God cannot by vs be auouched and restored but that that same consent of many ages whiche they vaunt of would aduaunce it selfe agaynst vs as I cōfesse that a thousande yéeres since all thinge haue so decayed that newe broodes of monstruous errours and superstitions haue crope out of the shell from time to time yet what finde they in suche dissentinge as this woorthie to be offēded at If cōparison be made certeinly those first vnder whome the Churche florished eyther deserue to be counted lawfull Fathers alone or at leastwise doo chalenge of right the chiefe degree of honour amonge the Fathers But the good Papistes such is theyr gentle nature doo celebrate the memoriall onely of that corrupted age whiche had nowe muche declined from the auncient sinceritie And at length all their complaintes come to this pointe that we disanull at this day the custome which hath bene receiued these eight hūdred or these thousand yéeres But if the old Prouerbe be to be beleued whiche also hath bene commonly vsed amonge them an euil custome is nothinge els but the auncientnesse of errour And we knowe that the longer of cōtinuance an euill is the more hurtfull it is In times past this sentence of Cyprian was counted woorthie to be reioyced at that we ought not to looke what other men had done or sayde before vs but whatsoeuer Christ hath cōmaunded who is the first of al that is to be followed No man also will denie but this was well and aduisedly spoken of Augustine that Christe attributeth not to him selfe the name of custome but the name of truth Now no man dare stirre though neuer so lightly the stinkyng hearbe Camarina of corrupt custome whiche hath rested a longe continuance of yéeres Yea rather forebroken rigorousnesse in mainteyninge chiefe absurdities is waxed so stronge that they not onely refuse the reprouynge of them as comminge out of season but also doo persecute it cruelly with fire and swoorde That same Heathē man sayeth that like as the custome of right speaking is to be fetched at learned mens handes so the custome of well liuinge is to be fetched at the hādes of good and honest men Shal the lewde and corrupt custome of men carrie vs away forcibly as some violent tempest without iudgement or choyce who haue Christe to direct vs To the entent I maye conclude this place briefly if that thinge may take place with vs which out of all controuersie ought to be a grounded principle amonge all godly men that the doctrine of Christe is not subiect to the prescription of yéeres this surmised stumblingblocke shall hinder no man at leastwise from the desire to searche And whē it shalbe fully agreed vpon that we haue from Christe that which we bryng foorth who wilbe so ouerthwart as wilfully to fléete vnto men frō the eternall wisdome of God and the voyce of the heauenly Maister It offendeth many bicause they sée almost the whole worlde to be against vs. Neither are the defenders of the euil cace negligent or to séeke what they shoulde doo but with the same engine doo stryke the rude and weake sayinge it is against all reason that a fewe men should be credited and all Christendome beside welnere neglected And to treade these vnder their féete they chiefly arme themselues with the holy title of the Churche as with a mace But I wold faine know howe suche as are enstraunged from the Gospell by reason of our fewnesse maye mainteine theyr faith against y e Turkes As for our part if we beyng but one man condemned all the men of his age by his faithe there is no cause why the greate multitude of vnbeleuers should moue vs from our places In the meane while affirme that cause of Offence to be not onely scarce probable but also vniuste and shamefull where the respectes of men are weyed before y e woorde of God And why shall not Gods truth stande sure except it please menne to beleue it Rather as Paule sayeth let euery man remayne a lier and let them acknowledge God to be true vnto whome he vouchsaueth to manifest him selfe And we haue alreadie in another place shewed why the greater parte of men doth so hardly yéelde themselues seruiceable to God So muche the lesse then is it conuenient that in so great stubburnnesse of the worlde we shoulde direct our faith after example of the multitude But Christe giueth a token that whither the Egles resorte there is the Carion I denie not verely but that if at any time all the Egles shalbe gathered togither into one place then the conuersiō of the whole worlde is to be hoped for But forasmuche as Christe meaneth not there all sortes of Egles but suche as follow the liuely sente of his death who seeth not that that sayinge is to be restreined to a fewe if any man wil perchaunce take exceptions that we are not excused by the example of Noe if we withdrawe our selues from that congregatiō whiche holdeth the name of the Churche when Esay commaunded to leauynge the conspiracie of men and follow God onely he meaned not straungers but euen such as at that time moste gloried in the name of Gods people And Peter whē he maketh the Churche like the Arke bicause when the worlde perisheth a little handfull of men is saued as it were by a floud giueth sufficient warnyng that we ought not to hange vpon the multitude Why then haue miserable men pleasure to séeke occasion of wauerynge and staggeringe amonge the variable blastes of the world when God stayeth vs vppon the euerlastyng fundation of his woorde why had they rather waue amonge the stormes of opinions than harbrough at ease in the sure hauen of certeine veritie to whiche God calleth vs. But very great reuerēce is dewe to the Church I confesse so truely and I willingly also put this more to it that the vnderstanding of the Churche is so linked with the natiue doctrine of the lawe and the Gospell that it is woorthely called the faithful kéeper and interpreter of the same But betwene vs and the Papistes is the oddes that they thinke the Churche not to be the pillar of truthe otherwise than in sittynge as a iudge ouer the woorde of God And we on the cōtrarie parte vphold that bicause the Churche submitteth it selfe reuerētly vnto the woorde of God the truth is by it reteyned and deliuered vnto others frō hande to hande And therfore the woorde of God hath no more authoritie amonge them than the Churche as it were by intreatance graunteth vnto it they turne the interpretatiō of the whole Scripture to the iudgement of the Churche euen after the same maner that the Lesbians in old time were want to make their mason woorke by theyr leaden rule as the olde Prouerbe reporteth There is therefore no place of the Scripture so cléere whiche beyng bowed or to speake more properly writhed to this Lesbian rule taketh not a straunge shape And yet the chiefe cōtention
To the right 〈◊〉 ble and â—is 〈…〉 stayeâ— Lord Fraun 〈…〉 Lord gouernour of Barwicke and one of the Quéenes Maiesties most Honorable priuie Counsell c. Arthur Goldyng wisheth encrease of Honour and haboundaunce of the knowledge grace of Christe â—ith perfect continuauÌ„ce therein 〈…〉 ende IT is agreed on confessed by all men righte Honorable that reason vnderstandynge maketh differreÌ„ce betwenâ— mankinde and other liuynge Creatures but how a true Christian maye be knoweÌ„ and discerned from an infidell and counterfet none perceiueth saue onely suche as geue diligent héede to the written woo 〈…〉 wherin we may finde that 〈…〉 â—uerlastyng to know one God and 〈…〉 he hath sent that they are blessed whiche heare the woorde of God and kéepe it that not euery one that saith Lorde Lorde shall enter into the kingdome of HeaueÌ„ but he that doth the will of the heauenly Father Whereby it is euident that wicked Infidelles are either altogether voide of the 〈◊〉 ledge of God or els farre from 〈◊〉 walke accordingly if they haue 〈…〉 to any vnderstandyng thereo◠〈…〉 the true Christian not onely laboreth 〈◊〉 beholde the grace of God which bringeth saluation to all men but also learneth to renounce impietie and worldly lustes â–ª and to liue soberly iustly and godly in this present worlde and lookinge for that blessed hope and appearinge of the glory of the great God and our Sauiour Iesus Christe walketh all the dayes of his life in holines and rightuousnes not after mens deuise phantasie but accordinge to the rules and ordinaunces which God hath prescribed And yet beside y e sleights of Sathan the fraylenes of the flesh and the wickednesse of the worlde we maye easily sée how the mallice of men stayeth and hindereth the children of God from procéedinge in that they haue professed while some are driuen to stagger at the prosperitie of wicked when they sée them neyther troubled nor plagued as other men are eyther to feare their powre wheÌ„ they sée the Kinges of the Earth bande themselues and the Princes confederate â—â—â—ther against the Lorde and his annointed and euery good man with griefe of harte enforced to complaine with Dauid how longe wil ye imagine mischiefe ye shalbe all slaine ye shalbe as a bowed wall or as a wall shaken They consuite to cast him downe from his dignitie their delighte is in lies they blesse with theyr mouthes and curse with their hartes It is not vnknowen what hath bene concluded in the Councell of Trent what confederacie and conspiracie the Romayne Antichrist hath made with other great Princes against the doctrine of God and such as professe it What force tirannie hath bene vsed to suppresse the children of God what pollicies and practises bothe at home and abroade haue bene and are dayly put in executioÌ„ to hinder the course of the Gospell what lies and slaunders are dayly raysed what quarels are inueÌ„ted what falsehoode and dissimulation is in euery place practised to kéepe the most parte of men froÌ„ the knowledge of truth whereby as we sée the woordes of Dauid verified in the wicked dealyng of this miserable age so haue we iust cause to complaine with him and not onely to proclayme with confidence the like ende to mischieuous men but also to arme our selues against al assaultes that are made to driue or drawe vs from the truth professed Yea it behoueth vs herein to care for other not for our selues onely least by vs any be discouraged where they ought to be comforted or hindred where they ought to be furdered For the vengeaunce is fearefull whiche our Sauiour pronounceth where he saith woo to him by whome Offence coÌ„meth the charge is not smal which he giueth to his where he willeth that their light so shine before meÌ„ that their good woorkes may be séene to the glory of their Father whiche is in Heauen whereof it followeth that God would not haue vs by any meanes to discourage but rather to encourage neither to disswade but rather by all meanes to perswade and allure all sortes of men as much as in vs lieth to the loue and likyng of Gods eternall truth This point of duetie God requireth by his Prophete Esay aswell of Princes as of Pastors when in the kingdome of Christe he biddeth them goe through goe through the gates prepare you the way for the people cast vp cast vp the waye gather out the stones set vp a standarte for the people So God woulde haue all impedimentes remoued so he would that men should be prouoked to the kingedome of Christe Whereunto this treatise written by that excellent instrumeÌ„t of God maister Iohn Caluine very much auayleth for in it he purposely entreateth of such Offences stumblinge blockes as at this daye make many men either to feare or to abhorre the doctrine of the Gospell it serueth wel for this our countrie in this light of truth offered to conuince the obstinate to confirme the wéeke to stay the waueryng to instruct the ignoraunt and to occasion all men with reuerence to receiue the glad tidinges of the Gospell and that without delay least for our vnthankefulnesse the publique profession thereof beynge taken awaye it be to late for vs to séeke oyle when we should be readie to enter with the Bridegrome Wherefore I could not deuise how my endeuour might better be employed then in the translation of suche a treatice as remouyng al lettes maketh streight vnto vs the waye of Saluation And because your Lordshippes good gouernment conuersation in these North partes of Englande hath furdered not a fewe to the light of true Religion I thought it most conuenient to be dedicated and presented vnto your Honour as vnto one whom to this day neither prosperitie nor aduersitie coulde make ashamed of Christe crufisied not for that I thinke the matter coÌ„teyned in this Booke néedeth the defence of any man for it rather defendeth then craueth defence but because I truste that other shall be more willinge to receiue it and vse it to their comforte coÌ„moditie when they sée it after a sorte conueyed and commended vnto them as it were from your Lordeships handes And although my trauaile herein may séeme very smal yet my hope is that your Honour of your accustomed goodnesse will accept it as the testimonie of a duetifull minde as God hath geuen you a singuler desire to aduaunce his glorie and benefite his Churche so I truste ye shall haue no small occasion hereby to continewe procéede therein Notwithstandynge the manifolde impedimentes of these perilous times when Sathan by all meanes séeketh in stayinge the sincere preachinge of Gods most holy woorde to scatter the people into sectes Scismes â–ª and by raysinge of dissention in opinions to slaunder and defame the doctrine of truth against whose subtiltie it behoueth all such as God hath aduaunced to authoritie to labour especially y t the publique preachynge of Gods eternall truthe be furdered mainteyned
is ordinarie also in new matters beyng yet scarsly settled in dewe order to marke whatsoeuer is done amisse In this forme let these and such like be The third sorte doth partly consiste of surmised slaunders and partly springeth of the vnthākfulnesse of men while they fetche from a farre sundry accusations whiche they malitiously and falsly charge the Gospell with to the intent therby to make it hated Many also of thē that are counted faithfull beyng intangled with men of an other and almoste cleane contrary profession while they séeke meanes to nourishe fréendshippe are caried away with ambition as with a tempest that they had rather caste of the Gospell than dissent from the common trade of liuing Seinge therfore that I muste encounter with so many and so sundrie monsters it was néedeful to make this said distinctiō before it had bene for none other cause but this that if the infinitenesse of the matter would not suffer all thinges to be rehersed particularly the Readers might yet haue recourse to the generall Therfore to the intent I may beginne to entreate of the firste sorte it falleth ill out for the highstomacked men and suche as are giuen to statelinesse that the holy Ghost vseth a homely and base kinde of speakyng in the Scriptures And such as are accustomed to elegācie and finenesse doo either refuse or lothe this rude style cladde with no colours of Rhetoricke In this behalfe I like not to make y e defence whiche other haue intreated of namely that such disdeine riseth of vnskilfulnes for asmuche as Moyses and diuers of the Prophetes were as fine in their owne language as the Philosophers and Orators which are with high commendation and best likinge red amonge the Gréekes and Latines For although it be knowē to be so in déede to suche as are skilfull in the Hebrew tongue yet notwithstāding in asmuch as Amos is no lesse a Prophet than Esay that Ieremie obteined the same degrée that Dauid had of whome not withstandinge the enditinge is not a like eligant but rather the stile of Ieremie sauoreth of a Townesman and the stile of Amos hath a smatch of a Herdmā I willingly confesse that the holy Scriptures wherin the heauenly Philosophie is wholly conteined are voide not onely of the florishinges of Rhetoricians but also of such meane garnishynge as euen the meaner learned sort doo looke for But they are ouer squeymishe that finde the lesse sauour in them for that And such as vnder this pretext doo abase y e authoritie of them are to vnequall and malitious Paule doth not onely graunt that he wāteth eloquence but also preacheth it opēly and glorieth in it ought his doctrine doctrine therfore to be y e lesse set by Nay rather wheras is no floorishing of woords to bleare the eies withall there he warranteth the strēgth of the heauenly wisedome to shine the better Neyther dothe he teache any other thinge vnto the .iiij. chapter of the firste Epistle to the Corinthians than that the faith is then verely dewly founded in the wisedome poure of the holy Ghoste when the mindes are not seduced with finenesse of enditinge wittie handlinge of the matter And this doth euery one of vs know for a certentie by the assured experience of our faith Surely if the doctrine of Iohn or Paule were painted with the colours of Demosthenes or Cicero it might peraduenture haue more grace to allure the Readers but of weight to moue the consciences and of woorthinesse to purchace it self authoritie it should not haue the hundreth part that it hath For the Maiestie of God vttereth it selfe there liuely in so muche that they are compelled who so euer readeth it onlesse it be suche whose mindes the Deuill hath astonied to thinke that it is euen God that speaketh vnto them And therefore they are to dullwitted which take no taste nor sauour in y e Scriptures bicause thei finde there no enticementes of speach But what if God will perce the hart through through rather than with pleasant tinclinge delight the eares For wheras Paule saith that the treasure of the Gospell is bestowed in earthē vessels to the intent the power of God maye more cléerely appeare in the weaknesse of men it agreeth very wel to our present purpose Thus much I may lawfully take vpon me to say that there are no disputatiōs of the Philosophers so suttle whiche are able more strongly to perswade no thunderinges of the Oratours that are able more vehemently to moue affections than is the simple rude stile of the scripture For who seeth not how by the wōderfull prouidence of God it is so prouided y e in a base kinde of speaking the effectuall woorkyng of the spirit should nakedly much better shew it self They wil néedes haue their eares delighted with the swéetenesse of Eloquence But God who formed mans tunge will stammer with vs. Howbeit in his stāmering he thundereth and beareth him selfe with as hault stately a grauitie to subdewe mens mindes as if the cunningest of all Oratours should out of the treasorie of his arte put foorth of his best stuffe what so euer he had there in store This way Paule teacheth spirituall thinges to be applied to spirituall thinges and we our selues doo cléerely sée how mightie Gods playne and simple truthe is of it selfe Men are then to stately if for so small a matter as this is they disdaine to Reade the Scriptures or thinke the authoritie of the heauenly doctrine to be therefore of lesse importance But let vs suffer thē to haue stil their owne delight And as for our owne selues if with the eares of our harte we harken to God when he speaketh the rude vnpainted speache shall so little offende vs that it shall rather lifte vs vp to consider the maiestie of the spirite appearinge in the same For so ar the treasures of wisdome to be digged vp whiche Paule admonisheth vs to be hidden in Christe And hereof if any man will he maye finde somewhat in the firste Chaptre of mine Institutions where I dispute of the authoritie of the Scripture Now to the intent we may procéede to the curing of Offences of this sorte is it méete I should frame a newe prouinge from point to point of the opiniōs which are not delightfull to mans reason In good faith that were an endlesse matter seinge those thinges may be fetched both out of mine and out of othermēs trauels And besides that it were an vnprofitable labour to alledge the testimonies of the Scriptures for this purpose For what shall it auayle me to declare the diuinitie of Christe plainely out of the Scripture to suche kinde of men Uerely they will boldely reiect what so euer I shall bryng Yea rather this is a cause why they reiect all the whole Scripture by reason that in their opinion it semeth to be an absurditie as often as they méete with any thinge that liketh them not And therfore they séeme then
with his bloud to be snarled We say it procéeded of trayterous boldnesse y t the Remission of sinnes was bounde to the deuice of man If we cannot auouche vnto Christe his right honour otherwise than by takinge vpon vs this reproche whiche they charge vs with it is verely the greatest honour to vs that maye be Assuredly they are peruerse lewde which thereupon conceiue cause of Offence For the takinge awaye of difference of meates the excuse is readie and easie to make They say that the raine is let lose to the fleash to waxe wāton intemperately bicause it is permitted to eate fleash as well vpon the friday as the monday As who would say there were no riot or excesse saue in eatinge of fleash Furthermore who knoweth not that alwaies the deintiest fare hath euer bene of fishe and that at this day the kitchens neuer smooke better nor the tables are more busily laide or furnished with more plentie and varietie than vpō fishedaies Awaye with those toyes that we allure simple soules with delicates For the question in variance betwene vs is not of delicate meates But the Papistes whereas they cā with al their hartes suffer the gull to be glutted vpon the friday with all superfluitie and swéetenesse of meates fleash onely excepted affirme it vnlawfull to touche porke or beofe we leaue to euery mans conscience the libertie that God hath graunted Therefore we dare determine that there is no more religiō in vile inwardes of beastes than in a fishe sumptuously sauced Surely a spare and sober diet as becōmeth vs we commende neither shall any man finde that our wrytinges or sermons doo euen thus muche beare with excesse But rather euery side of a leafe of our wrytings shall witnesse with vs that we are somewhat aboue the Papistes in enforcinge men to temperance And takinge away the superstition of the day we teach that it is lawfull to vse sparely and thriftely such things as by Gods benefite we haue in store What swéetenesse of libertie is there so great herein that it shoulde inforce vs to turne y e world vpside downe Surely if I were minded to delight my mouth I would for one halfe yéere choose me other maner of meates rather than fleash My acquaintance know I am very much delighted in fish and certeine other thinges frō which I willingly absteine least I shoulde bie my delicates with the losse of my health I confesse it is a fondnesse to confute suche slender slaunders But my Readers must beare with me if in settinge my selfe against Offences I play the foole a little Wherefore it néedeth not to tarrie any lengar about these toyes For this part of doctrine whiche I intreate of consisteth of two members We vpholde that it is vnlawfull for the consciences to be entangled with mans lawes which should be ruled by the onely woorde of God Although that nothing were more profitable than this kinde of exercise yet not withstandynge we say it is a wicked boldnesse when men make a lawe to binde the soules with an inward feare For God chalengeth this right to him selfe alone that he be our lawegiuer and our Iudge Therwithal we say that extréeme wronge is done vnto Christe while y e libertie purchaced with his bloud is brought to nothinge For by his benefite we are so muche in better cace than the people of the old lawe in that we are set frée from obseruatiō of dayes choyce of meates Furthermore with Paule we denie that the kingdome of God cōsisteth in meate and drinke and therefore that men are deceiued by an euill superstitiō when they take abstinence from fleash to be a part of holinesse Finally we doo nothinge but subscribe vnto Paule who plainly affirmeth it to be a Diuelish doctrine to forbidde meates as vncleane whiche God hath hallowed to mans vse that he maye eate fréely of them with thankes giuyng Of no Offence ought to be had so great regarde that it should be lawfull to hide in silence things so néedefull to be knowen But yet this crime is not altogither wasshed away in asmuche as our aduersaries brag that we can abide no fastyng the whiche our Lord euery where highly commendeth Firste for asmuche as our Bookes and sermons doo crie out against this slaunder we néede to labour the lesse in confutinge the same But they wil replie vpon vs that we haue disanulled the decrées that were longe agoe stablisshed for fastinge I confesse so that we were compelled thereto for very earnest and weightie causes so that they deale very lewdely with vs in imputinge to vs as a faulte a thinge godlily and iustly taken in hande It was beleued vpō an olde forworne opinion that the Lenton fast procéeded of the institution of Christe This errour is light to séemyng but yet an errour in déede and suche a one as is in no wise to be borne withall It is an easie matter to showe without any trouble how foolishly and vnsauorly it was deuised and how rashly it was beléeued For if Christe would by his example allure vs to a yéerely faste why did he it but ones in all his life and not yéerely why did he not by by stablishe the custome amonge his Disciples why did not the Apostles immediatly after his resurrection kéepe it as a rule prescribed of their maister And why should we more followe the faste of Christe than the olde people the faste of Moyses which of the Prophetes or faithfull men tooke example at Moyses to doo the like now put to that other parte namely that it is suche an errour as cannot be winked at without great domage to our faith No man doubteth but that the doctrine of the Gospell was sealed with that miracle to the entent the authoritie therof should be the certeiner And therfore the Euangelicall historie reporteth that Christe was not a hungred by the space of .xl. daies That which Christe did by the power of his Godhead to the entēt to exalt the reuerēce of his doctrine aboue mans reache while the Papistes coūterfet the same as if it were subiect to theyr owne power doo they not as much as in them lieth darken the wonderfull power of Christe cancell that holy seale wherwith the truthe of the Gospell was ratified In other fastings we easely showe that when mē thought they pleased God they did exhibite a grosse woorshippe vnto Idols In that daies are appointed in honour of whome they should faste The Scripture condemneth it of wilfull superstition That they stablishe a woorship of God therein and imagine it a meritorious woorke it is not onely a foolish and vaine truste but also an vtter vngodlinesse If we folow Paule as our Author it shalbe lawfull to vs to pronoūce in generall that suche outwarde exercises wherein the chiefe pointe of godlinesse consisteth not doo little profite And this cannot be spoken but that that precise rigorousnesse of exactinge fast which reigneth amonge the Papistes may iustly be condemned as