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
foloweth shew ye what is hope and Paules mynde He had before mightely proued by faith onely man to be absolued from sin treating sin the lawe faith and grace and here he commeth to the worke of hope whiche is exercised shineth in pacience proued by tribulacion wherof he here maketh large mencion setting forth our consolacion in the middes of oure affliccions by the hope of our saluacion to come calling hope the expectation of those thinges which haue bē before conceiued by faith y t is to wete our saluatiō and the redemption of our bodies in the resurrecciō for in this hope saith he we loke and abyde for our saluacion For we must first know y e thing ere we can ether waite and hope for it or loue it and be firste assiewered by our faith apprehendinge the promise therof to haue it ere by expectacion we wait for it wherefore the scripture saith firste we be saued by faith and then in ferme hope we wait for our saluaciō For if y e thing waited and loked for by hope were sene present saith Paule so were it not by hope loked for for wherfore shuld a man hope for the thinge which he seeth For asmuche therefore as we se not the saluacion whiche we hope to haue therfore thorowe pacience we tary and hope for it Hitherto be Paules wordes wherby ye se y t we be first iustifyed and saued by faith as the order and processe before of his pistle declareth it ere we tary and wait for it by hope Is this a Good argument By hop or in hope we abyde in a ferme expectacion for our saluacion conceiued before by faith ergo hope sauethe By faith in hope we be saued that is faith setteth vs in a perfit hope of saluacion For the saluacion is promised and receiued first into faith beleuinge and knowinge it ere it be waited for by hope Men vse now a dayes this blasphemouse sophistry whē thei wil īpugne such deuout saings as haue ben vsed in our chirch whē eche man exhorteth other to saue his own soul or desireth a nother to saue his neighbors soule or els moueth his frende by almos praier fasting good dedes to worke the welth of his soule Al which saluaciōs workts of saluacion good deuout men vnderstand to be done as in dede thei cannot be done otherwise by the merites of christes passion and gifte of god And yet these beastes that put no differēce betwene a key and an batcher diffame the speache If you or any of your scolers shulde come to me with this fonde speche to desier me to saue his soule I oughte to teache you and them accordinge to scriptures that there is but onely one sauiour Iesus Christe god and man and so shewe you the waye to him as testifieth Paule and christe to go to hym by faith into him and to tell you that I am no sauioure of soules no not of my nowne And as for the deedes whiche ye so blasphemousely call saluations and workes of saluacion therby men to saue eche others soules in so detestable a blasphemy ▪ as no godly eares may heare as the scriptures abhorre and detest the speache so oughte nether your mouth to haue vttered it ne w t pen to haue writtē it For the scripture knoweth but y e onely worke of oure saluacion and redemption which only christe Iesus once for euer and also perfitly openly and so plentuouslye wroughte in the myddes of the erthe as witnes the psal when he offered vp to his father in sacrifice his owne blessed innocent body to be crucified on the crosse for our sinnes And as for prayers almos fastynge whyche god commaundeth and not you the scripture calleth them the fruites of our faith and the frutes of the spirite declaringe our obedience to god and his preceptes testifienge our faith iustifieng and our loue to god and to our neighbours Ne call vs not beastes because we will not vse but rather impugne with gods worde those blasphemouse speches of your popishe chirch and deuoute papistes pilers of the rome churche or rather of the courte of rome we be nowe god be praysed vnder a nother head and in a nother chirch Is this a godly vnderstondinge of your deuout papistes To saye that by the merits of christes passion men by their dedes shulde deserue to saue them self ye blaspheme diffame y ◠merets of christes passion and robbe him of his glory with youre speache in so sayenge and of his merits to And euen these lo be youre romyshe craftye kayes and youre owne beastly hatchets ye vse to deceiue the simple christians and to seduce them from their onely and sufficient sauyour Christe into mennes saluacions by workes of your owne inuented popish saluacion After your lende diuiniti ye fal to fond policie askinge whether it be more profitable to take forgeuenes of synnes without a condicion or tary till the condicion were fulfilled whiche question is so fondly conceiued that I wil aunswere merelye to it as the prentis of London did aunswere his maister before the wardens when he asked him why sonne Is not a colde capod good meat yes quod the prentis if I had had it Ye both falsely and truncatelye reherce my question whiche is thus in my booke whether you laden with synne Christe callynge you and promysynge to ease you frelye forgeuynge you for your faith I ask you were it more profitable to you by that onely condicion of faith to set holde of his fre forgeuenes now offred you by Christ that cannot lye or to tary and send him worde ye will first knowe and fulfill your condicions And you answer as did the prentes That his master had spokē of miche good meate if a man coud haue it As thoughe Christes wordes and his promyse to be forgeuen for our faithe were but vayne rehersallis of vayne things neuer offred ne promised ne let before vs as neuer were the colde moton befe ne capons recherced of that vaine lyinge man the prentices master Compare ye Christes almighty infallible promises to vayne menis lyes And matche ye Christes ernest holy wordis with siche a prophane light iest Now I se y e god worthely punisheth in you one syn with a nothere euen your obstinate arrogāt impiete cōtempte of god and his worde with blyndnes hath made folishe your wisdom and hathe casten you vp thorow your own lustes into a forlorn mīd god geue ye grace to know nomo condicions wais into your remission and saluacion but only faithe in Christis moste preciouse blode and shortly to repent And so your maship hath said trwly that a man were beter if any thinge could be beter then god hath ordined it to take remission of sinne without any condicion For then without any endeuore all shuld haue it And your lordeship shuld haue lerned ere this that God hath offred and promised
was el shaida that is one alone for al sufficient and almighty And if ye beleue him not to be siche one to helpe you then cal to nicolas runne to George Marye c. saye the moo the beter as do your blynd disciples And if ye beleue that Nicolas his helpe must helpe God to helpe you so make ye God no God or if ye think y t Nicolas his eares be not stopt ne kut of as ye list to lye iest of vs or not to be a slepe wel kry on hard vpon him as did Baals prestes vpon their God tyl Nicolas answer you Cal lykewyse vpoÌ„ George in batail whylis yet God winketh at your false and supersticiouse inuocacions at last for your hardnecked idolatrye and for your persecutinge and shedinge of innocent blode worthely to turne the edges of your sathanik swerdis and there popishe pointes ayenste your selues mooste vnhappely to fight for your false God God neuer bode vs go and call vpoÌ„ any other then on himself onely in cryste and for his sake And if ye beleue not him gete ye to some other helpers sauiors by participation and make them your false gods by adoracion and inuocacion For vnto whom soeuer ye go and cal vpon in your anxt and nede beleuinge the saÌ„e to helpe you whether it be niclas Ian or George the same is your god in whom ye beleue For howe can ye call vppon him saith Paule in whome you beleue not And ye be maried to y t god in a false saith hope and loue committing with him as y e prophets testifye aduouterouse idolatrye Beware god is a ielouse god and loketh to haue our hole faith coÌ„fidence hope and loue with all oure hole hertes And how standeth these together onely to god be honor glory and praise and yet ye geue his honour and diuide it betwixt him and mary and Niclas c. by participacion He is contente that parents and magistrates haue their dewe ciuile honor and reuerence but gods own glorye honour and worship in spirit and veritie by inuocacion of faith I pray ye let him selfe onely enioye it totally entierly absolutely and holy as ye terme it and robbe him not of it ye may aswell by participation impartâ— his godhed and his diuine power from him as his glorye and honoure whiche be hys inseperable essencials Your doctrine is blasphemose to gods holy name and glory Rpent ye And to confirme this damnable doctryne ye peruert christis wordis sainge If any man honor me my father shal honor him in heueÌ„ where the text is Si. quis mihi ministrat pater meus cohonestabit eum that is Whoso ministreth vnto me meaninge in his vocacion by preching or gouerniÌ„g truly in his office my father shal beutifye him in glorie euen the same that Paul saith If we here suffere with christ in his trwe seruice any ignominy we shal be glorifyed w t hiÌ„ iÌ„ heueÌ„ For he setteth ignominie agenste glorye But your wordes sowne naughtely as to saye whoso honoureth me where honor is taken for gods honor and then continently to say My father shall honor him as though ye wold haue honor in bothe places to be taken a lyke makinge God to honour his creature with his diuyne honor Ye muste recite the scriptures as thei stande and alter not christes words for your wiked purpose lest as Salomon saithe ye be reproued as a lier God spendeth not his glory and honor ne hathe the lesse No but you asmiche as in you lyeth wolde robbe him of them and ye coÌ„mitte that excecrable sacrylege that Paule speaketh of Roma ii For as in his adoracion confidence faith inuocation and in thankes geuyng consistethe hys glorye and honour so be they not diuisible from hym But because as ye saye GOD is ryche omnisufficiente and aboundante in glorye yet therefore ought ye not to steale anye from hym as saye theues It is no synne to robbe the ryche that haue enoughe But god so spredeth his honoure abrode and is thereby magnified amonge vs. He spreadeth it not abrode either to be stolen or diuided from hym as ye wold and teach by your participation but to be acknowledged of vs and thanked for it which his glorye and honoure if ye vsurpe or diuide them to anye other so dishonoure ye and blaspheme god and ye honoure the deuyll For god wâ—lbe honoured and magnified after his owne prescripte wordes and not after youre vaine imaginacions as thei leade you thoughe they appeare in youre eyes neuer so gloriouse There is no creature in heauen ne vpon erth excepte it be antichrist but abhorreth putteth it from him when it is offred hiÌ„ But ye wil eat still of the tree of knoweledge of good euell at the perswasion of the serpente decerninge and deuisinge to God what glory and honour ye list and teache it to be good withoute his worde ye saye we cannot abyde that christe suffred for oure example yisse better then you that neuer folowed hys ' example and yet will be called his successors Also ye loue christ but ye diuide him froâ— his seruantes his saints departed vndeâ— a wronge pretence of the preseruacion oâ— his holy honour Christ wil haue his hole honor reserued to him selfe onely as Paule and Isay saye Nether will his saintes departed desire it but refuse it offred them as did the apostels and aungels vtterly thruste it from them as did the aungel in the apo xxii and not christ in the forme of an aungel Christ him selfe ye call lyfe but ye call his seruauntes the saintes departed dead meÌ„ and for spyte cut of their eares Thei be no liuinge men but liuinge spirits and dead bodies nether can men cut of their eares seinge the spirits haue nether eares ne bodies ne heades but as touchinge y t bodely part be resolued into dust â–ª Thei be idle idols eares that haue eares and heare not eyes and cannot se whose eares ye say men cut of and by your own consent their stockish dead bodies cast into the fier because ye coÌ„mit idolatry before them Thus diuide ye christ and make strife betwene his giftes also w t your onely faith to put charitie out of office in iustificatâ—on Onely faith to iustify maketh no strife with charitie which is pacient and enuieth not faith to do hir owne proper office as ye of enuy vncharitablye contende and sâ—riue so falsely But it is your popishe doctrine that maketh the strife scisme diuidinge your selues from all christen faithfull and true religion For as the londe is diuided in situacion frome all other so wold ye forme it to your selues a sondrye faith and religion from all other nations Christ neuer chaunged the heude of any chirche ether in the Iewes or gentiles but he also with the same chaunged the bodye euen the chirche or els it were but a monstrose thinge an antichristen church to haue a
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
pareÌ„thesis although meÌ„ might by grace be without syn it is so rare a byrde as was ne neuer shal be sene but only christ as the scripture Austen affirme it Nowe haue I shewed it to you clerely by scriptures yours as it were the skar and mater of originall syn to be no skar but sinne it self ne to be none so healed a wounde but that we must be regenered of the spirit and taught by the baptisme of water to mortifie that concupiscence that it is in mortifying neuer mortified tyl at the last breath out of our bodies Paul him selfe al faithfull felt this coÌ„cupiscence dwelling in theÌ„ striuing against the renouacion of y e spirit whiles they lyued It is therefore so blody and so skabby a skar in the soule that it is euer in cure in the wouÌ„ded half dead half a liue whoÌ„ the samaritane committed to the inholder luc â–ª x. and not so cleaue a skar as ye go about to cure it by baptism And so maister Ioye to returne to our mater yf ye wolde for policie fle from the worke of loue to the work of faith because ye wolde be assewred ye be no more assewered in respect by your own worke by faith then ye be by charitie but all oure asseweraunce is in gods promise quia deus verax omnis homo mendar No my lorde I fly not froÌ„ the work of loue to the worke of faith as ye do froÌ„ faith to loue thei both flyinge froÌ„ you But I do enbrace them bothe But in the worke of my iustificacion I obserue the order and doctryne of the scripture onely by faith to be iustified and so to procede to y e workes of loue first assewered by my faithe which assewerance loue can not geue me into Christe that he hath forgeuen me my sinnes Nether speke I of any other asseweraÌ„ce by my nowne works as ye wolde falsely impinge it vnto me but onely by the worke of faith into Christe which is not my worke but gods worke and his gift in me But I spake plainly of faith it self which is the very self certitude vndouted adseweraunce ioined to gods infallible promise sealled with his holy sprit my pledge pant and ernest peny geuen me in Christs promyse with which my faith thus sealed I am assewered of my remission and saluacion thorow hope But all our adsewerance say you is in gods promise Ioye But what asewerance haue ye in gods promise except ye beleue it Euen here haue ye condempned your self and of purpose left out faith the assewered certitude of gods promise and not charite ye wil vtter the trwth and bewraye your self vnwares the infallible prouidence of God so bringinge into light by your selues the same thinge ye contende to kouer and to suppresse For this my former boke ayenst you I dare saye ye wold haue punished him y t shuld haue brought it first into the realme and now haue ye made lawes y t none siche bokis be openly redde ne solde in the realme but haue condempned them And yet hathe God so blindened and infatuated you in your own false tyranye as to make your self to printe the same boke agene and yet agen to to be openly frely redd w t yours and sold in the realme And for one secret C. by your own blynd procurement are there now openly a M. distributed in y e realme into many haÌ„des that neuer had theÌ„ before And therfore how soeuer ye and yours wyll test at it I wyll retourne to my common collet a prayer in the churche Omnipotens sempiterne deus da nobis fidei spei charitatis augmentuÌ„ ut mereamur assequi quod promiâ—tiâ— fac nos amare quod precipis Now I pray ye returne to it againe and into the popes portewes youre versicles litanies matens euensoÌ„g and misse to that yet prayethe in the same to merit to obtayne remission of sinnes and saluacion by their popish workes pardous and pilgrimages For in deed ye be drouen froÌ„ the scriptures and compelled as euerye man seeth to flye to your popysh portews and missale to begge your false and beggarly autorities to coÌ„firme your doutfull doctryne I dare saye yf ye had knowen the scriptures to haue confirmed it ye wolde neuer haue sought suche shiftes Wherfore the some of our helth beginneth continueth and is accomplysshed by gods mercye Quia neque volentis neque currentissed miserentis dei est so the seweraunce of our helth depeÌ„deth vpon gods promyse I am afrayde lest as ye iugled w t your bare beleife so wolde ye do with gods promise ye shuld haue therfore added to it saying playnely The asseweraunce of our helth dependethe vpon goddes promyse of remission saluacion in Christ apprehended by faythe Mary quod you and that is truthe And here you wyll clappe your handes extoll the strength of treuth Ioye yea and of fayth to As though we pharseis as ye saduces call vs wolt oppresse it The promise of god is all Et ideo ex fide say you Ioye And therefore oute of faithe saith Paule is the heretage geuen Geuen he saith and not deserued vt firma sit promissio that by grace and not by Wynchesters workes it be geuen that ferme and sewer myghte be the promise I think there was neuer haithen gentyle or Iewe that so spightfully and so blasphemously mocketh out gods holy word as here do you of a sette proposed malice sinning agenst the holy goste For here because ye shuld not erre of ignorance god hath suâ—fred you to fall into the place of S. Paul which vtterly conuinceth destroieth all your dampnable doctryne Here Paul setting the lawe against the promise of the gospel as one contrary to the tother in the acte of iustificacion maketh .vii. mighty arguments to proue onely faith w tout the workes of the lawe to iustifye because the rightwysnes of workis and of the lawe cannot stand togither For that as cometh to vs by the promise he saith it cannot come to vs out of the lawe but the heretage cometh to vs by the promise ergo not out of the lawe emonge the whiche arguments this is one If our iustificacion shulde depende of the works of the law no man were sewer of his iustificacion bothe for thimperfeccion of his works also for thimpossibilite of the lawe to be performed of maÌ„ And agen the lawe worketh wrath and maketh sinne the more breeme to abounde Onely that thinge iustifyeth which settleth maketh sewer and fast our consciences out of doute but that is the fre promise of God receiued by our faith not the werkis of the lawe wherfore our faith onely staid vpon gods fre and vndouted promise iustifyeth Then he argueth agen thus Euery fre merciable promise of god in christ to forgeue vs our sinnes is receiued by onely fayth our iustificacion is the free merciful promise of God in Christ wherfore it must
alone saith he whiche for my nown selues sake do away thy sinnes not for thy patched merites It is I saith he y e trode the wyne presse all alone not one to helpe me It is I that wylbe alone and haue no pere ne match c. We esteme not therefore as ye do our iustification so vyle a thing as to be bought and deserued w t our sinful workes But we esteme it so preciouse as to be bought and deserued with the moost precyouse bloude of that innocente lambe our sauyoure Christ. The remission of oure synnes in whiche we affirme our ryghtewysenes to stand is so ryche and of so precyouse a price that it can not be recompensed ne satisfyed with any good dede of ours And therfore coulde it neuer haue ben gotten ne bought onlesse it had ben frely geuen vs. But so came it not to christe For it coste him no small price It coste him his owne most preciouse blode without which so worthey and so ryche a pryce the iustice of god coulde neuer haue ben satisâ—yed ne the redempcioÌ„ paide for vs. These thingis when we teache men then are they monished that as oft as they sinne so oft do they shede that most innocent bloude of christe Also we teche our filthines to be so lothely and stinkinge that it coulde neuer haue ben washed away but with the only fountaine of this most preciouse holy bloud This doctrine who so heare it conceiue they not thinke ye a greater horrour displeasure and feare for their sinnes then if we shulde teache them falsely as ye do their sinnes to be so easely wiped away w t a buzing absolutioÌ„ y â— prestes hand laide vpon their headis with a Lady psalter penaunce or with a wyll worke of oures with an euyll wyll doone as for the choyce of a meat and such lyke yea and yf there be any sparke of gods spirite in theÌ„ home afraid wil they be and tremble beinge once purged any more to walowe them selues wrapped againe in the myer wherby as much as in theÌ„ lyeth they trouble and infect the puritie of this so swete and cleare a fouÌ„taine I haue wasshed my fete saith the faithful soule and shall I defile them againe Nowe is it plaine whether of vs two make the forgeuenes of oure sinnes moste vyle do most sclaunder to the dignitie of oure iustificacion As for your popishe doctryne in this article is but a spightefull mocke and skorne to saye god to be appeced and pleased with your owne friuole synfull satisfaccions and merites that is with dirte and derme But we affirme the offence our synnes to be muche more greuouse theÌ„ w t such maner light trifles I cal theÌ„ no worse to be purged wyped away yea we teache y e offence commytted agaynste the high maiestie of god to be more waightye and therfore so muche the more to be abhorred then wyth these youre easye vaine of noughte worthe satisfactorye merites to be remitted And therfore it to be the only prerogatyue pryce of Christes bloude to satisfy and deserue our remissioÌ„ As for you if rightwisenes faile ye teache it to be restored by your owne satisfactory workes but we affirme it with goddes worde to be muche more preciouse then maye be compared and recompensed with any work at all ours And therfore for the restoringe therof we constantly teache almen to flye onlye to the mercye of god apprehended by onely faythe in Christe Iesu. But I dyd neuer vtter this proposition in these termes to saye that man must merit remission of sinne nor haue not redde it in this forme No. But ye saye it by participation and vnder your forme and colour of youre condicions ye speake it plainly Ye say that by the workes of penaunce men taste and fele Chrystes passion whiche the scripture sayth is tasted by felynge remission of synnes ye say that sinners be called to grace to do the workes of penaunce wherby to recouer remyssyon of theyr sinnes And in your collette ye praye ut mere amur assequi quod promittis That we myghte deserue to obtayne the thynge God promysethe whiche is remyssion of oure synnes And in youre seconde article ye saye They that wyll enioye the remyssyon of theyr synnes muste fulfyll poure condicyon whyche as ye declare it is stuffed ful of your merites and winchesters good workes And all youre argumentes reasons gatheringes and deduccions tende to the same popishe point Without I wold encounter with you in raylynge I haue nothinge to saye here vnto c. I raile not on you I tel you of your false doctrine confutinge it w t gods worde It is you that rayle vpon me and rebuke me mooste impudentlye causeles for writinge the truth and confutynge your popyshe Antichristen doctrine whereby ye seduce the people into errours into theyrs and your dampnation and in many places ye belye me deadely and sclaunder me most haynouslye with heresye and be not able to proue it It is you y t peruert falsefy gods worde to stablish your antichristeÌ„ heresies It is your deuillysh dryft wycked counsel to thrust gods holy eternal worde of saluacion out of that noble realme persecutynge it so cruelly w t swerde and fyer so mercylessely burninge the innocent lambes of christe for professinge Christe and his holye worde Ye can saye nothing against me alledginge the scriptures trulye as I do except ye wyll impugne the veritie as ye do ye haue not yet in al your bokes iustely soluted one texte that I haue brought against you as euery reader maye see it yf he lyst to compare our bokes together I for my selfe boste not my workes to the worlde but do the office of an hand at a crosse to saye this is the right waye c. Except ye do thoffice of a true hand and iuste minister not onelye poyntynge the right waye into whiche y e hande nayled to the crosse neuer entred it selfe ye shall not be so excused with onely pointinge before christes iudgement seat If ye be christes or his apostels successor ye must folow their exaÌ„ples which did not point to other the waye standynge them selues styll lyke idle handes but they wente before their flocke into the right waye bothe in trewe doctrine preachinge and also in example of godly lyuinge And ye must remember y t Chryst commandeth sclaunderouse and false pointinge handis as ye be one into wronge wayes to be cutte of from the body as he did euel eyes whiche be euel bysshops to be castoute of their bysshoprykes Nether do I iuge you otherwyse then god biddith vs iuge the tree by hir frutes and to be ware of you Ye call me a runner about and dare not appere euery where I am so i dede but for no offences committed agenste god and my prince ne agaynste any other whiche is my counforte in an vpright conscience before god and his holy chirche I am by you drouen
And so in the honor of God and our lady Ioy. Soli deo honor gloria God geueth not his glory from him Ioy No he parteth it betwene him selfe and our ladye soo Here is a goodly dead dreame out of the popis portews and not one worde of scripture for it but playne ayenst it Saye not the scripturs that there is but onely one mediator betwixt God and man with his praier Iesus christe and that the helpe of God is omnipotent and omnisufficient we be here al members of christs chirche in the ministery of his workis with mutuall teachinge exhortinge helpinge and prainge one forother ergo shal menis workes helpe God to iustifye or shal the departed into heuen do y e same ministery there for vs which thei did here liuing hitherto tēdeth yo r deducciō out of yo r prīcipal purpose Is it not y e diminishīg of gods honor into y e derogatiō of his glory to attribute y e proper helpe and his proper essenciall workes reserued to his godhed ī christes onely humanitie deserued and father them vpō or imparte thē to mā or womā As Gediō dirst not saye My swerde but the swerde of the lorde gote the victorye so neuer bode thei Godion fight for them aftir he was dead Nether doth gods worde bid vs praye to any saynt departed albeit beinge alyue we helpe eche other w t mutual prayers what we do here for other it folowth not the same to be done of vs in heuen or els let Paul preache in heuen make tentes c. If Paul beinge in heuen in spirit had ben or is as profitable with his prechinge or prayers to the congregacion as he was here in bodye soul he wold neuer haue writen these wordes to the Phillipians thus sayenge As for myself to be in heuen with Christe it is miche better and farre more profitable but to tary here still in my fleshe I were more necessary and profitable for you Where ye see Sayntes to be more necessary profitable to their mutall members whē thei we be here togither thē when thei be taken from vs into heuen But this place of scripture you ne your papistis euer espyed ne vnderstode it belyke ne many othermoo lyke places ayenst you what els is mēt by Iacobs vision beholdinge thaungels descendinge and ascendinge by the ledder the lorde of powers onely sittinge vpon the toppe therof then the onely Christis intercession and merits by the ministracion euen of thaungels to be brought vnto vs And albeit abrahams seruant was committed to y e custodie of the aungell yet did he not pray to him in the iourneye but vnto the lord to prosper it and to shewe his mercie to Abraham So that God therfore maketh not his aungels then miche lesse y e soulis departed y e ministers of his power and goodnes ne to be prayd to so to diuyde as ye dreame any of his glory to them Nether promiseth he to vs his help by y e seruice of soulis or spirits to th entent we shuld diuide our praiers faith and confidence betwxt god and thē For it is platos playn philosophy and the popis heresie to go and seke to God by aungels and spirits of the deade and not by christ only them therfore to be worshiped because thei may get vs helpe with God All the promises of God ar in Christ etiam and amen that is to say adsewerdly confirmed fulfilled perfitly wherfore there be none confirmed in mary peter George or nicolas nor ī gedions swerd by their intercession prayers vs to be helpen and therfore we cannot aske helpe of them in any faith or beleif and if we aske it not in faithe of thē neuer let vs hope to obtayne our peticiōs at them Shew me one worde of faithe to praye to sayntes These .iiii. things where in cōsisteth the glory of God we ought only to attribute them holly vnto him and not to imparte ne diuide them to any creature that is to wete adoracion faithful confidence inuocacion and thanks geuinge These be appropried to god only as the scripture testifyeth euerywhere And it is the next synne ayenst the holy gost to attribut the onely helpe of God to any mortal man or creature so to diuide his own glory or any parte ther of frō him Ye haue nether scripture ne example ī al the bible for your prainge to saints but y e playn contrary And ye be commanded to teache nonother doctryne then ye can geue a rekenīg therof out of the scriptures Ye brīge in to confirme y e menis works must be concurrant with gods works in iustificacion for herof yssewth all your deduccion this childish fainge Christs crosse me spede saint Nicolas And God and our ladye help God and S. George helpe who laugheth not at these fonde probacions lorde what shameles shiftis be thei compelled to seke and how blinde be thei that haue hardened their hertis agenst y e veritie Be these your scriptures to proue your parte It is as I euer said Selden be these popish lawyers good lerned diuyns Had the bishop of rome no beter learned capitains to defend his false religiō it were sone fallen But your puft vp autoritie and arrogant boldenes armed with crueltie be mightier in mischeif then your lerninge ye may now lye as ye liste and wryte what ye will when ye haue banished and condempned all mens bokes and answers agenst you where fynde ye in scripture that S. nicolas praieth for vs or that S. george or Gedion fighteth for vs Be it in case George were the patrone of france and the frenche men shulde call vpon him as effectuousely as the englyshemen in batail shuld not saint George fight againste him selfe And god helpeth by geuinge of helpe and Nicolas by praienge for helpe Ioy. And what then doth our only intercessor christ for al sufficiente In confession wherof we set forth the honour of god Ioye yea ye stele it from him like theues and murtherers Euen as god wolde haue it magnified Ioye unde uersus Yea euen as ye wold haue it honoured and magnified after youre owne wicked inuencion of which deuillyshe deuisers of gods worshyp and glorie after their owne beastely wittes Paule thus saith when thei had knowen that there was god yet did thei not worship him as god but shewed their own vaine curiositie and arrogancie and curiouse vanitie in their owne reasoning for gods gloriouse honour In so miche that thei obscured their owne blynde ignorant hertis and where thei thought them selues to haue done most wysely for gods honor and glorie there thei proued themselues starke foles and fil to wo shipinge and callinge vpon the creaturs in stede of God y e creator of all Agene beholde how greuously Christe stryketh you with the autoritie of Isay for honouringe God with menis precepts and tradicions God tolde Abrahā that his name