it or to read in it To beleue that Iesus is Christe is to beleue in Christ that is to beleue earnestly and to put all thy trust therein and to lay the price of thy soule therupon that the sonne of Marie whom the aungell coÌ„maunded to be called Iesus because he shuld saue his people froÌ„ their sinnes is that Christ that Messias and that annoynted whiche God promised the fathers should come and blesse all nations and annoynt them with the oyle of his spirite with mercy and grace and to deliuer them froÌ„ death of their soules whiche is the consentyng to sinne and to make them a lyue with consentyng vnto the law of God and in certifiyng theÌ„ that they be the sonnes of God And to put the whole trust in all that he suffred in his fleshe for thy sake and in all promises of mercy that are in hym and that thou be full persuaded that there is no other name vnder heauen giuen vnto men to be saued froÌ„ sinne by or to purchase forgiuenesse of the lest synne that euer was coÌ„mitted An other conclusion is this whosoeuer loueth God loueth all that beleue in God For all that loue hym that begetteth loue them that are begotten of him and all that beleue in God are begotten of God through that belefe and made his sonnes theÌ„ al that loue God loue all that beleue in God An other conclusion is this When we loue God and his law theÌ„ we loue the sonnes of God Which is this wise proued The loue of God is to keepe the law of God by the text before and after the law of GOD is to loue our neighbours therfore if we loue God in kepyng his lawes we must needes loue the sonnes of God But Iohn should seme to be a very negligeÌ„t disputer to many men in that he here certifieth vs of the loue of our neighbours by the loue of God when aboue hee certifieth vs that we loue God because we loue our neighbours Hee semeth to doe as I heard once a great Clerke in Oxford stand halfe an houre in a pulpit to proue that Christ was a true Prophet by the testimonie of Iohn Baptist and an other halfe houre to proue Iohn y t Baptist a true Prophet by the authoritie of Christ as we say claw me claw thee and as euery these might lightly proue him selfe a true man in bearyng recorde to an other as false as he and takyng recorde of the same agayne Which kynde of disputyng schole men call Petitiâ— prâ—ncipij the prouyng of two certaine thynges eche by the other and is no prouyng at all as our holy father proueth the authoritie of Scripture by hys decrees for the Scripture is not autentike but as his decrees admit it to make his decrees shyne and appeare glorious and to obtaine authoritie he allegeth the Scripture after his iugglyng maner to make fooles starke mad But it is not so here for both the demonstrations are certaine both the proffe of the loue of God and his law by the loue of my neighbour and the proofe of the loue of my neighbour by the loue of God and his law For wheÌ„ ij thynges are so ioyned together that they can not be separated then the presence of the one vttereth the presence of the other whether soeuer thou first seest As if I see fire I am sure that some thyng doth burne And if I smell burnyng I am certified of fire Euen so the loue of God is the cause why I loue my neighbour and my loue toward my neighbour is the effect of the loue of God And these two loues are euer inseperable so that whether soeuer I feele first the same certifieth me of the other Iohn calleth the loue of a maÌ„s neighbour the deedes of loue after the Hebrue speach as to helpe at neede For the deede declareth what the man is within Neither can my loue to God fayth be sene to the world saue thorough the workes And by the workes doth Christ commaunde vs to iudge So that if a maÌ„ haue euill workes and continueth therin he loueth not God nor knoweth God no though he call hym selfe master doctour or Gods vicare Neither vnderstandeth he Gods word for all his high diuinitie but is in all hys preachyng an hypocrite a false Prophet and a lyer though hys preachyng please the world neuer so well Neuerthelesse a man is certified that he loueth God yer he come at the worke by the testimonie of the spirite which is giueÌ„ him in earnest The spirite sayth Paule Roma viij testifieth vnto our spirite that we be the sonnes of God and then it testifieth that we beleue in God for thorough fayth are we sonnes And then it certifieth me that I loue God For fayth and loue are inseparable The spirite thorough fayth certifieth my conscience that my sinnes are forgiueÌ„ and I receaued vnder grace and made the very sonne of God and beloued of God And theÌ„ naturally myne hart breaketh out into the loue of God agayne I seke how to vtter my loue and to do God some pleasure And because I can neither do seruice or pleasure vnto his owne person my neighbour is set before me to do God seruice and pleasure in him to be to him as Christ is to me because he is my brother bought with Christs bloud as I am And I consent vnto that law and loue it yer I come at the dede and long after the dede And then wheÌ„ I loue my neighbour in the deede accordyng to this law I am sure that I loue hym truly Or els if I examined not my loue by this law I might be deceaued For some loue their neighbours for pleasure profite glorie and for their doyng seruice onely as our spiritualtie loue vs and of that blessed loue do their busie cure to keepe vs in darkenes which loue is a signe that a man hateth God and hys neighbour therto and loueth him selfe onely But Gods law is that I should absteine from myne owne pleasure and profite and become my neighbours seruaunt and bestow lyfe and goodes vpoÌ„ hym after the example of Christ Wherfore if I loue my neighbour out of the loue of Christ and after the example of hys law I am sure that I loue him truly And his commaundementes are not greuous For all that is borne of God ouercommeth the worlde and this is the victory that ouercommeth the world eueÌ„ our faith To loue is not paynefull the commaundementes are but loue therfore they be not greuous because loue maketh the commaundements easie The seruice that a mother doth vnto her child is not greuous because she loueth it But if she should do the tenth part vnto one that she loued not her hart would brast for impacience Vnto a maÌ„ that fetleth not the loue of Christ it is as impossible to keepe the commaundementes as for a Camell to enter through the eye of a nedle But
28. the auoyding of all threatenynges and curses of which thou readest likewyse euery where but specially in the two bookes aboue rehearsed and the auoiding of all punishment ordeyned for the transgressours of the law And the olde Testament was builte altogether vpoÌ„ the kepyng of the lawe and ceremonies and was the rewarde of kepyng them in this lyfe onely and reached no farther then this lyfe this world As thou readest Leuit. 18. A maÌ„ that doth them shall lyue therin which text Paule reherseth Rom. 10. Gal. 3. That is he that keepeth them shall haue his lyfe glorious according to all the promises and blessings of the law and shal auoyde both all temporal punishments of the law all the threatnynges and cursinges also For neyther the lawe of the tenne commaundementes nor yet the ceremonies iustified in the hart before God or purified vnto the lyfe to come In so much that Moses at his death euen fourtye yeares after the lawe and ceremonies were geuen complaineth saying God hath not geuen you an hart to vnderstande nor eyes to see nor eares to heare vnto this day As who shoulde haue sayd God hath geuen you ceremonies but ye knowe not the vse of them and hath geuen you a lawe but god hath not writen it in your hartes Wherfore serueth the law then if it geue vs no power to do the law Paul answereth them that it was geuen to vtter sinne onely and to make it appeare As a corosie is layd vnto an old sore not to heale it but to stirre it vp and make the disease alyue that a man myght feele in what â—eopardie he is how nye death and not aware and to make a way vnto the healing playster Euen so sayth Paul Gal. 3. The law was geuen bycause of transgression that is to make the sinne alyue that it might be felt and sene vntill the seede came vnto whome it was promised that is to saye vntill the children of fayth came or vntill Christ that sede in whom God promised Abraham that all natioÌ„s of the world should be blessed came That is the law was geuen to vtter sinne death damnation and cursse and to driue vs vnto Christ in whom forgeuenes lyfe iustifiyng and blessynges were promised that we might see so great loue of God to vs ward in Christ that we hence forth ouercome with kindnes might loue agayne and of loue kepe the commaundementes Now he that goeth about to quiet his conscieÌ„ce and to iustifie him selfe with the law doth but heale hys woundes with freatyng coroseis And hee that goeth aboute to purchase grace with ceremonies doth but sucke the ale pole to quench his thyrst in as much as the ceremonies were not geuen to iustifie the hart but to signifie the iustifiyng and forgeuenesse that is in Christes bloud Of the ceremonies that they iustifie not thou readest Hebr. x. It is impossible that sinne should be done away with the bloud of Oxen and Goates And of the law thou readest Galla. iij. If there had bene a lawe geuen that could haue quickened or geuen lyfe then had righteousnes or iustifiyng come by the lawe in deede Now the law not onely quickeneth not the hart but also woundeth it with conscience of sinne and ministreth death and damnation vnto her ij Cor. iij. So that she must nedes dye and be damned except she find other remedy So farre it is of that she is iustified or holpen by the law The new Testament is those euerlastyng promises whiche are made vs in Christ the Lorde throughout all the the Scriptures And that Testament is built on fayth and not in workes For it is not said of that Testament He that worketh shall lyue but he that beleueth shall lyue As thou readest Iohn iij. God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that none that beleue in hym should perishe but haue lyfe euerlastyng And when this Testament is preached and beleued the spirit entreth the hart and quickeneth it geueth it life iustifieth her The spirite also maketh the law a liuely thyng in the hart so that a man bringeth foorth good workes of his owne accord without compulsion of the lawe without feare of threatenynges or cursings yea and without all maner respect or loue vnto any teÌ„porall pleasure but of the very power of the spirite receiued thorough fayth as thou readest Iohn i. He gaue them power to be the sonnes of God in that they beleued on his name And of that power they worke so that he which hath the spirit of Christ is now no more a child he neither learneth nor worketh any loÌ„ger for payne of y t rod or for feare of bugges or pleasure of apples but doth all thynges of his owne courage As Christe sayeth Iohn vij He that beleueth on me shall haue riuers of liuyng waters flowyng out of hys belly That is all good workes and all giftes of grace sprynge out of hym naturally and by their owne accord Thou nedest not to wrest good woorkes out of hym as a man would wryng veriuce out of crabbes Nay they flowe naturally out of hym as sprynges out of rockes The new TestameÌ„t was euer euen from the begynnyng of the world For there were alwaies promises of Christ to come by fayth in which promises the elect were then iustified inwardly before God as outwardly before the world by kepyng of the law and ceremonies And in conclusion as thou seest blessynges or cursynges folowe the breaking or keping of the law of Moyses euen so naturally do the blessynges or cursynges folowe the breakyng of keping of the law of nature out of which spryng all our temporall lawes So that when the people kepe the temporall lawes of their land temporal prosperitie and all maner of such temporall blessynges as thou readest of in Moyses do accompany them and fall vpon them And contrarywise when they sinne vnpunished and when the rulers haue no respect vnto equitie or honestie then God sendeth his cursse among them as hunger dearth morein bannyng pestilence warre oppression with straunge and wonderful diseases and new kyndes of misfortune and euill lucke If any man aske me seing that faith iustifieth me why I worke I aunswere Loue coÌ„pelleth me For as loÌ„g as my soule feeleth what loue GOD hath shewed me in Christ I can not but loue God agayne and his wil and commaundements and of loue worke them hor can they seme hard vnto me I thinke not my selfe better for my woorkyng nor seeke heauen nor an higher place in heaueÌ„ bycause of it For a ChristiaÌ„ worketh to make his weake brother perfecter and not to seeke an higher place in heauen I compare not my selfe vnto hym that woorketh not No hee that worketh not to day shall haue grace to turne and to woorke to morow and in the meane tyme I pitie hym and pray for hym If I had wrought the will of
but pure sinne and of Christ grace onely which are out of measure contrary But the similitude or likenes standeth in the originall byrth and not in the vertue vice of the byrth So that as Adam is father of all sinne so is Christ father of all righteousnes And as all sinners spryng of Adam EueÌ„ so all righteous men and women spryng of Christ After the same maner is here the vnrighteous stuard an ensample vnto vs in his wisedome and diligence onely in that he prouided so wisely for him self that we with righteousnes should be as diligeÌ„t to prouide for our soules as he with vnrighteousnes prouided for hys body Likewise mayst thou soyle all other textes which sound as though it were betwene vs and GOD as it is in the world where the reward is more looked vpon then the labour yea where men hate the labour and worke falssy with the body and not with the hart and no longer then they are loked vppon that the labour may appeare outward onely WHen Christ sayth Math. v. Blessed are ye wheÌ„ they rayle on you and persecute you and say all maner euill sayinges agaynst you and yet lye and that for my sake reioyse be glad for your reward is great in heauen Thou mayest not imagine that our deedes deserue the ioy and glorie that shal be geuen vnto vs. For then Paul saith Rom. xi fauour were not fauor I caÌ„ not receaue it of fauour of the bounteous of God freely and by deseruyng of deedes also But beleue as the Gospell glad tydynges promises of God say vnto thee that for Christes bloudes sake onely through fayth God is at one with thee and thou receaued to mercy and art become the sonne of God and heire annexed with with Christ of al the goodnes of God the earnest wherof is the spirite of god poured into our hartes Of whiche thynges the deedes are witnesses and certifie our consciences that our fayth is vnfayned and that the right spirite of God is in vs. For if I patieÌ„tly suffer aduersitie and tribulation for conscience of God onely that is to say because I know GOD and testifie the truth then am I sure that God hath chosen me in Christ and for Christes sake and hath put in me his spirite as an earnest of his promises whose workyng I feele in myne hart the deedes bearyng witnes vnto the same Now is it Christes bloud only that deserued all the promises of God that which I suffer and do is partely the curyng healyng and mortifiyng of my members and killing of that originall poyson wherwith I was conceiued and borne that I might be altogether like Christ and partly the doyng of my dutie to my neighbour whose debter I am of all that I haue receiued of God to draw him to Christ with al suffring with all patience and euen with sheading my bloud for him not as an offering or merite for hys sinnes but as an ensample to prouoke hym Christes bloud onely putteth away all the sinne that euer was is or shal be from them that are elect and repent beleuyng the Gospell that is to say gods promises in Christ AGayn in the same 5. chapter loue your ennemies blesse them that curse you doe well to them that hate you and persecute you that ye may be the sonnes of your father whiche is in heaueÌ„ For he maketh his sunne shine vpon euill on good and sendeth his rayne vpon iust and vniust Not that our woorkes make vs the sonnes of God but testifie onely and certifie our consciences that we are the sonnes of God and that God hath chosen vs washed vs in christes bloud and hath put his spirite in vs. And it foloweth if ye loue them that loue you what reward haue ye do not the Publicanes euen the same and if ye shall haue fauour to your frendes onely what singuler thing do ye doe not the Publicanes euen the same ye shal be perfect therefore as your father whiche is in heauen is perfect That is to say if that ye do nothing but that the world doth and they which haue the spirite of the world wherby shall ye know that ye are the sonnes of God and beloued of God more then the world But and if ye counterfet and follow God in well doyng then no doubt it is a signe that the spirite of God is in you and also the fauour of God which is not in the world and that ye are inheritoures of all the promises of God and elect vnto the fellowship of the bloud of Christ ALso Math 6. Take heede to your almes that ye do iâ— not in the sight of men to the eutenâ— that ye would be sâ—ne of them or els haue ye no reward with your father which is in heauen Neither cause a truÌ„pet to be blowen afore thee wheÌ„ thou doost thine almes as the hipocrites do in the sinagoges and in the streetes to be glorified of the worlde but when thou doost thine almes â—et not thy lefte hande knowe what thy right hand doth y â— thy almes may be in secret and thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly This putteth vs in remembraunce of our duetie and sheweth what followeth good workes not that works deserue it but that the reward is layd vp for vs in store and we thereunto elect through Christes bloud which the workes testify For if we be worldlye minded and do our works as y â— world doth how shall we know that GOD hath chosen vs out of the world But if we worke freely without all maner worldly respect to shew mercy and to do our duetie to our neighbour and to be vnto him as God is to vs then are we sure y t the fauour mercy of God is vpon vs that we shal enioy all the good promises of god through Christ which hath made vs heyres thereof ALso in the same chapter it followeth When thou prayest be not as the hipocrites which loue to stand and pray in the sinagoges and in the corners of the streetes for to bee sene of men But when thou prayest enter into thy chamber and shut thy dore to praye to thy father which is in secrete and thy father whiche seeth in secrete shal reward thee openly And likewise when we fast teacheth Christe in the same place that we should behaue our selues that it appeare not vnto men how that we fast but vnto our father which is in secret our father which seeth in secret shall reward vs openly These two textes do but declare what followeth good woorkes for eternall lyfe commeth not by the deseruyng of workes but is sayth Paul in y â— 6. to y â— Rom. the gift of God through Iesus Christ Neither do our workes iustify vs. For except we were iustified by fayth which is our righteousnes had the sprite of God in vs to teach vs we could
Christ which fulfilled the lawe for vs may euery parson that repenteth beleueth loue-eth the law and mourneth for streÌ„gth to fulfill it reioyce be he neuer so weake a sinner The two pence therefore and the credence that he left behynde him to bestowe more if neede were signifieth that he was euery where mercifull both present and absent without fayning cloking complayning or excusing and forsoke not his neighbour as long as he had nede Which example I pray God men may followe and let opera supererogationis alone MAry hath choseÌ„ a good part which shall not be taken from her Luk. x. She was first chosen of God and called by grace both to know her sin and also to heare the worde of fayth health and glad tidinges of mercy in Christ and fayth was geuen her to beleue the spirite of God loosed her hart from the bondage of sinne Then consented she to the will of God againe and aboue all thinges had delectation to heare the worde wherein she had obtayned euerlasting health and namely of his owne mouth which had purchased so great mercy for her God chuseth vs first and loueth vs first and openeth our eyes to see his exceeding aboundaunt loue to vs in Christ and then loue we agayne and accept his will aboue all thinges and serue him in that office whereunto he hath chosen vs. Sell that ye haue and geue almes And make you bagges which waxe not olde and treasure which faileth not in heauen Luke xij This such like are not spoken that we shoulde worke as hyrelinges in respect of rewarde and as though we shoulde obtayne heauen with merite For he saith a little afore feare not little flocke for it is your fathers pleasure to geue you a kingdome The kingdome commeth then of the good will of almighty God thorough Christ And such thinges are spoken partly to put vs in remembraunce of our dutie to be kynde agayne As is that saying let your light so shine before men that they seyng your good workes may glorifie your father which is in heaueÌ„ As who shoulde say if God hath geuen you so great giftes see ye be not vnthankefull but bestow them vnto his praise Some things are spoken to moue vs to put our trust in God as are these Beholde the Lyllies of the fielde Beholde the byrdes of the ayre If your children aske you bread will ye proffer them a stone and many such lyke Some are spoken to put vs in remeÌ„braunce to be sober to watch pray and to prepare our selues agaynst teÌ„ptations and that we should vnderstand and know how that temptations and occasion of euill come then most when they are least looked for least we should be carelesse and sure of our selues negligent and vnprepared Some thinges are spoken that we should feare the wonderfull and incoÌ„prehensible iudgementes of God lest we should presume Some to comfort vs that we dispayre not And for lyke causes are all the ensamples of the old TestameÌ„t In conclusion the scripture speaketh many thynges as the world speaketh But they may not be worldly vnderstand but ghostly and spiritually yea the spirite of God onely vnderstandeth them and where he is not there is not the vnderstandyng of the Scripture But vnfrutefull disputyng and braulyng about wordes The scripture sayth God seeth God heareth God smelleth God walketh God is with them God is not with them God is angry God is pleased God sendeth his spirite God taketh his spirite away and a thousande such like And yet is none of them true after the worldlye manner and as the wordes sound Read the second chapter of Paule to the Corinthians The naturall man vnderstandeth not the thinges of God but the spirite of God onely and we sayth he haue receaued the spirite whiche is of God to vnderstand the thynges which are geuen vs of God For without the spirite it is impossible to vnderstand them Read also the viij to the Romaines They that are led with the spirite of God are the sonnes of GOD. Now the sonne knoweth his fathers will and the seruauÌ„t that hath not the spirite of Christ sayth Paule is none of his Likewise he that hath not the spirite of GOD is none of gods for it is both one spirite as thou mayst see in the same place Now he that is of God heareth the word of God Iohn viij and who is of God but he that hath the spirite of God Furthermore sayth he ye heare it not because ye are not of God that is ye haue no lust in the word of God for ye vnderstand it not that because his spirite is not in you For as much then as the Scripture is no thyng els but that which the spirite of GOD hath spoken by the Prophetes and Apostles can not be vnderstand but of the same spirite Let euery man pray to God to send him his spirite to loose him from his naturall blindnes and ignoraunce and to geue him vnderstandyng and feelyng of the thynges of God of the speakyng of the spirite of GOD. And marke this processe First we are damned of nature so coÌ„ceaued and borne as a Serpent is a SerpeÌ„t and a tode a tode a snake a snake by nature And as thou â—eest a youÌ„g child which hath pleasure in many thynges wherein is present death as in fire water and so foorth would slea hym selfe with a thousand deathes if he were not wayted vpon and kept therfro Euen so we if we should liue these thousaÌ„d yeares could in al that tyme delite in no other thing nor yet seeke any other thyng but that wherein is death of the soule Secondarily of the whole multitude of the nature of man whom God hath elect and chosen and to whom he hath appointed mercy and grace in Christ to them sendeth he his spirite whiche openeth their eyes sheweth them their miserie and bryngeth them vnto the knowledge of them selues so that they hate and abhorre them selues are astonyed and amased and at their wittes endes neither wot what to do or wher to seeke health Then lest they should flee from God by desperation he comforteth theÌ„ agayne with his swete promises in Christ certifieth their harts that for Christes sake they are receaued to mercy and their sinnes forgeueÌ„ and they elect and made the sonnes of GOD and heyres with Christ of eternall lyfe thus through fayth are they set at peace with God Now may not we axe why GOD chuseth one and not an other eyther think that God is vniust to damne vs afore we do any actual dede seyng that god hath power ouer all hys creatures of right to do with theÌ„ what he lyst or to make of euery one of them as he listeth Our darknes can not perceaue his light God wil be feared and not haue his secret iudgementes knowen Moreouer we by the light of fayth see a thousand thynges which are impossible to
spirite of the lyuing God not in tables of stone as the ten commaundementes but in the fleshy tables of the hart as who shuld say we writ not a dead law with inke and in parchemenâ— nor graue that which damned you in tables of stone but preache you that which bringeth the spirite of lyfe vnto your brestes which spirite writeth and graueth the law of loue in your hartes and geueth you lust to do the will of God And furthermore sayth he our ablenes coÌ„meth of God which hath made vs able to minister the new TestameÌ„t not of the letter y t is to say not of the law but of the spirite For the letter that is to say the law killeth but the spirite geueth life that is to say the spirite of God whiche entreth your hartes wheÌ„ ye beleue the glad tydinges that are preached you in Christe quickeneth your hartes and geueth you life lust and maketh you to do of loue and of your owne accorde without compulsioÌ„ that which the law compelled you to do and daÌ„ned you because ye could not doe with loue and lust and naturally Thus seest thou that the letter signifieth not the litterall sence and the spirite the spirituall sence And Rom. ij Paul vseth this terme Littera for the law And Rom. vij where he setteth it so playne that it the great wrath of God had not blinded them they could neuer haue stombled at it God is a spirite and all his wordes are spirituall His litterall sence is spituall and all his wordes are spiritual When thou readest Math. j. she shall beare a sonne thou shalt cal his name Iesus For he shall saue his people froÌ„ their sinnes This litteral sence is spiritual and euerlasting life vnto as many as beleue it And the litterall sence of these wordes Math. v. blessed are the mercyfull for they shall haue mercy are spirituall and life Wherby they that are mercyfull may of right by the truth and promise of God challenge mercy And like is it of these wordes Math. vj. If you forgeue othermen their sinnes your heauenly father shall forgeue you yours And so is it of all the promises of God Finally all gods wordes are spiritual if thou haue eyes of God to see the right meanyng of the text whereunto y â— Scripture perteyneth the final end and cause therof All the Scripture is either the promises and TestameÌ„t of God in Christ and stories perteining thereunto to strength thy faith either the law and stories perteining therto to feare thee from euil doing There is no story nor gest seme it neuer so simple or so vyle vnto the worlde but that thou shalt finde therein spirite and life and edifieng in the litterall sense For it is gods Scripture written for thy learnyng and comforte There is no cloute or tagge there that hath not precious reliques wrapt therein of fayth hope pacience and long sufferyng and of the truth of God and also of hys righteousnes Set before thee the storie of Ruben which defiled his fathers beo Marke what a crosse God suffered to fal on the necke of his elect Iacob CoÌ„sider first the shame among the heatheÌ„ when as yet there was no moe of the whole world within the Testament of God but he and his houshold I report me to our Prelates which sweare by their honor whether it were a crosse or no. Seest thou not how our wicked bylders rage because they see their bildynges burne now they are tryed by the fire of Gods word and how they stirre vp the whole world to quench the word of God for feare of loosing their honour Then what busines had he to pacifie his children Looke what a do he had at y â— defiling of his daughter Dina. And be thou sure that the brethren there were no more furious for the defiling of their sister then the sonnes heare for defiling of their mother Marke what folowed Ruben to feare other that they shame not their fathers and mothers He was cursed and lost the kyngdome and also the Priestdome and his tribe or generatioÌ„ was euer few in number as it appeareth in the stories of the Bible The adulterie of Dauid with Barsabe is an ensample not to moue vs to euill but if while we folow the way of righteousnes any chaunce driue vs aside that we despayre not For if we saw not such infirmities in Gods elect we which are so weake and fall so oft should vtterly dispaire thinke that God had cleane forsaken vs. It is therfore a sure and an vndoubted conclusion whether we be holy or vnholy we are all sinners But the differeÌ„ce is that Gods sinners consent not to their sinne They consent vnto the law that it is both holy and righteous and mourne to haue their sinne taken away But the deuils sinners consent vnto their sinne and would haue the law and hell taken away and are enemies vnto the righteousnes of God Likewise in the whomely gest of Noe when he was dronke and lay in his tente with hys priuy members open hast thou great edifyeng in the litteral sence Thou seest what became of the curied children of wicked Ham which saw his fathers priuie members and gested therof vnto his brethren Thou seest also what blessing fell on Sem and Iaphet which went backward and couered their fathers members saw them not And thirdly thou seest what infirmitie accompanieth Goâ—s elect be they neuer so holy which yet is not imputed vnto theÌ„ For the fayth trust they haue in God swalloweth vp all their sinnes Notwithstandyng this text offereth vs an apte and an hansome allegory or similitude to describe our wicked Ham Antichrist the Pope which many huÌ„dred yeares hath done all the shame that hart caÌ„ thinke vnto the priâ—ey meÌ„ber of God which is the word of promise or y â— word of faith as Paule calleth it Rom. x. and the Gospell and TestameÌ„t of Christ wherewith we are begotten as thou seest i. Peter i. and Iames. i. And as the cursed children of Ham grew into gyauntes so mightie and great that the children of Israell semed but greshoppers in respect of them so the cursed sonnes of our Ham the Pope his Cardinals Bysshops Abbots Monkes and Friers are become mighty gyauntes aboue all power and authoritie so that the children of faith in respect of them are much lesse then greshoppers They heape mountayne vppon mountayne will to heaueÌ„ by their own strength by away of their owne making not by the way Christ Neuer the latter those gyauÌ„tes for the wickednes abhominatioÌ„s which they had wrought did God vtterly destroy part of them by the childreÌ„ of Loth and part by the children of Esau and seuen nations of them by the children of Israell So no doubt shall he destroy these for like abhominations that shortly For their kyngdome is but the kyngdome of lyes and falshead which must needes perish at
and to follow the ensample of the Saint is but an exhorting to serue Images and so are ye Image seruers that is Idolaters And finally the more deuotion men haue vnto such deedes the lesse they haue vnto Gods commaundement in so much that they which be most wont to offer to Images to shew them be so colde in offering to the poore that they wyll scarce geue them the scrappes which must els be geuen dogges or their olde shone if they may haue new bromes for them ¶ Pilgrimages TO speake of pilgrimages I say that a Christian man so that hee leaue nothyng vndone at home that he is bounde to do is free to go whether hee will onely after the doctrine of the Lord whose seruaunt he is and not his owne If he go and visite the poore the sicke and the prisoner it is wel done and a worke that God commaundeth If hee goe to this or that place to heare a Sermon or because hys mynde is not quyet at home or if because hys harte is to muche occupied on his worldly businesses by the reasons of occasions at home he get him into a more quiet and still place where hys minde is more abstract and pulled from worldly thoughtes it is well done And in all these places if whatsoeuer it be whether liuely preaching ceremony relique or Image stirre vp his hart to God and preach the worde of God and the ensample of our Sauiour Iesus more in one place then in an other that he thether go I am content And yet he bideth a Lord and the thinges serue hym and he not them Now whether his entēt be so or no his deedes will testifie as his vertuous gouerning of his house and louing demeanour towarde his neighbours yea and Gods worde wil be alway in his hart and in hys mouth he euery day perfecter thē other For there can nothing edifie mans soule saue that which preacheth hym Gods worde Onely the worde of god worketh the health of the soule And whatsomeuer preacheth hym that can not but make him perfecter But to beleue that God wyll be sought more in one place then in an other or that God will heare thee more in one place then in an other or more where the Image is then where it is not is a false faith and Idolatrie or Image seruice For first God dwelleth not in temples made with hands Act. xvij Item Steuen dyed for the contrary and proued it by the prophetes Act. vij And Salomon in the viij of the third of the kynges when he had built his temple testified the same and that he had not built it for god to dwel in yea and that God dwelleth not in the earth but that he should out of heauen heare the prayers of thē that prayed there And the Prophetes dyd often testifie vnto the people that had such a false fayth that God dwelt in the temple that he dwelt not there Moreouer God in his Testament byndeth hym selfe vnto no place nor yet the But speaketh generally concernyng where and when saying Psalme xlix in the day of the tribulation thou shalt call on me and I will deliuer thee thou shalt glorifie me He setteth neither place nor tyme. But wheresoeuer and when soeuer so that the prayer of Iob vppon the donghill was as good as Paules in the temple And when our Sauiour sayth Iohn xvj What soeuer ye aske my father in my name I will geue it you he sayth not in this or that place or this or that day but wheresoeuer and when soeuer as well in the fieldes as in the towne and on the Mōday as on the Sonday God is a spirit and wil be worshypped in the spirite Iohn iiij That is though he be presēt euery where yet he dwelleth liuely gloriously in y e myndes of aūgels onely hartes of men that loue his lawes and trust in his promises And wheresoeuer God findeth such an hart there he heareth the prayer in all places and tymes indifferently So that the outward place neither helpeth or hindreth except as I sayd that a mans mynde be more quiet and still from the rage of wordly businesses or that some thyng styre vp the word of God and example of our Sauiour more in one place then in an other ¶ Whence Idolatrie or image seruice spryngeth NOw that thou mayst see whence all this Idolatrie or image seruice is sprong marke a litle and then I will aunswere vnto the Arguments whiche these Image seruers make agaynst the open truth All the ceremonies ornamentes and sacrifices of the old Testament were Sacramentes That is to wete signes preaching vnto the people one thing or an other As circumcision preached vnto them that God had chosē them to be his people and that he would be their God defend them and encrease and multiplie them and keepe them in that land and blesse the fruites of the earth all their possessiōs And on the other side it preached how that they had promised God agayne to kepe his commaundemēts ceremonies and ordinaunces Now whē they saw their young children circumcised if they cōsented vnto the appointement made betwene God and them moued by the preachyng of that same then were they iustified therby Howbeit the dede in it selfe the cuttyng of of y t foreskyn of the manchilds priuey member iustified them not nor was a satisfactiō for the childes sinnes but the preachyng onely did iustifie thē that receaued the fayth therof For it was a badge geuē indifferently aswell vnto them that neuer cōsented in theyr hartes vnto Gods law as vnto the elect in whose hartes the law was written And that this was the meanyng of Circumcision may be proued many wayes But namely by Paul Rom. 2. where he sayth circumcision is much worth if thou keepe the lawe whose signe it was and els not And Rom. iij. where he sayth that God did iustifie the circumcised of faith whose signe it was on the other side and els not And the Paschall lambe was a memoriall of their deliueraunce out of Egipt onely and no satisfaction or offering for sinne And the offering of their first fruits preached how they had receaued all such fruites of the hand of God and that it was God that gaue them that land and that kept them in it and that did blesse make their fruites grow In token wherof as vnto a Lord roiall they brought him the first ripe frutes of their haruest Which remēbrance as long as it abode in their harces it moued thē to loue God againe their neighbour for hys sake as he so oft desired them And out of this ceremony was fette the blessing of our new ripe fruits for like purpose though we haue lost the signification And their other offerings as y t sacrices of Dones Turtles Lambes kiddes sheepe Calues Goates and Oxen were no satisfactions for sinne but onely a signe
for the spedy preachyng of the Gospell among the heathen throughout the world Now Christ as he was promised so was he sent vnto the Iewes or Israelites And what by Christes preaching the Apostles after his resurrection there were innumerable Iewes conuerted haply an hundred thousand or mo in Ierusalem and Iewry and in the countreys about and abode still in the laÌ„d Then Paul rose vp and persecuted theÌ„ in IerusaleÌ„ and throughout all Iewry and Damasco slaying all that he could catch or making them for â—weare Christ For feare of which persecution they fled into all costes preached vnto the Iewes that were scattered prouing that Iesus was Christ the Sauiour of the world both by the scripture also by miracles so that a great part of the Iewes came to the fayth euery where and we heathen came in shortly after and part abode still in vnbelefe as vnto this day Now the Iewes beyng borne and bred vp rooted and noseld in ceremonyes as I haue shewed and as ye may better see in the. v. bookes of Moses if ye would read them could but wyth great difficultie depart from them as it is to see in all the Epistles of Paule how he fought agaynst them and in processe gat the vpper hand And therto the first that were christened and all the officers and Byshops of y â— church euen so much as y e great God of Rome were Iewes for the most part a great season And moreouer as Paule sayth Ro. ix not all that came of Israel are right Israelites neither are all they Abrahams sonnes that are AbrahaÌ„s seede why so because they followed not the steps of y â— faith of their graundfathers Euen so not all they that were called and also came vnto the mariage which God the father made betwene Christ his sonne all sinners brought theyr mariage garment with them that is to were true fayth wherwith we be maried vnto Christ and made his flesh his bloud and one spirit with hym his brethren and heyres with him and the sonnes of God also But many of theÌ„ to fulfill the saying of Christ that the kyngdome of heaueÌ„ which is the gospell is like a net that ketcheth good bad were driuen into the net and coÌ„pelled to coÌ„fesse that Iesus was Christ and that seede that was promised AbrahaÌ„ and Messias that should come not of any inward felyng that the spirite of God gaue them neyther of any louely consent that they had vnto the law of God that it was good mourning both because they had broken it and because also they had no power to fulfill it and therfore to obtayne mercy and power came to Christ and vnto the father thorow him with the hart of naturall children which receaue all thyng freely of their fathers bounteous liberalitie and of loue become seruauntes vnto their brethren for their fathers sake But were compelled onely with violence of the scripture which euery where bare witnesse vnto Christ and agreed vnto all that he did and ouercome also with the power of myracles that confirmed the same That is to say they came wyth a story faith a popish fayth a faithlesse faith and a fayned faith of their owne making and not as God in the scripture describeth the fayth so beleuing in Christ that they would be iustified by their owne deedes which is the denying of Christ As our Papistes beleue which more mad theÌ„ those Iewes beleue nothing by the reason of the scripture but onely that such a multitude consent thereto compelled wyth violence of sworde with falsifiyng of the scripture and fayned lyes Which multitude yet is not the fift part so many as they that consent vnto the lawe of Mahomet And therfore by their own argumentes the fayth of the Turkes is better then theirs And their fayth thereto may stand by their owne confession with all mischiefe as it well appeareth by them and with yeldyng themselues to worke all wickednesse with full delectation after the ensample of the faith of their father the deuil and without repenraunce and consent vnto the lawe of God that it is good And the popish also do so beleue in Christ and so will be his seruauntes that they will be bound vnto dumme ceremonies and dead workes putting their trust and confidence in them and hoping to be saued by them and ascribing vnto them the thanke of their saluation and righteousnes And therfore because as I sayd the Iewes ye and the Heathen to were so accustomed vnto ceremonies and because such a multitude came wyth a faithles fayth they went cleane coÌ„trary vnto the mynde of Paul and set vp ceremonies in the new testameÌ„t partly borowing them of Moses and partly imagening like as ye now see and called them sacraments that is to say signes as it is plaine in the stories the sacrament of holy water of holy fire holy bread holy salt and so forth And they gaue theÌ„ significations As holy water signified the sprincling of Christes bloud for our redemption which sacrament or signe though it seeme superstuous in as much as the sacrament of Christes body and bloud signifieth y e same dayly yet as loÌ„g as y e signification bode it hurted not And the kissing of the Pax was set vp to signifie that the peace of Christ shoulde be euer among vs one to loue an other after his ensample as the word it self well declareth For pax is as much to say as peace And as for confirmation it is no doubt but that it came this wise vp that this was the vse which the word it selfe well declareth We read in the stories that they which were conuerted vnto the fayth of the age of discretion were full taught in the law of God as right is and in the fayth of our sauiour Iesus yer they were baptised vppon the profession or promising to to keepe that law and faith were baptised And then for the sâ—ccour helpe of young children baptised before the age of discretion to know the lawe of God and fayth of Christ was confirmation instituted that they should not be alway ignoraunt and faythlesse but be taught the profession of their Baptim And this no doubt was the maner as we may well gather by probable coniectures and euident tokens when the children were of sixe or seuen yeares olde their elders brought them vnto the priest or Deacon in euery parish which officer taught the children what their baptim ment what they had professed therein that is to wete the law of God and their dutie vnto al degrees and the faith of our sauiour And then because it should not be neglect or left vndone an higher officer as the Archdeacon for it hath not bene as I suppose in the Byshops handes alway as now neither were it meete came about from parish to parishe at tymes conuenient And the Priestes brought the children vnto hym at xj
for the deedes that pertayne vnto our neighbours and vnto the common wealth we haue not regarded at all as thynges which seemed no holy workes or such as God woulde not once looke vppon And therfore we left them vnsene to vntill they were past remedy or past our power to remedy thē in as much as our slowbellies with their false blessinges had iugled away from vs that wherwith they might haue bene holpen in due season So that y ◠silly poore man though he had haply no wisdome to expresse hys mynde or y t he durst not or y ◠M. More fashioneth his tale as he doth other mens to lest out the truth sawe that neither Goodwinsandes nor any other cause alleaged was the decay of Sandwich hauen so much as that the people had no lust to mainteyne the common wealth for blynde deuotion which they haue to popeholy workes ¶ The solutions and answeres vnto M. Mores first booke IN the first chapter to beginne the booke wythal to bring you good lucke and to geue you a say or a taste what truth shall follow he fayneth a letter sent from no man The second Chapter In the second chapter besides that it is vntrue this vse to haue bene euer since the tyme of the Apostles he maketh many sophisticall reasons about worshipping of saintes reliques and Images yet declareth not w t what maner worship but iuggleth with the terme in comune as he doth with this worde church and this worde fayth when the wordes haue diuers significations for all faithes are not one maner fayth and so forth and therefore he beguileth a mans vnderstanding As if a man sayd the boyes will was good to haue geuen his father a blow and an other woulde inferre that a good will coulde be no sinne and conclude that a man might lawfully smite hys father Now is good will taken in one sence in the maior and in an other in y ◠minor to vse schollers termes therfore the conclusion doth mocke a mās wit Then disputeth he the seruaunt is honoured for the masters sake and what is done to the poore is done to Christ as the popishe shall once feele for their so robbing them And the xii Apostles shall haue their seates sitte and iudge with Christ as shal all that here preach hym truely as they dyd and Mary that powred the ointment on Christes head before hys passion hath her memoriall and therefore we ought to set candles before Images First I aske hym by what rule hys argument holdeth And secondarily I answere that the true worshipping of Saintes is their memoriall to follow them as they did Christ And that honour we geue them and so do not ye papists but folow the steppes of your father the Pope as he doth the steppes of his father the deuill And as for sticking vp of candles I aunswere that God is a spirite and in the spirit must be worshipped only Faith to his promises and loue to his lawes and longing for the life that is in his sonne are his due honour and seruice All bodyly seruice must be referred vnto our selues and not vnto the person of God immediatly All outwarde thynges which we receaue of God are geuē vs. to take our partes with thankes and to bestow the rest vppon our neyghbours For God vseth no such thynges in his owne person but created thē for to gene thē vs that we shoulde thanke hym and not to receaue them of vs to thanke vs for that were our praise and not his Fasting watching wolward goyng pilgrimage and all bodely exercise must be referred vnto y t taming of the fleshe onely For as god deliteth not in y ◠tast of meat drinke or in the sight of golde or siluer no more doth he in my fast and such like that I should referre them vnto hys person to do him a pleasure withall For God in himselfe is as good as he can be hath all the delectation that he cā haue And the refore to wish that God were better then be is or had more pleasure then he hath is of a worldly imagination And all the spirites that be in heauē are in as good case as they can be and haue all the delectation they can haue and therefore to wishe them in better case or to studie to do them more pleasure then they haue is fleshly mynded popishnes The pleasure of them that be in heauen is that we harken to god and keepe his commaundementes which when we do they haue all the pleasure that they can haue in vs. If in this life I suffer hell gladly to win my brother to folow God how much more if I were in heauen should I reioyce that he so did If in thys worlde when I haue neede of my neighbour by the reason of myne infirmities yet I seke nought of him saue his wealth onely what other thing should I seke of hym if I were in heauen where he can do me no seruice nor I vse any pleasure that he can do me THe deuill desired to haue his imaginations worshipped as God his popishe children desire the same compell men so to honour them and of their deuelishe nature describe they both God and his Saintes And therfore I say all such fleshly imaginations as to fast the wensday in the worship of S. Iohn or of S. Katerine or what Saint it be or to fast Sayntes eues or to go a pilgrimage vnto their images or to offer to them to do them pleasure thinkyng therby to obteyne their fauour and to make special adnocates of them as a man would winne the fauour of an other with presentes and giftes and thinking that if we did it not they would be angry are playne Idolatry image seruice for the saint deliteth in no such And when thou stickest vp a candle before the image thou mightest with as good reason make an holow bely in the image and powre in meate and drincke For as the Saint neither eateth nor drinketh so hath he no bodyly eyes to delyte in the light of a candle An other is this God geueth not the promises that are in Christ for bodyly seruice but of his mercy onely vn to his owne glorie Yea and of the fathers goodnesse do all naturall childrē receaue Aske a litle boy who gaue him his gay coate he aūswereth his father Aske him why and he annswereth because he is his father and loueth hym and because he is his sonne Aske hym whether his father loue hym and he sayth yea Aske him how he knoweth it and he sayth because he geueth me this or that Aske him whether he loue his father he sayth yea Aske him why he sayth for his father loueth hym and geueth him all thing Aske him why he worketh he aunswereth his father wil so haue it Aske him why his father geneth not such and such boyes coates to Nay saith he they be not
â— little flock To put away thy sinnes Nay brethreÌ„ god forbid that ye should so thinke Christes bloud onely washeth away the sinnes of all that repent and beleue Fire salt water bread oyle be bodely thynges geuen vnto man for his necessitie and to helpe hys brother wyth and God that is a spirit cannot be serued therwyth Neyther can such thynges enter into the soule to purge her For Gods worde onely is her purgation No say they are not such thynges halowed And say we not in the halowing of them that who soeuer is sprinkled wyth the water or eateth of the bread shall receaue health of soule and body Sir the blessinges promised vnto Abraham for all nations are in Christ and out of his bloud we must fet them and his word is the bread salt water of our soules God hath geueÌ„ you no power to geue thorow your charmes such vertue vnto vnseÌ„sible creatures which he hath halowed himselfe made them all cleane for the bodely vse of them that beleue thorow his word of promise and permission and our thankes geuing God sayth if thou beleue Saint Ihons gospell thou shalt be saued and not for y e bearyng of it about thee with so many crosses or for the obseruing of any such obseruaunces God for thy bitter passion rore they out by by what an hereticke is this I tel thee that holy church neede to alleadge no scripture for them for they haue the holy Ghost which inspireth theÌ„ euer secretly so y t they can not erre whatsoeuer they say do or ordayne What wilt thou dispise the blessed Sacramentes of holy church wherewyth God hath bene serued this xv hundred yeare ye verely this v. thousaÌ„d yeres euen since Cain hetherto and shall endure vnto the worldes end among theÌ„ that haue no loue vnto the truth to be saued thereby thou art a strong hereticke and worthy to be burnt And theÌ„ he is excommunicat out of the church If y t little flocke feare not that bugge then they goe straight vnto the king And it like your grace perilous people and seditious and euen inough to destroy your realme if ye see not to them betimes They be so obstinat tough that they wyll not be conuerted and rebellious agaynst God and the ordinaunces of hys holy church And how much more shal they so be against your grace if they encrease and grow to a multitude They wyll peruert all and surely make new lawes and eyther subdue your grace vnto them or ryse agaynst you And theÌ„ goeth a part of y t little flocke to pot and the rest scatter Thus hath it euer bene and shall euer â—e let no man therefore deceaue hymselfe An aunswere to M. Mores second booke IN the first Chapter ye may not try the doctrine of the spiritualtie by the Scripture But what they say that beleue vndoubtedly and by that try the Scripture And if thou finde the playne contrary in the Scripture thou mayst not beleue the Scripture but seke a Glose and an allegorie to make them agree As wheÌ„ the pope sayth ye be iustified by the woorkes of the ceremonies and Sacramentes and so forth and the Scripture sayth that we be iustified at the repentauÌ„ce of the hart through Christes bloud The first is true playne as the pope sayth it and as it standeth in his text but the secoÌ„d is false as it appeareth vnto thine vnderstandyng and the literall sence that killeth Thou must therfore beleue the Pope and for Christes doctrine seeke an allegorie and a mysticall sence that is thou must leaue the cleare light and walke in the miste And yet Christ and his Apostles for all their miracles required not to be beleued without scripture as thou mayst see Iohn v. and Act. xvij and by their diligent alledgyng of Scripture through out all the new Testament And in the end he sayth for his pleasure that we knowledge that no man may minister SacrameÌ„ts but he that is deriuede out of the Pope Howbeit this we knowledge that no man could minister Sacramentes without signification which are no Sacramentes saue such as are of the Popes generation The iij. Chapter IN the third Chapter in the Chapter folowyng he vttereth how fleshly mynded he is and how beastly he imagineth of God as Paule sayth 1. Cor. 2. the naturall man can not vnder stand the thyngs of the spirite of God He thinketh of God as he doth of hys Cardinall that he is a monster pleased when men flatter him if of whatsoeuer frailtie it be men breake his coÌ„maundementes he is theÌ„ ragyng mad as the Pope is seketh to be venged Nay God is euer fatherly minded toward the elect meÌ„bers of his Church He loued them yer the world began in Christ Ephe. 1. He loueth theÌ„ while they be yet euill his enemies in their hartes yer they be come vnto y â— knowledge of his sonne Christ and yer his law be written in their hartes as a father loueth his young sonne while he is yet euill yer it know the fathers law to consent therto And after they be once actually of his Church and the law of God faith of Christ written in their hartes their hartes neuer sinne any more though as Paul sayth Rom. vij the flesh doth in them that the spirit would not And when they sinne of frailtie God ceaseth not to loue them still though he â—e angry to put a crosse of tribulatioÌ„s vpon their backes to purge them and to subdue the flesh vnto the spirite or to all to breake their consciences with threatnyng of the law and to feare theÌ„ with hell As a father when his sonne offeÌ„deth him feareth him with the rod but hateth him not God did not hate Paule when he persecuted but had layd vp mercy for hym in store though he was angry with him to scourge him and to teach him better Neither were those things layd on his backe which he after suffered to make satisfaction for his foresinnes but onely to serue his brethren and to keepe the flesh vnder Neither did God hate Dauid when he had sinned though he was angry with hym Neither did he after suffer to make satisfactioÌ„ to God for his old sinnes but to kepe his flesh vnder to keepe him in mekenesse and to be an example for our learnyng The iiij Chapter IN the fourth sayth he if the Churche were an vnknoweÌ„ coÌ„pany how should the infidels if they longed for the fayth come thereby O whether wandereth a fleshly mynde as though we first sought out God Nay God kitoweth his and seketh them out sendeth his messengers vnto them geueth them an hart to vnderstand Did the heatheÌ„ or any nation seke Christ Nay Christ sought them and sent his Apostles vnto them As thou seest in the storyes from the begynnyng of the world and as the parables and similitudes of the
as we haue sinned be in sinne or do sinne or shal sinne so farforth must faith in Christes bloud iustifie vs onely and els nothing To loue is to be righteous so farforth as thou louest but not to make righteous nor to make peace To beleue in Christes bloud with a repēting hart is to make righteous and the onely makyng of peace and satisfaction to Godwarde And thus because termes be darcke to them that be not expert and exercised we alway set out our meaning wyth cleare ensamples reporting our selues vnto the hartes and consciences of all men M. The blasphemous wordes of Luther seme to signifie that both Iohn Baptiste and our Lady were sinners Tyndall Iohn Baptiste sayde to Christ Mat. 3. I had neede to be baptised of thee and commest thou to me Wherof did Iohn confesse that he had nede to be washed purged by Christ of his holynes and good deedes When Iohn saide beholde y e Lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of y e worlde he was not of that sorte nor had any sinnes to be taken away at any time nor any part in Christs bloud which dyed for sinners onely Iohn came to restore all thyng sayth Christ That is he came to enterprete the law of God truely and to proue all fleshe sinners to send thē to Christ as Paul doth in the beginning of y e Romanes Which lawe if M. More coulde vnderstand how spirituall it is and what it requireth of vs he woulde not so dispute And if there were no imperfectnesse in our Ladies deedes why dyd Christ rebuke her Iohn 2. when he ought rather to haue honoured his mother and why did he make her secke him three dayes Chrisostomus dare say that our Lady was now and then taken with a little vayne glory She ioked for the promises of him that should come and blesse her from what She beleued to be saued by Christ from what This I graunt that our Lady Iohn Baptiste Isaac Iacob Ioseph Moses and many like did neuer consent to sinne to follow it But had the holy ghost from the beginning Neuer the later while they folowed the spirite and wrought their best yet chaunces met them by the way and temptations that made their woorkes come sometimes vnperfectly to passe as a potter that hath his craft neuer so wel meteth a chaunce now and then that maketh him fashion a pot a misse So that I thinke the perfectest of them all as we haue ensamples of some were compelled to say with Paul that good that I would I do not and that euill that I would not that I do I would not sweare on a booke that if our Lady had bene let slip as we other were and as hard apposed with as present death before her eyes that she would not haue denyed somethinges that she knew true ye but she was preserued by grace that she was not No but though she were kept by grace from y e outwarde deede yet if there were such wickednes in her fleshe she had sinne And the grace was that she knew it and was meeke to beleue in Christ to haue it forgeuen her and to be preserued that it should not bud forth Iohn the Euangelist when he was as holy as euer was Iohn the Baptist sayd if we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues Then he compareth fayth deedes together and will that fayth shoulde stand in no better seruice of right then deedes Yes for the deedes be examined by the lawe and therfore it is not inough to do them onely or to do thē with loue but I must do them wyth as great loue as Christ did for me and as I receaue a good deede at my nede But faith is vnder no lawe and therfore be she neuer so feeble she shall receaue according to the truth of the promiser M. What thing coulde we aske God of right because we beleue him Tyndall Verely all that he promiseth may we be bolde to aske of right and dutie and by good obligation More Ferman sayd that all workes be good inough in thē that god hath chosē Tyndall I am sure it is vntrue for their best be not good inough though God forgeueth them their euill of hys mercy at y e repentaunce of their harts Then he endeth in his schole doctrine contrary vnto all the scripture that God remitteth not the sinne of hys chosen people because that he hath chosen thē not of his mercy but of a towardnes that is more in one then in an other saying God saw before that Peter should repent and Iudas woulde dispaire and therefore chose Peter If God chose Peter because he did repent why chose he not Iudas to which repented as much as he knowledged his sinne and brought the money agayne O this blindnesse as God had wrought nothing in the repentaunce of Peter Sayde not Christ before that Peter should falle And sayd he not that he had prayed for him that he shoulde be holpe vppe agayne Christ prayed a strong prayer for Peter to helpe hym vp agayne and suffered a strong death thereto And before his death he committed them vnto his father saying I haue kept them in thy name and I depart keepe them now from euill Peter had a good hart to God and loued his lawe and beleued in Christ had the spirite of God in him which neuer left him for all his falle Peter sinned of no malice but of frailtie and sodaine feare of death And the goodnesse of God wrought his repentaunce and all the meanes by which he was brought vp againe at Christes requeste And Iudas was neuer good nor came to Christ for loue of his doctrine but of couetousnesse nor did euer beleue in Christ Iudas was by nature and birth as we all be heyre of the wrath of God in whome the deuill wrought his will and blinded his hart with ignoraunce In which ignorannce and blindnes he grew as he grew in age and fell deeper and deeper therein and thereby wrought all his wickednesse and the deuilles will and perished therin Frō which ignoraunce God purged Peter of his mercy and gaue him light and his spirite to gouerne him and not of any towardnesse that was in Peter of hys owne byrth but for the mercy that we haue in the birth of Christes death And how will M. More proue that God chuseth not of his goodnes but of our towardnes What good towardnes can he haue and endeuour that is altogether blinde and caryed away at the will of the deuill till the deuill be cast out Are we not robbed of all towardnes in Adam and be by nature made the children of sinne so that we sinne naturally and to sinne is our nature So that as now though we would do well the flesh yet sinneth naturally neither ceaseth to sinne but so farforth as it is kept vnder with
dedes shal be taken in worth yea and though at a tyme we marre all through our infirmitie yet if we turne agayne that shal be forgeuen vs mercifully so that we shal be vnder no damnation which testament is confirmed with signes and wonders wrought thorough the holy ghost Now this indented obligation layde apart we make an other of our owne imaginatiō betwene the Saints and vs in their merites for our image seruice Which can be but a false fayth seyng it hath not Gods woorde vnto which alone we ought to cleaue but is also cleane contrary therto And agayne the Saintes were not saued through their owne merites but through Christes Neither were their dedes which they dyd after they were receaued vnder grace sufficiēt in them selues to fulfill the law for the present time saue as Christes merites did supply y e imperfectnes of thē and y t which was lackyng on their part thorough their infirmities And therefore as the Saintes holy workes made no satisfaction for the sinne they dyd before they were receaued vnder mercy euen so made they none for the deadly synnes which they did vnder mercy seyng the deedes were vnperfect and had sinne annexed vnto thē by reason of the flesh and were insufficient to excuse theyr owne maisters What merites haue they in store for vs then seeing by all mens confession they now merite not◠If the most obedient child in the world disobey his fathers cōmaundementes his fore good deedes cannot make that disobedience no sinne or to be a satisfaction that the childe should presume in the confidence of his olde deedes and think his father should do him wrong to punishe him But hee must knowledge his fault and that he hath deserued punishmente and desire forgeuenes vnto the glory of his fathers mercifulnesse and not of his olde deedes though his olde obedience be a great presumption that he sinned of frailtye and not of purpose Euen so if I being as holy as euer was Paul in his most holinesse sinne this day thorough the frailtie of my fleshe mine olde deedes cā be no satisfaction but I must know ledge my sinne vnto my Father and graunt that I haue deserued damnation and meekly desire forgeuenes and challenge it by the obligation wherin God hath bound him selfe to me vnto the glory of the mercy of God not to the glory of my holy deedes for if my deedes saue me it is my glory But if he forgeue vs freely without respect of my deedes then it is the glory of hys mercye by Paules doctrine vnto the Romaines Moreouer if the saintes be in heauē then can they be there in none other case then the Aungels in which state Christ testifyeth they shall be in the resurrection Now the Angels are ministers sent of God to do seruice vnto the electe which shall be saued Heb. 1. And God hath bound himself that if I come in the right way by the dore of Christes bloud and aske helpe that he will send me if need be an hundred legions of Angels or saintes But when God hath bound himself to sende me angels or saintes or an angell or saint he hath not promised to send this Angell or that or this or that sainte And therfore when I appoynt God whom he shall send and binde him where he hath not bound himselfe to sende me what sainte I will I tempt God And thus this chosing of seuerall saintes is but tempting of God And yet wee do worse then this for we leaue y t way of Christs bloud go not to God throgh him but run to the saintes in a testament of our owne making and will that they eyther saue vs themselues for our imageseruice or compell God for merites sake to saue vs. Why goest thou not vnto thy Father thine owne selfe I am a sinner will they say and dare not If thou go in the right way thou hast no sinne Christ hath taken all thy sinnes from thee and God hath no rod in his hand nor looketh sowre but merily that it is a lust to beholde his chearfull countenance and offreth thee his hande But this way is stopped vp through vnbeleefe and therefore we seek an other which is no way to life but vnto euerlasting death We will not looke on the law with open eyes and therfore haue we no due repentaunce and so no lust to harken vnto the gospell of glad tydings in Christes bloud And where the right way is set before vs and we of malice will not walke therin God can not but let the deuil play with vs and iuggle our eyes to confirme vs in blindnesse But after what maner doth Christ pray for vs Verily Christ in the dayes of his mortall flesh suffred and prayed for all that shal be saued and obtayned and was heard and had his petitions graunted And he made satisfaction purged and purchased forgeuenes euē then for all the sinne that euer shall be forgeuen And his praying for vs and being a mediatour now is that the remembraunce of all that he did for vs is present in the sight of God the Father as fresh as the houre he did them yea the same houre is yet present and not past in the sight of God And Christ is now a King and raigneth and hath receaued power of all that he prayed for to do it himselfe And that whensoeuer the elect cal for ought in his name he sēdeth help euē of y t power which he hath receaued yea ere they aske he sendeth his spirit into their harts to moue them to aske So that it is his gift that we desire ought in his name And in all that we do or thinke well he preuēteth vs with his grace yea he careth for vs ere we care for ourselues and when we were yet euill he sendeth to call vs draweth vs with such power that our hartes cannot but consent and come And the Angels stande by and behold the testament of the elect how we shall be receiued into their fellowshippe and see all the grace that Christ shall poure out vpon vs. And they reioyce and prayse God for his infinite mercy and are glad and long for vs of very loue are ready against all houres whē we shall call for help in Christes name to come helpe And Christ sendeth them whē we cal in his name and ere we call euen while we be yet euill and happely persecute the truth of ignoraunce as Paule did the Angels wayte vpon vs to keepe that the deuils slay vs not before the time of our calling be come Now if an Angell shoulde appeare vnto thee what wouldest thou say vnto him If thou prayedst him to helpe he would aunswere I do Christ hath sent me to helpe and beleeue that the Angels be euer about thee to helpe If thou desiredst him to pray for thee to obtayne this or that he woulde say Christ hath prayed and his prayer is heard
hee listeth and maketh the grounde of whose hart he lusteth fruteful and chooseth whom he will at his own pleasure and for no other cause knowen vnto any man Who is a lyer but he that denyeth that Iesus is Christ The same is Antichrist that denyeth the father and the sonne For asmuch as Antichrist and Christ are two contraries the study of Antichrist is to quēch the name of Christ how can the Pope his sectes be Antichrist when they all preach Christ How was say I agayne to thee Pelagius whose doctrine the Pope defendeth in the hyghest degree Antichrist and all other heretickes Verely Syr the Pope seketh hym selfe as all heretickes dyd and abuseth the name of Christ to gather offeringes tithes and rētes in his name to bestow them vnto his owne honour and not Christes and to bryng the conscience of the people into captiuitie vnder hym through superstitious feare as though he had such authoritie giuen hym of Christ And euery sillable that hath a soūde as though it made for his purpose that he expoundeth falsly and fleshly and therwith iuggleth bewitcheth the eares of the people maketh them his owne possession to beleue what hym lusteth as though it made no matter to them whether hee preached true or false so they beleue and do as he biddeth them But all the textes that shew his dutie to do he putteth out of the way and all the textes therto that set the consciences at libertie in Christ proue our saluation to be in Christ onely And with Pelagius hee preacheth the iustifying of workes whiche is the denying of Christ He preacheth a false bynding and losing with eare confession whiche is not in the trust and confidence of Christes bloud shedyng He preacheth the false penaūce of dedes not to tame the flesh that we sinne no more but to make satisfaction to redeme the sinne that is past Which what other cā it be saue the denying of Christ whiche is the onely redemption of sinne He maketh of the workes of the ceremonyes which were wont to be lignes and remembraunces of thinges to be beleued or done image seruice vnto God hys Saintes whiche are spirites to purchase with the merites of them what soeuer the blynd soule imagineth whiche all are the denying of Christ For if thou wilt receaue any annoyntyng of grace or mercy any whence saue of hym he is no longer Christ vnto thee Christ is called Iesus a Sauiour he is called Christus kyng annoynted ouer all men of whom they must hold and whose benefite must all they haue He is called Emanuel God is with vs. For he onely maketh God our God our strength power sword and shield shortly our father He is called Sanctus that is holy that haloweth sanctifieth and blesseth all natiōs And these be his names for euer be no names of hypocrisie as we some time call him Thomas Curteis which is but a churle and as we call them Curates whiche care for their Parishes as the Wolfe for the flocke and them Byshops that are ouersears which will so ouer see that they will suffer nought to be prosperous saue their owne cōmō wealth as some call them selues dead which liue in all voluptuousnes and as some call them selues poore without hauing any thing proper and yet lyue in all aboundance and as they shaue and disguise them selues with garmentes and ornamentes to signifie euer a contrary thyng then that they be Nay Christ is no hypocrite or disguised that playeth a part in a play and representeth a person or state which he is not But is alway that his name signifieth he is euer a Sauiour euer annyonteth with grace euer maketh God with vs and euer sāctifieth Neither is there any other to saue and sanctifie frō sinne or annointe with grace or to set God at one with men And these thynges which his name signifie doth he euer vnto all that haue trust confidence in his bloud assone as they repēt of the sinne whiche they desire to be saued and sanctified from Now though the Pope his sectes giue Christe these names yet in that they robbe hym of the effect and take the significations of his names vnto them selues and make of hym but an hypocrite as they them selues be they be right Antichristes and deny both the father and sonne For they deny the witnesse that the father bare vnto his sonne and depriue the sonne of all the power and glory that hys father gaue hym Whosoeuer denyeth the sonne the same hath not the father For no man knoweth the father but the sonne to whom the sonne sheweth hym Math. xj Moreouer if thou knowe not the mercy that God hath shewed thee in Christ thou canst not know hym as a father Thou mayst wel besides Christ know hym as a tyraunt And thou mayst know hym by his woorkes as the old Philosophers did that there is a God but thou canst neither beleue in his mercy nor loue his lawes which is his onely worship in the spirite saue by Christ Let therefore abide in you that which ye heard at the beginning If that which ye heard at the beginning shall remayne in you then shall ye continue in the Sonne and in the Father And this is the promise that he hath promised vs euerlasting life If we abide in thold doctrine which the Apostles taught and harken to no new then abide we in the Sonne for vpon the Sonne build they vs and in the Father thorough confidence in the Sonne are heires of euerlasting life These thinges haue I written vn to you because of them that deceiue you And the anointing that ye receiued of him dwelleth in you and ye need not that any man teache you but as that annoynting teacheth you of all thinges and is true and is no lye Euen as it hath taught you so abide therein When a true preacher preacheth the spirite entreth the hartes of the elect and maketh them feele the righteousnes of the law of God and by the law the poyson of their corrupt nature and thence leadeth them thorough repentaunce vnto the mercy that is in Christes bloud and as an oyntment healeth the body euē so the spirite through confidence and trust in Christes bloud healeth the soule and maketh her loue the law of God and therfore is called annoynting or an oyntment and may well be signified by the oyle of our sacrament But outward oyle can neyther heale the soule nor make her feele saue as a signe or as a bush at a tauern dore quencheth a mans thirst neither is it a thing to put trust in Let vs ther fore folow the teaching of the spirite which we haue receiued as Paule sayeth an earnest to certifie our hartes and to make vs feele the thinges of God and not cleaue to the traditions of men in which is no feeling but that
impossible is possible and easie to where the loue of Christ is beleued For it foloweth all that are borne of God ouercome the world that is to wete the deuill which is the ruler of the world and his disciples which haue their lust in hys gouernaunce cōsent to sinne both in body and soule and giue themselues to folow their lustes without resistence and their owne flesh which also cōsenteth to sinne do they ouercome with al that moueth to sinne By what victory Verely through fayth For if our soules be truly vnderset with sure hope and trust and continuall meditations of Christes loue shewed already and of succour helpe and assistence that is promised in his name and with the continuall memorie of their examples which in tymes past haue sought through fayth and ouercome thē were it impossible for the world with all his chinalrie to ouerthrow vs with any assault or with any ordinaunce that hee could shoote agaynst vs. For if y t fayth meditation were euer present in vs then loue thorough that fayth should easly ouercome what so euer peril thou couldest imagine Read in the Bible and see what conquestes fayth hath made both in doyng also sufferyng The xj chapter vnto the Hebrues ministreth the examples aboundauntly How mighty was Dauid when hee came to fight and how ouercame hee thorough fayth And how mightyer was he when he came to sufferyng as in the persecution of the kyng Saul In so much that when he had his most mortall enemy kyng Saul that twelfe yeares persecuted him against al right in his handes to haue done what hee would with him through faith he touched hym not nor suffred any man els to do though he was yet all his lyfe a man of warre and accustomed to murther and shedyng of bloud For he beleued that God should aduenge hym on his vnrighteous kyng vpō whom it was not lawfull to aduēge himselfe Who is it that ouercommeth the world but he that beleueth that Iesus is the sonne of God If to beleue that Iesus is Gods sonne be to ouercome the world then our Prelates vnderstand not what belief is which affirme that the best belefe and the worst mā in the world may stand together This is he that came by water and bloud Iesus Christ not by water onely but by water and bloud And it is the spirite that testifieth because the spirite is truth For there are three that beare witnesse in heauen The father the worde and the holy ghost And these three are one And there are three which beare recorde in earth the spirite water and bloud and these three are one Christ came with three witnesses water bloud and spirite He ordeined the Sacrament of Baptisme to be hys witnesse vnto vs. And he ordeined the Sacramēt of his bloud to be his witnes vnto vs. And he powreth his spirite into the harts of his to testifie and to make them feele that the testimonie of those two Sacramēts are true And the testimonie of these three is as it after foloweth that we haue euerlastyng life in the sonne of God And these iij. are one full witnes sufficiēt at the most that the law requireth whiche sayth ij or iij. at the most is one full sufficient witnes But alas we are ◅t taught to take the Sacramēts for witnesses but for imageseruice to fore the worke of them to God with such a minde as the old heathen offred sacrifices of beastes vnto their Gods So that what soeuer testifieth vnto vs that we haue euerlastyng lyfe in Christ that mouth haue they stopped with a leuended maunchet of their Pharisaicall gloses If we receaue the witnesse of mē the witnesse of God is greater For this is the witnesse that God hath borne of his sonne If the witnesse of men so they be iij. is to be receaued much more is the witnesse of God to be receaued Now the witnesse that these iij. water bloud spirite beare is the witnesse of God therfore the more to be beleued He that beleueth in the sonne of God hath witnes in him selfe And he that beleueth not God maketh him a lyer because he doth not beleue the witnesse that God hath testified of his sonne And this is the witnesse that God hath giuen vs eternall lyfe and this lyfe is in hys sonne He that hath the sonne hath lyfe And he that hath not the sonne of God hath not life The true beleuers haue the testimonie of God in their hartes they glorifie God witnessing that hee is true They haue the kingdome of God with in them and the temple of God within them and God in that temple haue the sonne of God lyfe through hym And in that temple they seke God and offer for their sinnes y e sacrifice of Christes bloud and the fatte of his mercies in the fire of their prayers and in the confidence of that sacrifice go in boldly to God their father But the vnbeleuers blaspheme God and make him false describyng him after the complection of their lyieng nature And because they be so full stuffed with lyes that they cā receaue nothing els they looke for the kyngdome of God in outward thynges and seeke God in a temple of stone where they offer their imageseruice and the fate of their holy dedes in confidence wherof they go into God and trust to haue euerlastyng lyfe And though the text testifieth that this lyfe is onely in the sonne yet they will come at no sonne shynyng but as vncleane byrdes hate the light These thynges haue I written vnto you that beleue in the name of the sonne of God that ye may know that ye haue euerlasting life that ye may beleue in the sonne of God They that haue the fayth of Christes Apostles know that they haue eternal lyfe For the spirtte testifieth vnto their spirites that they are y e sonnes of God Roma viij and receaued vnder grace Our Doctours say they can not know whether they be in the state of grace therefore they haue not the fayth of the Apostles And that they know it not is the cause whey they rayle on it This is the confidence that we haue in hym that if we aske ought accordyng to his will he heareth vs. And if we know that he heareth vs whatsoeuer we aske we knowe that we haue the petitions that we aske of hym Christ sayth Math. vij aske it shal be geuen you And Iohn in the. xvj chap. Whatsoeuer ye aske in my name he shall giue it you To aske in y t name of Iesu Christ accordyng to his will be both one and are nothyng elles but to aske the thynges contayned in the promises and Testamēt of God to vs warde that God wil be our father and care for vs both in body and in soule and if we sinne of frailtie repent forgiue vs and minister vs all thynges necessarie vnto this life kepe
his daughter is rauished his wife is defiled and that of his owne sonne Rahell dyeth Ioseph is taken away yea as he supposed rent of wild beastes And yet how glorious was his ende Note the weakenesse of his children yea and the sinne of them and how God thorow their owne wickednes saued them These examples teache vs that a man is not at once perfect the first day he begynneth to liue well They that be strong therefore must suffer with the weake helpe thē in vnity and peace one with an other vntill they be stronger Note what the brethren sayd when they were tached in Egypt we haue verely sinned sayd they agaynst our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soule when hee besought vs and would not heare him and therfore is this tribulation come vppon vs. By which example thou seest how that cōscience of euill doynges findeth men out at last But namely in tribulation and aduersitie there temptatiō and also desperatiō yea and the very paynes of hell finde vs out there there y t soule feeleth the fierce wrath of GOD and wisheth moūtaines to fall on her and to hyde her if it were possible from the angry face of God Marke also how great euils folow of howe litle an occasion Dina goeth but forth alone to see the daughters of the countrey and how great mischief and trouble foloweth Iacob loued but one sonne more then an other and howe greuous murther folowed in their hartes These are examples for our learnyng to teache vs to walke warely and circumspectly in y t world of weake people that we geue no man occasions of euill Finally see what GOD promised Ioseph in his dreames These promises accompanyed him alwayes and went downe with hym euen into the depe dongeon And brought hym vp agayne And neuer forsoke hym till all y t was promised was fulfilled These are examples writtē for our learnyng as Paule saith to teach vs to trust in God in the strōg fire of tribulation purgatory of our fleshe And that they whiche submitte them selues to folow GOD should note and marke such thynges for learnyng and comfort is the frute of the scripture cause why it was written And with such a purpose to read it is the way to euerlasting life and to those ioysul blessings that are promised vnto all nations in the seede of Abraham whiche seede is Iesus Christ our Lord to whom be honour and prayse for euer and vnto God our father thorow him Amen A Table expoundyng certayne wordes in the first booke of Moses called Genesis ABrech tender father or as some will how the knee Arke a shyppe made flat as it were a chest or cofer Bisse fine white whether it be silke or lynen Blesse Gods blessings are his gifts as in the first Chapter he blessed them saying grow and multiply and haue dominion c. And in the ix Chapter he blessed Noe and his sonnes and gaue them dominion ouer all beastes and authoritie to eat them And God blessed Abraham with cattell and other riches And Iacob desired Esau to receaue the blessing whiche he brought hym that is the present and gift God blessed y t vij day that is gaue it a preheminēce that men should rest therin from bodily labour and learne to know the wil of God his lawes and how to worke their workes godly all the weeke after God also blesseth all nations in Abrahams sede that is he turneth hys loue fauour vnto them and geueth them his spirite and knowledge of the true way and lust and power to walke therin and all for Christes sake Abrahams sonne Cain so is it writtē in Hebrue Notwithstandyng whether we call hym Cain or Caim it maketh no matter so we vnderstand the meanyng Euery land hath his maner that we cal Iohn the Welshmen call Euan the Dutch Haunce Such difference is betwene y t Ebrue Greke and Latine and that maketh them that translate out of the Ebrue varie in names from them that translate out of Latine or Greke Curse Gods curse is the takyng away of his benefites as God cursed y t earth and made it barren So now hunger dearth warre pestilence and such like are yet right curses signes of the wrath of God vnto the vnbeleuers but vnto thē that know Christ they are very blessings and that wholsome crosse and true purgatory of our flesh through which all must goe that will liue godly and be saued as thou readest Math. 5. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnes sake c And Hebr. 11. The lord chastiseth whom he loueth and scourgeth all the children that he receaueth Eden pleasure Firmament the sky Fayth is the beleuyng of Gods promises and a sure trust in the goodnes and truth of God which fayth iustified Abrah Gen. 15. and was the mother of all his good workes whiche he afterafterward did for faith is the goodnes of all works in the sight of god Good workes are things of gods commaundement wrought in fayth And to sow a shoe at the commaundemēt of God to doe thy neighboure seruice withall with fayth to be saued by Christe as God promiseth vs is much better thē to build an abbey of thine owne imagination trusting to bee saued by the fained workes of hipocrites Iacob robbed Laban hys vncle Moses robbed the Egiptians And Abraham is aboute to slay and burne his own sonne and all are holye workes because they are wrought in fayth at Gods commaundement To steale robbe and murder are no holye workes before worldly people but vnto them that haue their trust in God they are holy when God commaundeth them What God commaundeth not getteth no rewarde with god Holy workes of mens imaginations receaue their rewarde here as Christ testisieth Math. 6. Howbeit of fayth and workes I haue spoken aboundantly in Mammon Let him that desireth more seeke there Grace fauour as Noe founde grace that is to say found fauour and loue Ham and Cam all one Iehouah is gods name neither is any creature so called and it is as much to say as one that is of himselfe and dependeth of nothing Moreouer as ofte as thou seest LORDE in greate letters except there be any error in the printing it is in Hebrue Iehouah thou that art or he that is Marshall in Hebrue he is called Sartabaim as thou wouldest say Lorde of the slaughter men And thoughe that Tabaim be taken for cookes in manye places for the cookes did slaye the beastes themselues in those days yet it may be taken for them that put men to execution also and that I thought it should here best signify in as muche as he had the ouersight of the kynges prison and the kyngs prisoners were they neuer so greate men were vnder his custodie therfore I cal him chief Marshal an officer as it were y t Lieuetenaunt of the tower or maister of the Marshalsey Slyme was their morter chap. 11. and slyme
and God deliuered you and hath brought you vnto a land where ye bee at home Loue the straunger therefore for his sake In the xj he exhorteth them to loue and feare God and rehearceth the terrible dedes of God vpoÌ„ his enemyes on them that rebelled agaynst hym And he testifieth vnto them both what wil folow if they loue and feare God and what also if they despise hym and breake his commaundement In the xij hee commaundeth to put out of the way all that might be an occasion to hurt the fayth and forbiddeth to do ought after their owne myndes or to alter the word of God In the xiij he forbiddeth to herken vnto ought saue vnto Gods word no though he whiche counseleth contrary should come with miracles as Paule doth vnto the Galathians In the xiiij the beasts are forbidden partly for vncleannesse of them and partly to cause hate betwene the heathen and them that they haue no conuersation together in that one abhorreth what the other eateth Vnto this xv chapter all pertaine vnto faith and loue chiefly And in this xv hee begynneth to entreate more specially of thinges pertainyng vnto the common welth and equitie and exhorteth vnto the loue of a mans neighbour And in the xvj among other he forgetteth not the same And in the xvij he entreateth of right and equitie chiefly in so much that when hee looketh vnto faith and vnto the punishment of Idolaters hee yet endeth in a law of loue and equitie forbiddyng to condemne any man vnder lesse then two witnesses at the lest and commaundeth to bryng the trespassers vnto the open gate of the citie where all men go in and out that all men might heare the cause and see that he had but right But the Pope hath founde a better way euen to oppose him with out any accuser and that secretly that no man know whether hee haue right or no either heare his Articles or aunswere for feare lest the people should searche whether it were so or no. In the xviij hee forbiddeth all false and deuilish crafts that hurt true faith Moreouer because the people could not heare the voyce of the law spoken to them in fire he promiseth them an other Prophet to bring them better tydynges whiche was spoken of Christ our Sauiour The xix and so forth vnto the end of the xxvij is almost altogether of loue vnto our neighbours and of lawes of equitie and honesty with now and theÌ„ a respect vnto faith The xxviij is a terrible Chapter and to be trembled at A Chrisren maÌ„s hart might well bleed for sorrow at the readyng of it for feare of the wrath that is like to come vpon vs accordyng vnto all the curses which thou there readest For accordyng vnto these curse hath God delt with with all nations after they were fallen into the abhominations of blindnesse The xxix is like terrible with a godly lesson in the end that we shold leaue searchyng of Gods secrets geue diligence to walke accordyng to that hee hath opened vnto vs. For the keepyng of the commaundementes of God teacheth wisedome as thou maiest see in the same Chapter where Moses saith keepe the commaundementes that ye may vnderstand what ye ought to doe But to search Gods secretes blindeth a maÌ„ as it wel proued by the swarmes of our sophisters whose wise bookes are now when we looke in the Scripture founde but full of foolishnesse The Prologue of the Prophete Ionas made by William Tyndall AS the enuious Philislines stopped y e welles of Abraham and filled them vp with earth to put the memoriall out of mynde to the entent that they might chalenge the grounde euen so the fleshly minded hipocrites stoppe vp the vaynes of life which are in the scripture with the earth of their traditions false similitudes and lying allegories that of lyke zeale to make the Scripture their owne possession and merchaundice and so shut vp the kyngdome of heauen which is Gods worde neither entring in themselues nor suffering them that would The Scripture hath a body without and within a soule spirite lyfe It hath without a barke a shel and as it were an harde bone for the fleshlye mynded to gnaw vpon And within it hath pith cornell mary and all swetenes for Gods elect which he hath chosen to geue them hys spirite to write hys law and the fayth of hys sonne in their hartes The scripture conteineth iij. thinges in it First the lawe to condemne all flesh Secondarily the Gospel that is to say promises of mercy for al that repente and knowledge theyr sinnes at the preachyng of the lawe and consent in their hartes that the lawe is good and submit themselues to bee scholers to learne to kepe the law and to learn to beleue the mercye that is promised them and thirdly the stories lyues of those scholers both what chaunces fortuned them also by what meanes their scholemaister taughte them and made them perfect and how he tried y e true from the false When the hipocrites come to the law they put gloses to and make no more of it theÌ„ of a worldly law which is satisfied with the outwarde worke and whiche a Turke may also fulfill When yet Gods law neuer ceaseth to condemne a man vntil it be written in hys harte and vntill he keepe it naturally without compulsion and all other respect saue onely of pure loue to God and his neighbour as he naturally eateth when he is an hungred without compulsion and all other respect saue to slake hys hunger onely And when they come to the Gospell there they mingle their leuen and say GOD now receiueth vs no more to mercy but of mercy receueth vs to penaunce that is to witte holy deedes y â— make them fatte bellies and vs their captiues both in soule and body And yet they fayne their Idole the Pope so mercifull that if that thou make a litle money glister in hys Balaams eyes there is neither penance nor purgatory nor any fastyng at all but to flye to heauen as swift as a thought at the twincklyng of an eye And the liues stories and giftes of men whith are contayned in the bible they reade as thinges no more pertaining vnto them then a tale of Robin hood as things they wot not wherto they serue saue to faine false discant and iuglyng allegories to stablishe their kyngdome with all And one of the chiefest and fleshliest studies they haue is to magnifie the â—aintes aboue measure and aboue the truth with their Poetry to make them greter theÌ„ euer God made them And if they find any infirmitie or sinne ascribed vnto the sayntes that they excuse with all diligence diminishyng the glory of the mercy of god and robbyng wretched sinners of all theyr comforte thinke therby to flatter the saintes and to obtayne their fauour and to make speciall aduocates
passion Peter was angry and rebuked Christ and thought earnestly that he had raued and not wist what he sayde as at another time when Christ was so feruently busied in healyng the people that he had no leisure to eat they went out to hold him supposing that he had bene beside hymselfe And one that cast out diuels in Christes name they forbade because he wayted not on them so glorious were they yet And though Christ taught alway to forgeue yet Peter after long goyng to schole asked whether men should forgeue seuen tymes thinkyng that viij tymes had bene to much And at the last supper Peter would haue dyed with christ but yet within few houres after he denyed him both cowardly and shamefully And after the same maner though he had so long heard that no man might auenge him self but rather turne the other cheeke to then to smite agayne yet when Christ was in takyng Peter asked whether it were lawful to smite with the sword and taried none aunswere but layed on rashly So that though when we come first vnto knowledge of the truth and the peace is made betwene God and vs and we loue his lawes and beleue and trust in him as in our father and haue good hartes vnto him and be borne a new in the spirite yet we are but childrē and young scholers weake and feble and must haue leysure to grow in the spirite in knowledge loue and in the ded◅ therof as young children must haue tyme to grow in their bodies And God our father and scholemaster feedeth vs and teacheth vs accorcordyng vnto the capacitie of our stomackes and maketh vs to grow and waxe perfect and fineth and trieth vs as gold in the fire of temptations and tribulations As Moyses witnesseth Deutero viij saying Remember all the way by whiche the Lord thy God caried thee this xl yeares in the wildernesse to humble thee and to tempte or prouoke thee y t it might be knowen what were in thine hart He brought thee into aduersitie and made thee an hungred then fed thee with Manna which neither thou nor yet thy fathers euer knew of to teach that man lyueth not by bread onely but by all that procedeth out of the mouth of GOD. For the promises of God are lyfe vnto all that cleaue vnto them muche more then breade and bodyly sustenaunce as the iourney of the children of Israell out of Egipt into the land promised them ministreth thee notable ensamples and that aboundantly as doth all the rest of the Bible also Howbeit it is impossible for flesh to beleue and to trust in the truth of Gods promises vntil he haue learned it in much tribulation after that God hath deliuered him out therof agayne God therefore to teach Ionas and to shew him his owne hart to make him perfect and to instruct vs also by his ensample sent him out of the lande of Israell where he was a Prophet to go among the heathen people and to the greatest and mightiest Citie of the world then called Niniue to preache that within xl dayes they should all perish for their sinnes and that the Citie should be ouerthrowen Whiche message the free will of Ionas had as much power to doe as the weakest harted womā in the world ▪ hath power if◅ were commaunde◅ to leape int◅e of lyuyng snakes and adders as happely if God had cōmaunded Sara to haue sacrificed her sonne Isaa◅ as he did Abraham she would haue disputed with him yer shee had done it or though she were strong enough yet many an holy Saint could not haue founde in their hartes but would haue runne away from the presence of the commaundement of God with Ionas if they had bene so strongly tempted For Ionas thought of this maner loe I am here a Prophet vnto Gods people the Israelites Whiche though they haue Gods worde testified vnto them dayly yet despise it and worshyp God vnder the likenesse of calues and after all maner fashions saue after hys owne word and therfore are of all nations the worst and most worthy of punishment And yet God for loue of fewe that are among them and for his names sake spareth and defendeth them How then should GOD take so cruel vengeaunce on so great a multitude of them to whō hys name was neuer preached to and therfore are not the tenth part so euill as these If I shall therfore go preach so shal I laye and shame my selfe and God thereto make them the more to dispise God and set the lesse by him and to bee the more cruell vnto his people And vpon that imagination he fled from the face or presence of God that is out of the coūtrey where God was worshipped in and from the prosecutyng of Gods commaundement and thought I will get me an other way among the heathen people and be no more a prophet but liue at rest and out of all combraunce Neuerthelesse the God of all mercy which careth fo◠his elect children turneth all vnto good to them and smiteth them to heale thē againe and killeth them to make them aliue agayne and playeth with them as a father doth some tyme with his young ignoraunt children and tempteth them and proueth them to make them see their owne hartes prouided for Ionas how all thinges should be When Ionas entred into the shyp he layd him down to slepe and to take his rest that is his conscience was tossed betwene the commaundement of God which sent him to Ninine and his fleshly wisedome that dissnaded counselled him the contrary and at the last preuailed against the commaundement and caryed him an other way as a shyp caught betwene two streames as Poetes faine the mother of Meliager to be betwen diuers affections while to aduenge her brothers death shee sought to slea her owne sonne Whereupon for very paine and tediousnes he lay down to slepe for to put the commaundement which so gnewe and fret his conscience out of mynde as the nature of all wicked is when they haue sinned a good to seke all meanes with riot reuell and pastime to driue the remembraūce of sinne out of their thoughtes or as Adam did to couer their nakednes with apornes of Pope holy workes But God awoke him out of his dreame set his sinnes before his face For when y t lot had caught Ionas then bee sure that his sinnes came to remembraunce agayne and that his cōscience raged no lesse then the waues of the Sea And then he thought that he onely was a sinner and the heathen that were in the shyp none in respect of him and thought also as veryly as he was fled from God that as veryly God had cast him away for the sight of the rodde maketh the naturall child not onely to see and to knowledge his faulte but also to forget all his fathers old mercy and kindnesse And then he confessed his sinne openly
and had yet leuer perishe alone then that the other should haue perished with him for his sake and so of very desperatiō to haue lyued any longer he bad cast him into the Sea betimes except they would be lost also To speake of lottes how farre forth they are lawfull is a light question First to vse them for the breakyng of strife as when parteners their goods as equally diuided as they can take euery man his part by lot to auoyde all suspition of disceitfulnesse and as the Apostles in the first of the Actes when they sought an other to succede Iudas the traitour and two persōs were presented then to breake strife and to satisfie all parties did cast lottes whether should be admitted desiryng God to temper them and to take whom he knew most mete seyng they wyste not whether to preferre or happely could not all agree on either is lawfull and in all like cases But to abuse them vnto the temptyng of God and to compell hym therewith to vtter thinges wherof we stand in doubt when we haue no commaundement of him so to do as these heathen here dyd though God turned it vnto his glorie can not be but euill The heathen shypmen astonyed at the sight of the miracle feared GOD prayed to him offered sacrifice and vowed vowes And I doubte not but that some of them or happely all came thereby vnto the true knowledge and true worshipping of GOD and were wonne to GOD in their soules And thus God which is infinite mercifull in all his wayes wrought their soules health out of the infirmitie of Ionas euen of his good wil and purpose and loue wherewith he loued them before the world was made not of chaunce as it appeareth vnto the eyes of the ignoraunt And that Ionas was three dayes and three nightes in the belye of hys fishe we can not therby proue vnto the Iewes and infideles or vnto any mā that Christ must therefore dye and bee buried and rise againe But we vse the ensample and likenesse to strength the fayth of the weake For he that beleueth the one cā not dout in the other in as much as the hand of GOD was no lesse mightie in preseruyng Ionas alyue agaynst all naturall possibilitie and in deliueryng him safe out of this fish then in raising vp Christ agayne out of his sepulchre And we may describe the power and vertue of the resurrection thereby as Christ him selfe boroweth the similitude therto Math. xij saying vnto the Iewes that came about him and desired a signe or a wōder from heauen to certifie them that he was Christ this euill and wedlocke breakyng nation whiche breake the wedlocke of faith wherwith they bee maried vnto God and beleue in their false woorkes seke a signe but there shall no signe bee geuen them saue the signe of the Prophet Ionas For as Ionas was three dayes and three nightes in the bely of the Whale euen so shall the sonne of mā be three dayes three nightes in the hart of the earth Which was a watch word as we say and a sharpe threatenynge vnto the Iewes and as much to say as thus ye hard harted Iewes seke a signe loe this shal be your signe as Ionas was raised out of the sepulchre of his fishe and then sent vnto the Niniuites to preach that they should perish euen so shall I rise againe out of my sepulchre and come and preach repentaunce vnto you See therfore when ye see the signe that ye repent or els ye shal surely perishe and not escape For though the infirmities whiche ye now see in my flesh be a let vnto your fathers ye shall then be without excuse when ye see so great a miracle and so great power of God shed out vpon you And so Christ came agayne after the resurrection in his spirite and preached repentaunce vnto them by the mouth of his Apostles and Disciples and with miracles of the holy Ghost And all that repented not perished shortly after the rest caried awaye captiue into all quarters of the world for an example as ye see vnto this day And in like maner since the worlde began where soeuer repentaunce was offered and not receaued their GOD tooke cruell vengeaunce immediatly as ye see in the floude of Noe in the ouerthrowynge of Sodome and Gomorra and all the countrey about and as ye see of Egypt of the Amorites Cananites and afterward of the very Israelites and then at the last of the Iewes to and of the Assirians Babilonians and so throughout all the impeires of the world Gildas preached repentaunce vnto the old Britaines that inhabited England they repented not and therfore God sent in their enemies vpon them on euery side and destroyed them vp and gaue the land vnto other nations And greate vengeaunce hath bene taken in that lande for synne since that tyme. Wicleffe preached repentaunce vnto our fathers not long since they repented not for their harts were indurate and their eyes blinded with their own Pope holy righteousnesse wherewith they had made their soules gay against the receiuing agayne of the wicked spirite that bringeth seuen worse thē him selfe with him and maketh the later ende worse then the begynnyng for in open synnes there is hope of repentaunce but in holye hypocrisie none at all But what folowed they slew their true and right kyng and set vp three wrong kynges arowe vnder which all the noble bloud was slayne vp and halfe the commons thereto what in Fraunce and what with their owne sword in fightyng among them selues for the crowne and the Cities and Townes decayed and the lande brought halfe into a wildernesse in respect of that it was before And now Christe to preache repentaūce is risē yet once agayn out of his sepulchre in which y t Pope had buried him kept him downe with his pillars polars all disguisinges of hipocrisy with gyle wiles falshode with the sword of all Princes whiche he had blinded with his false marchaūdise And as I doubt not of the ensamples that are past so am I sure that great wrath will follow except repentaunce turne it backe againe cease it When Ionas had bene in the fishes bely a space and the rage of his conscience was somewhat quieted and swaged he come to him selfe againe and had receaued a litle hope the qualmes and panges of desperation which went ouer his hart halfe ouercome he prayed as he maketh mention in the text saying Ionas prayed vnto the Lord his GOD out of the bely of the fish But the wordes of that prayer are not here set The prayer that here standeth in the text is the prayer of prayse and thankesgeuyng which he prayed and wrote when hee was escaped and past all ieopardie In the end of which prayer he saith I will sacrifice with the voyce of thankesgeuyng and pay that I
outward thing euen so seeke within thy hart the plaister of mercy the promises of forgeuenes in our Sauiour Iesus Christ accordyng vnto all the ensamples of mercy y t are gone before And with Ionas let them that wait on vanities and seke God here and there and in euery temple saue in their hartes go and seke thou the testament of God in thyne harte For in thyne hart is the word of the law in thine hart is the word of faith in the promises of mercy in Iesus Christ So that if thou confesse with a repentyng hart and knowledge and surely beleue that Iesus is Lord ouer all sinne thou art safe And finally when the rage of thy conscience is ceased and quieted with fast faith in the promises of mercy thē offer with Ionas the offring of prayse and thankesgeuyng and pay the vowe of thy Baptisme that God onely saueth of his onely mercy and goodnes that is beleue stedsastly and preach cōstātly that it is God onely that smiteth and GOD onely that healeth ascribyng the cause of thy tribulation vnto thyne owne sinne and the cause of thy deliuerance vnto y t mercy of god And beware of the leuen that sayth we haue power in our free will before the preaching of the Gospel to deserue grace to kepe the law of congruite or god to bee vnrighteous And say with Iohn in the first that as the law was geuen by Moses euen so grace to fulfill it is geuen by Christ And when they say our deedes with grace deserue heauen say thou with Paule Rom. vj that euerlastyng lyfe is the gift of GOD thorough Iesus Christe our Lorde and that we be made sonnes by fayth Iohn i. And therefore heires of GOD with Christ Rom. viij And say that we receaue all of God through faith that foloweth repentaunce and that we doe not our workes vnto God but either vnto our selues to slay the sinne that remaineth in the fleshe and to waxe perfect either vnto our neighbours which do as much for vs agayne in other thynges And when a man excedeth in giftes of grace let him vnderstand that they be geuen him as well for his weake brethren as for him self as though all the bread be committed vnto the panter yet for his felowes with him whiche geue thee thankes vnto their Lord and recompence the panter agayn with other kynde of seruice in their offices And when they say that Christ hath made no satisfaction for the sinne we do after our Baptisme say thou with the doctrine of Paule that in our Baptisme we receaue the merites of Christes death through repentaunce faith of which two Baptisme is y t signe And though when we sinne of frailtie after our Baptisme we receaue the signe no more yet we be renewed agayne through repentance and fayth in Christes bloud of which twaine y t signe of Baptisme euen continued among vs in Baptising our young childrē doth euer kepe vs in mind call vs backe again vnto our profession if we begon astray promiseth vs forgeuenesse Neither cā actual sinne be washed away with our workes but with Christes bloud neither can there be any other sacrifice or satisfaction to Godward for them saue christes bloud For as much as we can do no workes vnto God but receiue only of his mercy with our repenting faith through Iesus Christ our lord and only sauiour vnto whom and vnto God our father thorowe hym and vnto his holy spirite y t onely purgeth sanctifieth and washeth vs in the innocent bloude of our redemption be prayse for euer Amen The Prologue vppon the Gospell of S. Mathew by M. William Tyndall HEre hast thou mostdere reader the new Testamēt or couenaunt made with vs of GOD in Christes bloud Whiche I haue looked ouer agayne now at the last with all diligence compared it vnto the Greke haue weeded out of it many fautes which lacke of helpe at the begynning and ouersight did sow therein If ought seme chaunged or not altogether agreyng with the Greeke let the finder of the faute consider the Hebrue phrase or maner of speache left in the Greeke wordes Whose preterperfectence and presentence is oft both one the futuretence is the optatiue mode also the futuretence oft y t imperatiue mode in the actiue voyce in the passiue euer Likewise person for person number for number and interrogatiō for a cōditionall and such lyke is with the Hebruesa common vsage I haue also in many places set light in the margent to vnderstand the text by If any mā finde fautes either with the translation or ought beside which is easier for many to do then so well to haue translated it thē selues of their owne pregnante wittes at the beginnyng without an ensāple to the same it shal be lawfull to trāslate it them selues and to put what they lust thereto It I shall perceaue either by my selfe or by information of other y t ought be escaped me or might more playnly be translated I will shortly after cause it to be amended Howbeit in many places me thinketh it better to put a declaration in the margent then to runne to farre from the text And in many places where the text semeth at the first choppe hard to be vnderstād yet the circumstaunces before and after and often readyng together make it plaine inough Moreouer because the kyngdome of heauen which is the Scripture and word of GOD may be so locked vp that he which readeth or heareth it can not vnderstand it as Christ testifieth how that the Scribes and Phariseis had so shut it vp Math. xxiij and had taken awaye the keye of knowledge Luke xj that y t Iewes which thought them selues within were yet so locked out and are to this day that they can vnderstand no sentence of the Scripture vnto their saluation though they cā rehearse the textes euery where and dispute therof as subtely as the Popish Doctours of Dunces darke learnyng whiche with their sophistry serned vs as the Phariseis did y t Iewes Therfore that I might be found faith full to my father and Lord in distributyng vnto my brethren and felowes of one faith their due and necessary fode so dressing it and seasonyng it that the weake stomackes may receiue it also and be the better for it I thought it my dutie most deare reader to warne thee before and to shew thee the right way in and to geue thee the true keye to open it with all and to arme thee agaynst false Prophetes and malicious hypocrites whose perpetuall studie is to blind the scripture with gloses and there to locke it vp where it should saue thee soule to make vs shoote at a wrōg marke to put our trust in those thinges that profite their bellyes onely and slea our soules The right way yea and the onely way to vnderstand the Scripture vnto saluation is that we earnestly and aboue all thyng search
can doe of his owne free will of his owne proper strength and enforcing Notwithstandyng thoughe there be neuer so great workyng yet as long as their remaineth in the hart vnlust tediousnes grudgyng grief payne lothsâ—nnes compulsion toward the law so long are all the workes vnprofitable lost ye and damnable in the sight of God This meaneth Paule in the iij. Chapter where he sayth by the dedes of the lawe shall no fleshe be iustified in the sight of God Hereby perceauest thou that those sophisters are but disceauers whiche teach that a man may and must prepare him selfe to grace and to the fauour of god with good workes How caÌ„ they prepare them selues vnto the fauour of God to that whiche is good when them selues can do no good no can not once thinke a good thought or consent to do good the deuill possessing their hartes myndes thoughtes captiue at his pleasure CaÌ„ those workes please GOD thinkest thou whiche are done with grief payne and tediousnes with an euill will with a contrary and a grudgyng mynde O holy saint Prosperous how mightely with the Scripture of Paule diddest thou confound this heresie twelue hundred yeares a goe or therupon To fulfill the law is to do y t workes therof and what soeuer the lawe commaundeth with loue lust and inward affection and delectation and to lyue godly and well freely willyngly and without compulsion of the lawe euen as thoughe there were no lawe at all Such lust and free libertie to loue the law commeth onely by the workyng of the spirite in the hart as hee sayth in the first Chapter Now is the spirite none otherwise geuen then by fayth onely in that we beleue the promises of God without waueryng how that God is true and will fulfill all hys good promises toward vs for Christes blondes sake as it is playne in the first Chapter I am not ashamed sayth Paule of Christes glad tydynges for it is the power of GOD vnto saluation to as many as beleue for at once and together euen as we beleue the glad tydynges preached to vs the holy ghost entreth into our hartes and looseth the bondes of the deuill whiche before possessed our hartes in captiuitie and held them that we could haue no lust to y t will of God in the law and as the spirite commeth by fayth onely euen so fayth commeth by hearyng the word or glad tidynges of God when Christ is preached how that hee is Gods sonne and man also dead and risen againe for our sakes as he sayth in the thyrd fourth and tenth Chapters All our iustifying then commeth of faith and faith and the spirite come of God and not of vs. Hereof commeth it that fayth onely iustifieth maketh righteous and fulfilleth the law for it bringeth the spirit through Christes deseruinges the spirite bringeth lust looseth the hart maketh him free setteth hym at libertie and geueth him strength to worke the deedes of the lawe with loue euen as the law requireth then at the last out of the same fayth so workyng in the hart spryng all good workes by their owne accorde That meaneth he in the thyrd Chapter for after he hath cast away the workes of the law so that he soundeth as though he would breake and disanulle the law through fayth he aunswereth to that might bee layd agaynst saying we destroy not the law through fayth but mayntaine further or stablish the law through fayth that is to say we fulfill the law thorough fayth Sinne in the Scripture is not called that outward worke onely committed by the body but all the whole busines and what so euer accompanyeth moueth or stirreth vnto the outward deede and that whence the workes spring as vnbelefe pronenes and readynes vnto the deede in the grounde of the hart with all the powers affections and appetites wherwith we can but sinne so that we say that a man then sinneth when he is caried awaye headlong into sinne all together as much as he is of that poyson inclination and corrupt nature wherein hee was conceiued and borne For there is none outward sinne committed except a maÌ„ be caried away all together with life soule hart body lust and mynde thereunto The Scripture loketh singularly vnto the hart vnto the roote and originall fountaine of all synne which is vnbelefe in the bottom of the hart For as fayth onely iustifieth and bryngeth the spirit and lust vnto the outward good workes Euen so vnbelefe onely damneth and keepeth out the spirit prouoketh the flesh and styrreth vp lust vnto the euill outwarde works as it fortuned to Adam Euâ— in Paradise Gene. 3. For this cause Christ calleth synne vnbelefe and that notablie in the. 16. of Iohn the spirite sayth he shall rebuke the world of sinne because they beleue not in me Wherefore then before all good workes as good frutes there must needes be fayth in the hart whence they spryng and before all bad deedes as bad frutes there must nedes be vnbelief in the hart as in the roote fountain pith and streÌ„gth of all sinne whiche vnbelefe is called the head of the Serpent and of the old Dragon which the womans seede Christ must treade vnderfoote as it was promised vnto Adam Grace and gift haue this difference Grace properly is Gods fauour beneuolence or kynd minde which of his owne selfe without deseruyng of vs he beareth to vs whereby he was moued and inclined to geue Christ vnto vs with all his other giftes of grace Gift is y t holy ghost and his working which hee poureth into the hartes of them on whoÌ„ he hath mercy and whoÌ„ he fauoureth Though the giftes the spirit encrease in vs dayly haue not yet their ful perfection ye and though there remaine in vs yet euill lustes synne which fight agaynst the sprite as he sayth here in the 7. chapter and in the 5. to the Galath and as it was spoken before in the 3. chapter of Gen. of the debate betwene y â— womans sede the seed of y t serpent yet neuertheles gods fauour is so great and so strong ouer vs for Christes sake that we are counted for full whole and perfect before God For Gods fauour towarde vs deuideth not her selfe encreasyng a little and a little as do the giftes but receiueth vs whole altogether in ful loue for Christes sake our intercessour and mediator and because y t the giftes of the sprite the battell betwene the sprite and euill lustes are begonne in vs already Of this now vnderstandest thou the 7. chapter where Paul accuseth hymselfe as a sinner and yet in the 8. chapter sayeth there is no damnation to them that are in Christ and that because of the spirite and because the giftes of the sprite are begonne in vs. Sinners we are because the fleshe is not full killed and mortified Neuertheles in as muche as we beleue in
law is to driue to compell and to craue euen so the flesh driueth compelleth craueth and rageth agaynst the spirite and wil haue her lustes satisfied On the other side driueth the spirite crieth and fighteth against the flesh and will haue his lust satisfied And this strife dureth in vs as long as we liue in some more in some lesse as the spirite or the flesh is stronger the very man his owne selfe is both the spirite and the fleshe which fighteth with his owne self vntil sinne be vtterly slayne and he all together spirituall In the viij Chapter he comforteth such fighters that they dispayre not be cause of such fleshe either thinke that they are lesse in fauour with God And he shewed how that the sinne remaynyng in vs hurteth not for there is no daunger to them that are in Christ whiche walke not after the flesh but fight agaynst it And he expoundeth more largely what the nature of the flesh and of the spirit is and how the spirite commeth by Christ whiche spirite maketh vs spirituall tameth subdueth and mortifieth the flesh and certifieth vs that we are neuerthelesse the sonnes of God also beloued though that sinne rage neuer so much in vs so long as we folow the spirite and fight agaynst sinne to kill and mortifie it And because the chastisyng of the flesh the crosse and sufferyng are nothyng pleasaūt he comforteth vs in our passions and afflictions by the assistance of the spirite which maketh intercessiō to GOD for vs mightely with gronynges that passe mans vtteraunce mans speach can not comprehēd them and the creatures morne also with vs of great desire that they haue that we were loosed from sinne and corruption of the flesh So see we that these three Chapters the vj. vij viij do none othyng so much as to driue vs vnto the right worke of faith whiche is to kill the old man and mortifie the flesh In the. ix x. and. xj Chapters he treateth of Gods predestinatiō whēce it springeth all together whether we shall beleue or not beleue be loosed frō sinne or not be loosed By whiche predestinatiō our iustifiyng and saluatiō are cleane taken out of our hands and put in the hands of God onely which thyng is most necessary of all For we are so weake and so vncertaine that if it stode in vs there would of a truth no man be saued the deuill no doubt would deceaue vs. But now is God sure that his predestinatiō can not deceaue him neither can any man withstand or let him and therefore haue we hope and trust agaynst sinne But here must a marke be set vnto those vnquiet busie and hye climyng spirites how farre they shall go which first of all bryng hether their hye reasons and pregnaunt wittes and begyn first from an hye to search the bottomlesse secretes of Gods predestination whether they bee predestinate or not These must nedes either cast them selues down headlong into desperation or els commit thē selues to fre chaunce carelesse But folow thou the order of this Epistle and noosell thy selfe with Christ and learne to vnderstand what the law and y t Gospell meane and the office of both two that thou mayest in the one know thy selfe and how that thou hast of thy selfe no strength but to sinne in the other the grace of Christ and then see thou fight agaynst sinne and the flesh as the. vij first Chapters teach thee After that when thou art come to the viij Chapter art vnder the crosse and suffryng of tribulation the necessitie of prestination will waxe sweete and thou shalt well feele how precious a thyng it is For except thou haue borne the crosse of aduersitie and temptation hast felt thy selfe brought vnto the very brimme of desperation yea and vnto hell gates thou canst neuer medle with the sentēce of predestination without thyne owne harme without secret wrath and grudgyng in wardly agaynst God for otherwise it shall not be possible for thee to thinke that God is righteous iust Therefore must Adam be well mortified and the fleshely wytte brought vtterly to nought yet that thou mayest awaye with this thyng and drinke so strong wyne Take hede therefore vnto thy selfe that thou drinke not wyne while thou art yet but a sucklyng For euery learning hath her tyme measure age and in Christ is there a certaine childhode in whiche a man must be content with milke for a season vntill he waxe stronge and growe vp vnto a perfect man in Christ and be able to eate of more strong meate In the xij Chapter he geueth exhortations For this maner obserueth Paul in all his Epistles first he teacheth Christ and the fayth then exhorteth he to good workes and vnto continuall mortifiyng of the flesh So here teacheth he good workes in deede and the true seruyng of God and maketh all men Priestes to offer vp not money and beastes as the maner was in the tyme of the law but their own bodies with killyng and mortifiyng the lustes of the fleshe After that he describeth the outward conuersation of Christen men how they ought to behaue them selues in spirituall thinges how to teach preach and rule in the cōgregation of Christ to serue one an other to suffer all things patiently and to commit wreake and vengeaunce to God in conclusion how a Christen mā ought to behaue him selfe vnto all men to frend foe or whatsoeuer he be These are the right workes of a Christen mā whiche spryng out of fayth For fayth keepeth not holy day neither suffreth any man to be idle wheresoeuer she dwelleth In the. xiij he teacheth to honour the worldly and temporall sword For though that mans law and ordinaūce make not a man good before God neither iustifie him in the hart yet are they ordeined for the furtheraunce of the cōmon wealth to mainteine peace to punish the euill and to defend the good Therfore ought the good to honor the temporal sword and to haue it in reuerence though as concernyng them selues they neede it not but would abstaine from euill of their owne accord yea and do good without mans lawe but by the law of the spirite which gouerneth the hart and guideth it vnto all that is the will of God Finally he comprehendeth and knitteth vp all in loue Loue of her own nature bestoweth all that she hath and euen her own selfe on that whiche is loued Thou nedest not to bid a kynd mother to belouyng vnto her onely sonne much lesse spiritual loue which hath eyes geuen her of GOD nedeth mans law to teach her to do her duetie And as in y t begynnyng he did put forth Christ as the cause and author of our righteousnes and saluation euen so here setteth he hym forth as an ensample to counterfaite that as he hath done to vs euē so should we do one to an other In the xiiij Chapter he
do no good worke freely without respect of some profit either in this world or in the world to come neither coulde we haue spirituall ioye in oure hartes in time of affliction and mortifiyng of the flesh Good workes are called the fruites of the spirite Gal. 5. for the sprite worketh them in vs and sometyme fruites of righteousnes as in the second Epistle to the Cor. and 9. chapter before all workes therfore we must haue a righteousnes within the hart the mother of all workes frō whēce they spring The righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharises of them that haue y ◠spirite of this world is y t glorious shew outward shining of workes But Christ sayth to vs Mar. 5. except your righteousnes exceede the righteousnes of the scribes Pharises ye cānot enter into the kingdome of heauen It is righteousnes in y t world if a mā kyl not But a Christen perceiueth righteousnesse if he loue his enemy euen when he suffreth persecution and torment of him and the paines of death and mourneth more for his aduersaries blindnesse then for his owne payne and prayeth God to open his eyes and to forgeue hym his sinnes as dyd Steuen in the Actes of the Apostles the vij Chapter and Christ Luke xxiij A Christen considereth him selfe in the law of GOD and there putteth of him all maner righteousnes For the law suffereth no merites no deseruynges no righteousnes neither any mā to be iustified in the sight of God The law is spirituall and requireth y t hart and commaundements to be fulfilled with such loue and obedience as was in Christ If any fulfill all that is the will of God with such loue and obedience the same may be bold to sell pardons of his merites and els not A Christen therfore when he beholdeth hym selfe in the law putteth of all maner righteousnes deseruinges and merites and mekely and vnfaynedly knowledgeth his sinne miserie his captiuitie and bondage in the flesh his trespasse and gilte and is thereby blessed with the poure in spirite Math. v. Chap. Then he morneth in his hart because he is in such bondage that he can not do the will of God and is an hungred and a thyrst after righteousnes For righteousnesse I meane which springeth out of christes bloud for strength to do the wil of God And turneth him selfe to the promises of God desireth him for his great mercy and truth and for the bloud of hys sonne Christ to fulfill his promises to geue him strēgth And thus his spirit euer prayeth within him He fasteth also not one day for a weke or a Lent for an whole yeare but professeth in his hart a perpetuall sobernes to tame the flesh and to subdue the body to the spirite vntil he waxe strong in the spirite and grow ripe into a full righteousnes after the fulnes of Christ And because this fulnes happeneth not till the body be slayne by death a Christen is euer a sinner in the law and therfore fasteth and prayeth to God in the spirite the world seyng it not Yet in y ◠promises he is euer righteous thorough fayth in Christ and is sure that he is heire of all Gods promises the spirite which he hath receaued in earnest bearyng him witnes his hart also and his dedes testifying the same Marke this then To see inwardly that y t law of God is so spirituall that no flesh can fulfill it And then for to morne and sorrow and to desire yea to hunger and thyrst after strength to do the wil of God from the ground of the hart and notwithstandyng all the sutlety of the deuil weakenes and feblenes of the flesh and wondryng of the world to cleaue yet to y t promises of God and to beleue that for Christes bloud sake thou art receaued to the inheritaūce of eternall lyfe is a wonderfull thyng and a thyng that the world knoweth not of but who soeuer feleth that though he fall a thousand tymes in a day doth yet rise agayne a thousand tymes and is sure that the mercy of God is vpon hym IF ye forgeue othermen their trespasses your heauēly father shal forgeue you yours Mat. in the vj. Chap. if I forgeue God shall forgeue me not for my dedes sake but for his promises sake for his mercy truth and for the bloud of hys son Christ our Lord. And my forgeuing certifieth my spirite that God shal forgeue me yea y t he hath forgeuē me already For if I consent to y t will of God in my hart though thorough infirmitie and weakenes I can not do the will of GOD at all tymes moreouer though I can not do the wil of God so purely as the law requireth it of me yet if I see my faulte mekely knowledge my sinne wepyng in myne hart because I cā not do the will of God and thyrst after strēgth I am sure that y t sprite of God is in me his fauour vpon me For the world lusteth not to do the will of God neither soroweth because he can not though he sorrow some tyme for feare of y ◠paine that he beleueth shall folow He that hath the spirite of this world can not forgeue without amendes makyng or a greater vauntage If I forgeue now how cōmeth it veryly because I feele the mercy of God in me For as a man feeleth God to him selfe so is he to his neighbour I know by mine owne experience that all flesh is in bondage vnder sinne and cā not but sinne therfore am I mercyfull and desire God to loose the bondes of sinne euen in mine enemy GAther not treasure together in earth c. Math. vj. But gather you treasure in heauen c. Let not you◠hartes be glued to worldly thynges studie not to heape treasure vpon treasure and riches vpon riches but study to bestow well that whiche is gotten already and let your abundaunce succour the lacke and neede of the power which haue not Haue an eye to good workes to which if ye haue lust and also power to do them then are ye sure that the spirite of God is in you and ye in Christ elect to the reward of eternal life which foloweth good workes But looke that thine eye be single and robbe not Christ of his honour ascribe not that to y t deseruyng of thy workes which is geuen the freely by the merites of his bloud In Christ we are sonnes In Christ we are heires In Christ god chose vs and elected vs before the begynning of the world created vs a new by the word of the Gospell and put his spirite in vs for because we should do good workes A Christē man worketh because it is the will of his father onely If we do no good worke nor be mercyfull how is our lust therin If we haue no lust to do good workes how is Gods spirite in vs If the spirite of God
and therefore loueth agayne is glad to do his fathers will and studieth to be thankefull The spirit of the worlde vnderstandeth not the speaking of God neither the spirite of the wise of thys worlde neyther the spirite of Philosophers neither y ◠spirite of Socrates of Plato or of Aristotles Ethikes as thou mayest see in the first and second chapter of the first to the Corint Though that many are not ashamed to rayle and blaspheme saying how shoulde he vnderstand the scripture seing he is no Philosopher neyther hath sene his metaphisike Moreouer they blaspheme saying how can he be a deuine and woteth not what is subiectum in theologia Neuertheles as a man without the spirite of Aristo tell or Philosophy may by the spirite of God vnderstand scripture Euen so by the spirite of God vnderstandeth he that god is to be sought in all the Scripture and in all thynges yet wotteth not what meaneth Subiectum in Theologia because it is a terme of their owne makyng If thou shouldest say to hym that hath y e spirite of god the loue of god is the kepyng of the cōmaundements to loue a mans neighbour is to shew mercy he would without arguyng or disputyng vnderstand how that of the loue of God springeth the keping of his cōmaundementes and of the loue to thy neighbour spryngeth mercy Now would Aristotle deny such speakyng a Duns man would make xx distinctions If thou shouldest say as sayth Iohn the 4. of his Epistle how can he that loueth not his neighbour whom he seeth loue God whom he seeth not Aristotle would say loe a mā must first loue his neighbour and thē God and out of the loue to thy neighbour spryngeth the loue to God But he that feeleth the working of the spirite of God and also from what vengeaunce the bloud of Christ hath deliuered hym vnderstandeth how that it is impossible to loue either father or mother sister brother neighbour or his owne selfe a right except it spryng out of the loue to God and perceaueth that the loue to a mans neighbour is a signe of the loue to God as good frute declareth a good tree and that the loue to a mās neighbour accompanieth and foloweth the loue of God as heate accōpanieth and foloweth fire Likewise whē the Scripture sayth Christ shall reward euery man at the resurrection or vprisyng againe accordyng to his dedes the spirite of Aristotles ethikes would say loe with y t multitude of good workes mayst thou must thou obtayne euerlastyng lyfe also a place in heauen hye or low accordyng as thou hast many or fewe good workes yet wotteth not what a good worke meaneth as Christ speaketh of good workes as he that seeth not the hart but outward things onely But he that hath Gods spirite vnderstandeth it He feeleth that good woorkes are nothyng but frutes of loue compassion mercyfulnes and of a tendernes of hart whiche a Christen hath to his neighbour and that loue springeth of that loue which he hath to god to his will commaundements and vnderstandeth also that the loue whiche man hath to God springeth of the infinite loue and bottomlesse mercy◠which God in Christ shewed first to vs as saith Iohn in the Epistle and Chap. aboue rehearsed In this sayth he appeared the loue of GOD to vs-ward bicause that God sent his onely begotten sonne into the world that we might liue thorough hym Herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs sent his sonne to make agreement for our sinnes In conclusion a Christē mā feeleth that that vnspeakeable loue and mercy which god hath to vs that spirite which worketh all thinges that are wrought accordyng to the will of God and that loue wherewith we loue God that loue whiche we haue to our neighbour and that mercy and compassion which we shew on him also that eternal lyfe which is layd vp in store for vs in Christ are altogether the gift of God through Christes purchasyng If the Scripture sayd alwayes Christ shall reward thee accordyng to to thy fayth or accordyng to thy hope and trust thou hast in God or accordyng to the loue thou hast to god thy neighbour so were it true also as thou seest 1. Pet. 1. receauyng the end or reward of your faith y ◠health or saluatiō of your soules But y t spirituall things could not bee knowen saue by theyr workes as a tree can not be knowen but by her frute How could I know that I loued my neighbour if neuer occasion were giuen me to shew mercy vnto hym how should I know that I loued GOD if I neuer suffered for hys sake howe should I know that God loued me if there were no infirmitie temptation perill and ieoperdy whence God should deliuer me THere is no man that forsaketh house either father or mother either brethren or sisterne wife or children for the kyngdome of heauēs sake which shall not receaue much more in this world and in the world to come euerlastyng lyfe Luke xviij Here seest thou that a Christen man in all his woorkes hath respect to nothyng but vnto the glorie of god onely and to the mainteining of the truth of god and doth and leueth vndone all thynges of loue to the glory and honor of god onely as Christ teacheth in the Pater noster Moreouer when he sayth he shall receaue much more in this world of a truth yea he hath receaued much more already For except he had felt the infinite mercy goodnes loue and kindnes of God and the felowshyp of the bloud of Christ and the comfort of the spirite of Christ in his hart he could neuer haue forsakē any thyng for gods sake Notwithstāding as saith Mark. x. Who soeuer for Christes sake the gospels forsaketh house brethren or sisters c. He shall receaue an hundred fold houses brethren c. that is spiritually For Christ shal be all thynges vnto thee The aungels all Christen and who soeuer doth the will of the father shal be father mother sister brother vnto thee and all theirs shall be thyne And god shall take the care of thee minister all thynges vnto thee as long as thou sekest but his honour onely Moreouer if thou were Lord ouer all the world yea often worlde 's before thou knewest god yet was not thyne appetite quenched thou thyrstedest for more But if thou seeke his honour onely then shall he slake thy thyrst and thou shalt haue al that thou desirest and shal be content yea if thou dwell among insidels and among the most cruelest nation of the world yet shall he be a father vnto thee and shall defend thee as he did Abraham Isaac and Iacob all Saintes whose lyues thou readest in the Scripture For all that are past and gone before are but ensamples to strength our fayth and trust in the word of god It
is the same god and hath sworne to vs all that he sware vnto them and is as true as euer he was and therefore can not but fulfil his promises to vs as wel as he dyd to them if we beleue as they dyd The houre shal come when all they that are in the graues shall heare hys voyce that is to say Christes voyce shall come forth they that haue done good into the resurrection of lyfe and they that haue done euil into the resurrection of damnation Iohn v. This all lyke textes declare what soloweth good workes and that our dedes shall testifie with vs or agaynst vs at that day and putteth vs in remembraunce to be diligent and feruent in doyng good Here by mayst thou not vnderstand that we obtayne the fauor of god and the inheritaunce of life thorough the merites of good workes as hyrelynges do their wages For then shouldest thou robbe Christ of whose fulnes we haue receaued fauour for fauour Ioh. i. that is gods fauour was so full in Christ that for his sake he geueth vs his fauour as affirmeth also Paule Ephe. i. he loued vs in his beloued by whom we haue sayth Paul redemptiō through his bloud and forgeuenes of sinnes The forgeuenes of sinnes then is our redēptiō in Christ and not y t reward of workes In whō sayth he in the same place hee chose vs before the makyng of y ◠world that is long before we dyd good workes Throughe fayth in Christ are we also the sonnes of god as thou readest Io. i. in that they beleued on his name he gaue them power to be the sonnes of god God with all his fulnes riches dwelleth in Christ and out of Christ must we fetch all thynges Thou readest also Iohn iij. he that beleueth on the sonne hath eternal life And he that beleueth not shall see no lyfe but the wrath of god abydeth vpon him Here seest thou that the wrath vengeance of God possesseth euery man till fayth come Fayth and trust in Christ expelleth the wrath of god and bringeth fauour y t spirite power to do good and euerlastyng lyfe Moreouer vntill Christ hath geuē thee light thou knowest not wherein stādeth the goodnes of thy workes vntill his spirite hath loosed thyne hart ▪ thou canst not consent vnto good woorkes All that is good in vs both wil and works commeth of the fauour of GOD through Christ to whom be the laude Amen IF any man will do his will he meaneth the will of the father he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of god or whether I speake of my selfe Iohn vij This text meaneth not that any man of his owne strength power and free will as they call it can do the will of god before he hath receaued the spirite and strength of Christ through sayth But here is ment that which is spokenin the thyrd of Iohn when Nicodemus marueiled how it were possible that a man should be borne agayn Christ aunswered that which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that whiche is borne of the spirite is spirite as who should say he that hath the spirite thorough fayth and is borne agayne and made a new in Christ vnderstandeth the thynges of the spirite and what he that is spirituall meaneth But he that is flesh and as Paul sayth i. Cor. ij a naturall man led of his blind reason onely can neuer ascend to the capacitie of the spirite And he geueth an ensāple saying the winde bloweth where he lysteth and thou hearest his voyce and wottest not whence he cōmeth nor whether he will So is euery mā that is borne of the spirite he that speaketh of the spirite can neuer be vnderstand of the naturall man which is but flesh and sauoreth no more thē thynges of y ◠flesh So here meaneth Christ if any man haue the spirite consenteth vnto the will of God this same at ones wotteth what I meane IF ye vnderstand these thinges happy are ye if ye do them Iohn xiij A Christen mans hart is with the wyll of God with the lawe and commaundementes of God and hongreth and thyrsteth after strength to fulfill them and mourneth day and night desiring God according to his promises for to geue him power to fulfill the will of God with loue and lust then testifieth his deede that he is blessed and that the spirite which blesseth vs in Christ is in hym and ministreth such strength The outward deede testifieth what is within vs as thou readest Iohn v. The deedes which I do testifie of me sayth Christ And Ioh. 13. hereby shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye loue one an other And Ioh. 14. he that hath my commaundements keepeth thē the same it is that loueth me And agayne he that loueth me keepeth my commaundementes and he that loueth me not keepeth not my cōmaundementes the outward deede testifiing of the inwarde hart And Ioh. xv If ye shall kepe my commaundemēts ye shall cōtinue in my loue as I kepe my fathers commaundemēt and continue in his loue That is as ye see the loue that I haue to my father in that I keepe his commaundementes so shal ye see the loue that ye haue to me in that ye kepe my commaundemētes Thou mayest not thinke that our deedes blesse vs first and that we preuent God and his grace in Christ as though we in our naturall giftes and beyng as we were borne in Adam looked on the lawe of God and of our owne strength fulfilled it and so be-became righteous and then with that righteousnes obtayned the fauour of God As Philosophers write of righteousnes and as the righteousnes of temporall lawe is where the lawe is satisfied with the hipocrisy of the outward deede For cōtrarie to y ◠readest thou Ioh. xv Ye haue not chosen me sayth Christ but I haue chosen you that ye goe and bring forth fruite and that your fruite remayne And in the same chapter I am a vine and ye the braunches and without me can ye do nothing With vs therefore so goeth it In Adam are we all as it were wilde crab trees of which God chuseth whom he will and plucketh them out of Adam and planteth them in the garden of his mercy and stocketh thē and grafteth the spirite of Christ in them which bringeth forth the fruite of the will of God which fruite testifieth that God hath blessed vs in Christ Note this also that as long as we liue we are yet partly carnall and fleshly notwithstāding that we are in Christ and though it be not imputed vnto vs for Christes sake for there abideth remaineth in vs yet of the olde Adam as it were the stocke of the crabe tree and euer among when occasion is geuen hym shoteth forth his braunches and leues budde blossome and fruit Against whom we must fight and subdue hym and chaynge all
How many are there of the same sort which thou cāst not make beleue that a thousand thinges are sin which God damneth for sinne all the scripture throughout As to bye as good cheepe as he can and to sell as deare as he can to rayse the market of corne and victuale for his owne vauntage without respect of his neighbor or of the poore of the common wealth and such like Moreouer how many hundred thousandes are there which when they haue sinned knowledge their sinnes yet trust in a balde ceremony or in a lowsy Fryers coate and merites or in the prayers of them that deuoure widowes houses and eateth the poore out of house and harbour in a thyng of hys owne imagination in a foolishe dreame and a false vision not in Christes bloud and in the truth that God hath sworne All these are faythlesse for they follow their owne righteousnes and are disobediēt vnto all maner righteousnes of God both vnto the righteousnes of Gods lawe wherewith he damneth all our deedes for though some of them see their sins for feare of payne yet had they rather that such deedes were no sinne and also vnto the righteousnes of the truth of God in his promises whereby he saueth all that repent and beleue them For though they beleue that Christ dyed yet beleue they not that he dyed for their sinnes and that hys death is a sufficient satisfaction for their sinnes and that God for hys sake will be a father vnto them and geue them power to resist sinne Paule sayth to the Romaynes in the x. chap. if thou confesse wyth thy mouth that Iesus is the Lord and beleue wyth thine hart that God raysed hym vp from death thou shalt be safe That is if thou beleue he raysed hym vp againe for thy saluation Many beleue that God is riche and almighty but not vnto themselues and that he he will be good vnto them and defend them and be their God Pharao for payne of the plague was compelled to confesse hys sinnes but had yet no power to submit hymselfe vnto y t will of God and to let the children of Israell goe and to loose so great profit for Gods pleasure As our Prelates confesse their sinnes saying though we be neuer so euill yet haue we the power And agayne the Scribes and the Pharises say they sate in Moyses seate do as they teach but not as they do thus confesse they that they are abhominable But to the second I aunswere if they sate on Christes sear they would preach Christes doctrine now preach they their owne traditions and therefore not to be heard If they preached Christ we ought to heare them though they were neuer so abhominable as they of themselues confesse and haue yet no power to amende neither to let loose Christes flocke to serue God in the spirit which they holde captiue compelling them to serue their false lyes The deuils felt the power of Christ and were cōpelled against their willes to confesse that he was the sonne of God but had no power to be contēt therewith neither to consent vnto the ordinaunce eternall councell of the euerlasting God as our Prelates feele the power of God agaynst them but yet haue no grace to geue roome vnto Christ because that they as the deuils nature is will themselues sitte in hys holy temple that is to witte the consciences of men ¶ Simon Magus beleued Acts. 8. with such a fayth as the deuils confessed Christ but had no right fayth as thou seest in the sayd chapter For he repented not consenting vnto the lawe of God Neither beleued the promises or longed for them but wondred onely at y ◠myracles which Philip wrought and because tha◠he himselfe in Philips presence had no power to vse his witchcrafte sorcery and arte magike wherewith he mocked deluded the wittes of y t people He would haue bought the gifte of God to haue solde it much dearer as his successours now do and not the successours of Simon Peter For were they Simon Peters successours they would preach Christ as he did but they are Simon Magus his successours of which Simō Peter well proued in y t secōd chapter of hys second epistle saying there were false Prophetes among the people meaning of the Iewes euen as there shal be false teachers or doctours among you which priuely shall bring in sectes damnable sectes is part taking as one holdeth of Fraunces another of Dominyck which thyng also Paule rebuketh 1. Corin. 1. and 3. euē denying the Lord that bought them for they will not be saued by Christ neyther suffer any man to preach hym to other And many shall follow their damnable wayes thou wilt say shall God suffer so many to goe out of the right wayes so long I aunswere many must folow their damnable wayes or els must Peter be a false Prophet by which the way of truth shal be euill spoken of as it is now at this present tyme for it is heresy to preach the truth and through couetousnes shall they wyth fayned wordes make merchaundise of you of their merchaundise and couetousnes it needeth not to make rehearsall for they that be blinde see it euidently Thus seest thou that Iames when he sayth faith without deedes is dead and as the body without the spirite is dead so is fayth without deedes and the deuils beleue that he meaneth not of the fayth trust that we haue in the truthe of Gods promises and his holy Testament made vnto vs in Christes bloud whiche fayth foloweth repentaunce and the consent of the hart vn-the lawe of God and maketh a man safe and setteth him at peace with god But speaketh of that false opinion and imagination wherewith some say I beleue that Christ was borne of a virgine and that he dyed and so forth That beleue they veryly and so strōgly that they are ready to slay who soeuer would say the contrary But they beleue not that Christ dyed for their sinnes and that his death hath peased the wrath of God and hath obtained for them all that God hath promised in the Scripture For how can they beleue that Christ dyed for their sinnes and that he is their onely and sufficiēt Sauiour seyng that they seeke other Sauiours of their owne imagination seyng that they feele not their sinnes neither repent except that some repent as I aboue sayd for feare of payne but for no loue nor consent vnto the law of god nor lōging that they haue for those good promises which he hath made them in Christes bloud If they repented and loued the lawe of God and longed for that helpe whiche God hath promised to giue to all that call on hym for Christes sake then veryly must Gods truth giue them power strength to do good workes when so euer occasion were giuen either must God be a false God But let God be true and euery
miracles his wonders his mighty hand his stretched out arme and what he hath done for you hetherto He shall destroye them he shall take theyr hartes from them and make them feare and flye before you He shall storme them and stirre vp a tempest among them and scatter them and bring them to naught He hath sworne he is true he will fullfill the promises that he hath made vnto Abraham Isaac and Iacob This is written for our learning for verely he is a true God and is our God as well as theyres and his promises are with vs as well as with them and he presente with vs as well as he was with them If we aske we shal obtain if we knocke he will open if we seeke wee shall finde if we thyrst his truth shall fullfill our lust Christ is with vs vntill the worldes ende Math. y ◠last Let this little flock be bold therefore for if God be on our side what matter maketh it who be against vs be they byshops cardinalles popes or what so euer names they will Marke this also if God sende thee to the sea and promise to goe with thee and to bring thee safe to lande he will rayse vp a tempest agaynst thee to proue whether thou wilt abide by his worde and that thou mayst feele thy fayth and perceiue his goodnes For if it were alwayes fayre weather and thou neuer brought into such ieoperdy whēce his mercy onely deliuered thee thy fayth should be but a presumption and thou shouldest be euer vnthanckfull to God and mercilesse vnto thy neighbour If God promise ritches the way therto is pouertie Whom he loueth him he chasteneth whome he exalteth he casteth downe whome he saueth he damneth first he bringeth no man to heauen except he send him to hell first if he promise life he slayeth first when he buildeth he casteth all downe first he is no patcher he can not builde on an other mans foundation he will not woorke vntill all be past remedy and brought vnto such a case y ◠men may see how that his hand his power his mercy his goodnesse and trueth hath wrought all together he will let no man be partaker with him of hys prayse and glorye his workes are wonderful and contrary vnto mans workes Who euer sauing he deliuered his owne sonne his onely sonne hys deare sonne vnto the death and that for his enemies sake to winne his enemye to ouercomme him with loue that he might see loue and loue againe and of loue to do likewise to other men and to ouercome them with well doing Ioseph saw the Sunne and the Moone and xj starres worshipping him Neuerthelesse ere that came to passe God layed hym where he could neither see sunne nor moone neyther any starre of the skye and that many yeares and also vndeserued to norture him to humble to meeke and to teach him Gods wayes and to make him apt and meet for the roome and honor against he came to it that he might perceiue and feele that it came of God and that he might be strong in the spirite to minister it godly He promised the children of Israell a lande with riuers of milke and honny But brought them for the space of fourty yeares into a land where not onely riuers of mylke and honny were not but where so much as a drop of water was not to nourture them and to teach them as a father doth his sonne and to do them good at the latter ende and that they might be strong in their spirite soules to vse his giftes and benefites godly and after hys will He promised Dauid a kingdome and immediatly stirred vp king Saule against him to persecute him to hunt him as men do hares with greyhoundes and to ferret him out of euery hole that for the space of many yeares to tame him to meeke him to kill his lustes to make him feele other mens diseases to make him mercifull to make him vnderstand that he was made king to minister and to serue his brethren and that he shoulde not thincke that his subiectes were made to minister vnto his lustes and that it were lawfull for him to take away from them life goods at his pleasure Oh that our kinges were so nourtured how a dayes which our holy byshops teache of a farre other maner saying Your grace shal take your pleasure yea take what pleasure you list spare nothing we shall dispence with you we haue power we are Gods vicars and let vs alone with the realme we shall take payne for you and see that nothing be well your Grace shall but defende the fayth onely Let vs therefore looke diligently whereunto we are called that we deceaue not our selues We are called not to dispute as the popes disciples do but to dye with Christ that we may liue with him and to suffer with him that we may raigne with him We be called vnto a kingdome that must be wonne w t suffring only as a sicke man winneth health God is he that doth all thing for vs and fighteth for vs we do but suffer onely Christ sayth Iohn xx As my Father sent me so sende I you and Iohn xv If they persecute me then shall they persecute you and Christ sayth Math. x. I send you forth as sheepe among wolues The sheepe fight not but the shepheard fighteth for them and careth for them Be harmeles as Doues therfore saith Christ and wise as serpentes The doues imagine no defence nor seeke to auenge themselues The serpentes wisedome is to keepe his head and those partes wherein his life resteth Christ is our head and Gods word is that wherin our life resteth To cleaue therfore fast vnto Christ and vnto those promises which God hath made vs for his sake is our wisedome Beware of men sayth he for they shall deliuer you vp vnto theyr counsels and shall scourge you and ye shall be brought before rulers and kinges for my sake the brother shall betray or deliuer the brother to death and the father the sonne and the children shall rise against father and mother and put them to death Heare what Christ sayth more The disciple is not greater thē his master neyther the seruaunte greater or better then his Lorde if they haue called the goodman of the house Beelzebub how much rather shall they call his household seruants so And Luke xiiij sayth Christ Which of you disposed to builde a tower sitteth not downe fyrst and counteth the cost whether he haue sufficient to performe it lest when he hath layd the foundation and then not able to performe it al that behold it begin to mocke him saying this man beganne to builde and was not able to make an ende so likewise none of you that forsaketh not all that he hath can be my disciple Whosoeuer therefore casteth not this aforehand I must ieoberd life goods honor worship and al that there
is for Christes sake deceaueth him selfe and maketh a mocke of himselfe vnto the godles hipocrites infidels No man can serue two maisters God and Mammon that is to say wicked riches also Mathew vj. Thou must loue Christ aboue all thing but that doest thou not if thou be not ready to forsake all for hys sake if thou haue forsaken all for his sake then art thou sure that thou louest him Tribulation is our right baptisme and is signified by plunging into the water Wee that are baptized in the name of Christ sayth Paule Rom. vj. are baptized to dye with him The spirite through tribulation purgeth vs and killeth our fleshly witte our worldly vnderstādyng and belly wisedome and filleth vs full of the wisedome of God Tribulation is a blessing that commeth of God as witnesseth Christ Math. v. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnes sake for theyrs is the kyngdome of heauen Is not this a comfortable word Who ought not rather to chuse and desire to be blessed w t Christ in a little tribulation then to be cursed perpetually with the world for a little pleasure Prosperitie is a right curse and a thing that God geueth vnto his enemies Wo be to you ritch sayth Christ Luke vj. loe ye haue your consolation wo be to you that are ful for ye shall hunger wo be to you that laugh for ye shall weepe wo be to you when men prayse you for so did theyr fathers vnto the false prophetes yea and so haue our fathers done vnto the false hypocrites The hipocrites with worldly preaching haue not gotten the prayse onely but euen the possessions also and the dominion and rule of the whole worlde Tribulation for righteousnes is not a blessing onely but also a gift that God geueth vnto none saue his speciall frendes The Apostles Act. v. reioyced that they were counted woorthy to suffer rebuke for Christes sake And Paule in the second epistle third chapter to Timothe sayth All that will liue godly in Christ Iesu must suffer persecutiō And Philip. j. he sayth Vnto you it is geuen not onely to beleue in Christ but also to suffer for his sake Here seest thou that it is Gods gift to suffer for Christes sake And in the 1. Pet. 4. sayth Happy are ye if ye suffer for the name of Christ for the glorious spirite of God resteth in you Is it not an happy thing to be sure that thou art sealed with Gods spirite vnto euerlasting life And verily thou art sure therof if thou suffer patiently for his sake By suffring art thou sure but by persecuting canst thou neuer be sure For Paule Rom. 5. sayth Tribulation maketh feeling that is it maketh vs feele the goodnesse of God and his helpe and the working of his spirite 2. Cor. 12. the Lord sayd vnto Paul My grace is sufficiēt for thee for my strēgth is made perfect through weaknes Lo Christ is neuer strong in vs till we be weake As our strength abateth so groweth the strength of Christ in vs when we are cleane emptied of our own strength then are we ful of Christes strength looke how much of our owne strength remayneth in vs so much lacketh there of y ◠strength of Christ Therfore sayth Paule 2. Cor. 12. Very gladly will I reioyce in my weaknes that the strength of Christ may dwell in me therfore haue I delectation sayth Paule in infirmities in rebukes in need in persecutions and in anguish for Christes sake for when I am weake then am I strong Meaning that the weaknes of the fleshe is the strength of the spirite And by flesh vnderstand wit wisedome and all that is in a man before the spirite of God come and whatsoeuer springeth not of the spirite of God and of Gods woorde And of like testimonies is all the scripture full Behold God setteth before vs a blessing and also a curse A blessing verely and that a glorious and an euerlasting if we will suffer tribulatiō and aduersity with our Lord and sauiour Christ And an euerlasting curse if for a little pleasure sake we withdrawe our selues from the chastysing nurture of God wherewith he teacheth all his sonnes and fashioneth them after his godly will and maketh them perfect as he did Christ and maketh them apte and meete vessels to receiue his grace and hys spirite that they might perceaue and feele the exceeding mercy which we haue in Christ the innumerable blessinges and the vnspeakeable inheritance whereunto we are called and chosen and sealed in our sauiour Iesus Christ vnto whome be prayse for euer Amen Finally whome God chuseth to raigne euerlastingly with christ him sealeth he with his mighty spirite and poureth strength into his hart to suffer afflictiōs also with Christ for bearing witnesse vnto the truth And this is the difference betwene the children of God and of saluation and betwene the children of the deuyll and of damnation that the children of God haue power in theyr hartes to suffer for Gods worde which is theyr life and saluatiō their hope and trust and whereby they liue in the soule and spirite before God And the children of the deuyll in time of aduersity flye from Christ whome they followed faynedly theyr hartes not sealed with hys holy mighty spirite and gett them to the standerde of theyr right father the Deuyll and take his wages the pleasures of this world which ar the earnest of euerlasting damnation which conclusion the xij chap. to the Hebrues well confirmeth saying My sonne despise not thou the chasticing of the Lord neither faint whē thou art rebuked of him for whom the Lord loueth him he chasticeth yea he scourgeth euery sonne whome he receaueth To persecution and aduersitie for the truthes sake is Gods scourge and Gods rod and pertaineth vnto all his children indifferently for when he sayth he scourgeth euery sonne he maketh none exception Moreouer sayth the text If ye shall endure chasticing God offreth hymselfe vnto you as vnto sonnes what sonne is it that the father chasticeth not If ye be not vnder correction whereof all are partakers then are ye bastardes and not sonnes Forasmuch then as we must needes bee baptised in tribulations and through the red sea and a great and a fearefull wildernes a land of cruell Giantes into our naturall coūtrey ▪ yea and in asmuch as it is a playne earnest that there is no other way into the kingdome of life then through persecution sufferyng of payne of very death after the ensample of Christe therefore let vs arme our soules with the comforte of the Scriptures How that God is euer ready at hand in time of neede to helpe vs and how that such tyrants and persecutors are but gods scourge and his rod to chastice vs. And as the father hath alway in time of correction the rod fast in his hand so that the rod doth
nothing but as the father moueth it euen so hath God all tyrantes in hys hande and letteth them not do whatsoeuer they would but as much onely as he appoynteth them to do and as far forth as it is necessarye for vs. And as when the childe submitteth himselfe vnto hys fathers correction and nurture and humbleth himself altogether vnto the will of his father theÌ„ the rod is taken away euen so when we ar come vnto the knowledge of the right waye and haue forsaken our owne will and offer our selues cleane vnto the will of God to walke which way soeuer he will haue vs then turneth he the tyrantes or els if they enforce to persecute vs any further he putteth them out of the way according vnto the comfortable ensamples of the scripture Moreouer let vs arme our soules with the promises both of helpe and assistance and also of the glorious rewarde that followeth Great is your reward in heaueÌ„ sayth Christ Math. 5. And he that knowledgeth mee before men him will I knowledge before my father that is in heauen Math. 10. and Call on me in time of tribulation and I wyll deliuer thee Psal 65. and Beholde the eyes of the Lord are ouer them thet feare hym and ouer them that trust in hys mercy to deliuer theyr soules from death and to feede them in time of hunger Psal 46. And in Psal 47. sayth Dauid The Lorde is nygh them that are troubled in theyr hartes and the meeke in spirite will he saue The tribulations of the righteous are many and out of them all will the Lord deliuer them The Lord keepeth al the bones of them so that not one of theÌ„ shall be brused The Lord shal redeeme the soules of his seruauntes And of such like consolation are all the Psalmes full woulde to God when ye read them ye vnderstood them And Math. 10. When they deliuer you take no thought what ye shall say it shall be geuen you the same houre what ye shall say for it is not ye that speake but the spirite of your Father which speaketh in you The very heares of your heades are numbred saith Christ also Math. 10. If God care for our heares he much more careth for our soules which he hath sealed with his holy spirite Therefore sayth Peter 1. Pet. 4. Cast all your care vppon him for he careth for you And Paule 1. Cor. 10. sayeth God is true he wil not suffer you to be tempted aboue your might And Psal 71. Cast thy care vpon the Lord. Let thy care be to prepare thy selfe with all thy strength for to walke which way he will haue thee and to beleue that he will goe with thee assist thee and strengthen thee agaynst all tyraÌ„tes deliuer thee out of al tribulatioÌ„ But what way or by what meanes he will do it that committe vnto him and his godly pleasure and wisedome and cast that care vpon him And though it seeme neuer so vnlikely or neuer so impossible vnto naturall reason yet beleue stedfastly that he will do it and then shall he according to his olde vse chainge the course of the worlde euen in the twinckling of an eye and come sodenly vpon our Gyantes as a theefe in the night and coÌ„passe them in their wyles and worldly wisedome when they crye peace all is safe then shall theyr sorrowes beginne as the panges of a woman that traueileth with childe and then shall he destroy them and deliuer thee vnto the glorious prayse of hys mercy and truth Amen ANd as pertayning vnto them that despise Gods worde counting it as a phantasie or a dreame and to them also that for feare of a little persecution fall from it sette this before thyne eyes how God since the beginning of the world before a generall plague euer sent his true prophetes preachers of his word to warne the people and gaue them time to repent But they for the greatest part of theÌ„ hardened theyr hartes and persecuted the worde that was sent to saue them And then God destroyed them vtterly and tooke them cleane from the earth As thou seest what followed the preaching of Noe in y â— olde world what folowed the preaching of Loth among the Sodomites the preachyng of Moses and Aaron among the Egiptians and that sodenly against all possibilitie of mans witte Moreouer as ofte as the children of Israell fel from God to the worshipping of images he sent his prophets vnto them and they persecuted and waxed harde harted and then he sent them into all places of the world captiue Last of all he sent his owne sonne vnto them and they waxed more hard harted then euer before And see what a fearefull example of his wrath and cruel vengeance he hath made of them vnto all the worlde now almost fifteene hundred yeares Vnto the olde Brittaines also which dwelled where our natioÌ„ doth now preached Gildas and rebuked them of theyr wickednes and prophesied both vnto the spirituall as they will be called and vnto the lay men also what vengeaunce would follow except they repented But they waxed hard harted and God sente his plagues and pestilences among them and sent theyr enemies in vppon them on euery side destroyed them vtterly Marke also how Christ threateneth theÌ„ that forsake him for whatsoeuer cause it be whether for feare eyther for shame eyther for losse of honour frendes lyfe or goodes â–ª He that denyeth me before men him will I deâ—y before my father that is in heauen He that loueth father or mother more then me is not worthy of me all thys he sayth Math. 10. And in Mark 8. he sayth Whosoeuer is ashamed of me or my wordes among this adulterous and sinfull generation of him shall the sonne of man be ashamed when he commeth in the glory of his father with his holy Angels And Luk. 9. also None that layeth his hande to the plowe and looketh backe is meete for the kingdome of heauen Neuerthelesse yet if any man haue resisted ignorantly as Paule did let him looke on the truth which Paule wrote after he came to knowledge Also if any man cleane against his hart but ouercome with the weaknes of the flesh for feare of persecution haue denied as Peter did or haue deliuered his booke or put it away secretly let him if he repente come again and take better hold and not dispayre or take it for a signe that God hath forsaken him for God ofttimes taketh hys strength euen froÌ„ his very elect wheÌ„ they either trust in theyr own strength or are negligent to call to him for his strength And that doth hee to teach theÌ„ to make theÌ„ feele that in that fire of tribulatioÌ„ for his wordes sake nothing can endure and abide saue his word and that streÌ„gth onely which he hath promised For the which strength he will haue vs to praye vnto him night and day wyth all
also no longer obey but resiste and rise agaynst their euill heades And one wicked destroyeth an other Yet is Gods word not the cause of this neither yet the preachers For though that Christ hym selfe taught all obedience how that it is not lawfull to resiste wrong but for the officer that is appointed thereunto and howe a man must loue his very enemy pray for them that persecute him and blesse them that curse hym and how that all vengeaunce must bee remitted to God and that a man must forgeue if hee wil be forgeuen of God Yet the people for the most part receaued it not They were euer ready to rise and to fight For euer when the Scribes and Phariseis wēt about to take Christ they were afraide of the people Not on the holy day sayde they Math. xxvj lest any rumour aryse among the people And Math. xxi They would haue takē him but they feared the people And Luke xx Christe asked the Phariseis a question vnto whiche they durst not aūswere lest the people should haue stoned them Last of all for as much as the very Disciples and Apostles of Christ after so lōg hearyng of Christes doctrine were yet ready to fight for Christe cleane agaynst Christes teachyng As Peter Math. xxvi drew his sword but he was rebuked And Luke ix Iames and Iohn would haue had fire to come from heauen to cōsume the Samaritanes and to auenge the iniury of Christe but were likewise rebuked if Christes Disciples were so long carnall what wonder is it if we be not all perfect the first daye Yea in as much as we bee taught euen of very babes to kil a Turke to slea a Iewe to burne an hereticke to fight for the liberties and right of the Church as they cal it yea and in asmuch as wee are brought in belefe if wee shed the bloud of our euen Christen or if the sonne shed the bloud of hys father that begat hym for the defence not of the Popes Godhead onely but also for what so euer cause it bee yea though it be for no cause but that his holynes commaundeth it onely that we deserue as much as Christ deserued for vs when he dyed on the crosse or if we be slaine in the quarel that our soules goe nay flye to heauen and be there ere our bloud be cold In as much I saye as we haue sucked in suche bloudy imaginatiōs into the bottome of our harts euen with our mothers milke and haue ben so long hardened therein what wonder were it if while we be yet young in Christ we thought that it were lawful to fight for the true word of god Yea and though a man were throughly persuaded that it were not lawful to resist his kyng thoughe he would wrongfully take away lyfe and goodes Yet might he thinke that it were lawful to resist the hipocrites and to rise not agaynst his kyng but with his kyng to deliuer his kyng out of bondage and captiuitie wherin the hipocrites hold hym with wyles and falsehode so that no man may bee suffered to come at him to tell him the trouth This seest thou that it is the bloudy doctrine of the Pope which causeth disobedience rebellion and insurrectiō For hee teacheth to sight and to defende hys traditions and what soeuer he dreameth with fire water and sworde and to disobey Father Mother Master Lorde Kyng and Emperour Yea and to inuade what so euer lād or natiō that will not receaue and admit his Godhead Where the peaceable doctrine of Christe teacheth to obey and to suffer for the word of God to remit the vengeaunce and the defense of the word to god which is mighty and able to defende it which also as soone as the worde is once openly preached and testified or witnessed vnto the world and when he hath geuen them a season to repent is ready at once to take vengeaunce of his enemies and shoteth arrowes with heades dipte in deadly poyson at them and poureth hys plagues from heauen downe vpon them and sendeth the moren and pestilence among them and sinketh the Cities of them and maketh the earth swalow them and cōpasseth them in their wyles and taketh them in theyr owne trappes and snares and casteth thē into the pittes whiche they digged for other men and sendeth them a dasyng in in the head and vtterly destroyeth them with their owne suttle councell Prepare thy mynde therefore vnto this litle treatise and read it discretly and iudge it indifferently and when I alledge any Scripture loke thou on the text whether I interprete it right whiche thou shalt easely perceaue by the circumstance and processe of thē if thou make Christ the foundation and ground and build all on him and referrest all to hym and findest also that the expositiō agreeth vnto the common Articles of the faith and opē scriptures And GOD the father of mercy whiche for hys truthes sake raysed our Sauiour Christ vp agayne to iustifie vs geue thee hys spirite to iudge what is righteous in his eyes and geue the strength to abyde by it and to mayntayne it withall patience and long sufferyng vnto the example and edifying of his congregation and glory of his name Amen The obedience of all degrees proued by Gods word and first of children vnto theyr elders GOd which worketh all in all thynges for a secrete iudgement and purpose and for hys godly pleasure prouided an houre that thy father and mother should come together to make thee throughe them He was present with thee in thy mothers wombe and fashioned thee brethed lyfe into thee and for y t great loue he had vnto thee prouided milke in thy mothers brestes for thee agaynst thou were borne moued also thy father and mother and all other to loue thee to pitie thee and to care for thee And as he made thee through them so hath he cast thee vnder the power authoritie of them to obeye and serue them in his stede saying honor thy father and mother Exo. xx Which is not to be vnderstand in bowyng the knee and puttyng of the cappe onely but that thou loue them with al thyne hart and feare and drede them and wayte on their commaundementes and seke their worshyp pleasure will and profite in all thynges and geue thy life for them counting them worthy of all honour remembryng that thou art theyr good and possession that thou owest vnto thē thine owne selfe and all thou art able yea and more then thou art able to doe Vnderstand also that what soeuer thou doest vnto thē be it good or bad thou doest vnto God Whē thou pleasest them y ◠pleasest god whē thou displeasest thē thou displeasest God whē they are angry with thee god is angry w t thee neither is it possible for thee to come vnto y ◠fauour of God againe no though all the aūgels of heauē pray for thee vntil thou
Christ or entende to restore the Kynges agayne vnto their duties and right and to the rowme and authoritie which they haue of God and of shadowes to make theÌ„ Kynges in deede to put the world in his order agayne then the Kynges deliuer their swordes and authoritie vnto the hypocrites to â—lay him So dronken are they with the wine of the whore ¶ The text that foloweth in Paule wil they happely lay to my charge and others How shall they preach except they be sent sayth Paul in the sayd x. to the Romaines We wil they say the Pope Cardinals and Byshoppes all authority is ours The Scripture perteineth vnto vs and is our possession And we haue a law that who soeuer presume to preach without the authoritie of the Bishops is excommunicate in the deede doyng Whence therefore hast thou thine authoritie wil they say The old Phariseis had the Scripture in captiuitie likewise and asked Christ by what authoritie doest thou these thynges as who should say We are phariseis thou art none of our order nor hast authoritie of vs. Christ asked them an other question and so will I do our hypocrites Who seÌ„t you God Nay hee that is sent of God speaketh Gods word Iohn iij. Now speake ye not Gods worde nor any thyng saue your own lawes made cleane contrary vnto Gods worde Christes Apostles preached Christ not them selues He that is of the truth preacheth the truth Now ye preach nothyng but lyes and therefore are of the deuill the father of all lyes of hym are ye sent And as for mine authoritie or who sent me I report me vnto my workes as Christ Iohn v. and. x. If Gods word beare recorde that I say truth why should any man doubt but that God the father of truth and of lyght hath sent me as the father of lyes of darknes hath sent you and that the spirite of truth and of light is with me as the spirite of lyes and of darkenes is with you By this meanes thou wilt that euery man be a preacher will they say Nay verely For GOD will that not and therfore will I it not no more then I would that euery man of London were Mayre of London or euery man of the Realme Kyng therof God is not the author of dissention and strife but of vnitie and peace and of good order I will therefore that where a congregation is gathered together in Christ one be chosen after the rule of Paul and that hee onely preach and els no maÌ„ openly but that euery man teach hys houshold after the same doctrine But if the preacher preach false then whosoeuers harte God moueth to the same it shal be law full to rebuke and improue the false teacher with the cleare and manifest Scripture and that same is no doubt a true Prophet sent of GOD. For the Scripture is gods and theirs that beleue and not the false Prophet SAcrament is then as much to say as an holy signe And the Sacramentes which Christ ordeined preach Gods word vnto vs and therfore iustifie and minister the spirite to them that beleue as Paul thorough preachyng the Gospell was a minister of righteousnes of the spirite vnto all that beleued his preachyng Domme ceremonies are no Sacramentes but superstitiousnes Christes SacrameÌ„ts preach the fayth of Christ as his Apostles did thereby iustifie Antichristes domme ceremonies preach not y â— fayth that is in Christ as his Apostles our Byshops and Cardinals do not But as Antichristes Bishops are ordeined to kill who soeuer preach the true faith of Christ so are his ceremonies ordeined to quench the faith which Christes SacrameÌ„tes preach And hereby maist thou knowe the difference betwene Christes signes or Sacramentes and Antichristes signes or ceremonyes that Christes signes speake and Antichristes be domme Hereby seest thou what is to be thought of all other ceremonies as halowed water bread salt bowes belles waxe ashes and so forth and all other disguisinges and Apesplay and of all maner coniurations as the coniuring of church and churchyardes and of alter stones such like Where no promise of God is there can be no fayth nor iustifiyng nor forgeuenes of sinnes For it is more then madnes to looke for any thing of god saue that he hath promised How farre he hath promised so farre is he boduÌ„ to them that beleue and further not To haue a fayth therefore or a trust in any thing where god hath not promised is plaine idolatry and a worshipping of thyne own imagination in stede of God Let vs see the pith of a ceremony or two to iudge the rest by In coniuring of holy water they pray that whosoeuer be sprinckled therewith may receaue health as well of body as of soule and likewise in makyng holy bread and so forth in the coniurations of other ceremonies Now we see by dayly experience that halfe their prayer is vnheard For no man receaueth health of body thereby No more of likelihode do they of soule Yea we see also by experience that no man receaueth health of soule thereby For no man by sprinckling himselfe with holy water and wyth eating holy bread is more mercifull then before or forgeueth wrong or becommeth at one with his enemy or is more patient and lesse couetous and so forth Which are the sure tokens of the soule health They preach also that the wagging of the Byshops hand ouer vs blesseth vs and putteth away our sinnes Are these workes not against Christ How can they do more shame vnto Christes bloud For if the wagging of the Byshops hand ouer me be so precious a thyng in the sight of God that I am thereby blessed how then am I full blessed wyth all spirituall blessinge in Christ as Paul saith Ephe. j Or if my sinnes be full done away in Christ how remayneth there any to be done away by such phantasies The Apostles knew no wayes to put away sin or to blesse vs but by preaching Christ Paule sayth Gal. ij If righteousnes come by the law then Christ dyed in vayne So dispute I here If blessing come by the wagging of the Byshops hand then dyed Christ in vayne and his death blesseth vs not And a little afore sayth Paule if while we seeke to be iustified by Christ we be yet found sinners so that we must be iustified by the law or ceremonies is not Christ then a minister of sinne So dispute I here If while we seeke to be blessed in Christ we are yet vnblessed and must be blessed by the wagging of the Byshoppes hand what haue we then of Christ but curse Thou wilt say When we come first to the fayth then Christ forgeueth vs and blesseth vs. But the sinnes which we afterward commit are forgeuen vs through such thinges I aunswere If any man repent truely and come to the fayth and put hys trust in Christ theÌ„ as oft as he sinneth of frayltie at
Saint was great wyth God when he was aliue as it appeareth by the myracles which God shewed for him he must therfore be great now say they This reaâ—oÌ„ appeareth wisdome but it is very folishnes wyth God For the myracle was not shewed that thou should put thy trust in the Saint but in the worde which the saint preached which worde if thou beleuest would saue thee as God hath promysed and sworne would make thee also great wyth God as it dyd y e Saint If a maÌ„ haue a matter wyth a great man or a kyng he must goe fyrst vnto one of hys meane seruauntes and theÌ„ hyer and hyer till he come at the kyng This entising argumeÌ„t is but a blinde reason of mans witte It is not like in the kingdome of the worlde and in the kingdome of God and Christ With kynges for the most part we haue none acquaintaunce neither promise They be also most coÌ„monly mercilesse Moreouer if they promise they are yet meÌ„ as vnconstant as are other people as vntrue But with God if we haue beliefe we are accompted and haue an open way in vnto hym by the dore Christ which is neuer shutte but through vnbeliefe neither is there any porter to keepe any man out By him saith Paul Ephe. ij that is to say by Christ we haue an open way in vnto the father So are ye now no more straungers and forreiners sayth he but citizens wyth the Saintes and of the housholde of God God hath also made vs promises and hath sworne yea hath made a testament or a couenaunt and hath bounde hymselfe and hath sealed his obligation wyth Christes bloud and confirmed it wyth miracles He is also mercifull and kinde and coÌ„playneth that we wyll not come vnto hym He is mighty and able to performe that he promiseth He is true and can not be but true as he can not be but God Therefore is it not lyke with the kyng and God We be sinners say they God wyll not heare vs. Beholde how they flee from God as from a tyraunt mercilesse Whom a maÌ„ counteth most mercifull vnto hym he sonest flyeth But these teachers dare not come at God Why For they are y e childreÌ„ of Caine. If the Saintes loue whome God hateth then God and his Saints are deuided When thou prayest to y e saintes how doe they know except that God whom thou countest mercilesse tell them If God be so cruell and so hateth thee it is not likely that he wyll tell the Saintes that thou prayest vnto them When they say we be sinners I answere that Christ is no sinner saue a satisfaction and an offering for synne Take Christ froÌ„ the saintes and what are they What is Paule wythout Christ is he any thing saue a blasphemer a persecuter a murtherer and a shedder of Christen bloude But as soone as he came to Christ he was no more a sinner but a minister of righteousnes he went not to Rome to take penaunce vpon him but went preached vnto his brethren the same mercy which he had receaued free wythout doing penaunce or hiering of Saintes or of Monkes or Fryers Moreouer if it be Gods worde that thou shoulde put thy trust in the saintes merites or prayers then be bolde For Gods worde shall defend thee and saue thee If it be but thine owne reason then feare For God commaundeth by Moyses Deut. xij saying what I coÌ„maund you that obserue and do and put nothing to nor take ought therefro yea and Moses warneth straitly in an hundred places that we do that onely which God commaundeth and which seemeth good and righteous in hys sight and not in our owne sight For nothing bringeth the wrath of god so sone and so sore on a man as the idolatry of his owne imagination Last of all these arguments are contrary to the argumentes of Christ and of his Apostles Christ disputeth Luk. 11. saying If the sonne aske the father bread will he geue him a stone or if he aske him fish will he geue him a serpent and so forth If ye then saith he which are euill can geue good giftes to your children how much rather shall your heauenly father geue a good spirite vnto them that aske him And a little before in the same chapter he sayeth If a man came neuer so out of season to his neighbour to borow bread euen when he is in his chamber the dore shut and all his seruantes wyth him neuerthelesse yet if he continue knocking and praying he will rise and geue him asmuch as he nedeth though not for loue yet to be rid of him that he may haue rest As who should say what will God do if a man pray him seing that prayer ouercommeth an euill man Aske therfore sayth he and it shall be geuen you seeke and ye shal finde knocke and it shal be opened vnto you And Luke 18. he putteth forth the parable or similitude of the wicked Iudge which was ouercome with the importunate prayer of y e widow And concludeth saying Heare what the wicked Iudge did And shall not God aduenge his elect which cry vnto hym night and day Whether therefore we complaine of the intollerable oppression and persecution that we suffer or of the flesh that combreth resisteth the spirite God is mercifull to heare â—s to helpe vs. Seest thou not also how Christ cureth many and casteth out deuyls out of many vnspoken too how shall he not helpe if he be desired and spoken to When the old pharisies whose nature is to driue sinners from Christ asked Christ why he did eat with publicanes and sinners Christ aunswered that the whole neded not the phisition but the sicke that is he came to haue coÌ„uersation with sinners to heale theÌ„ He was a gift geueÌ„ vnto sinners and a treasure to pay theyr debtes And Christ sent the complayning and disdayning pharisies to the Prophet Oseas saying Go and learne what thys meaneth I desire or require mercy and not sacrifice As who should say Ye pharises loue sacrifice and offring for to feed that God your bellies withall but God commaundeth to be mercifull Sinners are euer captiues and a pray vnto the Pharises and hypocrites for to offer vnto theyr bellies to buy merites pardons and forgeuenes of sinnes of them And therefore feare they them away from Christe with argumentes of theyr belly wysedome For he that receaueth forgeuenes free of Christ wil buy no forgeuenes of them I came sayth Christ to call not the righteous but the sinners vnto repentaunce The pharisies are righteous and therefore haue no part with Christ neitheâ— need they for they are Gods themselues sauiours But sinners that repent partaine to Christ If we repent Christ hath made satisfaction for vs already God so loued the world that he gaue hys onely sonne that noue that beleue on him should perish but should haue euerlasting life For God sent not hys sonne
to bring vs vnto fauour Likewise doth a Christen man geue to hys brethren robbeth them not as friers and monkes do but as Paule commaundeth Ephes 4. laboureth wyth his handes some good worke to haue wherewith to helpe the needy They geue not but receiue onely They labour not but liue idely of the sweat of the poore There is none so poore a widow though she haue not to finde hir self and her children nor any mony to geue yet shall the frier snatch a chese or somewhat They preach sayst thou and labour in the woorde First I say they are not called and therefore ought not for it is the Curates office The Curate can not saist thou What doth the theefe there then Secondarily a true preacher preacheth Christes testament only and maketh Christ the cause and reward of all our deedes and teacheth euery man to beare hys crosse willingly for Christes sake But these are enemies vnto the crosse of Christ and preach theyr belly which is theyr God Ephes 3. and they thinke that lucre is the seruing of God 1. Tim. 6. that is they thinke them christen onely which offer vnto their belies which when thou hast filled then spue they out prayers for thee to be thy reward and yet wâ—t not what praier meaneth Prayer is the longing for Gods promises which promises as they preach them not so loÌ„g they not for them nor wish them vnto any man Theyr longing is to fill theyr paunch whom they serue not Christ and through sweet preaching and flattring woordes deceaue the hartes of the simple and vnlearned Rom. 16. Finally as Christ is the whole cause why we do all thing for our neighbor euen so is he the cause why God doth all thyng for vs why he receaueth vs into his holy Testament and maketh vs heyres of al his promises and poureth his spirit into vs and maketh vs his sonnes and fashioneth vs like vnto Christ and maketh vs such as he would haue vs to be The assuraunce that we are the sonnes beloued and heires with Christ haue Gods spirite in vs is the consent of our hartes vnto the law of God Which law is all perfection and the marke whereat all we ought to shoot And he that hitteth that marke so that he fulfilleth the law with all his hart soule and might and with full loue and lust without all let or resistance is pure gold and needeth not to be put any more in the fire he is straight and right needeth to be no more shauen he is full fashioned like Christ and can haue no more added vnto him Neuerthelesse there is none so perfect in this life that findeth not let resistance by the reason of originall sinne or birth poyson that remayneth in him as thou maist see in the liues of all the saintes throughout all the scripture and in Paul Rom. 7. The will is present sayth he but I fynde no meanes to performe that whiche is good I doo not that good thing which I would but that euill do I which I would not I finde by the law that when I would do good euill is present with me I delite in the law as concerning the inner man but I finde an other law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde subduing me vnto the law of sinne Which law of sinne is nothing but a corrupt and a poysoned nature which breaketh into euill lustes and from euill lustes into wicked deedes must be purged with the true purgatory of the crosse of Christ that is thou must hate it with all thine hart and desyre God to take it from thee And then whatsoeuer crosse God putteth on thy backe beare it paciently whether it be pouertie sickenes or persecution or what soeuer it be and take it for the right Purgatory and thinke that God hath nailed thee fast to it to purge thee therby For he that loueth not the law and hateth hys sinne hath not professed in his hart to fight against it and mourneth not to god to take it away to purge him of it y â— same hath no part with Christ If thou loue the law and fyndest that thou hast yet synne hangyng on thee where of thou sorowest to be deliuered and purged as for an example thou hast a couetous mynde and mistrustest God and therfore arte moued to begyle thy neighbour arte vnto him mercylesse not caring whether he sinke or swymme so thou maist winne by him or get from him that he hath then get thee to the obseruaunte which is so purged froÌ„ that sinne that he will not once handle a peny with that wyle doth the suttle foxe make the goose come flying into his hole ready prepared for his mouth without hys labour or swet buy of his incrites which he hath in store geue thy money not into his holy haÌ„ds but to offer him that he hath hired either with part of his prayers or part of his praye to take the sinne vpon him and to handle his money for him In like maner if any parson that is vnder obedieÌ„ce vnto Gods ordinaunce whether it be sonne or daughter seruaunt wife or subiect consent vnto the ordinaunce yet finde contrary motions let him go also to theÌ„ that haue professed an obedience of their owne making and bye part of their merites If thy wife geue the ix wordes for three go to the charterhouse and bye of their silence And so if the absteinyng of the obseruaunt from handling money heale thine hart from desiryng money the obedience of them that will obey nothyng but their owne ordinaunce heale thy disobedience to Gods ordinaunce and the sileÌ„ce of the charterhouse Monke tanâ—e thy wiues toung theÌ„ beleue that their prayers shall deliuer thy soule from the paines of that terrible and feareful Purgatory which they haue fayned to purge thy purse withall The spiritualtie encreaseth dayly Mo prelates mo Priestes mo moÌ„kes friers chanons nunnes and mo heretikes I would say heremites with lyke draffe Set before the y â— encrease of S. FrauÌ„ces disciples in so few yeares RekeÌ„ how many thousands yea how many twenty thousaÌ„des not disciples onely but whole cloisters are sprong out of hell of them in so litle space Pateryng of prayers encreaseth dayly Their seruice as they call it waxeth longer and longer and the labour of their lippes greater new Saintes new seruice new festes and new holy dayes What take all these away Sinne Nay For we â—ee the contrary by experience that sinne groweth as they grow But they take away first Gods word with fayth hope peace vnitie loue concorde then house and laÌ„d rent see tower towne goodes and cattell and the very meate out of mens mouthes All these lyue by Purgatory When other weepe for their frendes they sing merely when other loose their frendes they get frendes The Pope with all his
Pardons is grounded on Purgatory Priestes Monkes Chanons Friers with all other swermes of hypocrites do but empty Purgatory and fill hell Euery Masse say they deliuereth one soule out of Purgatory If that were true yea if ten Masses were inough for one soule yet were the Parish Priests and Curates of euery Parish sufficient to scoure Purgatory All the other costly workemen might be well spared ¶ The foure senses of the Scripture THey deuide the Scripture in to foure senses the litterall tropological allegoricall and anagogicall The litterall seÌ„se is become nothing at all For the pope hath taken it cleane away hath made it his possession He hath partly locked it vp with the false and counterfayted keyes of his traditions ceremonies fayned lyes And partly driueth men from it with violence of sword For no man dare abide by the litterall sense of the text but vnder a Protestation if it shall please the Pope The chopologicall sense perteineth to good maners say they and teacheth what we ought to do The allegory is appropriate to fayth and the anagogicall to hope and thinges aboue Tropologicall and anagogicall are termes of their own fayning and all together vnnecessary For they are but allegories both two of theÌ„ and this word allegorie compreheÌ„deth them both is inough For tropologicall is but an Allegory of maners anagogicall an Allegorie of hope And Allegory is as much to say as strauÌ„ge speakyng or borowed speach As wheÌ„ we say of a wanton child this sheepe hath magottes in his tayle he must be annoynted with byrchin salue which speach I borow of the shepheardes ¶ Thou shalt vnderstand therefore that the Scripture hath but one sence which is the litterall sense And that litterall sense is the roote and grounde of all and the ancre that neuer fayleth wherunto if thou cleaue thou canst neuer erre or go out of the way And if thou leaue the litterall sense thou canst not but go out of the way Neuer the latter the Scripture vseth prouerbes similitudes redels or allegories as all other speaches do but that which the prouerbe similitude redell or allegory signifieth is euer the litterall sense which thou must seke out diligently As in the English we borow wordes and sentences of oâ—e thyng and apply them vnto another and geue theÌ„ new significations We say let the sea rise as hye as he will yet hath God appointed how farre he shall goe meanyng that the tyrauntes shall not do what they would â–ª but that only which God hath appointed them to doe 〈…〉 thou lepe â–ª whose litterall sense 〈…〉 nothing sodeÌ„ly or without adâ—… Cut not the bowe that thou 〈…〉 vpon whose litterall sence is 〈…〉 not the comyns is borowed â—…ers When a thing spedeth not we◠〈◊〉 borow speach and say the bishop hath blessed it because that nothing spedeth well that they medle with all If thâ— porage be burned to or the meate ouer rosted we say the Bishop hath put his foote in the potte or the Bishop hath playd the Cooke because the Bishops burne who they lust whosoeuer displeaseth them He is a pontificall fellow that is proud and stately He is Popish that is superstitious and faith lesse It is a pastime for a Prelate It is a pleasure for a Pope He would be free yet will not haue his head shauen He would that no man should smite him and yet hath not the Popes marke And of him y t is betrayd woteth not how we say he hath bene at shrifte She is master Persons sisters daughter He is the Bishops sisters sonne he hath a Cardinall to his vncle she is a spirituall whore it is the Gentlewoman of the Personage he gaue me a Kyrieleyson And of her that aunswereth her husbaÌ„d vj. words for one we say she is a sister of y e charter house as who should say she thinketh that she is not bounde to kepe silence their silence shal be a satisfaction for her And of him that will not be saued by Christes merites but by the workes of his owne imagination we say it is a holy workeman Thus borow we and fayne new speach in euery touÌ„g All fables prophesies and redles are allegories as Ysopus fables Marliens prophesies and the interpretation of them are the litterall sense So in like maner the Scripture boroweth woordes and sentences of all maner thinges and maketh prouerbes similitudes or allegories As Christ sayth Luke iiij Phisition heale thy selfe Whose interpretation is do that at whom which thou doest in strauÌ„ge places that is the litterall sense So wheÌ„ I say Christ is a lambe I meane not a lambe that beareth woll but a meke a paciente lambe which is beaten for other mens fautes Christ is a vine not that beareth grapes but out of whose roote the braunches that beleue sucke the sprit of life and mercy grace and power to be the sonnes of God to do his will The similitudes of y e Gospel are allegories borowed of worldly matters to expresse spirituall things The Apocalipse or reuelatioÌ„s of Iohn are allegories whose litterall sense is hard to finde in many places Beyond all this when we haue found out the litteral sense of y e Scripture by the processe of the text or by a like text of another place Then go we and as the Scripture boroweth similitudes of worldly thinges euen so we agayne borow similitudes or allegories of the Scripture and apply them to our purposes which allegories are no sense of the scripture but fre things besides the Scripture and all together in the libertie of the spirite Which allegories I may not make at all the wilde aduentures but must keepe me with in the compasse of the faith euer apply mine allegory to Christ and vnto the fayth Take an ensample thou hast the story of Peter how he smote of Malchuses eare and how Christ healed it agayne There hast thou in the playne text great learnyng great frute and great edifieng which I passe ouer because of tediousnes Then come I wheÌ„ I preach of the law and the Gospell borow this example to expresse the nature of the law and of the Gospell and to paynt it vnto thee before thine eyes And of Peter his sword make I the law and of Christ the Gospell saying as Peters sword cutteth of the eare so doth the law The law damneth the law killeth and mangleth the conscience There is no care so righteous that can abyde y â— hearyng of the law There is no deede so good but that the law damneth it But Christ that is to say the Gospell the promises and Testament that God hath made in Christ healeth the eare and conscience which the law hath hurt The Gospell is life mercy forgeâ—enes frely and all together an healing plaister And as Peter doth but hurt make a wouÌ„de where was none before eueÌ„ so doth the law For when we thinke
that we are holy righteous full of good deedes if y â— law be preached a right our righteousnes and good dedes vanish away as smoke in the winde and we are left damnable sinners onely And as thou seest how that Christ healeth not till Peter had wouÌ„ded and as an healyng plaister helpeth not till y â— corrosie hath troubled the wounde eueÌ„ so the Gospell helpeth not but wheÌ„ the law hath wouÌ„ded y e conscience and brought the sinner into y e knowledge of his sinne This allegory proueth nothyng neither caÌ„ do For it is not the Scripture but an exaÌ„ple or a similitude borowed of the Scripture to declare a text or a conclusion of the Scripture more expresly and to roote it and graue it in the hart For a similitude or an example doth printe a thing much deper in the wittes of a man then doth a plaine speakyng and leaueth behynd him as it were a stinge to pricke him forward and to awake him with all Moreouer if I could not proue with an open text that which the Allegory doth expresse then were the Allegory a thyng to bee gested at and of no greater value then a tale of Robyn hode This allegory as touching his first part is proued by Paul in ye. iij. chap. of his Epistle to the Romanes where he sayth The law causeth wrath And in y e vij chapter to the Romanes When the law or commaundement came sinne reuiued and I become dead And in the ij Epistle to the Cor. in the third chap. the law is called the minister of death and daÌ„nation c. And as concernyng the second part Paul sayth to the Rom. in the v. chap. In that we are iustified by faith we are at peace with God And in the ij Epistle to the CorinthiaÌ„s in the. iij. The Gospell is called the ministratioÌ„ of iustifying and of the spirite And Gala. iiij The spirite coÌ„meth by preaching of the faith c. This doth the litterall sence proue the allegory beare it as the foundatioÌ„ beareth the house And because that allegories proue nothyng therfore are they to be vsed soberly and seldome onely where the text offereth thee an allegory And of this maner as I aboue haue done doth Paul borow a similitude a figure or allegory of Genesis to expresse the nature of the law and of the Gospell and by Agar her sonne declareth the propertie of the law and of her bonde children which wil be iustified by deedes and by Sara and her sonne declareth the propertie of the Gospell and of her free children which are iustified by faith and how the children of the law which beleue in their workes persecute the children of the Gospel which beleue in the mercy and truth of God and in the Testament of his sonne Iesus our Lord. And likewise do we borow likenesses or allegories of the Scripture as of Pharao and Derode and of the Scribes and Phariseis to expresse our miserable captiuitie and persecution vnder Antichrist the Pope The greatest cause of which captiuitie and the decay of the fayth this blindnes wherin we now are sprang first of allegories For Origene and the doctours of his time drew all y e Scripture vnto allegories Whose ensample they that came after folowed so loÌ„g till at the last they forgat y â— order and processe of the text supposing that y e scripture serued but to faine allegories vppoÌ„ In somuch that twenty doctours expounde one text xx wayes as children make descant vpon playne song Then came our sophisters with theâ—â— Anagogicall and Chopologicall sence with an antetheme of halfe an inch out of whiche some of them drawe a threde of ix dayes long Yea thou shalt fynde inough that will preach Christ and proue what soeuer poynte of thee fayth that thou wilt as well out of a fabell of Ouide or any other Poet as out of S. Iohns Gospell or Paules Epistles Yea they are come vnto such blyndnes that they not onely say the litterall sence profiteth not but also that it is hurtful and noysome and killeth the soule Which damnable doctrine they proue by a text of Paule ij Corinth iij. Where he sayth the letter killeth but the spirit geueth life Lo say they the litterall sence killeth and the spirituall sence geueth life We must therfore say they seeke out some choplogicall sence Here learne what sophistrie is and how blind they are that thou mayest abhorre them and spue them out of thy stomake for euer Paule by the letter meaneth Moyses law which the processe of the text folowyng declareth more bright then the sunne But it is not their guise to looke on the order of any text but as they find it in their doctours so alledge they it and so vnderstaÌ„d it Paule maketh a comparisoÌ„ betwene the law and the Gospell calleth the law the letter because it was but letters grauen in two tables of cold stoâ—e For the law doth but kill and damne the consciences as long as there is no lust in the hart to doe that which the law commaundeth Contrary wise he calleth the Gospell the administration of the spirite of righteousnes or iustifying For wheÌ„ Christ is preached and the promises whiche God hath made in Christ are beleued the spirit entereth the hart and looseth the hart and geueth lust to do the law and maketh the law a liuely thyng in the hart Now as soone as the hart lusteth to do the law then are we righteous before God our sinnes forgeuen Neuerthelesse the law of the letter graued in stone and not in the hartes was so glorious and Moyses his face shone so bryght that the children of Israell could not behold his face for brightnes It was also geuen in thunder and lightning and terrible signes so that they for feare came to Moses desired him that he would speake to them let God speake no more Lest we dye sayd they If we heare him any more as thou mayst see Exod. xx Wherupon Paule maketh his comparison saying if the ministratioÌ„ of death thorough the letters figured in stones was glorious so that the childreÌ„ of Israell could not behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenaunce why shal not the administration of the spirite be glorious And agayne if the administration of damnation be glorious much more shall the administration of righteousnes excede in glory That is if the law that killeth sinners helpeth theÌ„ not to be glorious then the Gospel which pardoneth sinners and geueth them power to be the sonnes of God to ouer come sinne is much more glorious And the text that goeth before is as cleare For the holy Apostle Paule sayth ye Corinthians are our Epistle which is vnderstand and read of all men in that ye are knowen how that ye are the Epistle of Christ ministred by vs and written not with ynke as Moyses law but with the
fathers fathers of theÌ„ that are past And as we feele our fathers so dyd they that are past feele their fathers neither were there in the world any other fathers then such as we both see and feele this many hundred yeares as their Decrees beare recorde and the stories and Chronicles well testifie If Gods word appeared any where they agreed all agaynst it When they had brought that a sleepe then stroue they one with an other about their owne traditions and one Pope condemned an others Decrees and were sometyme ij yea thre Popes at once And one Bishop went to law with an other and one cursed an other for their owne fantasies such things as they had falsly gotteÌ„ And the greatest Samts are they that most defeÌ„ded the liberties of the church as they call it which they falsly gote with blynding kings neither had the world any rest this many hundred yeares for reformyng of Friers and Monkes and ceasyng of schismes that were among our Clergy And as for the holy Doctours as Augustine Hierome Cyprian Chrisostomus and Bede will they not heare If they wrote any thyng negligently as they were men that drawe they cleane contrary to their meanyng and therof triumphe they Those Doctours knew of none authoritie that one Byshop should haue aboue another neither thought or once dreamed that euer any such should be or of any such whisperyng or of Pardons or scouryng of Purgatory as they haue fayned And when they cry miracles miracles remember that God hath made an euerlasting Testament with vs in Christes bloud against which we may receaue no miracles no neither y â— preachyng of Paule him selfe if he came agayn by his own teaching to the Galathians neither yet the preachyng of the aungels of heauen Wherefore either they are no miracles but they haue fayned theÌ„ as is the miracle that S. Peter halowed Westminster or els if there be miracles that confirme doctrine contrary to Gods word theÌ„ are they done of the deuill as the mayd of Ipswich of Kent to proue vs whether we will cleane last to Gods word and to deceaue them that haue no loue to the truth of Gods word nor lust to walke in his lawes And for as much as they to deceaue with all arme them selues against theÌ„ with argumentes and periÌ„nasions of fleshly wisedome with worldly similitudes with shadowes with false Allegories with false expositions of the Scripture contrary vnto the liuyng practising of Christ and the Apostles with lyes and false miracles with false names domne ceremonies with disguising of hypocrisie with the authorities of the fathers and last of all with the violence of the temporall sworde therfore do thou contrariwise arme thy selfe to defende thee with all as Paule teacheth in the last chapter to y â— Ephesians Gyrde on thee the sworde of the spirite which is Gods word and take to thee the shilde of fayth which is not to beleue a â—ate of Robynhode or Gestus Romanorum or of the Chronicles but to beleue Gods woorde that â—asteth euer And when the Pope with his falshead chalengeth temporall authoritie aboue King and Emperour set before thee y â— xxv chapter of S. Math. Where Christ commanudeth Peter to put vp his sword And set before thee Paul ij Cor. x. Where he sayth the weapons of of our warre are not carnall thynges but myghty in God to bryng all vnderstandyng in captiuitie vnder the obedience of Christ that is the weapoÌ„s are Gods word and doctrine and not swordes of yron and stele set before thee the doctrine of Christ and of hys Apostles and their practise And when the Pope chalengeth anthoritie ouer his fellow Byshops and ouer all the congregation of Christ by successioÌ„ of Peter set before thee y â— first of the Actes where Peter for all hys authoritie put no man in the rowme of Iudas but all the Apostles chose two indifferently and cast lottes desiring God to temper them that the lot might fall on y e most ablest And Actes viij the Apostles sent Peter and in the xi call him to rekening and to geue accomptes of that he hath done And when the Popes law coÌ„maundeth saying though that the Pope liue neuer so wickedly and draw with hym through his euill ensample innumerable thousaÌ„des vnto hell yet see that no man presume to rebuke him for he is head ouer all and no man ouer him set before thee Gallates ij Where Paule rebuketh Peter openly And see how both to the CorinthiaÌ„s and also to the Galathians he will haue no superiour but Gods word hee that could teach better by Gods worde And because when he rehearsed his preachyng and hys doynges vnto the hygh Apostles they could improue nothyng therfore will he be equall with the best And when the Friers say they do more theÌ„ their dutie wheÌ„ they preach and more theÌ„ they are bound to to say our seruice are we bouÌ„d say they and that is our dutie to preach is more then we are bound to Set thou before thee how that Christes bloud shedyng hath bounde vs to loue one an other withall our might and to do the vttermost of our power one to an other And Paul sayth i. Cor. ix Wo be vnto me if I preach not yea wo is vnto him y â— hath wherewith to helpe his neighbour and to make him better and do it not If they thinke it more then their dutie to preache Christ vnto you then they thinke it more then their dutie to pray that ye should come to the knowledge of Christ And therefore it is no maruell though they take so great labour yea and so great wages also to kepe you still in darkenes And when they crye furiously hold the heretikes vnto the wall and if they will not reuoke burne them without any more a do reason not with theÌ„ it is an Article condeÌ„ned by the fathers Set thou before thee the saying of Peter i. Pet. iij. To all that aske you be ready to geue an aunswere of the hope that is in you and that with mekenes The fathers of the Iewes and the Bishops whiche had as great authoritie ouer them as ours haue ouer vs condemned Christ his doctrine If it be inough to say the fathers haue condeÌ„ned it theÌ„ are y â— Iewes to beholdeÌ„ excused yea they are yet in the right way and we in the false But if the Iewes be bound to loke in the Scripture and to see whether their fathers haue done right or wrong then are we likewise bound to looke in the Scripture whether our fathers haue done right or wrong and ought to beleue nothyng without a reason of the Scripture and authoritie of Gods word And of this maner defend thy selfe agaynst all maner wickednes of our spirites armed alway with Gods woorde with a strong and a stedfast fayth thereunto Without Gods word do nothing And to his word adde nothyng neither pull any
profession of the fayth in Christes bloud and of the loue to the law and longyng for the lyfe to come be called all these thynges were malyce and froward vnderstandyng away because that where one of them is there be all three and where all are not there is none of them And because that the one is knowen by the other is impossible to know any of them truly and not be deceaued but in respect and comparison of the other For if thou wilt be sure that thy faith be perfect then examine thy selfe whether thou loue the law And in lyke maner if thou wilt knowe whether thou loue the lawe aright then examine thy selfe whether thou beleue in Christ onely for the remission of sinne and obtayning the promises made in the Scripture And euen so compare thy hope of the lyfe to come vnto fayth and loue and to hatyng the sinne of this lyfe whiche hate the loue to the law engendereth in thee And if they accompanie not one another all thre together then be sure that all is but hypocrisie If you say seyng fayth loue and hope be three vertues inseperable Ergo fayth onely iustifieth not I answere though they be inseperable yet they haue seperable and sundry offices as it is aboue sayd of the lawe fayth Fayth onely which is a sure â—nd an vndoubted trust in Christ and in the father thorow hym certifieth the conscience that the sinne is forgeuen and the dampnation and impossibilitie of the lawe taken away as it is aboue rehearsed in the conditions of the couenaunt And wyth such perswasions mollesieth the hart and maketh her loue God agayne and his lawe And as oft as we sinne faith onely kepeth that we forsake not our profession and that loue vtterly quench not and hope fayle and onely maketh the peace agayne For a true beleuer trusteth in Christ onely and not in his owne workes or ought els for the remission of sinne And the office of loue is to powre out agayne the same goodnes that she hath receaued of God vppon her neighbour and to be to hym as she feleth Christ to her selfe The office of loue onely is to haue compassion and to beare with her neighbour the burthen of his infirmities And as it is writteÌ„ 1. Pet. 4. Operit multitudinem peccatorum couereth the multitude of sinnes That is to say considereth the infirmities and enterpreteth all to the best and taketh for no sinne at all a thousand thinges of which the least were inough if a man loued not to go to law for to trouble vnquiet an whole towne and sometyme an whole realme or two And the office of hope is to comfort in aduersitie and make patient that we faint not and fall downe vnder the crosse or cast it oâ—… our backes And thus ye see that these three inseperable in this life haue yet seperable and sundry offices and effectes as heate drith beyng inseperable in the fyer haue yet their seperable operations For the drith onely expelleth the moystnes of all that is consumed by fyer and heat onely destroyeth the coldenes For drith and colde may stand together and so may heate and moystnes It is not all one to say the dryth onely and the dryth that is alone nor all one to say fayth onely and fayth that is alone Go to then and desire God to print this profession in thyne hart and to encrease it dayly more and more that thou mayst be full shapeÌ„ like vnto the image of Christ in knowledge and loue and meeke thy selfe creepe lowe by the grounde and cleaue fast to the rocke of this profession and tye to thy shippe this anker of fayth in Christes bloud wyth the gable of loue to cast it out against all tâ—…pests and so set vp thy sayle and get thee to the mayne sea of Gods worde And reade here the wordes of Christ with this exposition folowing and thou shalt see the lawe fayth and workes restored eche to his right vse and true meaning And therto the cleare difference betwene the spirituall regiment the temporall and shalt haue an entraunce and opeÌ„ way into the rest of all the scripture Wherein and in all other thinges the spirite of veritie guide thee and thyne vnderstandyng Amen ¶ The fift Chapter of Mathew WHen he saw the people he went vp into a mouÌ„taine and sat him downe and his Disciples came to hym and he opened his mouth and taught them saying Blessed be the poore in spirite for theirs is the kingdome of heauen CHrist here in his first Sermon begynneth to restore the law of the ten commanndements vnto her right vnderstandyng agaynst the Scribes and Phariseis which were hipocrites false Prophetes and false preachers had corrupt the scripture with the leauen of their gloses And it is not without a great mysterie that Christ beginneth his preachyng at pouertie in spirite which is neither beggerie nor agaynst the possessing of richesse But a vertue coÌ„trarie to the vice of couetousnesse the inordinate desire and loue of richesse and puttyng trust in richesse Riches is the gift of God geuen maÌ„ to mayntaine y â— degrees of this world and therefore not euill yea and some must be poore and some rich if we shal haue an order in this world And God our father deuideth richesse and pouertie among his childreÌ„ accordyng to his godly pleasure and wisedome And as richesse doth not exclude the from the blessing so doth not pouertie certifie thee But to put thy trust in the liuyng god maketh y â— heyre therof For if thou trust in the liuing God TheÌ„ if thou be poore thou couetest not to be rich for thou art certified y â— thy father shall minister vnto thee fode raymeÌ„t and be thy defeÌ„der if thou haue riches thou knowest that they be but vanitie and that as thou broughtest them not into the world so shalt thou not carie them out and that as they be thyne to day so may they be an other mans to morow and that the fauour of God onely both gaue and also kepeth thee them and not thy wisedome or power and that they neither ought els caÌ„ helpe at nede saue the good will of thy heauenly father onely Happy and blessed then are the poore in spirite that is to say the rich that haue not their confidence nor consolation in the vanitie of their richesse and the poore that desire not inordinatly to be riche but haue their trust in the liuyng God for fode and raymeÌ„t and for all that partayneth either to the body or the soule for theirs is the kyngdome of heauen And contrarywise vnhappy accursed and that with the first depest of all curses are the rich in spirite that is to say the couetous that beyng riche trust in their richesse or beyng poore long for the consolation of richesse and comfort not their soules with the promises
of their heauenly father confirmed with y ◠bloud of their Lord Christ For vnto them it is harder to enter into y ◠kingdome of heauen then for a camel to enter through y ◠eye of an nedle Mar. 10. No they haue no part in the kyngdome of Christ God Ephe. v. Therefore is it euident why Christ so diligētly warneth all his to beware of couetousnesse and why hee admitteth none to be his Disciples except he first forsake all together For there was neuer couetouse person true yet either to God or man If a couetous mā be chosē to preach Gods word he is a false Prophet immediatly If he be of the lay sorte so ioyneth he him self vnto the false Prophetes to persecute the truth Couetousnesse is not onely aboue all other lustes those thornes that choke y t word of God in them that possesse it But it is also a deadly enemy to all that interprete Gods word truly All other vices though they laugh thē to scorne that talke godly yet they can suffer thē to lyue and to dwell in the countrey But couetousnes cannot rest as long as there is one that cleaueth to Gods word in all the land Take hede to thy preacher therfore and be sure if he be couetous and gape for promotion that he is a false Prophet leaueneth the Scripture for all his crying fathers fathers holy Church and fiften hūdred yeares and for all his other holy pretenses Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted This mournyng is also in the spirite and no kinne to the sowre lokyng of hipocrites nor to the impaciēt weywardnesse of those fleshely which euer whyne and complayne that the world is naught because they cānot obtayne and enioy their lustes therin Neither forbiddeth it alwayes to be mery and and to laugh make good chere now and then to forget sorrow that ouermuch heauynesse swalow not a man cleane vp For the wise man sayth sorow hath cost many their lyues And Prouer. xvij an heauy spirite drieth vp the bones And Paule commaundeth Philip. iiij to reioyse euer And Roma xij he sayth reioyse with them that reioyse and sorow with thē that sorow and wepe with them that wepe which seme two contraries This mourning is that crosse without which was neuer any Disciple of Christ or euer shal be For of what soeuer state or degree thou be in this world if thou professe y ◠Gospell there foloweth the a crosse as warmenesse accompanieth the sonne shynyng vnder which thy spirite shall grone and mourne secretly not onely because the world and thyne owne flesh carie thee away cleane cōtrary to the purpose of thyne hart But also to see and behold the wretchednesse misfortunes of thy brethrē for which because thou louest them as well as thy selfe thou shalt mourne and sorow no lesse thē for thy selfe Though thou be King or Emperour yet if thou knowest Christ and God through Christ and entendest to walke in the fight of God and to minister thyne office truly thou shalt to kepe iustice with all be compelled to do dayly that which thou art no lesse loth to do then if thou shouldest cut of arme hand or any other member of thyne owne body yea and if thou wilt folow the right way and neither turne on the right hand nor on the left thou shalt haue immediatly thine own subiectes thyne owne seruauntes thyne owne Lordes thyne own coūsellours and thyne owne Prophetes thereto agaynst thee Vnto whose froward malice and stubburnesse thou shalt be cōpelled to permitte a thousand thynges agaynst thy conscience not able to resiste them at whiche thyne hart shall blede inwardly and shalt sawse thy swete soppes which the world weneth thou hast with sorowes mough and still mournyng studyeng either alone or els with a few frēdes secretly night and day and sighing to God for helpe to mitigate the furious frowardnesse of them whō thou art not able to with stand that all go not after the will of the vngodly What was Dauid cōpelled to suffer all the dayes of his lyfe of his own seruauntes the sonnes of Seruia Beside the mischaūces of his own children And how was our king Iohn forsaken of his owne Lordes when he would haue put a good and godly reformatiō in his owne land How was Henry the secōd compassed in lyke maner of his own Prelates whom he had promoted of nought with the secrete conspiracie of some of his own temporal Lordes with thē I spare to speake of y e mournyng of the true preachers the poore cōmon people which haue none other helpe but the secret hand of God and the word of his promise But they shal be cōforted of all their tribulatiō and their sorrow shal be turned into ioye and that infinite euerlastyng in the lyfe to come Neither are they without comfort here in this world for Christ hath promised to sēd them a comfortour to be with them for euer the spirite of trouth whiche the world knoweth not Iohn xiiij And they reioyse in hope of the comfort to come Rom. xij And they ouercome through fayth as it is written Hebr. xj the Saintes through fayth ouercame kyngdomes obtained the promises And. i. Iohn v. this is the victorie that ouercōmeth the world euē our faith But the blind world neither seeth our comfort nor our trust in God nor how God thorough faith in his word helpeth vs maketh vs ouercome How ouercome they wilt thou say that be alwayes persecuted and euer slayne verely in euery battaile some of them that wynne the field be slayne yet they leaue the victorie vnto their deare frēdes for whose sakes they toke the fight vppon them and therfore are conquerours seyng they obtayne their purpose maynteine that they fought for The cursed riche of this worlde whiche haue their ioye and comfort in their riches haue sence the begynnyng fought agaynst them to wede thē out of the worlde But yet in vayne For though they haue alwayes slayne som yet those that were slayne wanne the victory for their brethren with death euer increased the nūber of them And though they semed to dye in the sight of the foolish yet they are in peace and haue obtayned that euerlastyng kyngdome for which they fought And beside all this when God plagueth the world for their sinne these y ◠mourne and sorrow are marked with the signe of Thau in their foreheades and saued from the plague that they perish not with the wicked as thou seest Ezech. ix as Lot was deliuered frō among the Sodomites And contrariwise cursed are they that laugh now ▪ that is to say which haue their ioy solace and comfort in their riches for they shall sorrow and weepe Luke vj. And as it was answered the rich man Luke xvj sonne remember how that thou receauedst thy good dayes in thy life tyme and Lazarus likewise euill
sought helpe either for theÌ„selues or for their neighboures and trusted in the promyse of God would so comfort the soule and courage y â— hart that the body though it were halfe dead and more woulde reuiue and be lusty agayne and the labour woulde be short and easy as for an ensample if thou weâ—e so oppresied that thou were weaâ—y of thy life and weÌ„ttest to the kyng for helpe and haddest sped thy spirits would so reioyce that thy bodye woulde receaue her strength agayne and be as lusty as euer it was eueÌ„ so the promises of God worke ioy aboue all measure where they beleued in the hart But our hierlinges haue no Gods woorde but trust in the multitude of wordes length of bablyng and payne of body as bond seruauntes Neither know they any other vertue to be in prayer as ye may see by the ordinaunces of all foundations King Henry the fift built Syon and the Charterhouse of Shene on the other side of the water of such a manner that lippe labour may neuer cease For when the Fryers of Sion ryng out the NuÌ„nes beginne And when the Nunnes ring out of seruice the Monkes on the other side beginne And wheÌ„ they ring out the Fryers beginne agayne and vexe themselues night and day take payne for Gods sake for which God must geue them heauen Yea I haue knowen of some yer this that for very payne and tediousnes haue bidden the Deuill take their founders They call Lent the holyest tyme of the yeare but wherin is that holines verely in multitude of wordes and tedious leÌ„gth of the seruice For let theÌ„ beginne at sixe and it will be twelue or they can ende In which time they be so wearied that by the tyme they haue dined they haue lust to nothing saue to sleepe And in the ende of all they thinke no farther then that God must rewarde their payne And if y u aske how they know it They will aunswere he must reward it or be vnrighteous Now god looketh not on the paine of the prayer but on thy faith in his promise goodnes neither yet on the multitude of thy wordes or long habling For he knoweth thy matter better then thou thy selfe And though the Iewes and the heathen were so foolishe thorough their vnbeliefe to bable many words yet were they neuer so madde as to mâ—mble and buze out woordes that they vnderstoode not Thou wilt say what matter maketh it if I speake wordes which I vnderstand not or if I pray not at all seing God knoweth my matter all ready I aunswere he will haue thee to open thine hart to him to enforme and edifie thine owne selfe That thou mightest know how all goodnes is of him to put thy trust and confidence in hym and to flie to him in time of neede and to be thankfull and to loue him and obey his coÌ„maundementes and turne and be coÌ„uerted vnto thy Lord God and not to runne wilde as the vngodly do which know not the benefites of God and therefore be vnthankfull to obey hys commaundementes And that thou mayst know how what to pray he geueth thee a short instruction and ensample saying after this maner pray O our father which art in heaueÌ„ First thou must goe to him as a mercifull father which of his owne goodnes and fatherly loue that he beareth to thee is ready to do more for thee then thou caÌ„st desire though thou haue no merites But because he is thy father onely if thou wilt turne henceforth submitte thy selfe to learne to do hys wyll Honoured be thy name Honoured and praysed be thy name or honoured and praysed be thou for to honour God and to honour y t name of God is all one And to honour the name of God is to dread him to loue hym and to keepe hys commaundementes For wheÌ„ a childe obeyeth his father he honoureth and prayseth hys father and when he is rebellions and disobedient he dishonoureth hys father This is then the vnderstandyng meaning of it O father seing thou art father ouer all powre out thy spirite vppon all flesh and make all men to feare and dread loue thee as their father in keeping thy commaundementes to honour thee and thy holy name Thy kingdome come That is seyng thou art kyng ouer all make all to know thee make the kynges and rulers which are but thy substitutes to commaunde nothyng but according to thy worde and to them make all subiectes obey Thy will be fulfilled in earth as it is in heauen This is all one with that goeth before For as much then as thou art father and kyng ouer all and all we thy children brethren among our selues make vs all as obedient to seeke and to do thy will as the Aungelles do in heauen Make that no man seeke hys owne will but all thine But if thou withdraw thyne haÌ„d to tempt thy children that the rulers coÌ„maunde ought contrary to thy will then make the subiectes to stand fast by thy worde to offer themselues to suffer all extremitie rather then to obey Finally when we pray to thee in our temptations and aduersities desiring thee of whatsoeuer thyng it be and meane truely yet if thou which knowest all seest a better way to thy glory and our profite then thy will be and not ours As thy sonne Iesus gaue vs an ensample when he desired if it had bene possible that that cuppe of bitter death might haue departed froÌ„ hym saying yet not as I will but as thou wilt Geue vs our dayly bread By bread is vnderstoode all maner of sustinaunce in the Ebrue speach yea and here is vnderstand therby all that pertayneth vnto the necessitie of thys life If we haue bread there is dearth of nothing y t can pinch namely in that land Geue vs our dayly bread Geue vs all that the necessitie of this life dayly requireth Geue it vs day by day as we nede it We desire not to haue store for many yeares to exclude all necessitie of praying to thee and to be as it were out of thy daunger and to forget thee But minister it day by day that we may dayly feele thy benefites and neuer forget thee Or if thou geue vs aboundaunce aboue that we desire then geue vs an hart to vse it and to bestow it for that purpose thou gauest it and to deale with our neighbours and not to loue it inordinatly But to thinke that it is thyne and that thou mayst take it away euery houre and that we be content that thou so do ac thy pleasure and so euer to haue it but for dayly bread Forgeue vs our trespasses as we forgeue our trespassers Because he knoweth that our nature is so weake that we cannot but sinne dayly therefore he teacheth vs dayly to repeÌ„t and to reconcile our selues together and dayly to aske God forgeuenesse Seing he coÌ„maundeth vs to aske we
may behold so to do and to beleue that he will forgeue vs. No maÌ„ therfore nedeth to dispayre that can repent and aske forgeuenesse how euer so deepe he hath sinned And me thinketh if we looked somewhat nerer to this text we neded not to make the Pope so great a God for his pardons For Christ which is a man to be beleued sheweth vs here a more sure way yea and that a sensible way by which we may feele that we be pardoned and our sinnes forgeuen We can haue no experieÌ„ce of the popes thyngs whether they be so or no. He can with all his pardons deliuer no man of any Purgatorie that God putteth vs vnto in this world He caÌ„ not blesse or heale any man so much as of a poore agew or totheach which diseases yet by hys owne confession God putteth on vs to purge vs from sinne But where we cannot see feele or haue any experience at all that it so is there is hee mightie If I were come whom out of a land where neuer maÌ„ was before and were sure neuer maÌ„ should come I might tel as many wonders as Master More doth of Vtopia and no man could rebuke me But here Christ maketh thee sure of pardon for if thou canst forgeue thy brother God hath bound him selfe to forgeue thee What if no man haue sinned agaynst me That were hard in this lyfe neuerthelesse yet if that profession be in thyne hart that y u knowest that it is thy dutie to forgeue thy brother for thy fathers sake and art obedient to thy fathers ordinaunce and wouldest forgeue if any of thy brethreÌ„ had offended thee and did aske thee forgeuenesse Then hast thou that same spirit which God desireth to be in the. Marke what Christ sayth aboue in the begynnyng of the fift chap. Blessed be the mercyfull for they shall haue mercy Doest thou pitie thy brethen that sinne and doest thy best to amend theÌ„ that thy fathers name may be honoured TheÌ„ hast thou that whereby thou art sure of mercy as soone as thou desirest it And agayne Blessed be the peace makers for they shall be Gods children Lo if there be any variaunce among thy brethren that one haue offended the other do thy best to set theÌ„ at one and thou hast the same thing that God desireth of thee and for which he hathe bound himselfe forgeue thee Leade vs not into temptation That is let vs not slippe out of thy lease but hold vs fast geue vs not vp nor cease to gouerne vs nor take thy spirite from vs. For as an hounde can not but folow his game when he seeth it before him if he be lowse so can we not but fall into sinne when occasioÌ„ is geuen vs if thou withdraw thine hand from vs. Lead vs not into temptatioÌ„ Let no temptation fall vpon vs greater then thine helpe in vs But be thou stroÌ„ger in vs then the temptation thou sendest or lettest come vppon vs. Lead vs not into teÌ„ptations Father though we be negligent yea and vnthankfull and disobedieÌ„t to thy true Prophetes yet let not the deuill lowse vpon vs to deceaue vs with his false Prophetes and to harden vs in the way in which we gladly walke as thou diddest Pharao with the false miracles of his sorcerers as thine Apostle Paule threateneth vs. ij Thes ij A litle threde holdeth a strong man where he gladly is A litle pullyng draweth a maÌ„ whether he gladly goeth A litle wynde dryneth a great shyp with the streame A light persuasion is inough to make a lecherous maÌ„ beleue that fornication is no sinne And an angry maÌ„ that it is lawfull to adueÌ„ge him selfe and so forth by all the corrupt nature of man A litle miracle is able to consirme and harden a man in that opinion and saith which his blind reason beleueth all ready A few false miracles were sufficiâ—t to persuade the couetousnesse of Pharao and his gredynesse to hold the children of Israell in boÌ„dage for their seruice that thy true miracles shewed by Moyses for their deliuerauÌ„ce were not of thee But of the same kynd and done by the same craft as were the miracles of his sorcerers and so to harden his hart Euen so father if thou geue vs ouer for our vnkyndnesse seyng the blynd nature of man deliteth in euill and is ready to beleue lyes a litle thyng is inough to make them that loue thee all ready not to walke in thy truth and therfore neuer able to vnderstand thy sonnes doctrine Iohn vij But for to beleue y t fayninges of our most holy father all is superstitions Poperie and inuisible blessinges and to hardeÌ„ them there in As a stone cast vp into y â— ayre can neither go any higher neither yee there abyde wheÌ„ the power of the hurler ceaseth to driue it Euen so father seyng our corrupt nature can but go downeward onely and the deuill and the world driueth therto y â— same waye how can we procede further in vertue or stand there in if thy power cease in vs. Leade vs not therfore O mercyful father into temptation nor cease at any tyme to gouerne vs. Now seyng the God of al mercy which knoweth thine infirmitie commaundeth thee to pray in all temptation and aduersitie and hath promised to helpe if thou trust in him what excuse is it to say wheÌ„ thou hast sinned I could not stand of my selfe when his power was ready to helpe thee if thou haddest asked But deliuer vs from euill First as aboue let vs not fall into temptation Secondarely if we be fallen as who liueth and falleth neuer for neuer to fall were inough to make a maÌ„ as euill as Lucifer and to beleue that he stode by his owne power If therfore we be fallen euen to the bottome how so euer deepe it be put in thine arme after for it is long strong inough and plucke vs out agayne Thirdly deliuer vs froÌ„ euill plucke vs out of the flesh and the world and the power of the deuill and place vs in thy kyngdome where we be past all ieopardy and where we can not sinne any more For the kingdome and the power and the glorie is thyne for euer Amen Because that thou onely art y â— king and all other but substitutes And because all power is thyne and all other mens power but borowed of thee therfore ought all honour and obedience to be thyne of right as chief Lord and none to be geuen other men but onely for the office they hold of thee Neither ought any creature to seeke any more in this world then to be a brother till thou haue put him in office theÌ„ if brotherlynesse will not helpe whiche he ought first to proue let hym execute thy power Neither may any maÌ„ take authoritie of him selfe till God haue choseÌ„ him that is to were til he be chosen by the ordinauÌ„ce that God hath set in y â— world to rule it Finally
coÌ„sent of many As if one tolde me that the turke had wonne a citie and I beleued it moued with the honestie of the man Now if there come an other that seemeth more honest or that hath better perswasions that it is not so I thinke immediatly that he lyed and lose my fayth agayne And a feeling fayth is as if a man were there present when it was wonne and there were wounded and had there lost all that he had and were taken prisoner there also That man should so beleue that all y e worlde could not turne him from hys fayth Euen likewise if my mother had blowen on her finger and tolde me that the fire woulde burne me I shoulde haue beleued her with an historicall fayth as we beleue the stories of the world because I thought she woulde not haue mocked me And so I should haue done if she had tolde me that the fire had bene cold and would not haue burned but assoone as I had put my finger in the fire I should haue beleued not by reason of her but wyth a feeling faith so that she could not haue perswaded me afterward the contrary So now with an historicall fayth I may beleue that y â— scripture is gods by the teaching of them so I should haue done though they had tolde me that Roben Hode had bene the scripture of God Which fayth is but an opinion and therfore abideth euer frutlesse and falleth away if a more glorious reason be made vnto me or if the preacher liue contrary But of a feeling fayth it is written Iohn vi They shall be all taught of God That is God shall write it in their harts with his holy spirite And Paule also testifieth Rom. 8. the spirite beareth record vnto our spirit that we be the sonnes of God And thys fayth is none opinion but a sure feling and therefore euer fruitfull Neyther hangeth it of the honesty of the preacher but of the power of God and of the spirite and therefore if all the preachers of the world would goe about to perswade the contrary it would not preuayle no more theÌ„ though they would make me beleue the tire were colde after that I had put my finger therein Of this ye haue an ensample Ioh. 4. of the Samaritanish wife which left her pitcher and went into the citie and sayd come see a man that hath tolde me al that euer I did is not he Christ And many of the Samaritanes beleued because of the saying of the womaÌ„ how that he had tolde her all that euer she did and went out vnto him desired him to come in which fayth was but an opinion and no fayth that could haue lasted or haue brought out fruit but when they had heard Christ the spirite wrought and made them feele Wherupon they came vnto the womaÌ„ and sayd we beleue not now because of thy saying but because we haue heard our selues and know that he is Christ the sauiour of the worlde For Christes preaching was with power and spirite that maketh a maÌ„ feele and know and worke to and not as the Scribes and Pharisies preached and as ours make a man ready to cast hys gorge to heare them raue and rage as mad men And therefore sayth y â— scripture cursed is he that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme that is to say hys strength And euen so cursed is he that hath none other beliefe but because men so say Cursed were he y â— had none other why to beleue theÌ„ that I so say And euen so cursed is he that beleueth only because y â— Pope so saith and so forth thoroughout all the men in the worlde ¶ The fayth that dependeth of an other mans mouth is weake IF I haue none other feeling in my fayth then because a man so sayth then is my fayth faithles and fruitles For if I haue none other seeling that lecherie is sinne then that the Pope so preacheth whom I see before my face set vp in Rome a stewes of xx or xxx thousand whores taking of euery pece tribute yearly and his Byshops with all other his disciples folowing the ensample mightely and the Pope therewith not content but to set vp thereto a stewes of young boyes agaynst nature the committers of which sinne be burnt at a stake among the Turkes as Moses also commaundeth in hys lawe And the Pope also to forbid all the spiritualtie a multitude of xl or l. huÌ„dred thousand to mary and to geue them licence to keepe euery man hys whore who so will If I say I haue none other feeling in my fayth that lechery is sinne theÌ„ this maÌ„s preaching I thinke my fayth should be to weake to beare much fruite How coulde I beleue a man that would say he loued me if all hys deedes were contrary I coulde not beleue God himselfe that he loued me if in all my tribulations I had of him none other comfort then those bare wordes And in like maner if I had none other feeling in my fayth that couetousnes were sinne then that the spiritualtie so sayth my fayth coulde be but weake and faintie when I see how y â— Pope with wiles hath thrust downe the Emperour and how the Byshops and Prelates be cropt vp an hye in all regions aboue their kynges and haue made them a seuerall kyngdome and haue gotten into their handes almost the one halfe of euery realme which they deuide among theÌ„selues geuyng no lay man any part with them heaping vp Byshopprike vpon Byshopprike promotion vpon promotion benefice vpon benefice with vnions and tot quottes robbing in euery parishe the soules of their â—oode and the poore of their due sustenaunce yea and some preaching that it were lesse sinne 〈◊〉 haue two wiues then two benifices but while they be yet young and hoâ—â— and therefore thinke couetousnes greater sinne theÌ„ lechery which same wheÌ„ they be waxed elder and their coÌ„plâ—â—tion somewhat altered thinke that couetousnes is as small a sinne as lechery and therfore take all that commeth And if any man cast their preachyng in their tethes they answere that they be better learned and haue seue further If I say I haue no other felyng that couetousnes is sinne then y e preaching of these holy fathers my fayth were built but vpoÌ„ a weake rocke or rather on the soft â—and And therfore our defenders do right well to some out their owne shame and to vtter the secrete thoughtes of their harâ—es For as they write so they beleue Other felyng of the lawes of God and fayth of Christ haue they none then that theyr God the Pope so sayth And therfore as the Pope preacheth wyth his moâ—th onely eueÌ„ so beleue they with their mouth onely whatsoeuer he preacheth without more a doe be it neuer so abhominable and in their hartes consent vnto all their fathers wickednes and folow
therof and our neighbours yea our enemies as our selues inwardly from the grounde of the hart because God hath made them after the likenesse of his owne image they are his sonnes as well as we and Christ hath bought them with his bloud and made them heyres of euerlastyng lyfe as well as vs And how we ought to do what soeuer God biddeth and absteine from what soeuer God forbiddeth with all loue and mekenes with a feruent and a burnyng lust from the center of the hart then begynneth the conscience to rage against the law and against God No sea be it neuer so great a tempest is so vnquiet For it is not possible for a naturall mā to cōsent to the law that it should be good or that God should be righteous which maketh the law in as much as it is contrary vnto hys nature and damneth him and all that he cā do neither sheweth him where to fetch helpe nor preacheth any mercy but onely setteth mā at variaunce with God as witnesseth Paule Rom. iiij and prouoketh hym and styrreth hym to rayle on God and to blaspheme him as a cruell tyraunt For it is not possible for a mā till he be borne agayne to thinke that God is righteous to make hym of so poyson a nature either for his own pleasure or for the sinne of an other man and to geue him a law that is impossible for him to do or to cōsent to his witte reason and will beyng so fast glued yea nayled and chayned vnto the will of the deuill Neither can any creature louse the bondes saue the bloud of Christ onely This is captiuitie and bondage whence Christ deliuered vs redemed and loused vs. His bloud his death his pacience in suffering rebukes and wronges his prayers and fastynges his mekenes and fulfillyng of the vttermost point of the law peased the wrath of God brought the fauour of God to vs agayne obteined that God should loue vs first and be our father and that a mercyfull father that will consider our infirmities and weakenes and wil geue vs his spirite agayn which was taken away in the fall of Adam to rule gouerne strength vs and to breake the bondes of Sathan wherein we were so straite bounde When Christ is thus wise preached the promises rehearsed which are contained in the Prophetes in the Psalmes and in diuers places of the fiue bookes of Moses which preachyng is called the Gospell or glad tydinges then the hartes of them which are elect and chosē begyn to waxe soft and melt at the bounteous mercy of God and kyndnes shewed of Christ For when the Euangelion is preached the spirite of God entreth into them which God hath ordeined and appoynted vnto eternall lyfe and openeth their inward eyes and worketh such belefe in them When the wofull consciences feele and tast how swete a thyng the bitter death of Christ is how mercyfull louing God is through Christes purchasyng and merites they begin to loue gayne and to consent to the law of God how that it is good and ought so to be and that God is righteous which made it and desire to fulfill the law euen as a sicke man desireth to be whole and are an hungred and thirst after more righteousnes and after more strength to fulfill the law more perfectly And in all that they do or omit and leaue vndone they seke Gods honour and his will with meekenesse euer condemnyng the vnperfectnes of their deedes by the law Now Christ standeth vs in double stede and vs serueth two maner wise First he is our redemer deliuerer reconciler mediator intercessor aduocate atturney soliciter our hope comfort shield protectiō defender strēgth health satisfaction and saluation His bloud his death all that he euer dyd is ours And Christ him self with all that he is or can do is ours His bloud shedyng and all that he dyd doth me as good seruice as though I my selfe had done it And God as great as he is is myne with all that he hath as an husband is his wiues through Christ and his purchasing Secondaryly after that we be ouercome with loue and kindnes and now seke to do the will of God which is a Christen mans nature Then haue we Christ an exāple to counterfeit as saith Christ him selfe in Iohn I haue geuen you an example And in an other Euāgelist he sayth He that wil be great among you shal be your seruaunt and Minister as the sonne of man came to minister and not to be ministred vnto And Paule sayth Counterfeit Christ And Peter sayth Christ dyed for you and left you an example to folow hys steppes What soeuer therefore fayth hath receaued of God through Christs bloud and deseruyng that same must loue shed out euery whit and bestow it on our neighbours vnto their profite yea and that though they be our enemyes By fayth we receaue of God and by loue we shed out agayne And that must we do frely after the example of Christ without any other respect saue our neighbours wealth onely neither looke for reward in earth nor yet in heauen for the deseruyng merites of our deedes as Friers preach though we know that good deedes are rewarded both in this lyfe and in the lyfe to come but of pure loue must we bestow our selues all that we haue all that we are able to do euen on our enemyes to bryng them to God consideryng nothyng but their wealth as Christ dyd ours Christ dyd not hys deedes to obteyne heauen therby that had bene a madnes heauē was his all ready he was heyre therof it was his by inheritaunce but dyd them frely for our sakes consideryng nothyng but our wealth and to bryng the fauour of God to vs agayne and vs to God As no naturall sonne that is his fathers heyre doth his fathers will because he would be heyre that he is already by byrth his father gaue him that yer hee was borne and is lother that he should go without it then he him selfe hath wit to be but of pure loue doth he that he doth And aske him why he doth any thing that he doth he aunswereth my father bade it is my fathers will it pleaseth my father Bond seruauntes worke for hyre Children for loue For their father with all he hath is theirs already So doth a Christen man frely all that he doth considereth nothyng but the will of God his neighbours wealth onely If I liue chaste I do it not to obteine heauen therby For then should I doe wrong to the bloud of Christ Christes bloud hath obteined me that Christes merites haue made me heyre therof He is both doore and way thether wardes Neither that I loke for an higher roume in heauē thē they shal haue which liue in wedlocke other thē a whore of the stewes if she repēt for that were the pride of Lucifer But frely to wayte on the Euangelion and
and he will therto consider our mekenes and what soeuer chaunceth neuer taketh away hys mercy till we cast of the yoke of our profession first and runne away with vtter defiaunce that we will neuer come more at schole Then our stubburne and hard hartes mollifie waxe soft and in the confidēce and hope that we haue in Christ and his kindnes we go to God boldly as vnto our father and receaue life that is to say loue vnto God and vnto the law also That whiche we haue seene and heard we declare vnto you that ye may haue felowshyppe with vs and that our felowshyppe may be with the father and with his sonne Iesus Christ And these thynges we write vnto you that your ioye may be full To bryng vnto the felowshyp of God and Christ and of them that beleue in Christ is the finall intent of all the Scripture why it was giuen of God vnto man and the onely thyng which all true preachers seke wherby ye shall euer know and discerne the true word of God from all false and counterfayted doctrine of vayne traditions the true preacher from the wylie hypocrite We preache vnto you sayth Iohn y t euerlastyng lyfe which we haue heard and in hearyng receaued through fayth and are sure of it to draw you to vs out of the felowshyp that ye haue with the damned deuils in sinnefull lustes and ignoraunce of God for we seeke you and not yours as sayth Paul ij Cor. xij We loue you as our selues in God therfore wold haue you felowes and equall with vs build you vpon the foundation layd of the Apostles and Prophetes which is Christ ▪ Iesus and make you of the houshold of God for euer that ye and we felowes and brethren and coupled together in one spirit in one fayth and in one hope might haue our felowship thereby with God and become his sonnes heyres with Iesus Christ beyng his brethren and coheyres and to make your ioy ful through that glad tydinges as the aungell sayd vnto the shepheardes Luke ij Behold I shew you great ioye that shal be vnto all the people how that there is a Sauiour borne vnto you this day whiche is Christ the Lord. And these tydinges we bryng you with the worde of God onely which we receaued of his spirit and out of the mouth of his sonne as true messengers We preach not our selues but Christ our Lord and vs your seruauntes for hys sake we do not loue our selues to seke yours vnto vs that after we had with wiles robbed you of all ye haue we should exalte our selues ouer you separate our selues frō you and make our selues a seuerall kyngdome free and frāke raygnyng ouer you as heathen tyrauntes holdyng you in bondage to serue our lucre and lustes tanglyng your conscience with doctrine of man whiche draweth from God and Christ and fearing you with the bugge of excommunication agaynste Gods word Or if that serued not shakyng a sword at you And this is the tydinges whiche we haue heard of hym and declare vnto you that God is lyght and in hym is no darknes at all If we say that we haue felowshyp with hym and yet walke in darkenes we lye and do not the truth But and if we walke in light as he is in light then haue we felowshyp together and the bloud of Christ his sonne clenseth vs from all sinne As the deuill is darknes and lyes so is God light and truth onely and there is no darknes of falshead consentyng to wickednes in hym And the brightnes of his light is his word and doctrine as the. C. and. xix Psalme sayth Thy worde is a lanterne vnto my feete a light to my pathes And Christe is the light that lightneth all men And the Apostles are called the light of the world because of the doctrine And all that knowe truth are light Ye were once darkenes sayth Paule Ephes v. but now light in the Lord walke therfore as the children of lyght And good workes are called the frutes of light And all that lyue in ignoraūce are called darknes as he sayth afterward he that hateth his brother walketh in darknes For if the light of the glorious Gospell of Christe dyd shyne in his hart he could not hate his brother By walking vnderstande consenting doing and working If then we walke in darcknes that is consent and worke wickednes and say we haue felowship with God we ly For to haue felowship with him is to knowe and consent and professe his doctrine in our hartes Now if the commaundementes of GOD bee written in our hartes our members can not but practise thē shew the fruite So whether light or darknes be in the hart it will appeare in y t walking For though our members be neuer so dead vnto vertue yet if our soules knowledge the truth consent vnto righteousnes we haue the sprite of life in vs. And Paule sayth Rom. viij If the spirite of him y t raysed vp Iesus from death be in you thē wil he y t raised vp Iesus frō death quicken your mortall bodies by the reasō of the spirit that dwelleth in you So that it is not possible for him that knoweth the truth consenteth thereto to continue in sinne And then finally if we haue the light in our harts and walke therein then we haue fellowship with God and are his sonnes and heires and are purged from all sinne through Christes bloud If we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues and trueth is not in vs. If we think there is no sinne in vs we are beguiled and blinde and the light of Gods word is not in vs and eyther folow sinne as beastes without consciēce at all Or if we see the grosse sinnes as murther theft and adultery yet we haue hanged a vayle of false gloses vpon Moses face and see not the brightnes of the law how that it requireth of vs as pure an hart to God and as great loue vnto our neighbours as was in our sauiour Iesus ceaseth not before to condemne vs as sinners If we knowledge our sinnes he is faythfull and iust to forgeeue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrigh teousnes If we confesse our sinnes not in the preistes eare though that tradition restored vnto the right vse were not dānable but in our hartes to God with true repentaunce and fast beleife then is he faythfull to forgeue and to purge vs because of his mercifull truth and promise For he promised Abraham that in his seede all the worlde should be blessed from the curse of sinne And hath aboundantly renued his euerlasting mercy vnto vs in the new testament promising that our sinnes shall be forgeuen vs in Christes bloud if we repent and trust thereto If we say we haue not sinned we make him a lyer and hys woord is not in vs. For his
righteousnes our iustifying our redemption our attonement that hath appeased God and clenseth vs froÌ„ our sinnes and all in his bloud so that his bloud is the satisfaction onely And that thou mayst the better perceaue the falshead of our holy fathers fleshly imagination call to minde how that the Scripture sayth Iohn the iiij God is a spirite and must be worshypped in the spirite That is repentauÌ„ce fayth hope and loue toward his law and our neighbour for his sake is hys worshyp in the spirite And therefore whosoeuer woorshyppeth God with workes and referreth his woorkes to God to be a sacrifice vnto hym to appease hym as though hee delited in the worke for the woorkes sake the same maketh of God an image or idoll and is an image seruer and as wicked an Idolater as euer was any blynd heathen and serueth God after the imagination of his owne hart and is abhominable vnto god as thou seest in how many places God defieth the sacrifice of the children of Israell for the sayd imagination So that whosoeuer supposeth that his candle stickyng before an Image his puttyng a peny in the boxe his goyng a pilgrimage his fastyng his wolward goyng barefoote goyng his crowchyng knelyng and paine taking be sacrifice vnto God as though he delited in them as we in the gestures of Iack Napes is as blind as hee that gropeth for his way at none Gods worshyp is to loue hym for hys mercy of loue to bestow al our works vpon our neighbour for his sake and vpon the tamyng of our flesh that we sinne not agayne which should be the chiefest care of a Christen man whyle Christ careth for that that is once past and coÌ„mitted already whether before our profession or after For the conditions of the peace that is made betwen God vs in Christes bloud are these The law is set before vs vnto whiche if we consent and submit our selues to be scholers thereof then are not onely all our foresinnes forgiuen both Poena culpa with our holy fathers licence euer but also all our infirmities weaknes pronesse readynes and motions vnto sinne are pardoned and taken aworth and we translated froÌ„ vnder the damnation of the law which damneth as well those infirmities as the sinne that springeth of them and putteth vs vnder grace Rom. 7. So that we shall not henceforth as long as we forsake not our professioÌ„ be iudged by the rigorousnes of the law But chastised if we do amise as children that are vnder no law Now then if God in Christ pardon our infirmities by reasoÌ„ of which we cannot escape but that we shal now and theÌ„ sinne it foloweth that he must likewise pardon the actuall sinne whiche we do compelled of those infirmities in spite of our hartes and agaynst the will of the spirite For if thou pardon the sicknesse of the sicke then must thou pardoÌ„ the deeds which he doth or â—eueth vndone by the reason of his sicknesse If the madnes of a mad man be pardoned and vnder no law then if he murther in his madnesse he may not be slayne agayne If children within a certaine age are not vnder the law that flayeth theues then can ye not of right hang them though they steale What popishe pardoning were that Thys doth Paule Rom. 7. so confirme that all the world cannot quitch against it saying I consent vnto the law of God that it is good and fayne would I do it and yet haue I not alwayes power so to do but find an other thing in my flesh rehelling agaynst the will of my minde and leading me captine into sinne so that I cannot do that I wold doe but am compelled to doe that I would not If sayth he I do that I woulde not then I do it not but the sinne that dwelleth in me doth it And then sayth he Who shall deliuer me from this body of deathe in which I am bound prisoner agaynst my will Thankes be to God saith he through Iesus Christ our Lorde which hath conquered and ouercome sinne death and hell and hath put the damnation of the law out of the way vnto all that professe the law and beleue in him We be vnder the lawe to learne it and to fasshion our deedes as like as we can but not vnder the damnation of the lawe that we shoulde be damned though our deedes were not perfect as the law requireth or though of frailty we at a time breake it As children are vnder the law that they steale not but not vnder the damnation though they steale So that all they that are graffed into Christ to follow hys doctrine are vnder the law to learne it onely but are deliuered from feare of euerlasting death and hell and all the threatenings of the law and from conscience of sinne which feared vs from God And we are come into God thorough the confidence that we haue in Iesus Christ are as familiar bold with him as yong innocent children which haue no conscience of sinne are with their fathers and mothers or theÌ„ that nourishe them Which were vnpossible if God now as the pope painteth him did shake a rod at vs of vij yeares punishment as sharpe as the paynes of hel for euery trespace we do which trespace for the number of them were like to make our purgatory almost as long as hell seing we haue no Gods word that we shall be deliuered thence vntil we haue payd the last farthing And therefore could our conscience neuer be at rest nor be bolde and familier with God If ye say the Pope can deliuer my conscience from feare of purgatory as his poetry onely putteth me in feare and that by this text Whatsoeuer thou bindest on earth c. If thou this way vnderstand the text whatsoeuer thou being in earth losest any where then might he lose in hell and binde in heauen But why may not I take the text of Christ Ioh. 16. Whatsoeuer ye aske my Father in my name he will geue it you and desire forgeuenesse of all together in Christes name both a poena culpa and theÌ„ remayneth no such purgatory at all Howbeit the text of binding losing is but borowed speach how that after the similitude of worldly binding and losing locking and vnlocking the word of God truely preached doth binde and lose the conscience God sayth to Hieremias cap. 1. Behold I geue thee power ouer nations and kingdomes to plucke vp by the rootes and to shiuer in peeces to destroy and cast downe and to build and plante How did he destroy nations kingdomes and how did he build theÌ„ verily by preaching and prophecying What nation kingdome or citie he prophecyed to be ouerthrowne was so And what Citie he prophecyed to be built againe was so And what nation after they were brought into captiuity he prophecyed to be restored agayne were so And whome he prophecyed to perish perished
one sayth so and an other thus confirming their assertions with glorious persuasions of wisedome but not after the wisedome of God whiche reasons an other denyeth with cōtrary sophismes so riseth brauling about vayne wordes without all certaintie And now litle children abide in hym that when hee shall appeare we may haue confidence and not bee made ashamed of hym at hys commyng Here are ij thinges to be marked one if we cleaue vnto Christ after the doctrine of the Apostles and as they built vs vpon him we shall be bolde sure of our selues at his comming As a seruaunt which in his maisters absence doth onely his maisters commaūdements cannot be confounded at his comming home againe But and if we folow mens doctrine how can we be bold yea how should we not be ashamed with our teachers vnto whome thē he shall say whē they boast thē selues how y t they haue bene his vicars I know you not depart from me ye that haue wrought wickednes and vnder my name haue brought in damnable sectes and haue taught your disciples to beleue in other thinges then in me Now the summe of all that the Apostles taught and how they built vs vpon Christ is the new testament But the popes doctrine is not there found but improued Confounded therefore shall he be which witting and willing shutteth his eyes at the true light and openeth them to beleue his lyes An other thing is this all the scripture maketh mentiō of the resurrectiō comming againe of Christ that all men both they that go before and they that come after shall then receiue their rewardes together we are cōmaunded to looke euery houre for that day And what is done with the soules frō their departing their bodies vnto that day doth the Scripture make no mentiō saue onley that they rest in y e Lord in their faith Wherfore he that determineth ought of the state of them that be departed doth but teach the presumptuous imaginations of his owne braine neither can his doctrine be any article of our fayth What God doth with them is a secreat layd vp in the treasury of God And we ought to be patient being certefied of the scripture that they which dye in the fayth are at rest ought no more to search that secret thē to search y e houre of the resurrection whiche God hath put onely in his owne power But this remember that the whole nature of mā is poysoned infected with sinne And y e whole life of sinne must be mortefied And the roote of al sinne and first vice we were infect with is that we would be wise where God hath not taught vs as ye see how Eue would haue ben as God in the knowledge of good bad And therefore hath God hid many thinges in his power and commaunded that we shall search none of his secrets further then he hath opened them in his scripture to mortefy this poyson of all poysons the desire to appeare wise that we be ashamed to be ignoraunt in any thing at all Wherfore they that violently make articles of the fayth with out Gods woord are yet aliue in the roote of all sinne and vice and grow out of the deuill and not out of Christ And their articles are of the blindnes of the deuill and not of the light of Christ for Christes light hath testimonie of the scripture euery where If ye know that he is righteous know that all that woorke righteousnes are borne of him Our nature is to worke wickednes and so blinde therto that it can see no righteousnes And then it foloweth that we must be borne a new in Christ ere we can either do or yet know what is righteous And in him we must first be made righteous our selues ere we can worke righteous woorkes which conclusion is contrary vnto the Pope for he sayth that the woorkes do make the man righteous And Christes doctrine sayth that the man maketh the workes righteous A righteous man springeth out of righteous woorkes sayth the Popes doctrine Righteous works spring out of a righteous man and a righteous man springeth out of Christ sayth Christes doctrine The workes make y t man righteous which before was wicked sayth the Pope The woorkes declare that the man is righteous sayth Christes doctrine but the man was first made righteous in Christ and the spirite of Christ taught him what righteousnes was and healed his hart made him consent therto to haue his lust in righteousnes and to worke righteouslie Chap. 3. BEholde what loue the Father hath shewed vs that we shold be called the sonnes of god For this cause the worlde knoweth you not because it knoweth not him Dearely beloued now wee are the sonnes of God though yet it appeareth not what we shall be But we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is The loue of God to vs ward is exceeding great in that he hath made vs his sonnes without al deseruing of vs and hath geuen vs his spirite through Christ to certifie our hartes thereof in that we feele that our trust is in God that our soules haue receaued health and power to loue the law of God which is a sure testimonie that we are sonnes vnder no damnation Neyther ought it to discourage vs or to make vs thinke we were lesse beloued because the world hateth vs and persecuteth vs for the world knoweth vs not Neyther any maruell for y t world could not know Christ him selfe for all his glorious commyng with miracles and benefits in healing the sicke and raysing the dead But for al the oppression of the world we are yet sure that we are Gods sonnes And in like maner though the glory that we shall be in appeare not yet we are sure that we shall be like him when he appeareth As darknes vanisheth away at the cōming of the sunne and the worlde receaueth a new fashion and is turned in to light and suddenly made glorious Euen so when he appeareth and we shall see him as he is we shal with the sight of him be chaunged into the glory of his image and made like him And then shall the world both know him and vs vnto their shame and confusion And all that haue thys hope in him purge thēselues as he is pure The fayth and hope of a Christen man are no dead idle or barren thinges but liuely woorkes and fruitfull For when the law through conscience of sinne hath slayne the soule thē hope and trust in Christes bloud thorough certefying of the conscience that the damnation of the law is taken away quickeneth hir agayne maketh hir to loue the law which is the purifying of the soule and hir life and seruing the law in the inner man And then the sayde giftes of hope and fayth stretch them selues forth vnto the members dead with
it is the gift of God and commeth not of workes lest any man should bost him selfe But we are his workemanshyp created in Christ Iesu vnto good workes vnto whiche God ordeined vs before that we shuld walke in them The text is playne we were stone dead and without lyfe or power to do or consent to good The whole nature of vs was captiue vnder the deuill and led at his will And we were as wicked as the deuill now is Except that hee now sinneth agayne the holy ghost and we consented vnto sinne with soule and body and hated the law of God But God of his grace onely quickened vs in Christ and raysed vs out of that death and made vs sit with Christ in heauenly thynges That is he set our hartes at rest and made vs sit fast in the lyfe of Christes doctrine and vnmoueable frō the loue of Christ And finally we are in this our second byrth Gods workemāshyp and creation in Christ so that as hee which is yet vnmade hath no life nor power to worke no more had we till we were made agayne in Christ The preachyng of mercy in Christ quickened our hartes through faith wrought by the spirit of Christ which God poured into our hartes yer we wist Dearely beloued if God so loued vs then ought we loue one an other If we felt the loue of God in Chrisles bloud we could not but loue agayne not onely God and Christ but also all that are bought with Christes bloud If we loue God for the pleasures that we receaue then loue we our selues But if we loue hym to do hym pleasure agayne that can we no otherwise do then in louing our neighbours for his sake them that are good to continue them in their goodnes them that are euill to draw them to good Loue is the instrument wherewith fayth maketh vs Gods sonnes fashioneth vs lyke the image of God and certifieth vs that we so are And therfore commaundeth Christ Math. v. Loue your enemyes Blesse thē that curse you pray for them that persecute you that ye may be the sonnes of your heauenly father whiche maketh his sunne rise ouer good and bad and sendeth his rayne vpon iust and vniust ye whiche made the sunne of his mercy shyne vpō vs and sent the rayne of the bloud of his deare and onely child vppon our soules to quicken vs and to make vs see loue to loue agayne No man hath at any tyme sene God If we loue one an other God dwelleth in vs and his loue is perfect in vs. Though we can not see God yet if we loue one an other we be sure that he abydeth in vs and that his loue is perfect in vs that is that we loue hym vnfaynedly For to loue God truly to giue him thankes is onely to loue our neighbour for his sake For vppon his person thou canst bestow no benefite And for as much as we neuer saw God let vs make no image of him nor doe hym any imageseruice after our own imagination but let vs go to the scripture that hath sene hym and there wete what fashion he is of and what seruice he wil be serued with Blind reason sayth God is a kerued post and wil be serued with a candle But Scripture sayth God is loue wil be serued with loue If thou loue thy neighbour thē art thou the image of God thy self and he dwelleth in the liuing temple of thine hart And thy louing of thy neighbour for hys sake is hys seruice and worshyp in the spirite and a cādle that burneth before hym in thyne hart and casteth out the light of good workes before the world draweth all to God and maketh his enemyes leaue their euill and come and worshyp him also Hereby we know that we abyde in him and he in vs. For he hath giuen vs of his spirite He that hath not Christes spirit the same is none of his Roma 8. If we haue the spirite of God then are we sure But how shall we know whether we haue the spirite Aske Iohn and he will say if we loue one an other And we haue sene and do testifie that the father hath sent hys sonne the sauiour of the worlde Whosoeuer confesseth that Iesus is the sonne of God in hym dwelleth God and he in God And we haue knowne and beleued the loue that God hath to vs. First the Apostles taught no fables but that they saw and receaued of God by the witnesse of his spirite Secondaryly Iohn ascēdeth vp stepe higher from loue to fayth and sayth he that be leueth that Iesus is Gods sonne hath God in hym And I doubt not but the Pope and his defēders will aunswere Iohn and say then the deuil hath God in hym and is also in God For other fayth then such as the deuill hath felt they neuer any But Iohn preuenteth them we haue knowē and beleued the loue that God hath to vs. That is we beleue not onely with story fayth as men beleue old Chronicles but we beleue the loue and mercy that GOD shewed vs and put our trust and confidence therein And so taketh Scripture belefe we beleue that Iesus is the sonne of God made man and slayne for our sinnes which is a tokē of great loue And that loue beleue we trust therto Where Paule sayth i. Cor. xij No man can cal Iesus Lord except the holy ghost had taught hym But thorough the holy ghost he meaneth not with the mouth onely but in the hart with vnfayned fayth putting his hope trust in the Lordshyp which he hath ouer sinne damnation hell and death For so could no man call Iesus Lord except the holy ghost had taught hym as Christ saith Math. xvi flesh bloud shewed thee not that But yet how shall I see my fayth I must come downe to loue agayne thence to the workes of loue yer I can see my faith Not alway but sometime thou shalt fecle thy fayth without the outward deede as in great aduersitie and persecution when the deuil assaulteth thee with desperation and layeth thy sinnes before thee would beare the in hād that God had cast the away and left the succourles for thy synnes sake Then commeth fayth forth with her shielde and turneth backe agayne the dartes of the deuill and aunswereth Nay for Iesus is y ◠sonne of God yea and my very God and my very Lord and hath takē away my sinnes all dānation And this trouble aduersitie which is come vpō me by settyng of thee and on of thy lymmes is onely to make me feele the mercy of my father and his power and helpe within in my soule and to slay the rest of the poyson which remaineth in the flesh God is loue and he that abydeth in loue abydeth in God and God in hym This haue we heard aboue and it is easie to be vnderstand Herefore is loue perfect with vs
vse of the Masse to ours and see whether the Masse be not become the most damnable Idolatrie image seruice that euer was in the world We neuer reconcile our selues vnto our brethren which we haue offended we receaue vnto our Masse open sinners the couetous the extorcioners the adulter the backbiter the common whore and the whore keper whiche haue no part in Christ by y t Scripture ye such are suffred to say the Masse as the vse is now to speake ye such are we coÌ„pelled with the sword to take for our pastors and Curates of our soules and not so hardy to rebuke them Neither do they repeut and confesse their sinnes and promise amendement or submit them selues to holesome iniunctioÌ„s for the aduoyding of such sinnes and tamyng of their flesh We say Confiteor and knowledge our selues to be sinners in Latin but neuer repent in English The Priest prayeth in Latin and saith euermore a still Masse as we say For though he sing and streine his throate to cry â—onde vnto them that be by him yet as long as no man woteth what he prayeth or whether he blesse or curse he is doute and spechles And so in that part we abide frutelesse and vntaught how to pray vnto God And the Gospell is song or sayd in Latine onely and no preachyng of repentauÌ„ce toward the law fayth toward Christ had And therfore abide we euer faythles and without studieng to ameÌ„d our liuinges And of the ceremonies of the Masse we haue no other imagination then that they be an holy seruice vnto God which he receaueth of our hands and hath great delectation in them and that we purchase great fauour of God with them as we do of great men here in the world with giftes and preseÌ„tes In so much that if y â— Priest sayd Masse without those vestimentes or left the other ceremonies vndone we should all quake for feare thinke that there were a sinne coÌ„mitted inough to sinke vs all and that the priest for his labour were worthy to be put in the Popes purgatory there to be brent to ashes And of the very Sacrament it selfe we know no other thyng then that we come thether to see an vnseable miracle which they affirme the aungels in heauen haue no power to do Sed solis Presbyteris quibus sic congruit vt sumaÌ„t nec dent caeteris how that bread is turned into the body and wine into the bloud of Christ to mocke our seyng sinellyng feelyng and tasting which is a very strong fayth and more a great deale I thinke then the text compelleth a man to Neuerthelesse it were somewhat yet if they had bene as lonyng kinde carefull and diligent to teach the people to repent and to beleue in the bloud of Christ for the forgeuenes of their sinnes vnto the glory of the mercy of God of his excedyng loue to vs and vnto the profite of our soules vpon that preachyng to haue ministred the Sacrament as a memoriall remembraunce signe token earnest the seale of an obligatioÌ„ and clappyng of handes together for the assuraunce of the promise of God to quiet stablish and certifie our conscieÌ„ces and to put vs out of all waueryng doubt that our sinnes were forgeuen vs and God become our father at one with vs for which cause onely Christ ordeined it as they were zelous and feruent to mainteine the opinion of so turning bread and wine into the body bloud of Christ that it ceaseth to be bread and wine in nature vnto their owne glory and profite without helpe of Scripture but with sutle Argumentes of sophistrie and with crafty wiles First with taking away halfe the sacrameÌ„t lest if the people should haue dronke the bloud of Christ they should haue smelled the sauour and felte the tast of wine and so haue bene to weake to beleue that there had bene no wine And secondarily when they durst not robbe the people of all the Sacrament they yet tooke away common bread and imagined maunchetes which may not be handled and in sight haue no similitude of bread and in eatyng very litle â—ast if there be any at all And thyrdly whom they could not catch with those craftes against him they disputed with the sword For when they had taken away the signification and very intent of the Sacrament to stablish the eare confession their merites deseruynges iustifieng of workes and like inueÌ„tion vnto their own glory and profit what had the SacrameÌ„t bene if they had not made of that opinion an article of the fayth But now when they haue destroyed for the nonce that fayth which profited and haue set vp with wiles sutiltie falsehead guile and with violeÌ„ce that fayth which profiteth not we haue good cause to iudge and examine the doctrine of the spirites whether it be grounded vpon Gods word or no. But I aske wherfore we beleue that Christes body and his bloud is there preseÌ„t verely as many heades as many wittes euery man hath his meaning We take paynes to come thether to see straunge holy gestures wherof say they to their shame who knoweth the meanyng ye or of the other disguising and to heare strauÌ„ge holy voyces wherof say I also that no man knoweth the vnderstanding and to looke vppon the Sacrament and all to obteine worldly thinges for that seruice Why may not a man desire worldly thinges of God Yes we ought to aske of God onely sufficiency of all worldly things as we do spirituall thinges yet not for bodily seruice when God is a spirite but for the goodnesse and mercy of our father and for the truth of his promise and deseruinges of his sonne And so when we do men bodily seruice we ought to looke for our wages of God lest if hee moue not the hartes of our masters we be shrewdly payed like wise when we lende or bargen we ought to desire God for payment lest through our negligence he forget vs the appointementes be not truly kept Some there be yet that aske heauen but for bodyly seruice whiche is lyke abhomination But who commeth thether with repentaunce and faith for to obtaine forgeuenesse of his sinnes and with purpose to walke in the life of penauÌ„ce for the taming of the flesh that he sinne no more and to stablish his hart in that purpose and to arme his soule agaynst all that moue to the contrary and wheÌ„ he goeth home is certified in hys coÌ„science through that signe and token that his sinnes are forgeuen him as Noe was certified by the signe of the rayne bow that the world should no more be ouerrunne with water and as Abraham was certified by the signe of CircumcisioÌ„ that God would fulfill to him and his ofspring all the mercies that he had promised and as Abraham Genesis xv when he asked a signe to be sure that he should possesse that land of Canaan was certified through the signe that God gaue
saued By which wordes he declareth euidently that he meaneth that faith that is in the promise made vpon the appointmeÌ„t betwene God and vs that we should kepe his law to the vttermost of our power that is he that beleueth in Christ for the remission of sinne and is Baptised to do the will of Christ and to kepe his law of loue to mortify the flesh that man shal be saued and so is the imagination of these swyne that will not leaue wallowyng theÌ„ selues in euery myre and puddell cleane excluded for God neuer made promise but vpon an appointment or couenaunt vnder whiche who soeuer wil not come can be no partaker of the promise True fayth in Christ geueth power to loue the law of God for it is written Iohn the first He gaue them power to be the sonnes of God in that they beleue in his name Now to be the sonne of God is to loue righteousnes and hate vnrighteousnes and so to be like thy father Hast thou then no power to loue the law so hast thou no fayth in Christes bloud And Rom. iij. We set vp or mainteine the law thorough fayth why so for the preachyng of fayth ministreth the spirit Gala. iij. And ij Cor. iij. And the spirite lowseth the bandes of Sathan geueth power to loue the law and also to do it For sayth Paul Rom. viij if the spirite of him that raysed vp Iesus dwell in you then will he that raysed vp Iesus quickeÌ„ your mortall bodyes by the meanes of his spirite dwelling in you A well wilt thou say if I must professe the law and worke Ergo fayth alone saueth me not Be not deceaued with sophistrie but withdraw thyne eares from wordes and consider the thyng in thyne hart Fayth iustifieth thee that is bringeth remission of all sinnes and setteth thee in the state of grace before all workes and getteth thee power to worke yer thou couldest worke but if thou wilt not go backe agayne but continue in grace and come to that saluation and glorious resurrection of Christ thou must worke and ioyne workes to thy fayth in will and dede to if thou haue tyme and leasure and as oft as thou fallest set thee on thy fayth agayn without helpe of workes And although when thou art reconciled restored to grace woorkes be required yet is not that reconcilyng and grace the benefite of the workes that folow but cleane contrary that forgeuenes of thy sinnes and restoryng to fauour deserue the workes that folow Though wheÌ„ the kyng after that sentence of death is geuen vpoÌ„ a murtherer hath pardoned hym at the request of some of his frendes workes be required of him that he hencefoorth kepe the kynges lawes if he will continue in his graces fauour in which he now standeth yet the benefite of his lyfe procedeth not of the deseruyng of the workes that folow but of the kynges goodnes and fauour of his freÌ„des yea and that benefite and gift of his life deserue the workes that folow Though the father chastise the child yet is the child no lesse bounde to obey and to do the will of the father If when the father pardoneth it the workes that folow deserue that fauour then must the woorkes that folowed the correction haue deserued fauour also and then was the father vnrighteous to chastise it All what soeuer thou art able to do to please God with all is thy duty to do though thou haddest neuer sinned if it be thy dutie how can it then be the deseruyng of the mercy and grace that weÌ„t before Now that mercy was the benefite of God thy father through the deseruing of y t Lord Christ which hath bought thee with y â— price of his bloud And agayne when he sayth that he purposeth to bestow his good to be accepted as fruites of faith it is euident that hee meaneth that lyuyng fayth which professeth the law of God and is the mother of all good workes yea and nurse therto An other caâ—illation whiche they might make in the second part where he admitteth no other mediatour but Christe onely nor will geue of hys goodes to bynde any man to any fayned obseruaunce for the helpe of hys soule wheÌ„ he were whole in the kingdome of Christ cleane deliuered both body and soule from the dominion of Sathan as the Scripture testifieth all that dye in Christ to be is this they will say that he held that none should pray for him saue Christ and that we be not bound to pray one for an other nor ought to desire the prayers of an other man that he excludeth in that he sayth all other be but petitioners By which wordes he plainly coÌ„fesseth that other may and ought for to pray and that we may and ought to desire other to pray for vs but meaneth that we may not put our trust and confidence in their prayer as though they gaue of them selues that which they desire for vs in their petitions and so geue them the thankes ascribe to their merites that which is geuen vs in the name of our master Christ at the deseruynges of his bloud Christ is my Lord hath deserued and also obteined power to geue me all that can be desired for me And al that other desire for me this is desired in Christes name geueÌ„ at the merites of his bloud All the honour then trust confideÌ„ce and thankes perteyne to him also Some will haply say how should I desire an other to pray for me and not trust to his prayer Verely euen as I desire my neighbour to helpe me at my neede and yet trust not to him Christ hath commauÌ„ded vs to loue ech other Now when I go or desire helpe I put my trust in God and complaine to God first and say Loe father I go to my brother to aske helpe in thy name prepare the hart of him agaynst I come that hee may pitie me and helpe me for thy sake c. Now if my brother remember his duty helpe me I receaued it of God and geue God the thankes which moued the hart of my brother gaue my brother a courage to helpe me wherwith to do it and so hath holpe me by my brother And I loue my brother agayne and say Loe father I went to my brother in thy name and he hath holpe me for thy sake wherfore O father be thou as mercyful to him at his nede as he hath ben to me for thy sake at my nede Loe now as my brother dyd his dutie when he holpe me so do I my dutie when I praye for hym agayne and as I might not haue put my trust and coÌ„fidence in my brothers helpe so may he not in my prayers I am sure that God will helpe me by his promise but am not sure that my brother wil helpe me though it be his dutie so am I sure that God will heare me what soeuer I aske
in their Sacrament euery where which thing is not like but they would haue done if that opinion had thē bene a generall article of the fayth Neither was there any heresie or diuersitie of opinion or disputyng about the matter till the Pope had gathered a Councell to confirme this transubstāciation wherfore it is most likely that this opinion came vp by thē of latter dayes Furthermore all the law and Prophetes all the Christ dyd or can yet do is to bring vs to beleue in him and in God the father through him for the remissiō of sinnes to bryng vs vnto that whiche immediatly foloweth out of that belefe to loue our neighbours for hys sake as he loued vs. Wherfore if Christ did put his bodilie presence in the Sacrament and would we should beleue it It is done onely to bring vs to this fayth Now is this fayth no where lesse had then where that opinion is most strong neither so cruelly persecuted of Iew or Turke as of thē that most feruently defend that opiniō True fayth maketh a man to loue hys brother but that opinion maketh them to hate and slay their brethren that better beleue in Christ then they of that opinion do and that murther do they for feare of losyng that they haue gotten through that opinion Item they of this opiniō in stede of teachyng vs to beleue in Christ teach vs to serue Christe with bodily seruice which thing is nought els but Idolatry For they preach that all the ceremonies of the Masse are a seruice to God by reason of the bodily workes to obtayne forgeuenes of sinnes therby and to deserue merite therewith And yet Christ is now a spiritual substaunce with his father hauyng also a spirituall body and with the father to be worshypped in spirite onely And his seruice in the spirite is onely to beleue in hym for the remissiō of sinne to call vpon hym giue hym thankes to loue our neighbours for his sake Now all workes done to serue man and to bryng him to this poynt to put his trust in Christ are good acceptable to God but done for any other purpose they be Idolatry and Imageseruice and make God an Idole or bodily Image Agayne seyng the fayth of the Testament in Christes bloud is the lyfe of the righteous from the begynnyng of the world to the end and for as much as the Sacramēt was instituted onely to bryng to this lyfe Now when they which thinke not the body to be presēt in the Sacramēt haue by the preaching and confirmation of the Sacrament obtayned this lyfe or stedfast fayth in Christes bloud and by the dayly vse of the Sacrament are more more hardned therein and in the loue that springeth thereof What reasonable cause haue the contrary part whiche beleue the body present and bread turned into the very body as flesh bones her◠sinewes nayles all other as he was put on the crosse of length and quantitie I cannot tell what to rayle on vs as heretickes hate persecute and slay vs most cruelly as enemyes Christ sayth Qui contra me non est mecum est He that is not agaynst me is with me Now they that beleue in Christ for the remissiō of their sinnes and for his sake loue their foes are not Christes enemies Ergo they be on Christes side Why then should they that boast them selues to be Christes trendes slay thē Fayth in Christes bloud and in the father thorough him is Gods seruice in spirite And so haue they whiche beleue not the bodily presence serued God a long time and there to bene holpen by the Sacrament The other part fallen there from through beleuyng the body present seruyng God with bodily seruice which is Idolatrie and to make God an Idoll or Image in that they trust in the goodnes of their woorkes as they which serue tyrauntes not in the goodnes of God through trust in the bloud of Christ Ergo they that beleue not the bodily presence not a litle therto compelled through the wicked Idolatrie of the contrary belefe are not to be thought so euill as the other would haue them seme to be Paule teacheth 1. Cor. 13. that if a man had all other giftes that God can giue man and had not charitie to loue his neighbour it helpeth not For all other giftes and the remissiō in Christes bloud also are giuen hym of God to bryng hym to loue hys neighbour which thing had a mā hath all which not had a man hath nothyng And Phil. 2. how swetely and how vehemently cōiureth he them to draw all one way to be of one accorde one mynde or sentence And to do nothyng of strife or of vayne glory that is to say of hate or disdayne one of another or of affectiō to him selfe for to seme glorious but ech to preferre other through mekenes and to haue his opinion suspect and to feare least he hath not obtayned the vnderstandyng rather thē of presumption to his owne witte to despise hate the cōtrary party persecute as a tyraunt And in the thyrd of the same Paul sayth let as many as be perfect that is to say be truly taught and know the law truly and her office and the office and effect of fayth and know whiche be good workes before God and what the intent of them is let sayth he so serue as we be come procede in one rule that we may be of one accorde Now hetherto we be all come and this generall rule haue we gotten that fayth onely instifieth that is to say that the sinne is forgiuen onely for Christes sake againe that our duety is to loue our neighbours no lesse then Christ loued vs wherfore let vs procede forth in this rule exhort ech other to trust to Christ to loue ech other as Christ dyd and in this where in we all agree let vs bewise onely feruēt and striue who shal be greatest and go formost And in this which is not opened to all parties let vs be meeke sober and cold and keepe our wisedome secret to ourselues and abyde paciētly till God open it to other also The cause why the third part say that this worde is compelleth vs not to beleue the bodily presence of Christ to be there is this The Iewes say they are wont euer to name the memoriall and signes of thinges with the very name of the thyng signified that the very name might the better keepe the thyng in mynde As when Iacob Gene. 32. turned home agayne out of Mesopotamia saw the aūgels of God come agaynst hym hee called the place where he saw thē Mahanaim An host because his posteritie in tyme to come when they hard the field whiche was none host yet so called should aske why it was so named y t their elders might thereby haue an occasion to teach that Iacob saw there an host of
thē a mote in the sonne and that as lōg as great thicke as he stode before them If hee wereso mighty why is he not as mighty to make his bloud to bee alone and his body alone hys bloud body and soule were ech alone at his death and while the body lay in the sepulchre Finally Christ said this is my bloud that shal be shed Ergo it is true now this is my bloud that was shed Now the bloud of Hayles and the bloud that is in many other places men say is the bloud that was shed Ergo that bloud is in the Sacrament if any be but I am not bound to beleue or ought to affirme that the bloud that is at Hayles is anymate with the soule of Christ or that his body is there present Wherfore to auoid this endles braulyng whiche the deuils no doubt hath stirred vp to turne y t eyes of our soules frō the euerlastyng couenaūt made vs in Christes bloud body to nossell vs in Idolatry which is trust confidēce in false worshippyng of God to quēch first the faith to Christward and thē the loue due to our neighbour therfore me thinketh that the party y t hath professed y e faith of Christ the loue of his neighbour ought of denty to beare ech other as lōg as the other opiniō is not plaine wicked through false Idolatrie nor cōtrary to the saluation that is in Christ nor agaynst the opē manifest doctrine of Christ and his Apostles nor contrary to the generall articles of the fayth of the generall Churche of Christ which are confirmed with open Scripture In whiche articles neuer a true Church in any land dissenteth There be many textes of the Scripture therefore diuersly expounded of holy doctours takē in cōtrary sēces whē no text hath cōtrary sēces in dede or more thē one single sence yet that hurteth not neither are y e holy doctors therfore heretikes as the expositiō destroyeth not the faith in Christes blud nor is cōtrary to the opē scripture or general articles No more doth it hurt to say that the body bloud are not in the Sacramēt Neither doth it helpe to say they be there but hurt excedingly if ye inferre y t the soule is there to and that God must be there prayed to when as our kingdome is not on the earth euē so we ought not to direct our prayers to any God in earth but vp where our kyngdome is And whether our redemer sauiour is gone there sitteth on the right hand of his father to pray for vs to offer out prayers vnto his father to make thē for his sake acceptable neither ought he y t is bound vnder paine of dānatiō to loue his brother as Christ loued him to hate to persecute to slay his brother for blind zeale to any opiniō that neither letteth nor hindereth to saluatiō that is in Christ As they which pray to God in the Sacramēt not onely do but also through that opinion as they haue lost loue to their neighbours euen so haue they lost the true fayth in y t couenaūt made in Christes bloud and body Which couenaunt onely is y t which saueth And to testifis this was the sacramēt institute onely ¶ FINIS A Letter sent from William Tyndall vnto Iohn Frith being prisoner in the Tower of London THe grace and peace of God our father and of Iesus Christ our Lord be with you Amen Dearely beloued brother Iohn I haue heard say how that hypocrites nowe that they haue ouercome that great busines which letted thē at the least way haue brought it at a stay they returne to their old nature agayne The will of God be fulfilled and that which he hath ordeyned to be ere the world was made that come and his glory reigne ouer all Dearely beloued how euer the matter be commit your selfe wholy and onely vnto your most louing father most kinde Lorde and feare not men that threat nor trust men that speake fayre but trust him that is true of promise and able to make his worde good Your cause is Christes Gospell a light that must be fedde with the bloud of fayth The lampe must be dressed and snuffed dayly and that oyle poured in euery euening and morning that the light goe not out Though we be sinners yet is the cause right If when we be busteted for well doing we suffer paciently and endure that is acceptable to God for to that ende we are called For Christ also suffered for vs leauing vs an example that we should follow his steps who did no sinne Hereby haue we perceaned loue that he layed downe his lyfe for vs Therefore we ought also to laye downe our liues for the brethern Reioice and be glad for great is your reward in heauen For we suffer with him that we may also be glorified with him Who shall chaunge our vile body that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body according to the working wherby he is able euen to subiect all thinges vnto hym Dearely beloued be of good courage and comfort your soule with the hope of this high reward and beare the Image of Christ in your mortall body that it may at his comming be made like to his immortall and folow the example of all your other dear brethren which chose to suffer in hope of a better resurrection Kéepe your conscience pure and vndefiled and say against that nothing Sticke at necessarie thinges and remēber the blasphemies of the enemies of Christ saying they finde none but that will abiure rather then suffer the extremitie Moreouer the death of thē that come againe after they haue once denyed thouh it be accepted with God and all that beléeue yet is it not glorious for the hipocrites say he must néedes dye denying helpeth not But might it haue holpen they would haue denyed fyue hundred tymes but seing it would not helpe them therefore of pure pride and mere malice togither they speake with their mouthes that their conscience knoweth false If you geue your selfe cast your selfe yelde your selfe commit your selfe wholy and onely to your louyng father then shall his power be in you and make you strong and that so strong that you shall féele no payne which should be to an other present death and his spirit shall speake in you and teach you what to aunswere according to his promise He shall set out his trueth by you wonderfully and worke for you aboue all that your hart can imagine Yea you are not yet dead though the hipocrites all with all they can make haue sworne your death Vna salus victis nullam sperare salutem To looke for no mans helpe bringeth the helpe of God to them that seeme to be ouercome in the eyes of the hipocrites Yea it shall make God to cary you through thicke and thinne for his truethes sake in
be their God The lambe that was but the signe was called the passeouer and yet was not the lambe the passyng ouer but the signe onely excityng and monishing them to remember that deliueraūce by the aungell pasling by the Israelites in Egypt sinityng the Egyptians And sith this trope or maner of spech the Scripture did vse with so great grace in the old rites and ceremonies that figured our Sacramētes why may it not with like grace for that analogie and proper congruence of the figures with their verities vse the same phrase and maner of spech in their verities If the Scripture called the signe the thyng in Circumcision the passeouer why should we be offended with the same spech in our Baptisme in the Lordes Supper Sith such maner of spech haue no lesse grace and fulnes here then there to bryng the thyng signified into our hartes by such outward sensible signes For when that signe of Circumcision was giuen the child thē were they certified as an outword token may certifie that the child was of the people of Israell And therfore did the signes thē as they do now beare the names of thyngs which they signified as the lambe eaten in the passeouer was called the sacrifice the selfe passeouer none otherwise then in our new passeouer that is the Lordes supper the bread brokē c. is called the body of Christ the wyne poured forth and distributed to ech mā the bloud of Christ because the bread so broken and dealt signifieth vnto the receiuers and putteth them in remembraunce of the sacrifice of his body on the aulter of the crosse and of his bloud poured foorth for our redemption So that this maner of spech in the administration and vse of the Supper of our Lord to say This is my body this is my bloud is asmuch to say as this signifieth my body this signifieth my bloud Which Supper is here celebrated to put vs in remēbraunce of Christes death and to excite vs to thankes giuyng Neither let it offend thee O Christen reader That est is taken for significat that is to say This is that is as much to say as this signifieth that For this is a commō maner of spech in many places of Scripture and also in our mother toūg as whē we see many pictures or images which ye know well are but signes to represent the bodyes whom they be made lyke yet we say of the Image of our Lady This is our Lord and of S. Katheriue this is S. Katherine yet do they but represent and signify vs our Lady or S. Katherine And as it is writtē The in braūches are three dayes The thre baskets are three dayes which was not els but they signified three dayes Also in the xxviij chapter Iacob sayd This stone whiche I haue set vp an ende shal be Gods house which stone yet was neuer Gods house nor neuer shal be but onely did signifie gods house to be builded in that same place Agayne Pharao dreamed to haue sene vij faire fat Oxē eftsoones vij poore lene Oxē which Ioseph expoundyng sayd The vij fat Oxē are vij plētuous yeares in which phrase or maner of spech euery mā sith that the Oxē were no yeares but they signified such yeares Maruell not therfore though est likewise in this sentēce Hoc est corpus meum be taken for significat as much to say as this signifieth my body And yet for because the Scriptures conferred together expounde them selfe as sayth S. Austen And Peter That we haue before a firme and sure prophetical spech vnto which if we attend as vnto a light set vp in a darke place we do well I shall shew you a like phrase in Ezechiell where the destruction of Ierusalem was thus figured God commaundyng Ezechiell to take a sword as sharpe as a raser and shaue of his head and beard and then take a certain waight of the heares deuided into three partes The one he should burne in the middes of the Citie An other he should cut roūd about and cast the thyrd vp into the wynde c. which done he sayd Thus sayth the Lord God This is Ierusalem Which act and dede so done was not Ierusalem But it signified and preached vnto the beholders of it Ierusalem to be destroyed none otherwise thē the breakyng and distributing of the bread and wyne called Christes body and bloud signifieth and preacheth vs the death of Christ the figure and signe bearyng the name of the thyng signified as in the Prophetes spech saying This is Ierusalem which dyd but signifie Ierusalem When Christ dyd breath into his Disciples saying Take ye the holy ghost the same breath was not the holy ghost but signified and represented them the holy ghost with a thousand lyke maner of spech in the Scripture In the old passeouer thankes were giuen for the slaughter of the first begotten wherein the kynges posteritie of Egypt fell away The Hebrues spared passeouer and deliuered But in the new passeouer thankes were giuen that the onely begotten sonne of the most highest was crucified wherby all faythfull are spared passed ouer and not smittē with the sword of damnation but deliuered and saued in the lambes bloud that hath takē away the sinne of the world In the old passeouer The lambe or feast is called the Lordes passeouer and yet was neither the lambe nor the feast his passyng ouer but the signe and commemoration of his passyng by And euē so is it now in the new Supper of our Lord. It is there called the body of our Lord not that there is any thing wherin his very naturall body is contayned so long and brode as it hāged on the crosse for so is it ascended into heauē and sitteth on the right hād of the father but that thyng that is there done in that Supper as the breakyng and dealyng and eatyng of the bread and the whole like action of the wine signifieth representeth and putteth into our harts by the spirite of faith this cōmemoration ioyfull remēbraunce so to geue thankes for that inestimable benefite of our redemption wherin we see with the eye of our fayth presently his body broken his bloud shed for our sinnes This is no small Sacrament nor yet irreuerētly to be entreated but it is the most glorious and hyghest Sacramēt with all reuerence and thankes geuyng to be ministred vsed receiued preached solemnely in the face of the congregation to be celebrated of whose holy administration and vse I shall peraduenture speake in the end of this Supper But in the meane season Christen reader let these sensible signes signifie and represent hys death and print it in thy hart geuyng thankes incessantly vnto God the father for so incomparable a benefite that hath giuē thee his owne onely so dearely beloued sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christ to dye for thy sinnes yea and that
tormentes in his owne body to deliuer vs from the paines that we had deserued But seyng they thinke their reasō so strōg and inuincible I will confute it with one question that they shal not know whyther to turne them But first I will ground me vpon this Scripture S. Paule writeth 1. Thess 4. on this maner we that liue and are remayning in the comming of the Lord vnto iudgemēt shall not come yere they that sléepe for the Lord himselfe shall descende from heauen with a shoute and the voyce of the Archaungell and trōpe of God And the dead in Christ shall arise first then shall we whiche liue and remaine bée caught vp with them also in the cloudes to mete the Lorde in the ayre and so shall we euer be with the Lord. Now harken to my question Those men that shal be found alyue at the last day for as it was in the tyme of Noe euē so shall the last day come vppon vs vnwares and as a théefe in the night Math. 24. those men I speake of shall any of thē be saued or not There is no mā that liueth but hee may well say his Pater nostor of the which one part is Forgeue vs Lorde our trespasses as we forgeue them that trespasse against vs therfore is no man pure and with out all sinne And this confirmeth S. Iohn saying If we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues and the truth is not in vs. 1. Iohn 1. what remedie now shall they all be damned There is no doubt but some of them shall not be very euill although they haue not made sufficient satisfaction vnto God in this world they ought not to go vnto hell to euerlastyng dānatiō as your owne reason proueth and then shall there be no Purgatory to purge and punishe them Besides that if there were a Purgatory at y ◠time yet could they not be cast into it for all shall be done in the twinklyng of an eye 1. Cor. xv and they shall be caught vp to mete the Lord. 1. Thess 4. Is God not as iust then as he was before will he not haue punished as well then as before Nowe sée you no euasion for all your suttle imaginations for they are not pure and without spotte as you say except they make satisfaction them selues vnto God But they must be without spot or wrincle that shall enter into heauē as Rastell him selfe doth proue in the ix Chapter of hys thyrd Dialogue Howbeit I regarde not his testimony but the Scripture affirmeth that to be true as Paul sayth Ephesians 1. and. 5. Now sith they must be pure euē without spot or wrincle that shall enter into heauen and these persons are yet spotted with sinne and haue neither place nor space to purge them in you must néedes conclude whether you will or not that they must all bee damned and yet you thinke that vnreasonable to Sée whyther your Argumentes of naturall reason bring you But what sayth the Scripture verely Paule 1. Thess 4. espyed an other way for he saith and so shall we euer be with the Lord and not damned Of this may we euidently conclude that some shal be saued although they be sinners neuer come in Purgatory there taketh Rastell a fall all his faultours and sith God is as iust and mercyfull now as he shall be then why shall we go more in Purgatory thē they But marke I pray you how properly that substauntiall reason wherewith they go about to stablishe Purgatory concludeth which condemneth into hell so many thousandes yea and euen them whom Paule affirmeth to be saued And yet at the begynnyng it séemed very reasonable Now haue I proued you sufficiētly that this their reason can proue no Purgatory for as I sayd there shall sinners enter into heauen and neuer come in Purgatory Here peraduenture you bee desirous to know how Gods iustice is pacified For all sinne by the iustice of God must néedes be punished Now can the world espy no punishment here and therefore they thought it necessary to imagine a purgatory to purge punish sinne Here aunswere I with S. Paule Christ the sonne of God beyng the brightnes of his glory very image of his substaūce bearing vp all things with the word of his power hath in hys owne person purged our sinnes and is set on the right hande of God Behold the true Purgatory and consumyng fire whiche hath fully burnt vp and consumed our sinnes hath for euer pacified the fathers wrath towardes vs. Marke how he sayth that Christ in his owne person hath purged our sinnes If thou yet séeke an other purgation then are you iniurious vnto the bloud of Christ For if thou thought his bloud sufficiēt then wouldest thou séeke no other Purgatory but geue him all the thākes and all the prayse of thy whole health and saluation and reioyse whole in the Lord. Paul writeth ▪ Ephes 5. on this maner Christ loued the congregation And what dyd he for it sent he it into Purgatory there to be clensed Nay verely but gaue hym selfe for it that he might sāctifie it and clense it in the fountaine of water thorough the word to make it vnto hym selfe a glorious congregation without spot or wrincle or any such thyng but that it should bee holy and without blame Now if Christ by these meanes haue sanctified it and made it without spot wrincle and blame then were it agaynst all right to cast it into Purgatory wherfore I must néedes cōclude that either Paul saith not true which affirmeth that Christ hath so purged his congregatiō or els that Christ is vnrighteous if he cast them into Purgatory whiche are wtout spot wrincle and blame in his sight Christ those vs in hym before the begynnyng of the worlde that we might bee holy and without spotte in his sight Ephes 1. If through his chosyng and election we be without spot in his sight Alas what blind vnthāke fulnes is that to suppose that he will yet haue vs tormented in Purgatory Peraduenture euery man perceaueth not what this meaneth that we are righteous in hys sight seyng that euery man is a sinner 1. Iohn 1 Therefore I will briefly declare the meanyng of the Apostle This is first a cleare case that there lyueth no mā vppon the earth without sinne Notwithstandyng all they that were chosen in Christ before the foundatiō of the world were laid are without spot of sinne in the sight of God Ephes 1. So that they are both sinners righteous If we consider the imperfectiō of our fayth and charitie If we consider the conflict of the flesh and the spirite Gala. 5. If we consider our rebellious members which are sold vnder sinne Roma 7. then are we greuous sinners And cōtrarywise if we beleue that of mercyable fauour God gaue his most deare sonne to redeme vs
scholes of slaundering rayling and gesting Deare brother if it had bene so that I had spoken certayne wordes in déede which mighte haue séemed in your eyes to be rayling detracting and slaundring as I haue not sauing a little gesting woulde you disproue my doctrine thereby What will you then say to S. Iohn baptist which calleth the pharisies then heades of the church as are now our doctoures generation of vipers would you therefore conclude that his doctrines were naught I thinke you be not so chyldish And it séemeth this one sentence to be more rayling and slaundering then all that I haue written What wil you say to Christ which called the scribes and pharisies hypocrites Math. 15. 16. 22. And in the 13. he séemeth to rayle aboue measure where he calleth theÌ„ hypocrites and blinde guides paynted sepulchers whych outwardlye appeare righteous but within are full of hypocrisie serpents and generation of Vipers Besides that he calleth Herode Foxe Luc. 13 and the Iewes he called a froward and aduouterous generation Math. 12. 16 and in the 17. he sayth O vnfaythfull and ouerthwart nation woulde you thinke it should excuse the Iewes which refused his doctrine to say that he rayled and that no reasonable man woulde thinke those things to be pointes belonging to vertue but rather spices and braunches of pride and that hée shewed not hym selfe charitable but malicious nor no wisedome therein but folie would it excuse them to say as you do to me that if he had bene one halfe yeare at schole of discretion and charitie he should more haue prospered in vertuous learning and that he had bene at the scholes of sclanderyng rayling and iestyng Finally S. Paule in your eyes might appeare to rayle and slaunder and to be cleane destitute of Gods spirite which as Luke saith replenished with the holy Ghost sayd to Clemas that resisteth hym Actes 13. O thou ful of all suttelty deceite thou sonne of the deuill and enemy of all righteousnes ceaseth not to peruerte the rightwayes of the Lord. I can bryng many â—â—o such sayinges of Peter Iohn Iames and Iudas and yet I thincke you will not improue their doctrine thereby but because I studye to be shorte I shall count it sufficient to haue warned the reader of this Notwithstanding peraduenture Rastell wil not yet be aunswered but will say that albeit I haue touched inough as concernyng those thynges that appeare railyng and slanderyng in his eyes yet I brought none that iest as I do whereunto I may aunswere and alledge for me Helias the Prophet which both mocked the false Priestes and iested with them saying call loude vnto your Gods for peraduenture they are a sléepe and caÌ„ not here or els they be gone out of towne I cannot inough meruell that my brother Rastell would vse such maner of reasoning with me as to improue my doctrine because of my raylyng and iestyng For ther with he hath made a foule hole in his kinsmans best coate for euery maÌ„ perceiueth that M. More his bookes are so full of rayling gestyng and baudye tales that if the furious Momus Venus had take out theyr partes there should be very little left for Vulcanus After this Rastell dissenteth to the purpose of his matter would proue that my expositions of Scripture are not good because they are an occasion to bryng y t people to boldnes of sinne and to moue the people to delite in other mens faultes and to laugh therat and to put you an exaÌ„ple he sayth if I should take vpon me the expositioÌ„ of this text In principio erat verbum verbum erat apud deum c. and expound it after this maner In the begynnyng of this yeare Iohn Frith is a noble Clerke He killed a mylstone with his spere Keepe well your geese your dogges do barke I trowe sayth Rastell all wise men would thinke that this were a fonde exposition yet this exposition would please childreÌ„ fooles and mad men as well as the exposition of S. Austen or S. Hierome or any other Doctor of y e Church because it would make them to laugh so sayth Rastell Frith maketh such expositioÌ„s with iestyng and rayling to make the people laugh not regardyng to edifie the people nor to prouoke them to vertue mekenes or charitie nor to leaue their sinne but rather geueth them boldnes to beleue that there is no Purgatory nor hell but mocketh and iesteth at those reasons that bee made for proofe of Purgatory Now as touchyng the first part where he saith that my expositions be an occasion to bryng the people to boldnes of sinne I aske hym why his aunswere is because I geue theÌ„ boldnes that there is no Purgatory nor yet hell thereto Rastell by his leaue maketh a fitten I dare not say hee maketh a lye for that hee would call rayling for I neuer denyed hell but affirme in many places of my booke eueÌ„ in the first side of myne aunswere agaynst him I affirme hell and perpetuall damnation but when ye come to the proofe of his wordes then you shall sée how wisely the maÌ„ coÌ„cludeth for he thinketh that ab inferiori ad suuÌ„ superius confuse distribue men shall thinke it a good consequent as if I should say that we lacke fire in prisoÌ„ then would he coÌ„clude that there lacked fire in all Middlesex Or if I wold say their were no wit in Rastels head then would hee conclude that there were no witte in no maÌ„s head but he hath so long studyed Philosophy that hee hath cleane forgotten his principals of Sophistry notwithstandyng we wil forgeue him this faute for the man is somewhat aged and therfore I thinke it is loÌ„g since he read them and that they are now out of his memory neuerthelesse he will say that hys argument is not soluted for although I denye not hell yet I denye Purgatory and so I geue the people an occasioÌ„ to sinne because they feare not Purgatory whereunto I haue so sufficiently aunswered in Rastels vij argument that I wonder that hee is not a shamed to bryng the same agayne but he trusteth that my bookes shall neuer be read and his may go surely abroad and therefore he may say what he will onely hee careth not what he saith so he hold not his peace And where hee reporteth that I make expositions to make the people to delite to heare of other meÌ„s fautes and to laugh thereat therto will I say nay till he be at laysure to proue it and where he sayth if he should take vppon hym to expounde In principio erat verbum in this maner In the begynnyng of this yeare Iohn Frith is a noble Clerke He killed a mylstone with his spere Keepe well your geese the dogges do barke Saying that all wise men would say that this were a fonde exposition Therto I aunswere that saying for the ryme
meter they might well say that a goose had made it for any reason that is therin and yet as touchyng the meter the second verse lacketh a foote and is shorter then his felowes but if you put out this word Frith and put in this worde Rastell for it then shall his meter also be perfite and that halting verse shal runne merely with his felowes vppon hys right féete on this maner In the begynnyng of this yeare Iohn Rastell is a noble Clerke He killed a mylstone with his spere Keepe well your geese the dogges do barke Thus I haue amended his meter but as for the reason I leaue it to him selfe to amende it at his laysure In the end of his second chapter he sayth that I entende with my expositions to bring the people to beleue in foure other great errours wherof the first is that there is no hell ordeined for any that is of Christes faith although he do neuer so many sinnes but let vs sée how he proueth it An Aunswer to Rastels third Chapter which would proue that I deny hell IT séemeth sayth Rastel by the reasons that Frith hathe alleaged that his entēt is to bring the people in beléefe that there is no hel for I alleage in my aunswer to Rastels dialoge the saying of S. Paule Ephe. 1. Christe chose vs in him before the beginning of the world that we might be holy without spot in his sight and againe Eph. 5. Christ loued his cōgregation and gaue himself for it that he might sanctifie it in the fountaine of water thorow the word to make it wythout spot or wrincle or any such thing but that it should be holy and wythoute blame And vpon these textes I conclude that if Christe haue so purged vs that we are wtout spot wrinckle or blame in his sight as Paule testifieth then wil he neuer cast vs into Purgatorie For what should be purged in them that are withoute spotte wrinckle or blame And then somwhat to declare the matter how we be sinners as lōg as we liue and yet without synne in the sight of God adde these woordes which I would that all men did well note and bicause Rastell leaueth out the best of the matter I will rehearse my owne wordes againe Peraduenture euery man perceiueth not what this meaneth that we are rightwise in his sight séeing that euery man is a sinner 1. Ioh. 2. therfore I will bréefely declare the meaning of the Apostel This is fyrste a cleare case that there liueth no man vppon the earthe without synne not withstanding all they that were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world were laid are without spot of sinne in the sight of God Ephes 1. so that they are both sinners rightwise if we consider the imperfection of our faith and charitie if we consyder the conflict of the flesh and the spirite Galath 5. if we consider our rebellious membres whiche are vnder sinne Rom. 7. then are we gréeuous sinners and contrary wise if we beléeue that of that mercifull fauor God gaue his most deare sonne to redeme vs from oure sinne if we beléeue that he imputeth not our sinnes vnto vs but y ◠his wrath is pacified in Christe his bloud if we beléeue that he hath fréely giuen vs his Christe and with him all things so that we be destitute of no gift Rom. 8. then are we righteous in his sight and oure conscience at peace with God not thorowe oure selues but thorowe oure Lorde Iesu Christ Ro. 5. So maist thou perceiue that thou art a sinner in thy selfe and yet art thou rightwise in Christe for thorow him is not thy sinne imputed nor reckened vnto thée so are they to whome God imputeth not theyr sinnes blessed rightwise wtout spot wrinkle or blame Rom. 4. Psal 31. And therfore will he neuer thrust thē into purgatorie and for proofe of this I alledge as Rastel beareth me witnesse diuers texts of S. Paul Eph. 2. Rom. 4. 5. 7. 8. but that notwithstanding Rastel sayth that I haue not recited them sufficiently for I haue left out somwhat which I haue rehersed for the opening of the truth and then bringeth in that S. Paule exhorteth and biddeth vs we shall vse no fornication vnclennesse auarice filthe or foolish speaches for such shall haue no inheritance in the kingdom of heauē and euen so say I too but iudge good reader what is this to the purpose for it neither maketh for purgatorie neither agaynst it This text I coulde haue alleaged if I had endeuored my selfe that we should doe good woorkes which I neuer knew christian man deny but else as touching my matter it is nothing to the purpose and as well he mighte haue improued me bicause I bring in no text to proue that y t father of heauen is god or to proue that which neuer man doubted of Then he alleageth Paul Ro. v. vj. saying though grace doe raigne thorow Christ shall we therfore dwel in sinne nay God forbid sayth Paule euen so say I againe he alleageth Rom. viij that there is no dampnation to them which be in Christ Iesu if they liue not after the fleshe and euen so say I but Rastell will say the contrary anone Besides that he alleageth Rom. iij. we be fréely iustified by grace by Christes redemption to shew hys iustice for the remissyon of synne done before and yet saythe Rastell Paule sayth that the law is not destroyed by fayth but made stable but thys hathe Frith left out of his boke to cause the people to beléeue that they be cleane purged by the bloud of Christe only and that there néede no purgatorie By these words you may euidently perceyue what Rastell meaneth by thys alleaging of Paule for the establishing of the lawe verely that the worke of the lawe should iustifie and cleane purge you from synne whyche is contrary to Paul and all scrypture for euen in thys same Chapter that he alleageth Paule saith that of workes of the law no flesh shal be iustified in hys syght and saythe that the rightwisenesse of God commeth by faythe of Iesu Christ vnto all and vppon all that beléeue But as touching good works I wil touch more héereafter Furthermore Rastell sayth that if my argumentes coulde proue that there is no purgatory it must follow as wel that there is no hell for vs that be christen men though we continue still in sinne for if we be blessed with out spot wrinkle or blame and that therefore he will not cast vs into purgatory then he will not cast vs into hell whatsoeuer sinne we do commit Here Rastell vttereth his blindenes vnto you and sheweth you what vnderstanding he hath in scripture first he armeth himselfe wyth a false supposition and yet therupon he concludeth his argument falsly His supposition is this that al men which are baptized
that ensue his steppes yet let them surely reken vppon it for there is no doubt but all whiche will deuoutly lyue in Christ must suffer persecution for whom the Lord loueth he correcteth and scourgeth euery child that he receaueth for what child is that whom the father chastiseth not If ye be not vnder correction of which we are all partakers theÌ„ are ye bastardes and not children Neuertheles we may not suppose that our most louyng father should do that because he reioiseth in our bloud or punishment but he doth it for our singular profite that we may be partakers of holynes and that the remnaunt of sinne whiche through the frayltie of our meÌ„bers rebell agaynst the spirite will causing our workes to go vnparfectly forwardes may somedel be suppressed lest they should subdue vs and reigne ouer vs as I haue sufficiently declared in the Epistle of my booke whiche intreateth of Purgatory to the which I remit theÌ„ that desire to be further instructed in this matter Of these thynges God had geuen me the speculation before and now it hath pleased hym to put in vre and practise vpon me I euer thought and yet doe thinke that to walke after Gods word would cost me my life at one tyme or an other And albeit that the kynges grace should take me into his fauour and not to suffer the bloudy Edomites to haue their pleasures vpon me yet will I not thinke that I am escaped but that God hath onely differred it for a season to the intent that I should woorke somewhat that he hath appointed me to do and so to vse me vnto his glory And I beseche all the faythfull followers of the Lord to arme them selues with the same supposition markyng theÌ„ selues with the signe of the crosse not from the crosse as the superstitious multitude doth but rather to the crosse in token that they be euer readye willingly to receaue the crosse when it shall please God to lay it vpon them The day that it coÌ„meth not counte it cleare wonne geuyng thankes to the Lord which hath kept it from you And then when it commeth it shall nothing dismay you for it is no new thing but eueÌ„ that which ye haue continually looked for And doubt not but that god which is faythfull shall not suffer you to be tempted aboue that which ye are able to beare but shall euer send some occasion by the which ye shall stand stedfast for either he shall blind the eyes of your enemies and diminish theyr tyrannous power or els when he hath suffred them to do theyr best and that the Dragon hath cast a whole floudde of waters after you he shall cause euen the very earth to open hir mouth and swalow them vp So faith full is he and careful to ease vs what time the vexation should be too heauy for vs. He shall send a Ioseph before you against ye shall come into Egypt yea he shal so prouide for you that ye shall haue an hundred fathers for one an huÌ„dred mothers for one an hundred houses for one and that in thys lyfe as I haue proued by experience And after this life euerlasting ioy wyth Christ our Sauiour Not withstandyng sith this stedfastnes commeth not of our selues for as S. Austen sayth there was neuer man so weake or frayle no not the greatest offender that euer lyued but that euery man of hys owne nature should be as frayle and committe as great enormities except he were kept from it by the spirite power of God I beseche you brethren in the Lord Iesu Christe and for the loue of hys spirite to pray with me that we may be vessels to his laude prayse what tyme soeuer it pleaseth hym to call vpon vs. The father of glory giue vs the spirite of wisedome vnderstandyng and knowledge and lighten the eyes of our mynde that we may know hys wayes praysing the Lord eternally If it please any of our brethren to write vnto vs of any such doubtes as peraduenture may be founde in our bookes it should be very acceptable vnto vs and as I trust not vnfrutefull for them For I will endeuour my selfe to satisfie theÌ„ in all poyntes by Gods grace To whom I committe to be gouerned and defended for euer Amen Iohn Frith the prisoner of Iesu Christ at all tymes abydyng his pleasure A treatise made by the sayd Iohn Frith whiles he was prisoner in the Tower of London Anno. M. D. xxxij called a Myrrour or glasse to know thy selfe I Was desired of a faith full frende to whom I am so much bound that he might lawfully haue commaunded me that I would make him a litle treatise by the which he might be somewhat instructed to knowe himselfe and so geue God thanckes for the benefites which he hath so aboundantly poured vpon him This thing I tooke vpon me very gladly partly to fulfill his right wise request which I trust shall be to the great profite of Christes flocke and partly to declare what I thinke both of my selfe and of all other Herein may all men sée what they haue receaued of God and how they ought to bestow the talent that is coÌ„mitted vnto them which if you note well it will cause you to say with the wise man Salomon Vaiuersa vanitas omnis homo viuens that is Euery maÌ„ liuing is nothing but vanitie which also the Prophet Dauid confirmeth saying If all men liuing were pondered in one ballance and vanitie hanged in the ballaunce agaynst them it should quite way them downe and be heauier then all they As by example if a man prayse a very foole and thinke his witte good and profounde then is that person in déede more foole theÌ„ the other And eueÌ„ so uÌ„th maÌ„ doth prayse and commende riches honour beautie strength and such other vaine and transitorie things which are but as a dreame and vanishe lyke a flower in the fielde when a man shoulde haue moste néede of them it foloweth well that he hymselfe is more vayne then those thyngs whych are but vanitie For if it were possyble that thou shuldest haue al these things an hundreth yeare continually wythout any trouble or aduersitie as neuer man had yet were it but a vaine dreame if it be compared vnto that euerlasting lyfe whych is prepared for Christes electe and faythfull followers So that all flesh is as hay and all hys glory lyke a flower of the hay is withered and the flower fallen but God and his worde endure for euer Therfore let not the wyse man reioyse in his wisedom neither y e strong man in hys strengthe nor the ryche in hys riches But he that reioyseth let hym reioyse in the Lord to whome be all honor praise without end Amen The first Chapter That all goodnesse commeth of God and all câ—… o. ourselues THe Philosophers to 〈◊〉 God had enspired 〈…〉 of truthe knowledged
remēbraunce of his body breakyng and bloud shedyng and that we shuld eate it together reioysing with ech other declaryng hys benefites Now were the Corinthians fallen from this hunger and came not together to the intent that Gods prayse should bee published by them in the middest of the congregatiō but came to féede their flesh and to make carnal cheare In so much that y t rich would haue meate and drinke inough and take such aboundaunce y t they would be dronke and so made it their owne per not the Lordes as Paule saith and did eate onely the bread meate and not the body breaking as I haue before said the poore which had not that is to say that had no meate to eate were ashamed and hungry and so could not reioyse and prayse the Lord by the reason that the delicate fare of the riche was an occasion for the poore to lament their pouertie and thus the rich dyd neither prayse God them selues nor suffered the poore to doe it but were an occasion to hynder them They should haue brought theyr meate and drinke and haue deuided it with their poore brethren that they might haue been mery together and so to haue geuen them occasion to be mery and reioyse in the Lorde with thankes geuyng But they had neither lust to prayse God nor to comfort their neighbour Their fayth was féeble and their charitie cold and had no regard but to fill their body and féede their flesh And so despised y t poore cōgregation of God whom they should haue honoured for y t spirite that was in them fauour that God had shewed indifferently vnto them in y ◠bloud of hys sonne Christ When Paule perceiued that they were thus fleshly mynded and had no mynde vnto that spirituall maundy which chiefly shuld ther bee aduertised hée reproueth thē sore rehearsing y t wordes of Christ That which I gaue vnto you I receiued of the Lord. For the Lord Iesus the same night in the which hee was betrayed tooke bread and thanked and brake it and said take ye and eate ye this is my bodye which is broken for you this do ye in the remembraunce of me After the same maner hee tooke the cup when supper was done saying this cuppe is the new Testament in my bloud this doe ye as ofte as ye drinke it in the remembraunce of me For as oft as ye shall eate this bread drinke of this cup ye shall shew the Lordes death til he come As though hée should say ye Corinthians are much to blame whiche at this Supper séeke the foode of your flesh For it was institute of Christ not for the intent to norishe the belly but to strēghten the hart and soule in God And by this you may know that Christ so meant For he calleth it hys body which is geuen for you so that the name it selfe might testifie vnto you that in this supper you should more eate his body whiche is geuen for you by digestyng that into the bowels of your soule then the bread which by the breakyng and the distributyng of it doth represent his body breakyng and the distributyng therof vnto all that are faythful And that bée so meaneth is euident by the wordes folowyng which say this do in the remembrance of mee and likewyse of the cuppe And finally concludyng of both Paule sayth as often as ye shall eate this bread drinke of this cuppe in this place and felowshyp ye shall shew y t Lordes death vntill hée come praysing the Lord for the death of his sonne and exhortyng other to doe the same reioysing in hym with infinite thākes And therfore ye are to blame whiche séeke onely to féede the belly with that thyng which was onely institute to féede the soule And theruppon it foloweth Wherfore who soeuer doth eate of this bread and drinke of this cup vnworthely is gilty of the body and bloud of the Lorde He eateth this bread vnworthely which regardeth not the purpose for the which Christ dydinstitute it which cōmeth not to it with spirituall hūger to eate through fayth his very body which the bread representeth by the breaking and disstributing of it which commeth not with a mery hart geuing God harty thankes for their deliueraunce from sinne Which doe not much more eate in their hart y t death of his body then they doe the bread with their mouth Now sith the Corinthyans did onlye séeke their belly and flesh and forgat Gods honour and prayse for which it was instituted y ◠thākes should be geuen by the remembrance of his body breaking for vs they eate it to Gods dishonour to their neighboures hinderaunce to their owne condemnation so for lacke of fayth were giltye of Christes body which by fayth they should there chiefely haue eaten to their soules health And therefore it followeth †Let a man therfore examyne him selfe and so let him eate of the bread and drinke of the cuppe THis prouing or examinyng of a mans selfe is first to thinke with him selfe with what lust and desire he cōmeth vnto the maundy will eate that bread whether he be sure that he is the child of God and in the faith of Christ And whether his cōscience do beare him witnesse that Christes body was broken for him And whether the lust y t he hath to prayse God and thanke hym with a faythfull hart in the middes of the bretheren do driue hym thether warde Or els whether he do it for y t meates sake or to kéepe the custome for then were it better that he were away For he that eateth or drinketh vnworthely eateth and drinketh his owne damnation becaufe he maketh no differēce of the Lordes body That is as it is sayd before he that regardeth not the purpose for which it was instituted putteth no difference betwene his eating and other eating for other eating doth onely serue the bellye but this eating was instituted and ordayned to serue the soule and inward man And therfore he that abuseth it to the flesh eateth and drinketh his owne damnation And he commeth vnworthelye to the maundye where the sacrament of Christes body is eaten ye where the body of the Lord is eaten not carnally with the téeth and bellye but spiritually with the hart and faith Vpon this followeth the text that M. More allegeth and wresteth for his purpose For this cause many are weake sicke among you and many sléepe yf we had truely Iudged our selues we should not haue béene Indged when we are Iudged of the Lorde we are chastened because we should not bée damned wich the world Wherfore my bretheren whē ye come togither to eate tary one for an other Yf a man hunger let him eate at home that ye come not togither vnto condemnation For this cause that is for lacke of good examinyng of our selues as is before touched many are weake and sicke in
image leape to your worme eaten Gods yea you haue burnt many a poore mā for speakyng against these dumme Idolles But tell me when all the Byshops in England did vexe or trouble any man for speakyng or for doyng yea or for destroying this very true Image of GOD they had rather destroy it them selues then it should bée vndestroyed Let the kynges bookes bée searched throughout the Realme and there shall bée no small number founde of these Images that bée troubled and vexed and cast in prison for trifles yea and vtterly vndone by the Byshops and by their Priestes yet wil they bée y t honourers of Images yea and that to the honour of God and of all holy Saintes Is not this against all wisedome yea is it not agaynst nature and yet no man may tell it Also the same doctour in an other place What thing is there so wicked so vnthākfull as to receaue a benefyte of God and to geue thankes vnto stockes and stones wherfore wake and vnderstād your health c. How thinke you are you not vnthankfull vnto God of whō you haue receiued all thing and for them you thanke your worme eaten Gods farthermore S. Augustine sayth Let vs not loue any visible spectakilles lest by erring from the veritie and by louing shadowes we be brought in to darknes let vs haue no deuocyon to our phantesies It is better to haue a trew thing what so euer it be then all māner of thinges that may be fayned at our owne pleasure c. Bée not your idols visible spectakles Bée they any other thinges then shadowes and yet you will loue them honour them Aunswere to Saint Augustine You Infydels haue not we a lyuing God and will you bring vs from hym to dead stockes Also S. Hierome Be it knowen vnto the Kyng c. the properties of the wordes be to be marked that he he sayth we will not worship thy gods nor yet honour thy image for neither of both be come the seruauntes of God to doe c. Here haue you that neyther worshipping nor honouring belōgeth to Images But now to y t worshiping of saints which hath a greater shadowe of holynes then these dumme Gods haue In primis you say that sayntes must pray for vs and bée mediators to God for vs that by them wée may bée able to receiue our petition This is Richardes opynion De media villa there can not a thing bée inuented by y t craft of the deuyll that may bée a greater blasphemye or more derogation to Christ and his blessed bloud then this is For if Saintes bée necessary to bée mediatours for vs then is Christ vnsufficient for phylosophers did neuer put ij causes where as one was sufficient and if any thing bée geuen vs of God for sayntes sakes then bée not all thinges geuē for Christes sake y t which is plainely against S. Paules saying God for vs all hath geuen his sonne and shall he not geue Vs all things with him Let euery christ en man iudge what a blasphemy that is But let vs prooue that Christe is all onely our mediator S. Paule sayth There is one mediatour between God and man the mā Christ Iesus the which hath geuen him selfe for the redemption of all men Marke that hée sayth one medyatour betwéen God and man Where there is but one there can no sayntes come in Moreouer sayntes bée men therefore they must haue a mediatour for them selues and then they can not be mediatours for other men Farthermore the mediator between God and man is cauled Christ Iesus Now is there any saynt that hath this name if there bée none that hath the name then is there none that can vsurpe this office without blaspheming of Christ Farthermore hée hath redéemed vs onely without the helpe of saints and why shal hée not bée onely mediatour without saintes is not redemptiō the chief acte of a mediatour Also the holy ghost sayth He shall bee called Emanuell the which is as much to say as God with vs what is this God with vs is hée with vs but as one man is with an other And as my cote is with my backe Nav hée is an other wayes with vs That is to redéeme vs to saue vs to kéepe vs to defend vs from all euell yea and is with vs that is hée is on our syde he holdeth with vs hée speaketh for vs hée excuseth vs hée maketh our cause good briefly hée obtayneth all thinges for vs. Of what saynct can this be spoken What doe sayntes now for vs Also S. Iohn sayth If a mā doe sinne we haue an aduocate by the father Christ Iesus what is this hée is our aduocate to the father and here bée none assigned but Christ Iesus and by hym haue we onely remission of our synnes Now what shall the Saintes obtaine for vs what shall they desire for vs if our sinnes bée remitted then hath the father of heauen no displeasure agaynst vs what shall they then pray for vs Also S. Paule sayth The spirite of God maketh intercession mightyly for vs with mighty desires that cā not bee expressed with toung Marke how the spirite of God desireth and prayeth for vs and that no man should recken that we had néede of other mediatours hée sayth that hée prayeth mightyly for vs and with great feruēcie that it can not bée expressed Now is not hée able to obtaine all things for vs and hath taken this office on him for vs it were doubtles a great rebuke to him that Saintes should bée set in his steade ioined w t him in his office as though hée were vnsufficient You thinke to doe saints a great honour when you make them Godes and set thē in Christs steade but you can not doe them a great dishonour nor displeasure for they will bée but Saintes and no Gods yea that by Christes helpe not by their owne Also S. Paule faith Christ sitteth on the right hād of the father the whiche doth also praye for vs marke that hée prayeth for vs can the father of heauē deny any thyng of his prayer Doth not hée aske all thinges necessarie for vs And as Scripture sayth He is our wisedome he is our iustice he is our satisfactiō and our redemption made of God Now what resteth for Saintes to aske what will you desire more then wisedome iustice sanctificatiō and redemption all these hath Christ obteined for vs yea and hée alonely thereunto was ordeined of God which of all the Saintes can say that but hée if all saintes all the world would say the contrary yet hée him selfe stādeth fast against them all cōdēneth them for lyars blasphemers saying No man commeth to the father but by me note these wordes First he saith no man c. Ergo as many as euer shall come to the father of heauen bée here cōteined then addeth
you doe honour in sensible thinges And maketh you to beleeue that you bee not wicked when you hurt sensible and reasonable men c. 346. col 1 Clement sayth also in an other place What thing is there so wicked and vnthankfull as to receaue a benefyte of God and to geue thankes vnto stocks and stones Wherfore wake and vnderstand your health c. 346. col 2 Augustine sayth Let vs not loue any visible spectacles least by erring from the veritie and by louing shadowes we bee brought into darknes let vs haue no deuocion to our phantasies It is better to haue a trew thing what so euer it bee then all maner of thinges y t may bee fayned at our owne pleasure c. 346. col 2 Hierome Bee it knowē vnto y e King c. The properties of the wordes be to bee marked that hee sayth We will not worship thy Gods nor yet honour thy Image for neither of both become the seruauntes of God to doe c. 346. col 2 God for vs all hath geuen his sonne shall he not geue vs all thinges with hym 347. col 1 There is one mediatour between God and man the man Christ Iesus the which hath geuen him selfe for the redemption of all men 347. col 1 S. Iohn sayth If a man doe sinne we haue an aduocate by the father Christ Iesus 347. col 2 S. Paule sayth The spirite of God maketh intercession mightely for vs with mightie desires that can not be expressed with toung c. 347. col 2 Also S. Paule sayth Christ sitteth on the right hande of the father the which doth also praye for vs. c. 347. col 2 Paule sayth Hee is our wisedome he is our satisfaction and our redemption made of God c. 347. col 2 S. Iohn sayth No man commeth to the father but by mee c. 348. col 1 S. Iohn sayth I am the way onely in the father c. 348. col 1 S. Iohn also sayth Whatsoeuer you aske in my name the father shall geue it you c. 348. col 1 S. Iames sayth All good giftes commeth from the father of lyght 348. col 2 Dauid sayth When I am troubled I will cry vnto the Lord and hee will helpe me c. 349. col 1 Dauid sayth My helpe is of God that hath made heauen and earth 349. col 1 Augustine sayth Let vs haue no deuotion in honoryng of dead men for if they liued wel they may not bee counted for such men as to desire such honours but they will that God shall bee honored of vs by whose lightenyng they reioyce that we are made companions of their glory Wherfore saintes must bee honored by folowyng them but not by honoryng them of deuotion c. 349. col 2 That man was forbydden of the aungell to worship hym but alonely to worshyp one God c. 350. col 1 Chrisostome sayth Doost thou see this womā which was vnworthy but by her perseueraunce was made worthy wilt thou learne also that we praying vnto God in our owne persons doe more profite thē when other men doe pray for vs. This woman did cry and the disciples came and prayed him that hee would speed her for she cryeth on vs. But to them hee aunswered I am not sent but vnto the sheepe which are perished of y e house of Israell But when shee came her selfe and dyd perseuer crying and saying Yes Lord for the whelpes doe eate the crūmes that fall from their maisters tables thē dyd hee geue her the benefite and sayd bee it vnto thee as thou wilt Doost thou not see how hee dyd repell her when other men prayed for her but whē shee came her selfe and cryed hee did graūt her Vnto them hee sayd I am not sent but vnto the lost sheepe But vnto the woman hee sayth bee it vnto thee as thou wilt c. 350. col 1 Also Chrisostome sayth We haue no neede of Patrōs before God nor neede of much processe to speake fayre vnto other men but though thou bee alone and wantest a patron but prayest God by thy selfe yet for all that shalt thou haue thy desire God doth not so lightly graunt when other men pray for vs as when we pray our selues yea though we be full of sinnes c. 350. col 1 Ambrose sayth Men are wont to vse this miserable excusation that by these thynges may wee come to God as we may come to y e kyng by Earles I aunswere wee doe come vnto the Kyng by the meanes of Dukes and Earles because that the kyng is a mā and knoweth not to whom hee may commit the common wealth but vnto God from whom nothyng cā bee hid hee knoweth all mens merites wee neede no spokesmā nor no mediatour but alonely a deuoute mynde c. 354. col 1 ¶ That Councels may erre PAnormitanus sayth That Councels may erre as they haue erred as concernyng that contract of Matrimony Inter raptorem raptā the saying of S. Hierome was afterward preferred aboue the statuteof the Councell as it is proued 36. q. 2. Tria for in things cōcernyng the faith is the saying of a priuat persō to bee preferred before the saying of the pope if hee haue better reasōs scriptures of the new of the old Testamēt for him then y e Pope Nor it can not helpe to say that the Councell can not erre because that Christ dyd pray for his Church that her fayth should not fayle ▪ For I aunswere to this that though the generall Councell doe represent the whole vniuersall Church neuertheles in very deede there is not the very vniuersall Church but representatiue For the vniuersall Church standeth in the election of all faythfull men and all fayth full men of the world make that vniuersall Churche whose head and spouse is Christ Iesus and the Pope is but the Vicare of Christ and not the very head of the Churche this is the Church that cā not erre c. 248. col 1 Augustine sayth Those Councels that bee gathered in euery Prouince must without doubt geue place to the authoritie of the full Councels whiche bee gathered of all Christendome and also those full counsels oft tymes must bee amended by the full counsels that come after if any thing bee opened by any experience that was afore shut and if any thing bee knowen that was hidden And this may bee done without any shadow of superstitious pride with out any boasted Arrogancy without any contention of malicious enuy but with holy meekenes with holy peace and with Christen charitye c. 248. col 2 ¶ That the spiritualty is subiect to temporall power and lawes and ought not to resiste by violence THe holy Church of God hath no sworde but the spirituall sword w t the which shee doth not kill but quicken c. 191. col 2
Christ is accompted to vs for righteousnes We are saued by grace and not by workes of the law The Pope when any man offendeth him falleth to cursing Workes can be no satisfaction for sinne to Godward God is a spirite and must be worshipped in y t spirite Popish workes Gods worship God doth pardon and forgeue all our sinnes whatsoeuer they are for Christes sake Christes victory The popes purgatory is terrible Binde and lose Note this text Bynding losing is by the true preachyng of Gods Word We must struggle striue with sinne How penauÌ„ce came vp Purgatory How the Pope and hys shauelyngs haue abused penaunce Here was Purgatory kindled The deâ—…nition of penaunce made by the Papistes Fayth is the chiefest part of penaunce Our workes can make no satisfaction but onely faith in Christes bloud The practise marcheuÌ„dise of the Pope his Clergy Vowes of Religion Worshyppyng of Saintes The Pope and his Clergy setteth vp Idolatry The true worshipping of saintes Good lessons are to be learned of y â— saints The true worshipping of saintes is to folow their life and doctrine If we harken to the voyce of God he is mighty and of power to helpe vs. We must do good for euill A popish imaginatioâ—â— Aduourâ—es Idolatry God hath promised to geue vs whatsoeuer we aske in Christes name for Christes sake Saints caÌ„ not help vs The saints were not saued by their â—…ne merites but by Christes merites We must humble our selues to the mercy of almighty God The Angels serue vs. To choose saintes to be our aduacates is mere idolatry Christ is the way life that leadeth vs to saluation Howe Christ prayeth for vs Christ is a kyng and hath power him selfe to forgeue vs and to receaue vs vnto hym selfe All the blessed company of heaueÌ„ reioyse and are glad to haue vs to be with them that we might loye together Christ prayeth for vs and hys prayer is heard Imageseruice is abhorred of God God hateth superstition Churches were or deined for preachyng and callyng on the name of God Christe hath made a chaunge with vs for he hath taken vpon him all our sinnes and grauÌ„ted vs his mercy and giftes of grace loue maketh all thynges common S. Paule was a louyng and carefull preacher A good saying of S. Paule The state of grace They that keepe the coÌ„maundementes are in the state of grace When we do good to our neighbour then we may be assured that we are in the state of grace A sure argument to know false Prophetes by To be in God is to beleue in the mercy of God A rule to know whether we loue God or loue him not They that be enemies to the Testament of Christ and are teachers of mans 〈◊〉 tions are not in Christ And old coÌ„maundement is the woorde which ye heard from the begynnyng Siâ— transit gloriâ—â—uÌ„â—… This was Cardinall wolsey He that hateâ—h hys brother is in darknes and seâ—th not Christ To abyde in the light is to abyde in 〈◊〉 knowledge of Christ Faith in Christ is the roote of all goodnes He that hateth hys brother is in ignoraunce IgnorauÌ„ce When we haue offended our brother if we reconcile our selues vnto hym agayne theÌ„ are our sinnes forgeuen We can not know the father but by the sonne Fayth in Christ ouer commeth the worlde â—â—arice or couetousnes The loue of y â— worlde 〈◊〉 many from Christ Thomas Wolâ—… lâ—â—â— Cardinall of England Lechery Couetousnes Pride Compare the worldâ— to the pope Cardinals â–ª c. and you shall finde them to bee the world Pride â–ª Couetousnes Note The proâ—…tions of the spiritualitie corrupt their myndes Popes and Bishops will suffer nothyng that shall restrayne their pride and couetousnes Riches and couetousnes blyudeth the eyes of the 〈◊〉 Houre Antichrist The worldings loue the Gospell so longes it bryngeth gayne The Papistes poudred the doctrine of Christ w t theyr dreggeâ— The Pope hath put Christ froÌ„ his rule gouernement Antichrist hath bene long among vs. Christ onely is called holy Annoynted The carnall man knoweth not the thinges of the spirite of God Antichrist who it is The Pope captiuateth the vnderstandyng of all meÌ„ with his superstitious rites and ceremonies Pelagius heresie Iesus Christus Emanuel Sanctus Thomas Curteise a churle Dead men Poore meÌ„ Christ is no disguised person The Pope and his shanelynges are right Antichrists To know God The Apostles doctrine ought we to abide by Annoyntyng Outward oyle auayleth nothyng We must cleaue to the doctrine of the Apostles A fore saying to all hypocrites and teachers of false doctrine We must beleue the resurrectioÌ„ not to be curious to vnderstand the state of the soules departed where they are nor what they do The doctrine of the Pope is cleane contrary to Christes doctrine The thyrd Chapter The world could not knowe Christ The world shall know Christ A Christen mans faith and hope are not idle The fayth of a Christen man The popes fayth What sinne is The suÌ„me of Gods law Loue breaketh the law We are baptised to dye with Christ concernyng sinne The filthynes of the Popes doctrine Where true fayth is there procedeth good workes He that preacheth Christ in worde and deede hym take for Christes vicare The man is first euil The maÌ„ is first good The Popes doctrine The faythful and vnfaithfull sinne diuersly We must recompence euill with goodnes Good â—orkes declare where good sayth is Fayth is the roote of all commaundementes Spirites We may not beleue euery doctrine that is taught and preached but we must first examine it with the touch stone of Gods word and so either receaue it or reiect it The triall of all doctrine Antichrist will not coÌ„fesse that Christ 〈◊〉 come in the flesh Doctrine that is of God Doctrine that is of the deuill The Popes doctrine of Christ God is the worker in vs by fayth that we haue in 〈◊〉 Two generations in the world The Popes doctrine is worldly He that loueth God is borne of God The founteâ—ne of loue God first loued vs before we could loue hym Ephesâ— Herein appeareth the great and louing mercy of almightte God toward vs when we were yet sinuers Loue maketh vs the sonnes of God No man hath sene God The scripture hath sene God By this badge of loue we are knoweÌ„ to haue the spirite of God He that be leueth that Iesus to Gods sonne hath God in hym Fayth taketh hold of Christes death and deseruyng Loue maketh the faythfull Christian man to be bold Loue. Feare If we loue ouâ— brethreÌ„ theÌ„ are we carefull for them The more we loue God the more diligent we are to do his will Where perfect loue is there is no feare Fayth is the mother of loue A sure rule If we loue God we must do his commaundements his commaundement is to loue our neyghbours Fayth maketh vs Gods sonnes What it is to beleue that Iesus is Christ Iesus the true Messias and the
be not in vs how are we his sonnes How are we his heyres heyres annexed with Christ of the eternal life which is promised to all them that beleue in hym Now do our workes testifie and witnes what we are and what treasure is layd vp for vs in heauen so that our eye be single and looke vpon the commaundement without respect of any thing saue because it is Gods wil and that God desireth it of vs and Christ hath deserued that we do it Math. vij Not all they that say vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kyngdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Though thou canst lande God with thy lippes and call Christ Lord and canst bable and talke of the scripture and knowest all the stories of the Bible Yet shalt thou thereby neuer know thyne election or whether thy fayth be right But if thou feele lust in thyne hart to the will of God and bringest forth the frutes therof then hast thou confidence and hope and thy dedes and also the spirite whence thy deedes spryng certifie thyne hart that thou shal enter yea art already entred into the kyngdome of heauen For it foloweth he that heareth the word and doth it buildeth his house vpō a rock and no tempest of temptations can ouerthrow it For the spirite of God is in his hart and comforteth him holdeth him fast to the rocke of the merites of Christes bloud in whom he is elect Nothyng is able to plucke hym out of the handes of God god is strōger then all things And contrarywise he that heareth the word doth it not buildeth on the sande of his own imagination euery tempest ouerthroweth his buildyng The cause is he hath not Gods spirite in him and therfore vnderstandeth it not a right neither worketh a right For no mā knoweth the thyngs of God sayeth Paul in the i. Epistle to the Corinthians in the second Chapter saue the spirite of God as no man knoweth what is in a mā but a mās spirite which is in him So then if the spirite be not in a man he worketh not the wil of GOD neither vnderstandeth it though he bable neuer so much of the scriptures Neuerthelesse such a mā may worke after his owne imagination but Gods wil can he not woorke he may offer sacrifice but to do mercy knoweth he not It is easy to say vnto christ Lord Lord but therby shalt thou neuer feele or be sure of the kyngdome of heauen But and if thou do the will of God thē art thou sure that Christ is thy Lord in dede that thou in him art also a Lord in y ◠thou felest thy selfe loosed and free frō the bondage of sinne and lusty and of power to do the will of God Where the spirite is there is feelyng For y t spirite maketh vs feele all thinges Where the spirite is not there is no feelyng but a vayne opinion or imagination A Phisitian serueth but for sicke men and that for such sicke mē as feele their sicknesses morne therfore and long for health Christ lykewise serueth but for sinners onely as feele there sinne and that for such sinners that sorrow and morne in theyr hartes for health Health is power or strength to fulfill the law or to keepe the commaundementes Now he that longeth for that health that is to say for to do the law of God is blessed in Christ and hath a promise that his lust shal be fulfilled that he shal be made whole Math. v. blessed are they which hunger thurst for righteousnes sake that is to fulfill the law for their lust shal be fulfilled This lōgyng and consent of the hart vnto the law of God is the woorkyng of the spirite whiche God hath poured into thine hart in earnest that y ◠mightest be sure y ◠God will fulfil all his promises that he hath made thee It is also the seale marke which God putteth on all men that he choseth vnto euerlastyng life So long as thou seest thy sinne and mornest consētest to the law longest though thou be neuer so weake yet the spirite shal kepe thee in all temptatiōs from desperatiō and certifie thyne hart that God for his trouth shall deliuer thee and saue thee yea by thy good dedes shalt thou be saued not whiche thou hast done but whiche Christ hath done for thee For Christ is thine and all his dedes are thy dedes Christ is in thee and thou in him knit together inseparably Neither canst thou be damned except Christ be dāned with thee Neither can Christ be saued except thou be saued with him Moreouer thy hart is good right holy and iust For thy hart is no enemy to the law but a frend a louer The law and thy hart are agreed and at one and therfore is God at one with thee The consent of the hart vnto the law is vnite and peace betwene God and man For he is not myne enemy whiche would fayne do me pleasure and morneth because he hath not wherewith Now he that opened thy disease vnto thee and made thee long for health shall as he hath promised heale thee and he that hath loosed thy hart shall at hys godly laysure lose thy members He that hath not the spirite hath no felyng neither lusteth or longeth after power to fulfil the law neither abhorreth the pleasures of sinne neither hath any more certainetie of the promises of God thē I haue of a tale of Robinhode or of some iest that a man telleth me was done at Rome An other man may lightly make me doubt or beleue the contrary seyng I haue no experience therof my selfe So is it of them that feele not the workyng of the spirite therfore in tyme of temptatiō the buildynges of their imaginations fall MAth x. He that receaueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet that is because he is a Prophet shall receaue the reward of a Prophet he y t geueth one of these litleones a cup of cold water to drinke in the name of a Disciple shall not lose hys reward Note this that a Prophet signifieth as well him that enterpreteth y e hard places of Scripture as him that prophesieth thyngs to come Now he that receaueth a Prophet a iust man or a Disciple shall haue the same or lyke reward that is to say shal haue the same eternall lyfe whiche is appointed for thē in Christes bloud merites For except thou were elect to y t same eternall lyfe haddest the same fayth and trust in God and the same spirite thou couldest neuer consent to their deedes and helpe them But thy dedes testifie what thou art certifie thy conscience that thou art receaued to mercy and sanctified in Christes passions and sufferynges and shalt hereafter with all them that folow God receaue the reward of eternall lyfe Of thy wordes
When they sent to Iohn asking him whether he were Christ he denied it When they asked him what he was and what he sayd of himselfe he aunswered not I am he that watcheth prayeth drinketh no wine nor strong drinke eateth neyther fishe nor fleshe but liue wyth wilde hony and Grashoppers and weare a coate of camels heare and a gyrdle of a skinne but sayd I am a voyce of a cryar My voyce onely pertaineth to you Those outward things which ye wonder at pertayne to my selfe onely vnto the taming of my bodye To you am I a voyce onely and that which I preach My preaching if it be receaued into a penitent or repenting hart shall teach you how to liue and please God according as God shall shed out his grace on euery man Iohn preached repentaunce saying prepare y ◠Lordes way and make his pathes straight The Lordes way is repentaunce and not hipocrisy of mans imagination inuention It is not possible y t the Lord Christ should come to a man except he know himselfe and his sinne truely repent Make his pathes straight the pathes are the lawe if thou vnderstād it a right as God hath geuen it Christ sayth in the xvij of Mat. Helias shall first come that is shall come before Christ and restore all things meaning of Iohn Baptist Iohn Baptist did restore the law and the Scripture vnto the right sence vnderstanding which the Pharises partly had darckned and made of none effect thorough their owne traditions Math. xv where Christ rebuketh them saying why transgresse ye the commaundementes of God thorough your traditions and partly had corrupt it with gloses and false interpretations that no mā could vnderstand it Wherefore Christ rebuketh them Mat. 23. saying wo be to you Pharises hipocrites which shut vp the kingdome of heauen before mē ye enter not your selues neither suffer them that come to enter in and partly did beguile the people and blinde their eyes in disguising themselues as thou readest in the same 23. chap. how they made broade and large Philacteries and did all their workes to be seene of men that the people should wonder at their disguisinges and visuring of themselues otherwise then God had made them and partly mocked them with hipocrisy of false holines in fasting praying and almes geuing Mat. 6. and this did they for lucre to be in authoritie to sitte in the consciences of people and to be counted as God him selfe that people shoulde trust in their holynes and not in God as thou readest in the place aboue rehearsed Mat. 23. wo be to you Pharises hipocrites which deuoure widowes houses vnder a colour of long prayer Counterfet therfore nothing without y t worde of God whē thou vnderstandest that it shall teach thee all thinges how to applie outwarde thinges and whereunto to referre them Beware of thy good entent good mynde good affection or zeale as they call it Peter of a good minde and of a good affection or zeale chidde Christ Math. 16. because he sayde that he must goe to Hierusalem and there be slayne But Christ called him Satan for his labour a name that belongeth to the deuil And sayde that he perceaued not godly thinges but worldly Of a good entent and of a feruēt affection to Christ the sonnes of Zededei would haue had fire to come downe from heauen to consume the Samaritans Luk. 9. But Christ rebuked them saying that they wist not of what sprite they were that is that they vnderstoode not how that they were altogether worldly fleshly mynded Peter smote Malchus of a good zeale but Christ condemned his deede The very Iewes of a good entēt and of a good zeale slew Christ and persecuted the Apostles as Paule beareth them recorde Rom. x. I beare them recorde sayth he that they haue a feruent mynde to Godward but not according to knowledge It is an other thing then to do of a good minde and to do of knowledge Labour for knowledge that thou mayest know Gods will and what he would haue thee to doe Our mynde entent and affection or zeale are blinde and all that we do of them is damned of god and for that cause hath God made a testament betwene him and vs wherin is cōteyned both what he would haue vs to do and what he would haue vs to aske of him See therefore that thou do nothing to please God withall but that he commaundeth neither aske any thing of him but that he hath promised thee The Iewes also as it appeareth Act. vij slew Steuē of a good zeale because he proued by the scripture that God dwelleth not in Churches or temples made wyth handes The Churches at the beginning were ordeyned that the people shoulde thether resorte to heare the word of God there preached onely and not for the vse wherein they now are The temple wherein God will be worshipped is the hart of man For God is a spirite sayth Christ Ioh. 4. and will be worshipped in y t spirite in truth that is when a penitent hart consenteth vnto the lawe of God and with a strong fayth lōgeth for the promises of God So is God honored on al sides in that we count him righteous in all his lawes and ordinaunces and also trust in all his promises Other worshipping of God is there none except we make an Idoll of him IT shal be recompensed thee at the rising agayne of the righteous Lu. xiiij Reade the text before and thou shalt perceaue that Christ doth here that same that he doth Math. v. that is he putteth vs in remembraunce of our dutie that we be to the poore as Christ is to vs and also teacheth vs how that we can neuer know whether our loue be right and whether it spring of Christ or no as long as we are but kinde to them onely which do as much for vs againe But and we be mercifull to the poore for conscience to God and of compassion and harty loue which compassion loue spring of the loue we haue to God in Christ for the pure mercy and loue that he hath shewed on vs then haue we a sure token that we are beloued of God and washed in Christes bloud and elect by Christes deseruing vnto eternall life The scripture speaketh as a father doth to his young sonne do this or that and then will I loue thee yet the father loueth his sonne first and studieth with all his power and witte to ouercome his childe with loue and with kindnes to make him do that which is comely honest and good for it selfe A kynde father and mother loue their children euen when they are euill that they would shed their bloud to make them better and to bring thē into the right way And a naturall childe studieth not to obtayne his fathers loue with workes but considereth with what loue his father loueth him with all
a state or a degree ordeined of God and an office wherein the husband serueth the wife and the wife the husband It was ordeined for a remedy and to encrease the worlde and for the man to helpe the woman and the woman the man with all loue and kyndnes and not to signifie any promise that euer I heard or redde of in y ◠scripture Therfore ought it not to be called a Sacrament It hath a promise that we sinne not in that state if a man receaue hys wise as a gift geuen to him of God the wife her husband likewise as all maner meates and drinkes haue a promise that we sinne not if we vse them measurably with thankes geuing If they call matrimony a Sacrament because the scripture vseth the similitude of matrimonie to expresse the mariage or wedlocke that is betwene vs and Christ For as a woman though she be neuer so poore yet when she is maried is as rich as her husband euen so we whē we repent and beleue the promises of God in Christ though we be neuer so poore sinners yet are as rich as Christ all his merits are ours with all that he hath If for that cause they call it a sacrament so will I musterde seede leuen a net keyes bread water and a thousand other things which Christ and the Prophetes and all the scripture vse to expresse the kingdome of heauen and Gods worde wythall They prayse wedlocke wyth their mouth and say it is an holy thyng as it is verely but had leuer be sanctified wyth an whore then to come wythin the sanctuary ¶ Of Order SUbdeacon Deacō Priest Byshop Cardinall Patriarch and Pope be names of offices and seruice or should be and not Sacraments There is no promise coupled therwith If they minister their offices truly it is a signe that Christes spirite is in them if not that the deuill is in them Are these all Sacramentes or which one of them Or what thyng in them is that holy signe or Sacrament The shauyng or the annoynting What also is the promise that is signified thereby But what word printeth in them that charact that spirituall seale O dreamers and naturall beastes without the seale of the spirite of God but sealed with the marke of the beast and with cankred consciences There is a word called in Latine Sacerdos in Greeke Hiercus in Hebrue Cohan that is a Minister an officer a sacrificer or a Priest as Aaron was a Priest and sacrificed for the people and was a mediator betwen God them And in the English should it haue had some other name then Priest But Antichrist hath deceaued vs with vnknowen and straūge termes to bring vs into confusion and superstitious blyndnes Of that maner is Christ a Priest for euer and all we Priests thorough hym and neede no more of any such Priest on earth to be a meane for vs vnto god For Christ hath brought vs all into the inner temple within the vayle or forehanging and vnto the mercy stoole of God And hath coupled vs vnto God where we offer euery man for himselfe y e desires petitions of his hart sacrifice and kil the lustes appetits of his flesh with prayer fasting all maner godly liuing An other worde is there in Greeke called Presbiter in latin Senior in englishe an elder and is nothing but an officer to teach and not to be a mediator betwene God and vs. This nedeth no annointing of man They o◠y t olde testament were annointed with oyle to signifie the annointing of Christ and of vs thorough Christ with the holy ghost This wise is no man Priest but he that is chosen saue as in time of necessitie euery parson Christeneth so may euery man teach his wife housholde and the wife her children So in time of neede if I see my brother sinne I may betwene hym and me rebuke him and damne his deede by the lawe of God And may also comfort them that are in dispayre with the promises of God and saue them if they beleue By a Priest then in the new testament vnderstand nothing but an elder to teach the younger and to bring thē vnto the full knowledge and vnderstanding of Christ and to minister the Sacramentes which Christ ordeyned which is also nothyng but to preach Christes promises And by them that geue all their studie to quench the light of truth and to holde the people in darcknes vnderstand the disciples of Sathan and messengers of Antichrist what soeuer names they haue or what soeuer they call themselues And as concerning that our spiritualtie as they will be called make themselues holyer then the lay people and take so great landes and goodes to pray for them and promise them pardons and forgeuenes of sinnes or absolution without preachyng of Christes promises is falsehode and the woorkyng of Antichrist and as I haue sayd the rauenyng of those wolues which Paul Act. xx prophesied should come after hys departyng not sparyng the flocke Their doctrine is that marchaundise wherof Peter speaketh saying through coueteousnes shall they with fayned wordes make marchaundise of you ij Pet. ij And their reasons wherewith they proue their doctrine are as sayth Paul i. Timo. vj. superfluous disputynges arguynges or braulyngs of mē with corrupt mindes and destitute of truth whiche thinke that lucre is godlynes But Christ sayth Math. vij by their frutes shalt thou know them that is by their filthy couetousnes and shamelesse ambition and dronken desire of honor contrary vnto the example doctrine of Christ and of his Apostles Christ sayd to Peter the last Chapter of Iohn Fede my sheepe and not shere thy flocke And Pet. sayth i. Pet. v. Not being Lordes ouer the Parishes but these shere and are become Lordes Paul saith ij Cor. ij Not that we be Lordes ouer your faith but these will be Lordes compel vs to beleue what soeuer they lust without any witnes of Scripture yea cleane contrary to the Scripture whē the opē text rebuketh it Paul sayth it is better to geue thē to receaue Act. xx But these do nothyng in the world but lay snares to katch and receaue what so euer cōmeth as it were the gapyng mouth of hell And. ij Cor. xij I seeke not yours but you but these seeke not you to Christ but yours to thē selues and therfore lest their dedes should be rebuked will not come at the light Neuerthelesse the truth is that we are all equally beloued in Christ and God hath sworne to all indifferently According therfore as euery man beleueth Gods promises longeth for thē and is diligent to pray vnto GOD to fulfill them so is his prayer heard and as good is the prayer of a cobler as of a Cardinall and of a bocher as of a Byshop the blessing of a baker that knoweth the truth is as good as the blessyng of our most holy father the Pope And
by blessing vnderstand not the wagging of the popes or Bishops hand ouer thyne head but prayer as when we say God make thee a good man Christ put his spirite in thee or geue thee grace and power to walke in the truth to folow hys coÌ„mauÌ„dementes c. As Rebeccas frendes blessed her wheÌ„ she departed Gene. xxiiij saying Thou art our sister grow vnto thousand thousandes and thy seede possesse the gates of their enemies And as Isaac blessed Iacob Gene. xxvij saying God geue thee of the dew of heauen and of the fatnes of the earth aboundaunce of corne wyne and oyle c. And Gene. xxviij Almighty God blesse thee and make thee grow and multiply thee that thou mayst be a great multitude of people and geue to thee and to thy seede after thee the blessings of Abraham that thou mayst possesse the land wherin thou art a strauÌ„ger which he promised to thy graundfather and such lyke Last of all one singular doubt they haue what maketh the Priest the annoynting or puttyng on of the handes or what other ceremonie or what wordes About which they braule and scolde one ready to teare out an others throte One sayth this an other that but they caÌ„ not agree Neither caÌ„ any of them make so strong a reason which an other can not improue For they are all out of the way and without the spirite of God to iudge spirituall things Howbeit to this I auÌ„swere that wheÌ„ Christ called xij vp into the mouÌ„taine and chose them then immediatly without any annointing or ceremony were they his Apostles that is to witte ministers chosen to be sent to preach his Testament vnto all the whole world And after the resurrection wheÌ„ he had opened their wittes and geuen them knowledge to vnderstand the secretes of hys Testament how to bynde loose and what he would haue theÌ„ to do in all thynges then he sent them forth with a commaundemeÌ„t to preach and bynde the vnbeleuyng that continue in sinne and to loose the beleuyng that repent And that commaundemeÌ„t or charge made theÌ„ Byshops priestes Popes and all thyng If they say that Christ made theÌ„ priestes at his Maundey or last Supper when he sayd do this in the remembrauÌ„ce of me I aunswere though the Apostles wist not then what hee ment yet I will not striue nor say that agaynst Neuer the latter the commaundement and the charge which he gaue them made theÌ„ Priestes And Actes the first when Mathias was choseÌ„ by lotte it is not to be douted but that the Apostles after their common maner prayed for him that God would geue him grace to minister his office truely and put their handes on him and exhorted him and gaue him charge to be diligent faithfull and then was he as great as the best And Actes vj. When the Disciples that beleued had chosen vj. Deacons to minister to the widdowes the Apostles prayed and put their handes on them and admitted them without more adde Their putting on of hands was not after the maner of the dome blessing of our holy byshops with two fingers but they spake vnto them and tolde them their dutie and gaue them a charge and warned them to be faythfull in the Lordes busines as we chuse temporall officers and read their duty to them and they promise to be faythfull ministers and then are admitted Neither is there any other maner or ceremonie at all required in makyng of our spirituall officers then to chuse an able person and theÌ„ to rehearse him his dutie and geue him his charge and so to put him in his rowme And as for that other solemne doubte as they call it whether Iudas was a Priest or no I care not what he then was but of this I am sure that he is now not onely Priest but also Byshop Cardinall and Pope ¶ Of Penaunce PEnaunce is a word of their owne forgyng to disceaue vs with all as many other are In the Scripture we finde panitentia repentaunce Agite poenitentiam do repent Poeniteat vos let it repeÌ„t you Metanoyte in Greeke forthinke yo or let it forthinke you Of repentaunce they haue made penaunce to blinde the people and to make them thinke that they must take payne and do some holy dedes to make satisfaction for their sinnes namely such as they enioyue them As thou mayst see in the Cronicles when great kynges and tyrauntes which with violence of sword conquered other kynges landes and slew all that came to hand came to them selues and had conscience of their wicked dedes then the Byshops coupled them not to Christ but vnto the Pope and preached the Pope vnto them and made them to submit them selues and also their realmes vnto the holy father the Pope and to take penaunce as they call it that is to say such iniunctions as the Pope and Bishops would commaund them to do to build Abbays to endote them with liuelode to be prayed for for euer and to geue them exemptions and priuilege and licence to do what the lust vnpunished Repentaunce goeth before faith and prepareth the way to Christ and to the promises For Christ commeth not but vnto them that see their sinnes in the law and repent Repentaunce that is to say this mornyng and sorrow of the hart lasteth all our liues long For we finde our selues all our liues long to weake for Gods law and therfore sorrow morne longyng for strength Repentaunce is no Sacrament as faith hope loue and knowledge of a mans sinnes are not to be called Sacramentes For they are spirituall and inuisible Now must a Sacrament be an outward signe that may be sene to signifie to represent and to put a man in remeÌ„braunce of some spirituall promise which can not be sene but by faith onely Repentaunce and all the good dedes which accompanie repentaunce to slay the lustes of the fleshe are signified by Baptisme For Paule sayth Roma vj. as it is aboue rehearsed Remember ye not saith he that all we whiche are baptised in the name of Christ Iesus are baptised to dye with him we are buryed with him in Baptisme for to dye that is to kil the lustes and the rebellion which remayneth in the flesh And after that he sayth ye are dead as concernyng sinne but lyue vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. If thou looke on the profession of our harts and on the spirit and forgeuenes which we haue receaued thorough Christes merites we are full dead but if thou looke on the rebellion of the flesh we do but begyn to dye and to be baptised that is to drowne and quench the lustes and are full baptised at the last minute of death And as coÌ„cernyng the workyng of the spirite we begyn to lyue grow euery day more and more both in knowledge and also in Godly lyuyng accordyng as the lustes abate As a child receaueth yeâ—ull soule at the first day yet