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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	body_n	holy_a	life_n	6,877	5	4.4602	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16459	A defence of the olde, and true profession of Christianitie against the new, and counterfaite secte of Iesuites, or fellowship of Iesus: Written in Latine by P. Boquine a Frenchman, borne in Borges, & Professor of Diuinitie, in the Vniuersitie of Heidelberge: Translated into Englishe by T. G. Whereby maye bee perceiued, howe falslye the Iesuites vsurpe the name of Iesus, and how farre off they are, from the thing signified thereby, and what their profession, and purpose is in truth: otherwise then they beare the worlde in hande.; Assertio veteris ac veri Christianismi adversus novum et fictum Iesuitismum seu Societatem Iesu. English	Boquin, Pierre, d. 1582.; T. G., fl. 1581.	1581 (1581)	STC 3371; ESTC S116194	81,465	194

euery where admonish and exhort vs to follow him the Schoolemaister and singular example of holie life For hee hath not as Paule saith called his vnto vncleanes and loosenesse of life but vnto holines Neither was he made only vnto the faithfull as he writeth to the Corinthians their wisedome and righteousnes but also their sanctification and redemption For as by his wisedome and righteousnes hee driueth away the naturall darkenesse of mans minde and doeth kindle in them the light of the true knowledge of him selfe and his father and forgiuing of our sinnes doeth endue and adorne vs with his righteousnes wherwith we beeing couered do please the Father So he doeth giue vs his holie Spirit which doth renue our mindes that they may haue holie desires and pure affections whiche at last may bring foorth holy workes And touching the effectes of the holy Ghost in the faithfull and endeuour of holy life it is euerie where entreated in the Epistles of the Apostles but chiefly in the Epistle to the Romans the 6. 7. 8. Chapters the same is handeled diligently and largely And the very same also doth Iames and Iohn in their Epistles of purpose teach The desire therefore and indeuour of a holie and new life oughte so to bee coupled with true fayth in Christ that it is a harder matter or as impossible to plucke one of them from another as it is to separate light from the Sunne and heate from the fire For Christ as the same Apostle witnesseth gaue him selfe for vs that he might deliuer vs from all iniquities and purge vs to be a peculiar people vnto him selfe zealous of good workes And verely if the Philosophers doe discourse of maners and deliuer preceptes not so much to make men skilfull as good howe vnséemely a thing were it that Christian Philosophie should goe no further then to infourme mens minds with the knowledge of godlines making no account of leadinge a godlye and holie life Whosoeuer hath faith hee must féele in him selfe Christ so working by his holie Spirite that hee truely say that which the Apostle doth I liue yet not I any more but Christ liueth in me For as the bodie hauing a soule doeth receiue and feele his force and actions So hee that is ingraffed into Christ and is made his member can not but bee partaker of his Spirite life and holines For the which cause the Apostolike and Catholike fayth calleth the bodie or fellowship of the church the communion of Saintes plainly declaring those only to appertaine vnto that fellowship which doe minde an holie life and doe bende and endeuour them selues hereunto that they become suche as Paule exhorteth the Thessalonians to be that is wholy sanctified sound in Spirite and such as are kept blamelesse in bodie and soule vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ They that are otherwise minded and doe otherwise leade their life and neuertheles say they be of the fellowship of Iesu doe varie from them selues and their life doth manifestly reproue their tongue of a lye CAP. XI That there appeareth not in this newe fellowship of Iesu any endeuour of holie life I Doubt not but the title or drifte of this chapter will seeme vnto many at the first sight not only strange but also vnreasonable and no lesse then if I shoulde goe about to proue heauie things to go vpward and light things downward For where as I say that I doe not finde in this vpstart kinde of monkes integritie of life and endeuour of holines I shall séeme vnto a great many to doe no otherwise then if I should say that I finde no light in the Sun or whitenes in Snowe So verely is the outwarde visor or shewe wont to dasell their eyes which gaste thereupon and doe not withdrawing the same looke into the matter more narowly Of these therefore I request that they would suspende their iudgement a while and remoue all preiudices out of their mindes and to iudge of the matter hearing attentiuely the reasons which I shall bring First of all I say that I do worthily find wanting in these brethren plaine dealing and good meaning namely in those thinges that they write against vs as which in the most waightie controuersie of iustification cease not wrongfully to burthen vs or rather the truth it selfe to the intent to make it not only suspected but also hated of all men with that hainous and rancke slaunder of naked or bare fayth and voide of good workes And yet these men cannot but know what our mind and iudgement is which haue by flattery● declared and set downe in wrytinge a thousand times by our men They doe easilie perceiue that we doe allow that faith and doe attribute vnto it only that effecte of iustifying which the Apostle doth define to be effectuall by loue and fruitfull by good works and so that we doe not separate the good fruites from the good tree although in that effecte it be discerned from them When one reasoneth of the sun fire and a man doth not he reason of the sunne that shineth fire that heateth and a man that liueth albeit in flatte wordes it be not added neuertheles euery man doth distinguish them one from another by their effectes Therfore let these masters cease to slaunder vs if they will perswade vs that they are louers of the truth and desirous of holynes for to cauill much more to lie and slaunder is the part of the enemies of godlynesse and trueth But letting this passe let vs come to the examination of the rest of their life I will not here charge them all by rehearsing those thinges which I haue oft times heard and vnderstoode to be almost in euery mans mouth before their eyes and in their handes that certaine gréeuous offences haue bene lately committed of some which are of this order of companions They would perhaps make answere that the wickednes of some ought not to be preiudiciall to the whole felowwippe euen as no wise man doth condemne the Apostleship for the falshode treason of Iudas Moreouer I am not so curious and desirous to prie into other mennes liues that I should desire to touche those thinges that are done within priuate walles I leaue such things first vnto God who will once make manifest things that are hid in darcknes as the Apostle witnesseth nexte vnto time the mother of truth as they vse to say lastly vnto them that are in those cloysters or dennes and abide willingly amongest them which if they would happely also might bring to light those thinges that as they are soule to commit so should be shamefull to speake and to heare I will onlye make mention of those thinges which the very Sun doth behold and are in euery mannes eyes First that the hatred of the worlde is ioyned with the true loue of godlynes it is as certaine as that the Sun doth shine at high

Pauls speach answered him thou doest almost perswade me to be a Christian as also by the words of Peter 1. Epist Cap. 4 wherewith he exhorteth the godly to suffer afflictions paciently Let not any of you saith he b● pumshed 〈◊〉 murtherer or a thiefe or an euil doer or as a busie body in other mens matters but if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but rather let him glorifie God in this behalfe This place of Peter doth verie plainlye declare that this title was now commonly both knowne and vsually receiued to signifie the which embraced and openl●● professed the doctrine of the Gospell and therewith all that it was hated as wicked or rather condemned and that it did draw with it all kinde of afflictions as the East Northeast winde doth cloudes according to the Pr●●erbe For the Apostle compareth 〈…〉 th most greeuous and det●stable sinnes as are ●●uther theaft wickednes● yea afterward that it became most hatefull it maye be perceiued by the most ancient and best writers Athenagōr as Iustine the Martire Tertullian Eusevius and such 〈◊〉 For so at that tyme did prophane men deteste that name and shutting theire eyes as saith Tertullian did so wilfully rushe and ramble to the hatred of it that the only profession thereof was accompted worthy death and the deniall thereof a matter for the which a man was acquited and discharged as if the name conteined in it a fault and that therwith eyther it was taken on or put of Such was the blind outrage of the wicked whom sathan the God of this world had bereaued of the eyes of their vnderstanding which suffred them not to see the most cleere light to consider what Athenagor as did alledge as a most iust defence to wit that names were not worthye of hatred but that wickednes did deserue punishmente and that which Iustine wryteth neither prayse neither punishment to be gotten by a name And I woulde to God this our age did bring forth or behold no examples of such horrible blindnes madnesse Thus then at those times wherein y e doctrine of the gospel did most florish godlesse men did think of y e naine of a stian But the godly thought farre otherwise therof Unto whom nothing was either more acceptable either more pleasant either more honorable then this name for they acknowledged it to be inuented and geuen vnto them by God him selfe partly to discerne as in deede so i● name the new people that is the church gathered of the Gentiles from the old that is the Iewish Sinagog●es Partly also to store vp nourish faith in Christ by renuing eftesoones by that title the remembraunce of the benefites receaued by him For euery one ought to thinke with him self that he is therfore called a christian because he is ingraffed into Christ as a bough into the body of the tree or as a member vnto the body and so to be made partaker of the sappe and life thereof or to be indued with the spirite of Christ and withal to be admitted into the felowship of his benefites For there is no other word which doth effectually expresse that most straite coniunction which is set foorth by the goodly allegorie of mariage and by the which we are sayd to be and to beleeue that we are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones Doth there not as soone as we heare this sweete name that which Peter and Iohn haue recorded come to our minde that we are made kinges and Priestes or that wee are made a kingly priesthode to offer vp spirituall sacrifices What shal I say this word is as it were a certain mysterie to all that are but meanlye informed in the Apostles doctrine vnto whose eares it soundeth that which that holy anoynting whereof mention is made out of the olde Testament Psal 133. did in times past set before the eyes of the godly For God who is both good and true doth neuer deceaue them that put their truste in him hee would haue his moste deare Sonne honoured with the tytle of Christ and the same not emptye or vaine but such as the thinge it selfe should agree with all for he anoynted him with the oyle of gladnes as witnesseth the prophet Dauid aboue his felowes Therfore he anointed them with the same oyle to witte the holye Ghost although beneath him being the chiefe the first be gotten Wherefore as many as clea●e vnto him w t a true faith doe perceiue that it is no bare and vaine name but persuade them selues that they are admitted as well into the felowship yea the possession of the thing that is the giftes of the holy Ghost as of the name Uerely it is a title both honourable and profitable as they know and perceue which are not ignorant of the diuine misteries I pray you how not onely honorable but also profitable comfortable is that speech of God touche not my anoynted Doth not God euidently declare that they are deare vnto him and that he is carefull for them whom he doth vouchsafe of and honour with this name Truely Hierom thinketh it to be that name wherby God promiseth by Esay Cap. 65. that he will call his seruantes that is the faithfull that in the steade of those diuine titles Iacob Iudah Israel Ephraim Ioseph they should be called of Christ the christi● people How much so euer then this title hath bin either contemned or hated of profane men yet hath it worthely on the other side bene had in great honour of the godly and preferred before all other wordlye titles be they neuer so glittering and glorious Hierome writing to Furia and making mention of her father doubteth not to adde that he did more honoure him in that respect that be was a christian then that he had bene a Consul or Senator of Rome Neuertheles wee must remember that this is then true when we are in deede the same that we are called And as they are very fonde to say no more which entitle them selues most Christian will so be called notwithstāding they haue in them no godlinesse aunswearable to the name so they are farre deceyued which eyther are ashamed or weary of this name if they beleue that they are partakers of the thinge signified CAP. IIII. That all they are ignorant of Christ departe from him which chalenge vnto themselues any other title in Religion then the Christian PAule in the very beginning of the first Epistle which he wrote vnto the Corinthians complayneth verye gree●ously sharply inueieth against thē which straight vpō his departure from the church had sowen certaine seedes of discention and scismes while some addicted themselues to other techers and professed themselues to be their scholers whom they esteemed aboue others and whom they chieflye loued and folowed in so much that they tooke vpon them their names blased them out with the

the world it selfe with his first comming so before his returne againe the doctrine of the Apostles promiseth or willeth vs to looke for no newe change in this respect Let vs also sée whether this newly deuised name doe not manifestly marke in the forhead with the print of Schisme this newe sect For God who is moste desirous of peace concord and vnitie hath endeuoured to commend the same by all maner of meanes vnto his Church as the place of Paule to the Ephesians 4. Chapter doeth most plainly teach For those whom he had chosen before the foundations of the world in his most deare Sonne he would gather together at his appointed time béeing scattered through the whole worlde and assemble them vnto him his first begotten Sonne as the Captaine and shepheard of all and couple them as members of one bodie vnto their head Hée commaunded nothing so diligently as vnitie which he hath established with a fellowship of all thinges amongest them whiche appertaine vnto godlinesse as with the word faith the Sacramentes the spirite and such lyke in the which as the Apostle witnesseth there is no difference betwéene the Iewe and the Gréeke the wise and the ignorant the maister and the seruant man and woman but all are one that is one Christ And who so seeth not herehense that it came to passe by the wil and counsell of this father that all were called by the onely name of Christians euen from the beginning of this assembling together by the preaching of the Gospell Therefore it is plaine that this name is as it were a certaine othe and band of that vnitie which he vtterly breaketh and looseth that taketh to him selfe any other vnder whatsoeuer pretence hée doeth it which thing also the place before cited out of the first Epistle and first Chapter to the Corinthians manifestly teacheth Moreouer in this common name besides the pledge of brotherhode and admonishing vs of naturall loue it appeareth that there is also contained a profession in religion to deuise therfore any other without necessitie is it not a certaine kinde of denyall and forsaking There is extant in Gratians decrées 11. Cause and 3. Quest a sentence taken out of Augustine vpon Iohn the 1. treatise which sheweth that he that denyeth himselfe to bee a Christian is conuicted to haue denyed Christ What shall I say that those of this felowship will séeme for that cause to haue bin assembled that they might gather and ioyne together others and to separate themselues If this be their purpose as they beare in hand why doe they not first in themselues shew a token of vnitie and not hauing neyther author nor cause by euill and hurtfull example further diuision and breaking asunder Why doe they by deuiding ouerthrow that which hath beene ordeyned by the authoritie of our master Christ and is confirmed by the consent and example of all the godly antiquitie I remember when as our masters the Sorbonistes were once very careful and circumspect on euery side to prouide not for the common good of Christendome but for their own bellie and authority did publish articles for so these Prophets forsooth did call those oracles to witte their determinations decrees set forth against them whom they call Lutheranes In one of the which the last sauing one to my remembrance it was flatly forbidden that any man in teaching should vtter Christ seuerally from Iesus Which decrée were it neuer so foolish was vrged so straitly that I being accused by four Franciscan Fryers and hauing the bishop of Claremount the chiefe Patrone of the Iesuites plaintiffe againste mee was constrayned with danger of my life to answere at the bar before Peter Lizet that worthy presidente forsooth a litle before hee was made of President Abbot Neuertheles we sée Peter and Martha in their confessiōs and Paule euery where in his Epistles to haue offended against that article without any cōtrolemēt I marnel therfore that these worthy watchmen doe not rather bende their lightnings against these of this felowship which contrarie to the oracle and decree of the holy Ghost and the auncyent custome of the church call themselues Iesuites rather then Christiās But perhaps betweene these two orders of these good men there is this agréement that they being niece and deyntie doe shun the crosse of Christ which we perceaue to haue beene in times past ioyned with the profession of the christian name But wee reade not any where that I know that the name of Iesus carryed with it anye such thing Lastly the deuisers and vsurpers of this new name cannot auoyd the offence of sacriledge and prophanation of the name of Iesu For it hath bene declared that the same was geuen by the commandement of the heauenlye Father to the sonne of God manyfested in flesh as proper vnto him only and noting a very great misterye belonging vnto his person With what boldnes then with what forhead yea with what conscience do 〈…〉 they chalenge it vnto them and vnseale that which God hath sealed vp make common that which is proper defile that which is holy But peraduenture they will say that they haue deuysed and taken that name to signifie and to professe by the name that they are worshippers of Iesu that is to beleeue in him to trust in him and to seeke for all their saluation of him I answere what not only curiositie and vanitie but also what wrong is it for a few to challenge to themselues that which is common to all the godly and is conteyned vnder the name of a Christiā and is intimated by the reuelation of the heauenly Spirite and for y ● cause vpon priuate authoritie to inuent and chuse to thēselues a new title should not this in prophane thinges be accounted theafte why then in holye thinges should it not be counted sacriledge If this new order pretende any priuiledge or prerogatiue let it bring forth a true and very Apostolike charter that is brought not from the courte of Rome but from the court of heauen and let it delyuer it to be examined and scanned of al that hath to do therewith as euery one hath Now if it please them to take this their new title not passiuely but actiuely that is to speake plaine not for such as are saued but are Sauioures as which professe that they bring helpe to those that otherwise being in heauy and as it were in desperate case are like to pearish as we reade that God in times past raysed vp and sent sauioures or deliuerers to his people of Israel oppressed with their enemies they goe as the prouerbe hath from the lymehouse into the colehouse that is from one ill defence to another Neuerthelesse the lately inuented description of this name and which of some is set before their wrytinges to qualifie the hardnesse and absurditie thereof as far as I coniecture to wit the societie of Iesus

euerlasting and this life is in his sonne He that hath the sonne hath life he that hath not the sonne hath not life Christ also himselfe hath so depainted and expressed it in that proper allegorie of the vine and the braunch that euerye man may easelye perceyue it And hetherunto doth plainlye belong that the Apostles call him in some places the sauiour of the world Now this title in Gréeke as it very well agreeth with the Hebrue name name whereof I haue spoken before so is it so great if we beléeue Cicero a fitte witnesse herein that it cannot be vttered and expressed with one latine worde For it noteth him that bringeth health or saluation Neither forceth it that this title is geuen somtime to the father and is also yeelded vnto men as to the Iudges of the old people and the ministers of Gods word Rom. 11. and 1. Tim. 4. For that which draweth nothing eyther from the office or honour of Christ but rather streyneth that which hath beene sayde hereof For it is manyfest that the Father as the chiefest fountayne of saluation from whom all saluation floweth vnto the Sonne and is as it were committed vnto him of verye good right is called a Sauiour But as touching men this honour is for no other cause geuen vnto them then for that they are chosen and appoynted by our Sauiour Christ that he might distribute and poure abroade vpon others by them as his in strumentes that power of sauing which he hath of his own and resting in himself which thing the author of the Epistle to the Heb. 2 Chap. séemeth vnto me verye fitly to haue noted and layd downe in naming him the Prince of our saluation Now that which this wryter vsing a manner of spéech which the Hebrues are acquainted with doth signifie as it were with one word We reade that Peter Act. 5 ver 31. did part in two when he had mainteyned this cause before the high Priestes of the Iewes Him hath God lifte vp with his right hand to be a Prince and Sauiour and so foorth By these most sure groundes for to alleadge any more it is néedelesse I thinke that doth sufficiently appear which I purposed to declare that without the felowship of Christ there remayneth no hope of saluation vnto any man Wherby it is euidently proued that they are vtterly deceiued and erre very farre which séeke elswhere or otherwise saluation Wherefore I neyther must neyther will reprooue this new order of Friers if they speak in earnest and beléeue that they see●e saluation in Iesu and bee willinge to draw it thence as from a continuall welspring but I accounte it a very vnreasonable thing for a man to goe about to drawe all that to himselfe alone and to challenge it as his owne which is common with him to al mē of what state and condition soeuer they be and therewithall that they are fowly deceyued if they thinke it cannot be had without that kinde of life which they haue newly deuysed vnto them selues Lastly I take them to be very far deceyued in this that they take another way to obteyne saluation of Iesus then he himselfe hath layd downe and declared CAP. VII That to the intent true felowship be had with Iesus the way that he hath declared is to be followed IT is the part of a trustye and wise Phisition not only to shew the sick person a fitte and wholesome medicine but also diligently to delyuer the maner and how to receaue the same especially if he perceiue he hath to doe with one that is vnskilfull and ignorant of Phisicke For as it is an easie matter herein to misse so it is well knowen to be very dangerous and dayly experience prooueth the same Therfore the holy Ghost to the intent he might performe the parte of a true teacher and most faithfull Phisition vnto the elect and sufficiently prouide for their saluation vnderstandinge well how great not only the vanitie but also the blindnes of mannes mind is especially in seking and prouiding for their own saluation thought it not sufficient to set foorth and poynte out a true sure and necessarye medicine but also thought good to declare plainly and largely how the same is to be vsed Wherfore it behoueth al those that are in déede desirous of their own saluation to resolue with themselues that not only the remedy against sin which the heauenly Father doth offer in Christ is to be unbraced of them ●●t that therewithall they must in euery poynt folow the way to receyue the same which he hath layde downe For they are very much deceiued and altogether erre which imagine other wayes and meanes or being deuysed of others séeme they neuer so plausible and playne accepte of the same Certainlye they tyre themselues in vayne which runne out of the way and as he sayd it is better to haste in the way then to runne space out of the way for it is so farre of that they should euer come vnto the true ende that in steade of saluation they procure to themselues grieuous destruction The holie Ghost doeth most plainly teach and that not in one place that the father is knowne of no man and that no man commeth vnto him but by the teaching and leading of the sonne who not without cause calleth him selfe as the life and trueth so the way also thereunto For so the same spirit teacheth that no mar comineth or is receiued into the fellowship or communion of the sonne but by the motion and leading of the Father God is faithfull saieth Paule to the Corinthians by whom you are called into the fellowship of his sonne Iesus Christ our Lorde Herehence it appeareth that there is no comming to this fellowship for any man but by the Fathers calling And it is not méete that any should be called but hée that heareth his voice and foloweth it that is to say that heareth him speaking and obeyeth his counsell and goeth after him being guided as it were by his hand Which thing Iohn doeth plainly shewe in the beginning of his Epistle teaching that he declareth to the Church that which he had séene and heard that they might haue fellowship not onely amonge themselues but also with the Father and with his Sonne Iesus Christ The voyce therefore of the Gospell is the way whereby we haue enterance vnto this holie and healthfull fellowship By it the Father calleth those whom he hath giuen vnto his Sonne before the foundation of the world was laid and bringeth and assembleth them vnto their shepheard And that voyce of the Father soundinge clearely from heauen conteineth the effect of the heauenly voice This is my welbeloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him By these fewe wordes but verie significant hee noteth both the end and sheweth the way For the end or scope vnto the which wée must leauell as it were with both

that hee shoulde haue any fellowship with him as it is that a blinde man 〈…〉 lde sée the light of the Sonne Whereof it followeth no lesse certainly then clearly that all that graunt any fellowship with the flesh and bodie 〈◊〉 Christ vnto vnbeleeuers doe vtterly shake the groundes or foundations of christian doctrine and doe not onely weaken but also cleane rent a 〈…〉 the harmony and agreement thereof Neither doeth this opinion se●●●● to be called rather deuilish then h 〈…〉 or to proceede from a man for that only cause that it hath broken the rule of fayth and truth which our godly fathers haue so named 〈…〉 but also for the maner by which it is w●nt to be defended of th●se men For it is not auouched and maint●ined with the weapons of Diuines but of tyrantes that is not by the estimonies of the scripture or sure reasons drawen therehense but by cauilles reproches slanders banishmenis proscriptions fire and sword These are ●he weapons not of trueth and godlines but of falshood and wickednes the father and mainteiner whereof is hée which was a murtherer from the beginning whom they followe which● are his abusing the colour of trueth and religion to ouerthrowe the ●ame that they may the better prouide for their owne gaine which is the onely thing that they séeke But the scripture left vs by the Apostles acknowledgeth no other followship with Iesu then that which is ●y faith● neither doth the ancient church to wit the Apostolike an● Catholike or vniuersall Now this that these man haue deuised they dream to be 〈…〉 with the mouth which are y ● Author● of transubstantiatiō haue brought in to y e church not of Christ but of Rome together both their transubstantiation and their felowship with Christ imagined of themselues the latter wherof receaued as it were by handes from them they which haue inuented transubstantiation do with tooth and naile defend as agréeable with their new imagination vphold it egerlye with the same weapons that they doe But they whose mindes are voide of preindice doe easily perceiue that a man being vpō the earth can neither folow Christ with his bodely féete neither touch him with his hands neither see him with his eyes neyther heare him with his eares So as no man can either eate or taste him with his mouth téeth tongue or rooffe All these thinges as they are done onely with the hart and minde so it is to be confessed that it can be done by fayth only Therfore he erreth greatly that trusteth that hee can haue any felowshippe with Christ by outward apparell or gesture or any bodely actions Now let vs see whether these new felowes of Ie●● haue taken a righte way or no. CAP. IX That this new and vpstart felowshippe of Iesu haue no true faith THere is no man but doth acknowledge that the minde and the harte of a man is the proper and peculiar zeale of faith and his true dwelling place and that thereof it followeth that it belongeth to God only to iudge and geue sentence properly and truely thereof which thing I confesse notwithstanding the holy Scriptures doe euery where witnes that one man may yea and ought to iudge of another mans faith as of all vngodlynes and that neither vncertainlye neither vainly This ought to be taken for an vndoubted truth that the faith of Christ or christ 〈…〉 h i● that which is in Christ that is which aymeth vnto him as the 〈…〉 marke and layeth holde vpon him as the true obiects For albeit true faith doeth embrace the whole Scripture both of the Prophets and Apostles as the voyce of God containing verelye the most certaine will of God yet for as much as all partes thereof tende vnto Christ faith also it selfe hath respecte chiefly vnto him And that faith only is to be accounted for true which truly knoweth and apprehendeth him that is in such sorte as he is in deede euen such as the heauenly father hath set him out and offered him in that scripture which is as it were a most brighte glasse liuelye representinge Christ and in him God For the wit of man be it neuer so sharpe by nature cannot conceaue the true and liuelie Image of Christ and how can it seeing the thinges which are vttered of him vnto vs in the Apostles doctrine are vnto flesh and mannes reason not only Paradores but also foolishnes that is such as he confesseth and taketh to be extreame folly Neither was it without cause that Christ after that Peter had in flatte wordes pronounced him to be Christ the Sonne of the liuing God which came into this world by and by made answere Flesh and blood hath not reuealed this vnto thée but my Father which is in heauen Yea and Paule most cléerely teacheth that faith is conceaued and bred by hearinge and that of the worde of God The which therfore a litle before these wordes he calleth the words of faith For as that heauenlye worde is not perceyued of man but by faith so there is no faith but that which groweth in the minde out of the same word through the heauenly Spirite For which cause it is w●●●e to bee set foorthe with diuers names or titles taken frō those things which receaued by faith it bringeth to passe for it is named the worde of grace of euerlasting life and saluation And Christ acknowledgeth for his true disciples those only which abide and continue in his word Hereunto I suppose our ●●●●rs which were truely godly and Apostolike men had an eye when they named the chiefest points of doctrin●●●●tayned in the wrytinges of the Prophets and Apostles the Rule of our faith and the bookes in which is conteyned the Canonicall bookes For as by these wordes they meant that all things contained in those bookes were true certaine and sure so nothinge without or besides those bookes were eyther to be sought for or followed but that faith ought to holde himselfe content within those bowndes and lysts As Damascene a wryter nothing suspected of our very aduersaries no les fitly then truely wryteth in the Preface of his bookes Christian faith then is that which acknowledgeth loueth and imbraceth Christ in such sort as the holy Scripture expresseth him and as Paule by his liuely preaching paynted him out and cru●yfied him before the Galathians eyes and passeth by with closed eyes and eares as the vaine counterfette of Christ whatsoeuer are spoken and vttered without those bookes Therefore I suppose it lawfull for me to iudge of the faith of this new felowship out of their own doctrine or rather I am so commaunded to doe of God What that doctrine is how shoulde I more certainly know then by their wrytinges published abroad in the which they gaue their censure of other mennes doctrine and maintayn and defende their owne Now they doe most euidently shew

Paul the 8. Ro. ver 24. entreating of afflictions of the godly maketh plaine mention of the likenes which God would haue and hath ordayned should be in the church betwen the head and the members Those saith he whome he hath knowne before he hath predestinate that they may be made like to y e image of his Sonne that he might be the first borne amonge many brethren The Apostle sheweth that it is the purpose of the Father that the first born sonne to weete Christ should be the mirror or samplar whereunto all men should conforme themselues so that euerye man should resemble expresse him The Author of the epistle to the Ebr. the 2. chap. describeth the beginninge of this conformitie and likenesse teachinge that the Sonne of God beinge true God was made partaker of flesh and bloud because the children whom God had geuen vnto him to witte the electe were made partakers thereof that through one all mighte bee made brethren vnto whome he was made in all thinges like sinne onely except And the Apostle Paule the 3. to the Philippians ver 27. toucheth the end and full conformitie foreshewing and promising that it should come to passe that Christ returning from heauen should chaunge our vile bodies and make them like to his glorious body Therfore he was made like vnto vs that he might make vs like vnto him selfe according to that power as the Apostle sayth whereby he is able to subdue al things vnto him selfe Now after what maner and how he is willing and wont to bring this to passe he hath expressed and declared in him selfe to wit his flesh and bloud which he hath taken of vs. The author of the Epistle to the Heb. the 2. cha vers 10. sheweth that it became the Prince of the saluation of the elect to be consecrated or made perfect through afflictions And Christ him selfe declared vnto his disciples béeing heauy for his crosse and death that he must so suffer and dye that he might enter into his glory Wherfore he made the flesh that he tooke vpon him to become like the elect to wit his brethren fit and méete for the euerlasting glory and heauenly dwelling by the crosse and afflictions But if this were the state of him which is the first begottē who is the head the captaine yea the king and author of euerlasting saluation and life what shall we thinke that their state ought to be which are called adopted and engraffed to the entent they may be partakers of saluation And Christ did playnly signifie the same what time he gathered and chose his disciples into his family cōpany and schole and they themselues as best witnesses therof do in diuers places report and testifie that he ioyned and bound them to himselfe making in playne and flat words as it were a couenaunt with them and adding expresly a condition that they should beare his crosse Afterwards when they were cōuersant with him he often times forewarned them of things to come of such miseries and afflictions which they were to haue at the hands of those especially which were houshold felows with thē after his departure from them vnto the patient bearing wherof he exhorted them and encouraged and strengthened them with diuers reasons but chiefly with such as were drawē from his owne person as most waightie and such wherewith they ought principally to be moued For in this respect also he setteth foorth him selfe for an example and would be so taken of all that are his whereof Peter flatly doth admonish vs. If saith he when ye doe well neuertheles ye suffer wrong this is acceptable to God For herevnto are ye called because Christ also hath suffered for you leauing you an ensample that you should followe his steppes Then he willeth them to reioyce which suffer for the truth and righteousnes as the partakers and fellowes of the sufferings of Christ which shall also be fellowes and partakers of his glory Of the which sequele and hope Paule discourseth at large the 8. to the Romanes For after that he had spoken much of sanctification or leading of a holy lyfe by the guiding of the spirite of God according to the rule deliuered vnto vs frō God which endeuour I shewed before to be necessarily ioyned with iustification which is by fayth going about to declare and with most strong argumentes to proue howe all the children of God ought to come to the possession of the enherita●ce to wit blessednes with Christ he beginneth the matter with this sentence If so be we suffer with him that we maye also be glorified with him teaching both vpon what condition we are receiued into the fellowship of Christe and also what way we ought to take to come to the ende thereof to wit euerlasting glory or saluation Which thing also shortly but swéetely he teacheth the 2. to Timothy 2. chapter verse 11. If we dye with him we shal also liue with him if we suffer with him we shall reigne with him These are the lawes of this felowship that all things should be common that there should be a likenes and equall state in labors in rewards Wherefore Paul oftentimes as it appeareth hath pronounced this law generally All sayth he the 2. to Timothy the 3. chapter that will liue godly in Christ Iesu must suffer persecution and in certayne Churches he repeated this that they must enter into the kingdome of God by many tribulations Acts. 14. For the crosse is so ioyned with the profession of the crosse that it can not be separated from it As for the sundry vse of the crosse and why he would haue his to be afflicted yea rather why he him selfe doth oftentimes afflict them at this present here is no place to speake therof By these places which I haue nowe alleaged and diuers other which I do willingly passe ouer it is playnly proued that none belongeth vnto Christ which is not partaker of his crosse for as much as that is the mark as it were of the children of God wherewith the most dearest of all was chiefly marked and honored Yea the author of the Epistle to the Hebrues sticketh not to call them bastards and no true children which are not partakers of discipline and chastisement As therefore to conclude this part they that are geuen of his father vnto Christ béeing first ingraffed to him by fayth haue fellowship with him and are made partakers of all gifts and goodnes which otherwise are proper to him onely and then by the endeuour of a holy life doe continue this felowship and kéepe the right of the sonnes of God so by the bearing of the crosse they doe both testifie vnto all men and perswade their own minds more and more yea and doe seale vp in their consciences that they are the members of Christ and doe belong to that fellowship whereof he is the head and