Iob is called an handemayden And Augustine also himselfe in his booke Locutionum Deut acknowledgeth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not alwayes referred vnto thinges deuine For where as it is sayde in Deut. the 28. chapter Thou shalt serue thine enemyes in Greke it is sayd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Paule likewise when he affirmeth himselfe to be a worshipper of Iesus Christ writeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherefore thou seest that this difference of wordes is not obserued among the Grecicians Howbeit they haue a worde whiche is proper vnto the worshipping of God called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but whether it be a woord vsed among good and olde authors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Augustine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I know not Augustine in the place already alledged Deciuitate Dei maketh mencion of an other word called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But that properly belongeth vnto rites and misteries For it is sayd that Orpheus fyrst taught the Thracians misteryes Wherefore that woord was deriued of the Thracians turning Whereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is deriued this letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But to returne to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is deriued of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which particle signifyeth vehememcy and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to tremble For seruauntes do excedingly tremble at the commaundementes of theyr Lordes The same ambignitye is there in thys hebrue worde Schaah which signifyeth to prostrate himselfe and to bowe downe Wherefore we reade oftentymes Hiskaim that is they worshipped and Histauh that is a bowing downe and in the plurall We prostrate our bodies both before God and before creatures number it is sayd Histauidoth that is prostracions And that honour of prostrating the body and bowing the knees is not done before God onely but also before kinges and Aungels For it is a simbole or token whereby we represent our submission and lowlynes The elders vsed other signes also in worshipping Wherefore Chrisostome in an homely which he hath when he expoundeth Chrisostome Simboles or tokens of the elders in worshippyng Augustine what we signifye whilest we prostrate our selues before God these wordes of Iohn the true worshippers shall worship in spirite and in truth sayth When thou shewest thy handes openest thy harte liftest vp thy face vnto heauen and openest thyne eyes what other thing els doost thou then shew the whole man vnto God Augustine De ciuitate Dei in the place now alleaged sayth that this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a religious and humble submission which I vnderstand so to be obserued that when we prostrate our selues before God we signify that we wholy submit our selues vnto him and that as touching al things without any exception But if we fal down before an Emperor or king we signifye that we submitts our selues vnto him as it pertaineth to his gouernment but yet not wholy because we wil euermore haue god and his word excepted And in these outward signes which are to be geuen vnto Princes a Christian must obserue the maners of the countrye makyng a difference in his mynde betweene ether subiection and let hym chiefelye beware that herein he How bowinge or prostrating is to be geuen vnto men This honor is not to be geuen neyther vnto images neither vnto the bodies of the dead do nothyng conterfeately farther let him not geue these signes but vnto them whome he by the precept of God is commaunded to reuerence that is vnto all those which are put in any high authoritye whether the same be spirituall or temporall But let him not in any case prostrate himselfe before Images forasmuch as that is expressedly prohibited Yea he must not also shew any such honor of bowing the knees or inuocation vnto the sainctes that are dead For there is no word of God concerning that thyng neyther can we when we do thys leane vnto fayth neyther know we whether they heare vs or vnderstand what thinges are done among vs. And we must take bede that when we honour Princes and fall downe before them we desire not any thing of them through flattery which lieth not in their power to geue vs as is to aske eternall life spirituall giftes conseruacion of life and such like But of a king let vs desire the helpe belonging to a king of learned and wise men to communicate theyr doctryne of rich mē to deale somwhat of their goods These ar the circumstances which we must vse And to speke briefely this worshipping of god which is to serue in spirite is reduced vnto fower principal points which are adoracion To what principall poynt the worshipping and adoracion of god must be reduced trust inuocation and geuinge of thankes Adoracion is an humble and religious submission whereby we vtterly submitte our selues vnto God and that in al thinges Trust is wherby we rest in him considering the power wisedome and high goodnes wherewith he is adorned For whiche thinges we cleane vnto him neither do we thinke that he will forsake or frustrate vs. Inuocation is whereby we flye vnto God in al perils and aduersytyes as which know that he is euery where at hande and that accordinge to his promises he both can and will succor vs with his defence Geuing of thankes is wherebye we referre all good thinges vnto him as vnto the firste author These fower things are due vnto God onely neyther can they as we haue defined them be By what meanes the deuill hath darckened this worshipping of god ascribed to other creatures The Deuil hath with much deceat diligently traueled to obscure this kynd of worshipping when he perswaded the worlde that men might in deede principally worship one chief God and in the meane time adioyne vnto him a number of lesser Gods Whereby came to passe that that was deuided which God would haue most of all vnited and ioyned together so the Ethnikes were deceaued Farther in our times such certayne distributions and proper offices are so distributed vnto those which are numbred among the saintes that very oftentimes inuocation is made vnto them This moreouer God is worshipped with reuetence of the childe to the father is to be considered that that which Paule sayth To serue in spirite comprehendeth a fatherly reuerence that is of the children towarde the father and not a seruile feare wherewith the Ethnikes being perswaded hated the iudgement of God and would haue no God to be at al. Wherfore they haue alwayes applied theyr cogitations vnto fayned religions and they performed certayne outward woorkes whereby they thought themselues ful of all pietie and yet in the meane time they absteyned not frō witked actes But godly mē forasmuch as they serue him in spirit are careful that they faine not vnto thēselues a God after theyr owne fansy but do embrace him euen as it hath pleased him to declare himselfe in the woorde of the scriptures And when they see that
in this life but the crosse persecutions and all aduersities moreouer they were commaunded to leade a straite lyfe to put away pleasures to dispise the world and to mortefy wicked affections All which thinges do rather withdraw men from any religion then allure them vnto it For God is my vvitnes After that he hath shewed how he gaue thankes unto God for them he addeth the perpetuall memory that he maketh of them in his dayly prayers And all these thinges tend to this ende that they should perceaue that Paule loued them For these thinges neither are found nor can be found without beneuolence and a singular charity Neither affirmeth he these thinges simply but ioyneth vnto them an othe For his chiefe care was that they should geue credite vnto him whom I serue in my sprite By spirite he vnderstandeth a mynde inspired What the spirite signifieth with the holy ghost And Ambrose when he interpreteth this place sayth that the spirit is the minde wherewith we ought chiefly to worship God For he is a spirite and therefore it is meete that he be serued inspirite The false Apostles accused Paule as a forsaker of the law an Apostata from Moses Wherfore the crime of impiety was layd to his charge which should excedingly haue alienated the mindes of the Romanes from him if they coulde haue bene so perswaded Therefore he purgeth himselfe that althoughe he worshipped not Why Paul so often putgeth himselfe A place to Timothe expounded God with the ceremonyes of Moses and rites of the law yet neuertheles he serued him in spirite Which thing he testified also vnto Timothe when he wrote that he had from his progenitors worshipped God with a pure conscience By which words we must not thinke that he excuseth his sinne and persecution agaynst the Sainctes but only sheweth this that it was not agaynst his conscience as some which by reason of weakenes suffer not those things to take place which by a sound iudgement of the conscience they know to be vpright Paule fell of ignoraunce which without doubt was sinne but not of that kinde that it should be sayd that he did agaynst that which he thought in his mynde But that which he sayth here that he serueh God in spirite Christ expressed when he spake vnto the woman of Samaria sayinge of the true worshippers that they should worship in spirite and in truth And that was spoken to this ende to The true worshippers worship in spirite and in truth expres that one day it should come to passe that the describing of any certayne place wherein God should be worshipped should be taken awaye and the ceremonies of the Iewes should be abolished so that to worship in spirite may be referred vnto the place and ceremonies of the lawe and that which is added and in truth declareth the thinge it selfe excluding shadowes whiche were setforth in the olde Testament These did in deede helpe the fathers in theyr tyme because they had the worde of God ioyned with them which might be cōprehended in them by fayth Wherefore God blessed them so that if fayth were present they were in their tyme very profitable but when Christ came they ought to geue place But as touching rites inuented by men we can not in like maner say that they much profited bycause they had not the worde of God Therfore they are worthely to be extingueshed and put away excepte some of them as touching outward pollicy may be iudged profitable We serue in spirite when no part of our flesh is any more circumcised but the mynde and vices beastes are not slayne but we crucify our owne fleshe with the lustes there of Which selfe same worshipping in spirite Paul in an other place expressed when he sayde I desyre you throughe the mercye of God that ye geue your bodyes a lyuely sacryfyce holy and acceptable vnto God and that your woorshyppynge be reasonable He vseth this verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence they saye is deriued this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth that worshipping which is dew vnto God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Augustin◠only whereby we vtterly addicte our selues vnto him neither can it as Augustine testefieth in his 5. booke De ciuitate Dei the first chapter be expressed by one word of the Lattins For pietas that is piety or godlines is not only towardes God but also towards our parents and country Also Religio that is religion is not drawen onelye to holye thinges but also belongeth to that duety which we owe vnto kinsefolkes and humane affinityes But in the meane Augustines distinction betwene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 while he iudgeth that by the Greke wordes diuers thinges are in thys thyng distincted so that this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the worshipping which is geuen vnto God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the worship whiche is geuen vnto Princes and magistrates As touchinge the thing we easely graunt that there is a difference For we worship God after one sorte and we honour Princes after an other manner Chrisostome in hys 33. homelye vpon Iohn sayth that it longeth vnto the Chrysostome The body of Christ created A similitude The reason why the worship of Christ depēdeth of his deuinity creature to worshippe and vnto the creator to be worshipped And he obiecteth vnto him selfe why doo we woorship Christe a man when as he hath in verye deede a body created He answereth No man when he would reuerence a king sayth vnto hym Put of thy purple garments and laye away the crowne and other ornamēts for I wil worship thee naked he dareth not speake these words but honoreth hym beinge both clothed which purple adorned wyth a crown So we when we worship Christ do not put away his humanity from hys deuyne nature but worship it together with it But the reason whereon adoracion dependeth is hys deuinity But as touching the Greeke wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is al 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as touching the Greeke words signity one and the selfe same thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to to serue for a reward Augustine one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For as Suidas testifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But afterward it was vsed to signifye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 y◠is godly to worship And he addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a hired bondage And this signification is manifestly had in xeniphon in his 3. booke of the education of Cirus where the husband speaketh thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Vndoubtedly O Cirus I will spende euen my life rather then she should be brought to bondage Then the wife answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yea and we reade in the holy scriptures that in Leuiticus it is sayd you shall not do any seruile worke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in
men not yet regenerate First they are free froÌ„ the seruitude of coÌ„pulsion Farther in morall and ciuill workes they are able to do many thinge by their free wil Finally euen amongst sinnes they haue some choyce and somtymes imbrace this sinne and somtymes that sinne as their will serueth them But yet are they not so frée that they do those things which please God They are also will they or nill they obnoxious vnto the miseries and calamities of this life Now resteth to Of the liberty of men regenerate speake of the libertie of men regenerate Which besides that it is not lesse then that which we haue sayd is in wicked men yet in this pointe it goeth beyond it that it can attaine to good works which are acceptable vnto God For who knoweth The godlye may reach vnto those workes which plese God not but that that worke of Abraham wherin he was redy to sacrifice his sonne was most acceptable vnto God For therfore was he highly commended euen by God himselfe Paul to the Phil. calleth their almes sacrifices hauyng a good sauor And vnto the Hebrues we are taught that God wonderfully delighteth in such sacrifices And hereof it commeth that Paul admonisheth the Phil. with feare and with tremblyng to worke their owne saluation But what nede we any other testimonies when as the iudge himself in the last day shall reckeÌ„ vp the good works The regenerate haue liberty by the benefite of God and not by theyr owne merites We are in the first impulsioÌ„ of the holy Ghost onely suffrers After regeneration we worke together with the holy ghost Definition of sinne which godly men haue bestowed vppon the members of Christ Wherfore seing men regenerate are good trées it is agreable that they both can and do bring forth good fruites Although they which are so regenerate ought neuer to forget yâ— they haue not obteined this libertie by their owne merites but by the benefite of God For he hath made them a new and in stede of a stony hart hath geuen vnto them a fleshy hart Finally it came not of themselues but of the heauenly father that they should be drawen vnto Christ For vnles they had bene by God the heauenly father with great efficacy persuaded inwardly in the minde they would no lesse haue fled from Christ then other men Wherfore in that first change or impression of the holy ghost our minde only suffreth as they vâ—e to speake B 〈…〉 after yâ— we are once persuaded changed we are so restored the we are able to worke together with the holy ghost grace And in what sorte this restoring of frée will is is â—o be coÌ„sidered by two principall pointes out of which we at the beginning when we described the nature of will declared commeth whatsoeuer error and whatsoeuer sinne is in election or choice namely for that when we deliberate touchyng any matter either we are vtterly ignoraunt what is iust and what is vniust or els for that though we sée what is iust or vniust yet lust and perturbation entermingleth it selfe which by their great force cause vs to preferre the weaker reasons before sure and firme reasons Wherfore the knowledge of that which is vpright cannot take place For the violence of the affections and the whole bent of yâ— minde is fixed vpon those reasons which serue for pleasures and lust And the stroÌ„ger and honester arguments are not considered and therfore they burst not forth By the benefite of regeneration both the vnderstanding and also the appetite is hâ—lpâ—n into effect But by the benefite of regeneration both these discommodities are holpen For as touching the first the light of fayth is present which by adding yâ— rule of the law of God manifestly in yâ— practising of things vnderstandeth what things are iust and vniust Farther although all prauity or corruption of the affections be not vtterly taken away yet by the power of the holy ghost is it so broken weakned that it is not able to hinder the vpright election or choise as it was before able Howbeit for that this lust so long as we liue here can not vtterly be coÌ„sumed The libertye also of the godly is vnperfecte therof it coÌ„meth yâ— this libertie to do such things which please God which is geueÌ„ vnto the godly is not perfect or absolute but weake mayned is in that sort set forth in the holy scriptures For holy men are by many wayes excedingly letted yâ— they can not as they would and as the law requireth exercise these works which are acceptable vnto God For alwayes they fele a law in their members which resisteth the law of the minde and will they or nill they they are led away captiues into the law of sin For as vnto the Galathians it is written The flesh so lusteth agaynst the spirite that they do not the thinges which they would And we haue heard We are not by the imperâ—ection of our liberty leteâ— but that we worke together with God The regenerate are called the meÌ„ of God and not simple or â—aremen Paul complain that he did not that good which he earnestly desired but rather that euill which he hated Godly men in mind in dede serue the law of God but in flesh the law of sinne In whom yet this is a notable gift of God that they excedingly bewaile and lament these impediments so that although they doubt not but that they haue the first fruites of the spirit yet they grone and feruently desire a perfect restoring There happen moreouer vnto them daily falles which admonish vs how weake this our liberty is Wherfore Iohn saith If we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. Iames also saith We all offende in manye thinges And the Lord bath taught vs in our daily prayer to cry vnto the Father Forgeue vnto vs our trespasses Howbeit we are not by this imperfection of liberty letted but that we woorke together with God and frame our selues as apte instruments vnto the holy ghost Wherfore Paul admonished Timothie to stirre vp the grace which he had in hym And in the first epistle to the Corrinthians he admonisheth them to apply theÌ„selues to the frée gifts of God and that to the more excellenter as though their diligence were required to be able to vse rather this gyft of the spirite then that But those which are sayd to haue these things are not simple and bare men but forasmuch as they haue the grace and spirite of God they are now called the men of God And bicause they are the men of God they are also called perfect and instructed vnto euery good worke Wherfore we confesse that men regenerate in Christ haue all that liberty which we graunt vnto the vngodly and moreouer they are also able to do workes which are acceptable vnto God although they be not frée neither from sinne nor froÌ„ the calamities and
it should not desperation would easely succede For euen as the lawe ought alwayes to be ioyned with the Gospell so also ought feare to be euer ioyned with faith We do not so embrace the Gospel but that we alwayes thinke vpon the obedience of the commaundementes of God And when we see how often and how greeuously we fall we call our selues backe agayne to repentance And contrariwise the lawe is not to be receaued without the Gospell for if it should we could neither obey it without Christ nor also obtayne pardon for the offences which we haue committed against Paul calleth vs back from that feare which wanteth faith The propriety of the giftes of the holy ghost How many the giftes of the holy ghost are it Wherefore Paul calleth vs not backe vtterly from all feare of God but from that feare only which wanteth faith and which flieth from God as from an enemy and from a cruell tyranne But that feare which hath faith to moderate it can not be reproued For it is the gift of the holy ghost as we rede in the xi chapter of Esay And the property of the giftes of the holy ghost is that by them we remitte all our vertues and affectes to the moderation of faith and make them to serue God truly and sincerely And these giftes are commonly counted to be seuen And if a man demaunde how they proue that straight way they cite the 11. chapter of Esay But if we examine that place by the Hebrew verity we shall finde there only sixe giftes namely the spirite of wisdom of vnderstanding of counsell of fortitude of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord. But these men were deceaued by the lattine translation which followed not the Hebrew verity but the 70. interpreters For they betweene the spirite of knowledge and of feare haue put the spirite of piety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is pertaining to the obedience of God Whereby it seemeth that they ment to interpretate what y◠feare of God should be which should light vpon the Messias of whome is in that place mencion made For that feare was neither seruile What manner of feare was in Christ nor filial but only an obedience piety and reuerence towardes God his father Neither haue the 70. only once so interpreted the feare of God For in the booke of Iob where we rede Fearinge God they haue turned it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Obeying God Howbeit vndoubtedly we ought not to contract into so narrow a number the giftes of the holy ghost to thinke them to be only sixe or seuen The nomber of the giftes of the holy Ghost◠is great For besides all those which are reckoned in that chapter the same Esay in an other place reckoneth the spirite of iudgement and of zeale and Zachary maketh mencion of the spirit of righteousnes and Paul here of the spirite of sanctification and Iohn of the spirite of truth Paul againe in an other place of the spirite of adoption and to the Ephesians of the spirite of promise and a greate many other like giftes And this so being let vs now see how both in this life and in the other life feare may haue place The Saintes when they are in heauen What manner of feare can be in those which are deade for that they shal then haue perfect charity properly to speake of feare as it is a motion stirred vp by reason of some greeuous euil that hangeth ouer vs shall haue no feare This doth Augustine confesse vpon the 5. Psalme vpon these wordes I will worship towardes thyne holy temple in thy feare But in them can only be that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 y◠is obedience reuerence worshipping piety towards God as the 70. haue expounded the spirite of the feare of the Lord. And so such a gift mought be found in Christ who otherwise coulde neither feare sinne nor hell fyre nor fatherly chastismentes of God And if a man would say that How Christ feared death he feared death that ought to be vnderstand of naturall feare of which we entreate not at this present And in this maner is Ambrose to be taken when in his booke of the holy ghost he affirmeth that the giftes of the holy ghost are in the Angels Out of which wordes the Scholemen gather that in them is the feare of God For doubtles seing they are in blessed state that can no otherwise be vnderstand but after that maner that I haue now spoken of But touching The saints so long as they liue here can not want the filiall feare the godly in this life we must thus be perswaded to thinke that they can not want the filial feare so that that feare be as I haue before tought in such sort vnderstand that they do not only flye from offending of God and are aferd of falles against his will but also are moued with the feare of hell fire and of the wrath of God and of punishmentes vnto which feare yet a quiet faith and confidence Threatninges in the law are not vaine but profite the saintes also in the mercy of God are as a present comfort For we ought not to thinke that the threatninges in the holy scriptures are vayne for they are profitable also vnto the godly especially when they haue not as yet obtayned perfect charity and absolute regeneration Christ saith vnto the Apostles I wyll shewe you whome ye shall feare namely him which when he hath killed the body can also send the soule into hell fire And Paul to the Corrinthyans bringeth forth examples of the Hebrewes in the olde tyme whereby he declareth that they for abusing the sacramentes of God were destroyed in the desert by which examples he ment to admonishe the Corrinthyans to beware of the like vengeance Many saith he are weake and many slepe And if we would iudge our selues we should not vndoubtedly be iudged But now forasmuch as we are iudged we are corrected of the Lord that we should not be condemned with this world And vnto the Phillippians With feare and with trembling worke your saluation And vnto the Romanes Be not ouer wise but feare Hereby we see that godly men liue not vpō the earth without the feare of God And here feare hath a respect vnto many kindes of euils For the godly are afeard of sinne of often fallinges of the wrath of God of fatherly chastismentes of scourges which God inflicteth also vpō his whē they sinne and finally of hell fire which they sée they haue deserued vnles God by his mercy and Christ by his sacrifice which he offred vpon the Crosse should helpe and succour vs. But what meaneth it that Iohn saith Perfect charity casteth out feare ▪ A place of Iohn declared I know there are some which interpretate those wordes in this sence That they which loue God truly are not afeard for piety sake to put themselues in al maner of dangers neither do
vn to god which was promised yet neuertheles he beleued This is to geue glory vnto God to thinke that he both is able and knoweth and also will performe all those thinges which he promiseth Neyther gaue they thankes They do pecfectly geue thankes which when they vnderstand that they haue receaued of God all the good thinges which they haue do geue thākes vnto him for the same But this did not the Philosophers forasmuch as they did not thinke that all thinges depended of God For they The Philosophers did not perfectly geue thankes vnto god referred many thinges to chance and to fortune that is to the concourse of causes which they supposed to be most frequēt in this our lower region which is vnder the Moone Further they affirmed that many things happened vnto vs through the necessity of the matter And so forasmuch as they excluded very many thinges from the prouidence of God they became very colde in geuing him thankes But waxed vayne in their imaginations In Gréeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Erasmus sayth they were frustrated For when by theyr imagination they thought to haue obteyned the name of excellent learning and wisedome they wonderfully vttred their owne foolishnes And to be frustrate What it is to be frustrated what called vayne is nothing els then when we hope for some good thyng to come vnto vs and the same falleth far otherwise then we thought for Although we myght say as Aristotle writeth the that is vayn which is not brought to the ende appoynted And experience teacheth by these men that so it happened vnto naturall wisdome For therfore was it reueled that when they knew God they shoulde haue had hym in reuerence and honour But forasmuch as they bended not that way it became vayne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is turned into English imaginatiōs or cogitations are reasonynges or disputations which are done wyth great pesing and depe iudgement Wherfore the Philosophers are reproued bicause they abode not in those thinges which they naturally knew of God but declined from it through their disputations and witty collections For on the one side the creatures taught thē that the one God which they knew ought to be honored of thē wyth a singuler feruentnes and purenes And on the other syde fleshly lustes entising pleasures vrged them whiche oughte vtterly to haue bene excluded in that true and lawfull worshipping of God But these witty men inuented how The Philosophers sought two thinges in the worshippyng of god to knit them both together For they brought in a worshippyng of God but yet such as consisted of gold siluer gorgeous sacrifices dainty banquets playes spectacles or goodly straunge sightes and such lyke thynges whiche ministred vnto their flesh the pleasures therof so that wyth one and the selfe same worke they both worshipped God and also delighted the sences And in summe they fayned that goodnes which Augustine agaynst Iulianus calleth Scylleum bonum Scylleum bonum because it consisted partly of a man and partly of a beast Wherfore we ought diligently to watch agaynst these fond imaginations for that they engender so great daunger For in the latter epistle to the Corrinthians Paule writeth For the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to cast downe stronge holdes Wherfore we ouerthrowyng such depe reasonings and euery high thing we must ligentlye watche against our imaginations that exalteth it selfe agaynst the knowledge of God oughte to be content wyth that manifestation wherby God declareth himselfe vnto vs. For as often as we patche any thing of our owne reason to the worde of God so often we bring forth errors Neyther do these thynges whiche Paule now reproueth serue any lesse for these our tymes then did they for the idolatry of those tymes For Christ This is applied to our tyme. Of the abuse of the supper of the Lord. instituted the Lordes supper that the death of the Lorde should there be had in remembraunce and the communicantes should be pertakers of the fruite therof and be ioyned vnto Christ and be alwayes coupled together among themselues wyth a greater amitie and mortefie the wycked lustes and through that heauenly meate more and more practise a new lyfe This is the worshipping which in thys sacrament God requireth of his Wherewyth men not beyng content eyther because it was a thyng hard to be done or els because they would euermore adde theyr owne inuentions to thynges pertaynyng vnto God haue inuented outward ornaments vestmentes golde siluer precious stones waxe tapers belles and infinite ceremonies therby to set forth thys sacrament And would haue men to stand by at theyr Masse and to be onely gasers on harkeners which should in the meane tyme mumble vp theyr prayers and after thys sorte they would be counted very vprightly to haue done their dueties in these deuyne mysteries so that by such humane deuises the true and lawfull vse of the institution of Christ is in a maner abolished This is the profite that commeth of humaine inuentions So madde and foolishe becommeth the hart that it preferreth lyght and friuolous thynges before thynges necessary and sound ▪ And when they counted themselues vvise they became fooles They had a wonderfull pleasure in themselues by reason of theyr owne inuentions And they which aboue others professed wisedome by the iust iudgement of God became fooles They disdayned to contayne themselues wythin the bondes of that wisedome and knowledge which God had reueled vnto them by his creatures whereby they were called to worship God and did rather geue place to theyr owne imaginations then to the doctrine which they had receyued They delighted in their owne sharpe wittes counted it for a great prayse that they had found out the reason how to set forthe before the eyes of the common people the worshippyng of God by images glorious idols Which could neuer haue bene brought to passe wythout such reasons whiche had great lykelihoode An excuse of idolatrers of truth When they were reproued they excused theyr acte wyth this pretence that they counted not those thinges to be gods which they worshipped but that they vsed such helpes wherby they might the easelier come to the true God And they obiected a similitude taken of a ciuile custome for that men haue not free accesse vnto Kynges and Emperours but by Erles and vnder officers But of how much force thys reason is Ambrose vpon thys place declareth For thus he writeth Men throughe shame vse accustomably euery where thys miserable excuse why they neglect to come vnto God saying that by them we go vnto God as by noble men we come vnto a kinge Well saide is there any man so madde or so vnmindfull of his health to geue vnto a noble mā the honor due vnto the king only For that if any in such sorte behaue themselues they are iustly condemned as gilty of treason And shall these
to inuent Images was nothyng ells then to light vp Candles and Torches in the Sunne Thys The deuise of the deuill concerning idolatry thyng the deuill chieflye laboured for that the power of God might be bound vnto certayne places that men myghte there onely praye vnto God and there receaue great holynes and lastly there to make an end of theyr godlines as though out of those places they might liue as they luste them selues as we sée now the vse is in receauing of the Supper of the Lorde There onely mē thinke that all good thynges are to bée poured out towardes God vnto it they prostrate them selues there they knocke their brestes there they make inuocation there shewe they forth what soeuer pietie they haue All other thynges in comparison of it are a playe and of no waight Thys is worthye to bée noted that Paule doth here so sharply reproue these men which yet sayd that they worshipped not those Images but by them honoured the one onely God and the Scriptures do euery where reprehend them for that they worshipped the workes of theyr owne handes By which wordes an vpright iudgement may gather that these vulgare and common excuses are not to bee admitted Yea and Augustine also in hys 6. Sermon in the 10. tome after thys sorte conuinceth the Ethnickes that they tooke theyr Idole for a God because vnto it they builded altars For saith he that A vaine excuse or defence of the Ethnikes for Images they haue a God and doe worship that Idole for a God the altar doth testifie What maketh the altar there if that it bee not counted for a God Let no man say vnto me it is not a God I haue already answered that matter I would to God they knew this thyng so well as we know it But both what they haue and also for what thing they haue it the altar doth testifie Thys place of Paule taketh away all excuse from Idolatrers They These thinges pertayne vnto them which worship images in the Papacy An oration of Symmachus wer no lesse wittie to defend their Idolatries then are our men at this day to defend the worshipping of Sainctes Which thyng he that beleueth not let hym read the 30. Epistle of Ambrose which contayneth the oration of Symmachus wherin in the name of the people of Rome and of the Senate he desired of the Emperours Valentinian Theodosius and Arcadius that the worshipping of the Gods myghte bée restored Symmachus denyeth not in that place but that God is euery wherebut yet he sayth that it is much better to haue some certain places appoynted for religion And he would haue the secretes of the deuine nature to bée secluded from the people vnto which diuerse nations aspyre not by one and the selfe same meanes for that all are not of one disposition Hée boasteth muche of miracles namelye that by these Gods Rome was defended from Hannihall and from the Senons and lastly that it had subdued the whole worlde vnder her gouernment but since they were neglected greuous calamities haue happened vnto the publicke wealth He contendeth that there is but one God onely vnto whom all men haue a regarde and doe come vnto hym by sundrye wayes Wherfore in the conclusion he requireth that the Emperours would bée so good to suffer euery nation to haue hys owne religion But what Ambrose aūswereth to these thinges here is now no méete place to declare They whiche are desirous thereof may easilie read it in hys 31. Epistle Wherefore God gaue them vp to vncleanes through the lustes of their owne harts to defile their owne bodies amōg themselues which chaunged his truth for a lye and worshipped and serued the thinges that be made more then him that made them which is to be praysed for euer Amen VVherefore God deliuered them vp Now is described the punishement The punishment wherewith Eod tooke vengeance vpon idolatry wherewith God tooke vengeance vpon the haynous sinne of idolatry Whiche he therefore so greuously punished for that he will haue his owne glory alwayes reserued vnto himselfe By Esay the prophete he sayth My glory will I not geue vnto an other And forasmuch as he hath spoused vnto himselfe the faythful as a spouse and chast virgin he can not abide that they should be defiled with the adulterous worshipping of Idols In the law he calleth himself a gelious God for that he will not suffer this dishonour Further greate was the anger wherwith he was incensed because these wicked actes were done by thē of whom they were least of all to be looked for that is of the learneder sort which farre excelled others in wisdome as it is reported the Egiptians did For as this nation was counted the mother of sciences so also was it a most aboundant As the Egiptians were moste excellent in lerning so were they the greatest idolatrers Chrisostom of Plato Socrates Astronomers fountayne of idolatry There not only men were worshipped but also Oxen Crocodiles Leekes Oynions Cattes and many more such like thinges And as Chrisostome thinketh Plato for that by much traueling he had attayned vnto their doctrine had a great pleasure in himselfe And Chrisostome reproueth Socrates the scholemaster of Plato because when he was at the poynt of death he desired his friendes to pay vnto Aesculapius a Cocke which he remembred he owed him Astronomers which aboue others boast themselues as touching the knowledge of celestiall thinges haue transferred into heauen a Beare two twynes a Bull a Crowne an Egle a Scorpion a Snake and such like monstrous thinges and to the starres which are the excellent workes of God they faynedly adioyne these theyr madde dreames and do after a sort attribute vnto them the gouernment of the world This thing hath the deuill procured that men should become subiect vnto those thinges ouer whiche they ought to be Lordes and rulers So man which was made to be lifted vp into heauen neglecting himselfe hath to his power lifted vp to the same place brutishe and vnreasonable beastes Further the Poetes which aboue other men were had in admiration did they not fayne what they lusted themselues of the Gods Of The sondry iudgemente of Plato touching Poets their deuise and opinion Plato which is counted the most graue amongst the Philosophers speaketh doubtfully In his bookes De Repub he iudgeth them worthy vtterly to be banished out of the city because they spake so vnreuerently of the Gods And yet in an other place he commaundeth that when they entreate of thinges deuine we shoulde geue credite vnto them because they declare such thinges not of themselues but by heauenly inspiration If a man Why Idolatrers worshipped Crocodiles and Serpentes would demaund of them why so wise mē worshipped eyther Crocodles or serpentes paraduenture they would haue aunswered that they in them wondred at the most mighty power whereby they do hurt men and that in them is expressed the auenging wrath of God
forasmuch as it behoued that these men should in such sort be reproued that they should not be able to deny their filthines which thyng peraduenture had bene hard to be done if he had layd before them faultes not very greuous it was necessarye that he should most openly reproue those crimes which euery man cōfessed to be most filthy On the other syde some reuerence was to be had vnto the readers hearers Wherfore he did with a wonderful prudence order his wordes For in makyng mention of nature he reproueth them for that they were not content with the vse of nature but by their filthy lust cōmitted violēce against their own nature He vseth also some sharpenes of wordes when he sayth that they burnt defiled theyr bodies wyth contumelies dishonour that they fell into vncleannes and vnpurenes All these thinges haue a wonderfull strength to moue the hartes of the readers Ambrose demaundeth howe these thynges shoulde be counted a punishment which were vnto them great pleasures when as contrariwise this semeth to be the nature of punishmentes to be displeasaunt and to be vrged vpon men euen by compulsion and against theyr willes He answereth that this is to be ascribed vnto the goodnes of God whiche woulde not punishe these men more greuously But this semeth not to make much to Paules purpose For that he by the bitternes of the punishment ment to increase the greuousnes of the sinne Wherfore Chrisostomes iudgement herein fitteth better for he sayth that it is the greatest euill that can be when a man reioyceth in hys owne hurtes For if a man when he is sick◠fele great griefe and payne the phisitions dispayre not of hym But when he commeth once to that poynte that he It is a most greeuous euill for a man to reioyce in his owne hurtes feleth no payne nor griefe then is he in a maner past all hope of recouerye And madde folkes whē they teare themselues and fare full ill wyth themselnes are glad in so doyng miserably reioyce when they eate dongue stones or coales or beray themselues with dirt or filthy thinges And yet doth not theyr myrthe make the calamity any thing the easier So lykewyse are these men no lesse punished wyth thys deformity of sinne notwythstandyng they seme to delyght themselues therin Paule coulde vndoubtedly haue vpbrayded vnto them othervices But those had not bene so full of shame nor so apte to declare the calamity of the vnbeleuers Which haue chaunged his truth for a lye and worshipped and serued the thinges that be created aboue the Creator whiche is to be praysed for euer Amen VVhiche haue chaunged his truth for a lye He agayne repeteth that the Why Idols are called a lye cause of so greate a punishmente was idolatrye By truth he meaneth the selfe same thynge whiche before he noted by glorye And he calleth idols a lye Because they wente aboute to take awaye from woode and stones that whiche they were for that they no more counted them woode nor stones And attributed vnto them that which they were not deuine powers I say and the nature of God And whē he sayth of God which is to be praysed for euer He endeth his sentence with an excellent acclamation which selfe thing he doth also when he writeth of Christ in the 9. chap. that he is God aboue all thinges to be praysed for euer Amen Wherefore seyng he pronounceth one and the selfe same thing both of the father and also of the sonne he manifestly declareth that the sonne is equall wyth the father And Chrisostome affirmeth that this particle was therfore added to the end we should vnderstand that the enterprise of these men had no good successe For although they assaied to robbe God of his glory and to change hys truth yet would they or would they not he remayneth God to be praysed for euer Amen Neyther did he therfore in suche sort take vengeaunce vpon them to deliuer them vp into a reprobate sence as though he could not otherwise cast them from hym Their impiety was no let or hurt vnto him they were their owne destruction But because the Ethenikes are accused for the worshippyng of images it shall not be from the purpose somewhat to speake briefely as touchyng images First we will speake of them whiche go about to resemble God by images afterward we will touche somewhat of the Images of thinges which are corporall and then whither they may be had in temples in holy places lastly whether there may be any good vse of them at all And as God ought not to be expressed by any Images touchyng the first there is an expresse commaūdement in Deut. that God should not be portured by any images And hereof he geueth a reason because when he spake vnto them in Horeb the people sawe there no image The Prophetes also haue very often inculcated thys thyng and especially Esay from the 40. cha vnto the 45. entreateth in a maner of nothyng els And Paule in the actes of the Apostles when he preached to the men of Athenes sayde that men are of the generation of God but the nature of God hath no similitude with stones golde or siluer Farther seyng no man hath sene God at any tyme how shall any mā attempt to make his lykenes He is infinite and can be comprehended in mynd and much lesse in sence Wherfore they which either painte or make his picture do dishonour hys nature as though it can be limited with lynes coulors And in the olde law the mercy seat in the middle part which resembled the seat of God was empty to the ende occasion should not be geuen of making the nature of God in formes and images For the representing of him by an image sprang first of infidelitie because the reason of men could not perswade it selfe The Images of God sprange of infidelitie An example of the Hebrewes An obiection touching the discriptions of the Prophets that God was present vnlesse it were manifest by some signe or image Which thinge the Hebrewes plainly declared when in the wildernes they sayde vnto Aaron Make vnto vs Gods which may go before vs. But they obiect agaynst vs That forasmuch as God is oftentymes diuersly described in the Prophetes why in such sort may he not also be paynted Especially seyng scripture or writyng differeth very little from paintyng Esay saith that he saw the Lord sittyng vpon an hygh seat and exalted c. How commeth it then to passe that the paynter may not set forth God in forme of a iudge or king He is described in Daniell the 7. chap like an olde aged man of person vnto whome the sonne of man was brought What offence then shall it be for the paynter if he only by loues and colours shadowe that which the Prophete expresseth by woordes and writinges In dede this argument semeth to haue a goodly shew but it concludeth not that which it intendeth For where
Wherefore besides the holy Scriptures there is nothing that shoulde be beleued For it can not be constant and firme And whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne For if the conscience doo not by fayth beleue that that which we doo pleaseth God or also if it suspect that it is not acceptable before him and yet in the meane time we do the selfe same thing vndoubtedly that which we do is sinne And so doth Basilius in his Moralls the 80. sum in a maner towards the end of the boke interpretate that place which we haue alleadged Wherfore we ought not ether to add any thing vnto the word of God or to take any thynge from it as in which only are contained the promises Otherwise both our faith and our cōscience should haue no certainty whervnto to lean And this certainty Two principal points whereupon dependeth the certainty of the promises wherof we speake dependeth of two principal pointes Of which the fyrst is that it be plaine by the word of God then which can nothing be more firme or constant But some man will say God by the prophet Ionas sayd it should come to passe that the city of Niniue shoulde be destroyed and that after 40. dayes And by Esay the Prophet he shewed vnto Ezechias the king that he should dye which thinges yet came not to passe as they were fortold Yea also the lord him selfe in Ieremy the 18. chapter thus speaketh If I shall speake of any kingdome or nation to roote it out and to destroye it and they in the meane time repent them I also will repent me And on the other seede if I shall speake to plante and to build any kingdome or nation and they in the meane tyme behaue themselues wickedly I will not performe these thinges which I haue spokē But we answeare that the promise whereof Paul here Paule speaketh not of such a promise as is annexed with a condition That which consisteth freely is not conditionally speaketh dependeth not of any condition as doo a greate many promises of the law vnto which pertayne these threatnings which are now alledged yea the Apostle himselfe sufficiently expresseth of what kind of promises he speaketh whē he sayth By fayth that it should be of grace For if it consist frealy thē hangeth it not of any condition or supposition and by this means the promise can in no case be made frustrate This may the easier be vnderstand by a similitude If a phisition should by taking of any medicine promise health but yet vpon this condition that he would haue for his paynes infinite summes of money that the A similitude sicke persō should obserue a very hard diet a poore man mought easely answere that that promise of health is vayne both for that he hath not the money to pay and also for that being weake he is not able to obserue the diet which is prescribed him But contrariwyse if a man promise a medicine which he will geue freely nether requireth any worke of the sicke person but only that he woulde drinke or some other way receaue his medicine this promise is easely made firme So vndoubtedly standeth the case here the promise is offred vnto vs and that freely For only is of vs required that by fayth we receaue it And this is the first principall poynte whereupon dependeth the certaynty of the promise namely for that the promise consisteth of the word of God and is offred freely The other principall poynt is the nature of fayth For fayth is an Fayth is not an vncertayne or doubtfull assent Of the certainety of saluation We must not doubt of perseuerance The testimony of the spirite is firme assent not vncertayne or doubtfull but fixed and constant as the Apostle wyll afterward more at large declare when he discourseth the example of Abraham By these two principall poyntes it is manifest how wickedly they deale which teach mē continually to doubt of the promise of saluation For if as the holy scriptures teach vs we ought to hope and such is the nature of hope not to confound we may manifestly inferre that we ought not to doubt of our saluation There are which pretend that their doubt hereof springeth for that they are vncertayne whether they shall perseuer vnto the ende or no. But these men should consider that we ought alwayes to pray for perseuerance For as saith Ciprian whome also Augustine followeth In all the thinges which we aske in the Lordes prayer is included perseuerance And as Iames teacheth we must aske without doubting Wherefore it is manifest that we must by no meanes doubt of preseuerance and especially seing we haue in our harts the holy ghost alwayes They which beleue that their sinnes are a let vnto the promes are easely driuen into desperation They which are not sure of theyr saluation can nether haue peace nor tranquility of consciēce What thinges are to be taken heede of as touching certainty of saluation Sinne that wasteth the conscience We are neuer so assured but that there ariseth some doubt These thinges are not repugnant in a man to be certaine yet somewhat to doubt bearing an excellent testemony vnto vs thereof For as Paul sayth in this epistle It is the spirite which beareth witnes vnto our spirite that we are the sonnes of God And he which hath not the spirite of Christe is not hys And Paul writeth of himselfe that he is sure that nether life nor death nor principalities nor powers can plucke hym from the loue of God namely from that loue wherewith God loued him But that is friuoulous which some alleadge namely that Paul speaketh these thinges of himselfe only and that by a certayne peculiar and assured reuelation For when we come to that place we will declare that those thinges pertayne to all men vniuersally Other say that sinnes feare vs away from the assured confidence of our saluation But so long as we are in this life we can not be without sinnes For Iohn sayth If we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues and the truth is not in vs. Wherefore so to teach is nothing els but to driue men to desperation Finally forasmuch as Paul saith that we being iustified freely haue peace towardes God it manifestly declareth that the faythfull are certayn of theyr saluation otherwise there can be no tranquillity peace in the conscience Howbeit there are certayne thinges to be taken hede of that we be not dangerously deceaued in this certaynty For first we ought to know◠that it springeth not of any righteousnes which is in our mindes and farther that they which are most assured do not for all that want trembling and feare but are sore afrayd of falles and of offending of God Neither can that certaynty which we speake of haue ioyned with it that kinde of sinne which as Augustine speaketh wasteth away the conscience And we must chiefely beware that this certaynly be not applied
of wickednes if we want Christ then must we nedes abhorre God and flye from hym as from an auenger and punisher of sinne And this is that hatred of the world which Christ hath shee l Where heÌ„ce commeth the hatred of the world againste the godly What peace here signifieth to be bent agaynst him and agaynst his when he sayd If the worlde hate me it will also hate you And of the Iewes he testefieth That they hated his father But now after that we be thus iustified we haue peace towardes God for that we are perswaded that he leaueth vs and herein consisteth our whole felicitye So Dauid did not without iust cause say that they are blessed whose iniquities are forgeuen and whose sinnes are couered And by the name of peace is here properly signified tranquility of conscience There are some which in stede of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is we haue rede 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Let vs haue peace As though Paul after that he had forth the doctrine of faith should now entreate of sincerenes of life and should stirre vp the Romanes to mutuall loue and beneuolence one towards an other And Origen semeth to leaue to this sentence But Chrisostome most manifestly leaneth thereunto for he bringeth two maner of expositions The one is that seing we are iustified by fayth there remayneth that contentions be put away and that men liue in peace one towardes an other And they say that therefore Paul spake this because there were some which contended that the law should be holden as necessary vnto saluation but Paul declareth that there is no such nede seing we are iustified by fayth The second exposition is that we should excercise charity and sinne not But this sentence can not stand sauing vpright the scope of this place and wordes of the Apostle For we sée that here by a briefe rehearsall is entreated of the conclusion which is inferred of those thinges which were before spoken Farther the peace which the Apostle speaketh of is not that peace which men haue one towardes an other For he playnly sayth towards God and those thinges which follow we sée are spoken by the indicatiue moode For he sayth By whome we haue accesse vnto this grace wherein we stande But Chrisostome hath herein also erred when he demandeth whether we can be without sinne wheÌ„ as we now haue iustification he maketh answere vnto himselfe that this is an easy matter Because sayth he it was a harder thing that we which were subiecte to so greeuous sinnes shoulde be deliuered from them then that when we are iustified wee shoulde beware of them For sayth he it is a muche greater matter to obtayne those thinges whiche wee haue not then to defende those thinges whyche he haue alreadye obtayned But wee haue before declared that that so long as we lyue here can not be hoped for namely vtterly to want sinne And if any man will contend that this may be done by the power of God we will not be agaynst him For God could adorne a man with so great grace that he should liue vtterly without sin But we speake according to the senteÌ„ce of the scriptures as the thing is indede and as experience teacheth vs alwayes to happen If we say Whether any man can here liue without sinne sayth Iohn we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues and the truth is not in vs. And Ierome agaynst the Pelagians derideth that power which nether is nor hath bene nor euer shall be put in execution Ambrose maketh on our side and manifestly interpreteth this place of the peace of the conscience which we haue towardes God Yea he herein compareth fayth and the law together and saith that fayth excelleth Fayth excelleth the law the law for that it maketh peace which the law could not do Although whether we write it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or whether by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is whether we reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is haue or may haue our expositioÌ„ hath place stil For the Apostle ether sayth that we now alredy haue that peace or els exhorteth vs to haue it and not any more as we were wont before to flye from God But the common receaued reading by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a great deale better He addeth That by Christ we haue accesse vnto grace wherein we stand If by Christ we haue accesse vnto God and vnto his grace then may we inferre of the contrary that without Christ we flye from God To what ende then shall we call vpon Saintes what other reconciliator haue we nede of if by Christ is geuen vnto vs accesse vnto God Because say they our complayntes are not brought vnto Emperors and kinges vnles we be brought in vnto them by Dukes Earles or Lordes But as we haue before declared out of Amhrose this is done because our Princes or men nether do they sée what is done abroade in the streates and in other mens houses Therefore towardes them we haue nede of many mediators Agaynst iâ—uocation of sayntes But God séeth all thinges there is nothing hidden from Christ Wherefore whatsoeuer is attributed vnto any other is taken away from his dignity and grace Others contend that we haue accesse vnto grace by sorrowes contritions teares satisfactions workes of truth But as touching fayth which Paul so oftentymes inculcateth they speake not a word And if a maÌ„ chance to vrge theÌ„ they answere yâ— in all things they vnderstand fayth And so in a thing most wayghty and which is the chiefe poynt of the whole matter they deale fraudulently and dalyenglye But we say with Paul that by Christ and fayth we haue accesse vnto the grace of reconciliation And as for repentance and workes of charity we say that they come as companions which alwayes follow true fayth Thou wilt demaund peraduenture what maner of peace grace that is which we haue when as God vseth gréeuously to punishe those sinnes which he hath alredy remitted and forgeuen vnto his For so we reade that he did to Dauid We answere that those tribulations which God inflicteth vpon the elect after that he hath forgeuen them The afflictâ—ons of the godly haue not the nature of punishments their sinnes if we will speake properly haue not the nature of punishments For they are rather fatherly corrections wherby the saints are the better admonished not to fall agayne into the like sinnes and the church is tought how sore God hateth sinne Wherefore in these punishmentes is not disturbed the peace of the elect nether do they sometymes fly from such scourges And this I speake of the spirite and not of the fleshe This thing only Dauid desireth that the Lord would not correct him in his furye or in his wrath He refused not to be fatherly cha 〈…〉 sed But The
we are so prouoked to sinne that none can flatter hymselfe of hys owne innocencye For who can boaste that he hath a chaste harte For as Iohn sayth If we saye we haue no sinne wee deceyue our selues and the truth is not in vs. Agayne Cyprianus in hys Epistle to Fidus teacheth that infants oughte to be baptised that they peâ—rishe not for euer Augustine also citeth the Bishop Reticius whose wordes we haue before rehearsed He citeth also Olympius a bishoppe of Spayne who saith That the sinne of the first man was so dispersed in the budde that sinne is borne together wyth man He also citeth Hilarius who writeth thus of the fleshe of Christ Therfore seyng he was sent in the similitude of sinnefull fleshe so had he also sin But because all flesh is of sinne namely of the sinne deryued froÌ„ the first parent Adam he was sent in the similitude of sinnefull flesh so that there was not in hym sinne but the similitude of sinnefull flesh The same father in an other place expounding the xviij Psalme vrgeth this sentence of Dauid Behold in iniquities was I conceiued and in sinnes hath my mother conceaued me Also in his Homilie vppon the booke of Iob he saith That the body is a matter of malice whiche can not be sayd to haue bene so from the first constitution And Ambrose vpon Luke saith that the body is a stinking puddle and an harbor of sinnes but by the benefite of Christ it is chaunged into the temple of God and made a holy place of vertues The same father against the Nouatians saith that our byrth is in sinne and in his apologie of Dauid he saith that before we are borne we are blotted wyth contagiousnes and before we haue the vse of lyght we receaue originall iniustice are conceaued in iniquity And of the Lord he saith It was mete that he which should not haue in his body the sinne of falling should fele no naturall contagiousnes of generation Wherefore worthely did Dauid be wayle in him selfe the corruptions of nature forth at that filthines begaÌ„ in maÌ„ first before life The same Ambrose of the Arke of Noah Whome then hath he now pronounced a iust man but hym which is free from these bondes whome doth the bondes of common nature not hold Also vpon the Gospel of Luke he sayth That the infants which are baptised are by the washinges of the healthfull ministery reformed from maliciousnes Ierome vpon Ionas the prophete sayth that litle infantes are subiect vnto the sinne of Adam And yâ— it should not be thought that he speaketh it only of guiltines vpon the 18. and 41. chap of Ezechiell he vrgethe that not euen a child which is but a day old is without sinne He vrgeth this also Who can make that cleane which is conceaued of vncleane sede Gregorius Nazianzenus saith The image of God shall pourge the spot of bodely inundacion afterward Haue in reuerence the natiuity whereby thou art deliuered froÌ„ the boÌ„des of thyne earthly natiuity And intreating of baptisme by thys sayth he the spotes of the first natiuity are purged by which we are conceaued in iniquities and our mothers hath in sinnes begotten vs. Augustine defeÌ„deth Basilius Magnus For the Pelagians Augustine defendeth Basile would haue him to seme to be one theyr side For he writeth against the Manichies that euill is not a substance but a conuersation which coÌ„meth only of the will which saying he vnderstode of those which haue gotten the infection of conuersation by their owne will which conuersation he sayth may easely be seperated from the will of them that be sicke For if it could not be seperated from it euil should be a substantiall part thereof All these thinges Augustine affirmeth to be vprightly spoken For the Manechies affirmed that euil is a certaine substance In opinion of the Manechies Euell may be seperated from vs thorougâ— the mercy of God The perfect seperation from euell is hoped for in the life to come and that that euill was the beginning of all thinges in the world But Basilius one the contrary side sayth that that euill is in a good thing and that it happened to be euill thorough the will of the man and woman which sinned But in that he sayth that it may easely be seperated from the will he ascribeth it not to our streÌ„gths but to the mercy of God And wheras he sayth that there shal be left no tokens therof that also doo we hope for but not in this life but in the life to come But that he acknowledged originall sinne his sermon concerning fast sufficiently testifieth For thus he sayth If Eue had fasted from the tree we should not now haue neded this fast For they that are whole haue no nede of a phisitioÌ„ but they that are sicke We haue bene sicke thorough that sinne let vs be healed by repentance But repentance without fasting is vaine By these wordes Basilius affirmeth that by reason of the sin of Adam we are not whole Moreouer he citeth the 12. Bishoppes of the East which condeÌ„ned Pelagius Vnto which ought Origen also to be added who wheÌ„ he interpreceth yâ— senteÌ„ce of Paul which we haue rehearsed namely Death hath gone ouer all men saith that Abel Enoch MathusaleÌ„ and Noah sinned But as for other fathers he sayth he will not recken bycause they haue euery one sinned For there is not one cleane from filthynes although he haue liued but one day only But he speaketh more manifestly vpon the 6. chap. of this epistle wheÌ„ he sayth that Baptisme ought to be geuen vnto infantes by the Apostolicall tradition bycause the Apostles knew that there were in all men naturall corruptions of sinne which ought to be washed away by water and the spirite And Chrisostome vpon Genesis entreating this question why men are now afrayd of beastes and are hurte of them when as they were created to be lordes ouer them thys thinge he sayth happeneth by reason of sinne and by cause saith he we haue fallen from confidence and honour And therby Augustine proueth that the nature of infantes is fallen bycause beastes doo not spare them The same Chrisostome expounding yâ— place which we are now in haÌ„d with sayth That that sinne whiche came thorough the disobedience of Adam hath coÌ„taminated all He hath also many other places which serue for the confirmation of thys sentence And yet the Pelagians were not ashamed and especially Iulianus to cite The Pelagians went about to draw Chrisostome vnto them thys father for a witnes as thoughe he made with them bycause in his sermon of those that are baptised rehearsing many giftes of Baptisme namely that they which are Baptised doo not onely receaue remission of sinnes but also are made childreÌ„ and heires of God brethern of Christ and his fellow heires members and temples of God and instrumentes of the holy ghost addeth at the last Seest thou howe manye are the giftes of Baptisme And
by the mercy of God through Christ be wholy forgeuen hym euen as he had forgeuen vnto others theyr offences And it is so farre of that Augustine thought that Paul was vtterly without sinne that he interpreteth this place vnto the Phillippians Yea also I thynke all thynges to be but losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Iesus Christ my Lord for whome I haue counted all thynges loosse and iudge them to be dongue of workes done after he came to Christianity For when as before hauing made mencion of workes done when he was yet of the Iewishe religion he sayd But the thynges that were vantage the same I counted losse for Christes sake those wordes which are afterward added he addeth by the way of correction shewing that not only workes of Iewishe religion but also all other were to bee counted for losses and thinges vncleane For he considered that in all thinges is some fault and defect or want And that sinnes are mingled with our good works Sinne is mingled with our good works the scriptures most manifestly teach when they say that no man can be iustified in the sight of God And the saintes do make intercession against that exact examination of righteousnes Enter not say they into iudgement wyth thy seruaunt O Lord. And Ihon sayth If any man say he hath no sinne he deceaueth hymselfe and the truth is not in hym And Salomon sayth in the bookes of kinges That there is not a man on earth so iuste that he sinneth not Which wordes Augustine diligeÌ„tly weighing applieth them vnto the form of the present time least any man should referre that sentence of Salomon vnto those thinges which we haue committed before regeneratioÌ„ We ought all to pray that our trespasses may be forgeueÌ„ vs as which in this life may rather thirst after righteousnes then yâ— we caÌ„ attaine vnto a perfect absolute righteousnes For that precept of yâ— lord wherein we are coÌ„manÌ„ded to loue God with all our hart with all our soule and with all our strengths shall then at the laste be perâ—ormed when we shall come to that place where we shall so God face to face as he is as Augustine writeth in his booke de Spiritu Litera towardes y end In which place also he demaundeth why this commaundement was geuen if it can not be performed in this life He answereth that therefore God commaunded it that we should know what by fayth we ought to desire whereunto our hope shoulde be leueled and what we ought continuallye to go aboute in all our actions And he thinketh him to haue much profited in this life which can at the length se how farre he is of from that which is perfect The same Augustine in his seconde booke De peccatoruÌ„ meritis remissione chap. 16. 17. 18. writing many thinges as touching this matter sayth that in the scriptures men are sometimes called Why the saintes are called perfect notwithstanding they obserue not the commaundementes God requireth at meÌ„â— hands that they should be without sinne Why God gaue a laws which he knew could not be obserued No man is afflicted which is without sin perfect not bicause they are vtterly without sinne but bycause in innocency of life they haue much profited and bycause that to obteine perfection they coÌ„tinually bend theyr studye and endeuour bycause also God forgeueth them theyr faultes and that whiche they waÌ„t of righteousnes he imputeth vnto theÌ„ of the fulnes of the righteousnes of Christ Nether denieth he but that God requireth of men that they shoulde vtterly be without sinne For there could be no sinne vnles there were a law which wheÌ„ we sinne we transgresse Farther he demaundeth why God gaue that Lawe which he right well saw could by no meanes be performed And he aunswereth that he did it for this cause that he mought worthely condemn those which contemned it thorough coÌ„tempt transgressed mought here theyr prayers which applied theÌ„selues vnto it and more and more helpe them dayly to accomplishe the same And to this purpose he bringeth that sentence which is written namely that God correcteth and chastiseth those whome he loueth but yet not with fury or auengment but with a fatherly correction But there is none chastised or afflicted which is without sinne For this thing only suffred our Sauiour namely wtout any fault committed of him selfe to susteyne most bitter paynes Wherfore seing all men whom God loueth are corrected with aduersities it followeth of necessity that they all are subiecte vnto sinne Which thing Paul vnto the Galathians most assuredly affirmeth of the saintes For he sayth that in them the flesh so repugneth against the spirite that they can not doo those thinges which they would And in the next chapter he writeth that he himselfe did the euill which he hated By all these things may easely be gathered that a man though he be neuer so holy yet so long as he here They which are loued of god are not without sin We haue euer in vs some what which nedeth forgeuenes Vnles we were miserable before God he should not vse mercy towardes vs. What mercy is How the regenerate are not vile before God Note a certaine distinction liueth hath alwayes some what in him that hath nede to be forgeuen of GOD. Which thing Augustine also testefieth towardes the end of his booke De Spiritu Litera And hereby is most euidently gathered that our good workes are not sufficient vnto eternall life But our aduersaries crake and boast that the regenerate are not vile in the sight of God But we say that we before God are not with out miserye For vnles we were so God could not vse mercye toward vs which mercy yet Augustine writeth that we haue altogether nede of if we desire to be crowned For mercy is an effectioÌ„ wherewith we are moued towards them that are in misery wherefore if eternall life be geuen vnto vs of mercye then must we nedes be vtterly miserable before God But if they vnderstand that the regenerate are not vile in the sighte of God bycause God beawtifieth them with many giftes and ornamentes we graunt to that Yet those gyftes whatsoeuer or how great soeuer they be ought not to seme of so great force to be sufficient vnto eternall life And that commeth not thorough yâ— defaults of the giftes but thorough our default which in all thinges obey them not For we still cary aboute in our fleshe much of old Adam and of naturall corruption Farther our aduersaries put a difference betwene the good workes of men regenerate for they say yâ— those are partly of our selues and partly of God Those say they as they are of vs can merite nothing but as they are oâ— God they doo merite and are causes of eternall life And by this distinction they thinke that yâ— matter is made playne But we graunte not so much vnto them For if we diligently and thoroughly consider
A similitude Dâ—fâ—rence betwene Paul and the Philosophers we sée what they do yet oftentimes they so beguile our eies the we perceaue not what they do Aristotle sayth that in euery sinne is mingled some kinde of ignoraÌ„ce Although betwéene yâ— philosophers the seÌ„se of Paul there is some differeÌ„ce For they thinke this power to be grafted in the nature of the minde reason and will alwayes to desire and to approue that which is good but the confusion beginneth only in the grosser partes of the soule But the apostle affirmeth that al the partes of man both the inferior and the superior doo by reason of originall sinne resist the spirite of God But seing that both from himselfe and from the Law he remoueth away the cause of sinne it is manifest that it hath hys place only in lust grafted in vs. And seing he sayth that he himself doth not the things which he would and which are euil much les vndoubtedly doth the Law them For he by the Law vnderstoode that these things are not to be done Wherfore herehence haue we a commondation of the Lawe and he doth not here as heretikes faine which frowardly peruerte the sayings of Paul blame the Law For that vvhich I vvould I doo not but that vvhich I hate that doo I. Some thinke that this is to be referred only vnto the first motions But seing the scripture manifestly sayth that the iust also fall and that we all in many thinges offend I se no cause why we should into so narrow a streight contract this saying These thinges are not to be draweÌ„ onely to the first motioÌ„s of the Apostle For I doubt not but that euen holy men also haue not only some times euill lusts but also sometimes doo certayne thinges which ought not to be done But they are streight way sorye and they accuse themselues and as much as lieth in them correct the sinne And yet I would not that any maÌ„ should hereby thinke that I affirme that the iudgement of the spirite and the purpose of the will renewed abideth sound wheÌ„ the godly fall into most heynous wicked The iudgement of the spirite abideth not sound in faultes that are very haynous factes as when Dauid committed adultery and murther For these sinnes are of that kind whereof the Apostle sayth They which doo suche thinges shall haue no portion in the kingdome of God Wherfore Augustine made an excellent distinctioÌ„ namely that a crime is one thing and sinne an other thing Wherefore seinge in this kinde of crime the right of regeneration is after a sort lost it is not to be tought that Paul thereof speaketh in this place Now then it is no more I that doo it but the sinne that dwelleth in me For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing For to will is present with me but I finde no ability to performe that which is good It is not I that doo it He affirmeth that he doth it not for that he all whole doth it not For in respect that he is regenerate he abhorreth from that whiche he doth The lust and vice whiche is by nature grafted and planted in vs is it which wresteth from vs many things But they which are wise fly vnto Christ that he may make that seruitude which they serue more milde which thinge he not only doth but also mercifully forgeueth the thinges that are committed amisse Wherfore for these causes Paul denieth that he doth that thing which he doth And vndoubtedlye it is to be ascribed vnto the singular gift of God that we will not and that those thinges displease vs which we doo and contrariwise that we wil and wishe those thinges which we doo not For thys propertye is not in all men For it is in them only which are now grafted into Christ and regenerate in him In dede Iudas Cain and Esau were displeased with their sin but yet not therefore for that they allowed the Lawe of God but for that they now began to fele their own discommodity and calamity and destruction For How sins displeasetheÌ„ that are desperate Difference betweene the godly the vngodlye they were not touched with any loue of the Law and wil of God So much difference is there betwene a godly man and an vngodly The godly maÌ„ although he fall yet he doth not from the hart violate the lawe of God For he hath euer thys in hym that continually he resisteth and repugneth sinne But the vngodly man neuer doth good from the hart or escheweth euill as the law commaundeth For he alwayes hath a regard vnto gayne commodity fame and such other like thinges and not vnto the will of God These declare that Paul speaketh Paul in this place speaketh of himself and of the regenerate those thinges which are contayned in this chapiter of himselfe and of the sayntes which are now in Christ regenerate For he sayth that in mind he serued the Lawe of God and to will was present with hym but to performe that which is good he found no ability And when he had cried out vnhappy man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body subiect vnto death He added a geuinge of thankes for that he knew that by Christ he shoulde attayne to it Thys can not they â—â— which are strangers from Christ and vngodly and voyd of yâ— holy ghost Testimonies where by is proued that holy men haue sinne They which deny thys are thereunto by thys reason chiefely moued for that they perswade themselues that sinne can haue no place in holy men when yet the scripture teacheth farre otherwise For Paul vnto the Galathians speaking of the godly writeth in a maner the selfe same thinges that he doth now in this place walke ye sayth he inspirite and performe not the desires of the flesh He sayth not haue ye not the desires of the fleshe but performe them not And the fleshe sayth he lusteth agaynst the spirite and the spirite agaynst the flesh so that whatsoeuer thinges ye would ye doo not This is it which he here sayth I doo not that which I would Dauid sayth Who vnderstandeth his sinnes Cleuse me from my hidden sinnes Enter not into iudgment with thy seruaunt for in thy sight shall no liuing creature be iustified And Esay sayth that our righteousneses are like a clothe stayned with the naturall dissease of a woman And the Lord commaundeth vs to pray Forgeue vs our trespasses If we say we haue no sinne sayth Iohn we deceaue our selues and the truth is not in vs Iames saith we all offende in many thinges The Fathers also affirme that Paul Augustine proueth that Paul speaketh of himself and of the regenerate Ambrose of the same iudgement in thys place speaketh of himselfe And amongste other Augustine agaynst the two epistles of the Pelagians the 10. chapiter And the reasons that moue him thereunto are those for that the Apostle sayth It
regarde to his body being past getting of children nor to the wombe of Sara being past childbearing and that he staggered not by reason of distrust but was by faith confirmed most certainely persuaded that God was able to performe what so euer he had promised This example teacheth vs that we ought not to haue a regarde vnto those things which either may or seeme to hinder our iustification but our faith ought vtterly to be fixed in the words and promises of God but contrariwise these men will call vs backe to our owne indispositions as they cal them and will haue vs therefore alwayes to be in doubt of our iustification In dede we ought not to dissemble whatsoeuer imperfection or fault is in vs and that for this cause that it may be daily amended and corrected Yet ought we not therefore to be in doubt and wauering touching our iustification and the grace of God Now haue we to proue the second proposition namely that a man is iustified by faith Which thing we entend first to proue by testimonies of the holy A confirmation that we are iustified by faith scriptures Paule in the first chapter of this Epistle thus defineth the Gosple that it is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleueth In these wordes is touched the efficient cause of our iustification namely the power of God and the ende which is our saluation and also the instrument wherby it is receiued namely faith for he addeth vnto euery one that beleueth And this he confirmeth by a testimony of Abacucke the Prophet In which sentence he so much delighted that he vsed it both to the Galathians and also to the Hebrues in the self same sense He addeth moreouer that the wrathe of God was reueled from heauen by reason of the knowledge of the Philosophers which withheld the truthe of God in vnrighteousnesse and which when they knew God glorified him not as God but fell to the worshipping of Idols But contrariwise in the gospell is reuealed the righteousnesse of God namely that righteousnesse whereby men are iustified from faith to faith which phrase of speache we haue in his due place sufficiently expounded in the third chapter Now is the righteousnesse of God saith he made manifest without the law the righteousnesse I say of God by the faith of Iesus Christ in all and vpon all them which beleue in him And a little afterward wherefore being iustified frely by his grace by the redemption which is in Christ Iesus whome God hath set forth a propitiator by faith in his bloud Here also is not onlye shewed the grace by which God fréely iustifieth vs but also Christ his deathe is set forthe that it may manifestly appeare that he is the reconciliator and the mediator Wherunto also is added faith wherby we receiue the fruit of his redemption to the shewing forth also of his righteousnesse in this time that he might be iust and iustifying him which is of the faith of Iesus Christ. If men coulde by theyr workes get vnto themselues righteousnesse the righteousnesse of God shoulde not then be so declared But seeing we sée that it is communicated vnto vs by faith without any preparation of workes it must needes seeme vnto vs very great And amongst other things which God requireth of men this is the chiefest that they should not any thing glory of themselues But if iustification should consist of workes men might boast of their owne endeuor and industry But seeing we are freely iustified by faith there is no place left for boasting Wherfore Paule saith Thy boasting is excluded by what law by the law of works No but by the law of faith Wherfore he concludeth after this manner We iudge that man is iustified by faith without works And that we should not think that that proposition is particular he declareth that it is vniuersall â–ª God saith he is he the God of the Iewes only is he not the God of the gentiles also Yea of the Gentiles also For it is one God which iustifieth vncircumcision through faith and circumcision by faith Wherefore euen as there is but one God ouer all men so iustifieth he all men by one and the selfe same way And in the fourth chapter he saith but vnto him which worketh not but beleueth in him which iustifieth the wicked faith is imputed vnto him vnto righteousnesse By this sentence are bothe workes excluded and also faith is set forth by which is imputed righteousnesse vnto men And straight way he addeth of Abraham that he is the father of all them that beleue by vncircumcision that it might also be imputed vnto them and that he is the father of circumcision not only vnto them which are of circumcision but also vnto them which walke in the steps of faith which was in the vncircumcision of Abraham our father Afterward by the nature of the promesse he sheweth that iustification is by faith For he saith by the lawe was not the promesse made vnto Abraham and vnto his seede to be the heire of the worlde but by the righteousnesse of faith for if those which are of the law should be heires then shold faith be abolished and the promesse made voide In these words are two excellent things to be noted The first is that the promesse is free â–ª neither is it ioyned with the condition of workes and therfore seing faith is as a correlatiue referred vnto the promesse it must needes follow that it is such as the promesse is and therefore it hath a respecte vnto the promesse by it selfe and not to the conditions of our vntowardnesse or indisposition as the good holy Fathers of Trent â—eache The second is that if the inheritance and righteousnesse should depend of that condition of works then had there bene no néede of the promesie For meÌ„ might haue sayd why is that fréely promised vnto vs which we can claime vnto our selues by our owne endeuor and labor Or why is it so necessary that we shold beleue when as by our owne workes we can attaine vnto righteousnesse Afterward Paule addeth the finall cause why iustification commeth by fayth By grace sayth he that the promesse might be firme for if by our owne works and preparations we should be iustified the promesse should alwayes be vnstedfast neither could we appoint any certaintie of it Afterwarde he putteth the example of Abraham who as it is before said contrary to hope beleued in hope neither had he a regarde vnto those things which as touching his owne part mought haue bene a let vnto the promesse of God namely his own body being nâ—w as it were dead and an hundreth yeare olde and the age of Sara his wife These things sufficiently declare what maner of faith that was by which vnto Abraham was imputed righteousnesse so that thereby we also may vnderstande the power and nature of faithe which iustifieth Paule also addeth that by suche a faith is muche aduaunced the
terrible But suffer not thy selfe gentle reader to be deceiued with a vaine shew Examine it wel and try it diligently and thou shalt finde that it is a weak and ridiculous argument We graunt that a man that is by sinnes and wicked factes alienated from God may assent vnto the articles of the faith and beleue that there is a God But this good man should haue taught farther that the same is done by the motion and impulsion Faith abideth with such sinnes as are most greuouâ—s and do wast the conscience on of true faith There may in déede be left to a wicked man a certaine humaine persuasion either by education or by opinion bicause he thinketh it to be most likely But lest any man should thinke yâ— this that I say is of mine owne inuenting namely that a man which greuously sinneth is destitute of the true and iustifying faith let him rather consider what Paul saith For he vnto Timothe saith He which hath not a care ouer his owne and especiall ouer his houshold hath renounced faith and is worse then an infidell Doubtlesse he which hath renounced faith hath not faith And vnto Titus he saith They coÌ„fesse that they know God but in dedes they deny him To confesse and to deny are things contrary wherefore it must néedes be that forasmuch as bothe are spoken of one and the selfe same men they are to be taken in a diuers sense Wherfore they may haue faith that is a certaine humaine opinion such as it is but yet not that firme and mighty assent inspired by the holy Ghost wherof we now intreat Iohn saith in his first Epistle and seconde chapter he which saith that he knoweth God and kepeth not his commaundements is a lier and the truthe is not in him Wherfore the true faith wherby we beleue truely in God is not without good workes Neither ought it to séeme vnto any man absurd that one and the self same thing may be known diuers wayes For the deuil also as well as we both knoweth and confesseth many things touching Christe The deuill is not endued with true faith A similitude whome yet neither Pighius doubtlesse as I suppose will graunt to be endewed with the true faith whereby we are persuaded to beleue those thinges which we confesse of Christ It is possible also that one skilful in the Mathematical sciences may assent vnto some one conclusion confirmed proued by demoÌ„stration which demonstration if he chaunce afterward as oftentimes it happeneth by reason of age or of some disease to forget he wil not yet for al the cease to affirme yâ— propositioÌ„ which he before knew but this doth he by opinioÌ„ or some probable argumeÌ„t not as before he did by demonstration Therfore the knowledge of one the self same thing doth not of necessity infer yâ— self same grouÌ„d of knowledge And those things suppose to be spoken only by supposition vpoÌ„ that sentence which holdeth yâ— after a man hath committed any great haynous wicked fact true fayth is lost which yet in the elect is afterward by the benefite of God again recouered otherwise it may be sayd that in men iustified and appointed of God vnto saluation fayth can not thorough the committing of any haynous crime be vtterly extinguished but is as it were in dead sléepe and lieth hidden neither bursteth it forth into act vnles it be agayne stirred by the holy ghost for in such men that haue so fallen the séede of God still abideth although for that tyme it bringeth not forth fruit But Pigghius goeth on and sayth Fayth is the foundation therefore it is farre from the perfection of the building wherfore it iustifieth not For vnto iustificatimany other preparations are required If by this perfection of the building he vnderstand Faith is very far from the last perfection the blessed resurrection and chief felicity wherein we shall sée God face to face we graunt that fayth is very farre from it For we must by many tribulations aduersities and gréeuous labours come vnto the kingdome of heauen But after the self same maner we may say yâ— iustification also is only the foundation of that eternal saluation and that it also is farre from that blessednes which we looke for For the first degrée vnto saluation is to be receaued of God into fauor and to be regenerated through Christ And afterward follow other degrées by which we come vnto that chief goodnes which we looke for But where this man found that fayth is only the foundation he can not teach out of the holy scriptures except paraduenture he wil bring that out of the Epistle vnto the Hebrues Faith is the substance of thinges that are hoped for But by those words is nothing els meÌ„t but that those thinges which we hope for are by fayth vpholden and confirmed in our minds which would otherwise wauer neither should they by any meanes stand fast But this maketh nothing at all to this purpose And if in case he will cite this also That he which will come vnto God ought to beleue we haue already before answered therunto peraduenture we wil afterward in due place speake somewhat more as touching that But goe to séeing he by so many meanes goeth about to ouerthrowe our sentence let vs heare what he himselfe at the length affirmeth and vnto what thing he attributeth the power of iustifying There are sayth he many preparations Pighius sentence and dispositions required in vs to be iustified First saith he we beleue the words of God afterward we are afeard of his wrath after yâ— we hope for mercy then we detest sinnes To be briefe he reckeneth vp all those things which we before declared vnder the name of the Synode of Trent but in the last place he sayth succedeth a sincere pure loue of God which altogether beareth dominion in our heartes and vnto this he saith is ascribed iustification I can not inough meruaile at the deuise of this man For he affirmeth that a man is in a manner perfecte before he can be iustified For he which beleueth feareth hopeth repenteth and sincerely loueth God what wanteth he to perfection But this man holdeth that a man without Christ a straunger from God and not yet iustified is able to accoÌ„plish those things which vndoubtedly in no wise agréeth with yâ— holy scriptures For they teach that a man before he is iustified is occupied in euil works wandreth in the hatred of God as it is manifest in the Epistle to the Colossians the first chapiter and to the Ephesians the seconde chapiter But how can they by whome are wrought so excellent workes as this man maketh mention of be the children of wrath how can they be sinners how caÌ„ they as it is written vnto the Romaines be the enemies of God But omitting those things let vs sée what are the groundes of this opinion First he citeth that out of Iohn he which loueth not
publique ministers of yâ— Church which he not without iust cause calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yâ— is frée giftes For all these thinges although it seme they may be gotten by humane art and industry yet by our endeuor we shall neuer bring any thing to passe yâ— way vnles we be holpen by the grace of God whereby those thinges which we doo are made profitable and of efficacy For they which are occupied in these offices without the helpe of God may indede winne prayse of men and commendation of the people but they are not able to aduance the saluation of the soules and the commodities of the Church And as touching this matter oftentimes they haue God fauorable prosperous vnto theÌ„ which yet obey him not with a sincere will But this is excedingly to be lamented that this gouernance of the Church is so miserably decayed that at this day not so much as the names of these functions are any where extaÌ„t They haue put in stede of them Taper cariers Accoluthes and Subdeacons which haue light and trifling effects appoynted to them pertayning to theyr supersticious alters Let loue be without dissimulation hating that wbich is euill and cleauing to that which is good Being affectioned with a brotherly loue to loue one an other In geuing honor go one before an other Not slouthfull to do seruice feruent in spirite seruing the time Reioysing in hope patient in tribulation continuing in prayer communicating to the necessities of the Sayntes geuing your selues to hospitality Let loue be without dissimulation Men are of theyr owne nature very prone to hipocrisie Therefore Paul expressedly prohibiteth it For God as Iohn sayth will not that we should loue in woordes in toung but in dede and in truth And Paul to Timothe writeth Loue ought to come from a pure hart and a good conscience and a fayth vnfayned Origen sayth He which loueth God and those thinges which God willeth that man hath loue without dissimulation But he which loueth not either God and those thinges which God willeth he I say loueth not but only dissembleth and pretendeth loue As if a man see his neighbor fallen into some greuous crime doo not admonishe him or reproue him his loue is conterfeate For he willeth not those thinges towardes his neighbor which God willeth The fauor of his neighbor is more deare to him then the will of God Hating that which is euill and cleuing to that which is good Good and euil in this place may signifie profite and disprofite And so the sence here is he loueth Good signifieth two thinges his neighbour without hipocrisie which hateth all thinges whatsoeuer he seeth shal be discommodious and hurtefull vnto him but those thinges which may by any maner of meanes be profitable or commodious vnto him he both vehemently desireth and as much as he can helpeth forward It may be also that Good and Euill signifie honest and dishonest And so they which loue truly abhorre from wicked and filthy woorkes and as much as they can apply themselues to holy and honest woorkes Which is therefore sayd for that some are so foolish that they thinke they loue theyr neighbours when they consent to them in theyr wicked lusts and great extorcions But this is not that loue which the Apostle describeth when he sayth that we ought to abhorre from wickednes and to embrase as much as lieth in vs that which is honest iust Chrisostome noteth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is hating The affâ—ct of hatred is not in vaine planted in vs. The Stoikes vniustly reiected affectes is spoken with a vehemency For this preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Paul signifieth vehemency of speach as in the 8. to the Romanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth not any common but a great and vehement carefulnes and anguish And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth more then to waite for For it signifieth diligently to wait for And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is redemption not euery kinde of redemption but an absolute redemption Moreouer we sée that the affect of hatred is not in vayne planted in our myndes but to the end we should exercise it vpon vices Wherefore the Stoikes vniustly reiected affects For affects are the matter of vertues And as in an harpe when to the wood pegges of bone and stringes are applied number proportion and measure is brought forth a most swéete harmonye so when to these affectes is added the spirite and grace of God of them spring forth notable and excellent vertues But we are in the fault which abuse those giftes of God and hate those thinges which both are honest and please God and contrariwise the thinges which are filthy and displease him we embrace And so peruerse oftentymes is our iudgement that we call good euill euill good Although the nature of the thinges themselues be not chaunged by our iudgement For thinges that are filthy Thinges are not chaÌ„ged by our iudgement are alwayes filthye although we iudge otherwise of them Wherefore he wisely answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is That which is filthy is filthy whether thou so iudgest it or no. And this is to be noted that as the Apostle commaundeth vs to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word as we haue declared signifieth an hatred with vehemency so willeth he vs not simply and absolutely to cleaue vnto God but addeth the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to be ioyned together not sclenderly but as it were with a strong and indissoluble bond Being affectioned to loue one an other with a brotherly loue In Greke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What Storge signifieth in which woords is declared what maner of affect loue is namely a brotherly affect And it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which woord signifieth an affect not comming of election such as are frendshippes which men enter into one with an other but grafted in by nature and therefore so ioyned to our minds that it can neuer in a maner vtterly be shaken of And forasmuch as of these naturall affections there are sondry sortes or kindes for either they are betwene the pareÌ„ts and the children or betwene the husband and the wife or betwene brethern the Apostle mencioneth that kind which most agréed with his exhortacion which he had begonne namely to geue vs to vnderstand yâ— our loue towardes others ought to be a brotherly loue which is therefore more vehement then are common freÌ„dshippes for yâ— these frendshipâ—â—â—e dissolued euen among honest men when they perceiue yâ— theyr frendes haue fallen away froÌ„ iustice are become wicked corrupt But as touching our parents brethern children it is vndoubtedly a griefe vnto vs if we se theÌ„ behaue them selues otherwise theÌ„ we would they should yet is not therfore yâ— affection of our mind towardes theÌ„ extinguished Moreouer in these affections of loue we seke not yâ— in our louing one should recompense an
put out the handwriting that was against vs. In the The 47. 2. to Timothy the i. chapter Who hath called vs with an holy callinge not accordinge to our workes but according to his purpose and grace which is geuen vs through Christ Iesus Here he speaketh of a calling ful of efficacy by which men are iustified and not of the common calling as touching the preaching of the word of God which is set forth vnto all men And forasmuch as this consisteth not as Paul saith of merites or woorkes neither can iustification also come of them Vnto Titus it is written The 48. The goodnes and loue of God our Sauiour towardes vs hath appeared not by the workes of righteousnes which we haue done but according to his mercy hath he saued vs. Also vnto the Hebrues is but one onely sacrifice and one oblation namely the death The 49. of Christ by which sinnes are wiped away and satisfaction made for men Wherfore iustification is not to be loked for of workes and it ought to suffice vs that the good workes which we do after iustification are sacrifices of thankesgeuing and let vs not make them sacrifices propiciatory by which meanes we should do great iniury vnto Christe But settinge a side the Epistles of Paul let vs séeke testimonies also out of other places of the holy scriptures Christe in the vii of Mathew saith Euery good tree bringeth forth good fruites but a noughty tree bringeth foorth euell The 50. fruites And to the end the nature of those which are not regenerate mighte be the better declared he addeth A good tree cannot bring forth euill frutes nether can an euill tree bring forth good fruits Wherfore seing Christ saith y◠that canot so be how dare these men affirme that it may be for they say that by workes men may be iustified Christ vseth the selfe same reason in the 12. chapiter of Mathew Ether The 51. make the tree good and his fruite good or make the tree euil and his fruite euill for by the fruite is the tree knowen O ye generation of vipers how can ye speake good thinges whē as ye your selues are euill for of the aboundance of the hart the mouth speaketh A good man out of the good treasure of the harte bringeth forth good thinges and an euill man out of an euill treasure bringeth forth euill thinges These wordes of Christ do declare that men which are not yet regenerate are euill trees which neither do bring forth good fruite nor can do ▪ and they testify that the wicked cā not speake good thinges and much les can they worke good thinges and that out of an euill treasure of the harte are euer euill thinges to be looked for And seing the matter is so consider I pray you whither they which are alienated frō Christ ought to be called euill or no Vndoubtedly vnles they be euil none of vs y◠cleaneth vnto Christ can be called good Also in Luke the 17. chapiter But which of you hauing a The 52. seruaunt that goeth to plough or fedeth your cattell that will streight way say vnto hym when he commeth from the field Go and fitte downe and sayth not rather vnto him prepare that I may suppe gyrd vp thy selfe and serue me till I haue eaten and dronken and afterward eate thou and drinke thou doth he thanke his seruaunt bycause he hath done those thinges which he hath commaunded him I trow not So likewise ye when ye haue done all those thinges that are commaunded you say We are vnprofitable seruauntes we haue done that which we ought to haue done These words spake Christ vnto his disciples vnto his Apostles I say and which were now cōuerted to saluation who if they worke vnprofitable works what shall we thē iudge of those which haue not yet receaued the fayth of Christ But the Sophisters haue made the world such fooles that they say that workes before iustification do after a sorte merite it and those workes which follow they say are most profitable wherefore they would now haue men after a sort to make accompt with God and with beades to nomber how many prayers they haue said For what other thing ment they by thē then y◠they would by a certayne nomber recite so many Pater nosters or so many Aue Marias thinking by y◠recital to haue God most assuredly boūd The 53. vnto thē In y◠15. of Iohn Christ is compared vnto a vine tree we to the branches therof wherfore he sayth Euen as the branche can not bring forth fruit of it self vnles it abide in the vine no more also cā ye vnles ye abide in me I am the vine ye are the branches he which abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruite And whosoeuer shal not abide in me they are cast out of the dores euē as the braunches or cuttings of frō the vine they shal gather thē and cast thē into the fire Now that we haue recited these wordes of the lord how agreeth it that men being straungers from Christ not yet regenerate can worke good works by which they may be iustified when as they are called dry braunches which shal be cast into the fire and it is sayd that they only can bring forth fruite which cleane vnto Christ as braunches cleane to the vine And that we should the better vnderstand the will The 54. of Christ there is added Without me ye can do nothing Which sentence some go aboute to darken saying that nothing can be done without Christ in respect that he is God forasmuch as he is the first cause of all thinges as though the Lord disputed then of the generall conseruation of naturall thinges and of that power whereby God bringeth forth all thinges vniuersally Christ came not into the world to teach this philosophye he vndoubtedly entreated of the fruite of saluation and of eternall life and spake of those whiche should cleane vnto hys doctrine or ells should be strangers from it Moreouer the sonne of God commaunded The 55. that the faythfull should in theyr prayers saye Forgeue vs our trespasses Signifieng thereby y◠the faythfull also haue nede of forgeuenes in those things which they do for our workes are vnperfect neyther are they able to satisfye Wherefore if our workes which we doo after our regeneration nede expiation by the merite of Christ And for as much as we pray for the same how can they be propitiatory Much more les then can we thinke of those workes which are done before regeneration that they should be acceptable and pleasāt vnto God Moreouer no man can iustly say that he is out of the nomber of such when as God hath commaunded all men to pray in that maner and his will is not that any man should make a lye in his prayer Yea and Iohn also writeth If we shall The 56. say that we haue no sinne we deceaue
our selues and the truth is not in vs. And I suppose there is none that will iudge it a thing mete that there should be many mediators brought in when as there is but only one mediator betwene God and men namely the man Christ Iesus But if besides him and his merites our workes should also iustifie vs then should they be set betwene God and vs neyther should Christ be the only mediator Moreouer the Prophetes do euery where pray and The 57. Dauid also that God would wash clense expiate and purge theyr sinnes namely in forgeuing and remitting them but if they could haue attayned to that thing by theyr workes then neded they not to haue requested it by praier or at the lest way not with so greate feruency And in Iob the 15. chapiter it is written that neyther The 58. are the heauens cleane before God And in that 4. chapiter he pronouÌ„ceth the Angels not to be pure In what case then shall men be before they obteyne iustification The 59. Dauid also in his Psalmes crieth If thou lord looke streightly vpon iniquities Lord who shal be able to abide it Esay calleth them yâ— thirst vnto the waters commaundeth The 60. them to buy without siluer But our men forsooth will merite and be iustified both by merites and by workes and also by siluer Moreouer in the 40. chapiter The 61. the same Prophet when he heard a voyce wherin it was sayd vnto him cry out answered What shall I cry and it was sayd vnto him yâ— he should cry All flesh is grasse and Châ—sod that is piety or religion or mercy wherwith he succoreth his neighbour is as the flower of the field that is a thing vanishing away which streight way fadeth away neyther can it continew The same thing also affirmeth he in the 64. chap. where he sayth that all our righteousnes is as a cloth steyned withe the naturall diseasâ— The 62. of a woman Which sentence whether a man apply it vnto workes done after regeneration or before I passe not muche for eyther way will make on our side And in the selfe same chapiter he addeth Our God we are clay and thou art our creator we are the worke of thy handes And the same similitude of the clay and potter vseth The 63. Paul to the Romanes in the 9. chapiter wherein is notably declared that so much are we able to do so towards our saluation as can the clay towardes the potter to cause him to make him after this maner or that maner We could also recite testimonies which are written of the maliciousnes of our hart both in Genesis in Ieremy but I suppose I haue alredy brought testimonies inough for the confirmation of our proposition This thing only now wil I say that there haue bene men so rashe that they haue not only attributed some merite of iustification vnto honest workes and which are as they terme them morally good but also vnto supersticions workes which they themselues haue imagined and inuented For who Vnto holy water is remission of sins graunted more also to other thinges is ignoraÌ„t of yâ— rimes commonly set abrode of theyr holy water Aqua benedicta de leaÌ„tur tua delicta sit tibi laus vita That is by holy water let thy sinnes be blotted out and let it bee vnto thee prayse and life They ascribe also forgeuenes of sinnes vnto Monkes coules vnto candels and vnto the oyle of boughes and vnto the ashes of palme tree and vnto pilgrimages And from things which they so peruersly interpretated in the holy scriptures concerning merites they came vnto these so foolish and vngodly thinges Vndoubtedly none vnderstaÌ„d but they which haue experience thereof how hard a thing it is that a harte brused ouerthrowen and laden with the burthen of sinnes should when it is grieued and oppressed quiet It is a thing most hard to rest in the promises of God it selfe in yâ— free promises of God thorough Christ For in that case it very much laboureth that it may once at the length be with a firme fayth established If we should with the Sophisters will a man to haue a respect vnto hys workes then shoulde he neuer be in quiet but shoulde alwayes bee vexed and alwayes doubt of hys saluation and at the laste be swallowed vp wyth desperacion I would not that any man should thinke that when we reason of this matter we take in hand a vayne matter or a strife about wordes It is a thing whereby is What is the end and fruit of this disputation defended the honour of Christe And that whiche is proper vnto him onelye namelye to iustifye and to forgeue sinnes we seeke that the same shoulde in no case be attributed vnto workes or to any other thing els of ours we séeke that the promise should be firme and that afflicted consciences should receaue consolation in the wordes and promises of God Lastly we séeke that the Gospell should be distincted from the lawe and the lawe from the Gospell which thing they can not do which ascribe iustification vnto workes and confound and perniciously mingle them together And for the confirmation of this proposition although I could bring a great many more reasons and in a maner infinite yet these which I haue already brought shall suffice and I will omitte the rest for they which are not moued with these reasons neither will they be touched with any other Howbeit I thinke it not good to passe ouer with silence the trifling shifts and wily deceates by which the Sophisters vse to auoyde and obscure this doctrine which we haue now put forth First they say that the holy scriptures as often as they take away the power of iustifieng from workes do that only as touching the ceremonies of the old law and not as touching iust and vpright workes which commonly they call morall workes In which thing how much men are deceiued euen the testimonies of the scriptures and especially of Paul whome they affirme to be most of all on their side as touching that matter will most plainly declare For although this Apostle speaketh many thinges which séeme to pertayne both to the rites and also to the ceremonies of the lawe yet in his declaration he writeth a great many â—â—â— other thinges by which he declareth that he speaketh not onely of ceremonies â–ª but also euen of the other lawes of righteousnes and vertue yea rather altogether of those which pertaine to maners and euen vnto the table of the ten commaundements And in the first chapiter when he reproueth the Gentils that without the fayth of Christ they could not be iustified he setteth before their eyes their workes namely Testimonies of Paul by whiche is proued that moral workes are excluded from the power of iustifieng idolatry filthy lustes and toward the end of the chapiter he reherseth a very long cataloge of vices wherwith they were infected nether