vs in that when we were synners christ wolde dye for vs muche more therefore nowe we beinge iustified in his bloude shall be preserued by hym from wrath What faithfull herte towched with this incomparable loue out of fayth knoweledge is not humbled with feare and confession of his synnes to god and is not heuye and repentaunte detesting his synnes saieng Shall I any more commyt that thinge whiche hath broughte this my so louynge a sauyour to so shamefull and paynefull a passion This is oure faith which cleaueth to the mooste certayne promyse of god and not to Wynch waueryng vnstable condicion This is our faith and substaunciall certitude the most ferme persuasion without any wauerynge of the merciable free forgeuenes and gracyous absolucyon of oure sinnes by the promyse of our father celestial in christes bloud hath her own proper correlatiue the promyse of god euer correspondent and not Win. knowledge of the fulfillynge of his condiciō This is the forme of oure iustification by fayth onely whiche attributeth all glorye to god as dyd Abraham and his chylderne and as many as haue vnfaynedly receyued christes gospell But let Wyn. worke on styll his wycked workes vnto thattaynement of his pharisaicall iustification before men vntyll the axe nowe bent vnto his rotis he be sodenly smiten downe of god For Passur must be turned as Ieremy sayth into Pauor his arrogant vpclymyng extollynge of him selfe aboue god must haue a shamefull soden fearfull fall These arrogant articles maye be well called the false articles of Winchesters false faith and not of christs faith For Christ confirmed his articles euermore with the law and prophetes but Win. bringeth not one worde of god for him to proue his Wherfore let them be his owne articles armed wyth his owne proud autoritie For we may not beleue hym thus exaltynge hym selfe aboue Christe whiche euer alleged the scryptures for his doctrine to be confyrmed we may not beleue my Lorde vicare generall for his high lordely supercilious pharisaicall lookes Wherefore if this Gardiner will seme to be learned lette him aunswer now with goddes worde and not dispute with poore men in his fetters and presons with his fumisshe threates fyery fagottes presonyng and persecutyng the pore innocent membres of christ for weldoinge purely frelye faithfullye preachinge goddes worde castinge of his blodhoundes into euery citie and towne to hunt out the christen simple sely flocke of christ as he of late made Wyllyam Castelyn Gouerner of the marchaunt aduenteres at Anwerpe cheiflye to hunt out such as purely and frely write and set forth bookes vnto the glory of god edifienge of christes churche and to warne men of Wynch false doctrine For this Gouerner of other men whiche coulde neuer wel gouerne hym selfe is more mete to rowe in a galey or to holde the plough then to gouerne so worshiple and honeste a company But the lorde is a lyue and heareth of these Moabites pride and blode thirstinge he seeth their secrete wiked counsels and heareth their bostinge proude crakes their supercilyous arrogancy is well knowne vnto me sayth the Lorde but yet for all their luciferine pride promotyng and extolling them selues and one an other to serue their traitourouse turnes and mutuall mischeif yet shall they neuer bringe about their wicked enforcementes For it is God that deposeth such myghtye mischeuouse from their seates and exalteth the humble It is the lorde that skatereth their wiked counsels trappeth them in theyr owne pride blodye cogitacions But let all christen kinges and Prynces beware howe they geue their swerde into suche popisshe prelates handes lest the innocent bloude be-required of god at their handes to whome be praise for euer Amen Truth it is that he whiche knoweth nether the father nor christ shall neuer beleue Christ to be an hole perfyt and sufficient sauyour and forgeuer of synnes but he shall wynde in this croked condicion of Wyn. and deuyde his iustificacion part if he geue not all to workes and part to god as did the Iewes and nowe the Turkes and suche like heithen miscreauntes whiche neuer knew god the father in by christ yea they shall deuyse and imagyn in their own opinions for true faith haue they none such workes for goddes honour as thē selues thinke to make most for a great kynges honour as to be accompanied with many men fetched in with many torches candels at none daye lyghted to hym whiche is the very lyght it selfe These blinde worshippers wyll make god an image thereby to worship him whiche idollatrye the seconde commaundement vtterlye forbyddeth They wyll worshyp him with golde perle precious stones veluete clothe of golde c. They sence synge rynge hym in with belles as they were wont to do the bishops They pipe hym vp with orgaynes all the costly pleasaunt externe rites and ceremonies as sencinge processions that can be deuysed for to please great men they vse the same to worshyppe god withall when Christ sayde God my father is a spirite and in spirite and truth wyl he be worshipped ▪ yea these wordly wicked blind Bisshops are so farre caste away for their wickednes turned vp of god into their owne hertes lustes and into a reprobate dampned mynde that they know not god fro man mortal Oh good god what mynde may this be Verelye Paule expresseth it and the cause whye god worthelye thus casteth them vp sayenge What so euer men oughte to know of god the same hath god shewed them as his almyghtye power godbeade yea that by the creacion creatures of the worlde if they wolde diligently and humblye loke vpon and expend them so that they be without any excuse of anye ignoraunce But when god had geuen Wynche this knoweledge of hym then yet he worshypped nor glorified hym not as god but as he wolde worshyppe anye other worldlye prince with outwarde rites and ceremonies neither doth he geue him thankes but sheweth his owne vaine curiosite and curiouse vanite in his owne reasonynge and disputinge for goddes moost glorious honour in so much that he hath nowe blindened his owne ignorant herte and wherein he thought to haue done moost wisely for gods worshyp and glorye there doth he mooste folyshlye and cruellye shewynge hym selfe a very foole as Paule saith turnynge vp the worshyppe of god incorruptible through his owne imaginacions to worshyppe hym after his owne fonde deuises And for this cause hath god thus cast him vp through his owne hertes lustes into al maner prodigious and beastlye fylthynes receiuinge into hym selfe the worthye rewarde of his owne erroure And forbicause sayeth Paule he doth sette at naughte so presente knoweledge of god nowe opened vnto hym and to all other that wyll embrace christ and his word therefore doth God turne him vp into this detestable opinion of his owne false iustification into so lothelye and abhominable reprobate bloudye mynde that in prisoninge persecuting fagottyng burnynge and slayeng
with his gyftes of truth and learnynge that vnderstandyng wolde serue to wype out all but that is not the sence of the scripture wherein is declared what man is destitute of god and lefte to hym selfe Mannes corrupt nature not illuminate nor directed by goddes grace deliteth in vayne thinges erreth wandereth loueth fansies seketh that hath no substaunce or beinge in it selfe and is therefor vayne and counterfayt and so a lye All wisdome all truth all vertue is of god without god man is blynded with vanities and lyes but our sauiour christ hath for our sake ouercome the deuyll destroyed death rysen for our iustificacion and ascendinge into heauen hath geuen gyftes to men and sent the spirite of truthe to be amonges vs whereby man is able to knowe the truthe confesse it vtter it to the edification of other agaynst which sort of men the scripture is alleged out of purpose to say he is a lyer because he is a maÌ„ And herein those that so improue all men generally they forgette that them selfe that so speake be men also and then by the general reprofe of men in their mouthe they proue them selfe to lye Mentiens is â—he name of a â—ophisme calâ—ed in greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when 〈◊〉 parte of â—hâ— speach destroyeth an â—thâ—r of the â—me speach and if that be so theÌ„ that other men saye is truth speakynge contrary to them and thus the matter is brought in a circle to a confusion by a sophisticall speache called menciens by eche mans mistrust to an other and eche one there fore callyng an other lyer For if I wyl improue the doctryne of them that haue wrytten because some dissente from them howe shoulde any newe man require hym selfe to be beleued dissentinge from theÌ„ also mary no saith the Anabaptist and beleue not me withoute I brynge scripture Nor beleue not me sayeth the Sacramentary withoute I brynge scrypture Beleue not me sayeth the Arriane without I brynge scripture Vho flyeth most buselye to scripture Beleue not me sayeth Ioye withoute I brynge scrypture There was neuer heretique but bosted scripture as all the Iewes bosted Abraham for theyr father and scripture by goddes sufferauÌ„ce is subiecte to mannes peruersitie and is to good men Odor uite ad uitam and to euyll men Odor mortis ad mortem Scrypture is a swete pure flowre Scripturâ— of it self all truh whereof spyders gather poyson and bees honye As thou arte that cryeste for scrypture so shalte thou gather of scrypture Goo thyther instructed with holsome doctryne and there thou shalte se it confyrmed Goo thyther infecte with malycyouse opynyons and there thou shalte wrythe oute matter wherewyth to maynteyne them And so the deuyll dydde when he tempted Christ thence he fetched his armour wherwith to fight with christ And so do all heretiques to fyght with the churche As for the disseÌ„tion betwne the fathers of the churche in exposicions of scriptures hath not arrisen of purpose to impugne anye true catholyke doctryne but for defence of that hath ben impugned by malicious heretiques Amonge symple deuout men eche text semed to beare witnes to euery truth â—he simpliciâ— of tholde â—thers not â—ing with â—ritiques and where good men with good men entreated the matter so the conclusion were catholyke and true they semed not ouer curious to searche out the propre textes for confirmacion of that they affirmed not for necligence but for declaracion of the perfite beleue in the matter whiche when it beganne to be impugned of euyl men good men for defence of truth were fayne so to considre what they sayd or graunted as they gaue thereby none aduauntage to the aduersarie who studieth onely to inuade and violate the truthe Saynt Austen in contencion with the Maniches was very precyse for free wyll whiche they impugned and with the Pelagians was precise in defence of grace whiche they impugned and for defence of the truth whiche he sawe brought in daunger fought with scriptures lyke a stoute champion as Dauyd with his stones to ouerthrowe Golias wherin howe so euer saynt Austen dissented from the rest it is not to be accoÌ„pted as a disagremente in any truth necessarye for our edification but as the feate of a wyse warriar for defence of truth to eschue such occasion as noughtie men wold gather for the subuersion of the truth And in this wyse good men learned maye humblye disagre with a deuoute intente to defende the truth whyche we ought not so peruersly to take as though all suche good mens labours and trauailes in thexposicion of scriptures were to be contempned and as though eche man by hym selfe alone coulde vnderstande and expound scriptures in the true sense whiche asseueracion howe true it is the prodigiouse and monstruouse opinions whiche haue ben and be at this daye gathered of scryptures do declare wherein as god dyd in the buyldynge of the towre of Babylon to depresse that arrogant enterpryse confounde the vnderstandynge in one tunge ConfusioÌ„ of â—nderstaÌ„ding wiâ—h multitude of dyâ—erse strauÌ„ge opinions and deuyded it into many So in this tyme when eche man with a gaye pretence of resortynge to the scriptures and to the fountayne withoute the teachynge and instruction of other catholique men do arrogantly enterprise to builde them selfe a knowledge to reache to gods secretes one catholyque faythe is deuyded into as manye sundry opinions persuasions as was the one tunge at the building of the towre of Babel into diuers languages And therfore we must remembre althoughe scrypture be the foundacion and grounde of al truth yet it is darke and obscure to senses vnexercysed and god geueth not all the spirite of prophecye and yet god hath geuen it in his church to many who haue left it testified in their labours not so as sometyme they shewe not them selfes as men and to speake of theÌ„ selfe and therefore muste be so warelye and yet reuerently redde but so as their consonaunce and agremente togyther in the matter of doctryne where they agree may leade vs to considre the more certaynlye the truth in scrypture and those good men not vpon euerye alteration one from an other to be reiect or contemned of vs as lyers as men wolde nowe a daies haue it bearynge euerye man in hande that he maye so he vnderstande englysshe lerne him selfe alone whiche is the deuylles persuasion to spercle that is gathered and where we be a congregacyon to make eche man wander froÌ„ his felow eche man onely to beleue him self And therevpon to folow as you mayster Ioye teach afterwarde to be sayde to eche man As thou beleuest so be it to the and so the churche to be in no place a churche as anye polityque bodye neyther the churche of Englande ne the churche of Fraunce to be vnite within theÌ„ selfes in gouernemente and whervnto by scripture mens desperate faultes should be toulde neither in the hole to be vnite in sacramentes and true
Christ which all are inuisible thynges hoped for But Winchester dreaming vs forth his new fained faith coupleth her to an externe knowledge of what maner a visible fulfylling I caÌ„ not tel you nor yet of what a fond confuse condicion nor yet of hym selfe expressed Ioyne thou thy faith to an outward visible bodely thinge and so it is neither faith nor hope Blessed are they that beleue se not Nowe muste Wyn. proue his condition with the fulfylling and knowledge thereof to be thinges inuisible hoped for as eternall life c. or elles his faith shal not be that fayth whiche Paule diffineth christe so often mencioneth in his gospell VvintonÌ„ IT may appeare in you euidently howe malyce maketh you blynd wheÌ„ rehersyng my wordes yet ye aske me whether fayth goeth before workes For when I saye as you reherse that the fulfyllynge of the condicion requireth fyrst knowledge what the condicion is and then that this knowledge is attayned by fayth do not I geue faith the fyrst place as the meane of knowledge what is the condicion which must nedes go before the fulfyllynge the fulfyllyng before thatteyning of the effecte In this place who is first saye you by myne owne wordes fayth or workes And yet ye saye by my proces workes go before when my wordes rehersed hitherto declare the contrary But ye were so pleasaunt in scoffinge that ye forgate the matter And these be the frutes of the spirite that vexeth you This is the milde meke sobrenes of your profession of christiane charitie I wyll aske you a question wakynge Is not all oure certeine knoweledge of gods wyl and pleasure by faith Some parte of your wordes semeth to saye yes when ye call it the certeinte of thinges inuisible And yet wheÌ„ ye say that I dreame an exâ—erne knoweledge of visible thinges with addicioÌ„ of these two wordes that is to say externe visible Ye say ye can not tel vs more of it And it is a world to se howe fondely ye talke for fayth in no sence can signify an externe knowledge which is only by the senses And where dydde I talke in my dreame of visible thinges speakynge of god and his wyll which be all inuisible and in gods wyll is coÌ„teyned the condicioÌ„ I speake of whiche after knowledge thereof as I saide muste be fulfylled and without knoweledge before can not be fulfilled As for your mangled argument to conferme the proufe ye promysse shall be more commodiously entreated afterwarde In this parte I shewe only howe ye wrangle with me take vpon you to improue that ye vnderstand not as by the rehersal of my next article shal appeare more plainly Ye reherse it thus Vvinch thyrde artycle This faith commeth of God this faith is a good gift It is good and profitable to me It is profitable to me to do well and to exercise this faith Ioye This faith so farre of flytted frome the inuisible iustyfycatyon whether it be the gyfte of God and profytable to Wynchester I doubte it but this I am sure of by Christes owne wordes that when Wynchester hathe done all that God commaunded hym whyche I dare saye he shall neuer do and so neuer fulfyll his condicion yet is he but a seruauÌ„t if he be not a lord vnprofitable I wolde aske Wynchester when he loketh and considereth fyrste theffecte of christes passion whether he beleued it or no If he did not beleue so was he then an infidell If he beleued it seinge it is the promysed forgyuenes of synnes in Christes bloud whether beleued he it to be effectuouse to hym selfe or only to other men If to other and not to hym selfe so is his faythe and the deuylles faythe all one If he beleued his owne synnes to be forgyuen thereby so was he iustified by faith onelye ere any other condicion was knowen or spoken of or elles he muste make christ a lyer which sayeth As thou beleuest so come it to the. WheÌ„ Iairus desyred Christ to come helpe his doughter and in Christes commynge Iairus his seruaunt mette him saienge Desease not Christe out mayster no further for your doughter is deade What sayde Christ Sayde he not to hym feare not Beleue only and she shall be safe These same wordes onely beleue stande bothe in Marke and Luke What condicion elles then fayth onely in Christes promysse can Wynchester fynde to enioye the effecte of Christes passion Christ all condicions elles set a syde only faith mencioned saide Thy fayth hath saued the. What condicion elles then faith dydde Chryste requyre of the chyldes father prayenge hym to caste the euyll spyryte oute of his sonne Added he any thynge elles then faithe sayenge If thou canste beleue all thynges are possible to the beleuer Awaye Wynchester with your confuse comberouse condycyon fonde fulfyllynges and your craftie knowledge and abuse not the preciouse gyfte of fayth to serue your synful affectes to proue your blasphemouse coÌ„clusion But yet perchauÌ„ce Wynchester wyll aunswere to my former questyon that when he beholdeth the forgyuenes of his synnes in Christes passyon he seeth also therwith his condicion well be it so Then aske I hym whether the forgyuenesse of his synnes there beholden and hym selfe hearynge Chryste callynge and cryeng Comme vnto me Wynchester laden with synnes and I shall ease the whether I saye it is moore profitable for hym by fayth to sette holde â–ª of the forgyuenes of his synnes nowe offered hym by christ that can not lye or to tarye and sende him worde that he wyll fyrste knowe and fulfyll his condicion A wyse man wolde thynke it moost profitable to sette holde firste by faith vpon his iustificacion frely now offered hym and to take the thynge certeyne and present rather then so precyous a gyfte neglected to labour in an vncertayne condycyon For yf his condicion be the workes of the lawe as he wyll not denye it whiche it is impossible for any flessh to fulfyll as Paule affirmeth and al our best workes are infected with Adams byrth poison stayned lyke the sycke womans clothes as Isai saith And if Wynchester I say tary tyl he hathe fulfylled his condicion he shall come to short of his iustification in Christ For ere he beginneth to ful fyll the condicion he is disobedient to christes callinge and refuseth the forgiuenes of his sinnes of which vnfaith fâ—ll disobedience what so euer dede foloweth it is synne yea and that a greuouse synne as Samuel exaggerateth it vnto kinge Saule albeit he dyd it as they say of a good intent Vvynto HItherto I haue touched your blynde malyce to improue my wordes onely because they were myne For they haue no thinge in them but that myght be spoken of one that wold mainteine your owne opinion Neyther Barnes ne his scoolefelowe dyd euer varye with me in them For they be principilles so true and euident as they can haue no contradiction of hym that is not vnshamefast And when I say this fayth commeth
this knoweledge of my celestial father am I fermly persuaded Christ Iesu his onelye sonne both god and mā to be sente for my sake into this worlde to be the annoynted Messyas kynge and preiste to be my gouerner delyuerer auenger defender my heade redemer by hys passyon medyatoure my clensinge sacrifyce once for me and for all faythfull for euer offred vp on the crosse my onelye intercessoure nowe into heuen ascended my holynes myne expiacion my rightwisenes helth way lyfe and satysfaccyon satisfyinge my fathers iustice for my sinnes neuer to be imputed to me for my onelye faythes sake daylye iustifienge and absoluinge me contynuallye reuyuynge me wyth his holy spyryte anoyntyng me wyth the grace of the holye gooste so that nowe I by hys mercye and grace being in christe his electe might walke dayly in good workes pleasynge my celestiall father vnto this knowledge and beleef he calleth all his chosen for whome he hath forseene predestined and chosen them hath he called by his worde and creacyon of this world vnto this faith and knoweledge and whome he thus called the same hathe he iustyfyed and whome he hath iustyfyed them hath he glorified Vvinton̄ IN the processe of your iustification fyrst ye say saint Paule sayth we be chosen of God in Chryste before the foundacyon of the worlde was layde whyche be the wordes of the appostle And here ye make a true entrye Then ye saye that in the fyrst chapter of saynt Iohn̄s gospell and the fyrst epystle the fyfte chapter of saynte Iohn̄ it is conteyned that when we be borne anewe of the spyryte we are called to receyue faith If you can iustifie this to be true I wyll not further impugne youre iustification But your allegation of this scripture is lyke the spellynge of a yonge strypelynge I ones went about to teach to reade He wolde neades spell backewarde A.b. he spelled it Ba. and B.A. Ab. The scripture ye allege saith He that beleueth is borne of god ye say we be borne of god to receiue beleefe Scripture placeth fayth in ordre before the byrthe not in prioritye of tyme but in natural order And ye place it after as it were also in the distaunce of tyme. The wordes of the scrypture in the gospell of saynte Iohn̄ be that so manye as receyue Chryste haue power gyuen them to be the sonnes of god suche as beleue in his name who be not borne of the bloodes nor the wyll of man but be borne of god By this texte to be the sonne of god faith muste neades go before The wordes of the epystle be these Euerye man that beleuethe that Iesus is Christe is borne of god Is not faith placed here in the order of the text before the birth as a declaration whereby to know what is signified by this to be borne of god that is to saye to beleue that Iesus is christ Not to beleue in tongue as saynt Iohn̄ sayth but to beleue in workinge that is beleued Christe teachinge Nichodemus oure regeneration seconde natiuitie of god sayeth Nisi quis renatus fuerit ex aqua spiritu sancto non potest introire in regnum dei Whiche natiuitie is ministred in the sacrament of baptisme And in thactes of thappostles when the Enuche desired to be partaker of this regeneration to be borne of god and sayde Here is water what letteth me to be baptised Phillyppe sayde to the Enuche If thou beleuest with all thy hart thou maiest And thenuche aunswered I beleue Iesus Christe to be the sonne of god And so was thenuche baptised whiche forme of baptisme the church obserueth styl in the christeninge of Infants offred to christ in the fayth catholique of their parentes And accordinge to this declaration the wordes of saynt Iohn̄s epistle be that eche man who beleueth that Iesus is Christ is borne of god not excludinge the sacrament of baptisme but declaringe that the foundacion of our regeneracion is this fayth where saynt Iohn̄ in a fewe wordes reuerentlye foldeth vp the hole misterye of oure fayth By your interpretacion ye wold haue men firste borne the chyldren o◠god then to receiue faith But Philyp expoundeth it that we receiue fayth to be borne the childrē of god therfore requireth it before the regeneracion semblable in other matters scripture preacheth penaunce to obteine remissiō of sinne and ye teache remission of sinne wherby to come to penaunce Scripture saith we do not forgiue our neighbour god will not forgiue vs. You teach that god must fyrste forgiue vs then we to forgiue our neighbour Christ calleth vs to him to be vnburdened of our synne And ye teach that we be vnburdened of our synne or we come at him And so throughly ye teach christ backward Scripture neuer taught him after that sort yet ye call vpon other for scripture and then ye wyll haue scripture playne as it is written to be vnderstāded streight of al men at the fyrst readynge whiche bearyng in hande of playnnes with a desyre that mans curiouse nature hathe to knowledge or for wante therof to be seen to haue knowlege the nūber that readeth after you saythe they vnderstand as ye do And yf suche one can say onely fayth iustifieth and a prieste is a knaue the masse is not in scripture and an Image is an idole ye prayse so much the lorde in hym and reioyse so muche as in a proselite that ye make hym runne through the scripture in thicke and thinne euen tyll he commeth to predestination and further to gods prouidence that some be so blynded at the last as they call al in doubte Ye be your selfe blynde in malice and take vpon you to be leaders of the blynd and so tumble al together in the pyt of errour with the miserable destruction of soule and body Let vs returne agayn to the scripture ye haue brought in which ye say signifieth that whē we be borne a new of the spirit we be called to receyue faith The wordes of the scripture be Eche man that beleueth that Iesus is christ is borne of god If ye wolde herein resort to grāmer and say This part is onlye to Ioye tha◠did before or pose me in my gramme◠bycause natus est is written in the preterperfitence and credit is writen in the presentence and thervpon fansy that natus est must be before credit I must aunswer you agayn by grāmer that the preterperfitens in laten signifieth the presentens as wel as the pretertēs for philophers affirme by reason of the cōtinuall mouing that tyme euer passeth nothing is properly presēt but only god And for declaraciō that the pretertence signifieth the presēt euery verbe passiue and deponēte boroweth in his preterperfittens of the verbe substantiue to ioyne with his participle both est and fuit so as natus est is properly the present perfittens and natus fuit the preterperfittens Now if the translation had been natus fuit then