passion Peter was angry and rebuked Christ and thought earnestly that he had raued and not wist what he sayde as at another time when Christ was so feruently busied in healyng the people that he had no leisure to eat they went out to hold him supposing that he had bene beside hymselfe And one that cast out diuels in Christes name they forbade because he wayted not on them so glorious were they yet And though Christ taught alway to forgeue yet Peter after long goyng to schole asked whether men should forgeue seuen tymes thinkyng that viij tymes had bene to much And at the last supper Peter would haue dyed with christ but yet within few houres after he denyed him both cowardly and shamefully And after the same maner though he had so long heard that no man might auenge him self but rather turne the other cheeke to then to smite agayne yet when Christ was in takyng Peter asked whether it were lawful to smite with the sword and taried none aunswere but layed on rashly So that though when we come first vnto knowledge of the truth and the peace is made betwene God and vs and we loue his lawes and beleue and trust in him as in our father and haue good hartes vnto him and be borne a new in the spirite yet we are but childrē and young scholers weake and feble and must haue leysure to grow in the spirite in knowledge loue and in the ded◅ therof as young children must haue tyme to grow in their bodies And God our father and scholemaster feedeth vs and teacheth vs accorcordyng vnto the capacitie of our stomackes and maketh vs to grow and waxe perfect and fineth and trieth vs as gold in the fire of temptations and tribulations As Moyses witnesseth Deutero viij saying Remember all the way by whiche the Lord thy God caried thee this xl yeares in the wildernesse to humble thee and to tempte or prouoke thee y t it might be knowen what were in thine hart He brought thee into aduersitie and made thee an hungred then fed thee with Manna which neither thou nor yet thy fathers euer knew of to teach that man lyueth not by bread onely but by all that procedeth out of the mouth of GOD. For the promises of God are lyfe vnto all that cleaue vnto them muche more then breade and bodyly sustenaunce as the iourney of the children of Israell out of Egipt into the land promised them ministreth thee notable ensamples and that aboundantly as doth all the rest of the Bible also Howbeit it is impossible for flesh to beleue and to trust in the truth of Gods promises vntil he haue learned it in much tribulation after that God hath deliuered him out therof agayne God therefore to teach Ionas and to shew him his owne hart to make him perfect and to instruct vs also by his ensample sent him out of the lande of Israell where he was a Prophet to go among the heathen people and to the greatest and mightiest Citie of the world then called Niniue to preache that within xl dayes they should all perish for their sinnes and that the Citie should be ouerthrowen Whiche message the free will of Ionas had as much power to doe as the weakest harted womā in the world ▪ hath power if◅ were commaunde◅ to leape int◅e of lyuyng snakes and adders as happely if God had cōmaunded Sara to haue sacrificed her sonne Isaa◅ as he did Abraham she would haue disputed with him yer shee had done it or though she were strong enough yet many an holy Saint could not haue founde in their hartes but would haue runne away from the presence of the commaundement of God with Ionas if they had bene so strongly tempted For Ionas thought of this maner loe I am here a Prophet vnto Gods people the Israelites Whiche though they haue Gods worde testified vnto them dayly yet despise it and worshyp God vnder the likenesse of calues and after all maner fashions saue after hys owne word and therfore are of all nations the worst and most worthy of punishment And yet God for loue of fewe that are among them and for his names sake spareth and defendeth them How then should GOD take so cruel vengeaunce on so great a multitude of them to whō hys name was neuer preached to and therfore are not the tenth part so euill as these If I shall therfore go preach so shal I laye and shame my selfe and God thereto make them the more to dispise God and set the lesse by him and to bee the more cruell vnto his people And vpon that imagination he fled from the face or presence of God that is out of the coūtrey where God was worshipped in and from the prosecutyng of Gods commaundement and thought I will get me an other way among the heathen people and be no more a prophet but liue at rest and out of all combraunce Neuerthelesse the God of all mercy which careth fo◠his elect children turneth all vnto good to them and smiteth them to heale thē againe and killeth them to make them aliue agayne and playeth with them as a father doth some tyme with his young ignoraunt children and tempteth them and proueth them to make them see their owne hartes prouided for Ionas how all thinges should be When Ionas entred into the shyp he layd him down to slepe and to take his rest that is his conscience was tossed betwene the commaundement of God which sent him to Ninine and his fleshly wisedome that dissnaded counselled him the contrary and at the last preuailed against the commaundement and caryed him an other way as a shyp caught betwene two streames as Poetes faine the mother of Meliager to be betwen diuers affections while to aduenge her brothers death shee sought to slea her owne sonne Whereupon for very paine and tediousnes he lay down to slepe for to put the commaundement which so gnewe and fret his conscience out of mynde as the nature of all wicked is when they haue sinned a good to seke all meanes with riot reuell and pastime to driue the remembraūce of sinne out of their thoughtes or as Adam did to couer their nakednes with apornes of Pope holy workes But God awoke him out of his dreame set his sinnes before his face For when y t lot had caught Ionas then bee sure that his sinnes came to remembraunce agayne and that his cōscience raged no lesse then the waues of the Sea And then he thought that he onely was a sinner and the heathen that were in the shyp none in respect of him and thought also as veryly as he was fled from God that as veryly God had cast him away for the sight of the rodde maketh the naturall child not onely to see and to knowledge his faulte but also to forget all his fathers old mercy and kindnesse And then he confessed his sinne openly
continue in sinnne but repeÌ„ted assoone as his fault was told him But was he not reconciled by fayth onely not by dedes sayd he not haue mercy on me Lord for thy great mercy and for the multitude of thy mercies put away my sinne And agayne make me heare ioy and gladnesse that the bones whiche thou hast broken may reioyce That is let me heare thy voyce that my sinne is forgeuen and then I am safe will reioyce And afterward he knowledgeth that God deliteth not in sacrifices for sinnes but that a troubled spirite and a broken hart is that whiche God requireth And when the peace was made he prayeth boldly and familiarly to God that he would be good to Sion and Ierusalem and saith that then last of all when God hath forgeuen vs of mercy hath done vs good for our euill we shall offer sacrifice of thankes to hym agayne So that our dedes are but thankesgeuyng When we haue sinned we go with a repentyng hart vnto Christes bloud there wash it of thorough fayth And our dedes are but thankes geuyng to God to helpe our neighbours at their nede for which our neighbours and eche of them owe vs as much agayne at our nede So that the Testament or forgeuenesse of sinnes is built vppon fayth in Christes bloud and not on workes M. More wil runne to the Pope for forgeuenesse a poenae culpae By what merites doth the Pope that by Christes And Christ hath promised all his merites to them that repent and beleue not geuen them vnto the Pope to sell And in your absolutioÌ„s ye oft absolue without ioynyng of penauÌ„ce He must haue a purpose to do good woorkes will ye say That coÌ„dition is set before him to do out of y e mercy that hee hath receaued and not to receaue mercy out of them But the Popish can not repeÌ„t out of the hart And therfore caÌ„ not fele the mercy that fayth bryngeth therfore can not be mercyfull to their neighbours to doe their woorkes for their sakes But they faine them a sorow for their sinne in which they euer continue and so morne for them in the mornyng that they laugh in them yer midday agayne And then they imagine them Popish deedes to make satisfaction to God and make an Idole of him And finally that good workes as to geue almes and such like iustifie not of them selues is manifest For as the good which are taught of God do theÌ„ well of very loue to God and Christ of their neighbours for Christes sake euen so the euill do them of vayne glorie a false fayth wickedly as we haue exaÌ„ples in the Phariseis so that a man must be good yer he can do good And so is it of the purpose to do theÌ„ Ones purpose is good and an others euill so that we must be good yer a good purpose come How then to loue the law of God and to consent therto to haue it written in thyne hart and to professe it so that thou art ready of thyne own accorde to do it and without compulsion is to be righteous that I graunt and that loue may be called righteousnesse before God passiue and the lyfe quickenesse of the soule passiue And so farre forth as a man loueth the law of God so farre forth he is righteous so much as hee lacketh of loue toward hys neighbour after the example of Christ so much he lacketh of righteousnesse And that thyng which maketh a man loue the law of God doth make a man righteous and iustifieth him effectiuely and actually and maketh hym alyue as a woorkeman and cause efficient Now what is it that maketh a man to loue verely not the dedes for they folow and spryng of loue if they be good Neither the preachyng of the law for that quickeneth not the hart Gal. iij. but causeth wrath Rom. iiij vttereth the sinne onely Rom. iij. And therfore sayth Paule that righteousnes spryngeth not out of the deedes of the law into the hart as the Iewes the Pope meane but contrary the deedes of the law spryng out of the righteousnesse of the hart if they be good As when a father pronounceth the law that the child shall go to schole it sayth nay For that killeth his hart all his lustes so that he hath no power to loue it But what maketh his hart aliue to loue it verely fayre promises of loue kyndnesse that it shall haue a gentle scholemaster and shal play inough and shall haue many gaye thynges and so forth Euen so the preachyng of fayth doth worke loue in our soules make them alyue draw our hartes to God The mercy that we haue in christ doth make vs loue onely onely bringeth the spirite of life into our soules And therfore sayth Paule we be iustified by fayth and by grace without dedes that is yer the dedes come For fayth onely bringeth the spirite of lyfe and deliuereth our soules from feare of daÌ„nation which is in the law and euer maketh peace betwen God and vs as oft as there is any variaunce betwene vs. And finally wheÌ„ the peace is made betwene God and vs and all forgeuen through fayth in Christes bloud we begyn to loue the law we were neuer the nearer except fayth went with vs to supply out the lacke of full loue in that we haue promises that that litle we haue is takeÌ„ a woorth and accepted till more come And agayne when our frailtie hath ouerthrowen vs and feare of damnation inuaded our conscieÌ„ces we were vtterly lost if fayth were not bye to helpe vs vp agayne in that we are promised that when soeuer we repent of euill and come to the right way agayne it shal be forgeuen for Christes sake For wheÌ„ we be fallen there is no Testament made in workes to come that they shal saue vs. And therfore the workes of repentauÌ„ce or of the SacrameÌ„tes can neuer quiet our coÌ„sciences deliuer vs from feare of damnation And last of all in temptation tribulation and aduersities we perished dayly except fayth went with vs to deliuer vs in that we haue promises that god will assiste vs cloth vs fede vs fight for vs and rid vs out of the handes of our enemyes And thus the righteous liueth euer by fayth euen from fayth to fayth that is as soone as he is deliuered out of one temptation an other is set before him to fight against and to ouercome thorow fayth The scripture sayth blessed is the man whose transgression is forgeuen his sinnes hid and vnto whom the Lord reckoneth not vnrighteousnes So that the onely righteousnes of him that caÌ„ but sinne and hath nought of himselfe to make amendes is the forgeuenesse of sinne which saith onely bringeth And as farforth as we be vnâ—â—ghteous faith onely iustifieth vs actiuely and els nothing on our partie And as farforth
and had yet leuer perishe alone then that the other should haue perished with him for his sake and so of very desperatiō to haue lyued any longer he bad cast him into the Sea betimes except they would be lost also To speake of lottes how farre forth they are lawfull is a light question First to vse them for the breakyng of strife as when parteners their goods as equally diuided as they can take euery man his part by lot to auoyde all suspition of disceitfulnesse and as the Apostles in the first of the Actes when they sought an other to succede Iudas the traitour and two persōs were presented then to breake strife and to satisfie all parties did cast lottes whether should be admitted desiryng God to temper them and to take whom he knew most mete seyng they wyste not whether to preferre or happely could not all agree on either is lawfull and in all like cases But to abuse them vnto the temptyng of God and to compell hym therewith to vtter thinges wherof we stand in doubt when we haue no commaundement of him so to do as these heathen here dyd though God turned it vnto his glorie can not be but euill The heathen shypmen astonyed at the sight of the miracle feared GOD prayed to him offered sacrifice and vowed vowes And I doubte not but that some of them or happely all came thereby vnto the true knowledge and true worshipping of GOD and were wonne to GOD in their soules And thus God which is infinite mercifull in all his wayes wrought their soules health out of the infirmitie of Ionas euen of his good wil and purpose and loue wherewith he loued them before the world was made not of chaunce as it appeareth vnto the eyes of the ignoraunt And that Ionas was three dayes and three nightes in the belye of hys fishe we can not therby proue vnto the Iewes and infideles or vnto any mā that Christ must therefore dye and bee buried and rise againe But we vse the ensample and likenesse to strength the fayth of the weake For he that beleueth the one cā not dout in the other in as much as the hand of GOD was no lesse mightie in preseruyng Ionas alyue agaynst all naturall possibilitie and in deliueryng him safe out of this fish then in raising vp Christ agayne out of his sepulchre And we may describe the power and vertue of the resurrection thereby as Christ him selfe boroweth the similitude therto Math. xij saying vnto the Iewes that came about him and desired a signe or a wōder from heauen to certifie them that he was Christ this euill and wedlocke breakyng nation whiche breake the wedlocke of faith wherwith they bee maried vnto God and beleue in their false woorkes seke a signe but there shall no signe bee geuen them saue the signe of the Prophet Ionas For as Ionas was three dayes and three nightes in the bely of the Whale euen so shall the sonne of mā be three dayes three nightes in the hart of the earth Which was a watch word as we say and a sharpe threatenynge vnto the Iewes and as much to say as thus ye hard harted Iewes seke a signe loe this shal be your signe as Ionas was raised out of the sepulchre of his fishe and then sent vnto the Niniuites to preach that they should perish euen so shall I rise againe out of my sepulchre and come and preach repentaunce vnto you See therfore when ye see the signe that ye repent or els ye shal surely perishe and not escape For though the infirmities whiche ye now see in my flesh be a let vnto your fathers ye shall then be without excuse when ye see so great a miracle and so great power of God shed out vpon you And so Christ came agayne after the resurrection in his spirite and preached repentaunce vnto them by the mouth of his Apostles and Disciples and with miracles of the holy Ghost And all that repented not perished shortly after the rest caried awaye captiue into all quarters of the world for an example as ye see vnto this day And in like maner since the worlde began where soeuer repentaunce was offered and not receaued their GOD tooke cruell vengeaunce immediatly as ye see in the floude of Noe in the ouerthrowynge of Sodome and Gomorra and all the countrey about and as ye see of Egypt of the Amorites Cananites and afterward of the very Israelites and then at the last of the Iewes to and of the Assirians Babilonians and so throughout all the impeires of the world Gildas preached repentaunce vnto the old Britaines that inhabited England they repented not and therfore God sent in their enemies vpon them on euery side and destroyed them vp and gaue the land vnto other nations And greate vengeaunce hath bene taken in that lande for synne since that tyme. Wicleffe preached repentaunce vnto our fathers not long since they repented not for their harts were indurate and their eyes blinded with their own Pope holy righteousnesse wherewith they had made their soules gay against the receiuing agayne of the wicked spirite that bringeth seuen worse thē him selfe with him and maketh the later ende worse then the begynnyng for in open synnes there is hope of repentaunce but in holye hypocrisie none at all But what folowed they slew their true and right kyng and set vp three wrong kynges arowe vnder which all the noble bloud was slayne vp and halfe the commons thereto what in Fraunce and what with their owne sword in fightyng among them selues for the crowne and the Cities and Townes decayed and the lande brought halfe into a wildernesse in respect of that it was before And now Christe to preache repentaūce is risē yet once agayn out of his sepulchre in which y t Pope had buried him kept him downe with his pillars polars all disguisinges of hipocrisy with gyle wiles falshode with the sword of all Princes whiche he had blinded with his false marchaūdise And as I doubt not of the ensamples that are past so am I sure that great wrath will follow except repentaunce turne it backe againe cease it When Ionas had bene in the fishes bely a space and the rage of his conscience was somewhat quieted and swaged he come to him selfe againe and had receaued a litle hope the qualmes and panges of desperation which went ouer his hart halfe ouercome he prayed as he maketh mention in the text saying Ionas prayed vnto the Lord his GOD out of the bely of the fish But the wordes of that prayer are not here set The prayer that here standeth in the text is the prayer of prayse and thankesgeuyng which he prayed and wrote when hee was escaped and past all ieopardie In the end of which prayer he saith I will sacrifice with the voyce of thankesgeuyng and pay that I
can doe of his owne free will of his owne proper strength and enforcing Notwithstandyng thoughe there be neuer so great workyng yet as long as their remaineth in the hart vnlust tediousnes grudgyng grief payne lothsâ—nnes compulsion toward the law so long are all the workes vnprofitable lost ye and damnable in the sight of God This meaneth Paule in the iij. Chapter where he sayth by the dedes of the lawe shall no fleshe be iustified in the sight of God Hereby perceauest thou that those sophisters are but disceauers whiche teach that a man may and must prepare him selfe to grace and to the fauour of god with good workes How caÌ„ they prepare them selues vnto the fauour of God to that whiche is good when them selues can do no good no can not once thinke a good thought or consent to do good the deuill possessing their hartes myndes thoughtes captiue at his pleasure CaÌ„ those workes please GOD thinkest thou whiche are done with grief payne and tediousnes with an euill will with a contrary and a grudgyng mynde O holy saint Prosperous how mightely with the Scripture of Paule diddest thou confound this heresie twelue hundred yeares a goe or therupon To fulfill the law is to do y t workes therof and what soeuer the lawe commaundeth with loue lust and inward affection and delectation and to lyue godly and well freely willyngly and without compulsion of the lawe euen as thoughe there were no lawe at all Such lust and free libertie to loue the law commeth onely by the workyng of the spirite in the hart as hee sayth in the first Chapter Now is the spirite none otherwise geuen then by fayth onely in that we beleue the promises of God without waueryng how that God is true and will fulfill all hys good promises toward vs for Christes blondes sake as it is playne in the first Chapter I am not ashamed sayth Paule of Christes glad tydynges for it is the power of GOD vnto saluation to as many as beleue for at once and together euen as we beleue the glad tydynges preached to vs the holy ghost entreth into our hartes and looseth the bondes of the deuill whiche before possessed our hartes in captiuitie and held them that we could haue no lust to y t will of God in the law and as the spirite commeth by fayth onely euen so fayth commeth by hearyng the word or glad tidynges of God when Christ is preached how that hee is Gods sonne and man also dead and risen againe for our sakes as he sayth in the thyrd fourth and tenth Chapters All our iustifying then commeth of faith and faith and the spirite come of God and not of vs. Hereof commeth it that fayth onely iustifieth maketh righteous and fulfilleth the law for it bringeth the spirit through Christes deseruinges the spirite bringeth lust looseth the hart maketh him free setteth hym at libertie and geueth him strength to worke the deedes of the lawe with loue euen as the law requireth then at the last out of the same fayth so workyng in the hart spryng all good workes by their owne accorde That meaneth he in the thyrd Chapter for after he hath cast away the workes of the law so that he soundeth as though he would breake and disanulle the law through fayth he aunswereth to that might bee layd agaynst saying we destroy not the law through fayth but mayntaine further or stablish the law through fayth that is to say we fulfill the law thorough fayth Sinne in the Scripture is not called that outward worke onely committed by the body but all the whole busines and what so euer accompanyeth moueth or stirreth vnto the outward deede and that whence the workes spring as vnbelefe pronenes and readynes vnto the deede in the grounde of the hart with all the powers affections and appetites wherwith we can but sinne so that we say that a man then sinneth when he is caried awaye headlong into sinne all together as much as he is of that poyson inclination and corrupt nature wherein hee was conceiued and borne For there is none outward sinne committed except a maÌ„ be caried away all together with life soule hart body lust and mynde thereunto The Scripture loketh singularly vnto the hart vnto the roote and originall fountaine of all synne which is vnbelefe in the bottom of the hart For as fayth onely iustifieth and bryngeth the spirit and lust vnto the outward good workes Euen so vnbelefe onely damneth and keepeth out the spirit prouoketh the flesh and styrreth vp lust vnto the euill outwarde works as it fortuned to Adam Euâ— in Paradise Gene. 3. For this cause Christ calleth synne vnbelefe and that notablie in the. 16. of Iohn the spirite sayth he shall rebuke the world of sinne because they beleue not in me Wherefore then before all good workes as good frutes there must needes be fayth in the hart whence they spryng and before all bad deedes as bad frutes there must nedes be vnbelief in the hart as in the roote fountain pith and streÌ„gth of all sinne whiche vnbelefe is called the head of the Serpent and of the old Dragon which the womans seede Christ must treade vnderfoote as it was promised vnto Adam Grace and gift haue this difference Grace properly is Gods fauour beneuolence or kynd minde which of his owne selfe without deseruyng of vs he beareth to vs whereby he was moued and inclined to geue Christ vnto vs with all his other giftes of grace Gift is y t holy ghost and his working which hee poureth into the hartes of them on whoÌ„ he hath mercy and whoÌ„ he fauoureth Though the giftes the spirit encrease in vs dayly haue not yet their ful perfection ye and though there remaine in vs yet euill lustes synne which fight agaynst the sprite as he sayth here in the 7. chapter and in the 5. to the Galath and as it was spoken before in the 3. chapter of Gen. of the debate betwene y â— womans sede the seed of y t serpent yet neuertheles gods fauour is so great and so strong ouer vs for Christes sake that we are counted for full whole and perfect before God For Gods fauour towarde vs deuideth not her selfe encreasyng a little and a little as do the giftes but receiueth vs whole altogether in ful loue for Christes sake our intercessour and mediator and because y t the giftes of the sprite the battell betwene the sprite and euill lustes are begonne in vs already Of this now vnderstandest thou the 7. chapter where Paul accuseth hymselfe as a sinner and yet in the 8. chapter sayeth there is no damnation to them that are in Christ and that because of the spirite and because the giftes of the sprite are begonne in vs. Sinners we are because the fleshe is not full killed and mortified Neuertheles in as muche as we beleue in
Christes glad tydings first through openyng of the law to rebuke all thinges and to proue all thynges sinne that procede not of the spirite of faith in Christ and to proue all men sinners and children of wrath by inheritaunce and howe that to sinne is their nature and that by nature they can no otherwise doe then sinne and therewith to abate the pride of man and to bring him vnto the knowledge of him selfe and of his miserie wretchednes that he might desire helpe Euen so doth S. Paule and beginneth in the first Chapter to rebuke vnbelefe and grose sinnes which all men see as the Idolatrie and as the grose sinnes of the heathen were and as the sinnes now are of all them whiche liue in ignoraunce without fayth and without the fauour of GOD and sayth The wrath of GOD of heauen appeareth through the Gospell vpon all men for their vngodly vnholy lyuyng For though it be knowē and dayly vnderstād by the creatures that there is but one God yet is nature of herself with out the spirit and grace so corrupt and so poysoned that men neither can thanke him neither worship him neither geue him his due honor but blind thē selues and faule without ceasyng into worse case euen vntill they come vnto worshipping of Images workyng of shamefull sinnes whiche are abhominable and agaynst nature and moreuer suffer the shame vnrebuked in other hauing delectation and pleasure therein In the second Chapter he procedeth further and rebuketh all those holy people also whiche without lust and loue to the law liue wel outwardly in the face of the world and condemne other gladly as the nature of all hypocrites is to thinke them selues pure in respect of open sinners and yet hate the law inwardly and are full of couetousnes and enuy and of all vnclēnes Math. xxiij These are they whiche despise the goodnes of GOD and accordyng to the hardenes of their hartes heape together for thē selues the wrath of God Furthermore S. Paule as a true expounder of the law suffreth no man to be without sinne but declareth that all they are vnder sinne whiche of freewill and of nature will liue well suffreth them not to be better thē the open sinners yea he calleth them hard harted and such as can not repent In the thyrd Chapter he mingleth both together both the Iewes and the Gentiles and sayth that the one is as the other both sinners no difference betwene them saue in this onely that the Iewes had the word of God committed vnto them And though many of them beleued not thereon yet is Gods truth and promise thereby neither hurt nor minished And he taketh in his way and allegeth the saying of the 50. Psalme that God might abyde true in his wordes ouercome when he is iudged After that he returneth to his purpose agayn and proueth by the Scripture that all men without difference or exceptiō are sinners and that by the workes of the law no mā is iustified but that the law was geuen to vtter and to declare sinne onely Thē hee begynneth and sheweth the right way vnto righteousnes by what meanes mē must be made righteous and safe and sayth They are all sinners without prayse before God and must without their own deseruyng be made righteous throughe fayth in Christe which hath deserued such righteousnes for vs and is become vnto vs Gods mercystole for the remission of sinnes that are past thereby prouyng that christes righteousnes which commeth on vs through fayth helpeth vs onely whiche righteousnes sayth he is now declared through the Gospell was testified of before by the lawe of the Prophetes Furthermore sayth he the law is holpē and furthered thorough fayth thoughe that the workes therof with all their boast are brought to nought In the iiij Chapter after that now by the 3. first Chapters the sinnes are opened and the way of faith vnto rightuousnes layd he begynneth to aunswere vnto certain obiections and cauillations And first putteth forth those blinde reasons whiche commonly they that wil be iustified by their owne workes are wont to make when they heare that faith onely without workes iustifieth saying shall men do no good workes yea and if fayth onely iustifieth what nedeth a man to studie for to do good workes He putteth forth therfore Abraham for an ensample saying what did Abraham with his workes was all in vayne came his workes to no profite And so concludeth that Abraham without and before al workes was iustified and made righteous In so much that before the worke of Circumcisiō he was praysed of the Scripture and called righteous by his fayth onely Gene. xv So that he did not the worke of Circumcision for to bee holpen there by vnto righteousnesse whiche yet God commaunded hym to do was a good worke of obedience So in likewise no doubt none other workes helpe any thyng at all vnto a mās iustifiyng but as Abrahams Circumcisiō was an outward signe wherby he declared his righteousnes which he had by fayth and his obedience and readynes vnto the will of God euen so are all other good workes outward signes and outward frutes of fayth of the spirite which iustifie not a man but that a man is iustified already before god inwardly in the hart through faith and through the spirite purchased by Christes bloud Herewith now stablisheth S. Paul his doctrine of faith afore rehearsed in the thyrd Chapter and bringeth also testimony of Dauid in the xij Psalme whiche calleth a man blessed not of workes in that his sinne is not rekened and in that fayth is imputed for righteousnes though he abide not afterward without good workes when he is once iustified For we are iustified receiue the spirite for to do good workes neither were it otherwise possible to do good workes except we had first the spirite For howe is it possible to doe any thyng well in the sight of God while we are yet in captiuitie and bondage vnder the deuill and the deuill possesseth vs all together and holdeth our hartes so that we can not once consent vnto the will of God No man therfore can preuent the spirite in doyng good the spirite must first come and wake him out of his sleepe with the thunder of the law and feare him and shew him his miserable estate wretchednes and make him abhorre hate him selfe and to desire helpe and then comfort him agayne with the pleasaūt rayne of the Gospell that is to say with the sweete promises of God in Christ and stirre vp faith in him to beleue the promises then when he beleueth the promises as God was mercyfull to promise so is he true to fulfill them and wil geue him the spirite and strength both to loue the will of God to worke there after So see we that God onely whiche accordyng to the Scripture worketh
agaynst vs but at one agreed with vs and we with it But to be vnder the law is to deale with the workes of the law and to worke without the sprite and grace for so long no doubt sinne raigneth in vs through the law that is to say the lawe declareth y t wee are vnder sinne and that sinne hath power and dominion ouer vs seyng we can not fulfill the law namely within in the hart for as much as no man of nature fauoureth the law consenteth therunto and deliteth therein which thyng is exceedyng great synne that we cannot consent to the law which law is nothyng els saue the will of God This is the right freedome and libertie from sinne and from the lawe whereof he writeth vnto the ende of this chapter that it is a freedom to do good onely with lust and to liue well without compulsion of the law Wherfore this freedome is a spirituall freedome which destroyeth not the lawe but ministreth that which the law requireth and wherwith the law is fulfilled that is to vnderstand luste and loue wherewith the law is stilled and accuseth vs no more compelleth vs no more neither hath ought to craue of vs any more Euen as thoughe thou were in debt to an other man and wer not able to pay two maner of wayes mightest thou be losed One way if he would require nothyng of thee and break thine obligation An other way if some other good man woulde paye for thee and geue thee as muche as thou mightest satisfie thyne obligation with all On this wyse hath Christe made vs fre from the law therfore is this no wylde fleshly libertie y t should do nought but that doth all thynges and is free from the crauyng and debt of the law In the seuenth he confirmeth y t same with a similitude of the state of matrimony As whē the husband dyeth the wyfe is at her libertie and the one losed and departed from the other not that the woman should not haue power to mary vnto an other man but rather now first of all is she free hath power to mary vnto an other man which she could not do before till she was loosed from her first husband Euen so are our consciences bound and in daunger to the law vnder olde Adam as long as he liueth in vs for the law declareth y t our hartes are bound and that we cannot disconsent from hym but when he is mortified killed by the sprite then is the conscience free and at libertie not so that the conscience shall now nought doe but nowe first of all cleaueth vnto an other that is to witte Christ and bringeth forth the fruites of lyfe So now to be vnder the lawe is not to be able to fulfill the law but to be detter to it and not able to pay that which the lawe requireth And to be lose from the lawe is to fulfill it and to pay that which the lawe demaundeth so that it can now henceforth aske thee nought Consequently Paul declareth more largely the nature of synne and of the law how that through the law synne reuiueth moueth her selfe and gathereth strength For the olde man and corrupt nature the more he is forbidden and kept vnder of the law is the more offended and displesed therwith for as much as he cannot pay y t which is required of the lawe For synne is his nature and of himselfe he cannot but sinne Therefore is the law death to hym torment and martirdom Not that the lawe is euill but because that the euill nature can not suffer y t which is good cannot abyde that the law should require of him any good thing like as a sicke mā cannot suffer that a man should desire of hym to runne to leape and to doe other deedes of an whole man For which cause S. Paule concludeth that where the law is vnderstand and perceiued in the best wise there it doth no more but vtter synne bryng vs vnto the knowledge of our selues and therby kyl vs and make vs bond vnto eternall damnation and detters of the euerlastyng wrath of God euen as he well feeleth and vnderstandeth whose conscience is truely touched of the law In such daunger were we ere the law came that we knew not what sinne ment neither yet knowe we the wrath of God vppon sinners tyll the law had vttered it So seest thou that a man must haue some other thyng ye a greater and a more mighty thing the the law to make hym righteous safe They that vnderstand not the law on this wise are blinde and go to worke presumptuously supposing to satisfie the law with workes For they know not that the law requireth a free a willing a lusty and a louing hart Therfore they see not Moses right in y t face the vayle hangeth betwene and hideth his face so that they can not behold the glorie of his countenaunce how that the law is spiritual and requireth the hart I may of myne own strength refraine that I do myne enemy no hurt but to loue him with all myne hart to put awaye wrath cleane out of my mind cā I not of mine own strength I maye refuse money of myne owne strength but to put away loue vnto riches out of myne hart can I not do of myne owne strength To abstaine from adultery as concernyng the outward dede can I doe of myne owne strēgth but not to desire in mine hart is as vnpossible vnto me as is to chose whether I will hungre or thrust and yet so the law requireth Wherfore of a mans owne strength is the law neuer fulfilled we must haue therunto Gods fauour and his spirite purchased by Christes bloud Neuerthelesse when I saye a man may do many things outwardly clean agaynst his hart we must vnderstand y ◠mā is but driuen of diuers appetites and the greatest appetite ouercōmeth the lesse and carieth the mā away violently with her As when I desire vengeaunce and feare also the incōuenience that is like to folowe if feare bee greater I abstaine if the appetite that desireth vengeaunce be greater I can not but prosecute the dede as we see by experiēce in many murtherers theeues which though they be brought into neuer so great perill of death yet after they haue escaped do euen the same agayne And common women prosecute their lustes because feare shame are away when other whiche haue the same appetites in their hartes abstaine at the lest way outwardly or worke secretly beyng ouercome of feare and of shame and so likewise is it of all other appetites Furthermore he declared how the spirite and the flesh fight together in one man and maketh an ensample of him self that we might learne to know that worke a right I meane to kill sinne in our selues He calleth both the spirit and also the flesh a law because that like as the nature of Gods
but pure sinne and of Christ grace onely which are out of measure contrary But the similitude or likenes standeth in the originall byrth and not in the vertue vice of the byrth So that as Adam is father of all sinne so is Christ father of all righteousnes And as all sinners spryng of Adam EueÌ„ so all righteous men and women spryng of Christ After the same maner is here the vnrighteous stuard an ensample vnto vs in his wisedome and diligence onely in that he prouided so wisely for him self that we with righteousnes should be as diligeÌ„t to prouide for our soules as he with vnrighteousnes prouided for hys body Likewise mayst thou soyle all other textes which sound as though it were betwene vs and GOD as it is in the world where the reward is more looked vpon then the labour yea where men hate the labour and worke falssy with the body and not with the hart and no longer then they are loked vppon that the labour may appeare outward onely WHen Christ sayth Math. v. Blessed are ye wheÌ„ they rayle on you and persecute you and say all maner euill sayinges agaynst you and yet lye and that for my sake reioyse be glad for your reward is great in heauen Thou mayest not imagine that our deedes deserue the ioy and glorie that shal be geuen vnto vs. For then Paul saith Rom. xi fauour were not fauor I caÌ„ not receaue it of fauour of the bounteous of God freely and by deseruyng of deedes also But beleue as the Gospell glad tydynges promises of God say vnto thee that for Christes bloudes sake onely through fayth God is at one with thee and thou receaued to mercy and art become the sonne of God and heire annexed with with Christ of al the goodnes of God the earnest wherof is the spirite of god poured into our hartes Of whiche thynges the deedes are witnesses and certifie our consciences that our fayth is vnfayned and that the right spirite of God is in vs. For if I patieÌ„tly suffer aduersitie and tribulation for conscience of God onely that is to say because I know GOD and testifie the truth then am I sure that God hath chosen me in Christ and for Christes sake and hath put in me his spirite as an earnest of his promises whose workyng I feele in myne hart the deedes bearyng witnes vnto the same Now is it Christes bloud only that deserued all the promises of God that which I suffer and do is partely the curyng healyng and mortifiyng of my members and killing of that originall poyson wherwith I was conceiued and borne that I might be altogether like Christ and partly the doyng of my dutie to my neighbour whose debter I am of all that I haue receiued of God to draw him to Christ with al suffring with all patience and euen with sheading my bloud for him not as an offering or merite for hys sinnes but as an ensample to prouoke hym Christes bloud onely putteth away all the sinne that euer was is or shal be from them that are elect and repent beleuyng the Gospell that is to say gods promises in Christ AGayn in the same 5. chapter loue your ennemies blesse them that curse you doe well to them that hate you and persecute you that ye may be the sonnes of your father whiche is in heaueÌ„ For he maketh his sunne shine vpon euill on good and sendeth his rayne vpon iust and vniust Not that our woorkes make vs the sonnes of God but testifie onely and certifie our consciences that we are the sonnes of God and that God hath chosen vs washed vs in christes bloud and hath put his spirite in vs. And it foloweth if ye loue them that loue you what reward haue ye do not the Publicanes euen the same and if ye shall haue fauour to your frendes onely what singuler thing do ye doe not the Publicanes euen the same ye shal be perfect therefore as your father whiche is in heauen is perfect That is to say if that ye do nothing but that the world doth and they which haue the spirite of the world wherby shall ye know that ye are the sonnes of God and beloued of God more then the world But and if ye counterfet and follow God in well doyng then no doubt it is a signe that the spirite of God is in you and also the fauour of God which is not in the world and that ye are inheritoures of all the promises of God and elect vnto the fellowship of the bloud of Christ ALso Math 6. Take heede to your almes that ye do iâ— not in the sight of men to the eutenâ— that ye would be sâ—ne of them or els haue ye no reward with your father which is in heauen Neither cause a truÌ„pet to be blowen afore thee wheÌ„ thou doost thine almes as the hipocrites do in the sinagoges and in the streetes to be glorified of the worlde but when thou doost thine almes â—et not thy lefte hande knowe what thy right hand doth y â— thy almes may be in secret and thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly This putteth vs in remembraunce of our duetie and sheweth what followeth good workes not that works deserue it but that the reward is layd vp for vs in store and we thereunto elect through Christes bloud which the workes testify For if we be worldlye minded and do our works as y â— world doth how shall we know that GOD hath chosen vs out of the world But if we worke freely without all maner worldly respect to shew mercy and to do our duetie to our neighbour and to be vnto him as God is to vs then are we sure y t the fauour mercy of God is vpon vs that we shal enioy all the good promises of god through Christ which hath made vs heyres thereof ALso in the same chapter it followeth When thou prayest be not as the hipocrites which loue to stand and pray in the sinagoges and in the corners of the streetes for to bee sene of men But when thou prayest enter into thy chamber and shut thy dore to praye to thy father which is in secrete and thy father whiche seeth in secrete shal reward thee openly And likewise when we fast teacheth Christe in the same place that we should behaue our selues that it appeare not vnto men how that we fast but vnto our father which is in secret our father which seeth in secret shall reward vs openly These two textes do but declare what followeth good woorkes for eternall lyfe commeth not by the deseruyng of workes but is sayth Paul in y â— 6. to y â— Rom. the gift of God through Iesus Christ Neither do our workes iustify vs. For except we were iustified by fayth which is our righteousnes had the sprite of God in vs to teach vs we could
do no good worke freely without respect of some profit either in this world or in the world to come neither coulde we haue spirituall ioye in oure hartes in time of affliction and mortifiyng of the flesh Good workes are called the fruites of the spirite Gal. 5. for the sprite worketh them in vs and sometyme fruites of righteousnes as in the second Epistle to the Cor. and 9. chapter before all workes therfore we must haue a righteousnes within the hart the mother of all workes frō whēce they spring The righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharises of them that haue y ◠spirite of this world is y t glorious shew outward shining of workes But Christ sayth to vs Mar. 5. except your righteousnes exceede the righteousnes of the scribes Pharises ye cānot enter into the kingdome of heauen It is righteousnes in y t world if a mā kyl not But a Christen perceiueth righteousnesse if he loue his enemy euen when he suffreth persecution and torment of him and the paines of death and mourneth more for his aduersaries blindnesse then for his owne payne and prayeth God to open his eyes and to forgeue hym his sinnes as dyd Steuen in the Actes of the Apostles the vij Chapter and Christ Luke xxiij A Christen considereth him selfe in the law of GOD and there putteth of him all maner righteousnes For the law suffereth no merites no deseruynges no righteousnes neither any mā to be iustified in the sight of God The law is spirituall and requireth y t hart and commaundements to be fulfilled with such loue and obedience as was in Christ If any fulfill all that is the will of God with such loue and obedience the same may be bold to sell pardons of his merites and els not A Christen therfore when he beholdeth hym selfe in the law putteth of all maner righteousnes deseruinges and merites and mekely and vnfaynedly knowledgeth his sinne miserie his captiuitie and bondage in the flesh his trespasse and gilte and is thereby blessed with the poure in spirite Math. v. Chap. Then he morneth in his hart because he is in such bondage that he can not do the will of God and is an hungred and a thyrst after righteousnes For righteousnesse I meane which springeth out of christes bloud for strength to do the wil of God And turneth him selfe to the promises of God desireth him for his great mercy and truth and for the bloud of hys sonne Christ to fulfill his promises to geue him strēgth And thus his spirit euer prayeth within him He fasteth also not one day for a weke or a Lent for an whole yeare but professeth in his hart a perpetuall sobernes to tame the flesh and to subdue the body to the spirite vntil he waxe strong in the spirite and grow ripe into a full righteousnes after the fulnes of Christ And because this fulnes happeneth not till the body be slayne by death a Christen is euer a sinner in the law and therfore fasteth and prayeth to God in the spirite the world seyng it not Yet in y ◠promises he is euer righteous thorough fayth in Christ and is sure that he is heire of all Gods promises the spirite which he hath receaued in earnest bearyng him witnes his hart also and his dedes testifying the same Marke this then To see inwardly that y t law of God is so spirituall that no flesh can fulfill it And then for to morne and sorrow and to desire yea to hunger and thyrst after strength to do the wil of God from the ground of the hart and notwithstandyng all the sutlety of the deuil weakenes and feblenes of the flesh and wondryng of the world to cleaue yet to y t promises of God and to beleue that for Christes bloud sake thou art receaued to the inheritaūce of eternall lyfe is a wonderfull thyng and a thyng that the world knoweth not of but who soeuer feleth that though he fall a thousand tymes in a day doth yet rise agayne a thousand tymes and is sure that the mercy of God is vpon hym IF ye forgeue othermen their trespasses your heauēly father shal forgeue you yours Mat. in the vj. Chap. if I forgeue God shall forgeue me not for my dedes sake but for his promises sake for his mercy truth and for the bloud of hys son Christ our Lord. And my forgeuing certifieth my spirite that God shal forgeue me yea y t he hath forgeuē me already For if I consent to y t will of God in my hart though thorough infirmitie and weakenes I can not do the will of GOD at all tymes moreouer though I can not do the wil of God so purely as the law requireth it of me yet if I see my faulte mekely knowledge my sinne wepyng in myne hart because I cā not do the will of God and thyrst after strēgth I am sure that y t sprite of God is in me his fauour vpon me For the world lusteth not to do the will of God neither soroweth because he can not though he sorrow some tyme for feare of y ◠paine that he beleueth shall folow He that hath the spirite of this world can not forgeue without amendes makyng or a greater vauntage If I forgeue now how cōmeth it veryly because I feele the mercy of God in me For as a man feeleth God to him selfe so is he to his neighbour I know by mine owne experience that all flesh is in bondage vnder sinne and cā not but sinne therfore am I mercyfull and desire God to loose the bondes of sinne euen in mine enemy GAther not treasure together in earth c. Math. vj. But gather you treasure in heauen c. Let not you◠hartes be glued to worldly thynges studie not to heape treasure vpon treasure and riches vpon riches but study to bestow well that whiche is gotten already and let your abundaunce succour the lacke and neede of the power which haue not Haue an eye to good workes to which if ye haue lust and also power to do them then are ye sure that the spirite of God is in you and ye in Christ elect to the reward of eternal life which foloweth good workes But looke that thine eye be single and robbe not Christ of his honour ascribe not that to y t deseruyng of thy workes which is geuen the freely by the merites of his bloud In Christ we are sonnes In Christ we are heires In Christ god chose vs and elected vs before the begynning of the world created vs a new by the word of the Gospell and put his spirite in vs for because we should do good workes A Christē man worketh because it is the will of his father onely If we do no good worke nor be mercyfull how is our lust therin If we haue no lust to do good workes how is Gods spirite in vs If the spirite of God
is for Christes sake deceaueth him selfe and maketh a mocke of himselfe vnto the godles hipocrites infidels No man can serue two maisters God and Mammon that is to say wicked riches also Mathew vj. Thou must loue Christ aboue all thing but that doest thou not if thou be not ready to forsake all for hys sake if thou haue forsaken all for his sake then art thou sure that thou louest him Tribulation is our right baptisme and is signified by plunging into the water Wee that are baptized in the name of Christ sayth Paule Rom. vj. are baptized to dye with him The spirite through tribulation purgeth vs and killeth our fleshly witte our worldly vnderstādyng and belly wisedome and filleth vs full of the wisedome of God Tribulation is a blessing that commeth of God as witnesseth Christ Math. v. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnes sake for theyrs is the kyngdome of heauen Is not this a comfortable word Who ought not rather to chuse and desire to be blessed w t Christ in a little tribulation then to be cursed perpetually with the world for a little pleasure Prosperitie is a right curse and a thing that God geueth vnto his enemies Wo be to you ritch sayth Christ Luke vj. loe ye haue your consolation wo be to you that are ful for ye shall hunger wo be to you that laugh for ye shall weepe wo be to you when men prayse you for so did theyr fathers vnto the false prophetes yea and so haue our fathers done vnto the false hypocrites The hipocrites with worldly preaching haue not gotten the prayse onely but euen the possessions also and the dominion and rule of the whole worlde Tribulation for righteousnes is not a blessing onely but also a gift that God geueth vnto none saue his speciall frendes The Apostles Act. v. reioyced that they were counted woorthy to suffer rebuke for Christes sake And Paule in the second epistle third chapter to Timothe sayth All that will liue godly in Christ Iesu must suffer persecutiō And Philip. j. he sayth Vnto you it is geuen not onely to beleue in Christ but also to suffer for his sake Here seest thou that it is Gods gift to suffer for Christes sake And in the 1. Pet. 4. sayth Happy are ye if ye suffer for the name of Christ for the glorious spirite of God resteth in you Is it not an happy thing to be sure that thou art sealed with Gods spirite vnto euerlasting life And verily thou art sure therof if thou suffer patiently for his sake By suffring art thou sure but by persecuting canst thou neuer be sure For Paule Rom. 5. sayth Tribulation maketh feeling that is it maketh vs feele the goodnesse of God and his helpe and the working of his spirite 2. Cor. 12. the Lord sayd vnto Paul My grace is sufficiēt for thee for my strēgth is made perfect through weaknes Lo Christ is neuer strong in vs till we be weake As our strength abateth so groweth the strength of Christ in vs when we are cleane emptied of our own strength then are we ful of Christes strength looke how much of our owne strength remayneth in vs so much lacketh there of y ◠strength of Christ Therfore sayth Paule 2. Cor. 12. Very gladly will I reioyce in my weaknes that the strength of Christ may dwell in me therfore haue I delectation sayth Paule in infirmities in rebukes in need in persecutions and in anguish for Christes sake for when I am weake then am I strong Meaning that the weaknes of the fleshe is the strength of the spirite And by flesh vnderstand wit wisedome and all that is in a man before the spirite of God come and whatsoeuer springeth not of the spirite of God and of Gods woorde And of like testimonies is all the scripture full Behold God setteth before vs a blessing and also a curse A blessing verely and that a glorious and an euerlasting if we will suffer tribulatiō and aduersity with our Lord and sauiour Christ And an euerlasting curse if for a little pleasure sake we withdrawe our selues from the chastysing nurture of God wherewith he teacheth all his sonnes and fashioneth them after his godly will and maketh them perfect as he did Christ and maketh them apte and meete vessels to receiue his grace and hys spirite that they might perceaue and feele the exceeding mercy which we haue in Christ the innumerable blessinges and the vnspeakeable inheritance whereunto we are called and chosen and sealed in our sauiour Iesus Christ vnto whome be prayse for euer Amen Finally whome God chuseth to raigne euerlastingly with christ him sealeth he with his mighty spirite and poureth strength into his hart to suffer afflictiōs also with Christ for bearing witnesse vnto the truth And this is the difference betwene the children of God and of saluation and betwene the children of the deuyll and of damnation that the children of God haue power in theyr hartes to suffer for Gods worde which is theyr life and saluatiō their hope and trust and whereby they liue in the soule and spirite before God And the children of the deuyll in time of aduersity flye from Christ whome they followed faynedly theyr hartes not sealed with hys holy mighty spirite and gett them to the standerde of theyr right father the Deuyll and take his wages the pleasures of this world which ar the earnest of euerlasting damnation which conclusion the xij chap. to the Hebrues well confirmeth saying My sonne despise not thou the chasticing of the Lord neither faint whē thou art rebuked of him for whom the Lord loueth him he chasticeth yea he scourgeth euery sonne whome he receaueth To persecution and aduersitie for the truthes sake is Gods scourge and Gods rod and pertaineth vnto all his children indifferently for when he sayth he scourgeth euery sonne he maketh none exception Moreouer sayth the text If ye shall endure chasticing God offreth hymselfe vnto you as vnto sonnes what sonne is it that the father chasticeth not If ye be not vnder correction whereof all are partakers then are ye bastardes and not sonnes Forasmuch then as we must needes bee baptised in tribulations and through the red sea and a great and a fearefull wildernes a land of cruell Giantes into our naturall coūtrey ▪ yea and in asmuch as it is a playne earnest that there is no other way into the kingdome of life then through persecution sufferyng of payne of very death after the ensample of Christe therefore let vs arme our soules with the comforte of the Scriptures How that God is euer ready at hand in time of neede to helpe vs and how that such tyrants and persecutors are but gods scourge and his rod to chastice vs. And as the father hath alway in time of correction the rod fast in his hand so that the rod doth
nothing but as the father moueth it euen so hath God all tyrantes in hys hande and letteth them not do whatsoeuer they would but as much onely as he appoynteth them to do and as far forth as it is necessarye for vs. And as when the childe submitteth himselfe vnto hys fathers correction and nurture and humbleth himself altogether vnto the will of his father theÌ„ the rod is taken away euen so when we ar come vnto the knowledge of the right waye and haue forsaken our owne will and offer our selues cleane vnto the will of God to walke which way soeuer he will haue vs then turneth he the tyrantes or els if they enforce to persecute vs any further he putteth them out of the way according vnto the comfortable ensamples of the scripture Moreouer let vs arme our soules with the promises both of helpe and assistance and also of the glorious rewarde that followeth Great is your reward in heaueÌ„ sayth Christ Math. 5. And he that knowledgeth mee before men him will I knowledge before my father that is in heauen Math. 10. and Call on me in time of tribulation and I wyll deliuer thee Psal 65. and Beholde the eyes of the Lord are ouer them thet feare hym and ouer them that trust in hys mercy to deliuer theyr soules from death and to feede them in time of hunger Psal 46. And in Psal 47. sayth Dauid The Lorde is nygh them that are troubled in theyr hartes and the meeke in spirite will he saue The tribulations of the righteous are many and out of them all will the Lord deliuer them The Lord keepeth al the bones of them so that not one of theÌ„ shall be brused The Lord shal redeeme the soules of his seruauntes And of such like consolation are all the Psalmes full woulde to God when ye read them ye vnderstood them And Math. 10. When they deliuer you take no thought what ye shall say it shall be geuen you the same houre what ye shall say for it is not ye that speake but the spirite of your Father which speaketh in you The very heares of your heades are numbred saith Christ also Math. 10. If God care for our heares he much more careth for our soules which he hath sealed with his holy spirite Therefore sayth Peter 1. Pet. 4. Cast all your care vppon him for he careth for you And Paule 1. Cor. 10. sayeth God is true he wil not suffer you to be tempted aboue your might And Psal 71. Cast thy care vpon the Lord. Let thy care be to prepare thy selfe with all thy strength for to walke which way he will haue thee and to beleue that he will goe with thee assist thee and strengthen thee agaynst all tyraÌ„tes deliuer thee out of al tribulatioÌ„ But what way or by what meanes he will do it that committe vnto him and his godly pleasure and wisedome and cast that care vpon him And though it seeme neuer so vnlikely or neuer so impossible vnto naturall reason yet beleue stedfastly that he will do it and then shall he according to his olde vse chainge the course of the worlde euen in the twinckling of an eye and come sodenly vpon our Gyantes as a theefe in the night and coÌ„passe them in their wyles and worldly wisedome when they crye peace all is safe then shall theyr sorrowes beginne as the panges of a woman that traueileth with childe and then shall he destroy them and deliuer thee vnto the glorious prayse of hys mercy and truth Amen ANd as pertayning vnto them that despise Gods worde counting it as a phantasie or a dreame and to them also that for feare of a little persecution fall from it sette this before thyne eyes how God since the beginning of the world before a generall plague euer sent his true prophetes preachers of his word to warne the people and gaue them time to repent But they for the greatest part of theÌ„ hardened theyr hartes and persecuted the worde that was sent to saue them And then God destroyed them vtterly and tooke them cleane from the earth As thou seest what followed the preaching of Noe in y â— olde world what folowed the preaching of Loth among the Sodomites the preachyng of Moses and Aaron among the Egiptians and that sodenly against all possibilitie of mans witte Moreouer as ofte as the children of Israell fel from God to the worshipping of images he sent his prophets vnto them and they persecuted and waxed harde harted and then he sent them into all places of the world captiue Last of all he sent his owne sonne vnto them and they waxed more hard harted then euer before And see what a fearefull example of his wrath and cruel vengeance he hath made of them vnto all the worlde now almost fifteene hundred yeares Vnto the olde Brittaines also which dwelled where our natioÌ„ doth now preached Gildas and rebuked them of theyr wickednes and prophesied both vnto the spirituall as they will be called and vnto the lay men also what vengeaunce would follow except they repented But they waxed hard harted and God sente his plagues and pestilences among them and sent theyr enemies in vppon them on euery side destroyed them vtterly Marke also how Christ threateneth theÌ„ that forsake him for whatsoeuer cause it be whether for feare eyther for shame eyther for losse of honour frendes lyfe or goodes â–ª He that denyeth me before men him will I deâ—y before my father that is in heauen He that loueth father or mother more then me is not worthy of me all thys he sayth Math. 10. And in Mark 8. he sayth Whosoeuer is ashamed of me or my wordes among this adulterous and sinfull generation of him shall the sonne of man be ashamed when he commeth in the glory of his father with his holy Angels And Luk. 9. also None that layeth his hande to the plowe and looketh backe is meete for the kingdome of heauen Neuerthelesse yet if any man haue resisted ignorantly as Paule did let him looke on the truth which Paule wrote after he came to knowledge Also if any man cleane against his hart but ouercome with the weaknes of the flesh for feare of persecution haue denied as Peter did or haue deliuered his booke or put it away secretly let him if he repente come again and take better hold and not dispayre or take it for a signe that God hath forsaken him for God ofttimes taketh hys strength euen froÌ„ his very elect wheÌ„ they either trust in theyr own strength or are negligent to call to him for his strength And that doth hee to teach theÌ„ to make theÌ„ feele that in that fire of tribulatioÌ„ for his wordes sake nothing can endure and abide saue his word and that streÌ„gth onely which he hath promised For the which strength he will haue vs to praye vnto him night and day wyth all
that resiste shall receaue vnto themselues damnation Why For Gods worde is against them which will haue all men vnder the power of the temporall sworde For rulers are not to be feared for good woorkes but for euill Hereby seest thou that they that resiste the powers or seeke to bee exempt from their aucthoritie haue euil consciences and seeke libertie to sinne vnpunished and to be free from bearing payne wyth their brethren Wilt thou be without feare of the power So do well and thou shalt haue laude of the same that is to say of the ruler with good liuing ought y t spiritualtie to rid them selues frō feare of the tēporall sword not with craft and with blyndyng the kynges bryngyng the vengeaūce of God vpō them in purchasing licence to sinne vnpunished For he is the minister of God for thy wealth to defend thee from a thousand inconueniences from theeues murderers and them that would defile thy wife thy daughter and take from thee all that thou hast yea life and al if thou did resist Furthermore though he be the greatest tyraunt in the world yet is he vnto thee a great benefit of God and a thing wherfore thou oughtest to thanke God hyghly For it is better to haue somwhat then to be cleane stripte out of altogether it is better to pay the tenth then to loose all it is better to suffer one tyraunt then many and to suffer wrong of one then of euery mā Yea and it is better to haue a tyraunt vnto thy king then a shadow a passiue kyng that doth nought him selfe but suffer other to do with hym what they wil and to lead hym whether they list For a tyraūt though he do wrong vnto thee good yet he punisheth the euill and maketh all mē obey neither suffereth any mā to polle but himself onely A kyng that is soft as silke and effeminate that is to say turned vnto the nature of a woman what with his owne lustes whiche are as the longyng of a woman with child so that he can not resiste them and what with the wyly tyranny of thē that euer rule him shal be much more greuous vnto y t realme then a right tyraunt Read the Cronicles and thou shalt finde it euer so But if thou do euill thē feare For hee beareth not a sworde for nought For he is the minister of God to take vengeaunce on them that do euill If the office of Princes geuen thē of God be to take vengeaunce of euill doers then by this text and Gods word are all Princes damned euen as many as geue libertie or licence vnto the spiritualtie to sinne vnpunished and not onely to sinne vnpunished thē selues but also to opē sanctuaries priuileged places churchyardes S. Iohns hold yea and if they come to short vnto all these yet to setfoorth a neckeuerse to saue all maner trespassers frō the feare of the sword of the vengeaunce of God put in the handes of Princes to take vengeaunce on all such GOd requireth the law to be kept of all men let them keepe it for what soeuer purpose they will Wil they not keepe the law so vouchsafeth he not that they enioy this tēporall life Now are there three natures of men one all together beastly which in no wise receaue the law in their hartes but rise agaynst Princes and rulers when soeuer they are able to make their partie good These are signified by them that worshypped the golden calfe For Moses brake the tables of the law ere he came at them The second are not so beastly but receaue the law and vnto them the law commeth but they looke not Moses in the face For his countenaunce is to bright for them that is they vnderstād not that y ◠law is spirituall and requireth the hart They looke on the pleasure profite and promotiō that foloweth the kepyng of the law in respect of the reward keepe they the law outwardly with woorkes but not in the hart For if they might obteine like honour glorie promotion and dignitie and also auoyde all inconueniences if they broke the law so would they also breake the law and folow their lustes The thyrd are spirituall and looke Moses in the open face are as Paul sayth the secōd to the Romains a law vnto them selues haue the law written in their hartes by y t spirite of God These neede neither of kyng nor officers to driue them neither that any man profer thē any reward for to kepe the law For they do it naturally The first worke for feare of y ◠sword onely The second for reward The thyrd worke for loue frely They looke on the excedyng mercy loue kyndes which God hath shewed thē in Christ and therfore loue agayne and woorke frely Heauen they take of the free gift of God through Christes deseruyngs and hope without all maner doubtyng that GOD according to his promise wil in this world also defend them and do all thyng for them of hys goodnes and for Christes sake and not for any goodnes that is in them They consent vnto the law that it is holy and iust that all men ought to doe what soeuer God commaundeth for no other cause but because God cōmaundeth it And their great sorow is because that there is no strength in their members to do that which their hart lusteth to do and is a thyrst to do These of the last sorte keepe the law of their owne accorde and that in the hart and haue professed perpetuall warre against the lustes and appetites of the flesh til they be vtterly subdued yet not through their owne strength but knowyng and knowledgyng their weakenes cry euer for strength to god which hath promised assistance vnto al that call vpon him These folow God and are led of his spirite The other ij are led of lustes and appetites Lustes appetites are diuers and many and that in one mā yea and one lust contrarie to an other and the greatest lust carieth a man altogether away with him We are also chaunged from one lust vnto an other Otherwise are we disposed when we are children otherwise when we are youngmen and otherwise when we are old otherwise ouer euen and otherwise in the mornyng yea somtymes altered vj. tymes in an houre How fortuneth all this Because that the will of man foloweth the witte and is subiect vnto the witte as the witte erreth so doth the will and as the witte is in captiuitie so is the will neither is it possible that the will should be free where the witte is in bondage That thou mayst perceaue feele y t thyng in thine hart and not be a vayne sophister disputyng aboute woordes without perceauyng marke this The roote of all euil the greatest damnatiō and most terrible wrath vengeaunce of god that we are in is natural blindnes We are all out of the right
by blessing vnderstand not the wagging of the popes or Bishops hand ouer thyne head but prayer as when we say God make thee a good man Christ put his spirite in thee or geue thee grace and power to walke in the truth to folow hys coÌ„mauÌ„dementes c. As Rebeccas frendes blessed her wheÌ„ she departed Gene. xxiiij saying Thou art our sister grow vnto thousand thousandes and thy seede possesse the gates of their enemies And as Isaac blessed Iacob Gene. xxvij saying God geue thee of the dew of heauen and of the fatnes of the earth aboundaunce of corne wyne and oyle c. And Gene. xxviij Almighty God blesse thee and make thee grow and multiply thee that thou mayst be a great multitude of people and geue to thee and to thy seede after thee the blessings of Abraham that thou mayst possesse the land wherin thou art a strauÌ„ger which he promised to thy graundfather and such lyke Last of all one singular doubt they haue what maketh the Priest the annoynting or puttyng on of the handes or what other ceremonie or what wordes About which they braule and scolde one ready to teare out an others throte One sayth this an other that but they caÌ„ not agree Neither caÌ„ any of them make so strong a reason which an other can not improue For they are all out of the way and without the spirite of God to iudge spirituall things Howbeit to this I auÌ„swere that wheÌ„ Christ called xij vp into the mouÌ„taine and chose them then immediatly without any annointing or ceremony were they his Apostles that is to witte ministers chosen to be sent to preach his Testament vnto all the whole world And after the resurrection wheÌ„ he had opened their wittes and geuen them knowledge to vnderstand the secretes of hys Testament how to bynde loose and what he would haue theÌ„ to do in all thynges then he sent them forth with a commaundemeÌ„t to preach and bynde the vnbeleuyng that continue in sinne and to loose the beleuyng that repent And that commaundemeÌ„t or charge made theÌ„ Byshops priestes Popes and all thyng If they say that Christ made theÌ„ priestes at his Maundey or last Supper when he sayd do this in the remembrauÌ„ce of me I aunswere though the Apostles wist not then what hee ment yet I will not striue nor say that agaynst Neuer the latter the commaundement and the charge which he gaue them made theÌ„ Priestes And Actes the first when Mathias was choseÌ„ by lotte it is not to be douted but that the Apostles after their common maner prayed for him that God would geue him grace to minister his office truely and put their handes on him and exhorted him and gaue him charge to be diligent faithfull and then was he as great as the best And Actes vj. When the Disciples that beleued had chosen vj. Deacons to minister to the widdowes the Apostles prayed and put their handes on them and admitted them without more adde Their putting on of hands was not after the maner of the dome blessing of our holy byshops with two fingers but they spake vnto them and tolde them their dutie and gaue them a charge and warned them to be faythfull in the Lordes busines as we chuse temporall officers and read their duty to them and they promise to be faythfull ministers and then are admitted Neither is there any other maner or ceremonie at all required in makyng of our spirituall officers then to chuse an able person and theÌ„ to rehearse him his dutie and geue him his charge and so to put him in his rowme And as for that other solemne doubte as they call it whether Iudas was a Priest or no I care not what he then was but of this I am sure that he is now not onely Priest but also Byshop Cardinall and Pope ¶ Of Penaunce PEnaunce is a word of their owne forgyng to disceaue vs with all as many other are In the Scripture we finde panitentia repentaunce Agite poenitentiam do repent Poeniteat vos let it repeÌ„t you Metanoyte in Greeke forthinke yo or let it forthinke you Of repentaunce they haue made penaunce to blinde the people and to make them thinke that they must take payne and do some holy dedes to make satisfaction for their sinnes namely such as they enioyue them As thou mayst see in the Cronicles when great kynges and tyrauntes which with violence of sword conquered other kynges landes and slew all that came to hand came to them selues and had conscience of their wicked dedes then the Byshops coupled them not to Christ but vnto the Pope and preached the Pope vnto them and made them to submit them selues and also their realmes vnto the holy father the Pope and to take penaunce as they call it that is to say such iniunctions as the Pope and Bishops would commaund them to do to build Abbays to endote them with liuelode to be prayed for for euer and to geue them exemptions and priuilege and licence to do what the lust vnpunished Repentaunce goeth before faith and prepareth the way to Christ and to the promises For Christ commeth not but vnto them that see their sinnes in the law and repent Repentaunce that is to say this mornyng and sorrow of the hart lasteth all our liues long For we finde our selues all our liues long to weake for Gods law and therfore sorrow morne longyng for strength Repentaunce is no Sacrament as faith hope loue and knowledge of a mans sinnes are not to be called Sacramentes For they are spirituall and inuisible Now must a Sacrament be an outward signe that may be sene to signifie to represent and to put a man in remeÌ„braunce of some spirituall promise which can not be sene but by faith onely Repentaunce and all the good dedes which accompanie repentaunce to slay the lustes of the fleshe are signified by Baptisme For Paule sayth Roma vj. as it is aboue rehearsed Remember ye not saith he that all we whiche are baptised in the name of Christ Iesus are baptised to dye with him we are buryed with him in Baptisme for to dye that is to kil the lustes and the rebellion which remayneth in the flesh And after that he sayth ye are dead as concernyng sinne but lyue vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. If thou looke on the profession of our harts and on the spirit and forgeuenes which we haue receaued thorough Christes merites we are full dead but if thou looke on the rebellion of the flesh we do but begyn to dye and to be baptised that is to drowne and quench the lustes and are full baptised at the last minute of death And as coÌ„cernyng the workyng of the spirite we begyn to lyue grow euery day more and more both in knowledge and also in Godly lyuyng accordyng as the lustes abate As a child receaueth yeâ—ull soule at the first day yet
the sygh of the hart is his sinne put away in Christes bloud For Christes bloud purgeth euer and blesseth euer For Iohn sayth in the second of his first epistle This I write vnto you that ye sinne not And though any man sinne meaning of frailtie and so repent yet haue we an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ which is righteous and he it is that obteineth grace for our sinnes and Heb. vij it is written But this man meaning Christ because he lasteth or abideth euer hath an euerlasting priesthod Therefore is he able also euer to saue thē that come to God through hym seing he euer liueth to make intercession for vs. The Byshops therefore ought to blesse vs in preaching Christ and not to deceaue vs and to bring the curse of God vpon vs wyth wagging their handes ouer vs. To preache is their dutie onely and not to offer their feete to bee kissed or testicles or stones to be groped We feele also by experience that after the Popes Byshoppes or Cardinals blessing we are no otherwise disposed in our soules then before Let this be sufficient as concerning the sacramentes and ceremonies with this protestation that if any cā say better or improue this with Gods word no man shall be better content therewith then I. For I seeke nothing but the truth and to walke in the light I submit therefore this worke and all other that I haue made or shall make if God will that I shall more make vnto the iudgements not of them that furiously burne all truth but of them which are ready with Gods worde to correct if any thing be sayde amisse to further Gods worde I will talke a worde or two after the worldly wisdome with them and make an ende of this matter If the sacramentes iustifie as they say I vnderstand by iustifiyng forgeuenes of sinnes Then do they wrong vnto the sacraments in as much as they robbe the most part of them through confession of their effect of the cause wherfore they were ordeined For no man may receaue the body of Christ no mā may marry no man may be oyled or aneiled as they call it no man may receaue orders except he be fyrst shriuen Now when the sinnes be forgeuen by shrift afore hand there is nought left for the sacramentes to doe They will aunswere that at the least way they encrease grace and not the sacramētes onely but also hearing of masse matens and euensong and receauing of holy water holy bread and of the Bishops blessing and so forth by all ceremonies By grace I vnderstand the fauour of God and also the giftes and working of his spirite in vs as loue kyndnes patience obedience mercifulnes despising of worldly thynges peace concorde and such like If after thou hast heard so many masses matens and euensonges and after thou hast receaued holy bread holy water and the Byshops blessing or a Cardinals or the Popes if thou wilt be more kinde to thy neighbour and loue him better then before if thou be more obediēt vnto thy superiors more mercifull more ready to forgeue wrong done vnto thee more despisest the world and more a thyrst after spirituall thynges if after that a Priest hath taken orders he be lesse couetous then before if a wife after so many and oft pilgrimages be more chast more obedient vnto her husband more kynde to her maydes and other seruauntes if Gentlemen knightes Lordes and kinges and Emperours after they haue sayd so often dayly seruice wyth their Chappellaynes know more of Christ then before and can better skill to rule their tenauntes subiectes and realmes christenly then before and be content with their duties then do such thinges encrease grace if not it is a lie Whether it be so or no I report me to experience If they haue any other enterpretations of iustifiyng or grace I pray them to teach it me For I would gladly learne it Now let vs goe to our purpose agayne ¶ Of miracles and worshipping of Saintes ANtichrist shal not only come with lying signes and disguised wyth falshod but also wyth lying miracles and wonders saith Paule in the said place ij Thess ij All the true miracles which are of God are shewed as I aboue rehearsed to moue vs to heare Gods word and to stablishe our fayth therin and to confirme the truth of Gods promises that we might without all doubting beleue thē For Gods worde thorough fayth bringeth the spirite into our hartes and also life as Christ sayth Iohn vi The wordes which I speake are spirite and lyfe The worde also purgeth vs and clenseth vs as Christ sayth Iohn xv ye are cleane by the meanes of the word Paul sayth i. Timo. ij One God one Mediatour that is to say aduocate intercessor or an atonemaker betwene God man the man Christ Iesus which gaue him selfe a raunson for all men Peter sayth of Christ Actes iiij Neither is their health in any other neither yet also any other name geuen vnto men wherin we must be saued So now Christ is our peace our redemption or raunsom for our sinnes our righteousnes satisfactiō and all the promises of God are yea Amen in him ij Cor. i. And we for y t great and infinite loue whiche God hath to vs in Christ loue him agayn loue also his lawes loue one an other And the deedes whiche we hence forth doe do we not to make satisfaction or to obteine heauen but to succour our neighbour to tame y t flesh that we may waxe perfect and strong men in Christ and to be thankefull to God againe for his mercy and to glorifie his name COntrarywise the miracles of Antichrist are done to pull thee from the worde of God and from beleuyng his promises and from Christ and to put thy trust in a man or a ceremonie wherin Gods word is not As soone as Gods woorde is beleued the fayth spread abroad then sease the miracles of god But the miracles of Antichrist because they are wrought by the deuil to quench the fayth grow dayly more and more neither shall cease vntill the worldes end among them that beloue not Gods worde and promises Seest thou not how God loosed sent forth all the deuils in the old world among the Heathen or Gētiles And how the deuils wrought miracles spake to them in euery image Euen so shal the deuill woorke falshode by one craft or an other vntill the worldes end amōg them that beleue not Gods word For the iudgement and damnation of hym that hath no lust to heare the truth is to heare lyes and to be stablished and grounded therein through false miracles and he that will not see is worthy to be blind and he that biddeth the spirite of God go from him is worthy to be without him Paul Peter and all true Apostles preached Christ onely And the miracles did but confirme and stablish their preachyng and those
spirite of the lyuing God not in tables of stone as the ten commaundementes but in the fleshy tables of the hart as who shuld say we writ not a dead law with inke and in parchemenâ— nor graue that which damned you in tables of stone but preache you that which bringeth the spirite of lyfe vnto your brestes which spirite writeth and graueth the law of loue in your hartes and geueth you lust to do the will of God And furthermore sayth he our ablenes coÌ„meth of God which hath made vs able to minister the new TestameÌ„t not of the letter y t is to say not of the law but of the spirite For the letter that is to say the law killeth but the spirite geueth life that is to say the spirite of God whiche entreth your hartes wheÌ„ ye beleue the glad tydinges that are preached you in Christe quickeneth your hartes and geueth you life lust and maketh you to do of loue and of your owne accorde without compulsioÌ„ that which the law compelled you to do and daÌ„ned you because ye could not doe with loue and lust and naturally Thus seest thou that the letter signifieth not the litterall sence and the spirite the spirituall sence And Rom. ij Paul vseth this terme Littera for the law And Rom. vij where he setteth it so playne that it the great wrath of God had not blinded them they could neuer haue stombled at it God is a spirite and all his wordes are spirituall His litterall sence is spituall and all his wordes are spiritual When thou readest Math. j. she shall beare a sonne thou shalt cal his name Iesus For he shall saue his people froÌ„ their sinnes This litteral sence is spiritual and euerlasting life vnto as many as beleue it And the litterall sence of these wordes Math. v. blessed are the mercyfull for they shall haue mercy are spirituall and life Wherby they that are mercyfull may of right by the truth and promise of God challenge mercy And like is it of these wordes Math. vj. If you forgeue othermen their sinnes your heauenly father shall forgeue you yours And so is it of all the promises of God Finally all gods wordes are spiritual if thou haue eyes of God to see the right meanyng of the text whereunto y â— Scripture perteyneth the final end and cause therof All the Scripture is either the promises and TestameÌ„t of God in Christ and stories perteining thereunto to strength thy faith either the law and stories perteining therto to feare thee from euil doing There is no story nor gest seme it neuer so simple or so vyle vnto the worlde but that thou shalt finde therein spirite and life and edifieng in the litterall sense For it is gods Scripture written for thy learnyng and comforte There is no cloute or tagge there that hath not precious reliques wrapt therein of fayth hope pacience and long sufferyng and of the truth of God and also of hys righteousnes Set before thee the storie of Ruben which defiled his fathers beo Marke what a crosse God suffered to fal on the necke of his elect Iacob CoÌ„sider first the shame among the heatheÌ„ when as yet there was no moe of the whole world within the Testament of God but he and his houshold I report me to our Prelates which sweare by their honor whether it were a crosse or no. Seest thou not how our wicked bylders rage because they see their bildynges burne now they are tryed by the fire of Gods word and how they stirre vp the whole world to quench the word of God for feare of loosing their honour Then what busines had he to pacifie his children Looke what a do he had at y â— defiling of his daughter Dina. And be thou sure that the brethren there were no more furious for the defiling of their sister then the sonnes heare for defiling of their mother Marke what folowed Ruben to feare other that they shame not their fathers and mothers He was cursed and lost the kyngdome and also the Priestdome and his tribe or generatioÌ„ was euer few in number as it appeareth in the stories of the Bible The adulterie of Dauid with Barsabe is an ensample not to moue vs to euill but if while we folow the way of righteousnes any chaunce driue vs aside that we despayre not For if we saw not such infirmities in Gods elect we which are so weake and fall so oft should vtterly dispaire thinke that God had cleane forsaken vs. It is therfore a sure and an vndoubted conclusion whether we be holy or vnholy we are all sinners But the differeÌ„ce is that Gods sinners consent not to their sinne They consent vnto the law that it is both holy and righteous and mourne to haue their sinne taken away But the deuils sinners consent vnto their sinne and would haue the law and hell taken away and are enemies vnto the righteousnes of God Likewise in the whomely gest of Noe when he was dronke and lay in his tente with hys priuy members open hast thou great edifyeng in the litteral sence Thou seest what became of the curied children of wicked Ham which saw his fathers priuie members and gested therof vnto his brethren Thou seest also what blessing fell on Sem and Iaphet which went backward and couered their fathers members saw them not And thirdly thou seest what infirmitie accompanieth Goâ—s elect be they neuer so holy which yet is not imputed vnto theÌ„ For the fayth trust they haue in God swalloweth vp all their sinnes Notwithstandyng this text offereth vs an apte and an hansome allegory or similitude to describe our wicked Ham Antichrist the Pope which many huÌ„dred yeares hath done all the shame that hart caÌ„ thinke vnto the priâ—ey meÌ„ber of God which is the word of promise or y â— word of faith as Paule calleth it Rom. x. and the Gospell and TestameÌ„t of Christ wherewith we are begotten as thou seest i. Peter i. and Iames. i. And as the cursed children of Ham grew into gyauntes so mightie and great that the children of Israell semed but greshoppers in respect of them so the cursed sonnes of our Ham the Pope his Cardinals Bysshops Abbots Monkes and Friers are become mighty gyauntes aboue all power and authoritie so that the children of faith in respect of them are much lesse then greshoppers They heape mountayne vppon mountayne will to heaueÌ„ by their own strength by away of their owne making not by the way Christ Neuer the latter those gyauÌ„tes for the wickednes abhominatioÌ„s which they had wrought did God vtterly destroy part of them by the childreÌ„ of Loth and part by the children of Esau and seuen nations of them by the children of Israell So no doubt shall he destroy these for like abhominations that shortly For their kyngdome is but the kyngdome of lyes and falshead which must needes perish at
God and fayth of Christ and corrupt the text of the couenaunt with false gloses and are disobedient to God and therefore sâ—… deadly Oâ— this also ye see the difference betwene the lambes of true beleuers and betwene the vncleane swyne that follow carnall lustes fleshly libertie and the churlishe and hypocrâ—…e dogges Which for the blinde zeale of their owne righteousnes persecute the righteousnes of the fayth in Christes bloud The effeminate and careles swyne which coÌ„tinue in their fleshlines cease not to wallow theÌ„selues in their olde podell thinke that they beleue very well in Christes bloud but they are deceaued as thou mayst clearely perceaue because they feare not the damnation of euill workes nor loue the lawe of good workes and therefore haue no part in the promise The cruell and doggishe hypocrits which take vpon them to worke thinke they loue the lawe which yet they neuer sawe saue vnder a vayle But they be deceaued as thou mayst perceaue by that they beleue not in Christ for the forgeuenes of sinne Whereby also I meane that they beleue not thou mayst perceaue that they vnderstand not the lawe For if they vnderstoode the lawe it would eyther driue them to Christ or make them dispayre immediatly But the true beleuers beholde the lawe in her owne likenes and see the impossibilitie thereof to be fulfilled wyth naturall power and therefore flee to Christ for mercy grace and power and then of a very thankfulnes for the mercy receaued loue the lawe in her owne likenes and submit theÌ„selues to learne it and to profit therein and to do to morow that they can not do to day Ye see also the difference of all manner of faythes The fayth of the true beleuers is that God iustifieth or forgeueth and Christ deserueth it and the fayth or trust in Christes bloud receaueth it and certifieth the coÌ„science thereof and saueth and deliuereth her from feare of death and damnation And this is that we meane when we say fayth iustifieth that fayth I meane in Christ and not in our owne workes certifieth the conscience that our sinnes are forgeueÌ„ vs for Christes bloudes sake But the fayth of hypocrites is that God forgeueth and workes deserue it And that same false fayth in their owne workes receaueth the mercy promised to the merites of their owne workes and so Christ vtterly excluded And thus ye see that faith is the thing that to affirmed to iustifie of all partyes For faith in Christes bloud which is Gods promise quieteth the conscience of the true beleuers And a false fayth or trust in workes which is their owne fayning beguileth the blynde hypocrites for a season tyll God for the greatnes of their sinne when it is â—ull openeth their eyes then they dispayre But the swyne say God is so good that he wyll saue deuilles and all and damne no man perpetually whatsoeuer he do An other conclusion is this to beleue in Christ for the remission of sinnes and of a thankfulnes for that mercy to loue the lawe truely that is to say to loue God that is father of all and geueth all and Iesus Christ that is Lord of vs all and bought vs al with all our hartes soules power and might and our brethren for our fathers sake because they be created after his image and for our Lord and master Christes sake because they be the price of his bloud and to long for the lyfe to come because this lyfe cannot be fedde without sinne These â—…tes I say are the profession and religion of a Christen maÌ„ and the inward baptime of the hart signifyed by the outward washing of the bodye And they be that spirituall character badge or signe wherewith God thorouge hys spirite marketh all his immediatly and assoone as they be ioyned to Christ and made members of hys Church by true fayth The Church of Christ then is the multitude of all them that beleue in Christ for the remission of sinne and of a thankfulnes for that mercy loue the lawe of God purely and without gloses and of hate they haue to the sinne of this world long for the life to come This is the church that cannot erre dampnably nor any long tyme nor all of them but assoone as any question aryseth the truth of Gods promise stirreth vp one or other to teach them the truth of euery thing needefull to saluation out of Gods worde and lighteneth the hartes of the other true members to see the same and to consent thereto And as all they that haue their hartes washed wyth this inwarde baptyme of the sprite are of the church and haue the keyes of the scripture ye and of binding and lowsing and do not erre Euen so they that sinne of purpose wyll not heare when their faultes be tolde them but seeke liberties and priuilegies to sinne vnpunished and glose out the lawe of God and mainteine ceremonies traditions and customes to destroy the fayth of Christ the same be members of Sathan all their doctrine is poison Errour darcknes ye though they be Popes Byshoppes Abbotes Eurates and Doctoures of diuinitie and though they can rehearse all the scripture without booke and though they be seene in Greeke Ebrew and Latine ye and though they so preach Christ and the passion of Christ that they make the poore women weepe and howle agayne For when they come to the point that they should minister Christes passion vnto the saluation of our soules there they poyson all together and glose out the lawe that should make vs feele our saluation in Christ and driue vs in that poynt from Christ and teach vs to put our trust in our owne workes for the remission and satisfaction of our sinnes and in the Apish play of hypocrites which sell their merites in steede of Christes bloud passion â–ª â—o now deare reader to beleue in Christes bloud for the remission of sinnâ— and putchasing of all the good promises that helpe to the lyfe to come and to loue the law and to long for the life to come is the inward Baptisme of the soule the Baptisme that onely auayleth in the sight of God the new generation and image of Christ the onely keye also to binde and â—owse synners The touchstone to trye all doctrines The lanterne and light that scattereth and expelleth the mist darknes of all hypocrisie and a preseruatiue agaynst all errour and heresie The mother of all good workes The earnest of euerlastyng lyfe and title whereby we chalenge our inheritaunce And thoughe fayth in Christes bloude make the mariage betwene our soule and Christ is properly the Mariage garment yea and the signe Thau that defendeth vs from the sâ—…tyng and power of the euill aungels and is also the rocke whereon Christes Churche is built and whereon all that is built standeth against all weather of wynde and tempestes yet might the
shal eate them vp in their youth that their enemies should haue y e vpperhand that the people of the land should be minished and the townes decayed and y â— land brought to a wildernesse and that a plenteous lande should be made barren or so ordered that dearth shall deuoure the enhabyters and wealth be amonge few that shoulde oppresse the rest with a thousand such like so that nothing they beginne should haue a prosperous ende all those cursses I say pertaine to vs as well as to them if we breake our temporall lawes Let England looke about them marke what hath chaunced them since they sâ—ue their right kyng whom God had annointed ouer them King Rycharde the second Their people townes and villages are minished by the third parte And of their noble bloude remayneth not the thirde nor I beleue the sixte yea and if I durst be bolde I wene I might safely sweare that there remaineth not the sixteneth part Their owne sworde hath eaten them vp And though pastures be enlarged aboue all measure yet rotte of sheepe Moren of beastes with parkes warennes with reising of fines and rent make all things twise so deare as they were And our owne coÌ„modities are so abused that they be the destructioÌ„ of our owne realme And right for if we will not know God to keepe his lawes how should God know vs to keepe vs to care for vs and to fulfill his promises of mercy vnto vs sayth not Paul Ro. i. of the heathen Sicut non probauerunt habere deum in noticia ita tradidit illos Deus As it seemed them not good or as they had no lust or as they admitted it not nor alowed for right in theyr hartes to know God as God to geue him the honor of God that is to feare him as God and as auenger of all euill and to seeke hys will euen so God gaue them vp to follow their owne blyndnesse and tooke his spirite and his grace from them and woulde no longer rule their wittes Euen so if we cast of vs the yoke of our temporall lawes which are y t lawes of God and drawen out of the ten commaundementes and lawe naturall and out of loue thy neighbour as thy self God shall cast vs of and let vs slippe to follow our owne wit And then shall all goe agaynst vs what soeuer we take in hand in so much that when we gather a parliament to reforme or ameÌ„oe ought that we there determine shal be our owne snare confusion and vtter destruction so that all the enemies we haue vnder heauen coulde not wishe vs so great mischiefe as our owne couÌ„cell shall do vs God shall so blinde the wisedome of the wise If any man haue any godly councell it shall haue none audience Errour madnesse and dasing shall haue the vpper hand And let the spiritualtie take heede and looke well about them and see whether they walke as they haue promised God and in the steppes of hys sonne Christ of his Apostles whose offices they beare For I promise theÌ„ all y e deuilles in hell if God had let theÌ„ lo wse coulde not haue geueÌ„ theÌ„ worse couÌ„sell then they haue geuen theÌ„selues this xx yeare long God gaue vp hys Israelites ofteÌ„ time wheÌ„ they woulde not be ruled nor know theÌ„selues and their dutie to God and brought them into captiuitie vnder their enemies to proue and feele saith the text whether were better seruice either to serue God and willingly to obay hys lawe coupled wyth so manifolde blessings or to serue their enemies and to obey their cruelnesse and tyranny spite of their heades in neede and necessitie And set the temporaltie remeÌ„ber that because those nacious vnder which the Israelites were in captiuitie did deale cruelty with them not to punishe theÌ„ for their idolatry and sinne which they had committed agaynst God but to haue their landes and goodes and seruice onely reioysing to make them worse and more out of their fathers fauour therefore when God had scourged his children mough he did beate the other for their labour But to our purpose what if the maÌ„ runne from his wife leaue her desolate Verely the rulers ought to make a law if any do so and come not agayn by a certaine day as with in the space of a yeare or so that theÌ„ he be banished the countrey and if he come agayne to come on his head and let the wife be free to mary where she will For what right is it that a lewde wretch should take his goods runne from his wife without a cause and sit by a whore yea and come agayne after a yeare or two as I haue knowen it and robbe hys wife of that she hath gotten in y e meane time goe agayne to his whore Paul sayth to the Corinthiaus that if a man or a womaÌ„be coupled with an infidell and the infidell depart the other is free to mary where they lust And. 1. Timo. 5. he saith if there be any man that prouideth not for his and namely for theÌ„ of his owne how should the same denieth the faith and is worse then an infidell And euen so is this man much more to be interpreted for an infidell that causelesse runneth from his wife Let I say the gouerners take heede how they let sinne be vnpunished and how they bring the wrath of God vppon their Realmes For God wil be aduenged on all iniquitie and punishe it with plagues from heauen In like maner if the woman depart causelesse and will not be reconciled though she commit none adultery the man ought of right to be free to marie agayne And in all other causes if they seperate them selues of impacieÌ„cie that the one can not suffre the others infirmities they must remaine vnmaried If any part burne let the same suffer y â— payne or infirmities of the other And the temporalitie ought to make lawes to bridle the vnruly partie Agayne ye haue heard howe it was sayd to them of old tyme forsweare not thy selfe but pay thyne othes vnto the Lord. But I say vnto you sweare not at all neither by heauen for it is the seate of God neither by the earth for it is hys footestole neither by IerusaleÌ„ for it is the Citie of the great king neither shalte thou sweare by thyne head for thou canst not make a white heere or a blacke But your communicatioÌ„ shal be yea yea nay nay For if ought be aboue that it procedeth of euill As to hate in the hart or to couet an other mans wife was no sinne with the Phariseis no more was it to hide one thyng in the hart to speake an other with the mouth to deceaue a maÌ„s neighbour if it were not bounde with an oth And though Moses say Leuit. xix Lye not nor deceaue any man hys neighbour or one an other yet they interpreted it but good councell if a man desired
That fayth haue they in theyr owne workes onely But the true hearers vnderstand the lawe as Christ interpreteth it here and feele thereby theyr righteous damnation and runne to Christ for succour and for remission of all their sinnes that are past and for all the sinne which chaunce thorough infirmities shall compel theÌ„ to do for remission of that the law is to stronge for their weake nature And upon that they consent to the lawe loue it and professe it to fulfill it to the vttermost of their power and then go to and worke Faith or confidence in Christes bloud without helpe and before the workes of the law bringeth all maner of remission of sinnes satisfaction Faith is mother of loue fayth accompanieth loue in all her workes to fulfill as much as there lacketh in our doing the lawe of that perfect loue which Christ had to his father and vs in his fulfilling of the law for vs. Now when we be reconciled then is loue fayth together our righteousnesse our keeping the lawe our continuing our proceeding forwarde in the grace which we stand in our bringing to the euerlasting sauing and euerlasting life And the woorkes be esteemed of God according to the loue of the hart If the woorkes be great loue little and colde then the woorkes be regarded thereafter of God If the workes be small and loue much and feruent the workes be taken for great of God And it came to passe that when Iesus had ended these sayinges the people were astonied at his doctrine for he taught them as one hauing power and not as the Scribes The Scribes and Phariseyes had thrust vp the sworde of the woorde of God into a scabbarde or shethe of gloses and therein had knit it fast that it coulde neither sticke nor cut teaching dead workes without fayth and loue which are the life and the whole goodnes of all workes and the onely thing why they please God And therefore their audience abode euer carnall and fleshly mynded without faith to God and loue to their neighbours Christes wordes were spirit life Ioh. vi That is to say they ministred spirite and life and entred into the hart and grated on the conscience and thorow preaching the lawe made the hearers perceaue their duties euen what loue they ought to God what to man and the right dampnation of all them that had not the loue of God and man written in their hartes and thorow preaching of fayth made all that consented to the lawe of God fele the mercy of God in Christ and certified them of their saluation For the worde of God is a two edged sworde that pearceth and deuideth the spirite and soule of man a sonder Heb. 〈◊〉 A man before the preaching of Godes woorde is but one man all fleshe the soule consenting vnto the lustes of the fleshe to follow them But the sworde of the worde of God where it taketh effect diuideth a man in two and serteth him at variaunce against his own selfe The fleshe haling one way and the spirite drawing another the fleshe raging to follow lustes and the spirite calling backe agayne to follow the lawe and will of God A man all the while â—e consenteth to the flesh before he be borne again in Christ is called soule or carnall But whe he is renued in Christ through y t word of lyâ—e and hath the loue of God and of hys neighbor and the fayth of Christ written in his hart he is called spirite or spirituall The Lord of all mercy send vs preachers with power that is to say 〈◊〉 expounders of the worde of God and speakers to the hart of man and deliuer vs from Scribes Phariseyes hypocrites and all false Prophetes Amen An aunswere vnto Syr Thomas Mores Dialogue made by William Tyndall 1530. ☞ First he declareth what the Church is and geueth a reason of certaine wordes which Master More rebuketh in the translation of the new Testament ¶ After that he aunswereth particularly vnto euery Chapter which semeth to haue any appearaunce of truth thorough all his foure bookes ¶ Awake thou that slepest and stand vp from death and Christ shall geue the light Ephesians 5. THe grace of our Lord the light of his spirite to see to iudge true repeÌ„taunce towardeâ— Gods lâ—we a fast fayth in the mercyfull prâ—…es y â— are in our sauiour Christ serueÌ„t loue toward thy neighbour after the exaÌ„ple of Christ his Saints be with thee O Reader with all that loue the truth loÌ„g for the redemption of Gods elect Amen Our Sauiour I esus in the 16. of Iohn at his last Supper when he tooke his leaue of his Disciples warned them saying the holy Ghost shall come and rebuke the world of iudgemeÌ„t That is he shall rebuke the world for lacke of true iudgement and discretion to iudge and shall proue that the tast of theyr mouthes is corrupt so that they iudge swete to be sowre and sowre to be swete the eyes to be blynd so that they thinke that to be the verâ— seruice of God which is but a blynd superstition for zeale of which yet they persecute the true seruice of God and that they iudge to be the lawe of God whiche is but a false imagination of a corrupt iudgement for blynd affection of whiche yet they persecute the true law of God and them that kepe it And this same it is that Paul sayth 1. Corinth ij how that the naturall man that is not borne agayne and created a new with the spirite of God be he neuer so great a Philosopher neuer so well sene in the law neuer so sore studied in the Scripture as we haue examples in the Phariseis yet hee cannot vnderstaÌ„d the thynges of the spirite of God but sayth he the spirituall iudgeth all thyngs and hys spirâ—e searcheth the deepe secretes of God so that what soeuer God commauÌ„deth hym to do he neuer leaueth searchyng till he come at the bottome the pith the quicke the lyâ—e the sâ—… the mâ—â—ow very cause why and iudgeth all thyng Take an example in the great commaundement loue God with all thyne hart y t spirituall searcheth the cause and looketh on the benefites of God and so conceaueth loue in his hart And when he is commaunded to obey the powers and rulers of the world hee looketh on the benefites which God sheweth the world through them and therefore doth it gladly And when hee â–ª is commauÌ„ded to loue his neighbour as hym selfe he searcheth that his neighbour is created of God and bought with Christes bloud and so forth and therefore he loueth hym out of his hart and if he be euill forheareth hym and with all loue and pacience draweth hym to good as elder brethren wayte on the youÌ„ger and serue them and suffer them when they will not come they speake fayre flatter and geue some gaye thyng and
for the electe onely in whose hartes God hath written hys lawe with his holy spirite and geuen them a feeling faith of the mercy that is in Christ Iesu our Lord. ¶ Why Tindall vsed this worde congregation rather theÌ„ church in the translation of the new Testament WHerefore in as much as the clergy as the nature of those hard indurat AdamaÌ„tstones is to draw all to them had appropriat vnto themselues the terme that of right is common vnto all the whole congregation of them that beleue in Christ wyth their false and subtil wyles had beguiled and mocked the people brought them into the ignoraunce of the word making theÌ„ vnderstand by this worde church nothing but the shauen flocke of them that shore the whole worlde therefore in the translation of the new Testament where I found this word Ecclesia I enterpreted it by thys word congregation Euen therfore did I it and not of any mischeuous mynde or purpose to stablâ—she heresie as master More vntruely reporteth of me in hys Dialoge where he rayleth on y t translation of the new Testament And when M. More sayth that this word Church is knowen wel inough I report me vnto the conscieÌ„ces of all the land whether he say truth or other wise or whether the lay people vnderstand by Church the whole multitude of all that professe Christ or the iugglyng spirites onely And wheÌ„ he saith that congregation is a more generall terme if it were it hurteth not For the circumstance doth euer tell what coÌ„gregation is ment Neuerthelesse yet sayth he not the truth For whersoeuer I may say a congregation there may I say a Church also as the Church of the deuill the Church of Sathan the Church of wretches y t Church of wickedmen the Churche of lyers and a Church of Turkes therto For M. More must graunt if he will haue Ecclesia translated throughout all the new Testament by this woorde Church that Church is as commoÌ„ as Ecclesia Now is Ecclesia a Greeke word and was in vse before the tyme of the Apostles and taken for a coÌ„gregation among the heatheÌ„ where was no congregation of God or of Christ And also Lucas him selfe vseth Ecclesia for a Church or congregation of heathen people thrise in one Chapter eueÌ„ in the xix of the Actes where Demetrius the goldsmith or siluersmith had gathered a company agaynst Paule for preachyng agaynst Images Howbeit M. More hath so long vsed â–ª his figures of Poetry that I suppose wheÌ„ he erreth most he now by the reason oâ— a long custome beleueth himself that he sayth most true Or els as the wise people which when they daunce naked in nettes beleue that no man seeth them euen so M. More thinketh that his errours be so subtilly couched that no man can espy them So blinde he counteth all other men in comparison of his great vnderstandyng But charitably I exhorte him in Christ to take hede for though Iudas were wilier then his felowes to get lucre yet he proued not most wise at y t last end Neither though Balam the false Prophet had a cleare sight to bryng y â— curse of God vpon the childreÌ„ of Israell for honours sake yet his couetousnesse did so blind his prophesie that he could not see his owne end Let therfore M. More and his coÌ„pany awake be tymes ere euer their sinne be ripe lest y e voyce of their wickednesse ascenoâ— vp and awake God out of his slepe to loke vpoÌ„ them and to how his eares vnto theyr cursed blasphemies agaynst the open truth and to send his haruest men and mowares of vengeaunce to repe it But how happeth it that M. More hath not contended in likewise against hys derelyng Erasmus all this longe while Doth not he chauÌ„ge this word Ecclesia into congregatioÌ„ and that not seldome in the new TestameÌ„t peraduenture he oweth him fauour because he made Moria in hys house Whiche booke if it were in English theÌ„ should euery man see how that he then was farre otherwise mynded then he now writeth But verely I thinke that as Iudas betrayd not Christ for any loue that he had vnto the hyghe Priestes Scribes and Phariseis but onely to come by that wherfore he thirsted eueÌ„ so M. More as there are tokens euideÌ„t wrote not these bookes for any affectioÌ„ that he bare vnto the spiritualty or vnto the opinions which he so barely defeÌ„deth but to obtaine onely that which he was an hungred for I pray God that he eate not to hastly lest he be chokeo at the latter end but that he repeÌ„t and resist not the spirite of God which openeth light vnto the worlde ¶ Why he vseth this woorde Elder and not Priest AN other thyng which he rebuketh is that I interprete this Greeke worde Presbiteros by this worde Senior Of a truth Senior is no very good Englishe though Senior and Iuniot be vsed in the vniuersities but there came no better in my mynde at that tyme. Howbeit I spied my fault since long yer M. More tolde it me and haue â—…ded it in all the woorkes which I sens made and call it an Elder And in that he maketh hereâ—ie of it to call Presbiteros an Elder he condemneth their owne old Latin text of heresie also which they vse yet dayly myâ—â—…ch and haue vsed I suppose this I suppose this run huÌ„dred yeares For that text doth 〈…〉 an elder likewise In the. 1. Pet. 5. â—…s standeth it in y e Latin text Seâ—…ores qui in vobis sunt obsecro ego conâ—… pascite qui in vobis est gregem Chriâ—… 〈…〉 elders that are among you I 〈…〉 which am an elder also that ye sedâ—… flocke of Christ which is among 〈…〉 There is Presbyteros calle◠〈…〉 And in y t he sayth fede Chrisâ—… he meaneth euen the Ministeâ—… chosen to teach the people to 〈…〉 them in Gods word no â—ay 〈…〉 And in the 2. Epâ—stâ—e of Ioh◠〈…〉 text Senior electae Dominae 〈…〉 The elder vnto the eleâ—t Lady 〈…〉 her children And in the 〈…〉 Iohn Senior Gaâ—o dilecto 〈…〉 vnto the beloued Gaiâ—s In these 〈…〉 pistles Presbyteros is calleâ— an 〈…〉 And in the xx of the Actes y â— text sâ—… Paule sent for maiores natu Eccleâ—… 〈…〉 elders in byrth of the congregation or Church and sayd vnto them take 〈…〉 vnto your selues vnto y â— whoâ—e 〈◊〉 ouer which the holy ghosâ— hath 〈…〉 you Episcopos ad regendum Eccleâ—… Dei Byshops ouerâ—caâ—s to 〈…〉 the Church of God There is â—…teros called an Elder in byrth 〈…〉 same immediately called a 〈…〉 ouersear to declare what pâ—… ment Hereof ye see that I haue 〈…〉 more erred then their owne text 〈…〉 they haue vsed sence the scripture waâ— first in the Latin â—oung and that their owne text vnderstandeth by Presbyâ—eros nothyng saue an Elder And they were called
had forget all the miracles and all the wordes which he had told them before how that he should be betrayde and deliuered on the same maner vnto death Moreouer they neuer vnderstode that saying of hys death because theyr hartes were all way heauy and ouer lade with earthly thoughtes For though they saw hym raise vp other yet who should rayse him vp when he were dead they could not comprehend Read what thou read canst thou shalt finde no temptatioÌ„ like vnto that from the creation of the world or so great as it by the huÌ„dred part So that the wonderfull soden chaunge and the terrible sight of his passion and of hys most cruell and most vyle death the losse of whoÌ„ they so greatly loued that their hartes would fayne haue dyed with him and the feare of their owne death and the impossibilitie that a man should rise againe of his owne power so occupyed their mindes and so astonyed them and amased them that they could receaue no comfort either of the Scripture or of the miracles whiche they had sene Christ do nor of the monitions warnings wherwith he had warned theÌ„ before neither of the women that brought them tydynges that he was risen The sword of temptations with feare sorow mournyng and wepyng had depely pearced theyr hartes and the cruell sight had so combred their myndes that they could not beleue vntill Christ him selfe came death put of and ouercome yea wheÌ„ they first saw him they were astonyed for wonderyng and ioy together that thoughtes arose in their hartes alas is this he or doth some spirite mocke vs he was fayne to let them feele hym and to eate with them to streÌ„gth theyr faythes Howbeit there was none of them that was fallen in his hart froÌ„ Christ For assoone as the women brought word Peter and Iohn ranne vnto the sepulchre saw and wondred would fayne haue beleued that he was risen and longed for him But could not beleue the wound of temptation beyng greater then that it could bee healed with the preaching of a woman without any other miracle Ioseph of Arimathia and Nicodemus whiche while he yet lyued durst not be a knowen of him assoone as he was dead begged his body and buried hym boldly And the women assoone as it was lawfull to worke prepared their annoyntments with all diligeÌ„ce And the hartes of the Disciples that weÌ„t to Emaus burned in their bresâ—es to heare him spoken of And Thomas had not forsaken Christ but could not beleue vntill he saw him and yet desired and longed to see him and reioysed when he saw him and for ioy cried out my Lord my God There was none of them that euer â—ayled on him and came so farre foorth to say he was a disceauer and wrought with the deuils craft all this while and see where to he is come in the end we defie hym all his workes false wretch that he was and hys false doctrine also And thereto must they haue come at the last when feare sorow and wonderyng had bene past if they had not bene preuented and holpe in the meane tyme. Yea and Peter aâ—soone as he had denyed Christ came to hym selfe immediatly and went out and wept bitterly for sorow And thus ye see that Peters faith failed not though it were oppressed for a tyme so that we nede to seke no gloses for the text that Christ sayd to Peter how that hys fayth should not fayle Yes sayth M. More it fayled in hym selfe but was reserued in our Lady But let vs see the text and their glose together Christ sayth Luke xxij Symon Symon Sathan seketh you to sifte you as men sift where but I haue prayed for thee that thy fayth shall not fayle wherfore wheÌ„ thou art come vnto thy selfe agayne streÌ„gth thy brethreÌ„ Now put this wise gloâ—e thereto and see how they agree together Symon SathaÌ„ seketh to sift you as where but I haue prayed for thee that my mothers fayth shall not fayle wherfore when thou art come to thy selfe again accordyng as my prayer hath obtained for thee that my mothers fayth shall not fayle strength thy brethren How say ye is not this a proper text well framed together Do ye not thinke that there is as much witte in the head of mad Colens as in the draynes oâ— such expositours ¶ Whether the Pope and his sect be Christes Church or no. THat the Pope and his spirite â—e not the Church may this wise be proued He that hath no fayth to be saued through Christ is not of Christes Church The Pope beleueth not to be saued through Christ For he teacheth to trust in holy workes for the remission of sinnes and saluation as in the woorkes of penaunce enioyned in vowes in pilgrimage in chastitie in other mens prayers and holy lyuyng in Friers Friers coates in Saintes merites and the significatioÌ„s put out he teacheth to beleue in y t dedes of the ceremonies of the Sacramentes ordeined at the beginnyng to preach vnto vs and to do vs seruice not that we should beleue in them and serue them And a thousand such superâ—â—iciousnesses setteth he before vs in stede of Christ to beleue in neither Christ nor Gods word neither honorable to God nor seruiceable vnto our neighbour nor profitable vnto our selues for the tamyng of the flesh which all are the denying of Christes bloud An other reason is this Whosoeuer beleueth in Christ conâ—enteth that Gods law is good The pope contenteth not that Gods law is good For he hath forbydden lawfull wedlocke vnto all his ouer whom he raigneth as a temporall tyraunt with lawes of his owne makyng not as a brother exhortyng them to kepe Christes And he hath graunted vnlawfull whoredome vnto as many as bryng money As through Dutchland euery Priest paying a gildren vnto the Archdeacon shall frely and quietly haue his whore and put her away at his pleasure and take an other at his own lust As they do in wales in Ireland Scotland Fraunce and Spayne And in EnglaÌ„d therto they be not few which haue lyceÌ„ces to kepe whores some of the pope and some of their ordinaries And wheÌ„ the Parishes go to law with them to put away their whores the Byshops officers mocke them poll them make them spend their â—hrâ—res the Priests kepe their whores stil Howbeit in very dede sence they were rebuked by the preachyng of wickleffe our English spiritualtie haue layd their snares vnto mens wiues to couer theyr abhominations though they byde not all way secret Therto all Christen meÌ„ if they haue done amisse repent when their faultes be tolde them The spiritualtie repent not but of very lust and coÌ„sent to sinne persecute both the scripture wherwith they be rebuked and also them that warne them to amende and make heretikes of them and burne them And besides that the
coÌ„sent of many As if one tolde me that the turke had wonne a citie and I beleued it moued with the honestie of the man Now if there come an other that seemeth more honest or that hath better perswasions that it is not so I thinke immediatly that he lyed and lose my fayth agayne And a feeling fayth is as if a man were there present when it was wonne and there were wounded and had there lost all that he had and were taken prisoner there also That man should so beleue that all y e worlde could not turne him from hys fayth Euen likewise if my mother had blowen on her finger and tolde me that the fire woulde burne me I shoulde haue beleued her with an historicall fayth as we beleue the stories of the world because I thought she woulde not haue mocked me And so I should haue done if she had tolde me that the fire had bene cold and would not haue burned but assoone as I had put my finger in the fire I should haue beleued not by reason of her but wyth a feeling faith so that she could not haue perswaded me afterward the contrary So now with an historicall fayth I may beleue that y â— scripture is gods by the teaching of them so I should haue done though they had tolde me that Roben Hode had bene the scripture of God Which fayth is but an opinion and therfore abideth euer frutlesse and falleth away if a more glorious reason be made vnto me or if the preacher liue contrary But of a feeling fayth it is written Iohn vi They shall be all taught of God That is God shall write it in their harts with his holy spirite And Paule also testifieth Rom. 8. the spirite beareth record vnto our spirit that we be the sonnes of God And thys fayth is none opinion but a sure feling and therefore euer fruitfull Neyther hangeth it of the honesty of the preacher but of the power of God and of the spirite and therefore if all the preachers of the world would goe about to perswade the contrary it would not preuayle no more theÌ„ though they would make me beleue the tire were colde after that I had put my finger therein Of this ye haue an ensample Ioh. 4. of the Samaritanish wife which left her pitcher and went into the citie and sayd come see a man that hath tolde me al that euer I did is not he Christ And many of the Samaritanes beleued because of the saying of the womaÌ„ how that he had tolde her all that euer she did and went out vnto him desired him to come in which fayth was but an opinion and no fayth that could haue lasted or haue brought out fruit but when they had heard Christ the spirite wrought and made them feele Wherupon they came vnto the womaÌ„ and sayd we beleue not now because of thy saying but because we haue heard our selues and know that he is Christ the sauiour of the worlde For Christes preaching was with power and spirite that maketh a maÌ„ feele and know and worke to and not as the Scribes and Pharisies preached and as ours make a man ready to cast hys gorge to heare them raue and rage as mad men And therefore sayth y â— scripture cursed is he that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme that is to say hys strength And euen so cursed is he that hath none other beliefe but because men so say Cursed were he y â— had none other why to beleue theÌ„ that I so say And euen so cursed is he that beleueth only because y â— Pope so saith and so forth thoroughout all the men in the worlde ¶ The fayth that dependeth of an other mans mouth is weake IF I haue none other feeling in my fayth then because a man so sayth then is my fayth faithles and fruitles For if I haue none other seeling that lecherie is sinne then that the Pope so preacheth whom I see before my face set vp in Rome a stewes of xx or xxx thousand whores taking of euery pece tribute yearly and his Byshops with all other his disciples folowing the ensample mightely and the Pope therewith not content but to set vp thereto a stewes of young boyes agaynst nature the committers of which sinne be burnt at a stake among the Turkes as Moses also commaundeth in hys lawe And the Pope also to forbid all the spiritualtie a multitude of xl or l. huÌ„dred thousand to mary and to geue them licence to keepe euery man hys whore who so will If I say I haue none other feeling in my fayth that lechery is sinne theÌ„ this maÌ„s preaching I thinke my fayth should be to weake to beare much fruite How coulde I beleue a man that would say he loued me if all hys deedes were contrary I coulde not beleue God himselfe that he loued me if in all my tribulations I had of him none other comfort then those bare wordes And in like maner if I had none other feeling in my fayth that couetousnes were sinne then that the spiritualtie so sayth my fayth coulde be but weake and faintie when I see how y â— Pope with wiles hath thrust downe the Emperour and how the Byshops and Prelates be cropt vp an hye in all regions aboue their kynges and haue made them a seuerall kyngdome and haue gotten into their handes almost the one halfe of euery realme which they deuide among theÌ„selues geuyng no lay man any part with them heaping vp Byshopprike vpon Byshopprike promotion vpon promotion benefice vpon benefice with vnions and tot quottes robbing in euery parishe the soules of their â—oode and the poore of their due sustenaunce yea and some preaching that it were lesse sinne 〈◊〉 haue two wiues then two benifices but while they be yet young and hoâ—â— and therefore thinke couetousnes greater sinne theÌ„ lechery which same wheÌ„ they be waxed elder and their coÌ„plâ—â—tion somewhat altered thinke that couetousnes is as small a sinne as lechery and therfore take all that commeth And if any man cast their preachyng in their tethes they answere that they be better learned and haue seue further If I say I haue no other felyng that couetousnes is sinne then y e preaching of these holy fathers my fayth were built but vpoÌ„ a weake rocke or rather on the soft â—and And therfore our defenders do right well to some out their owne shame and to vtter the secrete thoughtes of their harâ—es For as they write so they beleue Other felyng of the lawes of God and fayth of Christ haue they none then that theyr God the Pope so sayth And therfore as the Pope preacheth wyth his moâ—th onely eueÌ„ so beleue they with their mouth onely whatsoeuer he preacheth without more a doe be it neuer so abhominable and in their hartes consent vnto all their fathers wickednes and folow
him in their dedes as fast as they can runne The Turkes being in number fiue tymes moe then we are knowledge one God and beleue many thinges of God moued onely by the authoritie of their elders and presume that God will not let so great a multitude erre so long tyme. And yet they haue erred and bene faithlesse these eight hundred yeares And the Iewes beleue this day as much as the carnall sort of them euer beleued moued also by the authoritie of their elders onely and thinke that it is impossible for them to erre being Abrahams seede and the childrē of them to whom the promises of all that we beleue were made And yet they haue erred and bene faythlesse this xv hundred yeares And we of like blindnesse beleue onely by the authoritie of our elders and of like pride thinke that we can not erre beyng such a multitude And yet we see how God in the old Testament did let the great multitude erre reseruyng alway a litle flocke to call the other backe againe and to testifie vnto them the right way ¶ How this word Church hath a double interpretation THis is therfore a sure cōclusion as Paule sayth Rom. ix that not all they that are of Israell are Israelites neither because they be Abrahās sede are they all Abrahams childrē but they onely that folow the faith of Abraham Euen so now none of them that beleue with their mouthes moued with the authority of their elders onely that is none of thē that beleue with M. Mores fayth the Popes fayth and the deuils fayth which may stand as M. More cōfesseth with all maner abhominatiōs haue the right fayth of Christ or are of his Church But they onely that repēt feele that the law is good And haue the law of God written in their harts and the fayth of our Sauiour Iesus euen with the spirite of God There is a carnali Israell a spirituall There is Isaac and Ismaell Iacob Esau And Ismaell persecuted Isaac Esau Iacob the fleshly the spiritual Wher of Paul complayned in his tyme persecuted of his carnall brethrē as we do in our tyme and as the elect euer dyd shall do till the worldes end What a multitude came out of Egypt vnder Moses of which the Scripture testifyeth that they beleued moued by y ◠miracles of Moses as Symon magus beleued by the reason of Philippes miracles Actes viij Neuerthelesse the Scripture testifieth that vj. hundred thousād of those beleuers perished thorough vnbelief and left their carcasses in the wildernesse and neuer entred into the land that was promised them And euen so shal the children of M. Mores faythlesse faith made by the persuation of mā leap short of the test which our Sauiour Iesus is risē vnto And therfore let them embrace this present world as they do whose children they are though they hate so to be called And hereby ye see that it is a playne an euident conclusiō as bright as the sunne shynyng that the truth of Gods word dependeth not of the truth of the congregation And therfore when thou art asked why thou beleuest that thou shalt be saued thorough Christ and of such like principles of our fayth aunswere thou wottest and felest that it is true And when he asketh how thou knowest that it is true aunswere because it is written in thyne hart And if he aske who wrote it aūswere the spirite of God And if he aske how thou came first by it tell him whether by readyng in bookes or hearyng it preached as by an outward instrumēt but that inwardly thou wast taught by y ◠spirite of God And if he aske whether thou beleuest it not because it is written in bookes or because the Priestes so preach aunswere no not now but onely because it is writtē in thyne hart and because the spirite of God so preacheth and so testifieth vnto thy soule And say though at the beginning thou wast moued by readyng or preachyng as the Samaritans were by y ◠wordes of the woman yet now thou beleuest it not therfore any lēger but onely because thou hast heard it of the spirite of God and read it written in thine hart And concernyng outward teachyng we alledge for vs Scripture elder thē any Church that was this xiiij hundred yeares and old antenticke stories which they had brought a slepe where with we confounde their lyes Remēber ye not how in our owne tyme of all that taught Grammer in England not one vnderstode the Latin toung how came we thē by the Latin toung agayne not by them though we learned certaine rules principles of them by which we were moued had an occasion to seke further but out of the old authours Euen so we seke vp old antiquities out of whiche we learne and not of our Church though we receaued many principles of our Church at the begynnyng but more falsehead then truth It hath pleased God of his exceding loue wherewith he loued vs in Christ as Paul sayth before the worlde was made and whē we were dead in sinne and his enemies in that we did cōsent to sinne and to liue euill to write with his spirite ij conclusions in our harts by which we vnderstād all thyng that is to were the fayth of Christ and the loue of our neighbours For whosoeuer feleth the iust damnation of sinne and the forgeuenes and mercy that is in Christes bloud for all that repent forsake it and come and beleue in that mercy the same onely knoweth how God is to be honoured and worshipped and can iudge betwene true seruing of God in the spirite and false Image seruing of God with workes ▪ And y e same knoweth that sacramētes signes ceremonies and bodely things can be no seruice to God in his person but memorials vnto men and a remēbraunce of the testament wherewyth God is serued in the spirite And he that feeleth not that is blynde in hys soule and of our holy fathers generation and maketh God an Image a creature worshippeth him with bodely seruice And on the other side he that loueth his neighbour as himselfe vnderstandeth all lawes and cā iudge betwene good and euil right wrong godly and vngodly in all conuersation deedes lawes bargaines couenaunces ordinaunces and decrees of men and knoweth the office of euery degree and the due honour of euery person And he that hath not that writen in his hart is popishe and of y ◠spiritualtie which vnderstādeth nothing saue his own honour his own profite what is good for himself onely and when he is as he would be thinketh y ◠all the world is as it should be ¶ Of worshipping and what is to be vnderstand by the worde COncerning worshipping or honouring which two termes are both one M. More bringeth forth a difference a distinction or diuision of Greke wordes
or xii yeare olde before they were admitted to receaue the sacrameÌ„t of Christes body haply And he apposed them of the lawe of God and fayth of Christ asked them whether they thought that lawe good and whether their hartes were to follow it And they aunswered yea And he apposed them in the articles of our fayth and asked them whether they put their hop and trust in Christ to be saued thorow his death and merites And they answered ye TheÌ„ coÌ„firmed he their baptim saying I confirme you that is I denounce and declare by the authoritie of Gods worde and doctrine of Christ that ye be truely baptised within in your hartes and in your spirites thorow prosessing the lawe of God and the faith of our sauiour Iesu which your outwarde baptim doth signifie and therupon I put this crosse in your foreheades that ye goe and fight agaynst the deuill the world and the flesh vnder the standard of our Sauiour in the name of the father the sonne the holy ghost AmeÌ„ Which maner I would to God for his tender mercy were in vse this day But after that the deuil was broken lowse and the Byshops began to purchase and the Deaâ—…s to scratch all to them and the spiritualtie to clime an hygh then because the labour seâ—… to tedious and paynfull to appose the children one by one they asked the Priests that presented theÌ„ onely whether the children were taught the professioÌ„ of their Baptisme And they aunswered yâ—â— And so vpon their wordes they confirmed theÌ„ without apposing So wheÌ„ they no lenger apposed them the Priests no lenger taught them but committed the charge to their Godfather and Godmothers and they to the father and mother dischargyng them selues by their owne authoritie within halfe an houre And the father mother taught theÌ„ a monstrous Latin Pater noster and an Aue and a Crede Which gibbresh euery Popâ—…iaye speaketh with a sundry pronunciation and fashion so that one Pater noster semeth as many languages almost as there be tounges that speake it Howbeit it is all one as loÌ„g as they vnderstand it not And in processe as the ignoraunce grew they brought them to confirmation straight from Baptisme so that now oftymes they be volowed and bishoped both in one day that is we be confirmed in blindnesse to be kept from knowledge for euer And thus are we come into this damnable ignoraunce and fierce wrath of God through our owne deseruyng because when the truth was told vs we had no loue therto And to declare the full and set wrath of God vpon vs our Prelates whom we haue exalted ouer vs to whom we haue geuen almost all we had haue persuaded the wordly Princes to whoÌ„ we haue submitted our selues and geueÌ„ vp our power to deuour vs vp body soule and to kepe vs downe in darkenesse with violence of sword and with all falsehead and guile In so much that if any do but lift vp his nose to smell after the truth they swap him in the face with a fire brande to seng hys smellyng or if he open one of his eyes once to looke toward y â— light of gods word they bleare daze his sight with their false iugglyng so that if it were possible though he were Gods elect he could not but be kept down and perish for lacke of knowledge of the truth And in like maner because Christ had institute the Sacrament of his body and bloud to kepe vs in remembrauÌ„ce of his body breaking blud sheding for our sinnes therfore went they and set vp this fashioÌ„ of the Masse and ordeined Sacramentes in the ornamentes thereof to signifie and expresse all the rest of his passioÌ„ The amice on the head is the kercheue that Christ was blynd folded with when the souldiours buffeted him and mocked hym saying prophecie vnto vs who smote thee But now it may wel signifie that he that putteth it on is blynd and hath professed to leade vs after him in darkenesse according vnto the beginnyng of his play And the flappe theron is the crowne of thorne And the albe is the white garment that Herode put on him saying he was a foole because he held his peace and would not auÌ„swere him And the ij flappes on the sleues and the other ij on the albe beneath ouer agaynst his fete behind and before are the. iiij nayles And the fanon on his hand the cord that his haÌ„des were bound with And the stole the rope wherwith he was bound vnto the piller when he was scorged And the corporiscloth the sindon wherin he was buried and the altare is the crosse or haply the graue and so forth And the casting abroad of his hands the splaying of Christ vpon the crosse And the light and sticking vp of candles bearyng of candles or tapers in procession happly signified this text Math. v. ye be the light of the world and let your light so shyne before meÌ„ that they may see your good workes glorifie your father which is in heauen And the salt signifieth the wisedome of Christes doctrine and that we should therewith salt our dedes and do nothing without the authoritie of Gods word So that in one thing or other what in the garmeÌ„tes and what in the gestures all his playde in so much that before he will go to Masse he wil be sure to sell hym lest Iudases part should be left out And so throughout all the SacrameÌ„ts ceremonies or signes iij. words of one signification there were significations vnto them at the beginning And so long as it was vnderstaÌ„d what was ment by them and they dyd but serue the people and preach one thyng or an other vnto them they hurted not greatly though that the free seruaunt of Christ ought not to be brought violently into captiuitie vnder the boÌ„dage of traditions of men As S. Augustine complayneth in his dayes how that the condition and state of the Iewes was more easy then the ChristiaÌ„s vnder traditions so sore had the tyranny of the shepheardes inuaded the flocke all ready in those dayes And theÌ„ what iust cause haue we to coÌ„plaine our captiuitie now vnto whose yocke from that tyme hetherto enen xij hundred yeares long hath euer somwhat more waight bene added to for to keepe vs bowne and to confirme vs in blyndnesse howbeit as long as the significatioÌ„s bode they hurted not the soule though they were paynefull vnto the body Neuerthelesse I impute this our greuous fal into so extreme and horrible blyndnesse wherin we are so deepe and so deadly brought a slepe vnto no thyng so much as vnto the multitude of ceremonies For assoone as the Prelates had set vp such a rable of ceremonies they thonght it superflnous to preach the playne text any longer and the law of God faith of Christ loue toward our
bringeth he in the perpetuall virginitie of our Lady which though it be neuer so true is yet none article of our fayth to be saued by But we beleue it with a story fayth because we see no cause reasonable to thinke the contrary And when he sayth many misteries are yet to be opened as the commyng of Antichrist Nay verely the babe is knowne well inough and all the tokens spide in him which the scripture describeth hym by And when he alleageth Paules traditions to the Thessalo to proue hys phantasie I haue answered Rochester in the obedience that his traditions were the Gospell that he preached And when he alleageth Paule to the Corin. I say that Paule neuer knew of this word Masse Neither can any man gather thereof any straunge holy gestures but the playne contrary and that there was no other vse there then to breake the bread amōg them at supper as Christ did And therefore he calleth it Christes supper and not Masse There was learned y ◠maner of consecration A great doubt as though we coulde not gather of the scripture how to do it And of the water that the Priest mingleth wyth the wyne A great doubt also and a perilois case if it were left out For either it was done to slake the heate of the wine or put to after as a ceremony to signifie that as the water is chaunged into wine so are we chaunged thorow sayth as it were into Christ and are one wyth him how be it all is to their owne shame that ought shoulde be done or vsed among vs Christen whereof no man wist the meaning For if I vnderstand not the meaning it helpeth me not 1. Cor. 14. and as experience reacheth But if our shepherdes had bene as well willing to feede as to shere we had needed no such dispicience nor they to haue burnt so many as they haue And as for that he alleageth out of the Epistle of James for the iustifying of workes I haue aunswered in the Mammon against which he can not hisse and will speake more in the iiij booke And as for the Saboth a great matter we be Lordes ouer the Saboth may yet chaunge it into the monday or or any other day as we see neede or may make euery tenth day holy daye onely if we see a cause why we may make two euery weeke if it were expedient and one not inongh to teach y ◠people Neither was there any cause to chaunge it from the Saterday then to put difference betwene vs and the Iewes and least we should become seruanntes vnto the day after their superstition Neyther needed we any holyday at all if the people myght be taught without it And when he asketh by what scripture we know that a womā may christen I answere if baptim be so necessary as they make it then loue thy neighbour as thy selfe doth teach women to baptise in tyme of neede yea and to teach to rule their husbandes to if they be besides them selues And when he sayth that of likelihode the laye people vnderstoode the Gospell of Iohn and Paules Epistles better then great Clarkes now I answere the more shame is theirs How be it there be ij causes why the one is their diligent shering and an other they deny the iustifying of fayth wherof both Paule and Iohn do entreate almost of nothyng els if the signification of our baptim which is the lawe of God fayth of Christ were expounded truely vnto vs y t scripture would be easie to all that exercised themselues therin And sir in as much as the prelates care so little for the losse of y t vnderstanding of the Scripture and to teach y ◠people how happeneth it that they care so sore for a balde ceremonie which y ◠significatiō lost though Christ hymfelse had institute it we coulde not obserue without a false faith and without hurtyng of our soules And finally to rocke vs a sleepe with all he sayth that he shall neuer speede well that will seeke in the scripture whether our Prelates teach vs a true fayth though ten preach ech contrary to other in one day And yet Christ for all his miracles sendeth vs to y t scripture And for all Paules miracles the Iewes studyed the scripture the deligenterly to see whether it were as he sayd or no. How be it he meaneth that such cā not speede well because the prelates will burne them except M. More helpe them and make them forsweare Christ before hand The xxvii chapter IN the xxvij he bringeth Paule exhorting to agree and to tell all one tale in the fayth which can not be saith M. More except one beleue by the reasō of an other Yes verely we all beleue y e the fire is hot and yet not by the reasō of an other and that with a more surer knowledge then if we beleued it y ◠one by the tellyng of an other And euē so they that haue the law of God written in their hartes and are taught of y t spirite to know sinne and to abhorre it and to feele the power of the resurrection of Christ beleue much surer then they that haue none other certeintie of their fayth then the Popes preachyng confirmed with so godly liuing And it is not vnknowne to M. More that the churches of late dayes and the churches now beyng haue determined thynges in one case the one contrary to the other in such wise that he can not deny but the one hath or doth erre the which case I could shew hym if I so were mynded The olde Popes Cardinalles and Byshops sayd ye to the thyng that I meane whereunto these that now raigne say nay Now syr if you gather a generall counsell for the matter the churches of Fraunce and Italy will not beleue the Churches of Spayne and Douchland because they so say but will aske how they proue it Neyther will Louayne beleue Paris because they say that they can not erre but wyl heare first their probation Also how shall we know that the olde Pope and hys Prelates erred because these that are now so say When y t olde Pope liued we were as much bounde to beleue that he could not erre as we be now that this can not wherefore you must graunt me that God must shew a myracle for the tone parte or els they must bring autētike scripture Now syr God hath made hys last euerlasting testament so that all is open and no more behynde then the appearyng of Christ againe And because he wyll not stirre vp euery day a new prophet with a new miracle to cōfirme new doctrine or to call agayne the olde that was forgotten therefore were all thinges necessary to saluation comprehended in scripture euer to endure By which scripture the counsels generall and not by open miracles haue cōcluded such thynges as
â— little flock To put away thy sinnes Nay brethreÌ„ god forbid that ye should so thinke Christes bloud onely washeth away the sinnes of all that repent and beleue Fire salt water bread oyle be bodely thynges geuen vnto man for his necessitie and to helpe hys brother wyth and God that is a spirit cannot be serued therwyth Neyther can such thynges enter into the soule to purge her For Gods worde onely is her purgation No say they are not such thynges halowed And say we not in the halowing of them that who soeuer is sprinkled wyth the water or eateth of the bread shall receaue health of soule and body Sir the blessinges promised vnto Abraham for all nations are in Christ and out of his bloud we must fet them and his word is the bread salt water of our soules God hath geueÌ„ you no power to geue thorow your charmes such vertue vnto vnseÌ„sible creatures which he hath halowed himselfe made them all cleane for the bodely vse of them that beleue thorow his word of promise and permission and our thankes geuing God sayth if thou beleue Saint Ihons gospell thou shalt be saued and not for y e bearyng of it about thee with so many crosses or for the obseruing of any such obseruaunces God for thy bitter passion rore they out by by what an hereticke is this I tel thee that holy church neede to alleadge no scripture for them for they haue the holy Ghost which inspireth theÌ„ euer secretly so y t they can not erre whatsoeuer they say do or ordayne What wilt thou dispise the blessed Sacramentes of holy church wherewyth God hath bene serued this xv hundred yeare ye verely this v. thousaÌ„d yeres euen since Cain hetherto and shall endure vnto the worldes end among theÌ„ that haue no loue vnto the truth to be saued thereby thou art a strong hereticke and worthy to be burnt And theÌ„ he is excommunicat out of the church If y t little flocke feare not that bugge then they goe straight vnto the king And it like your grace perilous people and seditious and euen inough to destroy your realme if ye see not to them betimes They be so obstinat tough that they wyll not be conuerted and rebellious agaynst God and the ordinaunces of hys holy church And how much more shal they so be against your grace if they encrease and grow to a multitude They wyll peruert all and surely make new lawes and eyther subdue your grace vnto them or ryse agaynst you And theÌ„ goeth a part of y t little flocke to pot and the rest scatter Thus hath it euer bene and shall euer â—e let no man therefore deceaue hymselfe An aunswere to M. Mores second booke IN the first Chapter ye may not try the doctrine of the spiritualtie by the Scripture But what they say that beleue vndoubtedly and by that try the Scripture And if thou finde the playne contrary in the Scripture thou mayst not beleue the Scripture but seke a Glose and an allegorie to make them agree As wheÌ„ the pope sayth ye be iustified by the woorkes of the ceremonies and Sacramentes and so forth and the Scripture sayth that we be iustified at the repentauÌ„ce of the hart through Christes bloud The first is true playne as the pope sayth it and as it standeth in his text but the secoÌ„d is false as it appeareth vnto thine vnderstandyng and the literall sence that killeth Thou must therfore beleue the Pope and for Christes doctrine seeke an allegorie and a mysticall sence that is thou must leaue the cleare light and walke in the miste And yet Christ and his Apostles for all their miracles required not to be beleued without scripture as thou mayst see Iohn v. and Act. xvij and by their diligent alledgyng of Scripture through out all the new Testament And in the end he sayth for his pleasure that we knowledge that no man may minister SacrameÌ„ts but he that is deriuede out of the Pope Howbeit this we knowledge that no man could minister Sacramentes without signification which are no Sacramentes saue such as are of the Popes generation The iij. Chapter IN the third Chapter in the Chapter folowyng he vttereth how fleshly mynded he is and how beastly he imagineth of God as Paule sayth 1. Cor. 2. the naturall man can not vnder stand the thyngs of the spirite of God He thinketh of God as he doth of hys Cardinall that he is a monster pleased when men flatter him if of whatsoeuer frailtie it be men breake his coÌ„maundementes he is theÌ„ ragyng mad as the Pope is seketh to be venged Nay God is euer fatherly minded toward the elect meÌ„bers of his Church He loued them yer the world began in Christ Ephe. 1. He loueth theÌ„ while they be yet euill his enemies in their hartes yer they be come vnto y â— knowledge of his sonne Christ and yer his law be written in their hartes as a father loueth his young sonne while he is yet euill yer it know the fathers law to consent therto And after they be once actually of his Church and the law of God faith of Christ written in their hartes their hartes neuer sinne any more though as Paul sayth Rom. vij the flesh doth in them that the spirit would not And when they sinne of frailtie God ceaseth not to loue them still though he â—e angry to put a crosse of tribulatioÌ„s vpon their backes to purge them and to subdue the flesh vnto the spirite or to all to breake their consciences with threatnyng of the law and to feare theÌ„ with hell As a father when his sonne offeÌ„deth him feareth him with the rod but hateth him not God did not hate Paule when he persecuted but had layd vp mercy for hym in store though he was angry with him to scourge him and to teach him better Neither were those things layd on his backe which he after suffered to make satisfaction for his foresinnes but onely to serue his brethren and to keepe the flesh vnder Neither did God hate Dauid when he had sinned though he was angry with hym Neither did he after suffer to make satisfactioÌ„ to God for his old sinnes but to kepe his flesh vnder to keepe him in mekenesse and to be an example for our learnyng The iiij Chapter IN the fourth sayth he if the Churche were an vnknoweÌ„ coÌ„pany how should the infidels if they longed for the fayth come thereby O whether wandereth a fleshly mynde as though we first sought out God Nay God kitoweth his and seketh them out sendeth his messengers vnto them geueth them an hart to vnderstand Did the heatheÌ„ or any nation seke Christ Nay Christ sought them and sent his Apostles vnto them As thou seest in the storyes from the begynnyng of the world and as the parables and similitudes of the
Gospell declare And when he sayth he neuer founde nor heard of any of vs but that he would forsweare to saue his lyfe Aunswere the more wrath of God wil light on them that so cruelly delite to torment them and so craftely to beguile the weake Neuerthelesse yet it is vntrue For he hath heard of Sir Thomas Hitton whō the Byshops of Rochester and Caunterbury slew at Maydstone and of many y t suffered in Braband Holand at Colen and in all quarters of Dutchland and do dayly And when he sayth that their Church hath many Martyrs let hym shewe me one that dyed for pardons and Purgatory that the Pope hath fayned and let him take the mastrie And what a do maketh he that we say there is a Church that sinneth not that there is no man but that he sinneth whiche are yet both true We read i. Iohn iij. he that is borne of God sinneth not And Ephes v. men loue your wiues as the Lord doth the Churche and gaue him selfe for her to sanctifie her and to clense her in the fountaine of water through the word and to make her a glorious Church vnto hym selfe without spot or wrincle And i. Iohn i. If we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues and make him a lyer and hys word is not in vs. M. More also wil not vnderstand that the Church is some time taken for the elect onely whiche haue the law of God written in their hartes fayth to be saued through Christ written there also Which same for all that say with Paule that good which I would that do I not But that euill which I hate that do I so it is not I that do it but sinne that dwelleth in my flesh And Gala. v. the flesh lusteth cōtrary to y e spirit the spirit cōtrary to y ◠flesh so that these two fightyng betwene thē selues ye can not do what ye would For they neuer consent that sinne is good nor hate y ◠law nor cease to fight against the flesh but assoone as they be fallen rise and fight a fresh And that the Church is some tyme taken for the cōmō rascal of all that beleue whether with the mouth onely carnally with out spirite neither louyng the law in their harts nor feelyng the mercy that is in Christ but either runne all together at riot or keepe the law with cautels and expositions of their owne faynyng and yet not of loue but for feare of hell as the theues do for feare of the galowes make recompence to God for their sinnes with holy dedes He also will not vnderstand that there be two maner faythes one that is the fayth of the elect which purgeth them of all their sinnes for euer As ye see Iohn xv ye be cleane sayth Christ by the reason of the word that is thorough beleuyng Christs doctrine And Iohn i. he gaue them power to be the sonnes of God through beleuyng in his name And Iohn iij. he that beleueth the sonne hath euerlastyng lyfe a thousand like textes And an other of them that be called and neuer electe As the faith of Iudas of Symon Magus of the deuill and of the Pope In whose hartes the law of God is not written as it appeareth by their workes And therfore when they beleue many thynges of Christ yet whē they come vnto the saluation that is in his bloud they be but Iewes and Turkes forsake Christ and runne vnto the iustifying of ceremonies with the Iewes Turkes And therefore they remayne euer in sinne within in their hartes Where the elect hauing the law written in their brestes leuyng it in theyr spirites sinne there neuer but without in the flesh Agaynst whiche sinne they fight continually and minishe it dayly with the helpe of the spirite thorough prayer fasting and seruing their neighbours louyngly with all maner seruice out of the law that is writtē in their harts And their hope of forgeuenesse is in Christ onely through his bloud and not in ceremonies The v. Chapter ANd vnto hys v. Chapter I answere by the Pope the scripture is hid and brought into ignoraunce the true sence corrupt And by thē that ye call heretickes we know the scripture and the true sence thereof And I say that the Pope keepeth the scripture as did y e Phariseis to make marchaundise of it And agayne that the heretickes become out of you as out of the Scribes and Phariseis came the Apostles and Christ himselfe Iohn Baptist and that they be plucked out of you and graffed in Christ and built vppon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophetes And in the end when he sayth that the heretickes be fallen out of Christes misticall body which is the Pope and hys I aunswere that ye be a misticall body and walke in the mist and wyll not come at the light and the heretikes be departed out of your mist and walke in the cleare light of Gods worde The vj. Chapter IN the vj. he sayth that the heretikes be all nought for they all periure and abiure He yet saith vntrue Many abyde vnto the death Many for theyr weakenesse are kept out of your hāds Many for their ouer much boldnesse in their owne strength be deliuered into your handes and fall in the fleshe their hartes abiding still in the truth as Peter and thousandes did after repent and be no lesse Christen thē before though ye haue them in derision vnto your owne damnation And many because they come to Christ for fleshly liberty and not for loue of the truth fall as it becommeth them vnder your handes as Iudas and Balam which at the beginning take Christes parte but afterward when they fynde eyther losse or no vauntage they get them vnto the contrary part and are by profession the most cruell enemyes and subtellest persecuters of the truth Looke Maister More and reade and marke well The vij Chapter IN the vij he sayth that he hath holy Saintes and holy counsels on hys side Name the Saintes proue it Name the counselles and the holy Prelates thereof Thou shalt shew me none other Popes or Cardinals then such as we haue now that will obey neyther God nor mā or any law made by God or man but compell all men to follow them strengthning their kyngdome wyth the multitude of all misdoers He sayth also that good and bad worship Saintes the good well and the bad euill How cōmeth it then that ye shew not the difference and teach to do it well I see but one fashion among all the popishe And finally he sayth he is not boun◠to answere vnto the reasons and scriptures that are layde agaynst them It is inough to proue their part that it is a common custome and that such a multitude do it and so by his doctrine the Turkes are in the right way The viij Chapter
to hurt my neighbour and to shame y t doctrine of Christ And in like maner if I had forsworne flesh al the world had bound me yet if necessitie require it of me to saue my life or my health I ought to breake it And againe though I had sworne chastitie and the cōmon wealth or the necessitie of an other required the contrary I must breake it But on the one side of all that euer burnt in the Popes chastitie he neuer gaue priest licence to take wife but to keepe whores onely And on the other side all that vow any vow do it for the thing it selfe as though it were as I sayd seruice or sacrifice to God that had delite in the deede as young children haue in Apples and that for that deede they shall haue an higher roome in heauē then their neighbours which is the Idolatry of the heathen whē he ought to bestow his vow vppon hys neighbour to bryng him to heauen not to enuie him to seeke thereby an higher roome not caring whether his neighbour come thether or no. And finally to burne and not to vse the naturall remedy that God hath made is but to tempt God as in all other thinges But if God haue brought thee into a straite and haue therto takē the naturall remedy from thee then to resiste and to crie vnto God for helpe to suffer is a signe y t thou louest Gods lawes And to loue Gods law is to be sure that thou art Gods childe elect to mercy For in all his children onely he writeth that token And then he sayth euery man hath his choyce whether he will be Priest or no. But what nettes and snares doth Antichrist lay for them First his false doctrine where with the Elders beguiled cōpell their children and sacrifice them to burne in the Popes chastitie with no other mynde then those olde Idolaters sacrificed their children vnto the false God Moloch so that they thinke by the merites of their childrens burning after the Popes false doctrine to please god and to get heauen cleane ignoraunt of the testament made in Christes bloud Then what a multitude are blinded and drawen into the net with the baite of promotion honour dignitie pleasures freedome and libertie to sinne to do all mischiefe vnpunished things which all euill that feare not God do desire And what a number brought vp idely vnto xx and aboue then put their heades in his halter because they haue no other crast to get their liuinges not because they can liue chast Also some liue chast at xxiiij which same burne at xxx And that to be true dayly experience teacheth and good naturall causes there be And thē looke on the Apostles learning and ordinaunce When one or two young wydowes had brokē their chastitie he would neuer after let any moe bee chosen of the same age How commeth it then that the Pope for so many hundred thousandes that miscary will neither breake the ordinaunce or mitigat it or let any goe backe but if any burne sendeth them vnto the shame of Christes doctrine and offending and hurt of hys Church neuer vnto the lawfull remedie of mariage And when M. More calleth it heresie to thinke that the maried were as pleasaunt to God as the vnmaryed he is surely an hereticke that thinketh the cōtrary Christes kingdom is neither meate nor drinke nor husband nor wife nor widow nor virgine but the keepyng of the commaundementes and seruing of a mans neighbour louingly by the doctrine of S. Paul where not to eate helpeth me to keepe the commmaūdementes better then to eate there it is better not to eate then to eate And where to eate helpeth me to keepe the commaundementes and to do my dutie vnto my neighbour there it is better to eate then not to eate And in like case where to be without a wife helpeth more to keepe the cōmaundemētes and to serue a mans neighboure there it is better to be vnmaryed then maried and where a wife helpeth to keepe the commaundementes better then to be without there it is better to haue a wife then to be wythout That hart onely which is ready to do or let vndone all thinges for his neighbours sake is a pleasaunt thing in the sight of God And when he will haue the Priestes to liue chast for reuerence of the Sacramentes it is deuillishe doctrine hauing the similitude of godlines but the pith marow is away If he meane water oyle salt and such like then is y ◠wyfe with her body and all her vses in the lawes of God incomparable purer holyer If he meane the sacrament of Christes body I aunswere that the handes defile not the man nor ought that goeth thorow the handes be they neuer so vnwashed by the testimony of Christ and much lesse can they then defile Christ Moreouer the Priest toucheth not Christes naturall body wyth his handes by your owne doctrine nor seeth it with his eyes nor breaketh it wyth hys fingers nor eateth it wyth hys mouth nor chāmeth it with his teeth nor drinketh his bloud with his lippes for Christ is impassible But he that repenteth toward the lawe of God and at the sight of the sacrament or of the breaking feling eating chamming or drinking calleth to remembraunce the death of Christ his body breaking and bloud shedding for our sinnes and all his passion the same eateth our Sauiours body and drinketh his bloud thorow fayth onely receaueth forgeuenes of all his sinnes therby and other not And all that haue not this doctrine of the Sacrament come therto in vaine And therfore there is no more cause that he which sayth the Masse should liue chast then he that heareth it or he that ministreth the Sacramēt then he that receaueth it It is to me great maruell that vnlawfull whoredome couetousnes and extortion can not defile their handes as well as law full matrimonye Curssed therefore be their deuillishe doctrine wyth false appearing godlines the fruit and power away out of the hartes of all Christen men And when he bringeth the ensample of the heathen I prayse him For the heathen because they could not vnderstand God spiritually to serue hym in the spirit to beleue in him and to loue his lawes therfore they turned hys glory vnto an Image and serued hym after their owne imagination with bodely seruice as the whole kingdome of the Pope doth hauing lesse power to serue hym in spirite then the Turkes For when the heathē made an Image of the axes or feuers and sacrificed ther to they knew that y e Image was not the feuers but vnder y e similitude of y e Image they worshipped the power of God which plagued them with the feuers with bodely seruice as the Pope doth aboue all the Idolaters that euer were in the worlde As when we paint Saint Machael weying the soules
things that do to thy brother whom thou hast offended and vnto God offer the repeÌ„taunce of thine hart and the satisfaction of Christes bloud M. Tyndall saith that the confessour vttereth the confessions of them that be rich But yet we see that both rich and poore keepe whores openly without paying peny Tyndall If they be very rich they be suffered because they may be good defenders of the spiritualty and if they be very poore because they haue no money to pay or els they fine with one or other secretly More Vppon that lye Tyndall buildeth the destruction of the sacrament of penaunce Tyndall Sacrament is a signe signifiyng what I should do or beleue or both As Baptim is the signe of repeÌ„taunce signifiyng that I must repent of euill and beleue to be saued therfroÌ„ by the bloud of Christ Now Syr in your penaunce describe vs which is y e signe and the outward sacrament and what is the thing that â–ª I must do or beleue and then we will ensearch whether it may be a sacrament or no. More Tyndall saith that confession is the worst inuention that euer was Tyndall As ye fashion it meane I and of that filthy priapishe confession which ye spew in the eare wherewyth ye exclude y e forgeuenes that is in Christes bloud for all that repent and beleue therein and make the people beleue that their sinnes be neuer forgeuen vntill they be shriuen vnto the Priest and theÌ„ for no other cause saue that they haue there tolde them and for the holy deedes to come which the confessour hath enioyned them more proâ—itable ofttimes for himselfe then any man els More Neuer man had grace to spie that before Tyndall Tyndall Yes very many For many nacions neuer receaued it And the Greekes when they had proued it and saw the baudery that folowed of it put it downe agayne For which cause and to know all secretes and to leade the consciences captiue the Pope falsely maintaineth it M. What fruit would then come of penaunce Tyndall â–ª Of your iugglyng terme penaunce I can not affirme But of repentaunce would come this fruit that no man that had it should sinne wyllingly but euery man should continually fight against his fleshe More He teacheth that the sacrament hath no vertue at all but by faith onely Tynd. The fayth of a repeÌ„ting soule in Christes bloude doth iustifie onely And the sacrameÌ„t standeth in as good stead as a liuely preacher And as the preacher iustifieth me not but my faith in the doctrine euen so the signe iustifieth not but the faith in the promise which the sacrament signifieth preacheth And to preach is all the vertue of the sacrament And where the sacramentes preach not there they haue no vertue at all And sir we teach not as ye do to beleue in the sacrament or in holy church but to beleue the sacrament and holy church More He teacheth that fayth suffiseth vnto saluation without good workes Tyndall The Scripture sayth that assoone as a man repenteth of euill beleueth in Christes bloud he obtayneth mercy immediatly because he should loue God and of that loue do good woorkes and that he tarieth not in sinne stil till he haue done good workes and then is first forgeuen for hys workes sake as the Pope beareth his in hand excluding the vertue of Christes bloud For a man must be first reconciled vnto God by Christ and in Gods fauour yer his workes can be good and pleasaunt in the sight of god But we say not as some damnably lye on vs that we should do euill to be iustified by faith as thou maist see Rom. iij. how they sayde of the Apostles for like preaching M. He calleth it sacrilege to please god with good workes Tyndall To referre the worke vnto the person of God to buy out thy sin therewith is to make an Idole of god or a creature But if thou referâ—e thy worke vnto thy neighbours profite or taming of thine owne fleshe then thou pleasest God therwith More Item that a man can do no good woorke Tyndall It is false But he sayth a man can do no good woorke till he beleue that his sinnes be forgeuen hym in Christ and till he loue Gods lawe and haue obtayned grace to woorke with And then sayth he that we caÌ„ not do our workes so perfectly by the reason of our corrupte fleshe but that there is some imperâ—ectnes therein as in the workes of them that be not their craftes master Which is yet not reckoned because they do their good willes and be scholers goe to schole to learne to do better M. Item that the good and righteous man sinneth alway in doing well Tyndall In all his woorkes there lacketh somewhat and is a faulte vntil he do theÌ„ with as great loue vnto his neighbour as Christ did for him and as long as there is more resistaunce in his flesh then was in Christes or lesse hope in God and then no lenger M. Item that no sinne damneth a man saue vnbeleffe Tyndall What soeuer a man hath done if he repent and beleue in Christ it is forgeuen him And so it foloweth that no sinne daÌ„neth saue there where there is no belefe M. Item that we haue no frewill to do ought therewith though the grace of God be ioined therto and that God doth all in vs both good and bad and we doe but suffer as waxe doth of the workemaÌ„ Tyndall First where hee affirmeth that we say our will is not free to doe good and to helpe to compel the members when God hath geuen vs grace to loue his lawes is false But we say that we haue no frewill to captiuate our wittes and vnderstandyng for to beleue the pope in what soeuer he saith without reason geuing when we find in the Scripture contrary testimonie and see in hym so great falsehead and deedes so abhominable and thereto all the signes by which the Scripture teacheth vs to know Antichrist And we affirme that we haue no frewill to preuent God his grace before grace prepare our selues thereto neither caÌ„ we consent vnto God before grace be come For vntil god haue preueÌ„ted vs powred y e spirit of his grace into our soules to loue his lawes and hath graueÌ„ theÌ„ in our harts by the outward ministration of his true preacher and inward workyng of his spirite or by inspiratioÌ„ onely we know noâ— God as he is to be knowen nor feele y e good nesse or any swetnesse in his law How then can we consent thereto â–ª Sayth not the text that we can do no good while we be euill and they which seke glorie and to clyme in honour aboue their brethren can not beleue the truth and that whores theues murtherers extortioners such like haue no parte
thou feâ—e theÌ„ and that thine hart mourne for them and that with al thy power thou helpe to amende them and cease not to crye to God for theÌ„ neither day nor night and that thou let nothing be founde in thee that any man may rebuke but whatsoeuer thou teachest them that â—e thou and that thou be not a Wolfe in a Lambes skinne as our holy â—ather y e Pope is which commeth vnto vs in a name of hypocrisie and in the â—…e of curssed Cham or Ham calling hymselfe Seruus seruorum the seruaunt of all seruauntes and is yet founde tyrannus tyraâ—norum of all tyrauntes y e most cruell This is to receaue young children in Christes name and to receaue young children in Christes name is to beare rule in the kingdome of Christ Thus ye see that Christes kingdome is all together spirituall and the bearing of rule in it is cleane coÌ„trary vnto the bearing of rule temporally Wherfore none that beareth rule in it may haue any temporall iurisdiction or minister any temporall office that requireth violence to compell withall ¶ Peter was not greater then the other Apostles by any authoritie geuen him of Christ THey saye that Peter was chiefe of the Apostles verely as Appeâ—â—â—s was called chief of Painters for his excellent cunninge aboue other euen so Peter may be called chiefe of the Apostles for his actiuitie and boldnes aboue the other but that Peter had any auctoritie or rule ouer his brethren and felow Apostles is false and contrary to y e scripture Christ forbad it the last euen before his passion and in diuers tunes before and taught alway the contrary as I haue rehearsed Thou wilt say thou caust not see how there should be any good order in that kyngdome where none were better then other and where the superior had not a lawe and authoritie to compell the inferior with violeÌ„ce The worlde truely can see no other way to rule then with violence For there no man absteineth from euil but for feare because the loue of righteousnes is not written in their hartes And therefore the Popes kingdome is of the world For there one sorte are your grace your holines your fatherhode An other my Lord Byshop my Lord Abbot my Lord Pryor An other master Doctour Father Bachelar mayster Parson maister Vicar and at the last commeth in simple syr Iohn And euery man raigneth ouer other wyth might and haue euery ruler his prison his iayler his chaynes his tormentes euen so much as the Fryers obâ—eruauntes obserue that rule and compell euery man other with violeÌ„ce aboue the cruelnesse of the heathen tyrauntes so that what commeth once in may neuer out for feare of telling taâ—es out of schole They rule ouer the bodye with violence and compell 〈◊〉 whether the harte will or not to obserue thinges of their owne making But in the kingdome of God it is contrary For the spirite that bringeth them thether maketh them wilâ—ing and geueth them lust vnto the law of God loue coÌ„pelleth them to worke and loue maketh euerty maÌ„s good all that he can do coÌ„mune vnto his neighbours nede And as euery maÌ„ is stroÌ„g in that kyngdome so loue compelleth him to take the weake by the hand and to helpe hym and to take him that can not go vppon his shoulders and beare him And so to do seruice vnto the weaker is to beare rule in that kingdome And because Peter did excede the other Apostles in ferueÌ„t seruice toward his brethren therefore is â—e called noâ— in the Scripture but in the vse of speakyng the chiefest of the Apostles not that he had any dominion ouer them Of which truth thou mayst see also the practise in the Actes of the Apostles after the resurrection For when Peter had bene and preached in the house of Cornelius an heathen maÌ„ the other that were Circumcised chode him because he had bene in an vncircumcised mans house had eaten with him for it was forbidden in the law neither wist they yet that the heathen should be called And Peter was fayne to geue accountes vnto them which is no token of superioritie and to shew them how he was warned of the holy ghost so to do Actes xj And Actes xv when a CouÌ„cell was gathered of the Apostles and disciples about the Circumcision of the heatheÌ„ Peter brought forth not his commauÌ„dement and the authoritie of his Vicarshyp but the miracle that the holy ghost had shewed for the heathen how at y â— preachyng of the Gospell the holy ghost had lighted vppon them and purified â—heir hartes through fayth and therefore proued that they ought not to be Circumcised And Paule and Barnabas brought soorth the miracles also that God had shewed by them among the heathen through preachyng of saith And then Iames brought soorth a prophecie of the olde Testament for the sayd part And therewith the aduersaries gaue ouer their hold and they coÌ„cluded with one assent by the authoritie of the scripture and of the holy ghost that the heathen should not be Circumcised not by the commaundement of Peter vnder payne of cursing excommunicatioÌ„ 〈◊〉 interditing and like bugges to make fooles and children afrayed withall And Actes viij Peter was sent of the other Apostles vnto the Samaritanes whiche is an euident token that he had no iurisdiction ouer them for then they could not haue sent him But rather as the truth is that the congregation had authoritie ouer him ouer all other priuate persones to admitte them for ministers and send them forth to preach whether so euer the spirite of God moued them and as they saw occasion And in the Epistle vnto the Galathians thou seest also how Paule corrected Peter when he walked not the straight way after the truth of the Gospel So now thou seest that in the kingdome of Christ and in his Churche or congregation and in his couÌ„sels the ruler is the Scripture approued through the miracles of the holy ghost and men be seruauntes onely and Christ is the head and we all brethren And wheÌ„ we call men our heades that we do not be cause they be shorne or shauen or because of their names Parson Vicare Byshop Pope But onely because of the word whiche they preach If they erre froÌ„ the word theÌ„ may whosoeuer God moueth his hart play Paule and correct hym If he will not obey the Scripture then haue his brethren authoritie by the Scripture to put hym downe and send hym out of Christes Church among the heretickes whiche preferre their false doctrine aboue the true word of Christ ¶ How the Gospell punisheth trespassers and how by the Gospell we ought to go to law with our aduersaries THough that they of Christes coÌ„gregation be all willyng yet because that the most paâ—t is alway weake because also that the occasions of the world be euer many and great in so much that
graffed in Christ the roote of all goodnes In Christ God loued vs his elect and chosen before the world began and reserued vs vnto the knowledge of his sonne and of his holy Gospell and when the Gospell is preached to vs openeth our hartes and geueth vs grace to beleue and putteth the spirite of Christ in vs and we know him as our father most mercyfull and consent to the law and lone it inwardly in our hart and desire to fulfill it and sorrow because we can not which will sinne we of frailtie neuer so much is sufficient till more strength bee geuen vs the bloud of Christ hath made satisfaction for the rest the bloud of Christ hath obteyned all thyngs for vs of God Christ is our satisfaction redemer deliuerer sauiour from vengeaunce and wrath Obserue and marke in Paules Peters Iohns Epistles in the Gospell what Christ is vnto vs. By faith are we saued onely in beleuyng the promises And though fayth be neuer without loue good workes yet is our sauing imputed neither to loue nor vnto good workes but vnto faith onely For loue and woorkes are vnder the law which requireth perfection and the ground and fountayne of the hart and damneth all imperfectnes Now is fayth vnder the promises which damne not but geue pardō grace mercy fauour and what soeuer is contayned in the promises Righteousnes is diuers for blynd reasō imaguieth many maner of righteousnesses There is the righteousnes of workes as I sayd before when the hart is a way and is not felt how the law is spirituall and can not be fulfilled but from the bottome of the hart As the iust ministration ▪ of all maner of lawes and the obseruyng of them for a worldlye purpose and for our owne profite and not of loue vnto our neighbour without all other respect and morall vertues wherein Philosophers put their felicity and blessednes whiche all are nothyng in the sight of God in respect of the lyfe to come There is in like maner the iustifying of ceremonies whiche some imagine their owne selues some counterfaite other saying in their blynd reasō such holy persons dyd thus and thus and they were holy men therfore if I do so likewise I shall please God but they haue none aūswere of God that that pleaseth The Iewes seke righteousnes in their ceremonies which god gaue vnto them not for to iustifie but to describe and paynt Christ vnto thē of which Iewes testifieth Paule saying how that they haue affection to god but not after knowledge for they go about to stablish their owne iustice and are not obedient to the iustice or righteousnesse that commeth of God which is the forgeuenesse of sinne in Christes bloud vnto all that repent and beleue The cause is verely that except a man cast away his owne imagination and reason he can not perceaue God and vnderstand the vertue power of the bloud of Christ There is a full righteousnes when the law is fulfilled from the ground of the hart This had neither Peter nor Paule in this life perfectly vnto the vttermost that they could not be perfecter but sighed after it They were so farreforth blessed in Christ that they hungred and thyrsted after it Paule had this thyrst he consented to the law of God that it ought so to be but he found an other lust in his members cōtrary to the lust desire of his mynde that letted him and therefore cryed out saying Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death thankes bee to God through Iesus Christ The righteousnes that before God is of value is to beleue the promises of God after the law hath confounded the conscience As when the temporall law ofttymes condenmeth the thefe or murtherer bringeth him to execution so that he seeth nothyng before him but present death and then commeth good tydinges a charter frō the kyng and deliuereth hym Likewise when Gods law hath brought the sinner into knowledge of himselfe and hath confounded his conscience opened vnto him the wrath and vengeaunce of God then commeth good tydinges the Euangelion sheweth vnto him the promises of God in Christ and how that Christ hath purchased pardon for him hath satisfied the law for him and peased the wrath of God And the poore sinner beleueth laudeth and thāketh God through Christ and breaketh out into exceedyng inward ioy and gladnes for that he hath escaped so great wrath so heauy vengeaunce so fearefull and so euerlastyng a death And he henceforth is an hūgred and a thurst after more righteousnes that he might fulfill the law mourneth continually commendyng hys weakenes vnto God in the bloud of our Sauiour Christ Iesus Here shall ye see compendiously and playnly set out the order and practise of euery thyng afore rehearsed The fall of Adam hath made vs heyres of the vengeaunce and wrath of God and heyres of eternall damnatiō And hath brought vs into captiuitie and bondage vnder the deuill And the deuill is our Lord and our ruler our head our gouernour our Prince yea and our God And our will is locked and knit faster vnto the will of the deuill then could an hundred thousand chaines bynde a man vnto a post Vnto the deuils will consent we with all our hartes with all our myndes with all our might power strēgth will and lust so that the law and will of the deuill is written as well in our harts as in our members and we runne headlong after the deuill with full seale and the whole swyng of all the power we haue as a stone cast vp into the ayre cōmeth downe naturally of his owne selfe with all the violence and swyng of his owne wayght With what poyson deadly and venemous hate hateth a man hys enemy With howe great malice of mynde inwardly do we slea and murther With what violence and rage yea and with how feruent lust commit we aduoutrie fornication and such like vncleannes with what pleasure and delectation inwardly serueth a glotton his belly With what diligence deceaue we How busily seke we the thinges of this world What soeuer we doe thinke or imaginne is abhominable in the sight of God For we can referre nothyng vnto the honour of God neither is his law or will written in our members or in our hartes neither is there any more power in vs to folow the will of God then in a stone to ascende vpward of hys owne selfe And beside that we are as it were a slepe in so depe blindnes that we cā neither see nor feele in what misery thraldome and wretchednes we are in till Moses come and wake vs and publish the law When we heare the law truly preached how that we ought to loue and honour God with all our strength and might from the low bottome of the hart because he hath created vs and both heauen and earth for our sakes and made vs Lord
therof and our neighbours yea our enemies as our selues inwardly from the grounde of the hart because God hath made them after the likenesse of his owne image they are his sonnes as well as we and Christ hath bought them with his bloud and made them heyres of euerlastyng lyfe as well as vs And how we ought to do what soeuer God biddeth and absteine from what soeuer God forbiddeth with all loue and mekenes with a feruent and a burnyng lust from the center of the hart then begynneth the conscience to rage against the law and against God No sea be it neuer so great a tempest is so vnquiet For it is not possible for a naturall mā to cōsent to the law that it should be good or that God should be righteous which maketh the law in as much as it is contrary vnto hys nature and damneth him and all that he cā do neither sheweth him where to fetch helpe nor preacheth any mercy but onely setteth mā at variaunce with God as witnesseth Paule Rom. iiij and prouoketh hym and styrreth hym to rayle on God and to blaspheme him as a cruell tyraunt For it is not possible for a mā till he be borne agayne to thinke that God is righteous to make hym of so poyson a nature either for his own pleasure or for the sinne of an other man and to geue him a law that is impossible for him to do or to cōsent to his witte reason and will beyng so fast glued yea nayled and chayned vnto the will of the deuill Neither can any creature louse the bondes saue the bloud of Christ onely This is captiuitie and bondage whence Christ deliuered vs redemed and loused vs. His bloud his death his pacience in suffering rebukes and wronges his prayers and fastynges his mekenes and fulfillyng of the vttermost point of the law peased the wrath of God brought the fauour of God to vs agayne obteined that God should loue vs first and be our father and that a mercyfull father that will consider our infirmities and weakenes and wil geue vs his spirite agayn which was taken away in the fall of Adam to rule gouerne strength vs and to breake the bondes of Sathan wherein we were so straite bounde When Christ is thus wise preached the promises rehearsed which are contained in the Prophetes in the Psalmes and in diuers places of the fiue bookes of Moses which preachyng is called the Gospell or glad tydinges then the hartes of them which are elect and chosē begyn to waxe soft and melt at the bounteous mercy of God and kyndnes shewed of Christ For when the Euangelion is preached the spirite of God entreth into them which God hath ordeined and appoynted vnto eternall lyfe and openeth their inward eyes and worketh such belefe in them When the wofull consciences feele and tast how swete a thyng the bitter death of Christ is how mercyfull louing God is through Christes purchasyng and merites they begin to loue gayne and to consent to the law of God how that it is good and ought so to be and that God is righteous which made it and desire to fulfill the law euen as a sicke man desireth to be whole and are an hungred and thirst after more righteousnes and after more strength to fulfill the law more perfectly And in all that they do or omit and leaue vndone they seke Gods honour and his will with meekenesse euer condemnyng the vnperfectnes of their deedes by the law Now Christ standeth vs in double stede and vs serueth two maner wise First he is our redemer deliuerer reconciler mediator intercessor aduocate atturney soliciter our hope comfort shield protectiō defender strēgth health satisfaction and saluation His bloud his death all that he euer dyd is ours And Christ him self with all that he is or can do is ours His bloud shedyng and all that he dyd doth me as good seruice as though I my selfe had done it And God as great as he is is myne with all that he hath as an husband is his wiues through Christ and his purchasing Secondaryly after that we be ouercome with loue and kindnes and now seke to do the will of God which is a Christen mans nature Then haue we Christ an exāple to counterfeit as saith Christ him selfe in Iohn I haue geuen you an example And in an other Euāgelist he sayth He that wil be great among you shal be your seruaunt and Minister as the sonne of man came to minister and not to be ministred vnto And Paule sayth Counterfeit Christ And Peter sayth Christ dyed for you and left you an example to folow hys steppes What soeuer therefore fayth hath receaued of God through Christs bloud and deseruyng that same must loue shed out euery whit and bestow it on our neighbours vnto their profite yea and that though they be our enemyes By fayth we receaue of God and by loue we shed out agayne And that must we do frely after the example of Christ without any other respect saue our neighbours wealth onely neither looke for reward in earth nor yet in heauen for the deseruyng merites of our deedes as Friers preach though we know that good deedes are rewarded both in this lyfe and in the lyfe to come but of pure loue must we bestow our selues all that we haue all that we are able to do euen on our enemyes to bryng them to God consideryng nothyng but their wealth as Christ dyd ours Christ dyd not hys deedes to obteyne heauen therby that had bene a madnes heauē was his all ready he was heyre therof it was his by inheritaunce but dyd them frely for our sakes consideryng nothyng but our wealth and to bryng the fauour of God to vs agayne and vs to God As no naturall sonne that is his fathers heyre doth his fathers will because he would be heyre that he is already by byrth his father gaue him that yer hee was borne and is lother that he should go without it then he him selfe hath wit to be but of pure loue doth he that he doth And aske him why he doth any thing that he doth he aunswereth my father bade it is my fathers will it pleaseth my father Bond seruauntes worke for hyre Children for loue For their father with all he hath is theirs already So doth a Christen man frely all that he doth considereth nothyng but the will of God his neighbours wealth onely If I liue chaste I do it not to obteine heauen therby For then should I doe wrong to the bloud of Christ Christes bloud hath obteined me that Christes merites haue made me heyre therof He is both doore and way thether wardes Neither that I loke for an higher roume in heauē thē they shal haue which liue in wedlocke other thē a whore of the stewes if she repēt for that were the pride of Lucifer But frely to wayte on the Euangelion and
to auoyde the trouble of the world and occasions that might plucke me there from and to serue my brother with all euen as one hand helpeth an other or one member an other because one feeleth an others grief the payne of the one is the payne of the other What soeuer is done to the lest of vs whether it be good or bad it is done to Christ and what soeuer is done to my brother if I be a Christen mā that same is done to me Neither doth my brothers payne greue me lesse then myne owne Neither reioyse I lesse at his wealth then at mine own if I loue hym as well and asmuch as my selfe as the law cōmaundeth me If it were not so how sayth Paule let hym that reioyseth reioyse in the Lord that is to say Christ whiche is Lord ouer all creatures I◠my merites obteined me heauē or a hygher place there then had I wherein I might reioyse besides the Lord. Here see ye the nature of the law the nature of the Euangelion How the law is the key that byndeth and damneth all men and the Euangelion is the keye that loseth them agayne The law goeth before and the Euangelion foloweth When a preacher preacheth the law he byndeth all consciences and when he preacheth the Gospell he looseth them agayn These two salues I meane the law and the Gospell vseth god his preacher to heale cure sinners with all The law driueth out the disease and maketh it appeare and is a sharpe salue and a freatyng corsey killeth the dead flesh and louseth and draweth the sores out by the rootes all corruption It pulleth from a man the trust and confidence that he hath in him selfe in his owne workes merites deseruinges and ceremonies and robbeth him of all his righteousnesse and maketh him poore It killeth him sendeth hym downe to hell and bryngeth him to vtter desperation and prepareth y e way of the Lord as it is written of Iohn the Baptist For it is not possible that Christ should come to a man as long as he trusteth in him self or in any worldly thyng or hath any righteousnesse of his own or riches of holy workes Then commeth the Euāgelion a more gentle paster which soupleth and swageth the woundes of the cōscience and bringeth health It bringeth the spirite of God which loseth the bondes of Sathā and coupleth vs to God and his will through strong fayth and feruent loue with bondes to strong for the deuill the world or any creature to lose them And the poore wretched sinner feeleth so great mercy loue kyndnes in God that he is sure in hym selfe how that it is not possible that God should forsake him or withdraw hys mercy and loue from hym And boldly cryeth out with Paul saying Who shall separate vs from the loue that GOD loueth vs withall That is to say what shall make me beleue that God loueth me not Shall tribulation Anguish Persecution Shal hūger Nakednes Shal sword Nay I am sure that neither death nor lyfe neither aungell neither rule nor power neither present thynges nor thinges to come neither hygh nor low neither any creature is able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesu our Lord. In all such tribulations a Christen man perceaueth that God is his father and loueth hym euen as he loued Christ when he shed his bloud on the crosse Finally as before when I was bond to the deuill and his will I wrought all maner euill and wickednes not for hells sake which is the reward of sinne but because I was heyre of hell by byrth and bondage to the deuill dyd I euill For I could none otherwise do to do sinne was my nature Euen so now since I am coupled to GOD by Christes bloud do I well not for heauens sake which is yet the reward of wel doyng but because I am heyre of heauen by grace and Christes purchasyng haue the spirite of God I do good frely for so is my nature As a good tree bryngeth forth good frute and an euill tree euill frute By the frutes shal ye know what the tree is A mās dedes declare what he is within but make him neither good nor bad though after we be created a new by the spirite doctrine of Christ we waxe perfecter alwaye with woorkyng accordyng to the doctrine and not with blynd woorkes of our owne imagining We must be first euill yer we doe euill as a Serpent is first poysoned yer he poyson We must be also good yer we do good as the fire must be first hoate yer it heate an other thyng Take an example As those blynd and deaffe which are cured in the Gospell could not see nor heare till Christ had geuen them sight hearyng and those sicke could not do the dedes of an whole man till Christ had geuen them health So can no man do good in his soule till Christ haue losed hym out of the bondes of Sathan and haue geuē him wherewith to do good yea first haue powred into hym that selfe good thing which he shedeth forth afterward on other Whatsoeuer is our owne is sinne Whatsoeuer is aboue that is Christes gift purches doyng and working He bought it of his father dearely with his bloud yea with his most bitter death and gaue his lyfe for it What soeuer good thyng is in vs that is geuen vs frely without our deseruyng or merites for Christes bloudes sake That we desire to folow y t will of God it is the gift of Christes bloud That we now hate the deuils will whereunto we were so fast locked and could not but loue it is also the gift of Christes bloud vnto whom belongeth the prayse and honour of our good dedes and not vnto vs. Our deedes do vs three maner seruice First they certifie vs that we are heyres of euerlastyng life And that the spirite of God whiche is the earnest therof is in vs in that our hartes consent vnto the law of God and we haue power in our mēbers to do it though imperfectly And secondarily we tame the fleshe therewith and kill the sinne that remayneth yet in vs waxe dayly perfecter and perfecter in the spirite therewith kepe that the lustes choke not the word of God that is sowen in vs nor quench the giftes and working of the spirite and that we lose not the spirite agayne And thirdly we do our dutie vnto our neighbour therewith helpe their necessitie vnto our own cōfort also and draw all mē vnto the honoryng and praysing of God And whosoeuer excelleth in the giftes of grace let the same thinke that they be geuen hym as much to do hys brother seruice as for his owne selfe as much for the loue whiche God hath to the weake as vnto him vnto whom God geueth such giftes And he that withdraweth ought that he hath from hys neighbours neede robbeth
and he will therto consider our mekenes and what soeuer chaunceth neuer taketh away hys mercy till we cast of the yoke of our profession first and runne away with vtter defiaunce that we will neuer come more at schole Then our stubburne and hard hartes mollifie waxe soft and in the confidēce and hope that we haue in Christ and his kindnes we go to God boldly as vnto our father and receaue life that is to say loue vnto God and vnto the law also That whiche we haue seene and heard we declare vnto you that ye may haue felowshyppe with vs and that our felowshyppe may be with the father and with his sonne Iesus Christ And these thynges we write vnto you that your ioye may be full To bryng vnto the felowshyp of God and Christ and of them that beleue in Christ is the finall intent of all the Scripture why it was giuen of God vnto man and the onely thyng which all true preachers seke wherby ye shall euer know and discerne the true word of God from all false and counterfayted doctrine of vayne traditions the true preacher from the wylie hypocrite We preache vnto you sayth Iohn y t euerlastyng lyfe which we haue heard and in hearyng receaued through fayth and are sure of it to draw you to vs out of the felowshyp that ye haue with the damned deuils in sinnefull lustes and ignoraunce of God for we seeke you and not yours as sayth Paul ij Cor. xij We loue you as our selues in God therfore wold haue you felowes and equall with vs build you vpon the foundation layd of the Apostles and Prophetes which is Christ ▪ Iesus and make you of the houshold of God for euer that ye and we felowes and brethren and coupled together in one spirit in one fayth and in one hope might haue our felowship thereby with God and become his sonnes heyres with Iesus Christ beyng his brethren and coheyres and to make your ioy ful through that glad tydinges as the aungell sayd vnto the shepheardes Luke ij Behold I shew you great ioye that shal be vnto all the people how that there is a Sauiour borne vnto you this day whiche is Christ the Lord. And these tydinges we bryng you with the worde of God onely which we receaued of his spirit and out of the mouth of his sonne as true messengers We preach not our selues but Christ our Lord and vs your seruauntes for hys sake we do not loue our selues to seke yours vnto vs that after we had with wiles robbed you of all ye haue we should exalte our selues ouer you separate our selues frō you and make our selues a seuerall kyngdome free and frāke raygnyng ouer you as heathen tyrauntes holdyng you in bondage to serue our lucre and lustes tanglyng your conscience with doctrine of man whiche draweth from God and Christ and fearing you with the bugge of excommunication agaynste Gods word Or if that serued not shakyng a sword at you And this is the tydinges whiche we haue heard of hym and declare vnto you that God is lyght and in hym is no darknes at all If we say that we haue felowshyp with hym and yet walke in darkenes we lye and do not the truth But and if we walke in light as he is in light then haue we felowshyp together and the bloud of Christ his sonne clenseth vs from all sinne As the deuill is darknes and lyes so is God light and truth onely and there is no darknes of falshead consentyng to wickednes in hym And the brightnes of his light is his word and doctrine as the. C. and. xix Psalme sayth Thy worde is a lanterne vnto my feete a light to my pathes And Christe is the light that lightneth all men And the Apostles are called the light of the world because of the doctrine And all that knowe truth are light Ye were once darkenes sayth Paule Ephes v. but now light in the Lord walke therfore as the children of lyght And good workes are called the frutes of light And all that lyue in ignoraūce are called darknes as he sayth afterward he that hateth his brother walketh in darknes For if the light of the glorious Gospell of Christe dyd shyne in his hart he could not hate his brother By walking vnderstande consenting doing and working If then we walke in darcknes that is consent and worke wickednes and say we haue felowship with God we ly For to haue felowship with him is to knowe and consent and professe his doctrine in our hartes Now if the commaundementes of GOD bee written in our hartes our members can not but practise thē shew the fruite So whether light or darknes be in the hart it will appeare in y t walking For though our members be neuer so dead vnto vertue yet if our soules knowledge the truth consent vnto righteousnes we haue the sprite of life in vs. And Paule sayth Rom. viij If the spirite of him y t raysed vp Iesus from death be in you thē wil he y t raised vp Iesus frō death quicken your mortall bodies by the reasō of the spirit that dwelleth in you So that it is not possible for him that knoweth the truth consenteth thereto to continue in sinne And then finally if we haue the light in our harts and walke therein then we haue fellowship with God and are his sonnes and heires and are purged from all sinne through Christes bloud If we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues and trueth is not in vs. If we think there is no sinne in vs we are beguiled and blinde and the light of Gods word is not in vs and eyther folow sinne as beastes without consciēce at all Or if we see the grosse sinnes as murther theft and adultery yet we haue hanged a vayle of false gloses vpon Moses face and see not the brightnes of the law how that it requireth of vs as pure an hart to God and as great loue vnto our neighbours as was in our sauiour Iesus ceaseth not before to condemne vs as sinners If we knowledge our sinnes he is faythfull and iust to forgeeue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrigh teousnes If we confesse our sinnes not in the preistes eare though that tradition restored vnto the right vse were not dānable but in our hartes to God with true repentaunce and fast beleife then is he faythfull to forgeue and to purge vs because of his mercifull truth and promise For he promised Abraham that in his seede all the worlde should be blessed from the curse of sinne And hath aboundantly renued his euerlasting mercy vnto vs in the new testament promising that our sinnes shall be forgeuen vs in Christes bloud if we repent and trust thereto If we say we haue not sinned we make him a lyer and hys woord is not in vs. For his
righteousnes our iustifying our redemption our attonement that hath appeased God and clenseth vs froÌ„ our sinnes and all in his bloud so that his bloud is the satisfaction onely And that thou mayst the better perceaue the falshead of our holy fathers fleshly imagination call to minde how that the Scripture sayth Iohn the iiij God is a spirite and must be worshypped in the spirite That is repentauÌ„ce fayth hope and loue toward his law and our neighbour for his sake is hys worshyp in the spirite And therefore whosoeuer woorshyppeth God with workes and referreth his woorkes to God to be a sacrifice vnto hym to appease hym as though hee delited in the worke for the woorkes sake the same maketh of God an image or idoll and is an image seruer and as wicked an Idolater as euer was any blynd heathen and serueth God after the imagination of his owne hart and is abhominable vnto god as thou seest in how many places God defieth the sacrifice of the children of Israell for the sayd imagination So that whosoeuer supposeth that his candle stickyng before an Image his puttyng a peny in the boxe his goyng a pilgrimage his fastyng his wolward goyng barefoote goyng his crowchyng knelyng and paine taking be sacrifice vnto God as though he delited in them as we in the gestures of Iack Napes is as blind as hee that gropeth for his way at none Gods worshyp is to loue hym for hys mercy of loue to bestow al our works vpon our neighbour for his sake and vpon the tamyng of our flesh that we sinne not agayne which should be the chiefest care of a Christen man whyle Christ careth for that that is once past and coÌ„mitted already whether before our profession or after For the conditions of the peace that is made betwen God vs in Christes bloud are these The law is set before vs vnto whiche if we consent and submit our selues to be scholers thereof then are not onely all our foresinnes forgiuen both Poena culpa with our holy fathers licence euer but also all our infirmities weaknes pronesse readynes and motions vnto sinne are pardoned and taken aworth and we translated froÌ„ vnder the damnation of the law which damneth as well those infirmities as the sinne that springeth of them and putteth vs vnder grace Rom. 7. So that we shall not henceforth as long as we forsake not our professioÌ„ be iudged by the rigorousnes of the law But chastised if we do amise as children that are vnder no law Now then if God in Christ pardon our infirmities by reasoÌ„ of which we cannot escape but that we shal now and theÌ„ sinne it foloweth that he must likewise pardon the actuall sinne whiche we do compelled of those infirmities in spite of our hartes and agaynst the will of the spirite For if thou pardon the sicknesse of the sicke then must thou pardoÌ„ the deeds which he doth or â—eueth vndone by the reason of his sicknesse If the madnes of a mad man be pardoned and vnder no law then if he murther in his madnesse he may not be slayne agayne If children within a certaine age are not vnder the law that flayeth theues then can ye not of right hang them though they steale What popishe pardoning were that Thys doth Paule Rom. 7. so confirme that all the world cannot quitch against it saying I consent vnto the law of God that it is good and fayne would I do it and yet haue I not alwayes power so to do but find an other thing in my flesh rehelling agaynst the will of my minde and leading me captine into sinne so that I cannot do that I wold doe but am compelled to doe that I would not If sayth he I do that I woulde not then I do it not but the sinne that dwelleth in me doth it And then sayth he Who shall deliuer me from this body of deathe in which I am bound prisoner agaynst my will Thankes be to God saith he through Iesus Christ our Lorde which hath conquered and ouercome sinne death and hell and hath put the damnation of the law out of the way vnto all that professe the law and beleue in him We be vnder the lawe to learne it and to fasshion our deedes as like as we can but not vnder the damnation of the lawe that we shoulde be damned though our deedes were not perfect as the law requireth or though of frailty we at a time breake it As children are vnder the law that they steale not but not vnder the damnation though they steale So that all they that are graffed into Christ to follow hys doctrine are vnder the law to learne it onely but are deliuered from feare of euerlasting death and hell and all the threatenings of the law and from conscience of sinne which feared vs from God And we are come into God thorough the confidence that we haue in Iesus Christ are as familiar bold with him as yong innocent children which haue no conscience of sinne are with their fathers and mothers or theÌ„ that nourishe them Which were vnpossible if God now as the pope painteth him did shake a rod at vs of vij yeares punishment as sharpe as the paynes of hel for euery trespace we do which trespace for the number of them were like to make our purgatory almost as long as hell seing we haue no Gods word that we shall be deliuered thence vntil we haue payd the last farthing And therefore could our conscience neuer be at rest nor be bolde and familier with God If ye say the Pope can deliuer my conscience from feare of purgatory as his poetry onely putteth me in feare and that by this text Whatsoeuer thou bindest on earth c. If thou this way vnderstand the text whatsoeuer thou being in earth losest any where then might he lose in hell and binde in heauen But why may not I take the text of Christ Ioh. 16. Whatsoeuer ye aske my Father in my name he will geue it you and desire forgeuenesse of all together in Christes name both a poena culpa and theÌ„ remayneth no such purgatory at all Howbeit the text of binding losing is but borowed speach how that after the similitude of worldly binding and losing locking and vnlocking the word of God truely preached doth binde and lose the conscience God sayth to Hieremias cap. 1. Behold I geue thee power ouer nations and kingdomes to plucke vp by the rootes and to shiuer in peeces to destroy and cast downe and to build and plante How did he destroy nations kingdomes and how did he build theÌ„ verily by preaching and prophecying What nation kingdome or citie he prophecyed to be ouerthrowne was so And what Citie he prophecyed to be built againe was so And what nation after they were brought into captiuity he prophecyed to be restored agayne were so And whome he prophecyed to perish perished
And whome he prophecyed to be saued was saued Euen so whomesoeuer a true preacher of Gods word saith shall be damned for his sinne because he will not repent and beleue in Christ the same is damned And whomesoeuer a true preacher of Gods worde sayth shall be saued because he repenteth and beleeueth in Christes bloud the same is saued And this is the binding and losing that Christment Notwithstanding ye must vnderstand that when we haue sinned though our hartes were not to sinne and though we repeÌ„t ere the deed be done yet the body in sinning hath ouercome the spirite and hath got the maistrye So that the spirite is now weaker and feebler to vertue and to folow the law of God and doctrine of Christ and the flesh stronger to folow vice and sinne Wherfore as when an olde sore is broken forth againe we begin as it were a new cure with greater diligence and more care then before euen so here we must renue our old battayl against the flesh and more strongly goe to worke to subdue it and to quench the lustes therof which are waxen so ranke that they bnd out openly according to the profession of our baptisme which is y â— very sacrament or signe of repentance or if they wil so haue it called penance by the interpretation of Paul Rom. 6. For the plunging into the water as it betokeneth on the one part that Christ hath wasshed our soules w t his bloud euen so on the other parte it signifyeth that we haue promised to quentch and â—lay the lustes of the flesh with prayer fasting and holy meditation after the doctrine of Christ and with all godlye exercise that tame the fleshe and kyll not the man Wherupon the Bisshops that succeded the Apostles when men had done any open sinnes enioyned them penaunce as they call it by the authoritie of the congregation and gouernoures therof and aduise of the most wise and discrete and with the willing cousent of the trespassers to tame the flesh as to go woolward to weare shurtes of heire to goe barefoote and bare head to pray to fast bread and water some once in the weeke some twise or al the weeke an whole yeare ij yeares iij. yeares vij yeares xx yeares some all their liues long And to goe in pilgrimage to visite y â— memoriall of saintes to strength them the better to follow the ensample and such like and all to slay the worldly minde of the flesh Which maner when it was once receiued of y t people by custome it became a law And the bishops by little little gat it whole into their own handes When the Bishops sawe that how they had got the simple people vnder them in such humble obedience they beganne to set vp their crestes and to raigne ouer them as princes and to enioyne sore penaunce for small trifles namely if ought were done agaynste their pleasure and beate some sore and spared other and solde their penaunce to the ritch and ouerladed the poore vntill the tyranny was waxed so grenous that the people woulde beare it no longer For by this time what w t the multitude of ceremonies and heap of mens constitutions whose right vse was thereto cleane forgotten partly because our shepheardes were busyed to seeke themselues and their hye authority exalted euery maÌ„ his throne and were become wolues vnto y t flock the cause why the people were disobedient vnto holesome counsel the word of God was sore darckened and no where purely preached And therefore the Prelates loth to lose their hye authoritie and to let the people goe free of their yoke began to turne their tale and sing a new song how that this penaunce was enioyned to make satisfaction to God for the sinne that was committed robbing our soules of the fruite of Christes bloud and making vs imageseruauntes referring oure deedes vnto the persoÌ„ of God worshipping him as an image of our own imagination with bodely worke saying moreouer if we would not do such penaunce here at their iniunctions we must do it in an other worlde and so fayned purgatory where we must suffer vij yeares for euery sinne And when the kingdome of Antichrist was so enlarged that it must haue an head they set vp our holy father of Rome or rather vsurped that Rome with violence and to him was geuen this prerogatiue to sell whome he would from purgatorye And the sacrament of penaunce they thus describe Contrition Confession and Satisfaction Contrition sorow for thy sinnes Confession not to God and them whome thou hast offended but tell thy sinnes in the priestes eare Satisfaction to do certaine deedes enioyned of them to buy out thy sinnes And in theyr description they haue cleane excluded the fayth in the satisfaction of Christes bloud which onely bringeth life and the spirite of life and righteousnes and without the which it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. In whose stead they haue put in the presumption of our owne works And for lacke of trust in Christes bloud our contrition is but a fruitlesse sorrow in y t respect of hell which maketh vs hate the law still consequently God that made it where true contrition annexed with fayth is sorrow in respect of the law vnto which we consent that it is good loue it and therfore mourne partly because we haue offended it and partly because we lacke power to fulfill it as we would These thynges to be true our Prelates know by open hystories as well as wheÌ„ it is Noone the Sunne is flat South but it deliteth them to resist the holy ghost and to persecute the preachers of the thynges whiche if they as well loued as they knowe to be true they would preache the same them selues and lyue therafter Hereof ye may see our woorkes are but to tame the flesh onely and can be no satisfactioÌ„ to God except we make him an image our selues image seruaunts And hereof ye may see how out of this open penaunce came the eare coÌ„fession satisfaction of workes Purgatorie and pardons For when they had put the satisfaction of Christes bloud out of y t way then as they compelled to coÌ„fesse open sinnes and to take open penaunce eueÌ„ so they compelled to confesse secrete sinnes and to take secret penauÌ„ce And as they made marchauÌ„dise of open penauÌ„ce so did they of secret And for theÌ„ that would not receaue such pardon fayned they Purgatory and for them that receaued them fayned they pardoÌ„ turnyng bindyng and losing with preaching Gods word vnto byeng and sellyng sinne for money And since that tyme hetherto the worse the people were the better were the Prelates coÌ„tent euer resistyng that they should be made better through their blessed couetousnes proude desire of honour And out of this false presumption of workes spranke the wicked vowes of Religion which they vow to make satisfaction for sinne and to
hee listeth and maketh the grounde of whose hart he lusteth fruteful and chooseth whom he will at his own pleasure and for no other cause knowen vnto any man Who is a lyer but he that denyeth that Iesus is Christ The same is Antichrist that denyeth the father and the sonne For asmuch as Antichrist and Christ are two contraries the study of Antichrist is to quēch the name of Christ how can the Pope his sectes be Antichrist when they all preach Christ How was say I agayne to thee Pelagius whose doctrine the Pope defendeth in the hyghest degree Antichrist and all other heretickes Verely Syr the Pope seketh hym selfe as all heretickes dyd and abuseth the name of Christ to gather offeringes tithes and rētes in his name to bestow them vnto his owne honour and not Christes and to bryng the conscience of the people into captiuitie vnder hym through superstitious feare as though he had such authoritie giuen hym of Christ And euery sillable that hath a soūde as though it made for his purpose that he expoundeth falsly and fleshly and therwith iuggleth bewitcheth the eares of the people maketh them his owne possession to beleue what hym lusteth as though it made no matter to them whether hee preached true or false so they beleue and do as he biddeth them But all the textes that shew his dutie to do he putteth out of the way and all the textes therto that set the consciences at libertie in Christ proue our saluation to be in Christ onely And with Pelagius hee preacheth the iustifying of workes whiche is the denying of Christ He preacheth a false bynding and losing with eare confession whiche is not in the trust and confidence of Christes bloud shedyng He preacheth the false penaūce of dedes not to tame the flesh that we sinne no more but to make satisfaction to redeme the sinne that is past Which what other cā it be saue the denying of Christ whiche is the onely redemption of sinne He maketh of the workes of the ceremonyes which were wont to be lignes and remembraunces of thinges to be beleued or done image seruice vnto God hys Saintes whiche are spirites to purchase with the merites of them what soeuer the blynd soule imagineth whiche all are the denying of Christ For if thou wilt receaue any annoyntyng of grace or mercy any whence saue of hym he is no longer Christ vnto thee Christ is called Iesus a Sauiour he is called Christus kyng annoynted ouer all men of whom they must hold and whose benefite must all they haue He is called Emanuel God is with vs. For he onely maketh God our God our strength power sword and shield shortly our father He is called Sanctus that is holy that haloweth sanctifieth and blesseth all natiōs And these be his names for euer be no names of hypocrisie as we some time call him Thomas Curteis which is but a churle and as we call them Curates whiche care for their Parishes as the Wolfe for the flocke and them Byshops that are ouersears which will so ouer see that they will suffer nought to be prosperous saue their owne cōmō wealth as some call them selues dead which liue in all voluptuousnes and as some call them selues poore without hauing any thing proper and yet lyue in all aboundance and as they shaue and disguise them selues with garmentes and ornamentes to signifie euer a contrary thyng then that they be Nay Christ is no hypocrite or disguised that playeth a part in a play and representeth a person or state which he is not But is alway that his name signifieth he is euer a Sauiour euer annyonteth with grace euer maketh God with vs and euer sāctifieth Neither is there any other to saue and sanctifie frō sinne or annointe with grace or to set God at one with men And these thynges which his name signifie doth he euer vnto all that haue trust confidence in his bloud assone as they repēt of the sinne whiche they desire to be saued and sanctified from Now though the Pope his sectes giue Christe these names yet in that they robbe hym of the effect and take the significations of his names vnto them selues and make of hym but an hypocrite as they them selues be they be right Antichristes and deny both the father and sonne For they deny the witnesse that the father bare vnto his sonne and depriue the sonne of all the power and glory that hys father gaue hym Whosoeuer denyeth the sonne the same hath not the father For no man knoweth the father but the sonne to whom the sonne sheweth hym Math. xj Moreouer if thou knowe not the mercy that God hath shewed thee in Christ thou canst not know hym as a father Thou mayst wel besides Christ know hym as a tyraunt And thou mayst know hym by his woorkes as the old Philosophers did that there is a God but thou canst neither beleue in his mercy nor loue his lawes which is his onely worship in the spirite saue by Christ Let therefore abide in you that which ye heard at the beginning If that which ye heard at the beginning shall remayne in you then shall ye continue in the Sonne and in the Father And this is the promise that he hath promised vs euerlasting life If we abide in thold doctrine which the Apostles taught and harken to no new then abide we in the Sonne for vpon the Sonne build they vs and in the Father thorough confidence in the Sonne are heires of euerlasting life These thinges haue I written vn to you because of them that deceiue you And the anointing that ye receiued of him dwelleth in you and ye need not that any man teache you but as that annoynting teacheth you of all thinges and is true and is no lye Euen as it hath taught you so abide therein When a true preacher preacheth the spirite entreth the hartes of the elect and maketh them feele the righteousnes of the law of God and by the law the poyson of their corrupt nature and thence leadeth them thorough repentaunce vnto the mercy that is in Christes bloud and as an oyntment healeth the body euē so the spirite through confidence and trust in Christes bloud healeth the soule and maketh her loue the law of God and therfore is called annoynting or an oyntment and may well be signified by the oyle of our sacrament But outward oyle can neyther heale the soule nor make her feele saue as a signe or as a bush at a tauern dore quencheth a mans thirst neither is it a thing to put trust in Let vs ther fore folow the teaching of the spirite which we haue receiued as Paule sayeth an earnest to certifie our hartes and to make vs feele the thinges of God and not cleaue to the traditions of men in which is no feeling but that
it is the gift of God and commeth not of workes lest any man should bost him selfe But we are his workemanshyp created in Christ Iesu vnto good workes vnto whiche God ordeined vs before that we shuld walke in them The text is playne we were stone dead and without lyfe or power to do or consent to good The whole nature of vs was captiue vnder the deuill and led at his will And we were as wicked as the deuill now is Except that hee now sinneth agayne the holy ghost and we consented vnto sinne with soule and body and hated the law of God But God of his grace onely quickened vs in Christ and raysed vs out of that death and made vs sit with Christ in heauenly thynges That is he set our hartes at rest and made vs sit fast in the lyfe of Christes doctrine and vnmoueable frō the loue of Christ And finally we are in this our second byrth Gods workemāshyp and creation in Christ so that as hee which is yet vnmade hath no life nor power to worke no more had we till we were made agayne in Christ The preachyng of mercy in Christ quickened our hartes through faith wrought by the spirit of Christ which God poured into our hartes yer we wist Dearely beloued if God so loued vs then ought we loue one an other If we felt the loue of God in Chrisles bloud we could not but loue agayne not onely God and Christ but also all that are bought with Christes bloud If we loue God for the pleasures that we receaue then loue we our selues But if we loue hym to do hym pleasure agayne that can we no otherwise do then in louing our neighbours for his sake them that are good to continue them in their goodnes them that are euill to draw them to good Loue is the instrument wherewith fayth maketh vs Gods sonnes fashioneth vs lyke the image of God and certifieth vs that we so are And therfore commaundeth Christ Math. v. Loue your enemyes Blesse thē that curse you pray for them that persecute you that ye may be the sonnes of your heauenly father whiche maketh his sunne rise ouer good and bad and sendeth his rayne vpon iust and vniust ye whiche made the sunne of his mercy shyne vpō vs and sent the rayne of the bloud of his deare and onely child vppon our soules to quicken vs and to make vs see loue to loue agayne No man hath at any tyme sene God If we loue one an other God dwelleth in vs and his loue is perfect in vs. Though we can not see God yet if we loue one an other we be sure that he abydeth in vs and that his loue is perfect in vs that is that we loue hym vnfaynedly For to loue God truly to giue him thankes is onely to loue our neighbour for his sake For vppon his person thou canst bestow no benefite And for as much as we neuer saw God let vs make no image of him nor doe hym any imageseruice after our own imagination but let vs go to the scripture that hath sene hym and there wete what fashion he is of and what seruice he wil be serued with Blind reason sayth God is a kerued post and wil be serued with a candle But Scripture sayth God is loue wil be serued with loue If thou loue thy neighbour thē art thou the image of God thy self and he dwelleth in the liuing temple of thine hart And thy louing of thy neighbour for hys sake is hys seruice and worshyp in the spirite and a cādle that burneth before hym in thyne hart and casteth out the light of good workes before the world draweth all to God and maketh his enemyes leaue their euill and come and worshyp him also Hereby we know that we abyde in him and he in vs. For he hath giuen vs of his spirite He that hath not Christes spirit the same is none of his Roma 8. If we haue the spirite of God then are we sure But how shall we know whether we haue the spirite Aske Iohn and he will say if we loue one an other And we haue sene and do testifie that the father hath sent hys sonne the sauiour of the worlde Whosoeuer confesseth that Iesus is the sonne of God in hym dwelleth God and he in God And we haue knowne and beleued the loue that God hath to vs. First the Apostles taught no fables but that they saw and receaued of God by the witnesse of his spirite Secondaryly Iohn ascēdeth vp stepe higher from loue to fayth and sayth he that be leueth that Iesus is Gods sonne hath God in hym And I doubt not but the Pope and his defēders will aunswere Iohn and say then the deuil hath God in hym and is also in God For other fayth then such as the deuill hath felt they neuer any But Iohn preuenteth them we haue knowē and beleued the loue that God hath to vs. That is we beleue not onely with story fayth as men beleue old Chronicles but we beleue the loue and mercy that GOD shewed vs and put our trust and confidence therein And so taketh Scripture belefe we beleue that Iesus is the sonne of God made man and slayne for our sinnes which is a tokē of great loue And that loue beleue we trust therto Where Paule sayth i. Cor. xij No man can cal Iesus Lord except the holy ghost had taught hym But thorough the holy ghost he meaneth not with the mouth onely but in the hart with vnfayned fayth putting his hope trust in the Lordshyp which he hath ouer sinne damnation hell and death For so could no man call Iesus Lord except the holy ghost had taught hym as Christ saith Math. xvi flesh bloud shewed thee not that But yet how shall I see my fayth I must come downe to loue agayne thence to the workes of loue yer I can see my faith Not alway but sometime thou shalt fecle thy fayth without the outward deede as in great aduersitie and persecution when the deuil assaulteth thee with desperation and layeth thy sinnes before thee would beare the in hād that God had cast the away and left the succourles for thy synnes sake Then commeth fayth forth with her shielde and turneth backe agayne the dartes of the deuill and aunswereth Nay for Iesus is y ◠sonne of God yea and my very God and my very Lord and hath takē away my sinnes all dānation And this trouble aduersitie which is come vpō me by settyng of thee and on of thy lymmes is onely to make me feele the mercy of my father and his power and helpe within in my soule and to slay the rest of the poyson which remaineth in the flesh God is loue and he that abydeth in loue abydeth in God and God in hym This haue we heard aboue and it is easie to be vnderstand Herefore is loue perfect with vs
eatyng of his flesh in forme of bread had this ben his meaning For he left them neuer in any perplexitie or doubt but sought all the wayes by similitudes familiar exaÌ„ples to teath them playnly He neuer spake them so hard a parable but where he perceiued their â—eble ignoraunce anone he helpte them and declared it them Yea and sometymes he preuented their askyng with his owne declaration thinke ye that he did not so here yes verely For he came to teach vs and not to leaue vs in any doubt and ignoraunce especially in the chief pointe of our saluation which staÌ„deth in the belefe in his death for our sinnes Wherefore to put them out of all doubt as concerning this eatyng of his flesh and drinkyng of hys bloud that should giue euerlastyng lyfe where they tooke it for his very body to be eaten with their teeth hee sayd It is the spirite that giueth this lyfe my flesh profiteth nothyng at all to be eaten as ye meane so carnally It is spirituall meate that I heare speake of It is my spirite that draweth the hartes of men to me by faith and so refresheth them ghostly Ye be therefore carnall to thinke that I speake of my flesh to be eaten bodely for so it profiteth you nothing at all How long will ye be without vnderstaÌ„dyng It is my spirite I tell you that giueth lyfe My fleshe profiteth you nothyng to eate it but to beleue that it shal be crucified suffer for the redemption of the world it profiteth And when ye thus beleue then eate ye my fleshe and drinke my bloud that is ye beleue in me to suffer for your sinnes The veritie hath spoken these woordes My flesh profiteth nothyng at all it can not therefore be false For both the Iewes and his Disciples murmured and disputed of hys flesh how it should be eaten and not of the offeryng thereof for our sinnes as Christ ment This therfore is the sure anker to hold vs by agaynst all the obiections of the Papistes for the eatyng of Christes body as they say in forme of bread Christ sayd My flesh profiteth nothyng meaning to eate it bodely This is the key that solueth al their argumentes and openeth the way to shewe vs all their false and abhominable blasphemous lyes vppon Christes wordes and vttereth their sleigh iuggling ouer the bread to mainteine Antichristes kyngdome therewith And thus when Christ had declared it and taught them that it was not the bodely eatyng of his materiall body but the eatyng with the spirite of fayth he added saying The wordes which I here speake vnto you are spirite and lyfe That is to say this matter that I here haue spoken of with so many wordes must be spiritually vnderstand to giue you this life euerlastyng Wherfore the cause why ye vnderstaÌ„d me not is that ye beleue not Here is lo the conclusion of all this Sermon Christ very God and man had set his flesh before them to be receiued with fayth that it should be broken suffer for their sinnes but they could not eate it spiritually bycause they beleued not in him Wherefore many of his Disciples fell froÌ„ him walked no more with him And then he sayd to the twelue Will ye go away to And Symon Peter aunswered Lord to whom shal we go Thou hast the wordes of euerlastyng life and we beleue and are sure that thou art Christ the sonne of the liuyng God Here is it manifest what Peter and his felowes vnderstode by this eatyng and drinkyng of Christ For they were perfitely taught that it stode all in the belefe in Christ as their auÌ„swere here testifieth If this matter had stand vpon so deepe a miracle as our Papistes fayne without any word of God not comprehended vnder any of their common senses that they should eate hys body beyng vnder the forme of bread as long depe thicke and as brode as it hanged vpon the crosse they beyng yet but feble of fayth not confirmed with the holy ghost must here nedes haue woundered stoned and staggerde haue bene more inquisitiue in and of so straunge a matter then they were But they neither doubted nor marueiled nor murmured nor were any thyng offended with this maner of spech as were y t other that slipt away but they aunswered firmely Thou hast the woordes of euerlastyng lyfe and we beleue c. Now to the exposition of the woordes of our Lordes Supper Among the holy Euangelistes writyng the story of Christes Supper Iohn bicause the other three had written it at large did but make a mention thereof in his xiij Chapter Mathew Marke and Luke declaryng it clerely orderly with iust number of wordes With whom Paule agreeth thus writyng vnto the Corinthians Our Lord Iesus yâ—â—ame night he was betrayed he tooke the bread and after he had giuen thankes he brake it saying Take ye it eate it This is my body whiche is for you brokeÌ„ Here is now to be noted the order of this action or act First Christ tooke the bread in his haÌ„des secondaryly he gaue thankes thirdly he brake it fourthly he taught it them saying take it fiftly he had them eate it At last after all this hee sayd This is my body which is for you broken this thyng do ye into the remembraunce of me Here ye see y t this bread was first broken deliuered them and they were coÌ„mauÌ„ded to eate it to ere Christ sayd This is my body And for bicause it is to suppose verely y â— they tooke it at his haÌ„d as he had them and dyd eate it to when they had it in their handes their master whose wordes they did euer obey coÌ„mmauÌ„ding theÌ„ It must needes folow if these be the wordes of the coÌ„secratioÌ„ that they were houseled with vnconsecrated bread or els now eaten or at lest wise part of it ere Christ consecrated it yea it foloweth that it was out of Christes handes and in theyâ— mouthes when Christ consecrated it so to haue consecrated it wheÌ„ it was now in his disciples handes or in their mouthes or rather in theyr bellyes Here it is manifest that Christ consecrated no bread but deliuered it to his Disciples and bad them eate it In somuch that S. Thomas their owne Doctour that made their transubstantiation coÌ„fesseth that some there were that sayd that Christ did first consecrate with other woordes ere he now reachyng the bread to his Disciples sayd This is my body c. And yet calleth he it no heresie so to say Now sith in all this acte and Supper there bee no woordes of consecration but of the deliueryng of the bread broken after thankes giuyng with a commaundement to eate it bryng vs your wordes of coÌ„secration and shewe vs by what woordes God promised you and gaue you power to make his body There is neither commaundement nor yet any wordes left in all the Scripture to make or
be their God The lambe that was but the signe was called the passeouer and yet was not the lambe the passyng ouer but the signe onely excityng and monishing them to remember that deliueraūce by the aungell pasling by the Israelites in Egypt sinityng the Egyptians And sith this trope or maner of spech the Scripture did vse with so great grace in the old rites and ceremonies that figured our Sacramētes why may it not with like grace for that analogie and proper congruence of the figures with their verities vse the same phrase and maner of spech in their verities If the Scripture called the signe the thyng in Circumcision the passeouer why should we be offended with the same spech in our Baptisme in the Lordes Supper Sith such maner of spech haue no lesse grace and fulnes here then there to bryng the thyng signified into our hartes by such outward sensible signes For when that signe of Circumcision was giuen the child thē were they certified as an outword token may certifie that the child was of the people of Israell And therfore did the signes thē as they do now beare the names of thyngs which they signified as the lambe eaten in the passeouer was called the sacrifice the selfe passeouer none otherwise then in our new passeouer that is the Lordes supper the bread brokē c. is called the body of Christ the wyne poured forth and distributed to ech mā the bloud of Christ because the bread so broken and dealt signifieth vnto the receiuers and putteth them in remembraunce of the sacrifice of his body on the aulter of the crosse and of his bloud poured foorth for our redemption So that this maner of spech in the administration and vse of the Supper of our Lord to say This is my body this is my bloud is asmuch to say as this signifieth my body this signifieth my bloud Which Supper is here celebrated to put vs in remēbraunce of Christes death and to excite vs to thankes giuyng Neither let it offend thee O Christen reader That est is taken for significat that is to say This is that is as much to say as this signifieth that For this is a commō maner of spech in many places of Scripture and also in our mother toūg as whē we see many pictures or images which ye know well are but signes to represent the bodyes whom they be made lyke yet we say of the Image of our Lady This is our Lord and of S. Katheriue this is S. Katherine yet do they but represent and signify vs our Lady or S. Katherine And as it is writtē The in braūches are three dayes The thre baskets are three dayes which was not els but they signified three dayes Also in the xxviij chapter Iacob sayd This stone whiche I haue set vp an ende shal be Gods house which stone yet was neuer Gods house nor neuer shal be but onely did signifie gods house to be builded in that same place Agayne Pharao dreamed to haue sene vij faire fat Oxē eftsoones vij poore lene Oxē which Ioseph expoundyng sayd The vij fat Oxē are vij plētuous yeares in which phrase or maner of spech euery mā sith that the Oxē were no yeares but they signified such yeares Maruell not therfore though est likewise in this sentēce Hoc est corpus meum be taken for significat as much to say as this signifieth my body And yet for because the Scriptures conferred together expounde them selfe as sayth S. Austen And Peter That we haue before a firme and sure prophetical spech vnto which if we attend as vnto a light set vp in a darke place we do well I shall shew you a like phrase in Ezechiell where the destruction of Ierusalem was thus figured God commaundyng Ezechiell to take a sword as sharpe as a raser and shaue of his head and beard and then take a certain waight of the heares deuided into three partes The one he should burne in the middes of the Citie An other he should cut roūd about and cast the thyrd vp into the wynde c. which done he sayd Thus sayth the Lord God This is Ierusalem Which act and dede so done was not Ierusalem But it signified and preached vnto the beholders of it Ierusalem to be destroyed none otherwise thē the breakyng and distributing of the bread and wyne called Christes body and bloud signifieth and preacheth vs the death of Christ the figure and signe bearyng the name of the thyng signified as in the Prophetes spech saying This is Ierusalem which dyd but signifie Ierusalem When Christ dyd breath into his Disciples saying Take ye the holy ghost the same breath was not the holy ghost but signified and represented them the holy ghost with a thousand lyke maner of spech in the Scripture In the old passeouer thankes were giuen for the slaughter of the first begotten wherein the kynges posteritie of Egypt fell away The Hebrues spared passeouer and deliuered But in the new passeouer thankes were giuen that the onely begotten sonne of the most highest was crucified wherby all faythfull are spared passed ouer and not smittē with the sword of damnation but deliuered and saued in the lambes bloud that hath takē away the sinne of the world In the old passeouer The lambe or feast is called the Lordes passeouer and yet was neither the lambe nor the feast his passyng ouer but the signe and commemoration of his passyng by And euē so is it now in the new Supper of our Lord. It is there called the body of our Lord not that there is any thing wherin his very naturall body is contayned so long and brode as it hāged on the crosse for so is it ascended into heauē and sitteth on the right hād of the father but that thyng that is there done in that Supper as the breakyng and dealyng and eatyng of the bread and the whole like action of the wine signifieth representeth and putteth into our harts by the spirite of faith this cōmemoration ioyfull remēbraunce so to geue thankes for that inestimable benefite of our redemption wherin we see with the eye of our fayth presently his body broken his bloud shed for our sinnes This is no small Sacrament nor yet irreuerētly to be entreated but it is the most glorious and hyghest Sacramēt with all reuerence and thankes geuyng to be ministred vsed receiued preached solemnely in the face of the congregation to be celebrated of whose holy administration and vse I shall peraduenture speake in the end of this Supper But in the meane season Christen reader let these sensible signes signifie and represent hys death and print it in thy hart geuyng thankes incessantly vnto God the father for so incomparable a benefite that hath giuē thee his owne onely so dearely beloued sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christ to dye for thy sinnes yea and that
ready fully purged in their hart and their rebellious meÌ„bers through death are wholly subdued These men shall geue no reckoning neyther of idle woorde nor euill déed for all theyr sinnes are couered of Christ and hys bloud shall geue the whole accomptes for them The vnfaythfull to theyr vtter confusion shall haue the booke of theyr conscience opened and there shall be presented before them all theyr euill deades woordes and thoughtes And these are they that Christ speaketh of which shall geue thys great accompt Note also that in the text they are called men which woord in Scripture is euer for the most part taken in the worste sense and signifieth wicked men fleshly men and men that folow their own lustes and appetites THen confirmeth he purgatory out of the 66. Psalme which sayth we haue gone through fire and water and thou hast brought vs into colenesse I am sure you haue not forgotten that M. More alledgeth the Prophet Zachary in the ix and affirmeth that thâ—re is no water in Purgatory It were hard to make these two agrée for when meÌ„ ground them on a lye then for the most part theyr tales and probations are coÌ„trary and will not well stand together Neuerthelesse in one poynte they agrée full well that is both of them say vntruly for neither nother text serueth any whit for Purgatory And as concernyng the place of Zachary it is sufficieÌ„tly declared what it meaneth And now wil I also declare you the vnder standyng of this text and first that it can not serue for purgatory I besech you that haue the psalter once to read the Psalme I thinke you shal wonder at their doâ—yng dreames and ignoraunce which allege this text for Purgatory The text of y e Psalme is this Thou hast brought vs into a straite laden our backes with trouble or heuynesse Thou hast set men vpon our heades we haue gone through fire water and thou hast led vs out agayn into a place of refreshyng The textes before and after in the same Psalme will not suffer that this place should be vnderstand of Purgatory For the text immediately before sayth thou hast set men vpon our heades But the chiefest defenders of Purgatory and eueÌ„ M. More hym selfe say that they are not men but deuils which torment the soules in Purgatory notwithstandyng my Lord of Rochester good man affirmeth that they are aungels whiche torment the soules there but neuer man doted so farre as to say that men torment the soules in Purgatory wherefore I may conclude that this text is not ment of purgatory but that the Prophet meÌ„t that men ranne ouer the childreÌ„ of Israell subdued them and wrapped theÌ„ in extreme troubles which in the Scripture are signified by fire and water Besides that the textes folowyng wil not admit that this should be vnderstaÌ„d of Purgatory for it foloweth immediatly I will enter into thy house with â—urt offrynges I shall offer vnto thée fat sacrifices with the reke of wethers I shall burne to the Oxen Goates Now is there no maÌ„ so mad as to thinke that the soules of Purgatory should offer vnto God any such sacrifices So that the text is playnly vnderstand of the children of Israell which through the Lord were deliuered from their afflictioÌ„s and enemies then offred theyr loyall sacrifices of prayse and thankes to the Lord theyr shield and protection NOwe flyeth my Lorde vnto the Church sayth that because the Churche hath affirmed it we must needes beleue it for the Church caÌ„ not erre As touchyng this poynte I will referre you vnto a woorke that William Tyndal hath writteÌ„ agaynst M. More wherin ye shal wel perceiue what the Church of Christ is that hys Churche neuer determined any such thyng But that it is the Sinagoge of Sathan that maketh articles of the fayth bindeth meÌ„s conscieÌ„ces further then the Scripture will THen waxeth his Lordshyp somewhat hote agaynst Martine Luther because he would that no man should be compelled to beleue Purgatory For my Lord sayth that it is profitable and wel done to compel men to beleue such thynges whether they will or will not And to stablishe his opinion hée plucketh out a word of the parable of Luke xiiij that a certayne man made a great supper and sayd vnto his seruauÌ„tes go forth quickly into the wayes and compell them to enter in Verely there Christ ment no other thyng but that his Apostles should go forth into all the world and preach his word vnto all nations openyng vnto them the miserable state and conditioÌ„ that they be in and agayne what mercy God hath shewed theÌ„ in his sonne Christ This would Christ that his Apostles should expound and lay out so euidently by reasons Scriptures and miracles vnto the Gentils that they should eueÌ„ by their manifest persuasions be compelled to graunt vnto them that he was Christ and to take vpon them the fayth that is in Christ On this maner did Christ compel the Saduces to graunt the resurrection Math. xxij And by these meanes compelled hee the Phariseis to graunt in theyr consciences that he dyd his miracles with the power of God yet afterward of very hate knowyng in theyr hartes the contrary they sayd y e he dyd them by the power of the deuill Math. xij But to say that Christ would haue his Disciples to compell men with prisonment fetters scourgyng sword and fire is very false and farre from the mildenesse of a ChristeÌ„ spirite although my Lord approue it neuer so much For Christ dyd forbyd his Disciples such tyraÌ„ny yea and rebuked them because they would haue desired that fire should descende from heauen to consume the Samaritanes which wold not receiue Christ Luke ix But he commaunded them that if meÌ„ would not receiue their doctrine they should departe from thence and spryncle of the dust of their féete to be a testimony agaynst the vnfaythfull that they had bene there preached vnto them the word of life But with violence will God haue no man compelled vnto his law Paule also testifieth 2. Cor. 1. that he had not rule ouer the CorinthiaÌ„s as touchyng theyr fayth By our fayth we stand in the Lord by our infidelitie we fall from hym As no man can search the hart but onely God so can no man iudge or order our fayth but onely God thorough his holy spirite Furthermore fayth is a gifte of God which he distributeth at hys owne pleasure 1. Cor. 12. If he geue it not this day he may geue it to morow And if thou perceaue by any exterior worke that thy neighbour haue it not enstruct him with Gods word and pray God to geue hym grace to beleue that is rather a poynte of a christen man then to compell a man by death or exterior violence Finally what doth thy compulsion and violence
wyll helpe hym to be deliuered from hys ennemie and then warreth vppon hym a freshe what tyme the faithfull man is brought to the knowledge of God and beléeueth in Chryst and hath his will and mynde renued with the spryte of God that consenteth to the lawe of God that is good ryghteous and holy and beginneth to loue the lawe and hath a will and a desire to fulfill the lawe of God and not to despyse hys heauenly father and looke howe much he loueth the lawe countyng it ryghtwise and holye Euen so muche doth he hate synne whych the lawe forbiddeth and abhoreth it in hys heart and inward man and then albeit the outwarde man and rebellious membres do at time beséege him and take hym captyue vnder synne yet doth not the inward man consent that thys synne is good and the lawe naught whych forbyddeth it neyther dothe the heart delighte in thys same synne neyther can it delyght in suche synne bycause the spirite of God testyfieth vnto hym that it is abhomynable in the syghte of God and then fyghteth the inwarde man agaynste the outwarde wyth faythe prayer almose déedes and fastyng and laboureth to subdue the membres lamenting that he hath bene ouercome bycause he feareth to displease God hys father and desyreth him for the bloud of hys sonne Christe that he will forgeue that whych is past and hys diligence that he taketh in tamyng hys membres is not recompēce towards God for the sinne that is paste but to subdue the fleshe y t he synne no more thys rebellion had Paule Rom. 7. saying that he dyd not that good thing whych he would but the euill whych he hated that he did that is he did not fulfil y t good lawe of God as hys hart will and inwarde man desyred but dyd the euill as touchyng hys fleshe and outwarde man whych he hated and so he synned with hys outwarde man then howe is thys true that he that committeth synne is of the Deuill and he that is of God committeth no synne was not Paule of God yes verely and all be it he committeth synne wyth his membres outwarde man yet he sinned not for he saythe If I doe that thyng that I hate then is it not I that doe it but the synne that dwelleth in me and euen lykewyse the faythfull folowers of Christ commit no synne for they hate it and if they fortune to be entangled wyth synne it is not they that doe it as Paule saith but the synne that dwelleth in them which God hathe left to exercise them as he left y t Philistians to exercise and nurtoure the children of Israell and if the remnauntes of sinne fortune at anye time to looke aloft and begin to raigne then he sendeth some crosse of aduersitie or sicknesse to helpe to suppresse them And thus shall it be as long as we liue but when we be once deade then oure members rebell no more and then néedeth neyther purgatorie nor anye other crosse for the outwarde man is turned into vanitie and our inwarde mā was euer pure thorow beléeuing the worde of God and neuer consented to sinne and néedeth nother purgatorie in this world nor in the world to come but only for subduing the outward man and therfore after this lyfe he shall neuer haue any purgatorie Marke well what I say and reade it againe for more shall reade it then shall vnderstande it but he that hathe eares let hym heare The seconde erroure that Rastell layeth to my charge is that I wold bring the people in belefe that repentance of a man helpeth not for the remission of his sinne IN prouing this second error against me Rastel taketh so great paynes that he is almoste besydes hym selfe For he saith that I would make men beléeue that it forceth not whether they sinne or no. Why so brother Rastel verely because I allege S. Iohn S. Paule Erechiell and Hieremie to quenche the hotte fire of purgatorie and allege no aucthorities to proue good woorks whervnto I answer as I did before that it is nothing to my purpose for the prouyng of good workes doth neither make for purgatorie nor against it I coulde haue alleaged all those textes if I had entended my selfe to proue that I shoulde doe good woorkes which I neuer knewe christen man denie but as touchyng my matter it is nothyng to the purpose and as well he mighte haue improued me bicause I bryng in no textes to proue that the father of heauē is god or to proue that whych neuer manne doubted of notwithstanding if Rastel had indifferent eyes I spake sufficiently of good woorkes in the. 34. argument against hys dialoge let all men read the place and iudge Rastel taketh the matter very gréeuously that I attempt to allege howe S. Iohn S. Paul send vs to Christ and then adde that we know no other to take away sinne but only Christe and because I adde this worde only therfore he thinketh that I cleane destroy repentance whereunto I aunswere that I added not thys woorde only for naught but I did it by the authoritie of S. Iohn which saith if we walke in the lighte as he is in the lyght we haue felowship with eche other and in the bloud of Iesu Christe hys sonne purifyeth vs frō all sinne wherupon I say that for vs which are in the lyght hys bloud only is sufficient but for your christen men whych continue still in sinne and walke in darkenesse after theyr father the Deuill muste some other meanes be founde or else they shall neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen But bicause I will be short let Rastell note that I fynde two manner of repentance one is without faith and is suche a repentaunce as Iudas and Rastels christen men which continue still in sinne haue at the latter ende which dothe rather purchace them an halter then the remission of sinnes An other repentance foloweth iustification and remissiō of sinnes and is a florishing frute of faith for when by faith we do perceiue the fauor and kindnesse that our louing father hath shewed vs in his sonne Chryst Iesu and that he hathe reconcyled vs vnto hymselfe by the bloude of hys sonne Thē begin we to loue him the more we hate the body of sinne and lamēt and be sory that our membres are so fraile that they can not fulfil the lawe of God and so in mourning and bewayling our infirmitie it causeth vs to abstaine from bothe meat drinke and all worldly pleasures which is is the pure fasting that we talke of but you vnderstande it not and thys repentaunce commeth not to purge the sinnes which is cōmitted before but only taketh an occasyon by the sinnes before committed to knowe what poyson there remained in oure sleshe and séeketh all meanes to make vs hate this body of sinne and to subdue it wyth all manner of works that God
me so vile a creature which thing I greatly bewayle and mine vnkindenesse tauseth me now thus to wéepe Wyth y t the Bishop departed and I trust learned to do thereafter And I beséeth God that we may so do and be the faythfull folowers of our Sauiour Christ Iesu to whom be prayse honour and glory for euer Amen A myrrour or lookyng glasse wherin you may beholde the Sacrament of Baptisme described Anno. M. D. xxxiij By me Iohn Frith COnsideryng the manifold lamentable errours wherewith not the ignoraunt people onely but also the learned as they séeme haue bene seduced long as touchyng the blessed Sacrament of Baptisme I thought it expedient therin to write my mynde Trustyng by that meanes to bryng agayn the blynde hartes of many vnto the right way and I doubt not but that the elect and chosē of God that know their shepheardes voyce and haue the spirite to iudge all thynges shall easely perceiue whether this be conformable to their masters voyce and shall hereby bee monished to leaue their wanderyng in the darke lothsome wayes which leade vnto death and to walke without stumblyng in the comfortable light which bringeth their consciences to rest such peace that passeth all vnderstandyng One errour is this They put so great confidence in the outward signe that without discretion they condēne the infantes whiche dye or they be Baptised vnto euer lastyng payne an other is this They cleaue so strongly vnto the weake ceremonies that they thinke if a dronken Priest leaue out a word as Volo say ye or Credo say ye or forget to put spittell or salt in y e childes mouth that y e child is not christened yea so much giue they thereunto the beggerly salt that they will say spill not the salt for it is our Christendome and vse also to sweare by it Saying by this salt that is my Christendome Alas what blyndnesse is this these two errours are the principall that I do entend at this tyme to confute For when they are fallen the other that are grounded on these must néedes decay First we must marke thrée thynges in euery Sacrament to be considered the signe the signification and the fayth whiche is geuen vnto the wordes of God The signe in Baptisme is the ploungyng downe in the materiall water and liftyng vp agayne by the whiche as by an outward badge we are knowen to be of the number of them which professe Christ to be theyr redemer and Sauiour This outward signe doth neither geue vs the spirite of God neither yet grace that is the fauour of God For if thorough the washyng in the water the spirite or grace were geuē then should it folow that who soeuer were baptised in water should receiue this precious gift but that is not so wherfore I must néedes conclude that this outward signe by any power or influence that it hath bryngeth not the spirite or fauour of God That euery man receiueth not this treasure in Baptisme it is euidēt for put the case that a Iew or an infidell should say that he dyd beleue beleued not in déede and vpō his wordes were baptised in déede for no man cā iudge what his hart is but we must receiue him vnto Baptisme if he confesse our fayth with his mouth albeit his hart be farre from thence this miscreant now thus Baptised hath receiued this outward signe and Sacrament aswell as the most faythfull man beleuyng Howbeit he neither receiueth the spirite of God neither yet any grace but rather condemnation Wherefore it is euident that the exterior signe giueth not this gift whiche is also as certaine in all other Sacramentes yea in the Sacrament of the altare whiche may be called a double Sacrament For it is not onely a remembraunce that the naturall body of Christe was broken and hys bloud shed for our redemption as the Euangelistes do testifie but also it is his spirituall body whiche is the congregation of the faythfull as S. Paul testifieth saying the bread which we breake is it not the partaking that is to say we that are partakers of the body of Christ For we sayth hée though we be many yet are we one bread one body But for all that the receiuyng of this Sacrament giueth vs not the spirite of God neither yet his fauor for the wicked receiueth it as well as y e good Howbeit that receiuyng is to theyr dānation Wherfore it foloweth that the outwarde signe giueth no mā any grace Moreouer if the spirite of God and his grace were bounde vnto the Sacramentes then where y e Sacramēts were ministred there must y e spirit of grace waite on and where they were not ministred shuld be neither spirit nor grace But that is false for Cornelius all his houshold receiued y e holy ghost before they were Baptised In so much that Peter sayd may any man forbyd that these should be baptised with water whiche haue receiued the holy ghost as well as we And so he commaunded them to be baptised in the name of the Lord here may we sée that as the spirite of God lighteth where he will neither is he boūde to any thing Yea and this example doth well declare vnto vs that the Sacramentes are geuen to be an outward witnesse vnto all the cōgregation of that grace whiche is geuen before priuatly vnto euery man So is Baptisme giuen before the congregation vnto hym which before he receiue it hath either professed the Religion of Christ or els hath the word of promise by the whiche promesse he is knowen to be of the sensible congregatiō of Christ and for this cause when we baptise one that is come vnto the age of discretiō we axe of hym whether he beleue if he aunswere yea and desire Baptisme then is he baptised so that we require faith in hym before he be baptised whiche is the gift of God and commeth of grace and so it is an outward signe of hys inuisible fayth whiche before was giuen hym of God If an infant be brought vnto baptisme whom his frendes offer vp willyng to sanctifie and fulfill the commaundement and ordinaunce of God we enquire of his frendes before the congregatiō whether they will that theyr child be baptised and when they haue aunswered yea thē receiueth he Baptisme Here also went before the promise of God that hee of his grace reputeth our infantes no lesse of the congregation then the infantes of the Hebrues and thorough Baptisme doth the congregation receiue him whiche was first receiued thorough grace of the promise thus may we sée that Baptisme bryngeth not grace but doth testifie vnto the congregation that he which is baptised had such grace geuen hym before so is Baptisme a Sacrament that is the signe of an holy thyng euē a token of the grace and frée mercy whiche was before geuen hym a visible example of inuisible
for it is better to mary then to burne The Pope sayth all monkes Fryers and Nunnes shall vowe and sweare chastitie be it geuen them or not my Priestes also shall not be wedded but as for to kéepe whores and rauishe other mens daughters wiues shal be dispensed withall I will sée no such thinges for my Byshoppes haue yearely great mony by it like as baudes be wont to haue 57. Christ sayth all meates that maÌ„ taketh with thankes staineth not the soule for all things are pure to them that are pure The Pope sayth he that eateth egges butter or fleshe in these dayes that I haue commauÌ„ded to be fasted doth not onely stayne his soule wyth sinne but also is to be denounced an hereticke Dist 4. ca. Statuimus This agréeth with Christ euen as the lyght doth with the darcknes And yet haue we bene thus blynded long that we could neuer perceaue this Antichrist till now in the last dayes 58. Christ sayd vnto his Disciples that you bynde in earth shal be bouÌ„de in heauen and that you lose in earth shal be losed in heauen The Pope chalengeth greater authoritie for he will lose soules out of Purgatory and commaunde the angels to fetch them out and all for money without money you get nothing 59. Christ sayth wheÌ„ you haue done all thynges that I haue commaunded you yet say that you are vnprofitable seruauntes The Pope sayth do those thynges that I commauÌ„d thée and take a sure conscience vnto thée that thou art a iust and a religious maÌ„ and that thou hast deserued heaueÌ„ And as for I myselfe If I do wrong in euery thyng 〈◊〉 bring many thousandes with me into damnation yet shall no man rebuke me but cal me the most holiest father Dist. 40. ca. Si Papa 60. Christ teacheth vs to fulfill the woorkes of mercy to the poore euer commendyng mercy aboue offerings and sacrifice The Pope teacheth vs to geue our money for pardons masses diriges to images and Churches so that we may offer vnto their bellyes And he that sayth it is better to geue our charitie to the poore as Christ sayth is counted halfe an hereticke because he goeth aboute to marre the Popes market 61. Christe suffered death for our sinnes and arose for our iustification or els we all should haue perished The Pope sayth if thou bye my pardoÌ„ or els be buried in a gray Friers coate thou must néedes be saued so that Christ hath suffered in vayne sith a Friers coate will saue a man 62. Christ onely is our mediatour which maketh vnite betwixt hys father vs howbeit the prayer of a iust man is very good and profitable The Pope sayth The greatest power and saluation next to Christ is myne Dist 60. cap. Si Papa I maruell then why he is so curious to cause vs to worship the Saintes y â— are a sléepe And not rather hym selfe sith he chalengeth a greater power then euer they dyd while they lyued 63. Christ sayth who soeuer breake one of my lest coÌ„maundementes shal be called the lest that is to say none in the kyngdome of heauen The Pope sayth what pertaineth his law vnto me I am subiect to no lawes 25. q. 1. cap. Omnia therefore doth the Pope but seldome right And is alwayes agaynst right yea and agaynst his owne lawes as often as men do bryng hym money for that loueth he aboue all thynges 64. Christes law is fulfilled through charitie The Popes law is fulfilled by money if thou haue no money to geue them thou shalt carye a fagot though thou offende not money them they sée thée not do what thou wilt 65. Christ is the head of the Church as the Apostle doth testifie And also the stone whereon the Church is builded And this Church is the coÌ„gregation of the faythfull and the very body of Christ The Pope sayth I am the head of the Church Dist 19. cap. Enim vero And the seate of Rome is the stone wheron the Church is builded Dist 19. Ita Dominus Can any thyng be more contrary vnto the honour and glory of God then thus to dispoyle hym of his kyngdome whiche he so dearely hath bought shedyng his precious bloud for it 66. Christes law whiche is the holy Scripture came by the inspiryng of the holy ghost whiche dyd infuse it aboundauntly into the hartes of the Apostles and of the same spirite hath it his enduraunce and interpretation The Pope sayth I am Lord of the Scripture to alow and disalow it for of me doth it take his full authoritie ca â–ª Si omnes And for a token of this is the Scripture of Christ layd vnder his féete when he is at Masse 67. Christes Apostle sayth that a Byshop ought to be so well learned that he with the Scripture be able to ouercome all them that be agaynst the fayth The Pope and Byshops will dispute in Scripture with no man but cast them first in prison and proper engynes they haue inueÌ„ted to wring their fingers so sore that the bloude shall braste out at their fingers endes they pyne them and scourge theÌ„ with infinite other tormeÌ„tes payning theÌ„ to forsake the truth And after make them sweare on a booke that they shal tell no man of it thus cruelly do they entreate them against iustice And if they can not subdue them to theyr willes then do they committe them vnto y e seculare power to be burned 68. Christes accusation and cause why he was condemned vnto death was writteÌ„ ouer his head in Hebrew Gréeke Latine that all men might know the cause this was an argument that they vsed iustice although they condemned him vniustly sithe men might sée the offence and iudgement ioyned together The Pope and Byshoppes condemne men and committe them vnto the seculare power that they shold execute the sentence But this is a mischeuous abomination that they will not suffer the seculare power to know the cause why they put men to death worshipfull dis diuines Master Doctor O you gentle nobilitie ponder this matter indifferently Beware how you do execution except you know the cause why Thinke you the bloude shall not be requyred on you if for an others pleasure you destroy the worke of God They will say vnto you as the Iewes sayde vnto Pilate concerning Christ If he were not an euill doer we would not haue deliuered him vnto you Trust not their wordes for no doubt they are lyers know the cause your selues and heare the matter vnfaynedly Thinke you they woulde not let you know the cause and iudgement if they did iustice and not tyrannye Be therefore no longer â—oyes to theÌ„ which ought to be your seruauntes God hath geueÌ„ you his spirite grace and vnderstanding hide not the talent that God hath geuen you but do your diligence to sée iustice executed secluding all tyranny for that is your office appoynted you of
byshopryke of the kinges grace How will you bée able by your workes to deserue heauen and iustification before the king of all kynges When you haue aunswered to this before the kinges grace then come and dispute with God the iustification of your workes and yet shall they bée farre vnlike Wherfore I conclud of these scriptures and of these doctours that the fayth that we haue in Christ Iesus and his blessed bloude doth onely and sufficiently iustifie vs béefore God without the helpe of any workes And though y e all scripture bee no thing els but a holle probacion of this article that is alonely a perfect commeÌ„dation and a prayse of Christ and of his blessed merites that hée hath deserued for vs yet will I passe ouer to bryng in any moe places For they y e are not coÌ„teÌ„t with these scriptures wyll not bée satisfied nor yet content to geue al onely glory to God though I brought in all the newe testament Yea Christ hym selfe could not satisfie them if hee were here no nor yet though heauen and earth and all creatures therin were nothyng els but probations of this article it would not helpe Wherefore I let such infidels passe and leue them to the iudgement of God alonely certifieng them of this one thyng that is infallible how the day shall come that it shall repent them yea and that sorer then I can either write or thinke that they did not beléeue the lest pricke of this holy article But vnto our purpose The very true way of iustification is this First commeth God for the loue of Christe Iesus alonely of his mere mercy and geueth vs fréely the gift of fayth wherby we doe beleeue God his holy word and sticke fast vnto the promises of God and beléeue that though heauen and earth and all that is in them should perish and come to nought yet God shall bée founde true in his promises for this faythe 's sake bée we the elect children of God This is not such a fayth as men dreame when they beléeue that there is one God and beléeue that hée is eternall beléeue also that hée made the worlde of naught yea and beléeue that the Gospell is true and all thing that God speaketh must bée true and fulfilled with other such thynges This I say is not the fayth that wée bée iustified by for deuils and infidels haue this fayth â—and also wée may attayne to these thynges by strength of reason But the fayth that shall iustifie vs must bée of an other maner of strength for it must come from heauen and not from the strength of reason It must also make mée beléeue that God the maker of heauen and earth is not alonely a father but also my father yea and that thorow the fauour that Christ hath purchased mée from the whiche fauour neither heauen nor earth tribulation nor persecution death nor hell can deuide mée But to this sticke I fast that hée is not alonely my father but also a mercifull father yea and that vnto mée mercifull and so mercifull that hée will not impute my sinnes vnto mée though they bée neuer so great so long as I hang on the blessed bloud of Christ Iesus and sinne not of malice but of frailtie and of no pleasure Hée is also a lyberall father yea and that vnto mée liberall which will not alonely promise mée all thynges but also géeue them me whether they bée necessary to the body or to y e soule Hée is also not alonely lyberall but myghty to performe all thynges that hée promyseth vnto mée Briefely this fayth maketh mée to hang clearely of God and of his blessed promyses made in Christ and in his swéete and precious bloud and not to feare death nor any affliction nor persecution nor tribulation but to despise all these thynges and not alonely these but to despise also myne own lyfe for Christes sake Finally of a fleshely beast it maketh mée a spirituall man of a damnable child it maketh mée a heauenly sonne of a seruaunt of the deuill it maketh mée a frée maÌ„ of Gods both deliuered from the lawe from sinne from death from the deuill and from all myserie that might hurt mée My Lordes this is the fayth that doth iustifie and that wée do preach And because it is geuen from heauen into our hartes by the spirite of God therfore it can bée no idle thing But it must néedes do all maner of things y e bée to the honour of God and also to the profite of our neighbour In so much that at all tymes necessary it must néedes worke well also bryng forth all good workes that may bée to the profite and helping of any man But these workes bée not done to iustifie the man but a iust man must néedes doe them Not vnto his profite but alonely to other mens profites euen as our maister Christ suffered hunger and thyrste and persecution and tooke great labours in preaching of his worde yea and also suffered death All these thinges I say did hée not to further or to profite himselfe but for our merites and for our profite So likewise doth a iust man his workes And as a good trée in tyme of the yeare bryngeth forth good Apples not to make hym good for hée is good afore nor yet this apple is not to his profite but vnto other mens notwithstanding y e good nature that is in hym muste néedes bring it forth So likewise the iust man must néedes doe good workes not by them to bée iustified but alonely in them to serue his brother for hée hath no néede of them as concerning his iustification Wherfore now here haue you the very true cause of iustification that is fayth alonely And also the very true way and maner of doynge good workes And how that no man can doe good workes but a iustified man as our maister Christ sayth Eyther make the trée good and then his fruite good or els the trée euill and his fruit euill for a good trée must néedes bring forth good fruite and a badde euyll fruite But now let mée aunswere to the Scriptures and to the reasons that they bring to prooue that workes doe iustifie First commeth the fleshly and dampnable reason and shée sayth If wée bée iustified alonely by fayth what néede wée to doe any good workes what néede wée to crucifie or mortifie our fleshe for all these wil not profite vs and wée shall bée saued though wée doe none of theÌ„ all Thus did blinde reason dispute with Saint Paule when that hée had proued that God of his mercy had deliuered vs fréely from the damnable bondage of the law Anone hée iudged that he might do what hée would for hée was no loÌ„ger vnder the law To this S. Paule auÌ„swereth y â— if wée obey vnto y â— workes of sinne then are we the seruauntes of sinne if we obey to the workes of iustice
experience what fréewill is able to doe without God Behold man was made good by his fréewil was hée made an euill mā Whē shall an euill mā by his free-will forsakyng God make a mā good hée béeyng good could not kéepe hym selfe good and now that hee is euill shall hee make hym selfe good when that hée was good hée kepte not him selfe good and now that hee is euill shall hee say I make my selfe good c. Here is the very strength of free-will by his strength are wée made miserable and that doth experience learne And yet wée boaste fréewill S. Augustine calleth it cursed fréewil and will wée call it blessed fréewill Is not this a goodly fréedome and great power to bryng vs to this euerlasting miserie This is our bonum conatum and facere qoud in ce est and preparare se ad graciam with other dampnable dreames that wée haue whose conclusions are nothing els but to bryng vs to dampnation You sée S. Augustines words bée so plaine that no mā can auoide them Also S. Paule saith The wisdome of the fleshe is enemy to God it is not subiecte vnto y e law nor cā bee for they that serue y t fleshe can not please God And hée that hath not the spirite of Christ the same mā is none of his for the selfe spirit beareth witnes to our spirite that wée be the children of God Here haue you plainely that the wisdome of y t fleshe is the very enemy against God It cā not bée saide but by wisedome he vnderstandeth the best thyng that is in man for better thē wisdome cā there nothing bée and yet that is enemy to God for it is but fleshe and all that is in man without the spirite of God And that S. Paule declareth when hée saych hée that hath not the spirite of Christ the same man is not Christes Here is playne that will reasō wisdome hart or whatsoeuer thing y ◠is in man without the spirit of God is but fleshe and can not bée obedient Hée sayth not he wyll not but he can not hée hath no might hée hath no power let hym intende his best doe all y t lyeth in hym with all his might all his power yet can it not please God for it is but all fleshe But here M. Duns will make a distinction and say that fleshe is takē here for fleshely desires onely and voluptuousnes not for the desires of the soule nor for the electiō of y t will I woulde know what part of man it is that desireth or that coueteth thys voluptuousnes It is not the bones nor the sinowes nor the fleshe that hangeth thereon but it is the highest parte of man the very soule of man hée is the grounde and auctor of all conscupisence take away hym and there remayneth no voluptuousnes Therefore S. Paule declareth hym and hys operation when hée caulleth it the wisdome of the fleshe But I woulde gladly know what hée vnderstandeth by vncleane desires and by voluptuousnes If hée vnderstand euill cogitations as aduoutry fornications manslaughter thefte couetousnes deceite vncleanes blasphemy pride and foolishnes If hée call these volupousnes these bée they that come from the hart of man and bée chosen by the election of the will as our M. Christ doth clearely declare Mark vij Yea and that from the very bottome of the hart Can they inuent any other vncleanely desires thē these And these come not from the bones nor from the sinowes but frō the very ground of the hart and these bée all hys desires and other hath hée none of hym selfe Wherefore these dreamers dreame they wot not what and speake that they vnderstand not For all that is in man harte soule fleshe and bone c. wyth all theyr workes is but fleshe excepte the spirite of God bée there Euery man hath a soule but by that is hée not Christes for thē Infidels were Christes but the spirite of Christ maketh hym Christes and the spirite of God géeueth witnes to our spirite that we bée the children of God Our spirite géeueth no witnes to himself that hée is Christes for then were the spirite of God frustrate Wherefore let our spirite as well as hée can studye hys beste to apply hymselfe to goodnes after the vttermost of his power and yet is it but wisdome of the fleshe and hath no witnes of God yea it is but an enemy and it must néedes bée sinne For S. Augustine sayth Hée that féedeth without mée féedeth agaynst mée c. Marke how hée sayth agaynst mée Wherefore all that fréewill can doe without grace is but sinne Marke also that Paule did write vnto the Iewes yea and to the best of them which did studye to doe good workes yea and that the best workes that were the workes of the lawe and yet all these bée caulleth but fleshe and declareth openly that all these good workes coulde not helpe them yet no doubt but that the Iewes dyd as much as lay in theyr fréewyll to doe to come to the fauour of God yet it helped not for all was but wisedome of the fleshe and enemy to God Also S. Paule sayth If you mortifie the déedes of the fleshe by the spirite you shall liue You will not recken that S. Paule doth iudge the spirite of God necessary to kyll the desires of the fleshe that is of the syndwes or of the bones or of any other thyng that is in man beside the spirite of man for that were but a small thyng yea it were but frustrate to set the spirite of God to kylle these thynges for the spirite of man can kill them yea and also rule them For after your owne Philosophers the spirite of man is the ruler and the guider of all the woorkes that bée done by the body Wherefore the spirite of God must bée hee that shall kyll the disease of our spirite the whiche is the most spirituall thyng in vs and yet is it but fleshe afore God For if there were any power in hym hye or lowe to kyll hys desires then were it but voyde to call the spirite of God to helpe But let vs heare what S. Augustine sayth on this texte if you mortifie your fleshe c. Thou wylte say that can my wyll doe that can my fréewill doe What wyll what maner of fréewil except that hée guide thée thou fallest excepte hée lyfte thée vp thou lyest styll How canst thou then doe it by thy spirite séeing that y t Apostle sayth As many as bée ledde by the spirite of God bée the children of God Wilte thou doe of thy selfe Wilte thou bée ledde of thyne owne selfe to mortifie the déedes of the fleshe what will it profite thee For if thou bée not an Epicure thou shalt bée a Stoicke Whether thou bée bée an Epicure or a Stoicke thou shalte not bée amonge the children of God For they that bée
tame his body that it may waite vpon God deceiueth hym selfe All our doynges must tende to the honour of God and loue of our neighbour This boke is a preachyng of fayth and loue Here thou mayest learne a right meditation or contemplation The workes of God are supernatural We must abstaine froÌ„ outward euill though not for loue yet for feare of the vengeance of God Vnto the law of god we may neither adde nor minish We are coÌ„maunded to abstayne from Images God is mercyful to them that repent Christ hath deliuered vs therfore we ought to serue him our neyghbour for his sake Loue onely to the fulfillyng of the lawes of God We must trust onely in God not in our selues Howe a maÌ„ may trye examine hym selfe how much he loueth God and his neighbour God styrreth vp his people vnto fayth A right way of prayer The pith effect of all y e lawes of God And if wee firste loue God then out of that loue wee must nedes loue our neighbour What it is to loue and feare God and what it is to despise hym The word of god may not be altered Let no maÌ„ draw vs from gods worde Of maters of the common weals None may be condemned vnder two witnessed Christ our sauiour declared in the old testament The curse and wrath of God ouer al those that break his lawes We may not be to curious in the searchyng of Gods secretes but rather study to vnderstand to do our duety towards god and our neighbour The Papistes kept the Scriptures from the lay people because they onely will be the publishers expositors therof The scripture hath a body and a soule The scripture contayneth iij. thinges The maner of hipocrites in reading the law of god The papisticall and corrupt doctrine of the papists Now the Papistes â—ring and wrest the scriptures God correcteth where he loueth God casteth none away but such as refuse to kept his lawes and will not harken vnto hys voyce Such as hardeÌ„ their hartes and not harken to the will of God to do it God casteth out The Prophetes of God bare the weakenes of their brethren their 〈◊〉 ries also with patience The Pope and his ministers are persecutors ouer their brethren The cruell opinioÌ„ that the disciples had of Christ The ignoraunce and imperfection of the apostles God doth mercifully try tempt vs to moue vs to vtter our hartes myndes towardes hym Ionas of himselfe was an vn mete messenger to be sent of such a message but god assisted him with his holy spirit The carnal imagination of mans nature without Gods spirite Ionas so long as he was in his carnall imagination could nâ—t abyde the voice of God but fled howbeit God called hym â—…ne Ionas flesh râ—belled agaynst the spirite The wicked seke to to coâ—er their wickednes with â—ope holy workes How Ionas was â—rapped made aâ—rayed Ionas beyng afrayd comesseth his sinnes Le ts howe they may be vsed law fully Miracle moueth the heathen to know god and to call vpon him As Ionas lay three dayes and iij. nightes in y t Whals Bely so Christ lay thre dayes and three nightes in the earth How christ sheweth his death resurrectioÌ„ by Ionas the Prophet Christ by the mouth of his Apostles preached repentaunce to the Iewes Where ther is no repeÌ„tauÌ„ce there God powreth out his vengeaunce Gildas a writer of y t Brittishe Chronicle Wicleffe a preacher of repenâ—â—nÌ„ce They slew Richard y t second They set vp Henry the fourth Henry the fift Henry the sixt Christ now preacheth repeÌ„taunce vnto vs. Ionas called vpon God out of the fishes belly The sacrifice that Ionas offereth vnto God The sacrifices of the olde lawe were ordeyned to put vs in remeÌ„braunce of the sacrifice of thankesgeuyng Ionas dyd that God commaunded hym Niniue was the greatest Citie in the world â–ª Christ is mercyfull to the that repent and call for mercy The doctrine of the Phariseis and the Papists make sinne of that is no sinne This is y â— doctrine of y t Papistes and hypocriticall monkes at this day The blynd and fruteles workes of the Papistes Papisticall sinnes Papistes taught theÌ„ selues and theyr workes withall crueltieÌ„ The false wicked doctrine of the Papistes Blinde and btpocritical doctrine The Phariseto set vp a righteousnes of workes to cleÌ„se their soules withall By the worldly fleship interpretations of the scriptures the Iewes hartes were hardened The heâ—â— then repented at the preachyng of Ionas A good and profitable example Note herâ— the great mercy of God The right maner how to read the Scripture All our deedes are made perfect in christes bloud All the promised made by God in Christ are made to theÌ„ that repent The two keyes that open aâ— the Scripture A very fruitfull good lesson How thou mayst at all tymes apply the stories of the Bible to thy great comfort The law must be fulfilled with the mercy that is in Christ In thy hart are the wordes of the law in thine hart are the promises and mercy of Christ Our sinne is of our selues but remission sorgeuenes therof commeth frely of the mercy of God for christes sake God hath no nede of our works but we must do theÌ„ for our selues and for the profite of our neighbors Christ hath satisfied for our sinnes as well after baptisme as before Baptisme Our actuall sinnes are washed away in Christes bloud The Zewes to this day ar locked out from the vnderstanding of the scriptures The right way into the vnderstanding of the Scritures Iaco. 1. The generall couenaunt that God hath made with vs. Lawe In these commaundemento is contayned tee whole law Where no good 〈…〉 are there the fayth is vayne What fayth it is that saueth Two thinges are required to be in a christian man What the nature of gods word is When we heare gods will and do it not then God withdraweth his mercy and fauour from vs. He that harkeneth to the word of God doth it the same shal be blessed in his deede What it is to build vppon â—and The vncleane spirit that returneth in worse sort theÌ„ he was when hee was cast forth Such 〈◊〉 are profes sours of the worde 〈◊〉 God and will not tame and scourge theÌ„ selues theÌ„ will God plague 〈◊〉 scourge Christes deedes â—et vs in the fauour of God our owne helpe vs to continue in his fauour Loue is the fulfilling of the law Faith is cause of loue God requireth mercie and not sacrifice Onely loue vnderstandeth the law Gospell New Testament Our workes extend no farther then to our neighbour Why Tyndall vsed this worde repeÌ„tauÌ„ce rather then penaunce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The foure partes of repentanÌ„ce What maner of satisfaction weâ— ought to make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why hee nameth theÌ„ Elders not priests William Tyndals Prologue vpon the Gospell of Marke The Prologue of W.