Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	father_n	truth_n	worship_v	16,055	5	9.8540	4	true

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17662	The institution of Christian religion, vvrytten in Latine by maister Ihon Caluin, and translated into Englysh according to the authors last edition. Seen and allowed according to the order appointed in the Quenes maiesties iniunctions; Institutio Christianae religionis. English	Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564.; Norton, Thomas, 1532-1584.	1561 (1561)	STC 4415; ESTC S107154	1,331,886	1,044

but to strengthen thy minde with constant certaintie perfect assurednes to haue whervpoÌ„ to rest fasteÌ„ thy fooâ—e He adioyneth also an other thing that is that the promise shal therby be made of no effect voide For if the fulfilling therof do hang vpon oure deseruing when shal we come thus farre as to deserue the bountifulnes of God Also this second point hangeth vpon the former For the promise shal not be fulfilled but to them that beleue it Therfore if faithe be fallen ther shall remaine no force of the promisse Therfore the inheritance is of faith that it may be according to grace to stablishe the promise For it is abundantly wel stablished when it resteth vpon the only mercy of God bicause his mercy truth are with a perpetual knot ioyned together that is to sai whatsoeuer God mercifulli promiseth he also faithfulli performeth So Dauid before that he required saluation by the word of God first determineth the cause therof to be in his mercye Let thy mercies saith he come vnto me thy saluation according to thy word And rightfully bycause God is by no other meane perswaded to make the promise but of his own mere mercie Therfore we must herin stay deepely fasten all our hope not to loke to our own works to seke any helpe of theÌ„ And that you shold not think that I herin speake any new thing Augustine doth also teache that we ought so to do Christ saith he shal reigne for euer in his seruantes God hath promised it God hath said it and if that be not enough God hath sworne it Therefore for asmuch as the promise is stablished not according to our deseruinges but according to his mercie no man ought to speake fearefully of that of whych he can not doubte Bernarde also saythe The disciples of Christe saye Whoe canne bee saued Butte hee aunswered thys ys impossible with menne butte yt is not impossible wyth God This is all our confidence this is our only comforte this is the whole grounde of oure hope but beyng assured of the possibilitie what saye we of hys wyll Whoe knoweth whether he be worthy of loue or hatred Who hath knowen the Lords meaning â–ª Or who hath ben his counseller Here now faith must of necessitie help vs here must his truthe succoure vs that that which is hidden from vs in yâ— heart of the father may be reueled by the Spirit his Spirit testifieng it may perswade our heartes that we are the sonnes of God And it may perswade vs by calling iustifyeng vs freely by fayth in which things ther is as it were a certaine meane passage from the eternall predestination to the glorie that is to come Brefely let vs thus conclude The Scripture declareth that the promises of God are not stablished vnlesse they be taken hold of with assured affiance of conscience whersoeuer there is any doubting or vncertaintie it pronounceth that thei be voide Againe yt pronounceth that they do nothing but stagger wauer if thei rest vpoÌ„ our own workes Therfore we must nedes either lose righteousnesse or we must not coÌ„sider our own workes but only faith must take place whose nature is this to lift vp her eares shut her eies that is to say to be hedefully bent to the promise only and to turne away her thought from all mans worthinesse or deseruing So is yâ— notable prophecie of Zacharie fulfilled that when the wickednes of the land shal be done away a man shal call his frend vnder his vine vnder his figge tree where the Prophet declareth that the faithful do no otherwise enioy true peace but after obteining of the forgeuenesse of sinnes For this cauelatioÌ„ is to be remeÌ„bred in the Prophetes that wheÌ„ thei speake of the kingdome of Christ they set out the outward blessinges of God as figures of the spirituall thinges Wherupon Christ is called both the king of peace our peace because he appeaseth al the troublesom motioÌ„s of coÌ„science If we seke by what meane he doth it we must nedes come to the sacrifice by which God is appeased For he shal neuer cesse to tremble for feare that shall not determine that God is appeased by the only satisfactorie cleansing wherin Christ hath susteined his wrath Finally peace is no where els to be sought for but in the terrors of Christ our redemer But why do I vse so darke a testimonie Paul euery where denieth that there is peace or quiet ioy left to consciences vnlesse it be determined that we be iustified by faith And he therwithall declareth whense that assurednes cometh namely when the loue of God is poured into our heartes by the holy Ghost as if he had said that our coÌ„sciences can not otherwise be quieted vnlesse we be certeinly persuaded that we please god WherupoÌ„ also in an other place he crieth out in the persone of al the godly Who shall seuer vs froÌ„ the loue of God whiche is in Christ because we shall â—reÌ„ble euen at euery litle breath till we be arriued into that haueÌ„ but we shal be without care euen in the darkenes of death so long as the lord shal shew him selfe a pastor to vs. Therfore whosoeuer prate that we are iustified by faith because being regenerate we ar iust by liuing spiritually they neuer tasted the swetenesse of grace to coÌ„sider that God will be merciful vnto theÌ„ WherupoÌ„ also foloweth that they do no more know the manner of praiyng rightly than Turkes whatsoeuer other profane Nations For as Paul witnesseth it is no true faith vnlesse it teache put vs in minde of the most swete name of Father yea vnlesse it opeÌ„ our mouth freely to crie out Abba father Whiche in an other place he more plainely expresseth where he saith that in Christ we haue boldnesse entrie in coÌ„fidence by the faith of him Truly this cometh not to passe by the gift of regeneration which as it is alway vnperfect in this flesh so it conteineth in it self manifold mater of douting Wherfore we must of necessitie come to this remedy that the faithful shold determine that they may by no other right hope for the inheritaÌ„ce of the heaueÌ„ly kingdome but because being graffed into the body of Chist they are frely accoÌ„pted righteous For as touching iustificatioÌ„ faith is a thing merely passiue bringing nothing of our own to the recouering of the fauour of God but receiuing of Christ that whiche we want The .xiiii. Chapter Â¶ What is the beginning of iustification and the continuall procedinges therof THat the mater may bee made more plaine let vs searche what may be the righteousnesse of maÌ„ in the whole course of his life let vs make fower degrees therof For meÌ„ either being endued with no knowledge of God are drowned in idolatrie or being entred into profession by sacrameÌ„tes denyeng God with vncleannes of life whom thei

with no distrustfulnesse or doutyng but shall reste with great assurednesse and stedfast constancie So also trusting vpon the largenesse of those promises that she hath she shal haue whereupon abouÌ„dantly to susteine her fayth that she maye nothyng doute that the best guide of the righte way the holy Spirite is alwaye presente with her but therewithall she shall kepe in memorie what vse the Lord would haue vs to receiue of his holy Spirite The Spirite sayth he which I wil send froÌ„ my Father shal leade you into al truth But howâ— because sayeth he he shal put you in minde of al those thinges that I haue tolde you Therfore he geueth warning that there is nothing more to be loked for of his Spirite but that he should enlighteÌ„ our mindes to perceiue the truth of his doctrine Therfore Chrisostome saieth excellently well Many sayeth he do boste of the holy Spirite but they which speake their own do falsly preteÌ„de that they haue him As Christ testified that he spake not of himselfe because he spake out of the law the Prophetes so if any thing beside the Gospel be thrust in vnder the title of the Spirite let vs not beleue it because as Christ is the fulfilling of the law the Prophetes so is the Spirite of the Gospel These be his words Now it is esy to gather how wroÌ„gfully our aduersaries do which bost of the Holy ghost to no other ende but to set fourth vnder his name straÌ„ge and foreine doctrines from the word of God wheras he wil with vnspeakable knott be conioined with the worde of God thesame doth Christe professe of him when he promiseth him to his Chirch So is it truly What sobrietie the Lord hath ones prescribed to his Chirch the same he wil haue to be perpetually kept But he hath forbidden her that she should not adde any thing to his worde nor take any thing froÌ„ it This is the inuiolable decree of God and of the Holy ghost whiche our aduersaries goe about to abrogate when they faine that the Chirche is ruled of the Spirite without the worde Here againe they murmure against vs say that it behoued that the Chirch shold adde some things to the writinges of the Apostles or that they theÌ„selues should afterwarde with liuely voice supply many thinges which they had not clearly enough taught namely sith Christ said vnto them I haue many thinges to be said to you which you can not now beare and that these be the ordinances which wtout the Scripture haue ben receiued only in vse maners But what shamelessenesse is this I grauÌ„t the disciples were yet rude in a maner vnapt to learne wheÌ„ the Lord said this vnto them But wer they then also holdeÌ„ with such dulnesse wheÌ„ they did put their doctrine in writing that they afterward neded to supply with liuely voice that which they had by fault of ignoraÌ„ce omitted in their writinges But if they were already led by the Spirite of trueth into al trueth wheÌ„ they did set fourth their writinges what hindred that thei haue not therin conteined left written a perfect knowledge of the doctrine of the Gospell But goe to let vs graunt them that which they require Only let them point out what be those thinges that it behoued to be reueled without writing If they dare enterprise that I wil assaile them with Augustines wordes that is When the Lord hath saied nothing of them which of vs dare say these they be or those they be or if any dare say so wherby doeth he proue it But why do I striue about a superfluous mater For a very childe doeth knowe that in the writinges of the Apostles which these men do make in a maner lame and but half perfecte there is the frute of that reuelation which the Lorde did then promise them What say they did not Christ put out of controuersy what soeuer the Chirche teacheth decreeth when the coÌ„maundeth him to be taken for a heathen man and a Publicane that dare saye against her Firste in that place is no mentioÌ„ made of doctrine but only the authoritie of the censures is established for correcting of vices that they which haue ben admonished or rebuked should not resist her iudgement But omitting this it is muche maruell that these losels haue so litle shame that they dare be proude of that place For what shal they get therby but that the consent of the Chirche is neuer to be despised whiche neuer consenteth but vnto the trueth of the worde of God The Chirch is to be heard say they Who denieth it forasmuch as it pronounceth nothing but out of the worde of the Lorde If they require any more let them know that these wordes of Christ do nothing take their part therin Neither oughte I to be thought to muche contentious because I stande so earnestly vpoÌ„ this point That it is not lawful for the Chirche to make any new doctrine that is to teach and deliuer for an Oracle any more than that which the Lorde hath reueled by hys worde For men of sounde witt doe se how great dauÌ„ger there is if so great authoritie be ones grauÌ„ted to meÌ„ They se also howe wyde a wyndowe is opened to the mockynges and cauillations of the wicked if we saye that that whiche men haue iudged is to be takeÌ„ for an Oracle among Christians Beside that Christ speaking according to the coÌ„sideratioÌ„ of his own time geueth thys name to the Sinagoge that his disciples should afterwarde learne to reuerence holy assemblies of the Chirche So shoulde it come to passe that euery citie and village should haue egall authoritie in coyning of doctrines The examples which they vse do nothing helpe them They say that the Baptising of infantes proceded not so much from the expresse commaundement of the Scripture as from the decree of the Chirche But it were a very miserable succor if we were compelled to flee to the bare authoritie of the Chirche for defense of the Baptisme of infantes but it shal in an other place sufficiently appeare that it is farre otherwise Likewise whereas they obiecte that that is no where founde in the Scripture which was pronounced in the Nicene Synode that the SoÌ„ne is coÌ„substantial with the Father therin they do great wrong to the fathers as though they had rashly coÌ„demned Arrius because he would not sweare to their wordes when he professed al that doctrine which is coÌ„prehended in the writinges of the Prophetes Apostles This word I grauÌ„t is not in the scripture but wheÌ„ therin is so oft affirmed that there is but one God againe Christ is so oft called the true eternall God one with the Father what other thyng do the fathers of the Nicene councell wheÌ„ they declare that he is of one substance but simply set out the naturall sense of the Scripture But Theodorite reporteth that Constantine vsed this preface in their assemblie

people of Israell that such introduction was ordeined for their sakes whiche although the stronger may well want yet they oughte not to neglecte it forasmuche as they see it to be profitable for the weake brethren I answer that we ar not ignorant what we owe to the weakenesse of our brethren but on the other side we take exception and say that this is not the way whereby the weake may bee prouided for that they shold be ouerwhelmed with great heapes of Ceremonies The Lorde did not in vaine put this difference betweene vs and the olde people that his wil was to instruct them like children with signes figures but vs more simply without such outward furniture As saieth Paule a childe is ruled of his scholemaister and kept vnder custodie accordyng to the capacitie of his age so the Iewes are kepte vnder the lawe But we are like vnto full growen men whiche beeyng set at libertie from tutorshyp and gouernement haue no more neede of childishe introductions Truely the Lorde did foresee what maner of common people there shold be in his Chirche and how they shoulde be ruled Yet he did in this maner as we haue said make differeÌ„ce betwene vs and the Iewes Therfore it is a foolishe way if we will prouide for the ignorant in raising vp Iewishenesse which is abrogate by Christ Christ also touched in his owne woordes this difference of the olde and new people when he said to the woman of Samaria that the time was coÌ„me wherin the true worshippers should worship God in Spirite and truth This verily had alway ben don but the new worshippers differed froÌ„ the old in this point that vnder Moses the spiritual worshippyng of God was shadowed and in a maner entaÌ„gled with many Ceremonies which being abolished he is now more simply worshipped Therfore thei that confound this difference do ouerthrow the order institute and stablished by Christ. Shal there then wilt thou say no Ceremonies be geuen to the ruder sort to helpe their vnskilfulnesse I say not so for I verily thinke that this kynde of helpe is profitable for them I doe here trauaile only that suche a meane may be vsed as may brightly sette out Christ and not darken hym Therfore there are geuen vs of God few Ceremonies those not laborsome that they should shew Christ being present The Iewes had moe geuen them that they shold be images of him being absent Absent I say he was not in power but in maner of signifying Therfore that meane may be kept it is necessarie to keepe that fewnesse in number easinesse in obseruing and dignitie in signifieng which also coÌ„sisteth in clerenesse What nede I to say that this hath not ben done For the thyng it selfe is in all mens eyes Here I omitt with how pernicious opinions mens myndes are filled in thinking that they be sacrifices wherewith oblation is rightly made to God wherby sinnes are cleÌ„sed wherby righteousnesse saluatioÌ„ is obteined They wyl deny that good things ar corrupted with such forein errors forasmuch as in this behalf a man may no lesse offende in the very works also coÌ„maunded of God But this hath more hainousnesse that so much honor is geueÌ„ to works rashely fained by the will of maÌ„ that they are thought to be things deseruing eternal life For the works coÌ„maunded of God haue reward therfore because that lawmaker himself in respect of obedience accepteth them Therfore they receiue not their value of their own worthinesse or of their own deseruing but because God so muche estemeth our obedieÌ„ce toward him I speake here of that perfectioÌ„ of works which is commaunded of God and is not performed of meÌ„ For therfore the very works of the law which we do haue no thaÌ„k but of the fre goodnesse of God because in them our obedieÌ„ce is weake lame But bicause we do not here dispute of what value works ar without Christ therfore let vs passe ouer the question I come back again to that which proprely beloÌ„geth to this preseÌ„t argumeÌ„t that whatsoeuer coÌ„meÌ„dation works haue in them they haue it in respect of the obedieÌ„ce which only the Lord doth loke vpon as he testifieth by the Prophet I gaue not coÌ„mauÌ„dement of sacrifices burnt offringes but only that ye shold with hearing heare my voice But of fained works he speaketh in an other place saying Ye weye your siluer not in bred Againe they worship me in vaine with the precepts of men This therfore they can by no waies excuse that they suffer the silly people to seke in those outward trifles the righteousnesse wherby they may stand against God vphold themselues before the heauenly iugement seate Moreouer is not this a fault worthy to be inueyed against that they shew foorth Ceremonies not vnderstanded as it were a stage play or a magicall enchauÌ„tment â–ª For it is certaine that al Ceremonies are corrupt and hurtfull vnlesse men be by them directed to Christ. But the Ceremonies that are vsed vnder the papacie are seuered from doctrine that they may the more holde men in signes without all signification Finally such a conning craftesman is the belly it appeareth that many of them haue ben inuented by couetous sacrificing prestes to bee snares to catche money But what beginning soeuer they haue they are all so geuen foorth in coÌ„mon for filthy gaine that we must nedes cut of a greate parte of them if we will bring to passe that there be not a prophane market and full of sacrilege vsed in the Chirch Although I seeme not to teach a continuall doctrine concernyng the ordinances of men because this speakyng is altogether applied to our owne tyme yet there is nothyng spoken that shall not be profitable for all tymes For so oft as this superstition crepeth in that men wyl worship God with theyr owne fayned deuises whatsoeuer the lawes bee that ar made to that purpose they do by by degenerate to those grosse abuses For the Lord thretneth not this curse to one or two ages but to al ages of the world that he wil strike them with blyndnesse and amased dullnesse that worshyp him with the doctrines of men This blyndyng continually maketh that they flee from no kynde of absurditie whiche despisyng so many warnyngs of God doe wilfully wrap them selues in those deadly snares But if settyng asyde circumstances you wyl haue simply shewed what be the mens traditions of al ages which it is mete to be reiected of the Chirche and to bee disalowed of all the godly that same shal be a sure and playne definition whiche we haue aboue sette that all lawes without the worde of God are made by men to this end either to prescribe a maner of worshippyng God or to bind consciences with religion as though they gaue coÌ„maundement of thinges necessary to saluation If to the one or both of these there be adioyned other faultes as that with their multitude they darken the

by vnskilfull men bene wrongfullye applied vnto this matter Yea and the same Hilarie hymselfe layethe it for a greate faulte to the heretikes charge that by theyr waywardnesse he is compelled to putte those thynges in perylle of the speche of men whyche oughte to haue beene kepte in the relygiousnesse of myndes playnely confessynge that this is to doo thynges vnlaufull to speake that ought not to bee spoken to attempt thynges not licenced A little after he excuseth himself with many words for that he was so bold to vtter newe names For after he had vsed the natural names Father Sonne and Holy ghost he addeth that what soeuer is sought further is beyoÌ„d the compasse of speache beyonde the reache of sense and beyonde the capacitie of vnderstandynge And in an other place he saith the happy ar the bishops of Gallia which neither had nor receiued nor knewe any other confession but that olde and simple one whiche from the time of the Apostles was receyued in all churches And muche like is the excuse of Augustine that this woorde was wroung oute of necessitie by reason of the imperfection of mens language in so greate a matter not to expresse that whiche is but that it shoulde not bee vnspoken howe the Father the Sonne and the Holy ghoste are three This modestie of the holy menne ought to warne vs that we doo not foorthwith so seuerely lyke Censors note them with infamie that refuse to subscribe and sweare to suche wordes as we propounde them so that they doo it not of pride of frowardnesse or of malicious crafte But let them again consider by how great necessitie we are driuen to speake so that by littell little they may be enured with that profitable maner of speche Let them also learne to beware least sithe we must mete on the one syde with the Arrians on the other syde with Sabellians whyle they be offended that we cutte of occasion from them both to cauill they bryng themselues in suspicion that they be the disciples either of Arrius or of Sabellius Arrius sayth that Christe is God but he muttereth that he was create and had a beginnyng He saith Christe is one with the father but secretely he whispereth in the eares of his disciples that he was made one as the other faithfull be although by singular prerogatiue Say ones that Christ is Consubstanciall with his father then plucke you of his visour from the dissembler and yet you adde nothyng to the scripture Sabellius sayth that the seueral names Father Son and Holy ghost signifie nothyng in God seuerally distincte saye that they are three and he will crye out that you name thre gods Saye that there is in one essence a Trinitie of persons then shal you in one word bothe saye what the scripture speaketh and stop their vayne babblyng Nowe if any be holden with so curious superstition that they can not abide these names yet is there no man though he wold neuer so fayn that can deny but that when we heare of one we must vnderstande an vnitie of substance when we here of thre in one essence that it is ment of the persons in the trinitie Which thyng beyng without fraude confessed we stay no longer vpon wordes But I haue long ago fouÌ„d and that often that who soeuer do obstinately quarell about woordes doo keepe within them a secrete poison so that it is better willyngly to prouoke theim than for their pleasure to speake darkly But leauyng disputation of woordes I will nowe begyn to speake of the matter it selfe I call therfore a Persone a subsistence in the essence of God which hauyng relation to the other is distinguished from them with vncoÌ„municable propretie By the name of Subsistence we meane an other thyng than the essence For if the worde had simply ben God and in the meane tyme had nothynge seuerally propre to it selfe Iohn hadde sayde amysse that it was with god Where he foorthewith addeth that God hymselfe was the same woorde he calleth vs backe agayne to the one single essence But because it could not be with God but that it must rest in the father hereof ariseth that subsistence which though it be ioyned to the essence with an vnseparable knot yet hath it a speciall marke wherby it doth differ from it So of the three subsistences â–ª I say that eche hauyng relation to other is in propretie distinguished Relation is here expressely mencioned For when there is simple and indefinite mencion made of God this name belongeth no lesse to the Sonne and the Holy ghoste than to the Father But when the Father is compared with the Sonne the seuerall propretie of eyther doth discerne hym from the other Thirdely what soeuer is propre vnto euery of them is vncommunicable For that which is geuen to the Father for a marke of difference can not agree with nor be geuen to the Son And I mislyke not the definition of Tertullian so that it be rightly taken That there is in God a certayne disposition or distribution which yet chaungeth nothyng of the vnitie of the essence But before that I go any further it is good that I proue the Godhead of the Sonne and of the Holy ghost Then after we shall see how they differ one from an other Surely when the Worde of God is spoken of in the Scripture it were a very greate absurditie to imagin it only a fadyng and vanishyng voyce whiche sente into the ayre cometh out of God hymselfe of whiche sort were the oracles geuen to the fathers and all the prophecies when rather the woorde is mente to bee the perpetuall wisedome abidyng with the Father from whens all the oracles and prophecies proceded For as Peter testifieth no lesse didde the olde prophetes speake with the spirite of Christ than dyd the Apostles and all they that after them dyd distribute the heauenly doctrine But because Christe was not yet openly shewed we must vnderstande that the Worde was before all worlde 's begotten of the Father And if the Spirite was of the Worde whose instrumentes were the prophetes we do vndoutedly gather that he was true god And this doth Moses teache playnly enough in the creation of the world when he setteth the worde as the meane For why dooth he expressely tell that God in creatyng of all his woorkes sayd Be this doone or that doon but that the vnserchable glory of god may shiningly appere in his images The suttlenosed and babblyng men do easily mock out this with sayeng that the name Woorde is there taken for his byddynge or commaundemente But better expositors are the Apostles whiche teache that the worldes were made by the same and that he susteineth theym all with his mightie Worde For here we see that the Word is taken for the bidding or commaundement of the Sonne which is hymselfe the eternall and essentiall Word to the Father And to the wise and sobre it is not darke that Salomon sayth

the Faith and religion of one God by Baptysme we must nedes thinke him the true God in whose name we ar baptised And it is not to be douted but that in this solemne protestacion Christ meant to testifie that the perfect light of Faith was already deliuered when he said Baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne of the Holy ghost For it is as much in effect as to be baptised in the name of the one god which with perfect bryghtnesse hath appeared in the Father the Sonne the Holy ghost Wherby is euidente that in the essence of God abide thre Persons in which the one God is knowen And surely forasmuch as our Fayth ought not to loke hether and thether nor diuersly to waÌ„der about but to haue regard to the one God to be applied to him and to sticke fast in him it is hereby easily proued that if there be diuerse kindes of faith there must also bee many Gods Now wheras baptisme is a Sacrament of faith it proueth vnto vs the vnitie of God because it is but one And herof also foloweth that it is not lawful to be baptised but into one God bicause we embrace the Faith of him into whose name we are baptised What meant Christe then when he commaunded to be baptised in the name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy gost but that we ought with one Faith to beleue in the Father Sonne and the Holy ghost Therfore sithe this remaineth certayn that there is but one God and not many we determine that the Worde and the Spirite are nothyng els but the very selfe essence of God And very foolishly did the Arrians prate which confessyng the godhed of the Sonne did take from him the substance of God And suche a like rage vexed the Macedonians whiche woulde haue to be vnderstanded by the Spirite only the gyftes of grace that are poured foorth into men For as wisdome vnderstandyng prudence fortititude feare of God doo procede from hym so he onely is the spirite of wisedome prudence fortitude and godlinesse Yet is not he diuided accordyng to the distribution of his graces but howe â—oeuer they bee dyuersely dealt abroade yet he remaineth one and the same as the Apostle saithe Agayn there is shewed in the Scriptures a certain distinction of the Father from the Woorde and of the Worde from the Spirite In discussyng wherof howe greate religiousnesse and sobrietie we oughte to vse the greatnesse of the mysterie it selfe dooth admonishe vs. And I very well like that saying of Gregorie Nazianzene I can not thynke vpon the one but by and by I am compassed about with the brightnesse of the thre And I can not seuerally discerne the three but I am sodeinly dryuen backe to one Wherfore lette it not come in our myndes ones to imagine suche a Trinitie of Persons as may hold our thought withdrawen into seueralties and doothe not foorthewith brynge vs agayn to that vnitie The names of Father Sonne and Holy ghost doo proue a true distinction that no man should thynke them to be bare names of addition wherby God accordyng to his woorkes is diuersly entitled but yet it is a distinction not a diuision The places that wee haue already cited doo shewe that the Sonne hath a propretie distincte from the Father because the Worde had not ben with God if he hadde not ben an other thyng than the Father neyther had he had his glorye with the Father but beyng distinct from hym Lykewise he doothe distinguisshe hym selfe from the Father when he saythe that there is an other whyche beareth hym witnesse And for this purpose maketh that whiche in an other place is sayd that the Father created all thinges by the Worde whiche he coulde not but beyng after a certaine maner distinct from hym Moreouer the Father came not downe into the earth but he that came out from the Father The Father died not nor roase agayne but he that was sent by him Neither yet did this distinction beginne at the takynge of fleshe but it is manifest that he was also before the onely begotten in the bosom of the Father For who can abide to say that then the Sonne entred into the bosome of the father when he descended from heauen to take manhode vpon hym He was therefore before in the bosome of the Father and enioyed his glorie with the Father As for the distinction of the Holye ghoste frome the Father Christe speaketh of it when he saith that it procedeth from the Father And howe oft doothe he shewe it to be an other beside himself as when he promyseth that he wyll sende an other confortoure and often in other places But to borow similitudes from matters of meÌ„ to expresse the force of this distinction I knowe not whether it be expedient In dede the olde fathers are wont so to doo somtyme but withall they doo confesse that what soeuer they bryng foorth for like doothe muche differ For which cause I am muche afrayd to be any waye bolde least if I bryng foorth any thyng vnfittly it shuld geue occasion either to the malicious to cauill or to the vnskilfull to be deceiued Yet suche distinction as we haue marked to be sette out in scriptures it is not good to haue left vnspokeÌ„ And that is this that to the Father is geuen the begynnynge of woorkyng the fountayne and spryng of all thynges to the Sonne wysedome counsell and the very disposition in the doyng of thinges to the Holy ghost is assigned power effectual working And although eternitie belong vnto the Father and eternitie to the Sonne and to the Holy ghost also for as much as God coulde neuer haue ben without his wisdom power in eternitie is not to be sought which was fyrst or last yet this obseruation of order is not vayne or superfluous wherein the Father is reckened fyrst and then of hym the Sonne and after of them both the Holy ghost For euery mans mynde of it self enclineth to this fyrst to consider God then the wisedome risyng out of hym and laste of all the power wherwith he putteth the decrees of his purpose in execution In what sort the Sonne is said to be of the Father only and the Holy ghoste bothe of the Father and the Sonne is shewed in many places but no where more playnely than in the .viii. chapiter to the Romayns where the same Spirite is without difference somtyme called the Spirite of Christe somtime of him that raised vp Christ from the dead and that not without cause For Peter dothe also testifie that it was the Spirite of Christe wherewith the Prophetes did prophecie where as the Scripture so often teacheth that it was the Spirite of God the Father Now this distinction doth so not stand against the single vnitie of God that therby we may proue that the Son is one God with the father because he hath one Spirit

with hym and that the Holy Spirite is not a thyng diuers from the Father the Son For in eche Hypostasis is vnderstanded the whole substance with this that euery one hath his own propretie The Father is whole in the Sonne the Sonne is whole in the Father as hymselfe affirmeth I am in the Father and the Father is in me And the Ecclesiasticall writers doo not graunt the one to be seuered from the other by any difference of essence By these names that betoken distinction sayth Augustin that is ment wherby they haue relation one to an other and not the very substance whereby they are all one By whiche meanynge are the sayinges of the olde writers to bee made agree whiche otherwise would seeme not a little to disagree For sometyme they saye that the Father is the beginnyng of the Sonne and somtyme that the Sonne hath bothe godhead and essence of hymselfe and is all one begynnynge with the Father The cause of this diuersitie Augustine doothe in an other place well and planelye declare when he sayeth CHRIST hauynge respect to him selfe is called God and to his Father is called the Sonne And agayne â–ª the Father as to hymselfe is called God as to his Sonne is called the Father where hauynge respecte to the Sonne he is called the Father he is not the Sonne where as to the Father he is called the Son he is not the Father and where he is called as to hym self the Father and as to hymselfe the Sonne it is all one God Therfore when we simply speake of the Sonne without hauyng respect to the Father we do well and proprely say that he is of hym selfe and therfore we call hym but one beginnyng but when we make mention of the relation betweene him and his Father then we rightly make the Father the beginning of the Sonne All the whole fifth boke of Augustine concernyng the Trinitie dooth nothyng but sette foorth this matter And muche safer it is to reste in that relation that he speaketh of than into suttletle pearcyng vnto the hye mysterie to wander abroade by many vayne speculations Let them therfore that are pleased with sobrenesse coÌ„tented with measure of Faith shortly learne so muche as is profitable to bee knowen that is when we professe that we beleue in one God vnder the name of God we vnderstande the one onely and single essence in whiche we comprehende thre Persons or hypostases And therfore so oft as we doo indefinitely speake of the name of God we meane no lesse the Sonne and the Holy ghost than the Father But when the Sonne is ioyned to the Father then commeth in a relation and so we make distinction betwene yâ— Persons And because the propreties in the Persons bring an order with them so as the beginnyng and orginall is in the Father so ofte as mencion is made of the Father and the Son or the Holy ghost together the name of God is peculiarly geuen to the Father By this meane is reteined the vnitie of the essence and regarde is hadde to the order whiche yet dothe minishe nothyng of the godhead of the Sonne and of the Holy ghoste And where as we haue already seene that the Apostles doo affirme that the Sonne of God is he whom Moses and the prophetes doo testifie to be Iehouah the Lorde we must of necessitie alwaye come to the vnitie of the essences Wherefore it is a detestable sacrilege for vs to call the Sonne a seuerall God from the Father bycause the symple name of God doothe admytte no relation and God in respecte of hym selfe can not bee saide to be this or that Now that the name of Iehouah the Lorde indefinitely taken is applied to Christe appereth by the wordes of Paul wher he sayth Therfore I haue thryse praied the Lorde because that after he hadde receyued the aunswere of Christ. My grace is sufficient for the he sayeth by and by that the power of Christ may dwell in me It is certayne that the name Lorde is there set for Iehouah and therfore to restraine it to the person of the Mediatour were very fonde and childyshe for somuch as it is an absolute sentence that compareth not the Father with the Sonne And we knowe that after the accustomed maner of the Greekes the Apostles doo commonly sette the worde Kyrios Lord in stede of Iehouah And not to fetche an example farre of Paule dydde in no other sense pray to the Lorde than in the same sense that Peter citethe the place of Ioell who soeuer calleth vppon the name of the Lorde shall be saued But where this name is peculiarly geuen to the Sonne we shall se that there is an other reason therof when we com to a place fitte for it Nowe it is enough to haue in mynde when Paule had absolutely praied to God he by and by bryngeth in the name of Christ. Euen so is the whole God called by Christ hymselfe the Spirite For there is no cause agaynst it but that the whole essence of God may bee spirituall wherin the Father the Sonne and the Holy ghoste be comprehended Whiche is very playne by the Scripture For euen as there we heare God to be made a Spirite so we do here the Holy ghost for so muche as it is an Hypostasis of the whole essence to bee called bothe God and procedyng from God But for as muche as Satan to the ende to roote out our Faith hath alway moued great coÌ„tentions partly concernyng the diuine essence of the Sonne and of the Holy ghost and partly coÌ„cernyng their distinction of Persones And as in a maner in all ages he hath stirred vp wicked spirites to trouble the true teachers in this behalfe so at this day he trauaileth out of the olde embres to kyndle a new fyre therfore here it is good to answere the peruerse foolishe errours of some Hitherto it hath ben our purpose to leade as it were by the hande those that ar willyng to learne and not to striue hande to hande with the obstinate and contentious But nowe the truthe which we haue already peasably shewed must be reskued from the cauillations of the wicked All be it my chiefe trauayle shall yet be applied to this ende that they whyche geue gentill and open eares to the woord of God may haue whervpon stedfastly to rest their foote In this poynt if any where at all in the secrete mysteries of Scripture we ought to dispute sobrely and with greate moderation and to take great hede that neyther oure thought nor oure tongue procede any further than the boundes of Goddes woorde dooe extende For howe may the mynde of man by his capacitie define the immeasurable essence of God whiche neuer yet coulde certainly determine howe great is the body of the Son which yet he daily seeth with his eyes yea howe may she by her owne guidyng atteyn to discusse the substaunce of God that can not

colour that Christ is echewhere called the Sonne of God where of they gather that there is none other proprely God but the Father But they mark not that though the name of God be also common to the Sonne yet by reason of preeminence it is sometyme gyuen to the Father onely because he is the fountayn and originall of the Deitie and that for this purpose to make the syngle vnitie of the essence to be therby noted They take exception and saye If he be truly the Sonne of God it is inconuenient to haue hym reckned the Sonne of a Person I answere that bothe are true that is that he is the Sonne of God because he is the Woorde begotten of the Father before all worldes for we come not yet to speake of the Person of the Mediatour and yet for explications sake we oughte to haue regarde of the Person that the name of God simply be not taken but for the Father onely For if we meane none to be God but the Father we plainly throwe downe the Sonne from the degree of God Therfore so ofte as mencion is made of the godhed we must not admitte a comparison betwene the Sonne and the Father as thoughe the name of God dydde belonge onely to the Father For trewely the God that appeared to Esaie was the true and onely God and yet Iohn affirmeth that the same was Christe And he that by the mouth of Esay testified that he should be a stumbling stone to the Iewes was the only God and yet Paule pronounceth that the same was Christe He that trieth out by Esaie I liue and to me all knees shall bowe is the onely God and yet Paule expouÌ„deth that the same was Christ. For this purpose serue the testimonies that the Apostle reciteth Thou O God haste laide the foundations of heauen and earth Agayne let all the angels of God worship him whiche thynges belong to none but to the onely God And yet he saith that they are the propre titles of Christ. And this cauillation is nothyng worthe that that is geuen to Christe whiche is propre to God because Christe is the shinyng brightnesse of his glory For because in eche of these places is fet the name of Iehouah it foloweth that it is so sayd in respecte that he is God of hymselfe For if he be Iehouah it can not be denied that he is the same God that in an other place crieth out by Esaie I I am and beside me there is no God It is good also to consider that saying of Hieremie The gods that haue not made the heauen and earth let them perishe out of the earth that is vnder the heauen Where as on the other side we must nedes confesse that the Sonne of God is he whose godhead is ofte proued in Esaie by the creation of the worlde And howe can it be that the Creatour whyche geueth beyng to all thynges shall not bee of hymselfe but borowe his beyng of an other For who soeuer saythe that the Sonne was essentiate or made to be of his Father denieth that he is of hym selfe But the Holy ghost saith the contrary namyng hym Iehouah Nowe if we graunt that the whole essence is in the Father onely either it muste be made partable or be taken from the Sonne and so shal the Sonne be spoyled of his essence and be a God only in name and title The essence of God if we beleue these triflers belongeth onely to the Father for as muche as he is onely God and is the essencemaker of the Sonne And so shall the godhed of the Sonne be an abstracte from the essence of God or a deriuation of a parte oute of the whole Nowe muste they nedes graunt by theyr own principle that the holy ghost is the Spirite of the Father only For if he be a deriuation from the fyrst essence whiche is onely propre to the Father of right he can not be accompted the Spirite of the Sonne whiche is confuted by the testimonie of Paul where he maketh the Spirit common to Christ and the Father Moreouer if the Person of the Father be wiped out of the Trinitie wherin shall he differ from the Sonne and the Holy ghoste but in this that he onely is God They confesse Christ to be God and yet they say he differeth from the Father Agayn there muste be some marke of difference to make that the Father be not the Sonne They which say that marke of difference to be in the essence doo manifestly bring the true godhead of Christe to nothynge whiche can not be without essence yea and that the whole essence The Father differeth not from the Sonne vnlesse he haue somethyng propre to hymselfe that is not common to the Sonne What nowe will they fynde wherin to make him different If the difference be in the essence let them answere if he haue not communicated the same to the Sonne But that could not be in part for to say that he made halfe a God were wycked Beside that by this meane they doo fowly teare in sunder the essence of God It remaineth therefore that the essence is whole and perfectly common to the Father and the Sonne And if that bee true then as touchyng the essence there is no difference of the one of them from the other If they say that the Father in geuyng his essence remaineth neuerthelesse the only God with whom the essence abideth then Christ shal be a figuratiue God and a God only in shew in name but not in deede because nothyng is more propre to God than to bee accordyng to this saying He that is hath sent me vnto you It is easy by many places to proue that it is false whiche they holde that so ofte as there is in scripture mencion made absolutely of God none is ment therby but the Father And in those places that they them selues doo alledge they fowly bewray their owne want of consideration because there is also sette the name of the Sonne Wherby appeareth that the name of God is there relatiuely takeÌ„ and therfore restrained to the Person of the Father And their obiection where they say If the Father were not only the true God he should himselfe be his owne Father is answered with one worde It is not inconuenient for degree and orders sake that he be peculiarly called GOD whiche hath not only of hym selfe begotten his wisedome but also is the God of the Mediatour as in place fitte for it I will more largely declare For sythe Christ was openly shewed in the fleshe he is called the Sonne of God not onely in respect that he was the eternall Worde before all worlde 's begotten of the Father but also because he tooke vpon hym the Person and office of the Mediatour to ioyne vs vnto God And because they do so boldly exclude the Sonne from the honour of God I would fayne knowe whether the Sonne when he pronounceth that none is good but

God doo take goodnesse from himselfe I dooe not speake of his humaine nature least perhappes they shuld take exception and say that what soeuer goodnesse was in it it came of free gyft I aske whether the eternall Word of God be good or no If they say nay then we hold their vngodlinesse sufficieÌ„tly coÌ„uinced in sayeng yea they coÌ„found themselues But where as at the first sight Christe semeth to put from hymselfe the name of Good that doothe the more confirme oure meanyng For sithe it is the singular title of God alone forasmuche as he was after the common maner saluted by the name of Good in refusing false honour he did admonish them that the goodnesse wherin he excelled was the goodnesse that God hathe I aske also where Paule affirmeth that only God is immortall wise and true whether by these wordes Christe be brought into the numbre of men mortall foolishe and false Shall not he then be immortall that from the begynnyng was lyfe to geue immortalitie to angels Shall not he bee wise that is the eternall wisedome of God Shall not the trueth it selfe be true I aske furthermore whether they thynke that Christe ought to be worshipped or no For he claimeth this vnto hymselfe to haue all knees bowe before hym it foloweth that he is the God whiche dyd in the lawe forbyd any other to be worshipped but himselfe If they will haue that meant of the Father onely whiche is spoken in Esaie I am and none but I this testimonie I tourne against theim selues for as muche as we see that whatsoeuer pertaineth to God is geuen to Christe And their cauillation hath no place that Christe was exalted in the fleshe wherein he had bene abased and that in respecte of the fleshe all authoritie is geuen hym in heauen and in earthe because althoughe the maiestie of Kyng and Iudge extende to the whole Person of the Mediatour yet if he had not been God openly shewed in fleshe he coulde not haue been auaunced to suche heighth but that God shoulde haue disagreed with himselfe But thys controuersye Paule doeth well take away teaching that he was egall wyth God before that he dyd abase hymselfe vnder the shape of a seruaunte Nowe howe coulde thys equalitie haue stande together vnlesse he hadde been the same God whoe 's name is Iah and Iehouah that rydeth vppon the Cherubin that is kynge of all the earthe and Lorde of the worldes Nowe howesoeuer they babble agaynste it it canne not bee taken from Chryste whiche Esaie sayeth in an other place He he is our GOD for hym we haue wayted whereas in these woordes he describeth the comming of GOD the redemer not onelye that shoulde bryng home the people from the exyle of Babylon but also fullye in all pointes restore the churche And with their other cauillation they nothynge preuayle in sayinge that Chryste was God in hys Father For thoughe we confesse that in respecte of order and degree the begynning of the Godheade is in the Father yet we saye that it is a detestable inuentyon to saye that the essence is onelye proper to the Father as thoughe he were the onelye God-maker of the Sonne For by thys meanes eyther he shoulde haue moe essence than one or ells they call Chryste God onely in tittle and imaginacion If they graunte that Chryste is God but nexte after the Father then shall the essence bee in hym begotten and fashioned whiche in the Father is vnbegotten and vnfashyoned I knowe that many quicke nosed men doe laughe at thys that we gather the distinction of Persons oute of the wordes of Moses where he bryngeth in God speakyng thus Lette vs make manne after oure image But yet the Godly readers doe see howe vaynly and fondely Moses shoulde bryng in thys as a talke of dyuerse together if there were not in God moe Persons than one Nowe certayne is it that they whom the Father spake vnto wer vncreate but nothing is vncreate but God himselfe yea the one onely God Nowe therefore vnlesse they graunte that the power of creating was common and the authoritie of commaunding common to the Father the Sonne and the Holy ghoste it shall folowe that God did not inwardly thus speake to himselfe but directed his speche to other forein woorke menne Finallie one place shall easilie answere two of their obiections For where as Christe himselfe pronounceth that GOD is a Spirite this were not conueniente to be restrained to the Father onely as if the Woorde himselfe were not of spirituall nature If then the name of Spirite doeth as well agree with the Sonne as with the Father I gather that the Sonne is also comprehended vnder the indefynite name of GOD. But he addeth by and by after that none are allowed for good worshippers of the Father but they that worshyppe hym in Spirite and trueth where vppon foloweth an other thyng because Chryste doeth vnder a hed execute the office of a teacher he doeth geue the name of GOD to the Father not to the entente to destroye his owne Godhead but by degrees to lyfte vs vp vnto it But in this they are deceiued that they dreame of certaine vndiuided singular thinges wherof eche haue a part of the essence But by the Scriptures we teache that there is but one essentially God and therefore that the essence as well of the Sonne as of the Holy ghost is vnbegotten But forsomuch as the Father is in order firste and hath of himselfe begotten his wisedome therfore rightfully as is aboue sayed he is counted the original and fountaine of al the Godhead So God indefinitely spoken is vnbegotten and the Father also in respecte of Person is vnbegotten And foolishly they thinke that they gather that by oure meaning is made a quaternitie because fasly and cauillouslye they ascrybe vnto vs a deuise of their owne brayne as though we dyd faine that by deriuacion there come three Persons out of one essence wheras it is euident by our wrytinges that we do not drawe the Persons out of the essence but although they be abiding in the essence we make a distinction betwene them If the Persons were seuered from the essence then paraduenture their reason were like to be true But by that meane it shoulde be a Trinitie of Goddes and not of Persons which one God conteineth in hym So is their fonde question answered whether the essence doe mete to make vp the Trinitie as thoughe we did imagine that there descende three Goddes oute of it And thys exception groweth of lyke foolyshenesse where they saye that then the Trinitie shoulde be withoute God For though it mete not to make vp the distinction as a parte or a member yet neither are the Persons withoute it nor oute of it Because the Father if he were not God coulde not be the Father and the Sonne is none otherwyse the Sonne but because he is God We saye therefore that the Godheade

agayne vpon hym that whiche the same writer playnly teacheth that Christe is all one and the same as also he applyeth vnto hym the prophecie of Habacuc God shall come oute of the South To the same purpose serueth that whiche is red in the. ix Chapter of the fourth booke Chryste hymselfe therfore with the Father is the God of the lyuinge And in the. xii Chapter of the same booke he expoundeth that Abraham beleued God because Chryste is the maker of heauen and earth and the onely God And wyth no more trueth dooe they brynge in Tertulliane for theyr defender For thoughe he be roughe sometime and crabbed in hys manner of speache yet doeth he playnlye teache the summe of that doctryne that we defende That is to saye whereas he is the one GOD yet by disposicion and order he is hys Woorde that there is but one GOD in vnitie of substaunce and yet that the same vnitie by misterie of orderly distribution is disposed into Trinitie that there are three not in state but in degree not in substaunce but in forme not in power but in order He sayeth that he defendeth the Sonne to bee a seconde nexte to the Father but he meaneth hym to be none other than the Father but by way of distinction In some places he sayeth that the Sonne is visible But when he hath reasoned on both partes he defyneth that he is inuisible in so muche as he is the Worde Finally where he affirmeth that the Father is determined in his owne person he proueth himselfe farre from that error which we confute And though he doth acknowledge none other God but the Father yet in the next pece of his writing expouÌ„ding himselfe he saith that he speaketh not exclusiuely in respect of the Sonne because he denieth that the Sonne is any other God beside the Father and that therfore their sole gouernement is not broken by distincion of Person And by the perpetual course of his purpose it is easy to gather the meaning of his words For he disputeth against Praxeas that though God be distinguished into three persons yet are there not made many gods nor the vnitie torne in sonder And because by the imaginacion of Praxeas Chryste coulde not be God but he must also be the Father therefore he somuche laboureth about the distincion Wheras he calleth the Worde and the Spirite a porcion of the whole although it be a hard kinde of speache yet is it excusable because it is not referred to the substaunce but onely sheweth the disposicion and order that belongeth onely to the Persons as Tertullian hymselfe witnesseth And herof hangeth that Now many Persons thinkest thou there are O moste frowarde Praxeas but euen so many as there be names And so a little after that they maye beleue the Father and the Sonne eche in their names and persons Hereby I thynke may be sufficiently confuted their impudency that seke to begyle the simple with color of Tertullians authoritie And surely whosoeuer shal diligently compare together the writinges of the olde authors shal find no other thyng in Ireneus than that whiche hath bentaught by other that came after Iustine is one of the auncientest and he in al thynges doeth agree wyth vs. Yet let them obiect that he as the rest do calleth the Father of Christ the onely God The same thyng doth Hilary teache yea and speaketh more hardely that the eternitie is in the Father But doth he that to take away the essence of God from the Sonne And yet is he altogether in defense of the same Fayth that we folow Yet are they not ashamed to picke out certaine mangled sentences wherby they would perswade that Hilarye is a Patrone of their error Where they bryng in Ignatius if they will haue that to bee of any authoritie let them proue that the Apostles made a law for lent and suche lyke corruptions of religion Nothing is more vnsauery than those fonde trifles that are publyshed vnder the name of Ignatius Wherefore their impudence is so muche lesse tolerable that disguise themselues wyth suche visers to deceiue Moreouer the consent of the aunciente Fathers is plainly perceiued by thys that at the counsell of Nice Arrius neuer durst allege for hymselfe the authoritie of any one allowed wryter And none of the Grekes or Latines doeth excuse hymselfe and saye that he dissenteth from them that were before It nedeth not to be spoken howe Augustine whom those losells do moste hate hath diligently searched the writinges of them all and how reuerently he did embrace them Truely euen in matters of leaste weighte he vseth to shewe what compelleth hym to dissent from them And in thys matter if he haue red any thing doubtfull or darke in other he hydeth it not But the doctryne that these menne striue agaynste he taketh it as confessed that from the farthest time of antiquitie it hath ben without controuersie receiued And by one worde it appeareth that he was not ignorant what other had taught before hym where he saieth that in the Father is vnitie in the first boke of Christian doctryne wyll they say that he then forgate hymselfe But in an other place he purgeth himselfe from suche reproch where he calleth the Father the beginning of the whole Godhead because he is of none consideryng in dede wisely that the name of God is specially ascrybed to the Father because if the beginning should not be reckened at hym the single vnitie of God caÌ„not be conceiued By this I trust the godly reder wil perceiue that al the cauillacions are confuted wherwyth Satan hath hetherto attempted to peruert or darken the pure truth of doctryne Finallye I trust that the whole summe of doctryne in this point is fully declared if the readers will temper them of curiositie and not more gredely than mete is seke for combersome and entangled disputacions For I take not in hande to please them that do delite in an vntemperate desyre of speculacion Truely I haue omitted nothing of suttle purpose that I thought to make agaynst me But whyle I study to edify the churche I thought it best to leaue many thinges vntouched whiche both smallye profited and would greue the readers with superfluous rediousnesse For to what purpose were it to dispute whether the father do alway beget Forasmuch as it is folly to faine a continual acte of begetting sith it is euidente that from eternitie there haue ben thre Persons in God Â¶ The .xiiii. Chapter That the Scripture euen in the creacion of the world and of al things both by certayne markes putte difference betwene the true God and â—ayned â–ª Gods ALthoughe Esaye doeth worthyly reproche the worshippers of false gods with slouthfulnesse for that they haue not learned by the very fundacions of the earth and rounde compasse of the heauens which is the true God yet suche is the dulnesse and grossenesse of our witt that least the faythful should fal away to the inuencions of

ten thousandes the seruant of Elizeus sawe many chariottes full and this declareth that they are a great multitude that it is saide they doo campe rounde aboute theim that feare God As for shape it is certaine that Spirites haue none and yet the Scripture for the capacitie of our wit dooth not in vayne vnder Cherubin and Seraphin paint vs out Angels with wynges to the intent we shoulde not doute that they will bee euer with incredible swiftnesse ready to succoure vs so soone as neede shall require as if the lightnyng sent from heauen shoulde flie vnto vs with suche swiftnesse as it is wonted What soeuer more than this may be sought of both these pointes let vs beleue it to be of that sort of mysteries wherof the full reuelation is differred to the laste day Wherfore let vs remembre to take hede both of to muche curiositie in searchyng and to muche boldnesse in speakyng But this one thyng whiche many troublesome doo call in doubt is to be holden for certaintie that Angels are ministrynge spirites whose seruice God vseth for the defence of his by whom he both distributeth his benefites among men and also putteth his other workes in execution It was in the old tyme the opinion of the Sadduces that by Angels is meant nothyng els but eyther the motions that God dothe inspire in men or the tokens that he sheweth of his power But agaynste this errour crie out so many testimonies of Scripture that it is meruaile that so grosse ignorance coulde be suffred in that people For to omitte those places that I haue before alledged where are recited thousandes and Legions of Angels where ioy is geuen vnto them where it is said that they vpholde the Faithful with their handes and cary their soules into reste that they see the face of the Father and suche lyke there are other places whereby is clerely proued that they are in deede Spirites of a nature that hath substance For where as Stephen and Paule doo say that the lawe was geuen by the hande of Angels and Christe sayth that the electe after the resurrection shall bee lyke vnto Angels that the day of iudgement is not knowen to the very Angels that he shall then come with his holy Angels howe soeuer they be writhed yet must they so be vnderstanded Likewise when Paule chargeth Timothe before Christ and his chosen Angels to keepe his commaundementes he meaneth not qualities or inspirations without substaÌ„ce but very spirites And otherwise it standeth not togither that is writen in the Epistle to the Hebrues that Christ is become more excellent than Angels that the world is not made subiect to them that Christ toke vpoÌ„ him not their nature but the natur of man If we meane not the blessed spirits to whome may these comparisons agree And the author of that Epistle expouÌ„ded him self where he placeth in the kingdom of heueÌ„ the soules of the faithful the holy angels together Also the same that we haue alredy alledged that the Angels of children do alway behold the face of god that they do reioyce at our safetie that they maruel at the manifold grace of God in the churche that they are subiect to Christ the hedde To the same purpose serueth this that they so oft appered to the holy Fathers in the forme of men that they talked with them that they were lodged wyth them And Christ him selfe for the principall preminence that he hath in the person of the mediator is called an Angel Thys I thought good to touche by the way to furnish the simple wyth defence against those foolishe and reasonlesse opinions that many ages agoe raysed by Sathan do now and then spring vppe agayne Now it resteth that we seke to mete with that superstition which is coÌ„monly wont to crepe in where it is said that Angels ar the ministers deliuerers of all good thinges vnto vs. For by by mans reason falleth to this point to thinke that therfore al honour ought to be geueÌ„ them So cometh it to passe that those things which beloÌ„g only to God Christ are conueied away to Angels By this mean we se that in certaine ages past the glory of Christe hath been many wais obscured when Angels without warrant of Gods worde were loden with immeasurable titles of honor And of all the vices that we speake against there is almoste none more auncient than this For it appereth that Paule himselfe had muche to doo with some which so auaunced Angels that they in maner wold haue brought Christ vnder subiectioÌ„ And therfore he doth so carefully presse this point in his epistle to the Colossians that Christ is not only to be preferred before al angels but that he is also the author of al the good things that thei haue to the end we shuld not forsake him turn vnto them whiche can not sufficiently helpe them selues but are faine to draw out of the same fountain that we do Surely forasmuche as there shyneth in them a certain brightnesse of the maiestie of God there is nothing wherunto we ar more easily enclined than with a certain admiratioÌ„ to fall down in worshipping of them to geue vnto them all thinges that ar due only to God Which thing Iohn in the Reuelation coÌ„fesseth to haue chaunced to hymselfe but he addeth withal that he receiued this answer See thou doo it not For I am thy felowe seruant Worship God But this daunger we shall well beware of if we doo consyder why God vseth rather by them than by hymselfe without their seruice to declare his power to prouide for the safetie of the faithfull and to coÌ„mumunicate the giftes of his liberalitie among them Surely he doth not this of necessitie as though he coulde not be without them for so oft as pleaseth hym he letteth theim alone and bringeth his woorke to passe with an onely becke so farre is it of that they be any aide to hym to ease hym of the hardnesse therof This therfore maketh for the comforte of our weakenesse so that we want nothyng that may auaile our myndes eyther in raisyng them vp in good hope or confirmyng them in assurance This one thyng ought to be enough and enough agayn for vs that the Lorde affirmeth that he is our protectour But while we se our selues besieged with so many dauÌ„gers so many hurtful thynges so many kyndes of enemies it may be suche is our weakenesse and frailtie that we be sometyme filled with tremblyng feare or fall for despaire onlesse the Lord after the proporcion of our capacitie do make vs to conceiue his presence By this meane he not onely promiseth that he wyll haue care of vs but also that he hath an innumerable garde to whom he hath geuen in charge to trauaile for our safetie and that so longe as we be compassed with the garrison and supporte of theim whatsoeuer daunger betideth we be without all reache of hurte I graunt we

studye to loue and honor him withall oure harte Â¶ The .xv. Chapter What a one man was created wherin there is entreated of the powers of the soule of the image of God of free wyll and of the first integritie of nature NOw must we speake of the creation of maÌ„ not only because he is among all the workes of God the moste noble and most excellente example of his iustice wisdome and goodnesse but also because as we said in the beginning we cannot plainly and perfectly know God vnlesse we haue wtall a mutuall knowledge of our selues Although the same knowledge be of two sortes the one to knowe what we were created at the first beginning the other to know what our estate began to be after the fall of Adam for it were but to smal profit for vs to knowe our creation vnlesse we did also in this lamentable fall knowe what is the corruption and deformitie of our nature yet at this time we wil be contente with descriptioÌ„ of our nature when it was pure And before we descende to this miserable estate wherunto man is nowe in thraldome it is good to learne what a one he was created at the beginning For we must take hede that in precisely declaring only the natural euils of man we seme not to impute them to the author of nature For vngodlinesse thinketh her self to haue sufficient defense in this color if it may lay for her selfe that whatsoeuer fault she hath the same did after a certaine maner procede from God sticketh not if she be accused to quarell with God and to lay the fault vpoÌ„ him wherof she is worthely accused And they that would seme to speake somwhat more reuerently of the maiestie of God yet do willingly seke to excuse their own wickednesse by nature not considering that therin though not openly they blame God also to whoe 's reproche it shoulde fall if it were proued that there is any fault in nature Sith then we see that our fleshe gapeth for all the wayes to escape wherby she thynketh the blame of her own euils may any way be put of froÌ„ her we muste diligently trauail to mete with this mischiefe Therefore we must so handle the calamitie of mankinde that we cut of all excuse and deliuer the iustice of God from al accusation Afterwarde in place conueniente we shall see howe far men be nowe from that purenesse that was geuen to Adam And first we must remember that in this that man was taken out of earth and claye a bridle was putte vppon his pride for there is no greater absurditie than for them to glory in their excellencye that do not onely dwell in a cotage of clay but also are themselues in parte but earth and ashes But forasmuche as God did not onely vouchesaue to geue life vnto an earthen vessell but also it was his pleasure that it shoulde be the dwelling house of an immortall Spirite Adam might iustly glory in so great liberalitie of his maker Now it is not to be doubted that man consisteth of soule body and by the name of soule I meane an immortall essence and yet created whiche is the nobler parte of him Sometime it is called the Spirite Albeit wheÌ„ these two names Soule and Spirite are ioyned together they differ one from the other in signification yet when Spirite is sett by it selfe it meaneth as muche as Soule As when Salomon speaking of death sayeth that then the Spirite returneth to him that gaue it And Chryste commending his Spirite to his father and Stephen his Spirite to Chryst doe both meane none other thing but that when the soule is deliuered from the prison of the fleshe God is the perpetual keper of it As for them that imagine that the Soule is therfore called a Spirite because it is a breath or a power by god inspired or poured into bodyes which yet hath no essence both the thing it selfe and all the Scripture sheweth that they do to much grosly erre True it is that while men are fastened to the earth more than they oughte to bee they waxe dull yea because they are estranged from the Father of lightes they are blinded with darkenesse so that they do not thinke vpon thys that they shal remaine aliue after death And yet is not that lighte so queÌ„ched in darkenesse but that they be touched with some feling of immortalitie Surely the conscience which discerning betwene good and euil answereth the iudgement of God is an vndouted signe of an immortal Spirite For how could a motion without esseÌ„ce atteine to come to the iudgement seate of God and throwe it selfe into feare by finding her own giltinesse For the body is not moued with feare of a Spiritual peine but that falleth only vpoÌ„ the soule Wherby it foloweth that the soule hath an essence Moreouer the very knowledge of God doth proue that the soules which ascende vp aboue the world are immortal for a vanishing liuelinesse wer not able to atteine to the fountaine of lyfe Finalli forasmuch as so many excellent giftes wherwith mans minde is endowed do cry out that there is some diuine thing engrauen it there are euen so many testimonies of an immortal essence For that sense which is in brute beastes goeth not out of the body or at lest extendeth no further than to thyngs presently set before it But the nimblenesse of the minde of man which veweth the heauen and earth secretes of nature and comprehending all ages in vnderstandyng and memory digesteth euery thyng in order and gathereth thynges to come by thinges past doth playnly shewe that there lyeth hydden in man a certayne thing seuerall from the body We conceiue by vnderstanding the inuisible God and Angelles which the body can not doe We know thynges that be right iuste and honest which are hidden from the bodily senses Therefore it muste nedes be that the Spirite is the seate of thys vnderstandyng Yea and our slepe it selfe which astonieth a man and semeth to take life away froÌ„ him is a plaine witnesse of immortalitie forasmuch as it doth not only minister vnto vs thoughtes of those thinges that neuer were done but also foreknowinges of things for time to come I touch these thinges shortly which euen prophane writers do excellently sette oute with more gorgeous garnishment of wordes but with the godly reders a simple putting in minde of them shall be sufficient Nowe if the soule were not a certayne thing by it selfe seuerall from the body the Scripture would not teache that we dwell in houses of clay that by death we remoue out of the Tabernacle of the flesh that we do put of that which is corruptible that finally at the last day we may receiue rewarde euery man as he hathe behaued hymselfe in hys bodye For these places and other that we do eche where coÌ„monly light vpon do not only manifestly destinguish the soule from the body but also in geuing to the soule the name of

man do shew that it is the principall parte Now wheras Paul doth exhort the faithful to clense theÌ„selues from al defiling of the fleshe and the Spirite he maketh two partes of man wherein abydeth the filthinesse of sinne And Peter where he calleth Christ the shepeherde bishop of soules shold haue spoken fondly if there wer no soules about whom he might execute that office Neyther would that conuenientlye stande together which he saieth of the eternal saluation of soules and where he biddeth to clense our soules and where he sayeth that euil desires do fight against the soule and where the author of the Epistle to the Hebrues sayeth that the Pastors do watch that they may yelde accoÌ„pte for our soules vnlesse it were true that soules had a proper essence To the same purpose serueth it that Paule calleth God for witnesse to hys own soule because it could not be called in iudgemente before God vnlesse it were subiect to punishment And this is also more plainly expressed in the words of Christ when he biddeth vs to feare him which after that he hath killed the body can throw the soule into hel fier Now where the author of the Epistle to the Hebrues doth distinguishe the Fathers of our flesh from God which is the only Father of Spirites he woulde not otherwise more plainly affirme the essence of soules Moreouer if the soules remained not aliue being deliuered from the prisons of their bodies Christ should very fondly haue broughte in the soule of Lazarus ioying in the bosome of Abraham and againe the soule of the richman subiect to horrible tormentes The same thing doth Paul confirme wheÌ„ he teacheth that we wander abrod from God so long as we dwel in the flesh and that we enioy his presence being out of the flesh But because I wil not be long in a matter that is not obscure I wil adde only thys out of Luke that it is reckened amoÌ„g the errors of the Sadduces that they did not beleue that there were any Spirites and Angels Also a strong profe herof may be gathered of this where it is sayed that man is create lyke to the image of God For although the glory of God do appeare in the outwarde shape of man yet is it no doubte that the proper seate of the image of God is in the soule I do not deny that as concernyng our outwarde shape in asmuch as the same doeth distinguishe and seuer vs from brute bestes we doe also therein more nerely approche to God than they nether wil I much stand against theÌ„ which thinke that thys is to be accoÌ„pted of the image of God that where al other lyuynge creatures doo grouellyngwise beholde the grounde to man is geuen an vpright face and he is commaunded to loke vpon the heaueÌ„ and to aduaunce his countenaunce towarde the starres so that this remayn certain that the image of God whiche is seene appereth in these outward signes is spiritual For Osiander whom his writyngs declare to haue ben in fickle imaginations fondly witty referryng the image of God without difference as well to the body as to the soule mingleth heauen and earth togither For he saith that the Father the Son and the Holy ghost did settle their image in man because though Adam had stande without fallyng yet shuld Christe haue become man And so by their opinioÌ„ the body that was appointed for Christ was but an example or figure of that bodily shape whiche then was formed But where shall he fynde that Christe is the image of the Spirite I graunte in deede that in the Person of the Mediatour shyneth the glorye of the whole Godheade But howe shall the eternall woorde be called the image of the Spirite whom he goeth before in order Finally it ouerthroweth the distinction betwene the Sonne and the Holy ghost if he doo here call him his image Moreouer I would fayne learne of hym how Christe dooth resemble the Holy ghoste in the fleshe that he tooke vppon him and by what markes and features he doth expresse the likenesse of hym And where as this saying Let vs make man after our image dooth also belong to the Person of the Sonne it foloweth that he must be the image of himselfe whiche is against all reason Beside that if Osianders inuention be beleued man was fashioned onely after the figure paterne of Christ in that he was man and so that forme out of whiche Adam was taken was Christ in that that he was to bee clothed with fleshe where as the Scripture in a farre other meanyng teacheth that he was create in the image of God But their suttle inueÌ„tion is more colourable whiche doo thus expounde it that Adam was create in the image of God because he was fashioned like vnto Christe whiche is the only image of God But that exposition also is not souÌ„d Also som interpreters make a great disputation about Image Likenesse whyle they seke a difference betwene those two wordes where is no difference at al saying that this worde Likenesse is added to expouÌ„d the other First we knowe that amonge the Hebrues suche repetitions are common wherin they expresse one thyng twise and in the thyng it selfe there is no doubt but that man is therfore caled the image of God because he is like to God Wherby appereth that they are to be laughed at which doo so subtilly argue about the wordes whether they appoint Zelem that is to say Image in the substaunce of the soule or Demuth that is to say Likenesse in the qualities or what other thyng soeuer it be that they teache For where as God determined to create man after his own image this being somwhat darkly spoken he doth as by way of explication repete it in this saying After his likenesse as if he wolde haue said that he woulde make man in whom he would represent hym selfe as in an image because of the markes of likenesse grauen in him And therfore Moses a little after recityng the same thyng dooth repete the Image of God twise leauyng out the name of Likenesse And it is a triflyng obiection that Oseander maketh that not a parte of man or the soule onely with the giftes thereof is called the Image of God but the whole Adam whiche hadde his name geuen him of the earth from whense he was taken Triflyng I say will all readers that haue theyr sounde witte iudge this obiection For where whole man is called mortall yet is not the soule thereby made subiect to mortalitie Again where he is called a liuyng creature endued with reason it is not therby meant that the body hath reason and vnderstandyng Although therfore the soule is not the whole man yet is it not inconuenient that man in respecte of the soule be called the image of God albeit I holde still that principle whiche I haue before stablished that the Image of God extendeth to the whole excellence wherby

them of all abilitie of spirituall vnderstandyng Therefore he affirmeth that the faythful which embrace Christ are borne not of bloud or of the wil of the flesh or of man but of God As if he should saye fleshe is not capable of so hye wisedome to conceiue God and that which is Gods vnlesse it be lightened with the spirite of God As Christ testified that this was a special reuelation of the father that Peter did know him If we were perswaded of this whiche ought to be out of all controuersie that our nature wanteth all that whyche our heauenly father geueth to his electe by the spirite of regeneration then here were no matter to doubte vpon For thus speaketh the faythfull people in the Prophet For with thee is the fountayne of lyfe and in thy light we shal see light The Apostle testifieth the same thing wheÌ„ he saieth that no man can call Iesus the lorde but in the holy ghost And Iohn Baptist seyng the dulnesse of his disciples crieth out that no man can receiue any thyng vnlesse it be geuen him from aboue And that he meaneth by Gifte a speciall illumination and not a common gifte of nature appereth hereby that he complaineth that in so many wordes as he had spoken to tommende Christ to his Disciples he preuayled nothyng I see sayeth he that wordes are nothyng to informe mens mindes concernyng diuine thynges vnlesse the Lorde geue vnderstanding by his spirite Yea and Moses when he reprocheth the people wyth their forgetfulnesse yet noteth this withal that they can by no meanes growe wise in the misteries of God but by the benefite of God Thyne eyes sayeth he haue seene those greate tokens and wonders and the Lorde hath not geuen thee a heart to vnderstande nor eares to heare nor eyes to see What shoulde he expresse more yf he called vs blockes in consideryng the workes of God Whereupon the Lorde by the Prophete promiseth for a greate grace that he wyll geue the Israelites a hearte that they maye knowe hym signifiyng thereby that mans witte is onely so muche spiritually wyse as it is lightened by hym And this Christe plainely confirmed wyth hys owne mouthe when he sayeth that no manne can come to hym but he to whome it shal be geuen from the Father What is not he hym selfe the liuely Image of the Father in whome the whole bryghtnesse of his glorie is expressed vnto vs Therefore he coulde not better shewe what our power is to knowe god than when he sayeth that wee haue no eyes to see his Image where it is so openly sette presente before vs. What Came he not into the earth for this purpose to declare his Fathers wyll vnto menne And dyd he not faythfully dooe hys office Yes surely But yet nothynge is wroughte by hys preachynge vnlesse the inwarde Schoolemaster the holyghost set open the waye to our mindes Therefore none come to hym but they that haue heard and ben taught of the Father What maner waye of learnyng and hearyng is this Euen when the holy ghost by maruellous and singular vertue formeth the eares to heare and the mindes to vnderstande And leaste that should seme sâ—raung he allegeth the prophecie of Elaye where when he promiseth the repairyng of the church that they whych shall be gathered together to saluation shal be taught of the Lord. If god there foresheweth some peculiar thyng concernyng his electes it is euident that he speaketh not of that kinde of learnynge that was also common to the wicked and vngodly It remayneth therefore that we muste vnderstande it thus that the way into the kingdome of God is open to no man but to him to whom the holy ghost by his enlightening shal make a newe minde But Paule speaketh most playnely of all whiche of purpose entryng into discourse of this matter After he had condemned all mens wisedome of follie and vanitie vtterly brought it to naught at the laste concludeth thus that naturall man can not perceiue those thynges that are of the spirit of God they are foolishnesse vnto him and he can not vnderstande them bicause they are spiritually iudged Whome doeth he call naturall euen him that stayeth vpon the light of nature He I saye compreheÌ„deth nothing in the spiritual misteries of God Why so is it bicause by slouthfulnesse he neglecteth it Nay rather although he wold trauaile neuer so much he can do nothing bycause forsoth they are spiritually iudged What meaneth that bicause beyng vtterly hidden from the light of manâ— they are opened by the only reuelation of the spirite so that they are reckened for follie where the spirite of God geueth no light Before he had auaunced those thinges that God hath prepared for them that loue him aboue the capacitie of eyes eares and mindes Yea he testified that mans wisedome was as a certaine veile whereby mans minde was kepte from seyng God What meane we The Apostle pronounceth that the wisedome of this world is made folly by god and shal we forsoth geue vnto it sharpenesse of vnderstanding whereby it maye pearce to the secrete places of the heauenly kingdome Farre be such beastelinesse from vs. And so that whiche here he taketh awaye from menne in an other place in a prayer he geueth it to god alone God sayeth he and the father of glory geue to you the spirite of wisedome and reuelation Nowe thou hearest that all wisedome and reuelation is the gifte of god What followeth and lightene the eyes of your minde Surely yf they neede a newe reuelation then are they blinde of themselues yt foloweth after That ye maye knowe what is the hope of your calling c. Therefore he confesseth that the wittes of men are not capable of so great vnderstandyng to knowe their owne callyng And let not some Pelagian babble here that god doth remedie that dulnesse or vnskilfulnesse when by the doctrine of his worde he directeth maÌ„s vnderstanding whether without a guide he could not haue atteined For Dauid had a lawe wherein was comprehended al the wisedome that maye be desired and yet not contented with that he requireth to haue his eyes opened that he maye consider the misteries of the same lawe By whiche speache truely he secretly sayeth that the sunne ryseth vpon the earth where the worde of God shineth to men but they get not muche thereby vntill he himselfe that is therefore called the father of lightes do geue them or open their eyes bicause where so euer he shineth not with his spirit al things are possessed with darknesse So the Apostles were wel largely taught by the best schoole-master yet if they had not needed the spirite of trueth to instruct their mindes in that same doctrine which they had hearde before he wold not haue bidden them loke for him If the thing that we aske of God we doe thereby confesse that we wante and God in that that he promiseth

by the tenor of the text wher it by by after foloweth that we are his people the flocke of his pastures we see now howe he not contended simply to haue geuen to God the praise of our saluation doth expresly exclude vs froÌ„ all felowshipe with him as if he would saye that ther resteth no pece be it neuer so lyttle for man to glorie in bicause it is all of God But ther will be some peraduenture that will graunt that Will beynge of her owne nature turned away from good is conuerted by the only power of the Lord but so that beinge prepared before it hath also her owne parte in doinge as Augustin teacheth that grace goeth before euerye good worke but so that will dothe accompanie it and not leade it as a waytinge maide after it not a forgoer Whiche thynge beinge not euell spoken by the holy man Peter Lombarde doth disordrely wriâ—he to this purpose But I affirme that as wel in the wordes of the Prophete whiche I haue alleged as in the other places these two thinges be plainely signified that the Lorde dothe bothe correcte oure corrupted will or rather destroie it also of himselfe putteth in place thereof of a good will In as muche as it is preuented by grace in that respect I geue you leaue to call it a Wayting maide but for that beinge reformed it is the worke of the Lord this is wrongfully geuen to man that he doth with wil comming after obey grace going before Therfore it is not well written of Chrysostome that neither grace wtout will nor will without grace can worke any thing as if grace did not worke very will it selfe as euen nowe we haue seen by Paule Neither was it Augustines purpose when he called mans will the wayting mayde of grace to assigne vnto her a certaine second office in doing a good worke but bicause this only was his entent to confute the wicked doctrine of Pelagius whiche did set the principal cause of saluation in mans deseruing therfore he stode only vpoÌ„ this point that grace was before al deseruing which was sufficiente for the matter that he then had in hand not medlinge in the meane time with the other question coÌ„cerning the perpetuall effect of grace which yet in an other place be excellently wel handleth For sometimes when he saith that the lord doth preuent the vnwilling that hee maye will and foloweth the wyllynge that he wyll not in vayne he maketh him altogether the whole authour of the good worke Albeit his senteÌ„ces touchyng this matter are to plaine to neede any loÌ„g arguyng vpon them Men sayeth he doe labour to finde in our will something that is our owne not of God but how it may be founde I know not And in his first boke against Pelagius Celestius where he doth expound that saying of Christ â–ª Euery one that hath hearde of my father cometh to me he sayth Freewill is so holpen not only that it maye knowe what is to be done but also maye doe it when it hath knoweÌ„ it And so when God teacheth not by the letter of the law but by the grace of the spirit he so teacheth that he that hath learned doth not only see it in knowyng but also desire it in willing and performe it in doyng And bicause we are now in hand with the chiefe point wherupon the mater hangeth let vs go forward proue the summe therof to the reders only with a fewe the most playne testimonies of the scripture And then leaste any man should accuse vs of wrongfull wresting the Scripture let vs shew that the trueth which we affirme beyng takeÌ„ out of the Scripture wanteth not the testimonie of this holy man I meane Augustine For I thinke it not expedient that all the thinges be rehersed that may be brought out of the Scriptures for coÌ„firmation of our meanyng so that by the moste chosen that shal be brought forth the way may be prepared to vnderstand al the rest that are here and there coÌ„monly red And agayne I thinke it shall not be vnfitly done if I openly shewe that I agree well with that man whom worthyly the consent of godly men doth much esteme Surely it is euideÌ„t by plaine certaine profe that the beginning of goodnesse is from no where els but only from God for there can not be founde a will bent to good but in the elect But the cause of election is to be sought out of man Whereupon foloweth that man hath not right Will of him selfe but it procedeth from the same good pleasure whereby we are electe before the creatioÌ„ of the world There is also an other reason not vnlike vnto yt. For wheras the beginning of willing doyng wel is of faith it is to be seene whense saith it self cometh For asmuch as the whole Scripture crieth out that it is a free gift of God it foloweth that it is of the mere grace of God when we which are with al our minde naturally bent to euell beginne to will that which is good Therefore the lord when he nameth these two thinges in the coÌ„uersioÌ„ of his people to take away from them a stony heart and to geue theÌ„ a heart of flesh plainly testifieth that that which is of our selues must be done away that we may be conuerted to righteousnesse and that what so euer cometh in place therof is from himself And he vttereth not this in one place only For he sayth in Ieremie I wil geue them one heart one way that they maye feare me al their dayes And a litle after I will geue the feare of my name into their heart that they departe not froÌ„ me Agayne in Ezechiel I wil geue them one heart and I wil geue a newe spirite in their bowels I will take away the stony heart out of their flesh and I will geue them a heart of flesh He coulde not more euidently clayme to himselfe and take from vs what so euer is good and right in our will than when he declareth that our conuersion is a creation of a newe spirite and of a newe heart For it followeth alwaye that bothe out of our will proceedeth no goodnesse till it be reformed and that after reformation so muche as it is good is of God and not of vs. And so reade we the prayers of holy meÌ„ne made to that effecte as The Lorde incline our heart to him sayeth Salomon that we maye kepe his commaundementes He sheweth the frowardenesse of our heart whiche naturally reioyseth to rebell agaynste the lawe of God if it be not boowed And the same thyng is in the Psalme Lorde incline my heart to thy testimonies For the comparison of contrarietie is alwaye to be noted whyche is betwene the peruerse motion of the heart whereby it is carried to obstinatie and this correction whereby it is led to obedience When David feelyng him selfe for a tyme

which is incomprehensible The seconde part forbiddeth vs to honor any images for religious sake Morouer he shortly reciteth al the formes wherwith he was wont to be expressed in shape by the prophane and superstitious nations By those thinges that are in heauen he meaneth the Sunne the Moone and other Starres and paraduenture also birdes as expressyng his meanyng in the fourth of Deuteronomie he meaneth as well birdes as starres Whiche note I would not haue spoken of but that I sawe some vnskilfully to applie it to Angeles Therfore I omitte the other partes bicause they are sufficiently knowen of themselues And we haue already in the first boke taught plainely enough that what so euer visible formes of God man doth inuent they are directly contrarie to his nature and that therfore so sone as images come sorth true religion is corrupted and defiled The penall ordinance that foloweth ought not a litle to auayle to shake of our slouthfulnesse For he threteneth That he is the Lord our God a yelous God that visiteth the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children vnto the thirde and fourth generation in them that hate his name and sheweth mercie vnto thousandes to them that loue him and kepe his commaundementes This is as much in effect as yf he should haue sayde that it is he only vpon whome we ought to ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ And to brynge vs thereunto he speaketh of his power that doth not without punishment suffer it selfe to be contemned or diminished Here is in deede let the name El whyche signifieth God Eut bicause it is deriued of strength do expresse the sense the better I did not sticke so to translate it or to put it into the texte Then he calleth himselfe â—elous that can abide no fellow Thirdly he affirmeth that he will be a reuenger of his maiestie and glorie yf any doe transferre it to creatures or to grauen images and that not with a short or sclender reuenge but suche as shall extend to the chyldren and chylderns children and childrens childrens children that is suche as shal be â—oâ—owers of their fathers vngodlinesse as also he sheweth a perpetuall mercie and bountifulnesse vnto longe continuance of posteritie to those that loue him and kepe his lawe It is a common manner with God to take vpon him the persone of a husband towarde vs. For the conuinction wherewith he bindeth himself vnto vs when he receiueth vs into the bosome of his church is like vnto a certaine holy wedlock that muste stande by mutuall faythfulnesse As he dothe all the duties of a faythfull and true husbande so agayne he requireth of vs suche loue and chastitie as ought to be in wedlocke that we yelde not our soules to Satan to lust and to filthy desires of the flesh to be defiled by them Wherupon he that rebuketh the Apostasie of the Iewes coÌ„plaineth that they did throwe away chastitie were defiled with adulteries Therfore as the husband the more holy chast that he himselfe is the more is he kindled to anger yf he see his wiues minde encline to a strang louer so the lord that hath wedded vs vnto himself in truthe testifieth that hath a most feruently burnyng ialousie so oft as neglecting the purenesse of his holly mariage we are defiled with wicked lustes but specially then when we traÌ„sferre to any other or do inâ—ectt with any superstition the worship of his name whiche ought to be most vncorrupted For asmuch as by this meane we doe not only breake the faith geuen in wedlocke but also do defile the very weddyng bed with bryngyng into it adulterers In the thretening is to be seen what he meaneth by this when he sayth that he will visit the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third fourth generation For biside that it staÌ„deth not with the equitie of gods iustice to punish yâ— innocent for an others offence God him self also sayth that he will not make the sonne to beare the wickednesse of the father But this sentence is more than ones repeted of prolongyng the punnishmente of the sinnes of the auncelters vpon the generations to come For so doth Moses oftentimes speake vnto him Lord lord â–ª that rendrest the iniquitie of the fathers to the children vnto the third fourth generatioÌ„ Likewise Ieremie Thou that shewest mercie in thousandes that rendrest the iniquitie of the fathers into the bosome of the children after them Many while they trauaile much in losyng this knot thinke that it is to be vnderstaÌ„ded only of temporall punishmentes whiche if the children suffer for the parentes faultes it is no absurditie for asmuch as they are ofteÌ„times layed vpon theÌ„ for their saluation which is in deede true For Elaye declared to Ezechias that his sonnes shuld be spoiled of the kingdome caried into exile for the sinne that he had coÌ„mitted The houses of Pharao Abimelech were plaged for offending AbrahaÌ„ But when that is alledged for assoiling of this question it is rather a shift than a true exposition For here in like places he threteneth a more greuous reuenge than that it may be limited within the boundes of this present life It is therfore thus to be taken that the iust curse of the Lord lieth not only vpoÌ„ the head of the wicked maÌ„ himself but also vpoÌ„ his whole familie when the curse ones lieth vpon them what is els to be loked for but that the father being destitute of the spirit of God liue most wickedly the sonne likewise forsaken of the lord for the fathers fault do follow the same way of destruction finally the childes childe the childe of the childes childe that cursed seede of detestable meÌ„ do fal hedlong after theÌ„ First let vs see whether such reuenge be vnsemely for the iustice of God If al the nature of maÌ„ be daÌ„nable we know that destruction is prepared for theÌ„ to whoÌ„ the lord vouchsaueth not to coÌ„municate his grace Neuer the lesse thei do perish by their owne vnrighteousnesse not by vnrighteous hatred of God Neither is there left any cause to quarel why they be not holpeÌ„ by the grace of God to saluation as other are Wheras therfore this punishmeÌ„t is laied vpoÌ„ wicked meÌ„ euel doers for their offenses that their houses be depriued of that grace of God during many generatioÌ„s who caÌ„ accuse God for this most iust reueÌ„ge But the Lord on the other side pronouÌ„ceth that the punishment of the fathers sinne shal not passe ouer vnto the sonne Note what is ther entreated of â—heÌ„ the Israelites had beÌ„ long coÌ„tinually vexed with many calamities thei began to vse â—or a Prouerbe that theire fathers had eateÌ„ a sower grape wherwith the childrens teeth were set on edge wherby thei meant that their fathers had coÌ„mitted sinnes wherof thei being otherwise righteous not deseruing it did suffer yâ— punishmeÌ„t rather by â— vnappeaâ—able wrathfulnesse of God thaÌ„ by a

freewoman is a figure of the heauenly Hierusalem from whense procedeth the gospell That as the seede of Agar is borne bonde whiche maye neuer come to the inheritance and the seede of Sara is â—orne free to whome the inheritaunce is due so by the lawe we are made subiect to bondage by the Gospell onely we are regenerate into freedome But the summe commeth to this effecte that the olde testamente dyd stricke into consciences feare and tremblinge but by the beneâ—ite of the newe testament it commeth to passe that thei are made ioyefull The olde did holde consciences bounde vnto the yoke of boudage by the lyberalitie of the newe thei are discharged of bondage and brought into freedome But if oute of the people of Israel thei obiect againste vs the holy fathers who sithe it is euident that they were endued wyth the same spirit that we are it foloweth that thei were also partakers both of the selfe same freedome and ioye We answer that neither of bothe came of the lawe But that when thei felte them selues by the lawe to be both oppressed with estate of bondage and weried with vnâ—â—â—eâ—es of conscience they sâ—ed to the succoure of the Gospell and that therefore it was a peculiar frute of the newe testament that beside the common lawe of the olde testament they wer exempted from these euels Moreouer we wyll denye that they were so endewed wyth the spirit of freedome assurednesse that they did not in some part fele both seare and bondage by the lawe For howe soeuer they enioyed that prerogatiue whyche they had obteined by grace of the Gospell yet were they subiect to the same bondes and bâ—rdens of obseruation that the common people were Sithe therefore they were compelled to the carefull keeping of those ceremonies whyche were the signes of a scholing muche like vnto bondage and the handewritinges whereby they confessed them selues gylty of synne did not discarge them from being bonde it maye rightfully be saide that in comparison of vs they were vnder the testament of bondage and feare while wee haue respecte to that common ordre of dystribution that the Lorde then vsed wyth the people of Israel The three laste comparisons that we haue recited are of the lawe and the Gospell Wherfore in them by the name of the Olde testament is meant the Lawe by the name of the Nwe testament is meant the Gospell The fyrste stretched further for it comprehendeth vnder it the promises also that were published before the lawe butte whereas Augustine denyeth that they oughte to be reckened vnder the name of the olde testament therein he thought very well and meant euen the same thynge that we do nowe teache for hee hadde regarde to those saâ—enges of Hieremie and Paule where the olde testament is seuered from the woorde of mercye and grace And thys also hee very aptelye adioyueth in the same place that the chyldren of promise regenerate of God whyche by faythe woorkynge throughe loue haue obeyed the commaundements do from the beginning of the worlde belong to the newe testament and that in hope not of fleshly earthly and temporall â–ª but spiritual heauenly and eternal good thinges principally beleuing in the mediatore by whome thei doubted noâ— that the spirite was not munstred vnto them bothe to do good to haue pardon so oft as they sinned For the same thinge it is that I minded to affirme that all the Sainctes whome the Scripture reherseth to haue been from the beginning of the worlde chosen by God were partakers of the selfe same blessing with vs vnto eternal saluation This difference therfore is betwene oure diuision and Augustines that oures according to that sayeng of Christe The lawe and the Prophetes were vnto Ihon from thenseforthe the kingdome of God is preached dothe make distinction betweene the clerenesse of the Gospell and the darker dystribution of the woorde that wente before and Augustine doothe onely â—ouer the weakenesse of the lawe from the strength of the Gospell And here also is to be noted concerning the holy fathers that they so liued vnder the olde testamente that they steyed not there but allwaye aspired to the newe yea and imbraced the assured partakinge thereof For the Apostle condemneth them of blindenesse and accursednesse whiche beinge contented with present shadowes did not streâ—ch vp their minde vnto Christe For to speake nothinge of the rest what greater blindenesse can be imagined than to hope for the purginge of sinne by the killinge of a beast than to secke for the cleansing of the soule in outward sprinkling of water than to seeke to appease God with colde ceremonies as thoughe he were muche delited therewith For to all these absurdities do thei fall that sticke fast in the obseruations of the lawe without respect of Christe The fifth dyfference that we may adde lyeth in this that vntill the comming of Christe the Lorde had chosen out one nation within why the he woulde keepe seuerall the couenant of his grace When the hyest did dystribute the nations when he deuided the sonnes of Adam saith Moses his people fell to his possession Iacob the corde of his inheritance In an other place he thus speaketh to the people Beholde the heauen and earth and all that is in it are the Lord thy Gods He cleaned onely to thy fathers he loued them to choose their sede after them euen your selues oute of all nations Therefore hee voâ—tchesaued to graunte the knoweledge of hys name to that people onely as yf they onely of all men belonged vnto hym he layed hys couenant as it were in theyr bosome to them he openli shewed the presence of his Godhed them he honored with all prerogatiues Butte to omitte the reste of his beneâ—ites and speake that whiche onely here is to oure purpose he bounde them to hym by the communycatynge of his woorde that hee might be called and coâ—mpted their God In the meane season he suffered other nations to walke in vanitie as though they had not any enter course or any thynge to do wyth hym neither dyd he to helpe their destruction euen them that which was onely the remedie namely the preachinge of hys woorde Therefore Israel was then the Lordes sonne that was hys derlynge other were straungers Israell was knowen to hym and receyued into hys charge and protection other mere leâ—te to their owne darkenesse Israell was sanctified by God other were prophane Israell was honoured wyth the presence of God other were excluded from comming nye vnto him But when the fullnesse of time was come appointed for the restoringe of all men and that same reconciler of God and men was deliuered in deede the particion was plucked downe whiche had so longe holden the mercye of God enclosed within the boundes of Israel and peace was preached to them that were farre of euen as to them that were nere adioyned that being together reconciled to God they might growe into one people Wherefore

nature of man with the nature of God that he might yelde the one subiect to death to satisfie for sinnes and by the power of the other he might wrastle with death get victorie for vs. They therfore that spoile Christ eyther of his godhed or of his manhode do in deede eyther diminishe his maiestie glory or obscure his goodnesse but on the other side they do no lesse wrong vnto meÌ„ whose faith they do thereby weaken and ouerthrowe which can not stande but restyng vpon this fundation Byside that it was to be hoped that the Redemer should be the sonne of Abraham and Dauid whyche God had promised in the lawe and the Prophetes Wherby the godly mindes do gather this other frute that beyng by the very course of his pedigree brought to Dauid and Abraham they do the more certainely knowe that this is the same Christ that was spoken of by so many oracles But this whiche I euen now declared is principally to beholden in mynde that the common nature betwene him and vs is a pledge of our felowship with the sonne of God that he clothed with our flesh vaÌ„quished death sinne together that the victorie so might be oures and the triuÌ„ph oures that he offred vp for sacrifice the flesh that he receyued of vs that hauyng made satisfaction he might wype away our giltinesse and appease the iust wrath of his father He that shal be diligently hedefull in coÌ„sidering these things as he ought wil easily neglect those waÌ„dryng speculatioÌ„s that â—auish vnto them light spirites desirous of noueltie of which sort is that Christ shuld haue ben maÌ„ although there had ben no neede of remedie to redeme maÌ„kinde I graunt that in the first degree of creation in â—he state of nature vncorrupted he was set as head ouer Angels and meÌ„ For which cause Paule calleth him the first begotten of al creatures ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ sithe al the Scripture crieth out that he was clothed with flesh that he might be the Redemer it is to much rashe presumptioÌ„ to imagine any other cause or end To what end Christ was promised froÌ„ the beginning it is well enough knoweÌ„ eue to restore the world falleÌ„ in ruine and to succour men beyng lost Therefore vnder the law the image of him was set forth in sacrifices to make the faythful to hope that God would be mercyfull to them when after satisfaction made for sinne he should be reconciled But whereas in all ages euen when the law was not yet published the Mediatour was neuer promised without blood we gather that he was apointed by the eternal counsell of God to purge the filthinesse of men for that the shedyng of bloud is a tokeÌ„ of expiation The Prophetes so preached of hym that they promised that he should be the recoÌ„ciler of God and men That one specially notable testimonie of Esaye shall suffice vs for all where he fortelleth that he shal be stricken with the hande of God for the sinnes of the people that the chastisement of peace should be vpon him and that he should be a priest that should offer vp himself for sacrifice that of his wouÌ„des should come health to other and that bicause al haue strayed and ben scattered abrode like shepe therfore it pleased God to punish him that he might beare the iniquities of all Sithe we heare that Christe is properly apointed by God to help wretched sinners who so euer passeth beyond these boundes he doth to much follow foolish curiositie Nowe when himself was ones come he affirmed this to be the cause of his coÌ„myng to appease God and gather vs vp from death into life The same thyng did the Apostles testifie of him So Iohn before that he teacheth that the Worde was made fleshe declareth of the fallyng awaye of manne But he himselfe is to be hearde before all when he speaketh thus of his owne office So God loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that who so euer beleueth in him shuld not perish but haue euerlasting life Againe The houre is come that the dead shall heare the voice of the sonne of God and they that heare it shal liue I am the resurrection and life he that beleueth in me although he be dead shall liue Agayne The sonne of maÌ„ cometh to saue that whiche was lost Agayne The whole neede not a Physician I should neuer make an ende if I should reherse all The Apostles do all with one consent call vs to this fountayne And truely if he had not come to reconcile God the honor of the priesthode shoulde haue come to nought For asmuche as the priest apointed meane betwene God and man to make intercessioÌ„ and he should not be our righteousnesse bicause he was made a sacrifice for vs that God should not impute sinnes vnto vs. Finally he shoulde be spoyled of all the honorable titles wherewith the Scripture doth set him out And also that sayeng of Paule should proue vaine that that whiche was impossible to the law God hath sent his owne sonne that in likenesse of the flesh of sinne he shoulde satisfie for vs. Neyther will this stande that he teacheth in an other place that in this glasse appered the goodnesse of God his infinite goodnesse toward men when Christ was geuen to be the Redemer Finally the scripture euery where assigneth no other ende why the sonne of God would take vpon him our fleshe also receiued this coÌ„maundement of his father but to be made a sacrifice to appease his father toward vs. So it is written and so it behoued that Christ should suffer repentance be preached in his name Therfore my father loueth me bycause I geue my lyfe for the shepe this commaundement he gaue me As Moses lifted vp the Serpent in the desert so must the sonne of man be lifted vp In an other place Father saue me froÌ„ this houre But I am therfore come euen to this houre Father glorifie thy sonne Where he plainly speaketh of the end why he toke fleshe that he might be a sacrifice and satisfaction to do awaye sinne After the same sort doth Zacharie pronounce that he came according to the promise geuen to the fathers to geue light to them that sate in the shadow of death Let vs remember that all these thinges are spoken of the sonne of God in whome Paule in an other place testifieth that all the treasures of knowledge and wisedome are hidden and byside whome he glorieth that he knoweth nothing If anye manne take exception and saye that none of all these thinges proue the contrarie but that the same Christ that redemed men beyng daÌ„ned might also in puttyng on their flesh testifie his loue toward theÌ„ beyng preserued safe The answer is short that for asmuch as the holy ghost pronounceth that by the eternal decree of God these two thynges were ioyned together that Christ should be our redemer

appeareth sufficiently though it were but by this that while we muste liue in warfare vnder the crosse during the whole course of oure life our estate is harde and miserable what then sholde it profite vs to be gathered together vnder the dominion of a heauenly kinge vnlesse we wer certaine to enuy the frute therof out of the state of this earthly life And therefore it is to be knowen that whatsoeuer felicitie is promised vs in Christ it consisteth not in outward coÌ„modities that we shold leade a merry and quiet life florish in wealth be assured from al harmes flowe full of those deliteful thinges that the flesh is wont to desire but that it wholy belongeth to the heauenly lyfe But as in the worlde the prosperous desired state of the people is partly mainteyned by plentie of good thinges and peace at home and partely by strong forceable defenses wherby it maie be safe against outward violence so Christe also dothe enriche his with all thynges necessarie to eternall saluation of soules and fortifieth them with strength by whiche thei mai stande inuincible against al assaultes of spiritual enemies Whereby we gather that he reigneth more for vs than for himself and that both within without that being furnished so farr as God knoweth to be expedient for vs with the gyftes of the spirite wherof we are naturally empty we maie by these fyrste frutes perceaue that we are truely ioyned to God vnto perfect blesednesse And then that bearinge vs bolde vpon the power of the same spirit we may not doubt that we shall alwaie haue the victorie against the Deuell the worlde and euery kinde of hurtfull thinge To thys purpose tendeth the a unswer of Christe to the Pharises that bicause the kingedome of God is with in vs it shal not come with obseruation For it is likely that bicause he professed that hee was the same kinge vnder whome the souereigne blessinge of God was to be hoped for they in scorne requyred hym to shewe fourth his signes But hee bycause thei who otherwise are to muche bent to the earth shoulde not foolishly rest vpon worldly pompes byddeth them to enter into their owne consciences bycause the kingdome of God is righteousnesse peace and ioye in the holy ghosâ—e Hereby we are breefely taughte what the kingedome of Christ auayleth vs. For bycause it is not earthly or fleshly subiecte to corruption but spirituall he lifteth vs vp euen to eternall lyfe that we maie patienth passe ouer this life in miseries hunger cold coÌ„tempt reproches and other greues contented with this one thinge that oure king will neuer leaue vs destitute but succoure vs in oure necessities till hauing ended oure warre we be called to triumph For suche is his manner of reigning to communicate with vs all that he hathe recâ—iued of his father Nowe whereas he armeth and furnisheth vs wyth power and garnisheth vs with beautie magnificens enricheth vs with wealth hereby is ministred vnto vs moste plentyfull matter to glorie vpon also bold courage to fight without feare against the Deuell sinne and death Finally that clothed with hys righteousnes wee may valiantly ouercome al the reproches of the world and as he liberally filleth vs with his giftes so we againe for oure parte may bring forth frute to his glorye Therfore his kingly anointing is set forth vnto vs not done with oyle or ointmeÌ„tes made with spices but he is called the anointed of god bicause vpoÌ„ him hath rested the spirit of wisdome vnderstaÌ„ding couÌ„sel strength and feare of God Thys is the oyle of gladnesse wherewpth the Psalme reporteth that he was annoynted aboue his fellowes bicause if there were not suche excellencie in hym we shoulde be all needy and hungry For as it is already saide hee is not priuately enriched for hym selfe but â—o poure his plentie vpon vs being hungry and drie For as it is sayde that the father gaue the spirite to his sonne not by measure so there is expressed a reason why that all we shoulde receiue of his fulnesse and grace for grace Oute of which fountaine floweth that liberall geuinge whereof Paule maketh mention whereby grace is diuersly distributed to the faithful according to the measure of the gyfte of Christe Hereby is that whiche I saide sufficiently confyrmed that the kyngedome of Christ consisteth in the spirite not in earthly delytes or pompes and therefore we muste forsake the woorlde that we maye be partakers of it A visible signe of this holy anoyntinge was shewed in the baptisme of Christe when the holy ghooste rested vpon him in the lykenesse of a doue That the holy ghooste and hys gyftes are meante by the woorde Anoyntinge oughte to seeme neither noueltie nor absurditie For we are none other waie quickened specially for so muche as concerneth the heauenly lyfe there is no droppe of lyuely force in vs but that whiche the holy ghoste poureth into vs whyche hathe chosen his seate in Christe that from thense the heauenly rychesse mighte largely flowe oute vnto vs whereof wee are so neady And whereas bothe the faythfull stande inuincible by the strengthe of their king also his spiritual richesse plenteously flow out vnto them thei are not vnwoorthyly called Christians But this eternitie wherof we haue spoken is nothynge derogate by that sayeng of Paule Then he shall yelde vp the kyngdome to God and the Father Againe â–ª the sonne hym selfe shall be made subiecte that God maye be all in all thynges for hys meaninge is nothynge els but that in that same perfect glorie the administration of the kyngedome shall not bee suche as it is nowe For the father hathe geuen all power to the sonne that by the sonnes hande he maye gouerne cherishe and susteine vs defende vs vnder hys sauegarde and helpe vs. So whyle for a lyttle time we are waueringe abroade from God Christ is the meane betweene God and vs by lyttle and lyttle to brynge vs to perfect conioyning wyth God And truely whereas he sytteth on the right hande of the father that is as muche in effecte as yf hee were called the fathers deputee vnder whome is the whole power of his dominion bycause it is Gods will to rule and defende hys Churche by a meane as I maie so call it in the person of hys Sonne As also Paule dothe expounde it in the fyrste chapiter to the Ephesians that he was sette at the ryght hande of the father to be the heade of the Churche whyche is his body And to no other meanynge tendeth that whyche hee teacheth in an other place that there is geuen hym a name aboue all names that in the name of Iesus all knees shoulde bowe and all tongues confesse that it is to the glorie of God the Father For euen in the same woordes also hee setteth oute in the kingedome of Christe an ordre necessarye for oure presente weakenesse So Paule gathereth ryghtely that God shall then bee by

prophetes manners of speaking are to be noted as A child is borne to vs. Again Reioce the daughter of SioÌ„ behold thy king coÌ„meth to thee Also that confyrmation of loue shoulde be very colde whyche Paule setteth oute that Christe suffered deathe for his enemies For therevpon we gather that he had no respect of himselfe that same he plainely affirmeth in saieng I sanctifie my selfe for them For he that geueth awaie the frute of his holynesse vnto other doth thereby testifie that he purchaceth nothing for hymselfe And truely this is moste worthyly to be noted that Christe to geue him selfe wholy to saue vs did after a certaine manner forget himselfe But to thys purpose thei doe wrongfully drawe this testimonie of Paule Therefore the father hath exalted him geueÌ„ him a name c. For by what deseruinges coulde man obteine to be iudge of the worlde and the heade of the Angeles and to enioye the soueraigne dominion of God and that in hym shoulde rest that same maiestie the thousandth parte whereof all the powers of men and Angeles can not reache vnto But the solution thereof is easy and playne that Paule doth not ther entreate of the cause of exalting of Christe but onely to shewe the effect ensuing thereof that it might be for an example to vs. And no other thing is meant by that whiche is spoken in an other place that it behoued that Christe shold suffer and so enter into the glorie of his Father The thirde booke of the Institution of Christian Religion Whiche entreateth of the manner howe to receiue the grace of Christ and what profites do growe vnto vs and what effectes ensue thereof The fyrste Chapter That those thinges which are spoken of Christ do profite vs by secret working of the holy Ghoste NOwe it is to be seen howe those good thinges doe come vnto vs whiche the Father hathe geuen to his only begotten Sonne not for his own priuate vse but to enriche them that were without them needed them And fyrste this is to be learned that so longe as Christe is oute of vs and we be seuered from him whatsoeuer he suffered or dyd for the saluation of mankinde is vnprofitable and nothinge auayleth for vs. Therefore that he maye enterparten wyth vs those thinges that he hathe receiued of hys Father it behoueth that he become oures and dwell in vs. And for that cause he is called our heade and the fyrste begotten amonge many brethren and on the other side it is saide that we are graffed into him and did putte on hym For as I haue before saide all that euer he possesseth belongeth nothinge to vs vntyll we growe together into one with hym But although it be true that wee obteyne thys by faythe yet forasmuche as we see that not al without dyfference do embrace this enterpartening of Christe whyche is offered by the Gospel therefore very reason teacheth vs to clymbe vp hyer and to enquire of the secret effectuall workinge of the Spirite by whyche it is brought to passe that we enioye Christe and all his good thynges I haue before entreated of the eternall godhede and essence of the Spirit at thys present let vs be content wyth thys one speciall article that Christe so came in water and bloode that the Spirite shoulde testifie of hym leaste the saluation that he hathe purchaced shold slippe awaie from vs. For as there are alleged three witnesses in heauen the Father the Worde and the Spirit so are there also three in earth Water Bloode the Spirit And not without cause is the testimonie of the Spirite twise repeted whiche we feele to bee engrauen in oure heartes in steede of a seale whereby commeth to passe that it sealeth the washinge and sacrifice of Christ. After whiche meaninge Peter also saith that the faythfull are chosen in santification of the spirit vnto obedience and sprynkling of the blood of Christ. By whiche woordes he telleth vs that to the entent the shedinge of that holy bloode shoulde not become voyde oure soules are cleansed wyth it by the secrete wateringe of the holy Spirite According whervnto Paule also speakinge of cleansinge and iustification saieth that we are made partakers of them bothe in the name of Iesus Christe and in the Spirite of oure God Finally thys is the summe that the holy Spyrite is the bonde wherewyth Christe effectually byndeth vs vnto hym For proofe whereof also do serue all that wee haue taughte in the laste booke before thys concernynge hys anoyntynge But that this being a matter specially worthy to be knowen may be made more certainly euident we must holde this in minde that Christ came furnished with the holy Spirit after a certaine peculiar manner to the ende that he might seuer vs from the worlde and gather vs together into the hope of an eternal inheritance For this cause he is called the Spirit of sanctification bicause he doth not onely quicken and nourish vs with that general power which appeareth as wel in mankinde as in all other liuinge creatures but also is in vs the roote and feede of heauenly life Therefore the Prophetes do principally coÌ„mend the kingdome of Christe by this title of prerogatiue that then shoulde florishe more plentifull aboundance of the Spirit And notable aboue all the rest is that place of Ioel In that day I will poure of my Spirit vpon al fleshe For though the Prophet there seeme to restraine the giftes of the Spirit to the office of prophecieng yet vnder a figure he meaneth that God by the enlightning of his Spirite will make those his scholers whyche before were vnskilfull and voyde of all heauenly doctrine Nowe forasmuche as God the Father dothe for his Sonnes sake geue vs his holy Spirit yet hathe left with him the whole fulnesse thereof to the ende that he shoulde be a minister and distributer of his liberalitie he is sometime called the Spirite of the Father and sometime the Spirite of the Sonne Ye are not saith Paule in the fleshe but in the Spirit for the Spirit of God dwelleth in you But if any haue not the spirit of Christe he is not his And herevpon he putteth vs in hope of ful renuing for that he which raised vp Christ from the deade shall quicken our mortall bodies bicause of his Spirit dwelling in vs. For it is not absurditie that to the Father bee ascribed the praise of his owne giftes whereof he is the author yet that the same be ascribed to Christe with whome the giftes of the Spirite are lefte that he maie geue them to those that be his Therefore he calleth all them that thirste to come to him to drynke And Paule teacheth that the Spirit is distributed to euery one according to the measure of the gifte of Christ. And it is to be knowen that he is called the Spirite of Christ not onely in respect that the eternall Worde of God is

with the same Spirit ioyned with the Father but also according to his person of mediator bicause if he had not had that power he had come to vs in vaine After whiche meaning he is called the seconde Adam geuen froÌ„ heauen to be a quickning Spirit whereby Paule compareth the singular life that the sonne of God breatheth into them that be his that thei may be alone with hym with the natural life that is also common to the reprobate Likewise where he wissheth to the faithful the fauoure of Christ and the loue of God he ioyneth withall the common partaking of the Spirit without which no man can tast neither of the fatherly fauoure of God nor of the bountifulnesse of Christe As also he saith in an other place The loue of God is poured out into oure heartes by the holy Spirite that is geuen vs. And here it shal be profitable to note wyth what titles the Scripture setteth out the holy Spirite where it entreateth of beginninge and whole restoring of oure saluation Fyrste he is a called the Spirit of adoption bicause he is a wytnesse vnto vs of the free goodwil of God wherewyth God the Father hathe embraced vs in hys beloued onely begotten Sonne that he might be a father vnto vs and doth encourage vs to praie boldly yea and dothe minister vs wordes to crie with oute feare Abba Father by the same reason hee is called the earnest pledge and seale of our inheritance bicause he so geueth life from heauen to vs wandringe in the worlde and being like to deade men that we maie be assured that oure soule is in safegarde vnder the faithefull keping of God for which cause he is also called life by reasoÌ„ for righteousnesse And forasmuch as by his secret watering he maketh vs frutfull to brynge forth the buddes of righteousnesse he is oftentimes called water as in Esaie All ye that thyrste come to the waters Againe I will poure out my spirit vpon the thyrsty and stoodes vpon the drie land wherewith agreeth that sayeng of Christ which I did euen now allege If any thyrste let him come to me Albeit sometime he is so called by reason of his power to purge and cleanse as in Ezechiell where the Lord promiseth cleane waters wherwith he wil washe his people from fylthinesse And forasmuch as herestoreth norisheth into liuely quicknes them vpoÌ„ whom he hath poured the liquore of hys grace he is therefore called by the name of oyle and anoyntement Agayne bycause in continually seethynge oute and burninge vp the vices of oure luste hee setteth oure heartes on fyre wyth the loue of God and zeele of godlynesse he is also for thys effect worthyly called fyre Finally he is described vnto vs as a fountaine from whense do flowe vnto vs all heauenly rychesse or the hande of God wherewyth he vseth hys power bycause by the breathe of hys power he so breatheth diuine lyfe into vs that wee are not nowe styrred by oure selues but ruled by hys styrringe and mouynge so that yf there bee any good thynges in vs they bee the frutes of hys grace but oure owne gyftes wythout hym bee darkenesse of mynde and pereuersnesse of hearte Thys poynte ys sette oute playnely enoughe that tyll oure myndes bee bente vpon the holy ghoste Christe lyeth in a manner idle bycause we coldely espye wythout vs yea and farre awaye from vs. But wee knowe that hee profyteth none other but them whose heade hee ys and the fyrste begotten amonge brethren and them whyche haue putte on Hym. Thys conioynynge onely maketh that as concernyng vs he is come not vnprofytably wyth the name of sauioure And for proofe hereof serueth that holy mariage whereby we are made fleshe of hys fleshe and bones of hys bones yea and all one wyth hym but by the Spirite onely hee maketh hym selfe one wyth vs by the grace and power of the same Spirite wee are made hys membres so that hee conteyneth vs vnder hym and wee agayne possesse hym But forasmuche as faithe is his principall woorke to it are for the moste parte referred all those thynges that we commonly finde spoken to expresse his force and working bicause he bryngeth vs into the light of the Gospel by nothyng but by faith as Ihon baptiste teacheth that this prerogatiue is geuen to them the beleue in Christ that thei be the childreÌ„ of God which ar borne not of flesh blood but of God wher setting God againste fleshe and bloode he affirmeth it to be a supernaturall gift that thei receiue Christe by faith whoe otherwise shoulde remaine subiect to their owne infidelitie Like where vnto is that answer of Christe Fleshe and bloode hathe not reueled it to thee but my Father whiche is in heauen These thinges I do nowe but shortly touche bycause I haue already entreated of them at large And lyke also is that saieng of Paule that the Ephesians were sealed vp with the holy spirit of promisse For Paule sheweth that he is an inwarde teacher by whose workynge the promyse of saluation pearceth into oure mindes whiche otherwise shoulde but beate the ayre or oure eares Likewyse when he saith that the Thessalonians were chosen of God in the sanctification of the spirit and beleuing of the truth by whiche ioyning of them together he brefely admonisheth that faythe it selfe proceedeth from nothing els but from the holy spirit whych thyng Ihon setteth out more plainely saieng We knowe that there abideth in vs of the spirit whiche he hathe geuen vs. Againe By this we knowe that we dwel in him and he in vs bicause he hath geuen vs of his spirit Therfore Christ promised to his Disciples the Spirit of truthe whiche the worlde canne not receiue that thei might bee able to receiue the heauenly wisedome And he assigneth to the same spirit this propre office to put them in mynde of those thynges that he hadde taught them by mouthe Bicause in vaine shoulde the light shewe it selfe to the blinde vnlesse the same spirit of vnderstanding shoulde open the eyes of their minde so as a man may rightly call the holy spirit the keye by which the treasures of the heauenly kingdome are opened vnto vs and may call his enlightning the eyesight of oure minde to see Therefore doth Saint Paule so muche commend the ministerie of the spirit bycause teachers shoulde crie without profiting vnlesse Christ himselfe the inwarde maister shoulde drawe them with his spirit that are geuen him by his Father Therefore as we haue sayde that persecte saluation is founde in the person of Christ so that we may be made partakers therof he doth baptize vs in the holy spirit and fyre lightning vs into the faith of his Gospell and so newe begetting vs that we maie be newe creatures and purging vs from vnholy fylthynesse doth dedicate vs to be holy temples to God The seconde Chapiter Of faithe wherein bothe is sette

the definition of it and the propreties that it hathe are declared BUt al these thinges shal be easy to vnderstand when there is shewed a plaine definitioÌ„ of fayth that the readers may knowe the force and nature thereof But fyrste it is conuenient to call to minde againe these thynges that haue ben already spoken that syth God doth appoint vs by his law what we ought to do if we fall in any point thereof the same terrible iudgement of eternall death that he pronounceth doth rest vpon vs. Againe that forasmuch as it is not only hearde but altogether aboue oure strength and beyond all oure power to fulfill the lawe if we only beholde our selues wâ—ie what estate is worthy for our deseruinges there is no good hope left but we lie cast away from God vnder eternall destruction Thirdly this hath ben declared that there is but one meane of deliuerance to drawe vs out of so wretched calamitie wherin appeareth Christ the Redeemer by whose hand it pleased the heauenly father hauing mercie vpon vs of his infinite goodnesse clemencie to succoure vs so that we wyth sounde faith embrace thys mercie and with constant hope rest vpon it But now it is conuenient for vs to weie this what manner of faith this ought to be by which al thei that are adopted by God to be hys chyldren do enter vpon the possession of the heauenly kingdome forasmuch as it is certaine that not euery opinion nor yet euery perswasion is sufficient to bring to passe so great a thing And with so much the more care study must we loke about for and searche out the natural propretie of faith by how muche the more hurtfull at thys day is the erroure of many in this behalf For a great part of the world hearing the name of faith conceiueth no hier thing but a certaine common assent to the historie of the Gospel Yea when thei dispute of faith in the scholes in barely callynge God the obiecte of faithe thei do nothinge but as we haue saide in an other place by vaine speculation rather draw wretched soules out of the right way thaÌ„ direct them to the true mark For wheras God dwelleth in a light that none can atteine to it behoueth of necessitie that Christe become meane betweene vs and yt For whyche cause he calleth hym selfe the light of the world in an other place The way the Truth the Life bicause no man commeth to the father which is the fountaine of life but by him bicause he onely knoweth the Father by him the faithful to whome it pleaseth him to disclose him According to this reason Paule affirmeth that he accompteth nothing excellent to be knowen but Christ and in the .xx. chapiter of the Actes he saith that he preached faith in Christ c. And in an other place he bringeth in Christ speakeinge after this manner I wil send thee amonge the Gentiles that thei maye receiue forgeuenes of sinnes porâ—ion among holy ones by the faith which is in me And Paule testifieth that the glorie of God is in his person visible vnto vs or whiche is all one in effect that the enlightning of the knowledge of Gods glorie shineth in his face It is true in dede that faith hath respect only to the one God but this also is to be added that it acknowledge him whome he hath sent euen Iesus Chrste Bicause God himselfe shoulde haue lyen secret and hydden farre from vs vnlesse the brightnesse of Christe did cast his beames vpon vs. For this entent the father left al that he had with his onely begotten sonne euen by the coÌ„municatinge of good thynges wyth him to expresse the true image of his glorie For as it is saide that we must be drawen by the spirit that we maie be stirred to seeke Christ so againe we ought to be admonished that the inuisible father is no where els to be sought but in this image Of whiche mater Augustine speaketh excellently well whiche entreating of the marke that faith should shoote at saith that we must know whether we must goe and which waie and then by by after he gathereth that the safest waye against all erroures is he that is both God and man For it is God to whome we go and man by whom we go and bothe these are founde no where but in Christe Neyther dothe Paule when he speaketh of faith in God meane to ouerthrowe that whiche he so ofte repeteth of faith that hath her whole stay vpon Christe And Peter dothe most fittly ioyne them bothe together saieng that by him we beleue in God Therefore thys euell euen as innumerable other is to be imputed to the Scholemen whiche haue hidden Christe as it were with a veile drawen before hym to the beholdyng of whome vnlesse we be dyrectly bent we shall alwaie wander in many vncertaine mazes But bysyde thys that with theyr darke definition they doe deface and in a manner bring to naught the whole force of faithe they haue forged a deuyse of vnexpressed faith wyth which name thei garnyshing theyr most grosse ignorance doe with greate hurte deceyue the silly people yea to saye truely and plainely as the thinge is in deede thys deuyse doth not only burie but vtterly destroye the true faithe Is this to beleue to vnderstand nothing so that thou obediently submitte thy sense to the Churche Faythe standeth not in ignorance but in knoweledge and that not onely of God but of the wyll of God For neither do we obteine saluation by thys that wee eyther are ready to embrace for true whatsoeuer the Churche appoynteth or that we do committe to it all the office of searchyng and knowing but when we acknowledge God to be a mercifull father to vs by the reconciliation made by Christ and that Christe is geuen vs vnto ryghteousnesse sanctification and lyfe By thys knoweledge I saye not by submitting of oure sense we atteine an entrie into the kyngedome of heauen For when the Apostle saith that with the hearte we beleue to righteousnesse and wyth the mouthe confession is made to saluation hee sheweth that it is not enoughe if a man vnexpressedly beleue that whiche he vnderstandeth not nor seeketh to learne but he requyreth an expressed acknowleging of Gods goodnesse in whyche consysteth oure ryghteousnesse In dede I denie not such is the ignorance wherwith we are coÌ„passed that ther now be herafter shal be many thinges wrapped hidden from vs till hauing put of the burden of our flesh we come nerer to the presence of God in which very thinges that be hidden from vs nothing is more profitable than to suspend our iudgment but to stay our mind in determined purpofe to kepe vnitie with the Churche But vnder thys coloure to entitle ignoraunce tempered with humilitie by the name of faith is a great absurditie For faith lieth in knoledg of God of Christ not in reuerence of the

atteining and climbing vp to perceiue the very will of God and also the hearte of man as it wauereth with perpetuall doubting is farre from resting assured in that persuasion Therefore it behoueth bothe that our witt be lightned and oure heart strengthened by some other meane that the worde of God may be of ful credit with vs. Now we shal haue a perfect definition of fayth if we saie that it is a stedfast assured knowledge of Gods kindnes toward vs which being grounded vpoÌ„ the trueth of the free promise in Christ is both reueled to our mindes and sealed in our heartes by the holy ghoste But before I procede any further it shal be necessary that I make some preambles to dissolue certain doubts that otherwise might make some stoppe to the readers And first I must confute the distinctioÌ„ that flieth about in the scholes betwene faith fourmed and vnformed For thei imagine that such as are touched with no feare of God with no feling of godlinesse do beleue all that is necessarie to saluation As though the holy ghooste in lyghtenyng oure heartes vnto faythe were not a witnesse to vs of oure adoption And yet presumptuously when all the Scripture crieth out againste it they geue the name of faith to suche perswasion voide of the feare of God Wee neede to striue no further with theyr definition but simply to reherse the nature of faith such as it is declared by the worde of God Whereby shall plainely appeare how vnskilfully foolishly thei rather make a noise than speake of it I haue alreadie touched parte the rest I wyll adde hereafter as place shall serue At this present I saie that there can not bee imagined a greater absurditie than this inuention of theires They wyll haue faith to be an assent whereby euery despyser of God maie receiue that whiche is vttered out of the Scripture But fyrste thei should haue seen whether euery manne of hys owne power do brynge faithe to hymselfe or whether the holy ghooste be by it a witnesse of adoption Therefore they do chyldyshly plaie the fooles in demaundinge whether faithe whiche qualitie addeth dothe fourme be the same faithe or an other and a newe faithe Whereby appeareth certainely that in so bablinge they neuer thought of the syngular gyfte of the holy ghooste For the begynning of beleuinge dothe already conteine in it the reconciliation whereby manne approcheth to God But if they dyd weye that sayeng of Paule With the hearte is beleued to righteousnesse thei wold cesse to fayne that same colde qualitie If we hadde but thys one reason it shoulde be sufficient to ende thys contention that the very same assent as I haue already touched and wyll againe more largely repete is rather of the hearte than of the brayne rather of affection than of vnderstandynge For whyche cause it is called the obeydience of faythe whyche is suche as the Lorde preferreth no kynde of obeydience aboue it and that woorthyly forasmuche as nothynge is more precious to hym than hys truthe whyche as Ihon the Baptist wytnesseth the beleuers doe as yt were subscribe and seale vnto Sythe the matter ys not doubtefull we doe in one woorde determinately saie that they speake fondly when they saie that faithe is fourmed by addynge of godly affection vnto assent whereas assent it selfe at least suche assent as ys declared in the Scriptures consisteth of godly affection Butte yet there ys an other playner argument that offereth yt selfe to be alleged For whereas faythe embraceth Christe as hee ys offered vs of the Father and Christe ys offered not onely for ryghteousnesse forgeuenesse of synnes and peace butte also for sanctification and a fountayne of lyuynge water wythoute doubte noe mann ecanne euer truely knowe hym vnlesse he doe therewythall receyue the sanctification of the Spirite Or if any manne desyre to haue it more plainely spoken Faythe consysteth in the knowledge of Christe And Christe canne not bee knowen butte wyth sanctification of hys Spirite therefore it foloweth that fayth can by no meane be seuered from godly affection Whereas they are wonte to laye thys agaynste vs that Paule sayeth If a manne haue all faythe so that hee remoue mountaynes yf he haue not charitie hee ys nothynge whereby they woulde deforme faythe in spoylinge it of charitie they consyder not what the Apostle in that place meaneth by faithe For when in the chapiter next before it he hadde spoken of the diuerse gyftes of the holy ghoste amonge the whyche he had reckened the diuerse kindes of languages power and prophecie and hadde exhorted the Corynthians to folowe the beste of these giftes that is to saie suche gyftes whereby more profit and commoditie myghte come to the whole body of the Churche he streyght waie saide further that he woulde shewe them yet a more excellent waie That all suche gyftes howe excellent soeuer they bee of them selues yet are nothinge to be esteemed vnlesse thei serue charitie For they were geuen to the edyfyeng of the Churche and vnlesse they bee applyed therevnto they loose theyr grace For proofe of thys he particularly reherseth them repetynge the selfe same gyftes that hee hadde spoken of before butte in other names And hee vseth the woordes Powers and Faythe for all one thynge that is for the power to do miracles Sythe therefore thys whether ye call it power or faithe is a particular gyfte of God whyche euery vngodly manne maye boothe haue and abuse as the gyfte of tongnes as prophecie and other gyftes of grace yt ys no maruell yf yt bee seuered from charitie Butte all the erroure of these menne standeth in thys that where thys woorde Faythe hathe dyuerse sygnifcations they not consyderinge the dyuersitie of the thinge sygnifyed dispute as though it were taken for one thynge in all places a lyke The place of Iames whyche they allege for mayntaynance of the same erroure shall bee els where dyscussed Butte althoughe for teachynges sake when wee meane to shewe what manner of knoweledge of God there ys in the wycked wee graunte that there are dyuerse sortes of faythe yet wee acknoweledge and speake of butte one faythe of the godly as the Scripture teacheth Many in deede doe beleue that there ys a God they thynke that the Hystorie of the Gospell and other partes of the Scripture are true as commonly wee are wonte to iudge of suche thynges as eyther are reported beynge done longe agoe or suche as wee oure selues haue beene presente at and seen There bee also some that goe further for bothe they beleue the woorde of God to be a moste assured oracle they do not altogether despyse hys commaundementes and they somewhat after a sorte are moued with hys threatenynges and promyses It is in deede testified that suche haue faythe butte that ys spoken oute by abuse bycause they do not wyth open vngodlynesse fyghte agaynste the woorde of God or refuse or despyse it butte rather pretende a certayne shewe

bee quenched And there is no cause to the contrarie but that he maye lightly ouer washe some and throughly soke other some wyth the knoweledge of hys Gospell This is in the meane tyme to bee holden for truthe that howe small and weake so euer sayth hee in the electe yet bycause it is to them a sure pleadge of the Spyrite of God and a seale of their adoption the prynte thereof canne neuer bee blotted out of theyr heartes as for the reprobate that they are ouer spred wyth such a lyght as afterwarde commeth to nought And yet the Spyrite is not deceyptefull bycause he geueth not lyfe to the seede that he casteth in theyr heartes to make it abyde alwayes incorruptible as he dothe in the elect I goe yet further for whereas it is euident by the teachyng of the Scripture and by dayely experience that the reprobate are sometime touched with the felyng of Gods grace it muste needes be that there is raysed in their heartes a certayne desire of mutuall loue So for a time there lyued in Saul a godly affection to loue God by whome he knew himself to be fatherly handeled and therefore was delited with a certayne swetenesse of his goodnesse But as the persuasion of the fatherly loue of God is not faste rooted in the reprobate so doe they not soundely loue him agayne as his chyldren but are led wyth a certayne affection like hired seruauntes For to Christ only was that Spirite of loue geuen to this ende that he shoulde poure it into his membres And truely that sayeng of Paule extendeth no further but to the elect only The loue of God is poured abrode into our heartes by the holy Spirite that is geuen vs euen the same loue that engendreth the same confidence of callyng vpon him whyche I haue before touched As on the contrarie side we see God to bee maruelously angry with his chyldren whome yet he cesseth not to loue not that in hymselfe he hateth them but bycause his will is to make them afrayde wyth the felynge of his wrath but to the entent to abate theyr pride of fleshe to shake of their drowesinesse and to moue them to repentance And therefore all at one tyme they conceyue hym to bee bothe angry with them or with their sinnes and also mercyfull vnto them bycause they not fainedly doe praye to appease his wrathe to whome yet they flee wyth quiet assured trust Hereby it appereth that it is not true that some doe counterfayte a shewe of fayth whyche yet doe lacke the true faith but while they are caried wyth a sodeyne violent motion of Zele they deceyue themselues wyth false opinion And it is no doubte that sluggishnesse so possesseth them that they doe not well examine their heart as they ought to haue done It is likely that they were suche to whome as Iohn witnesseth Christ dyd not commit himselfe when yet they beleued in hym bycause he knewe them all and knewe what was in manne If many dyd not fall from the common fayth I call it common bicause the fayth that lasteth but a time hath a greate lykenesse and affinitie with the liuely and continuynge fayth Christe woulde not haue sayde to his Disciples If ye abide in my worde then are ye truely my Disciples and ye shall know the truthe and the truthe shall make you free For he speaketh to them that had embraced his doctrine and exhorteth them to the encrease of fayth that they shoulde not by their owne sloughtfulnesse quench the lighte that is geuen them Therefore dothe Paule affirme that fayth peculiarly belongeth to the electe declaryng that many vanish away bycause they haue not taken liuely roote Like as Christ also sayth in Matthew euery tree that my father hath not planted shal be rooted vp In other there is a grosser kinde of lyeng that are not ashamed to mocke bothe God and menne Iames inueyeth agaynst that kinde of menne that wyth deceiptfull pretense doe wickedly abuse fayth Neyther woulde Paule require of the children of God a fayth vnfayned but in respect that many do presumptuously chalenge vnto themselues that whyche they haue not with vayne colored deceyte do beguile other or sometime themselues Therefore he compareth a good conscience to a cheste wherein fayth is kepte bycause many in fallynge from good conscience haue suffred shipwreck of their fayth We must also remember the doutefull signification of the woord fayth For oftentimes fayth signifieth the sounde doctrine of religion as in the place that we nowe alleaged and in the same Epistle where Paule wryteth Deacons to holde faste the misterie of fayth in a pure conscience Againe where he publisheth the fallynge awaye of certayne from the faith But on the other side he sayth that Timothee was nourished vp with the woordes of fayth where he sayth that prophane vanities and oppositions falsly named sciences are the cause that many depart from the faith whome in an other place he calleth reprobate touchyng fayth As agayne he chargeth Titâ—s Agayne sayeng Warne them that they be sounde in the fayth By soundenesse he meaneth nothing els but purenesse of doctrine which is easily corrupted and brought out of kynde by the lightnesse of men Euen bicause in Christ whome faith possesseth are hiddeÌ„ all the treasures of wisedome and knoweledge therefore fayth is worthyly extended to signifie the whole summe of heauenly doctrine from which it can not be seuered Contrariewise sometime it is restrayned to signifie some particular obiect as when Matthew sayth that Christ saw the fayth of them that did let downe the manne sicke of the palsey through the tyles and Chryst himselfe cryeth out that he founde not in Israell so great fayth as the Centurion brought But it is likely that the Centurion was earnestly bente to the healyng of his doughter the care whereof occupied all his minde yet bycause beyng contented with the onely assent and answere of Christ he required not Christes bodyly presence therefore in respecte of this circumstance his fayth was so muche commended And a litle here before we haue shewed that Paule taketh fayth for the gifte of workynge miracles whyche gifte they haue that neyther are regenerate by the Spirite of God nor doe hartyly worshippe him Also in an other place he setteth fayth for the doctrine whereby we are instructed in fayth For where he wryteth that fayth shall bee abolished it is out of question that that is meante by the ministerie of the Church whiche at this ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ is profitable for oure weaknesse In these formes of speach standeth a proportionall relation But when the name of fayth is vnproperly remoued to signifie a false profession or a lyeng title of fayth that shoulde seeme to be as harde a figuratiue abuse as when the feare of God is set for a corrupte and wrongefull manner of worshyppynge as when it is oftentymes sayde in the holy Historie that the

Mediator yet his godlynesse is praised Cornelius a Gentile a Romaine could scarcely vnderstand that which was knowen not to al the Iewes yea that very darkely yet his almes praiers were acceptable to God And the sacrifice of Naaman by the Prophets answer allowed Whych thing neither of them coulde obteine but by faythe Lykewise yt maie be sayde of the Ennuche to whome Philppe was carried why the yf he hadde not had some faythe woulde not haue taken vpon him the trauayle and exspenses of so longe a iourney to worshippe Yet we see when Philippe examined him how he bewrayed his ignorance of the Mediator And truely I graunte that theyr faythe was ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ vnexpressed not only concerning Christes person but also concerninge his power and the office committed vnto him of the Father Yet in the meane time it is certaine that thei were instructed in suche principles as gaue them some taste of Christe althoughe but very small Neyther ought this to seeme strange For neither wold the Eunuche haue come in haste to Ierusalem from a farre countrie to worship an vnknowen God neither did Cornelius when he had ones embraced the Iewish religion spende so much time without being acquainted with the first groundes of true doctrine As for Naaman it had ben to fonde an absurditie for Elyzeus when he taught him of small thynges to haue saide nothinge of the principal pointe Therefore although there were among them a darke knoweledge of Christ yet it is not likely that ther was no knowledge bicause thei did vse them selues in the sacrifices of the lawe whiche must haue been discerned by the very ende of them that is Christe from the false sacrifices of the Gentiles But this bare and outward declaration of the word of God ought to haue largely sufficed to make it be beleued if our owne blyndenesse and stubbournesse did not withstande it But oure minde hath suche an inclination to vanitie that it can neuer cleaue faste vnto the trueth of God and hathe suche a dulnesse that it is alwaie blinde and can not see the light thereof Therefore there is nothynge auailably done by the worde without the enlightninge of the holy ghoste Whereby also appeareth that faithe is farre aboue mans vnderstanding Neither shal it be sufficient that the minde be lightned with the spirit of God vnlesse the hearte be also strengthened and stablished with his power Wherein the Schoolemen do altogether erre whiche in considerynge of faithe do onely take holde of a bare and simple assent by knowledg leauinge out the confidence and assurednesse of the heart Therefore faith is both waies a syngular gyfte of God bothe that the mynde of man is cleansed to taste the trueth of God and that his hearte is stablished therein For the holy ghoste not onely is the beginner of faythe but also by degrees encreaseth it vntil by it he bring vs to the heauenly kingdome That good thinge saith Paule whiche was committed to thy keping kepe in the holy ghoste which dwelleth in vs. But howe Paule saithe that the holy ghoste is geuen by the hearing of faythe we may easily dissolue it If there hadde ben but one onely gyfte of the holy ghoste then it had ben an absurditie for him to call the holy ghost the effect of faith whyche is the author and cause of faithe But when he maketh report of the gyftes wherewyth God garnysheth his Churche and by encreasinges of faithe bryngeth it to perfection it is no meruell if he ascribe those thynges to faithe whiche maketh vs fitt to receiue them This is reckened a moste strange conclusion when it is saide that no man but he to whome it is geuen can beleue in Christ. But that is partely bycause they do not consyder either howe secrete and hye the heauenly wysedome is or howe greate mans dulnesse is in conceiuinge the misteries of God and partly bycause they looke not vnto that assured and stedfast constantnesse of hearte that is to saye the cheefe parte of faith But if as Paule preacheth no manne is wytnesse of the wyll of manne but the spirite of manne that is within him then howe shoulde man be sure of the will of God And if the truth of God be vncertaine among vs in those thinges that we presently beholde with our eye how shold it be assured stedfast among vs ther wher the lord promiseth such thinge as neither eye seeth nor witt comprehendeth But herein mans sharpnesse of vnderstanding is so ouerthrowen faileth that the fyrste degrees of profitinge in Gods schoole is to forsake his owne wit For by it as by a veile cast before vs we are hyndred that we can not atteine the misteries of God whiche are not disclosed but to little ones For neither dothe flesh blood disclose nor natural man perceiue those things that are of the Spirit but rather to him the learning of God is foolishnesse bicause it is spiritually to be iudged Therfore herin the helpe of the holy ghost is necessarie or rather herein his force onely reigneth Ther is noman that knoweth the minde of God or hath ben his counseller but the holy Spirit searcheth out all thinges euen the depe secretes of God by whome it is brought to passe that we know the minde of Christ No man saith he can come to me vnlesse my father that sent me drawe hym Euery one therfore that hath heard learned of my father commeth Not that any man hath seen the father but he that is sent to God Euen as therfore we can not come vnto Christ but being drawen by the Spirit of God so when we be drawen we are lifted vp in witt minde aboue our owne vnderstanding For the soule enlightned by hym taketh as it wer a new sharpnes of vnderstanding wherwith it maye beholde heauenly misteries with brightnes wherof it was before daseled in it selfe And so mans vnderstanding receiuing brightnesse by the lighte of the holy ghost doth neuer till then truely beginne to taste of those thinges that belong to the kingdome of God being before altogether vnfauourie and without iudgment of tast to take assay of them Therfore when Christ did notably set out vnto two of hys Disciples the misteries of his kingdome yet he nothing preuailed vntill he opened their senses that they might vnderstand the Scriptures When the Apostles weare so taughte by his Godly mouth yet the Spirit of truth must be sent vnto them to poure into their mindes that same doctrine whiche they had hearde with their eares The worde of God is like vnto the sunne that shineth vnto all them to whome it is preached but to no profit amonge blinde men But we are al in this behalfe blind by nature therfore it can not pearce into our minde but by the inward master the holy ghoste making by his enlightning an entrie for it In an other place when we had to entreat of the corruption of natur we haue

loueth he laboreth in vaine and troubleth himselfe to no profitte for his peines sithe all thinges happen alike both to the righteous and the wicked to him that offreth sacrifices and him that offreth none Whervpon foloweth that God doth not alway witnesse hys loue to them to whome hee maketh all thynges happen prosperously nor dothe alwaies vtter the hatred to them whome hee punisheth And that he dothe to condemne the vanitie of mans witte sith it is so dull in thynges moste needefull to be knowen As he hadde written a little before that it canne not be discerned what the soule of a man differeth from the soule of a beast bicause it seemeth to dye in like manner If any manne will gether thereof that the opinion that wee holde of the immortalitie of soules standeth vpon coniecture maye he not worthyly be compted a madde manne Are they then in theyr right wittes whiche gather that there is no certaintie of Gods grace bycause wee can conceyue none by the carnal beeholdynge of presente thynges But thei alleage that it is a point of rashe presumption to take vpon vs an vndoubted knoweledge of Gods will I woulde in dede graunt it vnto them if we did take so muche vpon vs that we wolde make the incomprehensible secret purpose of God subiect to the sclendernesse of oure witte But when we symply saie with Paule that we haue receiued not the spirite of thys worlde but the Spirit that is of God by whose teachinge wee maie knowe those thinges that are geuen vs of God what canne thei barke againste it but they muste slaunderously speake against the Spirit of God But if it be a horrible robberie of God to accuse the reuelation that commeth from him either to be lyeng or vnassured or doubtefull what do we offend in affyrminge that it is assured But they say that this also is not without greate presumptuousnesse that we dare so glorie of the Spirit of Christe Who woulde thynke that their dulnesse were so greate that woulde bee compted maisters of the worlde that they so fowly stumble in the fyrste principles of religion Surely I woulde not thinke it credible vnlesse theyr owne wrytynges that are abroade dyd testifie yt Paule pronounceth that they onely are the chyldren of God that are moued wyth hys spirit and these menne woulde haue them that bee the chyldren of God to be moued wyth theyr own spirit to be without the Spirite of God Paule teacheth that we call God oure Father as the holy ghoste ministreth that woorde vnto vs whyche onely canne beare witnesse to oure spirite that we are the children of God These men althoughe they forbydde vs not to call vpon God yet do take awaie his Spirite by whose guydinge hee shoulde haue been rightly called vpon Paule denyeth that thei are the seruantes of Christ that are not moued with the Spirit of Christ these men faine a Christianitie that needeth not the Spirit of Christe Paule maketh no hope of the blessed resurrection vnlesse wee feele the holy ghoste abydynge in vs they forge a hope withoute any suche feeling But peraduenture the will answere that thei do not denie that we ought to be endued with it but yâ— it is a point of modestie and humilitie not to acknowledge it What meaneth he then when he biddeth the Corynthians to trie whether thei be in the faith to proue themselues whether thei haue Christe whome vnlesse a man do acknowledge to be dwelling in him he is a reprobate But by the Spirite that God hath geuen vs saith Ihon we knowe that he abydeth in vs. And what do we els but cal the promises of Christ in dout when we will be compted the seruantes of God without his Spirite whiche he hathe openly declared that he woulde poure out vpon all his Biside that we do wronge to the holy ghoste whiche do separate from him faithe that is his peculiar worke Sithe these are the firste lessons of godlie religion it is a token of miserable blindenesse to haue Christians noted of arrogancie that dare glorie of the presence of the holy ghoste without whiche glorieng Christianitie it selfe dothe not stand But thei declare by their example how truely Christ saide that his Spirite is vnknowen to the worlde and is onely knowen of them with whome he abideth And bycause thei will not go about to ouerthrowe the stedfastnesse of faith with digging onely of one myne they assayle it also otherwise For thei say that although according to our present state of righteousnes we mai gather a iudgment of the grace of God yet the knowledg of perseuerance to the ende abideth in suspense A goodly coÌ„fidence of saluation forsoothe is left vnto vs if we iudge by morall coniecture that for a preseÌ„t moment we be in fauoure what shal become of vs to morrow we can not tell The Apostle teacheth farr otherwise I am surely perswaded saith he that neither angeles nor powers nor principalities neither death nor life neither present things nor things to come shal seuer vs froÌ„ the loue wherwith the lord embraceth vs in Christ. Thei seke to escape with a trifling solutioÌ„ pratinge that the Apostle had that by speciall reuelation But thei are holden to hard to slippe away so For ther he entreateth of those good things that coÌ„monly come by faith to the faithfull not those that he himselfe specialli feleth But the same Paule in an other place putteth vs in feare with mention of our weakenes vnstedfastnes Let him that standeth saith he beware that he fal not It is true but not suche a feare wherby we shold be ouerthroweÌ„ but wherby we may learne to humble our selues vnder the mighty hand of God as Peter expoundeth it Then how against ordre truthe is it to limite the assurednes of faith to a moment of time whose propretie is to passe beyond the spaces of this life extend further to immortalitie to come Sithe therefore the faithfull do impute it to the grace of God that being lightned with his spirite thei do by faith enioy the beholding of the heauenly life so farr is such glorieng froÌ„ presumptuousnesse that if any man be ashamed to confesse it he doth therin more bewraie his extreeme vnthankfulnesse in vnkindely hiding Gods goodnes than he doth declare his modestie or submissioÌ„ Bicause it semed that the nature of faith could not otherwise better or more plainly be declared than by the substance of the promise vpon whiche it resteth as vpon her propre foundation so that if the promise be taken away faith by by falleth down or rather vanisheth away therfore we toke our definition froÌ„ thense which yet varieth not from yâ— definition or rather descriptioÌ„ of the Apostle that he applieth to his discourse wher he saith that faithe is a substance of thinges to be hoped for a certaintie of things that are not seen For by this word Hypostasis

thinking of the heaueÌ„ly life or froÌ„ study to garnish thy soule But this was long ago truely sayd of Cato that there is great carefulnesse of trimming our body great carelesnesse of vertue And it is an old prouerbe that they whiche are much busied in care of their body ar commoÌ„ly carelesse of their soule Therfore although the libertie of the faithfull in outward thinges is not to be restrained to a certain forme yet truely it must be subiect to this law to beare very little with theyr owne affections but contrariwise still call vpon them selues with continually bent mynde to cut of all shew of superfluous plentie muche more to restraine ryotous excesse and to take diligent hede that they do not of helpes make to them selues hinderaunces The other rule shal be that they that haue but small and sclender rychesse may learne to lacke pacieÌ„tly that they be not carefully moued with immeasurable desire of them whiche pacieÌ„ce they that kepe haâ—â—e not a litle profited in the Lordes schole as he that hath not at least somewhat profited in this behalf can scarcely haue any thing wherby â—o proue him selfe the scholar of Christ. For beside this that the most part of other vices do accompanie the desire of earthly thinges he that beareth pouertie impatiently doth for the moste part bewray the contrarie disease in abuÌ„dance I meane hereby that he whiche wil be ashamed of a poore cote wil be proude of a costly cote he that will not be content with a hungry supper will be disquieted with desire of a deintier and would also intemperately abuse those deinties if he had them he that hardly and vnquietly beareth a priuate base estate will not absteine from pryde if he climbe to honors Therfore let all them that haue an vnfained zele of Godlinesse endeuour to learne by the Apostles example to be full and huÌ„gry to haue store and suffer want The Scripture hath also a third rule wherby it tempereth the vse of earthly thinges of whiche we haue spoken sumwhat when we entreated of the preceptes of charitie For the Scripture decreeth that al earthly thinges are so geuen vs by the bountifulnesse of God and apointed for oure coÌ„moditie that they may be as things deliuered vs to kepe wherof we must one day yelde an accompt We must therfore so dispose them that this saying may continually sound in our eares yeld an accoÌ„pt of thy â—aylywike Therwithall let this also come in our mynde Whoe it is that asketh suche an accompt euen he that hath so muche commended abstinence sobrietie honest sparing and modestie and abhorreth riotous sumptuousnesse pride ostentation and vanitie whiche alloweth no other disposing of goodes but suche as is ioyned with charitie whiche hath already with his own mouth condemned all those deliteful thinges that do withdrawe a mans mynde from chastitie and cleannesse or doe dull his wit with darkenesse Last of all this is to be noted that the Lorde biddeth euery one of vs in al the doinges of his life to haue an eye to his calling For he knoweth with how great vnquietnesse mans wit boyleth with howe skipping lightnesse it is caried hether and thether how gredy his ambitioÌ„ is to holde diuerse thinges at ones Therfore that all thinges shoulde not be confounded with our follie and rashenesse he hath apointed to euerie man his duties in seuerall kindes of lyfe And that no man rashly runne beyond his bondes he hath named all suche kyndes of lyfe vocations Therfore euery mans seuerall kinde of life is vnto him as it were his standing apointed him by God that they should not all theyr life vncertainly wander about And this diuision is so necessary that al our doinges are measured thereby in his sight and oftentimes contrary to the iudgemeÌ„t of mans reason and Philosophie There is no dede accompted more noble euen among the Phylosophers than for a man to deliuer his contrie from tyrannie but by the voice of Gods iudgemeÌ„t the priuate man is openly condemned that layeth hand vpon a tyrant But I wil not tarry vpon rehearsing of examples It is sufficient if we knowe that the calling of the Lord is in euery thing the beginning and fundation of well doing to whiche he that doth not diriect himself shal neuer kepe a right way in his doinges He may paraduenture somtime do somwhat seming worthy of praise butte whatsoeuer that be in the sight of men before the throne of God it shal be reiected moreouer there shal be no conuenient agrement in the partes of his life Therfore our life shall then be best framed when it shal be directed to this marke For then no man caried with his owne rashenesse will atteÌ„pt more thaÌ„ his calling may beare because he knoweth that it is not lawful to passe beyond his bondes He that shal be a man of base estate shal contentedly liue a priuate life least he shold forsake the degree wherin God hath placed him Againe this shal be no smal relefe to cares labors greues and other burdens when a man shall know that in all these thinges God is his guide The more willingly the magistrate will execute his officeâ— the housholder will bynd him selfe to his dutie euery man in his kinde of life will beare and passe through the discommodities cares tediousnesse and anguishes therof when they are perswaded that euery maÌ„s burden is laid vpon him by God Hereupon also shal growe singular coÌ„fort for as muche as there shal be no worke so filthy vile if it be such a one as thow obey thy calling in it but it shineth is most precious in the sight of God The aleuenth Chapter Â¶ Of the iustification of Fayth and fyrst of the definition of the name and of the thyng I Thinke I haue already sufficiently declared before howe there remayneth for men being accursed by the lawe one only helpe to recouer saluation agayne what Faith is and what benefites of God it bestoweth vpon man and what fruites it bringeth fourth in hym The summe of all was this that Christ is geuen vs by the goodnesse of God and coÌ„ceiued and possessed of vs by faith by partakyng of whome we receiue principally twoo graces the first that being reconciled to God by his innocencie we may nowe in stede of a iudge haue a merciful father in heauen the second that being sanctified by his Spirite we maye geue our selues to innocencie and purenesse of lyfe As for regeneration whiche is the second grace we haue alredy spoken of it as muche as semed to be sufficient The manner of iustification was therfore lesse touched because it serued well for our purpose first to vnderstande both how the Faythe by whiche alone we receiue frely geuen righteousnesse by the mercie of God is not idle from good workes and also what be the good workes of the holy ones wherupon part of this question entreateth Therfore they are first to be throughly discussed and so discussed that we must

the beginning And here by the way it shal be profitable to touch what these formes of speakyng do differ from the promises of the law I cal promises of the law not those which are eche where coÌ„monly writteÌ„ in the bokes of Moses for as much as in them also are found many promises of the Gospel but those which properly belong to the ministerie of the law Such promises by what name so euer you list to cal them do declare that there is reward redy vpon condition if thou do that which is coÌ„maunded thee But when it is sayd that the Lord kepeth the couenaÌ„t of mercie to theÌ„ which loue him therin is rather shewed what maÌ„ner of men be his seruantes which haue faithfully receiued his couenant than the cause is expressed why the lord should do good to them Now this is the manner of shewyng it As the Lord vouchsaueth to graunt vs the grace of eternal life to this end that he should be loued feared honored of vs so whatsoeuer promises there are of his mercie in the Scriptures they are rightfully directed to this and that we should reuerence and worship the author of the benefites So ofte therefore as we heare that he doth good to them that kepe his law let vs remeÌ„ber that the children of God are there signified by the dutie whiche ought to be continual in them that we are for this cause adopted that we should honor him for our Father Therfore lest we should disherite our selues from the right of adoptioÌ„ we must alway endeuor to this wherunto our calling tendeth But let vs againe kepe this in minde that the accoÌ„plishment of the mercie of God hangeth not vpoÌ„ the workes of the faithfull but that he therfore fulfilleth the promise of saluation to them whiche answer to their callyng in vprightnesse of life bicause in them he acknoweth the natural tokeÌ„s of his children which are ruled with his Spirit vnto good Herunto let that be referred which is in the xv Psalme spoken of the Citezens of the Church Lord whoe shal dwel in thy tabernacle and whoe shal rest in thy holy hill The innocent in haÌ„des of a cleane heart c. Agayne in Esaie Whoe shall dwel with deuouring fire He that doth righteousnesse he that speaketh right thinges c. For there is not described the staye whereupon the faythfull may stand before the Lord but the manner wherewith the most merciful father bringeth theÌ„ into his felowship therein defendeth streÌ„gtheneth them For bicause he abhorreth sinne he loueth righteousnesse whoÌ„ he ioyneth to himself them he cleanseth with his spirit that he may make theÌ„ of like fashion to himself his kingdome Therfore if the question be of the first cause wherby the entrie is made open to the holy ones into the kingdome of God froÌ„ whense they haue that thei may stand fast abide in it we haue this answer ready bicause the Lord by his mercie both hath ones adopted them perpetually defendeth them But if the question be of the manner then we must come downe to regeneration and the frutes therof which are rehersed in that Psalme But there semeth to be much more hardnesse in these places which do both garnish good workes with the titiÌ„e of righteousnesse affirme that man is iustified by them Of the first sort there be very many places where the obseruinges of the coÌ„maundementes are called iustifications or righteousnesses Of the other sort that is an exaÌ„ple which is in Moses This shal be our righteousnesse if we kepe all these commauÌ„dementes And if thou take exception say that this is a promise of the law which being knit to a coÌ„dition impossible proueth nothing There be other of which you caÌ„ not make the same answer as this And that shal be to thee for righteousnesse before the Lord to redeliuer to the poore man his pledge c. Againe that which the Prophet sayth that the zele in reuenging the shame of Israell was imputed to Phinees for righteousnesse Therfore the Pharisees of our time thinke that here they haue a large matter to triuÌ„ph vpon For when we say that when the righteousnesse of faith is set vp the iustificatioÌ„ of workes geueth place by the same right they make this argument If righteousnesse bee of workes then it is false that we are iustified by faith only Though I graunt that the commaundementes of the law are called righteousnesses it is no maruell for they are so in deede Howebeit we muste warne the readers that the Grecians haue not fittly translated the Hebrue word Hucmi Dikaiomata righteousnesses for coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts But for the worde I willingly release my quarell For neyther doe we denie this to the law of God that it conteineth perfect righteousnesse For although bycause we are detters of all the thinges that it commaundeth therfore euen when we haue performed ful obedience therof we are vnprofitable seruaÌ„tes yet bicause the lord hath vouchsaued to graunt it the honor of righteousnesse we take not away that whiche he hath geuen Therefore we willingly confesse that the full obedience of the lawe is righteousnesse that the kepyng of euery coÌ„mauÌ„dement is a part of righteousnesse yf so be that the whole summe of righteousnesse were had in the other partes also But we denie that there is any where any suche forme of righteousnesse And therefore we take away the righteousnesse of the law not for that it is maymed and vnperfect of it felfe but for that by reason of the weakenesse of our flesh it is no where seene But the Scripture not only calleth simply the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of the Lord righteousnesses but it also geueth this name to the workes of the holy ones As when it reporteth that Zacharie his wife walked in the righteousnesses of the Lord truely wheÌ„ it so speaketh it weyeth workes rather by the nature of the law thaÌ„ by their owne propre estate Howbeit here againe is that to be noted which I eueÌ„ now sayd that of the negligence of the Greke translator is not a law to be made But for asmuch as Luke wold alter nothing in the receiued traslation I will also not striue about it For God hath commaunded these thinges that are in the lawe to men for righteousnesse but this righteousnes we performe not but in keping the whole lawe for by euery transgression it is broken Wheras therfore the law doth nothing but prescribe righteousnesse if we haue respecte to it all the seueral coÌ„maundementes therof are righteousnes if we haue respect to men of whome thei are done thei do not obteine the praise of righteousnesse by one worke beinge trespassers in many and by that same worke whiche is euer partly faulty by reason of imperfection But now I come to the second kinde in which is the chefe hardnes Paul hath nothing more strong to proue the righteousnesse of faiâ—he than that whiche is written of Abraham that his faithe was

pledge and earneste of our adoption but also he geueth vs the Spirite for witnesse of the same adoption through whom we may with a free and lowde voyce crie Abba Father So ofte therfore as any delay shal withâ—arde vs let vs remembre to aske of hym that correctyng our fearefulnesse he will sette before vs that Spirite of coragiousnesse to be our guide to pray boldly Whereas we are not so taught that euery one shoulde seuerally call hym his owne father but rather that we should all in common together call hym Our Father therby we are put in mynde howe great affection of brotherly loue ought to be among vs whiche are altogether by one same right of mercy and liberalitie the children of suche a Father For we all haue one common Father from whom cometh whatsoeuer good thyng may betide vnto vs there ought to be nothyng seuerall among vs whiche we are not ready with great cherefulnesse of mynde to communicate one to an other so muche as nede requireth Now if we be so desirous as we oughte to be to reache our hande and helpe one to an other there is nothyng wherin we may more profite our brethren than to commende them to the care and prouidence of the most good Father who beyng well pleased fauoring nothing at al can be waÌ„ted And verily euen this same we owe to our Father For as he that truely hartily loueth any Father of household doth also embrace his whole housholde with loue and good will likewise what loue affection we beare to this heauenly Father we must shewe towarde his people his householde and his inheritance which he hath so honored that he hath called it the fullnesse of his only begotten Sonne Let a christian man therfore frame his prayers by this rule that they be common and may comprehend all them that be brethren in Christe with hym and not onely those whom he presently seeth and knoweth to be suche but al men that lyue vpon earth of whom what God hath determined it is out of our knowlege sauyng that it is no lesse godly then naturall to wish the best to them and hope the beste of them Howbeit we ought with a certayne singular affection to beare a special inclination to them of the household of faith whom the Apostle hath in euery thing peculiarly commended vnto vs. In a suÌ„me Al our praiers ought to be so made that they haue respect to that communitie which our Lord hath stablished in his kyngdome and his house Yet this withstandeth not but that we may specially pray both for our selues and for certaine other so that yet our mynde depart not from hauyng an eye to this communitie nor ones swarue from it but applie all thynges vnto it For though they be singularly spoken in forme yet because they are directed to that marke they cesse not to be common All this may be easily vnderstoode by a like example The commaundemeÌ„t of God is generall to relieue the nede of all poore and yet they obey this commaundement which to this ende do helpe their pouertie whom they knowe or see to be in nede although they passe ouer many whome they see to be pressed with no lesse necessitie either because they can not know all or be not able to helpe all After this maner they also doo not against the will of God which hauyng regard vnto and thinkyng vppon this common felowship of the Chirche doo make suche particular prayers by whiche they doo with a common mynde in particular wordes commende to God themselves or other whoe 's necessitie God willed to be more nereiy knowen to them Howbeit all thyngs are not like in praier and in bestowyng of goodes For the liberalitie of geuing can not be vsed but toward them whoe 's nede we haue perceyued but with prayers we may helpe euen them that are most strange and moste vnknowen to vs by howe greate a space of ground soeuer they be distant from vs. This is done by that generall forme of praier wherin all the children of God are conteined among whom they also are Hereto we may applie that which Paule exhorteth the faithfull of his tyme that they lift vp euery where pure handes without stryfe because when he warneth them yâ— strife shutteth the gate against praiers he willeth them with one mynde to lay their petitions in common together It is added that he is in heauen Wherupon it is not by and by to be gathered that he is bounde faste enclosed and compassed with the circle of heauen as within certayne barres For Salomon also confesseth that the heauens of heauens can not conteyne hym And he hymselfe faith by the Prophet that heauen is his seate and the earthe his footestoole Wherby verily he signifieth that he is not limited in any certaine coaste but is spread abroade throughout all thynges But because our mynde suche is the grossenesse of it coulde not otherwyse conceiue his vnspeakable glorie it is signified to vs by the heauen than which there can nothing come vnder our sight more ample or fuller of maiesty Sith therfore wheresoeuer our senses comprehende any thyng there they vse to fasten it God is sett out of all place that when we will seke hym we should be raised vp aboue all sense bothe of body and soule Agayne by this maner of speakyng he is lifted vp aboue all chaunce of corruption and change finally it is signified that he comprehendeth and coÌ„temeth the whole worlde and gouerneth it with his power Wherfore this is al one as if he had ben called of infinite greatnesse or height of incomprehensible substance of vnmeasurable power of euerlastyng immortalitie But while we haue this we must lift vp our mynde hier when God is spoken of that we dreame not any earthly or fleshly thyng of hym that we measure hym not by our small proportions nor drawe his will to the rule of our affections And therwithall is to be raysed vp our affiance in him by whose prouidence and power we vnderstande heauen and earth to be gouerned Let this be the summe that vnder the name of Father is sett before vs that God which hath in his owne image appeared to vs that he may be called vpon with assured faith and that the familiar name of Father is not onely applied to stablishe affiance but also auaileth to holde fast our myndes that they be not drawen to doutfull or fained Gods but shoulde from the onely begotten sonne clymbe vp to the onely father of Angels and of the Chirche then that because his seate is placed in heauen we are by the gouernance of the worlde put in mynd that not without cause we come to hym which with present care cometh of his owne will to mete vs. Who so come to God saith the Apostle they must first beleue that there is a God then that he is a rewarder to all them that seke hym Bothe these thyngs Christ affirmeth

nothing lesse a greeth with the nature of God than to haue a doble wil in him Which I grant to theÌ„ so that thei fitly expouÌ„d it But why do thei not consider so many testimonies where God putting vpoÌ„ him the affections of man desceÌ„deth beneath his owne maiestie He saith that he hath with stretched out armes called the rebellious people that he hath early late trauailed to bring them backe to him If thei wil applie al these things to god not consider the figure ther shal arise many superstuous coÌ„tentions which this one solution bringeth to agrement that the propretie of maÌ„ is figuratiuely applied to god Howbeit the solution whiche we haue brought in an other place largely sufficeth that although the will of God be as to our sense manifold yet he doth not in himselfe dyuersly will this and that but accordinge to hys wisedome which is diuersly manifolde as Paul calleth it he amaseth oure senses till it shall be geuen vs to knowe that he marueylously willeth that which now semeth to be against his will Thei also mocke with cauillations that sith God is the father of al it is vnrighteous that he shold disherit any that hath not before with his own fault deserued this punishment As though the liberalitie of God streacheth not euen to Hogges dogges But if they speake onli of mankinde let them aunswer why God bounde himself to one people to be the father therof why also out of the same people he pricked a smal numbre as it were a floure Butte their owne luste of euel speakynge hindereth these railers that they consider not that God so bringeth forthe his sunne to shine vpon the good and euell that the inheritance is laied vp for a fewe to whome it shall one day be sayd Come ye blessed of my Father possesse the kingdom c. Thei obiect also that God hateth none of these thinges that he hath made Which although I graunte them yet this remaineth safe whiche I teache that the reprobate are hatefull to God and that very rightfully bicause thei beinge destitute of his Spirit can bring forth nothing but cause of curse Thei saue further that there is no difference of the Iewe and the Genâ—ile and therfore that the grace of God is wythout difference set before all menne namely if thei grant as Paule determineth that God calleth as well out of the Iewes as out of the Gentiles accordynge to hys good pleasure so that he is bounde to no man After this maÌ„ner also is that wyped awaie whiche thei obiect in an other place that God hathe enclosed al thinges vnder sinne that he may haue mercie vpon all namely bicause he will that the saluacion of all them that are saued be ascribed to his mercie although this benefite be not common to al. Now when many thinges are alleaged on both partes let this be our conclusion to tremble with Paule at so great depth and if wanton tongues shall be busie that we be not ashamed of thys his crieng out O man what arte thou that striuest with God For Augustine truely a stirmeth that thei do peruersly which measure the righteousnesse of God by the measure of the righteousnesse of man The .xxv. Chapter Of the laste Resurrection ALthough Christ the sonne of righteousnesse hauing ouercome death shining by the Gospel geueth vs the lighte of life as Paule witnesseth whereby also it is saide that by beleuing we haue passed from death into life beinge nowe not foreners and strangers but citizens with the saintes of the householde of God whiche hath made vs to sit with the onely begotten sonne himself in heauenly places that nothing may be wanting to perfect felicitie yet least if shold be greuous vnto vs to be exercised vnder this harde warfare as though we had no frute of the victorie which Christ hath gotten we must holde fast that which is in an other place taught of the nature of hope For bicause wee hope for those things which appeare not and as it is said in an other place faithe is a demonstratioÌ„ of things inuisible so loÌ„g as we are enclosed in the pryson of the fleshe we are wayfaring from the Lorde For whiche reason the same Paul saith in an other place that we are deade that our life is hidden with Christ in God that when he which is our life shall appeare then shall we also appeare with him in glorie This therfore ys oure condition that with liuing soberly iustly godlily in this world we loke for the blessed hope and the coÌ„ming of the glorie of the greate God of our sauiour Iesus Christ. Here we neede a singular patience that wee be not wearied either tourne backe our course or forsake our staÌ„ding Therfore whatsoeuer hath beÌ„ hetherto set out concerning our saluacion requireth mindes lifted vp to heauen that we may loue Christ whom we haue not seen and beleuynge in hym maye reioyse wyth vnspeakeable and glorious ioyfulnesse tyll wee receyue the ende of oure saythe as Peter telleth vs. After which manner Paul saith that the faythe and charitie of the godly hath respect to the hope which is laied vp in heaueÌ„ When we thus with our eies fastened vpon Christ do hang of heauen nothing with holdeth them in earthe from carrieng vs to the promised blessednesse then is that truely fulfilled Our heart is where our treasure is Herevpon coÌ„meth that faith is so rare in the world bicause nothing is more hard to our dulnesse theÌ„ through iÌ„numerable steppes to climbe vp aboue them with endeuoringe forward to the price of our heauenly calling To the great heape of miseries wherw t we be almoste ouerwhelmed are added the mockinges of vngodly men wherew t our simplicitie is railed at when volutarily forsakinge the allurementes of present good thinges we seeme to folowe the blessednes hidden froÌ„ vs as it were a fleeing shadow Finally aboue beneth vs before vs behinde vs violent tentations besege vs to the susteining of the feare wherof our courages shold be far to weake vnlesse beinge vncumbred of earthly thinges thei were fast bound to the heauenly life which in seming is far froÌ„ vs. Wherfore only it hath soundly profited in the Gospel whiche is enured to a continual meditation of the blessed resurrection Of the soueraigne ende of good thinges the philosophers haue in olde time curiousli disputed also striued among theÌ„selues yet none except Plato acknowleged the soueraigne good of man to be his conioyning with God But what maÌ„ner of coÌ„ioyning that was he colde not perceaue so much as with any smale taste no maruel sith he had neuer learned of the holy bonde therof To vs the only perfect felicitie is knowen euen in this earthly wayfaring but such as daily more more enkindleth our heartes with desire of it till the ful enioyning may satisfie vs. Therefore I said that

none receiue frute of the benifites of Christ but thei that lift vp theyr mindes to the resurrectioÌ„ For Paul setteth vp this marke to the faithful toward which he saith that he endeuoreth forgetteth al things til he coÌ„ to it And so much the more cherfulli ought we to trauail toward it least if this world wthold vs we suffer greuous punishmeÌ„t for our slothfulnesse Wherfore in an other place he marketh the faithful with this mark that their conuersatioÌ„ is in heaueÌ„ froÌ„ wheÌ„se also thei loke for their sauiour And that their courages shoulde not faint in this race he ioyneth al creatures companions with them For bicause euery where ar seen deformed ruines he saith that al things in heauen earth doe endeuour the renewing For sith Adam by his fal dissolued the perfect ordre of nature to the creatures their bondage is peineful greuous whervnto they are subiect by reasoÌ„ of the sinne of maÌ„ not for that thei are endued with any feling but for that they naturally couet the perfect estate froÌ„ which they are fallen Therfore Paul saith that thei grone are as in peine of childe bearing that we to whom are geuen the first frutes of the Spirit may be ashamed to pyne awaie in our corruption not at the least to folow the dead elements which beare peine of an others sinne And the more to pricke vs forward he calleth the last coÌ„ming of Christ our redemption It is true in dede that al the partes of our redemption are already fulfilled but bicause Christ hath ones ben offered for sinnes he shall be seen againe without sinne vnto saluacion With what miseries soeuer we be pressed let this redeÌ„ptioÌ„ susteine vs eueÌ„ vntill the performaÌ„ce of it The very weight of the thing it self shal whet our endeuor For neither doth Paul wtout cause affirme that the whole gospel is void deceitful vnlesse the dead do rise again bicause our state shold be more miserable thaÌ„ the state of al men namly sith we lieng open to the hatredes reproches of many are euery houre in danger yea are as shepe appointed to the slaughter therfore the authoritie therof shold fal away not only in one part but also in the whole suÌ„me whiche bothe our adoptioÌ„ the effect of our saluacioÌ„ coÌ„teineth And so let vs be hedefully bent to this most earnest thing of al that no coÌ„tinuance of time may make vs wery For which purpose I haue differred to this place that whiche I had breefely to entreate of it that the readers may learne when thei haue receiued Christe the author of their saluatioÌ„ to rise vp hier may knowe that he is clothed with heauenly immortalitie glorie that the whole body may be made lyke fashioned to the heade as also the holy ghost oftentimes setteth forthe in his persoÌ„ an exaÌ„ple of the resurrectioÌ„ It is a thing harde to be beleued the bodies when thei haue been coÌ„sumed with rottennesse shal at their appointed time rise vp againe Therfore where many of the Philosophers haue affirmed soules to be iÌ„mortal the resurrectioÌ„ of the flesh hath ben allowed of few wherin although ther was no excuse yet we ar thereby put in minde that it is to harde a thing to draw mans senses to beleue it That faith may ouercome so great a stoppe the scriptur ministreth two helpes the one is in the likenes of Christ the other is the almightines of god Nowe so oft as the resurrectioÌ„ is thought of let the image of Christ come into our mindes which in the nature that he toke of vs so ranne out the race of mortal life that now hauing obteined immortalitie he is to vs a pledge of the resurrectioÌ„ to coÌ„ For in the miseries wherw t we ar beseged we carie about his mortifieng in our flesh that his life may be openli shewed in vs. And we may not seuer him froÌ„ vs neither can we possibly but that he must be torne in sunder WhervpoÌ„ coÌ„meth that argument of Paul If the deade do not rise againe then neither is Christ risen again bicause verily he taketh that principle for coÌ„fessed the Christ was not made subiect to death nor obteined victorie of death by rising againe priuately for him self but that that was begone in the heade which must nedes be fulfilled in al the membres accordinge to the degree ordre of euery one For it were not right that thei shold in al pointes be made egal with him It is said in the Psalm Thou shalt not suffer thy meke one to see corruptioÌ„ Although a portioÌ„ of this trust perteine to vs according to the measure of gift yet the ful effect hath not appeared but in Christ whiche being free froÌ„ all rotting hath receiued againe his body whole Now least the felowship of blessed resurrectioÌ„ with Christ shold be doutful to vs that we may be contented with this pledge Paul expresly affirmeth that he therfore sitteth in heauen shal come at the last day a iudge that he may make oure base and vile body like fashioned to his glorious body In an other place also he teacheth that God raysed not vp his sonne froÌ„ death to the entent to shew a token of his power but to stretche out the same effectual force of the Spirit toward vs which are faithful whome he therefore calleth life while he liueth in vs bycause he was geuen to this ende that he sholde make aliue that which is mortall in vs. I knit vp in a brefe abridgement those things which might both be more largely handled ar worthâ— to be more gorgeously set out yet I trust that the godli readers shal in few words fiÌ„de matter enough which mai suffice to edifie their faith Christ therfore is risen again that he might haue vs coÌ„panions of the life to come He was raised vp of the father in so much as he was the head of the church froÌ„ which he doth in no wise suffer himself to be plucked away He was raised vp by the power of the Spirit which is common to vs vnto the office of quickening Finally he was raised vp that he shold be resurrection liâ—e But as we haue saide that in this miroure there is to be seen of vs a liuely image of the resurrection so let it be to vs a sure substance to stay our minde so that yet we be not lotheful or wery of longe tarieng bycause it is not our part to measure the seasons of times by our will but patiently to rest til God at his owne fit time repaire his kingdome To which purpose semeth the exhortatioÌ„ of Paul The first frutes is Christ then thei that are Christes euery one in his ordre But yâ— no questioÌ„ shold be moued of the resurrection of Christ vpoÌ„ which the resurrection of vs all is founded we se by how many how diuerse meanes he hath made it approued

of the faithful to take away the ordinaÌ„ces or rather the fained deuises of al men of what degree soeuer they be that the decrees of God onely may remaine in force These be those spirituall armures mighty through God to cast down holdes by which the faithful seruaÌ„tes of God may throwe down couÌ„sels al height that aduaunceth it selfe against the knowlege of God may leade al knowlege captiue to obey Christ. Loe this is the soueraigne power wherw t it behoueth the Pastors of the Chirch to be endued by what name soeuer they be called that is that by the worde of God they may with coÌ„fideÌ„ce be bolde to do al things may coÌ„pel al the streÌ„gth glory wisdome height of the world to yeld obey to his maiestie being vpholdeÌ„ by his power may coÌ„maunde al eueÌ„ froÌ„ the hiest to the lowest may bilde vp the house of Christ pull down the house of SataÌ„ may fede the shepe driue awai the wolues may instruct exhort the willing to learne â–ª may reproue rebuke subdue the rebellious stubborne may bind loose finally may thuÌ„der lighteÌ„ if nede be but al things in the word of God Howbeit there is as I haue said this differeÌ„ce betwene the Apostles their successors that the Apostles wer the certaine autheÌ„tike secretaries of the Holy ghost therfore their writinges are to be estemed for the Oracles of God but the other haue none other office but to teache that which is set fourth writteÌ„ in the holy Scriptures We determine therefore that this is not now left to faythfull ministers that they may coyne any new doctrine but that they oughte simply to cleaue to the doctrine wherunto the lord hath made al meÌ„ wtoute exception subiect WheÌ„ I say this my meaning is not only to shew what is lawful for al particular meÌ„ but also what is lawful for the whole vniuersal Chirch Now as touching al particular meÌ„ Paul verily was ordeined by the Lord Apostle to the CorinthiaÌ„s but he denieth that he hath dominioÌ„ ouer their faith Who now dare take a dominion vpon hymselfe which Paule testifieth that it beloÌ„geth not to him If he had acknowleged himselfe to haue this libertie of teachiÌ„g that whatsoeuer the Pastor teacheth he may therin of right require to be beleued he wold neuer haue taught the CoriÌ„thiaÌ„s this discipline that while twoe or three Prophetes speake the rest should iudge if it were reueled to any that sate the first should hold his peace For so he spared none whoe 's authoritie he made not subiect to the iugemeÌ„t of the word of God But wil some maÌ„ say of the whole vniuersall Chirch the case is otherwise I answere that in an other place Paul meteth with this dout also where he saieth that Faith is by hearing hearing by the word of God Truly if Faith hang of the word of God only hath respecte vnto resteth vpon it alone what place is there now left to the worde of the whole world For herin no maÌ„ may dout that hath wel knowen what Faith is For Faith ought to be staied vpoÌ„ such assurednesse wherby it may stande inuincible against SataÌ„ al the engines of the hells and against the whole world This assurednesse we shal no where find but in the only word of God Againe it is a general rule which we here oughte to haue respect vnto that God doth therfore take froÌ„ men the power to set fourth a new doctrine that he only may be our scholemaister in heauenly learning as he only is true which caÌ„ neither lye nor deceiue This rule belongeth no lesse to the whole Chirch than to euery one of the faithful But if this power of the Chirche which we haue spoken of be compared with that power wherof the spirituall tyrantes that haue falslye called themselues Bishops and Prelates of religion haue in certayne ages past bosted themselues among the people of God the agreemente shal be no better than Christ hath with Beliall Yet it is not in this place my purpose to declare in what sorte and with how wicked meanes they haue exercised their tyranny I wil but rehearse the doctrine which at this day they defende first with writinges and then with swerd fyre Because they take it for a thyng confessed that a general CouÌ„cell is the true image of the Chirche when they haue taken this principle they do without dout determine that such counsels are immediatly gouerned of the Holy ghost and that therfore they can not erre But whereas they themselues do rule the counsells yea and make them they doe in dede chalenge to themselues whatsoeuer they affirme to be due to the CouÌ„cells Therfore they wil haue our Faith to stande and fall at their will that whatsoeuer they shal determine on the one side or the other maye be stablished and certayne to our mindes so that if they allow any thing we must allowe the same without douting if they condemne any thyng we must also holde it for coÌ„demned In the meane time after their own lust and despising the worde of God they coyne doctrines to which afterwarde they require by thys rule to haue Fayth geuen For they also say that he is no Christian that doth not certainly consent to all theyr doctrines as wel affirmatiue as negatiue if not with expressed yet with vnexpressed Faith because it is in the power of the Chirche to make new articles of the Fayth First let vs heare by what argumeÌ„tes they proue that this authoritie is geuen to the Chirche and then we shal se how much that maketh for them which they allege of the Chirch The Chirch say they hath notable promises that it shal neuer be forsakeÌ„ of Christ her spouse but that it shal be guided by his Spirite into al truth But of the promises which they are wont to allege many are geueÌ„ no lesse to euery one the faithful particularly thaÌ„ to the whole Chirche vniuersally For though the Lord spake to the .xii. Apostles wheÌ„ he said Behold I am with you eueÌ„ to the end of the world Again I wil aske my Father he shal geue you an other coÌ„forter namely the Spirite of truth yet he made the promise not only to the whole nuÌ„ber of the .xii. but also to euery one of them yea to the other disciples likewise either those that he had alredy receiued or those that should afterwarde be added to them But wheÌ„ they expouÌ„de such promises ful of singular coÌ„fort as though they were geueÌ„ to none of the Christians but to the whole Chirche together what do they ells but take away froÌ„ al Christians that confidence which they all ought to receiue therby to encourage theÌ„ Yet I do not here deny but that the whole felowship of the faithful furnished with manifolde diuersitie of gyftes is endued with much larger and more plentifull treasure of the heaueÌ„ly wisdome

commaundement of God The Altar of Achaz the paterne whereof was broughte out of Samaria might haue semed to encrease the garnishment of the teÌ„ple wheras his deuise was to offre Sacrifices therupoÌ„ to God only which he should do more honorably than vpon the first olde Altar yet we see how the Spirite detesteth the boldnesse for none other cause but for that the inuentions of meÌ„ in the worshipping of God are vnclene corruptions And how much more clerely the will of God is opened vnto vs so much the lesse excusable is our frowardnesse to attempt any thiÌ„g And therfore worthily with this circumstance the crime of Manasses is enforced for that he bilded a new altar in Ierusalem of which God had pronounced I wil there set my name because the authoritie of God is now as it were of set purpose refused Many do maruel why God so sharply threteneth yâ— he wil do thinges to be wondred at to the people of whoÌ„ he was worshipped with the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of men pronounceth that he is worshipped in vaine with the preceptes of meÌ„ But if they coÌ„sidered what it is in the cause of religion that is to say of heaueÌ„ly wisdome to haÌ„g vpoÌ„ the only mouth of God they would therewtal se that it is no scleÌ„der resoÌ„ why God so abhorreth such peruerse seruices that are done to him accordiÌ„g to the lust of maÌ„s wit For althoughe they that obey such lawes for the worshipping of God haue a certaine shewe of humilitie in this their obedience yet they are not huÌ„ble before God to whoÌ„ they prescribe the same lawes which they theÌ„selues do kepe This is the reson why Paul willeth vs so diligently to beware that we be not deceiued by the traditions of meÌ„ that which he calleth ethelothreskian that is Wilworship inueÌ„ted of meÌ„ beside the doctrine of God This is verily true both our own wisdom al mens wisdom must be foolish vnto vs that we may suffer him alone to be wise Which way they kepe not which do studie with pety obseruations fayned by the wil of men to coÌ„mend themselues vnto hym do thrust vnto hym as it were against his will a transgressing obedience towarde hym whiche is in dede geuen to meÌ„ As it hath ben done both in many ages heretofore and in the tyme within our owne remembrance and is also at thys daye done in those places where the authoritie of the creature is more estemed thaÌ„ of the creator where religion if yet the same be worthy to be called religion ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ defiled with moe and more vnsauorie superstitions than euer was any Paynime wickednesse For what could the witt of men brede but al thynges carnal and foolishe and such as truely resemble theyr authors Whereas also the Patrones of superstitions allege that Samuell Sacrificed in Ramatha and although the same was done beside the law yet it pleased God the solution is easy that it was not a certayne seconde altar to set against the one onely altar but because the place was not yet appointed for the arke of couenant he appointed the towne where he dwelled for Sacrifices as the most conuenient place Truely the minde of the holy Prophete was not to make any innouation in holy thinges whereas God had so streightly forbidden any thing to be added or minished As for the example of Menoha I say that it was an extraordinarie and singular case He being a priuate man offered sacrifice to God not without the allowaÌ„ce of God verily because he enterprised it not of a rash motion of his own minde but by a heauenlye instinction But how much the Lord abhorreth those thinges that men deuise of themselues to worship hym withall an other not inferior to Gedeon is a notable example whoe 's Ephod turned to destruction not only to hym and hys familie but to the whole people Finally euery new founde inuention wherewith meÌ„ couet to worship God is nothing ells but a defiling of true holinesse Why then saye they did Christ will that those intollerable burdens should be borne which the Scribes and Pharisees bounde vpon men But why in an other place did the same Christ wil that men should beware of the leuen of the Pharisees calling leuen as Mathew the Euangelist expoundeth it all their own doctrine that they mingled with the purenesse of the worde of God What would we haue more playne thaÌ„ that we be commaunded to flee and beware of al their doctrine Whereby it is made most certaine vnto vs that in the other place also the Lorde willed not that the coÌ„sciences of his shoulde be vexed with the Pharisees own traditioÌ„s And the very wordes if they be not wrested souÌ„de of no such thing For the Lord purposing there to enuey sharply againste the maners of the Pharisees did first simply instruct them that heard hym that although they saw nothing in their life mete for them to folow yet they should not cesse to do those thyngs which they taught in wordes whyle they sate in the chaire of Moses that is to declare the law Therefore he meant nothing ells but to prouide that the coÌ„mon people should not with the euil exaÌ„ples of the teachers be brought to despise the doctrine But forasmuch as many are nothing at al moued with resons but alwaye require authoritie I wil allege Augustines wordes in whiche the very same thing is spoken The Lordes shepefolde hath gouernoures some faithfull and some hirelinges The gouernours that are faithfull are true Pastors but heare ye that the hireliges also are necessarie for many in the Chirch folowing earthly profites do preach Christe and by them the voice of Christ is heard and the shepe do folowe not a hireling but the Pastor by the meanes of a hireling Heare ye that hirelinges are shewed by the Lord himselfe The Scribes saith he the Pharisees sitt in the chaire of Moses Doe ye those thinges that they saye but do not those thinges that they do What other thing said he but heare the voice of the Pastor by the hirelinges For in sitting in the chaire they teache the law of God therfore God teacheth by theÌ„ But if they wil teache their owne heare it not do it not This saith Augustine But wheras many vnskilfull men when they heare that consciences are wickedly bouÌ„de and God worshipped in vaine with the traditions of men do at ones blott out altogether al lawes whereby the order of the Chirch is set in Frame therefore it is conuenient also to mete with their error Uerily in this point it is easy to be deceiued because at the first sight it doeth not by and by appeare what differeÌ„ce is betwene the one sort and the other But I will so plainly in few wordes sett out the whole mater that the likenesse may deceiue no man First let vs holde this that if we see in euery felowship of men some policie to be necessarie that may

nothyng of spirituall thynges But for one benefite of God which they set foorth we consider three For fyrst the Lord teacheth and instructeth vs with his worde then he strengtheneth vs with sacrameÌ„tes last of all he shineth into our myndes with the lyghte of his holye Spirite and openeth an entrie for the woorde and Sacramentes into our hartes whiche otherwyse should but strike our eares and bee present before our eies and nothyng moue the inward partes Wherfore as touchyng the confirmation and encrease of Faith I wold haue the reader warned which I thinke I haue already in plaine wordes expressed that I do so assigne that ministerie to the sacramentes not as though I thought that there is perpetually in them I wote not what secrete force by which they may of themselues be able to further or confirme Faith but because they are ordeined of the Lorde to this ende that they shoulde serue to the stablishyng and encreasyng of Faith But then onely they do truely performe their office when that inwarde schoolemaister the Spirite is come to them with whoe 's onely power bothe the hartes are pearced and affections are moued and the entrie is sette open for the Sacramentes into oure soules If he be absente Sacramentes can do no more to our myndes than if either the brightnesse of the sunne shoulde shine vppon blynde eies or a voice sounde to deafe eares Therfore I so make diuision betwene the Spirite and sacramentes that the power of working remaine with the Spirite and to the Sacramentes be left only the ministration yea and the same voide and triflyng without the workyng of the Spirite but of muche effectualnesse when he inwardly woorketh and putteth foorth his force Nowe it is plaine in what sorte accordyng to this sentence a godly mynde is confirmed in the faith by Sacramentes that is to say euen as the eies see by the brightnesse of the sunne and the eares heare by the sounde of a voice of whiche neither the eies should any whitte perceiue any light vnlesse they had a sight in them selues that might naturally be enlightened and the eares should in vaine be knocked at with any crieng whatsoeuer it were vnlesse they wer naturally made and fitt to heare But if it be true whiche ought at ones to be determined among vs that what the sight worketh in our eies to seyng of the light what the hearyng worketh in our eares to the perceiuyng of a voice the same is the worke of the Holy ghost in our hartes bothe to the conceiuyng and susteinyng and cherishing and stablishing of faith then bothe these thynges do likewise folowe that the Sacramentes do nothyng at all profite without the power of the Holy ghoste that nothyng withstandeth but that in hartes alredy taught of that scholemaister they may make faith bothe stronger and more encreased Only this difference there is that the power of hearyng and seyng is naturally set in our eares and eyes but Christ beside the measure of nature doth by speciall grace worke the same in our myndes Wherby those obiections also which comber some men are dissolued That if we ascribe to creatures either the encrease or confirmation of Faith there is wrong done to the Spirite of God whom we ought to acknowlege the onely author therof For neither doo we in the meane tyme take from hym the praise either of confirming or encreasyng it but rather we affirme that euen this that he encreseth confirmeth faith is nothing els but with his inward enlightning to prepare our myndes to receiue that confirming which is set foorth by the Sacraments But if it be yet to darkly spokeÌ„ it shal be made very clereby a similitude which I will bryng If thou purpose with woordes to persuade a man to do any thyng thou wilt search out all the reasons wherby he may be drawen to thy opinion and may be in a maner subdued to obey thy counsel But thou haste hetherto nothyng preuailed vnlesse he likewise haue a pearcyng and sharpe iudgement whereby he may wey what pitth is in thy reasons vnlesse also he haue a tractable witt ready to harken to teachyng finally vnlesse he haue conceiued such an opinion of thy faithfulnesse and wisedome as may be to him like a certaine foreiudgemeÌ„t to cause him to subscribe For both there are many stubborne heads which a man can neuer bowe with any reasons and also where credite is suspected where authoritie is despised little good is done euen with the willyng to learne On the other syde lett all those thynges be present they wyll truely bryng to passe that the hearer to whome thou geuest counsel will obey the selfe same counsels which otherwise he wold haue laughed to scorne The same woorke also the Spirite woorketh in vs. For least the worde should beate our eares in vayne least the Sacramentes shoulde stryke oure eyes in vayne he sheweth vs that it is God which speaketh therin he softeneth the stubbornesse of oure harte and frameth it to the obedience which is due to the word of the Lorde Finally he conueyeth those outward woordes and Sacramentes from the eares into the soule Therfore bothâ— the worde and the Sacraments do confirme our Faith when they set before our eies the good wil of the heuenly Father toward vs by knowlege of whom both the whole stedfastnesse of our Faith standeth fast and the strengthe of it encreaseth the Spirite confirmeth it when in engrauing the same confirmation in in our myndes he maketh it effectual In the meane tyme the Father of lightes can not be forbidden but as he enlightneth the bodily eiâ—s with the beames of the sunne so he may enlighten our myndes with sacramentes as with as brightnesse set meane betwene Whiche propretie the Lorde taught that there was in his outewarde worde when in the parable he called it sede For as sede if it fall vpon a desert and vntilled pece of grounde will do nothyng but die but if it be throwen vpon arable lande well manured and tylled it wyll bryng foorth her fruite with very good encrease so the word of God if it light vpon a stiffe necke it will growe barrein as that whiche is sowen vpon sande but if it light vpon a soule manured with the hande of the heauenly Spirite it will be moste fruitefull But if there be like reason of sede and of the worde as we say that out of sede corne bothe springeth and encreaseth and groweth vp to ripenesse why may we not say that Faith taketh out of the worde of God bothe begynnyng encrease and perfection Paule very well expresseth both these thyngs in sundry places For when he goeth about to put the Corynthians in remembrance howe effectually God vsed his trauaile he glorieth that he hath the ministerie of the Spirite as though the power of the Holy ghost wer with an vnseperable knot ioyned with his preachyng to enlighten and thoroughly moue the mynde But in an other place when he myndeth

also they fele the effect of his resurrection in the quicknyng of the Spirite Herupon he gathereth mater of exhortation that if we be Christians we ought to be dead to sinne and to lyue to righteousnesse This selfe same argument he vseth in an other place that we be circumcised and haue put of the olde man sins that we bee buried in Christ by Baptisme And in this sense in the same place which we haue before alleged he called it the washyng of regeneration of renewing Therfore first free forgeuenesse of sinnes and imputation of righteousnesse is promised vs and then the grace of the Holy ghoste whiche may reforme vs into newnesse of life Last of all our Faith receiueth also this profite of Baptisme that it certainly testifieth vnto vs that we are not only graffed into the death and life of Christ but that we are so vnited to Christ hymselfe that we are partakers of all his good thynges For therfore he hath dedicated and halowed Baptisme in his owne body that he might haue it coÌ„mon with vs as a most strong bonde of the vnitie and felowshyp which he vouchsaued to entre into with vs so that Paul proueth therby that we be the children of God because we haue put on Christ in Baptisme So we see that the fulfillyng of Baptisme is in Christ whome also for this reason we call the propre obiect of Baptisme Therfore it is no meruaile if it be reported that the Apostles baptised into his name which yet wer commaunded to baptise into the name of the Father also and of the Holy ghost For whatsoeuer giftes of God are set foorth in Baptisme are founde in Christ alone And yet it can not be but that he whiche baptiseth into Christ do therwithall call vppon the name of the Father and of the Holy ghost For we are therfore cleansed with his blood because the merciful Father accordyng to his incomparable kyndnesse willing to receiue vs into fauor hath set him a mediator in the middest to procure to vs fauor with him But regeneration we so only obteyne by his death and resurrection if beyng sanctified by the Spirite we be endued with a new and spirituall nature Wherfore both of our cleansyng regeneration we obteine after a certaine maner distinctly perceiue the cause in the Father the mater in the Sonne and the effect in the Holy ghost So Iohn first baptised so afterwarde the Apostles with the baptisme of repentance into the forgeuenesse of sinnes meanyng by this worde repentance suche regeneration and by forgeuenesse of sinnes washyng Whereby also it is made moste certaine that the ministerie of Iohn was altogether the same which was afterwarde committed to the Apostles For the diuers handes wherewith it is ministred make not the Baptisme diuers but the same doctrine sheweth it to be the same Baptisme Iohn and the Apostles agreed into one doctrine bothe baptised into repentance bothe into the forgeuenesse of sinnes bothe into the name of Christe from whome was bothe repentance and forgeuenesse of sinnes Iohn saied that he was the lambe of God by whome the sinnes of the worlde shoulde be taken away where he made him the Sacrifice acceptable to the Father the propitiator of righteousnesse the author of saluation What coulde the Apostles adde to this confession Wherfore let it trouble no man that the olde writers labor to seuer the one from the other whoe 's voice we oughte not so muche to esteme that it may shake the certaintie of the Scripture For who will rather harkeÌ„ to Chrysostome denyeng that forgeuenesse of sinnes was comprehended in the Baptisme of Iohn than to Luke contrarywyse affirming that Iohn preached the Baptisme of repentance into the forgeuenesse of sinnes Neither is that suttletie of Augustine to be receyued that in the Baptisme of Iohn sinnes were forgeuen in hope but in the Baptisme of Christ they are forgeuen in dede For where as the Euangelist plainly testifieth that Iohn in his Baptisme promised the forgeuenesse of sinnes what nede we to abate this title of commendation when no necessitie compelleth vs vnto it But if any man seke for a difference out of the worde of God he shall fynd none other but this that Iohn baptised into hym that was to come the Apostles into hym that had already presented himselfe As for this that more abundant graces of the Spirite were poured out sins the resurrection of Christ it maketh nothyng to stablishe a diuersitie of Baptismes For the Baptisme which the Apostles ministred while he was yet conuersant in earth was called his yet it had no larger plentifulnesse of the Spirite than the Baptisme of Iohn Yea eueÌ„ after his asceÌ„sion the Spirit was not geuen to the Samaritans aboue the common measure of the Faithfull before the ascension althoughe they were baptised into the name of Iesus till Peter Iohn wer sent vnto them to lay theyr hands vpon them This only thyng as I think deceiued the old writers that they said that the Baptisme of Iohn was but a preparation to the baptisme of Christ because they red that they were baptised againe of Paul which had ones receiued the baptisme of Iohn But howe muche they were herein deceiued shall ells where be plainely declared in place fitte for it What is it therfore that Iohn said that he baptised in dede with water but that Christ should come whiche should baptise with the Holy ghoste and with fyre This maye in fewe wordes be assoiled For he meant not to put difference betwene the one Baptisme and the other but he compared his own person with the person of Christ saiyng that himselfe was a minister of water but that Christ was the geuer of the Holy ghost and should declare this power by visible miracle the same day that he should sende the Holy ghost to the Apostles vnder fyry tonges What coulde the Apostles boast of more than this What more could they also that baptise at this day For they be onely ministers of the outwarde signe and Christ is the author of the inward grace as the same olde writers theÌ„selues do euery where teach and specially Augustine whose principal stay agaynst the Donatistes is this that what a one soeuer he be that baptizeth yet only Christ is ruler of it These thynges which we haue spoken bothe of mortification and of washyng are shadowed out in the people of Israell whom for the same cause the Apostle sayth to haue ben baptised in the cloude and in the sea Mortifiyng was figured when the Lorde deliueryng them oute of the hande of Pharao and from cruell bondage made for them a waye thorough the redde sea and drowned Pharao hymselfe and the EgyptiaÌ„s their enemies that folowed them hard at their backes and were euen in their neckes to ouertake them For after the same maner also he promiseth to vs in Baptisme and by a signe geuen sheweth vs that we

because he had a litle before sayd sithe these thinges are knowen to men forasmuche as they are done by meÌ„ they may haue honor as things but as maruelous things they may not And to no other ende tendeth that which our aduersaries doe to vnaduisedly draw to themselues that Christ did after a certaine manner beare hymselfe in his owne handes when he reached the mysticall bred to the disciples For by enterlacing this aduerbe of likenesse after a certaine manner he sufficiently declareth that he was not truely nor really enclosed vnder the bâ—ed And no maruell sithe in an other place he plainly affirmeth that bodies if spaces of places be taken from them shal be no where and because they shal be no where they shal not be at al. It is a hungry cauillation to say that in that place is not entreated of the Supper in which God vttereth speciall power because the question was moued concerning the fleshe of Christe and the holy man of set purpose answering sayth Christ gaue immortalitie to hys fleshe but toke not nature from it After this forme it is not to be thought that he is eche where spred abrode for we must beware that we doe not so affirme the Godhed of the man that we take away the truth of the body And it foloweth not that that whiche is in God muste be eche where as God is There is a reson by and by added for one person is God and man and both are one Christ eche where by thys that he is God in heauen by thys that he is man What a negligeÌ„ce had it ben not to excepte the mysterie of the Supper beyng a thing so earnest and weyghty if there had ben in it any thing against the doctrine which he entreated of And yet if a man doe hedefully rede that which foloweth within a litle after he shal fynde that vnder that general doctrine the Supper is also comprehended that Christ the onely begotten Sonne of God and the same the sonne of man is eche where whole present as God that he is in the temple of God that is in the Chirch God as it were there dwelling and in some certaine place of heauen by reason of the measure of hys true body We see howe to the vniting of Christe with the Chirch he doth not draw his body out of heauen which surely he would haue done if the body of Christe were not truely meate to vs vnlesse it were enclosed vnder bred In an other place defining how the faythfull doe nowe possesse Christ Thou hast hym sayth he by the signe of the crosse by the Sacrament of Baptisme by the meate and drinke of the altar How rightly he reckeneth a superstitious vsage among the Signes of the preseÌ„ce of Christ I doe not now dispute but he that coÌ„pareth the presence of the fleshe to the signe of the crosse sufficiently sheweth that he fayneth not a twoo bodyed Christ that the same he maye lurke hidden vnder the bred which sitteth visible in heaueÌ„ If this nede plainer declaratioÌ„ it is by and by after added in the same place that according to the preseÌ„ce of maiestie we alway haue Christ that according to the presence of the fleshe it is rightly sayed Me ye shal not alwaye haue They answere that thys is also added that according to an vnspeakable and inuisible grace it is fulfilled which is sayd of hym I am with you euen vnto the ending of the worlde â–ª But that is nothing for their auantage because this is at length restrayned to hys maiestie which is euer in comparison set against the body and hys fleshe by expresse name is made differeÌ„t from his grace and power As in an other place the same comparison of contraries is red in him that Christe by bodily presence left the disciples that by spirituall presence he maye bee stil with them where it is playne that the substance of the fleshe is distinguished from the power of the Spirite which conioyneth vs with Christ though we be otherwise farre seuered by distance of places The same maner of speaking he oftentimes vseth as when he sayth He is to come againe to the quicke and the dead with bodily presence according to the rule of Fayth and sounde doctrine For with spirituall presence he was also to come to them and to abide with the whole Chirch in the world vntill the ending of the world Therefore thys speche is directed to the beleuers whome he had already begonne to saue with bodily presence and whom he was to leaue with bodily absence that he mighte with hys Father saue them with spirituall presence To take bodily for visible is but trifling sithe he setteth also the body in coÌ„parison against the diuine power and adding to saue with the Father he clearely expresseth that he doth poure abrode his grace from heauen to vs by hys Spirite And sithe they putt so muche confidence in thys lurkyng hole of inuisible presence goe to lett vs see how well they hyde themselues in it Firste they shall not bryng fourth one syllable oute of the Scriptures wherby they maye proue that Christe is inuisible but they take that for confessed whiche no man that hath his sounde witt will graunte them that the body of Christe can not otherwise be geuen in the Supper but being couered with the visor of bred And this is the very pointe aboute whiche they striue with vs so farr is it of from hauyng the place of a principle And when they so babble they are compelled to make a double body of Christe because after their opinion it is in it selfe visible in heauen but inuisible in the Supper after a special maner of dispensation But how trimly this agreeth it is easy to iudge both by other places of Scripture and by the witnesse of Peter Peter sayth that Christ must be holden or conteined in heauen til he come againe These meÌ„ teache that he is euery where but without forme They take exception and say that it is vniuste dealing to make the nature of a glorified body subiect to the lawes of common nature But this answere draweth with it that doting error of Seruettus which is worthily to be abhorred of all the godly that the body was swallowed vp of the Godhed I do not say that thei thinke so But if this be reckened among the qualities of a glorified body to fill all thinges after an inuisible manner it is euidente that the bodily substance is destroied and that there is left no difference of the godhed and the nature of man Againe if the body of Christ be so of many fashions and diuerse that it is seen in one place is inuisible in an other where is the very nature of a body which coÌ„sisteth of his mesured proportioÌ„s and where is the vnitie Much more rightly doth TertulliaÌ„ say which affirmeth that the body of Christ was a true and natural body because in the mysterie of

ioyne these two peces together as if he had sayd Suffer vs not to be oppressed with tentation but rather helpe our weakenesse deliuer vs that we faynt not The olde writers also think on our syde so that nowe that whiche is in Mathew added in the seueÌ„th place is by way of declaration to be ioyned to the sixt petition But although the whole praier is such that in euery parte of it regarde is specially to be had of the glorie of God yet the three first petitions are peculiarly appoynted to Gods glorie whiche alone we ought in them to loke vnto without any respect as they say of our owne profite The other thre haue care of vs and are proprely assigned to aske those thinges that are for our profite As when we pray that the name of God be halowed because God will proue whether he be loued and honored of vs freely or for hope of reward we must theÌ„ think nothyng of our own commoditie but his glorie must be sett before vs which alone we must beholde with fixed eies and no otherwise ought we to be mynded in the other praiers of this sort And euen this tourneth to our great profite that when it is sanctified as we pray it is also likewise made our sanctification But our eyes as it is saied must winke and after a certayne maner be blinde at suche profite so as they may not ones loke at it that if all hope of our priuate benefite were cut of yet we should not ceasse to wishe and pray for this sanctification and other thynges which perteine to the glorie of God As it is sene in the examples of Moses and Paule to whom it was not greuous to turne away their myndes and eies from themselues with vehement and enflamed zele to wish their owne destruction that though it were with their owne losse they might auaunce the glorie kyngdome of God On the other side when we pray that our dayly bread be geuen vs although we wyshe that which is for our owne commoditie yet here also we ought chefely to seke the glorie of God so that we would not aske it vnlesse it might turne to his glorie Now let vs come to the declaryng of the praier it selfe Our Father whiche art in heauen First in the very entrie we mete with this which we said before that all prayer ought none otherwise to be offred of vs to God than in the name of Christe as it can by no other name bee made acceptable vnto him For sins we call him Father truely we allege for vs the name of Christ. For by what boldnesse myght any man call God Father who should burst foorth into so great rashnesse to take to hymselfe the honor of the Sonne of God vnlesse we were adopted the children of grace in Christ Which being the true Sonne is geueÌ„ of him to vs to be our brother that that which he hath propre by nature may by the benefit of adoptioÌ„ be made oures if we do with sure faith embrace so great bountifulnesse As Iohn saith that power is geueÌ„ to theÌ„ which beleue in the name of the only begotteÌ„ Sonne of God that they also may be made the childreÌ„ of God TherforeÌ„ he both calleth himself our Father will be so called of vs by this swetenesse of name delyuering vs from all distrust sithe there can no where be found any greater affection of loue than in a Father Therfore he coulde by no surer example testifie his vnmeasurable deere loue towarde vs than by this that we are named the sonnes of God But his loue is so much greater more excellent toward vs than all loue of our parentes as he passeth all men in goodnesse and mercy that if all the fathers that are in the earth hauing shaken of all feling of fatherly naturalnesse wold forsake their children yet he wyll neuer faile vs because he can not denie hymselfe For we haue his promise If you beyng euell can geue good giftes to your children howe muche more can your Father which is in heauen Agayn in the Prophet Can a mother forget her children Though she forget them yet I will not forgett thee If we be his children then as a childe can not geue hymselfe into the tuition of a stranger and forein man vnlesse he complain either of the crueltie or pouertie of his father so we can not seke succors from ells where than from him alone vnlesse we reproche hym with pouertie and wante of abilitie or with crueltie or to extreme rigorousnesse Neither let vs allege that we are worthily made fearefull with conscience of sinnes whiche may make a Father be he neuer so mercyfull and kynde daily to be displeased For if among men the sonne can with no better aduocate pleade his cause to his father by no better meane gett and recouer his fauor beyng loste than if he hymselfe humbly and lowly acknowlegyng his fault doo beseche his fathers mercie for then the fatherly bowels can not hide themselues but must be moued at such prayers what shall that father of mercies do and the God of all comfort shall not he rather heare the teares and gronynges of his children intreatyng for themselues specially sith he dothe call and exhorte vs to do so than any other intercessions whatsoeuer they be to the succor wherof they do so fearefully flee not withoute some shewe of despeire because they distrust of the kyndnesse and mercifulnesse of their father This ouerflowyng plentie of fatherly kyndnesse he depainteth and setteth out vnto vs in the parable where the Father louyngly embraceth the sonne that had estranged hymselfe from him that had riotously wasted his substance that had euery way greuously offended against him and he tarieth not till he do with wordes craue pardon but he hymselfe preuenteth hym knoweth hym afarre of returnyng of his owne wyll goeth to mete hym comforteth him and receiueth hym into fauor For settyng out in a man this example of so great gentlenesse he mynded to teache vs howe muche more plentifull kindnesse we ought to loke for at his hande who is not only a Father but also the best and most mercyfull of all Fathers howsoeuer we be vnkynde rebellious and noughty children so that yet we cast our selves vppon his mercie And that he myght make it to be more assuredly beleued that he is suche a Father to vs if we be Christians he willed not only to be called Father but also by expresse name Our father as if we myght thus talke with hym O Father which hast so great naturall kyndnesse towarde thy chyldren so great easynesse to pardon we thy children call to thee and pray to thee beyng assured and fully persuaded that thou bearest no other affection to vs than fatherly howsoeuer we be vnworthy of suche a Father But because the small capacities of our hart conceiue not so great vnmeasurablenesse of fauor not onely Christe is to vs a

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