spirite of the lyuing God not in tables of stone as the ten commaundementes but in the fleshy tables of the hart as who shuld say we writ not a dead law with inke and in parchemenâ— nor graue that which damned you in tables of stone but preache you that which bringeth the spirite of lyfe vnto your brestes which spirite writeth and graueth the law of loue in your hartes and geueth you lust to do the will of God And furthermore sayth he our ablenes coÌ„meth of God which hath made vs able to minister the new TestameÌ„t not of the letter y t is to say not of the law but of the spirite For the letter that is to say the law killeth but the spirite geueth life that is to say the spirite of God whiche entreth your hartes wheÌ„ ye beleue the glad tydinges that are preached you in Christe quickeneth your hartes and geueth you life lust and maketh you to do of loue and of your owne accorde without compulsioÌ„ that which the law compelled you to do and daÌ„ned you because ye could not doe with loue and lust and naturally Thus seest thou that the letter signifieth not the litterall sence and the spirite the spirituall sence And Rom. ij Paul vseth this terme Littera for the law And Rom. vij where he setteth it so playne that it the great wrath of God had not blinded them they could neuer haue stombled at it God is a spirite and all his wordes are spirituall His litterall sence is spituall and all his wordes are spiritual When thou readest Math. j. she shall beare a sonne thou shalt cal his name Iesus For he shall saue his people froÌ„ their sinnes This litteral sence is spiritual and euerlasting life vnto as many as beleue it And the litterall sence of these wordes Math. v. blessed are the mercyfull for they shall haue mercy are spirituall and life Wherby they that are mercyfull may of right by the truth and promise of God challenge mercy And like is it of these wordes Math. vj. If you forgeue othermen their sinnes your heauenly father shall forgeue you yours And so is it of all the promises of God Finally all gods wordes are spiritual if thou haue eyes of God to see the right meanyng of the text whereunto y â— Scripture perteyneth the final end and cause therof All the Scripture is either the promises and TestameÌ„t of God in Christ and stories perteining thereunto to strength thy faith either the law and stories perteining therto to feare thee from euil doing There is no story nor gest seme it neuer so simple or so vyle vnto the worlde but that thou shalt finde therein spirite and life and edifieng in the litterall sense For it is gods Scripture written for thy learnyng and comforte There is no cloute or tagge there that hath not precious reliques wrapt therein of fayth hope pacience and long sufferyng and of the truth of God and also of hys righteousnes Set before thee the storie of Ruben which defiled his fathers beo Marke what a crosse God suffered to fal on the necke of his elect Iacob CoÌ„sider first the shame among the heatheÌ„ when as yet there was no moe of the whole world within the Testament of God but he and his houshold I report me to our Prelates which sweare by their honor whether it were a crosse or no. Seest thou not how our wicked bylders rage because they see their bildynges burne now they are tryed by the fire of Gods word and how they stirre vp the whole world to quench the word of God for feare of loosing their honour Then what busines had he to pacifie his children Looke what a do he had at y â— defiling of his daughter Dina. And be thou sure that the brethren there were no more furious for the defiling of their sister then the sonnes heare for defiling of their mother Marke what folowed Ruben to feare other that they shame not their fathers and mothers He was cursed and lost the kyngdome and also the Priestdome and his tribe or generatioÌ„ was euer few in number as it appeareth in the stories of the Bible The adulterie of Dauid with Barsabe is an ensample not to moue vs to euill but if while we folow the way of righteousnes any chaunce driue vs aside that we despayre not For if we saw not such infirmities in Gods elect we which are so weake and fall so oft should vtterly dispaire thinke that God had cleane forsaken vs. It is therfore a sure and an vndoubted conclusion whether we be holy or vnholy we are all sinners But the differeÌ„ce is that Gods sinners consent not to their sinne They consent vnto the law that it is both holy and righteous and mourne to haue their sinne taken away But the deuils sinners consent vnto their sinne and would haue the law and hell taken away and are enemies vnto the righteousnes of God Likewise in the whomely gest of Noe when he was dronke and lay in his tente with hys priuy members open hast thou great edifyeng in the litteral sence Thou seest what became of the curied children of wicked Ham which saw his fathers priuie members and gested therof vnto his brethren Thou seest also what blessing fell on Sem and Iaphet which went backward and couered their fathers members saw them not And thirdly thou seest what infirmitie accompanieth Goâ—s elect be they neuer so holy which yet is not imputed vnto theÌ„ For the fayth trust they haue in God swalloweth vp all their sinnes Notwithstandyng this text offereth vs an apte and an hansome allegory or similitude to describe our wicked Ham Antichrist the Pope which many huÌ„dred yeares hath done all the shame that hart caÌ„ thinke vnto the priâ—ey meÌ„ber of God which is the word of promise or y â— word of faith as Paule calleth it Rom. x. and the Gospell and TestameÌ„t of Christ wherewith we are begotten as thou seest i. Peter i. and Iames. i. And as the cursed children of Ham grew into gyauntes so mightie and great that the children of Israell semed but greshoppers in respect of them so the cursed sonnes of our Ham the Pope his Cardinals Bysshops Abbots Monkes and Friers are become mighty gyauntes aboue all power and authoritie so that the children of faith in respect of them are much lesse then greshoppers They heape mountayne vppon mountayne will to heaueÌ„ by their own strength by away of their owne making not by the way Christ Neuer the latter those gyauÌ„tes for the wickednes abhominatioÌ„s which they had wrought did God vtterly destroy part of them by the childreÌ„ of Loth and part by the children of Esau and seuen nations of them by the children of Israell So no doubt shall he destroy these for like abhominations that shortly For their kyngdome is but the kyngdome of lyes and falshead which must needes perish at
and he will therto consider our mekenes and what soeuer chaunceth neuer taketh away hys mercy till we cast of the yoke of our profession first and runne away with vtter defiaunce that we will neuer come more at schole Then our stubburne and hard hartes mollifie waxe soft and in the confidēce and hope that we haue in Christ and his kindnes we go to God boldly as vnto our father and receaue life that is to say loue vnto God and vnto the law also That whiche we haue seene and heard we declare vnto you that ye may haue felowshyppe with vs and that our felowshyppe may be with the father and with his sonne Iesus Christ And these thynges we write vnto you that your ioye may be full To bryng vnto the felowshyp of God and Christ and of them that beleue in Christ is the finall intent of all the Scripture why it was giuen of God vnto man and the onely thyng which all true preachers seke wherby ye shall euer know and discerne the true word of God from all false and counterfayted doctrine of vayne traditions the true preacher from the wylie hypocrite We preache vnto you sayth Iohn y t euerlastyng lyfe which we haue heard and in hearyng receaued through fayth and are sure of it to draw you to vs out of the felowshyp that ye haue with the damned deuils in sinnefull lustes and ignoraunce of God for we seeke you and not yours as sayth Paul ij Cor. xij We loue you as our selues in God therfore wold haue you felowes and equall with vs build you vpon the foundation layd of the Apostles and Prophetes which is Christ ▪ Iesus and make you of the houshold of God for euer that ye and we felowes and brethren and coupled together in one spirit in one fayth and in one hope might haue our felowship thereby with God and become his sonnes heyres with Iesus Christ beyng his brethren and coheyres and to make your ioy ful through that glad tydinges as the aungell sayd vnto the shepheardes Luke ij Behold I shew you great ioye that shal be vnto all the people how that there is a Sauiour borne vnto you this day whiche is Christ the Lord. And these tydinges we bryng you with the worde of God onely which we receaued of his spirit and out of the mouth of his sonne as true messengers We preach not our selues but Christ our Lord and vs your seruauntes for hys sake we do not loue our selues to seke yours vnto vs that after we had with wiles robbed you of all ye haue we should exalte our selues ouer you separate our selues frō you and make our selues a seuerall kyngdome free and frāke raygnyng ouer you as heathen tyrauntes holdyng you in bondage to serue our lucre and lustes tanglyng your conscience with doctrine of man whiche draweth from God and Christ and fearing you with the bugge of excommunication agaynste Gods word Or if that serued not shakyng a sword at you And this is the tydinges whiche we haue heard of hym and declare vnto you that God is lyght and in hym is no darknes at all If we say that we haue felowshyp with hym and yet walke in darkenes we lye and do not the truth But and if we walke in light as he is in light then haue we felowshyp together and the bloud of Christ his sonne clenseth vs from all sinne As the deuill is darknes and lyes so is God light and truth onely and there is no darknes of falshead consentyng to wickednes in hym And the brightnes of his light is his word and doctrine as the. C. and. xix Psalme sayth Thy worde is a lanterne vnto my feete a light to my pathes And Christe is the light that lightneth all men And the Apostles are called the light of the world because of the doctrine And all that knowe truth are light Ye were once darkenes sayth Paule Ephes v. but now light in the Lord walke therfore as the children of lyght And good workes are called the frutes of light And all that lyue in ignoraūce are called darknes as he sayth afterward he that hateth his brother walketh in darknes For if the light of the glorious Gospell of Christe dyd shyne in his hart he could not hate his brother By walking vnderstande consenting doing and working If then we walke in darcknes that is consent and worke wickednes and say we haue felowship with God we ly For to haue felowship with him is to knowe and consent and professe his doctrine in our hartes Now if the commaundementes of GOD bee written in our hartes our members can not but practise thē shew the fruite So whether light or darknes be in the hart it will appeare in y t walking For though our members be neuer so dead vnto vertue yet if our soules knowledge the truth consent vnto righteousnes we haue the sprite of life in vs. And Paule sayth Rom. viij If the spirite of him y t raysed vp Iesus from death be in you thē wil he y t raised vp Iesus frō death quicken your mortall bodies by the reasō of the spirit that dwelleth in you So that it is not possible for him that knoweth the truth consenteth thereto to continue in sinne And then finally if we haue the light in our harts and walke therein then we haue fellowship with God and are his sonnes and heires and are purged from all sinne through Christes bloud If we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues and trueth is not in vs. If we think there is no sinne in vs we are beguiled and blinde and the light of Gods word is not in vs and eyther folow sinne as beastes without consciēce at all Or if we see the grosse sinnes as murther theft and adultery yet we haue hanged a vayle of false gloses vpon Moses face and see not the brightnes of the law how that it requireth of vs as pure an hart to God and as great loue vnto our neighbours as was in our sauiour Iesus ceaseth not before to condemne vs as sinners If we knowledge our sinnes he is faythfull and iust to forgeeue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrigh teousnes If we confesse our sinnes not in the preistes eare though that tradition restored vnto the right vse were not dānable but in our hartes to God with true repentaunce and fast beleife then is he faythfull to forgeue and to purge vs because of his mercifull truth and promise For he promised Abraham that in his seede all the worlde should be blessed from the curse of sinne And hath aboundantly renued his euerlasting mercy vnto vs in the new testament promising that our sinnes shall be forgeuen vs in Christes bloud if we repent and trust thereto If we say we haue not sinned we make him a lyer and hys woord is not in vs. For his
28. the auoyding of all threatenynges and curses of which thou readest likewyse euery where but specially in the two bookes aboue rehearsed and the auoiding of all punishment ordeyned for the transgressours of the law And the olde Testament was builte altogether vpoÌ„ the kepyng of the lawe and ceremonies and was the rewarde of kepyng them in this lyfe onely and reached no farther then this lyfe this world As thou readest Leuit. 18. A maÌ„ that doth them shall lyue therin which text Paule reherseth Rom. 10. Gal. 3. That is he that keepeth them shall haue his lyfe glorious according to all the promises and blessings of the law and shal auoyde both all temporal punishments of the law all the threatnynges and cursinges also For neyther the lawe of the tenne commaundementes nor yet the ceremonies iustified in the hart before God or purified vnto the lyfe to come In so much that Moses at his death euen fourtye yeares after the lawe and ceremonies were geuen complaineth saying God hath not geuen you an hart to vnderstande nor eyes to see nor eares to heare vnto this day As who shoulde haue sayd God hath geuen you ceremonies but ye knowe not the vse of them and hath geuen you a lawe but god hath not writen it in your hartes Wherfore serueth the law then if it geue vs no power to do the law Paul answereth them that it was geuen to vtter sinne onely and to make it appeare As a corosie is layd vnto an old sore not to heale it but to stirre it vp and make the disease alyue that a man myght feele in what â—eopardie he is how nye death and not aware and to make a way vnto the healing playster Euen so sayth Paul Gal. 3. The law was geuen bycause of transgression that is to make the sinne alyue that it might be felt and sene vntill the seede came vnto whome it was promised that is to saye vntill the children of fayth came or vntill Christ that sede in whom God promised Abraham that all natioÌ„s of the world should be blessed came That is the law was geuen to vtter sinne death damnation and cursse and to driue vs vnto Christ in whom forgeuenes lyfe iustifiyng and blessynges were promised that we might see so great loue of God to vs ward in Christ that we hence forth ouercome with kindnes might loue agayne and of loue kepe the commaundementes Now he that goeth about to quiet his conscieÌ„ce and to iustifie him selfe with the law doth but heale hys woundes with freatyng coroseis And hee that goeth aboute to purchase grace with ceremonies doth but sucke the ale pole to quench his thyrst in as much as the ceremonies were not geuen to iustifie the hart but to signifie the iustifiyng and forgeuenesse that is in Christes bloud Of the ceremonies that they iustifie not thou readest Hebr. x. It is impossible that sinne should be done away with the bloud of Oxen and Goates And of the law thou readest Galla. iij. If there had bene a lawe geuen that could haue quickened or geuen lyfe then had righteousnes or iustifiyng come by the lawe in deede Now the law not onely quickeneth not the hart but also woundeth it with conscience of sinne and ministreth death and damnation vnto her ij Cor. iij. So that she must nedes dye and be damned except she find other remedy So farre it is of that she is iustified or holpen by the law The new Testament is those euerlastyng promises whiche are made vs in Christ the Lorde throughout all the the Scriptures And that Testament is built on fayth and not in workes For it is not said of that Testament He that worketh shall lyue but he that beleueth shall lyue As thou readest Iohn iij. God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that none that beleue in hym should perishe but haue lyfe euerlastyng And when this Testament is preached and beleued the spirit entreth the hart and quickeneth it geueth it life iustifieth her The spirite also maketh the law a liuely thyng in the hart so that a man bringeth foorth good workes of his owne accord without compulsion of the lawe without feare of threatenynges or cursings yea and without all maner respect or loue vnto any teÌ„porall pleasure but of the very power of the spirite receiued thorough fayth as thou readest Iohn i. He gaue them power to be the sonnes of God in that they beleued on his name And of that power they worke so that he which hath the spirit of Christ is now no more a child he neither learneth nor worketh any loÌ„ger for payne of y t rod or for feare of bugges or pleasure of apples but doth all thynges of his owne courage As Christe sayeth Iohn vij He that beleueth on me shall haue riuers of liuyng waters flowyng out of hys belly That is all good workes and all giftes of grace sprynge out of hym naturally and by their owne accord Thou nedest not to wrest good woorkes out of hym as a man would wryng veriuce out of crabbes Nay they flowe naturally out of hym as sprynges out of rockes The new TestameÌ„t was euer euen from the begynnyng of the world For there were alwaies promises of Christ to come by fayth in which promises the elect were then iustified inwardly before God as outwardly before the world by kepyng of the law and ceremonies And in conclusion as thou seest blessynges or cursynges folowe the breaking or keping of the law of Moyses euen so naturally do the blessynges or cursynges folowe the breakyng of keping of the law of nature out of which spryng all our temporall lawes So that when the people kepe the temporall lawes of their land temporal prosperitie and all maner of such temporall blessynges as thou readest of in Moyses do accompany them and fall vpon them And contrarywise when they sinne vnpunished and when the rulers haue no respect vnto equitie or honestie then God sendeth his cursse among them as hunger dearth morein bannyng pestilence warre oppression with straunge and wonderful diseases and new kyndes of misfortune and euill lucke If any man aske me seing that faith iustifieth me why I worke I aunswere Loue coÌ„pelleth me For as loÌ„g as my soule feeleth what loue GOD hath shewed me in Christ I can not but loue God agayne and his wil and commaundements and of loue worke them hor can they seme hard vnto me I thinke not my selfe better for my woorkyng nor seeke heauen nor an higher place in heaueÌ„ bycause of it For a ChristiaÌ„ worketh to make his weake brother perfecter and not to seeke an higher place in heauen I compare not my selfe vnto hym that woorketh not No hee that worketh not to day shall haue grace to turne and to woorke to morow and in the meane tyme I pitie hym and pray for hym If I had wrought the will of
is forasmuch as faythe iustifieth and putteth away sinne in the sight of God bringeth lyfe health and the fauour of God maketh vs the heyres of God poureth the spirite of God into our soules and filleth vs with all godly fulnes in Christ it wer to great a shame rebuke and wronge vnto the fayth ye to christes bloud if a man would worke any thyng to purchase that wherwith fayth hath indued hym already and God hath geuen hym freely Euen as Christ had done rebuke and shame vnto hymselfe if he would haue done good workes and wrought to haue bene made thereby Gods sonne and heyre ouer all which thing he was alredy Now doth fayth make vs the sonnes or childrē of god Iohn 1. he gaue them might or power to be y t sonnes of God in that they beleued on his name If we be sonnes so are we also heires Roma viij and Gala. iiij How can or ought we then to worke for to purchase that inheritaunce withall whereof we are heyres already by fayth What shall we say thē to those scriptures whiche sound as though a man should do good workes and lyue well for heauens sake or eternall reward As these are make you frendes of the vnrighteous Mammon And Math. vij Gather you treasures together in heauen Also Math. xix If thou wilt enter into lyfe keepe the commaundementes and such like This say I that they whiche vnderstand not neither feele in their hartes what fayth meaneth talke and thinke of the reward euen as they do of the worke neither suppose they y t a man ought to worke but in a respect to the reward For they imagine that it is in the kyngdome of Christ as it is in the world among mē that they must deserue heauen with their good woorkes Howbeit their thoughtes are but dreames and false imaginations Of these men speaketh Malachias Chap. i. who is it among you that shutteth a doore for my pleasure for nought y t is without respect of reward These are seruauntes that seke gaynes and vauntage hyrelinges day labourers whiche here on earth receaue their rewardes as the Phariseis with their prayers and fastynges Math. v. But on this wise goeth it with heauen with euerlastyng lyfe and eternall reward likewise as good workes naturally folow fayth as it is aboue rehearsed so that thou nedest not to commaunde a true beleuer to worke or to compel him with any law for it is vnpossible that he should not worke he taryeth but for an occasion he is euer disposed of him selfe thou nedest but to put him in remembraunce and that to know the false fayth from the true Euen so naturally doth eternall lyfe folow faith and good liuing without sekyng for is impossible that it should not come though no mā thought there on Yet is it rehearsed in y ◠Scripture alledged and promised to know the difference betwene a false beleuer and a true beleuer and that euery man may know what foloweth good liuyng naturally and of it selfe without takyng thought for it Take a grosse ensample Hell that is euerlastyng death is threatned vnto sinners and yet foloweth it sinne naturally without sekyng for For no mā doth euill to be damned therfore but had rather auoyde it Yet there the one foloweth the other naturally though no man told or warned him of it yet should the sinner finde it and feele it Neuerthelesse it is therfore threatned that men may know what foloweth euill liuyng Now then as after euill liuyng foloweth his reward vnsought for euen so after good liuing foloweth his reward naturally vnsought for or vnthought vpon Euen as when thou drinkest wine be it good or bad the tast foloweth of it selfe thoughe thou therfore drinke it not Yet testifieth the Scripture and it is true that we are by inheritaunce heyres of damnation and that ere we be borne we are vessels of the wrath of God full of that poyson whence naturally all synnes spring and wherewith we can not but sinne which thyng the dedes that folow whē we behold our selues in the glasse of the law of God do declare vtter kill our consciences show vs what we were and wist not of it certifieth vs that we are heyres of damnatiō For if we were of God we should cleaue to God and lust after the wil of God But now our dedes compared to the law declare y ◠contrary by our dedes we see our selues both what we be and what our end shall be So now thou seest that lyfe eternall and all good thynges are promised vnto fayth and belefe so that he that beleueth on Christ shal be safe Christes bloud hath purchased life for vs hath made vs the heyres of god so that heauen commeth by Christes bloud If thou wouldest obtaine heauē with the merites and deseruinges of thine own woorkes so dyddest thou wrong yea and shamedest the bloud of Christ and vnto thee were Christ dead in vayne Now is the true beleuer heyre of God by Christes deseruynges yea and in Christ was predestinate and ordeined vnto eternall life before the world began And when the Gospel is preached vnto vs we beleue the mercy of God and in beleuyng we receaue the spirite of God which is the earnest of eternal lyfe and we are in eternal life already feele already in our hartes the swetnes therof and are ouercome with the kyndnes of God and Christ and therfore loue the will of God and of loue are ready to woorke freely and not to obtaine that which is geuen vs freely and whereof we are heyres already Now when Christ sayth Make you frendes of vnrighteous Mammon Gather you treasure together in heauen and such like Thou seest that the meanyng and entent is no other but that thou shouldest do good so will it folow of it selfe naturally without sekyng takyng of thought that thou shalt find frendes and treasure in heauē and receaue a reward So let thyne eye be single and looke vnto good lyuyng onely and take no thought for y t reward But be content For as much as thou knowest and art sure that the reward all thyng contained in gods promises folow good liuyng naturally and thy good workes do but testifie onely and certifie thee that the spirite of God is in thee whom thou hast receaued in earnest of Gods truth and that thou art heyre of all the goodnes of God and that all good thynges are thyne already purchased by Christes bloud and layd vp in store against that day when euery man shall receaue according to his dedes that is according as his dedes declare and testifie what he is or was For they that looke vnto the reward are slow false suttle and crafty workers and loue the reward more thē the worke yea hate the labour yea hate God which commaūdeth the labour and are wery both of the commaundement and also
sought helpe either for theÌ„selues or for their neighboures and trusted in the promyse of God would so comfort the soule and courage y â— hart that the body though it were halfe dead and more woulde reuiue and be lusty agayne and the labour woulde be short and easy as for an ensample if thou weâ—e so oppresied that thou were weaâ—y of thy life and weÌ„ttest to the kyng for helpe and haddest sped thy spirits would so reioyce that thy bodye woulde receaue her strength agayne and be as lusty as euer it was eueÌ„ so the promises of God worke ioy aboue all measure where they beleued in the hart But our hierlinges haue no Gods woorde but trust in the multitude of wordes length of bablyng and payne of body as bond seruauntes Neither know they any other vertue to be in prayer as ye may see by the ordinaunces of all foundations King Henry the fift built Syon and the Charterhouse of Shene on the other side of the water of such a manner that lippe labour may neuer cease For when the Fryers of Sion ryng out the NuÌ„nes beginne And when the Nunnes ring out of seruice the Monkes on the other side beginne And wheÌ„ they ring out the Fryers beginne agayne and vexe themselues night and day take payne for Gods sake for which God must geue them heauen Yea I haue knowen of some yer this that for very payne and tediousnes haue bidden the Deuill take their founders They call Lent the holyest tyme of the yeare but wherin is that holines verely in multitude of wordes and tedious leÌ„gth of the seruice For let theÌ„ beginne at sixe and it will be twelue or they can ende In which time they be so wearied that by the tyme they haue dined they haue lust to nothing saue to sleepe And in the ende of all they thinke no farther then that God must rewarde their payne And if y u aske how they know it They will aunswere he must reward it or be vnrighteous Now god looketh not on the paine of the prayer but on thy faith in his promise goodnes neither yet on the multitude of thy wordes or long habling For he knoweth thy matter better then thou thy selfe And though the Iewes and the heathen were so foolishe thorough their vnbeliefe to bable many words yet were they neuer so madde as to mâ—mble and buze out woordes that they vnderstoode not Thou wilt say what matter maketh it if I speake wordes which I vnderstand not or if I pray not at all seing God knoweth my matter all ready I aunswere he will haue thee to open thine hart to him to enforme and edifie thine owne selfe That thou mightest know how all goodnes is of him to put thy trust and confidence in hym and to flie to him in time of neede and to be thankfull and to loue him and obey his coÌ„maundementes and turne and be coÌ„uerted vnto thy Lord God and not to runne wilde as the vngodly do which know not the benefites of God and therefore be vnthankfull to obey hys commaundementes And that thou mayst know how what to pray he geueth thee a short instruction and ensample saying after this maner pray O our father which art in heaueÌ„ First thou must goe to him as a mercifull father which of his owne goodnes and fatherly loue that he beareth to thee is ready to do more for thee then thou caÌ„st desire though thou haue no merites But because he is thy father onely if thou wilt turne henceforth submitte thy selfe to learne to do hys wyll Honoured be thy name Honoured and praysed be thy name or honoured and praysed be thou for to honour God and to honour y t name of God is all one And to honour the name of God is to dread him to loue hym and to keepe hys commaundementes For wheÌ„ a childe obeyeth his father he honoureth and prayseth hys father and when he is rebellions and disobedient he dishonoureth hys father This is then the vnderstandyng meaning of it O father seing thou art father ouer all powre out thy spirite vppon all flesh and make all men to feare and dread loue thee as their father in keeping thy commaundementes to honour thee and thy holy name Thy kingdome come That is seyng thou art kyng ouer all make all to know thee make the kynges and rulers which are but thy substitutes to commaunde nothyng but according to thy worde and to them make all subiectes obey Thy will be fulfilled in earth as it is in heauen This is all one with that goeth before For as much then as thou art father and kyng ouer all and all we thy children brethren among our selues make vs all as obedient to seeke and to do thy will as the Aungelles do in heauen Make that no man seeke hys owne will but all thine But if thou withdraw thyne haÌ„d to tempt thy children that the rulers coÌ„maunde ought contrary to thy will then make the subiectes to stand fast by thy worde to offer themselues to suffer all extremitie rather then to obey Finally when we pray to thee in our temptations and aduersities desiring thee of whatsoeuer thyng it be and meane truely yet if thou which knowest all seest a better way to thy glory and our profite then thy will be and not ours As thy sonne Iesus gaue vs an ensample when he desired if it had bene possible that that cuppe of bitter death might haue departed froÌ„ hym saying yet not as I will but as thou wilt Geue vs our dayly bread By bread is vnderstoode all maner of sustinaunce in the Ebrue speach yea and here is vnderstand therby all that pertayneth vnto the necessitie of thys life If we haue bread there is dearth of nothing y t can pinch namely in that land Geue vs our dayly bread Geue vs all that the necessitie of this life dayly requireth Geue it vs day by day as we nede it We desire not to haue store for many yeares to exclude all necessitie of praying to thee and to be as it were out of thy daunger and to forget thee But minister it day by day that we may dayly feele thy benefites and neuer forget thee Or if thou geue vs aboundaunce aboue that we desire then geue vs an hart to vse it and to bestow it for that purpose thou gauest it and to deale with our neighbours and not to loue it inordinatly But to thinke that it is thyne and that thou mayst take it away euery houre and that we be content that thou so do ac thy pleasure and so euer to haue it but for dayly bread Forgeue vs our trespasses as we forgeue our trespassers Because he knoweth that our nature is so weake that we cannot but sinne dayly therefore he teacheth vs dayly to repeÌ„t and to reconcile our selues together and dayly to aske God forgeuenesse Seing he coÌ„maundeth vs to aske we
That fayth haue they in theyr owne workes onely But the true hearers vnderstand the lawe as Christ interpreteth it here and feele thereby theyr righteous damnation and runne to Christ for succour and for remission of all their sinnes that are past and for all the sinne which chaunce thorough infirmities shall compel theÌ„ to do for remission of that the law is to stronge for their weake nature And upon that they consent to the lawe loue it and professe it to fulfill it to the vttermost of their power and then go to and worke Faith or confidence in Christes bloud without helpe and before the workes of the law bringeth all maner of remission of sinnes satisfaction Faith is mother of loue fayth accompanieth loue in all her workes to fulfill as much as there lacketh in our doing the lawe of that perfect loue which Christ had to his father and vs in his fulfilling of the law for vs. Now when we be reconciled then is loue fayth together our righteousnesse our keeping the lawe our continuing our proceeding forwarde in the grace which we stand in our bringing to the euerlasting sauing and euerlasting life And the woorkes be esteemed of God according to the loue of the hart If the woorkes be great loue little and colde then the woorkes be regarded thereafter of God If the workes be small and loue much and feruent the workes be taken for great of God And it came to passe that when Iesus had ended these sayinges the people were astonied at his doctrine for he taught them as one hauing power and not as the Scribes The Scribes and Phariseyes had thrust vp the sworde of the woorde of God into a scabbarde or shethe of gloses and therein had knit it fast that it coulde neither sticke nor cut teaching dead workes without fayth and loue which are the life and the whole goodnes of all workes and the onely thing why they please God And therefore their audience abode euer carnall and fleshly mynded without faith to God and loue to their neighbours Christes wordes were spirit life Ioh. vi That is to say they ministred spirite and life and entred into the hart and grated on the conscience and thorow preaching the lawe made the hearers perceaue their duties euen what loue they ought to God what to man and the right dampnation of all them that had not the loue of God and man written in their hartes and thorow preaching of fayth made all that consented to the lawe of God fele the mercy of God in Christ and certified them of their saluation For the worde of God is a two edged sworde that pearceth and deuideth the spirite and soule of man a sonder Heb. 〈◊〉 A man before the preaching of Godes woorde is but one man all fleshe the soule consenting vnto the lustes of the fleshe to follow them But the sworde of the worde of God where it taketh effect diuideth a man in two and serteth him at variaunce against his own selfe The fleshe haling one way and the spirite drawing another the fleshe raging to follow lustes and the spirite calling backe agayne to follow the lawe and will of God A man all the while â—e consenteth to the flesh before he be borne again in Christ is called soule or carnall But whe he is renued in Christ through y t word of lyâ—e and hath the loue of God and of hys neighbor and the fayth of Christ written in his hart he is called spirite or spirituall The Lord of all mercy send vs preachers with power that is to say 〈◊〉 expounders of the worde of God and speakers to the hart of man and deliuer vs from Scribes Phariseyes hypocrites and all false Prophetes Amen An aunswere vnto Syr Thomas Mores Dialogue made by William Tyndall 1530. ☞ First he declareth what the Church is and geueth a reason of certaine wordes which Master More rebuketh in the translation of the new Testament ¶ After that he aunswereth particularly vnto euery Chapter which semeth to haue any appearaunce of truth thorough all his foure bookes ¶ Awake thou that slepest and stand vp from death and Christ shall geue the light Ephesians 5. THe grace of our Lord the light of his spirite to see to iudge true repeÌ„taunce towardeâ— Gods lâ—we a fast fayth in the mercyfull prâ—…es y â— are in our sauiour Christ serueÌ„t loue toward thy neighbour after the exaÌ„ple of Christ his Saints be with thee O Reader with all that loue the truth loÌ„g for the redemption of Gods elect Amen Our Sauiour I esus in the 16. of Iohn at his last Supper when he tooke his leaue of his Disciples warned them saying the holy Ghost shall come and rebuke the world of iudgemeÌ„t That is he shall rebuke the world for lacke of true iudgement and discretion to iudge and shall proue that the tast of theyr mouthes is corrupt so that they iudge swete to be sowre and sowre to be swete the eyes to be blynd so that they thinke that to be the verâ— seruice of God which is but a blynd superstition for zeale of which yet they persecute the true seruice of God and that they iudge to be the lawe of God whiche is but a false imagination of a corrupt iudgement for blynd affection of whiche yet they persecute the true law of God and them that kepe it And this same it is that Paul sayth 1. Corinth ij how that the naturall man that is not borne agayne and created a new with the spirite of God be he neuer so great a Philosopher neuer so well sene in the law neuer so sore studied in the Scripture as we haue examples in the Phariseis yet hee cannot vnderstaÌ„d the thynges of the spirite of God but sayth he the spirituall iudgeth all thyngs and hys spirâ—e searcheth the deepe secretes of God so that what soeuer God commauÌ„deth hym to do he neuer leaueth searchyng till he come at the bottome the pith the quicke the lyâ—e the sâ—… the mâ—â—ow very cause why and iudgeth all thyng Take an example in the great commaundement loue God with all thyne hart y t spirituall searcheth the cause and looketh on the benefites of God and so conceaueth loue in his hart And when he is commaunded to obey the powers and rulers of the world hee looketh on the benefites which God sheweth the world through them and therefore doth it gladly And when hee â–ª is commauÌ„ded to loue his neighbour as hym selfe he searcheth that his neighbour is created of God and bought with Christes bloud and so forth and therefore he loueth hym out of his hart and if he be euill forheareth hym and with all loue and pacience draweth hym to good as elder brethren wayte on the youÌ„ger and serue them and suffer them when they will not come they speake fayre flatter and geue some gaye thyng and
a signe of y e loue of myne hart which reioyseth and is glad that he is come home safe and sounde And euen so is this but the memoriall of the very sacrifice of Christ once done for al. And if ye wold no otherwise meane ye shal haue my good will to call it so still or if ye can shew me a reason of some other meanyng And therfore I would that it had bene called as it in deede is and as it was commaūded to be Christes memoriall though that I doubt not but that it was called Masse of his He brue woord Misach which signifieth a a pension geuyng because that at euery Masse mē gaue euery man a portiō accordyng vnto his power vnto the in stentation of the poore Which offering yet remayneth But to a false vse and profite of them that haue too much as all other thinges are peruerted Finally it is the same thinge that it was when Christ institute it at hys last supper If it were then the very sacrificing of Christes body and had that same vertue and power with it that his very passion after wrought why was he sacrificed so cruelly on the morow and not holde excused therwyth seyng he was there verely sacrificed M. Item that there remayneth bread and wine in the sacrament Tyndall Improue it What is that that is broken and that the Priest eateth wyth hys teeth ayre onely if a childe were fed with no other foode he should wax haply as long as his father Wherof then should his body his flesh and bones grow wherof should that come with reuerence I speake it that he pisseth and so forth all by miracle will they say O what wonderfull miracles must we faine to saue Antichristes doctrine I might wyth as good reason say that the hoste is neyther rounde nor white but that as my mouth is deceaued in the tast of bread euen so mine eyes are in the syght of roundnes and so is there nothing at all Which all are but the disputations of men with corrupt myndes without spirite to iudge Neuer the later when the Priest hath once rehearsed the testament of our sauiour thereon I looke not on bread and wine but on the body of Christ broken and bloud shed for my sinnes and by that fayth am I saued from the damnation of my sinnes Neyther come I to Masse for any other purpose then to fet forgeuenes for Christes deathes sake nor for any other purpose say I Confiteor knowledge my sinnes at the beginning of Masse And if ye haue other doctrine teach vs a reason leade vs in light we will follow Christ sayth Iohn xi it is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing at all the woordes which I speake saith he are spirite and lyfe That is the fleshely eatyng and drinking of Christes body and bloude profit not as his carnall presence profited not by the reason of his presence onely as ye see by Iudas and y ◠Phariseis and the souldiours that touched hym and how his bodely presence did let the disciples to vnderstand spiritually But to eate and drinke in the spirite that is to harken vnto his wordes and with a repenting hart to beleue in hys death bringeth vs all that Christ can do for vs. More Item that the masse auaileth no man but the Priest Tyndall If ye speake of the prayers his prayers helpe vs as much as ours him If ye speake of y e sacramēt it helpeth as many as be present as much as hym if moued therby they be leue in Christes death as well as he If they be absent the sacrament profiteth them as much as a sermon made in the church helpeth them that be in y ◠fieldes And how profiteth it the soules of the deade tell me vnto whome it is no signe If ye meane the carnall eating and drinking then it profiteth the Prieste onely for he eateth and drinketh vppe all alone and geueth no man parte wyth hym More Item that a man should not be howseled till he lay a dying Tynd. That is to shamelesse a lye M. Item that men and women should not spare to touch it Tynd. A perillous case Why Because the Pope hath not oyled them Neuerthelesse Christ hath annointed them wyth hys spirite and wyth hys bloud But wot ye why The Pope thinketh if they should be too busie in handeling it they woulde beleue that there were bread and for that cause to strength their faythes he hath imagined little prety thinne manchetes that shine thorow and seeme more lyke to be made of paper or fine Parchement then of wheate floure About which was no smale question in Oxforde of late dayes whether it were bread or none some affirming that the floure with long lying in water was turned to starch and had lost his nature M. Item that the sacramēt should not be worshipped Tyndall It is the Sacrament of Christes body and bloud And Christ calleth it the newe and euerlasting testament in hys bloud and commaunded that we shoulde so do in the remembraunce of hym that hys bodye was broken and his bloude shed for our sinnes And Paule commaundeth thereby to shewe or preach the Lords death They say not pray to it neither put any fayth therein For I may not beleue in the sacramēt but I must beleue the Sacrament that it is a true signe and it true that is signified therby which is the onely worshippyng of the Sacrament if ye geue it other worship ye plainly dishonour it As I may not beleue in Christes Church but beleue Christes Church that the doctrine which they preach of Christ is true If ye haue any other doctrine teach vs a reason and lead vs in light and we will follow More Item that a Christē is not bound to keepe any lawe made by man or any at all Tynd. You say vntruely a Christē man is bound to obey tyranny if it be not agaynst hys fayth nor the lawe of God vntill God deliuer him thereof But he is no Christen man that byndeth hym to any thing saue that which loue and his neighbours necessitie requireth of them And when a lawe made is no longer profitable Christen rulers ought to breake it But now a dayes whē tyraunts haue gotten the simple people vnder they compell thē to serue theyr lustes and wyly tyranny without respect of any common wealth Which wyly tyranny because the truth rebuketh it is the cause why they persecute it least the common people seing how good they should be and feeling how wicked they are shuld withdraw their neckes frō their vnrighteous yooke As ye haue ensample in Herode in the Scribes and Phariseis and in many other More Item that there is no Purgatory Tyndall Beleue in Christ and thou shalt shortly finde purgatoryes inow as ye now make other feele M. Item that all soules lye and sleepe
shall hereafter appeare And therfore necessitie compelleth vs to expounde it figuratiuely as doth also S. Austen and other holy Doctours as hereafter shall playnly appeare If euery man that can finde out a new fonde phantasie vppon a text of holy Scripture may haue hys owne mynde taken and hys owne exposition beleued agaynst the expositions of the olde cunnynge Doctours and Saintes thē may you surely see that no article of the christen faith cā stand and eudure lōg And then he alledgeth S. Hierome which sayth that if the exposition of other interpretours and the cōsent of the common Catholicke Church were of no more strength but that euery man might be beleued that could bryng some textes of Scripture for hym expounded as it pleased hym selfe then could I sayth this holy man bryng a new sect also and say by Scripture that no mā were a true Christē mā nor a mēber of the Church that kepeth ij coates And in good faith sayth M. More if that way were alowed I were able my selfe to find out xv new sectes in one fore noone S. Peter sayth that the Scripture is not expounded after the appetite of any priuate person but euē as it was geuen by the spirite of God and not by mans will So must it be declared by the same spirite And therefore I will not that any man shal be beleued by bringyng his own mynde phantasie But if he wil be beleued let him bryng either an other playne texte which shal expounde the first or els at the lest he must bryng such a sentēce as will stand with the processe of the Scripture Why was S. Hierome alowed agaynst the determination of the counsell of Malta sith he was alone and they a great multitude but onely because he brought euidēt scripture whiche at the tyme of their sentence none of them remembred and yet when it was brought they could not auoyde it And likewise except I bryng euidēt scripture which they all shal expoūd as I do I desire not to be beleued And where M. More sayth that in good fayth he were able to find out xv new sectes in one fore noone he may thāke God that he hath such a pregnaunt wytte But yet I trust he should not find one if there were any peril of damnatiō therin but that we would w t a plaine text cōfute it which he should not be able to auoyde And ouer this the very circumstaunces of the places in the gospel in whiche our Sauiour speaketh of that Sacrament may well make open the difference of his speche in this matter and of all those other and that as hee spake all those but in an allegorye so spake hee this playnly meanyng that he spake of his very body and hys very bloud beside all allegoryes For when our Lord sayd he was a very vyne and when he said he was the dore there was none that heard him that any thyng marueiled therof And why For because they perceyued well that he ment not that he was a materiall vyne in deede nor a doore neither But when he sayd that hys flesh was very meate and his bloud very drinke and that they should not be saued but if they dyd eate his flesh and drinke his bloud then were they all in such a wonder ther of that they could not abyde And wherefore but because they perceyued well by hys wordes and his manner of circumstaunces that Christ spake of his very fleshe and his very bloud in dede It is openly knowen confessed among all learned men that in the 6. chapter of Ioh. Christ spake not one worde concerning the sacrament of his body and bloud whiche at that tyme was not yet institute but all that he there spake was of the spirituall eating and drinking of his body and bloud into our soules which is the fayth in his body and bloud as I haue touched before And the circumstances of this place do in dede proue that they were fleshly minded vnderstode not the spirituall wordes of our sauiour Christ and therfore wōdered murmured Insomuch that Christ sayd vnto thē doth this offend you what will you say then when ye shall see the sonne of man ascending thether where he was before Then addeth S. Austen you shall know that he ment not to geue his flesh to eate w t your teth for he shall ascende hole And Christ addeth it is the spirite that quickeneth the fleshe profiteth nothing the word that I speake are spirite and lyfe that is to say sayth S. Austen are spiritually to be vnderstand And where Christ sayth that the fleshe profiteth nothing meaning of his owne flesh as S. Austen sayth he meaneth that it profiteth not as they vnderstode hym y e is to say it profiteth not if it were eaten But it doth much profit to be slayne that thorough it and the sheding of his bloud the wrath of God our father is pacified and our sinnes forgeuen And wher his mastership sayth that the people perceiued well what he ment and therfore he wondred so sore and could not abide because they perceiued well by his wordes and māner of circūstances what his meaning was I wil say as I did before that the vnderstood hym not Now here he will say vnto me if it be but your naye my yea thē I would thinke to be beleued as sone as you and surely y e were but reason Not withstanding thankes be to God I am able to bring in auctorite to Iudg betwene vs both whose iudgment I trust his mastership will admit This auctor is S. Austen whiche sayth Discipuli enim eius qui eum sequebantur expauerunt exhorruerunt sermonem non intelligentes That is to say his his disciples which followed hym were astonied and abhored his wordes and vnderstode them not And because your mastership shal not thinke that he ouershot him felfe and spake he wist not what we shall allege hym saying the same wordes in an other place Cum diceret Nisi quis manducauerit carnem c. illi non intelligentes dixerunt ad inuicem Durus est hic sermo quis potest eum audire That is when Christ sayd except a man eate my flesh and drinke my bloud he shal haue no lyfe in him they because they vnderstode him not sayd to ech other this is an hard saying who can heare him Thus I trust you will geue place although not to me yet at the least vnto S. Austen and receiue the truth which is so plainely proued And where his mastership allegeth this text for the sacrament that except they did eate his flesh and drinke his bloude the could not be saued it semeth that he is fallen into the error of Pope innocent which likewise vnderstanding this text vpon the sacrament as M. More doth caused yong children and infantes to receiue the sacrament as though they had all bene damned which died
spiritualem alimoniam quā ipse det nā quae locutus sum inquit vobis spiritus sunt vita That is to say it is the spirite that quickeneth the fleshe profiteth nothyng the wordes whiche I speake vnto you are spirite lyfe For in this place also hee meaneth both of his owne fleshe and his owne spirite he deuided the spirite from the flesh that they might know through fayth not onely y e visible part but also y e visible part y e was in hym also that the wordes which he spake were not carnall but spirituall For what body shold haue suffised to haue ben the meate of all y t world And euē therfore dyd he make mention of the Ascension of the sonne of man into heauē that he might withdraw them frō the bodley imagination that they might hereafter learne that the flesh was called heauenly meate which cōmeth from aboue and spiritual meate whiche hee would geue For sayth Christ the wordes that I haue spokē vnto you are spirite and lyfe Here you may sée that Christ spake it of his owne fleshe and ment playnly that it dyd nothyng profite as infidelles dyd vnderstād hym For els it geueth life as it is receiued of the faythfull in a mysterie For as Bartram sayth in this mysterie of the body and bloud is a spiritual operation which geueth lyfe Without the whiche operation those mysteries do nothyng profite for surely sayth hee they may féede the body but the soule they can not féede 2. Besides that the Scripture sayth that that entreth in by y e mouth doth not defile a man for as Christ sayth it is cast forth into the draught And by the same reason it foloweth that it doth not sanctifie or make a man holy But the Sacrament entreth in by the mouth therfore it doth folow that of it selfe it doth not sāctifie or make holy of this text should folow two inconueniences if the Sacrament were the naturall body of Christ First it should folow that the body of Christ should not sanctifie the faythfull because it entreth in by y t mouth And agayne it should folow that the body of Christ should be cast out into the draught whiche thyng is abominable Wherefore it must néedes folow that the Sacrament can not be hys naturall body 3. Furthermore Christ would not suffer that deuoute woman which of loue sought hym at hys sepulture to touch hys naturall body because she lacked a poynt of fayth and dyd not count hym to be equall with hys father And much more it shall follow that the wicked which haue no fayth nor loue towardes hym shall not be suffered to eate hys fleshe with theyr téeth and swallowe it into their vncleane bodyes for that were much more then to touch hym And yet notwithstandyng they receaue and eate the Sacrament Wherupon it should follow if the sacrament were hys naturall body that they should in deede eate hys body which thyng may be counted a blasphemye agaynst God Moreouer Christ sayth he that eateth my fleshe drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in hym Now we know right well that the wicked doe eate the Sacrament and yet neither dwell in Christ nor Christ in them Wherefore it must followe that the Sacrament is not the very fleshe of Christ And surely I can not excuse them of blasphemye which so directly contrary Christes wordes How can you auoyde these textes which Christ speaketh vnto hys disciples saying yet a little while am I with you and then I depart to hym that sent me And agayne It is expedient for you that I depart For excepte that I departe that comforter shall not come vnto you And agayn he sayth I forsake the world and go to my father And to be short he saith Poore men ye shall euer haue with you but me shall you not euer haue Now we know right well that hys Godhead is in all places and that as touchyng hys Godhead hee forsooke not the world when he ascended vnto his father Wherfore it must nedes follow that he forsooke it as touching hys fleshe and manhode And thereto agréeth the expositions of S. Austen and Fulgentius before alleaged yea and al other old faithful fathers Now if he haue forsaken the world as touching the presence of hys naturall fleshe and manhode as all Doctors define then ment he not that hys naturall fleshe shoulde be present in the Sacrament to bee eaten with our téeth And therfore though Christ so tell you yet must you take hym as hee meaneth or els you be begyled For if ye thinke that God both maye and will fulfill and verifye all thynges accordyng to the letter as he speaketh them I may call you an obedient mā as S. Bernard doth hys Monk Adam And may say as he doth that if that be the right way so simply to receaue all thyng we may put out the texte of Scripture which warneth vs to be wise as Serpentes For the text following is sufficient which biddeth vs to be simple as Doues Why doth your mastership graunt a necessary allegorye whē Paul sayth Christ is a stone or whē Christ sayth that he is a doore The scripture sayth hee is both twaine and syth God so sayth he is able so to make it And therfore by your reason we shall nede none allegorye in all scripture and then he that is most simple and foolish may be counted most faythfull And so shall we néede no faythfull fathers to expoūd the text but it shall be most merite to beleue the letter Thys I denye not but that God coulde haue done it if he had so intended when he spake the wordes But now y e scripture standyng as it doth I thinke he can not doe it As by example I thinke that God by the bloud of hys sonne Christ myght haue saued all men both faythfull and vnfaythfull if he had so intended and that it had so pleased hym But now the Scriptures standyng as they do I say hee can not doe it and that it is impossible for hym For then he might make hys sonne a lyer which sayth He that beleueth not is damned And againe He that beleueth not shall not sée life but the wrath of God abydeth vpon hym And euen as it is impossible to stand with the processe of Scripture wherin God hath declared his will that the vnfaythfull shoulde be saued although God might haue done it at the first if he had so would Likewise it is impossible the Scriptures standing as they do that the naturall body of Christ shoulde be present to our téeth in the Sacrament And as for our fayth it néedeth not to haue hym present in the bread For I may as wel eate him and drinke him through fayth that is to say beleue in hym as though he were as present in the Sacrament as he was hanging on the Crosse 1. And because you say that my
can doe of his owne free will of his owne proper strength and enforcing Notwithstandyng thoughe there be neuer so great workyng yet as long as their remaineth in the hart vnlust tediousnes grudgyng grief payne lothsâ—nnes compulsion toward the law so long are all the workes vnprofitable lost ye and damnable in the sight of God This meaneth Paule in the iij. Chapter where he sayth by the dedes of the lawe shall no fleshe be iustified in the sight of God Hereby perceauest thou that those sophisters are but disceauers whiche teach that a man may and must prepare him selfe to grace and to the fauour of god with good workes How caÌ„ they prepare them selues vnto the fauour of God to that whiche is good when them selues can do no good no can not once thinke a good thought or consent to do good the deuill possessing their hartes myndes thoughtes captiue at his pleasure CaÌ„ those workes please GOD thinkest thou whiche are done with grief payne and tediousnes with an euill will with a contrary and a grudgyng mynde O holy saint Prosperous how mightely with the Scripture of Paule diddest thou confound this heresie twelue hundred yeares a goe or therupon To fulfill the law is to do y t workes therof and what soeuer the lawe commaundeth with loue lust and inward affection and delectation and to lyue godly and well freely willyngly and without compulsion of the lawe euen as thoughe there were no lawe at all Such lust and free libertie to loue the law commeth onely by the workyng of the spirite in the hart as hee sayth in the first Chapter Now is the spirite none otherwise geuen then by fayth onely in that we beleue the promises of God without waueryng how that God is true and will fulfill all hys good promises toward vs for Christes blondes sake as it is playne in the first Chapter I am not ashamed sayth Paule of Christes glad tydynges for it is the power of GOD vnto saluation to as many as beleue for at once and together euen as we beleue the glad tydynges preached to vs the holy ghost entreth into our hartes and looseth the bondes of the deuill whiche before possessed our hartes in captiuitie and held them that we could haue no lust to y t will of God in the law and as the spirite commeth by fayth onely euen so fayth commeth by hearyng the word or glad tidynges of God when Christ is preached how that hee is Gods sonne and man also dead and risen againe for our sakes as he sayth in the thyrd fourth and tenth Chapters All our iustifying then commeth of faith and faith and the spirite come of God and not of vs. Hereof commeth it that fayth onely iustifieth maketh righteous and fulfilleth the law for it bringeth the spirit through Christes deseruinges the spirite bringeth lust looseth the hart maketh him free setteth hym at libertie and geueth him strength to worke the deedes of the lawe with loue euen as the law requireth then at the last out of the same fayth so workyng in the hart spryng all good workes by their owne accorde That meaneth he in the thyrd Chapter for after he hath cast away the workes of the law so that he soundeth as though he would breake and disanulle the law through fayth he aunswereth to that might bee layd agaynst saying we destroy not the law through fayth but mayntaine further or stablish the law through fayth that is to say we fulfill the law thorough fayth Sinne in the Scripture is not called that outward worke onely committed by the body but all the whole busines and what so euer accompanyeth moueth or stirreth vnto the outward deede and that whence the workes spring as vnbelefe pronenes and readynes vnto the deede in the grounde of the hart with all the powers affections and appetites wherwith we can but sinne so that we say that a man then sinneth when he is caried awaye headlong into sinne all together as much as he is of that poyson inclination and corrupt nature wherein hee was conceiued and borne For there is none outward sinne committed except a maÌ„ be caried away all together with life soule hart body lust and mynde thereunto The Scripture loketh singularly vnto the hart vnto the roote and originall fountaine of all synne which is vnbelefe in the bottom of the hart For as fayth onely iustifieth and bryngeth the spirit and lust vnto the outward good workes Euen so vnbelefe onely damneth and keepeth out the spirit prouoketh the flesh and styrreth vp lust vnto the euill outwarde works as it fortuned to Adam Euâ— in Paradise Gene. 3. For this cause Christ calleth synne vnbelefe and that notablie in the. 16. of Iohn the spirite sayth he shall rebuke the world of sinne because they beleue not in me Wherefore then before all good workes as good frutes there must needes be fayth in the hart whence they spryng and before all bad deedes as bad frutes there must nedes be vnbelief in the hart as in the roote fountain pith and streÌ„gth of all sinne whiche vnbelefe is called the head of the Serpent and of the old Dragon which the womans seede Christ must treade vnderfoote as it was promised vnto Adam Grace and gift haue this difference Grace properly is Gods fauour beneuolence or kynd minde which of his owne selfe without deseruyng of vs he beareth to vs whereby he was moued and inclined to geue Christ vnto vs with all his other giftes of grace Gift is y t holy ghost and his working which hee poureth into the hartes of them on whoÌ„ he hath mercy and whoÌ„ he fauoureth Though the giftes the spirit encrease in vs dayly haue not yet their ful perfection ye and though there remaine in vs yet euill lustes synne which fight agaynst the sprite as he sayth here in the 7. chapter and in the 5. to the Galath and as it was spoken before in the 3. chapter of Gen. of the debate betwene y â— womans sede the seed of y t serpent yet neuertheles gods fauour is so great and so strong ouer vs for Christes sake that we are counted for full whole and perfect before God For Gods fauour towarde vs deuideth not her selfe encreasyng a little and a little as do the giftes but receiueth vs whole altogether in ful loue for Christes sake our intercessour and mediator and because y t the giftes of the sprite the battell betwene the sprite and euill lustes are begonne in vs already Of this now vnderstandest thou the 7. chapter where Paul accuseth hymselfe as a sinner and yet in the 8. chapter sayeth there is no damnation to them that are in Christ and that because of the spirite and because the giftes of the sprite are begonne in vs. Sinners we are because the fleshe is not full killed and mortified Neuertheles in as muche as we beleue in
rather Idolatrie But she setteth her infirmities her lacke before her face and Gods promises sayinge Lorde for thy mercy and truth whiche thou hast sworne be mercyfull vnto me and plucke me out of this prison and out of this hell And loose the bondes of Sathan and giue me power to glorifie thy name Fayth therfore iustifieth in the hart and before GOD and the deedes iustifie outwardly before the world that is testifie onely before mē what we are inwardly before God Who soeuer looketh in the perfect law of libertie and continueth therein if he bee not a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the worke he shal be happy in his deede Iames. i. The law of libertie that is which requireth a free hart or if thou fulfill it declareth a free hart lowsed from the bondes of Sathan The preachyng of the law maketh no man free but bindeth For it is the key that byndeth all consciences vnto eternall damnation whē it is preached as the promises or Gospell is the keye that lowseth all consciences that repēt when they are bounde through preachyng of the law He shal be happy in his deede that is by his deede shall he know that he is happy and blessed of God whiche hath geuen hym a good hart and power to fulfill the law By hearyng the law thou shalt not know that thou art blessed but if thou do it it declareth y t thou art happy blessed WAs not Abraham iustified of hys dedes when he offered hys sonne Isaac vpon the altar Iames. iij. hys deede iustified hym before the world that is it declared and vttered the faith which both iustifieth him before God and wrought that wonderfull worke as Iames also affirmeth Was not Raab the harlot iustified whē she receaued the messengers and sent them out another way Iames. iij. that is lykewise outwardly but before GOD she was iustified by fayth which wrought that outward dede as thou mayest see Iosue ij She had heard what God had done in Egypt in the redde Sea in the desert and vnto the two kynges of the Amorreans Seō and Og. And she cōfessed saying your Lord God he is God in heauen aboue and in earth beneath She also beleued that God as hee had promised the children of Israell would giue thē the land wherein she dwelt and cōsented thereunto submitted her selfe vnto the will of God and holpe GOD as much as in her was saued his spyes and messengers The other feared that whiche she beleued but resisted God with al their might and had no power to submite themselues vnto the will of God And therefore perished they and she was saued and that through fayth as we read Heb. 11. where thou mayest see how the holy fathers were saued through fayth and how fayth wrought in them Fayth is the goodnes of all the deedes that are done within the lawe of God and maketh thē good glorious seeme they neuer so vile and vnbeliefe maketh thē damnable seeme they neuer so glorious AS pertaining to that which Iames in this 3. chapter sayth What auaileth though a mā say that he hath faith if he haue no deedes can fayth saue hym And agayne fayth without deedes is dead in it selfe And the deuils beleue and tremble And as the body without the spirite is dead euen so fayth without deedes is dead It is manifest and cleare that he meaneth not of the fayth whereof Peter and Paule spake in their epistles Iohn in hys Gospell first epistle and Christ in the Gospell when he sayth thy faith hath made thee safe be it to thee accordyng to thy fayth or greate is thy fayth so forth and of which Iames hymselfe speaketh in the first Chapter saying of his owne wyll begat he vs with the worde of life that is in beleuing the promises wherein is life are we made the sonnes of God Which thing I also this wise proue Paule sayth how shall or can they beleue without a preacher how should they preach except they were sēt Now I pray you whē was it heard that god sent any mā to preach vnto y ◠deuils or that he made them any good promise He threatneth them oft but neuer sent embassadours to preach any atonemēt betwene hym and them Take an ensample that thou mayest vnderstand Let there be two poore men both destitute of rayment in a colde winter the one strong that he feleth no griefe the other greuously mournyng for payne of the colde I then come by and moued wyth pitie and compassion say vnto hym that feeleth his disease come to such a place and I will geue thee rayment sufficient He beleueth commeth obtayneth that which I haue promised That other seeth all this knoweth it but is partaker of nought For he hath no fayth and that is because there is no promise made hym So is it of the deuils The deuils haue no fayth For fayth is but earnest beleuing of gods promises Now are there no promises made vnto the deuils but sore threatninges The olde Philosophers knew that there was one God but yet had no fayth for they had no power to seeke his wyll neyther to worship hym The Turkes and the Saresons know y t there is one God but yet haue no fayth For they haue no power to worship God in spirite to seeke his pleasure and to submit thē vnto his will They made an Idoll of God as we do for the most part and worshipped him euery man after hys owne imagination and for a sundry purpose What we wyl haue done that must God do and to do our will worship we hym and pray vnto hym but what God will haue done that wyll neyther Turke nor Sareson nor the most part of vs do What soeuer we imagin righteous that must God admitte But Gods righteousnes wyll not our hartes admitte Take an other ensample Let there betwo such as I spake of before and I promise both and the one because he feeleth not hys disease commeth not So is it of Gods promises No man is holpe by them but sinners y t fele their sinnes mourne and sorrow for them and repent wyth all their hartes For Iohn Baptist went before Christ and preached repētaunce that is he preached the lawe of God right and brought the people into knowledge of themselues and vnto the feare of God and then sent them vnto Christ to be healed For in Christ and for his sake onely hath god promised to receaue vs vnto mercy to forgeue vs and to geue vs power to resist sinne How shall God saue thee when thou knowest not thy damnation How shall Christ deliuer thee frō sinne when thou wilt not knowledge thy sinne Now I pray thee how many thousandes are there of them that say I beleue that Christ was borne of a Virgin that he dyed that he rose agayne and so forth and thou canst not bring them in beliefe that they haue any sinne at all
How many are there of the same sort which thou cāst not make beleue that a thousand thinges are sin which God damneth for sinne all the scripture throughout As to bye as good cheepe as he can and to sell as deare as he can to rayse the market of corne and victuale for his owne vauntage without respect of his neighbor or of the poore of the common wealth and such like Moreouer how many hundred thousandes are there which when they haue sinned knowledge their sinnes yet trust in a balde ceremony or in a lowsy Fryers coate and merites or in the prayers of them that deuoure widowes houses and eateth the poore out of house and harbour in a thyng of hys owne imagination in a foolishe dreame and a false vision not in Christes bloud and in the truth that God hath sworne All these are faythlesse for they follow their owne righteousnes and are disobediēt vnto all maner righteousnes of God both vnto the righteousnes of Gods lawe wherewith he damneth all our deedes for though some of them see their sins for feare of payne yet had they rather that such deedes were no sinne and also vnto the righteousnes of the truth of God in his promises whereby he saueth all that repent and beleue them For though they beleue that Christ dyed yet beleue they not that he dyed for their sinnes and that hys death is a sufficient satisfaction for their sinnes and that God for hys sake will be a father vnto them and geue them power to resist sinne Paule sayth to the Romaynes in the x. chap. if thou confesse wyth thy mouth that Iesus is the Lord and beleue wyth thine hart that God raysed hym vp from death thou shalt be safe That is if thou beleue he raysed hym vp againe for thy saluation Many beleue that God is riche and almighty but not vnto themselues and that he he will be good vnto them and defend them and be their God Pharao for payne of the plague was compelled to confesse hys sinnes but had yet no power to submit hymselfe vnto y t will of God and to let the children of Israell goe and to loose so great profit for Gods pleasure As our Prelates confesse their sinnes saying though we be neuer so euill yet haue we the power And agayne the Scribes and the Pharises say they sate in Moyses seate do as they teach but not as they do thus confesse they that they are abhominable But to the second I aunswere if they sate on Christes sear they would preach Christes doctrine now preach they their owne traditions and therefore not to be heard If they preached Christ we ought to heare them though they were neuer so abhominable as they of themselues confesse and haue yet no power to amende neither to let loose Christes flocke to serue God in the spirit which they holde captiue compelling them to serue their false lyes The deuils felt the power of Christ and were cōpelled against their willes to confesse that he was the sonne of God but had no power to be contēt therewith neither to consent vnto the ordinaunce eternall councell of the euerlasting God as our Prelates feele the power of God agaynst them but yet haue no grace to geue roome vnto Christ because that they as the deuils nature is will themselues sitte in hys holy temple that is to witte the consciences of men ¶ Simon Magus beleued Acts. 8. with such a fayth as the deuils confessed Christ but had no right fayth as thou seest in the sayd chapter For he repented not consenting vnto the lawe of God Neither beleued the promises or longed for them but wondred onely at y ◠myracles which Philip wrought and because tha◠he himselfe in Philips presence had no power to vse his witchcrafte sorcery and arte magike wherewith he mocked deluded the wittes of y t people He would haue bought the gifte of God to haue solde it much dearer as his successours now do and not the successours of Simon Peter For were they Simon Peters successours they would preach Christ as he did but they are Simon Magus his successours of which Simō Peter well proued in y t secōd chapter of hys second epistle saying there were false Prophetes among the people meaning of the Iewes euen as there shal be false teachers or doctours among you which priuely shall bring in sectes damnable sectes is part taking as one holdeth of Fraunces another of Dominyck which thyng also Paule rebuketh 1. Corin. 1. and 3. euē denying the Lord that bought them for they will not be saued by Christ neyther suffer any man to preach hym to other And many shall follow their damnable wayes thou wilt say shall God suffer so many to goe out of the right wayes so long I aunswere many must folow their damnable wayes or els must Peter be a false Prophet by which the way of truth shal be euill spoken of as it is now at this present tyme for it is heresy to preach the truth and through couetousnes shall they wyth fayned wordes make merchaundise of you of their merchaundise and couetousnes it needeth not to make rehearsall for they that be blinde see it euidently Thus seest thou that Iames when he sayth faith without deedes is dead and as the body without the spirite is dead so is fayth without deedes and the deuils beleue that he meaneth not of the fayth trust that we haue in the truthe of Gods promises and his holy Testament made vnto vs in Christes bloud whiche fayth foloweth repentaunce and the consent of the hart vn-the lawe of God and maketh a man safe and setteth him at peace with god But speaketh of that false opinion and imagination wherewith some say I beleue that Christ was borne of a virgine and that he dyed and so forth That beleue they veryly and so strōgly that they are ready to slay who soeuer would say the contrary But they beleue not that Christ dyed for their sinnes and that his death hath peased the wrath of God and hath obtained for them all that God hath promised in the Scripture For how can they beleue that Christ dyed for their sinnes and that he is their onely and sufficiēt Sauiour seyng that they seeke other Sauiours of their owne imagination seyng that they feele not their sinnes neither repent except that some repent as I aboue sayd for feare of payne but for no loue nor consent vnto the law of god nor lōging that they haue for those good promises which he hath made them in Christes bloud If they repented and loued the lawe of God and longed for that helpe whiche God hath promised to giue to all that call on hym for Christes sake then veryly must Gods truth giue them power strength to do good workes when so euer occasion were giuen either must God be a false God But let God be true and euery
by blessing vnderstand not the wagging of the popes or Bishops hand ouer thyne head but prayer as when we say God make thee a good man Christ put his spirite in thee or geue thee grace and power to walke in the truth to folow hys coÌ„mauÌ„dementes c. As Rebeccas frendes blessed her wheÌ„ she departed Gene. xxiiij saying Thou art our sister grow vnto thousand thousandes and thy seede possesse the gates of their enemies And as Isaac blessed Iacob Gene. xxvij saying God geue thee of the dew of heauen and of the fatnes of the earth aboundaunce of corne wyne and oyle c. And Gene. xxviij Almighty God blesse thee and make thee grow and multiply thee that thou mayst be a great multitude of people and geue to thee and to thy seede after thee the blessings of Abraham that thou mayst possesse the land wherin thou art a strauÌ„ger which he promised to thy graundfather and such lyke Last of all one singular doubt they haue what maketh the Priest the annoynting or puttyng on of the handes or what other ceremonie or what wordes About which they braule and scolde one ready to teare out an others throte One sayth this an other that but they caÌ„ not agree Neither caÌ„ any of them make so strong a reason which an other can not improue For they are all out of the way and without the spirite of God to iudge spirituall things Howbeit to this I auÌ„swere that wheÌ„ Christ called xij vp into the mouÌ„taine and chose them then immediatly without any annointing or ceremony were they his Apostles that is to witte ministers chosen to be sent to preach his Testament vnto all the whole world And after the resurrection wheÌ„ he had opened their wittes and geuen them knowledge to vnderstand the secretes of hys Testament how to bynde loose and what he would haue theÌ„ to do in all thynges then he sent them forth with a commaundemeÌ„t to preach and bynde the vnbeleuyng that continue in sinne and to loose the beleuyng that repent And that commaundemeÌ„t or charge made theÌ„ Byshops priestes Popes and all thyng If they say that Christ made theÌ„ priestes at his Maundey or last Supper when he sayd do this in the remembrauÌ„ce of me I aunswere though the Apostles wist not then what hee ment yet I will not striue nor say that agaynst Neuer the latter the commaundement and the charge which he gaue them made theÌ„ Priestes And Actes the first when Mathias was choseÌ„ by lotte it is not to be douted but that the Apostles after their common maner prayed for him that God would geue him grace to minister his office truely and put their handes on him and exhorted him and gaue him charge to be diligent faithfull and then was he as great as the best And Actes vj. When the Disciples that beleued had chosen vj. Deacons to minister to the widdowes the Apostles prayed and put their handes on them and admitted them without more adde Their putting on of hands was not after the maner of the dome blessing of our holy byshops with two fingers but they spake vnto them and tolde them their dutie and gaue them a charge and warned them to be faythfull in the Lordes busines as we chuse temporall officers and read their duty to them and they promise to be faythfull ministers and then are admitted Neither is there any other maner or ceremonie at all required in makyng of our spirituall officers then to chuse an able person and theÌ„ to rehearse him his dutie and geue him his charge and so to put him in his rowme And as for that other solemne doubte as they call it whether Iudas was a Priest or no I care not what he then was but of this I am sure that he is now not onely Priest but also Byshop Cardinall and Pope ¶ Of Penaunce PEnaunce is a word of their owne forgyng to disceaue vs with all as many other are In the Scripture we finde panitentia repentaunce Agite poenitentiam do repent Poeniteat vos let it repeÌ„t you Metanoyte in Greeke forthinke yo or let it forthinke you Of repentaunce they haue made penaunce to blinde the people and to make them thinke that they must take payne and do some holy dedes to make satisfaction for their sinnes namely such as they enioyue them As thou mayst see in the Cronicles when great kynges and tyrauntes which with violence of sword conquered other kynges landes and slew all that came to hand came to them selues and had conscience of their wicked dedes then the Byshops coupled them not to Christ but vnto the Pope and preached the Pope vnto them and made them to submit them selues and also their realmes vnto the holy father the Pope and to take penaunce as they call it that is to say such iniunctions as the Pope and Bishops would commaund them to do to build Abbays to endote them with liuelode to be prayed for for euer and to geue them exemptions and priuilege and licence to do what the lust vnpunished Repentaunce goeth before faith and prepareth the way to Christ and to the promises For Christ commeth not but vnto them that see their sinnes in the law and repent Repentaunce that is to say this mornyng and sorrow of the hart lasteth all our liues long For we finde our selues all our liues long to weake for Gods law and therfore sorrow morne longyng for strength Repentaunce is no Sacrament as faith hope loue and knowledge of a mans sinnes are not to be called Sacramentes For they are spirituall and inuisible Now must a Sacrament be an outward signe that may be sene to signifie to represent and to put a man in remeÌ„braunce of some spirituall promise which can not be sene but by faith onely Repentaunce and all the good dedes which accompanie repentaunce to slay the lustes of the fleshe are signified by Baptisme For Paule sayth Roma vj. as it is aboue rehearsed Remember ye not saith he that all we whiche are baptised in the name of Christ Iesus are baptised to dye with him we are buryed with him in Baptisme for to dye that is to kil the lustes and the rebellion which remayneth in the flesh And after that he sayth ye are dead as concernyng sinne but lyue vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. If thou looke on the profession of our harts and on the spirit and forgeuenes which we haue receaued thorough Christes merites we are full dead but if thou looke on the rebellion of the flesh we do but begyn to dye and to be baptised that is to drowne and quench the lustes and are full baptised at the last minute of death And as coÌ„cernyng the workyng of the spirite we begyn to lyue grow euery day more and more both in knowledge and also in Godly lyuyng accordyng as the lustes abate As a child receaueth yeâ—ull soule at the first day yet
goeth vnto God and vnto the inheritaunce of all his riches testifie all the Apostles and Prophetes all the Scripture with signes and miracles and all y t bloud of Martyrs And who soeuer goeth vnto God and vnto forgeuenesse of sinnes or saluation by any other way then this the same is an hereticke out of the rightway not of Christes Church For this knowledge maketh a man of y e Church And the Church is Christes body Collos i. and euery person of the Church is a member of Christ Ephes 5. Now it is no meÌ„ber of Christ that hath not Christs spirit in it Rom. viij as it is no part of me or member of my body wherein my soule is not present and quickeneth it And then if a man be none of Christes he is not of his Church ¶ How a true member of Christes Church sinneth not and how he is yet a sinner FUrthermore he that hath this fayth can not sinne and therfore can not be deceaued with damnable errours For by this fayth we be as I sayd borne of God Now he that is borne of God can not sinne for his seed dwel leth in him he can not therfore sinne because he is borne of God i. Iohn iij. which seede is the holy ghost that kepeth a mans hart from consenting vnto sinne And therfore it is a false conclusioÌ„ that M. More holdeth how that a maÌ„ may haue a right faith ioyned with all kyndes of abhomination sinne And yet euery member of Christes congregation is a sinner and synneth dayly some more and some lesse For it is written i. Iohn i. if we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues the truth is not in vs. And agayne if we say we haue not sinned we make hym a liar and his word is not in vs. And Paul Rom. vij sayth that good which I would that do I not but that euill which I would not that do I. So it is not I that do it sayth he but sinne that dwelleth in me Thus are we sinners and no sinners No sinners if thou looke vnto the profession of our hartes toward the law of God on our repentaunce and sorow that we haue both because we haue sinned and also because we be yet full of sinne still and vnto the promises of mercy in our Sauiour Christ and vnto our fayth Sinners are we if thou loke vnto the frail tie of our flesh which is as the weakenesse of one that is newly recouered out of a great disease by y â— reason wher of our dedes are imperfect And by the reason wherof also when occasions be great we fall into horrible dedes and the frute of the sinne which remaineth in our meÌ„bers breaketh out Notwithstanding yet the spirite leaueth vs not but rebuketh vs bryngeth vs home agayne vnto our profession so that we neuer cast of the yocke of God froÌ„ our neckes neither yeld vp our selues vnto sinne for to serue it but fight a fresh and begyn a new battaile ¶ How a Christen man can not erre and how he may yet erre ANd as they sinne not so they erre not And on the other side as they sinne so they erre but neuer vnto death and damnation For they neuer sinne of purpose nor hold any errour maliciously sinnyng against the holy ghost but of weakenesse infirmitie As good obedient childreÌ„ though they loue their fathers commaundements yet breake them oft by the reason of their weakenesse And as they can not yeld them selues bond vnto sinne to serue it eueÌ„ so they can not erre in any thyng that should be agaynst the promises which are in Christ And in other thynges their errours be not vnto damnation though they be neuer so great because they hold them not maliciously As now if some when they read in the new Testament of Christs brethren would thinke that they were our Ladyes children after the byrth of Christ because they know not the vse of speakyng of the Scripture or of the Hebrues how that â—ye kinsineÌ„ be called brethren or happely they might be Iosephes children by some first wife neither can haue any to teach him for tyraÌ„ny that is so great yet could it not hurte him though he dyed therein because it hurteth not the redeÌ„ption that is in Christes bloud For though she had none but Christ I am therfore neuer the more saued neither yet y e lesse though she had had And in such lyke an hundred that plucke not a mans faith from Christ they might erre and yet be neuerthelesse saued no though the contrary were written in the Gospell For as in other sinnes as soone as they be rebuked they repent euen so here assoone as they were better taught they should immediatly knowledge their errour and not resiste But they which maliciously maynteine opinions agaynst the Scripture or that y t caÌ„ not be proued by the Scripture or such as make no matter vnto the Scripture and saluation that is in Christ whether they be true or no and for the blind zeale of them make sectes breakyng y t vnitie of Christes Church for whose sake they ought to suffer all thyng and rise agaynst their neighbours whom they ought to loue as them selues to sleâ— them such men I say are fallen from Christ and make an Idole of their opinions For except they put trust in such opinions and thought them necessarie vnto saluatioÌ„ or with a cankred conscience went about to deceaue for some filthy purpose they would neuer breake the vnitie of fayth or yet slea their brethren Now is this a playne conclusion that both they y t trust in their own works and they also y t put confidence in theyr owne opinions be fallen from Christ and erre from the way of fayth that is in Christes bloud therfore are none of Christes Church because they be not built vpon the rocke of fayth ¶ Fayth is euer assayled and fought with all MOreouer this our fayth which we haue in Christ is euer fought agaynst euer assayled beaten at with besperation not when we sinne only but also in all temptations of aduersitie into which God bringeth vs to nurtour vs and to shew vs our owne hartes the hipocrisie false thoughtes that there lye hid our almost no fayth at all and as little loue euen theÌ„ haply when we thought our selues most perfect of all For when temptations come we can not stand when we haue sinned fayth is feeble when wrong is done vs we can not forgeue in sickenesse in losse of goodes and in all tribulations we be impatient when our neighbour needeth our helpe that We must depart with hym of ours then loue is colde And thus we learne and feele that there is no goodnes nor yet power to do good but of God onely And in all such teÌ„ptatioÌ„s our fayth perisheth not vtterly neither our loue and consent vnto the lawe of God But they
him in their dedes as fast as they can runne The Turkes being in number fiue tymes moe then we are knowledge one God and beleue many thinges of God moued onely by the authoritie of their elders and presume that God will not let so great a multitude erre so long tyme. And yet they haue erred and bene faithlesse these eight hundred yeares And the Iewes beleue this day as much as the carnall sort of them euer beleued moued also by the authoritie of their elders onely and thinke that it is impossible for them to erre being Abrahams seede and the childrē of them to whom the promises of all that we beleue were made And yet they haue erred and bene faythlesse this xv hundred yeares And we of like blindnesse beleue onely by the authoritie of our elders and of like pride thinke that we can not erre beyng such a multitude And yet we see how God in the old Testament did let the great multitude erre reseruyng alway a litle flocke to call the other backe againe and to testifie vnto them the right way ¶ How this word Church hath a double interpretation THis is therfore a sure cōclusion as Paule sayth Rom. ix that not all they that are of Israell are Israelites neither because they be Abrahās sede are they all Abrahams childrē but they onely that folow the faith of Abraham Euen so now none of them that beleue with their mouthes moued with the authority of their elders onely that is none of thē that beleue with M. Mores fayth the Popes fayth and the deuils fayth which may stand as M. More cōfesseth with all maner abhominatiōs haue the right fayth of Christ or are of his Church But they onely that repēt feele that the law is good And haue the law of God written in their harts and the fayth of our Sauiour Iesus euen with the spirite of God There is a carnali Israell a spirituall There is Isaac and Ismaell Iacob Esau And Ismaell persecuted Isaac Esau Iacob the fleshly the spiritual Wher of Paul complayned in his tyme persecuted of his carnall brethrē as we do in our tyme and as the elect euer dyd shall do till the worldes end What a multitude came out of Egypt vnder Moses of which the Scripture testifyeth that they beleued moued by y ◠miracles of Moses as Symon magus beleued by the reason of Philippes miracles Actes viij Neuerthelesse the Scripture testifieth that vj. hundred thousād of those beleuers perished thorough vnbelief and left their carcasses in the wildernesse and neuer entred into the land that was promised them And euen so shal the children of M. Mores faythlesse faith made by the persuation of mā leap short of the test which our Sauiour Iesus is risē vnto And therfore let them embrace this present world as they do whose children they are though they hate so to be called And hereby ye see that it is a playne an euident conclusiō as bright as the sunne shynyng that the truth of Gods word dependeth not of the truth of the congregation And therfore when thou art asked why thou beleuest that thou shalt be saued thorough Christ and of such like principles of our fayth aunswere thou wottest and felest that it is true And when he asketh how thou knowest that it is true aunswere because it is written in thyne hart And if he aske who wrote it aūswere the spirite of God And if he aske how thou came first by it tell him whether by readyng in bookes or hearyng it preached as by an outward instrumēt but that inwardly thou wast taught by y ◠spirite of God And if he aske whether thou beleuest it not because it is written in bookes or because the Priestes so preach aunswere no not now but onely because it is writtē in thyne hart and because the spirite of God so preacheth and so testifieth vnto thy soule And say though at the beginning thou wast moued by readyng or preachyng as the Samaritans were by y ◠wordes of the woman yet now thou beleuest it not therfore any lēger but onely because thou hast heard it of the spirite of God and read it written in thine hart And concernyng outward teachyng we alledge for vs Scripture elder thē any Church that was this xiiij hundred yeares and old antenticke stories which they had brought a slepe where with we confounde their lyes Remēber ye not how in our owne tyme of all that taught Grammer in England not one vnderstode the Latin toung how came we thē by the Latin toung agayne not by them though we learned certaine rules principles of them by which we were moued had an occasion to seke further but out of the old authours Euen so we seke vp old antiquities out of whiche we learne and not of our Church though we receaued many principles of our Church at the begynnyng but more falsehead then truth It hath pleased God of his exceding loue wherewith he loued vs in Christ as Paul sayth before the worlde was made and whē we were dead in sinne and his enemies in that we did cōsent to sinne and to liue euill to write with his spirite ij conclusions in our harts by which we vnderstād all thyng that is to were the fayth of Christ and the loue of our neighbours For whosoeuer feleth the iust damnation of sinne and the forgeuenes and mercy that is in Christes bloud for all that repent forsake it and come and beleue in that mercy the same onely knoweth how God is to be honoured and worshipped and can iudge betwene true seruing of God in the spirite and false Image seruing of God with workes ▪ And y e same knoweth that sacramētes signes ceremonies and bodely things can be no seruice to God in his person but memorials vnto men and a remēbraunce of the testament wherewyth God is serued in the spirite And he that feeleth not that is blynde in hys soule and of our holy fathers generation and maketh God an Image a creature worshippeth him with bodely seruice And on the other side he that loueth his neighbour as himselfe vnderstandeth all lawes and cā iudge betwene good and euil right wrong godly and vngodly in all conuersation deedes lawes bargaines couenaunces ordinaunces and decrees of men and knoweth the office of euery degree and the due honour of euery person And he that hath not that writen in his hart is popishe and of y ◠spiritualtie which vnderstādeth nothing saue his own honour his own profite what is good for himself onely and when he is as he would be thinketh y ◠all the world is as it should be ¶ Of worshipping and what is to be vnderstand by the worde COncerning worshipping or honouring which two termes are both one M. More bringeth forth a difference a distinction or diuision of Greke wordes
naturall lust consent and custome to sinne and quickeneth them and purgeth them with the holesome penaunce of Christes doctrine make them serue the law outward and beare holesome frute of loue vnto the profect of their neighbours according to Christes loue vnto vs. For if the spirite of Christ with whiche God annoynteth vs and maketh vs kynges and sealeth vs and maketh vs his sure and seuerall kyngdome whiche he giueth vs in earnest 2. Cor. 1. And with whiche hee chaungeth vs into the Image of Christ 2. Cor. 4. dwell in our soules through fayth the same spirite can not but quicken the members also make them fruteful Rom. viij Wherfore the fayth and hope of the Pope whiche by their owne confession may stand with all wickednes and consent vnto all euill be without repentaunce toward Gods lawe as it appeareth by their three capitall sinnes touched of Iohn a litle aboue pride couetousnes and lecherie are no true fayth and hope but vayne wordes and visures onely accordyng to his other disguisyng and names of hypocrisie All that committe sinne committe vnrighteousnes for sinne is vnrighteousnes That the English calleth here vnrighteousnes the Greeke calleth Anomia vnlawfulnes or breakyng y t law So that all sinne is breaking of Gods law onely the traÌ„sgression of Gods law is sinne Now all Gods lawes are contained in these two pointes beleue in Christ and loue thy neighbour And these two poyntes are the interpretyng and expoundyng of all lawes so that whatsoeuer edifieth in faith and loue is to be kept as loÌ„g as it so doth And whatsoeuer hurteth faith or loue is to bee broken immediatly though Kyng Emperour Pope or an AuÌ„gell commaunde it And all indifferent thynges that neither helpe nor hurt fayth and loue are whole in the hands of Father Mother Master Lord and Prince So that if they will sinne agaynst God and ouerlade our backes we may well runne away if we can escape but not aduenge ouer selues But and if they will breake into thy conscience as the Pope doth with his dome traditions and fayth to do this saueth thy soule and to leaue it vndone loseth thy soule theÌ„ defie them as the workes of Antichrist for they make thee synne agaynst the fayth that is in Christes bloud by which onely thy soule is saued and for lacke of that onely daÌ„ned And howe loue breaketh the law take an example It is a good law that meÌ„ come to the Church on the Sondayes to heare Gods worde and to receaue the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ in remembrauÌ„ce of his benefites and so to strengthen thy soule for to walke in his loue and in the loue of our neighbour for his sake c. yet if my father mother or any other that requireth my helpe bee sicke I breake that good commaundement to do my dutie to myne elders or my neighbour And thus all lawes are vnder loue giue roome to loue And loue interpreteth them yea and breaketh them at a time though God hymselfe coÌ„maunde them For loue is Lord ouer al lawes And ye know that he appeared to take away our sinnes and there is no sinne in him Christ dyed not alone to purchasse pardon for our foresinnes but also to sâ—ay all sinne and the life of sinne in our members For all we that are Baptised in the name of Christ sayth Paule Rom. 6. are Baptised to dye with hym concernyng sinne and that as he after his resurrection dyeth no more so we after our Baptisme should walke in a new life and sinne no more Our meÌ„bers are crucified with him in all that pertayneth vnto the lyfe of sinne And if in Christ be no sinne then how can therbe wilfull sinne in the fayth that is in hym or in the quicke members that through fayth grow out of hym Euery man therefore that hath the true fayth of Christ purgeth hym selfe as he is pure All that abyde in him sinne not And al that sinne haue neither sene him nor knowen him As there is no sinne in Christ the stocke so can there be none in y e quicke members that lyue and grow in hym by fayth And they that giue them selues to sinne haue neither sene knoweÌ„ or felt by fayth y â— mercy that is in hym Our holy father then which forbiddeth Matrimonie and giueth his Disciples licences with his holy blessing to kepe whores and pluralities vnions and totquots to robbe the Parishes hath neither sene nor knowen Christ no more haue his Disciples that consent vnto his iniquitie And if they know him not they caÌ„ not truly describe him vnto vs. It foloweth then that their preachyng is but hypocrisie Litle children let no man beguile you He that worketh righteousnes is righteous as he is righteous Iudge men by their deedes For whosoeuer hath the light of God in his soule he will let his light shyne that men shall see his good woorkes And therfore where ye see not the righteousnes of woorkes in the members outward there be sure is no righteousnes of fayth in the hart in ward Let no man mocke you with vayne wordes Whosoeuer preacheth Christ in worde deede him take for Christes Vicare And them that would proue them selues his Vicares with Sophistrie and when it is come to the poynte make a sword onely their mighty arguments and liue coÌ„trary to all his doctrine and in all their preachinges blaspheme and rayle on his blessed bloud take for the Vicares of Antichrist He that sinneth is of the deuill for the deuill sinneth from the begynneth But for this cause appeared the sonne of God Euen to destroy the woorkes of the deuill All that are borne of God do no sinne for his seede abideth in them and they can not sinne because they be borne of God And hereby are the sonnes of God knowen and also the sonnes of the deuill God and the deuill are two contrary fathers two contrary fountaines and two contrary causes the one of all goodnes the other of all euil And they that do euill are borne of the deuill and first euil by that byrth yer they do euil For yer a man do any euill outward of purpose he conceaued that euill first in his mynde and coÌ„sented vnto it and so was euil in his hart yer he wrought euill and yer he conceiued euill in hys hart he was borne of the deuil and had receaued of his seede and nature By the reason of which nature seede and byrth he worketh euill naturally and caÌ„ do no other As Christ saith Iohn 8. ye are of your father the deuill therefore will do the lustes of your father And on the other side they that do good are first borne of God and receaue of his nature seede and by the reason of that nature and seede are first good yer they do good by y t same rule And Christ which is coÌ„trary to the deuill
worke And that Christ hath done this seruice in his flesh deny all the members of Antichrist And hereby thou shalt know them All doctrine that buildeth thee vpon Christ to put thy trust and confidence in his bloud is of God and true doctrine And all doctrine that withdraweth thyne hope and trust froÌ„ Christ is of the deuill and the doctrine of Antichrist Examine y â— Pope by this rule and thou shalt finde that all hee doth is to the destructioÌ„ of this article He wresteth all the Scriptures setteth them cleane agaynst the woll to destroy this article He ministreth the very Sacramentes of Christ vnto the destruction of this article and so doth he all other ceremonies and his absolution penaunce purgatorie dispensations pardoÌ„s vowes with all disguisings The Pope preacheth that Christ is come to do away sinnes yet not in the flesh but in water salt oyle caÌ„dles bowes asshes friers coates and monkes cowles and in the vowes of theÌ„ that forâ—were matrunonie to keepe whores and swere beggerie to possesse all the treasure riches wealth pleasures of the world and haue vowed obedience to disobey with authoritie all the lawes both of God and man For in these hypocritish and false sacrifices teacheth he vs to trust for the forgiuenes of sinnes not in Christes flesh Ye are of God litle childreÌ„ and haue ouercome them For greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world He that dwelleth in you and worketh in you through fayth is greater then he whiche dwelleth and worketh in them through vnbelefe And in hys strength ye abyde by your profession and coÌ„fesse your Lord Iesus how that he is come in the flesh and hath purged the sinne of all that beleue in his flesh And through that fayth ye ouercome them in the very tormentes of death So that neither their iugglinges neither their pleasures neither their thretnynges or their tormentes or the very death wherewith they slay your bodies can preuayle agaynst you They be of the world and therfore they speake of the world and the world atteÌ„deth vnto them We bee of God and hee that knoweth God heareth vs. And he that is not of God heareth vs not And hereby we know the spirit of truth and the spirite of errour There be and euer shal be two generations in the world one of the deuill which naturally hearken vnto the false Apostles of the deuill because they speake so agreable vnto their naturall complection And an other of God which hearken vnto the true Apostles of God consent vnto their doctrine And this is a sure rule to indge spirites with all that we indge them to haue the spirite of truth which hearkeÌ„ vnto y t true doctrine of Christes Apostles them to haue the spirite of errour which hearken vnto worldly and deuilish doctrine abhorryng the preathing of the Apostles And looke hether the Popes doctrine bee worldly or no if pride and couetousnes be worldly yea and secherie to For what other is all his doctrine then of benefices promotions dignities byshoprikes cardinallshyps vicarages parsonages prebendes chaunge of bishoprikes and resignyng of benefices of vnions pluralities totquots and that which coÌ„meth once into their handes may not out agayn yea and of whores and concubines and of captiuyng of consciences for couetousnes all that hearken to that doctrine abhorre the doctrine of the Apostles and persecute it and them that preach it Dearely beloued let vs loue one an other for loue is of God And all that loue are borne of God and knowe God And he that loueth not knoweth not God for God is loue Iohn singeth his old song agayne and teacheth an infallible and sure token which we may see and feele at our fingers endes and therby be out of all doubt that our fayth is vnfayned and that we knowe God and be borne of God and that we hearkeÌ„ vnto the doctrine of the Apostles purely and godly not of any curiositie to seke glorie and honour therein vnto our selues to make a cloke therof to couer our couetousnes and filthy lustes Whiche token is if we loue one an other For the loue of a mans neighbour vnfaynedly spryngeth out of the vnfayned knowledge of God in Christes bloud By which knowledge we be borne of God loue God and our neighbours for his sake And so he that loueth hys neighbour vnfaynedly is sure of him selfe that he knoweth God and is of God vnfaynedly And contrarywise he that loueth not knoweth not God For God in Christes bloud is such a loue that if a man saw it it were impossible that he should not breake out into the loue of God agayne of his neighbour for his sake Herein appeared the loue of God vnto vs warde because God seÌ„t his onely sonne into the world that we should liue through hym Herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent hys sonne a satisfaction for our synnes If a man had once felt within in his conscience the fierce wrath of God towarde sinners and the terrible most cruell damnation that the law threatneth and then beheld with the eyes of a strong fayth the mercy fauour and grace the takyng away of the damnation of the law and restoryng agayne of life frely offred vs in Christs bloud he should perceaue loue and so much the more that it was shewed vs when we were sinners and enemies to God Roma 5. and that without all deseruyngs without our endeuouryng enforcyng and preparyng our selues and without all good motions qualities properties of our frewill But when our hartes were as dead vnto all good workyng as the meÌ„bers of him whose soule is departed whiche thyng to proue and to stoppe the blasphemous mouthes of all our aduersaries I will of innumerable textes rehearse one in the beginnyng of the second chapter to the Ephes where Paule sayth thus Ye were dead in trespasse sinne in which ye walked accordyng to the course of the world and after the gouernour that ruleth in the ayre the spirite that worketh in the children of vnbelefe amoÌ„g which we also had our conuersation in tyme past in the lustes of our flesh and fulfilled the lustes of the fleshe and of the mynde so that the fleshe and the mynde were agreed both to sinne and the mynde consented as well as the flesh and were by nature the children of wrath as well as other But God beyng rich in mercy through the great loue wherwith he loued vs euen wheÌ„ we were dead in sinne hath quickened vs with Christ for by grace are ye saued and with hym hath raysed vs vp and with him hath made vs sit in heauenly thynges through Iesus Christ for to shew in tyme to come the exceding riches of his grace in kyndnes to vs ward in Iesus Christ For by grace are ye saued through fayth that not of your selues for
him therof and of the foure hundred yeares that his posteritie should be in thraldome in Egypt of their deliueraunce and as Gedeon was certified by the signe of his Flese of the victory that God had promised him and as many other that beleued in God were certified by the signes that God gaue them of the promises which God made them Verely no maÌ„ For our Prelates which lay for them selues compelle intrare compell not vs to enter into any such feast nor will suffer any such meate to be set before vs for feare of ouerthrowyng the foundation of their false buildyng whereof springeth so great glory and profit vnto them which foundation to builde their lyes vpon they could neuer haue layd except they had first thrust this doctrine of our soules health cleane out of knowledge And as soone as they had blinded y â— light they became leaders in darkenesse and made of the Masse imageseruice so that the strauÌ„ge holy gestures and the straunge holy voyces and straunge holy vestures with all other straunge holy ceremonies must be meritorious workes to deserue loÌ„g life health riches honour fauour dignitie and aboundauÌ„ce of all that we haue sorsakyng our baptisme to arme vs from bearing of the crosse with Christ And they haue made of it a pill of two contrary operations so that the same medicine that preserueth our soules from purgatory doth purge the body of house laÌ„des rentes goods and money that it is made as bare as Iob and as baulde as a Cout And the light that rebuketh them they call seditious that it maketh the subiectes to rise against their Princes Which thing the hypocrites layed sometyme vnto the Prophetes as ye may see in the old TestameÌ„t And at last they layed it vnto Christes charge as ye may see in the Gospell and to the charge of the Apostles as ye may see in the Actes But at all such tymes the hypocrites them selues styrred vp such a sword to mainteine their falsehead that euermore a great part of the world perished through their owne mischeuous incensing and prouokyng Princes to battayle These hypocrites layd to Wickleâ—â—es charge and do yet that his doctrine caused insurrection but they to quench the truth of hys preachyng slew the right kyng and set vp iij. false kynges a row by which mischeuous sedition they caused halfe England to be slayne vp and brought the Realme into such ruine and desolatioÌ„ that M. More could say in his Vtopia that as Englishmen were wont to eate shepe euen so their shepe now eate vp them by whole Parishes at once besides other inconueniencies that he then saw And so the hipocrites say now likewise that gods word causeth insurrection but ye shall see shortly that these hypocrites them selues after their old wont and examples in queÌ„chyng y t truth that vttereth their iugglyng shall cause all realmes Christen to rise one agaynst an other and some agaynst them selues Ye shall see theÌ„ runne out before the yeare come about that whiche they haue bene in bruwyng as I haue marked aboue this dosen yeares c. ¶ This much I haue sayd because of them that deceaue you to geue you an occasion to iudge the spirites The Testament of master William Tracie Esquier expounded by William Tyndall Wherein thou shalt perceiue with what charitie the Chaunceler of Worceter burned when he tooke vp the dead carkasse and made ashes of it after it was buried 1535. ¶ To the Reader THou shalt vnderstaÌ„d most deare Reader that after William Tyndall was so Iudasly betrayed by an Englisheman a Scholer of Louayne whose name is Philippes there were certaine thinges of his doyng found which he had entended to haue put forth to the furtheraunce of Gods word amoÌ„g which was this Testament of M. Tracie expounded by him self whereunto was annexed the expositioÌ„ of the same of Iohn Frithes doyng and owne hand writyng whiche I haue caused to bee put in Printe to the intent that all the world should see how earnestly the Cannonistes and spirituall lawyers whiche be the chief rulers vnder Bishops in euery Dioces in so much that in euery Cathedrall Churche the Deane ChauÌ„celor and Archdeacon are coÌ„monly doctours or Bachelers of law do endeuour them selues iustly to iudge and spiritually to geue senteÌ„ce according to charitie vpon all the actes and dedes done of their Diocessanes after the exaÌ„ple of the Chaunceler of Worceter which after M. Tracie was buried of pure zeale loue hardly tooke vp the dead carkasse and burnt it wherefore he did it it shall euidently appeare to the Reader in this little treatise read it therfore I besech thee iudge the spirites of our spiritualitie and pray that the spirite of him that raised vp Christ may once inhabite them and mollifie their hartes and so illumine theÌ„ that they may both see and shew true light no loÌ„ger to resist God nor his truth AmeÌ„ The Testament it selfe In the name of God AmeÌ„ I William Tracie of Todyngton in the Countie of Gloceter Esquier make my TestameÌ„t and laste will as hereafter followeth ¶ First and before all other thyng I coÌ„mit me vnto God to his mercy trustyng without any doubt or mistrust that by his grace and the merites of Iesus Christ and by the vertue of his passioÌ„ and of his resurrection I haue shall haue remission of my sinnes and resurrectioÌ„ of body and soule accordyng as it is written Iob. xix I beleue that my redemer lyueth and that in the last day I shal rise out of the earth and in my flesh shall see my Sauiour this my hope is layd vp in my bosome And as touching the wealth of my soule the fayth y t I haue taken rehearsed is sufficient as I suppose wtout any other mans woorke or workes My grounde and my belefe is that there is but one God and one medaitour betwene God and man whiche is Iesus Christ So that I doe except none in heauen nor in earth to be my mediatour betwen me God but onely Iesus Christ all other be but petitioners in receiuyng of grace but none able to geue influence of grace And therfore will I bestow no part of my goodes for that intent that any man should say or do to helpe my soule for therein I trust onely to the promise of God he that beleueth is baptised shal be saued and he that beleueth not shal be damned Marke the last Chapter And touchyng the burying of my body it auayleth me not what be done therto wherein S. Augustine De cura agenda promortuis sayth that they are rather the solace of them that liue theÌ„ the wealth or coÌ„fort of theÌ„ that are departed and therfore I remit it onely to the discretion of myne executours And touchyng the distribution of my temporall goodes my purpose is by the grace of God to bestow them to be accepted as fruites of fayth So that I do not suppose that my merite be by good bestowyng of
saued By which wordes he declareth euidently that he meaneth that faith that is in the promise made vpon the appointmeÌ„t betwene God and vs that we should kepe his law to the vttermost of our power that is he that beleueth in Christ for the remission of sinne and is Baptised to do the will of Christ and to kepe his law of loue to mortify the flesh that man shal be saued and so is the imagination of these swyne that will not leaue wallowyng theÌ„ selues in euery myre and puddell cleane excluded for God neuer made promise but vpon an appointment or couenaunt vnder whiche who soeuer wil not come can be no partaker of the promise True fayth in Christ geueth power to loue the law of God for it is written Iohn the first He gaue them power to be the sonnes of God in that they beleue in his name Now to be the sonne of God is to loue righteousnes and hate vnrighteousnes and so to be like thy father Hast thou then no power to loue the law so hast thou no fayth in Christes bloud And Rom. iij. We set vp or mainteine the law thorough fayth why so for the preachyng of fayth ministreth the spirit Gala. iij. And ij Cor. iij. And the spirite lowseth the bandes of Sathan geueth power to loue the law and also to do it For sayth Paul Rom. viij if the spirite of him that raysed vp Iesus dwell in you then will he that raysed vp Iesus quickeÌ„ your mortall bodyes by the meanes of his spirite dwelling in you A well wilt thou say if I must professe the law and worke Ergo fayth alone saueth me not Be not deceaued with sophistrie but withdraw thyne eares from wordes and consider the thyng in thyne hart Fayth iustifieth thee that is bringeth remission of all sinnes and setteth thee in the state of grace before all workes and getteth thee power to worke yer thou couldest worke but if thou wilt not go backe agayne but continue in grace and come to that saluation and glorious resurrection of Christ thou must worke and ioyne workes to thy fayth in will and dede to if thou haue tyme and leasure and as oft as thou fallest set thee on thy fayth agayn without helpe of workes And although when thou art reconciled restored to grace woorkes be required yet is not that reconcilyng and grace the benefite of the workes that folow but cleane contrary that forgeuenes of thy sinnes and restoryng to fauour deserue the workes that folow Though wheÌ„ the kyng after that sentence of death is geuen vpoÌ„ a murtherer hath pardoned hym at the request of some of his frendes workes be required of him that he hencefoorth kepe the kynges lawes if he will continue in his graces fauour in which he now standeth yet the benefite of his lyfe procedeth not of the deseruyng of the workes that folow but of the kynges goodnes and fauour of his freÌ„des yea and that benefite and gift of his life deserue the workes that folow Though the father chastise the child yet is the child no lesse bounde to obey and to do the will of the father If when the father pardoneth it the workes that folow deserue that fauour then must the woorkes that folowed the correction haue deserued fauour also and then was the father vnrighteous to chastise it All what soeuer thou art able to do to please God with all is thy duty to do though thou haddest neuer sinned if it be thy dutie how can it then be the deseruyng of the mercy and grace that weÌ„t before Now that mercy was the benefite of God thy father through the deseruing of y t Lord Christ which hath bought thee with y â— price of his bloud And agayne when he sayth that he purposeth to bestow his good to be accepted as fruites of faith it is euident that hee meaneth that lyuyng fayth which professeth the law of God and is the mother of all good workes yea and nurse therto An other caâ—illation whiche they might make in the second part where he admitteth no other mediatour but Christe onely nor will geue of hys goodes to bynde any man to any fayned obseruaunce for the helpe of hys soule wheÌ„ he were whole in the kingdome of Christ cleane deliuered both body and soule from the dominion of Sathan as the Scripture testifieth all that dye in Christ to be is this they will say that he held that none should pray for him saue Christ and that we be not bound to pray one for an other nor ought to desire the prayers of an other man that he excludeth in that he sayth all other be but petitioners By which wordes he plainly coÌ„fesseth that other may and ought for to pray and that we may and ought to desire other to pray for vs but meaneth that we may not put our trust and confidence in their prayer as though they gaue of them selues that which they desire for vs in their petitions and so geue them the thankes ascribe to their merites that which is geuen vs in the name of our master Christ at the deseruynges of his bloud Christ is my Lord hath deserued and also obteined power to geue me all that can be desired for me And al that other desire for me this is desired in Christes name geueÌ„ at the merites of his bloud All the honour then trust confideÌ„ce and thankes perteyne to him also Some will haply say how should I desire an other to pray for me and not trust to his prayer Verely euen as I desire my neighbour to helpe me at my neede and yet trust not to him Christ hath commauÌ„ded vs to loue ech other Now when I go or desire helpe I put my trust in God and complaine to God first and say Loe father I go to my brother to aske helpe in thy name prepare the hart of him agaynst I come that hee may pitie me and helpe me for thy sake c. Now if my brother remember his duty helpe me I receaued it of God and geue God the thankes which moued the hart of my brother gaue my brother a courage to helpe me wherwith to do it and so hath holpe me by my brother And I loue my brother agayne and say Loe father I went to my brother in thy name and he hath holpe me for thy sake wherfore O father be thou as mercyful to him at his nede as he hath ben to me for thy sake at my nede Loe now as my brother dyd his dutie when he holpe me so do I my dutie when I praye for hym agayne and as I might not haue put my trust and coÌ„fidence in my brothers helpe so may he not in my prayers I am sure that God will helpe me by his promise but am not sure that my brother wil helpe me though it be his dutie so am I sure that God will heare me what soeuer I aske
is written Abac. ij the righteous man lyueth by his fayth And Roma v. because we are iustified by fayth we are at peace with God thorough our Lord Iesus Christ c. WheÌ„ these faithfull or righteous departe theÌ„ sayth this text that they are fooles which thinke them to be in payne or affliction for it affirmeth that they are in peace Now sith their Purgatory whiche they imagine is payne and affliction and yet fayne that the righteous onely shal enter into it after their death then are they fooles that suppose there is a Purgatory or els this text can not be true For what entent will God haue vs tormented in Purgatory to make satisfaction for our sinnes verely theÌ„ is Christ dead in vayne as we haue often proued before But thinke you not rather that our purgation should be to encrease our fayth or grace or charitie for these thrée couer the multitude of sinnes no verely we can not fayne a purgatory for any such cause For fayth springeth by hearing of the word Roma x. But the Pope sendeth theÌ„ no preachers thether Ergo theyr fayth can not there be encreased And agayne payne ingendreth and kyndleth hate against God and not loue or charitie Furthermore My Lord of Rochester is coÌ„pelled to graunt that the soules in Purgatorye obtayne there neither more fayth nor grace nor charitie then they brought in with them and so can I sée no reasonable cause why there should be a purgatory Neuerthelesse M. More sayth that both their grace and charitie is encreased And so may you perceaue that lyes can neuer agrée how wyttie so euer they be that fayne and cloke them For in some poyntes they shall be founde contrary so that at the length they may be disclosed when thou hast no power to accomplish the outward fact For the wiseman sayth Prou. xxiij sonne geue me God is fully pacified with thy will thy hart Now if thy will be vpright and so that thou haue a desire to fulfill the law then doth God reken that will vnto thée for the full fact If then through the frayltie of thy members thou fall into sinne thou mayest well say with the Apostle Roma vâ—j The good that I would doe that do I not that is I haue a will and desire to fulfill the law of God not to displease my heauenly father yet that I do not But the euill which I hate that do I that is I do committe sinne whiche in déede I hate Now if I hate the sinne whiche I do then loue I the law of God whiche forbiddeth sinne and do consent vnto this law that it is good righteous and holy And so the sinne whiche I hate and yet commit it thorough the frayltie of my members is not imputed or rekened vnto me for sinne Neither will S. Paule graunt that it is I which do that sinne but he sayd I haue a will to doe good but I can not performe that will For I do not that good which I would but the euill whiche I would not that do I. Now if I doe that thyng whiche I would not do then is it not I that do it but the sinne that dwelleth with in me I delight in the law of God with myne inward man that is with my will and minde which is renued with the spirite of God but I sée an other law in my members which rebelleth agaynst the law of my mynde and maketh me bonde vnto the law of sinne which is in my members So that I my selfe in my will and mynde do obey the law of God hatyng sinne as the law coÌ„maundeth me and not consentyng vnto it in my mynde will but in my flesh and members I serue the law of sinne for the frayltie of my members compelleth me to sinne Rom. 7. As by example if I sée a poore man whiche is not of abilitie to do me any pleasure and neuertheles doth all his diligence to séeke my fauour would with hart and mynde geue me some acceptable preseÌ„t if he were of power beyng also sory that hee can not performe his will â—nd mynde towardes me Now if there be any point of humanitie or gentlenesse in me I will count this man for my frende and accept his good will as well as though he had in dede performed his wil. For his habilitie extendeth no further If his power were better better should I haue Euen so sith we are not of power and habilitie to performe the law of God and yet beare a good hart towardes God and his law lamentyng our imbecillitie that we can do him no further pleasure then will God recount vs not as his enemyes but as his deare children and beloued frendes Neither will hee afterward thrust vs into Purgatory but as a tender father pardon vs our trespasses and accept our good will for the full déede S. Paule exhorteth vs Gal. vj. that we worke well while we haue tyme for what soeuer a man doth sow that shall he réepe by this may we euidently perceaue that hée shall not receaue according to his doing or sufferyng in an other world and therfore caÌ„ there be no Purgatory The wiseman sayth Eccle. xiiij worke righteousnes before thy death for after this lyfe there is no méete that is to say succour to bee founde There are some which wil vnderstaÌ„d this place also the text in the xlviij argument on this maner that there should be no place of deseruyng but yet there may well bee a place of punishment But this solution besides that it is not grounded on Scripture is very slender For I pray you wherfore should their inuention of Purgatory serue but to bee a place of purgyng punishment and penaunce by the which the soule should make satisfaction that it might so deserue to enter into the rest of heauen Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord from heÌ„ce forward yea truly sayth the spirite that they may rest froÌ„ their labours But theyr workes folow with them This text they vse in theyr soule masses as thoughe it made for Purgatory But surely me thinketh that it maketh much against them For let vs enquire of all the proctours and fautours of Purgatory whether y â— soules that must be prayed for are departed in the Lord or not And they must néedes aunswere that they are departed in the Lord for the vnfaithfull which dye not in the Lord must not be prayed for And therfore must they be vpright Christen soules which are tormeÌ„ted for the other are all damned Now sayth the text that all such dead as dye in the Lord are blessed but what blessednesse were that to broyle in Purgatory And if they would here fayne a glose as their maner is when they are in a straite euer to séeke a startyng hole say that they are blessed because they are in a good hope
and had not receiued it And of this carnall minde were many mo Bushoppes a great while as are now the bohemes whom he after disprayseth and yet expoundeth the text as they doo but afterward they loked more spiritually vpon the matter and confessed their ignorance as I trust M. More will but now will I shew you S. Austens minde vppon this text which shall helpe for the exposition of all this matter S. Austen in the third boke De Doctrina Christiana the 16. chapiter teaching how we shall know the tropes figures allegories phrases of the scripture sayth Si autem flagitium aut facinus iubere videntur figuratiua locutio est Nisi maÌ„ducaueritis inquit carneÌ„ filij hominis et biberitis eius sanguinem not habebitis uitam in vobis Facinus vel flagitium videtur iubere Figura est ergo precipieÌ„s passionis dominicae esse commicandum et suauiter atque vtiliter in memoria recondendum quod pro nobis caro eius crucifixa vul nerata sit That is to say when soeuer the scripture or Christ semeth to commaund any foule or wicked thing then must that text be taken figuratiuely that as it is a phrase allegorie and manner of speaking and must be vnderstand spiritually and not after the letter Except sayth Christ ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye shall haue no life in you He semeth sayth S. Austen to commauÌ„de a foule a wicked thing It is therfore a figure commaunding vs to be partakers of his passion and sweetlye and profitablye to print in our mynde that his fleshe was crucified and wounded for vs. This truth thankes be to God doth S. Austen declare vnto vs which thing beside the opening of this text against M. Mores mynde doth plainely shew what he thought in the wordes of christes supper For sith he called it a foule a wicked thing to eate his fleshe then may you soone perceiue that he thought it was as foule as wicked a thing to eate his body seing his body is flesh and then consequently it shall follow y â— eyther this worde eate where Christ sayd take this and eate it must be taken spiritually or els that this saying of Christ this is my bodie must be figuratiuely spokeÌ„ but this worde eate is taken after the letter for they did in déede eate the bred therfore it must néedes folowe that this sentence this is my body must bee figuratiuely spoken Or els is S. Austen not to be approued in this place which thing our Byshops I thinke will not say nay Besides that S. Austen sayth Quando loquebatur dominus noster Iesus Christus de corpore suo nisi inquit quis manducauerit carnem meam â—iberit sanguinem meum non habebit in sevitam Caro enim mea vere est cibus sanguis meus vere est potus intellectus spiritualis credentem saluum facit quia litera occidit spiritus est qui viuificat That is to say When our Lord Iesus Christ spake of hys body except quod he a man eate my fleshe and drinke my bloud he shall haue no life in hym self for my flesh is very meat and my bloud is very drinke The spirituall vnderstandyng saueth hym that beleueth for the letter killeth but the spirite quickneth Here may you playnly perceaue that thys texte must onely be taken spiritually For he sayth that to take it after the letter it kylleth and profiteth nothyng at all and therfore I wonder that we haue bene led so long in thys grosse errour Thys saying doth y â— famous clarke Origine confirme saying Agnosce quod figurae sunt quae in voluminibus Domini scriptae sunt ideo tanquam spirituales non tanquam carnales examinate intelligite quae dicuntur Si enim secuÌ„dum literam sequaris hoc ipsum quod dictum est Nisi manducaueritis carnem c. occidit haec litera That is to say Marke y e they are figures which are written in the Scripture of God and therefore examine them as spirituall men and not as carnall and vnderstand those thinges that are spoken For if thou followe after the letter thys thyng that is spoken except ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drinke hys bloud you can haue no life in you thys letter kylleth Alas deare brethren why should any man be offended with thys doctrine sith it is approued so plainly by such auncient and holy fathers Againe S. Austen sayth Qui manducat carnem meam bibit meum sanguinem in me manet ego in illo Hoc est ergo manducare illam escam illum bibere potum in Christo manere illum manentem in se habere ac per hoc quinoÌ„ manet in Christo in quo non manet Christus proculdubio non manducat eius carnem nec bibit sanguinem etiam si tantaerei sacramentum ad iudicium sibi maÌ„ducet bibit That is to say He that eateth my flesh drynketh my bloud abydeth in me and I in hym Thys is therfore the eatyng of that meate and drinkyng of that bloud to abyde in Christ and haue hym abyding in vs. And therefore he that abydeth not in Christ and in whom Christ abydeth not without doubt he eateth not hys flesh nor drinketh not hys bloud although he eate and drinke the sacrament of so great a thyng vnto hys damnation And euen y â— same wordes hath Bede vppon the Corinthians 1. Cor. 10. Thys one place is sufficient for to proue my purpose though he sayd not one word more For here he doth playnly determine that he which abydeth not in Christ that is to say he y e is wicked or vnfaythfull doth not eate hys flesh nor drinke hys bloud although he eate and drinke the Sacrament of so great a thyng And so must it néedes follow that the Sacrament is not the very naturall body of Christ For then the vnfaythfull should eate hys flesh seing he eateth the sacrament of hys body But that doth S. Austen denye wherfore it must néedes followe that it is but onely a token of a remembrance and a signe of hys body breakyng and a representation of hys passion that we might kéepe hys facte in memory and geue him thankes for his tender loue and kindenes which when we were hys enemyes tooke vpon hym to suffer most vyle death to reconcile vs vnto hys father and make vs hys frendes Thys saying hath S. Austen in an other place also where he writeth on thys maner Qui non in me manet in quo ego non maneo non se dicat aut existimet manducare corpus meum aut bibere sanguineÌ„ meum Non it aque manent in Christo qui non sunt eius membra non sunt autem membra Christi qui se faciunt meÌ„bra meretricis That is to say He that abydeth
as yee ought by the commaundement of the Gospell and by the example of y t Lorde patiently to suffer there doe you the coÌ„trary not all onely not suffer but you doe wrong vnto them y t doe no wrong c. 209. col 1 Haymo sayth It is offence and sinne in you that you haue Iudicials For accusation engendreth strife strife engendreth discorde discorde engendreth hatred And least peraduenture they woulde say this is no sinne to require myne owne Therefore sayth y t Apostle Truely it is sinne vnto you for you do against the commaundement of y t Lord the which sayth Hee that taketh away thy good aske it not agayne Wherefore doe you not rather suffer losse that ye might fulfill the commaundement of the Lorde c. 209. col 1 That Auricular confessioÌ„ is not necessary to saluation translated into English out of his booke De Doctorum Sententijs ¶ De Poenitentia Dist 1. Cap. Conuertimini TVrne vnto me with all your hart and I will turne vnto you By turnyng is ment the turnyng vpsidedowne of the hart For if our hart bee turned thoroughly from euill vnto God it forthwith deserueth the frute of conuersion that God beyng turned from wrath to mercy may pardoÌ„ our offences which beefore hee intended to reueÌ„ge Wherby it is geuen vs to vnderstand that without any confession of mouth we may bee forgeuen By this meanes also these leypers whom the Lord wylled to shew them selues to the priestes were made whole and souÌ„d in the way before they came to the Priestes By which fact it is geuen vs to vnderstaÌ„d that before we shewe our faces to the Priest that is before we confesse our sinnes we are clensed from the lepry of â—inne It foloweth by this also that the Lord would declare that not by y t sentence of the Priest but by the gift of diuine grace the sinner is made cleane He cleÌ„sed the lepour by touching afterward according to the law coÌ„maunded him to offer sacrifice It foloweth but before hee came to the Priest hee is clensed whilest that by the contrition of his hart before the confession of the mouth remission of sinne is graunted Therfore onely coÌ„trition in the which is made a reuiuing taketh away sinne Hee hath therfore his reuiuour present with him and dwellyng within hym ¶ In the same place Cap. Scindite REnt your hartes and not your garmeÌ„t c. Shewyng that in the contritioÌ„ of the hart which is vnderstanded by the rentyng therof sinnes were forgeuen and not by confessioÌ„ of the mouth which is a part of exteriour satisfactioÌ„ which hee calleth the rentyng of our garmentes by a part vnderstandyng the whole ¶ In the same place Cap. Facilius IN what houre soeuer a sinner shal be conuerted c. For it is not said wheÌ„ soeuer hee shal coÌ„fesse with his mouth but onely when hee shall bee turned shall bee sory for his sinnes hee shall liue and not dye ¶ In the same place Cap. Facilius THey doe more easely purchase gods fauour which beeing not conuicted by mans iudgement but of their own accord acknowlege their faultes which doe either by their owne confessions bewray the same or els when other meÌ„ know not what priuye offenders they bee doe coÌ„demne them selues to voluntary excommunication and seperating them selues from the aulter whereon they ministred not by compultion but willingly bewayle their life as no life beeyng sure that they beeyng recoÌ„ciled by the fruites of effectual peniteÌ„cy they do not onely recouer things that were lost from God but beeyng also made Citizens of the euerlastyng habitation they may come to ioy euerlastyng ¶ Chrisostome vpon the Psalme Miserere mei Homi. 11. COnfesse thy sinnes that thou mayst blot them out if thou be abashed to confesse that thou hast offended coÌ„fesse them dayly in thy soule I doe not say that thou shouldest confesse to thy companion or felow seruaunt who may obrayed thee declare theÌ„ to God who hath regarde of them But if thou declare them not is God ignoraunt of them or will hee learne them by thee When thou didest theÌ„ hee was at haÌ„d wheÌ„ thou coÌ„mittest them hee had perfect knowledge ¶ The same Chrisostome vpon the Epistle to the Hebrues LEt vs therfore persuade our selues that we haue sinned nor let the toung onely pronounce it but the inward conscience also Neither let vs onely say that wee bee sinners but let vs specially accompt euery singulare offence I doe not say y t thou shouldest bewray thy selfe publikly neither that thou shouldst accuse thy selfe to others but I would haue thee obey the Prophet saying Reuele thy waye vnto the Lord. ¶ S. Ambrose De Poenitentia Petri Sermo 46. PEter brust forth into teares askyng nothing with his voice I doe finde that hee wept but I finde not what he sayed Of his teares I read but of hys satisfaction I read nothyng ¶ S. Augustine lib. 10. coÌ„fession cap. 1. THerfore to thee Lord am I manifestly knowen what soeuer I am what profiteth me then to confesse my selfe vnto thee Neither doe I it with wordes of the flesh or with voyce but with the wordes of my soule and with clamour of my thought which thy eare vnderstandeth For whereas I am euill to confesse my selfe vnto thee is nothyng els but to mislike of my selfe And when I am godly to confesse me vnto thee is nothyng els then not to attribute the same to my selfe Because thou Lord doest blesse the iust but first thou doest iustifie hym beeyng wicked My confession therfore my God in thy sight is made vnto thee both secretely and not secretly For it is secret in speach but crieth out in hart Neither doe I say any good thyng vnto men which thou hast not first heard of me neither thou also shalt heare any such thyng of me which thou hast not first shewed vnto me What therfore haue I to doe with men that they should heare my confession as though they should heale all my sorowes griefes who commonly are wont to bee curious to know an other mans lyfe and slow to amende their owne Why demauÌ„d they of me to heare what I am which will not heare of thee who they them selues are And how know they that they heare of me to bee true Forasmuch as no man knoweth what is done in man but the spirite of maÌ„ that is in man ¶ De Poenitentia Distinc 1. Cap. Quinatus FOrasmuch therfore as it is proued that before our confession wee are quickened by grace and made the children of light it manifestly appeareth that onely by the contrition of the hart without confession of the mouth sinne is remitted ¶ In the same place Cap. Omnes qui. THerfore confession is made for the vtteraunce and not for obtaynyng of pardon And euen as Circumcision was geueÌ„ to Abraham as a signe of iustice and not as the cause of iustificatioÌ„ So the confession to the Priest is offered as a signe of
coÌ„maundementes 48. Gallat 6. Purgatory is nedelesse 49. Eccle. 14. Some imagine Purgatory to be a place of satisfaction 50 Apoca. 14 The dead that dye in the Lorde are blessed and therfore are not in Purgatory Esay 57. Sapien. 3. The coÌ„clusioÌ„ of Iohn Frith agaynst Rastels booke M. More begynneth pitifully Frith Purgatory in 400. yeare after Christ was neither beleued as an article of y t fayth nor yet for an vndoubted truth 1. Cor. 3. S. Austen doubted of Purgatory Roma 4. M. More much deceaued in the accomptyng of hys M. More M. Mores second reason Frith M. More maketh a false and fond argument Iohn Frith ameÌ„deth M. Mores argument Iohn Frith proueth the negatiue to be true Iohn 3. Rastell had his argumentes froÌ„ M. More M. More Ezechias Frith 4. Kinges 2 Esay 38. A question to Master More A very apt similitude Math. 26. M. More Frith 1. Kynges 2 M. More here semeth to be ignoraunt in the Hebrue toung Gene. 42. M. More 〈◊〉 of the maner of the speakyng of the Prophetes The Lord doth kill rayse again Iohn 11. Psal 78. â—hen God saith he killeth doth quicken againe what the meanyng therof is Daniell 3. A true interpretatioÌ„ of Scripture A foule fault in M. More M. More Zacharie Frith Zacharie 9 Psal 66. More and Rochester can not agree How the sauyng of the Prophete Zachary is to be vnderstand Roma 5. An obiectioÌ„ and aunswere therunto A question to master More A true and plaine exposition of the prophet Zachary M. More Machabeus Sore spoâ—… of M. More Frith 2 Mach. 12 The bokes of the Machabees are not in the Canon of y t Hebrues 〈◊〉 The meaning true exposition of the Machabees touching purgatory 〈◊〉 The slaughter of the Iewes was is for idolatry Deutro 7. Iudas Machabeus was deceaued in hys sacrifice 〈◊〉 Deut. 12. 4 By Christes death all sacrifices ceased 5 Heb. 〈◊〉 No sacrifice caÌ„ take away sinne but onely the sacrifice made by Christ 6 The holiest men haue fallen The example of Iudas Machabeus is profitable to y e church and therfore it must be folowed 7. Gallat 6. Actes 15. Rastell 8. The scholemeÌ„ say that in the tyme of the olde Testament there was no Purgatory 9. A declaration of the meanyng of Iudas Machabeus in offeryng hys sacrifice for the dead Deut. 7. Iudas Machabeus thought of no Purgatory M. More is like to be proued an insipient Iohn Frithes iudgement of y â— bookes of the Machabees M. More 1. Iohn 5. DesperatioÌ„ and impenitency are damnable sinners Frith 1. Iohn 5. M. More is confuse in the interpretation of the scriptures Marke 3. What blasphemy and sin against the holy ghost â—s The pure vnderstanding M. More Apoca. 5. Note Frith 〈◊〉 and More doth not agree A â–ª true exposition of the Scripture M More Frith More purposely corrupteth the sence of the Scripture More falsely descaÌ„teth vppon the Scriptures M. More a proctour for Purgatory M. More 1. Cor. 3. M. More would faine proue a purgatory Fâ—ith He shal laboreth much in Gods by 〈◊〉 nyard shall receaue much c. What it is to builde on gold siluer or precious stone What it is to buyld on wood haye or stubble Cyprian How euery mans work is tryed by fire Wordes figuratiuely spoken M. More Math. 12. Frith A subtile sophisme There is no remissioÌ„ of sinnes after this lyfe Marke 3. M. More Math. 12. Frith M. More doth quyte ouerthrow hym selfe Here by M. Mores argument Purgatory is quyte excluded M. More M. More is a subtill Sophister Esay 8. Truth is not to bee sought of the dead Luke 16. 1. Kinge â—3 An apparition of a spirite moued to certeine of Oxford M. More his solution of the two former reasons Frith M. More his argument is false Christ sayth M. Mâ—â—e 〈…〉 second reason Fâ—ith God caÌ„not be against himselfe Mâ— More Frith A penny offred into S. Dominickes boxe worketh great matter Note what veâ—… is in a pâ—…y M. More Frith Ioh. Frith declareth his opinion of Christes death How mens prayers good dedes do help one an other M. More Frith It is better not to beleue that which the scripture aloweth not theÌ„ to make a fayth where we should not M. More Frith What is heresie M. More is a sore iudge M. More The fire of purgatory is a meruellous hot fire Frith Beholde here the force of the fire of purgatory M. More fully aunswered to all that he can say for purgatory M. More was the Byshop of Rochesters Disciple Rochester the first patrone of Purgatory Rochester The Byshop of Rochesters owne wordes Frith Sectes of heretickes 1. Cor. 3. Actes 15. S. Austen S. Austen sheweth what hee thought of Purgatory Saint Ambrose S. Ambrose sheweth his opinioÌ„ of Purgatory Saint Hierome Eccle. 9. All suffrages prayers good dedes done for the dead are in vayne 1. 2. The dead can neither do good or euil nor increase in vertue 3 The sayinges of the Doctors are no farther to be credited then they agree with y t scripture Rochester The doctors haue erred in many thinges The worde of God is the touchstone tryeth all of all doctrine S. Austine S. Austen read old auctors and would also haue all meÌ„ read his workes Rochester Luc. 16. Parables in y t scripture proue nothing but only open and expound dark and hard thinges By Moses and the prophetes is meant the old Testament Rochester Frith There is but ii places after this life that is heauen and hell Abrahams bosome what it signifieth The elect are faithful the faythful are elect Abrahams bosome can proue no purgatory To rest in peace is not to lye in tormentes 1. Iohn 1. A good conclusion against purgatory Christes death hath ouercomâ—â— our death turned it into life Rochester Math. 12. Frith If there be any purgatory it must be after domesday for before there can be none Faythfull Vnfaythfull Men. Rochester Psal 66. Frith Zacharie 9 Rochester More agree not A true interpretatioÌ„ of the 66. Psalme More and Rochester caÌ„not agree Soules in purgatory caÌ„not offer Oxen nor goates in sacrifice Rochester Frith The chirch sayth Rochester meaning the popes church can not erre Luke 14. Frith The parable of Luke 14. truly interpreted How men should be compelled to beleue Christ was meeke and gentle and no tyrannous schole master Luke 9. Paul sayth he had no power ouer their fayth 1. Cor. 12. Fayth is not procured by violence but is the mere onely of gift of God Feare maketh fayth no fayth at all Fayth is first the gift of God and procedeth from the hart which may not be compelled Rochester Pardons Rochester sayth herein very truly and yet was not ware of it Purgatory and pardoÌ„s haue bene goodly marchaundise for the clergye Rochester Frith The kayes Luke 11. The kay of knowledge is the word of God Apoc. 3. Math. 16. Iohn 20. Luke 24. How christ gaue the kayes to Peter and the rest of the
one sayth so and an other thus confirming their assertions with glorious persuasions of wisedome but not after the wisedome of God whiche reasons an other denyeth with cōtrary sophismes so riseth brauling about vayne wordes without all certaintie And now litle children abide in hym that when hee shall appeare we may haue confidence and not bee made ashamed of hym at hys commyng Here are ij thinges to be marked one if we cleaue vnto Christ after the doctrine of the Apostles and as they built vs vpon him we shall be bolde sure of our selues at his comming As a seruaunt which in his maisters absence doth onely his maisters commaūdements cannot be confounded at his comming home againe But and if we folow mens doctrine how can we be bold yea how should we not be ashamed with our teachers vnto whome thē he shall say whē they boast thē selues how y t they haue bene his vicars I know you not depart from me ye that haue wrought wickednes and vnder my name haue brought in damnable sectes and haue taught your disciples to beleue in other thinges then in me Now the summe of all that the Apostles taught and how they built vs vpon Christ is the new testament But the popes doctrine is not there found but improued Confounded therefore shall he be which witting and willing shutteth his eyes at the true light and openeth them to beleue his lyes An other thing is this all the scripture maketh mentiō of the resurrectiō comming againe of Christ that all men both they that go before and they that come after shall then receiue their rewardes together we are cōmaunded to looke euery houre for that day And what is done with the soules frō their departing their bodies vnto that day doth the Scripture make no mentiō saue onley that they rest in y e Lord in their faith Wherfore he that determineth ought of the state of them that be departed doth but teach the presumptuous imaginations of his owne braine neither can his doctrine be any article of our fayth What God doth with them is a secreat layd vp in the treasury of God And we ought to be patient being certefied of the scripture that they which dye in the fayth are at rest ought no more to search that secret thē to search y e houre of the resurrection whiche God hath put onely in his owne power But this remember that the whole nature of mā is poysoned infected with sinne And y e whole life of sinne must be mortefied And the roote of al sinne and first vice we were infect with is that we would be wise where God hath not taught vs as ye see how Eue would haue ben as God in the knowledge of good bad And therefore hath God hid many thinges in his power and commaunded that we shall search none of his secrets further then he hath opened them in his scripture to mortefy this poyson of all poysons the desire to appeare wise that we be ashamed to be ignoraunt in any thing at all Wherfore they that violently make articles of the fayth with out Gods woord are yet aliue in the roote of all sinne and vice and grow out of the deuill and not out of Christ And their articles are of the blindnes of the deuill and not of the light of Christ for Christes light hath testimonie of the scripture euery where If ye know that he is righteous know that all that woorke righteousnes are borne of him Our nature is to worke wickednes and so blinde therto that it can see no righteousnes And then it foloweth that we must be borne a new in Christ ere we can either do or yet know what is righteous And in him we must first be made righteous our selues ere we can worke righteous woorkes which conclusion is contrary vnto the Pope for he sayth that the woorkes do make the man righteous And Christes doctrine sayth that the man maketh the workes righteous A righteous man springeth out of righteous woorkes sayth the Popes doctrine Righteous works spring out of a righteous man and a righteous man springeth out of Christ sayth Christes doctrine The workes make y t man righteous which before was wicked sayth the Pope The woorkes declare that the man is righteous sayth Christes doctrine but the man was first made righteous in Christ and the spirite of Christ taught him what righteousnes was and healed his hart made him consent therto to haue his lust in righteousnes and to worke righteouslie Chap. 3. BEholde what loue the Father hath shewed vs that we shold be called the sonnes of god For this cause the worlde knoweth you not because it knoweth not him Dearely beloued now wee are the sonnes of God though yet it appeareth not what we shall be But we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is The loue of God to vs ward is exceeding great in that he hath made vs his sonnes without al deseruing of vs and hath geuen vs his spirite through Christ to certifie our hartes thereof in that we feele that our trust is in God that our soules haue receaued health and power to loue the law of God which is a sure testimonie that we are sonnes vnder no damnation Neyther ought it to discourage vs or to make vs thinke we were lesse beloued because the world hateth vs and persecuteth vs for the world knoweth vs not Neyther any maruell for y t world could not know Christ him selfe for all his glorious commyng with miracles and benefits in healing the sicke and raysing the dead But for al the oppression of the world we are yet sure that we are Gods sonnes And in like maner though the glory that we shall be in appeare not yet we are sure that we shall be like him when he appeareth As darknes vanisheth away at the cōming of the sunne and the worlde receaueth a new fashion and is turned in to light and suddenly made glorious Euen so when he appeareth and we shall see him as he is we shal with the sight of him be chaunged into the glory of his image and made like him And then shall the world both know him and vs vnto their shame and confusion And all that haue thys hope in him purge thēselues as he is pure The fayth and hope of a Christen man are no dead idle or barren thinges but liuely woorkes and fruitfull For when the law through conscience of sinne hath slayne the soule thē hope and trust in Christes bloud thorough certefying of the conscience that the damnation of the law is taken away quickeneth hir agayne maketh hir to loue the law which is the purifying of the soule and hir life and seruing the law in the inner man And then the sayde giftes of hope and fayth stretch them selues forth vnto the members dead with