PHILALETHES The place that they aleadged out of Ecclesiasticus maketh nothinge for them for how the place of Ecclesiasticus ought to be vnderstaÌ„ded it oughte to be vnderstanded of man being in the fyrst estate of his creation and beynge in his originall innocency and righteousnesse And because that it shall not bee thoughte that I bringe any thing of mine owne heade ye shall heare what Saynte Augustine sayethe whose wordes are these free wyll before the fall was an vprighte free wyll De caÌ„ticonouo ca. viii before whiche fyer and water was layed of God and the fyrste manne dyd reatche hys hande to whyche he woulde hee dyd choyse fier and forsoke water See the ryghteous iudge the same whiche manne beinge free dyd choyse he dyd receaue he woulde haue euyll and the same did folowe him Contra fortu Disputa xi And in an other place these be also hys woordes I saye that fre wyl was in that man which was created fyrst For he was so made that nothinge coulde withstande hys wyll if he would haue kepte Goddes commaundementes but after that hee hadde synned throughe free wyll hee dyd cast vs all that come of hys stocke into necessitye And therfore he writeth in an other place In encherid ad lauren Ca. xxx De verbis aposer ii that manne vsinge not well free wyll did bothe lose it him self Againe It is true sayeth he that manne when he was made did receaue greate strength of free wyll but he did lose it through synne These autorityes of Sainte Augustine doo sufficientely declare how the place that they aleaged oute of Ecclesiasticus oughte to be vnderstanded For there doubtelesse the wise manne dothe speake of man as he was first created in the estate of innocency and righteousnes and not as he was wyth his posteritye after hys fall De eccledogm ca. xxxii whereby as Saynte Augustine saithe all menne haue loste theyr naturall possibilitye or ablenesse and theyr naturall or originall innocencye And so ought the doctoures that they dyd bryng in for them selues to be vnderstanded for they do all speake of manne as he was afore his fall Whyche thynge appeareth to be moste true by the saying of Saint Hierome Iero in xxiii cap. Iere. who wrytinge vppon Ieremy saithe plainly these wordes And therefore the heretykes be wonte to promyse felicity and to open vnto sinners the kingdom of heauen saying Thou maist folowe the maiestye of God and be without synne syth that thou hast receyued the power or strength of free wyll and the vnderstandyng of the lawe whereby thou arte able to obtayne what so euer thou wylte And so the saide Heretykes do deceyue the poore symple and ignoraunt personnes and specially women whyche beynge loden with sinnes are ledde to and froe with euerye winde of doctrine deceiuynge by theyr flattery al them that geue eares vnto them Heare ye see that saint Ierome dothe call them all Heretikes that saye that menne be able by theyr free wyll to do bothe good and euyll Wheruppon we maye well conclude that in his Epistle ad Ctesiphonâ—em Existo ad ctesiphon tem he dothe speake of the fyrste estate of manne that he was in afore hys transgressyon and fall And as for Chrisostome although he dothe exceade in extollynge the naturall strengthe of manne hom i. in aduen yet dothe he confesse plainelye that euerye manne is not onely of hys owne nature a synner but also that he is synne altogether Whereby he doth ouerthrow what so euer he dothe wryte or saye in anye other place in the commendacyon of free wyll and of oure natural strengthe EVTRAPELVS That must be mooste true For if accordynge to his owne sayinge we be not only sinners of our owne nature but also synne all together where is oure gaye payncted free wyll become Ioh. viii Dothe not the truthe hym selfe saye that euery man that sinneth is a seruaunte of synne Againe is it not wrytten that of whome so euer a manne is ouercome ii Pet. ii vnto the same he is in boundage It appeareth then by thys that we are verye farre from that liberty and fredome that they doe so muche boaste of DYDIMVS Wherefore did then these ancient fathers and wryters of the Catholike churche extoll so muche the free will and naturall strengthe of manne Home lii For Chrisostome hath alwaies in his mouth Let vs bring that whiche is oure own God wyl supply the residue Where vnto Ierome doth agree saying Nostrum est incipere Dia. iii. con Pelagianes dei autem perficere Nostrum est offerre quod possumus illius implere quod non possumus That is to saye It is our part for to begin and it is Gods parte for to performe It is our parte to offer that whiche we can and it is his part to supply or fulfyll that that we can not PHILALETHES It is moste playne Why the aunciant fathers spake so of fre wil that they dyd seme to alowe it that they did it to thys end that they might driue awaye all slouggishnesse from menne Which thing they that came after did not perceiue And therefore they did attribute so muche to the free will and naturall strength of man that the fre mercy and grace of God was in a manner vtterlye forgotten DyDIMVS Howe can it be proued that they did tt onlye for that purpose PHILALETHES It is easy to be proued For if they shoulde meane as they write they shoulde directly be against the plain scriptures and worde of God and also against them selues Fyrst and foremost the LORD him selfe saieth I wyll hencefourth curse the earth no more for mans sake Gen. viii For the ymagination of mannes heart is euyll euen from the very youth of him And Moses for to declare Deu. xxix how vnable we be of oure selues to vnderstande heauenlye thinges doth saye plainlye these wordes Ye haue seene all that the Lorde did before youre eyes in the lande of Egipte vnto Pharao and vnto and all his seruaunts Thine eies haue sene these great tokens and wonders And yet vnto this day hath not the Lorde geuen you a harte that vnderstandeth eies that see eares that heare What could he saye more excepte he shuld call vs blocks and stones And in Ezechiel the Lorde sayeth A new heart Eze. xxvi wyl I geue you and a newe spirit wyl I put in to you As for that stony hearte I wyll take it oute of youre bodye and geue you a fleshy hart I will geue you my spirit amonge you and cause you to walke in my commaundements to kepe my lawes and to fulfyll them This place onely doth sufficientely teache vs that excepte oure stony heartes be taken away from vs and flesshy that is to saye obediente hartes geuen vs in stede of them yea and a newe spirit put in to vs whiche shoulde worke in vs an obedience towards the Lordes commaundementes we are
the argument of a Christian doctoure ALBION Obiectiō Thys was also one of theyr arguments wherby they went about to proue that we haue free wyll Wherfore say they shoulde any exhortations be made vnto the people or wherfore shoulde they be rebuked for their sinnes if it lieth not in them to obey or if it lyeth not in theyr power to shon vice and to embrace vertue PHILALETHES Suche obiections were made vnto S. Augustine Aunswer made out of sainte August wherfore he was compelled to make a boke de correptione et gratia that is to say of rebukynge and of grace Wher he doth stoutly confute all the obiections and argumentes that the aduersaryes can make In his decorreptione gratia which maye be reduced and brought to this short and compendious summe O man knowe in the commaundemēt what thou art bound to do In the rebuking learne that throughe thyne owne faut thou hast it not and in praier learn whence thou must receiue the thing that thou wilt haue First we are not alone in this cause but Christ al his apostles Let them se how they can shift hauing to do with such aduersaries Because the Christ saith that we can do nothinge without him Iohn xv dothe he lesse rebuke them therefore that withoute him did euil or dyd he lesse exhorte all men to geue thē selues vnto good woorkes Howe sharpelye dothe Saint Paule inueighe against the Corinthians for the neglecting of christian loue and charity and yet at lengthe he desireth of God that he vouchsafe to geue them christian loue and charity i. Cor. xvi Wrytinge to the Romaines he doth testify that it lieth not in the wyl and renning of man but in the mercye of God yet afterwardes he dothe not cease to admonishe Rom. ix to exhorte and to rebuke Why doe they not therefore warne the Lord or geue him counsel that he do not lose his labour requiring those thinges of menne which he alone is able to geue Or rebuking them for those thinges which only throughe the lacke of hys grace are committed Why do they not warn Paul to spare them in whose power it lieth not to wil nor to renne without the mercye of God wherof they be al together destituted As thoughe the Lord is not able to shewe a sufficient reason or cause of his doctrin whiche in dede doth offer it self vnto them that do godly and reuerently seke for it Verely S. Paule dothe well declare and shew how much i. Cor. i. both exhorting and rebukinge are able by them selues to change the mindes of the hearers when he wryteth that neyther he that planteth is any thing nor he that watreth but that it is the Lord that geueth the encrease which only worketh effectuously Question Wherfore then do the exhortations serue Aunswer If they that be of an obstinate hearte doe contemne and despise them they shall be for a witnesse vnto them when they come before the iudgemente seat of Christe Yea nowe at thys present they do already beate and smite theyr consciences For although they laugh them to scorn yet they be not able to dysalowe them But what shoulde they doe Sith that the softnesse of the hart which is necessary vnto obedience is denied vnto theym yea rather what are they able to say sith that they can impute the same hardnes of their own harts but only to thē selues but the chief vtility is to be considered in the faithfull For as the Lord doth woorke in them all thinges by his holy spirit so dothe he not neglect the instrument of his word nor yet occupy it wythoute efficacy or effect Let therefore the truth stand that is to saye let all menne be sure of this that all the hole strengthe and vertue of the godlye dothe lye only in the grace of God An other question Whye be they warned of theyr duetye and not rather permitted all together vnto the guyding or gouernment of the spirit Why are they stirred and moued with exhortations sythe that they can make no more haste than the spirite dothe pricke them forwardes whye are they rebuked if they go at any time out of the way sith that they fall through the weakenesse of theyr fleshe O man what arte thou that darest prescrybe a law vnto God Aunswer If by exhortatyon he wyll haue vs to be prepared to receiue the same self grace where by we are made obedient vnto his word is there any thing that thou canst iustly reproue in this deuine policye of his If exhortations and rebukings shuld serue for nothing els amonge the godlye but for to rebuke synne they oughte not to be cōpted vnprofitable But now The profytte of exhortatiōs vnto the godlye sith that the spirite workynge inwardlye they doe profyte muche for to kyndle in menne a desyre of goodnesse to shake of slouggishnesse to take awaye the pleasure of wyckednesse and the poysonned sweetenesse of it and contrarywise for to engender in them a hatred and tediousnesse of vyce and of this wicked and synnefull world who dareth saye that they be superflue or vnprofitable EVTRAPELVS Here in deede S. Augustin doth answer throughly the vain obiections of the Pelagians so that any reasonable man oughte to contente him selfe wyth his answer How be it me thinke that they were sufficiently answered already in our firste communication that we haue had this mornyng of the deuine predestinatyon of God ALBION Thys haue I gathered out of the wordes of S. Augustin What maye be gathered of Saint Augustines workes that God doth two manner of waies worke in hys elect and chosen Inwardly wyth his holye spirit and outwardly with his word with his spirite he maketh theym new creatures lightenynge theyr mindes and kindeling theyr hartes with the loue of righteousnes With his woorde he dothe moue and styrre them to desire the same renewing to seke for it and to embrace it And to both of them doth he retch forth his hand effectuously according as he hathe appoynted and ordained Why god doth send his word vnto the reprate And when he doth send his word vnto the reprobate thoughe it be not for theyr amendment yet it is to thys ende that they may in this preset world be confounded with the testimony and witnesse of theyr owne conscience and also be made vnexcusable agaynst the day of iudgement But what can ye say to these places of the scripture Obiectiō that they did a leadge vnto me I wyl willinglye offer sacrifice vnto thee Agayne I wyll of my free wyll praise and laude thee Item Let thyne hande be readye to saue me For I haue chosen thy commaundements Do not these wordes of the prophette Dauid declare plainlye that the thing that he did he did it willingly frely and frankly PHILA I saye Aunswer that they make or put no difference betwyxte the man that is alreadye renewed by the spirite of God and the manne that is altogether carnal and
fleshly For the man that is not regenerated or borne of newe wyll speake no such woordes as Dauid dyd For they are the wordes of a manne that is alreadye made a newe creature by the Spirite of God This will then that was in Dauid did not come of hys owne self nor of his fre will that he had of his owne nature but it did com of the spirit of God who dyd geue this will vnto Dauid For Iesus Christ him selfe doth say Verely verelye I saye vnto you Iohn iii excepte a manne be borne from aboue he can not see the kingdome of God Where by he dothe meane that manne is able to doe nothynge that is pleasaunte or acceptable vnto GOD. Nor yet taste the swetenesse of the heauenly kingdome excepte it be geuen vnto him ALBION If said thei vnto me we haue no free wil Obiectiō why shoulde God so manye times call synners vnto repentaunce were it not labour lost so to do How manye tymes doth he by his Prophets crye out and say Turne ye vnto me al ye endes of the earthe Esay xlv and so shall ye be saued Againe Tourne vnto me and repent Eze. xviii If menne haue not fre wil to do these thinges the prophets do labor in vaine PHILALETHES If ye marke wel the talke and communication of youre faithfull guides aunswer ye shall easelye perceiue that they be not throughlye exercised in the scryptures For God doth not so speake vnto menne by hys Prophettes because that synners are able of theyr own selues to turn vnto hī DIDyMVS Howe be ye able to proue that PHILALETHES .. First wher Esay saithe Esay xlv in the persons of the Lorde Tourne ye vnto me and ye shall be healed by and by Ieremye dothe crye oute and saye O Lord turne me and I shal be turned For thou arte the Lorde my God Yea assone as thou turnest me I shal reforme my self Again the Lorde dothe commaunde that we shoulde circumcise oure owne heartes Iere. iiii yet by Moses he dothe declare that the same circumcision is made with his owne hande Deut. xxx He doth also require the renewing of our heartes but in an other place he doth plainly testify that it is he him self that geueth it Loke therfore what God doth promise that do we not by oure free will or nature as S. Augustine saithe but GOD dothe it by his grace And this is the fift thing The rule of Tironius that he dothe bid vs to marke amonge the rules of Tironius that is to say that we shoulde note diligentlye the dyfference that is betwixt the law and the promises or betwixte the commaundementes and the grace I maye here bringe in manye other lyke places Act. xv Paule and Barnabas do exhorte the faythfull to abyde and perseuer in the grace of God But Paule in an other place doth shewe whence that vertue of constancye and perseueraunce dothe come Ephe. vi fynally my bretherne saith he be strong in the Lorde Again for this cause do I bowe my knees vnto the father of oure Lord Iesu Christe that he woulde graunte you accordinge to the rychesse of his glory that ye maye be strengthed wyth might by the spirit of the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hartes by faith Moreouer he sayeth Greue not the holye spyrit of God Ephe. iiii by whom ye are sealed vnto redemption But the thynge that he doth requyre there because that it canne not be perfourmed by menne he doth desyre God to graunte it vnto the Thessalonians sayinge i. Thes i. wherfore we pray alwayes for you that your god make you worthy of your callinge and fulfyll al good purpose of his goodnesse and the worke of fayth wyth power that the name of oure Lorde Iesu Christ maye be glorifyed in you and ye in hym throughe the grace of our God and of the Lord Iesu Christ These places do sufficiently declare that what so euer God dothe requyre of vs the same he must worke in vs by his holye spirite For of our selues we are able to do no maner of thing the good is DIDY Question Why doth God thē speake after this maner vnto men PHI. Aunswer God causeth men to be thus admonished and warned because that it is a meane that he hathe appoynted and ordayned And whiche he dothe vse for to illuminate and lighten those that be elected and chose vnto life euerlasting and for to make thē to know their sinnes For god by the preaching of his worde by the vertue of his holy spirite doth geue vnto them that be chosē vnto lyfe euerlasting strength to turn vnto him And although this doctrin of conuersyon or turning is directed vnto all mē generally yet doth it most chieflye pertain vnto the elect and chosen vnto whom by this meane God illuminating them doth geue power and strength to conuert or turn Againe Why God causeth obstinate synners to be warned God causeth obstynate synners to be thus warned by his Prophets because that they shuld not pretend ignorance nor excuse them selues by it in the iudgemēt of God And also for to shewe that he loueth vertue rightousnesse and that he is not author of euil Whē God did send Moses vnto Pharao Exo. vii God knew right wel that Pharao wold not turne Yet we must not say that God did send him in vain ALBI. Thus they said vnto me Obiectiō wherfore do these promises serue seke after the thing that is good and not euill so shall ye liue Amos. v yea the lord god of hostes shal be with you accordinge to your owne desires Againe If ye be louinge and obedient ye shal enioye the best thing that groweth in the lande but if ye be obstinate and rebellious ye shal be deuoured with the swerde For the mouthe of the Lord hathe spoken it Iere. iiii Item if thou wylt put away thy abhominations oute of my sight thou shalt not be dryuen oute If thou shalt harken vnto the voyce of the Lorde thy God to obserue and do all his commaundements Deut. xxv Le. xxviii which I commaund the this daye then shall the Lord thy God set the aboue all nations vpon earth And such other lyke excepte we haue free wyll or except it lyeth in oure power to fulfyll and perfourme the condytions that are annexed vnto them we maye saye in deede that they be goodlye promyses if the conditions that be annexed vnto them canne not be perfourmed by oure owne strengthe and power and that God dothe playe mocke holy daye wyth vs if he promysethe thynges that it lyeth not in vs to obtayne PHILALE And I saye that it is a playne blasphemye Aunswer to affyrme that God doth playe mocke holy daye wyth vs when he doth prouoke vs to deserue his benefits although he knoweth vs to be vnable to do it For when the promises are offered vnto the faythfull vngodly in lyke The effecte
him the cause of theyr calamities and miseries whyche was in them selues With theese few solutions answers any man may easely rid him selfe from manye authorities whiche the ennemyes of the grace of God are wōt to heape together for to erect and sette vppe the Idoll of theyr free wyll ALBION This is moste sure that the Lorde dothe speake these woordes by his prophet Oseas Obiectiō I wyll go and retourn to my place Osee v. tyll they waxe faint and seke me It were a folish thing said my gentle men vnto me if the LORD should tary til Israel shuld tourne and seeke hym except it dyd lie in theyr power to tourn which waye they listed PHILA Aunswer The enemies can wynne nothinge vpon vs by the threatenings of god As thoughe the Lorde doth not commōly in the prophets make as though he should forsake and caste of hys people tyll they amend and tourne vnto hym but what are oure ennemyes able to gather of suche threatnynges If they go about to gather by them that men beinge forsaken of God are of their owne selues able to turne againe then haue they all the scriptures against them If they saye that they haue neede of the garce of God that they maye turne again what neede they to contende or striue with vs DIDYMVS They do not denye but that the grace of God is necessarye if ye wyll graunte that there is also in manne a certayne strength PHILALETHES Howe shall they be able to prone that Truely they can not proue it by this place nor by suche like For it is an other thynge to go away from man and to looke what beyng permitted and lefte vnto hym selfe he is able to do and an other thynge to healpe hys small strength as hys imbecilitye and weakenesse dothe requyre DYDIMVS Question What doth the lord meane then by suche manner of speakyng PHILALETHES It is euen as if he shoulde say Aunswer Syth that this rebellious people wyll take no heede to my warnings and exhortations nor yet to my sharpe rebukinges I wyll for a tyme wythdrawe my self from him and suffer him to be afflycted and troubled I wyll see whether this styfnecked people wyll at length after theyr greate calamityes miseries and troubles remember me and seke my face Nowe What it is meant when the scripture sayeth that God doth withdrawe him selfe from this people when the scripture sayeth that God dothe wythdraw hym self the meaning of it is that God doth take away hys prophecye and worde wher in he declareth a certain presēce of hys And to looke what men wyll do it signifyeth that God wyll holde him selfe styll and as he were a sleape suffer them to be manye and sondrye wayes plaged And bothe these thynges is he wont to doo for to make vs to humble oure selues For we should rather by aduersitye be dryuen vnto desperatyon than vnto anye amendemente of lyfe except he should by his spirite make vs meete to receiue hys chastisement Wherfore to go about by suche places for to proue that there is anye such strengthe in vs or that we haue free wyll to doe what we list it is a plain madnes For such thinges be spoken in the scriptures for none other purpose but for to make vs to know oure own infirmity and weakenesse ALBION I dyd aske them whether they could bryng anye authorities of the scripture The obiection of the papistes whereby they myght proue expreslye that a man hath suche free wyll as they went about to maintaine and vphold They dyd then aunswer me that Moses was so sure of it that he did not doubt to say these wordes vnto the children of Israell Deut. xxx I take heauen and earth this day to record ouer you that I haue layde before you life and deathe blessing and cursing Chuse life therefore that thou mayest lyue thou and thy feede and that ye maye loue the Lorde your God and harken vnto his voyce and cleaue vnto him Iosu xxiiii Iosua also did saye vnto the people Chuse ye this daye whome ye wyll serue The God whome youre fathers serued beyonde the water or the Goddes of the Amorites in whose lande ye dwell Thinke ye that these true seruaunts of God Moses and Iosua would haue spoken thus vnto the people except it had lyen in their power to chuse which they would It is playne then that they had free wyll elles suche things hadde bene spoken vnto them in vaine PHILALETHES Aunswer Suche sentences and autoryties of the scripture do not proue that man hath free wyl to do what he lyst or that he can at his owne pleasure chuse both good and euil For although Moses doth saye vnto the people I do laye before you both life and death yet it foloweth not that they were able of theyr owne selues to chuse lyfe without the spirit and grace of God Deu. xxix Whiche thinge he doth sufficientely declare in an other place when he sayeth Thyne eies haue sene these greate tokens and wonders Yet the Lorde hath not geuen thee a harte to vnderstande nor eares to heare nor eies to see As then it did profytte the people nothinge to haue seene the greate tokens and wonders that the Lord did worke in Egipt euen in theyr owne sight excepte he did geue them a harte to vnderstande eares to heare and eies to see that is to saye except the Lorde did by his holy spirit lyghten their harts vnstop their eares and cleare the eyes of theyr myndes euen so althoughe Moses Iosua and all the prophetes of God doe saye a thousande time Behold we laye before you lyfe and death chuse whiche ye wyll yet all this wyll profytte vs nothinge except God dothe worke inwardely wyth his holy spirit Whiche thinge Saint Paule dothe neyther dyssemble nor hydde when he wryteth on thys manner i. Cor. i. I haue planted and Apollo hathe watred But it is the Lord that geueth the encreace But that ye maye the better perceaue the whole matter ye shall vnderstande that God doth by the preachinge of his prophetes and Apostles Mat. ix as when oure sauioure Iesu Christe dyd saye vnto the manne that was sycke of the palsye aryse take vp thy bedde and go home It dyd not folowe that he hadde strengthe to aryse excepte oure sauyoure Iesus Christe hadde geuen it hym But when Chryste dyd saye vnto hym aryse He did streyght wyth it geue him strength to aryse Euen so when God doth by his preachers speake vnto them whom he hath chosen already and doth commaund them to aryse oute of the bdde of synne streyght wyth hee geueth them strength to do it DIDYMVS Obiectiō I maruayle that ye wyll haue no manner of strength to bee lefte vnto vs in thinges that perteyne to our saluation and lyfe euerlastinge syth that oure sauioure Iesus Crhist him self doth testifye that the manne that went from Ierusalem to Iericho luc x. by whom he
infyrmitye and weakenesse ▪ For if Moses had spoken there of the bare commaundementes onlye he shoulde haue puft vp the people with a most hurtfull and pernitious confydence wherby they must nedes to haue caste them selues headlonge in to vtter destruction if they had attempted to obserue and kepe the lawe by theyr owne strengthe For when they hadde felt them selues vnable to doo it woulde they not haue taken to playne desperation if they hadde knowen none other waye or meane for to obtayne saluation and to escape death but by the perfecte kepinge of the lawe Sainte Paul then hauing then a perfect vnderstanding of this place doth applye it altogether vnto the doctrine of fayth For hauinge spoken of the righteousnesse that cometh by the lawe and how that they that obserue and kepe the commaundementes shal lyue by them he doth adde immediatelye these wordes But the righteousnesse that cometh of faith speaketh on this wyse Rom. x. Saye not in thy hearte Who shall ascende in to heauen For that were to fetch Christ downe Or who shall go down in to the depe For that wer to fetch vp Christ from death But what sayethe the scripture The worde is nyghe thee euen in thy mouth and in thy hearte This is the worde of fayth which we preache If thou shalt confesse or knowledge wyth thy mouth that Iesus is the Lorde and shalt beleue wyth thy hart that God raysed him vp from death thou shalt be safe For the belyef of the heart iustifyeth and the confession of the mouth maketh man safe Who would requyre a more sounde exposition of Moses wordes than this is ALBION This exposition can in no wyse mislyke me syth that it cometh from the same selfe spirit that Moses did writ by Nowe therefore come to the sayinges of Christ and of Iohn the euangelist PHILALE Such sayinges are moste true as it dothe appeare by that How the sayinges of Christ and Iohn the euāgelist ought to be vnderstāded which hath ben sayed before For the cōmaundements of god of them selues are easy and if there be any dyfficultye or hardnesse in them it cometh not of the nature and propertye of the commaundementes of God but of the corruption of manne Heare what Saint Paule sayethe what so euer the lawe coulde not fulfyll Ro. viii in as much as it was weake because of the flesh that same did God perfourme sendinge his sonne in the similitude of synneful flesh and by synne damned sinne Two thinges to be learned in Pauls sayinge Two things do we learne in thys saying of the Apostle Fyrste that it commeth not of the law that menne are not able to fulfil it but of the imbecility and weaknesse of the flesh The lawe then and the commaundementes be easy and if ther be any difficultye or hardnesse in the fulfilling of them it commeth of our naughty and corrupted nature Secondly we do learn that God dothe by his sonne Iesu Christe supply the same that by reason of the weakenesse of our flesh we be not able to fulfyl Again the commaundements of god are easy and lyght vnto hym that is graffed in Christ and that hathe fellowshyp wyth him For those thyngs that afore were harde vnto manne are made easy vnto him bi faith wher by he is graffed in Christ as saint Paule doth testify saying I am able to do all thinges through him that doth comforte me And so the saying of S. Augustin shal be true where he sayth I can not thincke that God hath commaunded anye thing that is impossible Phi. iiii Elsse S. Augustine doth graunte in many other places that God hathe commaunded thinges that it is impossible for man to fulfyll as in the boke of the spirit and of the letter and in his thyrde treatyse vppon Ihon. And so ought al to be vnderstanded How Chrisostō and Ierome ought to be vnderstanded that they aleadge bothe oute of Chrisostome of Ierome that is to saye that the commaundementes of God were easye to kepe For the faithful man is perswaded dothe beleue that whatsoeuer is wanting or lackynge in him the same is supplied by christ with whome he hath felowshyppe through faith Whyche working through chariti loue causeth the commaundements of god to be easy vnto the inner man whyche is borne of newe or which is renued by the holy ghost God hauynge a chief respect vnto the wyll and desire that such a man hath to kepe them actually if it dyd lye in hys power and wherby he doth endeuor him self daily to fulfill them For it is the duety of him that is renued What is the duety of him that is renewed to study daily and hourly to kepe the commaundementes of god though he be not able by him self and of hys owne strength to attain to the perfect keping of thē For we must not because that we are not able to kepe the law of god as it ought to be kept be slack therfore to do that whiche lieth in vs beinge sure that oure obedience though it be vnperfect shal be accepted before God as longe as we be true members of hys sonne Iesu Christe Why the auncient fathers spake as they did For thys cause did the auncyent doctours speake as they dyd that so they myght take away from men the vaine excuses whiche they be wont to make because of the impossibility of the law DIDyMVS The foolishe and found obiection of the enemies I was once in a place where I hard a stout champion of the Romish church say that there haue bene not one nor two but many that dyd besydes Christ fulfyll the law of God wyth a moste consummate perfection as Iosua and zacharie Ihons father saying that this is wrytten of Iosua As the Lorde commaunded hys seruaunte Moses and as Moses commaunded Iosua Iosu xi euen so did Iosua so that there was nothing vndone at al of those things that god commaunded Moses PHILALETHES I aske you whether was Iosua a man that was conceiued after the common sort of other men or not DIDyMVS I beleue that he was a man and that he was conceiued betwixt man and woman as other men are PHILALETHES Ye beleue wel for it is so in dede We muste then confesse and graunt that Iosua did go a stray from the law of God that he was a lyer and that he was filled wyth manye myseryes For it is sayd of all menne Ro. iii. that be borne of man and woman that they haue all gone oute of the waye that they be also al lyers Psal cxvi howe dare then youre bragginge marchauntes be so bold to affirm that Iosua hath kept the hole law of God For these be two contrary things to be a lyer and to haue kept the law of God perfectlye Againe I woulde fayne knowe of you whether Ihon Baptyste or Ihon the Euangelist was not as perfect as Iosua Or whether Iosua was more perfecte than anye
glory of righteousnes EV. By what authorityes of the scripture did he proue his saying DYDIMVS By the saying of S. Augustine wher he wryteth that concupiscence is no synne in them that bee regenerated or borne of new excepte we consente vnto the same wicked naughtye workes EVTRA. This galant doctor of yours doth great wrong to s Augustin For he saith not only that concupiscence is no sin but that it is no sinne in them that are born of new as ye your self do wel perceiue by his woordes that ye haue aleadged For god saith not thou shalt not go after thy concupiscences Thou shalt not bring them to effect nor consent vnto them but he saithe plainlye Thou shalt not couet And that concupiscence in them that are born of new is cōpted for no sinne it commeth not of the concupiscence but of the newe byrthe or regeneration whiche bryngeth to passe that God dothe not vnto hym that is borne of new impute hys concupyscence for sin For it is wrytten he that is born of God i. Ioh. iii. sinneth not that is to say his sin is not imputed vnto him Againe it is saide that be synneth not because that he suffereth not synne to raigne in him Moreouer I wyll proue by liuelye reasons that concupiscence that is to saye all euyll motions of the harte are synne Fyrst and foremoste I aske of you wherof commeth concupiscence of the fleshe or of the spirite DyDIMVS I graunt that it cometh of the flesh EV. It followeth then that concupiscence is fleshlye For as Christe saith That which is born of flesh Ioh. iii. is flesh DIDyMVS I do confesse that to EV. It followeth then that concupiscence is synne For the flesh in it selfe is nothyng elsse but sinne euer repugnynge againste the spirit as it is wrytten The flesh coueteth agaynste the spirit And in an other place Saint Paule sayeth also gala v. The workes of the fleshe are manifest which are whoredōe enuy Idolatry c. I aske this of you he that geueth occasion of synne is not he partaker of the sinne He that biddeth to steale and he that stealeth be they not both theues Now it is so that euery euel motion of the hart doth stir vp man for to sinne and if mā doth not assent nor agre vnto it the faut and lacke is not in the concupiscence that dothe all that in it doth lie to cast man headlong into sinne but it is the holy ghoste that dothe mortifye the same concupiscence in them that be regenerated or borne of newe Seing then that all sinnes do come and proceade of the concupiscence and euil motiōs of the hart we muste neades confesse that suche concupiscence and euil motions of the hart are euell If they be euill then are they forbidden of God For God doth not only commaunde to auoide sinne but also the occasion of sinne Sith then that we do retein and kepe in vs such euil motions of the harte we do euil For vnderstād ye that God by this commaundement Thou shalt not couet dothe condemne and forbid al euil concupiscence and naughty motions of the hart and not onlye the frutes that spring therof That is to saye because that God wyll haue all oure whole soule to be filled and possessed with the affectyon of loue and charity hys wyll and pleasure is that we should banish and cast out of our harts al manner of things that be contrary vnto charity and brotherly loue so that no thought shoulde rise in oure mindes for to kindle our harts wyth any concupiscence that might be hurtfull noysome vnto our neighbor For it is the concupiscence that prycketh and tickeleth the hart for to in tice him to sinne DIDyMVS It may be that man shall not consent to it EV. If man should consent vnto it then the same consent shoulde no more be called concupiscence only but a deliberate purpose And truely it is no meruel that God dothe requyre such a perfection Why god doth require such a perfection and vprightuee in man and vprightnesse in man For who wyll saye the contrarye but that it is moste ryghte that all the powers of the soule oughte to be applyed and geuen to charity And if anye part of the soule dothe shrincke or swarue from it I mean from the loue that we owe vnto God and our neighboure al men must nead confesse that it is fauty nought For wherof dothe it come that any desire to hurt our neyghboure entreth into our hart but only because that despisinge other we do only seke our owne profit For if our whole hart wer fully possessed with charity and brotherlye loue no such imaginations shuld haue entraunce into it Therefore we muste conclude that the harte is void of charitye for as muche as it doth conceiue such concupiscence DYDIMVS But me thyncketh that it is not meete and conuenyent that such vayne fantasyes as do come into a mannes brayn and afterwards do vanish away shuld be taken and condemned for concupiscences which properly haue their of spring in the hart EV. I saye that God by thys commaundement Thou shalt not couet forbiddeth not only those imaginations that rise in mans harte but also al vain thoughtes that may by anye meane moue stir vp the hart vnto concupiscence For we can neuer so sone lust or desire any thing in our mind but that the hart is straightwais therwith touched and enflamed whether it be lyttle or much But the lord doth require of vs a most perfect charity which should be farthest from all fleshlye concupiscence PHILA Sithens that thys matter hathe bene suffycyentlye debated I thyncke it good that heare we make an end praying most earnestly vnto oure heauenly father to send his holye spirit into our harts and to endue vs aboūdantly with the same that our corrupted and poysened flesh being through it tamed and mortified we may wholly geue our selues to serue him in holynesse and righteousnesse al the daies of oure liues DyDIMVS God graunt it ¶ Imprinted at London by Ihon Tisdale and are to be sold at hys shop in Lombard streate Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum