These are the secrete and moste propre workes of a christian man which we must nedes vnderstande The examples whereof are sene in those Godlye men whiche God hath sette before vs as maysters and teachers In Abraham Isaack Iacob Ioseph Samuâ—l Dauid Ieremy Danyel and such lyke He commaundeth vs also that we haue a whote and an ardent desyre both to knowe and also to set forth abrode to all men the Gospell This is the worshyppynge whiche he teacheth for the whiche we are al chefely ordeyned created regenerated and called As Peter writeth Being called from darknesse to shewe and sette forth to all men the benefites of God and the psalme .34 I wyl confesse to the c. and psalme .95 I wyl rendre and perfourme to the lord before all the people my vowes in the porches of the house of our god He willeth that in the profession of the gospel we be constant and in afflictions obedient callinge and trusting for helpe and succour from him He willeth vs to take hede that with our yll examples of lyfe we do gyue none occasion of sclaunder He commaundeth vs to refute hate and abhorre al wicked doctrines and nat to corry fauell with the instrumentes and membres of the Deuyl whiche do go aboute to obscure and darken the mooste clere pure and holsome doctrine of the Gospell I go nat about nowe to make none exposition of the commaundementes but yet I wolde councel all men always to loke earnestly on them and to considre howe many greate and harde matters they do comprehende ¶ Howe workes may be done TO the seconde question by what reason and howe maye so greate workes both the inward and the outwarde workes be perfourmed and done our weakenes being so great as it is Although that the outwarde workes by mannes power and diligence may be somewhaâ— likely and skant so so performed yet the inwarde discipline worke being in the spiritual motions agreing to the worde of God without the working of the holy Ghost can by no meanes be done as they ought to be Therefore when that with Fayth the hertes of meÌ„ are erected and lifte vp with comforte then is giuen the holye Ghost to kindle in the mindes of men godly motions respondent to thâ— lawe of God according to the sayinge of Paul that we may receyue the promise of the spirite by faith Zachary the .iiii. cap. I wyl poure oute vpon the dwellers of Ierusalem the spirite of my grace fauoure and pardone Very godly forsothe did this Prophete set forth and declare the office workes of the holye Ghoste in the hertes of the vertuouse and also the righte worshippinges that we oughte to do He doethe name the spirite of Grace bicause that when by Fayth we are lyfte vp then we are holpen of the holy Ghoste whereby we are persuaded that God is mercifull to vs and againe that we are acceptable to him ⧠FIRST therfore he doth declare and signifie to vs that Faythe is styrred vp in vs by the holy Ghost in the which motion and styrrynge the holye ghoste doth giue vs testimonie and witnes As Paul sayeth For as much saieth he as by faythe we do knowledge the mercye and presence of god we do thâ—n also cal on him we do submit our selfes to hym beginning al other true worshippinges which vnder the name of praâ—eâ— the prophete doeth comprehend For this is the chefe honour that can be done and exhibited to god It is therfore easy ynough to be perceyued that Fayth of the whiche we do speake is the beginninge of the inwarde obedience good purpose or intentes as men vse to call it Neyther can the fyrst precept which techeth of the wrath of God agaynst sinne and also of his free pardon haue any roote or beginninge in vs except thorowe the hearing of the worde of God whiche is the Gospel with a strong Fayth we doo certaine our selfes that for Christ sake we do obteyne remission of our sinne For Fayth doeth beholde the son of god in his kingdome knowinge perfectly that he is nat idle but alway giuing bat tayle to the Deuyl whiche continually ragynge ouer mankynde neuer ceasseth with his cautels and giles to illure and prouoke him to sinne and other misfortunes for none other cause but to draw him into desperatioÌ„ with diuers kindes of errors and other epicuris opinions whiche doo flatter and deceyue gentyll and soft wittes On that other side he styrreth vp tyrantes for to putte downe and to suppresse withal crueltie the name of Christe For as muche therfore that it is manifest that the nature of maÌ„ is so weake and feble that without the heuenly helpe it is nat able to vanquish and ouercome so cruel fierce an enmy whiche neuer slepeth Therfore Faith calleth to remembrance the kingdom of Christ beleuyng stedfastly that he hathe ben contynually with his faythful euen from the tyme of his fyrst promise whiche was The fyrste promise the sede of the woman shal trede to pouder and dust the head of the Serpent The which promise by Iohn is made playne sayinge Christ appered to distroy the workes of the deuyl The Lorde was at hand with Iacob and blessed him with the holy Ghost he was by Danyel and talked with him he doeth reygne so that he is alway preseÌ„t with his members confyrmynge them with the holy Ghost gydynge them agaynste the crafty gyles and deceytes of the Deuyl with all his assaultes What maner and howe glorious these victories be The examples of Dauyd Ezechias and Danyel do declare ye and Christ at the resurrection of the deade shal shewe those gorgious triumphes which the world doth make lyght at naye they do openly deride and laugh to skorne ☞ BVT to good men these battailes are well inoughe knowen which in the tymes of perylles and daungers muste practyse thys Fayth knowledging and callyng on Christ theyr captaine and so hauing confidence in him to fight with the Deuyl remembringe the wordes of Iohn Christ came downe among vs to distroy the workes of the Deuyli By thys men maye se that Faythe is nat an ydle speculation or phantasy but that it is a lyght which gouernethe all oure actes ye and al our perylles and daungers We may therfore by the helpe of the sonne of God which reygneth begyn this newe obedience which lyke a valiaunt captayne neuer forsaketh hys beloued puttynge into them his holye spirite We may nat thynke that Christ lyueth and reygneth in Heauen ydelly as the Poetes fayned Iupiter to banket and to make mery in Heauen nothinge regardinge what is done in earth Such darknes is in the mynd of men contemnynge and settynge lyght by God The which errors by the lyght of the Gospell and by Fayth must be redressed Of this practise and exercise of Fayth with true inuocation of God what can the aduersaries of god say and speke which in the steade of the Gospel and of Faith doeth inculcate and teache vs the Pirrhonious
the lacke of this Faith and al other vices are punished with plages in this lyfe and with paynes to come Blyndnes and sinne are great plages to vs althoughe there were none other Furthermore it is nat only the promise which moueth vs to beleue and to be in a stedfast Fayth but also the commaundement of God which doth commaunde vs to giue credite and belefe to the son it doth courage vs to practice our fayth in good workes bicause that withoute suche exercise and practice oure Faythe doth nat grow and increace as it is declared by the talent Augustine saieth Loue deseruethe agayne to be increased with Loue speaking nat of our acceptacion but of giftes Gyftes do growe by vse of giuing and deserueth to be incresed The greatnesse of the mercy of God also doth encorage vs bicause it pleseth him to allowe this our miserable beggarly and sâ—lender obedience and nat only allowing it but also reputing and taking it to be high honour vnto him Many other thinges do corage vs therto as the rewardes necessary and expedient for this lyfe for the mayntenaunce of the church with rewardes offered to vs of the Lorde at tymes conuenient for our Fayth and the practice thereof as certayntie of meat and drinke peace good successe in al our callinges in our studies in the gouerning of the church and of the common welthe honeste and vertuouse chyldren c. These be greate rewardes but the blindnes of the world is so great that the commaundement of god and mention of eternal payns doth nat much moue and styrre theyr mindes They knowe nat howe necessary these corporal benefites are for vs and howe much it skylleth to vse them wel ¶ LET vs praye therefore vnto God for our lorde Iesu Christe sake whiche doeth pray for vs to styrre vp vertue in vs to teach and gouerne vs in his holy spirite euen as he promised to giue the holye Ghoste to them that wolde aske and call for it ¶ The fourth question AS concerninge the diuersitie of sinne when we say that the dregges of the olde sinne remayneth in vs after our newe byrth and Fayth also it is necessary that we make a distinction of sinne bycause that no man shall thinke that aduoutry and such other deuelyshe abhominations can be in place where Faith is In my boke of common places I haue written large as touchinge deadly and denial sinne Wherefore nowe brefely I wyl shewe teach the reder therof When we be ones iustified by Faythe then muste the iustice of our good conscience in good workes folowe and appeare of necessitie Thys thynge doth the teachinge and doctryne of Christe teache and commaunde often tymes openly and Paul the fyrst epistle and fyrste chapiter to Timothie The whole summe of the commaundemente is a perfect loue frome a pure herte and from a good coÌ„science and from a faith nat fayned It foloweth in the sayde chapiter se that thou doest fyghte a good fyght hauyng Fayth and a good conscience Also the seconde epistle to the Corinthians and the fyrste chapiter Thys is our glory and reioyce the witnes and testimonye of our conscience And the fyrst epistle of Iohn the .iii. chapiter If our hert doth nat coÌ„dempne vs we haue a good trust and confideÌ„ce to god warde Whereby we are taughte that they can nat call and make theyr inuocation on God which haue theyr intent to breake his commaundement against theyr conscience Also the fyrste Epistle of Peter and .iii. chapiter With al sobernes and feare hauing a good conscience And to the Galathians the .v. chapiter The workes of the fleshe are manifest aduoutry whore huntinge worshippinge of forbyd thiÌ„ges which is Idolatry They which so do shal nat enherite the kyngdome of heuen Therfore he calleth theÌ„ manifest bicause he condempnethe al the weting and with their knowlege do coÌ„mit any thing of these against theyr conscience Wherfore Paul to the Romaynes viii chapiter doethe make a distinction of sinne saying If you do lyue after the flesshe you shall perishe and dye If you mortifie the dedes of the fleshe with the spirite you shal lyue There be in godly men operations and dedes of the fleshe whiche are corrupt affections agaynste the which when we do fighte in spirite that is to say nat faynyng and in Hipocrisie but refreyninge them with the true feare of God and a perfecte Faythe we do abide styl in Grace hauinge styl in vs the holy Ghoste and Faythe whiche thinge can nat be withoute greate Fayth in the mynde so manifold are the enticementes and troubles of the world and soden motions of the flesshe ¶ THE Deuyl is alway seking occasions wherewith he maye entice oure mindes and drawe them to him Wherefore we hadde nede be alway watchynge contynuynge in Faythe and inuocation For the victory of thê battayle is Christ which doth ouercome the Deuyll in vs. ¶ BVT for all that our discipline and obedience must be present and redy callinge for helpe by Fayth As Peter sayeth Be you wakinge for the Deuyl goeth styl about lyke a raueninge Lion sekinge whome he maye deuoure And as touchinge our discipline it is sayd I do chasten my body bringinge it into bondage Let the feare of God continuallye resyst our desyres and temptations Let Fayth call for helpe and pardon of oure infyrmitie Let vs marke the examples which do declare the greatnes of sinne and the paynes both perpetuall and also present in this lyfe therefore As Ioseph being tempted and moued by the tentation of his Lady and maistres nat with out great battayle and fyght of mynde did resist the fury of the woman and the crafty assaultes of the Deuyl he perceyued that the Deuyl went about fyrst to pollute him with sinne and so to plucke him from God to spyl and robbe him of the gift of ê“phecie to make him naked of al heuenly ornamentes and gyftes to rayse vp a sclander wherby the doctrine of Ioseph shulde be had in lesse estimation and regarde that God shulde be euil spoken by and finally that the true religion whiche was but newe spronge vp shulde be vtterly extinguished and putte out of memory ¶ SO great a ruine and decay shulde so lytle so small and so folysshe a pleasure haue broughte with it For the Deuyll doethe se a farre of workinge snares to oure distruction which be inextrycable and vnpossible that thou shuldest euer come forthe of them if thou doest ones fall into them As Dauyd many other vertuouse men haue had the experience therof Ioseph considering al this matter what wolde folowe didde stande vp strongly with Fayth against these entycementes and perilles vsinge this outwarde discipline and callinge for the helpe of God So our captayne the son of God by Ioseph did ouercome breke the purpose of the Deuyl Venyall synne ¶ ON this fashion when good and vertuouse men do striue against this infyrmitie the infirmitie is commonly called venyal sinne ¶ OTHER sinnes there be coÌ„mitted
sercheth with the instrument of his spirite the very reynes of our backes ye the depest thoughtes and cogitations of our hertê declared the cause the very principall cause and cause efficient of all our malydes with these wordes Quia non cognouerunt me neque patrem meum bicause they knew neyther me nor yet my father It foloweth therfore that if we knowe him and his father we wolde both loue and feare both him and his father And contrary wise bicause we know neither we loue and feare neyther nay we hate and persecute both The ignorance then of God being the cause that we be voide of all feare and loue of the lorde what maruayle is it if we do runne headling into all kinde of mischefe if we sette nought neyther by God nor by the world if we regarde nat his precept his fruyt full teachinges and most beneficial promises Nay truly Sathan the father of ignorance is nat so contented to leâ— hys disciples rest at that point of lytle regardinge of the lorde his goodnes but he doth styrre them to high treason against his maiestie to open contempte and manifest blasphemy to the defiance of his godhed proclayming warre against his infinite power with trompettes and heraldes of armes of his owne begettinge and sendinge dishonouring him minishing of his godly and imperiall tytles those I say which do belonge of ryght by his own purchase and great coÌ„quest to the heuenly crowne I do meane the titles of our creation of our redemptioÌ„ of our iustification and free acceptatioÌ„ they giuing honor vnto the creatures in the stede of the creator with lyke detestable most dampnable and hereticall persuasion and opinion in ascribinge part of our saluation ye sometyme altogyther to our own worthy deseruingê and merites the prayse whereof he hys owne selfe lyke a most valiant captayne with no feyned sweate of his owne body with no counterfeyted bloude with no mocking death for he was a right naturall man and no man dyd euer offer so much as he dyd obteyne and wyn ¶ What meruayle is it though such as they be are traytors against theyr prynces here in erth if they do worke in huggar muggar theyr most pitiful and lameÌ„table distruction to the ouerthrowe of whole realmes to the vtter castinge away and decay of common welthes to the impouerishinge of al the worlde to the mayntenans of theues murtherers of theÌ„ that are voyde of al pytye against theyr fathers and mothers of whormongers aduouterous persons rauishers of vyrgins breakers and dispysers of the most holy state sacrament of wedlocke and finally the very roted sede of al kind of mischiefe ¶ If therfore the knowledge of god causeth the loue of god so that without we knowe him we can nat haue neyther him nor none of his benefites in estimation and valour of a good strawe it foloweth consequently of necessitie that the lacke of the knowledge of him causethe the hatred and lytle good affection towarde him or any of his workes So that it foloweth that the cause that we loue him nat is the cause we know him nat Nat as Iudas knewe hym whiche alway was present in coÌ„pany with hym familier with hiÌ„ at borde table with him which kyssynge his blessed mouthe and knowinge him corporally betrayed him Nat as the Iewes knewe him whiche scourging and beating of his blessed body commytted al kynde of vilany nayled his body to the crosse and so forth as the hystory maketh most godly ghostly mention For that corporal knowledge howe lytle it profiteth nay howe much it hurteth if you do rest there and go no further the mayster of al heuenly knowledge Christ declareth with verye playne wordes speakinge of his owne flesshe and bloude saying the flesshe profiteth nothing at al it is the spirite that gyueth lyfe and quickeneth The lorde dyd speake playnly nat meaninge any other thing then he did with his mouthe speake and declare To mannes iudgement what thing coulde be more heuenly more blessed as it is in dede than to haue the body of our sauiour forty wekes within our owne bodies as the vyrgin Mary had But if that she had nat knowen him in her spirite a lytle more perfectly than her corporal knowlege might haue gyuen informatioÌ„ forsoth it shuld haue profited her very lytle or nothinge she had ben no mete vessel habitacle or mansion place for that sacred body But gyuinge credyte at the last forsakinge her owne reason and iugement wherby she coulde nat attayne to the knowledge of God his wyl plesure being of her selfe counseled to the contrary by natural reason as by these wordes appeared Quoniam virum non cognosco I neuer had flesshely knowledge and company with man I knowe nat what it meaneth I can nat tell whiche way it shulde be so most lyke a playne simple and vertuous mayden felinge her spirites moued and newe altered in her selfe for the holye Ghost wrought merueylously in her and strongly nature gaue place reason quaked fayth relyued so that to the wordes pronounced by the Aungell Thou shalt conceyue c. she made no more a do but yeldinge herselfe vp cleane as one hauing no power of her selfe answered these wordes here I am the handmayde of the lorde let the lorde do with me as it shal please him This worde whereto Mary gaue credit and belefe did get her with chylde this word was made flessh this worde came into the worlde naturally sinne excepted To this worde before any thinge was nothinge did gyue place to be made some thing and of nothing al thing To this worde if Adam had gyuen credit and belefe by the whiche worde he was made and created he had nat fallen nor many more after him This worde the holy fathers froÌ„ Adam to Moises had nat writen but declated and pronounced by the mouthe of God wherby they knewe God and beleued God to be God and the Messias to come To this worde Moyses gaue credyte which was gyuen to him in the mounte in the tables of stone written with the fynger of God that he shulde gyue them to the people that they might be his people a people that shuld feare and loue the lorde This word Moyses dyd wryte in the boke called the Deuteronomium This worde the lorde commaunded to be in the handes of his people and neuer to be left out of theyr handes to be alway with them in al places at al tymes at theyr eatinge and drinkinge ye and at theyr slepinge hauing it for a pyllow to lay theyr hedes on and in theyr iurneys to be theyr companion to comfort them to be theyr staffe to staye them and holde theÌ„ vp And finally in al theyr pastimes to be theyr reioyse delyte This worde was harde of the people in the mounte wherby they knewe God by the whiche he wolde be knowen and nat by any out ward vision bicause partly oure flesshe and corrupt carnall nature can nat aryse vp into the mount to
against our conscience which we do coÌ„myt for the nones wyllyngly And Paull sayeth The workes of the fleshe are manifest that is when a man againste hys conscience willingly doth breake the coÌ„maundementes of God nat resistinge temptation but flatteringe with his owne vices and noughty desyres Pryuely as Saull hatinge Dauid or elles opeÌ„ly and outwardly in outward actes and deds As Dauid in taking away the wife of an other man They whiche offende on this maner do lese Grace they shake of the holy Ghost from theÌ„ They do cast away theyr Fayth from them in so muche that without they do repente turninge againe to Faythe departinge forth of this lyfe beinge in that miserable case they shal perishe for euer ¶ VVE nede nat in this place reason and dispute of predestination We wyll iudge and pronounce of our dedes and of the wyl and iudgement of God as the worde of God expressely doth teache If Dauyd had nat repented he had ben cast into euerlastinge tormente as Saull Mannes mynde is so ydle and negligent that it regardeth passeth for nothing Wherfore we must take good hede that we do nat flatter with that euyl which may be couered with many colours and clokes to make it appere to be good honest and vertuouse Let vs set before our eyes the word of God as he saieth The lanterne to my fete is the word of God The which word beareth wytnes that for such sinne committed grace is gone away and the holye Ghost cast of as to the Romaynes viii If ye lyue after the flesshe ye shall dye Example we haue in Mathewe .xii. The Deuyll returnynge backe agayne to them frome whom he was caste out doeth bringe .vii. spirites with him of a more mischeuous nature then himself and so entring in causeth the later parte of theyr lyfe to be muche worse than that which was past Mathewe also in the .xiii. chap. speaking of the sede which was suffocated and strangled with the enticementes of the world and Paul the fyrst Epistle and .vi. chap. to the Corinthians Go nat out of the way for whormongers Idolaters Theues c. shall nat possesse the kyngdom of God Where he wytnesseth that he precheth to them which before hadde receyued the benefites of Christe Than he warneth nat to lese those benefytes Also the fyrst Epistle to the CorinthiaÌ„s x. chapiter Be you nat ydolaters let nat vs be whormongers as some of them were and perysshed in one day .xxiii. thousand men And the .v. cap. to the Galathians They which so do shal nat attayne to the kingdom of God It foloweth He that soweth in flesshe shall repe distruction he that soweth in spirite shal repe euerlasting lyfe And the fyrste Epystle to Timothe .v. cap. He that taketh no care and charge for his owne familie doth deny hys fayth and is worse than an infydel To the Hebrewes .xiii Aduouterous persons and whoremongers the lorde shal iudge and the second Epystle of Peter and seconde chapiter If when they haue receyued the knowledge of God and of theyr sauiour Iesu Christ they haue ones escaped fledde from the fylthynes of this world and afterwarde agayne do suffer them selfe with the same vices to be entangled and ouercome theyr latter tyme is made much worse than the fyrst Mathewe .x. He that denieth me before men I wyll denye him before my father in Heauen Mathewe .xxiiii. He that continueth til the ende shal be saued Mathew .xxv. Go you from me ye cursed into fyer euerlastinge I hungred and you gaue me no meat c. and .i. Corinth xiii And I had al Fayth and nat Loue I were nothing Although that for our own vertues and workes we are nat iust that is to say accepted before God yet must we haue a newe obedience in vs though it be nat perfect as men which be ruled and led with the spirite of God as the sonnes and chyldren of God As the fyrst epistle of Iohn .iii. cap. In this are knowen the sonnes of God and the sonnes of the Deuyl He that doth nat iust is nat of God He that loueth nat his brother abideth in death My litle babes let no man deceyue you He that doth iustly is iuste be that worketh sinne is of the Deuyll The nature of man is so weake and redy to euyl that it doth alway extenuate and make smal the greatnes of theyr offences makinge them eyther to be none as they do flatter with them selfes or els if they be offences to be very small But marke what bytter threateninges these be What might be sayde more sore more terrible than these wordê He that worketh sinne is of the Deuyll that is to say he is bonde to the Deuil he is led and gouerned by the Deuyl being forsaken of the holy Ghost and out cast from God as the ende of him doth testyfy ¶ VVHAT a great heape of sinnes calamities and miseries did the on fall of Dauyd cause After that the noughty desyre and fylthy luste hadde ones got the vpper hande in him theÌ„ he toke an other mannes wife He commaunded her husbande to by kylled and with him many Citezins good godly and vertuouse meÌ„ were also destroyed The name of God susteynynge and sufferynge great blasphemy Then nat longe after the son moueth sedition agaynst his father He taketh vseth his fathers wyfe in whordome so consequently folowing a most lamentable and pyteous distruction of many thousandes of the Citezins To be short sedition is the mother of many euyls The ydolatry of Salomon By the ydolatry of Salomon what mischefe did insue and ryse ¶ THE kingdom of Israel was torne a sonder The fall of Adam they continued in perpetuall ydolatry and deadly warres The fal of Adam did it nat bringe great and many euyls into this worlde ¶ THIS is the mynde of the Deuyl to worke suche craftes for vs when he perceiueth that we make light of sinne flattering our owne affections giuinge to them the brydle and reyne at large wherby Fayth is extinguished For Faythe which asketh remission of sinne can nat be in them whiche haue theyr delyte in sinne nat being sory nor repenting theÌ„ selfes as witnesseth this saying Where shal God dwel In a contrite hert which fearethe my wordes They wyl nat be deliuered from sinne which wyllyngly delyteth therin The teachinge of Iohn warneth vs from whens sinne commeth howe great an enmy we haue declaring what is the entente and purpose of oure aduersary that we may learne to practice Fayth and that Christe in vs maye ouercome this great and cruel enmy ¶ Hytherto haue I declared to you the whole summe of the teachinges of the prophetes and the doctryne of the Gospell concerning iustification or Grace concerning our reconciliation concerning Faith and good Workes Wherfore for as much as this is playne and open hauing no darknes or perplexitie without Sophistical cauilations when it speaketh of the motions and stirringes which be knowen to vertuouse mindes in the church