confesse euen the same that our Sauiour Iesus Christe who alone by his holy spirite doeth sanctifie all men and euen the very babes in their mothers belly doeth there speake of the spirituall regeneration of man and of his newe birth declaryng what is requisite and necessarie for him for to be a christian that is to say howe that it is necessarie that he forsake his first generation and birth whiche is altogether corrupted accursed and naught and that he be regenerated and borne agayne by the spirite of God and by the incorruptible séede of his worde so that he must be made a new creature bearing the image of Iesu Christe the true heauenlye Adam as he did beare the image of the olde Adam And therefore he saith Except a man be borne a newe or from aboue he cannot see the kyngdome of god And then afterwardes he doeth expounde by an other sentence folowyng the selfe same thyng that he had saide before For to be borne a newe or from aboue and to be borne of water and the spirite are phrases and maner of speakinges whiche doe signifie all one thyng so that those two sentences of Christe doe differ in nothyng sauyng only that the last doth expounde the first beyng somewhat more ample and copious For sithe that our first generation and byrth is carnall it behoueth that the seconde be spirituall sith that the first man beyng of the earth is earthy it is requisite and necessarie that the seconde which is from heauen be heauenly and spirituall But this generation and chaunge can not be doen but by the spirite of god For as it is written in the same place That whiche is borne of the spirite is spirite And therfore our Sauiour Christ going about to expound the same vnto Nicodemus that he had saide before Excepts a man be borne a newe or from aboue he cannot sée the kingdome of God he doeth saie afterwardes Excepte that a man be borne of water and of the spirite he cannot enter into the kyngdome of God bicause that the spirite the aucthour of this generation is geuen from aboue who worketh this new birth in vs whiche is altogether heauenly and spirituall But paraduenture they wil saie what neede he to adde water was it not enough to name the spirite Unto whom I aunswere Wherefore did Iohn Baptiste saie speakyng of the office and ministerie of our Sauiour Christ that he should baptize with the holie ghost and with fire What neede had he sith that he had named the spirite to make any mention of fire Shall it therefore be necessarie to appointe a Baptisme of fire as they saie that some folke haue doen and yet doe at this presente daie Saint Augustine doth testifie that the heretiques Seleucus and Hermias who were Galatians did not baptize with water he telleth not wherwith they did baptize but other writers saie that they did baptize with fire Wee reade likewise that the Iacobites doe vse fire in the circumcision of their children wherwith they be wont to marke them either in the forehead or in the cheeke They saie also that the Indians Ethiopians and Persians whiche counte them selues to be Christians doe yet at this present tyme vse fire in stéede of water in their baptisme Which errour without all doubt did come of the false intelligence and vnderstandyng of our sauiour Christes wordes For they doe not perceiue nor vnderstande that fire is taken of our Sauiour Christe and also of Iohn Baptiste by a figuratiue maner of speakyng for the holy spirite of God that so they might the more liuely expresse the nature and propertie of the holy ghoste For as the fire is pure and cleane and can suffer no vncleannesse so the holy ghoste doth pourge and cleanse and lighten the consciences setting them on fire with the loue of God. For the whiche cause hee was sent vnto the Apostles in the likenesse of fierie tongues Which thyng was both foreséene forespoken of Iohn Baptiste and also meant by our Sauiour Christe If wee doe not sticke to take fire in that place for the holye spirite of God and for a more ample exposition and settyng foorth of his nature and properties wherfore should we sticke to take water here in this place for the same selfe spirite considering the conformity agreement and affinitie that the water hath with the nature and properties of the holy Ghoste yea all thynges beyng well considered it standeth with more reason then the other doth For Saint Iohn speaketh of the holy ghoste firste and then maketh mention of the fire Therefore a man might thinke that either he did vnderstande two seueral thynges or that he did expounde one thing that is plaine of it selfe by an other thyng whiche is obscure and darke But in this place our sauiour Christe doeth put the water first and then afterwards as though he would expound vnto vs his figuratiue maner of speakyng and geue vnto it a greater light he doeth declare what he will haue vs to vnderstande by the same water that is to saie his holy spirite vnto whom he geueth this name for many causes Firste bicause that as the fire is an Elemente exceadyng pure and cleane and so necessary for mans life that it is impossible that men might forgoe it So the water is very needefull beyng of a very cleare pure and cleane nature and verie meete for to represent and signifie the nature and properties of the holy ghost For as the water doeth renewe the earth maketh it fertile causyng it to bryng foorth fruite and doeth wash the filthinesse of the bodies so the holy ghost doth wash purifie refresh and water the hartes and consciences of men comfortyng them and also makyng them to bryng foorth pleasaunt fruictes and acceptable to God. And as water doeth put out fire and quenche the thirste so the holy Ghoste doeth quenche the fire of the euill concupiscences of the fleshe he doeth also quenche the thirste of the poore troubled soules satisfiyng them for euermore Secondly he would by this maner of speakyng make vs to vnderstande those ceremonies washynges and purifiynges that be conteined in the Lawe of Moyses and likewise those Prophecies whereby the holy ghoste was promised and specially by Esay and Ezechiell vnto whiche Prophecies he had nowe a respect Therfore he would declare vnto vs that those waters that were promised of God did signifie nothyng els but the aboundaunt giftes of the holy spirite of God which shoulde be powred vpon all flesh as a streame or flood of water that doeth run downe and ouerfloweth all the whole earth whiche thyng S. Peter doeth testifie to haue been fulfilled both in hymself and in all the other disciples of our Sauiour Christe in the feast of Whitsontide accordyng to the Prophecie of Ioell And for this cause our sauiour Iesus christ both in this place and whē he
must we be in the resurrection These wordes shal the easlier be vnderstanded if we will consider and marke that the whole life of our sauiour Christe ought to serue vs in stéede of an Allegorie wherby we should make our selues conformable vnto hym spiritually in those thynges that haue been truely and really or in very deede fulfilled in his body and can in no wise be fulfilled in ours As for an example our sauiour Christ hath been conceaued by the holy ghoste borne of the virgine Marie he hath been crucified and put to death he did rise againe the thirde daie and ascended into heauen All those thynges cannot be performed nor fulfilled in our bodies as they were in his But let vs endeuour our selues that our spirite or inwarde man maie be fashioned and made conformable vnto hym in these thinges Our bodies are conceaued and borne in synne not by the holy Ghoste nor in the wombe of a virgine as our Sauiour Christe was but they are conceaued by the carnall copulation of man and woman and of corruptible seede That wee maie therefore be conformable vnto hym in this pointe let vs come vnto his true Churche and beléeue his gospell And when we be in the true Churche of Christe whiche is both our mother and a chaste virgine wee shal be conceaued and begotten in it by the vncorruptible seede of the worde of God our heauenlie father and by the vertue of his holy spirite and shal be borne againe the children of god and made newe creatures we shall put of the olde man and put one the newe bearyng the image of the newe Adam whiche is Iesus Christ as we haue borne the image of the olde Adam and of the man of synne After that we be thus conceaued by the holy ghoste and borne of a virgine which is the true Church and spouse of our sauiour christ the residue of our life must also be conformable vnto the life of our sauiour christ as our spirituall conception and birth is We be not crucified and put to death as he was but we learne of him to beare the Crosse with hym and to be crucified vnto the world that the world may be crucified vnto vs as Sainct Paule writeth of hym selfe But to be crucified and dead vnto the world is to be crucified and dead vnto sinne And to be crucified and dead vnto synne is to forsake synne to haue no more acquaintaunce with it and to be no more a seruaunte vnto it then the dead bee wonte to serue the liuyng For as the dead hath no more to doe with the liuyng but are separated from them so thei be dead vnto the world that haue forsaken it for to serue the liuyng God and that will not fasshion themselues after it nor walke after the fleshe and the concupiscence of it Now it is vnpossible that they that be thus dead vnto the worlde should not liue vnto God and that the worlde shoulde not be dead vnto them As contrariwise thei that liue vnto the worlde and the worlde vnto them they are dead vnto GOD As Sainte Paul hath written of the widowe that liueth in pleasure saiyng that widowe that liueth in pleasure is dead euen yet aliue Bicause she liueth vnto the worlde and is dead vnto God that was the meanyng of our sauiour Christ when he saide to the yong man that would goe and burie his father let the dead burie their dead folow thou me wheÌ„ we die then vnto the worlde we rise againe vnto God. Againe wee practise spiritually in vs the example of the death of Christ when we doe mortifie our earthy members when we offer our bodies a liuely sacrifice vnto god when we doe slaie with the sworde of Gods worde and also burne with the fire of his spirite our concupiscences and carnal affections whiche are the brute beastes that we sacrifice vnto God that the offeryng and sacrifice of our bodies may be reasonable Therefore we dye with our Sauiour Christ when we do kill and mortifie our olde Adam we doe also rise againe with hym when we doe put on Iesus christ and be apparelled with hym when we serue to righteousnes and despise this worlde with all the pompe and pride thereof hauyng our myndes and conuersation in heauen where we doe seeke for our â—auiour Iesu Christe fittyng on the right hande of God the father The Apostles and specially Saint Paul doe teache vs that we ought after this maner to apply and set before vs the death and resurrection of our sauiour Christ of a liuely image and paterne of the Christian and spirituall life And do declare vnto vs that baptisme is a sacrament of all these thynges For the water that is powred vpon vs in baptisme it is firste and formost vnto vs a certificat signe token and seale of the free remission and forgeuenesse of our sinnes and of the holy ghost who is the liuely water that washeth and cleanseth our consciences from synne as the visible water doth washe away the filthines of the body Moreouer it is a sacrament of repentaunce which teacheth vs that as the water doeth come vpon vs as it were for to couer and ouerwhelme vs so it behoueth that our olde man of synne be drowned as Pharao and the Egiptians were drowned in the red Sea and that we must be buried with our sauiour Christe But in this that the water doth not remaine still vpon our heades nor yet drowne vs it is thereby signified vnto vs that the repentaunce and mortifiyng that god doeth require of vs is not vnto death but vnto life so that by death he maketh vs to enter into life as the children of Israell goyng through the red Sea were brought out of seruitude and boundage in to a goodly libertie And as our sauiour Christ did by his death and crosse enter into the glory of his father And so the grace and mercie of God are not only represented vnto vs in our baptisme we are not onely by it grafted in his Testament and receiued into his church but also we haue there the sacrament of the death buriyng and resurrection of our sauiour Christ and of our death buriyng and resurrection with hym We haue also there repentaunce and of remission of synnes and the summe of the whole doctrine of the Gospell and also a liuely image of al the whole christian life preached vnto vs. But to come againe to our purpose After that our sauiour Christe had by manye tokens and signes declared that he was truely risen againe for he was by the space of .xl. daies after his resurrection alwaies conuersaunt with his Apostles and disciples eatyng and drinkyng with them and biddyng them to handle and feele his body and for a further proofe or trial to put their fingers into his woundes that they might bee in no doubt but that it was the same selfe
Gods promises Now the maister and teacher of trueth the aucthour of light the well and fountaine of wisedome knowledge and vnderstandyng This is he that doeth pourge and cleanse vs from all filthines and ouersprinckleth vs with his sanctitude and holines that we may be made the worthy temples of almightie god This is he that with his effectuall wateryng doeth make vs fruictfull vnto righteousnes for to bryng foorth aboundauntly the fruictes of our faith that our heauenly father may be glorified through our good workes conuersation and outwarde liuyng For the whiche cause he is many tymes called water as in these places of the prophete All ye that are a thirst come vnto the waters Againe I will powre water vpon hym that is a thirste and Riuers vpon the drie lande Wherunto the saiyng of Christe doeth agree where he biddeth them that bee a thirste to come vnto hym and to drinke of the waters of life Although he be other whiles so called for the efficacie streÌ„gth power and vertue that he hath to pourge and make cleane where the Lorde promiseth in Ezechiell to washe his people with cleane waters The same is he that consumeth and burneth awaie the inordinate lustes concupiscenses of our flesh kyndelyng our heartes with the diuine loue of GOD and of heauenly thynges wherefore he is called by God right fyre Finally this is he that by his inspiration doeth make vs wholie to liue vnto God so that we be no more ledde by our owne sensualitie but folowe onely his motion and guidyng Therefore is it saide of Barnarde verie well Quid bonus in nobis spiritus operatur monet mouet docet monet memoriam mouet voluntatem docet rationem That is to saie what good doth the spirite or holy Ghost in vs he doth warne moue and teache he doth warne our remembraunce he doeth moue our willes and teache our reason Therefore if there be any goodnesse in vs it is the fruicte of his grace and vertue But all our giftes without hym are méere darkenesse of the mynde and wicked peruersenesse of the hearte And as I doe beléeue that all the giftes and benefites that we doe receaue of God through his onely begotten sonne our sauiour Iesu Christ are by this holy spirite printed grauen and sealed vp in our heartes and myndes so do I beléeue that all the Canonicall bookes of the olde and newe Testament were written and sette forthe vnto vs onely by his diuine inspiration and that the doctrine that is conteined in them without all other is sufficiente vnto Saluation as the blessed Apostle doeth testifie saiyng Continue in the thinges that thou hast learned whiche also were committed vnto thée seyng thou knowest of whom thou hast learned them and for as muche also as thou haste knowen the holy Scriptures of a childe whiche bee able to make thee wise vnto Saluation through the faithe whiche is in Christ iesu For all scripture giuen by inspiration of God is profitable to teach to improue to amende and to instructe in righteousnesse that the man of God maie be perfecte and readie vnto all good workes Wherevnto Chrisostome doth agree saiyng what soeuer is required vnto saluation all the same shall ye finde in the holy scriptures And in an other place He hath at his tyme saieth he reueiled and opened his woorde by the preachyng that is committed vnto me And this is the preachyng the Gospell doeth conteine all thynges bothe present and to come honor godlinesse faithe to be shorte he hath comprehended all thynges in the woorde of his preachyng Againe he saieth what so euer is required for our saluation is alreadie conteined in the holy scriptures he that is ignoraunte shall finde there what he maie learne he that is stubborne and a synner maie finde there scourges of the iudgemente to come he that is troubled maie finde there ioyes and promises of euerlastyng life thorowe the beholdyng of whiche he maie be stirred to good workes Sainct Augustine saieth reade the holy scriptures wherin ye shall finde fullie what is to bée folowed and what to bee auoided Athanasius also saieth the holy scriptures saieth he beyng inspired from God are sufficiente to all instruction of the truthe Lyra one of the Popes owne doctours hath these wordes Like as in a merchauntes shippe are carried diuerse thinges necessarie for mans life So in the holy scriptures are conteined all thynges needefull to our saluation Who so euer then doeth affirme and saie that the doctrine of the holie ghoste whiche is conteined in the canonicall bookes of the olde and newe Testamente is not sufficiente vnto saluation and that besides it wee haue neede of mens traditions and doctrines as though without them we could not haue in the sacred booke of God a sufficient instruction in thynges that pertaine to life euerlastyng Or who soeuer saieth affirmeth that this holy spirite doeth teache and set for the any other worde or doctrine then is conteined in the sacred bookes of God I dare boldely affirme that the same man is not lead with the same holie spirite who is the lorde and giuer of life and who procéeding from the father the sonne should leade vs into all truthe and bryng into our remembraunces whatsoeuer Christ our Sauiour the heauenly wisedome of the father hath taught and set forthe for the saluation of mankind but with the spirite of errour I meane with the spirite of sathan the deuill who to the vttermoste of his power causeth men to contemne despise and sette at naught the holie commaundementes of almightie God that thei maie set vp their owne traditions and dreames and all vnder the title name and colour of the holie ghoste Wherefore it is moste needefull and necessarie that wee haue alwaies before our eyes the saiyng of the blessed Euangeliste saincte Ihon where he saieth Dearely beloued beleue not euery spirite but proue the spirites whether thei bee of God or not Also S. Chrisost. saith agréeyng with the same Many saith he do boast of the holy ghost but they that do vtter and set out their owne phancies and dreames do pretende him in vaine for as Christ doth witnesse that he speaketh not of him selfe but out of the lawe the Prophetes Si quid praeâ—er Euangelium sub titulo spiritus obtrudatur ne credamus Quia sicut Christus legis Prophetarum impletio est ita est spiritus Euangelij If any thyng be brought vnto vs vnder the name of the holie ghost saieth he besides the Gospell let vs not beleue it For as Christ is the fulfillyng of the lawe and the prophetes so is the holie ghost the fulfillyng of the Gospell For without that spirite we haue neither eares to heare nor eyes to see it is that spirite that openeth and no man shutteth The same shutteth and no man openeth The same spirite opened the sicke womans hearte that she should
Israelites were saued by the inwarde circumcision Actes 10. Cornelius Though we haue neuer so stroÌ„g a faith yet ought we not to despise the Sacramentes Matth. 3. Luk. 3. Luk. 1. Rom. 9. Iere. 1. Galat 1. The chosen among the heatheÌ„ were saued without circumcision Iona. 3. 4. Reg. 5. Iob. 24. What is the firste foundation of our election Ephe. 1.2 Rom. 8.9.10 1. Pet. 1. The efficieÌ„t The materiall The formall The finall cause of our saluation Iosua 5. Marke this ye cruell papistes The Sichemites Gen. 34. Mat. 12. Mark. â— Luk. 6. Iohn â— By baptisme the children of the christians are brought vnto Christe Mat. 21. Mark. 11. Luk. 19. What fruite their doctrine bringeth the condemne â–ª still borne children Obiection Aunswere Luk. 1â— Luk. 16. The comfort that they had in the bosome of Abraham Rom. 14. A question Obiection Iohn 3. Mark. 16. Aunswere Without faith no man can be deliuered from comdemnation What daunger it is to refuse to receaue the holy Sacramentes Augustine Example August in Io. tracta 80. These thinges are diligently to be noted and marked Chris. Ho. 27. A question A great absurditie graunted Sent. 4. dist 4. ca. Sunt August de ciuitate dei lib. 13. cap. 7. De consecrat Distinct. 4. cap. Baptismi De vnita bapt lib. 4. Lib. 4. de bapt Glossa de consecra distinct 4. S. Bapti Cyprian Luk. 23. August in Psalm 34. Rom. 10. Note this Dâ— consecrat distinct 4. ca. baptismi Senten 4. diâ—â—â—nct 4. Ambr. de obitu valenti Chanes de Sacramentis August in Ioh. tracta 80. Gen. 25. Mala. 1. Rom. 10. Iere. 1. Luk. 1. Galat. 1. The place is the thirde of Iohn Iohn 6. The Euchariste ministred vnto litle infants The maner of the Iacobites and Grekes The maner of the Bohemians and Morauians Marke what we ought to do if we should follow the fathers in al thinges The cause that the fathers did thus erre An errour of certaine fooles Iohn 6. August de ciuitat dei lib. 27. cap. 25. A mery story of the Person of Trumpington Hiero. in 1. cap. and Galat. Cypri ad Nouatianum â—omo 2. Thei may as lawfully do one as the other Hebr. â— Mat. 28. 1. Cor. 14. Argumentum minore ad marus Caâ— 100. August contra Epist. Parmeniani 2. ca. 13. Libr. contra herese 1. Gen. 22. Mala. 1. Ierem. 1. Luk. 1. Rom. 8. 9. Nora 1. Sam. 1â— Not lawfull for Midwiues to baptize in any case Howe the place of the .3 of Ioh. ought to be vnderstanded 1. Pet. 1. 2. Cor. 3.5 1. Cor. 15. Iohn 3. Phrases of Scriptures 2. Cor. 15. Iohn 3. The spirite of God worketh in vs our regeneration Obiection Aunswere Matth. 3. August lib. de Haere cap. 59. Alphons de Haere lib. 2. Bern. Luk. Cato Haere lib. 2. Why the spirite of God is called fire Actes 2. Iohn speaketh of the holy ghost first Christ speaketh of the water first The holy ghost for many causes is called by sundry names in the Scriptures Why the holye ghost is called water Psal. 50. Hebr. 6. Psal. 1. Iohn 4. What Christ woulde haue vs further to vnderstande by this maner of speaking Esai 44. Ezech. 36. Actes 2. Ioel. 2. Iohn 4. Iohn 7. Sent. lib. 4. distinct 4. cap. his autem The doctors forced to confesse three maners of Baptisme De consecra distinct 4. Ca. Bapti Senten 4. distin 4. Ca. his autem August de vni Bapti Iohn 11. Obiection In the auncient Church they that had receaued the Gospell and were not baptized were called Catechuminie bicause that thei were instructed in the faith Aunswere Holcot Sent. 4. distin 4. que 1. Sent. 4. distin 4. Cap. his auâ—â—in The papistes owne doctors condemne them An example 2. Cor. 8. August in Leuiti que 88. Sent. 4. dist 4. Obiections August lib. de fide ad pet Aunswere The papistes vnwares to them selues ouerthrowe their owne Lymbe What certen of the leâ—rned called Saint Augusti for his rigour towardes infantes not baptized Augustines modestie in writing of matters of religion What moued Saint Augustine to write as he did of childreÌ„ not baptized Some make any ydol of the sacramentes Others make none account of the sacramentes Wherein the Anabaptistes exceeded Genes 22. Hebr. 11. Math. 19.14 Marke 13. Luke 18.15 August Epist. 23. Whereof confirmation did come Aug. de bap cont Don. li. 3. Cap. 16. Lib. 4. distin 7. cap. 2. The Papist doth openly mainteine an herisie of Donatus Melchiades Oyle for a Sacrament â–ª more fit for a Sallet Math. 15. An argument Aug. in Ioh. tract 80. Whereto the papistes haue brought the order of confirmation Obiection Aunswere Actes 16. â— Cor. 1. Gen. 21. This the wicked Anabaptistes can not abyde Rom. 8. â—n argumeÌ„t Luke 1. Ierer 1. Actes 10. What caused the fathers to magnifie the Sacraments so muche How at leÌ„gth they that vnderstoode not the Fathers did make plaine Idols of the Sacramentes Uaine opinions of sundrie men Chrisost. in Epist. ad Heb. Historia Tripartita De conse distinct 4. Pelagians Originall sinne Gulielmus parisiensis in lib. Summa de vitus virtut Psal. 51. Iohn 3. Iob. 14. Rom. 5. The signe the figure manye tymes are taken for the thinges that they doe signifie Gen. 17. Exod. 12. Gala. 3. Rom. 6. Actes 8. Why Luke saide Simon did beleeue How Sainct Aug. other auÌ„cient writers expounded this place of the .viij. of the Actes What profite and commoditie doth come to them that are perswaded in this doctrine Genâ— 17. What many foolishe people vsed to do in carying their childreÌ„ to ydols Reuel 14. Iohn 5.11 Eccle. 3. Luke 16. Luke 27. 1. Cor. 2. Barnarduâ— in annunciationâ— Marie Ser. 1. Rom. 5. The thirde day he rose again from death Rom. 4. 1. Cor. 15. We do part our saluation betweene Christes death his resurrection Gala. 3. 1. Pet. 1. The fruites of Christes glorious resurrection The office of Christ our Sauiour Rom. 6. Coloss. 2. 1. Cor. 15. Hosea 1â— Deut. 21. Galat. 3. 1. Cor. 15. Coloss. 1. 1. Cor. 15. How Christ is the first fruites of them that sleepe Iohn 12. 1. Reg. 17. Iesus christe hath taken a pledge of vs and hath left vs one Actes 2. Ephe. 1. Rom. 8. Gala. 4. 1. Peter 1. 2. Peter 1. Iohn 12. 1. Cor. 15. Thessal 3. Coll. 3. Rom. 6. Howe we ought to practise the whole life of Christ in our selues Psal. 51. Iob. 14. A spirituall conception and birth 1. Pet. 1. Galat. 4. Ephe. 5. Iohn 3. Ephe. 4. 1. Cor. 15. 2. Cor. 11. Ephe. 5. Gala. 6. Galat. 5. What it is to be crucified to the world Rom. 6. What it is to be dead vnto sinne Rom. 6. Ephe. 4. 1. Tim. 5. Reuel 3. Matth. 8. Coloss. 3. Rom. 12. Ephe. 6. Matth. 3. Howe we do dye with our Sauiour Christ. How we do rise with Christ. Phil. 3. Coloss. 3. The signification of baptisme What the signification of water is in our baptisme Exod. 14.
nother fol. 125. The imperfectioÌ„ of our owne workes fol. 130.2 Thre maner of powers to forgeue synnes fol. 132. Two thynges to be learned in S. Paules saiyng Ro. 8. fol. 137. The Lawe hath moe endes then one fol. 137.2 Twoo thynges to bee noted fol. 140.2 The spirite of god worketh in vs our regeneration fol. 24. V Unto whom hell is ouercome fol. 6.2 Uaine opinions of sundry meÌ„ fol. 29. Vsia fol. 73.2 VV Wherefore Christe was iudged and condemned before Pilate fol. 1.2 What the Serpent signified ibidem Why the Sacrifices of the old Lawe were offered often fol. 2.2 Why Christe was laide in a newe graue fol. 4.2 Why Christe was laide in a nother mans graue ibidem What the newe graue signified fol. 7. What was signified by the graue that was he wen out of the stone ibidem What is to bee vnderstanded when we saiâ— â–ª Christ barowed hell fol. â—â—2â— Whereto God had respecte in his sonne our sauiour fol. 5.2 What thyng caused Christ to be so heauie before his death fol. 8. What Abrahams bosome is fol. 9.2 What we learne by the third of Iohn fol. 23.2 Wherin the fire of purgatory doth differ froÌ„ the fier of hel 12.2 We are al saued by priuiledge fol. â—3 What is the firste foundation of our election fol. 18. What fruicte their doctrine doeth bryng that condemne children that dye without baptisme fol. 19. Without faith no man can be deliuered from condempnation fol. 20. What daunger it is to refuse to receiue the sacrameÌ„ts f. 20. What we ought to doe if we should followe the Fathers in all thynges fol. 22. Why the spirite of God is called fire fol. 24. Why the holy ghoste is called water fol. 24.2 What certaine of the learned called Augustine for his rigour towardes infantes not Baptized fol. 26.2 What moued Augustine to write as he did of children not Baptized fol. 27. Wherin the Anabaptistes exceeded fol. 27. Whereof Confirmation dyd come fol. 27.2 Why the Fathers did magnifie the Sacramentes so much fol. 29. What profite commeth to theÌ„ that are perswaded in this doctrine fol. 30.2 What many foolishe people vsed to doe in carriyng their children to Idols fol. 31. Wee doe parte our saluation betweene Christes death and his resurrection fol. 31.2 What it is to bee dead vnto synne fol. 32.2 What a large doctrine our baptisme doeth preache vnto vs. fol. 34. What it is to sit on the right hande of the Father fol. 35.2 What the Papistes must doe if they wyll haue vs to beleue them 47.2 What it is to receiue the Sacrament vnworthely fol. 48. Why the papists can not perceaue in what parell they bee fol. 49. Wherin the papists haue the Fathers in estimation fol. 53. Wherin we must beare with our weake brethren fol. 53. Why the sacramentes were ordeined fol. 16.2 We do make more then bare signes of the Sacramentes fol. 58.2 What honour we ought to do to the sacrament ibid. What we learne of the lordes wordes in Zacharie fol. 60. Why Christ would be baptized fol. 63.2 Who can choose but laugh at the papistes fol. 68. Why the sacramentes be called by the names of the thynges whereof they bee Sacramentes fol. 69. What this word Signum doth signifie in the .2 of Luk. f. 72.2 What it is to examine our selues fol. 57. and 76.2 Who they be that féede effectuously vppon the bodye and blood of Christe fol. 76.2 Why Christ our sauiour was man. fol. 81.2 What is the chief marke that the papistes shoote at fol. 89. Why the Apostles were called light fol. 87 2 What properties must bee in hym that we must pray vnto fol. 89.2 What was the meanyng of the Prophete Ieremie fo 96. What is signified by psalmes hymnes and songes fol. 104. What the Sunne doth signifie fol. 104.2 What the Moone doth signifiâ— fol. 105. What the Starres doe signifie ibidem We must beleue in Gods power Gods prouidence Gods goodnesse fol. 111. What the true Churche of Christe is fol. 111.2 Who can bee the heade of the Churche fol. 112. Who bee the kéepers of the keyes of Gods kyngd fo 114.2 What it is to loose ibidem What it is to bynde fol. 115. Wherof the certitude of gods worde doth depende fol. 118.2 When the Churche can not erre fol. 122.2 When the Churche can and doeth erre ibidem Whole vniuersall Churche doeth neuer fall awaie from God. ibidem Why it is called the inuisible Churche fol. 122. We muste not deuide our selues from the Churche bicause the wicked are among vs. fol. 123. Whence this worde iustificare hath been borowed and what it signifieth fol. 124. Why God doeth crowne his giftes in vs. fol. 129.2 What the nature of merite is fol. 130.2 What we are as long as we are without the spirite of god fol. 135. What this worde Apochripha is fol. 135.2 What this word CanoÌ„ is ibi Why the faithfull are saide to be free fol. 141. What thyng caused Christ to be so heauie before his death fol. 8. What Christes goyng downe to hell is fol. 9. Without faith no man can be deliuered from condemnation fol. 20. Whereto the Papistes haue brought the order of confirmation fol. 28.2 What it is to bee crucified to the worlde fol. 32. Wherefore the Sacramente was instituted fol. 56.2 What greate absurdities doe come of the doctrine of traÌ„substantiation fol. 67.2 What Christe meant by the keyes fol. 114. FINIS
vnto death to those that beléeue not But howsoeuer men liste to take it this shal be my beléef that the goyng downe of Christ into hell is our deliueraunce from thence For excepte our sauiour Christe had been enuironed and compassed aboute with the sorowes and paines of hell and in a maner ouerwhelmed with them for a while hell would haue swallowed vs vp vnto euerlastyng damnation we should haue perished vtterly both in body and soule wee should neuer haue escaped the tyranny of Sathan nor be healed of the deadly wounde that we haue receiued of that olde venimous serpent the deuill and enimie to our saluation So that I denie not that article of Christes discention but of the maner howe is the question for when it is saide he will not leaue his soule in hell he speaketh not of his discendyng into hell of the damned but that he shal rise againe from the dead that is he shall not leaue hym in death or liyng continuallie in the graue For the soule in that place is taken for the whole naturall man c. For seeke all the scriptures from one ende to a nother and ye shall neuer finde that Christ in body or soule discended into hell but that he died and rose againe the thirde daie accordyng to the Scriptures For you shall note that the East Churche had it not the Counsell of Nicen Creede hath it not nor the Counsell of Ephesus c. But to be short ye shal vnderstande that christ descended into hell three maner of waies Videl Firste in power as when the Uaile of the Temple did rent in twaine from the top to the bottome and the earth did quake and the stones were clouen and the graues did open them selues and many bodies of the Sainctes whiche slept arose and came out of the graues after his resurrection and went into the holy Citie and appeared vnto many Secondly in spirite when as he saide my soule is heauy euen vnto the death and when he cried my God my my God why hast thou forsaken mee The thirde in person when as he was laide in the graue as we reade that thei tooke the body of Iesus and wrapped it in linnen clothes with the odours as the maner of the Iewes is to bury Paul saith now in that hee ascended what is it but that he had also descended first into the lower parte of the earth This deare brother is my beleefe grounded vpon the worde of GOD and not vpon men or mens dreames or phantacies And reporte not that I doe denie any article of the faithe God forbid I should wherfore reade with iudgement and with the spirite of mildenes come not pre iudicio but with iudicio Some there be againe that be of opinion that the soule of Christe went not downe into the hell of the damned but that it went onely downe for to deliuer the Patriarkes and other holy fathers of the olde Testament out of the Lymbe ▪ and also for to deliuer the soules of them that were of lesse perfection then the Patriarkes and other holy fathers out of the paines of purgatory where they were kepte for to make satisfaction for those synnes that they had done no penaunce for in this worlde But as for Lymbe I knowe none but Abrahams bosome whiche to saie truely is that moste blessed life whiche they that dye in the faithe that Abraham did shall enioye after this worlde ¶ The .vij. Chapiter ¶ Christe is our true Purgatorie and the Papistes Purgatorie is false AS for Purgatorie I knowe none other but the blood of Iesu Christe our onely sauiour that doth cleanse vs from all our sinnes Againe none other fire doe I know in all the Scriptures that hath any vertue or power to purge synnes but the fire of his holy spirite wherewith he promised to Baptize his elect and chosen and the fire of his sacred and diuine word whereof hym selfe speaketh on this maner ye are cleane bicause of the woorde that I haue spoken vnto you This is true purgatorie wherein all muste be purged afore that they can enter into the kingdome of God. That other Purgatorie that they haue inuented of their owne heades without and against Gods worde is a most deuillishe and abhominable blasphemyng against the merites and bloodshedding of our sauiour Christes death and Passion For by it the onely begotten sonne of God is made an vnperfect sauiour and of lesse aucthoritie power and strength then they will haue that fleshely ydoll of Rome and most pernicious antichriste to be vnto whom they dare attribute and giue full aucthoritie and power to absolue men and to graunte vnto them a ful pardon of all their synnes euen a poena a culpa that is to say to deliuer them not onely from the offence it self but also from the paine or punishment that is due vnto it Whereas poore Christe who hath shed his heart blood for vs and who hath troden the Wine presse alone is scarcely able by their doctrine to forgeue vs our offences at least he cānot release vs of the paine For if it be of his forgeuing we must suffer the paines that be due vnto our synnes in the fire of Purgatorie till we haue made satisfaction for them or till we haue bought them out at the antichristes handes and at the handes of his shauelinges or els we muste make a full satisfaction for them here in this worlde whiles we are here yet a liue if at least we entend for to escape that whot burning fire of theirs So that euery waie Christe shall be but halfe a a Sauiour and God his father a moste abhominable and deceitfull lyer for he saieth at what tyme soeuer a synner doth repent hym of his synne from the bottome of his harte I wil put his wickednes out of my remembraunce so that it shall no more be thought vpon How is this promise fulfilled I praie you if he doe so cruelly punishe our wickednes and offences in the fire of purgatorie after that he hath forgeuen and pardoned them Is this to thinke no more vpon them what can these deuillishe and abhominable Sophisters alledge nowe for them selues will they saie that GOD is a lier and that he doeth not performe and fulfil his promises moste truely either they must saie so what startyng holes soeuer they can finde out or els confesse and acknowledge that their doctrine is most detestable and also blasphemous against the trueth of Gods promises and against the merites of the moste precious death passion and bloodsheddyng of his onely begotten sonne our Sauiour Iesu Christe And in a nother place this moste mercifull Father and bounteous Lorde who is alwaies true and most faithfull in all his promises doeth crie out saiyng I am he I am he that taketh awaie thy wickednes and that for mine owne sake and thy synnes will I remember no more Here
we saie that they all be damned condemned and cast awaie The holy Patriarkes and Prophetes were in no suche beliefe as it appeareth by the example of Moyses who by the space of fourtie yeres that the children of Israell did wander in the wildernesse did not circumcise the men children that were borne there but deferd the circumcision since their commyng out of Egipte vntill they entered into the lande of Canaan yet it is to be beleued that many might die in the meane while not hauing their foreskinne cut of and though none had died yet any man might haue iudged that both Moyses and all the other Israelites did against the ordinaunce of God bicause that they ministred not the circumcision vpon that day that God had appointed But these auncient Fathers did well declare vnto vs by their example how we ought to vnderstand the matter of the outwarde Sacramentes for although it be written of the circumcision This is my testament that ye shall kéepe betwixt mee and you and thy seede after thee the daie beyng appointed when it shal be ministred and giuen with many other like circumstaunces yet they vnderstoode right wel that this was a Publike ceremonie whiche was as a most sure witnesse of the couenaunte that GOD had made betwixt hym and his people in the Israelitishe Church as the Paschall lambe and other Sacramentes were Therefore when they haue had a iust impediment or let or when they wanted tyme and place and other thynges that were necessarie for their ceremonies they made no greate conscience to leaue them vnministred nor yet thought that their soules health or saluation shoulde be in any daunger for it as long as they knewe that the thyng came not through their negligence nor through the contempt of Gods holy ordinaunces As then they did iudge that the women shoulde bee saued through faith and by the inwarde and spirituall circumcision without the other that was ministred in the fleshe outwardly so they did iudge of the men children in the tyme of necessitie knowyng that they were comprehended in the Testament and couenaunt of God whereby he doeth of his meere grace and mercie graunte saluation vnto his chosen and elect which he geueth by his holy spirite as it pleaseth him as well without Sacramentes as with Sacramentes As we may euidently see by Cornelius and those that were in his house who had receiued the holy ghost afore that they were baptized by Peter yet notwithstandyng thei despised not the outward baptisme although they were already baptized with the holy ghost for that man were too presumptious and arrogant that would despise baptisme which was instituted and ordeined by our sauiour Christ sith that he hymself who is the fountaine and well of all holines that doth sanctifie all sinners And who baptizeth with the holy ghost and with fire did not despise the baptisme of Iohn Zacharies sonne And Iohn Baptist hymselfe was he not sanctified not onely afore his circumcision but also afore he was borne The same may wee saie of Iacob of Ierome of Sainct Paule and other like whom God had sainctified vnto hymselfe euen from the mothers wombe And if the chosen as well the children as other that were among the Heathen and Panymes were saued without the outward circumcision as it appeareth in the Nyniuites in Nahaman in Iob and other like whiche haue had a knowledge of god hauing alwaies their refuge vnto his grace wherefore shoulde the same priuiledge bee denied vnto those whom he hath not onely chosen by his eternall election which doth parteine vnto all his seruauntes but also vnto whom he hath geuen a sure and an infallible token and testimonie of it by his outwarde Sacramentes if thei haue as reasonable lettes and excuses as those gentils and heathen might haue For the first foundation of our election is neither faithe hope loue baptisme nor feare of god but only the election and predestination of god as S. Paul declareth plainely largely And. S. Peter saith Elect accordyng to the foreknowledge of God the father vnto sanctification of the spirite through obedience and sprinkelyng of the bloud of Iesus Christ grace and peace be multiplied vnto you In which we may see plainely that the frée electiō of god is the efficient cause of our saluatiō Chistes obedience the materiall cause our effectuall calling is the formall cause and and our sanctification is the finall cause To be shorte we must beware that we put no such necessitie in the outwarde sacramentes that wee shoulde iudge or thinke that all other necessities must geue place vnto it But contrariwise we must consider that many tymes the ministration of the outwarde Sacramentes deferde and left of bicause of the necessities of men and of the impedimentes and lettes that hath happened vnto them whiche thyng we maie perfectly vnderstande by the example of the circumcision that differed among the Isralites if wee will consider the circumstaunces that be in it for when they were in the deserte and must alwaies bee readie to remoue their hoste and all their houshoulde at the time and houre that the Lorde should commaunde them they did well iudge that God would not haue them to bee murtherers of their owne children whom they could not haue circumcised but that they must haue been very sicke and in ieopardy of death if they had not had tyme and place to see well vnto them which thyng we may see plainelye by them of Sychem which were so sicke after their circumcision that they altogether were not able to defend them selues against two of Iacobs sonnes Therfore Moyses did well consider that circumcision was made and ordained for man and not man for circumcision as it is written of the Sabbath day Euen the like may we saie of Baptisme whiche is a Sacrament of the people of the newe Testament whiche they haue receiued of the Lorde in stéede of the blooddy circumcision For as by circumcision which was a cuttyng of of the foreskinne the children of the Hebrewes were brought vnto God were sealed vp with the Seale of his couenaunt and receiued into his Churche to the greate comforte and ioye of the Parentes whiche were certified by the same that God was not onely their God but also the God of their posteritie and seede and yet if any thyng had happened vnto them afore that thei could be circumcised thei mistrusted not but that God would by the vertue of his Testament saue them as we haue already sufficiently proued So by baptisme the children of the christians are brought vnto Christ are sealed vp with the Seale of the people of god and receiued into his Churche as members of his sonne Iesu christ and felowe heires with him of his heauenly kingdome whiche thyng vnto the faithfull Parentes muste be a heauenly comforte For by it they are certified and assured that their synnes be not onely washed awaie with
the decree confirmeth that doctrine Melchiades an aucther of the Papistes and a Pope saieth Sacramentum manus impositionis sicut nisi à maioribus perfici non potest ita maiori veneratione venerandum est tenendum The Sacramente of laiyng on of handes as it cannot be made but onely of the greater so is it to be worshipped with greater reuerence and so to be defended This is a verie straunge religion that a drop of grease enchaunted and coniured with mumblyng of a fewe wordes to be compared to Christes sacrament preferred before the water sanctified by the worde of god But this is their maner to depraue Gods lawes dignifie their owne I marueile what aucthoritie thei haue to make this a sacrament for I am sure that none can make a sacrament but he that can geue power strength and vertue to it but the Pope can geue no power strength and vertue to it therefore he cannot make a Sacrament for we are not makers nor cōsecrators of sacraments but ministrators Saint Augustine saieth Accedat verbum elemento fit sacramentum Let the worde come to the element and it is made a sacrament Here I consider two thinges that a sacrament consisteth of the worde and the element now let them shewe mée the worde for their sacrament of confirmation that it maye bee put to the elemente but here they are dumbe To speake further howe they haue brought this order of confirmation whiche at the beginnyng was ordained as you haue heard before for good purposes to toyes trifles and gewgawes As Oyle to grease them Spittle to poyson them Salte to drie them vp Bandes aboute their neckes to choke them Tapers burning in their hands to consume them with a nomber of other toyes and superstitions of them deuised without any foundation or warraunt in Gods worde Wherfore I perswade my selfe that rather fonde Nurses haue inured them then conscience or reason perswaded them Scriptures haue thei none but the same condemne them nor godly fathers any but the same be against them But now come againe to some other of the Anabaptistes saiynges and obiections that they bryng against the baptisme of infantes we doe not reade saie they that the Apostles did baptize any children in those families housholdes which thei did baptize Howe coulde it then be that they had baptized the whole housholdes as they them selues do write that thei did if thei had left the children that were in them if at least there were any vnbaptized Are not the children part of the householde yea are they not rather the chief parts of the houshold Isaac was so of the housholde of Abraham that for his sake Ismaell with his mother was driuen out of the doore and cleane put awaie If then the Apostles did baptize the whole housholdes as thei themselues doe testifie without all doubte they baptized also the litle infantes that were in them For as in the olde lawe when any straunger forsaking his Idolatrie would be ioyned vnto the people of God professe the same religion that they professed both he and all his men children were circumcised were they neuer so young so in the Apostles tyme and many yeres after when any were conuerted vnto the faith of christ not onely they but all their whole housholdes both olde and yong were sealed vp with the seale of the people of God. The holy Apostle saieth that any man that hath not the spirite of Christe the same is none of his Whereby it foloweth that whosoeuer hath the spirite of Christe the same is one of his And againe that any man whiche is Christes the same hath his spirite But the litle infantes children of the christians not only as soone as they be borne but also as soone as thei beginne to liue in the mothers belly are Christes that is to saie they pertaine vnto Christe and vnto his kyngdome as he hath plainely declared vnto vs by the example of Iohn Baptiste Ieremie and of many other Therefore I doe conclude that they haue his spirite and that thei ought to be baptized For Saint Peter saieth can any man forbid water that these should not bee baptized whiche haue receaued the holy ghoste as well as we Sith then that yong children haue the spirite of Christe bicause that thei are his who but Antichriste will forbid them to be baptized It is to be noted then that in Augustines tyme many were exceedyng negligent about the sacramentes which thing hath caused the auncient fathers to magnifie the same so muche And therefore they that did come after them not consideryng the causes why they had doen so did take the wordes rawly taking no héede to their figuratiue and hiperbolicall speaches wherby it did come to passe at length that thei did make plain ydols of the sacramentes as though the vertue of our sauiour Christ and the whole efficacie of our religion shoulde consist in the visible and corruptible elementes or signes There were many among them that had receaued the Gospell whiche did deferre to be baptized till the very houre of their death some of them doyng it by negligence and some againe bicause that thei were perswaded that in baptisme all the synnes that could be in man should be washed awaie for this cause thei taried as long as they coulde that so thei might depart out of this life cleane and pure from all synnes yea many whiche thyng was worse did take vpon that hope the greater boldenesse to synne Which thyng did moue S. Chrisostome also Basilius Magnus to write very sharply against their maner of doynges and to rebuke them that dye so very sore As they then that were of age did deferre and prolong their baptisme so it is not to be doubted but that thei did the like in their owne children for the causes aboue rehearsed And therfore it is no marueile if Saint Augustine or any other in his name whosoeuer he be hath written and spoken this of baptisme for to redresse suche faultes negligences and opinions and for to stirre and moue the christians to do better their duetie in that pointe aswell for themselues as for their children For this cause it was also ordained in the auncient catholike churche for as the ecclesiasticall histories doe testifie they baptized but once in the yere in Thessalia where it came to passe that many dyed without baptisme that baptisme shoulde be ministred twise in the yere that is to saie at Easter and at Whitsontyde There might be yet an other cause that did moue this authour to speake after this fashion He did see that many were infected with the heresie of the Pelagians which did attribute litle or nothyng vnto the grace of God and as they regarded nothyng originall synne so thei did wonderfully magnifie and extol the strength and power of man Wherfore thei had also baptisme
giue eare to Paule and in respecte of this spirite the Prophet saith Erunt omnes docti a Deo Thei shal bee all taught of god Who so euer besides dooeth not beleue that the doctrine of the holie ghoste conteined in the olde and newe Testament is sufficiente vnto saluation But regardeth it as vile and of no force nor yet aucthoritie but calleth nameth and reporteth it with these woordes and suche like blasphemie deade ynke a liuelesse matter a dumbe iudge that can not speake a blacke Gospell Inken diuinitie a nose of ware Doeth deny this article of our beléefe I beleue in the holie ghost that is to saie he doth denye the holie ghoste to be true and naturall God sithe that any insufficiencie or vnperfection is founde in his doctrine For why It is the propertie of God to dooe all thynges with most consummate perfection Whereby it doth folowe that he whiche doeth any thyng with vnperfection is no true and naturall god Thei therefore that deny the doctrine of the holie ghoste and also doe despise mocke scorne and speake vnreuerently of it conteined in the old and newe Testamēt not to be perfect or sufficient to saluation are plaine Macedonians For they deny the holie ghost to bee true and naturall god And all thei that followe this opinion and doctrine not contentyng theim selues with the moste true and infallible worde of God whiche is set foorth vnto vs by the holie ghost are not the true Churche and spouse of christ For the true Churche and spouse of Christe as it is borne of newe not of mortall seede but of immortall by the worde of God whiche liueth and lasteth for euer so is it builded vpon the sure foundation of the Prophetes and Apostles Christe Iesus hymself beyng the chief corner stone Wherefore we must learne firste of all to beleue God secondly to beleue hym as God thirdly to beleue in God wee must beleue GOD that is to saie that he is creatour of all thynges and that he is omnipotente We muste beleue God as God that is wée must beleue hym as he hath declared and opened hym self in his holy and sacred scriptures vnto vs To beleue in God that is to put our whole truste confidence and affiaunce onely in hym and to call vnto and vpon hym in all our troubles miseries and aduersities and vpon none other And also constauntly and assuredly to beleue in hym that by his power he susteineth vs by his prouidence he gouerneth vs by his goodnesse nourisheth vs and by his mercie saueth vs and indueth vs with all kinde of blessynges So that wee must beléeue in none but in God the father that loueth vs in God the sonne that redemeth vs and in God the holie ghoste that sanctifieth vs although three in persones yet one in essence and Godhead Sainct Agustine therefore saieth Credimus Paulo non credimus in Paulum credimus Petro non credimus in Petrum Wee beleue saieth he Paule but we beleue not in Paule we beleue Peter but we beleue not in Peter The .xxxiiij. Chapiter ¶ What is the true Churche of God and where it is THis then shal be my beliefe touchyng the true Catholique and vniuersall Churche All they that are begotten of newe with the immortall séede of Gods worde and are builded vpon the foundation of the prophetes and Apostles hauyng Christe for their chief corner stone by whose only spirite and worde they are guided and ruled in what countrie or nation vnder the heauens so euer then be are the true church of Christe we may also define and set forth the Churche after this maner The Churche of Christ is the holy congregation of the faithfull whiche by a true and liuelie faith are vnited incorporated in our sauiour Christe whose members they are And bicause that sauiour Christ is the true sonne of God all his members by hym are the sonnes of god Iesus Christe is the head and the true Christians are his body He is the Bridegrome and the faithfull are his spouses whiche he doth cleanse with his blood geuyng health and saluation vnto his bodie and sauyng his people from their synnes This Church is affixed or bounde to no seuerall place but wheresoeuer twoo or three are gathered in the name of the Lorde I meane of our sauiour Christ there the true Church is They therefore that doe aligate and bynde the true Catholique Church to this place or that place as though it coulde be no where els as our Papistes doe are in this thyng greately deceiued For though the whole worlde were so ouer whelmed with Idolatrie and superstition that there shoulde séeme to be no Church at all yet God hath alwaies his elect and chosen in one corner or other although they be vnknowen vnto the worlde Yea many tymes the faithfull congregation is vnknowen vnto the true and faithfull seruauntes of God as we maie see by the example of Elias the Prophete who complained that he was lefte alone But the Lorde made hym an aunswere that he had seuen thousandes left in Israell whiche had not bowed their knées vnto Baall Who woulde not then haue thought that the Churche had been at that tyme in Israell or in Samaria where foure hundreth and fiftie false Prophetes were continually which did feede at Iesabelles boorde or that there had been no Church at all yet we sée that God had euen at that tyme his flocke which he did preserue and keepe vnto hymselfe although they were scattered abroad and not scarcely knowen of the true and faithfull Prophetes of God. Therefore it were good to haue alwaies before our eyes the goodly saiyng of Hilary which writeth on this maner One thyng saieth he I warne you of beware of Antichriste It is not well that ye haue suche a pleasure in the walles It is not well that ye honour and reuerence the Church of God in houses and buildings It is not wel that vnder the colour of them ye doe bryng in the name of peace Is it to be doubted that antichriste shall sit in them The Mountaines the Woodes the Lakes the Prisons and mierie Doungeons are more sure for mee For the Prophetes remainyng in them or beyng let downe into them did there prophecie This then is my beliefe that although the true preachyng of Gods word and the right ministration of the sacramentes accordyng to the Lordes institution and ordinaunce are the moste infallible tokens and signes whereby the true Churche of God is knowen here vpon the earth yet many and sundrie tymes by the righteous iudgement of almightie God our sinnes and wickednesse deseruyng the same these signes and tokens are so taken awaie that it is impossible for the worlde to knowe where this true Churche of God is And yet notwithstanding God hath stil his flocke in one place or other he hath still his elect and chosen whom he doeth preserue and keepe in the
of in the booke of the Actes but this must bee doen accordyng to the rules and canons of the Apostles If they be blamelesse the husbande of one wife vigilante sober and apte to teache c. Secondlie it hath aucthoritie to teache by the lawfull ministers I meane by these ministers that are lawfully chosen with the laiyng on of handes accordyng to the rule and Cannons of the Apostles And these ministers ought to teache and set foorthe none other thyng then thei haue receiued of the Lorde hauyng alwaies before their eyes the saiyng of Christ our Sauiour Docete eos obseruare quaecunque precepi vobis Teache them to keepe and obserue all thynges what soeuer I commaunde you And the same it is that we call Potestatem clauium The power of the keyes which as it hath been sufficientlye declared before consisteth in preachyng free remission of synnes vnto the faithfull and true repentaunte synners and eternall condemnation vnto the vnfaithfull and vnrepentaunte Whiche thyng if it bee duely dooen accordyng to the institution and ordinaunce of our Sauiour Christe taketh no lesse effecte then if it were doen in heauen And vnder this doe we comprehende the aucthoritie that the churche hath to excommunicate open synners and to receiue them again if thei shewe true tokens of repentaunce and of amendemeÌ„t of life Thirdely the true and faithfull Churche hath aucthoritie to minister the sacramentes by the ministers thervnto lawfully appoincted so that it bee doen accordyng to the institution and ordinaunce of our sauiour Iesu Christe vsyng suche tymes and seasons as thei shall thinke moste expediente for the same Fourthly and laste of all it hath full aucthoritie and power to examine the doctrines and to trie the spirites whether thei bee of God or not as it is manifeste and plaine by these saiynges Lette twoo or three Prophetes speake in the Churche and let other iudge Againe Proue all thynges and holde that whiche is good Saincte Ihon saieth Dearely beloued try the spirites whether thei bee of God or not But this triall muste bee doen with the touchestone of Gods woorde whiche with the holie ghoste ought to be the chiefe president in all Sinodes and Counsailes So saincte Augustine saieth againste Maximinus these woordes Nowe neither ought I to alledge the Counsaile of Nice nor thou the counsaile of Ariminum to take aduauâ—tage thereby for I am not bounde to the aucthoritie of the one nor thou restrained to the determination of the other Sed scripturarum authoritatibus non quorumque proprijs sed vtrisque communibus testibus res cumre causa cum causa ratio cum ratione concertet But by the aucthorities of the Scriptures not peculiar witnesses vnto either of vs but common and indifferent vnto vs bothe let one matter with an other cause with cause and reason coÌ„tende with reason Saincte Hierome therefore saieth Omni studio legende nobis sunt scripturae in lege domini meditandum die ac nocte vt probati trapezite sciamus the scriptures are to be read of vs with all diligence and to meditate daie and night in the lawe of the lorde that we maie become perfecte exchaungers to knowe the false counterfecte doctrine froÌ„ the true doctrine of Christe Sainct Origene also hath these woordes Sensus nofiri enarrationes sine scripturis testibus non fidem habet Our iudgemente and expositions without witnesse of the holie scripres haue no credite Thus wee maie plainly see that all our matters muste bee tried by the Canonicall bookes of the holy Scriptures So farre foorth doth the aucthoritie of the true Churche extend which as it can not erre as long as she taketh gods word the holy ghost for her guide so assoone as she forsaketh Gods worde and the guidyng of the holie ghoste she falleth into all kinde of errours at length doeth become the Synagogue of Satan the Church of the malignaunt the stinckyng haâ—lot of antichriste Howbeit the whole vniuersal Church doth neuer so fall awaie from the truthe of Goddes woorde but that God dooeth alwaies preserue vnto hym selfe a certaine number whiche will neuer agree nor consente vnto vngodlinesse and from whom the spirite of trueth is not taken awaie And because that these bee vnknowen of the worlde as thei that lacke the outwarde tokens and signes of the true Churche of Christe whiche are the preachyng of Gods worde and the ministration of the sacramentes and the vse of true discipline accordyng to the institution and ordinaunces of the Lorde are commonly called the inuisible Churche not bicause that men are inuisible whiche thyng can not be as long as they bee here conuersaunt vpon the earth but bicause that thei be only knowen and seen of God who knoweth onely who be his who be not And this faithfull congregation whether it hath the outwarde signes of the true Churche of Christ or not as long as it beareth aboute this body of synne is subiect to many infirmities but for Christes sake thei are not imputed for when it is saide that it is without spot or wrinkle that is to be vnderstanded by imputation through Iesus Christ our sauiour And therefore it is called the glorious congregation And I doe also beleue with sainct Augustine that this catholique Churche is the Barne floore of the Lorde and that in it vntill the daie of iudgement Chaffe shal be mixed still with the Wheate My meanyng is this that in the Church both good and badde true beleuers and hypocrites are conteined together in the felowship of the sacramentes and that it shall be so vnto the worlds ende Whiche thyng we doe learne by the parable of the good seede and of the Darnell and of the Nette that is cast into the Sea and whiche doeth drawe of all kynde of fishes vnto the shore But we must in the meane while beware that we do not because of the Chaffe Darnell and rotten fishes seuere and diuide our selues from the Churche as the wicked Anabaptistes doe which for euery triflyng matter do diuide them selues from the Churche though the worde of God bee neuer so finely nor sincerely preached and the Sacramentes moste rightly ministred according to the institution and ordinaunce of the Lorde Why do we not rather folowe the godly counsell of the blessed Martyr of God S. Cyprian that he geueth vnto vs Although saith he Darnel Tares are seen to be in the church yet our faith and charitie ought not to be letted that bicause we do sée Tares and Darnell to be in the Church we shoulde therfore forsake the Church but rather we ought to endeuour our selues that we may be good corne that when the good corne is gathered into the Garners of the Lorde we maie receaue a rewarde of our labour and worke Also in a great house there be many vessels not only of Golde and Siluer but
it is a common phrase of speache in the Scriptures that Peter here vseth for the Prophete Esai hath the like saying Vt aperires oculos caecorum educeres de conclusione vinctum de domo carceris sedentes in tenebris That thou mayest open the eyes of the blinde and bryng out the prisoners from the prison and them that sit in darknesse out of the prison house And in another place he saith Vt dicetis his qui vincti sunt exite his qui in tenebris reuelamini That thou mayest say to the prisoners go foorth and to them that are in darknesse shewe your selues Saint Paul in a maner vseth the like phrase saying Before saith came we were kept vnder the lawe and shut vp vnto the faith which should afterwarde be reuealed Our sauiour Christe vseth it often where it is written The spirite of the Lord is vpon me because he hath annoynted me that I should preache the Gospell to the poore he hath sent me that I shoulde heale the broken hearted that I shoulde preache deliueraunce to the captiues and recoueryng of sight to the blinde that I shoulde set at libertie them that are bruised Saint Peter him selfe in the fourth Chapter folowing speaketh of this matter but yet in other wordes saying For vnto this purpose was the Gospell preached also vnto the dead that they myght be condemned accordyng to men in the fleshe but myght lyue accordyng to God in the spirite that is to say the Gospell was preached not to the dead bodyes in the graues nor to the soules in hell but to them of tyme past which nowe are dead to the entent that they might haue béen condemned or dead vnto sinne in the fleshe and might haue liued to God in the spirite which two are the effect of the Gospell And in his seconde Epistle he calleth them the worlde of the vngodly saying Neither hath spared the olde worlde but saued Noe the eyght person a preacher of righteousnesse and brought in the flood vppon the worlde of the vngodly c. So nowe we may perceaue by the conference of those places what Peter meaneth by the spirites that were in prison that are all those whiche were in the prison of sinne and death c. For Peters onely purpose in this place is to set foorth the vniuersall preaching of repentaunce which was preached in the tymes of Noe euen with the same open and vniuersall preachyng that was dooen in all the worlde in the tyme of Christ the sonne of God after his resurrection from the dead For the sonne of God did preache in the tyme of Noe in the spirite that is by his spirituall preachyng of repentaunce did call the spirites that were in prison that is those wicked men that were shutte vp in the prisone of wickednesse and synne and for their synfulnesse are worthie of death and hell So saieth Titleman Veniens ad illos incredulos homines qui tunc in tenebrosa caligine errorum snorum iacebant demersi â–ª veniens inquam spiritu praedicauit eis ad poenitentiam reuerti vt possent cum Noe saluari inspirando Prophetas Noe qui ex ore domini populum a mâ—lis reuocare quaerebant That is Commyng to those vnbeleuyng men whiche then did lye drowned in the darekenesse of their errours Commyng I saie in spirite did preache to them to tourne to repentaunce that thei might bee saued with Noe inspiryng the Prophetes and Noe did seeke to call the people backe from their euilnesse by the mouthe of god Also he setteth foorth the mercifull goodnesse and long sufferaunce in that he called theim to repentaunce by Noe whiles the Arke was a preparing by the space of a hundred and twentie yeres whiche leuitie goodnesse and long sufferaunce of GOD they did despise and neglecte for whiche the flood of Goddes vengeaunce came vpon them that were disobedient in the tymes of Noe. The verie texte it self plainly declareth that this exposition is true For if wee marke the woordes of the texte as they lye in order it will soone open Peters whole meanyng The wordes are these But was quickened in the spirit by whiche he also went and preached vnto the spirites that were in prisone then immediately followeth what those spirites were whiche saieth he were in time passed disobedient when once the longe sufferyng of God abode Now he sheweth when it was in the daies of Noe. Then he declareth the tyme and how long thei were disobediente while the Arke was preparyng saieth he Which latter wordes maketh it plaine For he saieth he preached in the spirite to the prisoners that were disobedient while the Arke was a makyng So that it appeareth that those prisoners were a liue at the makyng and preparyng of the Arke And duryng all that tyme of a 120. yeres Christe preached to them in his spirite by Noe the eight persone a preacher of righteousnesse to tourne them from their synnes and so bee saued And because they would not in their life tyme obey Gods worde are cast now after their life into iudgemente of hell fire as wee haue saied before And by the same argumente Peter goeth aboute to moue the Iewes by their example to bee obedient to Goddes callyng that calleth theim by his spirite through his Preachers and Ministers by his long sufferaunce to repentaunce and amendement of life whiles thei are here in the earth Otherwise for their disobedience nowe in their life tyme vnto the preachyng of his Ministers shall be damned after this life as thei are Christe our Sauiour dooeth teache this plainely at whose mouthe Peter learned this that nowe he hath taughte in this Epistle to the Iewes When as he spake of the ende of the worlde saiyng As the daies of Noe were so likewise shall the commyng of the sonne of man be For thei did eate and drinke marrie and giue in mariage vnto the daie that Noe entred into the Arke And knewe nothyng till the floodde came and tooke them awaie so also shall the commyng of the sonne of man bee And then immediatly after he giueth this coÌ„maundement to theÌ„ saiyng Wake therefore for ye knowe not what houre your maister will come Therefore bee ye also readie for in the houre that ye thinke not will the sonne of man come Nowe wee maie see that all this is spoken to that ende to moue vs by their example to tourne from our synnes and wicked life and not to proue hereby that the soules of any of the righteous before Christes commyng were in hell and so Christes soule must fetche them out whiche are but the imaginations of men For so saieth Erasmus Talia multa circa hanc adiecticiam particulam quidam commenti sunt narrantes quos Christus abduxerit quos ibi reliquerit quae quibus ad singulos circulos sit loquutus c That is Many suche maner of thinges haue certaine men
little water sithe that he hath the chief and principall that is to saie a true iustifiyng faithe else the water shoulde haue more vertue and efficacie then the blood of oure Sauiour Iesu Christ or at least as muche and the Priest that should minister the outwarde baptisme should be of as much power as Iesus Christe hym selfe For as the water and the Minister can doe nothyng without the spirite and blood of our Sauiour Christe so it should followe that Iesus Christe his spirite and blood shoulde be able to doe nothyng without the water and minister And so by this meane our sauiour Christ and his spirite should be as subiect vnto the Minister water as the water the Minister should be subiect vnto Christ and his holy spirite and so consequently his grace mercie shoulde be alligated and bounde vnto corruptible elimentes and made subiect vnto men Wherby it should come to passe that Iesus Christ shoulde be no more true God nor yet true Sauiour Here may be a question demaunded of those elimentaries and children damners whether we are saued by water or by Christe or els by both if thei saie by both as so they holde opinion then it foloweth that the water died for our synnes and so muste wee saie that the water hath life and yet beyng our seruaunt and created for vs is our Sauiour we woulde then iudge easely that suche doctrine came not of God sith that it doeth so euidently repugne vnto his grace and vnto the iustification of faith ouerthrowing altogether the whole misterie of our redemption purchased vnto vs by our Sauiour Iesu Christe And bicause it shall not be thought that I doe take and expounde the Scriptures at myne owne pleasure and as I liste Ye shall heare the meanyng not only of the auncient writers but also of the schole doctours and namely of the maister of the Sentences who doth proue by good reasons and also by the aucthorities of the fathers of the auncieÌ„t catholike church that some are iustified and saued without baptisme among whom Sainct Augustine doeth comprehende al those that be dead and haue suffered martyrdome for the confession of Iesu Christ. Likewise the aucthoritie of sainct Cyprian is set forth by the maister of the Sentences wherby he doeth testifie and proue that saith repentaunce and the conuersion or tourning of the harte are in steede of baptisme vnto them that had neither tyme nor place for to receiue it callyng it the baptisme of deuotion and for a better confirmation of this he doeth bryng the example of the theefe that hong by christ who as he saith was not nayled on the Crosse for the name of Iesu christ but for his owne merites and wicked doinges nor yet suffered bicause that he did beleeue but as he was suffring he did beléeue and came vnto the faithe It is then declared in the same theefe how faith is auaileable vnto saluation without the Sacrament of the visible baptisme as sainct Paule saith The belief of the harte iustifieth and to confesse or acknowledge with the mouth maketh a maÌ„ safe But this is fulfilled and performed inuisiblye when the necessitie doth exclude or keepe of the sacrament of baptisme and not the contempte of religion There may bee some baptisme without conuersion or turnyng of the hearte And conuersion or tournyng of the hearte can be in some without hauyng receiued baptisme But it can not be where baptisme is despised nor we ought in any wise to caâ— it conuersion or tournyng of the hearte vnto God when the Sacrament of God is despised This is the aucthority that Gratianus doth alledge vppon this matter in the boke of the decrees and also the maister of sentences beyng taken out of Cyprian wherunto is added the saiyng of S. Ambrose who speakyng of the death of Valenâ—â—tianus the Emperour without baptisme did saie I haue loâ—â—e hym whom I should haue regenerated or begotten a newe but he hath not loste the grace which he did require Likewise Chanesius who hath written of the Sacramentes in verses being of the same opinion doth bryng a Iewe for an example who beyng conuerted vnto our sauiour Iesu Christ doth with all haste runne vnto the Church for to be baptized and yet for lacke of water and of a Prieste doth die without Baptisme He doeth conclude that neuerthelesse he shal be saued if he doe stedfastly beléeue in our Sauiour Christe Now if wee ought to haue such a confidence and truste of the saluation of those that beyng of age and of yeres could not be baptized howe muche more ought we to beléeue and trust that the litle infantes that die afore that they can come vnto baptisme are saued by the vertue of the Testament and of the blood of the onely begotten sonne of God which is shed for vs and for our seede to washe awaie all our synnes both originall and other For if they be of the elect and chosen of God it lieth in his power to baptize them in the mothers wombe by his holy spirite and to to sanctifie them as it is written of Iob of Ieremie of Iohn Baptiste and of Paul. And as for the saiyng of our sauiour Christ which they say is generall and doth excepte no man if they will vnderstande it of the sacramente of baptisme as many of the olde and late writers haue doen and goe to the rigour of the letter we may saie the like of that which he hath saide of his fleshe and of his blood in the sixt of Iohn speakyng on this maner verely verely I saie vnto you Except ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drynke his blood ye shall not haue life in you which is as muche as if he shoulde saie whosoeuer doth not eate my fleshe nor drinke my blood he shall not haue life euerlastyng This no man is able to denie It foloweth then that all litle children with all those that haue not receiued the sacrament oâ— the body and blood of christ are damned if it be true that Christe our Sauiour is really substauncially naturally fleshe blood and bones in the sacraâ—ent and we must eate his fleshe and drinke his bloud after the same maner and sorte that they doe teache vs Therefore it shall be as requisite necessarie and needefull that the sacrament of the boâ—â— and blood 〈◊〉 Christe bee ministred vnto the litle infantes and children 〈◊〉 the sacrament of baptisme And here 's it doth â—ome that euen in Chaâ—â—lemagnes time they did kepe the Sacrament for to giue it vnto the litle children when they were sicke thinking it to be a thing very necessarie And yet nowe a dayes euen at this present the Iacobites and Greekes as some do write do minister thâ— Sacrament vnder both kindes vnto yong babes that are suckyng on the mothers breast We doe reade in a maner the like of the Bohemians and of the
contradiction or resistaunce But the scriptures do teache vs cleane contrary For they all testifie vnto vs that Christe our Sauiour hauyng offered one oblation or sacrifice for synnes is set downe on the right hande of God for euer tariyng there till his fooes be made his footstoole as it hath been sufficiently proued before Thei doe therefore alledge in vaine the omnipotencie and almightie power of God for to proue thereby their deuillishe and moÌ„strous opinioÌ„ beyng in this point like vnto the anabaptistes which wheÌ„ thei be so sore pressed with the scirptures that they knowe not whiche waie to escape doe flye streight waie vnto the spirite hauyng then none other thyng in their mouthes but the spirite the spirite So these ioly felowes when they be beaten with the scriptures that they haue not one worde to saie will by and by with a great circumstaunce of wordes and fetchyng aboute alledge the omnipotencie and almightie power of God settyng foorth his wonderous works miracles that he hath wrought by it that so they may vnder the shadowe of them deceaue and blinde the poore vnlearned people whiche haue no vnderstandyng nor perceiueraunce of thynges These be for the moste parte the goodly argumentes and reasons that they doe vse if god hath doen this thyng or that thyng then will they bryng in some excellent miracle that god did worke in tymes paste may not he by his omnipotencie and mightie power bring to passe that the natural body of his sonne Christe should be in the Sacrament ye may see howe these newe fangled felowes do most shamefully deny the omnipotencie of God. These and other like thynges they doe daiely vomite out againste the true ministers of Gods worde in their railyng bookes and vpon their Alebenche where as they themselues are vtter enimies and subuerâ—ours of the omnipotencie and almightie power of god For thei do preache and daily shewe teache and write and also with fyre and sworde compell men to beléeue that christe can not geue vnto vs his fleshe to eate excepte his naturall body that he tooke of the virgine Marie that died vpon the crosse and ascended vp into heauen be there in the Sacrament â–ª really and substancially in déede more like a monstrous thyng then an humaine body Wheras on the contrarie we doe both beléeue and teache that our sauiour christ is able by his euerlasting and almighty spirite whensoeuer we doe worthely receiue his Sacrament to feede with his most precious flesh and blood both our soules and bodies vnto life euerlastyng and yet that hee needeth not therefore to come downe from heauen nor to be after suche a monstrous fashion in the sacramentall bread and wine For as the blood of our sauiour christ doth cleanse vs from all our synnes and yet we neede not to haue it really present with vs for to be washed or bathed in it so Christ our sauiour accordyng to his promise doeth daily or whensoeuer we doe come worthely to his holy Table feede both our bodies and soules with the wholsome and heauenly foode of his pretious body and blood and this doeth he by his eternall and almightie spirite so that he needeth not therefore to come downe at the becke and commaundement of euery iuglyng Papiste and to be really present in a péece of their sterched breade after that they haue with gapyng and blowyng spoken foure or fiue wordes vpon it Let any man that hath any sparke of the spirite of GOD iudge whether this maner of feedyng vpon the body and blood of Christ in the holy Sacrament whiche as I saide is doen by his eternall spirite doth not in all poinctes agrée with the holy Scriptures and with the almightie power of God who is neuer wont sith that of his owne nature he is most true to do or worke any thyng againste his owne worde and sacred Scriptures wherby we are certified that the heauens muste holde our Sauiour Christe till all thynges be restored againe that God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophetes since the worlde began The examples that they doe bryng of the walkyng of our Sauiour Christ vpon the waters or of his commyng in to his disciples and apostles when the doores were faste shut if they be well considered and looked vppon it shal be easie for to perceaue and vnderstande that they make nothyng for them but rather against them For when our Sauiour Christe did walke vpon the Sea although he did it by his diuine and godly power yet had he at the same present houre his true and naturall body with due proportion of lymmes and all other dimensions that doe pertaine to a mans body so that he coulde then be seene with the bodily eyes of his apostles taken vp sensibly into the Boate that they were in But no suche thyng will thei alowe in their monstrous being of christe his true and naturall body in their Sacrament Therefore this example maketh not for them but against them Now againe where they saie that our Sauiour Christ did go in to his apostles through the doores beyng faste shut here they make a shamefull lye For neither in the Gréeke nor in the Latine we shal finde that it is written through the doores beyng fast shut but the doores beyng shut or when the doores were fast shut Whereby the Euangelist doth signifie vnto vs the tyme that our Sauiour Christe came in to his disciples For therby may we vnderstande that it was verie late in the night when he came in to them as when any of vs doth saye I came home by candle light or when all the doores were fast shut yet no man is so foolishe as for to construe vppon his wordes that he had light borne afore hym or that he went in through the doores but by this maner of speaking we be wont to gather that it was late in the night when he came home Moreouer we do reade in the booke of the Actes that the apostles were put in the common prison at Hierusalem but the angell of the Lorde by night opened the doores of the prison and brought them foorth the doores of the prison beyng shut fast againe as sure as it was possible and yet none of the kéepers that were standyng without before the doores and kéeping them with al diligence did espie it when it was doen. Likewise in the same booke we finde written that when Herode would haue brought foorth Peter for to put hym to death the angell of the Lorde did come vnto hym as he slept betweene twoo souldiours bounde with two chaines and the keepers that watched and warded the prison standyng without before the doores And as soone as the angell smote Peter on the side and waked him his chaines fel of from his handes and also that when he and the angell were paste the firste and seconde watche and were come to
they be compelled to geue vnto their monstrous iugglyng and excantation contrary to the myndes and writinges of their owne scholedoctours For Iohannes Scotus otherwise called Duns shewyng from whence this doctrine of Transubstantiation did come writeth after this maner It seemeth that men are chiefly moued to embrace or receaue this sentence bicause that we must holde of the Sacramentes as the holy Churche of Rome doth holde but the holy Churche of Rome doth holde that the bread is transubstantiated or really chaunged into the body of Christ and the wins into his blood Likewise Gabriell Biell writyng vpon the Canon after that he had shewed that it was vncertaine how the body of Christ was in the sacrament whether it was by the conuersion or turnyng of the visible creatures of bread and wine into it or by some other meane doeth saie plainely these wordes But bicause that we muste holde of the Sacramentes as the holy Church of Rome doeth holde sith that it hath decréed and determined that the bread is transubstantiated or really chaunged into the body of Christ therefore this opinion is receaued of all the Catholiques that there remaineth no substaunce but that it is truely and really chaunged transubstantiated and turned into the body of the Lorde Two thynges doe we here learne by the waie First that this monstrous doctrine of transubstantiation did come from Rome the greate Grandame of all abhominable errours heresies and abuses for this doctrine of theirs came neuer out of the worde of God for so saieth he hymselfe I meane Gabriel biell that all this their transubstantiation of substaunces of bread and wine Non inuenitur expressum in canone bibliae That is to saie it is not founde expressed saieth he in the Canon of the Bible And as for the antiquitie of this doctrine it is playnly set foorth by their owne doctour how olde it is For Tonstall saith of the maner meane howe this might be whether by transubstantiation or otherwise perhaps it had been better to leaue euery man that woulde be curious to his owne coniecture sicut liberum fuit ante concilium Lateranum as before the counsell of Laterane it was left at libertie Thus we sée howe auncient it is neuer hearde of in all the worlde vntyll their late counsell of Laterane holden in Rome vnder Pope Innocentius the thirde in the yere of our Lorde 1215. in the time of king Iohn king of Englande and neuer before So for the space of .xij. hundred and .xv. yeres the Churche of God was able to stand well without it So the great antiquitie of their transubstantiation is but thrée hundred fiftie and seuen Therefore all men may see howe much credite we ought to geue vnto it and againe howe worthie a thing it is that for it so many notable learned and other godly men and women shoulde thus cruelly be put to death murthered to the great decay of true religion throughout al realmes whose innocent blood crieth vengeaunce in the eares of god against those wicked papistes and also against the maiestrates that were the Popes butchers and hangmen Wherefore I say turne and repent with all spéede and aske mercie in Iesus Christe our sauiour that your blooddy handes may be made cleane by his blood and so washed from your sinnes Secondly we learne by the sayinges of these holy doctours of theirs that they that holde opinion that the substaunce of bread wine is not really chauÌ„ged but vanisheth away for to geue place vnto the substaunce of the body and blood of Christ do holde against the decrées and canons of the holy mother the Churche of Rome which doth holde that the bread and wine are transubstantiated really chaunged and turned into the substaunce of the body and blood of Christe the outwarde appearaunce and accidentes of them only remayning And therfore wyll they nyll they euen in spite of their smoothe shauen faces thei shal be fayne to confesse if not with their mouthes at least in their consciences that their Christe that they haue in their Masses and in their boxes and in their Sacrament is a bready Christ that is to say a Christ made of bread which hath a body of the substaunce of bread and wine wherewith they haue made all nations to commit most detestable idolatrie and to fal away from the true Messias and Christ whose true and naturall body hath his substaunce not of the corruptible substaunce of bread and wine but of the substance of the blessed virgine Marie his mother and now being glorified and immortal is on the right hand of the maiestie on high where by the mighty operation of his eternal spirite we do feede vpoÌ„ his flesh blood through faith as long as we continue true liuely members of his body but most specially when we do worthely receaue his holy mysteries which he him self hath instituted for a perpetuall remembraunce of his death and passion ¶ The .xxj. Chapiter ¶ The wicked doth neither eate nor drinke the body and blood of Christe IF these wordes This is my body shoulde be taken as they sounde whereby suche transubstantiation must néedes ensue and folowe that no bread and wine shoulde remayne but onely the body blood of Christ couered with the accidentes of bread and wine all the vngodlye and vnfaithfull hypocrites that receaue the Sacrament shoulde eate the fleshe of Christ and drinke his blood and so shoulde haue euerlasting life as it hath béen said before yea they should dwell in Chrst and Christ in them For he saieth He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him But it is most sure that the vnfaithfull hypocrites do not dwell in Christe nor Christe in them except he woulde haue Christe and the deuyll to dwell both together in one place whiche thing can not be saith Saint Paul to the Corinthians Therefore I may conclude that they do neither eate his flesh nor drinke his blood For as Saint Augustine saith Hoc est â—rgo manducare illam escam illum potum bibere in christo manere illum manentem in se habere That is to saie This is to eate that meate and to drinke that drinke to dwell in Christe and to haue Christ dwel in hym Againe in the same place he saith Ac per hoc qui non manet in christo et in quo non manet christus proculdubio nec manducat spiritualitèr carnem eius nec bibit sanguinem eius licèt carnalitèr visibilitèr premat dentibus Sacramentum corporis sanguinis christi And therefore he that dwelleth not in Christ and in whom christ dwelleth not without doubt doth not eate spiritually his flesh nor drink his blood though he doth carnally and visibly presse with his téeth the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ And in another place he doth shewe saith he what it is to eate his
infirmities how muche more are thâ—â— now hearde beyng in glorie with God How muche better did the blessed Apostle Saincte Iames reason when he did saie Helias was a man mortall euen as we are and he praied in his praier that it might not raine and it rained not on the earth by the space of three yeres and sixe monethes And he praied againe and the heauens gaue raine Doe we not rather learne by their example to praie boldely vnto God though we be compassed about with infirmitie as they were then otherwise The holy prophete Dauid doeth not saie that the fathers were hearde bicause that they praied to any of the Patriarches that were before them but bicause that they praied vnto God and trusted in him The same selfe lesson doth Iames geue vnto vs. Let vs therefore â–ª folowe their examples and we shal be hearde as they were As the arme of God is not shortened since so his mercie is not waxen lesse He is as readie nowe to heare them that call vppon hym in truth and veritie as he was then Haue we not besides al this a mediatour an aduocate that appeareth continually in the sight of God for vs It is vnpossible then but that we shal be hearde whensoeuer we call faithfully vpon our heauenly Father through our onely Mediatour and Aduocate Iesu Christ our Lorde ¶ The .xxviij. Chapiter ¶ How and wherein wee ought to honour the Sainctes NOwe when thei haue nothyng to saie for their inuocations to deade sainctes beyng conuinced by the holie scriptures thei crie out and saie beholde these newe preachers dishonoureth defaceth spoileth maketh none accompt of the holie and blessed sainctes in heauen and especially thei dishonor the blessed virgine Marie the sweete mother of Christe Iesus to whom was more grace giuen then to any other creature and maketh no more of her then of another woman c. Belie vs not ye papistes for we giue to them that honour as we are commaunded in the holie scriptures to giue them And therefore sainct Cyrill saieth very truely At sanctos Martyres neque deos èsse dicimus neque adorare consueuimus laudamus autem eos potius summis honoribus quod pro veritate straenue certarunt fidei synceritatem seruarunt that is to saie in Englishe But neither we saie that the holie Martyres are Gods neither haue we vsed to worshippe or honour them but wee rather praise them with greate reuerence for that thei haue striued earnestly for the truthe and haue kepte the sinceritie of the faithe of Christe And Saincte Augustine sheweth also howe we must honour them saiyng Honorandi ergosunt propter imitationem non adorandi propter religionem The sainctes are to bee reuerenced and worshipped for imitation that is to followe their godly doinges and conuersation and not to honour them for any religion to make them our Gods or aduocates and to haue our confidence in them this kinde of honour wée giue to the sainctes and none other And wheras you saie there was more grace giuen to Marie then to any other creature because she was the mother of Christe You maie also learne in the booke of God to bee the childe of God is a greate deale greater grace then to bee the mother of Christe Therefore sainct Augustine saieth Beatior ergo Maria fuit Percipiendo fidem Christi quam concipiendo carne Christi Materna propinquitas nihil Mariâ— profuisseâ— nisi faelicius Christum corde quà m carne gestasset Marie was more blessed in that she receiued the faithe of Christ then in that she conceiued the fleshe of Christe Motherly kindrede could haue doest Marie no good vnlesse she had borne Christ more blessedly in her hart then she bare him in her fleshe And in an other place he saieth Mater mea quam appellastis faelicem inde felix est quiâ— verbum dei custodiuit non quia in illa verbum caro factum est My mother whom ye haue called blessed therefore is blessed because she hath kepte the worde of God not because the worde in her was made fleshe Therefore Epiphanius saieth Christe saied vnto his mother woman what haue I to doe with thee My houre is not yet come Lest any man shoulde thinke our Ladie was of greater excellencie he called her woman as it were prophesiyng of the kindes and sectes of heresies that were to come in the worlde lest any man hauyng to greate opinion of that holie Saincte should fall into this heresie and into the dotage of the same For in deede the whole matter is but a mockerie and an olde wiues tale and sothely to saie nothyng els but the handelyng of an heresie Therefore Origene saieth Si mensuram transcenderit charitatis qui diligit qui diligitur in peccato est If loue passe the measure of charitie aswell he that loueth as also he that is loued is in synne The saied Epyphanius saieth further Let no man eate saieth he of this errour touching saint Marie for though the tree bee faire yet is not this fruite to be eaten Although Marie bee beautifull and holie and honourable yet is not she to bee adoured But these women worshippyng Saincte Marie renue againe the Sacrifice of wine mingled in the honour of the Goddes Fortuna and prepare a table for the deuill and not for God as it is written in the Scriptures thei are fedde with the meate of wickednesse And againe their women boult flower and their childreÌ„ gather stickes to make fine cakes in the honour of the Queene of heauen Therefore let suche women bee rebuked by the Prophete Hieremie and let them no more trouble the worlde And let them not saie we worship the Queene of heauen Thus he applied the wordes of the Prophete vnto the virgine Marie beyng Idolatrously abused by the heretiques called Collyridiani as she and other Sainctes are by the Papistes abused now in these daies This shall now suffice for to proue that Christ our Sauiour touchyng his manhoode whiche he did take of vs is and shal be vnto the worldes ende in heauen on the right hande of the father that is to saie in felicitie ioye and glorie beyng exalted aboue the heauens made lorde ouer all creatures bothe in heauen and in earth and hauyng receiued a name that passeth all the glorie that man can reporte And that as heauen muste holde hym vnto the tyme of the restitution of all thynges that God hath spoken by the mouthe of his holie Prophetes since the worlde began beyng neuerthelesse here among vs touchyng his diuinitie and godheade and feedyng vs by his eternall spirite and by the veritie of his holie institution and ordinaunce with the heauenly foode of his precious bodie and blood so he doth appeare alwaies in the sight of God for vs beyng an omnisufficiente intercessour aduocate and mediatour betwixte God and man so that we neede not to goe vnto
iudgement euen as the vnfaithfull and reprobate can geue no iudgement of the worde of God nor yet alowe it Whereby we maie then conclude that the certitude veritie and infalliblenesse of Gods worde doeth not depende or hang vpon the opinion and iudgement of men but that it doth altogether depende of the holy spirite of God whiche by his owne force vertue and strength doth verifie it and constraineth the faithfull to alowe and receaue it as the bright and cleare beames of the Sunne doe compell the eyes to confesse that the Sunne is cleare and bright For the shéepe of our Sauiour christ doe both heare and vnderstande the voice of their shephearde and not the voice of a straunger And all the Prophetes haue prophecied and taught and the apostles also haue been verified and aucthorized by the vertue of hym that spake in theâ— so that all the whole worlde could not withstande it It is nowe easie to see that the true catholique Churche of God though she knoweth which is the true worde of god and which is not and that by the inspiration of the same holy spirite that they were inspired withall whiche did leaue vnto vs by writyng the holy and sacred Scriptures that be conteined in the olde and newe testament I meane the canonical bokes of them both for as Sainct Chrisostome saieth Ergò suam erga homines amicitiam innouare volens quasâ— longè absentibus literas mittit conciliaturus sibi vniuersam hominum naturam Therefore god mindyng to renewe his fauour towardes man sent his holie Scriptures as it were his letters thereby to reconcile to him selfe all mankynde â–ª Ireneus saieth Apostoli tunc euangelium praeconiauerunt Postea verò per dei voluntatem illud in scripturis nobis tradiderunt fundamentum columnam fidei nostrae futurum Then the Apostles preached the Gospell and afterwardes by Gods will thei deliuered the same to vs in writyng to be a foundation and a piller vnto our faith But here to speake of the Papistes obiections howe that the Churche was before the worde it shal be superfluous to waste paper and Inke in so fruictlesse a question For we say generally the worde was before the church for Moyses wrote the worde of God that he spake to Adam of the séede to come So saieth Sainct Paul God spake in olde tymes many waies and in sundrie sortes vnto the fathers And saint Chrisostome saieth God the creatour of mankynde from the beginnyng spake vnto men by hym selfe in his owne person We speake not so precisely and nicely of Gods worde written in Paper For so it is a creature corruptible and shall consume and perishe as other corruptible creatures doe But the worde of God whiche we speake of endureth for euer Saincte Hierome thereto agreyng saieth these wordes Quomodo aeternae erunt scripturae diuinae si mundus certo fine est terminandus Verum est quidem quod librorum pelliculae cum ipsis literis abolandae sunt Sod quià subiungit dominus verba mea verò noÌ„ praeteribunt proculdubio quod illiâ— apicibus pollicetur erit aeternuÌ„ That is to saie in englishe thus How shall the holy scriptures be euerlastyng seeyng the worlde shall haue an ende True it is that the Parchement or leaues of the bookes with the letters and all shal be abolished But forasmuche as our Lorde addeth my wordes shall neuer passe doubtlesse the thynges that are promised by the same letters shall laste for euer ¶ The .xxxviij. Chapiter ¶ The true Churche is knowen by the worde of God. SO that the woorde of GOD enduring for euer is it that the holy catholike and true Church is knowen by and euer hath been Therefore sainct Augustine saith Exore veritatis ecclesiam agnosâ—o participem veritatis By the mouthe of the truthe I knowe the churche that is partaker of the truth And againe he saieth I would the Churche should be shewed not by the decrees of men but by the heaueÌ„ly oracles or wordes of God Wée muste seeke the Churche in the woordes of Christ whiche is the truthe and beste knoweth his owne bodie The holie Scripture sheweth vs the Churche without doubtyng In the holie scriptures the Churche is plainly knowen We muste knowe the Churche by the holie Canonicall scriptures as we knowe the heade Sainct Chrisostome also saieth Nullo modo cognoscituÌ„r quae sit vera ecclesia nisi tantuÌ„modo per scripturas It is not any wayes knowen which is the true Churche of Christ but only by the scriptures S. Augustine saith Non audiamus haec dico haec dicis sed audiamus haec dicit dominus Ibi quaeramus ecclesiam ibi discutiamus causam nostram Let vs not heare these wordes this saie I this saiest thou But let vs heare these woordes thus saieth the Lorde There lette vs seeke the Churche there let vs discusse our cause I will not haue the holy Churche to bee shewed by mans iudgement but by Goddes woorde Saincte Ambrose also doeth saie these wordes Ecclesia fulget non suo sed Christi lumine The Churche shineth or is knowen not by her owne light but by the light of Christ which is by the worde of God. These testimonies of the godlie fathers of the Catholike Churche dooe flatly declare that the Churche is knowen onely by the worde of God and not by mans decrees nor statutes therefore the true Churche doeth not take vpon her to adde any thing vnto it or to take ought away from it she doth not presume to forge newe articles of our faithe and to sette forthe news lawes and decrees for Goddes holie woorde but she contenteth her self with the worde lawes and ordinaunces of her true husbande and heade Iesus Christe Therefore that whorishe churche of Rome whiche moste presumpteously forgeth daiely newe lawes and Articles of our faithe settyng forthe euen with fire and sworde the fonde doctrines and inuentions of men for the true and infallible woorde of the liuyng GOD mainteinyng openly that their Churche is aboue the woorde of GOD and that it is of more force and greater aucthoritie for these are their owne woordes set out in their owne bookes A doctrina Romanae ecclesia Romani pontificis sacra scriptura robur trahit authoritatem The holie scripture taketh strength and aucthoritie of the doctrine of the Romain Churche and of the Bishoppe of Rome Againe in the same booke he saieth I meane Siluester Prierias maister of the Popes palaice Indulgentiae authoritatae scripturae non innotuere nobis sed authoritate Romanae ecclesiae Romanoâ—umque pontificum quae maior est Pardones are not knowen to vs by the aucthoritie of the Scriptures but by the aucthoritie of the Romaine Churche and of the Bishoppes of Rome whiche is greater then the aucthoritie of the scriptures These I saie boldely can in nowise bee the true spouse of our sauiour Iesu Christe but the abhominable
and stinckyng harlotte of Antichriste Thei haue alwaies in their mouthes this saiyng of saincte Augustine non crederem Euangeli◠nisi me ecclesiae catholicae authoritas commoueret I would not beleue the Gospell excepte the aucthoritie of the Catholike Churche moued me These fewe words haue thei tossed to and fro to presse out of them that is not in theim and would seme to goe aboute to proue the creature aboue the creatour that made all thynges But as S. Augustine saieth he beleued the Gospell because of the Church so likewise he hath said Exore veritatis ecclesiam agnosco participem veritatis By the mouthe of the truthe I knowe the churche that is partaker of the truthe But whereas thei would seme to goe aboute to proue by Augustines woordes that the Churche is aboue the worde of God their folie herein is easily espied if wée consider the cause that moued Augustine so to speake The Manichees would needes goe about to proue and make men to beleue that the Epistle of Fundamētus was of as good aucthoritie as the Epistles of Paule Peter Iames or Ihon. And that their Manicheus was the Apostle of Christe Augustine aunswereth theim and saieth he can not bee so easily perswaded by the same reason to receiue the Epistle of Manicheus as the Epistles of Peter and Paule c. He giueth a reason why for because saieth he in receiuyng of them thei had the aucthoritie testimonie and commendation of the Catholike Churche but Fundamentus Epistle hath no aucthoritie nor testimonie but onely of the Manichees theim selues whiche were openly shutte out from the Churche whiche by no meanes can be in equall aucthoritie with the aucthoritie of the Churche So if wée marke Augustines woordes well wée shall easily perceiue that he maketh not the Churche iudge of the scriptures nor yet graunteth any aucthoritie to the church ouer the scriptures but onely as witnesses and testimonies whiche bee the true canonicall scriptures from the Apochriphes and counterfecte Scriptures as this Epistle of the Manichees And that this is the true meaning of sainct Augustine one of their owne doctours and a Papiste for his life saieth vpon these woordes of sainct Augustine before recited Errare cos qui ijs dem Augustini verbis abutuntur ad probandum quod Papae vel cōcilium vel ecclesia possit immutare quae ab Euangelistis Apostolis sunt tradita That is to saie they do erre whiche vse the same wordes of sainct Augustine to proue that the Pope or Counsaile or the churche maie alter or chaunge what so euer haue been deliuered by the Euangelistes and Apostles No◠wee maie not gather herevpon that the aucthoritie of the churche is greater then the aucthoritie of the scriptures because that there bee many founde whiche dooe take the holy scriptures for authenticall as moued by the aucthoritie of the Churche In deede to them the Churche séemeth better then the holie scriptures but thei bee farre otherwise of them selues Els Moyses should by the same reason bee of greater aucthoritie then Christe because that many beleued in Christe moued by the aucthoritie of the scripture of Moyses as Christ saith If you would beleue Moyses ye would beleue me also We reade in Iohn thus And of that citie many of the Samaritans beleued in Christe vppon the woorde of the woman whiche bare witnesse and saied For he tolde me all thynges that I haue doen. Accordyng vnto this argument the aucthoritie of the synfull woman was more then of Christe and so it was in deede at the firste of more reputation with the people of the citie to whom Christe was yet vnknowen But of it self it was not so nor afterwardes whē thei hearyng the doctrine of saluation of Christe hym self thei saied vnto the woman Now we doe not beleue because of thy woordes for we haue heard knowen that this is verely the sauiour of the worlde Sainct Ihon shewed Christe vnto the people yet he was not greater then Christe In sainct Peter we doe reade in this wise Likewise ye women also bee subiecte vnto your husbandes that thei also whiche dooe not beléeue the woorde maie be wonne without the worde through the conuersation of the woman c. Ergo whereas the vnfaithfull husbande is stirred vnto the faithe of Christe by the regarde of the conuersation of his wife whiche he seeth is honeste chaste faithfull and obediente whereas he coulde not bee moued by the preachyng of the Gospell maie we gather that the conuersation of the woman is better or greater then the Gospell In deede so it appeareth but it is to hym whiche is still vnfaithfull not vnto hym which doeth acknowedge the trueth of the Gospell and the aucthoritie of God. The Churche had in tymes paste greate estimation of holy conuersation whereby many were brought vnto the faithe of Christ and the aucthoritie of the church did them good But yet it was not of it selfe better then the truth of the Gospell ¶ The xxxlx Chapiter ¶ Of the office and aucthoritie of the Churche and how i◠maie erre and how it cannot erre THE Churche we graunt as part we touched before hath three offices touchyng the worde of god The first and formoste of them is that as a witnesse she keepeth the holie bookes of the Canonicall scriptures But thereby it can not be proued that it is lefull for her to peruerte or alter any thyng in the saied holie bookes As publique and priuate writynges are committed to Scriueners or Notaries to be laied vp and kepte of them And yet none will saie he maie alter any thyng of those writynges The seconde office is to preache and publishe the wordes committed vnto it by God but it maie publishe nothyng but what is taught by the worde to them deliuered as a common crier who although he publishe the decrees of Princes and Magistrates yet he is not aboue the decrees of Princes and Magistrates but his whole office is faithfully to pronounce all thynges as he hath receiued them of the Prince addyng nothyng to it nor takyng ought awaie The thirde office is sithe that she is indued with the spirite of God it must therefore discerne and trie the sincere and vncorrupte bookes of holie scriptures from the counterfecte and Apochriphas So many can descerne the true and proper writynges of Plato and Aristotle So we can descerne God from the deuill and yet are we not to be compted equall with God much lesse can we thinke that we doe excell hym Now we haue saied somewhat of the office of the Churche I will also declare the whole aucthoritie that she hath by the woorde of GOD. The aucthoritie then of the true Churche of our Sauiour Christe doeth moste chiefly consiste in fower thynges First this true and faithfull Churche hath aucthoritie to choose and ordeīne ministers as wee learne by the example of the Apostles and of the Churches that bee spoken
also tréene vessels and earthen vessels and some to honour and some to dishonour Let vs geue diligence and labour as muche as it lieth in vs that we maie be a vessell of Golde or of syluer And truely this doctrine is moste necessarie to be marked and also to be folowed For as all the benefites that God doth of his méere mercie and goodnesse graunt vnto his Churche doe parteine vnto all bicause the Communion and felowship that is betwixt the members of Christes bodye So without this Communion and felowship of the sainctes there is no remission or forgeuenesse of sinnes but eternall and euerlasting condemnation For how coulde it be that they shoulde enioy the priuiledge of the true members of Christ that doe by a self willl deuide themselues from his body as the Papistes dooe now in these dayes Shoulde not that braunche deserue to be dried vp and to be caste into the fire that woulde wilfully deuide it selfe from the true vine The .xl. Chapiter ¶ Our offences and synnes are forgeuen vs by faith through Christe and not by our workes and merites ALso my beléefe is that in this church sinnes are freely forgeuen through faithe in the mercie of God obteined and purchased vnto vs by the merites of the death passion bloodsheddyng of our sauiour Iesu Christ wihout any of our owne deseruynges or merites or without any matter of satisfaction that we be able to make though wee were able to liue as long as euer any man did liue vpoÌ„ the earth For if any amendes coulde haue beene made for synnes or if any iustification could haue been gotten by the workes of the lawe Christ needed not to haue dyed And therefore the lorde saide right well I am he I am he that taketh awaie thy wickednesse and that for mine owne sake and thy sinnes wil I remember no more Here haue we a promise that God will put awaie our wickednesse and synnes not for our deseruinges or merites but for his owne sake that is to say of his frée mercie and goodnes as saieth sainct Paule Iustificamur gratis ex gratia ipsius Wee be iustified fréely of his grace Againe we iudge that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe And for this cause his only begotten sonne our sauiour was by the angell called Iesus bicause that he should saue his people from their synnes If our good workes merites and deseruinges could saue vs from our synnes why should they not be called by that name For there is none other name vnder heauen geuen vnto vs whereby we must or can be saued Therefore I doe thinke it moste conuenient and méete that we saie with Barnarde Mèritum meum miserationes domini Non sum ego inops meriti quam diuille non est inops miserationum Si miserationes eius multe multis ego sum in meritis Hoc totum est hominis meritum si totam spem suam ponat in domino That is to saie My merite is the mercie of god So long as god is not poore of mercy so long cannot I be poore of merites If his mercies be great then am I greate in merites This is the whole merite of man if he put his whole affiaunce and trust in the Lorde I marueile much of the papistes and meritmongers that are so bold to set vp their owne righteousnes and merites But before we seeme to speake any thyng to their obiections I thinke it best to declare in what signification this word to iustifie ought to be taken This worde iustificare to iustifie hath been of S. Paul borowed of the common vse of the lawe for in iudgement to iustifie a man it is to assoyle or quite him of the crime that is laide to his charge or that he is accused of and to pronounce him righteous iust innocent and guiltlesse After the same maner when we saie that God doeth iustifie vs our meanyng is that God doeth assoyle and quite vs of all crimes offences and trespasses that can bee layde to our charge or that we can be accused of that he doth pronounce vs iuste and righteous in his sight that is to saie that firste he doeth pardone and forgeue vs our synnes he couereth them and doeth in no wise impute them vnto vs but imputeth vnto vs righteousnes not our owne whiche is none at all but the righteousnes of his Sonne our Sauiour and so through his righteousnes doeth both saue vs and make vs blessed so doth the Apostle expounde this our iustification saiyng As Dauid doth set foorth the blessedfulnes of the man vnto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without woorkes where he saieth Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgeuen and whose sinnes are couâ—red Blessed is the man vnto whom the Lorde imputeth no synne As for the places of sainct Iames where he saith Was not our father Abraham iustified through workes when he offered Isaac his sonne vpon the aulter And a little after ye see then how that of workes a man is iustified and not of faithe onely It maketh little for their purpose if it be well considered We reade that Abraham beleeued the Lorde it was accompted vnto hym for righteousnesse whiche text is of Paule alledged after this sorte If Abraham were iustified by woorkes he hath wherein to reioyce or glorie but not with God for what saieth the Scripture Abraham beleued God and it was imputed vnto hym for righteousnesse Whereby the Apostle proueth strongly that Abraham was iustified by faith But this that saincte Iames doeth speake of whiche is the offeryng of Isaac was doen thirtie yeres after that the scriptures did pronounce Abraham iustified or that his faithe was compted vnto hym for rigteousnesse Uerely sithe that fifteene yeres afore that Isaac was borne Abrahams faith was imputed vnto hym for righteousnesse it was impossible that he should be iustified by the offryng of his sonne Isaac whiche was as I sayd before thirtie yeres after That that the Apostle goeth aboute here is onely to shewe that the faith which Abraham was iustified by was no idle or deade faithe but suche a faithe as made hym obedient vnto God as it is plainely set foorth to the Hebrewes Therefore if the circumstaunces bee considered there is no repugnaunce or coÌ„trarietie in the doctrine of the Apostles at all For what contrarietie or repugnaunce could there bee in their doctrine sithe that they were bothe led by one spirite Therefore we shall marke that the holie Apostle saincte Paule in his Epistle to the Romaines and to the Galathians did dispute and reason against them which did attribute iustification to workes But saincte Iames did write againste them which did vtterly contempne and despise good workes And therefore Paule sheweth the causes of our iustification Iames sheweth theffectes and fruites of the same Paul declareth how we are iustified Iames declareth how wee are knowen to bee iustified Paule excludeth
with his grace that was not due founde all men synners beyng hymself onely frée from synne and a deliuerer of synners And againe in a nother place he hath these words Opera manuum mearum non commendo Timeo enim ne cum inspexeris plura inuenias peccata quà m merita Lorde I commende not the workes of my handes For I am afraide least when thou shalt beholde them thou shalt finde mo synnes then good deseruynges So saith sainct Hierome Si consideremus nostra merita desperandum est If we beholde our owne merites we must be driuen to desperation Origene also affirmeth the same saiyng Ego vix mihi persuadeo vllum opus esse posse quod ex debito remunerationem deposcat I doe scarcely beleue that there can be any woorke that maie of duetie require rewarde Againe hee saieth Quia omniae conclusae sunt sub peccata nunc non in meritis sed in misericordia dei salus humana consistit For as much as all men are shut vp and cloased vnder sinne now the saluation of man standeth not in mans merites but in Gods mercie Barnarde saieth Non est quo gratia intret vbi iam meritum occupauit That is There is no meanes for grace to enter where merite doth keepe place VValdensis one of the Popes owne Doctours saieth these wordes Quid dignum facimus vt participes caelestibus fieri inuencamur Apostâ—lo dicenâ—e existimo quod non sunt condignae passiones huius temporis ad futuram gloriam quae reuelabitur in nobis Reputo igitur saniorem Theologum fideliorem catholicam scripturis sanctis magis concordem qui â—alâ— meritum simpliciter abnegat That is to saie what worthy thing doe we that we may be faunde in the felowship of the heauenly spirites the Apostle saieth I iudge that the afflictions of this tyme are not worthy of that glorie that shal be reueiled in vs Therfore I take hym to be the souÌ„der deuine the faithfuller catholike and more agreable to the holy scriptures that vtterlie denieth all such kynde of merite These testimonies are plaine against all the meritmongers of Rome Louane Let vs take heede therefore of their daungerous and heriticall doctrine leaste while we go aboute to stablishe our owne righteousnesse beyng ignoraunt of the righteousnesse of God and haue not submitted our selues to the righteousnesse of god And thereby shall heape to our selues wrath in the daie of trouble For Christe saieth Saincte Paule is the ende of the Lawe for righteousnesse vnto euerie one that beléeueth The .xlj. Chapiter ¶ Faith onelie iustifieth vs before God. YET these Papistes and Iustiâ—iaries will saie stil that although we finde in holy scripture that faith iustifieth yet we fynde not quod soâ—â—fides iustificat that faith onely iustifieth so that this worde onely or alone hath been newly added by heretiques whoÌ„ they doe commonly call Solifidians These iooly felowes doe nothyng but seeke a knotte in a Rushe as the prouerbe is for although we haue not expressie this worde sola only or alone yet haue we many other wordes that are equiuolent or equiualent that is of the same importaunce and force For when the holy ghost saieth that we are iustified fréely by the grace of God through the redemption whiche is in Christe Iesu whom God hath set foorth to be a purchaser of mercie through faith in his blood doeth he not exclude al maner of workes deseruinges or merites from our iustification attributyng it onely vnto faith â–ª whereby we doe apprehende and take holde on the grace and mercie of God so surely fealed vp vnto vs with the blood of that immaculat lambe our Sauiour Iesu Christe in the selfe same Chapiter he saieth againe we conclude that a man is iustified by faithe without the workes of the lawe Who doeth not see that he doeth here also put awaie all maner of thinges from our iustification faith onely excepted But the Papistes in this pointe are like vnto the Arians which bicause those wordes â–ª â—omoâ—fias consubstantialis be not founde in the Scriptures will in no wise admitte nor alowe them although the thinges signified by them are moste infalliblie and certainely conteyned and set out in the booke of god And therfore the Apostle writyng to Titus saieth Not by the workes of righteousnes whiche we had doen but accordyng to his mercie he saued vs that wee beyng iustified by his grace should be made heires accordyng to the hope of eternall life Againe he saieth God hath saued vs and called vs with an holy callyng not accordyng to our workes but accordyng to his owne purpose grace which was geueÌ„ vnto vs through Iesus Christe afore the worlde was Truely whersoeuer this purpose of God is their woorkes merites and deseruinges can take no place in the iustification or saluatioÌ„ of man Whereby we may gather that by the frée mercie and goodnes of God apprehended and taken holde vpon by faith we are deliuered froÌ„ euerlastyng damnation and made felowe heyres with his sonne Iesus Christ our Sauiour whose righteousnes he doth impute vnto vs making vâ—heires of his eternal euerlasting kingdome of heauen All these things I say and beleue do we obtaine only by faith without any merites goyng before Let vs see nowe what the holy learned Fathers of the Churche so many hundred yeres ago haue taught vs thereof Saint Ambrose saieth Iustificati sunâ— gratis quia nihil operantes neque vicem reddentes sola fide iustificati sunt dono deâ— They are iustified freely bicause workyng nothyng nor making any recompence they are iustified through faith onely by the gifte of god Againe in the same place these be his wordes Sic decretum dicit à deo vt cessante lege solam fidem gratia dei posceret ad â—alutem This was Gods determination that the lawe beyng at an ende the grace of God shoulde require faith onely vnto saluation Againe Sola fides posita est ad salutem Onely faith is laide or appointed vnto saluation Theodoretus saieth Non vllis operibus nostris sed per solam fidem mystica bona consequuti sumuâ— â–ª Not by any workes of ours but by only faith we haue gotten the mistical good things S. Basile saith Haec est nostra integra perfecta gloriatio in deo quando propriae iustitiae nos inopes agnoscimus Sola autem fide in christum iustificati This is our ful perfect reioysing in God when we acknowledge that we are voyde of any our owne righteousnesse and are iustified by only faith in Christe Nazianzenus saieth Credere solum est iusticia Only beléeuyng is righteousnes Origene also saieth these wordes â–ª where nowe is thy boastyng it is shut out Paule saieth that the iustification of only faith is sufficient So that a man onely beleuyng may be iustified although he haue doen no good workes
a thousande poundes whiche I owe hym though the same man did demaunde this of me and I were not able to satisfie hym or paie hym should he dooe vniustely to aske me his thousande poundes I trowe no man will so saie When the kyng did aske of his seruaunt the tenne thousande talentes that he did owe vnto hym did he vniustly or wrongfully No certainly So then all the whole lawe of God is nothyng els but a commaundement whereby we are commaunded and bidden to paie that vnto GOD that we owe vnto hym For man is bounde of duetie to loue God with all his hearte with all his soule and with all his strength and his neighbour as his owne selfe Therefore sainct Paule saieth Brethren wee are debttours but not vnto the fleshe Shall we saie then that God is vnrighteous or that he doeth vniustly askyng that thyng of vs that we doe owe vnto hym of bounde duetie but rather he doeth most iustly godly and righteously to demaunde such thynges of vs. But these freewill papistes are so ignoraunt that they vnderstande not to what ende the commaundementes were geuen For they thinke that they were geuen to no other vse but to be performed Sainct Paule saith the lawe was geuen bicause of transgression to the intente that thei that would not for feare of God and loue of heauenly thinges refraine froÌ„ doing of euil should at the leaste for feare of the punishement of the lawe be driuen to keepe a good order and to liue quietly among them selues els thei would haue killed one an other and no man should haue kept his owne but all thinges should haue gone to hauocke Secondlie to declare vnto men his righteousnesse holinesse and bounteousnesse For in this that God dooeth commaunde vs nothyng in his Lawe but that whiche is iuste and good he declareth thereby that he hym self is righteous holie and good Thirdlie leste men should seeke and goe aboute to excuse theim selues by ignoraunce before the Iudgemente seate of God saiyng that thei knewe not his will and pleasure therefore did he set forthe his lawe and commaundementes for to declare vnto men what he will haue them to doe and what he will haue them to leaue vndoen Fourthlie God did sette foorthe his lawe that by it man should bée brought into the knowledge of his owne self that is to saie that it might be a lookyng glasse or mirrour wherein man should beholde his owne weakenesse imbecilitie and vnablenesse to fulfill and performe the thynges that GOD doeth require of him that so he maie haue an occasion to humble and submit hym self For if it were not for the lawe that doeth discouer open and shewe yea and set before our eyes our owne filthinesse and abhomination wee would neuer acknowledge our selues to be synners nor yet thinke that wee haue neede of the grace and mercie of god GOD therefore leste men should swell againste hym dooeth demaunde and aske the same of theim that thei owe vnto hym of duetie Fifthly it was giuen that it might serue vs for a Scholemaister for to bryng vs vnto Christe who is the ende or performyng of the lawe for to iustifie all men that dooe beleeue For when we haue once learned by the doctrine of the lawe that of our selues wee bee not able to escape the dampnation that we doe deserue by the breaking of the commaundementes of God then are we faine to put awaie all vaine confideÌ„ce and trust that we had in our owne strength and in our owne merites and so to flie vnto Christe who was made accursed for vs that is was punished and slaine moste opprobriouslie for our sakes that we might be deliuered from the curse of the lawe and so receiue the blessing of Abraham and the promise of the spirite through faithe Therefore sainct Augustine saieth Vtilitas legis est vt hominem de â—ua infirmitate conuincat gratiae medicinam quae in Christo est implorare compellaâ— That is to say This is the profite of the lawe that it maie make man to knowe his infirmitie or conuicte hym of his weakenesse and so compell hym to seeke for the salue and medicine of grace whiche is in Christe And againe in an other place he saieth O homo in praeceptione cognosce quid debeas agere in correptione cognosce tuo vitio non habere in oratione cognosce vnde accipias quod vis habere That is to say O maÌ„ knowe in the commaundementes what thou oughtest to doe in rebukyng knowe that through thy owne fault thou haste it not and in praier knowe whence thou muste receiue that thyng that thou wilte haue Againe Danda itaque fuerat lex quae manifestius sibi ipsum ostenderet hominem ne superbus animus humanus à seipso se posse esse iustum putaret Therefore was the lawe giuen whiche should more manifestlie shewe man in hym self leste he should bee pufte vp or high mynded that he should thinke hym self as of hym self that he can or maie bee righteous or iust And again he hath these wordes The lawe was giuen for this purpose that is should make thee of a high mynded persone lowlie and humble and that it should shewe vnto thee that thou haste not of thyne owne strengthe vnto righteosnesse that so beyng poore bare and naked thou shouldest â—â—ie vnto grace and then â—ournyng hym self vnto God he saieth So doe O lorde so doe O mercifull lorde commaunde that thyng that thyng that can not bee fulfilled but through thy grace that when men shall not bee able to fulfill it by their owne strengthe all mouthes maie bee stopped and no man should séeme vnto hymselfe to be high Let all men be little ones humble and lowlie Lette all the worlde bee subiecte vnto god Many other places might I bryng out of this Augustine the golden doctour but these shall now suffice As for exhortations to tourne vnto the Lorde to heare to repent and beleue as it is required in the woorde of God argue not a libertie or proue thereby that we haue strength of our selues to dooe all these thynges or that when grace is offered we haue power to receiue it of our owne strengthe for rather wee are taught thereby to acknowledge our infirmities and vnablenesse and not that wée are able or can do it as soone as it is commaunded and spoken except God dooeth woorke inwardly with his holie spirite in our hartes whiche thyng sainct Paule declareth when he exhorteth the faithfull to abide and perseuer in the grace of god But Paule in an other place sheweth from whence that vertue of constancie and perseueraunce doeth câ—me Finallie my brethren saieth he bée strong in the Lorde Againe For this cause doe I bowe my knees vnto the father of our Lorde Iesu Christe that he would graunte you accordyng to the riches of his glorie that ye maie bée strengthened with might by the spirite in
the inner man that Christ maie dwell in your hartes by faithe Againe he saieth Greeue not the holie spirite of God by whom ye are sealed vnto redemption But that thyng that he requireth there he desireth God to graunte it to the Thessalonians saiyng Wherefore we praie alwaies for you that our GOD make you worthie of your callyng and fulfill all good purposes of his goodnesse and the worke of faithe with power that the name of our Lorde Iesus Christe maie bee glorified in you and ye in him through the grace of our lorde Iesu Christ. Again I planted and Apollo hath watered but it is the lorde that giueth the increase For in the Lorde we liue and moue and haue our beyng As we maie easily see in that Christe did saie vnto the man that was sicke of the palsie Arise take vp thy bedde and go home It did not folowe that he had strength to arise excepte Christe our Sauiour had giuen it hym but when Christe did saie vnto hym arise he did straight with it giue hym strength to arise Euen so when God dooeth by his Preachers speake vnto them whom he hath chosen alreadie and doeth bidde and exhorte theim to arise out of the bedde of synne straight therewith he giueth them strength to doe it Saincte Augustine agreyng herewith saieth Iubet ergo deus continentiam daâ—continentiam Iubet per legem dat per gratiam Iubet per literam dat per spiritum God doeth commaunde continencie and he doeth giue continencie he commaundeth it by the law he doth giue it by grace he commaundeth it by the letter he doeth giue it by the spirite And therefore he saieth moste excellently in his booke of confessioÌ„s Continentiam iubes da quod iubes iube quod vis Thou commaundest continencie giue that thou commauÌ„dest and commaunde what thou wilte Againe Lex data est vt gratia quaereretur gratia data est vt lex impleretur The lawe is giuen that grace should be sought grace is giuen that the law should bee fulfilled Againe Quod bene viâ—imus quod raecte intelligimus deo debemus nostrum nihil est nisi pâ—ccatum quod habemus That we liue well that we vnderstande a right wee haue it of God of our selues wee haue nothyng but onely synne that is within vs. Againe sainct Hierome saith Non dixit dedi â—is liberi arbitrij potestatem vt ipsi se suo labore saluarent sed ego custodiui eos ego seruaui Christe saied not I haue giuen to them the power of free will that thei by their owne labour should bee saued but I haue kepte them I haue reserued them These testimonies both of Scriptures and Fathers doe sufficiently declare that whatsoeuer God doeth requre of vs the same he must worke in vs by his holy spirite For of our selues we are able to doe no maner of thyng that good is Therfore saieth Sainct Augustine Homo sibi sufficit ad peccandum vt iustificetur non sibi sufficit nisi ab illo iustificetur qui solus est iustus Man is able or sufficient of hym selfe to synne that hee shoulde be iustified he is not able or sufficient of hymselfe excepte he shoulde be iustified by hym whiche onely is iuste Againe in the same place hee saieth I doneus est homo ad vulnerandum sed nunquam idoneus est ad sanandum se quando vult egrotat noÌ„ quando vult surgit Man is apte and meete to wounde hymselfe but he is not apte and meete to heale hym self when he will he is sicke not when he will he doeth rise And where as they saie God will saue none againste his will it is true in déede For thei are made willyng by hym before whom he will and dooeth saue and whom he made willyng them doth he also helpe aide and assist that they may do the thyng that he hath made them willyng to doe wherefore Christe said No man commeth vnto mee excepte my father doeth drawe hym And againe it is God that worketh in vs both the will and also the deede according to his good pleasure Sainct Augustine saieth agréeyng herewith No man saith he can beléeue hope or loue vnlesse he will but euen the selfe same will to beléeue hope and loue coÌ„meth not but from god Againe Nos volumus sed deus in nobis operatur velle Nos operamur sed deus in nobis operatur operari pro bona sua voluntate Hoc nobis expedit credere dicere Hoc est pium hoc est verum vt fit humilis submissa confessio detur totum deo Tutiores viuimus si totuÌ„ deo damus noÌ„ auÌ„t nos illi ex parte nobis ex parte coÌ„mittimus We will but it is God that worketh in vs to will. We woorke â–ª but is God that worketh in vs to worke accordyng to his good pleasure This is behouefull for vs both to beleue to speake This is a godly this is a true doctrine that our coÌ„fession maie be humble and lowly and that God may haue the whole We liue in more safetie if we giue all vnto God rather then if we commit ourselues partely to our selues and partely to hym Sainct Gregorie saieth Ipse aspirando nos preuenit vt velimus qui adiuuando subsequitur ne inaniter velimus He doeth preuente vs with his grace that we may be willing and with his healpyng hande he doeth followe vs leste we should will in vaine Sainct Barnarde saieth Neque enim aut inchoare bonum donec à misericordia preueniamur aut agere bonum donec adiunemur à gratia aut coÌ„summare in bono possumus donec gloria repleamur Neither can we beginne saieth he any good vntill we be preuented by mercie or els to doe any good vntill we be holpen by grace or els that we can ende in goodnesse vntill we bee fulfilled or replenished by glorie Therefore doeth Sainct Augustine call it Gratia praeueniens preuentyng grace Thus we maie sée that God saueth no man that is vnwillyng to be saued or that doeth withstande and resiste alwaies his blessed wyll and pleasure But before thae he saueth anye man he maketh that same man by his grace to consent and agree vnto his blessed will and pleasure yea he doeth reache forthe his hande vnto hym for to plucke hym vp Wherefore saieth Fulgentius Ye see of whom wee haue this good will that we must bryng vnto God euen of hymself and not of vs For it is he and none other that doeth woorke it in vs by his holy spirite Euerie good worke then which we doe worke in God the same doeth God woorke in vs For all thinges are of hym through hym and in hym bothe our good worke and our good will then be both of hym Hec Fulgentius Note here that wee saie not that man was bereft of his vnderstandyng