he said in the 24. chapter of Matthew Heauen and earth shall passe but my word shall not passe And it is commonlie spoken euerie where The word of God endureth for euer Esaie 40 8. 3 And although there be in a maner infinite things which may stronglie prooue the woorthinesse of the scriptures yet in this place I will measure my selfe thinking it sufficient that I haue after a sort shewed the springs or heads the rest maie easilie be found out by anie that will take paines to search diligentlie I will now likewise bréefelie declare the commodities which we receiue therby The commodities of the holie scriptures 2. Tim. 3 16. We read in the 3. chapter of the 2. to Timothie that All scripture inspired by God is profitable both to teach and to improoue to wit as touching doctrine and to correct and instruct in righteousnesse which belongeth vnto manners And least thou shouldest thinke that any thing doth want he addeth streight waie Ibidem 17. That the man of God may be perfect and readie to euerie good worke And in the 15 chapter to the Romans we reade Roman 15. For whatsoeuer things are now written they be written before hand for our learning that by patience consolation of the scriptures we may haue hope Which things séeing they are spoken of the old testament for while this was written the new testament was not published what shall we now thinke hauing the monuments both of the Apostles and of the Euangelists added therevnto Trulie we haue now euen these verie things more plentifullie in the holie scriptures The power of sauing attributed to the scriptures 1. Tim. 4 13. And the holie Ghost feareth not to attribute the power of sauing vnto them For in the first Epistle to Timothie the fourth chapter it is written Take heed to thy selfe and to thy doctrine continue therein for in so dooing thou shalt saue both thy selfe and those that heare thee Matt. 13 19. And in the parable of the gospel where it is described that the séede fell some in the waie some among stones and thornes and some in good ground We are borne anew by the word 1. Cor. 4 15. the gospell or word of God by the interpretation of Christ is vnderstood by the séede bicause thereby we are borne anew Wherefore Paule wrote boldlie vnto some I haue begotten you by the gospel And Augustine did then first arise out of his errors wherewith he had béene captiuated Augustine conuerted by reading of the scriptures when he began to reade the scriptures And at the reading of Paule as we may perceiue in his confessions the darkenesse was chased frō his eies And vnto such reding he was driuen by an oracle of God For he heard voices as if children had soong and said Take and read Take and read which voice when he had obeied had lighted vpon that place in the holie scriptures Put on the Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 13 14. c. he was conuerted wholie vnto God Decrees of faith must be confirmed only by the scriptures Constantine bad that controuersies should be decided by them who had so long before striuen against the truth These be notable tokens of the word of God Adde herewithall that the decrées of the christian faith can be confirmed by no other meanes than by authoritie of the holie scriptures Therefore as the ecclesiasticall historie declareth Constantine the great in the councell of Nice exhorted the fathers of the church that by the oracles of the holie scriptures they would appease the controuersies sproong vp in religion 4 But he that will knowe more at large the properties of the holy scripture The properties of the scripture out of the 19 psalme Psal 19 8. let him read the 19 psalme there they be described both with maruelous breuitie and great elegancie First the lawe of the Lord is called Temima that is immaculate perfect Secondly it is affirmed that it doth restore the soule and that is not to be looked for in prophane learning Thirdlie it is called a sure testimonie of the Lord whereas mans counsels are euermore variable and inconstant It teacheth the simple and ignorant whereas other knowledges doo instruct only the prudent and sharpe witted hearers Moreouer the lawe of the Lord is right and hath nothing crooked awrie or vniust as in euerie part of mans lawe is espied Also it reioiceth the hart euen with such a gladnes as is chast and holie The Lords commandement is pure but mans deuises are neuer sincerelie made séeing they be fraited with many crafts and deceits It lighteneth the eies but contrariwise the traditions of men darken them The lawe of God is cleane and is offered vndefiled vnto vs being without any falshood or wrong whereas mans ordinances are most fowlie infected with both the euils The statutes of God indure for euer but those things which be ordained by men are alwaies shifting oftentimes changed and are neuer of long continuance To conclude those things which the Lord hath prescribed are both true and iust which cannot be affirmed of mans lawes Moreouer they are to be desired aboue gold and pretious stones where as the best natures doo verie much mislike the precepts of mans lawe Finallie those things which God hath taught vs in the scriptures be more swéet than the honie and the honie combe where contrariwise men are not accustomed to teach any other than hard difficult and often times cruell things Besides these properties of the holie scriptures I purpose not to ad anie more For they that be studious may easilie of themselues find out the other fruits and commodities 5 Now must I declare another point which I promised To what iudgement we must stand for the sense of the scriptures to wit by what iudgements and abitrers we must assure our selues for vnderstanding of the scriptures Two tokens I haue alwaies obserued by which the truth of the diuine scripture may be perceiued namelie the holie ghost and the word of God it selfe Concerning the spirit Iohn writeth in the 8. chapter of his gospell The truth is knowne by the spirit and the word Iohn 8 47. that Christ thus said If ye haue God to your father why doo you not acknowledge my word And séeing it is certaine that we be not adopted to be the children of God but by the comming of the holie ghost Christ testifieth in this place that when we haue once obteined the same spirit we may so discerne betwixt his word and a strange word as the same will appeare verie euident and plaine vnto vs. According to which sense he also said in another place My sheepe knowe my voice and followe not a stranger Iohn 10 4. And there is no doubt but that we by the strength of the holie spirit are made the shéepe of Christ which followe not falshood errors and heresies which be voices of strangers but doo imitate onlie the
little and little passeth into an vse and is by custome made pleasant and so at the length men begin to referre their dooings vnto God and to estéeme righteousnes in respect of it selfe For euen as a néedle A similitude when anie thing is to be sowed first entreth in and draweth with it the thred that is annexed thereto but it selfe abideth not in that which is sowed so saie they there créepeth into vs a seruile feare which is afterward excluded when charitie and a chast feare doo once take place But what is to be thought of those terrors which in our minds go before faith it is manifest namelie that they are sins before the Lord but if anie profit or cōmoditie followe them that is to be attributed not vnto their owne nature but to the goodnes of the holie Ghost for he vseth those to be meanes of our iustification The Maister of the sentences maketh foure kinds of feare The Maister of the sentences in stead of the twoo kinds of feare which Augustine maketh mention of putteth foure The first is a worldlie feare whereby men rather than they will lose riches pleasures and honours fall awaie from Christ and this is a feare most pernicious and most farre from all godlines The second is a seruile feare which we before haue described The third is an initiall feare that is a feare that serueth at the beginning whereby men are so mooued with the feare of punishment that togither therwith they haue also a regard vnto God and are caught with a certeine loue of his righteousnes and will this feare in his iudgement is mingled both with a seruile feare and also with a childlie feare Last of all he ioineth that pure childlie feare with perfect charitie But the Schoole-men The School men haue added a fift feare which followed the Maister of the sentences bicause they also might adde somewhat of their owne haue brought foorth another feare which they call naturall whereby euen by the impulsion of nature it selfe we flie from those things which are against the constitution of nature 12 Now that I haue bréeflie and faithfullie declared these things out of Augustine out of the Maister of the sentences and out of the Schoole-men I will in few words set foorth what is to be taught touching them First I confesse Matth 27 5. and 26 75. that there is more than one kind of feare for I knowe that Peter feared otherwise than did Iudas for Iudas indéed so feared as hée despaired Peter and Iudas feared after a sundrie maner but Peter so feared as he returned againe vnto Christ whom before he by denieng had forsaken Wherefore we saie that a seruile feare is that whereby we be so horriblie afraid of God A true distinction betweene a seruile feare and a childlie feare and flie from him when he is angrie that we are vtterlie void of faith But a childlie feare is that whereby in the midst of terrors we are lifted vp through faith neither suffer we our selues to be swalowed vp with feare Wherfore in godlie men feare is neuer separated from faith In godlie men feare is neuer separated from faith for these twoo things must be so knit togither that faith doo alwaies gouerne feare for if it should not be so desperation would easilie followe For euen as the lawe ought alwaies to be ioined with the Gospell As the law with the Gospell so faith with feare is ioined togither so ought feare to be euer ioined with faith We doo not so imbrace the Gospell but that we alwaies thinke vpon the obedience of the commandements of God And when we sée how often and how gréeuouslie we fall we call our selues backe againe to repentance On the contrarie the lawe is not to be receiued without the Gospell for if it should we could neither obeie it without Christ neither yet obteine pardon for the offenses that we haue committed against it Wherefore Paule calleth vs not backe vtterlie from all feare of God Paule calleth vs frō the feare that is without faith but from that feare onelie which wanteth faith and which flieth from God as from an enimie and from a cruell tyrant But that feare which hath faith to moderate it cannot be reprooued for it is the gift of the holie Ghost verse 2. as we read in the eleuenth chapter of Esaie And the propertie of the gifts of the holie Ghost is The propertie of the gifts of the holie Ghost that by them we submit all our vertues and affections to the moderation of faith and make them to serue God trulie and sincerelie These gifts they commonlie counted to be seuen How manie gifts of the holie Ghost there be Ibidem and if a man demand how they prooue that they straitwaie cite the eleuenth chapter of Esaie Howbeit if we examine that place by the truth of the Hebrue we shall onelie find sixe gifts to be there namelie the spirit of wisedome of vnderstanding of counsell of fortitude of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord. But these men haue béene deceiued by the Latine translation which followed not the truth of the Hebrue but the seuentie interpretours for they betwéene the spirit of knowledge and of feare haue put the spirit of pietie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is perteining to the obedience of God whereby it séemeth that they ment to interpret what maner of feare of GOD that should be which might light vpon Messias What maner of feare Christs feare was of whom in that place there is mention made For that feare was neither seruile nor yet a childs feare but onelie an obedience pietie and reuerence towards God his father Neither haue the seuentie interpretours onelie once so interpreted the feare of God for in the booke of Iob where we read Fearing God they haue turned it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iob. 1 1. that is Obeieng God Howbeit vndoubtedlie we ought not to drawe togither into so streict a number the gifts of the holie Ghost The gifts of the holie Ghost are manie in number Esaie 4 4. Zach. 12 10 Rom 1 4. and 8 15. Iohn 14 17 to thinke them to be but onlie sixe or seuen for besides all those which are reckoned in that chapter the same Esaie reckoneth in another place the spirit of iudgment and of zeale And Zacharie maketh mention of the spirit of grace and Paule of the spirit of sanctification and Iohn of the spirit of truth and Paule againe in another place of the spirit of adoption Ephes 1 13. and to the Ephesians of the spirit of promise and a great manie of other like gifts 13 These things being so let vs now sée how both in this life and in the other life feare may haue place What maner of feare is in the saints departed The saints when they are in heauen for that they shall then haue perfect charitie to speake of feare
to sing hymnes before daie vnto their Christ And it is not to be ouerpassed that these words were written in the same time that Iohn the euangelist liued for he remained aliue vntill the time of Traian Singing in churches in the apostles time Wherefore if one will saie that in the time of the apostles there was singing in the holie assemblies he shall not straie from the truth Paule being before these times saith vnto the Ephesians Be not filled with wine Ephe. 5 18. wherein is wantonnesse but be ye filled with the spirit speking to your selues in psalms hymnes and spirituall songs singing in your hart giuing thanks alwaies vnto GOD for all things in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ Against wine the apostle opposeth the spirit and he plucketh vs awaie from the pleasure of the senses when he will haue christians in stéed of wine to be filled with the spirit For in wine as he saith is wantonnesse but in the spirit is true and perfect ioie Droonkards talke more than enough but yet foolish and vaine things Speake ye saith he but yet spirituall things and that not onlie in mouth but in hart for the voice soundeth in vaine where the mind is not affected They which be filled with wine speake foolish fowle and blasphemous things but giue ye thanks to God alwaies I saie and for all things To this end doubtlesse ought the ecclesiasticall songs to tend Also to the Colossians are written certeine things not disagréeing from these Col. 3 16. Let the word of the Lord saith the apostle abound plentifullie among you teach and admonish one another in psalmes hymnes and spirituall songs singing with grace in your harts In these words Paule expresseth two things First that our songs should be the word of God which must abound plentifullie in vs and they must not onelie serue for giuing of thanks but also for teaching and admonishing And then it is added With grace which must be so vnderstood as though he had said Aptlie and properlie both to the senses and to the measure and also vnto the voices Let them not sing rude and rusticall things neither yet so immoderatelie as common minstrels doo In the first epistle to the Corinthians verse 26 the 14. chapter where he intreateth of an holie congregation the same apostle writeth acter this maner When ye assemble togither according as euerie one of you hath a psalme or doctrine or a toong or reuelation or interpretation let all things be doone vnto edifieng By which words is declared that singers of songs and psalmes had their place in the church West churches Augustine But the West churches more latelie receiued the maner of singing for Augustine in his ninth booke of Confessions testifieth that it happened in the time of Ambrose For when that holie man togither with the people watched euen in the church lest he should haue béene betraied to the Arrians he brought in singing to auoid tediousnes to passe awaie the time 28 But as touching the maner of the song which ought to be reteined in church Musicke these things are worthie to be noted Augustine Augustine in the same booke of Confessions both confesseth and is sorie that he had sometimes fallen in that he had giuen attentiue héed vnto the measures and times of Musicke more than vnto the words which were vttered vnder them Which hereby he prooueth to be sinne bicause measures and singing were brought in for the words sake and not words for Musicke sake And he so repented him of his fault that the earnestlie allowed the maner which the church of Alexandria vsed vnder Athanasius The maner of the church of Alexandria for he commanded the reader that when he sang he should alter his voice but a little so as he might rather be like vnto one that readeth than vnto one that singeth Howbeit on the contrarie part when he considered how at the beginning of his conuersion he was inwardlie moued with these songs namelie that through the zeale of godlines he burst foorth into teares for this cause I saie he consented that Musicke should be reteined in the church yet in such sort that he saith he was readie to change his mind if a better reason could be made And he addeth that those doo sinne penallie as he speaketh which giue greater heâ—… vnto Musicke than vnto the words of GOD. Vnto which saieng Ierom dooth plainelie agrée Ierom. as he hath noted vpon the epistle vnto the Ephesians Also Gregorius Romanus Gregorie in the Synod of Rome was of the same opinion And both their words are written in the Decrées distinct 92. in the chapter Cantantes and in the chapter In sancta Romana in the verie which place we read in the Glosse these two verses indéed not eloquent but godlie Non vox sed votum non chordula musica sed cor Non clamor sed amor cantat in aure Dei that is Not the voice but the desire not the musicall tune but the hart not crieng but louing soundeth in the eare of God And in the words of Gregorie this must not be slightlie passed ouer where he saith that while the swéetnesse of the tune is sought for the life is neglected and when naughtie maners prouoke God the people is rauished with pleasantnes of the voice 29 But now let vs declare the cautions which me thinks should be vsed that we may lawfullie and profitablie vse singing in the church Cautions in the vsing of ecclesiasticall musicke caution 1 The first caution is that in Musicke be not put the whole summe and effect of godlines and of the worshipping of God For almost euerie where in popish religion they thinke that they haue in the churches fullie worshipped God when they haue a great while and a great deale sung and bellowed caution 2 Further we must take héed that we put no merit nor remission of sinnes therein For there be manie priests monks which for this cause doo thinke that they haue hereby verie well deserued of God bicause they haue sung a great number of psalmes yea and the Pope also and the cardinals bishops and abbats when they haue heard songs of Masses and euensongs doo oftentimes pronounce vnto the people pardons of their sinnes caution 3 Also this vice must be taken awaie namelie that singing be not so much occupied in the church as there be almost no time left for to preach the word of GOD and holie doctrine As we sée it come to passe in a maner euerie where for all is so filled with chanting and piping that there is no part of time left for preaching whereby it coÌ„meth to passe that the people depart out of the church full of Musicke harmonie but touching heauenlie doctrine fasting and hunger starued caution 4 Moreouer so rich and large stipends are appointed for Musicians that either verie little or in a maner nothing is prouided for Ministers which labour
ashamed and yeeld when they see your diligence in gouerning and vnblameablenesse of liuing ioined with the godlie zeale of your preaching if they perceiue you to contemne all things as dung in comparison of the Gospell of Christ and to be readie if need shall require to laie downe your life for the brethren finallie if ye mortifie your selues to the world that yee may liue vnto Christ For vnlesse life and gouernement be ioined with preaching and teaching ye labour in vaine and withhold the truth of God in vnrighteousnesse making the word of God of none effect And ye shall but loose your labour in rising earlie and in late taking rest and in eating the bread of carefulnesse For if all these things be not performed of you whatsoeuer ye build vp with the one hand ye plucke downe with the other Againe ye that be the heads of both the Vniuersities haue ye a circumspect eie that there be no corrupt member within your Colleges and where yee perceiue anie such to growe vp let him be examined and weeded out from the good come least he persuade Israell to commit sinne and idolatrie Cease ye not but declare him to the magistrates which may take further order for him least he by his libertie infect other places in the realme And generallie all ye that be the common people which liue in hope of your felicitie and looke for the second comming of our Sauiour be ye diligent in hearing and reading of the word And cease not there but if there be anie necessarie place which you doo not easilie vnderstand compare it diligentlie with other places of the scripture which concerne that matter If this will not suffice consult ye either with some godlie and learned man or with this and such other learned bookes how that place should be trulie vnderstood And for this cause speciallie beloued Readers I haue set foorth vnto you large and ample tables whereby ye may by the alphabet of letters find out a full exposition of all those things which this booke setteth foorth out of the holie scriptures necessarie to saluation Those read I saie with all humilitie but be not too curious in searching out of the mysteries which be too high aboue you but desire God alwaies that ye may see what the good and acceptable will of the Lord is For it is no woonder why a great part of the world is yet still lead in blindnesse sith it is their owne wilfulnesse that causeth their error it is their owne negligence that maketh their ignorance it is their owne malignant hart that driueth the Lord to refuse them When Augustine was conuerted from Manicheisme to the true religion hee was commanded by the spirit of God To take vp the booke and read And the Eunuch in the Acts when he was diligent in searching out of a mysterie that tended to saluation God sent Philip to interpret vnto him And thinke we that he will not send his spirit to interpret vnto vs when we earnestlie desire him by praier to vouchsafe vnto vs the right vnderstanding of his word Now last of all though with griefe and lamentation of hart I conuert my speech vnto you the pretended Catholiks of England O ye blind guides the leaders of the blind into the destruction of their soules I bewaile your wofull case howsoeuer ye your selues reioise in your euils The God of this world hath blinded your minds for ye disdaine the glorious Gospell of Christ and deride the plaine sinceritie thereof ye are enimies to the true church euen to them that Christ bought with his pretious bloud yee hate your owne flesh and bloud ye storme and rage against your mothers children and that more furiouslie and maliciouslie than against the Turks and infidels that haue no knowledge of Christ Ye are deceiued and seduced in the waie of the Lord and your ignorance is wilfull bicause ye will not take vp the booke of the holie scriptures and labour earnestlie therein that ye might trie and search out the truth but ye followe your owne waies and the deceiueable paths of your forefathers neither will ye suffer the simple sort to read it or the true interpretors of it Ye knowe that there is but one true religion and that there be assured marks to knowe the same by but ye in so diuine a thing choose rather to trie a certeintie by such vncerteine marks as the corrupt hart of man doth deuise than by the infallible rule of the word of God Ye knowe that all things in the world which are out of square must be compared by that rule and paterne from whence it was deriued The picture of a man is examined according to that man whom it representeth or by the first lineaments taken from him A house to be built is set vp according to the platforme drawne for the same A keie is shapen according to the print of the originall Euerie offense committed against the lawe of man is examined by the lawe prouided against that offense If it so fare in temporal things and that by reason of the vncerteintie of mans iudgement humane things must be tried not by mans will but by mens rules how much more then must the doctrine of Gods religion be tried by the rule of Gods word and by no other meanes Howbeit ye will haue no other iudges of controuersies but your selues nor anie others to interpret the truth but your selues you consider not that ye be our aduersaries and that no aduersarie parts may be their owne iudges ye see not that we are growne of equall number with you our bookes and volumes as manie and as great as yours our arguments not onelie in number as manie but in proofe and substance more inuincible than yours The fathers doo differ your selues doo varie Councels doo erre all men be lyers but the word of God is true and endureth for euer Why doo you not then confesse that the written word is the most equall and indifferent iudge and that the spirit of God speaking out of it to the harts of men is the verie right and iust interpretor of the Lords will and that no mortall man may presume to knowe his will further than he hath declared vnto him out of his holie word but ye intermingle all both diuine and humane things togither Ye make the waies of the Lord to be your waies ye thinke it vnpossible that Christ sitting in heauen can rule his church vpon the earth by his spirit and by the gouernement of Christian magistrates vnlesse he haue one principall prelate on the earth for his vicar and him onelie will you haue to be the bishop of Rome vnlesse the counsels of men doo establish after their maner that which the counsell of God hath alreadie decreed after his maner Besides this of an insatiable hatred that you beare vnto vs and vnto the truth which we professe ye crie out against all our translations of the bible and ye continuallie beate into the eares
these three be one but and if ye receiue the testimonie of men the testimonie of God is greater In this place thou séest saith he that the testimonie of the holie Ghost is called the testimonie of God whereby it is prooued that the holie Ghost is God The spirit bloud and water represent the three persons And that those thrée I meane the spirit bloud and water doo represent the thrée persons it is shewed by thrée reasons The first is taken from the Analogie or conueniencie of the signes which Augustine recited Secondlie thou perceiuest that those thrée are said to be one which is not méete for them vnles thou shalt respect those things which be represented for otherwise spirit bloud and water doo varie in nature or kind one from another Thirdlie those thrée nounes in the Gréeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is water spirit and bloud be of the neuter gender vnto which afterward is put the masculine article in the plurall number namelie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is These three be vnto one or be one But the masculine article as touching signes which be of the neuter gender might take no place vnles it should be applied vnto those which are signified that is vnto the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost Neither let it trouble vs that it is read some-where These three be vnto one as though it should make for the Arrians which said that these thrée persons be vnto one bicause they consented togither in one testimonie as though the spéech concerneth not one maner of nature but one maner of will The Hebrue phrase And the phrase commeth néere vnto the Hebrue so as To be vnto one and To be one is the selfe-same thing As when we read in the psalme I will be vnto him a Father and he shall be vnto me a Sonne it is as if it were said I will be his Father and he shall be my Sonne And in another place They shall be vnto me a people 2. Cor. 6 18. and I will be vnto them a God is all one as to saie I will be their God and they shall be my people And when it is said They be one there is signified both a distinction of persons and an vnitie of substance For vnlesse there were some distinction it should haue bin said It is one The 21. reason verse 57. 12 Also they alledge the song of the thrée children wherein when all creatures are stirred vp vnto the praises of God the Sonne the holie Ghost are not mentioned whereby it is plaine that they be not reckoned among creatures Neither maist thou saie that this song is a part of the Apocrypha bicause this part of Daniel is wanting in the Chaldean edition for thou shalt sée the verie same to be done euerie-where in the Psalmes of Dauid wherein is the same stirring vp of creatures vnto diuine praises Iohn in his first epistle saith 1. Iohn 5 6. The spirit is truth and this cannot be written of a creature séeing truth is chiefe and principall The 22. reason and dependeth not of another They are woont to alledge the beginning of the booke of Genesis The 23. reason where it is said The spirit of the Lord mooued vpon the face of the waters Genes 1 2. In which place they affirme that there is mention made of thrée persons namelie of the Father which created of the Sonne by whome all things were made as when it is said In the beginning it is all one as to saie By the beginning and of the holie Ghost I knowe that the Hebrue expositors interpret far otherwise of these words but I haue onlie taken vpon me to shew those places by which the fathers gathered the Godhead of the holie Ghost Wherevnto adde The 24. reason that Paule in his epistles seldome maketh mention of the father and the sonne but he also speaketh of the holie ghost either expreslie or by adding of somewhat pertaining to him And Basil sheweth The 25. reason that it was a custome receiued in the whole church to adde in the end of the Psalmes that which we now vse Glorie be to the Father to the Sonne and to the holie Ghost wherein the thrée persons are made equall the one to the other The 26. reason 13 The Synod of Nice set foorth a créed in which we saie I beleeue in the holie Ghost But it is verie manifest that we must not repose our confidence in anie thing that is created And bicause in those daies the contention was not much sproong vp of the holie Ghost there was nothing else added but afterwards when diuers and sundrie heresies grew vp as touching him The Councell of Constantinople then in the Councell of Constantinople which was the second among the foure principall manie things were added to make this article plaine For we grant that We beleeue in the holie Ghost both the Lord giuer of life By the particle Lord they make him equall vnto Christ who in the scriptures is commonlie called Lord which epitheton or addition they would therefore to be expressed Against the Arrians bicause the Arrians affirmed that Christ was altogether a creature but yet the noblest they said which next vnto God was the chéefe And they said that the holie ghost was yet lesse than the sonne and euen his minister Wherefore the Synod in place of Minister put the title of Lord. The selfe-same thing did they in the particle The giuer of life for they saw that it is written in Iohn that not onlie the father doth giue life but that the sonne also can quicken whom-soeuer he will and so least the holie ghost might séeme to be excluded from this propertie they added that particle And that his Godhead might be the more manifest it was added The 27. reason that He together with the father and the sonne is woorshipped and glorified 14 Further Athanasius hath in his créed The 28. reason God the Father God the Sonne and God the holie Ghost And to prooue this thing no lesse is the forgiuing of sins taken for an argument which they grant as proper to the holie Ghost For when Christ had breathed vpon his disciples he said Receiue yee the holie Ghost Iohn 20 22. and whose sinnes ye remit they be remitted vnto them and whose sinnes ye reteine they be reteined Whereby it appéereth that this power is yéelded to the holie Ghost and is proper vnto God And this euen the Scribes themselues testified The 29. reason who hearing Christ saie to the man sick of the palsie Thy sinnes be forgiuen thee Matth. 9 2. cried out that he spake blasphemie in that he durst take vpon him the office of God Furthermore The 30. reason the holie scriptures doo call this self-same spirit both A sanctifier and giuer of light which faculties are méete to be attributed vnto God onlie In Exodus the fourth chapter
had them to make peace with the Chananites of their owne accord but it is added Vnlesse they had demanded peace but they alone desired it This therefore is not against the commandement of God especiallie séeing they not onlie did receiue the religion of the Israelites but also were appointed for perpetuall seruice vnto the tabernacle Also the Israelites thought themselues to be deceiued by their owne fault bicause they had not taken counsell from the mouth of the Lord. The promise which Dauid made was not lawfull namelie that a wicked man should be spared Therefore it is no maruell if afterward he warned Salomon that this euill might be amended 13 But verie manie doo doubt In 1. kin 8. verse 31. Whether an oth must be giuen vnto him that is suspected of periurie whether it be lawfull to offer an oth vnto him which is suspected of periurie and by great coniectures is thought that he will be forsworne For not onelie sinnes must be auoided but also there must be no occasions of sinning offered vnto our neighbours To this I answer It is necessarie for vs to ponder that they which offer an oth be not all of one sort Wherfore if they be iudges that doo it and that the order of lawe require that an oth should be offered in obeieng of the lawe they sinne not Let them commit the matter vnto God and diligentlie warne him of his dutie vnto whom they offer the oth For as it hath béene said the lawe of God in Exodus commanded that in certeine cases an oth should be taken This if the iudge obserue it can not rightlie be said that he giueth a true occasion of periurie But if so be the oth shall be voluntarie to wit betwéene priuate persons it must not be offered to such a man as vpon iust cause is suspected of periurie For it is not lawfull to anie man for his owne aduantage sake to prouoke an other man vnto sinne As touching priuate conclusions bargains and couenants let them be omitted rather than for our sakes the name of God should be made a iesting stocke 1. kin 8 31. Wherefore that which Salomon desireth is holie and iust namelie that euill may be taken awaie from the people and that men may be terrified from taking of the name of the Lord in vaine either by denieng of a truth or affirming a falsehood by the testimonie of his name King Salomon desired nothing but that he knew God himselfe did like of For in the ten commandements it is written Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for God will not account him innocent that so dooth but will gréeuouslie punish him as one that is guiltie That this might come to passe Salomon desired and especiallie vnto them that forsware themselues in that house which he had latelie builded The oths which as I said were taken were accustomed to be doone ouer against the altar of sacrifice that is in the court of those men that were cleane But the oth of prophane persons which commonlie they call the laitie was doone at the wall whereby the court of the priests was seuered from the same Whie an oth was inuented and how inuiolablie it should be kept Certeinelie an oth was inuented for the honour and glorie of the name of God and was commanded in the lawe So then it is the part of a good prince to be verie circumspect that it fall not out otherwise namelie to the contumelie and iniurie of God And therfore Salomon is to be commended when he praieth that the honour due vnto the name of GOD might remaine entire and that euerie mans owne so far foorth as is possible might be rendered vnto him and that the lawe of laieng to pledge or of stealing or of dooing harme might be kept inuiolate But at the first shew it séemeth that Salomon did not the office of a godlie king bicause he desireth iustice and damnation vnto sinners To this may be answered that he likewise on the other side desireth good things vnto those that were innocent namelie that right iudgement might be ministred vnto them and that God would defend their cause Further it must be considered that the glorie of God and publike safetie is to be preferred before the commodities of priuate men But God hath delt much more seuerelie against periurie The seuere chastisement of periurie verse 3. as it is in the sixt chapter of Leuiticus for there he not onelie condemned the periured man but also all those which being priuie of the periurie held their peace For the lawe commanded that they which for a certeintie knew that an oth was falslie taken shuld in stepping forth reueale the same that the name of God might not be had in derision Wherefore Salomon praieth God that he will heare it out of heauen The seuenth Chapter The fourth precept of sanctifieng the sabboth daie In Gen. 2 at the beginning IN the seuenth daie God finished his worke which he had made not that he created anie thing the seuenth daie but that so farre forth as our vnderstanding reacheth it might be knowne that he finished all things the seuenth daie when as we knowe that there was nothing made by him vpon that daie Some thinke that the letter Caph which is added vnto Iod dooth signifie Before and they cite the place out of the 25. chapter of Deuteronomie verse 4. Thou shalt not moosill the oxe before the treading out of the corne But it prooueth it not bicause héere we may also vnderstand it in the treading out Howbeit héere in verie déed there is no question for the same consummation perfection or finishing of cretures is not anie worke added to things created the sixt daie but that on this seuenth daie the things are noted to haue béene finished and made perfect In that he rested the seuenth daie vnderstand it not from labour but from the worke of creating For Rest may betoken two things How the word rest is to be vnderstood either the end and termination of that which is doone and so it is taken in this place or else as a refreshing after labour which thing must not be ascribed vnto God for without anie maner of labour did he create the world But as the Hebrues saie in the letter He which is vttered with a breth onelie By the word of the Lord were the heauens made and all the hoste of them with the breath of his mouth verse 6. The number of seuen Psalme 33. Let vs héere passe ouer the mysteries of the number of seuen wherewith vndoubtedlie God is delighted séeing he hath comprised in that number the great and noble things which he made and commanded And this onelie let vs note that of euerie seuen daies one must be reserued vnto God How did God cease from working Ioh. 5 17. séeing he now also worketh Yea and he is a pure and méere act neither is that most
christian without the same Neuerthelesse Paule in his epistle to the Romans dooth boldlie affirme that He which hath not the spirit Rom. 8 9. the same is no sonne Wherefore let such men go and by the same infidelitie whereby they mistrust of the hauing of Gods spirit let them stand in doubt whether they be christians The holie Ghost in vs and how And if so be anie man aske how we haue him I answer that the most excellent father for Christ his sake sendeth him vnto vs according as Christ promised to vs in the person of his apostles Iohn 14 26. The comforter saith he which is the holie Ghost whom my father will send in my name c. Yea and this I may boldlie adde that Christ himselfe sendeth him vnto vs from the father euen as in an other place he saith The spirit Iohn 16 14 and 14 16. which I will send from the father vnto you Neither is he giuen vnto vs either from the father or from the sonne for anie other end but to inrich vs abundantlie with those gifts and verie excellent riches But yet the scripture sheweth that his cheefest worke dooth speciallie consist in teaching Christ promised to his disciples Ioh. 16 13. that he would send the holie Ghost which should teach them and lead them into all truth which he had shewed vnto them He warned them also Matt. 10 19 that when they should be brought before princes they should take no care bicause it should not be they that should speake but the spirit of their father that should speake in them And certeinlie the apostles were not dispersed abroad in the world for preaching of the Gospell before they were indued from aboue with that heauenlie power by the helpe whereof they not onlie preached the Gospell mightilie for bringing of men vnto the obedience of Christ but they also established the truth of their doctrine with woonderfull signes and miracles And that maner of teaching by which that spirit is performed towards vs must be inwardlie considered in the mind the which he not onelie replenisheth with his light but also dooth gentlie allure and persuade the same and maketh those things acceptable from which otherwise by reason of our corrupt nature we doo vtterlie flie Thus dooth he worke a maruelous transforming in the minds of the elect while he stirreth them vp vnto the indeuour of good works and godlie actions which by the guide of nature they might not be able to performe 34 And yet dooth he not by force constraine them vnto those works but rather with effect persuade them inwardlie And this is that happie libertie wherewith the chosen of Christ be indued who by the power and persuasion of the same spirit doo imploie their whole indeuour vnto such actions which by the onelie guide of nature could neither be doone by them nor yet would be acceptable vnto God Further also from that spirituall doctrine which flourisheth inwardlie there springeth afterward an assured mortification as well in the mind as in the flesh as Paule testifieth in his epistle to the Romans whom he warned Rom. 8 13. that If they would by the spirit mortifie the deeds of the flesh they should liue To these things adde if you will that the comfort which springeth by the assurance of our saluation is so great as euen in the middest of troubles miseries calamities and sorrowes of this world we may lead a chéerefull and merrie life And that not without cause séeing we féele in vs that singular and noble gift which Paule to the Ephesians calleth The pledge of our saluation Ephes 1 14. I sée not now how anie man vpon iust cause can doubt of his comming one daie into that state of Christ when he perceiueth alreadie that his soule liueth by the same spirit of Christ But if a man will demand how we knowe that our soule is quickened by the same spirit Answer may be made by the words of Paule I liue not anie longer saith Paule to the Galathians but Christ liueth in me Gal. 2 20. And vnto the Philippians Phil. 1 21. Christ vnto me is life Which saiengs declare no other thing but that the godlie doo liue in Christ and Christ in them and that by his spirit It is also written in the epistle to the Romans Rom. 8 16. that The same spirit dooth testifie with our spirit that we be the sonnes of GOD. And it is not fit by anie meanes to refuse so certeine a testimonie But whosoeuer hath not this testimonie inwardlie in himselfe is vnwoorthie to be called a christian But if any man obiect Paules assurance of his faith that although Paule were indued with this assured persuasion and that he felt inwardlie this inward testimonie in himselfe it followeth not that the selfe-same thing must be granted to be in others I answer that Paule wrote all these things vnto the Romans who as yet were farre off from perfection neither had they profited so much as Paule And that doo their own contentions suspicions and rash iudgments and also their verie féeble weake consciences beare witnesse all which things the apostle dooth oftentimes reprehend in these his writings And yet neuerthelesse when the Romans were such he wrote vnto them of that adoption whereby God had determined to make them his children when they should imbrace christian religion Wherefore beloued brethren let vs put off the spirit that miserable doubteth of our saluation séeing there is nothing that is more enimie to our faith which is the liuelie and most sure foundation of all our felicitie Who dooth not sufficientlie vnderstand how great contraries are beléeuing and doubting and how much they are repugnant the one to the other I certeinlie for my part doo not sée how these things may agrée To beléeue trulie in Christ my onlie and true sauiour and To stand likewise in doubt of him whether he will saue me or no séeing he hath receiued me into his faith and so greatlie testifieth by his spirit vnto my mind that swéet and bountifull affection of his towards me And if we admit the testimonies of men who naturallie are liers proue to deceit that we in like maner should cleaue to them how much rather ought we to repose our selues in all those things which that good true spirit of God dooth confirme by his testimonie Vnlesse peraduenture we suffer our selues to be persuaded that there is more truth and fidelitie in men than there is in God Which if anie be so hardie to saie he shall in this point alone most plainelie bewraie himselfe to be such a one as he is Wherefore let vs yéeld vnto the most benigne and mercifull God as great and manie thanks as we can who hath not by the ministerie of angels or of anie other creature whatsoeuer but by the power of his owne spirit ingraffed vs in Christ his true and naturall sonne and by him hath renewed
ouerthrowe heretikes I on the other part say that vnlesse wee vse figures as it appeareth in those things which we haue cited a little before the Heretickes haue the ouer hand For they also will vrge the proper sense that sense I meane which straightwaie offereth it selfe Onely this remaineth to shewe that such a phrase and figuratiue spéeche is verie often in the holy scriptures Such figuratiue speeches as this are most familiar in the scriptures Luke 8. 11. and this will easilie be doone Wee reade that The seede is the word of God The rocke was Christ Albeit I knowe some doe cauill 1. Cor. 10. 4 and woulde no figure to be héere also because Paul tended his spéeche vnto the spirituall rocke which they say is Christ verilie and not figuratiuelie Howbeit Augustine and Origen bee on our side who plainely say that the same outward Rocke signified Christ But least we might séeme to shift off that which is obiected wée say that if they will vnderstand The spirituall Rocke let them also in this place vnderstand spirituall and allegoricall bread and as touching the same wee shall truely and without figure confesse it to be Christ Moreouer the Lord said I haue chosen you twelue and one of you is a Diuell Iohn 6. 70. yet was not Iudas therefore transubstantiated into a diuell Of Circumcision it is written My Couenant shall be in your flesh Ioh. 17. 13. whereas the Circumcision is not the couenant but onely a signe of the Couenant Verse 20. In the 33. Chapter of Genesis it is shewed that Iacob builded an Aultar which he called the mightie God of Israel Exo. 17. 15. And Moses in Exodus after the victorie against Amaleck called the Aultar which he builded Iehouahnesi Ier. 23. 6. God my banner and Ieremie maketh mention of a Citie that was called Iehouah Zidkenu God our righteousnesse because these shoulde bee Monuments of those things which they expressed in names Iohn 5. 35. Of Iohn Baptist it is written that he was a burning and a shining Candle also Mat. 17. 12 he is Helias if ye will receiue him Christ saieth of himselfe Iohn 15. 1. I am the vine and ye bee the branches Iohn 10. 7. 1. Pet. 2. 6. I am the doore Of himselfe also it is written that Hee is a stone set for a ruine and resurrection Deu. 12. 23. In Deuteronomie The bloud is the life Whereas it is that wherewith the life is preserued and signified Gen. 37. 37 Of Ioseph his brother Iudas saide Let him not be slaine he is our flesh By which phrase of spéech was signified the naturall coniunction of kindred 1. Co. 10. 17 Paul saieth That manie be one bread which we must vnderstand figuratiuelie And Christ breathed vpon his Disciples and saide Ioh. 20. 22. Receiue ye the holie Ghost Yet is not the breathing transubstantiated into the holie Ghost In Genesis Gen. 6. 3. My spirit shall not abide in man because he is flesh And in Iohn The word became flesh Iohn 1. 14. wherein is the figure Synecdoche for the whole man is vnderstoode vnder the name of flesh And the Lorde vppon the Crosse saide Woman behold thy sonne Ioh. 19. 26. and to the Disciple Behold thy mother yet were they not transubstantiated they remained the same that they were before but there was appointed a new order a new relation and respect to be had betwéene them Of Christ it is said That he is our peace Ephe. 2. 14. whereas he is onlie the cause of our peace Againe Iohn 6. 62. My words be spirit and life whereas they only signified or brought these things vnto the beléeuers Iohn 1. 29. Iohn said of Christ Behold the lamb of God yet was not his nature changed into the nature of a Lambe 36 We reade euerie where in the holie scriptures Psal 19. 10. Psal 105. 5. 118. v. 13 that the wordes of the Lorde are iudgement trueth righteousnesse whereas these things be therein onely signified and expressed And this similitude doeth excellently well agrée with the sacraments which are said to be visible wordes Wee haue in the Apocalips I am Alpha and Omega that is Apoc. 1. ◠the beginning and ende of all things And Paul saieth of his Gospell which he preached It is the power of God to saluation vnto euerie one that beleeueth Rom. 1. 16 whereas it is onelie the instrument whereby the power of God declareth it selfe vnto men that shall be saued And as touching the Gospell of the crosse he saieth 1. Cor. 1. 21. That vnto the vngodly it is foolishnesse that is it signifieth a foolish thing vnto that kinde of men But he addeth Ibid. 24. That vnto the godlie it is the power and wisedome of God because it representeth these things vnto them And as touching the lawe it is said Deu. 30. 15 that He set before the Hebrewes life death blessing and cursing that is by signification of the lawe by the promises threatenings which were expressed in the same In the Booke of Genesis the vij Gen. 41. 26 kine and the vij eares of corne are saide to bee the vij yeares 1. Kings 11. 31. and this was as touching the signification Ahia the Prophet of Silo gaue vnto Ieroboam ten péeces of his torne mantell said that he gaue him the kingdome of the x. Tribes Ver. 10. In the first Epistle to the Corinthians the xj Chapter Paul wrote that the woman ought to haue on her head power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a couer whereby the power of the husband is signified And in the second Epistle to the Corinthians it is written 2. Cor. 5. 21 That God made Christ to bee sinne namely as touching the similitude and representation of the flesh Leuit. 7. v. 2. 7. 37. Osee 4. 8. Yea and the sacrifice which was offered for sinnes is called sinne And the Priests were saide to eate the sinnes of the people that is the sacrifices which were offered for the sinnes of the people In Ezechiel it is written Eze. 36. 25 I will poure vpon you pure water and by water he signifieth the holy Ghost The verie which thing we reade of Christ when he saieth Iohn 4. 14. He that shall drinke of this water and the rest that followeth where the Euangelist calleth to minde that he spake of the spirit which they were to receiue Exo. 12. 27. Of the Lambe we read that it was called the Passeouer although some indeuour to denie it But in the Hebrewe it is Zebah pesah hu The sacrifice is the Passouer By sacrifice cannot otherwise be vnderstoode but eyther the beast slaine for sacrifice or else the same action of offering the slaine beast Euen so we haue the bodie of Christ expressed both in the bread and in the wine and in the action aswell of eating as of
as the matter will permit But as touching your proofe of transubstantiation which you now bring I answer nothing for it is my part now to oppose Wherefore since you admit not the proofe which I haue brought foorth of the holie scriptures that the bread remaineth and that you auoid it by a figure I will shew you that the fathers did not so iudge of it but that they according to the holie scripture affirme bread to remaine and doo interpret and vnderstand it in such sort as I haue alledged Cyprian a most ancient author in his sermon De coena Domini saith Euen as in the person of Christ his humanitie was séene and his diuinitie laie hid so in the visible sacrament the essence of God dooth vnspeakablie infuse it selfe that in religion there might be a true deuotion about the sacraments A comparison betweene this sacrament and the person of Christ Here you sée a comparison to be made betwéene the person of Christ and this sacrament both which as they comprehend two natures so it behooueth to preserue them both intire which ye in transubstantiating doo not D. Tresham Against Cyprian I will oppose Cyprian and him I will interpret by himselfe which saith in the same sermon This bread which the Lord deliuered to his disciples not changed in forme but in nature is by the omnipotent word of God made flesh You heare a changing of the nature of the bread Wherfore we must not beléeue that so notable a martyr is against his owne selfe and that he hath forgotten himselfe in those things that doo followe D. Martyr This is not to answer to the place propounded but to shift off the argument when I shall occupie the turne of an answerer I will cléere the place which you alledge against me Wherefore it is your part to answer vnto that which is obiected that is to wit how this comparison which Cyprian maketh betwéene Christ and this sacrament taketh place with you D. Tresham Cyprian is the best interpretour of himselfe D. Martyr Since you bring nothing else I will alledge Gelasius of whom the selfe-same is affirmed as touching this comparison He against Eutyches saith Vndoubtedlie the sacrament of the bodie and bloud of Christ which we receiue is a diuine thing for the which and through the selfe-same things we are made partakers of the diuine nature and yet dooth not the substance of bread and wine cease to be and for a truth the image and similitude of the bodie and bloud of Christ is celebrated in the action of the mysteries And therefore it is euidentlie enough shewed vs that we must iudge the selfe-same to be in Christ himselfe our Lord which in his image we professe celebrate and receiue that euen as these things by the working of the holie Ghost doo passe into the diuine substance and yet remaine in the propertie of their owne nature so that principall mysterie it selfe whose efficacie and truth those signes doo trulie represent dooth shew one Christ euen whole and perfect properlie to consist of God and man those natures still remaining D. Tresham That booke is not receiued among the allowed works of Gelasius Moreouer Gelasius was a bishop of Rome and I maruell that you will auouch him alone since there be twentie bishops that doo make expresselie against you D. Martyr This answer standeth of two parts first that the booke is not allowed and secondlie that it is set foorth by a bishop of Rome As touching the first there is no cause shewed why the booke should be suspected especallie since he writeth against Eutydies which was an heretike That the books of the fathers must not lightlie be refused And if ye will deale after this maner and shift off an argument by saieng that any booke is suspected then I may reiect all bookes which I perceiue doo make against me Secondlie the sea of Rome was not in those daies so defiled corrupted nor yet come to suth a tyrannie as afterward it fell out that thereby the authoritie of Gelasius should be diminished And besides I auouch not him bicause he was a bishop of Rome but for that he agréeth with the word of God in which respect we must make more account of him alone than of twentie or a hundred others if they be repugnant to the word of God But go to let vs cite Augustine which to the selfe-same effect speaketh euen of that comparison according as he is cited in the title De consecratione distinction the second out of the sentences of Prosper whose words be these Euen as the person of Christ consisteth of God man sith the same Christ is very God and very man bicause euerie thing conteineth in it selfe the nature and truth of those things wherof it is made but the sacrifice of the church standeth of two things that is to wit of the sacrament and of the matter of the sacrament Héere you sée the selfe-same comparison betwéene the Eucharist and Christ whereof it followeth that euen as in Christ the two natures remaine whole so the substance of the bread must not be taken from the Eucharist D. Tresham Augustine in this place which you haue cited maketh most of all for me for I so vnderstand him that in the sacrament he would haue the verie flesh of Christ to be couered vnder the shewes of bread and wine which he calleth the matter of the sacrament also he would haue the accidents vnder which the bodie of Christ is hidden to be a signe of the flesh so hidden Moreouer and besides this he saith that the flesh of Christ so hidden is a signe of the very bodie of Christ hanging vpon the crosse and that so it is a signe of it selfe D. Martyr We doo not now contend about the signe and thing signified whether they be all one but about the comparison betwéene Christ and the Eucharist and about the two natures in them both the which yée doo not reteine whole in the sacrament while in stead of the substances ye place accidents For Augustine affirmeth that euerie thing conteineth in it selfe the nature and truth of those things whereof it is made And there is no man doubteth but that the sacrament is made of bread And whereas you adde that the bodie of Christ according to Augustines iudgement is conteined vnder the accidents of bread and wine in such wise that the substance of those signes is excluded from them that you haue not out of his words D. Tresham I saie that Augustine teacheth by those words that the sacrament is made of the bodie of Christ and of the accidents the which accidents be the outward sacrament D. Martyr You saie that the sacrament consisteth of accidents and of the bodie of Christ but I inforce the comparison betwéene Christ himselfe and the Eucharist for the sacrament must be correspondent with him and therefore as in Christ neither of both the natures perished so in the Eucharist it behooueth that both
for qualities haue their subiects according to the places That an accident cannot be togither in two subiects and it is vnpossible for them to be the same in number at one time in diuers subiects but all the parts of a liuing creature be the verie same in subiect and one by the knitting togither of members D. Tresham The reason of Didymus dooth procéed from that that is of it owne nature in manie places and not otherwise And all the Doctors agrée that Christ was borne his mothers wombe being close and that he rose the sepulchre being shut and that he went vnto his disciples when the doores were fast And Hugo de sancto victore saith that The angels are not circumscribed by place Wherefore although the bodie of Christ be properlie in heauen yet bicause it is spirituall it is not repugnant to the power of God but that it may be in manie places D. Martyr Whether the fathers vnderstand their reasons touching that which in his owne proper nature is in manie places I haue alreadie answered As touching the virgines wombe the sepulchres and the doores being fast shut oppose you and I will answer in place conuenient As for Hugo de sancto victore and others when they saie that angels are not conteined within the precinct of place they must I saie be vnderstood as concerning locall compasse whereby the bodies which are among vs are compassed about with the circumference of the aire or some other thing conteining them But these things cannot so be taken that the angels or anie creature should be vnderstood to haue no definit substance so as when they be in anie one place they cannot be else-where And so I returne to the argument it is a firme conclusion This thing is in manie places Therefore it is the Godhead D. Tresham I answer Christ is God and now the speach betwéene vs is as concerning the bodie which hath the Godhead ioined therewith D. Martyr I demand of you Is the bodie of Christ a thing created or no D. Tresham I grant it is but Christ is no creature D. Martyr But I saie that Christ is both to wit a creator and a creature Christ by reason of his sundrie natures is both a creature and a creator As touching his Godhead he is a creator and as touching his humanitie a creature and if a creature as these fathers doo affirme he cannot be in diuers places at once D. Tresham That which Christ tooke once vpon him he neuer let go and therefore bicause of his Godhead which is inseparablie knit vnto his bodie Christ must not be diuided but yet his natures must be disseuered the bodie of Christ may be in manie places D. Martyr We likewise doo not diuide Christ and yet will we haue both his natures to be whole And sith the Godhead doth not cause but that the bodie of Christ is a creature and you haue now heard out of Basil and Didymus that the powers created cannot be in manie places at once you your selfe sée what dooth follow D. Tresham They disputed of the nature of the thing not of the absolute power of God neither is reason or sense to be followed in matters of faith otherwise manie absurdities wold follow in matters of faith D. Martyr I cannot tell how they could haue spoken more apparantlie of the power of God when as Cyrill dooth not exclude euen the diuinitie it selfe when he saith If it were of quantitie it might not choose but be circumscribed And I acknowledge that which you saie that in matters of faith we must not follow reason nor yet sense Howbeit it is no article of the faith that the bodie of Christ is in manie places at once sith the scriptures doo not teach this anie where Naie rather we learne otherwise out of them to wit that Christ is verie man and that he hath a verie bodie whereto is verie agréeable that it should be limited within bounds and compassed within some certeine place And touching his bodie we beléeue that he is ascended into heauen that he hath left the world and sitteth at the right hand of the father The disputation of the second day which was the 29. daie of Maie betweene D. Peter Martyr and D. William Chadse D. Peter Martyr I Thinke it not méet right honorable that I should vse at this present anie preface For yesterdaie we declared those things which were thought good to be applied to the present purpose And by your good foresight authoritie it hapned that all things were peaceablie and quietlie performed which I hope this daie shall no lesse come to passe Now maister Doctour as concerning the matter you being present yesterdaie might sufficientlie vnderstand what questions are propounded perceiue some reasons of mine opinion wherefore to procéed in our purpose I desire you to shew what you doo iudge touching the questions neither doo I feare but that all things shall be spoken of you with indifferencie and modestie Howbeit before you answer you shall suffer me according to my accustomed maner to call for the helpe of God The Praier YEsterdaie O almightie GOD we began by thy gratious goodnesse to dispute and since this daie also wee shall proceed in that businesse we call vpon thee againe who art the founteine of light the most perfect truth and the most cleere wisedome that thou wilt so direct our words that we fall not into absurdities but rather that those things which shall be handled may both become more plaine and also be set foorth to the praise and glorie of thy name through Christ our Lord Amen The Preface of D. VVilliam Chadse GReat is the matter right famous Doctor and full of mysteries which yesterdaie was handled this daie shall be handled Great bicause we dispute of the bodie wherewith we be satisfied and doo liue for euer and of the bloud whereof wée drinke and which redéemeth the people a thing full of mysteries for vnlesse ye beléeue you shall not vnderstand My words are spirit and life It is the spirit which quickeneth Iohn 6. the flesh profiteth nothing The Capernaites heare and saie This is a hard saieng and who is able to abide it The Christians heare and crie incessantlie with Peter Thou hast the words of eternall life Iohn 6 68. we beleeue and knowe that thou art the waie the truth and the life We beléeue that thou diddest promise the holie Ghost not which should come after one or two thousand yeares but euen within a few daies after that thou hadst spoken it We acknowledge the performance of this thy holie spirit he shall lead vs into all truth he shall teach vs all things whatsoeuer thou hast said vnto vs. Forsomuch therefore as thou art true yea the verie truth it selfe sith those things which haue gone foorth of thy lips cannot be frustate I firmelie beléeue from thy mouth and pronounce it from my hart as touching the presence of thy bodie in the
and the bodie but that though the bodie die and be dissolued into dust yet the soule is immortall and neuer perisheth And therefore all people in the world in what countrie soeuer they liue and what maner of God soeuer they serue doo most highlie esteeme their owne religion whereby they thinke of mortall and corrupt creatures to make a long and euerlasting generation and of a dailie dissolued knot of societie to make a perpetuall bond of friendship And for this cause when all other questions and debates betweene man man betweene state and state betweene kingdome and kingdome whether they concerne the bodie or the temporall goods possessions are easilie decided and in processe of time are finished and the aduersaries at the length reconciled yet the controuersie in religion which toucheth the conscience which concerneth soules which perteineth to eternall saluation not of one onlie but of innumerable others is neuer finished is neuer pacified is neuer quieted And as this happeneth generallie betweene all religions in the world so the neerer that religions be of likenesse the harder it is to discerne the difference the neerer the aduersaries be of countrie and kindred the sharper is the contention and the more desperate is the hope of reconciliation Now then if euer this position haue beene found true betweene anie religions or anie people in the world how cleerelie is it seene in the differences of the Christian religion but how sensiblie is it perceiued here among our owne nation For who can without great lamentation and greefe yea without abundance of teares flowing from his hart remember the endlesse strife which groweth as well by words as writing betweene the Romanists and vs for the cause of religion Or what hart dooth not melt to fee the intollerable rage vnmercifull crueltie which the pretended Catholiks execute against the poore professors of the Gospell Would to God that once all we which be as it were of one faith and for whom Christ shed but one and the selfe same bloud and which hold the grounds of one and the selfe-same religion and which haue but one and the selfe-same word for the comfort of all our soules would once condescend to one and the selfe-same doctrine Which we might easilie bring to passe if they that make themselues the rulers of the Lords house would seeke not their owne but Iesus Christs if they would not trust in their owne righteousnesse but in the righteousnesse of faith which Christ hath obteined for vs if they would iudge themselues that they might not be iudged of the Lord if they would once with indifferent eares and obedient harts giue place to the truth when it is laid before them out of the holie word or when their errors be plainlie confuted by inuincible arguments and authorities if they would shake off the dregs of their owne vaine opinions and the maliciousnesse of their owne cruell minds towards vs and with a single hart and faithfull zeale towards God and his truth would read and vnderstand and laieng aside all the trust and confidence that they haue of their owne cause would come and confer charitablie with vs with all desire of true knowledge and sincere vnderstanding of the heauenlie word Or if they that call themselues ancient and catholike would once effectuallie shew that their doctrine was written or taught either by the apostles or by the primitiue church Or else when they call vs new masters would shew where any one opinion which we hold is newlie sproong vp and deuised of vs and which we doo not sensiblie prooue to be deriued from Christ and his apostles Wherfore to the intent that all ye my beloued brethren whose saluation in Christ I regard as mine owne may haue continuallie before your eies if ye be of the reformed church how to answer your aduersaries or if ye be of the deformed synagog how to discerne your errors I haue laid before your eies in your owne mother toong the summe of all D. Martyrs doctrine not your countrieman indeed but yet one that for your sakes passed manie dangerous brunts by sea and by land before kings and princes publikelie and priuatelie that left his owne welth and quietnes to instruct you in truth and godlinesse that rested neither daie nor night to teach you the right waie of the Lord and who contemned his owne life to gaine you to the Gospell of Christ Innumerable books at this daie are written by manie zealous and faithfull men wherein the errors of the Romish church haue beene discouered but yet in none nor scarselie of all are so cleerelie confuted all the arguments of the aduersaries as in this booke Manie hard questions in the scriptures by manie haue beene assoiled but no-where so manie and so difficult as in this booke Behold therefore here in the steed of all volumes one to satisfie both the learned and vnlearned the true professor and the false worshiper in all the waies of godlinesse and all the principall points of true religion If this will not suffice thee in all the controuersies handled therein and therein are handled in a maner all of what opinion soeuer thou be thou wilt neuer be satisfied Fiue yeeres continuallie haue I trauelled herein that since the Lord hath not indued me with such sufficient knowledge and vtterance as I might be accounted woorthie the roome of a builder in the church yet at the least-wise I might serue the seruants of the Lord in bringing to their hands such excellent stuffe and matter as the most skilfull artificers and messengers of Christ haue alreadie prepared for the worke What paines diligence and faithfulnesse I haue vsed therein I shall not need to be mine owne witnesse others will testifie for me And to shew the maner of my proceeding and the manifold lets I had before I could atchieue to my purpose by reason of the heape of Editions and multitude of Additions that came foortn togither while the worke was in hand were ouer-long to recite Neuerthelesse by comparing of this booke with the last edition in Latine printed this present yeere of the Lord 1583 which also at my speciall request and instance was in manie places amended and greatlie increased the same will most euidentlie appeere Yet this must I needs shew you good Reader both for your contentment and mine owne discharge that if you find that the number of Common places herein and euerie particular section in euerie place concur not in each respect with the said last Latine copie vnderstand that we haue gained somwhat thereby seeing you shall there perceiue that I haue heaped more matter of Common place out of Master Martyrs Commentaries than did Massonius a learned and painfull man who gathered togither the Latine booke or else I haue placed some certeine things in a more exquisite order All which notwithstanding I did by the aduise of verie learned and excellent men And besides sundrie and manifold additions which out of the Commentaries I haue
of Iesus Christ than was the Iewes temple vno Moses vpon the mount Therefore is ours the true church and shall continue for euer whereas yours shall consume perish and come to a fearefull end Furthermore ye boast that the church of God hath long continued quiet without anie generall resistance till now of late that the learned men in Germanie and else-where began to disdaine that the truth of God should so shamefullie be abused by couetous and carelesse men Ye consider not that your forgeries crept in by little and little now one thing and than another whole ages betweene that they sproong vp of deuotion of a pretense of holines of a wrong conceit of Gods omnipotencie of a zeale towards religion but yet without knowledge that manie times your opinions either were not resisted bicause learned men were otherwise better occupied in confuting of more grosse palpable heresies or if they were resisted those monuments haue perished by the enuie of your side or else through manie barbarous nations which inuaded Christendome that manie of your opinions grew by mistaking of councels and misconstruing of the fathers and of their darke and hyperbolicall speeches and not of anie authoritie receiued from the primitiue church that your church of Rome might more liberallie and without resistance and therefore more dangerouslie raise vp errors hir citie being the mistresse that commanded all nations that those errors of yours were pretended vnto the common people to be taught out of the woord of God and that it behooued to keepe them vpon paine of damnation that the godlie were humble and charitable and besides the opinion they had of the authoritie and learning of bishops and councels either for charitie they would not or for feare they durst not find fault with anie ordinance made by them further that God had not as yet put into the harts of kings and great estates to defend those that should find fault with the corruptions of the church that the professours of the Gospell had not prepared so smooth stones nor had so apt slings for the purpose as now they haue for God had not yet prepared the art of Printing whereby the word runneth verie swiftlie into all parts of the world that the kings of the earth had not as yet droonke the full draught of the whoore of Babylons cup nor thorough the infection thereof had shead the vniust measure of innocent bloud bicause the mysterie of iniquitie had not yet wrought all his force neither was that man of sinne so notoriouslie reuealed whome now the Lord dooth euerie daie more and more destroie with the spirit of his mouth Further that the time was not yet come wherein God by his eternall prouidence had decreed to build vp the walles of decaied Ierusalem neither yet was the iudgement of God so neare at hand Lastlie that all things were not yet fulfilled which Christ and his spirit prophesied should come to passe before the latter daie Giue ouer therefore these insolent and vaine boastings for the Lord dooth all things in time in measure and in weight his purposes are far from mens cogitations he oftentimes maketh the vilest and basest beginnings to grow vp to the greatest advancements of his glorie and he knew before all eternitie whome he had chosen to himselfe The sinnes of your forefathers shall not excuse your wilfull obstinacie for I saie vnto you that not onelie they but the cities of Sodome and Gomorrha would haue conuerted before this time if either they had seene the wonders that haue beene doone in your daies or else had heard the hundred part of preaching instructing and confuting of those errors that ye haue heard and learned and throughlie tried And sith our preachers haue preached vnto you not themselues but Iesus Christ not anie deuise of their owne but what they haue found in the holie word and haue taken this labour vpon them not for ostentation of their owne learning or for enuie they beare to your persons but in defense of the truth but with a zeale of the Lords house but for reformation of Christs church but for the manifesting of your false opinions for the earnest desire of your saluation ye should haue imbrased them as the Angels of God much lesse haue persecuted them to the death Ye should haue taken this faithfull trauell of theirs as an infallible token from heauen that as GOD before the first comming of his sonne sent manie prophets betimes in the morning to rebuke the sinnes of the people and to shew wherein the priests had violated the lawe of the Lord and how greeuouslie the false worshippers had defaced his holie sanctuarie so now before his second comming he hath sent heapes of these godlie and zealous preachers to laie open the errors of the church and to gather into the sheepefold the wandering flocke those whom he had predestinated to his kingdom before the foundations of the world were laid If none of all these things will serue if nothing will make ye relent if not yet at the length ye will returne to the true church for all the spirituall and supernaturall signes and wonders of your daies for all the admonitions that haue beene giuen you for all the arguments that haue confuted you for all the word that preuaileth against you for all you see the latter daie creeping towards you and the sonne of man as a theefe in the nightstealing vpon you if still ye will be selfe willing and obstinate if still ye will giue more credite to your selues than to the liuelie word of God if no not yet ye will leaue persecuting of your brethren by fire sword by malicious lies and reproches and by all maner of wicked waies ye can deuise and that contrarie to godlines contrarie to iustice contrarie to all humanitie contrarie to the law of nature and contrarie to your owne consciences ye will haue the iudgement of religion in your owne hands and will haue no other interpretation but such as your selues deuise behold I pronounce vnto you that the mightie God Iehouah commeth he commeth and that speedilie in his owne person riding vpon the wings of the wind He will not now seeke anie more reuenge vpon Pharao and Nabuchad-nezar for his people of Israell nor yet vpon Dioclesian Iulian and other heathen tyrants for oppressing the Christians but hee will require the bloud of righteous Abell at the hands of his owne brother Cain of Lot at his owne citie Sodome of Iacob at his owne brother Esau of Zacharie at the prince of his owne people of Christ at the hands of his owne Ierusalem and of his saints and martyrs of England at the hands of their owne countrimen kinsmen and brethren He will not reprooue you for intermitting your vnbloudie sacrifice of the masse and for not offering vp his sonne euerie daie to his father which himselfe once for all offered vpon the crosse seeing he neuer commanded you thus to doo No but he will
would namelie that he might be iustified when he condemneth and punisheth The doctrine that Iudas the traitour receiued of Christ did thus much profit him that at the length he condemned himselfe Matth. 27 4. saieng I haue sinned in betraieng the innocent bloud For to this passe are the wicked driuen that at the length they are condemned by their owne iudgement And they which should haue taken profit by the doctrine are gréeuouslie hurt by the same as we read in the prophet Esaie the sixt chapter when it is said Esaie 6 10. Make blind the hart of this people dull their eares and shut vp their eies least peraduenture they should see heare vnderstand and be conuerted and I shuld heale them Euen so by the words of Moses Exod. 7 13. was the hart of Pharao euer more and more hardened In Rom. 1 18. 9 And the cause why they are inexcusable is declared in these words Which withhold the truth in vnrighteousnes They attained vnto so much truth as thereby they vnderstood how to behaue themselues towards God and towards their neighbors and yet withheld they the truth in vnrighteousnes The verie which thing did the Hebrues as touching the truth which God reuealed vnto them by the lawe Séeing therefore that both these Hebrues and those Gentils haue béene so gréeuouslie punished what ought men that be christians in profession to hope for which withhold to themselues so great a light of the Gospell without fruit Doubtles they shall become most wretched of all And the thing it selfe teacheth that they which boast of Christ and liue dishonestly doo at the length excéed all men be they neuer so wicked in naughtines and dishonestie The truth is after a sort withheld captiue in them In whom the truth is withheld captiue which vnderstand the same and yet expresse it not in work and life And it is bound and tied with the chaines of naughtie lusts the which With what bonds the truth is bound when they breath out from the inferiour parts of our mind they darken the vnderstanding and close vp the knowen truth in a darke dungeon God doth lighten it in our minds but through naughtie lusts it is woonderfullie darkened We must not thinke as Chrysostome warneth vs that the truth of his owne nature can suffer anie thing For the truth of his owne nature is vnchangable But what discommoditie soeuer happeneth The truth suffereth nothing in it selfe the same hurteth our mind and soule Paule in two words toucheth those things which Aristotle in his Ethicks when he disputeth of the incontinent person vttereth at large Aristotle in his Ethicks For he demandeth by what meanes the incontinent person declineth vnto vices since that in his mind he hath a right opinion And hée answereth that this happeneth by reason hée is too much affected to the particular good which is obiected presentlie to the sense by the weight wherof the better part also is oppressed so as he giueth place vnto the lusts neither doth he his part in effectuall considering of the truth which before he knew Ouid of Medea Which also the Poet affirmeth of Medea I see the best which I allow But yet the woorst I doo insue All this dooth Paule teach vs when he saith that The wicked withhold the truth in vnrighteousnes The truth doth alwaies as much as can be indeuour to breake foorth into act but it is hindered by concupiscence or lust And this is it which is written in the first booke of the Ethicks that the best part of the soule doth alwaies exhort and prouoke to the best things The better part of the soule exhorteth to the better things For so hath God and nature framed vs that the thing which wée knowe we desire to expresse in act which being not doone we are reprooued by our owne iudgement And herein appéereth the woonderfull force of the conscience which in the more gréeuous sort of offences can neuer be perfectlie setled 10 To withhold the truth in vnrighteousnes is properlie to refuse the calling of God which continuallie by his truth calleth vs backe vnto himselfe Wherefore it shall be verie profitable for vs if whensoeuer we haue attained vnto anie truth either through studie or obseruation of things we reckon straitwaie with our selues wherevnto God calleth vs through that truth which he laieth before our minds By this word vnrighteousnes the Apostle vnderstood generallie whatsoeuer sinne we commit either against God or against men Wherefore Paule speaketh of that truth which is naturallie ingraffed in vs also of that which we attaine vnto by our owne studie For either of those instructeth vs of most excellent things touching God Neither is the vnrighteousnes which we commit able to blot it out of our minds Which thing neuertheles the Academicall philosophers indeuoured to teach The error of the Academicks séeing they earnestlie affirme that there can be nothing certainlie taught by vs and so would not haue vs to imbrace anie thing as being sure therof that it is true but would haue vs account all things as vncertaine and doubtfull Likewise the Epicures go about to pull out of our minds those things The error of the Epicures which by a naturall former conceit are printed in our hart◠concerning God And yet neither of these were able to bring to passe that which they indeuoured For will they nill they these truthes remaine still in the minds of men Whether truth bee stronger in it selfe as it is laid hold on by faith or as it is ingraffed by nature Wherin the difference consisteth but which is to be lamented they are withholden in vnrighteousnes 11 Perhaps thou wilt demand how it commeth to passe that the truth which we haue by faith is of more strength to breake out into act than is the truth which we naturallie perceiue This vndoubtedlie commeth not for this cause that one truth by it selfe and seuerallie vnderstood is of more force than another For truth on both parts hath the selfe-same nature but the difference commeth by the meane and instrument whereby the same is perceiued The strength of nature is corrupt féeble and defiled through sinne and therefore the truth which it taketh hold of it hath not effectuallie But faith hath ioined with it the inspiration of God and the power of the holie Ghost and therefore it taketh hold of the truth effectuallie wherefore the diuersitie is not in the truth it selfe but in the meane and instrument whereby we imbrace the same Hereof it commeth that there we be changed but here we remaine the selfe-same that we were before Sundrie examples of apprehension of the truth Matt. 19 22. Of which thing we haue a cléere testimonie in the Gospell Christ set forth vnto the yoong man what he should doo to obtaine saluation the which he hearing was not persuaded to giue place but went awaie sorowfull He trusted vnto naturall strength and
chaste both in bodie and spirit For those night visions by the which either the mind is troubled or the bodie defiled are certeine punishments of sinne especiallie of that which hath béene drawne from our first creation For so it should not haue béene in paradise if Adam had abidden in that truth wherein he was made as Augustine wrote in his fift booke and eight chapter against Iulian. Looke In Gen. chapter 20 verse 3. The sixt Chapter Of the holie scriptures out of the Preface vpon the first epistle to the Corinthians NOw wée must speake something of the holie scriptures whereby wée are both encouraged to studie them and somewhat also are holpen in the following of that studie A diuision and this shall be doon if I touch first in few words the woorthines and profit of them secondlie if we shew by what certeine marks tokens we may be able to iudge and saie what is the sense or meaning of them and lastlie if we shall open the waie and means how to challenge them vnto our selues Of the dignitie and vtilitie of the holie scriptures This diuision I mind to folowe as being most conuenient for the vnderstanding of those things which shall be spoken And first of al bicause we are to speake of the worthines and profit of the holie scriptures A definition of the holie scriptures I will giue this plaine and homelie definition of them For it is a hard matter for anie man perfectlie and exactlie to define those things which are of God The holie scripture inspired by the spirit of God Wherefore let vs define the holie scriptures to be a certeine declaration of the wisdome of God inspired by the holie Ghost into godlie men and then set downe in monuments writings That it is inspired by the inward motion of the holie Ghost for the saluation and restoring of vs Peter testifieth in the first chapter of his latter epistle when he saith 2. Pet. 1 21 that Prophesie came not in old time by the will of men but holie men of GOD spake as they were mooued by the holie Ghost And verie great honour hath come therevnto bicause as well Christ as the apostles The sute proofes of diuine things are takē out of the scriptures onlie and sound councels haue vsed the testimonie of it for the confirmation of those things which were decréed yea we may not thinke that anie traditions be necessarie to saluation which are not surelie and stronglie grounded therevpon And we must alwaies beare in mind Christ sent vs to the reading of the scriptures Iohn 5 39. how wée are sent awaie by Christ the best teacher of the church to search out the scripture when he saith in the fift of Iohns gospell Search ye the scriptures Moreouer euerie facultie and learning borroweth his woorthines from the matter about which it is occupied For according as that dooth excell so is anie science accounted of more or lesse estimation Wherefore séeing this science of ours intreateth of nothing else but of Christ The sum of all that is done in the scripture is Christ it is so much the more to be accounted the head of all other as Christ is the most excellent aboue all other things And as I suppose no man doubteth but that the new testament speaketh chieflie of Christ But bicause some man perhaps doubteth whether the old testament doo so likewise let him heare euen Paule writing to the Romans the 10. chapter Christ is the end of the lawe Rom. 10. And in the fift of Iohn when the Lord had said that which euen now I recited Search the scriptures Iohn 5 39. he added incontinent For they beare witnes of me And in the same chapter it is said of Moses He hath written of me Iohn 5 46. And manie other places may be brought to confirme this selfe-same thing but let vs content our selues with these for this time 2 The holie scriptures also are highlie commended The notable properties of the holie scripture They shine as a candle in the darknes through those excellent properties wherwith God hath adorned them For they are so glorious that they séeme vnto vs which walke as it were in darknes to be like a candle lighted of God whereof Peter hath admonished vs in the first chapter of the second epistle And we haue a sure speech of prophesie wherevnto if you giue heed as vnto a light shining in a darke place 2. Pet. 1 19. ye doo well till the daie appeare and the daie star arise in your harts The holie scriptures be sure and certeine In which words thou shalt note this also that they be verie sure For godlie men are so assured of the truth of them that for them they feare not to suffer anie cruell death which thing hath seldome or neuer happened among naturall philosophers or mathematicians To the godlie they be cleere and perspicuous that they confirmed the opinions of their knowledge with their blood and with the losse of their liues And vnto faithfull and godlie harts there is in the scriptures no want of cléerenes which the Gréeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latines perspicuitie For whatsoeuer the sounder Diuines dispute they alwaies finish their conclusion according to the testimonies of the scriptures as rules commonlie knowne among christians whereof it is not lawfull for any man to doubt So that this ought to be estéemed as the chéefe principle They are the cheefe principles of diuinitie by the which all matters of true diuinitie are to be resolued and examined to wit The Lord hath said But yet this perspicuitie is not to be sought at the light of mans sense reason but at the light of faith The clearenes of them is discerned by the light of faith Luke 24 45. whereby we ought to be most certainlie persuaded of whatsoeuer is contained in the holie scriptures For as we read in the last chapter of Luke when Christ was about to send out his disciples to preach throughout the world that they might increse the number of his disciples he opened vnto them the meaning of the scriptures which declareth that otherwise they were not able by their owne industrie to vnderstand them 1. Tim. 3 15. And in the first of Timothie the third chapter the church is for no other cause said to be the piller and ground of truth Why the church is called the piller and ground of truth but bicause it hath the word of God and vseth the same perpetuallie in hir opinions and definitions which when it doth not it dealeth not as the church of Christ should doo Augustine Augustine Contra epistolam Fundamenti saith that things defined in the scriptures must be preferred aboue all other Besides this the truth of them hath an euerlasting continuance The truth of the scripture is euerlasting Matt. 24 35. Which thing Christ taught vs when
the scriptures haue with the faithfull For if it were so it might easilie persuade the Turks Infidels to beléeue the scriptures and the Iewes to imbrace the new testament And how true this is the thing it selfe testifieth 11 Furthermore these men should be demanded What church it is to whom they appoint so great a iudgement and authoritie ouer the scriptures If they will answere that they attribute the same vnto bishops these be verie oftentimes but shadowes or vizards neither doo they vnderstand what the holie scriptures doo containe and commonlie their life is such as it is not lawfull to eate and drinke with them And séeing they are perceiued to be such sensuall men who will allow them to be the chéefe iudges of spirituall things Of the fathers But if our aduersaries had rather flie from them to the godlie fathers of euerie age to learne the truth of the scriptures I denie not but that true iudgment hath manie times béene found among them and yet not alwaies For they disagrée manie times among themselues they change they make retractations and diuers times some one contendeth and disputeth against another I knowe they will saie at the last Of the councels that we must haue recourse to the generall councels as though they neuer erred The generall councell of Ariminum Looke part 4 place 4 art 10. made altogither for the Arrians The second councell of Ephesus fauoured the heresie of Eutyches The councell of Chalcedon so erred as it intituled Leo bishop of Rome to be the vniuersall bishop of Christ his church But the holie man which was not present there hearing of it did vtterlie renounce such preeminence And in a councell which Cyprian held a great errour was committed when it was there decréed that heretikes baptised out of the faith of the catholike church if they returned vnto it should be baptised againe Also the synod of Constance did wickedly condescend that the halfe communion should be ministred to the laie people and manie other errors committed by generall councels might be alledged For since they be but men which determine matters propounded in generall councels they intermingle much carnall and humane sense and therfore we must not subscribe to the opinion of them vnlesse it shall appéere that the same dooth verie well agrée with the scriptures Had not Peter erred Galat. 2 14. vnles that Paule had openlie resisted him Wherefore If Peter erred much more the fathers and councels may erre if so great an apostle was not frée from falling into error what shall we thinke of other miserable and fraile men whom we sée verie often to be turned to fro into manie minds and affections Let all things therefore without anie further delaie be reduced and brought home to a iust examination of the scriptures and so shall we iudge vncerteine matters by certeine and doubtfull by those things which be out of all doubt For euen as the word of God is sure and continueth for euer so mans ordinances are euer doubtfull wauering and inconstant These things must not bée so construed as though wée would that godlie brethren should haue no audience in godlie assemblies or as though wée sought altogither to take awaie the authoritie from fathers and councels we speake not these things to anie such purpose we couet to attribute to euerie one his iust commendation so that there be not attributed vnto men that which is méete for God onelie And let that saieng of Paule to the Galathians be alwaies sounded in our eares that If an angel from heauen shall shew vs of anie other Gospel Galat. 1 8. than is contained in the holie scriptures let him be accursed And thus much shall suffice on this behalfe to declare by what notes marks the truth of the holie scriptures may be perceiued How one may obtaine the meanes to vnderstand the scriptures 12 Now let vs reason by what meanes euerie man may obtaine to himselfe that power of vnderstanding the word of God which we spake of before As touching the first interpretor which we said to be the holie Ghost the meanes to haue accesse vnto him is by praier And therefore Dauid praied on this wise Psalm 119 12. and 18. Open thou mine eies ô Lord that I may see the woonderfull things of thy lawe And againe Teach me thy iustifications Giue me vnderstanding I shall diligentlie search thy commandements And well néere innumerable of these saiengs there be in the 119. psalme Further Paule prateth in his epistles that wisedome Phil. 1 8. spirituall vnderstanding and the eies of discretion to knowe the wil of God might be giuen to those holie men to whom he wrote But as touching the other meanes whereby wée may discerne of the holie scriptures the word of God I meane we must vse no small industrie Diligence must be vsed in cōparing scripture with scripture whereby we may be able to confer places with places and by those which be most plaine to iudge of them which be most obscure And herof it came that Paule warned his scholer Timothie 1. Tim. 13. that he should be diligent in reading And hée himselfe when he laie bound at Rome 2. Tim. 4 13. desired that Troas might be sent vnto him with his booke parchments which he had left behind By these things we may gather that they which in the interpreting of the holie scriptures doo fall into error may impute it to themselues for that they haue not béene earnest inough in praier nor yet vsed sufficient studie about them Neither ought anie to be discouraged from this excellent exercise No man must be discouraged with the homelie stile of the scriptures A similitude bicause of the plaine homelie phrase of the holie scriptures For euen as within a simple shell is found a pretious stone and out of sorie chaffe is shaken out most profitable corne so out of the plaine and vnpolished spéech of the holie scriptures is brought to light the most sincere and manifest knowledge of the truth But aboue all things take héed that thou approch not to the reading of the scriptures if thy mind be hardened with a preiudicate opinion Laie aside all affectations let thy comming bée wholie to learne and not as is the vse of heretikes violentlie to drawe them to thine opinion An exhortation to the reading of the scriptures 13 Wherefore the surest reléefe that is brought vnto vs by God and which is euer ready at hand Out of the epistle to maister Cooke set before the epistle to the Rom. Consolation by the scriptures is the holie scriptures which we must haue alwaies readie about vs as our herbe of comfort For if ignorance and blindnes be our disease there light is by which it may be shaken off If we be disquieted with manie troubles and vexations of the mind or else if our conscience bée ouercharged with the heauie burden of our sins
others they are not excluded God verie well knoweth who they be which are wrapped in this kind of sinne but men séeing they knowe not who are by nature fallen into so great a wickednes may not remooue them from the holie doctrine It is requisit no doubt that those which are sinners against the holie Ghost be not such as fall by ignorance or infirmitie but that they be such as are led therevnto by a hatred of the truth to striue against the same so that willinglie and wittinglie they oppose themselues against the truth resist it and to the vttermost of their power hinder the course thereof which neuertheles they will knowe to be the truth How are men able to vnderstand this thing séeing they cannot attaine to the secretnes of anie mans mind and will Wherfore those which be thus ill affected doo heare the word of God without fruit although they be not excluded from the hearing thereof euen for this cause that they cannot be perceiued howbeit that which they heare dooth increase their greater condemnation For of such force is the word of God Iam. 1 21. as either it saueth the hearers or becommeth a destruction vnto them And so great héed dooth the church take 1. Cor. 1 18. that it driueth not awaie anie from the word of God Excommunicate persons are not excluded from hearing the word of God it admitteth thervnto euen those which be excommunicate and them which doo not yet beléeue whom otherwise it driueth both from the sacraments and from publike praiers Perhaps thou wilt demand How cōmeth this difference betwéene the word of God and the doctrine of the philosophers Herof assuredlie it commeth Wherein the word of God and the philosophers doctrine differ that mens saiengs although they be famous and commendable yet are they not indued with that strength and power as they be able to change or correct vnprofitable and corrupt minds But the power and strength of the word of God to call men vnto God is incredible Not as though euen those things which the philosophers also taught or put in writing be without their strength For we denie not that most ancient common saieng wherin it is said that Whatsoeuer is true of what author soeuer it was spoken procéedeth from the holie Ghost But those things which be spoken by the motion of the holie Ghost cannot be altogither void of some effect although it be of much lesse effect than the vehemencie wherewith the holie scriptures are furnished Who will denie that the common sort of stones are adorned with their owne strength and proper power and the same not vnprofitable to our life although they may not be compared with the strength of pretious stones Vnto whō the holie scriptures must not be imparted But I returne to the matter I find onlie one kind of men vnto whom the holie doctrine must not be imparted and they be such as deride and openlie slander the doctrine of Christ For he commanded his apostles that they should not commit the heauenlie doctrine to dogs hogs which in verie déed must be vnderstood of contempt and outward derision that is Matth. 7 6. when with slanders and contumelies they raile vpon true godlines Which if they doo secretlie to themselues so that they will heare quietlie and will suffer themselues to be admonished and taught they must not be put backe from hearing the same Neither must publike preaching be left off for their sakes which are open scoffers railers reprochfull persons when such cannot be driuen awaie bicause perhaps they be ouer mightie lest for one or two mens causes the whole people should be defrauded of the food of their soule Yée sée therefore that onlie these are to be remooued from the holie doctrine from whence other men of what condition soeuer they be must not be forbidden naie rather they must be exhorted to come verie often therevnto Those things which I haue spoken belong to the vsuall and receiued ordinance of the church since I knowe that the spirit hath sometime forbidden the apostles and may now restraine some that they preach not in some places to those to whom otherwise they had determined to preach which bicause it is a worke of God not of men therefore it serueth not to this purpose The eight Chapter Of Lots whereby Gods counsell was asked and first of Vrim and Thumim which were so called of charitie and perfection AN olde expositor of the scriptures called Kimhi Out of the booke of Iudges 20 27. The maner of giuing out oracles by Drim and Thumim Looke In Iudg. 1 verse 1. vpon the twentie chapter of the booke of Iudges verse the 26 noted manie things not vnprofitable for the vnderstanding of other places of the scripture by questions and oracles He saith that It was the maner among the Hebrues to aske questions of God and he that would demand anie thing touching either publike or weightie matters he came to the préest who being apparelled with his Ephod garment stood before the arke of the Lord. And vpon his Ephod were set twelue pretious stones wherein the names of the twelue tribes were ingrauen togither with the names of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and also all the letters of the Hebrue alphabet It behooued him that asked a question to turne his face towards the préest and his spéech should neither be so lowd as hée might plainlie be heard nor yet so lowe as if he had onlie praied with his inward cogitations but euen in such wise as Anna praied in the first booke of Samuel where it is said 1. Sam. 1 13 that She onelie mooued hir lips said nothing that might be heard After this the oracle was shewed to the préest in this maner By the power of the holie Ghost certeine letters appéered foorth or shined vpon the breast wherin the préest did read the oracle or wil of God And this was that Vrim and Thumim which is spoken of These be the words of Kimhi But what credit should be giuen vnto him I knowe not For it might be that the spirit of God gaue out his pleasure by the mouth of the préest without those letters In 1. Sam. 10 vers 19. 2 Touching lots we haue an example in the first of Samuel the 10. verse for there Samuel willeth that all the people should stand by tribes He himselfe would pronounce nothing least the thing should séeme to be doone by his owne appointment therefore God pronounced Saule to be king doubtlesse not through his owne merit but for the people sake least they should striue among themselues for the choosing of him Saule was chosen by lots The cause of lotting The matter was permitted vnto lots to the intent that dissention might be auoided For if Samuel had chosen the king vpon his owne liking they might haue thought him to be led by fauour affection Againe if the voices of the people should haue taken place
king of the Assyrians to deliuer him from the siege 2. King 16 7 so far off was he from putting confidence in the Lord. And when as God béeing not ignorant of his disease offered him the remedie of a miracle and put it vnto his choise yet he through hypocrisie refused If Achaz had trulie beléeued God he would not haue refused to obeie séeing obedience is reckoned among the chéefest fruits of faith Let vs I beséech you compare with this vngodlie king the most godlie prince Ezechias his sonne who dealt not in this sort For he Obedience is the cheefe fruit of faith 2. King 20 8 to be the more assured of recouering his health verie modestlie required a signe vnto whose choise when Esaie had put whether he would haue the shadowe of the sunne to be set forward or to be turned backward he tooke his choise as he thought good neither did he frowardlie like his father refuse the miracle offered him by God Miracles offered not to be reiected But wicked Achaz to his infidelitie ioined hypocrisie For he considering that miracles are for two causes refused either for that a man openlie beléeueth in God and hath no néed of the helpe of miracles or else for that he vtterlie contemneth God and passeth nothing at all for this helpe he minded to hide the latter disease whereof he was sick namelie the contempt of God and made as though he had the vertue that is to saie a principall faith whereof in déed he was altogither destitute as though he durst not tempt God Psal 7 10. But séeing God most throughlie knoweth the harts and reines he by the prophet punished him according to his desarts A similitude What other thing is it to refuse a miracle offered by God but to reiect that which should helpe our spirituall infirmitie And euen as he that béeing well-néere starued with hunger would forsake his sustenance is worthie to be accused so was he to be reprooued which reiected a medicine offered him by God séeing God knoweth far better than our selues what euerie one of vs néedeth This is now sufficient concerning those things which in the beginning of this question séemed altogither to forbid the asking of miracles 18 I knowe indéed there be some which thinke that miracles ought not in anie wise to be asked but onlie that they should not be refused when God offereth them And they suppose that Augustine maketh with them Augustine De consensu Euangelistarum who in the fourth booke of the concordance or consent of the euangelists and in his 63. question vpon Genesis may séeme to affirme this thing But if a man obiect that verie manie godlie righteous men haue so doone especiallie our Gedeon they answere that they were mooued by the spirit of God to desire miracles therefore it was all one as if God had fréelie offered miracles vnto them and they with obedience had receiued those which were offered But these things ought nothing to trouble vs bicause Augustine in the places alledged dooth not flatlie and absolutelie forbid the desiring of miracles vnlesse they be demanded either in respect of tempting God or else for some other naughtie cause Yea and in the 63. question vpon Genesis he saith that When this is not rightlie doone it belongeth to the tempting of God Let vs rather heare what he saith in the tenth book of confessions the 35. chapter In religion also it is a tempting of God when signes and miracles are desired for making of a triall which thing I also a little before haue charged to be auoided For I will easilie grant that holie men required miracles not by the instinct of the flesh or of mans reason for then had their praiers béene vaine and to no purpose Rom. 8 26. séeing as Paule testifieth it is néedefull that the spirit should praie for vs with vnspeakable gronings But now I thinke there hath béene sufficientlie spoken of the questions propounded 19 But what the difference is betwéene signes and woonders In Rom. 15. verse 18. The difference betweene signes and woonders it cannot easilie be declared Origin thinketh that those onlie are to be called signes which though they be woonderfull of themselues yet they shew some other thing to come But woonders are those which doo onlie plucke men into admiration Looke an Epistle vnto Ludouike Lauater beginning Tuas litteras bicause they be doone after an vncustomed maner and against the power and order of nature But he also confesseth that this distinction is not obserued in the holie scriptures And trulie all the miracles whatsoeuer they were that Paule shewed were signes In 1. Cor. 12 verse 11. Looke In Iud. 2. verse 1. and In 2. King 2 verse 1. whereby the truth of his preaching was approoued The verie which thing we must affirme as touching the woonderfull works of Christ and of the prophets But the scriptures of the new testament wherin oftentimes there is mention made of the signes and woonders which Christ and his apostles did haue imitated the phrase of the old testament For there a man shall often find Othoth and Mophetim ioined togither Neither doo I thinke that there is anie difference betwéene the words except it be in degrée and quantitie yet am I not ignorant but that there may be signes or Othoth which haue in them no admiration at all Such be accents letters points speaches and other like the which we doubt not but are signes and yet they procéed either from art or from nature But the diuine oracles to the intent they might signifie that certeine works of the prophets of Christ and his apostles did not onlie shew some thing besides that which was wrought but also that they stirred vp a kind of astonishment woondring haue oftentimes ioined these words togither This vndoubtedly is my opinion which for anie thing that I sée I may still hold vnles an other man will shew me a better 20 But séeing it is written that The spirit distributeth to euerie one as he will wée learne thereby that no time must be prescribed vnto it for he desposeth these things when he will and how he will Whereby their argument is dissolued which saie that in Marke it is written These signes shall followe them that beleeue they shall cast out diuels Mark 16 17 they shall speake with new toongs they shall take awaie serpents c. Wherefore séeing these signes be not doone in vs it followeth that faith is not in the church of these daies But they be deceiued Miracles in the primitiue church were signes of faith For these things are not absolutelie and without exception but in some respect the tokens of faith belonging to that primitiue church vntill the gospell were made more manifest For miracles were as trumpets and open criers wherby the gospell was commended A similitude For euen as the lawe of Moses procured to it selfe credit through the
thinketh that it may be more easilie answered if we saie that it was not Samuel but onelie a vaine imagination and phantasie A rule howbeit he cannot but grant that two things are against this opinion one is that the scriptures doo alwaies so speake as if it had béene verie Samuel But he answereth that it is the vsuall maner of the scriptures to call similitudes by the names of those things which they represent For so the woodden images were called cherubims and Salomon made brasen oxen 1. Kin. 6 23. 1. Kin. 7 25. 1. Sam. 6 11. and the Philistines gaue siluer mice Neither doo the holie scriptures lie when they speake after that sort For men are woont commonlie so to speake and it pleased God to applie himselfe to the sense and capacitie of man Another thing is that he trulie fore-shewed what would come to passe namelie 1. Sa. 28 19. The diuell sometime speaketh true things that Saule with his sonnes should be slaine and that the host of Israel should be ouerthrowne But he answereth that this also is no new or woonderfull thing for the diuels confessed Christ to be the sonne of God Mark 1 24. And in the Acts of the apostles they gaue a verie goodlie testimonie of Paules doctrine Acts. 16 17. Euen so in this place God vseth the seruice of the diuell to the intent he might terrifie Saule that he which had taken counsell of euill spirits might be afflicted with an euill answere But he addeth how might Saule be with Samuel a wicked man with an holie prophet A great distance of places between blessed soules and lost soules Luk. 16 26. Such he saith is the subtiltie of the diuell alwaies to mingle some truth with falshood For assuredlie saith he there is great distance of place betwéene the blessed soules and the reprobate And this he prooueth out of the historie of the rich man and Lazarus This I make mention of forsomuch as I sée that they which affirme the bodie of Christ to be in euerie place haue no reason so to saie For if that were true then the soules of the godlie should be in euerie place also For Christ saith Wheresoeuer I am Iohn 12 26. there also my minister shall be And by this meanes there should be no differences betwéene soules Of vbiquitie for all should be in all places But they saie Ierom against Vigilantius that Ierom writeth thus against Vigilantins For Vigilantius denied that we should call vpon dead men for they are in the bosome of Abraham and doo not wander about their sepulchres and ashes Then are they not saith Ierom in anie stinking prison but in a pleasant and large custodie like certeine fathers of the order of senatours But saith he They followe the Lambe wheresoeuer he goeth now the Lambe is euerie-where Apoc. 14 4. Further saith he shall we grant this vnto diuels that they can wander vp and downe thoroughout the whole world shall we denie the same vnto the blessed soules of godlie men Here Ierom by his good leaue may it be spoken is somwhat out of the waie Ierom misseth concerning the vbiquitie of soules and yet he hath not spoken of that whereof these men did meane He erreth in saieng that the soules of dead men are conuersant about their sepulchres and that they are to be inuocated yet dooth he not saie that they be euerie-where He compareth them with spirits which he saith doo wander euerie where that is they be sometimes here and sometimes there But if they were euery-where they could not wander héer and there and change places and therefore Ierom saith that neither the lambe nor the soules departed nor diuels be in euerie place but that they in such sort wander at large as they may be wheresoeuer they list These things I haue touched by the waie But Augustine answereth that that saieng of Samuel may be vnderstood of the generall state of death and not of the equalitie of happines In the latter end he addeth that whereas there be but these two waies onlie the former may not be admitted vnles it be prooued to be possible that soules departed may by magicall charms be called againe and beare the proportion of mens bodies And therefore of necessitie the other waie remaineth namelie that it was doone by the counsell and will of God But by the power of incantation that could not be doone and yet by the purpose and commandement of God it might be brought to passe And to this opinion I willinglie agrée For if God will I sée not what should hinder it Augustins booke of questions of the new and old testament 5 In the sixt question to Dulcitius he hath in a maner the same that he hath to Simplicianus But in the questions of the old and new testament if that be Augustines booke which I speake bicause of the censure and iudgement of Erasmus who hath separated that booke from the works of Augustine he accounteth it detestable for anie man to thinke that it was Samuel whom the witch raised vp for it was onlie a delusion and an imagination For the diuell did this to bring himselfe vnto honour and to persuade men that the soules of the dead be in his power and that they shall not escape from his hands after death But if the historie be well discussed we shall not find anie thing at all to prooue that it was Samuel but that Saule indéed when he had heard the description of his apparell and the fashion of his bodie thought that it had béene so that the scripture applied it selfe to his mind and opinion that Saule fell downe and worshipped and thereby the diuell had that which he sought for that Samuel would neuer haue suffered it but that he said Saule should be with him the next daie bicause he was wicked and should perish euerlastinglie But what shall we answere as touching Ionathas 1. Sa. 28 19. who was well knowne to be a iust man Wherefore this answere of Augustine séemeth to be féeble In his second booke De doctrina christiana Augustins booke De mirabilibus scripturarum the 26. chapter he saith It was an image raised vp by sacriledge In another booke De mirabilibus sacrae scripturae if the same be Augustines booke he likewise denieth that it was Samuel indéed Also in his little booke De cura pro mortuis agenda he hath manie excellent things but in the end he concludeth The dead knowe not what is doone in this life that it séemeth vnto him the soules of those which are departed be ignorant what is doone in this life For wheras they oftentimes appéere and present themselues to liuing men somtimes waking and somtimes sléeping Looke In 2. Kings 22 verse 23. that may be doone by angels either good or bad And he saith that we our selues doo oftentimes present our selues to our fréends in our sléepe when as we our selues
was in the mouths of the prophets Satan put into Dauids hart to number the people 1. Para. 21 1 And Dauid himselfe in the psalme saith that God plagued the Aegyptians by euill spirits Psal 78 49. In the prophet Zacharie Zachar. 3 1. sathan stood to let Iesus the préest that the people might not returne out of captiuitie God forbiddeth sacrifices to be doone vnto diuels Leuit. 17 7. which he would not forbid if there were no diuels at all Matth. 4 1. and 13 19. Sathan tempted Christ hée plucketh the good séed out of mens harts had bound the daughter of Abraham for manie yéeres Luk. 13 16. The diuell praied Christ that he might go into the herd of swine Matth. 8 31 Christ at the latter daie shall saie vnto the vngodlie Go ye cursed into euerlasting fire Matt. 25 41. prepared for the diuell and his angels by which words the diuels are most plainlie distinguished from men Iude the apostle saith Iude. 9. that Michaël stroue against the diuell for the bodie of Moses And Iames saith that The diuels beleeue and tremble Iam. 2 19. Christ saith that He sawe sathan falling downe from heauen Luke 10 18 and that he stood not fast in the truth Of good spirits Of good spirits also I will onelie speake a word They be the ministers of God For as it is written to the Galathians The lawe was giuen by the ministration of angels Galat. 3 19. And as it is in the epistle to the Thessalonians In the sound of a trumpet Thes 4 16. and voice of an archangel the dead bodies shall arise And Christ saith that God wil send his angels Matt. 24 31. to gather togither his elect from the foure quarters of the earth And therefore we rightlie and trulie affirme that there be spirits A confutation of contrarie opinions of the Peripatetikes 11 But now we must confute those reasons which are woont to be alledged by others These things saie they may be doone by naturall causes I grant indéed that naturall causes are oftentimes great and secret and doo bring manie woonderfull things to passe But these effects which we speake of as images to speake and giue answers and to vtter the distinct voices of men also to foretell things to come and those not common but hidden and secret matters an ignorant man to haue suddenlie learned arts sciences and he to speake Gréeke Hebrue and the Syrian toong and to recite the sentences of philosophers and poets which neuer learned those toongs nor euer handled poets or philosophers a man to walke inuisiblie to stir things that are a farre off to put out a torch far distant from vs an oxe or an asse to speake like a man these things I saie doo far excéed all force of nature The magicians also which worke these things doo ioine therewithall praiers inchantments coniurings commandements wherein certeinlie there is no naturall power of working at all Herevnto they ad also their lines characters and circles which things be within the compas of quantitie But quantities be neuer reckoned of the philosophers among things that worke The temperature of mans bodie I grant hath great force but yet not so great and besides it must néeds worke by touching Imagination can doo much True it is but euerie one in his owne bodie Howbeit no man no not in his owne proper bodie how stronglie soeuer he imagine can worke all things For if a man haue a withered arme and so stopt as the pores cannot haue their passage let him vse as great imagination as he will he shall not cure the same As for bewitching it is not so great a maruell for in old women the humors are corrupted and being drawne into the eies doo easilie infect especiallie children and infants whose bodies be as it were of waxe But there be other things which go beyond all power of bewitchings as that was when Christ fed fiue thousand men with fiue loaues Matt. 14 2◠when Iosua commanded the sunne to stand still Iosua 10 13 whereas Aristotle in his eight booke of physicks and in his treatise De coelo mundo saith that Those intelligencies which mooue the spheres cannot cease at anie time from their worke and that they should mooue the spheres more slowelie if but one star more should be added therevnto when Esaie called backe the sunne Esaie 38 8. when at the death of Christ the Sunne suffered an eclipse the moone being then in opposition Luk. 23 44. Of which thing Dionysius writeth in an epistle vnto Apollophanes and saith that he had consideratelie beheld the same while he was in Aegypt and that it is extant in the historie of Phlegon Aphricanus Hervnto adde that the shadowe of Peter healed the sicke Acts. 5 15. that Elias shut vp the heauens 1. Kin. 17 1. so that it did not raine for the space of thrée yéeres and an halfe 12 But humors in mans bodie can doo much I grant But yet Christ saith The works which I doo Iohn 15 24. no man can doo and he must sooner be beléeued than all the sort of Peripatetikes Others saie that these things are onlie terrifiengs deuised by prudent men to containe the people in their dutie But we doo knowe that nothing in the scriptures is feigned or deuised for They be the pillers and sure foundation of the truth 1. Tim. 3 15. And whereas they saie that the soules of men doo passe and be changed into spirits that was sufficientlie confuted before when the same was obiected Trismegistus Trismegistus saith that Men doo make vnto themselues gods namelie images made and applied vnto certeine aspects of the heauen that they can speake and giue out oracles But a foolish thing it is to thinke that men can make themselues gods and yet if they can why doo they submit humble themselues vnto them whie doo they worship them whom they themselues made For it is a ridiculous thing to imagine that the cause of anie thing is inferiour to the effect thereof This dooth Esaie verie well deride and taunt Esaie 44 12. A man saith he taketh a peece of wood with the one part he warmeth himselfe and baketh him bread and with the other part he frameth himselfe a god But they can speake and giue out oracles Naie rather Dauid saith much more trulie They haue eies and see not they haue eares Psal 115 5. and heare not they haue mouthes and yet speake not And if they be able to make gods why doo they not rather make themselues to be gods For doubtles they shuld be much better aduised if they would make gods of their owne selues than to make them of stones and stocks Further if they be gods whie doo they not defend themselues For those idols were a good while a go throwen downe and abolished And although other idols
sent And againe He shall receiue of mine The fourth reason Iohn 16 14. whereby is signified that the holie Ghost dooth so differ from the Father and the Sonne as he is deriued from both And least that anie man should thinke that when Christ promised that the holie Ghost shuld come vpon the beléeuers as in the daie of Pentecost it came to passe onlie a diuine inspiration and motion of the mind was signified the words of Christ are against it wherein he said The fift reason Iohn 14 26. He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance which I haue told you But inspiration and motion of the mind doo not teach nor prompt anie thing but are onelie instruments whereby something is taught and prompted And the action of teaching and prompting cannot be attributed but vnto one that is a person indéed Which is prooued by other words of Christ when he said of the holie Ghost The sixt reason Iohn 16 13 He shall speake whatsoeuer he shall heare And that this third person procéedeth from the Father and the Sonne it is euident enough in the same Gospell of Iohn where it is written Iohn 15 26 The 7. reason When the Comforter shall come whom I will send vnto you euen the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father Séeing the sonne saith that he will send the Spirit and as we said before affirmeth him to receiue of his no man doubteth but that hée procéedeth from the sonne And he now expresselie addeth Who proceedeth from the Father 8 Now haue we first declared out of the holie scriptures Whether the holie Ghost be God that the person of the holie Ghost is distinguished as well from the Father as the Sonne and that he procéedeth from them both Now must we sée whether he be God This dooth Paule shew two maner of waies first when it is said There be diuersitie of gifts but one Spirit The first reason 1. Cor. 12 4. diuersitie of operations but one and the same God But to giue gifts and spirituall faculties is no whit lesse than to distribute operations wherefore séeing the holie Ghost is said to distribute gifts God to impart actions vnto men it is manifest that the holie Ghost is God If the spirit be the author of graces the Father of operations it is méet that the holie Ghost should be equall to God the Father Further it is added that The same spirit dooth worke all these things The second reason 1. Co. 12 11 distributing to euerie one euen as he will Séeing then the souereigne choise is in him to impart heauenlie gifts he is God And it is written Ye are the temple of God 1. Cor. 3 16. The third reason and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you if anie man doo violate the temple of God him shall God destroie But it is not méete for anie creature to haue a temple séeing the same is proper vnto the diuine nature Wherefore séeing we be called The temples of the holie Ghost it is now manifest that he is God And least we should thinke it lawfull to build temples vnto martyrs Augustine saith that temples are not builded vnto martyrs let vs heare Augustine who denieth that we build temples vnto martyrs we build them saith he vnto God although they be called The memories of martyrs and out of Augustine himselfe is this forme of reasoning gathered Neither did the apostle but onlie once saie that We are the temples of the holie Ghost but he hath the verie same thing in the sixt chapter of the same epistle where it is written And doo yee not knowe that your bodies are the temples of the holie Ghost 1. Cor. 6 19. Furthermore the power of creating which is proper vnto God The fourth reason Psal 33. 6. is ascribed vnto the holie Ghost séeing Dauid hath written By the word of the Lord were the heauens made all the powers of him by the spirit of his mouth And againe Send foorth thy spirit Psa 104 30. and they shall be created and thou shalt renew the face of the earth And in Matthew it is said of the bodie of Christ which should be brought foorth in the virgins wombe Matth. 1 20. That which is borne in hir is of the holie Ghost Againe Luke 1 45. The holy Ghost shall come vpon thee and the power of the most high shall ouershadowe thee Séeing then the holie Ghost hath the power of creating as it hath béene declared vndoubtedlie he is God 1. Cor. 2 verse 10. In the same epistle to the Corinthians it is said that he searcheth the bottome of Gods secrets it séemeth that the apostle maketh this kind of argument The fift reason The things which be of man no man knoweth but the spirit of man which is in him euen so the things that be of God none knoweth but the spirit of God And so he will haue it that euen as the spirit of man is vnto man so the spirit of God is towards God And no man is ignorant but that the spirit of man belongeth vnto the nature of man whereby it is certeine that the spirit of God is of his diuine nature Basil The sixt reason Basil against Eunomius vseth another reason which commeth in a manner to the selfe-same he saith that the holie Ghost is the spirit both of the father and of the sonne and therefore of the verie same nature that they be For it is written in the epistle to the Romans And if the spirit of him Rom. 8 11. which raised vp Iesus frō death doo abide in you he that raised vp Christ shall also raise vp your mortall bodies This place declareth that the holie Ghost dooth belong vnto the father who in the same epistle is shewed to belong also vnto the sonne when as a little before it is said He that hath not the spirit of Christ the same is not his But in the epistle to the Galathians Galat. 4 6. The seuenth reason both togither is expressed in these words And bicause yee be children therefore hath God sent the spirit of his sonne into your harts whereby ye crie Abba father Wherefore séeing the holie Ghost is the spirit aswell of the father as of the sonne he is wholie partaker of their nature 9 Moreouer in the Acts of the apostles the fift chapter Peter said to Ananias Acts. 5 3. How darest thou lie vnto the holie Ghost The eight reason Thou diddest not lie vnto men but vnto God Now in this place he most manifestlie calleth the holy Ghost God Augustine in his booke De trinitate else where and Ambrose also De spiritu sancto doo both cite the apostle to the Philippians the third chapter Phil. 3 3. where he writeth Beware of dogs beware of euill workers beware of concision for we be the circumcision which serue God in the
it is said vnto Moses when he detracted the time of dooing his message bicause he had an impediment in his spéech Exod. 4 11. Who hath giuen a mouth vnto man Or who maketh the dumbe or deafe the blind seeing Haue not I the Lord Wherfore I will be in thy mouth By which place it is shewed that it is the worke of almightie God to speake in his ministers to open their mouths to make them readie of spéech But Christ when he speaketh of this matter saith It is not you that speake but the spirit of your father whereby it séemes to be prooued Mat. 10 20. that the holie Ghost is God séeing he hath one and the selfe-same action with him Augustine in his epistle to Pascentius saith Augustine that he doth woonder how it can be that Christ whose members we are is beléeued to be God and that the holie Ghost whose temple we be should be denied to be God séeing the excellencie of the Godhead is more prooued in the latter condition than in the first The reasons which we haue brought do in part prooue of necessitie and doo plainelie shew What maner of reasons haue bin alleged that the holie Ghost is God Others indéed be not altogether of such efficacie but being ioined with other things doo confirme the minds of the faithfull in this truth neither is there anie of them which the fathers haue not some-where vsed There might also be added other arguments of this sort but with these we will hold our selues contented What may be obiected against this doctrine Rom. 8 26. 15 Now remaineth to consider what is woont to be obiected against this doctrine Some saie The holie Ghost praieth for vs and that with sighings vnspeakeable How can he then bée God séeing it is not méete for God to humble himselfe after the maner of suppliants Some answere and saie That the sonne doth make intercession for vs How the holie Ghost praieth for vs. Rom. 8 34. Looke In Rom. 8 verse 26. The holie Ghost hath not taken vpon him anie creature into the vnitie of person who neuerthelesse is God and that therefore to praie is not strange from the nature of God howbeit this is friuolous For Christ in that he was man was inferiour to the father and therefore might be a suter vnto him But the holie Ghost hath not taken vppon him the nature of anie creature into vnitie of person Wherefore the respect that must be had towards him and towards Christ is far differing and vnlike and therefore we will answere that the spirit praieth and maketh request for vs as it is written in the epistle to the Romanes bicause it driueth vs forward to doo these things and it is therefore said to sigh bicause it maketh vs to sigh Neither is this phrase strange from the scriptures God is said to doo those things which he causeth vs to doo Gen. 22 12. but it is verie often vsed For God said vnto Abraham when he would haue sacrificed his sonne Now haue I knowne that thou fearest God That vndoubtedlie was knowne before vnto the diuine maiestie and was commanded For the harts and cogitations of men are not hidden from him But I haue knowne in that place is as much to saie as I haue caused to knowe That this phrase is so to be vnderstood the Apostle testifieth to the Galathians when he saith And seeing yee be children Galath 4 6. therefore God hath sent the spirit of his son into your harts crieng Abba father In which words he séemeth to affirme that the holie Ghost himselfe doth crie vnto God But to the Romanes the same Apostle doth make it verie plaine For ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage Rom. 8 15. to feare anie more but yee haue receiued the spirit of adoption of children whereby we crie Abba father in which place it appeareth most plainelie that it is wée which crie the holie Ghost stirring and driuing vs forward therevnto 16 Further they demand that If the spirit procéed from the father Why the holie Ghost is not said to be the son and also from the sonne what is the cause why he is not called a sonne séeing he hath not beginning of himselfe We answere Bicause that in diuine and secret things we followe both the doctrine and manner of spéech of the holie scriptures Séeing then that the scripture hath in no place said that the holie Ghost either is begotten or is the sonne why should we attempt thus to saie And doubtles vnto godlie men this answere should suffice It must be added moreouer that this issuing out of the holie Ghost is called a procéeding therefore we must call it so And albeit that betwéene the Gréeke and Latin churches A long contention betweene the Greeke and Latine Churches Looke In Rom. 3. verse 30. there was a long contention whether the holie Ghost procéeded from the sonne yet was it not of anie great importance vnlesse it had bin aggrauated with the spirit of ambition For after the time that the Grecians began to contend in the Church for primacie they easilie tooke in ill part the opinions of the Latins But the dissention was taken vp in the Councell of Florence where it was manifest The Synod of Florence that the Latins meant no other thing but that the holie Ghost had his procéeding or issuing out as well from the father as from the sonne The which séeing it may be found as we haue said that in the holie scriptures it is called a procéeding we are not to be blamed Iohn 20 22. The sonne is said to send the holie Ghost for when he breathed vpon the Apostles he said Receiue yee the holie Ghost Iohn 16 14. Againe he said He shall receiue of mine And manie of the fathers before the Councell of Florence wrote that the holie Ghost is deriued as well from the father as the sonne Augustine against the heretike Maximinus Augustine and elsewhere sheweth it verie plainelie Also Epiphanius in Ancorato confesseth Epiphanius that the holie Ghost procéedeth from both that is from the father and the sonne 17 Albeit that betwéene procéeding and generation it is hard to put a difference A difference betweene generating and proceeding and that Augustine in the place now alledged granteth that he perceiued not the difference yet he said that this he knew namelie that whatsoeuer thing groweth doth also procéed but he saith not on the other side that whatsoeur things procéed are also sproong foorth Howbeit we cannot properlie expresse the difference Wherfore the holie Ghost is not said The holie Ghost neither begotten nor vnbegotten either to be begotten or vnbegotten least by saieng vnbegotten we might séeme to affirme him to be the father or by affirming him to be begotten we may séeme to call him the sonne This we haue out of Augustine in his third tome at the beginning of the
Iohn 1 32. Matth. 3 16. lighted vpon the Lord which being the spirit was as trulie a doue as he was the spirit neither did the contrarie substance taken destroie his owne proper substance Of the doue wherein the holie Ghost appeared 11 I knowe there haue bin some schoolemen which thought that it was not a verie doue which descended vpon the head of Christ but that it was onlie an airie and thickned bodie appéering to be a doue But Augustine De agone Christiano writeth otherwise Augustine namelie that the same was a verie doue For a thing saith he is more effectuall to expresse the propertie of the holie Ghost than is a signe Euen as Christians also are better expressed in shéepe and lambes than in the likenes of shéepe and lambs Againe if Christ had a true bodie and deceiued not then the holie Ghost had the verie true bodie of a doue Tertullian addeth Thou wilt demand where the bodie of the doue became What became of the doue wherin the holie Ghost appeered when the spirit was taken againe into heauen and in like manner of the Angels bodies It was taken awaie euen after the selfe-same manner that it came If thou haddest séene when it was brought foorth of nothing thou mightest also haue knowen when it was taken awaie to nothing If the beginning of it was not visible no more was the end then he remitteth the reader vnto Iohn Was he also saith he a phantasie after his resurrection when he offered his hands and féet to be séene of his disciples saieng Behold it is I for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as yee see me haue Luke 24 39. Therefore Christ is brought in as a iugler or coniurer And in his third booke against Marcion Therefore his Christ that he should not lie nor deceiue and by that meanes perhaps might be estéemed for the Creator was not indéed that which he séemed to be and that which he was he was feigned to be flesh and yet no flesh man and yet no man and therefore Christ God and not God For why did he not also beare the shape of God Shall I beléeue him as touching this inward substance that is ouerthrowne about the outward substance How may he be thought to worke soundlie in secret that is perceiued to be false openlie And afterward It is inough for me to affirme that The iudgement of the senses which is agréeable vnto God namelie the truth of that thing which he obiecteth to thrée senses to sight to touching and to hearing Againe in his booke De carne Christi His vertues saith he prooued that he had the spirit of God and his passions A proofe of the godhead manhood in Christ that he had the flesh of man If vertues be not without spirit neither shall passions be without flesh If flesh togither with the passions be feigned the spirit also with his vertues is false Why dooest thou make diuision of Christ by an vntruth He is all wholie truth 12 Apelles the heretike The opinion of Apelles the heretike being in a manner vanquished with these reasons agréed indéed that Christ was indued with verie flesh but yet denied the same to be borne but said that it was brought foorth from heauen And he obiecteth that The bodies which were taken by Angels were true bodies but were not borne such a bodie saith he Christ had Whervnto Tertullian answereth They saith he which publish the flesh of Christ to be after the example of the Angels saieng that it was not borne namelie a fleshie substance I would haue them also to compare the causes as well why Christ Christ tooke flesh vpon him in one respect Angels in another as why the Angels did come in the flesh For there was neuer anie Angel that came downe to be crucified to suffer death and to rise againe If then there was neuer anie such cause for Angels â—o incorporate themselues then hast thou a cause why they take flesh and yet were not borne They came not to die therefore they came not to be borne but Christ being sent to die it was necessarie that he should be borne for no man is woont to die but he which is borne He addeth moreouer And euen then also the Lord himselfe among those Angels appéered vnto Abraham with flesh indéed without natiuitie by reason of the same diuersitie of cause After this he addeth that Angels haue their bodies rather from the earth than from heauen For let them prooue saith he that those Angels receiued of the stars substance of flesh if they prooue it not bicause it is not written then was not the flesh of Christ from thence wherevnto they applie their example And in his third booke against Marcion My God saith he which hauing taken it out of the slime of the earth formed it a new vnto this qualitie not as yet by the séede of matrimonie and yet flesh notwithstanding might as well of anie matter haue framed flesh vnto Angels which also of nothing framed the world and that with a word into so manie and such bodies Againe in his booke De carne Christi it is manifest that Angels bare not flesh proper of their owne as in the nature of spirituall substance and if they were of anie bodie yet was it of their owne kind and for a time they were changeable into humane flesh to the intent they might be séene and conuerse with men Further in the third booke against Marcion Vnderstand thou saith he that neither it must be granted thée that the flesh in Angels was an imagined thing but of a true and perfect humane substance For if it were not hard for him to giue both true senses and acts vnto that imagined flesh much easier was it for him that he gaue a true substance of flesh to true senses and actions insomuch as he is the verie proper authour and worker thereof For it is harder for God to make a lie than to frame a bodie Last of all he thus concludeth Therefore are they verie humane bodies bicause of the truth of God who is far from lieng and deceit and bicause they cannot be dealt withall by men after the maner of men otherwise than in the substance of men I might alledge manie other things out of Tertullian but these may séeme to suffice for this present purpose The summe of Tertullians opinion Bréeflie he thinketh that Angels haue bodies for a time but yet strange and not their owne for their owne bodies as he thinketh belongeth vnto the spirituall kind Secondlie he saith that those strange bodies which they take vnto them are either created of nothing or else of some such matter as séemeth best to the wisedome of God Thirdlie he teacheth that those bodies were true and substantiall and humane bodies not vaine or feined but of verie flesh and not of that which onlie appéered to be flesh in such wise as of men they might
That also doth euerie one of vs sée and which is more to be reckoned of it is not hidden from God himselfe whom yet cōmanding we must obeie Let vs commit the end vnto him vnto whom the church belongeth he no doubt will verie well in good time prouide for his spouse Christ said to Peter when he called him and he prolonged and demanded what should become of Iohn If I will that he tarie till I come Ioh. 21 22. what is that to thee Followe thou me We be taught therefore to followe the word of God whither so euer it call vs and let vs commit the care of other things which séeme to hinder vs to him that calleth vs. Furthermore this is not to be ouerpassed that that doctrine oftentimes is more woorth and doth greater edifie which is sealed by flieng awaie and by death than that which is onelie set foorth by words Let vs not be afraid though one of vs fall or flie but let vs hope that God in his place will raise vp manie more But if we continue and that our dissembling indure long the light of the truth and fire of charitie which is kindled in our harts will by little and little be extinguished 34 They alledge examples of the prophets Whether it were lawfull in the corrupt church of the Iewes to communicate with the legall ceremonies of Zacharie of Iohn Baptist of Marie the virgin and of Ioseph who in those corrupt and vnpure times came vnto the publike seruice and vnto the temple of the Iewes and therefore thinke that it is permitted vnto them to doo the like But they ought to consider with themselues that in that age there were manie pernicious doctrines euill opinions among the Scribes and Pharisies Howbeit the custome of sacrificing was changed for as yet the same sort of beasts and oblations were offred which the lawe commanded the same daies and ceremonies were obserued Wherefore it was lawfull for holie men to vse them for so much as they had the word of God ioined with them But as for the corrupt opinions conceits and maners of certeine priests bishops and Scribes they were no let vnto holie men especiallie séeing they were pure and cleane from them and both iudged and liued in all things according to the word of God But the corruptions faults of doctrine Augustine when oportunitie serued they did reprehend sharplie reprooue This doth Augustine testifie as it is in the 23. cause qu. 1. cap. Recedite in certeine other chapters which be there read Let the papists doo so in these daies with vs let them so set foorth the Lords supper and other rites as they be appointed by the word of God and we will not refuse to vse them so that they compell vs not to the confession of wicked opinions and preach not heresies vnto vs but deliuer to vs the pure and vncorrupt word of God But and if so be they themselues thinke euill if they liue shamefullie we will be sorie for them we will admonish rebuke and blame them and if we may we will driue them from the holie administration and when they be past amendment we will depriue them of their office although we abstaine not from the sacraments This no doubt was the will of the Lord when he said Matth. 23 2. The Scribes and Phariseis sit on the chaire of Moses and what they saie doo ye but what they doo doo ye not It was lawfull therefore for the blessed virgin after she was deliuered of our sauior to offer a paire of turtle dooues or two yoong pigeons bicause it was so commanded in the lawe Wherefore let them shew vnto vs that their Masse by them corrupted is commanded by the word of God and not forbidden and then we will not contend with them about that matter 35 Last of all being confuted in these obiections they be brought to that passe as they saie Although it be sinne to be present at Masse yet it is but a light offense and should not by vs be so seuerelie reprooued Frō whence sinne hath his weight But when they saie thus why doo they not remember that all sinnes haue their weight not of the nature it selfe of works prohibited but of the word of God and the lawe whereby they were forbidden Hereby sinnes doo procure all their burthen and weight A place of Iames expounded verse 10. Whervnto Iames the apostle had respect when he saith in his second chapter He that shall obserue the whole lawe and offendeth in one thing is guiltie of all All sinnes are not alike Augustine Neither doo I speake as though I would haue all sinnes by all meanes alike for this Augustine in his nine and twentie epistle to Ierom aptlie and manifestlie denieth Indéed he confesseth that the philosophers went about to prooue it when they affirme that all vertues are so knit togither that he which hath one vertue hath all and he which dooth want one dooth want them all For wisedome is not fearefull neither vntemperate nor yet vniust wherefore it hath all the other vertues with it And againe iustice fortitude temperance and the other vertues be not without wisedome and therefore they be knit all togither These things saie they doo not agrée with the holie scriptures for there it is written In manie things we sinne all And if we saie we haue no sinne Iam. 3 2. 1. Ioh. 1 10. we deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs. Séeing then we sinne in manie things doubtlesse in sinning we cannot haue vertue which is opposite vnto the sinne which we commit And neuerthelesse it often chanceth Oftentimes he that falleth in one thing is constant in another that he which falleth in one thing may be constant in other things Peraduenture he which is angrie or that eateth and drinketh excessiuelie yet yéeldeth to euerie man his owne is readie with a good courage to giue his life for God and therefore notwithstanding he be somewhat testie or vntemperate he may for all that be called iust bountifull and valiant Moreouer the same father confuteth the similitude of the Stoiks A similitude wherein they saie that He is as well drowned in water aboue whose head the water is but one hand bredth as he ouer whom it floweth ten or twentie cubits The similitude saith he is not aptlie brought but we must bring in another more fit to the purpose namelie a similitude of light and darknesse Vndoubtedlie while a man departeth from darknes and commeth néerer the light he beginneth then somewhat to sée so that it commeth to passe that although he be couered with darknes yet for all that after a sort he is somwhat partaker of the light But he that is desirous to vnderstand more hereof let him peruse the same 29. epistle And these things haue I to this end brought to confirme that all sinnes are not equall as the Stoiks iudged 36 Now
verse 24. that the substance of Hierico became accursed and yet what soeuer was there brasse iron siluer or gold all that were they to bring to the treasurie of the Lord. If a féeld by anie hap should be consecrated vnto idols the same Augustine iudgeth that those things which grew therein are lawfull for the beléeuers Psal 24. 1. for The earth saith he is the Lords and all the fulnes thereof And vnto Timothie it is said 1. Tim. 4 4. Euerie creature of God is good so it be receiued of vs with thanks-giuing and praiers Else should we blame Paule who was manie daies in Athens and vndoubtedlie fed of the fruits and commodities of the Athenien féeld Acts. 37 16. which féeld neuerthelesse was consecrated vnto Minerua But if there should now be fruits and those consecrated appointed to the speciall vse or seruice of idols the christians ought to refraine least they might séeme to communicate with impietie But bicause men in old time were accustomed sometimes to sacrifice vnto fountaines and riuers for that they attributed vnto them a certeine kind of diuinitie I know not what and therefore they threw into them sometimes either the sacrificed flesh or the inwards of the same it is doubted whether christians might vse those waters afterward Augustine answereth Yes indéed it is lawfull for we knowe saith he that there be verie manie which doo sacrifice vnto the sunne yet feare we not to vse the light of the same and to enioie the beames thereof yea and there be found infidels which doo offer sacrifice vnto the winds and yet neuerthelesse we vse the winds in our sailing 53 Last of all The case of one which iournied by the waie Publicola putteth him in mind of a case concerning a certeine man which passing through a desart and the same man being verie hungrie happening vpon a church or chappell of idols where by chance finding certeine flesh set readie he demandeth whether it were lawfull for him to eate if he professe christian religion Augustine answereth bicause it may be that that same is not sacrificed flesh but is left there of strangers by chance which turned in thither either to dine or sup therfore séeing it is not apparant that those are sacrificed things he that is hungrie may vse them Further as if he had not satisfied himself he maketh this distinction Either he knoweth for a certeintie that the flesh was offred in sacrifice or he knoweth for a certeintie that it was not or else he doubteth And he addeth If he doubt or else knowe for a certeintie that it is no sacrificed flesh he may eate lawfullie But if it shall certeinlie appéere that the flesh was offered in sacrifice let him absteine in respect of christian pietie Héere would I not willinglie subscribe to the iudgement of Augustine 1. Cor. 8. 4 for I sée no cause whie he may bid a christian man that is hungrie to refraine from this kind of meate for being in the wildernesse he hath not there anie weake brethren whom he may offend neither yet dooth he communicate with diuels séeing no sacrifice is there in hand neither dooth he set foorth vnto the infidels his libertie to be condemned or blasphemed Which things were the iust and onelie causes whie the apostle forbad the eating of things offered vnto idols Therefore I would iudge that in such a case it is frée to vse that kind of meate for Psal 24 1. The earth is the Lords and all that is therein VVhat is to tempt God 54 To tempt is nothing else In. 1. Co. 10 Looke part 1. pla 8. art 15. Looke In Gen. 24. at the end God tempteth two manner of waies but to make proofe Wherefore they tempt God which will haue triall of his power and will And this is doone two waies bicause otherwhile there is no lacke of such things as we haue néed of but we disdaine to vse those accustomed and familiar things and we would be holpen by meanes exquisite and vnheard of As if one that would not put on a garment which he hath and in the meane time should praie A similitude that God by some strange meanes would driue awaie the cold frō him as there be euerie where to be found who not content with the miracles rehearsed in the holie scripture would now haue some other to confirme the truth of the faith According to this sense Christ answered sathan when he persuaded him to throwe himselfe downe headlong from the top of the temple Matth. 4 7. It is written Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God As if he shuld saie The waie to go downe is manifestlie knowne vnto me I haue steps to what purpose should I cast my selfe downe headlong If I doo it I shall tempt God 55 Another kind there is of this temptation when we lacke necessarie things but yet neuerthelesse haue a promise and godlinesse dooth persuade vs to attend patientlie But manie refuse to tarie the Lords helpe yea they dare prescribe a time vnto God and a meane also whereby they would be holpen of him This riseth through the vnpatientnesse of aduersities which happeneth oftentimes with our greate destruction Wherefore the scriptures not without cause exhort vs euerie where to patience Tertullian Tertullian also and Cyprian haue verie notablie written Cyprian concerning patience None of vs ought to prescribe vnto God either the meanes or the time of helpe he best knoweth the iust causes and he for good considerations deferreth his gifts The first is The 1. reason for that our sinne should not lurke in the mind for vnlesse we were deferred vnpatience would not bewraie it selfe wherewith otherwise the hart is infected Which being not vnderstood of vs we would liue more carelesse neither would we praie to haue it taken from vs. The 2. reason Further if things necessarie should foorthwith come vnto vs perhaps we would not attribute the same vnto God but either vnto chance or else vnto our owne strength and indeuour Wherefore God hath appointed that when he deferreth his helpe which he afterward giueth at the time prescribed we may acknowledge him to be the authour of our deliuerance The 3. reason For by this means we vnderstand that helpe is come vnto vs not by our owne appointment but by his And affliction is recompensed with the pleasantnes of delaieng for most pleasant are those things which be longest looked for Neither dooth God demand anie thing else but that we should weigh his gifts with a right consideration lest they should become vile And thus we must beware of this heinous crime that we through vnpatience doo not tempt GOD for by such meanes men either beléeue him not to be the author of all things or else they be in doubt whether he take care of them And when helpe is deferred at length they spue out their anger and powre foorth their hatred which they miserable
chapter where he saith The first image of brasse was made vnto Ceres at the proper costs and charges of Spurius Cassius Here we sée that this writer calleth the idoll of Ceres Simulachrum Vitruuius in his second booke and eleuenth chapter where he intreateth of the hewing of stuffe calleth the image of Diana Simulachrum The seuentie interpretors where it is in Hebrue Atsabbim there they translate it in Gréeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the Latine text hath Simulachra Yea and Iohn in the place a little before alledged saith Defend your selues from images 1. Ioh. 5 21 We read it in the Latine translation Fugite simulachra Ierom vpon the eleuenth chapter of Esaie declareth that Idols be the images of them which be dead Wherefore it appéereth that these men deuise distinctions which be fond and ridiculous Againe it must be considered Frō whence the worshipping of idols came into the church of Christ that this worshipping of images which is outwardlie of them vsed hath béene fetched as well from the Hebrues as also from the Gentils For in the tabernacle of Moses there was the candlesticke and the altar and also the incense such as these men doo set before their images Albeit Christ is now come and hath abrogated the ceremonies of Moses Cicero in his third booke of offices saith that Perfumes and wax candles were set before images Wherefore such rites or ceremonies were deriued aswell from the Gentils as from the Hebrues But at the last the matter came to such passe which is more intollerable as it is now thought of them which be called christians that some diuine power is in those images In which point I sée not what they differ from Ethniks They vndoubtedlie did thinke that such as vsed the image of Alexander were more fortunate than other men Wherefore Augustus which had before vsed the image of the Sphynx did afterward vse the image of Alexander Marius was delighted with a siluer eagle the which came afterward to the hands of Cateline who also worshipped the same himselfe and praied victorie of it Euen so doo they at this daie attribute sundrie vertues vnto images they make sacrifice vnto them and doo aske manie things of them Ierom vpon the 57. chapter of Esaie declareth that in his time at Rome the image of Tutela was worshipped in the entries of houses The image of Tutela worshipped at Rome in the time of Ierom. with tapers and lights But for vs if we be true christians it is no decent thing to take rites and ceremonies either from the Iewes or from other nations but we must onelie vse those things which are commanded vs in the word of God 1. Co. 11 23 Wherevpon Paule being desirous to commend the vse of the Lords supper saith that He deliuered vnto the Corinthians that which he had receiued of the Lord. 17 Wherefore séeing we haue it manifest out of the word of God that we must not worship images we ought to obeie suffering our selues to be gouerned by the lawe of God and not by the inuentions of men Moreouer we knowe Iohn 4 23. that God must be worshipped in spirit and in truth but no man is ignorant that images be not spirit and truth for so much as they be things which may be séene 2. Co. 5 16. And Paule saith that We knowe Christ no more after the flesh therefore much lesse after an image I beséech you let vs conferre the state of the primitiue church where vnto the seruice of God images were not vsed at all with the latter state wherin they be allowed and it will most manifestlie appéere that all things are become more corrupt Moreouer Augustine in his booke De quantitate animae most wiselie wrote that It behoueth him that is worshipped to be much better than he that dooth yéeld the worship but all men vnderstand that images be not better than men Further if they might be indued with life and reason they would honor their makers by whose hands they were made When men sinne in this kind of worshipping they doo nothing else but as S. Paule taught the Romans They change the glorie of God into the similitude of a mortall man of birds Rom. 1 23. of foure footed beasts and of serpents Those which defend and mainteine such worshippings doo drawe awaie men from the true worshipping of God For 1. kin 12 28 when as Ieroboam went about to drawe awaie the children of Israel from the worshipping of the true God he erected two images of calues one in Bethel and the other in Dan. Furthermore in this matter we knowe the forwardnes of men for whereas Christ hath commanded that we should beare his crosse we had rather worship the same and all to becrosse our head and forehead therewith which thing he commanded vs not Neither can we but grant that the Christians as we may learne by Tertullian began euen at the first to fortifie themselues with the signe of the crosse Matt. 13 25. For the diuell began foorthwith to sowe cockle vpon the good séed of the church Also Paule putteth the Corinthians in remembrance 1. Cor. 12 2. that they were sometime carried awaie vnto dumbe images the which verie thing we sée doone at this day in euerie place We read not anie where in the time of the primitiue church that faithfull and godlie men did direct their praiers vnto pictures and images But now this is vsed euerie where and it is come to that passe that men giue more honor vnto images than they doo vnto the word of God For there is not a man found at this daie that dooth worship and honor the holie scriptures Christ when he was vpon the earth Iohn 15 7. bicause he was now readie to depart comforted his apostles saieng that Vnlesse he departed the spirit of the Comforter should not be sent vnto them Which the interpretors expound to be said bicause that the presence of Christ as concerning his flesh would hinder them that they should not be fit to receiue the spirit Which thing if it be trulie said as touching the flesh of the Lord how much rather shall it be affirmed of his images and pictures Neither doo we doubt that Peter would not be worshipped of Cornelius the Centurion If Peter would not be worshipped himselfe much lesse his image who was not to be thought that he would doo diuine honor vnto him With what mind thinke we dooth he beare that his images and pictures should now be worshipped among men But if they will saie We doo not honor them with the chéefest honor let them vnderstand that neither Cornelius minded so to worship Peter 18 Neither must we be ignorant Apo. 19 10. and 22 9. that the angell in the Apocalypse did twise reprooue Iohn for that he would haue worshipped him Then if so be that neither angels nor men must be worshipped much lesse their images and pictures And
that anie man should feigne himselfe to haue committed anie crime which he hath not doone Gregorie though Gregorie saith that It is the part of good minds there to acknowledge a fault where none is Of this matter Augustine Augustine in his 29. sermon De verbis apostoli hath taught more soundlie and trulie For he writeth By feigning on this wise if thou wast not a sinner before thou shalt become a sinner namelie in saieng that thou hast cōmitted that which thou hast not committed Indéed it is lawfull for euerie man to confesse himselfe generallie to be a sinner but this or that crime speciallie hauing not committed the same no man ought to take vpon him Moreouer we must note this to be true to wit that it is not required of vs to open the truth at all times and in all places to speake all that we knowe Howbeit in iudgement the case is otherwise for there while we be examined as witnesses we are bound to testifie that which we knowe to serue vnto the thing whereof we be at that time demanded Of Truth and of a Lie which place is treated of In Iudges 3. and also In 1. Sam. 21 verse 12. Of truth 28 Now let vs treat of another question namelie whether it be lawfull for a good and godlie man to lie But before I speake of a lie I thinke best to speake somewhat of truth which doubtlesse is an excellent vertue What is truth Cicero Truth as saith Tullie in his booke De inuentione is that whereby things which are haue béene and shall be are spoken without alteration Wherein we will first note that it consisteth in words for he saith that they are spoken Not that I am ignorant but that dumbe men and others doo sometimes speake by signes Augustine But bicause as saith Augustine in his first booke De doctrina christiana among other signes words are the principall and most plaine Further we be taught hereby that truth is not onelie to be considered as touching one difference of time but as touching thrée differences For he saith that both those things which are which haue béene and which shall be These things be then spoken trulie when they be set foorth without alteration that is euen as they are and by speaking made neither more ample nor lesse than they be The verie selfe-same thing in a maner hath Augustine said in his booke De vera religione Augustine the 36. chapter where he writeth that Truth is whereby that which is is signified And it is a vertue Truth is a vertue bicause by it men are made prone and readie to speake that which is true If thou demand what is the generall word of truth It is equalitie wherevnto is ioined The generall word of truth for difference sake namelie of words about the things which are signified And as it is well knowne to all men all vertues doo aime at the meane and eschew extremities Wherefore Two faults in speeches in the kind of speaking thou shalt perceiue two faults namelie if thou speake more than the thing will permit or lesse than the thing is Neither is vertue content onelie with the meane for we must adde circumstances which vse commonlie to followe it So as the truth must not alwaies be spoken to euerie man neither at all times nor yet of euerie thing and yet we must not lie But it is wisedome sometime to kéepe secret those things which for iust cause we will not haue known He which should vaunt abroad euerie-where and to all men the gifts of God giuen vnto him should be counted foolish and fond As contrariewise he which should boast of a crime whereinto by mans infirmitie he hath fallen ought iustlie and woorthilie to be reprooued Wherefore truth requireth What thing truth requireth that what we haue within vs as touching our sense and will that should prudentlie be signified by vs as it is Further the vertue whereof we speake hath simplicitie most of all ioined with it and it is verie contrarie vnto doublenesse Besides this it is a part of iustice for both vnto things it giueth the proper words and vnto a neighbour the truth which is due vnto him without the which mans fellowship cannot stand For if a man should continuallie suspect himselfe to be deceiued by anie man he would neuer giue anie credit vnto him by meanes whereof all trades and societies among men would decaie Aristotle in his Ethiks Aristotle affirmeth that Truth declineth somewhat toward the defect especiallie when anie man speaketh of himselfe For this wisedome requireth that a man boast not of himselfe Wherevpon Paule in his second epistle to the Corinthians and twelfe chapter wrote If I will boast of my selfe 2. Cor. 12 6. I shall not be vnwise but I will forbeare lest anie man should thinke of me more than that he seeth in me or that he heareth of me By these words he reprooueth them as foolish and vnwise which doo boast and glorie euen of those good things which they haue and he saith that he will absteine from it Neither saith he doo I require that anie man should thinke more of me than either he séeth in me He that speaketh lesse of himselfe than he hath lieth not or heareth of me And he which speaketh lesse of himselfe than he is is not straitwaie to be accused as a lier For that which is the more comprehendeth and conteineth in it the lesse For whosoeuer hath fiftie he may truelie saie that he hath twentie although he speaketh not of all that he hath Howbeit if the same man should affirme that he hath but twentie onelie or else should denie that he hath anie at all We must not lie for humilitie sake out of doubt he should lie the which must not be committed either for modestie sake or as they saie for humilitie 29 Concerning testimonies out of the holie scriptures which doo stir vs vp to speake the truth doubtlesse verie manie might be alledged but a few shall suffice In the ten commandements Exo. 20 16. it is written Thou shalt not beare false witnesse Which commandement must be obserued not onelie in iudgement but in all things which in our talke we testifie to be either true or false Moreouer God is set before our eies to be followed Rom. 3 4. whom the scriptures in euerie place pronounce to be true Wherefore we also ought to be most feruent louers of the truth verse 21. And for that cause Iethro in the 18. chapter of Exodus counselled Moses to set such men to be rulers ouer the people as did feare God men of courage louers of the truth and those which hated couetousnesse Psal 51 8. Also Dauid saith Behold thou hast loued truth and therefore thou hast made me to vnderstand wisdome in the inward and secret parts of my mind These things sufficientlie declare that we are taught of God
both by inward inspiration and also by outward doctrine bicause he is a louer of the truth neither dooth he suffer that his children should either erre or be deceiued by lies In Zacharie the eight chapter verse 16. it is written Speake ye the truth euerie man to his neighbour Which selfe-same sentence Paule vseth to the Ephesians Ephes 4 25. Col. 3 9. and he commandeth the same to the Colossians But in the latter epistle to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 3 8. he saith of himselfe and of the other apostles that they can haue nothing against the truth Yea and the Scribes and Pharisies being ioined with the Herodians on this wise flattered Christ whom they went about to intrap in his spéech Maister Matt. 22 16. we knowe that thou acceptest no persons yea thou teachest the waie of God in truth Hereby they declared that it is a singular vertue for a noble and notable man to prefer the truth before all things But let these testimonies of the holie scriptures be sufficient at this time 30 It remaineth Of a lie that I now come to treat of a lie Augustine Augustine who wrote thereof to Consentius affirmeth that A lie is the false signification of the spéech And vndoubtedlie of this vice may all those things be spoken by a contrarie position which are before declared of truth And first contrarie to that which Tullie affirmed of truth that that is true whereby things which are which haue béene and which shall be are said to be vnaltered And a lie is that whereby is signified that which is not for Augustine defined truth by the contrarie This vice is so hurtfull that it maketh a man which is infected therewith to reioise and be glad in falsehood The generall word of truth is equalitie Inequalitie the generall word of a lie and the generall of this vice inequalitie And as truth is verie néere ioined with simplicitie so a lie belongeth to doublenesse Truth is a part of iustice but a lie is a part of iniustice By truth the societie of man is preserued but by lieng it is hurt and ouerthrowne But returne we to Augustine who writeth that He is said to lie which with a will to deceiue speaketh that which is false that To lie is nothing else but to go against the mind for liers speake another thing than they haue in their mind But the desire to deceiue is vtterlie against iustice loue and amitie which we mutuallie owe one towards another So then there be thrée things in a lie first Three things incident to a lie to speake that which is false secondlie his will in speaking and thirdlie a desire to deceiue The first part belongeth to the matter of a lie the other two parts perteine vnto the forme 31 A lie is distinguished into an officious lie a sporting lie and a pernicious lie The distinction of a lie And this diuision commeth of no other thing but of the effects or of the ends For this is euermore true that the ends themselues may haue the nature both of the cause and of the effect séeing lies doo either profit or delite or else hurt The end of a pernicious lie is to hurt the end of a sporting lie is to delite and the end of an officious lie is to profit But forsomuch as in vertue Aristotle Aristotle hath respect chéeflie vnto the meane if then in speaking thou excéed that meane Looke In 2. Sam. 16 verse 33. he calleth it boasting but if thou come short he nameth it dissimulation or mocking And in this euill that most of all hurteth bicause an euill or false opinion is ingendred in the mind of our neighbor For which cause it séemeth that the same Aristotle said well that Lieng is a wicked thing A lie is wicked and must be shunned and must be auoided Which we may prooue by testimonies of the holie scriptures For herevnto belong all those things which we rehearsed before for prouoking of vs to speake the truth And there be manie other places dispersed here and there which detest lieng Dauid saith Psal 5 6. Thou shalt destroie all those which speake lies Psal 5 6. There be reasons also which persuade the same whereof one is In a lie is an abuse of signes that in a lie there is an abuse of signes And for so much as it is not lawfull to abuse the gifts of GOD a lie also is vnderstood to be forbidden Moreouer as it is before said a lie is enimie vnto the societie of man For in lieng the vnderstanding of the mind is not communicated vnto our brethren but lies Wherefore séeing by nature man is made vnto societie and communication when he speaketh that which is false he striueth against his owne nature And as Augustine saith Augustine Faith héerein is harmed bicause he which heareth beléeueth those things which are spoken Wherefore that faith which he giueth vnto others words is made void and so notable a thing cannot be hurt without blame And to conclude euerie man by lieng looseth his owne credit for being taken in a lie he shall be euer after suspected of it Wherefore though he would he shall not be able by admonition or correction to helpe his neighbour So the fault that is in a lie not onelie respecteth the losse or hurt of our neighbour but it is in it of his owne kind as manifestlie appéereth by that which we haue alreadie said What kind of lie is most greeuous But among lies that séemeth to be most heinous which is in matter of religion doctrine and godlinesse for in no other thing can guile be more hurtfull and pernicious For if we shall erre therein we be cast from euerlasting felicitie Wherefore Augustine in his Enchiridion the 18. chapter hath verie well written that They indéed sinne gréeuouslie which deceiue trauelling men in shewing them a contrarie waie But they be much more detestable which in lieng about matters of religion doo bring men into error 32 If the thrée kinds of lies should be compared togither I meane the pernicious lie the sporting lie and the officious lie the pernicious lie should iustlie be counted the more detestable Bicause in it are two euils one is the abuse of signes In a pernicious lie are two euils an other is the hurt of our neighbour and that both of the mind that is deceiued which is common to all lies and also of the thing which is lost But as for other lies although they be not without fault yet is the same fault much diminished by the benefit either of delight or of supplie of the helpe A sporting lie And indéed a sporting lie hath in it but a small and slender nature of a lie for so much as the falshood is straitwaie found out neither can it be long hidden from the hearers Augustine Yea Augustine writeth that such lies are not to be counted
verse 19. Which may be vnderstood after this sort namelie that he might reprooue them for their obstinacie and vnbeléefe wherein they were hardened against the word of God and against the godlie admonitions which euer among were propounded vnto them while they yet liued or else that he euen then shewed vnto them that same holsome and most true word Which word séeing they being alwaies like to themselues did obstinatelie reiect and being dead reteined still that incredulitie which they did being aliue they themselues gaue a most manifest testimonie against themselues of their most iust condemnation especiallie séeing they might not anie longer pretend anie maner of ignorance Thus the wisedome of God through his iudgements carieth perfect praise and renowme And here we are to craue of GOD that he will vouchsafe to giue vnto vs such a mind as we estéeme not more of our peruerse lusts than of a stinking carcase which is alreadie laid close in a sepulchre and that he will so open our heart to imbrace his holie promises least while our eares are striken onelie with the outward sound of them we wickedlie resist the truth certeintie of them It is our part also that séeing Christ by so manie labours and sufferings approoued him selfe for certeintie to be verie man we being comforted by his helpe should plainlie meditate diuine and heauenlie life And hauing so great a benefite giuen of God by the death and buriall of Christ we should doo him no small wrong if we would in verie déed thinke that our owne works auaile anie thing for reconcilement of vs vnto him when as we professe rather by this article of faith that he was pacified with mankind by the onelie death of Christ and by his bitter passion He rose againe the third daie he ascended into heauen he sitteth at the right hand of God the father almightie 21 If Christ that onelie sonne of God Looke the dialog De vtraque in Christo natura The resurrection of Christ the triumph of our faith A similitude which came downe vnto vs and for our saluation was slaine by a most bitter death of the crosse had shroonke or not béene able to haue susteined death and being closed in the sepulchre had tasted the force of corruption as other men doo how might we haue confidence to be saued by him that had not béene able to saue himselfe In like maner as if a man that would proffer his helpe to one perishing in the water leapeth with a good courage into the water neuerthelesse he himselfe whiles he indeuoureth to saue another perisheth being swallowed vp in the déepe of the water can he that perisheth himselfe bring anie helpe to him that is perishing Vndoubtedlie no other commoditie can come thereof but that the losse groweth to be double if vnto the death of the first there is also added the death of a second who by his death should bring so much the more losse in how much his life was more pure and holie So then it altogither behoued first that for our saluation Christ should deliuer himselfe from death then to persuade vs most fullie that by faith in him saluation is obteined for vs. Wherefore they which beheld him hanging vpon the crosse did reprochfullie cast him in the téeth with these things Matt. 27 42 Let him saue himselfe and we will beleeue him he saued others himselfe he cannot saue And he rose againe from death wherein he expressed foorth a greater power than if he had then descended from the crosse He stroue in such sort with death as he mightilie conquering and destroieng the same might not be reteined thereby For this cause doo we here confesse that he was raised vp the third daie according to the scriptures and that by his fathers decrée he ascended into heauen and that he sitteth at the right hand of the father By which article of our faith we now sucke out most swéet comfort to wit Two worthie things to be noted in the resurrection of Christ The glorie of Christ that Christ is exalted for our saluation And here fall out two things most worthie to be noted the first is what maner of exaltation and new glorie of Christ the same was the second what profit may redound to the faithfull therby 22 Whosoeuer is desirous to perceiue aright vnto what a heigth Christ is raised vp first it behooueth him to weigh vnto how base an estate he first of his owne accord humbled himselfe for our sakes This dooth Paule in his epistle to the Philippians contriue in few words Phil. 2 7. He saith he made himselfe of no reputation and tooke on him the forme of a seruant and was made like vnto men and was found in shape as a man hee humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto death euen to the death of the crosse In like maner also as we haue more at large shewed before Christes spirit separated from his bodie his bodie was closed vp in the sepulchre but his soule had proofe of that state which the spirits of men enter into when they be separated from their bodies by death The viler therefore and more abiect that these things were vnto the shew so much the more honourable it was to dispatch himselfe from hence and to mount vp vnto things méere contrarie And séeing that mankind is subiect euery where to sundrie miseries those doubtlesse are no small miseries which euen they commonlie suffer who abounding in riches séeme to haue obteined the more happie state of life Yet the miseries of the poore be more gréeuous but when they serue in bondage they be much more extreame A similitude Howbeit if so be that a man which is of a couragious noble mind be deliuered into the bondage of such his enimies as not onelie are of base calling among men but also of naughtie and wicked behauiour his lamentable and miserable state séemeth then to be most intollerable Yet verelie all these things happened vnto Christ who as he vndoubtedlie put on the true nature of man so was he a seruant not onelie vnto his disciples vnto whome he said that He came into the world Mat. 20 28. not to be ministred vnto but to minister vnto others which the thing it selfe declared when as he humbled himselfe euen vnto the ground to wash their féet Ioh. 13 5. but that which is a great deale harder he declared himselfe as a seruant euen to his owne enimies namelie vnto the wicked and vnto them which were wholie couered in the sinke of wickednes towards whom he so executed the parts of a seruant as for the safetie of them he spent his owne life And this is it that Paule writeth in his epistle to the Romans Rom. 5 6. 8. 10. When as saith he wee were yet but weake sinners enimies and wicked men Christ died for vs. He therefore being so humbled and abased as he is called by the prophet A worme and no
man Psal 22 7. séeing he mounted vp from so base a seruitude vnto so high and noble a degrée of dignitie from an earthlie condition vnto a celestiall glorie out of a place subiect to manie infirmities and tribulations vnto a state sure and frée from miseries from mortall flesh vnto an immortall bodie finallie when as he being so thrust downe ascended neuerthelesse vnto the highest state of the most excellent monarchie dooth it not appeare to you that he hath béene verie honourablie lifted vp on high 23 And that he being raised vp from the dead The sublimitie of Christ hath atteined chiefe principalitie Paule dooth aptlie teach in his epistle to the Ephesians saieng Ephe. 1 20. Whome God placed at his right hand in heauen far aboue all principalitie and power and might and domination and aboue euerie name that is named not onelie in this world but also in the world to come And he hath put all things in subiection vnder his feete and hath appointed him ouer all things to be head to the Church The verie same things also dooth the same apostle put vs in mind of Phil. 2 7. in his epistle to the Philippians where by Christs voluntarie submission of himselfe euen to the time of his glorie he gathereth profitable and excellent doctrine in these words saieng For that he submitted himselfe and became obedient vnto death euen to the death of the crosse therefore GOD hath highlie exalted him and giuen him a name that is aboue euerie name that in the name of Iesus euerie knee should bow both of things in heauen and of things in earth and things vnder the earth Which saieng in verie good right is agréeable to him according to the rule prescribed by himselfe in an other place Mat. 23 12. He that will humble himselfe shall be exalted Whereby also it may be gathered that the glorie must be high and magnificent according as the submission is voluntarie And séeing there neuer was nor neuer shall be anie voluntarie submission so abiect as the same that appeared in Christ it followeth therby that of a most deserued right he is aduanced aboue euerie creature that is most high Many afflictions and miseries did he suffer while he liued here amongst men now he inioieth most blessed rest and is safe as well in bodie as in soule from all trouble and disquietnesse He so passed from the most shamefull and ignominious death vnto the most excellent life as he is now all wholie blessed and immortall Wherefore the apostle in his epistle to the Romans saith Rom. 6 9 that Christ being raised vp from the dead dieth no more death hath no more power ouer him Now then if he be altogither frée from death he must of necessitie also be rid from all infirmities and sufferings which in like maner be the ministers and soldiers of death There is none but dooth sufficientlie vnderstand how far distant heauen is from earth In like maner also must we consider that the same high state vnto the which Christ is now carried dooth euen as much differ from that state to the which he submitted himselfe while he liued here among men 24 And albeit that difference betwéene the earthlie and heauenlie state may séeme to be ample this neuerthelesse is certeine that I procéed not so far in these words as Paule doth who in the first epistle to the Corinthians calleth that bodie which shall be restored to vs in the last resurrection not celestiall but spirituall It is sowen saith he a naturall bodie and shall be raised vp a spirituall bodie 1. Co. 15 44 He meaneth not that Christ and the rest of the saints which shall rise with him shall not haue flesh bones bloud distinct members and finallie a true bodie For without doubt the truth and propertie of humane nature shall still remaine but he calleth it a spirituall bodie bicause that same noble nature and forme vnto the which it shall be restored shall not flowe from an earthlie originall such as humane séed is but from the power of Gods spirit Furthermore the bodie being raised vp shall be adorned with new qualities which shall drawe néere vnto the nature of the spirit and not vnto the nature of the earth and for that cause shall iustlie be called spirituall Wherefore he that rightlie shall weigh the words of the apostle while he nameth it a spirituall bodie will not alledge the same against a corporall bodie but against an earthlie mortall and corrupt bodie Wherefore he addeth these words It is sowen an infamous bodie it riseth a glorious bodie it is sowen in weakenesse it riseth in power it is sowen a naturall bodie it riseth a spirituall bodie In a bodie raised vp be no infirmities or naturall motions to resist the spirit no heauines or grosenesse so great but that it chéerefullie obeieth the right affects of the spirit Howsoeuer it be it is sufficientlie confirmed by those things which haue béene spoken that the name of spirituall dooth in verie good right apperteine vnto the bodie of Christ being raised vp bicause it is somewhat more than if thou shouldst saie Heauenlie for so much as Christ after his resurrection as it is added in this Créed not onlie ascended into heauen but also was carried aboue heauen there sitteth at the right hand of God the father almightie The right hand of God and what is ment thereby Which maner of spéech séeing it laieth before our eies a certeine humane forme we must diligentlie ponder from whence it is deriued I say therfore that no others are placed at the princes side but those whom princes fauouring haue exalted to some high degrée of dignitie And among those which be indued with this honour no others are placed at the right hand but those which are aduanced to the highest roome of honour or power next the prince But this which héere is declared touching Christ we must vnderstand to be altogither figuratiuelie spoken of Christ séeing God is without bodie hands sides neither hath he right hand or left But by this maner of spéech we be giuen to vnderstand that Christ in that he is man is by God indued after the resurrection with such honor dignitie as there is nothing in his whole empire that not onlie cannot be preferred aboue him but not compared with him 25 But this being now declared namelie The fruit of the resurrâ—ction and â—lorie of Christ vnto what high glorie Christ by his resurrection ascended and the same being set foorth as plains as the capacitie of them to whom these things be written will beare and as the occasion of mine owne leasure would giue me leaue it shall be verie necessarie to adde what profit the same may bring vnto vs whereby also we shall vnderstand vnto what vse we ought to referre the same For séeing there is no action of Christ that is not of verie great importance to the furtherance of our
Catholike which is a Gréeke word and signifieth no other thing than if thou shouldst saie vniuersall for that it is not bound more to one place than to an other But euen as God is a God of the whole vniuersall world euen so will he that the bodie of his sonne which is his church should be extended into euerie place With him there is no exception of persons neither had he respect whether those which he calleth into his church be either husbandmen or smithes men or women princes or seruants rich or poore barbarous citizens or Gentils as though he were moued for these outward things to choose them but of euerie nation he chooseth those whome he thinketh méet Wherefore the church is an vniuersall bodie compacted of men of euerie kind and condition But it excelleth also in a nobler societie which is of such sort as whosoeuer be truelie gathered togither into that bodie be indued with the same féeling of faith And vndoubtedlie in vaine shall euerie other consent be if minds disagrée in the doctrine of faith Neither is there euer anie thing that bringeth more detriment vnto this faith than the inuentions of men From hense haue flowed all the heresies that euer were which in verie déed are nothing else but the opinions of men conceiued besides the meaning of the scriptures and sowen abroad among diuers people as if they were certeine diuine mysteries which bring saluation or else works most acceptable vnto God And forsomuch as such doctrines are nothing else but deuises of men by which the authours of them haue sought their owne gaine and commoditie first they be méere lies deceipts and wicked iuglings secondlie when as they procéed from the inuentions of men they cannot satisfie all men For looke how manie men so manie sundrie opinions there be so that some dissent in one article of the faith and some in another So in verie déed it happened among the Gréekes and other Christians which inhabit towards the East part whome if thou examine thou shalt vndoubtedlie find that by a common consent they haue allowed the holie scriptures but in those sundrie superstitions the which they haue oftentimes deuised there will appeare great disagréement The Roman church aboundeth with superstitions 38 Howbeit in these deuises of superstitions the church of Rome carrieth awaie the price For while they prouide to stuffe into the pure and simple religion of Christ infinit abhominations drawne out of the sinkes of paganisme in restoring and as they saie or rather as they lie in reforming them to a better forme it hath troden vnder foote and destroied all things Also this it obstinatelie vrgeth that euerie mans faith dooth rest in such goodlie things And mens inuentions are more estéemed than the lawfull doctrine of the truth drawne out of the holie fountaines of the scriptures And this might not others which in like maner be infected with their owne superstitions abide that they anie lesse than the Romans should stoutlie kéepe still and defend their fained worshippings and humane inuentions But they which haue imbraced the principall and sincere doctrine of Christ be vtter enimies against those superstitions séeing they perceiue that thereby the glorie of Christ and his merits are altogither obscured the honour of God translated vnto his creatures his seruice vsed without his word set foorth onelie after the deuise of men so that the church which at this daie challengeth proudlie vnto it selfe alone the name of Catholike shée alone I saie more than others hath seuered and euen rent in sunder that common and vniuersall societie of the faithfull For if it had staid it selfe in that religion and seruice which the holie scriptures doo prescribe vnto vs there had not procéeded so manie schismes from thence But hitherto it hath vsed no measure of hir owne feined deuises and it hath endeuored by force armes to constraine euerie man to receiue the same From hence haue risen infinit dissentions amongst which there be some that remaine vnto this daie as experience it selfe plainlie testifieth And as touching those that haue béene in the former ages whosoeuer will diligentlie applie his mind in reading of histories shall easilie perceiue them Howbeit whatsoeuer sathan by his cunning The Catholike church standeth fast hath wrought the Catholike church remaineth still stedfast and immooueable and shall firmelie abide euen vntill the last daie of iudgement For the same betokeneth nothing else but an vniuersall bodie compact togither of men of euerie state and condition the which in what parts soeuer of the earth they dwell they reteine the same faith and grace righteousnesse holinesse and happinesse and finallie they imbrace euerie good thing offered them in Christ and so as they will neuer suffer themselues one iot to be led from that truth which the spirit of God hath reuealed to vs in the holie scriptures but they will assure themselues of that onelie worshipping to be lawfull and acceptable vnto GOD which hée hath prescribed in those holie scriptures 39 Neither are they for anie other end compacted togither in this societie A communion of the church but spirituall but that they should edifie one an other to their power euen as the ioining togither that is in the members of a mans bodie is chéeflie ordeined for the helpe and preseruation of euerie particular member The church striueth not to the intent it might challenge vnto it selfe some chéefe empire or temporall iurisdiction it promiseth no such end vnto it selfe as it would heape vp excéeding treasures and earthlie riches The scope thereof is not to rule nations to make warres to laie hold vpon cities What weapons the church hath and to vanquish them Indéed this bodie is not destitute of his weapons but these be spirituall and not carnall weapons namelie the word and the spirit with the which it ouercommeth the wisedome of man casteth it to the ground leadeth captiue the mind and cogitation to the obedience of Christ And the same vndoubtedlie oppresseth not the bodies with tyrannicall seruitude or draweth awaie mens goods by gréeuous tributes This selfe-same doctrine dooth Paule in verie manie words inculcate in his later epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 10 4. where he verie well describeth the wrestlings of this congregation and he in the same epistle intreating there of his owne and of other of the apostles authoritie saith that The same was granted vnto him to edifie and not to destroie Vnto the which notwithstanding they doo singularlie bend themselues which will alone be called heads and apostles of the church Howbeit in the meane time with all their power they resist the word of God Neither doo they suffer the perfect state of our iustification to be preached but rather by their humane decrées and constitutions laie infinite snares against the miserable soules of the people committed to them the which notwithstanding are redéemed by the pretious bloud of Christ And yet further they pollute with their
and discerning them from other writings They will answer that bicause it is gouerned by the holie Ghost But I beséech you how knowe ye that Bicause they will saie Christ hath promised Matt. 28. 20 that Hee will be with it euen to the end of the world And bicause he hath also said Matt. 19 18. Where soeuer shall be two or three gathered togither in my name there am I in the middest of them And againe I will send the holie Ghost the comforter Iohn 16 13 which shall lead you into all truth These are the things saie they which persuade vs of the authoritie of the church but I would faine knowe from whence ye receiued these things The church hath hir authoritie of the scriptures but out of the holie scriptures wherefore we may contrariwise conclude that the church hath hir authoritie of the scriptures 4 Further by that place of Paule is declared another difference of faith Faith is a sinne assent Rom. 4 20. namelie that it is a firme assent For he pronounceth of Abraham that he nothing doubted and he vseth this verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth To reason with himselfe and to put doubts In which signification Luke in the Acts vseth the selfe-same word for so it is said vnto Peter Acts. 10 20. that he should go vnto Cornelius the centurion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Doubting nothing Abraham had a respect vnto the will and power of God which made the promise and not vnto his owne infirmitie or to the infirmitie of his wife Without God he had nothing whereby he could promise himselfe anie such thing wherefore as saith the apostle he was strengthened in faith neither doubted he through vnbeléefe which is all one as if he had said Else-where on euerie side were offered vnto him incredulitie and doubting Neither ought this sentence to be reprooued as though we doo féele no such experience in our selues for there is none in whose mind there riseth not at anie time some doubt touching those things which we beléeue for this commeth not of faith but of our infirmitie Of which thing we may be easilie instructed by that which we sée to happen in the habit of anie science especiallie of the mathematicall science for therein is certeintie and that verie great certeintie for there the conclusions doo necessarilie and most euidentlie followe of the premisses But if a man haue not perfectlie learned or perfectlie attained vnto the science hée shall sometimes doubt and this commeth to passe not by meanes of the science but by reason of the fault of him that vseth the science Euen so we bicause so long as we liue here we be weake neither can haue a full and perfect faith Why douts doo sometimes arise in vs euen against our wils therefore doubts doo oftentimes arise vnto vs yea euen against our wils But touching the nature of an opinion thou maiest perceiue it to be otherwise the which is such as there can be no blame laid vnto vs if we somewhat incline to the other part from that which we thinke to be true But the infirmitie which happeneth to vs concerning faith may come two waies for sometimes we firmelie cleaue vnto those things which we beléeue howbeit there are other things behind which are to be beléeued the which as yet we perceiue not And after this maner they which togither with the Gospell obserued choise of meates and other ceremonies are called by Paule in his epistle to the Romans Weake in faith Rom. 14 1. for they knew not as yet that the ceremonies of the lawe were abrogated Sometimes it commeth to passe that we sée indéed the things which are to be beléeued but yet we are not so perfect in faith that wée can firmelie and constantlie cleaue vnto them So Christ called the apostles Men of little faith and especiallie Peter Matt. 8 26 14 31. We must praie vnto God to increase our faith when through doubting hée was almost drowned with the waues of the sea Wherefore as touching each part we must alwaies praie vnto God to increase our faith It is also to be noted that the power of beléeuing commeth of the holie Ghost when as we yéeld not vnto so manie and so dangerous flouds of doubting which doo inuade the mind but doo in the end ouercome them which thing cannot be doone without a heauenlie and supernaturall power But in this assent of the faith What things we are to examine in the assent of the faith we must diligentlie examine both what he is that hath spoken and also what it is that is said and is set before vs to beléeue bicause the diuell dooth studie nothing more than to cause vs to beléeue that God hath spoken that which hée spake not Oftentimes also those things which be spoken by God himselfe are by false deceiuers wrested to a wrong sense are corrupted and so forced vpon vs to be beléeued Wherefore We must praie vnto God that he will not suffer vs to be deceiued séeing we haue néed of reuelation concerning each part we must praie vnto God that he will not suffer vs to be deceiued One of them which writeth vpon the sentences is of this opinion that If it were most assuredlie knowne that God spake anie thing faith therein could take no place for straitwaie saith he by the light of nature we should knowe that it ought to be true which GOD hath spoken vnles we will thinke him to be a lier But this man is woonderfull far out of the waie for we doubt not but that the prophets assuredlie knew that GOD spake in them yet they beléeued those things which they foretold We also assuredlie knowe that God spake those things Whether it followeth that they beleeue which knowe assuredlie that God hath spoken anie thing which are read in the holie scriptures and yet we beléeue them The apostles knew that they had receiued the holie Ghost and yet were they not therefore destitute of faith But that which is spoken of this man should then be true if we could knowe euidentlie by reason or sense that God spake these things which thing can in no wise be doone for they come not to our knowledge otherwise than by reuelation But this man in stead of euidence did put certeintie The last part which is in the definition wherein it is said that this assent wrestleth with the sense and wisedome of the flesh may manifestlie be declared Examples not onlie by the example of Abraham but also by a great manie of other examples God promised deliuerance vnto the children of Israel Exod. 3 8. Exod. 5 6. and yet in the meane time increased their affliction they were charged with a great number of bricks they had no strawe giuen them for their worke they were sharplie and cruellie beaten and when they were alreadie departed out of Aegypt the sea came against them on the
other side of them were great huge rocks and at their backs Pharao was with a great mightie armie against which hindrances the flesh could not choose but striue And in like sort manie things séemed to be against the promise made to Dauid 1. Sam. 16 verse 12. whereby he should be mooued not to beléeue the annointment by Samuel against the which it was néedfull that he should be strengthened by faith The apostles also descried manie tokens of infirmitie in Christ which they ought to haue ouercome by faith Faith perpetuallie wrestleth with some doubting The end of faith Wherefore we may conclude that such is the nature of our faith that it hath alwaies some strife with doubting 5 And whereas it is added Giuing the glorie vnto God the end wherevnto faith tendeth is respected namelie to aduance and increase the glorie of God which herin consisteth that we conceiue such woorthie estimation towards God It is said that Abraham was well-néere a hundred yéeres old for as it is written in the historie of Genesis the 17. chapter he was 99. yéeres of age Gen. 17 1. when this promise was made to him he had no like example before his time by consideration whereof his mind might be confirmed for he is the first that the scriptures doo make mention of to haue had strength of getting children restored againe to him Neither is it anie maruell that by the worke of faith is aduanced Gods glorie By faith we denie the best part of our selues forsomuch as thereby we for Gods sake denie the best part of our selues which is our mind and reason whereby we either assent or not assent vnto things set foorth vnto vs. Wherefore it is manifest that there can be nothing more excellent offered by vs vnto God than faith for it is woonderfull testification of the power and goodnesse of God for his sake to quench in our selues the sense of nature But I woonder at these which so diligentlie commend works and so lightlie extoll chastitie sole life and other works and yet are so cold in setting foorth of the commendation of faith séeing thereby commeth the victorie by which we ouercome both our selues and also the whole world For so Iohn saith 1. Iohn 5 4. This is the victorie that ouercommeth the world euen our faith Which thing I speake not as though I ment that we are iustified by faith We are not iustified by faith as it is a worke as it is a worke for it is polluted by sundrie blemishes of our infirmitie And Augustine saith that this sentence must by no means be admitted namelie Faith meriteth no iustification vnto vs. Ephes 2 8. that Faith meriteth iustification vnto vs for saith is not saith he of our selues but as Paule expresselie teacheth to the Ephesians It is the gift of God Howbeit in so much as it is a worke it excelleth manie waies all other works Faith as it is a worke excelleth all works Proofes that faith cannot be without good works Neither can it be expressed how far wide the Schoole-men erre when they imagine that faith can consist without good works for after their iudgement faith should not atteine vnto the woorthinesse of wisedome which as the philosophers doo write and also they themselues confesse cannot be had without the rest of the vertues What maner of diuine faith shall it then be if it reach not vnto the perfection of wisedome Moreouer forsomuch as vertue suffereth not vice to be ioined togither with it and they themselues affirm that faith is a vertue how will they haue true faith to be in sinners and in such as be strangers from God But they will saie The vertues of the vnderstanding are not repugnant vnto vices that they appoint faith to be a vertue of the vnderstanding vnto which kind of vertues vices are not repugnant for we sée sometimes that the most wicked men of all haue excellent sciences in them But neither will this anie thing helpe them their owne feigned imagination is a let therto for they imagine that those things which are set foorth to our vnderstanding if they be obscure and not verie euident that assent is not giuen vnto them vnlesse it be bicause the will commandeth the vnderstanding to giue assent and herein to subiect it selfe to the truth of God Wherefore I will demand of these men whether the worke of the will whereby it commandeth the vnderstanding to giue place and to assent vnto the words of God be good or euill Vndoubtedlie they must be compelled whether they will or no to saie it is good Without charitie the vnderstanding cannot be commanded to beleeue But without charitie it is not possible that the will should bring the vnderstanding to imbrace the things that are to be beléeued wherfore these fond deuises of theirs are repugnant the one to the other But we teach no such thing that faith should depend vpon the commandement of the will Faith dependeth not of the commandement of the will for how should the will be mooued to command things that are to be beléeued as good and woorthie of credit vnles it had first receiued the same by vnderstanding Indéed we confesse that those things which we beléeue are obscure and not verie euident to humane reason Those things which we beleeue are made plain by diuine reuelation but they are made plaine to the vnderstanding by the light of diuine reuelation and by the lightening of the holie Ghost wherefore by the iudgement of reason they are imbraced and admitted with the best certeintie Which things being so knowne and receiued the will consequentlie delighteth itselfe in them and so earnestlie imbraceth them as it commandeth the other powers of the mind to doo works agréeable vnto that truth which the mind hath beléeued and by this meanes out of faith springeth charitie after the which hope dooth followe For the things which we beléeue and earnestlie loue we wait for with a couragious and patient mind which thing perteineth chéeflie vnto hope Faith extinguisheth neither the nature of man nor yet reason Neither let anie man thinke that this is against reason or else that it extinguisheth the nature of man for that we séeme in beléeuing to refuse humane sense as though this were a madnes in vs as Festus said vnto Paule when he preached the faith of Christ Acts. 26 24. Much learning hath made thee mad The case standeth not so but rather it is brought to passe by faith that our reason maketh it selfe subiect vnto the doctrine of God and to his reuelation rather than to inferiour reasonings and persuasions the which being but vnderlings to the holie scriptures man is rather puffed vp than humbled by them And if anie man saie that men become mad with beléeuing we will adde that the same is doone most of all by reason 6 The apostle maketh mention that GOD quickeneth them that be dead and that
call it Ab accidenti so that it is faltie for it is an accident A fallacie or happeneth to faith to be out worke in that it iustifieth vs. Wherfore it is a fallacie or deceitfull reason as the Logicians terme it of the accident Besides Pighius obiecteth that charitie iustifieth rather than faith for that it is the nobler and more excellent vertue But this reason we haue before confuted as ridiculous Charitie is more nobler than faith Therefore it iustifieth rather than faith For nobilitie or dignitie serueth nothing to iustification The dignitie of the vertue serueth nothing to the power of iustifieng For it is all one as if a man would thus reason The eies are more excellent than the mouth and the hands Ergo meats are to be receiued with the eies and not with the mouth or the hands Which also we sée happeneth in naturall things that things which followe are of more perfection although they giue not life A similitude In the child conceiued nature ascendeth as it were by degrées from the power of quickning to the power of féeling and from the power of féeling to the power of vnderstanding and yet doth it not thereof followe that the powers of vnderstanding or of féeling for that they are more noble than the power of quickening doo therefore giue life vnto the child And that to iustifie It is shewed by reason that faith not charitie iustifieth rather perteineth vnto faith than vnto charitie besides that the holie scriptures doo teach the same it may also be shewed by good probable reasons for the power of knowledge which perteineth vnto vnderstanding consisteth in perceiuing And therefore they which are taught anie thing after they once vnderstand it are accustomed to saie Accipio or Teneo that is I take it or I hold it For in verie déed by knowledge a thing is after a sort receiued into the mind wherefore it ought not to séeme strange that by faith we are said to take hold of the promises of God and the merits of Christ But charitie consisteth in powring out bestowing and communicating our goods vnto others which thing ought to followe iustification and not to go before for before that we are regenerate we are euill neither can we vprightlie or in such sort as God will allow of it communicate anie good thing vnto others 63 Herevnto Pighius addeth that If so be faith which iustifieth suffereth not with it selfe hainous sinnes which may spoile the conscience alienate a man from God it must néeds followe that if a man which beléeueth doo chance to fall into anie gréeuous wicked crime he is straitwaie destitute of faith and ceaseth to beléeue that there is a God when as yet notwithstanding we sée that wicked men doo not onelie beléeue that there is a God but also doo confesse all the articles of the faith This argument at the first sight séemeth to be verie terrible Whether true faith abideth with sinnes that be grieuous and waste the conscience but suffer not thy selfe gentle reader to be deceiued with a vaine shew examine it well and trie it diligentlie and thou shalt find it is a weake and ridiculous argument We grant that a man that is by sinnes and wicked facts alienated from God may assent vnto the articles of the faith beléeue that there is a God But this good man shuld haue taught further that the same is done by the motion and impulsion of true faith There may in déed be left to a wicked man a certeine humane persuasion either by education or by opinion bicause he thinketh it to be most likelie But least anie man should thinke that this that I saie is of mine owne inuenting namelie that a man which gréeuouslie sinneth is destitute of the true and iustifieng faith let him rather consider what Paule saith For he vnto Timothie saith 1. Tim. 5 8. He which hath not a care ouer his owne and especiallie ouer his household hath renounced faith and is woorse than an infidell Doubtlesse he which renounceth faith hath not faith And vnto Titus he saith Tit. 1 16. They confesse they knowe God but in deeds they denie him To confesse and to denie are things contrarie wherfore it must néeds be that forsomuch as both are spoken of the same men they are to be taken in diuers senses Wherfore they may haue faith that is a certeine humane opinion such as it is but yet not that firme forceable assent inspired by the holie Ghost whereof we now intreat Iohn saith in his first epistle and second chapter He which saith that he knoweth God verse 4. and keepeth not his commandements is a lier and the truth is not in him So then the true faith whereby we beléeue trulie in God is not without good works Neither ought it to séeme vnto anie man absurd that one and the selfe-same thing may be knowne diuers waies The diuell is not indued with a true faith for the diuell also as well as we both knoweth and confesseth manie things touching Christ whom yet Pighius doubtles as I suppose will not grant to be indued with the true faith whereby wée are persuaded to beléeue those things which we confesse of Christ It is possible also A similitude that one skilfull in the Mathematiks may assent to some one conclusion confirmed prooued by demonstration which demonstration if he chance afterward as oftentimes it happeneth by reason of age or some disease to forget he will not yet for all that cease to affirme that proposition which he before knew but this he will doo by opinion or some probable argument and not as he before did by demonstration Therfore the knowledge of one and the selfe-same thing dooth not of necessitie inferre the selfe-same ground and principle of knowledge And let these things be spoken onelie as it were by supposition as though we granted that opinion which held that after a man hath committed anie great hainous and wicked fact true faith is lost which yet in the elect is afterward by the benefite of God againe recouered otherwise it maie be said that in men iustified and also appointed of God vnto saluation faith cannot through the committing of anie hainous crime be vtterlie extinguished but as it were cast into a sléepe and lie hidden neither breake out to shew his life by good actions vnlesse it be againe stirred vp by the holie Ghost for in such men as haue so fallen the séed of God still abideth although for a time it bringeth not foorth fruit But Pighius goeth on and saith Faith is the foundation Therefore it is farre from the perfection of the building so then it iustifieth not for vnto iustification manie other preparations are required If by this perfection of the building Faith is verie far from the last perfection he vnderstand the blessed resurrection and chéefe felicitie wherein we shall sée God face to face
faith hath equallie a respect vnto all the things which are set forth in the holie scriptures yea saith he he dooth vnto God a thing no lesse acceptable which beléeueth that he created the world or beléeueth the thrée persons of the diuinitie or the resurrection to come than he which beléeueth that Christ was giuen to be our mediatour and that by him is to be obteined the remission of sinnes for that faith is of no lesse worthines than the other And if we be iustified by faith he affirmeth that that faith no lesse perteineth vnto the other articles than to the remission of sinnes by Christ And this he thinketh may be prooued by that which Paule writeth in the fourth chapter vnto the Romans verse 23. And not for him onelie were those things written but also for vs vnto whom it shal be imputed so that we beleeue in him which hath raised vp Christ from the dead Behold saith he that faith is imputed vnto vs vnto righteousnes whereby we beléeue that GOD raised vp Christ from the dead and not that faith whereby we beléeue that sinnes are forgiuen vs by Christ First here we confesse that our faith assenteth vnto all the things which are conteined in the holie scriptures But forsomuch as amongst them there is but onelie one principall and excellent truth vnto which all the other truths are directed namelie that Christ the sonne of GOD suffered for vs that by him we might receiue forgiuenes of sinnes what maruell is it if our faith haue respect vnto this one thing chéeflie For this that we saie Rom. 10 4. Paule prooueth for he saith Christ is the principall obiect of our faith that Christ is the end of the lawe Wherefore séeing he is the end of all the scriptures he is also the summe and principall obiect of our faith although otherwise by our faith we also imbrace all other things which are conteined in the holie scriptures And whereas he addeth that the faith which is of the other articles is no lesse acceptable vnto God than this faith which concerneth Christ and the remission of sinnes we maie first saie that is not true if a man rightlie weigh the dignitie of the action of faith for the dignitie of faith as also the dignitie of other like kinds of powers and qualities is measured by the obiects For as those obiects differ one from another in excellencie and dignitie The dignitie of faith is measured by the obiect so the consents which faith dooth yéeld vnto them ought according to the same to be counted inferiour or of more excellencie Séeing therefore God would in such sort haue his sonne to die and men by him to be reconciled that for this he hath instituted all the other things to be beléeued which are set foorth in the holie scriptures we cannot put anie doubt but that this pleaseth him much more than the other for that the other are directed vnto this as vnto their end And this is a common rule amongst the Logicians That thing it selfe is much rather of such condition and qualitie by meanes whereof another thing hath such condition and qualitie Wherefore this action of faith whereby we assent vnto this most noble truth ought to excell all other actions of faith whatsoeuer they be And so it is not by anie thing like acceptable vnto God whether a man beléeue this or that If we should vse this answer I knowe Pighius were neuer able to confute it But we saie moreouer that he in vaine contendeth about the greater or lesse dignitie of faith as touching this or that article We are not iustified by the dignitie of faith for we are not iustified by the dignitie of faith for it is in euerie man weake and féeble But we therefore saie that we are iustified by faith bicause by it as by an instrument vnto this end giuen vnto vs and by God appointed we applie Christ vnto vs and take hold of the forgiuenesse of sinnes Wherefore the woorthinesse or vnwoorthinesse thereof is to no purpose considered But that which he bringeth out of the 4. chapter to the Romans he bringeth cut and maimed for if a man read the full and perfect sentence he shall easilie sée that plaine mention is there made of the death of Christ and of the remission of sinnes which by it we haue obteined For Paule saith that Vnto vs it shall be imputed Rom. 4 24. as it was vnto Abraham if we beleeue that God raised vp our Lord Iesus Christ from the dead which was deliuered for our sinnes and rose vp againe for our iustification Is it not here most manifestlie said that we ought to beléeue that that Iesus Christ whom God raised vp was dead and rose againe that we should be iustified and haue all our sins forgiuen vs Doubtlesse it is a thing most vncomelie for a man that professeth diuinitie so wilfullie not to sée things that are most manifest That by faith euerie man is sure of his saluation 72 Afterward he maketh a cauilling about the particular faith whereby we saie that euerie one that beléeueth trulie in Christ ought to be most assured with himselfe that his sins are forgiuen him He denieth that there is anie such faith found in the holie scriptures and that therefore this is onelie our deuise and inuention Here vndoubtedlie I cannot hold my selfe but I must néeds saie that Pighius lewdlie lieth for I would haue him to tell me what did Abraham beléeue when he was iustified but that vnto him should one daie be rendered those promises of God For whom is it likelie that he beléeued they should be rendered vnto but vnto himselfe The selfe-same thing may be said of Moses of Dauid and of manie other of whom it is most certeine that they beléeued that the promises which God made vnto them should particularlie be rendered vnto them And what I beséech you ment Christ when he said vnto the man that was sicke of the palsie Matth. 9 2. Sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee and when he said vnto the woman Ibidem 22. Thy faith hath made thee safe And dooth not Paule to the Galathians thus speake of Christ Gal. 2 20. Who hath loued me and deliuered vp himselfe for me What can be more manifest than these words Let Pighius go now and make his vants that we were the first finders out of this proper and singular faith and let him crie that euerie christian man ought to beléeue that the promises are made onelie indefinitelie and that it is not méet that euerie one of vs should applie them seuerallie vnto himselfe For we ought to beléeue of our selues and not of others for we may as concerning others be deceiued whether they beléeue or no but touching our selues we may be assured and certeine of it Let euerie man beléeue the promises of God indefinitelie as touching others for we knowe not who is predestinate and who is reprobate
the power of vnderstanding is diuided according to the respect that it hath to diuers things And according to those things which we onelie behold and haue in contemplation the vnderstanding is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Contemplatiue but if towards those things which consist in doing then it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Actiue Wherein séeing by the great goodnesse of God there is preserued for the dooing of things much naturall knowledge it is called Synteresis Synteresis of the Gréeke Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is To preserue What conscience is But conscience is a practising knowledge by the which our actions are both defended accused First preseruation Wherevpon it is not vnwiselie said that in such accusations or defenses as these be the conscience doth giue the Maior proposition for it saith From whence are the Maior and Minor propositions of accusations and defenses We must not commit fornication but liue chastlie But the conscience taketh the Minor proposition and vrgeth That which thou now doest or art about to doo is fornication or contrarie to chastitie Wherevpon it concludeth an accusation by the which it prooueth that That which thou doest thou doest most vnwoorthilie And that the conscience is the knowledge of this thing These definitions are drawne out of the epistle to the Romans Rom. 1 14. Paule sheweth in the 1. chapter to the Romans When saith he the Gentils which haue not the lawe doo by nature the things perteining to the lawe and shew the worke of the law written in their hart their owne conscience bearing them record and their thoughts accusing one an other excusing Out of this place diligentlie examined we haue a description of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Conscientia Conscience God according to his goodnesse hath ingraffed these knowledges in our mind to instruct vs in stead of a schoolemaister And the conscience séemes to be as it were a lawe and it hath this propertie also that it stirreth the mind forward which the lawe doth not alwaies Verie aptlie therefore we shall call it a liuing lawe which crieth pricketh vs forward and driueth vs to good things And bicause the affects of feare and sorrowe of repentance and desperation are naturallie prouoked in our minds by reason of this accusation of our consciences The Furies the Poets feigned Furies which did sometime driue men vnto those extremities that they made awaie themselues euen as the holie scriptures testifie to haue come to passe in Iudas and Achitophel Mat. 27 5. 2. Sa. 17 23. Chrysost 9 Chrysostome vpon Genesis wrote that The conscience is a sufficient schoolemaister vnto vs. Which saieng is not in euerie point true for it behooueth It behooueth that the conscience to doo hir part aright be framed to the word of God that the conscience be framed by the holie scriptures vnto this end that it teach accuse and defend rightlie For sinne hath partlie obscured and partlie corrupted our naturall knowledge so that some nations there haue béene among whom euen fornications were counted no sinnes Further we saie not that the conscience which is well instructed by the word of God is sufficient of it selfe vnto saluation vnlesse grace and the holie ghost be present wherby strength may be giuen vs to obeie those things which are thereby prescribed Howbeit Chrysostome perhaps called the same a sufficient schoolemaister An excusing of Chrysost The conscience is a sufficient schoolemaister to condemne vs. bicause it prompteth vs in manie things and againe bicause it is sufficient for to condemne vs. For albeit that the Ethnikes be ignorant of the holie scriptures may excuse themselues that they haue not béene rightlie instructed as touching all actions yet are they most euidentlie taken tardie herein that in manie things they haue gone against the rules of conscience For as Paule writeth to the Romans They turned the truth of God into a lie Rom. 1 25. Augustine Augustine vnto Alipius writeth the which maketh verie much for this place which we haue in hand that We must specially prouide to haue an vpright conscience But in the meane time there must be consideration had of them that be weake A similitude least anie man with his conscience drinke pure water but with his féete tread the fountaine so as the shéepe cannot drinke of the same otherwise than troubled There be some which boast of a good conscience 1. Cor. 8 1. as the Corinthians did but in the meane time through the boldnesse of their dooings they disquiet them that be weake We must take heed of the Libertines Let vs beware of the Libertines as of infection it selfe who séeme to renew the heresie of the Valentinians and of Simon Magus while they persuade that all sense and féeling of sinne must be reiected bicause vnperfect men are troubled with the motions of conscience and those they saie are trulie renewed in Christ and raised vp from the dead which haue no more féeling of sinne and they iudge that whatsoeuer they doo or attempt of what kind so euer it be they please God Wherefore when such kind of adulterie and wickednes is found to be in them they denie them not at all but saie that to them they be no sinnes bicause they account them not for sinnes but to such they saie they are accounted for sinne which by reason of their infirmitie doo thinke them to be sinne Touching the choise of Meates Jn the 1. Cor. 8. 10 The matter then which we haue in hand Looke after in place 10. art 18. and In 1. Cor. 10. ver 25. In what things choise may take place Which things be necessarie In things necessarie to saluation we must not passe for offending or not offending men Mat. 10 34. Mat. 5 2◠persuadeth vs to write somewhat touching the choise of meats And first it is to be vnderstood that choise taketh not place in euerie thing but in those things onlie which cannot otherwise be done Wherefore we will make a distinction of actions that some be necessarie vnto saluation and other some indifferent or meane actions Those things be necessarie which God hath commanded and vnlesse we doo them we shall be shut out from God and from Christ In this kind of things there is no choise herein are neither the occasions nor the offenses of men to be regarded For Christ said that He came not to send peace but sword and fire he came to set the father against the sonne and the daughter against the mother he said moreouer If thy right eie offend thee pull it out and cast it from thee and the same commandement also he gaue of the right hand and of the foote By which words he declared that those things which we shall estéeme more déere vnto vs than either our eies hands or féet we must cast awaie from vs lest we should be drawne awaie from the will of God
synagog or church that they had power to ordeine such signes Howbeit Christ condemned all these things as humane traditions neither would that by transgressing of them the mind should be polluted Wherefore how happeneth it that the popish lawes touching meats are not through this sentence of the Lord abolished so that men maie vnderstand that they be of no force to make such as transgresse them to be guiltie of sinnes And if they minded by their decrées to prouide against wantonnesse and loosenesse of life they should also haue made the like decrées touching wine Ephe. 5 18. in the which Paule saith is excesse Furthermore All men can not be prouided for by one and the selfe-same lawe how is it possible that all mortall men should be holpen by one and the selfe-same lawe séeing some are found weake and féeble and other some be strong and lustie Is one maner of food méet for all sorts of people Moreouer who hath commanded the bishops concerning these things to make lawes which they hold so déere The bishops had no warrant for making of these lawes as in comparison of them they neglect the lawes of God 15 They obiect further that the places which we haue cited doo concerne meats which were forbidden by the lawe of Moses so that to applie them to the choise of meats now vsed in the church it is scarse anie faithfull dealing We will indéed confesse that some things in those places doo apperteine to the meats which were forbidden by the lawe but not all for as we haue declared the apostle in the epistle vnto the Colossians Col. 2 18. speaketh also of another affliction of the flesh not deriued out of the word of GOD but superstitiouslie deuised by man Wherefore he saith that those things were doone by the visions of angels and by the commandements and traditions of men which things cannot be spoken of the old lawe And he added An expounding of the place to the Colossians that those things had onelie a shew of wisedome in the verie letter which the apostle would not haue spoken concerning the lawe giuen by GOD. Moreouer those things which he reprooueth he saith that they make to the hurt of the bodie so as the flesh should be forbidden to be filled with as much as is néedfull Which thing was not commanded in the lawe of Moses naie rather as we read in Deuteronomie so they would absteine from things prescribed Deut. 12 21 it was lawfull for them to eate as much of anie other flesh as their hart desired for so dooth the scripture speake Further 1. Tim. 4 1. whereas it is said in the epistle to Timothie that it will come to passe in the latter daies that meats shall be forbidden it is shewed that these things must not be vnderstood as concerning the Iewish ceremonies for those were obtruded vnto the church not in the latter but in the former times Further he saith that these men shall giue héed vnto the doctrine of diuels which things agrée not with the lawe of God Howbeit bicause we confesse that some of them are vnderstood of the ceremonies of the lawe we will now declare that those things also after a faithfull sort maie be applied by vs to reprehend the choise of meats which at this daie is vsed Bicause If we be not bound to a choise of meats in the lawe much lesse to that decreed by the bishops if we be not bound to that choise of meats which in times past God ordeined much lesse shall we be constrained by the humane traditions of bishops to put anie holines or religion therin If it pleased God through Christ to set vs at libertie frō his owne lawes and to make all meats frée why haue hypocrits attempted to bring christians into bondage 16 They are woont also to saie that where the apostle intreateth not of the meats forbidden in the lawe of Moses he shewed that it would come to passe of the Manichies and Marcionits that they would forbid sundry meats as though they thought them vncleane by nature bicause they were made by the euill gods Wherevpon they inferre that all those things perteine not to them séeing the church by hir lawes as they saie onelie prouided for the moderation of excesse and riot But let these men consider that those things which we alledge not onelie make against the heretiks whome they haue named but against themselues also For the Lord in the Gospell of Matthew Matt. 15 2. did chéefelie impugne the lawe made by the Scribes for the not eating of bread with vnwashen hands wherein they put religion and worship of God which belonged vnto superstition euen as at this daie these men thinke it a holinesse and seruice of GOD to haue absteined from flesh egges milke and such like things Furthermore the apostle vnto the Colossians hath euidentlie expressed Col. 2 32. that those commandements and traditions of men not onelie respected voluntarie worship but also an humbling and hurting of the bodie that the flesh should not be filled Which things signifie nothing else than abstinence and mortification of the bodie which you pretend The Montanists ordeined their fasts for taming of the flesh yet those fasts were condemned Eusebius Acts. 10 15. Yea and the Encratites and Montanists ordeined their fastings and their eating of drie meates for the taming of their flesh howbeit the true church hath disallowed the lawes of fasting which they made And as it is set downe in the Ecclesiasticall historie the first lawes made for fasting are ascribed vnto Montanus Finallie they earnestlie affirme that all which was said to Peter in the Acts of the apostles namelie that he should not call that common which God had sanctified is allegoricall so that by vncleane beasts there was shewed vnto the apostle the Gentiles vnto whom the holie Ghost would haue him to repaire An allegorie is to be admitted but yet not so as it can take awaie the truth of the historie Ga. 4 22 24 Psal 2 1. Acts. 4 25. We denie not but that there is an allegorie in that place speciallie such a one as taketh not awaie the storie In like maner as Abraham had two sonnes albeit in the epistle to the Hebrues the fourth chapter they be called two testaments The kingdome also of Dauid figured the kingdome of Christ albeit the storie of Dauid was most true So in this place the Gentils are shewed to be sanctified so that now it might be lawfull for the apostles to repaire vnto them and that was signified in the liuing creaturs otherwise vncleane the which were set before Peter But therewithall is vnderstood that those kind of meats be sanctified in such sort as they be now frée for Christian men which thing these men themselues are forced to confesse séeing they denie not but euer since that time the meats forbidden by the lawe of Moses are lawfull And that Peter spake touching the
the holie scriptures The elder fathers had but two sacraments The elder fathers had but two sacraments Sometimes they make mention of repentance These things Augustine wrote vnto Ianuarius in his third booke De doctrina christiana the 16. chapter Ambrose in his booke De sacramentis intreateth of these two Wherefore of necessitie these men must either confesse that they haue forgotten the sacraments or else that there was not receiued so great a number in that age That they forgat it we cannot saie séeing they compiled a whole treatise of that matter Therefore this multitude of sacraments was not receiued at that time Pighius definition of a sacrament 11 But let vs come to the defining of it Pighius also defineth a sacrament and saith that it is an effectuall signe ordeined by God whereby is signified vnto vs a certeine kind of effect of the helpe and grace of God which is present at all times so there be not some thing to let in them that vse the same Whereas he saith to begin withall that it is a signe or rite instituted by God that is true for it is not in the power of man to ordeine sacraments they be testimonies That it is in God not in man to institute sacraments Mat. 21 1◠and as one maie saie seales of the will of God and it is not the part of man to counterfet seales Furthermore this we learne out of the holie scriptures Christ asked the Scribes Pharisies from whence the baptisme of Iohn was If they had said Of men it had séemed friuolous for séeing sacraments belong to the nature of faith it is méet they should be drawne out of the holie scriptures from whence faith it selfe is taken And men which of their owne authoritie go about to institute sacraments doo make themselues to be gods To deale after this sort in religion were to worship God with commandements and traditions of men which Christ hath forbidden Lastlie séeing that Man is a lier and so is declared in the holie scriptures to be the things which are instituted by him haue in them no perfect truth wherefore sacraments must not be instituted by men He saith moreouer Psal 116 Rom. 3 4. that by this signe is signified to vs some sure effect bicause he will comprehend manie sacraments he will not restraine it to one effect namelie to the remission of sinnes He saith that the effects are diuers as the remission of sinnes offered which is offered in baptisme and in the Eucharist but besides he sheweth other effects of the worke of God that in matrimonie should be an inseparable coupling togither in the holie order should be a power of gouerning the church and so of other things vnlesse there be some let in them that vse those things This he saith to shew the efficacie of sacraments For in that some doo receiue the sacraments and obteine not the effects that happeneth bicause they come vnto them without religion and faith If he follow his definition he thinketh that he is able to comprehend manie sacraments But on the other side they which saie that the grace of the forgiuenes of sinnes is signified by the same doo tie themselues onelie to these two namelie baptisme and the supper of the Lord. 12 To define a sacrament we may saie Another definition of a sacrament that A sacrament is a promise of God touching the remission of sinnes through Christ signified and sealed by the institution of God with an outward or visible signe to the end that our faith should be lifted vp in vs and we to be more and more knit vnto God This séemeth vnto me to be a full definition Two things it conteineth namelie an outward signe and a thing signified Bicause the thing signified holdeth the chéefe place therefore I placed it first and said that It is the promise of God and is conuersant about the remission of sinnes thorough Christ For the sacraments which be in the holie scriptures doo chéeflie make mention thereof Furthermore this promise is sealed which thing the scripture sheweth calling circumcision a seale for the sacraments be certeine tokens and seales of the promises of God But forsomuch as these outward instruments be elements they cannot of themselues haue wherewith to signifie and seale therefore it is added By the institution of God The end is that our faith may be stirred vp by the holie Ghost which power the outward things haue not in them to shew the holie Ghost vseth these instruments and faith tendeth vnto that end that we should be the more knit vnto God The causes ye haue The formall cause is the signification and sealing The matter which is sealed and whereabout it is conuersant is the promise of God touching the remission of sinnes The efficient cause is the institution of God The finall cause is the stirring vp of our faith whereby we may be ioined vnto God And I allow of that which is commonlie said Sacraments be visible words they stir vp men by the sight other senses Rightlie dooth Chrysostome saie If we were spirits we should not haue néed of those instruments but we be compounded of a spirit and a bodie the senses of the bodie doo stir vp the mind 13 But if we prosecute this definition we exclude marriage Why we contend with the aduersaries touching the number of sacraments repentance orders confirmation and annoiling as I will particularlie declare after I haue said this one word that some will here saie Why doo ye séeke for a knot in a rush or make a doubt of a thing that is plaine These men would cote these seuen with the name of sacraments what haue ye to doo therewith It is not the name that we much stand vpon but it is the matter it selfe Wée knowe that it is lawfull for christians to vse the name so that there be no vngodlines hidden vnder it but let vs sée what they would haue to be signified by this word They saie that a sacrament is a visible forme of an inuisible grace and they adde it to be the cause so that they make these sacraments of theirs to be the instruments of saluation Then if they will receiue anie rites and cloke them vnder this kind of spéech it is vngodlie By men there can be no visible elements ordeined which may be seales of the promises wherfore let them either change this phrase of spéech and saie that a sacrament dooth not signifie these things and then we will grant vnto them or else if they will still vse this kind of spéech let them absteine from the name of sacrament The Maister of the sentences saith that The sacraments of the old fathers were not properlie sacraments bicause they brought no grace It is a detestable thing to take awaie this propertie from the institutions of God and to attribute the same vnto the inuentions of men What things be required in a sacrament To make the matter
came in verie déed namelie when Christ was transformed vpon the mount Thabor He was present togither with Moses euen as it should séeme in his owne proper bodie He shall come againe at the last time howbeit to iudgement with other saints which shall be raised from the dead but not to fight or to be slaine of Antichrist Some man perhaps will saie it is a wonder that these raptings did happen in the old testament are not written of in the new Yes verelie Diuers raptings of men in the new testament Luke 24 51 Acts. 24 51. Acts. 8 39. they are had also in the new For Christ of whom the old raptings were shadowes was taken vp into heauen in the sight of his apostles And Paule said that he was rapted into the third heauen whether it were in the bodie or out of the bodie c. And Philip the Deacon as we read in the Acts when he had baptised the Eunuch of Quéene Candaces he was caught awaie by the angell out of his sight and found himselfe to be at Azotus Wherefore there be notable examples extant as well in the old testament as in the new whereby we are warned that we should at the least wise ascend into heauen with our mind and there be conuersant before God and Christ Iesus Phil. 3. 10 1. Cor. 5 6. Our conuersation as Paule hath taught ought to be in heauen Neither let vs be forgetfull that wée so long as we liue héere doo wander and straie from the Lord happie no doubt are such raptings Damnable on the other side are the raptings of Dathan and Abiram Num. 16 31 who were caught quicke into hell And fowle and shamefull were those which the Poets extoll namelie of Ganimedes Proserpina and of others whose examples must euen as much be auoided of all men as the former examples must be expressed with as much imitation as we can And thus haue we spoken sufficientlie of the question proposed whereof I ment to haue said but a little But in trauelling therein I met with a number of by-turnings and points which I might not passe ouer that I was constrained to speake or write more at large than I was determined And as touching those things which I haue defined my mind was not to teach them as things firme and certeine or as perfectlie tried out by the holie scriptures but as likelihoods of truth the which we may gesse of without breach of faith And if anie man can alledge better proofes I am readie to heare him Neither haue I minded to contend earnestlie about those things which I haue affirmed and this doo I also persuade and counsell others to doo The xvij Chapter Of the end of the world of the last iudgement of eternall life of the equalitie of rewards and of the restoring of the whole world AS for the time of continuance of the world In 1. Cor. 10. ver 1◠we haue no certeintie in the holie scriptures Augustine reckoned six ages of the world Augustine in his first booke vpon Genesis against the Manicheis reckoned six ages of the world The first from Adam vnto Noah the second from Noah vnto Abraham the third from thence vnto Dauid the fourth from that time to the transmigration into Babylon the fift from that time vnto Christ the sixt from Christ vntill the last iudgement Wherefore that age wherein we now liue being the last Iohn 2 18. may be called the decréeped or verie old age and of Iohn it is called the last houre but how long it shall continue Augustine we knowe not Augustine vnto Hesychius who had somewhat curiouslie questioned of the end of the world answered that He durst not either measure or reckon the spaces of times vnto the end of the world bicause it is written Matt. 24 3◠that Of that daie knoweth no man neither the angels nor yet the sonne of God himself Epiphanius Which place Epiphanius interpreteth in the booke which he calleth Anchoratus affirming a double knowledge one of the execution or worke another of the inward science And then saith he God the father hath both waies the knowledge of the last iudgement of the inward science doubtlesse in that he hath knowen the time thereof secondlie of the worke bicause he hath alreadie executed iudgement How the sonne hath knowledge of the iudgment daie and how he hath not Iohn 5 22. He hath giuen all iudgement to the sonne and as touching himselfe he hath sufficientlie iudged And the sonne hath knowledge of that daie as touching knowledge but as touching execution he hath not bicause he is not yet come to iudge But the angels in neither sort knowe of that daie First in verie déed the houre time of iudgement is hidden to them further the worke or execution God hath not yet committed to them that they should go foorth and take awaie all offenses Howbeit this exposition séemeth to be verie subtill and wrested Augustine Augustine hath more plainlie interpreted it that The sonne knoweth not of that daie not as touching himselfe but concerning others whom he causeth not to knowe that daie neither hath he reuealed the same by his doctrine But if thou wilt saie that afrer this maner the father also dooth not knowe it bicause he hath not shewed the same daie or instructed anie man as touching it he answereth Yes verelie he hath reuealed it to the sonne Howbeit I would yet more simplie vnderstand that sentence as touching the humane nature of Christ which by the ordinarie and naturall condition knew nothing more than was declared vnto him by the diuine nature 2 Some haue had a mind to cauill that albeit the daie and the houre is not knowne yet that by coniectures we may atteine to the knowledge of the time bicause that Christ did speciallie speake of that daie but not of the time But this subtill point nothing helpeth them bicause it is written in the first chapter of the acts verse 7. It is not for you to knowe the times and moments which in Gréek is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that Matt. 24 14. which we read in Matthew When the Gospell shall be preached ouer all the world then shall the end be Augustine Augustine expoundeth The Lord shall not come before the Gospell shall be preached ouer all the world But by this it is not knowne how soone after such preaching he will come In the epistle to the Colossians verse 6. the first chapter the apostle writeth that Euen at that time the Gospell was alreadie preached ouer all the world and yet we sée that iudgement is still deferred The Lord in the Gospell of Matthew Matt. 24. shewed of manie signes of the last times but when we sée them we vnderstand not whether as yet they be thoroughlie come to the iust measure so as they should be reckoned euen for the verie same things which the Lord
the Bishops Councels To conclude this controuersie is betwéene vs and our aduersaries namelie whether the Church can erre We ioyne thereunto the worde of God by which if it deale and define we will graunt that the same doeth not erre But the Papists iudge that it is so greatly ruled by the holie Ghost that although it decrée anie thing besides or against the worde of God it doeth not erre and therefore they will that the same should rather be beléeued than the Scriptures of God But while they stand to that opinion they dissent the whole world ouer from the fathers who alwayes in their Councels confirmed their decrées by diuine Oracles 11 Our aduersaries procéede and craftily assault the trueth with a certaine saying of Augustin Contra Epistolam Fundamenti The saying of Augustin I should not beléeue the Gospell except c. expounded Look part 1. pl 6. Act. 7. part 4. pl. 4. Act. 12. There the man of God writ I shoulde not beléeue the Gospel vnlesse the authoritie of the Church mooued me withall Vnto these wordes they adde a rule of Logicke wherein it is saide that for the which euerie thing is like that thing it selfe is more like But they ought to haue knowen that if we shoulde deale by Logick that rule is true onelie in finall causes For if a man for healthes sake vse a medicine health is rather desired of him than the medicine But in efficient causes nothing is this waie concluded vnlesse the whole and full cause shall be brought For if one will saie that a man is made drunken with wine he cannot thereby prooue that the wine is more drunke because the whole cause of drunkennesse is not in the wine For it is required that it should be digested in the stomacke and that vapours bee stirred vp to trouble the braine Further if one shoulde learne of his maister the eloquence of an Orator it shoulde not therefore be concluded that his maister is better than he in making of Orations because the maister is not the whole cause of his learning There is besides required a wit and also a studie and diligence But the Church of which we nowe speake is not the whole cause of our faith it onelie publisheth preacheth and teacheth Also there is néede of the holie Ghost to lighten the mindes of the hearers and to bend their willes to imbrace those things which bee spoken Therefore Augustine wiselie wrote Vnlesse the authoritie of the Church had mooued mee withall and did not put simplie mooued What is to be affirmed of that that the Church hath giuen iudgement touching the holie Bookes 12 They are woont also to prattle vnto vs that the Church hath giuen iudgement of holie writ allowing some part and reiecting other some For it disallowed the Gospell of Nicodemus the Acts of Peter diuers Reuelations of the Apostles the Booke of the shepheard and such like And on the other side it imbraced the foure Euangelists which we now haue the writings of the Apostles which are at this daie read in the Churches By which iudgement they decrée that the authoritie of the Church excelleth the holie scriptures Howbeit this kinde of reasoning deriued from iudgement is weake because there be men of sharpe wit found which can discerne betwéene the right verses of Virgill and the wrong and betwéene the naturall workes of Aristotle and the counterfeit who neuerthelesse are a great deale lesse learned than Virgill or Aristotle 1. Iohn 4. 1 We are also commaunded To trie the spirites and to put a difference betweene God and the diuell and yet we be not equall or greater than God Howe then doeth the Church of God behaue it selfe towardes the words of God put in writing It preserueth and faithfullie kéepeth them it publisheth defendeth maintaineth them it is like a Notarie which faithfullie retaineth testaments with him whereas he is able to doe nothing beyond the last will of the Testator for if he should chaunge or inuert the same he should not be counted a faithfull Notarie but a falsifier and counterfeiter of testaments The Church in no otherwise hath and preserueth with it the holie Scriptures when as neuerthelesse it maie not either change or inuert or amplifie them But séeing they contend with an obstinate minde that the authoritie of the Scriptures dependeth of the Church why doe they not produce some Canon or decree of some Councel by which the holie Scriptures be ratified The holie scriptures haue not béene ratified by any decrée of Councels The primatiue Church of the Christians found the writings of the olde Testament to be firme and by them allowed and established the articles of our faith After this succéeded the Bookes of the Apostles written by the inspiration of God the which Bookes no decrée of men hath fortified For the wordes of God are not subiect to the will of men but on the other side whatsoeuer thing the Coūcels of the Church haue decréed they alwaies were careful to confirme them by the words of God euen as it may be prooued by all the Synodes which were of best note I am not ignorant that certaine Councels made rehearsall of the Bookes of God which also some of the olde Fathers did howbeit the faith of the diuine Scriptures was of force among the Christians long before the recital which they made Moreouer in their Catalogue are founde certaine bookes either past or abolished the which our enemies affirme to be most Canonicall The Books of the Machabées For out of the historie of the Machabees they séeke to prooue their Purgatorie when as neuerthelesse it is easilie shewed out of the writings of the old Fathers that that booke is not in the holie Canon 13 Some being ouercome by the force and power of the trueth preferre the worde of God aboue the Church but they will ouerrule tyrant like and retyre themselues to interpretations which they will haue to belong onelie vnto the Church Whether the exposition of the Scriptures belong to the Church namelie the Romane Church so that in verie déede they are not subiect to the word of God but doe account it to bée subiect vnto their decrées But howe faithfull interpretours they be and how iust expositions they make euerie one maie perceiue by these things which I will here adde Anacletus saide Interpretations of the scriptures Iohn 1. 41. that Peter was called Caephas of the Gréeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he was head of the Church But how straunge a thing it is that the Hebrew or Syrian worde should take his deriuation of the Gréeke tongue all men perceiue Christ reaching out the cup in his supper Drinke ye all of this saieth he Mat. 26. 27. The Romanists in their interpretation saie Drinke not ye all of this Let the laie men or vnlearned be content with the bread let onelie the Priests receiue both kindes In the Epistle to the Hebrewes Matrimonie is
his own selfe neither will they besides one Pope admit an other What head therefore shall he haue They will say Christ But we will replie vnto them that if Christ be sufficient for a head vnto the Pope how happeneth it that he maie not suffice others also We haue departed from them which challenge vnto them selues an other power and habilitie of forgiuing sinne than by preaching of the Gospell and thus I knowe not what counterfeit kaies whereby they bind and loose they haue made vnto themselues They say Mat. 24. 23 of Christ Beholde he is here beholde he is there behold he is in the secret places while they offer vnto vs a small Wafercake to be worshipped in the Masse in the Pix and also in Pompe wherein they carry the same about We haue separated our selues from them which preach the merites of men and bragge of the workes which they call works of Supererogation And séeing they haue reuolted from Christ let them cease to woonder that we are departed from them The fellowship of thē is now the pillar of lying not the ground of trueth It is ruled and gouerned for the most part by Woolues couered with shéepe skinnes Neither is there among them the house of God but the receptacle of Images It is the propertie of the Church as saith Ambrose vppon Luke the 2. booke and 3. Chapter to be the mother of the liuing but those men be the councell or conuent of the dead We haue departed from that Church which consisteth in walles painted colours and vizardes whereas the true seate thereof ought to be in the heart as Lactantius in his 4 booke de vera sapientia and 13 Chapter hath written There the corrupt and vitious man is worshipped and Christ the Author of saluation is neglected We forsake the adulterous Church which besides Christ the lawfull spouse acknowledgeth the Pope for her husband We haue also departed from the old growen schisme wherein that multitude of Romanists haue seuered themselues from others by turning away her eares from the word of God and conuerting altogether vnto fables And because it hath forsaken the loue of the trueth it is giuen ouer to a strong illusion of error We are fallen away frō thē that goe astray and we goe foreward vnto the way of truth and vnto the kings high way We would not be with them which following the spirit of error haue their conscience marked with an hotte iron and forbid meates and marriages 48 Now it appeareth by these markes what maner of congregation it is from whō we haue reuolted and it is sufficiently perceiued that it is not the Church vnlesse perhaps thou wilt saie it is the Church of the malignant Other markes also might be annexed but I cease to recken vp anie more because whosoeuer is but meanelie acquainted with the holie scriptures maie sée them The marks of their Church which haue departed frō the Pope And it is not néedefull that I should now describe that Church vnto the which wee haue repaired séeing it hath properties contrarie vnto those which we haue now alleaged This one thing will I saie that it is the same which in the booke of the Apocalips is described to be like a woman Apoc. 12. which brought foorth a man childe and fled into the desert least it shoulde be destroyed by the Dragon which persecuteth her Our men are after a sort constrained to be in the desert séeing the chiefe Prelates most cruellie rage against them who neuerthelesse in the meane time doe most earnestlie complaine that we leaue them no forme of a Church Howbeit they ought not to ascribe this vnto vs but vnto themselues For they haue deceiued godlie men of that liberty séeing that the true Church should be heard and reuerenced and the faithfull sort ought to obey it But these men require such things as we ought in no wise to obey 49 But they saie It is obiected that Paul departed not from the Church of Corinth though it were corrupt 1. Cor. 1. 1. 1. Cor. 1. 12 1. Cor. 6. 1. 1. Cor. 5. 1. that the Church of Corinth was verie much inserted and corrupted which neuerthelesse Paul acknowledgeth and saluteth The Corinthians were verie much diuided among themselues One would be of Paul another of Caephas another of Apollo and so they attributed as much vnto their Ministers as vnto Christ They brought their contentions and strifes to the iudgement seates of the Ethnicks they suffered an incestuous man who had the wife of his father to be conuersant among them they thought not whoredome to be sinne 1. Cor. 6. 13 1. Cor. 8. 10 1. Co. 11. 21 they did euery where eate with the Ethnicks things dedicated vnto Idols they celebrated the supper of the Lord with vnquietnesse of minde they abused the gift of tongues 1. Cor. 14. 1 1. Co. 15. 33. neither did they iudge truelie and godlie of the resurrection These things no doubt be grieuous crimes yet did they not therefore bring to passe but that among the Corinthians there was a Church But we answere this doubt after the verie same maner that we did before as touching the Church of the Iewes that although it were distained and corrupted yet did it not constraine any to wicked opinions and rites and it exercised the ceremonies according to the prescript of the law of Moses wherefore séeing in manie things they were good men it was acknowledged as the Church of God So lykwise in the Church of Corinth the word of God was openly published and the Sacraments were soundlie administred And thus although manie were infected with sinnes and grieuous corruptions yet did they not all straie from faith holinesse wherefore the Church ceased not to be at Corinth Where the two things which we haue made mention of be soundlie kept the word of God I meane and the Sacramentes they are neuer without some fruite but as it is elsewhere said they be assured tokens and pledges of the true Church They obiect the breaking of the vnitie of the Church 50 They also crie out against vs that we haue broken the vnitie of the church But what vnion I beséech you doe they tell vs of No other verilie but the vnitie of the Pope of the seate of Rome to which they are in miserable bondage the vnitie of Idolatrie and of the Masse the vnitie of the marke of the beast which all they receiue and also the vnitie of the outward ceremonies wherein all they in a maner communicate one with another But this is not the vnion of the Church which the holie Scriptures neither acknowledge nor testifie Paul vnto the Ephesians writeth Ephe. 4. 3. Be ye carefull to keepe the vnitie of the spirite through the bond of peace Againe One bodie one spirit euen as ye be called in one hope of your vocation And againe One Lorde one faith one Baptisme one God the Father of all which is aboue all
stock of that Patriarch Saluation is not attributed to the generation of the flesh not that we attribute this to the generation of the flesh as vnto the chiefe and true cause For as our owne saluation is so verily is altogether the saluation of our children of the méere election and mercie of God which oftentimes goeth together with naturall propagation Weigh with thy selfe that euen they be elected of God which be also borne of the saints as we sawe it came to passe in Isaac which was the seed of AbrahaÌ„ Rom. 9. 7. not only according to the election but also according to the generation of the flesh The promise is not generall touching all the seede Not that it dooth alwayes so happen of necessitie because the promise is not generall as touching all the séede but of that onely in which the election together consenteth Otherwise the posteritie of Ismael and Esaw were of Abraham But because we ought not to be ouercurious in searching out the secret prouidence and election of God therefore we iudge the children of the Saintes to be Saintes Séeing wée be ignorant of the secret predestination of God we hope wel of the children of the faithful so long as they by reason of their age shall not declare themselues straungers from Christ We exclude them not from the Church but imbrace them as members thereof hoping well that as they be the séede of the Saintes according to the flesh so also they be partakers of the diuine election that they haue the holy ghost and grace of Christ And for this cause we baptise them Neither must they be heard which mooue a doubt of this matter and say A Cauill What if the minister be deceaued And what if for a very trueth the childe be not the childe of promise of diuine election and of mercie As the profession of a man of ripe age may be a false tokeÌ„ so to be borne of the faithfull is no true signe Because the same cauill may also be as touching them that be of lawful age For we also knowe not whether they come fainedlie or whether they beléeue truely whether they be the children of predestination or of perdition whether they haue the grace of Christ or whether they be destitute thereof and doe falsely say that they belieue Why doost thou baptise them I know thou wilt say This I doe because I follow their outward profession which if they falsifie it is nothing vnto me So we say that the Church dooth therefore imbrace our children and baptise them because they pertaine vnto vs. And that is vnto the Church such a token of the will of God as outwarde profession is in them that be of ripe yeares For as it may be deceaued in the one sort so also it may be in the other There is nothing so certaine but it may be otherwise And so not all so many as are baptised are either saued or predestinated to eternall life Neither can we by any other meanes discerne betwéene the baptised who belong vnto saluation and who be not the sonnes of God but that we dailie iudge of them by their workes 8. Against the Anabaptists Wherefore the Anabaptistes must not be heard which will not haue children to be baptised Because they deny originall sinne therefore they will haue them tary till they come to yeares whenas now euerie one hauing sinned by choyse and fallen by his owne will and infected with vice hath matter to be washed away by baptisme From these men we disagrée as far as heauen is wide Originall â—n prooued Rom. 5. 12. séeing we altogether confesse originall sinne For it is prooued in the Epistle to the Romans where it is said that by one man sinne entred into the world by sinne death Whereby it appeareth that sinne is there wheresoeuer death hath taken place Therefore séeing infantes dye it is of necescitie that they be subiect vnto sin And many other testimonies there be in the same Chapter which most manifestlie prooue this originall sinne And we haue in the psalme Psal 15. 7. For behold I was borne in sinne and in sinnes hath my mother conceaued me And Christ said Iohn 3. 5. Vnlesse a man be borne anew of the water and of the spirit c. Whereby is manifest that if it behooueth vs to be borne againe we be borne in sinne And vnto the Corinthians the 2. Epistle and 5. Chapter Verse 14. it is said of Christ That one dyed for all men But and if he be dead for all it is manifest that the infantes also had néede of a redéemer And when it is said vnto the Romans Ro. 5. ver 6. 8. 10. Christ dyed for them that were sinners enimies and weake and vngodly it followeth that infants also are such in their owne nature wheÌ„ they be born vnlesse we wil say that Christ dyed not for them which is against the iudgement of Paul now alledged And in the booke of Genesis it is shewed Gen. 8. 21. what the imagination of our heart is euen from the very childhood and deliuerance from the mothers wombe Wherefore the Hebrewes haue often in their mouth Ietser haraa an euill imagination which they take out of that place of Genesis And we read in the booke of Iob Iob. 14. 4. Who can make clean that which is conceaued of an vncleane seed Where the séede of man is called vncleane which cannot be otherwise referred but to originall sinne For if thou shalt weigh the naturall causes the séede of man hath no more vncleanesse in it than hath the séede of other liuing creatures Ephe. 2. 3. And to the Ephesians We were by nature the childreÌ„ of wrath as others be Where that word Nature sheweth that this euill is drawen with vs euen from the beginning Why Parents regenerate doe procreate childreÌ„ with original sin And although that they be Christian parents yet because they beget not with that part wherein they are clensed anew with the minde I meane where faith hath place by which they are reconciled vnto God but with the body with the flesh which while we liue here haue not altogether put off their vncleanesse as it is deriued from Adam so dooth it drawe with it his infection and blemish So then we disagrée very much from the Anabaptistes for both we confesse originall sinne which they deny and doe also teach that childreÌ„ ought to be baptised as at this day in the Church Therefore how are the infants of Christians when they are baptised Howe our Infants may be called holie though they be infected with original sinne called holy members of the Church séeing they be corrupted with originall sinne We aunswere that in originall sinne two thinges are to be considered One is the corruption of nature whereby the posteritie of Adam lacketh righteousnesse and are loaden with ignorance and euill concupiscence Then there is a
because the souldiers were constrained otherwhile to watch about the Churches and Temples of the Idols Also in his Booke De Anima the last Chapter but one he teacheth that vncleane spirites did oftentimes deceiue men The diuels fame themselues to be the soules of men departed and made lies vnto them namelie when they fayned themselues to be the soules of men departed which wandred in the shape of mens bodies For the Diuell woulde not that it should be thought of the Christians that the soules after this life should be detained in hell To some was graunted the frée gift of adiuration And he addeth that at the last they were conuicted and constrained by adiurations to confesse the trueth to wit that they were no soules of men but ill spirites Further in his Booke De Praescriptionibus aduersus Haereticos page 111. saith that the women among the Hereticks were woont to vse Exorcismes 12 But it must be considered that what hath hitherto bin brought as concerning Exorcismes must not bee vnderstoode of the Exorcismes in baptisme In ancient time there was no mention of Exorcisme about Baptisme but of those whereby the possessed with ill spirites were healed by the Christians Yea and Iustinus Martyr in the former Apologie while he is earnestly occupied about baptisme maketh no mention of Exorcisme Neither did that Dionysius whatsoeuer he were that wrote the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchie make any mention of such Exorcismes In déed he hath certaine things I cannot tell what of thrée times breathing out and thrée renouncings Which neuerthelesse must be done as he teacheth by a mā that is to be baptized and not by an exorcist or minister of the sacrament Of renouncing also Tertullian made mention in his Booke De Corona militis but hee writeth that the same was woont to be vsed vnder the hands of the chiefe Prelate But at this day there be no Bishops present when the sacrament of baptisme is administred But they were present in those dayes and also in the time of Ambrose as he himselfe testifieth in the first booke De Sacramentis in the first and seconde Chapters And also in the Booke of them which were entered into orders euen from the beginning Yea and Basill in his Booke De spiritu sancto in the 27. Chapter made mention of Renouncing lykewise annointing and holy water and also of thrice dipping in the water but he speaketh nothing of Exorcisme But the consent of Colen to prooue their trifles as touching fault and annoynting alledge Origen in the 6 and 7 Homilies vppon Ezechiel But if a man diligentlie weigh his sayinges he hath nothing which serueth to that purpose Eusebius Caesariensis in his 6. booke 43. Chapter maketh mention of an Epistle of Cornelius the Byshop of Rome vnto Fabius the prelate of Antioche in which he describeth the manners and life of Nouatus making mention among other thinges that at the beginning when he was possessed with a diuell he was remedied by exorcismes which was an occasion that he was conuerted to Christ where notwithstanding he was afterward baptised lying beddered And Cyprian in the 4 booke and 7 Epistle writeth vnto Magnus that the vncleane spirites doe sometime deceaue the seruantes of God while they bee adiured by them and do faine that they go their waies whereas neuerthelesse they depart not But he saith that when they come vnto the water that is to wit vnto Baptisme there the diuel cannot staie he vtterlie departeth neither is hee able to abide the Sacramentes While I diligentlie consider with my selfe this place it séemeth to me that I haue found the fountaine head and beginning of Exorcisme ioyned together with Baptisme For that Father séemeth to signifie that if deliuerance succéeded not after Exorcismes men in those daies fled vnto Baptisme and that men folowed this way in the curing of them which were possessed with ill spirits Wherefore the age that followed would imitate this that Exorcismes should bee vsed before Baptisme euen though the possessed were not to be baptized least they should séeme to haue any thing lesse than the former church in which they which could not bee cured by Exorcismes were brought to the receiuing of baptisme And afterward it followed that although the power of casting out deuils bée not nowadayes had yet doe the Papists vse Exorcismes But to returne vnto Cyprian He in his treatise De Baptismo Christi manifestatione Trinitatis Acts. 19. 13 calleth those children of Sceua of whom we made mention before gainefull Exorcists as though they solde those adiurations and made a market of them Also Gregorie Nazianzene in his Oration De Luminaribus or in his third Oration ad Sanctum Lauacrum made mention of Exorcismes and also many other Fathers But this must be considered that the latter age vsed Exorcismes as being ioyned with baptisme and as though they belonged vnto a certaine order of Clergie men Whether Exorcists are still to be retained in the Church Arguments for retaining of thē 13 Wherefore I will now come to the second point of the question proposed wherein we must trie whether at this day Exorcists should be retained and so retayned as in the Church should be a certaine peculiar order of Exorcists It hath séemed good vnto many that such an order should be had in the Church Epiphanius For Epiphanius in his third booke and second Tome when he reckoneth the holie orders among others nameth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is adiurers Indéede after a sort he altereth the word but yet indéede he meaneth the selfe same thing Isidorus Also Isidorus in his book De Officijs Ecclesiasticis Chap. 13. citeth the place of Esdras where in the second Chapter Verse 55. the sonnes of the childrē of Salomon are reckoned together with the children of Nathan The Hebrewes were declared to bee those seruants of Salomon for the reparations of the Temple namely that they should prouide to kéepe it safe from winde and water But Isidorus saith that they were Exorcists But howe truelie let others iudge In the decrées Gratian Distinct 77. in the Canon Monachus Exorcists are called defenders as if in my iudgement they should defend bodies and soules from the diuell In the Laodicene Councell in the Chapter 26. it is forbidden that none should exorcise vnlesse he be ordained by the Byshop as though the Byshoppe bee able by his imposition of hands to giue power to driue away ill spirits This also we haue in the decrées in the distinct the 69. in the Canon Non oportet c. Againe in the fourth Councel of Carthage it is decréed that whē an Exorcist is ordained the Booke of Exorcismes is deliuered vnto him and he is commanded to learne them by heart that he may vse them when oportunitie shall serue Arguments on the contrarie part But at this day the Papists in their Churches haue onlie the titles names but they performe nothing of those things which they
God that these bondslaues of Antichrist may become new vessels and receaue the sault of wholsome doctrine séeing they haue of long time forsaken God the fountaine of liuely water Ier. 2. 13. and haue digged to themselues pittes which cannot containe wholsome waters And this place they haue abused for confirming of their holy water which euery Sabbaoth day they inchaunt and coniure ascribing the inuention thereof to Alexander the first Romane Byshop of that name The inuentor of holie water whom they will to be the fift or sixt after Peter And in déede there is caryed about a decretall Epistle of his wherein are contained manie thinges as touching this inuention which were afterward set forth in the decrées De Consecr distinct 4 in the Chapter Aquam Sale But in my iudgement and the iudgment of the more learned that Epistle is no right but a supposed Epistle For Alexander liued in the time of Traianus So then most auncient had the institution of this water bin Whereof neuerthelesse the Ecclesiasticall writers which florished before the time of Gregory made no mention in any place But how fond and absurd things they be which are there written we will somewhat more diligentlie examine First he decréed that that water should be sanctified of the Priests Whereupon the Canonists gather that the same is not lawfull neither for a Deacon nor a Subdeacon whenas notwithstanding they admit the administration of Baptisme both vnto laiemen and vnto women But this is an old purpose of the diuel to prouide that mans inuentions may he had in more price than the lawes of God Which also may be perceiued in confecting of the vnsauourie oyntment called of them Chrisme or the holy oyle where so great a solemnitie is vsed as it behooueth that a Byshop with all the Clergie men be present when in the meane time Baptisme and the Eucharist which be the verie sacraments of Christ himselfe are ministred after a vulgar and common maner But howsoeuer this Alexander or whosoeuer he were doe approoue his holie water he vseth a verie wicked argument in vsurping those words which are in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Hebr. 9. 13 If the bloud of Goates and of Buls and the ashes of an Heifer being sprinkled did sanctifie them that are vncleane as touching the sanctification of the flesh howe much more doth the bloud of Christ which by the eternall spirit offered himselfe for vs c Wherein Paul the Apostle argueth from the lesse to the greater These words Alexander taking inferreth that much more the water consecrated by diuine wordes shall sanctifie them that be vncleane And so that which Paul concluded as touching the bloud of Christ this man with intollerable blasphemie transferreth to holie water Note For the worthinesse and worke of Christ his bloud must not bee attributed to the elementes of this world especiallie when they lacke the word of God 24 Againe he commendeth his water through the fact of Elizeus 1. king 2. 21 For if Elizeus saith he by casting in of salt put away barrennesse from the waters much more shall this water driue away all barrennesse And yet further amplifying the matter It will bring all good things saith he to them which vse it Moreouer he attributeth so great a strength thereunto as hee affirmeth that the craftie indeuours and temptations of the diuell are thereby put away and that it also remooueth from the minds of men hurtfull visions and naughtie cogitations And he yet procéedeth further and vseth a verie wicked argument Luke 8. 44 If the skirts saith he of our Lordes garment when hee was touched by the sick woman did make her whole howe much rather shall this water bring health both of bodie and soule vnto the faithfull The holie water made equall to the bloud of Christ By these thinges it plainelie appeareth that this holy water is made equal vnto the bloud of Christ and is preferred aboue the skirts of his garments as though our sinnes were so light and tooke so féeble roote in our mindes as they can be wiped out by the sprinkling of a superstitious water Besides this among the false Ecclesiasticall men there is in vse an other kinde of consecrated water which they vse in the consecration or reconciliation of Churches or Temples That onely the Byshop dooth coniure or as they speake dooth sanctifie and he applyeth thereunto wine and ashes There is also among them an other kinde of most solemne water namely of the fountaine of baptisme which they with great pompe consecrate the day before Easter and Pentecost The water of baptisme consecrated the day before Easter and Pentecost And thereof is mention made by many of the fathers And the custome of consecrating such waters of baptisme séemeth to haue béene of some antiquitie And so whereas I said before that the Elder fathers made no mention of holy water I had onely respect vnto that which is said to haue bin instituted by that same Alexander namely which they kéepe in temples to the intent that men may sprinkle themselues therewith They themselues also doe sprinkle houses dead bodies churchyardes egges flesh pothearbes and garmentes with the same Thomas Aquinas Of this dooth Aquinas in the 4. booke of sentences inquire whether it be a Sacrament And in aunswering denyeth it alledging this reason that it is not instituted to abolish any defect of ours But he affirmed it to be a certain sacramentall thing whereby we are affected and as he speaketh disposed to obtaine the forgiuenesse of some certaine sinnes And from this opinion Petrus de Palude and Alexander de Ales doe nothing disagrée For they say Petrus de Palude Alexander de Ales. that by the vse of the consecrated water sinnes be forgiuen not in very deede as by the Sacraments which performe this euen without the motion of the heart if onelie there be put no let but in respect of merit because they sprinkling themselues with that water doe deuoutlie as they speake lift vp their minde vnto God desiring the forgiuenesse of sinnes which by prayers they obtaine Among those sayings of the schoolemen there are many wicked blasphemous thinges séâ—…ng they attribute to the elementes of this world that which belongeth onely vnto Christ Besides this they triâ—…e many wayes disputing whether prophane water being added vnto consecrated water becommeth holy And finally they conclude that it dooth so after this manner to wit that those thinges which be the more worthie doe conuert into themselues the thinges which be lesse worthie Which is most contrarie vnto the trueth An example For if a man mingle water with wine and doe that often at length the water changeth into his owne nature the wine it selfe which is better than it 25 But passe we ouer these thinges and let vs consider that this ordinance had his originall of two sortes of peruerse zeale and fond imitation Holie water deuised by an
one of another For it will neuer be true that a man is a stone or else contrariwise But that in this sense the bodie of Christ and bread are to be vnderstood no man doubteth Wherefore it will neuer be true to say of bread that it is the bodie of Christ So that when the Lorde pronounced This is my bodie it must of necessitie be that the substance of bread went awaie It is added that Christ did not without consideration vse the verbe substantiue of the present tence so as he said This is my bodie Doubtlesse he might haue said This signifieth my bodie This representeth my bodie This is the figure of my bodie or the signe of my bodie Or else thus This bread is my bodie All these things séeing he refused the saying is absolutely to be vnderstoode as he pronounced it Besides if the substance of bread should remaine there shoulde bée two substances together at once yea and those corporall substances and they shoulde one pearce another which by the doctrine of transubstantiation is remooued Againe there would be an imminent danger least the people should fall into Idolatrie For séeing the bodie of Christ must be worshipped if bread remaine there that also shoulde be worshipped Neither doeth it appeare méete for the dignitie of Christ his bodie that it should after this manner be ioyned either vnto breade or vnto wine They argue also from the maner of a sacrifice For if the bodie of Christ be offered by the minister it behooueth that he haue the same and that he there stand in the sight of God vnlesse we will say that he onely offereth a thing signified and shadowed 4 Afterward they crie out that the fathers are wholie on their side They 〈◊〉 for themselues the Fathers Irenaeus First thy cite Irenaeus who saith in the fifth booke When the cuppe tempered and the bread broken receiue the word of God it is become the Eucharist of the bloud and bodie of Christ In the 4. booke he spake in a manner the same thing Also Tertullian in the 4. booke saith Tertullian that Christ taking bread and distributing the same to his Disciples made it his bodie And Origen vppon Matthew the 26. Origen Chapter saith This bread which God being the word confesseth to be his bodie and the rest that followeth Cyprian Cyprian in his Sermon de Coena Domini This common bread being chaunged into flesh and bloud procureth life And againe in the same Sermon This bread which the Lord deliuered vnto his Disciples being chāged not in forme but in nature is by the omnipotencie of the word made flesh Ambrose in the 4. booke de Sacramentis Ambrose It is bread before the words of the Sacraments after consecration is of bread become the flesh of Christ And manie other like sayings he hath in his bookes of the sacraments Chrysost And to the same purpose Chrysostome in his 60. Homilie de Eucharistia which is in the 6. Tome saith This Sacrament is like vnto waxe put vnto the fire where nothing of the substaunce remaineth but wholie becommeth like the fire so saith he the bread and wine is spent with the substance of Christ his bodie Augustine Augustine vpon the Prologue of the 23. Psalme saith that Christ bare himselfe in his owne handes whenas in the supper he instituted the Sacrament And in the 98. Psalme expounding that sentence Fal yee downe before his footestoole affirmeth that the flesh of Christ must be worshipped in the sacrament which would not be méete if bread were yet remaining And in his third book de Trinitate A sacrament saith he cannot be made but by the power of the holie Ghost working together with vs. Hilarie And Hilarius in his eight booke de Trinitate saith that Christ is in vs by the trueth of nature and not by an argument of the will onelie and he saith that in the Lords meat we truelie receiue the worde being flesh Leo. Leo the Bishop of Rome in the tenth Epistle to the Cleargie and people of Constantinople We receiuing the vertue of the heauenlie meate let vs passe into his flesh which was made our flesh They adde y◠Damascenus is altogether on their side Also Theophilact is brought in by them Theophilact who most plainelie made mention of the chaunging of elements But as touching Anselm and Hugo de Sancto victore which were in the latter age there is no doubt but that they warrant Transubstantiation And that therefore the fathers aswell olde as newe they saie make of their side And they bring in Councels namelie the Councel of Ephesus against Nestorius The Councell of Ephesus where Cyrill was president and he hath manie things of this matter and especiallie he saith that we being made partakers of the holie bodie and pretious bloude of Chist receiue not common fleshe nor as it were the flesh of a man sanctified but that which is the true sanctifying flesh that which is become proper to the worde it selfe The Councell of Vercellensis And they cite the Councell of Vercellensis vnder Leo the 9. wherein Berengarius was condemned of whose recantation there is mention in the decrées De Consecrat distinct 2. and in the fourth booke of Sentences They cite also the Lateran Councel at Rome The Romane Coūcell called Lateranēsis vnder Innocentius 3. who mentioned Transubstantiation in the decretalles De summa trinitate in the Chapter Firmiter And De celebratione Missarum in the Chapter Cum Martha The Councel of Constance Also in the Councell of Constance where Wickliefe was condemned who denied this transubstantiation Further they cite for thēselues Scotus as they say the consent of the whole Church wherewith Scotus was so greatlie mooued in his 4. Booke as when transubstantiation might not firmelie be shewed by the scriptures and by reasons yet hee yéeldeth vnto it least hee should bee against the consent of the Church 5 Furthermore they draw a most large far fetcht argument from the power of God because he can doe farre greater things than these be And they bring in many myracles which were doone for the testimonie of the trueth as that this sacrament in the handes of Gregorie was by his prayer turned into a finger of flesh Sometime appeared therein a little childe and the sacrament béeing pearced with small spéeres yéelded blood They speake many thinges also as touching the bodie of Christ glorified which Paul in the Epistle to the Corinthians calleth spirituall to the intent they might shew 1. Co. 15. 45 that it was verie lawfull for Christ to deliuer his bodie shadowed and couered with accidents And they perswade that it is not simplie put in the Gréeke This is my bodie 1. Co. 11. 24 but the article is added so as it is not said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bodie but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This my bodie And the Gretians are then woont
drinking The Lambe was not that Passouer of the Angel but onely a monument and signification therof Mat. 26. 17 Christ sought a place where he might eate the Passouer with his Apostles And by the Passouer he vnderstood those meates and those things consecrated which did betoken the passing ouer 1. Cor. 5. 7. Paul also said Christ our Passouer is offered In which place he called Christ himselfe our solemnitie and our passing ouer Which wordes cannot otherwise be vnderstoode than by a figure And that Lambe was not that passing ouer of the Angell which then should be but was alreadie doone of old the memorie whereof was represented by those outwarde signes Héere also we haue the bodie of Christ which before time suffered not that it is now deliuered to be crucifyed or whose bloud is now to be shed 37 And if they would expound these wordes of Christ rigorously Where a signe should be there the â—…rsaries admit none and where it should not be there they will 〈◊〉 one when he saith This is my bodie which is giuen for you it should be néedefull for them to say that the bread was to be crucified or at the leastwise Christ hidden vnder accidentes as they appoint in the Sacrament For Christ shewing that which he had in his handes said that the same should be deliuered and shed for them But if they shall say it was in déed the same that was deliuered but not after the selfe same manner or in that forme then they séeke interpretations and shiftes and take not the proposition simply The very which thou maist perceiue in these wordes Is deliuered and is shed The which if while we vtter the wordes of consecration they be vnderstood of vs as they sound the bodie of Christ will be signified that it is presentlie crucified and his bloud presentlie shed or within a while to be shed But they would haue these wordes to be conuerted into the preterperfectence that we may vnderstand that the bodie is deliuered that the bloud is shed and this is to deale figuratiuelie when as one tence is taken for another And whereas Paul said That they which eate vnwoorthilie are guiltie of the bodie and bloud of the Lord 1. Co. 11. 27 also they eate their owne condemnation because they put no difference of the Lordes bodie it is nothing For Ambrose answereth as touching the first while he interpreteth that place They shal be punished for the Lordes death because he was slaine for them who make no account at all of his benefit Wherefore as we haue heard he interpreteth them to be guiltie of the Lordes bodie yet is not Transubstantiation required herevnto And they which receaue vnwoorthilie are said not to put a difference that is to haue the Lordes bodie in no estimation because so great is the coniunction betwéene the signes and the thinges signified as the reproch of the one redoundeth vnto the other On this wise spake Paul when he said 1. Cor. 11. 4 A man praying or prophesying with his head couered dishonoreth Christ where plainelie he would haue that redownd vnto Christ which was doone about the head of the man The conâ—…melie of the Sacrament redoundeth to the bodie of Christ which is the thing of the Sacrament because it should be the signe of Christ It is also to be considered that Paul wrote vnto the Corinthians who were not altogether voide of faith but meÌ„ troubled with some infirmities And we said not that this kinde of men onelie doe receaue the signes and haue not the bodie of Christ but this we affirme of the Infidels Epicures Atheistes and strangers from the Church Wherefore it might rightlie be said vnto them not onely as touching the signes but also as touching the matter of the sacrament that they were guiltie of the bodie and bloud because they made no difference of the Lordes bodie séeing they receaued them without faith and expressed them not in lyfe And in this place this also is to be considered that Paul when he intreateth of the sacramentall action that is to wit of the eating and drinking maketh mention of bread and saith Ibid. v. 27. He that eateth this bread But afterward when he would exaggerat the fault hee maketh mention of the Lords bodie and if we make an account and iust reckoning we shall finde that in the whole Treatise of this Sacrament the Apostle more often expressed bread than he made mention of the bodie of the Lord. For thou maist very well finde that he mentioned bread fiue times and onelie foure times the bodie of the Lord. The reasoÌ„s that prooue a figure to be in these words This is my body 38 But now must we sée what those thinges be that mooue vs to vnderstand this speach This is my bodie figuratiuelie First let vs consider that Christ was present at the supper wherefore there was no néede that he should shewe his bodie vnto his Apostles For they sawe him Further how might it be that he could eate himselfe really and corporally That he in very déede communicated with his Apostles not onelie the fathers affirme but Christ himselfe saith it as thou hast in Matthewe Mat. 26 29. I will not hereafter drinke of this fruit of the vine Moreouer we haue regard to that which is heere spoken of Remembrance wherein the figure is shewed And we sée that these men change the tences and that which is pronounced by the future or by the present tence as touching the deliuerie of the bodie and shedding of the bloud they interpret it by the preterperfectence We consider afterward that they cannot be without signes in their consecration because they vnderstand this verbe Is for It is changed it is transubstantiated or it is made And Christ séeing he instituted a Sacrament it is méete that by significations and figuratiuelie the signes should be vnderstood according to the nature of a Sacrament which is that it should be a signe Wee haue also respect vnto the ascension of Christ into heauen vnto the trueth of the humane nature which he tooke vppon him and also vnto that which is written in Iohn when it is said vnto the Capernaites My wordes be spirit and life Iohn 6. 63. the flesh profiteth nothing namely being carnally eaten it is the spirit which quickeneth And againe we doe consider Paul who here most manifestly nameth it bread 1. Cor. 10. 11. where notwithstanding these men would haue it to be a figure who are so greatly against our figure Also wee heare Paul testifie 1. Cor. 10. 1 that the forefathers had the selfesame Sacrament that we haue For by the iudgement of Augustine it was not sufficient for him to say that they had spirituall meate and drinke but he added The selfe same Ibidem And againe least thou shouldest doubt the Apostle also expressed Baptisme which he saith that they obtained in the sea and in the clowd whereby
it appeareth that they not onely among themselues but euen with vs also had the selfe same Sacramentes We sée likewise that the speaches adioyning are vnderstood figuratiuelie For in these it is said 1. Co. 10. 16 The bread which we break is the communion of the bodie of Christ And againe 1. Co. 11. 25 This cup is the new Testament The which thinges we haue oftentimes rehearsed Moreouer it dooth not well agrée with the bodie of Christ to be eaten And by these thinges it appeareth at large what ought to be said to the second Argument in the which they obiected that the sentence must not be vnderstood by a figure vnlesse that there were some other thing before or after which should mooue vs to the same And they vrged that particle Which shall be giuen for you that we rather retaine it in the proper sense but this is manifestly false séeing we there change the tences Neither doe we take it to be the bodie that was deliuered forsomuch as that was visible and passible Neither can both the conditions of a corruptible bodie and the qualities of a glorifyed bodie be in one and the selfe same substance or subiect so as one and the same bodie may be passible and impassible together at one time Further we haue shewed what other places leade vs to admit these kinde of figures I meane Synecdoche or Denomination 39 We will aunswere to an other Argument as touching thinges distinct or as the schoolemen call them Disparata different Howe things distinct or vaâ—lâ—e may be of streÌ„gth to make a proposition among which no mutuall predication can be Those things which be so seueral or differeÌ„t if an Analogie or signification doe happen may now be so ioyned together as they shall be of strength to make a proposition And this we perceiue to be doone not onely when it is said by the Lord Luke 8. 11. The seede is the worde of God Againe I am the vine Iohn 15. 1. but also euen of Paul when he pronounceth that we bée one bread And againe he saith The bread which we breake is the communion of the bodie of Christ And againe 1. Co. 10. 18. Ib. ver 17. 1. Co. 11. 25 This cup is the new Testament in my bloud Neither doe we much passe that some say that Matthew and Marke did plainelie and manifestlie vtter This is my bloud of the new Testament Mat. 25. 28 Mat. 14. 24. For we deny not but that these Euangelistes thus wrote but in the meane time we say that the wordes also which Luke and Paul haue must be receaued And we say that those euen as other sentences which we did now cite consist of wordes that doe much differ and that after the manner of the Logitians may be called Disparata that is differing one from an other But by Analogie and signification they be very wel and fitlie ioyned together 40 In an other Argument it was said that Christ wheÌ„ he vttered This is my bodie saide not this signifieth my bodie or representeth my bodie this bread is a figure or signe of my bodie Against these we reply that Christ said not that his bodie lyeth hidden in those accidentes without a subiect neither affirmed that the substance of bread ceaseth to be or is changed or transubstantiated into his bodie Furthermore I maruell that these thinges be obiected séeing among the fathers these expositioÌ„s are found For they oftentimes say that the bodie and bloud of Christ is represented is signified is notified is shewed and the signes of bread and wine they call a seale a figure and a type and an example of lyke forme Neither is there cause why any should cauill that they referre these signes or figures vnto the death Testimonies of the Fathers by which they call the sacraments signes and figures and not vnto the bodie of Christ because the fathers manifestlie say that the bodie and bloud is signified and that signes and figures are giuen of the bodie and bloud of the Lord. Which that thou maist know to be true among many places of the fathers wée will here set foorth these few Augustine Augustine De Catechis rudib As touching the Sacrament which he receiued he saith in déed that there be visible seales of diuine thinges but that the very inuisible thinges be honored in them The same Augustine The same father De Ciuitate Dei the 10 booke and 5 Chapter Wherefore the visible sacrifice is a Sacrament of the inuisible sacrifice Ierom. that is it is a holy signe Ierom in his 4 booke vppon Matthew Chap. the 26. That euen as in the prefiguration of him Melchisedeck the priest of the high God did in the offering of bread and wine so he himselfe also represented the trueth of his owne bodie and bloud And to set aside the testimonies of the holy scriptures the sayings of the holy fathers BertraÌ„ saith that that bread which is called the bodie of Christ and the Cuppe which is called the bloud of Christ is a figure Tertullian because it is a mysterie Tertullian against Martion the 4 booke he hauing receaued bread and distributed it vnto his disciples made it his bodie saying This is my bodie Cyprian that is A figure of my bodie Cyprian in his 2 Epistle the 2. booke We sée that in the water the people be vnderstood in the wine the bloud of Christ is shewed Ambrose in his booke De his qui initiantur Mysterijs Before the blessing of the heaueÌ„ly words an other kinde is named after consecration the bodie of Christ is signified The same father De Sacramentis the 4. booke and 5 Chapter Doe thou this oblation for vs being recorded in writing to be a reasonable and acceptable oblation because it is the figure of the body and bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ The same father vppon the xi Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinth We being mindfull hereof doe in eating and drinking signifie the flesh and bloud which are offered for vs. And straightway after According to the figure whereof we receaue the cup being the mysticall bodie for the defence of our bodie soule Bernard in his Sermon De Coena Domini To this end therefore the Lord drawing towardes his passion prouided to adorne his owne people with his grace that the inuisible grace might he giuen by a visible signe Chrysost Chrysostome vppon the first Epistle to the Corinth the x. Chapter For what doe I call the Communion We be euen one and the selfe same bodie And what signifieth bread The bodie of Christ And what become they that doe receaue it The bodie of Christ Basiliuâ— Basil in his Liturgie calleth it an example of like forme and that after baptisme Augustine De Trinitate the 3. booke and 4. Augustine Chapter The Apostle might in signifying preach the Lord Iesus Christ by the tongue otherwise by an Epistle
and by this they inferred that betwéene the sonne of God and the father there happeneth no other vnion or coniunction than this Wherfore it was the part of Hilarie to shew that we be naturallie vnited with Christ to the intent he might conclude that the sonne also is naturally ioyned to the Father His proofe is on this wise If the word of GOD did truelie take vppon it the nature of man hée doeth naturallie communicate in his fleshe with vs and we are said to remaine in him because he hath in himselfe our nature And semblablie in the Lords supper if we truelie receaue his flesh we doe participate naturallie with him and he doth truelie dwel in vs. And thus Hilarie argueth from the trueth of Sacraments which we denie not And this was the vse of the old fathers that they drewe their Arguments from Sacramentes as from thinges best knowen But there is none of these things against our opinion For Hilarie contendeth not that the flesh of Christ is hidden and couered vnder Accidentes or in this Sacrament but hee onelie affirmeth that we in communicating are trulie ioyned to the flesh of Christ the which we denie not But consider with mee that the selfe same father not much before those words which he speaketh of the Eucharist saith the same of Baptisme that by it we are ioyned vnto Christ and one with an other not onelie in the vnitie of assent and will but also in the vnitie of nature So that ye shall be constrayned there also to appoint Transubstantiation if for that cause yee bring it into the Sacrament Chrysostome is not farre from this vse of taking Arguments from Sacramentes who in the 83. Homilie vppon Matthew saith as we cited before that these be signes of the Lord Iesus whereby we both bridle and stoppe the mouthes of Heretikes For they saie verie often Howe did Christ suffer And wee on the other side obiect If Christ had not true flesh these signes be in vayne And this doth rightlie follow because they shoulde else represent vnto vs fained things And thus were the Manichees Marcionites and such like pestilent sectes put to silence by them 53 As touching Leo the Byshop of Rome To Leo. there is no cause why we should trouble our selues much because he in the sentence obiected against vs both affirmeth a mysticall distribution and setteth downe a spirituall sustenance and a vertue celestiall and sayth that we doe passe into the flesh of Christ euen as he tooke our flesh vpon him They cite Emisenus whose wordes are read To Emisenus De Consecratione distinct the first but there if thou looke well vppon it thou shalt finde these wordes Touch thou with thy minde and with the hand of thy heart take hold of the bodie of Christ By which wordes it is plain that he affirmeth vs to eate the bodie of the Lorde spirituallie Further he vehementlie vrgeth as other of the fathers doe our changing into Christ the wich neuerthelesse as we sée is without Transubstantiation Why we so often make mencion of the chāging of our selues in receiuing of the Sacramentes I know that some may woonder why we so oftentimes oppose the changing of our selues against the changing that the fathers séeme to affirme to be in the signes which they constantlie say are all one and some imagine that there is a farre other cōiunction betwéen the bodie of Christ and the signes than is betwéene vs and the bodie of Christ and that therefore the Analogie and proportion holdeth not although the fathers doe appoint both the one and the other To this we aunswer and say that our Argument is most strong because it is from the greater to the lesse by a negatiue For the ioyning together of Christ vnto vs and with them which communicate is greater than it can be with the signes The communicants are more ioyned vnto Christ than are the signes Seeing therefore in respect of vs transubstātiation is not required much lesse shall it be in signes But that we be more ioyned together vnto Christ than the signes be it thereby appeareth insomuch as that coniunctiō was inuēted bicause of this Further the words and the spirit whereby the signes are consecrated do much lesse belong vnto other things than vnto men Vnto Theophilact 54 Of Theophilact we say that he is a late writer and who perhappes liued in those times when as many questions were begunne to be mooued touching Tansubstantiation vnder Nicholas the Byshop of Rome in the time of Lanfranck and Berengarius Further he was a man of no great iudgement as it may appeare by his interpretation of Iohn the 3. Chapter at the ende where he blameth the Church of the Latins by name as touching the procéeding of the holy Ghost that it procéedeth from the father and the sonne So as we will not thinke his authoritie to be so great as it ought to preiudice the trueth yet neuerthelesse we will examine his sayings He affirmeth bread not to be the figure of the bodie of Christ and that in his treatise vppon Matthew But and if he meane a voyd and vaine figure he saith rghtlie neither doe we appoint such a figure And we doubt not but that this is his interpretation because vpon Marke he saith that it is not a figure onelie otherwise if he should vtterlie denie it to be a figure he should be against the rest of the fathers whom we haue manifestlie prooued to affirme that it is both a signe and a figure He saith that breade is transformed that it is chaunged and transelementated which spéeches if hee vnderstand sacramentally we mislike them not For bread and wine be sacraments and doe passe into the Elements of diuine things they put on a signifying forme But they say that this Father writeth Therfore the flesh and bloud is not séene least we should abhorre it But if thou wilt sharply vrge these words we will obiect that which hee writeth vpon Marke That the kindes of bread and wine are changed into the vertue of the bodie and bloud to wit that the kinds of bread and wine are chaunged into the vertue of the bodie and bloud of the Lord. And if thou wilt say that he in an other place saieth not Into the vertue but into the bodie bloud of the Lord we aunswere that this is the interpretation of those wordes that these signes take vnto them the vertue of the things by which vertue the Sacramentes haue no lesse than if the things themselues were there and as I haue saide the abhorring is taken away if wee appoint the signes to be chaunged not into the thing but into the vertue More violent séemeth an other saying of his which he hath vpon the 6. Chapter of Iohn where he writeth Euen as while Christ liued vpon the earth the bread was chaunged into his fleshe by an vsuall way of nourishment through naturall transmutation so this bread is chaunged into
when he made mention of his eating at the ende of the Gospell spake not of the institution of the Sacrament as doe the other Euangelistes For that he had sufficiently taught before And the Summe of doctrine which they omitted Iohn in the 6. Chapter fulfilled And there is not therefore any cause say they why any man should say that the communion is therefore superfluous because in often communicating we celebrate the memorie of the Lorde and thankes giuing and the minde is stirred vp with a likenesse of those things which be represented Neither are they dumbe but speaking signes which be there The coâ—modities comming by the CoÌ„â—… Further a certaine priuie token is there wherby the Christians doe make themselues to be ioyned one with an other and with Christ Moreouer they professe their faith as touching the bodie of Christ nailed vpon the Crosse and his blood shed for our saluation For it is not ynough to beléeue with the heart but confession also must be with the mouth and not onelie with the mouth but with outward actions Neither doe they admit it as these men saie that the wicked also doe receiue the bodie of Christ That the wicked receiue not the bodie of Christ For sense and reason attaine not vnto it Wherefore it remaineth that he be receaued by faith wherof they being destitute can haue nothing but the signes And Paule writeth He that shall eate the bread vnworthilie and saith not He that eateth the bodie vnworthilie 77 Furthermore they woonder at them which follow the contrarie opinion Remission of sinnes is had by faith not for the woorke wrought of him that eateth Besides is the eating faith is stirred vp not by the power of the works but by the working of the holie Ghost 1. Cor. 11. ver 24. 25. 26. that vnto that corporall eating of Christ they attribute remission of sinnes for so much as this is to admit Opus operatum that is merite in respect of the verie act of working Neither is remission of sinnes had otherwise than by faith Afterward they sticke vnto the saying of Paule when the Lorde commaundeth this to be doone in the remembrance of him and that his death shoulde bée shewed which wordes séeme vnto them to declare the absence of the body of Christ But I haue elsewhere shewed that this argument is not verie firme vnlesse they meane as touching the bodie of Christ reallie and corporally and naturallie to be present Otherwise when it is receaued by faith it is not vnderstoode to be altogether absent although he remaine in heauen as touching his nature and substance For he is spirituallie eaten and is trulie ioyned with vs. Moreouer they cite the fathers which doe plainelie pronounce that the type the signe and the figure héere is the bodie of Christ And they bring in two similitudes Two similitudes One is of a friend whose friend being absent bodilie is saide to be present when he thinketh of him The other they appoint to be of lookingglasses which be about one and the selfesame man whose face and countenance is multiplyed throughout all the glasses although he be not moued out of his place Symilitudes I graunt these be but yet ouer could to agrée with this mysterie For a friend being comprehended in the cogitation and conuersant in the minde changeth not him that thinketh vpon him he nourisheth not his minde neither yet doth he restore his flesh whereby it might be capable of the resurrection And this similitude of the glasses is a verie slender shadow neither must it be compared to that coniunction which we haue with Christ For the presence that wée confesse of the spirite of Christ hath the power of the holie ghost ioyned therewith which most néerelie coupleth vs vnto him But yet the foresaide similitudes are not vtterly to be refused séeing they maie after a sort leade vs to the trueth of the matter so that they make not the things equall For they shewe how this receauing maie be with faith and with the mind But they haue made mention of two coniunctions with Christ One is that by faith wée apprehend his bodie was nailed to the crosse and his bloud shed for our saluation An other is that the sonne of God himselfe tooke our verie nature vpon him And so is there a naturall coniunction betwéene vs and Christ whereof there is mention in the 2. Chapter to the Hebrues Verse 14. But there is a certaine third coniunction which we enter into with Christ in eating of him spirituallie whereof they doe not manie times speake although they passe it not ouer altogether in silence But as touching that we will intreat a little after Now if these men be demaunded whether Christ be present at the supper of the Lord they answere that he is present Howbeit this they speake by the figure Synecdoche Christ by his godhead is trulie present in the supper because the one part of Christ that is his Godhead is trulie present Otherwise in expounding the sentence of the Lord This is my bodie they vse the figure Metonymia to wit the name of the signe for the thing signified And they graunt that Christ himselfe after that sort is present as the Sonne which kéepeth it selfe within his owne circle A similitude and yet neuerthelesse is said to be present with the world and to gouerne the same with his motion and light How present faith maketh a thing But howe throughly faith maie make a thing to be present Gal. 3. 1. they thinke that they declared out of the Epistle to the Galathians where Paule saide that Christ was described before their eyes and crucified among them 78 Now remaineth that we shewe our iudgemeÌ„t among these opinions What in those opinions is to be receiued or refused what must bee auoyded and what must be receaued Not that I am minded to reprooue either Luther or Zuinglius being singular and verie excellent men For as touching Zuinglius I certainlie know that in his bookes he affirmeth the signes in this sacrament not to bée vaine or frustrate signes as we before declared And it hath also béene reported vnto me That betwéene the bodie of Christ and the signes Luther put no other but a sacramentall coniunction by all them which haue had conference with Luther that he in verie déede betwéene the bodie of Christ and the signes put no other but a sacramental coniunction But how the contention is growen set on fire betwéene theÌ„ it is no time now to rehearse Now then setting these men aside which are neuer sufficientlie praised we will intreate of the opinions as they are set downe and vrged on both partes Wherefore in the first opinion What in the first opinion must not be allowed I allowe not that grosse knitting together of the bodie of Christ with bread so as it should be naturallie corporallie and reallie comprehended therein For the holy Scripture dryueth
depart from the institution of Christ as wel by consecrating the cuppe as by distributing of it vnto the people Wherefore the cauil is vtterlie confuted An answere to the reasons of the aduersaries To the first 6 Now remaineth that we declare that the reasons which they thinke to make for them be of none effect They said that the Church in the first times vsed both kindes while it was yet ignorant I would to God that we were so instructed as the Christians were taught in the first times Afterward say they it sawe that the laie people may be content with one kinde What I beséech you sawe our Popes that the Apostles and prelates of the primitiue Church sawe not who were most plentifullie indued with the holy Ghost What is it else that we sée but méere darkenesse if it shall be compared to the most cleare knowledge of them They adde To the intent that the error of them should be auoyded who perhappes would think that the bodie of Christ is giuen a part from the bloud as though the bodie should sit in heauen at the right hand of the father without bloud These be their monstrous opinions None of the heretickes euer deuised this kinde of error But admit there had bin sometime such an heresie might it not otherwise be amended than by corrupting of the Sacrament of the Eucharist Vndoutedlie many pernitious opinions may arise as touching the other part of the Eucharist which they haue made to remaine And will they because of those thinges take away this also To the second 7 And that which they obiect as touching the Councell of Constance or Basil we passe not of it Neither the Gréeke Church nor the whole East part obayed them not without a cause For they decréed against the word of God And oftentimes Councels doe erre as it is euident of the Councels of Ariminum Chalcedon Ephesus the second and of the Councell of Africa that was vnder Cyprian and many others Yea and in the time of Christ did not the Councell of the Priestes and the Church of that time shamefully erre when it refused the doctrine of Christ and condemned Christ himselfe and the Apostles Elsewhere I haue warned that Councels haue not alwayes decreed that which was true The greater part there had the ouerhād of the lesser and oftentimes the woorser of the better Here bragge they Our Church hath the holy Ghost and therefore it cannot erre They vse a fallacie of the Accident For they that haue the holy Ghost A false argument of the accident doe not all that they doe by him Euen in lyke manner as a Maister builder in that he is a Maister builder in building dooth not amisse but because it happeneth sometime that he is occupied in other cogitations and perhappes hath droonke ouermuch therefore he otherwhile dooth amisse Ioh. 14. 15. 16. Mat. 28. 20 But the Church say they hath a promise of the holie Ghost and that it shal not be forsaken at any time I graunt neither is this promise wanting but is fulfilled and there be verie manie alwayes in the Church which doe iudge rightlie Euen as in the Iewish Church in most corrupt seasons were Simeon Zacharias Elizabeth Iohn Baptist Mary the virgin and Ioseph Nathanael and manie others which were partakers of this promise Wherefore it followeth that trueth preuaileth and errors are discouered Yet is it not gathered by the power of this promise that they alwayes define wel in Councels Oftentimes they be troubled with affections and oftentimes they grope in the dark How should this be knowen of vs How shal we vnderstand whether they haue decréed well or amisse All thinges must be tryed by the touchstone of the holy scriptures there the trueth is found out But let vs procéede to confute other their Argumentes 8 They said that the preceptes of outward thinges and of ceremonies are not so firme To the third as they cannot be changed by any meanes Against this maketh Cyprian in the Epistle now alledged against the Aquarij where he calleth the preceptes of this Sacrament great preceptes Matt. 5. 19. And Christ also saith that he shall be called the least or none at all in the kingdome of heauen which breaketh the least of his commaundementes Moreouer the places out of Deuteronomie the 4. and 12. Chapters and out of the 15 of Numbers the which we alledged before doe plainlie shew that it was not lawfull to change any thing in ceremonies yet doe we graunt that there is some difference in the preceptes of GOD. A distinction of the precepts For there be some of them from which we be neuer loosed as be all those which prohibit Also that same sūme whereof the whole lawe and the Prophets depend To loue the Lorde GOD with all the heart with all the strength and with all the soule and our neighbour as our selues But there be other precepts which we are not alwayes bound to execute except it be when time place and reason require that they should be doone For the Hebrewes were not bound to doe their holie thinges euery where and at all times but at certaine dayes and in the place which the Lord had chosen And vppon the Sabbaoth day they could not alwayes be voyd of outward woorkes Sometimes it behooued them to fight as we reade in the bookes of the Machabies neither might circumcision be ministred before the 8. day At this day also he that would desire Baptisme Baptisme imputed where it cannot be had and might not haue the libertie thereof his desire should be imputed in stead of the woorke Wherefore in these thinges when the commaundement of the Lord is to be doone it is not lawfull to change or inuert anie thing And although thou be not alwayes bound to doe that which is commaunded yet when thou doest it it is not méete thou should depart frō the order which GOD hath appointed Deut. 10. 1. Nadab and Abihu would alter some thing about the holy seruice and they were consumed with fire Oza dyed for his rashnesse 2. Sam. 6. 6. 2. Paral. 26 ver 16. And king Ozias when he would burne incense which was not lawful was stricken with leprosie Why are they not mooued with the example of their pretie Sacrificers who take very carefull héede in their Masse that they say not Masse without their Orarium or as they terme them without their stole or maniple And they iudge it to be a grieuous offence if they shal omit anie signe of the crosse or anie the least iot of this kinde which neuerthelesse be the inuentions of men méere toyes and trifles Why should not we rather beware that we passe not ouer those thinges which Christ himselfe in his word commaunded And among the Ethnickes there was very great care had in their sacred ceremonies least the priest should trippe or misse in a word which if it happened it was iudged to be no light
Ciuill trouble was that the King would haue had his dominion to inioy the commodities of life and to florish in wealth and abundance but those good things were maruelouslie diminished and extenuated through want of Raine and dryth of thrée yeares space So as the common wealth was troubled both as touching Religion and also the necessarie helpes of this life This in effect is the chyding of Ahab the King against Elias But now must we consider how Elias behaued himselfe with the King Doubtlesse he committed nothing vnworthie of a Prophet and legate of God He dealt constantlie Elias defended the dignitie of his office and with valiant courage defended he the ministerie of Gods worde He humbled not himselfe at the Kings féete he craued no pardon neither did he promise that he would amende if he had doone any thing vnacceptable vnto him not that he was proud or arrogant but because hee sawe that this accusation did directly assaile the word of God as though the disturbance had risen thereby If hée had béene to deale in his owne priuate businesse I doubt not but that he would haue vsed modestie méete for a godlie man but to haue the estimation and dignitie of the high God to be impaired he might not abide Wherefore he aunswered It is not I that trouble Israell but thou and thy fathers house 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He vseth a contrarie accusation and returneth the crime vppon the accuser that is vpon the wicked King Neither must he be accused of insolencie because as Paule hath declared to the Galathians the 1. Gal. 1. 8. Chapter Hee must bee taken accursed whosoeuer although it shall bee an Angell that teacheth otherwise than the gospell or truth of God sheweth it selfe And if Angelles are not exempted Kings also must not be exempted Doubtlesse it behooued Elias to haue a great spirit that hée should aduenture to oppose himselfe against a furious King The selfe same thing also did Iohn Baptist shew Matt. 14. 4. who set himselfe against Herod otherwise a most cruell King Helias addeth a cause why Achab his ancestors troubled Israel namely for that they forsooke the true God and who was the GOD of their Fathers and contemned his commaundementes and lawes seruing strange Gods This he saith was the originall fountaine and roote of disturbance And for because this is a great matter and that the knowledge thereof serueth verie much for these times wherein the Papistes say that we be the disturbers of the Church and the authors of sedition and we in like manner returne vpon them that these euils haue sprung vp from themselues it shall be verie necessarie for determining of the cause Of trouble or sedition to speake somewhat herein as touching trouble or sedition And what the worde of troubling signifieth and from whence the translation was deriued I haue expressed a little before Now let vs come to a iust definition of the thing The Etymologie of trouble or sedition Vlpianus But first I thought it good to shew the Etymologie of that worde namely Trouble Vlpianus according to the opinion of Labeo in the Digestes in the Title Vi fractorum bonorum saieth in generall that this worde Tumultus is deriued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Cicero Tumultuari Cicero in the 6. Booke De Republica as it is reported wrote that sedition is a disagréement of men among themselues when one draweth one waie and another another waie The Gréekes call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the Authors of sedition and trouble the Hebrewes call Hakerim the Gréekes cal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is troublers And thus much as touching the word 3 But as concerning the true nature or definition Sedition defined Sedition or trouble belong to the predicament of Action For they which make any trouble doe it either by iudging of contrarie and diuerse things or by vttering of the same or else by perfourming of them by the worke it selfe It is an Action I say not naturall but voluntarie which is referred vnto vice The next generall worde thereof is contention Séeing in euerie trouble men contend one against another Vnder this generall worde there may be reckened foure kindes The kinde◠of sedition For the same happeneth either amongst many or else betwéene one or two If there be many that contend those either bee kinsfolkes and néere friendes or else they be forreiners and straungers Plato in the 5. Dialogue De Republica saieth that the Gréekes be kinsfolkes and friendes and the straungers he calleth Barbarous If wee shall contende with such men he thinketh it to be warre but when the Grecians fought among themselues that he said belonged vnto sedition But and if the contention be about holie and religious things that is commonly called Schisme When a contention is named Schisme but if a contention be stirred vp betweene one or two then it is a braule as the same Vlpian affirmed according to the opinion of Labeo in the Lawe before alleaged Neither will they haue it to be a trouble or Sedition if two or thrée or foure contend among themselues but as they say there must be a good manie These be the chiefe kindes of contention Howbeit of warre brawling I will not now treate But trouble Schisme that is sedition aswell in religious things as in ciuill things I will comprehend in one 4 And forsomuch as Actions are woont to be knowen by the obiectes that is by the matter about which they bee occupied as sight is knowen because it consisteth in the apprehending of light and discerning of colours also hearing because it admitteth soundes and wordes therefore must wee consider what doeth sedition or trouble and about what things it is conuersant We say that the same argueth a Priuation of two most excellent things to wit of Order and of vnitie What is Order Order if we credite Augustine is a disposing of things like and vnlike giuing to euerie thing their owne places All things in the world be not equall and after one sort But then are they said to be in order when they be well disposed obtaine places fit for themselues And mens actions haue then an order when they are tempered to things according to their owne state and dignitie Whereuppon Chrysostom excellentlie well wrote in the 23. Homilie vppon the Epistle to the Romanes That God appointed amongst men manie differences of Rule and subiection For we finde there be Maisters and seruants Parentes and children man and wife Magistrate and subiects Olde men and young men but the Actions of men will not be set in order vnlesse they be made agréeable vnto these and such like degrées But this cannot be doone vnlesse things be ordered according to the rule of the lawe Wherefore séeing trouble is said to take away order we perceiue that the same taketh away the lawe which
or vnderstanding Also knowleges are so to be diuided A diuision of knowledges as either they doo belong to the sense or to the reason or else to faith And the will will assent to the knowleges according as they shall be more vehement neither is it in the power thereof to be more set on by one sort than by another Some saie that this is the power therof to constreine the mind or reason that it is inclined to the better sort of reasons counsels suffereth not it selfe to be cast from them But that this is a good thing the will of it selfe knoweth not except so much as reason hath taught it Wherfore I knowe not a more present remedie than to call vpon God that by his spirit he will make that cogitation and counsell in the will to be of the greater power which may more belong to our saluation and to his glorie To him it belongeth earnestlie to kindle and lighten the same whereby our will euen aboue other things may be mooued The will commandeth mens actions For we all knowe that the will dooth beare rule and commandeth mens actions but since it is betwéene knowledges and affections we dispute whether it be put in the power thereof by which sort it should be mooued more vehementlie Doubtles when it is ouercome of sinnes The captiuitie of the will 2. Pet. 2 19. it is made the seruant of them For Peter saith that Euerie man is seruant vnto him of whom he is ouercome And to the Rom. it is written that We become the seruants of him to whom soeuer we giue our selues as seruants to obey Rom. 6 16. 20. Againe Whereas ye were the seruants of sinne ye were freed from righteousnes Christ also said Iohn 8 36. If Christ haue made you free then ye shall be free Whervpon it followeth that men are falselie termed frée when they are not yet regenerate Besides all these things there is the tyrannie of the diuell which holdeth men captiue before they belong vnto Christ Matt. 12 19 For Christ said that The strong armed man keepeth his house and withholdeth the spoiles captiue vntill there come a stronger than he who taketh awaie those things And in the second epistle to Timothie 2. Tim. 2 26 the second chapter it is written that They which speake against the truth are withheld captiues by sathan at his will Also it is a common saieng that The will is as it were a horsse A similitude which one while hath the spirit of GOD and grace to sit vpon it but otherwhile the diuell and is sometime stirred vp by him and sometime is gouerned by grace wherfore the libertie thereof is appaired by the manifold bondage thereof And it is a woonder that séeing the libertie thereof is so small especiallie in this state Luther that the same is rather called frée than bond These things Luther considering called this Arbitrium rather bond than frée A similitude If one were in prison fast bound with fetters and manicles should he rightlie saie that he is frée bicause he might stir his head and lift vp his eies Doubtlesse our will can fréelie refuse spirituall gifts while we be conuersant in this state it can also choose things contrarie vnto them but the good things themselues it cannot challenge or desire to it selfe Merit of congruitie and condignitie And séeing it is so féeble as it can onlie performe certeine outward things and that of the baser sort there haue béene some which in this state attributed vnto it the merit of congruitie that is to wit that if they should doo that which lieth in them to doo they should after a sort deserue grace although not of condignitie as they speake yet at the least wise of congruitie Let these feigned deuises go Grace if it should be giuen bicause of works Rom. 11 6. now should it be no grace Howbeit I so speake these things as I would not slacke the bridle vnto sinnes and wickednesse for euen they themselues that be not regenerate if they performe not those outward things which they can they shall be far more gréeuouslie punished But if anie complaine that by this meanes frée will is too much extenuated I saie it is not so but while it is debased as it is indéed manie profits are gathered thereby First that they which shall knowe these things are not puffed vp nor yet are proud of their owne strength but are the more earnestlie stirred vp to desire the helpe of God when they shall perceiue themselues to be so weake And when they shall afterward be regenerated and shall perceiue from how manie euils they be deliuered they will be the more earnestlie mooued to giue thanks to their deliuerer These things the Pelagians did not obserue the which thought that before regeneration they might by their owne merits deserue grace and therefore by extolling themselues more than was méet they both vndid themselues and disturbed the church 7 There might also be added an other subiection to wit that God vseth our minds as instruments Prou. 21. 1 for The heart of the king is in the hand of God he bendeth it which waie soeuer he will So Nabuchad-nezar Ezec. 21. 21 when he was at the head of the two waies stood in a doubt whither he should bend and perhaps would haue set vpon the Moabits or Ammonits He consulted by lots and God tempered them and directed him vnto the Ierosolomits which were to be punished for their deserts as we haue it in Ezechiel And in other the prophets it is said that these monarchs are in the hand of GOD like vnto an axe and wood Esai 10 5. But bicause this vse of God bringeth not strength into our minds therefore a libertie such as it is towards these things which we now speake of is not vtterlie taken awaie Therefore I grant it and I haue confirmed the same out of the holie scriptures Wherfore the knowledge morall ciuill and economicall standeth and remaineth firme for all men Neuerthelesse to some I may héerein séeme to be deceiued bicause I haue said that the name of Liberum arbitrium is not found in the Latine translation of the diuine scriptures neither yet the Gréeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Certeinlie I spake not this of the thing but of the words and that which I then said I affirme againe But that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not found in the holie scriptures I said it not Yet if it be demanded whether these words be all one I answer that they séeme not to be And vndoubtedlie Damascene in the second booke when he intreateth of frée will and other things which be in vs nameth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but he defineth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where he intreateth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of will I will adde the reason why they differ bicause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
this full generalitie of calling hath béene alwaies so celebrated as after the time of the ascension of the Lord into heauen not so much as one yeare passed ouer within the which there came not vnto all men the preaching which was sent let him sée how he will prooue that the people of Asia were called Act. 16 6. 7. when as the apostles as it is written were forbidden by the holie Ghost to preach the word in Asia or to the Bithynians vnto whom the same apostles assaied to go and the spirit of Iesu suffered them not Let him sée also how he can defend the foreshewing of the truth it selfe Mat. 14 14. which said This Gospell shall bee preached ouer all the world for a witnesse vnto all nations and then shall the end come For the truth of that prophesie which were wickednesse to be spoken staggereth if the world were replenished with the Gospell within the space of foure hundreth yeares after Christ and as yet the comming of the Lord is deferred c. The same father in an epistle to Ruffinus as touching that which is written 1. Tim. 2 4. Who would all men to be saued And againe at the verie same time wherein preaching was sent to all men certeine places were forbidden the apostles to go vnto euen by him that would all men to be saued to come to the knowledge of the truth manie doubtlesse in that delaie of the Gospell being withheld and turned awaie died without knowledge of the truth and were not consecrated with regeneration Wherefore let the scripture tell what was doone Act. 16 6. It saith When they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia they were forbidden by the holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia But when they were come into Misia they sought to go into Bithynia but the spirit of Iesu suffered them not But what maruell is it if at the verie first preaching of the Gospell the apostles could not go except whither the spirit of God would haue them to go since we sée that manie nations foorthwith at the first began to be partakers of Christian grace and that others haue not as yet had anie maner of smell of this goodnesse But shall we saie that mens wils and that so beastlie and rude maners of these men doo stop the will of God that they doo not therefore heare the Gospell bicause wicked harts are not open to preaching Psal 33 15. But who hath changed the hearts of these men but he that seuerallie framed their hearts Who hath mollified this rigorous hardnesse to the affect of obedience Mat. 3 9. but Hee that is able of stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham And who shall giue vnto preachers a bold and inuiolable constancie but he which said vnto the apostle Paule Feare not but speake Act. 18 9. and hold not thy peace for bicause I am with thee no man shall withstand thee to hurt thee for I haue much people in this citie And I thinke that no man dare saie that anie nation of the world or anie region of the earth should be passed ouer wherein ought not to be spred the tabernacles of the church c. By these things it appeareth by how manie reasons this father hath prooued that the preaching of the Gospell which is necessarie vnto saluation hath béene wanting to manie nations in manie ages Whereby cannot be affirmed that God did that which sufficed to the saluation of men But that his meaning may the more appeare let vs adde those things which he wrote throughlie vpō the 4. chap. to the Gauls Also he that saith that all men are not called to grace if he speake of them vnto whome Christ is not shewed he must not be blamed bicause wée knowe indéed that the Gospell hath béene sent into all the parts of the world but we thinke not now that it hath béene preached in all the ends of the earth neither can we saie that there is the calling of grace where there is as yet no regeneration of the mother of the church c. The same Authour in his answers vnto the collections of the Genuenses to the sixt doubt And as we cannot complaine of him that in the ages which be past permitted all nations to walke in their owne waies so should we not haue anie iust complaint if grace yet ceasing we should perish among them whose cause and ours was all one who neuerthelesse as then of all the world he made choise of a few so now of all mankind vniuersallie he saueth innumerable not according to our works 2. Tim. 1 9. but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen vnto vs in Christ Iesus before the beginning of the world c. Now dooth it plainlie appeare by the saieng of this man that the grace of GOD sometime ceased and that all men had not alwaies a iust calling vnto saluation wherefore it is not so vniuersall as some will but is rather particular But bicause some vse a certeine shift to saie that they to whom the Gospell was not preached had calling enough of God sith by the elements by the spheres of heauen and by other creatures they were instructed concerning the onelie true God whom it behoued them to worship Rom. 1 18. so that in the epistle to the Romans they are blamed as inexcusable But how true this is the same Prosper sheweth in an epistle vnto Ruffinus as touching frée will where he thus writeth For neither is it remooued from the common consideration of men in how manie ages what innumerable thousands of men being left to their owne errors and impieties fell away without any knowledge of the true God euen as in the Acts of the apostles the words of Barnabas and Paule did declare Acts. 14 15. saieng to the men of Iconium O men whie doo ye these things We also are mortall men like vnto you and preach vnto you that ye should turne from these vaine things vnto the liuing GOD which made heauen and earth the sea and all things that in them are and who in times past suffered all the Gentiles to walke in their owne waies And verelie he left not himself without witnes in that he did good vnto them and gaue raine from heauen and fruitfull seasons filling their hearts with food and gladnesse Verelie if either naturall vnderstanding or the vse of Gods benefits might haue sufficed to atteine eternall life then the reasonable contemplation and the temperature of the aire and the abundance of fruits and meates in our time might saue vs bicause vndoubtedlie we hauing a better vse of nature should worship our Creator bicause of his dailie benefits But farre be it from the minds of the godlie and them that be redéemed by the bloud of Christ to haue an ouer-foolish and pernicious persuasion hereof He dooth not deliuer mankind without the man Christ Iesu the onelie mediatour betwéene God
they run togither in heapes and crie with the siluer-smith Great is Diana of the Ephesians Howbeit they should haue considered that they are no lesse to be accused which attribute ouer-much vnto sacraments and doo make an idoll of them than those which neglect the same both which extremities we haue alwaies to our power auoided But now when I sée that thorough your authoritie all things are at quiet I am become of better courage and I gladlie take vpon me this labour of disputation Neither will I repeate the particular causes why I would not dispute when I was chalenged vpon the sudden least I might séeme to vtter my stomach And therefore I come to the questions wherein some doo slander me that I haue not obserued an order of Logike and spoken that which should first haue béene in question to wit Whether the bodie of Christ be in the sacrament and that afterward the maner how should be sought out But I affirme the contrarie to wit euen that the best method is here obserued yea and that dialecticall And I am not ignorant of Aristotles doctrine in his Analytiks wherein he teacheth that first we must séeke whether a thing be or no and afterward we must sée why what and for what it is But forsomuch as neither of vs doubteth but that there is a bodie of Christ and that I am asked whether it be in the Eucharist I answer them fitlie by my thrée questions first that he is not there by transubstantiation secondlie that he is not ioined to the bread and wine or to the shewes of them corporallie and carnallie or as these men will reallie and substantiallie but that he is there onelie by a sacramentall coniunction which is a most effectuall signification You haue therfore a verie perfect method which yet that it may the plainlier appéere shal be declared after this maner Some coniunctiō there is of the bodie bloud of Christ with the signes and this on both sides is agréed vpon but what maner of coniunction it is therin standeth the controuersie Wherefore this I doo open in my thrée questions and I begin at the groser and that is at transubstantiation the which I doo refell afterward I procéed to the other kind to wit the corporall and carnall presence or the reall or substantiall as they speake which I account all alike and assent not therevnto since I prooue a third kind of presence namelie by a sacramentall signification But as to the words corporallie carnallie which séeme to be ambiguous I saie that I vnderstand them as if it should be said reallie and substantiallie neither in disputing will I trouble them about this difference But why I deriued aduerbes from the nounes flesh and bodie rather than from thing and substance is to the intent I might accommodate my selfe vnto the holie scriptures the which in making mention of a sacrament haue not the names of thing and substance but onelie of bodie flesh and bloud and therefore haue I written corporallie and carnallie And this also my aduersaries contend that the latter question is superfluous for they saie If you shall remooue transubstantiation and reall presence it followeth of necessitie that in the sacrament there is left nothing but a signification Whom I answer that they are Anabaptists which would haue this sacrament to be nothing else but a badge and profession of our societie which we haue among vs through charitie they make no reckoning of the efficacie of the holie Ghost which we testifie to be in this sacrament Moreouer the Marcionites Valentinians Manicheis and such kind of heretiks since they denied Christ to haue had a true bodie could not abide this signification which we here confirme Wherefore the third question is not vnprofitable against this kind of pestilent men Lastlie besides all these things I haue taken this course bicause I would haue these questions to be correspondent with those things which I haue taught in the Schooles where I haue obserued the verie same method Now remaineth that we enter into the matter But first of all according to the accustomed maner let vs call for the help of God by praier The Praier SInce thou O almightie God hast for thy mercie sake promised to gouerne vs by thy holy spirit and to lead vs into all truth first of all we giue thee infinit thanks for so gratious and bountifull a promise which I doubt not but thou wilt effectuallie fulfill And further bicause we are gathered togither in thy name and that those things which must be disputed of are of verie great importance therefore with all our hart we praie and beseech thee that thou wilt giue vnto vs thy promised grace and that thou wilt so vouchsafe to moderate and direct that which we haue taken vpon vs to handle that thereby may be giuen glorie vnto thy name the truth to this schoole and edification vnto the holie church We humblie beseech thee that thou wilt remooue all euill affections that thou wilt illuminate both our harts the harts of the hearers with the light of the holie scriptures and those things which therin shall seeme to be obscure make thou them to be plaine and suffer vs not to erre in them and whatsoeuer matters perhaps of manie haue not hitherto beene rightly vnderstood grant that they may now be more sincerelie and faithfullie perceiued through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen The Oration of D. VVilliam Tresham I Am come right honourable to bring the truth vnto light A hard matter to him that shall consider of it I laie vpon my selfe a weightie burthen For I haue taken vpon me to incounter and dispute with one that both is learned sharpe of wit and exercised in all kind of learning both humane and diuine and that in a most weightie matter in an assemblie of most learned men Wherefore since I vndertake a hard matter which vndoubtedly manie other students of this Vniuersitie are able if they will much better more exactlie and happilie to performe bring to passe than I which am but a weake disputer It shall be in your courtesie Right honourable Commissioners who haue vouchsafed by your honorable presence to adorne and set foorth these disputations to take in good part whatsoeuer this daie shall be vttered of me in disputing and to interpret to the best all those things which vnfeinedlie shall for no other cause be declared but for godlinesse sake Assuredlie it was not my meaning of anie malice spight or hatred to be an aduersarie to this learned man but bicause he himselfe after a sort prouoked me and my conscience mooued me and finallie bicause your authoritie allowed me I am come to contend in this field of learning To contend I saie as with a fréend and familiar but yet I prefer a truth before a fréend for the defense whereof I will indeuour to my power to resist this Doctour being a man most throughlie exercised in these matters but yet aboue all
things putting my trust in him which promiseth to the professours of his name Luk. 21 14. saieng Laie it vp in your hearts that ye cast not before hand what ye shall answer for I will giue you a mouth and wisdome which all your aduersaries shall not be able to wrest and gainesaie Now then most learned Peter I arme my selfe to examine your conclusions The first whereof is this In the sacrament of the Eucharist there is no transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the bodie and bloud of Christ The second is that the bodie and bloud of Christ is not substantiallie and naturallie in the Eucharist vnder the formes of bread and wine Vnto which conclusions as I giue no credit at all euen so I certeinlie persuade my selfe as I will alwaies saie that they be false most strange from christian religion And that thus it is as I haue said I will not refuse in due time to declare and shew most euidentlie by the holie scriptures and by manie testimonies of the fathers So likewise haue I this day taken vpon me to defend and confirme the truth hitherto receiued by the church plaine contrarie and as they speake by a right diameter line repugnant to your conclusions This disputation haue I taken in hand not to the intent I would supplie the roome of D. Smith being absent of whose purpose without doubt I was not priuie but I haue doone it onelie to extoll the glorie of Christ the veritie of the faith And let not anie man thinke that I am led to like of this my opinion of a certeine light credulitie but through great and most vrgent causes Whereof the first is the agréement and vniforme consent of the holy Euangelists and of Saint Paule the apostle which make for our assertion from whence a consent of the whole world and perpetuall vse of the thing hath flowed euen to vs. The second cause is the great authoritie of our holie mother the church the which euen by publike edicts decréed as touching the certeine truth of this sacrament against Beringarius Wickliffe and such as were of their opinion Thirdlie there be most euident testimonies of the right catholike fathers which vnlesse they be otherwise expounded than those fathers ment they make most chéerlie for our assertion The fourth and last cause is for that the edict of our most noble prince king Edward the sixt and the act of his maiesties Councell dooth not a litle warrant me the verie which causes séeme vnto me sufficient for to beléeue as I doo Wherefore most learned Peter whatsoeuer force of arguments you haue to vtter and alledge against me speake and declare them all at your owne pleasure it is lawfull for you I haue said and you sée how I answer your conclusions D. Peter Martyr THe praises which you attribute to me I acknowledge not your good wil towards me I imbrase And whereas you saie that you were chalenged of me that is nothing so for I rather am drawne foorth by others to dispute as it is knowne vnto all men And as for the causes which you saie moued you to dispute against me I doo not much passe for of what importance they be I will then acknowledge when it shall be your part to oppose Onelie of the last namelie as touching the kings edict since I vnderstand no English this I saie that I know nothing at all thereof but I hope that in proceeding of the disputation if it shall make anie thing against mee I shall vnderstand the same Wherfore omitting these things I come vnto the arguments Heere beginneth the disputation D. Peter Martyr FOr the first question the Scriptures are on my side which doo very plainlie acknowledge bread and wine in this sacrament Mat. 26. Mark 14. Luke 22. It is said in the Euangelists that the Lord tooke bread blessed it Bicause the scriptures acknowlege bread in the Eucharist therefore it must be receiued brake it and gaue it vnto his disciples And Paule hath the verie same in the first epistle to the Corinthians the tenth and eleuenth chapters where if you will diligentlie consider it he maketh often mention of bread Wherefore we also must togither with the scripture reteine the natures of the symbols or signes D. Tresham It is also found in the holie scriptures that man is called earth or ashes Eue a bone a rod a serpent and water wine where yet they were not these things but were so called Moreouer the argument is reciprocall and may be returned vpon your selfe for euen in the scriptures it is oftentimes called the bodie of the Lord and that therefore by the verie selfe-same reason the bodie of Christ is trulie present in this sacrament which you denie in the second question and therefore your argument is returned vpon your owne head D. Martyr As for the former part of your answer you affirme that the saieng of the holie scripture when it nameth bread is figuratiue bicause the things reteine the names of their natures from whence they were turned Wherein I maruell verie much that you so readilie flie vnto figures the which ye so greatlie abhor when we are in hand with this sacrament But this I let passe and I answer that in the places alledged the holie scripture dooth expresselie put vs in mind of the conuersions of those things for it plainelie sheweth that mans bodie was fashioned out of the earth that Eue was made of Adams rib that the râ—d was turned into a serpent that the water was made wine Wherefore we are forced to admit these figures Now then prooue ye vnto vs out of the holie scriptures that the bread is turned as touching substance into the bodie of Christ and so we will grant your figure that is to wit to call bread not that which is now bread but that which was so before And moreouer those things which ye bring in haue so cast awaie their old substance as they reteine not the accidents of them And that which you haue added in the other part of the answer that it maketh against me that the bodie of Christ is reallie present sith the holie scripture calleth it the bodie as also bread how much it maketh against me I will answer when my turne of answering commeth if you shall obiect the same vnto me D. Tresham I was determined that we should vse short arguments but you interlace manie things Howbeit as touching conuersion which you denie to be had in the holie scripture that doo I prooue out of Matthew where Christ saith Matt. 26 26. This is my bodie It is no indicatiue or significatiue saieng of God but an effectuall actiue and working spéech For Augustine saith vpon the 73. psalme The sacraments of the old lawe promise a sauiour but the new giue saluation and therefore I prooue the bread to be turned into the bodie of the Lord. D. Martyr I vse both now and hereafter will vse bréefe arguments so far
most holie sacrament of the Eucharist that no feined nor phantasticall nor imaginatiue nor bare figuratiue bodie but thy true reall substantiall yea and not to forbeare the grosser kind of termes thy corporall naturall and carnall bodie is there present Matt. 26 26. séeing thou hast said Take ye eate ye This is my bodie which is giuen for you which is broken deliuered or shall be deliuered for you But touching the maner how or after what sort it is there whether with the bread whether the elements be changed or whether the bread as the schoole-diuines speake be transubstantiated the holie scripture in plaine words dâ—…th not teach But what shall we saie it saith if not in plaine words therefore it hath not taught it God forbid Iohn 16 12 Manie things haue I to saie vnto you which ye cannot now beare He hath taught The bread which I will giue Iohn 6. is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world He taught He tooke bread in his hands he gaue thanks he brake the bread and distributed it saieng This is my bodie He taught it yet somewhat obscurelie He would not then be touched bicause he had not as yet ascended to his father He ascended he sent the holie Ghost this holie Ghost exercised his office taught the church taught the Councels taught the fathers all truth Wherefore giue eare vnto him put your trust in him he ouercommeth and shall ouercome the world Howbeit since there is none of so happie a wit of so firme a memorie of so sound and perfect vtterance but is easilie disquieted either with the force of arguments or with the outward shew of authorities or with the obscurenesse of the fathers in a matter otherwise most true I desire pardon of you the kings maiesties most honourable commissioners and I submit my selfe vnto you if perhaps I vtter anie thing which shall either be repugnant to the scriptures or anie maner of waies disagréeable to the laws of this realme And that we may happilie performe all these things let vs with ioint praier call for the helpe of his holie spirit who knoweth all things and teacheth all things saieng togither after this maner Come holie spirit replenish the hearts of thy faithfull ones c. Let vs praie O God which hast taught the harts of the faithfull by the illumination of thy holie spirit c. Now then most famous Doctor I prepare my selfe to the questions propounded But first by your leaue partlie for my owne instruction partlie for that those things which yesterdaie were alledged by you may séeme not to be assoiled and partlie that they which be present should not be seduced I will run ouer two or thrée authorities which yesterdaie you brought foorth You argued out of Saint Cyprian Euen as in the person of Christ is hidden the Godhead c. And euen as the Godhead and the flesh is one Christ so the bread and the bodie of Christ doo make one sacrament I answer To Cyprian that the similitude dooth agrée not as touching the secret liâ—…g hidden to wit that euen as the Godhead is close hidden in the humanitie and as a soule reasonable is close hidden in the bodie so vnder the sacrament is secretlie hidden the bodie of Christ vnder the shew of bread Otherwise if it should hold likenesse and proportion in all things it would followe that Christ could not die and that his soule was neuer separated from his bodie For Athanasius saith Euen as the soule reasonable and the flesh is one man so God and man is one Christ which neuerthelesse is false séeing the Godhead could not be separated from the manhood that is to wit either from the bodie or from the soule when as notwithstanding the soule might be plucked awaie from the flesh by death Gelasius whom you alledge on your part To Gelasius fauoreth Nestorius Neither dooth it well conclude In part he is no Nestorian Therfore he is none at all Assuredlie he was suspected of this heresie he might therefore be denied but yet he expoundeth himselfe It remaineth in the propertie of nature that is in the accidents and shewes of bread it hath the tast of bread it hath the power of nourishing and other qualities of bread To Augustine Ad Dardanum And this sense dooth Augustine vse in an epistle vnto Dardanus vnder this word Substance when he saith He shall come againe as the words of the angell testifie euen as he was séene to go into heauen to wit in the same forme and substance of flesh And as concerning that which Augustine saith to Dardanus True it is that the bodie of Christ is in one onlie place vnder the forme of man To Augustine in Sententijs Prosperi You alledged moreouer Augustine in the sentences of Prosper who saith that a sacrament consisteth of two things that is to saie of a sacrament and the matter of the sacrament I answer that the outward sacrament is that which appeareth to the eie but the matter of the sacrament is the bodie of Christ Bréefelie Augustines mind is that this sacrament standeth of two things namelie of the outward visible signe that is the shewes of bread and wine and of the matter of the sacrament that is the bodie of Christ and these things doo without doubt remaine This is it which is gathered out of Augustine for the same Augustine calleth it the same and not the same Theodoretus albeit I haue not his booke and that in Cyrill he is condemned with Nestorius he I saie is of the verie same mind that other of the fathers be who when they saie that the nature remaineth they vnderstand the propertie of the bread And after that sort we refuse not Theodoretus but we admit him To Theodoretus yet in this sense that he alone be not repugnant vnto manie And this is the rule which you would to be obserued in interpreting of the fathers To Origin I gant that to be true which Origin hath vpon the 15. of Matthew in the fragments to wit that this materiall thing goeth into the draught yet neuerthelesse he interpreteth himselfe in another place Sticke not saith he to the bloud of the flesh but learne the bloud of the word for if we shall without faith eate the flesh or drinke the bloud it profiteth not but goeth into the draught not the flesh it selfe but the bread and wine For the same Cyprian in his sermon De lapsis saith that The Lord doubtlesse departeth when he is denied and he addeth When his comfortable grace through our departing from a holie life To Ireneus is changed into ashes Irenaeus you saie calleth it bread and indéed before consecration it is verie bread howbeit when the word of God commeth therevnto it is made the bodie of Christ so as that creature goeth before the consecration And in that saith he he confessed the cup which is of the creature that is amongst
D. Martyr The holie scripture doth not acknowledge an eating of Christ except vnto saluation Neither haue you it out of the holie scriptures that the wicked doo eate the bodie of Christ And of them that eate vnwoorthilie thus speaketh Paule If anie man shall eate this bread or shall drinke the cup of the Lord. He saith that they doo eate bread not the bodie of the Lord. D. Chadse Therfore doth Paule speake after this maner bicause he calleth the bodie of Christ bread in that respect that it was bread before or else for that it hath the forme of bread and besides Paule saith This bread and cup of the Lord. D. Martyr You saie that Christs bodie is eaten of the wicked Paule speaketh it not but calleth it bread You run vnto the accustomed refuge Howbeit vnlesse you satisfie the matter otherwise you cannot escape séeing Paule dooth plainelie call it bread and he addeth this article This and saith Of the Lord bicause those things be now changed into sacraments D. Chadse Augustine against the letters of Petilianus the second booke 55. chapter teacheth manifestlie that the wicked doo eate the bodie of Christ and he saith What a madnesse is it for them to communicate in the sacraments of the Lord Wherefore these when they shall saie Luk. 13 26. Haue not we in thy name eaten droonken shall heare it said I knowe you not séeing they eate his bodie and drinke his bloud in the sacrament and yet knowe not his members dispersed ouer all the world And infinite other places more I haue which shall be shewed when occasion is offered D. Martyr The place of Augustine which you cite prooueth nothing at all for it may in this respect be said that the wicked doo eate the flesh and drinke the bloud of the Lord bicause they receiue the sacraments of these things And as the same Augustine testifieth sacraments be so called of those things which they signifie And as touching the other places which you saie you haue we will sée how they be alledged and then will I answer them but as for this time you haue not brought one word out of the holy scriptures to teach that the wicked doo eate the Lords bodie But out of Augustine I will euidentlie shew that these propositions namelie to eate the bodie of Christ and to haue saluation and life are conuertible and interchangeable For vpon the Gospell of Iohn in the 26. treatise he saith He that eateth not his flesh nor drinketh his bloud hath not eternall life in him he that dooth eate his flesh drinke his bloud hath eternall life Doo you not heare that these words are not cōuerted interchanged one with another And a little after This is to eate that meate and to drinke that drinke to dwell in Christ and to haue Christ dwelling in him And by this meanes he that dwelleth not in Christ and he in whom Christ dwelleth not without doubt he eateth not spirituallie his flesh nor drinketh his bloud though he crush with his téeth the sacrament of the bodie and bloud of Christ D. Chadse True it is that they eate not and drinke not vnto saluation and after such a maner doth Augustine vnderstand the eating of Christs bodie And the scriptures doo saie that some do eate vnwoorthilie D. Martyr Augustine hath not that which you speake and Paule dooth plainelie call that bread which the wicked doo eate But it is a deuise of your owne to saie that there is a certeine bodie of Christ that the wicked doo eate and yet haue not saluation nor yet be partakers of the spirit of Christ The third act was betweene M. Morgan and D. Tresham on the one part and Doctor Martyr on the other part Bicause D. Treshams books by his seruants default were not brought therefore he earnestlie desired that the time might a while be prolonged But the Commissioners least the time should passe awaie in vaine commanded M. Morgan a Maister of Arts to oppose which otherwise was appointed to the same purpose for that daie M. Morgan WHat maner of beginning shall I vse with you most learned Sir in setting downe of your opinion Will you stand onlie vpon the scriptures Or will you commit the matter vnto the fathers D. Martyr I was minded to saie somewhat before the disputation vnto the questions which I proposed and in them would haue spoken somewhat for the satisfieng of mine aduersarie which should this daie dispute with me howbeit since the case so happeneth that you are appointed to be his substitute for a time euen at the verie same time wherein I was minded now to oppose I will deferre it vntill an other time But before I answer vnto those things which you demanded of me I will make mine accustomed praiers The Praier O Almightie God for somuch as we shall dispute of the principall mysteries of our religion we approch vnto thy goodnesse and mercie whereby all desire of contention being laid awaie and all disquietnes of mind remooued we may sincerelie seeke out the truth hauing found it we may imbrase it and haueing obteined the same we may purelie teach it Wherefore guide vs in disputing by the direction of thy holie spirit whereby in the discussing of thy word in the examination of reasons and in those things which should be persuaded or disuaded we doo beseech thée that we may not depart one iot from the summe of godlinesse But whatsoeuer we shall inuent thinke and saie the same being directed by thy helpe and power may further as much as is possible to the honour of thy name through Christ our Lord Amen What the cheefe thing is whereby we iudge of the holie scriptures NOw I answer The power of iudging matters of Diuinitie or the chéefe thing whereby we iudge of the holie scriptures in teaching else where I prooued to be two waies that is to wit by the holie Ghost by the holie scriptures the one of which is inward the other outward But now bicause we deale as touching the outward I saie that there must be no other thing appointed than the holie scripturs There I laie the foundation and therto I chéefelie cleaue Trulie I will not contemne the fathers naie rather I will attribute much to them when they speake according to the scriptures I haue cited them as ye haue heard And perhaps I staid my selfe ouer-much in that course not that I depend of them but bicause I sée that manie are addicted vnto them superstitiouslie which perpetuallie crie out The fathers the fathers and doo thinke them to be euermore against vs. I thought it good to shew such men that they make most of all for vs. And what I haue said as touching the fathers thinke you that I haue answered as touching the Councels Bréefelie we stand vnto the holie scriptures and we yéeld vnto all those which speake and will speake according to the same M. Morgan Now then let vs dispute out of
called the diuine hath in his third booke De Theologia that To reiect another mans opinion is no great matter but easie for euerie man howbeit contrariwise to proue his owne is the point both of a godlie and a wise man For if the contention be about bare words that will come to passe which that same wittie Logician in Nicaeas trulie spake While men striue about words words are set against words and that which is spoken is ouerthrowne by the art of eloquence But if the triall be about the right sense Paule pronounceth A naturall man perceiueth not those things which be of the spirit of God for it is foolishnes vnto him neither can he vnderstand bicause they are spirituallie examined If a man appeale vnto reason and profound wisedome 1. Cor. 2 14. by and by it will be said My speach and my preaching is not in the entising words of mans wisedome but in the declaration of the spirit and of power that our faith should not be in the wisedome of men but in the power of God Therefore to dispute in so hard a matter 1. Cor. 2 4. and to prooue by reasons that which ought to be held onelie by faith and beléefe is a dangerous thing and granted to no man without the singular gift of God Especiallie according to that saieng of Ierom vnto Paulinus where there is a disputation betwéene them which after prophane writings come to the holie scriptures and by a set maner of speach delight the eares of the people Whatsoeuer they shall saie that they thinke to be the lawe of God and vouchsafe not to knowe what the prophets what the apostles haue iudged but applie vnfit testimonies to their owne sense As though it were a kind of speach of great value and not of vile error to depraue sentences and to drawe according to a mans owne will the scripture which is against him there to acknowledge a figure where no figure is there to deuise a figure where there is a truth to drawe all to that purpose whither his affection leadeth him To this verie well agréeth that which Augustine hath in his third booke De doctrina christiana the tenth chapter If an opinion of anie error haue possessed the mind whatsoeuer otherwise the scripture hath affirmed men thinke it to be a figuratiue speach But is not this to please the affection when as the sacred scripture saith manifestlie This is my bodie to interpret it This signifieth my bodie When the fathers affirme verie flesh and verie bloud to make a glose that the fathers spake spirituallie or else hyberbolicallie when they teach that bread is changed not in forme but in nature to ascribe the same onelie vnto an holie vse Doo they bring in the scriptures No but they pretend the scriptures as saith Tertullian And by this their boldnesse they persuade some yea in the disputation it selfe they tire the strong they catch hold of the weake and send away the indifferent in a doubt Wherfore we must labour diligentlie that our eies may be opened we must obteine by praiers that he which is the author of the scriptures will also be the interpretour of them that he will open our sense that we may vnderstand the scriptures He that speaketh with the toong let him praie that he may interpret And so in stead of words there will procéed vertue and for reason faith that we be not carried awaie with euerie wind of a word but that we may be graffed and rooted in that word which hath power to saue our soules And that this may come to passe praie you vnto the holie Ghost togither with me in my accustomed praier Come holie spirit c. D. Peter Martyr THose things which you haue now so bitinglie spoken in your preface how vnagréeable they are to me I will not indeuour to shew Onlie this will I admonish that I neuer wrested or corrupted the holie scriptures neither haue I imagined figures where they haue no place nor yet haue brought in anie new but such as are vsuall and which in a maner all the fathers doo acknowledge Howbeit I will not spend the time in confuting of these matters for there be manie things which I must saie for the confirmation of my questions as commonlie is woont to be doone of them which are to answer in disputations lest they might séeme to defend absurdities whereby also it shall be knowne how smallie those things which you spake earwhilst doo belong to my opinion Yesterdaie in verie déed I was minded to doo this but bicause I cannot tell by what chance I was constreined to deale with another aduersarie than was determined I thought good for the sooner dispatch with him to dispute with the ordinarie appointed to pretermit these things to refer them ouer to this daie And that our purpose may haue good successe I will as I haue hitherto doone call for the helpe of God D. Martyrs Praier O Almightie God we acknowledge the weakenesse of our mind and therefore we dare not approch to the beholding and declaring of thy truth vnles we first as meet we should doo call vpon thy name Wherefore we desire thee with most feruent praiers that of thy speciall goodnesse thou wilt infuse light into our darkenesse and by the benefit of thy holie spirit thou wilt make plaine those doubts which shall happen that the waie of saluation may be made manifest vnto them which beleeue through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen The confirmation of the first question The first reason drawne from the sacrament of baptisme FOr confirmation of the first question besides the reasons which you hard in disputing the former daies I will now adde these also That Christ is trulie giuen vnto vs in baptisme Paule testified vnto the Galathians when he wrote Gal. 3 27. So manie of you as are baptised haue put on Christ And in the epistle vnto the Romans he sheweth Rom. 6. verse 4 5. that by baptisme we are graffed into Christ And in the first epistle to the Corinthians he ioineth togither these two sacraments when he saith that 1. Co. 12 13 We be baptised into one bodie and haue droonke one spirit And yet doo not anie saie that vnto the true receiuing of Christ in baptisme we haue néed of transubstantiation wherefore it followeth that the same also in the Eucharist is superfluous Neither is it an easie thing to be said that Christ is giuen more excellentlie in the Eucharist than he is in baptisme sith by baptisme we are set in him and by the Eucharist we are fed in him And there is no man doubteth but that our generation dooth bring more substance to vs than dooth the nourishment I let passe that which Ierom wrote vnto Hedibia that we in baptisme doo eate the bodie and bloud of Christ And Augustine saith that by baptisme we be made partakers of the bodie and bloud of Christ euen before we eate of
saie that his toong or parchment or inke or the signifieng sounds vttered with the toong or figures of letters written vpon little skins is the bodie and bloud of Christ but that onelie which we doo rightlie receiue being made of the fruits of the earth and consecrated by mysticall praiers Héere likewise you heare that that which we receiue of the fruits of the earth is called the Lords bodie Wherevpon it followeth that bread dooth there remaine vnlesse you will saie that the earth dooth bring foorth accidents And whereas you obiect that the worke of God and the holy Ghost are requisit for the making of this a sacrament I grant it but that the signification of the bodie of Christ is not so great a matter as it hath néed of those things that doo I denie You haue oftentimes alreadie heard that we doo not héere set downe a common or vulgar signification but a sacramentall mightie and effectuall signification whereby the beléeuers are incorporated into Christ D. Chadse But the bread by his substance nourisheth therefore it may signifie the bodie of Christ before consecration also it is gathered and consisteth of manie praiers before consecration therefore it may signifie the vnion of the church Howbeit it is none of Augustines mind that anie thing should be called the bodie and bloud of Christ bicause of the signification but only in this respect that being taken out of the fruits of the earth and consecrated by mysticall praier we receiue it vnto saluation Neither meaneth he that the bread taken from the fruits of the earth dooth so remaine but after such a sort as Ambrose saith that that which nature hath made is by blessing changed D. Martyr As touching the first you cannot in verie déed saie of water that wheresoeuer it is euen out of baptisme it signifieth the washing of the soule But dooth it therefore followe that that signification is sacramentall when the word of the Lord is absent nor yet the institution of Christ is exercised therein We speake here as we haue often said alreadie of the power and effectuall signification of sacraments the which we obteine by the word and institution of God As touching the other Augustine said most plainelie that by those thrée that is to wit by the toong parchements that is to saie writings and by the sacrament the bodie of Christ is signified and then followeth that which you saie to wit that it is receiued to saluation And of the change that is to saie the casting awaie of that substance that is gathered of the fruits of the earth there is no mention at all how Ambrose must be vnderstood I haue declared before D. Chadse Chrysostome in the 45. homilie vpon Iohn in the sixt chapter thus writeth This bloud being shed ouerflowed all the world whereof Paule vnto the Hebrues pronounced manie things This bloud purged the secret and holie places But and if the figure thereof was of so great force in the temple of the Hebrues and when it was sprinkled vpon the doore posts in the midst of Aegypt of much more force was the truth it selfe This bloud signified a golden altar without this the high priest durst not enter into the innermost places This bloud made the priests This bloud in a figure purged sinnes In the which figure if it were of so great force if death so feared the shadowe how greatlie I beséech you will it be afraid of the truth c. He compareth the sacraments of the old testament with the sacraments of the new testament as one may saie the shadowe and figure with the truth and he nameth our mysteries â—…nderfull and dreadfull If then as he saith the old fathers had the shadowes and we therâ—…l it followeth in the sacrament of the Eucharist that the verie bodie of Christ is presentâ— otherwise if we should haue himselfe thereby signification onelie there is no more to be attributed vnto our sacraments than to the sacraments of the old lawe D. Martyr Whereas Chrysostome saith that the sacraments of the old fathers being compared vnto ours be shadowes and figures I grant the same Howbeit it must be so vnderstood that shadowes and figures were there because the comming of Christ was as yet expected Againe the significations of those sacraments were more obscure both which is agréeable vnto figures and shadowes for figures did foreshew Christ to come and shadowes doo want plentie of light By these kind of meanes was Christ signified in the sacraments of the old fathers and by faith was giuen to be receiued of the beléeuers But now to vs in the new sacraments he is offered as he that is alredie come that hath performed his promises and that is crucified for vs in verie déed Besides the words which we haue in our sacraments be far more cleare and plaine than were the words of the old sacraments in the lawe But you vnderstand this word truth as though it should signifie reall presence and therefore you infer that the bodie of Christ is present with vs reallie corporallie and substantiallie But the fathers vnderstand truth to be in our sacraments if they be compared to the sacraments of the old fathers bicause they represent the thing that is now performed euen that the kingdome of heauen is opened and that the benefit of our redemption is with all euidence and assurednesse alreadie finished and made perfect and bestowed on vs as if were before the eies of faith D. Chadse Yea but the sacraments of the old fathers were euen as much true as ours be the selfe-same power was in them that is in ours Those fathers as well beléeued that Christ would come as we that he is come For by the testimonie of Paule all our fathers droonke of the selfe-same spirituall rocke and did eat the selfe-same spirituall meat 1 Co. 10 4. D. Martyr True it is that the old fathers as touching the thing it selfe had the selfe-same sacraments that we haue which were signes that Christ should come and offered him vnto the beléeuers but the difference as I said was that Christ hath now performed indéed the price of our saluation but then he was afterward to performe the same And a thing that is alreadie done if it be compared euen to it selfe which shall afterward be doone both it is more assured and may be called a truth but it is said to haue a shadowe and a figure when it is not yet performed Ouer this no man doubteth but that that Christ and his death is expressed vnto vs with more plaine and euident words By these things you may gather that as Paule testifieth we as touching the substance haue the selfe-same sacraments with the old fathers but that there be manie differences also betwéene them as touching the thing present which I haue rehearsed D. Chadse The sacraments of the fathers promised but grace ours giue the same which things you in your lectures did interpret They signifie grace giuen Wherefore if those
doe vse his key and doe beléeue The holy Ghost is author of both for neither doe men preach well nor yet beléeue rightly vnlesse he doe assist them Yea and in trueth when Christ himselfe preached heauen was not opened vnto all men by his preaching neyther were sinnes forgiuen vnto all men but to those onely which vsed his key and beleeued Wee confesse in déede that the worde of God of whom soeuer it be spoken is all one as if it were spoken out of the mouth of GOD howbeit this maketh not but that all men haue the keyes Yea and it is said as touching the beléeuers and hearers Iohn 1. 12. He gaue them power to be made the sonnes of God And neither is the key of vsing the worde of God onely giuen vnto Masse Priests but to the whole Church Now then it is the holy Ghost that giueth the keyes and all that beléeue haue the spirit of Christ otherwise they should be none of his wherefore they all haue the keyes But yet must not all as touching the outwarde function preache and administer the Sacraments but Paul woulde haue all things to bee doone in order Therefore are some of the learneder better sort chosen which deale in place of the whole Church they be called Ministers of the Church For if we would all preach together it would be like a noise of Frogges Howbeit euery priuate man hath keyes with his neighbour and may deale with him by the worde of God and if he shall discouer vnto him his sinne he may comfort admonish and exhort him by the worde of God which worde of GOD if he beléeue his sinnes be forgiuen him and heauen is opened but if he beléeue not his sinnes are retained and he is bounde And thus much of the keyes Blessed bée God which hath giuen such power to men An Oration or Sermon out of the 2. Chapter of Malachie of the profit and worthinesse of the holy Ministerie WHen it was thought méete good people and deare brethren in Iesus Christ that in this distribution of monie somewhat should be said for the perswading and comforting of you that euen as the outward want of the bodie is somewhat relieued so your mindes might be incouraged to goe foreward in the studie of Diuinitie It was laide vppon me who albeit I want no good will to yéeld vnto honest and iust requestes yet doe I féele that those thinges doe in a manner faile wherewith I vse to exhort vnto that indeuour which is most necessarie to the Church aswell for that my witte serues me not readilie to inuent as because I haue both here and in the schooles oftentimes spoken of this matter And that all these thinges might nothing hinder me I haue had in verie déede but small time to consider hereof not onelie in respect of the short space of time but by reason of the excéeding griefe of minde conceaued for the lamentable and vntimelie death of our most excellent king The vntimelie death of King Edward the 6. Howbeit that I neglect not in this duetie those thinges which God would minister vnto vs I will in fewe wordes set forth vnto you that which the text dooth offer I beséech Christ that those thinges which I shall speake to his glorie your profit may reape such fruite as I desire whereof I shall be in great hope if you willinglie and diligentlie giue héede vnto me I sée déere brethren that the chiefest cause why manie are called back from the studie of the holie scriptures and from the Ministerie of the Church is because both this function at this day is accounted vnprofitable and as thinges goe at this day without estimation And therefore mans nature desiring profitable goodlie thinges flieth from the perfect knowledge of the holie scripture as a thing barren and vnfruiteful and it also refuseth the Ministerie of the Church because there is scarcelie séene in it anie authoritie anie honour or excellencie Wherfore since herein consists the whole summe of this matter I thinke it good to set forth two thinges vnto you First that there are singular commodities and great honour in the holie function Secondlie that the despising and contemning of the Ministers procéedeth of farre other causes than from their nature and propertie the which if Ministers would take héede of both they should be happie and without doubt be had in great honor and estimation These thinges if I shall make plaine especiallie by the authoritie of the word of God there shall be no more cause but that you may desire with a glad and chéerefull minde to enter into this office whereunto you be called Albeit there are in the holie scriptures manie thinges which doe much serue to this purpose yet will I at this time take in hand to interprete a péece of the 2. Chapter of the Prophet Malachie Mal. 2 4. And ye shall know that I haue sent this commaundement vnto you that my couenant which I haue made with Leui might stand saith the Lord of hostes My couenant was with him of life and peace and I gaue him feare and he feared me and was afraid before my name The lawe of trueth was in his mouth and there was no iniquitie found in his lippes He walked with me in peace and equitie and he turned manie from their vnrighteousnesse For the Priestes lippes shal keepe knowledge and they shall seeke the lawe at his mouth for he is the Ambassadour of the Lord of hostes But ye haue gone out of the way ye haue caused manie to fall in the lawe ye haue made voide the couenant of Leui saith the Lord of hostes Therefore haue I also made you despised and vile before all the people because ye kept not my waies but haue beene partiall in the lawe To the Priestes dooth the Lord say that his purpose was euen from the beginning that the couenant betwéene him and Leui that is the order of Priesthood should be established The fruite and profite of the ministerie And séeing in a manner in the first wordes are comprehended whatsoeuer fruit and commoditie there is in the priesthood I beséech you that ye will diligentlie consider of those wordes with me The couenant saith he with him was of life and peace and I gaue him those thinges c. Here first of all would I vnderstand of you what as the last and chiefe end should be desired I knowe you will say that felicitie is to be wished for But the same vnlesse I be greatlie deceaued consistes in two thinges First that there be no want of anie honest good thing which may serue to adorne and make vs perfect For our minde is neuer pacified nor yet is it euer at rest vnlesse it haue attained to a ful measure of all good thinges And this dooth God now comprehend vnder the name of peace Hereof it comes that the Hebrewes when they salute anie bodie doe say Schalomlac Peace be vnto thee Euen as they
power or authoritie hath a séelie man which shall perish within a while that he should thinke himselfe to sée more than hath bin prescribed by the word of God Tertullian Tertullian in his Apologie the 46. Chapter teacheth that Lycurgus desired to hang or to starue himselfe because the Lacedemonians had somewhat amended his lawes against his credit Did the man that is but flesh and bloud take it gréeuouslie that his owne citizens should decrée anie thing and adde vnto the lawes which he made And will our good and mightie God quietlie suffer the same to be doone of men who are most farre separated from his worthinesse and wisedome Oh shame and boldnesse that if we were wise should neuer be suffered Let heauen and earth passe Mat. 24. 35. but let the word of the Lord remaine firme pure and inuiolate for euer Esa 40. 6. Let all flesh as saith Esay be grasse the glorie thereof as the flower of the field Psal 12. 7. but the wordes of the Lord as being most purified shall continue sound and sincere for euer Luk. 16. 27. Let the rich man which is tormeÌ„ted in the flames of hel desire that the dead may arise and admonish his brethren and such as he is of the iudgementes of God but let vs that are by faith the chosen generation of Abraham according to his godlie counsell heare Moses the Prophetes and Apostles Of whose bookes while we aske counsell beléeue me we doe not goe vnto the storehouse of a poore Lord but vnto the most plentiful and fruitful treasuries of the wisdome of God which we shall neuer be able by anie labour of ours be it neuer so great to make emptie And euen as the nature is of a continuall springing well A similitude that it is not consumed by continuall drawing but the water thereof is rather made both pure and better thereby in like manner is the sense of the holie scriptures made more swéete and pleasant vnto vs in how much we more profoundlie and continuallie labour in the same And as labour is necessarie for the drawing out of outward waters for the bodie so in perusing of the holie scriptures there is néede of a graue iudgement and spirituall attention Which thinges how iustlie and for how good cause they be required of vs the decrées of Magistrates and Edictes of kinges doe sufficientlie declare For while these thinges are by cryers or Heraldes published vnto the people such a diligent eare and attentiuenesse of hearing is in them that stand by as there dooth nothing passe and scape them but it is well considered of From this commendable studie and diligent indeuour doe they which aboue measure exaggerate the darkenesse of the scriptures excéedinglie drawe backe the young studentes of the Gospell The scriptures feigned to be â—bscure as who should say that the veile were not taken away by the bloud of Christ and that all thinges so farre as our saluation requireth are not made plaine by his spirit They which declare that the darknesse of the holy scriptures is more than the darknesse of the Cimmerians that the obscurenesse of them is euerie where more than can be ouercome say that the mysteries of the word of God must not be searched out and while they make the efficasie of the word of God to consist rather in reciting and in vnderstanding they of diuine Oracles and holie scriptures make most shamefull Magicke Euen we also doe graunt that mans reason must be restrained within certaine boundes least it should iudge of diuine thinges according to the imagination thereof Howbeit no Christian man ought to be hindered but that he may indeuour as much as he can to vnderstand those things whereof the scripture of God hath instructed vs. Let no rashnesse be vsed in reading of the holie scriptures but as touching the studie and diligent inquisition thereof let no man waxe cold or slacke Wherefore we easilie graunt that the mysteries of the word of God are to be reuerenced and yet in the meane time we must remember that the same is Light shining in a darke place â— Pet. 1. 19. from which if we shall cast our eye neuer so little aside we shall at length perish in errors and vtter darknesse But when the haters of the light iangle so much of the obscurenesse of the scriptures they themselues doe thinke that they déeme not amisse of the holy Ghost if they make him equall to the Poetes and Philosophers of whome the one sort by their intricate fables haue so couered ouer with clowdes transformed the plaine and bright face of the truth as it is verie far fled awaie from the eyes of vnfaithful meÌ„ And the other by their ridles imaginations numbers Atoms haue made their doctrine so intricate as al the whole life of maÌ„ liue he neuer so long can hardlie be sufficient to expound the same But wee haue not founde the goodnesse of God our good father to be so greatlie straitened and the light of the holie Ghost to be so simple Neither haue they so giuen the holie Scripture as they might not be vnderstoode of mortall men The wisedome of God hath not dallied with vs Neither hath it giuen Scriptures vnto men out of which they might not reape anie profite These things let vs leaue to Apollo whome the Gretians called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because hee aunswered ouerthwartlie These be deceites of the diuel not the liuelie doctrine of our God or of the holie Ghost Wee knowe indéede that Craesus asked Thales what was the nature or definition of God who euer nowe and then desired spaces and delaies to aunswere at some certaine daie neither coulde he at anie time absolue the question propounded vnto him for the more he considered with himselfe of the nature of God the lesse came to his remembrance what he shoulde say But those which are indued with a true faith are able out of the holie Scriptures not onelie to knowe God so much as is necessarie vnto their saluation but can expresse him in excellent manners and holie workes Wherefore let none call vs vnto the fathers none vnto the councels none vnto anie men as though we could finde a more plentifull light among theÌ„ than procéedeth froÌ„ the most bright day star of the holie scriptures Assuredly the fathers and the councels haue their discords their darkenesse their hard sayings their obscurities and incredible variablenesse I wil not saie inconstancie Neither in reading of them doeth the holie ghost so méete with vs as when we weigh repeat with our selues the words of God séeing it is not méete but that there shoulde be more honour giuen to the wordes of God than to the wordes of men Acts. 8. 28. For if God sent Philip the Euangelist for an aide vnto the Eunuch of the quéene of Candaces reading the Prophete Esaie hee being yet no Christian much more is he present by his spirite with them
sometimes gouerneth manie things against the woonted vse custome by taking away from wild beasts the sauagenesse and crueltie ingraffed naturallie in them by taking from fiers the power of burning from the Sunne and starres their naturall light from souldiers and men of warre their strength from windes their violence and from the sea the vehemencie of waues and tempest On the other side by sending francie vpon wise men by striking the mightie with feare by inspiring the ignoraunt with learning the infantes with eloquence and the weake with strength and incredible suretie Vndoubtedlie while the Disciples of this diuine wisedome doe consider and beléeue these things they dwell in a house that is founded and built vpon a most strong Rocke which neither by anie floude of raine riuers or brookes neither by the force of storme tempest can be ouerthrowen They knowe that all thinges be theirs since they be Christes and Christ Gods and that all thinges are giuen them by God in Christ On the otherside looke vpon whō thou wilt instructed onelie with the wisedome of man and which holpen onelie by the light of reason searcheth naturall workes be certeinlie if he be most perfect and indued with noble vertue when he shall come to extreme daungers perhappes wil die for his countrie or for some iust cause and in torments will retaine his honest determination but he will looke for no assistaunce from God he will hope for no extraordinary helpe neither will he appoint vppon anie consolation of the promises of God and of the spirite of Christ he will be of a faint heart he wil be filled with desperation and he will wholie thinke with himselfe that he must yéelde to naturall necessitie hee will finde fault with fortune he wil blame his destinie or in fine he will accuse the féeble forces of the stars O vnhappie state O miserable kinde of life O intollerable disperation Beléeue me the state of men hath nothing more miserable than ignorance of the holie Scriptures and contrariwise nothing more happie than the knowledge thereof Let politike men and craftsmen and such as be learned in the laws boast as they will of their iustice and vertues which in respect of their nature I reprooue not but yet I graunt not that they can be accounted either true or profitable vnto eternall life without the certaine knowledge of the worde of God For séeing as themselues confesse all vertue consisteth in the meane so as if either thou sinne in excesse or in want aswell the name as the respect of vertue perisheth and betwéene extremities there appeareth excéeding great difference by what iudgement then shall we determine of the meane by the iudgement of reason But what reasō can you appoint me that hath not declined from the right waie by the prouocations and inticements of lustes Or shal it be by the iudgemēt of the senses much lesse For they although they be the scoutes and attendantes vppon reason yet can they not be kept in their due place by anie kinde of wisedome or vnderstanding neither are they of such perspicuitie as to iudge of so great matters Wherefore it belongeth onlie to God by his worde as by the certaine measure of all rightnesse and iustice to determine and define of the true meane of vertues Whatsoeuer hee commaundeth whatsoeuer he commendeth whatsoeuer hee alloweth is syncere vertue perfect righteousnesse which whosoeuer thinkes hee can learne else where hee séeketh water out of the flint stone wooll of an Asse he indeuoureth to take the winde in a net he buildeth vppon the sande he draweth water with a siue The vertues of the Ethnikes and he altogether looseth his cost and his labour But imagine with your selues O ye that be the wise men of the worlde that ye can by the sharpenesse of naturall iudgement shewe a meane betwéene foule extremities which indéed I minde not to grant what fruite I beséech you shall hee haue by these vertues which is a straunger from the worde of God None at all because he placing in his minde being corrupt with sinne and not yet purified by faith vertues in their owne nature good and excellent shal miserablie defile and pollute them no otherwise than if a man put most pure wine in a filthie and foule vnsauorie bottell Besides this he so farre abuseth the excellent giftes of God that aswell the vertues as ciuill actions which are allowed by the iudgement of men he directeth not as it had béene méete he shoulde to the glorie of God but wresteth them to his owne priuate aduantage and commendations For the knowledge of man and his industrie doeth lighten our vnderstanding downewarde onelie but the knowledge of the worde of God doeth set before our mindes a heauenlie great and lightsome torch shining vpwarde Wherefore in the holie Scriptures must wee continually dwel as in religious and most royall sanctuaries of the trueth In them maie you finde the assured oracles of that Themis whome the Gretians in their common spéech called the counsellor as it were the president mightie Goddesse of wholesome counsels for men Verilie when I oftentimes consider these thinges with my selfe I cannot sufficientlie woonder at their straunge wisedom which euerie where terrifie men from the reading of the scriptures and that by no other reasons but because that men be cladde with manie sinnes and iniquities and bee continuallie diseased with infinite vices of the minde and for that cause be altogether vnméete for such holie Scripture and doe manie times carrie away rather harme than profite Moreouer they are not ashamed to accuse the Scripture as full of obscuritie darkenes as it were of an euerlasting night wherin nothing for certeintie can be knowen or defined These be the things O ye Diuines which with great impudencie and intollerable boldnesse be in a maner alwaies obiected against vs. But first woulde I vnderstande of these great learned men whether they thinke that Phisicke bee ordained for the sicke or for them that be whole Doubtlesse except they be starke madde they will aunswere for them that be sicke Which also Christ shewed when he saide that The whole haue no neede of the Phisitian but they that be sicke With what face then doe they withdrawe men though they be sinners from the knowledge of Gods worde By what other kinde of medicine will they heale them There is no other remedie which may sooner put awaie euils from the mindes of men and restore health The vtilitie of the scriptures than often renuing the doctrine of the Scriptures so as it may be truely called the remedie against poyson and a most excellent preseruatiue This power is not so liberall as deliuering and setteth men at libertie from the most violent tyrannie of the Diuell sinne and death Amuletum Alexipharmacum Fomentū Wherefore let all men of euerie condition runne with great boldnesse and chéere vnto these fountaines I assure yée in Gods name that it will repent no
man to haue vsed this * â—…iâ—s herbe that remedieth all diseases Let young men learne a most excellent waie of gouerning their life Let men of ripe age learne after what manner they must perseuere in right opinions and godly workes Let olde men that haue no long life learne the ioy which is to be conceiued by dissolution of the bodie and departing of the soule to Christ Let poore and afflicted soules learne that they are happie in Christ although of the world or of the flesh they be iudged miserable Let women learne the dueties of their state namely modestie silence subiection towardes their husbands and chastitie And since that all men should with singular profite dwell in the holy Scriptures doe ye thinke O ye Diuines that ye alone shall be without fruite in this kinde of studie God forbid Hereby none I knowe what I speake shall be more holpen than ye For the most part of ye all are either now made ministers of the Churche or in time to come shall be the duetie of which function is to catche men to féede men and to drawe men vnto God But I beséech you what be the nettes What is the foode What chaines shal ye haue néede of in this worke of yours The Scriptures of God If any thing be to be taught let it be taught by the worde of God If any thing be to be confuted let it be confuted by the worde of God If any thing be to be corrected let it be corrected by the word of God If any thing be to be instructed let it be instructed by the worde of God To conclude let the worde of God in all Ecclesiasticall functions be vnto you the whole summe and effect of all Whatsoeuer Homer woulde signifie by that his golden chayne whereby he fained that Iupiter did drawe all thinges vnto him I passe ouer at this present and doe affirme that the true chayne wherewith meÌ„ may be led vnto God by you is the order or course of the worde of GOD knit together by degrées of ages which shall neuer vanish for the helping of mortall men drawing them vnto life which neuer should haue ende These thinges are plainely set downe in the olde and newe Testament and may verie fitly be called Iacobs ladder reaching vnto heauen whereby the Angels both descend and ascend For who is so blockish that he vnderstandeth not that in the holy Scriptures the knowledge of the infinite wisedome of God doeth submit it selfe from his Maiestie to the capacities of men and as it were descende from heauen to the plaine fielde of the worlde Neither as I thinke is there any man so blinde but he séeeth how highly he whatsoeuer he be that is commonly exercised in reading of the holie Scriptures is exalted from the earth That the holie scriptures are not obscure Now that we haue answered them which wil not haue men eueriwhere to reade the holy scriptures because they are infected with vices and sinnes nowe let vs come to that sort of men which alleage the darkenesse and obscurenesse of the worde of God Let these men take it for an aunswer that in those things which are required necessarie vnto mens saluation the Scriptures of God are neither intricate nor yet haue any mist before them and if a man will be diligent and héedefull in reading ouer of them he shall easilie perceiue that in some places is plainely and manifestly taught those things which in another place are taught as it were in some darke spéeche The goodnesse of God which is spread ouer all is not enuious neyther would he by obscurenesse of spéech hide from men whom he so greatly loueth the knowledge of things necessarie to saluation And I haue wished you Diuines that at this day ye were throughly perswaded herein that the obscurenesse of the holy Scriptures if it be at all is like the heauenly bodies out of which by your labour and meditation if they be continually shaken and pressed together there will breake foorth aswell bright lightenings of the trueth as also the casting foorth of heauenly thunderboltes 2. Cor. 10. 4 whereby all defences and places shall be broken and cast downe which doe exalt themselues against God and his true knowledge For it is a woonder vnlesse it be nowe most plainely perceiued what these Parasites of the Pope meane to drawe men awaie from reading and meditating of the worde of God Without doubt they would bring Religion into the olde deformitie and confusion that it was in before But ye my deare brethren and herein neuer sufficiently commended doe most wisely which knowe that the worde of God must be kept as the Apple of an eye and must bée written in the tables of the heart The custodie thereof albeit it belong vnto all Christians yet doeth it chiefely vnto them which by teaching and preaching doe nowe serue the Church or doe prepare themselues to the holy ministerie Which office albeit many seruaunts of the flesh and of the world doe scorne as vile and contemptible yet is it honourable and full of dignitie on euerie side For they that haue bin counted wise men thought a Iudge to be a speaking lawe for no other cause in déede but because he is the interpreter of the will minde and sense of the lawe Which if they haue not fondly deuised we not amisse may say that a true and sincere Diuine is a God speaking among men Which saying I iudge must so long be receiued as it agréeth not with the inuentions of men but with the worde of God and doeth not mingle falshood with trueth as Sinon did in Virgill To the following of which purenesse in teaching and preaching I exhort you my deare fellowe ministers with all my heart and with all Christian affection Beware I beséeche you of the nurses of vices which are Pleasure and Idlenesse But I would haue these men and together with them all ye my déere brethren in Christ to be admonished that the place or schoole of this Philosophie is heauen wherefore they which créepe vppon the ground and haue not their conuersation as the Apostle commaunded in heauen are in hazard least in studying they loose their labour Phil. 3. 20. Moreouer we must remember that the teacher hereof is the holie Ghost For although you haue innumerable teachers preachers instructers and Maisters vnlesse the holy ghost doe fashion the inward partes anew they shall all take paines in vaine And who haue bin alwayes chosen Ministers of this doctrine the holie Histories doe abundantlie declare namelie the Prophetes being for the most part of the common sort Husbandmen Fishers Publicans and men of occupation Howbeit the word of God tooke no dishonor or reproch hereby For this function what and how much soeuer it be dependeth of God and his spirit We must not therefore weigh what they were but what they teach or whither they carrie vs by their doctrine In déede they call vs not to the
which cause Basilius Magnus Gregorie the Diuine and Iohn Chrysostome were by the Churches of those times brought to take bishopprickes vpon them because they were more desirous of a solitarie life than becommeth true Christian men to be as they which be not borne to themselues but vnto other men and to the fellowship of the saints and most of all to the spreading farre and wide of the true worship of God We all holde fast the purposes of our owne wil neither do we gladly rest in other mens iudgements and aduises In the seconde place are they to be reckoned which for this cause stande against them which call them for that they thinke that their labor shal be superfluous since in that matter whereunto they are called to worke manie doe verie much labour If say they there were néede of labours our studie and indeuour should not be wanting whereby it comes to passe that those arts are contemned by the more excellent sort of men wherein they shall perceiue verie many to exercise themselues Lastly they when they be required to take vpon them some excellent function therefore they will not because they féele not themselues able thereunto They say that they must chuse such a matter as they are able to performe and that great regard be had that we faint not vnder our burthen be it neuer so honorable For the more excellent it shal be the more notable also shal bee our fall vnder it For this cause in verie déede Exod. 3. 11. c. Ierem. 1. â— did Moses withdrawe himselfe for a while from this calling of God And Ieremie prayed that there might be a consideration had of his age Those Godly men did consider both howe weake the strength of man was and of howe great charge was the seruice set before them and therefore they did not straightwayes obey when GOD commaunded These thinges my brethren are not recyted of mée at this present without great cause For whereas I haue without denying auoyding delaying or any stay at all taken vpon me this weightie place to interpret the scriptures I woulde not bee thought that I haue doone this boldly or vnaduisedly I might in verie déede haue easily béene called from so holy a ministerie as this ought to be accounted if any of those reasons which yée haue nowe heard coulde haue drawne my minde from it but because none of them by the grace of Gods spirit taketh any place in me therefore yée sée me to haue come hither with so readie glad ioyful and willing a minde Which that I may perswade you by a profitable and verie liuely argument I wil examine the causes now alledged by me after the same order that I began And I will not onely shewe that no cause coulde iustly terrifie me from my purpose but that notwithstanding euerie one of those causes my will was marueilously inflamed héereunto But hearken I beséech ye that I may no lesse faithfully than I haue promised performe those thinges which I haue spoken As touching that which was alledged first whereby men shoulde be terrified from taking vppon them the function whereunto they are called is this namely if that which is commaunded be vnwoonted and vnlooked for But to me cannot the exercise of handling the word of God in this age be new vnaccustomed and vnlooked for For euen from my youth when I yet liued in Italie Martyrs timelie entering into the studie of Diuinitie this one thing I minded to follow aboue all artes and ordinances of men euen chiefly to learne and teach the holy scriptures neither had I other successe than I purposed For euen I my selfe in verie déede as the mist darknesse obscurenesse and night of Poperie deceiueth manie erred for a time but yet did I not cease in that blinde dungeon as the time would then suffer both to learne and teach the holy scriptures But afterwarde when the heauenly father by the benefite of Christ had compassion vppon me I began to sée through a cloude and as trées walking the trueth of the Gospel neither coulde I kéepe silent that which as yet I vnderstoode but after a grosse manner I communicated it vnto others and the light was increased the measure and meanes being increased I taught more openly and the matter was brought to such a passe as I might not nowe liue in Italie without extreme daunger Wherefore deare brethren I went into Germanie that from whence I had by letters tasted the first principles of the reformed truth I might there receiue abundantlie a more fruitfull and perfect doctrine I desired also in person to behold certaine restored Churches least I should imagine of the reformation of the church as of the commonweale of Plato which may indéede be vnderstoode but hath his being in no place Which then indéede I earnestly sought first at Tigure To Tigure I say I began to take my way God not without most happie successe directing my iourney which I had taken in hand For when I was come hither I perceiued that Godly and syncere diuinity was héere taught and that the Church was reformed with pure and Apostolicall ordinances Wherefore if then meanes had bin offered whereby I might haue defended my banishment I had most willingly receiued the same And not a little did this bountifull curtesie increase this my minde and desire nowe stirred vp in me For those two dayes wherein I tarried héere with those that belonged vnto me I was so delighted with the Godly learned and swéete communication which I had with Doctor Bullinger Bibliander Gwalther and Pellican of happie memorie and of others whom I cannot nowe rehearse by name that I thought them most happie which might liue with such men and I reioysed with my selfe for my present banishment by meanes wherof I was brought by Almightie God to that comfort and consolation and to the knowledge and spéech of such excellent men that beléeue me I could neuer afterward forget this Church those two dayes and that intertainement What shall I say more I was taken from hence against my will and when at that time there happened no occasion of tarrying it behooued me to make an other determinatioÌ„ although not more acceptable yet more necessarie Afterward I was called to Strasbrough where after the death of that worthy Capitol Bucer at Strasborough I succéeded in the diuinitie lecture receiued no smal courtesie of the Senate of that most noble Citie of the ministers of the Church especiallie of Bucer a man of godlie memorie and of the professors of the schoole which curtesie vnlesse I would be most vngrateful I ought heartilie to commende and faithfullie to confesse Mâ—rcyâ— sent 〈◊〉 England Sixe yeares therefore in a manner continuallie I liued there interpreting the holie scripture and longer had I tarried had I not béene sent both by the magistrate by the Church into England whither I was called aswell by the king as by the Archbishoppe Primate of that
flying away wherein you forsake vs wee shoulde be left vtterlie destitute neither should there be anie either to comfort or instruct vs out of the Gospel Be not therefore dismaied my most déerelie beloued brethren neither doe you dispaire For although I haue béene taken away from you yet will not God our most mercifull Father forsake you but will euermore raise vp some man that shal teach you the truth I haue prayed and againe do pray for that which I iudge profitable for you but I am no God that I can giue you this before the time appointed The most merciful God for his infinite wisedome sake shal in place and time most conuenient establishe your Church which séemeth nowe to be dismaied and ouerthrowen which certeinlie appeareth not to be altogether destitute of the strength of the spirite For in banishment and persecutions wherewith it is dailie vexed it bringeth foorth no lesse fruite of faith than doe these Churches which by the benefite of God inioy peace and quietnesse Besides although yee shoulde be altogether destitute of ministers of the worde to whom the charge of preaching the Gospell is committed which inconueniences God forbid yet shal neuer the spirit of God be wanting who shall be in your heartes in the stéede of Preachers Moreouer there are among you which by the grace of God are so greatly illumined with the light of the trueth as they can also giue light vnto others and giue a testimonie vnto the truth and besides those whome the Lord hath now indued with this grace hee shall alwaies stirre vp others Wherefore I gather by all these things that my departure hath bin no cause of dammage vnto you I acknowledge that it cannot be but that ye take it gréeuouslie to bee depriued of that spiritual comfort which God sometime gaue you by my sermons lectures and conferences which I had with you Howbeit when as God recompenseth this losse with a greater strength of the spirite it is manifest that there is no damage brought vnto your saluation Besides that these sermons lectures and conferences coulde not indure anie longer vnlesse I woulde either haue darkened the trueth or haue professed thinges which are plainelie false The one of which namelie obscuring of the trueth it gréeueth mée that I did it at anie time but to teach falselie that shoulde not in anie wise haue béene doone There hath béene alreadie rumor spreade abroade at Rome amongest those which were conuersaunt in these matters that it is chéefelie to be attributed vnto mee that your citie did continue in errour Yea and this was cast in my téeth at Luca that I maie by my sermons and authoritie remedie all these things Yea and those Monkes also of mine murmured euerie daie that our Monasterie was for my sake woorse reported of than the Monasterie of the Augustinians that I might ridde awaie this blemishe by thrée words in the pulpit The verie which bruite was nowe come to the chéefe gouernour and to the principals of the order Wherfore I foresaw that it wold by some meanes come to passe that I shoulde be forbidden the office of Preaching either by the Pope or by your Citie or else by our societie and that bodilie punishmentes besides shoulde be laid vppon me nothing at al to your commoditie For wherein I haue béene a helpe vnto you by my silence especiallie when in so manie sermons and lectures I expounded vnto men if they were not deafe those principal points of heauenlie doctrine which are necessarie vnto saluation yea in a manner all those thinges which I my selfe vnderstoode Yée will obiect Flying from persecution defended You shoulde haue continued and expected while the imminent oppressions had come vppon you and those to haue suffered with a pacient minde which at the length wold greatlie haue furthered the building of the Church for by your example you shoulde haue animated others vnto constancie Of all other thinges it is least of all to be allowed that you fled awaie when no necessitie vrged Herein standeth the whole summe of the controuersie to vnderstande when necessitie shall vrge Such manner of necessitie and opportunitie God reueileth vnto them which wholie commit themselues in aduersities vnto his protection But that the same moment of time wherein I departed was fit for that purpose I so perswaded my selfe as I doubt not but that this perswasion is the inspiration of God And although that I did not abide the bitter troubles before my departure yet coulde I not vtterlie auoide all What troubles I suffered at Naples and there where you are I knowe well enough Let you your selues be iudge what disquietnesse and how manie aduersities I indured al the last yere which although they were not most gréeuous calamities yet were they messengers and tokens of them Wherfore it séemes to me that I haue suffered so manie as I haue not preached the Gospell without afflictions afterward I neglected not a fit occasion of safetie offered While I am in this place I serue by the benefite of God vnto some vse If God shall giue anie quietnesse to your state perhappes I will lead my life againe with you neither will I shunne anie danger whereunto God shall call me for the saluation of soules Moreouer ye be not ignorant of the troubles wherewith my conscience was vexed because of that state of life which I followed I should euerie day haue wincked at an innumerable sort of superstitions I should not onelie my selfe haue executed superstitious rites but should also without all reason haue required them of others manie thinges should I haue doone otherwise than I iudged or taught Your Pastor I was what I was able to bring to passe by Lectures and Sermons that I did when I could not gouerne the Church as Christian trueth requireth I thought it better in giuing ouer so difficult a charge to withdrawe my selfe into some place from whence I might at the least wise exhort you by letters than to remaine in that place where I should haue bin depriued of al conuersation with you and not to haue bin lawfull to deale with you either in presence or by letters I am not priuie that anie man hath bin brought in perill through my flying away In such a place am I by the benefite of GOD as I may interpret the holie scriptures comfort you by letters and exhort you to retaine the purenesse of the Gospell And to say the trueth this departing of mine which I speake for setting foorth the glorie of God being diligentlie considered is not without a mortification of mine owne selfe nor without neglect of promotion and honours wherewith in the sight of men I was largelie indued nor without lesse commodities whereof I had plentie on euerie side nor yet without resignation of authoritie wherein I could doe much among all men And all these thinges I might haue augmented manie wayes if I would haue departed from the trueth and Gospel of God Wherefore since
vnderstandeth not the language of the Countrie where it behooueth him continuallie to aske sometime one man and sometime another for such things as be necessarie where for the most part he is not accounted for an honest man where manie times as it happeneth with the state of straungers he is both reiected and ill intreated where either for the chaunge of the aire or for the varietie of meates and lodgings great inconueniences must be continuallie indured They which denie that this suffering is for Christ his trueth acknowledge no other afflictions besides torments and besides violent death from which things they that flie away yet as it hath bin saide they are readie to suffer if being taken by tyrants they be constrained to defende their profession after that manner But in verie déede if a man come foorth and yéelde himselfe vnto the enemies of the trueth and doe franckly confesse the doctrine of Christ to refuse the occasion offered of flying awaie that is a great thing and woorthie of singular admiration forasmuch as it procéedeth of faith and most feruent charitie howbeit this is not in euerie man to doe Howbeit euerie one of vs ought to followe the inspiration of the holy Ghost who inwardly driueth euerie one vnto saluation by that way which is most méete for the strength and giftes giuen him of God not according to our owne will but according to his most prouident and wise iudgement But he that hath a present minde to enter into martyrdome and by the spirit is driuen hereunto ought not to despise condemne speake euill of him which for auoiding of abiuration flieth awaie who if he laie not downe his life yet doeth he forsake his natiue Countrie if he suffer neither torments nor imprisonments yet doeth he sustaine most grieuous inconueniences if he doe not shed his bloud yet doeth he giue a testimonie vnto the trueth hauing a prompt and readie heart to suffer all extremities so often as by the manifest will of God and impulsion of the spirit he shall be driuen thereunto Paul by his example instructed vs who sometime withdrewe himselfe giuing place to his enemies Acts. 9. 30. sometime willingly entred into perils and neither for teares nor by any intreatie could be plucked awaie from that he had fully determined Wherefore he that prouidently flieth awaie when time and occasion requireth and when daunger is at hande ought first of all to pray vnto God after this manner Since thou my Lorde hast dealt so mercifully with me as thou wouldest make me partaker of thy trueth and reueale vnto mee my redeemer Iesus Christ the Sauiour of the world graunt moreouer I beseeche thee that this treasure of thy holy Gospell latelie written in my heart may with mee be preserued increase and bring foorth fruite in whatsoeuer sort it shall seeme good vnto thee And for my part behold I offer my selfe vnto thee doe with mee euen as it shall seeme good vnto thy will Whether I die sooner or later for thy sake I doe not much passe Thy will bee doone not mine Bee thou present with mee and so gouerne mee as I may nothing offend in this determination To thee I wholy yeeld and commit my selfe I knowe that this present perill is not sprung vp nor yet made manifest without thy will neither haue I anie hope that without thee I can finde a waie to escape Wherefore since I am thus doubtfull and vncertaine least thou shouldest suffer me to bee led by the feare of mine owne flesh and wisedome submit thou all my will and iudgement vnto thy good will least I should erre and least it should happen ill with mee Giue eare vnto mee I beseeche thee for thy onely sonnes sake Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen He which thus from the heart commendeth himselfe in this case vnto God we must not thinke that he shall be left destitute of the fauour of Gods spirit Therefore if he haue inwardly perceiued himselfe mooued to flie awaie and hath cast away the care of his worldly goods séeking onely those thinges which be Christes not his owne he shall doe verie well neither may he be accused if he flie awaie being certified in his owne conscience through the word of God that he hath attēpted no vnlawful thing For it is written If they shall persecute you in one Citie flie you vnto another especially since there is no other place in the Scriptures whereby this libertie is restrained or reuoked And in one and the selfe same Chapter of Matthew is founde both the doctrines Matt. 10. verse 23. 28. namely of flying awaie and of not fearing them which haue power to kill the bodie onely Wherefore since these two preceptes are not repugnant one to another they may be reconciled and kept as it hath bin shewed before That ye may giue credite hereunto the examples of the Apostles doe serue for they also after they had receiued the holy Ghost fled awaie The flying away of the Apostles Acts. 13. 17 Mat. 10. 14. and as Christ in this place commaunded them did shake off the dust from their féete I am not ignoraunt in déede that some of the fathers thought that that precept was but for a time and that it shoulde not endure perpetually but was onely applied vnto that time yet I remember not that I haue read among any of them that flying away was not sometime lawfull to Christians Tertullians opinion of flight Onely Tertullian I except writing by his leaue ouer hardly of this matter whose reasons if a man wil weigh with some diligence he shall finde them to haue much more elegancie than strength all which I would confute sauing for want of time and that I thinke it not necessarie But now some man will say If the precept of flying away be not abrogated as you say shall all men flie awaie and no man remaine I aunswere It was commaunded that wee shoulde tarie and it was commaunded that we should flie away But these precepts are not vniuersall nowe the one now the other must be obeyed When a man is inwardly confirmed by the helpe of the holy Ghost and is inuited to tarie and beléeueth that this maketh more to the glorie of God he ought to tarie especially if he be nowe bounde by the commaundement of the Magistrate and must neither breake prisons nor by fraude deuise to flie For in that he is in bondes euen by the verie same doeth God declare that his houre is come wherefore he must not depart But if the case be otherwise that he bee not as yet deliuered into the enemies hands nor is indued with sufficient strength nor is driuen to tarie by motion of the spirit nor is bounde by any priuate vocation then must he flie awaie For euen as by the benefit of the common lawes a man may for any cōmoditie sake goe elsewhere either to exercise marchādize or vpō such like occasion euē so it is lawfull for a man to
withdrawe himselfe for auoiding of offences and for the trueth sake of the Gospell anie manner of way to be confessed for I iudge that then the commaundement of flying away taketh place That certaine precepts may séeme contrarie and be not And that there may be giuen two precepts which at the first viewe séeme contrarie which neuerthelesse when they be particular are not repugnant in themselues I will shewe by plaine examples On the one part we are commaunded to defende and preserue Christian libertie and not to yéelde the same vnder the tyrannie and abuse of hipocrites On the other part we are commaunded to yéelde vnto the weakenesse of the brethren as wee haue it in the Epistle to the Romanes Rom. 14. 1. These in déede séeme to be contrarie but he that rightlie considereth the state of the times dooth easilie take away that repugnancie which appeareth to be which was singularlie wel doone by Paul who then refused to circumcise Titus Gal. 2. 3. when it was required as necessarie to saluation yet did he suffer Timothie to be circumcised when he knew that it serued to edifying Acts. 16. 3. and that it might be doone without danger necessarie to follow Gal. 2. 14. The same Apostle could not abide that Peter should doe according to the Iewes because he sawe that by his example manie were verie gréeuouslie offended Yet dooth he afterward prudentlie exhort his Romans that with louing charitie they should beare with the infirmitie of the nouices and weake brethren These thinges at the first sight are verie contrarie yet are they not repugnant if euerie thing be doone in time conuenient Who knoweth not Exo. 20. 12. Rom. 13. 1. Mat. 10. 19. 27. 29. that it is commaunded by the lawe of God that we should obey parentes princes and Magistrates Contrariwise that we are commaunded for Christ and the Gospels sake to leaue parentes children brethren whatsoeuer we possesse These thinges doe verie well stand together without controuersie so that they be doone in fit times and momentes Matt. 6. 1. c. Otherwhile the time requireth that we should doe our good workes in secret according as Christ warned touching prayer and fasting Matt. 6. 15. Otherwhile also it requireth that we should doe these thinges in the sight of men namelie where they may be doone with the praise and glorie of our Lord. In old time sacrifices were instituted by manie commaundementes of God which neuerthelesse in case of mercy or other matter of more weight were sometimes omitted A good thing was it sometime to rest vpon the Sabbaoth day from all bodilie labours but otherwhile it behooued to fight Wherefore some preceptes are particular which in shew may séeme to be contrarie but this forceth nothing at all for both haue not place at one and the selfesame time Therefore euen as those preceptes whereby we are commaunded to tarie and to flie doe stand firme so likewise dooth the precept abide firme wherein we are commaunded to flie because each one of them must be vsed in his due time But the ground of their doctrine which affirme this precept to be abrogated is this to wit that they thinke that the flying away which hath ioyned with it the feare of death cannot set foorth the glorie of God Howbeit they are deceaued for the feare of death is not by it selfe faultie as we haue declared And if they which flie away be godlie they haue speciallie determined this with themselues that they will not deny the trueth earnestlie desiring to preserue that faith which they know they haue receaued by the bountifull goodnesse of the heauenlie father Which no man doubteth but it belongeth to the furtheraunce of the glorie of GOD. Wherefore we bring to passe by this feare that we auoide manie euils namelie the afflictions of the bodie and death least we being forced by the rigour of these should deny the trueth and make a shipwracke of faith There is no man therefore but vnderstandeth that feare to be good because he considereth not death and tormentes of the bodie by themselues which if he did yet neither should it then be faultie of it selfe but so farre foorth as they might cast a weake Christian man into the danger of forswearing or depriue him of Christian faith which thing vndoubtedlie maketh not to the glorie of God Since I haue aunswered vnto the two questions propounded I would not speake anie further sauing that I perceiue you may iustlie desire more namelie that I should aunswere vnto their Argumentes which with great contention defend the contrarie opinion as touching flying away who would haue vs in anie wise to be of their minde that vnder the pretence of auoyding sin they might commodiouslie abide in their owne pleasant countries with such wealth as they haue retaining still their vsuall slothfulnesse and dissimulation in the affaires of religion Wherefore that I may the more fullie satisfie you since I haue shewed that the feare of death is not in his owne nature faultie and that the commaundement of flying away was not abolished I will as well as I can rehearse those thinges which are obiected and afterward will I confute them so much as the present cause shal séeme to require Obiections 2. Tim. 1. 7 First some obiect that which Paul hath vnto Timothie For God hath not giuen vnto vs the spirit of feare but of fortitude of loue and of temperance If this be so say they it doth not become a Christian man to flie the same being a token of feare Wherefore he ought to remaine being strengthened with the spirit of fortitude and to make no account at all of the threatninges of tyrants Vnto whome I aunswere that in déede it becommeth a Christian man to be valiant and constant and to be voide of all feare Howbeit this fortitude of the spirit is neither in all men nor yet is alwayes after one manner For sometimes it so incourageth a man as he refuseth not both to confesse the trueth and to die for the same euen as the examples of manie Martyrs doe testifie but sometimes it driueth a man to this other kinde of confession namelie to forsake together with his natiue countrie all cōmodities and delightfull thinges and in the stead of them taketh vppon him manie discommodities griefes daungers and detrimentes which they that trauell into an other place must abide He that neither of both waies dare confesse Christ is shamefullie withdrawen by the dreadfulnesse of feare and had rather reuenge or by dissimulation suppresse the trueth than to die or to forsake the swéete nest of his natiue countrie earthlie pleasures Wherefore this present place of scripture admonisheth the Christians that they should retaine the spirit of fortitude and put it in vre But because there be diuers kindes of that spirit it ought no more to be restrained vnto one kinde than vnto an other But when the one or the other is necessarie to be
Ministerie and purpose so to continue Wherefore I will séeke and maintaine peace as you admonish me yet so neuerthelesse that when occasion is offered not a snatched or sought occasion but that which is iust and necessarie I will teach and speake that which I iudge true cōcerning that matter wherein I know they disagrée from me and that with such moderation and temperance as I will not gréeue or bitterlie taunt anie man that is of an other iudgement But as for commaunding me to silence or recantation neither haue I hitherto suffered it neither will I now suffer it For I iudge that to be most vnwoorthie for a godlie man and him that publikelie teacheth the holie scriptures so long as out of the word of God it cannot be shewed to be otherwise than I beléeue For when that should appeare and I might know it so to be I would not for anie cause delay to testifie the trueth and openlie to confesse it These thinges woorthie Syr and as you write my most néere ioyned brother in Christ I speake familiarlie to you as you sée and doe sincerelie open my minde and thought euen as it is affected For I haue such a confidence in your iustice and equitie as I neuer will or can séeme to refuse your owne selfe for a right and indifferent Iudge Fare you well and liue you happilie to Christ and his Church I would to God I might once at the length sée you and talke with you according to my earnest desire From Strasborough the 26. of Iune 1554. To Master Iohn Caluin I Am gladde that the little booke of defence of the consent of our Churches as touching the controuersie of the sacrament A consent of the Heluetian churches with the Church of Geneua is nowe come foorth and I wish that the same may bring abundance of fruit And I doubt not but for the Godlinesse and instruction wherewith it shewes it selfe to be furnished it will bring commoditie vnto the weake comfort vnto the learned and much stomacke and hatred to them that be obstinate Neither will this be any newe thing because such is the condition of the word of God That none of those things whereof I gaue counsell is chaunged I vnderstanding the reasons which you haue made in your Epistle do not only take it wel but in verie good part But yet this haue I marueiled at and I woulde with a gladde minde heare it if it were so that N. hath allowed of those things which you wrote For I loue the man because of other his goodlie giftes but in this controuersie which we are nowe in hand with he hath alwayes séemed vnto me to bee more than ynough a right Saxon and to carie a contrarie minde vnto the trueth which we defend Of what iudgement our men will be I knowe not Wée thought good to send both letters and a booke vnto Marpachius Marpachius For you did write nothing but that which may and ought to be taken in good part of mē which be of a sound iudgement But maruell not that there was some slacknesse in the answering of your letters For there were assemblies had after your letters were deliuered and Marpachius him selfe was absent a whole moneth which returned fower dayes since He went into his owne countrie and in returning made his iourney by Zuricke and saluted mee in the name of all those ministers In talke he is gentle and curteous ynough but excéeding obstinate in his opinion Thus much hath he profited that he includeth not the bodie of Christ in the breade but saieth that the presence of the flesh and bloude of Christ to the communicants is most truely and in verie déede to be affirmed and that such a presence as wicked men and the vnworthie eaters doe féede thereon Which plainely sheweth that hée doth not attribute the receiuing vnto faith vnlesse we speake of a liuely wholsome receiuing as though there were a certaine other true and reall eating as they call it of the bodie of Christ which the wicked also do vse But héereof I speake too much and especially with you which in one worde vnderstande the state of the controuersie As touching N. N. which you write of I also doe both know and sorowe that it is so He doth not sincerely admit the doctrine of predestination And as I can perceiue he agréeth altogether with Philip yea and he expresseth many things which euen Philip woulde not subscribe vnto him which I iudge méete at this time to be kept in silence But I see no iust reason that can bee alledged why he should denie the breade and wine to be the elements of the bodie and bloude of Christ Which reason although he could shewe yet would I iudge that we ought rather to giue credite vnto the diuine scriptures than vnto him whereby as well the breade as the cup are commended as Symbols or figures of the bodie and bloud of the Lord. Yet woulde I graunt vnto him that the verie action it selfe that is the eating and drinking is a figure of the most swéete foode of soules and of the whole restoring of our nature which figure we receiue by communicating in the Eucharist And whereas he saith that the naturall bodie of Christ is not giuen to be meate I so vnderstoode him as though in speaking this he stoode against them which vainely bable that the bodie of Christ is let passe into the belly by the mouth of the body by the téeth tongue roofe of the mouth and by the Iawes but if he meane any otherwise let him take héede Verily this am I most assured of that whatsoeuer nourishment or spirituall foode is receiued of vs by the bodie of Christ that is had by his true and naturall bodie which heeretofore was nailed vpon the crosse for our sake and nowe fitteth in heauen compassed about with the highest glorie For whatsoeuer foode there is as doubtlesse there is verie much drawne vnto vs by faith who wil say that that faith is caried vnto a feigned or phantasticall bodie Truly none that regardeth the truth and honour of faith will so affirme For faith apprehendeth things euen as they bee Wherefore séeing the body of Christ is not vnclothed of his nature neither heretofore vpō the crosse nor yet nowe in heauen it is by faith receiued of vs a naturall bodie as it is But while I write vnto you these things of N. N. beholde another thing commeth to minde whereof I am mooued for iust cause to demaunde and also to write what I my selfe iudge of it which as I doe boldly so it shall be frée for you when you be at leasure to shew what you iudge thereof For I doe not vrge an answere knowing that you are ouerpressed with profitable businesse As touching the communion which wee haue with the bodie of Christ and with the substance of his nature all men are not of one opinion and I thinke you shall heare the cause why It is a
appointed vnto vs we long by continuall faith to attaine indeuoring as Paule sayde vnto the Philippians Phil. 3. 13. and I before cited to apprehende so farrefoorth as we are apprehended by Christ Iesus Wherefore the ende of the augmentations of our faith shal be that it may come so farre forwarde as Christ appointed that it shoulde come and by the increases thereof wee more and more apprehende Christ although not beyonde the boundes and limittes of apprehending wherewith he himselfe imbrased vs when wee were enemies and before the foundations of the worlde were layde You defende also your opinion by this argument That the weakenesse or faith letteth not our coniunction with Christ Our faith is not verie perfect it is weake and oftentimes wauereth why therfore will wee that our coniunction with Christ should depend of the increasing thereof And séeing that fulnesse of faith which is required of ech one of vs can neuer be hadde we shall expect in vaine that Christ shoulde more and more be vnited vnto vs by the increasinges and augmentation thereof Further indéede I will not denie the weakenesse of faith as I doe iudge and you doe obiect Howbeit this infirmitie thereof is no cause at all but that faith should be accounted the meane and instrument whereby we apprehende Christ eternall life forgiuenesse of sinnes and other such promises as it most euidently appeareth out of the holie scriptures Wherefore if that faith so it be a true faith bee it neuer so litle obtaineth these thinges I sée not howe it can be but that afterwarde the selfe same also shoulde bee iudged to apprehende dailie more and more when it hath greater and more increasinges as you your selfe confesse it hath Nor in my iudgement is it a firme argument Faith is neuer had of vs full and perfect therefore by the increasinges and augmentations thereof we are not more fastened and vnited vnto Christ Let vs borowe a similitude of charitie the same is alwaies vnperfect while we liue heere and no man doubteth but that wee are ioyned thereby vnto our neighbour dooth it not therefore followe that charitie of this or that man hath an increase therefore he is more vnited and ioyned to his neighbour I thinke it followeth no man that is wise will reiect that kinde of argument Furthermore the profite which you declare that comes by the exercises of faith namely that it may be a helpe for our infirmitie least in verie déede we should fall therefrom by suffering the same to lie idle and vnoccupied this I willinglie imbrase yet so neuerthelesse as to this of yours I will also ioyne an other commoditie to wit that the exercises of faith are not onelie auailable to the retaining therof but do also make it stronger greater and the same the more it is strengthened increased the more it serueth to the apprehending of Christ so as we are thereby more vnited vnto him when it is increased than we are by it when it is féeble and lessened And if you shunne The words of vniting incorporating as you say you doe the wordes of vniting or incorporating I doubt not but you haue a good meaning therein For why shoulde I suspect the contrarie of you whom I sée to be so clearely instructed by God in pietie learning and holinesse Howbeit as I thinke it shall not be amisse to declare why I on the other side doe not mislike of those wordes for besides that they verie well serue to the opening of this matter it hath this withall that they are not strange from the holy scriptures For we haue vnto the Ephesians the thirde chapter Verse 6. That the gentiles might be coheirs and of the same bodie As if you would say If they might be incorporated namely one with another into Christ they might also be copartners of the promises of Christ And in the seconde chapter of the same Epistle Verse 15. That hee might make of twaine one newe man in himselfe making peace and that he might reconcile both vnto God in one bodie by the crosse so foorth Wee heare the Apostles teach that Christ brought two sorts namely the Gentils the Iewes into one and that in himselfe because they cannot be one in themselues but in respect that they bee vnited and coupled together in Christ And he addeth that they be reconciled together but yet in one bodie that is to wit of Christ himselfe for he addeth By the Crosse By which thinges I gather that the wordes of vniting and incorporating are agréeable to the holy scriptures and therefore I refuse them not as straunge wordes and inuented of late dayes but and if any doe abuse them they doe not well But what If the Heretickes will abuse the holy Scriptures shall the faithfull abstaine from the vse of them I trowe not wherefore it is better to correct the abuse than to auoide the lawfull profitable vse of these wordes But héere maie euerie one abounde in his owne sense How our vniting with Christ is augmented by the vse of the Sacraments whatsoeuer Paul or I say And whereas you write at the last that I say wée are the more vnited vnto Christ by the vse of the Sacraments I denie not but this I said so it be not laide to my charge that I attribute any thing to the elements or as they speake to the worke wrought but to declare in fewe wordes this is my opinion that euen as by the holy wordes while they bee either heard or read our faith is stirred vp waxeth feruent and is increased so doeth it also happen while we receiue the Sacraments which be the wordes of God but yet visible wordes that our faith is made more firme and increaseth by the benefit of which increasing because in very déede it is of God we are become more more ioyned incorporated vnto Christ In déede you say that wee first had this vnion or incorporation with Christ but that the same in receiuing of the Sacraments is sealed Which I denie not for the holie scriptures teache vs the same but mée thinkes that that must also be affirmed besides which doeth follow vppon the sealing For euen as déedes in writing if they be sealed doe the more cause credite to be giuen to the trueth of that which is contained in them so Sacraments being ioyned to the giftes of GOD doe make them to bée more certaine and manifest So as by the light and brightnesse which is added by the sealing the minde is stirred vp so that it beléeueth the more and the more it beléeueth the more earnestly it apprehendeth Christ and both commeth and ioyneth néerer vnto him These were the things learned sir that I had nowe to answere you by writing And I am verie well assured that you will take them in good part since I perceiue you to bée endued no lesse with humanitie than with other giftes of God Fare you well and doe not
so straitlie driuen as Hadrian thinketh as though the same ought onelie to be vnderstoode touching that rule wherein it is saide that Sinnes are freelie forgiuen vs through Christ Indéede the same is the most happiest message of all other but yet it is the Gospell also which the Apostles taught in like manner of other principall articles Whereupon Paul in the 2. Epistle to Timothie the 2. Verse 8. chapter saith Remember that Iesus Christ made of the seede of Dauid was raised againe from the deade according to my Gospel Beholde nowe in the same place vnder the name of the Gospell is comprehended the doctrine which teacheth that both Christ is risen from the deade and is borne of the séede of Dauid And to preach the Gospell otherwise is nothing else with the Apostle than that which he saide in the first Epistle to Timothie the 6. chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say otherwise to teach Wherefore it must not be suffered that that same saying of the Apostle shoulde be restrained to one Article onelie Neither can there be anie reason assigned whie that cannot iustlie be called a good message and gladsome preaching whereby it is testified and declared vnto the worlde that God stoode vnto the promises who sent his sonne to take flesh of the séede of Eue of Abraham and of Dauid euen as in old time he promised by his Prophets to doe Therefore since we haue these generall sayings it is not to be looked for that we should shewe this or that errour to be condemned and suppressed by name and in expresse words in the scriptures For where shall we finde there that they be condemned and are estraunged from God which doe not receiue the bookes of the olde testament which opinion neuerthelesse was common vnto the Marcionites Manichees and manie other heretikes Neither are they at anie time condemned by expresse words which denie that the soules after the death of the bodie do liue but thinke that they die together with the flesh and that as touching life euerlasting they about the end of the world shal be raised vp againe together with their bodies Also they which woulde not that pardon and reconciliation should be giuen vnto the brethren that be fallen are neuer saide in the holie Oracles to be either condemned or to be out of the way of saluation Wherefore when Hadrian requireth this at our hands concerning the errour of the Anabaptists both he dealeth fondlie and whilest he taketh away one or two errours he openeth a verie wide gappe vnto manie For of verie fewe doeth the scripture speake in that forme and phrase which he nowe requireth of vs. Lastlie remaineth that wee should examine the syllogismes which Hadrian brought in against vs as our men had doone against him that those as he thinketh he might cōfute the more euidentlie but these I haue thought good for two causes to passe ouer First because it séemeth not verie lawefull for godlie men to be childishlie subtile especially in defending of an opinion the which as at the beginning hath béene sayde edifieth no man and may hurt verie manie Secondlie because we iudge that in this question those thinges are to be written which are vnderstoode of the greatest part of the holie congregation and that there be verie fewe which haue exercised themselues in the quirkes and subtilties of Logicke and sophistrie The trueth it selfe especially that which is euangelicall is plaine is taught and made euident by the apostolicall light and simplicitie Furthermore those thinges be alreadie before alleadged whereby is plainelie and manifestly discouered whatsoeuer deceite is in these trifeling argumentes Nowe for the finishing of this that wee haue written let vs adde this namelie let vs celebrate with high prayses the most ample mercie of God that in all thinges he discouereth himselfe with maruelous brightnesse and as Dauid singeth in the burden of his Psalme florrisheth for euer that is eternallie Howe farre foorth the praises of God must be celebrated But yet ought we so to celebrate his praises as on the other side the iudgementes of God towardes vnbeléeuers and heretikes be not thereby cancelled This is therefore written because Hadrian saith that he was verie much driuen to defende these thinges which hee defendeth for that they greatlie auailed to the worthinesse greatnesse of Gods mercie Howebeit after this manner they also perhappes did excuse themselues which reckened Caine and Iudas among the number of the saintes and blessed men Also Origen and his fauorers hadde vnmeasurable respect vnto the clemencie of God when as they taught that the punishmentes of the godlie should one daie at the last be finished and in verie déede the fires of hell should not be euerlasting and since they wrote that euen to the diuelles themselues after a multitude of ages shal be geuen pardon and saluation No iust prayses of the mercie of God are those which ouermuch obscure the seueritie iustice of God Wherefore letting this newnesse of doctrine goe let vs thinke with ourselues that we must by al meanes séeke the peace and quietnesse of the church Of intricate and vaine questions vndoubtedlie there is store enough Wherefore it shall be your parte that kéeping the trueth safe and sounde ye spéedilie returne into amitie thinking this diligentlie with your selues that it is a singular benefite vnto you to haue there where you are both the french and flemish Church This cannot the diuell abide and for that cause stirreth vppe discordes and contentions among you to the intent that strangers may be more and more hatefull to English men Wherefore watch yee with singular care and diligence that the euill spirit haue not his owne desire and that the Church of the sonne of God receiue no losse He that is reprooued let him beare it with no lesse patient minde than Peter did when he was reprehended by Paule And contrariwise they that haue taken vpon them the defence of the trueth if their brother which hath turned from the right waie not of mallice as it should séeme but rather of a certaine errour giue eare vnto them that admonish him well let them account him no lesse than before in the place of the minister of God and of a most louing fellowe in office Fare you well my verie good brethren assist vs with your prayers vsing your indeuour to maintaine peace among you as much as yée can From Zurick the 15. of Februarie 1561. An Epistle to the English Church 46. MY déere beloued brethren in Christ albeit wee doe maruelouslie loue your Church and doe iustly and worthilie make great account thereof yet are wee verie loath to determine of such nice questions as doe bring none or in verie déede small edification For since there are among you two sorts of the which one affirmeth and the other denieth it might easilie bee that they which cannot abide the doctrine set foorth had rather rent in sunder the Church than change their
to trie the stedfastnesse of your faith Alas what lamentable proofes what vnhappie issues are there hearde of For in the steede of expected constancie feeblenesse hath bewraied it selfe For valiant courage of a Christian heart a wauering imbecillity a faint faith a trembling heart with a most shamefull denying of the trueth Of which thing when soudenlie I had hearde so vncomfortable newes streight waie all my spirite was filled with sorrowe For séeing the Prophet Samuel bewayled the falling of Saul king of the Iewes 1. Sam. 16. 1 Ier. 9 1. In Lam. Luk. 19. 41. that Ieremie lamented the ruine of the Iewes that our Lorde Iesus shedde teares ouer Ierusalem for shewing the destruction thereof 2. Cor. 2. 4. that Paul to his Corinthians wrote his Epistles with manie teares howe shall I refraine my selfe from weeping from teares and from lamentation when I see so pleasant a garden as was the Church of my brethren of Luca in one moment by a most vehement winde and cruel tempest and by diuilish hailestones to be so wasted scattered and cast héere there as it might not séeme either to haue conceiued before time any good séede or that it neuer felt any husbanding or sprinkling of the heauenly shoures of the holie Ghost They that do not knowe you well might iustlie haue feared because of the imminent tempest of vexations least you shoulde become an offence but I could neuer be brought to think that you woulde so greeuouslie fall O my brethren O my bowels in the Lorde Iesus Christ who hath thus troubled your mind Who hath thus chaunged your hearts I would to god that I were present with you and that I might with a liuely voice wéepe shed teares and lament in your dolefull and vnfortunate funerals Nowe when by reason of present persecutions a valiant conflict a glorious victorie and a most noble triumph was expected the contraries haue altogether followed your mindes haue shamefullie quailed you are vanquished with great dishonour and you are led into horrible captiuitie When the diuelish furie of Antichrist was nowe opened and yée saw the danger hang euen ouer your heads and yet for all that woulde not prouide for your owne safetie by the common remedie of weake men as manie nowadayes call it that is to wit by fléeing awaie which I thinke to be a wise prouision so it be orderlie vsed he that had conceiued a good opinion of you thus thought with himselfe These men doe mislike of flying away because they be valiant and approoued knights of Christ they will make away for the Gospell through our Italie by their death bloude and Martyrdome being mooued thereunto by the dailie examples of their brethren the frenchmen Dutchmen and Englishmen Oh howe manie did this vaine hope deceiue Oh what a matter of reioysing did this ill successe giue vnto wicked Antichrist Such marueilous misfortunes doe rather require teares than woords Do not thinke my most deere brethren that we héere are carefull of our owne saluation onely there can no wounde be giuen vnto you but that the stroke doeth also pearce through vs. While you doe fall our bowels are euen plucked out and by your fall we fall also For so did Christ ioyne together all the members of his bodie which is his Church as they should communicate affections one with another Now did the Lorde require of you the fruits of a long peace and tranquillity giuen you and since he both called you and indued you with faith he required a confession but so farre is it off that you haue cōfessed as you haue abiured Will not Christ be ashamed of you since so wretchedly you were ashamed of him Mat. 10. 33 Will he not denie you since you haue so shamefully denied him If perhaps a friend of yours or kinsman or childe or wife should perish vndoubtedlie you would haue verie dolefull funerals and you care not at all when you your selues haue perished that euerlastinglie Yée will saie paraduenture our fact indéede doth not a little gréeue vs and wee bewaile the same with great griefe I would to God yee did But admit it be so The fruites of true repentance I demaunde of you what wéeping auaileth without amendement If yée kéepe the couenants of your abiuration if you come vnto the masse and other vaine superstitions to what purpose are teares Awake you at the length I beséech you if the heauenlie light through this persecution bée not vtterly extinguished in your minds and consider yée what is your present state compared with the former Before yée séemed to be so strong as you were readie for the Christian trueth to indure any thing but when you were to enter into fight your courage failed euen at the first threats of Antichrist and at his grimme looke If the violence of torments had driuen you hereto some pretence indéede you might haue but no iust excuse namely that the infirmitie of mans nature and flesh was ouercome Howbeit when as yée sustained neither wounds nor rackings nor imprisonment not banishment yea and were not hurt in any manner of thing no not the least at all consider yée what yee are to iudge of your selues Loe I neither can nor knowe howe to flatter My office and ministerie constraineth me to tell the trueth and to declare the thing as it is vnlesse that the Church were renowmed both with more ample confessions and martyrdomes it would go verie hardlie with it especiallie in these times wherein by the bountiful goodnes of Iesus Christ the truth hath so shined in the world as vndoubtedlie we haue sufficient doctrine but we want strength whereby in suffering afflictions torments and neuer so dreadfull death it might be defended These thinges do I not therefore write vnto you most déere brethren in Christ to make your cause the more gréeuous nor to amplifie the fact committed more than is méete God is my witnesse but that I may print in your minds the féeling of the euill wherewith you are oppressed to the intent that being the more mooued yée thereby may rise vp againe out of the foule deadly pit wherinto yée haue fallē The cause that I write freely and boldlie happeneth not without my verie great sorrowe the which so iustlie troubleth me as it grieueth me excéedinglie that I may not so familiarlie talke with God as in olde time that good Moses did who when the people had molten the golden calfe had yéelded diuine worship vnto it wherupō they prouoked so gréeuous wrath of God against them as they were in daunger of vtter destruction he fel prostrate in humble praier before God as many other times he did Exo. 32. 11. said True in deede it is that the people haue most grieuouslie sinned which haue made to themselues a golden god neuerthelesse I pray thee that thou wilt forgiue them and pardon this haynous acte or else blot mee out of the Booke which thou hast written With the like
without great trauell and charges for whatsoeuer good thing they teach they doe it vppon hope of reward But all these difficulties did Martyr with singular patience and inuincible studie ouercome so earnest a desire had he to learne the holie scriptures Whome when I consider I cannot woonder enough at the proceeding and order whereby it seemed good vnto the heauenlie father to bring him vnto the knowledge of the heauenly trueth For first he stirred vp his will in the beginning of his age that he might indeuour to his power to please and serue God albeit he suffered him in the meane time to erre in the manner of worshipping of him Afterwarde hee so instructed his minde that he inclined the same to innocencie of life and vnto righteousnesse whereby although he coulde not deserue thankes of God yet he shewed himselfe vnblamable before men Lastlie he inflamed and kindled him with an incredible loue of the holie scriptures whereof while he for a good space of time followed the letter at the length by the reuelation of the spirit of God he comfortably knewe the hidden and spirituall mysteries In this matter I might iustlie compare him to Saint Paul the teacher of the Gentiles in whose life before his conuersion there was an indeuour of worshipping GOD and of righteousnesse which is according to the lawe wherein he was vnblameable and moreouer hee vsed to reade the lawe although as yet couered with the vaile but leauing these thinges the desire of breuitie cals me backe to other narrations The principall men of his societie liked well his diligence in preaching and teaching Nowe was his name become famous in the greatest Cities of Italie wherfore they determined to aduance him according as his excellent vertues deserued to a greater dignitie and therfore by a cōmon consent they made him Abbot of Spoletū Which office when he had taken in hand to exercise he behaued himselfe so singularly wel as al men maruelled that the man being vntill that time trained in learning only could so excel in al his gouernment with wisdom dexteritie For to say nothing of other matters his singular vertue appeared in two things which no Abbots before him were able to bring to passe At Spoletū were two Colleges of Virgins and the third wherein he himself liued was of Canons of that same regular familie as they terme it of Augustine the discipline of al these by the negligence of the former Abbots was so decayed as through the wanton and filthie life of them the whole familie of this order was greatly hated of all men This when Martyr sawe he by his authoritie and office what with teaching admonishing exhorting and eke with some seuere chastening brought them all into such order as he not onelie wanne to himselfe great praise but also to the whole familie singular good will And this in verie deede was a thing proper and as it were the bounden duetie of his order and institution But that other thing which I will nowe speake of is farre more excellent and as it were pertaining to the whole Common weale The Common weale of Spoletum euen as also many other Commonweales in Italie was diuided into certaine factions among which there were alwaies contentions the which oftentimes proceeded euen to frayes and slaughters and albeit that the former Abbots had oftentimes indeuoured to doe it yet coulde they neuer make attonements and reduce the Citie vnto Concorde This when Martyr perceiued and that he thought with himselfe that nothing should be more agreeable to his office than to bring home into concorde those that were at dissension and to winne them in mutuall charitie which Christ so often commended he thought that he shoulde rather laie downe his life than to see the Citie any longer to perish so miserablie with her owne discord and therefore he neuer ceased to exhort all men publikelie and priuatelie vnto vnitie to teache the dueties of a Christian man and to laie before their eyes the calamitie of their Countrie and the particular daungers of euerie one vntill he had brought that to passe which he earnestlie desired For so greatly did his authoritie wisedome and eloquence preuaile as all the time afterward that he liued in that Citie not onelie there were no slaughters nor frayes committed but there also appeared no tokens of factions so much was the vertue and indeuour of one excellent man able to doe Of this man haue all Abbots an example which if they woulde followe wee might perhaps hope for some amendment of the Church by them but nowe when as they correct not euen the most manifest abuses and that they breath out continual slaughters and warres I beseeche you what goodnesse can we promise to our selues concerning them Three yeare was Martyr at Spoletum and then in the publike assemblie of the fathers of the whole familie he was made gouernour of the Neapolitane College of S. Peter at the Altar which benefice for the pleasantnesse of the place and for the ample reuenew thereof is a great dignitie In this Citie did the grace of the heauenly light begin to shine more notablie and clearelie vnto him For when he had bin hitherto long and much exercised in Scholasticall Diuinitie and also in the fathers and at length had betaken himselfe altogether to the fountaines themselues and that he was daylie more and more lightened by the spirit he began to acknowledge errours and abuses in the Church and therefore he beganne whereof some make a scruple of conscience to giue his minde also to the vnderstanding of our mens writings and taking in hand the Commentaries of Bucer vpon the Euangelistes and his annotations vpon the Psalmes which he set foorth vnder the name of Aretius Felinus he diligently perused them ouer Also he read Zuinglius Booke Of the true and false Religion and another booke of the same man concerning the prouidence of God and he also read some Bookes of Erasmus he francklie confessed oftentimes that he profited much by the reading of all these And in the meane time he reasoned in a maner euerie day of some thing out of the holie scriptures with those his friendes which were studious of the pure Religion so that on both sides they were much edified in the true Religion by such kinde of talke And among those with whom he conferred touching Religion were chiefely Benedictus Cusanus of whom we also made mention before M. Antonius Flaminius and Iohannes Valdesius a Spaniarde This latter man was borne in Spaine of a noble kindred and was honored with Knighthood by Charles the Emperour who after that he was endued by God with the knowledge of true Religion he led his life in Italie but especiallie at Neapolis In which place by his learning and most godly example of life he wanne verie manie especially noble men vnto Christ And at that time there was no meane Church of godlie men in the Citie of Neapolis For in that congregation there were many
for that shee saide there was now such discorde and sedition in the kingdome for Religions sake that it was exceedingly troubled Heereunto Martyr answered franklie that although he coulde not assure himselfe any good at the aduersaries hand yet he denied not but that they should bee courteouslie and mildly dealt withall so that no part of the trueth were diminished or cut awaie Hee saide it was no maruell that some discordes should arise since Christ foreshewed that such thinges must happen in the preaching of the Gospell and hee confessed that hee came to sende not peace but the sworde and that the fire was alreadie kindled and that hee woulde not otherwise but that it shoulde burne further that it was vnpossible that pure and true religion shoulde bee restored and retained without the Crosse and therefore saide that it behooued her with a valiant courage and syncerely to take this charge in hand and that God according to his promises would not faile who asswageth euils and giueth patience Moreouer being oftentimes asked of the Queene what counsell hee coulde giue for setting of thinges at quiet hee aunswered that hee sawe no other remedie but by suffering the professors of the Gospell to assemble together freely in their holy congregations graunting them Churches wherein they might haue godlie Sermons for if shee woulde cause this to be doone the truth woulde easilie manifest it selfe and that there shoulde bee no neede of conferences or disputations Lastlie when hee was demaunded what hee iudged as touching the confession of Augusta he aunswered that to him the word of God seemed to be sufficient for vs because therein are clearely contained al things which serue vnto saluation Neither if that confession were receaued saith hee woulde there followe a reconciliation with the Romanistes since they haue condemned the same as Hereticall To the same effect did hee aunswere the king of Nauerra and other great men in the Court which asked his opinion of the selfe same thinges After this followed the publike Action whereunto the Cardinals and Bishoppes thought not good to admitte Martyr but yet the Queene would haue him to come In this Action the Cardinall of Loraine made an Oration which also hee did afterwarde publishe Herein hee spake manie things as touching his Church as that which had a continued succession imposition of handes and which worshipped Christ without Idolatrie Hee denied that the Church of God stoode onely of the elect because otherwise it shoulde become inuisible and that men shoulde alwayes be vncertaine of the same Further hee added that the Councels coulde not erre neither in doctrine nor in manners but that they might alter manie thinges by reason of the diuersitie of tâ—mes And hee affirmed that the Church it selfe was before the Scriptures and that the interpretation of them was to be sought from the Church After this hee digressed to the matter of the Sacrament and saide nothing of the Masse and of Transubstantiation but hee affirmed the bodie of Christ to be there present not indeed locally or circumscriptibly but after a heauenlie manner and as he spake supersubstantially And when he had made an ende of his Oration hee turned himselfe vnto the Queene mother and to the king and vpon his knees prayed them that they woulde persist in that faith wherein they were borne and baptised and therewithall hee offered with all his Bishoppes all manner of duties seruices and obedience A fewe daies after Beza according to his singular learning did greatly in open audience confute the Cardinall of Loraines Oration But the Cardinall opposed him selfe against him and required that ours should either subscribe to the confession of Augusta or else that they shoulde accept of a breefe draught which hee brought touching the Lordes supper and that vnlesse they woulde condescende herein hee woulde deale talke no further For hee sought causes to breake off the conference In this action did Martyr holde his peace because all thinges were doone in the French tongue But when they mette together againe hee being admonished by the brethren and by the Queenes leaue hee himselfe also spake a great while in the Italian tongue against the Cardinall of Loraine who seemed to refuse the ioyning with him and alledged for excuse that Martyr spake in the Italian tongue as though hee had not vnderstoode the same and hee said that he would rather deale with a man of his owne language howbeit he indeuoured to aunswere to some things by him alleadged And moreouer a certâ—ine Spanyard being a Maister of the order of the Iesuites made an Oration in Italian against our men whereunto Beza aunswered in few wordes but Martyr beganne againe to argue against the Cardinall as touching the Supper howbeit because the night was at hande and besides that the act was full of contention so that euen the Cardinall himselfe abstained not from clamors the day there was no more done But nowe after that the aduersaries our men reclaming but in vaine had founde the meanes that the beginning of the conference shoulde take beginning at the article of the Supper of the Lorde there were fiue speakers chosen of each part Of the aduersaries partie the Valentine and Sagentian Bishops Botilerus Salignaicus Depensius which were doctors and of our men Beza Marlorat Spina M. de Sola and our Martyr These dealt without anie iudges vsing onelie two Notaries And first they sought diligentlie to haue some certaine rule proposed wherein the parties might commen together of the presence of Christos bodie in the Eucharist and when as many things had bin alleaged on both sides Martyr also being demaunded set foorth a briefe writing of his opinion which neuerthelesse satisfyed not the Bishoppes for that they saide it was ouer bare but the disputers of our part agreed with Martyr Afterwarde there was betweene them a disputation of this question for the space of certaine dayes and at the length a newe order was taken whereby both the partes might commen together of the presence of Christes bodie in the Supper and hereunto the disputers of eache part agreed and subscribed But Martyr when he sawe that therein were certaine ambiguities declared that hee woulde not varie from the sense of the first writing which hee had deliuered vnto them Hee together with Beza and the rest of the speakers of our part added a briefe declaration vnto the latter rule that ambiguitie being remooued the aduersaries might see what our meaning was But the Cardinalles and Bishoppes after it was declared vnto them that the speakers were agreed as touching this Article disallowed of those thinges which were doone by their owne speakers yea and accused them of Heresie wherefore by their meanes the conference was suspended for certaine dayes For nowe both by their owne will and by the instigation of the Popes legate they decreed to breake off the conference But in the meane time the Bishoppes wrote certaine Canons and at length the 19. of October the Cardinalles of the house
2 38â— a To. Toombe Of Absaloms Toombe and the Cardinall of Yorke 3 321 b Toong Why the Hebrewes cal a Toong and glorie both by one name 3 342 b Giuen vnto men for diuerse endes as howe 1 7 a Against the vse of a strange Toong in Gods seruice 2 317b 318 a 3 309b 310. 311. Against them which hate the Hebrewe Toong and of the necessarie vse thereof 2 329 a Adam vsed and spake in it 1 126 b Toongs Of some that spake in many Toong vppon the sudden 1 â—7b 78a Torments The constancie of Anaâ—archus Zeno in their Torments 2 264 b In what Torments Virgil placeth such as murther themselues 2 392 b Tr. Tradition Tradition of watching in Easter night Apostolicall 3 2â—6 b The Tradition of the Church obiected for the defense of idolatrie 2 34â— b â—4 a Baptisme ordeined for infants by the Apostolicall tradition 2 228 b Traditions Note a good argument against mens Traditions 3 173 a They do erre and oftentimes are repugnant 4 5â— a Certeine of Basil 4 99 ab Cautions touching them in the Church 4 42 b 43 ab They may be altered and abolished 2 353b 354a Why we must not attribute ouer much to them 3 251a What we retaine and what wee reiect 2 348 b 34â— a Some necessarie and some indifferent 3 251 a Diuerse touching diuerse things 4 45 ab The Traditions of the Apostles prooued by the scriptures 3 233 b 234a 4 45 a What Cyprian determineth of Traditions 4 45 b How mens do violate Gods commandements 3 171 b According to the doctrines Traditions of men expounded 4 25 b Traffike The Traffike of Salomon 4 317 a 318 ab Transubstantiation Transubstantiation a fained miracle and why 1 62 b No néede thereof in the sacrament 2 590 a The Papists subtil shift as touching it 1 114a b The author thereof Innocentius 3 pag. 4. 91 b Miracles inferred for the approuing of it 4 185 ab 186 a Theodoretus an enimie to it 4 163 b The opinion which hath affirmed it 4 148a b The feined deuise of concomitancie therein 4 158 a The chiefe end of the Eucharist is let by it 4 158 b Arguments for proofe and disproofe of it 4 148 b 149. 150. 151. 152. 153. 154. 155. 156. 165. 166a newe opinion 4 183b Absurdities which follow it 4 155. 156 157. 158. 159. 160 Established by tyrannie 4 183 b Whether the fathers helde the doctrine thereof 4 160 b 161. 162. 163. 164. 165. c. 185 a Trauelling The commoditie that commeth by Trauelling 3 192 a What be the best causes thereof 3 191 a Why the Lacedemonians forbad it 3 192 a What it behooueth vs to take heede of therein 3 192 a What was meant by the Rechabites continuall Trauelling 3 190 a Platos Trauelling and others coÌ„mended 3 191 b ¶ Looke Peregrination Treason Treason defined and distinguished 4 298 ab Whether it bee at any time lawfull 4 297 ab 298 b 299 a 30â— a How the ciuil lawes in such cases do punish the children for the parents fault 2 367 b 493 b Not so ill a crime as adulterie 2 47â—a How it and espialship do differ 4 298 b The Treason of Iudas being euil brought foorth a good effect 1 51 a Triall The custome of Triall of an offender in some countries 4 309b What Triall springeth of patience 3 279 b 280 a Triall specially of doctrine compared to fier 3 239. 240. 241 Wherin it consisteth 3 241 a Tribute The definition of Tribute and of the eight part thereof paide for custome 2 472 b Whether Clergie â—en are to pay it 4 239 b 240 ab 33 b 34 ab They are stipends giuen to Princes 4 236 b Of what things they consist 4 239 b Trinitie The whole Trinitie is present at our prayers 3 306 b Essence is common thereunto 2 612 a Of the particular and common works thereof 2 599 b A distinction of the same 2 627 b 3 307a How in some places of Christendome it is painted 2 338 b Of the equall power of the Trinitie 4 81 b The heresie of Paulus Samosatenus touching the Trinitie 3 364 a The Trinitie vndiuideable cannot be separated in respect of God 1 26 a Strife about homousion a worde proper thereunto and agréement in the thing signified about the same 1 108 b The Hebrues will not acknowledge it in the diuine nature 100 b prooued against them 1 101 a Prooued by Augustine against Maximus the Arcian Bishop 1 105 ab Spirite bloude and water represent the thrée persons therein prooued 1 105a b In one substance represented by thrée faculties in mans soule 1 123 b When this worde spirite is taken for the Trinitie 1 103 a Trouble What this worde to Trouble meaneth 4 319 a The definition thereof 4 320 a Ciuil and religious 4 319 b Causes thereof 4 321 b 322 a Of what noble things it is an abolishment 4 320 b 321 a The vse of the word Trouble in holy scripture 4 323 b Trust Of Trust or confidence as it is ioyned with faith 3 90 ab ¶ Looke Faith Truth Truth is a part of iustice 2 542 b Commaunded by the forbidding of the contrarie 2 553 a A definition thereof 2 542 a Sundrie examples concerning the apprehension of the same 1 16 a Whether it be stronger in it selfe as it is laide hold on by faith or as it is ingraffed by nature 1 15 b 16 a With what bonds it is bounde and with what chaines it is tyed 1 15 a The error of the Academiks and Epicures concerning it 1 15 b Two kinds thereof one naturally graffed in vs the other attained vnto by our owne studie 1 15 b In what cases it is to be told and that sometimes it is not 2 542 ab The matter thereof is infinite as howe 2 549 b What thing it requireth 2 542 b Wherein faith and it doe agrée and differ 2 549 b It is to be considered according to thrée differences of time 2 542 b Testimonies of scriptures exhorting vs to speake it 2 543 a In whom it is withheld in vnrighteousnesse 1 15 ab and howe that is meant 10 b 11. all That all Truth commeth of God and how 1 11 b Two testimonies which helpe much to the knowledge thereof 3 283 a Perceiued by two tokens 1 41 a Teachers are instruments thereof but not authors 1 12 a Themistocles bare such Truth to his countrie that he woulde rather die than betraie it 2 285 a Tu. Turks Circumcision among the Turkes at 14. yeares 4 111 a Their lawe for punishing of adulterie 2 483 b They ought not to haue religious assemblies granted them among Christians why 2 330 a They admit no images at all 2 341 ab What kinde of faith they haue 3 106 b Of their Alcoran wherein lyeth their religious seruice 2 330 a What they beléeue together with vs. 3 73 b ¶ Looke Infidels Turning Howe Augustine expoundeth that Turning of
pleasure 1. Cor. 6 12. Paule said All things are lawfull vnto me but all things are not expedient For whatsoeuer we doo it ought to be a furtherance vnto the glorie of Gods name and to the edifieng of our neighbours Let these things suffice for answer vnto the arguments and sophisticall reasons of our aduersaries The twelfe Chapter ¶ The eight commandement Thou shalt not steale And first of theft sacrilege and the stealing awaie of mens seruants and children In Rom. 2 verse 21. What theft is AS touching theft it is theft when we withhold that which is an other mans against the will of the owner or else when we by iniurie drawe vnto vs other mens goods or when we distribute not that which is our owne when néed requireth And there be manie other kinds of thefts But in the table of the ten commandements The forme of the doctrine of the ten commandements the chéefe purpose is onelie to set foorth a bréefe summe and that after the plainer and homelier sort in the which we may vnderstand all the parts thereof The head and summe of all theft is couetousnes Euen as in the vnhonester sort of pleasures onlie adulterie is expressed vnder which are comprehended all kinds of vncleanes so vnder the name of idolatrie all kind of false worshipping is forbidden whereas that onelie is expressed which is most grosse For a strange god is forbidden vs so likewise are grauen images and sundrie formes We must consider what is comprehended vnder euerie precept of the ten commandements Wherefore when anie of the ten commandements of God is set downe vnto vs it is our part to consider well what things be comprehended vnder that sinne Further the root must be sought out and there against we must striue with all the might we haue Couetousnes or theft hereof springeth that we distrust GOD and are alwaies afraid least we should want anie thing But adulterie and all vncleannesse of the flesh springeth from the desire of voluptuous pleasures as Christ expressed when he said If a man looke vpon a woman to lust after hir he hath alreadie committed adulterie in his heart And against this concupiscence we ought to wrestle As touching murder Christ hath likewise admonished vs Matt. 5 21. that we should take cleane awaie anger as the root thereof Sacrilege also is to catch What sacrilege is and rashlie vsurpe to a mans selfe holie things which be dedicated vnto God Deut. 12 3. or due vnto him either in respect of a vow or a separation The Iewes were coÌ„manded in the lawe A lawe giuen to the Iewes for destroieng of images Iosua 7 1. not to spare idols for they ought to haue ouerthrowne and destroied them all But they being drawne by couetousnesse reserued them vnto themselues and turned them to their owne commodities So sinned Achan and also Saule 1. Sam. 15 8 when he had ouercome Amalech Contrariewise Moses gaue an excellent example of courage Exod. 32 20 when he not onelie brake the golden calfe but also did beat it into pouder and threw it into the riuer But if the relikes of the idoll had remained still peraduenture the Israelits as they were mad vpon them would haue worshipped them Vndoubtedlie the Common-weale What our magistrats maie doo with the superstitious things that be giuen and our magistrates may take awaie those things which are superstitious and conuert the prices of them to good and godlie vses yet priuate men may not doo so But the Hebrues were generallie forbidden that they should not kéepe such things especiallie such as they had curssed 2 Theft was not a crime of death In 2. Sam. 12 verse 5. The punishment of theft but if there were found anie stolne thing in the hand of the robber the thing stolne was restored Howbeit if he had either slaine it or sold it he restored foure oxen for one and fiue shéepe for one But Dauid made it death He deserueth death saith he and willeth that there should be restored eight fold if we follow the rules of grammar For Arbathaiâ—m is the duall number albeit the Chaldaean interpretor and some of the Hebrues take it for foure fold What shall we answer herevnto We answer two manner of waies The first is that the lawe ought to be kept after the ordinarie and equall manner but it laie in the Iudges hands to increase or diminish the punishments according to the nature of the circumstances What were the circumstances for the which Dauid augmented the punishment He that stole was a rich man Further he stole from one that was poore which also dooth aggrauate the cause To take somewhat where great store is is not so great a matter Besides he tooke from him that one which of all other he held most deare vnto him Wherefore did he so To giue good interteinement to his ghest who perhaps was an ill man and to make good chéere with him Wherefore it must not séeme anie maruell if Dauid augmented the punishment Yea but thou saiest Whether the sentence of Dauid be against the lawe in Deut. 4 2. and 12 13. that this is to alter the lawe of God whereof God said Neither adde thou vnto it neither take thou from it They saie there be no words added the lawe remaineth perfect but forsomuch as the law-maker cannot expresse all cases it commeth to passe that it is put to the discretion of iudges either to aggrauate Whether the lawe of God be changed or to diminish the sentence Notwithstanding that is a great matter when the sentence of the iudge is so aggrauated as it maketh that to be death which is no crime of death He might haue said If it be not inough to restore home foure or eight fold let him paie ten twentie c. Another answer is that they saie This maner of Dauids speaking is not to be taken as though he would haue the partie to be punished with death but for the more vehement expressing of his mind Whether Dauids speech were hyperbolicall he vsed an excessiue speach as though he should haue said He might séeme to be guiltie of death and not that he would haue him to be put to death When a iudge heareth of anie gréeuous crime he saith that such a one deserueth a thousand deaths when as onelie one death can be laid vpon him by the lawe This saieng serueth to exaggerate the crime and maketh not the words false for all men knowe what the meaning thereof is This I speake the rather bicause if we saie that in the sacrament of the Eucharist there is a figure they saie that we make the proposition This is my bodie to be false But a figure dooth not make the words false So true is the figure which Dauid here vseth as he bindeth it with an oth Either of these answers is probable I sée that in that place the holie Ghost vsed the toong of Dauid
vnproperlie according to the common prouerbe A straieng toong telleth truth He was the child of death for they were capitall faults which he had committed and he should restore eight fold that is he should paie much Trulie it séemeth verie hard to punish theft with death The lawe in some case staieth a theefe Exod. 22 2. Neuerthelesse we must consider that in that lawe of Exodus this was ordeined that if a théefe had come armed in the night with intent to steale anie thing awaie it should be lawfull to kill him and that without danger In this case when it is said that the rich man dooth take awaie from the poore man his one onlie lambe there séemeth to be a violence vsed and not a fraud It is no maruell therefore if the punishment be augmented and he iudged woorthie of death Foure fold restitution And as for the restoring of foure fold we haue not onelie a lawe but also the example of Zachaeus Luke 19 8. in the 19. of Luke If I haue taken ought from anie man by deceit he saith to Christ I restore him foure fold Seuen fold restitution He saith not I restore him double but to shew his dutie the more he chose to himselfe the straiter punishment Againe there is a place in the sixt of the Prouerbs verse 30. where Salomon saith that A theefe which is taken shall restore seuen fold In which place it may be gathered as it séemeth that it was in the power of iudges to increase the punishment for at this time théeues did restore seuen fold Some answer that it was not there meant of anie precise number in the restitution of things taken awaie but that a théefe should be compelled to make a perfect restitution In that place he compareth the sinne of theft and adulterie togither and would shew and declare adulterie to be the greater If a théefe haue no other intent but to satisfie hunger it redoundeth not to his shame If he be taken he is compelled to yéeld againe that which he hath taken awaie If he be taken in adulterie he is punished with death Whether Dauid were punished aboue foure fold 2. Sam. 16 22. 2. Sam. 12 18. 13 28. 18 14. and 1. Kin. 2 25. Touching the restitution of foure fold it maie séeme that Dauid was punished not onelie to the proportion of foure fold but of aboue eight fold For his ten concubines were defiled by Absalom And although himselfe was not slaine yet was he reserued to great afflictions For foure of his sonnes were consumed first he whom he had by Bethsaba then Amnon afterward Absalom lastlie Adonias 3 The crime of stealing awaie of seruants In Gen. 37 verse 25. The crime of stealing awaie of seruants punished by death Deut. 24 7. Exo. 21 16. Gen. 37 28. Matt. 27 5. or children and selling of them was by the ciuill lawe punished with death as it is in the 48. booke of the Digests and in Deuteronomie the 24. chapter The punishment which God appointed for the same doth yet declare the grieuousnes of the crime For this fault the Hebrues confesse that they were manie yeares togither vexed by Pharao in Aegypt Assuredlie the selling of Christ draue Iudas to hang himselfe and in the end wrought confusion both to those that bought him and to the whole kingdome In the booke Zahor wherein be praiers which the Iewes repeat in the daie of Purification when they fast for the satisfaction of their sinnes there is mention made of ten Rabbins of great name the which were slaine by Caesar Adrianus For Caesar demanded of them what punishment their lawe tooke of such as should be found guiltie of stealing frée men awaie and selling them Who wiselie answered out of Deuteronomie 24 7. that they were woorthie of death Wherevpon the Emperor put them to death laieng to their charge that they were guiltie of this crime But what frée man it was that he charged them to haue sold it is not there expressed Yet in their Thalmud to the end to slander Christ when they make a declaration of this fact they saie it was Ioseph And least they should séeme to speake against all reason or likeliehood that after so manie ages these men should be punished for a wickednesse so long before committed they speake more absurdlie that soules remooue from one to another and therefore that the soules of the ten brethren of Ioseph did remooue into these ten Rabbins and that for this cause they were punished after such a manner Of well dooing and Hospitalitie 4 There is a notable place in the first to the In 1. Cor. 16. verse 4. Corinthians The communitie of things among the Anabaptists is confited Looke in the booke De votis pag. 79. put foorth at Basil the 16. chapter wherein we be taught beneficence and liberalitie By the which and by such like the Anabaptists which declare that among christians all things ought to be common be confuted For if their opinion were true there had béene no néed to exhort the faithfull to distribute almes vnto the poore for euerie one might take from whom he would But forsomuch as the holie scriptures commend almes vnto vs they shew plainlie that euerie one is a possessor of his owne goods although he be bound to communicate with his néedie neighbour of the fruit and profit which commeth of the same We sée also in the same place that the church of Corinth resisted not Paule in saieng What tellest thou vs of the Ierosolomits Haue not we poore people of our owne with vs whom we ought to find and reléeue Suffer vs to distribute our owne goods among our owne poore But when they had heard Paule determine that it was not inough that euerie church should find their owne poore but is also bound to reléeue the brethren of other churches if their abilitie serue they were readie to giue their consent Charitie must be doone in order yet not to be too strait laced For although that charitie ought to be doone in due order yet must it not be so strait laced as it should haue respect onelie vnto them that be hir owne In déed we ought to begin with such as be our owne but we are not there to make a staie Furthermore in distributing of almes there must be a consideration had of the honestie of those that be in néed Wherefore Paule said vnto the Galathians Gal. 6 10. Let vs doo well vnto all men especiallie vnto those which be of the houshold of faith Besides this there must be a speciall consideration had of them touching whom the word of GOD hath giuen expresse commandement as are the father the mother the wife the children and the ministers of the church Thirdlie necessitie must be regarded for otherwise there happen cases sometimes wherein our helpe cannot be deferred with a safe conscience in which time both father mother and the rest vnto whom we are