vnto the forgeuenesse of synnes â–ª which when it is graunted wil largely make for defense of our sentence For sith we be borne sinners we do euen from our mothers wombe nede forgeuenesse and pardon Now seing the Lord doth not cut of but rather assure to that age the hope of mercy why should we take froÌ„ them the signe which is much inferior than the thing it selfe Wherfore that which they go about to throwe against vs we thus throwe backe against themselues infantes haue remission of synnes geueÌ„ them therfore they ought not to haue the signe taken froÌ„ them They allege also thys out of the Epistle to the Ephesians that the Chirch is clensed of the Lord with the washing of water in the worde of lyfe ThaÌ„ which there could nothing be alleged more fit to ouerthrow their error for the rupoÌ„ groweth an easy profe of our syde If the Lorde will haue the washyng wherewith he clenseth his Chirch to be testified by Baptisme it semeth not rightful that it should want the testimonie of it in infantes â–ª whiche are rightfully accompted part of the Chirch forasmuch as they be called heires of the heauenly kingdome For Paule speaketh of the whole Chirch where he sayth that it was cleansed with the Baptisme of water Likewise of this that in an other place he sayth that we be by Baptisme graffed into the body of Christ we gather that infantes whom he reckeneth among hys members oughte to be Baptised least they be plucked away from hys body Beholde with what violence with so many engines they assault the fortresses of our fayth TheÌ„ they come down to the practise custome of yâ— time of the Apostles wherin none is fouÌ„d to haue ben admitted to Baptisme but he whiche hath before professed Faith repentance For where Peter was asked of them that were mynded to repent what was nedeful to be done he couÌ„selled them first to repent then to be Baptised into the forgeuenesse of synnes Likewise Philip wheÌ„ the Eunuche required to be Baptised answered that he might be Baptised if he beleued with al his hart Hereby they thinke that they may winne that it is not lawfull that Baptisme be grauÌ„ted to any but where Fayth and repentance goe before Truely if we yelde to thys reson the first of these twoo places where is no mention made of Faith wil proue that repeÌ„taÌ„ce alone sufficeth and the other place wherin repentance is not required will proue that Fayth onely is enough I thinke they will answer that the one place is holpen with the other and therfore must be ioyned together I say also likewise that other places must be layed together which make somwhat to the vndoing of thys knot for asmuch as there be many seÌ„tences in Scripture the vnderstanding wherof hangeth vpon the circuÌ„stance of the place As this presently is an example For they to whoÌ„ Peter and Philip spake these thynges were of age sufficient to haue practise of repentance and to coÌ„ceiue Faith We earnestly deny that such ought to be Baptised vntil after perceiuing of their conuersion and Fayth at least so farr as it maye be searched out by the iugement of men But that infantes ought to be accompted in an other nomber it is more than euident enough For in olde tyme if any man did ioyne himselfe into communion of religion with Israel it behoued that he should first be taught the couenant of the lord and instructed in the law before that he wer marked with circumcision because in birth he was a stranger from the people of Israel with whome the couenante had ben made whiche circumcision stablished As also the lord â–ª when he adopteth Abraham to himselfe doth not begin at circumcision hyding in the meane time what he meaneth by that signe but first he declareth what couenante he entendeth to make with him and then after Fayth geuen to the promise he maketh hym partaker of the Sacrament Why doth in Abraham the Sacrament follow Fayth and in Isaac his sonne it goeth before all vnderstanding Because it is mete that he which beyng in full growen age is receiued into felowship of the couenant from which he had ben hetherto a stranger should first learne the conditions therof but an infante begotten of him neded not so which by right of inheritance according to the forme of the promise is euen from his mothers wombe conteined in the couenant Or that the mater may be more clerely and brefely shewed if the children of the faithful without the helpe of vnderstanding are partakers of the couenante there is no cause why they shoulde be debarâ—ed from the signe for thys that they can not sweare to the forme of the couenant This verily is the reason why in some places God affirmeth that the infantes whiche are issued of the Israelites are begotten borne to hym For without dout he estemeth as hys children the children of them to whoe 's sede he promiseth that he wil be a Father But he which is vnfaithfull issued of vngodly parentes till he be by Fayth vnited to God is iudged a stranger from the communion of the couenant Therfore it is no maruell if he be not partaker of the signe the signification whereof shoulde be deceitfull and voyde in hym To this effecte Paule also wryteth that the Gentiles so long as they were drowned in theyr idolatrie were oute of the testamente With this shorte summe as I thynke the whole mater may be clerely opened that they whiche in growen age embrace the Fayth of Christ forasmuche as they were hetherto strangers from the couenante are not to be marked with Baptisme but wheras Fayth and repentance come betwene which onely can open them the entrie into felowship of the couenant but the infantes that are issued of Christians as they are receiued of God into the inheritance of the couenant so sone as they be borne so oughte to be receiued to Baptisme Hereunto muste that be applyed whiche the Evangelist speaketh of that they were Baptised of Ihon whiche confessed their sinnes Whiche example at this day also we thinke mete to be kept For if a Turke offer himselfe to Baptisme he shoulde not bee rashly Baptised of vs namely not til after confession wherby he maye satisfie the Chirch Moreouer they bring fourth the wordes of Christ which are rehearsed in the thirde Chapter of Iohn wherby they thinke that a presente regeneration is required in Baptisme Unlesse a man be borne againe of water and the Spirite he can not enter into the kingdome of God Loe say they howe Baptisme is by the Lordes own mouth called regeneration Them therefore whome it is more than enough knowen to be vnable to receiue regeneratioÌ„ by what color do we admit to Baptisme which can not be without regeneration First they are deceiued in thys that they thinke that in thys place mention is made of Baptisme because they heare the
also they fele the effect of his resurrection in the quicknyng of the Spirite Herupon he gathereth mater of exhortation that if we be Christians we ought to be dead to sinne and to lyue to righteousnesse This selfe same argument he vseth in an other place that we be circumcised and haue put of the olde man sins that we bee buried in Christ by Baptisme And in this sense in the same place which we haue before alleged he called it the washyng of regeneration of renewing Therfore first free forgeuenesse of sinnes and imputation of righteousnesse is promised vs and then the grace of the Holy ghoste whiche may reforme vs into newnesse of life Last of all our Faith receiueth also this profite of Baptisme that it certainly testifieth vnto vs that we are not only graffed into the death and life of Christ but that we are so vnited to Christ hymselfe that we are partakers of all his good thynges For therfore he hath dedicated and halowed Baptisme in his owne body that he might haue it cōmon with vs as a most strong bonde of the vnitie and felowshyp which he vouchsaued to entre into with vs so that Paul proueth therby that we be the children of God because we haue put on Christ in Baptisme So we see that the fulfillyng of Baptisme is in Christ whome also for this reason we call the propre obiect of Baptisme Therfore it is no meruaile if it be reported that the Apostles baptised into his name which yet wer commaunded to baptise into the name of the Father also and of the Holy ghost For whatsoeuer giftes of God are set foorth in Baptisme are founde in Christ alone And yet it can not be but that he whiche baptiseth into Christ do therwithall call vppon the name of the Father and of the Holy ghost For we are therfore cleansed with his blood because the merciful Father accordyng to his incomparable kyndnesse willing to receiue vs into fauor hath set him a mediator in the middest to procure to vs fauor with him But regeneration we so only obteyne by his death and resurrection if beyng sanctified by the Spirite we be endued with a new and spirituall nature Wherfore both of our cleansyng regeneration we obteine after a certaine maner distinctly perceiue the cause in the Father the mater in the Sonne and the effect in the Holy ghost So Iohn first baptised so afterwarde the Apostles with the baptisme of repentance into the forgeuenesse of sinnes meanyng by this worde repentance suche regeneration and by forgeuenesse of sinnes washyng Whereby also it is made moste certaine that the ministerie of Iohn was altogether the same which was afterwarde committed to the Apostles For the diuers handes wherewith it is ministred make not the Baptisme diuers but the same doctrine sheweth it to be the same Baptisme Iohn and the Apostles agreed into one doctrine bothe baptised into repentance bothe into the forgeuenesse of sinnes bothe into the name of Christe from whome was bothe repentance and forgeuenesse of sinnes Iohn saied that he was the lambe of God by whome the sinnes of the worlde shoulde be taken away where he made him the Sacrifice acceptable to the Father the propitiator of righteousnesse the author of saluation What coulde the Apostles adde to this confession Wherfore let it trouble no man that the olde writers labor to seuer the one from the other whoe 's voice we oughte not so muche to esteme that it may shake the certaintie of the Scripture For who will rather harkē to Chrysostome denyeng that forgeuenesse of sinnes was comprehended in the Baptisme of Iohn than to Luke contrarywyse affirming that Iohn preached the Baptisme of repentance into the forgeuenesse of sinnes Neither is that suttletie of Augustine to be receyued that in the Baptisme of Iohn sinnes were forgeuen in hope but in the Baptisme of Christ they are forgeuen in dede For where as the Euangelist plainly testifieth that Iohn in his Baptisme promised the forgeuenesse of sinnes what nede we to abate this title of commendation when no necessitie compelleth vs vnto it But if any man seke for a difference out of the worde of God he shall fynd none other but this that Iohn baptised into hym that was to come the Apostles into hym that had already presented himselfe As for this that more abundant graces of the Spirite were poured out sins the resurrection of Christ it maketh nothyng to stablishe a diuersitie of Baptismes For the Baptisme which the Apostles ministred while he was yet conuersant in earth was called his yet it had no larger plentifulnesse of the Spirite than the Baptisme of Iohn Yea euē after his ascēsion the Spirit was not geuen to the Samaritans aboue the common measure of the Faithfull before the ascension althoughe they were baptised into the name of Iesus till Peter Iohn wer sent vnto them to lay theyr hands vpon them This only thyng as I think deceiued the old writers that they said that the Baptisme of Iohn was but a preparation to the baptisme of Christ because they red that they were baptised againe of Paul which had ones receiued the baptisme of Iohn But howe muche they were herein deceiued shall ells where be plainely declared in place fitte for it What is it therfore that Iohn said that he baptised in dede with water but that Christ should come whiche should baptise with the Holy ghoste and with fyre This maye in fewe wordes be assoiled For he meant not to put difference betwene the one Baptisme and the other but he compared his own person with the person of Christ saiyng that himselfe was a minister of water but that Christ was the geuer of the Holy ghost and should declare this power by visible miracle the same day that he should sende the Holy ghost to the Apostles vnder fyry tonges What coulde the Apostles boast of more than this What more could they also that baptise at this day For they be onely ministers of the outwarde signe and Christ is the author of the inward grace as the same olde writers thēselues do euery where teach and specially Augustine whose principal stay agaynst the Donatistes is this that what a one soeuer he be that baptizeth yet only Christ is ruler of it These thynges which we haue spoken bothe of mortification and of washyng are shadowed out in the people of Israell whom for the same cause the Apostle sayth to haue ben baptised in the cloude and in the sea Mortifiyng was figured when the Lorde deliueryng them oute of the hande of Pharao and from cruell bondage made for them a waye thorough the redde sea and drowned Pharao hymselfe and the Egyptiās their enemies that folowed them hard at their backes and were euen in their neckes to ouertake them For after the same maner also he promiseth to vs in Baptisme and by a signe geuen sheweth vs that we
name of water For after that Christ had declared to Nicodemus the corruption of nature and taught hym that men must be borne of newe because Nicodemus dreamed of a bodily newe birth he there shewed the maner how God doth regenerate vs namely by water and the Spirite as though he should say by the Spirite which in cleansing and watering faithfull soules doth the office of water Therefore I take water and the Spirite simply for the Spirite which is water Neither is this a new forme of speche for it altogether agreeth with the same which is in the thirde Chapter of Mathewe He that foloweth me it is he that Baptiseth in the Holy ghost and fier Therfore as to Baptise in the Holy ghost and fier is to geue the Holy ghost which hath the office and nature of fier so to be borne againe of water and the Spirite is nothing ells but to receiue that power of the holy Spirite which doth the same thing in the soule that water doth in the body I knowe that other do otherwise expounde it but I am oute of doute that thys is the naturall meaning because the purpose of Christ is none other but to teache that all they must put of their owne nature which aspire to the heauenly kingdome Howebit if we list to cauil vnsauoryly as they do it were easy for vs when we haue graunted as they woulde haue it to inferre vpon them that Baptisme is before Fayth and repentance forasmuch as in the wordes of Christe it goeth before the Spirite It is certaine that this is vnderstanded of Spirituall giftes which if they come after Baptisme I haue obteined what I require But leauing cauillations we must holde fast the playne exposition which I haue brought that no mā til he haue ben renewed with liuing water that is with the Spirite can enter into the kingdome of God Nowe hereby also it is euident that their fayned inuention is to be hissed out which adiudge al the vnbaptised to eternal death Therfore let vs according to their request imagine Baptisme to be ministred to none but to them that be growen in age what will they saye shall become of a childe whiche is rightly and well instructed with the introductions of godlynesse if when the day of Baptising is at hande he happen to be taken away with soden death beside all mennes hope The Lordes promise is cleare that whosoever hath beleued in the Sonne shall not see death nor shall come into iugemente but is allredy passed from death into life and it is no where founde that he euer damned him that was not yet Baptised Whiche I would not haue so taken of me as though I meant that Baptisme might freely be despised by which despising I affirme that the Lordes couenant is defiled so much lesse can I abide to excuse it onely it is enough for me to proue that it is not so necessarie that he should be immediatly thought to be lost from whome power is taken away to obteine it But if we agree to their fained deuise we shall damne all them without exception whom any chaunce withholdeth from Baptisme with how great Faith soeuer by which Christ himself is possessed otherwise they are endued Moreouer they make all infantes giltye of eternall death to whome they deny Baptisme which by their own confession is necessarie to saluation Now let them loke how trimly they agree with the wordes of Christ by which the kingdome of heauen is adiudged to that age But to graunte them euery thing so much as perteineth to the vnderstanding of thys place yet they shall gather nothing thereof vnlesse they ouerthrowe the former doctrine which we haue stablished concernyng the regeneration of infantes But they glory that they haue the strongest holde of all in the very institutiō of Baptisme which they fetch out of the last Chapter of Mathew where Christ sending fourth hys Apostles to all nations geueth them the first commaundement to teache them and the seconde to Baptise them Then also out of the last of Marke they adioine this He that beleueth and is Baptised shal be saued What seke we further saye they when the Lordes owne wordes doe openly sounde that we must firste teach ere we Baptise and do assigne to Baptisme the seconde state after Faith Of which order the Lord also shewed an example in himself which would be Baptised not tyll the thirtyth yere But here O good God how many wayes doe they both entangle thēselues and bewraye their owne ignorance For herein they now more than childishly erre that they fetche the firste institution of Baptisme from thense whiche Christ had from the beginning of his preaching geuen in charge to hys Apostles to minister Therfore there is no cause why they shoulde affirme that the law and rule of Baptisme is to be fetched out of these places as though they conteined the first institution therof But to beare with them for thys fault yet how strong is thys manner of reasoning Truly if I listed to dally with them there is not a litle lurking hole but a most wyde felde offreth it selfe open for vs to escape them For when they sticke so fast to the order of wordes that they gather that because it is sayd Goe preach and Baptise Againe he that beleueth and is Baptised therfore they must preach before that they Baptise and beleue before that they require Baptisme why may not we agayn answere them with sayeng that we must Baptise before that we muste teache the keping of those thinges that Christ hath commaunded namely sithe it is sayd Baptise ye teaching them to kepe whatsoeuer thinges I haue commaunded you whiche same thing we haue noted in that sayeng of Christ which hath ben euen now alleged concerning the regeneration of water and the Spirite For if it be so vnderstode as they would haue it verily in that place Baptisme must be before spiritual regeneration because it is named in the first place for Christ doth teach that we must be regenerate not of the Spirite and water but of water and the Spirite Nowe this inuincible reason whereupon they beare themselues so bolde semeth to be somwhat shaken but because truth hath defense enough in simplicitie I wil not escape away with such light argumentes Therfore let them take with them a ful answer Christ in this place geueth the chefe commaundement concerning preaching of the Gospell whereunto he adioyneth the ministerie of Baptisme as an additiō hāging vpon it Againe he speaketh none otherwise of Baptisme but so farr as the ministration of it is vnder the office of teaching For Christ sendeth the Apostles to publishe the Gospel to al the natiōs of the world that they should from eche where with the doctrine of saluation gather together into hys kyngdome men that before were lost But whom or what maner of men It is certaine that there is no mentiō but of them that are able to
that they are by chaunse made differente from brute beastes But they pretende a cloke of nature whom they accompte the maker of al thinges and so doe conuey God awaye They see that exquysyte workemanship in al their members from their mouth and their eyes euen to the nailes of their toaes and yet here also they putte nature in place of god But specially the so swift motions the so excellent powers the so rare giftes of the soule do represent a diuine nature that doth not easily suffer it selfe to be hid vnlesse the Epicureans like the Gyauntes Cyclopes wold bearing themselues bolde vppon this hye degre outrageously make warre againste God Do the whole treasures of the heauenly wisedome so mete together to rule a worme of fiue fete long and shal the whole vniuersalitie of the world be wtout this prerogatiue Firste to agree that there is a certaine instrumentall thing that aunswereth to all the partes of man doth so serue nothing at al to obscure the honor of God that it rather doeth more gloriously set it out Let Epicure answer me what meting of vndiuisible bodyes boiling the meate and drinke in man doth dispose part into excrementes part into bloud and bringeth to passe that there is in al the members of man such an endeuorynge to do their offyce eueÌ„ as if so many seueral soules did by coÌ„mon aduise rule one body But I haue not nowe to doe with that â—â—ye of swyne I rather speake vnto them that being geuen to suttelties would by croked conueiaunce wrythe that colde saying of Aristotle bothe to destroye the immortalitie of the soule and also to take from God hys ryghte For because there ar instrumental powers of the soule by pretense thereof they bynde the soule to the bodye that it cannot continue without the bodye and with praises of nature they doo as much as in them is suppresse the name of God But the powers of the soule are farre from beeinge enclosed in those exercises that serue the body For what pertayneth to the body for a man to measure the skye to gather the number of the starres to lerne the greatenes of euery one to knowe what space they be distante one from an other with what swiftnes or slownesse they goe their courses how many degrees they decline this way or that way I grauÌ„t in dede that there is some vse of Astrologie but my meanyng is onely to shewe that in this so depe serching out of heauenly thyngs it is not an instrumental measuring but that the soule hath her offices by it selfe seuerall from the body I haue shewed one example by whiche it shal be easy for the readers to gather the reste Truely the manyfolde nimblenes of the soule by which it surueieth bothe heauen and earthe ioyneth thynges past with things to come kepeth in memory thinges heard long before and expresseth eche thing to it selfe by imaginacion also the ingeniousnesse by which it inuenteth thinges incredible and which is the mother of so many maruelons artes are sure tokens of diuine nature in man Beside that euen in slepyng it doeth not onely rolle and tourne it self but also conceiueth many thinges profytable reasoneth of many thynges also prophecieth of thyngs to come What shal we in this case say but that the signes of immortalitie that are emprinted in man cannot be blotted out Now what reason may beare that man shal be of diuine nature and not acknowledge his Creator Shall we forsoth by iudgement that is put into vs discerne betwene right and wronge and shall there be no iudge in heauen Shall we euen in our slepe haue abiding with vs some remnant of vnderstandyng and shall no God be waking in gouernyng the worlde Shall we be so compted the inuenters of so many artes and profitable thynges that God shal be defrauded of his praise where as yet experience sufficiently teacheth that from an other and not from our selues all that we haue is in diuerse wise distributed amonge vs As for that which some do babble of the secrete inspiracion that geueth lyuelines to the worlde it is not onely weake but also vngodly They lyke well that famous saying of Uergile Fyrst heauen and earth and flovvyng fieldes of seas The shinyng globe of Moone and Tiâ—ans starres Sprite fedes vvithin and throughout all the lymmes Infused mynde the vvhole huge masse dooth moue And vvith the large bigge body mixe it selfe Thense come the kyndes of men and eke of beastes And lyues of fliyng foules and monsters straunge That vvater beares vvithin the marble sea A fyry lyuelynesse and heauenly race there is VVithin those seedes c. Forsothe that the world which was created for a spectacle of the glory of God shuld be the creator of it selfe So in an other place the same author folowyng the common opinion of the Greekes and Latynes sayeth Some say that bees haue part of mynde diuine And heauenly draughtes For eke they say that God Gothe through the coastes of lande and crekes of sea And through depe skye And hense the flockes and heardes And men and all the kyndes of sauage beastes Eche at their byrthe receyue theyr suttle lyues And therto are they rendred all at laste And all resolued are retournde agayne Ne place there is for deathe but lyuely they Flye into nombre of the Starres aboue And take their place vvithin the lofty skye Loe what that hungry speculacion of the vniuersall minde that geueth soule and liuelines to the world auaileth to engender and nourishe godlines in the hartes of men Whiche doeth also better appeare by the blasphemous sayings of the filthy dogge Lucretius which are deriued from the same principle Euen thys is it to make a shadowishe God to driue farre away the true God whome we ought to feare and worshyp I graunt in dede that this may be godlily sayed so that it procede from a godly minde that nature is God but because it is a hard and an vnproper maner of speche forasmuch as nature is rather an order prebed by God therfore in thynges of so great weight and to which is due a singular religiousnes it is hurtfull to wrapp vp God confusely with the inferior course of his workes Let vs therefore remember so ofte as any man considereth his owne nature that there is one God which so gouerneth al natures that his wil is to haue vs to loke vnto hym our fayth to be directed to hym and hym to bee worshypped and called vpon of vs because there is nothing more agaynst conuenience of reason thaÌ„ for vs to enioy those excellent gyftes that sauoure of diuine nature in vs and to despise the authoure that freely doeth geue theym vnto vs. Nowe as concernynge his power with howe notable examples dothe it forceably drawe vs to consider it vnlesse perhappes we may be ignoraunt of howe great a strengthe it is with his onely woorde to vpholde this infinite masse of heauen and earth with his onely becke
prophetes manners of speaking are to be noted as A child is borne to vs. Again Reioce the daughter of Siō behold thy king cōmeth to thee Also that confyrmation of loue shoulde be very colde whyche Paule setteth oute that Christe suffered deathe for his enemies For therevpon we gather that he had no respect of himselfe that same he plainely affirmeth in saieng I sanctifie my selfe for them For he that geueth awaie the frute of his holynesse vnto other doth thereby testifie that he purchaceth nothing for hymselfe And truely this is moste worthyly to be noted that Christe to geue him selfe wholy to saue vs did after a certaine manner forget himselfe But to thys purpose thei doe wrongfully drawe this testimonie of Paule Therefore the father hath exalted him geuē him a name c. For by what deseruinges coulde man obteine to be iudge of the worlde and the heade of the Angeles and to enioye the soueraigne dominion of God and that in hym shoulde rest that same maiestie the thousandth parte whereof all the powers of men and Angeles can not reache vnto But the solution thereof is easy and playne that Paule doth not ther entreate of the cause of exalting of Christe but onely to shewe the effect ensuing thereof that it might be for an example to vs. And no other thing is meant by that whiche is spoken in an other place that it behoued that Christe shold suffer and so enter into the glorie of his Father The thirde booke of the Institution of Christian Religion Whiche entreateth of the manner howe to receiue the grace of Christ and what profites do growe vnto vs and what effectes ensue thereof The fyrste Chapter That those thinges which are spoken of Christ do profite vs by secret working of the holy Ghoste NOwe it is to be seen howe those good thinges doe come vnto vs whiche the Father hathe geuen to his only begotten Sonne not for his own priuate vse but to enriche them that were without them needed them And fyrste this is to be learned that so longe as Christe is oute of vs and we be seuered from him whatsoeuer he suffered or dyd for the saluation of mankinde is vnprofitable and nothinge auayleth for vs. Therefore that he maye enterparten wyth vs those thinges that he hathe receiued of hys Father it behoueth that he become oures and dwell in vs. And for that cause he is called our heade and the fyrste begotten amonge many brethren and on the other side it is saide that we are graffed into him and did putte on hym For as I haue before saide all that euer he possesseth belongeth nothinge to vs vntyll we growe together into one with hym But although it be true that wee obteyne thys by faythe yet forasmuche as we see that not al without dyfference do embrace this enterpartening of Christe whyche is offered by the Gospel therefore very reason teacheth vs to clymbe vp hyer and to enquire of the secret effectuall workinge of the Spirite by whyche it is brought to passe that we enioye Christe and all his good thynges I haue before entreated of the eternall godhede and essence of the Spirit at thys present let vs be content wyth thys one speciall article that Christe so came in water and bloode that the Spirite shoulde testifie of hym leaste the saluation that he hathe purchaced shold slippe awaie from vs. For as there are alleged three witnesses in heauen the Father the Worde and the Spirit so are there also three in earth Water Bloode the Spirit And not without cause is the testimonie of the Spirite twise repeted whiche we feele to bee engrauen in oure heartes in steede of a seale whereby commeth to passe that it sealeth the washinge and sacrifice of Christ. After whiche meaninge Peter also saith that the faythfull are chosen in santification of the spirit vnto obedience and sprynkling of the blood of Christ. By whiche woordes he telleth vs that to the entent the shedinge of that holy bloode shoulde not become voyde oure soules are cleansed wyth it by the secrete wateringe of the holy Spirite According whervnto Paule also speakinge of cleansinge and iustification saieth that we are made partakers of them bothe in the name of Iesus Christe and in the Spirite of oure God Finally thys is the summe that the holy Spyrite is the bonde wherewyth Christe effectually byndeth vs vnto hym For proofe whereof also do serue all that wee haue taughte in the laste booke before thys concernynge hys anoyntynge But that this being a matter specially worthy to be knowen may be made more certainly euident we must holde this in minde that Christ came furnished with the holy Spirit after a certaine peculiar manner to the ende that he might seuer vs from the worlde and gather vs together into the hope of an eternal inheritance For this cause he is called the Spirit of sanctification bicause he doth not onely quicken and nourish vs with that general power which appeareth as wel in mankinde as in all other liuinge creatures but also is in vs the roote and feede of heauenly life Therefore the Prophetes do principally cōmend the kingdome of Christe by this title of prerogatiue that then shoulde florishe more plentifull aboundance of the Spirit And notable aboue all the rest is that place of Ioel In that day I will poure of my Spirit vpon al fleshe For though the Prophet there seeme to restraine the giftes of the Spirit to the office of prophecieng yet vnder a figure he meaneth that God by the enlightning of his Spirite will make those his scholers whyche before were vnskilfull and voyde of all heauenly doctrine Nowe forasmuche as God the Father dothe for his Sonnes sake geue vs his holy Spirit yet hathe left with him the whole fulnesse thereof to the ende that he shoulde be a minister and distributer of his liberalitie he is sometime called the Spirite of the Father and sometime the Spirite of the Sonne Ye are not saith Paule in the fleshe but in the Spirit for the Spirit of God dwelleth in you But if any haue not the spirit of Christe he is not his And herevpon he putteth vs in hope of ful renuing for that he which raised vp Christ from the deade shall quicken our mortall bodies bicause of his Spirit dwelling in vs. For it is not absurditie that to the Father bee ascribed the praise of his owne giftes whereof he is the author yet that the same be ascribed to Christe with whome the giftes of the Spirite are lefte that he maie geue them to those that be his Therefore he calleth all them that thirste to come to him to drynke And Paule teacheth that the Spirit is distributed to euery one according to the measure of the gifte of Christ. And it is to be knowen that he is called the Spirite of Christ not onely in respect that the eternall Worde of God is
there speaketh in the persone of a maÌ„ regenerate I speake not of this that he vseth these wordes Euell Sinne that thei which wil speake against vs may not cauil against those words but whoe can denie that a striuing against the lawe of God is euell whoe can denie a withstanding of Iustice to be sinne Finally whoe wâ—ll not graunt that there is a fault where is a spiritual miserie But al these thinges are reported of this disease by Paule Againe we haue an assured demonstration by the law by whiche this whole question may easily be discussed For we are coÌ„maunded to loue God with all our heart with al our soule with al our powers Sithe al the partes of our soule ought so to be occupied with the loue of God it is certaine that they satisfie not the coÌ„maundement that conceiue in their heart any desire be it neuer so litle or suffer any such thought at all to entre into their minde as maye withdraw them from the loue of God into vanitie For what are not these the powers of the soule to be affected with sodeine motions to coÌ„prehend with wit to coÌ„ceyue with minde Therfore when these do open a way for vaine or corrupt thoughtes to entre into them do they not shew that they are euen so much voide of the loue of God Wherfore who so confesseth not that all the lustes of the flesh are sinnes and that the same disease of lusting which they call a fedyng is the well spryng of sinne he muste needes denie that the transgression of the lawe is sinne If any man thinke it an absurditie that all the desires wherwith man is naturally moued in affection are vniuersally condeÌ„ned wheras they be put into man by God the author of nature We answer that we doe not condemne those desires that God hath so engrauen into the minde of man at the firste creation that they can not be rooted out without destroyeng the very nature of man but only outragious and vnbridled motions that fight against the ordinance of God But nowe sithe by reason of the peruersnesse of nature all her powers are infected and corrupted that in all her doynges appereth a continuall disorder and intemperance bicause the desires can not be seuered froÌ„ such intemperance therefore we say that they are corrupt Or if you like to haue the whole summe in fewer wordes we teache that all the desires of men are euell and we accuse them to be gilty of sinne not in that that they are naturall but for that they are inordinate and we call them inordinate bycause no pure or cleane thynge can come out of a corrupte and vncleane nature And Augustine dothe not so much varie from this doctrine as he appereth in shewe while he somwhat to much feareth the enuie that the Pelagians labored to bryng him into he sometime forbeareth to vse the name of sinne Yet where he writeth that the law of sinne still remaynyng in the holy ones the onely giltinesse is taken awaye he plainely sheweth that he doth not so much disagree from our meanyng We will alleage some other sentences wherby shal better appere what he thought In yâ— second boke against Iulian This law of sinne is both released by the spiritual regeneration abideth in the mortal flesh released herein bicause the giltnesse is taken away in the sacrament whereby the faithfull are regenerate and it abideth bycause it worketh the desires agaynst whiche the faythfull doe fight Agayne Therfore the law of sinne which was also in the membres of so great an Apostle is released in baptisme but not ended Agayne The lawe of sinne of which yet remainyng the giltinesse is in baptisme discharged Ambrose called wickednesse bicause it is wickednesse for the flesh to lust against the Spirit Againe Sinne is dead in respect of that giltinesse wherin it helde vs and euen beyng dead it still rebelleth til it be healed with perfection of burial And yet playner in the v. boke As the blindenesse of heart is bothe a sinne whereby menne beleueth not in God and also a punishment of sinne whereby a proude heart is chastised with worthy correction and the cause of sinne when any thyng is committed by the errour of a blinde heart so the lust of flesh agaynste whiche a good spirit lusteth is bothe sinne bycause there is in it disobedience agaynst the gouernement of the minde and also the punishment of sinne bycause it is geuen for recompense to the deseruynges of the disobedient and the cause of sinne in manne when he consenteth by defection or in manne when he is borne by infection Here wythout anye doubtefull speache he calleth it sinne bycause when errour was ones ouerthroweÌ„ and the truth coÌ„firmed he lesse feared sclaunderours reportes As in the .xlj. Homelie vpoÌ„ Iohn where doâ—tlesse he speaketh according to the true meaning of his mind he sayth If in the flesh thou serue the law of sinne do that whiche the Apostle himself sayth let not sinne reigne in your mortal bodie to obey the desires therof He sayth not let it not be but let it not reigne So long as thou liuest sinne must needes be in thy meÌ„bres at least let Reigne be taken from it Let not that be done whiche it commaundeth They that defend that luste is no sinne are wont to obiecte that sayeng of Iames Lust after that it hath conceiued bryngeth forth sinne But this is easily confuted For vnlesse we thinke that he speaketh of only ill workes or actuall sinnes euell will it self shall not be accompted sinne But where he calleth mischeuous deedes and wicked offenses the ofsprynges of sinne and geueth vnto them the name of sinnne it doth not by and by folow thereof but that to luste is an euell thyng and damnable before God Certaine Anabaptistes in this age deuise I wote not what phreÌ„tike intemperance in stede of spirituall regeneration sayeng that the children of God restored into the state of innoceÌ„cie now ought no more to be carefull for bridlyng of the luste of the fleshe that the Spirit is to be folowed for their guide vnder whose guidyng they neuer goe out of the way It were incredible that mans minde could fall to so great madnesse vnlesse they did opeÌ„ly and proudely babble abrode this doctrine Truely it is monstruous But it is mete that suche should suffer the punishment of suche blasphemous boldnesse that so haue persuaded their minde to turne the truth of God into a lie Shal al the choise of honestie and dishonestie righte and wronge good and euell vertue and vice be taken awaye â–ª Suche difference saye they coÌ„meth of the cursednesse of olde Adam from whiche we are exempted by Christe So nowe there shal be no difference betwene fornication and chastitie playne dealyng and sutteltie truthe and lyeng iustice and extortion Take awaye vayne feare saye they the Spirit will commaund thee no euell thyng so that thou boldly and without feare yelde thee to
forsothe which while Christ was yet liuyng they coulde not vnderstand after his ascendyng they learned by the reuelation of the Holy ghost Of the exposition of that place we haue els where already seen So much as is sufficient for this present cause truely they make themselues worthy to be laughed at whyle they faine that those greate mysteries which so long tyme were vnknowen to the Apostles were partly obseruations eyther Iewishe or Gentile of whiche all the one sort had ben long before publyshed among the Iewes and all the other sort among the Gentiles and partly foolysh gesturynges and vayne pety Ceremonies whiche foolishe sacrificyng prestes that can neither skill of swimmyng nor of letters vse to doo very trimly yea suche as children and fooles do so aptely counterfaite that it may sente that there be no fitter ministers of suche holy mysteries If there were no histories at all yet men that haue their sound witte myght consider by the thing it self that so great a heape of Ceremonies and obseruations did not sodenly brust into the Chirch but by little little crept in For when those holyer Bishops whiche were next in tyme to the Apostles had ordeyned some thynges that belonged to order and discipline afterwarde there folowed men some after other no discrete enoughe and to curious and gredy of whiche the later that euery one was so he more striued with his predecessoures in foolyshe enuious counterfaytyng not to geue place in inuentyng of newe thynges And because there was peryll least their deuyses woulde shortly growe oute of vse by whiche they coueted to gette prayse among their posteritie they were muche more rygorous in exact callyng vpon the kepyng of them This wrongfull zeale hath bredde vs a great part of these Ceremonies whyche they sette out vnto vs for Apostolike And this also the histories doo testifie Least in makyng a register of them we should be to tedious we will be content with one example In the ministryng of the Lordes supper there was in the Apostles tyme great simplicitie The next successours to garnishe the dignitie of the mysterie added somewhat that was not to be disallowed But afterwarde there came those foolishe counterfaiters which with now and then patchyng of peces together haue made vs this apparel of the prest whiche we se in the Masse those ornamentes of the altar those gesturynges and the whole furniture of vnprofitable thynges But they obiect that this in olde tyme was the persuasion that those thynges which were with one consente doone in the vniuersall Chirch came from the Apostles themselues whereof they cite Augustine for witnesse But I wyll bryng a solution from no other where than out of the words of Augustine hymselfe Those thinges saieth he that are kepte in the whole world we may vnderstand to haue ben ordeined either of the Apostles themselues or of the generall Councells whoe 's authoritie is moste healthfull in the Chirche as that the Lordes passion and resurrection and his ascendyng into heauen and the comming of the Holy ghoste are celebrate with yearely solemnitie and whatsoeuer lyke thyng bee founde that is kepte of the whole Chirch whiche waie soeuer it be spread abroade When he reckneth vp so fewe examples who doeth not se that he meant to impute to authors worthie of credite and reuerence the obseruations that then were vsed euen none but those symple rare and sobre ones with which it was profitable that the order of the Chirch shold be kepte together But howe farre doeth this differ from that whyche the Romishe maisters would enforce men to graunte that there is no pety Ceremonie among them that oughte not to be iudged Apostolike That I be not to long I wyll bryng foorth onely one example If any man aske them whense they haue theyr Holy water they by and by answer from the Apostles As though the histories dooe not attribute this inuention to I wote not what Bishop of Rome which truely if he had called the Apostles to counsell woulde neuer haue defiled Baptisme with a strange and vnfitte signe Albe it I do not thynke it like to be true that the beginnyng of that halowyng is so olde as it is there written For that whyche Augustine sayeth that certayne Chirches in his tyme dyd shunne that solemne folowyng of Christes example in washyng of feete least that vsage shoulde seeme to pertayne to Baptisme secretely sheweth that there was then no kynde of washyng that hadde any lykenesse with Baptisme Whatsoeuer it bee I wyll not graunte that this proceded from an Apostolike Spirite that Baptisme when it is with a dayly signe brought into remembrance should after a certayne maner bee repeted And I passe not vpon this that the selfe same Augustine in an other place ascribeth other thynges also to the Apostles For sithe he hath nothyng but coniectures iudgement oughte not vppon them to bee geuen of so greate a mater Finally admytte that we graunte them also that those thynges whych he rehearseth came from the tyme of the Apostles Yet there is greate difference betweene institutyng somme exercise of Godlynesse which the Faithful with a free conscience may vse or if the vse of it shall not be profitable for them they may forbeare it and making a law that may snare cōsciences with bondage But now from what author soeuer they proceded sithe we see that they are slidden into so greate abuse nothyng withstandeth but that we may without offence of hym abolish them forasmuche as they were neuer so commended that they muste be perpetually immouable Neither doth it much helpe them that to excuse their tyrannie they pretende the example of the Apostles The Apostles saye they and the elders of the first Chirch made a decree besyde the commaundement of Christ wherin they commaūded all the Gentiles to abstein from thinges offred to idols from strangled and from blood If that was lawefull for them why is it not also lawfull for their successours to followe the same so oft as occasion so requireth I wold to God they did bothe in all other thynges and in this thing folow them For I deny that the Apostles did there institute or decree any new thing which is easy to be proued by a strong reson For whereas Peter in that Coūcel pronounceth that God is tempted if a yoke be layed vpon the neckes of the disciples he doth himselfe ouerthrowe his owne sentence if he afterward consent to haue any yoke layed vpon them But there is a yoke layed if the Apostles do decree of their owne authoritie that the Gentiles shold be forbidden that they should not touch thinges offred to idoles blood strangled In dede there yet remaineth a dout for that they do neuerthelesse seme to forbidde But this dout shal easily be dissolued if a man doo more nerely consider the meaning of the decree it selfe in the order and effecte whereof the chiefe point is that to the Gentiles their libertie is to be left and
was more nerely shewed to menne sins he hath ben truely deliuered of his Father such as he had ben promised For Baptisme doth testifie vnto vs that we cleansed and washed the Supper of thankesgeuing testifieth that we be redemed In water is figured washing in blood satisfaction These twoo thinges are founde in Christ whiche as Iohn sayth came in water and blood that is to say that he mighte cleanse and redeme Of whiche thing the Spirite of God also is a witnesse Yea there are three witnesses in one Water Blood and Spirite In water and blood we haue a testimonie of cleansing and redeming but the Spirite the principall witnesse bryngeth vnto vs assured credit of suche wytnessing This hie mysterie hath notably well ben shewed vs in the crosse of Christ when water and blood slowed oute of his holy side whiche side for that cause Augustine rightfully called the fountaine of oure Sacramentes of which yet we must entreate somwhat more at large There is no doute but that more plentifull grace also of the Spirite doth here shewe fourth it selfe if you compare tyme with tyme. For that perteineth to the glory of the kingdome of Christe as we gather out of many places but specially out of the .vii. Chapter of Iohn In whiche sense we must take that sayeng of Paule that vnder the lawe were shadowes but in Chirst is the body Neither is it his meaning to spoyle of their effecte the testimonies of grace in whiche Gods will was in the olde tyme to proue hymselfe to the Fathers a true speaker euen as at thys day he doth to vs in Baptisme and in the holy Supper But onely his purpose was by waye of comparison to magnifie that whiche was geuen vs least any shoulde thynke it maruaylous that the Ceremonies of the lawe were abolished by the comming of Christ. But that same schole doctrine as I may also brefely touche thys by the waye is vtterly to be hissed out wherby there is noted so greate a difference betwene the Sacramentes of the olde and newe lawe as thoughe those did nothing but shadowe out the grace of God and these do presently geue it For the Apostle speaketh no lesse honorably of those than of these when he teacheth that the Fathers did eate the same spirituall meate which we eate and expoundeth that same meate to be Christ. Who dare make that an empty signe whiche deliuered to the Iewes a true communion of Christe And the grounde of the cause which the Apostle there handleth doth plainly fight on oure side For that no man trusting vpon a colde knowlege of Christe and emptie title of Christianitie and outwarde tokens shoulde presume to despise the iugemente of God he sheweth fourth examples of Gods seueritie to be seen in the Iewes that we shoulde knowe that the same peynes whiche they haue suffred hang ouer vs if we folowe the same faultes Nowe that the comparison mighte be fitt it behoued that he shoulde shewe that there is no vnegalnesse betwene vs and them in those good thinges wherof he die forbidde vs to boste falslye Therefore firste he maketh vs egall in the Sacramentes and leaueth to vs not so muche as any smal pece of prerogatiue that might encourage vs to hope of escaping vnpunished Neither verily is it lawfull to geue any more to our Baptisme thaÌ„ he in an other place geueth to circumcision when he calleth it the seale of the righteousnesse of Fayth Whatsoeuer therefore is at this day geuen vs in our Sacramentes the same thyng the Iewes in olde tyme receiued in theirs that is to say Christ with his spirituall richesse What power our Sacramentes haue the same they also felte in theirs that is to saye that they were to them seales of Gods good will towarde them into the hope of eternall saluation If they had ben apt expositors of the Epistle to the Hebrues they would not haue so ben blynded But when they red there that sinnes were not cleansed by the Ceremonies of the law yea that the olde shadowes had no auayling force to righteousnesse they neglecting the comparison which is there handeled while they toke holde of this one thing that the lawe of it selfe nothing profited the folowers of it though simply the the figures were voide of truth But the Apostles meaning is to bring the ceremonial law to nothing vntill it come to Christ vpon whom alone hangeth al the effectualnesse of it But they will obiecte those thinges whiche are red in Paul concerning the circumcision of the letter that it is in no estimation with God that it geueth nothing that it is vaine For suche sayenges seme to presse it down farr benethe Baptisme Not so For the very same might rightfully be sayd of Baptisme Yea and also the same is sayd firste of Paule hym selfe where he sheweth that God regardeth not the outwarde washing wherby we enter into profession of religion vnlesse the minde within be both cleansed and continue in cleannesse to the ende againe of Peter when he testifieth that the trueth of Baptisme standeth not in the outwarde washing but in a good witnessing of conscience But he semeth also in an other place vtterly to despise the circumcision made with hande when he compareth it with the circumcision of Christe I aunswere that euen in this place nothyng is abated of the dignitie of it Paule there â—isputeth against them whiche required it as necessarie when it was nowe abrogate Therfore he warneth the faythfull that leauing the olde shadowes they should stande fast in the truth These maisters sayth he instantly call vpon you that your bodies may be circumcised But ye are spiritually circumcised according to the soule and body Ye haue therefore the deliuerance of the thing in dede which is much better thaÌ„ the shadow A man might take exceptioÌ„ to the contrary say that the figure is not therfore to be despised because they had the thing in dede forasmuch as that putting of of the old man of which he there spake was also amoÌ„g the Fathers to whoÌ„ yet outwarde Circumcision had not ben superfluous He preuenteth this obiectioÌ„ wheÌ„ he by and by addeth that the Colossians were buried with Christ by Baptisme Wherby he signifieth that at this day Baptisme is the same to ChristiaÌ„s which circuÌ„cisioÌ„ was to the olde people therfore that circuÌ„cisioÌ„ can not be enioined to Christians wtout wroÌ„g done to Christ. But that which foloweth and which I eueÌ„ now alleged is harder to assoyle that all the Iewishe Ceremonies were shadowes of thinges to come and that in Christ is the body but most hard of all is that whiche is entreated in many chapters of the Epistle to the Hebrues that the blood of beastes atteined not to consciences that the law had a shadowe of good thinges to come not an image of thinges that the folowers of it obteined no perfection of the Ceremonies of Moses and such other I goe backe to
were neuer so muche ignorant or despisers of God and all godlinesse whiche baptised vs yet they dyd not baptise vs into the felowshippe of their owne ignorance or sacrilege but into the faith of Iesus Christe because they called not vpon their owne name but the name of God nor baptised vs into any other name Nowe if it were the Baptisme of God it hath verily enclosed in it a promise of the forgeuenesse of sinnes the mortifiyng of the fleshe the spirituall quickning and the partaking of Christ. So it nothing hindered the Iewes to haue ben circumcised of vncleane prestes and apostataes neither was the signe therfore voide that it neded to be done of new but it was sufficient to returne to the naturall beginnyng Where they obiecte that Baptisme ought to be celebrate in the assemblie of the godly that proueth not that that whiche is faultie in parte should destroy the whole force therof For when we teache what oughte to bee doone that Baptisme may be pure and voyde of all defilyng we do not abolyshe the ordinance of God although idolatrers corrupt it For when in olde tyme Circumcision was corrupted with many superstitions yet it ceassed not to be taken for a signe of grace neither did Iosias and Ezechias whē they gathered out of all Israel them that had departed from God calle them to a seconde Circumcision Nowe where as they aske vs what faith of ours hath yet folowed Baptisme in certayne yeares paste that they myghte thereby proue that the Baptisme is voyde whyche is not sanctified vnto vs but by the woorde of promyse receyued by faith to this question we answer that we in dede beyng blynde and vnbeleuyng dyd in a long tyme not holde faste the promise geuen vs in Baptisme yet the promise it selfe for as muche as it was of God continued alway stayed stedfast and true Although all menne bee lyers and faithbreakers yet God cesseth not to bee true although all menne be loste yet Christe remayneth saluation We confesse therefore that Baptisme for that tyme profited vs nothyng at all forasmuche as in it the promyse offered vs without whiche Baptisme is nothyng laye nothyng regarded Nowe sithe by the grace of God we haue begonne to waxe wyser we accuse our owne blyndnesse and hardnesse of hart which haue so long ben vnthankfull to his so great goodnesse But we beleue that the promise it selfe is not vanished away but rather thus we consider God by Baptisme promiseth the forgeuenesse of sinnes and sithe he hath promised it will vndoutedly performe it to all that beleue it That promise was offred vs in Baptisme by faith therfore lett vs embrace it It hath in dede long ben buried from vs because of infidelitie nowe therefore let vs receiue it by faith Wherfore where the Lord calleth the Iewishe people to repentance he geueth them no commaundement of a seconde circumcision whyche beyng as we haue sayd circumcised with a wicked and vngodly hande lyued a certaine tyme entangled with the same wickednesse But he earnestly calleth vppon the onely turnyng of the harte Because howe soeuer the couenant was broken of them yet the signe of the couenant by the ordinance of the Lorde remayned alway stedfast and inuiolable Therefore with the onely condition of repentance they were restored into the couenante whyche the Lord had ones made with them in Circumcision whyche yet beeyng receyued by the hande of a leaguebreaker preste so muche as in them laye they had defiled agayne and the effecte wherof they had quenched But they thynke that they shake a fyery darte at vs when they allege that Paule rebaptised them whiche were ones baptised with the Baptisme of Iohn For if by our owne confession the Baptisme of Iohn was alltogether the same that oures is nowe euen as they hauyng been before peruersely instructed when they were taughte the true Faith they were agayne baptised into it so that Baptisme whiche was without true Doctrine is to be taken for nothyng and we ought to be newely baptised agayne into the true religion wherewith we are nowe firste instructed Some thynke that there was somme wrongfully affectioned manne to Iohn whyche hadde entred them with theyr firste Baptisme rather to a vayne superstition Of whyche thyng they seeme to gather a coniecture hereupon because they confessed themselues to be vtterly ignorant of the Holy ghost wheras Iohn verily woulde neuer haue sente awaie from hymselfe scholars so vntaught But neither is it lykely that the Iewes althoughe they had not ben baptised at all were destitute of all knowlege of the Holy ghost whiche is famouslye spoken of by so many testimonies of the Scripture Where as therefore they answere that they knowe not whether there be a Holy ghoste it is to be vnderstanded as if they had sayde that they haue not yet hearde whether the graces of the Spirite of whiche Paule asked them were geuen to the Disciples of Christe But I graunt that that was the true Baptisme of Iohn and all one and the selfe same with the Baptisme of Christ but I deny that they wer baptised agayne What then meane these woordes they were baptised in the name of Iesus Some doo expound it that they were but instructed of Paule with true Doctrine But I hadde rather vnderstande it more symply to be the Baptisme of the Holy ghoste that is to saye that the visible graces of the Spirite were geuen them by the layeng on of handes whyche to be expressed by the name of Baptisme is no newe thyng As on the daye of Pentecoste it is sayde that the Apostles remembred the wordes of the Lorde concernyng the Baptisme of fyer and of the Spirite And Peter sayth that the same came to his remembrance when he saw those graces poured out vpon Cornelius and his household and kinred Neither is that cōtrarie which is after adioyned When he had layd his handes on them the Holy ghost came down vpō them For Luke doth not tell of twoo diuerse thinges but foloweth the maner of telling commonly vsed among the Hebrues which doe fyrste propounde the summe of the mater and then do set it out more at large Whiche euery man may perceiue by the very framing together of the woordes For he sayth When they had heard these thinges they were Baptised in the name of Iesus And when Paul had layed his handes vpon them the Holy ghoste came down vpon them In this later sentence is described what maner of Baptisme that was If ignorance do so corrupt a former Baptisme that it must be amended with a seconde Baptisme the Apostles should haue ben rebaptised first of al whiche in whole three yeres after their Baptisme had scarcely tasted any small parcel of purer doctrine And now among vs what riuers might suffice to renew so many washinges as there be ignorances by the mercy of the Lord daily amended in vs The force dignitie profit and ende of the mysterie if I be not deceiued ought
publishers of the Gospell and ministers of Baptisme and none as the Apostle witnesseth doth take honor vpon himselfe in the Chirch but he that is called as Aaron whosoeuer without lawfull calling Baptiseth he rusheth into an other mans office Euen in the smallest thinges as in meate and drinke whatsoeuer we enterprise with a doutefull consience Paule openly cryeth out to be synne Therefore in womens Baptising is much more greuously synne where it is euident that they breake the rule appointed by Christ forasmuche as we know that it is vnlawfull to plucke in sonder those thinges that God conioyneth But al thys I passe ouer Only I would haue the reders to note that Sephoraes purpose was nothing lesse than to doe any seruice to God Seing her sonne to be in danger she grudged and murmured and not withoute stomachyng threwe the foreskinne vppon the grounde she so taunted her husbande that she was also angrye with God Fynally it is plaine that all this came of a furiousnesse of mynde because she murmured against God and her husbande for that she was compelled to shed the blood of her sonne Moreouer if she had in all other thinges behaued her selfe well yet herein is an vnexcusable rashe presumption that she circumcised her sonne her husbande being presente not any priuate manne but Moses the principall Prophete of God than whome there neuer rose any greater in Israell which was no more lawfull for her to doe than at thys day it is for women in the syghte of the Bishoppe But this controuersie shal by and by be easily taken away by this principle that infantes are not debarred from the kingdome of heauen whome it happeneth to departe out of this present life before that it be graunted them to be dipped in water But it is already proued that no small wrong is done to the couenant of God if we doe not rest in it as though it were weake of it selfe wheras the effect therof hangeth neither vpon Baptisme nor vpō any additiōs There is afterward added to it a Sacrament like a seale not that it bringeth effectualnesse to the promise of God as to a thing weake of it self but only cōfirmeth it to vs. Wherupon foloweth that the children of the faithfull are not therefore Baptised that they may then first be made the children of God which before were strangers from the Chirch but rather that they be therfore receiued by a solemne signe into the Chirch because by the benefite of the promise they did already belong to the body of Christ. Therefore if in omitting the signe there be neither slouthfulnesse nor contempte nor negligence we are free from all danger It is therefore muche more holy to geue this reuerence to the ordinance of God that we seke Sacramentes from no where ells than where the Lorde hath lefte them When we may not haue them of the Chirch the grace of God is not so bounde to them but that we may obteine them by Faith out of the worde of the Lorde ¶ The .xvi. Chapter That the Baptisme of infantes doth very well agree with the institution of Christ and the nature of the signe BUt forasmuch as in this age certaine phrentike Spirites haue raised vp sore troubles in the Chirch for the Baptisme of infantes and doe not yet cesse to turmoyle I can not choose but I must ioyne here an addition to restrain their furiousnesse If paraduenture it shal seme to some man to be very much to long let him I beseche him weye with himselfe that we oughte so much to esteme the purenesse of doctrine in a most great mater together with the peace of the Chirch that nothing ought to be lothesomly receiued which may auaile to procure them bothe Beside that I so study to frame thys discourse that it shall be of no smal importance to the clerer declaration of the mysterie of Baptisme They assaile the Baptisme of infantes with an argument in dede fauourable in shewe sayeng that it is grounded vpon no institution of Christ but that it was brought in onely by the boldnesse of men and peruerse curiousnesse and then afterwarde with fonde easinesse rashly receyued in vse For a Sacrament vnlesse it rest vpon a certaine fundation of the worde of God hangeth but by a thred But what if when the mater is well considered it shall appeare that the Lordes holy ordinance is falsely and vniustly charged with such a sclaunder Lett vs therefore searche out the first beginning of it And if it shall appeare that it was deuised by the only rashnesse of men then bydding it farewell lett vs measure the true obseruation of Baptisme by the onely will of God But if it shal be proued that it is not destitute of his certaine authoritie we must beware least in pinching the holy ordinances of God we be also sclaunderous against the author himselfe First it is a doctrine well enough knowen and confessed among all the godly that the right consideration of the signes consisteth not onely in the outward Ceremonies but principally hangeth vpon the promise and vppon the spirituall mysteries for figuring where of the Lorde ordeineth the Ceremonies themselues Therefore he that will perfectly learne of what value Baptisme is to what end it tendeth finally what it is let him not stay his thought vpon the elemente and bodily syghte but rather let him raise it vp to the promises of God which are therein offred vs and to the inwarde secretes whiche are therein represented vnto vs. He that knoweth these thinges hath atteined the sound truth of Baptisme and the whole substance therof as I may so call it and thereby also he shal be taught what is the reson and what is the vse of the outwarde sprinkling Againe he that contemptuously passing ouer these shall haue his minde wholly fastened and bounde to the visible Ceremonie shall vnderstande neither the force nor propertie of Baptisme nor yet so much as thys what the water meaneth or what vse it hath Which sentence is proued with so many and so cleare testimonies of Scripture that we nede not at thys present to tarry long aboute it Therefore it remaineth now that we seke out of the promises geuen in Baptisme what is the force and nature of it The Scripture sheweth that the clensing of synnes which we obteyne of the blood of Christ is here first shewed then the mortifieng of the flesh which standeth vpon the partaking of hys death by which the faithfull are regenerate into newnesse of life yea and into the felowship of Christ. To this summe may be referred whatsoeuer is taughte in the Scriptures concernyng Baptisme sauing that beside thys it is a sygne to testifie religion before men But forasmuche as before the institution of Baptisme the people of God had circumcision in stede therof let vs se what these twoo sygnes differ the one from the other and with what lykenesse they agree together Whereupon may appeare what is the relation of the one
But what did the Apostles Luke reporteth in the Actes that the Apostles which were at Hierusalem when they hearde that Samaria hadde receiued the worde of God sent thether Peter and Iohn they prayed for the Samaritans that they might receiue the Holy ghost which was not yet come into any of them but they were baptized onely in the name of Iesus when they had prayed they laied their hands vpoÌ„ them by which layeng on the Samaritanes receiued the Holy ghost And of this laieng on of hands he diuerse tymes maketh mentioÌ„ I heare what the Apostles did that is they faithfully executed their ministrie The Lord willed that those visible and wonderfull graces of the Holy ghost which he then poured out vpon his people shold be ministred and distributed of his Apostles by the laieng on of handes But vnder this laieng on of hands I thinke there was not conteined any hier mysterie but I expound it that they adioyned such a ceremonie that by the very outeward doyng they mighte signifie that they commended and as it were offred to God him vpon whome they laid their handes If this ministerie which the Apostles then executed were yet stil remaining in the Chirch the layeng on of handes also ought to be kept But sins that same grace hath cessed to be geuen whereto serueth the laieng on of handes Truelye the Holy ghost is yet present with the people of God without whom being guider directer the Chirch of God can not stande For we haue the eternal promise and which shal euer stande in force by which Christ calleth to him self them that thirst that they may drinke liuing waters But those miracles of powers and manifest workinges which were distributed by the layeng on of handes haue ceassed neither behoued it that they should be but for a time For it behoued that the preaching of the Gospell while it was new should be gloriously set fourth and magnified with vnheard of and vnwonted miracles From which when the Lord cessed he did not by and by forsake his Chirch but taught that the royaltie of his kingdome and the dignitie of his word was excellentlye enough disclosed In what point therfore wil these stageplaiers say that they follow the Apostles They shoulde haue done it with layeng on of handes that the euident power of the Holy ghost might by and by shew forth it self Thys they bring not to passe why therfore do they bost that the laieng on of haÌ„des maketh for them which we rede in dede that the Apostles vsed but altogether to an other ende This hath like reason as if a man shoulde teache that that breathing wherewith the Lord breathed vpoÌ„ his disciples is a Sacrament wherby the Holy ghost is geuen But whereas the Lord did this ones he did not also will that we should do the same After the same maner also the Apostles layed on their handes during the time that it pleased the lord that the visible graces of the Holy ghoste shoulde bee distributed at their praiers not that they which come after shold only playerlike and without the thing in dede couÌ„terfait an empty cold signe as these apes do But if they proue that in layeng on of handes they folow the Apostles wherein they haue no like thing with the Apostles sauing I wote not what ouerthwart wrongfull counterfaiting yet whense cometh their oyle which they call the oile of saluatioÌ„ Who taught them to seke saluatioÌ„ in oyle Who taught them to geue to it the power of strengthning Did Paule which draweth vs far away from the elements of this world whiche condemneth nothing more than the sticking to suche pety obseruations But this I boldly pronounce not of my selfe but from the Lorde Whoso call oyle the oyle of saluation they forsweare the saluation whiche is in Christ they denye Christ they haue no part in the kingdome of God For oyle is for the belly and the belly for oyle the Lorde shall destroy bothe For all these weake elementes whiche decay with very vse belong nothing to the kyngdome of God which is spiritual and shal neuer decay What then wil some men say do you measure with the same measure the water wherewith we be baptyzed and the bread and wine vnder which the Supper of the Lord is geuen I answere that in Sacramentes geuen of God twoo thinges are to bee loked vnto the substaÌ„ce of the bodily thing which is set before vs and the forme that is by the worde of God printed in it wherin lyeth the whole strength In respect therfore that the bread wine and water that are in the SacrameÌ„tes offred to our sight do kepe their owne substance this saieng of Paul alway hath place â–ª Meate for belly and the bellye for meates God shall destroy them both For they passe and vanish away with the fashioÌ„ of this world But in respect that they be sanctified by the word of God that they may be Sacramentes they do not hold vs in the flesh but doo truely and spiritually teache vs. But let vs yet more nerely loke into it how many monsters this fat liquor fostreth and fedeth These anoynters saye that the Holy ghost is geuen in Baptisme to innocence in ConfirmatioÌ„ to encrease of grace that in Baptisme we are new begotten into life in confirmation we ar prepared to battell And they are so paste shame that they deny that Baptisme can well bee doone without confirmation O wickednesse Are we not therfore in Baptisme buried together wyth Christ being made partakers of hys death that we maye bee also parteners of hys resurrection But thys felowship wyth the death and life of Christ Paule expoundeth to be the mortifieng of our flesh and quickning of our spirite for that our olde man is crucified that we may walk in newnesse of life What is to be armed to battel if this be not If they compâ—ed it a matter of nothing to trede vnder feete the word of God why did they not yet at least reuereÌ„ce the Chirch to whom they wil in euery point seme so obedient But what can be brought forth more stroÌ„g against their doctrine thaÌ„ that decree of the Mileuitane councel Whoso sayeth that Baptisme is geuen onely for forgeuenesse of sinnes and not for a helpe of grace to come accursed be he But whereas Luke in the place which we haue alleged sayth that they were baptised in the name of Iesus Christe which had not receiued the Holy ghost he dothe not simply denie that they wer endued with any gift of the Holy ghost which beleued in Christ with hart and confessed him with mouth but meaneth of that receiuing of the Holy ghost wherby the open powers and visible graces were receiued So is it sayd that the Apostles receiued the Spirite on the day of Pentecost wheras it had ben long before sayd vnto them of Christ It is not you that speake but the Spirit of my Father which speaketh in you Beholde
prate that in confirmation is geuen a greater encrease of vertues than in Baptisme By the laying on of handes the Apostles distributed the visible graces of the Spirit In what thing do these mens fat liquor shewe it selfe fruiteful But away with these qualifiers that couer one sacrilege with many sacrileges It is like the Gordian whiche it is better to breake in sonder than to labor so much in vndoing it But now when they see themselues destitute of the word of God and probable reason they pretend as they are wont that it is a most auncient obseruation and stablished by consent of many ages Although that were true yet they wynne nothing thereby A Sacrament is not from the earthe but from heauen not from men but from God alone They must proue God to be the authour of their confirmation if they wil haue it taken for a Sacrament But why do they obiect antiquitie whereas the olde writers when they mynde to speake properly doo no where recken moe Sacramentes than twoo If a fortresse of our faith were to be sought from men we haue an inuincible tower that the old Fathers neuer acknowleged those for Sacramentes which these men do lyengly faine to be Sacramentes The olde writers speake of the laying on of handes but do they cal it a Sacrament Augustine plainly affirmeth that it is no other thing than praier Neither let them here bark against me with their stinking distinctions that Augustine meante that not of the layeng on of handes vsed to confirmation but whiche was vsed to healing or reconciliation The boke remaineth and is abrode in the hādes of mē If I wrest it to any other sense than Augustine himself wrot it I giue them leaue after their ordinarie maner to oppresse me not onlye with rayling but also with spitting at me For he speaketh of thē that returned from Schisme to the vnitie of the Chirch He denieth that thei neded to be newlye baptized for he sayth that the layeng on of handes sufficeth that by the bonde of peace the Lord maye geue them the Holye ghost But for asmuche as it might seeme an absurditie that the layeng on of handes should be done of new rather than Baptisme he sheweth a difference For sayth he what other thing is the layeng of handes than prayer vpon a mā And that this is his meaning appeareth by an other place where he sayeth Hande is layed vpon heretikes amended for the coupling of Charitie which is the greatest gifte of the Holy ghost withoute whiche whatsoeuer holye thynges are in mann they a uayle not to saluation But I would to God we did kepe still the maner whiche I haue said to haue been in the old tyme before that this vntimely deliuered image of a Sacramēt was borne not that it should be such a confirmatiō as they faine which can not ones be named without iniurie to Baptisme but a catechizyng whereby children or they that were nere to the age of discretion didde declare an accompt of their faith before the Chirch But it should bee the beste manner of Catechizing if a forme were written to that vse conteinyng and familiarly setting oute a summe in a maner of al the articles of our religion in which the whole Chirch of the faithful ought without controuersie to agree that a chylde beyng ten yeres olde shoulde offer himselfe to the Chirch to declare a confession of his faithe should be examined of euery article and answer to euery one if he were ignorant of any thing or did not vnderstande it he might be taught So shoulde he before the Chirche witnessing and beholding it professe the onely true and pure faithe wherewith the people of the faithfull dothe with one minde worship the one God If this discipline were at this day in force truly the slouthfulnesse of some parentes would be whetted who do carelesly neglect instruction of their children as a thing nothing belonging to them whiche then withoute open shame they could not omitte there should be among christian people a greater consent of faith and not so great ignorance and rudenesse of many some should not bee so rashly carried away with new and strāge doctrines finally all should haue as it were a certayne orderly instruction of christian learning Of Penance In the next place they set Penance of which they entreate so confusely and disordredly that consciences can beare away no sure or sounde thing of their doctrine We haue alreadye in an other place declared at large what we had learned out of the Scriptures concerning repentance and then what they also teache of it Now we haue this onely to touch what reason they had that raised vp the opinion which hath heretofore reigned in Chirches and schooles that it is a Sacramente But first I will brefely saye somwhat of the vsage of the olde Chirche the pretense whereof they haue abused to stablishe their fayned inuention This order they kepte in publike penance that they whiche had fully done the satisfactions enioyned them were reconciled with solemne laying on of handes That was the Signe of absolution whereby both the sinner him selfe was raised vp before God with truste of pardon and the Chirch was admonished gently to receyue him into fauor putting awaye the remembrance of his offence This Cyprian oftentimes calleth to geue peace That this doing mighte bee of greater dignitie and haue more commendation among the people it was ordeined that the Bishops authoritie shold alway be vsed for the meane herein Frō hense came that decree of the secōd councel at Carthage Be it not lawful to a prest at the Masse publikely to recōcile a penitēt And an other decree of the coūcel at Arausiū Let those which in time of their penāce departout of this life be admitted to the Cōmuniō wtout the laieng on of hādes vsed in recōciling if they recouer of their sicknesse let them stand in the degree of penitētes whē the time is fully expired let them receiue of the Bishop the laiēg on of handes vsed in recōciling Againe the decree of the thirde councel at Carthage Let not the prest without the authoritie of the Bishop recōcile a penitent All these tēded to this end that the seueritie which they woulde haue to be vsed in the behalf should not with to much lenitie grow in decay Therfore they willed the Bishop to be iudge of it which was likely that he would be more circūspect in the examinatiō thereof Howbeit Cyprian in a certaine place sheweth that not only the Bishop but also the whole Clergie layed their handes on him For thus he sayth At the ful tyme they do penance then they come to the Communion and by the layeng on of handes of the Bishop and the clergie they receiue power to partake of the Communion Afterwarde by processe of tyme it came to this poynt that beside publike penance they vsed this ceremonie also in priuate absolutions Hereupon came that distinction
that Baptisme is nothing ells but a marke and token wherby we professe our religion before men as soldiars beare the conufance of their capitaine for a marke of their profession wey not that which was the chefe thing in Baptisme That is this that we shoulde receiue it with this promise that whosoeuer beleue and are Baptised shal be saued In this sense is that to be vnderstode which Paule writeth that the Chirch is sanctified of Christ her spouse and cleansed with washing of water in the worde of lyfe And in an other place that we are saued according to his mercy by the washing of regeneration and of the renewing of the Holy ghost And that which Peter writeth that Baptisme saueth vs. For Paules will was not to signifie that our washing and saluation is perfectly made by water or that water conteyneth in it self the power of cleanse regenerate and renew Neither did Peter meane the cause of saluation but only the knowlege certaintie of such giftes to be receiued in this Sacrament which is euidently enough expressed in the wordes themselues For Paul knitteth together the word of lyfe Baptisme of water as if he had sayd that by the Gospel the message of washing sanctifieng is brought vs that by Baptisme such message is sealed And Peter immediatly adioyneth that that Baptisme is not the putting away of the filthinesse of the flesh but a good cōscience before God which is of Fayth Yea Baptisme promiseth vs no other cleansing but by the sprinkling of the blood of Christ which is figured by water for the lykenesse of cleansing washing Who therefore can say that we be cleansed by thys water which certainly testifieth that the blood of Christ is oure true onely washing So that frō no where ells can be fetched a surer reason to confute their blinde error which referr al thinges to the power of the water thā from the signification of Baptisme it selfe which doth withdraw vs as wel from that visible element which is set before oure eies as from all other meanes that it may bynde our mindes to Christ alone Neither is it to be thought that Baptisme is applied only to the time past that for new fallinges into whiche we fall backe after Baptisme we must seke new remedies of clensing in I wote not what other Sacramentes as thoughe the force of Baptisme were worne out of vse By this error it came to passe in old time that some would not be Baptised but in the vttermost peril of life and at their laste gaspinges that so they might obteine pardon of their whole life Against whiche waywarde suttle prouision the olde Bishops so oft inuey in their writinges But thus we ought to thinke that at what time soeuer we be Baptised we are at ones washed and cleansed for al our life Therfore so ofte as we fal we must goe backe to the remembrance of Baptisme and therewith we must arme our minde that it may be alway certaine and assured of the forgeuenesse of sinnes For though when it is ones ministred it semeth to be past yet by later sinnes it is not abolished For the cleannesse of Christ is therin offred vs that alway florisheth is oppressed with no spottes but ouerwhelmeth wypeth away al our filthinesse yet oughte we not to take therof a libertie to sinne in tyme to come as verily we be not hereby armed to such boldnesse but this doctrine is geuen onely to them which when they haue sinned doe grone weryed and oppressed vnder their sinnes that they may haue wherwith thei may raise vp and comfort themselues least they should fal into confusion and desperatiō So Paule sayth that Christ was made to vs a propitiator vnto the forgeuenesse of faultes going before Wherin he denieth not that therin is obteined perpetual continual forgeuenesse of sinnes euē vnto death but he meaneth that it was geuē of the Father onely to poore synners which wounded with the searing iron of conscience to sighe to the Phisitian To these the mercy of God is offred They whiche by escaping of punishment do hunt for mater and libertie to sinne dooe nothing but prouoke to themselues the wrath and iugement of God I knowe in dede that it is commonly thought otherwise that by the benefite of repentance and of the keyes we do after Baptisme obteine forgeuenesse which at our first regeneration is geuen vs by only Baptisme But they which deuise this do erre herin that they do not remember that the power of the keyes wherof they speake doth so hang vpon Baptisme that it ought in no wise to be seuered The sinner receiueth forgeuenesse by the ministerie of the Chirch namely not without the preaching of the Gospell But what maner of preaching is that That we be cleansed from sinnes by the blood of Christ. But what signe and testimonie is there of that washing but Baptisme We se therfore how that absolution is referred to Baptisme And this error hath bredde vs the fayned Sacrament of Penance of which I haue touched somwhat before and the residue I wil make an ende of in place fit for it But it is no maruell if men which according to the grossenesse of their witt were immeasurably fast tyed to outwarde thynges haue in this behalfe also bewrayed that faulte that not contented with the pure institution of God they did thrust in newe helpes fayned of themselues As thoughe Baptisme it selfe were not a Sacrament of repentance But if repentance be commended to vs for our whole life the force also of Baptisme ought to be extended to the same boundes Wherfore it is also no doute but that all the godly throughout all their life long so oft as they be vexed with knowlege in conscience of their owne sinnes dare calle backe themselues to the remēbrance of Baptisme that therby they may confirme themselues in the affiance of that onely and continuall washing which we haue in the blood of Christ. It bringeth also an other fruit because it sheweth vs our mortificatiō in Christ and new life in hym For as the Apostle saith we are baptised into his death beyng buried together with hym into death that we may walke in newnesse of life By whiche wordes he doth not only exhort vs to the folowyng of hym as though he did saye that we are by Baptisme put in mynde that after a certaine example of the deathe of Christ we should die to our lustes and after the example of his resurrection we shold be raised vp to righteousnesse but he fetcheth the mater muche deper that is to say that by Baptisme Christ hath made vs partakers of his death that we may be graffed into it And as the graffe receiueth substāce and nourishmēt of the roote into which it is graffed so they that receiue Baptisme with such faith as thei ought do truly fele the effectualnesse of the death of Christ in the mortifiyng of their flesh and therwithall