vis ad vitam ingredi Si. vis perfectus esse c. he wold haue lerned you a truer lesson or if ye had lerned the promyses precepts contained in siche speches and consydered the proper cause with hir effect ye shuld haue sene the vnbeleif of the yonge scoler of the phariseis iÌ„ the promised perfeccion offred him of Christe to haue ben the cause of his departure and to not fulfill the precepte of sellinge his good and to geue it to the pore as is the beleif of the entrie into lyfe promised in these wordes If thou wilt entre into lyfe the cause why man endeuoureth him to the keping of y e commandements And yet is it god y t worketh bothe thought wyl and endeuour in vs to kepe them which when god commandeth vs to aske of him to kepe his preceptis ye se it not to be in our powr to fulfill them wherefore ye be to haasty so fyercely to run vpon me with so many excecracions and fulminacions out of hieroms mouthe for sayinge the trwth with Chryste and Paul that is The lawe to be impossible to man whiche your self haue herto before said and affirmed the same spekinge of mans imperfection and imfirmities sainge that the yok of the lawe is impossible to be borne of man Read Austen for this mater and conferre them to gither w t iugement as he wold haue al menis writings to be iuged tryed by y e scriptures the sciptures to be red with faith epist. lxxxix cc.xcv.li de coâ—rept gratia in psal lxx .cxviii. concio xxvii Ambro. ca. i. de lac uita bea ca. vi Aug. ad ualenti God coÌ„mandeth things impossible to vs that we might know what wâ— ought of him to akskeÌ„ As ye expowned my sayinges so haue ye expowned scripture onely as ye wold haue it or as ye gesse at it withoute any consideracion how one exposicion agrethe with another ye be lyke your self iÌ„ peruersitie thorowly c. My confutacion your declaracion be ioined together in one boke let the lerned Christen reders iuge bothe our exposicions and in this boke to if ye dare permitte it to be sene But in this peece ye triumphe ouer me ayen ere ye haue goten the victory as thoughe ye had me now vnder your fete But yet I stande haue you in my daunger to declare your ignorant blyndnes blynde ignorance how vnlernedly impertinently and peruersely ye alledge y e scriptures for your popissh doctryne as euery reader shal see here aftir When I had proued to barnes that it was vnaduysedly said of him that man might not do well by goddis grace before iustificacion I did first inproue that fond saing wherby he confounded y â— order of iustificacion And when I had declared that as I haue before touched then I told him how it folowed also that by the gift of god maÌ„ might do good towards thatainement of iustificacion How truely ye reporte of doctour Barnes I know not But and if ye had no nother probacion then of the good worke of your gentil idolatar going to heare a sermon it was but fonde and feble as I haue iustely before coÌ„futed it And here agen I say That as god geueth his sonne to shyne both vpon the faithfull and infideles and geueth them both forme beutye and riches so geueth he them of his common and general influence and grace as well to the turkes as to the christianes victories faier wether corne catell to moue to lyue yea and to kepe their promises faithfully in contractes and confederacions and lyue in a ciuile morall iustice as men saye that knowe them more iustely and faithfullyer theÌ„ some baptized with water Thei be merciful in helpinge eche other with almose thei faste c. But before god in any good work of faith in Chryst thei haue not to reioyse of which good works christeÌ„ meÌ„ ought to treate teache and proue their partes and not as ye do of the turkes iewes faithles good works before men onely How proue ye that the turke may do well to thatainement of iustificacion when he neuer entendeth to knowne beleue in Christe to be God and man his sauior ne to be iustifyed by his passion but only by the good works of Mahumets lawe as ye by y e good workis of the popis lawe by which your good dedis nether thei ne you shal euer be iustified Where vnto herken a litle here how wysely ye speke in your iustificacion by onely faith This I aske who beleueth god or man I think ye wil say man by gods gift and so god geueth the gift of faith man receiueth it Do not here concurre in two workis god and man which lye bothe in one bedde be kouered with one kouerled to thacomplesshment of iustificacion And is god so ielouse then that he will not haue it spoken when he worketh and man also worketh with him by his gift helpe Be not we called cooperatores dei in scripture â— c. But herken you agen and behold here your iugglyng castes ye aske who beleueth god or man If ye had asked who beleueth his remission of his sinnes in christ I wold aunswer you y e iustified man or els I know the deuil beleueth and the turke to so absolutely as ye speake it but to speake of the true beleif into christe who so beleueth he is alredy in the same worke of beleif iustified And thus ye come to late to proue this man to do any good worke before he be iustified or any concurrant work with god to the same effecte For the very selfe same dede of beleif into christ iustifieng him is his iustification wrought of god in the beleuer in christ not of y e beleuer I se well enough your fallace in iuggling w t a truncate beleif omitting christ into whom y â— accion tendeth in the iustificacion al to forme your informe faith and material beleif I see also howe sleithely ye slip out from the iâ—uisible worke of iustificacyon into the outwarde offyce of mens prechyng called in that ministracion cooperatores dei the instrumentes of god in plantinge and wateringe god geuinge thencreace as Paule declareth them Can ye conueye no clenlier god and man into one bed I tolde ye before ye shulde finde the couerled to skant as Isaye saith to couer theÌ„ both in this one accioÌ„ of iustificatioÌ„ For to beleue in christ is not the worke of man but of god in man as christ telleth you And if ye aske who receiueth faith into y e maÌ„s hert so to beleue in christ I answer with Paul non ego sed gratia dei in me not I but y e spirit grace of god in me and not the man by yours and pelagiaÌ„s fre choce as ye he techeth like false heretikes enmies to grace For y e geuer of faith grace taketh away first the
edification and profit of his bodye and membres whiche so doynge we be seruauntes faithfull and profitable for him and to other as the scripture calleth vs and thus we sanctifye and celebrate and magnifye his holye name as he commaundeth it Then ye chopin this text of zachary Vtsine timore c. To proue your merits to deserue deliueraunce from our enemyes and so to lyue and serue him in holynes and well doynge But ye sleyghtly leaue out hym by whose merits we be thus delyuered Ye shulde haue redde the verses before and then ye shulde haue seene that GOD the father hadde erected oure myghty helthe euen christ that by hym and his power and merites we delyuered from oure enemies myghte serue hym withoute feare in holy lyuynge But suche peces ye can omytte as impertinente to youre euyll purpose And these be the hatchets ye bringe in to open your lewde lockes And after this sorte thei vse predestinacion which being signified to vs for our counforte do declare what care god hathe of vs whereby we shulde be the more encouraged to worke hauynge god to oure helpe c. Why then in your boke of necessarie enstruccions commande ye the people to beware of predestinacion and not to medle therwith leste they fall into any vayne trust in it these be your wordes and teache that no man shulde be sewer therof ne of his election Nowe ye saye it is writen for oure counforte and anon ye feare men from it nowe it is a vaine trust and then it is a counfortable adsewraunce and anon ye put all men in dout therof and of their election in Christe makinge faith no faith but a waueringe doute ne gods promise of no effecte So inconstant and waueringe is youre doctrine Whiche predestinacion ye saye we vse it as your hatchet to open lockes And I say your selfe vse it as a nose of waxe against the fier But now I returne to you maister Ioye Ioye And I to you my lorde And where ye appose me whether when I considered theffecte of christes passion I beleued it or no I professe I beleued Then ye aske whether I beleued it to be effectuall to me To this I aunswere you That first I beleued it was and is effectual to me in my baptisme wherein I obtained remission of my synnes and renouacion of lyfe I perceiue ye lete great skorne to be apposed of me But yet I wolde ye aunswered me directely to my question For I asked you whether now seen your baptisme when ye taughte your scolers this conclusion then beinge a synner as euery mā is whē ye firste considered your sinnes in your self and loked vpon your effect that is remission in christes passion whether then I saye ere ye loked to any other condicion thē vpon onely faith whiche is your fyrste condicion ye beleued Christes passion to be effectuouse to you or not If ye dydde so muste ye neades be iustified by only faith by no other cōdiciō which ye must nedis graunt magry your tethe For as ye beleue accordīg to gods promise so must it infallibly cōe to you But in your answer fearing lest ye shuld be iustified by faith only ye shift frō this tyme to your baptism wher ye wold couple your faith diuided part to christ parte to your baptysme by bothe to gither to be iustifyed as though not faith only in christe ne christes deathe were sufficient But I wil stoppe ye in from that stertinge hole therby not so to escape And muste by your leaue appose ye yet agen aske you whether before your body was doped into the fonte with the wordis of baptisme ye beleued or no. If ye saye no so make ye your godfathers and god mother lyers and your selfe to which all affirmed in your person Credo I beleue or els the preist had chrystened an infidele For the order of Christis doctrine is y t the doctrine and profession shulde go before the baptisme as ye see it bothe in infantes and waxen If one shuld come to you to be baptized ye wold first enstructe him in our faith and heare him openly professe it ere ye put him into the water as chryste taught and commanded his apostles to do sayinge Go and teache all nacions my gospell and whatsoeuer els I haue taught you them that beleue baptize into the name of the father and c. This order obserued the apostles in their actes first preachinge y e lawe to shew them their sinnes and then the gospell of remissiō in christ whiche thinge beleued the hearers be iustifyed before god regenered of the spirit of faith therby obsigned and sealed certifyed of their eleccion in christe And then is the exterior obsignacion of baptisme with water the testificaciō to the chirche added to certifye them the same persone to haue had receyued y e spirit of faith and to be regenered before of god so that as circumcision was to the Iewes chirch signaculum iusticie fidei that is the exterior seal testimoniall of the iustification by faith lo is baptisme with water the exterior seal testifienge to vs that the baptized is iustified also by faith and certifieth the congregacion as a testification of the beneuolence of God towarde the baptized and of his spiritual giftes receiued For the water saith Austen is but an elemente and nothing withoute the worde of promise whiche is the worde of faith iustifienge before the persone be baptized Baptizme with water therfore is the testificacion and seal certifyenge the hole congregation of his incorporation and member of christes chirch to be admitted into their societe to praye to heare the worde with them and to receiue the lordes supper Besides that baptisme in figure is y e perpetuall custodi of y e christen life by mortificaciō repētaūce signified by the dopinge into the water in the death and burial of christe and his resurrection vs to ryse vp continually into a new lyfe as Paul teacheth vs. Rom. vi Thus did Philip first enstruct the queens courtyer of Candace and then asked him whether he beleued with al his hert that is constantly and purelye before he wold baptise him And Paule and Silas obserued the same order with the keper of the presone when the keper beinge in a desperate mynde for feare they had ben fled wolde haue slaine him selfe but otherwise aduertised by Paule he comen to hym selfe saide Maysters what must I do to be saued whiche aunswered Beleue into the LORDE Iesu and thou with all thy house shalte be saued After whiche beleife they were baptized This is sufficient to declare the vse of oure baptisme with water that we be iustifyed by faith only before it ere we can repent frutfully thus is al your popish trysh trash contayned in your other second condicion cleane wypt awaye frō thatainment of iustificacion And if ye haue any workes els in your condicion
to vs all remission vppon this onelye condicion that we beleue in Christ and not vpon your condicion of works as I haue iustly by scriptures hytherto proued it Nether therfore folowth it That then with out any endeuer almen shuld haue it Is not faith an harde condicion think ye Shal euery maÌ„ beleue in Christe when he lestethe and haue faith when he wil without the sharp assawtis of hir contrarie enimies as of infidelite desperation sin deuil and dubitacion shal euery man haue it encreased at his idle pleasyre loke vpon Abrahams faith so sore tempted vppon Iob Dauyd and of his that saide lorde I beleue but help my vnbeleif and loke vpon the apostles faith tempted vpoÌ„ the seas and in other places Faith is a rare and mighty gifte geuen not without the merits and intercession of our sauior Christ. And if euer ye shal fele y e batails of sin death hel the deuil the iugement of god and desperacion preassinge agenst the spirit of faith in you and wrestlinge with your spirit and litle faith to dryue you in to vnbeleif and dubitacion of forgeuenes desperacion whilis ye beholde your sinnes only in the lawe in your own conscience and iugemeÌ„t of god your aduersary accusing you not in the death of chryst with a constant and manly saith in him but to be brought into this desperat state to see your self wetingly and willingly of a set malice to haue resisted and thrusted the worde of saluacion from you when it was so benignely offred you to haue closed vp your eyes agenst the light to persecute the gospel to wryte and speke ayenst it to impugne y e trwthe and with your dampnable doctryne to haue seduced so many soulis into hell and with your false enstruccioÌ„s to bringe many into damnable errours and with your cruel vngodly actis and articles to be the autor of somiche innocent bloudshedinge w t infinite moo accusacions ayenste you ye shal fele them to be to laboriouse and hard an endeuer and harder a fre choise of you to assent with your faith to breke thorow and smit of and auoid all these heuye accusacions If this shal be so hard and heuey a batail ayenste the trwe faith loke neuer then that your false faith with your fre choise and assent to it when ye list shal stand sustain and abyde it ye shal fynde it no smal endeuor ne lyght batail to hold faste your faith in Christ if ye hade it as litle as the mustard sede Many an holy man felinge this stryff temptacion haue cryed Lorde geue me faith lorde encreace my faithe Lord strengthen my faith for christis â—ake lord lede me not into this temptacioÌ„ If ye had red the psalmes with faith and the story of Iob and trwly vnderstode them ye shulde haue sene how iuste menis faith hath ben tempted tried and ouerthrowen and how thei be first slayne ere thei be quikened in spirit first drouen down into hell ere thei be reduced into heuen first to tast of desperacion damnacion ere they tast of any strong faith and saluacion This is y e souldyers lyfe and Hercules labor by faith to fele remission and saluacioÌ„ assiewred vs in oure soulis and not so easye a pleasant passetyme as ye yet dreamâ— in your idle worldly welthines anâ— sinful securite Trewe faithe is nâ— idle assent ne acquisite qualite as yâ— list to haue it with your dremed endeuor But as y e course of y e wynd is not knowne so know ye not yet what faith is as your bok is playnly shewe your ignorance But here I omitte y e accusacion brought ayenst you for not doinge your pastorall office accordinge to godis vocacioÌ„ and lyke the successour of any one of the apostles in whiche office if any one of your floke be founde to haue perished for want of the very fode of godis worde purely faithfully and frely not preched of you his bloude shal be required at your haÌ„dis Now say on We muste take godes benefit as it is offered and not as we wold haue it ye saye trw For the benefit of our remission and saluacion is euerye wher offred vs in the scripture For our faith into christ and not as ye wolde haue it for the fulfillinge of your condicioÌ„s shewinge your selfe therin to be wiser then god and to inuent a nother and better way as ye beleue to heauen then by Christe as god hath decreed and ordined ye wolde belyke sette god to scole as ye did take vpon you to teache doctour Barnes better lerned then you Ergo by the gift of god I may do wel before I am iustified your handlynge of this my conclusion declareth plaine that ye vnderstande not what ye saye For ye â—ondely improue a conclusion that mighte stande and be true Ioy. yea after your truth with your â—onde paradox of onelye faith iustifieth onlesse in teachiÌ„g ye wil so haÌ„dle y e mater as Barnes dyd Thaia man is iustified before he beleueth For if beleue goth before iustificacion as a cause dothe theffect then seinge in scripture beleif is called a dede and procedinge from the gift of god must nedes be a good dede it foloweth necessarely ergo I may by gods gift do a good dede before I am iustified A wise argument lo as though to beleue in Christ were the dede of maÌ„ not as christ affirmeth it the work of god Ioa. vi saieng This is the work of god y t ye beleue in him whoÌ„ he hath sent ye shall know that by y e handlyng of your conclusion I vnderstand it better then ye wetesaffe haue iustly confuted it in my former boke as euery reder may se it your self know it if arrogaÌ„ce malice had not blyndned you to not se faith in christ iustifieng to be y e rote fouÌ„tain of al good works and what is not of this faith purifieng the hert to be sin I haue hitherto remoued al your coÌ„dicions as your penance baptism c from the place before iustificacion haue compelled you by scriptures to place them after faith iustifieng And now ye be brought to thê narow shift as to seme to proue beleif to go before iustification which ye say is a good dede ergo But I shal driue you as euery reader shall se it openly from this your last shameles shifte that al meÌ„ shal se you to stand naked of al euasions without any mo sterting holes First ye must graunt that faithe into christ is the gift of god now ye speak of beleif and ye set it confusely tantum as y e sophisters say without any thing into which y e accioÌ„ work of y e verbe shulde passe And if ye wil haue it stand so absolutely nothing added so is it as good a dede as y e deuil doth y e same For as Iames saith The deuils beleue the turkes and Iewes beleue But speake you like a
doctor And as for me I haue not ne desyre I any other waye as euery reader may see it to confute your falsely alledged falselyer expowned autorites then by the circumstance conference of y ◠context by lyke places nether can I ne will I vse any other weapen to confute your false bokis And as for the speche of onely faith iustifieth the scripture hath it not And yet hath it ben spoken by some lerned men to exclude the workes of moses lawe Albeit the scrpture hath it not in the same syllables yet it hath the very self same sence as I shall so manifestly shewe it and proue it that ye shall not be able to auoyde it For christ saith as it is written bothe in Luke and Marke Only beleue and thy doughter is safe nothinge els requiring of the man for the restoring of his daughter but faith onely into him In a nother place he sayde If thou canst beleue I can helpe the all thinges be possible to him that cā beleue here is nothing els required then faithe of the man for driuinge out that euil spirite of his sonne In all other his saluacions and helpe hearing and grauntinge their peticions christ required onely their saith into him as all the story of the gospell testifieth Now commeth Paul as the most faithfull treater and expouner of the lawe and gospel whiche diuideth the hole scriptures and the ministracion of the preachers apostles of christ into y e preaching of y e law and of the gospel And here he proueth the state and cōdiciō of euery man ether to be vnder the lawe or vnder the grace of the gospell wherof he deduceth two maner of rightwysmakinge or rightwysenesses one rightwysnes of the lawe and the tother of the faithe of the gospell excluding with expres wordis mightely and clerely the rightwisnes of the lawe from the iustificacion by faithe as one contrary to the tother affirminge constantly and often That we be siewer and certain man to not be iustifyed by y e workis of the lawe which iustificacion he euery where calleth the rightwisnes of the lawe but by faith And we conclude man to be iustifyed by faith without the workes of the lawe And clerely to exclude al the workis rightwysnes of the lawe that the onely rightwisnes of faith might stand clerely in sight he saith men be iustified frely thorow grace by faith Now ye see That ther be but two thingis in controuersy one contrary to the tother to iustifye that is to saye the workis of the lawe the gifit of faithe But Paul constantly excludeth y e works of the lawe and admitteth and affirmeth onely faith to iustifye For nothing els then faith is annexed and ioyned to this iustificacion wherfore it is must nedis folowe only faith to iustifye in the iustificacion of fayth Also man is not iustified by any thīg els then by faith ergo only faith iustifieth man seeth not with any sence els then only with his eyes ergo his eyes onelye see What beast is so brutishe as to denye or cauill agenst these so plaine speaches Of these Paules argumentes christes wordes all the olde holy doctours gathered this ferme conclusiō Only faith iustifieth which you ne anye els can iustly impugne ye haue hitherto therfore shet out al your shaftes at a wronge marke which yet could not see ne euer hit the truth ne vnderstād what Paule meaneth by the contrary position of these his wont words Iustitia fidei iustitia legis iustitia ex fide iustitia ex lege iustitia pro pria iustitia dei w t such like phrases often he saith by faithe man is iustified but neuer by charite ne in any place of the scripture is it writē And yet you of a set proposed malice conceiued agenste the veritie contende thus arrogantly to impugne y e truth and all to shew your wily witte and high lerning in perswading blasphemies to foles leste ye shulde lese the false opinion and vaine estemacion whiche the vnlerned haue conceiued vpon you ye saye some learned men haue so spoken it as onely faith iustifieth And be ye so highly learned in your own conseit y t ye be ashamed or let scorne to speke y e same but thus arrogantly vnlearnedly to impugne such learned mens sainges ye saye they sayd it to exclude Moses lawe And I tel ye that Paul also therfore said it euē to exclude Moses law frō the act of iustificacion And why wil not you say the same also with the same lerned men to exclude the same lawe of Moses ar ye so wyse as to varye and agen say these lerned mē what other law wold ye exclude then moses lawe Be not the .x. preceptis conteined in Moyses lawe which I haue constantly proued by the scriptures bothe here and in my former boke that Paule and Peter vnderstode and proued it playnly euen by the workis of the lawe the .x. commandements whiche ye call the moralls to be excluded from faith in the acte of iustificacion as in nowyse to to be concurrant into that effecte Which ye cannot auoid ne solute w t all the learninge ye haue And for the texte ye bringe in of Paule Neque circumcisio c. maketh directelye againste you as I haue playnely declared it afore And he that hathe not charitie is nothinge And why because he hath not faythe into Christe which is the lyfe of the iuste and rote of charitie Then this is your argument He that hath charitie is somewhat ergo charitie iustifieth your argument is naught Nether yet this God makethe his promise to them y e loue as well as to thē that beleue ergo charitie iustifiethe this is naught also A lyke argumēt God maketh his promise to him that worketh writeth honoureth his parentes is paciente ergo workes writinge c. iustifye these argumentes be worthei the wisedom of him whō god hath blyndned and made folish his wisedom snarled in his owne wily craftines Ioan sayeth he that loueth not god knoweth not god And why because he hath not faithe into christe whereby he shulde know god the father in christ So that without loue I cannot frutefully beleue no not the beleue of knowelege c. ergo loue iustifieth Loue is not the cause of beleif in christ but the beleif into christ is the cause of loue ye must I tel you leaue your iugglynge cast with your truncate absolute beleue and lyke a christen beleuer put to christe in your beleif or elles the deuyll and the turke beleue without loue with the beleife of your knowledge with an historike faith ye say ye cānot beleue frutefully w tout loue I beleue ye wel y t nother w t your loue ne without it cā ye beleue in christ But I and all other faithfull to whome god geueth his gifte of faith in Iesu christ we cā beleue in him
geueth me ferme faith to beleue it wryting his promise w t his own haÌ„d sealled with Christis death and most preciouse blode yea and geueth me thernest and pledge of this promise euen his own sone Christe and his holy spirit the pledge as Paul saith and ernest of our forgeuenes and saluacion testifyinge vnto my spirit that I am his chosen beloued predestined childe in christe commandinge me to call and beleue him to be my merciful father shuld I not beleue in him be assewered of my saluacioÌ„ forgeuenes perseuerance in hope al dubitacion and dout excluded If I did not beleue constantly hope for it so shuld I dishonor gods vecite which syn be satte fro me wherfore hathe God geuen me the certitude and vndouted assewrance but in hope to abyde paciently waitinge certainly for his performance wyll ye beleue beter men then God And to excercise this owr assewerd faith and hope he sendeth vs continuall crosse and affliccions And we haue the continual reading hearing of his holy scripturs vt permaneamus fide fundati ac stabiles that we perseueringe grounded and faste roted in faith shuld not swarue from the hope of y e gospel And al be it in y e straight and narow path of charite I swarue and fall by y e waye yet haue I gods promyse apprehended by my faithe that I shal not so fall as to hurte me be broken but to ryse agene For y e Lord hath promised to put his hand vnder me to lyft me vp ayen w t an c. lyke counfortable promyses to reduce repentant sinners into the waye which promises humbly with reuerence and fear and thanks I enbrace It is thou oh lorde that assewerest me to perseuer certainly and settest me in assewerance Howe many promises haue we God to be our strength our rok bulwerk castel tower defence helper for Christ our intercessour and reconciler his sake with a thou said lyk confortable excercises of our faith to strengthen and confirme our hope and expectacion in sewerty and perseuerance But your doutful doctryne knoweth nether God ne Chryst ne faith But to confirme ours yet aftir this a fore said obsignacion of the holy spirit God assewerth also his congregacion therof with the visible seals of baptism his holy souper to put vs in mynde of his beneuolence towerd vs of his testameÌ„t couenaÌ„t iÌ„ chrstis blod In baptisme dewli ministred I remeÌ„ber se his deth burial resurreccioÌ„ wherin also I am taught to be mortifyed my sinnes buried in his woundis and to ryse agene into a newe lyf And in the holy souper of the Lorde dewly ministred I remember and see with the eyes of my faith in the breakinge and geuinge of the holy bread his bodi brokeÌ„ crucified geueÌ„ me into the remission of my sinnes And in the holy wyne lykewyse powered forthe and geueÌ„ me I remember and see his most preciouse blode shed for me into the remission of my synnes And euen these be holy sacred adsewerances in my faith and hope of my saluacion thus dayly excercisinge my faith and hope into a perpetuall perseuerance in the same adsewerance while I lyue which asâ—werances ye saye ye cannot tell of A shameles ignorance in a bishop great infidelite and blasphemy is it in you if ye will not know this so manifest a sewerance offered and geuen into euery faithfull Christianes hand herte and mouthe Thus haue I lerned iÌ„ scripturs If we turne when god turneth to vs. If we beleue when god illumineth vs If we loue as god kindleth vs. If we be baptized as god commandeth vs we shall be iustified Ye iugle with your Iffes and half turnes For as there is no man turned to god with frutefull repentance but he first knowe gods merciable forgeuenes in christ by his faith iustifienge him so is there none but thei first knowe God in christe ere thei loue him beleue iÌ„ god thorow Iesu Christ ere thei be baptized into his name For who professeth god y e father the sonne and the holy ghoste and the christen religion onlesse he knowe it It were a backward order and an vpsidowne preposterouse plaÌ„tynge the profession to go before the doctrine and knowledge of the religion as it hath ben a longe season vsed and therefore all suche preposterouse religions as ye see degenered into apostacye and into all the most filthy abominacions and idolatrye be now come to naught as christ prophecied of all such backward plantacions And therfore your Iffes staÌ„d in a wrong place For your baptisme with water is such a condicion that as al thei that be baptized therwith be not therfore saued so were not all they that beleued in christ and al the chosen infantes conteined vnder the promise dyinge before circumcision or baptisme dampned but withoute circumcision and baptisme of water saued by election and their beleif And therefore your doctrine of your Iffes holdeth not And if the quene of Candaces courtman so enstructe of Philip in the wagen â–ª had died in that faithe before his baptisme with water yet had his onelye faith saued him by christes own wordes sainge who so beleue in me hath life eternal It is not y e baptisme with water ne your penaunce y t saueth vs as ye dreame for no element ne creature ne mans work may do that thing It is god only in christ that regenereth with the spirit of faith and by that inuisible baptisme be we saued of god thorowe Iesu christe If you shulde tarye till ye haue fulfilled all your conditions for your saluacion ye shulde come to short of the gates shuttinge And therefore merciablye saith the lorde in Isay. He wyl make short his word of rightwismakinge and finish it in a plenteous abouÌ„daÌ„t rightwisenes euen in christ made of him our rightwisnes holden by faith onely Children by your popish doctrine that dye before baptime and y e infantes in Moses law diyng before the aight day shulde be dampned as ye teache whiche is to harde for you to proue when the scripture is plain agenst you as I am able to proue it and can shewe it plainely The baptisme therfore with water wasshethe onely the body and the minister bringeth the water and wordes onelye no saluacion nether as causes efficientes ne formall So that baptisme with water is but the visible seall instituted of god and ferme token of the former iustification by faythe in the regeneration of the spirit y e seall I say testifienge to the congregation that he is incorpored into them For thus it correspondeth sayth Peter the newe byrth wherby the spottes of the soule be taken awaye And thus is baptisme with water signaculum iustitie fidei the seal and testimony of the rightwisnes of faith as was circumcision and not y e selfe same rightwisnes it selfe as ye teach ye may make it signum iustitie operis
operati siue iustitie baptismi after your scole men that is the sacrament or seall of the rightwisenes of workes or of the rightwisnes of baptism with water and man thereby to be iustified as ye dreame and so Christ in vaine to haue dyed Besydes this it is the fygure of our perpetuall mortificacion and repentance as I haue oâ—ten declared the vse therof before And as touchinge the imperfeccion of faith and charitie in man as ye saye Albeit our faith I saye be as litle as the mustarde sead and as imperfit as was his that saide lorde I beleue but yet helpe my vnbeleif yet god accepteth it for our iustificatioÌ„ for christes sake bidding vs daylye to praye for thencreace therof Then ye saye all our workes be imperfitte ' It is truthe that ye saye And in so sayeng ye haue condempned al your own doctrine of merits satisfaccioÌ„s and condicions of workes to deserue remission For no imperfitte workes may deserue perfit remission ne make perfit satisâ—accioÌ„ as ye well know it And for this cause of our imperfeccion indignitie impossibilite by workes to merit our remission saluacioÌ„ god hath taken it out of our handes and from our workes layd it vpon christ as ye se in the prophete Isaye him by his perfit fulfilling of the law by his so perfit workes to merit to satisfye fully and perfitlye and so to obtaine vs y e remission and saluation for our faith into him And thus is he made of his father ours for vs our iustificacion our rightwisnes redeÌ„ptioÌ„ our holines our wisdom our satisfaccioÌ„ our implecion of y e law whiche all we by faith receiue as our owne for that he is geuen to vs holy with al his that he ether dyd or suffred in his blessed innocent body and soul. And euen these be our elder brothers clothes done vpon vs by faith so swetely sauouring which so delite and please our celestial father as did Iacobs elder brothers fragrant vestures sauor in his father Isaac his nose that he gaue him his brothers blessing as shal our father for y e same doing on by faith not for your participatioÌ„ of our elder brother christe his swete clothes of his rightwisnes merits c. For who so euer be baptized of the spirite by regeneration of faith they haue done christ thus vpoÌ„ them And thus w t Iacob be we made Israelites And thus be we all made y e sonnes of god for that we haue beleued in Iesu christ saith Paul not as ye say for y t ye haue done youre good works fulâ—illed your coÌ„dicioÌ„ Thus ye se how Paul IoaÌ„ Peter christ speke of y e baptism of y e spirite not of y e visible baptism of water to geue remissioÌ„ saluacion ye geue imperâ—eccion to our works to faith to loue it is truth But yet muste ye coÌ„sider y t thimperfeccioÌ„ in our works so minisheth takethe so awaye the goodnes dignite or worthines of theÌ„ that thei may not be called good ne meritoriouse But faith Isaye â— being imperfit as litle as the mustersede or as weke as his y t said help lord my vnbeleif yea or so matched in perel with temptacion w t feare dubitacioÌ„ as was peters faith so boldly leaping into y e sea to mete his maister christe when the sourges arose agenst him so highe that with his litle weake faith he began to sinke yet as litle as it was it was y e good gift of god saued hiÌ„ for christes sake froÌ„ drowninge For it is our perpetuall byshop and onely intercessour in heuen that continually prayeth as he dyd for Peter his felowes lest our faith faile vs euen in the middes of the stormye tempestiouse floudes of the troublous sea of this world For the giftes calling of god be sich as it cannot repent him of them in hys chosen Then ye say Iob sayd I feared al my workes in which faith ye say may be comprehended But it appereth that ye vnderstand not Iobs wordes for he neuer feared his faith but his works only which were euil imperfit And the ebrw or chaldie worde signifieth erumnas and labores meos omnes that is to saye I feared al my miserable workes and laboriouse miseries which he called his own euil workes for it foloweth sciens quod noÌ„ parceres delinquenti knowing that thou woldst not spare the trespasser So that here ye see how that ye manakle and rende oute by patches the textes for youre wicked purpose not consideringe what gothe before ne foloweth nor yet what the wordes properly signifye If ye coulde comprehende faithe in Iobs works so wolde ye make faith no gift of god ne beleif gods worke but Iobs worke so feared of him self And all the scriptures agre w t Iob so speaking of his owne workes only and not of faith For manye holye men fearing y e same desired god not to enter into iugement w t them ne to iuge them after their workes Then ye take in hand to describe the sinfull nature of man as borne out of Adam and Eue sayeng that the powers of our soule properly receiue faith and loue and vpon the occasion of the worlde and the flesh suggestion of the deuil be redy to rebellion c. In whiche saienge ye speke not truelye of maÌ„ in his corrupt nature as borne out of Adam conceiued in synne roted in his soule called altogether in scripture flesh the olde man the body of sinne and deathe inimitie ageÌ„st God naturallye the childe of wrath a contynuall rebellyon agaynste gods spirit For occasion or no occasion geuen sich one is he before he be regenered as god painteth him saienge after the hebrewe verite Euery imaginacion of mannes harte is onlye euyll is sayth the texte and not prone or redye as ye terme it yea and that at all times euen from hys youthe withoute the spirite of God regeneringe hym he is brydeles runnynge into the free felde of all carnall lustes Of the power of this corrupt mans nature ye speake as by his fre choise to receiue faith with loue c. Uerilye this man hathe no suche a Pelagianes power of hym selfe to receiue faithe no more then hadde ADAM him selfe power to come to God when he fled from his voice in paradise so ferefullye with shame sekinge where to hyde him froÌ„ his presence There is no sich proper power properly as ye terme it in maÌ„ to receiue faith or any grace except that naturall proper powr be properly taken a waye and pourged with the spirit of libertie by faithe purifyeng the herte so makinge in him a newe hert prepared to receiue faith makinge a new and free powr from his naturall bondage to synne So that your fre choice to receiue grace may not here be placed withe pelagians errour enimie to grace to set vp your fre choice bonde libertie to syn For
to wrap your workes to iustify And purposely I asked you whether fayth wente before workes euen to souke oute of your owne wordes the same truthe whiche ye impugned euen onelye fayth to iustifye which ye haue now graunted aunswering faith to haue the fyrste place Of whiche graunte let this be the principle The remissioÌ„ of our sins requireth faith iÌ„ christ in the first place Then thus who so beleueth his sinnes forgeueÌ„ in christ the same is iustified this man so beleueth ergo he is iustified he is iustifyed by no nother of your condicioÌ„s then by faithe ergo fayth onelye iustifyeth The maior is the scripture in an C. places That who so beleue in christe hath lyfe euerlastynge the minor is euident in euery beleuer in Christ. Also whersoeuer is fayth and beleif into christ to haue suffered for hir synnes there is remyssion of synnes here is faythe fyrste of all into Chryste wherefore here is remismission by youre owne graunte by only faith whyche is your fyrste condycyon For as thou beleueste accordynge to my promyse sayth chryste so commeth it to the but thou beleuest in me to haue suffred for thy synnes as I haue euer promysed ergo it muste nedes so come vnto the thus beleuinge Nowe if ye geue vs forth â—ny mo of youre condycyons after thys faythe iustyfyenge whyche is your firste condicion so come they al to late to iustyfy for the faythfull is nowe alredy iustified by onelye faith ere your other condicioÌ„s caÌ„ be made redy or fulfylled Then ye aske me a question wakyng because I sayd ye dreamed an externe knowledge In dede I then dreamed ye weÌ„t aboute such a thinge And now I haue my dreme for that ye say faith is knoweÌ„ by fayth And then ye coupled youre newe found faith as I said to an externe knoweledge of your outwarde condicioÌ„ so y t now by your owne wise deductioÌ„ we be comeÌ„ into this youre fynne narowe issew Faith is knoweÌ„ by faith for these be your words The fulfilling of y e coÌ„dicioÌ„ requireth first knowledge your coÌ„dicion ye say is faith the fulfilling of faithe is to beleue in christ Then is this y e playne sence To beleue in christ faith into hiÌ„ is first required theÌ„ ye adde which knowlege we haue by faith Now is this yo r saieÌ„g resolue it iÌ„to plain speche The remission of our sinnes by chrystes passion hath first faith into christe This beleife into christe diminisheth not the forgeuenes of our sinnes Then ye say they that wil enioye their forgeuenes muste beleue in christe To beleue in chryst requireth faith which faith is knoweÌ„ by faith And thus by derkening the trwe iustificacion with your vayne termes haue ye brought vs in two faithes one to be knowne by the tothere Nowe yf it shulde be asked wherby knowe you your first faith Ye must seke vs out a nother former faith therby to know it and so be we lyke to fall into infinite faythes And here let vs sette togither all your skatered sayinges folowinge towchinge this knowlege of faithe by your firste faith First ye saye by faith is all our certaine knowlege of gods wyl and pleasure And here it wold be knowen by whiche faith ye meane is al this knowlege by your former faith or by your latter sayth For ye said faith is knoweÌ„ by faith And theÌ„ ye say That Barnes you came to this that we must haue â—aith first of al to know what we shuld beleue And here ye iugled ageyn w t hiÌ„ in dede whiche I espiyd before in your two faithes by one to know the tother For I sawe it before howe priuely ye went about to bringe vs into the popes faith your popisshe beleue to be extolled aboue christis faith For the thinge that we shulde beleue is the word of god in the old new testament perfitly conteined vnto the which word redde or herde of siche as god hath ordeined to be saued faith is geuen to beleue it and to know god the father in christe to cleaue to it and lyue therafter But you and youre holy father anticryst of Rome haue dreamed decreed vs another former faith which ye here cal your faith firste of all to knowe whether the bible and the holy scriptures writen by the holy goste and withe the finger of god spoken out of goddis mouthe be the worde of god or noo as thoughe ye wolde w t the serpente the deuil deceiuinge Eue call it into doute whether we must shuld beleue the holy scriptures or no except ye had so admited it so to make the holy gost and the spirit of trewth euen god him selfe a lyer and to doute whether our faith geuen vs of god fully and fermely perswading vs theÌ„ to be gods very word be the trew crysten faith or no And thus bringe ye the vnlerned simple all that yet beleue in your popishe doctryne into doute of all y â— is writen in the holy byble as whether God created heuen and erthe and cryste be the sonne of god made man borne of the virgin and haue redemed vs w t his death and resurrection c. Into this dampnable doute when ye haue by your deuillyshe doctrine brought your disciples then to be delyuered theroute ye haue vsurped an autoritie aboue ouer gods worde by bringinge in this your former faithe to knowe what we muste beleue which your first faithe is ioyned and stayed vpon youre fathers holy decrees as ye well wete it No man so hardly to beleue or to receiue the scriptures as gods worde onlesse he with y e court church I shuld say of Rome had graunted admitted permitted and delyuered them to vs as to be the catholike scripture No ne any man so hardy otherwise to vnderstaÌ„d or beleue theÌ„ then as this antichriste of Rome and you his bysshoppes by your falsely vsurped power haue falsely expouned and interpreted theÌ„ So that this your first faith of al as ye cal it is plainly placed vpon correlatiue to the popes holy decrees And you folowiÌ„g your holy fathers steppes by your tirannous coÌ„pulsioÌ„ w t fier vsurping the same auctorite aboue god ouer his word compell vs yet so to beleue it as ye falsely expowne it in this your deuellishe derke declaracion in your other false bokis whose arrogant exaltacion aboue god his holy word Daniell Paul so lyuely describe and at laste afirme you to be slayne withe y e same breath of gods mouth whose course ye coÌ„tende so mightely this daye to stoppe and to suppresse And euen this is your popishe drift with your derke termed effect condicion and dowblinge with our onely simple plain faith to place the popis faith firste of all therby to knowe chrystis faithe euen anticryst euer contrarye to Chryste to his faithe and to his word to bringe vs in to the knowlege of chryste and beleife of his gospell which is
your selfe where ye set thē with Paule to be so contrary causes y t it is impossible for these two rightwisnesses to be concurrant into this one effect of iustificatiō iustificaciō of faith workes be so contrary that whereas is y e one y e other must nedes auoyde and geue place as Paule in contencion comparinge them togither estemed his own rightwisnes of the lawe as donge and dirte in respecte of the rightwysnes of faith before God and said that our rightwisnes which cometh of the lawe was the fall of the iews because thei goinge about to seke to stablish their own rightwisnes therfore were thei not subiect to y e rightwisens of god Agen sithe your doctryne is noman to be sewer certain of his forgeuenes by your text not wel vnderstanden nescit homo an dignus sit odio uelamore And our best workes as Isay saith be so sinful and spotted and therfore not to quiete and certifye our consciences and agene faith to be the ferme certitude that excludeth al dubitacion and vncertainte seing now that faith and workes be of so contrary effectes it must nedis be impossible these two inconsistents repugnātes to sich an effect to may go together into one the same effect and accion of our iustificacion And by this means of your merits yf ye coulde ye wold make Christ no hole intiere perfit sauiour contrarye to your sainge before Now if your condicion so ful of your good workes be in any of the .iiii. kinde of causes to serue your effect put it in formallye like a philosopher I shal by gods worde displace it But I can neuer thinke it that ye beleue your owne doctrine of workes to iustifye for if ye did sewrely ye wolde worke beter workes then ye do For what els do ye then wryte and striue against the gospoll yea ye worke your brother Cains worke slaieng your brothern for the truth ye preson ye persecute ye burne ye banish ye condempne al good bokes professours of gods word to set vp your own antichristē articles dāpnable popish doctrine Thē ye say The scripture requiret of a christē mā y t he be baptized wherby to be incorporated into christ it is true For noman wil baptize him tyll he hear his belif and know him to professe faithfully the Christē religion For the onely vtwarde baptisme maketh not a christian be fore God as ye se it in Iudas and Simon mago For a very christian must be first by his regeneracion of the spirit of faith incorpored into christ ere he by baptisme of water be incorpored into the congregacion for y e visible incorporacion auayleth not Saith austen without thinuisible incorporacion and sanctificaciō by faith At last ye bringe in this texte Baptizetur vnusquisque in remissionē peccatorum whiche as I remember is the frist scripture I haue herde ye allege yet for your false doctryne ye brought in a colet and a versicle out of your porteus to proue your parte besydis your participacion in dede And yet in this text ye make so great haste into remissionem peccatorum to be conioyned to baptizetur that ye leaue out .v. wordis and euen the chefe mater betwixt your first worde the last For the text is Resipiscite baptizetur vnusquisque vestrum sub nomine Iesu Christi in remissionem c. Repente ye let euery one of you be baptized in the name of Iesu Christe into the remission of sinnes Nowe ye know that noman wil be baptized and ther by professe the name of Iesu Christ but he first beleue knowe what is Iesu christ and his name which is the anoynted sauiour which who so beleueth him sichone to be to him he is iustifyed by that same faith onely in Christe Iesu to be his sauiour But I will not gretly steke with you for this litle ouerskippe ye speke of a good rule in your boke How y e scriptures albeit thei seme contrary yet is the◠but one veritie and al one trwe word which muste be gathered out by the conference of y e places notinge what gothe before and what folowth which your own lesson if ye had ther diligently obserued ye had sene this text to haue made iustly against you For note first what went before preached of Peter in that longe sermone and ye shall see that he preached to them bothe the lawe shewinge them their sinnes in putting to deth the innocent blod christe author of lyfe quitinge a murtherer and also y e gospell of remission and saluacion in Iesu Christe as it standeth in euerye place of that sermon and playne it is that these men beleued that sermon whilis it was in preachinge as many as were predestined vnto lyfe wherefore thei were iustified first by their faith ere thei were baptized And to confirme this lette vs see what foloweth and conserre all together When Peter had all done his exhortation the texte saith Qui ergo libenter acceperunt sermonem eius baptizatisunt And thē All that hadde gladly receiued his sermon were baptized gladly to receiue his sermon what els is it then to beleue his sermō which receiuing by beleif ye see went before their baptisme But yet wherfore saith the text into the remission of sinnes verely Baptisme is the visible sygne of the former regeneration of y e spirit by faith and testificacion to the congregacyon that the baptized hathe hys synnes forgeuen hym and therefore to certifie the Churche that he is a member of them and hathe receiued signaclum iustitie fidei that is the seall and obsygnacyon of the ryghtewysenes of faith to be incorporated into them to pray to heare the worde in their societe is it added in remissionem peccatorum that thei nowe doute not of remissyon of hys synnes And therfore it foloweth immediatly Et accesserunt in die illo And there were commen into that cōgregaciō ī that daye aboute thre thousand soulis For before thei were thus certifyed of their religion and faith and remission of their sinnes by that externe seall testimoneall of baptisme with water they were not receiued into the chirche of the faithful So that to be baptized into the name of Iesu Christe into the remission of sinnes be fore the hole congregacion is by baptisme as by the visible sygne openly our professiō into christes religion to be declared and testifyed to the chirche and that we be conseigned with the seall and testimonye of the rightwysmakyng and remissyon by faithe A lyke phrase is vsed where it is writen Ioan preached repentaunce into the remission of sinnes he saithe not preached repentaunce as for or by the whiche dede they deserued or shuld deserue remission but that therby openly sene and knowen the congregacion shuld be certifyed as by a ferme and infallible testimony such repentant persōs to haue their forgeuenes not for their doinge penaunce as the papist teach for that false
by his faithles faith and another by his colde charitie and yet hath not this meruelous maker fyrst taken awaye his owne stonney herte w t his fre choise And at last as he is an ingeniose artificer hathe he iuggled vs forth .iiii. new iustificacions called of him exhibicions One not properlye apprehended by faythe another properlye apprehended by fayth the thirde is properly called y e exhibition of mercye And the fourth is kaught by his colde charite And this is all this highly lerned lawiers diuinite lo. For the which to be cōfirmed he bringeth in our ladies songe Suscepit Israel puerum suum c. But I dare say that as for hir so holy graciouse playne woman by those wordes neuer thought ne mente all these so mysty mazes so ful of perplexities and inextricable angles In good fayth when I sawe hym bring in suscepit Israel puerum c. for his popish purpose I meruayled greatly therat and thought of some other straunge subtyle knot as it were of another Gordias not to be cut in sunder of euery mans swerde And here I remembred the swerde of a good mery florishinge felow which in construccion dyd diuyde and cutte Suscepit a two in the myddes and made these two wordes therof saienge Sus the wyld bore of rome cepit hath taken away Israel puerum suum oure ladies sonne Christ called Israell in that by his antichristen religion he taketh away and deuoureth christes faith and his worde alluding vnto y e lxxx psalme describinge the wylde frothei bore of rome wrotinge vp the vyneyarde of christe in burnynge his churche But returne we to Sampsons foxe tayed by tayle to his felowes with fier brondes to burne vp the philistens good corne As sone as man beleueth god procedeth to the fulfyllynge of his promise for his parte and geueth vs a newe spirit and a newe herte and so iustifieth vs Ioye What thinge then doth your charite whiles man as sone as he beleueth is iustified ye wyll condempne youre selfe If we receiue it and assente by oure fre choise vnto it and worke with it whiche is theffectuall receiuinge and the worthynes on our part wherby we be iustified Yea marye It was tyme to adde youre yf we receaue it c. but yet your yf commeth all to late to your man y t beleueth For ye saye that as sone as he beleueth god iustifieth hī ergo he is iustified and hath alredye receiued his iustificacion before your yf But belyke ye wolde haue saide when god offred to man faith and yf we receaue it by oure free choise and assent ▪ then god procedeth to the fulfyllynge c. And note well this that there muste be on our part a worthines therfore howsoeuer ye wyll smyle at it It is a good prayer or a pro nobis sancta dei genitrix ut digni efficiamur promissionibus christi Pray for vs holy mother of god that we maye be made worthy of Christes promises Here thou seest the byshop to play ii partes at once one contrary to y e tother The fyrste he sayth is goddes parte in procedinge to the fulfilling of his promyse to the beleuer the seconde is playne Pelagians parte whiche was a rancke heretyque and enimye to GOD and to his grace affirmynge man on his parte to haue fre choice to receiue goddes gyftes and to assente to them when they be offered him and so workinge with them to make our selues worthye as Wynchester saith to be iustified effectually And here this myghtye maker maketh two iustifications one for goddes part goten by only faith and another on oure parte goten by Pelagians fre wyll to receiue grace and to worke our owne worthynes whereby we be iustified I thoughte Pelagiane wolde halter hym selfe at laste or els ye must thruste these two contrary iustifications both into one poke where they shall agre togither as the foxe and the hounde and as Pelagiane and saint Austen for this is plaine that heretique Pelagians opinion and heresye which Austen so myghtely confuteth in his bokes against pelagian and celestiū de gracia christi in li. de remi peccatorum sayenge Men laboure to finde in oure wyll that as is ours and not of god but howe it maye be founde I know it not In this peese euerye man maye see what an enemye with Pelagiane the byshop is to grace wolde priuily drope into the peoples hertes this present poison of Pelagians scole That the grace of god doth but helpe our weake wyll and infirmitie and so to make vs chekmates and felow workers with god vs on our part and him of his part for oure iustificaciō diuided betwixt vs both diuidinge Christe whiche was and is euer an hole entier sauiour Agēst the which heresy god by his prophet Ezechiel declaringe of what power our wyll is left to it selfe speakethe thus I shall geue ye a newe herte put a newe spirite in the middes of you And I shall take awaye the stoney hert frō your flesh and geue you a soft herte Nowe tell vs. Howe can mans owne naturall stonney rebellious hert helpe god and by his free choise and assent worke with god in his conuersion to worke his owne iustification ether to wyll well or to endeuoure or frely to chose good or to assent or to conforme him self as ye saye to gods wyll and to vse his gyftes when god saith plainelye This stonney hert muste be first taken awaye and a newe made put into man clene contrarye to his firste herte and wyll But here may euerye learned christen reader see howe peruerselye ye handle the scripture leauynge out quyte the taking away of the hard stoney hert as though your fre choiced man hadde none siche ne were the sonne of Adam leaping ouer it into a newe herte and newe spirite euen sich one as was Adam created before he lost his fre lybertie to good by synne you diuidinge his workes betwixte the man and god affirming in the same god to worke his parte and the man with his free wyll and herte with his assent and youre free choice c. to worke his owne worthines on his parte as two men shulde draw out a logge together bothe by one lyne one to helpe the tother But aunswere me by youre fayth trewly to these two questions what thinge worketh the man on his parte in the takynge awaye of his stonney rebellious herte If he worketh any thinge with sich an hert it must nedes be againste god and not with God for what els can such an hert worke but euyll and agaynste God and not with GOD but againste his owne helth Also whether is thys newe herte and wyll oure owne naturall hert and wyll or no These can not be ours for our owne stonney is takē away this new hert is contrarye to ours so that we cannot haue two cōtrary hertes and wylles at once Wherfore seing they be gods giftes
stonney hert fro mans fleshe ere he giueth him a newe softe hart and put into him a newe spirit It is god that worketh in vs bothe the will to receiue it and to beleue therw t in effect for his own good willes sake and not for your merites by your fre choice as ye with pelagiane teache men in your boke of enstruccions a booke full of repugnances of false and popishe doctrine as it is to se to euery learned reader a boke belyke penned of you for it sauoureth euery where of your dampnable doctrine And therfore fearing lest it shulde haue ben writen against you amonge your selues haue armed it with the kinges title and autorized it with his name being afraid to iustifye your owne bokes And euer there were any traiterouse touche coÌ„mitted agenst his maiestie that was one and the most ingratitude so vnthankfully to abuse the ientle noble clearnes y e most benigne ientlenes of so gracious a prince to you which hath promoted you out of the donghill to sit felowlike with lordes and dukes And is this the thanke and honor and humble seruice ye rendre therfore to his maiestie to father a false boke vpon his highnes into y e denigracion of his cleare fame making his grace to sustaine the infamies and sclaunders of your damnable popish boke It is verely no smal offeÌ„ce subiects so to abuse the goodnes of their prince if it were well loked vpon The byshops and phariseis in christes time when they coud not by their own learninge suppresse christ and his doctrine then thei studied to extinguishe him his worde with the secular autorite and power abusing the simplicite of the magistrates I haue therefore iustlye by scriptures coÌ„futed your boke yours I call it and not the kinges boke so vnworthy his name or title whiche confutacion wold god his maiestye might reade once printed and iuge it by the scriptures to know you in fel and fleshe Take hede ye shal bewraye your selues at last and mashe your selues in your owne knit nettes But returne we ye say that man on his parte by his fre choice and assente receyueth the grace of god offred him And here ye harpe agene secretely vpon the same stringe but dare not make it to sowne ouerloud And then ye breake out boldelye as though I had graunted and not espied your iugling with your naked shaples beleif and ye ask it stoughtly as though your premisses coulde not be denied Do not here concurre in two workes god and man whiche lye both in one bedde couered w t one couerled to thacoÌ„plishmeÌ„t of iustificacion I auÌ„swere here is bothe god maÌ„ here be .iii. works one is y e receiuing of faith which is y e work of god in man as I haue proued it before for no man cometh to christe but his father draw him The secoÌ„d worke is the beleif into Iesu christe forgeuing the man his sinnes this is also y e worke of god Io. vi the iii is the remissyon of his synnes or iustificacion whiche is also the onelye worke of god Nowe is not youre bedde to shorte and your couerletts to skant in this act of iustificacioÌ„ to kouer containe your mans concurrant worke before his iustificacion Shewe vs here anye one worke of maÌ„ as his own not geueÌ„ hiÌ„ of god to do it For he is here but as y e yren or mater vnder the smythes handes to be made the sawe wherewith god entendeth to worke his workes and as the clay in the potters handes Then ye triumph w t a true text but falsely applyed saing Be not we cooperatores dei that is workers w t god yis verely as instruments in y e externe ministracion of prechiÌ„g his worde as Paule allegeth it but not in the hyd inuisible worke of our iustyficacion before god as ye falsely alledge it There Paule speaketh of another maner work which ye wold confounde with the worke of iustificacion And yet euen that worke of preaching do he not attribute to theÌ„ selues but to god onely esteminge them selues of no valewe but as britle vessels wherein god putteth his tresure as instruments wherwith he worketh as the sawer with his sawe and addeth iuxta gratiam dei accordinge to the gift of god geuen vs to worke with him A like key to cleaue your logge bring ye in of Gedions swerde which god vsed with Gedion as visible instrumentes to gete the victory of the Madianites As iustly might ye haue brought in this text in circuitu impij ambulant Byshops friers and monkes walk rounde about in their cloisters and galeries for your purpose which ye go so far about in compasse to proue that man worketh with god into the accomplishment of his iustification Thus ye snak rende out textes w tout any respect of the circumstance of the mater how impertinently soeuer thei be to the thinge ye wolde proue ye passe not therof so ye maye at all auentures cast theÌ„ at your aduersaries head as do the dronkerds in their fury what so euer come next to hande be it potte plater or candel sticke it flieth at his head Because thei called vpon Gedeon then a liue present in batail animating him to fight for theÌ„ therfore your a like reason is we must nowe lykewise cal vpon Gedeon and his swerd vpon saint George and siche lyke saintes dead which nether heare ne knowe vs. The lord asketh vs sharply saiÌ„g with a thretening Pro uiuis ad mortuos Wil ye seke helpe at the deade for men liuing Do not euery nacioÌ„ seke it at their own gods If we therfore be christians let vs fetch couÌ„sell seke helpe at our only lyuing god one alone for vs al sufficieÌ„t nether at Gedion ne at Georg The faithful uicerunr regna per fidem Thei had the victories vpon kingdoms thorowe faith what and if Gedions swerde was the worde of god promisynge him the victory gedion at last with faith apprehending it Pauls interpretacion maketh al for it Belyke as ye imagine of george to be called vpon in bataile so ye beleue that as he was valeant if there were any sich in batall so helpeth he now likewise fighting and florishing in heauen or in the ayer so that what he once didde aliue as to kill a dragon the same he now deade is yet redy to do ayen Hitherto teÌ„deth al your fond vain bablyng in hole two leues folowing crieng y e swerd of god of gedioÌ„ dnÌ„o gedioni After which sort knowing that god vseth the members of his chirche in the ministery of his workes with mutual prayer one to helpe another we saye Ioy. but the scripture neuer said it God and our lady helpe vs wherein god geueth the helpe our lady prayeth for it Ioy. what then doth christ if he be at home which is an help to obtayne helê‘ Ioye And who shall obteyne vs hir help