Christ commanded by those words that they should sacrifice him in euerie holie supper or as they had rather saie in euerie Masse Trulie I am ashamed to confute such a feined sophisticall deuise but this one thing I saie that doctrine must not be grounded vpon doubtfull spéeches and speciallie commandements touching so great matters were not woont in the holie scriptures to be giuen with spéeches of double vnderstanding Paule and the Euangelists who haue made such plaine mention of these mysteries in what place I beséech you haue they shewed one word either of a sacrifice or of an oblation to be offered of vs And here would not that impudent boldnesse of theirs staie it selfe for to this false sacrifice An application of the oblation it feined a certeine application thereof to wit that it should be in the choise of the Massing priest to communicate the oblation of Christ to whome he would either liuing or dead As if we were ignorant that the death of Christ is applied to euerie christian by the preaching of the Gospell if it be receiued of them by faith But to receiue a sacrament for an other man is nothing else than if I shuld eate or drinke for thée which how it can be a helpe vnto thée be thou thine owne selfe the iudge Who at anie time hath baptised himselfe for an other man And yet neuerthelesse this rout of Massing priests dare affirme that in this their feined sacrifice they eate and drinke the sacraments for whome they will liuing and dead Howbeit in these their sacrifices falselie feined so far are they off from communicating the death of Christ either to themselues or to others deceiued by them as rather themselues and they which obeie them are by such Masses depriued of the benefit of the true sacrifice of Christ once offered vpon the crosse Wherefore aptlie doo they séeme to haue called these Masses wherein onelie the priest dooth eate and drinke priuate Masses a name in verie déed not heard of among the fathers bicause they be void and destitute of all the fruit of Christs sacrifice Awaie therefore out of the church at length with these priuate Masses and let those that are perfect come in their places wherein is obserued the iust and true institution of Christ which he left vnto his disciples for the true kéeping of the Lords supper Wherein there may be a communion of the brethren which togither may be made partakers of the perfect iust sacraments of the Lord. For in these priuate Masses there is rather an excommunication than a communion sith therein one onelie so receiueth those things that are offered as others doo receiue nothing at all I knowe that they go about to shift off these things with this feined deuise to saie that one priest dooth communicate in the name of the whole church But by what commandement dooth he this By what word of GOD is this ceremonie mainteined Which if it be profitable it ought to be doone by faith but faith hath no place where the word of God soundeth not By that reason a man may go and baptise himselfe euerie daie and may make pretense that he doth this in the name of the whole church and may applie this baptisme of his to whome he will either liuing or dead And no lesse is this to be considered that we in this time of the new testament haue no outward sacrifice and therefore we find Rom. 12 1. that ours is called by Paule A reasonable seruice of God And Christ warned that it would come to passe Iohn 4 23. that The true worshippers shall worship in spirit and in truth Wherefore we saie that that argument is ill concluded There were before the lawe and vnder the lawe outward sacrifices Therefore they ought to be so now For as the priesthood is now translated to Christ and that there be no priests extant besides him so is there in sacrifice besides that which he himselfe offered vpon the crosse Wherefore we said that the sacrifices of the forefathers were shadowes and figures of the death of Christ and as it were pictures The altar and slaieng of beasts for sacrifice did serue their turnes but Christ offered the true sacrifice his bodie was the offering and the crosse was the altar wherevpon he was offered but for vs that haue now the fruit and benefit of Christs pretious death and passion it is not fit nor conuenient in such sort to represent and shadowe it bicause it is past For it is méet of this sacrifice to haue a feast prepared whereof the minister of the church is a dispenser and not the offerer neither hath be a little altar except thou wilt figuratiuelie call a table an altar Whosoeuer therefore will labor to renew the priesthood the altar and outward sacrifice those without doubt indeuour to transforme the new testament into the old Hereof it commeth that the elder fathers said that our sacrifices are vnbloudie that is spirituall and reasonable It is moreouer to be considered which the Lord commanded 1. Co. 11 26 while he celebrated his supper that his death should be shewed Which assuredlie is no other thing than to make mention of his death as it was a sacrifice whereby God is reconciled vnto vs and to giue thanks for it Doubtlesse I thinke there is no man but vnderstandeth that the remembrance or token of anie thing differeth in nature from the thing it selfe which it betokeneth and sheweth to the memorie For if it were all one with it it should not be called a token but should haue the name of the thing to the end that the name might agrée with the nature Wherefore séeing we grant that this action is a memorie of the oblation of Christ it should be absurd to saie that the same is the oblation of Christ it selfe But they saie that the argument dooth conclude that the Masse is not that bloudie sacrifice once made on the crosse by the sonne of God himselfe A feigned difference betweene a bloudie and an vnbloudie sacrifice But they contend that they neither affirme this as they that saie This is a certeine other oblation of the bodie and bloud of Christ vnbloudie which they must oftentimes renew Howbeit to answer thus is to saie nothing bicause herein are two things to be knowne of vs neither dooth there appeare a third vnlesse thou wilt imagine some thing For it is necessarie that those things which be spoken of the oblation of Christ be either referred vnto his death which of his owne accord he offered vpon the crosse for our saluation or else they must be vnderstood of the remembrance thereof and thanks-giuing for the same Betwéene these two we can perceiue no meane either by the nature of things or by the holie scriptures that can be called a sacrifice wherein Christ should be offered vnto the father And this is declared by the propertie of the names for among the Latins that which they
of such ornaments haue some of the good Fathers made no account whereupon as Ierom sheweth Exuperius Bishop of Tholosa ministred the holie Supper with a cup of glasse Exuperius and with a wicker basket And in the Triburien Councell they began to dispute whether golden or woodden vessels should be had for the vse of the Sacraments Boniface saying of golden Priests and woodē cups and contrariwise There Boniface the Martyr being demaunded of his opinion said When they were golden Priests they had woodden cups now being woodden Priests they will haue golden Challices And after this manner he derided the question put forth Yea and Persius and Ethnick Poet taunted this vanitie of men Persius writing Tell mee ye Bishops what doeth gold in your sacrifice Which verse Bernarde something changed Bernard very wel vsed the verse of Persius when as alreadie in his age the Bishops had golde in the furniture of their horses and said Tell mée ye Bishops what doeth gold in your brydle But the aduersaries saie that by these riche mettals and precious stones their ministerie is beautified Let them be holie of life and maners let them teache reprooue and féede the people committed vnto them It is verie diligentlie taught by Paule in the Epistles vnto Timothie and Titus 1. Tim. 3. 1 Titus 1. 6. with what ornamentes the holie ministerie shoulde be decked 24 But they still saie it cannot be denied An obiectiō why that should not be lawful in the newe Testament that was lawfull in the old but that such things were vsed in the olde Testament why is not the same lawfull for vs But if they haue determined to reuoke all things which were done in the old Testament why doe they not also renue the sacrifices of Moses Let them confesse that they haue the spirit of children not of men and of bondage not of fréedome They that be delighted with this kinde of worshipping had néede to deuise to themselues another Christ For true Christ neuer required such things We graunt that in the old Testament God would haue the Iewes to haue these things but of the Christians he hath not required them So as they which at this day giue vnto him without asking doe ill We liue now in that age The true worshipping of God Iohn 4. 24. wherein God must bee worshipped not in this place nor vpon that mountaine but in spirit and trueth as we reade in the 4. Chapter of Iohn Wherefore the charges which are lauished vpō these things should much rather be bestowed for the maintenance of the poore and aduauncement of learning and especiallie diuine learning Further that the ornaments of Salomon in that time also were not so necessarie Those ornaments of Salomon were of no necessitie to them of that time but that GOD might be worshipped without them it is thereby declared that by the will of God they were taken awaie by the Chaldeans Moreouer if we calculate the times Those ornaments were not long kept in the Temple 1. kings 14. 25. we shall easilie perceiue that this golde of Salomon was not long kept in the temple because Rehabam his sonne tooke awaie the greatest part thereof to deliuer it vnto Sesack the King of Egypt whose prisoner he became And againe Abias gaue no small part of that gold vnto the King that beséeged him Ezechias also did the like 2. kin 18. 15 But let vs returne to our owne The beginning of superfluous expenses in our Temples Constantinus the first Emperour of that name opened the window vnto this so great a charge who as Eusebius writeth in the third booke of his life dedicated a temple at Ierusalem which he magnificentlie garnished with offerings with golde siluer and precious stones Furthermore I knowe that Optatus the Bishop of Millaine in the first booke against Parmenianus made mention of such Ornaments and so also did other of the Fathers But whatsoeuer they eyther affirme or decrée if it should be receiued by vs it ought to be allowed by the testimonie of God The sixth Chapter Of Schisme and whether the Gospellers bee Schismatikes because they haue alienated themselues from the Papists Looke after in the 20. Place In 1. kin 12 at the end I Will diuide this defence into thrée principall pointes A diuision of this question First I will shew that there happened most iust causes of our separation Secondly I will prooue that this separation was necessarie for vs. Thirdlie I will make it plaine that we haue not departed from the Church but haue rather returned to the same But before I enter to the explaining of these things I minde to speake somewhat of Schisme The Etymologie of Schisme The word is a Gréeke word deriued in Gréeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to diuide to cut hewe in sunder But betwéene Schismes and Heresies The difference betwéene Schisme Heresie Looke In 1. Cor. 1. 10. Augustine against Cresconius Grammaticus so distinguisheth as a Schisme is called a late separatiō of the congregation by reason of some diuersitie of opinions the which when it hath waxed old is called an heresie Howbeit it séemes not verie likelie to be true that these should differ one from another by the difference of newnesse and oldnesse This doth rather agrée that mē maie be infected with schisme who neuerthelesse retaine the selfe same faith as it hath oftentimes happened in the papacie And the propertie of heresie is that it taketh some opinion to be defended seuerallie from others the which is repugnant aswell to the word of God as to the common faith Yet doth Paul in the first Epistle to the Corinthians séeme to confounde these two 1. Cor. 11. 18. For he accuseth them both of Heresie and Schisme The efficient cause of Schisme 2 It must not be passed ouer that Augustine affirmeth hatred against the neighbour to be the cause of Schisme And of this hatred there maie bée shewed foure chiefe partes namelie that men among themselues as touching the principall points doe not consent 2. Cor. 13. 11. and therefore Paul wished that the Corinthians were agréed and ioyned together in one minde Secondlie they oftentimes iarre in those things which are deriued and concluded of principles and therefore the Apostle added That they maie bee knit together in one and the same opinion It also happeneth sometime that although they agrée in minde and opinion yet are some so in loue with their owne phrases and forme of spéech and so obstinatelie maintaine the same as rather than they will forsake them they will be separated frō their brethren therfore Paul wished that they might speake al one thing Lastlie they therefore hate their brethren because some made one their guide and some another as it happened among the Corinthians of whom some saide I hold of Caephas 1. Cor. 1. 13. I of Paule and I of Apollo and euerie one hated
of the simple that they differ one from another and euerie one from the truth and for this cause ye forbid men to read them at all vnles they be translated by your selues We grant indeed that our translations differ in words but verie seldome in sense if at anie time in sense yet neuer in matter of great importance As for differing in words we prooue that there was neuer yet anie mortall men two three or mo that without an apparent miracle could speake write and interpret one and the selfe-same thing after one and the selfe-same maner with the verie same words Which interpretors notwithstanding whilest they keepe the true sense are not to be condemned though they varie in words wherefore to saie the verie truth the difference of our translations is rather in sound of words than in sense or meaning And where there be anie alterations they be seldome anie corrections but explications But put the case there be some few escapes of small weight in some of the first editions perhaps some few in the latter by reason of mistaking some Greeke or Hebrue or Syrian word or phrase shall this make the word of God to be of none effect Shall the people for this cause not once looke into the whole scripture for their owne comfort and edification Shall the few small faults of an interpretor forbid a wounded conscience to seeke a medicine for his maladie and a salue for his sore Shall men be denied the vse of all vessels gold and siluer if anie cracke or flawe happen vnto them Shall euerie pretious iewell that is not adorned with the finest gold and with the best foiles be cast awaie Shall euerie good land that hath a bauke or bunch be left vnmanured Shall euerie good man that is able to do seruice in the Common-weale be abandoned for committing one or two small offenses If we see no pretious thing in the world that for anie accidentall blemish is contemned cast awaie shall the rich diamond of the word of God be kept from the vse of Christians bicause of some few words misconstrued by some vnaduised men Will ye denie the new testament latelie translated by your Iesuits into English to all the English pretended Catholiks bicause some certeine words be misinterpreted therein some childishlie affectate some in the verie sense it selfe corrupted You should haue dealt more charitablie with vs and not so vniustlie haue accused all our translations but especiallie if you had spied anie thing amisse in the first Editions which are mended in the latter you should not so maliciouslie haue laid those things to our charge and with more trauell you should haue learned the truth of the Greeke before you had obiected vnto vs such things as now turne to your owne shame and reproofe I thought to haue spoken somewhat at large in the defense of our translations but sith that learned Diuine Master D. Fulke whose great labour and diligence in the church I can neuer sufficientlie commend hath so stronglie and so latelie confuted all the causis obiected against the same as all you that be the aduersaries shall neuer be able by all your replies to shake the credit of that booke much lesse to conuince or disprooue it therefore I passe it ouer with a word or two assuring you that we haue doone nothing parciallie but so far as God hath lent vs his talent we haue searched out both the Latine and Greeke in all those places wherein might be anie mistrust of corruption and wrong interpretation Againe if we according to the Greeke copies haue translated otherwise than your Latine translations will beare so long as the same agreeth with the rest of the doctrine of the holie scriptures it is warrant enough for vs to vse the same and too great rashnesse of you to denie it Furthermore we confesse that we in our translations are not so precise but that where the words of the Greeke or Hebrue or Latine be so difficult as they cannot be liuelie expressed word for word especiallie in the English toong we haue sometimes added a necessarie word by the sense of the place to be vnderstood which you haue not doone in your translation of the new testament and therefore haue you left such vnperfect sentences and haue giuen such absurd termes as euerie good man dooth pitie and lament your great fruitlesse labour Furthermore it may be that we haue not in euerie word kept the proper English of the Greeke or Hebrue as neither yee haue doone altogither out of the vulgar Latine in your translation yet neuerthelesse will the circumstances alwaies beare the same and so can it not be iustlie said that we haue anie waie altered the sense But now would I not haue you thinke that we haue spoken this as though the doctrine which we teach cannot be defended vnlesse our translations be iustified at large For our doctrine is vnreproouable and that which we defend is sound and the verie same that Christ left in his word that the apostles and all the fathers taught in the primitiue church that we haue receiued from them by the testimonie of their owne writings and haue manie times sealed with our owne bloud finallie that we haue confirmed with innumerable books and writings and that we will still stedfastlie defend so long as we haue breath in our bodie Wherevpon also we conclude that since all our translations are consonant to this doctrine consonant to the originall copies of the Greeke and Hebrue and consonant to that which the apostles and fathers taught in the primitiue church they be sufficientlie authorised of themselues without receiuing anie further defense from vs. But what doo ye of the Seminarie of Rhemes thinke if we should receiue into our church the translation which ye your selues latelie made simplie I meane and nakedlie without anie of your corrupt notes and blasphemous glosses would not the verie same confirme all our opinions in the cheefest matters as much in a maner as our owne translations For it is not your phantasticall new deuised termes that can make Christs true religion contrarie to it selfe that can alter the sense and meaning of the holie Ghost that can either infeeble our true grounded positions or strengthen your false forged obiections Neither can the name of Chalice in steed of Cup turne our Communion into your Masse nor Supersubstantiall in steed of Dailie or true bread from heauen in the Lords praier turne naturall bread into the bodie flesh and bloud of Christ nor Hosts in steed of Sacrifices conuert our sacrifices of Thanks-giuing Praier Almes and Mortification into the vnbloudie sacrifice of the Masse and hanged vp Idoll of the Altar Nor can the name of Penance for Repentance establish your Satisfactions nor Condigne for Woorthie take awaie the woorthinesse of Christs death to erect your merits of Condignitie nor Inuocate for Calling vpon establish your Inuocation of Saints nor yet anie other of your new inkpot terms
to wit Impudicicitie for wantones Longanimitie for long suffering Praecursor for forerunner Euangelize for preaching the good tidings of the Gospell Azyms for vnleuened Bread Parasceue for the daie of Preparation Scandalized for Offended Contristate for making Sorie Propiciat for making Reconciliation Depositum for a thing committed to the hands of another Victims for Sacrifices Prepuce for vncircumcision Contradicted for Spoken against Resuscitate for Stir vp Holocaust for Burnt offerings By iuncture of Subministration for By ioining togither of that which serueth c. and infinite other such obscure and new inuented words which might easilie enough with some small Periphrasis without hinderance of the sense haue beene put in plaine English that can make good anie of your heathenish superstitions What need the common people be now set to schoole to their dieng daie before they can learne that out of Latine by strange and difficult words which alreadie they knowe as perfectlie as their Pater noster in plaine English with a long acquainted custome Was this Christs his Apostles maner of teaching Did they not speake in the plainest termes they could possiblie deuise to make those whom they spake vnto vnderstand them Did not babes and sucklings vnderstand that which the Lord himselfe spake Was not for this cause the gift of toongs sent downe to the Apostles to the intent they might interpret euerie thing to euerie man in their owne naturall language Wherefore be ye better aduised hereafter in accusing of our translations before ye haue purged and perfected your owne and before your gaines in this matter may be comparable to the trauell that you haue taken therein Now then since all these translations of ours haue beene doone by faithfull learned and godlie men and of a good sincere and godlie purpose we praise God perpetuallie and commend the good indeuours of them And we most humblie and earnestlie desire of God that bicause there is no perfect wisedome nor knowledge in man vnlesse it be giuen from aboue and that there were neuer anie mortall men that without the assisting grace of the spirit of God could doo anie thing so trulie and exactlie but others after them might find some imperfection therin it will please him for his sonnes sake to lighten continuallie the minds of men of vnderstanding that they may dailie put to their helping hands to the perfect polishing of this excellent translation And let vs magnifie the Lord of heauen and earth that hath turned the enuie of you which be our aduersaries to the aduancement of his owne glorie the increase of our diligence the refutation of your errors and benefit of his church For ye hating vs vnmercifullie bicause we deliuer the word of God vnto all the people indifferentlie to be read in their owne mother toong and yet being forced to confesse that the same ought not to be deteined from them haue euen against your owne wils in some respect set foorth the glorie of God and so by the selfe-same sword wherewith ye thought to haue destroied vs ye haue pearsed your owne bowels confounded yourselues ouerthrowne your owne counterfet and false doctrine and maruellouslie established the truth of our profession And herein moreouer are we beholding to God though not vnto you which ment not thereby either to pleasure vs or to edifie the people insomuch as by the narrow sifting which yee haue made of our opinions and translations we knowe the verie vttermost which you are able to breath and braie out against vs. And that by this meanes if yet there remaine anie thing that lieth in our power to performe which hitherto hath beene neglected we may run therevnto with all willingnesse of heart till at length we come to that principall marke wherevnto we tend with all our desire and godlie indeuours Moreouer ye contend more vehementlie for all those opinions of yours which we denie than did the ancient fathers with the Montanists Marcionites Arrians and other damnable sects which denied the true humanitie or diuinitie of Christ or as though the holie scripture had as plainlie and preciselie commanded those things as it did euerie other thing that ye and we both alike confesse And yet Christ and the Apostles in setting downe all things in the scripture necessarie to saluation gaue not so much as a word or signe of anie such opinion If your opinions had beene of necessitie to beleeue as yee pretend vnto vs that they are or if so the pleasure of God had beene that we should imbrase them would the holie Ghost haue passed ouer in silence so weightie matters and for the which hee knew so great controuersie should afterward arise betweene the true church and the false Would our mercifull God that so tenderlie loueth his elect and so desirouslie would haue them all to be saued and who suffereth not his truth to faile nor his Gospell to be hidden from anie but from them that perish would he I saie hide from his owne anie of the necessarie principles of religion If he kept nothing backe from the Ephesians but shewed them euen all the counsell of God would he be anie thing lesse mercifull vnto vs than he was vnto them by not shewing to vs in his written word that which by epistles and preaching the spirit taught vnto them No verelie but what he shewed vnto them that hath he shewed vs that is to saie hath plainlie taught vs in the holie scriptures Wherfore laie aside all maliciousnesse and hatred towards vs and discerne with a pure heart and a single eie what the good and acceptable will of the Lord is Againe you would make the authoritie of your church to bee far greater than the authoritie of ours bicause of a great consent of manie Prelates and Bishops You weigh not that there is neither authoritie nor councell nor conspiracie nor consent nor custome which is not agreeable to the will and word of God that is of anie force We knowe that an other foundation besides Christ Iesus which is alreadie laid can no man laie and therefore the true builders will build no other matter vpon that foundation but such as is deriued from the rocke Christ Iesus but ye haue builded your owne vile trash vpon the same and therfore the matter being such as neither Christ commanded to build with nor anie of his seruants long after him vsed nor yet is answerable to the same foundation wee conclude that neither your church is Christs church nor yet the builders thereof the Lords builders But wee for our part haue a more certeine and assured word of prophesie for the knowledge of our church and whereby wee take not vpon vs to woorke the Lords woorke with anie other stuffe than the Lord himselfe hath appointed Wee build altogither vpon the foundation of the prophets and apostles Iesus Christ beeing the head corner stone And we finish the temple euen according to that paterne which is no no lesse euidentlie set downe in the euerlasting testament
of Iesus Christ than was the Iewes temple vno Moses vpon the mount Therefore is ours the true church and shall continue for euer whereas yours shall consume perish and come to a fearefull end Furthermore ye boast that the church of God hath long continued quiet without anie generall resistance till now of late that the learned men in Germanie and else-where began to disdaine that the truth of God should so shamefullie be abused by couetous and carelesse men Ye consider not that your forgeries crept in by little and little now one thing and than another whole ages betweene that they sproong vp of deuotion of a pretense of holines of a wrong conceit of Gods omnipotencie of a zeale towards religion but yet without knowledge that manie times your opinions either were not resisted bicause learned men were otherwise better occupied in confuting of more grosse palpable heresies or if they were resisted those monuments haue perished by the enuie of your side or else through manie barbarous nations which inuaded Christendome that manie of your opinions grew by mistaking of councels and misconstruing of the fathers and of their darke and hyperbolicall speeches and not of anie authoritie receiued from the primitiue church that your church of Rome might more liberallie and without resistance and therefore more dangerouslie raise vp errors hir citie being the mistresse that commanded all nations that those errors of yours were pretended vnto the common people to be taught out of the woord of God and that it behooued to keepe them vpon paine of damnation that the godlie were humble and charitable and besides the opinion they had of the authoritie and learning of bishops and councels either for charitie they would not or for feare they durst not find fault with anie ordinance made by them further that God had not as yet put into the harts of kings and great estates to defend those that should find fault with the corruptions of the church that the professours of the Gospell had not prepared so smooth stones nor had so apt slings for the purpose as now they haue for God had not yet prepared the art of Printing whereby the word runneth verie swiftlie into all parts of the world that the kings of the earth had not as yet droonke the full draught of the whoore of Babylons cup nor thorough the infection thereof had shead the vniust measure of innocent bloud bicause the mysterie of iniquitie had not yet wrought all his force neither was that man of sinne so notoriouslie reuealed whome now the Lord dooth euerie daie more and more destroie with the spirit of his mouth Further that the time was not yet come wherein God by his eternall prouidence had decreed to build vp the walles of decaied Ierusalem neither yet was the iudgement of God so neare at hand Lastlie that all things were not yet fulfilled which Christ and his spirit prophesied should come to passe before the latter daie Giue ouer therefore these insolent and vaine boastings for the Lord dooth all things in time in measure and in weight his purposes are far from mens cogitations he oftentimes maketh the vilest and basest beginnings to grow vp to the greatest advancements of his glorie and he knew before all eternitie whome he had chosen to himselfe The sinnes of your forefathers shall not excuse your wilfull obstinacie for I saie vnto you that not onelie they but the cities of Sodome and Gomorrha would haue conuerted before this time if either they had seene the wonders that haue beene doone in your daies or else had heard the hundred part of preaching instructing and confuting of those errors that ye haue heard and learned and throughlie tried And sith our preachers haue preached vnto you not themselues but Iesus Christ not anie deuise of their owne but what they haue found in the holie word and haue taken this labour vpon them not for ostentation of their owne learning or for enuie they beare to your persons but in defense of the truth but with a zeale of the Lords house but for reformation of Christs church but for the manifesting of your false opinions for the earnest desire of your saluation ye should haue imbrased them as the Angels of God much lesse haue persecuted them to the death Ye should haue taken this faithfull trauell of theirs as an infallible token from heauen that as GOD before the first comming of his sonne sent manie prophets betimes in the morning to rebuke the sinnes of the people and to shew wherein the priests had violated the lawe of the Lord and how greeuouslie the false worshippers had defaced his holie sanctuarie so now before his second comming he hath sent heapes of these godlie and zealous preachers to laie open the errors of the church and to gather into the sheepefold the wandering flocke those whom he had predestinated to his kingdom before the foundations of the world were laid If none of all these things will serue if nothing will make ye relent if not yet at the length ye will returne to the true church for all the spirituall and supernaturall signes and wonders of your daies for all the admonitions that haue beene giuen you for all the arguments that haue confuted you for all the word that preuaileth against you for all you see the latter daie creeping towards you and the sonne of man as a theefe in the nightstealing vpon you if still ye will be selfe willing and obstinate if still ye will giue more credite to your selues than to the liuelie word of God if no not yet ye will leaue persecuting of your brethren by fire sword by malicious lies and reproches and by all maner of wicked waies ye can deuise and that contrarie to godlines contrarie to iustice contrarie to all humanitie contrarie to the law of nature and contrarie to your owne consciences ye will haue the iudgement of religion in your owne hands and will haue no other interpretation but such as your selues deuise behold I pronounce vnto you that the mightie God Iehouah commeth he commeth and that speedilie in his owne person riding vpon the wings of the wind He will not now seeke anie more reuenge vpon Pharao and Nabuchad-nezar for his people of Israell nor yet vpon Dioclesian Iulian and other heathen tyrants for oppressing the Christians but hee will require the bloud of righteous Abell at the hands of his owne brother Cain of Lot at his owne citie Sodome of Iacob at his owne brother Esau of Zacharie at the prince of his owne people of Christ at the hands of his owne Ierusalem and of his saints and martyrs of England at the hands of their owne countrimen kinsmen and brethren He will not reprooue you for intermitting your vnbloudie sacrifice of the masse and for not offering vp his sonne euerie daie to his father which himselfe once for all offered vpon the crosse seeing he neuer commanded you thus to doo No but he will
The forme of prophesieng For he that declareth naturall causes and arts and sciences is not a prophet And so a prophet is distinct frō a doctor or teacher Wherein a prophet differeth from a teacher For doctors although they be instructed in the gifts of God to teaching persuading comforting yet they get those things by exercise instruction studie and labour but prophets are taught by no other means than by the onelie reuelation of God Howbeit such prophets as are thus taught of God although perhaps there be some now a daies in the church yet I thinke there be not manie But at the verie beginnings More prophets when the church began than now when the church began to spring vp God raised manie prophets For when men were conuerted from Gréekish gentilitie vnto Christ and were altogether ignorant and vnskilfull of the holie scriptures Loke in the 13. art it was néedful that God helped them by such reuelations but now that all places abound with bookes and teachers there is no néed of the helpe of prophets For the Iewes did onlie looke for Christ to come he is now come wherefore we haue no néed of other prophets Besides they were not so instructed in the holie scriptures For at the beginning they had the lawe and nothing else Then came Samuel and other prophets which made all things full and whole Now there is scripture enough euerie-where Finallie they were alwaies curious serchers of things to come and prone to idolatrie therefore least they should run vnto sorcerers and soothsaiers Deut. 18 15. GOD promised that he would giue them a prophet from among their owne brethren Acts. 3 22. This dooth Peter by the figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trulie transfer vnto Christ But in verie déed God euermore cared and prouided that they should not be without some prophet of their owne number But in our daies that grosse idolatrie is taken awaie Chrysostome Chrysostome vpon Genesis saith that the sinnes of men haue brought to passe that no such rare pure spirit can dwell among vs which reason dooth not much mooue me For when the people did most gréeuouslie offend God did euer stir vp his prophets The end of prophesieng as Paule saith is to edifie The end of prophesieng that is to bring vs to eternall felicitie but that is not perceiued by mans iudgement For neither eie euer sawe it or eare heard it wherefore it was néedfull to haue it shewed in a more hidden sort by prophets But they could not open it vnlesse they themselues vnderstood it neither could they euer vnderstand it vnlesse they were admonished by the inward spirit of God The efficient cause For otherwise they would be as ignorant in those things which are done by nature as other men be The spirits that stir vp prophets are sometime good sometime euill 4 But now that spirit wherewith they bée stirred vp is sometime good and somtime euill For as God dooth edifie the church by his prophets so the diuell apishlie counterfeiting God subuerteth it by his prophets There was neuer anie heresie that boasted more of prophesies than did the Montanists For they accounted their Prisca and Maximilla being rich and wealthie women for prophetisses The idolaters foretold some things that were true the more easilie to deceiue did mingle them with falshoods But thou wilt saie Why God suffereth the euill men to foretell true things Augustine Why did God suffer them to speake true things Augustine in his 14. booke De trinitate answereth Bicause they were both sinnes and the punishments of sinnes and they had deserued to be giuen vp to lies and strong delusions as Paule saith to the Thessalonians And God saith 2. Thes 2 11 Ezec. 14 verse 19. that If a prophet be seduced I haue seduced him And Augustine against Iulian saith Augustine The diuels report true things euen of Christ bicause God will by all meanes maintaine the truth both to the comfort of the godlie and condemnation of the wicked But such kind of witches are now forbidden by the lawes of princes Lawes of princes against witches as appeareth in the Code De maleficis mathematicis Howbeit bicause none shall be deceiued they are not called Mathematicks in that place which doo foreshew anie thing by the starres or speculation of naturall causes but such as vnder the name of Mathematicks vttered for gaine curious arts and inchantments which kind of people the Emperour Constantine commanded to be burnt But the good spirit is sent in by God which when the heathen knew not they called it furie and distraughting of the mind Plato in his dialogues Phaedro and Ioue Propheticall furie saith that poeticall furie is one mysticall another foretelling of that which should come and another diuine Now concerning the originall of prophesie it is certeine that as touching the time thereof the same was first in Adam Gen. 2 23. For thus did he saie This is now bone of my bones The originall of prophesie Iude. 14. After him preached Enoch which was the seuenth from Adam as it is written in the Epistle of Iude. Then succéeded Moses and Samuel But thou wilt saie If prophesieng bée so ancient whie dooth Peter on this wise saie in the booke of the Acts It is written in the prophets Acts. 3 24. from Samuel and thence foorth I answere that Peter had first made mention of Moses then he maketh Samuel the head or chéefe of the prophets Samuel chiefe of the prophets bicause he had made verie famous the order of the prophets Lastlie bicause nothing was written of anie prophet before Samuel 5 Chrysostome in his second homilie vpon these words of Esaie Chrysost I sawe the Lord sitting Esaie 6 1. setteth foorth although not verie exactlie a definition of prophesie Prophesie saith he Prophesie defined is nothing els but a declaration of things to come And vpon the prologue of Paule to the Romans he saith that the holie men did not onlie prophesie by writings and words but also by déeds Prophesie by deeds as Abraham did in the sacrifice of his sonne and Moses in the brazen serpent and all the people of Israel in eating of the passouer But a fuller definition is this Prophesie is a facultie giuen vnto certeine men by the spirit of God without teaching or learning whereby they are able certeinlie to knowe things heauenlie high and secret and to open the same vnto others for edifieng of the church Here this word facultie is the generall word to prophesie which may be referred to naturall power not that the same power is naturall but that it may make men apt as naturall power dooth whereby they may be assured of their knowledge Which I therefore added bicause they that vtter those things which they themselues vnderstand not be rather mad persons than prophets The other parts of the definition may
set foorth their matter with goodlie words and so it may be vnderstood what they saie they account breuitie a speciall praise of speaking And a little after it followeth thus The name of things doone requireth order of time to be obserued will also haue the description of countries For in matters which be great and woorthie of memorie we first looke what counsell was taken secondlie the acts that were doone and lastlie what end and successe came thereof And in counsels is signified what the writer alloweth and in the acts is declared not onelie what was doone and said but also in what maner they were executed c. By these things we may perceiue what is the nature of Annales or of historie And it séemeth we may affirme The narrations of the scriptures be rather histories than chronicles that the narrations of the holie scriptures be rather like histories than Annales For not onelie acts are there set foorth as they were doone but also the verie causes counsels and meanes are shewed Also the orations admonitions and reprehensions are otherwise set foorth with som ornaments All which rather belong vnto histories than vnto bare Chronicles 21 But since we haue heard the opinion of Cicero let vs sée also what Aulus Gellius saith Aulus Gellius opinion of chronicles and histories who in his fift booke and fift chapter writeth on this sort Some doo thinke that a historie differeth from a Chronicle in this that whereas both of them are a declaration of things that be doone yet that a historie is properlie of such things as the writer himselfe is present at the execution of those things which he intreateth of c. This distinction he himselfe dooth not followe and that for some certeine cause Which distinction neuertheles Seruius the Grammarian vsed and after him Isidorus in his first booke of Etymologies which is a maruell bicause he is not only against Tullie who said that An historie is a gathering of things doone from yéere to yéere but also contrarie to Virgil whose verse is in the first of Aeneidos And if it please you to heare the Chronicles of our labours Wherein he declareth that Chronicles also belong to such things as the writer was present at But I will speake againe of Gellius He reporteth that there were others which thought histories to be either the exposition or demonstration of things that haue béene doon and they be Annales or Chronicles when the acts of manie yéeres are afterward compiled an order of euery yéere being kept According to which iudgment the historie of the scriptures cannot be named among Chronicles séeing in the declarations of things doone in them the course of yéeres manie times is not obserued Afterward the same Gellius according to the mind of Sempronius Asellio added this much But the difference betwéene those which would leaue Chronicles behind them and others which indeuoured to discourse of the worthie acts of the Romans was this In their Chronicles they onlie shewed what déeds were doon euerie yéere but the histories not onelie shewed what was doone but also how by what order deuise and counsell the same was atchéeued And a little after the same Asellio in the same booke Chronicles can neither mooue the more couragious sort to defend the Common-weale nor yet the more cowardlie to doo amisse Wherefore since by the knowledge of the scripture men be admonished and stirred vp to the right worshipping of God to repentance of their life to put their whole confidence in God and finallie to take in hand all offices which appertaine to good life and conuersation they rather containe historie than chronicle I haue vsed manie words touching this matter but I trust not without some fâ—uit God is the authour of historie 22 But it must not be thought that historie was deuised by man séeing God himselfe is the author thereof who would that the forefathers should declare vnto their children and posteritie the maruellous things that he did in Aegypt in the red sea and in the wildernesse yea and he bad as we read in Exodus that the warre against Abimelech Exod. 17 14 the victorie which the Israelites had of him should be recorded in writing but this kind of writing began before Moses For euen he maketh mention Histories before Moses time Num. 21 15 Ios 10 13. 2. Sam. 1 18. aswell of a booke of the wars of the Lord as also of an other booke of iust men The prophets also oftentimes mingled histories with their prophesies I omit Dauid who manie times garnished his psalmes which he soong with histories of the scriptures I passe ouer our euangelists in the new testament and the Acts written by Luke wherin are large and most profitable histories Of these bookes if God be authour as we must beléeue he is euen God himselfe shal be counted the authour of historie And this is not vnbeséeming for him séeing historie is an excellent thing for as Cicero writeth in his booke De oratore it is a testimonie of times The praise of historie a light of the truth the life of memorie the maister of life and the messenger of antiquitie c. Verie singular are these commendations and not fit for euerie historie but for such onelie wherein those rules are obserued which this authour hath in the same place set downe that is to wit The rules of a true historie that there be no false thing told that there be no bashfulnes in telling the truth that there be giuen no suspicion of fauour or hatred Wherin although the Latine Historiographers were better than the Gréekes The Latine histories of more credit than the Greeke which as Quintillian saith were in these matters almost as lewd as the poets yet Augustine in his 131 epistle to one Memorius a bishop giuing no small praise to historie among other liberall disciplines and writing of the truth saith that he could not perceiue how those stories which are compiled by men can be well able to kéepe the truth séeing that writers are constrained to giue credit vnto men and oftentimes to gather rumors and reports of the multitude who neuerthelesse are to be excused if they kéepe the course that is required in a historie and write nothing of affection or set purpose to beguile men The histories of the scriptures most true But there is nothing more true than the histories reuealed and written by the inspiration of God as these histories of ours be 23 Besides the commoditie of the truth The commodities comming by histories the knowledge whereof is without doubt most excellent we obtaine other commodities also and those not small by the reading of histories By them we may gather great and abundant store and matter of most profitable arguments For as Quintillian saith histories and examples be iudgements and testimonies And the vse of examples is of two sorts at the least Two maner of vses of examples one is
Iohn 1 32. Matth. 3 16. lighted vpon the Lord which being the spirit was as trulie a doue as he was the spirit neither did the contrarie substance taken destroie his owne proper substance Of the doue wherein the holie Ghost appeared 11 I knowe there haue bin some schoolemen which thought that it was not a verie doue which descended vpon the head of Christ but that it was onlie an airie and thickned bodie appéering to be a doue But Augustine De agone Christiano writeth otherwise Augustine namelie that the same was a verie doue For a thing saith he is more effectuall to expresse the propertie of the holie Ghost than is a signe Euen as Christians also are better expressed in shéepe and lambes than in the likenes of shéepe and lambs Againe if Christ had a true bodie and deceiued not then the holie Ghost had the verie true bodie of a doue Tertullian addeth Thou wilt demand where the bodie of the doue became What became of the doue wherin the holie Ghost appeered when the spirit was taken againe into heauen and in like manner of the Angels bodies It was taken awaie euen after the selfe-same manner that it came If thou haddest séene when it was brought foorth of nothing thou mightest also haue knowen when it was taken awaie to nothing If the beginning of it was not visible no more was the end then he remitteth the reader vnto Iohn Was he also saith he a phantasie after his resurrection when he offered his hands and féet to be séene of his disciples saieng Behold it is I for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as yee see me haue Luke 24 39. Therefore Christ is brought in as a iugler or coniurer And in his third booke against Marcion Therefore his Christ that he should not lie nor deceiue and by that meanes perhaps might be estéemed for the Creator was not indéed that which he séemed to be and that which he was he was feigned to be flesh and yet no flesh man and yet no man and therefore Christ God and not God For why did he not also beare the shape of God Shall I beléeue him as touching this inward substance that is ouerthrowne about the outward substance How may he be thought to worke soundlie in secret that is perceiued to be false openlie And afterward It is inough for me to affirme that The iudgement of the senses which is agréeable vnto God namelie the truth of that thing which he obiecteth to thrée senses to sight to touching and to hearing Againe in his booke De carne Christi His vertues saith he prooued that he had the spirit of God and his passions A proofe of the godhead manhood in Christ that he had the flesh of man If vertues be not without spirit neither shall passions be without flesh If flesh togither with the passions be feigned the spirit also with his vertues is false Why dooest thou make diuision of Christ by an vntruth He is all wholie truth 12 Apelles the heretike The opinion of Apelles the heretike being in a manner vanquished with these reasons agréed indéed that Christ was indued with verie flesh but yet denied the same to be borne but said that it was brought foorth from heauen And he obiecteth that The bodies which were taken by Angels were true bodies but were not borne such a bodie saith he Christ had Whervnto Tertullian answereth They saith he which publish the flesh of Christ to be after the example of the Angels saieng that it was not borne namelie a fleshie substance I would haue them also to compare the causes as well why Christ Christ tooke flesh vpon him in one respect Angels in another as why the Angels did come in the flesh For there was neuer anie Angel that came downe to be crucified to suffer death and to rise againe If then there was neuer anie such cause for Angels â—o incorporate themselues then hast thou a cause why they take flesh and yet were not borne They came not to die therefore they came not to be borne but Christ being sent to die it was necessarie that he should be borne for no man is woont to die but he which is borne He addeth moreouer And euen then also the Lord himselfe among those Angels appéered vnto Abraham with flesh indéed without natiuitie by reason of the same diuersitie of cause After this he addeth that Angels haue their bodies rather from the earth than from heauen For let them prooue saith he that those Angels receiued of the stars substance of flesh if they prooue it not bicause it is not written then was not the flesh of Christ from thence wherevnto they applie their example And in his third booke against Marcion My God saith he which hauing taken it out of the slime of the earth formed it a new vnto this qualitie not as yet by the séede of matrimonie and yet flesh notwithstanding might as well of anie matter haue framed flesh vnto Angels which also of nothing framed the world and that with a word into so manie and such bodies Againe in his booke De carne Christi it is manifest that Angels bare not flesh proper of their owne as in the nature of spirituall substance and if they were of anie bodie yet was it of their owne kind and for a time they were changeable into humane flesh to the intent they might be séene and conuerse with men Further in the third booke against Marcion Vnderstand thou saith he that neither it must be granted thée that the flesh in Angels was an imagined thing but of a true and perfect humane substance For if it were not hard for him to giue both true senses and acts vnto that imagined flesh much easier was it for him that he gaue a true substance of flesh to true senses and actions insomuch as he is the verie proper authour and worker thereof For it is harder for God to make a lie than to frame a bodie Last of all he thus concludeth Therefore are they verie humane bodies bicause of the truth of God who is far from lieng and deceit and bicause they cannot be dealt withall by men after the maner of men otherwise than in the substance of men I might alledge manie other things out of Tertullian but these may séeme to suffice for this present purpose The summe of Tertullians opinion Bréeflie he thinketh that Angels haue bodies for a time but yet strange and not their owne for their owne bodies as he thinketh belongeth vnto the spirituall kind Secondlie he saith that those strange bodies which they take vnto them are either created of nothing or else of some such matter as séemeth best to the wisedome of God Thirdlie he teacheth that those bodies were true and substantiall and humane bodies not vaine or feined but of verie flesh and not of that which onlie appéered to be flesh in such wise as of men they might
both be touched and handled to the intent that both he might remooue dissimulation from God also confirme the truth of humane flesh in Christ Whereby it is prooued that mens senses beguiled thē not as touching these things as the Papists confirme that men are deceiued about the bread and wine of the Eucharist Origin 13 But Origin in his booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Ierom citeth him against Iohn bishop of Ierusalem was of a far other mind For whereas we saie that the visions of Angels may be conceiued thrée maner of waies to wit either in phantasie or in bodie but not humane or else in the verie true bodie of a man he taketh a certeine meane and saith that The bodies of Angels wherein they present themselues to the eies of men are neither perfect bodies nor humane bodies nor yet phantasticall bodies and yet bodies neuertheles and that he applieth to them that rise againe For we shall saith he haue bodies in the resurrection but yet onlie bodies not bones not sinewes not flesh And indéed there is some difference betwéene a bodie and flesh Euerie flesh is a bodie but not euerie bodie flesh for euerie flesh is a bodie but euerie bodie is not flesh Such a difference Paule toucheth in the first chapter of his epistle to the Colossians when he said Ye are reconciled in the bodie of his flesh Col. 1 22. And in the second chapter Col. 2 11. By putting off the sinfull bodie of the flesh Yea and in the Créed also we saie that We beleeue in the resurrection of the flesh and saie not Of the bodie Origin said that he sawe two excéeding errors the one was of them which said that there was no resurrection Such were the Valentinians and Marcionites 2. Tim. 2 18. of which sort also were Hymenaeus and Philetus who as Paule witnesseth taught that the resurrection was alreadie past and such are the Libertines at this daie reported to be For they babble I cannot tell what of the matter both vngodlie and vnlearnedlie Another of those which think that perfect and true bodies shall rise againe with flesh sinewes and bones which thing he saith is not possible for Flesh bloud cannot inherit the kingdome of God But Origin should haue weighed what Paule said afterward for he addeth Neither shall corruption possesse incorruption 1. Co. 15 50. Wherefore his meaning is that a corruptible bodie cannot possesse the kingdome of GOD. But Origin to kéepe himselfe within that meane which he appointed confessed that bodies indéed shall rise againe yet not grosse and bonie but spirituall according as Paule said 1. Co. 15 44 It shall rise a spirituall bodie But Origin in these words marked not that Paule calleth it A spirituall bodie not bicause it shall be wholie conuerted into a spirit but bicause it shall haue spirituall qualities namelie incorruption and most cléere brightnes But bicause he perceiued that the bodie of Christ which he after his resurrection offered to his disciples to be handled and fealt was against his doctrine therefore he saith Let not the bodie of Christ deceiue you for it had manie singular properties which are not granted vnto other bodies Further he would haue a true bodie after his resurrection to the intent he might prooue by this dispensation that he was trulie risen from the dead not to signifie that other bodies should be semblable vnto it at the resurrection But he shewed the nature of a spirituall bodie at Emaus Luk. 24 13. when he vanished from the sight of his disciples and at another time when he went in to his disciples Iohn 20 19. the doores being fast shut 14 Against these things Ierom repugneth Ierom. If Christ saith he after his resurrection did verelie eate with his disciples he had also a verie true bodie if he did not eate how did he by a false thing prooue the truth of his bodie Luk. 24 31. In that he vanished from the sight of his disciples this was not through the nature of his bodie but by his owne power Luke 4 30. for so in Nazareth when the people would haue assailed him with stones he withdrew himselfe out of their sight And shall we not thinke that the sonne of GOD was able to doo that which a magician could doo Apollonius Tyanaeus For Apollonius Tyanaeus when he was brought into the councell before Domitian he foorthwith vanished awaie That this was in Christ not in respect of the nature of his bodie but of his diuine power it is shewed by that which went before in the historie For while he was in the waie with his disciples their eies were held Luke 24 16 so as they could not knowe him And whereas Origin affirmeth that the bodie of Christ was spirituall Iohn 20 19 bicause it came in where the doores were shut Ierom answereth that the creature gaue place to the creator In what sort the body of Christ entred in the doores being shut c. Wherefore the bodie of Christ persed not through the middest of the planks and boords so as two bodies had béene togither in one and the selfe-same place but herein was the miracle in that the verie timber of the doores gaue waie vnto the bodie of Christ Luke 24 2. Further whereas some doo obiect that the bodie of Christ came foorth of the sepulchre being close shut The bodie of Christ came not out of the sepulchre the same being shut that also is not of necessitie to be beléeued but it may be thought that the stone was rolled away before he came out And least any should thinke that I deuise this of my self let him read the 83. epistle of Leo vnto the bishops of Palestine The flesh saith he of Christ which came out of the sepulchre the stone being rolled awaie c. Now to returne to the purpose The bodies wherein Angels appeared were true humane bodies Bicause I said that the bodies of Angels which they take vnto them maie be thought either to haue béene phantasticall or spirituall or else substantiall and verie humane bodies and that the two first opinions are reiected it now resteth that the bodies of Angels wherein they shew themselues to be men are verie true and humane bodies and this onelie I affirme to be true séeing Angels were in such sort séene as they wrestled with men and offered their féet to be washed The visions of the prophets were sometime imaginatiue And I iudge it not lawfull to say that mens senses were there deceiued séeing the things were outwardlie doone I denie not indéed but that somtimes there happened to the prophets visions imaginatiue when they said that they sawe God or the cherubims or such other like things For in asmuch as that happened often in their mind or power imaginatiue it might be doone by forms images and visions Angels appering in mens bodies were not men 15 Now
And that which is written in Genesis Leui. 17 14. Deu. 12 23. 1. Cor. 15 verse 50. Leuiticus and Deuteron they taunt with these arguments In the first to the Corinthians the 15. chapter it is said Flesh and bloud shall not inherit the kingdome of God therefore bloud is not the soule otherwise Paule had excluded soules out of the kingdome of heauen Further Christ in the gospell saith Matt. 10 28. Feare not those which kill the bodie and haue not to doo with the soule if so be that the bloud be the soule then without controuersie the tyrants haue to doo with it they shed it they destroie it c while they kill the holie martyrs of God These arguments are two maner of waies dissolued by Augustine against Adimantus Augustine In the old testament the speaking is of the liues of brute beasts but the arguments which these men bring out of the new testament conclude as touching a reasonable and humane soule wherefore their owne argument hath reprooued them vnwares But the more throughly to confute their first argument note that when Paule in that place speaketh of the resurrection to come he by flesh and bloud meaneth that the conditions of a mortall bodie shall be taken awaie from the saints at the resurrection Which thing the words alleadged there by him doo declare It is sowne in corruption and mortalitie but it shall rise againe in contrarie conditions But thou imaginest that aswell the life of brute beasts as the soules of men are called bloud That must be a figuratiue spéech to be interpreted by the figure Metonymia as it were the signe put for the thing signified In like maner as Augustine testifieth against Adimantus the Lord doubted not to saie Matt. 26 26. This is my bodie when he gaue the signe of his bodie Seing therefore the bloud is a signe of the presence of the soule therefore it may be called the soule it selfe Againe as by the same figure the thing conteining is taken for the thing conteined For who is ignorant that the soule of man is after a sort conteined in the bloud which being spilt and consumed it cannot abide any longer in the bodie yea and it is so ioined to the same as it followeth in a maner the affections and perturbations thereof so long as we liue in this life Yea some haue thought that it was therfore decréed that men should refraine from eating of bloud least they should become of beastlie maners which they saie are easilie carried into our mind if we should eate the bloud of wild beasts which thing I haue alleadged not as though I allow this to be the cause why God gaue that commandement but to declare the coniunction euen of mans soule with the bodie 26 But how man is the image of God it is declared at the beginning of Genesis In 1. Cor. 11 7. Gene. 1 26. where it is written that God said Let vs make man after our image and likenes that hee may haue dominion ouer the foules of the aire The image of God consisteth in the rule ouer creatures the fishes of the sea and the beasts of the earth Where it appeareth that herein standeth the image of God that he should be ruler ouer all creatures euen as God is the ruler ouer all things Augustine Augustine dooth oftentimes refer this to the memorie mind and will which being faculties of one and the selfe-same soule doo represent as he saith the thrée persons in one substance Howbeit this doctrine of Augustine dooth rather shew the cause of the image For man is not set aboue other creatures to haue dominion ouer them for anie other cause but in respect that he is indued with reason which plainelie sheweth it selfe by these thrée faculties But yet this is not all that the image of God is bound vnto For it is not inough to gouerne and rule well the creatures of God with memorie mind and will except we both vnderstand remember and will those things which be pleasing vnto God For if our mind remaine infected as it is with sinne it will not lawfullie haue dominion of things but will rather exercise tyrannie against them The true image of God is the new man Wherefore the image of God is the new man which vnderstandeth the truth of God and is desirous of the righteousnes thereof as Paule hath taught vs when he writeth to the Colossians Col. 3 10 Put vpon you the new man which is shaped againe in the knowledge of God according to the image of him which created him Where we sée that the knowledge of God is true effectuall to lead vnto the image of perfection And this is more expreslie set foorth in the epistle to the Ephesians Ephes 4 24. Put you on the new man which is created according to God in righteousnes and true holines When our mind is both indued with the knowledge of God and adorned with righteousnes then dooth it trulie expresse God For righteousnes and the knowledge of diuine things are nothing else but a certeine flowing in of the diuine nature into our minds But perhaps thou wilt vrge that after this maner a woman also is the image of God We saie that if thou compare hir with the rest of the creatures she is the image of God for she hath dominion ouer them and hath the vse of them But in this place thou must compare hir vnto man and then is she not said to be the image of God bicause she dooth not beare rule ouer the man but rather obeieth him Wherefore Augustine in the 13. chapter of his booke De trinitate said If it be vnderstood of man and woman in respect that they be indued with mind and reason it is méet that they should be according vnto the image of God but the woman being compared vnto man as touching the actions and affaires of this life she is not the image of God bicause she was created to be a helper of man And in the same place he hath another exposition Augustines allegoricall exposition but the same allegoricall He saith that we be called men séeing we contemplate God and that we are of good right bare headed bicause we must there repose our selues with incessant indeuour for vnsearchable is the end of diuine things But we are called women saith he when we descend with our cogitations vnto the care of earthlie things There it is méet to haue the head couered bicause a measure must be vsed and we must take héed that we be not too much plunged in worldlie things Howbeit we must not leane vnto allegoricall interpretations The exposition which we alledged before is plaine ¶ Of the image of God looke more in the propositions out of the first second chapters of Gen. in the end of this booke In Gen. 1. verse 26. 27 The image of anie man is the forme wherby it representeth him A similitude
and grant their bodie and outward parts vnto the diuell 38 Forsomuch as by the parts of the distinctions before put we haue spoken sufficientlie as concerning the dwelling togither of priuate men with infidels now remaineth to treat of princes and magistrates A distinction of powers and they are either principall as they which depend of no other nor haue superiour powers aboue them or else they be inferiour officers which lawfullie of right are subiect vnto superiour potentates as it were by fealtie or for bicause they are their deputies or ministers that is officials or vicars as commonlie they be called Let vs first therefore speake of such as be absolute and méere higher powers searching whether they in their dominions may suffer the faithfull to be conuersant with infidels I thinke it be lawfull so that there be certeine conditions or cautions put For when as the Romane Empire receiued christianitie euerie one which liued vnder the same Empire did not straitwaie beléeue who yet were suffered to liue and dwell peaceablie Yea in the time of Ambrose Symmachus who was a stranger from Christ was so hardie to craue of the emperors that the rites of the Ethniks might be restored which was not granted vnto him And now when as kingdoms and dominions haue admitted the preaching of the Gospell there be still manie suffered which are woonderfullie affected toward the Pope and his wickednesse bicause they cannot without great perturbation of the state be separated from them which are of the Gospell So that the princes are forced to suffer such conuersation Neither is that to be ascribed a fault in them if that they depart not from these iust cautions The first whereof is The first caution that they constraine not the faithfull to anie vngodlie worshippings for then should they not execute the office of the ministers of God but rather of the diuell and of antichrist they should be a terror to good works and not vnto euill neither should they set forward the worke of God but the tyrannie of Sathan The second caution Secondlie let them beware that they permit not vnto the infidels wicked rites and vngodlie ceremonies in their dominions Of this crime was Salomon guiltie not that he compelled the Iewes to worship idols 1. Kin. 11 7 but bicause to his wiues and concubines which were strangers he permitted temples in Iurie wherein they might worship Astaroth and Chamos and other strange gods But how gréeuouslie God was offended with him the holie historie declareth He was iustlie punished by the lawe of like for like Ibidem 11. that euen as he had made diuision of the seruice of God giuing part therof vnto God and part vnto idols so was his kingdome diuided wherof a part was granted vnto his sonne and a part was giuen to Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat And his fault spred abroad vnto his posteritie for Achas Manasses and manie other vngodlie kings had wicked detestable worshippings at Ierusalem for the which they were by the prophets gréeuouslie and sharplie reprooued And vndoubtedlie a magistrate cannot but be blamed when he worshippeth idolatrie séeing he beareth the sword to reuenge wicked acts Wherefore we must determine A Magistrate must punish idolatrie either that idolatrie is no sinne or else that it ought to be punished by the magistrate as well as other sinnes be 39 Augustine manie times dooth verie well intreate of that place of Dauid Augustine Psal 2 10. Be wise now therefore ô ye kings be learned ye that be iudges of the earth serue the Lord in feare c. It is méete saith he that euen kings doo serue the Lord. Neither speaketh Dauid of them How and in what respect kings ought to serue God in that respect that they be men for so are they bound as well as others to obserue common lawes In that therefore that they be kings surelie they be warned to vse the power and swoord giuen them by God to defend the veritie of the true faith and to represse the vngodlie that the Catholike truth and church of God so farre as their dominions extend be not assailed So that it is not lawfull for princes to grant vnpure worshippings vnto the vngodlie naie rather it is their part speciallie to be earnest in setting foorth of sound doctrine ceremonies and rites which agrée with the word of God And yet neuerthelesse to speake thereof by the waie I thinke not that we should too much contend that rites and ceremonies may be all alike and obserued euerie where after one maner But this must be regarded that they be not repugnant vnto the word of God but that they approch therevnto as nigh as is possible that they tend as much as may be to edifieng and to the promoting of decencie and order Of standing sitting or kneeling at the communion For otherwise it maketh no matter whether we receiue the sacrament of the Lords supper standing or sitting or knéeling so that the institution of the Lord be kept and occasion of superstition be cut off Neither is it anie matter when the brethren be communicating whether one certeine place of the holie scripture be recited or whether psalmes and thankes-giuing be soong of the people Yea and I thinke that this varietie of rites How profit is had by the varietie of rites dooth not a little further to the obteining of a true opinion concerning ceremonies namelie that all men may vnderstand that those ceremonies which are not set foorth in the holie scriptures are not necessarie to saluation but may be changed for edification sake as time shall serue And Augustine to Ianuarius and Cassulanus was of this opinion Augustine The third condition or caution that must be regarded is The third caution that princes take héed that those infidels whom they suffer in their dominions be continuallie with diligence instructed and not neglect them as commonlie the maner is in things perteining vnto godlinesse Otherwise we are not to looke that the patience wherwith the prince suffereth them can set foorth the glorie of God if they may be suffered continuallie without teaching to abide in their vngodlie opinion for in processe of time they become not the better on whit but a great deale the worse The fourth caution Furthermore princes must beware that those sort infect not the people committed to their charge with the corruption of infidelitie and errors by meanes of the mutuall conuersation betwéene them The fift caution And finallie when they be well instructed and taught they must compell them to the sound and pure worshipping which the holie scripture hath appointed For the magistrate may not suffer his subiects to liue without the exercises of godlines The end of ciuill gouernment for the end of ciuill gouernment is that the citizens should liue vertuouslie and happilie And who séeth not that godlines and worshipping of God is of all other vertues the
that anie man should feigne himselfe to haue committed anie crime which he hath not doone Gregorie though Gregorie saith that It is the part of good minds there to acknowledge a fault where none is Of this matter Augustine Augustine in his 29. sermon De verbis apostoli hath taught more soundlie and trulie For he writeth By feigning on this wise if thou wast not a sinner before thou shalt become a sinner namelie in saieng that thou hast cōmitted that which thou hast not committed Indéed it is lawfull for euerie man to confesse himselfe generallie to be a sinner but this or that crime speciallie hauing not committed the same no man ought to take vpon him Moreouer we must note this to be true to wit that it is not required of vs to open the truth at all times and in all places to speake all that we knowe Howbeit in iudgement the case is otherwise for there while we be examined as witnesses we are bound to testifie that which we knowe to serue vnto the thing whereof we be at that time demanded Of Truth and of a Lie which place is treated of In Iudges 3. and also In 1. Sam. 21 verse 12. Of truth 28 Now let vs treat of another question namelie whether it be lawfull for a good and godlie man to lie But before I speake of a lie I thinke best to speake somewhat of truth which doubtlesse is an excellent vertue What is truth Cicero Truth as saith Tullie in his booke De inuentione is that whereby things which are haue béene and shall be are spoken without alteration Wherein we will first note that it consisteth in words for he saith that they are spoken Not that I am ignorant but that dumbe men and others doo sometimes speake by signes Augustine But bicause as saith Augustine in his first booke De doctrina christiana among other signes words are the principall and most plaine Further we be taught hereby that truth is not onelie to be considered as touching one difference of time but as touching thrée differences For he saith that both those things which are which haue béene and which shall be These things be then spoken trulie when they be set foorth without alteration that is euen as they are and by speaking made neither more ample nor lesse than they be The verie selfe-same thing in a maner hath Augustine said in his booke De vera religione Augustine the 36. chapter where he writeth that Truth is whereby that which is is signified And it is a vertue Truth is a vertue bicause by it men are made prone and readie to speake that which is true If thou demand what is the generall word of truth It is equalitie wherevnto is ioined The generall word of truth for difference sake namelie of words about the things which are signified And as it is well knowne to all men all vertues doo aime at the meane and eschew extremities Wherefore Two faults in speeches in the kind of speaking thou shalt perceiue two faults namelie if thou speake more than the thing will permit or lesse than the thing is Neither is vertue content onelie with the meane for we must adde circumstances which vse commonlie to followe it So as the truth must not alwaies be spoken to euerie man neither at all times nor yet of euerie thing and yet we must not lie But it is wisedome sometime to kéepe secret those things which for iust cause we will not haue known He which should vaunt abroad euerie-where and to all men the gifts of God giuen vnto him should be counted foolish and fond As contrariewise he which should boast of a crime whereinto by mans infirmitie he hath fallen ought iustlie and woorthilie to be reprooued Wherefore truth requireth What thing truth requireth that what we haue within vs as touching our sense and will that should prudentlie be signified by vs as it is Further the vertue whereof we speake hath simplicitie most of all ioined with it and it is verie contrarie vnto doublenesse Besides this it is a part of iustice for both vnto things it giueth the proper words and vnto a neighbour the truth which is due vnto him without the which mans fellowship cannot stand For if a man should continuallie suspect himselfe to be deceiued by anie man he would neuer giue anie credit vnto him by meanes whereof all trades and societies among men would decaie Aristotle in his Ethiks Aristotle affirmeth that Truth declineth somewhat toward the defect especiallie when anie man speaketh of himselfe For this wisedome requireth that a man boast not of himselfe Wherevpon Paule in his second epistle to the Corinthians and twelfe chapter wrote If I will boast of my selfe 2. Cor. 12 6. I shall not be vnwise but I will forbeare lest anie man should thinke of me more than that he seeth in me or that he heareth of me By these words he reprooueth them as foolish and vnwise which doo boast and glorie euen of those good things which they haue and he saith that he will absteine from it Neither saith he doo I require that anie man should thinke more of me than either he séeth in me He that speaketh lesse of himselfe than he hath lieth not or heareth of me And he which speaketh lesse of himselfe than he is is not straitwaie to be accused as a lier For that which is the more comprehendeth and conteineth in it the lesse For whosoeuer hath fiftie he may truelie saie that he hath twentie although he speaketh not of all that he hath Howbeit if the same man should affirme that he hath but twentie onelie or else should denie that he hath anie at all We must not lie for humilitie sake out of doubt he should lie the which must not be committed either for modestie sake or as they saie for humilitie 29 Concerning testimonies out of the holie scriptures which doo stir vs vp to speake the truth doubtlesse verie manie might be alledged but a few shall suffice In the ten commandements Exo. 20 16. it is written Thou shalt not beare false witnesse Which commandement must be obserued not onelie in iudgement but in all things which in our talke we testifie to be either true or false Moreouer God is set before our eies to be followed Rom. 3 4. whom the scriptures in euerie place pronounce to be true Wherefore we also ought to be most feruent louers of the truth verse 21. And for that cause Iethro in the 18. chapter of Exodus counselled Moses to set such men to be rulers ouer the people as did feare God men of courage louers of the truth and those which hated couetousnesse Psal 51 8. Also Dauid saith Behold thou hast loued truth and therefore thou hast made me to vnderstand wisdome in the inward and secret parts of my mind These things sufficientlie declare that we are taught of God
both by inward inspiration and also by outward doctrine bicause he is a louer of the truth neither dooth he suffer that his children should either erre or be deceiued by lies In Zacharie the eight chapter verse 16. it is written Speake ye the truth euerie man to his neighbour Which selfe-same sentence Paule vseth to the Ephesians Ephes 4 25. Col. 3 9. and he commandeth the same to the Colossians But in the latter epistle to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 3 8. he saith of himselfe and of the other apostles that they can haue nothing against the truth Yea and the Scribes and Pharisies being ioined with the Herodians on this wise flattered Christ whom they went about to intrap in his spéech Maister Matt. 22 16. we knowe that thou acceptest no persons yea thou teachest the waie of God in truth Hereby they declared that it is a singular vertue for a noble and notable man to prefer the truth before all things But let these testimonies of the holie scriptures be sufficient at this time 30 It remaineth Of a lie that I now come to treat of a lie Augustine Augustine who wrote thereof to Consentius affirmeth that A lie is the false signification of the spéech And vndoubtedlie of this vice may all those things be spoken by a contrarie position which are before declared of truth And first contrarie to that which Tullie affirmed of truth that that is true whereby things which are which haue béene and which shall be are said to be vnaltered And a lie is that whereby is signified that which is not for Augustine defined truth by the contrarie This vice is so hurtfull that it maketh a man which is infected therewith to reioise and be glad in falsehood The generall word of truth is equalitie Inequalitie the generall word of a lie and the generall of this vice inequalitie And as truth is verie néere ioined with simplicitie so a lie belongeth to doublenesse Truth is a part of iustice but a lie is a part of iniustice By truth the societie of man is preserued but by lieng it is hurt and ouerthrowne But returne we to Augustine who writeth that He is said to lie which with a will to deceiue speaketh that which is false that To lie is nothing else but to go against the mind for liers speake another thing than they haue in their mind But the desire to deceiue is vtterlie against iustice loue and amitie which we mutuallie owe one towards another So then there be thrée things in a lie first Three things incident to a lie to speake that which is false secondlie his will in speaking and thirdlie a desire to deceiue The first part belongeth to the matter of a lie the other two parts perteine vnto the forme 31 A lie is distinguished into an officious lie a sporting lie and a pernicious lie The distinction of a lie And this diuision commeth of no other thing but of the effects or of the ends For this is euermore true that the ends themselues may haue the nature both of the cause and of the effect séeing lies doo either profit or delite or else hurt The end of a pernicious lie is to hurt the end of a sporting lie is to delite and the end of an officious lie is to profit But forsomuch as in vertue Aristotle Aristotle hath respect chéeflie vnto the meane if then in speaking thou excéed that meane Looke In 2. Sam. 16 verse 33. he calleth it boasting but if thou come short he nameth it dissimulation or mocking And in this euill that most of all hurteth bicause an euill or false opinion is ingendred in the mind of our neighbor For which cause it séemeth that the same Aristotle said well that Lieng is a wicked thing A lie is wicked and must be shunned and must be auoided Which we may prooue by testimonies of the holie scriptures For herevnto belong all those things which we rehearsed before for prouoking of vs to speake the truth And there be manie other places dispersed here and there which detest lieng Dauid saith Psal 5 6. Thou shalt destroie all those which speake lies Psal 5 6. There be reasons also which persuade the same whereof one is In a lie is an abuse of signes that in a lie there is an abuse of signes And for so much as it is not lawfull to abuse the gifts of GOD a lie also is vnderstood to be forbidden Moreouer as it is before said a lie is enimie vnto the societie of man For in lieng the vnderstanding of the mind is not communicated vnto our brethren but lies Wherefore séeing by nature man is made vnto societie and communication when he speaketh that which is false he striueth against his owne nature And as Augustine saith Augustine Faith héerein is harmed bicause he which heareth beléeueth those things which are spoken Wherefore that faith which he giueth vnto others words is made void and so notable a thing cannot be hurt without blame And to conclude euerie man by lieng looseth his owne credit for being taken in a lie he shall be euer after suspected of it Wherefore though he would he shall not be able by admonition or correction to helpe his neighbour So the fault that is in a lie not onelie respecteth the losse or hurt of our neighbour but it is in it of his owne kind as manifestlie appéereth by that which we haue alreadie said What kind of lie is most greeuous But among lies that séemeth to be most heinous which is in matter of religion doctrine and godlinesse for in no other thing can guile be more hurtfull and pernicious For if we shall erre therein we be cast from euerlasting felicitie Wherefore Augustine in his Enchiridion the 18. chapter hath verie well written that They indéed sinne gréeuouslie which deceiue trauelling men in shewing them a contrarie waie But they be much more detestable which in lieng about matters of religion doo bring men into error 32 If the thrée kinds of lies should be compared togither I meane the pernicious lie the sporting lie and the officious lie the pernicious lie should iustlie be counted the more detestable Bicause in it are two euils one is the abuse of signes In a pernicious lie are two euils an other is the hurt of our neighbour and that both of the mind that is deceiued which is common to all lies and also of the thing which is lost But as for other lies although they be not without fault yet is the same fault much diminished by the benefit either of delight or of supplie of the helpe A sporting lie And indéed a sporting lie hath in it but a small and slender nature of a lie for so much as the falshood is straitwaie found out neither can it be long hidden from the hearers Augustine Yea Augustine writeth that such lies are not to be counted
the harlot or vitler Augustine answereth Augustine that it was not the lie which the midwiues made but the faith and feare that they had towards God and the mercie shewed vnto the Israelits that pleased the Lord which the holie historie by expresse words dooth testifie And no otherwise must we thinke of Rahab Gregorie But I neuer like of the opinion of Gregorie who saith that for the lie which they made their eternall reward was turned to a temporall reward bicause it is said that God for their euerlasting blessednesse builded them houses But I iudge that by reason of the true faith which was effectuall in them in such sort as it brought foorth in them both loue and the feare of God which be lawfull and iust fruits of that faith the lie which they made through infirmitie béereaued them not of eternall felicitie 36 Abraham also is obiected who said Looke In Gen. 12. at the end and 19. 8. Gen. 12 13. that Sara was his sister Howbeit therein as Augustine teacheth he lied not he told that which was true but yet he spake not all the truth And that is of no man required to vtter all that he knoweth to be true He did not saie that she was his wife yet bicause she was his kinswoman he might according to the maner of the Hebrues truelie saie that she was his sister Notwithstanding he séemeth not to be holden altogither excused for although he lied not in calling of hir sister yet it appéereth that therein he fell bicause by not reuealing that she was his wife he put hir in danger of loosing hir chastitie sith he lest hir void of that helpe whereby onelie she might haue béene defended from falling into the loue of strangers Neither is it néedfull that I should indeuour to excuse Abraham altogither for he was a man and by too muth feare might easilie doo amisse Howbeit Augustine Augustine mentioneth that Abraham was then in danger two maner of waies the one least he should be killed him selfe the other the adulterie of his wife The first he might shun in calling hir his sister the other namelie least she should be polluted he was not able to repell For although he had said that he was hir husband that would not haue serued to deliuer hir from the shamefull lusts of the Aegyptians Wherefore that which he himselfe was not able to shun he committed vnto God and in that which was in his owne power he would not tempt him This séemeth to be the iudgement of Augustine But what I iudge I haue before declared 37 But did not the same Abraham lie when he said vnto his seruants Gen. 22 5. Looke In Gen. 27 19. Tarrie here and we will returne vnto you when neuerthelesse he was minded to sacrifice his sonne Which if he had doone he might not haue returned hauing his sonne with him but should haue returned alone without him Iacob also by expresse words lied Gen. 27 19. when he said vnto his father I am Esau thy sonne Paule also as it is written in the Acts saith that he knew him not to be the chéefe priest which commanded him to be striken when for all that as Augustine testifieth in his sermon of the Centurions sonne and as it is written in the 23. cause question the first chapter Paratus he knew him well enough Paule saith he was brought vp among the Iewes he had learned the lawe at the féet of Gamaliel wherefore he verie well knew the chéefe priest from other men 2. Kin. 10. 18 Iehu also lied manifestlie when he said Augustine Two kinds of men that he would worship Baal Augustine writeth that there be two kinds of men mentioned in the holie scriptures For that there were some so perfect as although they were not without sinne yet we may not rashlie iudge euill of them but rather séeke how we may defend those things which in their works haue a shew of sinne They oftentimes were so mooued by the holie Ghost that God by their words and acts might make certeine secrets knowne And so we must beléeue that oftentimes they both spake and did certeine things by prophesie So Abraham when he said We will returne vnto you prophesied vnwares that which shuld come to passe for he safelie returned from the mountaine with Isaac And Iacob in saieng I am Esau ment to declare nothing else but that he was the man to whom the degrée blessing and dignitie was due which séemed to perteine vnto Esau who was the first borne Paule also prophesied what should at the length become of the high priest namelie that as a painted wall and a thing altogither feigned and hypocriticall he should be taken awaie Further saith Augustine there were other men not so perfect but were euill which are spoken of in the old testament either to haue lied or else to haue doone some thing that might séeme to be sinne But he thinketh that we should not so greatlie indeuor to defend the good name and opinion of those men Of this sort of men was Iehu for although that murther which he executed vpon Achab and his familie and also his wéeding out of Baal and the worshippers thereof pleased God yet neuerthelesse he was a wicked king neither forsooke he the worshipping of golden calues Wherefore it shall be lawfull to confesse that in lieng he committed sinne But in my iudgement and as I noted before by this onelie distinction we may easilie dissolue this doubt namelie Note a distinction that those men were stirred vp to lie either by the spirit of man or by the motion of God When they did it as men we will not denie but that they sinned but when they spake so by the inspiration of God we maruell at their saiengs and dooings But we will not take it as an example and president to followe VVhether it be lawfull to lie for preseruing the life of our neighbour 38 But there ariseth a harder doubt Looke In 2. Sam. 15 33 namelie whether it be lawfull to make a lie for the preseruation of our neighbors life Augustine Augustine De mendacio ad Consentium saith If a man shuld be in great perill of death and the same man should also knowe that his sonne were in extreame danger who happening to die thou hauing knowledge thereof if the father aske thée Dooth my sonne liue And thou art sure that he also will die if thou shew him that his sonne is departed what wouldest thou doo in this case Whether thou saiest he liueth or whether thou saiest I cannot tell thou liest But if so be thou answer that he is dead all men will crie out vpon thée as though thou haddest committed man-slaughter and as though thou by thy heauie newes haddest béene the occasion of the death of this father being sicke and lieng at the point of death Augustine granteth that the case is hard neither denieth he but that as a man
haue promised anie thing that we ought not to haue doone or else if the things themselues be now changed Some haue added If thou being compelled either by force or feare dooest promise anie thing that thou wouldest not But it can scarselie be perceiued how so great a feare and compulsion can happen vnto a couragious and good man that he should promise that which might be against either his dutie or the word of God Howbeit if a man be fallen in such wise he is at libertie But aboue all we must take héed that we doo not craftilie colour our promises and séeke by fraud and counterfet meanes to vnwind our selues out séeing fraud as Cicero verie rightlie said dooth not vndoo periurie but it tieth it fast Dauid when as perhaps he might haue inuented manie things to breake his promises yet would he doo no such thing For being a godlie prince he was rather minded to followe truth and faithfulnesse 43 Certeinlie the nature and consideration of these two vertues namelie truth and faith is both alike yet is it not altogither the selfe-same wherein they doo agree and how they differ I will in few words declare Wherein truth and faith doâ— differ Truth is a vertue whereby we are readie to speake those things which the meanings and cogitations of our mind doo expresse for hereby bicause we speake those things which we thinke are we called faithfull and true of our word And faith is a vertue whereby is brought to passe that our déeds be answerable to our promises There is some conformitie on both parts In truth there is a conformitie of words with the meaning of the mind and in faith a conformitie of déeds with promises So as lieng is contrarie vnto truth and falsehood vnto faith For Cicero thinketh that Faith is so called bicause that is doone which is spoken And he defined the same after a sort on this maner A definition of faith Faith is a constancie of words and of couenants In another place he saith that Faith is the truth of a mans word But thus the definition will be more full Faith is a good habit according to right reason whereby we are readie to doo those things that we haue promised This definition as I haue said is more perfect and it consisteth of a generall word and of a difference For faith apperteineth vnto iustice and it causeth vs to yéeld vnto euerie man that which perteineth to him séeing what thou shalt promise to anie man that is now become his to whom thou hast promised And the same vnlesse thou performe in time thou withholdest that which is another mans And so great is the force of faith as it comprehendeth in one all the parts of mans life bicause neither matrimonie neither the bargains which citizens haue among themselues neither anie part of the Common-weale can consist without faith It differeth as I said from truth although with the same it hath manie things that be like The matter of truth is infinite for all things that we speake are either true or false whether they be past whether they be present or whether they be to come But faith hath to doo onelie in promises neuerthelesse those promises must be of the thing that is good and not of that which is euill or a hinderance to good otherwise they ought not to be firme Wherefore faith should haue the verie same companions ioined therewith that an oth hath namelie truth righteousnesse and iudgement So as he that breaketh his promâ—se dooth not onelie sinne in so dooing but he must also make amends for the hinderance which through his vnfaithfulnesse the other partie receiueth to whom the promise is made Dauid being singularlie adorned with these vertues would not depart from the promises For he made the promise of his owne accord being not forced thereto by anie feare or violence and that which he promised was neither repugnant to the word of God nor yet hurtfull to the Common-weale For is was a matter of good example that so notable a king did fulfill his promise neither was there anie danger least they to whom he had promised should become the woorse by his promise for they were alreadie dead Wherefore there was no cause why he should shrinke from it And bicause he would performe his promise vnto Saule therefore he demanded whether anie of his familie were remaining whom he might doo good vnto But he speaketh of Ionathan by name bicause he was bound vnto him not onelie by the bond of promise but also of fréendship and most néere acquaintance Vndoubtedlie he that faileth of his faith is vnwoorthie to haue faith kept with him Howbeit we must haue a speciall regard vnto these circumstances least for the naughtinesse of another we also should become naught our selues and séeke corners for periurie Of a Fable and Apollogie In Iudg. 9. 44 They saie that an apollogie is a kind of fable What a fable is Augustine and a fable they define to be a narration of a false thing deuised for commoditie or delite sake Or as Augustine in his second booke 11. chapter De soliloquijs saith A fable is a lie made for delectation sake although properlie it cannot be called a lie For the falsehood of it is straitwaie found out and especiallie in apollogies For in them are brought in insensible and vnreasonable creatures talking one with another and intreating of verie weightie matters And so soone as the hearer perceiueth this he straitwaie vnderstandeth that the matter is feigned Of fables some are likelie to be true and some not and not so doone as it is vttered And doubtlesse some fables are likelie to be true and some are far from probabilitie For it is verie likelie that once there fell a contention betwéene Aiax and Vlysses for the armor of Achilles which at the length was iudged vnto Vlysses and that Aiax tooke so great displeasure thereat as becomming mad he slue himselfe But contrariewise it is without all probabilitie that a woman was turned into a plant or into a stone An apollogie so as an apollogie may be likened to a fable that is not likelie to be true 45 The kinds or sorts of a fable are comedies tragedies satyrs and narrations of harping and hâ—…dicall poets and also apollogies But which of these feignings be lawfull and which be not lawfull may thus be defined Those which haue vnmanerlines and scurrilitie that is a mirth ioined with dishonestie ought not to be admitted But those which are written honestlie and with shamefastnesse so that they can refresh the mind with some pleasure and are also profitable to teach good maners are not to be despised That such as be vnciuill must be put awaie it is confirmed by two testimonies of the apostle To the Corinthians he writeth Euill talke corrupteth good maners 1. Co. 15 33 And vnto the Ephesians the fift chapter it is written Let not whooredome nor anie vncleannesse
man Psal 22 7. séeing he mounted vp from so base a seruitude vnto so high and noble a degrée of dignitie from an earthlie condition vnto a celestiall glorie out of a place subiect to manie infirmities and tribulations vnto a state sure and frée from miseries from mortall flesh vnto an immortall bodie finallie when as he being so thrust downe ascended neuerthelesse vnto the highest state of the most excellent monarchie dooth it not appeare to you that he hath béene verie honourablie lifted vp on high 23 And that he being raised vp from the dead The sublimitie of Christ hath atteined chiefe principalitie Paule dooth aptlie teach in his epistle to the Ephesians saieng Ephe. 1 20. Whome God placed at his right hand in heauen far aboue all principalitie and power and might and domination and aboue euerie name that is named not onelie in this world but also in the world to come And he hath put all things in subiection vnder his feete and hath appointed him ouer all things to be head to the Church The verie same things also dooth the same apostle put vs in mind of Phil. 2 7. in his epistle to the Philippians where by Christs voluntarie submission of himselfe euen to the time of his glorie he gathereth profitable and excellent doctrine in these words saieng For that he submitted himselfe and became obedient vnto death euen to the death of the crosse therefore GOD hath highlie exalted him and giuen him a name that is aboue euerie name that in the name of Iesus euerie knee should bow both of things in heauen and of things in earth and things vnder the earth Which saieng in verie good right is agréeable to him according to the rule prescribed by himselfe in an other place Mat. 23 12. He that will humble himselfe shall be exalted Whereby also it may be gathered that the glorie must be high and magnificent according as the submission is voluntarie And séeing there neuer was nor neuer shall be anie voluntarie submission so abiect as the same that appeared in Christ it followeth therby that of a most deserued right he is aduanced aboue euerie creature that is most high Many afflictions and miseries did he suffer while he liued here amongst men now he inioieth most blessed rest and is safe as well in bodie as in soule from all trouble and disquietnesse He so passed from the most shamefull and ignominious death vnto the most excellent life as he is now all wholie blessed and immortall Wherefore the apostle in his epistle to the Romans saith Rom. 6 9 that Christ being raised vp from the dead dieth no more death hath no more power ouer him Now then if he be altogither frée from death he must of necessitie also be rid from all infirmities and sufferings which in like maner be the ministers and soldiers of death There is none but dooth sufficientlie vnderstand how far distant heauen is from earth In like maner also must we consider that the same high state vnto the which Christ is now carried dooth euen as much differ from that state to the which he submitted himselfe while he liued here among men 24 And albeit that difference betwéene the earthlie and heauenlie state may séeme to be ample this neuerthelesse is certeine that I procéed not so far in these words as Paule doth who in the first epistle to the Corinthians calleth that bodie which shall be restored to vs in the last resurrection not celestiall but spirituall It is sowen saith he a naturall bodie and shall be raised vp a spirituall bodie 1. Co. 15 44 He meaneth not that Christ and the rest of the saints which shall rise with him shall not haue flesh bones bloud distinct members and finallie a true bodie For without doubt the truth and propertie of humane nature shall still remaine but he calleth it a spirituall bodie bicause that same noble nature and forme vnto the which it shall be restored shall not flowe from an earthlie originall such as humane séed is but from the power of Gods spirit Furthermore the bodie being raised vp shall be adorned with new qualities which shall drawe néere vnto the nature of the spirit and not vnto the nature of the earth and for that cause shall iustlie be called spirituall Wherefore he that rightlie shall weigh the words of the apostle while he nameth it a spirituall bodie will not alledge the same against a corporall bodie but against an earthlie mortall and corrupt bodie Wherefore he addeth these words It is sowen an infamous bodie it riseth a glorious bodie it is sowen in weakenesse it riseth in power it is sowen a naturall bodie it riseth a spirituall bodie In a bodie raised vp be no infirmities or naturall motions to resist the spirit no heauines or grosenesse so great but that it chéerefullie obeieth the right affects of the spirit Howsoeuer it be it is sufficientlie confirmed by those things which haue béene spoken that the name of spirituall dooth in verie good right apperteine vnto the bodie of Christ being raised vp bicause it is somewhat more than if thou shouldst saie Heauenlie for so much as Christ after his resurrection as it is added in this Créed not onlie ascended into heauen but also was carried aboue heauen there sitteth at the right hand of God the father almightie The right hand of God and what is ment thereby Which maner of spéech séeing it laieth before our eies a certeine humane forme we must diligentlie ponder from whence it is deriued I say therfore that no others are placed at the princes side but those whom princes fauouring haue exalted to some high degrée of dignitie And among those which be indued with this honour no others are placed at the right hand but those which are aduanced to the highest roome of honour or power next the prince But this which héere is declared touching Christ we must vnderstand to be altogither figuratiuelie spoken of Christ séeing God is without bodie hands sides neither hath he right hand or left But by this maner of spéech we be giuen to vnderstand that Christ in that he is man is by God indued after the resurrection with such honor dignitie as there is nothing in his whole empire that not onlie cannot be preferred aboue him but not compared with him 25 But this being now declared namelie The fruit of the resurrâ—ction and â—lorie of Christ vnto what high glorie Christ by his resurrection ascended and the same being set foorth as plains as the capacitie of them to whom these things be written will beare and as the occasion of mine owne leasure would giue me leaue it shall be verie necessarie to adde what profit the same may bring vnto vs whereby also we shall vnderstand vnto what vse we ought to referre the same For séeing there is no action of Christ that is not of verie great importance to the furtherance of our
christian without the same Neuerthelesse Paule in his epistle to the Romans dooth boldlie affirme that He which hath not the spirit Rom. 8 9. the same is no sonne Wherefore let such men go and by the same infidelitie whereby they mistrust of the hauing of Gods spirit let them stand in doubt whether they be christians The holie Ghost in vs and how And if so be anie man aske how we haue him I answer that the most excellent father for Christ his sake sendeth him vnto vs according as Christ promised to vs in the person of his apostles Iohn 14 26. The comforter saith he which is the holie Ghost whom my father will send in my name c. Yea and this I may boldlie adde that Christ himselfe sendeth him vnto vs from the father euen as in an other place he saith The spirit Iohn 16 14 and 14 16. which I will send from the father vnto you Neither is he giuen vnto vs either from the father or from the sonne for anie other end but to inrich vs abundantlie with those gifts and verie excellent riches But yet the scripture sheweth that his cheefest worke dooth speciallie consist in teaching Christ promised to his disciples Ioh. 16 13. that he would send the holie Ghost which should teach them and lead them into all truth which he had shewed vnto them He warned them also Matt. 10 19 that when they should be brought before princes they should take no care bicause it should not be they that should speake but the spirit of their father that should speake in them And certeinlie the apostles were not dispersed abroad in the world for preaching of the Gospell before they were indued from aboue with that heauenlie power by the helpe whereof they not onlie preached the Gospell mightilie for bringing of men vnto the obedience of Christ but they also established the truth of their doctrine with woonderfull signes and miracles And that maner of teaching by which that spirit is performed towards vs must be inwardlie considered in the mind the which he not onelie replenisheth with his light but also dooth gentlie allure and persuade the same and maketh those things acceptable from which otherwise by reason of our corrupt nature we doo vtterlie flie Thus dooth he worke a maruelous transforming in the minds of the elect while he stirreth them vp vnto the indeuour of good works and godlie actions which by the guide of nature they might not be able to performe 34 And yet dooth he not by force constraine them vnto those works but rather with effect persuade them inwardlie And this is that happie libertie wherewith the chosen of Christ be indued who by the power and persuasion of the same spirit doo imploie their whole indeuour vnto such actions which by the onelie guide of nature could neither be doone by them nor yet would be acceptable vnto God Further also from that spirituall doctrine which flourisheth inwardlie there springeth afterward an assured mortification as well in the mind as in the flesh as Paule testifieth in his epistle to the Romans whom he warned Rom. 8 13. that If they would by the spirit mortifie the deeds of the flesh they should liue To these things adde if you will that the comfort which springeth by the assurance of our saluation is so great as euen in the middest of troubles miseries calamities and sorrowes of this world we may lead a chéerefull and merrie life And that not without cause séeing we féele in vs that singular and noble gift which Paule to the Ephesians calleth The pledge of our saluation Ephes 1 14. I sée not now how anie man vpon iust cause can doubt of his comming one daie into that state of Christ when he perceiueth alreadie that his soule liueth by the same spirit of Christ But if a man will demand how we knowe that our soule is quickened by the same spirit Answer may be made by the words of Paule I liue not anie longer saith Paule to the Galathians but Christ liueth in me Gal. 2 20. And vnto the Philippians Phil. 1 21. Christ vnto me is life Which saiengs declare no other thing but that the godlie doo liue in Christ and Christ in them and that by his spirit It is also written in the epistle to the Romans Rom. 8 16. that The same spirit dooth testifie with our spirit that we be the sonnes of GOD. And it is not fit by anie meanes to refuse so certeine a testimonie But whosoeuer hath not this testimonie inwardlie in himselfe is vnwoorthie to be called a christian But if any man obiect Paules assurance of his faith that although Paule were indued with this assured persuasion and that he felt inwardlie this inward testimonie in himselfe it followeth not that the selfe-same thing must be granted to be in others I answer that Paule wrote all these things vnto the Romans who as yet were farre off from perfection neither had they profited so much as Paule And that doo their own contentions suspicions and rash iudgments and also their verie féeble weake consciences beare witnesse all which things the apostle dooth oftentimes reprehend in these his writings And yet neuerthelesse when the Romans were such he wrote vnto them of that adoption whereby God had determined to make them his children when they should imbrace christian religion Wherefore beloued brethren let vs put off the spirit that miserable doubteth of our saluation séeing there is nothing that is more enimie to our faith which is the liuelie and most sure foundation of all our felicitie Who dooth not sufficientlie vnderstand how great contraries are beléeuing and doubting and how much they are repugnant the one to the other I certeinlie for my part doo not sée how these things may agrée To beléeue trulie in Christ my onlie and true sauiour and To stand likewise in doubt of him whether he will saue me or no séeing he hath receiued me into his faith and so greatlie testifieth by his spirit vnto my mind that swéet and bountifull affection of his towards me And if we admit the testimonies of men who naturallie are liers proue to deceit that we in like maner should cleaue to them how much rather ought we to repose our selues in all those things which that good true spirit of God dooth confirme by his testimonie Vnlesse peraduenture we suffer our selues to be persuaded that there is more truth and fidelitie in men than there is in God Which if anie be so hardie to saie he shall in this point alone most plainelie bewraie himselfe to be such a one as he is Wherefore let vs yéeld vnto the most benigne and mercifull God as great and manie thanks as we can who hath not by the ministerie of angels or of anie other creature whatsoeuer but by the power of his owne spirit ingraffed vs in Christ his true and naturall sonne and by him hath renewed
other side he saith Iohn 14 1. Iohn 6 44. that No man can com vnto him but he whom the father shall drawe Matt. 13 9. He also saith He which hath eares to heare let him heare And yet God saith in the scriptures Deut. 30 6. that He would giue them an hart from aboue to vnderstand eies to see eares to heare Wherefore these things are not repugnant one to the other namelie that the appointment of good works lieth in God and that the gift of them is to be hoped for at Gods hands onelie and that we also must put our care and endeuor to liue vprightlie and godlie for as we haue before said the holie scriptures teach both Moreouer As well the fore-knowlege of God as predestination is certeine if for this cause we should denie predestination séeing after the selfe-same maner the fore-knowledge of God is certeine and can not be deceiued shall we therefore denie that God fore-knoweth all things if peraduenture there be some which may be offended with this doctrine An example brought by Augustine And in his booke De bono perseuerantiae the 15. chapter he bringeth an example which happened in his time He saith that in the same monasterie that he was in was a certeine man of a loose life who when he was admonished of his fault was accustomed to saie Such a one shall I be as God hath fore-knowne me And when he so spake saith Augustine he spake indéed the truth but although his iudgement was true yet became he euerie daie woorse woorse at the last also he saith that he returned to his old vomit howbeit saith he what maner of one he shall in time to come be God onelie knoweth Though this man abused the truth A thing is not made euill by the abuse thereof yet will not therefore anie godlie man denie that God fore-knoweth all things And that this fore-knowledge of God is no let vnto good works Christ declared when he commanded his disciples to praie Matth. 6 9. when as yet in the meane time he plainlie told them Ibidem 32. that God knew right well what they had néed of So then The fore-knowledge of GOD ought not to call vs backe from the indeuor of praieng fore-knowledge of God dooth not call vs backe from desire to praie for the things profitable and necessarie which God hath decréed to giue vs he hath decréed to giue them by this meane They also are deceiued which thinke that this doctrine is an vnprofitable doctrine yea their sight is but small and they vnderstand not the profite thereof Vnto the godlie it is verie profitable to the end they should not put anie confidence either in themselues or in anie other men but should fixe all their whole hart and confidence in God alone Which thing vndoubtedlie none can trulie and from the hart doo but those which are fullie persuaded both that their saluation and also their good works depend not vpon themselues but of God No We cannot acknowlege the gifts of God without wee knowe frō whence they spring we cannot acknowledge the gifts of God except we vnderstand from what fountaine they spring But that fountaine is the frée purpose and mercie of God giuen vnto them whom he hath elected before the constitution of the world He which séeth not this séeth not the goodnes of God towards him By this doctrine may men be brought What that fountaine is not to glorie in themselues but in the Lord which they cannot doo that ascribe vnto their owne frée will that little whatsoeuer it be for the which they saie they are chosen of God for they haue in themselues whereof to glorie Ouer this the scriptures will haue vs to be mortified and to behaue our selues lowelie which thing nothing more easilie bringeth to passe than dooth this doctrine The certeintie also of saluation which we defend is by no other means made more manifest And in the latter epistle to the Thessalonians 2. Thes 2 13 Paule willeth vs for this cause to giue thanks vnto GOD We are willed to giue thanks for our election that we are elected of God but this can we not doo vnlesse this also be wholie made plaine and knowne vnto vs. Neither without this doctrine can the grace of God be sufficientlie defended against the Pelagians for they taught that the election of God commeth by our merits Predestination confirmeth the doctrine of iustification It is no new doctrine seeing it is set foorth in the holie scriptures Heresies the cause why doctrines were the more diligentlie searched out Frée iustification also should perish except we be rightlie taught of predestination Séeing therefore this doctrine being soundlie vnderstood is vnto so manie things so profitable no man ought to count it vnfruitfull and sithence it is set foorth in the holie scriptures it cannot vndoubtedlie be called a new doctrine 4 But if the fathers before Augustines time haue not so diligentlie spoken of it it ought not to be maruelled at for the occasions wherefore doctrines were the more diligentlie discussed and searched out were new heresies which often sproong vp in the church And for that before Pelagius time no man had spoken against the grace of God there was no néed that anie man should defend it but when there arose vp a new error it was necessarie that this doctrine should the more diligentlie be examined And yet did not the fathers which were before Augustine alwaies leaue this thing vnspoken of The Fathers before Augustines time taught this doctrine For Augustine himselfe prooueth that in the 19. chapter of his booke De bono perseuerantiae Ambrose vpon Luke saith that God could if he would of vndeuout persons make deuout And againe he saith that God calleth them whom he vouchsafeth and whom he will he maketh religious These things writeth he vpon that place wherein it is written that the Samaritans would not receiue Christ He citeth also Gregorius Nazianzenus who saith that God granteth that the faithfull both beléeue the blessed trinitie and also confesse it But whereas they quarell that this doctrine is verie obscure and cannot be vnderstood but rather bringeth men to be vncerteine of the will of God he answereth that indéed it is an obscurenes vnserchable How predestination is obscure and how not obscure if anie man go about to séeke out reasons of the iudgements of God why other men being reiected this or that man is chosen But if so much be taught of predestination as the holie scriptures doo set foorth vnto vs those things are not so obscure but that they might be manifest inough vnto our faith When we will do anie thing we must not haue an eie to predestination but to the scripture The certeine number of the elect hindreth not preaching Neither counsell we that when a man dooth anie thing he should deliberate with himselfe of predestination but rather
onelie the true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent All these things which we haue recited séeing they be had by saith and without charitie they take no place doo shew that of necessitie true faith is ioined with charitie 25 In the first epistle of Iohn the fift chapter verse 1. Whosoeuer beleeueth that Iesus is that Christ The truth reason is borne of God Some there be which sâ—…e that those which haue faith are not presentlie the children of God but that they may easilie become the children of God bicause they haue alredie atteined to some preparation vnto the same And Pighius who amongst other defends this opinion bringeth in the Gospell of Iohn Iohn 1 12. And how manie soeuer haue receiued him to them hath he giuen power to be made the children of God Behold saith he the euangelist hath giuen to them which alonelie beléeue the power to obteine the adoption of the children Howbeit this man should prudentlie haue weied those words which followe The place of Iohn is assoiled for the euangelist addeth that this power is giuen vnto them which beléeued in his name Which are borne not of bloud nor of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Wherefore they which haue receiued him and beléeued in his name are said to be borne of God and therefore are regenerated and iustified the which things without charitie cannot be had And whereas they are said to haue receiued power it is all one as if it should be said that they receiued the gift and grace to be the children of God How the beleeuers may haue power to be made the sonnes of God Power here in this place is not vnderstood to be that which is disseuered from the thing it selfe and from the effect Wherefore Hilarie in his first booke De trinitate saith They which haue receiued are augmented to be the sonnes of God not by growing of the flesh but by the springing of faith Further if we would grant that power in that place doth make shew of some thing as yet to be looked for which had no effect they haue not yet gotten that which they would namelie that they should interpret charitie or iustification to be looked for after faith as though these things for a certeine space of time were differed from faith begun but it should rather be referred to perfect adoption Adoption of two sorts Rom. 8. 15. For adoption as Paule speaketh is of two sorts one we haue now presentlie which is spoken of vnto the Romans Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare anie more but the spirit of adoption of the children wherein we crie Abba Father And this adoption haue they alreadie obteined who haue receiued Christ by faith and as the euangelist saith They be borne of God and the selfe-same men be indued with charitie But there is another adoption which is perfect this shall be giuen in the resurrection when we shall be frée from all gréefe corruption Of this there is plaine mention made in the said chapter to the Romans when it is said Ibidem 19. Euerie creature groneth and waiteth for the reuelation of the children of God yea we our selues hauing the first fruits of the spirit doo grone amongst our selues waiting for the adoption and redemption of our bodies Wherefore we will saie that the beléeuers and those that be iustified and borne of God haue a power I meane a right vnto that perfect adoption the which we expect to obteine at the time appointed Wherefore howsoeuer they haue vnderstood that word Power they prooue nothing against vs. What is to be siad of them which liue vnpurelie and yet confesse that the articles of the faith be true 26 But they be woont to cast vs in the téeth with them which liue an vncleane life which acquaint themselues with hainous crimes who neuerthelesse agrée to all the articles of saith that we doo and yet for all that it is certeine that they behauing themselues so dishonestly be destitute of charitie wherefore saie they it cannot be denied but that in them at the least wise faith is separated from charitie I answere that the faith of these men may indéed be called a true faith as touching those things which they confesse but concerning the faith it selfe if we throughlie consider the nature thereof it is no verie true and lawfull faith To make this thing manifest I will vse examples A similitude If a man conclude that an eclipse shall be which is to com but prooueth it by a false kind of argument sheweth not the same by anie iust demonstration his knowledge as touching the conclusion which he brought in may be called true yet bicause he vseth a naughtie reason the sense thereof shall neuer be called a true knowledge but a false sophisticall Also verie many Turks do confesse manie things that we beléeue as the creation of the world What the Turks beleeue togither with vs. the resurrection of the dead and that Christ was borne of the virgin Marie whom neuerthelesse we will neuer account to be indued with the true faith Againe they obiect that which is in Iohn that There were certeine princes Ioh. 12 42. which beleeued in Christ which notwithstanding durst not confesse his name And againe Iohn 2 24. That there were some which beleeued vnto whom neuerthelesse Christ committed not himselfe Now these things saie they declare that these men had faith without charitie Howbeit we yéeld not as they would haue vs that these princes were indued with the true faith and Christ taught that they did not beléeue trulie How saith he can you beleeue which seeke glorie of your selues And certeine indéed it is Iohn 5 44. Note a testimonie of Christ that the princes which iudged not euill of Christ would not therefore confesse him bicause they feared to be cast out of the synagog and while they desired too much the preseruation of their honor dignitie they were turned awaie from the confession of Christ wherefore Christ pronounced them not to beléeue These men saie moreouer They which beléeue trulie when they fall into gréeuous sinnes and yet neuerthelesse doo beléeue the same things which they did before cannot be counted without faith when as yet they be despoiled of charitie But we admit not that while they be conuersant in their sins they haue faith Titus 1 16. The deâ—…eng of God standeth not with the faith of Christ They haue an image of faith but not faith Against them the apostle beareth record that They confesse themselues to knowe God but in their deeds they deny him But with a sound true faith the denieng of God cannot stand wherefore these men shall be rather said to retaine an image and shew of faith than the true faith of which we now intreat And these things shall suffice at this time for the first question
volumes for the lawe and the Gospell are not separated asunder by volumes or bookes for both in the old testament are conteined the promises of the Gospell and also in the Gospell the lawe is not onelie comprehended but also most perfectlie by Christ expounded Wherefore by those words we are commanded to forgiue iniuries doone vnto vs. And forsomuch as we are bound to doo that After what maner we ought to forgiue iniuries according to the prescript of the lawe and that lawe dependeth of this great precept Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart with all thy soule and with all thy strength according to the forme therof we ought to forgiue our enimies Which thing bicause no man hath at anie time performed neither can performe it followeth that we ought to flie to Christ by whome we maie by faith be iustified afterward being iustified we maie after a sort fulfill that which is commanded which though we doo not perfectlie performe yet it pleaseth God And he fréelie giueth vnto vs the promise that is added not bicause of our works or of our merits but onelie for Christes sake They go about also to blind our eies with the words of Daniel when he exhorteth the king Dan. 4 24. To redeeme his sins with almes But in that place by Sinnes we maie vnderstand Redeeme the sinnes by almes is expounded the paines and punishments due vnto sinne for the scripture vseth oftentimes such phrases of spéech which thing we neuer denied Yea rather we willinglie grant that in respect of the works which procéed from faith God is woont to forgiue manie things especiallie as touching the mitigation of plagues and punishments 33 They obiect also this sentence out of the first chapter of Iohn verse 12. God gaue them power to be made the sonnes of God wherefore they saie that those which haue alreadie receiued Christ that is haue beléeued in him are not yet iustified and regenerate and made the children of God but onelie haue receiued power to be made the children of God as they thinke by works And in this argument Pighius the great champion and Achilles of the papists putteth great affiance but yet in vaine for he thinketh that he of necessitie to whome power is giuen to haue anie thing as yet hath not the same As though we should héere deale philosophicallie that power excludeth act which yet euen amongst the philosophers also is not vniuersallie true For when they define the soule they saie that It is an act of a bodie naturall hauing members or instruments and also hauing life in power By which definition appeareth that our bodie hath life in power when neuerthelesse it hath life in act in verie déed But that word Power here signifieth that the bodie hath not life of it selfe but of another namelie of the soule Which thing we maie here also at this present affirme to wit that those which haue receiued the Lord and haue beléeued in him are regenerate and made the children of God and yet not of themselues but some other waie namelie of the spirit and grace of GOD. For so signifieth this word Power although the euangelist in that place spake not Peripateticallie but simplie and most plainelie for a litle before he said Iohn 1 11. that His receiued him not By this word His he meant the Iewes which peculiarlie professed the knowledge of the true God but when they had refused the truth offered vnto them GOD would not be without a people but appointed them to be his peculiar people which should beléeue and receiue Christ Wherefore he gaue vnto them Power that is a right and a prerogatiue that when they had receiued the Lord by faith they should he made and be in déed the sonnes of GOD. And therefore Cyrillus expounding the place The power is adoption and grace saith that This Power signifieth adoption and grace Further Pighius although he thinke him selfe verie sharpe of wit yet séeth not that when he thus reasoneth he speaketh things repugnant For how is it possible that anie man should haue life in himselfe and not liue Assuredlie if they in beléeuing haue receiued Christ it must néeds be that straightwaie they haue righteousnes for as Paule writeth in the first epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 1 30. He is made of God vnto vs wisedome righteousnes and redemption But what néed we so long a discourse The euangelist himselfe declareth vnto vs who those be which haue receiued such a power namelie Which are not borne of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God And if they be borne of God then followeth it of necessitie that they are iustified and regenerated They obiect also vnto vs a seruile feare which goeth before charitie as though by it we should be prepared vnto iustification and the more easilie to receiue charitie Vnto whome we answer that such a feare without charitie is sinne They replie againe and saie that Christ commanded that feare But God commandeth not sinne And he commanded such a feare saie they when he said Matt. 10 28. I will shew vnto you whom ye ought to feare feare him which when he hath killed the bodie can also cast the soule into hell-fire And that this feare prepareth vnto iustification they thinke maie hereby be prooued for that Augustine expounding that out of the first epistle of Iohn 1. Iohn 4 18 Perfect charitie casteth out feare saith This seruile feare is not vnprofitable for euen as a bristle being put in by the shoomaker A similitude draweth the thread after it so this feare draweth with it charitie As touching the first I answer that their ground is false namelie that God hath euer in anie place commanded such a feare as wanteth charitie and faith which thing I knowe right well these men are neuer able to find But as touching Augustine we answer that in that place of Iohn Herein is charitie perfect in vs that in the daie of iudgement we haue confidence that euen as he is so are we A place of Iohn expounded in this world there is not feare in charitie but perfect charitie casteth out feare by charitie is not to be vnderstood our loue towards GOD but the loue of GOD towards vs for he speakth of perfect charitie such as we haue not in this life And the meaning of Iohn is that after we be persuaded of the perfect loue of God wherwith he imbraceth vs we haue confidence that in the daie of iudgement we shal be in safetie And this perfect charitie of God after we once knowe it casteth out feare bicause it suffereth vs not to feare Wherefore that interpretation of Augustine touching our loue towards God maketh nothing to the purpose But suppose that Iohn spake of our loue towards God as that place is commonlie taken in that sense also maie the words of Augustine be true but yet
beléeue as ye saie in him that was crucified and not in a whoore-moonger in an adulterer an vnchast person a murtherer of his father or mother or a slaier of his owne children such as are your Iupiter Saturne and other gods whom ye worship wherefore I am not ashamed neither of Christ nor yet of the Gospell In this sort also must we encounter with the heretikes when they saie that It is a thing foolish and to be ashamed of to beléeue that the sonne of God suffered in verie déed or that he tooke vpon him verie humane flesh of the virgins wombe But séeing these things be found in the Gospell we doo wholie beléeue them neither are we ashamed of the Gospell of Christ At this daie also the elder men doo sometimes vpbraid godlie yong men which are studious of the Gospell or at least wise their senses and human reason repugneth them saieng Are ye not ashamed of this new doctrine Are ye so blind that ye sée not that by this means good works are condemned the worshipping of God goeth to wracke the ministerie of the church is troden vnder foot the dignitie of priesthood disdained ecclesiasticall wealth come vtterlie to naught What patrons or supporters of learned men shall ye haue hereafter Did your ancients which went before you both in this vniuersitie and also in others being both doctors and also notable men followe these steps These men also we ought to answer We are not ashamed of the Gospell howsoeuer ye speake ill of it If so be they will saie We haue the Gospell yours is a new doctrine let vs answer them again A comparison between the doctrine of the Gospell and the papists So much is that the Gospell which ye haue as is to set foorth fained worshipping of God casting awaie and contemning the sincere worshipping described vnto vs by GOD as is to worship stocks and images as is to obtrude vowes whereby such men are drawen awaie from matrimonie as haue most néed thereof as is to erect pilgrimages vnto images to worship the bones of saints to inuocate the dead and an infinit number of such other like Wherefore ye ought to be ashamed of your doctrine and not we of the Gospell of Christ Let it be diligentlie examined what we by the same Gospell doo iudge of the honour of God We attribute all things vnto him onelie we will in all things depend vpon him onelie Further sée what our iudgement is concerning the worshipping of him we desire to reteine the same pure and holie as it is deliuered vs in the holie scriptures What doo we thinke of good works We vrge them continuallie and require to haue them so perfectlie doone by vs as we alwaies thinke that there remaineth some thing not perfectlie doone of vs vnto which we ought to leuell and wherevnto we should direct all our indeuours What determine we as concerning the holie ministerie We labour to haue it in great estimation as that whereby God worketh our saluation What of sacraments That they should be kept pure and vncorrupt and be reduced vnto that vse wherevnto Christ did institute them What iudge we of magistrats That they should be obeied and that we should be subiect to them in all things so they command nothing against the word of God What estéeme we of poore and miserable men Euen that they should be holpen and reléeued What of publike peace and tranquillitie That it be kept euen with the losse of our goods What of sciences and good learning That they should be mainteined and aduanced Why doo ye obiect antiquitie vnto vs There is nothing that we more desire than to haue things brought to their old state Ye haue brought in new things We require againe the state of the primitiue church and desire to haue againe the ordinances of the apostles wherfore there is no cause why we should be ashamed of the Gospell Of the which they that complaine doo rather lament the losse of their gaines than that they can accuse our doctrine And if anie troubles or discommodities happen they must not be ascribed to the doctrine but vnto those which vnder the pretence of Christ and of the Gospell doo séeke those things that are their owne and not those things which are Iesus Christs 10 And Paule doth ioine confession to faith In Rom. 10 19. bicause thou shouldst not imagine that he speaketh of a vaine and dead faith but of such a faith as bringeth foorth confession And although there be a great manie of good works which followe faith yet Paule nameth that which is principall and may most easilie be gathered by the words of Moses for in Deuteronomie Deut. 30 14 he with the hart ioined the mouth And Christ saith Matt. 12 34. Of the abundance of the hart the mouth speaketh How be it this must be well considered that Paule attributeth iustification vnto faith but some saluation he assigneth vnto confession And by saluation he meaneth not there the chiefest saluation that is our reconciliation with God or absolution from sinnes as he before did when he said Rom. 10 9. If thou shalt beleeue that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saued againe Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued Ibidem 13. but by saluation he vnderstandeth a further perfection wherwith they be indued that be alreadie iustified For the powers of their mind and the members or instruments of their bodie are dailie made perfect by dooing of good works And without doubt when we confesse the Lord we by this laudable and holie worke doo much profit Phil. 2 11. So ment Paule vnto the Philippians when he said Woorke your saluation with feare and with trembling But and if thou affirme that in this place by saluation is vnderstood iustification that will we grant onelie to be vnderstood as touching th' effect as they vse to saie Aposteriori that is By that which followeth namelie that a man may hereby iudge that such a one is iustified This place also maketh much against certeine Libertins which renew againe the error of the Carpocratians and saie that We must not confesse the veritie of faith before the iudgement seat of persecutours From which error the Nicodemites of our time are not verie far off who saie that It is enough to thinke well in the hart although outwardlie true godlinesse be dissembled and although men doo go to the rites and ceremonies of the Papists Indéed we must take héed that we doo not rashlie cast our selues into dangers But when as God bringeth vs vnto them and that we are examined touching the truth we must remember Mark 8 38. that They which be ashamed of Christ before men he at length wil be ashamed of them before the Father The example of Naaman is expounded In. 2. king 5. verse 18. 11 But the example of Naaman which they obiect vnto vs must be examined Naaman would haue
such other like Men thinke that aduersities be a token of Gods wrath towards vs Chrysost For whatsoeuer aduersitie happeneth we thinke the same to be a token of Gods wrath towards vs when as he neuertheles of a singular loue suffereth vs to be afflicted Chrysostome noted that Paule rehearsed not things light and of small force For he left vntouched couetousnes of monie ambition of honors desire of reuenge and pleasures forbidden which things are woont to drawe backward euen those men that be constant but he reckoneth vp things horrible and most gréeuous and which are wont easilie to ouercome nature For in these words he comprehendeth those things which commonlie happen in a life most hard and most bitter as prisonments burnings bonds tearings in sunder and such like things And he vseth an interrogation thereby to signifie a stedfast assurance And the words which he vseth are not placed by chance or at all aduentures but with singular working of the holie Ghost The first word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Affliction deriued of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth To breake or to presse vehementlie An artificiall comparing of words for things that be well made are wont to be first broken or brused And afterward the euill is increased then cōmeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Anguish where things are brought to so narrowe a streict that a man cannot tell what counsell to take or which waie to turne himselfe Then outwardlie commeth Persecution which dooth spoile a man of his fréends Afterward followe Hunger and nakednes for men when they be compelled to flie awaie haue then great want of things necessarie And then is added Perill so that men come also into danger of their life And bicause nothing should want at the last is added the Sword All these things saith the apostle haue no such strength as they can persuade the elect that they are not beloued of God These discommodities of the godlie Paule setteth foorth in the latter epistle vnto the Corinthians the fourth chapter verse 9. for thus he writeth I thinke that God hath declared vs the last apostles as men appointed vnto death For we are made a gazing stocke vnto the world and to the angels and vnto men We are fooles for Christ his sake but ye are wise through Christ We are weake and ye are strong We are despised and ye are honoured Vnto this houre we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and haue no certeine dwelling places and labour working with our hands We are reuiled and yet we blesse we are persecuted and suffer we are ill spoken of and we praie And in the latter epistle to the Corinthians 2. Co. 11 23. In prisons aboue measure in labours more aboundantlie c. And vnto Timothie 2. Tim. 3 2. They which will liue godlie in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution And manie such other like sentences are euerie where to be found in the holie scriptures Augustine De doctrina christiana Augustine Erasmus and Erasmus in his annotations declare that that place excelleth in weight of matter and ornaments of Rhetorike namelie in Gradation in Antithesis in Contraries and Repetitions The apostle also dooth vrge it with interrogations and speaketh nothing in this place that is base meane for all things are magnificall and excellent whether a man consider the things themselues or the persons He speaketh of life death higth depth God Christ the right hand of the father angels principalities powers and last of all he addeth In all these things we be more than conquerours This oration of Paule they thinke to be so notable excellent as they suppose that neither Cicero nor Demosthenes could euer haue spoken more eloquentlie not indéed that the holie Ghost hath néed of these ornaments but bicause he sometimes vouchsafeth to abase himselfe vnto these things when they may serue for our commoditie The art of eloquence is the gift of God and must not be contemned of yong men Which I therefore thought good to giue warning of bicause yoong men might vnderstand that this force of eloquence perteineth vnto the gifts of God and that they must endeuour to get the same in time that the holie Ghost may vse it when it shall serue for the commoditie of the church 14 Paule in the same place addeth Rom. 8 31. As it is written For thy sake are we deliuered to the death all the daie long we are accounted as sheepe to the slaughter Bicause that reason and our flesh are hardlie persuaded that we are beloued of God when we be exercised with afflictions therefore Paule brought a proofe out of the scriptures to confirme this paradox for héere haue we néede of faith which cleaueth vnto the word of God Psa 44 25 This testimonie is taken out of the 44. psalme wherein are set foorth such men complaining of their tribulations as of them we cannot doubt but they were most déere vnto God We are saie they counted as sheepe for the slaughter that is vnto whom nothing is more certeine than to be slaine For there be certeine shéepe which be kept and fed for their wooll sake or to mainteine brood and those haue life spared them for a time Some are appointed for the kitchen and they are euerie daie as occasion serueth drawne vnto death And therefore the saints in the same psalme complaine that they are like vnto the shéepe appointed to be eaten They complaine that they are otherwise dealt with than the fathers in the old time were dealt with vnto whom God séemed to beare great fauour when as he inriched them fought for them gaue them the victorie with excellent names and titles made them famous and honourable We saie they are now otherwise dealth with for we are deliuered vnto the enimies as shéepe to be slaine as vnto whom they may doo what pleaseth them It is true in déed that God would sometimes declare his loue towards the saints and confirme the truth of his doctrine when he adorned them with such goods and riches That euen the idolaters also might vnderstand that the same God whom the patriarchs worshipped was both the creator of the world and also the distributer of all good things and that all things which men commonlie desire God vsed to his glorie both the prosperitie and aduersitie of his elect are in his pleasure Which thing when he had sufficientlie declared he also made them so strong by reson of aduersities as they with a noble courage and inuincible stedfastnesse testified the doctrine of God to be true Wherein God likewise declared himselfe to be the distributer of all good things of the mind of heroicall vertues that his power is so great as euen of things contrarie God can pluckt out of things contrarie all one maner of effect he can work all one effect And that which the Latine interpretor translateth We are
to be with Christ And Steeuen Acts. 7 59. being at the point of death praied Lord receiue my spirit The opinion of Gregorie touching souls departed I knowe indéed that Gregorie writeth in his dialogs that There be certeine spirits of the dead appointed to serue in common baths and to practise some harder exercises abroad in the world But bicause that booke conteineth manie tales I therefore thinke it better to beléeue Chrysostome who dealeth by the scriptures Againe he also prooueth that that peruerse opinion is against reason for he saith If it should be lawfull for soules after this life to wander abroad in the world they would much more easilie returne to their owne bodies Nor is it agréeable vnto reason that wicked men for parricide should carrie awaie a benefit namelie to haue the spirits of them whom they haue cruellie slaine to be seruiceable vnto them at their owne pleasure A similitude And euen as it cannot be that the bodie of a man should be turned into the bodie of an aâ—…e so it is vnpossible that the soule of a man should be turned into the nature and substance of an ill spirit And when as euill spirits by vsing of coniurations are demanded what they be and they answer that they are the soule of this or that man who be alreadie departed he saith that there must be no credit giuen vnto them for their testimonie must not be of anie value séeing they be infamous And therefore Paule as we haue it in the Acts of the apostles the 16. chapter when an euill spirit witnessed that those men were the seruants of the liuing God and preached the saluation of men he rebuked the spirit and commanded the same to silence And Christ reiected the testimonie of the diuell who said that he knew him c. And not without cause for the diuell is a deceiuer and among true things which he somtime speaketh he mingleth manie false So as he must not be credited vpon any shew of truth seing he is not commanded by God to teach men or to preach saluation vnto them These things are written by Chrysostome in the places now alledged Whereby may be confuted the fables of those men which feigne that the soules of the saints doo stand and are present abroad in the world at their sepulchres and reliks to giue helpe vnto those which call vpon them For that father laboureth to prooue that soules seuered from theâ— bodies doo not wander abroad vpon the earth The xv Chapter Of the Resurrection THE entitle of the resurrection of the flesh is verie hardlie beléeued In 2 Kin. 4. bicause it is a thing â—atre from mans reason It comprehendeth manie principall points But a sure persuasion thereof comprehendeth manie principall points of the christian faith which be verie necessarie vnto saluation And they that are fullie and firmelie setled in their minds of the resurrection doo prouide well for themselues against the last houre For they which being at the point of death doo assure themselues of the blessed resurrectition cannot choose but depart ioifull and chéerefull out of this life But contrariewise they which wauer in this article are then in great disquietnesse they are vexed they storme and knowe not certeinelie whither to turne them Further this persuasion dooth comfort vs when by death we loose our kinsfolks and fréends So did Paule teach the Thessalonians Besides this 1. The. 4 13. we are hereby armed against persecutions and hard chances which we must suffer for the faithfull confession of the name of Christ For what is it that martyrs will not patientlie abide when they knowe for a certeintie that a most happie life shall be restored vnto them Moreouer the remembrance hereof maketh vs to haue temperance in estimation for we easilie forbeare vnlawfull pleasures when we assuredlie trust that we shall haue true and perfect pleasures giuen vs both of mind and bodie And if this article be abolished manie principall points of religion are ouerthrowne Paule faith in the first epistle to the Corinthians 1. Co. 15 16 If the dead rise not againe Christ is not risen Which is most absurd for then he should euen to this time be deteined in death which is not conuenient for God nor for the redéemer of mankind And if he be not risen neither did he trulie die otherwise he should be deteined by death Whervpon they which denie the resurrection of the dead affirme that Christ did not verelie die neither will they that he had naturall but phantasticall flesh onelie that is to saie he died in shew and outward appéerance 2 Séeing therefore a disputation of the resurrection of the flesh is so profitable and necessarie we shall for good cause stand the longer vpon it Why God did institute the resurrection First if it be demanded why GOD did institute the same two reasons may be brought first that he might trulie and perfectlie make happie his elect for true happines cannot be obteined in this life bicause no humane actions More things that we knowe not than that we knowe neither contemplatiue nor actiue can be counted exquisite and perfect For as concerning knowledges there be a great manie more things which we knowe not than which wée knowe Which Socrates perceiuing said that This one thing he knew namelie that he knew nothing Further those few small things that we knowe we haue a verie scant and slender vnderstanding of them Neither may we affirme this of naturall things onelie but of those also which are opened vnto vs by the spirit of God 1. Cor. 13 9. Wherefore Paule said Now we knowe in part and prophesie in part and we now see as through a glasse and in a darke saieng We be of weake memorie and manie times our memorie faileth vs. Who remembreth all things that he hath read that he hath learned that he hath taught and determined The knowledges which come later to mind exclude the former as one naile is driuen out with another and as in the course of waters A similitude the latter driueth awaie the former And whereas the knowledges of things doo consist either in inuention or in teaching what one of manie is found to be excellent at inuention And verie manie are vnapt and vnméet to learne Wherefore as touching things contemplatiue we are of small happinesse in this world Also in matters of practise there is great want in vs séeing either we liue vnhonestlie or else in honest actions we be verie farre wide from perfection For our vertues are maimed and vnperfect therefore we cannot drawe out of them anie perfect and absolute actions There happen moreouer perturbations or affects of the mind which drawe vs to and fro so as we cannot altogither be inclined to doo those things which be right Yea and from the bodie it selfe which is fraile and brittle as glasse manie inconueniences doo come For if it be touched with diseases which are
short a space of time the doctrine of Christ could be spread abrode throughout the world when as it had so many aduersaries the diuell wicked persons and also tyrants the high Bishops and Priestes the wise men both of the Iewes and also of the Gentils and when as otherwise as touching humane artes the simplicitie and rudenes of the preachers was great Within the space of xx or xxx yéeres the preaching of Christ was in a maner euerie where heard Long before the Philosophers doctrine could be spread as Chrysostome writeth but it was verie long before the wise and learned Philosophers could spread abroade their doctrines further than Greece And in such sort were they at the length published in some places that verie fewe vnderstoode them or gaue credite to them Why Mahomets doctrine was so soone spread The doctrine of Mahomet perhappes may séeme to haue bin published with woonderfull expedition but we must consider that those thinges which he preached as touching the effect were no new opinions For he denieth not the Creator of heauen and of earth he beléeueth that the soules be immortall he commendeth Christ as a Prophet he affirmeth the resurrection of the dead he setteth forth also eternall punishmentes and eternall felicitie and verie manie other things which are contained in the old and new Testament Mahomets doctrine may be called an heresie Wherefore it maie iustlie be called an heresie And in déede they be fragments of the Arrians For he commendeth Christ but yet as a creature he builded therefore vppon another mans foundation But Christ and the Apostles when they began to preache the Gospell found all things vtterly strange from their doctrine so that it was an incredible miracle that the heauenlie doctrine could be published abroade in so short a time and that in some part it remained of long time welnéere in all places For there came vnto Christ some families of beléeuers almost throughout all prouinces and Cities In 1. Sam. 10. v. 9. Looke part 1. place 3. A definition of prophesie 8 But prophesie is a power giuen from God through the inspiration of the holie Ghost whereby the secrets and counsels of God may be knowen and expounded vnto others for the edifying of the church whether those things be present or past or to come And God reuealeth his counsels for the commoditie of the Church Prou. 29. 18. Therefore saieth Salomon in the 29. of Prouerbes Where there is no prophesie the people shall be scattered for prophesie is of great force to kéepe men in their duetie They prophesied in Musicall instrumentes Verse 1. For in the first booke of Chronicles the 25. Chapter they are appointed which should prophesie in Cimbals and Harpes Paul in the 14. Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 14. 3. 5. teacheth that Prophesie must be done to edifying he that prophesieth speaketh to men to edifying to exhortation and comfort And if so be that all doe prophesie and there come in one that beleeueth not or is vnlearned he is rebuked of all men and is iudged of all and so the secrets of his heart are made manifest and so falling downe vpon his face he will worship God confessing that God of a trueth is in you The diuell also as he is an Ape of God would haue also his diuine worshippers and phantasticall Priests of Sibill The Diuels Prophets who did fret and fume in their ceremonies not to edification but to destruction Deut. 18. 10. 18. 21. God in Deuteronomie doth earnestly forbid that none should aske counsell of a Magitian Soothsayer or Diuinour I saieth he will raise vnto you a Prophet him ye shall heare And by two signes he saieth ye shall knowe him to be the Prophet of God both if the things come to passe which he hath foreshewed and also if he leade not the people to Idolatrie I know that place of S. Peter in the Actes of the Apostles Actes 3. 22. is most truely applied vnto Christ yet also it may be vnderstoode not amisse as touching the Prophets of whom the people should aske counsell yea and in the Psalme Psal 74. 9. the people complaine that prophesie ceased We see not say they our signes At this day also the Iewes are miserablie destitute of all kinde of prophesie But in the Primatiue Church when prophesie florished The difference betwéene doctors and Prophets what differēce was there betwéene a Prophet and a Doctor I answere that although the office of them both were all one yet Doctors were instructed by Maisters but Prophets spake vpon the suddaine being moued by the inspiration of the holy Ghost without any helpe of man 9 But yet it is to be thought that Prophetes in olde time were of the tribe of Leuie In 1. Sam. 19. v. 18. Prophets of the tribe of Leui. for all administration and care of holie seruices pertained vnto that tribe Wherefore they that were chosen out of that tribe were brought that after they had bin well and godlie instructed they should afterward offer sacrifice and teach the people And they were taught euen from their childhood that godlinesse being planted betimes it might fasten with the more continuance and stedfastnesse They were exercised vnto no other trade of life than to teach the lawe to offer sacrifice and to pray for the people But thou wilt saie these be the giftes of God why then should they be learned of a Maister In déede I graunt they are the giftes of God yet there is no let but that young men may adorne their mindes with good arts the which afterward the holie Ghost may vse Children of the Prophets and why they were so called 1. Kings 2. v. 3. 5. 7. c. Gal. 3. 19. They were called the children of the Prophets bicause they held and reuerenced instead of fathers the elder Prophets of whom they were taught Also disciples and hearers in the holie scriptures are oftentimes called children Paul to the Galathians My little children saieth he of whom I now trauell in birth And vnto the Corinthians Children lay not vp for parents 2. Cor. 12. 14. Iohn 1. 12. 8. 35. 11. 52. 1. Iohn 5. Esay 8. 16. 18. but parents for children Also in Iohn Christ oftentimes calleth his Disciples Children And Iohn in his Epistles Little children saieth he beware of Idols Esaie in the 8. Chapter saieth Seale the law in my Disciples And straight way he addeth I and the children which the Lord hath giuen mee Vnto these children of the Prophetes the Nazarites of other tribes did oftentimes sort themselues those were vtterlie seuered from the common people and they caried some shew of our Moonkes who also might haue bin suffered Vnder what conditions our Mōkes might haue bin suffered if all things among them had not bin contaminated with superstitions For they had vowes inuocations of the dead Masses and
the spirit of wisedome the spirit of counsell the spirit of fortitude and other such like Yea and Augustine Augustine in his booke of grace and frée will the 17. chapter thus wrote Therfore that we may will he worketh without vs but when we will and that we so will as we doo execute he worketh togither with vs but yet without him either working that we may will or working togither when we do will we are able to doo nothing towards the good works of godlinesse Of him which worketh that we will it is said It is God that worketh in vs Philip. 2 13 euen to will Of him working togither with vs when we now will and we in willing doo execute Rom. 8 28. We knowe saith he that all things worke togither for the best vnto them that loue God But while we be thus prepared and healed by God he dooth not take awaie from vs the power to will but he granteth vs to will well neither taketh he awaie the power to vnderstand but granteth vs to vnderstand rightlie And vndoubtedlie it is the will it selfe that bringeth foorth the act of willing howbeit God giueth it strength that it may bring foorth the same Wherefore Augustine in his treatise De spiritu litera the third chapter thus writeth But we saie that mans will is so holpen to doo righteousnesse as besides that man is created with a fréedome of will and besides the doctrine wherin it is commanded him how he should liue he may receiue the holie Ghost by which there may be in his mind a delight and a loue of that chéefe and vnchangeable goodnesse which is God euen now when a man walketh by faith and not yet in glorie that as it were by this earnest pennie of a frée gift giuen vnto him he may wax more feruent in cleauing to the Creator and be inflamed to come vnto the participation of that true light that through him of whom he hath his being it may happen well vnto him For neither can frée will auaile anie thing except to sinne if the waie of truth be vnknowne And when that which is to be doone and wherein we ought to indeuour beginneth to be knowne vnlesse it is also delight and be beloued it is not doone it is not taken in hand we doo not liue well But that it may be beloued the loue of God is powred into our hearts not by the frée will which riseth of vs but by the holie Ghost which is giuen vnto vs c. By these words he sheweth that of vs ariseth not frée will for as touching the health of the mind it cōmeth actiuelie but that it is wrought by the holie Ghost that we afterward doo well by louing of God and liuing vprightlie Grace dooth not expect our will bicause if it should expect it we might thinke in our selues that we had strength before to desire spirituall supernaturall good things The Arausican Councell The Arausican Councel in the 4. canon condemned that opinion whereby is beléeued that the diuine grace expecteth mans will In verie déed it preuenteth and yet for all that it causeth no violence For the plainer expressing whereof a similitude of the resurrection of the Lord verie much serueth He was raised vp from the dead as concerning his humanitie to the which raising vp from the dead the humane nature behaued it selfe onelie passiuelie Now is it expounded how in things that be outward and subiected to mans capacitie some fréedome is to be attributed to our will which afterward as touching celestiall and supernaturall things is denied vnto it vnlesse it be conuerted and prepared by God Of the state of free will in them that be regenerate 17 Now must we consider of the state of them that be regenerate vnto whom a fréedome as touching celestiall and supernaturall things is granted so far foorth as the infirmitie of this life will suffer Of that matter wrote Prosper in an epistle to Ruffinus concerning frée will which they will haue to belong vnto all men labouring in the vncerteintie of this life and loden with sinnes so that they which will imitate the méekenesse and gentlenesse of our Sauior and submit themselues vnder the yoke of his commandements may find rest to their soules and hope of eternall life But they which will not doo this are by their owne default void of saluation which if they would they might haue obteined But let them heare what is said by the Lord Iohn 15 5 to them that vse frée will Without me ye can doo nothing Iohn 6 44. Againe No man commeth vnto me except my father which sent me drawe him Ibidem 65. Againe No man can come vnto me except it shall be giuen him of my father Againe Iohn 5 21. As the father quickeneth them that be dead so also the sonne quickeneth whom he will Matt. 11 27 Againe No man knoweth the sonne but the father neither knoweth anie man the father but the sonne and he to whom the sonne will reueale him All which saiengs séeing they be vnchangeable and cannot by anie interpretation be wrested to anie other sense who doubteth but that this frée will dooth obeie the exhortation of him that calleth séeing in him the grace of God hath ingendered an effect of beléeuing and obeieng Otherwise it should be sufficient for a man to be warned not that the will also should be made new in him according as it is written The will is prepared by the Lord. And as the apostle saith Phil. 2 13. It is God that worketh in vs both to will and to performe euen according to his good will According vnto which good will No other but that which GOD wrought in them that he which gaue to will might also giue to performe c. 18 Of the verie which thing the same Prosper in the place now alleged thus writeth Prosper Neuerthelesse if we behold with a godlie consideration that part of the children of God which is reserued to the works of godlinesse shall we not find in them a frée will not destroied but renewed Which doubtlesse when it was alone and left to it selfe was not mooued but to his owne destruction for it had blinded it selfe but it could not lighten it selfe But now the same will is changed not destroied and vnto it is giuen to will otherwise to perceiue otherwise and to doo otherwise and to repose the safetie thereof not in it selfe but in the physician bicause neither as yet dooth it enioie so perfect a health that those things which did hurt it before cannot now hurt it or else that it is now able of his owne strength to temper it selfe from those things which be vnwholesome for it Therefore man which in frée will was euill in the same frée will is become good howbeit he is euill by himselfe good by God who according to that originall honour so renewed him with another beginning as he
for qualities haue their subiects according to the places That an accident cannot be togither in two subiects and it is vnpossible for them to be the same in number at one time in diuers subiects but all the parts of a liuing creature be the verie same in subiect and one by the knitting togither of members D. Tresham The reason of Didymus dooth procéed from that that is of it owne nature in manie places and not otherwise And all the Doctors agrée that Christ was borne his mothers wombe being close and that he rose the sepulchre being shut and that he went vnto his disciples when the doores were fast And Hugo de sancto victore saith that The angels are not circumscribed by place Wherefore although the bodie of Christ be properlie in heauen yet bicause it is spirituall it is not repugnant to the power of God but that it may be in manie places D. Martyr Whether the fathers vnderstand their reasons touching that which in his owne proper nature is in manie places I haue alreadie answered As touching the virgines wombe the sepulchres and the doores being fast shut oppose you and I will answer in place conuenient As for Hugo de sancto victore and others when they saie that angels are not conteined within the precinct of place they must I saie be vnderstood as concerning locall compasse whereby the bodies which are among vs are compassed about with the circumference of the aire or some other thing conteining them But these things cannot so be taken that the angels or anie creature should be vnderstood to haue no definit substance so as when they be in anie one place they cannot be else-where And so I returne to the argument it is a firme conclusion This thing is in manie places Therefore it is the Godhead D. Tresham I answer Christ is God and now the speach betwéene vs is as concerning the bodie which hath the Godhead ioined therewith D. Martyr I demand of you Is the bodie of Christ a thing created or no D. Tresham I grant it is but Christ is no creature D. Martyr But I saie that Christ is both to wit a creator and a creature Christ by reason of his sundrie natures is both a creature and a creator As touching his Godhead he is a creator and as touching his humanitie a creature and if a creature as these fathers doo affirme he cannot be in diuers places at once D. Tresham That which Christ tooke once vpon him he neuer let go and therefore bicause of his Godhead which is inseparablie knit vnto his bodie Christ must not be diuided but yet his natures must be disseuered the bodie of Christ may be in manie places D. Martyr We likewise doo not diuide Christ and yet will we haue both his natures to be whole And sith the Godhead doth not cause but that the bodie of Christ is a creature and you haue now heard out of Basil and Didymus that the powers created cannot be in manie places at once you your selfe sée what dooth follow D. Tresham They disputed of the nature of the thing not of the absolute power of God neither is reason or sense to be followed in matters of faith otherwise manie absurdities wold follow in matters of faith D. Martyr I cannot tell how they could haue spoken more apparantlie of the power of God when as Cyrill dooth not exclude euen the diuinitie it selfe when he saith If it were of quantitie it might not choose but be circumscribed And I acknowledge that which you saie that in matters of faith we must not follow reason nor yet sense Howbeit it is no article of the faith that the bodie of Christ is in manie places at once sith the scriptures doo not teach this anie where Naie rather we learne otherwise out of them to wit that Christ is verie man and that he hath a verie bodie whereto is verie agréeable that it should be limited within bounds and compassed within some certeine place And touching his bodie we beléeue that he is ascended into heauen that he hath left the world and sitteth at the right hand of the father The disputation of the second day which was the 29. daie of Maie betweene D. Peter Martyr and D. William Chadse D. Peter Martyr I Thinke it not méet right honorable that I should vse at this present anie preface For yesterdaie we declared those things which were thought good to be applied to the present purpose And by your good foresight authoritie it hapned that all things were peaceablie and quietlie performed which I hope this daie shall no lesse come to passe Now maister Doctour as concerning the matter you being present yesterdaie might sufficientlie vnderstand what questions are propounded perceiue some reasons of mine opinion wherefore to procéed in our purpose I desire you to shew what you doo iudge touching the questions neither doo I feare but that all things shall be spoken of you with indifferencie and modestie Howbeit before you answer you shall suffer me according to my accustomed maner to call for the helpe of God The Praier YEsterdaie O almightie GOD we began by thy gratious goodnesse to dispute and since this daie also wee shall proceed in that businesse we call vpon thee againe who art the founteine of light the most perfect truth and the most cleere wisedome that thou wilt so direct our words that we fall not into absurdities but rather that those things which shall be handled may both become more plaine and also be set foorth to the praise and glorie of thy name through Christ our Lord Amen The Preface of D. VVilliam Chadse GReat is the matter right famous Doctor and full of mysteries which yesterdaie was handled this daie shall be handled Great bicause we dispute of the bodie wherewith we be satisfied and doo liue for euer and of the bloud whereof wée drinke and which redéemeth the people a thing full of mysteries for vnlesse ye beléeue you shall not vnderstand My words are spirit and life It is the spirit which quickeneth Iohn 6. the flesh profiteth nothing The Capernaites heare and saie This is a hard saieng and who is able to abide it The Christians heare and crie incessantlie with Peter Thou hast the words of eternall life Iohn 6 68. we beleeue and knowe that thou art the waie the truth and the life We beléeue that thou diddest promise the holie Ghost not which should come after one or two thousand yeares but euen within a few daies after that thou hadst spoken it We acknowledge the performance of this thy holie spirit he shall lead vs into all truth he shall teach vs all things whatsoeuer thou hast said vnto vs. Forsomuch therefore as thou art true yea the verie truth it selfe sith those things which haue gone foorth of thy lips cannot be frustate I firmelie beléeue from thy mouth and pronounce it from my hart as touching the presence of thy bodie in the
plainelie affirmeth And whereas you alledge that a figure and a thing figured is all one it is from the purpose we haue in hand and yet shall you hardlie be able to proue the same Wherefore to the place in the epistle to the Hebrues Heb. 1 3. that the sonne is called a figure of the fathers substance I saie that Paule dooth there speake of the sonne so far foorth as he is man and in this respect he is a figure and not the substance of the father For he hath it by the figure Antonomasia that he is the image of his father and that dooth more noblie agrée with him than with other men The words of th'epistle be these At sundrie times in diuers maners spake God in the old time to the fathers in the prophets Heb. 1 1. A place to the Hebru◠expounded but in these last daies he hath spoken vnto vs in his sonne But if you vnderstand Sonne as touching his Godhead God as well spake by him through the prophets in the old testament as he spake to vs in our daies But herein standeth the difference that he did that now by his humanity which in old time he did not performe Howbeit if you shall altogither vrge that this speach must be vnderstood of the diuine person it should not yet prooue that the figure and thing figured is all one For the Gréeke words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The figure of his substance And that which our interpretor absolutelie called substance in Gréeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And séeing the person of the sonne is not the person of the father verie well also may the son as touching his Godhead be called the substantiall figure of the father Yet it followeth not therfore that the figure and thing figured is all one for betwéene persons there is a reall distinction as they call it D. Chadse I answer that this is common in the scriptures that the thing which is ascribed to the manhood belongeth to the Godhed Iohn 3 13. and so the contrarie As for example No man ascendeth into heauen but he which came downe from heauen euen the sonne of man which is in heauen whereas notwithstanding the sonne of man descended not from heauen And Paule saith They would neuer haue crucified the Lord of glorie And therefore Christ both according to his manhood and according to his Godhead is called the image of his fathers substance For if this be agréeable vnto him by one nature it may be attributed vnto him according to the other by participation of the properties And herevnto is added that Christ as a méere man cannot be called the image of his fathers substance for then should I and all other creatures be called images of the fathers substance and therefore in that respect that Christ is a figure he is also said to be the thing figured And vnto Tertullian I answer that he writeth against Marcion who affirmed Christs bodie to be a phantasticall bodie but he confessed the figure of an humane bodie to be in Christ wherevpon Tertullian argued from the confessions which Marcion made Thus he induced his argument That which is phantasticall hath no figure as Marcion said it had Therfore Christ had a true and no phantasticall bodie And this was Tertullians scope and he reasoned so of necessitie to confound the heretike he gathered it violentlie And so this in effect is Tertullians meaning Marcion attributed vnto Christ a figured phantasticall bodie and yet in the sacrament he denied not the bodie of Christ to be that is the figure of his bodie Hereof he argueth that there is not a figure of a bodie vnlesse there be a true bodie also bicause there is no figure but of a truth D. Martyr As touching the first I neuer denied a participation of the properties in the two natures of Christ whereby I grant that that which is said of the one may also be attributed to the other but yet I saie it must be diligentlie examined when such participations doo come togither of which nature that is spoken which wée héere pronounced as in both your examples it appeareth For when it is said that the sonne of man descended from heauen we receiue that maner of spéech but yet we confesse that the same must be admitted as touching his Godhead Againe we confesse that the Lord of glorie was crucified but we testifie that the same is attributed vnto him in respect of his humanitie And so I in that place to the Hebrues grant Christ to be an image of the fathers substance but yet as the matter is there handled I did affirme that the same is spoken according to his humanitie séeing before the redemption GOD spake to the fathers in the diuinitie of Christ but in these latter daies he spake by his sonne namelie when he had put vpon him the humanitie Which saieng also if you wold néeds haue it to respect the diuinitie I sent you vnto the Gréeke text out of which you might well vnderstand the difference betwéene the figure and the thing figured But whereas you saie besides that then he should be no more according to the image of GOD than I or an other creature I denie the consequent for as he is among all men the most excellent so likewise is he among vs the principall image of GOD. Neither said I that this agréeth vnto him as he is méere man For who séeth not that vnto the humanitie of Christ is not beséeming so great an excellencie as we sée the same haue vnlesse it be bicause it hath the Godhead ioined therewith And as touching Tertullian I acknowledge as you saie that he argueth there against Marcion but not after such a maner as you recite the argument for he reasoneth with him by things manifest commonlie granted wherein also an heretike durst not disagrée from the common sense of the church namelie that this sacrament should be a figure of the Lords bodie And he argueth Of a thing phantasticall there is no figure for a figure signifieth a true thing but this sacrament is a figure of the bodie of Christ and Therefore the bodie of Christ is no phantasticall thing bicause it hath this sacrament for his figure And you ought to knowe that to the end a figure should not be vaine is required that the same represent some truth And this is an easie and plaine meaning of Tertullians words But that which you bring that the collection is forced such like they be strange spéeches And if Tertullian would haue argued after this maner he néeded not to haue produced the Eucharist he might sufficientlie out of Marcions words haue prooued that which hée went about saieng Forsomuch as thou grantest that that which Christ bare about him was a figure and but a shape of a bodie and a figure cannot be but of some thing that is extant indéed thereby it is prooued that it is a true
he beginneth his argument as méet it is from a thing that is greater And that the second kind of change serueth to the purpose héereby it appéereth séeing in the 4. booke of sacraments where he minded to prooue the same matter but more bréeflie he reciteth onelie those examples which doo shew a change of the properties and speaketh not of the first kind wherein nature is doone awaie That the words of Christ are effectuall to worke I willinglie grant for thereby the signes whose nature remaineth are made another thing that is to wit sacraments And whereas you saie that our change is made by grace and is spirituall I grant it but that Ambrose speaketh not of that change I denie it Neither is it anie let A plaine declaration of Amboses words that he calleth the same a change of the elements as I haue declared before Forsomuch as the element is that part of the sacrament which is perceiued and the same is trulie said to be changed bicause it hath and executeth another office than before And that which you infer of the fift chapter of the first booke and of the first chapter of the sixt booke if you will obiect we will answer Now is it shewed sufficientlie that there is nothing of the which you haue cited dooth make against vs but that all things serue for our part D. Chadse I desire you that you will read these chapters at home by your selues and yée shall sée that they cannot be otherwise vnderstood than of transubstantiation Heere the Commissioners commanded that we should proceed to the second question The second question D. Chadse THat the true reall bodie of Christ is in the Eucharist thus I prooue Chrysostome in his 17. homilie vpon the Hebrues Doo we not offer euerie daie Yes indéed we offer howbeit we doo the same in remembrance of his death and the sacrifice is one not manie How is it one and not manie And bicause that sacrifice was once offered it was offered in the most holie place of all but this sacrifice is an example of that Euen this doo we offer alwaies and not now one lambe and to morrowe another but alwaies the selfe-same and therefore this sacrifice is one otherwise by this reason there be manie Christs bicause it is offered in manie places God forbid But one Christ is euerie where both being héere full and there full one bodie c. Out of these words thus I dispute Our oblation is all one with that which Christ offered but Christ offered his true and reall bodie therefore we doo offer the same D. Martyr That we haue the selfe-same bodie in the supper of the Lord which Christ offered vpon the crosse as touching the substance and truth of nature I grant but yet not after the selfe-same maner bicause we receiue it spirituallie that is by faith But this bodie in a substantiall and corporall presence did hang vpon the crosse And these two things which I affirme you may gather out of Chrysostome He saith It is all one which we offer to wit as touching the matter and bodie of Christ Howbeit he addeth alwaies Remembrance Example and Commemoration the which words doo shew a diuerse maner And this opinion of mine will I euidentlie shew out of the words of Barnard in his 33. sermon vpon the canticles But in how great an abundance soeuer these things doo war fat not with the like plesantnesse is receiued the barke of the sacrament and the fatnesse of the wheate faith and the kind memorie and presence eternitie and time the face and the glasse c. Where you sée that he putteth an Antithesis betwéene memorie and presence And therefore we confesse with Chrysostome that we haue the verie same bodie that was offered vpon the crosse Howbeit bicause he alwaies interlaceth memorie and mindfulnesse he sheweth that it is no waie of receiuing the same by a bodilie presence but by the presence of faith which can make things that be absent spirituallie present as Paule to the Galathians saith Gal. 3 1. that Christ was crucified in them Iohn 1 56. Eph. 1 20. Againe that Abraham sawe the daie of the Lord and was glad And God made vs now to sit at the right hand in heauenlie places How was this By a carnall presence No but by faith which excludeth not the truth of the thing And bréefelie as touching the argument we haue euen the verie same but not after the selfe-same maner that is to wit in the same kind of presence Faith excludeth not the truth of the thing And so it followeth not Christ reallie and corporallie gaue himselfe vpon the crosse and Therefore we haue him after the selfe-same maner in the communion D. Chadse We offer saith Chrysostome euen the selfe-same that he offered although he be there after an other maner and after an other forme and as this man testifieth we offer not now one lambe or an other lambe to morrowe but euermore one and the selfe-same Otherwise it is confessed that Christ offered himselfe for a price and we for a mysterie and remembrance D. Martyr They which communicate the selfe-same Christ and full whole that is neither of his natures cut off or diminished doo receiue him by faith For faith dooth neither hurt him nor defile him nor yet diminish him Naie rather it dooth suffer him to be as he is and to remaine in his owne place and yet dooth it spirituallie imbrace euen himselfe full and whole D. Chadse Is there in the sacrament the bodie of Christ or no D. Martyr I denie not but that in the sacrament is the verie bodie of Christ sacramentallie that is to saie by an effectuall signification and I assuredlie affirme that he is trulie giuen vs and receiued of vs but yet with the mind and with faith that is spirituallie or sacramentallie to wit that he is verelie present to our faith The difference betwéene vs is as touching the maner of the presence Ye doo imagine and feigne to your selues a certeine hiding of Christ in the bread or in the formes of bread the which I denie That he is present after such a maner as I haue declared I grant and I haue prooued after what sort he may be granted to be in the sacrament D. Chadse It is euen the selfe-same saith Chrysostome D. Martyr He affirmeth it to be the selfe-same but yet he addeth In remembrance and recordation the which words belong to the mind and to faith not vnto bodilie presence D. Chadse Is it a true and carnall bodie which is in the sacrament or is it a spirituall bodie D. Martyr I haue alreadie granted it to be a true bodie but yet that I may so speake not by a reall presence It is the selfe-same bodie as I haue declared as concerning nature but yet we receiue the same with the mind and with faith euen in such wise as we receiue the signe of the same with the hand and with the
against all commers Againe whereas he vndertooke to dispute he disprooued the vaine saiengs of vaine men which spread enuious and odious things against him namelie that he would not or durst not defend his doctrine Finallie that he so singularlie well answered the expectation of the great magistrates yea and of the Kings maiestie while he not onelie hath deliuered vnto the Vniuersitie the doctrine of Christ out of the liuelie fountaines of the word of God but so far as laie in him hath not suffered anie man either to trouble or stop the fountaines Wee haue heard this christian contention the which was taken in hand for the trieng and searching out of the truth The verie which maner of proceeding ought to bee as the onelie marke whervnto all men doo bend their eie in euerie disputation This ought all men to search out which haue a loue to sincere religion For what else meaneth that saieng Search the scriptures but diligentlie to search the truth out of the scriptures Howbeit wee are not now minded to giue iudgement of these controuersies and vtterlie to breake the strife But then shall it be determined when it shall seeme good vnto the Kings Maiestie and the Estates of the church of England Neuerthelesse if I whome you of your courtesie haue chosen to be your Chancellor did not now supplie the place of an other person for the Kings authoritie hath now otherwise appointed mee I would most gladlie yeeld an account of my faith in these propositions For I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ nor yet of the truth which shineth vnto all men out of his word and this doubtlesse will I be readie to doo at an other time when oportunitie shall be offered And now in the meane time I exhort you that be strangers and forrenners if now there be anie that ye will returne to your owne home I would not haue you continuallie to wander in the fathers and Councels as in your countrie doo not you suppose that those be your principles I would not haue you to be deceiued in the probable words of mans wisedome What principles had the fathers What Councels had they How shamefullie did the fathers fall in manie things How fowlie did the Councels erre I will not here rehearse their errours I will not here stir this puddle And yet for all this shall the fathers and the Councels be the grounds of disputations There haue beene heretofore heretikes which denied either a part of the scripture or else the whole And at this daie there be Libertines which be infected with the selfe-same madnesse those doo denie and tread vnder foote the cheefe principles of our christianitie who place the word of God in the highest watchtower and haue it in verie great reuerence and from hence onelie doo seeke for life and saluation holding principles which bee most assured sound and holie And yet in the meane time not reiecting the most holsome testimonies of godlie fathers naie rather imbracing and reuerencing them as bright beames of the holie Ghost which after some sort doo lighten the darknesse of our eies Wherefore I beseech you for your saluation sake and for the mercie of GOD as well you that be yoong as old that you will performe two things First that you will now at the last laie awaie those controuersies which haue disquieted and rent in sunder the church of Christ these manie ages as touching transubstantiation and I wot not what reall presence There is no end of quarelling these be the diuels snares wherein he perpetuallie wrappeth vs and letteth vs from true godlinesse But it behooueth vs that be godlie christians cheeflie yea generally to regard what Christ did and what he hath commanded vs to do Let vs consider those be the most holie and dreadfull mysteries of Christ Let vs vse them verie oftentimes vnto our saluation let vs come vnto them with feare and trembling least we at anie time come vnworthilie and receiue the same to our iudgement and condemnation Secondlie that ye betake your selues to the studie of the word of God Vnto this marke direct all your darts herevnto refer all your studies Whether they be philosophicall or mathematicall or matters physicall or whatsoeuer else they be let them be as it were the waiting maids of this Queene From hence seeke all your faith From hence let your religion be established and made perfect Heauen and earth shall passe but my word shall not passe By this as it were by a certeine rule let all controuersies be examined and defined Besides this there is one thing wherof we must admonish you all namelie that ye abandoning all papisticall vanities superstitious feined worshipping of God you giue diligent indeuour to search out the truth or at the leastwise that ye be no impediment but that they which be desirous of the truth may proceed in the worke of godlinesse For wee knowe and bee certeinlie assured that there be some vnquiet and troublesome persons mooued of a preposterous zeale to hinder the proceeding of the truth We knowe there bee some which doo perniciouslie follow the example of their father while they spread euerie where the seed of discord and doo inuentlies I knowe there be false and enuious rumors carried about We knowe that vaine men when they cannot by true meanes further their cause they woorke by slanderous speeches so easilie intreated is an euill custome to worke against the truth Howbeit to make an end if yee bee indued with anie loue of the truth seeke out the same with patient minds require it with feruent praiers of almightie God Atteine to the knowledge thereof by a sincere comparing of places togither Let christian charitie wax hot in you Hee that is weake in faith receiue him For the stronger saith Paule ought to susteine the imbecillities of the weake ones and not please themselues let euerie man please his neighbour vnto good edifieng Beware of the wilinesse of Satan which lieth in wait for you least you should yeeld to the words of our Lord Iesus Christ that you may dote about questions and differences and strifes of words whereof arise enuies contentions blasphemies ill suspicion c. We may by our authoritie command you and threaten the obstinate with due punishment yet we had rather for the loue we beare you desire and exhort you Wherefore if there be anie consolation in Christ if anie comfort of loue if anie fellowship of the spirit if anie bowels of compassion fulfill you our ioie And our ioie is that we see manie in this Vniuersitie to grow vp notablie in good learning and godlinesse Our ioie is that wee see you so modest and readie to obeie Fulfill you therefore our ioie that is search ye the truth which hath now manie ages lien hidden as it were in a darke dungion when yee haue found it out receiue it with a sincere faith and beeing receiued beautifie the same with good maners So shall your light shine before
men that they may see your good works and glorifie your father which is in heauen to whome be all glorie for euer and euer Amen A praier of D. Peter Martyr against false worshipping of God and all maner of superstition COme we beseech thee at the length O heauenlie father illuminate the harts and minds of all thy Christians with the spirit of Iesus Christ thy Sonne that they forsaking idols and superstitions may conuert to thee alone who oughtest to be purelie sincerelie serued honored called vpon And suffer thou no longer the honour which onelie is due vnto thee to be impiouslie and lewdlie giuen vnto bread wine images and dead mens bones Thy holie name hath now beene long enough dishonoured with reproches the purenesse of thy Gospell hath now beene long enough polluted enough a great deale too much haue men abused the institution of thy sonnes supper vnto most vnpure idolatrie Stop at the length O Lord these furies of men which are mad and doo most miserablie ouerthrowe themselues Let them not anie longer with bread and wine vnder the name of the sacrament of thy sonne so shameleslie and desperatelie vpon euerie hill vnder euerie tree in all high waies streets temples and chappels commit fornication and so horriblie and detestablie defile thy holie religion Vnlesse thou O omnipotent God by thy mightie hand doo rid and turne awaie these things there is no more hope of mans saluation and cleansing againe of thy church Helpe O God helpe thy people whom thou hast redeemed with the bloud of thy sonne And thou Iesus Christ the true and eternall God confirme this worke which thou hast begun and bring the same to a desired end or else if there be no hope of recouerie and that there shall be no more in thy church anie publike and open place for thy truth come quicklie and hasten thy iudgement and for the glorie of thy name turne awaie so shamefull contumelie from thy holie supper which thou of thine incredible mercie and singular goodnesse hast instituted who with the Father and the holie Ghost liuest and reignest world without end Amen A SERMON OF CHRISTES DEATH out of the second Chapter of Saint Paul to the Philippians THey dearely beloued in Christ which behold the powers of the minde and they which haue writtē any thing of the same do for this cause commende and extoll memorie that it is an incomparable treasure of things that be past and a most faithfull preseruer of the same Further because great héede must bée taken lest those excellent things giuen vnto men by nature be not violated through our default therefore must not euerie thing but those things which bee most excellent and most profitable be committed vnto memory And among the workes of almightie God there is nothing in the worlde that doth either profite vs more or is worthie of greater admiration Wherefore he that most of all loueth vs and all thinges belonging to vs hath often commanded vs by his lawes that we should continually without ceasing beare in minde the woonderfull acts which he hath wrought for our saluation He not onelie would haue the people to beare in mind that he euen at the beginning made the workemanship of the world for our profite but he also commaunded straitlie that by obseruation of the Sabbaoth among them Exod. 20. 8. the same should be perpetually remembred He commanded those which were brought into freedome to shewe continually how he had deliuered the Israelites from the tyrannie of Pharao Exod. 12. 1. 26. and that the remembrance might be helped by an outward signe he tooke order to renew euerie yeare the feast and sacrifice of the Passouer And he doth not take it in good part that at any time his Church shoulde forget that in the last age of the world he deliuered his onely begotten sonne to the death and to the Crosse for the redemption of the world Esa 53. 3. c. Wherefore he not only prouided that the death of Christ should bée recorded in the bookes of the holie scriptures both of the new and olde testament but also when he should goe out of the world vnto the father Matt. 26. hée left vnto his disciples an institution of the Sacrament of the Eucharist to be continuallie exercised among the faithfull Now then séeing this is the chiefe and principall benefite which euer God bestowed vpon mankinde let vs neuer suffer obliuion to blot the same out of our remembrance And that this may not happen the yearely reuolution of the dayes of the world which haue nowe passed since the time wherin we beléeue that Christ was crucified doe perswade me to expound◠vnto you in such sort as I can his infinite loue whereby he refused not for our sakes to suffer death But because there is laide before me a huge heape of thinges to speake of least my spéech through the violence of the waues and heape of the flouds should either stray from the right course or fall into the depth of confusion we must chuse some place of the scriptures which as a certaine and stedfast lodestone may direct both you in your hearing and me in my speaking And this we will take out of the second chapter to the Philippians Let the same minde be in you that was in Christ Iesu who being in the forme of God Phil. 2. 5. thought it no robbery to be equal with God but made himselfe of no reputation taking vpon him the forme of a seruant and made in the likenesse of men and was found in habite as a man He humbled himselfe being made obedient vnto the death euē the death of the crosse for the which also God exalted him and gaue him a name which is aboue euerie name that in the name of Iesus euerie knee should bowe both of things in heauen and things in earth things vnder the earth and that euerie tongue shoulde confesse that the Lord is Iesus Christ to the glorie of God the father And that God may further the purpose which we haue begun let vs according to the accustomed manner craue his assistance by prayer They which iudge of the nature of the waters A similitude doe by taste make a triall of their swéetenesse by sight do trie their clearenesse they diligently examine their weight and finally they mark from what fountaine they spring Euen so in expounding the sentences of the scriptures not onely the signification of the words the sense of the sentences the things that went before and the things which followe must be considered but also with a speciall héede taking we must sée with what minde or to what purpose are spoken those things which were set foorth Remember at the beginning of this Chapter the words of the Apostle His minde is to exhort vnto charitie and vnto vnitie one with another The two plagues of these vertues are contention and vaineglorie The two rootes of them submission and
man to haue vsed this * â—…iâ—s herbe that remedieth all diseases Let young men learne a most excellent waie of gouerning their life Let men of ripe age learne after what manner they must perseuere in right opinions and godly workes Let olde men that haue no long life learne the ioy which is to be conceiued by dissolution of the bodie and departing of the soule to Christ Let poore and afflicted soules learne that they are happie in Christ although of the world or of the flesh they be iudged miserable Let women learne the dueties of their state namely modestie silence subiection towardes their husbands and chastitie And since that all men should with singular profite dwell in the holy Scriptures doe ye thinke O ye Diuines that ye alone shall be without fruite in this kinde of studie God forbid Hereby none I knowe what I speake shall be more holpen than ye For the most part of ye all are either now made ministers of the Churche or in time to come shall be the duetie of which function is to catche men to féede men and to drawe men vnto God But I beséech you what be the nettes What is the foode What chaines shal ye haue néede of in this worke of yours The Scriptures of God If any thing be to be taught let it be taught by the worde of God If any thing be to be confuted let it be confuted by the worde of God If any thing be to be corrected let it be corrected by the word of God If any thing be to be instructed let it be instructed by the worde of God To conclude let the worde of God in all Ecclesiasticall functions be vnto you the whole summe and effect of all Whatsoeuer Homer woulde signifie by that his golden chayne whereby he fained that Iupiter did drawe all thinges vnto him I passe ouer at this present and doe affirme that the true chayne wherewith meÌ„ may be led vnto God by you is the order or course of the worde of GOD knit together by degrées of ages which shall neuer vanish for the helping of mortall men drawing them vnto life which neuer should haue ende These thinges are plainely set downe in the olde and newe Testament and may verie fitly be called Iacobs ladder reaching vnto heauen whereby the Angels both descend and ascend For who is so blockish that he vnderstandeth not that in the holy Scriptures the knowledge of the infinite wisedome of God doeth submit it selfe from his Maiestie to the capacities of men and as it were descende from heauen to the plaine fielde of the worlde Neither as I thinke is there any man so blinde but he séeeth how highly he whatsoeuer he be that is commonly exercised in reading of the holie Scriptures is exalted from the earth That the holie scriptures are not obscure Now that we haue answered them which wil not haue men eueriwhere to reade the holy scriptures because they are infected with vices and sinnes nowe let vs come to that sort of men which alleage the darkenesse and obscurenesse of the worde of God Let these men take it for an aunswer that in those things which are required necessarie vnto mens saluation the Scriptures of God are neither intricate nor yet haue any mist before them and if a man will be diligent and héedefull in reading ouer of them he shall easilie perceiue that in some places is plainely and manifestly taught those things which in another place are taught as it were in some darke spéeche The goodnesse of God which is spread ouer all is not enuious neyther would he by obscurenesse of spéech hide from men whom he so greatly loueth the knowledge of things necessarie to saluation And I haue wished you Diuines that at this day ye were throughly perswaded herein that the obscurenesse of the holy Scriptures if it be at all is like the heauenly bodies out of which by your labour and meditation if they be continually shaken and pressed together there will breake foorth aswell bright lightenings of the trueth as also the casting foorth of heauenly thunderboltes 2. Cor. 10. 4 whereby all defences and places shall be broken and cast downe which doe exalt themselues against God and his true knowledge For it is a woonder vnlesse it be nowe most plainely perceiued what these Parasites of the Pope meane to drawe men awaie from reading and meditating of the worde of God Without doubt they would bring Religion into the olde deformitie and confusion that it was in before But ye my deare brethren and herein neuer sufficiently commended doe most wisely which knowe that the worde of God must be kept as the Apple of an eye and must bée written in the tables of the heart The custodie thereof albeit it belong vnto all Christians yet doeth it chiefely vnto them which by teaching and preaching doe nowe serue the Church or doe prepare themselues to the holy ministerie Which office albeit many seruaunts of the flesh and of the world doe scorne as vile and contemptible yet is it honourable and full of dignitie on euerie side For they that haue bin counted wise men thought a Iudge to be a speaking lawe for no other cause in déede but because he is the interpreter of the will minde and sense of the lawe Which if they haue not fondly deuised we not amisse may say that a true and sincere Diuine is a God speaking among men Which saying I iudge must so long be receiued as it agréeth not with the inuentions of men but with the worde of God and doeth not mingle falshood with trueth as Sinon did in Virgill To the following of which purenesse in teaching and preaching I exhort you my deare fellowe ministers with all my heart and with all Christian affection Beware I beséeche you of the nurses of vices which are Pleasure and Idlenesse But I would haue these men and together with them all ye my déere brethren in Christ to be admonished that the place or schoole of this Philosophie is heauen wherefore they which créepe vppon the ground and haue not their conuersation as the Apostle commaunded in heauen are in hazard least in studying they loose their labour Phil. 3. 20. Moreouer we must remember that the teacher hereof is the holie Ghost For although you haue innumerable teachers preachers instructers and Maisters vnlesse the holy ghost doe fashion the inward partes anew they shall all take paines in vaine And who haue bin alwayes chosen Ministers of this doctrine the holie Histories doe abundantlie declare namelie the Prophetes being for the most part of the common sort Husbandmen Fishers Publicans and men of occupation Howbeit the word of God tooke no dishonor or reproch hereby For this function what and how much soeuer it be dependeth of God and his spirit We must not therefore weigh what they were but what they teach or whither they carrie vs by their doctrine In déede they call vs not to the
in the power of an other man Neither is there anie further waie open of flying honestlie away But this must be vnderstoode according to the lawes prescribed For if God shoulde bring thée out of prison as in olde time he did Peter by his Angell Acts. 12. 7. that shoulde be a speciall act whereof wee at this time speake not But all this disputation of ours hath respect vnto this onelie to let thée vnderstand that the flying which is contained within the compasse of due meanes and circumstance is not repugnant to the rule of charitie but doeth rather verie well agrée therewith I haue for this cause disputed so largelie of this matter because I sée manie They that condemne flight doe it for the safetie of their goods and especiallie in our countrie of Italie which being indued with some light of the trueth are like vnto contentious aduocats For euen as they if they defend an vniust cause search out with all diligence for some lawe which maie anie manner of waie leane to their ill purpose to the intent they may séeme to defende their cause vnder the zeale of iustice so those our men doe tarie at home where they dare not come in sight for the faith and truth sake and whereas they first leaue this vndoone this other also doe they omit to wit by not flying awaie which might be a cleare testimonie of their syncere faith which they doe being detained by the linkes of commodities and benefites of this worlde Vnto whom we cannot do a greater pleasure than if by our writings and sermons wee shoulde teach that flying awaie is not lawfull vnto Christians that vnder this pretence they maie commodiouslie inioye their goods After the same manner also are the foolishe sort which be sicke affected who if they be sicke either of a wound or impostume when they will not admit either searing or launcing they most loue and giue eare vnto those Phisitians which by the testimonie of some excellent writer reprooue such a way of healing that they may séeme to refuse those remedies not because themselues are ouer-nice but because the remedies agrée not with their diseases Howbeit euen as these sicke men at the length miserablie die and as those vniust aduocates before a wise and prudent Iudge fall in their cause so these men of ours refusing the best remedie for their griefe doe defile their consciences with dissimulation superstitious ceremonies and déepe silence or else which is woorst of all by detestable abiuration For all they which in the reformed and godlie Churches doe rightlie iudge of things vnderstand that the vniust and vnbridled desires of the goods of this life haue bin the cause hereof Wherefore since the intent of their minde is euill it is no maruell if they haue a woorse end He that will not denie himselfe certainlie he shall neuer liue according to the rule of the Gospell He that will liue vnto himselfe and retaine Christian profession is like vnto him that will build without cost or make warre without anie armie Luk. 14. 28. or ouercome enemies without forces He that is not dead to himselfe nor flyeth from himselfe shall neuer confirme the Christian trueth either by triumph of martyrdome or by laudable godlie or Christian flying away Wherefore I beséech you my most déere brethren in the Lord that at the length you will deale in good earnest dissimulations and faininges must be left vnto hypocrites and stage players If Christ and his Gospell which you by the benefit of God haue both imbrased and confessed be a trueth why doe you execute his commaundementes so coldlie But if you iudge it but a Poets woorke or a fable why delay you it to speake it openlie Why make you semblance to beléeue it God suffereth not himselfe to be mocked Mal. 6. 7. Matt. 6. 24. He requireth all the strength of man No man can serue him and Mammon both together nor yet obey two Lordes commaunding contrarie things If the Gospell be true it must be preferred before life and other our worldlie thinges Souldiers dare ieopard their life for them whose partes they take A great manie of Marchants spēd all their life long in strange countries to make themselues rich They which saile by shippe enter day and night into extreme perils of sea for purposes full of vncertaintie And are we vnto whome the kingdome of heauen eternall life and true felicitie is surelie promised of God so dull slothful and slacke in laying downe this mortall life and these miserable goods for his sake when occasion is offered that we should not denie the trueth The Lord at the length take away so great offence reproch and contumelie from his children make them all faithfull constant valiant prompt and readie and perswade that they which die for this truth sake doe passe into eternall life and they which leaue this their temporall countrie doe flie from hell and doe mount to the kingdome of heauen To the College of Saint Thomas in Strasborough IT would right reuerend Sirs deare beloued brethren haue bin much more to my liking to send you rather ioyfull than discomfortable newes But since it hath thus séemed good vnto the prouidence of God which is neuer to be accused it behooueth that I also doe beare that which hath happened with as good a minde as I can Hitherto perhaps I might bee suspected of negligence that I haue not written vnto you but because I knewe that this was diligently doone by Maister Bucer I thought there was no néede of my letters for that I am sure ye did sometimes vnderstande what we both did and what expectation of things might be looked for But nowe is he departed in peace to his and our Lorde Iesus Christ euen the last day of Februarie to the great sorrowe of all godly men and most of all to mée Neither doe I doubt but that yée my reuerend associates wil take great griefe since the Church the Schoole and our College hath lost so worthie a man This man had now ouercome the greatest difficulties and troubles which are woont to hinder beginnings so that he was nowe accepted in a manner of all the godly and learned sort of that Vniuersitie wherin he professed Therefore God would that he shoulde now reape the fruite of his labours and that his long tyred warfare shoulde be adorned with the honour of triumph He is well prouided for we are to bee accounted miserable or rather vnhappie who are yet tossed in the stormes of calamities Wherefore I desire the immortall God who for his mercie sake hath made him to rest in peace will also deliuer vs from the scourges hanging ouer our heades And no lesse doe I wishe that our Chapter may bee prouided of a Deane and gouernour which may be compared in learning and godlinesse with his predecessor I bid ye all farewell in the Lorde From Oxford in England the 8. of March 1551. To the Widowe of D.
me as you doe To Henrie Bullinger 26. THose things which you wrote vnto mée right woorthie Sir doe fullie testifie what minde and good will you beare mee for the which cause I giue you most heartie thankes And in the meane time I knowe not what else to aunswere but that I haue you all the Church I meane the schoole and most honorable Magistrate within my heart and bowels I continue still of one minde and wholie determine with my selfe to come vnto you neither as I thinke will my desire bée in vaine Indéede there be manie impediments so as this delay which our honorable Senate required for to deliberate of the matter is no lesse troublesome to mée than to you For manie times there come learned men vnto me such as are of some authoritie and my verie familiar and speciall friendes which indeuour all they can to stay me from departing The French church which is of our professiō are against it And there be manie in the schoole and in the Senate which trulie fauouring our doctrine say that my departure will cause great detriment but yet by the grace of God these things doe not hitherto mooue mée because I sée that the Germane Church it self is vtterly against me as touching doctrine neither doe I thinke that any reconciliation can be hoped for Howbeit because I haue bin required by my Lordes that I woulde comprehend in a certaine briefe writing my opinion of the Sacramentarie thing touching the Eucharist to the intent it might be perceiued thereby howe much the preachers of this Citie doe differ from mee I did not staie to doe it and our opinion I haue written in fewe wordes in déede but yet so cléerelie and euidently as they which vnderstande it not bée as senselesse as stones Wherefore I thinke that our aduersaries will rather depart from hence than suffer that it shoulde be taught and disputed in the Schoole or bée written of any professor of this Citie I expect what answere they will make I know they will not depart from their obstinacie I in the meane time will vse your benefite which I doubt not but is offered me by God whom beléeue mee I haue desired welnéere these thrée yéeres that either he would make this vocation tollerable vnto mée or else that he woulde prouide mee of another Nowe since he hath hearkened vnto mée and vpon the sodaine hath offered that which I desired vnlesse I would imbrace it as the common saying is with both the hands I should bée vngratefull The writing which I gaue to our noble and honorable Citie I would now sende vnto you but I haue no Copie with mee except that which is written with mine owne ordinarie hand which in no wise you can reade but as I hope I shall my selfe shewe it vnto you Those things which you admonished me of I like well and I will take as much héede as I can that I bee not deceiued In the meane time I am to thanke you in two respectes for the vocation which you haue offered mée For yée haue prepared a commodious méete and honest way for me to depart from hence and by this meanes there is giuen an occasion that I haue héere now openly and before the Magistrate twise confessed my faith and meaning as touching the Eucharist not onely by worde of mouth but also by writing which I hope by the fauour of God will not bee vnprofitable As touching D. Zanchus I beléeue that which you write that it woulde in déede be profitable for him that I shoulde tarie héere but when he shal speake with me himselfe I am perswaded that he will be content with our iust determination In the meane time fare you well and let mee not be without the voyce of your prayers Of my comming stande you in no doubt I doe all thinges and I set all thinges a worke that I may bee dismissed From Strasborough the 22. of May 1556. I praie you that you will excuse mee to our fellowe Ministers that I did not now write For by reason of the absence of Marpachius and Zanchus I am so ouercharged with businesse as I haue no leasure at all Verie heauie newes are this day written vnto vs from Anwarpe namely that Maister Cheeke an English man Schoolemaister vnto king Edward of godly memorie a man verie agréeable vnto vs in doctrine and notable for his learning and godlie life together with Maister Peter Caro are taken betwéene Anwarpe and Bruxels in a litle towne called Fulsorte There is no hope of their life And it is sayde that they shall bee sent into England to the Quéene and I feare least some grieuous example shall be shewed vppon them They be two excellent men as all the English men know Wherefore I beséeche you and your godlie Church that you will powre out for them your prayers as a swéete smelling sacrifice that either they maie be deliuered frō so present a danger or else that there may be giuē them a true and sound constancie in the confession of Christes name and his trueth Fare you well againe and loue mee as you doe To Henrie Bullinger 27. THat messenger which departed from hence eight dayes since and had letters from your sonne vnto you made me not priuie at all of his departure wherefore good Sir and reuerende brother in the Lorde you must not maruell that I wrote not vnto you for I was much desirous to haue doone it and was verie sorie that the occasion was so lost Nowe at the length haue I gotten leaue It was graunted me vppon Saint Iohns Eue. Which I beséech God maie turne to good and bee luckie and fortunate For the Magistrate differed the time euen vntill that daie He protracted the time a great while and labored much to kéepe me still and finallie confessed to my owne selfe that hee did vnwillinglie let mee goe I am preparing for the iourney and when the faire is at an ende I hope that I shall depart from hence Wherefore I will not write much because I trust to bee present with you shortlie I come with a glad minde and with all my heart and I doubt not but with a willing and readie minde I shall be receiued of you I heare that your sonne hath written vnto you touching a house which I my selfe did not aduise him to doe But nowe that he hath doone it I am glad and I giue him thankes But sée how bolde I am I assure my selfe of all thinges euen as Im like manner am readie to doe anie thing for your sake Numius maketh hast and I euen at this present time am occupied in the ordering of my bookes therefore I ende my letter I desire that all the fellow Ministers may be heartilie saluted from me and that it maie be tolde them that there is nowe nothing I more desire than by my presence to pleasure them whome I entyrelie loue and honour in Christ God kéepe you long safe amongest vs. From Strasborough the
b God requireth more than it of vs 3 157b It grieueth the godlie that their Faith is not strong enough to resist their corrupt natures 3 267 a Why Paul ioyneth Faith and confession together 3 262 b Howe it is ioyned with repentaunce 3 213 a Of such as haue abiured it 3 206 b 207 a It was exercised by Ecclesiasticall satisfactions 3 236 a Without it there is no good thing 2 262 b Whether grace and a weake Faith haue the power to iustifie 2 261 b Whether it be a part of repentaunce 3 213 a In what cases it waxeth feeble 3 60 b and a remedie there against 3 62 ab 71 a Whether it can consist without works 3 60 b How it is made perfect by workes 3 75 a It applieth those thinges which it beleeueth vnto him in whom it is 3 84 a What is required for the triall thereof 3 87 b It is the correlatiue of Gods promises 3 126 a 128 b The meaning of Paul in saying Whatsoeuer is not of Faith is sin 2 269 ab Sinne is committed through the want thereof 3 70 b 71 a How it commeth to passe that about it there is doubting 3 59b Of that whereby we please God 3 106 ab Howe hope and charitie are ingendred of the same 3 74 b Whether it taketh place in things assuredlie knowen 3 59 b 60 a What thinges striue therewith 3 91 a Thereby we denie the best part of our selues 3 60 a It extinguisheth not the nature of man 3 61 a Of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thereof and whereto it is referred 3 91 b The end of the same 3 60 a In what kinde of promises it hath to do 2 549 b How many wayes it is taken and distinguished 3 57 b It is the rule and direction of a good intent 1 93 a Of comprehending the creation of the worlde thereby 1 16 b How farre forth it gathereth a knowledge of God and from whence 1 30 b The lawe and Faith helpe one another 2 578 b What shoulde be the forme thereof if any forme be 3 75 b What is a manifest falling away from the same 3 57 a By it we first answere vnto the calling of God 3 77 b The proper notes and colours thereof 3 142 b How it excelleth charitie and so contrarie 3 75 b By what meanes it is nourished and confirmed 3 63 ab Whether it be a trust 3 92 b Why it must not rest vpon humane wisedome 4 25 b It is not of workes 4 26 a The roote thereof in heauen 4 25 b It is no true kinde which breaketh not out into actions agreeable 2 316 b It cannot be tyed to fathers and Councels 1 93 ab A most notable confirmation thereof in the vanquishing of Giantes by weake men 1 131a b When it shall cease 3 76 a Whether the true and right kinde is to bee yeelded to the persecuters of the Church 4 33b What Paul intendeth by saying that the righteousnesse of Faith hath testimonie both of the lawe and the Prophetes 1 99 a Who haue a shewe of Faith but no true faith 3 73 b Whether it be in Infidels or no. 3 106 ab It draweth with it all good motions of the minde 1 106 b The apprehending thereby taketh nothing away from the trueth of thinges 3 77 b Whether it signifieth the conscience 3 98 b Two thinges necessarily required therein 2 634 b A comparison thereof vnto wisedome 3 74 a Where the fault lieth if wee wauer therein 3 70 b Whither hope or charitie bee the forme thereof 3 74a b Not perfect in vs in this life 3 72 b The force thereof in the beléeuers 3 71 ab Of the great conuinction betwéene it and workes 3 151 a It expelleth feare 3 65 a How farre foorth it agréeeth with feare 3 63 b The difference betwéene it and opinion 3 69 b and suspicion 3 57 b Howe it is harmed by a lie 2 544 a Errors in matters thereof is deadly sinne 1 95 a Whether infantes haue it 4 119 b 120 a 163 a Howe it is increased by good workes 3 135 b Manie more thinges reuealed vnto vs by the Scriptures than wée knowe by it 1 16 a It goeth necessarily before all good workes 3 154 ab Whether it maie bee separated from iustification 3 131 a 312 ab It formeth pertecteth al good works 3 149 b Whether ours to iustification and the fathers were al one 3 153 b 154 a 2 87 b What kind was necessarie to saluatiō til the Gospel was published 2 262 b 263 a Gregories opinion that it is the entrie whereby wee come vnto good workes but not contrariwise 2 260 ab To be with out it and without grace in Augustines iudgement is all one 2 259 a If I haue all Faith so that I can remoue mountaines expounded 3 132 b 133 a Prophesie and true Faith are not of necessitie ioyned together 1 23 a That of the Iewes commended by examples 2 588 ab A newe signification thereof that it is the persuasion of the conscience 2 269 ab Whether it goe before or follow myracles 1 68 ab The saintes to confirme it sometime required myracles 3 62 a It springeth not of myracles but is confirmed by them 1 63 b 67 b In whome it goeth before myracles as P. Martyr saith 1 68 b Faith foreséene mooueth not God to predestinate vs. 3 16a Diuers kindes of Faith 3 92 a Of the articles 3 144 b 145 b Of Doctrine 3 132 a Of myracles 3 26 b 199 a 132 a 1 69 a 6◠a Graunted euen to the wicked 3 92 ab A Temporall 3 92 b In the reprobate 3 34 a How to determine whether it be but temporall 3 47 b 48 a Formed and vnformed 3 71 b Effectuall and historicall 3 141 b 142 a Vnfeined and temporall 3 204 b Dead and liuely 3 71 b 134 b 135 a 92 a True Faith and counterfete 3 87 b 73 b General Faith and particular 3 132 a 133 a 106 a 107 a And whether by the particular euerie man is sure of his saluation 3 145 a 2 318 a Of opinion or persuasion of inspiration of myracles 1 69a Of a certaine humane Faith not inspired by God 3 134 b What kinde of Faith the Turkes haue 3 106 b Whether the Diuell bee indued with a true Faith 3 137 b 62 b What Faith driueth men to desperation 3 92 b Faith Ciuill Diuers definitions of Faith to wit ciuil faith 2 549 b In what respectes it is to be violated 2 538 a It comprehendeth in it all the partes of mans life 2 549b The necessitie thereof of truth among men 2 539 a Whether it must be kept with heretikes 2 538a Whether it must be kept with him that breaketh promise 2 548 b Whether it is to be kept with our enemies 2 537 a 371 a The Faith of Attilius Regulus to his enemies 2 539 a 282 b Faithfull The state of the Faithfull
what we are taught therby 74 a Touching constancie therin for religion read the 47. epistle beginning at page 139. A praier to be said in the time of Persecution when flight is intended 70 b 73 b Philosophie and an excellent kind of doctrine it teacheth not 46 a b. Philosophers and Poets how they haue transformed the plaine truth 41 a Physicians that we must seeke for our soules health 21 a b. Plentie and the magistrats charge in such a yeare 157 a Pleasures and idlenes the nursses of vices 49 b The true vse of honest ones 157 a Poets and Philosophers and how they haue transformed the plaine truth 41 a Polygamie of Iacob is not to be accused 154 b Reasons whie it is to be auoided 154 b Pope and how farre foorth we may vse things that were vsed in his church 119 a Pouertie and who vnder the pretense thereof must not delaie marriage 154 b Power of God in our conuersion 108 a b Whether it be in mans Power to change the will 119 b 120 a He gaue them Power to be made the sonnes of God expounded 120 a Praier the remedie against prodigious sights 111 a Of the lifting vp of hands therein 162 b The spirit of Christ doth speciallie stir vp thereto 158 b A forme thereof to be vsed of and for them that be fallen from the true religion 143 b 144 a b Of Peter Martyr against false worshipping of God 251. 252. Common must not be neglected whie 162 a. Praiers that be effectuall 153 b Whether those to saints departed be lawfull 170 b Of some called collects and the reason of their name 136 a Preaching or baptising whether is more excellent 219a b When the outward is fruitefull and how 22 b Predestinate and by what calling God calleth them 115 b Not all which be called are such 131 b The difference betwéene them and the reprobate after they are fallen 143 b Predestination is a part of Gods prouidence 130 b Whie the doctrine thereof is profitable 129 b The order thereof to be noted 116 b Diuerse iudgements touching it 130 b Christ is the principall effect thereof 131 b It bringeth no constraint or violence to mans will 131 b Vnchangeable 130 b 131 a The things due therevnto and causes thereof 152 a b Whether by the doctrine thereof be opened a window to idlenes 131 b Necessarie to be taught in the church 105 a The end thereof 131 a A definition of it 130 b Whether works or what else be the causes therof 131 a Predicaments ten that all things which be are reduced to them 164 b Presence reall in the sacrament spoken of to and fro 243 b 244. c. 139 a b 230 b ¶ Looke Eucharist Preests apparell and préestlie ornaments 30 b Whie they were kept from the innermost holie place 168 a Why their sinne is more gréeuous than the peoples 170 a Two things wherewith those of the lawe were indued 30 a b How manie High preests the Iewes had from Aaron to the building of Solomons temple 31 a Preesthood of Melchisedech 149 b Touching the promises annexed to that of Leui 28 a b Whether all the things belonging to Aarons are to be abrogated 118 a b. Princes must serue God two manner of waies 60 a b Whether it be lawfull for them to flie in persecution 77 b 78 a Their dutie and their misbehauiour 19 a What danger followeth their error 21 b The care of religion belongeth vnto them 60 b 61 a What is to be obserued in the worship we doo to them 157 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the difference betwixt it and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 106 b 107 a Promises of God of temporall things include spirituall 166 b What those to Abraham doo teach vs 149 b Of them that were annexed to the préesthood of Leui 28 a b. Prophesie what the same is and the affinitie thereof with faith 151 a The spirit thereof giuen to the wicked 104 a Prophets among Gods people euen in the time of their bondage in Aegypt 158 b Why the primitiue church had more than we now haue 151 a b The maner of them in warning men 147 a Prouidence cannot be separated from God and why 129 b Predestination is a part thereof 130 b Why the doctrine of it is profitable 129 b The decrées therof are immutable 130 a The definition of it 129 b The largenes of it 130 a What frute the doctrine thereof bringeth 46 b 47 a It doth not take awaie chance 130 a The vniuersalitie therof 153 b 154 a How it dooth gouerne things 130 a Those things which séeme to happen by chance are gouerned thereby 130 a All things are definite and certeine in respect thereof 130 a It taketh not awaie counsels admonitions corrections c. 130 a b. Punishment vpon the children for the parents done by God 170 b 171 a b Whether it haue power in it selfe to purge sinne 147 b How it is ment that euerie one shall beare that which is due to his owne sinne 170b 171 a Purpose of GOD in calling effectuallie 115 a Q. QVailes why they were giuen to the Israelits in the euening 161 b 162 a Quantitie commeth after substance 207 a Whether a humane bodie can consist without it 205 b 206 a b 207 a whether a bodie consisting of it may be without quantitatiue measure 221 b whether it and substance may be put apart 225 b Mathematicall not reallie diuisible 230 b Whether the bodie of Christ after his resurrection wanted it 221 b 222 a c. Quarels would be at no end if we should giue place to wrath 115 b Question touching the magistrate in certeine cases of iustice 142 a Touching a lawe in Exodus about a deflowred maid 142 a About swearing not by the name of God onelie 142 a Questions disputed of about the Eucharist 175. Vnprofitable must be reiected 89 b R. RAinebowe and what we haue to learne and gather by the same 148 b A shadowe of the couenant of mans redemption therein 148 b Rebecca whether she may be excused in preferring the yoonger sonne before the elder 153 b Reconciliation a key belonging to the church 26 b 27 a Regenerate subiect vnto falling 119 b The state of frée will in them 129 a 124 a b 125 a b 163 b Diuerse defects in them of dooing good 104 b They cannot be without sinnes 125 b They are not onelie méere men but men of God 124 b 125 a 129 a Their acceptable works 129 a Not regenerate and the state of them touching the dooing of good and bad 105 a Their vertues are frutelesse 47 b 48 a Their fréewill 126 a b 127 a 102 a b 163 b Necessitie of sinning in them 105 a b 126 b How they knowe things naturall and supernaturall 103 b 104 a What they can doo in the lawe of God 102 b How their will is toward celestiall things 108 a Regeneration of the bodie 140 b Signified
pleasure 1. Cor. 6 12. Paule said All things are lawfull vnto me but all things are not expedient For whatsoeuer we doo it ought to be a furtherance vnto the glorie of Gods name and to the edifieng of our neighbours Let these things suffice for answer vnto the arguments and sophisticall reasons of our aduersaries The twelfe Chapter ¶ The eight commandement Thou shalt not steale And first of theft sacrilege and the stealing awaie of mens seruants and children In Rom. 2 verse 21. What theft is AS touching theft it is theft when we withhold that which is an other mans against the will of the owner or else when we by iniurie drawe vnto vs other mens goods or when we distribute not that which is our owne when néed requireth And there be manie other kinds of thefts But in the table of the ten commandements The forme of the doctrine of the ten commandements the chéefe purpose is onelie to set foorth a bréefe summe and that after the plainer and homelier sort in the which we may vnderstand all the parts thereof The head and summe of all theft is couetousnes Euen as in the vnhonester sort of pleasures onlie adulterie is expressed vnder which are comprehended all kinds of vncleanes so vnder the name of idolatrie all kind of false worshipping is forbidden whereas that onelie is expressed which is most grosse For a strange god is forbidden vs so likewise are grauen images and sundrie formes We must consider what is comprehended vnder euerie precept of the ten commandements Wherefore when anie of the ten commandements of God is set downe vnto vs it is our part to consider well what things be comprehended vnder that sinne Further the root must be sought out and there against we must striue with all the might we haue Couetousnes or theft hereof springeth that we distrust GOD and are alwaies afraid least we should want anie thing But adulterie and all vncleannesse of the flesh springeth from the desire of voluptuous pleasures as Christ expressed when he said If a man looke vpon a woman to lust after hir he hath alreadie committed adulterie in his heart And against this concupiscence we ought to wrestle As touching murder Christ hath likewise admonished vs Matt. 5 21. that we should take cleane awaie anger as the root thereof Sacrilege also is to catch What sacrilege is and rashlie vsurpe to a mans selfe holie things which be dedicated vnto God Deut. 12 3. or due vnto him either in respect of a vow or a separation The Iewes were coÌ„manded in the lawe A lawe giuen to the Iewes for destroieng of images Iosua 7 1. not to spare idols for they ought to haue ouerthrowne and destroied them all But they being drawne by couetousnesse reserued them vnto themselues and turned them to their owne commodities So sinned Achan and also Saule 1. Sam. 15 8 when he had ouercome Amalech Contrariewise Moses gaue an excellent example of courage Exod. 32 20 when he not onelie brake the golden calfe but also did beat it into pouder and threw it into the riuer But if the relikes of the idoll had remained still peraduenture the Israelits as they were mad vpon them would haue worshipped them Vndoubtedlie the Common-weale What our magistrats maie doo with the superstitious things that be giuen and our magistrates may take awaie those things which are superstitious and conuert the prices of them to good and godlie vses yet priuate men may not doo so But the Hebrues were generallie forbidden that they should not kéepe such things especiallie such as they had curssed 2 Theft was not a crime of death In 2. Sam. 12 verse 5. The punishment of theft but if there were found anie stolne thing in the hand of the robber the thing stolne was restored Howbeit if he had either slaine it or sold it he restored foure oxen for one and fiue shéepe for one But Dauid made it death He deserueth death saith he and willeth that there should be restored eight fold if we follow the rules of grammar For Arbathaiâ—m is the duall number albeit the Chaldaean interpretor and some of the Hebrues take it for foure fold What shall we answer herevnto We answer two manner of waies The first is that the lawe ought to be kept after the ordinarie and equall manner but it laie in the Iudges hands to increase or diminish the punishments according to the nature of the circumstances What were the circumstances for the which Dauid augmented the punishment He that stole was a rich man Further he stole from one that was poore which also dooth aggrauate the cause To take somewhat where great store is is not so great a matter Besides he tooke from him that one which of all other he held most deare vnto him Wherefore did he so To giue good interteinement to his ghest who perhaps was an ill man and to make good chéere with him Wherefore it must not séeme anie maruell if Dauid augmented the punishment Yea but thou saiest Whether the sentence of Dauid be against the lawe in Deut. 4 2. and 12 13. that this is to alter the lawe of God whereof God said Neither adde thou vnto it neither take thou from it They saie there be no words added the lawe remaineth perfect but forsomuch as the law-maker cannot expresse all cases it commeth to passe that it is put to the discretion of iudges either to aggrauate Whether the lawe of God be changed or to diminish the sentence Notwithstanding that is a great matter when the sentence of the iudge is so aggrauated as it maketh that to be death which is no crime of death He might haue said If it be not inough to restore home foure or eight fold let him paie ten twentie c. Another answer is that they saie This maner of Dauids speaking is not to be taken as though he would haue the partie to be punished with death but for the more vehement expressing of his mind Whether Dauids speech were hyperbolicall he vsed an excessiue speach as though he should haue said He might séeme to be guiltie of death and not that he would haue him to be put to death When a iudge heareth of anie gréeuous crime he saith that such a one deserueth a thousand deaths when as onelie one death can be laid vpon him by the lawe This saieng serueth to exaggerate the crime and maketh not the words false for all men knowe what the meaning thereof is This I speake the rather bicause if we saie that in the sacrament of the Eucharist there is a figure they saie that we make the proposition This is my bodie to be false But a figure dooth not make the words false So true is the figure which Dauid here vseth as he bindeth it with an oth Either of these answers is probable I sée that in that place the holie Ghost vsed the toong of Dauid
vnproperlie according to the common prouerbe A straieng toong telleth truth He was the child of death for they were capitall faults which he had committed and he should restore eight fold that is he should paie much Trulie it séemeth verie hard to punish theft with death The lawe in some case staieth a theefe Exod. 22 2. Neuerthelesse we must consider that in that lawe of Exodus this was ordeined that if a théefe had come armed in the night with intent to steale anie thing awaie it should be lawfull to kill him and that without danger In this case when it is said that the rich man dooth take awaie from the poore man his one onlie lambe there séemeth to be a violence vsed and not a fraud It is no maruell therefore if the punishment be augmented and he iudged woorthie of death Foure fold restitution And as for the restoring of foure fold we haue not onelie a lawe but also the example of Zachaeus Luke 19 8. in the 19. of Luke If I haue taken ought from anie man by deceit he saith to Christ I restore him foure fold Seuen fold restitution He saith not I restore him double but to shew his dutie the more he chose to himselfe the straiter punishment Againe there is a place in the sixt of the Prouerbs verse 30. where Salomon saith that A theefe which is taken shall restore seuen fold In which place it may be gathered as it séemeth that it was in the power of iudges to increase the punishment for at this time théeues did restore seuen fold Some answer that it was not there meant of anie precise number in the restitution of things taken awaie but that a théefe should be compelled to make a perfect restitution In that place he compareth the sinne of theft and adulterie togither and would shew and declare adulterie to be the greater If a théefe haue no other intent but to satisfie hunger it redoundeth not to his shame If he be taken he is compelled to yéeld againe that which he hath taken awaie If he be taken in adulterie he is punished with death Whether Dauid were punished aboue foure fold 2. Sam. 16 22. 2. Sam. 12 18. 13 28. 18 14. and 1. Kin. 2 25. Touching the restitution of foure fold it maie séeme that Dauid was punished not onelie to the proportion of foure fold but of aboue eight fold For his ten concubines were defiled by Absalom And although himselfe was not slaine yet was he reserued to great afflictions For foure of his sonnes were consumed first he whom he had by Bethsaba then Amnon afterward Absalom lastlie Adonias 3 The crime of stealing awaie of seruants In Gen. 37 verse 25. The crime of stealing awaie of seruants punished by death Deut. 24 7. Exo. 21 16. Gen. 37 28. Matt. 27 5. or children and selling of them was by the ciuill lawe punished with death as it is in the 48. booke of the Digests and in Deuteronomie the 24. chapter The punishment which God appointed for the same doth yet declare the grieuousnes of the crime For this fault the Hebrues confesse that they were manie yeares togither vexed by Pharao in Aegypt Assuredlie the selling of Christ draue Iudas to hang himselfe and in the end wrought confusion both to those that bought him and to the whole kingdome In the booke Zahor wherein be praiers which the Iewes repeat in the daie of Purification when they fast for the satisfaction of their sinnes there is mention made of ten Rabbins of great name the which were slaine by Caesar Adrianus For Caesar demanded of them what punishment their lawe tooke of such as should be found guiltie of stealing frée men awaie and selling them Who wiselie answered out of Deuteronomie 24 7. that they were woorthie of death Wherevpon the Emperor put them to death laieng to their charge that they were guiltie of this crime But what frée man it was that he charged them to haue sold it is not there expressed Yet in their Thalmud to the end to slander Christ when they make a declaration of this fact they saie it was Ioseph And least they should séeme to speake against all reason or likeliehood that after so manie ages these men should be punished for a wickednesse so long before committed they speake more absurdlie that soules remooue from one to another and therefore that the soules of the ten brethren of Ioseph did remooue into these ten Rabbins and that for this cause they were punished after such a manner Of well dooing and Hospitalitie 4 There is a notable place in the first to the In 1. Cor. 16. verse 4. Corinthians The communitie of things among the Anabaptists is confited Looke in the booke De votis pag. 79. put foorth at Basil the 16. chapter wherein we be taught beneficence and liberalitie By the which and by such like the Anabaptists which declare that among christians all things ought to be common be confuted For if their opinion were true there had béene no néed to exhort the faithfull to distribute almes vnto the poore for euerie one might take from whom he would But forsomuch as the holie scriptures commend almes vnto vs they shew plainlie that euerie one is a possessor of his owne goods although he be bound to communicate with his néedie neighbour of the fruit and profit which commeth of the same We sée also in the same place that the church of Corinth resisted not Paule in saieng What tellest thou vs of the Ierosolomits Haue not we poore people of our owne with vs whom we ought to find and reléeue Suffer vs to distribute our owne goods among our owne poore But when they had heard Paule determine that it was not inough that euerie church should find their owne poore but is also bound to reléeue the brethren of other churches if their abilitie serue they were readie to giue their consent Charitie must be doone in order yet not to be too strait laced For although that charitie ought to be doone in due order yet must it not be so strait laced as it should haue respect onelie vnto them that be hir owne In déed we ought to begin with such as be our owne but we are not there to make a staie Furthermore in distributing of almes there must be a consideration had of the honestie of those that be in néed Wherefore Paule said vnto the Galathians Gal. 6 10. Let vs doo well vnto all men especiallie vnto those which be of the houshold of faith Besides this there must be a speciall consideration had of them touching whom the word of GOD hath giuen expresse commandement as are the father the mother the wife the children and the ministers of the church Thirdlie necessitie must be regarded for otherwise there happen cases sometimes wherein our helpe cannot be deferred with a safe conscience in which time both father mother and the rest vnto whom we are
of ill maners Tertullian in his booke De virginibus velandis saith that Offense is an example not of a good but of an euill thing As touching euill doctrines which offend Augustine Augustine diuideth them into two heads so as some perteine to the verie nature of God as when the father is affirmed to be greater than the sonne or else to be of another nature and substance than the sonne is of and such other like And there be certeine offenses which belong vnto the church as if one saie that the church dooth so sticke in one place that it can be no where else as the Donatists in those daies affirmed These things be written of him in the hundred and twentie psalme Othere diuide it otherwise that some offenses are doone of set purpose as when lawes be enacted and ordinances made which are contrarie vnto the Gospell as it hath béene doone verie oftentimes by the Pope and by manie bishops Other offenses also be giuen although indéed not wilfullie or of set purpose to hinder the Gospell but for that men applie themselues to fulfill their lusts or to obteine their pleasures and delights without consideration of godlines and religion There is no reason for anie man to obiect that Christ did offend verie manie bicause he himselfe confessed when he said Blessed is he that shall not be offended by me Matth. 11 6 and bicause in Esaie it is fore-shewed that He should be the stone of falling Esaie 8 14. and the rocke of offense For herein Christ obeied his father and applied himselfe to the fore-telling of the prophets which prophesied that he should come and liue in such humble and abiect maner which if he had not doone he should haue béene a farre greater offense Also we must not take it gréeuouslie if by liuing honestlie we doo offend the world séeing that God euen in the gouernement of the world dooth not content all men for there are quarellings against him in euerie place Let vs auoid those offenses What offenses must be auoided which we our selues giue in séeking our owne commoditie séeing therein we be far vnlike vnto Christ who lest ninetie and nine shéepe Luke 19 4. to go séeke that which was gone astraie and for one grote which was lost would haue the whole house to be ransacked Wherefore it ought to be no maruell if it be so seuerelie decréed touching them which take not héed of giuing offense And when Christ said in the Gospell How it must be vnderstood that offenses be necessarie Matth. 18 7 Exod. 7 13. that Of necessitie offenses must come that must be vnderstood both in respect of Gods iudgement and also bicause of our fraile and corrupt nature For God of his iust iudgement and seueritie would that Pharao should by his sorcerers be offended that he might not be obedient vnto his commandement for that did his incredulous and obstinate mind deserue And by the verie same meanes God wrought that the wicked king Achab should take offense by his false prophets least he should giue eare vnto the truth 1. Kin. 22 22 declared by the prophet Micheas Sometimes also he sendeth occasions of offense for their sakes that be godlie to the intent they may become more notable for we learne that heresies are necessarie 1. Co. 11 19. bicause those which be tried may be manifestlie knowne Furthermore we haue cause of offenses in our owne selues for as we are naturall men and neither doo nor can vnderstand things that be of God bicause they be foolishnes vnto vs our flesh taketh an occasion of falling and is offended at the word of God 5 And forsomuch as the Lord hath died for such as are weak they that sinne against them sinne against Christ 1. Cor. 8 12. as Paule speaketh to the Corinthians bicause they doo not reuerentlie estéeme of his death and bloud The conscience of another man is wounded How another mans conscience is wounded when it is ill edified and is compelled to doo those things whereof it iudgeth otherwise Doubtlesse it is great crueltie to wound a brother but more cruell to wound a weake brother and to strike him on that part whereon he is alreadie weakened and which gréeueth him much that is in the conscience the greatest crueltie that may be Ambrose Ambrose in that place setteth it downe thus that They doo sinne in Christ bicause they sinne in the profession of Christ euen as they are said to sinne in the lawe Rom. 2 12. who hauing the lawe yet neuerthelesse doo sinne Otherwise saith he to sinne against Christ is to denie Christ But the Gréeke text hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Against Christ Chrysost They that offend the weak sinne three maner of waies against Christ Mat. 10 40. Matt. 25 40. Acts. 9 4. which phrase Chrysostome followeth and declareth that by this kind of sinne Christ is hurt thrée maner of waies First bicause he testifieth that whatsoeuer shall be doon vnto his the same is doone vnto himselfe He that receiueth you receiueth me Whatsoeuer yee haue doone vnto one of the least of them that be mine yee haue doone it vnto me Saule Saule why persecutest thou me And manie such other like places Secondlie bicause such as are weake perteine vnto the bodie of Christ séeing they be his members wherefore when they be either wounded or hurt Christ also himselfe is hurt And lastlie bicause that building which Christ established by his owne bloud these men by their euill example ouerthrowe for We are Gods building 1. Cor. 3 9. Neither ought this spéech to driue vs to that point as though we ought alwaies to stand in doubt least anie should be offended at our dooings which otherwise be iust and lawfull for these things at this present are spoken concerning open and manifest offenses There haue béene some which haue alledged that place to the Corinthians to persuade that we should beare also with most gréeuous abuses in the church least by attempting anie thing against them the weaker sort might thereby be offended Abuses in the church for Paules saieng must not be borne withall And by this selfe-same reason they would defend themselues that whereas otherwise being persuaded in the truth they might both be present at masses and intermedle with papisticall idolatrie For if saie they we should not doo this we should be a great offense vnto the people The which reason of theirs is most absurd séeing Paule saith Paul speaketh of meane and indifferent things that he in meane and indifferent things such as are the eating of flesh and drinking of wine would take héed of offending the weake But to be partaker of abuses papisticall idolatrie is to commit grosse and manifest sinne whereby while as they feigne that they would beware of giuing offense vnto certeine wicked men they offend the true church of Christ And whereas they are of some estimation they
call manie backe which otherwise would haue come vnto the truth and by their ill example they nourish vngodlines Neither doo they in the meane time while they thus dissemble admonish the weake of their weakenesse neither doo they speake anie word at all to testifie their faith Of Christian libertie 6 The Corinthians did so abuse Christian libertie as they continuallie boasted In .1 Cor. 6 verse 1. that all things were lawfull vnto them This dooth Paule denie and he maketh two kinds of forbidden things The one is of things indifferent Two kinds of things forbidden when by the vse of them a brother is offended another kind is that which in the nature thereof is alwaies euill which we can neuer vse well First he intreateth of things indifferent and vseth the figure Antypophora or an exception of that which was obiected They boasted Those things must be vnderstood of things indifferent All things are lawfull forme Paule added But all things are not expedient That bragge of theirs he repelleth by this first exception for although many things be lawfull yet must we beware of them when as they be not profitable He denieth not but that all things be lawfull vnto a christian but then thou must restraine thy spéech vnto things indifferent The proposition is generall but it must be more strictlie taken as is that saieng God will haue all men to be saued and 1. Tim. 2 4. Iohn 5 9. He lighteneth euerie man that cometh into this world As touching these things that be indifferent we must affirme that onelie according to their owne kind and nature they haue this indifferencie But when we come vnto election How somethings are said to be indifferent there is nothing indifferent for it is of necessitie that the same be either good or euill Whensoeuer anie thing is taken in hand we must alwaies haue a respect vnto edifieng We are not borne to our selues onelie but vnto Christ vnto the church and to our neighbours wherefore the rule of edifieng is so necessarie as it ought alwaies to be before our eies There is also an other exception in these things indifferent I ought not onelie to consider what maie further our neighbours the church The true Christian libertie must be kept and the house of Christ but I must also prouide least vnder the pretence of libertie I loose the perfect and true Christian libertie For it may be that while I followe the libertie of the flesh I may fall into hard bondage whereby I make my selfe a most vile bondslaue vnto my bellie appetite or lust and to mine euill affections Which danger béeing at hand I will refraine from things indifferent when they may bring an offense to the weaker sort Christ saith Paule to the Galathians hath redeemed you Galat. 5 1. stand therefore in the libertie which is bestowed vpon you In the meane time we must take héed of our affections least we make our selues subiect vnto them How a man must behaue himselfe towards the weake We must also beware of offending them that be weake vnto whom thou oughtest so to applie thy selfe that they may the easâ—ier be led from their infirmitie vnto a better estate But and if they will abuse thy seruitude for the defense of their weaknesse be not thou brought vnder their power but vse thine owne libertie But if thou be conuersant among them that be strong where thou maist fréelie vse things indifferent for if they be strong they will not be offended and shalt féele thine owne affections féeble or else by the vse of things indifferent shalt perceiue thy selfe to be made the more vnapt vnto praiers and godlie readings absteine from those things bring not thy selfe into bondage vse thine owne libertie Of Conscience In .1 Cor. cap. 8 ver 7. We must attempt nothing but that which we know pleaseth God Rom. 14. 7 Let vs now consider that in all our actions we ought to attempt nothing whereof we be not certeine that it is aprooued of God And this thing is handled at large in the 14. chapter of the epistle to the Romans that Whatsoeuer we doo it should staie vpon faith And vndoubtedlie whatsoeuer is doone otherwise it maketh vs worthie of hell-fier There the apostle saith Blessed is he that iudgeth not himselfe in that thing which he alloweth verse 22. Whereby it cometh to passe that he which iudgeth and condemneth anie thing and yet himselfe alloweth the same is condemned bicause he dooth it not of faith The conscience hath such a power as if it be good Note how the conscience may make a worke good or euill it maketh that worke to be good which in his owne nature is different and on the other side being euill it maketh it euill But yet neuerthelesse it is vnpossible that anie worke which is in nature euill should by our conscience be made good For of what conscience so euer thou be Wherein the power of the conscience exerciseth hâ—r power if thou forsweare thy selfe or commit fornication thou sinnest gréeuouslie Wherefore the power of the conscience exerciseth hir force in those things that be meane or indifferent and in those actions which in their owne nature should be good It is shewed out of the scriptures how necessarie a good conscience is Titus 2 15. Of this matter Paule wrote vnto Titus All things be cleane to them which be cleane but to them which be vncleane and vnfaithfull nothing is cleane bicause their mind and conscience are corrupt Also vnto Timothie Euerie creature of God 1. Tim. 4. 4. Rom. 14 14. which is receiued with thanksgiuing is good for it is sanctified by the word of God and praier And vnto the Romans But I thinke and am persuaded that nothing by Iesus Christ is common but that which a man dooth iudge to be common These places doo plentifullie teach how necessarie it is to haue a good conscience and that he sinneth which attempteth anie thing against his conscience Hereby it is manifest that if thou shalt thinke that God is offended at thy worke vndoubtedlie if thou doo not refraine thou preferrest now thine owne will before the will of God and thou louest thy selfe aboue God Wherefore it behooueth that the conscience be well persuaded about the dooing of things which good persuasion it cannot haue otherwise than out of the word of GOD wherin alone it is most certeinlie shewed vs what we must seeke for and what we must shun A similitude And euen as the philosophers determine that We alwaies go out of the right waie when in our dealing we follow not perfect reason What is defined to be sinne euen so among the Diuines it is defined to be sinne when we depart from the faith of a sound conscience 8 But since that this place concerning conscience commeth now to hand it shall be requisite to expound the nature thereof Wherefore it is to be considered that