that we may as we haue done here to fore mynister vnto you the salue of Gods worde ALBION I am muche bounde to you brother Philalethes for the great kindnesse that ye shew vnto me beyng so ready at al tymes to healpe and succoure me in thys great perplexity of mynde that I am in God I trust who is the author of all goodnes and who hath inclyned your hart vnto me shal reward thys your paynfull labor that ye take about me O moste mercyfull and bountious father A thanks geuinge ioigned with a faithfull prayer geuinge thee moste hartye thankes for these thy benefyttes wherewith thou hast so graciouslie refreshed vs we do humbly beseche thee to sende thy holy spyrit in to oure heartes that we may in this our communycation and talke set-fourth thy glorye onely to the vtter confusion and ouerthrowe of al the shamefull enemyes of thy free mercye and grace EVTRAPELVS God of his goodnesse vouchesafe to graunte vs all The enemies of goddes grace that we may so do For there be manye in the worlde which are suche enemyes of the free mercy and grace of God The papistes that whosoeuer doth accordinge to the scriptures affyrme or say that we are saued only by his free mercye and grace they are most ready to persecute them wyth fyer and swerde as most pernicious and abhominable heretykes and as vtter enemies of all truth DIDYMVS The Anabaptistes and free wil men Ye shall not onely fynde of them amonge the papystes but also amonge them that wyll be coumpted most perfect christians most earnest fauourers of the gospel ALBION Where so euer they he found my faythfull guydes dyd tel me that we haue fre wil whiche thing ye do all denye Therefore I would fayne hear what ye can say concerning that matter PHILALEEHES What doe they vnderstand by fre wyll For they are wonte to speake of it many and sondry wayes Some do by it vnderstand one thyng and some an other ALBION They tolde me What scole men vnderstande by fre wyll that by free wyll they do vnderstande a certaine facultye or power beynge in seperably in the will of manne wherby he mighte do or leaue vndone any maner of thinge as wit and reason dyd thinke or iudge it expediente For saye they manne by hys wit and reason dothe consyder weyghe and ponder a thynge and dothe examyne and trye whether it be good or not and then by the vertue of hys free wyll eyther he dothe it or leaueth it vndone euen as it pleaseth hym PHILALETHES What meaned they thynke ye After the papistes iudgemēt we are masters of oure wyll by that defynition ALBI. As it appeareth both by that difynition and also by other talke that they hadde afterwardes their meaninge was that we are masters of oure owne wyll and iudgement and that therfore we canne by oure owne strengthe turne oure selues whiche waye we lyste that is to say that we be able by our owne vertue to do good or euil how blasphemous popishe doctrine is concerning free wyll to saue or damne our selues EVTRA. O what blasphemye is this against God and his worde If ye do well marke this defynition ye shall easely perceiue that it is rather the difynition of prophane and heathenyshe Philosophers than of Christen doctours Ye maye well vnderstande that if this definition wer true we shuld not neede to pray vnto God for his helpe assistaunce nor to call vpō him for his holy spirit We shoulde haue no nede to saye if it pleaseth God we wil do this thing or that thing Do thei not thē bi their definitiō place mā in the stede roume of god PH. If these faithful guids of yours had any zeale to setforthe the grace of God his free mercy goodnesse they wold haue geuē an other definitiō vnto free wil. AL. Which I praye you PHI. They wold at least haue geuen the definition that s Augustine doth vse Which is this Liberum arbitrium The defynition of free wyll after Sainte Augusti est facultas rationis et voluntatis qua bonum eligitur gratia adsistente malum vero ea desistente That is to saye free wyll is a vertue or power of the reasonne and wyll whereby the good is chosen when the grace of God dothe adsiste and the euill when it is awaye or is wythdrawen The meaninge is The meaninge of Augustines defynition that by free wyll if we haue the adsistaunce and healpe of the grace of God we are able to chuse that whiche is good but if the grace of God be awaye or be withdrawen we can no more but embrace that whiche is euyll and hurtefull to oure owne soules DIDY Question And is there none other definition of fre wyll PHILALETHES Aunswer The master of sentences Li ii senten distin xxv Yea verelye For the master of Sentences dothe wryte that it is not sayed that man hathe free wyll because that he is as able to thinke and doo good as he is to thinke do euyll but because that he is not subiect vnto necessitye or compulsyon Lombardus his meaning DyDIMVS What shuld he mene by that PHILALETHES Hys meanyng is Scholemen that the euyl which man doth he doth it frely and wythout compulsion And therefore the schole men saye that this fredome and libertye is not letted thoughe we be wicked and seruauntes of sinne and can no more but synne stil and offend But truely this cānot be vnderstanded of a man that is regenerated or borne of newe For the holy ghost that is in him dothe wythstande the euil that he would do And likewise by this definition or determinatyon of the master of sentences it myghte be said that a man which is regenerated or borne of newe hathe free will How it maye be saied that a man which is regenerated hath free wyll Ecclesia cus xv chapi because that the same lyttle good that he doth he doth it frely and frankly ALBION They dyd brynge in a place out of Ecclesiasticus otherwyse called Iesus the sonne of Sirach wher it is thus written God made man from the beginning and lefte him in the hande of his counsaill He gaue him his commaundementes and preceptes If thou wylt obserue the commaundementes and kepe acceptable faythfulnesse for euer they shall preserue the. He hath set fyer and water before thee reache oute thine hande vnto whiche thou wilte Before manne is life and death good and euyll loke what him liketh shal be geuen him Episto ad ctesiphontem They did also aleadge many doctours as Ierome against the Pelagians where he sayeth thus In this doo we dyffer from brute beastes that we haue bene created with free will Li. ii contra martio home ix in gen Ei xii mora They did aleadge Tertulian Chrisostome and Hilary Which all do affirme that man hath suche free wyll as they did declare vnto me afore
manne afore hee be regenerated or borne of newe by the spyryte of God All men maye easely see by these sayinges whiche are moste surely grounded in the worde of the lyuinge God what wyl and strengthe we haue of oure selues to doe any thinge that pertaineth eyther to the glory of God or to our own saluation Therefore I can not but maruaile at our pope pelagians and at the viperous broode of the fre wyll men whych do styll to the greate iniurye of the gratuite and free grace of God The pope pelagians and the viperous broode of the free wil men so set oute boast and aduaunce the free wyll and strength of man whyche as sainte Augustyne sayeth is verye sore hurte and wounded whych is all to shaken and lost hauinge more nede of a true confession thā of a false defence Against thē now at this present beinge forced thervnto by the great loue vehement zeale that I beare vnto the truth I haue taken vppon me for to wryte that so I maye somewhat releue and helpe the poore simple and ignoraunte whome by theyr pestiferous doctrine they cause for to leaue the sure stai To staye vpon free wil is to leane vp the brokē rede of Egipte that we haue in the free mercy and grace of god and to leane vpon the broken rede of theyr free will Whyche is the next way that Sathan the deuell the enemy of our saluation can deuise for to throw them headlonge into the bottomlesse pit of eternall dampnation Theyr argumentes which they do so gaily paynt out wyth wrasted textes of the scryptures I haue diligently confuted not sticking as occasion did serue to borowe of other whiche haue foughte agaynst that monstruous heresye before me those thynges whych I iudged mete for my purpose For when we haue an enemy to ouercom it maketh no matter whether we ouercome hym wyth s newe weapon that was neuer occupyed before or wyth a weapon that hath bene all readye occupyed of other In temporall warres what dothe it skill whether we beate downe the common ennemy with our owne weapon or with our felowes weapon So that he be beatē down ouercom it is all one thinge We al oughte to seeke the glorye of God and to fyght agaynste the common ennemy of it let vs not therfore enuye one at an other but let vs faithfully helpe aide chearishe and comforte one an other in this pearyllous fyght As for my parte I am ready at all times in thys so iust a warre against the ennemies of the grace of God to retch forthe myne helpyng hande vnto all my faythfull brethren trustinge that they wyll doe the like vnto me Howe muche I haue farthered nowe the cause of the truthe lette the godlye iudge Onlye this shall be to desire your honorable Lordshyppe to accept this my rude labor whiche withall due submiffion I offer vnto youre honoure as vnto the Mecenas and patron of all godlye learninge and true religion beseching almighty God the authoure of al goodnesse to prosper al your godlye enterprises to his honoure and glorye and to the common wealth of this floryshynge realme ¶ The argument of this present boke IN this disputatyon or dyscourse of free wyll we doe fyrste speake of it as it was in man at hys fyrst creation and afore his fall where it is shewed that the place that is aleadged out of the .xv. chapiter of Ecclesiasticus for the defence of free will oughte to be vnderstanded of manne being in the estate of innocencye For then as S. Augustine dothe declare hadde he free wyll but by transgressing the lawe of God he dyd lose it Whereby he did bothe bryng hym self and all hys posterity into a miserable bondage and thraldome In the whiche we doe still remaine vntyll the sonne of God by his holye spiritte hathe made vs free For tyll then we are so pressed downe with the seruytude of sinne and with the corruptyon of oure owne fleshe that we cannot as much as thincke a good thoughte ye we runne headlonge into all kindes of sinnes beynge mooste prompte and readye to doe what so euer the fleshe and the deuil do moue and tempte vs vnto But after that we be once by the drawinge of the father come vnto oure sauioure Iesu Christe and haue fellowshyp wyth hym then do we by and throughe him recouer that which we lost in Adam but yet not so that we be alwayes able to do the good that we wold As saint Paule him selfe dothe affyrme sayinge Rom. vii I do not the good thing which I wold but the euel that I woulde not that do I. To be shorte after longe disputation and many obiections made by the aduersaries and substantially answered by Gods word and authorities of the auncient fathers it is in fine concluded that all the good that we do commeth nether of our fre wyl nor of our owne strength but of the mercy and grace of god who worcketh the same in vs by his holy spirite and that all the euill that is in vs cometh of the deuil and of our selues Laste of all mention is made of the lawe and of the fulfilling of the same Wher it is plainlye proued that no man is able to fulfil the law with such a perfection as God dothe requyre of vs and yet that no vnrighteousnesse can be laid to god although he commaundeth thinges that be impossible for vs to do By the way the righte vse of the lawe and the vtility and profit of it is diligently setforthe and by what meanes we are delyuered from the curse of the same And so an end ⧠A mooste necessarye Treatise of free wil not only against the papistes but also against the Anabaptistes whych in these our dais goe aboute to renue the detestable heresyes of Pelagius and of the Luciferians which say and affirme that we be able by our owne naturall strengthe to fulfyl the law and commaundementes of God ¶ Made dialoge wise by Ihon Veron in a manner worde by word as he dyd set it forth in his lectures at Paules I wil haue mercy on him to whōe I wil shew mercye and wyll haue compassion on him on whome I wil haue compassion Romains ix Ex. xxxiii Iacob haue I loued and Esau haue I hated Ro. ix Mala. i. Albion Philalethes Eutrapelus Dydimus ALBION In the boke whiche is called the huntinge of purgatory vnto deathe I thyncke that it is not yet eleuen of the clock therfore I thinke it best that according to the counsel that our neyghbor Dydimus gaue vs yesterday we do syt here a whyle tyl the feruent heate of the sunne be ouerpaste and that we do talcke and common of those thynges that do yet somwhat troble my conscyence PHILALETHES Ye may order vs as it pleaseth you and specially syth that ye be so ready alwayes to geue place vnto the truthe And therfore let vs hear what those thynges be that do yet trouble your conscyence
fleshly For the man that is not regenerated or borne of newe wyll speake no such woordes as Dauid dyd For they are the wordes of a manne that is alreadye made a newe creature by the Spirite of God This will then that was in Dauid did not come of hys owne self nor of his fre will that he had of his owne nature but it did com of the spirit of God who dyd geue this will vnto Dauid For Iesus Christ him selfe doth say Verely verelye I saye vnto you Iohn iii excepte a manne be borne from aboue he can not see the kingdome of God Where by he dothe meane that manne is able to doe nothynge that is pleasaunte or acceptable vnto GOD. Nor yet taste the swetenesse of the heauenly kingdome excepte it be geuen vnto him ALBION If said thei vnto me we haue no free wil Obiectiō why shoulde God so manye times call synners vnto repentaunce were it not labour lost so to do How manye tymes doth he by his Prophets crye out and say Turne ye vnto me al ye endes of the earthe Esay xlv and so shall ye be saued Againe Tourne vnto me and repent Eze. xviii If menne haue not fre wil to do these thinges the prophets do labor in vaine PHILALETHES If ye marke wel the talke and communication of youre faithfull guides aunswer ye shall easelye perceiue that they be not throughlye exercised in the scryptures For God doth not so speake vnto menne by hys Prophettes because that synners are able of theyr own selues to turn vnto hī DIDyMVS Howe be ye able to proue that PHILALETHES .. First wher Esay saithe Esay xlv in the persons of the Lorde Tourne ye vnto me and ye shall be healed by and by Ieremye dothe crye oute and saye O Lord turne me and I shal be turned For thou arte the Lorde my God Yea assone as thou turnest me I shal reforme my self Again the Lorde dothe commaunde that we shoulde circumcise oure owne heartes Iere. iiii yet by Moses he dothe declare that the same circumcision is made with his owne hande Deut. xxx He doth also require the renewing of our heartes but in an other place he doth plainly testify that it is he him self that geueth it Loke therfore what God doth promise that do we not by oure free will or nature as S. Augustine saithe but GOD dothe it by his grace And this is the fift thing The rule of Tironius that he dothe bid vs to marke amonge the rules of Tironius that is to say that we shoulde note diligentlye the dyfference that is betwixt the law and the promises or betwixte the commaundementes and the grace I maye here bringe in manye other lyke places Act. xv Paule and Barnabas do exhorte the faythfull to abyde and perseuer in the grace of God But Paule in an other place doth shewe whence that vertue of constancye and perseueraunce dothe come Ephe. vi fynally my bretherne saith he be strong in the Lorde Again for this cause do I bowe my knees vnto the father of oure Lord Iesu Christe that he woulde graunte you accordinge to the rychesse of his glory that ye maye be strengthed wyth might by the spirit of the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hartes by faith Moreouer he sayeth Greue not the holye spyrit of God Ephe. iiii by whom ye are sealed vnto redemption But the thynge that he doth requyre there because that it canne not be perfourmed by menne he doth desyre God to graunte it vnto the Thessalonians sayinge i. Thes i. wherfore we pray alwayes for you that your god make you worthy of your callinge and fulfyll al good purpose of his goodnesse and the worke of fayth wyth power that the name of oure Lorde Iesu Christ maye be glorifyed in you and ye in hym throughe the grace of our God and of the Lord Iesu Christ These places do sufficiently declare that what so euer God dothe requyre of vs the same he must worke in vs by his holye spirite For of our selues we are able to do no maner of thing the good is DIDY Question Why doth God thē speake after this maner vnto men PHI. Aunswer God causeth men to be thus admonished and warned because that it is a meane that he hathe appoynted and ordayned And whiche he dothe vse for to illuminate and lighten those that be elected and chose vnto life euerlasting and for to make thē to know their sinnes For god by the preaching of his worde by the vertue of his holy spirite doth geue vnto them that be chosē vnto lyfe euerlasting strength to turn vnto him And although this doctrin of conuersyon or turning is directed vnto all mē generally yet doth it most chieflye pertain vnto the elect and chosen vnto whom by this meane God illuminating them doth geue power and strength to conuert or turn Againe Why God causeth obstinate synners to be warned God causeth obstynate synners to be thus warned by his Prophets because that they shuld not pretend ignorance nor excuse them selues by it in the iudgemēt of God And also for to shewe that he loueth vertue rightousnesse and that he is not author of euil Whē God did send Moses vnto Pharao Exo. vii God knew right wel that Pharao wold not turne Yet we must not say that God did send him in vain ALBI. Thus they said vnto me Obiectiō wherfore do these promises serue seke after the thing that is good and not euill so shall ye liue Amos. v yea the lord god of hostes shal be with you accordinge to your owne desires Againe If ye be louinge and obedient ye shal enioye the best thing that groweth in the lande but if ye be obstinate and rebellious ye shal be deuoured with the swerde For the mouthe of the Lord hathe spoken it Iere. iiii Item if thou wylt put away thy abhominations oute of my sight thou shalt not be dryuen oute If thou shalt harken vnto the voyce of the Lorde thy God to obserue and do all his commaundements Deut. xxv Le. xxviii which I commaund the this daye then shall the Lord thy God set the aboue all nations vpon earth And such other lyke excepte we haue free wyll or except it lyeth in oure power to fulfyll and perfourme the condytions that are annexed vnto them we maye saye in deede that they be goodlye promyses if the conditions that be annexed vnto them canne not be perfourmed by oure owne strengthe and power and that God dothe playe mocke holy daye wyth vs if he promysethe thynges that it lyeth not in vs to obtayne PHILALE And I saye that it is a playne blasphemye Aunswer to affyrme that God doth playe mocke holy daye wyth vs when he doth prouoke vs to deserue his benefits although he knoweth vs to be vnable to do it For when the promises are offered vnto the faythfull vngodly in lyke The effecte
glory of righteousnes EV. By what authorityes of the scripture did he proue his saying DYDIMVS By the saying of S. Augustine wher he wryteth that concupiscence is no synne in them that bee regenerated or borne of new excepte we consente vnto the same wicked naughtye workes EVTRA. This galant doctor of yours doth great wrong to s Augustin For he saith not only that concupiscence is no sin but that it is no sinne in them that are born of new as ye your self do wel perceiue by his woordes that ye haue aleadged For god saith not thou shalt not go after thy concupiscences Thou shalt not bring them to effect nor consent vnto them but he saithe plainlye Thou shalt not couet And that concupiscence in them that are born of new is cōpted for no sinne it commeth not of the concupiscence but of the newe byrthe or regeneration whiche bryngeth to passe that God dothe not vnto hym that is borne of new impute hys concupyscence for sin For it is wrytten he that is born of God i. Ioh. iii. sinneth not that is to say his sin is not imputed vnto him Againe it is saide that be synneth not because that he suffereth not synne to raigne in him Moreouer I wyll proue by liuelye reasons that concupiscence that is to saye all euyll motions of the harte are synne Fyrst and foremoste I aske of you wherof commeth concupiscence of the fleshe or of the spirite DyDIMVS I graunt that it cometh of the flesh EV. It followeth then that concupiscence is fleshlye For as Christe saith That which is born of flesh Ioh. iii. is flesh DIDyMVS I do confesse that to EV. It followeth then that concupiscence is synne For the flesh in it selfe is nothyng elsse but sinne euer repugnynge againste the spirit as it is wrytten The flesh coueteth agaynste the spirit And in an other place Saint Paule sayeth also gala v. The workes of the fleshe are manifest which are whoredōe enuy Idolatry c. I aske this of you he that geueth occasion of synne is not he partaker of the sinne He that biddeth to steale and he that stealeth be they not both theues Now it is so that euery euel motion of the hart doth stir vp man for to sinne and if mā doth not assent nor agre vnto it the faut and lacke is not in the concupiscence that dothe all that in it doth lie to cast man headlong into sinne but it is the holy ghoste that dothe mortifye the same concupiscence in them that be regenerated or borne of newe Seing then that all sinnes do come and proceade of the concupiscence and euil motiōs of the hart we muste neades confesse that suche concupiscence and euil motions of the hart are euell If they be euill then are they forbidden of God For God doth not only commaunde to auoide sinne but also the occasion of sinne Sith then that we do retein and kepe in vs such euil motions of the harte we do euil For vnderstād ye that God by this commaundement Thou shalt not couet dothe condemne and forbid al euil concupiscence and naughty motions of the hart and not onlye the frutes that spring therof That is to saye because that God wyll haue all oure whole soule to be filled and possessed with the affectyon of loue and charity hys wyll and pleasure is that we should banish and cast out of our harts al manner of things that be contrary vnto charity and brotherly loue so that no thought shoulde rise in oure mindes for to kindle our harts wyth any concupiscence that might be hurtfull noysome vnto our neighbor For it is the concupiscence that prycketh and tickeleth the hart for to in tice him to sinne DIDyMVS It may be that man shall not consent to it EV. If man should consent vnto it then the same consent shoulde no more be called concupiscence only but a deliberate purpose And truely it is no meruel that God dothe requyre such a perfection Why god doth require such a perfection and vprightuee in man and vprightnesse in man For who wyll saye the contrarye but that it is moste ryghte that all the powers of the soule oughte to be applyed and geuen to charity And if anye part of the soule dothe shrincke or swarue from it I mean from the loue that we owe vnto God and our neighboure al men must nead confesse that it is fauty nought For wherof dothe it come that any desire to hurt our neyghboure entreth into our hart but only because that despisinge other we do only seke our owne profit For if our whole hart wer fully possessed with charity and brotherlye loue no such imaginations shuld haue entraunce into it Therefore we muste conclude that the harte is void of charitye for as muche as it doth conceiue such concupiscence DYDIMVS But me thyncketh that it is not meete and conuenyent that such vayne fantasyes as do come into a mannes brayn and afterwards do vanish away shuld be taken and condemned for concupiscences which properly haue their of spring in the hart EV. I saye that God by thys commaundement Thou shalt not couet forbiddeth not only those imaginations that rise in mans harte but also al vain thoughtes that may by anye meane moue stir vp the hart vnto concupiscence For we can neuer so sone lust or desire any thing in our mind but that the hart is straightwais therwith touched and enflamed whether it be lyttle or much But the lord doth require of vs a most perfect charity which should be farthest from all fleshlye concupiscence PHILA Sithens that thys matter hathe bene suffycyentlye debated I thyncke it good that heare we make an end praying most earnestly vnto oure heauenly father to send his holye spirit into our harts and to endue vs aboūdantly with the same that our corrupted and poysened flesh being through it tamed and mortified we may wholly geue our selues to serue him in holynesse and righteousnesse al the daies of oure liues DyDIMVS God graunt it ¶ Imprinted at London by Ihon Tisdale and are to be sold at hys shop in Lombard streate Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum
able to do nothing we can in no wyse kepe the lawes of God nor yet fulfyll them EVTRAPELVS In dede these wordes are very playne For by them we do learne that all that we haue of oure owne must either be renewed or taken away afore that we canne do any thinge that pertaine to oure saluation Wherby any man may easlye perceaue that the liberty and freedome that we haue to do well is very small or rather nothing at all PHILALETHES Iohn iii. Be not these the wordes of Iohn zacharyes sonne A man can receaue nothinge except it be geuen him from aboue Wher doubtlesse he speaketh not of the comon giftes of nature but of the speciall gyfte of the holye ghost For there dothe he complain that his disciples were neuer the better for all hys preachinges wherein he had set fourthe Christ vnto thē As if he shoulde haue sayed I do see and perceaue that woordes are nothinge auaileable for to teach and instructe menne in heauenlye thynges excepte the holye ghost woorkynge inwardelye dothe geue the vnderstanding Vnto thys dothe oure sauyoure Iesu Christe agree Iohn vi when hee sayethe No manne canne come vnto me excepte it be geuen him of my father For this cause when Peter hadde sayed Thou arte Christe the sonne of the lyuinge God This aunswere dyd oure sauioure Iesus Christ make vnto him agayne blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas For fleshe and bloude hath not opened that vnto thee Mat. xvi but my father that is in heauen And in an other place whosoeuer sayeth he dothe heare and learne of the father cometh vnto me Iohn vi But the blessed Apostell doth most strongely heate downe the vayne pride of oure free wyll men wher he writeth on this manner The naturall man perceaueth nothing of the spirit of God i. Cor. ii Whereby he doth vnderstande that the naturall man which is not renewed in Christ can not perceiue the things that be of the spirit of god For why they are but folyshenes vnto him And in his second Epistel to the Corinthians these be also his words ii Cor. iii Such trust haue we through christ to God ward not that we are sufficient of our selues to thincke any thing as it were of our selues but our ablenesse commeth of God Nowe if we be not able to thynke a good thought except God dothe put it in vs howe muche more vnable be we ether to wil or to do any thing that good is or acceptable in the sight of God But let vs graunt vnto you by way of disputation and reasoninge that we haue no such thing in the boke of God what shall they winne by it For I am able to bring nowe foure of the most principal doctors against theyr two DyDIMVS Whiche are they I beseche you PHILA Fyrste the blessed martyr Saint Cyprian Li. de predest sanctorum ad bonifaciū Li. iiii et alibi cyprianus who is a most aunciente doctor hathe lefte thys golden sentence vnto vs by wryting De nullo nobis gloriandum est quia nihil nostrum est nisi vt homo apud se prorsus exinanitus a deo totus pendere discat That is to say we oughte to boste of nothinge For nothing is our owne sauing only that man being of no reputation with hym selfe muste learne to hange all to gether of God EVTRA. As farre as I doe remember Saint Augustyne dothe many times rehearse the same saying of Cyprian PHILA Ye say true For he maketh mention of it in hys booke of the Predestination of saintes and in manye other places besydes But he hym self doth wryte much after the same manner when he sayeth Nemo se palpet Hom. in Iohannē xlix de suo Sathanas est id vnde beatus est a deo tantum habet Quid N. de tuo habes nisi peccatum Tolle tibi peccatum quod tuum est Nam iustitia detest Whyche wee maye Englyshe after thys sorte Let no man flatter him felfe for of hys owne he is a very Sathan he hath that of God only wherby he is blessed For what haste thou of thyne owne but sinne Take awaye synne from thee whiche is thine owne For righteousnesse is of God Ye see howe well he dothe setforthe manne in hys owne coloures But ye shall heare also what Gregory saith Grego li moraliū xxii ca. x. Sciunt sancti viri sayeth he se post primi parentis lapsum de corruptibili stirpe editos et non virtute propria sed preueniente gratia superna ad meliora se vel vota vel opera commutatos et quicquid sibi mali inesse cognoscunt de mortali propagine sentiunt meritum Quicquid vero boni in se inspiciunt immortalis gratiae cognoscunt donum That is to say holy men do know that after the fall of the fyrste father they be borne of a corruptible stocke and that they be not by theyr owne vertue but by the supernall grace that dothe preuent them turned vnto better desyres or woorkes and what euyl so euer they knowe to be in them selues they feale that it is deserued and come of theyr mortall kynde But what good so euer they see to be in them selues they acknowledge to be the gyft of the immortal grace And for this gyfte that they haue receyued they be debtoures vnto hym whych by preuentyng them dyd geue vnto theym that they shoulde wyll that good thynge whyche they woulde not and by followinge did graunte that they shuld be able to do that good thing that they would EVTRAPE O that all faythfull Christians A godlye wyshe woulde haue alwayes this sayinge of Gregorye before their eies For they learne thereby that they that be sanctifyed by the holi gost as thei do acknowledge that after the fal of the fyrste man they are bothe conceiued and born in sinne so do they vnfainedly confesse that all the good mynde and will that they haue to doe those woorkes that God dothe requyre of vs commeth not of them selues nor of theyr owne naturall vertue and strēgth but of the mere grace and goodnesse of God wherewith he dothe preuent them that they maye haue suche a good wyll and mynde to do good and wherwyth he as followinge he dothe healpe and adsist them that they maye be able to fulfill and perfourme that good thinge that he hathe moued them to will Againe the euil that they feele to be in them selues they doe not abscribe it vnto their creation nor yet to theyr creatoure and maker but to theyr mortall generatyon and corrupted nature but all the goodnesse that they perceiue to be in thē selues they attribute it not vnto their natural vertue strēgth but vnto the grace and goodnesse of God withoute whiche we can not as muche as thincke a good thoughte PHILA And therefore Bernarde doth write verye well when he sayeth on this maner Quid igitur Hoc ergo totum liberi arbitrii opus