What the Fathers meane if happilie they say that wee communicate with Christ carnallie Further we abide in him he likewise abideth in vs when as we beléeue his wordes and when by faith wee receiue the sacraments because in so communicating there is added vnto vs the spirit And our flesh and bodie which were alreadie of the selfe same nature with Christ are become of the selfe same conditions with him they are made capable of immortalitie and resurrection and when they obey and serue the spirit they are truelie nourished vnto life euerlasting And so is our bodie two manner of wayes fed in the Eucharist first it is fedde by signes secondly by this renuing vnto life euerlasting And thus is Christ said to dwel in vs by this sacrament And as touching the first communicating that we haue with him by natiuitie and incarnation thou hast a testimonie out of the Epistle to the Hebrewes the 2. Verse 14. Chapter Forsomuch then as children are partakers of flesh and bloud he himselfe likewise was partaker with them Moreouer consider that the word of consecrating signifieth nothing else among the Fathers than to dedicate a thing common and prophane vnto a holie vse How the fathers vnderstand this word To Consecrate and this is to make it holy Wherefore there is no cause that when we méete in the Fathers with the word Consecration we should straight waie faine vnto our selues Transubstantiation But that there is some alteration made there we denie it not namely in that those things are now made sacraments to signifie vnto vs effectuallie that by the power of the holie Ghost as touching the minde and faith wee must offer and exhibite the bodie and bloud of the Lorde The difference betwéene vs and the Capernaits Further it must be knowen that betwéene vs and the Capernaites as touching the matter it selfe there is no difference They thought that they shoulde eate the verie bodie and the verie flesh of Christ which also we graunt to be doone But the difference is in the manner and waie of eating That which they thought shoulde bée carnally doone we teache to bee spiritually doone Otherwise the true bodie and the true bloud is exhibited because faith comprehendeth not feigned things but true things Also when it is read in the Fathers that the bodie of Christ is contained or had in these mysteries by these words is nothing else to be vnderstood than betokened shewed declared and signified 44 And when thou hearest the Fathers say What the Fathers meane wheÌ they say that the bread or wine remaine noâ in c. that bread and wine is no more in the sacrament this thou must not absolutely vnderstand but as touching thy self when thou doest faithfully communicate For there thou must not thinke either of the bread or of the wine It behooueth that thy minde and thy sense doe onely cleaue vnto the things which are represented vnto thée Therefore it is said Lift vp your hearts when as thou liftest vp thy minde from the signes vnto things inuisible which be offered vnto thée Also the holy scriptures shun not this kinde of figure Paul saieth Ephe. 6. 12. Our wrestling is not against flesh and bloud who neuerthelesse denied not that the bodie and flesh doe grieue the soule and must be bridled séeing he writeth in another place Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit Neither yet was he ignorant that there be manie euill men who be called flesh and bloud by whom yet we bee troubled and with them wee haue dayly wrestling But Paul meant of that chiefe and principal contention from whence these other haue their originall He said also that In Christ there is neither male nor female Gal. 3. 28. neither bond nor free when as neuerthelesse these offices and these persons are not remooued from Christ and his Church nay rather there be precepts particularly described of them But Paul vnderstoode that these things are not in Christ as concerning the obtainement of regeneration forgiuensse of sinnes and life euerlasting which are the chiefest of all in Christianitie And in the disstributing of these mysteries Christ respecteth not these states and conditions The same Apostle writeth 1. Cor. 4. 20 that The kingdome of God is not in worde and yet woulde he not therefore that Sermons Admonitions and Readings which be doone by the word should be remooued from the Church which is the kingdome of God but he onely respected that high power and efficacie of the spirit whereby all things ought to be ruled in the Church Thus the Fathers speake when they denie that the nature of the signes doe remaine which must not as we haue said be simplie vnderstoode As touching our owne faith and cogitation the natures of bread and wine remaine not Faith maketh things present Gal. 3. 1. but that is meant as touching our faith and cogitation which ought not to staie vpon them Hereunto thou maist adde that faith is of so great efficacie as it maketh things to be present not forsooth reallie or substantially but spiritually for it truely comprehendeth them And on this wise did the Apostle say That Christ was crucified euen before the eyes of the Galathians And so was Abraham saide to haue séene the daie of the Lorde Iohn 8. 56. And after this maner the olde Fathers had in their sacramentes the selfe same Christ which we also doe inioye And thus thou seest that vnto this presence is not required that the matter of the sacrament as touching naturall constitution doe change place or be present with vs with all
offence And haue our aduersaries thought that Christes order in the Sacramentes may so easilie be vndoone To the 4. 9 They said that as touching the olde lawe we are indued with a greater libertie than were the Hebrewes and therefore we are permitted to change something in ceremonies which for them was not lawfull But these men ought to know that Christian libertie herein consisteth not that we should change the institutions of Christ but in that that Christ hath reduced manie ceremonies into fewe and instead of laborsome hath giuen easie and plaine and in the stead of obscure ceremonies hath set downe those which are most euident Adde that we by the power of the spirit are made willing and voluntarie doers for we are not constrained by the lawe but we doe willinglie those thinges which religion perswadeth Wherefore they proue not what they would but are rather driuen to the contrarie For séeing we be so frée as we haue but a few ceremonies and those easie and gentle it would be an intollerable thing and woorthie to be condemned if we should not performe them without corruption 10 They say To the 5. that the ceremonie is not for that cause polluted neither the people defrauded because somuch is had vnder one kinde as vnder both For with the bodie of Christ his bloud is also giuen and that vnder our kinde Of Concomitancie a Papisticall deuice which may be englished Ioint companying which they say is doone by Concomitancie for so they speake But these men should haue weighed that the communion of the bodie and bloud of Christ is not in this Sacrament by the woorke of nature For whatsoeuer of these thinges is deliuered vnto vs is receaued by faith and is offered vnto vs by the words of Christes promises And in these outward thinges God requireth chieflie an obedience Signes and the outward actions of ceremonies be fraile thinges The word of God indureth for euer therefore the nature of the Sacrament must be iudged by it So much is giuen vnto vs as God appointed to giue of whose will we know nothing further than his sayings disclose vnto vs. But Christ appointed two partes of the Sacrament by one of the which he sayd that his bodie is communicated and by the other his bloud and of these he hath left vnto vs expresse wordes wherefore we must rather giue credit vnto him than vnto the subtill sayings of men Thou tellest me of I know not what Concomitancie and doubtlesse it is thine owne subtill poynt of reasoning I know that it so fareth with the bodie of Christ which is in heauen as it is not without bloud I doubt not but that these thinges be ioyned together in him But how wilt thou prooue that they be signified when they be ioyned together in the Sacrament On the one part the faith of the communicants comprehendeth there the bodie of Christ nailed vppon the crosse for our saluation whereof we be spirituallie fedde And the same faith on the other part layeth holde of his bloud shed for our saluation and hereof wée bée spirituallie watred and haue droonke About these mysteries of the death of Christ is the minde of the faithfull chiefelie occupied while they communicate Wherefore wee must not regard in what sort the bodie of Christ is now in heauen We followe the woordes of GOD and perceaue it is not of necessitie that those things which in their owne nature be ioyned together should be communicated one with another Things in their owne nature ioyned may seuerally be communicated The humane and diuine natures are ioyned together in the subiect of Christ neither are they plucked one from an other Yet wilt thou not say that wheresoeuer the diuine nature is there also is the humane vnlesse thou wilt extend the bodie of Christ to an vnmeasurable greatnesse the which is most strange from the nature of man The sonne of God in so much as he is God is found euerie where and filleth all places the which his bodie doth not Further in the holy Ghost all graces or giftes are ioyned together yet for all that is not the gift of sundrie tongues giuen to him vppon whomsoeuer the power of prophesying is bestowed or so likewise on the other part Also seueritie and mercie are most néerely ioyned together in God and yet neuerthelesse when as one is made an inheritor of eternall life he hath a proofe of the mercie and not of the seueritie of God And the same might I affirme of many thinges which being ioyned together in themselues yet are they communicated asunder But herein standeth the effect of the answere that this communication is no woorke of nature and therefore is not giuen vnto vs by the constitution or disposition of the thing which it hath in his owne nature but by the will and pleasure of the giuer of whose will and counsell wée cannot decrée further than is expressed by his owne words To the sixth 11 They sayde moreouer that in Baptisme there is much altered First because Infants haue water powred vppon them The cite of dipping in Baptisme and are not dipped in as the Gréeke woord ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifieth I know that the Fathers when it might be in respect of age and health vsed dipping the which was shadowed in the olde Testament when the Israelites passed through the sea yet is it not of necessitie neither is there a commaundement extant for the same When it is vsed it hath an excellent signification because when we are dipped in we are signified to dy with Christ and when we issue foorth we are declared to haue risen with him vnto eternall life Howbeit this signification as we say is not of necessitie But that which concerneth the nature and naturall propertie of Baptisme is a cleansing from sinnes Wherefore in the Epistle to the Ephesians Ephe. 6. 26 Christ is said To haue cleansed his Church by the washing away of water in the word And we are pronounced to be baptised vnto the remission of sinnes And this cleansing whether we be dipped or whether we be washed all about or whether we be sprinckled or after what manner soeuer we be washed with waters it is very fitlie shewed in Baptisme Neither dooth the Gréeke word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã only signifie to be dipped but any manner of way to be sprinckled Moreouer the reason is not a like To change the manner of washing and to take it all wholy away Because in them which be sprinckled or haue water powred vppon them the element of Baptisme namelie water is kept and hath his signification Neither doe we superstitiously contend after what sort we are to drinke of the cuppe eyther little or somewhat largelie Neither through little pipes as sometime it was doon and as the Bishop of Rome dooth at this day or with our lippes put to the cup or by bread dipped and made wet in the wine as it is in the historie of
man The Pope ought to be iudged of the Church And yet Iohn the 23 was in the Councell of Constance deposed and not onely by God but also by men Thus doe these men make and repeate Canons and the same they allow and disalow as often as they thinke good Yea and Emperours haue sometimes thrust out and put downe Popes as it is before said Gal. 1. 8. Paul to the Galathians saith If an Angel from heauen preach any other Gospell let him be accursed If the Pope which may be and in times past hath bin obtrude wicked opinions who shall pronounce him accursed Shall he in no wise be iudged of anie man The Church no doubt shall giue sentence vppon him The Magistrate is the principall part of the Church the Magistrate for that he is the principal part of the Church shall not onelie iudge together therewith but shall also execute the sentence He may execute the sentence of the Church against the Pope He must ouersée the Bishops in their reuenewes Further it belongeth to the Magistrate to prouide that the goods of the Church be not giuen to the enemies of godlynesse So as if Byshops become enemies of the Church a faithfull Magistrate ought not to suffer the goods of the Church to be wasted by them The Canonistes haue this oftentimes in their mouth that for the office sake is giuen the benefit Therefore when they doe not their office ought the Magistrate to suffer them to inioy their benefices But let vs heare how Boniface prooueth that he can be iudged of no man Because â Cor. 2. 15 He that is spirituall saith he iudgeth all thinges but he himselfe is iudged of no man A goodlie and well applyed Argument I promise you But let vs sée what kinde of iudgement Paul writeth of in that place Verilie he speaketh not of the common kinde of iudgement whereby men are either put to death or put out of their roome he intreateth there onelie of the vnderstanding of things diuine and which auaile vnto saluation These thinges I say belong properlie vnto the iudgement of the spirituall man But as touching iudgement seate and knowledge of ciuill lawes Paul neuer thought of them in that place which is easilie perceaued by his words Ib. ver 12. We receaue saith he not the spirit of this world but the spirit which is of God If thou wilt demaund for what vse the spirit is giuen vs He aunswereth To the end we should know those thinges that are giuen vs of God And because the spirit of this world cannot giue iudgement of thinges that be diuine Verse 14. it is added The naturall man perceiueth not those things which be of the spirit of God The spirituall man iudgeth all thinges What Dooth he iudge also ciuill and publike causes Peter and Paul were iudged by the Ciuill power Acts. 25. 10 No not so but he iudgeth those thinges which belong to the saluation of men he himselfe is iudged of no man Assuredlie both Peter and Paul were iudged by the ciuill power vnto which Paul appealed that he might be iudged there and yet were they spiritual But that place must thus be vnderstood He that is spirituall in that he is such as one cannot in things diuine and such as pertaine to saluation be rightlie iudged of any man which is not indued with the same spirit that he is of The wicked sort and worldlinges account him oftentimes for a seditious vnpure and infamous fellowe But onelie God and his spirit looketh vppon the heartes Lastlie Boniface concludeth that there is one chiefe power onelie and that belongeth to the Pope least we should with the Manichees séeme to make many beginninges Gen. 1. 1. And he addeth that God in the beginning and not in the beginninges created the world Note We affirme one beginning not many We also detest the Manichees and affirme that there is one onelie beginning and pronounce one onelie fountaine and ofspring of all powers namelie God and his word without which there can be no power either ciuill or Ecclesiasticall For the foundation of either of them dependeth of the word of God and so we make but one beginning and not two Further if Boniface will vrge these wordes in Genesis In the beginning God created c. there ought to be but one onelie king in the world For when Paul said One Lord one Faith Ephe. 4. 5. one Baptisme he added not One Pope 22 At the length our Thraso commeth so farre as he excludeth them from the hope of saluation which acknowledge not the Pope for the chiefe head and Prince of the Church A schisme of Popes But when there were two or thrée Popes al at one time which thing both happened and also indured for the full space of 60. yeares Two or three Popes 60. yéeres together it must néedes be that those which at that time were of Boniface his opinion should confesse themselues then to be Manichees and to haue established two beginnings Againe what thinke they of the Gretians of the Persians and Christians which dwell in the East part séeing they acknowledge not the Pope who neuerthelesse reade the scriptures beléeue in our Lord Iesus Christ and both are and also are called Christians All those Boniface excludeth from the hope of saluation This is the ambition and vnspeakeable tyrannie of the Popes When we obiect vnto the Papists these words of Paul Let euerie soule submit it selfe to the higher powers they aunswere Rom. 13. 1. That euerie soule ought to be subiect vnto the higher power but yet to their own not to other mens power otherwise it were néede that Frenchemen should be subiect to the Spaniards and the Spaniards to the Germanes which because it is absurd it is concluded that euerie man ought to obey his owne Magistrate But nowe the Clergie acknowledge the Bishops for their head and that they should bée subiect vnto them And the Bishops acknowledge the Archbyshops and Primates and they lastlie the Pope After this maner say they we obeie the Pope and satisfie Paul What haue we to doe with Kings and the ciuill Magistrate Howbeit this is nothing else than shamefullie to abuse the wordes of the Apostle The Papists made a diuision of a kingdome into two parts Doe they not sée that they diuide the publike weale into two bodies which ought to be but one bodie onelie For when they diuide the kingdome of the Cleargie from the kingdome of the Laitie they make in one kingdome two peoples and set ouer eyther people his Magistrate and thereby it commeth to passe that the Clergie which be Frenchemen séeme not to be Frenchemen and the Germans séeme not to be Germans and this maketh not coniunction but diuision Besides this of what power I beséeche you speaketh Paul Verilie not of Bishops or Archbishops but of that power which beareth the sword He doth not without a
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
it is manifest that this is the gift of God hereof are the praiers of the saints who saie Psa 118 37. Lighten mine eies least they see vanitie Giue me vnderstanding Ibidem 73. that I may learne or knowe thy commandements And Paule vnto the Ephesians praied God To lighten the eies of their vnderstanding Ephes 1 18. that they might knowe what was the hope of their calling And as touching the will Psa 119 36. Dauid praied Incline mine hart vnto thy testimonies Psal 51 12. Againe A cleane hart create in me ô God And Salomon his sonne praied God 1. Kin. 8 58. that he would giue vnto the people an vnderstanding hart Séeing therefore that the saints doo praie on this wise what doo they craue What doo they praie for That God will shew his word or that his spirit may knocke howbeit this he dooth by himselfe and that alwaies as these men saie But if they haue it in their owne power why doo they praie Let them selues doo it séeing they haue it in their owne power Neuerthelesse since praier is made rightlie of the saints it is a token vnto vs that this is required of GOD to the intent he may change our harts This argument did Augustine diuers times vse Wherefore in his booke De libero arbitrio the 14. chapter thus he writeth For if faith procéed onelie of a frée will and is not giuen of GOD to what purpose doo we praie for them which will not beléeue that they may beléeue Which we should doo altogither in vaine vnlesse we did verie rightlie beléeue that wils also which be peruerse and contrarie vnto faith may be turned of the omnipotent GOD to beléeue No doubt but the frée will of man is egged forward when it is said This daie Psal 95 8. if yee heare his voice harden not your harts But vnlesse that God could also take awake the hardnesse of the hart he would not saie by the prophet I will take from them their stonie hart Ezec. 11 19 and giue them a fleshie hart The same father against the two epistles of Pelagius vnto Boniface the first booke and 19. chapter For to what purpose hath the Lord commanded vs to praie for them which persecute vs Doo we desire this Matth. 5 44 to the intent the grace of God may be recompensed to them for their good will or not rather that their euill will may be turned vnto good Euen as we beléeue that Saule was not then in vaine praied for by the saints whom he persecuted that his will might be turned vnto the faith which he destroied and that his conuersion came from aboue it appeared by a manifest oracle How manie enimies of Christ are dailie vpon the sudden by the secret grace of God drawne vnto Christ And in the same place in the 20. chapter he declareth how true it is that GOD conuerteth and changeth the wils of men and saith that This is true we gather it not by the coniecture of man but we discerne it by most euident authoritie of the scriptures It is read in the booke of the Chronicles 2. Pâ 30 1â And verelie the hand of God was in Iuda that he might giue them one hart to doo the commandement of the king princes according to the word of the Lord. Also the Lord saith by the prophet Ezechiel Ezec. 36 26 I will giue them another hart and a new spirit will I giue them and I will pull out of their flesh their stonie hart and I will giue them a fleshie hart that they may walke in my commandements and keepe my iudgements to doo them Now what is it that Hester that Quéene praieth and saith Giue me an eloquent speach Hester 14 verse 13. and make my words cleare before the lion and turne his hart vnto the hatred of them that be our enimies And to what end dooth she speake these words in hir praier vnto GOD if God doo not worke the will in the harts of men And so vndoubtedlie it came to passe as she praied for that king as a féerce bull at the first sight beheld hir and his crueltie was turned into lenitie Finallie a place in the Acts of the apostles Acts. 16 14. the 16. chapter must be weighed as touching Lydia the woman which sold purple whose heart God opened that she might giue eare vnto those things which were spoken by Paule Manie doubtlesse were present but it was particularlie said to that woman that God opened hir hart Which place Conradus Pellicanus a verie learned and holie man being my predecessor thus expoundeth it And this repentance commeth not of nature but of grace whose hart saith he the Lord opened that she might vnderstand those things which were said by Paule For in the Gospell none may trust to his owne strength but in the gift of God not in our owne presumption Wherefore let vs hearing the promises of the Gospell mistrust the strength of our flesh and let vs desire GOD that he will open our hearts that he will giue the gift of the holie Ghost to beléeue with the heart and to fulfill indéed that which we heare should be doone which thing we read came to passe in this woman that sold purple verse 26. And the historie of Samuel the first booke the tenth chapter teacheth it where it is written that They whose heart God had touched followed king Saule And herevnto belong those things Ezec. 37 16 which Ezechiel spake that He would take awaie the stonie heart and would giue a fleshie heart Phil. 2 13. Vnto the Philippians also Paule taught that It is God which worketh in vs both to will and to performe and that not at our Ephe. 2 8. but at his good pleasure And vnto the Ephesians it is written that We by grace are saued through faith and that not of our selues By which word our working togither namelie that which is actiue is remooued indéed not as touching the consent of faith but as touching that change by grace of which we now speake And it is added 1. Thes 3 2. that It is the gift of God And in the second epistle to the Thessalonians it is written All men haue not faith bicause that healing or medicine of the spirit is not giuen to all men whervpon it coÌmeth that all men consent not to the promises of God Againe Who beleeue according to the working of his mightie power Ephe. 1 19. which he wrought in Christ raising him from the dead By which words is shewed that it is one and the selfe-same power whereby our will is changed and conuerted to beléeue and whereby Christ is raised vp from the dead And Pellicanus expounding this place saith Pellicanus And in such sort dooth God and our father declare his power and goodnesse in vs bicause he by a certeine secret and vnspeakeable power hath so transformed vs from the old institution
mooued vnto faith Who also will saie that the verie God omnipotent hath wanted a meanes whereby man also should be persuaded to beléeue c. Now it appeareth what Augustine thought as touching that place Rom. 9 16. It is neither in him that willeth nor in him that runneth c. After these things I referre my selfe vnto that which Paule wrote Gala. 4 6. And bicause ye are sonnes God hath sent foorth the spirit of his sonne into your hearts crieng Abba Father But if the spirit being sent foorth by God vnto men maketh them crie it maketh them also to beléeue and therewithall maketh them to liue well also Eze. 11 19. 37 26. For when it was said by the prophet I will take from them that stonie heart and will giue them a fleshie heart It is added And I will giue my spirit among them and will cause them to walke in my commandements c. Also to the Romans it is written Rom 8 14. As manie as are led by the spirit of God those be the sonnes of God Wherein is to be noted that the saints otherwhile are passiuelie subiect vnto certeine motions of the holie Ghost And if of some it be granted that our will is sometime onelie a subiect passiue when troubles and gréefes doo greatlie vrge vs looking for nothing else but death for the soule is then susteined by God least it should faint what let is there that we should not also be passiuelie subiect to this change whereof we now speake Wherefore I saie the will is the subiect of both conuersions as well of healing as of faith but as touching the first it onelie concurreth passiuelie and as touching the other both passiuelie and actiuelie bicause we beléeue willinglie In the first the spirit woorketh alone but in the other it worketh togither with vs. Vnto the Galathians it is written But when it seemed good vnto him Gal. 1 15. which had separated me from my mothers wombe But it is not said When it seemed good vnto me And vnto the Romans Rom. 12 3. God distributed to euerie one the measure of faith And of frée gifts it is written 1. Cor. 12 11. that Those the spirit of God distributeth to euerie one as he will And he is no lesse the Lord of regeneration and the GOD of our faith than he is of frée gifts and therefore he distributeth both kinds as it pleaseth him In the epistle to the Philippians we read Phil. 1 29. that To them it was giuen not onelie to beleeue but to suffer for Christ 2. Tim. 1 7. And in the 2. epist to Timothie it is written For God hath not giuen to vs the spirit of feare but of power of loue and of sobrietie Mat. 13 11. Christ also said vnto the apostles that To others vnto whome he spake in parables it was not giuen that they should vnderstand but vnto them that were his apostles it was giuen And verie manie other testimonies of the holy scriptures might be alledged for this matter howbeit I will be contented with these but if there be anie which will not beléeue these verie manie alledged neither will they giue credit vnto more 11 But manie saie If thus the matter stand then shall we be as stocks and stones which are mooued of God The matter dooth not so stand bicause both stocks and stones while they be mooued doo neither perceiue nor vnderstand nor will Further if in anie thing we be mooued passiuelie as stocks and stones be yet should wée not so be called albeit in this change whereof we now speake we are not mooued violentlie as be stones and stocks but by a motion méet vnto our end and perfection Howbeit that which they obiect against vs is not well concluded for it is an argument in the second figure of propositions affirmatiue as if we should say Stones and stocks are mooued passiuelie Men in this change or conuersion are mooued passiuelie Therfore are they stones stocks Again we saie Stones stocks be bodies they be also substances In like maner men are bodies and substances Therefore they are stones stocks All men sée that the conclusions are not firme doo belong to the second figure of the affirmatiues Yet neuerthelesse of this our saieng which wee defend as touching the change in God or the healing of the mind before we can either beléeue or hope or expect celestiall things it followeth not that we make for Swenkfeldius for he séemeth to put faith before the word of God but we doo not so Bicause we affirme the word of God is as well an outward as an inward instrument of the holie Ghost wherewith he may persuade and shew what things are to be beléeued and doone and may declare and vtter his efficacie in the changing of vs. For we knowe that Faith is by hearing Rom. 10 17 Esaie 53 1. hearing by the word of God Paule saith How shall they beleeue in him whome they haue not heard And elsewhere it is written Lord Rom. 10 16. who hath beleeued our preaching Further Swenkfeldius séemeth to appoint the outward word to be as a certeine exercise of faithfull men and reiecteth the ministerie Which opinion we detest for we affirme that as well the outward word as the inward be instruments of the holie Ghost neither doo we doubt but that the word especiallie by nature goeth before faith séeing it is the subiect thereof 12 Wherefore we determine that the will or choise before regeneration can doo nothing by it selfe as touching diuine and spirituall things but that the spirit of God is necessarie bicause it propoundeth and teacheth neither that the same is anie thing except it worke a change of the mind The Pelagians said that the grace of ãâã is required but yet to this purpose onelie ãâã we may the easilier beléeue doo well The schoole-Diuines bicause they would differ from them haue affirmed a preuenting grace but we demand what maner of grace that is And we saie that it is not sufficient to answer that it is such a grace as thereby are propounded vnto vs the words of God and his promises either inwardlie or outwardlie but that there ought to be applied a change or conuersion and that it ought not to be put in our will or choise to follow or cleaue vnto the promises Augustine Augustine put vs in mind that vnder the praises of nature lie hidden the enimies of grace Wherefore Two kinds of calling now that we haue thus determined there appeare two kinds of callings one common an other effectuall Which distinction I first prooue out of the holie scriptures Rom. 8. 29. Paule saith Whome he hath called those also he hath iustified Wherfore it is some kind of calling wherevnto iustification is ioined for that is Paules chaine namelie to haue the linkes fast knit togither On the other part Mat. 20 16. it is said by
the world You saie What bread is this Christ answereth It is my flesh And he addeth I will giue the same for the life of the world and so being giuen he is your bread if you will receiue him by faith Wherefore he said that he would giue his flesh vpon the crosse and to be eaten and the same he metaphoricallie called bread And after this maner he taught the Iewes which were at controuersie the spirituall sense And that he might doo this the plainlier he added The words which I speake are spirit and life to the intent they might vnderstand that the eating should not be carnall but spirituall by faith wherevnto afterward in the last supper he ioined the sacramentall signes wherof he now made no mention But in that he nameth bread he meaneth his flesh the which while we doo communicate it is eaten of vs spirituallie which is the chéefest matter that ought to be had in receiuing of the sacrament Thy Iohn in describing the supper maketh mention of the flesh and bloud of Christ And this Iohn vnderstanding he in his Gospell where the sacrament is instituted when he describeth the last supper made no mention thereof bicause he had in this place abundantlie enough spoken of the same And therefore I grant that he did that in the institution of the sacrament which he had before spoken in the sixt chapter For he gaue his flesh to be eaten but yet with sacramentall signes And whereas you obiect that Christ said not that his flesh should be like vnto bread that maketh no matter bicause in such kind of figures as these the token of a similitude is not alwaies expressed for in the scriptures Christ is called a lambe and not in stéed of a lambe And God is said to be fire and it is not added that he is like fire But whereas it is said in the future tense I will giue it is therefore bicause the flesh which we eate in the sacrament tended to that which suffered and was crucified Which things as yet happened not when Christ spake these words but were to come yet must they be alwaies before our eies when we communicate And as concerning the sentence of Cyrill I answer that I nothing doubt but that the same bread which is giuen vnto vs in the sacrament is the bodie of Christ but yet after such a maner as the scripture teacheth D. Chadse In the supper he stood to his promises Wherefore that which he then gaue was his flesh which should be giuen for the life of the world the verie same I saie which hoong vpon the crosse And this as I haue said dooth Cyrill testifie D. Martyr Christ stood to his promises as you doo saie and gaue his flesh which in Iohn is metaphoricallie called bread but yet in giuing his bodie and his flesh which should be deliuered vpon the crosse he gaue therewithall true and naturall bread and no other thing did Cyrill meane D. Chadse So then you will grant this at the least-wise that it was his verie bodie and his verie flesh which he gaue in the supper but yet togither with bread D. Martyr It was his verie bodie and his verie flesh but yet it was giuen by signification D. Chadse He gaue his flesh which hoong vpon the crosse and that bodie which was crucified but it hoong not spirituallie vpon the crosse neither was naturall bread crucified wherefore that bread in the sixt of Iohn is not vnderstood metaphoricallie but must be vnderstood to be the reall flesh of Christ D. Martyr You huddle vp manie things which I must vnfold that I may denie the false and grant those that be true I haue alreadie said and now I saie againe that you vse an equiuocation séeing for a metaphoricall bread you alwaies oppose vnto me the bread giuen by Christ in the last supper the which was true and naturall bread and a signe of this allegoricall bread that is of the flesh of Christ Howbeit It is shewed what maner of promise it was that Christ made in the sixt of Iohn I neuer granted you nor yet will grant that Christ in Iohn promised a signifieng bread but such a bread as being taken metaphoricallie is euen all one with flesh And in the last supper he gaue this allegoricall bread that is his flesh to be eaten spirituallie And he not onelie stood to his promises but he gaue more than he promised by adding of the signes And that which you would prooue in your argument to wit that the bodie of Christ hoong not vpon the crosse spirituallie and that naturall bread was not crucified or giuen for vs is of no importance Insomuch as the words of Christ doo sufficientlie beare record that the bodie of Christ is otherwise eaten of vs and was otherwise crucified bicause the Lord would haue this to be a spirituall eating séeing that he called the Capernaits from a carnall eating Verelie to hang vpon the crosse and to die were naturall actions Wherfore you offend in the argument by going from the substance to the qualitie and from the thing it selfe to the maner So as we grant that the bodie of Christ is eaten of the communicants but yet not after the same maner that it hoong vpon the crosse And I maruell that you obiect this who would not grant that Christ was so crucified as you appoint him to be couered vnder your formes D. Chadse The Lord promised that he would giue the bread which was his flesh that should be giuen for the life of the world But this bread as Master Doctor granteth he gaue not but in the supper Therfore in the supper he gaue the verie flesh which should be giuen for the life of the world And this proposition The bread is the bodie of Christ is vnpossible vnlesse we vnderstand it by a figure and signification therefore it behooued that there should be transubstantiation for this purpose that he should giue his true bodie D. Martyr That the Lord gaue in the supper that which he promised I granted but that the Lord did not the same else-where than in the supper I granted not For how often soeuer as we beléeue that Christ is fullie crucified for vs we eate his flesh which metaphoricallie is called bread But I confesse that he did this most especiallie in the supper neither must you vnderstand me to haue said that it is there onelie doone But what maner of argument is this Christ gaue his flesh to those that sâpped with him and in Iohn that flesh is called bread metaphoricallie bicause vnto vs it is in stead of bread and Therefore he gaue not also true and naturall bread These things are not repugnant in themselues naie rather they doo verie well agrée This proposition the bread is the bodie of Christ is not vnpossible and both of them togither are verie true Neither is this proposition The bread is the bodie of Christ vnpossible bicause it is ment by signification
thing of great importance that he which is of Christ shoulde vnderstand by what meanes he is ioyned vnto him Hebr. 2. 14. First I sée that he by the benefite of his incarnation as it is said vnto the Hebrewes would communicate with vs in flesh and bloude For since that the children were partakers together of flesh and bloude he himselfe also would be a partaker thereof But vnlesse that an other kinde of communion had happened therewithall this woulde be verie common and weake For so many as are comprehended vnder mankinde do now after this maner communicate with Christ for they be men as he was So as besides that communion this happeneth to wit that vnto the elect faith hath accesse at the time appointed whereby they beléeue in Christ and so they are not onely forgiuen their sinnes and are reconciled vnto GOD wherein consisteth the true and sounde respect of iustification That our bodies also doe participate of the flesh of Christ but also there is added a renewing power of the spirite whereby our bodies also flesh bloude and nature are made capable of immortalitie and become dayly more and more as I may say fashioned vnto Christ not that they cast away the substance of their owne nature and passe in verie déede into the bodie and flesh of Christ but that they no lesse drawe neare vnto him in spirituall giftes and properties than they did naturally euen at their verie birth communicate with him in bodie flesh and bloud Nowe therefore we haue héere two coniunctions with Christ The one naturall which by byrth we drawe euen from our parents but the other commeth vnto vs by the spirite of Christ by whom at the verie time of regeneration we are made newe according to the image of his glorie But I beléeue that betwéene these two coniunctions there is a meane which is the fountaine and originall of all the celestiall and spirituall similitude which we obtaine with Christ and that is whereby so soone as we beléeue wee attaine vnto Christ our true heade and are made his members Ephe. 4. 16 and so as Paul saith his spirit floweth and is deriued from the verie head by the ioynts and knittings together into vs as into his true and lawfull members Wherefore this our communion with the heade is the first at the leastwise in nature although perhaps not in time before that latter communion which is brought in by regeneration A similitude And héere as it séemeth vnto me naturall reason helpeth vs. In things ingendered first as the same teacheth vs the heart it selfe is ingendered in young ones from thence by a certaine veine is powred out a spirite from the heart and doth somwhat pearce the prepared matter of the liuing creature and there shapeth the heade whereupon by that veine whereby the spirite procéedeth from the heart the head is ioyned with the heart From whence againe by an other veine a spirit floweth from the head and after a certaine space formeth the liuer which kinde of entrall communicateth with the head and with the heart by the arteries or veines which knit together From the liuer also and from the other principal members there are other arteries or veines stretched to the other partes of the ingendred matter whereby that same ingendring spirit passing through fashioneth the rest of the Members Whereuppon it commeth that all those doe communicate together and are principallie ioyned to the heart that is to wit to the fountaine of life not in déede in place or immediate touching as they terme it but that because from thence they drawe a quickening spirit and life by the woonderfull workmanship of the highest artificer And although that this similitude ought not to be curiouslie vrged as touching all the partes thereof yet dooth it after a sort laie the matter before our eyes and dooth shewe vs that after we be now men as he was this first communion with Christ that we are made his members ensueth For as Paul testifieth God gaue him to be the head of the Church For according as the spirit floweth from him he fashioneth and ioyneth vnto him sometime this member and sometime that and by the spirit it selfe maketh the same like vnto him in properties and temperature forsomuch as they naturallie agrée now together Wherefore Christ while we are conuerted is first made ours and we his before that we become like vnto him in holinesse and righteousnesse abiding in vs. This is that secret communion whereby we are said to be ingraffed in him Thus doe we first put him vppon vs so are we called by the Apostle flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones And by this communion now declared that latter is alwayes perfourmed while we liue here For the members of Christ doe euermore regard this that they may become more like vnto him Neither doe the distances of places hinder this mysticall communion but it may be had while we liue in the earth although that the verie bodie of Christ sit and raigne in heauen with the father It sufficeth aboundantlie that we are knit vnto him by certaine spirituall knots and ioyntes which bondes or knittinges together doe depend and are deriued from the head it selfe And these thinges speciallie are faith the word of God and the sacramentes Through these the spirit flowing from our head wandereth vp and downe in the Church and by a iust proportion quickeneth and maketh his members like in iust proportion These communions with Christ doe I admit others to say the trueth I vnderstand not which I chiefelie say the rather because of that which some of the fathers also bring in especially Cyrill which so make the substance of the flesh and bloud of Christ to be our meate that they saie it is mingled in verie déede with our substance Neither doe I sée but that while they thus say they are constrained to affirme that the verie same our flesh bloud which is so nourished dooth passe into one and the selfesame person with Christ and that his bodie by this meanes dooth spread abroad into innumerable places Let on Gods name the sacramentes and the word of God be tokens and signes of the true communion with Christ which as I could I haue now declared also let there be ioyntes and knittinges together whereby the spirit of God so there be a faith is made effectuall in which men he may haue place Neither let these thinges be vnderstood as though we tye the grace and spirit either to the outward word or sacramentes as if it cannot by anie meanes be that some man may be ioyned vnto his head I meane Christ without these thinges One necessarie ioynt and knitting together there is in them that be of ripe age namelie faith whereby we are ioyned vnto Christ himselfe and that inseparablie This is it which perhappes the fathers meant by their excessiue spéeches which while they immoderatelie vsed they ministred no small occasion vnto errors I
must be vsed 4 61 b 62 a Whether it doth separate vs from God 4 58 b Howe it is not preindiciall to innocentes 4 64 b In what cases it is to be vsed 2 634 a For light causes not allowed 4 64 a Executed on such as married with Infidels 2 444 b What kinde hath béene vsed in former times against Idolaters 2 488 b The force vertue and vse thereof 2 635 b 636 a That depriuation if a cleargy man should sweare 2 372a A certaine kinde of banishment 2 275 a Of Princes by Bishoppes 4 231b Of Martion prosequitted by his owne father and why 2 378 a Excuse The Excuse by ignorance of God disallowed 1 14 b Execution Causes of delaying or prolonging of Execution 4 257 b Execution of offenders doeth not violate charitie 4 279 b Executioners The auncient Iewes had no Executioners 4 264 a Why they haue commonly an ill report 4 264b 265 ab Called Lictores and why 4 294 ab Exercise What earnest Exercise is able to doe 1 57 a 56 b The difference betwéene it and custome 1 154 a Exercises What Exercises Christians should vse for their recreation and pleasure 2 528 a Exile The Etymologie of the word Exile 4 270 a ¶ Looke Banishment Exorcisme What Exorcisme is 4 128 b 129 a Added to baptisme 4 128 b The beginning thereof 4 131 b Whether it is to bee ioyned therewith 4 132 b In auncient time there was none 4 31 a Of euill spirites taken away 4 132 b Vnto what times the original thereof may be referred 4. 129 a Whether Dauid vsed it when he played before Saul with his harpe 4 129 a ¶ Looke Coniurations Exorcismes No Exorcismes in the old Testament for driuing out of Diuels 4 129 a Reasons for proofe and disproofe of them about baptisme 4 133 ab 134 ab 137 ab 138 a Whether SalomoÌ made charmes and Exorcismes 4 129 ab Exorcistes Exorcistes among the Hebrewes and when they beganne 4 129 ab Whether they are still to be retayned in the Church 4 131 b 132 a Christ the heade and chéefe of new Exorcistes 4 130 a Experience What Experience is required of them that shoulde bee méete hearers of doctrine 1 54 a Ey Eye If thine Eye offend thée c. expounded 4 88 ab The Eye leadeth to lust 2 481. It cannot attaine to Gods essence 3 394 b 1 25 a Gregories opinion of abusing the same 1 481 b It is oftentimes a mans destinction 2 481 ab Fa. Fable A Fable defined and the diuers kindes of them 2 55â a Their vse and of Apologes and their necessarinesse 2 551 a A Fable of the Rabbins touching the conuinction of the soule with the bodie 3 329 b A Fable touching Christ and Peter 4 79 a Face There is a Face also of the minde as well as of the bodie 1 29 b Of colouring the Face Reade at large 2 507 c. ¶ Looke Painting Faculties Faculties drawe their excellencie and worthinesse from their ende 1 8 a As they are more excellent so are also their endes as howe 1 7 b No difference betwéene the worthinesse of them whether they haue worke for their end or action and why 1 8 a The excellencie of ends Faculties is as well towardes the one as the other 1 8 a Faith Theologicall A definition of Faith 3 59 b 57a 70 a 90 b 71 b 2 296 b 634 b What it signifieth 3 89b 90 b The Etymologie thereof 3 63 b What companions it should haue 2 549 b Of the chéefe and the common obiect thereof 3 58a 136 b 144 b 127 b Howe the same prescribeth to charitie 1 8 b The nature propertie of the same 3 57 ab 92 a 93 a 132 a True exercises thereof 4 157 b Of the certeintie and vncerteintie of it 3 87 ab 126 ab 132 a 130 a 84 a 90 a 57 ab Howe it is cast into a sléepe 3 138 a 150 a The tryumph of the same 2 621 b Whether it bee in our owne power 3 140 a 43 b 16 a 2 260 b That it is a firme assent 3 59a 70 a What things we are to examine in that assent 3 59 b Wherewith that assent doeth witnesse 3 60 a Why there can be no firme assent thereof in this life 3 71 a Whether faith onely doe iustifie 3 154 b 135 a 156 ab 125. 126. 93b 108 a 150 ab 159 a 151 b 144 b 2 262 b Of Abrahams Faith 3 235 b 136 a 89 b 126 ab 125 a 61 ab 84 b 96 a It was not void of mistrastes 3 62 a That his and ours is all one 3 135 b Of the Centutions whereat Christ woondered 3 129 b Of Cornelius 2 160 ab 262 b 263 a Paules assuraunce of his 2 629 a Whether ours the Iewes be greater 2 588 ab It doeth not extinguishe reason 3 61 a Whether it and the remission of sinnes came in first 3 135 b 148 a 150 a Whether it may be seuered from charitie 3 69 b 72 a 106 b 152 a 154 a and in whome 3 7. 3 ab Whether a man which gréeuouslie sinneth is destitute therof 3 137 b Howe it differeth from hope 3 86 b Whether it hath his beginning from the holy Ghost 3 140 a 2 578 a 1 6 a It maketh things furthest off to be present 2 587 b 4 174 a 195 ab Of a iustifying Faith 3 196 a It is not in all alike 3 57 b Vnto what things it hath respect 3 91 b Whether the definition thereof in the Hebrewes be a definition 3 91 ab When it changeth both his nature and kinde 3 76 a Howe feare and it are coupled together 3 66 b As it is a worke it iustifieth not 3 136b 60 b It confirmeth the Lawe two maner of waies 2 578 a 3 151 a Howe without it the Law cannot be obserued 2 577 ab 578 a Wherein trueth and it doe agree and differ 2 549 b It ought to goe before the receiuing of the Sacraments 2 586 b It dependeth not of the commaundement of the will 3 61 a It is chiefelie caried vnto the resurrection of Christ 2 609 b It maketh all things possible 2 613 b We are not iustified by the dignitie thereof 3 144 b Why it rather than other works iustifieth 3 137 a Why it and confidence are ioyned together 3 130 a The force and power thereof 3 129 ab It dependeth vpon calling two maner of waies 3 45 a It goeth before iustification 3 137 a How it hath life of another thing 3 135 a By it wee obtaine the promises 3 150 b 151 a Smith denieth iustification thereby 3 147 b 148 a Whether it be farre from the last perfection 3 138 a Whether it hath her forme of loue 3 129 a Who seeke God thereby and who by workes 3 142 b Whether God attributeth more vnto workes than vnto it 3 146 a The dignitie thereof is measured by the obiect 3 144