it is said vnto Moses when he detracted the time of dooing his message bicause he had an impediment in his spéech Exod. 4 11. Who hath giuen a mouth vnto man Or who maketh the dumbe or deafe the blind seeing Haue not I the Lord Wherfore I will be in thy mouth By which place it is shewed that it is the worke of almightie God to speake in his ministers to open their mouths to make them readie of spéech But Christ when he speaketh of this matter saith It is not you that speake but the spirit of your father whereby it séemes to be prooued Mat. 10 20. that the holie Ghost is God séeing he hath one and the selfe-same action with him Augustine in his epistle to Pascentius saith Augustine that he doth woonder how it can be that Christ whose members we are is beléeued to be God and that the holie Ghost whose temple we be should be denied to be God séeing the excellencie of the Godhead is more prooued in the latter condition than in the first The reasons which we haue brought do in part prooue of necessitie and doo plainelie shew What maner of reasons haue bin alleged that the holie Ghost is God Others indéed be not altogether of such efficacie but being ioined with other things doo confirme the minds of the faithfull in this truth neither is there anie of them which the fathers haue not some-where vsed There might also be added other arguments of this sort but with these we will hold our selues contented What may be obiected against this doctrine Rom. 8 26. 15 Now remaineth to consider what is woont to be obiected against this doctrine Some saie The holie Ghost praieth for vs and that with sighings vnspeakeable How can he then bée God séeing it is not méete for God to humble himselfe after the maner of suppliants Some answere and saie That the sonne doth make intercession for vs How the holie Ghost praieth for vs. Rom. 8 34. Looke In Rom. 8 verse 26. The holie Ghost hath not taken vpon him anie creature into the vnitie of person who neuerthelesse is God and that therefore to praie is not strange from the nature of God howbeit this is friuolous For Christ in that he was man was inferiour to the father and therefore might be a suter vnto him But the holie Ghost hath not taken vppon him the nature of anie creature into vnitie of person Wherefore the respect that must be had towards him and towards Christ is far differing and vnlike and therefore we will answere that the spirit praieth and maketh request for vs as it is written in the epistle to the Romanes bicause it driueth vs forward to doo these things and it is therefore said to sigh bicause it maketh vs to sigh Neither is this phrase strange from the scriptures God is said to doo those things which he causeth vs to doo Gen. 22 12. but it is verie often vsed For God said vnto Abraham when he would haue sacrificed his sonne Now haue I knowne that thou fearest God That vndoubtedlie was knowne before vnto the diuine maiestie and was commanded For the harts and cogitations of men are not hidden from him But I haue knowne in that place is as much to saie as I haue caused to knowe That this phrase is so to be vnderstood the Apostle testifieth to the Galathians when he saith And seeing yee be children Galath 4 6. therefore God hath sent the spirit of his son into your harts crieng Abba father In which words he séemeth to affirme that the holie Ghost himselfe doth crie vnto God But to the Romanes the same Apostle doth make it verie plaine For ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage Rom. 8 15. to feare anie more but yee haue receiued the spirit of adoption of children whereby we crie Abba father in which place it appeareth most plainelie that it is wée which crie the holie Ghost stirring and driuing vs forward therevnto 16 Further they demand that If the spirit procéed from the father Why the holie Ghost is not said to be the son and also from the sonne what is the cause why he is not called a sonne séeing he hath not beginning of himselfe We answere Bicause that in diuine and secret things we followe both the doctrine and manner of spéech of the holie scriptures Séeing then that the scripture hath in no place said that the holie Ghost either is begotten or is the sonne why should we attempt thus to saie And doubtles vnto godlie men this answere should suffice It must be added moreouer that this issuing out of the holie Ghost is called a procéeding therefore we must call it so And albeit that betwéene the Gréeke and Latin churches A long contention betweene the Greeke and Latine Churches Looke In Rom. 3. verse 30. there was a long contention whether the holie Ghost procéeded from the sonne yet was it not of anie great importance vnlesse it had bin aggrauated with the spirit of ambition For after the time that the Grecians began to contend in the Church for primacie they easilie tooke in ill part the opinions of the Latins But the dissention was taken vp in the Councell of Florence where it was manifest The Synod of Florence that the Latins meant no other thing but that the holie Ghost had his procéeding or issuing out as well from the father as from the sonne The which séeing it may be found as we haue said that in the holie scriptures it is called a procéeding we are not to be blamed Iohn 20 22. The sonne is said to send the holie Ghost for when he breathed vpon the Apostles he said Receiue yee the holie Ghost Iohn 16 14. Againe he said He shall receiue of mine And manie of the fathers before the Councell of Florence wrote that the holie Ghost is deriued as well from the father as the sonne Augustine against the heretike Maximinus Augustine and elsewhere sheweth it verie plainelie Also Epiphanius in Ancorato confesseth Epiphanius that the holie Ghost procéedeth from both that is from the father and the sonne 17 Albeit that betwéene procéeding and generation it is hard to put a difference A difference betweene generating and proceeding and that Augustine in the place now alledged granteth that he perceiued not the difference yet he said that this he knew namelie that whatsoeuer thing groweth doth also procéed but he saith not on the other side that whatsoeur things procéed are also sproong foorth Howbeit we cannot properlie expresse the difference Wherfore the holie Ghost is not said The holie Ghost neither begotten nor vnbegotten either to be begotten or vnbegotten least by saieng vnbegotten we might séeme to affirme him to be the father or by affirming him to be begotten we may séeme to call him the sonne This we haue out of Augustine in his third tome at the beginning of the
is applied vnto the thing signified In the desert God would haue this meat to be giuen vnto the Hebrues first to declare his power to wit that Man liueth not by bread onelie Deut. 8 3. but is nourished by euerie thing which God hath commanded man to eat Moreouer his mind was to win authoritie to Moses Aaron least that people should thinke themselues to be deceiued by them for they began alredie to suspect the same But meat being giuen in such sort it caused the promise and will of GOD to be beléeued Wherefore Moses and Aaron were no more suspected of falsehood Moreouer God shewed himselfe most readie of performing his couenant wherein he promised to be their God that is to helpe them so often as they should haue néed Lastlie he would teach all vs that beléeue in him that we shall not be forsaken of him when we followe our vocation By this means the promise of Christ is performed Matt. 6 33 First seeke ye the kingdome of God and these things shall be giuen vnto you They followed GOD when he called and he forsooke them not And so he will in like maner not forsake vs. Thou maist adde out of the saieng of Paule that God prouided not onelie that they should haue meat but also a sacrament Ambrose writing vpon this place saith that Manna had a figure of this mysterie which we receiue in remembrance of the Lord. Where he verie well admonisheth that as we now in the Eucharist beare in remembrance the Lords death that is past so in Manna and in other sacrifices of the old fathers the same death was shadowed to come Moreouer he writeth that this Manna was giuen on the Lords daie Which I knowe not how he can prooued 20 But when as Paule saith In 1. Cor. 10 6. and 11. These things were our figures or examples manie doo infer vpon these words that the sacraments of the old fathers were shadowes of our sacraments yet not all one with them Although forsooth it might not be that they were both figures of our sacraments and had also all one thing with them Assuredlie both the one and the other may be for there can be no other matter of the sacraments appointed than Christ himselfe whom Paule in expresse words affirmeth that the forefathers had But they might be called shadowes of our sacraments bicause they did not so manifestlie and cléerelie expresse the mysteries of mans saluation as ours doo Againe there is obiected against vs a place out of the epistle to the Colossians where after Paule had reckoned vp those things Col. 2 17. which perteined vnto the old testament he addeth Which are shadowes of things to come but the bodie is of Christ Herevnto I answer that the sacraments of the forefathers of right may be called shadowes and figures if thou respect those things which were performed at their time appointed I meane the death passion of Christ all which things were there represented to be exhibited Yet neuerthelesse they offered in the meane time vnto the fathers these things to be receiued by faith so far foorth as was sufficient for their saluation Thou maist adde moreouer that those sacraments were sometime to be abrogated also that ours shall not giue place vnto latter sacraments Further that the same which is abrogated and made void may haue the effect of a shadow which is past but those things that be firme and durable séeing they be sound are compared to the bodie Howbeit thou oughtest to vnderstand that the abrogating of the sacraments of the forefathers is onelie touching the signes Lastlie when thou shalt read among the fathers that the sacraments of the forefathers are so compared with ours that they are said to be deliuered out of Aegypt and we from our sinne that they obteined the land of Chanaan and we the kingdome of heauen they temporall kingdoms and we grace and the holie spirit and such like things thou must vnderstand that these men of God ment the things which the old Iewes had outward and visible and that our men doo compare them to spirituall heauenly gifts Not as though these things were not among the Iewes in times past but bicause in the old testament those spirituall gifts were folden vp in these externe and temporall things Neither yet doo they speake on this wise as though no temporall and visible things were extant among vs but bicause we haue those spirituall things more expressed and larger intreated of in the new testament the outward things doubtlesse as concerning the signes far fewer and as touching the promises verie much streictened Chrysostome in an Homilie which he wrote particularlie of these words of Paule Chrysostome which we haue now in hand compareth the old sacraments with the new by a certeine similitude after this maner A painter that is to expresse a king A similitude of a Painter with his horsemen and his enimies ouercome in triumph while the worke is yet rude or vnpolished he draweth his lines but slight and obscure The which neuerthelesse doo conteine the whole that was deuised to be doone and yet the same things so painted are not discerned but of them that be verie skilfull But afterward when he hath laid it ouer with flourishing and goodlie colours all things are manifest and are made euident and easie to be knowne of all them that haue accesse therevnto Wherefore he compareth the sacraments of the old fathers vnto the first portraiture and our sacraments vnto the latter so that as in each similitude one thing is conteined although there happen some difference as touching the apparant shew obscuritie euen so in each kind of sacraments there is an equalitie with some difference 21 But againe In Rom. 8 verse 15. bicause héere séemeth to be signified a difference of the old and new testament in these words For yee haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare but yee haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we crie Abba Father it shall not be amisse to sée with what spirit we are now led in the Gospell Vndoubtedlie Chrysostome vpon this place writeth diuerse things as touching that matter wherevnto I cannot assent For first hée dooth affirme that the Iewish people in olde time had not the holie Ghost But séeing hée saith that the apostle in this place maketh expresse mention of the spirit he saith that he dooth this bicause the lawe of the forefathers being giuen by the spirit of God was therefore called spirituall and forsomuch as those men were instructed by that lawe therefore mention is here made of the spirit And although in the tenth chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians verse 3. those fathers are said to haue eaten one and the selfe-same spirituall meat and to haue droonke one and the selfe-same drinke of the spirituall rocke yet will not Chrysostome grant that they were partakers of the spirit but he saith that those things
onelie the true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent All these things which we haue recited séeing they be had by saith and without charitie they take no place doo shew that of necessitie true faith is ioined with charitie 25 In the first epistle of Iohn the fift chapter verse 1. Whosoeuer beleeueth that Iesus is that Christ The truth reason is borne of God Some there be which sâ—…e that those which haue faith are not presentlie the children of God but that they may easilie become the children of God bicause they haue alredie atteined to some preparation vnto the same And Pighius who amongst other defends this opinion bringeth in the Gospell of Iohn Iohn 1 12. And how manie soeuer haue receiued him to them hath he giuen power to be made the children of God Behold saith he the euangelist hath giuen to them which alonelie beléeue the power to obteine the adoption of the children Howbeit this man should prudentlie haue weied those words which followe The place of Iohn is assoiled for the euangelist addeth that this power is giuen vnto them which beléeued in his name Which are borne not of bloud nor of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Wherefore they which haue receiued him and beléeued in his name are said to be borne of God and therefore are regenerated and iustified the which things without charitie cannot be had And whereas they are said to haue receiued power it is all one as if it should be said that they receiued the gift and grace to be the children of God How the beleeuers may haue power to be made the sonnes of God Power here in this place is not vnderstood to be that which is disseuered from the thing it selfe and from the effect Wherefore Hilarie in his first booke De trinitate saith They which haue receiued are augmented to be the sonnes of God not by growing of the flesh but by the springing of faith Further if we would grant that power in that place doth make shew of some thing as yet to be looked for which had no effect they haue not yet gotten that which they would namelie that they should interpret charitie or iustification to be looked for after faith as though these things for a certeine space of time were differed from faith begun but it should rather be referred to perfect adoption Adoption of two sorts Rom. 8. 15. For adoption as Paule speaketh is of two sorts one we haue now presentlie which is spoken of vnto the Romans Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare anie more but the spirit of adoption of the children wherein we crie Abba Father And this adoption haue they alreadie obteined who haue receiued Christ by faith and as the euangelist saith They be borne of God and the selfe-same men be indued with charitie But there is another adoption which is perfect this shall be giuen in the resurrection when we shall be frée from all gréefe corruption Of this there is plaine mention made in the said chapter to the Romans when it is said Ibidem 19. Euerie creature groneth and waiteth for the reuelation of the children of God yea we our selues hauing the first fruits of the spirit doo grone amongst our selues waiting for the adoption and redemption of our bodies Wherefore we will saie that the beléeuers and those that be iustified and borne of God haue a power I meane a right vnto that perfect adoption the which we expect to obteine at the time appointed Wherefore howsoeuer they haue vnderstood that word Power they prooue nothing against vs. What is to be siad of them which liue vnpurelie and yet confesse that the articles of the faith be true 26 But they be woont to cast vs in the téeth with them which liue an vncleane life which acquaint themselues with hainous crimes who neuerthelesse agrée to all the articles of saith that we doo and yet for all that it is certeine that they behauing themselues so dishonestly be destitute of charitie wherefore saie they it cannot be denied but that in them at the least wise faith is separated from charitie I answere that the faith of these men may indéed be called a true faith as touching those things which they confesse but concerning the faith it selfe if we throughlie consider the nature thereof it is no verie true and lawfull faith To make this thing manifest I will vse examples A similitude If a man conclude that an eclipse shall be which is to com but prooueth it by a false kind of argument sheweth not the same by anie iust demonstration his knowledge as touching the conclusion which he brought in may be called true yet bicause he vseth a naughtie reason the sense thereof shall neuer be called a true knowledge but a false sophisticall Also verie many Turks do confesse manie things that we beléeue as the creation of the world What the Turks beleeue togither with vs. the resurrection of the dead and that Christ was borne of the virgin Marie whom neuerthelesse we will neuer account to be indued with the true faith Againe they obiect that which is in Iohn that There were certeine princes Ioh. 12 42. which beleeued in Christ which notwithstanding durst not confesse his name And againe Iohn 2 24. That there were some which beleeued vnto whom neuerthelesse Christ committed not himselfe Now these things saie they declare that these men had faith without charitie Howbeit we yéeld not as they would haue vs that these princes were indued with the true faith and Christ taught that they did not beléeue trulie How saith he can you beleeue which seeke glorie of your selues And certeine indéed it is Iohn 5 44. Note a testimonie of Christ that the princes which iudged not euill of Christ would not therefore confesse him bicause they feared to be cast out of the synagog and while they desired too much the preseruation of their honor dignitie they were turned awaie from the confession of Christ wherefore Christ pronounced them not to beléeue These men saie moreouer They which beléeue trulie when they fall into gréeuous sinnes and yet neuerthelesse doo beléeue the same things which they did before cannot be counted without faith when as yet they be despoiled of charitie But we admit not that while they be conuersant in their sins they haue faith Titus 1 16. The deâ—…eng of God standeth not with the faith of Christ They haue an image of faith but not faith Against them the apostle beareth record that They confesse themselues to knowe God but in their deeds they deny him But with a sound true faith the denieng of God cannot stand wherefore these men shall be rather said to retaine an image and shew of faith than the true faith of which we now intreat And these things shall suffice at this time for the first question
is receiued is vnder another mans power Howbeit the lawes forbid that the elder should be adopted of the yoonger for it séemed to be a monstrous thing that the sonne should excéed the father in yéeres therfore Cicero dooth oftentimes inueth earnestlie against that adoption of Clodius Now doth God adopt vnto himselfe his elect not for that he had not another sonne for he had Christ his onlie begotten sonne in whom he was well pleased but bicause in all the nature of man he had as yet no children For through Adam we were all made strangers from him God sent his sonne into the world by him to adopt vs to be his children wherefore for this cause God sent his owne naturall legitimate sonne into the world that by him he might adopt vnto him selfe manie other children of our kind And this is not woont commonlie to be doone for they which haue one onelie sonne séeke not to themselues other sonnes naie rather they are glad that the same their sonne shall not be compelled to part the inheritance with his brethren But so great was the loue of God and of Christ towardes vs as he would ioine vs vnto so great a dignitie although we be vnwoorthie Neither is that heauenlie inheritance of that nature that the same being communicated vnto manie is therefore diminished Now let vs sée how this adoption commeth vnto vs. Rom. 8 14 and 15. Paule séemeth to saie that it is communicated vnto vs by the spirit of Christ for of it we haue faith By the spirit and by faith we are adopted to be sonnes whereby we imbrace both Christ which died for vs and also the promises of God and by that meanes we are adopted by God vnto children This thing did Iohn verie well shew vnto vs in the beginning of his Gospell Iohn 1 12. where he writteth And as manie as receiued him to them gaue he power to be the sons of God By these words we vnderstand that we be made the sonnes of God when we receiue Christ And this is not doone either by circumcision or by other ceremonies of the lawe or by good morall works but by faith onelie and therefore Iohn added Ibidem Vnto those which haue beleeued in his name And when it is said that Power is giuen vnto them to be made the sonnes of God we must not thinke as manie Sophisters would haue vs Against the Sophisters that we first beléeue and then afterward receiue power to be counted to be in the number of the sonnes of God for power in that place is nothing else but a right and a prerogatiue As if it should be said that they which haue receiued the Lord and beléeued in his name haue a right and prerogatiue to come into the adoption of the sonnes of God verse 13. But Iohn addeth Which are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man A place of Iohn declared but of God First when he saith Not of bloud he signifieth that this adoption commeth not by the order of nature as in this generation are mixed togither the séed of mand and woman Which sentence he more plainlie expresseth in the next words following when he saith Not of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man By this word flesh is somtime signified the woman Gen 2 23. Eph. 5 28. And that by the flesh he meaneth the woman may by two places be prooued for Adam said of his wife which was deliuered vnto him by God This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh And Paule vnto the Ephesians saith Hee which loueth his wife loueth himselfe no man at anie time hath hated his owne flesh And this interpretation Augustine followeth albeit I sée that this place may otherwise be expounded as when it is said Not of bloud we vnderstand that we come not to this adoption by force of anie stocke or kindred For the Hebrues persuaded themselues that they did for they alwaies boasted importunatelie that they were the séed of Abraham Neither atteine we to this adoption By the will of the flesh for to the atteinment thereof we are not holpen by those good things which the flesh vseth to couet I meane by riches power strength of the bodie beautie and such other like things Neither by the will of man namelie by those good things which are counted more excellent and that are thought most chéeflie to become men such are wisedome prudence and the workds of morall vertues for all these things cannot make vs to be the children of God But we are borne saith he of God All this haue we onelie of the goodnes of God and of his méere mercie Therefore Paule vnto the Ephesians saith Ephes 1 5. Who hath predestinated vs vnto the adoption of the sonnes of God Wherfore the whole consideration of our adoption dependeth of his election and predestination 39 But of his diuine will there can be no reason either vnderstood or giuen by vs Our adoption dependeth of predestination Iohn 3 5. 27 and 31. and thereof it commeth that Christ saith in Iohn that We ought to be borne diuinelie and from aboue And Christ compareth this generation with the wind Thou hearest saith he the wind Ibidem 8. and yet thou knowest not from whence it commeth or whither it goeth Wherefore GOD By what degrees we atteine vnto the adoption of sonnes through Christ giueth his spirit largelie vnto vs and he vseth the word as an instrument and this is called the séed wherby we be regenerate For he giueth faith whereby we receiue the promise of the word set foorth vnto vs and by that meanes we are iustified The adoption which we haue in this life is not perfect Rom. 8 22. and doo obteine the adoption of the sonnes of God which yet so long as we liue here cannot be perfect Wherefore Paule saith that We wait for the adoption of sonnes and the redemption of the bodie which we shall not atteine vnto vnlesse it be in that blessed resurrection The selfe-same things Paule writeth to the Galathians When the fulnes of time saith he came Galat. 4 4. God sent his owne sonne made of a woman and made vnder the lawe to deliuer those which be vnder the lawe that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes And bicause we are sonnes God sent the spirit of his sonne into our harts in whom we crie Abba Father These words declare that there was before the fulnesse of time a certeine bondage vnder the lawe afterward was giuen the sonne by whom we which are appointed and prepared to be made the sonnes of God might more fullie receiue both the spirit and adoption This adoption Christ séemeth as it were by a certeine sacrament to haue confirmed in his genealogie Matth. 3. Luke 3. In the old testament adoption was much vsed for when as in Luke and in
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 frō 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is doon vnto the holie Ghost which he calleth God Albeit in some place it is read in the genitiue case 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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
no doubt but that euerie faithfull person fulfilleth the lawe according to the measure of charitie which he hath But yet we must remember in the meane time that there is none in this life that hath perfect and absolute charitie For if anie man could atteine therevnto he could not profit anie further Howbeit that this matter may the more euidentlie appeare let vs consider the words of Iohn Herein saith he we knowe his loue 1. Iohn 3 16 for that he gaue his life for vs and we ought to giue our life for our brethren euen as he gaue his These words sufficientlie declare that no ordinarie kind of loue is required of vs but euen the same which bestoweth the life for other men and the same not after anie sort but in such wise as Christ himselfe gaue it But there be none which atteine vnto the charitie of Christ though the same as the apostle saith be required and that by vertue of the lawe For the bond dooth arise thorough no other meanes but by the lawe Neither is that place to the Galathians anie other waie to be expounded namelie Gala. 6 2. Beare you one an others burden and so ye shall fulfill the lawe of Christ For it is necessarie to beare those things euen as we wold ours to be borne and that as Christ hath throughlie borne them but this none doo performe Héervnto also might that be said which is brought before touching Christes loue the which may be ioined to our loue and accepted by God as though it had béen fulfilled 1. Iohn 2 4 and 5. It is also obiected that the same Iohn writeth that He which loueth God keepeth his commandements But we must adde that so much shall the kéeping of Gods commandements be as the loue of God hath béene but séeing we haue not that loue perfect therefore we kéepe not the commandements fullie and perfectlie Howbeit after these things they adde that the same apostle affirmeth The commandements of God to be easie 1. Iohn 5 3. But to this I answer If they be set foorth vnto them which be not yet borne anew they be impossible to be kept much lesse easie Againe if they be offered vnto persons regenerate they be not easilie kept according as they be set foorth in the lawe but they may be called easie séeing the spirit of Christ is present with such and dooth communicate his righteousnesse with them For by the same the wants of our works are supplied and while we be indued with the spirit we obeie willinglie and with a good courage And by this meanes the commandements of God be made both delectable and easie to be kept I meane according to the portion of grace which God dooth bestowe In the selfe-same sense must the words of Christ be vnderstood Mat. 11 30. wherin he saith My yoke is plesant and my burden is light But the commandements as they be expressed in the lawe doo through our weakenesse rather bring malediction than plesantnesse vnlesse they be performed of vs in such sort as they be described 10 Furthermore that is brought against vs which Christ saith vnto his apostles When ye haue doone all these things saie with your selues Luk. 17 10. that ye be vnprofitable seruants But that must be vnderstood of obedience begoone as I haue said before Wherefore Augustine in his third booke against the two epistles of the Pelagians the eight chapter wrote that The perfection of saints must alwaies be vnderstood according to the measure and capacitie that they haue in this life This moreouer they vrge that the scriptures diuers times doo call some men perfect For Paule said We speake wisedome among them that be perfect 1. Cor. 2 6 And to the Philippians we read So manie of you as be perfect iudge all one thing Phil. 3 15 Whervnto I saie that there is a certeine measure of perfection How some men may be called perfect whereby the godlie men doo acknowledge their imperfection be not deceiued therin Which no lesse rightlie than prudentlie Augustine taught in his third booke against the two epistles of Pelagius and in his first booke 7. chap. De peccatorum meritis remissione Also they after a sort be called perfect which doo imitate the perfection of the Heauenlie father who sendeth raine vpon the iust and vniust and maketh his sunne to shine as well vpon the good as the bad Others vndoubtedlie be called iust which aptlie giue eare vnto spirituall things of which sort the Corinthians as yet were not The Hebrues indéed were such Heb. 6 1 c as it is written in the sixt chapter And this kind of imperfection it behooued the saints not onelie to acknowledge and féele but also to confesse the same But Ierom in his first dialog against the Pelagians saith that We be then iust when we confesse our selues to be sinners And vnto Cresiphon he also wrote This onelie is a perfection in men if they acknowledge themselues to be vnperfect Barnard in his 50. and 51. sermons vpon the Canticles wrote verie elegantlie of this matter and so did Augustine in his epistle vnto Xystus and in manie other places But the Pelagians when they withstood Augustine as we read in his booke against their epistle the fift chapter said that He did not put anie difference betwéene most wicked men and saints but by comparison bicause he affirmed that iust men be therefore saints bicause they sinne lesse than euill men Héerevnto that godlie man answereth Wicked men and saints doo differ one from an other by faith but not by works that Wicked men and saints doo differ one from an other by faith and not by works For so much as the godlie doo beléeue in Christ by whom if they fall they receiue forgiuenesse of their sinnes and are also lightened by his spirit and grace But the wicked beléeuing not in Christ doo altogither lie in their sinnes whereof they neither repent nor yet receiue forgiuenesse of the same The same father also in his second booke De peccatorum meritis remissione the seuenth chapter obiecteth against himselfe that which is written in the 14. chapter of the Apocalypse namelie that verse 3. 4 The 144000. saints which followe the lambe were virgines and defiled not themselues with women that in their mouthes there was found no guile He answereth to himselfe that such were therefore vnblameable bicause they iustlie reprooued themselues and in their mouth there was no guile bicause they did not professe themselues to be without sin For if they had said that they had béene without sinne they had béene found in a lie The same father goeth further in the 12. chapter of the same booke obiecteth against himselfe a place out of Luke where it is written Luke 1 6 that Zacharie and Elizabeth were iust before GOD walking without reproofe before him in all the precepts and iustifications of the Lord. By which words
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
saluation this we ought to account with our selues that by this action which easilie appéereth among others the greatest and chéefest commodities doo redound vnto vs. Wherfore let this cogitation first enter into our mind that séeing Christ could not be ouercome of death he is able now the better a great deale to reléeue our necessities and that by the fauour and power of his father vnto whom he hath alwaies as it hath béene said so familiar accesse and to whom he continuallie offering praiers of singular efficacie for vs winneth vs his fauour and procureth vs such strength as otherwise we could neuer obteine to our selues Moreouer Christ being raised from death The hope of our resurrection A similitude who is our head we also are raised in him Tell me I beséech you will you not iudge him to haue escaped the danger of death which falling into a swift riuer holdeth vp all his head aboue those déepe and dangerous waters notwithstanding that the rest of his members be as yet drowned in the same Euen so we which be one bodie in Christ séeing he which is our head hath escaped from the excéeding depth of death whie also of good right are not we said to be raised vp from death howsoeuer we as yet in this mortall state be couered with the same For otherwise doubtlesse we should denie him to be our head And if we professe our selues to be the members of him we must of necessitie also acknowledge that our resurrection is after a sort begoone in his resurrection A similitude If in the winter time we sée a bare trée without leaues flowers and fruit so that by the outward rind it may be taken as withered and yet so long as the root sticketh fast in the ground it is aliue and is not counted dead But if a man cannot persuade himselfe thereof let him expect till the spring of the yéere and then the truth of the matter will appeare by the leaues and flowers which spring foorth For by euident effects it will be well knowne that the life of that trée laie hidden before Euen so we which here séeme to be as it were the bootie of death and in whom no tokens of sound life doo appeare if we be ingraffed in Christ which is our root who liueth for our sakes is raised vp againe wherefore doo we now doubt of our resurrection to come And this is it that Paule writeth in the epistle to the Colos Col. 3 3. Ye are dead saith he and your life is hidden in Christ with God when Christ which is your life shall be made manifest then also shall ye be made manifest with him in glorie Further The gift of the spirit Christ departing into heauen gratified vs with that singular gift of the spirit to whom as the originall life of our soules and beginning of christian regeneration is chéeflie due so is it also of the resurrection of our bodies as Paule testifieth in his epistle to the Ephesians Ephes 1 19. to wit that We be led vnto faith through the effectuall woorking of his strong power which God shewed foorth in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his right hand in heauenlie places Séeing therefore we haue the first fruits of the spirit by the vertue whereof Christ rose againe from the dead who as we knowe hath atteined vnto that glorious end wherevnto he indeuoured to come we must be of a chéerefull mind and confirme our selues in that gift which he hath granted vnto vs. For what so great disquietnesse of state shall happen vnto vs in this life that can kéepe vs in sadnesse and heauines of mind For as Paule saith in the epistle to the Romans Rom 8 32. We are now saued by hope Assuredlie it is not to be counted a small gaine that we by Christ are deliuered from death Rom. 8 vers 32 c. so that we may now boldlie triumph not onelie against it but against all other miseries and misfortunes which be as it were garders of the same And we may comfort and chéere vp our minds against the violent motions of the flesh the which being constreined by such miseries dooth continuallie murmur séeing there is not onelie a promise made vnto vs of a new life but we haue also a certeine and sure pledge of the same in Christ 26 Furthermore Christs resurrection furthereth our saluation that noble resurrection dooth out of all doubt further greatlie our saluation For albeit that sinnes be forgiuen by the death of Christ and by that onelie and most acceptable sacrifice and that in his flesh fastened vpon the crosse all our faults haue béene punished yet neuerthelesse the forme of that spirituall life wherein we must liue no longer vnto the flesh but vnto the spirit not vnto old Adam but vnto Christ not vnto our selues but vnto God our father is not perceiued thereby But this did afterward appeare in that life which Christ receiued by his most mightie resurrection And therefore Paule writeth in his epistle to the Romans that Christ died for our offenses Rom. 4 25. and was raised vp for our iustification Indéed by the death of Christ we were reconciled vnto God howbeit therein is not discerned anie paterne of our state to come The resurrection of Christ is the fountaine of our sanctification but doubtlesse in the resurrection it shall shine most perfectlie For it was not beyond nature that the flesh of Christ which was subiect to the same infirmities that we be should die but his resurrection so went beyond nature it selfe as when the flesh of it selfe was instructed in no vertue whereby it might assure it selfe of a new life that wholie was giuen to it by the méere grace and bountifulnesse of God We also as far as apperteineth to that new and iustified regeneration can compasse the same by no vertue or desert of our owne works but God of his grace and goodnesse gaue it vnto vs without anie respect of our owne merits Further euen as Christ being risen from the dead ascended into heauen so we being iustified by his grace it is méet for vs in all our whole life to thinke no more vpon earthlie but vpon heauenlie things This dooth Paule teach vs in his epistle to the Colossians If ye be risen saith he with Christ Col. 3 1. seeke ye the things that be aboue and not earthlie things Besides this as Christ being risen from the dead dieth no more so he that is regenerated by faith let him take héed that he doo not fall againe into miserable and dangerous infidelitie For which cause Paule admonished Timothie that he should remember 2. Tim. 2 8. that Iesus Christ was risen againe from the dead For the remembrance of the same resurrection of Christ is of no small stirring vp to the leading of a godlie and innocent life that in such sort we may followe Christ who dieng once
Matthew the names of his progenitors are varied there is mingled adoption so that one and the selfe-same man had one father by nature and another by adoption Also in the old testament adoption was much vsed for both Iacob adopted vnto him his nephewes Ephraim and Manasses to be vnto him in stead of other sonnes Gen. 48 5. Children adopted vnto dead men Deut. 25 5. And that trade was of such force at that time as euen vnto dead men children were adopted for when one brother was dead the brother that remained on liue begat children of his wife and raised séed in Israell These things as it were a certain shadowe figured this our adoption vnto the sonnes of God The common translation hath The adoption of the sonnes of God whereas in the Gréeke this word of God is not read for there is onelie this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Adoption In this adoption we are to see whence and whither we be transferred 40 But it must be diligentlie considered both from whence we are by this adoption brought whither we are transferred We were before the children of the diuell of wrath of incredulitie of mistrust of this world of perdition of night of darkenes And here vnto be we transferred that both we are called and are in verie déed the sonnes of God partakers of the diuine nature brethren of Christ and children of light and that we sinne not 1. Iohn 3 9. For he which is borne of God sinneth not and that we loue our neighbours and our enimies Mat. 5 4. to the intent we should resemble our heauenlie Father who suffereth his sunne to shine vpon the good and euill and raineth vpon the iust and vniust Ibidem 9. and finallie that we be peace-makers for they shall be called the sonnes of God We are not the sonnes of God as procreated of his substance But our adoption is not such as we should thinke that wée are borne of the substance of God for that is proper vnto Iesus Christ onlie for the word of God is by nature borne of the father which thing neuertheles the Arrians denied For séeing they affirmed the sonne of God to be a creature they must néeds saie that he was not the sonne of God by nature but by adoption Doubtles great is our dignitie for we are so highlie exalted that wée not onlie are called Christ called the Apostles brethren Mat. 28 10. and be the sonnes of God but also haue Christ to be our brother Wherefore Christ when he was risen againe said vnto the woman Go ye and tell my brethren And although the fathers of the old lawe were not quite void of this dignitie yet they had it not so publikelie declared But this was no let at all that some of them were weake for we also in the Gospell haue manie that be weake 1. Cor. 3 1. For Paule saith vnto the Corinthians that he could not speake vnto them as vnto spirituall and therefore he was same to féed them with milke The verie which thing is written vnto the Hebrues Heb. 5 12. And on the other side they had men which were renowmed in faith whom we doubt not but were singular in this adoption And that thus also it was in those daies the Apostle testifieth in the epistle to the Romans Rom. 9 4. The fathers in old time attained to the adoption of children the 9. chapter for he saith Vnto whom pertaineth the adoption and the glorie and the testament and the giuing of the lawe and the worshipping and the promises and to whom pertaine the fathers Here we sée that adoption pertained vnto them also Ambrose vpon this place teacheth that of this adoption springeth vnto godlie men great securitie and vndoubtedlie for so much as this commeth vnto vs through the spirit We are more certaine of this adoption than we are of our natural fathers whereby wée are inwardlie mooued wée ought to be farre more certaine that wée are the sonnes of God than the sonnes of this world are certaine that they are the sonnes of them whom they call fathers For oftentimes the mothers deceiue both their husbands and their children but the spirit of God deceiueth no man In old time flatterers went about to persuade Alexander Alexander the great that he was not the sonne of king Philip but of Iupiter afterward when he sawe there came bloud out of a wound that was giuen him he smiled saieng that it séemed to him to be common bloud and not the bloud of gods But wée though we suffer manie things yea and loose our life for Christ his sake yet notwithstanding wée ought to be fullie persuaded that wée are the sonnes of God For to the end wée should not anie thing doubt of that matter wée haue not onlie the witnes of the spirit Christ hath taught vs to call God father Mat. 6 8. but the verie sonne of God hath taught vs to call God Father and to inuocate or call him by that name And this forme of praier ought to call vs backe from all kind of wickednes and from all kind of dishonest works and also to put vs in mind not to degenerate from the nobilitie of so honorable a father and that wée in no case dishonor him for it is accounted a great reproch vnto fathers to haue wicked children And séeing we cannot as we haue said attaine vnto this adoption but by Christ and his spirit therefore neither Turkes Iewes nor men that be strangers from Christ can call vpon God as vpon their father 41 Furthermore by these wordes And if we be children we be also heires euen the heires of God and fellowe-heires of Christ the Apostle sheweth what wée obtaine by this adoption namelie this To be the heires of God The which vndoubtedlie can appeare to be a benefite of no small estimation for not all those that be the children of anie man be forthwith his heires also Not all the children of anie man be his heires For onlie the first begotten haue that pre eminence euen as wée sée the case standeth at this daie in manie realmes And in the holie Scriptures it is manifest that Esau and Ismael were not heires Wherefore we be heires Rom. 9 8. and that of no poore man or of small matters for we haue obtained the inheritance of God and wée be made heires togither with Christ wée haue the inheritance of the father common with Christ and we be so wholie grafted into him and altogither knit with him that by his spirit wée liue But we shall then come vnto this inheritance when it shall be said vnto vs Mat. 25 34. Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world We be fellowheires bicause as Iohn saith when he shall appeare 1. Iohn 3 2. we shall be like vnto him And Paule saith vnto the Colossians Col. 3
of planting watering there is one thing doone in them whose outward eares are mooued by a bodilie voice an other thing in them whose inward sense God hath opened in whose hart he hath put the foundation of faith the feruencie of loue c. Those two kinds of calling could not more euidentlie be expressed Zuinglius in his book De prouidentia tome 1. leafe the 370. That appointment or ordinance wherby is decréed that a man is now called by God not onelie by this generall calling which betokeneth the outward preaching of the apostles but also by that whereby the spirit dooth earnestlie put the elect in remembrance that they desire to obeie GOD in that he commandeth or promiseth c. The same author vpon the epistle to the Romans the eight chapter tome 4. leafe 428. To them which according to the purpose who indéed were called from the beginning These words doo I vnderstand of the inward calling that is of the election not of the outward calling of the word As if he should saie I haue now said that to the saints or them which be called all things turne vnto good Which saieng I allow for all things are grounded vpon the frée election of God God which knew all things before they were determined also before hand that they should be coheires with his sonne so neuerthelesse that Christ is the first begotten that is the naturall and essentiall sonne of God and we the adopted sonnes Whom he hath so before hand appointed and ordeined those afterward he calleth by an inward calling that is he draweth inwardlie Iohn 6. that is he maketh faithfull he draweth them that their mind may cleaue fast and trust vnto him Whom he thus maketh faithfull those also he iustifieth through an assured faith that is to wit of his sonne c. The same author in his booke De prouidentia tome 1. leafe the 368. saith For they sawe that this thing is not now signified by signes but doone before the eies whereby the sinnes of the whole world were purged but as touching this outward calling there was nothing doone bicause onelie they did repent whom the holie Ghost lightened that they might knowe this man to be the sauiour and the father did drawe them that they might come vnto him and might imbrace him further to knowe that outward things are not able to doo anie thing else but signifie and shew c. Conradus Pellicanus vpon the first chapter to the Ephesians interpreting these words Ephe. 1 5. Who hath predestinated vs to the adoption of sonnes thus writeth In the which thing must be noted the order wherein election holdeth the first place next vnto that the adoption to be sonnes which is said to be the calling while the Lord draweth vnto him those which he indued with the spirit in giuing a knowledge of himselfe finallie there succéedeth an holinesse of life c. Now by these excellent and holie men appéereth these two maner of callings not deuised by me but both receiued and put in writing by them Whereof it commeth that of them which be at one and the selfe-same sermon and heare the selfe-same Gospell some beléeue some contend some imbrace and some laugh to scorne Verelie they which contend scorne and refuse doo it of their owne naughtinesse which God infuseth not into them but they which beléeue and imbrace doo this by the effectuall caling of God the which is not giuen vnto all men Wherefore Augustine De praedestinatione sanctorum chapter eight Therefore when the Gospell is preached some beléeue and some beléeue not they which beléeue the preacher speaking outwardlie do inwardlie heare of the father do learne but they which doo not beléeue doo heare outwardlie inwardlie they doo not heare nor yet learne This is as much to saie as To the one sort it is giuen to beléeue to the other it is not giuen Iohn 6 44. bicause No man saith he commeth vnto me except my father shall drawe him The same father euen in that booke the sixt chapter Many heare the word of truth but some beléeue and some speake against it That these therefore will beléeue and that those will not who can be ignorant of this Who can denie it Howbeit séeing the will of some is prepared by the Lord and of some not we are in verie déed to discerne what springeth of his mercie or what springeth of his iudgement Rom. 10 3. That which Israel sought saith the apostle it obteined not but election obteined it Acts. 2 37. But others be blinded as it is written God hath giuen vnto them the spirit of slumber eies that they might nor see and eares that they might not heare euen vnto this daie c. Wherefore verie great is the difference of hearers the which Augustine as we haue knowne noteth by the diuersitie of callings And wherefore God so tempereth and distributeth them he in the same booke the eight chapter teacheth in these words But whie he teacheth not all men the apostle hath opened so much as he thought méet to be opened bicause He minding to shew his wrath Rom. 9 22. and to make his power knowne suffered with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction and that he might declare the riches of his glorie vpon the vessels of mercie which he prepared vnto glorie c. Here the reason as it manifestlie appeareth is deriued from the finall cause bicause God determined to make manifest not onelie his goodnesse but also his righteousnesse and seueritie But some man will saie If thus the case stand God shall not be vniuersall but particular The which doubtlesse in this respect cannot be denied for we sée that he ruleth at his pleasure and distributeth these two kinds of callings But of this matter we will speake afterward when we shall come vnto predestination The vse of this doctrine 14 In the meane time let vs answer them who say it is but a small matter that they desire and that the frée will which they would haue to be granted them they saie i◠but a certeine little sparke The same we doo grant so farre as godlinesse will permit namelie in those things which are subiect to the sense reason of man and which doo not excéed the capacitie of our nature Also to them that be renewed we grant it as much as mans infirmitie dooth suffer while we liue in this world But vnto those which be not renewed we cannot grant the same as touching heauenlie and spirituall good things bicause such a sparke it is as it would not bréed brightnes but smoke wherby men would soone become proud and withdraw much from the grace and mercie of God For by this little sparke they would boast that they are discerned from others but the scriptures will not haue them discerned otherwise than by the grace and mercie of God not by free will or by their owne gifts and vertues
comprehended within the course of time 1 109 a Thrée sortes of them in God concerning his creatures 1 181 b Diuerse Actions of Christ teaching vs that the knowledge of the principall ende is profitable 1 9 a What Actions are fit and not fitte for Angels and bodies astumed 1 113 b 114 a ¶ Looke VVorkes Ad. Adam Adam had his name of earth or Adam red because that earth was red 1 121 b He vsed and spake in the Hebrewe tongue 1 126 b Christ and he compared how 3 31 a Whether he were of the number of the predestinate or reprobates 3 26 a Admonition Admonition defined 4 56 b Admonitions Men made woorse by good Admonitions and through whose default 1 192 a Whether they be taken away by Gods prouidence as may be obiected 1 176 a They are not vnprofitable no not to the wicked 1 193 a Adopted Whether the elder may be Adopted of the younger 3 79 b Whether the Adopted be deliuered from all kinde of feare 3 65 a Children adopted vnto dead men 3 80 b 81 a Adoption Adoption defined by the lawiers 3 79 b Howe it differeth from arrogation 3 79 b The force therof as it was vsed in the tune of the Patriarches 3 80 b Two sorts of the same 3 73 a Of our Adoption into the sonnes of God and by whom 3 79 b By what meanes wee obtaine it 3 128 b By what meanes it is darkened when it shal be reuealed 2 522 b Wherupon it dependeth 3 80. ab 1 40 a 3 153 b The benefites thereof 3 81 b Whether it be in our owne power 3 114 b 115 a By what we attaine thereto 3 80 b Our certeintie therof greater than theirs in old time 3 81 b It pertained euen to the olde fathers 3 81 a We bring nothing to merit it 3 80 a From whence whither it doeth transfer vs. 3 81 a Christ hath many brethren by Adoption 2 615 b Of the spirite of Adoption and the spirite of bondage 2 594 b Adoration In what things Adoration consisteth 4 178 a ¶ Looke VVorship Aduersitie What an happie man shoulde doe when by chance hée is fallen into Aduersitie 1 163 b Howe felicitie is darkened thereby 1 163 a ¶ Looke Affliction Aduersities Whether Aduersities do beautifie felicitie or blemish it 1 163 b 164 a Of their owne nature they bring vs not to God 3 240 b They doe not hinder felicitie say the Stoiks 1 163 b We must not pray to bee pressed with none and why 1 211 b Examples of Ethnikes which with courage suffered them 3 296 a ¶ Looke Afflictions Adulterie What is forbidden vnder the word Adulterie 2 552b 553 a All kinde of vncleannesse comprehended in it 2 304 b 2 517 a Of minde bodie which worsse 4 87 b Ecclesiasticall punishments for it 2 488 b Canonical purgation in case if it be suspected in ministers 2 489a When by what meanes it was made but a mocke 2 486 b Reasons whether women or men doe sinne more gréeuously therein 2 489 b 490ab 491 a Death for the same disallowed 2 486 b 487 a Reasons inferred to prooue that it should be forgiuen 2 487 a Marriage betweene persons of diuerse religions is counted so 2 444 b 445 a Whether in such a case reconciliation be lawfull 2 487 b 488 a Why Christ expressed it only as a cause of diuorsment 2 458 b Why Paul intermitteth the exception thereof in a case of diuorse 2 457 a Whether the same do make a diuorse onely 2 457 b Whether it or idolatrie be the greater sinne 2 465 b 466 a 479 a The Papistes recken it among light crunes 2 474 a.b The mischéefes thereof 2 478 b 479 a The summe of the Iulian lawe touching the same 2 485 a Lawes of diuers prophane people for the seuere punishing of it 2 483 ab Howe greeuous a sinne it is 2 478 b Punishments therof in the holie scripture with death 2 482 a.b Why in the punishment of it consideration must bee had of the sex 2 493 b Lawes of Emperours touching the punishment of the same 2 485b 486 a The fruites thereof 2 478 b Worsse than treason and periurie 2 479 a The etymologie of the worde the lawiers definitions of the same controlled 2 492 ab A kinde thereof committed euen betwéene the husband the wife 2 492a In what cases thereof the husband may accuse his wife 2 497 a Of two sorts in action and in cogitation 2 492 b Why punishments for the same by death are not well to be left off 2 494 a It is equall on both married parttes offending 2 490 b In souldiers punished 2 485 b 486 a From whence it springeth 2 517 a Theft and it compared which is the greater 2 518 b Of the body and the countenance 2 512 a In what respects that sinne is equall not equall in the man and wife offending 2 493 b 494a The wiues is often times reuenged of the husbandes prooued 2 490 b In Ieroms time punished with death 2 334 b That out of it being euill God raiseth a good thing 1 51 a Howe Christ did acquire the woman taken therin 2 495 a Clergie men admit not reconciliation in their wife hauing committed it 2 488 b 489 a Whether the husbande hauing dismissed his wife may accuse her thereof 2 488 a Whether Christian husbands should receiue their wiues againe after they haue committed it 2 464a The intisers of women thereto though not committed punished by law 2 485 b Reasons making for reconciliation of man wife after the same committed 2 496 a.b 497 a A woman betrothed abusing herselfe cōmitteth it 2 482 b The storie of the Adultresse in the Gospel inferred to prooue that it is not now to be punished with death 2 494 b Whether that of men must bee punished by that of women 2 493b By what meanes Dauid was lead to commit it 2 481 b How in him it was punished 1 49 b 2 518 b 495 b Compared with the chastitie of Ioseph 2 481 a Adulterer Whether an Adulterer may marrie an adulteresse 2 479 b Whether it was lawefull for the husbande to kill the Adulterer 2 484 b 485 a Whether Adulterers or théeues are more hurtfull to the common-weale 2 494 ab How the old fathers that vsed poligamie in the time of the lawe may séeme such 2 427 b How Gods iustice punisheth such when mens lawes be silent 2 486 b What things magistrates should respect in the punishments of them 2 464 a.b Whome Augustine counteth such 2 492 a A lawe made in fauour of them and what insued 4 255 a P. Martyr would haue ecclesiasticall punishment executed vppon them and how 2 495b Lucretia was an Adulteresse proued out of Aristotle 2 394 b The place of Iohn of the Adulteresse 4 253 a 259 a Some haue put the storie of the Adulteresse in the gospell quite out of the booke
workes of the fleshe 2 347b Not vsed in the primitiue Church 2 346 a Why Idolaters worshippe not liuing men who bee the Images of God 2 345 a The erecting of Images is a withdrawing of people from God 2 346 b At Rome verie artificially wrought 2 345a Which be true and what Images be false 2 335 b Not better than men and therefore shoulde not be worshipped 2 346 a Myracles and traditions of the Church obiected for the defence of worshipping Images 2 348 b 349 a Their antiquitie and originall 2 334b 335 a Erected vnto Princes and noble men 2 334 a Craftinesse and false myracles wrought about them 2 336 b Diuers properties incident to them and what is thereby concluded 2 336b 337 ab Of the Elders allowed and why 2 334 b What tearmes the scriptures giue them and to what ende 2 338 a What Church receiued them first 2 340 a The diuers endes and purposes why they were made 2 334 a A partition of them and of what thinges they be representations 2 335 b What the heathen feined to bring credite and estimation to them 2 334 b Some holie and some prophane according to there place 2 335 b Their efficient cause and wherein their honour is 2 334b Images in the time of Iacob 2 335 a Images of Alexander Seuerus in his priuie closet 2 354 b Whether pictures and Images are to be worshipped 4 178 b 2 342 a A lawe giuen to the Iewes for the destroying of Images 2 517 b In the masse they are worshipped and howe 2 318 b Whose part and office it is to destroy them 2 353 ab The Turkes admit none at al 2 341 ab Not orderly and perfectlie wrought at first and why 2 334 b Why the fathers in the primitiue Church suffered them not 2 354 a Howe by degrées they crept into Churches 2 352 b Charitie towardes the poore diminished by worshipping of them 2 344 b Against lauishing out of monie and cost about them 2 341 b They must as well bee broken in péeces as remooued out of Churches 2 353 a Some filthie and some honest 2 335 b Whether they helpe the faith of the ignorant as the aduersaries teach 2 353 b 355 a Whether it bee lawfull to set them in holie places of Christian resort 2 350 b 351 a What the aduersaries bring for the mainteinanes of Images in churches 2 454 ab 350 b 348 a 345. Of the Images that Salomon made for his royall throne 2 341 a Whether it be lawfull to represent God by Images 3 3â—5 336 b 337 ab That of the Images of God there be enewe alreadie extant 2 339 b Images of vertues painted out and in what manner 2 341 b Images erected to the affections or appetites 2 334 ab The manner of the Babylonians to carie their Images about the citie 2 319b The Persians in old time made no Images and when Images were brought into Rome 2 338 b The olde Romans commended for worshipping God 70. yeares without Images 2 338 a The obiections and reasons of such as would haue Images of God 338 b and the same aunswered 2 339 ab Imagination The power of the Imagination or phantasies 1 35 b 77 b Howe farre it doeth extende 1 79 b It was not Samuel but an Imagination that appeared at the call of the witch saith Peter Martyr 1 76 b Imitation The power of Imitation is not naturall in man but from God 2 341 a Imitation of Gods seruantes in all thinges forbidden 2 546 ab The Diuell endeuoureth by Imitation to followe God 2 540a 1 91 b 4 123 a Imitation of Christ is possible 2 572 a Imitation of God n Patience 2 557 b Imitation of the Diuell wished of D. Latimer in the english Bishops 2 481 a Ill Imitation of the water of gelousie 4 309 b The Pelagian error touching originall sin by Imitation confuted 2 2â—9 a 215 b The sinne of Imitation cannot be doone away by baptisme 2 216 a Imitation of Christes righteousnesse and what else is required of vs 2 215 b A Peruerse Imitation of Christ in the Papistes 4 127 b Imitation reckened of Aristotle among thinges that delight 2 334 a Euill Imitation of Elias in the Apostles 2 387 ab Euill Imitation of drawing children through fire in sacrifice 3 180 a Imitation of God in all thinges not permitted 4 62 b 2 3â—9 a 1 66 b What is to bee obserued in the Imitation of our forefathers 2 387a b 325 b Of honour in respect of Imitation 2 342 b Imitation in the inferiors of their superiors in manners life example of King Edward the sixt 1 133 b Immortalitie What things shal haue Immortalitie at the last iudgement 3 397 ab Reasons prouing the Immortalitie of soules 1 73 a For obtaining of Immortalitie Cicombrotus killed himselfe 2 393 a It is not a thing naturall 3 397 b Vnto whome it was first attributed 3 372 a Graunted to the wicked 3 360 a One of our properties at our resurrection 3 357 b Immunitie What Immunitie signifieth 4 239 b Immunities What Immunities or liberties the Papisticall sanctuaries doe graunt 4 268 ab 269 a In. Incarnation Of Christes Incarnation 2 599 b and diuers heresies touching the same 601 ab Incest Incest greater in one degrée of kinred than in an other 2 454 b Why in cases of Incest women rather than men were borne withall 2 493 b The Chanaanites reprooued of God for their Incest 2 448 b The Incest of Lot procured by drunkennesse 2 500 a Of Ruben and howe the same was punished 49 b Claudius Cesars decrée for allowing of Incest 2 429 b Incestes Incestes haue alwaies in a maner vnhappie and vnluckie endes 2 449 b Inchauntment That there is Inchauntment and howe it is prooued by Scripture 1 85 a Inchauntmentes Whether soules departed may be called againe by Inchauntmentes 1 75a A caueat in the twelue tables against Inchauntmentes or charmes of fruites 1 84 b Whether it be lawfull to vse Inchauntmentes for the taking away of mischeefes 1 91 b 92 a Good spirites doe not obey magicall Inchauntmentes saith Origen 1 73 b Inconstancie The Inconstancie of certaine of the Fathers and schoolemen 1 67 a Incontinence The spéech of Medea out of Ouid concerning Incontinencie 1 15 b Incontinent Incontinent men may receiue fruite by hearing good doctrine 1 53 a Notwithout choise whereunto they be compared 2 294 a By what meanes they decline vnto vices since in his minde he hath a right opinion 1 15 a Incorruption Incorruption one of the properties of our bodies at our resurrection 3 357 b ¶ Looke Resurrection Indifferent In thinges indifferent the weaker sort must be borne withall 3 266 a 2 321 a Whether it be lawfull to desire of God such thinges 3 303 b What is to bee considered in praying for such thinges 3 304 a What wee ought to regarde therein 3 166 b 167 a How they become not indifferent 3 252
king of the Assyrians to deliuer him from the siege 2. King 16 7 so far off was he from putting confidence in the Lord. And when as God béeing not ignorant of his disease offered him the remedie of a miracle and put it vnto his choise yet he through hypocrisie refused If Achaz had trulie beléeued God he would not haue refused to obeie séeing obedience is reckoned among the chéefest fruits of faith Let vs I beséech you compare with this vngodlie king the most godlie prince Ezechias his sonne who dealt not in this sort For he Obedience is the cheefe fruit of faith 2. King 20 8 to be the more assured of recouering his health verie modestlie required a signe vnto whose choise when Esaie had put whether he would haue the shadowe of the sunne to be set forward or to be turned backward he tooke his choise as he thought good neither did he frowardlie like his father refuse the miracle offered him by God Miracles offered not to be reiected But wicked Achaz to his infidelitie ioined hypocrisie For he considering that miracles are for two causes refused either for that a man openlie beléeueth in God and hath no néed of the helpe of miracles or else for that he vtterlie contemneth God and passeth nothing at all for this helpe he minded to hide the latter disease whereof he was sick namelie the contempt of God and made as though he had the vertue that is to saie a principall faith whereof in déed he was altogither destitute as though he durst not tempt God Psal 7 10. But séeing God most throughlie knoweth the harts and reines he by the prophet punished him according to his desarts A similitude What other thing is it to refuse a miracle offered by God but to reiect that which should helpe our spirituall infirmitie And euen as he that béeing well-néere starued with hunger would forsake his sustenance is worthie to be accused so was he to be reprooued which reiected a medicine offered him by God séeing God knoweth far better than our selues what euerie one of vs néedeth This is now sufficient concerning those things which in the beginning of this question séemed altogither to forbid the asking of miracles 18 I knowe indéed there be some which thinke that miracles ought not in anie wise to be asked but onlie that they should not be refused when God offereth them And they suppose that Augustine maketh with them Augustine De consensu Euangelistarum who in the fourth booke of the concordance or consent of the euangelists and in his 63. question vpon Genesis may séeme to affirme this thing But if a man obiect that verie manie godlie righteous men haue so doone especiallie our Gedeon they answere that they were mooued by the spirit of God to desire miracles therefore it was all one as if God had fréelie offered miracles vnto them and they with obedience had receiued those which were offered But these things ought nothing to trouble vs bicause Augustine in the places alledged dooth not flatlie and absolutelie forbid the desiring of miracles vnlesse they be demanded either in respect of tempting God or else for some other naughtie cause Yea and in the 63. question vpon Genesis he saith that When this is not rightlie doone it belongeth to the tempting of God Let vs rather heare what he saith in the tenth book of confessions the 35. chapter In religion also it is a tempting of God when signes and miracles are desired for making of a triall which thing I also a little before haue charged to be auoided For I will easilie grant that holie men required miracles not by the instinct of the flesh or of mans reason for then had their praiers béene vaine and to no purpose Rom. 8 26. séeing as Paule testifieth it is néedefull that the spirit should praie for vs with vnspeakable gronings But now I thinke there hath béene sufficientlie spoken of the questions propounded 19 But what the difference is betwéene signes and woonders In Rom. 15. verse 18. The difference betweene signes and woonders it cannot easilie be declared Origin thinketh that those onlie are to be called signes which though they be woonderfull of themselues yet they shew some other thing to come But woonders are those which doo onlie plucke men into admiration Looke an Epistle vnto Ludouike Lauater beginning Tuas litteras bicause they be doone after an vncustomed maner and against the power and order of nature But he also confesseth that this distinction is not obserued in the holie scriptures And trulie all the miracles whatsoeuer they were that Paule shewed were signes In 1. Cor. 12 verse 11. Looke In Iud. 2. verse 1. and In 2. King 2 verse 1. whereby the truth of his preaching was approoued The verie which thing we must affirme as touching the woonderfull works of Christ and of the prophets But the scriptures of the new testament wherin oftentimes there is mention made of the signes and woonders which Christ and his apostles did haue imitated the phrase of the old testament For there a man shall often find Othoth and Mophetim ioined togither Neither doo I thinke that there is anie difference betwéene the words except it be in degrée and quantitie yet am I not ignorant but that there may be signes or Othoth which haue in them no admiration at all Such be accents letters points speaches and other like the which we doubt not but are signes and yet they procéed either from art or from nature But the diuine oracles to the intent they might signifie that certeine works of the prophets of Christ and his apostles did not onlie shew some thing besides that which was wrought but also that they stirred vp a kind of astonishment woondring haue oftentimes ioined these words togither This vndoubtedly is my opinion which for anie thing that I sée I may still hold vnles an other man will shew me a better 20 But séeing it is written that The spirit distributeth to euerie one as he will wée learne thereby that no time must be prescribed vnto it for he desposeth these things when he will and how he will Whereby their argument is dissolued which saie that in Marke it is written These signes shall followe them that beleeue they shall cast out diuels Mark 16 17 they shall speake with new toongs they shall take awaie serpents c. Wherefore séeing these signes be not doone in vs it followeth that faith is not in the church of these daies But they be deceiued Miracles in the primitiue church were signes of faith For these things are not absolutelie and without exception but in some respect the tokens of faith belonging to that primitiue church vntill the gospell were made more manifest For miracles were as trumpets and open criers wherby the gospell was commended A similitude For euen as the lawe of Moses procured to it selfe credit through the
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 â—1 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 coÌ„monlie deliberate concerning all maner of things but of those onlie which of the Gréeks be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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
points of the lawes is not excused Therefore is it said of Paule in the first epistle to the Corinthians 1. Co. 14 38 He that is ignorant let him be ignorant And this ignorance which dooth not excuse is sometime laid vpon men by God as a punishment while he punisheth sinnes with sinnes 2. The. 2 11 Vnto the Thessalonians the second epistle it is written Bicause they haue not receiued the loue of the truth that they might be saued therfore will God send vpon them strong delusion that they shuld beleeue lies And in Ezechiel If the prophet be deceiued Eze. 14 9. I haue deceiued him 3. King 22 20 c. Also Achab was seduced by the euill spirit God being willing therevnto Thus then we sée what ignorance doth excuse what ignorance doth not excuse Aristotle addeth that Those things which be doone by dronkennes anger are voluntarie the which also we do affirme For as touching those things we haue receiued a lawe Be angrie but sinne not Eph. 4 25. Let not the sunne go downe vpon your wrath And we forbid to saie vnto anie man Thou foole Matt. 5 22. And as touching dronkennesse it is said of the Lord Luk. 21 34. Beware that your bodies be not oppressed with surfeting and dronkennesse Also Paule Be ye not dronken with wine wherin is excesse Ephe. 5 18. These things therefore which are doone by anger and dronkennesse doo not excuse séeing these things might either not be admitted or be bridled But that all the wicked and vngodlie sort are ignorant though they be not excused the scriptures doo euerie where plainelie declare Psal 13 2. The foolish man hath said in his hart that there is no God In the seuenth chapter of the Prouerbs verse 22. as touching them which are lead with lust and with pleasures He is led as an oxe vnto the slaughter and like as it were a foole which in fetters is led to his punishment Rom. 1. In the epistle to the Romans They which called themselues wise became fooles and the foolish hart of them was blinded Vnto the Ephesians Ephe. 4 17. Ye shall not walk as other gentils walke in vanitie of their mind being strangers from the life of God thorough the ignorance that is in them and the darkenes of their hart Yea and as Esaie saith and all the Euangelists testifie Esaie 44 18 They seeing shall not see and hearing shall not heare seeing they be in the darkenesse they knowe not whither they may go But among the circumstances which being vnknowne doo excuse Aristotle dooth speciallie reckon vp the end and Whereabout And this in verie déed is true 2. Sam. 15 9 Dauid sent awaie Absalom to go into Hebron but to what end or to what purpose he did it he could not know he is excused Also Abimelech had an other mans wife Gen. 20. but he knew not what she was with whom he was conuersant therefore might he saie vnto God that he did it in the simplicitie of his hart and that it was vnknowne vnto him Acts. 8. Also that Simon Magus was baptised the church is excused bicause it knew not of his ill and fraudulent counsell Howbeit in those ignorances which doo excuse vs if there followe no sorrowe we are giltie we allow not that which is doone He which shot an arrowe by thance slew king Achab 1. Kin. 22. 34. if he had béene witting of the déed he would not haue sorrowed neither would it haue béene perceiued that that which was doone was doone against his will Againe Dauid sorrowed for the death which followed of Absalom also of the death of Abner and Amazias wherevpon it appéereth that such things happened vnto him against his will and mind Voluntarinesse comprehendeth two things both that the beginning be from within and that there be not an ignorance of that which is doon Originall sinne hath his beginning from within and we know that such a corruption is against God and righteousnesse although that of our owne choise we call not for the same and therefore it is voluntarie Yet is it in yong children where there is a want of knowledge But this maketh no matter bicause we meane héere of actuall sinnes Neither can Aristotle or morall facultie atteine vnto that kind of sinne That those moreouer be voluntarie sinnes which are doone through lust and wrath it hath béene shewed by diuers reasons The which thing we doo admit for we haue receiued lawes concerning either of both vices Thou shalt not lust Matth. 5 22. Againe we are commanded that we should not be angrie with our brother without a cause Aristotle in his arguments affirmed that brute beasts doo things of their owne accord Esaie likewise said The oxe hath knowne his owner Esaie 1 3. and the asse his masters crib verse 7. And Ieremie said that The storke knoweth his appointed time chapter eight And the same opinion are we of touching children for in the time of Elizaeus they were punished by beares Also Isaac while he was oppressed by Ismael was commanded to be cast foorth by Sara And further Aristotle affirmeth that it is required and otherwhile exacted of vs that we should be angrie Psal 69 9. The zeale of thy house hath euen eaten me And Phinees is commended by God bicause he was reuenged vpon the vnpure fornicatours And where it is said that those things which be doone against the will haue sorrowe ioined with them Paule to the Romans testifieth the same Vnhappie man that I am Rom 7 24. Who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death But whereas Aristotle saith that those things which are committed through wrath and lust and also those things which are doone by the reason and will are to be auoided this we correct on this wise That auoided indéed they may be if Gods grace be applied therevnto for without the same who can beware of the motions of anger and lust No doubt but we may temper our selues from outward actions but these motions of the hart are not in our power Also we agrée that they be mens actions which procéed from lust and wrath for euen of them also we shall yéeld an account Of mans Election or making of choise 61 Aristotle saith Choise most proper to vertue that making of choise is most proper to vertue For in the definition which he made of vertue first was placed the generall kind namelie the habit then he added the difference to wit mediocritie after that were ioined togither the two properties namelie that through vertue we do things of our own accord and then that we doo them by making of choise Howbeit of these two properties making of choise is the more proper neither onlie if it be compared with that which is of our owne accord but also if it be compared with the other properties of vertue which no doubt are manie For
chapter where he saith The first image of brasse was made vnto Ceres at the proper costs and charges of Spurius Cassius Here we sée that this writer calleth the idoll of Ceres Simulachrum Vitruuius in his second booke and eleuenth chapter where he intreateth of the hewing of stuffe calleth the image of Diana Simulachrum The seuentie interpretors where it is in Hebrue Atsabbim there they translate it in Gréeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the Latine text hath Simulachra Yea and Iohn in the place a little before alledged saith Defend your selues from images 1. Ioh. 5 21 We read it in the Latine translation Fugite simulachra Ierom vpon the eleuenth chapter of Esaie declareth that Idols be the images of them which be dead Wherefore it appéereth that these men deuise distinctions which be fond and ridiculous Againe it must be considered Frō whence the worshipping of idols came into the church of Christ that this worshipping of images which is outwardlie of them vsed hath béene fetched as well from the Hebrues as also from the Gentils For in the tabernacle of Moses there was the candlesticke and the altar and also the incense such as these men doo set before their images Albeit Christ is now come and hath abrogated the ceremonies of Moses Cicero in his third booke of offices saith that Perfumes and wax candles were set before images Wherefore such rites or ceremonies were deriued aswell from the Gentils as from the Hebrues But at the last the matter came to such passe which is more intollerable as it is now thought of them which be called christians that some diuine power is in those images In which point I sée not what they differ from Ethniks They vndoubtedlie did thinke that such as vsed the image of Alexander were more fortunate than other men Wherefore Augustus which had before vsed the image of the Sphynx did afterward vse the image of Alexander Marius was delighted with a siluer eagle the which came afterward to the hands of Cateline who also worshipped the same himselfe and praied victorie of it Euen so doo they at this daie attribute sundrie vertues vnto images they make sacrifice vnto them and doo aske manie things of them Ierom vpon the 57. chapter of Esaie declareth that in his time at Rome the image of Tutela was worshipped in the entries of houses The image of Tutela worshipped at Rome in the time of Ierom. with tapers and lights But for vs if we be true christians it is no decent thing to take rites and ceremonies either from the Iewes or from other nations but we must onelie vse those things which are commanded vs in the word of God 1. Co. 11 23 Wherevpon Paule being desirous to commend the vse of the Lords supper saith that He deliuered vnto the Corinthians that which he had receiued of the Lord. 17 Wherefore séeing we haue it manifest out of the word of God that we must not worship images we ought to obeie suffering our selues to be gouerned by the lawe of God and not by the inuentions of men Moreouer we knowe Iohn 4 23. that God must be worshipped in spirit and in truth but no man is ignorant that images be not spirit and truth for so much as they be things which may be séene 2. Co. 5 16. And Paule saith that We knowe Christ no more after the flesh therefore much lesse after an image I beséech you let vs conferre the state of the primitiue church where vnto the seruice of God images were not vsed at all with the latter state wherin they be allowed and it will most manifestlie appéere that all things are become more corrupt Moreouer Augustine in his booke De quantitate animae most wiselie wrote that It behoueth him that is worshipped to be much better than he that dooth yéeld the worship but all men vnderstand that images be not better than men Further if they might be indued with life and reason they would honor their makers by whose hands they were made When men sinne in this kind of worshipping they doo nothing else but as S. Paule taught the Romans They change the glorie of God into the similitude of a mortall man of birds Rom. 1 23. of foure footed beasts and of serpents Those which defend and mainteine such worshippings doo drawe awaie men from the true worshipping of God For 1. kin 12 28 when as Ieroboam went about to drawe awaie the children of Israel from the worshipping of the true God he erected two images of calues one in Bethel and the other in Dan. Furthermore in this matter we knowe the forwardnes of men for whereas Christ hath commanded that we should beare his crosse we had rather worship the same and all to becrosse our head and forehead therewith which thing he commanded vs not Neither can we but grant that the Christians as we may learne by Tertullian began euen at the first to fortifie themselues with the signe of the crosse Matt. 13 25. For the diuell began foorthwith to sowe cockle vpon the good séed of the church Also Paule putteth the Corinthians in remembrance 1. Cor. 12 2. that they were sometime carried awaie vnto dumbe images the which verie thing we sée doone at this day in euerie place We read not anie where in the time of the primitiue church that faithfull and godlie men did direct their praiers vnto pictures and images But now this is vsed euerie where and it is come to that passe that men giue more honor vnto images than they doo vnto the word of God For there is not a man found at this daie that dooth worship and honor the holie scriptures Christ when he was vpon the earth Iohn 15 7. bicause he was now readie to depart comforted his apostles saieng that Vnlesse he departed the spirit of the Comforter should not be sent vnto them Which the interpretors expound to be said bicause that the presence of Christ as concerning his flesh would hinder them that they should not be fit to receiue the spirit Which thing if it be trulie said as touching the flesh of the Lord how much rather shall it be affirmed of his images and pictures Neither doo we doubt that Peter would not be worshipped of Cornelius the Centurion If Peter would not be worshipped himselfe much lesse his image who was not to be thought that he would doo diuine honor vnto him With what mind thinke we dooth he beare that his images and pictures should now be worshipped among men But if they will saie We doo not honor them with the chéefest honor let them vnderstand that neither Cornelius minded so to worship Peter 18 Neither must we be ignorant Apo. 19 10. and 22 9. that the angell in the Apocalypse did twise reprooue Iohn for that he would haue worshipped him Then if so be that neither angels nor men must be worshipped much lesse their images and pictures And
them beléeue yea and their sinnes were forgiuen them through Christ So then they had also the fruition of those things which God promised to giue in the new couenant The onelie difference héerin was touching the largenesse and perspicuitie For at that time those gifts were kept within the compasse of a few but now they be euerie where communicated to the Gentils In that age they were somewhat obscure but to vs they are made euident and cléere so that we haue no more néed of the old discipline Héereby it manifestlie appéereth how they erre from the truth which affirme that the old league had promises onelie for possessing the land of Chanaan and for worldlie felicitie and that the people of the Hebrues were bound onelie to an outward obseruation of certeine rites and works and not to shew foorth good and perfect motions of the mind towards God The prophets doo not interpret the matter to be in such wise naie rather they denie that God anie thing estéemeth outward works without inward godlinesse Esaie 1 11. Amos. 5 22. and they pronounce in euerie place that the ceremonies which be void of faith and of the feare of God are a most gréeuous burden and so troublesome as he cannot abide them Yea and the lawe it selfe maketh expresse mention of the circumcision of the heart Deut. 10 16 and God euerie where requireth that we shuld heare his voice which is nothing else 1. Sa. 15 22. but to deale with him by faith Wherefore the faith of the promises and commandements of GOD ought to be counted as the roote and foundation which alwaies abideth when as outward sacraments and visible rites should at the length be changed So that it is verie manifest that God would not haue them for their owne sakes Howbeit they indured so long as men were indued with a childish spirit as Paule speketh to the Galathians Gal. 4 3. whiles they liued as yet vnder tutors and as yet differed verie little from seruants But when they receiued a more full spirit then were the sacraments and childish rites as Augustine saith taken awaie It is manifest therefore that the difference betwéene the two couenants must not be taken of the thing or substance but of the qualities and properties 6 Let them therefore forsake their foule error which thinke that God in the old lawe onlie promised earthlie things as though at that time he onelie prouided for the bodies and not for the soules as doo shepheards ploughmen and hog-heards which onelie haue a care of the bodies and carcases of their shéepe swine and oxen neither indeuour they anie thing else but to make those beasts strong and fat We must not so imagine of GOD who in such sort made a league with the fathers as he promised them the chéefe felicitie which speciallie apperteineth vnto the soule Also it is written in the 144. psalme verse 15. Blessed are the people which haue the Lord for their God In Deuter. also Deut. 30 6. GOD tooke vpon him to bring to passe that they should walke in his commandements But what more Our Sauiour out of the words of the old league hath most aptlie taught the resurrection of the dead For when the Lord said Matt. 22 31. that he was the GOD of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and they were then dead Christ inferred that they were not thou dead but that they still liued and that their bodies should be receiued namelie in the blessed resurrection Her vnto perteineth that which God aâ—…ruied to Abraham Gen. 15 1. to wit that he himselfe would be his reward Which words plainlie teach vs that in that couenant were not promised carnall and earthlie good things alone Vndoubtedlie it were a great shame euen for kings and princes which being compared vnto God are but flesh and bloud if they should be counted to gouerne the publike weales in respect onelie of the bodies of subiects The end of ciuill administration séeing they professe that they prouide for the outward commodities quietnes and peace of their citizens bicause they may liue happilie and according to vertue So then if earthlie princes prouide goods of the mind for their subiects is it not fit that God himselfe did prouide far more excellent things for the publike weale of the Israelites whom he faithfullie gouerned Furthermore I saie not how foolish it is to beléeue that the forefathers by the league bound themselues onelie to outward rites and visible ceremonies whereby they would worship God séeing the verie Ethniks were not ignorant but rather they haue most plainlie testified that the worshipping of GOD consisteth not in those things Plautus For Plautus in Rudente writeth thus They thinke that they please God with gifts and sacrifices but they loose both their labour and cost I will not declare those things which Plato in his Alcibiades writeth Plato concerning this matter Yea and as I haue before taught the lawe it selfe and the prophets declare that the thing was far otherwise The fathers entered into couenant with God for their posteritie also 7 We will note also that the fathers made a league with God not onelie for themselues but also for their posteritie as God againe for his part promised them that he would be the God not onelie of them but also of their séed and posteritie Wherefore it was lawfull for them to circumcise their children being yet infants And in the like maner it is lawfull for vs also to baptise our little children when they are yet infants forsomuch as they also are comprehended in the league For they which alreadie haue the thing it selfe there is nothing that may lett but that they should receiue the signe It is plainelie written in the 29. chapter of Deuteronomie verse 15. that The league was made not onelie with them which were present but also with them which were absent and not yet borne But some doubt whether the posteritie may be bound by their forefathers Whether the posteritie may be bound by their forefathers We doo answer we must looke whether the things which were promised to our forefathers were iust and honest then must we consider whether these promises perteined vnto ciuill things or vnto godlines When they are made for ciuill things the bond is firme bicause it is not lawfull for the posteritie to infringe the contracts of their forefathers such as are buiengs sellings bargeins and such like Prouided that they conteine nothing that is shamefull dishonest and vmust But if the bonds and couenants belong to godlinesse or to a right faith then the obligation is of full strength bicause we are all bound to true godlines and to a sound faith although there were no couenant to bind vs. But if the forefathers haue bound themselues and their posteritie vnto dishonest and wicked things it is no bond at all But whereas God so humbled himselfe as to enter in league with men that commeth of
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
by faith are vnited vnto Christ the head of the church Whereof it may be soundlie concluded that it is a peculiar gift for them which be true members of this bodie vnder the head Christ And this treatise of the remission of sinnes we will for the easier vnderstanding diuide into thrée points to be considered Three things to be considered Of which the first is that we by the grace and spirit of Christ be made partakers of the remission of our sinnes But here must we sée by what waie and means the Lord is woont to giue this grace and spirit the which we cannot otherwise define than by faith For the benefits which God offereth vnto vs are méet to be receiued of him that will inioie them And faith is nothing else but a receiuing of the mercie of GOD which is offered vnto vs by him Whervnto there be two things necessarilie required Two things necessarilie required in faith one is that that be offered to vs which is good the other that we giue our consent But to receiuing consent we haue néed of the spirit that should inwardlie persuade the mind for otherwise a man by reason of his naturall corruption would turne awaie himselfe as to whome these promises of God these mercies offered and this remission of sinnes might naturallie séeme not likelie to be true and to be of no great weight And he would be far from the through consideration of them séeing as the philosophers themselues also saie he would no lesse be blinded vnto diuine things than the mole is at the light of the sunne Whereof there is a testimonie of Paule to the Corinthians The naturall man saith he vnderstandeth not those things which be of God for they be foolishnesse vnto him that we may haue néed of that inward moouing least we should refuse the benefit which is offered vnto vs. And indéed in this moouing there be two excellent gifts The first is that we acknowledge the gift and mercie of God offered vnto vs. The second that the things which be offered should be pleasing vnto vs and that by giuing our assent we receiue and imbrace them Which for the most part is granted vnto vs none otherwise to be vsed but as it is set forth to vs by the word of God how excellent and great soeuer the mercie of God is by the which he fréelie forgiueth our sinnes Acts 10 44. Wherefore it is written in the Acts of the apostles While Peter yet spake the holie Ghost fell downe vpon them which heard him Rom. 10 17. And by Paule vnto the Romans it is said that Faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God So as the church preaching continuallie the word of God by hir ministers and in such sort offering in hir sermons reconciliatiō by Christ it giueth remission of sinnes in that by the outward ministerie it pronounceth the same out of the words of the scripture by the which through attentiue ears as through a conduit both the grace and spirit of Christ doo slowe in euen vnto our hart Wherfore it is most firmelie concluded that the word of God by the verie same means which I haue spoken is the originall of the remission of sins Which thing séeing it is set foorth in the church onelie it followeth that the sinnes be forgiuen no where else Sacraments be visible words 45 An other consideration we will adde which concerneth the sacraments the which be visible words of this absolution For euen as the word soundeth and is heard in the voice so in a visible and euident signe a sacrament dooth speake and admonish vs vnto the which we giuing credit obteine in verie déed that which it dooth promise and signifie Neither doo we otherwise giue credit vnto the signification hereof than by the motion of the same spirit of Christ which we haue aboue declared But thinke you not that sinnes be forgiuen by the vertue of the worke that is wrought through receiuing of the sacrament seeing this we obteine by faith while we beléeue that which it visiblie teacheth vs according to the institution of Christ to wit that a sacrament may be of the same value that the word of God is The same thing is offered by the word that is doone by the sacraments For euen as this word signifieth and giueth in verie déed vnto the beléeuers whatsoeuer it dooth promise so baptisme being by faith receiued both signifieth and giueth to the beléeuer remission of sinnes the which it promiseth by a visible speaking But indéed it might be obiected vnto me If so be that sins as it hath béene said be forgiuen vnto them which beléeue the word of Christ as by preaching it is set foorth to vs how can they then againe be forgiuen by baptisme I answer that as touching God both the one and the other absolution is all one and as concerning our sinnes the remission is one and the same The which neuerthelesse is as often confirmed and renewed in vs as we giue credit vnto the words whereby the same is signified vnto vs whether it be by word of mouth or by visible signe it is all one So that how often soeuer we either heare the word or receiue the sacraments in faith the remission of sinnes is assured vnto vs whereby no small faith is inwardlie powred into vs. A benefit of the sacraments And it ought to séeme no maruell vnto anie man wherefore the sacraments be ordeined by Christ séeing that by them his pleasure is that the strength of the spirit should haue recourse into the beléeuers no lesse than by the outward word of the scripture euen as we are taught by dailie experience but yet so as neither of these can profit anie man without faith Wherefore we haue hitherto declared two meanes by which the remission of sinnes is extant in the church according to the two waies whereby the word of God is set foorth vnto them that beléeue But and if thou demand which of the sacraments by name signifieth this remission of sinnes in the church I answer that it is baptisme in the which we being washed with visible water is a signe that we by Christ obteine spirituall clensing And that is it which Paule teacheth vnto the Ephesians that God hath purged his church with the washing of water through the word of life Ephe. 5 26. 46 But now let vs sée Of excommunication what is the third meane of this remission of sinnes The church by the singular gift and grace of Christ hath right and authoritie as it hath béene alreadie said to cut off from hir by excommunication them that be obstinate The order whereof Christ hath described and taught vnto hir in the Gospell of Matthew Mat. 18 17. where he speaketh of brotherlie correction whereby men being admonished that vnlesse they did repent it should procéed euen to the vttermost punishment of separation the which so long may stand in
predestinated are so to be taken as they are foreséene of God and by this meanes they cannot séeme to be temporall Be it so That which is the latter cannot bee the efficient cause of that which went before take them in that maner yet can it not be denied but that they are after predestination for they depend of it and are the effects thereof as wée haue before taught Wherefore after these mens doctrine that which commeth after should be the efficient cause of that which went before which how absurd it is euerie man may easilie vnderstand Further the efficient cause is of his owne nature more woorthie and of more excellencie than the effect speciallie in respect it is such a cause So then Our works cannot be of more woorthines than predestination if works be the causes of predestination they are also more woorthie and of more excellencie than predestination Ouer this predestination is sure constant and infallible how then shall we appoint that it dependeth vpon works of frée will which are vncerteine and vnconstant Things constant and certeine depend not of things vnconstant and vnterteine and may be wrested to and fro if a man consider them particularlie For men are alike prone vnto this or that kind of sinne as occasions are offered for otherwise if we will speake generallie frée will before regeneration can doo nothing else but sinne by reason of the corruption that commeth by our first parents So as according to the mind of these men it must néeds followe that the predestination of God which is certeine dependeth of the works of men which are not onelie vncerteine but sinnes also Neither can they saie that they meane as touching those works which followe regeneration for those as we haue taught spring of grace and of predestination We must not so defend mans libertie that wee spoile God of his libertie Neither doo these men consider that they to satisfie mans reason and to attribute a libertie I knowe not what to men doo rob God of his due power and libertie in election which power and libertie yet the apostle setteth foorth and saith that God hath no lesse power ouer men than hath the potter ouer the vessels which hée maketh But after these mens opinion God cannot elect but him onelie whom he knoweth shall behaue himselfe well neither can he reiect anie man but whome he séeth shall be euill But this is to go about to ouer-rule God and to make him subiect vnto the lawes of our reason As for Erasmus he in vaine speaketh against this reason for he saith that It is not absurd to take awaie from God that power which he himselfe will not haue attributed vnto him namelie to doo anie thing vniustlie For we saie that Paule hath in vaine yea rather falselie set foorth this libertie of God if hée neither haue it We must attributed vnto God that libertie which the scripture sheweth of him nor will that it should be attributed vnto him But how Paule hath prooued this libertie of God that place which we haue cited most manifestlie declareth They also to no purpose obiect vnto vs the iustice of God for héere is intreated onlie of his mercie Neither can they denie but that they by this their opinion doo derogate much the loue and good will of God towards men For the holie scripture when it would commend vnto vs the fatherlie loue of God Rom. 5 8. affirmeth that He gaue his son and that vnto the death and at that time when we were yet sinners enimies and children of wrath But they will haue no man to be predestinated which hath not good works foreséene in the mind of God And so euerie man may saie with himselfe If I be predestinated the cause thereof dependeth of my selfe But another which féeleth trulie in his hart Loue towards God is kindled by the true feele of predestination that he is fréelie elected of God for Christ sake when as he of himselfe was all maner of waies vnworthie of so great loue will without all doubt be woonderfullie inflamed to loue God againe 23 It is also profitable vnto vs that our saluation should not depend of our works For we oftentimes wauer and in liuing vprightlie are not constant Doubtles if we should put confidence in our owne strength we should vtterlie despaire but if we beléeue that our saluation abideth in God fixed and assured for Christ sake we cannot but be of good comfort Further if predestination should come vnto vs by our works foreséene the beginning of our saluation should be of our selues against which opinion the scriptures euerie-where crie out for that were to raise vp an idoll in our selues Moreouer the iustice of God should then haue néed of the externall rule of our works But Christ saith Ye haue not chosen me Iohn 15 16. but I haue chosen you Neither is that consideration in God which is in men The same consideration is not of Gods choise that is of mans choise when they begin to fauour a man or to loue a fréend for men are mooued by excellent gifts wherewith they sée a man adorned but God can find nothing good in vs which first procéedeth not from him And Cyprian saith as Augustine oftentimes citeth him that we therefore can not glorie for that we haue nothing that is our owne and therefore Augustine concludeth that we ought not to part stakes betwéene God and vs to giue one part to him and to kéepe another vnto our selues to obteine saluation Touching saluation the whole must be ascribed vnto God for all wholie is without doubt to be ascribed vnto him The Apostle when he writeth of predestination hath alwaies this end before him to confirme our confidence and especiallie in afflictions out of which he saith that God will deliuer vs. If predestination should depend of works it wold make vs not to hope but to despaire But if the reason of Gods purpose should be referred vnto our works as vnto causes then could we by no meanes conceiue anie such confidence for we oftentimes fall and the righteousnes of our works is so small as it can not stand before the iudgement seate of God And that the Apostle for this cause chéefelie made mention of predestination we may vnderstand by the eight chapter of the Epistle to the Romanes Rom. 8 1. and 8 c. For when he described the effects of iustification amongst other things he saith that we by it haue obteined the adoption of children and that we are mooued by the spirit of God as the sons of God and therefore with a valiant mind we suffer aduersities and for that cause euerie creature groneth and earnestlie desireth that we at the length be deliuered and the spirit it selfe maketh intercession for vs. And at the last he addeth Ibidem 27. That vnto them that loue God all things worke to good And who they be that loue God
purpose of GOD though after a diuers maner And as touching originall sinne we also affirme that it goeth not before predestination or reprobation but of necessitie followeth it for that God would not produce men out of any other stocke or matter but out of the progenie of Adam by means whereof we are all borne infected with the spot of corruption And forsomuch as this was not hidden from God therefore Augustine we also with him saie that God from euerlasting purposed to haue mercie on those whom he loued and not to haue mercie on others whom he loued not so that if they which want that mercie which is bestowed vpon others doo lead their life in originall sinne and when they are come to age and to the vse of reason doo adde vnto it manie other sinnes then are they iustlie and woorthilie damned And this may effectuallie be said to repell those which peraduenture presume to laie the cause of their damnation not vpon their owne faults but vpon God Wherfore originall sinne goeth before the birth of all men so that thou haue a respect vnto euerie particular man Originall sinne goeth before euery mens damnation it also goeth before the damnatition of all the wicked although it could not be before the eternall purpose of God but onelie as touching foreknowledge 35 These things being as we haue declared them as they are in no case absurd euen so may they well be perceiued if we depart not from the sense of the scripturs which sense how much in this place Pighius ouerpasseth A fond imagination of Pighius by meanes of his owne fond inuention I will in few words touch He maketh manie degrées or acts in the mind of God which he ordereth in themselues not by distinction of time but of nature and therefore such acts he calleth signes and yet had he not that out of the holie scriptures but borowed it out of Scotus In the first signe saith he God appointed to bring foorth all men to eternall saluation which they might haue fruition of togither with him and that without anie difference and ouer them he would haue Christ to be the head whom he thinketh also should haue come in the flesh although the first man had not sinned In the second signe he saith that God foresawe the fall of man by reason whereof it was not now possible that men should come vnto saluation that is vnto the end which God had purposed in himselfe when hée decréed in the beginning to create man Howbeit that the matter might go forward he saith that God did put in the third signe remedies in Christ namelie of grace and of the spirit such like whereby might be holpen those which would receiue them and those forsaken which should refuse them Lastlie in the fourth signe for that he foresaw that manie would imbrace these aids and would vse them well and effectuallie he therefore predestinated them to saluation but others whom he sawe would reiect these benefites of God he adiudged to vtter destruction This he speaketh concerning them that be of full age But forsomuch as by this fond imagination he could not satisfie as touching infants that perish before they can haue the vse of frée will he patcheth therevnto another fable namelie that they after the iudgement shall be in this world happie with a certeine naturall blessednesse wherein they shall continuallie praise God and giue thanks vnto him for that their estate so tollerable So this man feineth a doctrine which he can not prooue by anie one word of the scripture For how attributeth he vnto God that he in the first signe decréed those things which should not haue successe namelie that all men should enioie felicitie It is the point of a wise man I will not saie of God God apointeth not those things which shall haue no successe to decrée or will those things which shall take no effect Let him also bring foorth some oracles of God to declare vnto vs that the sonne of God should haue taken vpon him mans flesh though man had not sinned but he shall no where be able to shew anie such thing séeing the holie scriptures euerie where testifie vnto vs that he was giuen for our redemption and for the remission of sinnes which also might haue taught him if he had considered that originall sinne went before all the effects of predestination creation onelie excepted Séeing Christ was to this end predestinated and giuen vnto vs that we might haue a remedie of our fals of all which fals originall sinne is the head and principall and he had not taken vpon him humane flesh Christ had not come vnles sinne had bene committed if there had ben no sinne committed He without the scriptures also imagineth that it lieth in the power of our frée will to receiue the remedies béeing generallie set foorth when as this is the most absolute gift of God And that which he last of all bringeth namelie of the naturall felicitie of children is not onelie auouched besides the scripture but also is plainlie against it which teacheth Infants perish vnles they be renewed by the mediator that all perish in Adam vnlesse they bée renewed by the mediator But to perish or to die how repugnant it is with felicitie all men easilie vnderstand And besides that he hath not on his side one of all the fathers which durst imagine anie such fond deuises Neither can I bée persuaded that Pelagius himselfe if hée were aliue againe would more diligentlie colour his opinion than this man hath painted it and set it foorth 36 That which we haue hitherto prooued touching predestination namelie that it dependeth not of workes foreséene the selfe same thing also affirme we of reprobation for neither dooth it also depend of sinnes foreséene so that by reprobation thou vnderstand not extreme damnation but that most déepe eternall purpose of God of not hauing mercie For Paule writeth alike of Esau and Iacob Rom. 9. 11. Before they had done anie good or euill it was said The elder shall serue the yonger Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated that it should not bee of works but of him that calleth And Pighius laboureth in vaine to haue this sentence of Paule vnderstood of one of them onelie séeing the apostle ioined them both togither vnder one and the selfe-same condition Which hée more manifestlie afterward declareth saieng Ibm. ver 18. Hee hath mercie on whom he will whom he will he hardeneth Further If sin were the true cause of reprobation none should be elected if sinne were the true cause of reprobation then should none be elected séeing God foreknoweth that all men are defiled with it The verie which thing Augustine prooueth vnto Simplicianus 37 But now we will entreate of the third article What the effects of reprobation are to sée what are the effects of predestination of reprobation we will be the bréefer
fréelie bestowed by God not thorough works or for anie woorthines of the receiuers On the other part men are woont to doubt whether themselues by the election of God be excluded from these promises or no héere must they teach that it is the part of faithfull people to receiue the promises of God generallie as they be taught vs in the holie scriptures by the spirit of God and that they ought not to be verie inquisitiue of the secret will of God For vndoubtedlie he would haue reuealed declared who be the chosen reprobate if he had knowne that the same should be profitable to saluation Wherefore séeing the scriptures reiect none particularlie from the promises euerie man ought so to harken vnto them as if they should particularlie perteine to himselfe And certeinlie togither with faith there will be a persuasion of the spirit giuen vnto the beléeuers so as they shall not be in anie doubt but that they verelie perteine vnto the elect By this meanes the ministerie of the church dooth seruice vnto God and worketh with him for our saluation not that the goodnes and power of God cannot without it both offer his promises vnto vs and also incline our minds to receiue the same For the grace of God is not necessarilie bound either to the ministerie The grace of God is not necessarilie bound to outward things or to the sacraments or else to the outward word But we now speake of the vsuall meanes whereby God dooth lead men vnto saluation And when as we haue once admitted the promises of God we which before were dead in sinne begin foorthwith to reuiue againe and being so restored vnto life in some part we obeie the lawe of God vndoubtedlie not in perfect wise but onelie by an entrance into obedience Further against our enimies the flesh and the diuell we haue the present helpe of God and in afflictions a woonderfull comfort and we haue the strengths and faculties of the mind and bodie restored And to speake at one word the grace of God which we haue described is the well-spring of all good things 11 But this one thing we séeme to haue affirmed which as yet is not prooued by the scriptures namelie that God dooth not onelie by his méere grace and good will offer the promises which we haue now spoken of but that he also by his spirit bendeth our hart to receiue them The first part was allowed euen of the Pelagians What maner of grace the Pelagians granted to wit that there is required a grace of doctrine and illustration But the other thing namelie that the hart should either receiue or refuse the promises offered they thought did stand in frée will But the scripture teacheth far otherwise for Ezechiel saith in the 11. chapter Ezec. 11 19 God dooth not onelie offer the promises but he also bendeth the hart to imbrace them The meaning of the fathers that God would giue to his faithfull a new hart and a new spirit and that he would take awaie from them their stonie hart would giue them a fleshie hart These things doo teach most manifestly that there must be a change made in our minds Wherefore when as we read either in Augustine or in other of the fathers that grace dooth first come which our will dooth accompanie as a handmaiden that must not so be vnderstood as if our will followeth of hir owne power It is not sufficient that the will be stirred vp but that it be also mooued being onelie stirred vp and admonished by grace Vnles the will should bée changed it would neuer followe wherefore it is first required that the will be changed then that it should obeie Chrysostome also must be heard with discretion who in his sermon De inuentione crucis saith that Neither the grace of God can do any thing without our will nor our will without grace for it is not generallie true that grace can doo nothing without our will vnles ye so vnderstand will to be that about which grace worketh Grace is not to expect the consent of the will but that grace must expect the consent of the will that is not true for grace changeth the will before the same be able to giue anie consent Wherefore Dauid praieth A cleane hart create in me ô God And Salomon Incline Lord Psal 51 11. the hart of this people to execute thy commandements And Dauid againe 1. Kin. 1 58. Psa 118 36. Incline my hart vnto thy testimonies The Pelagians taught The opinion of the Pelagians that the beginning of good works commeth from vs that is to saie from frée will and that grace dooth helpe forward vnto the easier and readier performance of them 12 But the latter Diuines and Sophisters The opinion of the Schoole-men least they should séeme altogither to agrée with Pelagius haue thus decréed that Grace dooth indéed come first but that it is our part either to receiue it or to denie it But this hath no more truth in it than had that opinion of Pelagius for how haue we wherewithall to admit the same grace If this were true saluation should come from our selues But Paule saith What hast thou that thou hast not receiued 1. Cor. 4 7. And if thou hast receiued why doost thou glorie as though thou hadst not receiued And against these Augustine citeth the words of Paule It is not in him that willeth Rom. 9 16. nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercie If the sentence saith he of these men were true the apostle with like reason might haue said It is not in God that sheweth mercie but in him that willeth and runneth For as these men teach the worke séemes to be distributed so as the one part is ascribed vnto God and the other is left vnto vs and so that the grace of God is not sufficient vnlesse that we also put to our helpe and that we doo will and run But far otherwise the apostle Rom. 9 16. It is neither saith he of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercie And in another place he saith of himselfe 1. Co. 15 10 I haue laboured more than all yet not I but the grace of God which is in me by which words he renounceth all in himselfe ascribeth it wholie to the grace of God And Augustine addeth We praie for our enimies which as yet be euill and will not obey God and doo refuse his promises Which thing when we doo what desire we but that God will change their wils Which vnlesse it were in Gods power to doo it should be craued of him in vaine 1. Cor. 3 5. And in another place Paule saith Not that we be fit to thinke anie thing of our selues as of our selues But and if we be not able so much as to thinke a thought certeinelie much lesse can we will for will followeth cogitation and knowledge
little and little passeth into an vse and is by custome made pleasant and so at the length men begin to referre their dooings vnto God and to estéeme righteousnes in respect of it selfe For euen as a néedle A similitude when anie thing is to be sowed first entreth in and draweth with it the thred that is annexed thereto but it selfe abideth not in that which is sowed so saie they there créepeth into vs a seruile feare which is afterward excluded when charitie and a chast feare doo once take place But what is to be thought of those terrors which in our minds go before faith it is manifest namelie that they are sins before the Lord but if anie profit or cōmoditie followe them that is to be attributed not vnto their owne nature but to the goodnes of the holie Ghost for he vseth those to be meanes of our iustification The Maister of the sentences maketh foure kinds of feare The Maister of the sentences in stead of the twoo kinds of feare which Augustine maketh mention of putteth foure The first is a worldlie feare whereby men rather than they will lose riches pleasures and honours fall awaie from Christ and this is a feare most pernicious and most farre from all godlines The second is a seruile feare which we before haue described The third is an initiall feare that is a feare that serueth at the beginning whereby men are so mooued with the feare of punishment that togither therwith they haue also a regard vnto God and are caught with a certeine loue of his righteousnes and will this feare in his iudgement is mingled both with a seruile feare and also with a childlie feare Last of all he ioineth that pure childlie feare with perfect charitie But the Schoole-men The School men haue added a fift feare which followed the Maister of the sentences bicause they also might adde somewhat of their owne haue brought foorth another feare which they call naturall whereby euen by the impulsion of nature it selfe we flie from those things which are against the constitution of nature 12 Now that I haue bréeflie and faithfullie declared these things out of Augustine out of the Maister of the sentences and out of the Schoole-men I will in few words set foorth what is to be taught touching them First I confesse Matth 27 5. and 26 75. that there is more than one kind of feare for I knowe that Peter feared otherwise than did Iudas for Iudas indéed so feared as hée despaired Peter and Iudas feared after a sundrie maner but Peter so feared as he returned againe vnto Christ whom before he by denieng had forsaken Wherefore we saie that a seruile feare is that whereby we be so horriblie afraid of God A true distinction betweene a seruile feare and a childlie feare and flie from him when he is angrie that we are vtterlie void of faith But a childlie feare is that whereby in the midst of terrors we are lifted vp through faith neither suffer we our selues to be swalowed vp with feare Wherfore in godlie men feare is neuer separated from faith In godlie men feare is neuer separated from faith for these twoo things must be so knit togither that faith doo alwaies gouerne feare for if it should not be so desperation would easilie followe For euen as the lawe ought alwaies to be ioined with the Gospell As the law with the Gospell so faith with feare is ioined togither so ought feare to be euer ioined with faith We doo not so imbrace the Gospell but that we alwaies thinke vpon the obedience of the commandements of God And when we sée how often and how gréeuouslie we fall we call our selues backe againe to repentance On the contrarie the lawe is not to be receiued without the Gospell for if it should we could neither obeie it without Christ neither yet obteine pardon for the offenses that we haue committed against it Wherefore Paule calleth vs not backe vtterlie from all feare of God Paule calleth vs frō the feare that is without faith but from that feare onelie which wanteth faith and which flieth from God as from an enimie and from a cruell tyrant But that feare which hath faith to moderate it cannot be reprooued for it is the gift of the holie Ghost verse 2. as we read in the eleuenth chapter of Esaie And the propertie of the gifts of the holie Ghost is The propertie of the gifts of the holie Ghost that by them we submit all our vertues and affections to the moderation of faith and make them to serue God trulie and sincerelie These gifts they commonlie counted to be seuen How manie gifts of the holie Ghost there be Ibidem and if a man demand how they prooue that they straitwaie cite the eleuenth chapter of Esaie Howbeit if we examine that place by the truth of the Hebrue we shall onelie find sixe gifts to be there namelie the spirit of wisedome of vnderstanding of counsell of fortitude of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord. But these men haue béene deceiued by the Latine translation which followed not the truth of the Hebrue but the seuentie interpretours for they betwéene the spirit of knowledge and of feare haue put the spirit of pietie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is perteining to the obedience of God whereby it séemeth that they ment to interpret what maner of feare of GOD that should be which might light vpon Messias What maner of feare Christs feare was of whom in that place there is mention made For that feare was neither seruile nor yet a childs feare but onelie an obedience pietie and reuerence towards God his father Neither haue the seuentie interpretours onelie once so interpreted the feare of God for in the booke of Iob where we read Fearing God they haue turned it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iob. 1 1. that is Obeieng God Howbeit vndoubtedlie we ought not to drawe togither into so streict a number the gifts of the holie Ghost The gifts of the holie Ghost are manie in number Esaie 4 4. Zach. 12 10 Rom 1 4. and 8 15. Iohn 14 17 to thinke them to be but onlie sixe or seuen for besides all those which are reckoned in that chapter the same Esaie reckoneth in another place the spirit of iudgment and of zeale And Zacharie maketh mention of the spirit of grace and Paule of the spirit of sanctification and Iohn of the spirit of truth and Paule againe in another place of the spirit of adoption Ephes 1 13. and to the Ephesians of the spirit of promise and a great manie of other like gifts 13 These things being so let vs now sée how both in this life and in the other life feare may haue place What maner of feare is in the saints departed The saints when they are in heauen for that they shall then haue perfect charitie to speake of feare
19 and will haue compassion on whom soeuer I haue compassion These words also declare that the forgiuenes of sins and the meanes wherby men are receiued into fauour depend not of their works but of the meere and mercifull beneuolence of God The 25. reason And no lesse also doo the words following declare It is not of him that willeth verse 16. nor of him that runneth but of God that hath mercie verse 18. Againe He hath mercie on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth But if iustification might be gotten by our will or by works then should it be both of him that willeth and of him that runneth Neither should they be conuerted on whom God hath compassion but they which should haue most compassion vpon themselues neither also should God harden anie man séeing all men might promptlie easilie and at their pleasure by good works be reconciled vnto God and also be iustified But it is farre otherwise for they which put their confidence in works doo too farâ—e erre from the true righteousnes whereof we now speake The 26. reason Toward the end of the ninth chapter the apostle saith Israel which followed the lawe of righteousnes verse 31. atteined not to the lawe of righteousnes And why Euen bicause they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the lawe And if the works of the lawe were a let vnto the Iewes for the obteining of iustification what should we then hope to haue thereby The 27. reason The verie same thing the apostle although in other words declareth in the tenth chapter They being ignorant of the righteousnes of God verse 3. and going about to establish their owne righteousnes did not submit themselues vnto the righteousnes of God These words signifie nothing else but that they fall from the righteousnes of God which attribute much vnto their owne righteousnes namelie to works And there is so great a contrarietie and repugnancie betwéene grace and works that the effect which procéedeth from the one cannot procéed from the other For Paule saith There is a remnant left according to the election of grace The 28. reason If it be of grace then it is not now of works for else should grace be no more grace Rom. 11 5. if it be of works then it is not of grace For this is the propertie of grace to be giuen fréelie of méere liberalitie but the propertie of worke is that the reward should be giuen of dutie euen of verie right Lastlie what shall we saie The 29. reason séeing the apostle crieth out Oh the depth of the riches of the wisedome of God! verse 33. Vndoubtedlie Paule by this affection declareth that it is a thing most hard to be knowne whether God deale iustlie which predestinateth whom he will iustifieth whom he wil hauing no respect to condition merits There humane reason is verie much offended there our flesh ceaseth not to crie against but if either of them namelie iustification and election should happen by works and merits there should be no trouble no offense no stumbling blocke laid against vs. But forsomuch as it is farre otherwise and that by vs cannot be rendered a reason of the will of GOD therefore Paule iustlie and woorthilie crieth out and to his opinion must all men that be wise agrée In the 14. chapter it is written Rom. 14. 22. Blessed is he which iudgeth not himselfe The 30. reason in that thing which he alloweth But he which iudgeth is condemned if he eate bicause he eateth not of faith For whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Hereby are we taught that they which want a true faith can doo or performe nothing which is not sinne I knowe indéed that the aduersaries interpret these words of the conscience but they are neuer able to prooue that faith signifieth conscience And although peraduenture Paule teacheth this at the beginning namelie that wée ought not to doo anie thing against our conscience yet in a maner afterward he bringeth in a generall sentence when he writeth that Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne As though he should haue said This is a generall rule when men go about to doo anie thing they ought to be persuaded by the spirit and word of God that that which they haue in hand to doo is acceptable vnto God and pleaseth him which persuasion if they haue not then vndoubtedlie they sinne in dooing that which they doo And if I should grant that in this place faith signifieth the conscience I would thinke it should be added also that the conscience ought not to be beléeued vnlesse it be instructed by the word of God forsomuch as there be manie indued with so superstitious a conscience that whether they obeie it or not obeie it they sinne most gréeuouslie But I will not stand long at this time about the expounding of this place therefore let vs heare what is said in the .4 chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians where it is thus written I knowe nothing by my selfe vers 4. yet am I not thereby iustified These words Paule spake of his ministerie being now conuerted vnto Christ The .31 reason being now an apostle and whome as touching his function no man was able to accuse And if so great a fréend of God pronounceth this of him selfe and of his works what meane we to attribute iustification to the works of them that are not yet regenerate The works of the godlie and of the chéefe apostle of Christ could not deserue it how then can it be granted vnto those which are yet strangers from Christ vers 16. 15 To the Galathians the second chapter Paule repeateth that sentence which he had written in the .3 chapter to the Romans namelie that No flesh shal be iustified by the workes of the lawe Which sentence forsomuch as it is plaine inough and hath béene alreadie before recited néedeth now no further declaration But in the same chapter it is written Gala. 2 21. If righteousnes come by the lawe then Christ died gratis The .32 reason In which place gratis signifieth nothing else but in vaine and to no purpose which then vndoubtedlie should be most true For if true righteousnes before God could by anie other meanes haue béene atteined vnto by men whie then died he And whie was he crucified And againe This one thing I desire to learne of you The .33 reason Gala 3 2. Receiued ye the spirit by the workes of the lawe or by the preaching of faith And straight waie He therefore that ministreth vnto you the spirit vers 5. and worketh miracles amongst you dooth he that through the deeds of the lawe or by the preaching of faith They which are iustified receiue the holie Ghost for without it it is vtterlie impossible to be iustified and if it be not giuen through workes neither can
volumes for the lawe and the Gospell are not separated asunder by volumes or bookes for both in the old testament are conteined the promises of the Gospell and also in the Gospell the lawe is not onelie comprehended but also most perfectlie by Christ expounded Wherefore by those words we are commanded to forgiue iniuries doone vnto vs. And forsomuch as we are bound to doo that After what maner we ought to forgiue iniuries according to the prescript of the lawe and that lawe dependeth of this great precept Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart with all thy soule and with all thy strength according to the forme therof we ought to forgiue our enimies Which thing bicause no man hath at anie time performed neither can performe it followeth that we ought to flie to Christ by whome we maie by faith be iustified afterward being iustified we maie after a sort fulfill that which is commanded which though we doo not perfectlie performe yet it pleaseth God And he fréelie giueth vnto vs the promise that is added not bicause of our works or of our merits but onelie for Christes sake They go about also to blind our eies with the words of Daniel when he exhorteth the king Dan. 4 24. To redeeme his sins with almes But in that place by Sinnes we maie vnderstand Redeeme the sinnes by almes is expounded the paines and punishments due vnto sinne for the scripture vseth oftentimes such phrases of spéech which thing we neuer denied Yea rather we willinglie grant that in respect of the works which procéed from faith God is woont to forgiue manie things especiallie as touching the mitigation of plagues and punishments 33 They obiect also this sentence out of the first chapter of Iohn verse 12. God gaue them power to be made the sonnes of God wherefore they saie that those which haue alreadie receiued Christ that is haue beléeued in him are not yet iustified and regenerate and made the children of God but onelie haue receiued power to be made the children of God as they thinke by works And in this argument Pighius the great champion and Achilles of the papists putteth great affiance but yet in vaine for he thinketh that he of necessitie to whome power is giuen to haue anie thing as yet hath not the same As though we should héere deale philosophicallie that power excludeth act which yet euen amongst the philosophers also is not vniuersallie true For when they define the soule they saie that It is an act of a bodie naturall hauing members or instruments and also hauing life in power By which definition appeareth that our bodie hath life in power when neuerthelesse it hath life in act in verie déed But that word Power here signifieth that the bodie hath not life of it selfe but of another namelie of the soule Which thing we maie here also at this present affirme to wit that those which haue receiued the Lord and haue beléeued in him are regenerate and made the children of God and yet not of themselues but some other waie namelie of the spirit and grace of GOD. For so signifieth this word Power although the euangelist in that place spake not Peripateticallie but simplie and most plainelie for a litle before he said Iohn 1 11. that His receiued him not By this word His he meant the Iewes which peculiarlie professed the knowledge of the true God but when they had refused the truth offered vnto them GOD would not be without a people but appointed them to be his peculiar people which should beléeue and receiue Christ Wherefore he gaue vnto them Power that is a right and a prerogatiue that when they had receiued the Lord by faith they should he made and be in déed the sonnes of GOD. And therefore Cyrillus expounding the place The power is adoption and grace saith that This Power signifieth adoption and grace Further Pighius although he thinke him selfe verie sharpe of wit yet séeth not that when he thus reasoneth he speaketh things repugnant For how is it possible that anie man should haue life in himselfe and not liue Assuredlie if they in beléeuing haue receiued Christ it must néeds be that straightwaie they haue righteousnes for as Paule writeth in the first epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 1 30. He is made of God vnto vs wisedome righteousnes and redemption But what néed we so long a discourse The euangelist himselfe declareth vnto vs who those be which haue receiued such a power namelie Which are not borne of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God And if they be borne of God then followeth it of necessitie that they are iustified and regenerated They obiect also vnto vs a seruile feare which goeth before charitie as though by it we should be prepared vnto iustification and the more easilie to receiue charitie Vnto whome we answer that such a feare without charitie is sinne They replie againe and saie that Christ commanded that feare But God commandeth not sinne And he commanded such a feare saie they when he said Matt. 10 28. I will shew vnto you whom ye ought to feare feare him which when he hath killed the bodie can also cast the soule into hell-fire And that this feare prepareth vnto iustification they thinke maie hereby be prooued for that Augustine expounding that out of the first epistle of Iohn 1. Iohn 4 18 Perfect charitie casteth out feare saith This seruile feare is not vnprofitable for euen as a bristle being put in by the shoomaker A similitude draweth the thread after it so this feare draweth with it charitie As touching the first I answer that their ground is false namelie that God hath euer in anie place commanded such a feare as wanteth charitie and faith which thing I knowe right well these men are neuer able to find But as touching Augustine we answer that in that place of Iohn Herein is charitie perfect in vs that in the daie of iudgement we haue confidence that euen as he is so are we A place of Iohn expounded in this world there is not feare in charitie but perfect charitie casteth out feare by charitie is not to be vnderstood our loue towards GOD but the loue of GOD towards vs for he speakth of perfect charitie such as we haue not in this life And the meaning of Iohn is that after we be persuaded of the perfect loue of God wherwith he imbraceth vs we haue confidence that in the daie of iudgement we shal be in safetie And this perfect charitie of God after we once knowe it casteth out feare bicause it suffereth vs not to feare Wherefore that interpretation of Augustine touching our loue towards God maketh nothing to the purpose But suppose that Iohn spake of our loue towards God as that place is commonlie taken in that sense also maie the words of Augustine be true but yet
strength of Christians which loue is powred in our harts not by fréewill but by the holie Ghost which is giuen to vs whereas no merits go before that grace And in the 25. chapter We ought to preach to beléeue that by the sin of the first man fréewill is so decaid and diminished that no man afterward can either loue God as he ought to doo or beléeue in God or for Gods sake worke that which is good vnlesse the grace mercie of God preuent him Wherefore iust Abel Noah Heb. 11. Abraham Isaac Iacob and all the saints in the old time are in the epistle vnto the Hebrues said to haue done those things which in the holie scriptures are mentioned to haue béene done by them which faith we haue before taught to come of God And Paule writeth of himselfe 1. Cor. 7 25. I haue obteined mercie that I may be faithfull But he saith not I haue obteined mercie bicause I was before faithfull but contrariwise And in the selfe-same chapter This also we profitable confesse and beléeue that in euerie good worke it is not that we our selues do first begin afterward are holpen with the mercie of God but that he first inspireth into vs both faith and the loue of him and that without anie of our merits going before Wherefore we must without all doubt beléeue that both Zacheus and the théefe and alsoo Cornelius atteined not to beléeue through nature but by the gift of the bountifulnesse of GOD. 44 These things haue I alledged out of the Arausican Councell peraduenture more largelie than maie séeme to be conuenient for this place But for this cause haue I the willinglier doone it for that I sawe that all those things which are there affirmed are confirmed by the holie scriptures and doo verie much serue for our purpose Such Councelles gentle reader must be harkened vnto What Councels must be harkened vnto which cleaue vnto the word of God for whatsoeuer commoditie or discommoditie the church hath the same ought wholie to be ascribed vnto the obseruation or contempt of the word of God For in the old and auncient Councelles how were Arrius Eunomius Nestorius Eutyches and other pestiferous heretikes ouercome otherwise than by the word of God For without doubt they could neuer by anie other engines be ouercome and vanquished And contrariewise when began the church to giue place vnto abuses and to superstitions but when the word was contemned And now in our times vnlesse the word of God had béene sought for and called againe in a maner out of exile how could we euer haue béene deliuered from the tyrannie of the Pope Let these few things be a warning vnto vs not rashlie to beléeue euerie Councell but let vs receiue those Councelles alone which haue soundlie confirmed the decrées of their doctrine by the scriptures But that the thing which I affirme The Councell of Trent maie be more manifest let vs bring foorth the Councell of Trent that by the contrarie the truth maie the better be vnderstood In that Councell the fift Session from the fift chapter vnto the eleuenth chapter is intreated of iustification There these good holie Fathers the hirelings of the Pope doo thus decrée that The beginning of iustification is of grace But what they there vnderstand they straitwaie make it plaine For thus they saie It calleth and it stirreth vp they which are to be iustified are so holpen by it that being called and stirred vp they giue assent vnto this grace and worke therewith and are made apt to regeneration But this assent and working togither with it they doo attribute to frée will as the words doo shew What else would Pelagius saie if he were now aliue For euen he doubtlesse denied not grace if thou take it for an admonition calling and stirring vp He also attributed this vnto frée will that it had power to assent and to obeie the commandements of God But the grace which the holie scriptures set foorth vnto vs reneweth our vnderstanding and will and in steed of a stonie hart giueth vs a fleshie hart for it dooth not onelie counsell our reason but also fullie persuadeth it and bendeth and changeth the will Our men of Trent doo grant indeed that God toucheth the hart of man by the illumination of the holie Ghost but least a man himselfe should doo nothing they adde that man admitteth the inspiration as he which maie also refuse it Wherefore they fullie conclude that it perteineth to man to admit or receiue although they confesse that he can not doo that vnlesse he be called and stirred vp by grace But how can the hart of man vnlesse it be renewed by the spirit and grace of God receiue those things wherevnto it is enimie by reason of his nature being yet corrupt and defiled Assuredlie though it be neuer so much stirred vp taught and mooued yet vnlesse it be vtterlie changed it will continuallie refuse it and resist Wherfore Augustine Ad Simplicianum It is not in our power that those things which be set foorth vnto vs should please vs. writeth verie well that It is not in our power to bring to passe that those things which are set foorth vnto vs should be acceptable and pleasant vnto vs. But that thing which is neither acceptable nor pleasant we choose not though we be vrged by admonishers As if there should be offered vnto a sicke man good healthfull meats A similitude and verie pleasantlie dressed yet bicause they are neither pleasant nor acceptable vnto him he refuseth them though there stand manie by which saie vnto him that those meats are wholsome and verie well dressed The selfe-same thing vndoubtedlie happeneth vnto a mind not regenerate except that as touching the receiuing of the grace of God there can no violence be doone vnto the mind but the sicke person maie be compelled to take meats that are to him vnpleasant Wherefore so long as our will and vnderstanding is not changed by the spirit of God it will not admit anie healthfull admonitions And euen as a sicke person A similitude before he be restored to health neither abideth nor gladlie receiueth anie meats when they are offered him euen so the mind of man vnlesse it be changed from infidelitie to faith from impietie to godlinesse as saith the Arausican Councell it neither obeieth nor giueth place vnto grace which calleth stirreth it vp which thing neuerthelesse the good Fathers of Trent doo affirme 45 But least they should séeme to speake without scriptures they bring foorth two testimonies the one out of the first chapter of Zacharie Be ye conuerted vnto me Zach. 1 3 and I will be conuerted vnto you This saie they hath a respect vnto the man who is commanded that euen as touching iustification he should do somwhat Iere. 31 18. And Ieremie saith Conuert vs ô Lord and we shall be conuerted by which words is declared that vnto this
maner of historicall faith we vnderstand For if saith he they call all those things which are written in the holie scriptures an historie The difference betweene an historicall faith and a faith of efficacie will they bring to vs another faith wherby we may beleue those things which are not written in the holie scriptures But we reiect not an historicall faith as though we would haue some new obiects of faith besides those which are set foorth in the holie scriptures or are not out of them firmelie concluded But we require not a vulgar or cold assent such as they haue which are accustomed to allow those things which they read in the holie scriptures being thereto led by humane persuasion and some probable credulitie as at this daie the Iewes and Turkes doo confesse and beléeue manie things which we doo but an assured firme and strong assent and such as commeth from the moouing and inspiration of the holie Ghost which changeth and maketh new the hart and the mind and draweth with it good motions and holie works In this maner we saie that that faith which is of efficacie differeth verie much from an historicall assent And that we are by that faith How it appeereth that we are iustified by a faith of efficacie Rom. 8 16. which we haue now described iustified we haue thrée maner of testimonies the first is of the holie Ghost Which beareth witnesse vnto our spirit that we are the children of God the second is of the scriptures the third is of works But contrariewise they which hold and crie that a man is iustified by works haue no sufficient testimonie for the holie Ghost testifieth it not the holie scriptures denie it onelie works are brought foorth those without godlines and faith such as were in times past the works of the old Ethniks are at this daie the works of manie which beléeue not in Christ and be strangers from God But it is woorthie to be laughed at that he hath cited also a place out of the 66. chapter of Esaie verse 2. by which onlie though there were no more places than it his cause is most of all ouerthrowne Vnto whom saith God shall I looke but vnto the poore man vnto the contrite hart and vnto him that trembleth at my words By these words Pighius thinketh are signified those works whereby God is drawne to iustifie vs. But the matter is far otherwise for the scope of the prophet was to detest the superstition of the Iewes for they neglecting th' inward godlines of the mind trusted onelie to outward ceremonies Wherefore this did God by the voice of the prophet condemne and declared how odious it was vnto him Heauen saith he is my seate and the earth is my footestoole Ibidem 1. As if he should haue said I nothing passe vpon your temple which ye so much boast of for Heauen is my seate such a seate as you cannot frame to make And the earth adorned with all kind varietie of plants liuing creatures hearbes and flowers is my footestoole Where then shall be that house which ye will build for me And where shall be my resting place And straitwaie to declare that it is not the temple built with hands All these things saith he hath mine hand made and all these things are made saith the Lord. By which words we learne that God delighteth not in these things and in outward ornaments sumptuous buildings for their owne sakes but chéeflie requireth faith inward godlinesse of the minds that he may dwell in them And who be indéed faithfull and godlie is declared by their certeine and proper notes Whosoeuer is poore and séeth himselfe to want righteousnesse and whosoeuer is contrite of hart that is to saie afflicted in this world whosoeuer is of a mild and humble spirit and not of an arrogant and proud spirit whosoeuer with great reuerence and feare receiueth the words of GOD he most iustlie may be numbred amongst them These are sure tokens and as it were the proper colours of faith and true godlines Afterward the prophet declareth how much God estéemeth the works of men that beléeue not and are not as yet regenerate though these works be neuer so goodlie to the shew He which killeth an oxe saith he it is all one as if he should kill a man and he which sacrificeth a sheepe as if he cut off a dogs necke he that offereth an oblation as if he offered swines flesh and he that maketh mention of incense as if he blessed iniquitie All these kinds of oblations and sacrifices were commanded and appointed in the lawe of God which yet being doone of an vncleane hart and one that is estranged from God were counted for most gréeuous sinnes Wherefore Pighius hath nothing out of this place whereby to defend his error but we by the selfe-same place doo most aptlie and most trulie confirme our owne sentence Now this is a notable and sharpe disputer which bringeth for himselfe those things which make so plainlie and manifestlie against himselfe 69 But he snatcheth at this also out of the epistle vnto the Hebrues Heb. 11 ◠that He which commeth vnto God ought to beleeue that there is a God that he rewardeth them which seeke vnto him By these words it séemeth that he would conclude that iustification is giuen vnto them who séeke God by good works Two sorts of them that seeke God But he ought to haue made a distinction of them that séeke God which thing Paule also did to wit that some séeke him by works other some by faith This distinction Paule sheweth neither leaueth he vnspoken what followeth of it for thus he writeth vnto the Romans Israel Rom. 9 30. and 10 3. which followeth after righteousnes atteined not vnto the lawe of righteousnes bicause they sought it of works and not of faith Wherefore they which séeke God to be iustified of him by faith as the apostle teacheth doo atteine vnto that which they desire but they which will be iustified by works doo fall awaie from iustification And that God rewardeth works which are doone of men regenerate and by which they hast forward to the crowne of eternall saluation we denie not But that perteineth not to this question for at this present the contention is not about this kind of works but onelie about those things which are doone before regeneration Those Pighius laboureth to prooue that they haue their reward and to be merits after a sort of iustification Neither dooth this anie thing helpe his cause when he affirmeth that this kind of merit redoundeth not vnto God or maketh him debtor vnto vs or is equall vnto that which is rewarded for these things although vnto him they séeme to serue onelie to extenuate the dignitie of merits yet doo they vtterlie take awaie all the nature of merit For whatsoeuer good thing men doo yea euen after iustification the same is not properlie theirs for God
is to be done and the spirit mooueth and driueth vs to doo those things This is the euerlasting kingdome of God wherevnto when he will adioine anie people or anie nation he visiteth them by his ambassadors which are the preachers of the gospell and those will he haue to be chéerfullie receiued Mat. 10 40. Yea he saith He that receiueth you receiueth me he that despiseth you despiseth me Thus haue we the iudgement of God touching ministers whereby the beléeuers ought to be verie much comforted although the world iudge otherwise and count them for mad men and outcasts and estéeme them as offscowring doong and so long as the world endureth men shall haue this opinion of them But for so much as by his iudgement the world is foolish and vnderstandeth not the things perteining vnto God therefore we must not leane vnto it but rather hold fast the most strong and most acceptable iudgement of God ¶ Of christian peace looke the sermon vpon the place of Iohn 20 My Peace be with you Of Bondage and christian freedome In Rom. 1. at the beginning The propertie of a seruant 3 The propertie of a seruant is this namelie to be none of his owne man but to doo the busines of his maister Wherefore if we be the seruants of Christ this is required of vs that our whole life and breath and whatsoeuer wée thinke be directed vnto Christ Séeing I saie to be the seruants of Christ is a thing common vnto vs all the metaphor whereby we are so called should be diligentlie weied namelie bicause we ought so to obeie God as seruants doo their maisters But we are far off from performing this thing for seruants doo spend the least part of the daie about their owne busines and all the rest of the time they be occupied about their maisters affaires Note wherin the greatest part of men differ from the seruice of God But we doo farre otherwise we are a verie short space or but one houre occupied about things perteining vnto God and all the rest of our time we spend about worldlie things and perteining to our selues A seruant hath nothing of his owne and proper to himselfe but we doo priuatelie possesse manie things which we will neither bestow for God nor Christes sake Seruants when they are beaten and striken doo humblie desire pardon and forgiuenes of their maisters but we in aduersities resist God murmur against him and blaspheme his name Seruants receiue onelie meat drinke and apparell and therewith are content but we neuer make anie end or measure of riches and prodigalitie Seruants when they heare the threatning of their maisters doo tremble from top to toe but we are nothing mooued with the threatnings of the prophets apostles and holie scriptures Seruants will neither haue talke nor familiaritie nor yet shew anie signe of amitie with their maisters enimies but we are in continuall fellowship with the diuell the flesh and the world Wherefore we be farre from that seruice which we owe vnto GOD We ought to serue God more than seruants ought to serue their maisters whom neuerthelesse we ought much more both to obeie and serue than our seruants ought to obeie and serue vs. For God besides that he both féedeth and nourisheth vs hath also brought vs foorth and giuen vs euen our being Moreouer whatsoeuer seruants doo towards vs all that is for our owne commoditie and helpeth them nothing but contrariwise we when we serue God doo bring vnto him no profit or commoditie at all For though we liue iustlie he is made neuer a whit the better or more blessed than he was before Also we giue little or nothing vnto our seruants but God for vs hath giuen out his onelie sonne and togither with him hath giuen vs all things We promise to our seruants a verie small reward but God hath promised vnto vs the same felicitie whereof Christ himselfe hath the fruition Whereby appéereth how much more bound wée are to serue him than our seruants are bound vnto vs. But in that we haue said that this vocation of being seruants vnto Christ is common vnto all it séemeth not verie well to agrée with that which is written in the Gospell Iohn 15 15. Now I will not call you seruants but freends Paule also séemeth to be against it when he said Rom. 8 15. Ye haue not receiued againe the spirit of bondage to feare but the spirit of children whereby we crie Abba Father And certeinlie we cannot denie but we are the seruants of God Christ hath paid the price for vs wherefore being redéemed by him we are his seruants God hath created vs. And the rule of euerie artificers worke is to be seruiceable vnto him that made it Wherefore there must be vsed a distinction There are two maner of seruitudes namelie of the inward and outward man of the spirit and of the flesh As touching the outward man and the works of the bodie we are called seruants bicause we execute offices in seruing of God and our neighbours as much as in vs lieth Further as concerning aduersities and the crosse which we dailie suffer we are punished by God no otherwise than seruants are striken and beaten indéed not alwaies for punishment sake as they be but verie often for triall of our faith and for that the flesh and the lusts thereof might be repressed and that a repentance of our sinnes and offenses which continuallie breake foorth might be stirred vp Also the outward appearance and lowelie behauiour which the faithfull doo vse hath the shew of a certeine seruitude After which maner Christ in the epistle to the Philippians Phil 2 7. is said to haue taken vpon him the shape of a seruant But our spirit bicause it is not mooued chéeflie with the hope of reward or with the feare of punishments but onelie and of his owne accord executeth the commandements of God Why and in what respect we are said to be free therefore we are said to haue the spirit of children Also for that we be inflamed through charitie and not compelled of necessitie we are fréends and are not dishonoured with a seruile condition Paule hath plainlie said 1. Cor. 9 19. When I was free from all men I was made the seruant of all men Of Offense In 1. Cor. 8 verse 9. 4 God would a consideration to be had of the weake that there should be no offense offred them wherby they might be drawne back from the Gospell or be hindered from the course which they haue once begun What Scandalum or offense is Offense is a saieng or dooing whereby is hindred the course of the Gospell the propagation or spreading whereof ought to be the leuell of our whole life the verie * Cynosura lodestarre wherevnto we ought alwaies to looke It is of two sorts Offense is of two sorts Tertullian of life and doctrine Touching the offenses which procéed
so soone iudged or more rashlie condemned Whence procéedeth it that there is at this daie so manie iudgments concerning meats In the same epistle it is written Whatsoeuer is sold in the market eate ye making no question for conscience sake 1. Co. 10 25. But more plainelie in the second chapter to the Colossians Col. 2 16. Let no man condemne you in meat and drinke or in a peece of a holie daie or of the new moone or of the sabboth daies which were shadowes of things to come but the bodie is of Christ In the lawe many kinds of meats are forbidken Those things which he spake hitherto doo belong vnto the ceremonies of the lawe and to the feast daies of Moses Immediatelie he passeth to other obseruations not procéeding from the lawe but from men when he addeth Take ye heed verse 18. that no man beguile you of the victorie by humblenes of mind and worshipping of angels aduancing himselfe in those things which he neuer sawe puft vp rashlie with his fleshlie mind and holdeth not the head whereof all the bodie being furnished knit togither by ioints and bands increaseth with the increasing of God verse 20. And if ye be dead with Christ from the ordinances of the world why as though ye liued in the world are ye still held with traditions as Touch not Taste not Handle not all which perish with the vsing and are after the doctrine and commandements of men which things indeed haue a shew of wisedome in voluntarie religion and humblenes of mind and in not sparing of the bodie which are things of no value seing they perteine to the satisfieng of the flesh These words doo most manifestlie testifie that the place must be vnderstood touching the superstitious obseruation of mans inuentions And in the first epistle to Timothie it is written In the last daies manie shall fall awaie from the faith 1. Tim. 4 5. and shall giue heed vnto spirits of errour and doctrines of diuels which speake lies thorough hypocrisie haue their consciences burned with an hot iron forbidding to marrie and commanding to absteine from meates which God hath created to be receiued with giuing of thanks by them which beleeue and knowe the truth bicause euerie creature of God is good and nothing ought to be refused if it be receiued with thanks-giuing for it is sanctified by the word of God and by praier Titus 1 15. And to Titus Vnto the pure all things are pure but vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing nothing is pure for their minds and consciences are defiled Also vnto the Romans Rom. 14 14 I knowe and am perfectlie persuaded that by Christ nothing is common but vnto him which shall saie it is common Vnto the Hebrues Heb. 13 9. It is an excellent thing to establish the hart by grace not by meats which haue profited nothing And in the Acts of the apostles it is said vnto Peter when he refused to eate of those creatures which were let downe from heauen Acts. 10 15. That which God hath sanctified doo not thou call common All these testimonies declare that euerie kind of meate is now through Christ made lawfull and pure 13 But against these things much is obiected First concerning that which Christ saith What things are alledged against this libertie of meate Matt. 15 11 That which entereth into the mouth defileth not a man they answer that the question was then whether meate receiued with vnwashen hands could defile a man And séeing the question was priuate they saie that which was answered ought not to be wrested in such sort as it should be vnderstood of all meates in generall For if saie they Christ had answered that generallie no kind of meats doo defile then should we also make things offered vnto idols lawfull neither should it be a fault to drinke poison and they had not sinned which in the primitiue church had eaten blood and flesh strangled Hervnto we answer that an occasion indéed was giuen vnto that sentence of Christ through a priuate question Whether we be contaminated by receiuing meate with hands vnwashen but the Lord when he denied that made a generall answer And that Christ in that place speaketh generallie the cause which he added vnto his sentence dooth make it plaine for That which entereth into the mouth is let downe into the bellie and is cast into the draught Which being incident to all kind of meats it cannot be doubted but that his sentence was generall Wherefore Christ prooued that meats doo not pollute Why meats doo not pollute forsomuch as they doo not touch the mind nor abide in vs but are digested and so auoided Neither is hereby ment that meate offered to idols or poison are lawfull for we are bound by the lawe of God to auoid such things I meane by the precept of charitie The circumstances cause that some meats must sometimes be forbidden not by the commandements of men For the circumstances doo cause that somtimes we must absteine from sundrie things either bicause there followeth offense in them that be weake or else bicause the health is impaired 14 But they saie againe that they also doo not affirme that meates in their owne nature Looke In 1. Sam. 9 verse 13. are vncleane but bicause the church hath commanded that the faithfull sort should vpon certeine daies refraine themselues from eating of flesh to the intent the flesh may be bridled Therefore if we obeie not they affirme that men are defiled not as though meats were euill or vnpure but bicause men deale intemperatelie An answer to the Papists that excuse their superstition in meats by the commandement of the church by violating the ordinance of the church Vnto this we saie that it is not sufficient to grant that meats in their owne nature be not euill and defiled for both the Scribes the Pharisies had knowledge thereof though they were neither Marcionites nor yet Manicheis for they allowed of the lawe of God Wherefore they were constreined to confesse out of Genesis that All things which God hath made are verie good But Christ vrgeth this that they did not well in ordeining of such decrées and declared that it was not well doone to take such carefull héed about washing of hands and in the meane time to suffer the commandements of God to be contemned and neglected bicause they made a religion and worship of God there where God had made none And yet neuertheles that lawe of the Pharisies although it now séeme friuolous might haue a goodlie pretensed shew as who should saie they would by the washing of hands as by a signe haue men to be admonished of the purenesse of the mind which they ought to procure through praiers and repentance And if so be they themselues had kept themselues cleane from sinnes then should the meats haue béene cleane vnto them and they might haue said in their
Albeit that Cyprian and Ierom saie that The théefe which came vnto Christ turned his punishment into martyrdome Howbeit Peter dooth otherwise admonish vs that we should suffer persecutions not as deserts for our owne ill dooings Moreouer those crosses which we procure vnto our selues and be not laid on vs by God must be set aside Afflictions taken vpon vs of our owne accord belong not to the crosse of Christ Rom. 12 1. For some rash persons there be which doo laie persecutions vpon themselues whose end oftentimes is most shamefull But not to omit the principall I saie The true suffering of the crosse is a most acceptable sacrifice vnto God whereof Paule vnto the Romans writeth I beseech you for the mercie of God c. And vnto Timothie he said that he should be offered vp 2. Tim. 4 6. Psal 51 19. And Dauid said A sacrifice to God is a troubled spirit a contrite heart If perhaps thou shalt demand whether it be lawfull for vs voluntarilie and of our owne accord to take sorrowes and labours vpon vs without expecting a time when God should bring them I answer that it is lawfull but yet in such sort as it is commanded and prescribed vnto vs as when of our owne accord we admit bitter sorrowes while we repent of our former life and sinnes And séeing God requireth this thing of vs We are not properlie said to call vnto our selues the sorrowes of repentance it is not properlie and truelie said of vs that we doo call the same vnto vs. The which also may be affirmed when we refuse not labours for the saftie of our neighbours and for auoiding of offenses For these causes God himselfe commanded that we should labour so much as lieth in vs. 5 But euen as Paule vnto the Romans taught that the faith of our adoption commeth by inuocation or praier in which the holie Ghost beareth witnesse with our spirit that we be the children of God so he sheweth a testimonie by which we may be the more certeine of entring into this inheritance The crosses and afflictions are tokens that we shall obteine the inheritance Phil. 1 29. which he spake of Ye shall without all doubt saith he obteine it for ye shall reigne with Christ for so much as ye haue alreadie atteined to suffer with him Wherfore crosses and troubles are tokens and arguments whereby we may gather that we shal be the heires of God Paule saith vnto the Philippians That Vnto them it is giuen for Christ his sake not onelie to beleeue in him but also to suffer for him The first gift obteined assureth vs of the latter This former gift which we now sée that we haue obteined maketh vs certeine of the latter that we shall at the length not be destitute of it For no small or slender power of God is declared to be in them which valiantlie patientlie for godlinesse sake suffer persecutions aduersities A certeine condition by which we are to enter into the eternall inheritance I knowe there be others which interpret these words otherwise that Paule should séeme to ascribe a certeine condition whereby we shall passe vnto euerlasting inheritance namelie if we haue first suffred manie things And doutles the Gréeke particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is turned If so be may be drawn to each opinion This is certeine that Paule here maketh a kind of transition or passing ouer to an other matter although it be pleasant and closelie handled to comfort these men for the afflictions which they suffered Albeit he departeth not from that purpose which he had in hand but with the selfe-same labour both prosecuteth that which he began and also comforteth them And it is all one as if he should haue said Ye shall indéed be heires but yet with this condition that ye must first suffer manie things Christ requireth nothing at your hands which he himselfe hath not first performed He leadeth you no other waie than the same which he himselfe hath gon He will not offer you to drinke of anie other cup of the which he himselfe hath not droonke Howbeit this will be the greatest comfort vnto vs forsomuch as those things which we shall suffer will not be comparable with that glorie which shall be reuealed in vs. Ambrose followeth this interpretation Howbeit I thinke that this place is so to be vnderstood as though it were a proofe of that which followeth Whie we shall haue the eternall inheritance by those things which went before after this maner Ye shall haue the eternall inheritance bicause ye suffer togither with Christ The verie which sentence he vseth in the latter epistle to Timothie 2. Tim. 2 11 If we die togither with him we shall reigne togither with him Chrysostome vpon this place writeth that This is an argument taken from the Maior God saith he hath fréelie giuen vnto vs manie things For when we had doone nothing he adopted vs vnto children he granted vs that we should call him Father whereof followed an assured and constant faith that we are the sons of God and how shall he not now giue vs the inheritance that is behind especiallie séeing in the meane time we haue suffered most gréeuous calamities Vndoubtedlie he will not denie it after such and so manie trauels séeing he hath fréelie and without anie trauell of vs indued them that beléeue in him with most excellent gifts And by this meanes hath he declared that God hath singularlie well prouided for men who to the intent they should not boast of their trauell or indeuour hath fréelie giuen manie things vnto them And againe least they should be ashamed of obteining so great gifts without trauell he would not haue them to come vnto this singular inheritance without most valiant courage sufferance striuing disquietnes and affliction 6 These things auoucheth he neither amisse What difference there is betweene the promises of the law and of the gospell Looke in Iudges 4. verse ◠c. nor yet vnprofitablie so they be rightlie vnderstood by vs in such sort that we confound not the promises of the lawe with the promises of the Gospell Least that should happen it shall be necessarie to make plaine what difference there is betwéene each promises They doo not herein differ as some thinke bicause the promises of the Gospell haue no conditions ioined vnto them but the promises of the lawe are neuer offered without conditions Exod. 20 12 For euen as it is said Honour thy father and thy mother that thou maist liue long vpon the earth Esai 1 19. Againe If ye will and shall harken vnto me yee shall eate the good things of the earth And euen so we read in the Gospell Matt. 6 14. Forgiue and it shall be forgiuen Giue and it shall be giuen vnto you Matt. 19 29. And againe He that forsaketh father or mother or wife or house or lands for my sake shall receiue an
〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as Erasmus corrected it in his scholies to Ieronymus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is A preseruing place or séed-store of the dead And this he saith shall at the time of the last iudgement shoot foorth and bud out humane bodies but not flesh bones and bloud least in heauen we should haue néed of meat and drinke of mariages barbers and of handkerchers to wipe awaie the vncleanlines of the nose And when he denieth that the flesh shall returne he abuseth the words of Paule wherein he saith Rom. 8 8. that They which be in the flesh cannot please God For the apostle By flesh meant not in that place substance and nature but corruption viciousnesse and lewdnesse Euen as in the booke of Genesis GOD said Gen. 6 3. My spirit shall not rest vpon these men bicause they be flesh And by Paule it is written Rom. 8 9. But ye be not in the flesh but in the spirit if the spirit of Christ dwell in you Wherefore Origin iudged that the bodie of them that rise againe shall be Homogenium that is of one and the same nature Now saith he we sée with eies we heare with eares and we go with féet but then we shall sée heare and go with that whole bodie He moreouer abuseth the words of the same Paule vnto the Philippians when he said of Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Phil. 3 21. He shall transfigure the bodie of our humilitie For this he also vnderstandeth to be spoken of the nature substance of our bodie whereas it respecteth onelie the changing of qualities and conditions For the Gréeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence that verbe is deriued belongeth to the predicament of qualitie and so doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth Forme or Shape whereof is deriued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saie Conformed These things if Origin had weied he had not so foulie fallen as to saie that the bodies of them that rise againe shall be airie or elementall so as they should not be subiect either to séeing or féeling but shall be inuisible and vnpalpable Yet did he leaue them a place for he said that they should not be remooued according to the varietie of places where in the meane time they which confesse that flesh and bones shall be restored againe vnto vs doo take awaie place from them But I returne to Origin who teacheth that indéed the bodies shall rise againe but not the flesh But these are distinguished A distinction of the flesh from the bodie as the generall and the speciall kind for euerie flesh is a bodie but euerie bodie is not flesh For flesh is that whith consisteth of bloud and veines and skin and also of bones and sinews But of bodies some be airie or elementall such as Plato assigned to certeine spirits vnto our soules wherein as in a certeine chariot they should be caried and ioined to the outward bodie which is the more grosse and more earthie And those bodies which he imagined to be on this sort might not be either felt or perceiued There be also other bodies which may both be séene and felt when as yet they be no flesh as is a wall and wood which be sensible bodies and yet no flesh So as the bodie which is the generall word is drawen by the flesh into a speciall kind Which is prooued by the words of Paule vnto the Colossians Col. 1 21. who saith When ye were strangers from Christ and enimies by cogitation in euil works hath he yet now reconciled in the bodie of his flesh Col. 2 11. through death And in the same epistle With circumcision made without hands by putting off the bodie of flesh subiect to sinne This was the opinion of Origin out of the booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Ierom reporteth in his epistle against Iohn bishop of Ierusalem Origins error 63 He greatlie erred in manie things concerning this matter First he fondlie reasoneth of that séed-store of dead men remaining after death in the ashes of them that be departed For what néed is it to appoint an originall of the resurrection in the matter of our bodie The action of raising vp from the dead is all wholie in God neither are there anie powers of the bodie whereby it should spring vp againe And to note this by the waie A rule The fathers must be warilie read some of the ancient fathers must be read verie circumspectlie bicause they séeme to attribute vnto the Eucharist that which Origin hath assigned to reason and to a power ingraffed in the bodies which is not extinguished in them that be dead Of this matter did Irenaeus in his 4. Irenaeus Iustinus booke and Iustinus in his apologie vnto Antonius the emperor write and said that our bodies when they haue receiued the Eucharist Whether the Eucharist profit vnto the resurrection are no more mortall bicause that sacrament is become vnto our bodies a preseruer vnto life euerlasting If these things should properlie absolutelie be vnderstood as they séeme to be at the first sight as though they should teach that the bodie and bloud of Christ passeth into the true nourishment of bodies and so in them to be the beginning of the resurrection the opinion would be verie absurd For the verie meat of the bodie is concocted digested distributed among the parts and is also conuerted into the substance and nature of him which is nourished But the bodie of Christ being impassible cannot be changed into other bodies euen as also it cannot be buried with them Yet did those fathers trulie write so as their saiengs be fitlie vnderstood Wherefore let vs vnderstand that the faithfull in the supper of the Lord doo receiue bread and wine with the mouth of their bodie and they with their mind and spirit doo receiue the bodie bloud of Christ euen in such sort as he was giuen vpoÌ„ the crosse for our saluation and that in receiuing these things by faith we be iustified and regenerated or we be confirmed in righteousnes and spirituall birth But iustification and regeneration which be in the mind doo make the bodie it selfe capable of resurrection And in this respect we may saie that the outward elements which we receiue with our bodie are a preparatiue to the resurrection bicause they be instruments of the holie Ghost whereby he stirreth vp faith in vs which is the verie originall of resurrection 64 Herein moreouer Origin erred Corpus homogenâ—… in iudging that the bodie which he acknowledgeth in the resurrection shall be of one and the same nature so as the whole shall sée the whole shall heare and the whole shall go as though it shall not haue eies eares and féet distinct one from another Furthermore Matt. 17 2. Christ in his transfiguration when he gaue to his apostles a patterne of blessed bodies
health indéed returneth but it is not the same in number for as well the old things brought foorth as the new are diuerse Herevnto we saie that this indéed is true and altogither taketh place in those efficient causes in which the action or thing it selfe brought foorth is distinguished from the efficient cause as it commeth to passe in all causes created But the resurrection is the worke of God wherein the action is not diuided from the nature and substance of the agent it selfe And lastlie whereas it was alledged that the heape of those things which passed fell from the bodie should be monstrous and that if all things should be restored at the resurrection mens bodies should be of excéeding greatnes but if on the other side all things shall not be laid vp in store what reason can be assigned whie some parts should be restored more than other some Not all things which haue past from our bodie shall be restored at the resurrection I answer It hath béene alreadie said that not all things which be cast foorth of our bodies shall be receiued when we rise againe but onelie those things which make to a iust and conuenient quantitie But whie rather one sort than an other are kept in store we must commit it to the iudgement of God who disposeth all things with singular wisedome 70 Now it resteth that we dilate of those places which in the holie scriptures séeme at the first sight to be against the resurrection In the 78. verse 39. psalme it is written And he remembred that they were but flesh their spirit or breath departing awaie and not returning againe For the exposition of this place the scope must first be considered namelie that God was led to take mercie of his people bicause their infirmitie was knowen vnto him So as bicause of their frailtie and féeblenesse therefore had he mercie vpon them and scattered them not abroad with one onelie stripe Sometime the spirit is said to be against the flesh in respect that the flesh is said to be weake and the spirit strong and valiant So said Christ vnto his apostles when as they slept Matt. 26 41 while he was in praieng The spirit indeed is readie but the flesh is fraile And Esaie in the third chapter Esai 31 3. describing the weaknesse of Aegypt saith Aegypt is flesh and not spirit that is It staggereth with féeblenesse Sometime the flesh the spirit taken both for one thing it standeth not firme and strong But sometime the flesh and spirit are taken both for one thing and both betoken infirmitie euen as in this place where the same thing is repeated in the latter clause which is spoken in the former In this place therefore the spirit is not ment to be the soule of man or the diuine inspiration but the breath blast and wind A similitude which being gone and past perish and are restored no more When the life of man is finished we begin not againe at the originall neither doo we bud foorth as trées and herbes cut downe but we lie in the dust not returning vnto our former state When I saie that after death men be not like vnto herbes I am not against Dauid who saith in the 103. psalme verse 14. He knoweth his workmanship he remembreth that we are but dust The daies of man are as grasse and as the flourishing flower of the field the wind commeth ouer him and he is withered and his place hath knowen him no more Wherein man is like and vnlike vnto the grasse Herein standeth the similitude that the sudden and vnexpected destruction of flourishing man may be perceiued but in this is the similitude taken awaie that men doo not spring foorth anew like vnto plants and herbes There is shewed moreouer that there is nothing found in man to prouoke God vnto mercie but miserie But if spirit be taken for the soule then we will saie that the prophet dooth weigh of man and consider of him according to his owne nature and strength and trulie pronounceth that his spirit dooth so depart as it returneth not For the blessed resurrection is a miracle not a worke of nature This scripture speaketh not of man according to those things which he shall receiue through the bountifulnesse and power of God but according to the faculties and strength which it hath by nature Also it is written in the booke of Wisedome the 15. chapter verse 8. His spirit shall go foorth of him and it shall not returne againe And no man doubtlesse hath brought with him from his mothers wombe or from the originals of nature the power to rise againe Indéed our soule hath a being after death but it hath no power of it selfe to returne vnto the bodie which it had Naie rather if God should remooue from it his preseruing power it would fall to vtter ruine This is the common and receiued exposition of this place Howbeit there is an other sense which commeth to my remembrance no lesse profitable than both the former When the Israelites were pressed with aduersitie in the desert and were for iust causes punished by God they cried vnto him that they might be deliuered but this they did verie vnperfectlie which was not hidden from God Yet neuerthelesse he had mercie vpon them bicause they were flesh that is of a corrupted nature and for this cause they oftentimes fell againe into the same sinnes Also their spirit that is their earnest motion of praieng and inuocating of the true God IEHOVA was not stedfast in them but in a maner passed by them and returned not séeing they fell againe to idolatrie after the deliuerance obteined Wherfore these were Chronij that is Temporizers as we read in the parable of the séed in the eight of Luke verse 13. 71 In the 115. psalme verse 16. it is written The heauen of heauens is the Lords but the earth hath he giuen to the children of men Wherevpon some doo gather that men are so become bound to the earth as heauen dooth not belong to them But they are farre deceiued for from thence is drawne aboundantlie the goodnesse of God which hath no néed of earthlie commodities neither hath it anie maner of néed of worldlie wealth and yet did it bring foorth the whole world howbeit vnto the vse and commoditie of men But that God hath no néed of those good things héereby it is prooued that he dwelleth in the heauens whither these things ascend not and where they cannot growe Neither yet did the prophet so affirme God to be setled in heauen The essence and power of God is euerie where as he denieth him to be euerie where for the essence and power of God is in all places But he is peculiarlie said to dwell in heauen bicause his presence is there ment to be more famous How God is said to be in heauen more mightie and more effectuall as well
about with inferiour things So as the light being hindered darkenesse did result within the world And of this coniecture of theirs A similitude they bring an example of a man who being placed in the middle-earth region which is cléere with light on euerie side maketh and pitcheth himselfe a tent either of course cloth or of verie thicke lether This when he hath well closed vp the light is excluded and darknesse therewithin ariseth of it selfe By these things it plainlie appéereth that these fathers doo affirme the outwardmost part of the firmament to be most bright which is the most happie habitation of the saints The habitation of the saints doo meane that the innermost darknes was afterward chased awaie by God when as vnto the firmament he ioined vnto the celestiall spheres the sunne the planets and the fixed starres Also Augustine in his booke De ciuitate Dei against the philosophers which thought christians to dote bicause they confessed that humane bodies haue a place in heauen after the resurrection For they thought it not possible that vnto earth and other portions of the elements seats should be granted in so high parts of the world Against these I saie dooth Augustine earnestlie contend which he ought not to haue doone if he had affirmed the heauen of the blessed to be altogither without a bodie and to be found in euerie place For he might easilie haue answered We saie not that the bodies of the saints after the resurrection shall haue place in the high regions of the world but in the spirituall heauen that is euerie where But of this matter there hath béene inough spoken alreadie for it is in an other place treated of more at large Bright regions beyond the starrie circles and I now call it to remembrance to confirme the third signification of heauen which noteth that there be most bright regions beyond the starrie circles which are séene of our eies Whither Elias was caught vp 3 But of some perhaps it may be thought a rash inquisition that we haue propounded for the holie scriptures doo not define anie certeintie of the thrée significations This onelie they testifie that Elias was taken vp and that Elizaeus sawe him a little while and that he afterward beheld him no more Yea and Chrysostome in an oration which he made of Elias wrote that It is a point of wisedome to staie our selues within those termes that the scriptures teach otherwise it is not safe to wander out of them in our owne discourses And Cyprian saith Vnto what place he was taken vp God knoweth as if he should saie that it extended not to the knowledge of man But bicause manie of the ancient and latter writers haue taught somewhat of this matter and no small number are desirous to heare somwhat of these things therefore haue I entred into this treatise in disputing whereof I will not incline my selfe to coniectures and inuentions of men but will onelie make relation of those things which are brought by writers of most authoritie and as touching those things I will declare what may séeme to be iudged probable First of all we are not to doubt but that Elias 1. kin 2. 1. 3. while he was taken vp passed through the middest of this aire for euen from thence fell his cloke Furthermore thither had Elizaeus looked when he cried My father my father c. Ibidem 12. The holie historie also agréeth therevnto which sheweth that the children of the prophets foretold Elizaeus Ibidem 3. that his master should be taken awaie from his head that is Aboue his head and through the regions of the aire Which out of manie places of the scripture may be prooued to be called by the name of heauen for there in diuerse places we read Psal 8 9. The fowles of heauen while it is manifest inough that they flie not but through this lowermost part of the aire And they Gen. 11 4. which after the floud builded the most high tower would haue had the top thereof to haue reached vnto heauen that is vnto the high aire Besides this the spies which at the commandement of Moses Deut. 1 28. went into the land of Chanaan to the intent they might aduance the hight of the fortresses that were there declared that they did reach vnto heauen that is to saie they were built so high into the aire as they were inuincible It is said in like maner that Moses gaue bread from heauen Psal 78 24. bicause Manna rained vpon the Israelites certeinlie not from the celestiall spheres but from the region of this our aire Also it is said Eccl. 48 3. that Elias did shut heauen and open it when as vnder the name of heauen was signified the clouds whereby at the praiers of Elias the raine was before prohibited and afterward distilled 4 But if thou shalt demand Whether Elias remained in the aire whether the bodie of Elias remained in this airie heauen that dooth Chrysostome in the place now alledged denie speciallie by this argument For bicause that in this aire is the seat not of saints but of satan For Paule vnto the Ephesians saith Ephe. 2 2. that the diuell is the prince of the aire yea and he rather thinketh that satan did maruell excéedinglie when he perceiued Elias to be so carried vp through his regions in a chariot and with fierie horses Further what should Henoch and Elias there doo in that wildernesse seuered from the societie of the holie spirits which liued quietlie and happilie in the bosome of Abraham Moreouer it is verie likelie that God would haue the men that are so déere and acceptable vnto him to be interteined in a farre better mansion than they receiued vpon the earth which could not haue béene if they should be retained still in the aire which is turmoiled with raines with tempests with winds with haile Whether Henoch and Elias were taken vp into the starrie spheres and with sundrie discommodities But what shall we affirme as concerning the starrie spheres Shall we thinke that Henoch and Elias were receiued thither No verelie What should they doo there with their bodies Vndoutedlie they should be caught with the dailie motion frō the east to the west perpetuallie also be carried with other motions of those spheres vnlesse a man perhaps will imagine that they abide in the poles themselues which would be altogither ridiculous Neither are the seats of the blessed appointed to be in those visible heauens Ephes 4 10 for Christ is said to haue ascended aboue all heauens And he himselfe testified that where he is there he would that his ministers also should be Wherefore euen they also are carried vp aboue all heauens I knowe indéed that the Stoike philosophers iudged that the soules of all men remaine aliue after the bodies for a great space of time forsooth but not for euer and that they did thinke as Seneca
The father 's accepted and discerned the holie Scriptures from other writings therefore they ought to be preferred aboue them Because we also acknowledge one verie God Similitudes and admit Iesus Christ wee disseuer him from Idols and from the Deuill yet for all that we cannot inferre that we are more excellent either than Christ or God Also our minde admitteth the perswasions and motions of the holie Ghost vnto reading and praying vnto chast liuing and them discerneth from the intisementes of the diuell the flesh and the world yet shall not our minde for that cause be called either superiour or better than the holie Ghost Further also a man indued with the knowledge of Philosophie when as he shal receiue Aristotle or Galen or noble Philosophers and shall place them aboue Epicurus Aristippus or Democritus dare he therefore because he hath so iudged as touching Philosophie preferre his owne authoritie either aboue Aristotle or Galen The first way to iudge of the scriptures is by faith and the spirit Wherefore men haue by faith and illumination of the holie Ghost knowen that those things which the Patriarches Prophetes Christ and the Apostles haue spoken are the words of God Which things being so knowen and receiued they did not accompt themselues either greater or better than the Scriptures of them naie rather as we said at the first they coÌ„mitted themselues to be gouerned and ruled by them There was also an other manner of iudging of the Scriptures An other way to iudge of the scriptures that those things which the latter Canonicall writers did speake or write did not disagrée with the first but they agréeed verie well with them The Prophets agrée vnto the lawe in all things The Euangelists and Apostles borowed the Testimonies of their sayings aswell of the lawe as of the Prophets Whereby thou séest that the law is allowed by the Prophets and the Prophets are confirmed by the Apostles and by the Euangelistes And when they demaund Why some Gospels how it came to passe that Luke and Marke being writers of the Gospell were receiued whereas the Gospel of Bartholomew Were allowed and soâ—…e not of Thomas of Thaddeus and of the Nazarits was excluded we will aunswere that the holie Ghost did not perswade the hearts and the minds of faithfull men that these were the words of God as were those which bée written both of Luke and also of Marke To this there were manie yet remaining in those daies which had heard Christ and had béene much conuersaunt with him as Peter Iohn and many others of the Disciples who bare faithfull witnesse vnto the writings of Marke and Luke and did not so vnto the monuments of others who perhappes erred not onelie from the trueth of the Historie but also péeced in manie things which sounded to be contrarie to the olde Testament and to the other Euangelistes VVhat authoritie the Fathers are of 14 Finallie as touching this to wit Out of the Booke of Vowes We must not appeale from the scriptures to the Fathers Looke in the Treatise against Gardiner pag. 49. set forth at Tigur Ro. 10. 17. 1. Cor. 2. 8. 2. Tim. 3. 16 the iudgement of Fathers I protest that it séemes vnto me not the part of a Christian man to appeale from the Scriptures of God to the iudgements of men For this is to doe iniurie to the holie Ghost For faith commeth of hearing and hearing of the worde of God and not of the Fathers And vnto the Corinthians That your faith as he saith may be yours not through the wisedome of men but by the power of God And vnto Timothie The whole Scripture saith he giuen by the inspiration of God is profitable to teach to conuince to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God maie be perfect and instructed to euerie good worke These words must be diligentlie noted For there be foure things necessarie in Ecclesiasticall doctrine to wit that wée should teach true things that we shoulde confute false things that we should instruct vnto vertues and reprooue vices And all these things are to be sought out of the holie Scriptures And to speake more manifestlie hereof whatsoeuer the minister doth vnto the people that belongeth either vnto doctrine or vnto maners And either must the opinions be taught which are true or else be confuted which are false and either must manners which bee good bee taught or which be euill bee corrected So shall the man of GOD be perfect that nothing can be wanting vnto him as touching either doctrine or manners There is also an other place in the same Chapter Thou hast learned the holie scriptures Ibid. ver 15 out of which thou maist haue saluation These things manifestlie teach that we must not appeale from the Scriptures vnto the Fathers for that would be to appeale from certainties to vncertainties froÌ„ manifest things to obscure from strong to weake For although fathers being wise and learned saw much yet were they men and might erre And that which I haue said is most of all to be considered namelie that the Fathers do not alwayes agrée among themselues and otherwhiles not one of them indéed doeth agrée with himselfe But here the aduersaries aunswere But they must be heard when they all agrée among themselues But we saie that they must not therefore be heard because they agrée among themselues but for that they consent with the word of God so as that maie be said vnto them which was spoken vnto the Woman of Samaria Iohn 4. 42. Now doe we not beleeue because of thy worde but because we our selues haue seene For albeit that all the Fathers shall consent among themselues yet wil we not do this iniurie to the holie Ghost that we shoulde rather giue credite to them than to the word of GOD. Yea and the Fathers themselues would neuer haue themselues to be so beléeued and that haue they sufficientlie testified by their writings that they will not haue that honour to be giuen vnto them but to the holie Scriptures onelie So as he that appealeth from the Scriptures to the Fathers appealeth vnto the Fathers against the Fathers Augustine 15 This hath Augustine in manie places confirmed That when Cyprian in his treatise de baptismo Haereticorum was obiected he aunswered that he accompted not the Epistles of Cyprian for Canonicall but that he attributed that to the word of God onlie And he oftentimes reprooued theÌ„ which yelded more vnto his owne writinges than was méete And when as Ierom had cited thrée or foure fathers as touching the reproouing of Peter he answereth that he also can cite fathers but that hee had rather appeale vnto the holie Scriptures Basilius Ro. 14. 23. Ro. 10. 17. Basil in his Morals Summa 80. Chapter 22. saith If all that is not of faith be sinne and faith is of hearing and hearing by the word of God then whatsoeuer is not of the
God which if we take hold of by faith we shall obtaine both saluation and also remission of sinnes This is the true sense according to which the fathers must be vnderstood when they say that grace is the power of the sacramentes Which is al one as if they had said vnderstanding and sense is the force of speach and of wordes Of the schoolemens stay or let 16 And how vnsafely the schoolemen speak of their stay or let hereby it is manifest for that they say that he putteth not a staye or let which although he haue not the act either of louing or belieuing yet obiecteth nothing that is contrarie or opposite vnto grace namely the act of infidelitie or of hatred Then in such case say they the sacraments of the Gospel giue grace But this is nothing else than to attribute vnto creatures the cause of our saluation and to bind our selues too much to signes and elementes of this world This ought to be certaine and most assured that no more is to be attributed vnto the sacramentes as touching saluation than vnto the word of God No more must be attributed to the Sacraments than to the word of God In what respect our sacraments are better than those of the old Fathers Wherefore if sometimes we heare as Augustine also saith that our sacramentes are better than the sacramentes of the olde fathers this ought to be vnderstanded that it be referred vnto perspicuitie For we graunt that our sacramentes both speake and preach more plainely of Christ than did the sacramentes of the olde fathers Now then séeing we are more clearely and plainly instructed faith is more fuller and bringeth vnto vs more grace and spirit And we gladly admit that which the fame Augustine saith Sometime the Sacrament is receiued without the thing sometime the thing without the sacrament That sometimes it commeth to passe that the sacrament is receiued without the matter it self For so the wicked and infidels vsing the sacraments receaue only the outward signes and are vtterly voide of saluation and of grace Sometimes also it contrariwise happeneth that the godly being excluded by any necessitie from the vse of the sacraments yet are in no wise defrauded of the matter it self and of the thing signified Neither let any man here lay to our charge that we affirme that sacramentes depend of our faith for neither teach we any such thing yea rather we affirme that the sacramentes are sacramentes although thy faith be either weake or none at all And Augustines iudgement is very good concerning him which onely carnally receaueth the sacrament when he saith It doth not therefore cease to be spirituall but vnto them it is not spirituall And now at length to make an end Grace is not bounb vpon sacraments as it were in smal bags Looke In Gen. 17 we must neuer come to this point to thinke that grace and our saluation is conteined in the sacramentes as in bagges which may be powred out vppon the communicantes and receauers for the sacramentes are as certain messengers of our saluation which whoso giueth credite vnto obtaineth saluation And thus much hitherto haue I sufficiently spoken of sacramentes in generall As touching the proposterous vse of the Sacramēts looke part 4. pl. 16. Art 27. 28. in 2. Kings 5. Of Circumcision 17. Now remaineth for vs to speake somewhat of Circumcision For the better vnderstanding whereof we haue spoken these thinges the more largely and with more wordes What circumcision is saide to haue had remission of sinnes But here we shall not néede so long a treatise for if we remēber all those things which haue generally bin spoken of sacramentes it shall be no hard matter to vnderstand all that which may be spokē of circumcision Rom. 4. 11. And circumcision not to goe from the wordes of the Apostle was the seale of the righteousnesse of faith because it preached and confirmed the promise concerning righteousnesse which the olde fathers receiued by faith And hereof it followeth that the old fathers had by it remission of sinnes For séeing that righteousnes consisteth chiefly in the remission of sinnes whosoeuer beléeues the promise set foorth and by circumcision sealed it followeth of necessitie that he was partaker of the remission of sinnes Some demaund whether circumcision and baptisme which succéeded circumcision Whether remission be had of sinnes to come bring remission onely of those sinnes which are alreadie past or also of those which are afterward committed Let these men consider that the vse of circumcision and of baptisme is not for a time but perpetuall For as the faithfull oftentimes faile so when they forthwith come againe vnto thēselues they thinke vppon the promise of the Gospel which is as touching the remission of sinnes Wherein also euen for this cause they are confirmed for that they remember themselues to be either baptised or circumcised and so by putting too of faith they are deliuered from sinnes and are reconciled vnto God The error of them which wold not be rebaptized but at the houre of death Hereby it is manifest how they were in the olde time deceaued which would not be baptised but euen when death approched and that they were in a manner giuing vp the ghost Neither let any man thinke that this is repugnant vnto the kayes of the Church whereby the penitent are receiued For that they may the better vnderstand the matter this they must néedes graunt that those kaies of the Church are nothing else What the keies of the Church be but the preaching of the Gospell whereby the ministers doe perswade the beléeuers that their sinnes are forgiuen them But they which are to be perswaded are by the benefite of the holy ghost perswaded and their faith concerning the promise is also hereby confirmed for that they call to memorie the signe of baptisme or of circumcision which in times past they receiued And Paul when he sayd For the remission of sinnes going before meant that iustification when it is applied vnto vs alwayes putteth away those sinnes which we haue before cōmitted Yet that letteth nothing but that the promise of the remission of sinnes and sealing thereof may oftentimes with profit be called to our memorie But so oftentimes as sinne is so forgiuen it followeth of necessitie that the same sin went before Howbeit that which we speake of tendeth to this to declare that the vtilitie of sacramentes is not for a time but pertaineth to the whole course of our life Circumcision differed from our sacramentes for that it was the beginning first step and visible enterance to the couenant of God And what maner of men the vncircumcised were accounted to be the Apostle declareth in the Epistle to the Ephesians Ephe. 2. 11. Remember saith he that ye were sometimes Gentiles in the flesh which were called vncircumcision of them which are called circumcision in the flesh made with handes ye were
that the spirites must be bridled by Eorcismes Lastlie they say that in naturall thinges the impedimentes are first remoued from the matter before a forme and habite of good be brought in So it behooueth before the forme of new generation to exclude the aduerse power which hindreth and altogether resisteth spirituall birth Reasons to the contrary 16 But this matter is farre otherwise for séeing the Scripture hath no where commaunded that exorcismes should be ioyned with baptisme it is not to be attempted by vs. And if so be we will followe better examples we shall perceiue that Peter baptised Cornelius and that the Eunuch was baptised by Philip without anie adiurations Thirdlie I adde that this gift of the holie Ghost flourisheth not at this daie in the Church that we be able to heale them that be taken with ill spirites to cure such as be possessed with the Deuill Therefore we must cease to boast of that which wee haue not receiued Moreouer it should bée necessarie that they which iudge otherwise should shewe some signe or token of their power which they haue receiued from God There be as it is saide verie manie Lunaticke men and there want not of them that be possessed of ill spirites why doe they not heale them This whilest they do not to the Deuill himselfe nor yet to vs let them not perswade vs that they be indued with such power Augustine in the 22. booke de Ciuitate dei Chapter 22. writeth that Infantes of Christians being baptised are oftentimes miserablie vexed by vncleane spirites Then séeing these Exorcistes be not able to driue awaie vncleane spirites out of them in whom it is not doubted but that they are why bable they that they can cast them out of them in whom they shewe no signe of their presence Ouer this let vs consider that Circumcision in olde time was in the place of Baptisme and yet that during all the time of the old testament no exorcismes were vsed to the Circumcising of Infantes Which if they had béene necessarie wee are not to thinke that so manie Prophetes had passed them ouer especiallie séeing among the Hebrewes as we haue said there were some exorcistes that were indued from God with the power of driuing awaie ill spirits Neither can they easilie escape which imbrace exorcismes but that of one Sacrament they make manie séeing they make so manie signes which they will to be accounted holie adding oyle spittle exsufflations and such like so as one Sacrament of baptisme doeth degenerate into manie Neither must they be heard when to the intent to mocke the simple they feigne a difference betwéene Sacraments and Sacramentals which is altogether Sophisticall For distinctions are to be receiued gladlie but those to be such as are taken out of the verie nature of things because they bring much light to controuersies but those distinctions which spring out of the braine of Sophisters onelie for the shifting off of Arguments are altogether to be refused 17 But séeing that among them selues euen priuate men and silie women doe baptise and vse neither exorcismes nor exsufflations what manner of baptisme will they iudge that to be If they will say a perfect baptisme they ought not to ioyne thereunto these inuentions of their owne séeing they iudge that to bee perfect vnto which nothing can bee added If vnperfect they make themselues wiser than Christ who ioined not exorcismes and exsufflations with baptisme Besides that they are so insolent as they saie in the 4. booke of the Sentences Dist the 6. that these their Sacramentals must both be supplied and péeced vp when they haue beene omitted vpon the daungers of life But they knowe for a certaintie that they are vainelie and superfluouslie patched For if as themselues saie and Cyprian affirmeth when they come to baptisme the Deuil is chased awaie neither can he be there anie more after Baptisme is celebrated at the perill of Death if he nowe be away why doe they adiure him and by a certaine imperious manner commaund him to depart A foolish thing doubtlesse it is to speake with one that is absent and to command him to depart which is alreadie gone But that we maie againe fight with their owne weapons we remit the reader vnto Gratian who de Consecratione distinct the 4. C. Si paruuli bringeth the iudgement of Caelestinus who decréed that from baptisme must be driuen all those from whom the Diuell by adiurations and exsufflations hath not béene cast out There the Glosse saith that this must not be absolutelie vnderstoode because the euill spirite before baptisme is not cast out seeing vntill the time of baptisme we be the Familie of the Diuell and his members Wherefore he affirmed that the Diuel is not cast out by exorcisme but signified that hee shall be cast out namelie in baptisme To conclude these men be they which so greatlie flie from figuratiue spéeches and cannot abide that we should applie a figure of signification vnto the words of the Lords Supper where as they at their owne will I will not saie for their pleasure euerie where abuse figuratiue spéeches But if it be lawfull for them to saie that by exorcismes is signified that the Diuell shall be cast out by the same reason another wil say it is signified that he is cast out alreadie But I goe yet vnto stronger reasons and affirme A firme argument against exorcismes about Baptisme that those which are to be baptised be either men of ripe age or else Infantes They which be of ripe age it behooueth that they beléeue before they be baptised who if they beléeue they be already iustified and when they are become the members of Christ the Diuell out of doubt is departed from them So that they ought not to be exorcised or adiured as though they had yet euill spirites present in them And if they which be offered to bee baptised be the Infantes of Christians I denie them to belong to the diuell séeing they be in the couenaunt of God wherein it was saide vnto Abraham Gen. 17. 7. I will bee thy God and the God of thy seede Wherefore in the Prophet Ezechiel the 16. Chapter and also in the 23. Chapter Eze. 16. 20. Eze. 23. 37. God is brought in to the Israelites blaming them because they had yeelded vnto Idols the children which they had begotten vnto him and had made thē to passe through the fire that they might become sacrifices of the Idols And Paul in the first Epistle to the Corinthians affirmed that the Children of the Christians be holie 1. Cor. 7. 14 Which if it be true there can no cause bee assigned why the Diuell should bee driuen from them by exorcismes 18 But the head of their superstition is this that these men thinke It is Christ not Baptisme that taketh away sins and that is prooued by many arguments Iohn 1. 29. that by the outward baptisme sinnes are chiefely forgiuen But they are
in my disputations and also in the Treatise which is prefixed thereunto I haue determined at this time to aunswere nothing But concerning the body of Christ which ye so greatly mislike that I should deny to bee present I will say somewhat for their satisfaction If I should demaund of you to what purpose there ought to be affirmed any such presence as ye doe say ye will as I thinke make me no other aunswere but to the intent the body and bloud of Christ may be ioyned vnto vs. Howbeit since the whole woorke of this coniunction is heauenly spiritual it is not required hereunto that this presence of yours for the which ye so earnestlie contend should haue any place What neede is there here either of any naturall touching or of the neerenesse of places Tell me I pray ye since the holy scriptures doe declare that not onely weare coupled together with Christ but also that we be members together with our brethren so as we are made all one body will ye not confesse that those faithfull which are in Spayne Italie Germanie and Fraunce Rom. 12. 4. are so ioyned together with vs that as Paul said They be members one of an other with vs I know ye will not deny it If then the distance of places and naturall touching which cannot be at all doe nothing hinder this vnitie whereby through Christ we are ioyned together in one why then doe yee deny that we are truely ioyned together vnto Christ without a reall and corporall presence But if ye deny it not why doe ye importunately vrge this presence And to vse yet a plainer and more expresse similitude Man and Wife in the holy Scriptures as ye know both are and are called one flesh For Adam or God by Adam saith This is now bone of my bones Gen. 2. 23. Mark 10. 8. and flesh of my flesh for this cause shall a man leaue father and mother and shall cleaue to his wife and they shall become one flesh And so proper is this similitude to the thing which we haue in hande that Paul to the Ephesians maketh the bodie of Christ to be in such sorte the Church as the wife is the bone and flesh of her husbande And yet nothing hindereth this vnitie of the fleshe betweene husbande and wife if as it happeneth a man shall sometime be at London for a time and the wife shall remaine at Cambridge or at Oxford The distance of place and naturall touching which now cannot be had prooueth not but that the wife and the husband be betweene themselues one and the selfe same flesh Wherefore there is no neede that for comming into vnitie with Christ yee should so labour to tye his body and bloud or as ye speake to hide them vnder bread and wine Wee are truely ioyned vnto Christ without these prodigious thinges The Eucharist without these fained deuises is a whole and perfect sacrament and no lesse true without these delusions are the words of Christ wherein he said Mar. 14. 22. Luk. 22. 19. This is my body wherein he deliuered bread to his Apostles as in the Treatise following shall be more at large declared Wherefore to the â—stablishing and confirming of all these thinges the Church hath no neede of a corporall or substantiall presence of the body of Christ But neuerthelesse I would not haue it to be thought that because of the similitudes which I haue alleadged I doe but lightlie account or do too much extenuate the coniunction which wee haue and dailie enter into with Christ For I knowe verie well that the Scriptures to shewe that the same coniunction is most firmelie knit haue not onelie beene accustomed to declare that we are indued with the spirit merite and intercession of Iesus and that both we are gouerned and doe liue by his inspiration and spirit but also that he him selfe is with vs and dwelleth in our heartes by faith that he is our head and that he dwelleth in vs and we in him that we are borne anewe in him and that his flesh is both giuen and receiued to the intent it maie be eaten and drunken Howbeit I vnderstande these sayings to bee metaphoricall sith that proper speaches cannot verie easilie be had for these things For words according as they signifie this or that so are they appointed to serue vnto mans purpose For this cause when wee are to speake of heauenlie and diuine things a naturall man which vnderstandeth not so great secretes is not able so much as to name them And therefore the holie Ghost to remedie our weakenesse hauing graunted vs a light and vnderstanding which should excell our owne nature hath also humbled himselfe to these metaphors namelie of abiding dwelling eating and drinking to the intent that this diuine and heauenly coniunction which we haue with Christ might some manner of way be knowen vnto vs. And these formes of speaking since we see they comprehend in them two manner of things to wit a singular efficacie and a signification not proper but translated it is necessarie that we interprete them not rashlie but with prudent and spirituall circumscription Which is then vsed if we doe not extenuate the sense of them more than is meete especiallie when they bee applied vnto the Sacraments nor yet doe attribute thereunto anie more than is requisite The excessiue speaches of the fathers and contempt of the Anabaptistes did maruellouslie obscure the Sacramentes and especiallie this Sacrament whereof we intreate whyle the one sort iudge it to bee but onelie a token of mutuall charitie and a cold and a bare signe of the death of Christ and the other attribute all manner of diuinitie vnto it by meanes whereof before they were aware they made a steppe vnto horrible Idolatrie And no other way can that mediocritie which wee desire bee retayned but by interpreting the Phrases which wee haue rehearsed according to the analogie and agreeablenesse of the holie Scripture Which although it require that we plucke not in sunder the hypostaticall as they call it or essentiall vnitie of Christ for which the properties of the two natures I meane the diuine and humane are communicated the one with the other yet doeth the same require of vs that what wee haue made common by interchanging the proprietie of the words we should by interpretation distinguish with a sound vnderstanding that both the diuinitie be not made subiect to humane infirmities and that the humanitie be not so much deified as by leauing the bonds of his owne nature it should be destroyed Wherefore by a spirituall wisedome such as is not elsewhere obtained thaÌ„ in the holie scriptures we must discerne what is agreeable vnto Christ as touching the one nature and what is agreeable to him as touching the other And thus the presence of the bodie of Christ which I remooue from the Eucharist is in this respect that they affirme it either to be spread ouer euerie place or else that it is
that they say An vnbloudy sacrifice it is an vnbloudie sacrifice be-because Christ is not here slaine nor yet his bloud violently drawne forth An answere For although that these things be not doone yet without bloud according to the grosse imagination of these men the thing is not doone Wherefore it appeareth that the fathers so spake because they woulde onely haue a memorie here of the true sacrifice and a spirituall receiuing therof An obiectiō which is doone by faith Moreouer they are woont to say that the bodie and bloud of Christ is shadowed and couered with the accidents of bread and wine least we should séeme to eate rawe flesh and to drinke bloud An answere But I doe not thinke that these men wil say howsoeuer they paint and colour the matter if their Transubstantiation be true but that we doe eate rawe flesh insomuch as no reason is brought either by them or by the scriptures that it should be sodden And yet it is written of the Paschall lambe which was a figure of this sacrament that nothing thereof should be eaten rawe 21 Besides foorth we sée that Christ in the Eucharist instituted a sacrament It is méete that in Sacraments all things should be receiued sacramētally wherby it commeth to passe that all thinges be doone there sacramentally Neither is it required that in Sacramentes more should be giuen or desired than the reason of a Sacrament shall require Further if we weigh what Christ did in that last supper we may easily perceiue the thing it is prooued that he gaue his owne body If we demaund further what manner of one he gaue they cannot determine with themselues Some séeme to say that he gaue such as he had namely a passible and mortall body Whether Christ gaue his passible bodie or whether his glorified bodie Howbeit such a body with those conditions which it then had might not carnally as these men dreame be contained in small péeces of bread But others which thinke themselues wiser say that Christ in himselfe had a body mortall and passible but that in bread he gaue a glorified and spirituall body Then dooth that make against them which we read in the wordes of the Lord Mat. 26. 26 This is my body which is giuen for you and my bloud which shall be shed for you Where he plainely extendeth his speach both vnto the body which he then had and vnto the bloud which he at the same houre possessed For these glorified and impassible thinges he receaued not vntill the resurrection was past But admit it as they say We argue the conditions of the body passible and glorified are contrary one to an other so as they cannot both together at one time be in one subiect Whereuppon it followeth that if ye will haue them put into the body of Christ at one very time ye make Christes body to be twaine Experience and the histories teach vs that we must not allow of Transubstantiation because they write that Victor the Pope of Rome dyed by drinking of poyson out of the challice An Emperour and a Pope poysoned by taking of the Eucharist And Henry the Emperor was poysoned by taking of bread in the Eucharist If all things be there transubstantiated That the matter of the sacrament cannot be cast away What the matter and forme of the Sacrament are and that only accidentes are remaining how may these thinges be We know that euery of the Sacramentes as the aduersaries themselues speake consist of matter and forme The matter they say is the signes or elements but the forme they say is that which is added by the word But that which is compounded of the two must not cast away the one so as nothing thereof should remaine but accidentes otherwise the nature of composition and coniunction would not be kept Therefore it is concluded that the substances of bread and wine doe remaine And before they be aware the bodie of Christ is by them depriued of quantitie place and distance of partes so as his whole body is constrained to be in the least péece thereof 22 This Sacrament is not onely called the Sacrament of the body of Christ our sauiour but also of the mysticall bodie wherefore Paul in the first Epistle to the Corinthians sayd 1. Co. 12. 27 1. Co. 10. 17 Ye be the body of Christ and again We that are many be one bread and one body which be partakers of one bread And Augustine in his 22. booke De Ciuitate Dei the 10. Chapter saith that Christians doe not offer sacrifice vnto Martyrs The sacrifice vndoubtedlie is the body of Christ which is not offered vnto Martyrs because they thē selues be the same to wit the body of Christ Wherefore séeing this Sacrament is of both the bodies The bread is not transubstantiated into the bodie mysticall no more therefore is it into the bodie of Christ euen as they appoint not that the bread should be transubstantiated into the bodie mysticall so it may not be required that it should be truely and properlie cōuerted into the bodie of the Lord séeing it is declared to be the Sacrament aswell of the one as of the other And of this opinion it would followe that aswell the faithfull as the vnfaithfull doe receaue the bodie of the Lord The vngodlie doe not receiue the verie bodie of Christ which I haue elsewhere disprooued by two reasons First that seeing the bodie of Christ is not plucked away from the spirit of Christ it would followe that the wicked should receaue the spirit of Christ Secondly séeing infidels be dead as touching the inward man they altogether want the instrument whereby they should receaue spirituall thinges And Augustine plainelie said that none doe eate the bodie of Christ but they which be of his bodie And Ierom in the 4. booke vppon Ieremy the 22. Chapter And whereas he inferreth They shall not eate and drinke he vnderstandeth the bodie and bloud of our Sauiour And he spake of the Heretickes And the same Father vppon Esay the 66. Chapter While they be not holy in bodie in spirit neither doe they eate the flesh of Iesus nor doe drinke his bloud And manie such like places are had out of the Fathers And whereas here they so very often pretend vnto vs manie miracles we must not so easilie giue credit because miracles are not woont to be brought in vnlesse it be in respect that they be strange and woonderfull thinges by whose vnaccustomed happening a weight may be added vnto the word of God For then men be stricken with admiration and may be easily led to imbrace the doctrine of Christ But here is no visible thing changed and there is nothing that can stirre vp men to admiration How they craue in vaine the help of myracles wherefore they séeme in vaine to craue helpe of miracles The virgin in déede conceaued of the holy Ghost but this she sensiblie
ouerthrowe heretikes I on the other part say that vnlesse wee vse figures as it appeareth in those things which we haue cited a little before the Heretickes haue the ouer hand For they also will vrge the proper sense that sense I meane which straightwaie offereth it selfe Onely this remaineth to shewe that such a phrase and figuratiue spéeche is verie often in the holy scriptures Such figuratiue speeches as this are most familiar in the scriptures Luke 8. 11. and this will easilie be doone Wee reade that The seede is the word of God The rocke was Christ Albeit I knowe some doe cauill 1. Cor. 10. 4 and woulde no figure to be héere also because Paul tended his spéeche vnto the spirituall rocke which they say is Christ verilie and not figuratiuelie Howbeit Augustine and Origen bee on our side who plainely say that the same outward Rocke signified Christ But least we might séeme to shift off that which is obiected wée say that if they will vnderstand The spirituall Rocke let them also in this place vnderstand spirituall and allegoricall bread and as touching the same wee shall truely and without figure confesse it to be Christ Moreouer the Lord said I haue chosen you twelue and one of you is a Diuell Iohn 6. 70. yet was not Iudas therefore transubstantiated into a diuell Of Circumcision it is written My Couenant shall be in your flesh Ioh. 17. 13. whereas the Circumcision is not the couenant but onely a signe of the Couenant Verse 20. In the 33. Chapter of Genesis it is shewed that Iacob builded an Aultar which he called the mightie God of Israel Exo. 17. 15. And Moses in Exodus after the victorie against Amaleck called the Aultar which he builded Iehouahnesi Ier. 23. 6. God my banner and Ieremie maketh mention of a Citie that was called Iehouah Zidkenu God our righteousnesse because these shoulde bee Monuments of those things which they expressed in names Iohn 5. 35. Of Iohn Baptist it is written that he was a burning and a shining Candle also Mat. 17. 12 he is Helias if ye will receiue him Christ saieth of himselfe Iohn 15. 1. I am the vine and ye bee the branches Iohn 10. 7. 1. Pet. 2. 6. I am the doore Of himselfe also it is written that Hee is a stone set for a ruine and resurrection Deu. 12. 23. In Deuteronomie The bloud is the life Whereas it is that wherewith the life is preserued and signified Gen. 37. 37 Of Ioseph his brother Iudas saide Let him not be slaine he is our flesh By which phrase of spéech was signified the naturall coniunction of kindred 1. Co. 10. 17 Paul saieth That manie be one bread which we must vnderstand figuratiuelie And Christ breathed vpon his Disciples and saide Ioh. 20. 22. Receiue ye the holie Ghost Yet is not the breathing transubstantiated into the holie Ghost In Genesis Gen. 6. 3. My spirit shall not abide in man because he is flesh And in Iohn The word became flesh Iohn 1. 14. wherein is the figure Synecdoche for the whole man is vnderstoode vnder the name of flesh And the Lorde vppon the Crosse saide Woman behold thy sonne Ioh. 19. 26. and to the Disciple Behold thy mother yet were they not transubstantiated they remained the same that they were before but there was appointed a new order a new relation and respect to be had betwéene them Of Christ it is said That he is our peace Ephe. 2. 14. whereas he is onlie the cause of our peace Againe Iohn 6. 62. My words be spirit and life whereas they only signified or brought these things vnto the beléeuers Iohn 1. 29. Iohn said of Christ Behold the lamb of God yet was not his nature changed into the nature of a Lambe 36 We reade euerie where in the holie scriptures Psal 19. 10. Psal 105. 5. 118. v. 13 that the wordes of the Lorde are iudgement trueth righteousnesse whereas these things be therein onely signified and expressed And this similitude doeth excellently well agrée with the sacraments which are said to be visible wordes Wee haue in the Apocalips I am Alpha and Omega that is Apoc. 1. ◠the beginning and ende of all things And Paul saieth of his Gospell which he preached It is the power of God to saluation vnto euerie one that beleeueth Rom. 1. 16 whereas it is onelie the instrument whereby the power of God declareth it selfe vnto men that shall be saued And as touching the Gospell of the crosse he saieth 1. Cor. 1. 21. That vnto the vngodly it is foolishnesse that is it signifieth a foolish thing vnto that kinde of men But he addeth Ibid. 24. That vnto the godlie it is the power and wisedome of God because it representeth these things vnto them And as touching the lawe it is said Deu. 30. 15 that He set before the Hebrewes life death blessing and cursing that is by signification of the lawe by the promises threatenings which were expressed in the same In the Booke of Genesis the vij Gen. 41. 26 kine and the vij eares of corne are saide to bee the vij yeares 1. Kings 11. 31. and this was as touching the signification Ahia the Prophet of Silo gaue vnto Ieroboam ten péeces of his torne mantell said that he gaue him the kingdome of the x. Tribes Ver. 10. In the first Epistle to the Corinthians the xj Chapter Paul wrote that the woman ought to haue on her head power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a couer whereby the power of the husband is signified And in the second Epistle to the Corinthians it is written 2. Cor. 5. 21 That God made Christ to bee sinne namely as touching the similitude and representation of the flesh Leuit. 7. v. 2. 7. 37. Osee 4. 8. Yea and the sacrifice which was offered for sinnes is called sinne And the Priests were saide to eate the sinnes of the people that is the sacrifices which were offered for the sinnes of the people In Ezechiel it is written Eze. 36. 25 I will poure vpon you pure water and by water he signifieth the holy Ghost The verie which thing we reade of Christ when he saieth Iohn 4. 14. He that shall drinke of this water and the rest that followeth where the Euangelist calleth to minde that he spake of the spirit which they were to receiue Exo. 12. 27. Of the Lambe we read that it was called the Passeouer although some indeuour to denie it But in the Hebrewe it is Zebah pesah hu The sacrifice is the Passouer By sacrifice cannot otherwise be vnderstoode but eyther the beast slaine for sacrifice or else the same action of offering the slaine beast Euen so we haue the bodie of Christ expressed both in the bread and in the wine and in the action aswell of eating as of
weake by a certaine example we will shew the féeblenesse thereof The Lord said to Nichodemus That none can enter into the kingdome of heauen Marke the similitude of Nichodemus Iohn 3. 3. Looke the dialogue of both natures in Christ vnlesse he be borne a new He began to demaund How can a man of ripe age or else an olde man enter the secōd time into the wombe of his mother It might haue bin said vnto him Christ hath now affirmed that it shall so be why doubtest thou of the power of God whereby all things be created By it thou maiest vndoubtedlie be borne againe out of thy mothers wombe Howbeit Christ said not so but he declared that all this should be doone by spirituall regeneration For albeit he made mention of water which should belong vnto baptisme yet he most plainely taught that we should be borne againe by the spirit So we sée it come to passe in this place Christ commaunded that we should eate his flesh And in receauing of bread he said This is my bodie The transubstantiators say It can not be brought to passe that the bodie of the Lord should be together with bread wherefore it behooueth that the nature thereof should be transubstantiated into the bodie of Christ and this will they perswade to be doone by the power of God But in the meane time they obiect We alone say not so For Chrysostom Ambrose and Cyrill when they dispute of this change send vs to the power of God and doe extoll the same with woonderfull prayses But we aunswere Why the Fathers in speaking of the Sacraments extol the power of God that the fathers speake well For in déed it belongeth to the power of God to change bread wine that the Sacraments should be such as they were not before Neither is it a woork of nature that they should so mightilie and effectuallie signifie offer and exhibite the bodie and bloud of the Lord which must be apprehended with our mindes and fayth Wherefore the holy Ghost is the chiefest in this businesse and the institution of the Lorde is of great force and the wordes being vttered by diuine inspiration and now repeated do profit verie much Adde herewithall that whyle we communicate there is a chaunge or conuersion of vs into Christ which doth far exceede the power of nature But now séeing the supernaturall power of God may bee re-required to all these thinges they apply the same vnto transubstantiation And it is euen as if wée shoulde argue from the more vniuersall to the more particular affirmatiuelie which is not lawfull Moreouer in baptisme is required the selfesame power séeing it is not the woorke of nature that water should become the fountaine of regeneration But here some take it not in good part that Baptisme should in such wise be compared with the Eucharist For albeit they cannot deny that Christ also is present in Baptisme and giuen vnto vs for it is written Gal. 3. 27. So many of you as are baptised haue put on Christ yet say they Christ is better after a more excellent manner in the Eucharist than he is in Baptisme therefore the bread is transubstantiated and it is not necessarie that the water should be changed Vnto whom we answere that we néede not striue much in which of the Sacramentes Christ is more excellent so it be graunted that he is in the one and the other And euen as he may be in the one the substance of the elementes preserued so may he be in the other Whether sacrament is more woorthier Baptisme or the Eucharist But if thou wilt in any wise contend about the woorthinesse of them the excellencie of baptisme may be shewed by effectuall reasons Insomuch as it is more to be begotten than to be nourished Furthermore Baptisme was made famous by manie miracles The heauens were opened the voyce of the father was heard the holy Ghost was séene in the likenesse of a dooue the which happened not in the institution of the Eucharist And these thinges we speake not to the abasing of this Sacrament For it is most woorthie and should be excéedinglie honored but they be therefore vttered that we may aunswere to the obiection made as touching the power of God And we haue alreadie shewed before out of Augustine De Trinitate the 3. booke and 10 Chapter that so excéeding great miracles as these men bring must not be allowed Which also appeareth if thou rehearse the verses of Gregorie Nazianzene wherein he comprehended all the miracles of Christ The fathers made no mention of the myracle of Transubstantiation neither did he make any mention of these miracles which neuerthelesse if we beléeue them they be singular and without comparison Augustine also while he compriseth the maruels of the holy scripture in a certaine booke of his entituled the booke of miracles he maketh mention of Transubstantiation Wherefore it appeareth that we must not for this opinion bring in an Argument drawen from the power of God which we deny not yea rather we affirme that in this Sacrament there is néede of it 61 Next of all they obiected that their opinion was confirmed by many woonders and miracles For howe many causes myracles might be doone about the Eucharist Look in the Treatise against Gardiner 1. Co. 11. 30 the which be read in Cyprian in the life of Gregorie and among many other writers We aunswere hereunto that about the Eucharist miracles might be doone for thrée causes either to kéepe back wicked and vnwoorthie men from so woorthie a Sacrament and this kinde of miracles we allowe For the Apostle writeth that among the Corinthians many were féeble weake that manie were asléepe because they communicated vnwoorthilie And vnto this order I thinke those men must be brought whereof Cyprian writeth Another kinde of miracles is sometime brought in to set foorth the excellencie of this Sacrament that the dignitie and greatnesse thereof might thereby be expressed Which miracles also we reiect not For we knowe also that baptisme was oftentimes adorned with manie miracles A third kinde there may be for the confirming of this opinion or rather error concerning Transubstantiation And after this manner the aduersaries alledge these things against vs. But miracles of this sort must be vtterly reiected And hereof are we admonished by the lawe Deut. 13. 1. that so often as a Prophet goeth about to drawe men to idolatrie and superstitions although he get credite thereunto by working of miracles we must not beléeue him yea rather the Lord would haue him to be stoned We knowe moreouer that Antichrist shall come 1. Thes 2. ◠that he shal be famous in signes and woonders And we are not ignorant that in the time of Moses the sorcerers stood before Pharao which did woonders against the word of God Gen. 7. 11. And we read in Irenaeus the 1 booke of one Marke a deceauer heretick who
teach vs that among outward oblations the killing of beastes and Tenthes and fruites in the old time held the last place But the chiefe place was giuē to the obedience which is shewed vnto the word of God to charitie towardes our brethren to thankesgiuing and to prayers The end of sacrifices Neither is the end of Sacrifices lightlie to be passed ouer but with diligence to be set foorth especiallie as Augustine hath expressed the same namelie that wée might with an holy fellowship cleaue vnto God For without it our workes though they be neuer so excellent can be no sacrifices Why the death of Christ did so greatly please God Yea and for this cause speciallie did the verie death of Christ which was the chiefe and onely sacrifice please God for that Christ to no other end offered himselfe but to fulfill the will of his father and to obay him as it was méete But to these thinges which I haue said I wil also adde an other which Augustine writeth in his Epistle Ad Deo gratias the 3. Augustine Two kinde of things required in euerie sacrifice question namelie that in euery sacrifice God requireth two kinde of thinges First that our oblations be made vnto the the true God the which aduise séeing the Idolaters doe refuse whatsoeuer they doe in their rites turneth to their owne distructiō The other is that the forme of oblatiōs consisteth of the doctrine of the holy scriptures and procéedeth not of our owne inuentions and faininges 14 There ariseth a doubt Whether a Sacrament and sacrifice can bea◠one thing because wée haue put a difference betwéene a Sacrament and sacrifice And yet if the Fathers in the old law had in their oblations and sacrifices the selfesame thing that we haue when we celebrate the supper of the Lord which no man doubteth to be a Sacrament how will that stand which we said before that there is a difference betwéene a Sacrifice and a Sacrament séeing that of necessitie the Sacrifices of the olde fathers must also be Sacramentes To this I aunswere that the reasons in déede of these thinges are diuers yet that prooueth not but that one thing may be both a Sacrament and a Sacrifice For no man doubteth but that Philosophie and the strength of the bodie are diuers thinges which neuerthelesse are both to be séene in one man So likewise it happeneth here that one thing may be both a Sacrifice and a Sacrament The Supper of the Lord is both a Sacrament a sacrifice although the consideration of a Sacrament and a Sacrifice is diuers When the supper of the Lord is celebrated in that the bodie and bloud of Christ are by faith spirit giuen vnto vs to be receaued and the promise of that coniunction which we haue with Christ sealed so that we are the members of his bodie in this respect I say it is a Sacrament and so is called because in that Action God giueth his giftes vnto vs. But in that by the same action we celebrate the memorie of the death of Christ giue thanks for the benefites receaued consecrate and offer our selues vnto God it is and may be called a iust Sacrifice because wée offer most acceptable oblations vnto God The selfesame thing may we sée in the killing of the Sacrifices which were doone before God in old time The killing of the sacrifices were both sacraments and sacrifices For those also were Sacramentes whereby Christ was set foorth to the olde fathers to be receaued of them by faith and whereby they communicated before God in eating and drinking together All these thinges I say belonged to the nature of a Sacrament and yet the same were also Sacrifices séeing therein they did consecrate both theirs and themselues vnto God In 1. Cor. 5. 7. Whether Christ may be said to be sacrificed in the Masse How manie waies the Supper of the Lord may be called a sacrifice 15 But séeing Christ is said to be sacrificed what meane these sacrificers which say that he is dailie sacrificed in the Masse For the which cause it is to be noted that in the supper of the Lord there may be foure oblations The first is of the bread and wine which was brought in by the people Of a certaine portion whereof was the Eucharist celebrated of which the faithfull communicated among themselues and that which remained was distributed vnto the poore And of the same oblation Irenaeus Cyprian and the Ecclesiasticall Stories doe speake And Paul vnto the Philippians Phil. 4. 18. the 4. Chapter sheweth that almes are Sacrifices when hée writeth that he receaued those thinges which they sent him as a swéete smelling Sacrifice vnto God Secondlie thereis a thankesgiuing which in the holy scriptures is called a Sacrifice of praise Thirdlie the Communicantes doe offer themselues vnto God to be gouerned and mortified Of which Sacrifice how it hath relation hither thou hast it twise in the Epistle to the Romans First Giue your bodies a holy and liuing Sacrifice Rom. 12. 1. acceptable vnto God And in the 15. Chapter the Apostle writeth Verse 16. that He administred the Gospell to the intent that the oblation of the Gentiles may be acceptable and sanctified through the holy Ghost Fourthlie to conclude when hee speaketh there as touching the memoriall of the death of Christ which was the true sacrifice by a figuratiue spéeche the Eucharist or Supper of the Lord taketh his name of that thing which it representeth Augustine saith that Christ by memoriall and cogitation is euerie daie crucified It is not méete to call the Eucharist a sacrifice and is called a sacrifice as Augustine saith vpon the Psalme that by remembrance and cogitation Christ is dailie offered By these reasons I perceiue the Fathers were led to vse in the Eucharist the name of sacrifice and immolation Which neuerthelesse I would not vse séeing the holie Scripture calleth it not so from whose phrase of speach we must not rashlie depart And thou shalt not at any time finde in the holy Scriptures The ministers of the Church are no where in the scriptures called Priests Heb. 5. 7 8 9 10. that the ministers of Churches or the Apostles are called priestes for that is fullie and wholie attributed vnto Christ And as the Epistle to the Hebrewes hath The Priesthood was translated vnto him and séeing he remaineth for euer he hath no néede of a successor And weake is the Argument of them which bring the saying of Malachie of offering the Sacrifice called in Hebrewe Minchah The sacrifice Minchah Irenaeus vnto the name of the Lord in euery place For Irenaeus interpreteth this of bread wine and giftes which as we sayd before was offered by the faithfull in the supper of the Lord. Tertullian Howbeit Tertullian against the Iewes and against Marcion expoundeth it of spirituall oblations I meane prayers thankesgiuing and godly Sermons Ierom. Of the
as setting all other things aside we put our trust in him alone and contemning those things which we sée doo hope for of him those things which we sée not c. These things agrée with those which be written by the same apostle in the same epistle the second chapter verse 1. that When we were dead in our sinnes God quickened vs togither in Christ Wherefore euen as a dead man is able to doo nothing towards his owne raising vp or resurrection so we also doo not rise againe although the words of God call vnto vs alowd vnlesse the spirit and life be first restored vnto vs then doo we mooue and stir vp to well dooing And in the first epistle to the Corinthians it is written 1. Cor. 4 7. For who separateth thee And what hast thou that thou hast not receiued And if thou hast receiued whie doost thou glorie as though thou haddest not receiued If we should appoint that frée will can receiue the promises offered and can consent to the saiengs of God propounded the answer will be easie for anie man to saie He hath seuerallie appointed vnto me my frée will aboue others bicause I would they would not I haue consented they haue refused wherefore the difference would appeare to be of vs. And when Paule saith Thou hast nothing that thou hast not receiued he meaneth not that of creation but of faith of christianitie and regeneration For he dealt with the Corinthians themselues who professed christianitie 10 Further Iere. 17 14. Psal 80. 7. séeing this healing of the mind dependeth of God we rightlie praie Heale me Lord and I shal be whole And in the Psalmes Turne vs ô God of strength Which thing when God dooth he taketh the veile from our hearts whereby we were let that we could not be méet for heauenlie things And the naile of obstinacie and stubbornesse is driuen out Iohn 6 44. by the naile of the word of God for Christ said No man commeth vnto me except my father shall drawe him Whereof Augustine speaking in his 26. treatise vpon Iohn saith Feare not as though thou shouldest be drawne against thy will the mind is drawne and is drawne with loue neither shalt thou saie How doo I beléeue willinglie if I be drawne Thou art not onelie drawne by will but also by pleasure for as the Poet said Euerie mans owne pleasure draweth him And he addeth similitudes A similitude Thou shewest to a little shéepe a gréene bough thou drawest him Thou shewest nuts to a child and thou drawest him We are not drawne by the hurt of the bodie but by the cord of the hart Further making this drawing more plaine he saith I while I speake vnto you what doo I I bring in a noise into your eares vnlesse there be one within to reueale what speake I What saie I I am he that trimmeth the trée without the Creator is within 2. Cor. 2 7. But he that planteth and he that watereth is nothing it is he himselfe that giueth the increase and maketh all men apt to learne All which men Iohn 6 45. They which haue heard and learned of the father they doo come vnto Christ He intreating of the verie same matter against two epistles of the Pelagians the 19. chapter writeth Who is drawne if he was alreadie willing And yet no man commeth except he be willing Wherefore he is by maruelous meanes drawne to be willing by him which knoweth how to worke inwardlie euen in the verie hearts of men not that men should beléeue against their wils which is vnpossible to be doone but that of vnwilling they should be made willing I knowe that some be of the mind that all men are drawne of God and that some come not bicause they will not not bicause they are not drawne Howbeit this exposition agréeth not with the discourse of the Gospell for some contemned the words of Christ murmured and went their waies But the twelue cleaued vnto Christ who séemeth to giue the reason of this difference namelie that none should come vnto him vnlesse the father shall drawe him Of this sentence it may be prooued They depart and come not vnto Christ Therefore they are not drawne The apostles cleaue vnto Christ and followe him Therefore they be drawne So then these be drawne and those be not drawne And the cause why one is drawne and an other is not drawne iudge not thou said Augustine if thou wilt not erre More might yet be said of this drawing but I surcease I come vnto Paule and to the prophet Esaie Esai 45 69. Rom 9 20. who in such sort compare vs with God as he is the potter but we the claie Which must not onelie be vnderstood of our creation but also of our forming anew for so Paule vnto the Romans vseth the same similitude And it must be diligentlie considered that a potter dooth not onelie forme and fashion the claie but dooth also soften renew and temper it the which thing belongeth vnto that change whereof we now speake Rom. 9 16. It is also said vnto the Romans It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in GOD that sheweth mercie In which words Paule testifieth that our saluation is wholie of him and that we ought not to contend with him as touching the bounds as to saie This is mine and this is his but we must sincerelie and truelie confesse that all our saluation how much so euer it be is of God And this did Oecolampadius a singular man in godlinesse and learning note in 26 Oecolampadius chapter of Esaie the 156. leafe But we must not thus imagine that God prospereth the businesse and yet dooth nothing for euen this dooth he a little after prooue to be false yéelding vnto God all our works Neither doo we giue onelie false titles vnto him as some flatterers doo vnto kings bicause through the authoritie of kings manie thousands are slaine in battell when as they themselues neuerthelesse are occupied in the meane time in games and huntings Augustine in his treatise De bone perseuerantiae the second chapter saith that We liue well when we attribute all vnto God And Cyprian as he is alledged by Augustine said that Of vs there is nothing and that therefore we may not glorie This he spake not alonelie for christian modestie sake but bicause of the truth for that so the thing is And if the exposition were true which some men make of those words It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that hath mercie that it is therefore so said bicause our will and strength are not sufficient vnlesse the mercie of GOD be present the sentence might be inuerted so that we might saie that it is not in God that hath mercie but in man that willeth Because according to the iudgement of these men the mercie of God is not sufficient vnlesse that we also be
bodie is so called bicause it is now immortall with the spirit And a little after Therefore as a naturall bodie is not a soule but a bodie so we must thinke that a spirituall bodie is not a spirit but a bodie And in his treatise De ciuitate Dei the 13 booke and the 20. chapter Howbeit bicause it shall be subdued to the spirit by an excellent and woonderfull easinesse of obeieng euen to the accomplishing of the most assured will of immortalitie which cannot be dissolued And a litle after Euen as the spirit which serueth the flesh is not amisse called carnall so the flesh seruing the spirit is called spirituall not that it is changed into the spirit You heare what things are spoken of a spirituall bodie among the which we find not that it is in diuers places at one time For it is euen as repugnant to the nature of a bodie to be in diuers places at once as it is to be no bodie D. Tresham I denie your minor proposition that it is as repugnant to the nature of a bodie to be conuersant in manie places at once as it is to be no bodie for this latter includeth contradiction of the verie termes and so dooth not the former And more readilie may this be doone in a bodie which hath the properties of a glorious bodie D. Martyr I will prooue anon that it is against the bodie of Christ being definit and circumscribed by limits of place and a creature to be in manie places at once But as touching the glorie which he now hath I saie I doo not exclude the gifts of glorie Howbeit I will prosecute the argument in hand to wit that Augustine ment not that the soule of Christ was at one time both in hell and in heauen with the théefe much lesse therefore shall this be granted to the bodie which is not attributed to the soule Neither in that treatise dooth Augustine exclude the Eucharist D. Tresham Yes verelie he did exclude it D. Martyr Augustine made mention there of the Eucharist but intended a far other matter than to exclude the same from the truth determined For he disputed of the holie Ghost how he being one distributeth his gifts without diuision of himselfe that he maie adorne with his graces the mysticall bodie of the church which mysticall bodie of Christ he saith is set foorth in our sacrifice D. Tresham What if Augustine denie that the soule of Christ cannot be in diuers places therefore can it not be Shall the saieng of Augustine diminish the power of God that it shall not doo as it will No it shall not diminish it D. Martyr It shall now suffice at this present that we haue séene Augustines iudgement that Christ as touching his humanitie bicause of the quantitie of a true bodie is in heauen but as touching his diuinitie euerie where D. Tresham When Augustine saith Christ in that respect that he is man is in heauen vnderstandeth that to be true as touching visible forme for so he expoundeth himselfe in that place saieng If he shall come according to that voice of the angell euen in such wise as hée was séene go into heauen that is to vse his owne words in the same forme of flesh according to this forme he saith he must not be thought to be dispersed euerie where Afterward Augustine maketh mention there of our sacrifice And at that time no man doubted of the truth of the sacrament D. Martyr You shall neuer find there out of Augustine that the bodie of Christ by an inuisible forme may be in manie places at once this is of your owne deuise And I haue now shewed to what end he made mention there of the Eucharist Moreouer we doo not dispute here of the truth of the sacrament which we all confesse but we contend as touching the maner how Christ is there And I will shew most assuredlie that it is in God alone to be in manie places and euerie where at once and that it must not be granted vnto creatures For by this reason dooth Didymus in his first booke De spiritu sancto prooue the Godhead of the holie Ghost It is onelie God that can be in manie places at once bicause he was able to be in many places at one time which can be no condition of anie creature And the verie selfe-same reason made Basil in his booke De spiritu sancto chapter 22. Wherefore if these mens arguments should be of anie strength it would be concluded that the humane nature in Christ is the diuine nature séeing it is affirmed of you to be in manie places at once and so all things would be confounded But now let vs heare their words Didymus saith thus The holie Ghost himselfe if he were one of the creatures he should at the least-wise haue a substance circumscriptible or within limitation euen as haue all things that be made For albeit that the inuisible creatures are not limited within place and bounds yet are they bounded by the propertie of their substance But the holie Ghost sith he is in manie places hath no limited substance For Iesus sending foorth the Preachers of his doctrine replenished them with the spirit and breathing vpon them Receiue ye saith he the holie Ghost Iohn 20 22. and go yee foorth and teach all nations not as though he sent them all to euerie nation Neither in verie déed did the apostles trauell togither vnto all nations but some into Asia some into Scythia and others were dispersed into other nations according to the dispensation of that holie spirit which they had After what maner also we haue heard the Lord saie I am with you euen vntill the end of the world Héerewith all likewise agréeth that saieng Act. 1. 8. Ye shall receiue power of the holie Ghost when hee shall come on you and ye shall be witnesses vnto me both in Ierusalem and in all Iudaea and in Samaria and vnto the vttermost ends of the earth Now then if these apostles for the testimonie of the Lord being placed in the vttermost confines of the earth were distant in most far places one from an other yet that the holie Ghost dwelled in them hauing a substance which cannot be bounded or limited The angels cannot be in manie places at once it is an euident token that the power of angels is far other than this is séeing for example sake the angell which was present with the apostle when hée praied in Asia could not at the selfe-same time be present with others which were placed in other parts of the world But the holie Ghost not onelie is at hand with them which are separated one from an other but also remaineth an assistant to all particular angels principalities thrones dominations and as he sanctifieth men so is he of an other nature than men be of Basil in his booke De spiritu sancto the 22. chapter Therefore as touching the holie Ghost whom the world cannot
his bodie so as you speake of that which was in act I saie that of necessitie when the bodie of Christ was indued with passible qualities and conditions it could not be vnder impassible qualities it might be changed from the one sort to the other but to reteine both at once it was vnpossible Of the second question VVhether the bodie of Christ be reallie present in the Eucharist D. Tresham THe ancient authour Irenaeus in his fourth booke and 24. chapter against the Valentinians who said there was no resurrection of the flesh and denied Christ to bée the sonne of God who created all things How saith he shall it appeare vnto them that the bread wherein thanks are giuen is the bodie of his Lord if they denie the verie sonne of that creator And a little after But how againe doo they saie that the flesh turneth into corruption and receiueth not life the same being nourished with the bodie and bloud of the Lord Whereby it may be perceiued what maner of faith and doctrine of the church there was at that time touching the sacrament of the Eucharist Thus I dispute Euerie thing whereby another thing is prooued ought to be more certeine than that which is prooued but the resurrection of our flesh is prooued by the true presence of the bodie of Christ in the Eucharist and Christ is prooued to be the verie true sonne of the creator of this world therfore the bodie of Christ is there reallie present that ought to be more certeine to vs than those things which are prooued by these D. Martyr Irenaeus argument is true neither doo I denie the same but it maketh nothing against me For that bread is a bread of the Lords supper it is also the bodie of Christ but how Sacramentallie And that Iraeneus may conclude against the heretikes which denied Christ to haue béene the sonne of God the maker of this world he argueth that Christ tooke bread the which sith it is from God the creator of this world Christ would haue vsed an other creature Wherefore for Irenaeus purpose it is sufficient to prooue that this kind of bread being a creature hath place in verie déed in the sacrament least Christ might séeme to be an vsurper of a strange creature if he should be called the sonne of an other God than of him that made the world Two sorts of nourishment in the Eucharist But that we may knowe what Irenaeus iudged as touching the Eucharist let vs consider that he wrote that our bodies are fed nourished consist and increase by the Eucharist And this saieng is so true as we may vnderstand that by this sacrament there commeth vnto vs two kinds of nourishment One is naturall to wit by the signes bread and wine by the which commonlie an humane bodie is susteined Vnto which kind of nurtriment although it be not to be contemned yet Irenaeus and other of the fathers doo not attribute much therevnto The other nourishment is that while we receiue the sacrament we imbrase the bodie and bloud of Christ by the mind and faith and there first of all is our mind filled with the spirit and with grace secondlie our bodie is renewed that it may from daie to daie become a fit instrument for the spirit and so made more capable of the blessed resurrection And this did Irenaeus plainlie expresse when he saith Bread receiuing from the earth the calling of God is no more common bread but is made the Eucharist which consisteth of two things earthlie and heauenlie euen as our bodies receiuing the Eucharist be no longer corruptible bodies And after this maner he bringeth out of the Eucharist a reason of our true resurrection to come D. Tresham Whereas you saie that Irenaeus dooth name bread in this place and that therefore his meaning is that in the Eucharist there are both to wit as well bread as the bodie of Christ that these things are of great force to confirme his argument against the Valentinians you haue not satisfied me For looke in what sense the holie scriptures doo name bread in this sacrament euen in the same sense dooth Irenaeus speake in this place And he most euidentlie saith that the verie bodie of Christ is in the Eucharist and he calleth it bread either for that it was bread or else for that it reteineth the shewes of bread D. Martyr Indéed I grant that Irenaeus speaketh of bread in the verie same sense that the scriptures doo and therefore is it in such wise granted by him as it is by them that bread doth here remaine But that he saith that the bodie of Christ is in the bread after such a maner as you will haue it you shall neuer be able to shew out of his woords And that by the scripture it is named bread in such a sense as you appoint I haue often times disprooued it D. Tresham Chrysostome in his 61. homilie vnto the people of Antioch and vpon Iohn the 45. homilie writeth Your brother was I minded to be and I haue partaked flesh and bloud for you and those things whereby I am ioined vnto you I haue againe giuen to you Wherevpon it appeareth againe that the flesh and bloud whereby he was made of our consanguinitie are giuen in the Eucharist D. Martyr That the flesh of Christ is giuen to the communicants in the Eucharist I grant it wée dispute as touching the maner how which I prooue to be spirituall And yet doo I not therefore vnderstand that we receiue a feined flesh or a feined bodie but in a sacrament by faith we truelie receiue those things and are vnited vnto them D. Tresham Whereas you saie spirituallie that is not in the words of Chrysostome and by faith we may receiue euen without this sacrament D. Martyr Albeit that Chrysostome in this place dooth not write expreslie this word Spirituallie yet dooth he sufficientlie expresse it else-where when he saith Those things which be giuen vnto vs be such as are to be vnderstood And whereas you obiect that the receiuing of the bodie of Christ by faith may be also had without the sacrament I grant it For we may both with the figures and without the figures be partakers of the bodie of Christ for both with the signes without the signs while we consider in our minds Christ crucified for vs his bloud shed for vs and doo so beléeue we are truelie made partakers of him but yet the signes being ioined therewithall which the holie Ghost vseth as instruments for the better printing of faith in our minds we are verie much holpen For we be verie slacke vnto diuine things and therefore we haue néed of outward sacraments The disputation of the fourth daie made betweene D. VVilliam Chadse wherein he opposed D. Peter Martyr the first daie of Iune The Preface of D. VVilliam Chadse I Find and I am most assuredlie taught by experience that that is true which that same Gregorie Nazianzen
hidden and we knew it not Paul saith After the resurrection he was declared to be the Sonne of God Rom. 1. 4. These things did he wel mingle temper He being made a seruant would not be in his owne power He was a faithful seruant for he tooke not counsell of the flesh nor yet of men God had commaunded that hee should redéeme vs by the crosse the flesh shunneth it and giueth no héede thereunto Peter disswadeth him and is reprooued The Iewes woulde make him king The flesh liketh it he woulde not haue it so Compare the ill seruaunt with him which was the first man he séeth that which liketh him he taketh it he desireth the forme of God he giueth eare to the diuell and to his wife not vnto God therefore be the ends contrarie He cast away himself vs Christ profited himselfe vs. Rom. 5. 19 By the disobedience of one manie are made sinners by the obediēce of one manie are made righteous Therefore we wil iudge of actions according to the word of God not according to mans sense Let the same mind be in vs that was in Christ he serued God he serued men he was the minister of the circumcisiō he came not to be ministred vnto but to minister He was founde in the similitude of men and in the figure c. Here doe the Marcionites triumph they say he séemed to be man but he was not So the transubstantiatours It séemeth to be bread yet it is not it séemeth to be wine yet it is not But they erre for Paul speaketh of the conuersation that was like vnto other men Hée did eate he dranke he slept hée walked he hungred he thirsted c. He shewed that his diuine nature did not confounde his humane neither as touching the essence nor yet as touching the conuersation Moreouer as saith Chrysost he was not in all respects as other men be he was not borne of the séed of man neither was he born with sinne he was not a mere man for he was God In the 22. Verse 7. Psalme A worme and no man In the Hebrewe it is not Adam but Ish that is a man wherefore he denieth not the humane nature but the glorie of it But he humbled himselfe hee was like the young braunche in a drie lande as Esaie saith without leaues and flowers such there be in drie places Many would not beléeue they expected a mightie Monarche There commeth one which hath not where to rest his head which rideth vppon an Asse liueth of Almes is hated of the high Priests and Princes is vpbrayded to be the sonne of a Carpenter that he is a Galilean that he is one of Nazareth that he is a friend of sinners and a drinker of wine a Samaritan that hath the diuell a sorcerer a furious and mad fellowe a seducer and one that desireth the kingdome He is a Priest not of the stocke of Leuie he sacrificeth not he putteth not on the high Priests garment he entereth not into the innermost sanctuarie who will acknowledge him for his He is a king he hath no Scepter no Diademe no Garde therefore is he not receiued for Messias We sawe him and there was no beautie in him and wee thought him to haue bin smitten of God Note Esa 53. 2. Beholde now the Church erreth yea and that in matters necessarie to saluation because it excludeth the true Messias Some fewe holy men imbrace Christ the Church of the Scribes Bishops and Priests doe not receiue him Therefore the Gospell which condemneth the flesh represseth frée will reason mans strength the dooing of that which is in vs to doe saieth that the workes of the vnfaithfull are sinnes denieth a regeneration by good workes is refused as being hidden with these follies But we which haue the spirit of faith doe receiue Christ in this ignominie yea and we sée that he by his afflictions sanctified all aduersities Gen. 12. 3. I will blesse thy curses By his bodie he sanctified the waters vnto Baptisme when he descended into Iordan why did he not by the touching of the Crosse sanctifie all the aduersities of death and scourges These be his reliques This remained vnto vs of his Cuppe These reliques many woulde not haue they flie from them Many séeke for the Crosse to adore the same when it toucheth them they flie from it Manie kisse the same very willingly but when they be pressed thereby they reiect it and they shun and detest them that be afflicted But let not vs so say but rather say with Paul Gal. 6. 14. 17. God forbid that I should glorie but in the crosse of my Lorde Iesus Christ I will glorie in my infirmities bearing the markes of my Lord in my flesh All the things which we suffer be the reliques of Christ for being compared vnto them they are nothing If the paines of sicknesse be compared with his thornes and nayles it is nothing If thou be compelled to doe that thou wouldest not or to leaue those thinges which thou wouldest it is nothing if thou compare it with Christ being bounde and tossed to and fro And thou railed vppon what is this to the mockings of Christ Was he not accounted among the wicked Thou oughtest to withstande thy lustes but the flesh of Christ was wounded torne and beaten Doe they hate thée Beholde Christ which prayed for them that crucified him But there heauie things laide vpon thée Behold Christ which did sweate in the Garden It is a wicked thing that the seruaunt should take his pleasure and he so straitely handled Thou art guiltie and he is most innocent As the birds called Alcyones in the middest of Winter are quiet so thou if thou consider of these things wilt shewe thy selfe ioyfull in the middest of tribulations and thou shalt sée farre more vnworthie things doone against Christ than against thy selfe there shalt thou sée godlines in stead of vngodlines punished wisedome in stead of foolishnesse mocked trueth in stead of a lie denied righteousnesse in stead of vnrighteousnesse ouerthrowen mercie for crueltie miserably intreated blessednes for miserie spunged with Vinegar and that which is most swéete for the bitternesse of sinne to be fedde with gall innocencie to be condemned for guiltinesse and life to die fo the dead If thou perceiue not these thinges thou art more senselesse than all creatures which in the death of the Lorde shewed a féeling of this indignitie These things perfourmed he that he might profite vs if the selfe same sense coulde take place in vs which did in Christ wee also shoulde beare the infirmities of the weake c. Doest thou iudge thy selfe to bee strong because thou wilt vse thy strength to oppression that thy selfe mightest be borne Why doest thou not rather beare and support the infirmitie of others Thou saiest he hateth me be thou then reconciled Thou wilt helpe a part of thy bodie when it is cut from the bodie straight waie thou
heare an other and one learne of an other Wherfore let thē be no more angrie with me which perhaps haue suspected that I goe about to wrest away from the faithfull either the reading or doctrine of the fathers I said not such things as they suppose I did but this I said that the fathers and euerie other writer must be read with iudgemēt so that euerie doctrine may be tried by the touchstone of the holy scriptures And if we will this doe wée shall not do any iniurie to the fathers nay rather which is a point of their godlinesse there can be nothing more thankful or more desired of them than is this 1. Co. 11. 13 Paul is content that his tradition as touching a woman to haue her head couered should be allowed of in like maner that the things which he decréeed 1. Co. 14. 37 namely that she ought to be silent in the Church should be iudged of such as be spirituall Wherefore the fathers also séeing they acknowledge themselues to be much inferior vnto Paul wil not disdain to be tried by the rule of the spirit of God and of the holie scriptures Séeing therefore the diuine scripture teacheth the knowledge of God sheweth the secrets of the will of God touching mans saluation ministreth in great store both armor and answeres against vngodlinesse let it be more precious and déere than all riches and worldly delights let it be plaine and in matters necessarie to saluation euident let it not be accounted so repugnant but that the dissention thereof may easily be reconciled let it be of it selfe alone able to confute heretikes neither let all the fathers be able to drawe out the full sense thereof but finally let all things be tried by the examination of the same I beséech you by the God immortall that wee may ioyne our labours together I in teaching you in hearing let vs applie our selues with all diligence to the word of God We are called diuines and such would we be accounted Let vs answere to our name and profession vnlesse in the stéede of diuine speakers we will be called father speakers Moreouer our profession altogether requireth that we should exercise the word of God wherein we do singular honour vnto him for we doe sacrifice in verie déede Prayers are accounted in the number of sacrifices Those the holy scriptures haue in euerie place Thanks giuings are hostes and they are euerie where in the holie scriptures Confessions of sinnes and praises of God are declared to be most acceptable sacrifices vnto God from which the holy scripture is neuer in a manner remooued And therefore since thanks be to God the masse hath béene taken away being a superstitious and detestable sacrifice as was affirmed let vs to this onely * That is to the reading of the scriptures sacrifice apply our selues with all our heart With these titles of the lippes God is delighted and while we speake with him in the scriptures he wil vndoubtedly vouchsafe to be present Againe if we shall purely and syncerely handle the holy scriptures as it becommeth vs we shall deserue well of them For they haue béene long time shut vp in the prison of obliuion deliuer you them by renewing the memorie of them They lay vnknowne in the darknesse of mans traditions set yée them at libertie by restoring them to their natiue and naturall sense They being oppressed did remaine in the filthines of superstitions bring yée them from thence that they may defende the pure and true worshipping of God They dwelt in the vncleannesse of the defiled and polluted life of sacrificing Priests now looke that yée garnish them with excellent and good manners This shal be a singular victorie These shal be iust triumphs for diuines that they haue procured libertie to the holie scriptures And this shall you not doe without your great profite and commoditie For as experience might teach you our heart is variable changeable and most inconstant but it can neuer be made firme and stedfast vnlesse it doe leane vnto some thing that is most firme and what can wee finde more firme and stedfast than the worde of God The same abideth for euer and wauereth on neither part Furthermore all that we haue is made bright and most beawtifull thereby This whereas I might shewe by many reasons I will only recite one example of Moses Exo. 34. 30. He by talking with God obtained such a brightnesse in his face that the children of Israel could not abide his fight or companie So shall it happen vnto you By frequenting of the holy scriptures you shall shewe foorth beautifull workes so that they which shall sée them cannot chuse but glorifie the father your words shal be so effectuall as when by the holie scriptures they be bent against impietie and error they shall séeme to be as thunder and lightening and trust me no aduersaries shal be able to abide them To conclude looke what felicitie can be had while we liue héere that is included in the holy scriptures Psalme 1. 2 For Dauid saide that he is blessed whose will is in the lawe of the Lord and in the same dooth meditate day night Which meditation that it may be rightlie prepared of you In what things meditation consisteth you must vnderstande that it chiefly consisteth in two things The first is that yée most diligentlie weigh the words and sentences which you happen to reade For they be most fruitfull and doe comprehend in them an innumerable sort of excellent thinges The seconde is that yée search among the scriptures for other places which concurre with those thinges that ye haue in hand For there is nothing that serueth more for explaning of the holy scriptures than do the scriptures themselues A profitable and also a pleasant hunting is this not of hartes or of bores but of heauenly treasures whereby we may prepare all things necessarie for our iourney euen into heauen But in hunting out of these thinges we must clime the most high mountaine whereby we may goe beyond reason sense and humane wisedome that we being placed in the most cléere region of diuine light may beholde the secrets of our saluation and of the high wisedome Moreouer we must desire with most feruent prayers that vnto the holy reading we may come instructed by the holy Ghost For vnlesse the same be giuen the holy scripture will be vnto vs a killing letter For they which be voide of the spirite receiue no fruite by diuine reading because they holde not the scriptures themselues but the carcase of the scriptures Whē you sée an excellent man I thinke yée take great delight in him A similitude His eies shine his countenance is pleasant his face is amiable a maruelous delightfulnesse is dispersed ouer all his partes Howbeit if a man should be demanded from whence hath come vnto him so great a beautie of the bodie hée coulde in a manner saie nothing else
than from the soule the which if it happen to depart the bodie straightway becommeth a horrible deade carcase which stinketh and with wormes and putrefaction is dissolued on euerie side which euerie man doth auoide So the holy scriptures when the spirit is absent from him that readeth them they be loathsome dead carcases they offende they displease and doe marueilously alienate from the reading of them the minds of those which vse them Wherefore let vs desire God that euen as hee sent out his worde at the beginning when he made the worlde yea and that he sent it downe into the bowels of the earth whereby there sprang out so great an abundance of grasse herbes springs plants and fruits hee will in like manner penetrate our heartes whereby we may execute thoughts words and déedes worthie of our calling Neither maruell yée if I so greatly perswade you to pray for the fruite of the worde because this is the state of the worde of God that it doth not continually fall after a happie sort For as it is taught in the parable of the séede which is set foorth in the Gospell a part falleth vpon the way a part in stonie places a part among thornes and finally that which is committed vnto good grounde doeth not bring foorth fruite generally after one manner but a part thyrtie folde a part sixtie fold and a part an hundreth folde A Prayer Wherefore I beséech God that he will so prepare you and me with his spirite that we receiue not the diuine séede like vnto the high way or the thornes or stonie grounde Let euen he himselfe who is able make our heartes good grounde which may bring foorth fruite an hundreth folde vnto eternall life Amen A prayse of the worde of God taught in the scriptures and an exhortation to the study of them IF after manie daies silence I shoulde take in hande againe to declare the wordes of Paul as I beganne and shoulde not after my accustomed manner exhort you to renew your studies intermitted you might not onelie maruell at my determination but also finde iust fault at the breach of custom Howbeit since I haue this doone euerie yeare it is to be doubted least I shoulde bee constrained to vtter againe the same thinges among you which I haue at other times declared vnto you or else to digresse vnto those things which are not much pertinent to our purpose Yet doth it much comfort and refresh me that I vnderstande ye are so manifolde and sundrie wayes stirred vp to the knowledge of the holie Scriptures that I hope although my wit be slender and my eloquence small I shall not depart from the laudable and receiued custome neither yet digresse vnto those things which be not of much force to cal backe your minds to the studie of diuinitie And to holde you with proheme no longer than Christian synceritie requireth it shall not bee amisse this to thinke speciallie with our selues that there was not a man created by God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ As man â—as made by the word so he is restored by the word but through the worde of God and therefore wee must not looke that he being falen and ouerthrowen can be restored by anie other meanes thaÌ„ by the same worde Hereunto was Adam the prince of man kinde created by God that he shoulde bee a faithfull Scholer of Gods word From which excellent institution hée so farre swarned Gen. 3. 6. that he gaue credite to the perswasion of the serpent not to the worde of God And looke what the diuell did then worke in Paradise by the wordes of the serpent he nowe doeth the same in the Church through superstitions and wicked traditions of men Wherefore he that will beware of death and destruction let him not giue eare vnto the inuentions of men but let him faith fullie beléeue the holie Scripture onelie Let vs set Adam before our eyes so long as hée was obedient to the worde of God we shall perceiue hee was Lorde of all thinges Gen. 1. 28. and the husbandman of most pleasant Paradise But on the otherside we shall acknowledge that the same man when hee mistrusted the worde of God became the seruant of death and sinne subiect to the curse of God a laborer in the continual sweat of his face Gen. 3. 17. striuing with thornes thistles The selfe same daunger remaineth doubtles to so manie as neglecting the worde of God followe the promises of knowledge wronglie so named as though they might be Gods and Masters of their owne selues O woulde to God that that happie garden had not had a serpent and that at this daie there were not in the Church such as woulde call men awaie from the holie scriptures vnto the wisdome of the fleshe And not onelie maie we learne by the bringing foorth and originall of mankinde howe wee ought to be studious in the worde of God but the mysterie also of our redemption doth most plainelie testifie the same For when the natures of God and man were distant an infinite space one from an other yet were they coupled together by the worde into one and the selfe same person Wherefore wée also are to hope of a returne vnto the father if we shal with great indeuor of faith imbrace his word What I beséech you do you thinke of the bookes of the holie Scriptures They are nothing else in verie déede than schoolemasters of the elect giuen most profitablie vnto them by God God vseth weake instruments And séeing they bee instrumentes of our saluation we must not frowardlie looke vppon the nature habit and ornament of them séeing al the worthinesse and excellencie of them must be measured by the power which God vseth in them What more vanitie is there in the nature of thinges than dreames Dreames And yet when God vseth them he instructeth in most weightie matters Gen. 41. 1. c. Dan. 2. 1. Gen. 37. 5. Iud. 7. 13. Dan. 7. 1. Pharao and Nabuchadnezar being the mightiest Monarches of the worlde and confirmeth the faith of Ioseph Gedeon and Daniel Hereby is knowen the excellent power of God whenas by abiect and vile instruments he sheweth foorth incredible actes Euen as a Carpenter should for that cause be counted famous and notable A similitude if he coulde with a corde thréede or haires hewe or cut in sunder most harde wood So Christ with claie healed a blinde man and God in the signes of water and in the outwarde elements of bread and wine stirreth vp the faith of those that be his Iohn 9. 6. and sealeth the promises of heauenlie things The vse of the holie scriptures Therefore the holie Scriptures which be full of dignitie and maiestie being more inwardlie beheld wheras at the first sight they may séeme rude and barbarous weigh thou with thy selfe that they be the instrumeÌ„ts of the holy ghost and looke not for a pleasantnesse of
his dearest sister in his roume who maie perfourme many moe things than he could and shall the more fully answere the opinion conceiued of you in that you are the elder and therefore shall gouerne the kingdome not by the will of others but by your owne iudgement Wherefore you haue most gracious Quéene most liuelie examples of the auncient and also of the latter kings and finallie of your most déere brother in whose steps if you be willing religiously to walke and willing thereunto you ought to be you shall obtaine many singular great coÌ„modities First you shall doe an acceptable thing vnto God by ioining your selfe vnto his word you shall restore the Church of Christ which is almost vtterly decaied you shal satisfy the godlier sorte of your owne nation By your noble example you shal shew to foreine princes a sounde and sincere patterne of gouernment And I beséech you neuer hearken vnto them which faigne that the regard of the reformation of religion belongeth not vnto Princes That the â—aâ—e of Religion belongeth vnto â—ings For the good kings whome I before remembred did not so iudge The holy Scriptures doe not so instruct vs neither did the verie Ethnickes and Philosophers themselues so iudge Is it the office of a godlie Magistrate to defende onely one and that the latter table of the lawe diuine Shall the Prince take vppon him the care of all other businesse that they bee doone rightlie and without fraude and shall cast awaie the respect of Religion onelie God forbid If Bishops and Ministers of Churches shall not doe their duetie if in handling of doctrine and administring of the Sacraments they forsake the iust rules of the holy Scriptures who but a godlie Prince shall reuoke them into the right way Let not your Maiestie expect as things nowe be that those men are stirred vp to these things of themselues vnlesse they be mooued thereunto by princely authoritie they will not repaire the ruine of the Temple of God Ioas a king of the Iewes 2. kings 12. 8. when he perceiued that the Préestes perfourmed not this took vnto him the charge to amend the decaied buildings of the Temple Go forward therfore O holie â—ebora of our times Ioine vnto you some godlie Barac Iud. 4. 6. The manlie courage of godlie women The Israelites which are diuers waies oppressed deliuer you to the sincere and pure libertie of the Gospell Bée not afraide for God is not woont to leaue these enterprises destitute of his fauour Him you shall haue with you that you Ib. ver 21. like valiaunt Iahel may strike the head of Iabin with the hammer of your power and fasten it to the ground from whence it came whereby he may cease to be troublesome vnto your good nation We haue verie great hope that you shall bee the same Hester which shall driue Haman vnto hanging Hester 7. which thirsteth for the slaughter and blood of the people of God Let these holie women be an incouragement vnto your Maiestie and suffer not your selfe to faint for this cause that you are not borne a man but a woman 1. Cor. 1. 28 For where doth the power of God rather discouer it selfe than it dooth in weakenes Neither he vsed the strong things of the world to spread the kingdom of Christ but by weake and base men he subdued to the Gospell the wisedome of man and the loftie reasons of the flesh And in that warre which Xerxes waged against the Gretians if wée shall regard the Ethnicke affaires the men of Persia were slaine and gaue them selues to shameful flight when in the meane time Artemisia the most renowmed Quéene with a manly minde fought most stoute battailes Which thing being vnderstoode Xerxes saide that the men in that battaile were women that the women had shewed themselues to be most valiant men Also Zenobia defended the Empire of Rome much more valiantly than did Galienus Albeit thankes be to God there is nothing sauing woman kinde that can iustly bee noted in your Maiestie either woman like or weake But least I should be thought to speake to please your eares I am minded to passe ouer the incomparable learning the knowledge of tongues the clemencie virginitie wisedome and aboue all other the godlinesse and other vertues wherewith you being adorned by the benefite of God are not onelie called but are in verie déede most famous Wherefore girde your selfe with a good courage vnto that holy worke which all good people doe expect of you feare nothing at all the deceites of the diuell the impediments of wicked persons nor yet the weakenesse of woman kind God shall put awaie all these thinges with one breath of his mouth In the meane time verilie it shall be my part and such as I am to desire of God in our daily deuoute praiers that he will first graunt vnto your Maiestie that you may throughly perceiue all that good is by your own wit and vnderstanding secondly that wholsome and profitable counsels may by others be suggested vnto you further that you may receiue those things that shall be rightly shewed you and finally that in whatsoeuer you shal vndertake God will graunt you fortunate and happie successe These praiers doe I dailie make vnto God for you most gratious Ladie and doe promise that while I liue I will neuer cease from these prayers Prou. 21. 1. But the heauenly Father which hath the heartes of Kings in his owne hand by whom Kings doe raigne Prou. 8. 15. and who at his owne pleasure transferreth Empires to whom he will Dan. 2. 21. euen he by his spirit direct your Maiestie together with the Church and nation of England and by his comfortable grace long continue the same in safetie At Tigure 22. of December 1558. Your Maiesties most humble Oratour Peter Martyr Here followe certaine Theologicall Epistles of D. P. Martyr vnto diuers States and priuate Persons To all the faithfull of the Church of Luca Sainctes by calling grace and peace from God the Father and from our Lorde Iesus Christ Peter Martyrs separating himselfe from Papistrie IF I should vse long silence in this flying awaie no doubt but it woulde be vnprofitable vngratefull vnto you and it woulde ill become me so to do Wherefore hauing the spirite of God as I hope I haue I minded to talke with you by these letters since I cannot speake with you face to face I taried at Basill vntill the 16. Calendes of Nouember Although I were welcome and receiued of all men yet I founde no fit state of life for my studies because the Citie had no néede of teachers Therefore since I was not able to beare out pouertie and scarsenesse without some honest labour and that my minde gaue me not to take anie other trade in hande than mine owne namelie the expounding of the worde of God I remained in a doubt expecting what the Lorde would haue to be doone with me
vsed it is onelie knowen by the motion of the spirit which sometime mooueth to one kinde of confession and sometime to an other according to that which both the places times conditions of persons strēgth requires Moreouer it must be vnderstoode that Paul in this place speaketh particularlie of the minister of the Church For first hee saide 2. Tim. 1. 6. Stirre vp the gift of God that is in thee by laying on of hands Wherunto he straight waie ioyneth those wordes which are nowe obiected For God hath not giuen vnto vs the spirite of feare c. By these wordes doubtlesse he woulde teach nothing else but that offices of ministers which be weightie ful of labors dangers striking a great terror into carnal affections should be valiantlie vndertaken For the spirite that God hath giuen vnto them which are nowe promoted to the ministerie is properlie the spirite of fortitude of loue and of temperance For erudition good manners and other good qualities are required in a man before he be chosen into the ministerie séeing he that is destitute of such kinde of qualities is not woorthie to be chosen But that spirite by whose guide euerie function is doone with a couragious minde with much loue and with singular modesty to the edifying of the Church the Christian people desire of God and doe then obtaine it when the minister is alreadie chosen and inuested into the ministerie by imposition of hands How farre foorth flying may be lawfull vnto Pastors Ioh. 10. 12. Therefore if we speake as Paul did particularly of this kind of men the aunswere maie be easilie made For I maie saie as Christ also saide that they bée heirlinges not pastors which forsake their flocke vnlesse they haue manie Pastors let onelie one of them hazarde himselfe sith in this case when the Church maie be without him it shall be lawfull for him to flie awaie For so I thinke Paul fled awaie out of the citie of Damascus Acts. 9. 30. not leauing that Church without Pastors But yet this must be considered that he perhappes be not such a notable man in the Church as the defence of the trueth and safetie of the Church séeme to depende chéefelie of him and that it is verie likely that after his departure al things wil be full of trouble For if thinges be in that state he must tarie still and must as becommeth a good Pastor laie downe his life for his shéepe Besides further Augustine teacheth in his 180. Epistle vnto Honoratus that if the Church be furnished with manie ministers it standeth with the profite thereof that when persequutions bee at hande a part of them shoulde hide themselues least they shoulde altogether in one moment be taken awaie For if a first sort shall be taken away they which lie hidden maie succéede in the place of others And for this verie cause haue I thought that Abdias the Prophete in the time of Achab and Iezabell 1. kings 18 13. hid manie Prophetes in dennes that if those first had béene slaine there shoulde yet haue remained other Prophetes by whose helpe the people in due time might haue béene reléeued This place therefore of Paul wee haue expounded two manner of waies First that flying awaie as it was described by vs is a worke of fortitude secondlie that the author speaketh particularlie of the Pastors and Ministers It is obiected moreouer that they which flie awaie they flie for the feare of death which thing is repugnant to the scriptures For wee are commaunded not to bee anie thing afraide of them which kill the bodie Vnto whome I aunswere as before it was expounded Mat. 10. 28 that the feare of death kéeping it selfe within iust bondes is not of it selfe faultie especiallie if he that feareth doe not onelie feare death but haue most respect vnto this that is to wit least when he is not yet come into the handes of the Magistrate nor is stirred vp by the spirite to tarie and to indure tormentes or death it selfe hauing in the meane time an occasion offered of departing he shoulde denie the trueth and should fal away from the faith once receiued which otherwise might happen vnto him He which after this manner feareth death and directeth this feare of his to the glorie of God as the diuine law in all thinges commaundeth such a one doeth not violate the law of God nor yet doth sinne If a man saie our aduersaries bee weake in faith hee must not streight waie séeke for remedie by flying awaie but must runne vnto prayers euen as Christ taught and must praie that hee yeeld not vnto temptations Touching this we haue a commaundement which if wee will follow we shall be heard but as concerning flying away we are not instructed by anie place of the Scriptures They which obiect these thinges doe euermore suppose a repealing of that commaundement which is extant in Matthew but we shewe Mat. 10. 13. that they doe erre neither doe themselues prooue that which they say by anie effectual reason But if it be lawfull without reason to alleadge what a man will I also maie say that the precept of not fearing them which kill the bodie is abrogated because it was deliuered to the Apostles in their first Embacie and written in the selfe same 10. Chap. of Matthew Wherefore both the precepts remaine firme but we must take héede that they bée not wronglie vnderstoode So then hee that flyeth awaie according to the rules prescribed is fauoured not onelie of the Scriptures but also of manie of the Prophetes of the Apostles of the Martyrs yea and of Christ our Sauiour who though he fled not away through feare of sinning yet neuerthelesse he fled that by his example hee might teach what is lawefull for vs so long as our houre is not yet come which must then be vnderstoode to be come when the spirite doeth inwardlie stirre vs vp and prouoke vs to tarie or that necessitie otherwise requireth that is to wit if we be alreadie in the power of the magistrate if we be tyed by anie vocation that we maie not depart euen as a little before it was saide of Pastors As concerning prayers those we doe not reiect but we verie much allowe and therefore wee warned before that they which intended to scape through flying awaie must commende themselues by most earnest prayers vnto God that they in no wise maie erre But if powring out their praiers the spirite doe still sollicite them to flie and doeth not minister more strength and boldnesse they ought to vse that remedie which the goodnes of God doeth offer except they will tempt God And so in the holie scriptures we reade that Dauid him selfe fledde from the face of his sonne Absalon The flight of Dauid 2. Sa. 15. 16. in which flight hée sung that excellent Psame which by order is the thirde in the booke of Psalmes Wherefore hee fled and gaue place to the furie of
so straitlie driuen as Hadrian thinketh as though the same ought onelie to be vnderstoode touching that rule wherein it is saide that Sinnes are freelie forgiuen vs through Christ Indéede the same is the most happiest message of all other but yet it is the Gospell also which the Apostles taught in like manner of other principall articles Whereupon Paul in the 2. Epistle to Timothie the 2. Verse 8. chapter saith Remember that Iesus Christ made of the seede of Dauid was raised againe from the deade according to my Gospel Beholde nowe in the same place vnder the name of the Gospell is comprehended the doctrine which teacheth that both Christ is risen from the deade and is borne of the séede of Dauid And to preach the Gospell otherwise is nothing else with the Apostle than that which he saide in the first Epistle to Timothie the 6. chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say otherwise to teach Wherefore it must not be suffered that that same saying of the Apostle shoulde be restrained to one Article onelie Neither can there be anie reason assigned whie that cannot iustlie be called a good message and gladsome preaching whereby it is testified and declared vnto the worlde that God stoode vnto the promises who sent his sonne to take flesh of the séede of Eue of Abraham and of Dauid euen as in old time he promised by his Prophets to doe Therefore since we haue these generall sayings it is not to be looked for that we should shewe this or that errour to be condemned and suppressed by name and in expresse words in the scriptures For where shall we finde there that they be condemned and are estraunged from God which doe not receiue the bookes of the olde testament which opinion neuerthelesse was common vnto the Marcionites Manichees and manie other heretikes Neither are they at anie time condemned by expresse words which denie that the soules after the death of the bodie do liue but thinke that they die together with the flesh and that as touching life euerlasting they about the end of the world shal be raised vp againe together with their bodies Also they which woulde not that pardon and reconciliation should be giuen vnto the brethren that be fallen are neuer saide in the holie Oracles to be either condemned or to be out of the way of saluation Wherefore when Hadrian requireth this at our hands concerning the errour of the Anabaptists both he dealeth fondlie and whilest he taketh away one or two errours he openeth a verie wide gappe vnto manie For of verie fewe doeth the scripture speake in that forme and phrase which he nowe requireth of vs. Lastlie remaineth that wee should examine the syllogismes which Hadrian brought in against vs as our men had doone against him that those as he thinketh he might cōfute the more euidentlie but these I haue thought good for two causes to passe ouer First because it séemeth not verie lawefull for godlie men to be childishlie subtile especially in defending of an opinion the which as at the beginning hath béene sayde edifieth no man and may hurt verie manie Secondlie because we iudge that in this question those thinges are to be written which are vnderstoode of the greatest part of the holie congregation and that there be verie fewe which haue exercised themselues in the quirkes and subtilties of Logicke and sophistrie The trueth it selfe especially that which is euangelicall is plaine is taught and made euident by the apostolicall light and simplicitie Furthermore those thinges be alreadie before alleadged whereby is plainelie and manifestly discouered whatsoeuer deceite is in these trifeling argumentes Nowe for the finishing of this that wee haue written let vs adde this namelie let vs celebrate with high prayses the most ample mercie of God that in all thinges he discouereth himselfe with maruelous brightnesse and as Dauid singeth in the burden of his Psalme florrisheth for euer that is eternallie Howe farre foorth the praises of God must be celebrated But yet ought we so to celebrate his praises as on the other side the iudgementes of God towardes vnbeléeuers and heretikes be not thereby cancelled This is therefore written because Hadrian saith that he was verie much driuen to defende these thinges which hee defendeth for that they greatlie auailed to the worthinesse greatnesse of Gods mercie Howebeit after this manner they also perhappes did excuse themselues which reckened Caine and Iudas among the number of the saintes and blessed men Also Origen and his fauorers hadde vnmeasurable respect vnto the clemencie of God when as they taught that the punishmentes of the godlie should one daie at the last be finished and in verie déede the fires of hell should not be euerlasting and since they wrote that euen to the diuelles themselues after a multitude of ages shal be geuen pardon and saluation No iust prayses of the mercie of God are those which ouermuch obscure the seueritie iustice of God Wherefore letting this newnesse of doctrine goe let vs thinke with ourselues that we must by al meanes séeke the peace and quietnesse of the church Of intricate and vaine questions vndoubtedlie there is store enough Wherefore it shall be your parte that kéeping the trueth safe and sounde ye spéedilie returne into amitie thinking this diligentlie with your selues that it is a singular benefite vnto you to haue there where you are both the french and flemish Church This cannot the diuell abide and for that cause stirreth vppe discordes and contentions among you to the intent that strangers may be more and more hatefull to English men Wherefore watch yee with singular care and diligence that the euill spirit haue not his owne desire and that the Church of the sonne of God receiue no losse He that is reprooued let him beare it with no lesse patient minde than Peter did when he was reprehended by Paule And contrariwise they that haue taken vpon them the defence of the trueth if their brother which hath turned from the right waie not of mallice as it should séeme but rather of a certaine errour giue eare vnto them that admonish him well let them account him no lesse than before in the place of the minister of God and of a most louing fellowe in office Fare you well my verie good brethren assist vs with your prayers vsing your indeuour to maintaine peace among you as much as yée can From Zurick the 15. of Februarie 1561. An Epistle to the English Church 46. MY déere beloued brethren in Christ albeit wee doe maruelouslie loue your Church and doe iustly and worthilie make great account thereof yet are wee verie loath to determine of such nice questions as doe bring none or in verie déede small edification For since there are among you two sorts of the which one affirmeth and the other denieth it might easilie bee that they which cannot abide the doctrine set foorth had rather rent in sunder the Church than change their
the spirite and with faith For while in the holie supper we reuolue in our minde the death of our Lorde and with a syncere faith do faithfullie beléeue that these thinges were wrought vpon the crosse for the redéeming of vs wee eate and drinke those thinges for our great benefite for they be vnto our mindes as it were the most excellent meate and the most holsome drinke And that faith doeth God stir vp in them that bee his through the holy Ghost applying thereunto two outward instrumentes the worde I meane and the elements of bread and wine Wherefore they which beléeue and comprehende by faith that the fleshe and bloud of the Lorde were giuen vnto death for our saluation doe spirituallie eate and spirituallie drinke those thinges Therefore wee confesse that vnto the natural and proper eating and drinking is required a presence of the thing to be eaten and of the thing to be drunken otherwise thinges that be absent can neither be eaten nor drunken But withall we denie that of spirituall eating and drinking can be gathered or concluded that those thinges which are saide to bee eaten and drunken allegorically are there bodilie and properly present But that the eating of the flesh of Christ consisteth of faith he himselfe most plainely testified in the 6. chapter of Iohn Ver. 35. 47. Wherefore that Euangelist since he iudged the whole matter to be there aboundantly expounded of him he did not rehearse in the historie of the last supper in what sort the outwarde signes of breade and wine were added Moreouer by this is the selfe same thing gathered that vnto the true and proper bodie of Christ cannot be applied a true and proper eating since that nowe it cannot be rent in sunder broken in small peeces and grinded verilie both the breade in déede and the wine are properlie eaten and drunken with the mouth of the bodie which thinges in their manner are called the flesh and bloud of Christ because they be outwarde signes of those thinges Wherefore after a sort we may bee saide to eate and drinke with the mouth the bodie and bloude of the Lorde Wherefore Cyprian and Augustine when they treated of the eating of these thinges which be signified namely the spirituall eating did prudently say Why preparest thou thy teeth and thy bellie Beleeue and thou hast eaten Wherefore there is no néede that the bodie and bloud of the Lorde should be sent downe out of heauen into the earth or that it shoulde yet bee conuersant in the worlde that they might mixe themselues with our supper but it behooueth that our mindes beeing admonished by the worde of God and the outwarde signes should be caried by faith vnto heauen that they may eat this holie meate and be nourished And here it followes that they which be vtterly destitute of faith doe not receiue the bodie and bloud of Christ because those thinges as I haue saide are eaten and drunken by faith and spirite onelie In déede these do eate and drinke the outwarde signes but they do not attaine to the thinges that be signified euen as they that be blinded cannot receiue the light and the colour which are things apprehended by the eyes Whereas afterwarde I am demaunded whether I thinke that in the Church the supper is had without the bodie and bloud of Christ I answere If we speake of that presence which they call corporall reall and substantiall I confesse that the bodie and bloud of Christ is absent neither shoulde they if they were present bring anie more profite commoditie and aduantage than we drawe from thence while they remaine in heauen farre disseuered from vs. Moreouer the flesh and bloud of Christ are present vnto vs by spirite grace merits and other wonderfull fruites which are from God deriued by them vnto vs euen as the sonne is sayde to be present with vs by the light by the beames and by good influences which we receiue from thence Neither are the bodie and bloud of the Lorde so present vnto our minds spiritually and by faith as that there onelie they should containe their most helthfull efficacies and powers and suffer the bodies of the faithfull to be méere voide of the same The matter is not so But because in beléeuing that the bodie and bloud of the Lorde are the pryces of our saluation wee are iustified and regenerated or else both in the same iustification and regeneration wée are increased and confirmed but iustification and regeneration are the beginnings of our blessed immortalitie Thereof it commeth that by faithful receiuing of the supper of the Lorde not onelie the soules are fedde and refreshed but also the bodies are made more and more capable of the blessed resurrection This is the iudgement of my faith as touching the holie supper of the Lord the which right worshipfull syr I haue parhappes for the barrainnesse of the stile not so exquisitely as faithfully expounded But I trust that you setting aside the rude and vneloquent words will with a friendely minde cleaue to the sentences and thinges themselues Fare you well and loue mee as you doe euen as I doe verie much loue you and pray for the fruite of my vocation Maister Bullinger and the rest of your friendes willed me to write their heartie salutations vnto you Frō Zuricke the 24. of Maie 1562. To the Right honourable the Earle of Bedforde THe courtesie of your excellent Lordship hath béene so great towards mee as neither am I able nor yet knowe I howe to expresse it Wherefore since I cannot write vnto you as I ought perhappes it were better for me to holde my peace which neuerthelesse the gratitude of a Christian man will not permit wherfore not knowing else what to do I wil let the matter rest And setting a side the praise of your godlinesse nobilitie and goodnesse I will onelie giue you thankes for the fauour helpe and courtesie which you haue shewed towards Iulius my faithful seruaunt in his businesse For the which I account myselfe so greatly and effectually bound vnto you as more I cannot be if I would And truely for his part he is neuer well appaied nor content but when he is declaring setting foorth your honors courtesie goodwil affirming that without your helpe fauour and trauell he coulde neuer haue dispatched his businesse And this vndoubtedly is a singular pleasure vnto me because I am sure that both in him in me you chiefely respect Iesus Christ his syncere Religion wherein howe zealous you are and howe feruently you loue the same it is euery where knowē and of all men confessed And that causeth al good Christians to loue honor you in their heart Which notwithstanding it be a great glorie in it selfe yet is it nothing in comparison of the great pleasure that our almightie God taketh therin And I likewise know that this is it which hath caused you to make me such an offer as you haue For the which I giue you
1 182 a The Soule was made euen when the bodie was wrought of the earth 1 122 b Origen saith that our Soule lamentes and sorrowes heauilie and why 2 251 a Diuers Philosophers and learned men iudged it to bee mortal 3 334 a Some thought wee receiue or our parents both it the body 2 244 ab By it are vnderstoode the part sensitiue vegetatiue 2 244 b Whether it bee sufficient that the Soule suffer punishment or reward and the bodie free 3 334 b Not created sinfull but streightway draweth sinne vnto it so soone as it is ioyned with the bodie 2 246 a Whether we receiue it from our parentes as we doe our bodie Seminaliratione 2 244 b The Soule weakened two mannrr of wayes whereby it becommeth sinful 2 246a Why the Soule being created cleane is put into an vncleane body 2 232 ab 231 b The best part of the Soule doeth alwayes exhort to the best thinges 1 15 b The Soule is the moouer of the bodie 1 121 b Whether the Soule being seuered from the bodie is an vnperfect thing 3 333 b Whether the Soule haue naturally of it selfe the power to foreknowe thinges to come and what Augustine concludeth 1 38 b Of the coniunction with the bodie 3 328 b 1 158 a A double error touching the substance of the Soule excluded 1 122a Whether the separation of the Soule from the bodie is against nature 334 a Platoes diuision of the Soule into the minde and the sense 1 134a By what thing it is best knowen 3 342 b The ioyning of the Soule with the corrupt bodie maketh nothing to the destruction of the elect 2 232 b Whether that coniunction of it with the bodie bee a troublesome thing 3 316a b 317 b It is called fleshe before it bee regenerate 2 226 a The Soule howe so euer it bee is better than anie bodie 1 188 b The death thereof and when it happeneth 3 42 b A speciall place testifying that Aristotle thought it to be mortall 1 159 a God createth it pure whence then hath it sinne 2 231 b A sympathie or mutual agréement betweene Soule the body 2 238 a Both repaired by faith 2 232 b Not corrupted by the body through a naturall action 2 238 a Howe it is meant that the Soule vncircumcised should be cut off 4 110 a When the Soule must be giuen for the brethren 3 290 b Soule of Christ The Soule of Christ was a creature and not immensible 2 572 a That the sonne procéeded not from the virgin by propagation 2 244 b Augustine sayeth that Christes Soule was in hell when his body was in the sepulchre 1 73 a It could not bee in hell and in Paradise all at one time 2 308a What it did in hell 2 621 a The state thereof separated from his bodie 2 622 a What manner of lot coulde haue place therein 2 24â— a Thou shalt not leaue my Soule in the graue expounded 3 343 a Soules The Soules of men are not bred in them 3 350 a Where they rest when the bodie is dead 3 323 b 324 a 325 b They remaine after the death of the bodies prooued against the error of some holding the contrarie 1 72 b 73 a From whence they come to bodies at the resurrection 3 350 a Whether they do satisfie for sinnes in Purgatorie 3 237 b Whether they are deliuered out of Purgatorie by fasting 3 255 b Soules of bodies departed be ignorant what is done in this life 1 75 a Whether being loosed from their bodies they do wander vp and downe 3 326 b 327 a How the Soules of dead folk may appeare to the liuing 1 75 ab A great distance of place betwéene the blessed and reprobate 1 74 b Why they shall not rise againe 3 331 b Whether beeing loosed from our bodies they do sléepe 3 323 b Why they are called spirites 1 103 a Of saluting the Soules of the dead 2 561 a Their immortalitie proued 3 331 b The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or remouing of them from one to another held of the Rabbins 2 â—…8b Tertullians iudgement that they are bodies and howe hee prooueth it 1 28 b Augustine vtterly denyeth the vbiquitie of them 1 75 b 74 b Iustinus Martyrs opinion in what state they were before Christ 1 73 b Whether being departed they may by magicall charmes be called againe 1 72. 73. 74. 75. The state of the blessed curssed set foorth in scriptures 1 73 a How they may extraordinarily returne into men 1 75 b They be in a certaine place wayting for the iudgement sayth Chrysostome 1 76 a The opinion of some which thinke that they become Demons 1 77 a The Rabbins errors and Origens also that all were made at once at the beginning confuted 1 122 ab In what sense as well the life of brute beasts as the soules of men are called bloud 1 123 a The errors of diuerse noted about their creation whether they were al made at once at the beginning c. 1 122 a Of the blessed indued with felicitie are not voide of affections 2 249 a Origens assertion false that they first sinned before they came into bodies 1 113 a Against his opinion that they are thrust into bodies as vnto punishments 1 112 b The schoolemen oppâ—gne the doctrine of deriuation of Soules from parents by naturall reasons 2 245 b The places of Soules departed â— 374. 375. 376. 377. 378 The receiued opinion of the church is that they in creating are infused and in infusing are created 2 245 b How they are sayd to be in places 3 378b Augustine leaueth the question touching the deriuation of them froÌ„ parents as indifferent 2 245 a The error of the Stoiks touching the Soules of the departed 3 372 a The diuels feine themselues to be the Soules of men 4 131 a Of the Soules of the iust and the wicked after their bodily death 2 621 a The Soules of the dead slaine for Christes sake cried vnder the altar expounded 3 324 ab Sp. Speake When we Speake to God God to vs 3 300 b Speech To what purpose Speech is giuen 3 393 a Of two faults committed therein 2 â—42 b Of pleasantnes therein and what circumstances are to bee obserued thereabout â— 528 a Figures vsed of Christ in his Speech 4 289 a Spheres The Spheres of heauen moued and gouerned by spirites 1 77 a ¶ Looke Intelligencies Spies What manner of men Spies must be 4 297 a Their office worke 4 296 b How they and traytors do differ 4 298 b The punishment of them if they be taken 4 296 b 197 a Spirite in diuerse senses The manifold signification of the worde Spirite 2 627 a 1 103 a When it is taken for the Trinitie 1 103 a To whome the same title was giuen 1 100 a The flesh and it sometime taken for one thing 3 366 ab Of the Spirite of adoption the spirite of bondage 2 594 b Why
these three be one but and if ye receiue the testimonie of men the testimonie of God is greater In this place thou séest saith he that the testimonie of the holie Ghost is called the testimonie of God whereby it is prooued that the holie Ghost is God The spirit bloud and water represent the three persons And that those thrée I meane the spirit bloud and water doo represent the thrée persons it is shewed by thrée reasons The first is taken from the Analogie or conueniencie of the signes which Augustine recited Secondlie thou perceiuest that those thrée are said to be one which is not méete for them vnles thou shalt respect those things which be represented for otherwise spirit bloud and water doo varie in nature or kind one from another Thirdlie those thrée nounes in the Gréeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is water spirit and bloud be of the neuter gender vnto which afterward is put the masculine article in the plurall number namelie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is These three be vnto one or be one But the masculine article as touching signes which be of the neuter gender might take no place vnles it should be applied vnto those which are signified that is vnto the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost Neither let it trouble vs that it is read some-where These three be vnto one as though it should make for the Arrians which said that these thrée persons be vnto one bicause they consented togither in one testimonie as though the spéech concerneth not one maner of nature but one maner of will The Hebrue phrase And the phrase commeth néere vnto the Hebrue so as To be vnto one and To be one is the selfe-same thing As when we read in the psalme I will be vnto him a Father and he shall be vnto me a Sonne it is as if it were said I will be his Father and he shall be my Sonne And in another place They shall be vnto me a people 2. Cor. 6 18. and I will be vnto them a God is all one as to saie I will be their God and they shall be my people And when it is said They be one there is signified both a distinction of persons and an vnitie of substance For vnlesse there were some distinction it should haue bin said It is one The 21. reason verse 57. 12 Also they alledge the song of the thrée children wherein when all creatures are stirred vp vnto the praises of God the Sonne the holie Ghost are not mentioned whereby it is plaine that they be not reckoned among creatures Neither maist thou saie that this song is a part of the Apocrypha bicause this part of Daniel is wanting in the Chaldean edition for thou shalt sée the verie same to be done euerie-where in the Psalmes of Dauid wherein is the same stirring vp of creatures vnto diuine praises Iohn in his first epistle saith 1. Iohn 5 6. The spirit is truth and this cannot be written of a creature séeing truth is chiefe and principall The 22. reason and dependeth not of another They are woont to alledge the beginning of the booke of Genesis The 23. reason where it is said The spirit of the Lord mooued vpon the face of the waters Genes 1 2. In which place they affirme that there is mention made of thrée persons namelie of the Father which created of the Sonne by whome all things were made as when it is said In the beginning it is all one as to saie By the beginning and of the holie Ghost I knowe that the Hebrue expositors interpret far otherwise of these words but I haue onlie taken vpon me to shew those places by which the fathers gathered the Godhead of the holie Ghost Wherevnto adde The 24. reason that Paule in his epistles seldome maketh mention of the father and the sonne but he also speaketh of the holie ghost either expreslie or by adding of somewhat pertaining to him And Basil sheweth The 25. reason that it was a custome receiued in the whole church to adde in the end of the Psalmes that which we now vse Glorie be to the Father to the Sonne and to the holie Ghost wherein the thrée persons are made equall the one to the other The 26. reason 13 The Synod of Nice set foorth a créed in which we saie I beleeue in the holie Ghost But it is verie manifest that we must not repose our confidence in anie thing that is created And bicause in those daies the contention was not much sproong vp of the holie Ghost there was nothing else added but afterwards when diuers and sundrie heresies grew vp as touching him The Councell of Constantinople then in the Councell of Constantinople which was the second among the foure principall manie things were added to make this article plaine For we grant that We beleeue in the holie Ghost both the Lord giuer of life By the particle Lord they make him equall vnto Christ who in the scriptures is commonlie called Lord which epitheton or addition they would therefore to be expressed Against the Arrians bicause the Arrians affirmed that Christ was altogether a creature but yet the noblest they said which next vnto God was the chéefe And they said that the holie ghost was yet lesse than the sonne and euen his minister Wherefore the Synod in place of Minister put the title of Lord. The selfe-same thing did they in the particle The giuer of life for they saw that it is written in Iohn that not onlie the father doth giue life but that the sonne also can quicken whom-soeuer he will and so least the holie ghost might séeme to be excluded from this propertie they added that particle And that his Godhead might be the more manifest it was added The 27. reason that He together with the father and the sonne is woorshipped and glorified 14 Further Athanasius hath in his créed The 28. reason God the Father God the Sonne and God the holie Ghost And to prooue this thing no lesse is the forgiuing of sins taken for an argument which they grant as proper to the holie Ghost For when Christ had breathed vpon his disciples he said Receiue yee the holie Ghost Iohn 20 22. and whose sinnes ye remit they be remitted vnto them and whose sinnes ye reteine they be reteined Whereby it appéereth that this power is yéelded to the holie Ghost and is proper vnto God And this euen the Scribes themselues testified The 29. reason who hearing Christ saie to the man sick of the palsie Thy sinnes be forgiuen thee Matth. 9 2. cried out that he spake blasphemie in that he durst take vpon him the office of God Furthermore The 30. reason the holie scriptures doo call this self-same spirit both A sanctifier and giuer of light which faculties are méete to be attributed vnto God onlie In Exodus the fourth chapter
this last state doo we confesse our soules to be after this life doo aptlie interprete the saiengs of the elder fathers to wit that the saints haue not as yet full felicitie and perfect reward for they desire the resurrection Which desire notwithstanding of theirs séeing it is in them without trouble it is no hindrance to their tranquillitie Neither is the argument which they sometime vse of anie weight Matt. 25 34. namelie that the elect shall in the daie of iudgement be called to the possession of the kingdome of God for it is not thereby prooued that they are now altogether without the same for they haue it now begun but they shall haue it then fullie perfect and manifest vnto all men 1. Co. 15 24 And shall not God the father be said at the last daie to receiue the kingdome of the sonne Who will affirme for this cause that he dooth not now reigne He reigneth vndoubtedlie although he haue manie enimies against him neither is his kingdome euident and famous vnto all men These be principall and plaine testimonies which we haue brought against this same error The 4. reason Eccle. 12 7. 22 Whereto we may adde that which Salomon hath at the end of Ecclesiastes The dust shal be turned againe into the earth from whence it came and the spirit shall returne vnto God who made it The 5. reason If it returne vnto God it is not to be sent awaie by him And Christ said that It is the will of the father Iohn 6. 39. that he which beleeueth in the sonne should haue life euerlasting and I saith he will raise him vp at the last daie Two things are here promised vnto vs one is eternall life the which séemeth not to be staid in the meane time by so long a sléepe the other is resurrection which shal be giuen vs at the time appointed The 6. reason And Polycarpus which florished in the time of the apostles as it is declared in the fourth booke of the ecclesiasticall historie The ecclesiasticall historie when he was to be burned for the confession of the faith testified that he should the verie same daie be present in spirit before the Lord whereby we see what iudgement the primitiue church had hereof The 7. reason Rom. 8 14. Yea and Paule vnto the Romans writeth that They be the sonnes of God which are led by the spirit of God But we are not mooued by the spirit of God to sléepe but both to vnderstand God The 8. reason Psal 84 8. and also to loue him earnestlie And it is a woonder that séeing we ought to go forward vnto Sion for to sée and from vertue to vertue or as we find in the Hebrue from abundance to abundance how it cōmeth to passe that these men doo by sléepe so long interrupt this course The 9. reason Verelie while we here liue and vnderstand and loue God although the bodie be burdensome to the soule and this earthlie mansion presse downe the vnderstanding and that the spirit must néeds euermore wrestle against the flesh while the soule is kept within the bodie as in a doongeon doubtlesse these burdens being laid awaie it séemeth to be beléeued that we shall more loue God and better know him and that especiallie séeing the apostle hath promised The 10. reason Phil. 1 6. that God which hath begoone his woorke in vs will finish the same euen vntill the daie of Christ And if so be that he finish it he will not haue it broken off as these men saie And that last of all The 11. reason Matt. 22 32. must be considered of which Christ said was written of Abraham Isaake and Iacob to wit that God was their God and he added that He was not the God of the dead but of the liuing Now if they liue it behooueth them to doo some thing séeing to liue is to doo Neither dooth anie other action agrée with a spirit frée from the flesh I meane with a christian man than to vnderstand his GOD and to imbrace him by loue Io. 11 11. 1. Thes 4 13 Neither dooth the scripture fauour their opinion when as it saith euerie where that The dead doo sleepe for all that is ment as touching the bodie which after death is affected after the manner of sléepers Whie the holie ghost saith that the dead do sleepe And the holie Ghost vsed that forme of speaking chéeflie that the resurrection of the bodie might come to our remembrance for we know that they which sléepe shall after a while be raised vp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this forme of speaking the ancient fathers called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Places appointed for sepulchres as if so be thou shouldst saie Dorters or Sléeping places But we doo not thinke that the soules are buried but the bodies onelie so as these phrases of the scriptures doo not defend them Of wandering Spirits 23 Furthermore In 1. Kin. 12 the spirits of them that be dead wander not here and there vpon the earth as Chrysostome verie well taught in his second homilie of Lazarus Chrysost and vpon the eight chapter of Matthew the 29. homilie where he demandeth the cause whie those possessed with the diuell which are there spoken of are said to haue dwelt in the graues And he testifieth that in his time there was an ill opinion by which the spirits of them that died of a violent death were thought to be turned into wicked spirits and were seruiceable and obedient vnto them which had béene authors of the murther And he saith that the diuell feigned these things first that he might obscure the glorie of the martyrs as though that their soules after death became diuels Further by this persuasion he brought the coniurers and soothesaiers cruellie to kill children and yong men as if they should haue their soules for bondslaues Howbeit these things as that verie learned father testifieth are altogether repugnant to the holie scriptures which saie Wisd 3 1. that The soules of the righteous are in the hand of God And vndoubtedlie Christ said vnto the théefe Luk. 23 43. This daie shalt thou be with me in paradise And of the rich man who inlarged wide his barns Luk. 16 22. This daie shall they take thy soule frō thee And of the soule of Lazarus it is written That by the angels it was carried into the bosome of Abraham and contrariewise the soule of the rich man is described to haue béene tormented with flames in hell who when he desired to haue some man to be sent vnto his brethren might not obteine the same But if it were lawfull for soules seuered from their bodies to wander about in the world either he himselfe might haue come to his brethren or else he could haue obteined the same of some other spirit Phil. 1 23. Ouer this Paule said that He desired to be loosed and
to be with Christ And Steeuen Acts. 7 59. being at the point of death praied Lord receiue my spirit The opinion of Gregorie touching souls departed I knowe indéed that Gregorie writeth in his dialogs that There be certeine spirits of the dead appointed to serue in common baths and to practise some harder exercises abroad in the world But bicause that booke conteineth manie tales I therefore thinke it better to beléeue Chrysostome who dealeth by the scriptures Againe he also prooueth that that peruerse opinion is against reason for he saith If it should be lawfull for soules after this life to wander abroad in the world they would much more easilie returne to their owne bodies Nor is it agréeable vnto reason that wicked men for parricide should carrie awaie a benefit namelie to haue the spirits of them whom they haue cruellie slaine to be seruiceable vnto them at their owne pleasure A similitude And euen as it cannot be that the bodie of a man should be turned into the bodie of an aâ—…e so it is vnpossible that the soule of a man should be turned into the nature and substance of an ill spirit And when as euill spirits by vsing of coniurations are demanded what they be and they answer that they are the soule of this or that man who be alreadie departed he saith that there must be no credit giuen vnto them for their testimonie must not be of anie value séeing they be infamous And therefore Paule as we haue it in the Acts of the apostles the 16. chapter when an euill spirit witnessed that those men were the seruants of the liuing God and preached the saluation of men he rebuked the spirit and commanded the same to silence And Christ reiected the testimonie of the diuell who said that he knew him c. And not without cause for the diuell is a deceiuer and among true things which he somtime speaketh he mingleth manie false So as he must not be credited vpon any shew of truth seing he is not commanded by God to teach men or to preach saluation vnto them These things are written by Chrysostome in the places now alledged Whereby may be confuted the fables of those men which feigne that the soules of the saints doo stand and are present abroad in the world at their sepulchres and reliks to giue helpe vnto those which call vpon them For that father laboureth to prooue that soules seuered from theâ— bodies doo not wander abroad vpon the earth The xv Chapter Of the Resurrection THE entitle of the resurrection of the flesh is verie hardlie beléeued In 2 Kin. 4. bicause it is a thing â—atre from mans reason It comprehendeth manie principall points But a sure persuasion thereof comprehendeth manie principall points of the christian faith which be verie necessarie vnto saluation And they that are fullie and firmelie setled in their minds of the resurrection doo prouide well for themselues against the last houre For they which being at the point of death doo assure themselues of the blessed resurrectition cannot choose but depart ioifull and chéerefull out of this life But contrariewise they which wauer in this article are then in great disquietnesse they are vexed they storme and knowe not certeinelie whither to turne them Further this persuasion dooth comfort vs when by death we loose our kinsfolks and fréends So did Paule teach the Thessalonians Besides this 1. The. 4 13. we are hereby armed against persecutions and hard chances which we must suffer for the faithfull confession of the name of Christ For what is it that martyrs will not patientlie abide when they knowe for a certeintie that a most happie life shall be restored vnto them Moreouer the remembrance hereof maketh vs to haue temperance in estimation for we easilie forbeare vnlawfull pleasures when we assuredlie trust that we shall haue true and perfect pleasures giuen vs both of mind and bodie And if this article be abolished manie principall points of religion are ouerthrowne Paule faith in the first epistle to the Corinthians 1. Co. 15 16 If the dead rise not againe Christ is not risen Which is most absurd for then he should euen to this time be deteined in death which is not conuenient for God nor for the redéemer of mankind And if he be not risen neither did he trulie die otherwise he should be deteined by death Whervpon they which denie the resurrection of the dead affirme that Christ did not verelie die neither will they that he had naturall but phantasticall flesh onelie that is to saie he died in shew and outward appéerance 2 Séeing therefore a disputation of the resurrection of the flesh is so profitable and necessarie we shall for good cause stand the longer vpon it Why God did institute the resurrection First if it be demanded why GOD did institute the same two reasons may be brought first that he might trulie and perfectlie make happie his elect for true happines cannot be obteined in this life bicause no humane actions More things that we knowe not than that we knowe neither contemplatiue nor actiue can be counted exquisite and perfect For as concerning knowledges there be a great manie more things which we knowe not than which wée knowe Which Socrates perceiuing said that This one thing he knew namelie that he knew nothing Further those few small things that we knowe we haue a verie scant and slender vnderstanding of them Neither may we affirme this of naturall things onelie but of those also which are opened vnto vs by the spirit of God 1. Cor. 13 9. Wherefore Paule said Now we knowe in part and prophesie in part and we now see as through a glasse and in a darke saieng We be of weake memorie and manie times our memorie faileth vs. Who remembreth all things that he hath read that he hath learned that he hath taught and determined The knowledges which come later to mind exclude the former as one naile is driuen out with another and as in the course of waters A similitude the latter driueth awaie the former And whereas the knowledges of things doo consist either in inuention or in teaching what one of manie is found to be excellent at inuention And verie manie are vnapt and vnméet to learne Wherefore as touching things contemplatiue we are of small happinesse in this world Also in matters of practise there is great want in vs séeing either we liue vnhonestlie or else in honest actions we be verie farre wide from perfection For our vertues are maimed and vnperfect therefore we cannot drawe out of them anie perfect and absolute actions There happen moreouer perturbations or affects of the mind which drawe vs to and fro so as we cannot altogither be inclined to doo those things which be right Yea and from the bodie it selfe which is fraile and brittle as glasse manie inconueniences doo come For if it be touched with diseases which are