aboundaunt and plentifull fulnes of ryches in al goodnes to whom only euery good gyft and euery perfect gifte from heauen aboue from the father of lyght is to be attributed ascribed as witnesseth Ia .i. Thou must be also in this case lyke a man which through long sicknes is so feble and weeke and brought so low that he is not able to stand without a staffe fearynge to set his foote to the ground least he shoulde fall doune not able to ryse agayne of hymselfe without the helpe of another This mā getteth to him a staffe to stande vp or to go by or els he leueth on another mās arme which is stronger than he and so goth furth by lytle and lytel euer fearing to fal So doyng thou shalt not fal nay though thou dost stōble or trippest a litle with thi fote that is the carnalconcupiscēce of the flesh yet shalt thou not fal to the ground the spirite of the Lord is so strong that he wyll holde the vp But if thy staffe be weake or rotten or that man whom thou dost trust be not altogether thy frynd thou canst not chose but fall and that miserably to thine vtter confusion with out another takyng compassion and pitie on the of his goodnes wyll come and take the vp Lykewise is thy doyng whē thou dost trust and put thy confidence in thyne owne merites in thyne owne workes in thyne owne strength in thyne owne wit and power thē is thy fall moost greatest when the truste of thyne owne power semeth moost strongest and when thou art most inflamed wyth the loue of thy selfe that is of thyne owne deades and workes which are altogether flesh if they be not wroughte by the spirite of the Lord the which spirite of the Lorde being in the the Lord doeth make althy wayes godly straight be fore his eyes so that thi sinne is not imputed to the nor thou art not fleshly yea though the fleshe hath some pryckyng in the. For to the iust man the lawe is not made as witnesseth Paul that man I saye whose iustice is Christes iustice which alredy in his hert hath done al that thing which the law requireth not of hymself but by the power of the spirit of the Lord which worketh his wil in hym What hast thou saith Paull that thou hast not receiued if thou hast receiued wherfore art thou proud of it as thoughe thou hast not receiued it but as it were thyne owne of thy self For asmuch then as al godlines is receiued we must cōsider cōfesse that ther is a geuer in whose hande and power it dothe rest whether he wil geue it yea or nay so that we must say not vnto vs Lord not to vs. but to thi name be glory prayse What worke dyd Paull worke to optayne the fauoure of the Lorde When he was most strongest in persecutiō and sheddyng of the christian bloud sodenly he was taken from hym selfe that is to say the Lord alterid him of his owne goodnes and mere mercy his cruel affectiōs and in the steade of the spirite of persecution he put in hym the spirite of mekenes the spirit of loue of preaching his glory of preaching Iesu Christ crucified and in the steade of a persecutour of Christ he became a sufferer for Christ When Peter was most stronge to fyght wyth dente of sworde as appered by his bolde and manly deades and great crakes how sodenly became he in the stead of a defēder a denier And wher as he wold dye with Christ he would not so much as once knowe hym nay he denied him vtterly Who did subdue the naughtie spirite of Paul when he was in his most rage fury agaynst the preachers of Christes glory Was it ani other thā the power of the lord vnder whose fete all thynges are made subiect yea from the reasonable to the vnreasonable as oxen and sheepe At the whiche tyme of persecution Paull was in durate because he had not in hym the spirite of the Lord and therefore he coulde not chose but with al extremitie persecute the lord as far as the fleshe woulde geue hym leaue The flesh alway as Paul wytnesseth resystyng and strinyng agaynst the spirit The cause then why that Paull had not the spirite of the Lord was only the pleasure of the Lord whiche taketh mercye on whom it pleaseth him selfe Paul myndyng nothing lesse thā to be called it pleased the Lorde to cal hym frō dishonour to honor to the setting furth of his glory Paull for this tyme of persecution was indurate none otherwyse than was Pharao in the persecution of the children of Israel If it had pleased the Lord to haue taken Paull as he dyd take Pharao the one shulde haue perished as well as the other Yf the Lord had lefte Peter in his deniall and styll to hym selfe if he had not loked on hym wyth the eye of fauoure it had ben euyll with hym as it was with Pharao But to declare that all men are lyars and God only true as the prophet saith The Lord toke the spirit of stedfastnes and knowledgyng of God from hym leauyng hym to hymselfe to fraylenes to the verye counsel and motion of the flesh which flesh had rather lyue a whyle and dye for euer than to suffre a smal temporal death and al way after to lyue Therfore if any manne do fall let not hym dispayre for the Lorde is merciful It is not the fall whiche declareth induration it is the contempte of the Lord when thou dost delyght in thy synne not fearyng the Lordes iudgement that is a fearful token of induration What canst thou tel whether the Lorde wyl take the in this tyme of thy wyckednes and vnfaythfulnes yea or nay as he dyd Pharao in the mydest of hys madnes If he so doo what shall become of the Thou caust not denye but that he may if it please hym so to doo Thou hast a good cause therfore alway to fear and mystrust thy wayes for thou arte altogether of thy selfe fleshe thou canst do nothyng of thy selfe but synne And lykewyse as the trust of the mercy of God promysed for Christes sake whiche foloweth streyghtway the hatred of vyce and synne with ful intent and purpose to liue after the wyll of the father is a certayn token of election and of the fauour of God wherin so long as thou doste remayne and continue thou art sure that thou art of the ryght fort Euen so the loue to lyue vngodly to wallow in all kynde of vyce and to lye styll in impuritie of lyfe declareth to the that for that same season thou art nothing ells than the chyld of wrath curssed of God indurat as was Pharao This is a good cause to make the to be alway in feare to make the suspect thyne owne selfe and begyn to hate synne the deuyl and the fleshe with al concupiscence then the spirit of God beginneth to worke his worke in the to crucifie thi spiritual
vnderstand not aryght beynge not able to attaine to thē wherein manye thynges do lie hyd passinge all mens vnderstandynge and power to aryse vp to the knowledge therof It is good therfore in thys casse to staye and search no further But rather with all humilitie to reuerence those thynges whyche the Lorde kepeth for his owne knoweledge An other obiection of oure aduersaries is thys If they wyll saye they that the similitude of the potter whyche Paull speakethe of muste be vnderstande and taken simplye and playnlye as it lyeth whye shoulde we not saie they vnderstand that place of Paule as it lyeth in the letter saying If a manne do pourge hym c. Wherto I saye that we do take it none otherewyse then as it doeth lye so that they do take it and vnderstande it after that maner as all such places of the scriptures are vsed to be taken For thys poynte you muste marke well that to kepe the commaundementes which we are commaunded to kepe it is vnpossible for manne wythoute he haue the spirite of the Lorde the whyche no sophisticall cauillation can denye By the commaundemēts we do know what is sinne our owne weakenes Naye they graunte theyr selues that it is vnpossible that anye man can kepe the commaundementes of the Lorde after the mynde intente and wyl of the Lorde whyche doth cōmaund them wythout his spirite It foloweth that what so euer the Lorde cōmaundeth vs to do is to vs vnpossible Yet the Lorde willeth vs to kepe and obserue hys cōmaundemētes Wherby both we haue the knowledge of synne The lawe is spirituall and therfore it must be spiritually obserued or els you worcke in hypocricie we knowe also how weake feble and of no strength we be of our selues For the lawe is spirituall whych can not be kepte wythout the spirite of God And therfore he hathe geuen hys spirite to the electes to kepe hys wyll whyche they were not able els for to do Iames hathe suche an other sayinge as they do rehearse forth of Paules sayinge Clense your hertes you wauering of mynde The whyche thynge they cā not do without the hertes be purified and made cleane by fayth in Iesu Christ Thus ought these wordes purifie your hertes to be takē and vnderstanded that is Beleue you in Christe that by hys spirite you maye be purified But no man can beleue but he which is drawen of the father as witnesseth Iohn the syxte Chapter Whiche we muste nedes graunte Let vs desyre and praye that God wyll kepe in vs his cōmaundemētes whiche of our selues We can not call on the lord wythout the spirit of the lorde in our selfe we are not able to do Let vs aske cal and crye after that with greate diligence and fayeth and it shall be graunted to vs. But se how captyue bond our wyll is that for to desyre and aske anye thing of the lord we ar not able of ourselues They wil answer to me againe saying that the sayinges which are spokē of the saintes godlye faithful people Man worketh good or euell as the spirite drawethe are fales not true that is Thei haue purged made clene ther hertes they haue sanctified thē selfes They loued the Lorde they prayed wel they dyd good workes and so fourth suche other lyke sayenges The whyche wordes are not false but true so that you do presuppose these thinges to be done by them thorowe the spirite of god fayth so that we must confesse all thinges well done to be the dedes of the spirite of god of whom they be wrought Ther is none of vs whyche denye the that man worketh but we do denye that he workethe at his owne frewyl For either he workethe that whiche is euell being drawen bye the spirite of fornication or els he doth worke that thinge which is good by the spirit of the lord allmightie A similitud by a knyfe Marke this similitude which folowethe whiche makethe not small for this purpose A man takethe a knyfe and cutteth bread wyth it The knyfe also doth cutte but not wyth out the hand of hym which holdeth the knyfe This knyfe cutteth well or yll not of hym selfe but by the cutter For the knife is not fre of him selfe either to cut or not to cut Yet for all that whē a man doeth cut any thynge wyth a knyfe he sayth this knyfe cutteth well or yl althoughe of hym selfe he doeth cut nothynge at all but by the power and force of the cuttar So wee can do nothyng of our selfe that is good and ryghe except the spirite of god worketh it in vs we do no euyll excepte we be bound with the spirite of fornication and of thē fleshe To the which spirite the lorde by his most rightwyse iustyce dothe leaue vs by his iudgment I saye whych we knowe not And so he suffereth vs to be hardened In this place muste the fayeth full be taught to take heade and be ware of that pestilent opinion which sayethe that euery man is made the vessel of honour or reproche by our own merytes goynge before What thynge is or euer was before the eternal decre and ordinaunce of the lorde If thou wylt saye that god hath decreed and ordeined these thynges whyche is euerlastynge bycause of those thynges whych he knew bye his forsyght and knowledge that euery man woulde do in tymes we answer seynge that-no thyng whych is done in tyme and is temporall can be the cause of a thynge whiche is eternal before all tyme. We shold do greate wronge and iniury to the lorde to saye that he was cōpelled to ordayne and decre any thing in hys euerlastyng beynge The electes for those thynges sake whyche are done wythe in the lymyt of tyme By the onely worthynes and grace of God the elect are predestinated to be in tyme vessels to glory and honoure The reprobates by whose moste iust iudgemēt to vs vnknowen the reprobates are made in tyme the vessels of ignominie to dishonour shame The Lorde is marueylouse in al hys iudgmētes ⧠The .x. profe THe captiuitie and bondage of oure wyl is proued by Esay the .x. chap. Shall the ax boste it selfe agaynste hym whiche doeth hewe wyth it Esai x. Example by an ax and by a sawe or shall the saw make any braggynge againste hym that ruleth it That were euen lyke as if the rodde whyche a man doth beare wold exalte hym felfe and rise vp against the bearer An euel kyng is called an axe a rode a sawe or as though the stafe would magnifye it selfe whyche is made but of wod and tre Behold the Lorde doeth call a wycked king an axe a saw a staffe a rodde whych thyng men do vse to occupie to one thynge or an other to declare that the Lorde doeth make al men to be hys instrumentes Man kynde is the lorde his instrumēt by the whyche he doth fulfil accōplyshe hys
shall preserue vs. For to kepe them without his spirit is no keping of them ▪ but playne hypochrisie and dissimulation The Lorde hath set before vs both fyre and water lyfe and death good and euyll that is asmuche to saye as he hath set before vs the kepynge of his diuine wyll and pleasure and also the transgression offendynge of the same wyll He hath set before vs eternall health and euerlastynge perdicion To whether of these we wil le◠vs reache furthe our handes Yf so be that we do chuse to apprehend the transgression of the lawe being bounde in the wynges of the spirite of fornicatiō falsheade we shall haue death and perdition of our soules withoute remedye If we do applie oure selues to the wyll and commaundementes of the Lorde by the cōfort drawyng of the holye spirite of God health lyfe euerlasting shal folow By the spirite of the Lorde we do apprehende seke after the lyfe prepared for the faithfull By the spirit of our flesh and of falshed we loke after no goodnes but al wickednes traūsgression of the cōmaundemētes If we haue the spirite of the Lorde wee shall not faile of lyfe most happi and blessed If we be led by the spirite of fornication of the fleshe what remayneth but death vtter destruction There is no man which can mislike this exposition except it be those whyche are led wyth a peruerse spirite which holde opinion that the wyll of man of it selfe can wyl that thyng whych is good and also of his owne power kepe the cōmaūdemētes Hereby you mai perceiue that nether this text of the scripture nor any such like doth make any thyng at al for this forged fained libertie of oure fre wil. Obiection Against this do they argue reason saying If man had no knowledge nor iudgmēt of him self to know good and euyl to iudge also what is the wyll of the Lorde It oughte not to be imputed to hys faulte if he did chuse and take that way whyche is euil Obiection An other reason If so be mans wil be not fre at libertie wherefore should he be blamed for sin for as muche as sin is to him no sin if it be done by coaction not voluntarie of hys owne wyl Solution of the fyrste ob ∣ iection To the fyrste reason we saye that if their obiection be true thē must it folowe of necessitie that all the reprobate persons are punished wrongfully whych dyd neuer know perfectlye the wyl of the Lorde for as much as they are blynde for the whyche cause the Lorde prayinge his father for them whyche dyd crucifie hym sayed Forgeue thē father for thei do not know what they do And trulye they dyd not know For euery euil persō is ignoraūt blind And therfore it was spokē of them whiche did murmure speake againste the lawe of God in Deuteron .xxxii. I woulde to God they were wise had vnderstandyng Deut. xxxii as though he would haue said they haue nether wit nor knowledge Wher fore to our owne destructiō are we so busye serchers of the heauēlye maiesties hidden secrets syth that we know that he is in al thinges iust true our selues wretched blind ful of lies He doth iustly reiect cast from him the reprobate blind whō he hath suffered to be blind and indurate that in no wise they can cōfirme thē selues be agreable to the cōmaundemēt wyl of the Lorde The profounde and hyghe depenes of hys iudgement what manne can vnderstande I wyll holde my lyppes therefore togyther kepe scilence worshyppynge the inscrutable iudgementes and decrees of the Lorde Solution of the second obiection To theyr second reason I saye that sinne is voluntarie in the wicked whyche syn cometh not of a free wyll but frome that will whyche is bounde and captiue by the spirite of fornication whych is the sence and vnderstandynge of the fleshe For the wyll of the fleshlye that is to saye of theym whyche do lacke the spirite of the Lord is nothyng lesse then free and at libertie bycause it is not vnder the lawe of God nor neuer canne be as to the Rom. viii Chapter Rom. viii It doth not folow therefore after theyr reason that sinne should not be imputed to the reprobate and wicked which syn is imputed to thē that most iustly To the faithful to thē which do beleue Rom. iiii Psalm xxxi The author doth lamente the fall of certayne men which are gon from syn that is to say cōcupiscēse is not imputed for theyr faith sake as Paule teacheth to the Romains the .iiii. Chap. and the Psal in the .xxxi. Psal beareth also wytnes But Alas there be certaine howe they haue bene deceued the Lord knoweth which sometime as al the worlde almost can testifye abhorrynge and detesting the fowle and stinkynge synagoge of Antichriste wyth all the abhominable rites and craftes and lyes therof wyth all theyr vaine curiouse phātasticall maner of speakynge are nowe turned to theyr madnes forsakeynge the veritie of the Lorde Christe to Antichrist in preachynge and teachinge of men those thynges whyche by the power of the worde of God hath hytherto bene reiected and forsaken bicause they myght therby stablishe and confirme theyr opinion which is that the wil of man is fre and at libertie The which men peraduenture in theyr selues shal fynde true by experience Yea they do fynde it alreadye what a pore and small libertie that is whych is in the wyll of man or rather howe certayne a bondage and seruitude it is for as much as by no studye no crafte no knoweledge they are able to vanquish or to ouercome theyr own propre affectiōs Yt had bene better for thē more profitable for al men yf they had not so vndiscret lie and vnwysely as they did confirme their blynd libertie brought and leyd forth before men the folyshe phantasies dreames particions and distinctions of Duns It can not be spoken how much hurt these brablyng questionaries do of Thomas of Aquine of Capireold wyth suche other brabling and scoldyng sophisters in whom a man can fynd no substance nor pyth of substanciall matter but a fewe folyshe and idle termes and wordes as these be which do folowe It semeth to be so it maie be so it may be saied c. Which wordes to the godly and faithful sorte are nothing els but the strong deadlye and deceauable poyson of the deuil spokē and writtē without good foundation It a uidetur fieri potest dici potest without substance strength of godlie confirmatiō which do knowe that to cleaue and stycke only to the eternall word and testimonie of the veritie of God is the only shote anchor of oure healthe ⧠The secōd text of the scripture wrōgfully taken and alleged THey do alledge forthe of the fyrste boke of Moyses called the Genesis in the iiii Cha. these wordes
captiue and bonde and that of it selfe it can do thynge that is good or pertaynynge to eternall felicitie The choyse and electiō to do thys or that is the worcke and dede of the wyl and of the vnderstandynge That the wyll of man is captiue it commeth by the spirite of fornication that is of the naturall sens and knowledge of synne or concupiscence for as muche as the deceytful spirite doeth reynge in the hert And then the wyll can not be obediente to the worde of the Lord but in hypocrisie lies after a deceiuable maner fayre without and foule wythin For the wordes of the veritie can not be pleasaunte to it wherefore it is alwaie contrary and repugnaunte to them By the commynge of the spirite of the Lorde and by fayeth manne is deliuered and made fre from the spirite of fornication frō the whiche euyll spirite by no mans craft or wysdome he can be losed and set at libertie Then the spirite of God reygneth in the herte of the fayethfull bringynge the spirite of fornication euery daye in subiection more and more makynge it bond and captiue and crucifiynge it Then doeth the spirite of God worcke in man hys knoweledge and vnderstandynge causyng hym to know God and hys veritie of hym selfe vnable to either of them It worketh also the wyll of man whyche is bonde of it selfe makynge it to wyll the thynge whyche God wylleth and to be content wyth hys swete wordes Then man doeth wyl that thyng whiche God wylleth not of hys owne vertue but by the vertue and power of God him selfe And is set at libertie and made fre frome all traditions and inuentions of men to captyue and make hym selfe bonde altogyther to the obedience and seruice of God and his veritye And so he is made fre from the captiuitie and bondage of perdition and doth go into the bondage and libertie of the chyldrene of God Then he serueth the Lord most frely and fayethfully he runnneth forwarde the spirite of God workynge that same Alacritie and redines in hym All the preceptes threatenynges promises rebukynges and praysinges of the saintes and the cursses of the wycked do declare howe much God doeth loue the holye spirite and howe he doeth rule the spirite of fornication The wyll of the beleuer doeth worcke wyth the spirite worckynge in hym not of hys owne strengthe and vertue but by the strength and vertue of the spirite God doeth harden he doeth waken and styrre vp he doeth also excecate and make blynde and whom so euer he hath thus determined and iudged for to be that same mā must nedes go forth of the waie of God Yet do I not therfore conclude that God is vniuste nor that he worketh any iniquitie In thys matter mans sens and iudgmēte is dimme and manye there be whyche do searche these thynges not wythoute greate peryll of fallynge into heresie Whither thou wilt make ought or nought of free wyll yet this questian of the mercye and iustice of God is insoluble for it is so profound and depe that it can not be thorowlie persed and attayned vnto God hath no nede of our leasynges or lies that a manne shoulde thynke it to be lawefull for hym to deuise and inuent a frewyll agaynste the manifeste and opē textes of the scriptures thynkynge thereby to come the soner to the perfecte knoweledge of the questian concernynge the iustice and ryghtuousenesse of God whych he shal neuer come to so longe as he lyueth Those whiche mayntayne free wyll do speake directly contrarye to the marrke and ende of the lawe affirmynge that a man can so guide hym selfe that he canne of hym selfe kepe the lawe or that he can any thynge begyn of hym selfe towarde it when he can do nothynge lesse The schope and principall parte of the spirite bicause the whole lawe is spirituall and therfore may none otherwyse be kepte then by the onely spirite God Those same frewill makers do attribute and geue to fleshe and bloude that thynge whych is propre onely to the spirite of God that is to saye to wyll any goodnes whiche fleshe and bloude can do nothinge but stray from God in fornication whordome But these men whyche are instructed taught by the testimonies of God do saye that the wyll of man is captiue and bonde and that of it selfe it canne do nothynge lesse then kepe the lawe of God wherein they do saye truely bycause they speake not againste the marke and chefe parte of the lawe which is the spirit These men doe gyue to man in dede that thynge which is his properlie that he is the bondeman of synne that is to saye of concupiscence except he be made fre of god They do geue vnto the holye Goste that whyche is due to the holye Gooste that is to say boeth to thynke to wyll perfourme that thynge whyche is good and so they do geue to God not vnto man all vertu power and glorye The founders of free wyll are the founders of merites and of the iustice of worckes as they call it Those men whyche do stablishe mannes merites and the iustice of worckes do deny and treade vnder the fote the iustice and merites of Christe Christ only not our filthy iustice own rightuousnes hath merited to vs the fauour and grace of God and eternall iustice The confirmation of our captiuitie and bond wyll is the confirmatiō of the merites of Christ and of the iustice of God by him beynge the contempt of the vnworthy rightuousenes of our worckes I do not deny that a mā shoulde do good workes bicause it is neadful that a faythfull man should be alway wel doyng and neuer to be idle that he maye declare and testifie hys fayeth by his worckes For a true faith is neuer idle but spreadeth abrode in good worckes whyche are the testimonies wytnes of our fayeth But I saye that a faythful man doth not truste nor geue confidence to hys worckes therfore not to him self nor to hys own wil. The patrons and defenders of frewil cā not receiue and take the worde of God simply ryghtlye and in hys kynde for the free wyll of manne and the worde of God are contrarye He that defendeth the contrarye muste neades vnderstande the scriptures as they ought to be For in thys defēct he swarueth not from the worde of God No manne can saye in the spirite of God that the wyll of man is fre No manne can wyth a pure herte thynke that the wyll of man is bonde but in the holy spirite whyche speaketh in hym and worketh a Godlie loue and desyre of the knowledge of the veritie of Gods worde rather then curiouse reasoninge For he whych is of that opinion that the wyll of man is fre doeth so much minishe plucke frō the mercy and merites of Christ as he doeth permit and geue to the strength of mans wyl whych is cōtrary to the holye spirite He that is of the contrarye opinion doeth geue nothynge to the strengthe and wyll of man but altogyther to the mercye of God and gratiouse fauoure of Christe whych fauour and mercye thorowe Christe in whom they do beleue the fayethfull do obtayne And in so doynge they do confesse the Lorde Iesu Christe as they oughte to do geuynge to hym onely the prayse of our iustification and redemption whiche thynge they can not do but in the holye Goste The summe and finall conclution of this matter is that the defence of fre wyll is the begynnynge the role and fundation of peruers sectes of men of all impietie and wyckednes of all hypocrisie and counterfayted holines of al abhomination the very stablishinge of Antechrist hys sinagoge The contrarye opinion is the well and fountayne of all vertue of iustice and ryghtuousnes of grace and fauoure thorow Christ onelie and the kepe of knowledge of all Godlye and holsome doctrin Wherin the Lorde continue vs to his onely glory praise for euer Finis Nicolas Lesse ⧠⧠⧠⧠Imprinted at London by Iohn Day and William Seres dwellynge in Sepulchres perish at the signe of the Resurrection a litle aboue Holbourne conduite ⧠⧠☞ ⧠Cum gratia priuelegio ad imprimendum solum
the lord The Lord may turne his hert which way soeuer it shal please him In this place first thou dost see that the riuars and the diuision of waters are the worckes of God and all other thynges which can be named in heauen or in earth or in the waters The text is so playn that it neadeth no long declaration The herte the will is all on in scripture by the which we dooe perceyue that the herte or wyll of a Kynge for in the scriptures the hert and wyl is taken for one thing is not free and at his libertie and pleasure but captiue and bond to the pleasure wyl of the Lord causynge it to encline and leane to whych part it pleaseth hym to godlines and to the fulfyllynge of hys wyll or contrarye Yet for all that good Reader be ware you do not mistake wronge vnderstande me bycause I saye that God doeth turne incline the herte What is signyfied by these wordes god turnethe god makethe to inclyne as though he shold in so doynge worcke vngodlines For this worde and vocable to incline or to turne is asmuch to say after the speaking of the scripture as to indurate or harden or to let a mā runne into a reprobate mind holding away his hand frō him whyche is asmuch to saye to make it more playne as the Lorde doeth relinquish and leaue hym to hys owne mere naturall frailenes To harden thy hart is to leaue the to thyn owne weaknes as in many places specially in that boke whyche I dyd write intituled the causes of our blyndnes I haue declared That lesson which you do reade here of the hert or wyl of a king take it as wel to be vnderstande of all other men for if that one be true that the kynges herte and wyll is subiecte to the wyll of God muche more all other mennes cogitations thoughtes wylles and dedes They saye and obiecte agayne that the inclination and mouynge of the hand of the Lorde doeth not cause or worcke bondage or necessitie in the will of man When dothe the lorde moue to godlynes wherein they be foule deceyued not geuynge glory to the Lorde as they oughte to do For the Lorde doeth moue and stirre a manne to Godlines as often as he doeth poure into hym hys spirite and true fayeth Then canne not that man sinne by the vertue and strenght which he hath receyued of the Lorde Faythe cannot do euell wherby he is moued For fayeth can not worcke euyll Agayne although the fleshe in the fayethful men do synne yet the spirite of God whereby the fayethful do lyue canne not sinne The rightwyse man lyuethe by faythe Peter by the strength of the flesh synned being offended and displeased at the wordes of his maister Christe sayinge that he shoulde suffer Whiche Peter dyd saye before to hys maister by the power and strength of the spirite The faythfull synneth not Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God Math. vi Chapter To be short in al thinges wher the spirite of God doth moue and stirre vs is conteined a necessitie bondage of the spirite beinge so decreed and ordeyned from the begynnynge Lykewise also of all those thynges whyche a man doeth worcke inclined to vngodlynes that is to saye geuen to a reprobate minde beyng left to the spirite of fornication to hym selfe to hys owne natural fragilitie and weakenes For the wicked cā not chose but do wickedly for as muche as he is fleshe The prescience and for knoledge of the lorde is vnfallible and therfore all hys worckes synne It is also vnpossible but that wyckednes muste be committed at that tyme whyche the Lorde by hys prescience and fore knoweledge dyd knowe frome the begynnynge woulde be done Hereby we do reason and gather that all these thinges whereto they do moue and styrre vs or otherwyse doeth harden leauynge vs to our owne selfe are done or committed of necessitie ineuitable Take hede once agayne gentyll reader and beware thou doeste not reason to farre in thys matter least thou doeste fall into inconuenience and wronge iudgement or opinion of the Lorde to thyne owne destruction and death Reuerence thou alway hys most blessed iudgemente to the profound deapnes whereof no man at anye tyme is able to attayne ⧠The .v. profe and authoritie Hieremy x HIeremye sayeth the .x. Chapt. I do knowe very wel good Lorde that the wyl of man is not in hys own hande nor yet in hys owne power to rule and gouerne his owne steppes and goinges which wordes are not to be meant and vnderstande of sadde or pleasaunt thinges as some mē do interpretate but of euerye thought wyll and dede of man As appeareth by that whiche foloweth Chasten vs O Lorde but wyth fauour not wyth thy wrath But if thys can not satisfy their mindes nor perswade them suffitientlye that it is spoken of all the wayes of man boeth of hys thoughte wyll and dede let theym answere me by theyr own experience Let euery man aske him selfe this question in that uicious affection wherto he is most inclyned whyther theyr owne wayes be in theyr owne power yea or naye to do or to forsake all that shall please them to wyll or nyl that them lusteth If he be an aduonterouse person an hunter of whores a couetuouse man a man full of Enuye and suche lyke can he hym selfe as he woulde of hys own strength roote oute and put awaye cleane all these lewde affections forth of hys herte that nothynge therof shall remayne behynde If he find that he cānot do it of hym selfe howe can he saye that the waye of man is in hys owne hande and power Verely no man hath the rule of hys own wayes as he woulde Therfore let vs pray wyth holy Dauid Lorde do thou directe and make straight my waies before thy syght Dauid sayeth in thy syghte that is as muche to saye that it maye please the as though he woulde saye suffer not my wayes to be inclined and turned against the. Such like saying of him is in the Psa cxviii Turne my eyes good Lord that they se no vanitie quyckē and make me liuelye in thy wayes Also Turne and incline my hert to thy testimonies not to Auarice ⧠The .vi. profe and authoritie Esay lxiii THe electe and chosen people do cōfesse and graunt openlye that oure wyll is captiue and bonde as Esai lxiii Thou Lorde our father oure redemer thy name is and alwaye hath bene Wherfore hast thou made vs to erre and to declyne frō thy wayes Wherfore hast thou hardened our hertes that we should not fear the the whyche place Paule doeth alleadge for that same purpose in the .ix. Chapter to the Romaynes ⧠The .vii. profe and authoritie Pharao hardened THys veritie is confirmed in Pharao whose herte the Lord dyd harden as Exodi ix Chapter and to the Romaynes .ix. Chap. ⧠The .viii.
or of the spirit of the flesh beyng not subiect to the law of God whiche is alway repugnaunte therto as to the Ro. the .viii. chap The spirite did bynde hym in hys wynges as it dyd the Israelites drawynge hym by hys power to al kynde of euil headlynge Is not hys wyll then bound and cōstrayned of necessitie to thys or to that The whyche induration is to hym as a bridle in hys mouth drawynge and pluckynge hym frome God and pryckynge and styrrynge him agaynst the will of the Lord. And yet iustely he perished althoughe it was not in hys power to do well or Godly If thou wylt nowe go about to reason and argue after the spirite of fornication and of the fleshe thou shalt strayght waye fall into fornication agaynste God Be contente therfore and reason no further for to reason otherwise it doeth dishonoure to the Lorde and it passeth thy capacitie Pharao beynge miserable and vniuste iustlye indurated and made harde coulde not applye hym selfe to the Lordes wyll Wherefore most iustely at the laste he perished Many do thynke bycause that God did stirre vp Pharao agaynst him therfore they do saye that God wroughte those synnes in hym whyche he dyd And that lykewyse as God doeth hys good worckes in vs whiche are hys good worckes beinge good euen so saye they doeth he punishe hys own euyll worckes in vs God forbid I shoulde eyther speake or thynke anye such thynge whych I do knowe to be far frō any Godly doctrine But thys I dare be bolde to saye that Pharao was indurated that is to saye forsaken of the Lorde and lefte to hym selfe for the whyche cause in hys herte he was agaynste God by whome afterwarde he was styrred vp to vtter and shew openlye in the face and syght of all menne thys greate wyckednesse whyche he had by induration to the greate and excedyng glory of god And yet for all that we do not say that god did worke that wickednes in Pharao bycause that al wyckednes and vngodlynes procedethe not of hym but of the lacke want of the spirite of the vnderstandyng of the fleshe and spirit of fornication O moste inscrutable and vnserchable depnes of the iudgemente of God What man knowethe these thynges They be to thyne owne selfe secret o lorde To the onlye it perteynethe to conclude and determyn these things wherto no man els is able to penetrate and attayne Wherfore who soeuer dothe feare thy moste godlye and maruailouse name let him commit those thinges vnto the. By this that we haue sayd a mā may easely make answer to them whych holde opynion that the entente and endeuour or to purpose a thynge is in the will of man contendynge that the wyll of man shall be fre to entend The fleshe will knowledg no bondage endeuour or to purpose any maner of thing The whych purpose entent or mynde to do a thinge eyther it is wycked and vngodly then it spryngethe from induration whyche dothe force a man to all euell for an indurat person muste nedes do that which is euell is not he then forced therto Induration is the worke of the lorde This maner of speaking the flesh can not abyde to here whyche dothe crake and bost that she is fre and at her libertie But what man can wythstande the eternall decres of the lord The compulsion is not of god but of induration The whyche is the worcke of god most ryghtwyse and also most terrible and to be feared In this matter all sophisticall and dialecticall reasonnynge profetethe nothynge at all but rather doethe muche hurte concludynge that god workethe synne and wyckednes that god compelleth a man to worke that whyche is euel The lord kepe suche wordes from oure mouthes But rather lette vs saye that herein dothe lye hyd the secretes of god whyche no man is able to take Contrarye wyse yf mans study To thynke well is of god entent or endeuour or purpose be godly it commethe from the holy spirite from whō no wycked thynge can proced Wherfore then done we gyue lyberty to oure owne will which is altogyther captyue and bonde For either it is captiue and bond to the spirit of fornication or to the spirite of god Althoughe this captiuitie of this spirit of god is most swete and plesaunte lybertye The captiuitie and bondage of the lord is liberty as we shall here after in hys owne place and tyme conuenyente declare Paule also in the ix chapiter to the Roma confyrmynge the captiuitie and bondage of the will of man concludethe on this wyse It is not in hym that wyllethe nor in hym that runneth but in the Lorde whyche hath mercye and compassion The whyche place of Paul some expositours do expound on this maner sayinge The mercy of God preuented our wyll the whyche mercye oure wyll doeth accompany and go wyth it togyther in oure indeuorynge and purposynge bryngynge at the laste to some good ende and effecte Yet for al that saye they we do runne we do wyll we do couet we do attayne and obtayne oure purpose But so that the selfe same thynge whyche is ours in dede we do ascribe whollye altogyther to God whose handyworcke we be all What is that thynge whyche we cal our owne what is in vs but synne impietie and vnryghtuousnes If we be iuste that is not ours but it is Gods owne If our running our wyllynge our obtaynynge be ours thē is it wicked All our wais are vanitie For al the wayes of man is vanitie Psalm xxxviii If we wyll ascribe to God and make to be hys that which is our owne propre Wherfore doth the mercye of god that is to saye our synnes bycause he hath hardened vs what erroure can be more greater No boubte the mercye of God dyd preuente oure wyll to destroye oure wyll For wyth hys spirite in vs he doth reueage and vtterlye denye vs he doeth crucifie vs daye by daye he wylleth in vs his wyl he purposeth endeuoureth in vs hys wyll he prayeth he runneth he obteyned he doth al thing in vs The lorde doth croune his goodnes in vs. and at the laste he doeth crowne in vs that thynge whyche is hys owne proper For euery fayethful man sayeth wyth Paul I do lyue nowe not I but in me Christe lyueth I do runne I do praie nowe not I Our good runnynge is Christ his rynnynges but these thynges and all other Christe doeth in me The whyche altogyther muste be ascribed to God whyche is graunted of our aduersaries to be true Nowe wyll I demaunde and aske theim whether they be to be ascribed to hym as the worckes of hym for so they be in dede or els as our workes proceadynge from the endeuoure and industry of our will If they saye that they be hys owne workes they do saye trulie and Godly If they say that they be fyrste oure worckes and afterwarde we make theim to be the worckes of
the winges of fornication as it is written Where is become oure libertie For that one thou canste not do wythoute the spirite of God the seconde can not chuse but be done after the spirite of euil whiche leadeth the. We do good or euel as the spirit doth drawe It is vnpossible that thou of thy self canste ouercome the spirite of fornication in the whiche he draweth the whither it pleaseth that spirite bi the whyche you maye perceyue that our wyl is farre from al libertie and fre workynge beynge drawen on boeth sydes eyther by the spirite of God or els by the sens of the flesh As towchyng to the ministers of the church if they preparynge them selues to preach do studie and ponder before what they shal say they do wel in so doyng All oure studies and labours must be referred to Christe so that they do not put theyr trust and confidēce to theyr owne studye and laboure but to the goodnes and promise of the Lord. Where as we alleged the texte of the .vi. Chap. of Iohn that is No man can c. some do thynke that that drawynge wherewyth the father draweth is no violente drawinge whyche importeth anye necessitie Whether the drawinge of the father do importe any uiolence or necessitie in it yea or maye that thou maiste not chuse but go whereto thou arte drawen but that a man maye as they saye haue the wyll to do or to leue vndone as it pleaseth him Which opinion of theyrs they do proue by an exemple saying Likewise as a chylde when a man doeth shewe to hym an apple doeth runne to the man for the apple And as a shepe doth folowe the man which hath a grene wilowe bow in his hande euen so saye they doeth the Lorde moue and styrre our mindes with this or that leauyng to our choise whether we wyll come or not I do thynke this exposition to be erroniouse peruerse heretical the solution wherof must be made as I haue to you before sufciētly declared For this entēt haue I shewed to you other writynge of the scriptures that you maye se howe they do striue and struggle agaynste the veritie of the Lorde Suche maner of drawynge is thys that a man can not chuse but folowe him that draweth For euery man that is drawen of the father and taught by hym cometh to Christe as Iohn the .vi. Chap. When the Lorde doeth drawe the and in the time of hys drawing the wicked spirite of fornicatiō is bound faste within the by the spirite of Christe that he cā not styrre Wher the spirite of god is in place the spirit of the fleshe is made subiect of force that he can do nothinge in the to lette the frō that wherto the spirite of God which is in the doth draw the so long as the spirite of God reigneth in the so long the spirit of fornication can do the no maner scathe nor beare anye rule in the. It geueth place agaynste hys wyll to hys better and superioure Therfore the spirite of God doeth vse the at hys libertie wythoute anye stoppe or let and kepeth the commaundementes in the of the high Lord. Thou maiste not chuse but runne whē he draweth the after him in those thynges wherto the spirite wyll haue the to folow him For he hath put a bridle a strōg bit into the month of the spirite of fornicatiō whyche before was all thy hinderaunce and let that thou myghteste not be appliant and agreable to the wyll of the Lorde Therefore we are drawē of God It is an euydent knoweledge that we are not drawen when we are not folowers Who is the drawer and are forced to run after hym whyche goeth before drawynge vs as his owne wyll pleaseth If there be anye man whyche thynketh that he is drawē and yet runneth not he is fowle deceyued for he is not drawen Christe which suffered death for vs doeth drawe al men after hym Which al mē be the childrē of Israel that is to saye the elected for whom onelye he was sent To them pertayneth the heritage of the worlde thorow Christe as appeareth Paule the .xiiii. Chap. to the Rom. For when the elected be drawen they do hye theym as faste as they can after Christe bycause they can not chuse the spirite of Christe bearyng rule in thē It is a great token of election if thou doest fele in thy selfe the hatred of sin To the elect their sinne is not imputed Although the elected do offende and sinne sometime by weakenes and infirmitie the cōcupiscence beyng not altogither quenched in them yet they do lyue by the vertue of God by the whyche vertue they do hate sinne that same vertue beyng the cause wherfore theyr synne is not imputed to them For the fleshe hath hyr concupiscence against the spirite yea in them whych be elected but she doeth not preuaile or beare any great swing in them beynge made subiecte to the spirite In the elect is some carnalitie whyche is of higher dignitie and power kepinge the spirite of the fleshe vnder and short frome ragynge to farre For the spirite of god hathe the spirite of the fleshe fast bounde As the hattred of synne is token of election so the reioysynge of synne is tokē of induration causeing that the sinne of them in whome some sparkle of the fleshe remayneth is odyouse and detestable to thē selues They whyche be elected doe hatte ther owne naughti dedes with al ther herts the whych hatred doth come of the spirite of god Therfore the man which is lede by the spirite of god can not syn the whiche is lede by the concupiscence of the fleshe must nedes worke synne and wickednes The doienges of Christe and the dedes or worckes of man are contrary Marke this well and examyn thy self after this lesson and feare not That spirite in the which thou haste thy delyghte wherto thou art addicted and geuen in thyne herte that same doeth reygne in the. Thou art geuen addicted to one when thou doest beleue and workest by faith after the worde of the lorde Thou art seruante to that other when thou arte vnfaythefull and bringest forth deadly frutes of thy infidelitie that is to saye workes agaynst the worde of god which be not of fayth The electe hathe the pryckynge of the fleshe in them durynge ther lyfe The fleshe is not all togethere subdued quelled in the electe as longe as they be on lyue And yet it is dayly crucifyed in them if is mortified by the prescence of the heauenly spirit wherin the fleshe is bounde brydeled made subiecte The spirite of the lorde if it please hym maye drawe the quyckelye altogyther and whole after hym quenchyng in the power strength heat of the fleshe Wherfore doth not the lorde take a way cleane the pryckyng of the fleshe in his elect But it pleaseth hym not so for to do bycause he knoweth it to be better
enemy in the and to subdue them in the. Then hath the Lord put a new his spirit into the which before he dyd plucke frō the leauyng the to thyne owne stynckynge affections and carnal cōcupiscences What caused the proud heady and obstinate Pharises that thei would not beleue in Christe for al the myracles that he wrought Thei beleued not in him saith Christ in Ihon .xii. that the saiyng of Esay the prophet mighte be fulfilled whych he spake Lord who shal beleue our saiyng and to whō is the arme of the Lorde declared Therfore coulde not they beleue because Esay sayth agayne he hath blynded their eyes and hardened their hertes that they shuld not se with their eies and least they shuld vnderstand with their hertes et c. So because they were blynded the could not se What thing can moue and styrre vs to the loue of God what thynge can setfurth the glory of God and his honour more thā the perfit knowledge of this article whiche maketh hym a whole God which setteth hym in his owne seat a highe which declareth him to be authoure worker of al goodnes he that doth both begyn and maketh an ende Whych article I saye setteth mā in his owne place here in erth naturally geuen to the earth to al curruption both bodely and gostly disposed to doo nothyng of himself that is good What thing to man is more necessary thē that doctryne whych teacheth hym howe he shall knowe when he is the sōne of God and of the chosen sort that he may pray the Lorde to preserue his spirit in him wherbi he shal know which way he is the sonne of the deuil of out cast furth of the fauour of God Ther is nothing more necessary thā this I wold wysh and desyre wyth all my hert that all men would reade this boke with a godlye desyre and entente not to contention and mayntenaunce of their lewde lyfe whose dampnation is iust ▪ but to know God how strong he is howe myghtie a prynce he is howe good and mercyfull he is on whose mercy all thyng dependeth and to knowe mā howe weake and how myserable he is that he can do nothynge of hymselfe that he is the instrument of God to al goodnes and the instrument of the deuyll in al vyce and synne The euyl and most iustly condempned personnes come to this boke to fetche a lycense of synne to make their lyfe more lycentious more dissolute to make them selfe more bolde in all kynde of vyce most like to the spider venemous worme which from the swete flowers doo drawe and sucke furthe venym and poyson The vertuous and godlye disposed meane no thyng lesse they do gather hence all goodnes Here fynde they a brydle to plucke in their vicious affections Here fynd they the swete libertie of God and bondage of the deuel Here do they learne their owne condemnation and theyr saluation by Christ The flesh taketh al thyng fleshly and lyke itself But therfore the faythful may not be depriued of theyr foode and sustenaūce Let vs therfore pray the Lorde to put in vs hys spirit that it may be our guyde to al godlines and vertue that we be none occation of slaūder to his worde but that al our actes dedes and alwrytinges teachyng reading and communicatiōs maye bee to edifie to the settyng furth of his glory to whom be honour and praise for euer and euer wythout ende So be it IN the declaration and exposition of the holy scriptures both the olde and new ther be many places whych can not be wel perceyued what they do meane except the article of the wyll of man whyche troubleth mens myndes very much be made playne and open that is to say whether a man can of him selfe perfourme and do any thynge which pertaineth to eternal felicitie and life euerlastyng yea or nay Proposicion As the kepyng and obseruyng of the Lordes commaundementes The whiche thynge to be declared and made playn that it myght be perceyued of all men that al men may know the truthe therof manye places of the scripture but a mōg al other these places and texes of this Prophet do moost ernestly requyre and in specially this verse followyng of the sayde Prophet that is to saye The spirite hathe bounde hym in hys wynges Osee .iiij. For by these wordes it is euydent as appereth by that which is written before in the sayd chapiter That by this spirit is mēt a reprobat mind and the vnderstandyng or knoledge of the flesh which is the spirit of fornication Fyrst of al therfore before that I do take on me to interprete and declare my mynde in this matter I desyre the gentle readers that they would not thynke and coniecture that in the declaration hereof I do folowe the mynde and iudgement of many and diuers writers But only the very mynd and sence of the scripture as nygh as I myghte and as it pleased Christ to geue me knowledge and vnderstanding therin not mynishyng therby nor improuyng the iudgemētes of other christian writers and doctours those principally which do cleaue and stike fast to the true and pure word of God whō we also do couet for to immitate and folow And after whose godly myndes and iudgementes we can geue and ascribe nothynge to the wyl of man of hymselfe as we shall hereafter plentifully God willyng declare and shewe Furthermore in discussyng of thys matter I would be loth that men shuld thynke that I do runne hedlong into a thing which is depe and far from all mens knowledge as they say and therfore not necessarye to be knowne Which thyng I do for none other cause but to search furth the truth and also to satisfie the myndes of those whych are desireous of the knowledge therof For truely I can by no meanes alow nay I cānot but much disalow and discommend the manifolde contentions and reasonynges in darcke and hyd matters whyche are more mete as some men do wryght for the excellencie and profound depenes thereof to be had in a godly reuerence and to be committed to God rather than with contentious and brablyng reasonyng of euery man to be discussed But as for this matter it is no such thyng How necessary the knowledge of thys article is for all men the knowledge wherof that is whither the wyll of man be free or bonde doth geue vs to vnderstand and know how weake we bee of our owne selfes howe we can dooe nothynge our selues and contrary wise how meruelous how myghtie and howe stronge the Lorde is whiche is not a voyde or an vnprofitable matter to be declared and set open to al mē For this thing being opened we do learne to perceiue and se howe glorious and triumphant a Lord the Lord is in vs and howe brickel miserable we be on euery syde on our owne selfe The obiectiō of the papistes against the opening of this article Notwithstanding al this ther
onely the spirit of Christ Our impiâ—tie and sinfulnes can go no further than it hath pleased the Lord from the beginnynge to suffre For he hath limitted al the thoughtes cogitations and willes of men within certayn limittes termes the which no man caÌ„ passe or go beyond Wher is now becoâ—â—e that free election and libertie to do what we lust which thei affirme to be in vs. Is it not altogether captiue and in bondage Another diffiniâ—ioâ— of freewyl Ther be also which do make this diffinicion of free wyl saiyng that frewil is a power and strength of mans will wherewyth he doth apply or plucke awaye hymselfe to or from those thynges which do leade vs to eternal felicitie and euerlastynge saluation But I pray you what strengthe and power haue we when the vnderstandyng and wyl of man can do nothynge of it selfe but that which is carnal fleshly What thynges can mans knowledge of it selfe perceyue and attayn to Our owne vnderstaÌ„dynge knowledge dothe iudge richesse health of bodye honoures promotions the glory of this world to be good thinges and the coÌ„trary to these for to be euil naughtie As for the knowledge of good and of godly matters of those I say which partayneth to eternal saluation it perceiueth nothyng at al of it selfe Yea though a man would peruse and reade ouer all the holye scriptures and teach them also to other meÌ„ or els be taught of other hys owne vnderstaÌ„ding and knowledge of it selfe shal neuer truely and as he ought to do knowe the Lorde and his wyll his power his iustice his goodnes his mercie his anger He shal not beleue and rest on the truth and veritie of God but after a liyng fashioÌ„ and hypocrisie The which thing is nothing lâ—sse then to beleue For it is written The folyshe man sayd in his hert there is no God Beholde the knowledge of man of himself doth not only not know god but also doth deme god to be God saiynge that ther is no God i. Corin. ii The carnal man dooth not perceiue those thinges which be of the spirit of God for the spirit of God the thynges therto pertaining ar folishnes to hym He caÌ„ not vnderstaÌ„d iudge that thei ought to be spiritualy demed takeÌ„ These wordes ar to be takeÌ„ not onely of the vnderstaÌ„dynge but also of the wyl of man For lykewyse as the vnderstandyng doth se nothynge of it selfe but that whych is carnal euen so the wyl of man doth hate and abhore of it selfe al thing which is good and loueth that which is euil carnal and nothyng durable The profe of bond wyl by the scripturs It can neither loue nor feare God nor his truth It foloweth then that the wyl of man is not free but captiue and bond as nowe we wyl proue by the testimonies of the scriptures of God And fyrst of al by this testimony of Ose the Prophet saiyng The spirit hath bouâ—de him in his wynges The which wordes are manifest to bee spoken of the carnall people of Israel The whiche people the Prophet declared before to be deceiued by the spirite of fornication that is to sai by the iudgemeÌ„t and sens of the fleshe in the wynges wherof he affirmeth them to be bound fast First he declareth theim to be deceiued afterward to be bound that nowe thei colde do nothyng els but commyt fornication beyng seperated from God For al their iudgementes knowledge vnderstandinge and wyll al their dedes were nothynge elles but fornication from the lorde bycause thei wer not of fayth The carnall are tied wyth bondes Who bee the bonde daughters of Syon To the captyue and boÌ„d prisoners is preached remission of syn As before in the exposition of this Prophet I haue made opeÌ„ to you Thus it foloweth that al those which be carnal and fleshly ar tied and made fast in bondes The carnal Sinagoge is called in the scripture the bond daughter of Sion As Esaye liii Our sauiour also preached remissioÌ„ of sinne to the captiue and bond and deliueraunce to them which were shit fast in prison Esa lxi Luke iiii The second profe by the scripture Genes vi THe Lord said in Genes vi My spirit shal neuer be parmanent in man because he is fleshe Hierome and other writers dooe wryte that these wordes are in the Hebrue rog after this traÌ„slation My spirite shal neuer iudge in maÌ„ because he or thei be fleshe The fyrst traÌ„slatioÌ„ is good inough by the which wordes a certayne writer doth vnderstand and expound the clemencye and great mercy of God towarde man and but his most dreadful austeritie and anger But the Lorde kepe vs from that clemencie For the blyndnes of that man as by his writing oppereth did take this worde iudgement to signifie in this place no thyng elles but punishment as though the lord would say The iudgement is not takeÌ„ for a dreadful senteÌ„ce of God as of a iudge but for the godly and spirituall knowledge my spirit shal not punysh man which is a verye wrong sens For the vniust shal be punished and the seede of the wicked shall perishe as Psalm xxxvi And the fire whiche is prepared for the deuyl and his angels wherwyth the reprobates and vngodly persons shal be tormented is euerlastyng Therfore this is not the right sens and meanyng of this text as he hath expounded but contrarye wyse My spirit shall not iudge alwayes amonge these menne bicause they be fleshe that is to say the iudgement of my spirit shall not alway be permanent in theym because thei be flesh that is altogether natural carnal The iudgement of the spirit of God is not in the wycked and deceiueable because I say the wicked iudgemeÌ„t of the flesh which is repugnaunt to the iudgement of the spirit doth reigne in them Is this the clemencie and mercie of God to be destitute of the right iudgement of the spirit of God to be forsaken and left to the wycked and execreable iudgemente of the spirite of Fornication and of lyes that is to say of the spirit of man which is a lier Psal C.xv. I do beleue verely that ther is no punishment of God more bytter more sharpe then to be forsaken of him There is no plage more sharpe theÌ„ to be forsakeÌ„ of of God and lefte to thy selfe to be left to thine owne iudgement without the iudgement of his spirit I pray the good Lorde kepe from me this most fearful and dreadful wrath of the. Let thy spirit whiche is true and holye and not my spirit ful of fornication and lyes iudge and geue true knowledge and vnderstanding in me Whippe me good Lord and scourge me rather then to forsake me to my selfe if it semeth to the expedient for the settyng furth of thy glory Confyrme make thi seruaunt stronge with thy spirit and neuer take it from me In the same .vi. of Gen. the wycked are
called flesh The wicked are called fleh after the maner of speakyng of Paul in many places of hys Epistles For the wicked with al their cogitations affections and workes are nothyng elles but fleshe because they want and lacke the holy spirit Yea the very spirit of manne is fleshe bycause it cannot beholde the spirit of God but al carnal thynges therto beyng geuen and addicte This sens and meanynge of this texte which I haue declared is not true sayth he bycause this texte of Genesis doth not pertayne to al men as he sayth but to those meÌ„ only which liued in the time of Noe. What thyng can be more aslycke spoken and sayd than this Were not those men also fleshe which lyued after the floud as well as thei which were before the floud Verely so was Cam the sonne of Noe whiche did mocke scorne his father as was Cain and Iudas the traiters as Lamech which did slei Cain Peraduenture this manne doth thynke and coniecture in his mynd that ther was an other maner of spirit of fornication in manne before the floud then was after or elles he fantasieth in his brayne that God hath altered and chaunged the nature of man other wyse then it was from the begynnyng makynge an other nature differente from that which he hath made with his most mightie and strong hand in them which do beleue on hym The nature of man of it selfe hath ben alwaye lyke We do reade and fynde that the yeres and tymes hath bene chaunged and altered but we fynd not that the nature of man was euer altered I do graunt that those wordes were spoken at that tyme of those which lyued in the tyme of Noe. But not onely of them but also of them which came after the floud For al men of them selfes are flesh all fleshe haye and the glory of it as the floure of the fielde Esay xi Al the children of AdaÌ„ of their selfe ar of an heuy and sad hert thei do loue vanitie thei do seeke after lyes and vntruth Psal iiii Omnes declinauerunt simulâ—â—utiles facti sunt Non est qui faciat bonum non est vsque ad vnum All men without exceptioÌ„ haue gone out of the rightwaye and are become vnprofitable There is none that can do any good no not one in the world Ps xii If he wyl not he satisfyed with this answer but wyll contende that this text of the iudgement spoken and written in Geneses pertaineth to the time of Noe. I wil demaÌ„de this question of hym For what cause were those men of Noes tyme rather called flesh then thei which folowed after Noe and lyued after hym Syns now a dayes ar mor greuous and detestable theÌ„ were in the tyme of Noe. Truely of muche more greuous vices and offeÌ„ces haue we read of many other men yea and with oure eyes haue sene in our tyme then was written of those men in those dayes of whom the wordes were first written and spoken Of them we do read in Genesis the .vi. these words The sonnes of God did see perceiue the daughters of men that thei were fayre and bewtiful CoÌ„pare oure smale fautes and dayly vsed vices with this offence of the sonnes of God it shal be no vice but a singuler vertue For they dyd take the Maydens to their wyues in Matrimony and not to make theÌ„ harlotes in whordome and they toke to theÌ„ wyues from amoÌ„g them those which thei had chosen Thei did not seke after those daughters whiche were good but for those which were goodly and fayre the children of whom became myghtie men and of greate renowme The Lorde sayd then that the malice of man was great in the earth and all the imaginations and thoughtes of his hert were euyl euery daye The which wordes are to be vnderstande not onely of that age and tyme but of al meÌ„ in al tymes of ages as in the .viii. Chapi in the same booke apereth The imaginacions of mans hert are euil from his youth Therfore it is vngodly done to wrieth and wrest those wordes to the tyme of Noe onely Yet thei doe go further saiynge and reasoning on this maner The propens and redy inclinatioÌ„ and towardnes to euyl whiche is in many men as though it were not in al men doth not take away al together the lybertie and fredome of maÌ„s wil yea though the said naughtie inclination cannot be ouer come and cleane subdued without the helpe as thei confesse of the grace of God Is it not a great bondage and captiuitie not to be able to ouercome and subdue that thynge which we would fame haue furth of vs By these premisses it dooth folowe that we are seruauntes to that coÌ„cupiscence and naughtie inclination to euyl tyl the tyme that we be deliuered and made fre in dede by Christ The .iii. profe by the scripture It is said in the Prouerbes xvi The Lord doth al thynges for his owne sake yea wheÌ„ he reserueth the vngodlye for the daye of wrath This place is manifest and open declaryng to vs that the Lorde hath alredye iudged the reprobate and outcast persones from the begynnyng to eternal punishmeÌ„t Ther be many which contrary to all ryghteousnes do inquire busely search to know those thinges which do partain to the onely maiestie of God in this place and such other lyke A ful wicked question puttyng furth this question Wherfore did the Lorde make the wicked man sâ—eâ—h he hath decreed from the begynnyng that the wicked shal peryshe Wherfore did not the Lorde reuoke and plucke hym from hys impietie and wickednes after â—hat he had made hym Wherfore hath he not geuen to al men of his spirit With these scrupulous and curious questions more then nedeth The great in conuenience and foule absurditie whiche foloweth these questioÌ„s thei are blynded and deceiued beynge at the last by such reasonyng brought to that poynt that they do make the Lorde not to be a merciful Lorde but a cruel Lorde and as it were a tiraunt I wyl desire and exhort all men that wyth al reuerence they haue in fear and sted fastly beleue the iudgementes of the highest that he is in all his workes iust faythfull true and that we be of oure selues myserable false vniust and synnefull The Lorde then hath made the wicked man for the euil day beyng hymselfe iust and ful of clemencie The wicked man of himselfe tan do nothyng that is pleasaunt and exceptable to God O the profound depnes of the iudgementes of the Lorde howe vnsearcheable how incomprehensible are his wayes For of hym by hym and in hym are all thynges To him therfore be only glory and empire for euer and euer Amen The .iiii. profe by the scriptures IT is written in the Prouer. The kynges herte is in the handes of the lorde xxi Lyke as the riuers of the waters euen so the herte of a kyng is in the hand of
profe and Authoritie Exodi ix Rom. ix IT is wrytten in Exodi the .ix. Chap. and to the Romaines the .ix. Therfore haue I kepte the sayeth the Lorde to shewe in the my strength and that my name should be spredde and blased thorowe all the erath Thys place the flesh wyl not haue to be vnderstande aryghte as it oughte to be in hys owne natural meanyng But after the fleshly wysdome reasoneth on this fashion â–ª It is a foule inconuenience saye theye to say that the Lorde hathe hardened anye mans herte to the entent that by the wickednes and vngodlines of him which is hardened he shold sette forthe and shewe abrode hys myghtye power and glorye This is the reason of the fleshe But I praye you brethren lette vs be wyse and sober not to rashe nor more wyse then nedeth or is profitable Wherefore do we go aboute to fynde faulte and to reprehende the worde of the Lord. The miserable vngratiouse flesh doeth fynde fault at that whiche she doth not vnderstande nor knowe Let not the fleshe anye more be in vs a iudge But let the spirite of god iudge in vs by his worde Let vs not iudge and deme after the sygnes and vnderstandynge of the flesh The wycked and forsaken people of God in this place myght reason and gather that the Lorde hathe nede of the vngodlines of man to the settynge forthe of hys glorye to the worlde Suche kynde of gatheringes cometh from the deuyll and so lette it go agayne to hym from whom it came God nedethe none of our helpe for God hathe nede of nothinge it pleaseth hym so to do to vse his creatures after hys deuine and most Godly pleasure wyl The Lord did leaue Pharao in the spirite of fornicatioÌ„ that is to saye in the vnderstandyng and iudgemente of the fleshe What is to be hardned Thys is to be hardened or stirred againste God For the sence of the fleshe is harde and ryseth alwaye agaynste the spirite of God Wherefore he beynge so lefte and forsaken of God coulde not chose but be hardened and so to striue agaynst the Lord whose decre and ordinaunces Pharao went about to stop and let the Lorde preuaylynge agaynst him ouerthrowing casting downe the pride and glory of Pharao treadyng it vnder his fete Whereby the greate strength and myghtye power and glorye of God was made manifest and open to al the worlde thorowout al the earth I haue kept the howe is it to be taken Therfore the Lord sayed vnto hym these wordes I haue kept the whiche is as muche to say I haue lefte the wythoute my spirite and therfore of necessitie thou must nedes resiste me striue agaynste my wyll For the studies and cogitations of men worcke allway agaynst my wyl thei can not chose but resiste and striue contrary to it Therefore I haue set and lefte the in thyne owne sence knowledge of the fleshe by the whych sence and vnderstandynge of thine owne selfe as of man naked without my spirite thou shalt be stirred and raysed vp agaynst me Thou shalt withstand me with all thy power wheÌ„ I wyll brynge and leade forthe my people out of Egypte Thou shalt not rest but euery day thou shalt growe more styffe necked agaynst me But I shall in greate sygnes maruayles brynge oute of Egypte Israell treadynge the and all thy people whiche resisteth me to pouder to dust wherby al the whole earth shall knowe my strengthe and power Whether the sufferance of the lorde be a token of induration ye or naye Be thou nothinge the bolder to synne for this but feare the great wrathe of god Some men do thinke that if a synner be not straight waie punished and chastened of the Lorde but suffered of the Lorde born wyth to the entent that he should repent his former lyfe whiche ameÌ„deth nothing at all but rather waxeth worsse worsse they saye that by this token he is strayght way indurate hardened The which thing is not alway true For ther be many synners whom the Lorde doeth not punishe as sone as they haue offended yet before they be punished by the gift of God they do amend correct theyr life Wherfore to vnderstaÌ„d this point wel you must coÌ„sider that ther be .ii. kind of meÌ„ that one is of the faithful Two kindes of men the other is of the sort whiche be indurate hardened The faiethfull are they whiche haue the spirite of Christ by the whiche spirite beynge taughte learned enstructed they do cleane to the coÌ„maundement of the Lorde obeying his word voice without long tarying The faythfull Those which be indurate are they which haue not the spirite of Christ without the whiche spirite The indurat people no maÌ„ can do any thing that is good The waÌ„t lacke wherof causeth that thei wil not herkeÌ„ to the Lord but shew theÌ„ selues to be hard herted and rebelliouse agaynste his mooste Godly wyll and commaundemente Therfore they whych do make this doubt do holde opinion that God doeth harden make man go frome hys wayes what tyme the Lorde doeth prolonge and differ hys punishment for theyr synne The Lorde deceyueth him say they wheÌ„ he doth not straight waie as sone as he hath offeÌ„ded plucke and reuoke hym wyth sharpe punishment from his lewednes Thys is theyr expositioÌ„ in diuerse places of the scripture These worldly simylituds and carnally imagined examples do deceyue and blynde the eyes of many men from the syghte of the scripturs whiche are spirituall Correction is no token of induration nor of the contrary prouynge their exposition minde to be true by the exemple of a father hauynge an vnruly disobedieÌ„t chylde whome for hys vngraciousnes he hath not corrected Wherfore men saye that he hathe caste awaye hys sonne for lacke of due correction in tyme. Contrarye wyse by the selfe same reason and exemple they do thynke that if God do correct and punishe a man strayght way for hys faulte that then he doeth not indurate and hardeÌ„ him whoÌ„ he hath chastened for his offence Al thys is but phantasies peruers imaginations interpretations of mannes mynd far from any soundnes of the trueth For we do se daylye that there be manye whyche are wyth punishmentes corrected beyng for al that not a whitte the better but the worsse and more indurate If that correction shoulde make a man not to be indurate but to reuoke hym frome hys synne and to be obediente to the Lorde wherfore was not Pharao nor the Israellites therefore the better Pharai Israelites Idolateye The Israelites in the myddest of theyr bitter sharpe correctioÌ„ committed fornication goynge frome the Lorde in worshyppyng of images stockes and bâ—ocbes made wyth mannes hande perpetratynge mooste filthy stinkynge and abominable Idolatrye not onely not minisshynge but augmentyng and encreasynge theyr detestable and moste damnable vices Euerye wher they
were apostatas and forsaken of the Lorde yea wheÌ„ they were in Egypt as you may se in Ezechiell the .xxxiii. Chapter And agayne after that HierusaleÌ„ was ouerthrown wheÌ„ they came into Egipte they did sacrifice to the quene of heauen Hierem. xliiii You caÌ„ not therfore say that God doth molifie make softe and turne the hertes of men when for theyr synnes he doeth chasten and punishe theÌ„ When dothe the lorde conuert man to his will and wher wythe dothe he it For theÌ„ Pharao shold haue bene turned and not indurate still as he was But what tyme that the Lorde doeth poure forth hys spirite into the herte of man that the obstinate hardnes of an euyl false and liynge herte myght be broken then you maye say that God doth molifie turne that is to saye doeth make man to incline to hys wyl and commaundementes As Ezech .xi. Cha. and in the .xxxvi. testifieth saying I wil take away sayth the Lorde the stony herte for t he of youre fleshe A herte of stone A herte of fleshe I wyll geue you an herte of fleshe I wyl geue you a newe herte and put my spirite in the middest of you Truly neither infirmities nor syckenes neither honger norswerd nor any other kynd of correction no nor anye externe and outwarde gyfte of God The lacke of the spirite is the cause of oure reuocation or induration nether knoledge and vnderstanding of things nor any maner of carefulnes and sorow caÌ„ make the hert of maÌ„ to be either a rebell or to be pliable obediente to the wyll of the Lord but onely the fruition and lacke of the holye spirite As for the correction and chastisynge of the Lorde it profiteth if the spirite of God be presente otherwyse it driueth to desperation The correction and punishmente of the wicked maye outewardlye cause theÌ„ to refrayne abstaine from doing of euyll What dothe correction worke in vs But the herte is not the better The correctioÌ„ of the wicked maketh theÌ„ to be hypocrites and not the seruauntes of God as the .iiii. Chap. of Oseas declareth Bycause the harte is not the better The Lord threatened the Israelites bycause they dyd forsake hym in theyr fornication saying that theyr doughters and wynes should be polluted defiled with fornication and adultry The Lord also declared to theÌ„ that he would not punishe theyr daughters nor theyr wyues bicause they should not ameÌ„d their liues outwardely from theyr vnchaste liuinge to the greate ignominie and shame of their husbandes and pareÌ„tes beynge a iuste a mete correction of the carnall and naughty affections of the meÌ„ which were carnal in Israel which detested and abhored the defilinge of their wyues and doughters a thyng whych al men may se outwardli theyr owne hertes beinge full of al fylthynes fornication froÌ„ the Lord Bicause they feared the ignominiouse opprobry and shame of man God is to be feared more then man more then the rebuke of God the Lord most iustly suffered them to fall into that whiche they feared most Likewise as the Lorde doeth indurate harden so he doeth also deceiue and begile as Hieremie .xx. Chap. The lorde deceyueth For Hieremie him self being strickeÌ„ of Phassur cast into prisoÌ„ for declarynge of the veritie did make his praier to the Lord saying Thou hast deceyued me good Lord I am deceiued Thou art stroÌ„ger theÌ„ I haste preuayled I am made a mockyng stocke al the day long This place of Hieremie is bi those meÌ„ which I dyd speake of before wroÌ„ge expouÌ„ded as they did the place scripture of induration saiyng that the Lord deceiued begiled him wheÌ„ he did not straight way rebuke him of his erroure But it is otherwise to be taken For the prophete beynge beaton and cast into prison and as you do ther reade being of all menne skorned and made a laughynge stocke for the veritie sake he dyd abhore and despise those whyche dyd sette lyghte by the worde of God and yet peraduenture other whyles thorowe the weakenes of the fleshe was in daunger to haue fallen froÌ„ the word of God and so to haue prophesied no more But the Lorde dyd conforte hym as it is manifeste in the sayed chap. But yet before that the Lorde dyd conforte hym Hieremi sayed Thou haste dereyued me c. For the Lorde commaunded hym to go and he went boldly not knowynge that therefore he shoulde haue bene so handeled as he was Therfore he sayed thou hast deceyued me As though he woulde haue sayed Thou Lorde dideste not geue me warnynge before that I should be scourged emprisoned and that thou wouldest that I whom thou dideste send shoulde be taken of them to whom I was sent whoÌ„ thou myghtest haue saued and kept forth of theyr handes In fewe wordes thys doeth declare thre thynges to vs. What is declared to vs by the taking of hieremy Fyrste the heauines and sorowe of the Prophete bycause the worde of God was dispised Seconde hys own griefe for the euilles whych he suffered whyche he thought not on Thirdelye that hys takynge and enprisonynge was of God that is to saie it was the wyl of God that he shoulde be taken They do obiecte also agaynst our opinion of bonde wyll sayinge that our wyl doth nothing of necessitie bycause that al thinges are in the hande of the Lorde They confesse also that God after hys own secrete couÌ„sell doth turne mans purpose and endeuers ofteÌ„ tymes other wayes then man hym selfe entended the whyche entent purpose and first endeuoure of man they do ascribe to the fre wyl of man saying that the fyrst mâ—tion and styrryng is in mannes libertie and power Wherto I saye and answere that the wil of man worcketh of necessitie and by violeÌ„ce bycause that all thynges are in the handes of the Lorde and vnder the euerlastynge wyll of god whych they do confesse of their owne gentilnes whose will what man is able to resiste What is the wyll of God but hys worde and the spirite of the scripture And the worde of the Lorde is permanente for euer Psalme Cxviii and Esai xl The scotyst diuinitie hath made darcke the diuinitie of Christ before mennes eyes What neade the fayethfull menne passe or care how the Dunse scholemaisters haue brawled amonge them selues of the wyll pleasure of the Lorde they can not tell what theyr selfes Hys purpose hys decre hys ordinaunces must neades be perpetuall stand for euer The Lorde purposed frome the begynnynge yea and before the begynnynge that the kynge of Egypte shoulde be indurate and styfnecked agaynste hym that he should lyue wythout his spirite in the spirit of fornication that is to saie in his owne naturall and fleshly sence and vnderstandinge for the whyche cause he coulde not chose but be agaynste the Lorde and hys people The affectioÌ„ of the flesh The spirite of god and of the fleshe are at continuall warre
iudgementes and worcketh al that pleaseth him And trulye a man is nothynge els then an instrumēt of the Lorde wherwyth he doeth worcke ⧠The .xi. profe PAule sayth to the Romaynes in the .ix. Chapter Rom ix Yt was said sayeth he to the two childrē Iacob Esau before they were borne before they had done either euell or good as it is written in the Genesis the .xxv ▪ Chapter The elder shall be seruaunte to the yonger for thys entente that by election the purpose Let vs praye the lorde that we maye be his callyng Iacob Esau and ordinaunce of God shoulde be stedfaste and certayne not by oure worckes but by God whose pleasure is to cal whom hym pleaseth It is writen also in Malachy the fyrst Chapt. I haue loued Iacob and hated Esau It is manifest that before the beginninge he hated the wickednes of Esau and hys chyldren that is to say those that folowed hys incredulitie and vnfayethfulnesse The lorde dyd hat the wyckednes of Esau befor that Esau was Who be the childryn of Esau and of Iacob He loued Iacob and hys sede that is to saye those whyche folowed had the fayth of Iacob These wordes may not be taken and vnderstande of the children of theyr own bodies begotten naturally For likewise as al the Israelites are not coūted in the sede of Iacob but those which haue faith as Paule to the Romains the .ix. chap. So all the Idumites were not the sonnes chyldrē of Esau But those which folowed the vnfaythefulnes vngodlynes of Esau Euery vnfayethfull man be he an Idumite Who be Isralytes Who be Idumytes or an Israelite a Greke or of any other men is of the sede of Esau And contrarie wyse euerye fayethfull man if he be an Israelite an Idumite an English man or a frenchman is of the sede of Iacob These thynges I wyll referre to the exposition of Abdias and Malachias where I wyll copiouslye declare thys matter of the loue of Iacob of the hatred of Esau God wyllyng This which I haue spokē is sufficient cōcerning our purpose for this tyme. ⧠The .xii. proffe THe wordes of oure Sauioure do confyrme thys same captiuitie and bondage of oure wyll in Iohn the vi Chapter Iohn .vi. What is to folow Christ No man can come after me and folowe me that is to saye beleue in me excepte my father whyche dyd sende me do drawe hym Is not oure wyl thē captyue and bonde when it canne not beleue in Christ without it be drawen Iohn xv And Iohn the xv Chap. Wythout me you can do nothing The whyche place when that Christe dyd speake to hys disciples althoughe he dyd speake of the fruite of his Gospel callynge him selfe the vyne them the braunches Which is a good worke yet he dyd speake it generallye and vniuersally to all men sayinge wythoute me you can do nothynge that is to saie no good fruite at al whyche is a good worcke And there is no good worke but that onely which is of faith otherewyse it is an euyll worcke and synne as to the Romains xiui For lykewise as by fayth cometh the goodnes of the worke Rom. xiii euē so by vnfayethfulnes and incredulitie is the contrarye But those thynges onely whiche be of fayeth do profitte vnto saluation and nothynge els The whych considering that we can not perfourme of oure selues no not to begynne nor to procede nor to endeuoure nor to make an ende and finyshe Wherfore shoulde we not saye that oure wyll is bonde and captiue withoute all libertie The obiection of the aduersaries They do obiecte agaynste vs saiynge We do nothyng wythout Christe but whē he doeth sende his spirite eyther we do agre to hys spirite or els we do refuse it The cōsent and agremente to the wyll of the Lorde is of vs saye they is oure owne and of oure selues The Lorde say they doeth put vs in mynde to praye to repente our naughtye liuynge to be liberall to the pouertye and so forthe the whyche suggession for to folowe or to resist is in our libertie wil. I do say answer to thys obiection saying If thys obiection be true then are the wordes of Christ faulse whyche doeth saye withoute me you can do nothinge For after your reason you maye do some thynge wythoute hym to endeuour applie your wil to his wyl And so were the worke of god which doth inwardlye monish teache you no greater thē that whyche manne doeth in preachinge and teachynge outwardely As by exemple A man doeth pronounce and shewe forth the veritie of God to the whych if theyr obiection be true may he apply him selfe maye go about and endeuour to do it and also to perfourm it of hys owne power and strength O erroure and mooste execrable heresie Thys is the verye trueth God doeth moue and styrre that thynge whiche pleaseth him Euery good worke is the worke of Christe in vs no man can applye him selfe thereto excepte he receyue the spirite of God whereby he doeth it No he can begynne to do nothynge be it neuer so little wythoute Christe doe worcke in hym the beginnyng and the mind to do well we do our endeuoure we do apply our selues to the veritie and to the Lorde not by the lybertie fredome of our wyl but by the spirite of God whiche worcketh in vs mercifully vsynge vs as his instrumētes in all good dedes in shewyng obedience to hys wyl in prayer in inuocation to lyue soberly chastelye and so forth to his honour Obiection Agaynste thys answere they do obiecte sayinge If God worcke all thynges in vs by hys spirite if he wylleth hys wyll in vs if he praieth if he geueth almes if he studieth worketh and speaketh in vs wherfore do we then endeuour oure selues to do anie thinge wherefore are we so anxiouse careful I wyll not speake of all othere thynges that we do for what cause saye they did the holye Euangelistes prepare theim selues to the declaration of the worde of God Sythe it was sayed to them when you be brought before Kynges and rulers be not carefull thynkyng how and what you shold speake For it is not you sayeth the Lorde whyche speaketh but the spirite of my father whych speaketh in you Whereto I saye that who so euer doeth go aboute anye thyng or is carefull for thynges or studieth howe to set forthe the Gospell of Christe he doeth it eythere of a pure fayeth towarde God and then is it the dede of the holye Gooste or els wythout fayeth trustinge in hys owne vertue and industruouse laboure and diligence and then it is the worke of the sense and vnderstandinge of the fleshe That other a mā doeth beynge bound and drawen by the spirite of the Lorde as for that whyche he doth by the confidence of hys owne strengthe it is done by compultiō of the spirite of fornication bicause he is bounde in
as it is more to his glorye and to the profit of the electe people howe so euer the spirite of fornication doeth iudge and take it otherwyse Many men do thinke in them selues that they coulde fynde the causes of al these thinges why and wherfore the Lorde doeth this thynge or that But verelie as it is saied before What man doth knowe the cause of the lordes workes the spirite of fornication hathe receyued them and bounde them in hys wynges For what so euer they can saye it is muche lesse then the trueth in dede They do saye furthermore that it is permitted to the fleshe to beare some rule in a man bycause that man knowelegynge hys owne frailtie The fleshe doth hynder the electe frō the perfetnes that they desyre and that by the ordynaunce of the lorde should meake and lowly hym selfe I do knowe that it is neadfull that we be meke and lowlye but for all that it is not well sayd that for that cause the fleshe is not extinguished in vs bicause we shoulde meke and submit our selues For the true and perfecte mekenes lowlines and humilitie commeth from the spirite of God But the fleshe doeth plucke them somewhat backe making them lesse obedient meke then they should or woulde be For if the fleshe were cleane abolished and subdued in vs that it shoulde haue no maner of styrring then should ther be in vs no pride nor none other corrupt affection but a true humilitie a perfecte iustice and ryghtuousnes No man doeth knowe thys misterie but the Lorde onelye and to whome it pleaseth hym to open it He wyll reueyle and open it to hys electes in time to theyr glorye and then we shal knowe howe maruailouse are the iudgemētes of the Lord aboue mans reason Those whiche do subuerte the right sences of Gods word do suppose that the wordes whyche the spouse in the Gospell dyd speake sayinge Drawe me after the those whyche the yonge women did speake in the Canty-sayinge We wyll runne do make muche for theyr purpose to confyrme theyr blynde forged libertie of mans wyll saying that the desyre of the yonge man and to be drawen after him and of the yonge women for to runne doeth come of theyr owne propre endeuoure and fre wyll But if they do loke well on the matter they shall fynd that it is cleane contrarie and that these wordes do proue strongely the miserable captiuitie and bondage of mannes wyll as in that place of the Canti by that whych we haue declared alreadye doeth appeare ⧠The .xiii. proufe PAule writeth to the corhinthians the second Epistle and .iii. chapter The lorde doth worke in vs both to wyll and to do the ded Not that we sayeth he be suffitiente of oure selues to thynke anye thynge as of oure selues But all our suffitiency is of the Lord This texte and suche other the defenders of fre wyll do expound by thys worde Potest that is in Englyshe to saye can or maye as it maye or can be vnderstande thus or thus it maye be true in thys sence We wyll not consent and graunte that they shall wryth wreste the scriptures makynge diuers senses and vnderstandynges whyche are vnpossible to be true we wyl that the scripture be taken in hys owne kynde naturall meanynge For the more simple and playne the declaratiō is made the more neare it is to the trueth Truly of our selfe we can thinke nothinge that is pleasaunt to the Lorde Thou wylt saye peraduenture I do graunte that we can thynke no Godly thynge of oure selues muche lesse perfourme any such thinge But to applye our selues to his wyll which doeth put suche thynges in our mindes that is in oure owne power and wyll As witnesseth Paule to the Rom. the .vii. chap. saying To wyll I haue in my power but to perfourme my wyll that I can not by no meanes The whyche authoritie of Paule maketh nothynge agaynste vs beynge takē as it ought for to be expoundynge as before I haue declared after thys maner To wyl is in my power that is to saye by the spirite of God But to perfourme it I can not bicause that no man can perfourme the wil whyche the Lord doth gyue except the Lord do gyue the spirit aswell to perfourme it as he did to wyll it Philip. ii The selfe fame thyng teacheth Paul to the Philip. the second Chapt. declarynge that to wyll cometh of God sayinge these wordes The Lord doeth worcke in vs both for to wyll and to perfourme Forsoth if we can not of our selues wyll to do good howe can we saye it at our owne libertie we maye chuse to do thys or that at our own pleasure Yet will not they forsake thys opinion of fre will For if a man wold aske thē howe and by what reasō they cā proue affirme theyr sayinge to be true they do answer that the wil of man worketh with the spirite of god You may se how darkely they do teach Nay they wyll leaue out this worde spirite and say The wil worketh with grace workinge in vs. They thinke that thys vocable grace is an habite or affection of the minde as other affections be being in dede nothing lesse For grace is the fauoure of God For ther is no man whych is indued wyth grace but he onelye whyche is pleasaunte to the Lord or whō the Lorde doth fauour Grace I do not regard or pas much for that grace which is a qualitie of the mind for ther is no such grace But I would fayne haue those gyftes which be by the grace of God that is to saye those giftes whiche he vseth to geue to his electe people bycause it pleaseth hym of his goodnes first to fauoure and loue thē and so thorowe the fauour of God they become pleasaunt acceptable to hym To be short that man hathe the grace of God whō the Lorde doth fauour according to his owne pleasure whō he doth accept Who hath the grace of god It were better said therfore that the will of man worcketh wyth the spirite working in vs thē to say that it worketh with grace For to that oure wil worcketh with the spirite I do agre cōsent well therto The lybertie of the children of god consideringe that we do worcke not frely at our own libertie but by the libertie of the holye spirite And that is called the libertie of the childrē of god to the whiche libertie we are led by the spirite after that he hath drawē vs. But what do we meane whē we do say that the sainctes haue done manie thinges the godly mē thē selues haue said that they haue preached praied laboured c. And in other places they do saye againe that God hath done all thinge as Paule to the Corhin the .i. Epistle and .xv. Chap. I haue laboured more fruitefully sayeth Paule not I but the grace of God whyche is present wyth me That is
do thys or that yet hath he not power ouer the wyll of hys seruaunte But the Lord is ruler and gouernoure boeth of the wyl and dede and of all other thynges More ouer in that same similitude the seruauÌ„t doeth not nor can not obey hys maister as he ought to do except the Lord did fyrste incline and applye hys wyll thereto Doubtlesse it is that Paule other seruauntes of god did worke but not of them selues but by the spirite of God For the wysdome and spirite of God was wyth them and laboured wyth them so that if the spirite of God hadde not bene wyth them and laboured wyth theim they might haue done no suche thynge So is the wyl of man by the spirite of fornication captiue bonde that except it be bounde by the spirite of God the wyl of man can do nothynge that good is but all contrarie Yet say they that we do deny that maÌ„ doeth worke any thing which is not true we saye not so Oure denial is that we haue of oure selues anye libertie to worke This answer whyche I haue made to thys obiection will serue to put away an other of their cauillations where they say that ther is no helper but where as is also a worker Obiection If it be so saie they once agayne for they wyll not leaue of so sone then fare well all merites And where as is no meritynge nor desertes there is nother punishmente nor rewarde Merite Rewardes To thys obiection I wyll in fewe wordes make answere There is place in vs to merite and deserue euyll ergo then there is place for punishment for our naughty deseruyng As for good merites in vs we haue none but onely the merites of Christ whose merites it hathe pleased hym to make oure merites if we do beleue in hym and so by Christe also we haue our rewardes By these testimonies of the scripture and by manye more whyche I myghte reherse it is made euident and playne that the wyll of man is all togyther captyue and bonde beynge by the scriptures sufficiently proued and that in no case it is fre and at libertie to do of hym selfe what hym lysteth ⧠The thyrd parte of thys boke declareth in what thynge the wyll of man is made fre But so that it remaineth bonde to eternal felicitie saluation Iohn viii The fredom of man THe Lorde sayeth in Iohn the .viii. Chap. If the son hath set you fre at liberly theÌ„ are you fre in dede From what thyng doeth the son deliuer you and from what bondage are you set fre Frome the naughtye and corrupte sense iudgmente and vnderstandinge of man and from all other proceadinges thereof He doeth deliuer none but hys seruauntes vnder that condition The condition of mans fredome that they shall be alwayes subiect To whom To hym selfe onelye for hys owne sake and to all other for hym They are set at libertie from all outward thynges which may be anye let or impedimente From what thynges are we made fre that a man shoulde not gyue hym selfe to the obseruation and kepynge of hys holye ordinaunces This is the libertye and fredome of all the children of God that is to saye of the faithfull whiche onelye are the children of God and none other Mans inuentions swaruing froÌ„ the worde of god are to be detested and abhorred of all men Howe are the faythfull both fre and bond at one tyme This chauÌ„g alteratioÌ„ worketh the haÌ„d of the almighty that a maÌ„ shal deteste abhor the spirite of fornication wyth all the filthines and impuritie of it and al other thinges dependynge therof that is to saye all the inuentions of man all hys traditions or decrees whyche doe neuer so lyttle swarue from the word of the Lorde The which haÌ„d of God doeth cause also that man shall not desyre and seke hys owne pleasure and wil but the will and pleasure of Iesus Christe and profit of hys neyghbour Hereby it is manifeste that the fayethful are both seruauntes and also fremen They are free and at libertie beynge set at libertie from all those thynges whyche doeth prouoke and plucke a man backe from the word of God Rom. vi They be seruauntes to the obedience of the word of God as to the Rom. vi Chap. Beyng made fre from synne you are made the seruauntes of God i. Corin. ii ii Corin. iii. And the firste epistle and .vii. Chap. to the Corhin He that is called a seruaunt in the Lord is a fre man of the Lorde And the seconde epistle Gala. iii. and .iii. Chap. to the Corint Wher the spirite of the Lorde is there is libertie And to the Gala. iii. chap. We are not the chyldreÌ„ of the bond mayde but of the fre woman in the whyche libertie Christ hath deliuered made vs fre his elected i. Peter ii And the .i. epistle of Peter the ii Chapter As those whyche are fre and not makynge oure libertie to be a cloke and coloure of iniquitie but as the true and faythfull seruauntes of the Lorde Esechy xxx vi A herte of stone A herte of fleshe The seynge of Ezechiell is fulfilled in them whyche obtayned thys moste necessarye and profitable lybertye thorowe Christ in the .xxxvi. Chapt. I wyll take awaye the stonye herte whiche is indurate that is as muche to say the spirite of fornication from them And I wyll putte in theim an herte of fleshe that is to say a tractable mynd which can be content wyth all hys herte to agre to the coÌ„maundement and the wyll of the Lord The whych saying of Ezechiel they which do denye the bondage and captiuitie of the will of man do vnderstand and take it to be none otherwise theÌ„ as a maister would saye to his scholer speakinge incoÌ„grue false latin with these words Wel I wil plucke this barbarouse tonge forth of thy head and put in the stede thereof a cleane latin â—ong in the whych thynge is required the industrie and diligence of the scholer and hys good wyll to be ready for to folowe and obey hys masters teachynge Marke and learne how thou mayst answer such lyke symilitudes exaÌ„ples as they do bring for their purpose To the whyche and such other lyke we do answere and saye that these exemples do halt and fayle in .ii. thynges Fyrst the maister can not alter nor chaunge nor drawe the wyll of the scholer after his owne pleasure and mynde nor none othere man any mans wyl Secondlye they are deceyued in theyr similitude bycause the maister oftymes teacheth his scholers and yet they are nothyng the better The Lorde doeth neuer take awaye the stonye herte of man in vayne puttynge into hym a new herte of fleshe For it is in hys power at hys owne pleasure and wyll to chaunge the wyll of man hauynge no nede of our industrie or laboure For by oure owne industrie and laboure what do we
els then dayly commit fornication◠departynge and goinge from the Lord we are dayly hardened From the electe the Lord taketh awaye the industrie of the wisedome of the fleshe pourynge into them the industrie and diligence of hys spirite Obiection They do laye agayne agaynste vs the words written in Ezechiell the .xviii. Chapter In these wordes cast a way and make to you is ther cauell Caste awaye frome you all youre iniquities wherein you haue fayled and gone asyde and make your selfe a newe herte and spirite You maye se saye they in thys place that a manne maye do some thynge of hym selfe that is good And yet they are deceyned For the Lorde doeth requyre that wee shoulde worcke not of oure owne power and diligence but by the power and diligence of hys spirite Bysides that thys commaundement and all other commaundementes of the Lord are vnpossible to be done if the spirit of God be not in vs whyche maketh all thynges to be possible as in other places we haue proued Trulye the Lorde wylleth that hys commaundementes be obserued and kept of vs not by oure owne spirite of fornication but by hys spirite For that whiche the Lord cōmaundeth can not of anye man but by hys owne spirite be kepte What mā of his own power can caste of frome hym selfe hys olde accustomed wickednes and corrupte desyres of the fleshe What man can renue turne alter hys owne herte to Godwarde keepe hys wyll without hys spirite It is the Lordes owne worcke and no mans els Wherunto the wordes of Ieremy are respondente and agreynge whyche sayeth Is it possible that an Ethiop can turne the coloure of hys face Hieremy xiii This is a strong and an inuincible bulworke agaynst frewyll and put on a newe skynne Cā the Leopard take frō him self the spots which are in hym Can youre selues do worcke goodnes whiche haue learned al naughtines and euyll By the whyche texte it is declared openlye that a man by hys owne power can do nothynge to the alteration of hys herte nor anye other thynge whiche pertaineth to eternall felicitie Yet the defenders of this moste false and deceytfull libertie do go about stil to deceiue vs makinge vs beleue that we do expownde the scriptures on thys maner Make you a newe herte that is to saye Lette grace make you a newe herte And also Streche forthe your hande wherto you wyll that is to saye Let grace streach forth your hande whereto you wyl Againe in an other scripture Euerie man that hathe this hope He doeth sanctifie hym selfe in hym that is to saye grace doeth sanctifie hym Let vs caste awaye the worckes of darckenes that is to saye Thus dothe antichristes disciples sclaunder wyth ther lyese the true preachers of fayth makyng the people beleue that they woulde haue no good workes Lette grace caste awaye .c. What man euer I pray you as for the reste of theyr sclaunderous lies here I wil not speake of did heare me at any tymes reade and expownde after thys maner What man knowynge them to be suche shamful and shamles lyers wyl beleue them in anye thynge they speake For oure exposition declaration of those textes hath bene alwaye after thys maner Make you a newe herte by the spirite of God What man can make hys herte new wythout the spirite of God Considerynge that by our owne deceytfull spirite we are made worsse and worsse much lesse can we be altered of our selues from the worsse to the better Streach forth thy hande that is by the wyl and dede of the spirite of God to goodnes or to euyll by the spirite of fornication and of the fleshe Also he doeth sanctifie him selfe by the spirite of Christ not by his own deceiuable spirite Furthermore let vs caste awaie the worckes of darckenes by the spirite of God whyche we are not able to do wythoute it There is none of vs whyche doeth saye that god commaundethe grace to doe anye thynge as thoughe he would saye let grace doe this or that For grace is nothynge els but the fauour of the lord Grace by that reason we shoulde saye that god doth commaunde him selfe to doe thys or that if we did expounde the scripturs as they doe falslye belye vs. For to saye these wordes folowynge Lette grace extende let grace do Let grace caste awaye what is it els then a precepte or commaundemente let them therfore cease from there blasphemous reportes and dyuelyshe lyefe wher wyth they doe nothynge els but declare to al men their peruers and froward malice of their hertes Wherfore do they go aboughte to make darcke and obscure the grace of god and the goodnes of oure fauiour Iesu Christe Wherefore do they make so muche of mans strenghte whyche of him selfe can do nothynge but go and depart frō the Lorde The spirite of god draweth to good the spirite of the fleshe to all euell and not that neyther of theyr own free wyll but by the spirite of fornication whyche plucketh theym that they canne not chose but do euyll If they do make so much by theyr vnhappy and lewde libertie or fredome of theyr wyll whyche they haue not in dede lette theym thense if they canne be riche whē them pleaseth Let thē se if they cā saue thē selues therbi And that is vnpossible We do esteme regarde their goodlye false libertie to be muche more vyle and stinking then the ordre of man then anye other stynkynge donghyll whyche is nothyng els but the inuentiō deuise of the Deuyll Fre wyll inuented by the deuell to obscure the glory of god of Satā that intendynge nothynge els thereby but to minish and hynder the veritie of the Lord obscurynge and hydynge frome the eyes of men the mooste mercifull gentilnes of hys goodnes to make theim to be ingrate vnthankefull people The dreame and phantasye of thys frewyl is suche a thynge Either God must be true and the wyll captiue or els god must be faulse and the wyll fre that if it be true as they do saye and holde that it is then the veritie of the worde of God can not stande And contrarywyse if the worde of God be true whyche the deuyl and all hys disciples can not denye then of necessitie muste thys forged wyll be as it is false and contrary to al trueth But lette the speache of veritie of the hygh Lorde be parmanent and stande styl for euer Let this false perswation of fre wyl with al other inuētions of man contrarie to scripture perishe fall awaye Amen Let therfore thys false wycked and bond libertie be put forthe of the doers Let the libertie of the chyldrē of God be sought forth by the fayeth in the Lord Iesu Christ which is our Sauioure Thys libertie the churche of God hath loked for manye yeres it hath desiered it of longe tyme and many dayes From this desyre did the wordes in the cāticles springe of
folowing which the Lord dyd speake to Cain Vnder the shal thy appetite desire be and thou shalt gouerne and rule it The whiche wordes are nothing els but a precept or cōmaūdemēt being in the Hebrue tonge the presente time as to the pertayneth the desyre therof Otherwise the Lord hadde not prophesied that thinge which was true For Cain had not his own wyl in subiectiō at his cōmaundemēte But cōtrarywise he did follow obey his owne wyl desyre to his own destructiō He myght not chuse but folowe that lewde desire appetite bicause he did lacke the spirite of the Lord. Therfore it is a precept and cōmaundemente cōmaundyng Cain to forsake not to obey folow the desyres of the flesh whych thing to hym was so vnpossible as all other commaundemētes to be kept without the spirit of God Wherfore this text doth no more make for the profe cōfirmatiō of the liberty of mans wil thē al other precepts cōmaūdemēts do ⧠The thyrde texte THine eares haue hearde the preparyng of theyr hertes And also it is writtē in the Pro. the .xvi. Chap. Psalm ix Prou. xvi A mā may wel purpose a thing in his herte but the answer of the tonge cometh of the Lord. The fyrst text you must vnderstād after this maner O Lorde thine eare hathe harde c. that is to say to thine eare the preparatiō of their herte is acceptable I saye of thē which are pore of whō the Psal speketh The whiche pore men are not to be taken in this place for those whiche do axe the almes charitie of other mē but for such mē as do gyue thē selues altogyther to Christ whiche haue renounced the affectiō loue of al their substaunce riches for Christes sake beinge in a redines to sel geue awaye al that they haue to the setting forth of the word of God to the succoring of their neyghbours necessitie if nede shold require These men do alwaies say my hert is ready Lorde my herte is ready by whom they are euery daie made more apt readye then they were before Thys is the preparation whyche is only acceptable to God it is not the endeuour or begynnynge of oure owne wyll as the defēders of frewyll do cal it For they do thinke that by these endeuours and begynnynges they may prepare and make them selues apt to receyue the grace of the Lord The which can neuer be For thorowe Christe onely to them whyche do beleue in hym is hys grace geuē not for our own preparing or workes As towchyng the Prophetes ministers of the word of god of those whose office is to expound and declare to the people the word of God maye not thynke that they shoulde neglecte and not regarde to prepare theym selues to the doinge of theyr office that is to saye to studie to ponder and waye with thē selues to premeditate what they wyll saye and declare It is a thyng to be done and yet they maye not ascribe any thynge thereof to theyr owne studyes diligence and preparation hauing and putting theyr trust and confidence in their own dedes and laboures but onely in the Lorde For we do knowe that though a man do speake and preach neuer so well preparynge him selfe with all diligence that maye be yet he can pronounce nothynge well and to the edifiynge of the audience excepte the Lorde with his spirit doth gouerne his tonge The whiche thyng is proper only to the Lord. The lorde must gouerne the tonge of the prechar if he shall edifie It is also conueniente and meete that a man do premeditate and thinke with him selfe before what he wyll declare wyth a full truste and confidence in the Lorde and not in his owne worcke laboure or payne The fourthe texte IN the fyfthe boke of Moyses called the Deuteronomie Deut. xxx and xxx chap. it is wrytten This commaundemente which I do cōmaund the thys daye is not aboue the nor seperated frome the nor farre from the. It is not in heauen that thou shouldest complayne and saye what man shall ascende vp to heauen and fetch to vs the commaundement that we maye heare it do it It is not beyond the sea that thou shouldest say who shall go ouer the sea for vs and fet it vs that we may heare it and do it It is hard by the yea it is in thy mouth hert that thou maist do it The defylers of the ryghte iustice whiche we haue by Christe the patrones of free wyll do make exposition of thys place as foloweth It is not aboue the that is to saye aboue thy strength so that thou mayst obserue it with thy owne strength power Agaynste whom Paule speaketh whiche is more to be beleued then they writing to the Roma the .x. Chapter The iustice whyche is of fayeth speaketh thus Say not in thine herte who shall ascende to heauen that is to plucke Christe downe frome aboue to make vs partakers of iustice and of the grace of God Or who shall go downe into the depnesse that is to call and to reuoke agayne Christe from death that we myght be iustified by hym But what sayeth he the worde is nyghe to the not far of in thy mouth and in thy hert Confession Belefe that is the worde of fayth which we do preache Trulye if thou doeste cōfesse wyth thy mouthe the Lorde Iesus Christe beleuest in thy herte that God hathe raysed him vp from death thou shalt be saued For by the beliefe of the herte cometh our iustice and by the confessiō of our mouth This is not auricular cōfession Esai xxviii we do obtayne oure saluation The scripture sayeth in Esaie the .xxviii. Chapter All men whyche do put theyr confidence in hym shall not be confounded Beholde howe openlye the Apostle doeth teach that thys texte of the scripture is not to be taken and vnderstande of the strengthe and worckes of man What is to do the commaundementes but of a pure faieth on and in Christe in the professynge of the trueth and veritie of the Lorde For the wordes of the commaundemētes of the Lorde are nigh at hande in our herte and mouth to do them that is to saye to beleue to professe Christe For the fulfillynge and ende of the lawe is Christe as to the Rom. x. By whome onelye the lawe is fullfilled in vs. The lawe doeth require of vs those thynges whyche to fleshe and bloud are vnpossible And for that cause sin is multiplied increased aboue al measure the cōcupiscēs Rom. x. The requeste of the lawe are vnpossible strynynge and struglynge agaynste the lawe yea although we do seme outwardely to kepe and fulfyll the lawe For verely the lawe doeth commaunde and require a perfecte iustice and ryghtuousnes at oure handes whyche iustice neyther the lawe can geue nor no man of hym selfe eyther hath or cā perfourme But wher a pure fayeth in
Christe is there Christe is in them which do beleue a whole iustice Christe is our perfecte iustice sanctification and redemption Hereby maye you perceyue that the wordes of the fyrste boke of Moyses called the Deutero are cleane contrarye to free wyll and makynge nothynge at all for theyr purpose ⧠The .v ▪ texte IT is wrytten in Mathew the .xxiii. and Luke the .xiii. Chap. Hierusalem Math. xxiii Luke xiii Hierusalem whyche killeste the Propheres and stoneste theim whyche are sente vnto the. Howe often woulde I haue gathered togyther thy chyldrene as the hen doeth hir chickens and thou wouldest not Beholde saye they Christ sayth I woulde thou woldest not Hereby do they gather that the wyll of man is free the Lorde shoulde do wronge els saie they to threaten and punishe them if they myghte not haue chosen whether they woulde haue bene gathered togither yea or naye Thus and after lyke maner of fashiō doeth the wycked and miserable fleshe presume to iudge of the most ryghtwyse iuste iudgemēt of god whych is far frō this matter as Iohn the .x. Chapt. You do not beleue me because you are not of my shepe that is to saye of my electe people whyche onelye are the very shepe of Christe whom no man can take forth of hys hand Thou mā which arte nothinge els but corruption wormes meate what art thou that wilt reasō against the Lord. Be thou afraied rather maruaile wyth al lowlines mekenes of the profoūd and impenetrable depenes of hys iudgemēt Learne how thou must take these wordes of Christ rehearsed out of Mathew and Luke I would sayth Christ and thou which arte the carnal sinagog wouldest not Wherfore wouldest thou not For thou arte not of my shepe and electe chosen people Thou haste not my spirite without the which thou canst not fynde in thy herte to be agreable to my commaundementes nor yet do anye thynge els that should be pleasant before me Al the desyres of the fleshe that is to saye of a man wythoute my spirite do fyghte and striue agaynst me bicause he is a liar as witnesseth the Psalm C .xv. Therfore by those wordes Christe did meane not for to shewe that it was in theyr fre choyse to do otherwise thē they did But to declare to them how much he dyd hate and abhore al the desyres of the fleshe whyche laboureth continuallye to do those thynges whyche are contrarye to my wyll whych is all Godlines and vertue ¶ The syxt profe TO make for theyr purpose they do brynge forth Mathew sayinge If thou wylte enter into lyfe kepe the cōmaundemētes If thou wilte be perfecte c. And Luke If any man wyll come after we cetera He that wyll saue and kepe hys lyfe shall lose it And all other places of boeth the Testamentes where as anye thinge is spoken conditionally they do brynge for the confirmation of fre wyll As thys If you wyll If you wyll not If you wyll heare If you wyll not heare If you do seke If you do turne If you do seperate If he do If he turne awaye In all the whych places they do erre bicause they do not marke what the spirit did meane in those textes For to perfourme those thinges it is geuē of the spirit wherfore it must be vnderstande after thys fashion If thou wylte do thys or that with all thy herte and thorowe my spirite then shalt thou obteyne thys or that If you do otherwyse beynge faste bounde wyth the spirite of fornication you shall peryshe ⧠The .vii. profe TO proue the libertie of mans will they do obiect the promises the cōmaundementes the threateninges and rebukynges of the Lorde saying that al this had not bene worth a straw Yea and foleishly written if so be there were no libertie and fredome of oure wyll We answere and saye that the sens vnderstandynge of al these places doth hereof depende that the spirite of God shoulde be knowen seuerall and distinke frome that other spirite that we shoulde acknowledge and confesse that God wylleth hys lawe to be kepte and obserued not by oure deceyuable spirite of fornication and fleshly carnall knowledge but by hys mooste holye spirite onely He promiseth to thē greate rewardes whyche do kepe hys lawe by hys spirite Lykewyse he doeth threaten and condemne those whyche do breake hys lawe by the spirite of fornication and of the fleshe ⧠The .viii. profe THey do laye againe that oftē times in the scripture rewardes are promised to the fayethfull seruauntes of God thynkynge that there can be no rewarde but wher as is merit and deseruinge and on that other syde there can be no merite or deseruynge where as is not a fre wyll Trulye there muste nedes be merite where a fre wyll proceadeth or doth go before But there is no merite in vs Whether man do merit ye or naye bicause we are bounde of oure selues Therfore all our merites are the merites of Christ onely whych alone and none other is fre and with out all bondage Psalm lxxxvii But as to the vocable of rewarde Rewarde wee muste marcke and note that the rewarde of the electe and chosen is called therefore a rewarde bycause that Christe hathe merited and deserued that reward in vs and bicause it is promised of God to hym whyche beleueth in Christe Thus muste the wordes of the Geneses in the .xv. Chapter be vnderstand and taken whych are these I am thy reward thy great rewarde What was Abraham his rewarde for his belefe Bicause that Abraham dyd stedfastli beleue in the promise of the sede which is Christe he receyued hys rewarde What rewarde God hym selfe which is the verye rewarde of al them whych do beleue as the Lorde in hys euerlasteynge beynge hathe sworne decreed ordeyned Lykewyse are the wordes of Christe wrytten in Mathew to be taken sayinge Reioyce you for youre reward is plentifull in heauen Which is as much to saye as That thing whiche I haue deserued for them whych do beleue in me is promised of God for their fayth is muche aboundaunt and greate In the wyich sens and vnderstādyng must you take this word crowne and this word giftes or rewardes as you do reade in many places of the scripture ¶ The .ix. text IOhn the fyrst Chap. He gaue thē power to be made the children or sonnes of god That is to say to them which do beleue in hys name Hereby do they reason if he hath geuen to theym power to be the sonnes of God then they are fre and not captiue or bonde Herein they do not conclude well For thys texte doeth declare rather that mā is captiue and bond then the cōtrary whiche texte beynge opened is as muche to saye as thys So manye as haue receyued the faith of Christe beleuynge in hys name at that time that they beleued they receyued power to be made the sonnes of God Or rather they were then
made the sonnes of god For as sone as a manne beleueth straight waye he is made the sonne of God so that whē they do beleue they do receyue the said power to be therbi without delaie made etc. Then is the spirite of fornication and all vncleannes crucified in theym and bounde that he shall not playe the tyrante anye more nor presume to rule in the herte of manne where the spirite of God oughte to be ruler and gouernour The fayethfull manne is deliuered from the wycked and deceyuable spirite and the sens of the fleshe wherto he was before subiecte and bonde and nowe is gone to serue and folowe the commaundemente of the spirite of God whyche hath bounde man with the swete and pleasaunte bondes of charitie Thys text therfore of Iohn doth make full littel for theyr purpose to confyrme and stablyshe that thing whyche they do go aboute ⧠The .x profe THe Lorde demaunded thys questian of hys Apostles sayinge Wyll ye also depart and go from me By the which wordes they do reason that it had bene a uery foleish demaund of Christe if they were not at libertie and at choise whether they woulde go frome hym or byde and styke by hym styll I answere that God had bound thē with hys spirite and therefore they coulde not go from hym but rather sayed Lorde to whom shoulde we go Thou haste the wordes of eternall lyfe There were other whyche beynge also bounde with the euyll spirite that wroughte in theym sayed These are verye hard wordes what man can heare him So at the laste they dyd forsake hym I doubte not but that Christ did demaūd this questian of them whether they would depart c. Principally bycause that after it was suffitiently perceiued what the wycked spirite had wrought in the vnfaithful that men I saye myghte perceyue and se what the spirite of God had wroughte in the fayethfull that it shoulde be putte in writyng to the instruction and learnynge of other men in tyme to come Thys texte maketh little or nothinge for theyr libertie by the whyche texte it is made open how these .ii. spirites do alwaies worcke cōtrary thynges one to the other in the fayethfull and in the vnfayethfull ⧠The .xi. texte HE shall render and geue to euerye man after hys worcke Psalm lxi Whereby they wyl cōfyrme stablishe not onelye the fredome of mans wyll but also the iustice of workes which is light to be answered Eyther our worckes be of oure owne naughtye and deceyuable spirite and then they are wycked and dānable worckes or els they be of the spirite of God and not of oure fleshlye and carnal spirite wher fore they are good worckes beinge vnpossible to be any otherwyse You se that by this texte they do proue nothynge lesse then that which they do purpose pretēd The whych wordes do declare nothing els then that the Lorde doeth geue euerlastynge lyfe to them whyche haue the worckes of fayeth and of the spirit of God and those whych haue the worckes of fleshe he rewardeth with euerlastynge paines and punishment ⧠The .xii. profe IT is wrytten the .i. Epistle and syxt cha to Timothe Fayght a good fayght Laboure as a good souldiour of Iesu christ the seconde Epistle to Timothe .ii. Cha. To hym that ouercommeth I wyll geue c. Reuelation of Iohn the seconde thyrd Chapt. We saye that thys fayght againste wyckednes and thys laboure in the war of the Lorde and thys Victorye canne not be but by the spirite of God Ergo not by our owne wyll and industrye Then canne not thys libertie be proued and stablished by thys texte of the scripture ¶ The threttenth text IN the seconde Epistle and fyrste Chap. of Peter Bryngynge al diligence se that you do minister in your fayth vertue c. Wherfore brethrē rather endeuour your selues to make stronge and affirme youre vocation and election If you do thys you shall neuer fal By thys place they do proue that Peter would our industrie and diligēce should worcke with the spirit If they do vnderstād by this industrie diligēce that diligence whyche the spirite of God worcketh in vs then they do make a good exposition For of hys greate goodnes he calleth those dedes our dedes whyche he worketh in vs. The which spirite of him doeth worcke and draw our wil making it obediēt agreable to the cōmaundemētes of the Lord. The wil of vs beynge so drawē cānot chuse but run straight way after the Lorde not of it selfe that is to say of mans wil but by the wil of God If they do hold opiniō that this place is to be vnderstand of our propre industrye or natural inclanation motiō as though a mā of him selfe might worke any thing at al or be coadiutor with god it is boeth a wicked also a pernitiouse opiniō For of hym selfe mā is altogither flesh therfore he can not rise vp to those thinges which are of the spirite of god wherefore these textes whiche are rehearsed for frewyl in this place muste be thus takē vnderstād You brethen beynge adourned and decked with the spirite of God by God made partakers of hys veritye in that fayeth whyche you receyued of the Lorde minister wyth al diligence and vertue c. And endeuoure to make your vocation and election stable and fyrme that is to saye do all that you maye to declare wyth good worckes that youre vocation election is substanciall stronge ¶ The .xiiii. texte OVt of the thyrtye Chapter of the fyfte boke of Moyses they do obiecte Wher as the Lorde had laied before Israell good bad life and death It was sayd Electe and chuse to you lyfe cete Whyche wordes they do thynke verye slender and of small effecte if mannes wyl were not fre We haue oft tymes saied that the lawe doth require of vs thinges vnpossible to be done for oure owne strengthe whyche the spirite of God doeth make possible For Christe is the fulfillynge and perfectnes of the lawe Therefore lyke as it is vnpossible to obserue and kepe the commaūdementes wythoute the spirite of God so is it impossible for vs to chuse life with out the spirit of god For we can not chuse life except the spirit of perfecte libertie were in vs that is to saye of Christe and where as often tymes wee do offende and cleane to the euyll oure election whereby we be elected of God is not the cause thereof but the workynge of our captyue and bond nature ⧠To diuers obiections whyche are obiected and layed for the defence of free wil we haue answered somthing briefly but so that hereby anye man maye dissolue and put a syde all maner of obiectiōs whiche for this matter the defēders of frewyll can deuise Therefore with fewe wordes we wil cōclud al the whole matter so procede further ¶ The fyrste conclution OVr opinion and certayne beliefe is that the wyll of man is