touching Free will That by force of free will man may doe the externall woorkes of the lawe and other honest ciuil woorkes But hee sayeth without the holy Ghoste men can not haue spiritual motions true feare of God true fayth and true patience that is newnesse of life which ought too appeare in those that are to be saued Hee geueth vs a profitable difference betweene the Letter and the Spirite He teacheth vs of the free remission of sinnes Hee admonisheth howe and after what maner Paule is too bee vnderstood of vs where hee sayeth By the workes of the lawe is no man iustified Gal. 2. That hee not onely plucketh away iustification from ceremonies but also from moral woorkes The Church had great need of this admonition Far Oâ—gon and manie which followed him had spread abroade false interpretation in the Church onely with ceremonies was iustification pluckt away 〈◊〉 they imagined that men might fulfil the law and be iust through their workes Therefore Augustine handleth this question learnedly in his booke De spiritu litera and affirmeth that Paule also speaketh vniuersally touching moral thinges when he denyeth vs to be iust by the lawe and also denyeth man to be able to satisfie fâ—lfill the law Rom. cap. 8. This admonition of Augustyne and this place of his to haue in remembrance it shal very much auayle vs For bycause seeing that reason cannot sufficiently discerne the hugenesse of Original sinne and of our natural corruption it easily slydeth away vntoo those opinions namely That it thinketh a man may be able to fulfil the lawe and too be iust for the woorkes sake So contrariwyse The righteousnesse of faith is obscured and true spirituall exercises are cast of from vs namely Trne inuocation which ought too stay or rest vppon the onely mercy of God Lyke as wee are nowe derided of our adnersaries which will needes seeme wyser then wee and crye out against vs that wee doo foolishly exaggerate or encrease our owne infirmity and fondly plucke away iustification from woorkes when notwithstanding reason vnderstandeth righteousnesse is meant none other matter but obedience according to the lawe But the doctrine of the Gospell touching sinne also touching righteousnesse of fayth is a secrete and peculiar wisedome of the true Churche which euen a very fewe of the wryters haue knowen and the sounder parte of theÌ„ haue acknowledged the fame some more obscurely som more manifestly The Scotists and such others haue altogither ouerwhelmed this doctrine Therefore after that God hath againe nowe reuealed these thinges in our dayes let vs diligently defend and mainteine this doctrine nowe manifested Furthermore why doo not our aduersaries againe consider howe absurde a thing it is too say that Christe hath deliuered vs onely from the Ceremonies of the lawe Againe if our deliueraunce pertaine only vntoo Ceremoniall thinges it profited not the fathers before Moyses any thing at all And it is needeful that wee beleeue that our deliueraunce from the lawe pertaineth vntoo the vniuersal Churche from the beginning vntoo the ende of the worlde These thinges are more amply disputed vppon in his little booke De Spiritu litera Finally they altogither knowe not what the deliuerance from the law meaneth which vnderstand or thinke the same consisteth onely of Ceremonies As all men after Adams fall are oppressed with sinne with the wrath of God with death with great and greuous calamities of this lyfe with eternal punishmentes So all men are burdened with the Lawe which rebuketh sinne accuseth vs and with eternall terrors slayeth vs as Paule sayth Therefore to be deliuered from the Lawe is as much as to bee deliuered from that accusation that we be not guiltie of the wrath of God and of eternall death It is not onely to be deliuered from ceremonies or external shewes but much more rather to be set free from the Law fearing vs cursing condemning and killing vs when as in deede an other thing is set before vs for the which we are pronounced iust that is to say The Sonne of God which was made a sacrifice propiciatorie for vs. So Adam Noe Abraham all the other Eleete before Mofes were deliuered from the Lawe were accused of the Lawe were exercised with horrible terroures with feeling of Gods wrath and of his Curse But amongest these terrours they were raysed vp by the acknowledgement of the mercy promised vnto mankinde by and through the Lorde and Sauiour that should come and they beleeued that they were pronounced iust by and for because of the Sacrifice that woulde come and not by or through the Lawe They knewe that sinnes were not onely externall trespasses but an inwarde vncleannesse horrible distrust in God murmuring and grudging agaynst God in our aduersities and other wicked motions And they knewe that euen the same sinne and infirmitie of mans nature or the wrath of God was not taken away by any Lawe But they knew that through the acknowledgement and assured trust of the promised Sauiour they should bee deliuered out of so greate miseries And so were they also deliuered from the Lawe moral that is which iudgeth and sleyeth them and so were they deliuered from the eternall wrath of God whiche the Lawe declareth vntoo them They knewe that in this their naturall knowledge the free remission of theyr sinnes was not set downe Therefore they required the sayde remission of sinnes from an other place For if they had beleeued in themselues that they shoulde so haue bene made iust when they were without fault they had vtterly fallen downe in the agony or vexation of theyr conscience but they knewe therefore was the Sauiour promised that they might beleeue they pleased God yea although they were vnwoorthy and vncleane persons So did they beleeue that they were iuste not by or through the lawe but by and through the Sauiour that shoulde come These so greate matters doth the deliueraunce from the law comprehend which men of secure mindes vnderstande not who know not what true repentance meaneth nor what pertaineth vntoo true Inuocation Finally which are not exercised in afflictions and either haue their mindes occupied in carnall pleasures or are delighted with their owne opinions and despise the word of God either els which do wrest it and abuse it according too their owne imaginations Some of our aduersaries more subtill then others although they plainely see that Augustines interpretation and ours also is the true meaning agreeable vntoo the mynde of Paule and of Propheticall as also Apostolicall scripture yet they exclaime against vs and cite for theyr purpose the autority of Origen Hierome Chrysostome and I knowe not of whom Not because they allowe those froÌ„ theyr hearte but onely too bleare the eyes of the ignoraunt people least they shoulde seeme to be ouercome For surely our aduersaries bring not with them vnto these conflictes a good conscience and a zeale in searching foorth the
traditions and opinions touching the wil of God neither retaine they the worde and ordinance wherwith god hath manifested his wil towardes vs. Themselues beeing blinde too seeke after God by other meanes For it is manifest that Christe himself neuer deliuered the Sacrament to haue it applyed for the dead For what meÌ„tioÌ„ is there made of the dead Hee bids vs Celebrate his supper that wee may haue in remembraunce his death benefits Are the dead theÌ„ present with vs too remember these with vs But I will briefly adde vnto these other reasons also The secoÌ„d reason this sentence to â—rue assured which by no meanes may be 〈◊〉 or denyed The iust man liueth by his fayth Abac. 2. Wherefore it is needeful that in our life tyme wee do receaue forgiuenesse of our sinnes at Gods handes And it is impossible that forgiuenesse of sinnes shoulde bee graunted too any person by or for any kind of worke doone or sacrifice offered by any Priest Causes obscure and doubtfull require long disputations This error touching oblation is refuced by so euident and firme argumentes that they require not at all any long declaration The doctrine touching forgiuenesse of sinnes is certaine and manifest No man may haue remisiion of sinnes except by his owne faith hee receaue the same This opinion if any man go about too take away hee dooth then blaspheme and iniury Christ himselfe Ergo they blaspheme and iniury Christe which do feigne that the same oblation can deserue remission of sinnes for the dead The thirde reason the vse of the Sacrament only proffiteth them which vsing the same doo remember the death and benefites of Christe Ergo it is impossible that this woorke shoulde profit them that are dead which neither vse the same themselues nor doo make any remembraunce of the death of Christ The antecedent is manifest by the institution of Christe bycause hee biddeth vs celebrate this mystery in remembrance of him And wee ought not by Imagining too adde any thing vnto the institution of Christ if any man imagine moe thinges if any man transferre the same vnto the dead he doth wickedly defile the institution of Christ The fourth reason The scripture sayeth manifestly Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lorde Rom. 8. The body dyeth bycause of sinne but the spirite is life for righteousnes sakeâ— that is they that are iustified in the spirite so long as they cary about them this body where in are as yet the remnauntes of sinne they are afflicted in diuers manners too the ende that by calling vppon God fayth knowledge of GOD and spiritual newnes of lyfe might more and more increase in them But the body being once dead the remnauntes of sinne are abolished And Paule sayth manifestly That the spirite liueth for righteousnes sake That life of the spirite iustified is not feare or feeling of Gods wrath But is ioy in the holy Ghost as Paule sayeth Rom. 15. Therfore there are no paines of Purgatory Christ saide vnto the conuerted theefe This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradyse that is in a peaceable and blessed life and not in paynes or horrour Therefore the Soules of the iust doe not goe downe too tormentes but ascende vp vnto spirituall ioy and peace In this life the godly are still exercised with horrible afflictions bycause GOD by a woonderfull determination wil haue his Churche Subiecte vntoo the crosse and too taste such afflictions as Christe hymselfe did So Adam Isaack Iacob Ioseph Dauid Esayas Hieremias Iohn Baptist and others the lightes of the Churche were in calamities and perplexities the greatenesse whereof no man can declare Therefore Peter sayeth Humble your selues vnder the mighty hande of God 1. Pet. 5. For although suche are the afflictions which the Godlye suffer in this life whyle they are in the flesh yet notwithstanding this after they be once dead why is it sayed that there are suche punishments For as muche as these afflictions are by GOD preordayned too acknowledge the remnaunte of sinnes in the fleshe and to worke repentaunce of sinnes euen in this life But after death there is then no place of repentaunce Like as Paule playnelie affirmeth 2. Cor 5. Euery one shall carry with him those thinges which he hath done in the body And the Psalmes doe also teache vs this moreouer The dead shall not prayse thee Lorde Againe Bicause ther is none is death which shal remeÌ„ber thee 112. Therfore it caÌ„not bee affirmed that any after death are yet tormented to the end they might repent them of their sinnes If our Aduersaryes doe say That those tormentes are not therefore layed vppon them that thereby repentaunce might grow but that they shoulde bee as satisfactions for sinnes here committed this opinioÌ„ is a great deale more too be refused For the doctrine of Satisfactions which the Sentenciaries haue deuised is both false and vngodly And truely very many lyes false imaginations haue byn heaped togeather into those disputations euen as it were into a sinkehole and filthy puddle namely of Purgatory of vowes of oblatioÌ„ for the dead many others Seing therfore that purgatory as they cal it caÌ„not be affirmed it is a kind of vngodlines so to institute an oblatioÌ„ to deliuer y e dead out of torments Although yet if there were any purgatory yet coulde not the supper of the Lorde be transferred for the dead But why doe I here dispute The firste mention of Purgatory began of sightes or visions and afterwardes for lucre sake was coÌ„firmed and is now defended and mayntayned of the Popes Cardinalles Byshoppes and Chanons which are manifest Epicures and with great security doe contemne the iudgement of God And whatsoeuer touching punishmentes after death suche persons reade they accept them as Poets fables of Ixion Sisiphus Tantalus or suche like and doe deride the foolishnes of others which affirme that God hath appoynted euerlasting punishmentes for the wicked At this preseÌ„t therfore I let passe any further to dispute The Grecians exhibited vp an oratioÌ„ touching Purgatory at the Councel of Basil w c oration at this day is extant in the Library of Phortia wherin they dispute tuching that place of S. Paule 1. Cor. 3. Which place the latter age hath wrested to confirme purgatorie Whereas it is manifest that the same place intreteth vpon repentance namely Hee shall bee saued so yet as it were by fire 1. Cor. 3. Ergo he woulde that the offender shoulde be corrected or amended by repeÌ„taunce Wherefore hee speaketh touching this present life wherein is the place of repentance Surely it is true that is sayde The Speech of trueth is simple and playne When Paule speaketh of repentaunce this place caÌ„not be wrested to the paynes or tormentes after death Touching that place in the booke of the Machabees there is also a moste playne aunsweare The trueth is not the more corrupted by the errours of thinges done
rehearse many examples but I surcease and I exhorte al those that are godly to abhorre this mischieuous sophistry of the aduersaries Ezechias king of Hierusalem did not only redresse those superstitious errours and opinions touching woorshipping of the brasen Serpent but hee vtterly destroyed the very Image it selfe So it is a point of true godlynesse to cast a way the traditions themselues togither with their vngodly opinions which traditions are not in proper nature politike customes Lyke as the Scripture commaundeth Idolles to be destroyed So those same traditions of priuate Masses praying vntoo Sainctes obseruing of vowes superstitious Apparel religious orders of brotherhood the bonde of single life difference of meates and such other lyke foolishe traditions proceeding of superstitions ought vtterly too bee taken away and abolished But what doo I dispute They which describe theyr faulty and corrupt traditiōs with this sophistical doctrine do not this vnfainedly to take away errors out of the Churche but that they might by al meanes defend theyr autority by their comming establishe this vngodlynesse For lewde opinions doo easely afresh bude againe if the very customes do remaine Wherefore needful it is that the godly should be watchful for the deuil stubbornly resisteth the Gospel not only prouoking tyrants vnto cruelty but also craftely laying snares vnder a pretence of wysedome and powring forth pleasant perswasions of the which to beware oftentymes the holy Ghoste commaundeth vs. As the Apostle Paule wryting vntoo Timothy saith That there should come dissembling spirits cap. 4. he saith wryting vntoo the Colos cap. 2. That the traditions of me shal haue in them a shew of wisdom Whereby not onely manifest dreames of men shall bee spread abroade such as for the most part were both they of former later age like as a little before the crafty dealings of pardons were manifest but also subtil crafty felowes shal cūningly depaint out false doctrine vngodly traditiōs to the end they may be entertained with great ioy to the ende they may bee beloued retained in great estimation For hath not the vngodlynes of Samosatenus a certaine shew of wisdome Is not the error of Pelagius plausible too prophane wittes So haue these things a shew of wisedome it is profitable for peace tranquility say the aduersaries to retaine the accustomed maners Therfore let the more absurde or inconuenient opinions be taken away let better interpretations or meanings be giuen vnto them but the rytes or customes themselues let them be retained This kind of speech maketh a fayre shewe when in deede they practise far otherwyse These sycophancies or scoffing kinde of speeches are much alyke signified in the History of Christe whome when the Iewes had blindfilded his enimies which bounde him scoffingly buffetted him they bid him then prophecy who he was that strick him so these excusers of vngodly traditions haue Christ his church in derision at this day After that they haue imagined some one vnsauery straunge phrase they nowe thinke they haue sufficiently blindfilded Christ after this they fal to buffetting of him that is they establishe vngodlynes they inflame the harts of Kinges vnto cruelty they triūphe ouer vs as though they nowe had vtterly extinguisht the trueth Themselues in their owne Theatre carry away the conquest they are praysed of the vngodly they are beloued of Kinges whose appetites and affections they serue But God is in prayer to be called vpon that hee woulde vouchsafe to restraine and brydle this kinde of sycophanty Nicander sayeth there is a kinde of Serpentes which he calleth Hemorrhoydes and they are very litle beastes of one foote length but they haue such force of Poyson in them that sweate most blooddy bursteth out of him which is stoonge with one of them yea from out his whole body out of his mouth nosethrilses and out of his bladder isseweth greate streames of blood so as his eyes sende foorth sparkling teares of blood and so that all his whole body burneth with incredible heate thereby This kinde of beast when as one of them had in Egypt destroyed a Mariner of Helens The noble and hauty woman trode her vnder her foote wherevppon also the posterity of Haemorrhoides is saide to halte and bee maymed by the losse of their sting For the euent declareth that this straunge sophisticall doctrine of interpreting traditions is a poyson not vnlyke the poyson of these Hemorrhoides The vnlearned although they are our aduersaries yet notwithstanding they fight against vs with wilful boldnes and hatred These Hemorrhoydes hy the reason of the defence of their doctrine by meanes of these Sophistries and as Paule calleth them by reason of a certaine outwarde shewe of wisdome which they woulde haue too bee in them are helde in admiration and prouoke the mindes of mighty personages to oppresse the trueth Princes beeing enflamed with this poyson doo conceaue and kindle in their hartes flames of hatred are made bloodsuckers and cruelly raging beyonde measure But Christ wil not suffer the light of his Gospel to be extinguished accordingly as it is written Whatsoeuer is of GOD shal not bee abolished Therefore shall the Churche wherein shyneth true doctrine at length vtterly destroy the stinges from those Hemorrhoydes Those sophisticall interpretations shall not oppresse the trueth neyther shall the crafty and cruel counselles of the vngodly preuayle them But whereas some men desirous of cōcord doo dayly looke for that councels shoulde bee called by Bishoppes and that they hope these shal heale vp the woundes of the Churche or redresse enormities in the same they are far deceaued For the Bishops of Rome theyr champions confederate with them wil neuer stinte from warrying against Christe which that I may so thinke I am not onely moued by mans coniectures which are many and no flender causes I am thorowly mooued with the sayinges of Christe Furthermore by the examples of all ages For Christe denyeth that blasphemers shall bee saued which contrary to theyr owne conscience stryue against the trueth defende open Idolatry embrewe themselues in the blood of the godly ones No doubte fury is allwaies accompanied with blasphemies and murder like as the histories of Cain Pharao Saule and the children of Israel do witnesse the same And God himselfe threatneth blindnes vnto blasphemers as the Psalme sayeth Let theyr eyes bee darkened Therefore dayly doo they encrease their tormentes and they with vngodly leagues doo binde Princes vntoo themselues Neither doo they onely openly swarme abroade but primly lay snares for the lyues of godly Princes Is it not to bee supposed that these will admit moderate or godly councels And other whyles wee haue prooued very many which haue fained a moderation and yet in very deede haue wrought nothing so but that they might catche theyr vauntage howe too subuert vs if they had once ensnared vs and so extinguishe al kinde of good doctrine
Apostles as touching baptising of infantes For he saith that in the 6. Chapter of S. Paule too the Romanes it appeareth that the Churches receaued their tradition from the Apostles that infants might be baptised These do rightly alledge the auctority of the churche Wherfore I wil orderly declare what the church is what Churche is too bee heard that wee must vse approoued testimonies And yet notwithstaÌ„ding that the doctrin is to be iudged out of the woorde of God that the chief autority of Gods word may remain according to that saying If any man shal teach any other doctrine let him be holdeÌ„ as accursed But first when I speake of the Churche I do not meane Popes Bishoppes and others which do allow their opinions in this behalf For these are the enimies of the true church some of them being Epicures and othersome of them manifestly giuen to Idolatry But I call the Churche the society of them which truely beleeue which haue the Gospel and Sacramentes and are sanctified by the holy Ghost as in the 5. Chapt. of S. Paule too the Ephes the Church is there described and as in Iohn 10. Where it is saide My sheepe heare my voyce And although it bee needful that this true church should be euerlasting bicause the kingdom of Christ endureth for euer it is writteÌ„ I will remaine with you vntil the ende of the world Mat. 28. Yet wee must vnderstand and know that this true church doth not alwaies florish togither in one place but oftentymes becommeth a very small Churche and afterwardes againe is restored by God when true teachers are sent therevntoo As in tyme of Noah the church was in a narrowe rowme a congregation of a fewe persons So after the deluge Melchisedech w c was the sonne of Sem the sonne of Noah reteined the true doctrine And whan Idolatry increased amongest the Chaldees that the true doctrine of God was almost extinguished euery where God by calling Abraham renewed his Churche Afterwardes the family of Abraham and a fewe of his â—earers became the Church when as in meane tyme the Chaldees and Egyptians boasted themselues too bee the posterity of the fathers that they reteined the examples of the fathers and manner of woorshipping God openly declared themselues to bee the people of God when they retained not Gods word amongst them although they had reteined ceremonies whervnto notwithstanding they deuised peruerse opinions and moreouer added Idolatry In the time of Achaz was the church extinguisht in Israel afterwards againe by Elias Eliseus it was encreased and yet after that did it decay againe When Christe was borne there was a very small Churche in Iury namely Mary Ioseph the family of Zacharias Symeon Anna the sheepeheardes and a fewe others In the meane time Ecclesiastical iurisdiction was in the dealing of the Pharisees and Saducees which were notoriously knowne a wicked people Also the Saducees were Epicures and yet notwithstanding challenged they the title and name of the people of God vnto themselues especially And so in time of the Prophetes the true church was but sleÌ„der as in Esay 1. Where it is testified Except that the Lord had left vntoo vs seede we shoulde haue beene made like vnto Sodom Gomorrha These wordes most grauely do admonish vs that we shold not think or iudge of the church as of a worldly gouernment neither that wee measure the same by succession of Bishops or by degree or seate of the Bishops of Rome but that we do acknowledge the church to bee amongst theÌ„ which retain the true doctrine of the gospel In this society there must needs be some true beleuers For vnto this society doo the promises pertain Therfore Esaias bereaueth the princes chief bishops in his time of that stately title saith That there was a small offspring in that selfsame people left which was called the people of God And in the time of Ieremy wheÌ„ the kings Priests set theÌ„selues against him the churche consisted not in the multitude of those priests but of them which beleeued the preaching of Ieremy Amoz 3. So and in such manner shal Israel bee deliuered That if the Sheepheards do take twoo legges or a peece of an eare out of the Lyons mouth c. And finally at the length there was a very smal church in respect of the multitude of the wicked ones when as all nations the people of Iuda onely excepted had vtterly loste the knowledge of God The Scripture also foresheweth that after the Apostles tymes there shoulde happen deadly persecutions vnto the Churche as in Math. 14. Many false Prophets shall aryse and shal deceaue many Again our sauiour Christ saieth When you shall see the abhomination of desolation standing in the holy place c. Mat. 24. Here doth he signify that in the churche which is so called shall Idolatry aryse whereby true doctrine and true worshipping of God shall bee ouerwhelmed and there shal bee made a desolation of the Church that is too say a solitarines or suppression thereof And so indeede it hath come to passe For after that the abuses of Masses and superstitions of traditions did once aryse there haue followed darkenesse of true woorshipping God of fayth of inuocation in fayth and of functions in vocations too bee performed Bycause mans conscience beholding her owne merites is not able too vnderstande the forgiuenesse of sinnes nor comprehende the manner of true calling vppon GOD and the expecting for his diuyne helpe Moreouer it is saide They shall woorke signes and wonders that if it may be possible the very elect ones shall bee deceaued 2. Thess 2. There shall happen a departing from the fayth c. Also Luke 18. Thinke you that when the Sonne of man commeth he shal finde fayth vpon earth Againe in the 88. Psal Hast thou made al men for nought For it is a complaint vpon the decay of the Church in tyme to come These sayinges doe witnesse although it be needefull that the Churche bee preserued notwithstanding in the latter age especially that it is little or a companie of a few persons which are despised and abiect in this life as S. Paule saith Not many wise not many mightie men c. 1. Cor. 1. These testimonies haue I cited too that ende that wee may firste consider wwhat the Church is and that the minde bee withdrawen from carnall opinions which imagine that the Church is the pollicie or constitution of the Bishoppes and doe tie the same vnto the ordinary succession of Bishoppes as the states of gouernment doe consist in the ordinary succession of the Princes But it goeth otherwise with the Church For this is a multitude not tyed vntoo ordinary succession but vnto the woorde of GOD. There is the Churche renewed where God restoreth doctrine and giueth his holy spirite And that Churches are thus
to be gouerned and preserued not by ordinary succession S. Paule doth witnesse the same Ephes 4. Hee hath giuen giftes vnto men that the Apostles Prophets c For hee teacheth that that is properly the Church wherein Christ is effectuall woorker and giueth true Teachers Therefore when as the name of the Church and the authoritie thereof is obiected vnto vs Let vs first consider whether mention bee made of the true Churche eyther els of the multitude of Bishops and the politique succession thereof neyther let vs suffer our selues to be terrified or discouraged from the worde of God vnder a false pretence of the name of the Church Secondly after that wee haue declared which is the true Churche let vs nowe adde therevnto that this true Church which is but small and a cōpany of holy ones doth retein the true doctrine of the Gospel or the articles of the faith like as S. Paule calleth the same The seate of trueth But this selfe same true church hath her doctrine sometime more and sometime lesse pure manifest She hath also in her many weake and feeble members as the Apostles were the church but yet they vnderstood not before the resurrectiō of Christ what should bee the kingdome of Christ For Peter after the holy Ghoste was geuen did yet suppose that the rites and ceremonies of the lawe was needefull to be vsed but when he was admonished frō heauen he then knew that the kingdome of Christ was not a Iudaicall pollicy but spirituall and continual woorshipping of God Afterwards whē the Apostles begā to prech there did shine in thē a pure cleare doctrine yet notwithstāding in mean seasō there were many weake mēbers w c albeit they were true mēbers of the church held stil amōgst them the articles of the faith yet they added herevnto some error as they which obserued the ceremonies of the law did not sufficiently well vnderstand the abrogation of the law what was the true worshipping of God This was no small error brought in with it some obscurity to the articles of the faith so did christ foreshew as touching the churche in the latter age that there should happen great darknes which shoulde hinder the very electe ones of God Whereby they shoulde the lesse inioy amongst them the true doctrine Therfore yet remaineth the true Church in some place w c retaineth the articles of y e faith but now thē lesse pure obscured with some hurtful opinions which haue some error in thē And as yet I speake of the true members of the church of the holy ones not of others w c hauing lost the light of the word do leese y e holy Ghost follow the iudgment of reason when they thinke that they deliuer very godly things they yet say cleane cōtrary things and vngodly Like as euē at this day also ther are excellently learned of good conuersation and outwarde shewe of holinesse which seeme to themselues to speake most holy thinges when in deede they are farre of from the true light that is from the true vnderstanding of the worde of God Concerning such persons I speake not as yet but I onely make mention of the true members of the Churche which for the more parte are weake and infirme So therefore saith Saint Paule 1. Cor. 3. No man can lay any other foundation then that which is already layde But some man buildeth vpon it Golde other wood and other straw or stubble c. By the foundation he meaneth The Articles of the faith that is to say the whole summe and scope of Christian doctrine and the doctrine of Christes benefites but hereunto saith be some shall adde profitable doctrine and interpretation and true spirituall honouring of God and these he calleth Golde Some other shall adde straw and stubble that is hurtful opinions and which are infected with some erroures Like as in the first age of the world ther were ordained ceremonies which brought with them false opinions As I do iudge S. Ambrose to be a true mēber of the Church And yet euen he thus speaketh of the Lent faste Caetera ieiunia sunt voluntatis hoc necessitatis est That is other fastings are voluntary but this is of necessity This opinion of Ambrose is straw stubble added to the doctrine of fayth So Basilius addeth Monkerie as straw and stubble and commendeth this kinde of life with immoderate and false commendations when as in deede hee was therefore reprehended of his owne Bishop Butch at it is no small faulte too ordeine newe woorshippings of God the Scripture warneth vs hereof and this one sentence sufficiently sheweth the same In vaine doe they woorship me with commaundementes of man Matth. 15. It is a grieuous sinne against the first commaundement to ordeine or allow woorshippinges not commaunded by God For the first precepte seeyng of forbiddeth there shoulde be any straunge Gods doth also forbid strange woorshippinges Cyprian vrgeth canonicall punishmentes which then was vsed and hee confirmeth opinions as though they were necessary that by reason of them sinnes might be forgeuen Sometime againe he saith that without thē absolution of sinnes is vnprofitable Peraduenture hee thought more conuenient heerein then he spake Notwithstanding these are no small erroures but very thicke stubble obscuring the doctrine of Christes benefites and of faith which we shoulde haue in him Furthermore oftentimes writers haue writtē more cōmodiously then they haue spoken because for the most part they were very negligent vnperfect in teaching borowed many sentences and methodes of the common people wherein cōsisted some kinde of errors As for example August borroweth the name of satisfactiō frō the vulgar sort yea although he doth openly reprehēd the errors of satisfactions He troubleth himselfe in the interpretation of this sentence that euery sinne is voluntary where he disputed of the sinne originall when notwithstanding the Sentence is a ciuill saying sette downe concerning external offences So cal they the supper of the Lord an oblatiō after the maner of the people whē it is not an oblation but Christ himselfe was the high Priest which offered his owne sacrifice And indeede in times past there was not made in the ceremony of the supper an oblation of the body and blood but before the consecration there was breade offered and other thinges and the Priest saide that he did offer vp prayers and thankesgeuing and all the seruice which was woont there to be done Although therefore the oblation was not vnderstood after one manner yet notwithstanding the name afterwardes was wrested vnto the oblation of the body wherevppon haue ensued great abuses Dionysius in that booke which containeth ceremonies of the Churche when hee doeth diligently describe the order of the Lordes Supper yet doth he not at all make any mention of the oblation of the Lordes body