â–ª For ther it is written that Lazarus is in ioy and solace wheâ— as the rycheman is punyshed in hell If so be that the soule as ye doo say shulde slepe she coulde haue no ioye excepte iâ— were by dreames if she reioyseth or haue ioy it is impossible that she shoulde slepe Likewisâ— it is manifest li knowen shewed in the .viii. of Mathew that many shall come sytte in the kyngdome of God with Abraham Isaak and Iacob That in the meane season I shoulde sai nothing that slepe is cleanâ— contrarye to the nature of the soule which is in Greke called â—ntesecheia or Endesechia that is to sai â— perpetuall and vnrequietable â—otion or workyng Sy. These â—hinges are more manifest and more strong then I thought Ioia It is the poynte of an vnwise man to say I thought not and hauyng hearde but one â—arte to geue sentence The Aâ—ababtistes do aduaunce and â—et forth gaily and paintyngly their argumentes but they are weake and nothyng strong Sy. I woulde fayne know in what significacioÌ„ the scripture vseth this worde to slepe which is so often tymes founde in euery place of the Bible Ioia Among the auncient fathers this worde to slepe was to dye naturally or after the commen course of nature And because of the resurrectioÌ„ it was saied that thei which dyd dye sleape For as a man geueth hym selfe to sleape doubting nothing but that he shall wake agayne from his sleape so the body sleapeth that is to say dyeth doeth lyâ— in the graue beyng kepte there â—yl the day of the general resurrection So the Fathers dyâ— sleape so Stephen all otheâ— godly persons Seyng therforâ— that to sleape is to dye and thâ— soules can not dye it foloweth that they canne not sleape Foâ— Stephen dyd saye Lorde receiue thou my spirite which thyng when he had saied haâ— coÌ„mitted or coÌ„mended his soul to the heauenly father his bodâ— sleapynge dyd dye In thy thyng they are deceyued thaâ— they do attribute vnto the souâ— that which belongeth to the body only But in the meane seasoÌ„ it is attributed to the whole maÌ„ because of the vnitie of the body and of the soule beyng knytted in one persone Which example was brought afore of Christ in whom the body died only not his godhead nor his soule Lykewyse a man slepeth but with his bodye not with his soule The Anababtistes doo not nor wyl not vnderstand this figure Sinâ—cdochâ— nor the other figures tropes Which thyng causeth them to erre in many thynges But ignorauncye maketh them the bolder to teache what so euer they do dreame or conceyue in their sleape Sy. Yet it is euident that Paul saith that a cotoune of rightwisnes shal be reÌ„dered vnto him at lengthe when thâ— Lorde cometh And also that which is written in Iohn anâ— in the Epistle to the Philipenâ— is sure and strongly grounded â–ª Ioia This ought to be obserueâ— Symon that the daye of thâ— Lorde in scriptures is not alwayes to bee taken for the lasâ— day but somtyme for the truth and lyght as in the gospell oâ— Iohn otherwhyles for the viâ— sitacion of the Lorde as ofteâ— tymes in the Prophetes and â— Cor. iii. sometyme for the endâ— death of euery man as Iohâ— vi I wyll resussitate or raysâ— him agayne to euerlastyng life in the last daye that is to sayeâ— when he dyeth For when anâ— man dyeth that day is last vntâ— hym After thys maner dyâ— Paule call the last daye in thâ— Epistle to Timothe For he had spoken before of his death saiyng I am ready to be offered affirming that he had ben faith full and loyall in his course therfore he dyd not doubte but that the rightwise iudge shulde render vnto him the coroune of rightwysnesse which as he leaueth no vnrightwysnesse vnpunyshed so alwayes rewardeth them that lobor faithfully And this place doeth rather for vs then for the Anababtistes seing that Paule dothe hope that the coroune of rightwysnesse duyd vnto the rightwyse shal be renderyd vnto him at the tyme of his death Ergo he beleueth not that the soules do slepe but that they do lyue euerlastingly That which thou aledgest out of Iohn and Paule to the Philipenses are spoken of the last iudgement but they proue not that the soules are a sleape For that whiche they doo speake of saluation there dooe perteyne more to the resurrection of the body For these are the wordes of Paule He shall transforme that is to say Christ our vyle body that he may make it conforme and lyke to his glorious body What meane these thingê elles but that our bodyes haue full hope of resurrection or risyng agayn As Iob dyd speke Iob .ix. Sy. If the soules dooe receyue by and by their iudgement as sone as they be departed what neadeth that vniuersall iudgement Ioia It perteyneth to the whole man whiche shall be repayred or made new agane with the body that shall ryse with the soule Of the which thyng it is written Chess .iiii. Mat. xxiiii .xxv. Doest thou yet desyre any thiÌ„g Sy. I had leauer heare foundations and groundes oute of the scriptures Ioia I haue brought verye many alreadye what dooest thou aske more Sy. Thou hast other helpes yet the which I pray the to bryng forth Ioia Seynge that thou arte desyrous of the truthe I wyll hyde nothyng frome the. This Doctrine and Opinion of the Sleape of the Soules dooeth not ouelye repugne agaynst the Scriptures fayth dooeth not onely disanulle the Gospell and Resurrection of Christ but is also agaynst all coÌ„mune sense reasone a rude and vnclearkelye ignoraunce but go to let vs expounde these thyngê I aske thee if the soule be a body or a spirite Sy. It is not a bodye nor any grosse substaunce but a syngle and pure spirite Ioia Can then a spirite be subiect to bodily infirmities as to be an hongered to be weryed to dye c. Sy. No for these perteyne to the bodye onely A spirite is immortall incorruptible euerlasting or perpetuall Ioiada Thou sayest very well therfore marke thyne argumeÌ„t thus Sith the soule is a spirit not a bodye it can not be subiecte to bodily passions or infirmities but is exempte frome them slepe doth chaunce to the body thorough werinesse Ergo the soule can not slepe for the soule cannot be weary Or canst thou brynge any other thynge concernyng slepe Sy. No for all operacions and senses dooe ceasse and rest and excepte the body shulde brethe folkes wold thynke that it were dead Ioia Now if our soules should slepe it shoulde folow that after this lyfe we doo feele neither good nor euyll which dothe directly pugne agaynste the Gospell Moreouer we wyl proue by the nature of the slepe that the soules can not slepe but the bodye only For now I aske the when doeth the soule slepe after that she is departed frome the body or when she is yet ioyned to the body
Sy. At bothe tymes Ioi Neither of them can be trew and I do meruail that so grosse an answere dyd come from the. For seyng that the Soule can muche lesse slepe when she hath put awaye the burdeyn of thâ— body then when she beareth about yet the burdeyn of the body doeth not sleape when shâ— is yet in the bodye it followetâ— that she sleapeth muche lesse when she is deliuered from thâ— bodye And that she doeth not slepe beyng in the body it maye be knowen by thys that in the tyme of wakyng the body doth alwayes without rest quyet worke which actions do come from the soule Ergo it is manifest that whiles that the body waketh the soule sleapeth not And agayn when the body hath geueÌ„ it self to rest to slepe the soule worketh with a perpetual motion or mouyng doeth neuer rest or ceasse either she bretheth or doeth some thynge alwayes withe the vertue of remembraunce vnderstaÌ„dyng or with the other excellent vertues powers All mans lyfe is eyther wakynge or rest in none of them bothe doeth the soulesleape Ergo the soule doeth not sleape at all Therfore slepe longeth only to the body not to the soule For when the soule begiÌ„neth ones to haue life it is a perpetual Entesechia comeyng froÌ„ the euerlasting eternall fontayne of goodnesse the which perpetuall Entesechiia that is to say vnrequietable perpetuall action and mouyng in the soule if any man denayeth by that same reason he must denay the soule Sy. These thyngê are somewhat darke vnto me Ioiada Therefore I wyll declare them by an exaÌ„ple Fyer is a very pure actuall thyng whiche after that it begynneth ones can neuer ceasse from his operacion and workyng tyll it be quenched and that is when it hathe nothyng whervpon it maye shew and exercise his operacion If thou denyest the operacion working of the fier thou hast denyed the fyer The nature of the soule is very like which after that she is poured in to the body by god is a liuely and working spirite and can neuer ceasse nor be at rest Wylt thou haue no fyer take awaye the operacion If thou denyest the Soule attribute vnto her slepe For to say that the soule is a slepe and to saye that the soule is not is all one thyng If the soule slepeth she dooeth rest if she dooeth rest she worketh not if she doeth not worke she is not For to worke and to be in the soule is all one thing â—yth that she is a perpetual motion workyng But the soule is therfore shee sleapeth not Dooest thou vnderstande this thyng Sy. Very well Ioia Therfore did I say that the Aâ—ababtistes knowe not the nature of the soule Sy. Thou shuldest peraduenture haue persuaded somewhat to Timens and Phedrus Platos disciples I had leauer heare Scriptures Ioia The Saduces dyd teache that ther was no Resurrection and by this dyd denye the immortalitie and perpetual workyng of the soule yea and also Angels and all maner of Spirites Act. xiii The Lorde dyd stop their mouthes with these reasons Ye erre sayth he not knowing the scriptures nor the vertue of God God after the death of the Fathers calleth hym selfe the God of AbrahaÌ„ Isaac and Iacob which is not the God of the dead but of the lyuyng and that therfore Abraham and the other Fathers were a lyue and not dead Thei were dead in body a gret whyle afore and buryed Therfore Christ speaketh here of the lyfe of the soule Ergo the soule beyng separated from the body is in her owne kynde worketh lyuely and slepeth not This syllogysme and argument doo I put to all the Anababtistes to answer to that they may cleare them selfe frome the heresye of the Saduces For thei are lyke vnto the Saduces and Manicheans What shoulde I say of the wordes of Christ whiche hangyng vpon the Crosse doeth comforte the thiefe with these wordes saiyng To daye thou shalte be with me in Paradise Sy. Paradise and the Bosome of Abraham are all one thyng to the Anababtistes where thei say that the soules doo sleape Ioia Thei do affirme this with out scriptures and with an hereticall spirite Christ sayeth To day thou shalte be with me in Paradise Ponder euerye worde If Paradice is a sleapyng place Christ sleapeth in it also For he sayeth To daye thou shalte be Moreouer the thiefe prayeth Christ to remember him when he shoulde come in to hys kyngdome If the kyngdome of God is a Dormitorie or Sleapyng place what doo the scriptures speake of the Resurrection and Ascendyng of Christ in to heauen Ye ate obstacle asses O Anababtistes whiche dare make mention of suche sleapyng agaynst so manifest places of the scriptures What shall thei say to the wordes of Christ Iohn v. He that heareth my word and beleueth in him that hath sent me shall not come in to iudgement but is passed frome deathe to lyfe Whiche woordes are so cleare that no maÌ„ can denay them but heretikes Let the .xi. of Iohn and the .xv. of the first Epistle to the Corinthians Item the .ii. Cor .ii. be reade and it shal euidently he knowen that the sleape of the Anababtistes is a blasphemy agaynst the Gospell and Resurrection of Christ Sy. If the matter be better looked vpon the Anababtistes can not cleare them selues from the crime of ouer boldnesse ignorancye but they haue not pondered all these thingê so exactly Ioia Why dooe they presume to teach then take vpoÌ„ theÌ„ that which passeth their strengthe And agayne when they be conuicted wyll not geue the vpper hande to the truthe But because they wyll be sene stedfast they be founde in all thynges frowarde and obstacle To say briefly They doo all thynges with contention arrogancye and ignoraunce Sy. I woulde had questioned with the touchyng the .vi. Conclusion but that I must go to myne Iune Tomorow if thou canst haue leasyr I wyll be here betymes in the morning and reason farther with the. Ioiada I am well pleased for I wyll go to myne Inne also be thou to morow in better readinesse Symon God be with the. Ioiada Fare well SOLIDEO HONOR ET GLORIA â–ª ¶ Thou shalt vnderstaÌ„de good Christen Reader that immediately after this as sone as may be thou shalte haue the seconde Booke whiche entreate vpon as many thynges as this Booke doeth bothe fruitfull to be knowen and also most necessarye for these perillouse tymes in the which the Diuell doeth all that he can to extinguish the trew Doctrine of the Gospell whiche at this tyme thorough our godly Magistrates doeth reuiue and florish agayne Fare well and pray that we may performe the Woorke that we haue in haude
not admyt the scripture to be iudge but referre al thynges to theyr interpretation and spiritee Is not this an hygh blasphemie that a sinnefull man shoulde presume to sete hym selfe iudge ouer the word and wyl of god asthough he ought not to bee obedient vnto it excepte he were moued with his owne spiritee and mocion to reiecte or receiue it I harde ones a papiste doctour openly in a disputaciō saie that we whiche teache the gospell dooe teache the truthe and dyd alowe our teachynge veary well but that he coulde not nor durste subscribe vnto it exrepte our teachynge were adprobated and alowed by the bisshoppe of Rome Beholde my Symon what abhominacion is this that a mortall man shulde take vpon hym to adprobate alowe the diuine and heauenly veritee and set hym selfe iudge ouer god Therfore haue I put this conclusion in the forefront because that the Anababtistes doe for y ◠moste parte boast and aduaunce their spirite vnder such pretence deceiuyng the simple and rude people Symon Doeth not Paule teache this that the letter doeth kylle and the spirit viuifieth or doeth quieken ii Corin. iii And Christe doeth saie Ioan. xiiii The spirite shall teache you all truthe It is spoken by the lorde also Hieremy xxxi Euery man shall teache no more his neyghbour saiyng knowe thou the lorde but all shall knowe hym from the lowest to the hyghest Finally Iohn dooeth saie It is no neede that euery man dooe teache you but as the vnction teacheth you of all thinges whiche is true and is no lye What canst thou saye agaynst so manyfeste scriptures Ioiada To the woordes of Paule I aunsweare thus That Paul speaketh there of the lawe whyche kylleth vs as he dooeth declare more apertly in the .vii. chap. to the Romains And by the spirit he vnderstondeth faith and the consolacion or comforte of the gospell That it is so the texte of the whole chapter dooeth testifie Therefore this place helpeth nothyng your errour For whan we speake of the woorde of god we dooe not vnderstonde the bare and deade letter or voyde sonnde of it but the word well and truely vnderstonded and as it is in veary dede And as for that that Chryste dooeth promesse a spyrite vnto his dysciples teachynge them all thynges wee dooe admytte and beleue it But that spyrite can not bee contrarye to Chryste nor teacheth any other thyng than Chryst hath taught Therfore doeth he adde by and by teachyng you what so euer I haue saied vnto you What dooe these thynges perteyne to the spirite of the Anababtistes whiche teacheth contrary thynges to the spirite of Christe The prophecies of Ioel and Hieremye are vnderstonded of that same spirite that Christe dooeth bothe promesse and geue to his disciples as it is euidently sene in the seconde chapiter of the Actes and the eyght to the Hebrues Iohn in his epistell whan he speaketh of the vnctyon dooeth playnely expounde hym selfe saiynge I haue written vnto you that ye bee not deceyued or that ye dooe not suffer your selues to be brought in to errour whyche thyng will then come to passe if ye dooe stedfastely abyde in the doctrine of the spirite whiche ye haue harde at the begynnynge and swarue not at all from it The holy ghoste is the spirite of truthe which canne neither lye nor repugne against hym selfe beyng all waies constaunte vnchaungeable euery where lyke vnto hym selfe Now no man can denaye but that the same euerlastyng vnchaungeable and holy spirite hath inspyred the holy scriptures in to holy mens hertes and myndes Whereby it foloweth necessarily that the same spirite which speaketh agaynste the meanyng of the spirite that dooeth speake and expresse hym selfe in the diuine scriptures is not of god but rather an humaine mayne affection whyche if it bee styffe maie bee deseruyngly called a deauelysshe spyryte as Chryste dooeth proue agaynste the Iues. Iohn viii Or canst thou thynke in thy mynde that spirite to bee good whiche contemneth the cleare manyfeste pure and holy scriptures and when by them he is conuicted of errour doeth boste an other spirite whiche shoulde teache cleane cōtrary thinges Is not this to despise y ◠spirite of y ◠scriptures and to repugne against hym As though our spirit meaneth truely and the spirit of the scriptures most falsely Where haue the Anababtistes learned to set their spirit against y ◠scriptures yea and preferre hym to the holy worde of god Symon But who hath geuen you this libertee to iudge al thynges after the litterall sence or letter Ioiada That we dooe not as thou doest interprete the letter But we saie that the worde of god conteined in the scriptures of the Bible is a touche stone wherby spirites are tried For what spirite so euer doeth agree with the scriptures is of god the father of truthe And agayne what spirite so euer is contrary to the holy scriptures is of the dyuelle the father of lyes Seyng therfore that the spyrite of the Anababtistes wil not bee ruled by the holy scriptures but preferreth hym selfe to the woorde of god callynge by crafte the woorde of god a bare letterre yea and sette set him selfe iudge ouer it he cānot be of god For if he were of god he would come to light and speake that same thyng that the holy ghost doeth speake in al the holy scriptures But now sith y t he doeth not depende of the scriptures but will be at his own lybertie it is a token that it is a craft and subtiltie of the deuell whiche doeth alwayes scatter repugne against god Sy. Thou speakest these thynges mightily and stronglye but withoute the word of god And this is your familier custome to speake many thinges without scriptures As touching the spirite what he techeth I haue brought and alledged places and testimonies oute of the scriptures But that the spirit ought to be tried by scriptures or rather mācipated and bounde vnto them and not be at his own libertie it is thy parte for to proue Or peraduenture thou dost prefer the creature vnto the creatour Ioi What and yf I should say also My spirite hath taught me this thyng What couldest thou do or say vnto me Sym. But that is not to aunswere Ioi Nor ye do not answere sufficiently when ye bost your spirite without or agaynst the scriptures But in this thīg we do learne that whan it pleaseth you ye vse the scriptures agayne whan ye see to be expede ent ye boaste aud aduance your spirit Whan I affirme that the spirite must be tried by the scriptures I doe not mancipate nor subdue the creatour vnto y ◠creature but I will that the thynge whiche is vncertaine be tryed proued by y t which is certaine and that any spirit be tried by the holy spirit of god that is to saie by the scriptures whether he agreeth with hym self or not And if he be like euery where vnto him self to be receiued if not to be refused
reiected as false deceitful But whan ye speake of the spirite ye doe vnderstond a bare creature For your spirit is not the holy ghost but a carnall affection Sy. Ye dooe yet without any scriptures of the Bible enhaunce and magnifie the letter Io. Not so but rather we here ground ourselues bothe vpon y e scriptures of god and vpon examples Sy. Shew therfore y t the truthe muste be tryed by the scriptures not rather w t a fre spirit without scriptures Io. By thy wordes doe I perceine what thinge doeth begile you that is y t ye do seuer these .ii. thinges beyng vnited inuisebly knitted together y t is to saie the spirite the scriptures which can nor ought to be separated asunder the one from y e other For whē we name y e scriptures we doe vnderstande y e expressed worde of y t spirit For as y e voice or sound of y e worde can in no wise be separated from y e lyuely breth of y e liuing creature So y e scriptures can not be diuided from y e spirit y t inspireth thē for y e scripture is y e expressed wil of god but now wil I bryng y e testimonies places w t thou requirest our lord Iesu Christ vnto whom y e heuēly father did geue witnes from heuen who hath receiued the holy ghost after no measure did not despise y e sciptures in so muche that he dyd corroborate all his saiynges by them onely and did commaund that the Iewes should trye both his woordes and factes by the scriptures Ihon. v. and Luke xvi He biddeth them to lyfte vp their eyes to Moyses the prophetes and not to apparaunte spirites He reprouyng also the Saduceis did shewe that this was the cause of their errour be cause that they were ignoraunt in scriptures or neglected them Mark .xii. The Apostles as we may vnderstand by the booke of the Actes did receiue abundātly in the beginyng the holy gost that by a sertaine visible tokē And yet not withstandyng did thei not therfore forsake or contēne y e scriptures nor boste their spirite against thē But rather did proue strengthen all their sermons with the worde of god preachyng nothyng els but the pure and playne scriptures These thynges are euydently proued by the epistels of Peter Iohn doeth plainely shewe and teache that the spirites owght to be tried whether thei bee of god or not .i. Io. iiii Wherby it is euydent enowgh that spirites owght to be tried and that thei be not so free as the Anahabtistes will haue them And how thei muste bee proued it is manifestly declared in y t place Paule whiche was rauisshed in to the thyrde heauen and dyd learne his gospel of Iesu Christ beyng hym selfe the chosen vessel of god full of the holy ghost and heauenly wisedome neuer the lesse before the kyng Agrippa he doeth testify that he dyd teache nothyng beside Moises and the prophetes Act. xxvi In the epistell to the Galathians y e first chapter he saieth thus if I or an angel of heauen shulde preach vnto you any other thīg then ye haue harde let it be anathema or acursed He also warnyng and teachyng Tymothe that be shoulde beware of false and erroneous doctrines dyd directe and sende hym to the redyng of scriptures But reade thou the iii. chapiter of the seconde epistell to Tymothe and it shall appere what we owght to iudge and thynke of the Anababtistes secte what of the spirite and of the scriptures Sy. That place is knowen well enowghe and I am almost persuaded But this vexed my mynde that Paule saieth that a spirituall man iudgeth all thynges but he is iudged of no body Ioiada I longe to knowe of the of what spirite Paule doeth speake there Symon But I haue leauer to heare it of the Ioiada Considre the woordes y t go before For he saieth thus We haue not receiued the spirit of the world but the spirit whiche is of god that we may know what thynges haue ben geuen vnto vs by Chryst Symon But to what purpose did Paul speke here of the holy ghost Ioiada I aske of the wheather y t same selfe spirite dyd not inspyre the scriptures Symon Truely that same selfe spirite Ioiada Seyng therfore that it is all one and bothe the same spirite that Paule speaketh of here and that whiche speaketh in the scriptures haue I not proued that Paule by a spirituall man did not vnderstond hym which boasteth I can not tell what spirite despisyng in the meane season the scriptures but suche a spirituall man as is and will be ruled and gouerned by the holy ghost that waie that he sheweth and expresseth hym selfe in the holy scriptures He therfore that striueth againste the holy scripture and inspiracyon of the holy ghost can not bee that spirituall man whome Paule doeth speke of Now if he be not spirituall he can not iudge but he muste be iudged The Anababtistes therfore can iudge nothyng but ought to bee iudged and tryed by the worde of god Hathe not here the spirite of the Anababtistes lost bothe his win ges But I do remembre other ii places whiche dooe vtterly stoppe the mouthes of the Catababtistes The first is in the .x. chapiter of the Actes touchyng Cornelius the centurion which although he was elected by god yet not withstandyng beyng so tawght by the angell did sende messangers to fetche Peter y t he migh heare by hym the preachīg of our sauiour Iesu christ If that the spirite should disanulle and abolisshe the scriptures it shulde folow y t this outwarde preachyng and such like thinges wer done in vaine The other is in the .xvi. chapiter concernyng the Thessaloniens whiche after that thei had harde the preachyng of Paule dyd daily seke and serche the scriptures to knowe wheather Paule dyd teache true or not Which thing thei wolde not haue done if the spirites shoulde not be tried by the scriptures wherefore what so euer the Anababtistes dooe teache concernyng this thynge is false and erroneous and not vnlike vnto the errour of Montanus Sym. What monstruous thyng is y t Ioiada This Montanus about .xiii. hundred yeres a go was a great heretike who did almost speake of the spirite as the Anababtistes dooe For thei do cal in again the old abolisshed errours as it shall appere hereafter Sym. Go forth I praie y e and let vs discusse the argumentes of the second conclusion For I can not beleue that none of the saynttes whiche thyng thou doest affirme stifly did thruste them selues into the office of common preachers excepte thei were called What other thyng is this but as the bisshop of Rome hath done in times paste to hyde the truthe frome the commons that none saue onely thei that are learned dare speake and talke of it Where as not withstandynge god did manifest him self to the littell ones and not to the wise Mathew xi Ioiada I will doe it
which being necessari to the body do in processe of tyme waxe olde waste and consume away suche as be condicion rychesse and grosse elementes of thys worlde But circumcision was not taught by the false prophetes as an outwarde thyng but as a necessary needeful thyng to saluacion which thei dyd very vrgently and instantly persuade that it shoulde bee obserued kepte yea and all the whole law besyde Hereof dyd ryse the disputacion whche is written of in the xv chap. of the Actes Els Paule dyd circumcise Timothie for peace and tranquilitie sake and because that he woulde not offende certayne weake bretherne in the Churche but after that some men dyd vrgently bring in circumcison as necessary Paule dyd greatly repugne woulde not suffer Titus to be circumcized .xvi. of the Actes .ii. Galat. This sedicioÌ„ therfore that thou aledgest here hathe a greatter cause then an outwarde thyng Sy. Howe darest thou call richesse outwarde thinges which do exclude a maÌ„ from the kyngdome of Heauen For Christ sayeth that it is easyer for a camell to go thoroughe the eye of a nydle then for a ryche man to entre into the kyngdome of Heuen Io. We doo know well inoughe the false sighynges and teares of the Crocodyle which these light and inconstant Anababtistes do poure doune daily dispisynge richesse none other wyse then the Foxe dyd in tymes past dispyse the sweete grapes that she could not come by Richesse are by them selues nether good nor euyll but the vse dothe make theim either good or euyll If thyne eye be simple and lyghtsome all the body shal be lyghtsome but if thyne eye be wycked and euyll all thy body shall be darkenesse Mat. vi Therfore if a riche maÌ„ be faithfull and godly the richesse that he hathe be good and that by reason of the good vse If the master or owner of the richesse is vnfaythful or an infidell his richesse are nought Luke .xvi. Such do christ speake of when he bringeth in the similitude of the camell and of the eye of the nedle There wer innumerable bothe in the olde newe Testament whiche in great richesse were called no small frendes of God as Noe Abraham Lot Isaac Iacob Iob Ioseph c. Whiche in the myddest of their rychesse dyd cleaue vnto God with a sincere harte and good fayth Loke what opinioÌ„ Paul hathe of this thyng and what he writeth of it .i. Timoth. vi Therfore I care not what these hipocrites doo bable and prate sith that the richemen may doo good to the poore in Christes Churche whiche occasion they that haue no richesse doo lacke To what purpose or intent doo then these mad braines trouble all the worlde for trifelyng and vnnecessary thyngê I do know sum which if thei had as much as they do lacke thorough their owne negligence and slugherdnesse they woulde fynde by and by a way to iustify their vniust and euyll gotten goodes Sy. I doo let that passe I pray the to proue the seconde conclusion Peraduenture I shall learne somewhat by it Ioiada That Christ dyd neuer cause tumult for outwarde thynges but dyd alwayes study to peace tranquilitie we wyl bring the .xvii. of Mathew where he speaketh to Peter after this maner Lest we do offeÌ„d them that is to say that do receyue the didragme go thy waye to the sea cast in thy hoke and the fyrst fysh that cometh open his mouth thou shalt fynde a stater take it and geue it for the me In the. xxii of Math when he was asked of the yearely tribute that was payed vnto Ceasar he did so fly from tumulte that he dyd iyone bothe god and Ceasar togither biddyng them to pay their duty to eche of them Nor he dyd not condempne them that dyd receyue Nor agayne he dyd not say Blessed are they which doo geue He dyd not say ye owe nothyng by Goddes law but notwithst andyng geue wo be vnto hym that dothe receyue In the .xiii. of Iohn Christ doth so teache hys Disciples I geue you a new coÌ„mauÌ„dement that ye loue eche other as I haue loued you By this shall all men know that ye be my Disciples if ye loue eche other And incontinent in that long sermon that he made vnto his Disciples after his Maundy he doth chefely speake of the Spirite of the faythfull And a lytell afore he shoulde sende his Apostles he dyd saye Peace vnto you as my father hathe sent me so I sende you The .xiiii. chap. Rom. Paule sayeth The kyngdome of God is neyther meate nor drinke but rightousnesse peace and gladnesse in the holy ghost For he that serueth vnto christ in those thyngê is accepted both before GOD and before men Therfore let vs followe that whiche belongeth to peace and edifieng one towarde another In the .i. Cor. i. he dothe exhorte the CorinthiaÌ„s after this maner I beseche you brethren in the name of oure Lorde Ihesu Christ that ye dooe speake all one thyng and that there be no dissencioÌ„s among you but that yee bee one whole bodye of one mynde opinion Let no suche contencioÌ„s be among you that one shoulde say I am Cephas disciple another I am Pauls an other I am Christes Is Christ diuided was Paul crucified for you Or were ye baptised in the name of Paule When ye do say so ar ye not yet carnal Moreouer loke consider what Paul writeth in the xii cha to the Cori. exhortyng them to concorde charitie by the exemple of the body and the lymmes In the .xiiii. he sayeth apartelye that God is not aucthor of discencion but of concorde and peace whiche thyng may be sene in the Churches of the faythfull In the .iiii. to the Ephesians Paule doeth exhort vs to behaue oure selues and walke so as it doeth become the vocacion wherwith we are called with all obeisaunce lowlynesse with gentlenes of hert forbearing eche other thorough charitie and that we shoulde studye to kepe the vnitie of the spirite by the bounde of peace beyng sayth he one body one spirite as yee are called in one hope of your vocacion There is but one Lorde one fayth one Baptisme one God and father of vs all â–ª c. In the â–ª ii chap. to the Philippians with lyke study exhorteth he the faythfull to be of lyke affection to haue betwene them selfes loue charitie to be of lyke mynde lyke iudgement and that nothyng shoulde be doone among them by contencion or vayneglorye But by humilitie lowlynesse of hearte euerye man shoulde thynke an other maÌ„ to be more excellent then he is himself c. Are not these sufficient testimonies Sy. What dooe these thynges agaynste the Anabaptistes Io. Very much for thei proue and shew manifestli that the Anabaptistes be authors of tumulte and sedicion Sy. What is that Ioi That is to say that they against al good ordre and exemple of the Apostles dooe make stryfe contencion in the Churche of Christ
GOD worketh 〈…〉 s bothe to be willyng and to doo or performe the thyng that he hathe moued vs to be willyng to do accordyng to his bountuous wyll He I say worketh in vs good workes as in his electes notwithstanding the workes ar attributed vnto vs and are called ours whiche neuerthelesse are Gods that glory honor may be geuē to god only Doest thou vnderstande what I say Sy. I doo vnderstand it very well Ioia Dothe it satisfie thee Sy. ye as truly Now do I perceiue that the lernyng of the Anababtistes cometh of ygnoraunce and boldnesse and that it is very pernicious and hurtfull whiche is gaye in the syght of the simple but in dede is an error malicious rudenesse 〈…〉 ut I desyre to knowe what thou wylte saye of the .v. conclusiō For they be fully persuaded that soules are a slepe The .x. treatie or dialoge How that the Soules after that thei be departed from the body do not slepe but lyue in christ Ioiada BVt with this opinion they do abolish the gospel which teacheth of the resurrection of Christ as saynt Paule in the fyrst chap. to the Romayns doth say Besyde that they doo denye the last Article of oure fayth that is to saye The lyfe euerlastyng after this lyfe Is not this therfore a pernitious Doctrine that repugneth agaynst so manifest veritie and sure beleue Sy. Thou doest not vnderstande the Anabaptistes For they doo neyther denye the Gospell nor the Resurrection of Christ They saye that the Soules after the deathe of the bodye if they dooe departe in fayth do slepe in the bosome of Abraham tyl the day of iudgement that then they do entre into euerlasting life And proue their saiynges by the gospell by Paule Luc. xvi i. Thess iiii I wyl not haue you to be ignoraunt touchyng them that are a slepe c. In the Olde Testament it is written of the Fathers that thei fal a slepe with their Fathers And also it is sayde of Stephen that he dyd slepe in the Lord. And that thei at lengthe shall receyue euerlastyng lyfe they do proue it by Paule .ii. Timoth. iiii I haue sayeth he fought a good fyght Now is there layde vp for me a croune of rightwysnesse which the Lorde who is a rightfull iudge shall geue or render vnto me vpon that day not onely to me but also to al them that loue his comynge There is suche a thyng Phil. iii. i. Iohn iii. Or what neade is it of that last iudgement if by by after his death euery man receyueth his owne dome these do seme vnto me strong Nowe wyll I fayne he are what thou canst saye agaynst it Io. I saye the same thyng that I sayde before If our soules dooe sleepe after the death of the bodye the soule of Christ sleepeth also and the resurrection is disanulled For Christ dyd proue that ther was an euerlasting lyfe by his rising agayne which can not be euerlastyng if the soule slepeth and begynneth then to lyue when iudgement dothe come Wherfore the sleepe of the Anababtistes dothe euacuate and disanull the gospell and resurrection As for the bosome of Abraham I aske the whether it be a slepyng place dormitori or a receptacle and place to receyue the lyuyng Sy A place whervnto the soules of y e faithfull Christen men ar gathered together tyll the day of iudgement Ioi Where is that place aboue or benethe Sy It is vncerteyne to me God doth know Nor it is not lawfull for vs to enquyre Sy. So ye do defend al vncertayne thynges that ye do teache And ye that do speake babble muche of the bosome of Abraham and do not know yet That comyng of Christ shall be in the last day of all Ioia What and I vnderstande that of the comyng of Christ at the ende of euery mans lyfe Sy. So thou doest say but it must be proued by the holy scriptures Io. These ar not my wordes but the wordes of him that speaketh there of his owne death For he vseth this word to go for to dye so that to go and to dye is all one thyng with him And agayne this worde to come wherfore the Anababtistes doo stryue is not taken for his last comyng but for the resurrectiō of christ and ye helpe and ayde that he sheweth vpon the faythfull christen men being in extreme nede For he came agayne after that he was rysen from death dyd declare that he had opened the kingdom of god that we might be sure that as he dyd entre in to heauen him selfe so we shuld come in or entre in also But he is entered in to immortal lyfe not in to slepe in to the kyngdome of God and not in to the bosome of Abraham and that by by after his death Therfore we shall also incontinent after our death entre in to euerlastyng lyfe and into the kingdome of God For he taketh vs away when he calleth vs from death to lyfe Iohn v. For it is added by maner of exposicion That where I am ther ye may be also Therfore are we taken in soule from death to euerlastyng lyfe in body to iudgement Or tell me dyd Christ with his death reserate open heauen whiche was locked vp afore or not Sy I do graunt that he did opē it Ioi But what neadeth this reseration or openyng if the soules doo not entre in to lyfe Where as notwithstādyng Paul doeth say I coueit to be dissolued deliuered from this body to be w t christ beleuyng that after this death he should be with Christ Peter moreouer doeth saye that for this cause the gospel was preached vnto the dead that they shuld be iudged in the flesh but lyue after or in y e spirit do not these manifest places teache proue that the soules doo lyue with God For he sayeth that y ◠gospell was preached vnto the dead What is els the gospel to be preached but redemption lyfe to be preached And what were they that were dead but they which after that thei were departed were gathered in the bosome of Abraham Sy. But howe was the gospell preached vnto them Ioia The vertue of the passion of Christ and the fruit of his death which were profitable vnto them Sy. How Ioi Because that they being deliuered thorough the death of Christ ar receiued as touching their soules into euerlastyng lyfe In the last day they shall ryse bodily and as all other shall be iudged in the vniuersall iudgement In the meane season their soules do liue with God Is it proued sufficiently that the soules that wer in the bosome of Abraham are delyuered brought in to heauen Sy. I dooe not saye agaynst it Ioia And thou shalt fynde none other thing in the word of god ▪ It followeth therfore that th◠Bosome of Abraham is no dormitory or slepyng place but an euerlastyng lyfe Which thyng we may proue by the .xvi. of Lu