prophetes manners of speaking are to be noted as A child is borne to vs. Again Reioce the daughter of Siō behold thy king cōmeth to thee Also that confyrmation of loue shoulde be very colde whyche Paule setteth oute that Christe suffered deathe for his enemies For therevpon we gather that he had no respect of himselfe that same he plainely affirmeth in saieng I sanctifie my selfe for them For he that geueth awaie the frute of his holynesse vnto other doth thereby testifie that he purchaceth nothing for hymselfe And truely this is moste worthyly to be noted that Christe to geue him selfe wholy to saue vs did after a certaine manner forget himselfe But to thys purpose thei doe wrongfully drawe this testimonie of Paule Therefore the father hath exalted him geuē him a name c. For by what deseruinges coulde man obteine to be iudge of the worlde and the heade of the Angeles and to enioye the soueraigne dominion of God and that in hym shoulde rest that same maiestie the thousandth parte whereof all the powers of men and Angeles can not reache vnto But the solution thereof is easy and playne that Paule doth not ther entreate of the cause of exalting of Christe but onely to shewe the effect ensuing thereof that it might be for an example to vs. And no other thing is meant by that whiche is spoken in an other place that it behoued that Christe shold suffer and so enter into the glorie of his Father The thirde booke of the Institution of Christian Religion Whiche entreateth of the manner howe to receiue the grace of Christ and what profites do growe vnto vs and what effectes ensue thereof The fyrste Chapter That those thinges which are spoken of Christ do profite vs by secret working of the holy Ghoste NOwe it is to be seen howe those good thinges doe come vnto vs whiche the Father hathe geuen to his only begotten Sonne not for his own priuate vse but to enriche them that were without them needed them And fyrste this is to be learned that so longe as Christe is oute of vs and we be seuered from him whatsoeuer he suffered or dyd for the saluation of mankinde is vnprofitable and nothinge auayleth for vs. Therefore that he maye enterparten wyth vs those thinges that he hathe receiued of hys Father it behoueth that he become oures and dwell in vs. And for that cause he is called our heade and the fyrste begotten amonge many brethren and on the other side it is saide that we are graffed into him and did putte on hym For as I haue before saide all that euer he possesseth belongeth nothinge to vs vntyll we growe together into one with hym But although it be true that wee obteyne thys by faythe yet forasmuche as we see that not al without dyfference do embrace this enterpartening of Christe whyche is offered by the Gospel therefore very reason teacheth vs to clymbe vp hyer and to enquire of the secret effectuall workinge of the Spirite by whyche it is brought to passe that we enioye Christe and all his good thynges I haue before entreated of the eternall godhede and essence of the Spirit at thys present let vs be content wyth thys one speciall article that Christe so came in water and bloode that the Spirite shoulde testifie of hym leaste the saluation that he hathe purchaced shold slippe awaie from vs. For as there are alleged three witnesses in heauen the Father the Worde and the Spirit so are there also three in earth Water Bloode the Spirit And not without cause is the testimonie of the Spirite twise repeted whiche we feele to bee engrauen in oure heartes in steede of a seale whereby commeth to passe that it sealeth the washinge and sacrifice of Christ. After whiche meaninge Peter also saith that the faythfull are chosen in santification of the spirit vnto obedience and sprynkling of the blood of Christ. By whiche woordes he telleth vs that to the entent the shedinge of that holy bloode shoulde not become voyde oure soules are cleansed wyth it by the secrete wateringe of the holy Spirite According whervnto Paule also speakinge of cleansinge and iustification saieth that we are made partakers of them bothe in the name of Iesus Christe and in the Spirite of oure God Finally thys is the summe that the holy Spyrite is the bonde wherewyth Christe effectually byndeth vs vnto hym For proofe whereof also do serue all that wee haue taughte in the laste booke before thys concernynge hys anoyntynge But that this being a matter specially worthy to be knowen may be made more certainly euident we must holde this in minde that Christ came furnished with the holy Spirit after a certaine peculiar manner to the ende that he might seuer vs from the worlde and gather vs together into the hope of an eternal inheritance For this cause he is called the Spirit of sanctification bicause he doth not onely quicken and nourish vs with that general power which appeareth as wel in mankinde as in all other liuinge creatures but also is in vs the roote and feede of heauenly life Therefore the Prophetes do principally cōmend the kingdome of Christe by this title of prerogatiue that then shoulde florishe more plentifull aboundance of the Spirit And notable aboue all the rest is that place of Ioel In that day I will poure of my Spirit vpon al fleshe For though the Prophet there seeme to restraine the giftes of the Spirit to the office of prophecieng yet vnder a figure he meaneth that God by the enlightning of his Spirite will make those his scholers whyche before were vnskilfull and voyde of all heauenly doctrine Nowe forasmuche as God the Father dothe for his Sonnes sake geue vs his holy Spirit yet hathe left with him the whole fulnesse thereof to the ende that he shoulde be a minister and distributer of his liberalitie he is sometime called the Spirite of the Father and sometime the Spirite of the Sonne Ye are not saith Paule in the fleshe but in the Spirit for the Spirit of God dwelleth in you But if any haue not the spirit of Christe he is not his And herevpon he putteth vs in hope of ful renuing for that he which raised vp Christ from the deade shall quicken our mortall bodies bicause of his Spirit dwelling in vs. For it is not absurditie that to the Father bee ascribed the praise of his owne giftes whereof he is the author yet that the same be ascribed to Christe with whome the giftes of the Spirite are lefte that he maie geue them to those that be his Therefore he calleth all them that thirste to come to him to drynke And Paule teacheth that the Spirit is distributed to euery one according to the measure of the gifte of Christ. And it is to be knowen that he is called the Spirite of Christ not onely in respect that the eternall Worde of God is
grefe that no feare of God might trouble theÌ„ yet the iudgement of God so presseth them that they can not atteyne that whiche they desire So there is nothyng to withstande but that God maye exercise them that be his to humilitiâ— that in fightyng valiantly they maye restrayne themselues vnder the bridle of modestie And by the processe of the texte it appereth that this was the entent of the Apostle where he assigneth the cause of feare and tremblyng to be the good pleasure of God whereby he geueth to them that be his bothe to will wel and valiantly to goe through with it According to this meaning ought we to take that sayeng of the Prophete The children of Israel shal feare God and his godnesse bicause not only godlinesse engeÌ„dreth the reuerence of God but the very swetenesse and pleasant taste of grace filleth man beyng discouraged in himself with feare and admiratioÌ„ to make him hange vpon God and humbly yeld himselfe subiect to his power Yet we do not herby make roome to that most pestileÌ„t Philosophie whiche many halfe papistes at this daye beginne to coyne in corners For bicause they caÌ„ not defende that grosse doubtfulnesse which hath ben taught in Scholes thei flie to an other deuise to make a confideÌ„ce mingled with distrustfulnesse Thei confesse that so oft as we loke vnto Christ â–ª we finde in him full mater to hope well but bicause we are alwayes vnworthy of those good things that are offred vs in Christ they would haue vs to wauer stagger in beholding of our owne vnworthinesse Briefely they place conscience to betwene hope feare that it altereth from the one to the other by enterchangeable times courses and they so compare fayth hope together that when the one springeth vp the other is pressed downe wheÌ„ the one ariseth the othre againe falleth So wheÌ„ Satan seeth that those open engines wherwith before time he was wont to destroy the assurednesse of faith do now nothing preuaile he endeuoreth by croked vndermininges to ouerthrow it But what manner of coÌ„fidence shal that be which shal now then yeld to desperatioÌ„ If say they thou coÌ„sider Christ there is assured saluatioÌ„ but if thou returne to thy self there is assured daÌ„nation Therefore of necessitie distrust and good hope must by enterchaÌ„geable courses reigne in thy minde As though we ought to imagine Christ standyng a far of and not rather dwellyng within vs. For therefore we loke for saluation at his hande not bycause he appereth a far of vnto vs but bicause he hath graffed vs into his bodye and so maketh vs partakers not only of all his good thinges but also of himself Therefore I thus turne this their argument against themselues If thou consider thy self there is certaine damnation But bicause Christ with all his good thinges is by way of coÌ„municatyng so geuen vnto thee that all his thinges are made thine and thou arte made a member of him yea all one with him his righteousnesse drowneth thy sinnes his saluation taketh awaye thy damnation he by his worthynesse coÌ„meth betwene thee and God that thy vnworthynesse come not in the sight of God Briefely this is the truthe we ought neyther to separate Christ from vs nor vs from him but with bothe handes to holde fast that felowshippe whereby he hath coupled himselfe vnto vs. So the Apostle teacheth vs The body in deede sayth he is dead by reason of sinne but the Spirit of Christ that dwelleth in you is life for righteousnesse According to these mens trifeling deuise he should haue said Christ in deede hath life with himself but you as you be sinners remayne subiect to death and damnation But he sayth far otherwise For he teacheth that that damnatioÌ„ which we deserue of our 〈◊〉 â–ª is swalowed vp by the saluation of Christ and 〈…〉 the same reason that I haue alleged bicause Christ is not 〈◊〉 vs but dwelleth within vs and cleaueth vnto vs not only with â—â—diuidable knot of felowshippe but with a certaine maruellous communion dayly more and more groweth with vs into one body till he be made altogether one with vs. And yet I denie not as I haue sayd a litle before that sometime there happen certaine iâ—â—erruptions of fayth as the weakenesse thereof is amonge violent sodeine motions bowed hether or thether So in the thicke miste of teÌ„tations the ligâ—â— thereof is choked but what so euer happeneth it cesseth not from endeuour to seke God And no otherwise doth Bernarde argue when he purposely entreateth of this question in his .v. Homelie in the Dedication of the temple Oftentimes I say by the benefite of God studieng vpon the soule me thinkes I finde in it two thinges as it were contrarie If I behold the soule it selfe as it is in it selfe and of it selfe I can saye nothyng more truely of it than that it is vtterly brought to nought What neede I nowe to recken vp particularly all the miseries of the soule how it is loaden with sinnes couered with darknesse entangled with deceitfull enticementes itchyng with lustes subiect to passions filled with illusions alwaye enclined to euell bent to all kindes of vice finally full of shame and confusion Now if al the very righteousnesses of it beynge loked vpon by the light of truthe be founde like a clothe stayned with floures then what shall the vnrighteounesses thereof be accompted If the light that is in vs be darkenesse how great shal the very darkenesse be What then without doubte man is made like vnto vanitie man is brought to nought man is nothing But how theÌ„ is he vtterly nothing whome God doth magnifie How then is he nothyng toward whome Gods heart is set Brethren let vs take heart againe Though we be nothing in our owne heartes peraduenture there maye somewhat of vs lie hidden in the heart of God O father of mercies O father of the miserable howe doest thou set thy heart toward vs For thy heart is where thy treasure is But howâ—â—e we thy treasure if we be nothyng All nations are so before thee as yf they were not they shal be reputed as nothyng Euen before thee not within thee so in the iudgement of thy truth but not in the affection of thy pitie Thou callest those thinges that are not as though they were Therefore bothe they are not bicause thou callest those things that are not and also they are bycause thou callest them For though they are not in respect of theÌ„selues yet with thee they are according to that sayeng of Paule not of the workes of righteousnesse but of him that calleth And then he sayth that this couplyng together of bothe consideracions is maruellous Truely those thinges that are knit together do not the one destroye the other Which also in the coÌ„clusion he more plainely declareth in these wordes Now if with both these consideracioÌ„s we diligently loke vpon our selues what we be yea in the one consideracioÌ„
meaneth to make seuerally knowen the true God from the false gods it chiefelye compareth him with idols not that it doth allowe these inuencyons that are more suttelly and finely taughte by the Philosophers but the plainlier to disclose the folishnesse of the world yea rather their madnesse in sekyng God so long as they cleaue euery one to their own imaginations Therfore that exclusiue definition whych we commonly heare bryngeth to nought all that maner of Godhead that men frame to themselues by their own opinion because God hymselfe is the only conueniente witnesse of hymselfe In the meane tyme sith thys brutysh grossenesse hath possessed the whole world to couet visible shapes of God and so to forge themselues Gods of timber stone golde siluer and other dead and corruptible matter we ought to holde thys prynciple that wyth wycked falshode the glorye of God is corrupted so oft as any shape is fained to represent him Therfore God in the law after he had once chalenged the glory of hys deitie to hymselfe alone meaning to teache vs what manner of worshipping him he aloweth or refuseth addeth immediatly Thou shalt make thee no grauen image nor any similitude in which woordes he restraineth our libertie that we attempt not to represent him with any visible image And there he shortly reckneth vp all the formes wherwith of long time before supersticion had begon to turne his trueth into lyinge For we know that the Persians worshipped the sonne yea and so many starres as the folish nations saw in the skie so many goddes they fained them And scarce was there any liuing creature whiche was not among the Egiptians a figure of God But the Grecians were thought to be wyser than the rest because they worshipped God in the shape of a manne But God compareth not images one with an other as though one wer more and an other lesse mete to be vsed but withoute any exception he reiecteth all images pictures and other signes wherby the superstitious thought to haue God nere vnto them This is easy to be gathered by the reasons whiche he ioyneth to the prohibition First with moses Remember that the Lord hath spoken to thee in the vale of Horeb. Thou heardest a voice but thou saweste no body Therfore take hede to thy selfe least paraduenture thou be deceiued and make to thy selfe any likenesse c. We see how openly God setteth his voice against all counterfaite shapes that we may knowe that they forsake God whosoeuer do couet to haue visible formes of hym Of the Prophetes onely Esay shal be enough whiche speaketh ofte and much herof to teache that the maiestie of god is defiled with vncomlye and folishe counterfaiting when he beeyng without body is likened to bodily mater being inuisible to a visible image being a spirit to a thing without life being incomprehensible to a small lompe of timber stone or golde In like manner reasoneth Paule For asmuch as we are the generacion of god we ought not to thinke that the godhead is lyke vnto golde or siluer or stone grauen by art and the inuention of mā Wherby it certainely appeareth whatsoeuer images are erected or pictures painted to expresse the shape of god they simply displease hym as certaine dishonors of his maiestie And what maruel is it if the holy ghost do thonder out these oracles from heauen sith he compelleth the verye wretched and blinde idolaters themselues to confesse this in earth It is knowen how Seneca complained as it is to reade in Augustine They dedicate saieth he the holy immortall and inuiolable gods in most vile and base stuffe and put vpon them the shapes of men and beastes and some of them with kinde of man and woman mingled together with sondryshapen bodyes and such they call gods whiche if they shoulde receiue breath and mete them would be reckened monsters Whereby agayne plainly appeareth that it is a fonde cauillacion wherewith the defenders of images seke to escape which say that the Iewes were forbidden images because they were inclinable to superstition As thoughe that thyng perteyned to one nation onely which god bryngeth forth of hys eternall beeing and the contynuall order of nature And Paule spake not to the Iewes but to the Athenienses when he confuted theyr error in counterfaytyng a shape of god God in dede I graunt somtyme in certayne sygnes hath geuen a presence of hys godhed so as he was sayed to be beholden face to face but all these sygnes that euer he shewed dyd aptly serue for meanes to teache and wythall dyd playnly admonishe men of an incomprehēsible essence For the cloude and smoke and flame although they wer tokens of the heauenly glory yet did they as it were bridle and restraine the mindes of mē that they should not attempt to passe any further Wherfore not Moses himself to whom God disclosed himselfe most familiarly in comparison of other obteined by prayer to see that face but receyued this answere that man is not able to susteine so great brightnesse The holy ghost appeared vnder the lykenesse of a doue but sith he immediatly vanished away who doeth not see that by that tokē of so short a continuaunce of a moment the faithful are put in minde that they ought to beleue him to be an inuisible spirite that holding them contēted with his vertue grace they should make him no outwarde shape This that God appeared somtimes in forme of a man was a foreshewing of the reueling that was to be made of him in Christ. And therefore it was not lawfull for the Iewes to abuse this pretense to erect to themselues a representacion of the godhead in the shape of man Also the mercy seate wherin God shewed forth the presence of his power in the time of the law was so made as it might teache that the best beholding of the godhead is this when mens mindes are caried beyond them selues with administracion of it For the Cherubins with their winges stretched abrod did couer it the veile did hide it and the place it selfe being set faire inwarde did of it selfe sufficiently kepe it secrete Therefore it is very plaine that they be very mad that goe aboute to defende the images of God of Saintes with the example of these Cherubins For I pray you what meant these litle images but to shewe that images are not mete to represent the misteries of God forasmuch as they were made for this purpose that hiding the mercy seate with their winges they should not onely kepe backe the eies of man but also all his senses from the beholding of God and so to correct his rash hardinesse For this purpose maketh it that the Prophetes described the Seraphins shewed them in vision with their face vncouered wherby they signifie that so great is the brightnesse of the glorye of God that the Angelles themselues are kept from direct beholding it and the smal sparkes therof that
studye to loue and honor him withall oure harte ¶ The .xv. Chapter What a one man was created wherin there is entreated of the powers of the soule of the image of God of free wyll and of the first integritie of nature NOw must we speake of the creation of mā not only because he is among all the workes of God the moste noble and most excellente example of his iustice wisdome and goodnesse but also because as we said in the beginning we cannot plainly and perfectly know God vnlesse we haue wtall a mutuall knowledge of our selues Although the same knowledge be of two sortes the one to knowe what we were created at the first beginning the other to know what our estate began to be after the fall of Adam for it were but to smal profit for vs to knowe our creation vnlesse we did also in this lamentable fall knowe what is the corruption and deformitie of our nature yet at this time we wil be contente with descriptiō of our nature when it was pure And before we descende to this miserable estate wherunto man is nowe in thraldome it is good to learne what a one he was created at the beginning For we must take hede that in precisely declaring only the natural euils of man we seme not to impute them to the author of nature For vngodlinesse thinketh her self to haue sufficient defense in this color if it may lay for her selfe that whatsoeuer fault she hath the same did after a certaine maner procede from God sticketh not if she be accused to quarell with God and to lay the fault vpō him wherof she is worthely accused And they that would seme to speake somwhat more reuerently of the maiestie of God yet do willingly seke to excuse their own wickednesse by nature not considering that therin though not openly they blame God also to whoe 's reproche it shoulde fall if it were proued that there is any fault in nature Sith then we see that our fleshe gapeth for all the wayes to escape wherby she thynketh the blame of her own euils may any way be put of frō her we muste diligently trauail to mete with this mischiefe Therefore we must so handle the calamitie of mankinde that we cut of all excuse and deliuer the iustice of God from al accusation Afterwarde in place conueniente we shall see howe far men be nowe from that purenesse that was geuen to Adam And first we must remember that in this that man was taken out of earth and claye a bridle was putte vppon his pride for there is no greater absurditie than for them to glory in their excellencye that do not onely dwell in a cotage of clay but also are themselues in parte but earth and ashes But forasmuche as God did not onely vouchesaue to geue life vnto an earthen vessell but also it was his pleasure that it shoulde be the dwelling house of an immortall Spirite Adam might iustly glory in so great liberalitie of his maker Now it is not to be doubted that man consisteth of soule body and by the name of soule I meane an immortall essence and yet created whiche is the nobler parte of him Sometime it is called the Spirite Albeit whē these two names Soule and Spirite are ioyned together they differ one from the other in signification yet when Spirite is sett by it selfe it meaneth as muche as Soule As when Salomon speaking of death sayeth that then the Spirite returneth to him that gaue it And Chryste commending his Spirite to his father and Stephen his Spirite to Chryst doe both meane none other thing but that when the soule is deliuered from the prison of the fleshe God is the perpetual keper of it As for them that imagine that the Soule is therfore called a Spirite because it is a breath or a power by god inspired or poured into bodyes which yet hath no essence both the thing it selfe and all the Scripture sheweth that they do to much grosly erre True it is that while men are fastened to the earth more than they oughte to bee they waxe dull yea because they are estranged from the Father of lightes they are blinded with darkenesse so that they do not thinke vpon thys that they shal remaine aliue after death And yet is not that lighte so quēched in darkenesse but that they be touched with some feling of immortalitie Surely the conscience which discerning betwene good and euil answereth the iudgement of God is an vndouted signe of an immortal Spirite For how could a motion without essēce atteine to come to the iudgement seate of God and throwe it selfe into feare by finding her own giltinesse For the body is not moued with feare of a Spiritual peine but that falleth only vpō the soule Wherby it foloweth that the soule hath an essence Moreouer the very knowledge of God doth proue that the soules which ascende vp aboue the world are immortal for a vanishing liuelinesse wer not able to atteine to the fountaine of lyfe Finalli forasmuch as so many excellent giftes wherwith mans minde is endowed do cry out that there is some diuine thing engrauen it there are euen so many testimonies of an immortal essence For that sense which is in brute beastes goeth not out of the body or at lest extendeth no further than to thyngs presently set before it But the nimblenesse of the minde of man which veweth the heauen and earth secretes of nature and comprehending all ages in vnderstandyng and memory digesteth euery thyng in order and gathereth thynges to come by thinges past doth playnly shewe that there lyeth hydden in man a certayne thing seuerall from the body We conceiue by vnderstanding the inuisible God and Angelles which the body can not doe We know thynges that be right iuste and honest which are hidden from the bodily senses Therefore it muste nedes be that the Spirite is the seate of thys vnderstandyng Yea and our slepe it selfe which astonieth a man and semeth to take life away frō him is a plaine witnesse of immortalitie forasmuch as it doth not only minister vnto vs thoughtes of those thinges that neuer were done but also foreknowinges of things for time to come I touch these thinges shortly which euen prophane writers do excellently sette oute with more gorgeous garnishment of wordes but with the godly reders a simple putting in minde of them shall be sufficient Nowe if the soule were not a certayne thing by it selfe seuerall from the body the Scripture would not teache that we dwell in houses of clay that by death we remoue out of the Tabernacle of the flesh that we do put of that which is corruptible that finally at the last day we may receiue rewarde euery man as he hathe behaued hymselfe in hys bodye For these places and other that we do eche where cōmonly light vpon do not only manifestly destinguish the soule from the body but also in geuing to the soule the name of
man do shew that it is the principall parte Now wheras Paul doth exhort the faithful to clense thēselues from al defiling of the fleshe and the Spirite he maketh two partes of man wherein abydeth the filthinesse of sinne And Peter where he calleth Christ the shepeherde bishop of soules shold haue spoken fondly if there wer no soules about whom he might execute that office Neyther would that conuenientlye stande together which he saieth of the eternal saluation of soules and where he biddeth to clense our soules and where he sayeth that euil desires do fight against the soule and where the author of the Epistle to the Hebrues sayeth that the Pastors do watch that they may yelde accōpte for our soules vnlesse it were true that soules had a proper essence To the same purpose serueth it that Paule calleth God for witnesse to hys own soule because it could not be called in iudgemente before God vnlesse it were subiect to punishment And this is also more plainly expressed in the words of Christ when he biddeth vs to feare him which after that he hath killed the body can throw the soule into hel fier Now where the author of the Epistle to the Hebrues doth distinguishe the Fathers of our flesh from God which is the only Father of Spirites he woulde not otherwise more plainly affirme the essence of soules Moreouer if the soules remained not aliue being deliuered from the prisons of their bodies Christ should very fondly haue broughte in the soule of Lazarus ioying in the bosome of Abraham and againe the soule of the richman subiect to horrible tormentes The same thing doth Paul confirme whē he teacheth that we wander abrod from God so long as we dwel in the flesh and that we enioy his presence being out of the flesh But because I wil not be long in a matter that is not obscure I wil adde only thys out of Luke that it is reckened amōg the errors of the Sadduces that they did not beleue that there were any Spirites and Angels Also a strong profe herof may be gathered of this where it is sayed that man is create lyke to the image of God For although the glory of God do appeare in the outwarde shape of man yet is it no doubte that the proper seate of the image of God is in the soule I do not deny that as concernyng our outwarde shape in asmuch as the same doeth distinguishe and seuer vs from brute bestes we doe also therein more nerely approche to God than they nether wil I much stand against thē which thinke that thys is to be accōpted of the image of God that where al other lyuynge creatures doo grouellyngwise beholde the grounde to man is geuen an vpright face and he is commaunded to loke vpon the heauē and to aduaunce his countenaunce towarde the starres so that this remayn certain that the image of God whiche is seene appereth in these outward signes is spiritual For Osiander whom his writyngs declare to haue ben in fickle imaginations fondly witty referryng the image of God without difference as well to the body as to the soule mingleth heauen and earth togither For he saith that the Father the Son and the Holy ghost did settle their image in man because though Adam had stande without fallyng yet shuld Christe haue become man And so by their opiniō the body that was appointed for Christ was but an example or figure of that bodily shape whiche then was formed But where shall he fynde that Christe is the image of the Spirite I graunte in deede that in the Person of the Mediatour shyneth the glorye of the whole Godheade But howe shall the eternall woorde be called the image of the Spirite whom he goeth before in order Finally it ouerthroweth the distinction betwene the Sonne and the Holy ghost if he doo here call him his image Moreouer I would fayne learne of hym how Christe dooth resemble the Holy ghoste in the fleshe that he tooke vppon him and by what markes and features he doth expresse the likenesse of hym And where as this saying Let vs make man after our image dooth also belong to the Person of the Sonne it foloweth that he must be the image of himselfe whiche is against all reason Beside that if Osianders inuention be beleued man was fashioned onely after the figure paterne of Christ in that he was man and so that forme out of whiche Adam was taken was Christ in that that he was to bee clothed with fleshe where as the Scripture in a farre other meanyng teacheth that he was create in the image of God But their suttle inuētion is more colourable whiche doo thus expounde it that Adam was create in the image of God because he was fashioned like vnto Christe whiche is the only image of God But that exposition also is not soūd Also som interpreters make a great disputation about Image Likenesse whyle they seke a difference betwene those two wordes where is no difference at al saying that this worde Likenesse is added to expoūd the other First we knowe that amonge the Hebrues suche repetitions are common wherin they expresse one thyng twise and in the thyng it selfe there is no doubt but that man is therfore caled the image of God because he is like to God Wherby appereth that they are to be laughed at which doo so subtilly argue about the wordes whether they appoint Zelem that is to say Image in the substaunce of the soule or Demuth that is to say Likenesse in the qualities or what other thyng soeuer it be that they teache For where as God determined to create man after his own image this being somwhat darkly spoken he doth as by way of explication repete it in this saying After his likenesse as if he wolde haue said that he woulde make man in whom he would represent hym selfe as in an image because of the markes of likenesse grauen in him And therfore Moses a little after recityng the same thyng dooth repete the Image of God twise leauyng out the name of Likenesse And it is a triflyng obiection that Oseander maketh that not a parte of man or the soule onely with the giftes thereof is called the Image of God but the whole Adam whiche hadde his name geuen him of the earth from whense he was taken Triflyng I say will all readers that haue theyr sounde witte iudge this obiection For where whole man is called mortall yet is not the soule thereby made subiect to mortalitie Again where he is called a liuyng creature endued with reason it is not therby meant that the body hath reason and vnderstandyng Although therfore the soule is not the whole man yet is it not inconuenient that man in respecte of the soule be called the image of God albeit I holde still that principle whiche I haue before stablished that the Image of God extendeth to the whole excellence wherby
should aske what haue the wicked to doe with Gods spirite which are altogether estranged from God For where it is saide that the spirite of God dwelleth in the faythfull onely that is to be vnderstanded of the spyrite of sanctification by the whyche we are consecrate to God him felfe to be his temples yet doeth he neuerthelesse fyll moue and quicken all thynges wyth the vertue of the same spirit and that accordyng to the propertie of euery kinde whyche he hath geuen to it by lawe of creation If it haue ben the Lordes will that we shoulde be holpen by the trauaile and seruice of the wicked in naturall Phylosophie Dialectike the mathematicall knoweledges and other lette vs vse it leaste yf we neglecte the giftes of God willingly offred in them we suffer iuste punishmeÌ„t for our slouthfulnesse But leaste any shoulde thinke a manne to be blessed when vnder the elementes of this world there is graunted vnto him so great an abilitie to conceiue truth it is also to be added that all this power to vnderstande and the vnderstandyng that followeth thereof is a vanishyng and transitorie thyng before God where there is not a stedefaste fundation of trueth For Augustine teacheth most truely whom as we haue sayd the Master of the Sentences the other Scholemen are compelied to assent vnto as the free giftes were taken from man after his fall so these naturall giftes which remayned were corrupted Not that they can be defiled of themselues in asmuch as they come from God but bicause they cease to be pure to a defiled manne that he should haue no prayse of them Lette this bee the summe that it is seene that in all mankynde is reason whyche is propre to our nature whyche maketh vs to differ from brute beastes as brute beastes doe differ in sense from thynges without lyfe For where as there be borne certayne naturall fooles and idiotes that defaulte obscureth not the generall grace of god But rather by such sight we are put in mynde that what is lefte vnto our selues ought iustely to be ascribed to the kindenesse of god bicause if he had not spared vs our rebellion had drawen wyth it the destruction of our whole nature But whereas some doe excelle in sharpenesse of conceiuyng some other doe passe in iudgement some haue a quicker witte to learne this or that arte in this variete God setteth forth his grace vnto vs that no manne shoulde clayme to him selfe as his owne that whyche floweth from gods mere liberalitie For howe becometh one more excellente than an other but that in common nature myght appere aboue other the speciall grace of God whyche in omittyng many sayeth openly that it is bounde to none Byside that god poureth in singular motions according to the callyng of euery manne Of whiche thyng we meete with many examples in the bokes of the Iudges wher it is sayde that the spyrite of the Lorde â—â—ad them whome he called to rule the people Finally in euery noble arte there is a speciall instruction By whyche reason the strong men followed Saul whose heartes the lord had touched And when his ministring in the kingedome was propheeyed of Samuel sayde thus The spirit of the lord shall come vpon thee and thou shalt be an other man And this was continued to the whole course of gouernemente as after it is spoken of Dauid that the spirite of the Lorde came vpon him from that daye forwarde But the same is spoken in an other place as touchinge particular motions yea in Homere men are sayde to excell in witte not onely as Iupiter hathe dealte to euerye manne but also as the tyme requyred And truely experience teacheth whyle many tymes suche men stande amased as were moste sharpe and deepewytted that the wittes of men are in the hand and will of God to rule them at euerye moment for whyche reason yt is sayde that the taketh witte from the wyse that they maye wander oute of the waye But yet in thys diuersitie wee see remaynynge some markes of the Image of God whyche dooe make difference betwene all mankynde and other creatures Now is to be declared what mans reason seeth when it commeth to the kyngedome of God and to that spirituall insight whyche consysteth chyefely in three thynges to knowe God and hys fatherly fanoure towarde vs wherein oure saluation standeth and the waye to frame oure lyfe accordynge to the rule of hys lawe Bothe in the first two in the seconde proprely thei that are most wytty are blinder than molles I denye not that there bee here and there readde in Phylosophers concerninge God many thynges well and aptely spoken but yet suche as dooe alwaye sauoure of a certayne gyddy ymagynation The Lorde gaue them in deede as ys aboue sayde a lyttle taste of his godheade that they should not pretende ignoraunce to coloure their vngodlynesse and many tymes he moued them to speake many thynges by confession wherof them selues myght be conuinced But thei so sawe the thynges that they sawe that by suche seynge they were not directed to the trueth muche lesse did attaine vnto it lyke as a wayfaringe man in the myddest of the feylde for a sodayne momente seeth faire and wyde the glysterynge of lyghtninge in the night time but wyth suche a quickely vanishinge sight that he is soner couered againe with the darkenesse of the night than he can stirre his foote so farre is it of that he canne be brought into his way by such a helpe Besyde that those smale droppes of truthe wherwyth as it were by chaunce they sprincle their bokes with howe many and howe monstruous lyes are they defyled Fynally thei neuer so muche as smelled that assurednesse of Gods good will towarde vs without whiche mans witte muste nedes be filled with infinitie confusion Therefore mans reason neither approcheth nor goeth towarde nor ones directeth syghte vnto thys trueth to vnderstande whoe is the true god or what a one he will be towarde vs. But bicause we being dronke with a false persuasion of oure owne deepe insight do very hardely suffer oure selues to be persuaded that in matters of god it is vtterly blynde and dull I thynke it shall bee better to confyrme yt by testymonyes of Scripture than by reasons Thys dothe Ihon very well teache in that place whiche I euen nâ—w alleged when he wryteth that lyfe was in God from the beginnyng and the same lyfe whyche shoulde be the lyghte of men and that the lighte did shine in darkenesse the darkenesse coÌ„prehended it not He sheweth in deede that mans soule is lightened with the brightnesse of gods light so that it is neuer altogether without some small flame or at leaste some sparcle of it but yet that with suche a light he comprehendeth not God And why so bycause mans quickenesse of wit as toward the knowledge of God is but mere darkenesse For when the holy ghost calleth men darkenesse he at ones spoyleth
or whether it kepeth still any percell vnhurte from whense doo growe good desires They that do attribute to the First grace of God that we wil effectually seme on the other side to saye secretly that there is in the soule a power of it selfe to aspire to good but it is so weake that it can not growe to a perfecte affection or rayse vp any endeuour And there is no doubte that the Schoolemen haue commonly embraced this opinion or which was borowed of Origen and certaine of the olde wryters for so muche as they are wont to consider man in pure naturall thinges as they terme it suche a one as the Apostle describeth hym in these wordes I doe not the good that I would but the euell that I would not that I doe To will is present vnto me but to performe it I finde not But after this maner is the discourse that Paule there followeth altogether wrongfully peruerted For he entreateth of the Christian wrastling whiche he shortly toucheth to the Galatians whiche the faithfull continually fele within them selues in the battel of the flesh and the spirit But the spirit is not of nature but of regeneration And that the Apostle doeth there speake of the regenerate appeareth by this that wheÌ„ he had said that there dwelleth no goodnesse in him he addeth an exposition that he meaneth it of his fleshe And therfore he saith that it is not he that doeth the euill but sinne that dwelleth in him What meaneth this correction in me that is in my flesh Euen as muche as if he had sayd thus God dwelleth not in me of my selfe for there is no good to be founde in my fleshe HereupoÌ„ foloweth that maner of excuse I my self do not the euil â–ª but sinne that dwelleth in me Whiche excuse belongeth only to the regenerate whiche do with the chiefe part of their soule tende vnto good Nowe the conclusion that is adioyned after declareth all this matter euidently I am delited saith he with the lawe according to the inward man But I see an other lawe in my membres fighting against the lawe of my minde Who hath suche a stryuing in him selfe but he that being regenerate by the spirite of God carieth the leauinges of his flesh about with him Therfore Augustine wheras ones he had thought that that had ben spoken of the nature of man reuoked his expositioÌ„ as false and ill agreyng together And truelie if we allowe this that menne without grace haue some motions to good though thei be but small what shall we aunswere to the Apostle whiche sayeth that we are not sufficient so muche as to thinke any thyng What shall wee aunswere to the Lorde that pronounceth by Moses that euery inuention of mans hearte is only euell Wherefore sithe they haue stombled by false takyng of one place there is no cause why we shuld staye vpon their iudgement Let rather this sayeng of Christe preuayle He that doeth sinne is the seruaunt of sinne We are all sinners by nature therefore we be all holden vnder the yoke of sinne Nowe yf whole manne be subiect to the dominioÌ„ of sinne then must it needes be that the will it selfe which is the chiefe seate thereof â–ª be bounde faste wyth moste streight bondes For otherwise that sayeng of Paule wold not stande together that it is God whyche worketh will in vs if any will did goe before the grace of the holy ghost Awaye therefore with all that many haue triftingly spoken concernyng preparation For although sometime the faithfull doe praye to haue their heart formed to the obedience of the lawe as Dauid doth in many places yet it is to be noted that euen that desire of prayeng is from God Whiche we may gather of his wordes for when he wisheth to haue a cleane heart created within him surely he taketh not on him selfe the beginnyng of creation Therefore let rather this sayeng of Augustine haue place with vs God will preuent thee in all thinges And sometime preuent thou his wrath Howe Confesse that thou haste all these thinges of God that what so euer good thou haste is of him what soeuer euell it is of thy selfe And a little after Nothing is oures but sinne The third Chapter ¶ That out of the corrupt nature of man procedeth nothing but damnable BUt manne can not be any waye better knowen in eyther parte of his soule than yf he come forth with his titles wherewith the Scripture doth set him out If he bee paynted whole in these woordes of Christe That whiche is borne of fleshe is fleshe as it is easy to proue then is he proued to bee a very miserable creature For the affection of the fleshe as the Apostle witnesseth is death for asmuche as it is enimitie agaynste God and so is not subiecte nor can be subiecte to the lawe of God Is fleshe so peruerse that with al her affection she continually vseth enmitie agaynste God that she can not agree with the rightousnesse of the lawe of God Finally that she can bryng forth nothing but matter of death Nowe graunt that in the nature of manne is nothyâ—yge but fleshe and gather any good out of it yf thou canste But they saye the name of fleshe belongeth onely to the sensuall and not the hyer parâ—e of the soule But that is sufficiently confuted by the woordes of Chryste and of the Apostle It is the Lordes argumente that manne muste bee borne agayne bycause he is fleshe He commaundeth not to bee borne agayne accordynge to the bodye But in mynde he is not borne agayne yf a parte of it bee amended but when it is all renewed And that doth the comparison sette in bothe places confirme For the spirite is so compared agaynste the fleshe that there is lefte no meane thynge betwene them Therefore whatsoeuer is not spirituall in maÌ„ is after the same reason called fleshly But we haue nothynge of the Spirite but by regeneration It is therefore fleshe whatsoeuer we haue of nature But of that matter if otherwise we coulde haue any doubte that is taken awaye from vs by Paule where after we had described the ouldâ—man whom he had saide to be corrupt with concupâ—scences of erroure he biddeth vs to be renewed in the spirite of oure minde you see he doth not place vnlawefull and euell lustes onely in the sensitiue part but also in the very minde and therefore requyreth a renuinge of it And truly a lyttle before he had painted oute suche an image of mans nature as did shewe that there was no part wherein we were not corrupted and peruerted for whereas he writeth that al nations do walke in the vanitie of their minde are darkened in vnderstaÌ„ding estraÌ„ged from the life of God by reason of the ignoraunce that is in them and the blindenesse of their hearte it is no doubt that this is spoken of all them whom the Lorde hathe not reformed
of God vnlesse that so excellent a benefite should come vnto them from els where than from themselues Also how could the right of priesthode remaine in force among them who by filthinesse of sinnes were abhominable to God vnlesse they had ben consecrate in a holy head â–ª Wherefore Peter doth very aptly turne that sayeng of Moses where he teacheth that the fulnesse of grace the taste whereof the Iewes had taken vnder the law was geuen in Christ Ye are sayeth he a chosen kinred a kingly priesthode For to this ende tendeth that turnynge of the wordes to shewe that they to whome Christ appered by the Gospell haue obteined more than their fathers bicause they are all endued bothe with priestly and kingly honour that trustyng vpon their mediatour they maye freely be bolde to come forth into the sight of God And here by the waye it is to be noted that the kingdome whiche at length was erected in the house of Dauid is part of the law conteined vnder the ministerie of Moses Wherupon foloweth that as well in all the kinred of the Leuites as in the posteritie of Dauid Christ was set beâ—ore the eyes of the olde people as in a doble loking glasse For as I sayd euen now they could not otherwise be before God eyther kinges or priestes which were both the bondslaues of sinne of death defiled by their owne corruptioÌ„ Hereby appereth that that sayeng of Paule is moste true that the Iewes were holden as vnder the keping of a Scholemaister til the sede came for whose sake the promise was geuen For bicause Christ was not yet familiarly knowen they were like vnto children whose weakenesse could not yet beare a full knowledge of heauenly thinges but how thei were by ceremonies as it were led by the hand to Christ is before spokeÌ„ may be better vnderstand by many testimonies of the Prophetes For although it was coÌ„maunded them to come dayly with newe sacrifices to appease God yet Esaye promiseth that al their sinnes shal be cleansed with one only sacrifice Wherewith Daniel agreably sayeth The priestes apointed of the tribe of Leui did enter into the Sanctuarie but of the only priest it was ones sayd that by an othe he was chosen of God to be a priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech At that time the anointing with oyle was visible but Daniel by his vision pronouÌ„ceth that there shal be an other manner of anointyng And bicause I will not tarry vpon many examples the authour of the Epistle to the Hebrewes eueÌ„ from the .iiij. chapter to the xi doth largely and plainely enough shew that the ceremonies are nothing worth vaine til we come to Christ. As concerning the ten coÌ„maundementes that lesson of Paule is likewise to be kept in minde that Christ is the ende of the law vnto saluation to euery one that beleueth And an other lesson that Christ is the Spirit that quickeneth the letter whiche of it selfe slayeth For in the first of these two he meaneth that righteousnesse is vainely taught by commaundementes vntill Christ doe geue it bothe by free imputation and by the spirite of regeneration Wherefore he worthyly calleth Christ the fulfilling or ende of the law Bycause it should nothing profit vs to knowe what God requyreth of vs vnlesse he did succour vs faynting and oppressed vnder the yoke and vntolerable burden In an other place he teacheth that the lawe was made for transgressions that is to bryng menne to humilitie beyng proued gilty of theyr owne damnation And bycause this is the true and only preparation to seke Christ what so euer he teacheth in diuerse wordes do al very well agree together But bicause he then was in contentioÌ„ with peruerse teachers which fained that we do deserue righteousnesse by the workes of the law to confute their errour he was compelled somtime to speake precisely of the bare lawe whiche yet otherwise is clothed with the couenant of free adoption But now it is good to know how being taught by the morall law we are made more inexcusable that our owne giltynesse maye moue vs to craue pardon If it be true that we be taught perfectioÌ„ of rightousnesse in the lawe then this also followeth that the absolute keping thereof is perfect righteousnesse before God that is whereby a man maye be demed and accompted righteous before the heauenly throne of iudgement Wherfore Moses when he had published the law doubted not to protest before heauen and earth that he had set before Israell life and death good and euell And we maye not denie but that the reward of eternal saluation belongeth to the vpright obedience of the lawe as the lord hath promised it Agayne yet it is good to examine whether we performe that obedience vpon desert whereof we may conceiue a trust of that reward For to what small purpose is it to see the rewarde of eternall life set in kepynge of the lawe vnlesse we further knowe whether we maye by that waye attaine to eternall life But herein the weakenesse of the law doth shewe it selfe For bycause that kepyng of the law is founde in none of vs al we are excluded from the promises of life and doe fall into curse onely I doe not nowe tell what doth come to passe but what needes muste so come to passe For where as the doctrine of the lawe is far aboue the power of manne he maye in deede a far of loke at the promises but yet not gather any fruite of them Therefore this one thing remayneth that by the goodnesse of them he may the better weye his owne miserie while he considereth that all hope of saluation beyng cut of death dothe certainely haÌ„g ouer him Do the other side do presse vs terrible penal lawes which do holde entaÌ„gled fast bound not only a few of vs but euery one without exceptioÌ„ they presse vs I say do pursue vs with vnappeasable rigour so that we may se most present death in the law Therfore if we loke only vpoÌ„ the lawe we can do nothing but be discouraged be confounded despeire for asmuch as by it we are al damned cursed kept far of from the blessednesse that he offreth to them that worship him Wilt thou say then Doth the lord so mock vs â–ª For how finally doth it differ from mocking to shewe forth a hope of felicitie to allure exhort men vnto it to protest that it is layed open for vs wheÌ„ in the meane season the entrie vnto it is forclosed impossible to be come to I answere although the promisses of the lawe in so much as they are conditional do hang vpon the perfect obedience of the law which can no where be found yet are they not geuen in vaine For when we haue lerned that they shal be voide and of no effect vnto vs vnlesse God embrace vs with his free goodnesse without regarde of
God hee canne do all thynges For the helpe of God is presente onely wyth those that walke in his waies that in their vocation from whiche thei do all wythdrawe them selues whyche forsakynge the helpes of God do trauaile to ouercome and master their necessities wyth vayne rashe boldenesse The Lorde affyrmeth that continence is a singular gyfte of God and of that sorte that are not geuen generally nor vniuersally to the whole bodye of the Churche but to a fewe membres thereof For fyrste hee sayth that there is a certaine kynde of menne that haue gelded them selues for the kyngedome of Heauen that is that thei myght the more loosely and freely applye them selues to the affayres of the heauenly kyngedome But that no man shoulde thinke that suche geldinge is in the power of manne hee shewed a little before that all men are not able to receiue it butte they to whome it is peculiarlye geuen from heauen wherevpon he concludeth He that canne take it let him take it Butte Paule yet affyrmeth it more playnely where hee wryteth that euerye manne hathe hys propre gyfte of God one thus and an other thus Whereas we are by open declaration admonyshed that it is not in euery mannes power to keepe chastitie in single lyfe althoughe wyth studie and trauayle he indeuoure neuer so muche vnto it and that it ys a peculiar grace whiche God geueth but to certaine men that he may haue them the more ready to his worke do wee not striue against God and nature whiche he hathe institute if we doe not applye the kinde of oure lyfe to the proportion of oure power Here the Lorde forbyddeth fornication therefore hee requyreth cleannesse and Chastitie of vs. To keepe the same there is butte one way that euery manne measure him selfe by his owne measure Neyther let a manne despise mariage as a thinge vnprofitable or superfluous for hym nor otherwise desyre syngle life vnlesse he be able to liue without a wife And therin also let him not prouide onely for the quiet and commoditie of the fleshe but onely that beynge loosed from this bonde he maye be the more in readinesse and prepared to all dueties of Godlynesse And for asmuche as this benefite is geuen to many but for a time let euery man so longe absteyne frō mariage as he shal be meete to liue to kepe single estate If strength faile him to tame his luste let hym learne that the Lorde hathe nowe layed vpon him a necessitie to marry Thys the Apostle sheweth when he commaundeth that to auoyde fornication euery man haue his owne wife and euery woman haue her owne husbande that he that can not liue continently shoulde marry in the Lorde Fyrste he declareth that the moste parte of men are subiect to the vice of incontinence and then of those that be subiecte vnto it he excepteth none but commaundeth all to that onely remedie wherewith vnchastitie is resisted Therefore if they that bee incontinent do neglect to helpe their infirmitie by thys meane thei sinne euen in this that thei obey not the commaundement of the Apostle Neyther let hym flatter hymselfe that toucheth not a woman as thoughe hee coulde not bee rebuked to vnchastitie while in the meane season hys minde burneth inwardly with luste For Paule defineth chastitie to be a cleannesse of the mynde ioyned wyth chastitie of the bodye A woman vnmarried saythe hee thynketh vpon those thynges that are of the Lorde for asmuche as shee is holy bothe in bodie and in spirite Therefore when hee byngeth a reason to confirme that former commaundement he dothe not onely saie that it is better for a man to take a wyfe than to defile hym selfe with companie of a harlote but hee sayth that it is better to marry than to burne Nowe yf maryed folkes do confesse that their felowship together is blessed of the Lorde they are thereby admonished not to defile it with intemperate and dissolute luste For thoughe the honestie of mariage do couer the fylthienesse of incontinence yet it oughte not fourthwyth to be a prouocation thereof Wherefore let not maried folkes thynke that all thynges are lawefull vnto them but let euery housband haue his owne wyfe soberly and lykewyse the wyfe her housebande and so doinge lette them committe nothynge vnbeseeminge the honestie and temperance of mariage For so oughte mariage made in the Lorde to be restrained to measure and modestie and not to ouerflowe into euery kynde of extreeme lasciuiousnesse Thys awantonnesse Ambrose rereproued wyth a sayeng very sore in deede but not vnfyte for it when he calleth the housbande the adulterer of hys owne wyfe whyche in bse of wedlocke hath no care of shamefastnesse or honestie Laste of all let vs consider what lawemaker doth here condemne fornication euen he whyche syth of hys owne right he oughte to possesse vs wholly requyreth purenesse of the soule spirite and bodie Therefore when hee forbyddeth to committe fornication hee also forbiddeth with wanton attyre of bodie wyth vncleanly gestures and with fylthy talke to laye wayte to trappe an others chastite For that sayinge is not withoute good reasō which Archelaus spake to a yongmā aboue measure wantonly an deintely clothed that it made no matter in what parte he wer filthilye vnchaste if wee haue regarde vnto God that abhorreth all filthinesse in what so euer parte either of oure soule or bodie it appeareth And to put thee oute of doute remembre that the Lorde here commendeth chastitie If the Lord require chastitie ▪ of vs then he condemneth all that euer is agaynste it Therefore if thou couet to shewe obedience neither let thy mynde burne inwardly wyth euell luste nor lette thine eyes runne wantonly into corrupte affections nor let thy bodye be trimmed vp for alluremente nor lette thy tongue with filthy talke entise thy mynde to lyke thoughtes nor lette thy gluttonous belly enflame thee with intemperance For all these vices are as it were certayne blottes wherewyth the purenesse of chastitie ys be spotted The eyghte Commaundement Thou shalte not steale The ende of thys commaundemente is bycause God abhorreth vnrighteousnesse that euery man may haue hys owne renred vnto hym The summe therefore shall bee that wee are forbidden to gape for other mens goodes and that therefore we are commaunded euery man to employ hys faythfull trauaile to preserue to eche manne hys owne goodes For thus we ought to thinke that what euery man possesseth is not happened vnto hym by chaunce of fortune but by the distribution of the soueraigne Lorde of all thinges and therfore no mans goods can be gotten from hym by euell meanes but y◠wronge be done to the disposition of God But of theftes there be many kyndes one standeth in Uiolence when the goodes of an other are by any manner of force and robbing licenciousnesse bereued The other kynde consisteth in malicious deceite where they are guylefully conueyed awaye An other sorte there is that standeth in a more hidden
his prerogatiue for asmuch as nowe he should be borne man only by an accident cause that is to restore mankinde beyng loste and so it might be gathered thereupon that Christ was created after the image of Adam For why should he so muche abhorre that whiche the Scripture so openly teacheth that he was made like vnto vs in all thinges except sinne Whereupon Luke doubteth not to recken hâ—m the sonne of Adam in his Genealogye And I would fayne know why Paule calleth Christ the seconde Adam but bycause the estate of manne was apointed for him that he might rayse vp the posteritie of Adam out of their ruine For if he were in order before that creatioÌ„ he should haue ben called the firste Adam Osiander boldly affirmeth that bycause Christ was alredy before knoweÌ„ man in the minde of God men were formed after the same paterne But Paule in namyng him the second Adam setteth meane betwene the first beginnyng of man the restitution which we obteine by Christ the fall of man whereby grew the necessitie to haue nature restored to her first degree Wherupon it foloweth that this same was the cause why the sonne of God was borne to become man In the meane time Osiander reasoneth ill and vnsauorily that Adam so longe as he had stande without fallyng should haue ben the ymage of himselfe and not of Christ. I aunswere by the contrarie bycause though the sonne of God had neuer put on fleshe neuerthelesse both in the body and in the soule of manne should haue shyned the image of God in the bright beames whereof it alwaye appered that Christ is verily the head and hath the soueraigne supremicie in all And so is that foolishe suttletie assoyled whiche Osiander bloweth abroade that the Angels shoulde haue lacked this head vnlesse it had ben purposed by God to clothe his sonne with fleshe yea though there had ben no fault of Adam For he doth to rashly snatche holde of that whyche no manne in his right wit will graunt that Christ hath no supremicie ouer Angels that they shoulde haue him for their Prince but in so muche as he is manne But it is easily gathered by the wordes of Paule that in as muche as he is the eternall worde of God he is the firste begotten of all creatures not that he is create or ought to be reckened amonge creatures but bycause the state of the worlde in integritie suche as it was at the begynnynge garnished wyth excellentt beautie had no other originall and then that in as much as he was made manne he was the firste begotten of the dead For the Apostle in one shorte clause setteth forth bothe these poinctes to bee considered that all thynges were create by the sonne that he mighte beare rule ouer Angels and that he was made manne that he might begynne to be the redemer Of lyke ignoraunce is it that he sayth that men should not haue had Christ to their kyng yf he had not ben man As though the kyngdome of God coulde not staÌ„d yf the eternal sonne of God although not clothed with the flesh of man gatheryng together both Angels men into the felowship of his heauenly glorie and life should himselfe beare the soueraintie But in this false principle he is alwaye deceiued or rather deceyueth himself that the Church should haue beÌ„ without a head vnlesse Christ had appered in the flesh As though euen as the Angeles enioyed him their head he could not likewise by his diuine power rule ouer menne and by the secret force of his spirit quickeÌ„ and nourish them like his owne body till beyng gathered vp into heauen they might enioy al one lite with the Angels These trifles that I haue hether to confuted Osiander accompteth for most strong oracles eueÌ„ so as beyng dronke with the swetenesse of his owne speculations he vseth to blowe out fonde Bacchâ—s cries of matters of nothyng But this one that he bringeth after he â—â—yth is much more stroÌ„g that is the prophecie of AdaÌ„ which seyng his wife sayd this nowe is a bone of my bones and fleshe of my flesh But how proueth he that to be a prophecie Bicause in Matthew Christ geueth the same sayeng to God As though that what so euer God hath spoken by men conteyneth some prophecie Let OsiaÌ„der seke prophecies in euery commaundement of the lawe whiche it is certaine to haue come from God the author of them Biside that Christ should haue ben grosse and earthly yf he had rested vpon the â—â—erall sense Bycause he speaketh not of the mistical viâ—on wherunto he hath vouchesaued to receyue his churche but only of faithfulnesse betwene man and wife for this cause he reacheth that God pronounced that man and wife shal be one flesh that no man should attempâ— to breake thaâ— insoluble knot by diuorce If Osiander lothe this simplicitie let him blame Christ for that he led not his disciples further to a misterie â–ª in more suttelly expouÌ„ding the sayeng of his father Neyther yet doth Paule mameteyne his errour whiche after he had sayd that we are flesh of the flesh of Christ â–ª by by addeth that this is a great misterie for his purpose was not to tel in what meaning Adam spake it but vnder the figure and similitude of mariage to set forth the holy couplyng together that maketh vs one with Christ. And so doe the wordes sound Bicause when he geueth warnyng that he speaketh this of Christ and his church he doth as it were by way of correction seuer the spirituall ioynyng of Christ and his church from the law of mariage Wherfore this fickle reason easily vanisheth awaye And I thinke I nede no more to shake vp any more of that sort of chaffe bicause the vanitie of them all is sone found out by this short confutation But this sobrietie shall aboundantly suffice to â—eede soundly the children of God that when the fulnesse of tunes was come the sonne of God was sent made of woman made vnder the lawe to redeme them that were vnder the lawe The .xiii. Chapter ¶ That Christ toke vpon him the true substance of the flesh of man NOW vnlesse I be deceiued it were superfluous to entreate agayne of the godhed of Christ whiche hath alredy man other place ben proued with playne strong testimonies It remayneth therefore to be seene how he beyng clothed with our flesh hath fulfilled the office of Mediatour The truth of his humaine nature hath in the olde time ben impugned both by the Manichees and the Marcionites of whome the Marcionites fained a ghost in stede of the body of Christ and the Manichees dreamed that he had a heauenly flesh But bothe many and strong testimonies of the Scripture do stand against them both For the blessing is promised neyther in a heauenly seede nor in the counâ—erfaite shape of man but in the sede of Abraham and Iacob Neither is the eternal throne promised to a man
made of ayre but to the sonne of Dauid and to the frute of his wombe Therefore beyng deliuered in the flesh he is called the sonne of Dauid and AbrahaÌ„ not bicause he is only borne of the wombe of the Uirgin create in the ayre but bicause as Paule expoundeth it he is accordyng to the flesh made of the seede of Dauid as in an other place the Apostle teacheth that he descended of the Iewes For whiche cause the Lorde himselfe not contented with the bare name of man doth oftentimes call himself the sonne of manne meanyng to expresse more plainely that he was man truely issued of the seede of mankinde Sithe the holy ghoste hath so oft by so many meanes with so great diligence and simplicitie declared a thinge not obscure of it self who would haue thought any men to be so shamelesse as to presume yet to spred mistes to darken it And yet we haue other testimonies at hand if we listed to heape vp more of them As is that sayeng of Paule that God sent his sonne made of womaÌ„ And innumerable other places whereby appereth that he was subiect to hungre thirst colde and other infirmities of our nature But out of many these are chiefly to be chosen that maye moste auaile to edifie our mindes in true coÌ„fideÌ„ce As where it is sayd that he gaue not so great honour to the Angels as to take their nature vpon him but toke our nature that in flesh and bloud he might by death destroy him that had the power of death Agayne that by benefite of that communicating we are reckened his brethreÌ„ Againe that he ought to haue ben made like vnto his brethren that he might be made a merciful and â—aithâ—ull intercessour that we haue not a Bishop that can not be compariont of our infirmities And such like And for the same purpose serueth that whiche we touched a litle before that it behoued that the sinnes of the world should be cleansed in our flesh Whiche Paule playnely affirmeth And truely what so euer the â—ather hath geuen to Christ it doth therefore belong to vs bicause he is the head from whiche the whole body beyng knit together groweth into one Yea otherwise that will not agree together whiche is sayd that the Spirit was geuen him without measure that all we shoulde drawe of the fulnesse thereof For asmuch as there is no greater absurditie than to say that God is enriched in his essence by any accidentall gifte And for this cause Christ sayth in an other place I do sacrifice my self for them As for the places that they bryng forth to confirme their errour they doe to vnaptly wrest them and they nothyng preuayle by their triflyng suttelties when they goe about to wipe away those thinges that I haue alleged for our part Marcion imagineth that Christ did put on a fantasticall body in stede of a true body bicause in some places it is sayd that he was made after the likenesse of man and that he was found in shape as a manne But so he nothing weyeth what is Paules purpose in that place For his meanyng is not to teach what manner of body Christe toke vpon him but that whereas he might haue shewed â—orth his godhed he made none other shewe of himself but as of an abiect and vnregarded man For to exhort vs by his example to submission he sheweth that for asmuch as he was God he might haue by and by set forth his glory to be seene to the worlde but yet that he gaue ouer some of his owne right and of his owne accord abaced himself bicause he did put on the ymage of a seruant and contended with that humilitie suffred his godhed to be hidden with the veile of the flesh He doth not here teache what Christ was but how he behaued himselfe And also by the whole processe of the texte it is easily gathered that Christ was abaced in the true nature of manne For what meaneth this that in shape he was founde as manne but that for a time the glorie of his godhed dyd not shyne forth but only the shape of manne appered in base and abiect estate For otherwise that place of Peter coulde not stande together that he was dead in the fleshe but quickened in the spirit yf the sonne of God had not ben weake in the nature of manne whiche Paule expresseth more plainely in sayeng that he suffred by reason of the weakenesse of the fleshe And hereunto serueth the exaltation bycause it is expressely sayd that Christe atteyned a newe glorie after that he abaced himselfe whiche could not well agree to be spoken of any but of a man hauing fleshe and soule Manichees framed Christ a body of ayre bycause Christ is called the seconde Adam heauenly of heauen But neyther in that place doth the Apostle bryng in a heauenly essence of the body but a spirituall force whiche beyng poured abrode by Christ doth quicken vs. Nowe as we haue alredy seene Peter and Paule doe seuer the same from his fleshe But rather that doctrine whiche is receiued among the true teachers concernynge the flesh of Christ is vâ—ry well proued by that place For if Christ had not all one nature of body with vs it were a very vaine argument that Paul with such vehemencie â—oloweth that yf Christ be risen agayne we shal also rise agayne and yâ— we do not rise then that Christ also is not risen By what cauillatioâ—s so euer eyther the olde Maâ—ichees or their newe Disciples goe aboute to escape they shall not winde theÌ„selues away It is a fowle shifte that thei fondly say that Christ is called the sonne of manne in so much as he is promised of menne For it is playne that after the Hebrewe phrase very man in deede is called the Sonne of manne And Christ without doubte kepte the phrase of his owne tonge Also it ought to make no question what ought to be vnderstanded by the children of Adam And not to goe farre of the place of the .viij. Psalme whych the Apostles apply to Christ shal be sufficient enough What is man that thou arte myndefull of him or the sonne of man that thou visitest him In this figure is expressed the true manhode of Christe For though he were not immediatly begotten of a mortall father yet his race came from Adam For els that place could not stande whiche we haue alredy alleged that Christ is made parâ—aker of fleshe and bloud that he might gather to him yonge childreÌ„ to the seruice of God In which wordes it is plainely determined that Christ is made fellow partaker of all one nature with vs. In whych meanyng also he sayth that bothe the authour of holinesse and they that are made holy are all of one For it is proued by the processe of the text that the same is referred to the felowship of nature bicause he by and by addeth Therefore he
to Daniell to seale vp the vision and the Prophete not onely that the prophecye whyche is there spoken of shoulde be stablished in assured credit but also that the faythfull shoulde learne wyth contented mynde to want the Prophetes for a time bicause the fulnesse and closing vp of all reuelations was at hande Now it is to be noted that the title of commendation of Christ belongeth to these three offices For we know that in the tyme of the law as well the Prophetes as Preestes and Kynges were anoynted with holy oyle For whyche cause the renoumed name of Messias was geuen to the promised Mediator But thoughe in deede I confesse as I haue also declared in an other place that he was called Messias by peculiar consideration and respect of his kyngedome yet the annointinges in respecte of the office of prophet of preeste haue their place and are not to neglected of vs. Of the fyrste of these twoo is expresse mention made in Esaie in these woordes The spirite of the Lorde Iehoua vpon me Therefore the Lorde hathe annoynted me that I shoulde preache to the meeke shoulde brynge healthe to the contrite in hearte shoulde declare deliuerance to captiues shoulde publishe the yere of good wyll c. We see that he was anoynted wyth the Spirit to bee the publisher and witnesse of the grace of the Father And that not after the common manner for he is seuered from other teachers that hadde the lyke office And here againe is to be noted that he toke not the anoyntinge for him selfe alone that he myghte execute the office of teachinge but for his whole bodie that in hys continuall preachinge of the Gospell the vertue of the Spirit shoulde ioyne wythal But in the meane tyme thys remayneth certayne that by thys perfection of doctrine whiche he hathe broughte an ende is made of all prophecys so that they doe diminish his authoritie that beinge not content wyth the Gospell doe patche any forain thynge vnto it For that voyce whyche thundered from heauen saienge This is my beloued Sonne heare him hathe auaunced hym by singular priuilege aboue the degrees of all other Then thys oyntement is poured abroade from the heade vnto all the membres as it was forespoken by Ioel your chyldren shall prophecie and youre daughters shall see visions c. But where Paule sayth that he was geuen vs vnto wysedome and in an other place that in him are hidden all the treasures of knowledg and vnderstandin he this hathe somewhat an other meaninge that is that oute of hym there is nothinge profitable to knowe and that they whyche by fayth perceaue what hee is haue comprehended the whole infinitnesse of heauenly good thynges For whyche cause hee writeth in an other place I haue compted it precious to knowe nothinge but Iesus Christe and him crucified whiche is moste true bycause it is not lawfull to passe beyonde the simplicitie of the Gospel And herevnto tendeth the dignitie of a prophetes office in Christ that we might knowe that in the summe of the doctrine whiche hee hathe taught are conteined all poyntes of perfect wisedome Nowe come I to hys kingdome of whyche were vayne to speake if the readers were not firste warned that the nature thereof is spirituall For thereby is gathered bothe to what purpose it serueth and what it auaileth vs and the whole force and eternitie therof and also the eternitie whyche in Daniel the angell dothe attribute to the person of Christe and agayne the Angell in Luke dothe woorthily applie to the saluatiō of the people But that is also double or of two sortes for the one belongeth to the whole bodie of the Churche the other is propre to euery membre To the firste is to bee referred that whyche is saide in the Psalme I haue ones sworne by my holynesse to Dauid I wyll not lye his seede shall abide for euer hys seate shall bee as the Sunne in my syghte yt shal be stablyshed as the Moone for euer and a faythfull wytnesse in heauen Neyther is it doubtfull but that God dothe there promise that he will be by the hande of his sonne an eternal gouerner and defender of his Churche For the true perfourmance of thys prophecie canne be founde noe where els but in Christ for asmuche as immediatly after the deathe of Salomon the greater parte of the dignitie of the kingedome fell awaie and was to the dishonoure of the house of Dauid conueyed ouer to a priuate man and afterwarde by little and lyttle was diminished tyll at length it came to vtter decaie wyth heauy and shamefull destruction And the same meaninge hathe that exclamation of Esaie Whoe shall shewe fourth his generation For he so prnounceth that Christe shall remayne aliue after deathe that he ioyneth hym wyth hys membres Therefore so ofte as we heare that Christe is armed wyth eternall power let vs remembre that the euerlastinge continuance of the Church is vpholden by this support to remayne stil safe among the troublesome tossinges wherewith it is continually vexed and amonge the greuous and terrible motions that threaten innumerable destructions So when Dauid scorneth the boldnesse of hys enemies that goe aboute to breake the yoke of God and of Christe and saith that the kinges and peoples raged in vayne bycause he that dwelleth in heauen is strong enough to breake their violent assaultes he assureth the Godly of the contynuall preseruation of the Church and encourageth them to hope well so ofte as it happeneth to be oppressed So in an other place when he saithe in the person of God fitte on my righte hande till I make thine enemies thy foote stoole he warneth vs that howe many and strong enemies so euer do conspire to besege the Churche yet they haue not strengthe enoughe to preuaile agaynste that vnchangeable decree of God whereby he hathe apointed hys sonne an eternall kinge wherevpon it foloweth that it is impossible that the Deuell with all the preparation of the woorlde maye bee able at any time to destroy the Churche whiche is grounded vpon the eternall seate of Christe Now for so muche as concerneth the speciall vse of euery one the very same eternall continuance ought to raise vs vp to hope of immortalitie For we see that whatsoeuer is earthly and of the worlde endureth but for a time yea and is very fraile Therefore Christe to lifte vp oure hope vnto heauen pronounceth that his kingdome is not of this worlde Finally when any of vs heareth that the kingdome of Christe is spiritual let him be raised vp with this saieng and let him pearce to the hope of a better lyfe and whereas hee is nowe defended by the hande of Christ let hym looke for the ful frute of this grace in the world to come That as we haue sayde the force and profite of the kingedome of Christe can not otherwise be perceiued by vs but when wee knowe it to be spirituall
of obedyence But thys ymage or shadowe of faythe as yt is of no value so is yt not woorthy of the name of faythe Frome the sounde truthe where of howe farre it dyffereth althoughe it shall be hereafter more largely entreated yet there is no cause to the contrarie why it shoulde not nowe be touched by the waie It is said that Simon Magus beleued whyche yet wythin a lyttle after bewrayed hys owne vnbelefe And whereas it is saide that he beleued we do not vnderstande it as some do that hee fained a belefe when he hadde none in his hearte butte we rather thinke that being ouercome with the maiestie of the Gospell he had a certaine faith such as it was and so acknowledged Christ to be the author of lyfe and saluation that he willingly professed himselfe to bee one of hys After the same manner it ys sayde in the Gospell of Luke that they beleue for a tyme in whome the seede of the worde is choked vp before it bring forth frute or before it take any rote at al it by and by withereth awaie and perisheth we doubt not that suche delited with a certaine taste of the worde doe greedyly receiue it and beginne to feele the diuine force of it so farre that with deceitful counterfaiting of faith thei be guile not only other mens eyes but also their owne myndes For thei perswade them selues that that reuerence whiche thei shewe to the worde of God is moste true godlynesse bycause thei thinke that there is no vngodlynesse but manifest and confessed reproche or contempte of his worde But what manner of assent soeuer that be it pearceth not to the very heart to remaine there stablished and though sometime it seemeth to haue taken rootes yet those are liuely rootes The heart of man hathe so many secrete corners of vanitie is full of so many hidinge holes of lyeng is couered wyth so guilefull hypocrisie that it ofte deceiueth himselfe But let them that glorie in suche shadowes of faith vnderstand that therein thei are noe better than the Deuell But that firste sorte of men are farre worse then the Deuell whiche do senslessly heare and vnderstand those thinges for knoweledge whereof the Deuells do tremble And the other are in this pointe egall with the Deuell that the feeling suche as it is wherewith thei are touched tournet only to terroure and discouragement I knowe that some thinke it harde that we assigne faith to the reprobate whereas Paule affyrmeth faythe to be the frute of election whyche doubte yet is easily dysolued for thoughe none receiue the light of faith nor do truely feele the effectuall working of the Gospell but they that are foreordeyned to saluacion yet experience sheweth that the reprobate are sometime moued wyth the same feeling that the elect are so that in their owne iudgement thei nothing differ from the electe Wherefore it is no absurditie that the Apostle ascribeth to them the taste of the heauenly giftes that Christ ascribeth to them a fayth for a tyme not that they soundly perceaue the spirituall force of grace and assured light of faith but bicause the Lorde the more to cōdemne them and make them in excusable conueieth himselfe into their mindes so farre forth as his goodnesse maie be tasted without the spirit of adoption If any obiect that then ther remaineth nothing more to the faithfull whereby to proue certainely their adoption I answere that thoughe there be a great likenesse and affinitie betwene the elect of God and them that are endued with a fallinge faith for a time yet there liueth in the elect onely that affiance whiche Paule speaketh of that thei crie with full mouthe Abba Father Therefore as God doth regenerate onely the elect with incorruptible seede for euer so that the seede of lyfe planted in their heartes neuer perisheth so soundly doth he seale in them the grace of his adoption that it may be stable sure But this withstandeth not but that that other inferioure working of the Spirite maie haue his course euen in the reprobate In the meane season the faithfull are taught carefully and humbly to examine them selues least in steede of assurednesse of faith do creepe in carelesse confidence of the fleshe Byside that the reprobate do neuer conceiue but a confused feelinge of grace so that they rather take holde of the shadowe than of the sounde bodie bicause the holy Spirite doth proprely seale the remission of sinnes in the electe onlye so that they applye is by speciall fayth to their vse But yet it is truely sayde that the reprobate beleue God to be mercyfull vnto them bicause they receyue the gifte of reconciliation although confusedly and not plainely enough not that they are partakers of the selfe same fayth or regeneracion with the children of God but bycause they seme to haue as well as they the same beginnynge of fayth vnder a cloke of Hypocrisie And I denye not that God dothe so farre geue light vnto theyr myndes that they acknowledge his grace but he maketh that same felyng so different from the peculiar testimonie whiche he geueth to his elect that they neuer come to the sounde effecte and fruition thereof For he dothe not therefore shewe himselfe mercyfull vnto them for that he hauyng truely deliuered them from death dothe receyue them to his sauegarde but onely he discloseth to them a present mercie But he vouchesaueth to graunt to the only electe the liuely roote of fayth so that they continue to the ende So is that obiection answered yf God doe truely shewe his grace that the same remayneth perpetually stablished for that there is no cause to the contrarie but that God maye enlighten some with a present felyng of his grace whiche afterwarde vanisheth awaye Also though fayth bee a knowledge of Gods kindenesse toward vs and an assured persuasion of the truthe thereof yet it is no maruell that the felynge of Gods loue in temporall thynges dothe vanishe awaye whyche although it haue an affinitie wyth fayth yet doth it muche differ from fayth I graunt the will of God is vnchangeable and the truthe thereof dothe alwaye stedfastly agree wyth it selfe but I denye that the reprobate doe procede so farre as to atteyne vnto that secrete reuelation whyche the Scripture sayeth to belonge to the electe onely Therefore I denye that they doe eyther conceyue the will of God as it is vnchangeable or doe stedfastly embrace the truthe thereof bycause they abide in a felynge that vanisheth awaye Lyke as a tree that is not planted deepe enough to take liuely rootes in processe of tyme waxeth drye although for a fewe yeres it bryngeth forth not only blossomes and leaues but also frute Finally as by the fall of the firste manne the Image of God mighte haue benne blotted out of his mynde and soule so it is no maruell yf God do shyne vpon the reprobate wyth certayne beames of his grace whyche afterwarde he suffreth to
minde throwen downe with feling of his owne miserie nedinesse For it is so eche where described in the word of God When the lord sayth thus in Zephanias I wil take away out thee him that outragiously reioyseth I wil leaue in the middes of thee the afflicted man the poore man thei shal trust in the lord doth he not there plainely shewe whoe be humble euen they that lie afflicted with knowledge of their owne pouertie On the other side he calleth the proude outragious reioysers bicause mē ioyeng in prosperitie ar wōt to reioyse without measure But to the hūble whom he purposeth to saue he leaueth nothing but to trust in the Lord. And likewise it is sayd in Esaye Whome shal I looke vnto but to the poore contrite in spirit him that feareth my wordes Againe The hie and excellent that inhabiteth eternitie his name is holy that dwelleth on hye and in the holy place and with the contrite and humble spirit to quicken the spirit of the humble and the heart of contrite When thou so oft hearest the name of contrition vnderstand thereby the wound of the heart that suffreth not a man throwen downe on the ground to ryse agayne With such contrition ought thy heart to be wounded if thou wilt accordyng to the sayeng of God be aduaunced with the humble If that be not done thou shalt be brought lowe with the mighty hāde of God to thy shame and disgracement And our beste Schoolemaister thinking it not enough to shewe it out in wordes hath also set out vnto vs in a parable the image of true humilitie as in a painted table For he bryngeth forth a Publicane that standyng a far of not daryng to lifte vp his eyes to heauē with much knocking his brest prayeth in this wise Lord be mercifull to me a sinner Let vs not thinke these to be tokens of fayned modestie that he dare not loke vp to heauen nor to come nerer that with knockynge his brest he confesseth himselfe a sinner but let vs know that they bee testimonies of inward affection On the other side he setteth the Pharisee whiche thanketh God that he is not of the common sorte of men eyther an oppresser or an vnrighteous man or an adulterer bycause he fasted twyse on the Sabbat and gaue tithes of all that he possessed He do the wyth open confession acknoweledge that the righteousnesse which he hath is the gift of God but bycause he standeth in confidence that he is righteous he departeth from God vnfauored and in hatred The Publicane by acknowledgyng of his owne wickednesse is iustified Hereby we may se how great is the estimatiō of our hūbling vs before God so that the heart can not be open to receiue his mercie vnlesse it be first voide of al opinion of his owne worthinesse When this opinion hath possessed the place it shutteth vp the way for Gods mercie to entre And that no man should doubte herof Christ was sent of his father into the earth with this cōmissiō to bryng glad tidinges to the poore to heale the contrite in heart to preache libertie to the captiue deliuerance to them that were shut vp in pryson and to cōfort them that mourne to geue them glorie for ashes oyle for mournyng the robe of prayse for the spirit of sorrowe According to this cōmission he calleth none but them that labour and are lodē to take part of his liberalitie And in an other place he sayth I came not to call the righteous but sinners Therfore if we will geue place to the callyng of Christ let all arrogancie carelesnesse depart far awaye from vs. Arrogancie groweth of a foolish persuasion of our owne righteousnesse when a man thinketh himself to haue somwhat by the deseruing wherof he may be cōmended before God carelesnesse may be euen without any persuasion of workes For many sinners bicause beyng drōke with swetenesse of vices they think not vpō the iudgement of God lie as it were senslesly amased with a disease of drousinesse that they aspire not to the mercie offred them But we must no lesse shake of such dull sluggishnesse than we must caste away all vaine confidence of our selues that we maye without encombrance hasten to Christ that we beyng empty hungry may be filled with his good thinges For we shal neuer sufficiētly haue trust in him vnlesse we vtterly distrust of our selues we shall neuer sufficiētly raise vp our courages in him vnlesse thei be first throwē downe in our selues We shal neuer sufficiētly haue consolatiō in him vnlesse we be first desolate in our selues Therfore we be then mete to take hold of obteyne the fauour of God casting away al trust of our selues but trusting vpon the only assurednesse of his goodnesse when as Augustine sayth forgettyng our owne deseruinges we embrace the giftes of Christ. Bicause if he sought deseruinges in vs we should not come to his giftes Wherewith Bernard very well accordeth cōparyng proude men to vnfaythful seruantes that arrogantly clayme any thyng be it neuer so litle to their owne deseruinges bicause they do wrongfully kepe to themselues the prayse of grace passyng by thē as if a wall would saye that it bryngeth forth the sunbeame whiche it receyueth through a window But not to tary longer herevpon let vs take a short but a generall and sure rule that he is prepared to take parte of the frutes of Gods mercie that hath vtterly emptied himselfe I will not saye of righteousnesse whiche is none at all but of the vayne and windye image of righteousnesse Bicause euery man so much hindereth his receiuing of the liberalitie of God as he resteth in himself The .xiii. Chapter ¶ That there are two thynges to be marked in free iustification ANd here are alwaye two thinges to be principally loked vnto that is to say that there maye remayne to the Lord his glorie vnminished and as it were wholly and perfectly mainteined and to our cōsciences an vntroubled quietnesse and calme tranquillitie before his iudgement We see how oft and howe earnestly the Scripture exhorteth vs to geue only to God a confession of praise when we entreate of righteousnesse And the Apostle testifieth that this was the Lordes principal purpose of geuing vs righteousnesse in Christe that he might shewe his owne righteousnesse And what a shewyng that should be hee declareth immediatly after that is if he alone be knowen to be righteous and that iustified him that is of the faith of Iesus Christ. Thou seest that the righteousnesse of God is not sufficiently set out vnlesse he alone be accompted righteous and do communicate the grace of righteousnesse to them that deserue it not By this meane he will haue euery mouth to be stopped and the whole World to be made subiect to him For whyle mā hath any thing to speake in his owne defence so longe there is somewhat taken away from the glory of God
none receiue frute of the benifites of Christ but thei that lift vp theyr mindes to the resurrectioÌ„ For Paul setteth vp this marke to the faithful toward which he saith that he endeuoreth forgetteth al things til he coÌ„ to it And so much the more cherfulli ought we to trauail toward it least if this world wthold vs we suffer greuous punishmeÌ„t for our slothfulnesse Wherfore in an other place he marketh the faithful with this mark that their conuersatioÌ„ is in heaueÌ„ froÌ„ wheÌ„se also thei loke for their sauiour And that their courages shoulde not faint in this race he ioyneth al creatures companions with them For bicause euery where ar seen deformed ruines he saith that al things in heauen earth doe endeuour the renewing For sith Adam by his fal dissolued the perfect ordre of nature to the creatures their bondage is peineful greuous whervnto they are subiect by reasoÌ„ of the sinne of maÌ„ not for that thei are endued with any feling but for that they naturally couet the perfect estate froÌ„ which they are fallen Therfore Paul saith that thei grone are as in peine of childe bearing that we to whom are geuen the first frutes of the Spirit may be ashamed to pyne awaie in our corruption not at the least to folow the dead elements which beare peine of an others sinne And the more to pricke vs forward he calleth the last coÌ„ming of Christ our redemption It is true in dede that al the partes of our redemption are already fulfilled but bicause Christ hath ones ben offered for sinnes he shall be seen againe without sinne vnto saluacion With what miseries soeuer we be pressed let this redeÌ„ptioÌ„ susteine vs eueÌ„ vntill the performaÌ„ce of it The very weight of the thing it self shal whet our endeuor For neither doth Paul wtout cause affirme that the whole gospel is void deceitful vnlesse the dead do rise again bicause our state shold be more miserable thaÌ„ the state of al men namly sith we lieng open to the hatredes reproches of many are euery houre in danger yea are as shepe appointed to the slaughter therfore the authoritie therof shold fal away not only in one part but also in the whole suÌ„me whiche bothe our adoptioÌ„ the effect of our saluacioÌ„ coÌ„teineth And so let vs be hedefully bent to this most earnest thing of al that no coÌ„tinuance of time may make vs wery For which purpose I haue differred to this place that whiche I had breefely to entreate of it that the readers may learne when thei haue receiued Christe the author of their saluatioÌ„ to rise vp hier may knowe that he is clothed with heauenly immortalitie glorie that the whole body may be made lyke fashioned to the heade as also the holy ghost oftentimes setteth forthe in his persoÌ„ an exaÌ„ple of the resurrectioÌ„ It is a thing harde to be beleued the bodies when thei haue been coÌ„sumed with rottennesse shal at their appointed time rise vp againe Therfore where many of the Philosophers haue affirmed soules to be iÌ„mortal the resurrectioÌ„ of the flesh hath ben allowed of few wherin although ther was no excuse yet we ar thereby put in minde that it is to harde a thing to draw mans senses to beleue it That faith may ouercome so great a stoppe the scriptur ministreth two helpes the one is in the likenes of Christ the other is the almightines of god Nowe so oft as the resurrectioÌ„ is thought of let the image of Christ come into our mindes which in the nature that he toke of vs so ranne out the race of mortal life that now hauing obteined immortalitie he is to vs a pledge of the resurrectioÌ„ to coÌ„ For in the miseries wherw t we ar beseged we carie about his mortifieng in our flesh that his life may be openli shewed in vs. And we may not seuer him froÌ„ vs neither can we possibly but that he must be torne in sunder WhervpoÌ„ coÌ„meth that argument of Paul If the deade do not rise againe then neither is Christ risen again bicause verily he taketh that principle for coÌ„fessed the Christ was not made subiect to death nor obteined victorie of death by rising againe priuately for him self but that that was begone in the heade which must nedes be fulfilled in al the membres accordinge to the degree ordre of euery one For it were not right that thei shold in al pointes be made egal with him It is said in the Psalm Thou shalt not suffer thy meke one to see corruptioÌ„ Although a portioÌ„ of this trust perteine to vs according to the measure of gift yet the ful effect hath not appeared but in Christ whiche being free froÌ„ all rotting hath receiued againe his body whole Now least the felowship of blessed resurrectioÌ„ with Christ shold be doutful to vs that we may be contented with this pledge Paul expresly affirmeth that he therfore sitteth in heauen shal come at the last day a iudge that he may make oure base and vile body like fashioned to his glorious body In an other place also he teacheth that God raysed not vp his sonne froÌ„ death to the entent to shew a token of his power but to stretche out the same effectual force of the Spirit toward vs which are faithful whome he therefore calleth life while he liueth in vs bycause he was geuen to this ende that he sholde make aliue that which is mortall in vs. I knit vp in a brefe abridgement those things which might both be more largely handled ar worthâ— to be more gorgeously set out yet I trust that the godli readers shal in few words fiÌ„de matter enough which mai suffice to edifie their faith Christ therfore is risen again that he might haue vs coÌ„panions of the life to come He was raised vp of the father in so much as he was the head of the church froÌ„ which he doth in no wise suffer himself to be plucked away He was raised vp by the power of the Spirit which is common to vs vnto the office of quickening Finally he was raised vp that he shold be resurrection liâ—e But as we haue saide that in this miroure there is to be seen of vs a liuely image of the resurrection so let it be to vs a sure substance to stay our minde so that yet we be not lotheful or wery of longe tarieng bycause it is not our part to measure the seasons of times by our will but patiently to rest til God at his owne fit time repaire his kingdome To which purpose semeth the exhortatioÌ„ of Paul The first frutes is Christ then thei that are Christes euery one in his ordre But yâ— no questioÌ„ shold be moued of the resurrection of Christ vpoÌ„ which the resurrection of vs all is founded we se by how many how diuerse meanes he hath made it approued
it com to passe that whatsoeuer greues we suffer thei shal be to vs a shewing of the life to come bicause it agreeth with the nature of God to render affliction to the wicked whiche afflict vs but to vs which are vniustly afflicted rest at the appearing of Christ with the Angels of his power in a flame of fire But that is to be holden whiche he addeth by and by afterwarde that he shall come that he may be glorified in his saintes be made wonderfull in al them that haue beleued bicause the Gospel hath ben beleued But althoughe the mindes of men ought to haue ben continnually occupied in this studie yet as though thei would of set purpose destroy all remembrance of the resurrection they haue called death the vtâ—ermost bounde of all thinges and the destruction of man For verily Salomon speaketh of the common and receiued opinion when hee saithe that a liuing dogge is better then a deade Lion And in an other place Whoe knoweth whether the soule of a man go vpward the soule of a beaste goe downewarde But in al ages this brutishe senslesse errore hath ben coÌ„mon in the worlde yea hath broken into the Church it self for the Sadduces haue presumed to professe openly that there is no resurrection yea and that soules are mortal But that this grosse ignorance sholde not helpe to excuse any man the infideles euen by very instinct of nature haue alwaye had an image of the resurrection before theyr eies For to what purpose serued that holy and inuiolable manner of burieng but to be an earnest of newe life Neither may it be answered that this spring of erroure bicause the religiousnesse of buriall was alway in vre amonge the holy Fathers and God willed the same manner to remaine amonge the Gentiles that an image of the rusurrection set before them might awake their drowsinesse But althoughe that ceremonie wanted his vse of profitinge yet it is profitable for vs if we wisely marke the ende of it bicause it is no sclender confutation of vnbelefe that al together professed that which no man beleued But Satan hath not only astonished the senses of men so that thei haue buried with the bodies the remembrance of the resurrection but also hath practised to corrupt this parte of doctrine with diuerse fained inuentions that at length it mighte vtterly die I passe ouer howe in Paules time Satan beganne to pinche at it but in a little after there folowed the Millenaries whiche limited the reigne of Christe to a thousande yeares Their erroure is so childishe that it nedeth not or is not worthy of any confutatioÌ„ Neither doth the ReuelatioÌ„ make on their side by whiche it is certaine that thei colored their erroure forasmuche as in the place where he mentioneth the numbre of a thousande hee entreateth not of the eternall blessednesse of the Church but only of the diuers trobles which were to come vpon the Churche while it yet trauailed in earth But the whole Scripture crieth out that there shal be no end of the blessednesse of the elect nor of the punishment of the reprobate Now of all thinges whiche bothe are hidden from our sight and do far passe the capacitie of our minde eyther we muste fetch the credite out of the certaine oracles of God or we muste vtterly caste it away They whiche assigne to the chyldren of God a thousand yeres to enioye the inheritance of the life to come do not marke how great a dishonor they do bothe to Christ and his kingdome For yf they shal not be clothed with immortalitie then neyther is Christ hymselfe to whose glorie they shal be newly fashioned receiued into the immortall glorie If their blessednesse shal haue any end then the kingdome of Christ â–ª vpon the stedfastnesse whereof it standeth endureth but for a time Finally eyther they are most vnskilfull of all matters concernyng God or they go about with croked maliciousnesse to ouerthrow the whole grace of God and power of Christ the fulfillyng wherof is no otherwise perfect but when sinne beyng blotted out death swallowed vp eternall life is fully restored But very blinde men may see how fondly they playe the fooles which feare that thei should ascribe to God to great crueltie if the reprobate be condemned to euerlasting peynes The Lord forsothe shall do wrong if he denie his kingdome to them whiche haue by their vnthankfulnesse made themselues vnworthy of it But say thei their sinnes endure but for a time I grauÌ„t but the maiestie yea and the righteousnesse of God whiche they haue offended by sinnyng is eternall Worthily therfore the remembrance of iniquitie dyeth not But so the peyne excedeth the measure of the faulte This is a blasphemie not to be suffred when the maiestie of God is so litle set by when the despising therof is estemed at no greater value than the destruction of one soule But let vs leaue these trifles least contrarie to that which we haue before sayd we may seme to iudge their dotages worthy of confutation Byside these there haue ben two other doting errors brought in by men peruersly curious The one sort thought as though the whole man died that the soules shall rise agayne with the bodies The other for asmuch as they graunt that the soules be immortall spirites say that they shal be clothed with new bodies whereby they denie the resurrection of the flesh Of the first sort bycause I haue touched somwhat in speakyng of the creation of man it shal be enough for me to warne the reders againe how beastly an errour it is to make of a spirit fashioned after the image of God a vanishyng blast whiche doth nothing but quicke the body in this frayle life and to bryng the teÌ„ple of the holy ghost to nothyng Finally to spoyle that part of vs wherein dimnesse chefely shineth and markes of immortalitie appere to spoyle it I say of this gift so that the estate of the body should be better and more excellent than the estate of the soule The Scripture teacheth far otherwise which compareth the body to a cotage out of whiche it sayth that we remoue when we die bicause it estemeth vs by that part whiche maketh vs differing from brute beastes So Peter beyng me to death sayth that the time is come when he muste saye awaye his tent And Paul speaking of the faithful after that he hath sayd That when our earthly house shal be dissolued there is a bildyng for vs in heauen adioyneth that we are wayferyng from the Lord so long as we abide in the body but do desire the presence of God in the absence of the body If the soules do not ouerliue the bodies what is it that hath God present when it is seuered from the body But the Apostle taketh away all doutyng when he teacheth that we are ioyned in felowship to the spirites of the righteous By whiche wordes he sheweth that
we are ioyned in felowship to the holy fathers whiche euen beyng dead doe kepe the same godlinesse with vs so that we can not be the members of Christ vnlesse we growe together with them Unlesse also the soules beyng vnclothed of the bodies did kepe still their substance were able to receyue blessed glorie Christ wold not haue sayd to the thefe This day thou shalt be with me in paradise Hauing so clere testimonies let vs not dout after the example of Christ when we are dyeng to commend our soules to God or after the example of Stephen to commit them to Christ to kepe which not vnworthily is called a faithfull shepeherd and bishop of them To enquire of their meane state is neyther lawfull nor expedient Many do much combeâ— themselues with disputing what place they kepe and whether thei do now enioye the heauenly glorie or no. But it is follie and rashnesse to searche depelier of vnknowen thinges than God doth geue vs leaue to know When the Scripture hath sayd that Christ is present with them and receiueth them into paradise that they maye enioy comfort on the other side that the soules of the reprobate do suffer suche peines as they haue deserued it goeth no further What teacher or maister shall nowe open to vs that whiche God hath hidden Of the place the questioÌ„ is no lesse fond and vayne for asmuch as we know that there is not the same dimension of the soule which is of the body Whereas the blessed gatheryng together of holy spirites is called the bosome of Abraham it is enough for vs after this wayfaryng to be receyued of the common father of the faithfull that he may communicate with vs the frute of his fayth In the meane time â—iâ—he the Scripture euery where biddeth vs to hang vpon the expectation of Christes coÌ„ming and differreth the crowne of glorie till then let vs be content with these bondes apointed vs of God namely that the soules of the godly hauyng ended the labor of their warfare doe goe into a blessed reste where with happy ioyfulnesse they loke for the enioyeng of the promised glorie and that so all thinges are holden in suspense till Christ the redemer appere As for the Reprobate it is no dout that they haue the same estate which Iude assigneth to the Deuels to be holden bound with cheynes till they be drawen to the punishment whereunto they are condemned No lesse monstruous is their error whiche imagine that soules shall not receyue againe the same bodies wherwith they are now clothed but shal haue new and other bodies And the reason of the Manichees was very triflyng that is that it is not mete that flesh which is vncleane shold rise againe As though there were no vncleaÌ„nesse of soules which yet they debarred not from the hope of euerlasting life It was therefore all one as if they shold say that that which is infected with the filth of sinne can not be cleansed by God For I now passe ouer that dotage that fleshe was naturally vncleane bicause it was create of the Deuel Only I shew that what so euer is now in vs vnworthy of heauen it hindereth not the resurrection And first wheras Paule biddeth the faithfull to cleanse themselues from all deâ—ilyng of the fleshe and of the Spirit therupoÌ„ foloweth the iudgement which he in an other place pronounceth that euery man shal receiue by his body eyther good or euel Wherewith agreeth that which he writeth to the CorinthiaÌ„s That the life of Iesus Christ may be openly shewed in our mortal flesh For which reason in an other place he doth no lesse pray that God preserue the bodies whole vnto the day of Christ than the soules and spirites And no maruell bicause it were a most great absurditie that the bodies which God hath dedicate to be temples to himselfe should fall away into rottennesse without hope of risyng againe What say we to this that thei are also the members of Christ that God commaundeth all the partes of them to be sanctified to himself that he willeth his name to be praysed with tonges pure handes to be lifted vp to him sacrifices to be offred What madnesse is it therfore that that part to whiche the heauenly iudge hath vouchesaued to graunt so great honor should be brought from a mortal man into dust without any hope of restoring Likewise when Paule exhorteth vs to suffer the Lord as well in body as in soule bycause both belong to God verily he suffreth not that whiche he chalengeth to God as holy to be adiudged to eternall rottennesse Neyther is there a plainer determinatioÌ„ of the Scripture for any thing thaÌ„ for the risyng againe of this flesh which we beare This corruptible sayth Paule must put on vncorruption and this mortall must put on immortalitie If God did make new bodies where is this changyng of qualitie If it had ben sayd that we must be renewed the doutful speache paraduenture mought haue geuen occasion to their cauillatioÌ„ But now when pointyng with his â—ingar to the bodies wherewith we are clothed he promiseth to them vncorruption he plainely enough denieth any new bodies to be made Yea he could not sayth TertulliaÌ„ speake more plainly vnlesse he had holden his owne skinne in his hand And they can by no cauillation escape froÌ„ this that where in an other place he sayth that Christ shal be the iudge of the world he allegeth this testimonie of Esaye I liue sayth the Lord euery knee shal bowe to me for as much as he plainly pronounceth that they to whoÌ„ he speaketh shal be subiect to yeld an accompt of their life which could not agree if newe bodies should be brought before the iudgement seate Nowe in the wordes of Daniel there is no doutfulnesse And many of them that slepe in the earth of dust shall awake some to eternall life and some to reproches to euerlastyng contempt sithe he fetcheth not new matter out of the fower elementes to make men but calleth dead men out of their graues And this very plaine reason teacheth For if mortalitie whiche toke beginnyng at the fall of man be accidental then the repayring which Christ brought perteineth to the same body which began to be mortall And truely wheras the Athenians laughed when Paule affirmed the resurrection therupon we may gather what manner of resurrection he preached and that same laughyng not smally anayleth to strengthen our faith The sayeng of Christ also is worthy to be noted Feare not them which kil the body can not kil the soule but feare him which can throwe both the soule and the body into hell of fire For there is no cause to feare vnlesse the body whiche we now beare be subiect to punishmeÌ„t And no lesse plaine is an other sayeng of the same Christ The houre coÌ„meth when all they that are in graues shal heare the
voice of the sonne of God and shall come forth they that haue done good into the resurrection of life but they that haue done euel into the resurrection of iudgement Shal we say that soules rest in the graues that they lieng there may heare Christ and not rather that at his coÌ„maundement the bodies shal returne into the liuelinesse which they had lost Moreouer if we shal haue new bodies geneÌ„ vs where is the likefashioning of the head and the membres Christ rose againe was it with forgyng to himselfe a newe body No but as he had sayd before Destroy this teÌ„ple and in three daies I wil bulde it vp he toke againe the same body which he had before borne mortall For he had not much profited vs if a new body beyng put in place the olde body had ben destroyed which was offred vp for a sacrifice of satisfactorie cleansing We must also holde fast that felowship whiche the Apostle preacheth That we rise againe bicause Christ hath risen againe for nothyng is lesse probable than that our flesh in whiche we beare about the mortifieng of Christ should be depriued of the resurrection of Christ. Whiche verily appered by a notable example when at the risyng agayne of Christ many bodies of the Saintes came out of the graues For it canne not bee denied that this was forshewyng or rather an earnest of the laste resurrection whiche we hope for suche as was before in Enoch and Elias whome Tertullian calleth New possessors of the resurrection bycause they beyng in body and soule deliuered from corruption were receyued into the kepyng of God I am ashamed in so cleare a matter to spende so many wordes but the readers shall contentedly beare this trouble with me that no hole maye be open for frowarde and bolde wittes to deceyue the simple The flyeng spirites wyth whome I nowe dispute bryng forth a fained inueÌ„tion of their owne brayne that at the resurrection there shal be a creation of new bodies What reason moueth them to thinke so but bicause it semeth to them incredible that a carion consumed with so long cotteÌ„nesse shold returne into his auÌ„cient state Therfore only vnbeleâ—e is the mother of this opinion But vs on the other side the Spirit of God eche where in the Scripture exhorteth to hope for the resurrection of our flesh For this reason baptisme as Paule witnesseth is to vs a seale of the resurrection to come and likewise the holy Supper allureth vs to the trust thereof when we receyue with our mouth the Signes of spiritual grace And truely the whole exhortation of Paule that we geue our meÌ„bres to be weapons vnto the obedieÌ„ce of righteousnesse shold be cold vnlesse that were ioyned whiche he addeth afterward He that hath raised vp Christ froÌ„ the dead shall quicken also your mortal bodies For what should it profit to applie our feete handes eyes and tonges vnto the seruice of God vnlesse they were partakers of the frute reward Which thing Paul plainly confirmeth with his owne wordes sayeng The body not to fornication but to the Lord and the lord to the body And he that hath raised vp Christ shall also rayse vp vs by his power More plaine are those wordes which folow that our bodies are the teÌ„ples of the holy ghost the meÌ„bers of Christ. In the meane time we see how he ioyneth the resurrection with chastitie holinesse as a litle after he sayth that the price of redemption perteineth also to the bodies Now it were not resonable that the body of Paul in which he hath borne the prinâ—es of Christ in which he honorably glorified Christ shold lose the reward of the crowne Whereupon also came that glorieng We loke for the redemer from heaueÌ„ which shal make our vile body like fashioned to the body of his brightnesse And if this be true that we must by many afflictions entre into the kingdome of God no reason suffreth to debarre the bodies from this entrie which God both exerciseth vnder the standard of the crosse honoreth with the praise of victorie Therfore of this matter there arose among the Saintes no douting but that they hoped to be coÌ„panioÌ„s of Christ which remoueth into his owne persone al the afflictions wherewith we are proued to teache that they bring life Yea and vnder the law he exercised the holy fathers in this faith with an outward ceremonie For to what purpose serued the vsage of burieng as we haue already shewed but that they should know that there is new life prepared for the bodies that are layed vp Hereunto also tended the spices and other signes of immortalitie wherewith vnder the law the darknesse of faith was holpen eueÌ„ as it was by the sacrifices Neither was that maÌ„ner bredde by superstitioÌ„ for asmuch as we see that the Spirit doth no lesse diligently reherse burialles than the chefe misteries of faith And Christ commendeth that worke as a special worke truely for none other reson but bicause it lifteth vp our eyes froÌ„ beholding of the graue which corrupteth destroyeth all to the sight of the renewyng Moreouer the so diligent obseruing of the ceremonie whiche is praysed in the Fathers sufficiently proueth that it was to them a rare pretious help of faith For neither would AbrahaÌ„ haue so carefully prouided for the burieng place of his wife vnlesse there had ben set before his eyes a religion and a profit hier than the world namely that garnishing the dead body of his wife with the signes of the resurrection he might coÌ„firme both his owne faith the faith of his household But a clerer profe of this thing appereth in the exaÌ„ple of Iacob which to testifie to his posteritie that the hope of the promised land was not euen by death fallen out of his minde coÌ„maunded his bones to be caried thether I besech you if he was to be clothed with a new body shold he not haue geuen a fond coÌ„manÌ„dement coÌ„cerning dust that shold be brought to nothing Wherfore if their authoritie of the Scripture be of any force with vs there caÌ„ be required of no doctrine either a more clere or more certaine profe For this euen children vnderstand by the wordes of ResurrectioÌ„ raysing vp againe For neither can we cal it the Resurrection of that which is now first created neither shold that sayeng of Christ staÌ„d fast Whatsoeuer the Father hath geuen me it shal not perish but I wil rayse it vp in the last day To the same purpose serueth the word of Sleping which perteineth only to the bodies WherupoÌ„ also burieng places were called Coemeteria â–ª Sleping places Now it remaineth that I speake somwhat of that manner of the resurrection I vse this word bicause Paul calling it a misterie exhorteth vs to sobrietie bridleth the libertie to dispute like Philosophers freely suttelly of it First we muste holde as
small and contemptible number lyeth hid vnder a huge multitude and a fewe graines of wheate are couered wyth a heape of chaffe to God onely is to be lefte the knowledge of his Churche the fundation whereof is his secrete election But it is not sufficiente to conceiue in thoughte and mynde the multitude of the elect vnlesse we thinke vppon suche an vnitie of the Churche into whiche we be truely perswaded that we our selues be engraffed For vnlesse we be vnder our head Chryste vnited together wyth all the reste of his members there abydeth for vs no hope of the inheritaunce to come It is therefore called Catholike or Uniuersall because we can not fynde two or three Churches but that Christe muste be torne in sonder whyche can not be done But all the electe of God are so knitt together in Christe that as they hang vpon one head so they may growe together as it were into one body cleauing together wyth suche a compacting of ioyntes as the members of one selfe body beeing truely made one whiche with one hope Fayth Charitie with one selfe Spirite of God dooe lyue together beeing called not onely into one inheritaunce of eternall lyfe but also into one partaking of one God and Christe Wherefore althoughe the sorowefull desolation that on eche syde presenteth it selfe in sighte crieth out that there is nothing lefte of the Churche yet lette vs knowe that Christes death is frutefull and that God maruellously as it were in secrete corners preserueth his Church As it was sayed to Elias I haue kept to my selfe seuen thousande men that haue not bowed their knee before Baal Albeit this article of the Crede doeth in some respecte belong to the outwarde Churche that euery one of vs shoulde holde himselfe in brotherly consente with all the children of God shoulde yelde vnto the Churche that authoritie whiche it deserueth finally should so behaue himself as a shepe of the flocke And therefore is adioyned the communion of Saintes Which parcell although commonly the old writers doe leaue it out yet is not to be neglected because it very wel expresseth the qualitie of the Churche as if it had been sayed that the Saintes are gathered together into the felowshyppe of Christ with this condition that whatsoeuer benefites God bestoweth vpon them they shoulde coÌ„tinually communicate them one to an other Wherby yet the diuersitie of graces is not taken away as we know that the gyftes of the Holy ghost are diuersly distributed neyther is the order of ciuile gouernemente disturbed by whiche it is lawfull for euery man priuately to enioye his owne possessions as it is necessarye that for preseruatyon of peace among men they should haue among them selues peculiare and deuyded properties of thynges But there is a communitie affirmed such as Luke descrybeth that of the multitude of the beleuers there was one harte and one soule and Paule when he exhorteth the Ephesians to be one body one Spirite as they be called in one hope For it is not possible if they be truely perswaded that God is the common father and Christ the common head to them all but that being conioyned among themselues with brotherly loue they shoulde continually communicate those thynges that they haue Nowe it muche behoueth vs to knowe what profyte therupon returneth vnto vs. For we beleue the Churche to thys ende that we may be certainly perswaded that we are the members of it For by thys meane our saluation resteth vpon sure and sounde stayes that it although the whole frame of the world be shaken can not come to ruine and fall downe Firste it standeth wyth goddes election neyther can it varye or faile but together wyth hys eternall Prouidence Then it is after a certayne manner ioyned wyth the stedfastnesse of Christe whiche will no more suffer his faithfull to be plucked from hym than hys owne members to be rente and torne in peces Beside that we are assured that trueth shall alwaye abyde wyth vs so long as we are holden in the bosome of the Churche Laste of all that we fele that these promises belong to vs there shal be saluation in Syon God shall for euer abide in Hierusalem that it may not at any time be moued So muche can the partaking of the Churche doe that it holdeth vs in the felowshippe of God Also in the very worde Communion is muche comforte because while it remayneth certayne that what soeuer the Lorde geueth to hys and oure members belongeth to vs oure hope is by all theyr good thynges confirmed But in suche sorte to embrace the vnitie of the Churche it is not nedefull as we haue already sayed to see the Churche it selfe wyth our eies or fele it with our handes but rather by thys that it consisteth in Faith we are admonished that we oughte no lesse to thinke it to be when it passeth our vnderstanding than if it openly appeared Neither is our Fayth therefore the worse because it conceiueth it vnknowen for asmuche as we are not herein commaunded to discerne the reprobate from the electe whiche is the office of God onely and not oures but to determine assuredly in our mindes that all they that by the mercifull kindnesse of God the Father throughe the effectual working of the Holy ghost are come into the partaking of Christ are seuered into the peculiar righte and proper possession of Christe and that for asmuche as we be in the number of those we are partakers of so greate a grace But sithe it is nowe our purpose to entreate of the visible Church lette vs learne euen by thys one title of Mother howe muche â—he knowledge thereof is profitable yea necessarye for vs for asmuche as there is no other entrye into life vnlesse she conceiue vs in hee wombe vnlesse she bryng vs fourth vnlesse she fede vs with her breastes fynallye vnlesse she kepe vs vnder her custodye and gouernaunce vntyll suche tyme as beyng vnclothed of mortall fleshe we shall be lyke vnto Angels For oure weakenesse suffreth vs not to be dismissed from schole tyll we haue been scholars throughout the whole course of our lyfe Beside that oute of her bosome there is no forgeuenesse of synnes and no saluation to be hoped for as wytnesseth Esaye and Ioel with whom agreeth Ezechiel when he declareth that they shall not be in the number of Goddes people whome he putteth awaye from the heauenly lyfe As on the contrarie side they are sayed to wryte their names among the citezens of Hierusalem that turne them selues to the folowyng of true godlynesse After whiche manner it is also sayed in an other Psalme Remember me Lord in the good wyll of thy people visite me in thy saluation that I maye see the benefytes of thy electe that I maye be merry in the myrth of thy people that I maye reioyse wyth thy enherytaunce In whiche woordes the fatherly fauoure of GOD and the peculyar testimonie of the Spirituall lyfe is restrayned to
I saye that euery one of their assemblies and the whole body wanteth the lawfull forme of a Chirch ¶ The .iii. Chapter ¶ Of the teachers and ministers of the Chirche and of theyr election and office NOwe it is mete that we speake of the order by which it was the Lordes will to haue his Chirche gouerned For although in his Chirche he onely muste rule and reigne yea and beare preeminence or excelle in it and this gouernement to bee vsed or executed by his onely word yet because he dwelleth not among vs in visible presence so that he can presently with his owne mouth declare his will vnto vs we haue saied that in this he vseth the ministerie of men and as it were the trauaile of deputies not in transferryng his right and honour vnto them but onely that by their mouthe he might do hys owne worke like as a workeman to doo his worke vseth hys instrument I am compelled to repete agayne those thynges that I haue already declared He might in dede do it eyther by hymselfe without any other helpe or instrumente or also by meane of Angelles but there are many causes why he had rather doo it by men For by this meane first he declareth hys good wyll toward vs when he taketh out of men them that shall doo his message in the world that shal be the interpreters of hys secrete wyll finally that shall represent his owne person And so by experience he proueth that it is not vayne that commonlye he calleth vs hys temples when out of the mouthes of men as oute of his sanctuarye he geueth answeres to men Secondly thys is the best and most profitable exercise to humilitie when he accustometh vs to obey hys worde howsoeuer it be preached by men like vnto vs yea sometime our inferiors in dignitie If he him selfe spake from heauen it were no maruell if his holy Oracles were without delaye reuerently receiued wyth the eares and myndes of all men For who woulde not drede his power beyng in presence who woulde not be throwen downe at the first sight of so great maiesty who would not be confounded with the infinite brightnesse But when some silly man risen out of the dust speaketh in the name of God here with very good testimony we declare our godlinesse and reuerent obedience toward God hymselfe if to his minister we yelde our selues willyng to learne whiche yet in nothyng excelleth vs. Therfore for this cause also he hath hidden the treasure of hys heauenly wisedome in brickle and earthen vessels that he mighte haue the certainer profe how much he is estemed of vs. Moreouer there was nothyng fitter for the cherishyng of mutual charitie than that mē shold be bounde together one to an other with this bonde when one is made a pastor to teache the rest and they that are commaunded to be scholars receiue al one doctrine at one mouth For if euery mā were able enough to serue himselfe and neded not the helpe of an other suche is the pride of mans nature that euery one would despise other and should againe be despised of them Therfore the Lorde hath bounde his Chirch with that knotte whiche he forsawe to be the strongest knotte to holde vnitie togither when he hath lefte with men the doctrine of saluation and of eternall life that by their handes he might communicate it to the reste Herunto Paul had respect when he wrote to the Ephesians One body one spirite as also ye be called in one hope of your callyng One Lorde one Faith one Baptisme One God and the Father of all whiche is aboue all and by all in vs al. But vnto euery one of vs grace is geuē accordyng to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherfore he saith Whē he was gone vp on hye he ledde captiuitie captiue he gaue giftes to men He that wente downe is the selfe same hee that wente vp that he might fulfill all thynges And the same hath geuen some to be Apostles and some Prophetes and some Euangelistes and other some Pastors and teachers vnto the restoryng of the holy ones to the worke of ministration to the edifying of the body of Christ vntill we com all into the vnitie of Faithe and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God into a perfect man into the measure of full growen age that we bee no more children that may be caried about with euery wynde of doctrine but folowyng truthe in charitie let vs in all thynges growe into him that is the hed euen Christ in whom the whole body conioyned and compacted together by all the ioynt of subministration accordyng to the workyng in measure of euery parte maketh encrease of the body vnto the edifiyng of it selfe by charitie By these wordes he sheweth that that ministerie of men which God vseth in gouernyng his Chirche is the chiefe synew wherby the faithfull cleaue together in one body and also he sheweth that the Chirche can not otherwise be preserued safe but if it be vpholden by these stays in whyche it pleased the LORDE to repose the saluation of it CHRIST saieth he is gone vp on hye that he myght fulfill all thinges This is the maner of fulfillyng that by his ministers to whom he hath committed that office and hath geuen the grace to execute that woorke he disposeth and distributeth his giftes to the Chirche yea and after a certayne maner geueth hym selfe present with extendyng the power of his spirite in this institution that it should not be vain or idle So is the restoryng of the holy ones performed so is the body of Christ edified so doo we by all thinges growe into hym that is the hed and doo growe together among our selues so are we all brought into the vnitie of Christ if prophecie flourishe among vs if we receyue the Apostles if we refuse not the doctrine ministred vnto vs. Therfore he goeth about the dissipation or rather the ruine and destruction of the Chirche whosoeuer he be that either endeuoureth to abolishe this Order of whom we speake and this kynde of gouernement or minisheth the estimation of it as a thyng not so necessary For neither the lighte and heate of the sunne nor meate and drynke are so necessary to nourishe and susteine this present life as the office of Apostles and pastors is necessarie to preserue the Chirche in earthe Therefore I haue aboue admonished that God hath oftentymes with suche titles as he coulde commended the dignitie thereof vnto vs that we should haue it in moste hye honour and price as the moste excellent thyng of all He testifieth that he geueth to men a singular benefite in raisyng them vp teachers where he commaundeth the Prophete to crye oute that faire are the feete and blessed is the commyng of them that bring tidyngs of peace and when he calleth the Apostles the lyght of the worlde and salte of the earthe Neither coulde this office bee more honourably
measure of grace that he hath geuen to euery meÌ„ber Therfore he hath appointed some Apostles some Pastors some Euangelistes other some Teachers c. Why doth he not say that he hath set one ouer all to be his vicegerente For the place require 〈◊〉 principally and it could by no meanes haue been omitted if it haâ—â—â—â—n true Christ saieth he is with vs. Howe by the ministerie of men whom he hath appointed to gouerne the Chirche Why not rather by the ministeriall hed to whom he hath committed his stede He nameth vnâ—â—â— but in God and in the fayth of Christe He assigneth to meÌ„ nothing but common ministerie and to euery one a particular measure In thaâ— commendation of vnitie after that he had saied that there is one body one Spirite one hope of calling one God one Faith one Baptisme why hath he not also immediatly added one chiefe Bishop that may holde the Chirche together in vnitie For nothing could haue been more fytly spoken if it had been true Lette that place be diligently weyed It is no doute but that he meante there altogether to represente the holye and spirituall gouernemente of the Chirche whiche they that came after called Hierachie As for Monarchie among ministers he not only nameth none but also sheweth that there is none It is also no doute but that he meant to expresse the manner of conioyning whereby the faythful cleaue together with Christ their hed There he not only speaketh of no ministerial hed but appointeth to euery of the meÌ„bers a particular working according to the measure of grace distributed to euery one Neither is there any reason why they should suttelly dispute of the comparison of the heauenly and earthly Hierarchie For it is not safe to know beyonde measure of it And in framing thys gouernemente we must folow no other figure thaÌ„ the Lord himselfe hath painted out in his worde Now although I graunt them an other thing which thei shal neuer winne by profe before sober men that the supremicie of the Chirche was so stablished in Peter that it should alway remayne by perpetuall succession yet how wil they proue that his seate was so placed at Rome that whosoeuer is Bishop of that Chirche should be set ouer the whole worlde By what right do they binde this dignitie to the place which is geuen without mention of place Peter say they liued died at Rome What did Christ himselfe Did not he while he liued exercise his Bishoprike and in dyeng fulfill the office of Priesthode at Hierusalem The Prince of Pastors the soueraigne Bishop the hed of the Chirche could not purchase honor to the place and could Peter that was farre inferior to him Are not these follies more than childishe Christe gaue the honor of supremicie to Peter Peter sate at Rome therfore he there placed the see of Supremicie By thys reason the Israelites in olde tyme myght haue set the seate of Supremicie in the desert where Moses the chiefe Teacher and Prince of Prophetes executed his ministerie and dyed Lette vs see howe trimly they reason Peter saye they hadde the Supremicie among the Apostles therefore the Chirche where he sate oughte to haue that priuilege But where sate he firste At Antioche saye they Therfore the Chirche of Antioche doth rightly claime to it selfe the supremicie They coÌ„fesse that it was in old time the first but they say that in remouing thense he remoued to Rome the honor that he had brought with hym For there is an Epistle vnder the name of Pope Marcellus to the Bishops of Antioche where he saieth thus Peters seate was at the beginning with you which afterward by the Lordes commaundement was remoued hether So the Chirch of Antioche which was ones the chiefe hath geueÌ„ place to the see of Rome But by what Oracle had that good man learned that the Lord so commauÌ„ded For if this cause be to be determined by the law it is necessary that they answere whether they wil haue this priuilege to be personal or real or mirt For it must be one of these three If they say that it is personal then it belongeth nothing to the place If they say that it is real theÌ„ wheÌ„ it is ones geueÌ„ to the place it is not takeÌ„ away by resoÌ„ either of the death or departure of the persoÌ„ It remaineth therfore that thei must sai it is mixt but theÌ„ that place shal not be simply to be coÌ„sidered vnlesse the persoÌ„ do also agre Let them choose which soeuer they wil I will by by inferre easily proue that Rome can by no meane take the supremicie vpon it selfe But be it that as they triflingly say the supremecie was remoued from Antioche to Rome yet why did not Antioche kepe the secoÌ„de place For if Rome haue therfore the first place because Peter sate there to the ende of his life to whoÌ„ shal the seconde place rather be grauÌ„ted thaÌ„ where he had his first seate How came it to passe then that Alexandria went before Antioche How agreeth it that the Chirch of one disciple should be aboue the seate of Peter If honor be due to euery Chirche according to the worthinesse of the founder what shal we say also of the other Chirches Paul nameth three that semed to be pillers Iames Peter and Iohn If the first place wer geueÌ„ to the see of Rome in the honor of Peter dooe not the sees of Ephesus HierusaleÌ„ where Iohn Iames sate deserue the seconde and thirde place But among the Patriarches HierusaleÌ„ had the laste place Ephesus could not sit so much as in the vttermost corner And other Chirches wer left out both al those that Paule founded those that the other Apostles wer rulers of The seate of Marke which was but one of their disciples obteined the honor Therfore they must either coÌ„fesse that that was a preposterous order or they must graunt vs that this is not a perpetual rule that there be due to euery Chirche the same degree of honor which the founder had Howbeit as for that which they report of Peters sitting in the Chirch of Rome I see not what credit it oughte to haue Truely that whiche is in Eusebius that he ruled there fyue and twenty yeares is very easily confuted For it is euident by the firste and seconde Chapter to the Galathians that about .xx. yeares after the death of Christ he was at Hierusalem and that theÌ„ he went to Antioche where howe long he was is vncertayne Gregorie reckeneth seuen yeares and Eusebius twentie and fyue But from the death of Christ to the ende of Neroes Empire in whoe 's tyme they say that he was slayne there shal be founde but thirty and seuen yeres For the Lord suffered vnder Tiberius the eightenthe yeare of his Empire If you rebate twentie yeares duryng the whiche Paule is wytnesse that Peter dwelte at Hierusalem there wyll remayne but seuentene yeres at the
yea vnlesse they wente before For sowes are many times killed without any more inwarde or hier mysterie What can the geuing of a mans righte hande doe sithe oftentimes handes are matched with enmitie But when woordes haue gone before by suche signes the lawes of leagues are stablished althoughe they were firste conceiued made and decreed in woordes Therefore Sacramentes are exercises whiche make the credit of the woorde of God certaynet vnto vs and because we are carnall they are deliuered vnder carnall thinges that so they shoulde instruct vs according to the capacitie of our dullnesse and guide vs by the hande as scholemaisters guide children For thys reason Augustine calleth a Sacrament a visible woorde because it representeth the promises of God as it were painted in a table and setteth them before our sighte conningly expressed and as in an image Other similitudes also may be broughte whereby Sacramentes may be more plainly set out as if we call them pillers of our Fayth For as a bylding standeth and resteth vpon the fundation yet by setting vnder of pillers it is more surely stablished so ▪ Faith resteth vpon the worde of God as vpon a fundation but when Sacramentes are added it stayeth yet more soundly vpon them as vppon pillers Or if we call them loking glasses in which we may beholde the richesse of the grace of God which he geueth vs. For as we haue alredy sayd he doth in them manifestlye shewe himselfe to vs so much as is geuen to our dullnesse to knowe and doth more expressly testifie his good will and loue towarde vs thā by hys worde Neither doe they reson fittly enough to the purpose when they labor to proue hereby that they are not testimonies of the grace of God because they are also geuen to the wicked whiche yet doe therby fele God nothing more fauourable to them but rather procure to themselues more greuous damnation For by the same argumente neither shoulde the Gospell whiche is heard and despised of many be the testimonie of the grace of GOD nor yet Christ himselfe whiche was seen and knowen of many of whome very fewe receiued him The lyke we may also se in patentes For a greate parte of the multitude laugheth at and scorneth that authentike seale howsoeuer they knowe that it proceded from the Prince to seale his will withal some regarde it not as a thing not perteining to them some also abhorre it so that considering this so egal relation of both that same similitude which I haue aboue vsed ought more and more to be liked Therfore it is certaine that the Lorde doeth offer vnto vs mercy and a pledge of his grace both in his holy woorde and in the Sacramentes but the same is not receiued but of them whiche receiue the worde and Sacramentes with sure Faith like as Christe is offred of the Father vnto saluation to all yet his is not acknowleged and receiued of all Augustine in one place minding to declare the same sayd that the effectualnesse of the woorde is shewed fourth in the Sacrament not because it is spoken but because it is beleued Therefore Paule when he speaketh to the faithfull so entreateth of Sacramentes that he includeth the communion of Christe in them as when he sayth all ye that are Baptised haue put on Christ. Againe we are all one body and one Spirite which are Baptised in Christe But when he speaketh of the wrongfull vse of Sacramentes he geueth no more to it than to colde and voide figures Whereby he signifieth that howsoeuer the wicked and hipocrites with their peruersnesse do either oppresse or darken or hinder the effect of the grace of God in the Sacramentes yet that withstandeth not but that where and so ofte as it pleaseth God bothe they may bryng a true testimonie of the communicating of Christ and the Spirite of God himselfe may deliuer and performe that which they promyse We determine therefore that Sacramentes are truely called testimonies of the grace of God and as it were certaine seales of the good will which he beareth toward vs which by sealing it vnto vs doe by this meane susteine nourishe confirme and encrease our faith As for the reasons which some are wont to obiect against this sentēce they are to tryfling and weake They say that if our Faith be good it can not be made better for they say that it is no Faith but which without shaking stedfastly and without withdrawing resteth vppon the mercy of God It had ben better for suche to pray with the Apostles that the Lorde woulde encrease their Faith than carelesly to pretende suche a perfection of Fayth whiche neuer any of the sonnes of men hath obteined nor any shall obteine in thys lyfe Lett them answer what manner of Faith they thinke that he had which sayd I beleue Lorde helpe my vnbeleuingnesse For euen that Fayth howsoeuer it was but a begone Faith was a good Faith and myghte be made better when vnbeleuingnesse were taken away But they are confuted by no certainer argument than by their owne conscience For if they confesse themselues sinners whiche whether they will or no they can not denye they muste nedes impute the same to the imperfection of their Fayth But say they Philip answered the Eunuche that he myghte be Baptized if he beleued with all hys harte What place here hath the confirmation of Baptisme where Fayth fylleth the whole hart Againe I aske them whether they doe not fele a good parte of their hart voide of Fayth whether they doe not dayly acknowledge newe encreases The heathen manne gloryed that he waxed olde with learnyng Therefore we Christians be thrise miserable if we waxe olde with profityng nothyng whoe 's faith oughte to goe forwarde by all degrees of ages tyll it growe into a perfect man Therfore in this place to beleue with all the hart is not perfectely to beleue Christe but onely from the harte and with a syncere mynde to embrace hym not to bee full with hym but with feruent affection to hunger and thirste and syghe towarde hym This is the maner of the Scripture to saye that that is doone with the whole harte whiche it meaneth to be done syncerely and hartily Of this sorce are these sayenges I haue in all my harte soughte thee I will confesse to thee in all my harte and suche other As on the other syde where he rebuketh guilefull and deceitfull men he vseth to reproche them with hart and hart Then they say further that if faith be encreased by Sacramentes the Holy ghost is geuen in vaine whoe 's strength and worke it is to begyn mainteyn and make perfect faith To whom in dede I graunt that faithe is the propre and whole work of the Holy ghost by whom beyng enlightned we knowe God and the treasures of his goodnesse and without whoe 's light our mynde is so blynde that it can see nothyng so senslesse that it can smell
that infants which can not beleue lie in their damnation I answer that Christe there speaketh not of the generall gyltinesse wherwith all the posteritie of Adam are enwrapped but only thretneth the despisers of the Gospell which do proudely and stubbornely refuse the grace offred them But this nothing perteineth to infantes Also I set a coÌ„trarie reason against them that whomesoeuer Christ blesseth he is discharged from the curse of Adam and the wrathe of God Sithe therfore it is knowen that infantes are blessed of him it foloweth that they are discharged from death Then he falsly citeth that whiche is no where red that whosoeuer is borne of the Spirite heareth the voyce of the Spirit Which although we graunt to be written yet shal proue nothyng ells but that the faithfull are framed to obedience accordyng as the Spirite woorketh in them But that whiche is spoken of a certaine number it is faultie to drawe indifferently to all Fowerthly he obiecteth because that goeth before which is naturall we muste tarry type tyme for Baptisme whiche is spirituall But althoughe I graunte that all the posteritie of Adam begotten of the fleshe doo from the very wombe beare their owne damnation yet I denye that that withstandeth but that God may presently bryng remedy For neither shall Seruettus proue that there were many yeares appoynted by God that the spirituall newnesse of lyfe many beginne As Paul testifieth although they whiche are borne of the faithfull are by nature damned yet by supernatural grace they are saued Then he bryngeth forth an allegorie that Dauid going vp into the toure of Sion did leade neither blinde men nor lame men with him but strong souldiors But what if I set a parable against it wherin God calleth to the heauenly banket blinde men and lame men howe will Seruettus vnwynde himselfe out of this knott I aske also whether lame and maimed men had not fyrst ben souldiors with Dauid But it is superfluous to tary longer vpoÌ„ this reasoÌ„ which the readers shall fynde by the holy hystorie to be made of mere falsehod There foloweth an other allegorie that the Apostles were fishers of men not of litle children But I aske what that sayeing of Christ meaneth that into the nette of the Gospel are gathered al kyndes of fishes But because I lyke not to play with allegories I answer that wheÌ„ the office of teaching was enioyned to the Apostles yet they were not forbidden from baptisyng of infantes Howbeit I wold yet knowe when the Euangelist nameth them Anthropous men in whche woorde is comprehended all mankynde without exception why they should deny infantes to be men Seuenthly he allegeth that sithe spirituall thyngs agree with spirituall infantes which are not spiritual are also not mete for baptisme But first it is plainly euideÌ„t howe wrongfully they wrest the place of Paule There is entreated of doctrine when the Corinthians did to muche stande in their owne conceite for vayne sharpnesse of witte Paule rebuketh their sluggishnesse for that they wer yet to be instructed in the first introductions of heauenly wisdome Who can therof gather that Baptisme is to be denied to infants whom being begotten of the fleshe God doth by free adoption make holy to himself Where as he sayth that they must be fed with spirituall meate if they be newe men the solution is easy that by Baptisme they are admitted into the flocke of Christ and that the signe of adoption suffiseth them til being growen to age they be able to beare strong meate that therfore the time of examination which God expresly requiâ—eth in the holy Supper must be taried for Afterward he obiecteth that Christ calleth all his to the holy Supper But it is certaine enough that he admitteth none but them that be already prepared to celebrate the remembrance of his deathe Wherupon foloweth that infantes whome he vouchesaued to embrace do stay in a seuerall and proper degree by themselues till they grow to age and yet are not strangers Whereas he saieth that it is monstrous that a man after that he is borne should not eate I answere that soules are otherwise fed than by the outward eatyng of the Supper and that therfore Christ is neuerthelesse meate to infantes althoughe they absteine from the signe But of Baptisme the case is otherwise by which onely the gate into the Chirch is opened to them Agayne he obiecteth that a good Stewarde distributeth meate to the household in due time Which although I willyngly graunt yet by what right wil he appoint vnto vs the certaine tyme of Baptisme that he may proue that it is not geuen to infantes out of tyme. Moreouer he bryngeth in that coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of Christ to the Apostles that they shold make hast into the haruest whyle the fieldes waxe white Uerily Christe meaneth this onely that the Apostles seeyng the fruite of their labor present shoulde the more cherefully prepare themselues to teache Who shall thereof gather that the onely tyme of Haruest is the ripe time for Baptisme His eleuenth reason is that in the first Chirch christians and disciples were all one but we see nowe that he fondely reasoneth from the parte to the whole Disciples are called men of full age whiche had ben already throughly taught and had professed Christ as it behoued that the Iewes vnder the law should be the disciples of Moses yet no man shall therof rightly gather that infantes were strangers whome the Lord hath testified to be of his householde Besyde these he allegeth that all Christians are brethren in which number infantes are not vnto vs so long as we debarre them from the Supper But I returne to that principle that none are heires of the kingdome of heauen but they that are the membres of Christ then that the embracyng of Christ was a true token of the adoption wherby infantes are ioyned in common with full growen men and that the absteining for a time from the Supper withstandeth not but that they perteyne to the body of the Chirche Neither did the these that was conuerted on the Crosse cesse to be brother of the godly although he neuer cam to the Supper Afterward he addeth that none is made our brother but by the Spirite of adoption which is geuen only by the bearing of Faith I answer that he still falleth backe into the same deceitefull argument because he ouerthwartly draweth that to infantes which was spoken only of growen men Paule teacheth there that this is Gods ordinarie maner of callyng to bryng his electe to the faith when he stirreth vp to them faithful teachers by whoe 's ministerie and trauaile he reacheth his hande to them Who dare therby appoint a lawe to him but that he may by some other secrete way graffe infantes into Christ Where he obiecteth that Cornelius was baptised after that he had receiued the Holy ghost howe wrongfully he doothe out of one example gather a generall rule appereth
cup is called the couenant in the blood there is a promise expressed that may be of force to confirme Faith Wherupō foloweth that vnlesse we haue respect to God and embrace that which he offreth we doe not rightly vse the holy Supper Moreouer they also do not satisfie me which acknowleging that we haue some communion with Christ when they meane to expresse it doe make vs partakers only of the Spirite without making any mention of flesh and blood As though al those thinges were spoken of nothing that hys flesh is verily meate that his blood is verily drinke that none hath life but he that eateth that flesh and drinketh that blood and such other sayenges that belong to the same ende Wherfore if it be certaine that the full communicating of Christ procedeth beyonde their description as it is to narowly strained I wil now go about to knit vp in few wordes how large it is and how farr it extendeth it selfe before that I speake of the contrarie fault of excesse For I shal haue a longer disputation with the excessiue teachers which when according to their owne grossnesse they frame a maner of eating drinking ful of absurditie do also transfigure Christ stripped out of hys fleshe into a fantasie if yet a man may with any wordes comprehende so great a mysterie whiche I se that I can not sufficiently comprehende with minde and therfore I doe willingly confesse it that no man should measure the hynesse therof by the smal proportion of my childishnesse But rather I exhorte the reders that they do not restrayne the sense of their minde within these to narrowe boundes but endeuor to rise vp much hyer thā they can by my guiding For I my selfe so oft as I speake of this thing whē I haue trauailed to say all thinke that I haue yet sayd but litle in respecte of the worthinesse therof And although the minde can do more in thinking than the tong in expressing yet with greatnesse of the thing the minde also is surmounted and ouerwhelmed Finally therefore nothing remaineth but that I must breake fourth into admiration of that mysterie whiche neither the mind can suffise to thinke of nor the tong to declare Yet after suche manner as I can I wil set fourth the summe of my sentence which as I nothing dout to be true so I trust that it will not be disallowed of godly hartes First of all we are taughte out of the Scripture that Christe was from the beginning that life bringing worde of the Father the fountaine and original of life from whense all thinges euer receiued their hauing of life Wherfore Ihon somtime calleth him the worde of life and somtime writeth that life was in him meaning that he euen then flowyng into al creatures poured into them the power of breathing and liuing Yet the same Ihon addeth afterwarde that the life was then and not tyll then openly shewed when the Sonne of God taking vpō him our fleshe gaue himselfe to be seen with eyes and felte with handes For though he did before also spred abrode his power into the creatures yet because man beyng by synne estranged from God hauing lost the communion of lyfe saw on euery side death hanging ouer hym that he myght recouer hope of immortalitie it behoued that he should be receiued into the communion of that worde For how small a confidence mayest thou conceiue therof if thou heare that the worde of God in dede from which thou art most farr remoued cōteyneth in it selfe the fulnesse of lyfe but in thy selfe and rounde about thee nothyng offreth it selfe and is present before thine eyes but death But sins that fountayne of lyfe beganne to dwell in our fleshe nowe it lyeth not a farr of hydden from vs but presently deliuereth it selfe to be partaken of vs. Yea and it maketh the very fleshe wherein it resteth to be of power to bryng lyfe to vs that by partaking therof we maye be fed to immortalitie I am sayth he the bred of lyfe that am come downe from heauen And the bred whiche I will geue is my fleshe whiche I will geue for the lyfe of the worlde In whiche woordes he teacheth not onely that he is lyfe in respecte that he is the eternall woorde of God whiche came downe to vs from heauen but that in comming downe he poured the same power into the fleshe whiche he did put on that from thense the communicatyng of lyfe mighte flowe fourth vnto vs. Hereupon also these thinges nowe followe that his fleshe is verily mente and his blood is verily drinke with whiche sustenances the faythfull are fostered into eternall life Herein therfore consisteth singular comfort to the godly that nowe they finde life in their owne fleshe For so they doe not onely with easy passage atteine vnto it but haue it of it selfe layd abrode for them and offring it selfe vnto them Only let them holde open the bosome of their hart that they may embrace it beeyng present and they shall obteyne it But although the fleshe of Christe haue not so greate power of it selfe that it can geue life to vs whiche bothe in the owne firste estate of it was subiecte to mortalitie and nowe being endued with immortalitie liueth not by it selfe yet it is rightfully called lifebringing whiche is filled with fulnesse of lyfe to poure it into vs. In which meaning I doe with Cyril expounde that sayeng of Christ As the Father hath lyfe in himselfe so he hath also geuen to the Sonne to haue life in himselfe For there he properly speaketh of his giftes not whiche he from the beginning possessed with the Father but with whiche he was garnished in the same fleshe in whiche he appeared Therefore he sheweth that in hys manhode also dwelleth the fullnesse of lyfe that whosoeuer partaketh of his flesh and blood may therwithall also enioy the partaking of life Of what sort that is we may declare by a familiar example For as out of a foūtaine water is somtime drōk somtime is drawen somtime by forrowes is conueied to the watering of groundes which yet of it selfe doth not ouerflow into so many vses but from the very spring it selfe which with euerlasting flowing yeldeth and ministreth vnto it from tyme to tyme newe abundance so the fleshe of Christ is like a riche and vnwasted fountaine whiche poureth into vs the life springing from the Godhead into it selfe Nowe whoe seeth not that the communion of the fleshe and blood of Christe is necessarie to al that aspire to heauenly lyfe Hereunto tendeth that sayeng of the Apostle that the Chirch is the body of Christe and the fulfilling of it and that he is the hed oute of whiche the whole body coupled and knit together by ioyntes maketh encrease of the body that our bodies are the members of Christ. Al which thinges we vnderstande to be impossible to be brought to passe but that he must whellye cleaue to vs in Spirite and body
But that most nere felowship wherby we are coupled with his fleshe he hath yet set out with a more glorious title when he sayd that we are members of his body and are of his bones and of hys fleshe At the last to declare it to be a mater greater than all wordes he concludeth hys sayeng with an exclamation This is sayth he a greate secret Therefore it should be a pointe of extreme madnesse to acknowlege no communion of the faythfull with the fleshe and blood of the Lord which the Apostle declareth to be so greate that he had rather wonder at it than expresse it Let the summe be that oure soules are so fed with the fleshe and blood of Christ as bred wyne do mainteine susteine the bodily lyfe For otherwise the proportional relation of the signe should not agree vnlesse soules dyd fynde their fode in Christ. Which can not be done vnlesse Christ do truely grow into one with vs and refresh vs with the eating of his fleshe and drinking of hys blood But although it seme incredible that in so great distance of places the flesh of Christ reacheth to vs that it may be meate to vs let vs remember how much the secret power of the Spirit surmounteth aboue al our senses and how foolysh it is to goe aboute to measure hys vnmeasurablenesse by our measure That therfore whiche our mynde comprehendeth not let our fayth conceiue that the Spirite truely knitteth in one those thinges that are seuered in places Nowe that same holy coÌ„municating of his body and blood wherby Christ poureth hys life into vs euen as if he peaâ—ced it into our bones marowes he in the Supper also testifieth sealeth land yâ— not with setting before vs a vayne or voyde signe but bringing fourth there the effectuall working of his spirite wherby he fulfilleth the which he promyseth And verily he there offreth and deliuereth the thing signified to al them that sit at that spiritual banket although it be receiued with frute of the faythfull onely which receiue so great bountifulnesse with true Fayth thankfulnesse of mynde After which maner the Apostle sayd that the bred which we breake is the communion of the body of Christ and that the cup which we hallow with the word prayers to that purpose is the coÌ„munion of hys blood Neither is there any cause why any man should obiect that it is a figuratiue speche by which the name of the thing signified is geuen to the signe I grauÌ„t verily that the breaking of the bred is a signe not the thiÌ„g it selfe But this being admitted yet we shall rightly gather of the deliuerance of the signe that the thing it selfe is deliuered For vnlesse a maÌ„ wil cal God a deceiuer he can neuer be so bolde to say that he setteth before vs an empty signe Therfore if by the breakyng of bred the Lorde doth truely represente the partakyng of hys body it ought to be out of dout that he truely performeth and deliuereth it And this rule is alway to be holden of the godly that so oft as they se the signes ordeined of the Lorde they certainly thinke persuade themselues that the truth of the thyng signified is there present For to what purpose should the Lorde deliuer to thee into thy hande the signe of hys body but to assure thee of the true partaking of it If it be true that a visible signe is geuen vs to seale the gift of an inuisible thing when we receiue the signe of the body let vs no lesse certainly beleue that the body it selfe also is geueÌ„ vs. I saye therefore which both hath ben alway receiued in the Chirch and al they teache at thys day that thynke right that the holy mysterie of the Supper consisteth of twoo thinges that is to saye of the bodily signes which beyng set before our eyes doe represent vnto vs inuisible thinges according to the capacitie of our weakenesse and of spirituall trueth which is by those signes bothe figured and deliuered Of what sort that is when I meane to shewe it familiarly I vse to set thre thinges the signification the mater which hangeth of the signification the vertue or effect which foloweth of both The signification consisteth in the promisses which are after a certayne manner wrapped together with the signe The mater or substance I cal Christ with hys death and resurrection By effect I vnderstande the redemption righteousnesse sanctification and eternall lyfe and whatsoeuer other benefites Christ bringeth vs. Now although all these thinges haue respect to Fayth yet I leaue no place to thys cauillation as though when I say that Christ is receiued by Fayth I would haue hym coÌ„ceiued with vnderstanding only and imaginatioÌ„ For the promises offer hym not that we should sticke fast in the sight alone and in bare knowlege but that we should enioye the true communicating of hym And truely I se not how any maÌ„ maye haue coÌ„fidence that he hath redeÌ„ption and righteousnesse in the crosse of Christ lyfe in hys death but principally standing vpon the true coÌ„munion of Christ himselfe For those good thinges shoulde not come to vs vnlesse Christ first made himselfe oures I say therefore that in the mysterie of the Supper by the signes of bread and wine Christ is truely deliuered to vs yea and hys body and blood in which he hath fulfylled al obedieÌ„ce for purchasing of ryghteousnesse to vs namely that first we should growe together into one body with hym then beyng made partakers of hys substance we may also fele hys power in the communicating of al hys good thinges Now I come down to the excessiue mixtures which superstitioÌ„ hath brought in For herein Satan hath played with maruelous sutteltie that withdrawing the myndes of men from heauen he might fyl them with peruerse error as though Christ were fastened to the elemente of bred And first we must not dreame such a presence of Christ in the Sacrament as the craftesmeÌ„ of the court of Rome haue fayned as though the body of Christ were made present with presence of place to be handeled with handes to be broosed with teethe and swallowed with mouth For this forme of recantation Pope Nicolas endited to Betengarius to be a witnesse of hys repentance namely with woordes so farr monstruous that the author of the glose cryeth out that there is danger if the reders do not wisely take hede to themselues least they should sucke out of them an heresie worse than was that of Berengarius In the seconde distinctioÌ„ in the Chapter beginning thus Ego Berengarius But Peter Lombarde although he trauaile much in excusing the absurdity yet more inclineth to the contrary senteÌ„ce For as we nothing dout that it hath limites accordyng to the perpetual nature of the body of men and is holden in heauen into which it was ones receiued vntill he returne to iugement so to draw it backe vnder these corruptible
elementes or to imagyne it present euery where we accompt it to be vtterly vnlawfull Neyther verily is it so nedefull to this that we may enioy the partaking of it for as much as the Lord geueth vs thys benefit by his Spirite that we be made one with him in body Spirite and soule The bonde therefore of thys conioynyng is the Spirite of Christ by the knitting wherof we be coupled together and as it were a certaine conduit by whiche whatsoeuer Christ himselfe bothe is and hath is conueyed to vs. For if we beholde the sunne shyning fourth with hys beames vpon the earth after a certaine maner to cast fourth his substance vnto it to engender nourishe and quicken the frutes thereof why should the extending of beames of the Spirite of Christ be inferior to conuey the communion of his flesh and blood into vs Wherfore the Scripture when it speaketh of our partaking with Christ referreth the whole force therof to the Spirite Yet in stede of many one place shal be sufficient For Paule in the viii chapter to the Romaines sayth that Christ dwelleth in vs none otherwise than by hys Spirite wherby yet he taketh not away that cōmuniō of his flesh and blood of which we now speake but teacheth that the Spirite alone worketh that we possesse whole Christ and haue him dwelling in vs. The Scholemen thought more shamfastly which were withholdē with horror of so barbarous vngodlinesse Yet thei also thēselues do nothing but mocke with sutteler deceites They graunt that Christ is not cōteined there by way of circumscription nor after a bodily maner but afterward they inuent away which neither them selues do vnderstande nor they can declare to other yet it is such as falleth to this point that Christ must be sought in the forme of bred as they call it For what is it When they say that the substance of bred is turned into Christe doe they not fasten hym to the whytenesse which they there leaue But saye they he is so conteined in the Sacrament that he abideth in heauen and we determyne no other presence but of habitude But whatsoeuer woordes they bryng in to cloke it with a deceitfull color thys is the ende of all that that is by consecration made Christ which before was bred that from thense fourth Christ lieth hid vnder that color of bred Which also they are not ashamed in playne wordes to expresse For these be the wordes of Lombarde that the body of Christ which in it selfe is visible whē the consecration is ended lyeth hydden and is couered vnder the forme of bred So the forme of that bred is nothyng ells but a visor that taketh away the sight of the fleshe from the eyes Neither nede we many coniectures to fynde what snares they mynded to lay with these wordes sithe the thing itselfe plainly speaketh it For it is to be seen with howe great superstition in certaine ages past not onely the common sorte of men but also the very chefe of them haue ben holden at thys daye be holdē in popish Chirches For hauing litle care of true Fayth by which alone we both come into the felowship of Christ and do cleaue together with hym so that they haue a carnall presence of hym which they haue framed besyde the worde they thynke that they haue hym presente enough Therefore in a summe we see that thys hath ben gotten by thys witty sutteltie that bred was taken for God Frō hense proceded that same fayned transubstātiatiō for which at thys day they fyght more earnestly thā for al the other articles of their faith For the first bilders of that local presence could not vnwynde themselues from thys doute how the body of Christ should be mingled with the substance of bread but that by and by many absurdities did thrust themselues in place Therfore they were driuen of necessitie to flee to thys inuention that there is made a turning of bred into the body not that the body is properly made of bred but because Christ that he mighte hide himselfe vnder the forme bringeth the substance to nothing But it is maruellous that they fel to so great ignorāce yea senslesse dulnesse that not only the Scripture but also the consent of the old Chirch fighting against it they brought abrode that monster I graunt in dede that some of the olde writers somtyme vsed the name of turning not for that they would destroy the substance in the outwarde signes but that they might teache that the bred dedicate to the mysterie differeth farre from common bred and is now other But ech where they al plainly declare that the holy Supper consisteth of twoo partes an earthly parte and a heauenly and the earthly part they do without controuersie expounde to be bred and wyne Truely whatsoever they babble it is plain that in confirming of this doctrine they want the defense of antiquitie whiche they oftentymes presume to set against the euident worde of God For it is not so long agoe sins it was inuēted it was verily vnknowen not only to those better ages in which the purer doctrine of religiō yet florished but also euen whē that same purenesse was much defiled There is none of the olde writers that doth not in expresse wordes cōfesse that the holy signes in the Supper are bred and wyne although as we haue sayd they somtime set it out with diuerse titles to aduaunce the dignitie of the mysterie For wheras they say that in the cōsecration is made a secrete turning that now it is an other thing than bred and wyne I haue euen now geuen warning that they do not therby meane that the thinges themselues are brought to nought but that they are now to be otherwise estemed than common meates which are appointed onely to fede the belly forasmuch as in them is deliuered to vs the spiritual meate and drinke of the soule This we also deny not If say these men there be a turning it must nedes be that there is of one thing made an other thing If they meane that there is some thing made which before was not I agree with them If they wil draw it to that their own imagination let them answere me what change they thinke to be made in Baptisme For herein the Fathers also do determine a maruellous turning when they say that of a corruptible elemēt is made a spiritual washing of the soule yet none of them denyeth that water remayneth But saye they there is no such thing in Baptisme as is that in the Supper This is my body As though the question were of those wordes which haue a meaning plaine enough and not rather of that word of turning which ought to signifie no more in the Supper than in Baptisme Therefore farewel they with these snares of syllables wherby they do nothing els but bewray their own hungrinesse For otherwise the significatiō would not agree together vnlesse the trueth which is there figured
verily a substaÌ„ce of an earthly and corruptible element and suffreth no change in it selfe but hath vnder it selfe the body of Christ enclosed If they did so declare their meaning that when the bred is deliuered in the mysterie there is adioyned the deliuering of the body because the trueth is vnseuerable from the signe I would not much striue with them But because they placing the body in the bred do faine to it a beyng euery where contrarie to the nature thereof and in adding vnder the bred they wyll haue it lye there hiddeÌ„ it is necessarie a litle while to draw such suttelties out of their deÌ„nes For my mynde is not yet as of set purpoÌ„se to go through with all this point but only that I may lay the fundations of the disputation which shall by and by folowe in place fit for it They wil therfore haue the body of Christe to be inuisible and immeasurable that it may lie hid vnder the bread because they thinke that they do not otherwise communicate with hym than if he descende into bread but they comprehend not the maner of descending wherby he lifteth vs vpward to himself They lay vpon it all the colors that they can but when they haue said all it sufficiently appereth that they staye vpon the locall presence of Christ. Whense commeth that euen because they can abide to conceiue no other partakyng of the fleshe and blood but whiche consysteth either of ioynyng and touchyng of place or of some grosse enclosyng And that they may obstinately defende the error ones rashly conceiued some of them sticke not to say that the flesh of Christ had neuer any other measurynges but so farr and wide as heauen and earth is brode Whereas he was borne a childe out of the wombe whereas he grewe wheras he was spred abrode on the crosse whereas he was enclosed in the sepulchre the same was doone by a certaine dispensation that he myght be borne and dye and performe the other dueties of man Where as after his resurrection he was seen in his wonted forme of body wheras he was taken vp to heauen wheras last of all also after his ascension he was seen of Stephen and Paule it was doone by the same dispensation that it might appere to the sight of men that he was made a kyng in heauen What is this ells but to raise vp Marcion out of hell For no man can dout that the body of Christ was a fantasy or a fantasticall thyng if he was of suche state Some slip away somewhat more suttelly with sayeng that this body whiche is geuen in the Sacrament is glorious and immortall and that therfore it is no absurditie if it bee conteined in many places if in no place if with no forme vnder the sacrament But I aske what maner of body Christe gaue to the disciples the day before that he suffred doo not the wordes sounde that he gaue the same mortall body whiche was within a little after to be deliuered He had already before say they shewed his glorie to be sene to thre of the disciples That is true in dede but his will was by that brightnesse to geue them a taste of immortalitie for an houre In the meane tyme they shall not there fynd a double body but that one body which Christ did beare garnished with newe glorie But when he distributed his body at his first Supper the tyme was nowe at hande when he beyng striken of God and humbled shold lie without glorie as a leprous man so farre is it of that he then wold shew forth the glorie of his resurrection And howe great a wyndowe is here opened to Marciâ—n if the body of Christ was seene in one place mortall and base and in an other place was holden immortall and glorious Howebeit if their opinion take place the same happeneth daily because they ar compelled to confesse that the body of Christ beyng visible in it selfe lyeth hyd inuisibly vnder the signe of bread And yet they that vomite out such monstruousnesse are so not ashamed of their own shame that they do vnprouoked hainously raile at vs because we do not subscribe to them Nowe if they lyst to fasten the body and blood of the Lorde to bread and wyne the one shall of necessitie be plucked in sunder froÌ„ the other For as the bread is deliuered seuerally from the cup so the body vnited to the bread muste nedes be diuided from the blood enclosed in the cup. For when they affirme that the body is in the bread and the blood in the cup and the bread and wyne are by spaces of place distant the one from the other they can by no shift escape but that the body must be seuered from the blood But wheras they are wonte to allege that by accompainyng as they faine in the body is the blood and likewise in the blood is the body that verily is to triflyng forasmuche as the Signes in whych they are enclosed are so seuered But if we be lifted vp with our eies and myndes to heauen that we seke Christ there in the glorie of his kingdome as the signes doo allure vs to hym whole so vnder the signe of bread we shal be fedde with his bodye vnder the signe of wyne we shall seuerally drynke his blood that at length we may enioye hym whole For although he hath taken awaye his fleshe from vs and in his body is ascended vp into heauen yet he sitteth at the right hande of the Father that is to say he reigneth in the power and maiestie and glorie of the Father This kyngdome is neyther bounded with any spaces of place nor compassed aboute with any measurynges but that Christ may shewe foorth his myght wheresoeuer it pleaseth him both in heauen and in earth but that he may shewe himselfe present with power and strength but that he may alway bee at hande with them that be his breathing his lyfe into them may liue in them strengthen them quicken them preserue them safe euen as if he were present in body finally but that he may fede them with his owne bodye the communion wherof he dothe by the power of his Spirite poure into them After this maner the body and blood of Christe is delyuered to vs in the Sacrament But we must appoint such a presence of Christ in the Supper as may neither fasten hym to the element of bred nor shut hym vp in the bred nor by any meane compasse hym in for it is playne that all these thynges abate his heauenly glorie fynally suche as may neither take from him his owne measure nor diuersly draw hym in many places at ones nor faine to hym suche an vnmeasurable greatnesse as is spred abrode throughout heauen and earth for these thynges are playnely agaynst the truthe of the nature of manhode Let vs I say neuer suffer these two exceptions to be taken away from vs. The one that nothyng bee abated from the glorie
lesse obediently embrace than they and do wey them with more godly reuerence Yea their negligent carelesnesse sheweth that they doo not greatly care what Christe ment so that it geue them a buckler to defende their obstinatie like as oure earnest searchyng ought to be a wytnesse howe muche we esteeme the authoritie of Christ. They odiously spread abrode that naturall sense of man withholdeth vs from beleuyng that which Christ hath vttered with his owne holy mouth but howe maliciously they burden vs with this sclander I haue a great part already made playne and hereafter it shall more clerely appere Therfore nothing withholdeth vs from beleuing Christ when he speaketh nor from obeying so soone as he dothe but with becke will this or that Only this is the question whether it be vnlawful to enquire of the naturall meanyng These good maisters that they may seme wel lettred do forbid men to departe be it neuer so litle from the letter But I on the other syde when the scripture nameth God a warlike man because I see that with out figuratiue translation it is to rough a maner of speakyng doo not dout that it is a comparison taken from men And truely vpon none other pretence in the olde tyme the Anthropomorphites troubled the true teaching Fathers but that catching fast hold of these sayings The eies of God do see It went vp to his eares His hand stretched out The earth his footestole they cried out that God had his bodye taken from hym whiche the Scripture assigneth vnto hym If this law be receiued outragious barbarousnesse shal ouerwhelme the whole light of faith For what monsters of absurdities may not phrentike men picke out if it be graunted them to allege euery small tittle to stablishe their opinions That whiche they obiect that it is not likely that when Christ prepared for his Apostles a singular comfort it aduersities he did then speake in a riddle or darkly maketh of our side For if it had not come in the myndes of the Apostles that bread was figuratiuely called the body because it was the signe of the body they had without doute ben troubled with so monstrous a thyng Almost at the same moment Iohn reporteth that they did sticke in perplexitie at euery of the least difficulties They whiche striue among themselues howe Christ will go to the Father and do moue question howe he wyll goe out of the worlde they which vnderstande nothyng of those thynges that are spoken concernyng the heauenly Father till they see hym how wold they haue ben so easy to beleue that whiche all resō refuseth that Christ sitteth at the boorde in their sight and is enclosed inuisible vnder bread Whereas therfore they in eatyng the bread without doutyng testified their consent hereby appeareth that they toke Christes wordes in the same sense that we do because they remēbred that which ought not to seme strange in mysteries that the name of the thing signified is transferred to the signe Therfore it was to the disciples as it is to vs a certaine and clere comfort entangled with no riddle Neither is ther any other cause why some should depart from our exposition but because the enchauntment of the deuyll hath blynded them namely that they shoulde faine darkenesse to themselues where the exposition of an apt figure offreth it self Moreouer if we precisely stande vpon the words Christ shold wrongfully haue spoken in one place seuerally an other thyng concernyng the bread than he speaketh of the cup. He calleth the bread his body he calleth the wyne his blood either it shal be a confused vaine repetition or it shal be such a partition as shall diuide the body from the blood Yea it shall as truely be sayd of the cuppe This is my body as of the bread it selfe and it may likewyse enterchangeably be sayd that the bread is the blood If they answer that we muste consider to what ende or vse the signes were ordeined I graunt it in dede but in the meane tyme they shall not vnwynde themselues but that their error must drawe this absurditie with it that the bread is the blood and the wyne is the bodye Nowe I wote not what this meaneth when they graunt the bread and the body to be diuers things yet to affirme that the one is spoken of the other proprely and without any figure as if a man shold say that a garment is in dede a thyng differyng from a man and yet that it is proprely called a man In the meane while as though their victorie consisted in obstinatie railing they say that Christ is accused of liēg if an exposition be sought of the wordes Now it shal be easy for vs to shew to the reders how vniust wrong these catchers of syllables do to vs when thei fill the simple with this opinion that we withdraw credit from the wordes of Christ which we haue proued to be furiously peruerted and confounded by them but to be faithfully and rightly expounded by vs. But the sclaunder of this lye can not be vtterly purged till an other crime be wiped away For they spread abroade that we be so addicted to naturall reason that we geue no more to the power of God than the order of nature suffreth and common sense teacheth From so malicious sclaūders I appelle to the very doctrine it selfe which I haue declared whiche dothe clerely enough shewe that I do not measure this mysterie by the proportion of mans reason nor doo make it subiect to the lawes of nature I beseche you haue we learned out of naturall philosophie that Christe dothe so from heauen feede our soules and bodies with his fleshe as our bodies ar norished with bread and wyne Whens cometh this power to fleshe that it may geue lyfe All men will say that it is not doone naturally It will no more please mans reason that the fleshe of Christe reacheth to vs that it maye be foode vnto vs. Finally whosoeuer hath tasted of our doctrine shal be rauished into admiration of the secrete power of God But these good men that be so zelous of it forge to themselues a miracle which beyng taken away God hymselfe vanisheth with his power I desire to haue the readers ones agayne warned that they diligently wey what our doctrine bringeth whether it hang vpon common sense or with the winges of Faith surmounting the worlde climbeth vp beyond it into the heauens We say that Christ as well with the outwarde signe as with his Spirite descendeth to vs that he may truely quicken our soules with the substance of his fleshe of his blood In these fewe wordes he that perceyueth not to be conteined many miracles is more than senslesse forasmuche as there is nothyng more beside nature than that soules should borrow spiritual and heauenly life of the fleshe which toke her beginnyng of the earth and which was subiect to death Nothing is more incredible than that thinges distant and asunder by the
because he had a litle before sayd sithe these thinges are knowen to men forasmuche as they are done by meÌ„ they may haue honor as things but as maruelous things they may not And to no other ende tendeth that which our aduersaries doe to vnaduisedly draw to themselues that Christ did after a certaine manner beare hymselfe in his owne handes when he reached the mysticall bred to the disciples For by enterlacing this aduerbe of likenesse after a certaine manner he sufficiently declareth that he was not truely nor really enclosed vnder the bâ—ed And no maruell sithe in an other place he plainly affirmeth that bodies if spaces of places be taken from them shal be no where and because they shal be no where they shal not be at al. It is a hungry cauillation to say that in that place is not entreated of the Supper in which God vttereth speciall power because the question was moued concerning the fleshe of Christe and the holy man of set purpose answering sayth Christ gaue immortalitie to hys fleshe but toke not nature from it After this forme it is not to be thought that he is eche where spred abrode for we must beware that we doe not so affirme the Godhed of the man that we take away the truth of the body And it foloweth not that that whiche is in God muste be eche where as God is There is a reson by and by added for one person is God and man and both are one Christ eche where by thys that he is God in heauen by thys that he is man What a negligeÌ„ce had it ben not to excepte the mysterie of the Supper beyng a thing so earnest and weyghty if there had ben in it any thing against the doctrine which he entreated of And yet if a man doe hedefully rede that which foloweth within a litle after he shal fynde that vnder that general doctrine the Supper is also comprehended that Christ the onely begotten Sonne of God and the same the sonne of man is eche where whole present as God that he is in the temple of God that is in the Chirch God as it were there dwelling and in some certaine place of heauen by reason of the measure of hys true body We see howe to the vniting of Christe with the Chirch he doth not draw his body out of heauen which surely he would haue done if the body of Christe were not truely meate to vs vnlesse it were enclosed vnder bred In an other place defining how the faythfull doe nowe possesse Christ Thou hast hym sayth he by the signe of the crosse by the Sacrament of Baptisme by the meate and drinke of the altar How rightly he reckeneth a superstitious vsage among the Signes of the preseÌ„ce of Christ I doe not now dispute but he that coÌ„pareth the presence of the fleshe to the signe of the crosse sufficiently sheweth that he fayneth not a twoo bodyed Christ that the same he maye lurke hidden vnder the bred which sitteth visible in heaueÌ„ If this nede plainer declaratioÌ„ it is by and by after added in the same place that according to the preseÌ„ce of maiestie we alway haue Christ that according to the presence of the fleshe it is rightly sayed Me ye shal not alwaye haue They answere that thys is also added that according to an vnspeakable and inuisible grace it is fulfilled which is sayd of hym I am with you euen vnto the ending of the worlde â–ª But that is nothing for their auantage because this is at length restrayned to hys maiestie which is euer in comparison set against the body and hys fleshe by expresse name is made differeÌ„t from his grace and power As in an other place the same comparison of contraries is red in him that Christe by bodily presence left the disciples that by spirituall presence he maye bee stil with them where it is playne that the substance of the fleshe is distinguished from the power of the Spirite which conioyneth vs with Christ though we be otherwise farre seuered by distance of places The same maner of speaking he oftentimes vseth as when he sayth He is to come againe to the quicke and the dead with bodily presence according to the rule of Fayth and sounde doctrine For with spirituall presence he was also to come to them and to abide with the whole Chirch in the world vntill the ending of the world Therefore thys speche is directed to the beleuers whome he had already begonne to saue with bodily presence and whom he was to leaue with bodily absence that he mighte with hys Father saue them with spirituall presence To take bodily for visible is but trifling sithe he setteth also the body in coÌ„parison against the diuine power and adding to saue with the Father he clearely expresseth that he doth poure abrode his grace from heauen to vs by hys Spirite And sithe they putt so muche confidence in thys lurkyng hole of inuisible presence goe to lett vs see how well they hyde themselues in it Firste they shall not bryng fourth one syllable oute of the Scriptures wherby they maye proue that Christe is inuisible but they take that for confessed whiche no man that hath his sounde witt will graunte them that the body of Christe can not otherwise be geuen in the Supper but being couered with the visor of bred And this is the very pointe aboute whiche they striue with vs so farr is it of from hauyng the place of a principle And when they so babble they are compelled to make a double body of Christe because after their opinion it is in it selfe visible in heauen but inuisible in the Supper after a special maner of dispensation But how trimly this agreeth it is easy to iudge both by other places of Scripture and by the witnesse of Peter Peter sayth that Christ must be holden or conteined in heauen til he come againe These meÌ„ teache that he is euery where but without forme They take exception and say that it is vniuste dealing to make the nature of a glorified body subiect to the lawes of common nature But this answere draweth with it that doting error of Seruettus which is worthily to be abhorred of all the godly that the body was swallowed vp of the Godhed I do not say that thei thinke so But if this be reckened among the qualities of a glorified body to fill all thinges after an inuisible manner it is euidente that the bodily substance is destroied and that there is left no difference of the godhed and the nature of man Againe if the body of Christ be so of many fashions and diuerse that it is seen in one place is inuisible in an other where is the very nature of a body which coÌ„sisteth of his mesured proportioÌ„s and where is the vnitie Much more rightly doth TertulliaÌ„ say which affirmeth that the body of Christ was a true and natural body because in the mysterie of
the Supper the figure of it is set before vs for a pledge and assurance of the spirituall lyfe And verily Christ sayd of his glorified body see and fele for a Spirite hath not fleshe and bones Loe by Christes own mouth the truthe of his fleshe is proued because it can be felt and seen Take away these thinges than it shall cesse to be fleshe They still flee to their denne of dispensation which they haue framed to themselues But it is our part so to embrace that which Christ absolutely pronounceth that that which he meaneth to affirme may be of force with vs without exception He proueth himselfe to be no ghost because he is visible in his fleshe Let that be taken away which he claimeth as propre to the nature of hys body must they not then be faine to coyne a new definition of a body Now whether soeuer they turne themselues about their fained dispensation hath no place in that place of Paule where he sayth that we loke for a Sauior from heauen which shall fashion our base body lyke to his glorious body For we may not hope for a like fashioning in those qualities which they faine to Christ that euery one should haue an inuisible and vnmeasurable body Neither shall there be founde any man so dull witted whom they may make to beleue so great an absurdity Let thē not therfore ascribe this gift to Christes glorified body to be at ones in many places and to be conteined in no space Finally let them either openly deny the resurrection of the flesh or let them graunt that Christe being clothed with heauenly glory did not put of his fleshe who shall make vs in our fleshe fellowes and parteners of the same glory when we shall haue the resurrection common with him For what doth the Scripture teache more plainely thā that as Christe did putt on our true fleshe when he was borne of the Uirgin and suffred in oure true fleshe when he satisfied for vs so he receiued againe also the same true fleshe in rising againe and caried it vp to heauen For this is to vs the hope of oure resurrection and ascending into heauen that Christe is rysen againe and ascended and as Tertullian sayth he carryed the earnest of our resurrection into the heauens with him Nowe how weake and fraile should that hope be vnlesse this our selfe flesh had ben raysed vp with Christ and entred into the kingdome of heauen But this is the propre trueth of a body to be conteined in space to cōsist of his mesured proportions to haue his forme Therfore away with this folish deuise which doth fasten bothe the mindes of men and Christ to the bred For to what purpose serueth the secret presēce vnder bred but that they which couet to haue Christ ioyned with them may rest in that signe But the Lord himselfe willed vs to withdraw not only our eyes but al our senses from the earth forbidding himselfe to be touched of the women vntil he had gone vp to his Father When he seeth Marie with godly zele of reuerēce to make hast to kisse his fete there is no cause why he shold disalow and forbid this touching til he haue ben taken vp into heauen but because he wil be sought no where ells Wheras they obiect that he was afterwarde seen of Stephen the solution is easy For neither was it therfore necessarie that Christ should change place which could geue to the eyes of his seruāt such sharpnesse of sight as might pearce through the heauens The same also is to be said of Paule Wheras they obiecte that Christ came out of the Sepulchre being shut and entred in amōg the disciples the dores being shut that maketh neuer a whit more for maintenance of their error For as the water like a fast pauemēt made a way to Christ walking vpon the lake so it is no maruel if at his comming the hardnesse of the stone yelded it selfe Howbeit it is more prouable that by his commaundement the stone was remoued and by and by after passage geuen hym returned into his place And to enter the dores being shut is not asmuch in effect as to pearce through the whole substance but by diuine power to open an entrie for himselfe that he sodenly stode among the disciples verily after a maruelous maner whē the dores were fast locked That whiche they allege out of Luke that Christ sodenly vanished away from the eyes of the disciples with whō he went to Emaus profiteth them nothing maketh for vs. For that he might take away the sight of himselfe from them he was not made inuisible but only went out of sight As when he went in iourney together with them as the same Luke witnesseth he did not put on a newe face that he might not be knowen but helde their eyes But these fellowes do not only trāsforme Christ that he may be cōuersant in earth but in diuerse places they make hym diuerse and vnlike himself Finally in so trifling they do not by one worde in dede but by a circumstāce make of the fleshe of Christe a Spirite and not contented therewith they put vpon it altogether contrarie qualities Wherupon of necessitie foloweth that it is doble Now although we graunt them that which they prate of the inuisible presēce the vnmesurablenesse shal not be yet proued without which they shal in vayne attempt to enclose Christ vnder bred Unlesse the body of Christ may be euery where at ones without any cōpasse of place it shall not be likely that he lyeth hidden vnder bred in the Supper By which necessitie they brought in the monstruous beyng euery where But it is shewed by strong and plaine witnesses of Scripture that it was limited about by the measure of the body of a man and then that by his ascending he hath made it plaine that he is not in all places but that when he passeth into one place he leaueth the other that he was in before Neither is the promise which they allege to be drawē to the body I am with you euen to the ending of the world First the continuall cōioyning can not stande vnlesse Christ dwel in vs corporally without the vse of the Supper Therfore there is no iust cause why they shoulde so sharply brawle about the wordes of Christ that they may in the Supper enclose Christ vnder bred Againe the text it selfe proueth that Christe speaketh nothing lesse than of his fleshe but promiseth to his disciples inuicible helpe wherby he may defende and susteine them against all the assaultes of Satan and the worlde For when he enioyned them a hard charge least they should dout to take it in hande or should ferefully execute it he strengtheneth them with affiance of his presence as if he had said that his succor shal not faile them which shal be impossible to be ouercome Unlesse they listed to confounde all thinges ought they not
and afterwarde beyng choked is marred because he there entreateth of what value the faith is whiche endureth but for a tyme which they do not think to be necessary to the eatyng of Christes flesh and drinkyng of his blood that in this behalfe do make Iudas egally felow with Peter But rather by the same parable their error is cōfuted where Christ saith that some sede falleth in the hie waie other some vpon stones neither of them taketh roote Wherupō foloweth that to the vnbeleuers their owne hardnesse is a let the Christ atteineth not to them Whosoeuer desireth to haue our saluation holpen by this mysterie shall fynde nothyng fitter than that the faithfull being led to the very fountaine shold draw life out of the Sōne of God But the dignitie of it is honorably enough set out when we keepe in mynde that it is a helpe wherby we be graffed into the body of Christ or beyng graffed do more and more growe together till he do fully make hymself one with vs in the heauenly lyfe They obiect that Paule ought not to haue made them giltie of the body and blood of Christ vnlesse they wer partakers of them But I answer that they ar not therfore condemned because they haue eaten them but only because they haue prophaned the mysterie in treadyng vnder feete the pledge of the holye conioynyng with God which they ought reuerently to receiue Now because Augustine among the old writers chiefly hath affirmed that article of doctrine that nothyng is abated from the Sacraments nor the grace which they figure is made void by the infidelite or noughtinesse of men it shal be profitable to proue clerely by his owne wordes how vnfittly peruersly they do draw that to this present cause which cast the body of Christ to dogges to eate The sacramentall eating after their opinion is wherby the wicked receiue the body blood of Christ without the power of the Spirit or any effect of grace Augustine cōtrariwise weyeng wisely those words He that eateth my flesh drinketh my blood shal not die for euer saieth Namely the power of the sacrament not only the visible sacrament verily within not without he that eateth it with harte not he that presseth it with tooth Whereupon at length he concludeth that the sacramēt of this thing that is to say of the vnitie of the body blood of Christ is set before men in the Supper of the Lorde to some vnto life to some vnto destruction but the thing it selfe wherof it is a sacrament to al men vnto life to none vnto destruction whosoeuer be partaker of it That none shold here cauill that the thing is called not the body but the grace of the Spirit which may be seuered frō the body the cōtrarie comparison betwene these two wordes of addition Uisible Inuisible driueth away al these mystes for vnder the first of them can not be cōprehended the body of Christ. Wherupon foloweth that the vnbeleuers do communicate only of the visible signe And that al douting may be better taken away after that he had said that this bread requireth the hunger of the inward man he addeth Moses Aaron and Phinees many other that dyd eate Manna pleased God Why so because the spirituall meate they spiritually vnderstoode spiritually hungred spirituallye tasted that they myghte bee spiritually fylled For we also at this daye haue receiued spiritual meat but the Sacrament is one thyng and the power of the sacrament is an other A litle after And by this he that abideth not in Christ and in whom Christ abideth not without doute neither eateth spiritually his fleshe nor drinketh his blood though carnally and visibly he presseth with teeth the signe of the body and blood We heare agayne that the visible signe is set in cōparison as contrary to spiritual eating Wherby the error is cōfuted that the body of Christ inuisible is in dede eaten sacramētally though not spiritually We heare also that nothing is graūted to prophane vncleane mē beside the visible receiuyng of the signe Hereupon cometh his famous sayeng that the other disciples did eate the bred the Lord but Iudas did eate the bread of the Lord wherin he plainly excludeth the vnbeleuers frō the partakyng of the body blood Neither tendeth it to any other end which he sayth in an other place What meruailest thou if to Iudas was geuē the bread of Christ by which he might be made bond to the deuel when thou seest on the cōtrary side that to Paul was geuen the angel of the deuell by whome he might be made perfect in Christ He saith verily in an other place that the bread of the Supper was the body of Christ to them to whom Paule said He that eateth vnworthily eateth and drinketh iugement to himselfe and that they haue not therfore nothyng because they haue receiued noughtily But in what sense he declareth more fully in an other place For takyng in hand purposely to define howe the wicked euell doers which professe the christian faith with mouth but with dedes do deny it do eate the body of Christ and that against the opinion of some which thought that thei did not eate in sacramēt only but in very dede But neither saith he ought it to be said that they eate the body of Christ because thei ar not to be reckned among the membres of Christ. For to speake nothing of the rest they can not together be the mēbers of Christ and the membres of a harlot Finally where himselfe saith He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my blood abideth in me and I in hym he sheweth what it is not sacramentally but in very dede to eate the bodye of Christ. For this is to abide in Christ that Christ may abyde in him For he so sayd this as though he had sayde he that abydeth not in me and in whom I abide not let hym not say or thinke that he dothe eate my body or drynke my blood Let the readers weye the thynges sett as contraries in the comparison to eate Sacramētally and in Uery dede and there shall remaine no dout He confirmeth the same no lesse plainly in these wordes Prepare not your iawes but your hart Herupon is this Supper commended Loe we beleue in Christ when we receiue by faith in receiuyng we know what to thinke We receiue a little and are fatted in hart Therfore not that which is sene but that which is beleued dothe fede Here also that whiche the wicked receiue he restraineth to the visible signe and teacheth that Christ is none otherwise receiued than by Faith So also in an other place pronoūcyng expressly that the good and the euell do communicate together in the signes he excludeth the euell from the true eatyng of the fleshe of Christ. For if they receyued the thing it self he wold not vtterly haue left that vnspoken which was more fitt for his
mater Also in an other place entreating of the eatyng and the frute therof he concludeth thus Then shall the body and blood of Christ be life to euery man if that which in the Sacrament is visibly receiued be in the truth it selfe spiritually eaten spiritually drōk Therfore whoso make vnbeleuers partakers of the fleshe and blood of Christ that they may agree with Augustine let them shewe vs the visible body of Christ forasmuche as by his iudgement the whole truthe is spirituall And it is certainly gathered out of his wordes that the Sacramentall eatyng when vnbelefe closeth vp the entrie to truthe is as much in effect as visible or outward eatyng If the body of Christ might be eaten truely and yet not spiritually what shold that meane whiche he sayth in an other place Ye shall not eate this body which ye see drinke the blood which they shall shedde that shall crucifie me I haue commēded a certaine sacrament vnto you beeyng spiritually vnderstanded it shall quicken you Uerily he woulde not denie but that the same body which Christ offred for sacrifice is deliuered in the Supper but he dyd set out the maner of eatyng namely that being receiued into heauenly glorie by the secrete power of the Spirite it breatheth lyfe into vs. I graunt in dede that there is oftentymes founde in hym this maner of speakyng that the body of Christ is eaten of the vnbeleuers but he expoundeth himselfe addyng In Sacramente And in an other place he describeth spirituall eating in whiche out biringes consume not grace And least myne aduersaries should saye that I fighte with them with a heape of places I wold know of them how they can vnwynde themselues from one saieng of his where he saith that Sacraments do worke in the only elect that which they figure Truely they dare not denye but that the bred in the Supper figureth the body of Christ. Wherupon foloweth that the reprobate are debarred from the partakyng of it That Cyrill also thought none otherwise these wordes doo declare As if a man vpon molten waxe do poure other waxe he wholly tempereth the one waxe with the other so is it necessary if any man receiue the fleshe and blood of the Lorde that he be ioyned with hym that Christe may be founde in hym and he in Christ. By these wordes I thinke it is euident that they ar bereued of the true and real eatyng that do but sacramentally eate the body of Christ which can not be seuered from his power and that therfore faileth not the faith of the promises of god which cesseth not to rayne from heauen although the stones and rockes conceiue not the liquor of the raine This knowledge shall also easily drawe vs away from the carnal worshipping whiche some haue with peruerse rashnesse erected in the Sacrament because they made accompt with themselues in this maner If it be the body then bothe the soule and the godhead are together with the body which now can not be seuered therfore Christe is there to be worshipped First if their accompanieng whiche thei pretende be denied them what will they do For how much soeuer they crie out vpon an absurditie if the body be seuered from the soule and the godhed yet what soūdwitted and sobre man can persuade himself that the body of Christ is Christ They thinke themselues in dede gaily to proue it with their logicall argumentes But sith Christ speaketh distinctly of his body and blood but describeth not the maner of presence how will they of a doutfull thing gather certainly that which they would What then If their consciences chance to be exercised with any more greuous felyng shal not they by and by with their logicall arguments be dissolued melt namely when they shall see themselues destitute of the certaine word of God vpon which alone our soules do stand fast when they are called to accompt without which they faint at euery first moment when thei shal call to mynde that the doctrine and exāples of the Apostles are against them and that themselues alone ar to themselues the authors of it To suche motions shal be added other not small prickynges What Shall it be a mater of no importance to worship God in this forme where nothyng was prescribed vnto vs When it concerned the true worshyp of God ought they with so great lightnesse to haue attēpted that of which there is no where red any one word But if they had with such humblenesse as they ought holden all their thoughtes vnder the word of God they wold truly haue harkened to that which he said Take eate drinke and wold haue obeyed this cōmaundement wherin he biddeth the Sacrament to be receiued not to be worshipped But they which as it is cōmaunded of God do receiue it without worshippyng are assured that they do not swarue from Gods cōmaūdement than which assurednesse there is nothing better when we take any worke in hande They haue the example of the Apostles whom we reade not to haue fallen downe flatt worshipped it but euen as they were sitting to haue receiued it eaten it They haue the vse of the Apostolike Chirch wherin Luke reporteth that the faithfull did communicate not in woorshyppyng but in breakyng of bread They haue the Apostles doctrine wherwith Paule instructed the Chirch of the Corynthians professyng that he had receiued of the Lorde that whiche he deliuered And these thyngs verily tend to this end that the godly readers shold wey how perillous it is in so hye matters to wander frō the simple worde of God to the dreames of our owne braine But those thyngs that are aboue said ought to deliuer vs from all doute in this behalfe For that godly soules may therin rightly take hold of Christ they must nedes be lifted vp to heauen If this be the office of a sacrament to help the mynd of man whiche otherwise is weake that it may rise vpwarde to reache the height of spirituall mysteries then they which are holden downe in the outwarde signe do stray from the right way of sekyng Christ. What then Shall we denie that it is a superstitious worshippyng when men do throwe themselues downe before bread to worship Christe therein Doutlesse the Nicene Synode meant to mete with this mischiefe whē it forbade vs to be hūbly intentiue to the signes set before vs. And for none other cause was it in olde tyme ordeined that before the consecration the people shold with a loude voice be put in mynde to haue their hartes lifted vpward The Scripture it selfe also beside that it diligently declareth vnto vs the ascension of Christ wherby he conueyed away the presence of his body from our sight conuersation to shake away from vs all carnal thinkyng of hym so oft as it maketh mention of him cōmaūdeth vs to be in myndes raised vpward to seke him in heauen sittyng at the right hand of the
of Christ which is done when he is broughte vnder the corruptible elements of this world or is bound to any earthly creatures The other that nothyng be by fainyng applied to his body that agreeth not with the nature of man whiche is done when it is either saide to bee infinite or is sett in many places at ones But these absurdities being taken away I willyngly receiue what soeuer may auaile to expresse the true and substantiall communicatyng of the Body and Blood of the Lord which cōmunicatyng is deliuered to the faithfull vnder the holy signes of the Supper so that they may be thought not to receyue it by imagination onely or vnderstandyng of mynde but to enioy it in dede to the foode of eternall lyfe Why this sentence is so hatefull to the worlde and all defence taken away from it by the vniust iudgementes of many there is no cause at all but for that the deuell hath with horrible bewitchyng madded their myndes Truely that which we teache dothe in all pointes very well agree with the Scriptures it conteineth neither any absurditie nor darknesse nor doutfulnesse it is not agaynst true godlynesse and sounde edification finally it hath nothing in it that may offend sauyng that in certaine ages past when that ignorance and barbarousnesse of Sophisters reigned in the Chirche so clere light and open truthe hath ben vnworthily oppressed Yet because Satā at this day also trauayleth by troublesome Spirites to spot it with all the sclanders and reproches that he can and bendeth himselfe to no other thyng with greater endeuor it is profitable the more diligently to defende and rescue it Nowe before that we goe any further we must entreate of the selfe institution of Christe specially because this is the most glorious obiection that our aduersaries haue that we departe from the woordes of Christe Therfore that we may be discharged of the false cause of malice wherwith they burden vs our fittest beginnyng shall be at the exposition of the woordes Three Euangelistes and Paule rehearse that Christe tooke bread when he had geuen thankes he brake it gaue it to his disciples and sayde Take eate this is my Body whiche is delyuered or broken for you Of the cuppe Mathew and Marke saye thus This cuppe is the blood of the newe testament whiche shal be shedde for many vnto forgeuenesse of synnes But Paule and Luke say thus This cuppe is the newe testament in my blood The patrones of transubstantiation will haue by the pronoune this the forme of bread to be signified because the consecration is made in the whole contente of the sentence and there is no substance that can be shewed But if they be holden with religious care of the woordes because Christ testified that that whiche he reached into the disciples handes was his bodye truely this their deuise that that whiche was bread is nowe the bodie is moste farre from the propre meanyng of them That which Christe tooke into his handes and gaue the Apostles he affirmeth to be his body but he toke bread who therfore can not vnderstande that bread is yet shewed and therfore there is no greater absurditie than to remoue that to the forme whiche is spoken of the bread Other when they expounde this woorde is for to be transubstantiate doo flee to a more enforced and violently wrasted glose Therefore there is no cause why they should pretende that they be moued with reuerence of wordes For this was vnheard of among all nations and languages that the word is should be taken in this sense namely for to be tourned into an other thyng As for them that leaue breade in the Supper and affirme that there is the body of Christ they muche differ among themselues They whiche speake more modestly althoughe they precisely exact the letter This is my body yet afterwarde swarue from theyr precisenesse and say that it is as muche in effect as that the body of Christ is with bread in bread and vnder bread Of the mater it selfe which they affirme we haue already touched somwhat and we shal by and by haue occasion yet to speake more Nowe I dispute only of the wordes by which they say they are restrained that they can not admitte bred to be called the body because it is a signe of the body But if they shunne all figures why do they leape away from the plaine shewing of Christ to their owne maners of speaking farr differing from it For there is great difference betwene this that bread is the body and this that the body is with bread But because they sawe it to bee impossible that this simple proposition might stande that bread is the body they haue attempted to scape away by those formes of speche as it were by croked turnyngs Some more bolde sticke not to affirme that euen in propre speakyng bread is the body and by this meane they truely proue themselues to be litteral mē If it be obiected that therfore the bread is Christ and is God this verily they will denie because it is not expressed in the wordes of Christ. But they shall nothyng preuayle by denyeng it forasmuche as all doo agree that whole Christ is offred vs in the Supper But it is an intolerable blasphemie that it be without figure spoken of a fraile and corruptible element that it is Christ. Now I aske of them whether these twoo propositions be bothe of one effect Christe is the Sonne of God and bread is the body of Christe If they graunt that they are diuers which we will enforce them to graunte whether they will or no then lett them answere whens commeth the difference I thynke they wyll bryng none other but that the bread is after the sacramentall maner called the body Wherupon foloweth that Christes wordes are not subiecte to the common rule nor oughte to bee tried by Grammer Also I aske of all the precise and stiffe requirers of the letter where Luke and Paule do call the cuppe the testament in the blood whether they do not expresse the same thyng which they dyd in the first parte where they call bread the bodye Truely the same religion was in the one parte of the mysterie that was in the other and because shortnesse is darke longer speche dothe better open the meanyng So oft therfore as they shall affirme by one word that the bread is the body I will out of mo wordes bryng a fitt exposition that it is the Testament in the bodye For why Shall we nede to seke a more faithfull or surer expositor than Paule Luke Neither yet doo I tende herunto to diminishe any thing of that communicating of the body of Christ which I haue confessed onely my purpose is to confute that folish waiwardnesse wherby they do so hatefully brawle about words I vnderstand by the authoritie of Paul and Luke that the bread is the body of Christ because it is the couenant in the body If they fight against
this they haue warre not with me but with the Spirite of God Howsoeuer they cry oute that they be touched with reuerence of the wordes of Christ wherby they do not figuratiuely vnderstande those thynges that are playnly spoken yet this is not a pretence rightfull enoughe why they shoulde so refuse all the reasons whiche we obiecte to the contrarie In the meane tyme as I haue already geuen warnyng it is conuenient to learne what maner of thing this is The testament in the body and blood of Christ because the couenant stablished with the sacrifice of death should otherwise not profit vs vnlesse there were adioyned that secrete communicatyng whereby we growe into one with Christe It remaineth therfore that for the affinitie which the things signified haue with their signes we confesse that the selfe name of the thing was geuen to the signe figuratiuely in dede but not without a most fitt proportionall agreement I leaue allegories and parables least any man should quarell that I seeke startyng holes and wander out of the present purpose I say that this is a speche by figure of transnomination whiche is cōmonly vsed in the Scripture when mysteries are entreated of For neither can you otherwise vnderstand that whiche is sayd that circumcision is a couenant that the lambe is the Passeouer that the Sacrifices of the law are expiations finally that the rocke oute of whiche water flowed in the deserte was Christ vnlesse you take it to be spoken by way of transferring of names Neither are names transferred only from the hyer name to the lower but contrariewise the name of the visible signe is also geuen to the thing signified as when it is sayd that God appeared to Moses in the bushe when the arke of couenante is called God and the face of God and the doue is called the Holy ghost For though the signe differ in substance from the thing signified because this is spirituall and heauenly and that is corporall and visible yet because it doth not only figure the thing whiche it is holily appointed to represente as a naked and empty token but doth also truely deliuer it in dede why may not the name of the thing rightly accorde with it If signes deuised by men whiche are rather images of thyngs absent than markes of thynges present which selfe absent thynges they do oftentymes deceitfully shadow are yet somtime garnished with the titles of the thinges then those thinges that are ordeined of God do by much greater reason borrow the names of those thyngs of which they alway bothe beare a sure and not disceytfull signification and haue the truthe adioyned with them There is therfore so great likenesse and nerenesse of the one to the other that it is easy to draw their names to and froe Therfore let our aduersaries cesse to heape vnsauory scoffings against vs in calling vs Tropistes because we expounde the Sacramental maner of speakyng after the common vse of the Scripture For whereas the Sacramentes agree together in many thinges in this trāsferryng of names they haue all a certaine communitie together As therfore the Apostle teacheth that the stone out of which spiritual drynke did spring to the Israelites was Christ because it was a visible signe vnder which that spirituall drinke was truely in dede but not discernably to the eie perceiued so bread is at this day called the body of Christe forasmuche as it is a sygne whereby the Lorde offereth to vs the true eatyng of his bodye Neither dyd Augustine otherwyse thynke or speake least any man shoulde despise this as a newe inuention If sayeth he the Sacramentes hadde not a certaine likenesse of those thynges whereof they are Sacramentes they should not be Sacramentes at all And of this likenesse oftentimes they take the names of the things themselues As therfore after a certaine maner the sacramēt of the body of Christ is the body of Christ the sacrament of the blood of Christ is the blood of Christ so the sacramēt of faith is faith There be in him many like places which it were superfluous to heape together sithe that same one suffiseth sauyng that the readers must be warned that the holye man teacheth the same thyng in the Epistle to Enodius But it is a trifling shift to say that where Augustine teacheth that when transferryng is often and commonly vsed in mysteries he maketh no mention of the Supper because if this shyft were receiued we myght not reason from the generaltie to the specialtie neither were this a good argument Euery feling creature hath power of mouing therfore an oxe and a horse haue power of mouyng Howbeit long disputation hereof is in an other place ended by the wordes of the same holy man where he sayth that Christ sticked not to call it his body when he gaue the signe of his bodye Against Adimantus the Manichean in the .xii. Chapiter And in an other place vpon the thirde Psalme Meruailous saieth he is the patience of Christ that he receiued Iudas to the banket wherein he cōmitted and deliuered to his disciples the figure of his body and blood But if some precise man beyng blynde at all the rest doo stand onely vpon this worde this is as though is seuered this mysterie from all other the solution is easy They saye that the vehemence of the substantiue verbe is is so great that it admitteth no figure Which if we graūt to them euen in the wordes of Paule is redde the Substantiue verbe where he calleth bread the communicatyng of the body of Christe But the communicatyng is an other thyng than the body it selfe Yea commonly where sacramentes are entreated of we fynde the same woorde vsed As. This shall be to you a couenant with me This Lambe shall be to you a Passeouer To reherse no moe when Paule sayth that the rocke was Christe why do they take the substantiue verbe in that place to be of lesse vehemence than in the speche of Christ Let them also answer where Iohn saith the Holy ghost was not yet because Iesus was not yet glorified of what force the substantiue verbe is in that place For if they abide fastened to their rule the eternall essence of the Holy ghost shal be destroyed as though it toke beginnyng at the Ascension of Christ. Finally let them answer what meaneth that sayeng of Paule that Baptisme is the washyng of regeneration and renewyng which it is euidēt to be vnprofitable to many But nothyng is strōger to confute them than that sayeng of Paule that the Chirch is Christe For. bryngyng a similitude of the body of man he addeth So is Christ in whiche place he vnderstandeth the onely begotten sonne of God not in himselfe but in his membres Hereby I thinke I haue obteined that to soundwitted and vncorrupted men the sclaunders of oure enemies are lothsome when they spread abroade that we withdraw credit from the wordes of Christ whiche we doo no