and vnderstand the holy scriptures according to their owne iudgementes / diuersly as their wyttes aÌd studie are varyable / and euery one according to hys fantasye expoundeth them / thynkyng he hath perfectly and iustly conceaued them / Wherof are growen infynite sectes ande herespes 2. Cor. 8. In steade of that / if they had beeÌ good aÌd true diuines aÌd had had the spirite of Gods gyfte / they had vnderstaÌde theÌ in treuth and verité / wherof followeth none other but vnion of faith both in spyryte and charité Many also beleuing by the studie of the holy scriptures / to attayne true Theologye and parfect knowledge of God ande consequently the chefe felycyté possyble to the lyuing man / haue geuen them selues to studye the scriptures / and walkinge by them to ioyne to the supreme faelicité of Gods knowledge / because they wanted the spirite / they neyther can arryve at the true ande lyvely lyght / taste and spirituall vnderstanding of God nor yet to the true felicité Wher of it groweth that they fall to the botome of infidelyté / in suche wise / that they beleue that there is none other light / faith or diuinité then that their barreine and deade opinion / nor other felyeiré then that theyr myserye / and so / seming to have attained the heigth of vertues / before they have ones tasted of them / they disprayse them These and soche other inconveniences are growen ande continual lye growe through them that knowe not how they ought to vse the holy scriptures in soche wise / that by theyr default / ande not of the scriptures / they have perchauÌce done hurte to the worlde But for that we ought not to coÌdempne the letters as many have done but the men that knowe not to vse them as they shulde be vsed to the honour of God To whome be all honour aÌd glory by our sauiour Iesu christ Sermon vj. If to bee good diuines it behoue vs to haue the humaine sciences or not THere be many that thinke it is not possyble to attaine the perfection of Theologie / if fyrst a man learne not GraÌmer / Dialec ica / Philosophie and metaphisica / Yea Scotus Thomas bonauenture ande soche other I confesse my selfe to haue been in that errour and therfore am nowe moued to compassion of them that rest blinded withall If it were as they saye / we shulde be moost bounden vnto the inuentours of those sciences / syns that by them we maye be good diuines / aÌd without theÌ not And then I praye you if they happened to perish or those aucthours to be lost shulde it not followe that also the worlde shuld lacke diuinité And lykewyse if the learned men in those sciences be onely the good diuins and consequently Sainctes the contrary wherof is clerely seen then myght well the symple ande vnlearned people despaire of all ghoostly health / and the true and necessarie diuinité hange vppon humaine sciences So by that reason it shulde behoue vs to saye that the Apostles and in maner all the sainctes / Yea and the blessed virgin Marie weare not good diuines / notwithstanding that they haue taught others No nor Christ neuer learned those humayne sciences / and yet was he the moost excellent diuine Iohan. 7. Therfore we must knowe that one humaine science leadeth vs to clyme to an other / moche vnworthie of the name of Theologie or diuinité / but rather to be called Metaphisica / the which neither hath nor geveth so moch light of God as can suffyse to our saluacion / being a knowledge / that by force of mannes witte / eliming the degrees of humaine reason / maye be attained Where as the true ande supernaturall Theologie or diuinité is a science of the spirite / a gifte ande light that by grace coÌmeth from God aboue / in soche wise / that not he that hathe the pregnauÌt witte / hath moost studied and is best learned / is greatest diuine / but he that hath faith / liuely light and vnderstanding of God / that lyueth better and more christianly Ephe. 2. And because faith is a gifte of God / and the true diuinite a supernaturall light / not attaynable or can not be attained of vs / but gyuen of God to hys Electe Therfore euerie symple Yoeote and ignoraunt of the humaine scieÌces / maie by the grace of god / sodenly become a parfect diuine and christian / as in the actes of the Apostles it is redde of the Eunucho Act. 8. It is possyble theÌ / that a simple olde womaÌ maye haue more of the true Theologie or diuinité / then all the learned men of the worlde For the humaine sciences do fyll our myndes of smoake and pryde / aÌd occupie them in soche wise that distracte with Marta they be not attentiue with Marie to receaue the knowledge of God It is seen by experience that rather and more lightly the symple haue accepted the Gospell theÌ the learned meÌ of the worlde Yea where the symple / the ydeotes / the litle children ande the Samaritanes magnified Christ / the learned scribes and Phariseis persecuted him euen to the death of the crosse Ande whan the worlde conuerteth / seldome the learned men come to the fayth / but haue been euer the laste There coulde none entre into Sancta Sanctorum by tholde lawe / but the hygh Bysshop But Christe dying on the crosse / hath ouerthrowen the vaile of the temple / so that the respleÌdent treasures of Gods wisdome hidde iÌ christ Col. 2. are manifested so openly / that the symple and ydeotes / yea the publicanes aÌd comune women haue vnderstanded them Wherof Dauid speaketh saying Thy wordes be open / they lyghten aÌd giue vnderstanding to the litleones Psal 118. That highe and diuine wisdome is become so lowe aÌd opeÌ in Christ / that euery symple maye vnderstande For that Christ is not come as an humaine man to teache vs letters but is diuinely aÌd spiritually desceÌded to kindle the spirite / light charite and grace in the hartes of his electe / ande so hath he made them to vnderstand / euen to the Children whiche magnifie hym / saying Blessed is he that is come in the name of the lorde Math. 21. And Christ reproued his Apostles when they letted the Childeren of comming to him / though nowe their be many that wil Luk. 18. not allowe the holie scriptures to be had in the vulgare tongue / nor redde and declared to the simple / as if they coulde not vnderstand them / nor were not bounde to knowe that which is conteined in them And yet it is certeine / they conteine none other but proffytable and necessary thinges to the health / and that being of the holyghoost / those diuine verities be in maner so expressed / that in what tongue soeuer it be written / so it be truly declared / aÌd with pure harte hearde and vnderstande / they must nedes edifie without offendig Christe thanking his father / sayde vnto hym Wath 11. I praise the father and lorde of heauen and earth that thou hast hidde these thinges from the wyse and prudent / ande opened theÌ vnto babes / not for that they haue studied / but because it hath so pleased the. Ieremy 3. In this is fulfilled that that God promised by his prophet Ieremie / that euen to the least of all they shulde knowe Nowe beholde if they be blind or not / that wyll buylde the true Theologie vppon Philosophie / and vppon the humaine scieÌces where as christ is the true fondacioÌ / and vppon him it behoueth to buylde / not woode strawe or haye / but syluer golde aÌd pretious stones / that is to saie / not the inuencions of maÌ / but the onely true reuelacions of God Sainet Iohan Baptist / and not Aristotle / was the precursor or foreruÌner of Chryst It is not possyble with the light of a litle burning candell to augment the great light of the Sonne aÌd lykewise Christ can not be clarified by the humayne sciences Iohn 5. He him selfe saith that he hath taken his beaulte / not of men but of his father / who saide vnto hi. Iohn 13. And the I haue glorified / and the I shall glorifie And wilt thou then that Chryst / which is the light of the world / shulde haue node of the light of Aristotle Iohan. 1. That theyr drye / colde and dead Theologie serueth to make them proude / to presume of them selues / to contende and to deceaue the blinde ignoraunt people with persuading them falsely to repute them for diuines / yea aÌd to begile them selues / that albeit that they be darkenes in dede / yet they thinke them selues to be the light of the worlde / ande therfore humble not theyr hartes to praie vnto God to giue them light I wyll not saye that we caÌ not serue our selues of all the humaine sciences in the honour of God / yea and of our synnes / in asmoch as of them we maye take occasyon of vertue But I saye in dede that they be not necessarie to make vs good diuines For to that it behoueth a supernaturall lyght of God / with clennes and purité of harte And this light we ought euermore to demaunde of God with feruent prayer / we ought also to seke the hearing of Gods worde / and with humilité to exercise our selues in studying the holy scriptures / to the intent / that as true aÌd good diuines / we maye rendre vnto God all honour and glorie by our sauiour Iesu Christ Amen Finis
the naturall thinges / necessarie to the humaine life and coÌuenient to our miserable state Man neuertheles / in whome resteth a certeyn pride and curiosyteÌ / wolde not content hym self with so symple a knowledge As where a certeyn Philosopher / geuing him selfe thurtye yeres to studye the knowledge of all the properties of the bee / coulde never perfectly attaine his desyre The others haue geuen theÌ selues to search the knowledge of al the properties / qualities / vertues and operations of euerie sensyble thing ande not onely of the base ande corruptyble but also of the celestiall bodyes Yea and which is more they haue enterprysed to speake of the Soule / of the Angelles / of God and of the thinges supernaturall / In soche wyse that passyng the lymytes of theyr small light / and walking blyndely eche one hathe fabrycate in hys minde his owne fantasie / and to the purpose have so spoken and written every one according to his propre frenesye / wher of is groweÌ so great varieté of opinions / so many confusions / errours / sectes ande heresies / that as saint Ierome iustly calleth them the Philosophers are the Patryarkes of the heretykes / ande the fyrst begotten of Egipte Ande it is an olde prouerbe / a great Philosopher a great heretyke The naturall reason therfore / that is not healed by faith / is frenetyke and foolysh / as thou mayest well thinke when thou considerest the presumptyon / in that it pretendeth to be the guyde / fouÌdacyon ande ladder of the diuine knowledges Where as it serueth not to rayse the man to the knowledge of God / but moche lesse geueth him cause to confesse with Socrates that not only he knoweth not / but also that / wythout the diuine grace he can do nothinge Albeit that that Phylosophye is nowe so proude / that with the suppressinge and persecutinge of Chryst / the Gospell / the grace ande fayth / it hath alwayes magnifyed the carnall man / his lyght ande his powers / And is become so frenetike / that oneles it be healed by faith / it wyll beleue nothing to be true / but that it thinketh good / neyther is it possible to persuade him in any treuth / yf fyrst declared vnto him by his frenetyke reasons / it be not conformable to hys blynde iudgement Conclude therfore / that Phylosophye lyeth lowe in the darke vale of vnderstandyng / and can not lyft the head to the hygh ande supernaturall thynges / in respect wherof / it is vtterly blynde / ande knoweth not / neyther by experience nor reuelation / so that in it / it is impossible to establysh the foundacion of the faith For as the feling passeth not the region of the sensible thinges So likewise can nothne mayne reason nor phyiosophye passe the regyon of the naturall thynges The naturall man as wryteth Paule vnderstaÌdeth not the thiÌges of the spirite And because he is not capax / that is perceaâeth it not / he mocketh aÌd scorneth it Yea he persecuteth / banisheth withstandeth / denyeth ande repugneth the myracles / reuelatids propheties / the grace fayth the holy scriptures / God / Chryst and hys membres Ioheâ 10. Yf they heare the Gospell preached of a faithfull man / they saye he is madde / furyous or possessed of the deuell / as was sayde of Christ Warr. 8. If of a learned man / they saye his great studye hath brought hym oute of hys wyttes / whyche also was layde to Paule Act. 7. If of an ignorant / howe / saye they can he be learned that neuer studied letters And if of a poore wretche as touchinge the worlde they saye to hym as was saied to the boren blinde man Thou wast borne in synne / and wilt thou teache me Iohan. 9 And so in effect can in no wyse abyde to heare the thinges of God Go reade the holy scriptures / ande thou shalt fynde that the carnall wysdome ande humayne reason hath alwaies rebelled agaiÌst God She is the same that / fygured by the serpent / persuaded our fyrst parentes to taste of the prohibited apple / ande that beleued not the worde of God / and that afterwardes taught them to excuse them selues That made Caim to slea his brother Abell / ande that persuaded the worlde in the time of Noe / that the generall diluge or floude shulde not come She caused the building of the towre of Babel She prouoked Pharao to resyst God She induced the people of God to murmur against him / and to worship the golden calse / and mouéd the Gentiles to ydolatrie It is that harlott that made Salomon / loose hys wittes / and stirred his Father to kyll Vria And finallie / she is the same that persecuted the Patriarckes / Prophetes / Apostles Martirs / and sainctes of the old and newe Testament Beholde whether she be a wycked foole or not that putte Christ on the crosse / and where as Christe crucified is the right wisdome of God she accounteth it for a mere madnes Surely there is nothing that hath so moch fauoured the kingdom of Antechrist as she / whiche hath introduced all the supersticions / Hypocrisies Ydolatries and euelles that haue been committed vnder colour of holynes The faith hath not had a greater ennemy then she The Church of Christe was a Paradise whiles the symple fayth reigned But taking in haÌde the Scepter of humaine reason / it is become a confused Babylon And where as the clere / sure and infallyble faith / by geuing light of the trueth / magnifyeng Christe / his grace aÌd the gospell / doth aonichilate or bringe to nought the fleshly man / ande maketh the parson symple / pure / immaculate / vertuous aÌd houe The darke / blinde deceitfull freenetike foolish and hereticall carnall reason / wysdome and Philosophie / coÌdempneth aÌd oppresseth the trueth And to prone ande extolle the errours persecuteth / crucifieth and burieth Christ thâ grace aÌd the gospell aÌd magnifieth the caruall maÌ euen to the heauen All the harlots to gether haue not so moch corrupted the worlde as this onely carnall reason / prudence and salse Philosophie No nor the symple ignoraunce hath not so moche coÌfused the worlde as the humaine science / wisdome and Philosophiâ / which maketh men bolde / vnshamefast / hoote / lâers / proude / contencious / frenetike foolysh and wicked Wherfore Paul exhorted the Colossians to beware of her deceypt / because as God sayth by the Prophet Esaye she begyleth Colos 3. Esay 47. the parsons For the wyse or the worlde be the moost deceaued / moost fooles / most wicked and moost contrarie to Christe And it requireth a speciall miracle to conuert one of theÌ Reade the Christian histories / and thou shalt fynde that those be they which euermore haue been the fyrst to persecute the Gospell And they are very wycked and foolish that will grounde Christ vppon Aristotell / euen like vnto them that will buylde
a Towre vppon a wheaten strawe Christ and not the Philosophie is the onely true fouÌdacioÌ of his Churche and of the true supernaturall diuinitie of the which he is the onely workmaster / and not Aristotell I praye the what hath Aristotle to do wyth Christe Manie haue enforced them selues to agre Aristotle with Plato / but they coulde neuer bringe it to passe / because Aristotle beginning at the lowest of the sensible thinges / ryseth in the ende to as high as maye be And Plato begineth where as Aristotle eÌdeth CoÌsidre nowe howe it is possible to agre hiÌ with christ / though many will make hym a piller of the Gospell aÌd a ladder to clime to heauen Let vs therfore repute the sciences of the worlde as vaine / beiÌg like vnto the harlots / that with their flattering woordes and false deceipts corrupt the mindes And let vs consider that if the priestes of the old Testament were prohibited to take a comune woman for a wife / howe much more the Christian that is all wholy consecrate ande dedicate to God / ought to flee and eschewe the vayne sciences and onely seruing him self of theÌ as of moost vile handmaidens / to knitte hym selue in spirite and with harte ande minde to applie him selfe to that pure and immaculate virgin of the holy Theologie or diuinité To the intent that euerlastingly we maye render to God all laude honour and glory / by our Sauiour Iesu Christe Amen Sermon iiij Howe we ought to vse the holy scriptures / in attaining the knowledge of God THe knowledge of the holy scriptures is not ynough to proue that we haue suffycient light of God / because it is possible that a man maye by his proÌpte memorie attaine the holy scriptures ande their interpretacions in his minde / and by force of his naturall wytte / naturally vnderstand them / and be neuertheles for all that without faith / spirite and lyuely light of God Lue 24. For therto it behoueth hym to haue the spirite and supernaturall light / that God with his fauour do open aÌd penetrate the minde by his diuine grace So that therfore we must not accompte the holy scriptures for our last ende / or for our supreame Quene or Emperesse / but for meanes that serue to the faith / to the spirite ande to the true knowledge of God / muche more theÌ the creatures And we ought to serue our selues of them in diuers wayes / for that they first incite and teach vs to repaire to God / sayinge / in him is the chief bouÌté / go to him / for he is faithfull / and hath promised to make you taste all vertue and goodnes in him Yea. though they do not make the liuely to knowe God / yet worke they / as the Samaritane did / that sent the Samaritanes to Christ / who otherwise made them taste aÌd feele that which the Samaritane had said of him vnto them / in soche wise that when they returned / they confessed / saying we beleued not at all by thy wordes / we our selues haue hearde aÌd knowe / that this is truly the sauiour of the worlde John 5. And so the holy scriptures do send the to christe / to the ende that he maye opeÌ thy hart / aÌd make the iÌ spirite liuely to vnderstande that which already thou hast redde in the dead letter / that thou maist saye vnto the scriptures / we neuer beleued by thy wordes / the which / being without spirite / coulde not make vs taste liuely the great bounté of God It is true that by thy wordes we haue beeÌ prouoked to go to Christe / who / speaking vnto vs in spite hath made vs to fele in the harte / a more clere / high and diuine effect of that thou hast spokeÌ They erre therfore that / fedig them selues of the letter aÌd not of the spyrite / do fixe theÌ selues in the holy sâriptures / aÌd seke none other light but that Yea I saye that for one houres studie / they ought to praie a thousand / aÌd to demauÌde of god the true vnderstanding of theÌ And like as the Placonistes helde opinion / that the sensyble thiÌges geueth vs occasioÌ to studie in the booke of the minde in whiche they saye is imprynted all the veryté So must we consyder that the holye scriptures do call vs to Christ / in whome as Pause sayth be hidde all the treasures of wysdome and knowledge This is no lesse then true / that lyke as if thou haddest a frende whome thou hast not tryed though alwayes thou hast trauayled to proue hym thou woldest not inwardely knowe hym for a frende though he were euer in thine eye because the profe hath not rooted hiÌ in thy minde So albeit the holy scriptures do call ande exhorte the to seke god in spirite / it is yet impossible that thou shuldest finde god iÌ trueth iÌ the scriptures / if first by spirite / thou haue him not at the harte They serue also an other maner / that many tymes happeneth As where God maketh the in spirite with lyuely faith to feale a deuine trueth Afterwardes / rediÌg the holy scriptures / thou findest that trueth writteÌ that thou hast so coÌceaued And therof resting contented / thou confirmest thy self in the fayth of that trueth / notwithstaÌding that it ought to suffise the / of the fyrst inspiration of the holighost And so moreouer because that in Christ is the ende of the lawe / all the promisses fulfylled aÌd all the prophecies verified / the shadowes / figures aÌd scriptures of the olde Testament / he that redeth it and seeth all fulfylled in christ is forced to satisfye him self of the trueth / and to establish him self in faith Rom. 10. 2. Cor. 1. For Christ sent the Iewes that wold not beleue hym to the holy scriptures / as to them that witnessed of hym Afterwardes / albeit that in the Churche of God / to be satisfyed / grounded aÌd establisshed in the diuine / celestiall and supernaturall verité / it behoueth in effect to come to the inwarde wytnes of the holyghoost / without whome we can not knowe whiche scriptures of god be holy and whiche not Neuertheles / after that by spirite we are assured that our holy scriptures be of God / we ought to serue our selues of them as of a certeine infailyble aÌd supreame outwarde rule to teache / reprehende / correct and exhort the others ande to conumce theÌ that speake against it For as Paule writeth amongest the exteryour thinges we haue not a more sure clere / parfect aÌd stedfast rule / then this / with whiche we ought in spyrite to rule all our wordes / workes / dedes and lyfe 2. Tmo 3. Tit. 1. The holy scriptures moreouer shewe vnto vs though farre of our countrey By her we haue lyght of God of his promisses aÌd also of his threateninges Roma ââ And they nourish in
Sermons of the ryght famous aÌd excellent clerke Master Bernardine Ochine / borne within the famous vniuersyte of Siena in Italy / nowe also an exyle in this life / for the faythfull testimony of Iesus Christ ¶ Psal C. xvij ¶ I wyll not dye / but lyue ande declare the workes of the Lorde IMPRINTED at Ippeswych / by Anthony Scoloker Dwellyng in S. Nycholas Parryshe Anno. 1548. ¶ Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum ¶ Vnto The ryght Honourable LORDE Edward / Duke of Somerset mooste deare vncle vnto the Kinges Maiesté / aÌd Gouuernour of hys Royall Parson / and of his Realmes / DominioÌs aÌd subiectes Protectour Hys graces mooste humble Seruaunt Rychard Argentyne wissheth the increase of honour and grace Lyke as in the beginig moost Gracyous Lorde it maye appere by the propre names of men / that the same were appoynted vnto them by a synguler reason Genes 4. So by Seth also it maye be manifest that Kings are geuen vnto the Worlde of God Genes 1. For after the time that the infinite Lorde / had created the vniuersall worlde / aÌd reserued the supremité of it vnto him selfe / he made man Prince and Lorde / and a Kynge immediatly vnder hiouer all / whych myght exercise his office / him selfe not being parsonaly present before our eyes / to the inteÌt that we shulde alwayes elevate the same vnto Heauen there to seke him And therfore of iust cause Kynges / Prynces ande Gouuernours that moost lyuely and notably represeÌt vnto vs the diuine maiesté of God / being indued with a large porcioÌ of the same / are called Goddes in the scripture Genes 6. Psal 82. And of the prophane poete Homere are named to come from God These Princes aÌd Kinges / as it appereth in the register of thÃges done in time / were in moost places accustumed eueÌ froÌ theyr tender age / to be brought vp vnder iiij gouuernours Iustice / PrudeÌce / Fortitude and continency / amoÌgest the which vertues Iustice beiÌg the highest of power albeit that wyth her manyfold benefittes / necessary vnto the vse of maÌ / she goeth vppon the ground / yet that notwithstaÌding wyth hyr shulders she reacheth vnto heauen For as moche as she couereth nothig to hyr selfe nor craueth anye thynge / but geueth vnto euery man hys owne / ande restoreth euery thynge vnto hys ryght ordre aÌd kynde Paral. 16. Where therfore the people of God made greate ioye ande feasted for their true religion restored / and were ioyfull for the confyrmyng of theyr Kynge / the which dyd minister vnto them onely externally iudgement ande iustice / what ipye / ought all thys realme to be in / vnto whome it hath fortuned the right ordre of the supper of the LORD to be restored / through the studye of suche a Prynce as walketh in all the waies of God in goodnes aÌd fayth / ledde by a Gouuernour that moost parfectly hath trayned hym to the same 2. Reg. 6. Psal 25. In whome the spirit of Iesu christ that was ones onely offred / manifestlye produceth hys effectes Phil. 1. And where as in our daies manye that of right ought to be called martirs / lyke vnto Paule / intendig that Chryst shuld be magnyfyed in theyr bodyes or by theyr death / with theyr bloude / dyd not sticke to gyue a testimony vnto the worlde of the internal goodnes prepared vnto the sayntes hereafter / aÌd fedde the rauening wolues with their carcases Now God be blessed by our so gracyous a Prynce / their teth are blunted and theyr mouthes musseled For those that shuld have bene the lyght / that the frute of rightuousnes that commeth by Iesu Christ only / might have been planted in manye / lyke vnto the Phariseys that had miracles comune vnto them with the fathers / and the presence also of the moost mekest lambe of God / the which dyd illustrate them wyth hys doctryne ande miracles / wolde in no case come to any amendement And yet they glorye that theyr name was prophecied to be exercised in iustice by the prophete Esay Esay 60. Where the ixx. interpreters have if it be theyr text aÌd not others I shall gyue thy Princes in peace / aÌd thy Bysshoppes in iustice But the Hebrewe text yf they wyll that place to be ment of them and not of other publyke officyers calleth them more accordyngly vnto the trueth exactours or cursitours / nothyng seking for the founteine of all saturité lacking the frugalité that Paule willeth theÌ to vse The which thinge they wolde not if they had in them the carefull mynde of the iust executioÌ of thinges to be done vnto Gods honour Lyke as by the shauing of theyr beardes and of theyr heades the whiche were in the olde tyme tokens of a pensyve ande sadde minde they appere to have Esay 15. But treuth it is / that lyke as the bearde that was accounted to be the ornament of the man is hatefull vnto them / and is not to be found amongest them / so is the studye of all good vertue amongest others and not amongest them And therfore the migtye LORD hath appointed your grare vnto the same office for the coÌfort of all the faithful / as the necessary haÌde of a Kynge gyveÌ vnto vs by God And to that purpose these syx Sermons of the famous clerke Bernardinus Ochinus are translated out of the Italyan tongue The fyrst declaring what thynge GOD is The second / Howe to knowe GOD by hys creatures The thyrd yf Phylosophye serue to true theologye and in what maner Fourthely / Howe we ought to vse the Scryptures in attayninge the knowledge of GOD. Fyfthly / Of thinconue mences that are happened and dayly happeÌ by the abuse of the holy scriptures Syxtly and finally / If to be good diuines it behoue vs to have the humaine sciences or not / and geveÌ vnto your grace as a moost vnworthye gifte / that by your graces fauour the frute of all the oher sermons maye be brought vnto your graces louinge servauntes of the whole bodye of this Realme / vnto whose coÌfort the lorde IESV Chryst preserue your grace At Ippeswych the xiiij daye of February Anno M.D. xlviij The preface WHo well coÌsydereth wher vnto we are created / good Christen reader / shall finde that of all oure trauayles ther 's resteth no frute / as proueth the holie spirite of prophetie by the mouth of Salomon saying I haue loked vppon all the thinges vnder the sonne / and haue founde none other but vanité Onely reserued the Image of God in vs / beig the spirite that susteineth not the naturall life alone / but also all the holie aÌd vertuous thoughtes / which God hathe created immortal vnto his owne likenes / as thou maiest wesparceaue / if thou coÌsider the substaunce of the naturall bodie / that hauing the spirite / is all liuely / aÌd not onely moueth eche figer / haÌde
corporall vysyon / the imaginatyon / credulyte opinion / discourses aÌd other actions essentially Nevertheles it must suffise vs to se theÌ in vertue and eminencye For to see God clerely / it includeth and conteyneth all perfection / lyke as the golde conteyneth the perfection of all other metalles He then that seeth that diuine being wyth all perfectyon possible / seeth what thing God is / because he seeth a spirituall lyght / moost pure moost clere / moost simple and exellently fayre / aeterne / immutable / necessary and infinitely perfect / replete of Celestiall faelicite / iustice / powr / bountie / verite / wisdome / mercye / charite and of all the other perfectâoÌs aÌd vertues infinitely parfect and that in it / in vertue and eminencye be all the colours / odours / sauours / souÌdes / songes / swetenes / fairenes / honours / dignityes / treasures / pleasures and faelicities of the woorld / infinitely aÌd without proporcyon / more perfect then they be of them selues here And moreouer it behoueth the to knowe that the beyng of the creature is a shadowe and a moost fleyght vanité in comparison of Gods beyng / and the differeÌce more / then is betwene our shadowe ande our selues Exod. â It is to be sayde of God / that surely he is onely the thinge that is Lyke wise I say of our powers / beaulte trueth / charité / iustice / wysdome and of all our other vertues / that compared to the diuine they be as moost vaine Images / and shadowes / infinitely distauÌt froÌ them of god Iohan. 5. Also it behoueth to knowe / that God is not ydell / but that he coÌtinually worketh as Christ saith in such wise / that he hath not onely geueÌ vnto the worlde his beige / but also continuallye conserueth all the thinges created / and all the vertues / that of all the myracles and straunge effectes / we konwledge only God to be Aucthour and to him we gyue all thankes honor aÌd glorie So likewise ought we to knowledge of him all the naturall effectes and operacions / and not to extolle or praise nature / but God onely / who grueth and preserueth the bring ande vertue to all thinges Neither ought there any other chaunce or fortune to be named / but all to be confessed of God / and he onely to be thanked / euen as he continually worketh for vs. And as his power is neuer ydell / but continuall working in all creatures So his wisdome continually seeth / disposeth and ordeineth all thinges moost best / and his bountie likewise coÌtinually communicateth vnto vs his benefyttes and graces Furthermore it is necessarie thou knowe that all that god hath wrought / worketh or shall worke in his creatures / is all for man / for whome they be created and preserued For all the giftes ande benefittes that from the beginning haue bene made or shal be made to the creatures / Man is bounde to knowledge them as made to hym / and accordingly therfore to thanke God Ande especially the chosen or electe / to whome all creatures do serue / both the predestinate and reprobate Rom. â Yea the Anngelles and the deuelies / euen to the very sines And because God doth here manifest and discouer him selfe / with his omni potent wisdome / trueth / iustice / bountie and his other vertues ande perfections / not onely in his creatures / but moch more in his scriptures / aÌd specially in Christ on the crosse / chefely to them that by faith conceaue him with spirite Therfore it behoueth him that will knowe what this GOD is / to beholde him particulerly in Christe / and to beseche him to giue him lyuely ande clere light to knowe him not onely in his creatures and scriptures / but specially in Christe crucifyed / to th ende that in him aÌd by him / vnderstanding the great bountie of God / we maye rendre vnto hym all honour and glory / by our Sauiour Iesu Christ Amen Section ij Howe to knowe God by hys creatures GOD in his maiesté apparelled with his perfections / aÌd in the well of his brightnes as sayth Paule is a certaine light inaccessyble and hidde 1. Timâ â But here he somwhat discouereth him self by his creatures / as who will entre into Rome / must of force knowe by the pyllers / sepultures / Images ande by the great ruines that he shall fynde there / that the Romaines in times past / haue been of great power / dominion and wisdome Esay 15. So he which entereth into this worlde / seing this great engine / must of force knowe the maker therof to be the God omnipotent And beholding the ordre of his creatures / must not onely see but also maruell at the wisdome of God Psal 1.3 And wyth Dauid crye and saye Lorde thou hast created all thinges in wisdome Ande moreouer it behoueth hym to saye that GOD is best / seyng that continually he disposeth newe gyftes vnto hys creatures And seyng that by due meanes he leadeth them to theyr ende / he is forced to confesse GODS deuine prouidence / ande so in conclusion by the thinges created / to come to the knowledge of GOD / and of all his perfections / as farre forth as they appeare in his creatures / and that because the creatures be vnyted so to gethers that eche one hangeth on other / and all of GOD / in soche wise that they make a ladder to the vnderstandinge of the naturall / by the whyche they clyme ande ascende euen to GOD. They see that this inferiour worlde / is gouuerned of the heauens / ande that the heauens kepe theyr courses vniformely / by continuall mouing / and therof be constrayned to coÌsyder / that the vertue whiche moueth theÌ / beyng infaticable ande neuer wery / is spirituall / for if it were corporall / it shulde ende or at the least waxe weake Ande so goyng farther / they consyder that that spirituall vertue / not being the supreame / is gouuerned by an other Ande because they can not attayne the infynite euerlastinge / they are forced to come to a fyrst supreamâ intelligence / the whiche moueth without being moued / and to a fyrst cause independent / ande so they ascend to the knowledge of GOD. Moreouer / by the beaulté of the creatures / they asceÌd to the knowledge of the beaulté of God By the ordre / Armonie and consent that appeare in the creatures / they attaine the consyderation of Gods infinite sapience or wisdome Psal â5 Ande so by the visyble workes of God to the regarde wherof Dauid calleth vs / sayinge Come ande beholde the workes of the lorde they attaine to consyder the inuisyble perfections of God / his euerlasting power ande Diuinité as Paule wryteth âom â There is no creature so bace nor so vyle / in whome there shineth not the glory of God / in which thou maist see hys greate power /
vs / the faith hope / charité feare and other vertues They comforte vs in our troubles / and in prosperite exhorte vs to be temperate They discouer the vanities of the world / our miseries aÌd the bountie of God And who that studieth them must of forie recyre or withdrawe him self from the worldly thoughtes / and settle his minde to mortifie his vices / inordinate desires and affections So that the studie of them is very proffitable to them that duely vse it But it behoueth not to studie as the Iewe who fyxeth hiÌ in the vttermust rynde of the letter / whiche as Paule saith killeth / and beholding Moses wyth the face couered / ande not entering into Sancta SanctoruÌ / but as the true Christian / to whome is geuen the knowledge of GODS celestiall Reygne or Kingdome / without parables / that with the lyuely spyrite doth penetrate to the lyuelie taste ande fealing of GOD in Christ / beholding hym with lyuely faith in the face discouered / ande entryng into Sancta SanctoruÌ / to see wyth clere supernaturall lyght / the hygh resplendent secretes of God To whome be geueÌ all laude / honour and glory by our Sauyour Iesu christ Amen Sermon v. Of thinconueniences that are happened and dayly happeÌ by the abuse of the holy Scryptures T The holy Scriptures of them selues be the good giftes of got and of the holyghoost Neuertheles they maye be vsed of vs wel or euell / as by experieÌce it is manifest For where as Gods elect serue theÌ selues of it to Gods honour / the reprobate contrary wyse serue theÌ selues of it to his dishonour / through their owne faute aÌd not of the scriptures In so moch that in respect of their wicked malignité it hath per chaunce done hurte in some wayes to the worlde / though at length / god of his infynite bounté reduceth all thiÌges to his honour aÌd glorie For first the scriptures aÌd specially the holy scriptures / haue aÌnoied theÌ who haue been diligeÌt to gather to gether manie bookes / and negligeÌt to studye theÌ ThiÌking theÌ selues fully learned wheÌ they haue had their librarie full of bokes Other some studying / haue not attayned to imprynte the trueth that they founde in theyr mindes / and therfore haue wrytten it in papers / so that / resting moost ignorauÌt / all their learniÌg coÌsysteth in their wrytinges / aÌd loosing them / they also loose their science Which was one of the Argumentes that caused Plato to coÌdempne lettres / sayinge that before scripture was founde / the men were moche better learned then sence / because they were forced to write in theyr mindes that that afterwardes they haue written in paper I passe ouer that many haue coÌsumed theyr time in the dishonour of god / in readiÌg aÌd wrytyng of thinges curious ande pernicious to the health And that manie transported of Curiosyté / haue willed to see so many bookes that in the ende they remained confused wythout frute As doth the felde wheron they cast ouermoch seede And of some that by those meanes haue lost their wittes But that which importeth moche more is that they thynke the true knowledge of Theologie or diuinité coÌsisteth in lettres / which is vtterly false / because they giue not true and lyuely light of the supernatural thiges that can not otherwise be knowen of vs but by spyrite / reuelation / faith spirituall taste / lyuely vnderstanding and sure experience For like as the Phylosopher without experience can haue no knowledge although he beare in minde all that is written / ande nor hauing practysed / he must rest onely in opynion grounded vppon Aristotle / Plato and the other Philosophers / whiche moueth hym to beleue theyr wrytyng to be true / being neuertheles in very dede more ignoraunt then is the poore paisaunt or husbandman / that by labouring of the Earth / without sekinge lettres / fyndeth the operacion of many naturall thynges / that proueth his science to be somwat and theirs none / though well they study for euer aÌd wante experyeÌce So likewise one symple ydeote without learning / if he haue faith / lyuely taste / and spirituall vnderstanding of God / is a greater diuine then all the learned men of the worlde that be wythout spirite Yea he is a diuine ande they none For that of the heaueÌly supernaturall thinges he knoweth so moch as he tasteth / and experânâateth by faith ãâã the learned maÌ hath onely a barraine / yâle colde aÌd dâade opintoÌ which staÌdeth without faith in desperacioÌ / accompained of euery vice Nowe therfore it appereth that of this errour / by thiking that true Theologie or diuinite coÌsisteth in learning / there are innuaerable inconuemeÌces groweÌ / and chefely that many / wantiÌg letters / aÌd not hauing tyme to studie / thinking that by other wares it is impossible to become diuines / haue not disposed them selues to demaunde of God with meke harte ande feruent desyreth lyght of the diuine thinges And moreouer they haue fledde ande withdrawen them selues from the intelly gence or vnderstaÌding of the holy scriptures / as from a terrible ruyne / because their wyse learned and holy men haue persuaded them that no man may vnderstand it but they onthe that are learned CondeÌpning them that write in the vulgare tongue / as if the true diuinite depended of the Hebrue Greke or Latin lettres / or of that witte that hath well studied them Beholde nowe therfore whether this be not a moost rawe aÌd wicked opinioÌ / beig the very cause that hath moued me thus to write iÌ my natural toÌgue to thinteÌt that knowing the true Theologie to be opeÌ to euery langdage and to the symple our owne natioÌ shulde not be priuate / who haue none other but the mother tongue Ther be many that / studying the holy scriptures without spirite / lyuely faith and supernarall light / haue not onely not attayned the true knowledge of the bountie of God aÌd theyr owne propre miseries / but the more they haue studied / the more / by the drie aÌd deade letter / they are become blynde of God and of them selues Yea vnfaithfull / vnkind / proude arrogauÌt presumptuous contentious ande repleate of all other byces Where as the supernaturall true Theologie or diuinité stewing the great bounté of God / and declaryng in our selues our owne myseries maketh vs faithfull / thankfull / iuste / humble / modest / gentle / quiet and conformable And moreouer they be so blynde that not knowing theyr owne wretchednes / they not onely forbeare to huÌble theÌ selues before God / aÌd of him hartely to demauÌde helpe lyght and grace / but also leauing praier for their studie / and the spirite for theyr learnig / they presume to be masters of the others as Paule wryteth / ande so inflambed of theyr science / haue staundered the worlde where as charyte edifieth Rom. 2. And being consequently without spyryte / they study